Nether Feast - Chapter 1

Author note: This is also a stand in title since one has not been decided on.

This book will follow the returner trope, He starts out young, but the majority of the series will be him much older. This one only has about 45k words, and has an alternative advancement system, but it will fit in with Heaven's Laws cultivation. I'll probably spend more time in the Netherplains once I return to it. You can consider what I have now the introductory section of the first book.

Chapter 1

I was little more than a young adventurer when I first entered the Grayson Tower. It was one of the many mysteries of my homeland that promised endless riches and uncompromising adventure in equal sums. Necessity was also cast upon us. Many horrors would escape the tower if adventurers didn’t rise to its challenge often enough to keep its monster population in check.

As a mage with above average talent, I’d already learned spells in not just one discipline, but three. I’d naturally unlocked the Elementalist spell Fireball, the Lifegiver spell Mend, and the Arcane spell Mana Leech. It wasn’t unheard of for someone so young to have access to three different magic disciplines, but it was rare. All of my spells were only at the basic rank, but what I lacked in advanced magic, I made up for in being well-rounded.

Most young adventurers desired just the opposite. They prayed to be specialists with a high degree of talent in one area. It would make them more valuable to groups and guilds later on.

My talents weren’t limited to magic either. Though I couldn’t rightly compare my skills to someone with a warrior class, I had decent physical ability for a mage. I’d enjoyed physical activities as much growing up as my magic studies, but mages made far more money so my parents had directed me to focus on that path, and rightly so. It was generally safer not fighting on the frontlines, which further pleased my mother.

With a young group of adventurers at my side, I entered Grayson Tower. We’d only intended to visit the first two levels that day. With a few dozen missions outside the tower already complete, we were competent and past making rookie mistakes.

It wasn’t any mistake to blame for what happened when we reached the second floor. The Netherspawn, the least of all demons, didn’t always abide by the rules of the tower and a rare group was searching floor by floor for any offering they could find to make to their master. They shouldn’t have been there. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. From the stories I’d heard, such creatures were supposed to be on the eighth floor and above. The three of them were at least level twenty. The highest among my group was level thirteen. My own capabilities were around that same level.

Status

Name: Ailen Reaver

Level: 12

Health: 220

Mana: 424

Stamina: 660

Strength: 11

Agility: 13

Constitution: 10

Intelligence: 27

Wisdom: 17

Despite our lower levels, there were five of us to the Netherspawn’s three. Our party had two tanks. Nelson Carpenter was our sword and shield warrior, and Phillip Dross was our polearm specialist. Phillip was the first one injured, taking a vicious swipe of one’s claws on the ribs where his armor wasn’t, but his sister Melony was our Lifegiver. She didn’t let the injury turn deadly.

One of the Netherspawn took Phillip’s inactivity as a chance to ignored both tanks and went for her. I got my first close up look at the lesser demon.

They looked like men, except their faces were taut as if the fat had been drained from their cheeks and drawn tight over their skulls. This variant’s skin was black as charcoal, and entirely hairless. In place of any hair or mane were half orbs growing out of either side of their brow like the beginning of horns. Their bodies were twisted and had spikes jutting out of most of their joints. Their claws and teeth were more beast-like than human, but it was their eyes that frightened me the most. They were almost indistinguishable from human, which made the blend of monster and man far more real.

As the Netherspawn rushed toward Melony, I stepped between them. I held my short sword forward in a side facing stance to make myself as small of a target as possible. My rear hand hid behind me as I funneled extra mana into a fireball.

The demon lunged. My sword shot forward to meet it.

Seeing my blade aimed for its face, the Netherspawn swiped it aside. In what looked like the same motion, its second hand sped for my throat.

Stepping back, I threw my hidden, magic-filled palm forward. Fireball hissed toward the monster that was indefensibly close.

Despite the sizzle of flesh and fire, my magic didn’t stop its forward momentum and its claws racked against the meat of my shoulder. Its strength was too much, and I tumbled off to the side.

Melony was fast enough to get out of the way as the Netherspawn ran past her, taking a few more steps before losing strength and crashing to the ground with a lifeless plop.

My vision was blurring as I cast Mend on myself. The wound on my shoulder wasn’t deadly but going into shock was a real danger. I’d expected Melony’s healing magic to reach me already. The only thing that would keep her was the lack of mana or if someone was in greater need.

Shaking my head to stir the dullness from my senses, my eyes regained focus and I saw what had her attention. Phillip, her brother, had been torn in half. She didn’t have any healing magic that could bring him back from such trauma. It didn’t stop her from trying.

Even as life was draining from his body, his flesh was trying to heal itself but essential parts were missing.

Arusha, my fiancé, was there at Melony’s side. She was casting Gale with all her might, trying to interrupt the demon’s movements with little effect.

Nelson’s patience had reached their limit. Smacking one of the Netherspawn in the face with his shield, he drove his blade into the other monster’s knee. My own fireball slammed into the chest of the second monster, pushing it back and away from what was left of the dying Phillip.

It was then that the shield-bashed Netherspawn simply grabbed a hold of Nelson and dragged him back and off his feet.

Instead of helping its fellow demon, the one I’d hit in the chest with fire pulled out an orb, funneling mana into it to open a portal to an unknown world. It was then that Nelson was tossed through the air and right through the portal.

Melony screamed, and both demons came for her. I saw the grimace on Arusha’s face. Her chestnut braid was done up tight so as not to allow any hair to obstruct her vision. At such a close range from Melony’s side, her wind magic was finally having the desired effect at keeping one of the monsters at bay.

I did what I could and drew the attention of the other with a backhanded slash of my sword to its forearm. As it turned in my direction, the other demon broke though Arusha’s Gale and grabbed ahold of Melony, hauling her over its shoulder. Her screaming had stopped. I wasn’t sure if she was unconscious or dead.

When I saw that Arusha was about to do something stupid, I growled at her to stop and defend herself. I saw the shield of compressed air appear before her and sighed internally.

I lunged at the demon facing off with me. My shoulder was still recovering and could’ve healed faster if I cast Mend again, but I funneled Fireball into my palm instead and waited for the right moment.

The monster was faster and stronger than me, but all I had to do was throw out my hand. As it swiped at my outstretched sword as the first one had, I flung my other hand forward. Fireball caught it on one side of the chest, and it staggered backward. With far more speed than I thought it should still possess while injured, it lunged at me. Instead of attacking, it grabbed ahold of the wrist of my sword arm and yanked me forward.

I tried to gain my footing.

It kicked out with enough force to launch me into the air and straight into the open portal.

There were streaks of red that played at the edges of my vision as a great throbbing came from my chest. Multiple ribs were broken. My stomach churned. Landing in some unknown place of gray earth and colorless hills, I buckled as the pain in my chest flared.

I cast Mend again, causing my mana to dip below the halfway point. That gave me only two more casts of Fireball.

The pain in my chest only grew as my bones knit themselves back together. That extra jolt of pain helped return me to my senses as my opponent stepped through the portal which closed behind it. It stumbled forward as if pushed by a gust of wind. My Arusha was still alive. I steeled myself, knowing I was about to die even if somehow I survived this one battle. I had a feeling I knew where I was. A place no human could survive.

Gritting my teeth, I prepared myself to face him. It was then that I caught motion out of the corner of my eye and turned to see the second demon tearing into what was left of Melony like a wild animal.

I don’t know if I came to my feet or screamed first, but I found myself running at it. Even as I reached them, the demon didn’t seem to care.

Slashing down, I aimed for the back of its neck.

The demon I’d injured flanked me, but I hadn’t forgotten it was there. Instead of leading with my sword, I threw my other hand forward and a fireball struck it right in the face. It kept its claws from tearing my arm off at the elbow. It went down twitching. My arm hung—useless.

I had no other hope but to cast Mend to stay conscious under the trauma my body had suffered. My mana dipped below the point I could cast Fireball again.

I’d only felt slight resistance from the feedback of my sword. Turning my full attention to remaining demon, I found it had rolled away at the last moment. My sword only gave it a shallow cut on the side of the neck.

With it a short distance away, I look down, but I wished I hadn’t. What was left of Melony wasn’t recognizable. As for Nelson, I found his armor in the same bloody mound, but nothing was left that resembled a human body.

The pile of flesh and gore sent my heart pounding in my chest. The broken ribs that I’d mended were still tender and felt like daggers piercing me with each heartbeat. Through the pain and horror show, something inside of me resigned itself to my present circumstances. I was without magic with only my sword to face off with a creature much stronger and faster than I was. I did the only thing I could think of that would guarantee its destruction even if I’d go down with it.

It flung itself through the air right at me. Crouching low, I braced myself. Its outstretched claws came for me. One of them grabbed at my only remaining good shoulder while the other was thrust at my bowls.

Now gutted, I still stood my ground. My sword had found purchase and was lodged deep inside its chest.

The Netherspawn’s eyes were wide in disbelief. I held its gaze with a glare of my own. Pulling my blade from its torso, I immediately thrust it through again. The movement tore the wound in my stomach open even wider, but instead of trying to pull its claws free, I lean into it, hooking my chin behind its neck. With all my remaining strength, I held the dying demon in place.

Mana Leech began to drain the demon of mana as I continued to drive my sword in and out of it with all that I had. When I felt I was about to lose consciousness, I removed my chin and thrust a final time, sinking my blade into its neck.

As it began to fall, its clawed hand exited my gut with a sickening suction sound, and I began to fall. I didn’t know if I’d leeched enough mana, but I tried to cast Mend before darkness overtook me.