The Deviant Dominant Ch 24

Chapter 24 - Round Three

Lukas stood in the arena's staging area with a few spare moments to collect his thoughts. Memories of the past week flooded his mind: stunning victories, a tough loss, and a showdown in the Mystic Forest that had turned out to be one Anoran competitor's last. He chose to focus on the former; he stood in the very spot where his team had first defied all expectations and upset the Arkmere Mages, waiting for the third round's orientation.

His reminiscence was interrupted by a commotion at the entrance. He glanced up and saw Jaren walk into the staging area, followed by two other members of the tournament staff. The two captains of the capital teams joined shortly after, with Edricht filing in last.

"Let's get started," Jaren announced. "Congratulations to our final four teams! Round three is set to challenge your resilience even further. Each team will enter the arena pit, where they will confront a certain number of minotaurs. The exact count of these formidable beasts will be revealed tomorrow morning when the round starts. You will have forty minutes to eliminate as many of them as possible. The two teams with the highest kill counts will advance to the final round. In the case of a tie, the team that achieved their last kill first will secure their spot in the finale."

"How do you have so many minotaurs at your disposal?" Edricht asked, a hint of shock on his face.

"We've been collecting them for quite some time," Jaren replied, essentially revealing nothing. He was also quick to resume his rehearsed explanation. "The last teams to go will have an advantage, given that they'll know the kill counts of the previous teams, so the order will depend on when each team secured their gems in round two. Edricht's team will be first, followed by Lukas', then Nora's, and then, finally, Brennan's crew."

The tone of Jaren's voice was then infused with a somber gravity, dropping slightly. "In a shift from previous rounds, the risk of fatalities will be notably higher. We will not be monitoring your health for this portion of the competition. If you are not careful, you will be killed. We will strive to assist any competitor who clearly signals to be rescued, but, well... it's going to be chaos down there."

"Will there be a reward for the victors?" Brennan asked.

The director nodded. "An experience scroll will be granted to the top two teams."

Lukas caught a few subtle looks from the other team captains. He understood why; the reward would disproportionately benefit his team if they were to secure a winning spot, given that they still had new skill levels to unlock.

"Any questions?" Jaren asked, cutting through the thick silence. No one else spoke. Jaren nodded. "You all are dismissed until tomorrow morning."

Lukas strode towards the exit, eager to reconnect with his team, but he was intercepted by Edricht before he left the staging area. "Hey," the elf called out, "I haven't had a chance to catch up since the Mystic Forest. Is everything going well for your team?"

"Thanks for checking in on us," Lukas replied. "I'm feeling optimistic that the storm has passed. I appreciate your support."

"No problem," Edricht responded, walking next to the tall, young Adventurer. "I know your team can kick ass, but be careful with the minotaurs. Facing just one can be a daunting challenge. I'm sure you'll perform admirably, but don't get anyone killed trying to prove something."

"I appreciate the advice," Lukas said. "We'll be cautious, but you better expect us to be competitive."

"Of course," the Anoran said with a smile, as they exited the arena. "I'm going to go catch up with my team. I'll see you tomorrow."

Lukas waved and headed in the opposite direction. He didn't have to go far before his own team ambushed him, anxious for details. Elvira had joined the group and was listening intently. After Lukas relayed everything he knew, the Anoran Guildmaster grunted.

"The audience was awestruck when they saw the most powerful magic in the land bounce off you, Lukas," Elvira remarked, "but now they want something new. They want to see you in a brawl. Magic immunity won't help you against minotaurs."

Lukas nodded, begrudgingly agreeing with the blonde elf. "Let's head back to The Golden Griffin. We'll figure out a way to win. We always do."

Upon returning to their recently reclaimed suite, Lukas wasted no time preparing for the challenge they would face in the morning. "First order of business is to max out Laera's and Fiona's bonded skills and give Gwyn's Dire Wolf another level." He reached his hands out expectantly towards Laera, who granted him access to her profile to make the upgrade her Cumslut skill.

<<<

Laera Silverbreeze

General Class: Mage

Main Class: Sorceress

Level 13

Stats:

Strength: 16.2

Agility: 19

Mentality: 29.1

Vigor: 22

Skills:

Night Vision (Passive) - Level 4 - grants night vision to Adventurer. Spells are 11% more effective in caves.

Lightning Strike (Triggered) - Maxed - fires a lightning strike that deals massive damage, has a 33% chance of chaining to nearby enemies

Refresh (Triggered) - Level 4 - reset cooldowns for all spells and knocks back enemies within a medium radius and inflicts minor magical damage, the next Lightning Strike does 3x damage

Mind Bender (Ultimate) - Maxed - gain access to target's mind for 120 seconds

Bonded Skills:

Cumslut (Passive) - Maxed - receive a major instant mana boost whenever the Deviant's cum is consumed

Submissive Silence (Triggered) - Maxed - prevents target from using skills for 60 seconds and inflicts a moderate amount of magical damage

>>>

"Alright, Fiona," Lukas said, finding a seat on the sofa near the redhead. "You and your whip are next."

<<<

Fiona Larksmith

General Class: Rogue

Main Class: Assassin

Level 12

Stats:

Strength: 18.4 + 10

Agility: 29.1 + 10

Mentality: 17.5

Vigor: 14 + 10

Skills:

Backstab (Passive) - Level 3 - damage is increased by x1.7 when attacking the back of an opponent

Teleport (Triggered) - Maxed - Teleport to any combatant enemy of friendly, can choose to teleport behind the combatant, 1 min cooldown

Shifty (Triggered) - Level 4 - Dodge chance increased by x2 for the next 6 attacks

Fire and Ice (Ultimate) - Maxed - launch an ice spell, impacting all enemies in a medium radius with major ice damage and slowness for 20 seconds. Any enemies hit by the Assassin while impacted will receive additional major fire damage.

Bonded Skills:

Cock Worship (Passive) - Maxed - +10 boost in Vigor, Strength, and Agility, comes with a craving for the Dominant's cock

Stinging Whip (Triggered) - Maxed - magical whip strikes target dealing major damage and stunning target for 1.5 seconds

>>>

"And finally, Gwyn. Let's give that puppy some more teeth." Gwyn plopped down on the sofa on the other side of Lukas and accepted the upgrade.

<<<

Gwyndolyn Groves

General Class: Deviant

Main Class: Submissive

Level 13

Stats:

Strength: 12.1

Agility: 13.2

Mentality: 18

Vigor: 22.1 + 40

Skills:

Liberating Submission (Passive) - Maxed - when bound as an Obedient to a Dominant, all skill effects are doubled - Active

Heal (Triggered) - Maxed - grants a 60 HP heal to an Adventurer

Meekness (Triggered) - Maxed - Turn invisible for 150 seconds, increase mana regeneration by 100% while invisible

Wife Material (Ultimate) - Maxed - grants access to the Hidden Strength ability, receive a +40 Vigor boost for one day after cooking for a man - Inactive

Hidden Strength (Triggered) - Maxed - cast Meekness on target ally, if Wife Material is active, surrender Vigor bonus and distribute the boost to the target ally for +10 boost in all stats for the duration of Meekness

Bonded Skills:

Protective Embrace (Passive) - Maxed - immune to Damage-over-Time effects casted on Submissive, Dominant receives an opposite healing effect when Damage-over-Time effects are casted on Submissive

Puppy (Triggered) - Level 4 - summons a Level 40 Dire Wolf familiar to assist, only one can be summoned at a time

>>>

"Hmm," Lukas thought out loud, looking at his own profile. "I actually might have enough to give Gwyn's Puppy skill another level."

"Hold up," Fiona interrupted, cutting into his train of thought. "Let's be smart about this. We've faced one minotaur in the caverns, and we know those things don't go down without a fight."

Most of the team nodded along, agreeing with the redhead's assessment.

"If we are going to fight a bunch of them at once" she continued, "we are going to need a tank -- a real one."

"We don't have a real tank," Lukas said, "so I'm assuming you have something else in mind?"

Fiona gave her Dominant a wide grin. "Lukas, for the benefit of everyone here, what does your Discipline skill do again?"

"It grants everyone a triggered skill and allows me to convert Dominance experience into HP," Lukas stated. "You want me to be the tank, huh?"

"If you can keep replenishing your HP," Fiona remarked, "I think that is our best option."

"There's a two-minute cooldown on it," Lukas revealed, "which isn't too bad. The conversion rate is not favorable, though."

"Which is why I think you should use the experience from Aephas and upgrade it," the redhead suggested.

"What does everyone else think?" Lukas asked, looking around at the other girls.

Gemma threw her hands up in the air. "I don't want to be a tank against a horde of minotaurs. You have the best stats by far, anyway, now that you're stealing forty percent from all of us."

"I'm not stealing it," Lukas said defensively. "You all are boosting me."

"Stay on topic," Fiona chided. "I want dick tonight."

Laera chimed in. "That Discipline skill is incredibly powerful, and you haven't utilized it much. I believe it could make a significant difference in this upcoming round."

"Fiona's reasoning makes sense to me," Lucy added.

Gwyn, who was still seated near Lukas, began rubbing his thigh. "I look forward to earning you more Dominance experience for tomorrow's round -- for the team, of course."

"Good thing I'm here, too," Elvira said, feeling eager to contribute to the experience harvest.

"Yes, yes," Fiona said in a presumptuous tone. "We all want to get fucked. Lukas, can you make the change so we can move on?"

"It sounds like I'm in for a party tonight and a beating tomorrow," Lukas said with a nervous smile, then added a level to his Discipline skill.

<<<

Lukas Dameron

General Class: Deviant

Main Class: Dominant

Level 15

Stats:

Strength: 25.9 + 32.4

Agility: 24.2 + 28.1

Mentality: 22.9 + 16.6

Vigor: 21.4 + 13.8

Skills:

Confidence (Passive) - Maxed - shrug off 50% of magical damage and effects

Obedience (Triggered) - Level 4 - able to bind others through sexual contract. Dominant will passively receive a 40% boost in the primary trait of the Obedient subject(s)

Corruption (Passive) - Maxed - earn alternative and unique Dominance experience whenever Dominant is pleasured by Obedient subject(s)

Praise (Triggered) - Maxed - Obedient subject(s) receive a +30 boost in both Strength and Vigor for 90 seconds, the Confidence effect is doubled during this duration

Discipline (Triggered) - Level 3 - Obedient subject(s) get an additional triggered skill, extra Dominance experience can be converted to HP at a neutral rate

Restraints (Ultimate) - Level 2 - apply 2 stuns for the duration of 1 second, stuns can be applied to multiple targets or can be stacked on one target

Bonded Skills:

King of the Wood Nymphs (Triggered) - Maxed - passively grants +5 to all stats, can summon assistance while in the Mystic Forest

>>>

"Now," Lukas said, focusing back on his girls, "besides just having them hit me over and over again, what is our strategy to defeat the minotaurs?" Most of the girls settled down and focused attentively on Lukas, but not Gwyn. She crouched on her knees and crawled between Lukas' legs.

"You guys can strategize," she said. "I'm going to take care of my Daddy." With that, she unbuckled his trousers and pulled them down, wrapping her lips around his member before his pants hit the ground. Lukas groaned, feeling her delicate tongue wrapping around his shaft as she pulled him deeper into her mouth. Her head bobbed up and down in his lap, and she showed no signs of letting up.

Lukas cleared his throat and refocused on the women around him, many of whom had expressions of either amusement or jealousy. "Laera," the semi-distracted team leader said, "tell me exactly what happened when you used your Ultimate on that minotaur in the cavern."

***

The next morning, Elvira led the team of six Adventurers in a rush to get to the arena. They were running a tad tardy due to their late night. The girls had been very thorough in preparing Lukas for battle. They scrambled into the competitors' viewing area, which was completely empty. Edricht's team was preparing for their fight, and Elvira informed them that the capital teams had their own viewing suite.

No usher bothered removing Elvira as they settled in. Lukas observed the fighting pit, shocked by what he saw. Eight cages had been placed around the edges of the oval, each of them shaking violently with an irate minotaur.

"Eight?!" Lukas exclaimed. "The battle is only forty minutes long. That's five minutes per minotaur."

Elvira shook her head and she laughed. "They're not expecting you to kill all of them. You're supposed to kill as many as you can."

Lukas shrugged. "Fair point."

Edricht's team treaded cautiously upon finely grated sand. The five Anorans glanced nervously around themselves -- all around themselves. They were completely surrounded by minotaurs.

The enormous crowd's excitement was palpable -- a nervous and sick energy that was eager to transition into outright bloodthirst. The clang of the bell sounded, and the eight cages were simultaneously unlatched, releasing the enraged creatures. Edricht's entire team immediately rushed to one side of the oval field, pinning a minotaur against the wall. A pool of lava formed beneath the beast's hooves, and the elves were able to pile the damage on.

Edricht sprouted wings and launched himself into the sky. He made several high-speed passes at the other seven minotaurs, strafing them with arrows to keep them occupied while his team focused on the first minotaur.

The minotaur pinned against the wall thrashed wildly, its hooves pounding against the hot, volcanic ground. The lava beneath it bubbled ominously, hissing as it made contact with the creature's fur and skin. Edricht could see the desperation in its eyes as it fought to escape the scalding heat, but his team remained relentless. Finally, one of the mages cast a blinding spell, penetrating the beast's hide with a sharp blade of light and slashing away its life. The crowd roared in applause as they witnessed first blood.

Edricht landed gracefully behind his front line and continued firing arrows at the horned enemies. The elven team spun around and positioned themselves in a defensive formation, preparing for the onslaught. Lukas noticed that Vaymor had traded out his dual daggers for a shield and short sword. Facing a group of minotaurs was likely not ideal for the mimic, as they had no valuable skills to steal, but he could still copy his own team's abilities.

"I wonder why the minotaurs don't fight each other?" Lukas remarked, observing Edricht's team square up against their remaining opponents.

Laera squinted her eyes as if searching for an answer in a book's small text. "You see the black collars on the minotaurs?"

Lukas nodded, his attention drawn to the detail that he hadn't noticed on his own.

"I bet they put an enchantment on it that funnels their aggression towards the competitors and not each other," Laera postulated.

"You don't think that will interfere with--"

"I hope not," Laera said with a worried look on her face. "I can't imagine the enchantment being that strong." She sounded like she was mainly reassuring herself.

With only two melee fighters, the Phoenix Guild team found themselves in a precarious position against the seven remaining minotaurs' reckless charge. The beasts pressed forward with savage determination, their hooves thundering against the sand. The two fighters worked flawlessly in sync, positioning themselves to keep the monsters directly in front of them, while they expertly backpedaled, maintaining a controlled retreat. Though lacking the strength to push the herd of minotaurs anywhere, they still managed to guide the creatures along the edge of the oval. They didn't allow themselves to get trapped against the wall, while also avoiding being pushed to the center where they could be more fully surrounded. While it appeared the elven team was failing to make any progress, their ranged fighters were relentless in their assault. After nearly fifteen minutes into the fight, a second minotaur fell.

Fiona drew the team's attention, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Before we head down there, I want everyone to take a moment to think about which skill you'd like to upgrade next. We're likely to level up as we take down the minotaurs, and we can't afford to waste any time reviewing our profiles. That goes especially for you, Lukas."

Lukas nodded, appreciative of Fiona's insightfulness. He was uncertain about the amount of experience he had gained when Aephas fell, which meant he might very well have been on the cusp of another level.

At the twenty-minute mark, a bell rang, its resonant chime echoing through the arena stands. Lukas scanned the scene and noticed that the mimic, who was usually brimming with energy, was starting to show signs of fatigue from his unusual role as a second tank.

The spear-wielding elf beside him remained stalwart, however, not allowing Vaymor's waning endurance to break their ranks. They lapped around the oval and had returned to where they had achieved their first kill. Lukas was impressed with their tactics and resourcefulness, noticing that Edricht was picking up arrows as he went, ensuring that his supply remained ample as the battle continued. The mages also coordinated their movements, alternating their momentary pauses to down a mana potion when they had exhausted their magic.

Heavy, magical manacles latched onto a minotaur, slowing it down significantly. The team's dedicated tank seized the opportunity and thrust his spear into its chest. One of Edricht's arrows embedded itself in the creature's skull almost immediately thereafter, and that proved to be the team's third killing blow. The crowd gave them a mighty cheer in response.

The elite team of elves maintained their formation, and their ranged attacks continued finding their marks. The bell rang again, announcing a one-minute warning.

The Phoenix Guild team redoubled their efforts, targeting the foe that appeared to be the most injured. As time ticked on, the Anorans became less concerned with holding their line, trading safety for offense. The extra risk was rewarded with another kill right before the final bell.

A team of twenty Council Guard soldiers rushed into the pit, as Edricht directed his team out of harm's way. The Council Guard defeated the remaining four minotaurs and then began setting up for the next fight.

"That's our cue," Lukas said, rising from his seat.

"Here," Elvira said while handing him three vials of a red liquid. "It's a gift from the Wyvern Guild leadership. No matter what happens today, you have performed beyond anyone's expectations... well, except for mine. I always knew you would kick ass."

"Thanks," Lukas said, taking the health potions and distributing them to his girls. "You're the best Guildmaster I've ever voted for."