Disclaimer: Seriously, I would have owned this if only I was rich, sadly I am not. So its not mine.
Title: Heaven or Hell
Chapter 11 - From the depths... I Come!
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Yggdrasil - Seas of Fenris
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"Bow Cannons!"
Three 25-Pounder guns stacked in a triangle configuration poked out of the bow of the Man-O-War as its sails bloomed at the behest of the wind. Fire belched from the cannons as shots exploded from the mouth of the weapon, but falling short to score a hit on the more agile vessel it pursued. Their Guild Master, Davy Jones shook with rage at the audacity of this upstart that dared to attack them. Apart from being severely undermanned today, it was almost too perfect that they have encountered this enemy at a time that they are at their most vulnerable. Their powerful guild ruled the Seas of Fenrir, their ship was as large as a behemoth-class dragon, and their ship was bigger than the enemy by up to thrice.
"Guild Mas- I mean, Admiral," a newbie member addressed him so, "The ship flies no flag, hence we have not determined who is attacking us."
"Is it Ainz Ooal Gown and their ilk?"
"Unfortunately, we are unable to determine that, but the crew of the ship is not undead," the member shrugged his shoulders, his words implying that their adversary could not have come from that 'evil' guild, "Long-range scrying identifies that the crew are all NPC automatons."
"Robots?"
"Its a broad concept sir, could be cyborgs, robots, AI-"
"Hmm, noted. Keep them on our front and keep firing. He'll tire out soon enough."
"Admiral! The ship- she's turning!"
Sure enough they saw their enemy ship turning sharply, it was really odd to see it that way. It was as if the whole ship is casting a skill and acting like a player itself that it can manipulate its own avatar in this world. Being in a game world, they were still governed by the physics of reality. This was inculcated in their minds and frankly the way the Game Masters held control over the world of Yggdrasil. It was so realistic to their visual senses that it was mind-boggling. But this enemy of theirs is different, it boldly attacked them, then outpaced their ship and then odder still, had managed to move and fight at them like they were fighting a-
"Wait a second-"
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"Activate targeting cogitators."
"Activating Warmaster."
"Weak points highlighting now My Lord."
Red symbols appeared on the hologram symbol above the cathedral as they showed the large Man-O-War ship pursuing them. Red points also appeared throughout the whole of their enemy ship as it translated to the weak points of their enemy, in truth, it showed the vulnerable binary codes linking their enemy's ship together that would allow it to function as a guild base and a fighting platform. However, severing one or two of these binary codes would put the configurations in disarray and would result in a glitch that would cripple their ship.
To put it simply, they would manipulate these codes like a programmer would, but do so with the image of them attacking them with their weapons. This manner of attack cannot be traced unless investigated deeply by the developers, but with great difficulty especially since the code itself came from a developer instead.
"Initiate high-speed turn, all thrusts at maximum, concentrate all shields on the front," the 'Warmaster' walked towards the door of the large cathedral as their ship shook with the retaliating strike of their enemy, "Magos, fire the Jupiter Cannons and bring them to heel."
"Affirmative, Warmaster."
The smaller ship rocked a bit as he opened the large double doors and saw the Man-O-War ship getting larger in front of him, he could see their own cannons firing all their guns at the enemy as they dived ever faster down.
"Magos, full power on engines-"
"Full power aye!"
"Ram them! Port side, execute turn and plunge the dagger."
"Aye sir!"
The engines hummed in protest as it reached a whining crescendo, he could see their ship accelerating in break neck speed as their broadside salvo crippled the larger vessel. The thrill of battle was upon him and it was time to break the back of those that dared make a spectacle of their 'family'.
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"What was that!?"
Davy Jones screamed as he saw their enemy did a wide angle turn, then its weapons flashed and suddenly his ship stopped and hovered in midair. He was trying to exert control over it like before, but it was like he was lagging, which was impossible for this game except for a catastrophic failure in the servers. However, his fluid movement and the frantic shouting of his guild members due to the confusion and stress of the sudden battle upon them proved nothing is wrong with the server. He turned to his elected First mate and saw him panicking as he tried to man the cannons beside him. Well, the weapons work, but why are they not moving?
"How about the others?"
"None have been killed Admiral, but the ship- our guild base, its crippled!"
"We're not moving! Man the cannons and blast them from the skies-"
A shadow passed over his eyes and what he saw gave him chills. He saw the ship's bow of their enemy shaped into a scowling face of an eagle barreling at them from above. Their enemy maneuvered to their port side, reached for a higher altitude and began to kamikaze dive towards them.
'What the he-'
A loud crash as lights danced all around his vision. The force of the ram sent them airborne and crashing into the deck, a large gaping hole was carved on the side of their ship serving as their guild base as the enemy rammed them and took a large chunk of their port side. His guild base burned in his eyes, his lower level members were afflicted with numerous negative status, but mainly, terror and fear crippled their stats. But it doesn't end there, almost a non-stop 'rain' of red came on the deck as numerous enemies boarded them from the enemy's deck. They jumped without a care and attacked his already weakened members 2 or 3 at the same time. They weren't weak either, he could see them at least at varying levels up to 30 and armed with numerous elemental weapons. They weren't overly strong, but being ganged up by more than 3 might be more than they can handle.
Analyzing further, he confirmed they were NPC mercenaries created or rather hired by gold.
"Skitarii?" Davy Jones drew their Legendary class guild weapon, a large halberd made of a rare prismatic ore that seemed to glitter in the starlight, it was the pride and symbol of their guild, "Who dares attack our guild!? Come out you scoundrel!"
From the deck of the the enemy ship he saw him, at first glance he thought it was a winged Angel. But analyzing further it was no simple heteromorph character. The Angel had black wings that sparkled drops of gold and fire, its armor ancient and ornate looking, its face was hidden by a war mask the shape of a stylized skull and its halo burned with an unholy flame.
"Who are you?" Davy Jones demanded from below, "Answer me!"
The heavens opened up and a loud boom emanated from it, from above a white spear with a split head came hurtling down and thrusts itself in front of where the Angel stood. Taking hold of the spear it was cocooned in a ball of flame and then vanished from his sight, then the fire condensed in front of him as the Angel materialized in his eyes level almost 50 meters away. He found that his enemy was bigger than him and looked far more intimidating than he expected.
"Davy Jones," his enemy spoke in a sonorous baritone voice, "You cannot hide from justice."
"What are you talking about?"
"End your incessant questions, your guild will fall this day," he raised the spear as the Master of the Pirate Lords realized what it is, "[9th Tier: Sol Flagro!]"
Raising his weapon in time, the guild master knew this would not be easy. Against a foe that acts as a fighting support, he knew that a one on one would be very difficult as the numerous debuffs and supporting buffs could push beyond the limits of a normal character can do would be brought to bear against him. Additionally, the spear this enemy Angel wielded was the 'Lancea de Dispacio' a world item that could rend reality and open small portals anywhere and everywhere. A supposed 'broken' World Item that was not deleted by the Devs, but rather encouraged to be used.
It was quite unwieldy since the portals could appear in random and none have figured out how to use it effectively. It was great at offense since it could penetrate the most stubborn defenses and attack where a formation is vulnerable, but it can also affect its wielder. If not used properly and with skill, the rifts in reality can appear near the user and you can accidentally stab yourself, well, its not exactly pleasant to be stabbed isn't it? They were using magic, sword skills with great intensity as they both steadily chewed down on each other's HP. Suddenly, the Angel vanished again from his eyes as his passive shield shattered from the blow.
[Fulgur Impetum]
[Colliding Water Wave]
The sudden rush of water around Davy Jones blocked the incoming second strike from the Fallen Angel, he will need to bring the World Item into bear and use it as a counter whenever his enemy would use his own World Item's effect. Activating the passive of the item and using his earlier spell as a catalyst, Davy Jones made water swept through the whole top deck to improve his area status and to give him increased movement speed and slow down his enemy. But as he was about to follow-up on the field magic he casts, he felt something wrong.
His magic was gone.
[Cast Delay Time Magic:Glacio Impetio]
'Shit' Realization dawned on him since there were very few Fallen Angels in Yggdrasil. Not many managed to cope the loss of a high-tier skill and being replaced by a new one. Additionally, a former support Angel that loses their Divine Blessings is considered a 'special case' as their Fallen aspect allows them to engage in one-on-one by boosting their stats. But there are those that find the sweet spot where they can get the high-tier magic like [Glacio Impetio] and still fight solo. Those characters are very few and far in-between, with that in mind there can only be a select few that could have managed it and would have the motive to attack him.
"Sammael, you fuckin' bastard! What do yo think you are doing?"
"Hah! Recognized me have you?" the Angel swung its spear and took another chunk out of his HP, "Took you long enough."
"Why are you doing this?" his passive shield finally collapsed as the duration of the spell was well beyond his HP. What he can only do now is stall for time so he can use his mana again and activate the damn World Item in full, "You don't know what your doing, there are rules Sammael! Rules of engagement you must follow before breaking a guild!"
"I follow none of yours- I merely wish to spill your blood in the name of justice."
Davy Jones saw the counter on the spell to be less than 10 seconds, he backed away to buy time and get more distance between the two of them, "You know we will retaliate."
The Fallen Angel laughed cruelly, "With whom will you retaliate then?"
He saw what his enemy was talking about, above his in-game name, a guild name should also be visible. However, it was blank and there were no indicators that he was part of any guild.
"W-what is-"
"Ah, so you finally see it huh?"
"This is impossible! You were a member of Ainz Ooal Gown, where is your allegiance?"
"I have none-" the Fallen vanished again from his sights as Jones felt the spell finally lifting.
'Finally-'
In a blink of an eye, the Pirate Lord took out his own World Item and activated its innate skill. The 'Trident of the Seas' clashed with the 'Lancea de Dispacio' as sparks flew from both weapons. It was all VR, but both knew they were fighting to the death. Death of a guild, of bonds, of ideals, and both knew that there will be no quarter.
Davy Jones smiled in the real world, his enemy seemed overconfident and was foolish not to activate his own World Item beforehand. He wielded it like a weapon, to be used and bash it around everywhere he pleases. Well, he would now show this Fallen upstart what his weapon can do, and how his enemy's 'broken' World Item would fare against his. He began reciting the supplication to activate the full power of his weapon.
'Come my love, be one with the Sea,'
'Rule with me for eternity.'
'We'll drown our dreams, so mercilessly,'
'Thus leave their souls to me.'
The Seas of Fenris began to boil and simmer as the sky darkened, as with all activation of a World Item, this specific effect will give him unnatural control over Water Magic and would make him unto a Demigod of the Seas. The Trident itself was modeled after Poseidon's own and given the same lore, a symbol of power and control over the seas. It was not an item used in a trifle, but he knew this isn't just some clash over guild territory. This Fallen was here to destroy their guild, maybe this was personal, or maybe this was something else, he will need to survive first before knowing the truth.
'Play the song that was sung long ago,'
'That wherever the storm may blow.'
'We'll find the key to the deep,'
'And in my heart, we shall weep.'
His power exploded as the World Item augmented his powers in full, suffusing him with the stats and removing the limitations on his casting of Water based magic. Everything will change, a countdown timer appeared above him as it showed the duration of the item's spell would be on his avatar, he quickly casts 3 water based magic towards the Fallen Angel and watched with glee as the life of the previously impervious character was chipped away steadily. If all goes well, this Fallen would have leveled down and they would not be dealing with him for a time until he has returned to full power. During that time of course, they would destroy all those affiliated to him namely, the guild Ainz Ooal Gown. A blatant lie considering none could have funded the amount of gold he threw at this ship they are currently fighting right now.
He would pay for this, they would all pay for this.
Suddenly his HP went down by 25%, the damage too fast he was unable to see where it came from. Backing away he saw a gaping hole from reality and a spearhead was jutting out of it. Being in the VR world he did not felt the sudden stab from his adversary's weapon. Fear gripped him as the threat of him falling was very real now, with just one stab his HP was so low it concerned him so.
Was his own World Item not able to counter such?
Unfortunately, he would not know much of the answer as another stab from behind brought his HP a further 15% down. Grabbing a potion from his inventory, he clicked on it and found another of the unique effects of his enemy's World Item. A set amount of time is needed to endure before usage of an HP potion is allowed, the 'Lancea de Dispacio' is generally used against support casters and marksmen/ranger types, it allows one to damage them or at least occupy their time so as not to contribute to their allies attack pattern. He took another 2 steps back and swung the 'Trident of the Seas', to delay or block his enemy to no avail.
Jones' HP dropped down a further 20%, alarmed and desperate he tried buffing himself. Dodging another blow, the Pirate Lord noticed that Sammael would spun the weapon around first, slash the bladed end in the air, aimed the business end to him and fired off a spell.
The spell didn't faze him, but it blinded him for a few second and he felt his HP go down another 15%. When he opened his eyes again and focused on the Fallen Angel, he could see his enemy had stabbed the bladed end into a portal that was not there before. Looking back behind him, he was surprised to find the other end jutting out in mid-air. The small slash his enemy made awhile ago opened up behind him and for him not to able to block the attack, he fired off a spell to distract him.
Sammael grinned evilly as he retrieve the spear from the dimension, spun it into attack position and whispered threateningly, "Our blades shall sing this day- Jones."
"W-Wait!"
[Fulgur Impetum]
The Fallen Angel vanished in a shower of light and electricity, Davy Jones quickly applied buff on him and began moving around the area. All around he could see his soldiers, rather guild mates running around and fighting desperately for their lives. Skitarii's were mid to low level class of NPC monster, yet why are they having a hard time against them. And in a second he knew, his enemy is more commonly known as a Fallen Angel, yet Yggdrasil calls their class the Empyrean Angel Commander. Heavily reliant on passive buffs, it boasts a great increase in both level and stats that could take on his mid-leveled members that are currently logged-in and at least bog down his higher level members. He was still distracted from trying to find where his enemy would appear and concern for his members when his enemy appeared on his left side. The spear came up crackling with electricity as he easily dodged it with his agility, but with the enemy dangerously close to him the only thing left to do is fight.
Raising the Trident of the Seas once more, a World Item that lets you control the power of the sea and whispered softly to call his last card in play, like a lover would do to his woman.
"Calypso, I release you from your mortal bonds~"
Coral like protrusion appeared before him and bonded with his armor, huge gust of waters washed from the sea and up into the air creating multiple maelstroms of waterspouts as darkness and rain showered in torrents from above. Release of the power pushed the Fallen back as Jones finally had the breathing room he needed and swung the great trident towards his enemy. A deluge of water, ice and wind smacked Sammael sideways as the Seas of Fenrir became his enemy. He swung the Trident again and another deluge knocked him away, it was a constant deliverance of negative status that cannot be nullified by the Fallen's passive. Desperately, the Fallen Angel gripped his weapon tighter and activated his own trump card.
"Serve or Rule? We care not what you seek... Activate [Rex Gehenna]"
As water engulfed and protected Davy Jones, flame smoke and molten rock embraced Sammael. It protected him, binds him, and in their angry fury changed him into something else. Burning off the feathers on his wings it clung to him like an angry firestorm, a veritable wings of fire. The spell also removed the holy halo and shining pieces left on his armor. A prehensile tail with black like horns erupting from his back all the way to his tail. A mask made of bone covered his face and his once glorious blonde hair has turned dark as night. His halo burned with an angry flame as 2 great horns erupted from his smooth forehead, tattoos of eldritch letters and supplication carved on his bare torso as his stats increased in an instant. Davy Jones snarled in response, surely this is not enough to counteract the power he currently wields with the World Item.
"Your long war ends this day Davy Jones."
The Fallen Angel and the Sea Revenant circled each other like 2 wolves, snarling and teeth gnashing against each other. The Pirate Lord was about to move, but again he found that he could not.
"Activate : [Aura of Genocide V]"
"NO-!"
A flash of light as Jones reeled from the 'flashbang' effect of the spell, realigning his senses he looked around and saw all his guildmates dying one by one. Their virtual bodies slain with one hit as the red flood of the innumerable Skitarii still charges forward to others that have not engaged yet. Focusing in front of him, his enemy raised its weapon and slashed downward. Raising his own weapon to block his enemy's blow, the 'Trident of the Seas' was put in front of him in a basic guard as World Item vs World Item clashed for the last time.
But the trident did not stop the spear, the Fallen's weapon passed through his guard and slashed across his chest tearing through his enhanced armor, buffs, and numerous empowerment. His HP was dangerously low, too much hangs on his survival as his death would spell the end of the Pirate Lords. He tried to back away, but he saw that the last magic that Sammael activated does not permit him to heal, escape, teleport, or deflect any further damage. The Fallen had paid a hefty price for casting the Aura of Genocide, the time of vulnerability and he knew that he could not pay its price.
A flash of metal and the clawed hand of the Fallen latched itself on a chink on his armor.
"Take one last look at your shining example of a guild Jones, for soon nothing of it will remain," Sammael laughed maniacally as he twisted his weapon and suffused it with magic, "Justice for All and Glory to Ainz Ooal Gown."
"Activate 10th-tier Magic : [Crucem Golgotha]"
Another flash of light as Davy Jones can only whisper in hate.
"Fuck you Samm-"
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Baharuth Empire - Arwintar
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Sammael smiled as he showed a particularly good replica of the Statue of David by the sculptor Michelangelo. The group of noblemen, which is not too many in the Empire, has decided to grace his stores and he gladly accomodated them in the hopes of a few loose tongues and tidbits of information. They were the same everywhere, prideful, apathetic against the lower classes, greedy, and above all else vain. He could see it, though they try to hide it, though they screen a veneer of wealth in front of them, poverty shines through them in small rays of light.
Point in case, they carefully held the crystal figurines he showed them. Those small figurines made from crystal came from the 'Pachinko' event back in Yggdrasil, they were very cheap and most Players threw them away, but Sammael was not just any other player and they even turned out real good in the New World. He also gave them a taste of their expensive wines and spirits, only one managed to buy one from him. The others held tightly to their almost empty purses, like a crone would do on a piece of copper coin. They came upon next to a replica of a painting by Rembrandt or rather one of his apprentice, 'The Man with the Golden Helment'.
"As you can see gentleman, this painting is made with such high quality skill and talent that the shadows formed behind the man-" he gestured to the painting in general, the portait was all black, except where the subject was, "-accentuates not only the lines, the brushstroke made by the painter. He was also able to highlight the color, the subtle change from black to dark, then to color. It also gives you the illusion of peering through a window and a beam of light from above focusing on the subject."
"Indeed it is!" a rotund man in a yellow suit nods in affirmation.
"Most fascinating!"
"Truly a work of art, magnificent it is!" another gaudy man in a purple ensemble dabbed a tear on his eye, apparently too moved with the presence of the artworks.
'Turds! All of you are turds, the whole lot of them!' Sammael exclaimed in his mind, "As you can see, these art works are quite exquisite. An eternal symbol of pride, name and status, but such objects commands a high price."
"Indeed, as it should be!"
"I could not agree more, lest these commoners have what WE would exclusively have!"
"Commoners having such works of art? Scandalous I say!"
'The only thing scandalous I see is your purple strumpet hat!' the Fallen struggled to keep his face straight, "I respect your views, but perhaps there is a way. Since we are all friends here are we not? I can loan these items to you~"
The atmosphere suddenly changed as he felt the nobles quiet down at his direct statement. He could give them a loan, even without them asking. In their language, it was essential not to ask at least, as this will mask any conception that they are pressed for money. Asking for a loan means you are losing money, bankruptcy, on the other hand, being offered a loan means you can pay it back.
Can they pay it back?
"Well, I am thinking about the painting by 'Rembrandt'. Would it be alright if I take it on loan?" a noble that was the least dressed of them all said.
Another nobleman interjected, "-do mind that I have my eyes set on the 'Angel' sculpture by that Michelangelo fellow. Is it also possible on loan?"
One by one, the nobles gave their desired items on loan to Sammael, excitement and greed bleeding out of them. He smiled at them affably as he discussed their terms and loan amount, from above them observed Zadkiel and Baraqiel. They were in awe of their master as he could manipulate any human to do his bidding, they dance at his fingertips and they could not help do so.
Truly the exacting image of a Supreme Being.
Leliel bowed and began to write up the loan papers, like any respectable establishment, servants that could read, write and do arithmetic were a great boon and a symbol of high status. Sammael made sure that his Generals knew calligraphy to give emphasis on the flowing lines and the embellishment needed to write a simple loan paper. As the paperwork is being processed, the Fallen approached the noble who requested the 'Rembrandt'.
He smiled warmly and said, "You have excellent taste in art, the artist has painted this more than a century ago and envisioned a soldier. A lettered soldier, old, educated, but still holding firm to his duties. Like the way we all take a firm hold on our beliefs and ideals."
"A century old painting? I was not aware of that-"
"I believe we have not met, may I have your name?"
The nobleman bowed slightly and offered a gloved hand, "Apologies, my name is Ried Karl Furt."
"Nice to meet you Count Furt."
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New World - Unknown location
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00:00:00
The first thing that pulled him back to reality was a buzzing sound in the silence. Like an alarm to wake him up for his stupor, well, time to get back to real life then.
He would need to get ready tomorrow and look for a job, his last one kicked him out for continued tardiness and lack of 'motivation' in regards to the performance of his duties. Motivation and duty my ass, if there was one thing he was proud of then it was his dedication to his game. A game where he poured out his heart and soul, time and money, all wasted due to the actions of one man. But this game had decided to close down its doors, give up when so much of its players remain faithful to the core.
Well, its all just business anyway.
For others maybe, but it was more than that for him. In this world, he was a King, the most powerful warlord in all the seas of Yggdrasil. None challenged him and their guild, for if not with sheer numbers, then with their power he would bury them. Then, an upstart decided to attack them out of the blue. One man systematically destroyed their fleet, laid low his most powerful lieutenants and forced disband their guild at its weakest moment in time. He hadn't figured out how he did it, it was as if he had a mole from the inside, but it was impossible. He attacked them a day after the holidays, it was as if he knew that most of his core fighters are out of commission. He could still remember it all as if it was yesterday.
He logged-in that day since it was customary being the Guild Master of course, and to welcome any returning members from the holidays. A fine day for dungeon assaults and guild grinding, he roused his men and gave suggestions on what they can do the whole day. Since it was after the holidays, the only members who were logged-in were the new guys, the hardcore loot grinders and the occasional old hands that stayed below the top levels to assist the new guys who just joined. It was during midday when more of the guild members logged out for lunch, he was on the Captain's cabin on their guild Dreadnought contemplating on the failed attack on their target guild when an alarmed cry broke him from his reverie.
It was an odd feeling, that feeling of seeing a battleship of immense size barreling towards them with reckless abandon. Curiously, it ignored the preparation phase of a guild battle and bypassed any restrictions on a strict guild battle.
Like a HAXX, or in his leet speak H4X0R attack.
But he was not worried. Their base could not be easily destroyed, with just one ship attacking him, this upstart would die and level down and he would grind his bow on the enemy's stern. To his surprise as the battle went ahead, they were soundly defeated in a matter of minutes their enemy had reached their ship's wheelhouse and plunged its sword on his avatar's chest. His guild was broken, his lieutenants were attacked one by one as they logged back in one by one. He fell on that skirmish and was leveled-down, he also lost a considerable amount of items and personal war gear. They were dropped when he first fell, and then again when he came after the ship once more. The last time was when their guild base, the dreadnought 'Flying Dutchman' was broken in half and sunk on the Seas of Fenrir bringing the supremacy of the Pirate Lords on that area to an end.
He tried to claw his way back to the top.
This unfortunate incident showed him the extent of the loyalty and dedication his men had for him. And to his surprise, it amounted to almost nothing. Half of his leveled-down lieutenants quit the game and moved on to other MMORPG. The other half though didn't show as much dedication as he had, other just figured going solo and didn't even try to reestablish their ruined guild. His alliances with the other guilds were all for naught as none were able to help them, in a few months after their demise he knew the reason for their lacking response.
Systematic attacks on all the guilds that was involved in the guild war against 'Ainz Ooal Gown'.
That hated guild of demi-humans, they never knew how to get along with the other guilds. Self-pitying rejects, they never reached out to human guilds, such near-sighted simpletons. They never exploited the niche that would allow them to co-exist and earn a lucrative business to begin with. As their guild name implies, they are a pirate guild and they fight for the highest bidder. In the case of the attack on Ainz Ooal Gown, well, Trinity was the highest bidder, thus, they were part of the vanguards in case someone would send reinforcement or escape from their besieged underground base. And look where that job got him now?
It was done now though, the perpetrator on the attack was one of the only Fallen Angel that have reached the necessary requirements to level up. He was stronger than a regular player, his extra stats and dual specialization gives him access to top tier spells that serves as counter to the other. It was simply messed-up, he fought him and he was quickly defeated with the help of his summon. Or was that an NPC? It was insane, that NPC fought with a savagery that no human could have matched. There was no binary coding that could allow it to fight like that, like an AI or military grade software made it tick.
Regardless, that Fallen Angel professed that he was acting alone, and the GM's could not stop him since he was using an 'experimental' software that is in its beta days. The GM's promised compensation, and they did provide it after that hated enemy vanished into the anonymity of cyber space. He also besieged the guild base of 'Ainz Ooal Gown' again with his rebuilt guild, but the combined might of its NPC and its excellent guild master and members made it impossible to do so. Years passed and the Angel was not seen again, so he rebuilt his empire from scratch, but it was not the same. So many people gave up Yggdrasil and moved on. Until such time that he was the only one logging into the guild, there were none that could help him anymore, nor to keep him company. But he trudged on with his online life, sacrificed some in the real world and restored the superiority of the Pirate Lords again at the Seas of Fenrir. Having no enemies though proved nothing except that you get everything by default. Guild Wars to control the Seas of Fenrir were no more, most guilds kept to themselves now, while others were fine with ruling a piece of Yggdrasil.
It continued that way for years, until even the GM's, and the business itself called it quits and decided to pull the plug on the game.
He sighed tiredly, it's still dark now since the game was advised to close at 0400 hours. The DIVE gear seemed heavier on his head and his back ached from the long hours he poured on the game lying down. He opened his eyes and looked up to the starry skies above.
'Wait-'
Wasn't he logged-out? Wasn't he SUPPOSED to be logged-out now?
What's happening then? Why is he seeing stars and hearing- the sound of waves crashing on the beach? He squinted his eyes closed and tried to rubbed it with his right scaled hand-
'What the FU-'
Davy Jones eyes snapped open as he looked at his human-like marine creature hand, he sat up quickly and looked down at his body. Either he managed to change into his cosplay or something is definitely wrong. He touched his chest and felt the fabric and the hard points on his great coat, wait a second, sense of touch cannot be transmitted to the DIVE headgear. Something was definitely wrong, he stood up and shook off the sand from his dress, there was a weight on his back and felt for his large serrated ax. He grasped the ornate wooden handle and unlatched it on his back hook, it easily twirled in his hand, like he wielded it all his life. The whole ax, with the biting edged blade was half of its own wooden handle in length, its handle was 5-ft long with a heavy head, but he wielded the weapon with practiced ease. It was not heavy at all, like it wanted to move on its own. His arm was muscular, hidden behind the long sleeves of his great coat.
The great coat itself is a Divine-class item in Yggdrasil, the weight on his head that he thought was his DIVE headgear was a great captain's hat. But curiously, the coat, hat and the tunic within seemed to carry the patina of centuries being underwater. It was webbed and scaled too, there were bony and coral growths on his armor, while his weapon whispered words he could not understand yet he could feel its meaning.
No, not in his heart, but somewhere- no, not 'down' there either. Perverts.
Wait- it feels- it felt strong, he clenched his left hand and felt a budding power within. He felt he could move mountains, the seas, the skies, the wind, the- wait a sec-
He looked down at his reflection on the water and he blanched, 'I looked like a fuckin' chtulhu, a damn flying spaghetti if you must-' he sighed at his image, "Of all the mugs that I can choose from, a heteromorph creature huh? Could have been worse eh?"
A shadow moved underwater and an insistent buzzing of warning kept blaring inside his head, then another scaled hand burst in front of him and grabbed him in the arm. The owner of the offending hand came up to the surface hissing at him threateningly, it was a fairly large Naga and it carried a large trident as a weapon with him. Davy wrenched his hand away as terror crept up through his body, he raced towards the beach and found his steps were too fast as the world seemed to zip by him. As his booted leg reached the shore he looked back behind him and saw that the Naga was joined by another one, it had been joined by another one of its kind, it was a size bigger than the previous one and it too carried a pole weapon that he could see.
"Who is youss?" the larger Naga snarled at him from afar, "Moved fast- too fasst for a son of the seasss?"
"Answers uss-" the smaller one joined in, "Lest we rip your forked tongue through your tentaclesss."
They slithered after him for like forever, it looked like their moving through a tank of molasses. Davy kept a grip on his weapon and silenced the loud buzzing penetrating his mind. As the larger of the two Naga reached him its gleaming trident swung towards him, as if in slow motion, automatically he swung his ax and a great whooshing sound exploded where he stood. The sea splits in half as the force of his swing eviscerated the large Naga, the smaller one was flung away as the overwhelming strength he saw destroyed his kin and where it slithered. Ground shook and the sand beneath the waves splits in half, the buzzing on his mind was clear now as it tasted blood on its blade from the slain Naga.
Shocked, he stepped back to the shallows and looked at the destruction he had wrought with the swing of his ax. Was this his own doing? Why is it like this? What happened? What's going on?
He looked down at his scaled hands and clenched it into a fist, the feeling of power being grasped returned to him. But instead of letting go he focused it and finally he felt something stir in the seat beneath his legs. Looking at a particular spot, he imagined a small whirlpool, the exact kind that you see when you go washing the dishes or go to a tub and pulled the drain. It was but mere moments when a vortex appeared and began sucking water, wind, and sand into it. Power coursed through his arms as he felt it also control the sea and all its surroundings, it was a sudden rush to his feelings, a euphoric feeling to grasp power in your hands. He was still marveling at this new sensation when he heard the smaller Naga approach and he lets go of the power he was holding.
"Forgive uss... My Lordddssss..." the creature bowed low at him, its face almost submerged through the salty water, "Such is you power... forgive our tresspasss oh great Sea King."
"Sea king you say?" his voice sounded unnatural to him, like a grating of stone on coral, "Why would you call me as such?"
"Sea King commandsss the sea, great ssstrength andsss magic..." the Naga somehow replied while bowing down, "Sea King followed by catastrophe... bringer of woe to all surface dwellersss. King of all Life under the seasss."
This brought a spark of something in his heart, if he truly commands the seas and he could truly feel and experience all these things then could it be that this is the new world? Did something happen to Yggdrasil that allowed him to be located here? Like some Sword Art bullshit that he had no inkling would happen to him, yet it seemed very real in front of his face right now.
What to do?
Where now?
Would he even go back?
In the moment he looked back at the quivering Naga a decision was firmly made, "You will be my 'guide'. Take me to your city."
The Naga shook his fins and turned back to the sea at once, it vanished beneath the waves as he pondered on what to do next. Seeing that he was a sea creature, it would be folly to think that he could not breathe underwater. Or would it? But there was no time, he had decided to play along and carve himself a territory in this world. Taking a deep sigh, he plunged beneath the waves and found he could breathe easily underwater. He also found out that he could move underwater fairly quickly, his hands transformed accordingly to have webbing in between his fingers and easily cuts through the current with his powerful new body. It felt like minutes, but it stretched for almost an hour until he stepped on the ocean floor. They dove through a deep chasm in the water just beyond the rocky beach and there he found the first semblance of the sea creatures beneath the waves. These Nagas were unlike anything he had seen before, they had lizard like faces and muscular upper torso, the lower half of their body was serpentine and their eyes were like reptiles. Slit-eyed and cold, just like a crocodile, with a variation of green, yellow or blue. They gathered around him curiously, hissing and snarling, some unsure grunts as the Naga who led him back seemed to speak in their guttural tongue. Human language was lost now as the sound needed to say them required a modicum of air and space, those words could not be spoken by those under the pressure of the sea.
Shadows moved beyond their vision, a procession of sorts seemed to approach them as the large gathering of Naga around him began to move away and give him a wide berth. The shadows approached them steadily as it finally cuts to the gloom, a large serpent slithered from the depths and on its head the largest Naga he had seen yet. He counted the gathered throng at a good 100 or more, some are armed, others carried none but weird necklaces on their necks or rather semblance of a neck. The large Naga slithered down from his mount and approached his self-appointed 'guide' to the Naga city. They were arguing in their guttural language again, mixture of chirps, creaks, and expulsion of air from their mouths. Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth and said.
"Is there are problem?"
Immediately, a hundred weapons were raised against him. Those that carried no weapons openly, were suddenly found to be armed. Hidden blades, spears and an assortment of pole weapons were produced all around.
Again, his 'guide' and the larger Naga continued their argument, they were still conversing when the brute's eyes bulged and he stopped talking and breathing at the same time. Davy Jones gathered power on his hand and began to encase the large Naga in a whirlpool. Concentrating on the feeling that he had a while ago, there was simply an incessant amount of talk that he was being forgotten.
"As I said before, is there a problem?"
All weapons hung in mid-air as slowly, one syllable at a time he was able to understand the language of the Nagas. It was like a switch was turned on inside his brain that allowed him to understand it all.
"-t -they are simply confused My Lord. They do not know your power-"
"How many has to die before you know that I will not be ignored?"
"None any more my Lord," the 'guide' winced as the larger of the Naga gurgled in its breathe as it literally 'suffocated' under water, "Our Warlord, the late Gorefin has been removed from the equation."
"Hmm, is he the one I killed?" a nod of affirmation and he nods his head thereby releasing the power he was building in his hands, "Listen to me. Listen to me NOW!"
Nagas mystified and afraid at this powerful individual that could control the sea approached and gathered around him. Others that have been held back, cowed at his presence as he unknowingly activated his passive Aura of Inspiration.
"I am Davy Jones, Master of the Pirate Lords," his Cephalopodian face wriggled its numerous tentacles, "We will unite all factions and tribes under one banner. And with this we shall rule the seas!"
He was met with roars of approval and jubilation, they believed him like he believed himself. It was exhilarating and euphoric to be followed, not even having any inkling on what to do. Or if this is truly real, but if this is a dream then he would live it to the fullest and who knows, he might even sate the burning hate in his heart right now. But in all this emotions he still has one nagging issue in mind.
'I still fuckin' don't know what's going on.'
.
.
To be continued
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(A/N: And... here I GO AGAIN!)
Please take note that I will be re-writing all Chapters from 1 to 10, but I will coincide it with the updates that I would be making. So, in that sense I would be posting the re-written Chapter 1 with this update. Changes made will hopefully make your reading experience better and would open a whole different insight and give details on some things that I MIGHT have forgotten or simply lacked in the 1st time I posted it.
What do you expect, I didn't even pre-read it the first time. Nothing at all!
[Sol Flagro] = Sun Stream/Beam
[Fulgur Impetum] = Lightning Assault
[Glacio Impetio] = Energy Freeze or Mana Freeze
[Rex Gehenna] = Ruler of Hell
[Crucem Golgotha] = 10th Tier spell, 'Mount Calvary Cross', envelopes a cone shaped area of more than 1 kilometer. Anything inside is obliterated, purged of all life and all death, numerous crosses will dot the landscape and everything, including allies are destroyed.
Also, let me reiterate. To distinguish my OC, he will only use Latin Spells. So quit asking me the meaning and read the Author's Note.
Its there for a reason you know.
Cheers,
Scarabeye3000