Ultimate Level 1
Chapter 495: Everyone Love Loot

Inside the chest was a deeper purple swirling vortex, and inside it were two items for each. Tanila had two bone rings waiting for her to claim while Fowl had a ring and a bone chest piece. Batrire mimicked their mage with two rings as her reward, and their ranger drooled over the bone pants and helm that awaited her.

Max stared at a large shield that looked made of bones and a ring that appeared darker than everyone else's.

Four large pink crystals radiated with power.

“So… two items each,” Fowl said quietly. “It’s been a while.”

Everyone nodded, and as they all started to grin and smile, they each reached in, pulling out the rewards, excited to see what they had just acquired.

[ Inspect Ring ]

*****

Bone Ring of Darkness

+15% to all Stats

*****

Max felt something weird coming from his ring as he held it, watching a single black line run through the middle of the white bone.

Slipping it on, he felt a coolness surround him. A chill ran through him, and he saw everyone near him take a step back.

“Uh… Max?”

Tanila’s question and her expression made him pull the ring off. The boss floor felt slightly warmer, and his team noticeably relaxed.

“What was that?” Fowl asked. “You suddenly felt… wrong.”

“Like in what way?”

Their warrior frowned and shrugged. “Like... something that might want to attack us? I don’t know how to explain it other than that. Almost as if you shrouded yourself with the aura the boss had.”

The three women all bobbed their heads in agreement at that statement.

“And none of yours has anything like that?” Max asked.

“Nope,” Cordellia said as she tapped the bone helm she wore. “Beyond what I’m guessing makes me look like some bad arse, I get an ability called Hawk Eye which allows me to see things clearly twice as far for a minute and is usable every twelve hours.”

“Ogre shite,” Fowl cursed. “I didn’t get any skills with my stuff.”

Both Batrire and Tanila shook their heads, and Max frowned, storing his ring and pulling out the shield next.

[ Inspect Shield ]

*****

Shield of the Ivory Maw

+75 STR/DEX/CON

Bone Rain - Once every 24 hours the user may summon a cone of bone daggers. Fifty daggers will be sent flying in the direction the shield is facing.

*****

He studied the large shield, trying to ignore the image of the boss’s head etched on the outside of it. All along the sides were nubs of bone, which totaled fifty when he quickly counted.

“That’s not as pretty as your other one,” Batrire said. “Still I don’t feel like I need to run away when you hold it.”

“Well, it does have an ability,” Max replied. “I'm guessing I can summon a bone attack, similar to the boss’s once a day.”

“Ockrim… where is my love?” Fowl cried out.

He gave his dwarf friend a pat on the back and motioned to the chest piece still waiting for their dwarf.

“You going to check it out?”

Nodding, Fowl pulled out a breastplate resembling Max’s shield, with the same ugly image on the front.

“Gods, it’s ugly but the stats… so nice!”

One moment, the gold-colored plate chest piece was present, and the next, it was replaced by the newer one.

“Going to share?” Cordellia asked.

“Nope! Let’s just say it’s much nicer than my old one!”

As the dwarf and ranger laughed, Max reached inside and took the four crystals, feeling the amount of power in each, quickly storing them all.

“Well, the good news is we got a lot of bones for Alfreda,” Max said as he summoned his dimensional space. “She’ll be happy to–”

His voice failed as the doorway into his storage area opened, and the room was empty.

“Where did all the bones go?!” Tanila exclaimed.

Shaking his head, Max peered inside, moving in and sensing his dwarven friend following.

“This thing had to be full,” he muttered. “I mean everything that was in here was–”

“What’s this?” Fowl asked, bending down to pick up a green colored coin just a few feet inside the dimensional space. “You minting your own–”

“STOP!”

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Max’s voice echoed off the purple stone blocks and his friend froze, his dwarven fingers just a few inches from the coin on the ground.

Without waiting, he moved to where Fowl was and waved him away.

“What’s wrong, Max? It’s just a coin.”

Shaking his head, Max pointed to the image of the coin his sonar revealed as he focused on it.

On one side was a horned demon of some sort, and Max realized what he had felt when he wore the ring. Even in his dimensional space and whatever magic was severed from the outside area, there was a similar connection to the coin.

“That image…” Max said slowly, “It looks like that creature I saw in the red portal that got away.”

Fowl gasped and shook his hand, rubbing them slightly.

“You sure? I mean… that was so long ago.”

Nodding at his friend, Max bent down and inspected it closer, seeing the horns and face forever seared into his memory.

“I’d bet money on it and what scares me the most is how it got here.”

“Not where the giant skull went?”

Grinning at Fowl, Max pointed at the coin. “This has something to do with it. Now then, let me go outside. I think I might have a way of finding out something.”

***

Sog’thollech was all smiles, his fingers holding the green coin as the party and the demon stood inside Max’s dimensional space.

“You never fail to surprise me, Max Hoste,” the demon said as he lifted the coin to his teeth and bit into it. “Still, you were wise not to touch this. In here, it probably wouldn’t have been a problem but once you take this outside… odds are your hairy dwarf friend wouldn’t be so hairy anymore.”

“So what is it?” Max asked. “And how did it get in here?”

“First, you’re okay if I take this? The energy in it will be great for me… bad for the owner of it.”

Nodding at Sog’thollech, everyone watched the demon smile and slide the coin into his mouth, letting out a moan as he chewed a few times and swallowed.

“Oh… that’s going to be real nice.”

Studying his demon friend, Max was glad to see he had returned to his uninjured state. Gone were all the scars, and he stood about seven feet tall, his black skin and muscular body hiding all the power that was contained within.

“Now… the coin, Sog?”

“Oh yes, so there are many demons, and the one pictured on this goes by a name I won’t utter for many reasons. He isn’t as strong as I am, but the one he is bound to… that wouldn’t be a fight I’d want to take on, even in this state. He is much older and is considered one of the greatest with what you all call Demonic Summoning.”

Sog’thollech pointed at the exit to the dimensional space.

“If you’re willing, I’d much rather prefer to chat out there. In here just feels… wrong.”

Motioning for his demon friend to lead the way, Max’s mind started to consider what it meant for a demon to be the greatest in Demonic Summoning.

When Sog’thollech stepped outside the doorway, the demon immediately dropped to the ground, one clawed hand catching himself before face-planting into the dirt.

“Sog?!”

“I… am… fine…” the demon gasped. “The power… it all hit… at once.” Taking a few deep breaths, he finally rose, holding a hand to his black chest. “I am a fool for not considering how that might have happened. The power that coin held… I underestimated it.”

“How much power are we talking about?” Max asked, making sure his friend was okay.

“Almost as much as your blood gives… so a lot. Had I been weaker and attempted such a thing, I have no doubt I would have been torn apart and transformed into something… grotesque for the owner of it.”

Frowning, Max motioned to Fowl and the dwarf nodded, pulling out the table and chairs he had yet to return to the Faction.

“Tell me about this demon and what he does.”

Sog’thollech took the seat offered to him and waited until everyone was sitting.

“In my realm, many demons focus on different ways of acquiring power. Some do it through bonds like ours. Others enter worlds and fight for the souls of the ones they face. A special breed uses… sex to lure another species into a contract, taking their life force and oftentimes more in exchange for pleasure.

“The one you are asking about has been around for tens of thousands of years. His power is constantly growing and maintained by the demons who swear to him and allow themselves to be bound by those who practice the art of summoning. Each trades a portion of what they gain for a… fast track to acquiring power. How you summoned me is considered rare, but it does happen.

“Chaos rules our domain, and yet there are rules which most will never break. The fact that I have come into power outside his domain is uncommon. Where I stand now has created a few problems between him and I as he sees the potential power he lost out on. Still, there is little he can do at this point.”

“Why is that?” Cordellia asked.

Sog’thollech smiled at the ranger who leaned back a little in her chair.

“Because… there are things in place which protect me, and I prefer to keep some things a secret. Not that I don’t trust you, but I am sure there are secrets you wouldn’t want to tell me.”

A crimson color filled Cordellia’s cheeks, and she nodded slowly. “I’m sorry for prying.”

“No need to apologize. I am intrigued by how Max and the rest of you seem as strong as you are. The power you possess and the speed at which it comes go against all the knowledge I know in my realm. Very few can hope to achieve your power in a lifetime, let alone in a year.”

“It’s all because of him,” Fowl said, pointing a stubby finger at Max. “As you can guess, he’s special.”

Laughter came from the demon who banged his hand against the table, causing it to crack where he struck it.

“Oh! Forgive me, I didn’t mean to do that!”

Max waved a hand and used his Wood Mastery, repairing the broken area in a few seconds.

“See!” Fowl exclaimed. “Even a broken table is no match for his power.”

Everyone joined in, laughing as Max rolled his eyes.

“One last question Sog, before we need to go. This... demon. Should we be worried?”

A huff came from his demonic friend. “Should you two ever come face to face, he would not be an easy foe. The truth is… You are still weaker than him. I doubt, however, you will encounter him face to face. For him to leave his domain would require him to sense a very large gain in power or a command from the Demon King.”

“And I doubt we would end up in your world?”

Laughing, Sog’thollech shook his head.

“For my kind's sake, I hope not. I fear too many of my brothers and sisters would fall to you and your party. Even worse would be the hordes that would come at you. I cannot tell you how much fun it is anytime someone is foolish enough to venture into our domain. Often, a group has come to rid their world of evil.

“The irony that their own people are the ones who summoned us there first is lost on them, but still their souls and flesh are delicious.”

Max chuckled as he watched their ranger and healer wince at the mention of eating flesh.

“Well on that note, I think we have a faction we need to return to,” he said. “Until next time.”

Sog’thollech let out a long laugh and nodded. “As always, I look forward to it. Thank you again, Max Hoste, for the treat!”

‎