The Builder's Conquest: The Legendary Builder, #6

By J. A. Cipriano

The Final Battle is Here. 

When Arthur found a magic sword in a pawnshop, he never thought it would make him into the Builder of Legend and thrust him into the forefront of the fight with the Darkness. 

Now, on a mission only he can complete, Arthur and his girls will have to hold the lines against the Darkness's final assault while defeating the four horsemen, freeing God from captivity, and of course, confronting the Empress. 

Sure, the odds might be stacked against him, but if there's anyone who can do it, it's the penniless orphan turned King of Heaven and Hell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DDCO Publishing, LLC.
• Release date: Jul 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386265467

Book preview

1

D oes everybody remember the plan? I called out, looking across the assembled forces of Heaven and Hell spread before me while the light cascading off the gleaming golden spire of what had once been Ten’s town shone on us. Because Sam says we only have one shot at doing this, so we damn well better make it count.

That wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want this to get screwed up. Sure, I’d find another way to take the rest of the Darkness’s territory, especially with all of the Darkness Generals fed back to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. But I was sick of this war, sick of the people I cared about being in danger, and when I had sat on the Throne of Heaven and Hell, I had known what I had to do to defeat the Darkness once and for all.

Well, the broad strokes, anyway. The specifics, well, those always came down to me.

Michelle, Archangel of Justice and the Leader of Heaven, bowed her blonde head. The armies of Heaven are ready, and we all know the plan, Arthur. She gripped her impossibly long spear Rhongomyniad tightly. We’re ready to end this.

Lucifer, the literal Devil in the luscious flesh and the Leader of Hell, spun the vicious dagger Carnwennan in her fingers. Yes, let’s get on with it.

I nodded, glancing at Dred, the ex-Destroyer, beside me. Sam had done a good job decking him out in some proper armor, and he’d claimed One’s kusarigama as a replacement for his old sword since I now wielded the new and improved Excalibur.

While he’d lost the Destroyer passive, he also wasn’t debuffed to hell and back by absorbing the Darkness. He also hadn’t lost a single stat point he’d absorbed, making him incredibly powerful, which was one reason I hadn’t let Michelle gut him from stem to stern.

Don’t look at me, Builder, Dred growled as he snapped the chain of the weapon tight. I am ready to pay back the Empress seven-fold for what she was done.

"That’s Builder and Destroyer, buddy. I grinned as I drew the newly empowered Excalibur. Okay, Sam, I called out as I turned toward the spire. Fire it up."

The pink-haired blacksmith stuck her head out of a window and yelled, Five seconds! And remember, when I hit the big lever, you won’t have long, Arthur, so be quick about kicking everything’s ass.

I saluted her with Excalibur. I always am. Letting a breath out through clenched teeth, I charged forward, the first of eight elite squads right on my tail.

That’s right. We were going to take every town at once because I was sick of waiting and sick of the endless bullshit. It was going to end today.

A moment later, a portal burst to life directly in front of me before spiraling outward until there were eight in total. My other teams were already moving, heading toward their own respective portals.

I hit mine a second later, and as I was teleported directly to One’s town, I smiled. Sam’s plan had worked. How did I know that?

Well, it was simple. I was still receiving the buffs from my followers because we were connected via the portals, so even though my forces were spread all across the Darkness’s lands, we weren’t being affected by the distance between us. Excellent.

Good call with your plan. Seems to have worked because I feel stronger than ever, Gwen said, pulling to a stop beside me as she unfurled her fiery whip. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure where she’d gotten the thing, but she had told me it had been hewn from the tail of a fire dragon which seemed pretty cool.

Hopefully the others feel the same, I said, my eyes flicking from her to the gate in front of me.

One’s town was huge and menacing in a way that sort of surprised me given how carefree the guy had seemed. Massive forty-foot-tall walls of black stone gleamed in front of me, and beyond them, I could see part of a tower. I say part of it because it stretched so far up into the sky that the top portion of it was shrouded in clouds.

We were standing in the center of a massive hard-packed dirt field, and all around us, the symbols carved into the earth were glowing with muddy red energy.

Unfortunately, even though I’d been standing here for only a few scant seconds, I could already see the glow starting to fade. That was no good. While I might still be able to take this town by myself, I wasn’t sure if the other groups would be able to manage their towns without the buffs.

Well, that was fine. I’d just have to hurry.

Taking a deep breath, I charged forward, leaving Gwen and her army of demons and angels at my back. They knew the plan. Once I breached the gates, they’d come in after me and secure the tower’s teleportation room. Then they’d use its power to supplement Sam’s array back at Ten’s town.

Still, first thing first. Breach the walls.

I reared back, calling upon my power as I slammed into the gates with all the force I could muster.

The massive wooden doors shuddered and cracked under the force of my blow as symbols lit up all across its front. Sapphire sparks leaped from its surface as I held my hand out, feeling the essence of the town with the new power I’d gained when sitting on the Throne. Instantly stat bubbles for every single aspect of the town filled my eyes. There were far too many to count, and yet, I comprehended them all, and what’s more, I could transform them, shape them, and break them down into their base components. Sure, that had a huge cost to it because diminishing returns were a thing, but I didn’t much care about that.

Rebuilding was for later.

With a flick of my wrist, I brought up the menu for the doors in front of me

Town Gates

Type: Gates

Class: Carpentry

Grade: S

Durability: 475,001,700/480,000,000

Enchantments: Unbreakable

Ability: Repulsion

I didn’t bother to pull up the tooltips to find out what those enchantments and abilities did. Instead, I reached out with my Destroyer ability.

The strain of using the power on an enemy building hit me at once, and as it did, a message popped up in my mind’s eye, letting me know that it would cost about fifty percent of my mana to take down the doors and wardings. Fortunately, that wouldn’t be a problem.

As I began the process, the wards covering the doors flared like star fire, their power burning out in the space of a second and filling me to the brim with energy that was then recycled back into the spell to break down the locks and bars on the doors into their component atoms.

More power exploded through my spell thanks to that whole E equals MC^2 thing, and I watched as it rippled outward across the entirety of the city, and if I let it, the entire domed shield of magic encompassing the town would just evaporate. That wouldn’t be good though because I wanted to maintain enough structure to keep from having to rebuild the entire town myself.

Sucking in a deep breath, I pulled back on the power, drawing it into me before it could completely consume the doors, and as I did, the doors swung open to reveal a man about my height dressed from head to toe in gleaming black armor.

You must be Arthur, he said, looking down his long nose at me as he shifted back on his heels. I’d heard you were strong.

Who the fuck are you? I asked, glaring at him as I allowed all the power I’d gained from my attack to pool in my left hand.

Me? I’m the new One. He shrugged and with a flick of his wrist, generated a magical shield that enclosed the entire gated area in a sphere of power. Did you really think the Empress wouldn’t see through your plan? Wouldn’t send someone here to this town? He threw his head back and laughed like the pompous ass he was. Even as we speak, she is already creating new generals to move on the other towns. They will be far more powerful than those you battled before. He stopped speaking then. Wait, why haven’t you brought more people?

Well, you know, reasons. I glanced back at my people. The walls aren’t warded anymore and are structured exactly like how Ten’s town was. Do your thing, Gwen.

Gwen nodded, and as I turned back to the new One, she was already readying the siege weapon. A huge structure made from wood, steel, and magic with dark blood rams, and goblin-engineered springs, it could punch through Ten’s walls in a single blow. It would do the same here. We hadn’t been sure if we needed it, but we’d sort of expected some asshole to try to hold the gate with an army, and you know what they say about failing to plan ahead.

What are you doing? One frowned from behind the safety of the barrier he’d created at the gate. And why do you not cower before me? He watched in amazement as the siege tank began to roll forward, tearing up the earth beneath its massive treads.

I bow before no one. I pointed Excalibur at him. Now come out here and fight, or are you too scared?

I had expected something like this. Dred had warned us that we’d have to move quickly before the Empress generated new Generals. Sure, they wouldn’t be the same as the originals since the tree had been restored, but she could siphon her own power into them to make it work. He’d expected it to happen, and after seeing what I had when I’d sat upon the throne, I did too.

She couldn’t let us take these towns because the people within them were valuable. Their worship to her provided her power. That was why we were taking them all at once, but this ass hat didn’t know that.

I am not scared of you, One said as he stepped through the gate and stared at me with emerald eyes. Then he rubbed his bald head, eyes squinted in curiosity as he watched the siege tank lumber forward.

You should be, I said, and as he turned back toward me, he raised a single solitary eyebrow.

That’s no good. He pointed his finger at the siege tank and made a bang noise. A pinprick of blue energy shot from his fingertip and slammed into the siege engine. Only instead of exploding into flaming bits of molten steel and debris, the weapon began to glow violently as the head of its battering ram turned a delightful shade of nuclear green.

Thanks for powering it up for me. I grinned at One. Normally, it would siphon the power from the warding around the town to charge, but you just gave it one hell of a jump start. I gave him a quick salute. So, thanks for that.

You think you’re clever, do you? One glanced at me, giving me the same attention one would to a particularly annoying gnat.

I do at times, yes. I grinned at him and gestured for him to bring it. This is where you try to stomp me like a bug for my insolence, right?

Oh, is that what you want me to do? he replied, and then before I could blink, he launched himself at the siege engine exactly as I thought he would.

Which made the look on his face absolutely hilarious when I appeared in front of him.

How did you move so swiftly?

He probably would have said more, but I cut off his words with a punch to the face, letting loose with all the power I’d stolen from his city. His head snapped back as the force of the blow rang down my arm. God damn, that had hurt. Like punching a brick wall hurt, only that might have hurt less.

One stumbled back exactly half a step before recovering. Then, very slowly, he touched his mouth and drew his fingers away, staring at the golden blood on them.

I was assured that you could not hurt me. He looked at me and then his shock turned into amusement. "This will be even better than I’d expected.

Stay on the walls and take down that spire. That’s the priority, Gwen. I looked at One. I’ll keep this guy busy.

Will do, Arthur, Gwen replied as her people began to move, hurrying to follow through with the plan.

One paid them no mind, his eyes focused on me. Your ants can scurry all they want, but the outcome of this is inevitable. He took a step toward me and held out his hand, copying my bring it gesture. And once you fall, I will put their heads on a pike as a monument to my success.

Is that so? I asked, gripping Excalibur in my hands as I took a quick moment to glance over my shoulder at the portal. It was still there, fading, but still there. And that meant I had all the power in the world to beat this guy.

It is. He began to change then, his skin exploding outward as he grew, his shape twisting outward as his skeleton tore free of his body. The sound of flesh sloughing to the ground echoed across the horizon as a massive bone dragon unfurled its wings and roared loud enough to pop my eardrums.

2

As the dragon reared back on its haunches, blue fire spewed from the corners of its mouth. The roar it unleashed rattled the heavens and shook the ground beneath my feet as it continued to grow. Then it took a step toward me, one massive skeletal foot hitting the ground beside me with a staccato crack that rang across the battlefield.

To my side, Gwen and the others were readying their assault on the walls, and while a few of them tossed worried glances in my direction, everyone did their jobs.

That was good because we couldn’t fail now.

Shake in your boots and know fear, the dragon formerly known as One snarled as it loomed over me. Heat poured off each word as it inhaled sharply, which admittedly was a touch weird because its skeletal body was nothing more than rib bones.

Fortunately, that did give me a great view of what was happening within the beast. Magic began to swirl within the creature’s open maw, and I knew, just knew, that I had about half a second before it would turn on the heat.

Well, that was fine. I was getting cold anyway.

You know, that’s a pretty terrible threat, I said as the dragon blasted me. Dragon fire exploded from its open maw, and as it did, I raised one hand and shoved against it with my Destroyer power.

White light rippled outward from my outstretched hand, slamming into the fire with all the force of an atomic bomb before beating the flames backward and shoving them straight down the dragon’s throat.

Its eyes seemed to widen despite being made of nothing but bone as the backblast of glowing flames exploded.

Then the headless corpse of the dragon crashed to my feet, and I stepped over to it and reached into its cavernous chest. My fingers wrapped around its Dark Blood core and power surged all around me, spinning up at my call like a tornado. I turned and directed the energy from the dragon into our battering ram as it readied for its assault.

An eyeblink later, the piece of goblin engineering punched a hole straight through the wall. Smoke curled off the superheated bits of rock surrounding the hole, and as it did, I moved toward my party.

See, easy as pie, I said, throwing an arm around Gwen’s shoulders.

I never had any doubt, she replied, nuzzling her head against me as the other angels and demons made their way inside. Though since you killed the guardian, we probably didn’t need to demo the wall.

Sometimes you just have to let people do things because it’s cool. I smiled at her, and she gave me a kiss.

Fair enough. She beamed at me, eyes giving me a quick once-over before she turned to her team. Let’s get that spire. She smacked me on the butt before heading to join them. Do your thing, Arthur.

Will do. I watched her go for half a second because, damn, then I turned and made my way through the gates in search of more fighters.

Thankfully, our scouting reports seemed to be correct. Once we entered the town, there was nothing in the way of resistance. After all, why bother with guards when you had a big dragon.

I’m just glad we didn’t have to break the barrier. I nodded to the glowing sigils overhead as I approached Gwen after completing my patrol. Putting it back together would take weeks.

Looks like you were right about the whole ‘no one protects walls’ thing, Gwen mused as we stepped into the town. Already our force had moved ahead, heading toward the massive spire in the middle of town.

While I wasn’t sure what they’d face there, I expected little to no resistance there too. Okay, that wasn’t true. I expected the Empress’s priests to fight tooth and nail, but they would be no match for my soldiers. Not with the buffs of half a million people flowing through their veins.

I still don’t quite understand the Empress’s game plan, I said as I glanced around the town. Every once in a while, I could see faces poking up from windows, and once we’d secured the town, Gwen would do her bring them into the fold thing. Why did the Empress think the dragon would stop us?

I glanced over my shoulder where the corpse was already starting to smolder and burn. I mean, it probably wasn’t even as strong as Three. I knew that the moment I hit it. I rang out my hand. If I hadn’t pulled back at the last second, I’d have killed him outright and not been able to harvest his transformed core.

Maybe she didn’t expect you to be so strong? Gwen shrugged, but I could tell she didn’t buy it either.

Or maybe she can’t make them as strong without the seeds from the tree?

I stared at the spire as the glowing power crystals atop it suddenly changed to a brilliant cerulean color. That’s when I felt the surge of power from all the people within the town coming under my control. Each and every person here was adding a little bit of their power to mine, and in return, they received some from all of my people in a synergy that caused my strength to nearly double in the blink of an eye.

Overhead, energy began to arc off the spire like a Tesla coil before shooting out to enhance the portal beyond the gates. That would strengthen the bond between all the towns, but not only that, it would turn the power of this captured town to our advantage.

Why wouldn’t she be able to make them as strong? Gwen asked, looking at me. We know she used the seeds from the apple as a base, but that seemed a marginal enhancement at best. She nodded at me. After all, you remember Nine.

I did remember Nine. The General that had