Chapter 249 Back into the mines

Dave climbed up onto Grumpy and leaned down to help the priestess up.

When they were seated Dave shouted, "We're the last hope of the legion, Boyz. Everyone is counting on us. To the Burning Pillars!"

Dave nudged Grumpy into a trot. The basilisk loped forward at the head of the formation, kicking up dust with its tree-trunk thick legs and moving significantly faster than a dunlord could.

The Burning Pillars mine was a few dozen miles away. It wouldn't take long to get there on the basilisks. The first part of their journey led through rugged terrain, narrow paths through steep jagged cliffs..

They'd been galloping for a few minutes when Dave held his fist up to signal the group and the basilisks slowed and came to a complete stop. In the distance, a steep hill of jagged boulders rose incongruously from the flat open plain that lay ahead of them.

The basilisks were restless and Grumpy pawed at the ground, growling. As they were examining the odd hill, the whole thing started vibrating, the boulders grinding against each other.

"Commander, there's something under that pile of rocks, isn't there?" the unholy priestess asked from behind him on Grumpy's back.

"Yes. It's a titan. We disturbed its sleep," Dave replied.

The earth titan rose from under the pile of boulders, dirt and rock fragments falling away from its massive bulk. The giant pushed a hand into the ground and fished out a boulder the size of a house.

"Wait!" Dave yelled at the top of his lungs, waving, "It's me!" He felt like an ant yelling up at human that was about to step on him.

But evidently the titan had good hearing, because he stopped in mid wind-up. Dropping the boulder he stepped forward, shaking the earth, and bent down toward Dave. Dave resisted the urge to flee as the building-sized face of the titan moved closer and closer to Dave to inspect him.

"Hummm, Friend of Titans…I see. How fares your fight against the Ash king?" said the giant in a slow, deep voice.

Dave took a deep breath and said, "The Ash king colluded with traitors and angels and brought ruin upon the Undead…the undead are no more. I am here to revive them and take vengeance on the Ash King," Dave said.

"Like my race, even the kin of the dead fell to the schemes of the demons. Tell me, survivor of the dead, can you truly revive the legion of the dead?"

"I just need an item that can be found in the Bloodstone Mines to finish my task of reviving the undead."

The giant straightened up and rubbed at its chin with a truck sized hand Dust flew away from the giant and pebbles fell down. Some even bounced off Dave's armor but he ignored the debris and waited for the titan to answer

"Then so be it, Slayer of the Stalwart. I will assist your king when the legion returns to this world. I will have vengeance for my people, a vengeance long overdue." The titan said.

A notification appeared in front of Dave.

***

The Earth Titan Lord (Level 750) has vowed to fight against the demons when the Undead Legion returns.

***

"Thank you, Lord of Titans," Dave said.

He'd made a powerful ally to help the cause of the undead.

"May we pass?" Dave asked.

Fortune go with you Friend of Titans." The giant stepped aside to let Dave's group continue.

Dave nudged Grumpy to continue toward the burning pillars.

The giant went back to its hill to sleep pulling the boulders back over himself.d.

Dave looked around, broken pillars littered the area they were riding through. These were the Ash King's Demon Knights tombs. They Ash King used to preserve his forces inside the pillars, until they were summoned to the fight of the Red Fortress against the Undead. Ultimately, the demons lost and the legion took the Red Fortress for themselves.

The Red Fortress stood a few miles away, the spire on each of its four corners lit with flames.

"The demons took MY fortress, fuckers had it easy since the Undead are no more. Just you wait, I'll get it back soon." Dave grumbled under his breath.

"Riders, lean to the side of your mounts, do not let the scouts on the Red Fortress walls see you," Dave said and leaned on the basilisk's flank.

It's rare to see a group of basilisks roaming the Underworld, but not impossible, but seeing a 'living' draugr and paladins riding them is something completely different.

There were carts and mining tools scattered near the mine entrance. The demons had apparently resumed excavation of the bloodstone after they retook the mines. Two horned demons with halberds stood guard at the entrance.

"We can't let them call for help. Take them!"

"Commander, I can take care of this," the unholy priestess waved her hand, "Vow of Silence."

A glowing purple circle appeared around the two demons, alerting them to the approaching basilisks. Their sharp fanged mouths moved but no sound came out.

Grumpy's yellow eyes glowed brightly and the demons slowly turned to stone. The black basilisk accelerated and the other basilisks followed. Grumpy slammed into the closest demon and Dog's basilisk smashed into the second one reducing both figures to rubble.

Dave's exp bar increased a bit, he needed 10% on his EXP bar to reach level 322.

"Everyone, stop," Dave ordered. He looked at the Red Fortress, seeing no change or commotion at the walls he nodded.

"Let's get it, we can't let anything escape to notify the Red Fortress," Dave said.

Grumpy entered the Bloodstone tunnels. The demons enlarged the mines for the excavation so, the passage was large enough to let two basilisks walk comfortably next to each other.

As they walked down the dark tunnels, the sound of iron striking the stone sounded from inside the tunnels.

"Grumpy, can you use your [Petrifying Gaze] again?" Dave asked.

The toad faced basilisk snorted and shook his head.

'It must have a cooldown then.'

Dave turned his head toward the other basilisks, "Save your petrification skill until I say when to use it."

The dark tunnel grew brighter as they moved deeper. They entered a room that had lit braziers positioned in the corners. Wooden carts filled with bloodstones were scattered around the room. Dave counted ten imps, busily mining bloodstone ore from the walls and loading it into the carts. A whip-wielding demon stood in the middle of the room overseeing the work.

"Paladins, stand guard at the entrance, don't let anyone escape. I will take care of the demon. Basilisks, crush everything else!" Dave hopped off Grumpy equipping his sworn stalwart gauntlets in the process. Just as he landed on the ground he used [Stampede] and crashed into the demon overseer.

Grumpy's scaly hide puffed out and roared as hundreds of spikes shot from his back. The bone projectiles impaled imps, carts and even walls.

The closest paladins ran between the monsters and stood at the other side of the mine to prevent any enemies from escaping.

"Slaughter them!" Dave shouted.

***

Grand Strategist Title activated!

Battlecry!

All units under your command receive a boon: 20% bonus to damage.

Your underlings have a chance to resurrect immediately upon dying (1%+0%)!

The blind faith of your underlings gives them: Courage!

There is a 5% chance that attacks made by those under your command will ignore defensive values!

***

Dave punched the demon in the face. The creature reeled back clawed hand at its bloodied nose. Dave stepped forward, punching the demon in the ribs. The horned humanoid bent to the side from the punch but still swung his whip in retaliation. Dave stepped to the side but couldn't dodge the attack in time..

-47,885

He grunted, but still attacked..

The worker imps shouted and howled for aid as the basilisks ripped them to shreds. Dog's basilisk stuffed two imps into his maw and started chewing the screaming creatures with his razor sharp fangs.

-12,888

Dave took another hit from the demon's whip. But immediately after a green number appeared over his head.

+60773

Dave was healed back to full by the Unholy priestess both and the effects of his passive skill, [Vigorous].

Grumpy crashed through carts sending bloodstones all over the room and slammed into the demon Dave faced. The demon was sent sprawling to the ground, Dave jumped on the fallen demon and started punching it in the face.

***

Ramp UP activated!

+10% increased damage

Chance to proc [Overheat] increased by 50%.

You have inflicted a [Poisoned] Status effect to your target!

You have inflicted a [Shocked] Status effect on your target!

***

Several notifications popped up in front of Dave as he was punching at the demon. Grumpy growled, feeling something wrong, Dave looked up to see the basilisk's spiked mace tail dropping down like a hammer. Dave as the lizard's tail smashed into the demon's head, turning it to paste.

The kill added another 2% to his EXP bar.

"Thanks for the warning," .

The fight ended quickly, with the final imp chewed by Dog's basilisk

Dave picked up a bloodstone that dropped after the death of the demon. It was no different than the bloodstone from the walls. He needed a corrupt bloodstone for the quest. Dave knew his luck, he wouldn't be finding a Corrupt Crystal anytime soon.

The demons and imps only dropped Bloodstones for loot. Dave got onto Grumpy's back and called, "Let's go Boyz."

Dave led the group through the room exit and deeper into the tunnel system.

Reaching a junction in the mine Dave, stopped. To the right was the tunnel that led to where he first fought the Shadow Worm. To his left was the room with the deadly puzzles, where he found the Conquest Right.

Dave knew there was nothing to explore in the puzzle room. But there were several mining areas he couldn't get to when he fought the Shadow Worm because they'd been blocked or filled.

Dave turned right. He had a hunch the demon miners would have mined through the cave-ins into new areas by now.