Gacha Leveling

Chapter 196 - 57 – The Harp of Dagda 5

Michael was using his Boost Hearing skill to listen to the movement inside the cult’s camp from afar. Matthew and the others hid between rocks just waiting. They thought about sending Ffyr and Lumi to scout the camp, but they didn’t know if the enemy could sense them."They know we’re here." Michael said. "But they think we’re just adventurers. They are wondering what is keeping the ones we took down from returning."

Vanessa looked from the way they came. It was a rocky terrain which made it impossible to draw a summoning circle the size they were drawing. The reason why the 3 had to go away from camp to do it was because the far plains were the only place to do it.

"They are sending a party to find them." Michael added.

"How many are going?" Matthew asked.

"Only 5, it seems." Michael replied.

"Vanessa and I will take them. Michael, keep on listening. Ffyr, call me if anything happens." Matthew strategized.

"Let me go with you too." Cathbad asked.

Matthew used Identify on the spirit, he was level 19.

"Alright." Matthew said.

Then a gust of wind surged around the Cait Sith and a green cape on his back, a winged helmet on his head and a spear on his hand appeared.

"I won’t disappoint you." He said.

The 3 of them moved to ambush the 5 men who left camp and went in the direction of the blood summoning circle.

They tried to stay hidden and ambush them from a higher ground, but, before they could get into position, the 5 cultists stopped and turned to their direction.

One of them took a step forward in their direction.

"Show yourselves." He said. "I can sense you."

Vanessa had the Hide Mana skill, but it was only level D. While Matthew was wide open to any sensing skill.

"You got me." Matthew said, moving out from behind a rock.

"You friend too." The man said with a sigh.

Vanessa got out from her hiding spot as well.

"I guess the two of you are not mere adventurers, are you?" The man asked.

Two of you? Matthew thought. He couldn’t sense Cathbad.

Matthew and Vanessa looked at each other, understanding to leave the presence of the Cait Sith hidden.

"What have you done to my men?" The cultist asked.

"They’re under arrest." Vanessa said. "Any moment now the Tower of Ryvylin will come with their men to stop you."

The man laughed.

Mathew used his Identify skill on the cultists. Three of them were level 15, one was level 21 and their leader was level 30. All of them had the same build. Impiomancer and Pyromancer focused.

"You’re going to die now." The man said coldly.

The 5 men immediately covered themselves with demonic mana and fired fireballs on them.

Matthew covered himself in Unholy Mana and dodged their attacks with extreme speed. Vanessa was as fast as him. Both of them increased their Agility with their skills. Vanessa with Agility Boost and Matthew with Reckless Agility.

They soon returned fire, drawing their guns and shooting them back.

Their leader raised a solid fire wall to stop their bullets while the others kept attacking with fire spells.

It is at this moment that Cathbad materialized behind one of the cultists and stabbed it on the back with its spear, making him shout loudly.

The other 4 men looked at the Cait Sith with wide eyes. The leader was the most surprised, he couldn’t sense the spirit at all.

Vanessa and Matthew took the opportunity to charge forward, circling the wall that protected them and flanking their positions.

Matthew changed his guns for his swords and engaged their leader in melee combat, trading blows against his sword.

Vanessa kept her distance, with the aid of her Sneak Attack skill, she easily found weak spots on the enemies’ Vital Shield. With her throwing knives she could inflict damage on them even with their mana enhanced with demonic energy.

Cathbad was engaged in combat with the cultist that he struck before, however he was too weak to face him alone.

At that point, Matthew used Belial’s blade to cut off the sword of the men leading the others and, in the next movement, plunge Aym’s dagger in his chest.

Meanwhile, Vanessa kept the other three distracted, dodging their attacks and countering by firing bullets and throwing knives.

When Cathbad found itself on the floor and the sword of the cultist it was fighting plunging down on his head covered in flames, Matthew quickly changed his swords to his guns and with several shots covered in unholy flames downed the attacking cultist.

Now Matthew was behind the other three men who were trying their hardest to hit Vanessa. He shot at them mercilessly, his bullets piercing them and opening wounds that burned dark blue with unholily fire.

They all breathed deeply and drank mana potions while the enemies burned on the floor.

"We won." Matthew said simply.

"But now they know we’re here for them." Vanessa nodded.

"Ness. What’s your Agility? You’re as fast as I am." Matthew asked while purifying the bodies so that the fire wouldn’t spread through the grass.

"148" She smiled at him.

"That’s more than double of mine." Matthew said, surprised.

"I figured it was better for me to excel in something. Since I already have the Agility Plus Unique Skill, I figured that speed was perfect for me." She said while retrieving throwing daggers from the bodies and from the floor.

"You do like speed." Matthew smiled.

"These men were powerful." Cathbad said, looking at the bodies.

"They had demonic mana in them. It makes you stronger, but... It also drives you to follow your darkest desires." Matthew shuddered, remembering the feeling.

"Speaking of which, Matt." Vanessa called his attention. "I don’t like that you keep using Unholy Mana like that."

"Don’t worry. I purify myself thoroughly every time after I use it." Matthew said.

"But even if you do so. While you’re using Unholy Mana, your kidneys are working overtime. Your blood rots when you have it on you and your kidneys have to filter it all out." Vanessa said, concerned. "Even if you purify yourself, your kidneys can still take damage."

Matthew looked at her surprised. He didn’t know about that.

"It can cause kidney stones, lead to kidney injuries, renal problems, and even cause cancer. We call it Necromancer’s Kidney. Cathbad said you smell like death. I wish to do a CT scan on you when we’re back." Vanessa said.

Matthew nodded in silence, taken aback with the news. But he didn’t have time to process the information.

"Matthew. Something is happening." Ffyr called to him telepathically all of a sudden.

Then they looked at the sky. A huge summoning circle made of blood was floating in the air. It was the same they saw the cultists drawing before.

The summoning circle could now be seen from all over the dungeon. Most of the adventurers there fled upon seeing it. Only a few stayed to guard the dungeon. They thought it was a fluctuation and prepared to guard the gate from any monster trying to get out.

"They’re calling that president." Matthew exclaimed.

"Valac." Vanessa added.

Demonic mana spread out through the circle of blood making it shine bright red.

Matthew, Vanessa and Cathbad rushed back to the others, but kept their eye on what was happening in the sky.

The summoning circle started to spin and shine brighter red.

Then it shrunk into a ball and from it descended a woman with white pale skin, red shining eyes. Her hair was gold and flowing. She had a huge pair of white wings on her back and a halo made of red light on her head.

She was mostly naked with only a dark red rubber like cloth covering her breasts and her sex in a single wrap around her body, but leaving the rest of her skin exposed.

"She looks like an angel." Vanessa commented.

Matthew looked at the woman. From that distance, she did resemble Avariel. But a mockery of the angel. A demonic halo shining on her head as if it was making a joke of the divine.

They reached the others who were preparing to fight.

"What’s going on?" Matthew asked upon seeing them counting their potions.

"Valac can find any treasure." Tylith answered. "She’ll find the harp."

"We need to move fast." Paula said.

"There are 21 cultists in there. And a greater demon!" Vanessa protested.

"And if they get the harp, they’ll have a demon lord as well." Matthew replied using his Shadow Form skill to put on his red dragon scale armor.

"We have no choice, Ness." Michael said.

"I know." Vanessa sighed and reloaded her guns and put more bullets in the empty clips.

"What’s the plan?" Paula asked.

"Ffyr, Lumi and I will rain chaos over their camp. You all attack when it’s safe and convenient." Matthew said resolutely.