A King of a dying World (pt.2) (remade)

A full blown battle has erupted. The others didn't exactly go here to just watch. They also want to fight and test their gathered might on the wall that is Death. To either hear his rare praises, or to feel the exhilarating adrenaline of fighting against the inevitable, and possibly even winning.

"...Looks like I can't stand idly by."

The Royal Guards, seemingly overpowered, weren't omnipotent. They react, but sometimes the reaction can be late. An Assassin Build in particular has a good chance of getting through their Undead senses, if they're high-leveled enough and in several presence concealing Skill effects that is.

"Summon High Undead, Skeleton King!"

An Undead with the capability of casting and leading other Undeads. The Skeleton King can summon both the flesh and bone variant. Its leadership skills were good, able to make critical decisions in important times, and respond with the best solution possible. However, that wasn't always the case.

It wears a long flowing, ragged red cape, a horned viking helmet, shoulder pauldrons, arm gauntlets, an entire armor piece that covered the upper body, with the four all red and black in color, a leather strip skirt, brown leather boots, stood at a dominating height of close to 3 meters, and wields two curved sabers as its main weapons. Its face is a rotten and somehow still fleshy one, purple glowing orbs within its eye sockets, and jagged teeth that could gruesomely rip flesh away with one bite.

"Summon Intermediate Undead, Bone Guards."

A group of 10 Undeads equipped in armor that covered their entire body emerged along with the Skeleton King. They are the Bone Guards, Undeads that're specialized in defensive plays and have a kit focused around riposting and deflecting damage. Their main weapon was naturally the spear and a big round shield. Their faces were naturally hidden behind a helmet, leaving one to speculate what horrors could be underneath it.

'...'

And that was all the cards he's willing to play for now. They were all-rounded and flexible, and also just the right thing in response to the situation right now. The Bone Guards immediately went and protected Death, while the Skeleton King jumped up and over the Royal Guards.

"Grrraaahhhhhhh!!!"

It roared like a beast that hungers for blood. This was the activation of its summoning.

Arms sprung up from the ground. It was more of an animation, though, as there are no natural corpses beneath the ground. Several pale zombies and weapon wielding skeletons rose up from the ground, while the army of Players and NPCs sprinted forward without a moment of stopping.

"Raaahhhh!!"

The roars of the Skeleton King wasn't just for show, it was also a Skill. But, due to the Moral effects when in big groups, or in this case an army, the Fear Debuff didn't go through as effectively. It was not affected by this, and carried on with a retaliating offense.

"Kill… for my God…!"

It spoke audible words, and charged forward with its small summoned army of Undeads. Death had no intentions to help it, as his main intention wasn't to support an already failed assault. His goal was to weaken the army, and filter out some of the small fries and weaklings.

"Haiyah! Ki Slash!"

"Storm Arrow!"

"Tempest Thrust!"

"Earthquake Smash!"

Skills went out, demolishing the weak Undeads, but did little to the Skeleton King that has a Level of 740. To some, this monster was akin to a Dungeon Boss back in their World.

"Grah!"

It had tremendous strength, demonstrated through one slash.

"Kuack!"

"In…credible might!"

"Healing Sphere!"

"Domain of Light!"

As soon as the NPCs and offensive Players take damage, the Priests and Healers at the back unleash their Blessings to heal the wounds that're inflicted from one slash.

"Kill… for my… God!"

Fear was inflicted onto the nearby Players and NPCs, stiffening them from doing anything further. The Skeleton used this moment to slaughter, but the moment was short-lived as a formidable being intervened.

"You shall not slaughter, beast of Death. Return to ash and rest, you have my permission."

It was one of the top 10s, the one they called the Saint of Light and Virtue. Sarah Goldheart was her Player Name. She had a kind smile, even on this battlefield.

"Grrr, you, are not my God!!"

Her words, however, were refuted by the Skeleton King. Luckily it was stiffened, giving ample time for the Players to disperse to safety after the Fear effect wears off.

"Die! Heretics to my God's will!"

By this point, the other Players and NPCs have devised a way to safely kill the Skeleton King. Archers went and positioned themselves around the Skeleton King, while a bunch of Players specialized in mid-range combat and tanks stationed inside the encirclement.

"...Grrr."

THe Skeleton King looked around, its actions starting to get limited, and it knows that. Yet, for some reason, it did not act immediately.

"...My God, watch this lowly servant fight. In exchange, if I win, make me your Champion."

There are unique interactions with Undead Summons. Unlike most games where Summons would just be a tool to use and then discarded, Summons in the vast worlds of World Saga Online actually have a consciousness based on its Level. The Skeleton King, usually towards a Necromancer, would just be silent and kill when given orders. But for Death, it treats him by the title he has. The God of Death, its one and true God.

"Graaahhhh!!!"

With one final roar, the Skeleton King went on the offensive. His sabers, charged with a red Aura, sent out arcs of energies with every slash. He moved in strides, sending out arcs upon arcs every time he moved.

"Come, face me, heretics!"

The tanks took the brunt of the attacks, though it was hard to fully negate all the damage. When the Skeleton King was three strides forward, approximately 4 meters, arrows were unleashed from all sides. They were imbued with Magic, and some were Skills.

They bombarded the Skeleton King and made a porcupine of him. But this did little to interrupt its momentum. With a roar filled with its red Aura, the arrows stuck on its body withered and knocked the subsequent arrows traveling through the air to lose their momentum.

"Mages!"

When arrows proved ineffective, the Players switched tactics and turned to the Mages for firepower. Archers were the accurate snipers, able to penetrate through defenses and kill neat and cleanly, while Mages were much more powerful in the fact that they can kill, while not effectively and cleanly, without leaving a single trace of their target.

"Earth Collapse!"

A Magic Eye appeared on the ground, within the encirclement the Players made. It reached just before the tanks, and more than likely hit the Skeleton King.

The ground collapsed, like the Spell was named. A massive sinkhole, close to a hundred meters deep, trapped the Skeleton King in it.

"Solar Flare!"

A red Magic Eye appeared above the sinkhole. From it, a red orb that radiated great burning heat descended. It was sizzling the dead soil, boiling the air, and for the Skeleton King, meant its death.

"Grrrr, die!"

But, that wasn't the end. No, it refused this end. It refused to die this pathetically while its God watched.

[Alert! Your Summon, Skeleton King, is about to enter a critical state!]

[You will lose control of your Summon unless you take immediate action]

Notifications only Death could see appeared before him. He briefly glances over, then waving his hand to dismiss them. He wasn't bothered.

"..."

Death wasn't safe, not by a long shot. It doesn't seem like it from a distance, but he's being stalked and aimed at right now. Assassins, even one of the High Rankers, were seeking the right moment to execute Death where he stood. Even though it's impossible to one-shot Death, since an Undead's inherent Racial benefit was that it's impossible to land a critical hit, they still have other methods.

"...Really?"

Like a moth to the flame. An Assassin went high above, right over Death's position and the only exposed spot in the Bone Guards' defense, and plunged down fast like a lightning bolt.

"Final Execution!"

His curved daggers lit up an orange hue. He was ready to kill, but his attempt was too obvious.

"..."

Spears thrusted and made several holes through his body. Assassins all have naturally bad defenses and armor. One critical hit for them was enough to fully incapacitate their fighting ability. But that is if they are able to land it, much less anticipate the sneak attack.

"Pathetic."

The Bone Guards, even though they're classified as an Intermediate Undead Summon, were closer to a High Undead Summon when they play defensive and turtle on one spot. Their whole kit revolves around being able to anticipate and then counterattack at the right moment. It was a poison to Assassins, who swiftly dispatched their opponent in the shortest amount of time possible without receiving any backlash.

Right now, Death was in the safest place possible. Within the Bone Guards' defensive formation, the [Phalanx Formation] as the Skill is called.

[Phalanx Formation]

[Type: Group Skill]

[Skill Proficiency: 100%]

[Skill Effects:

+Increase Physical and Magical Defense by 250%

+Any Stealth Skill will be deactivated upon entering a 30 meters radius

+All Physical Damage is amplified by 300%

=Any Movement Skill is canceled and unusable for the duration of the Skill

[Skill Cost: 10 Ki per second]

It was an overpowered Skill from a glance, but it had its flaws. One, turtling. It is excellent when you consider its defensive application. But, with enough firepower, defense can be pierce through and shatter. It's not overpowered, just tough to handle without the right tools and set-up.

Anyway, the corpse was turned into black ash and scattered away in the wind. Death doesn't like his appearance being sullied by putrid and disgusting blood of roadkill.

"Next…?"

His voice sounded taunting, his head up high. The other Assassins, although somewhat annoyed, not by Death, but by the actions of the previous Assassin.

'Why the hell…'

'Was he a newbie or something? Charging in like that, though it is smart to take the above route.'

'But that's too obvious of a gap, no way it'll succeed.'

The other Assassins were sure, and their anticipation came true. They shook their heads, but the foolish death provided intel on how capable the Bone Guards were in their defensive play. Some Assassins already called it quits and returned to the main battlefield with the Skeleton King, while the others see it as a one of a kind challenge.

'If I manage it… will he acknowledge me?'

'Surely, the recognition will be great if I manage to get past the defenses?'

'Damn, this is so exciting!'

'...Tsk, amateurs.'

Amongst the Assassins, one was hidden from all. He was one of the High Rankers, an Assassin Build that's capable of one-shotting Bosses with millions of HP in one go. He's experienced in Death's various forms of defenses, and this one was the weakest.

'I'll do it when he unleashes the Phantom Brigade.'

The High Ranker's name is Lubert Alkhan, or better known by his alias as the Darkest Night. He's also one of the frequent raiders of Death's World, but mostly on his base and not the other smaller settlements. He's a daredevil, he likes the extreme risks and finds the most success through it even in his early days. He chose the Assassin Build because of its obvious high risk high reward playstyle. He doesn't aim for full Critical Hit like most Assassins, but opt for a Penetration and high Damage hybrid Build.

But, back to the story.

The Skeleton King showed its full might, though risk entering a berserk state. A red Aura burst forth and was constantly radiating every second.

"Grrrrr…!''

The Skeleton King charged up some kind of attack, its sabers prepped at both sides. The purple eyes turned a reddish hue and the flesh on its face crumbled and wither away a little more.

"...My… Daughter."

Every Summon has its own reasons, its own consciousness, its own individuality. Undead Summons, Divine Summons, Demonic Summons, even Heroic Summons all have their own individuality, their own backstory to a certain extent.

'My beautiful… Lily…'

The Skeleton King, once known throughout the Worlds as Marthus Luther Thurin. One of the unbeatable Kings, a virtuous man, and one failed to protect someone precious to him like so many others. He became an Undead Summon through the one that killed him, a witch that conspires with Demonic power at hand. She reanimated his dead corpse through the power of a Devil, and subsequently created the Summon Spell as she spread his name and fame.

Death was amongst some who acquired the Summon Spell, but was the only one to gain its full combat potential, along with its loyalty in exchange for a promise. Lily Elmia Thurin, the only daughter of Marthus, one who died tragically by the hands of a witch. In exchange for its loyalty only to Death and no one else, he must bring back his daughter.

But, Death has no obligation to do it right then and won't do it in the far future. That is because once he does that, the Summon Spell will become nullified and unusable. It was the Fulfillment effect, where a Soul accepts its fate and fades to the Absolution. A plain of existence that even Death cannot reach. A dimension of its own, one could say, free of all that makes the physical world.

Anyway, back to the story. The Skeleton King leapt upward and slash his twin sabers. The red Aura that coated the blade sparked blood red lightning, a howl resounded as the Skeleton King ripped through the obstacles in front of him.

"Come at me! Filthy flesh walkers!"

He positions his sabers for a downward slash, and rotates several times in his descent. Lightning sparks throughout the air, death was imminent for those that it aimed for.

"Kuack!!"

"Argh!"

"Fuck, it broke through!"

The Skeleton King, slowly losing its little sanity and individuality, broke through the tanks and slaughtered the mid-range Players in the immediate vicinity. Blood spilled everywhere, a red mist formed due to the heat that radiated from the Skeleton King. It roared as bodies dropped to the ground, lifeless.

Vertical slash, horizontal slash, diagonal slash, multiple slashes went through the air at a rate that normal Level 300s can't see, even the afterimages were blurry. The Skeleton King made a mess out of the encirclement that was meant to kill it, proving its skills as the unbeatable King it once was.

"DIEEEEE!!"

It roared and screamed for the deaths of its enemies, its God's enemies. And finally, after so much slaughter, the battlefield was silent of everything. The Skeleton King stood amongst numerous slain corpses. Both NPCs and Players. Its red eyes were shaky, erratic, unstable. Its sanity was slowly slipping, thoughts unclear and clouded with each other.

"Graahhhhh…"

An audible sound resembling a sigh resounded. Then, footsteps were heard approaching the Skeleton King from behind.

"..."

It turned to see a man in samurai armor, black and purple being the main color scheme. His eyes were grey and a small smile was on his face. He clapped as he walked forward, an aura of confidence could be felt.

"Very great, beast. A damn great performance, but it still lacks something to make it a truly fantastic one."

"..."

At this point, the Skeleton King couldn't speak anymore. It was so far gone in its own mind that word searching and coherently forming it was close to impossible.

"Kill…"

"Well, it seems like nothing is left inside that boney head of yours except killing, aye?"

"..."

The Skeleton King positions its twin sabers on both sides again, slightly crouching down with legs slightly apart forward and backward.

"Ohhhh, now we're talking."

The man was a High Ranker, Ushikawamaru Yoshida as his Player Name. He is a one-shot Build, one that needs time to charge up his attacks, has a slightly low HP pool and defense values, and can kill close to anyone with enough prep time. Tanks could do little, Archers and Mages are worse, and Assassins find it hard to kill him due to the nature of his Build as a Samurai.

"Come, let's test our blades. Show me, if you're truly unbeatable as the old timers claim."

"...Lily…"

That was the last word, before sanity fully slips away.

[Your Summon, Skeleton King, has went full berserk]

[You have lost control over the Summon]

Death sighed. This scene was all too familiar.