CLA.S.S NEUTRAL: Stranger Is Coming

New trouble. Khaas Kahalar. Difficult Quest.

I did everything according to Reena's instructions; a sharp flash of white light blinded me. After a while, I opened my eyes. I couldn't see anything except for some bright circles. I felt dizzy like after rotating inside a centrifuge.

"Well, I understand you now," she said. "They won't bother Narylna again, will they?"

I felt sick. "Will it be like this every time?"

"No, you're just not yet able to stabilize your thoughts and quickly find your necessary memories," Reena explained. "You feel dizzy because your thoughts and memories are distributed properly like books on shelves, taking their former places."

Ten minutes later, everything was all right, and I was finally able to get myself up. Reena sat on the rock; she was definitely tired of waiting. The large clearing was full of beautiful flowers, the trees were at least fifty paces away, and a dozen large stones were scattered everywhere.

"I've dragged you to the forest. You're very heavy you know." She sighed. "You look skinny, though you seem to be made of metal. So, now we need to go to the place where I met the Hellish Abyss's monsters. It's far away from here, so we need to hurry."

***

It was very difficult to run through the forest for several hours after the fox. My health points steadily decreased, despite the fact that I had unlocked the achievement 'Marathon runner' before. Anyway, all the running meant that I reached the second level of the 'Athletics' skill. That was great. Improving this skill meant that it would be easier for me to run, jump, and move around farther.

I started noticing something interesting, too. The forest became somehow darker, despite the fact that it was still day. I had a strange feeling.

"Do you feel it, too?" Reena asked, squinting her eyes. "This is the Hellish Abyss. It's strong. You're a very unusual man. As a rule, people don't feel it unless they're experienced in magic. Now I think I might understand why the Forest Keeper wants to help you."

Our speed significantly decreased, and the path curled to the right and to the left. Reena seemed to feel the danger and tried her best to avoid it.

The leaves on the trees looked like smoldering embers and flames flared amongst them sometimes. The trunks and the grass on the ground became darker and the air seemed to be soaked with ash.

After checking the tree properties, I was convinced that everything here had been struck by emanations. My inner voice told me to gather leaves and forest grass—just a couple of bunches. The air became drier, and I found it hard to breathe.

"We're here, now be quiet and don't cough," Reena whispered, creeping to the gap in the bushes.

Effect 'Forest Air' is applied

It was much easier to breathe now. Thank you, Reena. If it were not for you, I'd cough for sure! The fox was already watching all around behind the bushes and called me, waving her tail.

Screw it! I could barely breathe and move when I saw it. Real demons were walking in front of me. The bony bear was a real teddy-bear compared to these monsters. Several Hellish hounds covered with plates of armor, grinned at each other angrily. Some creatures with wings flew next to them; they looked like bats with large bellies. One of these creatures gnawed on a deer's leg, biting it with its sharp, triangular teeth.

Two giants, at a height of no less than sixteen feet, stood almost on the top of the hill, covered with cracks and hardened magma. Their eyes were like orange lights shining from the abyss.

They were soaked with anger and seemed ready to tear everyone apart. The bloody magma oozed from the cracks of their coal-black stone bodies. There was their Lord between them. He was shorter than the giants and barely reached the stone monsters' b.r.e.a.s.ts, but he seemed to be no weaker than them. He looked at his servants with arrogance and contempt; his black eyes were deprived of any white. He had two powerful antlers; his artifact armor sparkled with a scarlet light resembling blood.

There was a place for a large stone in his c.h.e.s.t, but it was empty. He had an enormous sword in his scabbard. His weapon seemed to be made of the giants' magma—at least, the texture was the same. The large red stone in its handle glittered like the giants' eyes. The magma oozed from the cracks in the sword. The metal dark-gray belt was decorated with human, demonic, and orc skulls, manufactured by a gunsmith with an incredible talent.

Blood dripped from their dark eye sockets on the ground. However, I was more impressed with the messages rather than their appearance.

Hellish Imp, Abyss's Servant, level 98

Hellish hound, level 105

Hellish Abyss's creatures, level 150

Khaas Kahalar, Lord of the Blood Legion, the Hellish Abyss ??? level

How am I going to fight them? What are they even doing here? Two giants of the 150th level... it's a nightmare. Not to mention this archdemon. Did the Lord of Hellish Abyss invade the forest? Why?

Something must have made him come here. What is it, though?

Reena bit my leg, distracting me from my thoughts.

"Look over there," she said. "Do you see?"

"Where? What am I supposed to see?"

"Behind the guy with the antlers." Reena smirked. "Look attentively!"

H-m-mmm... it's very curious. I saw a light behind the demon. It was hard for me to see something, but I coped with it. I was astonished.

Portal (Hellish Abyss, Blood Legion' possessions)

The red stone glowed at the bottom. I tried to see its properties, but I could not. Five minutes later, I was able to read:

Heart of the Blood Legion's Lord

Skill 'Good Eye' is obtained

Description: Being unable to approach the object of observation, but intending to get information about it, you've developed an amazing ability to get what you want

Develop this skill and you'll be able to receive more and more information from even greater distances

Skill class: rare

Skill level: 1

Skill of Observation is increased. Current level: 3

I seem to be able to understand what's going on. Why is he standing there doing nothing? He wants his heart back, but he can't return it for some reason.

"Lords are unable to return their own hearts," Reena's voice sounded in my head. "Only a person with a pure soul can touch it."

"When a demon becomes a Lord, his heart, by Rainea's will, acquires some properties which are opposed to a Lord's power. If a heart breaks, a Lord dies.

So, this Lord guards his heart and doesn't allow anyone to approach it. So, this is a kind of an artifact, which is quite difficult to restrain because the power hidden in it tends to return back to its host.

Therefore, a portal to one of the Hellish Abyss's districts, belonging to the heartless Lord, has emerged after a while. Now I know where the demons came from."

"It's clear to me too." I frowned, analyzing all the facts. "Is there anything else you want to tell me, Reena?"

"What do you mean?" She pretended to be a fool.

"I mean the man who was buried under the stone," I replied. "He must have been an incredible man if he managed to take the demon's heart, and he had a pure soul, therefore... I don't want to guess; I'm going to need you to explain everything to me in detail."

My assumptions regarding the crystal, the spatial rift, and the strong creatures seemed to be right. Besides, I was wrong when I thought that the dead man couldn't be a magician. Only awesome people were able to take the Hellish Abyss Lord's heart... So, the silvan didn't kill him for nothing. How is the Hellish Abyss connected to his escape from the Gardens of Death?

Quest 'Monsters in the Forest' is completed

Reward: +10,000 to the experience, +100 gold, +500 to the Forest Keeper's reputation, +100 to Reena's reputation, skill 'Search for Death', an artifact for your choice

New level is obtained!

New level is obtained!

It's wonderful. Now I have the money and an artifact of my choosing. I'd better think about what I need most. I'm not going to be distracted from the conversation.

"I know." Reena snorted. "We must take the Lord's heart and carry it out of the forest. Then we'll solve this demon problem."

Reena offers you a quest 'Kicking the Blood Legion's Lord out'

Description: You've found the cause of the Hellish Abyss's emanations in the Areen Forest. It's an archdemon. His heart emits concentrated energy, turning the flourishing forest into a kind of hell

Terms: take the Lord's heart and get it out of the forest

Optional: find a way to cure the affected animals

Reward: +50000 to the Experience, +5000 gold coins, +1000 with Reena's reputation, and the answers to the questions

Quest Class: epic

Penalty for refusal: -1000 reputation points with Reena.

Accept quest: Yes/No?

"Wow, Reena! What a sly fox you are! You knew the cause of the demon's presence in the forest, so... what the hell. Why didn't you just tell me about this?" I was angry. "Did you have to scare me? I would have helped you anyway, but I just had to level up first."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't do anything else," she said. "You would have definitely said 'No' if you had known about them before. You've agreed to help me now, immediately, although I was afraid that you would refuse. As for that man..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

"Pure soul! I feel a pure soul!" the archdemon's powerful and unnatural voice sounded. It made my blood run cold.

The developers did a great job. They should be given a prize for creating such a believable voice.

"Destroy! Kill everybody whom you find," he ordered the hounds and the imps, and then he turned to the giants. "You'll stay here with me, in case the humans decide to deceive me."

Screw it! I had already thought about sneaking up and stealing the heart unnoticed. I hope that's possible. Fortunately, the quest isn't to kill the Lord, otherwise it would be impossible for me.

I didn't want to die again. It was unpleasant, to say the least. Fortunately, this demon doesn't see us. He has sent his monsters the other way, so he hasn't noticed me.

I was wrong.

"Destroy!" the archdemon's voice sounded. The monster was staring at me.