Evolution: A Warlock's Rise To Power

[You have entered the Eldritch Battlegrounds. Death penalties are doubled.]

"Keep your eyes open." Hellfire said. "We should be safe in the city, but it's been a long time since anyone has been here."

"We need to find the graveyard." Lisel said.

"Two blocks up and three to the right." Lucan said. While pointing up to Adrestia, the shadow drake flying through the sky.

Hellfire led the way while explaining. "If you die, this graveyard is where you will respawn. The city is supposed to prevent any other covens or creatures from entering, but in times of war the restrictions are lifted. So, if there are other players or covens in the battlegrounds, do your best to not piss them off."

"Heads up." Lucan said. "We have skeletons in the graveyard. Levels 60 to 100. Numbering 30+."

"This will be a good chance to work together." Lisel said. "Calder and Vanslaughterfest will tank. Calder is primary while Van is back up and takes the overflow. Silent, Madlad and Will, give them support and attack while staying safe. Cheese will be our main healer. Prioritize Van and Calder over the rest of us. Lucy, you will heal for now, but if Cheese is capable of handling both tanks, switch to shadow priest and start doing damage with Hellfire and me. Lucan you can…"

"Don't worry about me, I will be where I need to be."

"Good." She said, while unsure what the guy under level 50 would do to help out. She knew he wouldn't be dead weight even if he didn't contribute much. She had met him back when he was over level 100 and had escaped from the Depths of Despair. His illusions had made it so she wasn't able to pin him down.

The 10-man team rounded the corner and laid eyes on the graveyard. Skeletons meandered about. The graveyard had the strongest concentration of 'Death' energy in the area. The undead had no reason to leave the graveyard.

Lucan stayed in the back of the group while the team charged into the cluster of undead skeletons. Calder and Van immediately ran forward, into the thick of it. They shrugged off the blows that were barely damaging them and spread out from each other, trying to attract as many skeletons as they could. Lisel pulled out a bow while Hellfire started casting. Madlad, Silent and Will started to pick off skeletons 1 by 1 while Cheese and Lucy kept the tanks at high health.

Lucan stayed with the healers and casted a shadow bolt at every enemy he came across. The skeletons were unorganized and had no skills. It was just a matter of time before the graveyard was cleared. 20 minutes to be precise.

[Congratulations! You have risen to level 48.]

"Wow. I have my bar to not set aside experience in the bank and I got the full experience and 50% added to my bank anyway." Cheese said.

"Mmm, I have mine set to put everything in the bank and I got 150% for each monster."

"Good work everyone, even though the death penalty is harsh, the experience is good. And don't forget to save all your drops. These cruddy bone fragments can be sold to Raze." Lisel said after they finished off the horde of undead. Everyone but Lucan was sitting down and resting. Casting the same spell over and over left his shadow mana empty but it would be back to full in 30 seconds.

"We will have to bring a paladin or a cleric with us next time to cleanse the graveyard." Hellfire said. "If not, we will have more skeletons in a couple of months."

"It may be hard to find a cleric or paladin under Raze." Will said.

"Don't worry about it. Priest can bless water, changing it to holy water, right?" Lucan asked Lucy.

"Yeah, it just takes mana and time."

"Great." He said tossing her a wash basin from his bag. "Fill it up at the creek and make it into holy water. I can take care of this place." Lucan said before walking to a tree that had fallen during the fight.

He cut off several branches and started to from them into 8 different steaks about a foot and a half long. When their shape was identical, he pulled out one of his books on formations as a guide and started to carve runes into the wood.

It took 30 minutes for Lucy to bless the wash basin filled with water. She finished the same time Lucan finished carving. He tossed the wooden stakes into the water. The holy water was absorbed by the wood and the runes that started to glow with a faint silver light.

"Everyone, grab a steak." Lucan said. "Lucy, you already did your part. You can rest."

While the others picked up a steak, Lucan moved to the center of the graveyard. Using illusion, he made straight lines on the ground with him at the center. 8 spots were marked. Each 250 feet away from him. Each person went to a separate spot, forming a large octagon.

Lucan started weaving strands of magic to connect the steaks. Each one had seven strands of mental energy connecting it to the other steaks. "On my mark, you will push the steaks into the ground. Keep them straight and maintain the same pace. Mimic the illusion in front of you."

With everyone in place Lucan dismissed the lines on the ground and conjured illusionary steaks in front of each person while leaving a small dot for them to aim for. He slowly lowered them to the ground while the players matched the illusion in front of them. As the steaks began to sink into the ground a refreshing air filled the graveyard. The negative 'death' energy was being replaced by a holy energy.

"A little further… A little further. Right there, let go and walk away." Lucan said.

The steaks were halfway into the ground. They were purifying the air and the soil. It would be impossible for an undead to be formed in this place. If by some miracle it did happen, the undead would immediately flee the holy energy.

"There you go. Cleansed." Lucan said. "Should be good for a dozen years or so."

"Is this the power of formations?" Lisel asked.

"Eh, this is a basic infusion formation. It can be made with any essence to alter the terrain. If the steaks were infused with water energy, this place would slowly become a marsh. Fire energy would dry it out and raise the temperature."

"Then Holy magic would purify?" Lisel asked.

"You got it."

"Lucan has become very good with formations. It is to the point where we can sleep together in a dangerous forest without one of us being on watch." Silent added.

"Do you and Lucan sleep together a lot while you're in the forest?" Vanslaugtherfest asked with a childish giggle.

"It's not like that you perv. I have my own tent while he sleeps outside. Get your mind out of the gutter you scoundrel." Silent said while Lucan walked away pretending not to hear.

Lucan was walking over to Hellfire and Calder. "Raze's illusions are more useful than I thought." Calder said to Lucan. "I have participated in making formations before, but your magic made the timing relatively simple."

"I will help out as much as I can, even though my combat power is lacking, there are many other things I can do."

"Weak, strong, its all irrelevant. The only thing that matters is dying a glorious death on the battlefield." Said Calder.

Hellfire chuckled. "He has the companion class 'Berserker'. Every time he dies a glorious death, he can go to Valhalla for 24 hours."

"Really! That sounds interesting." Lucan said.

"There is no better place than the rolling hills of Valhalla. You fight on the eternal battlefield. Those who fall, feel no penalty and respawn at the longhouse where an eternal banquet is held honoring the greatest of all fallen."

Lucan chuckled. "Well I wish you a glorious death then."

"Ha, ha, ha." Colder boomed. "Thanks friends."

"Okay everyone." Lisel called out. "Even if Raze has another coven, they will enter the battlefield elsewhere. This is our base as long as our coven exists. Let's spend some time and go through the city. If there are no immediate threats, we will split up and clear out this place. Keep any eye open for any items that were left behind and there could be monster hiding so keep your guard up."

Lucan had Adrestia fly around the small city to make sure there were no immediate threats. When he gave Lisel the all clear she split everyone into 4 groups. Hellfire and Calder went east. Madlad, Lucy and Van went south. Will and Cheese went west. While Lucan, Silent and Lisel went north. With these groups, even if they encountered something unexpected, they should be able to hold on till the other groups arrive.

"Why did you want to take the north?" Lucan asked Silent.

"The greenhouse is in the north. I have the gathering profession." She answered.

"Are you an alchemist, or a poison maker?" Lisel asked.

"No, I picked up gathering to earn gold. My other profession is medic. I broke my arm once after I just started the game. There was no healer around and I couldn't afford to pay a church to heal me. That sucked, and I decided I didn't want to be stuck like that again. So, I became a medic. Breaks, burns, poisonings can be cured 3 times faster and I can make bandages to use out of combat. They restore health pretty fast. But I picked up gathering because there are more people who need ingredient and regents than those who collect them. I pick the stuff I wander past and can make okay money in the auction house."

"Sounds very self-sufficient." Lisel said.