City of Fallen Souls: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 3) by Jez Cajiao (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📕

“Come on, you fucker, just work! Everything’s right, just get up there!” I snarled to myself, eyes closed. I opened them and saw Yen’s face as she tried not to smirk, while readying her own magic. “It’s not my fault!” I tried to explain. “This has never happ… oh fuck off!” I snarled as I realized what I sounded like, before doing the mental equivalent of stamping my mana into the correct tattoos.

My shield finally flared to life, and I grinned, lunging out from behind cover. I brandished my naginata in my right hand as I pulled the kite shield from storage and held it with my left. I might not be able to last long against the crossbows, but they were about to get a nasty surprise when it came to their magic.

I rushed forward, trying to close the distance as Lydia, Nigret, Jian, and Grizz battled in close, their shields taking a hammering from both magic and mundane weaponry as they held the line, while being held back by a trio of larger creatures I hadn’t seen before.

I quickly used ‘Examine’ and grunted at the notification, swiping it away and concentrating on the fight.

Greater Stone Imp (Adult)

This Imp has, against all probability and good sense, been permitted to reach adulthood. It has been gelded to prevent its overwhelming sexual drive from interfering with its master’s intentions for it, and has instead, through methods unknown, been directed into a controlled rage at any who trespass in its master’s territory.

Weaknesses: Air magic has double its usual effect against Imps of this kind.

Resistances: Earth or Fire magics used against this creature suffer a 75% damage penalty.

Level: 21

HP: 410

Mana: 100/100

There were only three of them, but in the narrow, high-ceilinged room, they were holding my people back, while the flying Imps, the adolescents, I guess… were hovering and loosing blast after blast from above.

I stopped at the back of the group between Miren and Stephanos, who were busy firing constant arrows, and Arrin, who was shouting random shit in between hammering ‘Magic Missiles’ at the enemy.

“You want some? Oh yeah, and you? Daddy’s got something for you…” He cackled, and I tuned the disturbing nutjob out. Focusing, I raised my arms in the air, offering my unarmored chest to the Imps and triggering an ability I’d gained before, but rarely used.

“Your father was a hamster and your mother smelt of elderberries!” I screamed, my voice changing as my Stamina dipped suddenly, my call taking on a deeper, richer timbre as I used my ‘Taunt’ ability.

Predictably, they shifted their focus from the heavily armored fighters hiding behind their shields and fired on me instead. The first spell, a Lightning Bolt, cracked across the air between us, turning my shield black on impact, followed by three more Firebolts and a black bolt from the Promethean. While the dark spell was far weaker than that used by the Anubai Mage, it was still clearly necrotic in nature.

The impact of all the spells against my shield in one go made it flare with power, and the room momentarily paused at the sight. Bane suddenly reappeared and drove two daggers into the Promethean’s kidneys, and the other two into the thick muscles either side of its neck. He yanked all four blades backward, shredding its organs and throat, before spinning into the nearest shadows and vanishing from sight again.

The battle resumed, more frantically this time as we surged forward. The dynamic shifted as we no longer had to worry about the magic attacks as much. Enraged, the three crossbow-wielding Imps released, bolts flying through the air.

Two hit my shield, one dead on, shattering and falling to the floor as my shield pulsed. The second hit at an angle and sheared off to the left, slamming into Miren’s arm. She screamed as she dropped her bow, clutching at the feathered tip in pained shock . The third bolt missed and slammed into Grizz’s shield, penetrating just far enough that it stuck, cracking the surrounding metal.

“Miren!” Jian screamed in fury, abandoning his careful probing attacks against one of the greater Imps in favor of his special ability, ‘Icewind’s Fury’.

His two scythes glowed an unearthly icy blue for a second, and he attacked, seeming to blur as the blades flashed out continuously, slicing into the snarling greater Imp and leaving wounds that slowly seeped ice into the creature. He sliced thin lines across the stony upper arms; then when its reactions were slowed, he feinted a strike at its head. When the Imp raised both arms protectively, he instead spun, sweeping low and disemboweling it with the first strike. As its arms came back down reflexively, the trailing second blade took its head in a shower of black blood.

He straightened and kicked out, using my signature ‘Sparta’ kick to send the Imp flying backward, knocking a frantically reloading crossbow wielder from the air.

“Now, you die!” Jian snarled, pointing one blade at the wide-eyed Imp that lay pinned beneath its larger brethren.

The rest of the battle was clearing up quickly. My ‘Taunt’ had distracted the fighters enough that Lydia and Grizz had been able to take the second Greater Imp down, and the final one had died to an arrow in the eye from Stephanos as Yen finally finished her spell.

“Bane move!” she shouted as the final syllable slipped from her tongue, and a dozen flaming spears appeared to hover above her raised right hand. He became visible, diving through the door behind the Imps, and she made a throwing gesture, the spears following her aim and slamming into the panicking imps and the bleeding out Promethean.

The fight was over in seconds, as multiple six-foot spears of glowing flame slamming into a creature the size of a medium terrier tends to end things quickly.

Only one managed to make it to the doorway, and as it passed, screaming in fear, Bane appeared and took its wings off before pinning it to the floor with a second strike.

“In