Evolution: A Warlock’s Rise To Power

Lucan switched his vision to the Little Brown and looked through his familiar's eyes.  He saw the rest of the fleeing beasts get cut down.  The players were on a slaughter spree and not bothering to hold back.

The players were still thirty minutes away from the city when they had finished off the beast tide. Lucan was sure a few of the beasts had managed to escape, but they were only a small number and were something that the city guards could easily deal with.

Through Little Brown's eyes he could see many of the players sitting down, laughing, talking, and trading their spoils with each other.

Lucan used his split mind to watch through Adrestia as well and got his first clear image of the creature that was coming towards the city.

Knowing that it wasn't time to rest yet, Lucan determined the quickest way to inform the players and took action after informing Silent.

Soon enough the majority of the players reacted.  All those that had become an acolyte had received a quest.

[A fearsome field boss has frightened the beasts in the dark forest, forcing them to flee in the form of a beast tide.  Set up defenses at the edge of the forest and prepare for a group raid.]

[Banked experience points will be issued based on contributions.]

[Boss loot has been set to contribution regardless of party/team loot settings.]

[Boss information: Level 210 field boss 'Dark Destroyer'.  300 meters tall, 500 meters long.  WARNING: Attacking this beast solo will lead to certain death.]

[Health points: 50,000,000,000]

[Those who accept the quest will receive the title 'Defender of New Avalon'.]

[The person who strikes the final blow as well as the ten players with the most contributions will get the title 'Hero of New Avalon'.]

[Do you wish to accept the quest?]

[Yes/No]

The players immediately jumped up and looked out into the distance.  It wasn't long before they could feel the tremors in the ground.

Silent smirked to herself.  She knew her husband well.  It wasn't necessary for Lucan to issue a quest to inform everybody present.  She assumed he had another reason for doing so.  It was her sister who informed her of his reasoning.

"That tricky bastard."  Heaven said while shaking her head.

"What did that punk do now?"  Marie asked while boarding the floating cloud with Silent.

"If you received the quest you know a field boss is coming."

"Yeah, I got the quest."  Marie said.  "But what is a field boss."

Heaven explained.  "It is usually a huge monster with lots of health.  The thing is that once it finally dies, the group who contributed the most will divide up 90% of the experience from the beast while the last ten goes to whoever landed the final kill.  This type of division usually causes all the teams to fight each other while they are fighting the beast.  Because whichever team survives and does the most damage will get a huge reward in experience.  But now…"

Silent understood and finished her sisters thinking.  "But now… Lucan has made it so that anybody who accepts the quest will be on the same team.  This is good for the city and the lone players, or people in small groups.  It encourages everyone to work together.  But the guilds are losing out on the big pie that could fall from the sky.  No matter how much experience the boss gives out, once it is divided by so many people, it will only be a nice bonus instead of a huge windfall."

"If you still want the big pie, can't you just decline the quest?"  Marie asked.

"Sure."  Heaven answered.  "But the majority of people here are loners or in small groups.  The guilds area actually a minority.  We may have big groups and have practiced together a long time, but compared to the numbers of others, our chances of being the group that does the most damage is insignificant. "

"Ah, I see.  Barxy-pooh is forcing you to team up with everybody else for a small reward instead of taking everything for yourselves.  He, he, he, my nephew is so amazing."

"He really is."  Silent added.

Heaven sighed and accepted the quest.  She understood that he didn't care about the reward.  He was more concerned with protecting the city.  Having come to terms with the situation, Heaven prepared herself and started thinking about to get the last hit in, even though she knew that everyone had the same thought.

The players rushed back towards the city and started to set up defenses about two miles into the forest where the quest marker indicated.

Lucan had considered sending the players straight towards the field boss but decided against it. They all traveled at different speed and they wouldn't arrive together.  It would be much easier for the field boss to finish them off in waves compared to them making a stand together.

He determined that the best chance to take down the field boss would be to regroup and take a defensive position.  This would give the spell casters a chance to stand still and prepare their longer cast time spells.  Others would be able to lay traps.  Ranged players could look for good defensive positions to attack from and melee players could coordinate with each other to attack with proper formations.

After Lucan informed Mayor Faylen, he summoned his magic carpet and headed into the forest.

Mayor Faylen, just to be cautious led the citizens to the opposite side of the city where the shadow tunnel was located.  If the defense failed, they could flee towards Shadowsweep.  He hopped that wouldn't happen, but he would rather be prepared.

While Lucan flew into the forest, he kept chanting his spells and making preparations like all the other casters who were present.  His carpet came to a stop next to Heaven's floating cloud.  His aunt and wife hopped over to join him.

"Brax, Brax, what does this title do?"  Marie asked as the words 'Defender of New Avalon' floated underneath her name.

"It is nothing to amazing, but it does increase make the people of New Avalon like you more.  It increases their favorability."

"Good, good.  Now I just have to get the final strike and become the Hero of New Avalon."

Lucan chuckled to himself after seeing how wrapped up in the game his aunt had already gotten. He was also impressed to see that she had managed to reach level 48.  He and Silent had made sure that everything she attacked was already weakened, but it also took a bit of luck to survive the battlefield where one was surrounded by chaos.  Who is to say a stray arrow wouldn't accidently strike her, or a beast could have popped up and taken her down with a single swipe.

Suddenly all the excited players quieted down.  The tremors were growing louder and more violent. Those on the ground could feel it shaking while those flying or floating could see that trees moving.

The field boss was closing in.  Everyone held their breath as the trees began to shake so much, they fell to the ground.  Through the clearing, the players got their first look at the Dark Destroyer.

A pitch-black crocodile type beast was coming towards them.

*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*

The beast steps were enough to know some of the less steady players off of their feet.  The creature had four eyes, two on either side of its scale covered snout.  Two tails swung behind it, flattening small hiss and old trees that refused to fall as it carved a path through the forest.

"ROOAAARRRR!!!!!!!!"