Hey guys. Had some pretty brutal experiences lately, seems nothing can go right. Posts may be sporadic as the story is in a good but difficult place soon. We shall see, hope you enjoy.
"That attack! Darkness and Lightning... a beauty yet a shorty. And a black blade with a peerlessly keen edge that seems to penetrate your heart just looking at it. There's only one who goes by that description. The lost Goddess of Black Lightning, Mei Fung!" The Mortal King's skeletal face was quivering as he pointed at her. "You say my time has passed but I see you too are clinging on to life far beyond what the rumours say! You're supposed to be dead!"
"Ohoho! So someone remembers my name after all. I'm delighted. But do you remember what the legends say about my capabilities?" Mei said as she pointed the black blade which crackled menacingly in her hands at the Mortal King. He paled,
"Beyond...be-beyond the Immortal level of humans. You reached the combat level of God and Goddess in an era where resources were few and competition fierce. Some said you had even actually broken through the cultivation of Immortals and achieved the Goddess Realm for real. Born to a great kingdom, forsaken mortal attachments for the Dao, I remember another name for you, Goddess of Slaughter!"
The Mortal King immediately backed away, heading up out of the tunnel. Looking over his shoulder he yelled, "Even Goddess's will be buried in this place! Do not think you can just walk as you please!" He faded away with a flicker.
"Master...I had no idea you were so famous." Lineir said wryly as the man who had beaten him to the brink of death walked away. Mei sniffed,
"Some idiots forgetting their place with their title of Kings and all. It's dangerous though, my powers are not at their peak at all. My reputation scared him off but it will not scare off the real Kings down here. We will need to get out before we are surrounded and buried here. This is not a place where we humans can live. On that he is right."
The black aura around Lineir thickened and he felt a rejuvenating feeling come over him. It was not really like he was being healed however. While he definitely regenerated some of his broken tissue, it was more like the stinging of alcohol poured over a wound. It filled him with fire and energy and stimulated his life essence, drawing out his hidden potential. However, he knew from previous experience that once the danger was over and the technique canceled, he would suffer a tremendous backlash.
"Come on kiddo. The way out of the Hells will no doubt be blocked by many, many enemies. We will have to build a stairway of bodies to climb out."
Master and disciple rushed through the flaming Hells together as one. Lineir's wounds were severe but buoyed by the strange black haze of Mei, he felt a strength he had never even imagined belonging to him.
"Watch this one kiddo." The beautiful warrior goddess leading him through fire and flame pointed at an approaching wall of demons. Amongst them were even Celestial Realm warriors however Mei's voice showed the exact same indifference that a god would show to mortals. To her, no matter how many they sent, it was just more materials for the lesson! "When you have no choice but to pass through many enemies, as in a battle with an army, then walk through your foe without hesitation!"
There was no noise. No hint of her location changing. Nothing to give away that she had disappeared. One moment she was at Lineir's side dictating and then the next she was amongst the demonic line. She was still talking as she did so,
"Once you are amongst them, they have no choice but to fight each other to get to you. Wander through them and this will cause confusion in all but the most well organized armies." She proceeded to just as she said and simply walked through the enemy. They reacted with shock yet quickly tried to slaughter this strange invader who had so willingly delivered herself to them. Imagine their astonishment when every time they tried to strike them found their blade blocked by another one of their fellow demon.
"See, continue to move in this pattern and numbers are meaningless." Mei said. Hundreds of demons swarmed around her like ants, however, they only ever hit each other. Somehow even amidst what seemed a solid sea of blades, she was always on top!
"Now once you have created an opening in the balance of the battle. Slay them without reservation." She said. Without warning she went from passively weaving amongst the hapless demons to swinging the black blade in a crescent circle. A black wave spread out and hundreds of demons, Celestials and Divine Realm alike were swept away like so much flotsam on the ocean. This was an attack of pure weight. A drop of the dense darkness was heavier than a mountain!
"Understand?" Suddenly Mei was right next to Lineir again. Her hair hadn't even been agitated by the wind and the black blade didn't have a speck of blood on it. The way ahead had been brutally cleared of demons. Lineir's mouth was open...
"Understand what?"
Mei cocked her head at his response.
"The method to fighting numbers of course! You're going to have to do it in a second. I'll be to busy fighting the real enemies to deal with the small fry." She said and Lineir's eyes went wide.
"Wait what?"
Swoooosh
From ahead the tunnel the voice of a certain lich came. It brought a souring message.
"Human invader, I said I would be back! Do you dare challenge three Kings of this Hell at once?"
Mei was seemingly nonchalant.
"See? I told you. Good luck!" She tried to reach up to pat Lineir's head but she was a bit too short. She snorted in irritation, "Jeez. I've been waiting for years to do that to my one and only disciple but now that I've finally returned you've already grown too big." She floated up a little bit. "That's better."
Pat.
Whooosh
Mei disappeared and reappeared in the hot airs of the cavern. Her slender back faced Lineir as her blade greeted the enemy. Below, hordes of demons appeared, many of them at a boundary which exceeded the Divine Realm. Some of them were even peak Celestials. Lineir grimaced looking at his hands which were still wreathed in the black aura.
"This Master of mine. Just as unreliable with a body as without, making her disciple do all the work!"