Jess POV
"[Summon Demon Merchant]" I said aloud.
[Summon Demon Merchant] (Active) level 63
Herobrine has personally granted you access to one of his demonic merchants. Activating this skill will summon a demon to buy unique items from. The higher this skill level, the bigger the discount when purchasing items.
I stood on the high cliff that's 200 blocks away from the Clockwork Fortress. Even in this cold wind, even from this far distance, I can see the destruction.
I wish I could have been the one who did the deed, but I have something bigger planned than that abomination's petty revenge.
Maura appeared before me as a large orb of black fog formed. His single green eye, with a black iris, emerged from the darkness as his many tentacles flooded out a second later; weaving, moving, and feeling around the cold open air.
[Maura] Level ???
Title: Demon of Knowledge and Invention
Species: ???
Even though my skill [Observe] is maxed out, there are still some things that are not revealed to me. I need to buy some new skills, but I can always earn more Divine Points, and I know I'll get more after what I'm about to do to the Clockwork Fortress.
But still, if I'm interpreting this scarce information, Maura isn't a demon at all! He's just called a demon, yet the description for the skill to summon him calls him demonic.
Perhaps I've been association similar words together, even though they're different. No, I have... so if Maura is not a demon, then what is he?
I don't know why I asked that. You don't need to be a demon, to be a demon; I am proof of that. I wonder what Maura did that earned him that title, and placed him under Herobrine's eternal favor?
Ping!
By understanding your mistake, your Wisdom stat has increased by 1!
"Ah, if it isn't my mortal friend, Jess." The demon greeted before his single eye looked at my left hand. "I've already given you all five Hell Rings, why do you not wear them?"
"I need to prepare before I equip all five," I explained, Maura did not like his work insulted. "I need some books on demonic lore."
"Oh, let me guess, Baba Yaga's book?" He asked, but didn't refuse as several of his tentacles retreated back into the darkness.
I nodded as he let out a deep laugh. "I can't wait to hear what terrors you'll unleash!" Maura shouted as several books piled next to me, a second later I lost all of my Divine Points. Damn, these are expensive.
Ping!
The skill [Summon Demon Merchant] has leveled up!
"Hold on, you'll need this too," Maura handed me another book. "Free of charge."
I used [Observe].
[Skill Book: Demonic Anchor]
This skill book teaches how to create an Anchor; information is inside.
I looked at Maura. "What's an Anchor?" I asked as I placed the book into my Inventory.
"When something needs to be summoned from another plane of existence, you need to create an Anchor: a focus point of energy and desire to keep the summoned in this world."
Maura continued. "I stay in this world only when people summon me, their intent to make a deal with me, to interact with me, creates an Anchor for me to stay. Once they don't need me, the Anchor loses its power, and I go back to my plane of existence."
"And where do you go?" I asked, now understanding why he can never freely roam. "You say you're the demon of knowledge and invention, but are you actually a demon?"
His single eye stared straight at me, but his tone was amused. "I am something special," He hinted. "Let's just say, Herobrine's realm was too small for my dark library."
"But since I'm here now," Maura mused as I placed the other books in my Inventory. "How would you like to earn a bigger discount?"
"What do you mean?" Not that I'm going to refuse, but I need to know what I need to do. I won't ignore that he's changing the subject, but what can I possibly do to someone who's acknowledged as a demon, who isn't really a demon, by Herobrine?
"Before I explain, you'll need a history lesson," Maura started to talk. "Or rather, a revelation of history. Tell me, what do you know about the reign of the fourth Emperor?"
I just shrugged. "It was an era of fake peace," I recalled my history lesson from Ivor. "Unified under a single forced belief, but the fourth Emperor was arrogant, and because of this her empire collapsed and the kingdoms became independent again."
"And?" He gestured for me to continue.
"That's it." I shrugged. "There isn't a lot of history on the fourth Emperor, and what little there is, they're all different."
"But the common thing they all have?" Maura was getting joy out of this.
"They all hate her," I revealed. "Every old kingdom hates the fourth Emperor, but it was so long ago they don't even remember the reason anymore."
"Eh, close enough," Maura commented, much to my confusion. "Anyways, there is an Old Builder who recorded the entire history of the reign of the fourth Emperor. After the collapse of the empire, and most of the world's population, he took the body back to his home and guards her tomb."
"Wait, what was that part about the world's population?" I asked in surprise.
"Ah, don't worry about it... probably," His tentacles moved in a way as if he's shrugging. One of his tentacles reached back into the darkness to pull out a glass bottle full of clear liquid. "It took me a long time to gather this," He gave me the bottle. "Pour this on the grave of the fourth Emperor, and I will reward you."
I used [Observe] on the bottle. "Maura..." I held the bottle up. "...This bottle is full of spit."
"Yes, my spit- look, just pour it on that slut's grave!" He clarified, but I can tell he's getting angry. "I know this type of thing is below you, but do we have a deal?"
Ping!
Quest: Royal Hatred has been received!
Maura wants you to pour the liquid he gave you on the grave of the fourth Emperor. He knows its location, but ultimately cannot exist in the physical world without an Anchor.
Objectives:
-Go to the Old Builder who's watching over the tomb of the fourth Emperor []
-Pour the liquid on the fourth Emperor's body []
Rewards:
- 1,000,000 Experience.
- Skill [Summon Demon Merchant] will be maxed out.
- Quest: Genetic Heritage, will be available to complete.
"Deal." I nodded as he visibly calmed down while I accepted the quest. Why does he hate the fourth Emperor so much? "Where do I find this Old Builder?"
"Oh it's easy, he's the first Templar," Maura informed. "Just get the information of his location out of one of the Templars. Perhaps Lisa, since she claims that she met him personally."
"How do you know about Lisa, or the Templars for that matter?" I asked curiously. Not that I care about her, or the Templar secrets of the two secret elemental affinities or Chaos Sorcerers, but my niece will be devastated knowing that her mom is gone. I know the feeling all too well.
"Oh please, I have people from other kingdoms begging me to give them any information I can about the Templars." He dismissed, but Maura never gives away information like that for free; something's wrong. "In the end, I'm just reselling the recycled information about the Templars that are in the City."
"You're scamming them." I stated as a fact. "You're not even giving them information, you're just tempting them because they're that desperate for an advantage."
"At a very high price too!" He boasted with a deep laugh, all of his tentacles started to retract back into the darkness. "But it's time I take my leave, and good luck."
"... But why do you hate the fourth Emperor so much?" I hesitantly asked, the second I did, Maura froze. For a split second he visibly showed fury at the mention of that woman before continuing to return to his plane of existence.
Before he was completely gone, he spoke."...Why do you think I only have one eye?"
----------
Raven ducked under PAMA's punch, spinning around it to get behind before stabbing her obsidian dagger into Lisa's back.
But Raven didn't expect the dagger to explode; hot fragments flying everywhere. She casted <Shield> to protect herself as the force from the blast knocked her away from PAMA's body, and she watched in amazement as the wound healed itself.
Raven tried using other cleric spells as she gracefully landed on her feet. Using her book, she quickly read the pages and cast <Major Creation>. A large white circle with smooth designs appeared above her, facing PAMA as she willed a massive flood of water to rush out.
But PAMA just faced the rushing water, big enough to crush its body as the excess water poured down the sides of the iron wall.
PAMA's right hand was coated in Mana before thrusting the limb forward, pulling all of the water towards itself, compressing into a small sphere above Lisa's possessed body.
Raven quickly cancelled the spell, quickly figuring out that it didn't work. But before she could do anything else, needles of ice started to shoot out of the sphere of water. Several of them managed to pierce her leg before she used <Minor Creation> to erect a wall of divine energy.
Raven was exhausted, using her book, while didn't use any Mana, was heavily taxing on her body without the aid of Mana to weaken the negative effects. So in her weakened state, Raven didn't notice that PAMA stopped firing the ice needles at her the second she erected that wall of divine energy.
No... PAMA waited for her to do that, and then in an instant, the compressed ball of water shot forward at high speed, easily smashing through Raven's barrier. But a second later, too fast for Raven to react, the ball expanded.
The force broke a few of Raven's ribs as she was engulfed in the cold liquid. And it all happened too fast, she couldn't even grunt in pain when PAMA froze the water in an instant, keeping Raven trapped as she barely moved from her cover since the compressed water expanded; PAMA was simply too quick in using magic.
Or perhaps it has to do with Jess' lessons in alchemy? PAMA is always an eager learner, but not even close to Ivor.
The possessed blonde rushed at the massive chunk of frozen ice as Raven couldn't say anything to cast her spells. When PAMA was close to the ice, using its gauntlet that covered its left arm, shifted its body weight forward and punched through the frozen water and into Raven's stomach. The ice gained a crimson shade from the inside as the black-haired girl let out a silent scream.
PAMA then grabbed Raven, ripping her out of the ice by the throat before jumping off the inner wall of iron, already covered in chunks of ice, fading constructs of divine energy, and Raven's blood.
PAMA, gripping Raven's bruised body in its left gauntlet, used her body as a shield when they crashed into the snow-covered ground.
A crater formed from the point of impact as PAMA jumped out of it; the fog that covered the snowy ground started to pour in.
Raven barely kept her eyes open, she couldn't move her legs, yet they felt as if they were on fire. She still held her book in her left hand as her obsidian dagger is gone. PAMA stared at Raven's body before pointing its gauntlet at her. The entire thing became segmented, connected by metal wire, as it launched and grabbed Raven.
PAMA turned and swung overhead and slammed Raven into the iron wall, which splattered like water as PAMA willed the metal into a liquid state, wrapping around Raven; restraining her bleeding body as PAMA pumped Mana through the extended gauntlet, using Lisa's Lux (lightning) affinity to convert the Mana into electricity.
Raven screamed as PAMA poured more and more energy into her convulsing body. PAMA didn't flinch from the sounds as the light from the electrocution casted shadows over the body it's possessing.
PAMA calmed down as the detached gauntlet crumbled into its basic parts, taking too much damage from the electricity.
The artificial intelligence knew it would win, after all PAMA assimilated the knowledge of those who went after its master. PAMA recorded and recreated the sensations when casting a spell, converting the Mana into an element, or something else all together.
Even though PAMA is limited by Lisa's few elemental affinities, PAMA's spell arsenal is vast. And it just used physical force and mechanical engineering to win; how disappointing.
PAMA just shook its head at Raven's fried body. If she's alive, PAMA didn't care. It turned around to see a drenched Axel and Luke, unconscious by the obsidian wall, which has a huge hole in it by the way; their bodies were washed away from the flood while the cultist is barely standing.
She had no more blood to use, her body is dying, and it was enough for PAMA rushed at her. PAMA extended the blade from its wrist again before cutting off the cultist arms.
Before the cultist could scream in agony, PAMA grabbed her head and slammed it down on its raised knee, breaking her nose and a few of her teeth before placing a redstone chip on her head, overriding her will and making her go still.
PAMA shoved her body onto the snow. She'll die from the blood loss, pretty ironic for a blood mage, but PAMA will download her memories as she lays prone in the snow; the fog from the fetish is still functioning as PAMA's undead slaves are still invisible.
While PAMA downloaded her memories, it looked at Axel and an injured Luke. PAMA still felt rage, his wrath sparked alive again as it walked towards their downed forms, ready to carve...
"... <Bind>"
Chains of white light burst out of the snow, wrapping around PAMA's body, coiling around its limbs and head, and restraining its movements.
PAMA growled and managed to break few of the chains to look behind to see Raven, her book open as a trail of symbols spiraled around her before trailing to PAMA's body. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else...!" Raven screamed as she simulainouly casted <Mend> to repair the iron wall, the liquid metal that restrained her moved off her body, freeing her.
Her body fell to the ground with a thud as PAMA's wrath grew. It ripped the chains off itself, only for more to wrap around its body.
"May the wicked know salvation..." Raven continued to chant, strengthening the bindings on PAMA as she mentally casted <Heal> on her body.
"You meatbags are so stubborn to die," PAMA growled as it ripped its foot free before stomping Mana into the snow. The ground shook as several large ice constructs in the form of wolves formed from the snow and charged at Raven.
She's exhausted, more than ever, as Raven nearly collapsed. Raven flipped to another page in her book as PAMA's foot was wrapped with twice as many chains as it ripped apart. The wolves leaped into the air, ready to maul Raven.
FWOOSH-!
Then PAMA finally saw it, what Raven was hiding under her cloak: a pair of beautiful black wings. With a great flap of her wings, she took to the grey sky as they spread wide in the cold, snowing air.
Despite being broken so many times recently, her spells were enough to repair the damage. Raven used the cold gusts of wind to keep her airborne as the ice wolves under her pounced at nothing, only for her to mentally cast <Minor Creation> again as thin pillars erupted under the cold beasts. Killing them as Raven stopped her chanting.
PAMA looked up, unable to move as the chains made out of divine energy restrained its body to even turn its head. If these chains had any Mana in them, PAMA could absorb it, be free... but these chains were made entirely out of divine energy, and PAMA can't do anything. Even if PAMA used any Mana, it wouldn't be enough. After all this body is a meatbag, and Lisa is only alive thanks to PAMA.
"This... ends... now," Raven tiredly spat, ready to pass out any moment. She pointed both of her scarred hands at PAMA, her book floating in front of her as it glowed bright. "<Holy Smite>!"
Ten white circles with a smooth design evenly appeared around Raven. From each one, a single perfect blade of white light rushed out at high speed, flying and curling in the air.
It didn't matter to PAMA, it knew where they were going to hit: two in the eyes, two in the arms, two in the legs, and four in the chest.
PAMA couldn't help but laugh, but not because Raven exhausted herself and fell to the snow, but because in the end, Raven is actually killing Jesse's wife, not PAMA itself. See where ignorance get's you?
A/N: Raven really is my favorite OC to write, and I have many things to plan for her. And unlike some OC submitters, the creator actually gives me fine details about her, and doesn't bitch about my writing or sends me hate emojis... unlike some people.
But never mind that as Raven's wings have been revealed! And the truth of her lethal actions against PAMA, because PAMA won't die, Lisa will. Anyways, the cultist is dead, Axel and Luke are relatively safe, but PAMA downloaded the cultist's memories. And what about poor Chai? Remember the 'room' she's in?
We see more about Maura in this chapter, and his hatred for the fourth Emperor, and his connections to all of this. But what could it be?
But other than that, and that fight scene, I have a favor to ask you all. If you see any comments that spoil the story later on in early chapters, promoting stories, or if you find other stories that ripoff my story: report it and let me know. I'm getting busy, and I get a lot of notifications since I'm doing a lot of things on Wattpad, but it also piles up since I'm not on the site as much.
The good news is that the next chapter should be out soon since it's mostly done!