Evolution: A Warlock’s Rise To Power

-"DANGGGGG!!!!!! Look at all this mayhem."

-"I saw our empress, those bastards knights took her away."

-"Followers of the empress, we need to save our lady!!!"

-"Do you know where they went? I don't. And I am sure as hell not stepping into that city. It's suicide."

-"Look, that old man is going to take on that super devil."

-"Oww."

-"Oh snap."

-"R.I.P."

-"That monk looked high level, who would have thought that he wouldn't even last two moves against that thing."

-"He dodged so well the first time."

-"That is an upper level devil, the only reason the old monk dodged his initial attack was because the devil was messing around. Seeing that the old man didn't want to talk he must have gotten serious."

-"Wow, even high level players are getting dragged to hell."

-"I can't say if that is worse than Bone Crusher's fate."

-"Yeah, that dude has been getting ripped apart over and over for the last twenty minutes. Even his friend has joined him now."

-"What kind of spell is that?"

-"I have no idea, that isn't something that Lucan even sells, must be something special."

-"Hey look, all the devils are heading towards the center of town. Even that big horned devil is leaving."

-"Only after he busted up there transfer point."

***

The devils ran through the portal while dragging people with them. Gilbuzz stood by the portal as his minions dragged their targets through. The few who tried to struggle were met with his whip while he kept them in line.

When the last devil had gone through the portal, Gilbuzz gave a final look over the broken city that was lit by flames. He smirked before stepping through.

It closed behind him to reveal Lucan sitting on the ground. Beside him was a large pile of crystal dust. Keeping the portal open had required a lot of mana. He had drained over 50 mana crystals till they shattered.

Luckily, the spell that trapped Bone Crusher was mainly shadow magic, after consuming the shadow essence bead his shadow mana was always near maximum.

***

Suddenly the guild leader heard a whisper next to his ear while a hand was placed on the back of his head. "Let me show you what hell really is."

The shadow sword sliced through the warrior's blade, leaving him holding only the hilt…

Was what Bone Crusher expected to happen, but a single Lucan appeared in front of him and waved his hand. The large floating shadow sword stopped and didn't cut the guild leader's sword in half.

Lucan waved his hand again and the shadows blocking the streets dissipated.

***

-"It looks like the real battle is about to start."

-"Bone crusher is down to 40% of his health and Cinder is down to 50%. Lucan looks in tip top shape, but his level is so much lower than theirs."

-"Bone Crusher Vs. Lucan. Who do you think will win?"

-"Bone Crusher hands down."

-"I am rooting for Lucan."

-"Bone Crusher could obliterate him in three quick hits."

-"Do you really think that Lucan is going to face him head on?"

-"I hope the warlock wins, he has come so far. They may have gotten his lady out already but at least let him win here. The guy needs a victory."

***

Bone Crusher could feel that this was different. He knew he was no longer trapped.

"Do you really think you will get away from here. Once this is all over there will be no place in Evolution you can hide from me. Was it worth it?"

[File transfer complete]

Lucan opened the file Bone Crusher sent him.

"Is this blurry sex video supposed to mean something?"

"That is the precious woman you have been fighting for. Just look at the date."

"…"

"Do you see. She is only playing around with you. She is already bored. Do what is best for both companies since she doesn't even care for you."

"Sigh. You are lower than scum. You don't deserve to even look at her if you can't tell that this isn't Silent. Even if that was her, it wouldn't matter. Your ending will not change."

"I am not afraid of you; besides she is already gone. You have lost her. Every time you get close, she will be taken somewhere else. Your goal of taking her back is hopeless."

"Then there is no reason for me to hold myself back. He, he, he." Lucan laughed towards the sky. "YOUR ENDING WILL NOT CHANGE!!!!!"

The warlock waved his hand, and the black shadow sword continued its swing.

Bone Crusher blocked, he connected with the sword and held it back but was knocked off his feet.

"Die!" Cinder raised his staff and quickly launched a fireball towards Lucan.

*Sizzle*

Adrestia swooped down, a purple flame armor covered her chest as she blocked the fireball before it dissipated.

The three-foot-long shadow drake flew towards the cloth wearing wizard. Her feet hung down with blood red metal claws diving towards Cinder's chest.

Lucan raised his hand. The shadows formed chains and bound around Bone Crushers limbs while he was on the ground. 

Cinder surrounded his body in flames but that fire didn't stop the shadow drake from drawing blood. After the drake passed, he slammed his staff into the ground, raising a ball of earth. With a three-word chant, the earth turned to magma and launched towards the shadow drake that was descending again.

The large sword of shadows floated over Bone Crusher before it pierced down into him.

Adrestia tried to turn out of the way of the magma ball but was hit and thrown into a pile of rubble. Her flame armor had appeared to lessen the blow, but she lost half her health. With a shake of her head, she dusted off and screeched. A small foot tall imp appeared at her side and hopped on her back as she returned to the air.

"Ragh!" Bone Crusher let out a yell as he rolled to the side, avoiding the second sword strike, and breaking free of the chains. He deflected the third strike with his shield, sending the blade towards the ground.

Cinder launched another magma ball at the drake. She avoided in time. The tiny devil on its back began launching purple fireballs of its own while the drake opened her mouth to unleash a torrent of hellfire on the wizard. The wizard was overcome with fear and froze in his tracks.

Lucan activated ethereal step when Bone Crusher struck out at him. Unfortunately, the warrior used capturing strike and pulled him out of the ethereal realm, taking away half his health with that single swing. Before he could strike again, Lucan turned into a shadow and slipped between the warrior's feet and appeared behind him. Using a concussive strike to stun him before quickly stabbing him several times.

Adrestia rammed into Cinder, knocking him off his feet after he was thoroughly charred. She bit, clawed and ripped while the imp jumped from her back and kept launching small fireballs at the wizard's face. With her final strike, Cinder died, beneath her claw was Cinder's soul. A ring of fire appeared, and a hand reached up and grabbed it, taking it to the nine hells.

Bone Crusher threw an elbow backwards, knocking Lucan off his feet. He turned around and raised his sword when the warlock waved his hand. The large shadow sword split into a dozen shadows spears. They moved at the warrior in unison. Stabbing and pinning him to the ground.

Lucan morphed into a shadow to return to his feet. The shadows once again turned to chains to bind the guild leader, this time with twice the amount. The shadow spears merged into a solid shadow cleaver the size of a person.

The warlock grabbed a handful of the warrior's hair and pulled his head to look at Lucan. "Your ending will not change, but this isn't the end."

*Slice*

Bone Crusher's head left his shoulders as he died. The head disappeared from Lucan's hand, but a large clump of hair remained. He stuffed it into his bag before doing the same with the heavy armor boots the guild leader dropped. Lucan quickly grabbed the loot that the wizard dropped as well.

Adrestia dismissed her own familiar before shrinking and fly to Lucan's shoulder. The warlock stepped forward, heading to the guild headquarters. The shadows overhead disappeared as the effects of the essence of shadow bead wore off.

"Don't think that because Bone Crusher is dead that you will be able to loot our base!" A level 175 player said stepping forward. In under five seconds 60 players over level 100 ran into the street and blocked his path.

They pulled their weapons and readied their spells but couldn't help but get the chills when the warlock didn't break stride and kept walking straight towards them.

"KILL HIM!!!!!"

Lucan pulled out his scepter and pointed it forward. "DESCEND INTO MADNESS!" A pale blue light flashed out of the raven on the end while Lucan activated Mass Confusion.

"ATTACK!!!!" Lucan screamed.

And that is what the players did, they couldn't tell friend from foe. Everyone was the enemy. The group of players turned on each other while Lucan slipped off towards the headquarters.

He walked through the desolated main gates.

He looked up as the sky cracked. The yellow river flowed above the headquarters with a ship sailing on it. Little Brown sat in the wheelhouse while the ghost crew dropped anchor. With her current job finished, she dived into a different realm and disappeared.

"LUCANNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Screamed the newly revived Bone Crusher. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS. YOUR CASTLE AND FORTRESS ARE GOING TO FALL!!!!"

Lucan's soft voice reached the ears of Bone Crusher in the graveyard in the outskirts of the city.

"If you don't want to pull back your forces, that means I get everything here. He, he, he."

One hundred elite shadow elves dropped down from the boat followed by two hundred mid-level players from Windy Willow, lead by a team of fifty high level players.

The Willow players quickly set up a perimeter around the headquarters while a few groups went to specific locations in the city to loot valuables.

"Search the headquarters, take everything they have." Lucan order the shadow elves while heading in with them.

The players who hadn't been dragged to hell by the devils were respawning and starting to try and retake their headquarters. They were surprised to meet resistance and were able to get nowhere near the building while shadow elves were loading rowboats with stolen goods.

Bone Crusher was strong when facing someone in a head on fight, but he couldn't make a difference when there were three high-level players dedicated to keeping him busy.

***

-"Is this really happening?"

-"Bad ass, the warlock is really raiding their headquarters."

-"Summoning that ship with reinforcements was a clutch move. So cool."

-"I heard that the two other guilds controlled by Winged Tiger Corp. turned around and are heading there. How much will he be able to grab before they show up?"

-"They must be so embarrassed. How pitiful, to lose a whole city to a mid-level player. What will the other guilds think?"

-"Speaking off, who do you think will show up first?"

-"I heard the Cool Slammers are on the move. As well as the White Pines."

-"What is up with Goblin Crushers? They used to be a big enemy of Bone Crusher, I always assumed they were fighting over the name."

-"Ha, ha, the Goblin Crushers no longer have territory in the area. But I did hear that their troops were on the move, but by the time they could get here I imagine a winner will already be decided. Let's see if Bone Crusher can hold onto his territory."

***

The battle ragged outside the headquarters. When the willow players died, they didn't return to the battlefield, they resurrected in Lucan's fortress. Their numbers were constantly falling while the reinforcements for Bone Crusher kept arriving on all sorts of mounts.

After the fortieth rowboat of loot was sent to the ship, a boat was sent down with several crates and barrels. The Elite shadow elves carried them into the headquarters and started to place them in different areas.

Lucan finished cleaning out the offices since his men had taken over the vaults after a few high-level Willow players, picked or split open the doors.

Lucan used all his mana to conjure a phantom bomber at each of the crates and barrels. Each time he cast it, he emptied his shadow mana. Unfortunately, they were nowhere as powerful as his real ability. They would scale to however much mana he put inside, right now he didn't have enough time to fill them up, over and over. One bar of mana for each was the best he could do.

Lucan boarded a rowboat with the last shadow elves and loot and rose back up to the ship.

He gave the signal to Sturdy Willow and the rest of the Windy Willow organization disappeared as they all activated their return scrolls to teleport to their base in Lucan's fortress.

"IF YOU THINK THIS IS OVER, THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER THING COMING!!!!" Screamed Bone Crusher as he watched Lucan board his ship high in the air. He ordered his men to secure the headquarters since other guilds would be here soon.

Lucan looked over the railing. "Your ending will not change, but this isn't the end." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

*BOOM* *BOOOM* *KABOOOMM*

*KA-freakin-BOOOOOOMMMMMM*

Large colorful explosions devastated every bit of the guild headquarters. Intense magical fire spread over everything and was launched into the city and on the players. Water and smothering wouldn't extinguish the flames that clung to whatever they touched.

Lucan watched the city burn as he sailed back into the ethereal realm.

"DAMN IT!!!!!!!" Cursed Bone Crusher who narrowly survived the explosion.

"Guild leader, bad news." Said a player rushing over.

"WHAT IS IT NOW!?!?!"

"The Goblin Crusher's have taken control of our fortress in the east. The Drunkin Chimp guild lost their headquarters there. The Northern Blockade guild is the only one of our three that still has a base, their people are retreating to protect their area and the Drunkin Chimps are going with them. We have to give up this city, it is a lost cause. Let's retreat with the others."

***

Sturdy and Lucan were the only players on the ship.

"This thing is pretty impressive, are we taking this back to the fortress?"

"We have to make a stop first. But we are close."

A few minutes later, Lucan dropped anchor. He boarded a rowboat with Sturdy and the ghosts began to lower them down.

They descended through a green portal and landed on a lake.

"What is this place?" Sturdy asked.

"The temple of the moon." Lucan answered.

When the boat docked, he stepped out. The moment his boot stepped on the wood, Silent came sprinting out of the temple. She dove into his arms and wrapped him up with a hug while Little Brown flew out behind her.

"AHhh! What happened to your arm?"

Tyrannical Kyp walked out of the temple. "They only had a few low-level guys here waiting to take her. Nothing Tango couldn't handle."

"Good work." Lucan said before ignoring the world and enjoying holding the woman he loved.