Evolution: A Warlock’s Rise To Power

Lucan could see the fortress in the distance growing larger as they got closer to their target. Silent Night was running with him along with Shifty Willow and another player. All 4 were in stealth, hoping to gain entry into the fortress walls before the main fight started.

Lizard-like humanoid creatures stood guard at the open gate. Standing three feet tall with scale covered bodies, the kobolds kept a look out for approaching enemies. The four players pressed tightly up against the wall while waiting for their chance.

In the distance was a sound of trees falling as a commotion spread through the forest across from the fortress.

One of the gate guards immediately retreated to go inform his superiors, leaving only 4 kobolds left at the front gate. At the same time, all 4 players pounced, unleashing their strongest attacks from stealth. Lucan's target was the last to die, but all four kobolds were dead within 5 seconds. Shifty motioned with hand signals before the group split up to fulfill their missions.

Lucan and Silent went up the tower on the right side of the gate while Shifty Willow and his subordinate went up the left side. At the top of each tower were the controls to the gate. Both needed to be disabled or it was possible to be locked out of the fortress, or even worse, locked in.

Horns started to sound from the main halls of the fort as Sturdy Willow lead the rest of the players into the clearing between the forest and fortress.

Lucan pushed open the door into the tower and with a wave of his wand, illusionary shadows started to fill the room.

He and Silent could hear frantic yelps and growls of the kobolds communicating with each other. Lucan quickly ran into the room while an arrow flew over his shoulder pinning a kobold to the wall while it was descending a ladder from the upper level.

Silent had a harder time seeing through the shadows at ground level so she kept her eyes focused on the trap door on the ceiling where the kobolds were coming down from.

With his thermal vision, Lucan used his trusty and silent shadow bolts to pelt the kobolds in front of him while activating 'tread lightly'. He quickly and quietly closed the distance before Night's Whisper ended the 2 remaining kobolds.

With the creatures only being level 95, they weren't too much of a threat to him, considering they were a low tier monster and they were unable to locate him, let alone retaliate.

With the Kobolds on the ground floor dead, Silent made her way up the ladder to the second floor. At this time, both Silent and Lucan heard a metallic groan before a loud crash.

The gate had been closed.

Lucan pulled himself through the trap door to see a room filled with several beds. The kobolds were up and wearing armor unlike the grunts who filled the room below. Silent was surrounded as her draggers spun and clanked against their armor. A lizard shrieked while her blade found a gap on the armpit of one of her attackers.

Lucan was about to run over and help when he noticed her skin become covered in a faint green magic. He changed his plans and started to cast a spell.

Silent took a step into the ethereal realm and jumped through her attackers and landed outside of the group surrounding her before dismissing her racial power.

A phantom warrior appeared before the warlock and charged into the group using telekinetic slam to send them all bouncing into the wall. Lucan unleashed a barrage of telekinetic slashes while Silent drew her bow and began to take aim.

Each one of her arrows ended a life as she started with the ones who were closest to dying. When the last two rose back to their feet, the phantom warrior sent out a roundhouse kick. The more agile kobold dropped to the ground avoiding the blow while the other wasn't so lucky and went flying out the window to the ground below.

Before the other kobold could rise again an arrow pinned him to the ground causing his soul to leave his body and assuring he would never rise again.

Lucan took a quick look outside to the Willow troops slowly making their way towards the gate under the protection of barrier magic.

Several spells and arrows pelted against the barrier. It would hold for now but if the gate wasn't opened in the next few minutes the barrier would shatter, leaving the Willow troops exposed.

Lucan turned his thermal vision to the ceiling to see a single large heat source waiting for them to climb the next ladder.

Silent was already on her was up.

"Be careful." Lucan warned her.

She didn't respond but nodded as she counited to climb. Lucan went up right behind her. When his head poked through the opening, he saw a huge kobold almost 5 feet tall rushing towards Silent, it swatted away the arrow coming straight towards it.

It was a level 105 Elite named Eastern Gate Keeper.

Lucan waved his hand as the phantom warrior rose through the floorboards giving the kobold a surprise uppercut. Surprisingly the Elite only staggered back a single step. Lucan pulled himself through the trap door and jumped to his feet.

As he readied his wand the kobold opened its jaws and unleashed a black fire towards the pair.

Silent stepped into the ethereal realm again to dodge the dragon flames while Lucan could only dive to the side while losing half his health.

Silent ran forward to distract the creature while taking out her daggers again. Even with her full might she was only able to inflict shallow wounds on the Elite.

With a swipe of its clawed hand, the kobold sent Silent flying toward Lucan who just got back up, leaving her with only 15% of her health left. As much as Lucan wanted to catch her, especial since she was coming at him butt first, he wasn't given the option, nor did he have the ability to do so.

Silent activated shadow form and passed through him.

[Warlock's Insanity has been activated.]

"YOU BASTARD!! HOW DARE YOU LAY A HAND ON HER." He yelled while charging straight toward the Elite.

The warlock's figure grew to fifteen feet tall with his head almost scrapping the ceiling. Purple flames ignited in his eyes as he swung a fist towards the kobold Elite.

*Bam*

The creature shot back, slamming into the wall from the combined illusion and delusion attack. Black shadow energy filled Lucan's palm as he reached out with his giant hand and coved the monster's face forcing the shadow energy into the Elite's throat.

"YOU DON'T TOUCH MY WOMAN!"

Fear crept into the kobold's eyes as he started to choke on the pure shadow mana. Lucan raised his other fist. As he was about to pummel into its stomach the Elite grabbed the wrist of the hand covering its face.

As its claws sunk into Lucan's flesh the warlock's health bar emptied.

When his body disappeared, an arrow flew through the place his body had been before disappearing and pierced into one of the monster's eyes.

Lucan quickly activated his soul stone to resurrect and paid off the ever growing fine. He appeared next to Silent to see the Elite was down to 20% of its health left. With half his mana bar filled from resurrection, he pulled out two wands and began to unload telekinetic slashes as fast as his wands would let him.

With a barrage of magic and arrows flying nonstop towards the kobold it couldn't waste any time by getting to its feet. With a growl it opened its mouth again as black flames shot out.

Without hesitation, Silent shoved Lucan back, sending him tumbling through the open trap door. Shadow form broke his fall.

He quickly hurried back up the ladder, halfway up he received a notification.

[Congratulations! You have reached level 92.]

Silent Night had finished the fight.

Climbing up onto the third floor again he could see Silent stifling a giggle.

"So I am your woman now?" She teased.

Lucan looked from the ground to the walls, unsuccessfully hiding his embarrassment.

She had been around him enough to know the he wasn't capable of controlling what he said or did when his insanity took over, so she let the matter drop and went to the window and looked towards the other gate tower.

At the same time Shifty Willow leaned out and signaled that that they had cleared their tower.

"Let's raise the gate." She said to Lucan.

They both moved to the large lever on the wall and began to pull it down till the gears clicked. They raised it back up and repeated as the gate outside slowly started to rise. Once the gate was 30 feet off the ground there was a loud clunk as the lever would no longer let them raise it higher.

Lucan pulled out a flask from his inventory and unstopped it before pouring it over the lever mechanism. Fierce alchemical flames started to melt and warp the gate mechanism rendering it inoperable.

The gate was now successfully open and stuck that way.

Moving to the far window they could see Sturdy Willow lead his troops, charging into the fortress.