Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus
The Guild of Gamers: The Sage
Chapter 04:
– Gazef Stronoff –
Despite the celebrations engulfing the village, he remained on guard. The forest was too close, and the masterminds behind the attack were still at large. He didn't believe that the raids were simply bandits, and his examination of the corpse pile had proven his fears correct. The Slane Theocracy was behind them, likely to draw him out where they could kill him.
"Relax, lad, this is a party," Henry said, slapping him on the back. Despite his years of training, Gazef stumbled forward from the hit, needing to catch himself before he ended up face down. Henry was a beast in more ways than one. His sheer physical prowess was terrifying. "No need to stand at attention, even if any more return. The wilds will warn me long before they get here. Every flower, every bird, they're all my eyes and ears."
He had seen druids before, but Henry was certainly better than the ones he had met. They also didn't tend to be so large, as Henry grinned down at him, stroking his impressive beard with one hand.
"My men certainly appreciate the chance to relax," Gazef admitted with a small frown before he shook his head. He'd pushed them hard recently, and they'd risen to the occasion. He'd give them this night of revelry.
"And so should you. Look at how tense you are. You're safe here; the wilds may seem intimidating to you, but they still bend to my will. Outside of that accursed jungle, at least," Henry snorted, his eyes lingering on the tree line for a moment. "But while it is spreading, it isn't spreading so fast that we need to fear waking up in it, and my totems are warding it away from the village."
"Totems?" Gazef asked, and Henry nodded to follow him as he walked toward the treeline. With his sheer size, Henry covered a lot of ground with each step, clearly not slowed by age, as Gazef almost had to jog to keep up. It was a humbling experience, in truth, as the Kingdom's strongest warrior.
Henry guided him to the treeline where he gestured at a wooden totem, carved and glowing with green runes. It reached his hip, and was almost as wide as he was as it gave off a soft green glow.
"The jungle is doing more than just spreading. As I told you earlier, there's a powerful curse of undeath held deep within it that is affecting far more than just the jungle itself. From studying the bodies of the men who attacked the village, I believe the curse is drawing in the souls of anyone who dies within its range, feeding the curse and causing the spread," Henry explained with a deep scowl as he rubbed his beard. "I've crafted these totems to try and hold back the spread, but if the curse continues to be fed, then I fear even my power will be overwhelmed in time. Clawing back the souls of the villagers was almost beyond me, and only possible thanks to their recent deaths. I suspect any resurrection magic will fail after a short time as the souls are claimed by the master of the jungle."
Gazef went silent at that, staring into the darkness of the jungle. And it was a jungle, dense, far too hot and humid for the local area. Whoever did this had changed the very climate itself, and that was magic on a scale that he could barely comprehend.
"How… that is horrifying magic, necromancy on a level I've never heard of before," Gazef said, shook to his core at the realisation of just how dangerous this truly was.
"Aye. I'm strong, lad, but even I couldn't withstand the miasma of the jungle's depths for long. Anyone who enters will need protection, of that I'm certain. I went in unprepared, the arrogance of the strong, I suppose," Henry admitted with a tired laugh, looking his age for a moment. "You have the ear of the King, aye? Warn him to avoid wars. Any massive loss of life is going to make this curse far, far harder to remove."
His eyes widened in realisation, mentally cursing. The annual war with the Baharuth Empire… if they smelt blood, seeing the Re-Estize Kingdom as weakened, they'd invade for certain. The Slane Theocracy were clearly trying to make moves as well. This couldn't have happened at a worse time… but he supposed that was the point.
"Will you return to Re-Estize with me? To inform the King and the nobles of the threat in person?" Gazef asked, seeing him pause as his brows furrowed in thought.
"I need to study the curse further, and I intend to stay in Carne Village for now. My totems surround the village, making this a safe space, but I need more information before I tell anyone anything," Henry pointed out wisely, getting an understanding nod in return. It was foolish to leave when he didn't have all the information yet, and it wasn't a denial. "As I said, relax for tonight. The world will still be there in the morning, and more serious discussions should wait until after the sun rises."
"A fair point. These men and women have much to celebrate, and I should not hoard the hero of the day's attention," Gazef agreed with a small smile, patting Henry on the shoulder. Even as they made their way back, his eyes went back to the totems. If Henry had a way to ward off this curse, he would be needed in the coming months.
A part of him said to charge into the forest and end this threat, but Henry was right. Such an expedition would require planning and preparation. If Henry, a druid of such undeniable skill, had been forced to leave the jungle, he would not survive. Such wilderness should be his natural habitat, for him to be forced to leave did not bode well. He could only imagine how terrible the twisted lands must feel to one so attuned to nature.
– Henry Black –
Man, I do damn good work.
Even as I drink and celebrate with the adoring villagers, I can't help but admire the sheer complexity of my death curse. I mean, I've done this before and once placed an entire rebelling kingdom under it, but this is just amazing work. Binding the curse to the planet itself was truly inspired, and should avoid the issues I had last time.
See, I've thought long and hard about what I would do differently and the biggest issue was the fear. My people saw me as a God-King, but a wrathful and hateful one. I mean, they were right, considering how often I delivered my judgement on my enemies, but it meant that they kept trying to rebel or forge secret resistances because they saw me as the enemy.
Fear is useful. Fear keeps people in line, but too much, and it goes beyond paralysing them and convinces them that they must act against you. This time, I intend to be loved and feared, and for that, the answer is simple. I need an enemy to fight, a villain to battle.
Who better to be that villain than… me? I've got plenty of experience as the Dark Lord, but little as the hero. So, when the nations of this world face the overwhelming darkness of Nazerick, I intend to force them to look to me for aid.
And if this all blows up in my face? Well, I'm retired. I don't care that much. Either I'll win, or my game will be exposed, and then I'll just go back to the tried-and-true method of overwhelming violence to suppress my foes. At the end of the day, we will see if we can teach this old dog some new tricks.
Carne Village sees me as their saviour. Gazef is looking to me for aid. Soon, his kingdom will do the same, and as a once court mage, I know a thing or two about politics and how desperation can make the self-serving nobles do some very stupid things. The more pressure the Lord of Nazerick puts on the world, the more they'll be willing to do for my aid in maintaining their feeble power. It's the nature of power to attract the weak, and if this world is anything like mine?
Nobles are rich, influential, and so pathetically weak. They'll do anything to cling to their wealth and imaginary power. When the pressure is put on them, when the cards are down, they'll stab their rulers and each other in the back as long as it means they can cling to privilege for longer.
Re-Estize, huh? It will be interesting to see if things remain the same in this world. For the good of my race, I hope not. Somehow, I know it will be the case here as well. Greed, pride and arrogance remain the same no matter what world you are in.
"Henry!" Enri calls out, rushing over to me with a beaming smile. As I turn to the young girl, I give her a soft smile. Playing the hero has its advantages, and the utter faith and adoration she clearly has for more is undeniable. Carne Village might be small, but becoming their saviour is a start. As she approaches, she pushes a large flagon of alcohol into my hand, reminding me that tonight is a time of celebration. I can scheme more in the morning.
– Enri Emmot –
As the night started to slow, more and more people separated from the party and either passed out from the drink, fell asleep or slipped away to celebrate in a more personal way, she remained firmly attached to Henry's side.
Carne Village didn't have much in the way of luxuries, but she ensured that Henry's flagon and plate never emptied. If it wasn't for him, Carne Village would be a smouldering ruin by the time Gazef and his knights showed up. She and Nemu would have been raped and killed by the scum, and her parents would still be dead.
As she rested against him, her breasts pressing into his arm, Henry laughed and regaled the villagers with tall tales of things that sounded so impossible, but she knew to be true. Nfirea had told her a little of magic, but Henry was a man who had lived through things that sounded like they belonged in a bard's song. She hung to his every word, even as her face flushed from both the booze and the way his hand was firmly on her ass.
She didn't mind, of course! Henry was her hero, and she'd sworn to herself that she would repay him for saving Nemu and bringing back her parents. In truth, she'd even hoped for something like this as she pressed her ass back against his strong, muscular hand as it groped her buttocks through her skirt. Nemu was already long-since asleep, and the villagers who noticed the way she was pressed against him were smart enough to say nothing. It wasn't like she was the only girl intended to… get some tonight. She'd seen some of the village girls slipping away with the knights, who frankly didn't deserve to be at this celebration for how late they'd shown up.
Ah well, Henry had invited them, and she wasn't going to reject them. She'd seen him talking with their leader earlier, and she was well aware that whatever was going on with the forest, it affected more than just their little village.
As the torches started to go out, the booze running dry, she blushed deeply as she made her move. Taking Henry's hand, she got him to follow her away from the last few remaining party-goers, a knowing look in his eyes as they found somewhere semi-private. It was an empty barn, used for storage and thankfully empty even if she could smell the scent of sex. She wasn't the first to think that this place would make a good private spot tonight but it seemed whoever else had the same idea had since vacated as she turned around to face him.
"I wanted to thank you, properly," Enri started, flushed red as she worked at her top, undoing it before pulling it off and tossing it aside entirely, her bra following behind moments later.
Henry's eyes lingered on her topless form as he stepped closer, clicking his fingers as several small orbs of light appeared around the barn and drove away the darkness. His handsome face had a hungry smile on it, as one hand came up to cup her breast, his thumb brushing against her nipple.
"Is that all this is?" Henry asked knowingly, flashing a large grin as he removed his own top and exposed the incredibly muscular body. He was easily two feet taller than her, more of a mountain than a man, and her face went bright red at his words. Her hands moved up to trace his muscles, feeling just how solid they were. "I've got a good nose, Enri. You know what I can smell from you?"
"Arousal," Enri admitted, biting her lip. "You're… not like any of the little boys in the village. You're a real man, and I want you."
It was embarrassing to admit it outloud, but Henry just laughed approvingly before he undid his trousers and dropped them with no shame. But then, what did he have to be ashamed of as he exposed a truly majestic cock. She was a virgin, only thanks to him stopping that scumbag bandit from taking it. She wasn't exactly an expert on manhoods but she had no doubt that Henry's was as impressive as the rest of him.
"That's better. Lust is a natural part of life, nothing to be embarrassed about," Henry praised, stroking her hair as she worked at her skirt and dropped it. In just her panties, she gave him a nervous smile as she turned around and bent over a hay bale, working her underwear down her legs slowly.
"You saved my maidenhood from those bastards, it's only fair you get to claim it," Enri invited, parting her legs wide and reaching under her to use two fingers to spread her virgin pussy for her hero.
Henry was not a weak man, or the type to hesitate when he had something he wanted, so she was unsurprised when he stepped forward, slapping that massive cock against her buttocks for a moment. She was already wet for him, arousal dripping down her thighs as Henry gave her buttocks a good squeeze.
"If I claim you, I'm keeping you," he rumbled, his voice sending shivers through her as she looked back at him with hungry eyes.
"Please," Enri choked out, her eyes looking at the massive shaft that was resting on her ass. "Do it."
Henry gave her a grin, pulling back and grasping his shaft as he pressed it against her soaked quim, rubbing the tip along her slit for a moment to lubricate it before he gripped her hip with one massive hand and began to pull her back onto his shaft.
She let out a low, keening moan at the new sensation, but the pain she feared never came to be. Instead, the complete fullness of his length sinking into her only made her eyes widen in sheer pleasure, her moan growing louder and lewder.
"Relax, Enri," Henry whispered into her ear, nibbling on it as his body towered over hers. "I don't hurt my girls."
"F-fuck," Enri gasped, feeling him finally bottom out inside her, her eyes wide at the feeling. She was sure that she'd be able to see the bulge on her stomach if she wasn't bent over the hay. "Fuck me, p-puhlease."
"Good girl, embrace your desires," Henry chuckled, gripping her hips with both hands as he began to move. Each thrust sent her deeper under the waves of pleasure he was drowning her in.
Then, he truly began to move and she knew no more.
– Albedo –
Watching through the scrying mirror, Albedo had to force herself not to react, not to rush in there and pull the human away from Lord Black. Why did this peasant get to be the first to be truly claimed!?
But Lord Black was their lord and master, and if he desired to ruin the holes of this worthless bitch then it was his right. Her fingers moved in time with Lord Black's powerful thrusts, imagining that she was the one bent over and being taken like a bitch in heat.
"Mhpff… fuck… Lord Black is so virile," Shalltear gasped, one of her vampire brides' heads trapped between her legs. Albedo didn't comment, sharing a look of mutual ambition with her rival. "My turn can't come soon enough~"
"W-why would he waste his time on such a worm?!" Albedo cursed, glaring at the human that was enjoying the honour of Lord Black's shaft. Fuck… he even came inside her, Albedo licking her lips. Each drop that spilled from the exhausted girl's used cunt and dripped onto the floor felt like an insult, as her tongue should be there to catch it all.
"Our Lord is a man of… fuck, great hungers. Even we aren't enough to satiate his endless desires," Shalltear agreed, biting her lip hard enough to pierce it. "He's a conqueror, here to claim the prizes of this world. The gold, the treasures, the women~"
Albedo paused, sharing a look with Shalltear.
"Then, we should do our best to bring him the finest this world has to offer, shouldn't we?" Albedo asked, already seeing a way to get her Lord's favour and adoration.
Shalltear smirked, and the pair began their scheming… well, once the show had ended. If their Lord wished for the women of this world, they would provide him with the finest.
– Henry Black –
Leaving the sleeping Enri, I put my trousers back on with a growing smile at what my senses can detect. There's nothing better than a trap being well and truly triggered.
I don't bother walking, teleporting to the signature I can detect with a lazy smile on my face as I lay my eyes on the strongest being I've felt since I've arrived in this world. The empty platinum armour stares back at me, blue eyes glaring at me as four weapons hover behind it.
"Now, now. There's no need for that, is there?" I ask with a cheerful laugh.
"You are the source of the curse," the armour responds, his weapons glowing as they point toward me.
"Aye, that was me," I admit shamelessly. "Henry Black, at your service. Come on, man, introduce yourself, don't be rude. I like to know the name of my enemies."
"Riku Aganeia," he responds, lying. Well, that's just rude, isn't it? "This magic is… foul, corruptive. Typical of a Player."
"Oh, I'm a player, alright, but I get the feeling we're talking about different things," I laugh, stretching and rolling my shoulders. I can feel just how strong this thing is. "I felt no Gods in this world, but it seems it has some defenders after all."
"This world? And yet you claim to not be a Player," Riku states, his weapons glowing with energy. "What is your purpose here?"
"Conquest, of course. I am a Dark Lord and a Dark Lord I remain. I'm going to break this world over my knee, and plunder its riches and women for my amusement," I answer truthfully. "You seem strong, 'Riku'. Bend the knee, and I'll make you one of my generals."
His response is as simple as it is fast; his spear launches forward toward my heart. How rude.
– Tsaindorcus Vaision –
He feared that Henry was something new entirely. Not just a Player, but something beyond. He had dedicated his life to preventing the immense power of Players from polluting this world. Their powerful tier magic was beyond what most of the world could hope to handle.
This… curse was not tier magic. He had felt it, even from as far away as the Argland Council State. Many Players had massive area of effect spells but they were the sort to handle armies, this spell affected the entire world.
He should have acted with more caution, but the moment he'd realised the intention of the spell, he had been forced into action. Every single death, anywhere in the world, was feeding the curse and its master. It was magic on a scale unheard of, even during the battle against the Evil Deities.
So, he had no choice but to confront the source. Sending his armour was the obvious choice, giving him a chance to safely test the strength of this otherworldly invader. For so many years, he'd seen Players as the biggest threat to the New World. As his spear struck true, he realised he'd been wrong.
Henry did not dodge; he did not block. Tsaindorcus had seen his eyes following the spear, the way Henry's smile had grown, but he chose to do nothing and let the spear strike him directly. His weapon, the tool he had once used as a member of the Thirteen Heroes, struck Henry's bare chest true and hard.
Then, it fell to the ground before Henry grabbed it. Looking at Henry's chest, he could see the tiniest dribble of blood from the scratch, and as he tried to pull his spear back, Henry's grip proved too strong before he simply snapped it in two.
That shouldn't have been a problem, given Tsaindorcus's control over it, but… he felt his connection to the spear break entirely as Henry drained it of all magic.
"Come on, come on! Surely you can do better than that!" Henry laughed, his jovial appearance belied by the increasingly dark aura growing from him. "Come on, Dragon! Fight me properly!"
Tsaindorcus went still, freezing at Henry's words.
"These old eyes of mine see much, Dragon. Your world is in danger, and you didn't even have the balls to show up in person. You thought you could fight me with an empty suit of armour?!" Henry bellowed, his grin growing increasingly manic. As he went to attack again, Henry moved with a speed that should be impossible for someone so large, lunging forward as Tsaindorcus sent his hammer and greatsword to attack so he could make some distance.
Henry didn't even acknowledge them, unbothered by the greatsword cleaving down onto his shoulder or the hammer striking his face as he continued his charge to the retreating armour, grabbing its right arm and pulling it closer.
Before Tsaindorcus could react, Henry grabbed the helmet with both hands and squeezed, his sheer strength crushing the empty helmet like a tin can, ripping it off as his smile only grew more bloodthirsty.
"Fight me! Show me what this world has to offer!" Henry laughed, smashing his fist through the chest plate, and with each hit, Tsaindorcus felt the magic of the armour fade and be drawn into Henry. His very body had anti-magic properties? What was he?
With a start, he realised something. He wasn't alone in the connection to the suit. While he was sending his will to the suit, Henry was using that same bond to follow it back to him. Making a decision, he cut off control of the suit entirely, and for the first time in many years, Tsaindorcus felt a shard of fear in his heart.
Henry was not a player. Henry was not an Evil Deity returned to the flesh. Tsaindorcus simply had no idea who or what Henry truly was. Alien, an abomination, and far too powerful. Few of the Thirteen Heroes still drew breath, but without hesitation, he knew he had to warn Landfall and Rigrit. This foe was beyond him.
He-
His blood ran cold as he felt a presence high above the Argland Council State, rushing from his home to look up into the skies where the figure was hovering. Henry wasn't even trying to hide his presence; in fact, he was outright broadcasting it to the world, his mana saturating the very air and land as he glowed like a black sun, staring down at them with a manic grin on his lips.
"See, Dragon, this is how you do it! When you attack, have the guts to show up in person!" Henry laughed, power coursing off him in waves. Each one felt like a tsunami, and he knew many of the members of the state had already fallen to the choking mana. Tsaindorcus was not idle, wild magic flying from him in an attempt to strike Henry down but each spell failed, fizzling into nothing as it reached him. Many of the strongest members of Argland joined him, his fellow Dragon Lords bombarding Henry with magic, and it did nothing.
Henry's words echoed through the state, incomprehensible but carrying immense magic in each syllable. Each word was louder than the last, until the noise itself was incapacitating most of the remaining attackers, and with a flourish, Henry cast his spell.
Tsaindorcus did not know what its intention was. All he knew was that he had made a terrible mistake, as his body was torn apart by magic that laughed in the face of his natural defences.
– Henry Black –
Staring down at the dying kingdom, I smile to myself.
See, when I did my curse, the intention was to provoke whatever Gods exist in this world. It failed, as no God responded to my might, but that doesn't mean it was a wasted effort. I wanted to see what 'might' looked like in this world, and the answer?
Disappointing. It looks disappointing. The dragons of my world were stronger, and I wore their strongest as a cape and kept his daughter as a mount. Rode her into battle, then rode her in a bed made of the bones of her father. Looking down at the corpse of the dragon, I let out a disgusted sound.
Gazef is said to be one of the strongest warriors, according to the boasting of his men. I could kill him with a slap on the back. This dragon believed itself to be amongst the most powerful this world had to offer, and it died so pathetically. Where was its fire? Where was its fury?
Well, it served its purpose all the same. I am not a patient man, nor am I a cautious one. I wanted to know where I stood in this world, compared to the titans of the 'New World'. Now, I know the answer. I stand on top of their broken corpses.
So be it.
Watching as the entire country sinks into the ocean, I smile to myself as the souls are drawn into my curse. I need the world to unite, and the destruction of an entire kingdom will serve as a good incentive for the other kingdoms to put aside their petty squabbles and focus on the threat of Nazerick and its Dark Lord.
The wasp nest is well and truly shaken now, and I can't wait to see what comes buzzing out.
— Bonus Scene — Kuro Dantalion
"In my defence, it's funny," I say the moment Kuro looks at me.
"This is why we don't recruit people who've already 'won'," Kuro sighs, snorting to himself as he puts another handful of popcorn in his mouth. "I told you he'd be too strong. Taking a Dark Lord who already was able to kill gods and giving him a system was just asking for trouble."
"Meh, since when have we cared about balance?" I point out, watching Kuro pause before he laughs. "It's fine, he's still weaker than like 99% of the Guild. He just got a headstart."
"Meh, indeed," Kuro agreed, because if there's one thing we always agree on, it's not doing unnecessary work. "If he becomes a problem, we'll just have the Glutton eat him. Beyond that, let the old man have his fun. He has a nice beard."
"I'd look great with a beard," I muse.
"It's us, we look great with everything and in nothing," Kuro agrees as he tosses some popcorn at me. "You don't get to pick the next recruit."
"So, you're actually going to do some work?" I ask, watching him pause.
"You have to pick the next five recruits," Kuro amends.
"Fucker."