Not long after, the handful of Guild members that are very close to level 100 has arrived. Char, Elmira, Mythryll, and Belle. Dimnys is level 96 now, and could likely hit 100 in a single run, but she's currently very occupied with a smithing attempt using the Mythril from the Stone Giant dungeon, as she has been the past few days. If it weren't for a need to let the project cool naturally during one step, she likely wouldn't have even shown up to the party.
"So, the plan is to visit the Elven dungeon. When I went inside alone it matched my level, so I'm not sure if it scales to the visitors or will stay the same. The other options would be a Dwarven dungeon that I haven't done yet and and a level 184 Seraphim Dungeon." Cain informs his party members.
"How about we try the Dwarves? Since you haven't done that one yet, it can be a surprise to all of us. We might even get something cool for a first completion bonus. What did you get from the Elven one?" Elmira asks.
"I got a Royal Guard Cloak that reduces the chance of being noticed." Cain begins and sees the Pixie's eyes light up with longing.
"Here, try it on. I'll bet it's perfect for your class, with the abduction skill and various hiding abilities." Cain suggests and Elmira grabs and equips it with a whoop of victory. It almost looks like she's fading from reality, just a shadow of a Pixie where she lounges in his pocket.
"Very good. You're almost invisible without using a skill." Mythryll says appreciatively.
"Let's go see the dungeon. Are we killing Dwarves or saving Dwarves? Because I fight better in wolf form, and Dwarves taste bad." Belle asks, making the group hide a snicker.
"Saving them. We're not sure from what though. So no guarantees that you'll get lunch out of the deal." Cain teases the werewolf, who has already shifted to her Husky-like werewolf form.
The Bright Blue dungeon entrance welcomes them to the historical version of the exact spot they were standing, leaving the group in the desert without a soul in sight.
[Quest: Rescue the Dwarves from imminent demise.]
[Bonus Quest: Find the Dwarves lost item.]
Alright, that will most likely require talking to the Dwarves. Hopefully, they speak some common, if not Cain will have to call for a Dwarven Supporter later.
He calls out all his summons, but in a modified pattern this time. No more giant demons, except six Oath Breakers. The Wrath Bringers are replaced with Seraphim Warriors and the Lamia with Earth Elementals.
Dwarves have an affinity for the Elementals, so their presence might help smooth things over. They're also quite durable and can throw Summoned boulders as ranged attacks. The Seraphim are simply for their incredible damage output, the Snapping Turtle Kin are already enough tanks to deal with almost anything.
"Oath Breakers, Spread out and find us the attackers and the Dwarves. Don't let the Dwarves die."
Char brings out a pair of Primordial Shamans, along with two sizes of Fire Elementals, the summons she gained as his Lieutenant. Elmira and Mythryll both call Epic Quality Treants, the Pixie moving to hide in the branches of her summons, whereas Belle calls out a pair of huge Dire Wolves. They come out as one with mottled gray fur and one pure white, making the much smaller werewolf look like their puppy.
The Epic Summons he chose to fill the [Benevolent Leader] Guild Skill seems to be serving the Guild well, they've all found a favorite form. Mostly it compliments their role, though it seems Elmira just wanted a hiding spot. It's a good way to launch sneak attacks though, if you didn't know she was in there you'd never suspect the Pixie Assassin.
"We found them. Looks like the Dwarves ran afoul of a group of low-level Seraphim. I saw Initiates, Warriors, Crusaders, and Inquisitors, along with the Holy Warrior type Summoned ground forces. No sign of a big boss Seraphim though, and everything is around level 125." One of the Oath Breakers returns to inform them.
"Are they grouped up, so we can attack as one, or are they spread out?"
"They're advancing like an army, flying units directly above the ground forces. The Dwarves are behind us, so we're currently in between the two, in the path of the Seraphim advance." The Demon informs them.
"Alright everyone, expect some of the targets to enrage, we've got demons with us after all. But today we will use that to our advantage, so demons, gather to my right, and move wide of us. I want the Seraphim force to split between the ones that are targeting the Oath Breakers and the ones targeting us." Cain instructs, and Char sends her Primordial Shamans to join the Oath Breakers. With some reluctance Cain changes the Earth Elementals back to Lamia Scourge Casters, giving the Demon force additional numbers.
"Guide us towards the Seraphim, once we're engaged, or they notice you, Vala can lead the demons in the attack."
Come to think of it, that last bit about being noticed was redundant. Seconds later, all the Dragons and Drakes take to the air, and not even the blind could miss that. The Seraphim form up in five flying unit wings for an attack, and the ground troops again move to form a shield wall and begin advancing towards them.
They're chanting some sort of battle hymn, and it's creating a glow around the Seraphim force, but Cain isn't certain if it's an attack or defense buff.
Vala has led the demons out of sight behind a dune, but the flying units will spot them soon enough. The demons have gotten way ahead of Cain and the Dragons though, so that might truly split the enemy forces.
When they're a hundred meters apart, Cain orders the Dragons to engage, meeting the charging Seraphim flying units. Once they're in motion the Snapping Turtle Kin charge, again utilizing the 'flat on their belly' launching technique that moves much faster across the sand than trying to run.
The girls think it's hilarious, but have no time to laugh, as they're struggling to keep up. Even the large paws of the Wolves are having trouble in this soft sand.
The Flying enemies, which all look so similar Cain can only tell them apart by their choice of weaponry, are fully engaged when the Demons attack from the rear, taking advantage of the confusion to tear apart the back lines. Their attack enrages the Seraphim Warriors and Crusaders, but when the flying creatures turn to face the demons it just leaves them vulnerable to the Dragons and Drakes.
They're insulting the Dragons for continuing to attack them when there are demons present, a mutual enemy of both species, so Cain gives Laura special instructions.
"We know you've been protecting the Laughing God, traitors. Perish along with the Demon spawn." The Opal Prismatic Dragon roars, making the Seraphim even more confused.
Their entire species is dedicated to finding and stopping the Laughing God and the reinforcements. They were excluded from the spell after all, receiving no additional forces, and their influence on the world is waning as a result, how could that Dragon accuse them of harboring the accursed Laughing God?
Cain surveys his handiwork with appreciation, there is no cohesion left. The battle in the sky is a mixture of chaotic one-on-one battles, the numbers fairly evenly matched. The battle on the ground has broken up into multiple formations, each struggling to deal with the forces attacking them. Ranged attacks are proving ineffective, the Snapping Turtles are hard to injure with arrows, and the Oath Breakers keep teleporting into the middle of their formations and tearing their healers and archers apart.
The Treants are also on the offensive, enormous wooden bodies swinging mighty branches through the humanoids, tossing them from their feet and leaving them vulnerable to the assorted attackers.
Char has become a lightning pole at this point, electricity constantly arcing from her body to stun and burn anything in range, even low flying Seraphim Warriors aren't spared. Nemu and Nila have remained beside her, playing a jaunty battle tune for an attack buff and conjuring mighty waves to crush their opponents and conduct the chain lightning Char is casting.
Undoubtedly Belle is having the most fun though. She's with her Wolves at the outskirts of the battle, tearing apart anything that gets flung towards them with a disturbing vigor.
Cain decides the air battle is all but won, so he moves to engage a cluster of Holy Warriors. His spear drives forward with precision, skipping along the top of a shield and through the visor of a winged helmet, the area damage from his strike dropping the entire cluster of Warriors. One group after another he does the same thing, knocking shields aside and butchering the defenders, the small groups they've been forced into leaving them extremely vulnerable to the area damage him and the Oath Breakers are inflicting.
The fact that he's twenty levels higher than the enemy doesn't help their cause either.
[I found a shiny thing. A Dwarven Earth God Statue. I think it's the quest item.] Belle sends in party chat, unable to effectively speak in her wolf form.
[Good job. Keep that thing handy, it will likely complete the quest once we get back to the Dwarves.] Char sends happily. She's already hit level 100 and minimized the class change notification, being the closest to advancement.
A few extra levels to get new skills couldn't hurt though, she used most of her points already, the Shaman class just has too many useful abilities. It has so many options you need to pick and choose. Much like mages, a hundred levels isn't enough points to max everything out.
With the area damage tearing through their numbers and the air forces defeated by the host of Dragons, the battle is quickly coming to a close. Cain double checks his battle logs to make sure he's recorded everything, as his list of Seraphim and related Angelic Forces is rather limited.
He's already got the Warriors, and the Initiates, then there's the Crusaders which were savage opponents. Still Greater Golems, but heavily armored with round shields and swords instead of spears. They fought in an incredibly aggressive style, not at all what Cain expected from their Tank like appearance.
The final one should be Inquisitors, but he didn't get close enough to record one, so he's got to find it in the log. Engaged and defeated by Vala. Good going to the Demon Companion.
[New Companion Available. Summon Now?] Y/N
