Evolution: A Warlock’s Rise To Power

Lucan sat across from Dunno as the mage kept his eyes glued on the warlock. Infront of each of them was a strip of parchment.

"So what will it be?"

Lucan was both impressed and disappointed. The challenge was tied and the only way he could win was to buy off his opponent.

"Let me get this straight. We right down a value and then we will give that to the other person. Whoever gives more wins."

"That's how it works."

"Hmpf, fine." Lucan quickly wrote down his offer while Dunnowhosthis did the same.

Lucan pushed his piece of parchment to the center of the table and placed it next to Dunno's.

"Flip at the same time?"

Lucan nodded.

"3, 2, 1, flip."

Both pieces were flipped simultaneously. A single digit was written on each.

"Here you go." The mage said as he flipped a single piece of silver to Lucan.

The warlock smiled and set down a single piece of gold.

"Did you ever plan on wining?" The warlock asked.

"Nah, not really. I just wanted to have some fun. Those guys from the Crusher guild were super annoying and pestered me for days. I told them I would come over and give it a try. I held up my end of the bargain."

A small man pushed his way to the front of the crowd that was watching the exchange between the two.

"Boss Bone knew you couldn't be trusted." The small man with the stocky frame and thick beard said. "But you did well enough, you got rid of the warlock's soul stone and kept him busy." The dwarf opened a fire red magic scroll and activated it, immediately followed by a return scroll.

High in the sky, meteors started to form. With a quick glance, Lucan counted at least 30. He quickly turned to Silent. She was unconscious and in the arms of two men while a third was finishing the activation of a teleportation scroll.

In the excitement of the game, no one had been paying attention to the surroundings, including the rogue who had been abducted.

"YOU BASTARDS!" Lucan screamed as his wife was taken away by kidnappers in a flash of magic.

"AHHH!!! We're all going to die!" Shouted out one of the townspeople.

After the first person began to panic, the other quickly followed suit. The players present weren't too worried, even if they couldn't escape, they could revive. The NPCs were a different case, they had one life and it seemed to be coming to an end as the tens of meteors fell closer and closer to Shadowsweep.

Dunnowhosthis wore a ghastly expression. "Lucan, I am sorry. I didn't know."

Lucan ignored the man, his wand transformed into a blue and red dagger as he activated life tap. He would need ever bit of mana he could muster. But plunging it into his thigh wouldn't be able to convert his health to mana fast enough.

He stabbed the dagger directly into his heat.

Lucan stretched his hands towards the sky.

A green portal opened. The closest meteor fell in and disappeared before it closed.

Two more portals appeared, then three more. Suddenly the sky was filled with green portals. The meteors began to disappear one by one.

"Ha, ha! We are saved!"

""Praise to Baron Quilldrake."" The townspeople began to shout in excitement.

They quickly turned to their lord.

Lucan stumbled and fell forward as his health bar emptied.

[You have died.]

***

"Oww!" Silent Night yelped in pain and was startled awake when she was thrown into a prison cell.,

The three players who had abducted her, left the small stone room and slammed the heavy metal door shut, leaving her in darkness.

The rogue quickly took stock of her surroundings. The small room didn't have any window and the only way out was through the door. She tried to activate a return scroll, but nothing happened. That was what she expected but it was still worth a try.

Silent activated ethereal step to try and leave the area, but she only bounced off the door and walls when she tried to pass through them.

"Damn it. This place must be reinforced by formations or some type of sealing magic."

She tried to contact Lucan through telepathy to no avail. She opened her friends list to find that every name was grayed out. She wasn't able to communicate with the outside.

Her weapons and bags had been taken but she still had her armor.

She sat with her back against the wall while trying to think of what she could do.

After an hour passed, she heard movement outside. There was a shuffling sound before the heavy metal door opened. Light shined into the pitch-black room as a man walked in.

"Did you think that I would not find out you were planning to marry that warlock in the game. How could you do this to me? How could you disrespect me this way? You are useless in all forms of business and have only managed to get your hands on a pile of worthless degrees. Stop resisting and be useful to your family for once. Becoming a part of the Winged Tiger Corporation is the only way you could do something meaningful. I have had enough of your nonsense. You will be married to their heir and that is final."

Silent wore a shocked expression on her face as her eyes adjusted to the light and she could see who stood before her.

"Grandfather?"

***

Lucan returned to life in the graveyard, a level lower than he had been.

He was furious.

Dunno quickly ran into the graveyard followed by Lucan's steward Oar.

"Boss, boss, I am glad you are alright. I-, I am sorry I wasn't able to stop those guys, I saw them taking Silent but I just froze, they were way too strong." The young man said trying to hold back tears.

Lucan sighed. "It's alright, you only have one life, treasure it."

"B-, Boss."

"What is it?"

"I did manage to grab this when I was pushed away from Silent. It is all I could do. I didn't dare retaliate." Oar said while stretching out his hand to pass Lucan his grimoire.

"It's alright." Lucan said, taking the book and storing it in his bag.

He was trying his best to not lose his cool. He was angry and wanted to smash, destroy, and obliterate Bone Crusher's guild in its entirety but he knew that it wasn't the same as when he went up against the Plague Baron. Bone Crusher ran a guild with over 5,000 players. They had a full team of high rankers who were over level 185. It was a force that he wasn't able to openly oppose.

"AHHHHH!!!!!! SCREW YOU ALL!!!!!!" Lucan suddenly cursed at the sky, startling Oar and Dunno.

"Lucan, I really didn't know that this would happen." Dunno said as Lucan stopped yelling.

"Just go."

"Don't forget that I owe you a favor. Give me a call if you need help."

"LEAVE!"

The mage didn't stay any longer and made his way to the teleporter.

"Boss, what are we going to do? They took Silent, we have to get her back."

Lucan ignored his steward and walked out of the graveyard. Oar quickly followed after him.

The warlock and his steward entered Vertshadow and walked straight into Raze's palace. They found the old man in the entrance, as if he was waiting for them.

"It looks like someone has taken your women and tried to destroy your town."

Lucan ignored raze. "I want power. I need power to crush those who stand against me."

Raze flashed a devious smile. "What do you have to offer?"

"You can keep the ethereal essence for another 100 levels. Keep it till I reach level 300."

"Not interested." Raze said.

"Keep it permanently." Lucan offered.

"I am not interested because I have discovered how to recreate ethereal essence. It holds little interest to me anymore., but there is something of yours that I want."

"What is it? Name your price. I will pay whatever it is."

"Not so fast. I am not asking you for any of your possession or knowledge. No, I want something much more real."

"What is it?"

"I am intrigued by your evolution. I feel that the key to unlocking the true potential of ethereal essence lies in the bodies of planeshifters." Raze waved his hand and a cleaver appeared on the table next to them. "I am willing to give you great power… in return for your flesh."

"Fine." Lucan said without hesitation. He grabbed the cleaver without any doubt.

[Cleaver of Dismemberment]

[The user will be able to cleave things in half permanently. Living flesh will not be able to grow back after use, nor will the target feel pain or lose health. Objects that have been cleaved cannot be repaired and put back together.]

"Boss what are you-."

*Slice*

Lucan's left arm fell to the ground, severed at the elbow.

"He, he, he, good."