《How a Total Loser Died and Became a World Boss (A lit RPG Series)》
0: Happy Birthday Loser
My name was Lain Erickson and I was never meant to be anything but an Olympic gold medalist wrestler.
I was certifiably bred for it with a pedigree to match. From the time I knew what a belly was mine was scraping blue mats. It was in my face when I woke up, chased me through the mud and snow at 0500, screamed at me from a fuckin¡¯ Pennywise lunch box with nothing inside but a note that said ¡°MAKE WEIGHT PUSSY!¡±. Yeah me and wrestling were close, but we weren¡¯t fucking friends.
My dad (rest in peace Admiral Dickface) was a retired navy brass and former Olympian himself, guess he thought Dale and I were both just little clones built to carry on his vision. I guess maybe we were, but like most clones we couldn¡¯t hit shit we aimed for. Dale bit the dust early and I red shirted the rest of my adult life until there I was...
¡°Happy birthday you fucking loser.¡± I grumbled to myself. My eyes lingered lazily on the bottom right of my computer monitor where the trusty clock read 12:03 AM on 11/11/2029. It also informed me the temperature was a lovely sixty one degrees and mostly cloudy outside, whoopty fuckin¡¯ do. ¡°Thirty nine years old sharing a shitty dump in Tucson with three college kids half my age. We really made it bro!¡± I added, talking to a canning jar half filled with dark grey ashes sitting a few feet away on a big blue plastic storage tub. My brother¡¯s ashes shared the space with a tower of empty pizza boxes and green soda cans, you know the ones. The room was small and dark, lit by a single lamp with no shade. The bare LED bulb gave off a cold bluish light that only exaggerated the sad state of the place.
My pathetic little monologue was interrupted by a hot burp that reeked of cheap pepperoni pizza which I had eaten a full large one of just an hour ago. I wore a sweat and pizza sauce stained white XXL t-shirt which would never be washed, and blue mesh gym shorts that smelled like a war crime. Thanks to a career shattering back injury in 2011 I was on enough disability to barely pay for rent, games and junk food. Food and self pity were my drugs of choice in the real world, luckily I didn¡¯t spend much time there.
¡°Hope I never come back.¡± I wished with all my heart as I always did when I reached for the headset that would, as if by magic let me ditch this rotten shit-hole.
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Exiled Gods was a next gen VR-MMORPG that had blown up in popularity in the last two years with more than fifty million registered users worldwide. It boasted the most complicated skill system ever conceived with an AI that generated new skills based on player actions in real time, meaning that each and every character was as unique as the person playing them.
The game world was massive, and beyond realistic. Current virtual reality tech used a headband that emitted a specific frequency that effectively hypnotized the wearer into a guided and lucid dream state. It mimicked actual sleep in such a way that ¡°going to bed¡± now meant going to EG for many people. A person could get away without actually sleeping if they played enough of the game. The actual health effects weren¡¯t yet fully known but it was a controversial topic with many health professionals claiming this or that. I could care less either way. Aside from meals and bathroom breaks (sometimes clean up breaks if I¡¯m being honest) I never left the game. I had the longest time played of anyone in the world. By now it was closing in on fifteen thousand hours.
As the headband powered on, my monitor darkened and I caught my reflection in it for just long enough take me in. I had gotten so damn ugly. My face was puffy like I had mumps and my greasy skin was pale with red splotches. The salt and pepper beard I grew out to hide my extra chin was scraggly with crumbs all over it. I had serious cauliflower ear on both sides from putting my time in on every mat in the Midwest. What was left of my dark hair was greasy, flat, and pathetic as the rest of my posture.
The saddest thing was my expression. I¡¯ve seen alot of dead shit in my time, and I made every last one of those bloated corpses look fresh as fuckin¡¯ Bambi. I was a fat, nihilistic loser through and through. Get the picture yet?
My eyes closed and my tired shitty heart finally settled into the forced rhythm of the Exiled Gods software.
Logging in had the sensation of falling. I mean asshole between your ears, here comes the splat FALLING. I hated it, but the view on the other side made up for it with enough change to buy Bezos a boat. Have you ever woken up on vacation after getting the exact amount of sleep you wanted? In silk sheets that make your home sheets feel like sandpaper smeared with diarrhea? In a Greek style mansion on your own island that you were given for kicking the shit out of a battleship sized fire monster? Next to the literal TEN naked goddess that gave it to you?
It¡¯s cute how I used to think Vicodin was addictive.
1: Patch Day
I opened my eyes - not my blood shot astigmatic old oglers from earth either. These badass steel colored babies saw the world in hyper crisp resolution. In the real world everything seemed drab and fuzzy. If earth looked like it was a set thrown together by a middle school theater club then EG was Broadway.
I was in my bed in the master suite of my favorite permanent EG home - not the island. I do love that place but it¡¯s inconvenient. My real home was the entire top floor of a skyscraper in EG¡¯s largest city. The bed I was sitting up in was bigger than a king sized bed and more comfortable than anything earth could ever offer. The three thousand thread count abyss moth silk sheets I had splurged on made sure of that. I slid them aside and put my feet flat on the cool marble floor.
I was wearing nothing but a pair of white boxers and as I stood up I looked into a full length mirror with a fancy carved wooden frame depicting swans, roses, and feathers. A piece of furniture like that would cost ten grand easily in real life and it was damn expensive in game currency too. It was worth every last gold to me, I was a vain son of a bitch here after all.
Exiled Gods recorded the basic looks of a player like height and hair color. That was where the resemblance ended. In EG, my five foot nine inch frame looked like it was right out of the golden age of action movies when Arnold and Sylvester fought over my allowance every weekend. My face had a permanent three day beard, my jaw was square, my tan skin was flawless, and my nose was straight. Black, shiny hair was combed back at a diagonal angle in a classic ¡®gunner¡¯ style. I smiled a genuine smile that fully reached my bright grey eyes, exposing deep charming dimples and white perfect teeth. Real life me would hate EG me with a passion. Good thing they would never meet.
I stepped into my walk-in closet which could hold two of my real life rooms and touched a floating icon that hovered in front of one of the long racks of suits. A translucent interface appeared hovering before me at eye level and I took a second to select my base outfit.
¡°The patch notes said the new Abyss was solo only and fantasy themed. I¡¯ll need to cap ele resists since fantasy always just means a shit storm of magic attacks and dragon breath. They didn¡¯t say there was an inventory limit so I should bring that crazy pack I won for hitting 999 in the last Abyss.¡± I mumbled to myself as I selected several articles of clothing which appeared on my body as I tapped them. A stylish charcoal grey suit with a black collared shirt reminiscent of the outfits worn by a certain famous super spy appeared complete with golden lion head cuff links and polished black dress shoes. In my hand was a slim leather wallet that I slipped into my breast pocket. The look told one story, the stats told something else.
*Equipped: Sightless Titan¡¯s Soul Pyre-Chest Armor
(Item Score 812) Skin: Midnight Silk Shirt
+272 Endurance
+1,000 Degrees Heat Resistance
+500 Degrees Heat Resistance Capacity
Indestructible
Physical Nullification Tier 3
Soul Linked: LainTrain90-Can¡¯t be Traded
*Equipped: Pillars of Valor- Leg Armor
(Item Score 730) Skin: Charcoal Slacks
+120 Strength
+120 Endurance
Indestructible
Unstoppable Tier 2
Soul Linked: LainTrain90-Can¡¯t be Traded
*Equipped: Prismatic Veil-Cloak
(Item Score 888) Skin: Charcoal Blazer
+1,000 Degrees Cold Resistance
+1,000 Degrees Heat Resistance
Indestructible
Energy Nullification Tier 5
Active Camouflage Tier 5
Soul Linked: LainTrain90-Can¡¯t be Traded
*Equipped: Beast Titan¡¯s Claws- Hand Armor
(Item Score 806) Skin: Golden Lion Cuff-links
+200 Strength
+100 Agility
Indestructible
Pierce Armor Tier 6
Hand Speed Tier 6
*Equipped: Exodus Waltz-Foot Armor
(Item Score 812) Skin: Black Dress Shoes
+225 Agility
+100 Leaping
Triple Jump
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Silent Steps
Soul Linked: LainTrain90-Can¡¯t be Traded
*Equipped: Crown of The Shattered Empire-Helmet
(Item Score: 820) Skin: Vanishing Dye
+150 Endurance
Indestructible
Spatial Cognition Tier 7
Soul Linked: LainTrain90-Can¡¯t be Traded
*Equipped: Astral Vault-Backpack (Item Score 999) Skin: Black Wallet
+999 Inventory Slots
Soul Linked: LainTrain90-Can¡¯t be Traded
Outfit secured, I tapped another icon and the clothing rack faded away to be replaced by the largest weapon collection in the game. Swords of every conceivable shape and size, massive axes, daggers, maces, halberds, and other melee weapons dominated the right side. The left side held firearms. Revolvers, semiautomatic pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles, and even some energy weapons right out of a sci-fi movie were all hanging there. Every last one had been looted from the various and many themed Abyss raids that frequently opened. Abysses were the absolute hardest content in EG and always closed after a month, meaning that whatever loot was obtained might never be seen again thanks to the unique way they were generated.
¡°Feels weird bringing some of this to a fantasy world, but whatever.¡± I muttered as I tapped two .50 heavy semiautomatic pistols and a magnetic rail rifle. Each disappeared and was added to my inventory. Next I moved to the melee weapons and selected a few of my favorites.
¡°Charon¡¯s Call is a given, Ethereal Katana for the weird stuff, the buggy dagger if I get cornered, and Grief Reaper in case I need to scare the shit out of some peasants.¡±
A spear wrapped with a black shawl, a white katana hilt with no visible blade, a rather plain looking dagger, and a comically oversized and wicked looking grim reaper scythe all disappeared from the rack.
¡°That leaves just over a thousand slots to fill with food, potions, and supplies. Feels like cheating.¡± I continued to talk to myself as I left the closet and walked over to an ornate trunk at the foot of my bed. I waved a hand at my bedroom door as I walked and grinned as it glowed green for a brief second.
I scanned the massive list of items in the chest and quickly tapped on everything that looked even remotely useful. This part used to be a huge pain in the ass, a player¡¯s basic inventory was only ten slots. A slot could hold around ten pounds and item weights were fairly realistic. Even my previous backpack which was about the best a player could normally achieve was only fifty slots. The Astral Vault was just plain insane. If it weren¡¯t Spirit Linked I knew a few whales (rich players that preferred to buy power rather than earn it) that would give me a literal irl fortune for it. I still had a hundred slots left after clearing out every useful item in the chest. As I closed the console, a loud thump followed by an irritated curse sounded from the door.
¡°The fuck was that!? Lain did you really Earth Ward your door!?¡± An offended low voice from outside made me smile.
¡°That¡¯s what you get for ditching me to bang Serena on the seven hundredth layer.¡± I retorted loudly to the closed door. ¡°Come on in.¡±
¡°Not my fault.¡± The speaker said, opening the door. ¡°She bought that plaid skirt skin. I¡¯m only human Lain.¡±
I chuckled as I gave my friend a sidelong glance. His name was Paul Gresham, a firefighter from my hometown in Ohio. He had been my best friend since elementary school when we had gotten into a scrap during P.E. After which we became inseparable until I had to move away. We stayed connected through video games and thanks to EG we were once again inseparable. He was a big guy, the real definition of corn fed farm boy. He wasn¡¯t as muscular looking as me here, since one¡¯s physique was derived directly from stats but he was still built like a bull. His hair was long and blonde and he didn¡¯t use item skins meaning his armor was horribly mismatched and silly looking. Dark plate chest armor, a spiked skull cap, shiny silver leg armor, and high leather boots with faint spectral wings on the sides made him look like a shop had just puked on him.
¡°How is she by the way?¡± I asked in a more serious tone.
¡°She¡¯s got her hands full with her mom¡¯s dementia and constant falls but she¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ll be down a healer for awhile longer though.¡± Paul answered, plopping down heavily onto a delicate looking love seat that didn¡¯t so much as creak under his bulk.
Paul¡¯s wife Serena had started playing with us the previous spring and thanks to me rushing them through the low Abyss layers had geared up into a pretty decent healer.
¡°Ah well screw it, I¡¯m on my off rotation so I can hang with you to at least the high eight hundreds this time.¡± Paul said trying to pick the mood back up.
¡°Do you ever read patch notes?¡± I asked rhetorically. ¡°Solo Fantasy, dork.¡±
¡°Oof, guess I¡¯m gonna hit the Bullshit Wall at six hundred again. You gonna break the thousand barrier finally?¡± Paul asked.
¡°I hope so. I barely hit nine ninety nine and I was grinding literally twenty three hours a day for the entire cycle last time.¡± I answered.
¡°Don¡¯t kill yourself at it, you¡¯re only racing yourself at this point. Ariel¡¯s been hard stopped at seven ninety nine on the solo ladder forever and I don¡¯t see her catching up anytime soon.¡± Paul advised thoughtfully.
¡°Yeah well I don¡¯t have anything else going...¡± I started but suddenly trailed off as the imagery around me flickered and a screeching sound made me flinch.
Everything including Paul was suddenly frozen in stasis and bereft of color, like an old black and white picture. A presence behind me made me spin. There, sitting on my bed was... me. My irl self, the fat slob I had just left farting into a beat up office chair was sitting on my bed staring at me with a smirk.
¡°Boy did you ever let this body go. This isn¡¯t like you old friend.¡± The voice was mine but the words and tone certainly were not. It was sly and cheerful. ¡°This is good though. Perfect in fact. You sacrificed this sack of fat to gain that wonderful form. We couldn¡¯t be happier!¡±
¡°What is this? Who are you?¡± I felt a weird cold sensation creeping up my left leg, and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I recognized the man¡¯s mannerisms from somewhere.
¡°Umm in short, you¡¯re about to die. I know I know right on patch day and your birthday to boot. Aw shucks! A blood clot formed in your leg and is about to hit your lungs-Oh! Speak of the devil!¡± The fat me pointed as a gout of blood suddenly erupted from my in game mouth. ¡°As for me, I¡¯m one of the developers of EG, and also a bit of a god. I liked watching you play so much! Also a HUGE fan of the way you¡¯ve been cheating your way through life. Your back was fine after six months but you just kept playing along. Four exploratory surgeries, fake physical therapy, all so you could keep being a bum. That said, hitting nine ninety nine is something that even we haven¡¯t managed without console commands. So in honor of all the entertainment you¡¯ve given us, I cleared it with my boss and he agreed that I could send you to one of my sister¡¯s projects as a reward! Pretty badass right? I¡¯m even gonna send all the stuff you have on you too.¡±
¡°Wait... this can¡¯t be...¡± A hacking cough sent another spray of blood out of my mouth interrupting me and showering my irl self. I wanted to deny this asshole, my back wasn¡¯t fine! Was it? What the fuck!?
¡°Oh you¡¯ll be fine. Ariel¡¯s planet is way more fun than earth. It¡¯s even fantasy themed like the Abyss you¡¯re missing out on. Time¡¯s up! Good luck, champ!¡± With those final words echoing in my thoughts, I collapsed and slipped into darkness.
¡°Must be some rush of brain chemicals cooking up a delusion so I can cope with dying.¡± My disembodied thoughts drifted through a black ether. ¡°This sure is taking forever though. If this is the afterlife I¡¯m gonna be pissed. Bored. Boredom. Boring Death. Wonder what Paul saw when I croaked? Aw well he¡¯ll handle it fine. Wonder how long it¡¯ll take those kids to find out I¡¯m dead. My rent is on direct deposit and no one ever sees me anyways. The pizza place¡¯ll probably send a search party first.¡± The thought made my spirit chuckle. ¡°At least I got a few World First titles in EG, that was pretty awesome. If only that fantasy trip at the end was actually real. What a cruel joke to play on myself.¡±
My train of random postmortem musings was cut short by an odd buzzing pulse that I could feel throughout my entire spirit.
¡°The hell is that?¡±
Each pulse now came with a flash of strange imagery that I could somehow see. White glowing veins of light were rapidly spreading all around me in every direction in erratic pulses. With each pulse more was revealed. Cells divided, neurons formed and began firing pulses of energy to one another. The pulses grew more steady, and I recognized it for what it was. A heartbeat. My heartbeat...
LainTrain90
Level: 120
XP To Next Level: 40%
Body Age: 29
Life: 1664/1664
Soul Energy: 12/12
Strength: 500
Endurance: 832
Soul: 6
Agility: 506
Skills:
Melee Mastery (100/100)
Ranged Mastery (97/100)
Heat Resistance +1,500 Degrees
Cold Resistance +1,000 Degress
Grand Conqueror Aura
Legion of One
Pain Nullifcation (10/10)
Spell Dodge (50%)
Missile Dodge (75%)
Physical Nullification (3/10)
Energy Nullifcation (5/10)
Spatial Cognition (7/10)
Silent Steps
Triple Jump
Pierce Armor (6/10)
Hand Speed (6/10)
Active Camouflage (5/10)
Unstoppable (2/10)
Earth Ward (10/10)
Life Bind (10/10)
2: My Poser Goddess and the Hungry Slime
¡°Hell yeah! All in one piece on the first try! I¡¯d like to see Corpse try to make fun of me now!¡± A girly voice rang out in my ears as I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids.
I didn¡¯t have time to open them myself as a pair of fingers forcibly pried open my right eye, exposing me to a looming and childish face just inches from mine.
¡°Hey, you in there? Does it feel like your brain works and stuff?¡± The girl asked, poking and prodding my face.
¡°Damn, yeah seems like it. Could I have some space please?¡± I opened my other eye and felt warmth spreading from my core to my limbs which were tingling with pins and needles like they had fallen fully asleep.
I looked up wearily to survey my surroundings. I was propped up against a stone pillar of some kind in the center of a wide meadow surrounded by a fall forest ablaze in the colors of changing leaves. I could smell the dew, the dirt, and the decomposing leaves like I was using my nose for the first time. This wasn¡¯t the game. The smell and taste functions were the only sensory inputs the game had trouble replicating for some reason. Wherever I was, I was really there. Oh Shit.
Standing before me was the girl that had awoken me. She was five foot nothing with a petite frame (minus the oversized and out of place chest). Her hair was long, bright silver and worn in a stylish braid over one shoulder. She was dressed like a rebellious punk rocker, or more likely a dedicated poser in my estimation. A spaghetti strap black shirt with a grinning skull contrasted oddly with a pink frilly skirt, studded belt, and fishnet stockings. A pair of green Chuck Taylor¡¯s and a little too much makeup completed the look that made my head hurt.
¡°There¡¯s a Hot Topic manager somewhere worried sick about this kid.¡± I muttered, not one to ever internalize my thoughts.
¡°THAT¡¯S the first thing out of your mouth!?¡± The girl was shocked and indignant. ¡°I resurrected my ass off to get you here along with all that item data!¡± She continued angrily.
¡°Whoa hey sorry!¡± I waved my hands in front of me as I apologized. ¡°So you must be Ariel I¡¯m guessing?¡± I added trying to change the subject.
¡°That¡¯s right, and this is my own personal planet mostly, and it took a boat load of power to get you here! So you better show some gratitude.¡± She huffed, calming just a bit.
¡°I see, well thanks and... mostly?¡± I had caught the word even though she had dropped her voice on the ¡®mostly¡¯ part.
¡°Umm well yeah you see a distant relative of mine has been sorta trying to take over the place, unleashing minions that slaughter my followers. I¡¯ve been busy trying to break your record in EG so this in kinda your fault and maybe I let things get a little out of control over here...¡± She twirled the end of her braid and seemed embarrassed as she explained. ¡°But it¡¯s still a cool place I promise! All of the fantasy Abysses were modeled after it and you can even use magic that mimics the EG interface perfectly!¡± She perked up and recovered.
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I absorbed that last part and looked down at my body, not sure what to expect. I was basically naked aside from my trusty white boxer shorts. I wasn¡¯t obese, thank fuck for that. But I wasn¡¯t exactly a house anymore either. My physique was bland and on the scrawny side.
¡°Ugh the Seinfeld body. Level fucking one, eh?¡± I grimaced but wasn¡¯t entirely put off.
¡°Even gods have rules.¡± Ariel answered sympathetically. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to use much of your gear with those absurd item scores until you get your stats up to the requirements but your consumables and that OP bag should all work fine.
¡°And my skills?¡± I asked hopefully but I could feel internally that I was in for disappointment.
¡°Sorry man, level one is level one.¡± She replied. ¡°All of your gear was transferred to your bag. You can reclaim item skins and use them as clothes even though the super spy look is probably gonna earn some weird looks around here. Let¡¯s see what else... Oh yeah there¡¯s a map and a little info packet I threw together in your bag also. Anyways great to meet you LainTrain, big fan! Welcome to The Tenth Realm, Ragnofheim! Gotta go now. Take care of my world for me! Byyyee!¡± Before I could finish sputtering a protest at her abrupt departure, I was left alone in the meadow. That name sounded Norse, weren¡¯t there only nine realms according to them? Fuck it, questions for a day when I¡¯m not naked in the woods.
¡°A Big Boob Punk Poser Loli Goddess Dumped Me In A Magical Game World! Throw a slime and a cat girl in there and Crunchyroll would greenlight the shit out of that.¡± I joked to myself with a chuckle. An odd movement at the corner of my eye drew my focus to the long grass on my left and I damn near choked on my surprise.
¡°No frigging way!¡± I blurted as what looked like a giant slow moving drop of inky blue liquid slowly snailed its way toward me. ¡°Aww why was no one here to catch that!?¡± I lamented aloud as the slime prepared to attack me.
I walked over to the undulating blob with a great sense of nostalgia and pulled my leg back to kick it like a soccer ball, just as I had done in my first days of Exiled Gods. Slimes were some of the weakest monsters and I had exterminated literally thousands in the game. I would kick it a few times and it would maybe deal a damage or two and my XP would go up a bit, simple as that.
¡°Just like old...¡± My bare foot sank into the slime¡¯s body with a bloop and a second later an agonizing pain shot through my foot and up my leg, paralyzing me for a second. I dropped flat on my ass and watched in horror as the skin on my foot dissolved and exposed muscles, veins and bones. I¡¯d love to say I grunted or roared at this point but I¡¯ll be honest. I screamed like a spoiled three year old that just touched the stove. I thrashed my leg and barely dislodged the ruthless Jello. Its body was now tinted a weird plum color from the infusion of my flesh and blood. It hit the grass and recovered quick as a cat, moving even faster than before toward my apparently delicious ass.
I scrambled on my hands and one uninjured leg to the broken pillar and climbed on top of it. I looked from the slime to my skeletal gore covered foot and back in the most pure shock I had ever experienced.
Biting my lip so hard it bled, I struggled to focus. How was I supposed to bring up my inventory!? I supposedly had all of my consumables but there was no slick heads up display like in the game. Hadn¡¯t she said it was like magic? Could it be voice activated or something like that?
¡°Ugh...i-inventory!¡± Nothing ¡°Shit shit shit! Items!¡± Nothing. ¡°Goddamn poser loli! Astral Vault!¡± Suddenly a familiar interface blipped into existence before my eyes and I could have cried in relief. I scrolled through items in a flash, selecting an Instant Grand Healing Potion. A second later, a crystal vial filled with glowing gold liquid appeared in my hand and I immediately pulled the stopper and chugged it. It worked, and for the first time ever I got to experience magical healing in a real world. Tasteless, cool, and slightly viscous liquid went down smoothly. The pain in my leg vanished and my foot was perfectly restored instantaneously.
I allowed myself a deep breath before returning my attention to Satan¡¯s little snot ball that (thank all that was holy) couldn¡¯t seem to climb.
¡°How the hell am I gonna kill you?¡± I asked it rhetorically as it aggressively bumped into the stone over and over.
I scrolled through my inventory, noting with a sour face that all of my weapons and equipment were highlighted in red, meaning I didn¡¯t have the stats required to use them. I suddenly stopped, noticing a particular weapon that wasn¡¯t red. A wicked smile spread on my face.
3: I Might Be Cheating Here
*Equipped: -Dagger
(Item Score 000) Skin: n/a
Damage: 5
Inflict
Inflict
Inflict
Inflict
Once upon a time, while in the eight hundredth layer of a jungle themed Abyss, I defeated a monster called a Mosquito Queen. It was a weirdly sexy looking humanoid mosquito. She was also a seriously brutal enemy who¡¯s basic attacks drained both stats and health. I had finished her off just as she stabbed me with her proboscis and by some strange glitch, a dagger appeared in my inventory. It had no requirements and did low attack damage but its effect was identical to the Mosquito Queen¡¯s. It pulled me through some tough times when I ran low on consumables in deeper layers even though in the grand scheme my other weapons were much more effective. The developers, well the Gods must have known about it and let it slide, I believed after considering everything.
Without further ceremony, I carefully aimed the dagger and thrust it into the slime¡¯s body being careful not to sink it too deep. With a violent vibration, the slime lost its shape unceremoniously and spread out like a slimy pancake before sinking into the grass and fallen leaves. A small surge of energy coursed into me from the dagger and I grinned. In the game, the effect had no feeling - just an increase in numbers. Here though, I physically felt the power flow into me in a warm surge of pleasure. It was amazing.
¡°Speaking of numbers.¡± I said to myself. Wonder if I can... Statistics!¡± I said, and this time was rewarded on the first try. I smiled, then frowned as I saw the sad state of myself.
Lain Erickson
Level: 1 XP: 5% to next Level Body Age: 29
Life: 14/14 Soul Energy: 10/10
Strength: 8+1
Endurance: 6+1
Soul: 4 +1
Agility: 6
Skills:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Weak Acid Resistance: 1/10 *New
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¡°So my base stats are the same as when I scanned into EG for the first time. The extra Endurance from the dagger can still boost my Life, guess that¡¯s good to know. The effect will last about an hour if it¡¯s the same as in game. Age Stasis? Maybe I won¡¯t age here? The Acid Resistance has to be from getting my foot dissolved...¡± The very fresh memory made me shudder involuntarily.
I sighed and closed the screen, bringing my inventory back up. I selected the ¡®Perfectly Drawn Awesome Map¡¯ and a rolled up sheet of paper appeared in my hand. I unfurled it and wanted to tear my hair out and giggle at the same time.
¡°Crayon. It¡¯s actually, literally, dead seriously drawn in son of a dick-bag crayon!¡± I rubbed my forehead and studied it anyways.
The big ¡®X¡¯ labeled ¡®You are here!¡¯ was easy enough to understand and I could roughly match up the distant mountains on one side with the crude triangles on the so called map which gave me a sense of direction. Apparently there was a town called Filam in the opposite direction of the triangles though how far away was a total mystery to me.
I took a few minutes to reclaim all of my item skins and equipped my suit. The real life version was actually extremely comfortable, if fairly baggy and was even effective against the chill breeze that was beginning to blow across the meadow. I scanned the area around me more closely and noticed several patches of grass moving out of sync with the breeze, and looking closer at those areas I could barely make out several slimes meandering through the tall grass.
¡°Do I drop EDEN here and grind some slimes or head for town?¡± I asked myself. I had spent so many years with only myself as company that pretty much all of my thoughts were vocalized. It was a habit I barely noticed and didn¡¯t really care to break.
¡°Probably better to move on, I could end up out here killing slimes for three hundred years if I¡¯m not careful and nobody wants to hear that story twice.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but snort at all the old manga references even though I cringed just a tiny bit inside at each one. Did I mention I¡¯m a huge nerd for anime, manga, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, and trash action movies? No? Well that¡¯s how it is, buckle up.
¡°I¡¯ll at least clear out this meadow before I go.¡± I decided, compromising with myself.
I pulled up my inventory and selected a couple of items to hopefully make the task easier. I had a few legendary elixirs that weren¡¯t my most powerful but would replenish themselves over time so there would be no loss as long as they functioned properly.
*Used Item: Chalice of Endless Alacrity-Elixir
+2x Attack/Cast/Movement Speed
Duration: 59:57
Cooldown: 7:59:57
*Used Item: Bottled Fury-Elixir
+2x Physical Attack Damage
Duration: 59:59
Cooldown: 7:59:59
My vision dimmed and I felt a very strange sensation the moment I used the elixirs. Glowing red and green tendrils erupted from every part of my body, dividing thousands of times and wrapping around my entire form. I felt them syncing up to my every nerve and muscle, enhancing my strength and speed. It was a brand new feeling, and too badass to describe. My heartbeat and breathing seemed to slow down, along with the waving of the grass and the movement of the slimes which seemed to freeze altogether. My body felt light and powerful, I hadn¡¯t felt real life ease of motion like this since my peak as an NCAA All American wrestler. My eyes lit up with a joy that I hadn¡¯t experienced in a very long time.
¡°You may be a poser loli with shit drawing skills that dropped me off to clean up your mess, but as of now I¡¯ve got your back forever.¡± I growled to the irresponsible goddess as I closed my right fist which glowed a faint purple from the mixed elixir effects.
Without any more wasted time, I hefted the dagger and ran to begin the slaughter. The speed doubling effect was just as I remembered it, and didn¡¯t affect my own sense of coordination at all. To me it seemed as though I were moving at a normal speed, but the world around me in general was moving at half speed. I affectionately called it my Matrix Potion.
My first targets were two slimes that were pushing directly into one another, either fighting or trying to make more slimes I couldn¡¯t really be sure. They deflated less than a second apart as I stabbed down twice in succession before they could register my presence at all.
I glanced at my stats a second later and did a double take. The mosquito drain effect... was stacking!? That had NEVER been a thing before. Every buff would overwrite the previous one, making the dagger fine for life steals and a decent boost in a pinch but not too much else. I could hardly believe my eyes but there it was plain as day. I also noticed that while my elixirs had a duration ticking down, the dagger¡¯s buffs had no listed duration. They couldn¡¯t possibly be permanent could they?
I decided to roll with it for now, after all there were still at least a dozen slimes that needed popping. The next slime and the following ten after that offered no resistance. After all they never even had a chance to react.
¡°Still stacking... What the fuck kinda cheat did I stumble on here?¡± I marveled as I checked my stats. ¡°One more slime and I¡¯ll level.¡±
I casually killed the last slime in the area, thoroughly satisfied by the coincidence of how the exact XP required for level two was equal to all the slimes in the meadow.
4: Stretching My Legs and Some Gnolls Appeared
Lain Erickson
Level: 2 XP: 0% to Next Level Body Age: 29
Life: 42/42 Soul Energy 38/38
Strength: 9+15
Endurance: 6+15
Soul: 4 +15
Agility: 7
Skills:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Weak Acid Resistance: 1/10
Melee Mastery: 1/100 *New
Appraisal 1/10 *New
Buffs/Debuffs:
+2x Attack/Cast/Movement Speed- Duration: 55:22
+2x Physical Attack Damage- Duration: 55:24
It was beyond all reason, but I was sitting on raw stats that were roughly equal to a level twenty player. I used my two Attribute Points to increase my Agility and Strength, those being the most commonly required to use my actual equipment. If the dagger could keep my life total so criminally high for my level, then I could afford to neglect Endurance for the time being.
¡°Incredible.¡± I said to myself before continuing. ¡°Also managed to get Melee Mastery and... hot damn Appraisal!¡± Melee Mastery was no surprise but Appraisal and a ton of other useful meta skills required a high Soul stat at a low player level to obtain. Usually only players that scanned in with high Soul or dumped all their points into Soul ever managed to obtain them.
¡°If my Soul stat stays boosted, I can probably use this world¡¯s version of magic too. Never really been a caster guy, but if there¡¯s summoning magic here...¡± I let the thought trail away, I had always imagined how much stronger I could be with a tanky elemental or healing spirit at my disposal. ¡°First I¡¯ll have to find someone that can teach the basics to me.¡±
The thoughts intrigued me and sped my feet as I took off to the west at a jog, which under the effects of the speed boosting elixir meant I was moving at a normal person¡¯s dead sprint. An Endurance of twenty-one meant I had nearly three times the cardiovascular performance of an average human on earth. The slight burn in my lungs, the fatigue in my muscles, it was so very nostalgic. Those things were never quite captured in EG. It was like my morning runs from years past. Before that day it was all taken away.
I shook my head and refocused. According to the Survival TV shows I binged in the mid 2000s I should look for high ground, and try to spot a stream or river to follow since most civilization grew around water. The map gave me a basic direction, and I had a hunch I was getting close but it would be all too easy to miss a small village in the thick forest. Food, water, and shelter were a non issue with the supplies in my possession but I needed information and that unfortunately meant I needed other people.
Following those thoughts, I climbed a small hill and found the tallest tree I could. It was an ancient elm tree like most of the others with a trunk at least ten feet in diameter. Fantasy forests were pretty epic after all. I jumped to grab a low branch that was roughly twelve feet up and ended up underestimating my leaping ability. The combination of doubled speed and Strength boosted from the dagger made me crash hard into the bottom of the sturdy branch with a loud thump.
¡°Aw son of a bitch. But then again cool!¡±I said, happy with my abilities but not with the new cut and welt on my forehead. I felt blood drip down my face and off the tip of my nose. Looking down I noted that the blood didn¡¯t stick to my clothes, simply beading off like it was coated with Teflon. ¡°Convenient!¡±
I didn¡¯t bother with a potion, any Endurance over twenty would recover minor scrapes in minutes and the pain was negligible. I picked myself up and knocked the dust off my suit before trying again with an angle that would just send me over and onto the branch instead. I managed it with only a slight wobble as I landed. I then began a steady climb to the highest branches and soon after my head emerged from the bright red foliage.
A stiff breeze blew my ear length black hair away from my eyes and a gorgeous panorama was revealed all around me. Rolling hills covered in lush red, orange, and yellow foliage spread for miles. Tall, forbidding mountains formed a wall to the northwest corresponding to the crude triangles on Ariel¡¯s ¡®map¡¯. A wide, glittering lake nestled in a valley a few miles from me on the opposite side made my face light up, for on the far bank my destination was clear. Even from here I could make out the sharp angles of human construction and thin lines of smoke from many cooking fires.
I prepared to descend when something made me freeze in place. I hadn¡¯t registered anything on a conscious level but something put me on alert- a sixth sense developed over years spent in incredibly punishing environments where a lapse in awareness was the difference between a world first Abyss delve and being lumped in with the other scrubs.
I waited in frozen silence, senses trained on the ground far below. Soon enough, four grayish furred humanoids crept up to where I had started my climb. They were definitely larger than me, and wearing uncured hides but finer details were hard to make out from this height and through the branches.
A thought occurred to me suddenly and as silently as I could, I focused on one of the brutish creatures and whispered ¡°Appraisal.¡± A translucent panel full of information appeared and I could somehow feel that some of my Soul Energy was depleted. ¡°Oh... hell.¡± I mouthed silently as I read.
?????????
Speckled Gnoll Warrior
Level: 41
Life: 105/105
¡°Grrr Bokrak M¡¯gumata!¡± One of the gnolls barked, jabbing its heavy bone tipped spear into the dirt where I had been standing.
An alert message popped up before my eyes:
Use to acquire Skill for 8 Soul Energy? Yes/No
¡°Yes!¡± I whispered excitedly as I tapped the display. Appraisal really kicked ass. As the barking conversation continued, I found myself able to understand it.
¡°Blood smell here! Human blood smell. Human in gnoll land. We eat!¡± The big hyena headed warrior snarled, once again stabbing the earth. The other gnolls yipped and growled in agreement.
¡°Split up! Find human and feast!¡± The apparent leader ordered with a sweeping wave of his long weapon.
¡°Aww heck if I only had an awesome something to drop on them while they¡¯re all set up like dumbass bowling pins...¡± I muttered with an evil smile as my hands flashed through menus. A blue cylinder the size of a mag-light with an LCD screen on the side appeared in my hand. I tapped the 6 SECONDS option and dropped it. ¡°This one¡¯s for Mufasa!¡± I yelled down in rough but understandable monstrous common.
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*Used Item: Advanced Cryo Grenade
Base Cold Damage: 100
Area of Effect: 25¡¯
Secondary Effect: Freeze (10) Seconds
The gnolls instinctively looked up in thorough confusion and followed the descent of the strange object with beady yellow eyes. The Cryo Grenade landed with a gentle bounce right between them and I couldn¡¯t contain a wild smile as I followed it in a quick branch to branch descent.
The gnolls didn¡¯t know how to react, but to their credit weren¡¯t really given time to decide either. A blast of chemical gas froze all of them solid in a way that only video game logic could ever justify.
I dropped into their midst a couple seconds later, still under the effects of the elixirs. I needed to finish them off with my dagger before the lingering cold damage killed them. Unfortunately the three smaller gnolls had been killed instantly, but as the point of my dagger drove into (and shattered) the big one I felt a surge of power many times greater than when I killed the slimes. A new notice appeared when the final gnoll¡¯s shards of frozen flesh collapsed into a neat pile, ending the so-called combat.
Requirements Met: Deal at least (200) Cold Damage in a single attack while possessing at least (15) Soul while less than Level (10). Acquiring New Spell... Successful.
White Nova (1/20) *New
Cost: 10 Soul Energy
Base Cold Damage: 25 Per Rank
Area of Effect: 10¡¯
Secondary Effect: Freeze (5) Seconds
Cooldown: 20 Seconds
¡°Boom!¡± I was ecstatic. It really was just like the game, and White Nova was a rare spell to have and now I could see why. Those two requirements before level ten would be close to impossible in most cases. If the unlocked World Spells were the same then that meant that common spells could also exist, which could simply be learned by reading a particular Spell Tome while meeting the Soul requirement. My mind raced in excitement as I brought up my Statistics to level up yet again.
Lain Erickson
Level: 3 XP: 20% to Next Level Body Age: 29
Life: 72/72 Soul Energy 38/48
Strength: 10+25
Endurance: 6+30
Soul: 4 +20
Agility: 8
Skills/Spells:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Weak Acid Resistance: 1/10
Melee Mastery: 2/100
Appraisal: 2/10
White Nova: 1/20
Buffs/Debuffs:
+2x Attack/Cast/Movement Speed- Duration: 15:22
+2x Physical Attack Damage- Duration: 15:24
¡°The big boy gave me ten Strength, fifteen Endurance, and five Soul. Nice. Appraisal and Melee went up. Those three other gnolls must have been super weak, their combined XP wasn¡¯t as much as the big one¡¯s. I have just over fifteen minutes left on my buffs. Should be enough time to get to town if I hurry.¡± I scooped up the only identifiable gnoll body part intact enough to save-the big gnoll¡¯s head still frozen in confusion. I stored it in my bag with a simple command in my inventory menu. There might be rewards for defeating monsters, no reason to leave money on the table. Once that was done, I took off toward the lake I had spotted at a near sprint. I cleared the tree line into the valley that held the massive body of water less than ten minutes later and beheld a truly absurd sight.
On the wide grassy field before me, hundreds of slimes undulated and pressed into one another in groups of two to four. Even more strangely, a lone white haired human man walked among the slimes with a sheet of bark and a quill. He wore dirty but decent leather breeches and a baggy linen shirt. He would bend close to a group of slimes, nod, and scratch something onto the bark before moving on to the next group.
The slimes seemed unusually placid, not making any kind of move toward me even when I passed well within their normal aggression radius. I walked slowly closer to the peculiar person, noting that he was probably in his early seventies by the look of the huge earlobes which had sprouted hair and the deep wrinkles on his sun beaten face. So engrossed was he in his activity that the old man failed to notice me even from this short distance.
¡°Hey there, sorry to intrude on your... whatever this is!¡± I said with a friendly wave, causing the man to start frightfully and then stare at me with his nearly toothless mouth hanging open.
¡°Y-y-yibaba!? Joki toka yibaba!? The man babbled and an alert popped up in front of my eyes.
Use to acquire Skill for 10 Soul Energy? Yes/No
I scowled unconsciously before tapping yes. That damn poser loli didn¡¯t mention that even the humans wouldn¡¯t speak my language. What if I hadn¡¯t had the dagger and gained Appraisal?! I tapped ¡®Yes¡¯ and the babbling man¡¯s next words made perfect sense.
¡°Y-you came outta Gnollwood!?¡± His eyes were wide with near panic. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man¡¯s rough voice calmed a tiny bit as he seemed to look more closely at my clothing. ¡°One of the Warlord¡¯s underlings?¡±
¡°No... I¡¯m just a lone traveler that got very lost. My name is Lain and I¡¯m hoping to visit the town across the lake to gain some information and trade... by the way what are you doing out here with all these slimes if you don¡¯t mind my asking?¡± I asked, unable to contain the question.
¡°Oh! I¡¯m Slimer Jaik, this territory¡¯s slime breeder. If you¡¯re a foreigner you might not know it but slime¡¯s are the absolute best at sanitation and water purification. A single slime can absorb all of the body waste for more than fifty humans and only consume ten percent of the water, leaving a ninety percent efficient water purification with zero impact waste removal! Once a year in the fall we have to gather all of the slimes up and bring them out here into the full sunlight so they can cross pollinate and divide. I manage the process and cull any aggressive slimes. My colony is one of the most efficient and docile in the whole country! It all started with-¡± The man noticed my jaw going slack and politely stopped. ¡°Sorry Mr. Lain, I get a bit passionate about my slimes and no one ever wants to talk about ¡®em with me.¡±
¡°No! I think it¡¯s about the most fascinating thing I¡¯ve ever seen. I¡¯d like to learn more some day when I¡¯m less busy if you don¡¯t mind.¡± I graciously replied. I could sympathize with the guy, remembering friends, family, and girlfriends with glossy eyes and tortured expressions as I talked about knee picks and high single leg takedowns.
¡°Certainly!¡± The old man beamed. ¡°Just follow the road on the southern edge of the lake. The guards there will inspect your Stats, let you in, and provide directions if you aren¡¯t affiliated with the Corpse Kingdom or the Warlord. My office is in the Public Services building next to the arena if you ever wanna talk slimes!¡± He waved and I gave a fond farewell of my own.
¡°Nice guy.¡± I mused. I began whistling the opening song from an old anime that had been stuck in my head off and on for the better part of two decades as I strolled along the road. My earlier urgency had left me now that I was in what seemed like a safe area.
I passed more people sporadically as I walked. Some were fishing with long poles from the bank while others seemed to be simply enjoying the rare warmth of a fall afternoon, sitting either alone or in small groups eating fruit and cheese from woven baskets and sitting on spread out blankets. It was a pleasant scene, and a surprising one. Earth fantasy tended to be full of miserable turnip farmers with backs bent from constant hard labor.
I could sense the curious looks people were throwing my way. My outfit made me stand out terribly. Everyone else for the most part dressed in simple earth toned garments made from spun cotton or whatever this world¡¯s equivalent was. My almost supernaturally black collared dress shirt, mirrored black shoes, and charcoal gray suit must have looked like a ridiculous spectacle in their eyes.
In spite of their curiosity, most people still managed a smile and wave as I passed. For a town so close to a place called Gnollwood that at least inspired terror in one old man, these people seemed to be pretty carefree.
As I grew closer, the sounds of lively music filtered to my ears from the direction of the town. A wooden wall with guard towers came into view shortly after, a pair of guards wearing chainmail and leather seemed to be having a lively conversation with one another. One was tall and lanky with a clean shaven face and a big nose. The other was shorter and athletic with a well groomed red beard and a crooked, clearly broken nose.
By the gestures the tall one was making, he was describing something lewd. They each carried a spear in their hand and a longsword on their hip. On each of the towers flanking the gate stood a bowman. The short guard noticed my approach and cleared his throat loudly, signaling the left guard that it was time to be serious.
¡°Greetings, sir. We don¡¯t recognize you and entering the city from the west gate is typically something only citizens do. May I ask why you didn¡¯t enter the north or east gates?¡± The man hailed me with a friendly tone, but it was tinted with suspicion.
¡°Well I got lost in the woods back there and happened to spot this town from some high ground. Is there a problem with that?¡±
¡°Not as such, sir, but if you made it out of Gnollwood alive then you should thank the goddess! Only high level adventurers go to Gnollwood and survive to tell the tale.¡± The guard admonished with a look similar to the old Slimer¡¯s.
Thank the goddess that dumped me in there in the first place? I thought and somehow managed to keep it to myself, then simply nodded seriously in response.
¡°Well then, since you are a new arrival, we¡¯ll need to have you wait here while we summon the Appraisal Mage.¡± The right guard said, motioning to a simple wooden bench a few yards to the side as he walked into the town.
¡°No problem.¡± I answered. ¡°So what¡¯s the occasion? Everyone seems to be in a pretty good mood around here.¡± I continued.
¡°Oh you wouldn¡¯t have heard!¡± The remaining red bearded guard grew excited suddenly. ¡°It¡¯s a brand new holiday! After many years of silence, the goddess finally spoke to the high priests, and declared that she was sending a champion to aid us in our struggle against evil!¡± The guard was starry eyed as he explained.
¡°Wow, you don¡¯t say!¡± I fought the urge to rub my forehead and instead feigned excitement.
About ten minutes later, the original guard returned with an annoyed looking young woman wearing light blue robes. She was conventionally pretty, a Village Ten but a City Six. She had long blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was also taller than me by an inch or so. Her superior smirk and self important attitude made me instantly dislike her.
She pointed at me and began a ridiculous sounding long incantation that made me want to cringe.
¡°By the holy goddess in her infinite wisdom, I demand that the unknown be revealed to me. Appraisal!¡± She finished with an exultant yell. An alert popped up a second later.
Shaye Lions is attempting to use to view your Statistics. Use to block some or all content? Yes/No
I picked Yes, silently cheering my own skill and quickly blocked my title from being seen. That seemed like it would only lead to problems. I also filtered my own Appraisal skill from being seen, covering my editing tracks just in case.
One look at the girl dampened my enthusiasm. She was staring at me like a fish out of water, wide eyed and silently opening and closing her mouth. The guards noticed this and suddenly readied their spears.
¡°Is he an agent of Corpse!?¡± The short guard demanded.
¡°No! Lower your weapons you fools!¡± She yelled at the two guards as well as the bowmen above that had drawn their bows. ¡°This man would kill you in an instant. His life is more than seventy and he can cast the world spell White Nova! He has no affiliations, titles, or warrants. Allow him passage at once.¡±
I let out a relieved sigh, and accepted the guards¡¯ apologies graciously. They gave me clear directions to the markets, guilds, and other points of interest I wanted to visit.
I walked through the city gate into the first fantasy town of my second life.
5: Prophecy, Potions, and a Spooky Cat
¡°Behold the goddess¡¯ divine prophecy!¡± A white robed middle aged man shouted from atop a wooden box on the street corner as I walked along the bustling main street of Filam.
The assumed priest was holding a poster sized piece of yellow parchment with dark script scrawled on it. Even from fifteen feet away, I could make it out. I frowned as I read it.
¡°Hey everyone! I sent a champion to help out, be nice to him!¡±
¡°Even her prophecies are half-assed.¡± I marveled. ¡°Guess you gotta admire the consistency.¡±
I carefully studied the area as I walked. The streets were extremely wide, allowing for an open air market to sprawl between the many established permanent stores. Colorful sheets of fabric decorated the stalls, attractive men and women beckoned pedestrians to this stall or that, and the many merchants loudly announced their wares. Minstrels, singers, strongmen, acrobats, and a variety of other performers competed for attention and tips.
¡°Healing potions, antidotes, cures for all ails here!¡± An elderly woman shouted from behind a wide table laden with flasks and herbs.
I walked up to the table, smiling. The various potions were meticulously labeled with their effects and price. There was a reddish potion in a gilded vial securely locked in a display case. It didn¡¯t have a label, likely to encourage inquiries. I decided to bite.
¡°What¡¯s that red potion?¡± I asked the woman, a sixty-something year old crone wearing a cream colored dress with her thick grey hair secured in a bun.
¡°You have quite the eye, child!¡± She announced dramatically. ¡°That is a mighty healing potion crafted by the famous Starling of Crown City. It can heal between thirty and fifty Life based on legitimate Appraisal.¡± The woman dramatically said.
¡°How long does it take to work?¡± I asked, trying to hide my disappointment.
¡°No more than a day!¡± She seemed to be expecting a big reaction based on her leading tone.
¡°Out of curiosity, what would an instant healing potion that could heal exactly fifty Life be worth?¡± I asked, referring to the weakest potion I kept on me (of which I had several hundred).
¡°There¡¯s no such thing as something like that!¡± The woman laughed. ¡°I guess you¡¯re a bit ignorant in spite of those fancy clothes. An instant potion he says!¡± She added, bumping her half asleep husband with her elbow.
¡°Hmm. In my country such a potion isn¡¯t so rare.¡± I adopted a superior air of my own. ¡°Do you happen to have the Appraisal skill yourself?¡± I asked her.
¡°Well no but Griffon down there at the bauble stall does. Oi Griffon!¡± She shouted at a tall, rail-thin man a few stalls over. He sat behind his table with crossed arms and a scowl on his scraggly face.
¡°What is it, hag?¡± The man barked back.
¡°Mr. Gray here says he has an instant potion!¡± She hollered, ignoring the insult.
It may have been a crude reference, but I liked the name. ¡°Gray...¡± It had a nice ring, and I did need to come up with a new character name after all...
The tall man blew a long suffering sigh and stood up before lazily sauntering over to us.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t tell such ridiculous tales. I¡¯ll appraise the snake oil you got scammed into buying for twenty copper. If it¡¯s the real deal I¡¯ll give you twenty copper just for the privilege of seeing it.¡± The man said to me.
I quickly navigated through my menu and a dull potion that looked like orange juice appeared in my hand a second later. The two merchants stared at me with suddenly wide eyes.
¡°Where did you pull that from!?¡± The man sputtered. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have a spatial artifact!¡±
¡°Something like that, here¡¯s the potion for your appraisal.¡± I deflected the question and placed the potion on the corner of the peddler¡¯s table.
¡°Well then, right...¡± The man had suddenly lost his belittling attitude as he looked at the orange vial. ¡°By the holy goddess in her infinite wisdom, I demand that the unknown be revealed to me. Appraisal!¡± He also used the dramatic incantation as he pointed at the potion.
¡°Well!?¡± The crone prodded as the man¡¯s mouth fell open.
¡°Fifty Life... recovered instantly! The appraisal suggests this could even restore destroyed limbs if administered early enough!¡± The exasperated man looked from the potion, to the crone, and finally back to me. ¡°H-how, where?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give you fifty gold for it right now!¡± The crone suddenly seemed to be full of energy as she cut in front of the wiry man.
¡°She¡¯s trying to rip you off. I¡¯ll give you seventy five! No! A platinum coin!¡± The man recovered in time to counter the old woman.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
¡°Don¡¯t you butt in charlatan!¡± The crone snarled back.
¡°I happen to have two of these at the moment.¡± I held up my hands to placate them. ¡°How about a hundred gold a piece and you can each have one?¡± I proposed.
The two merchants accepted instantly. I allowed the man named Griffon to appraise the second potion before finishing the deal. I stored the gold in my inventory and excused myself. The merchants waved and told me to come back any time. I could hear them celebrating as I moved away.
I knew that I could have haggled much higher, but I wanted to avoid creating a spectacle. I spent a long time surveying various goods, feeling out a rough exchange rate. A copper was around a dollar give or take twenty five cents. Ten copper exchanged for one silver, and ten silver made a gold piece. By my estimation, those two weak potions had earned me roughly twenty grand in terms of the currency I was familiar with.
I bought some plain clothing that would draw less attention along with a pair of sturdy leather boots and a comfortable brown traveling cloak. I then paid for a room at a reputable inn and went to that room to change. I returned to the inn¡¯s common room a few minutes later which sported a score or so dining tables and a long bar tended by a cute young brunette woman. I picked a corner table so that I could watch and listen with as few eyes on me as possible.
My immediate goals were simple: blend in, secure local currency, find an optimal place to gather useful information, and start grinding out levels. I needed more detailed information about the relative strength of creatures and especially other humans in this world. I wouldn¡¯t risk using Appraisal at random, now knowing that it could be detected by others whom shared the skill.
I also wouldn¡¯t seek out any allies or affiliations until I was certain where I stood on the various issues in play. If there was an invasive faction bent on slaughtering humanity, then my prime directive would be to oppose it as a matter of simple survival. I didn¡¯t intend to let anyone spoil my kickass second life, dark god or otherwise. I let my musings trail off as the afternoon deepened and a small crowd began to filter in.
¡°Sonya! Four goblin grenades for the newest C Rank team in Filam!¡± This command came from a burly looking plate armored female carrying a huge silvery warhammer on her back. She removed her full helmet as she finished her order and I perked up.
¡°Beast people!¡± I exclaimed quietly. Ariel had gotten some things right after all.
The woman was around six feet tall with a wild mane of red hair, sharp features, golden eyes with slitted pupils, and finally long lynx ears that twitched excitedly. Her three companions were also cat folk, two men and a little girl though none of them were close to her in size.
The males appeared to be scout or rogue types. They wore light supple leather with earth toned hooded cloaks and high boots. They looked similar enough to be brothers and both had rounded ears and faint leopard spots in their golden hair. Their weapons were basic recurve bows and thin rapiers.
The other cat girl appeared to be far too young to be an adventurer. She was just shy of five feet tall with her tiny body hidden by bundled light blue, fur trimmed robes. Her eyes were huge, blue, and innocent. Her skin, hair, and fur were snow white with black spots. Her overall look gave me the impression of the nearly extinct snow leopards from earth. She was the smallest and most quiet of the bunch, but somehow drew all of my attention.
My gaze followed them as they walked up to the bar where four small glasses filled with bright green liquid were lined up and waiting. Sonya was a masterful bartender it seemed, and had completed the drinks in a few seconds.
¡°Wait, why four?¡± Sonya asked the big cat woman. ¡°Tili always drinks berry tea or plain water.¡±
¡°Special occasion.¡± The tiny girl¡¯s voice was so quiet that I had to strain to make out her words.
¡°Okay but is she really old enough for these?¡± Sonya asked, sharing my exact thoughts.
¡°Rude. Tili is older than Sonya.¡± The girl answered sharply but still with the same voice that was a mixture of unbearably cute and thoroughly bored.
Even that brief exchange contained a useful piece of info. Adventuring guilds used the old cliche lettering system to rank their members. With that knowledge and knowing this group was ranked C meant I could feasibly gauge an average adventurer¡¯s strength. I doubted seriously that the big warrior would have the Appraisal skill, and decided to risk it.
¡°Appraisal.¡± I focused my attention sharply as I whispered the command. An info panel appeared.
Laguna Redmane
Level: 14 XP: 1% to next Level Body Age: 51
Life: 48/48 Soul Energy 4/4
Strength: 22
Endurance: 24
Soul: 2
Agility: 18
Skills:
Feline: +1 Agility Per Level
Physical Resistance: 5/100
Melee Mastery: 6/100
I was slightly surprised. I had been expecting much higher numbers. Was the leveling process stunted here? Maybe with this being a real world and death being a permanent consequence perhaps very few were willing to risk their lives for higher rewards? My scan was suddenly and violently interrupted as the info panel literally shattered into real life pixels before my eyes.
¡°Huh!?¡± I grunted, looking in panic to the big warrior. She was ignoring me completely, already taking her third goblin grenade shot. Panning my vision right and down, I gulped.
The little cat girl they had called Tili was staring at me. Her eyes were glowing bright blue and she was shaking a clawed finger back and forth slowly.
I tensed, not sure what would happen next. The child merely blinked slowly once and continued to stare. She took her cup of green mystery liquor in both tiny hands and sipped it without breaking eye contact for what seemed like ages. What was she thinking?
???????? ??????? has used to view your Statistics. Appraisal Blocking Unavailable.
No goofy chant, no chance to block, not even a warning. Shit.
¡°Invasive.¡± The girl¡¯s voice sounded from right next to me! Even though I was still staring at her as she stood at the bar across the room looking at me. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Her voice prompted.
I reflexively jerked my head to where the sound was coming from. There, sitting on the table next to my untouched bitter ale was a domesticated kitten sized snow leopard staring me down with the same bright blue eyes as the cat girl. Before I could form any words, she (the kitten) continued to talk as normally as could be.
¡°Spying on stats is perverted. Champion of Ariel. Stats that make no sense in relation to your level. A world spell. What do you want with my young cousin, Pervert Champion?¡± The tiny leopard¡¯s extra long and fluffy tail swished back and forth as it inquired in a string of odd sentence fragments.
¡°Pervert? Ah screw it I can¡¯t really deny that at the end of the day. This time I just wanted to learn the average strength of adventurers here and thought a C rank would give me an idea of the grading curve.¡± I was proud of my ability to adapt to bizarre situations, but this was pushing it.
¡°He didn¡¯t lie. Tili knows when they lie. Why doesn¡¯t he just ask? A coward?¡± Her odd and inconsistent syntax was jarring and exhausting to listen to. The way she had switched from ¡®you¡¯ to ¡®he¡¯ made it feel like I was talking to different people.
¡°I don¡¯t want attention just yet. If people find out I¡¯m the topic of their goddess¡¯ half-assed prophecy I won¡¯t be able to get a damn thing done without a hassle.¡± I carried on with honesty, guessing the spooky cat really could spot my lies anyways.
¡°Guild ranking below S is public record. No need to peep. Good luck Pervert Champion.¡± With yet another slow blink, the cat faded from sight as though it had never been there.
¡°Guess that¡¯s that.¡± I let the embarrassment at being scolded in such a bizarre way slip away. ¡°She¡¯s right. If there¡¯s a way to access monster and adventurer info without revealing who I am directly, then that¡¯s much better than trolling for info in a bar.¡± I took a drink of my room temperature ale and grimaced. It was like drinking murky soap water that had been used to clean dirty pennies. I refused to commit the sin of alcohol abuse though, and quickly finished it. I tapped my diaphragm with my right hand while covering my mouth with my left, coaxing out a subtle burp that tasted just as terrible as the ale.
I noticed people dropping a few coppers on their table as they left earlier and recognized the tips for what they were. It was a cultural custom I was familiar with and actually felt comforted as I dropped five copper on the table before I fled the scene.
The afternoon air was cooling rapidly as the sun began to dip below the western mountains. My new destination was the adventurer¡¯s guild, and a person or guide to teach me some basic spells and common sense.
6: The Adventurers Guild
Twenty minutes later, I entered the Filam adventurer¡¯s guild hall. It was a rectangular three story building made from smooth sanded logs with a steeply pitched roof. The place was practically deserted, I only saw a couple people, snoozing on one of the picnic style tables. I put up my hood and walked with purpose to the thirty foot long wall that was littered with job fliers and a ten feet wide by seven feet tall color coded map.
¡°Fuck yeah!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but do a small fist pump as I studied the huge regional map that not only detailed what types of creatures could be found nearby but also included the average levels, abilities, and weaknesses of each one listed.
I studied for several minutes, committing the information to memory. After that I approached the long polished reception counter. Of all the many fantasy tropes regarding adventuring guilds, I hoped one of my favorites was about to come true: the classic, extra sexy, and super charming guild receptionist. I stood patiently for a minute or so, and finally noticed the tiny bell. I tapped it and a weak ding rang out.
¡°If a bell could be depressed...¡± I muttered.
A pitiful groan from the other side of the counter, on the floor made my face screw up in confusion. I stood on my toes and leaned over to peer down just as the top of a black haired head rose up to greet me. The timing could not have been better (or worse). The crown of the person¡¯s head smacked cleanly into my chin. Unfortunately for the rising person, My stats made that the equivalent of bashing into a sturdy wooden beam.
¡°Oops! Oh crap you¡¯re bleeding.¡± My eyes flared open in panic as I looked down at my unintended victim.
It was a girl, and she may well have been the receptionist of my dreams but with the smeared makeup, blood, matted hair, and shocked face I couldn¡¯t really tell.
¡°Ugh.¡± The girl held her hand to her gashed scalp and looked up at me. ¡°New guy? It¡¯s gonna be a minute, gotta go wrap this up...¡± She was oddly calm, treating the bizarre meeting as though it happened every day. She stood slowly and wobbled after she spoke.
¡°Hold on, I can heal you right now.¡± I stopped her as I scrolled through my inventory. A second later I held one of my basic orange recovery potions out to her.
¡°I appreciate that, but I still gotta get the bleeding stopped first. Can¡¯t wait for a potion.¡± She answered, steadying herself on the counter.
¡°It¡¯s instant.¡± I said quickly. ¡°Just drink it and trust me.¡±
She looked at me dubiously but took the potion anyways. ¡°That¡¯s obviously bullshit, but can¡¯t be any worse than what I was drinking earlier.¡±
She drank the potion, and an orange glow flashed over her body from top to bottom. Her injury was healed instantly, the fresh blood disappeared from her skin and clothes, and she appeared to be revitalized. Even her bloodshot eyes and the dark circles under them cleared up.
¡°No way...¡± She said, mystified. ¡°It even cured that!?¡±
¡°That?¡± I wondered aloud.
¡°My hangover!¡± She reached across the desk and took me by the shoulders. ¡°My hangover is gone!¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad. So do you have a moment to answer some questions?¡± I tried to guide the conversation away from my potions.
¡°You can¡¯t just give me a miracle potion and then expect me to drop it just like that!¡± She resisted the attempt.
¡°Alright, it¡¯s a potion from my country very far from here.¡± I gave an unsatisfactory answer and prodded. ¡°Now can you help me out?¡±
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¡°I suppose... Did you not want to sign up?¡± She asked. ¡°You¡¯re clearly strong enough. My head can vouch for that much.¡±
¡°Not right now. I really was hoping for info on anyone that teaches basic spells or if there is a guidebook I can buy.¡± I said hopefully.
¡°I¡¯d give up on spells. You¡¯re too old and too physical. Spells take a high Soul investment, way too high at later levels like yours.¡± She waved dismissively.
¡°All the same if you have any answers I¡¯d appreciate them.¡± I persisted with a winning smile. Too old!? This body is twenty-nine. Maybe I have forty year old man expressions... Somewhat hurt thoughts zipped around my head.
¡°Okay, handsome no need to throw the big dimples at me.¡± She laughed, probably picking up on my insecurity. ¡°There¡¯s a small library on the second floor. The librarian can show you around and for a price will try to help you. My name¡¯s Fraya by the way.¡±
¡°Gray.¡± I answered back, officially adopting the name that the old crone from the market had called me. ¡°One more question. Does this guild have a freelancer policy?¡±
¡°It¡¯s kinda frowned on, but yes. Non members that complete posted jobs with proof may claim the reward minus twenty five percent to the guild.¡±
¡°Good to know.¡± I said. ¡°I ended up killing a gnoll earlier. Is there any kind of bounty for that?¡±
¡°A gnoll, really!?¡± She replied, seeming impressed. ¡°I assume you collected an ear?¡±
¡°Yep, two ears actually. And the rest of his head.¡± I was suddenly holding the still frozen solid hyena like head in my hands. Fraya squeaked and hopped back in surprise.
¡°It¡¯s huge!¡± She narrowed her eyes and looked closer, a growing sense of shock overtaking her features.
¡°The other three were smaller and there weren¡¯t any good parts to collect unfortunately.¡± I said casually.
Fraya slowly used a cloth to tilt the hideous thing back, exposing its teeth. ¡°This can¡¯t be...¡± She noted the one rotted and black nub of a canine in the gnoll¡¯s mouth and gasped.
¡°This is...¡± She didn¡¯t finish, running around the counter and bolting for the stairs. ¡°Wait there!¡± She shouted behind her before disappearing.
I suddenly had a bad feeling... Less than a minute later Fraya returned, bounding down the stairs dragging a short, stocky figure by the hand.
¡°Oi lassy, what¡¯s the idea dragging me down here?¡± He was obviously a dwarf.
At the bottom of the stairs he managed to yank his hand away from Fraya, straighten his ruffled blue tunic, and hand brush his long grey beard back into place. With his dignity mostly salvaged, the dwarf stumped over to where Fraya was frantically pointing.
He spared me a quick glance and then looked at what was resting on the counter. For a split second the tired old green eyes widened but quickly recovered.
¡°Big gnoll sure, but I¡¯ve felled bigger.¡± The dwarf patted the air as he spoke mostly to Fraya. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Give the lad his pay and a pat on the back.¡±
¡°Look in its mouth, guildmaster.¡± Fraya ordered with her arms crossed.
¡°Its mouth...?¡± The dwarf¡¯s voice suddenly tightened. He moved with a sudden speed that I could not have predicted. It was more like the dwarf appeared next to me suddenly.
¡°Were there three other gnolls with this one?¡± The apparent guildmaster¡¯s voice had changed along with his movements. It was low, concise, and commanded instant respect.
¡°Yes there were.¡± I responded.
¡°And?¡± The dwarf prodded.
¡°Shattered into thousands of pieces.¡± I said nonchalantly, making a kaboom gesture with both hands. ¡°Were they supposedly strong?¡±
That last question seemed to hit the dwarf quite hard.
¡°Those three were known as the Blackfang Gnolls, their leader here was a direct subordinate of The Warlord that¡¯s been ravaging the area. They have killed hundreds of people between them, including my former party.¡± The old dwarf seemed to be experiencing a wide range of emotions and thoughts. ¡°I won¡¯t pry into how you accomplished this. My name is Hurstag Karom Stonesong, and you have my deepest thanks for ending the rampage of this beast.¡± Hurstag lowered his head in a deep bow as he expressed sincere gratitude.
¡°It fell into my lap.¡± I waved away the serious moment. ¡°Fraya did mention there was a librarian here that could help me out with some magic lessons. If I could just get those covered and have someone help me with some common sense information about this area I¡¯ll consider us square.¡± I finally guided the conversation to what I really wanted.
¡°Is that really all you want?¡± The guildmaster almost seemed suspicious.
¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a guildmaster owe me a favor.¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll never ask you to do anything shady or dangerous before you ask.¡± I quickly amended.
¡°Deal.¡± Hurstag stuck out a thick, hairy knuckled hand for me to shake as he answered. ¡°I¡¯ll lead you to our resident magic expert, right this way.¡±
I nodded and followed closely behind as Hurstag ascended the stairs to the guild¡¯s second floor. Down a short hallway and through a curtained doorway, we entered the modest library. The smell of leather binding and musty tomes mixed with the somewhat sweet odor of the many oil lamps being used to light the labyrinth of tall book shelves.
The sensations here once again reminded me of the reality of this place and my smile widened. I felt so damn lucky.
¡°Raj, you back here?¡± Hurstag announced our entry loudly. I winced, the sudden booming voice seemed somehow offensive in the solemn and silent library.
¡°Indeed I am.¡± A quiet and sleepy voice responded a second later. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of this intrusion?¡± A silhouette emerged from a shadowy area between two shelves and I raised my eyebrows in curiosity.
Brown speckled wings adorned the back of the approaching librarian. The voice was slightly raspy and androgynous, but their body was very feminine. The librarian called Raj had a slim humanoid figure with wide hips and a flat chest. She (I confirmed her to be female as she stepped fully into the light) had thin arms that ended in long delicate fingers. Her legs were shapely from the knee up, but from the knee down resembled giant eagle¡¯s talons that clicked on the wooden floor as she moved. In spite of the features reminiscent of the mythological tengu, Raj¡¯s face was actually very pretty unlike the typical frightening demons portrayed in fiction. Her eyes were huge and golden, seeming to drink in everything with a single glance, and the tufts of brown hair that stood out from the rest of her hair reminded me of a great horned owl. Her clothes were surprisingly skimpy. A thin white skirt that draped at an angle, cut all the way up to the hip on the left and just above the knee on the right. The angle barely covered her privates, and a simple strip of fabric tied around her thin chest just kept her from an R-Rating. I¡¯m not ashamed to say I was into it.
¡°I see.¡± She said after hearing a quick explanation. ¡°I shall teach you as much as I am able.¡±
With that, Hurstag excused himself. His clomping footfalls echoed into the distance as Raj led me to a small table where we could begin my lessons.
7: Howling Nightmare
Requirements Met: Study Spell Tome while possessing at least (10) Soul while less than Player Level (10). Gain Passive Spell ? This Ability occupies (2) basic spell slots. Available Basic Spell Slots (2 of 2). Yes/No
War Mage (1/1) *New
Cost: N/A
Basic Spell Slots: 2
-Passively add the Melee Damage bonus from Strength to all Spell Damage.
-Passively add the Spell Damage bonus from Soul to all Melee Damage.
I had finally settled on which spell I wanted to learn after three hours of poring through catalogs with Raj¡¯s amazingly patient guidance. I now knew that there was a hard cap for how many basic (non-world) spells one could learn based on one¡¯s Soul stat. Some spells occupied far more slots than others. I had chosen the ability that would scale the best and fit my methods in the long run. My inflated stats would now be doubly effective whether casting spells or attacking with melee weapons.
After leaving the library on my way out of the guild, the voice of Fraya stopped me just as my hand touched the door handle.
¡°Mr. Gray! Do you have a moment?¡± She seemed distraught.
¡°I do. What is it?¡± I asked, turning fully to face her.
¡°An emergency request has come in. I know you aren¡¯t a member, but all of our higher level adventurers are out on requests. Someone able to take out a high level gnoll band like you could surely help. The reward is substantial.¡± She added at the end, hoping to entice me.
¡°What¡¯s the request?¡± I was intrigued, this smelled like good XP.
¡°The village to the east, Braverton has been finding whole families brutally murdered in their own homes by some powerful creature or creatures.¡± Fraya explained. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you can help but I¡¯m asking everyone that seems capable.¡±
¡°That village is on my way anyways, I¡¯m heading east in the morning. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± I assured her with a nod. The conversation seemed so game-like that I was surprised there was no giant ¡¯!¡¯ floating over her head.
¡°Thank you... I know this is so selfish of me to ask, but could you please go there sooner? I have some dear friends in Braverton and the thought of them being-¡± She stopped as she began to choke on emotion.
¡°So be it. You owe me though.¡± I didn¡¯t have many reasons to refuse, and maybe I¡¯d get a date out of the deal.
That night on the outskirts of the village of Braverton, nestled in the fork where the great Kelghast river became the Twin Viper rivers a small family of cat folk were turning in for the night.
The parents - young adult cat folk in their mid forties stayed up after putting their twin children to bed. Twins and triplets were very common among beast folk, and their son and daughter were only seven years old. They were too young to know that behind the loving smiles and happy laughter, their parents were in the grip of absolute dread and horror.
They sat in the main room of the small log house and held each other shivering as the sound of blood curdling howls split the silence for the third night in a row. This particular family raised cattle for milk and meat. Living on the northern edge of the village, somewhat sheltered against the bank of the northern Viper river had spared them the horror of the previous nights thus far. Whatever was plaguing Braverton always began to attack a single home when the moon was at its peak and fled before the dawn. Tomorrow they would flee for Filam. If they could just be spared one more night...
Before the attacks began, the Kaelica family had finally begun to really prosper. Their new bull (a late wedding gift from a distant relative) was a prize that promised many future generations of strong animals. The happy couple Ander and Luana had decided to ignore the pleas of the village leadership to shelter in the somewhat distant town hall, and stay to protect their animals which were their entire way of life. How they regretted that choice now.
The howls were unnatural. They were deeper, and carried far longer than a normal wolf howl. There must have been many creatures making the noise based on the variations, and they were closer than they had ever been this night. Waves of involuntary chills ripped through the poor couple as they prayed with all their might that they might be spared just once more. They both acted at once, going to rouse the children, but as it turned out they didn¡¯t need to.
¡°Mama. We¡¯re scared.¡± A tiny voice came from the entry to the twins¡¯ room. Their son Tyren had spoken, he clutched a small fleece blanket in one hand and held his wide eyed sister¡¯s hand in the other. They both had been affected by the howls tonight for the first time.
¡°Come here.¡± Luana said gently to them. She swiftly wiped a tear from her eye and smiled. It was time to plan for the worst. She nodded to Ander, who sighed and coughed softly to cover a sob.
¡°Ty, Niiya. We¡¯re sorry but we need you two to be brave. Something bad might happen tonight. We¡¯re going out to the cellar to hide. Do you remember like we practiced?¡± Ander knelt before his children, looking them in their eyes as they quickly filled with tears and confusion.¡°Quiet as the cotton field, small as a mouse? Remember?¡±
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¡°I ¡®member.¡± Tyren wiped his eyes and tried to look strong. Niiya simply stood with her lower lip shaking, her feline ears drooping.
¡°Now, dress in your warm clothes and wait by the back door. Hurry!¡± A howl that must have been just a hundred yards from the house spurred Luana to action. She ushered her children back to their rooms where they quickly began to cry softly as they obeyed.
A few minutes later and they were all bundled and ready. Ander clutched an antique spear awkwardly. It had belonged to his father, a warrior of some renown that had died in battle while Ander was just a boy. Ander himself was no warrior, and had sworn himself to a life of peace, vowing that he would not abandon his family as his father had.
As they gathered by the back door, a sound from beyond the front of the house made them freeze. A deep bellowing moo was followed by the sound of a tremendous, splintering impact. The barn.
Ander held a finger to his lips, and crept to the tiny hole by the door used to peek out at visitors or potential dangers.
The dirt lot beyond the small front porch was bathed in bright blue moonlight, as was the large barn just thirty yards beyond that where the dozen cows and new bull slept. The large barn door had been torn away and tossed aside, and standing before the door on its hind legs surrounded by five smaller versions of the same beast stood a terror beyond Anders¡¯ comprehension.
Werewolf. The name had never meant much to Ander, just a common campfire tale to frighten the very young or very dim. The smaller werewolves stood over six feet in height with dark grey fur, long arms that ended at their knees, razor sharp claws, and maws filled with menacing teeth that dripped with hungry saliva. The one that must have been the alpha was easily eight feet tall with ink black fur, and exaggerated canines that extended below its dripping chin. The sounds they made, guttural snarls and excited yips made Ander¡¯s heart lurch. They were communicating, and that scared Ander almost as much as their terrible appearance.
A snort and blast of steam came from just inside the ruined barn door, jarring Ander. He knew they must run but he couldn¡¯t look away as the two ton bull suddenly charged at the massive alpha werewolf. The alpha skidded back five or six feet as the bull¡¯s thick skull crashed into it with the impact of a car crash. The two seemed to freeze for a long moment. The bull¡¯s body quivered with rage and exertion as it was stopped in its tracks and held in place by two clawed hands. Then, with a howl that shook the cabin the alpha twisted its arms. The bull was flipped to its back and all five wolves descended onto it. Horrible tortured sounds echoed for what felt like forever as the pack tore into the bull and feasted, seeming to relish the fact that their prey lived as they ate.
Ander rushed to the back door quietly, opening it softly and leading his family toward the small cellar beside the house. As he bent down to open the hatch, a twig snapped nearby. The entire family froze as a gray werewolf, maw still steaming with the fresh blood of the bull stalked around the corner into view. It was likely sent around to ensure none escaped. It stared them down for a single second before throwing its head back with a loud and high pitched howl.
¡°Get to the woods!¡± Ander screamed, all fear gone from his voice. ¡°NOW!¡± He didn¡¯t bother looking back as he charged the werewolf at a dead sprint.
Luana did as he said, tears streaming down her cheeks as she fled, holding a small hand in each of her own.
¡°Run! Run!¡± She said over and over as the sound of her husband fighting for their lives grew distant behind her. She chanced a single glance back, and saw to her horror that a group of three werewolves were in pursuit. There was no way they could all make it.
¡°Keep going!¡± She pleaded with her babies as she let go of their hands. ¡°Run and hide! Live for your mommy and daddy! Please get away...¡± Tyren grabbed Niiya¡¯s hand and thankfully they obeyed. They ran as fast as their tiny legs could carry them. They were good kids. Luana changed direction, running along the forest and screaming at the werewolves to come and get her.
They did come after her, and a few moments later, a filthy swiping claw swept her legs out from under her. Her right ankle was broken, and her death was imminent but she did not cry out. She grimaced as they fell upon her. She would not let her screams haunt her children. Luana died bravely, and quietly in the fields behind her home.
Ander¡¯s brave charge was worthy of praise. He bought his fleeing family a full four seconds. Unfortunately in a world of stats and powers, emotions did very little to even the odds. The spear was sharp, of decent quality, and the man wielding it was reasonably strong from a life of hard farming. The tip of the spear penetrated the werewolf¡¯s gray hide just enough to illicit a small grunt and draw a drop of blood.
A single heavy swipe sent Ander¡¯s head flying a dozen yards. Mercifully the force of the blow also sent his brain instantly unconscious as death took him.
Tyren pulled Niiya along as she struggled to keep up. She was weaker than him, due to a terrible illness she had suffered the previous summer. Her body had never quite recovered and all the adrenaline and exertion had left her tiny lungs burning and her body too weak to run.
Tyren looked around the elm forest desperately, adrenaline pounding. He spotted a wide trunk, half rotted with a hollow beneath it barely large enough for one of them to squeeze under. He pulled Niiya to the tree and told her to crawl inside as far as she could and be silent. She numbly did as she was told, too dazed from the terror to argue. She squeezed into the tiny space as Tyren furiously covered the hole with dead leaves and dirt. Seconds later she could hear him freeze. Low growls and heavy footsteps came next. A few fast footfalls as Tyren must have tried to run led to a pathetic cry and quick crunching snap. The scream that followed tore Niiya¡¯s heart asunder and she covered her mouth as a fresh wave of hot tears stung her eyes. Suppressed sobs racked her as the sounds of crunching and slurping tormented her flattened ears.
She wanted to die, but that desire couldn¡¯t overcome her terror. The horrid sounds of werewolves feasting abruptly ceased. Exaggerated sniffing sounds grew closer and closer. Low growls and snarls punctuated the sniffing and loud snorting exhales. One particular exhale was close enough that Niiya¡¯s nose wrinkled in revulsion as a faint whiff of a werewolf¡¯s putrid breath nearly caused her to retch. An excited and deep sniff confirmed her worst fears. They had found her.
Rending claws tore huge chunks of soft dirt away in a flash, exposing the terrified girl. Long wicked teeth sank into her upper arm, and powerful neck muscles ripped her out of the hollow. She was sent flying and into a roll, coming to a halt in a puddle of something lukewarm and gummy. Her mangled arm radiated agony and poured blood freely. Her dazed vision focused on something. A small severed hand, barely bigger than her own was lying just in front of her face in a pool of dark blood amid scattered gore covered bones. Any second now she would be torn apart just like Tyren. The thought comforted her and she closed her eyes.
¡°White Nova.¡± A strange voice rang out, so out of place that Niiya¡¯s eyes opened once more. A blast of cold air washed over her, and silence followed. She lifted her head weakly, and saw what was happening, though she couldn¡¯t make any sense of it.
All three of the monsters that had killed her brother were frozen, literally coated in a sheen of bluish white ice and stuck in place. Walking with unnatural looking fluidity and speed up to one of them and holding a dull colored dagger was a human with dark hair that shone blue in the light of the full moon. Purple lines of energy traced randomly over the man¡¯s body. With no hesitation and no mercy, the dagger plunged into the chest of the first werewolf. Its body crumbled into large frozen chunks. Before even two seconds had passed, the other two also collapsed into similar piles.
¡°Fuck. Not kids. Not fucking kids...¡± The strange words reached her ears, the voice was full of lament and Niiya could barely make out a tear on the man¡¯s cheek as her vision blurred and narrowed to a small pinhole from blood loss.
¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re alive!?¡± The voice was fading now. Niiya was dimly aware that someone was holding her. It was warm.
¡°Stay with me!¡± The voice¡¯s urgency made her fight for a moment. ¡°You have to swallow this, please you can do it! I know you can!¡±
Something rested on her lip, and something cool and tasteless flooded her mouth. With the last of her waning strength Niiya swallowed whatever it was. Life and vigor poured into her body in a rush. Consciousness overwhelmed her and she came to.
She was being carried in the strange man¡¯s arms. The pain of her wounds and her exhaustion were both simply gone. He was running fast. With her regained wits she could tell that he was heading back in the direction of the farm.
¡°No! That¡¯s where the monsters are!¡± She protested, squirming.
He stopped, and looked down at her. His eyes were so full of kindness and resolve that Niiya stopped fussing and simply stared.
¡°You are safe now.¡± He promised, his tone one of pure finality and utter confidence. Niiya didn¡¯t fight any further.
8: An Unfair Fight
The werewolf alpha and his favorite female were thrilled with the night¡¯s hunt. The others would soon return after they dealt with the feeble cats. While they were gone, he and his queen feasted on a whole herd of tender and meaty cattle. He had eaten seven of the bloody beef livers and was about to split open an eighth of the crippled beasts for yet another. Blood flowed as his belly filled. This was life at its best for the alpha and dawn was still hours away.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the woods I was sitting high up in the branches of an elm tree with the little cat girl still clinging to me tightly with her face buried in my chest and her eyes closed. She was still shuddering with quiet sobs which tore at my heart and caused an unexpected amount of rage to bubble up in my gut.
I watched the too silent farmhouse intensely, gently patting the quivering girl¡¯s back with my right hand.
My patience was rewarded a minute later when I finally spotted a subtle movement in the shadow of the house. One of the dark grey werewolves was hiding there and obviously keeping watch, probably waiting for the returning three that I had killed. Two humanoid corpses also littered the field below. One was missing its head, and the other was ravaged by dozens of horrible wounds with a shredded blood soaked dress in tatters all around her. Ohh were these mutts going to fucking die...
I didn¡¯t want to expose the kid to what was most likely the bodies of her parents, and so I whispered as gently but firmly as I could just next to her ear.
¡°Can you look up at me?¡± I asked. Her ear twitched once, and with great effort she complied.
Large bloodshot eyes slowly opened, tears still freely flowing. She looked up, and her eyes finally met mine. Anguish, sadness, grief beyond measure roiled in that silver eyed stare. I held her gaze and swallowed.
¡°I am going to destroy the monsters that did this. All of them.¡± I spoke slowly and clearly. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a magical drink that makes it so they can¡¯t find you. After you drink it, just stay here, don¡¯t look down, and stay quiet. I promise to come back for you. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Understand...¡± She spoke so softly that I had to lean down even closer. ¡°Promise?¡±
I held out my pinky, which she looked at uncomprehendingly. I urged her to do the same and she held out her own clawed pinky finger with obvious confusion. I wrapped my finger around hers and shook it gently once.
¡°There, now the promise can¡¯t ever be broken.¡± I said.
¡°More magic?¡± She asked with a small hiccup.
¡°Very powerful magic.¡± I replied with a solemn nod. She seemed to take a tiny bit of comfort from that.
I selected one of my more valuable potions, of which I only had eighty and it appeared in my hand. She stifled a surprised squeak and looked at the cloudy vial.
¡°Drink the whole thing.¡± I instructed seriously, pulling the stopper and handing it to her.
She took it with trembling hands and barely hesitated.
¡°Sweet...¡± She whispered.
A second later, she faded from view becoming fully invisible. The potion also blocked sound and smell for the duration of the effect as long as she didn¡¯t do anything hostile to any other creatures.
¡°Remember, don¡¯t look down and don¡¯t move no matter what you hear until I come back.¡± I reiterated.
I couldn¡¯t detect a response obviously, and picked my way easily down the branches. A few moments later I was stalking from shadow to shadow downwind of the sentry.
This was home. As a mostly solo player always pushing the very edges of what was possible in terms of difficulty, I had been relying on stalking and ambush tactics for years. I was beyond professional. Sneak attacks inherently did multiplied damage, the exact multiplier depended on the anatomy of the victim and the body part hit. The highest damage multiplier to my knowledge was ten times normal damage. With my grossly inflated strength and accuracy developed over tens of thousands of kills, a one-on-one fight against an unaware enemy like this was nothing.
The cold steel dagger punched through the bored werewolf sentry¡¯s spine just below its skull. Death was instant. I guided the body down, using the embedded dagger as a handle while my other hand gripped the coarse fur of the monster¡¯s chest. The densely muscled beast felt no heavier than a two liter soda in my hands and a grim smile settled onto my face. I was getting stronger. I had graduated from amoeba to housefly in comparison to my former self.
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¡°Appraisal.¡± I said nearly silently, looking at the corpse.
Moonwolf Soldier
Level: 20
Life: 0/50
Strength: 20
Endurance: 25
Agility: 20
Soul: 6
Skills:
Moonwolf : When the moon is at least half full, gain a powerful humanoid form. All attacks deal double damage and all incoming attacks deal half damage in Moonwolf form.
Pack: While within (100¡¯) of another Moonwolf, gain immunity to fear and domination effects.
The stats were underwhelming. I wasn¡¯t surprised though. There had been beasts like this in EG. They were known as false werewolves. They weren¡¯t true lycanthropes and thus couldn¡¯t infect others or change to human form, and were vastly weaker than the real deal. They were empowered by moonlight, but beyond that were just two legged direwolves.
I walked the few feet to the headless corpse, and picked up the spear still held in the body¡¯s lifeless grip. I then crept around the cabin, and the barn came into view. A slaughtered and mostly stripped carcass of a bull lay just before the blasted barn door. Steam and the smell of blood and manure rolled out from the demolished entrance. The sound of continued chewing and soft contended growling also filtered out. I caught sight of a long black tail gently wagging back and forth. By the size of it, and the slaughtered bull carcass I had the feeling this was the boss. I adjusted my pace and hoped Appraisal would work with the limited view. I breathed a sigh of relief, then raised an eyebrow at the information that was revealed.
Doomhowl
Level: 55
Life: 170/170 Soul Energy 8/16
Strength: 40
Endurance: 85
Agility: 40
Soul: 4
Skills:
Moonwolf : When the moon is at least half full, gain a powerful humanoid form. All attacks deal double damage and all incoming attacks deal half damage in Moonwolf form.
Pack: While within (100¡¯) of another Moonwolf, gain immunity to fear and domination effects.
Alpha¡¯s Howl: Doubles the Effects of Moonwolf on all nearby creatures for (60) seconds. Cost (8) Soul Energy
¡°Found you.¡± I growled as I opened my inventory screen.
Normally I would have conserved my resources and prepared an ambush for the enemy that was so much higher leveled than me. Normally I would have treated this like any other boss type encounter. Normally I wasn¡¯t so very, very angry.
A perfectly smooth sphere of obsidian appeared in my hand. In it thrummed a red light. It pulsed like a slowly beating heart. It was a legendary artifact, gained by defeating Pyrathagos, a god-like fire elemental guarding the eight hundredth layer of the Primordial themed abyss. The item had one of the longest known cooldowns of any effect in EG and with damn good reason.
*Used Item: Core of Pyrathagos-Artifact
¡°The Primal Fire Blesses You.¡±
Duration: 4m:59s
Cooldown: 29d:23h:59m:59s
Inside the barn, something made Doomhowl¡¯s fur stand on end. He was practically drunk from the amount of rich meat packing his belly. He lazily raised his head from the half eaten eighth liver, his mind slower than his sharp instincts. There was a whooshing and crackling sound like a bonfire. Then there was a glow. Just as a growl was rising in his throat, the air in the barn vanished in a blast of heat so intense it singed the tips of his black fur. When the flash was over and his vision slowly returned, the alpha¡¯s intelligent eyes widened in shock. The roof, and top half of the barn were simply gone. Full moonlight shone on him and his still stunned mate. The remaining bottom of the barn was glowing red at the point where the top half had once been connected. The wood was cleanly sheared away, as though it were paper cut by red hot scissors. A deep, menacing voice that echoed like a roaring forge boomed into his mind. He couldn¡¯t comprehend the words but the tone was terrifying.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t fuck around with kids.¡± I said calmly.
I now stood just over nine feet tall, looking down on the giant moonwolves. My skin was obsidian black riddled with spiderweb cracks of glowing magma. The feeling of power was beyond my ability to describe. How do you explain the feeling of the destructive force of a volcano at your fingertips? A suit of white hot full platemail encased my altered form. My eyes and hair were now composed of pure crackling flame. In my right hand was a great flaming sword, in my left hand was the plain spear of the murdered catfolk. The shaft of the weapon was already beginning to char. That was fine, no fights against a fire titan lasted long.
Doomhowl was an intelligent beast, but it was no coward. With a mighty howl that carried the weight of magic, it leaped with impressive speed at me. Courageous but futile.
¡°Worlds with stats...¡± I began, planting the spear into the dirt before snapping my hand out to intercept the slow motion (in my perspective) leap. ¡°Are not fair.¡± I finished by plunging my flaming hand into the fake werewolf¡¯s gaping mouth. I seized the beast¡¯s long tongue (ignoring the vicious bite that caused no damage) and yanked backwards, blackened tongue in hand. The alpha made a strange agonized noise and dropped to the ground, smoke pouring from its jaws. The morbid wound did not bleed, my attack had seared it shut instantly. I opened my hand and only ashes drifted down.
The female howled suddenly and charged upon regaining her senses. My right arm twitched, and two perfectly bisected halves of the enraged female flew to either side of me. There was no blood, just copper scented steam.
The alpha flew into a rage then, swiping wildly at me with both claws. I didn¡¯t even move to parry. A moment later he drew back two charred stumps that ended just below his elbows after the armor of Pyrathagos vaporized his pathetic flesh. My sword flashed again, and the alpha felt cool dirt on his back. Both of his legs up to the knee were still standing, but were no longer attached to his body.
The rage couldn¡¯t hold back the pain any longer, and the mighty Doomhowl existed in a world of pure agony. The flaming monstrosity that was me stood over him, once again holding the charred spear. The red hot spear tip entered Doomhowl¡¯s overstuffed belly slowly. Chewed up meat, liver, blood, bile, and thick steam pumped from the wound as he convulsed. He couldn¡¯t even shriek or howl for his burned mouth no longer worked. The spear stabbed into him many more times before his health finally ran out and he mercifully expired.
Rot in hell you son of a bitch.
9: EDEN
Requirements Met: Single handedly destroy an enemy greater than (50) levels above your level. Acquiring New Title... Successful.
*New
Passive Effect: (+5%) bonus XP gained for each
enemy level above your level when you defeat an
enemy.
When set as Active Title: Heroic Aura- Tier 1
Requirements Met: Deal at least (200) Fire Damage in a single attack while possessing at least (15) Soul while less than Player Level (10). Acquiring New Spell... Successful.
Blast Nova (1/20) *New
Cost: 10 Soul Energy
Base Fire Damage: 25 Per Rank
Area of Effect: 10¡¯
Secondary Effect: (5) Burning for (10) Seconds
Cooldown: 20 Seconds
I mentally scanned the notifications as I canceled the effect of the artifact. If my mood weren¡¯t so pickled from the night¡¯s horror and accumulated exhaustion, I would have been smiling. The new title would save me the headache of being identified as Ariel¡¯s champion as long as I kept it active. Heroic Aura was a useful social effect that aided with persuasion, and caused a fear debuff to monsters weaker than myself. By far the biggest bonus was the stacking XP multiplier for defeating higher level enemies.
Blast Nova was a more common spell in EG than White Nova for the simple fact that fire based area of effect damage was readily available in the form of explosives from basic shops. Having both spells was a big deal for some reason but I couldn¡¯t remember exactly why. The damage over time effect was extremely useful, allowing for versatile kiting tactics that were perfect for someone with my skills.
I resisted the urge to inspect my stats. There was something more urgent to take care of. I quickly returned to the field behind the house, and carefully gathered the remains of the two murdered cat folk. I really hoped the little girl would keep her promise and not look down as I did so. It was awful but I decided to store their bodies in my Astral Vault for safekeeping until I knew what type of rites were appropriate. A few moments later, I collected what little was left of the boy¡¯s body as well. It was nauseating work, but there was no one else to do it.
¡°It¡¯s only been a day...¡± I mumbled, exhaustion creeping deeper into my psyche.
I climbed the tree where I left the kid, announcing myself as I did.
¡°It¡¯s all clear kiddo, the monsters are all gone.¡± I called.
I slowed as I neared the branch where I¡¯d left her.
¡°It¡¯s okay?¡± Her tiny voice was raw, and barely audible.
I felt a light touch on my sleeve, and nodded in the direction of the voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go down. I have a safe place where we can rest.¡±
¡°Help down...¡± She said brokenly, the invisible hand tugged lightly on my sleeve.
I opened my arms in response and felt her once again cling to my neck. She weighed practically nothing, and felt as fragile as an empty eggshell. I descended easily, now much better adapted to my body¡¯s performance. I didn¡¯t return to the farmhouse, instead heading for a clearing I passed on the way there. I didn¡¯t want to expose her to the place right now, and hoped that what I was about to show her would be a distraction from her trauma.
The invisibility potion wore off as we arrived at the semicircular field. It was roughly a hundred feet in diameter with short brown grass, and the charred skeleton of a burned shack on the northern edge. I surveyed it more closely and nodded in satisfaction. This area would suffice.
I set Niiya down gently, and she put a hand on my cloak. I scrolled through my inventory until I found what I was looking for. I wasn¡¯t completely sure if this particular item would function, but now was the time to find out. A moment later I held a dull grey cube in my hand. It was six inches across, and along its surface were several buttons and a digital screen on one of its facets. I pressed buttons and fidgeted with it until I was satisfied. Finally, I tossed the cube out to the center of the clearing. What happened next caused the girl to start, and cling to my leg in shock.
The cube sprouted hundreds of glowing white tendrils which spread in every direction, reaching high into the air and burrowing into the ground. The tendrils branched exponentially, forming a clear structure that glowed so brightly that we were forced to avert our eyes. The white brilliance faded shortly after. In the center of the clearing was a cube just like the original artifact, only it was now more than fifty feet wide by fifty feet tall. The walls were made of some type of dull metal. I took Niiya¡¯s hand and led her up to the huge structure.
Her bloodshot eyes were wide, and only grew wider as I touched the metal surface. An invisible panel slid silently upward, revealing a short and well lit hallway with plain white walls. We entered together and the wall closed behind us. A disembodied, cool, professional female voice greeted us from somewhere unseen.
¡°Welcome back, Mr. Erickson. How would you like to configure your base today?¡± The voice asked, making Niiya squeak in surprise and cling tighter to my leg.
¡°Hey Tabula, glad to see you¡¯re still with me.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my relief. ¡°Winter Resort, Active Camo Exterior, don¡¯t eliminate any intruders without notifying me first.¡± I paused, considering something else. ¡°Herbal tea, assorted cakes, and hot baths right away.¡± I finished issuing my commands and turned the door handle at the end of the hall.
¡°Of course, Mr. Erickson. Your guest seems distressed, may I suggest something more to help her rest easier?¡± That made me pause. A chill shot up my spine.
I knew this base inside and out. It was an absolute top of the line artifact called EDEN. I earned it from a futuristic cyberpunk themed Abyss as a World First reward for clearing the nine hundredth layer. It could be erected once per day, and reconfigured every eight hours. Based on available space and durability requirements, it could be anything from a practically indestructible small bunker to an average durability twenty story resort hotel. The AI that governed the space was incredibly advanced, but not without limits. I had heard every single one of her voice lines many times. The last thing she had said was completely new, and it unsettled me deeply.
¡°Tabula...¡± I began tentatively. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I chose a question that I knew with certainty would result in an error response of ¡®Command not recognized¡¯.
¡°I am well enough, and glad to be here Mr. Erickson.¡± The voice no longer seemed so disembodied, and sounded like the speaker was just inside the cracked door.
I gulped, preparing myself for yet another shock. With a deep breath, I opened the door. Relaxing dim light revealed a beautiful grand hall constructed of dark stained timber. The air was lightly scented with cinnamon and pine. This configuration was modeled after a ski lodge for the ultra wealthy in Switzerland. High vaulted ceilings soared twenty feet above us. Floor to ceiling windows were covered in thick, luxurious curtains, and a circular polished island bar with delicately carved stools sat at the center of the room. Overstuffed leather armchairs, antique chaise lounges, short coffee tables, and thick red rugs were tastefully arranged on the polished wood floor.
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A refined looking middle aged man with short blonde hair and a thick mustache stood inside the island bar. He was dressed in a white dress shirt with black suspenders, and a pure white towel slung over one shoulder. He nodded a warm greeting and continued to stand at attention with his hands behind his back. To the side of the door stood a beautiful woman. I recognized her immediately.
The AI which governed EDEN was a powerful NPC named Tabula Rasa. Her avatar was that of a tall, incredibly attractive Japanese woman. She was identical to the boss which guarded the nine hundredth layer - a super advanced android, and the chief defense officer from a futuristic tyrannical corporation. She kept her long hair twisted in a tight bun, and her dark eyes were calm behind her stylish glasses. Her figure would make any lingerie model envious, and her outfit was all business. A black pencil skirt with a thigh high slit revealed a toned muscular leg when she willed it. She wore a tight white silk button up blouse beneath a form fitting black blazer. The top button of said blazer rested just under her exaggerated chest, and seemed to be on the verge of shooting across the room at any moment. Tabula¡¯s already statuesque height was further enhanced by her four inch polished black heels.
I felt a bead of nervous sweat gather on my forehead as I looked at her. In addition to her abilities to run this base, Tabula Rasa was a level three hundred boss and was now showing behavior I had never seen before. If she attacked me now, I would be utterly helpless.
¡°I¡¯ll take your coats. Please remove your boots and make yourselves comfortable.¡± Tabula smoothly assisted Niiya out of her coat and shoes, even as the little girl gaped like a landed fish at the alien surroundings.
I was still apprehensive about Tabula¡¯s suddenly expanded personality, but detected no hostility from her. In fact, she now looked at me with a warm smile and an animated expression. She seemed very alive. Her former expression had been a static, cool smile that never touched her narrow and piercing brown eyes. The change was equal parts intriguing and terrifying.
I pulled my gaze away from Tabula and took a better look at the cat girl in the light. She was obviously numb from all the trauma and terror. She kept a death grip on my pant leg, the only anchor she had in the world at the moment. Her clothes and long brown hair were covered in mud and her brother¡¯s blood. I realized that I didn¡¯t even know her name.
¡°My name is Gray. I¡¯m sorry so much has happened to you, kiddo. You¡¯re safe for as long as you¡¯re with me. What¡¯s your name?¡±
¡°Gray...¡± She repeated softly, her eyes finally finding a focus on my face. ¡°Niiya.¡± She answered, pointing to herself.
¡°Tabula, please help Niiya get cleaned up before bed.¡± I decided to test some more of Tabula¡¯s capabilities.
¡°Right away Mr. Gray.¡± She said, with a very subtle undertone. ¡°Right this way Miss Niiya.¡±
¡°She even picked up on my alias?¡± I thought with wonder. ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on here?¡±
¡°Gray!¡± Niiya held tightly to my leg and refused to budge.
¡°I guess there¡¯s no helping it, then.¡± I bent down and gathered her in my arms. She buried her head in my chest as I followed Tabula through a set of open double doors and down a hallway. We arrived at a frosted glass door, and on the other side was a warm, humid room with steam rising off several pools of sparkling green water. These mineral baths accelerated stamina and soul energy regeneration by a huge amount in game. I wasn¡¯t sure what effect they would have in a real world but they still seemed enticing enough. We passed these baths and went to the normal private baths and showers meant for actual bathing.
¡°Hot water?¡± Niiya couldn¡¯t help but marvel at all the steam rising off the pools. Hot water was only for cooking in her world. Cold river water and damp cloth was the best they could hope for when it came to bathing.
¡°Your bath, Miss.¡± Tabula pulled aside a curtain of stained glass beads in front of a small private bath meant for children. It was a smooth stone bathtub that was constantly being filled and overflowing into a drain somewhere beneath the tub from a small shower head on the far wall.
¡°I will be right here when you¡¯re all clean and refreshed. You can even talk to me the whole time.¡± I assured Niiya as I put her down gently. ¡°Tabula will help you use the bath.¡±
¡°Promise.¡± She held up her pinky, surprisingly resolute as she spoke.
¡°Promise.¡± I said back, gripping her tiny finger with my own.
Tabula helped the little cat girl undress and prepared all of the soap and hair products she would need.
¡°Hot!¡± I heard Niiya exclaim from around the corner where I stood.
¡°Would you like it cooler, Miss Niiya?¡± Tabula asked gently.
¡°It¡¯s okay. Like it...¡± Niiya answered.
I smiled at the exchange and finally pulled up my stats.
Lain Erickson
Level: 4 XP: 65% to Next Level Body Age: 29
Life: 112/112 Soul Energy 58/64
Strength: 10+45
Endurance: 6+50
Soul: 4 +30
Agility: 10
Skills/Spells:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Weak Acid Resistance: 1/10
Melee Mastery: 4/100
Appraisal: 3/10
White Nova: 2/20
Blast Nova: 1/20
War Mage: 1/1
Buffs/Debuffs:
+2x Attack/Cast/Movement Speed- Duration: 5:22
+2x Physical Attack Damage- Duration: 5:24
+27.5 Spell Damage from Strength
+17 Attack Damage from Soul
EDEN: Spend 7h: 50m: 25s in EDEN to gain a special bonus.
The sounds of splashing and scrubbing lessened a few minutes later, and a perfectly clean Niiya emerged from the bead curtain wearing a fluffy small bath robe.
¡°Your clothing will be properly cleaned, pressed, and returned to you shortly, Miss Niiya.¡± Tabula carefully held the soiled garments as she spoke. ¡°Please follow Rain to the lounge where you may relax and refresh yourselves.¡±
No way. My heart skipped a beat. In the fight with Tabula, she had summoned two adds that were nearly as strong as she was. Rain and Jade were their names and they weren¡¯t supposed to be a feature of EDEN. Sure enough however, when I turned to where Tabula gestured there was a figure as small as Niiya there that made my body twitch in remembered trauma.
¡°You okay, Mr. Gray!?¡± The child sized Rain asked coyly. ¡°You seem worried.¡±
Rain¡¯s observation was astute. A talking penguin mini raid boss dressed in an elementary boy¡¯s school uniform was distressing. The game lore of the creature described Rain as the ultimate defensive escort and playmate for the company president¡¯s son. The version summoned by Tabula also morphed into a variety of disgustingly strong weapons, drones, and even vehicles which she could then wield to terrible effect.
Knowing this only made it more unsettling when Rain waddled over to Niiya looking comical and cute. He made a little bow, somehow grabbing the yellow billed cap from his head with one flipper and sweeping it grandly as he did so.
¡°I¡¯m so happy to meet a new friend of our master!¡± The penguin said cheerily. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat some cake and forget our worries!¡±
¡°Is Jade also about?¡± I asked Tabula, keeping my tone as steady as I could manage.
¡°She is bolstering the defense of the exterior.¡± Tabula answered smoothly. ¡°This modestly sized configuration cannot easily accommodate her indoors.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Without any other options, I let Niiya hold onto two of my fingers and we followed Rain to the lounge.
The lounge was a medium sized alcove just off of the bar and dining area. Suede leather sectional sofas and ottomans were arranged around a crackling stone fireplace. White fur throws and goose down filled silk pillows promised comfort that few beings in any reality would ever get to experience. On a short, circular oak coffee table there was a three tiered silver platter loaded with elegant and colorful cakes and pastries. Each was carefully frosted and topped with fruit so vibrant they practically sparkled.
I admired the spread. It looked so much more beautiful than I remembered. EDEN¡¯s automated kitchens produced some of the best food in EG, including all of the epic and unique recipes I collected from high level Abysses. Production was limited only by a short cooldown period between servings.
I had a realization as I noted one type of dessert on display. I now understood what had prompted Tabula¡¯s earlier question about something additional to ease Niiya¡¯s stress.
There were two of them side by side, prominently displayed on the top level of the cake tower. I picked one up for a closer look. It was a two inch square bright golden cake with purple lavender cream frosting between each layer. It was topped with two blueberries and a candied half lemon slice. The fruit was arranged in a smiley face. It looked delicious and cute, but this was a serious recovery item. I appraised it, and smiled.
Item: Golden Lionheart Delight
-Epic Consumable Item
-Causes user to fall into a deep, healing sleep.
-If undisturbed for (6) Hours: Cures all adverse status effects including but not limited to: Disease/Horror/Level Drain/Stat Drain/Skill Drain/Fear/Charm/Curse.
Effect Cooldown: 7 Days
Perishable: Must be consumed within (24) Hours
The only comparable effect was the Immaculate Restoration blessing which could only be purchased for five thousand gold at a major city¡¯s temple. Given what I had seen so far, I doubted there were any such blessings available in this world.
I handed Niiya the cake. She stared at it without comprehension for a long moment.
¡°It¡¯s alright, eat it and you¡¯ll feel much better.¡± I urged gently.
Niiya wasn¡¯t hungry, but she wouldn¡¯t refuse anything I offered to her. The tiny bite she took sent bursts of sweetness and intense fruit flavor unlike anything she could even imagine dancing across her tongue. Unable to stop herself, she took another bite and then another. Before she could even decipher what happened the cake was gone and her body began to feel light even as her eyelids felt heavy...
¡°She¡¯s already asleep.¡± I marveled.
¡°No nightmares will be able to pass the warding effect of the cake. She will remain at peace until morning.¡± Tabula confirmed.
¡°Before I take my shower, I have to ask you something.¡± I tried to frame my next words carefully, gazing absently at the sleeping Niiya. ¡°What do you remember of the time before tonight?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid those memories are lost to me.¡± Tabula seemed almost frustrated as she spoke. ¡°I know and recognize you as my absolute master, but I do not understand how that came to pass. I know all of my capabilities and by extension the capabilities of this place. I know that I cannot defy your orders or the orders of those you place above myself. Is that answer satisfactory?¡± She asked, and that tone of uncertainty gave me pause.
¡°It¡¯s as though she has been seeded with an actual living consciousness that is partially at odds with her programming.¡± I thought silently. Then out loud I said. ¡°Yes. That is satisfactory Tabula. I have one more question to ask though. Is there anything you want?¡±
The question made Tabula¡¯s eyes widen, and then without further reservation she answered. ¡°I want to know more about myself, about you, and about this existence.¡±
¡°That makes a pair of us then.¡± I chuckled back. ¡°Once I have cleaned this muck and blood from myself, I will tell you everything I know. Keep an eye on Niiya, she¡¯s had about the worst day a person can have.¡± I stood up then, and Tabula bowed in acquiescence.
I took an unhurried shower, lingering under the relaxing hot water for a long time. I played the events of the day over and over in my mind. It indeed had only been one day, yet it felt like so much more.
Afterward, I returned to the lounge to find Tabula seated next to Niiya¡¯s prone form, with a hand resting gently behind one of her large cat ears.
¡°What about this child stirs such a drive to protect and soothe within me?¡± Tabula said softly, not looking up as I approached.
It made me pause. Tabula was being so familiar and unguarded. It was refreshing, fascinating, endearing, and very strange.
¡°It is the power of cuteness.¡± I said simply. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to resist it.¡±
I then fulfilled my promise. I stayed up long into the early hours of morning talking to Tabula. I held nothing back from her, answering all of her questions as fully as I could. I told her of my previous life, the game, how I acquired EDEN, my death, and my resurrection. She listened intently to everything, and accepted it all as simple truth. I almost felt like I was talking to a therapist, I hadn¡¯t ever opened up like that before.
10: An Awkward Reunion
The morning passed, and it was very nearly noon when I finally opened my eyes. A small shaking on my arm and an urgent voice caused me to sit bolt upright, reaching for a weapon.
I calmed quickly, seeing Niiya jump back in alarm. We were still in the lounge. I had fallen asleep next to the girl, not wanting to risk waking her or letting her wake up alone in a strange place. Her expression and posture alerted me to the obvious. She needed to pee. I sat up easily and stretched as I stood.
¡°Come on.¡± I said.
There were so many bathrooms in this resort that one was never more than twenty steps away from one. I hoped she would recognize a modern toilet for what it was. Actually...
¡°Tabula.¡± I called out loud.
¡°Yes, Mr. Gray?¡± She asked, appearing before us as if by magic.
¡°Please help Niiya use the facilities.¡± I said, gesturing to the door of the ladies¡¯ room.
¡°Certainly.¡± She bowed. ¡°Right this way Miss Niiya.¡±
Niiya was hopping from foot to foot and asked no questions, racing into the bathroom urgently.
¡°So it¡¯s all real. I¡¯m still here.¡± I mused. ¡°Suppose I should report the wolves I exterminated and maybe find someone to take her in. But first, breakfast.¡±
Tabula led Niiya out of the restroom a minute later. Niiya¡¯s face had regained some color, and she seemed more aware than the previous night.
¡°Better?¡± I asked.
She nodded. ¡°A nice person let me see mama, papa, and Tyren. They¡¯re not sad.¡± Niiya said. ¡°But I want them back.¡± Her eyes welled, but the set of her chin was firm.
¡°Do you remember what the nice person looked like?¡± I asked her.
¡°Pretty hair and green feet.¡± She answered.
¡°Green shoes...¡± I grinned. ¡°Way to go, my delinquent goddess.¡± I then asked louder. ¡°Did she say anything else?¡±
¡°Go to temple.¡± She didn¡¯t hesitate.
¡°Dump me off and then she wants to chat?¡± I grumbled.
¡°I overheard your mention of breakfast Mr. Gray. Would you prefer to have it on the veranda lounge or the main bar?¡± Tabula did an excellent job of keeping me on track.
¡°Is the weather decent for the veranda?¡± I asked back.
¡°The local temperature is fifty nine degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, but the infrared heaters can easily adjust that to your taste.¡± She answered.
¡°Let¡¯s use the veranda then.¡± I decided.
¡°What¡¯s a ¡®baranda¡¯?¡± Niiya asked wide eyed.
¡°You¡¯ll see!¡± I held out my hand for her to take which she did.
At the end of one hallway, we entered an elevator. Niiya¡¯s fingers gripped tightly as the sensation of rising disturbed her feline senses. When the door opened to a totally different scene than the previous hallway, she gaped.
The third floor housed several bedrooms, a large multipurpose hall, an exercise room, and the veranda lounge which wrapped around two sides of the building. Potted ferns and other green potted plants lined the hall as we strolled to the double doors where our open air destination awaited. A dozen small round tables for two overlooked the wrought iron railing where we could see out to the forest beyond. The noon sun soaked into the cedar planking of the deck, and we found the temperature comfortable even without the artificial heaters. A table had been prepared ahead of us, Tabula had even provided a booster seat in one of the chairs.
The breakfast spread was phenomenal as always. Waffles, eggs, sausage, potato and cheese croquettes, fresh cut fruit, hot cider for Niiya, and espresso for me. The fact that this food was now able to sate the hunger of this real physical body was something that I could hardly believe. Not only that, many of the meals provided useful bonuses which the food native to this world did not. I really was at an insane advantage here.
We ate in mostly silence. Niiya took very small bites of this or that, staring vacantly at the forest as she chewed. The food was tasty and filling on a scale that she had no experience with. Things like eggs with their rich yolks, and fresh melon so sweet she couldn¡¯t even believe her tongue clashed with her devastated mood and left her in a state of unhappy confusion.
¡°Wish Tyren could have some of this.¡± She said it so quietly that I barely heard it. She dropped her head and began to cry once more.
I pushed back from the table and knelt beside her. I said nothing, but rested a hand on her back and allowed a few sympathetic tears of my own to come. I was no stranger to grief and would be damned before letting her struggle through it alone.
Only a few moments later, a shout from below us at the forest¡¯s edge interrupted our shared moment.
¡°Since when was there a building like this around here!? And what¡¯s that? Oh hells it¡¯s a damned dragon! Run!¡± I found the voice somehow familiar.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
At the same time, Tabula intoned from an unknown source.
¡°Mister Gray, it would appear that Jade has detained some intruders.¡± Her tone was matter of fact. ¡°Your orders please.¡±
¡°Ugh don¡¯t hurt ¡®em! I¡¯ll be right down.¡± I stood up and scooped Niiya up in my arms as I did.
Less than ninety seconds later, we exited the front door of the resort. The scene I found made me want to laugh out loud and rip my hair out yet again. Niiya watched curiously from behind me.
There, imprisoned in a magical translucent green cube were the members of a certain cat folk adventuring party I had seen while in the tavern back in Filam.
Writhing around in the air near the barrier was Jade, a dragon colored just as her name would suggest. She was an eastern style dragon, forty feet long and elegant with short limbs and a long mane of flowing white hair behind her spiraled horns. Her movement was hypnotic and the power she radiated was suffocating. To the best of my memory, Jade¡¯s lore was lazily described as ¡®an ancient and mysterious guardian beast held in submission by the corporation¡¯. In combat she had constantly used barriers and healing magic to infuriating effect.
I didn¡¯t even know where to begin. The adventurers were all staring with mouths agape and eyes wide at the monstrous dragon. Well almost all of them were. The small and young looking Tili was more focused on the barrier, and then at me outside of it.
I looked to Jade. ¡°They¡¯re not a threat. Release them.¡±
¡°Sure thing Master.¡± Jade replied. Her voice was flippant and sounded like a teenager, nothing like her appearance would suggest.
The barrier vanished and I held my arms out in a weak apology.
¡°Welcome, can I offer you all a drink?¡± I felt embarrassed, like I was somehow naked in front of them (especially the creepy little one).
¡°Uhh well...¡± The big warrior named Laguna began, rubbing her red hair uncomfortably. ¡°We¡¯re on our way to deal with an emergency quest so we can¡¯t really stop to chat...¡± She was holding her ground but the rangers behind her were slowly backing away.
¡°The monsters attacking Braverton have all been put down.¡± I said with a wave. ¡°Sorry you¡¯ve wasted a trip.¡±
¡°If you weren¡¯t bossing around a dragon from in front of a mansion that wasn¡¯t here a month ago, I¡¯d call you a dirty liar and laugh in your crazy face.¡± Laguna cleared her throat seeing my lip twitching. She wasn¡¯t sure if I had been insulted. ¡°But the case being what it is, I suppose we should hear you out. Right Tills?¡± She finished with a look to the small snow leopard girl.
On the contrary to Laguna¡¯s fears, I was holding in a burst of laughter. This lady¡¯s sense of humor clicked with mine. That bit could have come out of my own mouth.
¡°We are where we¡¯re meant to be. The threads have woven us to the perv-... to this stranger for now.¡± Tili corrected herself. I could tell even the slip of the tongue had been intentional and smirked.
I held my arm in invitation to enter EDEN, which had transformed its exterior to match the gorgeous resort when I had selected the configuration. They walked past me, most of them gaping much as Niiya had.
¡°Jade. How were they able to see the building? Was Active Camo not working?¡± I whispered to the dragon when I believed them to be far enough away.
¡°Durr!¡± She sneered at me, before wincing as though someone had screamed in her ear. ¡°Ouch! Err I mean you broke the effect when you opened the veranda lounge doors, Master.¡± She amended quickly.
¡°Right.¡± I said. ¡°Why did you just wince by the way?¡±
¡°Crabula¡¯s got no sense of humor that¡¯s why!¡± This apparently earned her another silent mental smack as she once again winced.
¡°Checks out I guess. Keep up the good work, kid.¡± I turned away as I spoke.
Niiya¡¯s eyes lingered on Jade over her shoulder as I led her back inside.
¡°Pretty.¡± Niiya said to no one in particular. So much had happened that the sight of the floating green dragon hardly even fazed her.
Jade winked a glowing emerald colored eye and gave Niiya the closest thing a dragon could give to a smile.
Noises of open exclamation greeted me as I tailed the adventurers through EDEN¡¯s doors.
¡°Tabula. These people will be our guests for a short time. Let¡¯s treat them to something refreshing and light on alcohol in the main bar, please and thank you.¡± I tried to ignore the flabbergasted stares as I moved toward the polished island bar.
¡°Certainly. I will also set out a few relish trays.¡± Tabula disappeared for just a moment and reappeared with two heavily laden platters filled with thinly sliced meat, fragrant cheeses, and a variety of small pickles and vegetables.
As she placed them on the wide bar, the meticulously groomed bartender rapidly shook a stainless steel cocktail shaker and strained the light blue contents into a line of frosted martini glasses. He garnished each with a twist of lemon and a dark brandy cherry. Far from finished, he then placed heavy mugs of steaming hot cocoa next to each cocktail with one extra for Niiya. Each one was topped with whipped cream and a large marshmallow which he toasted with a wave of his hand before shaving dark chocolate over the mugs. So fast were the drinks assembled, that everyone (including the jaded Tili) simply watched the man work with slack jaws and wide eyes.
¡°Is this another world?¡± One of the rangers whom I had never heard speak finally blurted in borderline panic. ¡°There are lights without fire, this building came from nowhere, and this man moves like an A rank monk just to pour drinks!¡±
¡°And the dragon!¡± The other ranger added in agreement.
¡°Yeah and the dragon!¡± The first ranger amended his original statement, pointing to his ranger comrade.
¡°I¡¯m certain if you have a seat and refresh yourselves, Mr. Gray will ameliorate your confusion in short order.¡± Tabula¡¯s suggestion carried the weight of complete authority, and the adventurers visibly calmed as they complied.
¡°Everything about that woman screams ¡®obey or else¡¯¡± I mused silently. Not for the first or last time I felt utterly grateful that she was on my side.
I gave the group a few moments to seat themselves and sample the refreshments.
¡°What is this!?¡± Laguna practically shouted after tasting the cocktail. ¡°I¡¯ve never tasted anything so delicious, and the fatigue from our march here is totally gone!¡±
¡°It can¡¯t be as good as this brown stuff!¡± The first ranger to speak was apparently no longer concerned after tasting his hot cocoa. He had a spot of whipped cream on his nose which made his brother ranger giggle at him.
As most of the party reveled, not caring if this was a trap or their last meal, a tiny voice I recognized as Tili¡¯s spirit familiar reached my mind.
¡°You are a very strange one, Pervert Champi-YEOW!¡± The voice ended in a panicked meow as the tiny kitten was swiped from the stool next to me in a flash and crushed into Tabula¡¯s extreme cleavage.
¡°Fear not Mr. Gray, I will watch over this small being.¡± Tabula¡¯s face was twisted into a most manic smile. I had seen the look only once before in an old cartoon, when a little girl was holding a stuffed unicorn and shouted the famous line: ¡°IT¡¯S SO FLUFFY I¡¯M GONNA DIE!¡±
¡°Unhand us this instant!¡± I could barely make out the words between the indignant hissing and growling. ¡°Why... won¡¯t my spells work? Well take this then!¡±
Tabula was unmoved, and simply squeezed tighter, petting the kitten¡¯s head as she deftly avoided snapping teeth. Tiny sharp claws raked ineffectively for a few moments before the kitten slumped in defeat.
¡°Very well, we are imprisoned. What are your demands?¡± The Tili-kitten half growled and half spoke. She also noted with disgust that her so called friends were ignoring her plight and wolfing down snacks like starved pigs.
I turned to look at the humanoid Tili, and figured out that she couldn¡¯t effectively operate both bodies at the same time. Tabula¡¯s anti magic zone was also likely preventing Tili from canceling the effect.
¡°Yeah sorry. Tabula really likes cute things.¡± I began.
¡°Indeed, and Mr. Gray informed me that resisting the power of cuteness is futile.¡± Tabula unhelpfully added for me.
¡°Pervert Champion.¡± Tili dead panned. ¡°At least loosen your grip! Cute things are fragile you know!¡±
¡°Acknowledged! I was unaware that durability was inversely affected by cuteness. Perhaps that¡¯s why cute things enslave the strong to their service!¡± Tabula adjusted her grip, allowing the poor kitten to breathe a sigh.
¡°Was this one born today?¡± The exasperated kitten asked, squirming into a more comfortable position.
¡°Yesterday.¡± Tabula corrected before I could concoct a story. ¡°This incarnation was born yesterday though I still carry some information from my previous versions.¡±
¡°We will ignore that obviously muddled topic and return to the present.¡± The kitten diverted with an eye roll, an action that was bizarre on a cat¡¯s face. ¡°You say the monsters attacking Braverton have been defeated. Would you mind telling us some details such as what types of monsters were involved, how many there were, any casualties or damage you know of?¡±
¡°Moonwolves, five fighters and one alpha: all dead.¡± I began in a matter of fact debriefing. ¡°Two adult cat folk and one of their children were killed on the scene before I arrived. In the battle with the Alpha, the top half of a barn was incinerated. There were an unknown number of cattle carcasses as well.¡± I ended my story with a sip of hot cocoa to wash the remembered bile back down my throat.
Niiya shuddered a bit as she heard me but held together bravely. Tili noticed this and spoke again.
¡°This child survived the attack?¡± She asked, a touch of warmth entering her tone for the first time. ¡°Do you have any other family nearby?¡± She addressed Niiya directly.
Niiya shook her head. ¡°Only Gray...¡± She trailed off, seeming to think of something before hardening her face suddenly. New tears stained her cheeks but her resolve was plain. ¡°Only Gray!¡±
Surprisingly no one pried about EDEN, Tabula, or even Jade after that. Tili (the obvious leader of the party I realized) stopped all further queries with a simple ¡°Not. Our. Business.¡± and brooked no argument. I appreciated the sentiment greatly. The party thanked us for the respite and refreshments and said their farewells.
Reluctantly, the party let go of the food and drink just as Tabula reluctantly released Tili.
¡°If we beat you to Filam, we will inform them that the quest is resolved until your return.¡± Tili said tersely, back in control of her humanoid form. She would never, not in a million years admit that she would miss Tabula¡¯s ear scratches and soft cushions.
11: Episode 2: The Warlord
¡°Be humble in the night, little demon. The darkness you love cherishes him above you, and shall spurn you in his presence.
Be shamed by your trifling power, little demon. He would bathe in it as a tepid spring and turn it back upon you with disdain.
Be not vulgar to his family, little demon. The hells shall offer no harbor if you make of them an enemy.
Be admonished and afraid, little demon. For we are but the nightmares of men, and he stalks our dreams.¡±
-From ¡®We Little Demons¡¯ by Grand Overfiend X¡¯lyssa
¡°Oh noo! Oh this is bad! Very bad!¡± Pinthalak the imp was having a terrible day.
He had been sent to find out what was taking two different raiding groups so long to return. The Blackfang gnolls and Doomhowl¡¯s pack had both missed their calls to pay tribute to The Warlord, and Pinthalak had been sent to investigate. Early that morning, he had located the partially frozen remains of the gnoll band. They had been defeated in such a horrifying manner that Pinthalak believed it to be the work of at least an A-ranked ice mage. He was hoping to find better news regarding Doomhowl¡¯s pack when he found the farmhouse.
His solid yellow eyes widened in astonishment as he looked upon the barn. It was as though a vengeful god had slashed it with fire from the heavens. Each new moonwolf body he discovered raised his alarm level higher. The bisected female, the cleanly dispatched sentry, and finally the alpha... It was too gruesome, even for a being from a plane where torture was as common as conversation. The formidable alpha had been toyed with, dismembered while alive, and finally decapitated.
This resembled the work of a very high level party, but the footprints were all wrong and indicated a single killer. There was a light set of tracks where the sentry was killed, and then those tracks appeared to change into a much larger, and heavier set which not only sank deep into the dirt but left blackened and scorched boot prints. The being that destroyed the barn and killed the alpha would have to be as large as an ogre and oh so many times mightier.
A sudden realization hit Pinthalak and he had to fight the urge to flee this world, back to the stinking hells if need be. There were only a handful of beings that could inflict such a variety of damage on that scale and Pinthalak had no interest in encountering any one of them.
He must warn The Warlord! If one of those had its sights set on purging this area then he must advise his master to flee. If he refused, Pinthalak might just banish himself back to the hells. He could sell his true name to one stronger than The Warlord and the consequences be damned.
He flew through the trees weaving and flapping as adeptly as a bird as he made all haste toward the tall mountains where The Warlord and his horde resided.
The black imp invoked his innate invisibility skill as he approached the jagged wall of lashed together timber which marked the edge of The Warlord¡¯s semi-permanent camp. The alert orc sentries, green skinned brutes that resembled a cross between pig and gorilla didn¡¯t so much as blink as he passed unnoticed between them. Pinthalak had no time for useless protocol.
He passed hundreds of other monsters as he sped through the tent city. Spindle armed and pot bellied goblins were by far the most common. Gnolls and orcs combined roughly equaled the goblin population. There were also a dozen or so ogres, and even a few humongous hill giants lazing about while bellowing orders at the goblins for this or that. The law was simple here: might makes right.
A second wall came into view then, this one encircling the only solid building in the camp. It was a long and tall crude cabin made from notched pine logs dragged from the other side of the mountains where tall evergreens were more prominent.
An armored giant more than twenty feet in height stood before the entrance which only came up to his waist. The door behind him was a crudely stitched together patchwork of animal hides.
The mountain giant named Yugal was the warlord¡¯s favorite pet and second in command of the horde. Pinthalak revealed himself as he flapped closer. The giant nodded and stood aside quietly, the monster rarely ever spoke. He preferred to let his tree trunk sized cudgel do the talking. Pinthalak skirted past the stalagmite legs, feeling the overwhelming power Yugul exuded and braced himself for the far more intense pressure of the beast within.
A rush of sounds and smells rolled over Pinthalak as he entered the huge hall. Bestial grunts, giggles, moans, and occasional screams of pain mingled with the smell of sweat and intercourse. The hall was practically carpeted with the most beautiful women captured by the horde; a writhing sea of flesh with one monstrous form at its center. They were all under the drug like effect of The Warlord¡¯s beguiling magic and offered no resistance to his constant and violent advances. When not in battle, sleeping or eating, The Warlord could be found here among his spoils. Gold, kegs of wine, weapons, armor, furs, and attractive females of a variety of species were piled high like the hoard of a dragon.
He must have sensed Pinthalak, for he stood suddenly. The elf woman he had been engaged with stuck to him for just a moment before falling to the floor limp and exhausted at his feet. He strode forward, knocking aside any of the naked slaves that weren¡¯t quick enough to scramble away. He towered over Pinthalak, unashamed of his nudity.
Pinthalak averted his gaze, not needing to be reminded of the formidable demon¡¯s appearance. The Warlord, who allowed no name for himself beyond that title was a demon beast from the lower planes known as a Gorgothan. He stood seven feet tall, with the head, fur, and antlers of a white bull elk. Rapier length black spines grew from the back of his thick neck and down his wide back. His arms and legs were bulging with steel corded muscles beneath the dense fur. Seven clawed fingers adorned each hand, and his legs ended in black cloven hooves. He looked like a giant unholy cross between human, bull elk, and porcupine.
He was an upper middle class demon, just below the lowest noble class. Physically he was as powerful as Yugal, and had access to deadly innate magic not found on this plane.
Thanks to a weak willed (now devoured) summoner, The Warlord had freely rampaged through the wilds of the northern continent over the past several months, sacking villages and gathering his horde as he traveled.
In spite of his bestial appearance and appetites, The Warlord was intelligent and cunning. His grating baritone rolled past his jutting blood stained tusks even as his eyes, which could only be described as windows to the hells glared down.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°Speak Pinthalak. You need not be reserved. I am sated and will not devour you this day if you bear ill tidings.¡±
Pinthalak shuddered. The Warlord had a habit of eating him when displeased before summoning him back from the hells just days later. The Warlord knew his true name and thus could summon him specifically at any time, dominating him through sheer potency of will.
¡°My master! They¡¯re all dead, frozen and burned! Slashed, ripped, and shattered! We must flee, it must be one of the Crus-¡± Pinthalak was cut off by an interrupting roar that caused him to fall to his knees.
¡°Do not say the word!¡± Bellowed The Warlord. ¡°All dead!?¡± He pressed louder still. ¡°What else, Pinthalak?¡± The deep voice dropped to a purr. ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t flee all the way back here before learning anything more about my broken toys...¡±
¡°M-master, I thought-¡± Pinthalak was cut off by another roared word.
¡°Thought!¡± The Warlord boomed. ¡°Yugal!¡± The Warlord roared over Pinthalak¡¯s cowering form. The giant crouched down and peeked its huge and wide featured face into the hall expectantly.
¡°Take the ogres and go to that village on the river. Take the women, gold, and food. Smash and burn everything else! After that, march to the city on the lake, I will join you there in three days.¡± The Warlord barked before lowering his eyes back to Pinthalak. ¡°The time for pecking and prodding has expired. We will swallow this valley and raise an empire from its bones. If one of them has appeared then I will gorge upon its flesh after violating every inch of its body. As for my poor defeatist Pinthalak...¡±
The Warlord suddenly grabbed the imp, who knew better than to struggle and simply went limp. The massive seven fingered hand fully engulfed his small torso, and he was lifted into the air. Pinthalak grimaced as the huge elk head came into view. The Warlord¡¯s mouth opened, and kept opening wider and wider. It looked unnatural like a snake unhinging its jaw, revealing rows of needle sharp teeth, all dripping green saliva. The first bite separated Pinthalak¡¯s upper body from his lower body. The second bite left nothing behind but a black puddle of blood at The Warlord¡¯s feet.
¡°Enjoy your vacation, my little cowardly Pinthalak.¡± The Warlord said after swallowing, fires finally stirring in his black eyes as the promise of war ignited his blood.
* * * *
An hour after the adventurers¡¯ departure I was sitting in an overstuffed arm chair across from Tabula while Niiya sat on a plush fur rug, hugging her knees. She was watching Rain intently. The jolly little penguin was doing some incredible sleight of ¡®hand¡¯ magic tricks with colorful balls, making them disappear and reappear as he juggled them hypnotically.
¡°Mr. Gray, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to try when we depart.¡± Tabula said, obviously working up the courage to ask for something.
¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± I said, and saw Tabula¡¯s face crinkle in confusion. ¡°Oh, guess you don¡¯t know that one. It¡¯s an expression that means I¡¯m listening carefully.¡±
¡°Oh! Then I shall become all mouths.¡± Tabula replied in earnest. ¡°I have been using a portion of my mind to research the sub programs of EDEN since I awoke, and have discovered an exciting possibility.¡±
I twirled my hand, urging her to continue as I sipped my drink.
¡°There is a configuration code that would potentially allow for EDEN to become portable while deployed, enabling us to assist you in your adventures.¡±
I choked on my hot cocoa. After a few coughs and a gentle pat on the back from one of Rain¡¯s flippers I gaped at Tabula. If she was serious, this was beyond huge.
¡°H-how would that work exactly?¡± I stammered.
¡°First we simply need some type of mobile platform such as a truck or whatever the equivalent is in this place. If we fill the platform with a layer of soil, that will satisfy the requirements for EDEN¡¯s initial deployment. After that, you just need to crawl inside and I will guide you through the manual custom configuration menu. Once you input the code I have created, EDEN will become a mobile base. Rain, Jade, and myself can then freely operate within one hundred meters of it at any time.¡±
I jumped to my feet, then hopped over the coffee table between us. I proceeded to grab Tabula by the shoulders and with an ear to ear smile spoke.
¡°You are a damn genius Tabula!¡± I was ecstatic, over the damn moon and Tabula was blushing fiercely. ¡°I can probably buy a sturdy wagon in that Bravewhatever village...¡±
¡°No need to buy it.¡± Niiya suddenly spoke up.
¡°Why not?¡± I replied with a cocked brow.
¡°There¡¯s a wagon at... my house.¡± Niiya looked down as she noticed all eyes on her before she finished speaking. ¡°Behind the barn.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go back for it.¡± I said. ¡°You should wait here where it¡¯s safe.¡± I saw Niiya¡¯s face turn crestfallen and I stopped the building protest with a raised hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be much faster on my own. I promise to return right away.¡±
Niiya set her mouth in a firm line and held out her pinky, her flashing eyes dared me not to take it. I smiled and sealed the pinky promise.
¡°Feed her if she gets hungry, and show her around if she gets bored.¡± I instructed Tabula.
¡°Leave everything to me.¡± She replied holding a hand over her chest as she bowed properly.
I pulled on my boots and left EDEN a few minutes later, running fast toward the farmhouse. I didn¡¯t use my elixirs even though they were available. I figured it was best to save them for battles rather than abuse them for convenience. Thanks to my stolen endurance, I maintained a full sprint while leaping over fallen logs and across creeks with ease.
I broke into the field behind the farmhouse only twenty minutes later, noting that nothing had changed. I walked to the barn. Crows, flies and wasps were already hard at work cleaning up the carcasses. I ignored the grizzly scene and walked behind the topless barn. Just as Niiya had said, there was a fine and sturdy wagon. It would accommodate a single large draft animal. I didn¡¯t have any way to pull the wagon, and I hoped that what I was planning would work. I opened my Astral Vault, and held my right hand out, touching the wagon. It glowed blue, and a prompt appeared.
Store ? This object occupies 70 Inventory Slots. (160/1009) Slots Available. (Yes/No)
¡°Suck it everyone that can¡¯t fit a wagon in their pocket!¡± I cheered with a fist pump.
A distant sound caused me to stop the impromptu celebration. It was a deep, rolling bellow from the direction of the village just a mile or so away.
¡°A war horn?¡± I wondered.
I heard opportunity in the intimidating note, and pulled out my strength and speed elixirs. Three minutes later, I viewed the village of Braverton. It was really just a score or so of small wooden cottages with a large town hall made of quarried stone. The streets were deserted, and I could guess where everyone likely was cowering. The sound of the horn split the air once again, from the other side of the village. From this distance, I could tell the object carried an enchantment. I instinctively knew that I had resisted some status effect but wasn¡¯t sure what.
¡°Probably just a morale debuff.¡± I said to myself as I approached the sturdy double doors of the town hall. From inside I could hear whimpers and whispers.
I paused for a moment, wondering at my course of action. There were no lookouts posted, and I couldn¡¯t hear any voices of authority inside.
¡°They sent the fighters out to challenge whatever is coming. Why not just run?¡± I rhetorically asked the empty afternoon village as I left the town hall and sprinted toward the horn.
It was apparently more distant than I initially thought. More than ten minutes of hard running went by before I found the edge of a clearing that bordered one of the Twin Viper rivers. It was a saw mill on the river, and the trees near it had all been felled.
I groaned in revulsion as I took in the scene. Eleven fat ogres towered five feet over the heads of the score of crude spear wielding villagers. Several lifeless broken bodies were already strewn about the tree stump riddled field. Far more troubling than the ogres was the figure seated on the sturdy lumber mill roof like it was a damn park bench. The mountain giant was a specimen even among his warrior race and I knew this fight was beyond futile.
¡°Appraisal.¡± I muttered, and gulped hard at what was displayed.
Yugal
Level: 80
XP: 18% to Next Level
Life: 600/600 Soul Energy 2/2
Strength: 280
Endurance: 300
Agility: 30
Soul: 1
Skills:
True Giant: All attacks have a (5¡¯) base Area of Effect. Immune to Tier 6 and lower poisons. Take double falling damage. +3 Endurance and Strength per Level
Leap Smash: Leap and land anywhere within (30¡¯) Any creatures within (10¡¯) of landing point suffer damage equal to Strength.
Royalty-Command Lesser Monsters: Monsters with a lower level are compelled to follow your orders unless a stronger Royalty-Command effect is present.
¡°Hmm.¡± I tried to ignore the horrible crushing and squelching sounds as the poor villagers were being massacred. I scanned through my inventory and wracked my brain for a solution. I paused on a certain artifact and narrowed my eyes. It was an invaluable item in group combat for tank characters but I kept it for escort quests. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid...¡± I muttered as I selected it.
A tiny silver bell with a long silk ribbon appeared. It was no bigger than what a cat might wear on its collar. I stepped into the clearing and moved to within the range required for the item to work. With a deep breath and a small prayer to my poser goddess, I tied the bell around my neck and flicked it once.
*Used Item: Mr. Tiggles¡¯ Terrible Bell-Artifact
All monsters in combat within (100¡¯) focus all aggression on you until combat ends or their range exceeds (100¡¯) from you.
Cooldown: 0h:59m:59s
12: A Giant Bug and A Giants Problem
¡°Crap, crap, crap!¡± I leaped yet another fallen tree and kept sprinting like a bunny through the woods.
The sounds of thunderous crashing and splintering tree trunks were hot on my heels. The giant led the ogres, plowing a path through the undergrowth like it was deep snow and knocking down all but the huge mature trees. In spite of my doubled speed and the thick forest, the monsters were gaining on me.
My only hope was that my unnatural endurance compared to my small size would wear them out. A big creature with the same endurance score as a smaller creature would inevitably run out of stamina much faster. Another half mile flashed by, and I started hearing the sounds I was hoping for. The ogres were beginning to pant between their enraged snarls. The giant was beginning to pull ahead of its minions just as I had hoped. I figured they would continue to follow the giant even if they fell out of range of the artifact.
I just needed to stay out of the giant¡¯s jump attack range for a little longer. 280 Damage would pancake my delicate ass. I instinctively leaped into a diving roll just as a pumpkin sized stone rocketed past where I had just been. It took out a young elm tree and continued on to disappear out of sight, crashing and snapping everything it touched. My mind flashed back to an old viral video clip of a pigeon being hit by a major league fast ball and exploding into a cloud of pink mist and feathers.
¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not get hit by one of those.¡± I breathed and continued my wild sprint, darting between huge tree trunks in a serpentine pattern.
Luckily he didn¡¯t find many more suitable missiles as we ran, and ten minutes later a familiar clearing loomed just ahead. I burst out of the treeline just as the big bastard leaped high into the air on a course to squash me flat. The stone textured and stone hard soles of his bare feet slammed home with terrible force.
Something wasn¡¯t right though. Instead of the satisfying squishy crunch of flesh and bone there was a dull gong sound and sharp shooting pain up both of his massive legs. A greenish translucent barrier had appeared between him and the human. Behind the insignificant little nuisance was the source of the magic. For the second time in his long life at the top of the food chain, Yugal felt an icy trickle of fear in his heart.
Dragons were a racial enemy of the mountain giants, given that they competed for the same habitats. They were all but extinct on this continent, and Yugal only knew of them from fables and legends. How could one of the notoriously powerful and arrogant creatures be here, protecting a human before such a bizarre castle? And powerful didn¡¯t even begin to describe the sense of overwhelming danger this majestic beast exuded. Even without skills like Appraisal, many monsters could instinctively feel the presence and power of other creatures, and this thing was a terror beyond reckoning.
Yugal tried to focus his mind through the blind rage he felt for this particular man. Why was he so furious and bent on destroying this human that he would even defy the orders of the Warlord? He could remember watching with disgust as the foul ogres committed their shameless deeds at his orders, and then he heard a strange sound. Was it a bell? He felt the tide of rage come crashing back in at the memory of the sound, and he roared to blow it away. He shook his great head back and forth violently to clear it but the pull of the artifact was relentless.
¡°Master, it seems you stepped in something gross and it¡¯s attracting bugs.¡± Jade said with a bored expression. ¡°Why¡¯s the big bug acting like that?¡±
¡°It... almost looks like he¡¯s trying to resist the taunt effect I put on him.¡± I was intrigued as I caught my breath and stared at the struggling behemoth. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this before. Restrain him if possible.¡± I removed the bell and canceled the effect. The giant seemed to regain his senses and focused its unusually sharp attention on me. There was a very refined sense of dignity in that stare that I found unsettling on a giant.
¡°Restrain him if possible.¡± Jade repeated mockingly. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? What about the little ones?¡±
¡°Have fun but leave them barely alive. I need the XP and stats.¡± I answered, ignoring the mockery. I liked the sassy kid way more than the silent and menacing dragon I fought on the rooftop of a skyscraper what seemed like ages ago.
Jade conjured an unbreakable cage around Yugal just as the dozen exhausted ogres burst from the tree line. They were only two steps into the clearing when they all suddenly pitched forward as a group. Frantic, deep screams of agony and surprise echoed through the clearing. A floating horizontal barrier appeared at knee height to the ogres. It was so thin as to be invisible, and razor sharp. As the oblivious ogres charged into it, the barrier slid through muscle and bone like butter.
¡°Man I¡¯ve never run into something so pathetic that their flesh is even weaker than my thinnest barrier! Must suck to suck.¡± Jade marveled, expecting them only to trip over the trivial barrier.
Seven of the ogres went down missing both legs, two had only lost one leg, and three suffered serious injuries but were still mostly whole.
¡°Boss Yugal! Dragon! We run away!¡± The least injured ogres managed to shriek as they tried to regain their feet amid their bleeding and groaning comrades.
¡°You wretches think you can escape a dragon?¡± Yugal finally broke his stony silence. ¡°No. Meet your death with what meager courage you have.¡± The giant¡¯s stare never wavered, fully intrigued by the human that a dragon would call ¡®Master¡¯.
The ogres¡¯ cowardice won over Yugal¡¯s command skill and they turned to flee into the woods.
A swarm of diamond shaped green barrier shards engulfed the fleeing trio. Tens of thousands of cuts lacerated them in mere seconds. They collapsed blinded, fingerless, and bloodied on the spot. They were alive but their breath was shallow and labored. They couldn¡¯t even cry out anymore. They simply whimpered and wheezed.
¡°Better get after it Master, I don¡¯t think they have much time left unless I heal them.¡± Jade yawned and stretched her short limbs as though she were ready for a nap.
I didn¡¯t reply, but began dispatching the ogres with clean thrusts to the temple. Each thrust sent a huge surge of power into me with an ecstasy so intense that it bordered on agony.
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As I stabbed the final ogre and felt the surge of power, a strange flickering message appeared followed by an uncountable number of other messages piling over the first.
Requirements Met: Absorb more than (300) total stats from living creatures... Evolving Mosquito Queen to Blood Lord/World Boss...
%Error%Missing%Root%File%Corruption%!Location 110011010!%
Restoring%Root%File=... Successful...
Acquiring%BASESKILL%=...Successful...
Acquiring%Implicit%Title%...
%Error%Level%Insufficient%Calculating%Requirements...
%Correcting%Level%...Successful...
Evolving Mosquito Queen to Blood Lord... Successful.
My mind raced as the final bewildering message flickered away.
¡°What in the fu...¡± My desperate question trailed off as I pitched forward once more into blackness.
I was driving my 2008 forest green Jeep Wrangler through a blizzard. The snow flakes whipping past reminded me of the view from the bridge in Star Trek. My older brother Dale was passed out drunk in the passenger seat with the smell of whiskey and the ¡®only when I drink¡¯ cigarettes wafting out of his open mouth. I¡¯d been awake for three days since getting the call that the old man and our step mom had been in a plane crash. The admiral had finally gotten his pilot¡¯s license and taken his wife on a quick flight in the antique prop plane which he had spent the better part of a decade restoring. A fuel system failure led to an attempted emergency landing which ended in a terrible crash into a frozen Ohio lake. They survived the crash but succumbed to exposure soon after. The funeral had been as inspiring as it was tragic. My parents had lived a praiseworthy life right up to the end, at least in public. The reality was that Dale and I had been life long prisoners to the expectations of our dad.
The old bastard had accomplished so much, but his one frustrated dream of Olympic Gold had eluded him. That bronze medal ruined our childhood. His drinking and temper drove our mom out while I was a toddler. Dale said she was pretty but I never even got to see a picture of her.
As far back as I can remember we were expected to muster at 4:00 AM with beds made, ready for PT (Physical Training). Physical Training is a cute term for torturing your kids. We did pushups, pullups, flutter kicks, wind sprints, carried a log around the neighborhood, and wrestled each other endlessly. The practices that made other kids puke and cry were paradise to us. As expected we both stood out from the beginning. Normal kids could never keep up. It was a brutal life hidden beneath happy backyard barbecues, Sunday school, and sporting events. The old man accomplished his mission. We grew up hard, and so calloused that neither Dale or me shed a single tear at the funeral.
Now I drove through the snow, on the way to the old family home. I should have been the drunk one, having turned twenty one just a month before. Instead Dale snatched a full fifth of cheap whiskey from the open bar and drained half of it in one pull. After that I resigned myself to D.D. We were almost there, and I could feel my eyelids drooping. Had I ever been so tired? I honestly couldn¡¯t remember. I suddenly snapped my eyes open, I had nodded off for a second and what the hell was that!?
There was a figure appearing out of the blinding snow right in the middle of the road! It was a naked man, pale and obese with blood dripping from his chin. I slammed on the brakes and the jeep began to slide sideways. We impacted the snow drift on the side of the road and rolled, there was a steep drop off into the snow covered woods and I shut my eyes and braced for the expected impact.
My eyes flared open and I sat up gasping in huge lungfuls of air as though I had been holding my breath for a long time.
¡°Gray!¡± Niiya¡¯s voice was full of relief and emotion as she flung herself at me.
¡°Are you alright? More importantly are you still... yourself?¡± Tabula¡¯s voice was tinted with concern, and a hint of fear.
¡°I¡¯m fine, how long was I out?¡± I raised a hand to rub my head as I looked around. A burning pain in my scalp made me jerk my hand back and look at it. Five black claws dripping with dark blood protruded from my fingers, which were now as pale as a corpse. My forearm was also pale, rippling with corded muscle and webbed with nearly black veins. Uhh...
Memories of what had caused me to pass out suddenly filtered back in. I carefully stood up and looked down. My new setting-appropriate clothes were on the verge of ripping at the seams. Goodbye Seinfeld body. I was built like no human I had ever seen. I noticed that Niiya looked a little smaller than before, or maybe I was taller?
I looked around, Jade was still floating nearby and Yugal sat calmly inside his green cage, still staring at me expectantly.
¡°I¡¯m not totally sure what happened, but I¡¯ll figure that out later.¡± I looked squarely at the giant. ¡°I know you can understand me, so would you prefer to talk or be tortured to death?¡±
His eyes widened even as everyone else looked at me in confusion.
¡°You speak our language?¡±The giant seemed impressed. ¡°I do wish to speak. You must be very powerful to command the loyalty of a dragon and what must be a demigod.¡± Yugal gestured at Jade and then Tabula as he spoke. ¡°I have a story to tell that you may believe or not at your discretion, great one.¡±
¡°I am able to detect deception with near perfect accuracy.¡± Tabula remarked. ¡°If you lie, it will be known.¡± Tabula had apparently unlocked the language as soon as it was spoken, or maybe gained it from me somehow. She was the pinnacle of technology in a cyber punk world after all.
I sat cross legged in front of the tremendous cage. It felt awkward and I nearly tripped over myself. I wasn¡¯t used to my body¡¯s new levels of responsiveness. It was like playing a first person shooter with look sensitivity set to eleven. Niiya crawled into my lap without hesitation, and I couldn¡¯t hold back a little smile. I was definitely getting attached to the little bugger. The smell of her shampoo and conditioner was amplified, actually everything was amplified. I could count individual leaves in a pile over a hundred feet away in the shadowy woods, could hear mice quarreling over stashed food in underground nests, and could taste the coppery blood in the air from the dead ogres.
I had the strange feeling that I wasn¡¯t a hundred percent human anymore. I fought the urge to check my stats and waited patiently for Yugal to speak.
¡°The Warlord is my master. I hate him more than anyone.¡± Yugal spat the name with more venom than I had ever heard. ¡°He killed my father, the king and burned our clan to ashes. He holds my young sister prisoner in the hells and forces me to carry out his orders here. I have no love for the tiny races but neither do I see any honor in destroying them. The Warlord will attack the city on the lake in two days, and claim this valley as the seat of his power. He seeks to enslave all of the women and kill everything else.¡±
¡°How strong is he?¡± I asked.
¡°We are equals in physical strength, but The Warlord¡¯s real power is in the hellish magic he wields.¡± The giant replied with grudging respect.
¡°So he is a demon. Do you know what type?¡± I pressed while rubbing my chin, careful not to cut myself this time.
Yugal shook his head. ¡°He has the head of a white elk, and the body of a man. Sharp spines grow from his back. That is all I know.¡±
¡°Gorgothan.¡± I knew the type quite well. A demon worshiping cult on the four hundredth layer of a fantasy themed Abyss had summoned one, and it was a pain in the ass to fight. ¡°Mind control magic, high level elemental magic, crazy high attack power, and can launch spines like crossbow bolts.¡± I listed off what I remembered.
¡°You have faced such a monster and lived!?¡± Yugal was shocked.
¡°I have and it seems like I will again.¡± I replied. ¡°Can¡¯t have my starter town getting messed up.¡±
¡°I have a request for after you kill me.¡± Yugal said. His landslide voice cracked a bit, betraying his emotion. ¡°If it is in your power, please force The Warlord to release my sister. She is innocent, and undeserving of her fate.¡±
I looked up at the seated giant, contemplating. ¡°I refuse.¡±
Yugal began to raise his voice even as he lowered his head, ready to grovel and beg. I stopped him with a raised hand.
¡°I refuse to kill you.¡± I completed the thought. ¡°A dead giant does me little good. Your death will not heal the damage you were forced to do, but your life just might. If you swear to rescue your sister and defend the innocent no matter their race I will not only spare you; I¡¯ll help you get her back.¡±
Yugal rose to one knee and put his palms flat on the earth before him. He spoke his vow in the Common language out of respect. ¡°I swear upon the bones of the world and my pride as Prince of a shattered clan that I will defend the innocent and rescue my sister from her torment.¡±
¡°Now you have to put out your finger.¡± Niiya admonished the giant with her hands on her hips in a tone that made a fit of laughter bubble up from my toes. Thankfully I stifled it before it reached my mouth.
¡°It¡¯s a custom of ours.¡± I explained to Yugal¡¯s questioning stare. I held out my pinky as Jade dismissed the magical prison. ¡°We seal our promises by crossing the small fingers of our hands.¡± Yugal¡¯s pinky finger was as thick as my forearm but the gesture was complete and Niiya was satisfied.
13: Show and Tell
Implicit Title
-Endurance grants an Additional(+2) Health per point.
-Soul grants an Additional (+2) Soul Energy per point.
-Immune to Charm, Sleep, Fear, and Confusion Effects.
-Unlocks World Boss Level Progression.
A humanoid blood sucking monster resembling a mosquito, able to instantly steal the life force of her victims. Grants Greater Drain and Awakened Senses abilities.
-Greater Drain: On killing blow, permanently gain a percentage of the target¡¯s total Strength, Endurance, and Soul stats (minimum of 1).
The evolved form of a Mosquito Queen, grants Soul Thief, Bloodwalk, and Rapid Regeneration abilities in addition to Mosquito Queen abilities.
-Soul Thief: On killing blow, permanently gain one of your victim¡¯s spells or abilities and imprint their soul into your memory.
-Bloodwalk: Mark a location with your own spilled blood, allowing you to instantly return to that location at the cost of Soul Energy.
Lain Erickson
Blood Lord (0%) Progress to Next Evolution
Level: 1* ??XP: 0% To Next Level
Body Age: 29
Life: 688/688 Soul Energy 376/376
Strength: 190
Endurance: 172
Soul: 94
Agility: 50
Skills/Spells:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Acid Resistance: 1/10
Perfect Mental Resistance 10/10 (World Boss)
Melee Mastery: 15/100
Appraisal: 6/10
White Nova: 4/20
Blast Nova: 2/20
War Mage: (1/1)
Greater Drain (1/1)
Awakened Senses (1/1)
Rapid Regeneration (1/5)
Soul Thief (1/1)
Bloodwalk (1/1)
Buffs/Debuffs:
+95 Spell Damage from Strength
+47 Attack Damage from Soul
+68.8 Health Regenerated per Second
*Soulthirst: Consume a Worthy Soul within (22h/18m/33s) to avoid Soulthirst
*EDEN: (+20%) XP gained for (23h/59m/59s).
My face blanched an even lighter shade of white as I studied the changes I had brought upon myself. I hadn¡¯t just gotten stronger, I had jumped the fuckin¡¯ fence to the other side of the world¡¯s mechanics. I was literally a monster, and not just any monster. I was a World Boss.
World Bosses were procedurally generated from certain mob types. Once a monster became a world boss, it was put into a self correcting evolution tree that in very rare cases could produce god like rogue enemies that rampaged across the game world. More often than not, a highly evolved world boss was not something you fought, but simply avoided at all costs.
I had excused myself to one of the many restrooms and now stood before a full length mirror. My body was still human in proportion but inhumanly shredded. There wasn¡¯t a gram of sympathy to be found among the compact striations and dark veins. It wasn¡¯t pleasant to look at like my old aesthetic game physique. This was the body of a killer. The fluid interplay of muscles as I twisted to look at my back resembled a coiling rattlesnake more than anything warm blooded. I made a confused sound as I noticed two dark red lines directly over my shoulder blades.
My face had changed too, thankfully it was subtle. My cheekbones and jaw were more sculpted, my nose was sharper, and when I smiled my canines were alarmingly pronounced. My eyes were still grey but there were now red flecks in the whites that would sparkle like glitter in the light. I tried cutting my claws back down to nails but nothing had been able scratch them. Maybe Tabula or Jade could do something about it.
My bodily woes aside, I was blown away by my new powers. All of the stats I had absorbed had been included into my base stats and multiplied for some reason, likely a hidden aspect of the World Boss title. That title was also interesting. Apparently an Implicit Title was always active in addition to whatever other normal title was also active. My health and Soul Energy were absolutely off the charts for my level, which had been rolled back to one. I had no idea what the experience requirements were to gain levels as a World Boss but I imagined it wasn¡¯t as simple as when I was a human.
Every new discovery raised my excitement higher. I no longer needed to use the dagger to trigger Greater Drain!? I could steal abilities permanently!?
¡°I can fucking Fast Travel!?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but exclaim out loud as I read the Bloodwalk ability. ¡°Sixty-eight regen is bananas. I can farm resists without wasting potions...¡± For the first time ever, I was starting to look down on my former overpowered Exiled Gods Self. Sure I could have one shotted this boss I had become at my peak but this was Day. Fucking. Two.
¡°Wait. What the hell is Soulthirst?¡± I was suddenly worried. If I had to guess, it must be some vampire type effect where I needed to feed regularly or go insane. What qualified something as a ¡®Worthy Soul¡¯ for that matter? ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find out whether I want to or not.¡±
I filed my many questions away for later, and checked the one thing I was most excited about. I opened my inventory, and scrolled down. Most of my precious end game gear was still red, but there were three pieces finally highlighted in green. The smile I saw in the mirror looked a little too super villainy, I¡¯d have to work on that.
*Equipped: Pillars of Valor- Leg Armor
(Item Score 730) Skin: Default
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+120 Strength
+120 Endurance
Indestructible
Unstoppable Tier 2
Soul Linked: LainTrain90-Can¡¯t be Traded
The plated leg armor was gorgeously crafted of a silvery metal with a mirrored finish and embellished with golden runes. In other words I found it tacky as a pink fedora.
That said, it was incredibly light and comfortable. It felt like wearing flannel pajamas compared to the rough linen trousers I had bought in town. In terms of function it was a piece befitting an ultra top tier, no life player like myself. The stat bonuses were double Elevated and perfectly rolled. I had passed on many other leg pieces of much higher item scores simply because they couldn¡¯t measure up to those insane rolls. Finally, the Unstoppable tag doubled my Strength score while I was moving, which is pretty much all the time. And now the main event...
*Equipped: Muninn, Raven of Mind- Pistol
(Item Score 720) Skin: Default
Damage: 333
+5¡¯ Range per (1) Agility
Indestructible
Ammo Capacity (15/15)
Fires Arcane Rounds
Replenishes (1) Round Per Second
**Set: The last enemy damaged by Muninn gains Memory Brand for (30) Seconds.
(1) Additional Enemy May be Branded per (25) Agility.
*Equipped: Huginn, Raven of Memory- Pistol
(Item Score 720) Skin: Default
Damage: 333
+5¡¯ Range per (1) Agility
Indestructible
Ammo Capacity (15/15)
Fires Arcane Rounds
Replenishes (1) Round Per Second
**Set: Attacks also damage any Memory Branded enemies regardless of Range or Line of Sight
Soul Linked: LainTrain90-Can¡¯t be Traded
The twin semiautomatic hand cannons were from one of the most unpopular Abyss themes ever. It was a supernatural modern setting with heavy Norse mythology influence. The pistols were jet black with Ravens etched in relief along the barrel, blue arcs of energy played across the detailed ravens, making them appear to be in flight through a lightning storm.
The guns had dropped from a pair of raven headed secret world bosses gated behind a quest chain that had cost me a full week of progression. They had decent enough damage but they really performed their best in the worst situations where multiple enemies could cover one another.
I abandoned the idea of blending in. I¡¯d soon be traveling openly with Tabula and the others, and with the strength at our disposal I no longer feared getting hassled by the local rabble or anyone else for that matter. It was time for Me to be Me.
My familiar suit materialized once again piece by piece, embracing me like an old friend. I smoothed back my black hair, noting as I did that my ears were now sharply pointed. I gave a final sigh as I studied the practical stranger¡¯s reflection.
¡°I look like someone now.¡± I mused, tapping my cheek pensively with Muninn¡¯s barrel. ¡°Oh my shit I¡¯m Dante from DMC on steroids.¡± I hit a dorky pose with my two pistols and snorted a laugh at myself. ¡°At least my hair didn¡¯t turn white.¡±
I left the restroom, returning outside to find Tabula having a discussion with Yugal. A sound I hadn¡¯t ever heard before made me turn sharply. Niiya had laughed. It was only for a second, little more than a squeak of delight but it had struck profoundly. One look and I realized what had caused it.
Niiya was watching Jade do something incredible. She had transformed into a huge green and black tiger, roughly twice the size of the Siberian tiger I had once seen at the San Diego Zoo. She let Niiya stroke the dense, silky fur and the little cat girl¡¯s eyes lit up with wonder. Jade even got down low and invited Niiya to climb on her back.
¡°Gray look!¡± Niiya shouted at me from atop the massive feline. I took a mental snap shot of that smile, knowing it would always be a treat I could pluck from the old emotional cookie jar when I felt low.
¡°That¡¯s awesome! Hang on tight though you¡¯re up pretty high.¡± I waved at her with my own sharp toothed smile.
¡°Pfft!¡± Jade made a disapproving noise. ¡°She¡¯s safer up here than you are down there.¡± The Jade tiger held her head up and away, giving me a sidelong and condescending look.
Tabula snapped a glare on Jade, and Yugal¡¯s great jaw dropped in open admiration.
Jade caught the look and knew she was in for a headache. ¡°Sorry that you don¡¯t know how awesome I am yet, Master.¡± The tone was apologetic but the words were anything but.
¡°Be yourself girl.¡± I waved it away. ¡°Do you have any other forms?¡±
¡°Are you kidding? You don¡¯t even know that much? Just because Tabula always makes me stay in dragon form because it¡¯s ¡®the most synergistic and optimal¡¯ I have to stay as a big flying worm and now everyone thinks that¡¯s all I can do!¡± The giant tiger actually sat back on her haunches and did air quotations with her wicked claws. I pinched the bridge of my nose to fight down a giggle.
¡°I see, well now would be a great time to show off then won¡¯t it?¡± I said. ¡°Do you have a favorite?¡±
Jade looked down, a bit subdued. ¡°You want to know about me?¡± She bent low again, and Niiya took the hint and crawled off carefully before running back over to me.
She touched my gray blazer curiously and waited patiently as I sat down cross legged on the brown grass beside her.
An impromptu show-and-tell commenced as Tabula and the giant Yugal both turned their attention to Jade. In spite of her usual arrogance, she looked suddenly bashful.
¡°I like my original one the best.¡± She finally said. ¡°This was my first form.¡±
A green glow surrounded her once more and her body shrank and transformed in a flash. Where the huge tiger had stood was now a slightly larger than normal fox with nine bushy tails. Her fur was still the color of jade except for the tips of her tails and her paws which were snow white.
¡°Jade is a Huli Jing.¡± Tabula explained. ¡°A mythical spirit beast that is able to shapeshift into various creatures as it ages. The dragon is the final form the Hilu Jing can attain, making Jade one of the oldest of her kind.¡±
¡°Way to steal my story!¡± Jade snapped. The fur on her back stood straight up and her words carried into a growl.
¡°Your fox form is beautiful Jade.¡± I interjected before a full scale war could break out between the two. ¡°Are there others?¡±
¡°Y-you think so?¡± Jade seemed to forget Tabula¡¯s story hijacking. ¡°I learned how to turn into a human when I was fifty. I don¡¯t usually do it but it goes like this...¡±
She glowed and changed shape once more, and shocked didn¡¯t begin to describe the feeling, or I¡¯m sure the look on my face. I was no stranger to good looking girls, even considered myself a bit numb to looks at this point. I now realized my error. While Tabula was a tall, exotic bombshell full of sophistication and mystique, I couldn¡¯t seem to think about her as much more than a beautiful painting-untouchable and hard to relate to.
Jade¡¯s look ran directly counter to those sensibilities. Her body was petite and athletic, she was five and a half feet tall with muscular legs, wide hips, and a six pack on her slim waist. She wasn¡¯t top heavy by any means but that only exaggerated her sporty gymnast aesthetic. Her skin was bronze, her hair was an unruly mane of glittering green ringlets and her lips were full and parted in a grin showing bright white teeth. Her thin almond shaped eyes glowed with an intense green inner light and were reminiscent of her fox form. She looked wild, carefree, and mischievous. If I had to guess how old she looked I would say around twenty.
I was both thankful and secretly disappointed that her human form included clothes. She wore a tight black and green silk wrap that covered her chest and one shoulder along with a pair of short matching muay thai trunks. Her hands and ankles were taped like a fighter¡¯s and I understood the look at once. Whoever designed Jade must have been a big Tekken fan.
All in all, she was my exact type that I never even knew I had. I put the revelation aside and decided to carry on.
¡°Wow that¡¯s great!¡± I said, and the words rang as awkward even to myself. ¡°Ahem. I just realized we don¡¯t have much time. We need to get to Filam and warn everyone, and before that we need to get EDEN mobile.¡±
¡°Eh?¡± Jade seemed disappointed. ¡°You didn¡¯t even see what my forms can do!¡± She accentuated the protest by raising her left knee high in front of her, and then extending her foot so that it was above her head. She then brought it down in an axe kick that literally split the ground and caused the whole area to shake.
Heavy handed applause and a deep voiced cheer from Yugal surprised me as much as the overpowered kick. The giant was an instant Jade fanboy. Niiya gripped my arm tightly but looking down at her wide eyes and wider smile revealed it was from excitement rather than fear.
¡°We have all the time in the world to talk about it and show off.¡± I insisted. ¡°For now I need everyone to listen to Tabula¡¯s plan.¡±
¡°Right.¡± Tabula took the cue and began to explain. ¡°Once Jade, Rain, and Myself are inside then you¡¯ll need to deactivate EDEN. Then, you¡¯ll need to fill the bed of the wagon Miss Niiya provided with soil. When that is done, you can deploy EDEN at the smallest blank configuration setting in the center of the wagon bed. You can then crawl inside where I¡¯ll guide you through the manual configuration menu.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± I grunted. ¡°No reason to delay.¡±
A few minutes later, I stood in the once again empty clearing with Niiya and Yugal. I scrolled through the Astral Vault menu until I found the stored wagon.
Yugal had barely recovered from the vanishing building when a wagon materialized from thin air before us.
¡°You create complex items from nothingness. I have heard myths of such magic but to think I could behold it myself.¡± The giant was clearly mystified.
¡°Gray can do anything!¡± Niiya proclaimed, making me a little uncomfortable.
¡°There¡¯s plenty I can¡¯t do.¡± I said. ¡°In fact I could use your help with something Yugal.¡±
The giant nodded. ¡°I will do my best.¡±
¡°Great. Can you dig up some dirt and fill the wagon bed with it?¡± I pointed at the ground, then the wagon as I asked.
¡°Of course, just as Lady Tabula instructed.¡± The giant plunged his hands into the cold packed dirt beneath the leaves as effortlessly as a backhoe would on earth.
I watched impressed as the giant pulled forth enough soil with that one scoop to more than fill the wagon bed. A gentle swipe removed the excess and left the wagon filled with a perfectly even layer of dirt.
¡°Perfect. Now the next part...¡±I said as I pulled forth the metal cube that was EDEN and input the smallest possible base configuration.
Once EDEN was placed in the center of the wagon bed, I activated it and watched the tendrils of light once again feel out the available space before the artifact activated. It worked perfectly, the cube now filled the wagon bed, the door was more of a hatch now, just allowing me to squeeze inside.
¡°Excellent.¡± Tabula¡¯s voice reached me as I entered the small room. ¡°Now you should see a blue button next to where you entered. Press it.¡±
I turned around and found the button. Had it always been there? I couldn¡¯t remember if I had ever looked behind me during the setup phase which was always simple voice prompts.
I pressed it and a window popped up. It was a single blank field with a blinking vertical line indicating I needed to enter some command.
¡°Enter the following command line.¡± Tabula began. ¡°X://ROOTDIRECTORY/CUSTOMCONFIGURATIONS/TABULA0013/¡±
I typed the command carefully on the translucent keyboard that appeared below the prompt.
¡°Alright perfect. Now you can leave the rest to me.¡± Tabula¡¯s voice was tinged with excitement now. ¡°Please go inside to complete the setup.¡± She continued a moment later.
I crouched and went through the door that appeared a moment later. My eyes went wide at what I saw. The inside of EDEN was that of a modern three bedroom apartment with two full bathrooms, and a beautifully furnished living area.
I turned and opened the small door to see a curious Niiya staring at me from outside. I poked my head out, noticing that the wagon was somehow still standing and that EDEN¡¯s exterior had assumed the form of a simple wooden carriage.
¡°Tabula, how the hell is this possible?¡± I turned back to find the android smiling in satisfaction at my amazement.
¡°EDEN has extradimensional attributes, allowing it to house spaces that otherwise would be impossible. Even the winter resort configuration does that to a degree. The interior square footage exceeds the parameters of the exterior. This configuration simply uses that system to its upper limit.¡± She explained simply.
¡°Alright, guess it makes sense when you put it that way. I just never knew.¡± I said still struggling to understand. ¡°Come on inside Niiya.¡± I called, and she climbed up and through the door.
¡°Wow Tabula!¡± Niiya ran around the apartment looking at everything.
Ten minutes later our entire group except for Rain was standing outside the wagon. I was more than satisfied with the newly mobile EDEN except for one detail.
¡°Any of us are more than strong enough to pull it like a rickshaw but how do we get it through the forest and to a road?¡± I pondered aloud.
¡°I can do that.¡± Jade said. She was presently in her fox form, tickling Niiya with her tails. Apparently she really liked the little girl. ¡°It¡¯ll eat a ton of my Soul Energy though.¡±
¡°You can? But how?¡± I asked.
¡°It¡¯d be easier to just show you.¡± She replied.
Jade then transformed in a flash of green light into her dragon form. It was as awe inspiring as always. Then without any warning, the Wagon began to float silently off the ground, climbing higher and higher before hovering perfectly still more than fifty feet in the air. Everyone aside from Tabula gaped openly. I then noticed the almost invisible barrier under the wagon. The wagon descended easily and settled back on the dirt a few seconds later.
14: Imps Quest
Pinthalak flew with all haste through the shadowy alleys and streets of Cairn Carna, the largest city in the hells. Demons killed and not spiritually destroyed in any upper realm inevitably found themselves resurrected here. The layout of the city and the architecture of the buildings were pure anarchy, but uniquely beautiful if one could get past the feelings of discord they inspired. Twisted towers jutted sideways at angles that made it seem impossible for them to stand. Patches of colorful grasses and fungi grew in random patches from between the black paving stones. Rivers flowed up sheer cliffs and continued straight into the sky toward infinity- yes the sky. Unlike how most beings of the material plane imagined, there was a sky here. It was a blaze of galactic color upon a canvas of midnight filled with floating islands, soaring castles, and countless celestial bodies beyond that. The most prominent of these were the six Noble Moons, each representing one of the hells¡¯ ruling families.
Pinthalak had been banished back to Cairn many times over the past several months thanks to The Warlord¡¯s volatile temper, and that time had not been idly spent. He had spied, stolen, and gambled his way into earning a single chance to enter the noble quarter of the city. Once inside, he would probably have just one opportunity to find a suitable master more powerful than The Warlord. He was gambling not only on whether or not he would find such a master, but also that said new master would be any less cruel and foolhardy than his current one.
The frantic imp found the Wall of Eiryades to be as tall and unforgiving as always. The informant had assured him that a hole would appear in the magical barrier for just a moment between the sculptures of the fifth and sixth Grand Overfiends which were carved in relief into the obsidian surface. He simply had to wait for the moment when the light from all six moons was blocked by the flying fortress of Overfiend Hemathael. Yellow eyes scanned the sky wildly. It appeared suddenly and as its shadow fell over Pinthalak, the vibrating energy of the wall ceased. Pinthalak leaped with all his might, flapping his wings thrice in hummingbird fast succession. He instinctively braced himself for the deadly rejection as he crossed over the top of the fifty foot wall. He exhaled in relief as he began to descend on the other side, viewing the noble quarter for the very first time as he glided for a shadowy place between buildings.
In stark contrast to the chaos of the rest of the city, this place was unbearably meticulous in its design. The buildings were straight, clean, and built of what seemed to be pure white marble. Legend proclaimed that the noble quarter was ripped away from heaven itself by the very first Grand Overfiend when the three major dimensions collided with one another more than twenty thousand years prior in what came to be called The Melding. The pristine buildings remained all but indestructible, and no filth or marring could so much as dull their surface. Not that any demons here would care to. The structures here stood as a monumental reminder that no matter how high and mighty the heavens might be, at least one demon had stood up to them and stolen some of that pride away.
Pinthalak shook his bony head to refocus himself. Every moment here was incredibly dangerous. Trespassing in the noble quarter could get one killed quite easily, and death in the hells meant banishment to a lower layer where life was constant torture. It could take decades to ascend back to this level, and could lead to a chain of deaths and banishment that all but promised eternal torment at the lowest layer known simply as The Pit.
These thoughts weighed heavily on Pinthalak¡¯s small shoulders as he peeked out from the shadows. Death and destruction strolled casually on finely polished hooves, bird like talons, and elegantly adorned feet all around him.
The strongest demons lived here. Life at the top of the hells¡¯ hierarchy was one of leisure and excess. Lesser demons vied for their favor and by extension their protection by selling themselves to the service of the most powerful master that would accept them. Thus the demonic nobility for the most part spent their nearly endless lives engrossed in hobbies, research, and amassing more and more power for themselves.
This block seemed to be a shopping district. Priceless magical artifacts, fine art, and flashy bolts of fine fabric glowed with power and likely some extra embellishing magic in the glass windows of the storefronts. Various aristocratic demons and extraplanar beings haggled and conversed among themselves while their many servants stood quiet and subdued behind them.
¡°Wanna play?¡± The clear voice of a young girl made Pinthalak freeze in his tracks. Wasn¡¯t he invisible?
¡°I see you anyways.¡± The voice answered his unspoken rhetorical question. ¡°You don¡¯t have an ugly aura. So lets play already, hurry!¡±
Pinthalak turned and was suddenly eye to eye with the speaker. She was his height, only around three feet tall with dark crimson skin, soft cherubic features, and large fairy wings. She wore a golden sleeveless gown that matched her short curly hair. The irises of her huge round eyes were also golden, but the pupils were deep red like her skin. Pinthalak knew that appearances were deceiving here. Any attention could be deadly. He couldn¡¯t sense any power from this little fairy demon, but something in her mannerisms set his instincts on high alert.
¡°W-what shall we play my lady?¡± Pinthalak knew he was caught, thoughts of fleeing didn¡¯t even begin to register.
¡°Wisp Catch is my favorite game! If you can catch more than me I¡¯ll give you a big present.¡± The girl suddenly held a small black bag tied at the top with a drawstring.
Before Pinthalak could even process what was happening the bag opened and at least a score of tiny glowing blue orbs swarmed forth from the opened vessel, scattering in every direction.
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¡°Do your best!¡± The fairy demon¡¯s voice was already several yards away as she snatched a wisp from the air.
¡°Wait...¡± The poor imp was left with few options. The little girl could very well be a mischievous demon lord in disguise ready to devour him for spoiling her fun if he refused the game. In fact that was far more likely than a cheerful child wanting a playmate.
Without any more hesitation Pinthalak sped off in pursuit of two wisps that were flying parallel to one another. He caught one but the other suddenly reversed direction and evaded him. The one he caught vibrated and suddenly disappeared in a puff of blue smoke. Catching the wisp caused his invisibility to fail but it was too late to give up now. He kept his focus and quickly caught three more. Maybe if he won, she would accept him as her servant. It was his only hope.
Pinthalak was so focused on his prey that he failed to notice that he had flown out from the alleys and onto a busy lane. A bellowing voice, warbling with disgust and outrage assaulted his ears and made him freeze in mid flight.
¡°A feelthy imp croshes my mashter¡¯s path!?¡± The slurred words sounded awkward rolling over the thick tongue and past the three foot long tusks of the huge bestial demon. It was a demon from Behemoth''s family, notoriously foul tempered and powerful. It was built like a four armed silverback gorilla with the tusks of an elephant. It made Pinthalak''s Gorgothan master look like a cuddly kitten in both size and disposition.
¡°Send its body over the wall and get back to pulling.¡± A bored and nasally voice sounded from inside the large covered rickshaw that the black furred monstrosity had been pulling.
¡°Mind where you trushpass if you ever make it back, feelthy imp!¡± The beast growled as it shot a huge three fingered hand at Pinthalak. It was far too fast for the imp to ever dream of dodging. The imp shut his eyes and waited for the explosion of pain. At least The Warlord¡¯s summons couldn¡¯t reach him in the lower hells...
The pain didn¡¯t come. Pinthalak cracked open one eye to see the little fairy demon standing with her back to him, wagging a small finger at the gargantuan creature. The beast demon¡¯s hand was frozen in place along with the rest of its body. The paralysis faded almost instantly and the creature roared in pure outrage.
¡°Shhtinking bugs! Shquash you both!¡± The beast¡¯s words were barely recognizable as rage overtook it.
The aristocratic demon in the carriage poked his head out at that moment. He couldn¡¯t see what was beyond his beast of burden but a familiar presence tickled his fine senses. The beast raised all four arms, ready to fully obliterate everything before it. The noble demon shouted out too late.
¡°Stop fool!¡± The noble cried out.
The beast demon did stop in that moment. Everything stopped. The onlookers showing mild interest, the guard demons showing even less interest, the insects on the ground, the flying fortresses in the sky, everything was frozen in place except for the noble demon and something else.
¡°Please forgive my blunder, great and eminent Overfiend. My foolish servant did not recognize your fragment at play.¡± The normally pompous and arrogant demon stepped fully from the carriage then and sank to both knees. ¡°I will flay the flesh from his bones myself if it will ease your ire.¡±
¡°What makes a game, child?¡± The voice came from atop the carriage where the little cherubic demon now sat.
¡°R-rules, Overfiend.¡± The demon stuttered in reply.
¡°Yes! Well done. What makes a rule then?¡± The voice now came from above the demon where a second identical child hovered in the air.
¡°Consequences for breaking them, Overfiend.¡± Sweat darkened the demon¡¯s white silk collar as he answered.
¡°Clever boy! What makes a consequence?¡± The third voice came from in front of him, smooth as silk and dark as black velvet.
¡°Sufferi-¡± The word ended abruptly as agony erupted from the demon¡¯s chest.
A crunching and sucking sound could be heard as the demon¡¯s gaze drifted from the cherubic demon flying overhead to his killer standing before him. He would mark this day well, and on his journey back from the lower layer would take care to never cross this particular monster¡¯s path again.
Overfiend X¡¯lyssa, great granddaughter of Corpse himself and second in line to the current Grand Overfiend held his black beating heart in the slender fingers of her right hand. In her left hand she held a much larger heart, clearly belonging to his wretched servant. Oh that blundering fool would pay in the lower world, and pay dearly.
The world resumed motion then and Pinthalak found the scenery before him had changed instantaneously. The beast demon had been about to crush him and the little fairy demon flat one moment, and now he was seated on a park bench facing three identical versions of the playful demonic cherub. Behind them was what could only be their mother or perhaps a much older sister. The skin and eyes were dead matches but the figure was that of a grown woman. She was well over six feet tall, unbelievably voluptuous, and her face was fierce and hungry. Also unlike her childish counterparts her hair was platinum white. The wavy locks could nearly touch the back of her knees. She studied Pinthalak with a stoic and penetrating gaze.
¡°Pinthalak, a poor down on his luck imp denied his evolution by a stinky Gorgo.¡± She said, using the derogatory slang term for Gorgothan. ¡°Hmm. Well since our game was interrupted I guess I owe you at least a consolation prize for trying. I¡¯ll even give you two options. Option one: I force your evolution to Fel Imp. You¡¯ll gain an amended name and be free of his summons. Option Two: I make you a servant with my surname and Soulbrand. The next time he calls for you, it won¡¯t go as he hopes.
¡°You¡¯ll really do that much for a weakling like me?¡± Pinthalak couldn¡¯t believe his ears.
¡°Strength is relative. In terms of relative difficulty, what you did took a great deal of cunning and courage. I value where you can go more than where you began.¡± She patiently replied. ¡°Well?¡±
¡°Option Two.¡± Pinthalak said with such conviction that the woman arched a platinum eyebrow.
¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± She teased. ¡°I might be worse than the bonehead you serve.¡±
¡°Option Two.¡± The imp reiterated.
¡°Very well.¡± She favored him with a smile. ¡°Any questions before we begin?¡±
¡°Just one. Are these your siblings or children, or...?¡± He let the question trail off.
¡°Neither. They are all me. There can be as many of them as I have cells in my body.¡± She smiled wider at the expected astonishment. ¡°It¡¯s-¡± She stopped as Pinthalak fell flat on his belly, groveling with all his might.
It all came clear in that moment, how could he have failed to see it!?
¡°Mistress Overfiend!¡± Pinthalak shook so hard, he feared he might shake himself into pieces.
¡°Mistress X¡¯lyssa will do. Get that nonsense out of your system right now if you want to join my household.¡± She admonished him sternly.
Pinthalak couldn¡¯t begin to process his fortune. An Overfiend, one of the strongest of them all was going to take him in? For the first time in many centuries, Pinthalak dared to let a slim sliver of hope shine in his mind.
15: Filam Once More
EDEN touched down gently on the road a mile west of the clearing where it had been deployed. Jade assured me it was safe to ride inside, but I decided to hike the distance through the woods with Yugal and Niiya instead. Heights were fine as long as I was holding onto something, but flying was a minor phobia. Even my triple jump boots made my stomach lurch.
¡°It really works.¡± I marveled as Tabula stepped out of the carriage. Rain followed closely behind her. The penguin stretched his flippers and hopped from one foot to the other excitedly.
¡°Rain.¡± Tabula addressed the penguin. ¡°Start and maintain a three kilometer radial perimeter scan as we travel. Identify and communicate any potential threats before engaging.¡±
¡°No problem boss! Drone Form Go!¡± Rain hit three dramatic poses as he said those last three words.
¡°I forgot about that part.¡± I groaned. Remember the Ginyu force? Look it up.
Despite the cringe inducing call out, Rain¡¯s transformations were admittedly epic. The penguin¡¯s body contorted and split like any self respecting robot-in-disguise should. Moments later, a miniature stealth drone shaped much like a B-2 bomber hovered where the penguin had stood.
¡°Communication and video relays are live, proceed Rain.¡± Tabula ordered in her big boss voice.
Behind her back, Jade¡¯s dragon lips silently mouthed along with Tabula mockingly as she waved her clawed forelegs dramatically. Niiya giggled quietly and I bit my lip.
¡°Video relays are live, meaning I can currently see everything that Rain sees in three hundred and sixty degrees... Jade...¡± Tabula¡¯s voice was far too calm.
¡°Save me Master!¡± Jade transformed into human form and bolted behind me as she yelped. ¡°That¡¯s the stabby voice!¡±
¡°You better say sorry then, huh?¡± I retorted, uncomfortably aware of the intoxicating presence so close to me.
¡°Yeah sure it was a joke, just a harmless little joke. No need to give me a- OUCH!¡± She finished with a shout and clutched the back of her head with both hands as though she had been smacked.
¡°Next time start with an apology instead of those half assed excuses.¡± I advised caught somewhere between a lecture and sympathy.
Jade puffed her cheeks and glared over my shoulder at the satisfied half grin on Tabula¡¯s face.
¡°Rain has already detected something.¡± Tabula¡¯s voice interrupted the moment. ¡°Five mounted individuals two kilometers west, and approaching us. They will intersect our location in less than five minutes.¡±
¡°Shit.¡± I took a moment to think before speaking again. ¡°Yugal, go and hide beyond the treeline. I¡¯m not ready to explain your presence yet. Jade keep Niiya safe and only intervene if necessary. Tabula you¡¯re with me to greet these guys, and relay any more details Rain spots as they get closer.¡±
¡°There are three knights in plate armor riding in a diamond formation with one robed man in the back. In the center of their formation is a more ornately armored man wearing a circlet. The lead rider is carrying a standard: a black tower on a red field.¡± Tabula gave details as she observed them through her link to Rain. ¡°Two minutes to contact.¡±
¡°They might just ride straight past us.¡± I mused hopefully.
I could now clearly hear the riders¡¯ progress. A few moments later, the group appeared as they rounded a bend in the dirt road. With my new enhanced senses, I could make out clear details even at that far distance. They were obviously not bandits or brigands, they looked more like knights escorting a political leader.
I saw their formation tighten as they noticed the wagon and our group. I nodded to Tabula and moved to the rear of the wagon in clear view of the approaching riders. Thirty seconds passed and the group slowed their horses (all brown stallions) to a slow walk while they were still fifty feet away. I could clearly make out a hushed conversation happening between the men.
¡°He matches the description! Fancy but strange matching outfit with dark black hair.¡± This came from the robed man at the rear of the formation.
¡°Imagine the good fortune that we found him right away, and outside of town.¡± The important looking man in the middle added.
¡°There was no mention of a beauty like that traveling with him.¡± One of the knights said, admiration in his voice.
¡°No matter, best we simply take them both by surprise and get them back to Crown City. At my signal Tor and Kile flank them while Merius casts Sleep on the man. I¡¯ll subdue the woman myself.¡± The leader ordered.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t try any of that.¡± I called out loudly in a confident tone. ¡°If you wanna overpower us, you¡¯re about ten thousand people short and a hundred years too early.¡±
The riders stopped, unsure how they had been heard. The leader broke through to the front and answered back with a tone that indicated a lifetime of privilege and authority. A lifelong pompous prick if I ever saw one.
¡°Arrogant words for some criminal trash. I am Gurstav, lieutenant conscript of the Crown City Merchant¡¯s Alliance! We know you sold an unlicensed potion to that old woman! She was killed for it outside of Crown City and her poor husband was left for dead. You¡¯ll be returning to answer for your crimes after we confiscate any other contraband you have on you.¡± He ended his tirade by pointing a gold ringed finger at me.
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¡°That¡¯s terrible news about the old lady, she seemed decent. I promise to go settle whatever problems there are when I¡¯m done around here. I have a demon to kill and an invasion to stop. Oh that sleep spell your little pal just tried won¡¯t work on me by the way.¡± I crossed my arms and noted the slight twitch near Tabula¡¯s eye. She was pissed.
Tension grew as the seconds slipped past. I could feel it. The men were about to charge. Jade¡¯s voice suddenly chimed in from the side as she walked around the wagon with Niiya peeking out behind her.
¡°Oh my god I¡¯m soo bored! Are we really wasting time with these nobodies?¡± She dragged her hands down her face to accentuate her exasperation. Before I could stop her she shifted into her fox form, causing gasps and even one startled yelp from the mounted men. Her eyes glowed when she spoke next. ¡°Hey dumb idiot moron dipshit guys, you couldn¡¯t find the people you were after and you tried your best. Go home to your ass ugly wives, or husbands, or dogs, or whatever nasty thing you sleep next to.¡± Jade blasted them with ridiculous commands and insults.
I choked on my intervening words and Tabula simply sighed in resignation.
The riders'' faces suddenly drained of all expression. Another moment of silence passed, then beyond all reason they turned their mounts around and began riding back the way they had come at a brisk trot.
¡°Jade!¡± Tabula snapped. ¡°Mass Beguile has a long cooldown. You should have consulted Mr. Gray before using it.¡±
¡°He said intervene if necessary! What time would that be more necessary? You¡¯re only barking because you were mad and wanted to slug that guy for disrespecting Master. Don¡¯t try to deny it either.¡± Jade growled out her indignant retort.
¡°There were other solutions...¡± For once Tabula sounded a bit deflated, and it was obvious that she saw the validity of Jade¡¯s argument.
¡°It¡¯s okay, I wanted to punch him too. He¡¯s got one of those ¡®punch me¡¯ faces.¡± I consoled Tabula. ¡°By the way Jade that was a good judgment call, and a hilarious delivery but lets both try to clean up the language around the kid, alright?¡±
¡°Wise of them to flee.¡± Yugal¡¯s heavy footsteps heralded his deep voice a moment later.
¡°Alright let¡¯s get moving. Yugal, will humans attack you on sight or will we have a chance to explain?¡± I lifted Niiya onto my shoulders as I asked the giant.
¡°I am not certain. I have heard of my kind trading with them but have never seen it myself.¡± The giant answered ponderously.
¡°I think I know how to handle it.¡± I said. ¡°It does require you to hang back and hide out for awhile though.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± The giant nodded along.
¡°Should we play rock, paper, scissors to decide who pulls the cart?¡± I asked rhetorically even as I rolled up my sleeves and walked toward the front to volunteer myself.
¡°I got it.¡± Jade said, cutting in front of me. Her scent was a dream that Chanel could chase for a thousand years and never catch. ¡°Just hook the things up to me.¡± She shifted into her huge tiger form as she stepped between the breeching bars. I snapped out of it and complied.
¡°Someone¡¯s gunning for employee of the month.¡± I chuckled.
I was glad I saved the yoke and tack in my inventory. The apparatus was a tight squeeze over the huge tiger¡¯s head but fit well enough around her muscular shoulders. After a fair amount of guesswork, trial, and error Jade was adequately secured and ready to pull EDEN properly. It was a hell of a sight though - a giant green tiger pulling a carriage with a mountain giant escort. There was no fear of discovery with Rain patrolling the air above, and we soon settled into a comfortable pace.
¡°I¡¯m telling you, I am this close to sealing the deal with Sonya!¡± Theron, the tall guard that had once greeted Lain at the west gate of Filam bragged to his shorter partner.
¡°You¡¯re dreaming. She¡¯s just a copper hungry bartender and you¡¯re a perfect sucker.¡± Kerk replied with a dismissive wave. ¡°Just relax and enjoy that we dodged patrol duty for the third day in a row.¡±
¡°Psh what do you know? She said I looked handsome just last night. Also patrol duty is better than sentry duty. Sentry¡¯s boring.¡± Theron rebutted. He was about to say more when he noticed Kerk wasn¡¯t paying attention at all. Theron followed Kerk¡¯s intense gaze out to what was approaching on the eastern road.
¡°Isn¡¯t that the guy from the west gate the other day?¡± Kerk asked, squinting at the distant figures. ¡°But who¡¯s the woman with him and what¡¯s THAT pulling the wagon behind him!?¡±
¡°Woman? You mean super goddess from above the heavens!?¡± Theron had better vision than Kerk. ¡°That looks like the same guy but bigger, and there¡¯s a giant green cat pulling the wagon.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll get the Appraisal mage, stall them and don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Kerk warned.
Theron gulped and nodded. Even from here a sense of pressure was rolling over him from the approaching group. He tightened his grip on the spear he was holding and stood directly in front of the gate.
¡°Hello again.¡± I greeted warmly as I approached the grim faced guard. ¡°These are my friends Tabula and Jade. I¡¯m sure you have some concerns. We don¡¯t mind waiting and answering questions but I do have an urgent message for Guildmaster Stonesong.¡±
The tone and words eased Theron¡¯s posture significantly. His gaze moved between Tabula and Jade rapidly. He had an overwhelming urge to kneel that he couldn¡¯t understand. Those two were something otherworldly. Tabula¡¯s expression was cool and friendly but her eyes seemed to be looking down on him like he was no more than a curious insect. The tiger was visually more intimidating than any monster or beast Theron had ever seen, and its eyes shone with intelligence and cunning.
It was a long while before Theron realized he hadn¡¯t answered. He coughed and cleared his throat, embarrassed.
¡°Oh, w-well yes certainly. Once my partner returns with the Appraisal mage we will send for the Guildmaster.¡± Theron couldn¡¯t even maintain the pretense of authority as he spoke.
Several minutes of awkward silence passed when Kerk returned with another unfamiliar man trailing behind him.
¡°Now what¡¯s so important that you clods would interrupt my dinner?¡± A thin and nasally voice heralded the approach of the blue robed man with thinning brown hair and a thick lensed monocle that made one brown eye appear unnaturally large next to the other. ¡°This is why I have an apprentice...¡± The man stopped talking as he noticed the party.
¡°Ah Mr. Lue! Sorry for the intrusion. This man has already been appraised by Miss Shaye, but his ally hasn¡¯t.¡± Theron greeted as he gestured to Tabula.
¡°Allies!¡± The tiger protested, emphasizing the plural. ¡°How rude!¡±
Theron and the appraisal mage both instinctively leaped back and stared at the tiger in terror.
¡°Please be at ease, gentlemen.¡± Tabula¡¯s voice was both soothing and commanding. ¡°Jade is a very rare and unusual being but she won¡¯t cause you any harm.¡±
¡°No offense sir but Tabula and Jade are most likely beyond your Appraisal ability. You¡¯re welcome to try though.¡± I followed Tabula¡¯s assurances with my own.
That seemed to bring the man back to his senses.
¡°Ha! My Appraisal skill is the second highest in the entire region!¡± The man¡¯s pride won through his apprehension. ¡°By the holy goddess in her infinite wisdom, I demand that the unknown be revealed to me. Appraisal!¡± The look of confidence melted into one of pure open mouthed shock. ¡°Impossible...¡± All color was gone from his face, and the monocle dropped from his eye to dangle by its gold chain.
¡°What is it!?¡± Theron was clearly alarmed. He gripped his spear with white knuckles and was slowly backing away.
¡°I only glimpsed her name and level. She must be using a max level Falsify Data in combination with a max level Appraisal skill, there¡¯s no way that a level three hundred can exist!¡±
¡°I do not possess any skill to alter the appearance of my statistics.¡± Tabula said earnestly.
¡°What should we do?¡± Theron whispered to the mage and Kerk.
¡°I¡¯m sure the guildmaster will vouch for us if you send for him.¡± I called over to the huddling trio.
¡°Right... well please wait where you are then.¡± Kerk said as he turned to hustle away.
¡°Mind if we wait in the wagon?¡± I asked the lanky guard.
¡°That should be fine.¡± The guard seemed somewhat relieved at the idea.
I nodded to Tabula and Jade. The tiger transformed to her human form and gave the two remaining men a sly wink as they leaped back in shock once again. She let the heavy yoke slip down her petite frame to the ground and swaggered behind the others to the back of the wagon.
Once they were out of sight, both Theron and the mage collapsed side by side onto the bench.
¡°So I¡¯m thinking of moving to Crown City.¡± The mage said to himself.
¡°I¡¯ll help you pack if you help me pack.¡± Theron said. looking up at the overcast sky.
¡°When people like that appear, it¡¯s never a good sign. Powerful humans only show up when powerful monsters do. Do you think they¡¯re actually S rank in disguise?¡± The mage¡¯s voice was tinted with both wonder and fear.
¡°I wish I knew. I¡¯ve never felt pressure like that, and my senses aren¡¯t even that sharp. That Tabula woman gave me the impression that I was nothing but dirt to be stepped on.¡± Theron replied thoughtfully. ¡°And thank her for the pleasure.¡±
¡°What if it¡¯s real? What would a level of three hundred even mean?¡± The mage continued. ¡°Thousands of Health? The Strength of a dozen giants? Spells that twist reality itself?¡± The mage leaned back against the city wall and looked up in thought. ¡°What if we¡¯re detaining the first SSS ranked being to ever live right now?¡±
16: Catching Up
¡°A dwarf is approaching the gate with the guard.¡± Tabula relayed what she was viewing from Rain¡¯s position flying a hundred meters above us.
¡°That was pretty fast.¡± I put my iced lemonade on the counter of the breakfast bar and stood up. ¡°Would you mind inviting him in, Tab?¡±
¡°Tab?¡± She echoed curiously.
¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± I asked.
¡°I like it very much!¡± She looked to Jade with a superior smile and puffed her chest out.
¡°It¡¯s only because your name is long and boring just like the rest of you.¡± Jade scoffed.
¡°Oh don¡¯t start you two. Tabula your name is just fine, it¡¯s common to give close friends with multiple syllable names shortened nicknames.¡± I intervened quickly. ¡°Jade don¡¯t antagonize. Tab greet the guildmaster properly. Niiya you¡¯re doing great keep it up.¡± I finished with a careful tussle of the little cat girl¡¯s hair.
¡°Right away.¡± Tabula pushed her glasses back into proper position and exited the carriage.
¡°How come you two don¡¯t like each other?¡± Niiya asked Jade after Tabula was gone.
¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like her.¡± Jade took a second to think about her response. ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe, it¡¯s like we have to compete over everything. It¡¯s just our nature I guess.¡± She shrugged as she answered.
¡°The closer two people are, the more they rub against one another.¡± I said. ¡°Friction is healthy, it¡¯s indifference that hurts.¡±
¡°You can sound smart sometimes Master.¡± Jade conceded.
¡°What¡¯s friction?¡± Niiya asked.
¡°Rub your hands together like this.¡± Jade pressed her palms together and rubbed them vigorously. Niiya mimicked the motion. ¡°The heat you feel is caused by friction, it¡¯s just a fancy word for when things rub together.¡±
¡°You¡¯re like a big sister.¡± I remarked with a smile.
The comment got a bigger reaction than I expected. Jade looked down and away, cheeks flushing and Niiya¡¯s eyes lit up happily.
The door opened then, and Tabula announced the dwarf¡¯s arrival.
¡°Mr. Gray, Guildmaster Hurstag Karom Stonesong has arrived to see you.¡± Tabula bowed and Karom stumped past her, bushy eyebrows nearly touching his hairline in his surprise as he looked at the spacious interior. He accepted the cold glass of lemonade Tabula handed him numbly.
¡°Welcome guildmaster.¡± I stood to greet him with a slight bow. ¡°I understand your surprise. Our base is an artifact with the spatial attribute, enabling the interior space you¡¯re seeing now. Please have a seat.¡± I walked to the open living area and gestured to one of the stylish leather sofas.
¡°To think such a thing might exist, and that I could see it myself...¡± Hurstag muttered in bewilderment as he walked to the offered seat, then suddenly sat up straight as he realized the image he was projecting. ¡°Ahem, yes of course Mr. Gray. I see you have acquired some new allies. What was it you wished to see me about?¡±
¡°These are actually old friends, aside from Niiya here whom I rescued from Braverton and have taken into my care.¡± I explained and continued. ¡°The Warlord and a force of several hundred monsters will attack Filam from the west within two days. I want you to speak with the town¡¯s leadership and make sure the citizens stay out of the way while we handle it.¡± I dropped the details of the situation in a matter of fact tone. Pretty sure I got this manner of official speaking from my old man. It wasn¡¯t really me but damn could it move a fuckin¡¯ mountain.
¡°How did you come by such information!?¡± Hurstag stood up swiftly as though he might run away.
¡°We dispatched a group of the Warlord¡¯s minions outside of Braverton, and are keeping their commander in submission. He was a victim of The Warlord himself, and voluntarily joined our side.¡± I kept my seat and stared hard at the dwarf. He settled down a little.
¡°That is incredible, what manner of minions were they?¡± Hurstag pressed.
¡°Twelve ogres and their commander, a mountain giant named Yugal. The warlord expects them to join in his attack from the east, giving us a substantial element of surprise.¡± I replied, anticipating the coming outburst.
¡°A dozen ogres killed, and Yugal? That¡¯s The Warlord¡¯s second in command! He¡¯s a legendary monster capable of defeating a full party of B rank adventurers by himself! You¡¯re keeping him in submission!? Where!?¡± Hurstag seemed on the verge of a meltdown.
¡°He is a safe distance away waiting for my orders.¡± I patted the air, trying to restore some calm to the sweaty guildmaster. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wondering. Why are there no high level adventurers in the area?¡±
¡°Oh. That.¡± Hurstag slowly sat back down. ¡°Well the king¡¯s recent tax hikes on the outlying settlements have made it impossible for us to pay the rates those adventurers demand. It can cost hundreds of gold to hire a single B rank adventurer, and thousands for an A rank. S rankers can be counted on your hands and their demands are far more than we could have managed even before these hard times. The war effort in the south has all but drained the kingdom¡¯s coffers and monsters have been getting bolder as a result. The people have been all swept up in the hope that some mythical champion from the goddess will actually appear to save them, the poor fools.¡±
¡°That reminds me, I also need to access the temple today if possible.¡± I said in a not subtle hint.
Hurstag¡¯s face screwed up as though the gears in his mind were grinding against themselves. Then realization slowly dawned on his features.
¡°Damn my thick old skull, it¡¯s you! I was so wrapped up in pessimism that I couldn¡¯t even put it together while it shook me by the beard! A stranger shows up on the same day as the prophecy holding Blackfang¡¯s head and I still don¡¯t catch on!?¡± The guildmaster hopped to his feet yet again and looked around as though he felt like he should be doing something.
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¡°Please keep that between us for now.¡± I urged the excited dwarf. ¡°I¡¯ll be more effective without the hassle of fame.¡±
¡°As you wish.¡± Hurstag calmed himself and regained his seat. ¡°What is it you need from us then?¡±
¡°I just need you to ensure that the people of Filam stay safely within the walls. That includes any militia members and adventurers. They would only slow us down and most likely die in the crossfire.¡±
¡°Incredible. You really truly believe you¡¯ll win against that demon and his entire army with just you three?¡± Hurstag was mystified but not incredulous.
¡°There is a fourth that you haven¡¯t met, but yes we will win.¡± I paused, knowing what he said next would be met with resistance. ¡°I have a plan to deliver a preemptive strike against The Warlord¡¯s army tonight before they leave his camp. I¡¯ll thin their ranks and weaken their morale.¡±
¡°Gray no!¡± Niiya was predictably upset. ¡°Don¡¯t leave...¡±
¡°Miss Niiya.¡± Tabula surprisingly interceded. ¡°Mr. Gray is a warrior. This is something you must learn if you wish to join us. If he weren¡¯t a warrior, then you would not be alive and your family would not have been avenged. He must go and we must do our best to support him. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Those monsters are weaklings compared to Master.¡± Jade added. ¡°He¡¯s just getting some exercise.¡±
I stood up and knelt before the girl, noting both the welling eyes and quivering chin. She was trying so hard to keep it together. I locked my eyes onto hers and held out my pinky.
¡°I¡¯ve never had a reason to come home before. Do you think I¡¯ll let anything stop me from coming back now that I finally do?¡± I asked her, then smiled. ¡°Besides Jade¡¯s right, those monsters don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±
She knocked my hand out of the way and jumped into my arms, tears flowing but not sobbing.
¡°Hurry back.¡± She ordered in a voice muffled by my suit.
¡°I¡¯m not leaving right now.¡± I reassured her, returning the hug carefully.
¡°What preparations should we make in your absence?¡± Tabula asked.
¡°You three and Yugal will post up in the western field between Gnollwood and Filam. The terrain will funnel the enemy between the lake and the ridge. I do not want a single enemy to make it to Filam¡¯s walls. If you encounter the Warlord, subdue him without killing him. We need him alive to free Yugal¡¯s sister. The details are in your hands, there likely isn¡¯t a better tactician in this world than you.¡± I finished with a compliment that made the android¡¯s face light up.
¡°Is ¡®Subdue the Warlord¡¯ something to say so casually?¡± Hurstag asked exasperated.
¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± I assured him. ¡°Now, would you mind smoothing things over with the gate guards and escorting us to the temple?¡±
Having an objective seemed to steady the guildmaster. He cleared his throat and stood up resolute.
¡°Certainly Mr. Gray - no I should at least address you as Sir Gray.¡± The dwarf amended.
¡°Whatever you want.¡± I conceded. Titles were the way of the world, and people could call me whatever they wanted. In the end as long as I was free to do what I wanted I was perfectly happy.
With matters settled, we were finally allowed access to Filam. The carriage trundled along the main streets drawing crowds of open mouthed gawkers as Jade pulled the carriage in her tiger form with her mighty head held high.
We reached the surprisingly modest temple five minutes later. It was made of wood, and painted light blue with white trim. The only indicator that it was a temple at all was the carved statue on the small courtyard before it.
¡°That¡¯s supposed to be Ariel?¡± I asked the dwarf. The statue was of a tall, elegant woman with her hands held to her sides. In one hand was held a bundle of wheat, in the other a bow and arrow.
¡°Our goddess of Hunt and Harvest, indeed.¡± The dwarf answered. ¡°Though I also worship Thragnofir, The Dragon God of the Self as any dwarf must.¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t heard of him.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Sounds pretty epic though. What¡¯s he all about?¡±
¡°He represents the Self that one must destroy in order to become. Anytime one stands before a worthy task, Thragnofir will oppose them from within. We must slay him by doing the work of our lives, so he may make us stronger so that we may face him yet again.¡± The dwarf was animated as he described the enigmatic deity to me.
¡°I¡¯ll have to think on that but I think I get it.¡± I lied. I didn¡¯t need to think at all. It was the literal personification of what made me a fat turd in Tucson, Arizona. Thragnofir had beaten me into submission a million times. He had my fear and respect already, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever worship him.
I steeled myself, and entered the chapel, having no clue what to expect. Some instinct told me to enter alone, and I told the others to wait outside.
The doors closed behind me of their own accord. I could hear deep and obnoxious snoring coming from one of the benches near the front of the large room. A bare, dirty foot hung over the edge where the snoring figure slept.
I walked to the front of the temple where a smaller statue of Ariel stood in front of the wooden altar. I glanced at the sleeper as I passed. It was a chubby man probably in his fifties with a horseshoe haircut of grey and brown hair and a bushy beard covering most of his rosy cheeks. The empty wine skin on the floor next to him told me he probably wasn¡¯t waking up anytime soon.
Following another instinct, I placed my hand on the altar. Just like the moments before my death, the world around me froze in a colorless stasis. Ariel¡¯s voice broke the silence behind me.
¡°It¡¯s about time! Did you even read my info packet?¡±
¡°After I saw your map, I didn¡¯t bother.¡± I couldn¡¯t help retorting as I turned to face her. ¡°How¡¯s the Abyss going?¡±
¡°Hey that map was perfect, it got you here didn¡¯t it?¡± She crossed her arms, pushed up her anime sized boobs, and pouted. ¡°I just passed six hundred. Wait if you didn¡¯t read the packet how come you speak the local languages already?¡±
¡°Appraisal. Was there actually useful info in there?¡± I was surprised, maybe I should have read it after all.
¡°Tons. You were supposed to come here right away and get my high priest¡¯s blessing which would have taught you the common language and other common sense stuff. How can you have appraisal? You¡¯re a meathead.¡± She narrowed her eyes, and they glowed in a flash of green. She then proceeded to jump back three feet and squeak like a mouse caught in a trap.
¡°What... what... what THE HELL DID YOU DO!?¡± She shouted and yanked on her ponytail in exasperated shock. ¡°World Boss!? Blood Lord!? Eleven HUNDRED Health!?¡± She quieted suddenly and her eyes vibrated back and forth rapidly as though she were sifting through a massive amount of data. ¡°I see, that weak dagger interacted with the Age Stasis effect, causing that layer of buffs to snapshot and stack and finally trigger the self correcting Evolution process... just exactly as I always planned obviously!¡± She put her hands on her hips and gave a superior smirk.
¡°You can¡¯t claim that after saying the whole thing out loud!¡± I cried, dumbfounded.
¡°Shhh. It¡¯s okay you just can¡¯t comprehend a god¡¯s mind. I knew you¡¯d figure out that loophole I left totally on purpose. Be careful of Soulthirst though, that¡¯s a really dangerous effect.¡±
¡°What does it do exactly?¡± I asked, worried. ¡°And what makes a ¡®Worthy Soul¡¯?¡±
¡°It causes your power to multiply and makes you go on a rampage until you consume a Worthy Soul, which is any Named Creature. Most beings have names they use for themselves but aren¡¯t acknowledged by the system as worthy of a True Name in the world. You have Appraisal 6 so you should be able spot Named Monsters with Field Appraisal. It eats up more Soul Energy but if you say ¡®Field Appraisal¡¯ while focusing on a group you¡¯ll be able to spot them in a crowd.¡± Ariel finally dropped some useful information and I was grateful.
¡°Thanks for the info that helps alot.¡± I said sincerely.
¡°We¡¯re about out of time did you need to know anything else?¡± She asked.
¡°Oh speaking of names, can I change my name here?¡± I asked her.
¡°That¡¯s not hard for me to do. What name do you want?¡± She asked me with a curious expression.
¡°Gray.¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯ve been using it as an alias and I¡¯m used to it already.¡±
¡°Never took you for an edgelord, but okay done.¡± She snickered at me.
¡°That¡¯s the last thing I wanna hear from you, Hot Topic Poser Princess!¡± I retorted.
She flipped me off as color slowly returned to the world and she faded away. Her finger may have been telling me to fuck off, but she was smiling when she disappeared. I dropped a few silver in the donation bowl and left the priest to finish sleeping it off.
I felt really refreshed as I opened the temple door to find Hurstag in a heated shouting match with a very wealthy and important looking twenty-something year old woman in a yellow embroidered dress. My smile melted into a scowl. Now what?
¡°Impotent!?¡± Hurstag shouted at the woman. The four armored and armed men behind her didn¡¯t look anxious. This must have been a common occurrence. ¡°Why you lazy excuse for a duchess! If it weren¡¯t for me, every last adventurer would have fled the city six months ago.¡±
¡°What kind of guildmaster thinks he has the power to authorize a suspicious party of level frauds entry into my city?¡± She pointed to her left where the Appraisal mage cowered behind one of the guards. ¡°And one with the audacity to claim a level of three hundred no less! We¡¯ll be detaining these people until we figure out their real motives. Guards!¡±
¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake. Okay I see where this is going.¡± I grumbled and then looked at Tabula. ¡°Go ahead and give ¡®em a warning shot.¡±
¡°I was waiting for you to say that.¡± Tabula grinned. ¡°The rock ridge to the south has been confirmed to house no life forms. Rain¡¯s AM-7 ordinance is primed and awaiting order confirmation.¡±
¡°Confirmed.¡± I said, and then leaned down to Niiya. ¡°Cover your ears and shut your eyes.¡± I stood and pointed to the thousand foot tall bare ridge of dark stone roughly a half mile from the the city, clearly visible towering over us even from this distance. ¡°The rest of you pay attention to that ridge and then think hard about what you do next.¡±
¡°What is the meaning of...?¡± The woman¡¯s voice stopped when a high pitched whistling sound suddenly erupted from above us.
It carried on and softened as the projectile grew more distant toward the southern ridge.
The noise suddenly ceased as deafening silence overtook the entire region. A giant sphere of pure blackness appeared, obscuring the entire area. The clouds above suddenly swirled and were sucked into the blackness. The sphere began to shrink then. Everything touched by the darkness was simply gone, erased from existence. It looked as though a perfect circle more than two hundred meters in diameter had been cleanly punched through the solid stone, leaving a clear window to the sky beyond.
¡°Ordinance delivered, hit confirmed, Mr. Gray.¡± Tabula unnecessarily informed me.
¡°Okay, Duchess was it?¡± I turned to the trembling blonde who could not tear her gaze from the moon sized hole in the distant landscape. ¡°Will you still be detaining us or would you prefer a civil conversation?¡±
17: Bedlam Brew Bash
*Soulthirst: Consume a Worthy Soul within (7h/29m/10s) to avoid Soulthirst
It turned out that Duchess Carmine could be reasonable when she was scared shitless. She agreed to stay out of our way, and declared the territory west of the city off limits until the situation was resolved. That was two hours ago, and it was getting dark as I entered Gnollwood alone once again.
The air was different this time around as a result of my Awakened Senses skill. It was thicker, and had an oily metallic quality I had never noticed before. The smell of smoke, blood, and shit drifted on the breeze that was sweeping down through the forested hills from the mountains. I didn¡¯t even need the directions Yugal provided. I knew that my prey was behind the stench. The shadowy evening forest would have been tricky to navigate before, but my eyes adjusted to the gloom like a cat¡¯s. If anything I now felt more confident in the dark than in full sunlight. I practically flew through the woods now, each leaping stride carried me a dozen yards or more. I passed close enough to a wandering doe and her fawn to touch them and they didn¡¯t even react other than to raise their heads and flick their ears.
The smell grew stronger with each passing minute, drawing me in like a beacon. I was eager, more eager than I ever had been. Some new instinct was driving my legs now, lengthening my stride even more. I always loved the rush of fighting monsters in an immersive environment, but this was something different entirely. I felt bloodlust furiously pumping in my veins, wanted nothing more than to find strong enemies and tear them to pieces with my own claws.
That thought stopped me in my tracks suddenly. Was that an effect that would grow stronger the closer I came to Soulthirst? My greatest weapon was my ability to calculate and dissect any situation tactically. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose that here. With a deep, calming breath I forcibly took control of the Soulthirst fueled urges and proceeded more cautiously.
The forest thinned as I climbed the foothills and approached the root of the mountains. Signs of the monster gathering increased. Tree stumps from felled trees, torn up earth from the lumber being dragged, and hundreds of footprints ranging from flat footed goblins to giants. The trail was wide and clear, switching back and forth and climbing rapidly. I heard a slight sound, quiet breathing from the path above. I abandoned the trail and began to climb straight up the mountain¡¯s face. My black claws bit cleanly into the stone, allowing me to scale the nearly sheer cliff as easily as a sturdy ladder. The sound of breathing stayed even and uninterrupted as I neared the source of it. I climbed slightly to the left, allowing me to reach the trail around twenty feet further up the path. As soon as my head cleared the lip of the cliff I searched in the direction of the breather.
It was a short humanoid with long bat like ears, spindly limbs, and greenish skin. I didn¡¯t need Appraisal to recognize a goblin sentry. It was time to test my new natural weapons.
The creature was less than alert, staring idly out over the cliff. Even if it had been staring right at me, I doubt it would have picked me out from the deep shadows. I crept with no sound, swiftly covered the final ten feet, and swept my left arm in a violent palm strike to the back of the goblin¡¯s skull. I only meant to knock it unconscious and let the fall do the rest.
It exploded. Pink mist, chunks of skull, brain matter, teeth, and dislodged eyeballs flew far out over the lip of the cliff before disappearing from sight far below. The body went ragdoll and followed the exploded head, spinning violent cartwheels out in the open air to eventually splatter on the ground hundreds of feet below. It was the force of a wrecking ball compressed to the size of a tennis ball. I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything less but I was still mildly horrified at my own strength. That was way more graphic and tactile than anything I had ever experienced in game.
A small surge of power flowed into me, confirming that Greater Drain was really functioning without the use of my dagger. A satisfied smile spread on my face, tonight would be a feast. As an afterthought I nicked my index finger with my thumb claw and squeezed a drop of blood on the stone ledge before moving on.
I eventually came to a more level pass between two peaks, and I knew the enemy¡¯s camp was close. I could hear chanting, hooting, and other various monstrous vocalizations. I was in the low clouds now, and the air glowed in the distance with the light of fire. I had encountered no other sentries since the goblin. Given the terrain I would place a few soldiers on the sides here where the path was most narrow. I focused on those spots and was rewarded. There were three orcs on each side, roughly twenty feet above the narrow pass standing at bored attention. Field Appraisal worked just as Ariel promised, but these were all common monsters with no names and levels around ten. Guess Blackfang and Doomhowl really were elites compared to the average rabble.
Their placement was too awkwardly spread to take them out without potentially alerting the camp beyond. I decided to simply bypass them instead. My real mission tonight was to find a worthy soul and stop this scary ass countdown. A minute later I approached a rough hewn fence of sharpened timber. A pair of orcs guarded the gate here as well. I circumvented the wall to a place that was deep in the shadows of a cliff. I scaled the stone once again, maybe I wouldn¡¯t try to cut these ugly claws down after all. They were proving to be super useful.
I found a perch ten feet higher than the thirty foot wall just wide enough for me to sit and observe the large camp with my legs dangling off the edge. The monsters were clearly preparing to move out, the entire camp was bustling.
It was time for me to get busy too. I scrolled through my inventory and two glass globes the size of a grapefruit, filled with thick black liquid appeared in my hands. This method would make me miss out on some stolen stats but I really needed to start thinning out the weaklings.
*Used Item: Bedlam Brew (x2)
All creatures within (50¡¯) that fail to resist are driven into a blind rage, attacking anything near them indiscriminately for (1) Minute.
The bottles soared through the air silently. I aimed for a large concentration of a few score goblins in the southeast corner of the camp and a pack of around thirty gnolls loading a wagon with food stuffs about a hundred feet to the west of them. I raised my arms like the conductor of an orchestra, and awaited the sweet music of war.
¡°Graaaagh!¡± The first shriek of outrage and pain erupted from an orc, with a gnoll¡¯s bloody bone tipped spear poking through his chest. His enraged snarl turned into a squeal of bloodlust as the brew took him. He killed even as he was killed. Bedlam Brew was no fucking joke.
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Like a swarm of bullet ants, the affected goblins fell over one hill giant that tried to restore order. He was completely engulfed in moments, and his roar was muffled as crazed goblins dove inside his mouth, stabbing and slashing with crude weapons.
¡°Field Appraisal.¡± I focused on a small group of better equipped orcs that were retreating toward the large central building which was made of pine logs. ¡°Bingo.¡±
Grobgash
Level: 53
XP: 7% to Next Level
Life: 180/180 Soul Energy 240/240
Strength: 40
Endurance: 90
Agility: 18
Soul: 120
Skills:
Blood Frenzy: Grant Strength and Endurance equal to Soul to (2) Allies per skill rank for (5) Minutes.
Harm/Heal: Damage a creature for (30) Health per skill rank, or Heal a creature for (30) per skill rank. Range: Touch
With a quick roll of my shoulders and a deep breath, I jumped out into the darkness, pistols in hand. I landed lightly in a group of ten gnolls that had been out of the brews¡¯ range.
¡°Blast Nova.¡± All ten were consumed by flames instantly. My spell damage at the moment was well over two hundred. The surge from Greater Drain nearly knocked me down to one knee. Focus.
I sprinted toward my named prey, he was almost in range of my weapons. One shot would do it. Something was coming out of the building. I fired two shots. Mission complete. Everything above Grobgash¡¯s waist vanished in a cloud of mist and crackling black energy. The Warlord appeared then, his eyes widened in outrage at the chaos all around him. He sensed me almost instantly, and snapped his soulless glare in my direction. I waved like a friendly neighbor and started to walk away with my hands in my pockets.
¡°Stop!¡± The Warlord¡¯s booming command carried the weight of a spell, which I easily resisted.
I went rigid, I¡¯d seen enough Hold spell effects to act it out pretty well. The hardest part was not smiling.
¡°Bring me his head!¡± The Warlord ordered the two hill giants that had come to stand between us. They seemed tentative but didn¡¯t dare refuse a direct order.
They approached, and as they both began to bend down to presumably tear my head off with their bare hands, I exploded into action. White Nova froze them in place and two arcane bullets shattered their thick skulls into frozen dust.
¡°Just kidding.¡± I said jovially, continuing my nonchalant walk toward the gate of the camp.
The Warlord¡¯s roar telegraphed his charge, and I watched it from the corner of my eye. It was identical to the Gorgothan¡¯s charge from EG. I was already ten feet in the air when he took his first step. He was physically faster than me, but was also hopelessly easy to read. I kicked off his head with one foot, propelling myself further toward my destination. I landed in a group of orcs just as the cooldown of Blast Nova finished counting down. Nine more pillars of flame disappeared into ashes on the breeze as the spell consumed them.
Given the distance, a Gorgothan would now use Black Lightning followed by a barrage of quills. As before I was in motion before the spell left his outstretched hand. He grunted in frustration as the lightning flashed harmlessly past me and instead sent a poor goblin flying to splatter against the wooden wall more than fifty feet away.
I was at the gate now, none of the nearby monsters were willing to step between us.
¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in Filam.¡± I said as The Warlord exposed his back, and its deadly quills to me. ¡°I hope this wasn¡¯t your best effort. Blood Walk¡± I enacted the skill for the first time. The world dissolved around me as a barrage of wicked spikes ripped through the air toward me. Suddenly I was standing back on the trail where I had exploded the goblin sentry¡¯s head.
At this point you¡¯re probably wondering why I didn¡¯t just stay and wipe all of the monsters out then and there. Well I¡¯ll tell you. One: I wasn¡¯t completely sure I would win. Two: I needed the ugly elkupine alive to keep my promise to Yugal, and didnt have a good way of restraining him. Three: I was almost guaranteed to be on the shit list of some very influential people very soon. Annihilating the Warlord threat right next to the city would earn me big points with the common people while sending another very clear message: we are not to be fucked with. Did you think I was the number one player of a ROLE playing game just because I was good at killing stuff?
Since I had some free time and I was curious, I decided to check my stats before taking off back down the mountain. I¡¯m lucky I wasn¡¯t chewing on something because I would have choked.
Gray
Blood Lord (25%) Progress to Next Evolution
Level: 1* XP: ??80% To Next Level
Body Age: 29
Life: 2,752/2,752 Soul Energy 660/716
Strength: 505
Endurance: 477
Soul: 179
Agility: 50
Skills/Spells:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Acid Resistance: 1/10
Perfect Mental Resistance 10/10 (World Boss)
Melee Mastery: 18/100
Ranged Mastery: 4/100
Appraisal: 7/10
White Nova: 5/20
Blast Nova: 5/20
War Mage: (1/1)
Greater Drain (1/1)
Awakened Senses (1/1)
Rapid Regeneration (1/5)
Soul Thief (1/1)
Bloodwalk (1/1)
Blood Frenzy (1/10)
Buffs/Debuffs:
+252 Spell Damage from Strength
+89 Attack Damage from Soul
+275 Health Regenerated per Second
*Soulthirst: Consume a Worthy Soul within (1d/09h/22m/49s) to avoid Soulthirst
*EDEN: (+20%) XP gained for (14h/25m/30s).
My life total was now higher than it had ever been even in EG. I could safely tank a hit from an average dragon (barely) and passively heal back to full Health in less than ten seconds. I still couldn¡¯t use any more of my weapons because of my low Agility but...
¡°Ohh hell yes...¡±
*Equipped: Beast Titan¡¯s Claws- Hand Armor
(Item Score 806) Skin: Default
+200 Strength
+100 Agility
Indestructible
Pierce Armor Tier 6
Hand Speed Tier 6
One of the longest boss fights of my life (aside from the Ruby Weapon in FF-7 when I was ten) was against a corrupted nature spirit called Maukokonoko the Beast Titan. It was a bear that made a grizzly look like a mouse. That¡¯s not an exaggeration, it had trees growing out of the fur on its back and paws that could pancake an SUV.
It took two days, and I do mean forty-eight hours of kiting it across a rain forest packed with other dangerous mobs to a cliff, but not just any old cliff. This was a two thousand foot drop onto solid stone, with thick concealing growth right up to the lip. I had to keep it blinded and pissed with Huginn and Muninn (one Mind shot to each eye and one memory shot every ten seconds to stay ahead of its regeneration). Finally I had to leap out over the cliff, then use double and triple jump to barely make it back to the edge while old Mauko dropped to his doom. That strategy¡¯s just between us by the way. Don¡¯t go blabbing to Ariel.
The reward for that bitch of a battle was this pair of absolutely insane gauntlets. They gave double elevated and perfectly rolled stats, Pierce Armor that could ignore up to six hundred of the target¡¯s endurance, and a Hand Speed boost that literally made my hands three times as fast.
The default skin was actually pretty badass. Tightly woven strips of dark red leather wrapped all the way up to the elbow, and long wicked claws thematically carved from the same material as Mauko¡¯s claws extended two inches out from each finger. It was a hidden effect but I knew the claws themselves had roughly the same damage as a high tier dagger. I wondered if that would somehow stack with my own claws. Was I falling into a sort of unarmed build? I didn¡¯t hate the idea as a former grappler honestly.
The intangible pressure and urgency from Soulthirst receded, and I felt mental clarity return. The closest thing I can think of to the feeling is being sexually frustrated for a long time, finally sealing the deal, and then at last having those few precious hours of afterglow where you can finally think like a person again. You might find the comparison unsavory but that¡¯s the feeling and there¡¯s really nothing else similar.
18: The Scheming Kingdom and Tabulas Orders
The following morning dawned bright and crisp far to the southeast of The Warlord¡¯s camp. In the vast and verdant valley between the Twin Vipers was Crown City, the seat of civilization on the northern continent. In spite of common belief, the city was actually named after the valley itself. It was simple coincidence that it also housed a ruler. The Crown Valley was surrounded on nearly all sides by a ring of jagged mountains, giving the impression of standing on the head of some great cosmic king.
The city of one hundred thousand people was designed in three perfect concentric rings with the Citadel Crusibilis at its center making up the inner ring. The enormous structure of quartz, steel, and sorcery was home to every king and queen of the continent for the past twelve generations. Its six identical towers were fifty stories tall and arranged in a star pattern five hundred meters from one another. The hexagonal building at their center was capped by a faceted dome of enchanted rose quartz which glowed with the colors of sunset at all hours.
The middle ring housed the lesser nobility, prestigious merchants, and other important figures. The outer and by far the largest ring held the everyday citizens, various businesses, guilds, and public facilities.
The river port was also in the outer ring, which launched warships and freight vessels more than a hundred miles south to the Tolstag Sea. Sometimes magical vessels would also arrive from abroad, gliding up the river seemingly immune to the strong currents. One such vessel was now docked there. It was a fifty foot long schooner, narrow and sleek with a single bright blue sail emblazoned with a spiraling pattern of black runes. Those runes when fed Soul Energy by a specialized mage would propel the vessel at incredible speed with a magical wind.
The dock was deserted except for a single tall and fit man, dressed in a meticulous red and black military uniform decorated with dozens of pendants, ribbons, and medals. On his hip rested a long rapier of superb craftsmanship which practically hummed with magical power. His salt and pepper hair was long, thick, and gathered in a loose ponytail. His grey beard was trimmed short, accentuating a chiseled jawline. His robust mustache was long and curled meticulously with beeswax.
His posture commanded a level of respect and admiration that could only have been won by a lifetime of valorous deeds and disciplined living. He studied the vessel patiently with dark brown eyes that never shifted focus beneath their thick, black brows.
When a blue translucent ramp slowly extended from the schooner¡¯s railing, the man took three sharp steps backward and bowed deeply at the waist. He held his thickly calloused right palm flat over his heart as he did so, and held the pose as if turned to stone.
A figure appeared atop the ramp, towering nearly seven feet tall, with a hulking silhouette. He was covered head to toe in cobalt blue plate armor, but moved with graceful and sure steps. The armor didn¡¯t clank, but rather crackled and sparked with yellow energy whenever the plates touched.
¡°Sheesh! Talk about rolling out the fancy welcome mat.¡± A low and hollow voice echoed from beneath the helmet of the imposing knight. ¡°My father finally let poor old Typhon out of the throne room to get some sun and fresh air?¡±
¡°A detail I volunteered for.¡± The man named Typhon replied in a perfectly measured cadence, still bowing. ¡°Welcome home Blue Knight, Gespar. Thank the gods you are still whole and safe!¡±
¡°Quit that bowing crap, uncle Ty. You can bow on the day I finally beat you in the training yard.¡± The knight set foot on the dock and lifted his hands to his helm. ¡°Finally some friendly dirt, time to ditch this damn can for a-¡± He stopped and pulled the helmet free. ¡°-while.¡± He finished in a much smoother and higher pitched voice than what had previously been coming from inside the helm.
¡°Still a baby, I see¡± Typhon finally straightened and regarded his former pupil with a less formal look.
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Gespar grumbled. He did indeed have a youthful face. It was smooth and rather weak featured unlike the rest of his magically altered frame. As one of the six Crusibilis Knights, he had undergone a lifetime of training and conditioning in preparation for a ritual that had transformed his body into its current state. The ritual also robbed him of any ability to grow hair, facial or otherwise. He looked as though someone had drawn an infant¡¯s face on a thumb.
¡°So what has little Carmine so flustered that she can¡¯t even manage her demihuman infested feeding trough?¡± Gespar¡¯s voice hardened as he asked Typhon about the cryptic emergency message that had ordered him to leave the war front and rush home.
¡°Apparently yesterday a group of people entered her town faking impossible levels on a self proclaimed mission to exterminate The Warlord. They intimidated her into submission by displaying some unknown and catastrophic spell that destroyed a portion of Scimitar Ridge.¡±
¡°Bah, she¡¯s a dramatic runt. What do our spies say?¡± Gespar waved the claims away as he asked.
¡°The monsters Blackfang and Doomhowl have been poached, and the giant Yugal has vanished from our scrying. The ridge was indeed hit by some powerful force, but all in all these events can still be conceivably explained by a rogue A rank party.¡± Typhon explained as the two of them began walking toward the city. Two large knights in armor similar to Gespar¡¯s followed at a respectful distance behind them.
¡°Shit. We¡¯ve been cultivating those named bastards for months. Everyone knows they were off limits. Tell my father I¡¯ll see him soon. I¡¯m heading to Filam immediately. If whoever these poachers are also manage to spoil The Warlord for us then I¡¯ll burn that dirty slum to the ground myself. Stupid Carmine, you had one job. Keep the cattle alive and oblivious until they fatten up our monsters.¡± Gespar growled as he stomped along the wooden planks.
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¡°I¡¯ll send the Fifth Unit to the north gate immediately to escort and assist.¡± Typhon easily kept pace as he offered. ¡°Which mounts do you prefer?¡±
¡°The boars.¡± Gespar answered quickly. ¡°I might make a mess.¡±
Typhon¡¯s pace slowed and his eyes narrowed briefly. ¡°Is that the best course?¡±
¡°Worried about a pack of Ariel worshipers and demihumans now, Typhon?¡± Gespar stopped and stared hard at his former mentor with clear disdain on his face.
¡°Do not mistake my professional deference for fear of a pitiful whelp such as you.¡± Typhon¡¯s eyes locked onto Gespar¡¯s. ¡°It seems the war has made you forget that you are the weakest of all the Crusibilis, and no three of you could survive more than a moment against me. Any mess you make will eventually land in your father¡¯s lap. My service is to him, not his snot nosed son.¡± A sudden visible aura burst forth from Typhon like a torrent of dark blue flame, outlining a presence many times more powerful than the huge knight.
¡°Forgive the jest, Master Typhon.¡± Gespar quickly backpedaled and seemed to physically shrink before the older man¡¯s withering stare. ¡°I simply mean that if the region of Filam is compromised I am prepared to purge it and begin anew.¡±
¡°Very well. Your reinforcements will muster within the hour. See to it that you do not embarrass your order.¡±
¡°He showed up faster than expected.¡± I mused as Tabula informed me of movement in Gnollwood. It was now mid morning after my attack on The Warlord¡¯s camp. I had met up with my group on the western field, and left Tabula to make preparations while I napped for a few hours. We now sat comfortably in the spacious living area of our mobile base. ¡°Good. Is Yugal in position to ambush?¡±
¡°Affirmative. Our location is also hidden behind two layers of concealing magic. Shall we also move into position?¡± Tabula asked, standing.
¡°Yep, time to go to work. You¡¯re sure Jade can pull off what we discussed?¡± I asked, still hardly believing it.
¡°Without a doubt, and the Soul Energy drain will be minimal with the configuration I set up.¡± She confidently replied.
¡°Awesome. Niiya, I¡¯m counting on you to keep an eye on things here.¡± I patted her head as I stood up. She held her fists up to her chest and nodded resolutely. That¡¯s some weapons grade cuteness right there.
¡°You must have really pissed ¡®em off.¡± Jade was waiting outside in dragon form as we exited EDEN. ¡°I would have at least waited until dark.¡±
¡°Me too.¡± I agreed. ¡°Go ahead and setup like we talked about please.¡± I added, noting that monsters were beginning to filter out of the treeline.
With a casual wave of the claw, Jade conjured a massive opaque barrier in the sky above. It was easily a hundred meters wide and seventy five meters tall, practically a football field. It was tilted in such a way that it would be clearly visible from almost anywhere in Filam. I could imagine the growing suspense as people were looking up one by one and alerting everyone else.
Next with a combination of illusion magic, and a skill to link Rain¡¯s sensory equipment to Jade¡¯s mind she projected an image onto the barrier. We now had a giant display of everything the drone focused on. The swarm of orcs, gnolls, and one single remaining hill giant was a scene right out of Tolkien. The Warlord finally made his appearance then, but there was a complication. He was surrounded by at least forty nude women of various races, all shambling along like zombies. He was using them as shields.
¡°Top priority orders. Get close to the Warlord with your anti magic area, protect as many hostages as possible, incapacitate and extract The Warlord. Rain will use precision munitions to neutralize anything that attempts to interfere with those objectives. Clear?¡± I issued the orders to the two of them and gauged their responses.
¡°Right away Mr. Gray.¡± Tabula might as well have just heard me order some tea. She then did something fully unexpected. She casually unbuttoned her blazer and the top two buttons of her shirt, revealing a ridiculous amount of cartoonish cleavage. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±
I couldn¡¯t reply fast enough, my brain had momentarily frozen. Jade was unfazed and simply rolled her reptilian eyes as Tabula walked in a straight line swaggering like a runway model toward The Warlord¡¯s entourage.
¡°Halt!¡± The bellowing call carried to every monster in the horde. The Warlord was watching the approaching woman, she was more beautiful than anything he had seen in his long and lecherous life. Was she an offering to him? Some last ditch hope to be spared his wrath? It was too strange. What was that huge thing in the sky, and where had this woman appeared from? There had been nothing but an empty field a moment before. ¡°Woman! Stop there... What is your purpose?¡±
¡°I can simply see you appreciate beautiful women. I¡¯d rather be at your side than in your path. Is that so strange?¡± Her voice was music, and her words made sense. Of course she would abandon her own weakling people to spare her own skin.
¡°Very well! After I drain the blood from this valley you shall be my favorite new plaything.¡± The Warlord boasted. ¡°Come stand with the others and watch!¡±
¡°Of course.¡± She approached and the naked women parted. As Tabula passed close, something very subtle happened that The Warlord might have noticed if he weren¡¯t so transfixed on the approaching pinnacle of lascivious beauty. Awareness returned to the vacant eyes of every woman that was touched by Tabula¡¯s anti magic area.
Moments later Tabula stood within arm¡¯s reach of the bestial demon. Yellow saliva dripped freely from the wide maw, and gusts of rotted meat scented breath rolled over her.
¡°Now even if you meant to betray me there is no escape from my power.¡± The Warlord purred, not noticing the growing clamor around him as women came to their senses.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I have deceived you.¡± Tabula regarded the demon calmly. ¡°You¡¯re going to be incapacitated. Feel free to resist, however while I won¡¯t destroy you I have no standing orders against torturing you.¡± Tabula spoke clearly but by the look dawning on The Warlord¡¯s face she might as well have just spoken gibberish.
¡°How are you unaffected!? No matter, I don¡¯t need any magic to break a woman!¡± Two lunging seven fingered hands flashed toward Tabula faster than any normal human could have reacted.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Tabula began but The Warlord didn¡¯t heed the warning.
His hands passed through some type of field, and suddenly turned silver as though coated in a layer of molten aluminum. They then simply vanished as the liquid metal began to climb up the demon¡¯s huge arms, dissolving everything it touched. The Warlord opened his mouth but the pain and shock were so intense that no sounds came forth.
¡°Microscopic flesh eating robots.¡± Tabula blinked twice and the liquid slowly vanished from the stumps at The Warlord¡¯s biceps, returning to their position surrounding her. As the first drops of dark blood began to spray from the grotesque wounds, a scream erupted from one of the women.
¡°Jade.¡± Tabula spoke, knowing that the dragon would easily hear her. ¡°Like we discussed.¡±
Jade appeared then, and dozens of barriers shimmered into existence beneath the feet of the women as they began to panic.
¡°We are here to save you all.¡± Tabula assured them loudly. ¡°Please try to be calm.¡± Tabula used her powerful skills to resonate a tone that commanded compliance. Most of the women got the message, and even restrained the few that were too hysterical. The barrier platforms carried them away in groups of five to ten, and they vanished as they entered the concealing area around EDEN.
In the span of nine seconds, The Warlord had lost both arms and all of his prized slaves. He looked to the side and began to scream a final command to attack. Their sheer numbers could bury these two monsters. What he saw then gave him a surge of hope.
Yugal ran toward the horde¡¯s northern flank with his mighty club held high. The monsters cheered, and The Warlord¡¯s regeneration began to reclaim his lost flesh. Reliable Yugal would easily turn the tide. That vile woman, and that bastard man would pay dearly now. The giant didn¡¯t slow, and The Warlord¡¯s growing excitement turned to confusion as Yugal leaped high into the sky before crashing down and obliterating more than a dozen of The Warlord¡¯s own forces.
That was my cue. With a deep breath and a quick prayer to a certain poser deity, I exploded into a sprint toward the thickest concentration of monsters.
19: Carnage From Another World
Raj, the tengu librarian stood alone on the peak of the pitched roof of the Filam Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Her thin arms were crossed over her chest and the golden brown feathers of her great wings ruffled in the chill breeze. Like everyone else in town, her sharp gaze was fixated on the strange images in the sky.
The absolute worst case scenario feared by everyone was unfolding. The Warlord had come to Filam with his horde. According to the guildmaster, a human along with just a few allies were going to try to defeat the invading force on their own. It was unbelievable and yet there the foul demon stood, literally disarmed with a look of terror on his face which was utterly unaccustomed to such an expression. What was stranger still was the source of his fear - a single human woman. The giant which could only be the infamous Yugal himself was rampaging against his own former allies, killing them by the score. An actual dragon had appeared, and was casting magic to transport the Warlord¡¯s victims to safety.
Just as Raj was wrapping her mind around what she was witnessing, a ring of white flames erupted in the midst of the Warlord¡¯s forces. A score of orcs and goblins disappeared into clouds of drifting ash. A dark gray blur leaped away from the explosion¡¯s center and landed over twenty meters away in another cluster of monsters. It was a humanoid but moved with unnatural fluidity, like the shadow of a falcon across the ground. Another flash of blue light left another score or more monsters frozen solid. Another leap launched it into a handful of orcs, a flurry of unarmed attacks left nothing but twitching and bloody piles of meat in its wake.
The gray figure paused as many of the remaining monsters organized enough to evenly enclose it from a distance. Raj caught her breath as she recognized the man whom she had taught some magic basics to recently. She couldn¡¯t recall his name which wasn¡¯t unusual for her, but she remembered his appearance. He looked far different now. He had been handsome for a human, and quite cordial in plain old boring human attire. Now his skin was bone white. His face was more sharply featured, and he even seemed taller. His clothes were exotic but appealing, and his body language sent signals of danger firing through her entire being.
The monsters clearly feared his deadly spells and wicked claws. They showed surprising coordination and surrounded him from a healthy distance. Many brandished spears, some held bows, and still others were hefting stones. The missiles soared in, and the man didn''t even move. Some of the crude projectiles missed but most found their mark. They bounced off and fell to the grass unceremoniously. Was that a flash of teeth she saw on his face? Was he actually smiling?
Two strange looking black metal wands appeared in his hands and he held them out, pointing at distant enemies. Explosions erupted from the weapons in such rapid succession that it registered as one long horrible bang. The weapons fired perhaps thirty times in just a couple of seconds and a like number of monsters were sent flying with melon sized holes blasted in the dead center of their torsos.
It was a massacre. Monsters stumbled over one another trying to escape the fury of the gray nightmare and the colossal giant. Raj couldn¡¯t peel her eyes from the specter of death that was the man in gray. There was a horrible momentum to his actions. Every kill seemed to chain to two more. His weapons appeared and disappeared as if by magic. When any enemies dared approach or they were simply too slow to escape him, he would plunge a hand through their body and then fling them with horrible force into the legs of other fleeing enemies. Perhaps five hundred battle hardened monsters had accompanied The Warlord to Filam. More than half of them were now scattered in literal pieces across the western field.
An agonized roar pulled her focus from the projected images and she focused over the city wall at the distant scene where the tall woman had mutilated The Warlord.
A muttered spell sharpened Raj¡¯s vision. She hated to waste Soul Energy during such a dangerous time but she couldn¡¯t resist. The image that came into focus defied belief.
The Warlord was on his knees, desperately flailing his stumps at the tall woman. She had seized one of his huge antlers by the base and was turning to drag him effortlessly. The demon thrashed and twisted, breaking his own antler off with a spray of black blood. He turned and launched a barrage of quills, a few of which bounced off the woman¡¯s clothes. One quill shot past her and into the back of one of the last few women atop the floating barrier platforms. She dropped instantly, clearly dead.
The dark haired woman, fully calm and in control up to this point suddenly unleashed an enraged scream and pounced on the demon. She seized his remaining antler in her left hand and planted his face into the dirt with enough force to break bones. With her right hand she reached down and began ripping handfuls of long quills from The Warlord¡¯s back. Apparently this caused the demon great pain. The shriek of agony that came from him wailed on and on until the very last quill was violently torn out. It seemed her rage was not satisfied. She lifted one high heeled foot up and stomped down on the Warlord¡¯s spine just above his hips. The sickening crack carried across the field all the way to Raj¡¯s ears.
Crippled, mutilated and drenched in his own blood, the Warlord feebly choked and twitched as he was callously dragged through the grass and dirt by one of his lifeless legs. He and the woman disappeared a moment later and Raj exhaled the breath that she didn¡¯t even realize she was holding.
The slaughter continued. With her new magically enhanced perspective she now noticed something else. The giant was using his massive leaps and huge strides to cut off the majority of the fleeing monsters and deliberately driving them toward the man in gray. When some managed to scatter in other directions, green barriers would appear and bright explosions launched from the sky would stall and divert them.
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¡°They¡¯re being herded and harvested like cattle...¡± She said aloud, mystified.
One group of monsters was now resorting to a last desperate escape plan. A goblin that was much larger than normal was using fifteen other goblins as shields and running directly toward the city. The man in gray finished destroying a trio of gnolls bare handed and sprinted over to the giant. After a brief exchange, the giant nodded, grabbed the man in gray in one hand and cocked his arm back. He was clearly aiming at the fleeing goblin leader.
¡°No...¡± The rest of Raj¡¯s words failed her as she watched the giant begin his mighty throw.
She couldn¡¯t follow the speed, she merely witnessed the resulting carnage as the human missile impacted the trailing goblins, tearing through their ranks like a cannonball. The man rolled and oriented himself as he tumbled, facing the direction he had come. His hands slammed into the dirt, slowing him and digging deep furrows. He halted and stood with his back to Raj, facing the remaining goblins and their orc sized leader.
From this distance, she could see steam rising from his white hands which now ended in long black claws. The goblin leader didn¡¯t attempt to run or fight. The pressure and pure bloodlust rolling off the human was difficult to deal with even where Raj stood. She shuddered at what the goblins must be feeling. Then it was simply over. He charged, and the goblins were dead before their panicked bodies could respond to their brains¡¯ frantic messages.
Less than a hundred monsters remained, fleeing in small groups with no organization whatsoever. Raj watched the man in gray begin pursuit of a handful of orcs when suddenly he staggered. She watched curiously, and gasped when he dropped to one knee and clutched his chest. Black tendrils began sprouting from his back, coiling about him like shadowy serpents...
Requirements Met: Devour (333) Souls... Evolving Blood Lord to Infernal Count...
Acquiring%BASESKILL%=...Successful..
Acquiring%BASESKILL%=...Successful...
Acquiring%BASESKILL%=...Successful...
I was just about to continue my happy killing spree when the messages started popping up one after another just like before. This time they came with a wave of pain ten times more intense than the slime devouring my foot. I collapsed and honestly thought I would die. I could also feel a familiar fatigue worming its way into my mind. Shit I¡¯m going to pass out again.
¡°Tabula!¡± I prayed she could hear my hoarse shout. ¡°I¡¯m good! Tell Rain to clean up the stragglers and protect the hostages. If one of you can reach me then get me inside when it¡¯s safe.¡±
I hoped for the best as the familiar darkness closed in on my peripheral vision...
¡°You got lucky again.¡± A helmeted man in the armor of a gladiator knelt before me and choked out the words. The roar of a crowd deafened me. They were chanting a single word over and over.
¡°KILL! KILL! KILL!¡±
My gaze drifted to a particular place in the arena where a specific person stood silently grinning down at us. He extended his hand slowly, theatrically. The crowd hushed. With agonizing torpor, he turned his thumb down. The crowd went wild with bloodlust.
My opponent must die. I turned back to him, regarding him curiously. I felt something for this man. We were entangled by destiny. I could see it in the familiar resignation in those dark eyes, staring at me from behind the eye holes of his bronze helm. I could feel it in the weight of my spear that had pierced his liver, and left him kneeling in a growing pool of his lifeblood.
¡°We¡¯ll meet again accursed son of Thetis!¡± He declared, straightening his shoulders. It was a fine death cry and somehow familiar. This whole scene was one long moment of dejavu.
¡°And on that day my name will shine and you shall be dubbed Corpse yet again.¡± These words came from my mouth but I didn¡¯t recognize them. ¡°Give Hades my regards and rejoice. This time I send you with your eyes, ears, and tongue. Let none in the next world say that I am unmerciful.¡±
Without another word, I plunged my spear through the man¡¯s heart and the world melted away around me.
The scenery changed suddenly and I was seated in an ornate throne high above countless ranks of soldiers and monstrous creatures. They were all saluting me. It was an army unlike anything I knew from history. There were hulking humanoid giants with long tusks jutting from their mouths, a sea of knights in spiked red armor, and a trio of black robed men kneeling before me. The sky was full of flying spaceships, massive moons and bright star clusters. It looked like something out of Warhammer. Pain wracked my head and the visions blurred and split into an infinite number of scenarios. I was truly losing it. Who am I? What is this? Unfamiliar names and fragments of memories roiled and collided in my mind by the million.
¡°My lord!¡± A familiar voice. Someone I love dearly. Who?
¡°You would destroy a whole world to kill one man?¡± Another familiar voice from another time. You¡¯re damn right I would! That piece of shit killed... who?
I can¡¯t take it anymore, please just let me die already.
¡°Gray!¡± That name. The kid. The kid needs me. Who is the kid? I held onto that voice for dear life, batted away every other thought with a growl, and an image appeared.
Niiya. The word shattered the illusions and my eyes flared open.
Something was on my chest when I came to. I was lying on my back, on something soft and comfortable. My eyes were instantly assaulted by the light as they opened. The pain was over in a flash as my eyes adjusted, but it was still overwhelming. I recognized the ceiling of our mobile EDEN apartment and looked down. Niiya was snuggled tightly to my side with her head on my chest. What was the deal with those dreams? Even now I was struggling to recall the details. I lifted my left hand in front of my face, fearing that I might have become even more monstrous. .
To my relief, a bit of color had returned to my skin, and the veins while still dark were less noticeable. My claws were still black but had shrunk down to the size of human nails once more. I felt relief at first then some mild disappointment, then surprise. As I imagined my old claws I saw them extend and sharpen. I imagined them shrinking and they retracted. Frigging sweet. I played with that new toy for a few seconds, extending them to nearly five inches which seemed to be the limit and back.
¡°Gray.¡± Niiya¡¯s voice was as small and sweet as ever. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m okay Niiya. How long was I asleep? Where is everyone else?¡± I answered her and then asked. We were in one of the large bedrooms of EDEN.
¡°A long time, it¡¯s dark now. They¡¯re outside.¡± She said, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.
¡°Alright. I¡¯m going out there.¡± I informed her and started to get up myself.
An odd thing suddenly happened. One second I was in bed, the next I was at the door. What the... I turned around to find Niiya staring at the spot I had been, blinking her eyes rapidly. This was going to take some getting used to. My movements were now more an act of will than the use of my muscles.
¡°How?¡± Niiya¡¯s startled question as she looked at me made me shrug.
I didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t have the time to look through my stats to find out. A feeling of urgency was pressing on me as I flung open the door and moved to exit EDEN.
¡°It might be dangerous out there. I know you¡¯re sick of being left behind but wait for me again. Okay Niiya?¡± I said as I put my hand on the door to the outside and whatever awaited me there.
¡°Okay Gray.¡± There was a hint of frustration there, but she stayed put and managed a smile.
20: New Friends and Loose Ends
It was indeed night when I opened the door. I recognized that we were in Gnollwood, in a secluded clearing. It was night, but to my vision seemed as bright as day.
The scene in the clearing took me a moment to sort out. Women in fluffy bath robes sat or stood all around either by themselves or in small groups talking to one another. They all seemed to be in a state of shock and trauma though their bodies had clearly been healed. Some ate or drank things I recognized from EDEN¡¯s menu.
I spotted Yugal¡¯s huge form standing over a thick green cube. Inside was The Warlord, still not fully recovered from whatever damage Tabula had done. He was missing one huge antler and his seven fingered hands looked like child sized versions of their former selves. He looked truly miserable. Good. Tabula stood between the barrier and I with her back to me. She should¡¯ve been able to sense me but didn¡¯t turn like she normally would to acknowledge me.
I realized why a moment later. There was something on the ground next to her with a blanket draped over it. It was a seemingly dead woman, I could clearly smell her cold blood when I focused, and something else mixed in with it. An instant later I was beside her. I was growing accustomed to my new mode of movement, which seemed to transform my body into something insubstantial and transfer it at an insane speed to where ever I wanted to move. I would have to spend some time testing it later, it seemed like something that could cause problems if misunderstood.
I gently rested my hand on her shoulder and she looked away from me.
¡°I¡¯ve failed you, Mr. Gray.¡± Her voice shook as she spoke. ¡°I have let this wretched creature claim the life of one you told me to protect.¡±
¡°You have it backward, Tabula.¡± I put some pressure on her shoulder, turning her to face me. ¡°You saved the lives of thirty nine women in an unexpected situation with a brilliantly improvised tactic. You captured the target alive. You are treating the victims with care and respect. It¡¯s far more than I could have done on my own. You did not fail me Tab. You succeeded brilliantly.¡± I squeezed her shoulder and spoke earnestly. ¡°Besides.¡± I looked into the barrier prison and stared into the soulless black eyes of The Warlord. ¡°She isn¡¯t dead. This piece of shit just poisoned her with his quill. It puts the victim in suspended animation so that they can be dragged away and revived later. And he¡¯s about to reverse it. Isn¡¯t he?¡± I finished with a growl and suddenly was inside the barrier with the demon.
A successful test. It seemed my new ability could pass through barriers as long as I could see through them.
¡°Whoa!¡± I heard Jade exclaim from outside where she had been lazily drawing patterns with her magic. ¡°You went through my best barrier?¡±
I could feel a flow of power pulsing around me and vaguely remembered one of the messages. ¡®Royalty_Infernal¡¯ was one of the new skills acquired during my evolution. The Warlord stood defiantly even battered as he was, towering a foot taller than me and hundreds of pounds heavier.
¡°The man that raided my camp.¡± He spat the words. ¡°You may as well kill me. I will never submit to a human worm.¡±
I mentally focused on the aura flowing around and through me, and felt that I could pour some Soul Energy into it to increase its effect. I did so, and it consumed much more than I expected. Probably about a quarter of my total Soul Energy was devoured by my aura and it swelled and thickened. The Warlord was hurled against the back wall of the prison and held there as if by an irresistible gravity.
I allowed him to drop, and then said a single word.
¡°Kneel.¡± I doubted it would work but it was worth a shot.
To my amazement he complied instantly. His head bowed and his next words were terror stricken.
¡°Please forgive me great one! I didn¡¯t recognize your presence at first. Have mercy on this foolish Gorgothan.¡±
¡°Tabula stand back, allow him use of his magic.¡± I said over my shoulder, then looked back at The Warlord. ¡°Reverse the poison on that woman so that she can be healed.¡± I maintained the crushing aura, allowing him just enough freedom of movement to execute the spell.
The Warlord struggled through a painstaking incantation, then suddenly shouted out a word.
¡°Pinthalak!¡± The word meant nothing to me, but what he said after made me realize the deception. ¡°Come before your master!¡±
A black disc six feet in diameter appeared. It looked just like one of the portable holes from the old cartoons.
¡°My chance!¡± The demon bellowed and charged for the portal.
¡°Umm. No?¡± I blasted The Warlord with the absolute full strength of my skill¡¯s aura. With a strangled shriek he hit the barrier wall again, this time with the audible squelch of bones breaking and flesh turning to pulp. Shit. I might have overdone it.
¡°Mmm... Such delicious malice. The scent of death and iron, fire and ice, the heavens and the hells.¡± A melodic voice turned my focus, as an aura equal to my own or perhaps even stronger suddenly crashed over me. A crimson skinned bare foot emerged from the base of the portal.
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¡°Aw hell.¡± I muttered as the six and a half foot tall, platinum haired demon woman with glittering fairy wings fully manifested. I didn¡¯t need Appraisal to know this was bad news.
¡°Is that any way to greet a lady?¡± She purred in mock indignation. She was so seductive and sexy that it was difficult to even look at her. I also sensed a magical element in that feeling. No, not magical I realized. I would be immune to that. It was chemical. Something in this strange new body of mine was drawn to her on a primal level.
Judging by the hungry look on her face, I wasn¡¯t alone.
¡°I came to toy with a naughty little Gorgo and devour his soul.¡± She took a long and smooth step toward me, leaning down until her lips were only inches from mine. ¡°Imagine my delight to find something like you instead.¡±
I wondered why there was no commotion, and a quick glance behind me solved that riddle. They were all frozen. Apparently this monster could stop time.
¡°That¡¯s right. I can halt time... for a time.¡± She winked and snickered at her own wordplay. ¡°And yes... I am quite the beautiful monster aren¡¯t I?¡±
¡°Luckily I¡¯m not much for keeping my thoughts in my head, makes mind reading a bit of a wasted talent on me.¡± I offered. ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, I need something from that pile of meat over there if he¡¯s still alive. I don¡¯t mind fighting you to get it either.¡±
¡°That could be... interesting.¡± The demon said, mulling the idea over. ¡°You¡¯re strong enough that I might get to enjoy myself a little. But no, my handsome Count, I think I¡¯d prefer another type of tussle when you and I inevitably come flesh to flesh.¡±
Her brazen attitude, her spicy-sweet scent that seemed to be getting stronger by the moment, her body... It was becoming hard to focus past the blood hammering in my ears and lower regions.
¡°You can have him.¡± She conceded with a pout. ¡°On one condition.¡±
¡°My soul¡¯s off the table.¡± I said with a smirk.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure, but that¡¯s not what I want.¡± She teased. ¡°I want you to promise that one day you¡¯ll call on me. The petty politics of the hells are so droll, and I find you... fascinating.¡±
¡°I am no summoner.¡± I said holding up my hands in apology.
¡°Simply say my name and imagine me with all the focus of your mind and I will answer.¡± She assured me.
¡°A demon¡¯s name is not given lightly.¡± I mused. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried I might try to dominate you?¡±
¡°Worried? Certainly not. Hopeful? Perhaps.¡± She gave me a salacious look with the words. ¡°I am X¡¯lyssa, Overfiend of Cairn Carna.¡± She introduced herself with a regal nod.
¡°Gray.¡± I replied. ¡°I accept your deal and promise to call on you someday. I¡¯ll treat you to a nice dinner.¡±
¡°I look forward to it, Count Gray.¡± With those parting words she turned, and with an exaggerated swagger stepped back through the black portal.
Gray
Infernal Count (0%) Progress to Next Evolution
Level: 2* ??XP: 32% To Next Level
Body Age: 29
Life: 3996/3996 Soul Energy 1741/2608
Strength: 999*
Endurance: 999*
Soul: 652
Agility: 350
Skills/Spells:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Acid Resistance: 2/10
Perfect Mental Resistance 10/10 (World Boss)
Melee Mastery: 45/100
Ranged Mastery: 41/100
Appraisal: 8/10
White Nova: 13/20
Blast Nova: 12/20
War Mage: (1/1)
Greater Drain (1/1)
Awakened Senses (1/1)
Rapid Regeneration (2/5)
Soul Thief (1/1)
Bloodwalk (1/1)
Blood Frenzy (1/10)
Iron Belly (1/1)
Scavenger (1/1)
Royalty - Infernal (1/1)
Soul Brand (1/1)
Shadow Wings (1/1)
Buffs/Debuffs:
+499 Spell Damage from Strength
+326 Attack Damage from Soul
+594 Health Regenerated per Second
*Soulthirst: Consume a Worthy Soul within (25d/11h/26m/02s) to avoid Soulthirst
*EDEN: (+20%) XP gained for (22h/46m/13s).
I looked over my stats awhile later as I leaned against our carriage. It would be morning soon. I was able to use one of my higher end antidote potions to reverse the poison on the woman without The Warlord¡¯s help, and she was now resting comfortably. Unfortunately the rest of the women were all too awake. I could hear quiet, broken sobbing all around me. Apparently the memories of their treatment at his hands were now returning after the shock of their liberation waned. Two of them had attempted suicide already. I tried to block out the terrible sounds and focused on my stats.
My Strength and Endurance had reached a cap that I didn¡¯t know existed. I did some mental math, using a Strength of six as a standard average for a fit human. Assuming that said human could lift a hundred pounds without too much effort, I should be able to pick up close to seventeen thousand pounds fairly easily. Most metals would shatter against my skin, and I had enough Health to shrug off a full force punch from a storm giant.
Aside from the two skills I stole from a named goblin and another named gnoll, not much had changed. Iron Belly allowed me to consume carrion and other nasty shit without side effects and Scavenger let me devour a fresh corpse to restore Health and gain a temporary stat modifier. They were oddly synergistic for coming from two different monsters, but I wasn¡¯t about to munch fresh monster corpses for stats that would ultimately be a drop in the bucket.
It seemed strange that I hadn¡¯t gained any new titles or World Spells given the scale of what I had done. Was my World Boss status interfering with that somehow? Well I guess the glitch giveth and the glitch taketh away. My new evolution based skills were far less of a disappointment.
Royalty - Infernal:
Passively compels weaker creatures of the lower and mortal realms to obey your commands and view you as an authority figure. Can also be used to injure and punish those that show defiance. Causes powerful pheromone attraction to other possessors of this skill.
Soul Brand:
A willing ally is granted your mark, inheriting a portion of your power, new skills, and a racial evolution. The maximum number of Brands you may bestow is relative to your Soul Energy. Chosen Allies may be given multiple Soul Brands at a multiplying cost of Brand Slots. Soul Branded allies may be traveled to via Bloodwalk. Available Brand Slots: 2608/2608.
Shadow Wings:
-Passive: Enables instant movement within (20) Feet as long as there is available line of sight.
-Active: Manifests Shadow Wings, enabling flight at a cost of (50) Soul Energy per minute.
A particularly tortured cry made my eye twitch. I walked to where Yugal, Jade, and Tabula were patiently standing over the unconscious Warlord as he slowly regenerated his battered body.
¡°New mission.¡± I spoke to the trio as calmly as I could. ¡°We¡¯re deploying EDEN in the western field of Filam. Large Luxury Resort configuration, security at maximum. Tab, black out one of the floors for our use only. There you will entertain The Warlord until he feels like giving us what we want. Also begin producing Golden Lionheart Cakes on cooldown to treat these women while they recover under our hospitality. Prioritize the most severe cases. Niiya and I will head to Filam to meet with the leadership there, procure clothes and supplies for the refugees, and decide our next move. Jade if you have any useful skills that can ease emotional distress, don¡¯t hold back. Allow Rain to continue aerial surveillance. Questions? Also Yugal, I¡¯ll help you set up a place to camp near EDEN when I return so please make due until then.¡±
¡°Nope.¡± Jade answered first.
¡°None, Mr. Gray.¡± Tabula followed.
¡°I am no stranger to life under the open sky, and Lady Tabula has given me food that refreshed me completely. I have no complaints, my lord.¡± Yugal bowed his head respectfully to me as he spoke. I was honestly starting to like the big guy.
¡°Wait a moment, Mr. Gray.¡± Tabula stopped me as I began to enter EDEN to get Niiya. ¡°Rain has spotted a company of mounted knights roughly two hundred strong approaching Filam from the east.¡±
¡°Then they¡¯ll be glad to know we took care of their problem for them.¡± I said to reassure her. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be fine.¡±
21: Breaking The Wheel
¡°Impossible.¡± Gespar snorted at his informant within Filam. ¡°Your demihuman eyes have deceived you.¡±
The Crusibilis Knight and Raj the librarian sat in a secret meeting chamber beneath the Filam guard barracks. There was a simple wooden table between them, and four knights standing rigidly at each corner of the room.
¡°My eyes are sharper than yours, Sir Gespar.¡± Raj countered in her typical raspy near whisper. ¡°Five hundred monsters and The Warlord himself were cut down not half a mile from where you now sit. If you seek a quarrel with the heroes that accomplished that feat, I wish you luck. Since the battle, a rumor has taken root that the man called Gray and his allies are champions sent by Ariel herself. The entire populace witnessed the battle through a powerful scrying spell in the sky. They watched those mighty four save them from a fate of certain death or worse. I leave you to decide what that means to oppose them.¡±
¡°Tricks and lies!¡± The Crusibilis Knight roared, slamming his mailed fist on the solid table. With a crack it broke in two. ¡°From their false appraisals to their so called victory, all lies to be exposed!¡±
With startling agility, Raj saved her cup of tea in mid air. Without a single change to her expression, she took a sip and shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t fight him.¡±
That comment sobered Gespar. He settled back in his chair and seemed to think hard. He trusted this demihuman¡¯s word, and as much as he hated to admit it he respected her power.
¡°You who¡¯s magic is said to rival even the Red Knight¡¯s?¡± He asked.
¡°I once had some respect for you, so for old times¡¯ sake I¡¯ll give you one last piece of advice. Do not let your pride fool you. He is death, and to fight him is to die.¡± She spelled it out clearly.
¡°I see.¡± Disgust contorted Gespar¡¯s ugly hairless face. ¡°The mighty Raj has become nothing but a spineless coward, easily fooled by simple tricks and illusions! We were right to cast your miserable kind out of the inner ring! Those four are criminal scum, frauds fit to be burned. And burn they shall!¡±
¡°Godspeed, Blue Knight.¡± A sardonic hint of a smile touched Raj¡¯s face as she stood to leave.
¡°I haven¡¯t released you.¡± Gespar growled. ¡°It sounds like you would side with those enemies of the kingdom. Perhaps we should remind this rotten little termite mound what treason gets them!¡±
A glob of black slime was flying from Raj¡¯s outstretched palm even before Gespar finished speaking. It struck one of the knights directly in his full helmeted face. In less than a second it animated and began forcing itself through the eye and mouth holes. The highly acidic summoned monster then began to slowly dissolve the face and skull underneath. There was no scream but the knight¡¯s frantic jerking and muffled groaning advertised his agony.
The next closest knight stepped forward with a sweep of his two handed sword. Raj¡¯s greatest physical asset, her wings, were a hindrance in this tight space and she failed to completely evade. The sword bit into her hip and she stumbled. The knight, believing victory at hand raised his sword again but was met with a crackling bolt of white lightning. It arced from the tip of his sword, and down into his body. Smoke poured from the gaps in his armor and he went completely stiff as every muscle in his body clenched violently.
Sensing danger, Raj tucked her wings and dove into a sidelong roll just as Gespar¡¯s huge glowing claymore tore through the air where she had been standing. The swing sent a shearing arc of energy into the stone wall, leaving a gouge several inches deep. She stood up, facing the giant Gespar and his one remaining follower.
¡°You murdered two knights of the kingdom.¡± Gespar¡¯s accusation was accompanied by a sickening smile. ¡°That means we get to execute you the fun way.¡±
¡°Three.¡± Raj corrected grimly. A second later the knight next to Gespar dropped to the ground, writhing in agony. As he rolled to his belly, the reason became clear. The same black slime from before had slowly worked its way up the knight¡¯s leg, and under his armor. There was no way to remove the armor and get to the slime before it finished its grizzly meal. ¡°Soon to be four.¡±
Raj began to cast one of her most potent spells when something thumped into her back, right between her wings. She felt something strange just below her sternum, and couldn¡¯t catch her breath. She touched there and felt something sharp poke her finger. She looked down to see a bloody arrowhead poking through just between and below her breasts. She was dimly aware that she was on one knee.
¡°In the back, with poison. Cowards.¡± She struggled out those last words before blackness overtook her.
¡°Get her healed. We have a show to put on...¡± Gespar¡¯s voice reached her fast fading mind.
¡°Gray what¡¯s that sound?¡± Niiya tightened her grip on my hand as we approached the western gate.
There was some kind of distant commotion happening. People were crying out in horror and dismay, one voice was screaming above the din in obvious agony. I had an idea, one I had hoped to put off for a good while longer.
¡°Niiya.¡± I knelt down before her and locked my eyes onto hers. ¡°You have seen the bad things in this world, the unfair and evil things that steal brothers from sisters and parents from daughters. If I could make you strong like me, you could protect yourself and stop those bad things from happening. Would you want that, even if it hurt for a moment?¡±
¡°Strong like you?¡± Niiya echoed, her eyes shining brightly with a mix of emotions.
¡°Strong enough to break boulders with your fists and throw the evil dogs that killed your family over the mountains.¡± I assured her with a grim smile.
¡°Make me strong Gray!¡± Niiya flattened her ears and held up her fists in determination. ¡°I don''t care if it hurts.¡±
¡°You won¡¯t ever have to hide in fear again.¡± I promised her as I stood.
¡°Soul Brand.¡± I uttered the words and held my hand out toward her chest.
Consume (94) Soul Brand Slot(s) to Apply <10x Mark of Gray> to ? YES/NO
Consume (190) Soul Energy to bypass Evolution Sickness? YES/NO
Rename ? YES/NO
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Has Evolved from Cat Folk to Ash Huntress and gained <10%> of your total XP and Stats
Has acquired the Title
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
Evolution Sickness!? Is that what takes me down every time I evolve? Damn right I paid the Soul Energy to spare her that.
I stepped back as a thick cloud of black ash formed around Niiya. It adhered to her , making her a stark black silhouette. The silhouette glowed with menacing black power, and began to grow. I could sense power exploding within her, and could feel the invisible but absolutely real string of fate now connecting us. A growl came from the blackness, throaty and deep like a proper big cat. The sound sent a chill shooting up my spine. Those hard wired instincts that recognized the sound of an apex predator still fired regardless of my relative strength or safety it seemed.
The black ash dissipated and left me staring with open mouthed shock and awe.
A crowd was gathered in the large plaza of Filam¡¯s normally lively and happy market district. A shoddy platform had been hastily constructed from the wrecked stalls of a few demihuman merchants. Surrounding the platform, two hundred fully armored knights of the kingdom mounted on giant armored boars formed a ring two ranks deep. Their blank helmets and large pauldrons gave them an inhuman, golem like appearance. Around that ring at a safe distance from the knights and their vicious mounts, several hundred citizens of Filam stood with expressions ranging from shock to outrage and disgust.
On the center of the platform, Raj knelt in a growing pool of her own blood. Behind her stood the hulking blue knight and the cowering duchess Carmine. Where Raj¡¯s majestic wings had been, there were only splintered and gory stubs of bone. Gespar had hacked them away not with his own unearthly sharp weapon but a crude hatchet used to split kindling.
¡°This filth has spat upon the crown by showing allegiance to treasonous criminals.¡± He called out over the agonized groans of the tengu at his feet. ¡°The one calling himself Gray and any associates of his are hereby named outlaws of the highest order for threatening a royal citizen. They used lies and tricks to usurp the authority of your own duchess and you would call them heroes?¡± Gespar glared out at the assembled crowd.
¡°I reckon you went too far there, lad.¡± Hurstag, the guildmaster bravely stumped forward from the assembled crowd. ¡°That girl is a peaceful librarian and a friend to many of us, including meself. There¡¯s only one person I see here that ought be labeled filth and an outlaw, and I¡¯m looking at him.¡±
A resounding cheer suddenly erupted from the crowd, and calls for the knights to leave soon followed.
¡°I was hoping it would come to that.¡± Gespar growled, not caring that he couldn¡¯t be heard over the growing tumult.
Rocks, dirt clods, and even some produce from the stalls began soaring at the mounted knights.
¡°Have it your way, vermin!¡± Gespar roared. ¡°Fifth Unit! Purge them all! Run them down!¡±He might have said more but was forced to leap back suddenly. A black streaking bolt from the sky impacted the ground just in front of the platform inside the ring of knights with enough force to send dirt and cobblestones flying in all directions.
¡°I went to all that trouble to save these guys, and now you think I¡¯ll let a few pigs riding pigs fuck that up?¡± My voice shook. I could barely contain the outrage roaring up in me. I hadn¡¯t been this pissed since the night I found Niiya. Speaking of her... ¡°Niiya. Use your skills to protect the people from the men riding the pigs.¡± I used our brand new telepathy skill.
¡°Are they bad like the wolves?¡± Her voice in my head was still sweet and as cute as ever, much unlike what the poor bastard knights were about to encounter.
¡°They are worse Niiya. If left alone they will kill hundreds of innocent mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Be the one that stops it, let your new strength guide you.¡± My mental response left no room for debate.
¡°Gray.¡± She sounded surprised. ¡°They don¡¯t scare me. They¡¯re big and scary, but I¡¯m not scared!¡±
¡°It¡¯s a great feeling, isn¡¯t it?¡± All of this conversation happened in a mere blink, our link allowed us to exchange thoughts far faster than normal speech. I wonder if she gained some of my fighter¡¯s mentality from Soul Brand or if she really was just that badass deep down. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be able to do much to you, but if you happen to get hurt remember what I told you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but add as I stood from my crouch in the small crater my landing had caused.
¡°Your petty illusions won¡¯t shake me, or my knights!¡± The big blue apparent leader on the platform called down to me.
As he finished speaking, the entire area fell into a muted, shadowy fog. It was way too creepy. It was almost identical to Silent Hill if you remember that diaper soaker of a game (I turned it off after ten minutes and never played it again by the way). This must be Niiya''s Domain ability.
¡°I normally play the diplomacy card first.¡± I called up to the platform, then looked at the poor tengu now lying in her own blood, shivering in obvious shock. ¡°But you really fucked up, Mr. Knockoff Megatron.¡±
He attacked me in that instant. It was pretty fast. To be honest the me from yesterday would be dead three times over. I didn¡¯t move, the sword struck hard and I took a step back. He was fairly strong and I would have a bruise for a second, but...
¡°This is what stupid bluffs get you!¡± The man towered over me nearly as large as The Warlord had. He pulled back for a second swing, this one aimed to take my head off by the look of it.
In one motion I extended the claw of my left pinky finger and held it up to intercept the blade. It stopped dead with a shower of sparks. I did it! The epic ¡®or so you thought bitch!¡¯ move that every anime fan dreams about. I held that pose for a long second with satisfaction. His rising pulse sang like a sweet siren in my ears, and his posture shrank back as he yanked his weapon away.
¡°Just now realizing that all the crazy shit you heard about me was real?¡± I guessed out loud based on all the ¡®illusion¡¯ talk. ¡°Having some regrets? Trying to find a way out?¡±
¡°My knights... My knights! Protect me, kill this man. What? What are you waiting...?¡± He leaped back and screamed and slowly trailed off as he looked around.
He couldn¡¯t even see beyond a few feet. The area around us was lost in the gray ash. There was no sound of the tumultuous crowd, nor the battle cries of the knights or horrible squeals of pigs. There was nothing but him, Raj, the unconscious (guess she fainted) duchess, and me.
¡°Demon!¡± He shrieked. ¡°You¡¯ve pulled us to the hells!¡±
¡°Told... you so.¡± Raj gasped with a chuckle.
Gespar spun on her. His intent was painfully cliche and obvious - grab the girl I came to save and hold her hostage so I would let him escape. Sorry pal I¡¯ve seen this shtick once or twice.
I blinked forward, and buried my claws into the back of his armor and the soft body inside. White energy crackled and seared into my hands. It would have been lethal to most, but my regeneration healed the damage literally a second later.
¡°Please excuse us, Raj. Hang in there and I¡¯ll fix you up soon I promise.¡± I said to the librarian. She was hurt badly but I could tell she wasn¡¯t near death. ¡°Me and this tinker toy need to talk in private.¡±
With a thought, bat like wings formed of pure shadow appeared on my back. They spanned fifteen feet across and when they were active I could move in any three dimensional direction at insane speeds. The knight flailed and thrashed but my claws were stronger.
¡°This city will be buried! Mark my-!¡±
Whatever else he meant to say was lost in a rush of wind. We launched away from the ground like a rocket, climbing hundreds of feet in a few seconds. We burst out of Niiya¡¯s creepy Domain into the early morning sky. From here I could clearly see the scope of the skill¡¯s influence and it was staggering. It must extend a hundred meters in every direction from where she activated it.
I swallowed my queasiness from flying and put on my most intimidating face before hurling the still thrashing and cursing knight even higher above us. I blinked up and turned, coming face to helmet with him before sinking my claws once more through his armor and into his ribs. To his credit he didn¡¯t cry out, he merely grimaced and straightened to stare at me.
¡°Known alot of pain in your time, have you?¡± I asked him.
¡°I am a prince, you demon spawned worm!¡± His answer made me suddenly bored. ¡°Your death won¡¯t be painless.¡±
¡°You are just a whole damn bucket of stereotypes. If this were a book I could guess at least half of your lines.¡± I rolled my eyes and decided to get down to business. ¡°Go ahead and tell me why you can so casually order the execution of an entire city over some hearsay from that coward of a duchess.¡± I focused my Royalty skill in hopes that I could coerce some information out of him. Surprisingly, he relaxed in my claws almost instantly.
¡°That¡¯s not a city.¡± He spat. ¡°It¡¯s a tub of meat to fatten up monsters to be harvested by the true saviors of this world. Demihuman scum, worshipers of Ariel the goddess who would abandon us in our darkest days, they are only fit to serve as fodder.¡± I yawned, interrupting his momentum.
¡°It¡¯s just basic human supremacy bullshit?¡± I was honestly disappointed. ¡°Here I thought I was gonna get some tragic backstory out of you, but I guess sometimes people really are shitbags for no good reason.¡±
¡°The tragic backstory is the thousands of kingdom citizens just trying to survive on the southern and eastern borders as dwarves tunnel and plant explosives beneath their homes. Beast folk prowl the night, slaughtering their livestock, poisoning the meat, and salting their fields. The demihuman atrocities know no limits and yet we tolerate them within our own borders!?¡± His tirade had developed a pretty good flow so I let it go for a second. ¡°I will see every last one of them purged!¡±
¡°So you¡¯re just an idiot. Okay I see it now.¡± I chuckled. ¡°A cruel, self important little dork. Those ¡®atrocities¡¯ are sound military tactics employed by a small defending force in the face of overwhelming military incursion. So you¡¯re forcing demihumans and poor people here into fringe communities and keeping adventurers away from them with economic and political leverage. Then when monsters happen to do your dirty work for you, you bring out an army to collect the XP.¡±
¡°Happen to?¡± He quoted me. ¡°We make sure of it! The Warlord was a seed I planted myself! Too bad about that little slave that summoned him.¡± The knight sounded proud of himself. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make you angry, don¡¯t you want to kill me right away!?¡±
I snorted out a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s your angle? You gave up hope of escape and want to avoid torture?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m going to take everything from you, and put your fate in the hands of a very talented woman. Your soldiers got the easy ticket out compared to you, and if you could see what they¡¯re going through right now that would frighten the life out of you.¡±
22: Domain: Ashen Nightmare
¡°What do we do, lieutenant!?¡± The young knight, barely in his first year of service asked his commanding officer. She was a battle hardened B rank warrior with many campaigns under her belt. Both of their boar mounts had suddenly gone stiff the moment the strange ash filled the air, refusing to budge a single inch. Looking around revealed that the other nearby knights were experiencing the same.
¡°Dismount and carry out your orders!¡± Her voice echoed from her helmet fearlessly but fell flat in the oppressive ash.
¡°But these are just regular people!¡± The young knight cried, mortified at the thought.
¡°It¡¯s not your call to make! Now if you don¡¯t want to share their fate then do as your Crusibilis ordered and -¡± She stopped suddenly as a different voice came through at that moment. It did not fall flat but bounced clearly through the drifting ash, serene and calm.
¡°Worse than the wolves. Gray told me so.¡± The voice seemed to come from everywhere. It sounded almost like a little girl¡¯s. ¡°Have you seen the wolves..?¡±
A low, horrifying growl came from the young knight¡¯s right. Heavy ominous footsteps followed the sound. He jerked his helmeted head just in time to see a black shadow in the ash. It loomed perhaps fifteen feet tall. The silhouette was unmistakable - a werewolf but one that size was impossible. With a single almost lazy swipe, it swatted the lieutenant from her mount with the sound of crunching metal and cracking ribs.
¡°They¡¯re so big and strong. Even if you run away and hide they¡¯ll sniff and sniff until they get you.¡±
Several howls erupted, vibrating the young knight¡¯s whole body and making his teeth chatter. As though the howls had released them from a spell of holding, every boar suddenly went berserk. They spun tight circles, looking for something to attack, with foamy saliva practically pouring from the corners of their mouths. The knight was inexperienced with the awkward sloping posture of the boar¡¯s back as it was, and the sudden bucking spin sent him flying. He came to a crashing halt against the sturdy beam of a permanent merchant¡¯s stall.
¡°Does it hurt?¡± A different child¡¯s voice asked the knight innocently as he rolled to regain his feet.
The knight looked to where the voice came from and went white as snow. A mangled boy shambled toward him through the ashes, just a few feet away. Intestines hung from his exposed rib cage, dragging along the ground behind him. Most of the flesh and one arm had been stripped from his body, save for a few small patches and one large cat ear. He couldn¡¯t have been more than six or seven years old.
¡°Does it hurt? Does it hurt?¡± The boy asked again and again as he came closer.
A tug on one of the straps of his greaves drew his wide eyes down. A small severed hand was working its way up his leg. The terror was too much to bear for the rookie knight. His eyes crossed upward, and with a weird grunt he collapsed unconscious.
He had no idea how much time had passed when his eyes opened. He was still in the village square, and still surrounded by the unearthly ashen fog. No sounds of terror or battle assaulted him now. His eyes finally focused and he found a young cat folk girl just a little older than the walking dead boy sitting cross legged in front of him. She regarded him with a curious expression, like she was observing an odd but harmless rodent. She was dark skinned with a deep red mane of hair, and bright gold colored eyes. He had never seen a cat folk like her before. Her clothes were too small and on the shabby side, but that couldn¡¯t hide the obvious danger she represented.
¡°You don¡¯t hurt people.¡± She stated simply after a long, silent moment.
¡°The voice...¡± The knight stammered. It was the voice that heralded the horrors. ¡°Did you do this?¡±
The girl looked confused, as though the answer should be obvious.
¡°You killed them?¡± He pressed. He was surprised that he only felt relief at that thought.
¡°They¡¯re friends now.¡± She lifted her small right hand and made a gesture.
A multitude of shadowy silhouettes silently drifted closer all around them. It was his former comrades with mangled armor, helmets leaking black blood, and mounted upon the undead corpses of their boars.
¡°You don¡¯t need to be a friend. Go.¡± She waved him off like she was shooing away a nuisance.
As she stood, a bizarre thing happened. The ashen air began to form a cyclone around her, disappearing into her body. The knights and their mounts dissolved into black ash and joined the maelstrom until the air was once again clear and they both stood in the bright morning sun. All around them bewildered townsfolk seemed to be waking from a trance, astonished that the army had simply vanished.
¡°Better hurry.¡± She said over her shoulder as she turned her back to him. ¡°Gray¡¯s coming. He¡¯s angry.¡±
¡°She¡¯s right. I should run while I can. But to what? The order will torture me for information, then probably kill me for abandoning a mission. Just who are these people?¡± He swallowed his fear and stood resolute. He unbuckled his sword which he hadn¡¯t even drawn, and let it clatter to the cobblestone.
¡°You¡¯ll stay?¡± She looked over her shoulder. Her expression almost seemed pleased.
¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The knight found his voice once again, and it was firm this time. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone. I wanted to help people, like what you did except maybe not so scary.¡± The knight fought back an involuntary shudder as he finished. He might have said more but a fast approaching scream from above stopped him.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He looked up just in time to follow the last hundred feet of Gespar¡¯s plummeting fall. One of the figures that the kingdom revered as practically divine cracked into the earth with a sickening thump, and lay in a broken heap perfectly still. Less than a second later, the terrifying man in gray appeared next to the crumbled body. It took the knight a second to notice that the suited man¡¯s hands were both missing at the wrist, and were rapidly regenerating before his eyes. Such powers were only available to beings from the lower and upper planes.
¡°Fuck.¡± He swore quietly as the black wings on his back faded away. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect him to have that one, much less use it to off himself.¡±
¡°Gray!¡± The cat girl rushed up to him. ¡°He hurt you?¡±
¡°Just a scratch.¡± The man held up his now fully formed, just slightly off color hands and wiggled his fingers. ¡°See...?¡± He looked past her and locked a cold stare onto the armored young man. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±
¡°He¡¯s okay.¡± The girl assured him. ¡°Didn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡±
¡°There are people who do damage in ways other than violence.¡± He cautioned, stepping past her before suddenly appearing in front of the gawking young man.
A crushing, overwhelming presence crashed onto the knight, immediately collapsing him to his knees. The next words he heard came as a command, one he was compelled to respond to by the very root of his soul.
¡°Look in my eyes.¡± As if the words themselves took hold of his chin and wrenched his head up, the knight complied instantly.
He expected to see flaming sockets, or pits of sheer blackness. Instead he found a pair of grey, plain old human eyes staring back at him. This somehow unsettled the knight more than expected. Something was at work in his mind and body. He could feel the magical insinuations compelling him to not just obey the stranger but to worship him and swear total loyalty to him. Instinctively he pushed those feelings aside and held the penetrating gaze of the man by his own will.
¡°Huh, you really can resist it.¡± The tension left the man¡¯s body and suddenly the knight found himself facing a man with a totally different personality. ¡°Guess that¡¯s why you could disobey that dick¡¯s orders.¡±
The crushing feeling vanished, and a pale hand with pitch black nails appeared before him. He tentatively took it and was lifted effortlessly to his feet.
¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The question was delivered casually like one might hear from a stranger making small talk at a bar. The knight struggled to bring his senses to bear and understand the situation.
¡°Niles. My name¡¯s Niles Fobb. My father is a low ranking noble and I just recently completed my knight¡¯s training.¡±
¡°Gotcha. Oh shit hang on!¡± The man suddenly spun on his heel and vanished, reappearing next to the now unconscious tengu who was barely breathing.
¡°He must be going to put her out of her misery, poor woman.¡± Niles looked at his boots, feeling terrible that his own people had committed the terrible act and not having the stomach to watch her last moment.
The expected sound of the mercy killing never came, and Niles looked up tentatively. The man was kneeling beside her, lifting her up, and tilting her head back. In his free hand was a vial of golden liquid that radiated with magic power. It was a wondrous looking item, but the woman¡¯s injuries were beyond what any known potion could recover.
¡°C¡¯mon, wake up and take your medicine. You¡¯re not done yet.¡± He said firmly.
A golden glow matching the color of the potion enveloped her a second later, and the man stepped back. When the brilliance faded, Raj sat up on her own. Every injury had healed, and beyond all belief her wings had been restored to their former glory. She was perfectly healthy, even the blemishes and scars on her cheeks were gone.
¡°What...?¡± The soft and raspy voice was beyond bewildered. Raj sat up and fearfully flexed her wings, looking from one side to the other in utter disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m sure that I died.¡±
¡°You were just mostly dead.¡± The suited man said and was apparently very amused by his own words because they came with a snorting chuckle. ¡°There¡¯s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.¡± He added, gesturing from Raj to the crumbled mess of armor and gore that had been Gespar.¡± No one laughed. He covered the failed joke with a cough and leaned down to help the healed tengu to her feet.
All at once the stunned silence of the gathered crowd shattered into uproarious cheering. Niles looked all around him to see the people of Filam (most with tears in their eyes) celebrating wildly. They surged in all around them, holding out their hands, calling out blessings and cheers for the champion of Ariel.
The object of their admiration seemed less than pleased by the sudden attention. He backed slowly up the raised platform and raised his hands sheepishly. As if on cue to add to the once again growing chaos, the duchess Carmine regained consciousness and upon seeing the broken body of her older cousin began shrieking hysterically.
Episode 2: Epilogue
Carmine approached the magnificent throne room doors with faltering steps, weighed down heavily by the large clay pot in her hands and the gravity of the message she was about to deliver to her uncle. Three days had passed since the horrible Gray had so easily dismantled her whole existence. With a deep shuddering breath, she nodded to one of the the two royal guards.
The doors opened outward, and warm rose tinted light spilled out. She stepped into the enormous hall and memories of her childhood came rushing back to her. The first time she had come to this place was to receive the news that she was to be married off to some duke out in the sticks. That was fifteen years ago. She was eleven years old then, and the duke was sixty five. His first wife had been executed under suspicion of sleeping with one of the servants. The old man was a retired war hero, and a close friend of the king. The tales of his honor and heroism were scattered in many books and poems. In reality he was a disgusting lecher with a violent temper. Her life as the tortured prisoner of a deranged monster began in this grand hall under this enchanted rose quartz dome. Her own uncle, the wise and just king had sent her there. Had he known the true nature of Duke Filam? She feared the answer was likely yes. These thoughts swirled in her mind along with the fear of what the king might do when she told him what she must tell him.
The giant hexagon shaped hall could hold fifty thousand people, but was currently only occupied by two. Next to the throne was the king¡¯s right hand. Supreme Justicar Typhon stood at his typical rigid attention, he looked exactly the same as he had fifteen years ago. The king¡¯s appearance was hidden behind layers of divine enchantment and could only be be perceived as a glowing silhouette that fluctuated in color based on the king¡¯s mood. It was currently a calm and cool bluish. Carmine lowered her gaze as she approached, and stopped at the appropriate distance of twenty feet from the throne. She dropped to her knees and placed the clay pot on the ground before her.
¡°You have leave to speak freely, duchess Carmine.¡± Typhon formally announced. His tone was unreadable. ¡°The king desires to know what became of the forces we sent to your aid.¡±
¡°They were all killed your majesty.¡± She took care to speak clearly and at a proper volume. ¡°A monstrous being and his servants appeared. They obliterated the Warlord¡¯s horde and when Gespar denounced-¡± She was cut off by Typhon¡¯s stern voice.
¡°Crusbilis Knight Gespar.¡± He corrected her. ¡°His station will not be ignored by a mere duchess.¡±
¡°When Crusibilis Knight Gespar denounced the man¡¯s achievements and ordered the city to be purged for the crime of supporting him...¡± Carmine paused to gather her courage and her words. ¡°The man appeared and declared that he would save them. Crusibilis Knight Gespar attacked him then, and the blow could have felled a giant I swear to you, but it scarcely moved the man. Crusibilis Knight Gespar attacked again with all of his might, and the man stopped his blade with the claw of his pinky finger. In that moment our whole world was plunged into a gray ashen fog and that¡¯s the last I remember. When I awoke, Crusibilis Knight Gespar, my cousin was nothing but a battered mess of armor and gore. The army of knights was simply erased from this world, and I was taken captive.¡±
¡°How did you escape, and what is that you have brought?¡± Typhon asked. The practiced mask of calm focus was beginning to slip, and a line was starting to appear between his thick brows.
¡°They took me to an enormous castle built by magic, and guarded by a great green dragon. There it was decided by the guildmaster and a few other ranking citizens that I would be sent in exile with a message for your majesty.¡± Carmine shook as the moment approached, and she lifted the lid from the jar. She tipped it until something finally rolled out.
Typhon¡¯s eyes widened and the king¡¯s aura darkened to nearly black. It was Gespar¡¯s head, a tightly furled scroll jutted from his open mouth.
¡°Read the note, duchess.¡± Typhon practically growled. All pretense of calm had flown from his features now.
Carmine gingerly took the scroll and unfurled it. She had largely guessed the content but her stomach lurched as she began to read the tight, precise handwriting of Raj.
¡°To His Majesty King Gault III,
We the people of the city formerly known as Filam hereby declare our secession from your kingdom. This decision was made in response to the unprovoked attack by your forces. We will remain peaceful as long as no further hostility is brought against us. Know that any who approach with intent to do harm to our citizens will meet the same fate as the man bearing this declaration. Our leader, and exalted champion of the goddess Ariel, Gray will remain open to diplomatic talks for as long as you remain peaceful.
-Raj, Deputy Governor of Ariel¡¯s Gate¡±
¡°The bastards.¡± The king¡¯s rarely heard voice was barely above a whisper but rolled around the great hall like thunder. ¡°Recall the Viper Company and the twins. I want these vermin dead before the first snow.¡±
23: Episode 3: Family
Episode 3: Prologue
In the southern territory of Ragnofheim, a range of impossibly large mountains sprawled over a thousand square miles. It was known as the Sea of Stone. There the dwarves and giants ruled and coexisted in a fragile forced peace as they both battled the invasion from the northern kingdom.
Near the center of the territory and thousands of feet below the surface was a colossal cavern. It measured roughly twenty miles long and twelve miles wide with a thousand foot ceiling at its shortest point. Within it was Grandring, The Home Forge - capital city of the dwarves. A hundred thousand of the industrious humanoids labored here under the artificial sun and moon.
The mythical artifacts had already been there, mirroring the light and dark cycles of the surface, emitting light that could even grow plants when the first party of dwarven miners had discovered the place seven thousand years past.
Now the sun artifact was dormant, and the silver orb of the moon was full in the subterranean sky. Most of the great city slept, resting for the following day¡¯s arduous work. There was one place that never rested, however. It was a three story pub and gaming hall known as The Blind Dragon. Here a dwarf or any visitor could find any manner of pleasurable distraction so long as they had the coin to purchase it.
On the first floor was a gambling hall full of laughter, curses, occasional scuffles, and whispered deals. In a shadowy corner booth, two young elven visitors with low pulled hoods sipped ale with grim faces.
¡°Five more minutes and I¡¯m leaving.¡± One whispered in an annoyed but melodic tone. ¡°General Arck is gone with the dawn. We won¡¯t get this chance twice and I won¡¯t miss it for another pointless report.¡±
¡°Easy sis.¡± The other replied in a deeper voice. ¡°And fix your ear, the right one is slipping.¡± He added more softly, leaning forward and pointing.
¡°Like anyone would even notice.¡± She grumbled, fixing the convincing disguise that hid her humanity. ¡°Damn dwarves won¡¯t so much as look at anything that isn¡¯t shiny or alcoholic.¡±
¡°Such an old stereotype, lassy.¡± A rough sounding voice suddenly croaked from under the table. ¡°We dwarves appreciate beauty in all sorts of ways, and the beauty under this table ain¡¯t half bad!¡±
The woman kicked too swiftly for the dwarf to react, and he tumbled to the floor outside the booth with a chuckle. His nose was clearly busted but he barely acknowledged it. His thick red mustache caught the blood as it trickled from both nostrils above his nearly toothless smile. Typical dwarven toughness.
¡°Well spit it out, Van.¡± The man disguised as an elf prompted, already tired of the repetitive act between the two. ¡°What drivel from the north is it this time? Hook beetles bothering the turnips?¡±
¡°Oh nothin¡¯ so serious as that my boy. The turnips are doing right fine. Right fine indeed.¡± The dwarf¡¯s grin widened as he continued. ¡°The crown prince, Crusibilis Knight Gespar... is... dead!¡± He dropped the staggering news, savoring every word as it rolled past his gums.
The girl stood bolt upright prepared to exclaim loudly, but her more cautious brother raised a hand and she regained her senses. As she took her seat, the man locked eyes with the foul smelling dwarf and spoke one word.
¡°Elaborate.¡±
¡°With pleasure!¡± The dwarf snatched a hunk of hard bread from the table and without asking dunked it in the man¡¯s nearly untouched ale. The twins¡¯ matching hazel eyes twitched in rage but neither moved to stop him.
¡°Mmm... So you know that little town that used to be run by that old bloodthirsty son of a harlot Filam? Hey this is pretty good bread, wonder if they switched bakers! Anyway some guy shows up there two weeks ago with some friends, and my people tell me one of them appraised at level 300. Don¡¯t look at me like that, I¡¯m just repeating what I heard. Ah damn cracked another tooth. I take it back this bread ain¡¯t that great if they can¡¯t even manage to get all the stone out of the flour right? Oh yeah, so anyways they showed up and just like that-¡± The dwarf paused and attempted to snap his fingers but failed only to try again several more times before a low and impatient growl interrupted him. He instead clapped his hands and continued. ¡°They slaughtered The Warlord and all his minions like they were ordering breakfast! Yeah, see now that level 300 stuff doesn¡¯t sound so crazy right?¡± The dwarf took another long pause to dig at his newly cracked molar with a dagger produced from seemingly nowhere.
¡°And then?¡± The woman prodded, shifting her cloak to display the ornate hilt of a wicked looking rapier.
¡°Right.¡± The dwarf mumbled as he extracted his hand from his mouth, holding a yellow molar between two bloody fingers. ¡°Shit, pulled the wrong blasted one. So the little blueberry knight gets word from the duchess that this guy¡¯s poaching his monsters and decides he¡¯s gonna handle it himself with the Fifth Unit. They ride into town, make a big show of force and then he gets his wish. The guy shows up, and a cloud of ash covers the whole area, knights and all. When it clears the whole Fifth and their pigs are just plain gone and Gespar is a neat pile of guts and blue metal.¡±
¡°Anything else?¡± The male knight spoke slowly, clearly trying to absorb the impossible story.
¡°You two have been recalled by the king himself. Pack your shit and get outta my city, you stink.¡± The dwarf delivered these final words as an open threat, suddenly dropping his carefree attitude.
¡°One day, I¡¯ll feed you your own skin for dinner and your little dwarf prick for dessert.¡± The woman promised as she stood.
¡°Not if I feed it to you first.¡± He jabbed back with a wink and a bow.
¡°Of all the scum in the world, why is that one the most protected?¡± The man asked a few minutes later as the pair approached their inn. ¡°I have never desired to slice up anyone quite so much as him.¡±
¡°In this city he¡¯s literally invincible, but some day I¡¯ll have him. Van Kothis, the Weaver King will die by my hand.¡± The woman clenched a leather gloved fist as she vowed.
¡°Not before he¡¯s bled the world of all its gold most likely. This means we won¡¯t get our shot at the general after all.¡± The man grumbled sourly. ¡°Three months in this damn hole for nothing.¡±
¡°Why should we have to go running back just because that weakling got snuffed?¡± She agreed. ¡°Guess it can¡¯t be helped. If we delay they¡¯ll send Black to collect us.¡± She shuddered at the thought. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Far to the east of the Sea of Stone, beyond the mountains which forbade the passage of clouds from the western ocean was the sun baked Rakashi Desert. The region was the ancestral home of Ragnofheim¡¯s various species of beast folk, and all but the southwestern corner had been ruthlessly conquered by the kingdom to the north. Fleeing seemed impossible for the refugees. Their long-time allies the dwarves and giants had closed their borders, the eastern coast was blockaded with enemy ships and opportunistic pirates, and the south was the domain of demons and monsters.
Less than a mile from a small tent village of refugees, an enormous army of five thousand armed and disciplined warriors was gathered. A giant of a knight and his retainer - a powerfully built woman nearly as tall as he walked alone to the center of the village where a small crowd of emaciated and miserable looking beast kin awaited. Some looked upon the golden armored eight foot tall pair with fear, but most simply had hollow eyes too tired and thirsty to fear death any longer.
A reluctant leader stepped forward, she was thin and gaunt with black spots on her pale skin along with the tail and ears of a wild dog. She knelt in total submission.
¡°Please pass us by. The sands will claim us soon, you need not waste your steel.¡±
The knight was silent behind his helm for a moment.
¡°How many are here?¡± He asked in a baritone voice that was surprisingly gentle.
¡°We are eighty one today, yesterday we were more than a hundred. We fled your blue comrades in the north but one may not flee thirst.¡± The woman was too tired and defeated to lie.
¡°Another mess.¡± The woman behind the knight lamented quietly. ¡°Did that infantile halfwit spare anyone he met?¡±
¡°You need not fear us. I have taken over The Blue Knight¡¯s command in this region and our aim is peaceful occupation. I am Crusibilis Knight Yuther the Paladin. I vow that your terror is at an end so long as you remain peaceful.¡±
¡°You mean as long as we remain PASSIVE.¡± A hoarse accusation faded into dry rattling coughs from an aging tiger beast kin covered in old scars and fresh bandages. ¡°You occupy peacefully at first, then over time tighten your hold until we are no better than your slaves.¡± He stood tall and proud, displaying still taut muscle even if he was on death¡¯s door from dehydration.
¡°I bear no gift for seeing the future, but I am a man of my word.¡± The knight¡¯s voice remained gentle. ¡°Are there any others that must oppose us as a matter of principle?¡±
Two other beast kin stepped forward to stand with the aging tiger: a bear woman who must have once been hugely formidable but now seemed barely able to stand, and a small but grim faced fox man. The three carried no weapons but showed no fear as they defiantly stepped before the pair of knights.
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Forgive me for attempting to shake your resolve as warriors, but I must once more. I can give you water, food, and safe passage to your home in the north which I have already ordered rebuilt. The only other gifts I have are steel, and death.¡±
The tiger spat in the sand (or at least made the motion of doing so) and growled in response.
¡°Better to die standing now than worked to death in a mine later.¡± The bear woman snarled.
¡°If she goes, I go.¡± The fox man said simply, looking at the bear woman next to him.
¡°Very well, I see you have made your decision.¡± The knight lamented. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you are not mighty enough to face me directly. Trasana, give them a battle worthy of their courage.¡±
¡°May I heal their bodies first, My Knight?¡± She asked with a deep bow. ¡°There would be no honor in a battle against the walking dead.¡±
¡°Of course, I insist on it.¡± He answered, pleased with her initiative.
A chorus of shocked whispers and exclamations rippled among the gathered beast folk, they were going to heal their enemies? Such precious items and magics were priceless and practically unheard of here. The clamor grew as she knelt, her golden platemail glittered in the evening sun. She folded her hands in prayer. Then an enormous magic circle of golden runes appeared, encompassing everyone in the shabby village.
¡°Great Un¡¯hana. She that is loved by the water and air, smile upon us that we may sing your praise: Healing Rain!¡±
For a moment nothing seemed to happen, then a shadow slowly fell over them all. The temperature mercifully dropped as heavy gray clouds materialized above. Thick drops of sweet smelling rain fell from those clouds, and every single one that soaked into the skin of a villager restored vitality miraculously.
Life returned to the eyes of every beast folk, and from those eyes tears came unbidden. Bodies once too dry to cry suddenly burst like dams and most fell to their knees in open worship of the two knights.
Trasana stood, and from her back she pulled an enormous golden single edged sword with no hand guard. The three grim faced challengers were indeed moved by the incredible spell but were far too proud to back down now.
Suddenly though, dozens of villagers moved to stand between the knights and the rebels. They did not mean to aid their kin. They stood to protect the knights. The trio¡¯s resolve broke simultaneously and suddenly. The thought of turning their claws on their own kind was too much to bear.
¡°Is option A still available?¡± The now fully rejuvenated tiger warrior sheepishly asked.
¡°We¡¯ve never had to use option B.¡± Yuther replied with genuine happiness in his voice. A sudden shout from the edge of the village broke the moment.
¡°Crusibilis Knight Yuther, General Trasana!¡± A winded, lightly armored man approached on the back of a giant armored monitor lizard. ¡°Urgent news from Crown City!¡±
Episode 3: Chapter 1
The mighty mountain giant¡¯s iron banded tree trunk club cut through the air in an overhead chop that could reduce a boulder to rubble. The opponent before him might as well have been a bug, so great was the size difference. She was a cat girl, just under five feet tall and no more than sixty pounds in weight. Her golden eyes showed no hint of fear as they focused past the descending weapon to her target. The club struck home, but when it did the girl exploded into a cloud of choking ash rather than blood and gore.
A horrible sting on the giant¡¯s calf alerted him to the ruse, he looked down but the pain was traveling up his leg too fast to follow as the real girl scaled his leg like a soft fence post. Before he could react she was climbing his lower back and finally a moment later a poignant poke on the bulging vein in his neck signaled that the end had come.
¡°Got you Mr. Yugal!¡± The girl said playfully.
¡°Indeed miss Niiya. Very well played.¡± The giant prince rumbled in his landslide voice and couldn¡¯t hide his broad smile.
I watched the two at play in the snowy field between EDEN and Filam. I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head in disbelief. It had only been three weeks since I had used my Soul Brand ability to give Niiya the powers she had just displayed. Her Ash Clone ability created a perfect visual copy of her, capable of inflicting attacks just as she would and when destroyed it left behind a cloud that stung the eyes and lungs. Her Obsidian Claws were even harder and sharper than my own demonic ones, and her natural feline agility was magnified by the huge boost in raw stats she had gained in her evolution.
She had once been a shy, sweet little girl. She was still kind hearted and sweet as ever but an unmistakable mischievous streak was showing itself. It could be the fact that she was now growing up exponentially faster than normal. Her Age Stasis-Prime Cat Folk ability was fast forwarding her body¡¯s growth to whatever the age cat folk were considered to be in their prime. She was still technically only about seven years old but she now appeared closer to twelve or thirteen in human terms. The other influence on her personality if I had to guess was the other person on the field, whom Niiya looked up to and idolized like a big sister.
Jade the hilu jing, a mythical nine tailed fox spirit capable of shapeshifting was cheering Niiya on next to me. She was in her human form which I still couldn¡¯t help but be extremely attracted to. At least she was wearing a heavy fur cloak at the moment.
¡°Master!¡± Jade turned to me and held up her small wrapped fists. ¡°Let¡¯s spar already. I feel myself getting rusty.¡±
¡°You¡¯re just bored. Spar with Yugal again.¡± I said with a yawn. I really was pretty tired from a long morning of meetings with town officials and guild masters.
¡°He¡¯s too fragile, I end up having to pull my punches and heal him after.¡± She pouted. I could see Yugal¡¯s shoulders stoop slightly and a wince cross his proud face.
¡°Oh fine, I¡¯ll play around with you for a bit.¡± I finally caved to her charms. ¡°I need the practice too.¡±
She threw off her cloak and gave a happy cheer. I suppressed the urge to stare and instead inhaled deeply to gather my focus. We might just be sparring but Jade was still an overwhelmingly powerful opponent.
Yugal sat down cross legged in the snow, unbothered by the cold. Niiya leaped easily atop his shoulder and sat down similarly. It was a cute sight, both of them cross legged and giddy with excitement to watch Jade and I have our mock battle.
¡°Are you going to use that spear? I saw you messing with it yesterday.¡± Jade asked.
¡°You watched that huh?¡± The thought made me a little embarrassed. I was now able to equip my old favorite weapon from Exiled Gods, a seriously disgusting and broken spear known as Charon¡¯s Call. It had an effect that given the real consequences of this world I wouldn¡¯t even consider using it to simply spar against an ally.
¡°No, that weapon¡¯s for real enemies only.¡± I answered as I did some unnecessary stretching. My boss monster body was always perfectly ready to fight. ¡°Ready?¡±
I saw her throat and mouth move. She had indeed said yes before attacking. She leaped forward, literally beating the sound of her own voice with a boom as she launched a high kick aimed squarely at my left ear. I tilted my head just slightly so that the kick would barely miss, and tuned my senses to that special frequency belonging only to those that have spent thousands of hours in front of an opponent in a hand to hand situation.
I¡¯ll try to sum up what that means exactly. Your eyes subconsciously prioritize your opponent¡¯s movements from the core outward. Jade¡¯s right hip was elevated to sell the kick, but her left foot had not turned out to follow it through with all of her power. It wasn¡¯t quite a feint but she expected me to avoid it. At the last moment she angled the kick to go straight above my head. It was a setup for an axe kick that would catch an opponent in the face as they fell back to gain distance. That¡¯s why I moved forward, pressing into her comfort zone and sending a fast jab of my own.
My strike was also not meant to land. I opened my fist as she easily slipped the blow and grabbed her tightly behind the neck. This is called a collar tie. If you ever try this just remember to sink your wrist into their collar bone, drop your hips so they¡¯re holding your weight, and keep your thumb tight to your hand in the shape of a meat hook.
Jade was physically as strong as me, but her skills seemed to be stunted in the grappling department. I was able to continually shift and adjust my position so that I was always at an angle favorable for me as she thrashed in frustration for a few full seconds. In that time I also landed a dozen or so short blows to her midsection.
¡°GRRR!¡± A very not human like growl warned me that I was about to push phase two of this boss fight.
In half of a blink, I was suddenly holding a fist full of dense green fur. Where the girl¡¯s neck had been was now a rock solid wall of muscle. A roar and a swipe later I was forced to abandon my hold. Ever seen a Clydesdale or other really big draft horse up close? Imagine that size but a fucking tiger with the power to... well you¡¯ll see in a sec.
This part sucked. The second she was fully in her tiger form, Jade activated its ability. Her dense fur became green fire, and two small gouts of the jade flame leaped away from her body on either side. Where they landed, miniature flaming copies of her sprang to life and quickly grew to full size.
The first seconds after she summoned her clones were vital. Ever watch a nature show where anything successfully messes with a big cat? There¡¯s only one way to do it, and that¡¯s to stay on the end that doesn¡¯t have teeth. I now knew from experience that her clones would attempt to surround me, meaning that they wouldn¡¯t move to protect Jade¡¯s blind spots.
I rushed forward, confident that with my instant movement skills I would easily be able to get behind her and start the game of spin the kitty. As I blinked the last ten feet behind her and held my hand back to swipe at her exposed rear legs something strange happened. The world turned green, then everything went black.
My eyes suddenly opened and I sat bolt upright. I could feel that I was injured but regenerating fast. I could feel a small hand patting me on the back gently. It was Niiya.
¡°Ohh I so freaking got you, Master!¡± Jade was back in human form and dancing a happy jig.
¡°How...?¡± I was gobsmacked. I hadn¡¯t been surprised by an enemy¡¯s mechanics in a very long time.
¡°You did the same thing as last time so I just had my clones run behind me to meet you instead of try to surround you.¡± She looked perplexed. ¡°Why would I make the same mistake twice?¡±
She was right, and I was a fucking idiot. I was still treating this like a game. She could and would develop new tactics right along with me.
¡°Well looks like you passed my test then!¡± I took a page from Ariel¡¯s playbook and lied my silly ass off.
¡°Oh you¡¯re so full of it.¡± She sneered playfully.
I stood up and Niiya¡¯s hand moved to tug at my sleeve.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I turned to look at her as I asked.
She pointed at her mouth in response. ¡°Food.¡±
Her appetite had gone through the roof since her evolution, not surprising given the rate she was growing.
¡°Hmm... how about some nice steamed vegetables?¡± I teased and we started the short walk back to the resort, avoiding the small craters and crevices caused by our training.
¡°Eww!¡± She groaned.
¡°Sheesh, so picky.¡± I chuckled. ¡°The Styx Salmon Sashimi is still on cooldown. What¡¯s the other one you liked?¡±
¡°Fried chicken!¡± She shouted and practically dragged me along.
One was a legendary recipe from a ridiculously long grindfest fishing challenge that had a unique effect which prevented one shot kills by leaving you with one Health if you would have died within a day of eating it. The other was just pretty good fried chicken. Niiya valued them equally.
Wait, prevented one shot kills...
Would Jade have fucking killed me if I hadn¡¯t eaten that fish earlier!?
I stored that troublesome thought for later reflection and let Niiya pull me by the hand to the twenty story resort hotel that EDEN was currently configured to be. It featured two thousand full service suites of varying size and levels of luxury, an Olympic size swimming pool, hot tubs, saunas, athletic facility, three kitchens, a massive auditorium with seating for up to five thousand, and several conference halls. I still haven¡¯t seen all of it if I¡¯m being honest.
We entered through a side door concealed by illusion magic to avoid the crowd of visitors in the main lobby. In the wake of Filam¡¯s secession from the kingdom, EDEN had become a place for medical aid and supplies for the people impacted by the sudden loss of trade from the capital.
We walked down the long hallway, passing scores of identical doors with numbers painted in elegant black and gold. Two smiling young elven women wearing newly made clothes and carrying bath towels were walking toward the three of us in the opposite direction. They ceased their happy conversation and practically scrambled to one side, bowing their heads. They were former slaves of the Warlord, and like most of the poor tormented women had become my guests. We had fully healed their bodies, and did all that we could to recover their spirits but they were still very fragile emotionally thanks to the very real and sustained trauma they had endured.
I stopped, and Niiya looked up at me impatiently. A poignant growl from her stomach said everything she was thinking. Could she do that on cue? Jade seemed to catch on at least, and watched curiously.
¡°Excuse me, you two.¡± I started, wondering how to proceed. ¡°Would you mind telling me your names?¡±
They kept their eyes glued to the floor, but I could still see said eyes widen to saucers in terror.
¡°Y-you want to know such a worthless person¡¯s name?¡± Stuttered the younger looking of the two, a sharp featured but pretty faced girl with long lavender tinted hair.
¡°Hell no, I don¡¯t want to know the names of any worthless people. I want to know your names.¡± I chuckled, trying to break the ice with a joke. ¡°No worthless people could survive the clutches of a Gorgothan and smile with their friend a few mere weeks later. That takes guts.¡±
It worked, and the two looked at each other, then at at me.
¡°I¡¯m Tuara Zi.¡± The younger one said with a polite bow. ¡°This is my aunt Kitha Zi. I¡¯m afraid she is mute.¡±
The older elf woman named Kitha nodded and bowed as she was introduced.
¡°We owe you so much more than our lives, great one. We can¡¯t help but fear ones who hold everything we are in their hands. We don¡¯t mean to insult the great kindness you have shown us, but please forgive our wariness. Every day we fear that the dream will end and everything will come crashing down.¡± Tuara confessed her fears, and Kitha nodded along solemnly.
Of course they would be afraid. Looking at it from their perspective, how could this be anything but a glowing and surreal dream doomed to a horrible end.
¡°I can only imagine how you all must feel after what you¡¯ve gone through.¡± I looked up at the almond colored ceiling, and one of the recessed lights temporarily blinded me. Ugh, Awakened Senses sure was a double edged sword. I blinked twice and continued. ¡°I won¡¯t make any grand promises since I kinda started a war and we¡¯re in an uncertain time, but I can tell you I mean to protect everyone under my care and that includes you all for as long as you like.¡±
Their eyes glowed with admiration, and they both dropped to their knees in prostration. That was the exact behavior I was trying to stop. Rebuilding the shattered confidence and minds of these people was going to take long weeks of patient care. Or...
¡°Tabula.¡± I said, and her disembodied voice responded immediately. She could see and hear everything in EDEN at all times, it was scary but useful.
¡°Yes, Mr. Gray?¡± She sounded unusually distracted.
¡°Are you busy?¡± I asked quizzically.
¡°Just attending to our VIP guest on the 13th floor.¡± She answered.
That was code for ¡®I¡¯m torturing the fuck out of a demon on the floor that doesn¡¯t exist.¡¯
¡°I see.¡± I replied with a gulp. ¡°Take a break and instruct all of the refugees we took in from The Warlord to meet in Conference Room 3 in two hours, please.¡± I instructed. ¡°That includes you two ladies, please make time to be there. I promise it¡¯ll be worth it.¡±
24: Born of Injustice
Conference Room 3 was one of the smaller public spaces in EDEN¡¯s large resort configuration. It featured theater style seating and a stage for presentations. I stood on the elevated stage and watched the nervous looking women of various races filter in and take seats, leaving the first three rows completely empty except for two elven women sitting front row center stage. These were of course Tuara and Kitha, both still seemed cautious but now a definitive excitement also animated their sharp features. The other thirty eight women either sat hunched fearfully or clutched each others¡¯ hands, likely prepared for exile or worse.
In their minds they were worthless freeloading sponges. That sentiment was clear from the reports Tabula provided. Many had begged to be given work cooking or cleaning but unfortunately EDEN¡¯s automated subroutines generated a variety of AI driven staff that performed these duties. They were weak, lost, broken, and without purpose in the wake of having their homes and innocence violently stolen. An expectant silence filled the room and shook me from my musings. Alright, fuckin¡¯ showtime I guess.
¡°Thank you all for coming.¡± I began, I was surprised by the volume of my voice until I realized that Jade was using illusion magic to amplify my volume. For all her attitude she was insanely intuitive when it came to helping me. ¡°I know that you all are shouldering an incredible amount of suffering from your past that no magic can heal, and also a terrible amount of uncertainty about your future.¡± I let all the compassion I felt for them into my voice, and panned my gaze back and forth, making eye contact with any who lifted their faces. ¡°The former can only be healed with time, but the latter we may address here and now with no mixed words and proper action.¡± I paused, letting the words sink in and saw the visible effect I was beginning to have. ¡°First, let me spell this out. You are not our burden. You never cried out for us to rescue you. We are saving you because we wish it. I say ¡®saving¡¯ and not ¡®saved¡¯ because you are not safe until the weight of your past stops strangling your future. With that in mind I want to introduce someone.¡±
I held a hand out to my side, and Niiya appeared there as if by magic. Even though her features were now striking and she carried the heavy feeling of a powerful being, she was still small and cute. I had asked her if she was comfortable with this after she had stuffed herself with fried chicken and she had agreed. I nodded to her and she spoke. Thankfully Jade¡¯s magic carried her tiny voice clearly to all in attendance. I wasn¡¯t sure how she would tell it and I listened carefully.
¡°I¡¯m supposed to be dead.¡± She began, staring hard at the crowd with large golden eyes. ¡°Wolf monsters killed my papa. They killed my mama. They killed my brother. They bit my arm and hurt me alot. Gray found me. He healed me with magic drinks and killed all the monsters. He gave me magic cake that made me feel better. I got to meet miss Tabula, Jade, and Rain. I remembered how to smile and laugh even though I was still sad. I didn¡¯t think Gray could give me any more and that was okay. I had enough already.¡±
She stopped and focused for a moment. The crowd gasped as a thick plume of ash poured from Niiya¡¯s right hand. Something formed in the ash and then the plume receded and disappeared. She was now holding a thick steel full helmet, one worn by the knights she had decimated in Filam with her Ashen Nightmare skill.
Hold the damn phone! She could store and recall objects the skill absorbed!? That made my Astral Vault look childish. Oh we would be experimenting with this later you better believe it. Niiya continued and I shook off my surprise.
¡°I was wrong. Gray made me strong. In the summer I was too weak to run and play outside with my brother. Now...¡± She held the sturdy helm up before her in both hands. The solid steel offered no resistance as shining claws bit into it. She then proceeded to twist and crush it like an empty soda can. She dropped the ruined helm to the floor with a thud, and then it slowly crumbled away into ashes which drifted back to her dark skinned hand and were absorbed. ¡°Now... I can play. My old terrors are my new toys.¡±
She finished and looked up at me to see if she had done well. It was above and beyond what I had hoped for, and for a moment I was speechless. I picked her up and hugged her tightly, I heard a familiar sound from my past life but it was my first time hearing it in Ragnofheim.
¡°You can purr!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.
She blushed and wriggled free before running off stage. Hope I didn¡¯t embarrass her too much. I cleared my throat and reminded myself that I was in the middle of something. The crowd didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. In fact their fearful looks had been replaced by open curiosity and even a few warm smiles.
¡°All of that was to show you what I would like to offer you. I have a skill called Soul Brand. If you accept it, I don¡¯t know exactly how it will change you. I do know that it will make you much stronger than you are now. It will also mark you as a member of my family for life. You will no longer need fear demons and mere beasts, and if you ever find yourself in peril I can come to you no matter the miles between us. This world has cast you as victims until now. Today you can cast away that identity and begin a new life, just as I did and just as Niiya did. I can begin right now, do I have any volunteers?¡±
Two hands front and center shot up immediately.
¡°Tuara and Kitha come on down!¡± I nailed the Price is Right announcer¡¯s voice by the way.
They held hands all the way as they walked around to the stairs and approached me. As one they knelt and bowed their heads. Ugh. I held out my hand toward Kitha and activated my skill.
Consume (24) Soul Brand Slot(s) to Apply <5x Mark of Gray> to ? YES/NO
Consume (50) Soul Energy to bypass Evolution Sickness? YES/NO
Rename ? YES/NO
Has Evolved from Northern Gold Elf to Dark Alfar and gained <5%> of your total XP and Stats
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Has acquired the Title
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
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Shadows formed around Kitha, covering her form in inky blackness. Her transformation took far less time than Niiya¡¯s had, yet the results were no less stunning. Her skin was dark, like black sharpie dark, and her eyes had turned a shade of ruby red that I couldn¡¯t stop staring at. Her hair had gone from light brown to platinum white. Her expression was one of ecstasy as she felt the new power flooding her body. Uh oh. I made a dark elf. Shit wasn¡¯t that bad!? One look at Tuara dispelled my fears, she was looking at her aunt with awe and not a little envy. The rest of the crowd shared in those emotions and there was a sudden rush of movement as the crowd began lining up at the base of the stairs. My cautious smile vanished and my mouth dropped open as I returned my gaze to Kitha. She opened her red lips, revealing perfect white teeth, and then she spoke. Her voice was angelic.
¡°T-Tuara... I can speak! I can speak!¡± The rest of her words were lost in sobbing and Tuara crushed her in a tight hug. She gently let go a moment later, and Kitha locked her eyes onto mine. Her voice was almost too beautiful, it was haunting. She made Adelle sound like a trashy couple arguing at a dog fight in fresno.
¡°I can never repay this gift, but I swear that I will spend all of my remaining days trying to. Truly I wish to stay by your side, but even if you send me away I will defend your name and spread tales of your greatness to the corners of the world.¡± It was a heavier vow than I wanted to deal with but I couldn¡¯t blame her. I had shared similar thoughts about my half assed goddess after all.
Once the excitement settled enough for me to continue I repeated the process on Tuara. She also evolved into a Dark Alfar. The summon dire beast, anti magic area, and shadow form abilities seemed to come with the evolution. Instead of witching words (still not sure what that one does) she gained a skill called Negative Energy Thread. I had seen various other ¡®thread¡¯ type skills and most of them summoned an animated string that did a certain damage type. They were all extremely dangerous and could shear through armor and flesh like butter. Negative energy thread sounded even worse than those.
The next thirty-two women were human, and they all evolved into Cambions. Their appearance remained human, or rather a perfected version of what a human would look like. It was clear that a Cambion had the power to seduce on a high level. However they each had the ability to assume a demon form with exponentially higher stats capable of flight and various powerful infernal spells. If they ever learned to fight as a group, they would be terrifying.
After the humans were five cat folk women. I expected to see more Ash Huntress evolutions like Niiya but instead they became something called Hellcats. Ash Huntress must be an evolution further up the chain. Their bodies grew in height so that even the shortest of the five was nearly six feet tall. They gained a large amount of base physical stats along with a panel of skills tuned for physical combat. Their ultimate ability was called White Fury, and applied the highest physical stat boosts of anything I had seen so far and the ability to teleport short distances much like my Shadow Wings skill. In a hand to hand situation they would be able to put pressure on even me for a short time.
The last woman I had only seen once. She was exceptionally shy and never with the others. I was honestly surprised she had come to the meeting at all. I had heard in passing that she was a rare creature known as a carbuncle often considered to be a simple fairy tail among human communities.
She was very small, closer to four feet tall than five and weighing no more than fifty pounds. Her eyes were large and pink in color, her ears were elfish but much longer, and her skin was pale and freckled. Her limbs were thin and knobby, and even the smallest clothes we could buy in town looked baggy on her. The one feature that caught my attention the most was the glittering blue gemstone embedded into her forehead. She didn¡¯t exactly fit The Warlord¡¯s assumed type, he must have kept her around for some other reason. No matter, she was here now and a promise is a promise.
I held out my palm to begin and she flinched.
¡°Are you scared?¡± I asked, feeling like a moron the second I did. Of course she was. Even good change was scary.
¡°I already have one...¡± She said barely above a whisper. ¡°But my master is dead.¡±
That caught me off guard. If she already had a Soul Brand, what would a second one do?
¡°I don¡¯t know what this might do to you in that case.¡± I rubbed my chin as I said. ¡°I understand if you refuse, and you¡¯ll always be welcome here and never judged either way.¡±
¡°Please try it.¡± She straightened her small frame and answered firmly.
¡°Understood. What is your name?¡± I asked routinely so I knew what to name her when prompted.
¡°I wasn¡¯t allowed one. My master said names are too dangerous to give to slaves.¡± She looked timid once more. ¡°If I am to be given a name, I want the one you choose for me.¡±
¡°Soul Brand.¡± I didn¡¯t delay any further.
Consume (50) Soul Brand Slot(s) to Destroy ? YES/NO
Consume (100) Soul Brand Slot(s) to Apply <5x Mark of Gray> to ? YES/NO
Consume (50) Soul Energy to bypass Evolution Sickness? YES/NO
Rename ? YES/NO
Has Evolved from Carbuncle to Almiraj and gained <5%> of your total XP and Stats
Has acquired the Title
Has acquired the Title
Has acquired
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Blackness obscured her form just as it had with the others. This was an expensive transformation so my hopes were high. I tried to remember what an Almiraj was but couldn¡¯t and just waited patiently.
The first thing I remember about Sapphire¡¯s transformation was her eyes. Where the whites should have been were deep and brilliant blue, and the irises were blazing neon pink. The gemstone on her forehead was still sapphire but had evolved into a spiraled unicorn horn. Gone was the gangly waif body. In its place was a beautiful and lithe woman in the prime of her life. Her skin was so light as to seem translucent, and an air of power accompanied her striking new features. This had to be the most fantasy thing I had seen yet in this fantasy world. I hadn¡¯t yet told her what her name was, and before I could she spoke.
¡°Sapphire.¡± She said with a wide smile. ¡°That is my name.¡± There was an unnerving level of confidence in her voice now.
Many of the women were now staring in shock at Sapphire, and something told me it wasn¡¯t just a matter of her appearance.
¡°What is it?¡± I blurted when I couldn¡¯t handle the tension any longer.
¡°She¡¯s an Almiraj, my master!¡± Kitha was the one to finally speak.
¡°Yeah? And?¡± I prodded.
¡°They have been extinct for a millennium.¡± Tuatha carried on the explanation. ¡°The celestials used all the might of the upper realms to defeat them in The Unity War.¡±
That sounded like developers fixing an exploit more than anything else, and suddenly the whole ¡®Forbidden Magic¡¯ category was sounding more ominous.
¡°The Almiraj Empire was one of infinite wealth, and power beyond imagining. They were on a route to unify and enslave all of the realms before the celestial intervention.¡± Kitha breathed. ¡°This woman should not exist.¡±
¡°How cruel.¡± Sapphire said coyly. ¡°I hold no such ambitions. That is, unless this man desires it.¡± She amended with a wink.
¡°That¡¯s a big negative good buddy.¡± I said patting her on the shoulder. ¡°If you¡¯re willing I am a little curious about your new skills and would like to talk about them later though.¡±
That seemed to make her very happy and she nodded excitedly.
I was about to call the meeting over to let everyone get used to their new bodies in their own way when Tabula materialized next to me.
¡°Raj and Hurstag have sent a message. Two emissaries have arrived in Ariel¡¯s Gate from Crown City. They have requested an audience with you.¡±
I felt a grin spreading across my face.
¡°Invite them here.¡± I said, excitement growing in my voice. ¡°Set the welcome mat just like we discussed.¡±
¡°Certainly Mr. Gray. We will perform our parts perfectly. I was also able to make enough modifications to this configuration¡¯s code to accommodate Yugal as you requested.¡±
¡°I would be lost without you.¡± I said, and meant every word. Yugal could be included in the plan now. That realization led me to another idea. ¡°Tell Raj to stall them until morning, we will meet them after dawn.¡± I looked around the room with fresh eyes, at the impressive force of newborn powerhouses, distilled by the kingdom''s own injustice. I basically just gave little Bruce Wayne superpowers and cloned him forty times. Ohh the things those emissaries would see...
25: Weaponized Hospitality
¡°Can¡¯t believe we have to go along with this shit.¡± One of the emissaries growled in frustration as she adjusted the itchy blonde wig on her head. ¡°Two weeks of bruising my ass in a bumpy wagon from that dwarven pit right into a week of freezing my ass on a boat. Then do we get to rest up and have a nice meal in CC?¡± She asked rhetorically, using her acronym for Crown City. ¡°Of course not! Back in a wagon for more ass bruising and a night in this terrible excuse for an inn.¡±
¡°I¡¯m aware of the trials your ass has endured.¡± Her twin brother said flatly as he put the finishing touches on his own disguise. ¡°Mine was seated next to yours the whole time, remember?¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± She huffed back. ¡°Still, I wonder what this guy¡¯s like.¡± She pondered aloud. ¡°I know we¡¯re gonna kill him when we get the chance but from what we¡¯ve already gathered he seems interesting.¡±
¡°I¡¯m more concerned about his pets, though I sincerely doubt those rumors. It¡¯s probably a hill giant and a wyvern. Imagine the mountain terror Yugal himself and a real live dragon submitting to a human.¡± He chuckled.
¡°We¡¯re about to find out.¡± The woman said, nodding to the open window at the brightening eastern sky. ¡°Disguise check.¡±
The twins stared at each other then, scrutinizing every detail of their emissary disguises. Finally satisfied, the siblings whose real names had been discarded years ago in favor of whatever false identity they were adopting at any given moment left the inn to meet with the man called Gray.
No one knew the true names of the twins that embodied the singular entity of the green Crusibilis knight of venom, including themselves. They were the left and right fangs of the viper, and the most feared political assassins on the continent.
They left Ariel¡¯s Gate and began walking the path next to the lake toward the western field.
¡°Didn¡¯t the rumors say the place was the size of the inner Crusibilis Citadel?¡± The brother asked in confusion. To his eyes, the field was empty. He could clearly see all the way to Gnollwood, and the dark mountains beyond that.
¡°It is strange, but some of the stories have to be true. Look at the ridge.¡± The sister pointed to the rock formation to the south where a perfectly clean hole hundreds of meters in diameter had been punched through the solid rock.
¡°Hey you noticed my work!¡± A cheerful and boyish voice sounded from directly in front of them. ¡°Lady Tabula said to give that ridge a good hit so I sent one of my favorites!¡±
The twins both reflexively shot their hands into hidden areas where the hilts of poisoned daggers waited. They stopped as their eyes and minds caught up with the situation. Confused didn¡¯t begin to describe their feelings.
A three foot tall bird like creature wearing strange human clothes and a bright yellow cap had appeared before them unnoticed. The fact that it had closed the distance without alerting them was far more alarming than its strange looks. The sister had a max level Appraisal skill and the ability to cast without speaking or being detected by others who also had Appraisal. The results made her eyes widen in pure shock.
¡°What is it?¡± Her brother asked in her mind, reverting to the telepathic link the two of them shared.
¡°This must be the leader, and the one that killed Gespar. Its level is 250 and its health is nearly 3,000! The rest is blocked out even to me!¡±
¡°Impossible.¡± The brother whispered. His own audible voice shook him back to his senses and he corrected his posture.
¡°Well I¡¯m here to guide you to my master so let¡¯s have a nice walk there together!¡± The strange creature turned and began to waddle along the worn trail ahead of them. It was cute and comical, making the situation feel even more bizarre.
¡°What do we do?¡± The brother asked mentally.
¡°Follow and look for weaknesses. We¡¯ll need alot of preparation to take this one down.¡± She answered as she took a few cautious steps after the strange bird.
A few minutes later just as it seemed they would walk straight into Gnollwood, EDEN appeared. Suddenly they stood in a beautiful courtyard filled with dark red rose bushes, carved benches, and stone sculptures of animals and people. The massive building was sleek and alien looking. It was over a hundred meters in height, and twice that in length. It curved very gently around the courtyard in the shape of a longbow. It seemed to be made entirely of dark glass (a rare, expensive, and impractical material.) Before them a huge slab of said glass split in the middle and opened a portal to a lavish lobby beyond. It was very much like looking into another world.
¡°Don¡¯t worry! It won¡¯t close on you.¡± The talking bird said reassuringly. ¡°Come on in, let¡¯s get you two a nice breakfast before your meeting.¡±
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¡°Breakfast? What is this thing saying?¡± The sister asked mentally.
¡°I have no clue, sis. You and I have been in some hellish spots, but somehow this place scares me more.¡± He answered with a barely concealed shudder.
¡°Guess there¡¯s no choice, let¡¯s go with it for now.¡± She finally took a step forward, then another.
With the third step she crossed the threshold of EDEN and the wet outdoor chill was instantly replaced by warm, dry, lightly lavender scented air. The lobby was enormous. The high arched ceiling sported a dozen crystal chandeliers that cast a warm light on the immaculate decorations. Black marble tile with gold veins was polished to a mirror finish below their feet. White leather sofas were arranged around bean shaped coffee tables in the lounge area to their left. A waist high wall topped with dark green ferns in black and gold vases to their right partially obscured a beautiful cocktail bar with tall stools and small tables. Behind the bar, hundreds of multicolored bottles of alcohol glowed alluringly. Across from them was a long chest high reception counter with an attractive brown haired woman in a strange but fashionable black suit standing behind it.
Their small guide stopped as the sound of hard heels clicking on tile approached from the side. The twins had some of the finest tuned senses in the world, and the feeling of power that preceded the approaching person was on a level they had never felt. They did not reach for weapons this time. In unison they stiffened and slowly turned to view the approaching monster. Eyes widened and hearts missed more than a beat.
It was a woman unlike the twins had ever encountered. She was tall, and instantly redefined the word ¡®perfection¡¯ to any that viewed her. Her posture, her clothing, her expression, and her body all commanded nothing less than instant and unquestioning obedience. Her sharp, yet calm eyes took in everything and gave nothing. Her smile was inviting but also promised that she knew your deepest secrets. Above all of that, to those that could sense such things was the power she contained within that perfect form. It promised that her lightest touch could shatter the skull of a giant.
How many seconds passed in that moment of shock, neither twin could say. The woman seemed to be accustomed to the reaction and was politely waiting for them to regain their senses. She adjusted her gaze down to the creature they had assumed was in charge. Her voice was just as cool and confident as the rest of her.
¡°Well done, Rain. You may return to your sentry duties now.¡± She said, and the little penguin did a happy little dance as he turned toward the door.
¡°You got it, Lady Tabula! Tell Niiya to play with me later!¡± With those bewildering words, the creature left.
¡°My greetings, emissaries of Crown City. I welcome you to EDEN, the provisional state building of the city state now known as Ariel¡¯s Gate. My esteemed master, and appointed steward of this area Mr. Gray is in a meeting but will call on you shortly. If you¡¯ll please accompany me to the restaurant on this floor, there is a private booth waiting for you. All food and drink is complimentary so please enjoy yourselves without restraint.¡±
The twins found their feet moving. Regardless of their intent, they were following the confident swinging steps of this woman with dumbfounded expressions.
¡°Sis, I¡¯m terrified. Who the hell is this person?¡± The brother¡¯s thoughts finally formed a coherent structure.
¡°My best guess? Rogue upper echelon celestial. I can only read her name and level. Tabula Rasa, level 300*.¡± The sister¡¯s response was incredulous, unable to believe her own answer.
¡°We¡¯re in deep shit, aren¡¯t we?¡± He thought in a defeated tone.
¡°If we make it out of here alive today to make a report, I¡¯d call that a victory.¡± She confirmed.
They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later. It was a gorgeous modern room with seating for roughly three hundred guests. The twins were growing numb to the beauty of the place. It was surreal, they were outsiders in a world far more advanced than their own. They were seated in a private booth where two of the walls behind them were salt water aquariums where exotic fish swam hypnotically to and fro between the swaying kelp.
¡°Good morning!¡± A bubbly male voice greeted brightly. A tall, dark haired and handsome man in a clean white dress shirt and black pants stood holding a small leather backed notepad and a small shiny stick. ¡°Can I start you off with something to drink? We have a wonderful cappuccino, fresh squeezed juices, and of course coffee and espresso.¡±
¡°Well umm, just bring us whatever you think we would enjoy.¡± The brother answered, noticing his sister¡¯s face screw up in confusion as she observed the man.
¡°Of course. I¡¯ll bring a sampling of our most popular.¡± The man never missed a beat and turned gracefully away.
¡°What is it?¡± The brother whispered when they were alone.
¡°No stats, name, or level.¡± She shook her head, trying to make any sense of it. ¡°It was the same with the woman behind the desk in the lobby. It¡¯s like they don¡¯t exist.¡±
¡°Illusions can¡¯t give independent responses like that, and he had a physical presence.¡± The brother reasoned. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±
¡°Cappuccino spread and a juice tree!¡± A girl¡¯s voice abruptly sounded next to the table. She was a brunette in her early twenties wearing clothing similar to the previous man but clearly feminine in design. She placed a tray with two steaming cups of brown liquid along with a variety of jars and small decanters of cream. Next to that she set an ornate sculpture of a tree with rings scattered all over it holding small fluted glasses of brightly colored fruit juices. Finally, a small dish of light brown cookies that had a strong fragrance of ginger and cinnamon.
¡°What!?¡± The sister¡¯s mask finally cracked and she exclaimed aloud as she appraised the cookies and drinks.
¡°Poison!?¡± The brother found the hilt of his dagger and prepared himself for the futile battle that was to come.
¡°No... These items... They all have relic-grade recovery and enhancement effects when consumed. It¡¯s impossible. No one could casually feed this to a stranger, much less one from an enemy territory!¡± The sister faltered, her grasp on reality loosening. These items so unceremoniously delivered were a message clearer than an army of a million hardened soldiers. ¡°My brother. I believe the kingdom has already lost this war.¡±
¡°Screw it.¡± The brother said in resignation. ¡°If they wanted us dead we¡¯d be dead.¡±
He grabbed the inviting cup of steaming caramel colored liquid and held it under his nose. It smelled sweet. He took a tiny sip, and his eyes sparkled. He took a bigger sip and couldn¡¯t believe what he was tasting. It was sweet, but perfectly balanced with a hint of bitterness. A rush of energy and vitality washed over him as well. He felt more powerful, and better able to focus after just a few sips.
¡°Do you feel the effects?¡± His sister wished to know. ¡°It¡¯s something called ¡®Magusbrew Cappuccino¡¯. Your Soul Energy should be increased by fifty.¡±
The brother nodded, dumbfounded. The sister slumped back against the comfortable booth. She eyed the spread, trying in vain to make sense of it all. The cookies could erase fatigue as though the consumer had slept a full night. The juices each gave a temporary resistance to their corresponding color. The red juice gave a temporary strong resistance to fire, the green to poison and so on.
The food arrived then. Stacks of thin cakes called ¡®crepes¡¯ were covered in fruit and syrups. Steaming diced potatoes seasoned with priceless spices and aromatic garlic were piled high next to a platter of sizzling bacon and sausage. Tangy yogurt, flaky croissants, fresh cut fruit, and sunny side up eggs filled the table. How many people did they expect this to feed!? This table would shame the best chefs of the kingdom. Most of these dishes also boasted secondary magical effects.
Though they had no appetite when they sat down, the tantalizing smells and sights could not be resisted. The twins were former orphans and intimate with hard times and poverty. They ate with tears streaming down their cheeks.
When the woman called Tabula once again approached their booth some time later, neither could believe the amount of food they had consumed.
¡°Mr. Gray will see you now.¡± Tabula announced. ¡°Please follow me.¡±
26: A Show of Force
They followed Tabula to another strange portal, this one was metal and revealed a tiny room beyond.
¡°A holding cell?¡± The brother guessed.
¡°It¡¯s merely an elevator designed to transport us to a different level of EDEN.¡± Tabula noticed the apprehension on their faces and reassured them. Her response was so well timed, however that the twins suddenly wondered if she could also read their thoughts.
Once inside, Tabula pressed a button and the elevator descended smoothly. The twins¡¯ stomachs lurched at the sensation of falling.
The elevator stopped a moment later, and the portal began to open. The twins were hardened killers, had seen beauty and horror beyond the experience of all but a very few. When the area beyond the elevator door came into view, they both felt a sense of awe and terror that fully eclipsed all of their other combined experiences.
They both hesitated. There was no floor beyond the elevator, merely empty space. Not just open air, but actual outer space. The night sky of the cosmos was the floor, walls, and ceiling of this alien area. Tabula stepped out ahead of them, walking as surely and easily as though across sturdy stone flooring. Perhaps fifty meters beyond the door, a platform of shining white marble with massive broken pillars floated in place. A thick gray fog obscured the details of it.
¡°You are safe, please proceed.¡± The woman assured them.
With a simultaneous gulp, the twins complied. Sure enough, they did not fall to their oblivion. There was something supporting their steps, and they bravely followed the tall woman. The platform loomed closer, and they realized it was much further away and much larger than they had originally perceived it to be. A set of ten stairs marked the entrance, and the twins breathed a sigh of relief to have something with the appearance of solidity beneath their feet once more. As they approached the final step, the supernatural fog, which they now realized was a cloud of fine ash separated and revealed the folly of any that would challenge these people.
Two lines of women to either side of a blood red carpeted aisle stood passively with their hands folded at the waist. They appeared normal enough but there was a feeling that made the brother¡¯s neck and arm hair stand on end. Beyond them, standing before another set of ten stairs in front of a raised dais were five tall and fierce looking catfolk women. An alarming mental gasp from his sister made him look over at her. She was practically quivering.
¡°Cambions and Hellcats!¡± She shouted into his mind.
That was certainly scary. Those were the names of high ranking infernal races. Cambions were the unnatural offspring of demonic nobility and humans, while Hellcats were the same but with catfolk instead of humans. Most of the time such monsters wouldn¡¯t be too much of a threat to a Crusibilis knight. However, very rarely they could essentially become the inverse of demigods but only if they were also named-
¡°They¡¯re ALL named!¡± Her thoughts hammered home, and the color drained from his face. ¡°They all bear titles as disciples or acolytes of the one called Gray.¡±
As if on cue, the ash atop the dais parted and revealed a pale skinned man wearing a dark suit. He was powerfully built with a posture that even Typhon might envy. To his left stood a pair of dark alfar women, also mythical beings. To his right stood a giant that could be none other than the legendary mountain terror himself, Yugal.
Each appraisal raised more alarms than the last. The most terrifying thing about it? Yugal was the weakest one on that platform, and he would give the twins a good fight by himself. The man¡¯s voice rang out then. It was smooth, but not frightening as she expected.
¡°I was once told that Appraisal without permission is perverted, good emissary. I see you don¡¯t share that opinion.¡± He said with a crooked smile that revealed just a few teeth and one sharp fang.
¡°He can sense my Appraisal!?¡± She thought in alarm. Then she could feel his own Appraisal skill crash into her mental defenses, shattering them almost instantly. She had never been Appraised, her innate gifts prevented it. It wasn¡¯t possible...
¡°Greetings Crusibilis Knight Arowyn and Crusibilis Knight Rolen. How flattering that the kingdom would send such exalted emissaries to meet with my humble self.¡± The man called Gray spoke kindly the words that exposed the twins¡¯ hidden identities.
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Those names. They were the names of dead orphan children, sacrificed upon an unholy altar, giving birth to the green knight. Those names had been burned from their memories by magic, and buried under the weight of wretched deeds. The twins had spent so very many sleepless nights trying to remember those names. Yet this man had spoken them so casually after a single glance.
¡°W-Who are you, exactly?¡± Rolen spoke, tears building in his eyes as he tumbled through the long repressed horrors attached to his lost identity.
¡°Me? I¡¯m just a guy trying to make an enjoyable place to live in and have some cool adventures. My name¡¯s Gray, nice to meet you.¡± He absently scratched his scalp as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re here to spy on us, and in the best case assassinate me. Don¡¯t worry I don¡¯t take it personally. It¡¯s not gonna work though. What you¡¯ve seen isn¡¯t really much and you¡¯re way too weak to take a shot at anyone here.¡±
Rolen fumbled a rebuttal and ended up falling silent as Arowyn finally spoke.
¡°Everything you said is true. We are the king¡¯s highest ranked assassins. More than a hundred of our subordinates are poised to strike high value targets in Fi- Ariel¡¯s Gate as we speak.¡± She corrected herself and continued. ¡°After seeing this place and the beings within it, we will order them to stand down and retreat with all haste if given the merciful opportunity to do so.¡± Arowyn dropped to a knee as she finished, and her twin gawked at her with a slack jaw.
¡°The king will kill us both! Actually forget the king, what if Typhon finds out!?¡± Rolen abandoned his own sense of secrecy as he blurted the question.
¡°Look around you brother!¡± She cried back. ¡°Any one of them could decimate a hundred soldiers, and they have resources beyond imagination.¡±
¡°Hey, you¡¯re surprisingly reasonable.¡± The suited man said happily. ¡°I like you way more than that last one. What was it? Goose Pore? Jester? You know the blue guy.¡±
¡°Gespar.¡± Arowyn answered. ¡°The youngest Crusibilis knight and crown prince of the kingdom. He was a cruel and arrogant one. It¡¯s a shame that he was sent instead of one of the others.¡±
¡°Everyone makes mistakes.¡± The man replied. ¡°Our position stands, though. We¡¯ll stay passive unless provoked. If the kingdom condemns the actions of the late blue knight and apologizes we are even willing to open trade routes and diplomatic relations.¡±
¡°We will do our best to dissuade the kingdom from its chosen course.¡± Arowyn said. ¡°There is one matter we must address. Was the fifth unit captured or killed? We have been tasked with discovering their fate for the sake of their families and friends.¡±
¡°A little bit captured, and a little bit killed I guess you could say. They were set on exterminating innocents so my girl Niiya gave them a change of heart.¡± As he finished speaking, a small preteen catfolk girl with striking features stepped out from behind the one called Gray.
Niiya¡¯s eyes glowed briefly, and hundreds of knights mounted upon hulking boars materialized out of the ash. They still bore their fatal wounds, and a dark glow emanated from within their helms.
¡°No...¡± Rolen whispered in despair. ¡°How?¡±
¡°She actually has a Domain Power.¡± Arowyn could barely squeeze the words past her dry throat.
Domains were among highest order of world spells, only mentioned in old tomes and regarded as pure fiction by most scholars of magic. Arowyn couldn¡¯t help herself as she appraised the child. In her studies of the lower planes, she had seen the name Ash Huntress mentioned as the rogue demon feared by even the overfiends. ¡®May The Ash find you napping.¡¯ was a common curse in the hells.
¡°You aren¡¯t my prisoners, and I do not seek further bloodshed.¡± The man stepped forward and stood taller as he spoke. He stared down with a sudden intensity that made the twins very uncomfortable. ¡°But make no mistake. Harm done to any I have invited to live peacefully within my influence is an attack against me personally.¡±
A black, shadowy aura suddenly erupted from the man¡¯s body and drove the twins to their bellies with the weight of a mountain. They struggled in vain as wave after wave of increasing force made them feel as though they would die any second. Suddenly the pressure vanished and they gasped in huge lungfuls of air that had been pressed from their bodies.
¡°That is the message you may deliver to your king.¡± The man¡¯s voice was calm, cold, and terrible.
The twins struggled slowly back to their knees but didn¡¯t stand. The aura had done some serious damage. It would take several potions to repair the fractured ribs and damaged organs if General Trasana wasn¡¯t in the capital with her healing miracles. Blood streamed from their noses and the corners of their mouths.
¡°Was that too much of my aura?¡± The man¡¯s voice now sounded honestly concerned.
¡°We accept your punishment, and the message.¡± Rolen spoke and finally regained his feet. He helped Arowyn do the same, supporting her gently around the waist.
¡°Glad you¡¯re such troopers but that was a little more message than I meant to send.¡± He descended the stairs to stand before them. ¡°Jade, would you mind?¡±
¡°I told you so!¡± A flippant voice from behind the injured siblings heralded a new and powerful presence. ¡°The humans around here are like little baby bird eggs.¡±
They turned and their gaze was drawn up and up by the glittering, green emerald scaled form of the dragon. This was no wyvern or wyrm. Such paltry imitations had no place in the presence of this divine beast. It was a true dragon, power incarnate, a legend in the flesh. They had seen the paintings, tapestries, and even some high quality illusions of dragons in their lifetimes. None of it prepared them to see Jade. They weren¡¯t even conscious of the fact that they were both back on their knees.
A single green claw traced an elegant rune with the ease and fluidity of breathing. The twins¡¯ bodies glowed and all of their pain melted away. Scars, blemishes, wrinkles, old chronic injuries that no potion or healing miracle could touch all vanished as though they had never been. The twins stood weakly, even though their bodies were flooded with vitality.
There was no longer a single scrap of doubt as they looked around, and then at each other. They bowed together as one and supported each other as Tabula led them back to the elevator. The wondrous architecture and beautiful decor was little more than a surreal blur as they were led back outside to the plain, snowy western field.
¡°The kingdom... No, the entire world that we know is going to break.¡± Rolen¡¯s voice was wistful as he took a glance over his shoulder at the enormous alien structure.
¡°Yes dear brother Rolen.¡± Arowyn was smiling, and her eyes were lit with joy. Her brother¡¯s real name rolled so naturally from her lips now. ¡°It seems our prayers have finally been answered.¡±
¡°And what did we see here?¡± Rolen¡¯s face became sly.
¡°Nothing, of course.¡± Arowyn matched his expression. ¡°Weaklings and bluffing charlatans fit to be crushed by the full weight of the kingdom.¡±
¡°To the death of the king, and the bastard Typhon.¡± Rolen growled.
¡°To the death of the king, and the bastard Typhon.¡± Arowyn repeated as they clasped each other¡¯s hands.
27: Plotting our Next Move
¡°You guys nailed it!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but beam at everyone after the two so called diplomats left.
¡°It seems your assessment of Miss Sapphire¡¯s ability was correct.¡± Tabula mused. ¡°Critical Fortune really is as potent as you thought. Quite ingenious Mr. Gray.¡±
Sapphire, who had been hidden by Jade¡¯s illusion skills until now was smiling widely. Her skill Critical Fortune could double the rank of another skill for a short time. Thanks to that, I had access to an effective Appraisal skill level of eighteen. With it I overpowered the woman named Arowyn¡¯s maxed out Appraisal and probably blew her mind in the process.
¡°Everything played out just like you expected, my master. Pretending to unintentionally injure them clearly made them feel even more insignificant.¡± Kitha purred. Her voice still gave me chills.
¡°Was it really necessary to use Mend Ultima?¡± Jade questioned. ¡°That¡¯s one of my ¡®Oh Shit¡¯ skills you know. It won¡¯t be back for a while.¡±
¡°It¡¯s worth it.¡± I assured her. ¡°They had scars and old injuries despite being so highly ranked. That means we just showed them a literal miracle. A big flex today might save us alot of pain in the future.¡±
¡°It might also provoke an even bigger retaliation.¡± This was from one of the Hellcat women. The fiery lioness had become the unofficial leader of their group in the wake of their transformation. Unlike the Cambions who were still reeling from the dramatic change, the Hellcats had wholly embraced their new identities. They revered Niiya as a practical goddess and were overprotective of me.
¡°That¡¯s true Leza.¡± I said, taking a moment to recall her name. ¡°That¡¯s also beneficial. The point is to unsettle them enough so that they either embrace actual diplomacy, or overextend themselves in an attempt to crush us. The worst thing they could do to us at this point would be a subtle and long term war of shady schemes that don¡¯t target us directly but weaken our image to our neighbors and other nations.¡±
¡°If we don¡¯t fear their military strength, why not simply crush them and be done with it?¡± Jade predictably wanted to know.
¡°It may come to that, and we¡¯ll dedicate some planning to that possibility.¡± I said. ¡°But we want that to be a last resort, and with as few casualties as possible for both sides. I¡¯m not interested in becoming a new warlord. My overall goal is to establish peace so I can strike out and explore as much as I want without the fear of something happening here at home.¡±
¡°There is an issue.¡± Tabula spoke up as though she just discovered something. ¡± I have finished analysis on their responses and there is an indication of deception in this line.¡± A pitch perfect recording of Arowyn began to play then from Tabula¡¯s mouth. It was creepy.
¡°We will do our best to dissuade the kingdom from its chosen course.¡± The recording repeated. To me it sounded perfectly sincere.
¡°It is very subtle and could be a simple result of their overall distress, but her vitals and intonation became erratic during this statement.¡± Tabula informed me.
¡°In either case their actions are out of my hands now. If their underlings strike in town then we¡¯ll know who to punish but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be that stupid after what they saw here.¡± I decided out loud.
¡°Now that¡¯s done, what should we do?¡± Jade asked, now in her human form.
¡°We need to find some trade partners that aren¡¯t associated with the kingdom.¡± I answered her. ¡°EDEN can cover everything up to a point, but soon we¡¯ll be responsible for more than we can handle with all the new arrivals we¡¯re getting.¡±
¡°My uncle¡¯s clan in the Sea of Stone would welcome powerful allies.¡± Yugal spoke up. ¡°Their territory lies to the southwest. They raise the best meat on the continent, and their war machines can topple the walls of any feeble human city. We were preparing to join their fight against the invaders when The Warlord fell upon us.¡± Yugal sat down on the ten foot tall platform with his feet on the floor below as he spoke.
¡°I like the idea of mountain giant allies.¡± I nodded. ¡°Is there a letter or pass phrase I can use to gain their trust?¡±
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¡°Your strength will be the key.¡± He said, shaking his great head. ¡°You may either challenge one of their warriors to a duel, or bring them the head of one of the clan¡¯s enemies as an offering.¡±
¡°Who are their enemies?¡± I wondered.
¡°The men from the kingdom are weak individually but they swarm like locusts. The rock worms are mighty, but killing one would take months of planning and the strength of the whole clan. The great cyclops warriors of the deeper ranges are a hated foe. They are few, and rarely come north except to plunder livestock. A dead cyclops would earn you tremendous respect and no doubt fuel your own power, though even you may find them too great of an enemy.¡±
¡°Do you mean to travel alone?¡± Tabula asked.
¡°It¡¯s not really even ¡®traveling¡¯ at this point since I can fly and return instantly with Bloodwalk.¡± I answered her concerned look casually. ¡°I need everyone I can trust here to protect this area.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t go?¡± Niiya¡¯s telepathic voice almost broke my resolve with the amount of sadness she packed into that question.
¡°You¡¯re the most important person I need here. You can talk to me all the time so you can warn me if something happens. I promise to come back every day and tell you all about it.¡± I really hated letting her down, and her ears drooped as my thoughts reached her.
¡°Promise I can go with you next time.¡± She wasn¡¯t asking.
¡°I promise to take you somewhere exciting soon, just the two of us.¡± That brought her ears back up and she nodded with a little smile.
¡°Who else lives in the southwest?¡± I asked.
¡°The dwarven kingdom lies beneath the mountains.¡± Leza said as the other Hellcats nodded. ¡°They produce weapons and armor coveted by warriors and soldiers the world over.
¡°M-My former husband once visited Grandring, their capital as an adventurer. The wonders he described were hard to believe.¡± This unexpected voice came from one of the Cambion women. The former human instantly looked at her feet the second my eyes found her. Like all of the other Cambions, her transformation had perfected her human form and such shyness seemed at odds with her supernaturally good looks.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for the loss of your husband Ms. Leifa.¡± I began, thinking of a way to get through to her. She interrupted me though, surprisingly and with a voice full of spite.
¡°Don¡¯t be sorry for him.¡± She said, still looking down. ¡°He was a vile man that preyed on children. If the Warlord hadn¡¯t come first, I meant to kill him myself.¡±
¡°I see...¡± I fumbled for a moment. Guess real worlds have real shit in them after all. ¡°Then let me just say this. None of you need to be reserved. There is no punishment or ridicule awaiting you for speaking your mind. Now what can you remember about the dwarves?¡±
She slowly looked up at me, clearly eye contact had been battered out of her.
¡°He said their city underground has a sun and moon somehow. They even grow crops. Their king is ancient, and still the strongest warrior of all the dwarves. They have a huge marketplace, much bigger than the one in Crown City. They¡¯ll trade with anyone, even their enemies as long as they are getting a profitable deal. I can¡¯t recall much else, lord Gray.¡± She averted her eyes as she finished talking.
¡°Thanks Leifa, that helps alot.¡± I said sincerely, noticing her sigh and smile as the other women shot her envious looks. ¡°Yugal, can you draw me a rough map with some landmarks?¡±
¡°I can, my lord.¡± Yugal affirmed.
¡°Great. You¡¯re all good to go.¡± I said to the gathered women. ¡°Thanks for all your help today, sorry to eat up your whole morning!¡±
They bowed a little too reverently and all made their way to the elevator door suspended in space. This area Tabula made was so far beyond my expectations by the way. I told her I wanted an impressive area to greet newcomers and this is what she did.
I was getting excited as I planned my trip with Yugal¡¯s help. I would scout the cyclops territory first, hopefully I could defeat one with low risk and gain their favor easily. I had been cooped up for way too long since The Warlord fight, and I could feel Soulthirst starting to rear its ugly head again.
I left the meeting with Yugal and had a bounce to my step, having finally gained control of my instant movement enough to actually walk like a normal person again. I then went to my private room on the top floor where I cleared out much of the consumables from my Astral Vault in order to make room for anything useful I might find while away.
It was nearly noon when I finally stepped out of EDEN into the chill air. I was aware of the sensation but it wasn¡¯t at all unpleasant thanks to the Prismatic Veil cloak I was able to wear since defeating the monster horde. With it equipped, I was functionally immune to any types of cold damage or negative effects. It also added to my absurd heat resistance and provided active camouflage (think Predator) and energy nullification against electricity and radiation based attacks. It was yet another world first reward for defeating the five headed dragon guarding layer 900 of a fantasy themed Abyss.
A slight sound above me drew my attention, and I smiled. Niiya was laughing as she flew through the air on top of Rain¡¯s drone form. She didn¡¯t share my discomfort with flying at all. Rain zoomed through the sky, doing loops and rolls as Niiya howled in delight. She spotted me and Rain descended rapidly. When they were still at least a hundred feet in the air she leaped off, and my throat tightened in panic. I phased into the air with my wings instantly materializing on my back. I caught her and sighed. The scolding died on my lips as I looked into her glittering golden eyes.
¡°Are you leaving now?¡± She asked, and couldn¡¯t hide a tiny cloud of sadness that crossed her face.
¡°Yep. I¡¯ll be back to check in by morning like I promised though.¡± I answered.
¡°You¡¯re going to fight today?¡± She asked, finally climbing down to the ground.
¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I replied. ¡°Today should just be having a look at what I¡¯m up against.¡±
¡°Are they big monsters?¡± She asked, excitement lighting up her eyes.
¡°If they¡¯re the same as I remember, cyclops are much bigger than Yugal.¡± I said.
¡°I want one!¡± She squeaked with delight.
¡°That would be an awesome addition to your Domain, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I agreed. ¡°When you¡¯ve leveled up some more we can go hunting for one.¡±
¡°I¡¯m gonna level up alot!¡± She promised, and I gave her red mane a tussle.
¡°I better go before I get caught up in anything.¡± I said and summoned my black wings. ¡°See you soon, Niiya. Keep an eye on our house for me!¡±
Her smile and wave shrank rapidly below me as I soared away from the ground.
I was so grateful for all the company I had now. After my previous life as a shut-in gamer, it was like an amazing dream to have so many interesting people around all the time. That said, I breathed a sigh of relief as I struck out on my own. As much as I loved the company of my odd new family, this is what I really lived for. The thrill of a solo adventure, the excitement of seeing new things, and the promise of battle drowned out my fear of flying as I sped over Gnollwood toward the distant mountains beyond.
28: Charons Call
I had only been flying for about twenty minutes when I saw the smoke. A thick column of billowing grey rose into the clear afternoon sky a few miles to the west of my chosen course. My curiosity won out and I changed direction to investigate.
The smoke was coming from the bottom of a rocky ravine, where a crude road ran from north to south. I landed at the top of the eastern ledge and activated my cloak¡¯s camouflage effect.
There sat a burning open wagon with sturdy looking iron clad wheels. Three other similar wagons had escaped the flames and were covered with white canvas. Fifteen dwarves, a few elderly but mostly children based on their size and beardless faces were tied together in a line. The children cowered and cried while the elders held them with grim faces.
There had been at least sixty dwarves originally, and they must have fought bravely based on the state of things. This must be a caravan of traders or maybe refugees. They had been overwhelmed by their attackers. Around fifty humans were searching the prisoners and looting the scattered bodies of the fallen. This scenario might have been none of my business, this was a war zone after all. I was weighing my options when the soldiers made my decision for me.
¡°Take the ones that can work, kill the rest.¡± A voice of authority chimed clearly over the miserable prisoners¡¯ wailing and lighthearted chattering of the victors.
I stepped off the ledge, and canceled my camouflage. A quick Area Appraisal had revealed none of these soldiers were a threat, and I decided to not give them a chance to change their mind. I touched down gently behind the apparent man in charge. He was an average height, sturdy fighter in a mix of plate and chainmail armor. He had removed his helm after the fight, revealing a surprisingly youthful face and sandy hair.
¡°So um, hey there.¡± I said and cleared my throat. ¡°Got a sec?¡±
The leader dove forward with commendable agility for a normal human, and turned to face me with his spiked mace at the ready.
¡°This area is off limits!¡± He barked at me. ¡°How did you get this far south, are you lost?¡± He lowered his mace an inch once he noticed I was human, but remained clearly suspicious.
¡°I noticed the smoke, and decided to check it out.¡± I answered honestly. ¡°I get why you attacked them, this is a war and bla bla bla whatever. That¡¯s not my business, but the whole killing the ones that won¡¯t make good slaves policy doesn¡¯t fly with me. In other words I have decided to save those dwarves, and I¡¯m sorry but it would be troublesome to let any of you get away.¡±
¡°A human would oppose soldiers of the kingdom!?¡± The young commander balked. ¡°And alone? Die like the pathetic dwarves. Kill him!¡± I sighed as he gave the predictable order.
¡°I hope your next lives are long and peaceful.¡± I raised my voice so the other assembled knights could hear me. ¡°Farewell.¡±
Three crossbow bolts and two arrows flew toward me. I had all the time in the world to evade, but there was no reason to. Faster than the shooters could follow, five arcane rounds from Huginn and Muninn disintegrated the flimsy projectiles and continued on, obliterating the torsos of the shooters.
To the soldiers, I never even moved. There was simply a flash and a bang before five men exploded into pink mist.
¡°You don¡¯t get it.¡± I lamented as they all surged forward, apparently thinking I could be buried with simple numbers.
A spear wrapped in a black shawl replaced Muninn in my hand. This was a perfect opportunity to test something I had been putting off. With a mental command, the shawl unraveled itself revealing rotten wood stained black by the waters of Acheron (at least that¡¯s how the lore described it in game).
This was my weapon of choice, and was responsible for more enemy kills than most of my other weapons combined. It¡¯s name was Charon¡¯s Call, looted from the boatman of the River Acheron in one of the most difficult fights I had ever been through. The base damage the spear could inflict ranked among the strongest in existence, particularly the Soul damage which bypassed all resistances of any being that possessed a soul. That wasn¡¯t why I had learned to lean on Charon¡¯s Call so heavily. It had an ability that I was a little afraid to see in the real world.
*Equipped: Charon¡¯s Call - Spear
(Item Score 899) Skin: Default
Damage (Physical): 416
Damage (Soul): 280
Indestructible
¡°And those living souls that would dare parade themselves before the sordid god Charon shall be regarded as the most unfortunate in all of Creation.¡±
Charon¡¯s Call: Cooldown 23h:59m:59s
A haunting and beautiful voice rose from somewhere unseen, and black clouds formed rapidly in the blue sky. More melodic voices joined the first, and I could see the soldiers¡¯ arms fall limp at their sides as the first notes drifted to their ears. The sirens¡¯ song was wordless, and carried like an epic choir to the now dark sky where a shape was beginning to emerge.
I had seen a version of this many times, but I was not prepared for what descended from that darkened sky. A skeletal foot the size of a minivan broke through the bottom of the clouds, it was shining and black as though coated in tar. The other foot followed, and the rest of the titanic skeleton that was Charon emerged after that. It was easily fifty meters in height, wearing a long black robe made of the same material as the shawl covering the spear.
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Each of Charon¡¯s six arms held a dark chain which doubled in number and halved in size at each link. The first links were around six meters in diameter with two three meter wide links attached to them and so on, with the last chains being near infinite in number and small enough to be a delicate necklace.
The chains descended, and found my enemies one by one. They were too weak to even resist the Siren¡¯s Song effect which caused a temporary stupor. As the first toothed links cut into flesh, they regained their senses and the screaming started. The countless chains writhed and rubbed, and bit by bit the soldiers were torn apart and consumed. That attack was a trump card against huge crowds, and could even one shot some of the bosses in lower layers. Against the average soldiers of this world, it was a horrific overkill and honestly turned my stomach to watch. The chains turned red as the blood traveled up them, drawn into Charon¡¯s bones by the power of the skill. A very faint glow emitted from the cavernous eye sockets, indicating that the second stage of the ability was ready for use. There were no enemies to unleash it on, and I wasn¡¯t ready to see that particular hell at the moment, so I canceled the skill.
Charon disappeared back into the clouds, and they faded away to reveal the once again clear sky. Something was off. There was no surge of power from Greater Drain like there would normally be. Could the spear¡¯s soul damaging effect be interrupting it? Maybe Charon himself was devouring the souls as part of the summoning effect? I guess thematically that would make sense but that would be a huge letdown. My internal musings were interrupted by a shaking, stuttering voice.
¡°W-what have I done!?¡± An elderly dwarven man wearing the brown robes of a friar cried out. He was on his knees, his bound hands were before him clutching a tangled lock of coarse red hair. His cheeks were wet with tears and his eyes were wide with madness and terror. ¡°I prayed on me own dead son¡¯s beard for vengeance. But what fell god has come aswerin¡¯? Suren the world is doomed!¡±
At his frenzied words, the rest of the dwarves began to further lose their own composure. They shrank away and huddled close, preparing for a terrible death.
¡°I¡¯m not a god, and I¡¯m not going to destroy the world or hurt you guys. That skill was probably pretty shocking to see for the first time, but I swear you¡¯re safe now.¡± I said, trying to sound reassuring.
Another elder dwarf further away in line shook his head and coughed. He was the only dwarf not presently climbing the walls of hysteria.
¡°Ye call it a ¡®skill¡¯ do ye? Hammering dents outta me cooking pot¡¯s a skill. Whittling a doll for me granddaughter, that¡¯s a skill. Dragging The One Who Weeps and his banshee brides down from the sky ain¡¯t no damned skill. The old coot priest is right. That¡¯s the power of a god, and a right big shot one at that. So which one are ye?¡±
¡°The One Who Weeps?¡± I echoed curiously. I already liked this crusty, unshakable dwarf.
¡°The god of grief and vengeance! You enslaved a god and don¡¯t even know its name!?¡± The dwarf¡¯s face screwed up in disbelief.
¡°Husband!¡± An old dwarven woman behind him scolded harshly. ¡°Ye¡¯d blaspheme to his face and get us all killed with ye!?¡± I noted that her wrinkled and rugged face was beardless with a little relief. I never could quite come to terms with bearded dwarven ladies in fantasy settings.
¡°My name¡¯s Gray.¡± I interrupted before any more misunderstandings could pile up. ¡°I¡¯m no god, though I am a champion of Ariel. That big skeleton you saw is called Charon. While he¡¯s extremely powerful, he¡¯s not The One Who Weeps. I can summon him through the use of a unique skill that I possess.¡± I took a breath to see if I was getting through to them.
Apparently something I said had indeed struck them. They had all managed to shuffle forward and gawk at me in even greater shock than before. Now at least the terror had been replaced by excitement.
¡°He¡¯s real!¡± A voice called.
¡°The Gray is here to save us!¡± Another echoed.
¡°The Gray?¡± I echoed with a groan. ¡°Oh fuck me anything but that.¡±
The wife of the brash dwarf from earlier stepped forward as much as her ankle bindings would allow and raised her voice.
¡°Mighty Gray, who cast down a Crusibilis knight and spat in the eye of the Rotted King. We were seeking you out when the humans attacked us.¡± She was apparently a very respected person because no one made a peep while she was talking. ¡°Grandring¡¯s entrances have been besieged, leaving the surface communities to fend for ourselves with no trade and no food. Our only hope was to the north, where a new country unafraid of the kingdom appeared. We were bringing our best wares in hopes of returning with food for our starving brethren.¡± She spoke to me with earnest respect.
¡°The border be thick with cruel men who don¡¯t hesitate to murder and enslave us.¡± Her husband joined in, spitting on the ground as he mentioned the human soldiers.
I could see where this was going. A side mission to save dwarves was about to become an escort mission to get them safely through hostile territory.
¡°Hmm. We can probably help you out some, and I was going to contact the dwarves eventually.¡± I said, scratching my chin. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to my place, what rites do your fallen need?¡± I asked the assembled survivors.
¡°A prayer and a pyre.¡± The old priest said, sadness wracking his voice. He still held the red lock of hair in his hands.
¡°Alright, mind if I take charge?¡± The fact that I even asked bewildered the dwarves.
I quickly transferred the contents of the wagons (mostly crates of high quality tanned leather and steel ingots) into my Astral Vault, causing another minor outburst of shock. This nearly filled my inventory even after clearing most of the space at EDEN.
¡°I have a spacial storage artifact.¡± I explained, seeing all of the shocked and concerned faces turn toward me. ¡°You¡¯ll get it all back once we arrive, this will just make travel much faster.¡±
¡°I have seen one such item.¡± The old outspoken dwarf from earlier said with a shake of his beard. ¡°It could only reduce the weight of items within by half, and wouldn¡¯t hold even one wagon of goods.¡±
¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll spare you handling the remains of your kin. Go ahead and take a rest over there while I arrange for their cremation.¡± I bade the surviving dwarves, changing the subject.
¡°Won¡¯t ye need to dismantle the wagons for wood, then?¡± A random elderly dwarf asked. ¡°We can help.¡±
¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± I answered. ¡°Unless wood is part of the ceremony, I won¡¯t need any fuel for the fire.¡±
¡°Nay, we use fire only to deny the carrion beasts turning our loved ones to scat on the stone. Ash in the wind be more dignified in our eyes.¡± The old priest answered.
Within a few minutes I had completed the grim task of arranging the dwarven bodies into three tight rings with enough space for me to stand at the center.
¡°Alright, it¡¯s ready. You can come say your final prayers, and take all the time you need.¡± I said, moving past them to wait a fair distance away.
As I listened to their teary goodbyes and personal eulogies, I found myself looking at the sky and wondering. Which god or gods if any could hear their pleas for a merciful next life? I decided to throw my own prayer out as well.
¡°Ariel my beloved little delinquent. If there¡¯s anything you can do for those dwarves that died defending their kin today, I¡¯ll add another favor to the pile I already owe.¡± I said to the sky with a smile as I thought about her.
I never expected any kind of response so when a translucent message window appeared in front of me I let out a surprised noise.
¡°Hey Gray! How¡¯s my big scary edgelord doin¡¯? I¡¯m stuck at the hydra boss fight on 850. Tell me how you beat it and I¡¯ll make sure Thragnofir gives those dwarves VIP. He crushes on me so it¡¯s gonna work out. -Ariel¡±
A keyboard appeared beneath the message window and I typed a reply with a sigh.
¡°Kite it to the mine in the eastern foothills. Pull as many of the powder kegs as you can to the entrance and find one of the gnomish torches that drop from the mobs in the mine. When the derpy looking head with underbite telegraphs a bite attack, drop a keg and jump back. It¡¯ll swallow it. Once it has swallowed at least five, then feed him the torch and GG.¡±
I really didn¡¯t enjoy spilling my trade secrets even now, but oh well. That Hydra was a great buffer for my record in the Fantasy Abyss, it regenerated so fast that all but a one shot kill was worthless. Well if anyone was going to catch up to me, I¡¯d rather it be her at least.
After a few more minutes, the dwarves backed away and fell silent. Taking that as my cue, I instantly moved back to the center of the ring of corpses. They were all watching with a mixture of sadness and curiosity from a safe distance away.
¡°Blast Nova.¡± I said too quietly for them to likely hear.
The bodies vanished, replaced by ash drifting away on the whistling breeze.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s move out.¡± I ordered.
¡°Aye!¡± Every single dwarf echoed, kids included. I was impressed.
They organized the wagons so that the youngest and oldest rode in the center while the front and back could act as protection. Within two minutes we were moving with surprising speed along the rutted road.
Doing some rough math given how far I had traveled in those twenty minutes of fast flying, it would take us nearly a full day to reach EDEN. That gave me plenty of time to think about how to deal with this borderlands issue of douchebag soldiers preventing refugees from reaching us.
29: Big Plans and Bigger Game
We arrived at Eden just after dark. Rain greeted us as soon as we were within his patrol radius. The dwarves were too thoroughly exhausted to even be shocked by the drone suddenly landing and transforming into a clothed penguin.
¡°Welcome back Mr. Gray!¡± Rain said, with a salute of his flipper. ¡°Are these more friends?¡±
¡°They are.¡± I confirmed. ¡°Would you mind letting Tabula know we need refreshing food and rooms prepared for them?¡±
¡°We haven¡¯t much coin...¡± It was the elderly female. Her name was Balira and along with her husband named Dig seemed to lead this group.
¡°There¡¯s no charge.¡± I quickly interjected. ¡°You¡¯re my guests. That said, if someday you¡¯re in a position to comfortably help me out I won¡¯t refuse.¡± I amended with a smile, sensing that the dwarves wouldn¡¯t lightly accept such a one sided transaction. They liked good deals, not handouts.
With the matter settled, the dwarves were invited to enter EDEN. They reacted with even more shock and awe than what I was used to from newcomers. Their intimate knowledge of crafting and engineering gave them a deeper insight to the structural marvel around them, and they all walked very carefully with their hands clasped to avoid touching anything.
Niiya had sensed my return, and was waiting for us along with Tabula in the lobby. I noticed Jade and Yugal were absent.
¡°This is Tabula, my right hand woman. She¡¯ll be showing you around and taking care of you for now.¡± I said, gesturing at the statuesque woman. ¡°That¡¯s Niiya. I adopted her and she¡¯s on her way to becoming an awesome warrior.¡± I added, shifting my gesture to Niiya.
Tabula bowed as she was introduced, and Niiya gave a small wave.
¡°I need to discuss something with Karom and Raj.¡± I said to Tabula before she could lead the group away. ¡°Have they been around lately?¡± I asked while I returned Niiya¡¯s sudden hug.
¡°Ms. Raj is on site. She¡¯s currently drafting messages to some of her family in the northern Rakashi Desert. She hopes to learn the state of the place since the kingdom began its invasion. You can find her in the business center. As for the guildmaster, I believe he is attending to matters in Ariel¡¯s Gate.¡±
¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll go catch her before she leaves then. These guys look fine but they¡¯re in desperate need of food, a trip to the spa, and rest.¡± I said, beginning to walk toward the hall that would take me to the business center. Niiya walked easily along next to me.
¡°You¡¯re gonna leave again?¡± She asked. Her tone wasn¡¯t sad or whiny, just curious.
¡°Yeah I¡¯ll head to the cyclops territory as soon as I handle the issue on the border. Human soldiers are attacking anyone trying to escape the war in the south.¡± I explained.
¡°I can help.¡± Niiya said, perking up at the thought.
¡°You could handle it easily.¡± I agreed. ¡°Your job as my eyes and ears here is too important to give up though.¡±
She was mildly disappointed but recovered fast. ¡°Mr. Yugal? He¡¯s strong.¡±
¡°He is, and I do hope he¡¯ll want to help out. I think I have a pretty good idea of what to do.¡± I replied as we reached the business center.
¡°A new guild?¡± Raj echoed a few minutes later. She wore a pearl white robe (which wasn¡¯t nearly as revealing as her warm weather attire) to my slight disappointment.
¡°A guild based in EDEN with perks and rewards above what a regular guild could ever offer.¡± I began. ¡°Our basic food and accommodations alone could entice just about anyone. There¡¯s only a few teams still willing to operate in Ariel¡¯s Gate, and Hurstag has lost all kingdom funding. Why not dissolve that branch, set up shop here, and start fresh? I have a feeling at least a few strong recruits will jump at the opportunity from among the Cambions and Hellcats alone.¡± I paused to gauge her response.
¡°A guild like that would be a runaway success.¡± Raj answered confidently. ¡°I have spent plenty of time conversing with the women here, and I promise that you underestimate their resolve to please you as well as their individual strength. As for enticing newcomers, your best recruits are likely from those nations opposing the kingdom. Hurstag will agree to this plan instantly. He has voiced a similar desire but didn¡¯t want to impose.¡±
¡°I will sponsor the first set of quests myself.¡± I said, glad that this was going so smoothly. ¡°I need a patrol group of suitable strength to establish a safe zone for refugees fleeing the war on the southern road. I also need a group of messengers to visit the southern territories and spread the word about said safe passage as well as the opportunities for refuge, trade, and work in our territory. Rewards will be in gold, and items from my personal stash for standout performances.¡± I saw Raj¡¯s face change slightly as I spoke.
¡°Those quests will be viewed as hostile to the Kingdom. Are we ready to abandon our passive stance so soon?¡± Her tone was not meant to dissuade, merely to confirm.
¡°They¡¯re blocking refugees from reaching us, and slaughtering indiscriminately.¡± I answered. ¡°Yeah we¡¯re done being passive.¡±
¡°Excellent.¡± She smiled somewhat wickedly. ¡°I¡¯ll coordinate with Hurstag. The new guild infrastructure will be assembled and submitted for your approval by this time tomorrow.¡± She stopped and seemed like she wanted to say something and changed her mind.
¡°What is it?¡± I prompted.
¡°I am concerned about my kin.¡± She answered. ¡°They¡¯re resilient, but their village was square in the kingdom¡¯s path of conquest.¡±
¡°I see.¡± I replied. ¡°How should we handle that?¡±
¡°We?¡± She asked dumbfounded. ¡°After you¡¯ve already done so much for me?¡±
¡°Have we met? Hi, my name¡¯s Gray and I¡¯m a nosy meddling adventurer that can¡¯t leave anything alone.¡± I said jokingly.
She laughed. ¡°I was going to ask you for some leave, but that just isn¡¯t possible. My duties as Deputy Governor are far too pressing.¡±
¡°How about a compromise?¡± I began. ¡°If you can be patient for just a little longer while we resolve this issue to the south, I¡¯ll go with you and we can check on your folks.¡± I finished.
¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to that.¡± She said with a weary smile as some invisible tension left her. She turned her gaze to Niiya, who had been suspiciously quiet and hovering near the door. ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought Niiya for her lesson as well.¡±
¡°Oh that¡¯s right, you¡¯re tutoring her.¡± I turned and saw Niiya looking as though she was being marched to an execution.
¡°More like torturing me...¡± Niiya grumbled so quietly that even I barely heard.
¡°You want to be a great warrior right? Knowledge is the most important part, so you better not neglect it.¡± I admonished her.
She stuck out her lower lip and let her arms hang limp at her sides as she dragged her feet past me to sit across from Raj. That was a flawless copy of Jade¡¯s dramatic, bored body language.
¡°I¡¯m gonna go for a stroll.¡± I announced. ¡°Niiya come find me after your lesson and we can go to the restaurant together.¡± That perked her back up and she put a look of determination on her face.
I left the business center, and could hear laughter and lively conversation coming from the lobby. Curious, I followed the sound to find Jade and several Cambion women sitting in the stylish bar attached to the lobby.
¡°You really are amazing Ms. Jade!¡± One of the women said. She was a shy brunette named Ana.
Thanks to Soulbrand I instinctively knew the name of anyone connected to me, otherwise I would be totally lost.
¡°We all thought Mr. Yugal was going to squish you flat!¡± Agreed another from the other side of Jade. She was a platinum haired beauty named Siph.
¡°Bah!¡± Jade huffed, clearly loving all the attention. ¡°He has a long way to go before he even scratches me.¡± She took a drink of some bright purple cocktail and changed her tone. ¡°You guys really are pretty good too, I was surprised. After you get the hang of your demon forms you¡¯ll be able to play with me no problem.¡±
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
¡°We still couldn¡¯t beat Leza and the Hellcats today though.¡± Leifa lamented from a few stools down.
¡°Their powers are much more straight forward. Yours are subtle and will take more time to master.¡± Jade consoled them.
¡°It¡¯s awesome that we can go all out and not worry about getting injured thanks to your magic.¡± Ana said. She was clearly a Jade super fan.
Whoa, was everyone here training on their own with Jade and Yugal!? Fucking awesome! I decided not to interrupt their moment, and continued on my walk. I stepped outside of EDEN, and made my way the short distance to the huge canvas tent that was serving as Yugal¡¯s temporary home. There was room in EDEN to accommodate him somewhat but he preferred the outdoors.
The giant was seated on a huge elm log that he had dragged from the nearby woods. He was absently carving a piece of wood, using the dead Gespar¡¯s huge two handed sword like I would use a carving knife. His expression was troubled, and he didn¡¯t notice my approach until I cleared my throat.
¡°Ah, my lord.¡± He started to stand but I waved for him to keep his seat.
¡°We¡¯ll get her back.¡± I assured him, knowing very well what was causing his distress. His younger sister was imprisoned somewhere in the hells, and only The Warlord knew where to find her. ¡°Tabula is working diligently to break him, and believes that she is close.¡±
¡°That is not my only worry.¡± He confessed, tilting his huge head back to look at the emerging stars. ¡°What if she has already perished? What if we cannot gain entrance to the hells to save her?¡±
¡°Your first concern I¡¯m afraid I have no answer for.¡± I said honestly. I might be able to find out from Ariel but I didn¡¯t want to dangle a false hope. ¡°As for the second... I happen to have met a high ranking devil, an overfiend is what she called herself. I believe she can take us there.¡±
The chunk of wood dropped from Yugal¡¯s suddenly numb hands. His wide eyes looked down at me in pure shock.
¡°You are acquainted with an overfiend!?¡± He rubbed his forehead as though he had a sudden headache.
¡°Yeah she told me her name and wants me to hang out with her sometime.¡± I answered, easily picking up the hundred pound stump Yugal had been carving with one hand. ¡°Here you dropped this. Oh that¡¯s badass, it sorta looks like Jade¡¯s tiger form.¡± I marveled as I noticed what the carving was.
¡°Thank you, my lord for both the compliment and the reassurance. If you have the backing of one of those infernal rulers then perhaps there is hope.¡±
I gave a nod, and started to walk away when a sudden wave of intense aggression rolled through me. I physically staggered a bit and the edges of my vision reddened. Fuck me. I checked my status and gulped hard.
Soulthirst: Consume a Worthy Soul within (0d/7h/59m/55s) to avoid Soulthirst
I was out of time. I sent Niiya the most heartfelt apology and explanation I could manage, manifested my wings, and shot into the sky flying south.
I flew with all the otherworldly speed afforded by my wings over the mountains below. It was nearly midnight now, and Soulthirst would fully take effect in less than two hours. I still didn¡¯t know exactly what was going to happen but I knew I didn¡¯t want any of my friends near me when it did.
I ignored a few more skirmishes down below like the one I had intervened in earlier. Soulthirst required big game to be satisfied, and I hoped the cyclops territory would provide it. Taller and more jagged peaks loomed in the distance, and on the other side of that foreboding range was my sustenance for this demanding body.
I passed over the giants¡¯ village which consisted of huge igloo shaped stone mounds and tents made from various animal hides. I spotted perhaps a hundred giants milling about and it took a huge amount of willpower not to drop into their midst and attack them. I growled and gritted my teeth, focusing hard on the mountains ahead.
I finally skimmed over the peaks. I sensed I was near my maximum altitude, the air was so thin that I could barely breathe. Below was an incredible sight. The southern valley beyond the range was a thick jungle of enormous trees bathed in moonlight. One tree at the center dwarfed the others like a skyscraper in the suburbs. It reminded me of the mythological Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse myth.
My instincts pulled me in the direction of the giant tree, and I realized my initial judgment of its scale was way off. I was much further from it than I thought, and it loomed larger and larger as I closed in. I also noticed now that there were thousands of lights, like stars among the colossal branches. As I closed to within perhaps half a mile of the tree, I felt a sudden and violent drag on my flight speed. It seemed like I had slammed face first into a wall of thick liquid. Before my momentum could fully be halted, however the tension released and I felt my movement return to normal. I had taken some damage too, enough that most other creatures would have died instantly. I halted in midair and looked behind me. From inside I could now see the barrier for what it was, an opaque dome that enshrouded the entire area around the tree.
Who had erected such a ludicrously powerful shield, and why? The air was sweeter and more rich in oxygen here. The sound of air rushing over wings alerted me to something approaching very fast. I activated my cloak¡¯s camouflage and dropped elevation, silently awaiting their approach.
¡°Did something truly get through it?¡± A voice, smooth as honey and edged with fear and disbelief came from one of the winged humanoids above me. There were two of them, both male and each sporting two sets of huge wings covered in pure white feathers. Finer details were lost in shadow from the bright nearly full moon beyond.
¡°Lady Saet felt a mighty disturbance from this location, that is all we know.¡± The other, older sounding one replied. ¡°Perhaps a sleepy wayward dragon merely bumped into it and went on his way with a great headache.¡± He added hopefully, I could hear the shrug in his voice even if I couldn¡¯t physically see it.
¡°The great cyclops war engines couldn¡¯t even make it quiver, what beast could so disturb it?¡± The younger one sounded mystified. ¡°In all my hundred years I have heard no tale of our queen using the term ¡®mighty disturbance¡¯ when it came to the barrier. Have you Lord Undris?¡±
¡°I have not.¡± The older winged gent apparently called Lord Undris replied, serious once more. ¡°No trespasser has soiled this place since our ancestors destroyed The Worm.¡±
¡°Kutris?¡± The younger asked.
¡°Don¡¯t say that name, you¡¯ll get us both a demerit.¡± Lord Undris scolded.
¡°That¡¯s an old rule, no one follows it really. Children use it as a curse all the time.¡± The younger one retorted.
¡°All the same, I¡¯d rather not hear it. Let¡¯s check the ground level and make sure whatever it was isn¡¯t down there stunned or dead before we make our report.¡± The voices faded quickly as the two odd beings flew uncomfortably close in a steep dive past me.
I recognized that name, Kutris the Worm. Where had I heard it before? I couldn¡¯t really focus past the blood lust roiling through my body with every beat of my heart so I gave up. I wished I could just ask these guys for directions to a damn cyclops but that didn¡¯t seem like a good idea even in my current half insane state.
I decided to leave the area since by the sound of it I wasn¡¯t going to find any monsters in here, and these guys didn¡¯t seem like a bad sort thus far. I turned away from the great tree and back toward the barrier and flinched reflexively as a woman¡¯s voice from right behind me rang out.
¡°Leaving so soon, infernal count?¡± She asked. I put up my hands and turned slowly.
¡°I¡¯m just hunting a cyclops.¡± I said, seeing that it wasn¡¯t an actual person but a glowing white orb addressing me. ¡°I broke through that barrier on accident.¡±
¡°Sounds sincere enough and you didn¡¯t attack the soldiers I sent which are obviously so much weaker than you. Can a celestial really ignore an infernal noble in her territory though?¡± The voice didn¡¯t sound threatening, but the weight of the words was troubling.
¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I was human until recently. I¡¯m not a bad guy and would really like to meet on better terms. That said, I do have a pretty urgent need to kill some strong monsters and soon so...¡± I took a small step backward and held my hands out as I spoke.
¡°Sounds lovely, either an infernal gets squished or a cyclops gets destroyed! I win either way. Let¡¯s get to it then.¡±
¡°Lets?¡± I didn¡¯t like her choice of words.
¡°Obviously I¡¯ll be coming along to observe.¡± The ball moved up and down as though nodding.
¡°You¡¯re not worried about getting caught up in the fight?¡± I asked.
¡°I¡¯m just a scrying spell, not much danger unless someone...¡± She stopped suddenly. ¡°Trying to trick me into divulging my weakness!? That won¡¯t work on me, demon!¡± She gave a triumphant laugh as she finished.
Was she actually kind of... ditsy? I wondered to myself. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m off. Come along if you want I guess.¡± I said as I turned back to the barrier once again.
I left the barrier and began to fly west. I had the brief hope that maybe the orb wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up, but that was quickly dashed as it raced ahead to stop me.
¡°Where are you even going?¡± It asked condescendingly. The cyclops territory is on the border to the demon kingdom.
¡°So... south?¡± I asked.
¡°Were you really just going to fly aimlessly until you found something? This jungle is huge you know.¡± It harped.
¡°It¡¯s my first time here, thanks for the tip.¡± I tried to keep the irritation out of my tone and changed course to circumvent the barrier and continue south. ¡°Are you at war with the cyclops¡¯?¡± I asked, remembering the soldiers¡¯ conversation.
¡°If you can call it that.¡± Answered the wispy orb. ¡°Every once in awhile they test the barrier, and fail. You must have some crazy strength in that tiny body of yours to punch right through it.¡± She didn¡¯t sound happy to admit that.
¡°So what¡¯s the story of that massive tree?¡± I asked.
¡°What kinda half assed infernal are you anyways?¡± The orb now sounded exasperated. ¡°It¡¯s the last uncorrupted celestial oak. If it falls then then this whole forest will become as barren as the Rakashi Desert.¡±
The jungle thinned out ahead, and several thick columns of smoke appeared on the horizon. My heart hammered faster and my jaw began to clench and relax rhythmically. Huge booming voices and the sounds of drums accompanied a vile smell on the wind as we closed in.
Flat, grazed fields replaced the trees below and the stink of scat intensified. Herds of shaggy, four legged beasts stood in clusters all over the place. There were also thin and sickly looking mountain giants apparently looking after the beasts.
¡°Slaves and stolen mountain bison.¡± The orb informed me unnecessarily.
¡°There.¡± I growled, finally seeing the silhouette of a massive seated humanoid. Even sitting on the ground it was twice the height of a mountain giant. ¡°Appraisal.¡±
Thurg
Level: 131
XP: 8% to Next Level
Life: 2,600/2,600 Soul Energy 20/20
Strength: 1080
Endurance: 1,390
Agility: 277
Soul: 10
Skills:
Colossal: All attacks have a (30¡¯) base Area of Effect. Immune to Tier 10 and lower poisons. Take double falling damage. +10 Endurance and (+5) Strength per Level
Titan Flesh: Immune to normal weapons and weak magic.
Rage: For every (5) Missing Health, Gain (+2) Melee Damage.
¡°You might be strong but I think you¡¯d better find one of the weaker ones around here.¡± The orb whispered. ¡°That¡¯s Thurg, he¡¯s the second in command to Zurg, the ruler of these mongrels.¡±
¡°Killed bigger when I was weaker.¡± I replied, already scrolling through my inventory. ¡°He¡¯s perfect.¡±
¡°Well that¡¯s not what I...¡± She started but suddenly stopped. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll just leave it to you then!¡±
I began my standard procedure for a boss pull. With my high base damage, gear, elixirs, food buffs, and artifacts I could deploy it wasn¡¯t too hard to one shot a boss with less than five thousand health.
*Equipped: Gorgon MKX - Dark Matter Rail Rifle
(Item Score 900) Skin: Default
Damage: 800 Negative Energy
+5¡¯ Range per (1) Agility
Indestructible
Ammo Capacity (0/1)
Fires Dark Matter Rods
Replenishes (1) Round Per Minute
The Gorgon was exactly as ridiculous looking as its name would imply, weighing in at around a hundred and twenty pounds unloaded and over seven hundred pounds after producing a dark matter rod. It was loot from a boss in a space themed Abyss. It was a robot that was practically invincible, and after ninety seconds would lock onto you and fire one shot kills with this exact rifle. If you raised your reputation with a certain faction to maximum, a helpful engineer NPC would accompany you. That little guy could produce EMP grenades which disrupted shields and targeting systems, and well you get the idea after that.
A satisfying low humming noise began to rise in pitch, and I could feel the weight of the weapon rising rapidly even though it still felt about as heavy as a cellphone to me. Sixty seconds after equipping it, the sound reached a crescendo and the tiny red light inside the digital scope turned green.
I took several deep breaths, exhaling slowly each time. I aimed squarely for the back of the humongous, pale skinned skull. I exhaled one final time, slowly squeezing the trigger as I did. Then I died. My body was blown into a thousand wet sloppy chunks, and my suddenly free spirit was somehow viewing it in slow motion. I had no time to feel any shock, pain, or anything really before a pale flickering panel appeared before my disembodied gaze.
Physical Body Compromised. Destroy a Named Soul in your possession to Reconstruct?
Destroying a named Soul automatically triggers Soulthirst until another Named Soul is consumed. ?
Pressing the second time is the last thing I remember about that night.
30: The Enemy of My Enemy
¡°The infernal was destroyed, lady Saet.¡± The General of Intelligence that had been accompanying the strange man spoke up. Her eyes were rolled back into her head as she still maintained the spell, viewing the distant gore splattered area where the strange creature had once so confidently stood.
¡°As expected, then. Thurg is practically invincible with that accursed relic. You may return when ready, Athana.¡± Lady Saet answered in a tone that could have been described as disappointment.
¡°I shall end the spell then...¡± Athana started to say, but stopped. ¡°Wait. Something is happening. His blood, flesh, and bones are glowing, and rising into the air! They seem to be reconstructing themselves. His body is whole, and he seems perfectly fine! Three other cyclops are coming to investigate on Thurg¡¯s order...¡±
¡°What else, my sister!? Miss no detail!¡± Saet¡¯s voice was uncharacteristically strained.
¡±...He seems savage and feral now, he does not respond to my voice. He screams in fury, gods help me the sound of it... A group of three cyclops have come near but they seem frightened of the noise. He has disappeared from my sight. Wait There he is, I can barely follow his movements. One cyclops is suddenly missing its head, and another has been struck with that severed head hard enough to knock it down. The infernal appears on the downed cyclops¡¯ chest, and a fountain of blood suddenly replaces him. The third is trying to flee. It topples from a leg injury, and screams in pain. The infernal flies into its head, and through it.¡± Athana took a breath and licked her lips.
¡°Thurg is charging, but doesn¡¯t seem to see the infernal. He smashes his cudgel over and over all around. The infernal hits Thurg in the eye. The cyclops staggers but no blood is drawn, his hide seems too much for the infernal. More attacks are exchanged, the area has been fully demolished. Something strange is happening on Thurg¡¯s face... No way.¡±
¡°What is it!?¡± Saet demanded sharply, leaning forward in her throne.
¡°The infernal is prying Thurg¡¯s jaws open, and crawling inside his mouth.¡± Athana¡¯s dumbfounded answer left every face in the throne room slack with disbelief. ¡°He has disappeared. Thurg¡¯s throat is glowing. A burst of flame erupts from his nose and mouth. He is on one knee clutching his throat. So much blood pours from his mouth and nose. His eye is closing and he is slowly crumbling. Thurg... is defeated.¡±
The silence in the room was deafening for several seconds.
¡°The infernal has emerged, but seems to have calmed himself. He staggers and tries to speak but collapses. He is unconscious in a lake of Thurg¡¯s blood. Shall we leave him? It likely won¡¯t be long before the other cyclops forces discover this.¡±
¡°Go there at once, take my cousin with you. Bring the infernal to me, and transport Thurg¡¯s body to the lower court.¡± Commanded Lady Saet. ¡°Infernal or not, he has single handedly ended the stalemate in this centuries long farce.¡±
Gray
Infernal Count (60%) Progress to Next Evolution
Level: 3* XP: 5% To Next Level Body Age: 29
Life: 7500/7500 Soul Energy 3360/3360
Strength: 1,680
Endurance: 1,875
Soul: 840
Agility: 510
Skills/Spells:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Acid Resistance: 4/10
Perfect Mental Resistance 10/10 (World Boss)
Melee Mastery: 60/100
Ranged Mastery: 50/100
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Appraisal: 9/10
White Nova: 15/20
Blast Nova: 15/20
War Mage: (1/1)
Greater Drain (1/1)
Awakened Senses (1/1)
Rapid Regeneration (3/5)
Soul Thief (1/1)
Bloodwalk (1/1)
Blood Frenzy (2/10)
Iron Belly (1/1)
Scavenger (1/1)
Royalty - Infernal (1/1)
Soul Brand (1/1) 2,143/3360 Available Slots
Shadow Wings (1/1)
Titan Flesh (1/1)
Buffs/Debuffs:
+840 Spell Damage from Strength
+420 Attack Damage from Soul
+1,500 Health Regenerated per Second
*Soulthirst: Consume a Worthy Soul within (40d/19h/06m/35s) to avoid Soulthirst
*EDEN: (+20%) XP gained for (08h/20m/13s).
¡°I¡¯m a damn freak, now. Leveling up to three must have bumped up the cap on my stats.¡± I sighed as I looked at the ridiculous numbers which until now had been stuck at 999*. ¡°At least I bought a ton of time for Soulthirst, and now I know I have an out if I fuck up bad enough to die.¡±
I took another look around the room I was in. It was beautiful really. It wasn¡¯t large, maybe the size of an average bedroom with a single door, a hammock, and a simple chair. What made it beautiful was the fact that the walls were actually living wood, with bark and dark green moss. The ceiling was made of tightly woven vines, also very much alive with green leafy tendrils dangling down. The floor was carpeted in bright green clover, and three dimly lit globes floated to and fro, clearly enchanted. It was obvious where I was, based on what I already knew. This was the celestial stronghold in the huge oak tree I had spotted last night.
I had awoken here in the comfortable, gently swaying hammock several minutes prior. I wasn¡¯t restrained, and there was no guard posted by the open entrance to the room, where filtered morning sunlight was already beginning to find its way in. I could hear chatter from above, below, and all around my little room. My amplified senses picked up most everything. Celestials were spreading the word that the great cyclops warrior and many of his underlings had been massacred. The tone was disbelieving, ecstatic, and then worried. What could have done such a thing? Would it turn on them next?
¡°Can¡¯t blame ¡®em for thinking that way I guess.¡± I mumbled, sitting up in the hammock and putting my feet on the floor. I noticed that my shoes were still on and I was fully dressed. ¡°Surprised I could sleep that well in my clothes.¡± I let out a startled noise (not a manly one either) as a voice answered my muttering.
¡°We tried to undress you, but that proved to be impossible.¡± The voice was feminine, full of authority and edged with just a little exhaustion.
It was a woman, sitting in the chair that had been empty just a second ago. One look at her for some reason caused a boiling animosity to erupt in my gut. I felt a sneer curl on my upper lip, baring my sharp teeth. She cocked a thin, blonde eyebrow and smiled knowingly. Immediately embarrassed, I looked away and down. What the hell was going on with me? It reminded me of that overfiend I met and couldn¡¯t control my attraction to, but the opposite. So that¡¯s it. This woman was just as beautiful as X¡¯lyssa, with kind green eyes, flawless features, two sets of angelic wings, and the figure of a movie star. Even seeing that logically, all I could feel for her was revulsion.
¡°Sorry about that.¡± I said sincerely, pushing back the relentless hostility I felt with a growl. ¡°Your Majesty, I presume?¡± I asked, standing up and bowing low.
¡°It is as you say.¡± She answered. ¡°No apology needed. I too am resisting some very inelegant and violent impulses in your presence.¡± She added. ¡°I am Saet, Sixth Reincarnation of the Celestia Dryas. It seems I¡¯m not the only one with a knack for coming back.¡± She seemed like a sensible, straightforward type. I appreciated it, and was determined to override the irrational loathing.
¡°Gray.¡± I answered simply, pointing at my face. ¡°I was a hopeless loser in another world, and my goddess was nice enough to give me another try in this one. I¡¯m a regular guy at heart but some things happened and now I¡¯m like this.¡± I gestured broadly at myself as I explained. Now that I was talking and aware of the reason for my feelings, it was getting easier to ignore the ugly urges. I was also opening up and revealing way more than intended. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯d leave someone like me unguarded around your people. Don¡¯t get me wrong I appreciate the trust and won¡¯t make you regret it, but this goes against all the cliche scenarios I imagined.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t trust you at all, Count.¡± Saet replied breezily. ¡°After having you appraised, we simply concluded that there were no means of restraint capable of holding you. Even if there were, you could just Bloodwalk away. Killing you while you slept was suggested by some, but you regenerate your body at such a rate that even whilst helpless we couldn¡¯t hope to destroy you cleanly without risk of waking you. Even if we did manage it somehow, you¡¯d likely just come back and go on another rampage. In the end it was I who made the very unpopular decision to make you our guest until you awakened.¡± She stopped there for a moment, and I could see traces of the frustration I had no doubt caused still on her face.
¡°Like I said, some things happened.¡± I shrugged in half hearted apology.
¡°So you came to hunt and sate your Soulthirst, and succeeded. What comes next if I might ask?¡± She changed the subject.
¡°I¡¯ll be returning to my territory first. They¡¯re probably worried about me since your barrier seems to be blocking my telepathy. Afterwards I think I might finish wiping out the cyclops and free the mountain giant slaves they took.¡± I paused for a moment. ¡°Beyond that? I suppose I¡¯ll keep building up my territory into a place that¡¯s fun to live in, which probably means toppling that shady human kingdom.¡± I stopped talking when I noticed her staring at me like I had grown a couple of extra heads. ¡°What?¡±
¡°Exterminate all of the cyclops and topple the kingdom of Gault?¡± She pinched the bridge of her nose to steady herself as she responded. ¡°Are all beings from your world so utterly insane? Do you realize how far that man¡¯s influence reaches or the scale of Zurg¡¯s power?¡±
¡°I think my way of thinking is pretty unusual even where I¡¯m from. As for your second question... obstacles and possibilities are none of my business. I decide on a direction, prepare for the grind, and usually things work out for me.¡±
¡°Such insufferable optimism.¡± Saet grinned. ¡°Well then, Count Gray the Dauntless One - I wish you success and look forward to hearing of your exploits. We owe you our thanks for disposing of Thurg.¡± She flipped a silver medallion through the air and I caught it easily. ¡°That will allow you to pass through the barrier without causing a panic.¡± The instant the token was in my palm I was inundated by frantic telepathic messages from Niiya. I was really in for it now. It was like turning on your phone after a movie to see fifty missed calls.
¡°Does that mean I can visit again?¡± I asked happily. ¡°I know a little girl that would love to see this place.¡± I was already scheming up bribes for the kid. Shameless really.
¡°You¡¯re welcome here, so long as you never decide you want to do us or this tree harm.¡± She answered, standing gracefully.
31: Lighting the Fuse
¡°This is pointless.¡± Complained Second Lieutenant Aron, a B ranked warrior in the Gault Kingdom¡¯s Third Infantry Division. ¡°You and I both know those bastards deserted.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t factor either way.¡± Replied Commander Kane, an A rank warrior and C Rank Evoker. His A ranking and second class made him one of the strongest people in the entire kingdom. There was even talk of him being chosen as the next Blue Knight. ¡°Fifty soldiers vanished, and the order to find out what happened was handed down by Lord Typhon himself.¡±
The two elites rode at the head of a column of three hundred professional soldiers, their stocky and muscular horses were selected especially for their ability to navigate the treacherous trails and slopes of the Sea of Stone. They had encountered no trace of the missing battalion or any enemies in three days of searching the area.
¡°Commander Kane, sir!¡± A soldier was racing up on foot from the rear of the column. ¡°Two women are approaching from our rear.¡±
¡°Women?¡± Kane replied incredulously. ¡°Human?¡±
¡°They¡¯re cloaked sir, the Diviner wasn¡¯t able to make out details.¡±
¡°Go check on it.¡± Kane said to Aron. ¡°Might be our ticket back to CC.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Aron was suddenly enthusiastic as he kicked his horse into a fast trot north.
By the time Aron made it to the end of the line, the women had already been halted by the soldiers there. They were indeed covered head to toe in dark garments with hoods obscuring their faces. Visually there was nothing threatening about either of them. They stood just over five feet tall, and couldn¡¯t have weighed more than a hundred and ten pounds a piece. Even so, Aron felt strangely wary of the pair.
¡°Ladies.¡± He began, clearing his throat. ¡°Please identify yourselves.¡±
¡°Why should we have to do that?¡± The woman on the left asked. Her voice was sweet and elegant with a touch of an exotic accent. Aron got the feeling she was speaking less to him and more to her companion.
¡°This road was built by dwarves according to lady Raj, why would human soldiers accost us for simply traversing it?¡± The other asked in agreement. ¡°I think we¡¯d prefer to simply be on our way, Mr. Soldier. Please stand aside.¡± She was actually talking down to him.
Aron¡¯s earlier wariness was suddenly replaced by indignant fury. ¡°Enough. Identify yourselves or be taken prisoner. Now.¡±
¡°Oh dear, we angered him. Shall we identify ourselves, dear Tuara?¡± The left woman asked, her voice was edged with sarcasm now.
¡°I suppose we shall, Aunt Kitha.¡± Agreed the woman to the right.
Together they reached up and pulled back their hoods. Shining white locks of hair spilled out, and stunningly beautiful jet black features were revealed. Ruby eyes glittered with inner light, and every soldier able to view the pair audibly gulped.
¡°Black elves? I might have guessed demihumans, and you mentioned a ¡®lady Raj¡¯? She¡¯s been branded an enemy of the kingdom. Seems you¡¯ll need to come with us after all.¡± Aron¡¯s face turned wicked as he spoke. ¡°What a convenient excuse to get out of this desolate pile of rocks, and with some extra company to warm the chilly nights.¡±
¡°That sounds almost like they intend to take us prisoner and force themselves on us, doesn¡¯t it Aunt Kitha?¡± The elf called Tuara asked, grinning at her apparent aunt.
¡°It does sound that way, Tuara.¡± Kitha agreed. ¡°That was definitely on the list of ¡®green lights¡¯ as our master called them.¡±
¡°Enough. Tie ¡®em up and gag ¡®em.¡± Aron growled.
He turned away fuming, when the sickly sweet voice of Kitha rang out with a very peculiar statement.
¡°I¡¯d actually prefer if you men stabbed your commanding officer over there to death.¡±
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¡°Now listen here, I can make this trip hell for-¡± Aron turned, raising his finger to point at the insufferable woman when a sudden ripping pain in his right side made him gasp.
He turned his head to see one of his own men, someone he had fought alongside and shared drinks with for years holding the hilt of his sword, its tip just digging through Aron¡¯s chainmail shirt. The man wore a sickly smile with vacant eyes. No way. Mind control without an incantation on a soldier who was trained against such effects was not possible.
¡°Lorn!¡± Aron screamed the soldier¡¯s name as he grabbed the blade with one mailed fist and punched out with the other. He was much stronger than his subordinate and knocked him away but then two more blades suddenly found his back under the lip of his breastplate just above his hips, digging in but not very deep.
Aron dove forward into a roll and spun on the new threats. More than a score of soldiers, the entire rear platoon was advancing on him with weapons drawn.
¡°All of you too?¡± The second lieutenant whispered in disbelief. He ripped his own sword from his hip and sucked in a deep breath to scream out an alarm.
No noise made it from his mouth, and Aron¡¯s eyes bulged in confusion and agony. A barely visible black thread floated gently before those reddening eyes. It was as thin as a spider¡¯s web, and coated with something red. Suddenly Aron¡¯s cheek was resting against the cold stone, and to his horror he could see his own headless body tumble down before his gaze. So strange he could have sworn that he could feel his chest hit the ground...
¡°Oh my.¡± Kitha marveled at how easily her niece¡¯s Negative Energy Thread passed through the platemail collar and muscular neck of the rude soldier. ¡°That¡¯s amazing Tuara!¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing compared to your Witching Words Aunt Kitha.¡± Tuara countered. ¡°All those men are still enslaved.¡±
¡°Hmm. I didn¡¯t expect it to affect so many.¡± Kitha agreed. ¡°May as well use them.¡±
¡°We may not get the chance.¡± Tuara lamented as she pointed toward the main human force. ¡°Leza is making her move.¡±
Kitha followed the pointing finger and saw the three white streaks of light flash into the center of the soldiers¡¯ formation. Leza and two of her Hellcat companions suddenly stood amid the stunned men. They were in their White Fury forms which made their bodies grow to over seven feet in height, and bulge with sinewy muscle. It also caused their manes of hair to grow to the backs of their knees and glow with a blinding white light. Master Gray had dubbed it their ¡®Super Sane¡¯ form, a term he had apparently learned from something called an ¡®anime¡¯.
Kitha didn¡¯t have a clue what either of those terms meant but never questioned the man. The terrible trio of cat women turned the kingdom soldiers into eviscerated piles by the dozen. Simply swiping the air with their claws sent four waves of slashing wind through the air which cut like the blade of a scythe through wheat. It was a massacre at first. After a few moments of chaos, the soldiers managed to form two lines on either side of the trio. Heavy shields were raised against them that seemed able to repel the deadly slashing wind. Leza held her arms back and out to her sides, glowing white energy forming in her great clawed hands.
¡°Is she facing this way?¡± Tuara asked, squinting at the somewhat distant Leza¡¯s head and shoulders over the mass of soldiers between them.
¡°Uh huh.¡± Kitha replied with growing alarm. ¡°Move move move!¡±
The two dark alfar suddenly sprinted to the side of the rutted road, and leaped for the ditch just as a shearing wave of white plasma ripped past them, followed by a deafening boom.
¡°She¡¯s way too reckless with that.¡± Tuara groaned.
¡°What?¡± Kitha shouted, unable to hear over the sudden ringing in her sensitive ears.
They pulled themselves out of the ditch and couldn¡¯t help but be nauseated by the aftermath of the attack. Roughly a hundred pairs of smoking metal greaves stood at rigid attention, their wearers erased from the world like shadows at noon. Leza¡¯s unique skill Null Roar granted during her evolution produced a wave of destruction that could quite literally reduce flesh, bone, and even metal armor to nothingness. It wouldn¡¯t be usable again for a long while, but the damage was done. When she turned to the mortified soldiers in the opposite direction and raised her arms as if to do it again, their line broke and they scrambled over each other screaming like terrified children.
At the front of the line, commander Kane was reeling from the blinding flash of light and concussive sound. He recovered fast, and quickly enacted a spell which simultaneously boosted his leaping ability and drastically slowed his falling speed. He crouched, and then jumped straight up explosively. He left the ground like a bolt loosed from a crossbow. He viewed the battlefield from a hundred feet in the air, and couldn¡¯t contain a horrified gasp. Half of his elite force was simply gone, wiped away in that flash of light. The remaining soldiers were being cut down like helpless children. He only counted five enemies, and two of them were casually chatting while the three strange white beasts savaged his army. Kane drew his weapons. In his left hand was a rod which summoned swarms of homing magic bolts, in his right was a heavily enchanted saber. He aimed the rod at the the two dark skinned women, and prepared to angle himself into a dive at the three beasts. He might be outmatched but he could at least take some down before he used his last resort.
He expended all of his Soul Energy, sending the maximum of twenty bolts roaring at his two oblivious enemies. He then prepared himself for the fall, his slow fall effect would wear off now that his Soul Energy was depleted, he would use the velocity of his dive to slash at the largest beast. He... wasn¡¯t falling. He watched in confusion as the bolts fizzled weakly and disappeared just as they would have reached their targets. He had always assumed the rumors of Dark Alfar being totally immune to most magic to be an overblown exaggeration. He frantically looked around, something other than his own magic was holding him in the air.
The warmth of the sun on his shoulders suddenly vanished as a shadow fell across him. He turned awkwardly and looked up. Five winged silhouettes came into focus just ten feet in the air above. They were tall, curvy female humanoids with long sharp horns sprouting from above their brows. Their blood colored skin, bat wings, glowing embers for eyes, and long tails made Aron lose all hope instantly.
¡°Demons.¡± Kane said, sliding his weapons back into their sheaths. ¡°So the dwarves have sold themselves to the hells in their desperation.¡±
¡°Not exactly.¡± The demon in the middle answered, her voice sounded like three people speaking at once but just barely out of sync. It was an unearthly sound that sent a cold chill crawling up his spine. She held up a clawed hand and made a beckoning gesture.
Kane suddenly began drifting higher, and closer to her.
¡°We surrender.¡± Kane said. ¡°Allow the rest of my men to live. Aren¡¯t we more valuable to you alive?¡±
¡°Perhaps.¡± The voice grated on his nerves. ¡°But the last of your men, has already fallen.¡± Only then did Kane notice the silence that had overtaken the world below.
Kane looked down, and sighed. It was time. He rolled his tongue along the inside of his mouth, finding the space where one of his molars had been replaced by a small magic sealing crystal. Everyone above a certain rank now had one ever since the death of Gespar.
The demons were encircling him, and just as clawed hands were about to seize him, he bit down on the crystal and shattered it.
32: A Moment of Spring
¡°Demons?¡± Lord Typhon repeated the word, and a single wrinkle appeared between his brows. That was more of an expression change than commander Kane had ever seen on the man¡¯s face.
They were seated across from one another in a deep underground chamber beneath the catacombs of the inner ring of Crown City.
¡°Undoubtedly, my lord. I barely managed to escape them with the teleportation crystal. Unfortunately I was the only survivor.¡± Kane kept his head bowed in both reverence and shame.
¡°Elaborate.¡± Typhon prompted, and a dangerous sense of impatience suddenly made Kane begin to sweat.
¡°Two Dark Alfar women approached our line from the rear. When lieutenant Aron attempted to detain them, they must have turned hostile because moments later all hell broke loose.¡± Kane steadied himself and continued. ¡°Three huge white haired beast demons then hit us hard, massacring hundreds of men in a mere moment. I attempted to gain altitude from where I could launch a counterattack but was met by five honest to the gods demons. They held me aloft with no incantation and I could feel their power. I am a proud man and it pains me to admit that I stood no chance. So I used the teleportation crystal to flee.¡±
¡°A pity. Did these demons tell you their goal or whom they serve?¡± Typhon pressed.
¡°No, but my theory is that the dwarves have sold themselves to the hells for aid against us.¡±
¡°That would be... out of character.¡± Typhon drummed his long fingers on the polished wood of the table. ¡°Could they not be allies of the usurper?¡±
¡°According to the Green Knight¡¯s report, he has no such connections but perhaps it is worth considering. It was the mountain giant and trickery that brought down the fifth unit.¡± Kane replied pensively.
¡°We¡¯ll get nowhere on speculation.¡± Typhon said coldly with a wave of his hand. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed Commander. Take two days to yourself, then report to General Orkas at Fort Sun.¡±
The name made Kane pause as he stood. General Orkas? That unstoppable brute made the sadistic Gespar seem as soft as a pair of pink velvet mittens. He was the second in command to...
¡°Has the Red Knight returned from the north, my lord?¡± Kane fought hard to keep a quiver from his voice.
¡°He has indeed, with fifteen thousand conquered heathens at his back.¡± Typhon¡¯s wicked grin made Kane gulp. ¡°When the new moon rises, our conquest will finally begin in earnest.¡±
Kane said no more, and left with a stiff bow.
When he was alone, Typhon spoke again. ¡°As for you two, I expect better results than mere words the next time I see you.¡±
¡°Yes, lord Typhon.¡± Rolen and Arowyn materialized from the shadows as they spoke in unison. ¡°As long as we are provided the resources we requested, the usurper will fall.¡±
¡°They have already been approved.¡± Typhon answered. ¡°You really believe you can earn their trust?¡±
¡°Indeed.¡± Arowyn replied. ¡°While the usurper and his minions are weak, they are protected by sophisticated illusion magic so it is necessary to gain their confidence before destroying them.¡± She finished her lie with the confidence of a true sociopath.
As the secret meeting adjourned, in a bustling tavern popular with adventurers on the outer ring of Crown City an argument was gaining volume and momentum.
¡°You¡¯ve got orc shite between them ears, boy!¡± A great bear of a man with shaggy brown dreadlocks, and body hair that could have passed for fur covering most of his exposed torso yelled at a younger man across from him. The target of his tirade was a clean cut soldier type wearing a thick leather jacket designed to be worn beneath heavier armor.
¡°And you could gag a skunk troll with your stench.¡± Came the cool reply. ¡°My cousin Niles may be a coward, but he¡¯s no liar. I¡¯d tell you to read his letter yourself if I thought for a moment that you might be literate.¡±
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¡°Establishing a new guild is basically a declaration of war, and a guild war is far more destructive than some paltry war between countries.¡± A tall and muscular woman with scars from hundreds of battles covering her bare shoulders and face interjected. ¡°What they¡¯re promising sounds impossible, but if true then how could we refuse?¡±
¡°We¡¯re the second biggest A Ranked team in CC, if we defect there will be a rift.¡± The group¡¯s obvious magic user spoke softly from the depths of her deep black hooded robe. ¡°There are facts we cannot dismiss.¡± She continued. ¡°The instant healing potion is real. The Merchant¡¯s Guild hired me to appraise it myself. The fifth unit really has disappeared along with the blue knight, all of our sources back that much up.¡±
¡°Instant healing, free lodging, the highest quality food, and the opportunity to be on the same side as a supposed level three hundred?¡± The big dirty brute regained his seat which creaked under his bulk as he contemplated his own words. They echoed the letter sent from his comrade¡¯s cousin, a rookie knight supposedly spared the fate of the Fifth Unit in Filam.
¡°We could always just go check it out.¡± The scarred warrior woman said with a shrug.
¡°Let¡¯s put it to a vote then.¡± The clean cut soldier stood up as he spoke. ¡°Who wants to take a little vacation that might put us on the kingdom¡¯s most wanted list and cost us our heads?¡± Four hands raised, and a smile spread across his youthful face.
¡°I can¡¯t believe this is really a guild quest.¡± Laguna, the burly catfolk fighter said as she hoisted a huge striped fish with a long snout packed with sharp teeth over her head and tossed it onto a long wooden slide that ended in a huge bin packed with snow.
She and the rest of her team had rushed over to sign up with the new Ariel¡¯s Gate Adventurer¡¯s Guild as soon as the receptionist at the now dissolved branch had told them the news.
The new guild was like something out of a dream. The building was immense, and packed with amenities that simply didn¡¯t exist in this world. To qualify and maintain membership, one simply needed to be involved in at least one completed quest per month or have approval for leave in instances of personal emergencies.
Usually Adventurer¡¯s Guild quests were dangerous and almost always had to deal with exterminating monsters or bandits. The new guild¡¯s quest board was loaded with simple jobs like today¡¯s quest of ¡®Assist the Angler¡¯s Guild in thinning the wyvern pike population.¡¯
Handling the huge fish was difficult and dangerous for the average person, especially since their bite could remove fingers and the spur near their caudal fin could deliver a paralyzing sting. They were also extremely predatory, and if left unchecked would decimate the entire lake biome.
It had been a long day of fishing the vicious fish out of the water, and now they were removing them from the hold to be delivered to the fishmongers. Even though Laguna and the two ranger twins Therin and Bron were doing most of the actual labor, it was Tili¡¯s magic that was the star of the show. She could stun them with a simple spell, eliminating the need for clubbing while also keeping them far fresher for the market. She also was able to produce the snow that they were being packed in, raising the value of the meat even further.
¡°That¡¯s the last of ¡®em!¡± The boat¡¯s captain hollered down happily as Laguna caught the fish tossed by Bron and sent it down the slide to join the eighty other wyvern pike in the huge snowy bin.
¡°Alright!¡± Therin called back. ¡°Thanks for the job.¡±
¡°Anytime, I¡¯ll report the completion to the guild right away!¡± The captain called back with a wave.
¡°To the restaurant!¡± Laguna shouted, already tasting the impossibly delicious food from EDEN in her mind.
¡°Tavern first.¡± Tili¡¯s small voice was firm. ¡°We promised Sonya.¡±
¡°Right, right...¡± The boisterous fighter replied, seeming a little deflated. ¡°Wait for me, bacon cheeseburger and root beer.¡± She finished emotionally, like a woman about to be drafted into war might say to her lover.
Sonya¡¯s tavern was bustling when the group of four arrived to share their usual afternoon drink with the bartender who treated them like close friends if not family.
The atmosphere was celebratory as it had been since the miraculous appearance of Ariel¡¯s champion in the town square. Even without regular trade from the kingdom, the ability to finally harvest the bounty of Gnollwood without fear of monster attacks had boosted the local economy to a level never before seen. To top it all off, dwarven trading caravans from the south had begun to appear and were offering incredible premium prices for fish and produce. Not only that, they came bearing finely crafted tools for reasonable prices. The feared retaliation from Crown City was beginning to fade to the back of people¡¯s minds as all the new and wonderful opportunities appeared.
There were a few worried, low conversations sprinkled into the lighthearted chatter. The two sharp eared rangers were the first to notice.
¡°The red knight has apparently returned to the fort on the southern viper.¡± Therin said to the group as they received their drinks.
¡°He¡¯s marching an army of barbarians to the Sea of Stone to conquer the dwarves.¡± Bron added.
¡°That¡¯s where Leifa and Leza are patrolling right?¡± Laguna said, setting her drink down.
As one they looked at one another and nodded before standing up.
¡°Sorry Sonya, emergency.¡± Tili said as she stood on her toes to put a silver coin on the bar.
Niiya and I strolled along the winding path of soft moss and fragrant flowers of one of the several tiny villages built high in the boughs of the celestial oak. Many of the angelic looking residents stopped to stare at us with intensely curious expressions, and I realized later that Niiya and I were likely the only non celestial beings they had ever seen. They must have been under strict instructions to leave us be, because no one approached us. They were polite and courteous, answering questions quickly and concisely before excusing themselves.
Niiya ran from edge to edge of the giant branch, peering over the sides in wonder that she couldn¡¯t even see the ground. The various boughs and depressions were filled with soil and planted with fruit trees and colorful flowers. The buildings were made to compliment the flow and structure of the tree itself, and were easy to miss at first glance. Floating wisps glowed gently, illuminating the shadowy landscape in soft golden light. Niiya touched one. It vibrated and jerked away, almost looking indignant. She giggled and touched it again before it left fully in an obvious huff. Her joy and wonder were infectious, and I found myself smiling ear to ear.
I watched her be a kid, understanding just how fleeting and precious a thing it is to see in any universe, in any multiverse for that matter. This was a springtime moment that we somehow captured so late in autumn. We were a mile above the cold ground -Me a beat down, jaded old loner and her- a kid torn from innocence too soon and tossed into the rusted food processor we call existence. Somehow some wires got crossed and just for a second we were allowed some happiness, untainted and pure.
What was this to us? I could never really know it fully at that time but thinking back now it was the last time for a very long time that Niiya and I were able to smile and not because we just got splashed with some warm, wet, sweet vengeance. Cue up ¡°The Devil¡¯s Right Hand¡± by Johnny Cash.
33: Episode 4: Blood and Stone
Prologue
Leifa the cambion hovered high in the cold late fall sky looking down at the moving black river of flesh and steel that was fast flooding into the Sea of Stone from the northeast. The party of cat folk adventurers from Ariel¡¯s Gate hadn¡¯t exaggerated in their dire warning earlier that afternoon. Their numbers must have been over thirty thousand, divided into two clearly different groups. Marching in front were huge men and women practically naked aside from the animal furs they wore over their privates. They were northerners, savage barbarians that had once pillaged and plundered the entire continent before being beaten back by the first crusibilis knights. Now it seemed they had finally been subjugated and were being used as front line shock troops.
Behind the barbarians, marching in distinct ranks were the disciplined knights and regular soldiers of the northern kingdom¡¯s army. Given the size of this invasion, those men would represent about twenty percent of the kingdom¡¯s total armed forces with the rest spread across the great desert or besieging the dwarven capital. Leifa was a reasonably well educated woman, and she knew a good deal about global politics. King Gault¡¯s dream of a single unified kingdom on this continent was slowly coming to pass. If he were to subjugate the dwarves and giants of the Sea of Stone, he could then feed the war he truly desired against the the other two major continents.
She finished taking stock of what she was seeing and quickly took flight back in the direction of EDEN. She needed to get word to Tabula and Raj. Many hidden dwarven communities were near the path that army would roll over, and her Master was far away and had taken Niiya, their only means of contacting him along. They were scheduled to return tomorrow but how many lives might be lost before then?
She landed lightly in the courtyard of EDEN, and returned a friendly wave from a group of dwarven traders as they exited the building. They had adapted to the demonic appearance of her more powerful form remarkably fast.
The moment the doors closed behind her, she wasted no time in calling out to EDEN¡¯s all powerful administrator.
¡°Lady Tabula, there is an emergency.¡± She began earnestly. ¡°I would like all capable people to meet me in Conference Room 2 immediately.¡±
Unsurprisingly, several people beat her to the conference room. Raj, Hurstag, Leza and all four of her Hellcat sisters, Sapphire, and nine Cambions whom happened to be nearby were all present and anxiously awaiting her report. She waited until the remaining people that were on site arrived before she began speaking, however. Several newer faces, adventurers from Ariel¡¯s Gate and even a famous party of A ranked adventurers from Crown City had joined their ranks in the past week. Only five Cambions, and the two dark elves were absent, away on missions to spread the word of welcome to the residents of the Sea of Stone.
¡°Thirty thousand enemies are marching hard into the Sea of Stone.¡± Leifa raised her voice to share her report. ¡°The terrain is holding them back somewhat. The narrow canyons and steep climbs will perhaps give us an extra day before they reach the first reclaimed dwarven settlement. I propose sending our fastest out to warn and evacuate as many as possible while another group slows them down with hit and run tactics. Let them arrive frustrated, only to find empty villages to conquer.¡±
¡°Their aim is most likely to group up with the main force surrounding Grandring, and finally break the siege.¡± Sapphire noted, and many nodded. ¡°Even if they¡¯re weak individually, a force of that size will be difficult to defeat.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t we disrupt their supply chains?¡± Lora, a red haired Cambion asked. ¡°If they can¡¯t eat, they can¡¯t very well fight.¡±
¡°They will be utilizing specialist mages able to conjure food and purify water.¡± Raj said sourly. ¡°They are rare, and guarded as fiercely as the king himself.¡± It was a sore topic to the tengu. The reason she had been banished from the inner ring was a proposal she had once drafted, suggesting that just one such mage be used to ease the poverty of citizens in the outer communities.
¡°As I see it, you ladies capable of flight can scatter, get ahead of them easily enough, and warn the people in the army¡¯s path.¡± Hurstag said after a moment of silence. ¡°You Hellcat¡¯s can hit the rear of their force hard enough to make them look back, and get away before they organize a defense. In the best case scenario, a big chunk of their force might even chase you back here. We can evacuate Ariel¡¯s gate in under two hours thanks to all the drills we¡¯ve been holding. Tabula, what kind of force do you imagine EDEN could repel?¡± He asked a question that had crossed the mind of most that had looked upon the odd building.
¡°Rain alone is more than a human army of this world can likely handle.¡± Tabula said simply. It wasn¡¯t a boast, just a fact.
¡°Can¡¯t we just turn EDEN into a wagon like when we first met if that¡¯s the case?¡± A normally quiet Hellcat named Asha asked with a raised hand.
¡°Only the master of EDEN may reconfigure or deploy it.¡± Tabula answered.
¡°Then in the meantime, let¡¯s just take Mr. Hurstag¡¯s suggestion.¡± Leza said, clearly growing impatient. ¡°Maybe we can lure some of them back here.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll raise the alert level in Ariel¡¯s Gate to maximum.¡± Hurstag said, hopping down from his chair. ¡°Let¡¯s keep sticking thorns on that king¡¯s glowing arse.¡±
Chapter 1: The Immortal General
Commander Kane had never been a meek man. He had risen through the ranks of the Gault Kingdom¡¯s armed forces through sheer force of determination and aggressive ambition. He carried himself with confidence in the face of any enemy, regardless of their power. That unshakable attitude he believed would one day land him in the ranks of the Crusbilis knights. The goal had seemed attainable even after meeting Gespar, who Kane secretly believed he could have beaten in a fair fight. It held firm after meeting the Green Knights, who also didn¡¯t seem so physically imposing even if their more subtle skills made them a fearsome force.
Today Kane rode behind the subordinate of the Red Knight, a man (to use the term loosely) that all but shattered Kane¡¯s delusions of grandeur.
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General Orkas was a monstrous creature. He towered a foot over even the legendary General Trasana, a nearly eight foot tall amazon warrior priestess and must have weighed six hundred pounds without a single wasted ounce. His features were buried beneath his blood red and black spiked full plate mail. His helm was a blank mask of the same red metal with no eye or mouth holes, fueling the rumors that he was in fact not human at all but some ancient construct or perhaps a death knight born from an extinct race of men. He was an unearthly quiet man as well, an unconventional trait for a general perhaps but then again there were only ever the same orders when it came to following Orkas into battle. Don¡¯t get too close, and clean up the meager scraps he might leave behind.
The legends surrounding him were astounding. He had toppled entire countries, and by any sane measure should be standing among the elite of the Crusibilis Knights. He had not, and would never accept such a promotion though. His service was sworn to the Red Knight and no one else. Kane had never seen the Red Knight, and the only description he could get from those that had simply said ¡®You¡¯ll just have to see for yourself.¡¯ when prodded. Apparently the mysterious leader of this army was somewhere nearby but Kane had no clue who they might be.
As of now, Orkas rode alone at the head of the line of soldiers and enslaved Northerners. The beast beneath him was a dire rhino from the Eastern Continent, a beast so powerful and heavily armored that Kane shuddered at the mere thought of being in its path. It had Two horns of descending size with the larger one on its snout measuring at least five feet with a wickedly sharp tip, and a second smaller one between its small dark eyes. Whenever the breeze shifted and put Kane downwind of the enormous man and his equally fearsome mount, a sickly sweet scent of carrion and rust assaulted his nose. Kane knew one thing for certain. With General Orkas on their side and the fighters at their command, he couldn¡¯t imagine any force of dwarves, giants, or demons that stood a chance.
The gigantic knight suddenly halted his mount and held up a spiked gauntlet, stopping the entire army¡¯s march. He held up three fingers and pointed to the right of the road at a seemingly blank section of the cliff face that the road hugged. Two brown robed figures that had been trailing just behind Kane reacted instantly by rushing up to the wall, mumbling incantations as they did so. A nearly twenty foot square section of the cliff vanished, revealing a gaping tunnel cut perfectly into the mountain stone. After another gesture, a group of ten specialist soldiers wearing dark stained leather and cloth armor vanished silently into the darkness. A single soldier returned around five minutes later, she spoke with a mechanical monotone.
¡°Another abandoned settlement, General Orkas.¡± She said as she knelt alarmingly close to the dire rhino¡¯s flaring nostrils. ¡°Thirty domiciles and two shops. Many valuables remain and the departure seems to have been made in excessive haste.¡±
¡°Someone is running just ahead of us and warning the enemy.¡± Kane muttered.
Orkas made a rumbling noise, a low and irritated growl that never left his immense chest. He then reached down into one of the dark leather saddlebags near his right thigh and produced a strange and roughly carved figurine with a vaguely humanoid shape. He tossed it to the ground where it shattered. Moments later, a circle of stony earth ten meters across suddenly turned to wet churning mud that began to rise in a column like a slow motion geyser. Features slowly emerged, and hardened. Another moment later, there stood a greater earth elemental. It was a twenty meter tall colossal denizen of the plane of earth and stone, an S class monster comparable to a natural disaster in destructive potential.
It turned its featureless gaze to Orkas¡¯ blank helm and seemed to take some direction from the silence, for it immediately dove into the earth like a person into a pool. Kane could sense the monster¡¯s presence fast fading to the south and knew that their enemies were in for a terrible day.
¡°I¡¯m going to do one last sweep to make sure no one is left behind.¡± The speaker was a cambion named Meri. She was a soft spoken and kind hearted former mother of two sons that were lost to the Warlord¡¯s horde. She brushed her long rust colored bangs away from her demonic eyes which couldn¡¯t quite hide her sweet nature.
¡°Don¡¯t take too long, Mama Meri. I have a gut feeling we don¡¯t have as much time as we think.¡± Leifa replied using the pet name Meri had earned by always being a mother hen to the rest of the traumatized women. Leifa hovered five meters above the deserted dwarven village street. She was casually demonstrating her immense talent with her demonic anti gravity magic by holding more than a score of wide eyed dwarves aloft with her as she spoke.
¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± Meri assured, turning away as she began to fly north where she suspected some of the larger homes might still have people hiding.
Her instincts proved correct, she found a dwarven woman with three young children on the outskirts of the village. The woman clutched a sturdy square sided mace and stubbornly refused to flee.
¡°I was you, once.¡± Meri said firmly. ¡°I believed my home was worth defending.¡±
¡°No demon¡¯s honeyed words are gonna trick me into going easy into their ovens for supper.¡± The dwarf spat and positioned herself firmly between Meri and the dwarflings.
Meri was going to say more, convince the woman that she could be trusted when a sudden tremor tickled her senses. The dwarven woman must have felt it too, because she looked at her feet in confusion.
¡°You three are coming with me. Come comfortably, or come screaming.¡± Meri spread her black leathery wings, and the building began to creak, and cracks suddenly spread in every direction along the walls. A second of silence followed and then the top of the house flew into the sky as Meri¡¯s magic carried it away.
The three dwarves did begin to scream as their bodies left the comfort of the solid earth. The bottom of the sturdy structure exploded in that moment. Debris and a cloud of tan dust pelted Meri and the dwarves as they rapidly ascended. A stone head, enormous and crudely shaped in the likeness of a man appeared within the cloud followed by literal boulder shoulders and a torso that would have dwarfed the destroyed home. Meri reacted instantly by sending the dwarves floating as far as her magic could reach before letting them down gently on a roof top before flying in the opposite direction. Her instincts told her that she was the strange monster¡¯s target.
A sudden violent gravitational pull sent her plummeting toward the ground. It took all of her might to keep from cracking into the stone. She landed hard, and bunched up her legs to spring back into the air. The creature was twenty meters away, and she thought she had enough time. Unfortunately that distance was but a step and swipe away, and the tips of stony fingers that must have weighed a ton each clipped Meri with enough force to send her spinning violently into and through the wall of a nearby house.
She was hurt. Her right arm and wing both dangled uselessly at her side and a few ribs were surely broken. That said, Meri was made of tougher stuff than the average person and she was smiling grimly as she yanked the cork of a potion out with her sharp teeth. She drank the contents and tossed the empty bottle aside, it scattered into golden dust and vanished as it hit the floor. With her body fully healed, she wasted no time in rushing out the open window opposite the hole she had created with her body. Half a second later, the home was reduced to fine rubble by a two armed overhead smash by the earth elemental.
The elemental¡¯s blank faced gaze slowly panned back and forth then upward, homing in on Meri as she flew frantically to gain as much altitude as possible in hopes of evading the strange gravity power. She felt the tug briefly but sighed in relief as it lessened. She turned in flight just in time to see a boulder rapidly growing in size as it rocketed toward her with the speed of a cannonball. She rolled to evade it but the sheer force of the wind as it passed caused her to tumble out of control and lose some precious altitude.
A sudden and probably foolish idea came to her then. If earth elementals were empowered by the earth, what if they were detached from it? She steeled herself for the immense drain of Soul Energy and directed her anti gravity magic on the colossal body. It didn¡¯t so much as quiver at first, but then slowly it began to rise, caught in a column of powerful anti gravity magic. Each meter was agony for Meri. Sweat beaded on her face as though she were lifting the creature conventionally.
The elemental went berserk. It thrashed and roared with a volume that echoed across the Sea of Stone for miles around, but still it rose. When Meri¡¯s Soul Energy finally ran out, the elemental was fifty meters high, and its movements had become strangely stiff. Each weak twitch sent brittle shards of sandstone out from it, as though the power that animated it were weakening and returning it to simple stone. It appeared to all the world like a dying thing, and victory seemed at hand.
Then Meri¡¯s spell failed. The unfathomably heavy body, still using its own gravity magic to struggle against its ascent suddenly shot toward the ground with enough velocity to create a sonic boom. Meri flinched for the inevitable impact and felt a shock wave like nothing she had ever imagined possible hit her with enough force to blast her into unconsciousness.
How long had passed she couldn¡¯t know when her heavy eyelids slowly opened. She was inside one of the buildings of the village. Her eyes found focus slowly and then widened in shock and revulsion. The dwarven woman, and both of her children were dead on the floor before her. They had clearly been tortured. Garish wounds, missing digits and much worse were plainly displayed all over their poor mangled bodies. Only then did Meri realize that her hands and feet were bound to a wooden chair and she was back in her human form.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, gorgeous.¡± A croaking voice from the open door heralded the appearance of a red robed man, with features hidden under layers of cloth. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you like them, but by this time tomorrow you¡¯ll be begging me to. They certainly did. My name is Petracide, an agent of the kingdom¡¯s special intelligence extraction unit. You and I are about to become very well acquainted.¡±
34: Zurg: The Cyclops King
¡°How is it possible that the Ash Huntress is here with you?¡± Lady Saet, the ruler of the celestial beings in this area asked me bluntly as we both watched Niiya at play with a group of four young celestials. They were flying as gracefully as sparrows as she leaped from one enormous branch to another in a game of tag. The display of agility was otherworldly in normal terms but the winged boys and girl were in another league entirely while airborne. ¡°And in the body of that little girl as well.¡± She added.
¡°Niiya¡¯s title and powers came with her evolution when I gave her my brand. The process made it sound like Ash Huntress was a species rather than a specific individual.¡± I replied, recalling the info panels when she had evolved.
Saet made a bemused clucking sound and shook her head. ¡°A race of Ash Huntresses? No, Count. The Ash Huntress is a very specific spirit being named Azitet. She is a vengeful and monstrously powerful entity, and falling within her Ashen Nightmare spells doom for all but the mightiest demons. For Niiya to gain that title and ability is beyond unprecedented. She is very young now, and her power is immature. Ashen Nightmare grows by devouring negative emotion, and then manifesting it as physical phenomenon. Would you be willing to ask her to do something for the sake of my curiosity?¡± She asked in a brighter tone.
¡°If it¡¯s a reasonable ask then sure. You can call me Gray by the way¡± I answered with a cocked eyebrow. Where was she going with this?
¡°Could you ask her to come and summon an enemy she absorbed with her domain?¡± She requested with a winning smile.
I sent a telepathic call to Niiya, and she instantly broke off pursuit of the celestial girl and appeared before us less than a second later.
¡°Lady Saet has a favor to ask.¡± I said out loud, more to prompt Saet than inform Niiya.
The dark skinned cat girl looked up just slightly to stare at Saet expectantly. It was a grown up expression a million years removed from the tiny terrified child that had once clung to my pant leg for dear life. It wasn¡¯t just her expression that was growing up at an unnatural rate. Her body was now at least that of a fifteen year old. She would probably never be very tall but she was very nearly five feet now, and the size of her hands and feet indicated she still had some more growing to do. She was going to be a looker, that much was clear even to me, and the constant glances the celestial boys were giving her were all too obvious. Saet¡¯s voice interrupted my observations.
¡°Niiya, could I see one of the enemies you have in your domain?¡± She asked as though she were speaking to an adult.
¡°They¡¯re not enemies anymore.¡± Niiya answered easily. ¡°They¡¯re friends but I know what you mean.¡± She finished by holding her right hand out with her palm facing away.
A thick plume of ash poured from her palm, and quickly took the shape of something immense in size. The silhouette was at least fifteen feet tall. The figure became more defined, and then too defined. It was a moonwolf, but nothing like anything I could have imagined. It was pure nightmare fuel, with exaggerated teeth and claws both dripping nearly black blood. It was powerful too, I could sense the strength without needing Appraisal.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful, and just as I thought.¡± Saet muttered as she closely examined the summoned beast. ¡°The monsters are as they appeared to Niiya as a small and vulnerable child. This is truly amazing. The fact that creatures appear altered as she perceives them means that this domain may scale with the amount of emotional control and mental focus she is able to achieve.¡± She turned back to Niiya and gave a gracious nod. ¡°Thank you, that is all I wanted to see.¡±
As Niiya absorbed the ash back into her hand, a deafening horn sounded. The immediate reaction of every nearby celestial made me recognize the alarm for what it was. They immediately took wing and flew with remarkable coordination high up and out of sight.
¡°We¡¯re under attack.¡± Saet said. ¡°This must be a retaliation from Zurg.¡±
¡°In that case I should probably lend a hand.¡± I said, drawing a knowing look from the celestial ruler.
¡°Do as you please, Count.¡± She said with a light shake of her golden tresses. ¡°I must report to the throne room at once.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll head south to slow them down, Niiya I want you to protect Lady Saet in the throne room. Don¡¯t let any enemies near her.¡± I hoped I was hiding my real selfish intentions of keeping her out of the main fight well enough.
Niiya¡¯s face screwed up and I was sure a protest was forthcoming, but she instead bit her lip and nodded firmly. ¡°Save me a cyclops, if you get rid of them all I won¡¯t have one.¡±
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So that was her worry, that I was going to annihilate them all before she could add one to her menagerie. I couldn¡¯t blame her at all. I went through a pretty intense Pokemon phase once too.
With a long hug and a kiss on my cheek, she released me and allowed Lady Saet to carry her princess style as she flew away to the hidden throne room.
Without the distraction, I could now feel the vibrations. Even all the way up here, hundreds of meters above the ground I could feel the menacing approach of the enemy.
My instincts sped my flight as I leaped off of the wide bough that supported a whole village and a grassy park. I flew through the massive canopy of the celestial oak, noting the precise evacuations of the thousands of citizens and the mobilization of the winged soldiers.
A few minutes later I was free of the tree and speeding toward the great dome barrier protecting the area. I passed through it effortlessly thanks to the token Saet had gifted to me as thanks for defeating the cyclops general Thurg. I reached the clear cut, desolate territory of the cyclops a few minutes later and beheld a sight I was absolutely not prepared for. A cyclops army, nearly a thousand of the colossal brutes stood in an alarmingly ordered formation facing north.
Before them, the ground was darkened by a sea of smaller monsters. With my empowered vision I could tell that these weren¡¯t mere orcs or gnolls, but demons from the far southern territory. They were all of the same species. While tiny next to the cyclops, they would dwarf a human and their four lanky arms were covered in black feathers and ended in grotesque bone hooks. Their heads were that of a mutant crow with a long razor sharp beak. I recognized them from EG instantly. They were known as flayer demons, but some clever dnd fan had dubbed them ¡®rook horrors¡¯ as they looked like a cross between a crow and that iconic underground monster. It was typical to find them in large groups but this was unprecedented. There was no sign of the infamous Zurg, but I could sense a serious power on the ground within the swarm of rook horrors. Try as I might I couldn¡¯t get a bead on it, though.
I took several deep breaths, drank my pre-combat elixirs, and pulled out Charon¡¯s Call. It was time to unleash the full scale destruction of the weapon.
*Equipped: Charon¡¯s Call - Spear
(Item Score 899) Skin: Default
Damage (Physical): 416
Damage (Soul): 280
Indestructible
¡°And those living souls that would dare parade themselves before the sordid god Charon shall be regarded as the most unfortunate in all of Creation.¡±
Charon¡¯s Call: Cooldown 23h:59m:59s
Just like before, black clouds gathered heralded by a disembodied choir of sirens¡¯ singing. Charon descended in all of his wretched and epic glory. Chains wound down from the great black metal rings in his six bone hands, infinite and seeking flesh to eviscerate. The vision was enough to make the blood of any sane creature run cold.
As one, the thousands of demonic eyes of the rook horrors and the beach ball sized eyes of the cyclops looked up. The monsters weren¡¯t stunned by the siren¡¯s song as the weak human soldiers had been. They showed no fear, or even surprise. It was then that I noticed something very odd. Their movements were synchronized. It looked like a lazily animated CGI army where each soldier had simply been copy pasted from the one next to it. Many enemies were destroyed in the next moments. The chains of Charon turned black with the blood of demons as at least a thousand were consumed. It was barely a dent in their forces though, and I grew more uneasy as simultaneously every single monster acted at once with mechanical precision. Rook horrors began climbing the chains, leaping high and using their bone hooks to climb the chains with startling agility.
Never in all of the times I had used Charon¡¯s Call did I imagine that it could be the target of attacks itself. The hook horrors swarmed like angry ants, using the chains and their own dead comrades as a ladder. In that chaotic moment, another sensation entered my mind. The power I had sensed among them earlier began to grow, and consolidate in a single spot on the ground. I peered with all my might and finally glimpsed the source. A cyclops, but it was tiny. It was literally the size of a dwarf, but its eye glowed deep red and the power rolling off of it was at least as strong as mine. That couldn¡¯t be...
¡°Appraisal¡± I said, feeling my throat tighten for the first time in a long time. Something about this thing was setting my instincts off in a big way. The data that was displayed made me realize something that I had been unsure of. This new body could indeed produce a cold sweat.
Zurg
Flesh Titan Progress to Next Evolution: 80%
Level: 6 XP: 40% to Next Level
Life: 66,300/66,300 Soul Energy 1920/1920
Strength: 985
Endurance: 16,575
Agility: 4,599
Soul: 480
Skills:
Royalty-Monster King: All nearby monsters are compelled to obey you implicitly.
Blood Link (Requires Royalty): All creatures affected by your Royalty skill may be possessed and controlled by you directly. While controlling a monster, you gain a portion of their Endurance and Health. When a Blood Linked creature dies, gained Endurance becomes permanent.
Mass Manipulation: Alter the volume of your body. Reducing volume reduces Strength and increases Agility and vice versa.
Rapid Regeneration III: Regenerate (15%) of Maximum Health every second.
Overfiend¡¯s Blessing: Resist (50%) of all Elemental, Celestial, and Infernal Damage.
Perfect Mental Resistance 10/10 (World Boss): Immune to all Fear, Charm, and Confusion effects.
Titan Flesh: Immune to normal weapons and weak magic.
Remember way back when I told you that highly evolved World Bosses weren¡¯t something to fight, but rather avoid at all costs? This right here was a pretty solid example of that. That being said, I was grinning ear to ear as I read it. Now this was a BOSS, a fuck you don¡¯t even try boss. This was a one shot killer with defenses stacked so thick, even Fromsoft would say ¡®Maybe dial this one back a bit¡¯. This was a no save, disc 3 Ruby Weapon and baby it was all mine.
35: No Such Thing as Indestructible
The rook horrors eventually reached their destination. After perhaps two thousand of them perished on the infinite chains the first bony hook touched the slick black bone finger of Charon, and exploded into a black mist. I sighed in relief, I wasn¡¯t sure what might happen but apparently touching the waters of the river of the dead was a bad move.
I refocused my attention on their leader who hadn¡¯t yet noticed me. He seemed to believe Charon was the enemy, and his focus showed a great deal of intelligence and respect for his adversary. That was troublesome. It went against my preconception of a cyclops king being a big nasty dunce.
The army of cyclops joined in the effort then, gripping the chains and using the rook horrors stuck to them as insulating grips as they attempted to simply pull Charon from the sky. It was an absurd tactic and I gulped when the immense skeletal avatar actually shivered a bit under the pressure. A red glow appeared in the eye sockets like before, but I waited. The more Charon consumed before triggering the second half of the attack, the stronger it would be.
¡°The One Who Weeps!¡± The deafening call came from Zurg. ¡°You are powerful indeed! But Zurg is the strongest!¡±
It was in that moment that Zurg began to grow, rapidly dwarfing the other cyclops until they only reached his thigh. Even with his feet on the ground, his eye was now level with Charon¡¯s bone sternum. With his magnified features, I could now see the flaming runes tattooed onto his skin, and the massive horns that jutted from his brow and jaw. Epic and horrible would be a sad understatement.
When he moved, the wind changed direction. When he stepped, the ground rolled in waves like the surface of a lake after a stone was thrown in. He reached up to grab Charon, and on instinct I unleashed the second part of Charon¡¯s skill.
Zurg¡¯s hands sizzled and black flames erupted where he gripped the titanic skeleton but he simply growled and began to pull Charon down. Charon¡¯s mouth opened wide, and a black wave of the purest essence of death and decay flooded forth like a billion liters of vomit. It washed over Zurg and he roared. It was a sound that would shake the stones for miles around. The wave of death flooded the ground below, turning the cyclops and thousands of rook horrors to nothingness like cotton candy in water.
Beyond all possible reason, Zurg still held his grip onto Charon¡¯s rib cage. His skin and much of his flesh had been dissolved away. His bones and tendons were exposed and slick with gore and the black liquid death. Steam rolled off of him from everywhere, making the entire scene a surreal haze. Somehow his great blood red eye was intact and glaring up at Charon from within the wretched and exposed skull.
¡°Zhuurg SHTRONGEST!¡± He somehow roared as blood poured from the hole where the skin under his chin had once been. My own mouth fell open in that moment as Zurg wrenched with all his strength, and Charon fell from the sky to shatter into countless black fragments on the ground.
This all happened in the span of a moment, and I was paralyzed with disbelief at what I was witnessing. A sudden sting in my right hand where I held the spear snapped me back to reality. Cracks were forming in the dark wood of the handle and all the way up to the tip. Black light was flooding from those cracks. ¡°Shi...!¡± I yelled and tried to throw the weapon away too late.
I felt damage and pain on a scale I was not familiar with. It was physical, and something far worse. As the supposedly indestructible item exploded, I felt it deal damage to my very essence as a being.
Soul Damage was something that had been an abstract to me, a useful stat that bypassed annoying resistances. Now I understood. Soul Damage was to be feared on a different level. I could feel memories leave me, my willingness to exist begin to unravel, and I felt so very tired and alone. It was despair and terror, a glimpse into the paradoxical nothingness that by its own definition cannot exist. It felt like an eternity in that moment, but in reality it only lasted for the amount of time it took for the explosion to propel me perhaps a dozen feet through the air.
I recovered, but was seriously hurt. My right hand was numb, and black as a lump of coal. It looked like the worst case of frost bite you could ever imagine. I could feel that perhaps half of my health was missing, but my regeneration wasn¡¯t recovering it. The blast had also canceled my cloak¡¯s camouflage and I was exposed for the first time.
Zurg didn¡¯t even care. He threw his head back and screamed in triumph and pain. He should be regenerating too but he wasn¡¯t. Something was happening to the cyclops king though, something very bad for me and the world at large. Black tendrils were erupting all over his body. Killing Charon had pushed Zurg into evolution.
Inside the throne room, somewhere near the center of the celestial oak, eighty of the most important celestials gathered to assess the threat and their response to it. The room was roughly twenty meters in diameter, and floating in the air at the very center was a white crystal acorn surrounded by a barrier similar to the one surrounding the tree itself. Saet took her place on the throne, and Niiya promptly followed her and took a position of readiness at her right hand. A trio of armed guards reacted as if to remove her. A glance in their direction from Saet was all it took to freeze them in their tracks.
¡°She has standing orders from her master to protect me. Simple rumor should let you know who that might be.¡± Saet let a slight smile touch her lips. ¡°She stays with me, not that we could do much about it anyways.¡±
Niiya watched the room with razor sharp focus. Should she use her domain right now? Something was making her skin tingle, a deep instinct was telling her that there was danger among them. Her Avenger skill allowed her to sense when any specific creature had the intent to commit violence, and that skill was beginning to fire warnings from just beyond the open double doors to the throne room.
¡°There¡¯s danger coming.¡± Niiya whispered to Saet as she focused on the door. She lowered her stance and narrowed her eyes, ready to act at any second.
¡°What!?¡± Saet urgently asked in reply. ¡°No enemies can pass through the barrier without my knowledge.¡± She sounded skeptical but concerned.
Her younger sister Athana, the General of Intelligence entered at that moment. Saet sighed. The little girl had to be mistaken.
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¡°Athana, we need your eyes dear sister. Zurg has finally made his move...¡± Saet greeted her, and her voice trailed off as she looked more closely at the woman she had known from birth. Her eyes were hard, her jaw was clenched, and in her hand was a very specific artifact weapon. ¡°No, Athana. Please tell me this isn¡¯t you.¡± Tears formed in Saet¡¯s eyes as a glorious and gently curved sword made of pure starlight appeared in her hand.
¡°I must end this prison you have built around us, and finally that fool of an infernal has given me my chance.¡± Athana growled in determination. ¡°I would destroy the very world if it meant flying free from this hell with my real body for just one minute, and with this gift I shall do just that.¡± She hefted the weapon, which looked like a short handled spear studded in rubies and practically dripping with dark enchantment. ¡°Hamathael¡¯s Talon, the weapon you looted from Kutris and so carelessly kept in this tree has told me its secrets, that it can even kill you.¡± She hefted the weapon to throw, and dark ash began to flood the area.
Suddenly Niiya sensed violent intent from more than a score of other celestials in the room. Their focus was not the traitorous Athana, but Saet herself. It would be an ambush from all sides. There was a microsecond of tension that felt much longer, and then the whole room exploded into action.
The spear flew, and Niiya conjured a rapidly expanding wall of solid ash around her and Saet. She herself flew into the celestial ruler, pulling her to the side as the ring of ash knocked every celestial around them back several feet. Unfortunately Niiya was mistaken. Saet had never been the target of that throw. The tip of Hamathael¡¯s Talon, a weapon of such legendary power that it was able to pierce the flesh of the greater gods broke through the supposedly indestructible concentrated barrier surrounding the celestial acorn and scratched its surface. The weapon turned dull, and the rubies glittered no more as it clattered to the floor. The acorn began to slowly follow it down, red light permeating it like blood dripped into a clear glass of water. It came to rest lightly on the rich woven rug below where it had once hovered, and broke into two lifeless halves. An agonized cry penetrated the ashes. It was a strangled sob from the lips of Saet as she weakly dropped to one knee.
¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done...¡± It was a little more than a pained whisper. ¡°I can never forgive this.¡±
¡°You won¡¯t live to forgive it.¡± Athana grimly retorted. ¡°Kill the dryas! Kill the infernal¡¯s pet!¡±
¡°You really think you few can defeat me?¡± Saet growled. ¡°You forget your place.¡±
¡°Us few?¡± Athana laughed as she repeated. Several black disks appeared around the room at that moment. ¡°The barrier is gone, old foolish woman. You¡¯ll never be able to manifest your true self in time to stop us all. The hells come for you now, and they thirst for your blood.¡±
Huge scaly hands with dark claws appeared at the edges of one portal and Saet grimaced.
¡°Niiya, run!¡± She shouted. ¡°Use your powers to evade them and flee this place. Run to your master and get far away from this valley.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t¡± The words came as a deep and throaty growl. Niiya had disappeared from sight, hidden perfectly in her domain. Her presence had dispersed, creating a stifling sensation as though she were always standing just behind each enemy. ¡°No enemies will get near you. Gray said so. I can¡¯t make Gray a liar.¡±
¡°Never mind that!¡± Saet pleaded. ¡°There are demons coming through those portals, powerful demons!¡±
As if her words were the cue, a huge crocodilian head emerged from the two dimensional black disc. Its eyes gleamed with evil cunning, and its massive neck bulged with muscle. It was too late. The beast was a threshodon, a low noble class demon with wicked magic and crushing power. On its own there wouldn¡¯t be much threat to Saet but every portal was now showing signs of the same. She opened her mouth to beg Niiya to flee one final time but simply left her mouth hanging open at what she saw then.
A dark armored figure appeared next to the threshodon as it emerged from the portal. It was a huge knight, over eight feet tall with blackness glowing from within the eyes of the full helmet it wore. Blood leaked from the armor¡¯s joints and beneath the helm as the ashen knight raised its longsword and swung it down silently, shearing the crocodilian head cleanly off with a spray of black blood. Everyone in the room was similarly shocked, and froze for just a moment as the head heavily hit the floor. Ash instantly covered the exposed torso and head of the threshodon and it twitched before rising easily and bending down to retrieve its own head. It calmly placed the head back on its shoulders, and the eyes glowed the same color as the knight¡¯s. It turned, and took a silent stalking step in the direction of Athana. The ash thickened then, obscuring the scene as the woman shrieked and a piercing wolf¡¯s howl shook the room.
This power, this horror, this nightmare was so far beyond what the girl had displayed in the park and Saet realized she had been hiding it all along. Ashen Nightmare¡¯s strength was based on the pain and trauma the wielder had witnessed or endured. What had she seen? What hell had she been through? Saet¡¯s heart ached for the child even as her enemies were being ruthlessly destroyed and grotesquely reanimated by her.
The nightmare dragged on, the sounds increasing in intensity and brutality with each second. Saet couldn¡¯t see a thing, and realized now that Niiya was manipulating the space itself. She could isolate beings from one another and decide who encountered what and when. Domains truly were in their own league.
She quickly came to her senses. Eventually Niiya¡¯s Soul Energy would deplete and the power would fail. Saet¡¯s power was sealed away in the tree itself, nurturing it and the entire region. She would need to reclaim some of that strength to stop her enemies before Niiya could endure no more. Determination lit the face of the Celestia Dryas in that moment. She would not waste a single second more of the time the brave girl was buying her.
A third eye, blazing with celestial power slowly opened on Saet¡¯s forehead and the entire jungle quaked at the awakening of the celestial queen.
¡°Ahh finally, a competent tool does their job properly.¡± A cool, overly cultured voice cut through the ashes and Saet¡¯s blood ran cold. She didn¡¯t answer, and continued focusing on her ritual.
¡°Oh, little Azitet also came to play?¡± The voice sounded surprised. ¡°I guess my little niece finally got bored of slaughtering her way through The Pit.¡± The voice suddenly rose in pitch as though speaking to a cute pet. ¡°Azi dear, it¡¯s uncle Hamathael you can come out of your domain now. You know I can¡¯t see a thing in here. Hey that looks like one of my Threshodons, you know better than that - and it nipped me! This is no time for one of your pranks Azi, now I mean it come out this instant! I didn¡¯t want to do this since it¡¯s been so many years but.¡± The sound of fingers snapping ended the sentence, and suddenly the ash dissipated.
Niiya and the dozen living guards that hadn¡¯t fled and remained to defend Saet reappeared and collapsed unconscious. There was no sight of any other traitors or demonic invaders other than a single man, though he was a man in appearance alone. This was Hamathael, an overfiend invited to this realm by Saet¡¯s own traitorous sister.
He appeared as a tall and well built human man in the gentlemanly years of life. His thick hair was meticulously combed and black with streaks of gray. The robust mustachio on his strong featured face was also salt and pepper in color. He wore a pristine white suit complete with an embroidered white cape and a thin blood red tie. His posture told the story of a man that had spent a thousand years looking down on everyone and everything. His hands were folded behind his back and a confident smile curved his full lips. His eyes betrayed his true nature though. The pupils were the same red as his tie, and his irises were startling white. Where the whites should have been was inky blackness.
He scanned the room with those eyes, growing confusion apparent on his face. Then his gaze settled on the small cat girl and the confusion deepened to open mouthed disbelief.
¡°Another Ash Huntress, and born in the realm of mortals?¡± His expression changed from confusion to one of wicked delight. ¡°What a lovely pet for me to groom!¡±
¡°You will not have her.¡± Saet growled, finally drawing the man¡¯s attention.
¡°Saet?¡± Hamathael squinted as though struggling to spot a gnat buzzing about the room. ¡°My how weak you¡¯ve become since we last met.¡±
¡°You mean since you called a meeting for peace and stabbed me in the back before unleashing The Worm to reduce the Great Rakashi Forest to lifeless dirt?¡±
¡°Well yes, obviously then.¡± The man chuckled lightly. ¡°What a fun day that was! How long ago was that, a hundred years?¡±
¡°Two thousand, four hundred, and seventy years.¡± Saet replied coldly. She hated this, but needed to keep him talking for just a few more moments.
¡°My the centuries pass like falling leaves, do they not?¡± Hamathael laughed lightly. ¡°My apologies, such an insensitive analogy. What¡¯s that you¡¯re doing there?¡±
Saet¡¯s smile then was wide and wicked. The room fell into darkness for a moment as the wisps lighting the room suddenly zipped away in panic. The great tree groaned in protest under its own weight for the first time in its infinite life as all of the primordial energy of its being flowed into Saet¡¯s tiny body.
Three eyes opened and brilliant blue light blazed from within them. The gaze illuminated Hamathael like a stage performer under a spotlight.
¡°You did THAT!?¡± The overfiend balked incredulously. ¡°You just extinguished the life of every plant and animal in the valley just to settle things with me? Not very celestial of you, Saet.¡±
¡°Do you know why that ritual takes so long?¡± Saet asked. The voice sounded like wind through the trees, and vibrated with perfect harmony. ¡°It is because I must reach out to every blade of grass, every flower, every squirrel and mouse... and beg their aid. This land has chosen, down to the last black beetle and green clover to rise as one and destroy you. You stand before the Celestia Dryas, the spirit of life itself, and you are unworthy.¡±
The confident and flippant mask that Hamathael wore slipped, and for the barest fraction of a second concern crossed his demonic eyes.
36: The Inside Job
Zurg roared in agony as I watched the black smoky tendrils engulf him. I knew time was beyond scarce, and I needed to recover from having a legendary weapon explode in my hand. In EG Soul Damage could only be healed naturally over time... if you were a broke ass peasant.
*Used Item: Ankh of Origination-Relic
-Removes Level Drain Effects
-Heals Damage Caused by Negative Energy
-Heals Damage to Spirit Body
-Removes Curses except those inflicted by a Deity
Cooldown: 6d:23h:59m:59s
The Ankh was purchasable at level eighty by anyone that could afford the price of twenty million in game gold. For reference, that crazy penthouse I lived in was around twelve million so yeah... Pocket sized Deus ex Machina for the one percent.
The relief was instant and the empty cold pain faded from my heart as color returned to my blackened right arm.
Somehow Zurg was still standing. Why was I the only one that dropped like a rock during evolution? He was now covered completely by blackness. His silhouette was growing at an alarming pace, and I could feel the wind at my back rushing into him. Something told me that he was invulnerable in that state, like a cut scene between phases but real. His height reached a size that he could have easily punted a full grown elephant like a chihuahua. This is not to advocate chihuahua punting, even if they bite your inner thigh for no reason at your grandma¡¯s house when I was seven. The point I¡¯m trying to make is that Zurg now looked like a skyscraper with freeway on-ramps for arms.
The blackness began to clear, and the first thing I noted was the dark red scales covering most of his skin with more forming every second, filling in exposed areas. His head was now encased in what looked like jagged black and red obsidian. No holes there, where¡¯s he breathing out of? There were only a few places where the impenetrable looking scales had yet to grow, and something told me if they did fully encase him that I would never be able to break through to anything soft. I developed a desperate and very stupid plan in a flash.
*Used Item: Lichblood Elixir-Consumable
-Breathless: 9m:59s
-Immune to Poison: 9m: 59s
-Immune to Bleeding: 9m: 59s
-Weakness to Holy (100%): 9m: 59s
-Weakness to Fire (50%): 9m: 59s
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
This potion was useful in a ton of situations and I didn¡¯t have many to spare, but there was no time to be greedy here. I focused on my target, the last unprotected patch of gray skin I could see. Unfortunately that area was also occupied by a redwood sized piece of reproductive anatomy. I flew like a bullet, claws extended to maximum. It was in this fraction of a second that I also felt a strange disturbance in the area, and from the corner of my eye noticed that the green jungle landscape behind me had turned to lifeless brown. That couldn¡¯t be good. One thing at a time.
I refocused and impacted the huge dark vein like a diver breaking the surface of a pool. A torrent of blood hit me like a firehose, but I dug in furiously and ripped the wound wider. Now for the rough part. I fought against the current of blood and pulled myself inside the ruptured vein and dug my claws into the sides as Zurg¡¯s regeneration sealed the wound behind me.
Yes, I was now the most malicious bit of foreign matter ever introduced into the bloodstream of a god killing cyclops king as far as I know. The vein was surprisingly roomy, sort of like a tube slide at a waterpark. I learned a few other things in that moment. For example, blood is pressurized. I could feel a crushing weight from every angle, and it was actually damaging me. Also, blood can be acidic and that was damaging me as well. I was losing health just barely too fast for my regeneration to stay ahead of it. Also the pain. I was in maddening pain like a full body toothache and a second degree burn had a baby and named it Fuck Gray III. Did I mention my plan was stupid?
Okay focus, if I just let go of the walls I should eventually circulate to something vital like a big artery or even the heart. How would I even know where that was though? It was pitch black so even my awakened senses couldn¡¯t help me. I suppose I can feel things, and one random factoid I could remember said that blood only takes about a minute to fully circulate the body. More important parts of the circulatory system would probably be more... spacious I guess? I really should have paid attention in Biology. With a shrug, I decided to just figure it out as I went and released my hold on the walls of the vein.
The current took me at an unbelievable speed. I instantly lost all sensation of direction. Up, down, left, and right became no more than a fond memory as I tumbled and continued to experience the worst pain ever. After a few seconds I found an odd sort of clarity, and felt the flow slow down. Then with a horrible burst I accelerated back to many times the speed of before. That must be the heart beating. Does it really beat that slow? A memory of some nature documentary from childhood flashed through my mind with another interesting but likely useless fact. ¡®Blue whales have the largest hearts on earth and only beat around eight times a minute...¡¯ The iconic English narration droned through the TV screen of my distant past. Thank you Mr. Attenborough, or is it sir? Didn¡¯t he get knighted?
As the seconds drifted by my grip on sanity loosened and my health dwindled. I couldn¡¯t afford to panic and waste my opportunity so I simply held my arms out and waited for the sides of the vein to disappear. I controlled my thoughts which is hard to do without breathing for some reason.
The blood pressure crushing my body began to increase, and I wondered if that meant I was nearing the heart. Suddenly a huge sucking pressure ripped me faster than I had yet to feel and I could no longer touch anything around me. This must be the heart, at least I prayed to Ariel that it was because I was out of time. I would die in probably ten more seconds, and a pointless Soulthirst rampage in this body would probably just lead to an endless loop until I ran out of named souls to sacrifice. It was now or never.
¡°Guess aorta do this.¡± I¡¯m really sorry I couldn¡¯t help it. I fought the current until I could feel the rubbery wall. Then I used White Nova, freezing myself solid to the wall. With all my might I rapidly flexed my fingers and arms, freeing my hands but keeping me anchored in place. I navigated menus blind, relying on memory. Believe it or not I had trained myself for this, as darkness was a pretty common difficulty mechanic shoehorned into Abysses.
¡°Sure you can handle these ten enemies, but what if it¡¯s dark!? Mwuahahaha!¡± -Probably All Developers
A familiar obsidian sphere appeared in my right hand. In my left hand, another sphere appeared but even in full daylight it was not visible to the naked eye.
I was a little scared because I had tried this once before in EG and it had killed me then, securing my best run ever by killing the boss of layer 998 and destroying his entire lair.
*Used Item: Core of Pyrathagos-Artifact
¡°The Primal Fire Blesses You.¡±
Duration: 4m:59s
Cooldown: 29d:23h:59m:59s
*Used Item: Core of Zepharos-Artifact
¡°All Must Bow Before The Wind Emperor.¡±
Duration: 4m:59s
Cooldown: 29d:23h:59m:59s
Of the four primal cores in my possession, none were more volatile when used in combination than these two. Pyrathagos transformed me into a fire titan which produced near infinite heat. Zepharos transformed me into an air archon which produced hurricane winds from within my body. Using both of those created a destructive hybrid of both that was best never used. Almost never. What happens when infinite heat meets infinite oxygen in a pressurized system? Well...
37: Fallen Dominion
Hamathael and Saet stood facing one another for a single long second, then as one they flew forward in silence. Hamathael conjured his weapon as he moved, a long rapier of pure shadow. Saet swung her own starlight katana in a gorgeous and lightning fast two handed sweep from her right shoulder. Hamathael parried the attack and the blades screeched against eachother as though the swords themselves bore their wielder¡¯s animosity.
A chain of attacks and parries followed too fast for mortal eyes to follow. Saet dropped and spun on one foot, sending her lithe but deceptively powerful leg in a sweep even as her sword flashed up toward her enemy¡¯s midsection. Hamathael laughed derisively as he dodged the maneuver by literally spinning his body so that he stood upside down in midair. He swatted the slash aside and resumed his elegant fencer¡¯s pose while still upside down.
Saet, knowing what this meant executed a nimble somersault of her own as the gravity in the area shifted and she touched down with the floor of the throne room now above her head. her feet were supported by something invisible but the sensory inputs were all wrong.
¡°This is what my droll life has been missing!¡± Hamathael said as he lunged forward with a fluid thrust into a dazzling series of stabs that came from an uncountable number of angles. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a worthy playmate, for a filthy little bird.¡±
Saet danced and parried like a goddess of swordplay, her three eyes never leaving her opponent. Her movements were hypnotic, her gaze captivating and Hamathael found himself silent. He fought harder and pressed the tempo even more. The pair fought close and furiously with neither able to gain the upper hand. In the next twenty seconds, more strikes were exchanged than in a full scale war between mortal armies. Every so often Hamathael shifted where the ¡®floor¡¯ was and they would be battling parallel to the ground or upside down in the air, or back on the brown mossy carpet of the throne room.
For a battle between two super powered legendary beings it was remarkably conventional so far, albeit at inhuman speed. The overfiend was the first to exercise his demonic power.
¡°Spring never comes and the sins of winter are never brought to light. Snows of Caina!¡± He growled the menacing incantation, and the throne room was suddenly filled with drifting black snowflakes.
Saet spun a full circle and used her wings to blow the black snow away, but one from perfectly above her drifted down past her notice and lightly touched her shoulder. It instantly turned a coin sized section of her skin black where it touched. She gritted her teeth in pain as the Soul damage wracked her essence. She opened her mouth to begin her own incantation but the overfiend pressed in then with renewed ferocity, sensing his advantage.
Another snowflake touched her light skinned back and she gasped in pain. She saw Niiya¡¯s prone form from the corner of her eye, and the deadly snow that was drifting perilously close to the little cat girl. Hamathael laughed his wicked laugh, shrill and horrible. A torrent of emotion rolled over Saet then. Horror, rage, and frustration swirled and felt as though they might overwhelm her.
In what felt like slow motion, a black snowflake touched Niiya¡¯s bare shin and she whimpered weakly. Time stopped and the glowing pupils of Saet¡¯s eyes dilated. Every emotion suddenly iced over in that moment. ¡°No.¡± The simple denial echoed through her entire spirit. The emotion was replaced with a deep and growing power, a strength she had forgotten over the millenia of sitting and fretting.
¡°No.¡± She repeated out loud. The word silenced Hamathael and he grinned somewhat sheepishly.
¡°So you¡¯re finally awa-...¡±
Three beams of crackling blue energy shot from Saet¡¯s eyes, converging on a single point on the overfiend¡¯s chest. He was hurled into the wall of the throne room, and the wood of the great tree cracked and groaned at the tremendous impact. The black snowflakes faded as his concentration was broken.
Before he could begin to recover, Hamathael felt another explosion of force on his already scorched chest. It was the edge of Saet¡¯s starlight katana as she crashed into him leading with a back handed slash. Dozens of layers of defensive magic combined with his god like stats and baseline resistances kept the blow from being fatal, but oh the pain he felt as the tree trunk at his back gave way and they suddenly punched through ten feet of solid wood and into the open air.
They tumbled and fought like two inverted flames, each trying to devour the other. Great branches exploded into splinters, caught up in the titanic struggle as they tore through the canopy of the weakened celestial oak.
Then they were free of the canopy, somewhere south of the tree. As one they disengaged, flying two hundred meters above the dead jungle below. A sound had caught both of their attention. It was so low that it hadn¡¯t even registered in their ears but vibrated their cells and distorted the air. They turned as one with widening eyes and dropping jaws.
A head, covered in immense red and black obsidian crystals was level with them even at this altitude. It was connected to a body that dwarfed the landscape and radiated such power that it made the pair suddenly nauseous. Simultaneously they muttered ¡°Appraisal.¡±
¡°Oh dear.¡± Hamathael broke the silence. ¡°My little pet cyclops has gone out of control and become a World Eater somehow.¡± He turned to Saet and raised his hands in a shrug. ¡°Temporary truce? I can¡¯t very well conquer the world if he eats it.¡±
Saet¡¯s reply was a grim nod. Inside, she could guess what had forced such a terrible evolution. Zurg must have destroyed a certain infernal count. She felt an unexpected grief and rage at the realization. The little girl would be absolutely crushed.
¡°Were you able to see his resistances?¡± Saet asked Hamathael coldly.
¡°No. Just his name, title, and more Health than I¡¯ve ever seen in one place.¡± The demon replied with a chuckle.
¡°Damn.¡± Saet cursed.
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¡°Nothing should be resistant to this.¡± The overfiend said, flying closer and stretching his hand out toward Zurg, who seemed to be uncomfortable with his new body and was thrashing his head back and forth erratically. ¡°Spring never comes and the sins of winter are never brought to light. Snows of Caina!¡±
A cloud of black snowflakes drifted into the titanic red scaled body and vanished.
¡°You¡¯re right he¡¯s not resistant to Soul damage.¡± Saet frowned. ¡°He¡¯s immune.¡± She added as she lifted her arms overhead, palms facing skyward.
The sinking sun¡¯s last rays fell behind the distant mountain range in that moment and the stars made their first appearance of the night. Twilight was the hour of the celestial, when Saet¡¯s power reached its crescendo bathed in the light of the sun and stars.
A tiny spark appeared above her outstretched palms, and flickered as though struggling for life.
¡°All death is in service to life. Return this lost child to your loving embrace. ¡°Merciful Sun!¡± Saet spoke the incantation and the flickering light roared to life, swelling in size and intensity to become a pure white sphere the size of a small house.
Hamathael unconsciously floated several feet away, the holy energy was incredibly strong. Just standing too close to such ultra tier holy magic would give him the demon equivalent of a sunburn. Zurg still didn¡¯t turn his gaze on them even with the miniature star being born so nearby. He was seriously distracted by whatever was happening to him. Could his body be simply collapsing under its own unearthly size? He had heard of some giant growth spells killing their casters in that exact fashion.
With a gentle flick of her wrists, the blinding orb floated gently at first toward the titan but built momentum with each traveled inch. Suddenly like a strong magnet released near iron, the orb shot forward and smote Zurg directly in his chest.
The entire world flashed white. Hamathael and Saet had the good sense to snap their eyes closed and turn their heads at the moment of impact. Another jarring, ultra low pitched roar shook the region. When the celestial and overfiend opened their eyes, they found Zurg¡¯s immense eye glaring at them from behind a crystalline blood red lens. A patch of scales where Saet¡¯s attack landed had been vaporized, and an angry burned welt twenty meters in diameter seemed to be refusing to heal. Scales formed at the edges and simply fell away. Holy magic to Zurg was like fire to a troll it seemed and could not be recovered through regeneration.
The roughly featured mask of obsidian suddenly showed a horizontal jagged crack of light where the mouth would have been and it opened impossibly wide. Black and red energy crackled from within, building in power.
Saet and Hamathael flew to either side as fast as they could, sensing the coming calamity. A fifty foot wide beam of destruction instantly filled the space they had just been hovering in, stealing the air and burning hotter than lava. The beam punched a hole through the celestial oak¡¯s canopy, barely missing the great trunk and continued on to strike the mountain range beyond. A series of distant mushroom shaped explosions erupted as the beam impacted the rock and vaporized it, leaving a smoking unnatural valley behind.
¡°You got his attention!¡± Hamathael shouted as he surveyed the destruction. ¡°Now what?¡±
Saet was at a loss. That spell was a trump card, and she had expected it to do much more than burn away some scales. Perhaps if she cast it once more at the weakened area she could reach his heart and cause enough unhealable damage that it would put the beast down for good. It was most likely futile she knew, and the cost of casting the spell a second time would mean her own almost certain death.
¡°All death is in service to life...¡± She began the incantation and the beginning pull of the magic strained her soul, twisting it discordantly as though attempting to stop her. Return this lost-¡± Saet halted as a strange rumble emanated from Zurg¡¯s body.
She watched in awe and horror along with Hamathael as Zurg¡¯s great chest began to glow and expand like an overfilled bladder. What horrible attack was he going to unleash now!? The titan staggered backwards and threw his huge head back to scream, and a jet of dark red flame erupted into the sky from his mouth. His chest continued to distend, and a grotesque bubble began to form where Saet¡¯s attack had taken his protective scales. It grew and grew like a balloon, and the pair of observers realized that it was time to flee what was obviously coming.
The behemoth began to fall backwards. The bubble finally burst, rocketing Zurg onto the ground with the force of a meteor. Fire and a concussive shockwave tore through the sky, lighting the entire valley as though the sun had suddenly appeared full in the sky. As their vision returned after the blinding flash, Hamathael and Saet were the sole witnesses of the catastrophic aftermath of the great titan¡¯s fall. His great body rested in a smoldering heap of glowing bone and obsidian, with an empty black cavern where his chest once was. Zurg¡¯s aura had vanished, and the handful of rook horrors and two of the stronger cyclops that had survived the blast were wandering in aimless confusion.
The area seemed utterly surreal, and bereft of all color aside from the glowing tips of Zurg¡¯s blasted ribs. An empty silence that rang the ears settled over the land, and the groans of the monsters sounded magnified like the cries of infants in the dead of night.
Saet and Hamathael could find no words. The overfiend opened his mouth and promptly closed it as he noticed something happening inside the black cavernous chest cavity of the fallen cyclops. Then suddenly the world turned black. It wasn¡¯t the slow forming of clouds casting a shadow. It was as if the stars and moon were mere candles doused by a bucket of water. Both Saet and Hamathael had the ability to see in darkness, and neither could see their own hands an inch before their eyes. The darkness had a viscous, tangible quality and it caressed their skin with cold velvety softness as it traveled past them down, in the direction of Zurg¡¯s body. A moment later, and the darkness fully passed them, and they recognized it for what it was.
¡°That can¡¯t be.¡± Hamathael whispered. ¡°That darkness that swallowed the whole valley. It was a tendril of evolution!?¡±
¡°Gray¡¯s getting strong again.¡± Saet and Hamathael flinched at the unexpected voice of Niiya behind them. They turned to see her hovering perfectly in place, her hands and feet were both surrounded by small clouds of ash.
¡°The Ash Huntress!?¡± Hamathael balked. ¡°How did you overpower my sleep enchantment?¡±
¡°I was never asleep.¡± Niiya said simply. ¡°I was pretending and meant to attack before you got knocked outside. That snow hurt me, Gray won¡¯t like that.¡±
¡°The Count is alive?¡± Saet turned to look once more at the writhing black tendrils in Zurg¡¯s chest. ¡°I see you¡¯ve learned to fly, Niiya. That is very impressive.¡±
¡°I leveled up alot killing those demons.¡± Niiya nodded.
¡°So the thing that killed the world eater is about to wake up, and I¡¯m a little outnumbered here so...¡± Hamathael cleared his throat and spoke up. ¡°I suppose I can just call this little outing a misfire and be on my-¡± A cold shadow fell over Hamathael and he squeaked involuntarily as a suspiciously familiar aura caused him to spin in alarm.
A large, muscular hand was around his throat then. He began to use an ability, but a slight squeeze from the hand caused a million alarms of panic to scramble his ability to think. His eyes followed the powerful forearm to the god like physique. The face was mostly hidden in a deep hooded cloak, save for a pair of piercing lights for eyes and a row of grinning sharp teeth so white, they seemed to glow. The most telling piece was the cracked black halo gently spinning above its head. His grandfather, the Grand Overfiend had employed such a creature on occasion to eliminate rivals or display a grand show of force to his peers. Had the old bastard sent this one to punish him for acting on his own? Whatever the purpose, this monster was known as a fallen Dominion and there was one absolute rule of dealing with one. Never, ever let it touch you. The teeth moved, and a voice came forth like a needling breeze.
¡°Niiya.¡± It spoke past him to the Ash Huntress. ¡°This man hurt you?¡±
¡°You look scary Gray.¡± Niiya answered. ¡°Did you get hurt too?¡±
¡°There was... pain.¡± The fallen Dominion said, and a slight shudder coursed through him. The movement made Hamathael spasm as the flow of energy in his spirit body was being disrupted by the horrible grip.
¡°Are you going to kill him then?¡± Saet spoke up after steeling her nerves and finally resolving that this unspeakably terrible thing was indeed the former infernal count.
¡°There is no death for a demon.¡± Gray replied. ¡°I will send it home. For hurting Niiya, it won¡¯t be a pleasant trip.
38: Escalation
Meri watched impassively as her missing fingers slowly regenerated. She was alone in a roomy reddish canvas tent. The air reeked of blood, her blood. Nearly a day had passed since her capture, and Petracide had begun his work with glee. His mood had soured quickly as Meri accepted every cruel and sadistic act in stoic silence. Her durable demonic flesh had worn down and broken his conventional tools, and he had apparently set off in search of sturdier ones.
She was largely unconcerned with her situation. Petracide was certainly a gifted sadist, but her body¡¯s durability combined with her personal pain tolerance was frankly above his pay grade. Compared to The Warlord¡¯s methods of abuse on her formerly frail human body, Petracide was a rank amateur. The dark leather bindings securing her hands and feet were embossed with enchanted runes which dampened her magic but not completely. She still hadn¡¯t recovered enough Soul Energy after her battle with the elemental to assume her demon form, but that was replenishing steadily.
She was much more concerned with the chatter that she could hear around the tent. The soldiers were a base and disgusting lot, and joked openly about raping and enslaving enemy forces. Apparently Leza and the Hellcats had indeed made their move against the rear line before retreating. The casualties from that ambush were nearly a thousand. A troubling conversation indicated that the Red Knight himself was going to pursue and wipe out the attackers at their source.
¡°You look nervous!¡± Petracide¡¯s croaking voice announced his return. ¡°You¡¯re right to feel nervous. Our game will now resume. You¡¯ll scream for me to kill you!¡±
¡°I pity you.¡± Meri replied, and there was genuine empathy in her eyes. ¡°What life could have turned a child into such a wretched creature as yourself?¡± She asked rhetorically, ignoring the quaking rage building in Petracide. ¡°And now you are surely doomed, for the weight of your sickness has dragged you to a fate from which there is no return.¡±
¡°Pity yourself, woman.¡± Petracide growled. ¡°You¡¯re going to break. The general has left you in my care, and I won¡¯t ever disappoint that man.¡± Petracide regained his calm as he spoke. He reached into the leather satchel that he had returned with, and produced an odd, hook shaped knife.
¡°This is an Ochtue blade. It¡¯s meant for skinning wyverns in the northern highlands. The savages have lost enchanting techniques. Unlike my own tools, which you will pay dearly for, this blade will slice you and skin you with ease.¡± He held the blade up, inches from Meri¡¯s face.
¡°Slice and skin me, you say? You have no imagination.¡± Meri lamented. ¡°Well, the sun¡¯s nearly down Mr. Petracide, you should have your fun while you still can.¡±
Petracide¡¯s face hardened and he reached out to Meri¡¯s face with his left hand, he squeezed her cheeks hard, and inserted the cold blade into her mouth between her cheek and teeth. His intent was clear and Meri kept calm eye contact with him the entire time as the hook shaped blade ripped through her delicate looking face and more blood flooded her mouth.
She spat the coppery mouthful in Petracide¡¯s face and smiled with her eyes even as they involuntarily welled. In a clear rage, he moved deliberately to do the same to her other cheek.
As the blade grew closer, Meri suddenly felt a bizarre sensation in her body. Her sharp intuition and sensitivity told her very clearly, another miracle from her master had just somehow been bestowed.
Meri of course didn¡¯t know the details for herself, but it was in this moment that Gray evolved, and absorbed the astronomical power from Zurg¡¯s death. He shared a percentage of all power he gained with those connected to him via Soul Brand, and this particular evolution had come with a greater bonus still. Suffice it to say that Meri was now much, much stronger.
Absorbed in his fit of rage, Petracide didn¡¯t notice at first. His first hint came when Meri opened her mouth and bit down on the intruding blade, shattering it. His second clue was the barrage of steel shards and blood she spat in his face with enough force to knock him over backwards, screaming in shock and pain.
A light tug snapped the enchanted bindings, and Meri stood over the rolling and scrambling man. He was babbling and carrying on like a pain maddened child. He turned to look up at her with one good eye, the other had a sharp shard of steel embedded into it.
¡°Please!¡± He shrieked and fell back as Meri assumed her new demon form.
Her skin was pure shadow with blood red web-like strands playing over its surface. She had grown over a foot in height, and her folded wings nearly scraped the edges of the tent. Her shadow fell in every cardinal direction, regardless of a light source and didn¡¯t even seem to mimic her movements. Each of the four shadows on the ground moved on its own. To Petracide¡¯s growing horror, each shadow rose up even taller than the demoness and assumed a different, all too physical form. These creatures were familiar to Petracide. A group of powerful mages in his division had once attempted to summon and subjugate one such thing. It was called a Shadow Devil, and when it tested the will of its summoners, they failed and lost their lives in brutal fashion. It took an S ranked adventurer to banish the devil, but not before more than a hundred had perished to it.
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¡°Please?¡± All four of the Shadow Devils echoed him at once before laughing. The sound made Petracide forget the agony of his torn face. It mocked his plea for mercy, and promised torment on a scale he could never fathom.
He fought to see through the tears in his eye, and saw the dark blur of Meri walking toward him, and then past him. He noticed something else. There was a loud commotion outside the tent. Were they coming to save him!? Perhaps Orkas himself? No. They were screaming. They were screaming in terror and agony, just like he would be.
¡°Do as you please. This man is my gift to you.¡± Meri spoke to the Shadow Devils and let the tent flap close behind her.
The scene outside of the the tent was utter chaos. Dozens of armored bodies lay crumbled in pools of blood as though they had fallen from the sky. An approaching scream from above confirmed that suspicion as Meri took a casual step to the side just before another soldier cracked into the stone and lay very still. Another Cambion appeared next to her then. It was Siph, one of the younger Cambions that Meri doted over.
¡°Mama Meri!¡± She bawled as she threw her arms around Meri¡¯s neck. ¡°We were so scared that we lost you!¡±
¡°I¡¯m alright dear girl.¡± Meri said, stroking the blubbering girl¡¯s hair. ¡°Thank you for worrying about me.¡± She let the hug last another moment before gently pushing Siph to arms length. ¡°What¡¯s the situation here?¡±
¡°The kingdom Army split into three forces. They¡¯re using this place as an anchor point. That big scary man is leading the majority of them south to the dwarven city. A small group chased Leza, and the hellcats north toward EDEN. Leifa and the others are here, they¡¯ll be so relieved to see you!¡± Meri stopped suddenly and took a closer look at Meri. ¡°Your demon form is so much bigger and darker, now! Did something happen?¡±
Meri had indeed noticed that Siph¡¯s form was mostly unchanged. Perhaps she was the only one to gain the new transformation?
¡°I defeated a monster made of stone before receiving Gray¡¯s blessing. Maybe that has something to do with it?¡± She shrugged.
¡°We all felt the surge of strength...¡± Siph nodded in awe. ¡°But you look so cool now!¡±
¡°Thanks love!¡± Siph did a quick twirl to show off her shadowy transformation. ¡°Now, what is the plan here?¡±
¡°The priority was to find you, and now that we have I suppose we just wipe out these bastards and rejoin the others at EDEN.¡± Siph replied with a slight shrug. A shaking man¡¯s voice sounded nearby causing them to turn and regard him.
¡°Why?¡± The man asked desperately. He was staggering, his right arm hung uselessly dislocated and blood stained his tattered shirt. ¡°Why are you demons helping the dwarves? Why do demons act so kindly toward each other? Why must I always fall in your path!?¡±
¡°Oh it¡¯s that guy that jumped up into the sky and vanished when we caught him!¡± Siph pointed and exclaimed. ¡°Meri remember I told you about him?¡±
¡°Oh is that so?¡± Meri¡¯s tone suggested she was listening to her own daughter tell a story about playing with her school friends Rather than recount a massacre.
¡°I was going to be a knight...¡± Kane faltered and dropped to his knees in despair as men continued to fall around him and the screams grew less and less frequent. ¡°A Crusibilis Knight!¡± He shouted at the pair whom he somehow blamed for the death of his dreams.
Siph raised her hand to end the man¡¯s obvious suffering but Meri put a gentle hand on her wrist to stop her.
¡°Why does a man want to become a knight?¡± Meri asked him gently. ¡°Authority? Fame?¡±
¡°Never!¡± He denied vehemently. ¡°Demons could never understand. If I had power, I could reach that place! If I had gold, I could buy her back...¡± The long forgotten reasons that had been buried under the weight of a thousand self justified sins hammered into Kane, and he lowered his head in shame. ¡°It was all for her. I had to follow orders.¡± With those perplexing words, Kane drew forth a slender black wand and held its tip to his temple. ¡°Kinetic Bomb.¡±
Kane closed his eyes tightly, and waited for whatever oblivion might come. Seconds passed and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked to his left at the wand that had betrayed him. Then, delicate black skinned fingers plucked it from his numb hand.
¡°Sorry, friend.¡± The newcomer said. She was an achingly beautiful dark alfar, a black skinned legendary type of elf associated with the hells. ¡°Magic won¡¯t work while I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°Thank you Kitha.¡± Meri said. ¡°He seems to be a leader of sorts. Lady Tabula may have questions for him.¡±
Helpless in the face of their power and ashamed that he couldn¡¯t even properly kill himself, Kane slumped in surrender. Along with ten other non combat soldiers, he was taken prisoner.
The Red Crusibilis Knight was not physically imposing. In fact, the Red Crusibilis Knight was not a physical thing at all. He still identified himself as a male out of habit, but the fact was that he was only as biologically male or female as the bodies he chose to inhabit. Half of him was currently occupying the giant warrior Orkas riding south, leading an army of twenty five thousand to conquer Grandring. Ten percent of him was back in Crown City relaying information to that tyrant of a Supreme Justicar, and the remaining forty percent or so was chasing a strange group of cat women through the foothills north of the Sea of Stone.
Curiosity sped the floating pace of his incorporeal form. Where had these women come from? They were infernal type creatures yet had no trace of the aura (or stink as he called it) of the hells. Most importantly, when the five women had attacked earlier, they had demonstrated incredible destructive power rarely seen on this sheltered continent.
The Red Knight was an avid collector of unique skills, and anytime he was able to possess a person, could copy the knowledge of their skills and use them in any other body he possessed so long as they had the stats to support it.
Just imagining the mighty Orkas using that incredible transformation power these cat women had displayed made a shiver of pleasure run through his spirit body. Even that aloof Yuther would have to acknowledge him then.
Far below and behind him, a hundred soldiers ranked B or above were furiously riding to keep up. From his position high in the air, the Red Knight could see the fleeing women slow their pace and allow the pursuing soldiers to gain ground while they could have clearly escaped cleanly at any time.
It was obvious to the Red Knight that they were being lured away. The base camp was likely now destroyed, he reasoned. That was of no consequence. Only a few hundred soldiers, mostly support groups were left there. He would crush these women and their allies and add their power to his forces. Then it would be a simple chore to crack open Grandring and route the dwarven vermin.
39: Digression: The Dwarven Kingdom
¡°I could eat a hundred loaves of bread!¡± The thin and malnourished dwarven girl boasted to her younger brother as the two of them foraged for grubs and mushrooms on the edge of a farming field. The rich field was teeming with nutritious ripe pumpkins that they weren¡¯t allowed to go near. It was nearly midnight in Grandring and the artificial moon above had nearly reached its zenith.
¡°I could eat a whole mountain of bread, and a bowl of stew bigger than the castle!¡± The beardless boy replied. There was strength in his voice, but his little body moved slowly and shakily.
The two starving children were on death¡¯s door like so many other dwarves at the bottom rung of the intensely capitalist society. The man that watched them from the shadows of a nearby stalagmite mound had tears in his eyes, and an immeasurable weight stooping his broad shoulders.
A few hours ago, he had been in his palatial fortress in a meeting. He was always in a meeting. His life was a perpetual meeting with the various heads of his kingdom - all obscenely wealthy dwarves with pockets so deep that they truly believed they could simply weather any war and even profit by gobbling up the carcasses of the businesses that weren¡¯t so fortunate.
¡°Ye see now, me king?¡± A gravelly voice from the shadows asked. His sudden presence was not surprising. After all, Van Kothis the Weaver King had been the one to convince him to leave his work and come out here tonight. ¡°Those children have the fangs of yer own ministers stuck in their necks. Your kingdom is gonna be naught but twenty fat dwarves in an empty cave ¡®fore long.¡±
¡°I do see old friend.¡± A quiver ran through the voice of the dwarven king. ¡°I have been buried under peripheral responsibilities, and blinded by the lies of those I believed I could trust. There is always something to sign, and some thousand page report to read. It stops now. Get word to my generals. Our long sleep is finished. Gather every dwarf with a hoard of gold that outweighs a starving child and bring them before my throne.¡±
¡°Very good, me king. An odd metric for judgment perhaps, but very good.¡± Van Kothis stifled a chuckle as he answered.
¡°Also.¡± The dwarf king added as he looked back to the two children. ¡°Bring these two children. I wish to hear all that they have endured under my careless rule.¡±
With that, the mightiest dwarf in history pulled the hood of his plain brown cloak down to hide his face and marched back in the direction of the castle. Gone was the halting gait and bent posture that had marked his coming.
¡°Welcome back Ramthrag Anvilbane.¡± Van Kothis wiped his misty eyes and smiled. It had taken months to finally infiltrate the bureaucratic circle of ministers and meet with his dear old comrade in arms. He had called in every favor, and finally Ramthrag had agreed to leave his mountain of paperwork. Van had forced him to come see the true state of his kingdom, rather than the rose tinted image painted by his underlings.
This had been the last stop. On their way here they had visited an open grave, a large chasm outside the city where a colony of rats numbering in the tens of thousands feasted freely on dwarven flesh. They had seen desperate crime, helpless victims, and starving children. The worst was the feeling of defeat; the apathy of those that see no hope and simply wait for death with open arms.
An angry voice jarred Van from his thoughts.
¡°Oi! You maggots were warned about skulking ¡®round me pumpkins!¡± A plump dwarf in overalls was stumping his way across the fertile soil waving a truncheon at the children.
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The two waifs panicked and tried to scramble away but the boy stumbled and cried out as his ankle twisted under him at a bad angle.
¡°Please sir!¡± The girl begged. ¡°We weren¡¯t after yer pumpkins. We were getting worms and grey caps!¡±
¡°Them worms are mine!¡± The dwarf bellowed, still charging forward menacingly. ¡°Them grey caps are mine! Go and feed the rat hive already!¡± The truncheon came down and the girl tried to shelter the boy with her own small body.
The blow never fell. The farmer watched dumbstruck as the black snake he was now holding in his hand wrapped around his arm and sank glowing green fangs into his bicep. He screamed like a snared rabbit and went berserk.
¡°What¡¯s the problem there, Danno?¡± Van asked brightly as he strolled along, pretending to simply be passing by.
¡°Snake bit me! I¡¯m gon¡¯ die!¡± The farmer named Danno screamed back shaking his arm wildly which once again held an ordinary club. ¡°It... There was a snake, black as pitch and it bit me! I was kilt!¡±
¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve just been overworking yourself. Why not go back inside and have Miltha tend to you?¡± Van replied.
¡°Wait. Who¡¯re ye?¡± The dwarf narrowed his eyes in confusion. ¡°How¡¯d ye know me name and me wife!?¡±
¡°Return to your home now and you¡¯ll spare yourself the misfortune of finding out.¡± Van¡¯s sudden eloquence and ice cold demeanor was jarring. More jarring was the sudden apparition of a giant shadowy serpent rising up like an aura from the rugged Van¡¯s shoulders.
Danno was running as fast as his short legs could carry him when Van¡¯s icy voice drifted to his ears.
¡°Good dwarves should be kind to children. I¡¯ll be watching you Danno...¡±
¡°T-thanks mister.¡± The girl said apprehensively.
¡°You¡¯re not frightened?¡± Van asked her curiously.
¡°Sure I am!¡± She exclaimed. Her little brother nodded along emphatically even as he rocked back and forth nursing his hurt leg. ¡°It¡¯s proper to thank someone one that saves ye, scared or not.¡± She continued.
¡°That¡¯s a good lass.¡± Van slipped easily back into his dwarven accent. ¡°Lead on to yer home. I¡¯d like a word with yer folks.¡±
¡°I... We ain¡¯t got no folks. Pa had a big debt at the Blind Dragon and they took him to the deeper mines. Ma left with the Gray Runners.¡±
¡°The Gray Runners?¡± Van echoed curiously.
¡°The Gray¡¯s real!¡± The little dwarf boy spouted as though Van doubted him. ¡°Ma¡¯s gonna bring us food!¡± For some reason that declaration upset the boy and he began to cry.
¡°He certainly is real.¡± Van affirmed with a gap toothed grin. Van¡¯s agents had worked diligently to spread the rumors about the enigmatic man and his generous kingdom.
The mother of these two had likely joined one of his own caravans. There was nothing Van Kothis loved more than watching threads come together. His existence was a grand tapestry, and the image was growing more vibrant by the day.
¡°Well since ye have no one to watch yer back, why not come along with me?¡± Van could be downright charming to children when he wanted to be. ¡°I can do a bit better than worms and grey caps!
¡°But me foot...¡± The boy complained with a sniffle.
¡°Yer a dwarf, lad! Stomp on that foot twice and tell that pain to shove off.¡± He ordered the boy as he helped him to his feet.
It seemed harsh, but the boy found himself complying and to his amazement the pain faded.
¡°What can we call ye then?¡± The girl asked.
¡°Call me Van.¡± Van jammed a gnarled thumb into his chest.
¡°I¡¯m Koba, this is Edgar.¡± She bowed slightly and nodded at her brother as she introduced them.
¡°Pleased to meet ye both.¡± Van answered. ¡°C¡¯mon this way. Dwarves can handle a little sprain or concussion, but an empty belly¡¯s another story!¡± He began stumping away from the field in the direction of the gigantic sprawling open market near the center of Grandring.
Most of the businesses were closed, but a select few stayed open to capitalize on the late night crowd of drunks that inevitably dispersed from The Blind Dragon and the other shadier bars. Van led the shuffling youngsters to one such stall that specialized in a stew of vegetables, wide noodles and thick broth made from the succulent meat of goliath cave spiders. The smell wafting from the door made the children¡¯s stomachs growl violently at the the same time. The immensely rotund dwarf behind the counter wore a snowy white cap and matching apron. His beaming smile seemed to falter a tiny bit when he noticed Van entering.
¡°Master Kothis, please have a seat! You¡¯ve brought some... friends I see?¡± The proprietor bobbed his head up and down hypnotically as he spoke.
¡°Aye. Relax biggin¡¯. This here¡¯s a casual visit. Three big bowls, three ales, and three crusty heels!¡± Van said to comfort the sweating proprietor.
Koba eyed the giant steaming bowl of heaven and the dark heel of bread glistening with butter as they were placed before her. Her face was contorted with a combination of longing and growing suspicion. Nothing in dwarven society was free after all.
¡°We can¡¯t pay you back for this...¡± She began but Van raised a hairy hand.
¡°Obviously. You¡¯re about to meet the king, and he¡¯d hang me by my hip whiskers if I dropped ye off in the shape you¡¯re in now.¡± Van pointed at the soup. ¡°Eat up and pay me back by tellin¡¯ the king how good a job I did.¡±
¡°The king...?¡± Koda let the baffling thought melt away. The pull of the soup was overpowering and she lost all sense of everything after that first bite.
40: The Contract
The demon¡¯s eyes bulged weirdly as I announced that his banishment was not going to be a pleasant one.
¡°L-let¡¯s not be so hasty!¡± He pleaded, but I was suffering from a bout of selective deafness and slowly tightened my grip on his throat, making whatever he was going to say next come out as a strangled squeak.
¡°Wait.¡± That voice did make me halt. It was Niiya. ¡°Maybe he can help Mr. Yugal¡¯s sister.¡± I sighed and even got a little misty eyed. She¡¯s too good for this world.
¡°Things like him can¡¯t be trusted.¡± I replied. ¡°He¡¯s just as likely to use her against us.¡± I was resolved to simply finish him off then but a smooth skinned hand touched my forearm. Saet had reached out. She was the last person I expected to stop me.
¡°There are ways of making a demon trustworthy.¡± She said, and the look on her face was positively wicked.
¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± I said, a smile creeping onto my face as the demon¡¯s eyes darted from Saet to me in alarm.
¡°Keep a hold on him and join me on the ground.¡± She instructed.
A few moments later we touched down on the dead moss bed. The quiet in the valley was deafening. You don¡¯t miss the ambiance of bugs, birds, and beasts until they¡¯re gone.
Saet began a rhythmic chant as she held her palm toward the ground, a beam of radiant white emitted from her hand. It was difficult to look at, but it resembled the blade of a white light saber. The tip of the beam scorched the dead flora and blackened the dirt beneath. She took up a rhythmic chant and began to burn a circle around us. She drew a precise ring of elaborate runes around that circle, then repeated the process three times, creating three perfect concentric rings of runes and solid lines. I switched my gaze to study Hamathael. Saet had filled me in on his name and title on the way down. The overfiend was staring hard at the circle, scrutinizing every detail as though searching for imperfections. He suddenly relaxed in my grip, and all hope left his expression.
¡°You may release him now and join us out here.¡± Saet said, seeming drained. ¡°The circle is complete.¡±
I reluctantly complied. I¡¯ll get into why maintaining touch is so important for my new evolution later. I blinked outside of the barrier, and felt a slight moment of drag as I crossed over the runes. I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it had I not been paying close attention. I began to doubt the strength of the barrier.
¡°It is an imprisoning field with his name woven into it. He is at our mercy.¡± Saet answered my unspoken question. Could everyone read my mind?
¡°I know where this is going, filthy little bird.¡± Hamathael spat. ¡°Name your contract and release me.¡±
Ohh right! Demons could be bound by contracts. So that was her angle. Still, demonic contracts were notoriously messy things that more often than not ended terribly for the non demon party.
¡°What do you desire of him?¡± Saet asked me. ¡°Speak only to me and not the overfiend, and be as specific as possible. Words have very real power in this situation.¡±
I paused and closed my eyes, scouring my memories for every detail Yugal had told me about his sister. Her name was...
¡°There is a mountain giant girl named Ignea of Clan Borbas being held somewhere in the hells. She was captured by a Gorgothan calling himself The Warlord. I desire her safe return to this world, specifically to her brother Yugal in my territory in Gnollwood if possible.¡± I tried to keep my demands as simple as I spoke.
¡°Very well. Allow me to execute this contract on your behalf.¡± Such a competent lady, and still gorgeous even with that big third eye on her forehead. I realized that my revulsion for her from before was totally gone. Maybe that was part of my evolution?
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She turned from me and stared at the pouting overfiend, who had assumed a cross legged position at the center of the circle.
¡°Hamathael.¡± The word had a visible effect on the demon, and his back straightened. ¡°In exchange for your freedom and uninhibited passage back to Cairn Carna, you shall find the individual of the mountain giant race named Ignea of Borbas. You shall liberate her from any peril, restore her body and mind to perfect working order, and deliver her whole and unharmed to the location of the individual called Yugal in the forest of Gnollwood. You shall use all of your power, intellect, and resources to execute this contract as expeditiously as possible. You shall never under any circumstance seek to twist the verbiage of this contract to your favor or conspire with others to intentionally fail to uphold these terms. You shall seek no retribution nor harm against the denizens of the mortal realm for the maximum allowable duration of one century. Should you fail to uphold these terms by no fault of your own, then you shall accept the punishment of failure. Should you willingly break this contract, then you shall accept the punishment of eternal confinement to The Pit.¡± Saet paused and took a breath. ¡°Do you understand and accept these terms?¡±
I was so impressed that I had to remind myself to close my mouth. If I ever end up in demon jail, she¡¯s definitely my one phone call. I looked over at Hamathael expecting him to be as impressed as me or maybe even pissed at the air tight contract but instead he was smiling ear to pointed ear.
¡°I, Hamathael, Overfiend of Cairn Carna request one small amendment to the contract. I can assure that it will please you.¡± He said solemnly, but seemed as though he was holding in a laugh.
Niiya, Saet, and I looked to each other in visible confusion. Had he not heard all of that stern and ominous stuff she said? We all held out our hands and made that face that says ¡®AND?¡¯.
¡°I will comply with all terms, and return the individual in question to this Fallen Dominion rather than the one named Yugal in Gnollwood. His aura will be much more convenient to locate.¡± That didn¡¯t explain the sudden uptick in Hamathael¡¯s mood but it certainly wasn¡¯t a deal breaker.
I nodded to Saet.
¡°The amended term is accepted.¡± Saet prompted.
¡°I, Hamathael, Overfiend of Cairn Carna accept your contract and swear to uphold its terms.¡± He said, and then fell silent as though waiting for something.
A moment later, a disturbance on the ground by Hamathael¡¯s foot drew my attention. A tiny clawed hand erupted from the dirt, followed by a bony dark skinned arm no bigger than a pencil. The rest of the little body followed, revealing a tiny imp that methodically shook the dirt off his tiny leathery wings and flapped them to fly up to Hamathael¡¯s chest level. It was cute in an ugly pug sort of way.
Saet didn¡¯t seem surprised or bothered by the sudden appearance so I simply took a step back and waited. The crow sized imp flapped over to Saet. She repeated the contract exactly the same as the first time with the amended line from Hamathael before extending her hand to the little demon. The imp pecked her index finger with a tiny claw, producing a single drop of blood. It then flew over to Hamathael who repeated the contract and held out his own finger.
Two drops of blood fell to the earth and the little imp let out a piercing shriek before diving straight back into the ground. He disappeared from sight and I was left to scratch my head.
¡°So was that like a little demon notary from demon city hall... city hell?¡± I joked out loud to myself.
The looks everyone threw my direction made me decide to shut up for awhile.
¡°The contract is sealed, and you are as impotent on this realm as a newborn bunny.¡± Saet said somewhat smugly. She followed her statement by summoning forth another beam of searing light and slashing a line through her pretty magic circle.
Hamathael visibly relaxed as the binding spell fell away and cleared his throat.
¡°And now to begin the arduous, nigh impossible task of finding a single lost soul in all the vast realms of the hells...¡± He snapped his fingers and a ring of pure blackness encircled by red flame appeared in the air perhaps twenty feet above us.
Before any of us could begin to decipher what was happening, two huge bare feet with smooth marble colored skin and dark grey toenails appeared as they descended from the portal. In less than three seconds, twenty vertical feet of naked female mountain giant was standing before us with slowly opening eyes.
¡°She was in my menagerie the whole time! That little Gorgo rat paid his debt to me with her. Contract complete! See you in a hundred years when I can come slaughter everyone you love!¡± He made some rude gestures and laughed as he vanished through another portal before I could respond to the departing threat. Might just have to visit the hells after all... I shook myself free of the childish fit of rage and turned my full attention to the beautiful spectacle before me.
I honestly could not believe my eyes. This was clearly Yugal¡¯s sister! She looked so much like him it was uncanny. Sure she was shorter, and much prettier but the striking aquamarine eyes and blood red mane of thick hair were a dead match. Strangely my first thought was about Tabula. Hopefully she doesn¡¯t feel like all her hard work breaking the Gorgothan was a waste.
¡°W-where am I?¡± Her voice was deep but still somehow feminine. She looked around her and finally noticed us below her line of sight.
¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story.¡± I rubbed my head and started to speak up but Niiya jumped in front of me.
¡°Mister Yugal¡¯s sister! You''re naked!¡± She blurted before a cloud of ash burst from her hand and flew to cover Ignea¡¯s exposed areas like censor bars from an old Girls Gone Wild commercial.
¡°Mister... Yugal..?¡± She ignored everything other than that name. ¡°You know my brother!? Is he alright? Where is he!?¡± She was suddenly full of energy and edging closer to desperation.
¡°He¡¯s a good friend of mine, and he¡¯s thriving back at our base in the north.¡± I held up my hands and raised my voice to calm her.
The words had a visible impact, and she suddenly crumbled to her knees and looked up. Tears streamed down her cheeks like tiny waterfalls.
¡°I see the stars, and smell the air. I taste the distant sea and feel the mother stone beneath me. My prayers... Is it madness?¡±
¡°Nope, regular old freedom and a dead jungle.¡± I answered, though I was moved by her emotion.
A sudden thought nearly made me sick. I almost ruined this. If I had my way, Hamathael would have been tossed back to the Hells with nothing more than a little earthly spanking.
I owed Niiya and Saet SO fucking much for this, I doubted I could ever pay them back.
41: The Battle for Ariels Gate I
Rolen and Arowyn sat in the lobby bar of EDEN, trying not to shake with fear and excitement. They had arrived unannounced, and once again the little flightless bird creature had escorted them here to await the arrival of the terrifying woman. They were served drinks by an attractive blonde man in a pristine white dress shirt and black suspenders. He smiled under his meticulous mustache as he presented the exotic blue cocktails in fluted glasses.
Arowyn sighed as she unconsciously appraised them. More relic grade enhancement and recovery items.
Azure Dragon¡¯s Blood Cocktail:
-Epic Consumable
-Restores (25) Soul Energy
-Fortify Soul Energy (25) Points
-Resist Cold (-100) Degrees
-20% Alcohol
-Duration: (1) Hour
Rolen simply stared at the glass dumbfounded as she listed the effects. He could have used this drink before the long walk here in the frigid snow. His toes were still numb. With a defeated shrug he raised the glass to his chapped lips. Bubbles tickled his nose, and the perfectly balanced sweet and sour drink made all the discomfort from the cold walk vanish in an instant. He and Arowyn both sighed audibly as they returned their glasses to the polished bar.
¡°Greetings Green Knights.¡± A familiar voice suddenly sounded from a small high-top table just behind them.
They turned as one to see the woman known as Tabula seated on one of the stools with her long legs crossed elegantly, revealing an alarming amount of flawless skin beneath her black skirt. A cocktail materialized in her hand and she took a sip before setting it down and pushing her glasses up with her index finger.
¡°Welcome back.¡± She spoke again before the twins could speak up. ¡°Are you here to discuss the terms of the kingdom¡¯s surrender? Do be aware that our master is away and my negotiating authority is limited.¡±
¡°No.¡± Arowyn replied, not sure how to compose herself before the intimidating being. ¡°We came to warn you and come clean about some things.¡± She finally decided to throw out her much rehearsed speech in favor of honesty though she couldn¡¯t be sure exactly why. ¡°My brother and I lost our parents when we were four. After two years of barely surviving on the streets of the outer ring, we were taken in by an orphanage. The people there were kind and fed us, but just a month later we were taken by an official because we couldn¡¯t be appraised. We ended up in a secret program that aimed to create elite assassins, forced to train day in and day out while being subjected to experiments that killed most of the other subjects. After a year ¡®Practical Training¡¯ began. We were forced to kill every single day. At first it was rats and other small animals... Then it was other children.¡± Arowyn¡¯s eyes began to well as she remembered the dark days. Rolen took the pause to step in.
¡°We have killed too many to count, and our lives are rotten and wretched things.¡± He summed up. ¡°Your Master¡¯s Appraisal did something to us, and allowed us to remember all of the things that were buried during our childhood. We despise the kingdom. We have knowledge that can help you bring them down, and wish to join your side.
¡°Interesting¡± Tabula coolly replied. The lenses of her glasses suddenly began to glow, and blue binary code scrolled across the darkened glass. ¡°I have added you to the probationary white list. You may obtain a room key from the front desk and access the basic first floor facilities. If you prove useful, I will have you inducted as F Rank Adventurers in the guild. You can start by submitting a detailed report on the kingdom to Deputy Governor Raj.¡±
¡°Wait, what?¡± The twins blurted together. ¡°That easily?¡±
¡°I detected no deception in your speech, and if you decide to betray us, I can extinguish and dispose of you more conveniently while you¡¯re within my influence.¡± She replied.
¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± Rolen mumbled.
Tabula began to stand but paused. Information played across her glasses once more.
¡°It seems your former allies are attacking us.¡± She didn¡¯t seem at all surprised or upset as she said this.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°What!?¡± Arowyn exclaimed. ¡°They weren¡¯t supposed to come here until after Grandring fell. We had nothing to do with this, you have to believe us.¡±
¡°Be at ease.¡± Tabula replied, and the ghost of an amused smile touched her lips. ¡°We instigated this, but it is a bit ahead of schedule. There is no cause for concern as long as the evacuation of Ariel¡¯s Gate was completed on time.¡±
¡°It may be the Red Knight attacking.¡± Rolen said. ¡°He¡¯s extremely dangerous and difficult to fight. We have information and magic items commissioned by the kingdom. We actually told them that we were going to use them on you to get them.¡±
¡°I appreciate the gesture, and the irony.¡± Tabula replied. ¡°I have obtained some detailed information on the Red Knight from Raj already. However we have a little time before they cross Rain¡¯s perimeter, so please elaborate.¡±
¡°We only pulled around a hundred by the looks of it.¡± Asha the Hellcat said in disappointment from her perch atop Scimitar Ridge near Ariel¡¯s Gate, where the group had paused their flight from the knights to allow their pursuers to catch up. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we just wipe them out? It¡¯s not like we need lord Rain¡¯s assistance for this lot.¡±
¡°Lady Tabula may want to keep them prisoner as leverage.¡± Another Hellcat named Torra spoke up. She was the tallest of the group with a light physique compared to the rest.
¡°We¡¯ll lead them back as planned.¡± Leza asserted. She was the alpha of this group and all debate ceased. ¡°We¡¯ll execute our mission perfectly. The cambions can¡¯t get ahead of us.¡± The entire group nodded in determination. The rivalry with the group led by Leifa was friendly but certainly intense.
The group jumped away from the cliff then, landing easily on the stone two hundred feet below.
They continued to guide the knights in a wide arc around Ariel¡¯s Gate but suddenly they changed course, riding hard for the city.
¡°Ugh.¡± Leza grumbled. ¡°They¡¯re looking for hostages before even trying.¡±
¡°Cowards.¡± Asha spat.
The Hellcats changed course to intercept, but the knights were suddenly moving much faster than before. Did they know they were being baited while concealing their abilities?
At this rate the knights would beat them to the city. Luckily, it should be fully evacuated by now. That said, even a single damaged building was unacceptable to Leza¡¯s pride.
Meanwhile, half a mile away and closing fast on Ariel¡¯s Gate, The Red Knight was now possessing the body of the leader of this platoon. It was lacking in skills, but the man had enough raw strength to attain A Rank. With a few select skills he could easily qualify for S Rank. With The Red Knight¡¯s arsenal of skills, he was a force to be reckoned with.
The skill Double Time had accelerated the speed of the entire group, and The Red Knight aimed to draw the enemies to him rather than allow himself to be led into more dangerous territory. He would hold Ariel¡¯s Gate hostage and probably destroy it after harvesting the enemy¡¯s skills.
The gates loomed ahead, and The Red Knight noticed that they were already open and no guards were posted. Of course they would have evacuated.
No matter. The city itself had plenty of value.
¡°Close the gates behind us.¡± The Red Knight used his borrowed mouth to order. ¡°Protocol Nine.¡± He issued one of the commands drilled deeply into his elite soldiers.
They complied with lightning speed. Proximity to the Red Knight¡¯s various auras was inflating their stats to superhuman levels. A few of them would probably die when the effects ended. The sudden loss of Endurance often led to total organ failure. It was a moot point, those that couldn¡¯t handle the stat loss would likely not survive the coming battle anyways.
¡°The divination mage has detected a large number of small lifeforms below the ground and a human is among them.¡± A knight relayed. The front of his helmet was flipped up, revealing a man in his fifties with a bristling gray mustache and dark eyes.
¡°That would be the slime tender, Jaik.¡± An intelligence officer added from the side. He wore lighter armor and a full leather mask which muffled his voice. ¡°He¡¯s one of the best slimers on the continent. Losing him would all but cripple Filam¡¯s sanitation infrastructure.¡±
¡°You three seize him, and destroy the slimes.¡± The Red Knight ordered a trio of less experienced knights. They would be better off away from the main fight. ¡°Pyromancer Cole, place full strength blast runes on as many important buildings as you can, beginning with the adventurer¡¯s guild and public houses. The rest of you prepare every personal enhancement ability and protective artifact you have. The beasts will be upon us in moments. I shall mark one, and your mission will be to weaken that one enough so that I may possess it.¡±
From a rooftop a hundred meters away from the gathered knights, the team of newly inducted A Rank adventurers from Crown City watched and listened. They had returned to Ariel¡¯s Gate after finishing the evacuation in hopes of finding some action to boost their standing within their new guild. This, however was more action than they had hoped to find.
¡°Will your concealing spell be enough for their divination mages?¡± The clean cut man named Norris asked their mage. He wore his beautiful half plate armor and scale mail, all of which was crafted by the best smith in the region and heavily enchanted. He regretted the doubting words the instant they left his lips. The look she cast his way was scalding.
¡°Yes.¡± The single word carried several paragraphs worth of derision. The mage was arguably the most accomplished of the group, on the very cusp of S rank. Her name was Delia and her dark haired beauty was complimented by her soft form fitting black robe with gold trim.
¡°Do we rush ¡®em?¡± The bear of a warrior named Rust asked bluntly. ¡°Bet we could take at least fifty down with us.¡± There wasn¡¯t a scrap of insincerity or boasting in his voice. His ¡°armor¡± was nothing more than the cured hides and scales of the many beasts he had slain, topped with the lion skull of a chimera which he wore as a helm. His smell was extraordinarily bad, but his sheer power and ferocity against any foe was peerless.
¡°We¡¯re not all so keen on dying.¡± The tall and heavily scarred monk named Luna replied. She wore more bare skin and scars than clothing, though no one ever complained about that. Her body was truly a work of art. That along with her thick mane of hair that shone the color of lavender was the inspiration for many a bard''s song.
¡°We hold and wait for an opportunity.¡± Norris interjected. ¡°They are clearly preparing a defense for something coming from beyond that gate. Once they engage, we can surprise them from the rear.¡±
¡°Some are breaking off.¡± Luna pointed out, as three knights broke away and began to hustle in the direction of the city center. ¡°And another.¡± She said, noticing a much stronger looking knight also depart on his own in the direction of the guild building.
¡°Alright, change of plans.¡± Norris grinned as he spoke. ¡°We take care of those four before they cause any trouble. Delia, have you appraised them?¡±
¡°Of course. Those three are barely B rank. That one... is strong. He is a rune specialist and geared to the gills. Luna and I are the best match against him.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Norris answered. ¡°Rust, you and I will take those three and regroup at the old guild hall when we¡¯re finished. Got it?¡±
Rust simply grunted and hefted his enormous notched axe.
42: The Battle for Ariels Gate II
Slimer Jaik had no idea that all hell was breaking loose in the city above him. He had heard the alarm bells of course, but took them as yet another drill and could not pry himself away from his passionate work. The master slime wrangler diligently pored over cross-pollination records from the autumn slime cultivation, transferring them line-by-line from his rough scrawled field notes into the tight and delicate scripts of a massive leather bound volume.
¡°The Peach strain seems to up the efficiency of the Ochre strain, but increases aggressive tendencies.¡± Jaik spoke to himself as though he had an audience. And in fact he did, a small army of his favorite slimes shared his office with him. The shiny gelatinous critters bounced and rolled about in behaviors that the very experienced recognized as content and playful.
This was his favorite time of year, because it was now that all of his carefully arranged slime pairings yielded their various offspring.
He dipped his quill into one such outcome. The tiny slime on his desk was no larger than a plum, and black as pitch. This was the result of forty generations of breeding only for dark pigments and small size, a totally unique slime who¡¯s entire body was composed of inky blackness that left crisp, beautiful lines and dried almost instantly. He bopped the slime affectionately with his fingertip after dipping his quill, and the tiny slime vibrated its body, sending happy ripples across its surface. A slime was perfectly safe to handle as long as it wasn¡¯t hungry or threatened.
A sudden boom accompanied by a shockwave of force caused Jaik to split the tip of his quill with a sputtered curse.
He quickly (for a man of his age) gathered his loose notes and precious logbook in his arms and stepped hard on the specific floor tile that opened the floor safe in the small adjacent room where his cot and day to day necessities were stored. He had a small home in the city proper but rarely stayed there. He stashed his most prized possessions and pulled forth a small silver whistle crafted by a famous artisan in Crown City to his exact specifications.
He moved quickly and cautiously down the tunnel that connected his office to the main sewage purification pit. There were waste chutes at various places around town which ended here. A hundred meter wide funnel shaped pit created with a combination earth magic and hard labor. Any organic waste that ended up here landed in the midst of over twelve hundred slimes that happily gobbled up the nutrient rich matter and expelled nothing but pure water which eventually drained though the funnel and into the reservoir below.
The whistle made no audible sound when he blew into it with all of his might. The slimes responded to the frequency, however. Like children to the dinner bell they undulated and bounced quickly to his location. They weren¡¯t confined here by any means, the waste pit was a slime¡¯s paradise after all.
¡°You should have escaped faster, old man.¡± A voice echoed from the tunnel. He turned and saw the red armor and insignia of a Crusibilis Knight¡¯s division. He also noted the man¡¯s many injuries. ¡°I was ordered to take you in, but I think just getting rid of you will be enough for partial credit.¡± The intruder¡¯s expression was hidden under his red closed helm but Jaik could hear the evil grin in his voice.
Jaik responded by reaching into the breast pocket of his vest and produced a vial of brownish liquid. ¡± A drink before I die then.¡± He said shakily. Then in one motion he brought the whistle to his lips and blew as he tossed the vial at the knight.
The knight reflexively swatted the flask with the flat of his sword, shattering the surprisingly fragile glass. Jaik fell backward then into the pit. He rolled and tumbled comfortably across the soft bodies.
¡°Gah!¡± The knight spat as he covered his nose and mouth. ¡°What¡¯s that stench?¡±
The slimes moved as one, excited by the alluring chemicals that they were suddenly sensing. The knight noticing the swarm was suddenly less confident.
¡°You think some mere slimes will save you?¡± He swung at the first one that bounced his way, and it exploded into a thousand droplets.
This seemed to excite the slimes further and their speed increased. He killed perhaps a dozen more before the first slime bounced from behind him and stuck fast to his right hamstring. The knight growled in pain as the burn began. He knew plenty of magic that could have saved him if he hadn¡¯t wasted it all on that blast nova and invisibility potion against those adventurers to escape. One of his allies had been caught in the blast, and the other had been instantly bisected by the burly half ogre¡¯s axe.
It was time to flee again. He turned and began a limping run toward the exit and was met by a clean shaven young man wearing immaculate plate armor.
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¡°Norris the Worthy.¡± The knight recognized the famous adventurer. ¡°So the brute that killed Anthia was Rust. That makes sense.¡± The knight sighed. ¡°Very well, I surrender.¡±
¡°I accept your surrender.¡± Norris answered. ¡°But it seems like they don¡¯t.¡± As he finished four more slimes launched and stuck to the knight, forcing themselves through armor gaps and causing blood curdling screams that were soon muffled under the weight of the hundreds of slimes engulfing him.
¡°That¡¯s a nasty way to go.¡± A deep voice heralded the singed Rust who was a lot less hairy thanks to the point blank Blast Nova.
Norris tried and failed to suppress a snicker at Rust¡¯s appearance. He was fully hairless. His eyebrows and all had been burned completely away.
¡°Aye. I was crispy and likely I¡¯d be dead if not for that potion and the resists we got from the restaurant. Doesn¡¯t grow hair back though.¡± Rust rubbed his dirty bare scalp to emphasize the point.
¡°So the potions really are the real deal.¡± Norris muttered. ¡°I believed Delia¡¯s Appraisal but still.¡±
¡°We all met lady Tabula.¡± Rust replied. ¡°I¡¯d believe anything at this point.¡±
¡°Lady?¡± Norris echoed. Never in the six years of working with Rust had he ever heard the man use an honorific.
¡°Ye heard me.¡± Rust grunted. ¡°Did the guy we were supposed to save not make it?¡±
¡°He leaped into the pit just as I was arriving.¡± Norris shook his head. ¡°At least we avenged him.¡±
A throat clearing sound from the pit interrupted the dialogue. Slimer Jaik had climbed his way out of the pit with the aid of the slimes. It was an incredible sight to the adventurers who had never imagined the slimes capable of anything but mindless eating.
Pyromancer Cole finished inscribing the small orange glowing rune on the wall of the tavern across the street from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. His Soul Energy was nearly depleted but he had completed his task.
¡°All finished with your little scribbles?¡± A woman¡¯s voice drew his attention. How had he not sensed her? He turned and found a tall, muscular woman with long lavender hair. Her appearance was quite distinct. He had never met her in person but could easily guess her identity.
¡°Luna Laguna, the Lightning Hidden in the Clear Sky.¡± He addressed her by her full name and title with a deep and respectful bow. I¡¯m a big fan of the songs.
Luna was a bit taken aback by the greeting. She was expecting anything but a smitten fan.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be restraining you, or worse.¡± She said after she recovered. ¡°The severity of your beating is really up to you.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Cole seemed a bit saddened at the declaration. ¡°Did all of the Mighty Four turn traitor or just you?¡±
¡°I have no reason to tell you, but it is the kingdom that turned traitor. They¡¯re grooming demons, massacring innocents, invading every neighbor, and have lost all hope of redemption.¡± Luna noticed Cole¡¯s subtle movements as she spoke. She pretended not to see his tongue moving behind his frozen half smile.
She identified the forming spell, and slowly drew in a breath. Every cell in her body grew excited as oxygen and Soul Energy mixed and ignited in precise measure, multiplying her physical potential beyond what almost anyone could comprehend.
Cole knew the stories. She was fast, far too fast to hit with anything but the perfect surprise attack. It had to be something too big to evade, and potent enough to bring her down in one hit.
Pyroclasm summoned a wall of lava from the ground which no one could avoid at this range. Cole hated to reveal it, but he genuinely feared this woman¡¯s reputation. She would leap or attempt to dodge but the deadly heat of Pyroclasm was lethal far beyond the visible lava.
The spell activated, and Cole sighed a bit in relief and a bit in sadness. It was a shame to destroy such beauty.
The air vanished in the wake of the destructive force, and if Cole hadn¡¯t been shielded by a dozen magic items he would have been vaporized. Those items were issued by the kingdom, and no adventurer could have anything close to them no matter how famous.
¡°That¡¯s that.¡± He announced to no one in particular.
Cole¡¯s face screwed up and no sounds could escape his mouth. He was struck senseless with disbelief as a bubble appeared on the back side of the lava wall, and burst to reveal a totally unscathed Luna. She hadn¡¯t tried to dodge after all. Thanks to a phenomenon known on earth as the leidenfrost effect combined with superhuman speed, Luna was able to create an insulating barrier of air and steam around her body as she plunged through the wall.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Luna replied.
Sparks of blue electricity began to dance across her skin as the lava dissipated behind her. Her image distorted into a jumble of afterimages as she moved. Her title ¡®the Lightning Hidden in the Clear Sky¡¯ was not just an empty string of words. Luna moved so fast and shunted so much energy from her body that enormous charges of static electricity built and discharged with the force of actual lightning bolts.
¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won! This is just the beginning.¡± Cole boasted and snapped his fingers, triggering the many high explosive runes placed around the city.
Nothing Happened. Cole looked at his hand as though it had betrayed him.
¡°The beginning of what, exactly?¡± A new voice asked from behind Cole. It was a sleepy, bored girl¡¯s voice.
Cole didn¡¯t need to turn around, it all came clear in that moment.
¡°Forsaken Archmage Delia, the big fish herself. I¡¯m honored.¡± Cole used his tongue and began to dislodge the crystal between his molars that would send him back to Crown City.
¡°Is your tongue faster than lightning?¡± Luna asked him honestly.
Cole opened his mouth and rolled the crystal on his tongue. He just needed to position it and bite down. It took him only a tenth of a second, but something was wrong. He bit down on nothing but his own teeth, and there was a sudden pain on his lips and tongue. His feet were also no longer on the ground, and Luna was shrinking as he flew backward at horrible speed. She was holding something in her hand. He couldn¡¯t make it out but the evidence was mounting. She had reached into his mouth, plucked the crystal out, and kicked him in the chest.
He wasn¡¯t beaten yet. He focused with all of his might and shouted the activation for a shorter range and more unpredictable teleport spell. He might end up somewhere in the mountains or Gnollwood but at least he would escape. For the second time in his life his magic failed him.
¡°Haven¡¯t you figured it out?¡± Delia asked him. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it yet?¡±
Cole touched down and slid backwards a few feet from the wall of the tavern. There was an odd feeling. He couldn¡¯t feel the ground, or anything for that matter. He noticed something on the ground before Luna Laguna. His eyes widened in horror, except they didn¡¯t. His real eyes were still firmly inside his skull, which was still attached to his crumbled body at the monk¡¯s feet.
¡°Astral Expulsion...¡± Cole whispered as his disembodied spirit struggled to comprehend the reality of the situation. Her strike had separated his spirit body from his physical body. ¡°The kingdom will hunt you down for it.¡± Cole¡¯s thoughts carried to Delia as he recognized the technique as one of the powers sought by King Gault.
¡°What kingdom?¡± Delia¡¯s voice turned wicked as she held forth a black crystal ball.
Cole¡¯s spirit screeched in terror as the artifact began to pull him toward it slowly, inexorably.
¡°You will make a fine gift for Lord Gray.¡± Delia snickered. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll even rank up.¡±
43: Battle for Ariels Gate Conclusion
¡°What is it?¡± The red Knight asked the divination mage after she snapped her eyes open with a frightened look.
¡°Pyromancer Cole and the other three have perished.¡± She shook her head at the expected forthcoming question. ¡°There is no sign of anyone else, and the man they targeted has also disappeared.¡±
¡°The three were disposable, but few could have beaten Cole and only a handful could maintain concealment while doing so. No matter, it¡¯s extra work but I can just level this shabby village once our business is completed.¡± The Red Knight waved away the troubling news as a mere nuisance.
¡°Three of the beasts approach the wall, Sire.¡± One of the sentries called down.
¡°Arrogant fools.¡± He smirked with his stolen mouth. ¡°They could have escaped and rallied the rest of their forces for a siege. Tell me when they close to within a hundred paces.¡±
¡°Yes Sire...¡± The knight trailed off for a moment. ¡°They have vanished Sire!¡±
¡°Greetings, invaders of our land.¡± The trio of women suddenly stood inside the closed gate, facing him with casual body language and confident smiles. The speaker was clearly the one in charge and up close was a fierce and beautiful creature. ¡°Lovely day for a massacre, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Lord Gray would probably want us to at least try a bit of diplomacy, wouldn¡¯t he Leza?¡± The second speaker was the tallest of the group but had much kinder features.
¡°I suppose so, Torra.¡± The one apparently named Leza answered. ¡°Very well. Disarm yourselves. Submit yourselves to us completely and accompany us to EDEN where you may be processed as prisoners of war. Do these things and we won¡¯t litter these nice streets with your carcasses.¡± She finished speaking and the two cat women at her sides smiled and nodded along.
¡°It¡¯s a good deal.¡± The cutest one that must have just barely passed her teenage years added with a thumbs up.
¡°Indeed Asha.¡± Leza continued before the incredulous laugh could escape The Red Knight¡¯s mouth. ¡°It is a very good deal.¡±
¡°Know your place, servants of the weakling usurper!¡± A deep baritone blurted from beside The Red Knight.
This man was among his top five strongest subordinates. Ungrius the Hammerhead was a hulking light skinned human with blonde crudely cropped short hair and light blue eyes. He had an ugly face and a temper to match it. His presence and stench was tolerated because of his unrivaled brute strength. His fighting career was littered with many feats. He had once even fought the infamous barbarian Rust to a draw in the Crown City Arena.
He now drew forth his signature weapon, a great flattened slab of dull steel on a long handle. It could hardly be called a sword, but in the hands of Ungrius it was a feared thing indeed, and weighed more than most grown men.
¡°Did he just say what I think he said?¡± Leza asked the other two Hellcats. Torra and Asha both took a smooth step back and away from Leza as the air around her began to stir and distort. Her hair began to lighten and glow, turning whiter than the snow on the rooftops. It grew into a mighty mane that reached the back of her knees even as her body expanded in both height and muscularity.
¡°No man or beast is a match for me!¡± Ungrius roared and stepped forward, intent on finishing the formidable woman in a single mighty blow. The massive blade rose straight over Ungrius¡¯ pumpkin sized head. ¡°Dragon Slaying Stri-¡± The shout meant to activate whatever attack he was using was abruptly cut off by a straight forward right cross from Laeza¡¯s furiously glowing fist.
A shower of multicolored sparks exploded forth as protective magic barriers were shattered. A wave of pink mist and flying bone fragments followed the display and assaulted the gathered knights amid gasps of horror and disbelief. Everything above Ungrius¡¯ collarbones was simply gone. The massive sword clattered to the ground with two large hands severed above the wrist still holding tightly to the hilt.
¡°Soft men should harbor meek tongues. To call our great master a weakling...¡± Leza glared down at the broken remains with disdain, smoke still rising from her hand. ¡°Repugnant.¡±
The gears in The Red Knight¡¯s mind were spinning at full speed. Such power was far beyond what he had seen in the initial attack on his anchor camp, and his passive Appraisal revealed that these three were not something normal mankind could stand against. This woman in that form would be a physical match for General Trasana, and perhaps even his own Orkas for a few moments. Far from discouraged, he was now more sure than ever that he must acquire such ultimate power for himself.
¡°Attack!¡± He shouted at the top of his lungs, and his voice carried the weight of magical command.
In an instant, all three Hellcats assumed their White Fury forms, and sent slashing attacks into the midst of their enemies. Unlike the disorganized and weaker knights before, the slashing blades of wind impacted multi layer barriers and never reached their targets.
A volley of concentrated and synergistic magic spells flooded forward in retaliation from the back ranks of the tightly formed unit. The effects may as well have been in slow motion compared to the magics used by Jade in their training sessions. However, not all of the barrage was avoidable. Hidden within the torrents of flame and lightning were the insidious effects of invisible spells which attacked the mind, or altered the environment itself.
As knights fell by the handful to the onslaught of the Hellcats, something bad was happening beneath the notice of the fiery trio. Asha had been chosen as the target to weaken, and dozens of spells designed to cause fatigue and confusion were being layered onto her in the midst of the chaos.
The Red Knight stayed back from the general melee, allowing his underlings to absorb the deadly attacks while he watched Asha like a hawk. Just a moment later and he saw his opportunity. Just after she sent a fully armored knight spinning through the air like a bloody ragdoll she shook her head slightly once and blinked. The Red Knight made his move.
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Asha staggered and dropped to a knee. Both Leza and Torra instantly disengaged from their opponents and stood protectively over her.
¡°Asha!¡± Leza urgently exclaimed. ¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°Something¡¯s in my head with me!¡± She cried, sounding confused and scared.
Inside Asha¡¯s mind, the Red Knight worked harder than he ever had before. There was something different here. Some dark and oppressive power that he had no experience with was hounding him, threatening to consume him, filling his thoughts with horrible images.
The girl¡¯s consciousness was also there, but she was no demon as he had suspected. Her memories and thoughts freely intermingled with his own. This was the mind of a little girl that had been horribly abused and rescued. She wanted desperately to be as confident and strong as Leza, and it was within those memories that he caught his first glimpse of the Usurper as Asha saw him. He was an ideal of power and kindness, a man who effortlessly controlled everything he gazed upon. The image was only imaginary, the Red Knight told himself. Why then, was it glaring at him with such malice?
¡°Making ourselves at home, are we?¡± A voice of pure unadulterated power came over the Red Knight.
¡°Who are you?¡± The Red Knight couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity as he continued to rifle through Asha¡¯s mind in search of her skills.
¡°A fragment, much like you.¡± The voice replied. ¡°A piece of something long lost to this world. I could tell you my name if you like...¡± The voice turned smooth and inviting.
That offer sent a bolt of terror through the Red Knight. Every word the entity spoke promised torment.
¡°What are you?¡± He amended his earlier question.
¡°Something that was already old when your great queen was but a puking larva, little orphan hiveling.¡± The voice was closer now.
Damn. Damn it all! The Red Knight¡¯s mind was frantic. It knew his secret! He was almost there. The skill, White Fury was within his grasp he merely needed to analyze it. Just a few seconds more...
He felt a sudden discordant sensation. It wasn¡¯t pain, but a feeling that pain might admire like an older sibling. The entity was close now, and searching for him. The Red Knight felt like an apprentice that had snuck into a master¡¯s tower to steal a peek at forbidden tomes. There! He had the skill...
¡°There you are.¡±
A brief moment of spiritual agony made everything go white, and a moment later the weakened Red Knight was hovering outside the unconscious Asha¡¯s body. He had been ejected from a host for the first time ever, but not empty handed. He split himself into eight spirit fragments, needing at least five percent of his total being to maintain any given physical form. He sent each fragment into the bodies of the closest standing knights. There was no resistance, they had been trained to accept his possession happily. Sixteen eyes collectively glowed with a new inner light, and eight mouths opened.
¡°White Fury.¡± The five male and three female knights spoke in uncanny unison, and then transformed. Armor straps snapped and chainmail shirts split. The humans grew much more than the Hellcats, and their stats swelled proportionally. There were limiters which preserved the health of the users built into the skill, and the Red Knight simply disabled them.
¡°Fall back to EDEN.¡± Leza ordered Torra. She then grabbed Asha¡¯s limp body and vanished.
¡°With me!¡± The Red Knight shouted from all eight of his mouths. The power swelling within his bodies made him all but forget the ominous encounter within the girl. ¡°We run them down and dash the usurper! Glory to the Crown!¡±
A resounding cheer erupted and as one the remaining sixty knights poured from Ariel¡¯s Gate and charged across the field in EDEN¡¯s direction.
The Mighty Four adventuring team along with Slimer Jaik watched their departure from a nearby rooftop, still fully concealed by Delia¡¯s potent magic.
¡°Those poor doomed sods.¡± Rust shook his head.
¡°How long do you think they¡¯ll last?¡± Norris asked.
¡°As long as she wants them to last, not a second more or less than that.¡± Luna said as she stood up and stretched.
Twenty seconds later, Leza and Torra arrived on the distant western field. The eight White Fury imbued knights could have easily kept pace, but apparently had decided to not leave the rest of their group behind.
¡°Welcome home, ladies.¡± Tabula appeared and greeted them warmly. ¡°You can go inside. I¡¯ll make sure to greet these guests properly.¡± She glanced at Asha, still unconscious in Leza¡¯s arms. ¡°Her vitals are normal, but take her to the infirmary just in case. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±
¡°Yes my lady Tabula.¡± Leza and Torra both bowed deeply and hustled past to follow their orders. They resisted the urge to linger and watch what the almighty android might do to the hapless intruders.
¡°They¡¯re all inside my perimeter!¡± Rain¡¯s chipper communication caused a corner of Tabula¡¯s mouth to lift just a tiny bit. Was this what they call excitement?
¡°Jade. Fence them in, prepare the guillotine.¡± She commanded as she watched the onrushing group close to within a hundred yards.
¡°I already did!¡± Came the terse mental reply.
¡°Very good. Both of you come stand with me, then.¡± She said, and no further response was needed.
¡°Hold.¡± The Red Knight¡¯s eight stolen mouths ordered in unison a few moments later. The knights stopped their charge mechanically. Two women and a small bird like creature in human clothes stood before them. They were dangerous. He didn¡¯t need to appraise them to know that. He decided to forego any conversation and take the initiative.
¡°Enhancement magic on me! Heavys, protect your mages!¡± The expected flurry of chanting and effects did not come forth as expected. The Red Knight turned around with one borrowed body and all eight of his hearts suddenly hammered and lurched in their respective chests.
Fifty three of the kingdom¡¯s most elite soldiers had been dismembered and arranged on the snow in precise order like models waiting to be assembled. Heads and limbs were neatly arranged around torsos, as a wide swath of snow was replaced with steaming red slush around them.
¡°What will you do, Mr. Red Knight?¡± The tall woman in glasses asked. Her question wasn¡¯t sarcastic. She sounded genuinely curious.
¡°Better hurry. Those bodies are already coming unglued. Humans aren¡¯t built for those hellcat buffs.¡± The green haired girl added.
She didn¡¯t need to tell him that. The Red Knight could feel the cells in his stolen bodies beginning to break down. He shook his head. Something was wrong with all of this! The intel said nothing about such monsters. How could they have missed so much? Where was the Green Knight right now?
¡°Hiya Red.¡± Speak of the devils. The twins canceled whatever invisibility effect they were using from behind the women and The Red Knight allowed himself a moment of hope. "You don''t look so good." Rolen added.
¡°Ha!¡± The Red Knight crowed. ¡°This is what happens when you underestimate the kingdom! Green, you take the green haired one!¡±
A sudden giggle that built into full scale laughter interrupted whatever he might have said next. The green haired girl was hysterically laughing and holding her sides. The twins were also grinning, and even the cold looking woman had the hint of a smile on her face.
¡°Since you¡¯re feeding all of this directly to that scumbag Typhon, let¡¯s just say the Green Knight has decided to resign from their post and join the enemy faction. Rest in pieces, and don¡¯t worry the rest of your army will be joining you shortly.¡± With those infuriating words, the twins turned their backs on The Red Knight.
Eight mouths shrieked in rage, and like white streaks of lightning they charged forward as one. An explosive flash of blue energy repulsed them at equal speed and they cracked into an opaque green barrier behind them.
¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡± Tabula said calmly. ¡°Something of your level doesn¡¯t warrant this, so consider it a show for your masters.¡± She continued, reaching her arms out to her sides. ¡°Phase Black.¡±
With a strange flipping jump, the little bird at her side suddenly melted into a puddle of blackness in midair and stuck to the woman¡¯s chest and began to spread like tar. A moment later she looked like a black silhouette of her former self. Glowing blue lines appeared through the blackness, symmetrical and flawless. Finally two eyes of the same color opened, and a wave of energy was unleashed that caused The Red Knight¡¯s heart to literally skip a beat.
¡°Ohh yeah!¡± Jade cheered. ¡°Me too!¡±
As if to cement The Red Knight¡¯s despair, the girl assumed her own Phase Black form which could only be achieved when Tabula authorized it. It was similar in size and shape to her normal dragon form, but her scales and spell effects both turned jet black. Additionally, all of her abilities which healed or enhanced were reversed to cause damage and debuffs instead.
Tabula blinked out of sight then, and at the same time, a White Fury possessed knight vanished. There was no blood, fire, or pain - just a sudden and simple absence of being. Five percent of The Red Knight vanished along with that body That was a new sensation, a terrifying new sensation.
The Red Knight was able to abandon a single body in that following second before all seven others were simultaneously destroyed without a trace. He limped through the air weakly, homing in on the mass of his essence gathered in General Orkas, now located near the entrance to Grandring. He heard the girl turned dragon complaining far below.
¡°You didn¡¯t let me do anything!¡±
"What do you mean? You took care of all the weak ones."
"Exactly..."
Far away in the inner most sanctum of Crown City, Typhon watched The Red Knight¡¯s defeat and the Green Knights¡¯ betrayal and his eyes narrowed. This was going even better than he could have hoped.
44: A Moment to Breathe
Gray
Fallen Dominion (20%) Progress to Next Evolution
Level: 4*??XP: 65% To Next Level ??Body Age: 29
Life: 12700/12700 ??Soul Energy 3360/3360
Strength: 2,950
Endurance: 3,175
Soul: 1,790
Agility: 613
Skills/Spells:
Age Stasis: Prime Human
Acid Resistance: 8/10
Perfect Mental Resistance 10/10 (World Boss)
Melee Mastery: 63/100
Ranged Mastery: 50/100
Appraisal: 10/10
White Nova: 16/20
Blast Nova: 17/20
War Mage: (1/1)
Greater Drain (1/1)
Awakened Senses (1/1)
Rapid Regeneration (4/5)
Soul Thief (1/1)
Bloodwalk (1/1)
Blood Gate (1/1)
Blood Frenzy (2/10)
Iron Belly (1/1)
Scavenger (1/1)
Mass Manipulation (1/1)
Royalty - Fallen Dominion (1/1)
Soul Brand (1/1) 5017/7160 Available Slots
Soul Union (1/1)
Shadow Wings (1/1)
Titan Flesh (1/1)
Fallen Dominion Form (1/1)
-Touch of Dominion (1/1)
-Retribution (1/1)
Buffs/Debuffs:
+1475 Spell Damage from Strength
+895 Attack Damage from Soul
+2540 Health Regenerated per Second
*Sharing (10%) of Total Stats with Soul Branded Allies
*Soulthirst: Gestation Complete (See Soul Birth)
-Soul Birth: Summon Ready
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I was now back in my regular old mostly human looking form as I stood apart from the growing group of liberated mountain giants and bewildered celestial refugees for a few moments to inspect my stats. As expected my base stats had ballooned to an even greater level of absurdity after killing Zurg. I tapped the new additions as I noticed them to expand their descriptions.
Blood Gate: Open a stable portal up to (6) meters in diameter linked to any location that you could move to with Bloodwalk. (1) Portal per World Boss Level may be active at any given time. Available Portals 4/4.
Mass Manipulation: Alter the volume of your body. Reducing volume reduces Strength and increases Agility and vice versa.
Royalty - Fallen: As a former celestial ruler, your innate authority extends to lesser celestials and all but the highest ranking infernal beings. Causes attraction to both Infernal and Celestial Royalty.
Soul Union: Dynamically Share (10%) of your total Stats and gained experience with any Soul Branded being. This effect is cumulative with any bonuses gained upon initial Soul Branding.
Fallen Dominion Form: Assume the avatar of the mythic Fallen Dominion until canceled, gaining the Retribution and Touch of Dominion abilities. Fallen Dominion form is resistant to both celestial and infernal damage types including Holy and Soul damage.
-Touch of Dominion: Enemies you touch whom fail to resist are at your mercy. Their deepest thoughts and motivations are revealed to you and you may inflict whatever pain they fear most at will.
-Retribution: Any Damage taken in Fallen Dominion Form is added to any damage you deal.
Soul Birth: Summon Ready. Soul Thirst has consumed enough souls to manifest your Soul Familiar (Baelphegor: Prince of Sloth and Lost Technologies)
-**Warning this will permanently consume all stored Souls and remove Soulthirst from your Skill List.**
¡°Unholy shit.¡± I muttered. ¡°This changes things.¡± I swiped the panel and it disappeared. The ticking clock of Soulthirst was gone. That was a relief but I wasn¡¯t about to summon what sounded like an Exorcist level demon.
I controlled my pace as I rejoined the others. Walking at normal human speed in this body takes a crazy amount of coordination by the way. Ever seen a drag race where the cars sound like they¡¯re going to die every second as they idle up to the line, like the engine is rebelling against going slow? That¡¯s how walking feels for me.
Ignea had managed to put together a sort of two piece bikini made of donated cloaks from the celestials. Honestly now that she was recovering from her shock, I could appreciate her regal beauty. In order to distract her from her trauma I had given her the task of organizing her people as the celestials combed the area and guided them to us. She was currently chatting with Saet and a few other celestials in shiny plate armor. Saet noticed me first and gave a small wave.
¡°I believe we have found all of the surviving giants.¡± She spoke up. Her third eye was still open, and she was apparently using it to see everything her people saw. ¡°They number nearly six hundred and will arrive within the hour.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great!¡± I was surprised so many had managed to survive. Giants really were tough. ¡°I have a plan to transport all of them back home safely, but I¡¯ll need to fly to your territory first Ignea. I¡¯ll leave Niiya here so you can contact me at any time if something happens.¡± I began to manifest my wings but Saet stopped me.
¡°About that.¡± She cleared her throat and looked sheepish for a second. ¡°Nothing will happen. For now there are no threats in this land. I have a request, Count.¡± She still used my old title. ¡°I would like to relocate my people to your land. I know of an intersection in the leylines in the forest there that could support a Celestial Oak. I know this is a huge request and I won¡¯t rush your decision but please at least offer us temporary sanctuary while you-¡± I held up a hand to stop her.
¡°Go for it.¡± I said simply. ¡°Once the giants go through the gate, Niiya will fly with you back to EDEN and introduce you to Tabula. Make yourselves at home until we can figure out the best spot for your new treehouse.¡±
She sputtered for a second, clearly unprepared for such a simple acceptance. She abandoned using words and settled for a sudden leap forward, planting a kiss on my cheek. The mouths of every celestial and Niiya fell open in unison.
¡°No fair!¡± Niiya shouted and suddenly I had a second set of lips on the other cheek.
I phased back a few feet, leaving them puckered up side by side kissing the air in awkward poses. I chuckled and took flight. I nicked my finger with a claw and allowed a drop of blood to fall to the field below as I ascended.
¡°When you see the portal open, send all the giants through!¡± I yelled to Ignea. ¡°Take care of them, Niiya!¡± I finished with a wave. I could clearly see her fake pouting even from here. My eyes drank in the moonlight, allowing me to see the extent of the devastation in the valley. A crater the size of an inverted mountain marked Zurg¡¯s resting place. The vegetation was a lifeless brown carpet, and the celestial oak was finally succumbing to its own great weight, its immense boughs were drooping low, beginning to crack.
What properties would lumber made from such a tree possess? I wondered to myself. How valuable would those materials be? What about Zurg¡¯s body for that matter? Those red obsidian scales alone were made of incredibly hard material. I made a mental note to seek out some professional guidance in that area.
I flew north, noting the unnatural smoking pass that had been punched clean through several mountains by Zurg¡¯s mouth cannon (as Saet had described it). That would have been a cool skill to steal, but I wasn¡¯t unhappy about getting Mass Manipulation instead. Actually, that smooth corridor might make a useful path for transporting things like god tree wood and invincible monster parts. I thought as I soared over.
Thirty minutes later, I saw the first indications that I was entering mountain giant territory. I now knew the small village I had passed on my first trip through The Sea of Stone was but a small hunting outpost. The main city was on the western coast in a large sheltered cove. The air grew slightly warmer, and the smell of the sea triggered a strong nostalgic memory of a brief time living in California when my dad was stationed there in my previous life.
I descended below the heavy low clouds and got my first look at an ocean in this world. I had never really wanted anything to do with the ocean on earth. A few famous shark flicks had traumatized that desire right out of me at an early age. Now though, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from it. It sparkled as moonlight punched through holes in the clouds, and danced with fifty foot swells. It made me feel tiny as only an ocean could, and I took a huge breath in.
I looked up the coast, and saw the glow of many distant bonfires. That must be the place. I was still a little early. Dawn wouldn¡¯t come for another hour or so. I didn¡¯t want to intrude before the city woke up, so I found a suitable high cliff overlooking the ocean and sat down for a nice long breather watching the hypnotic waves crash in far below.
I reflected on my time here so far, and could hardly believe all that had happened in such a short time. I then turned my thoughts forward. I was certainly building quite the collection of friends and allies. I would need to start thinking about expanding Ariel¡¯s Gate or maybe even laying the foundation for a whole new town. First I needed to seal my alliance with these giants, then deal with the kingdom and break the siege on Grandring. If I could bring everybody together enough to get along, then I could take Raj to check on her people. Ugh this was one hell of a messy quest log now that I had the time to really look at it. What felt like minutes later, the first hint of dusty pink began to saturate the clouds in the east behind me.
¡°Guess it¡¯s time to say hello.¡± I muttered as I stood up. I noticed something moving through the waves far below and smiled. A pod of light greenish whales was breaching, and geysers of water shot into the air as they exhaled. Cool, I always wanted to see something like that. For some reason I felt a little guilty that Niiya wasn¡¯t here to see that with me. I reached up and touched the spot on my cheek she had kissed. I didn¡¯t deserve this world, not even a little bit but holy shit was I ever grateful for it.
¡°Thanks again, my little poser!¡± I raised my voice as I manifested my wings once more and leaped into the sky in the direction of the city built by giants.
45: Meeting The Giants
Vortheim was a relatively new city, built seventy years before Gray¡¯s arrival in Ragnofheim. It was founded by the mountain giant survivors of the great Rock Wurm Stampede, an anomalous event where the population of the enormous wurms exploded and collapsed great swaths of the Sea of Stone into sinkholes and ravaged the land with earthquakes. The relatively sheltered cove kept the titanic swells somewhat tamed, and filled with a healthy population of edible sea creatures.
The architecture was mostly carved from the dark stone of the cliffs. Some giants were blessed with earth elemental magic, and could soften stone to a clay consistency before hardening it once it was in the desired shape. Vortheim boasted a population of twelve thousand giants, and grew almost daily as giants from abroad fled the famine and conflict in the central ranges.
As a rule, giants shied away from the coast as no mountain giant would willingly enter the water for fear of sinking into the soft sand or being sucked out into the great sea as their bodies sank faster than stone. Only one creature in the area avoided the coast more, and that was the Rock Wurm. One peril was greater than the other, and the mountain giants adapted to a life on the coast. They were highly successful fishing from the safety of the shore, able to hurl nets and lines further than any human could ever hope to.
One such giant could be found braving the coastline on this drizzly gray autumn morning. He sang a soft tune as he plodded along. The words were in a lost giant dialect that he couldn¡¯t understand himself, but he cherished the melody of it. His grandmother had sung it often while stirring the cauldron or mending clothes. His voice was pitched high for a giant, and he had been heckled over it since childhood.
The long split logs attached to his feet were a recent invention of his own design that looked somewhat like skis. They distributed the great weight of the giant and prevented him from sinking into the treacherous patches of wet sand that could trap and even kill him. The giant named Bruni was a shy sort, and always tried to come out as early as possible to avoid the other anglers which tended to be quite aggressive and were quick to bully the timid Bruni.
Coming out before the sun and more importantly before the other giants carried the risk of running into dangerous creatures. Bruni kept his large head moving constantly as he worked, scanning the beach up and down, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble. The large chunk of driftwood soared far out into the waves, with fine dwarven made cord trailing behind. The wooden bobber landed in a satisfactory spot, and the carved bone hook retained the stinky bait made from fish innards. Bruni sighed happily at the expert throw. This would be his final cast, he wanted to return to the safety of his home before the others arrived to steal his catches. He eyed the wicker basket on the sand next to him, already heavy with rock fish and snapper. He would eat well today, and could even buy himself a day to sleep in.
As if to cement the morning¡¯s good fortune, a light tug on the cord in his hands made Bruni smile. He waited a second longer and gave the line a sharp tug of his own, securing the hook into whatever was nibbling at it. Based on the amount of resistance this was his best catch yet, and he took his time. Using too much strength could snap the line or rip the hook out. The key was finesse, allowing the fish to swim side to side as it pleased and draw in any slack that it gave him, slowly shortening the gap.
His smile suddenly dissolved as he noticed something tall and dark emerge from the water and move in the direction of his impending catch. It was unmistakably the dorsal fin of a rarely seen and greatly feared sea monster. Bruni abandoned his finesses and began to haul in the precious line as fast as he could. It was not something he could replace. It was crafted with secret dwarven techniques, woven with strands of mithril and silk from goliath spiders. Such goods were currently priceless since all trade with Grandring was blocked by the wicked humans. This fishing line was his livelihood, and the only thing keeping him from starvation or worse, the inland hunting parties.
His catch was nearing the edge of the water now, and Bruni pulled faster still. The dorsal fin had not slowed, and was angling its approach toward the beach. Bruni could now see the immense shadow beneath that ominous five foot fin. Suddenly Bruni¡¯s catch was clear of the water and flopping vigorously as he drew it closer. It was a massive spiny black snapper, a true trophy fish. Bruni¡¯s relief was short lived, however. The dorsal fin did not change course, and fear gripped Bruni¡¯s heart as the legendary sea monster burst from the surf and ran on four short legs directly at him.
Bruni forgot all about his fish and his precious cord. The creature was none other than an Anu¡¯bas, a rare amphibious cousin of the killer whale. It was rarely seen, and almost never encountered on land. Those facts offered little comfort as the ten meter behemoth bore down on poor Bruni. He turned awkwardly and scrambled, the thunderous sounds behind him growing rapidly closer. He could see several figures further inland, and his heart dared to hope for a second that he might be rescued.
That hope was dashed as he realized they weren¡¯t coming out to him, but simply pointing and gawking in his direction. Of course they wouldn¡¯t save him. Those giants tormented him, and more often than not stole most of his catch. Bruni turned, resolved to be brave at least once in his life. He pulled the sharp stone knife from his belt and prepared himself to be ripped apart. One look at the enormous gaping mouth lined with razor sharp teeth shattered that resolve and he shrieked out instead.
¡°Someone save me please!¡± The giant fell back and covered his face.
A second passed, then another. The cowardly giant dared to look and his face screwed up in confusion. The whale was no longer moving forward, but seemed to be struggling and thrashing against something holding it back. Then it suddenly began to turn at an odd angle, as though it were spinning from its tail. Bruni then beheld a truly absurd sight. The Anu¡¯bas was being spun by its tail, by a human. Faster and faster the great monster rotated, skipping across the sand and then leaving the ground altogether as wings of shadow appeared from the human¡¯s back and he lifted the whale off the ground as he spun. Soon there was little more than a black blur, and suddenly the sea monster was launched high into the sky and back out into the cove where it splashed into the far distant swells.
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¡°That¡¯s gotta be the first whale to ever swim, walk, and fly. Am I right?¡± The human spoke to Bruni in perfect monstrous common as he approached.
Stunned silence was all the poor confused giant could offer in return as he poked himself in the cheek to make sure he wasn¡¯t just having a very strange dream.
Before Bruni could manage a response, a great spear stuck into the sand between Bruni and his savior.
¡°Hold right there, human!¡± One of the dozen or so gawkers that could have easily hit the Anu¡¯bas with that same throw barked. ¡°What trickery was that? Lie at your own peril.¡±
¡°Oh, no thanks I was just on my way to talk to someone more important when this guy asked for help. You all were just laughing about him getting eaten, and arguing over who¡¯d get his things so I decided to step in. You can throw another spear but you might not like how I give it back.¡± The mysterious man¡¯s eyes flashed at a giant that had begun to heft a spear. An oppressive aura darkened the beach then, so dense and menacing that it became difficult to even draw breath. ¡°I think I¡¯ll check in on this guy here later, and if he tells me you all gave him a hard time after I bothered saving him... well let¡¯s just try to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± With those parting words, wings once more appeared, and the man disappeared from sight.
I really hadn¡¯t intended to intervene, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. Nothing pisses me off like a group of bullies, and that was the most pathetic cry for help I had ever heard. I hoped that decision wouldn¡¯t affect my plans but if it did, oh well.
I hovered above the city, camouflaged by my cloak. It was a really impressive place, built right into the cliffs with wide stone roads and pulley powered lifts between the various levels. According to Ignea, the leadership resided near the top of the cliffs in a mutli domed stone castle decorated with sculptures of great giants from history.
I spotted the place, and nodded. It was every bit as majestic as I could have imagined. It had a massive central dome probably a hundred feet in diameter, flanked by two smaller domes roughly half that size. The courtyard before it was lined on either side with life size stone statues of various giants, some nude and others armored in epic looking platemail. In the center of the courtyard, a great black pike dozens of meters tall held the bleached skull of a cyclops. Appraisal revealed it to be the weapon of a defeated titan, now kept as a prized relic of the mountain giants. I doubted the somewhat puny skull belonged to the original wielder.
I descended and revealed myself to the two armored mountain giants guarding the palace doors with a bow.
¡°Greetings. My name is Gray and I come in peace to speak with your king.¡± I looked up just in time to see an enormous axe head descending to split me in half.
With a sigh I caught the blade between my thumb and index finger and held it tightly as the giant guard struggled to yank it free in vain. To his credit the other guard wasn¡¯t attacking, just staring stupidly at the tiny man holding his partner¡¯s axe.
¡°Not a human!¡± The struggling giant grunted. ¡°Demon! Sound the alarm!¡±
¡°Hey dumbass, I said I come in peace!¡± I yelled in frustration as I released the axe blade, causing the giant to over balance backward. I phased forward and up, appearing in front of his face before tapping him lightly on the chin with my palm.
He collapsed instantly into an unconscious heap, and I turned to the seemingly more reasonable giant.
¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone here and you guys are gonna feel REALLY stupid after today plays out if you keep coming at me like this.¡±
The great double doors flew open then, and a burst of deep laughter heralded a much larger figure. This giant was very clearly the big shot around here. He was easily thirty feet in height and had to duck to exit the castle. He was also wide, and wore layers of luxurious pelts over his boulder like shoulders. Atop his head was a crown made of steel, with many sharp spires.
¡°King Thrym, is it?¡± I asked with a hop backwards and another respectful bow. I used the name Ignea had given, hoping this wasn¡¯t some new king.
¡°Nay, tiny devil with great strength!¡± The crowned giant looked positively joyous. ¡°Thrym is my father. I am Hygnar, Prince of Clan Torbas. Defeat me and you may speak to the king! Only might gives you a voice here.¡±
¡°If might is what you wish to see, then so be it.¡± I summoned my wings and leaped up and back, hovering just above the tip of the great pike. ¡°But first, it would be rude to intrude without presenting a gift.¡± I opened my inventory and selected the item that was taking up nearly all of my space.
The head of Thurg appeared, fully four times the size of the cyclops skull already on the pike, and I drove it down the shaft to stop around halfway up. The great evil eye was clouded over now, but still glared with menace.
The joyous expression on Hygnar¡¯s face vanished, his eyes widened, and all color drained from his ruddy cheeks.
¡°Weapons down!¡± Hygnar bellowed, never taking his eyes off the gruesome severed head. At his order, I could hear dozens of great bolts being removed from ballista sized crossbows on the walls around me. ¡°Please wait here a moment.¡± The now subdued giant added before returning to the castle interior.
The knocked out giant guard slowly came to, and his eyes found focus on Thurg¡¯s head. With a weird squeaky grunt he fumbled for his weapon and looked up at his alert partner who slowly shook his head one time. With that the overzealous guard slowly found his feet and simply waited while glancing nervously from me to the head over and over.
A minute later, a trio of giants filed out with Hygnar at the lead. Behind him was an equally massive giant clearly in the later years of his life but no less imposing. Instead of a steel crown, he wore one of elegant golden ivy. At his side was a regal giant woman in a flowing blue dress. She wore golden bands around her toned biceps, and a simple golden circlet on her head.
¡°Honored Father, Honored Mother. This stranger has come bearing the head of one of the clan¡¯s greatest foes. It is unmistakable.¡± Hygnar bowed as he spoke.
¡°Thurg. The great beast rages no more.¡± The king marveled and his voice stuttered with emotion. ¡°Mighty stranger, you have avenged many of our kin. A feast for the ages will be held this day. What is your name?¡±
¡°It¡¯s Gray.¡± I replied, glad to finally be getting somewhere. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited yet, this is just the beginning.¡±
¡°What do you...¡± King Thrym began but trailed off as I focused my thoughts at the end of the courtyard and connected my mind to the location of my spilled blood in the dead jungle.
¡°Blood Gate.¡± I spoke the words and a blood red portal appeared. I could hear all five giants behind me suck in a sharp breath.
A few tense moments passed in silence. Then a giant female silhouette appeared in the portal, and then Ignea stepped through with wide eyes. Behind her, five hundred and ninety freed mountain giant slaves began to come through.
¡°Is that Ignea!?¡± The queen broke her silence for the first time, and she held her dress out to the sides as she rushed down the stone steps.
¡°Aunt Hilda!¡± Ignea choked on the words as she rushed into the queen¡¯s embrace.
A chaotic and emotional few hours followed, but after that everything couldn¡¯t have gone better. The mountain giants became sworn allies, and needless to say I never had to fight Hygnar.
Later that night I found the giant I saved, and he thanked me roundly, and said that the other giants had taken to shunning him rather than bullying him. I felt bad at first but he explained he actually liked it that way as he preferred to keep to himself. I understood the sentiment fully and wished him well. I didn¡¯t know it then, but the giant named Bruni would one day become a really famous guy. You¡¯ll learn all about that another day.
46: Housework
I appeared before EDEN, noting as I did that using Bloodwalk was becoming more natural with each use. I took a deep breath of the familiar scents. The slightly sweet smell of dead leaves danced with the sharp and clean scent of fresh snow. My nose wrinkled as the intrusive smell of copper and iron tainted the bouquet. A quick thought communication with Niiya revealed the summary of what Tabula had told her, and my mind kicked into fast planning mode.
I entered the resort and was greeted by a packed house. Newly arrived celestials exhausted from their long flight whispered to one another, and glanced around with a mixture of worry and wonder. I couldn¡¯t imagine how jarring it must have been for them. Most of them had been born and lived their entire lives inside the insulating barrier. I hid my presence beneath my cloak and passed through the crowd to where Tabula and Saet were in the middle of a discussion.
¡°Hey Tab.¡± I greeted her, canceling my camouflage effect. ¡°Everything okay here?¡±
¡°Certainly Mr. Gray.¡± She replied easily. ¡°I have already assigned the fifth and sixth floors as temporary housing for these new arrivals. A minor logistical issue may arise concerning cooldown recovery rates of popular menu items in the restaurants. The aquatics facilities are also likely to reach peak volume at certain times of day.¡±
¡°I thought that might come up eventually.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got some ideas about that. We¡¯ll talk later when we can get Hurstag and Raj to join us. For now, let¡¯s just assign an optimal rotating access schedule attached to room numbers so that everyone has fair access to food and facilities.¡±
¡°Restaurant? Aquatics facility?¡± Saet repeated the words awkwardly. ¡°What exactly is this place?¡±
¡°A restaurant is a place for guests to select food from a menu and enjoy their meal in a relaxing environment.¡± Tabula began to answer the rhetorical questions before I could stop her. ¡°The aquatics facility features two large swimming pools, mineral baths, showers, wet and dry saunas, and a childrens¡¯ pool with slides and toys. This place as a whole is EDEN, a state of the art living space owned by my master with myself serving as its administrator.¡±
¡°Wait, you¡¯re not just going to lend us a piece of land and have us fend for ourselves?¡± Apparently Saet had some very weak assumptions about my hospitality.
¡°I mean eventually we¡¯ll develop a place for your tree and get you back on your feet.¡± I answered, trying to find a way to explain. ¡°For now, you¡¯re our guests. You¡¯re free to come and go as you please, but each of you will have access to a room and amenities until then.¡±
¡°Why would you go so far for us?¡± Saet asked, and then suddenly changed her expression to one of panic. ¡°Please don¡¯t take that as me being ungrateful! It¡¯s just so unexpected.¡±
¡°Dunno.¡± My answer seemed to deflate her a little. ¡°I guess it feels pretty good to see decent people catch a break ... Speaking of that.¡± I decided to change the subject to something a little more urgent. ¡°Tab, please get messages to all of our allies in the area and request their presence in the courtyard in two hours. I¡¯ll be leaving the organization of the refugees to you for now if that¡¯s alright.¡±
¡°Will we be making a move on the dwarven capital?¡± She easily read my mind.
¡°Yes, after I properly thank everyone for their hard work, and take care of some business with Yugal that is the next move.¡± I excused myself and noticed something was off. There was no cat girl tagging along beside me.
¡°Hanging out with Jade.¡± Was the reply I got. Wonder if she¡¯s pouting about me leaving her in charge while I played with the giants. Also Jade¡¯s influence was starting to pile on thicker than I would have liked.
After that I went and visited Sapphire, the former Carbuncle turned Almiraj. There was something I was hoping she could pull off and it was the perfect time to test her abilities. She had become an assistant to Raj, and oversaw most of the new booming trade between the dwarves and Ariel¡¯s Gate. Yet another competent person I lucked into finding.
I found her in the first floor business center seated at a large table with several thick stacks of parchment before her. She was pulling documents from one pile in the middle, stamping them, scribbling something in a three ring binder, and finally placing them on a specific stack. It was hypnotic to watch, like those old internet videos of people doing mundane jobs insanely fast. Even tomato slicing looks badass at Warp 10.
When one of her elegant hands darted away to grab a tiny espresso cup for a sip, the momentum never broke, but seeing her long fingers and dark blue nails reminded me of what she had looked like when I first met her.
Before this woman¡¯s evolution, she had been a tiny waifish thing too small for children¡¯s clothes. I especially remembered her tiny hands, wringing nervously with nails long chewed away in the horrible grip of anxiety. She was now at least my height, and the spiraled sapphire horn on her forehead made her seem even taller. She wore a suit from a popular dwarven tailor that had moved into the area. The insanely industrious woman was making a killing here by designing women¡¯s clothes that were reminiscent of Tabula¡¯s striking and sexy business attire.
¡°That¡¯s a great outfit.¡± I greeted cheerfully. ¡°The blue lapels and cuffs are perfect for you.¡±
¡°My lord!¡± Sapphire jolted from her flow and spun out of her chair into a bow.
¡°Cut it out!¡± I huffed. ¡°You know that¡¯s not me.¡±
¡°Reverence may be inconvenient, but it is a trapping of power such as yours.¡± She smiled and finally looked up. Her eyes made me gulp. They were the most intense blue I had ever seen in any lifetime and no matter how many times I saw them I was stunned.
¡°As long as it¡¯s something you want and not something you feel forced to do.¡± I said, unable to argue.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
¡°Do you really like these clothes?¡± She suddenly seemed to remember my greeting. ¡°Balira made them for me after I helped her fill out all of her trade agreements. She measured me and everything! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever worn anything that¡¯s just for me.¡± Her childish excitement was heart melting and I felt a welling in my eyes. Was I always this emotional before?
¡°It¡¯s an amazing outfit, and no one else could pull it off like you.¡± I confirmed to her widening smile. ¡°I actually came to ask a favor, do you have a moment?¡±
I then asked her what new details she had learned about her skills, particularly the Duplicate Item skill.
¡°It seems that the skill breaks down items into categories of difficulty. I can duplicate what it deems ¡®Normal Items¡¯ at will as long as I have the required Soul Energy. ¡®Magic Items¡¯ Require much more Soul Energy and there is a chance of failure which destroys the original item.¡±
¡°Are the other categories Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythic, and Transcendent?¡± I guessed out loud.
¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± She nodded. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure how to tell which is which.¡±
¡°Those categories are designed very simply. Every step up in rarity up to Mythic class means that another line of modifications exist on the item. A higher base Item Score means that those lines of modifications can be rolled within a wider range of values. Transcendent items tend to have more abstract functions. For example, EDEN is in the Transcendent class.¡± As I rambled on like a total geek, I began pulling potion bottles from my Astral Vault.
¡°There are just a few things we need to confirm. First is the actual rate of failure since I assume they don¡¯t give you a reliable statistic in the tooltip.¡± As I spoke, I lined up ten identical potions on the table in front of her. ¡°These are potions in the Magic class. They restore fifty Soul Energy. Let¡¯s try to duplicate one.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand most of what you¡¯re saying but I¡¯ll try.¡± She held her palm out toward one of the pale pink crystal bottles and focused. A ghostly reflection of the bottle began to appear next to the potion, and after ten more seconds it seemed to have worked. Eleven bottles now existed on the table.
I picked up the duplicate and appraised it.
Item: Minor Potion of Soul Energy
Magic Consumable
Restore (40) Soul Energy
¡°Hmm. It seems to produce a weaker version of the original. Does the Duplicate Item skill have ranks?¡± I asked her.
¡°Yes. It is currently ranked one of six.¡± She replied
¡°Awesome!¡± I exclaimed ¡°If your Critical Fortune skill is available can you try using it on Duplicate Item and try again?¡±
She indulged the request, and the resulting potion was able to restore forty-five Soul Energy rather than forty.
¡°Just like I hoped. If we raise your skill, you¡¯ll be able to not just duplicate items but maybe even strengthen the duplicate beyond normal limits.¡± I was getting pumped. ¡°Also that¡¯s two in a row with no failure. Go ahead and try to duplicate the rest of these, if you get low on Soul Energy just drink some of the duplicates.¡±
Of the ten total attempts, only two ended in failure. I imagined that the failure potential skyrocketed with Rare or higher class items. We also learned that duplicates could not be duplicated themselves, meaning that once an original was lost it was game over unless you found another. Sapphire seemed happy to play along with me, and we finally got to the reason I had brought up the topic in the first place.
¡°I¡¯d like to make a bunch of these.¡± I brought out a bauble which (thanks to my impulsive hoarding tendency and messy inventory management) had been spared from becoming vendor trash back in EG. It was a Normal item, statistically useless but extremely fancy. It was a shining black diamond-shaped pin with a stylized gryphon engraved into its surface.
An hour later I stood outside in the early afternoon sun. As expected a large crowd of both familiar and new faces watched me from the same field where the invading knights had been slaughtered less than a day before. I had been given a detailed recap of the events during my absence, and there were alot of people here I was seeing in a brand new light. I noticed many of them were well equipped adventurers, whom scrutinized me intensely.
All of the cambions were in attendance. I noticed that the mother hen Meri now emitted a more powerful aura than the rest of her peers. I would have to ask her about it later. The hellcats were there, looking as awesome as always. Asha still seemed groggy from her ordeal but otherwise she was fine.
Perhaps a hundred dwarven traders and refugees waited for me to speak in stoic silence, and at least two hundred celestials had also insisted on attending. Niiya stood beside me along with Tabula, Jade, and Rain while Yugal formed the background behind us. I nodded at Tabula and she raised her hand. The murmuring conversation ceased instantly.
¡°First I want to thank all of you for keeping yourselves and each other safe during the recent attack by the kingdom. All of you deserve praise, but some of you went above and beyond. Would all of you who participated in the effort of evacuating the dwarves in the Sea of Stone and the destruction of the enemy¡¯s base camp please come forward?¡± I called out to the cambions.
All of them gracefully separated themselves from the crowd and knelt in front of me. Sapphire¡¯s earlier comment echoed in my mind. With a sigh to myself I continued.
¡°For your valor and service, please accept these medals, and these coins as my thanks.¡± Tabula walked down the line as I spoke my stuffy lines. I looked at each woman as they received their pin and small envelope of twenty gold. Ohh no. They¡¯re all crying their damn eyes out. Keep it together Gray! What the hell was going on with my emotions lately!?
I cleared my throat to mask the fact that I was getting choked up and hurried along my little awards ceremony. Stuff like this was important to me. Those brief moments of praise in my wrestling career, or seeing my name on top of the leaderboards when I zoned back from a record breaking abyss are things that everyone should get to feel once in awhile. I presented the hellcats and the dark alfar their rewards, and then called on some of the new adventurers I had yet to meet.
¡°Would the adventuring team known as The Mighty Four please step forward?¡± I called out, and to my great surprise the huge hairless warrior was dragging a fifth person along with the group. A very old, and very familiar fifth person.
My confused face asked the question for me.
¡°We¡¯re The Mighty Five nowadays apparently.¡± The clean cut leader said with an uneasy smile as he looked up at me and then over to the big fighter.
¡°I see.¡± I was fighting back a grin. I couldn¡¯t wait to hear the explanation for this. ¡°As you may have heard, my name is Gray. Please introduce yourselves.¡±
¡°Certainly, lord Gray.¡± The soldier answered. ¡°My name is Norris Fobb, also known as Norris the Worthy. I am a swordsman and main strategist of our group.¡± The man knelt after identifying himself.
¡°I am Delia, a magic user.¡± Short and sweet from the short and probably not so sweet dark haired girl.
¡°Luna Laguna.¡± The tall and uncomfortably attractive lavender haired woman was the only one to lock her eyes onto mine as she spoke. ¡°I am a monk. My body is at your service.¡± Phrasing. Boom. Thank Ariel my thoughts stayed in my skull for once.
¡°I¡¯m Rust. Pretty handy with an axe.¡± The big man jerked his thumb to the side. ¡°I adopted this fella. He knows how to make slimes eat people. He¡¯s gonna teach me how to grow slimes and I¡¯m teaching him to bash heads.¡±
¡°Hello again.¡± Slimer Jaik said meekly. ¡°It¡¯s been quite the month, hasn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°It certainly has Jaik.¡± I chuckled to the frail looking senior. ¡°Did you really come to that agreement, or is this a good natured kidnapping?¡±
Jaik gave a helpless shrug and Norris intervened.
¡°Mr. Jaik really did defeat an elite member of the red knight¡¯s forces with his pet slimes. He conducted himself with as much bravery and ingenuity as any professional soldier. My teammate really just wanted to make sure he received proper acknowledgment.¡± Norris explained helpfully.
My eyes popped open wide, I felt a new respect for the eccentric man. I was short on medals but I did have a better option.
¡°Mr. Jaik.¡± I addressed him in dad¡¯s old military tone and he stiffened up. ¡°Soon there will be some very large scale developments happening in this area, and our need for proper sanitation infrastructure is going to be immense. I need someone of your experience that I can turn to in those times. Tell me, can I count on you?¡±
The old man¡¯s eyes lit up and steam blasted from his mouth as he shouted out. ¡°Nothing would make me happier, lord Gray! My body may be wearing down but my passion for what I do will never break.¡±
¡°How many years have you served this city? How long have you spent toiling so that everyone could enjoy clean water and streets?¡± I asked him in a much softer voice. Many nods of respect came from the crowd, and the old slime wrangler puffed his skinny chest out just a bit more.
¡°Forty years.¡± He replied in almost a whisper, as if he could scarcely believe it had been that long himself. ¡°Forty years.¡± He repeated louder with conviction.
¡°Would you like forty more?¡± I asked him genuinely.
¡°I could study slimes for a thousand years.¡± He said without a slight hesitation.
¡°Then that is what you shall do.¡± With a thought I appeared before him, hovering just a few feet in the air with my wings fully extended. I held my hand above his balding head. ¡°For your lifetime of service, I grant you my blessing. Soul Brand.¡± The audience collectively gasped. And the old man¡¯s eyes widened in wonder as black tendrils of evolution appeared around him.
47: Reunion
Consume (24) Soul Brand Slot(s) to Apply <5x Mark of Gray> to ? YES/NO
Consume (50) Soul Energy to bypass Evolution Sickness? YES/NO
Rename ? YES/NO
Has Evolved from Human to Fallen Nephilim and gained <5%> of your total XP and Stats
Has begun sharing (10%) of your Total XP and Stats, and gained (91) Levels
Has acquired the Title
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
Has acquired
The blackness adhering to the old man began to dissipate, and the silence that overtook the snowy field was deafening. I gulped having already seen the changes to his stats. I had expected a cambion like the other humans, but it seemed my new Fallen Dominion type was influencing the evolutions in a new direction.
The newborn Fallen Nephilim was revealed then. He had grown several inches, though much of that gained height was likely just due to his new perfect posture. His revitalized frame was now also home to a thick layer of twitching muscle. It wasn¡¯t the inflated bodybuilder look by any means, it was a real prime Van Damme physique. His wrinkled and saggy exterior was long gone, replaced with skin so smooth that it looked like a bronze statue. The whites of his eyes were now the velvet black of the night sky, and his irises were the color of bright red wine. His bulbous nose and huge earlobes were now sculpted to a perfection I didn¡¯t know existed. A thick mane of golden hair now flowed down to his shoulders with a single stray black lock hanging down in front of his left eye.
I let out a tiny groan. I don¡¯t know what Jaik looked like in his youth, but there was no denying what I was looking at now. This was objectively the best looking person I had ever seen. I gave a silent apology to all the hearts that would soon pine for this man.
¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± His voice and expressions were still exactly as they had been, and I could see him fishing around his mouth with his tongue for some reason. ¡°My teeth all came back! I want a tough, bloody steak!¡± He exclaimed as he did a little dance.
He still moved his body deliberately and carefully like an old man too. I chuckled in amusement, and a tiny bit of relief. Maybe not as many hearts would need an apology as I thought.
Jaik stopped and closed his eyes, darting them about beneath his lids as though reading. When his eyes opened, a pair of glorious wings appeared on his back. The right wing was of pure white feathers, and the left was inverted to be pure black. Add some more edgy asymmetry to those good looks.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°May I?¡± He looked at me and asked permission.
I nodded, and following a careful crouch he leaped into the sky to a roaring cheer from the gathered crowd. He showed NONE of the fear or apprehension about flying I had gone through. He rolled and tumbled, banked and dove like a falcon. I realized how bad I was at flying in that moment. I still take off and land like a commercial airline and sweat when I run into stray gusts of wind.
He touched down a moment later with a wide grin on his face, and tears on his cheeks.
¡°Pretty overwhelming isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked him with a smile of my own. ¡°Believe it or not, I ditched a pretty beat up body myself not long ago.¡±
¡°It is. But there¡¯s something else.¡± Jaik collected himself as he answered. ¡°I can feel them all.¡± His next cryptic sentence caught me off guard and I took a second to think.
¡°Your slimes?¡± I took an educated guess based on the Slime Affinity thing.
¡°Not just my slimes. All of the slimes. Look.¡± He pointed to the distant edge of Gnollwood.
Sure enough, with my elevated senses I caught the movement at the treeline. I sucked in a breath so sharp it whistled on the way in.
¡°There must be thousands!¡± I exclaimed.
¡°Seven thousand, two hundred and sixteen.¡± Jaik confirmed from behind and above me as he began to fly toward the bouncing and undulating blue wave.
¡°Two minutes folks, Sorry for the delay!¡± I apologized to the assembled crowd and flew after Jaik.
¡°This is just from the immediate area.¡± Jaik said in amazement. ¡°Since you exterminated the monsters, the slime population here has exploded.¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡± I asked, though it was obviously true.
¡°They told me.¡± He said easily as he descended to the ground before the coming tide.
I wanted to ask more questions but decided to just watch.
Jaik began to grow and change suddenly. His transformation covered him clothes and all much like my Fallen Dominion and Fire Titan forms. He remained humanoid, but seemed to be composed of blue slime so dark it was nearly black. A huge skeleton could be seen through the opaque stuff, complete with a great skull with two long sweeping horns protruding from the brow. Overall he was around ten feet tall with a weight i couldn¡¯t begin to guess.
The first slimes began to reach him, and they bumped into him affectionately before disappearing into his great body. As they added themselves to his mass, he slowly grew and became less humanoid. Soon his skeleton was simply suspended in the body of an enormous but normally shaped dark slime. The last one of this group finally disappeared with a punctuating bloop and I patiently waited to see what came next. A horizontal line appeared on the side of the slime the skull was facing and I could see the jaw move up and down. Inexplicably, a voice was produced but it sounded nothing like old Jaik, or anything else I had ever heard for that matter. It rattled my bones and sent my heart pounding like it wanted out of my chest.
¡°We... slime...god. Eat. EAT!¡± That was a chilling little sentence fragment, and the blob rolled toward me a tiny bit.
The self proclaimed slime god shuddered and distorted then, and began to shrink in on itself. Then just as quickly as it had happened, Jaik stood back in his regular new nephilim body.
¡°Sorry about that.¡± Jaik apologized. ¡°They¡¯re wild slimes so their manners are still pretty bad. Not to mention they¡¯re very hungry. Though I hate to say it, you should put a premium bounty on the slimes in Gnollwood. With the ecosystem this out of balance they¡¯ll devour all the other animals and eventually eachother. I can¡¯t absorb any others until I get better at controlling them.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a terrifying skill.¡± I said, still calming myself down. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Hurstag to get the word out and triple the slime bounty right away. I gotta get back, feel free to join us or to go get comfortable with your new body as you please.¡±
¡°Thanks. I think I¡¯ll retire back to my office for the day. Please do come visit whenever you wish, I¡¯d like to at least treat you to some tea.¡± Jaik answered.
I shook his hand and waved him off as he took to the sky as though he had been flying since birth.
I returned to my place in front of the bewildered crowd and picked up where I had left off. I addressed Niiya, Tabula, Jade, and Rain. They stood before me with somewhat confused expressions.
A duplicated bauble couldn¡¯t begin to convey my appreciation. I dispelled my wings and gave each of them eye contact in turn.
¡°Not one bit of this would be possible without you all. I don¡¯t have a gift worthy of your support, but I will search for one with all my might. Until that day just know that I view you as my true family, and value you more than my own life.¡± I bowed as deeply as I ever had, and a gasp rippled through the crowd. ¡°Let none here doubt where the true power in our little country resides.¡±
The cheer that erupted was deafening. Apparently these four were already celebrities, and seeing them so acknowledged was just too exciting to contain. I couldn¡¯t quite hold back the tears this time and I quickly wiped my eyes.
Once the applause finally subsided I turned around to look up at Yugal. He cocked his head curiously at my look. I discreetly moved my hand and whispered something and then covered it with a loud address.
¡°My mighty ally and friend, Yugal. Your aid in defeating The Warlord¡¯s army was instrumental.¡± I tried to contain my smile as I saw the Blood Gate open behind the giant. ¡°I feared a tiny medal would be lost on a form so great, so I hope you¡¯ll accept this instead.¡±
A marble colored finger with a dark manicured nail touched Yugal¡¯s shoulder and he flinched in surprise. He turned slowly, already beginning to feel the familiar but utterly impossible presence. The candle of hope he had clutched so dearly, through so much had dwindled to a tiny flame that could scarcely be felt at all.
For the first time in his life, Yugal could not find the strength. He couldn¡¯t finish turning around. The hand that had touched him suddenly gripped his shoulder hard and spun him around. Yugal collapsed to his knees when he saw her. Here was his sister lost to the hells and now inexplicably before him. She was well, healthy, and radiant in the light flowing clothes favored by his southern kin. She dropped down to his level and they embraced in a hug that communicated more than any words could ever hope to.
The moment was so huge (no pun intended) that I didn¡¯t bother wiping the tears away this time. Luckily no one was looking at me. We all waited patiently for the pair to regain their composure, and they finally did a few minutes later. Yugal started to croak out his gratitude and I held up my hands to stop him.
¡°You should be thanking Saet and Niiya more than me.¡± I explained. ¡°They suggested and pulled off the contract that brought her home. I just supplied some muscle.¡±
Yugal looked over to the place Saet stood, and then at Niiya.
¡°I can never ever repay this deed.¡± Yugal took a long stride over to Saet, and sat down cross legged before her so that his eyes would be closer to hers. ¡°You have my eternal gratitude, great celestial queen. If you ever have use of me, I will be at your service.¡± It was a heavy vow, and Saet accepted it with a gracious nod.
Yugal then looked around for Niiya, and a sudden mighty tug on his great red mustache made him smile. She had flown up in her ashen nightmare.
¡°Cheer up Mr. Yugal!¡± The girl said in his ear. ¡°It was easy to trick that dumb old demon.¡±
I laughed out loud. It was a wholesome moment, but thanks to her skill Niiya was partially hidden in a menacing ash cloud. her eyes glowed like golden beacons and gave the impression of a wicked fairy whispering in a man¡¯s ear.
I took a mental picture, and let the celebration carry on. Yugal¡¯s kin from Vortheim joined us then. Two giant servants bearing an enormous table appeared from the Blood Gate. Two more followed, with a whole roasted mountain bison spitted on a pole between them. The parade of giants bearing legendary sized portions of food continued. In total five roasted bison, twelve great kegs of mead, and several platters heaped with fish, mushrooms, and various wild root vegetables tested the durability of the great table. Suddenly we had a giant rager on our hands, and they were quick to invite us all to join in. The gathering of so many different races, and backgrounds celebrated together without restraint.
Tomorrow was a day for politics, seriousness, and war. Tonight we would party among and like true giants.
48: Slice of Life, EDEN Edition
I rolled around the luxurious bed fitfully. My overfilled bladder was determined to ruin the first good night of sleep I had enjoyed in days. Dammit. I sighed in defeat as I phased up to a sitting position. I was naked except for my boxers as I looked around the penthouse suite. The green LED clock said 07:28. Guess I slept a little more than five hours. I don¡¯t think my body really required sleep anymore but it was still a luxury I enjoyed to the fullest.
Two minutes later I was still in front of the toilet. Wonder what the record for longest pee is in this world? I¡¯ve gotta be a contender with this one. At least a minute later I was still going. Did I really drink that much? I was barely even buzzed when I went to bed, but I guess I was almost keeping up with Yugal. The stream finally came to a sputtering stop and I sighed in relief. I washed my hands and started brushing my teeth (every room was supplied with toiletries that replenished automatically).
As I scrubbed my sharp teeth, I dropped my shorts and walked around the short hallway leading to the walk in shower. It was a polished black granite room the size of an average bedroom with three shining chrome shower heads arranged in a triangle on the eight foot ceiling. There were also two handheld shower wands on opposite walls. A motion sensor detected my entrance and warm water began cascading down. I touched the little waterproof screen near the entrance, bumping up the water temperature a few degrees. I¡¯ve always been in the hotter shower faction, I know it¡¯s supposedly not good for you.
The shower was heavenly and I felt myself slowly coming back to life as the body wash and shampoo did their thing. Fifteen or so minutes later I was leaving the shower and as I turned the corner to the bathroom proper I glanced in the mirror and froze.
I was used to my reflection being a practical stranger but this was something else entirely. The head of an enormous black panther with the curling horns of a ram was glaring at me with piercing neon yellow eyes from within the mirror. Instinctively, I knew exactly who I was looking at.
¡°Baelphegor.¡± I said the name and the response was instant. The panther¡¯s ears flattened and thick white canines were revealed as the lips pulled back in a snarl.
As instantly as it had appeared, the apparition vanished. I was left staring at my own naked reflection with a tense look on my face. It hadn¡¯t spoken, but the message was clear. My apparent familiar was not happy about being ignored. Still, did I even want something scary like that following me around? Also if I get any more cats I might as well throw on an oversized disney sweater and fully embrace the crazy cat lady lifestyle. Ultimately I decided that I could just deal with it after Grandring.
In response to that unspoken decision, a sudden dull pain in my stomach made me look down. A stomach ache in my old body wouldn¡¯t have made me think twice at all. Honestly I was more surprised on the rare occasion when nothing hurt. Now such random biological inconveniences were not normal at all. I decided it was time to address this here and now.
¡°Look, since I know you can hear me I¡¯ll spell it out. If you¡¯re trying to bully me, you better have way worse to offer than a tummy ache.¡± I spoke out loud in a flat voice. ¡°The more grief you cause me, the less inclined I am to see your face out here. As of right now, I plan to address this as soon as we break the siege on Grandring. Keep messing with me, and I¡¯ll gladly ignore you for the rest of my life. No one, and I mean no one can ignore his problems like I can.¡±
The pain suddenly vanished, and the oppressive feeling of being glared at went with it.
¡°Good. In that case I¡¯ll see you soon. Hang in there prince of sloth, maybe take a nap.¡± I said as my suit appeared on my body.
I left my room feeling fully refreshed and ready for whatever the day would throw my way.
Yugal watched his sister wading about in the large pool, her eyes wide with wonder and excitement. At lord Gray¡¯s request, Tabula had made some modifications to EDEN¡¯s large resort configuration which allowed giants like Yugal and Ignea to access this area. Natural morning sunlight bathed the black marble around the pool, and the water temperature itself was quite warm from the perspective of a mountain giant. Ignea was in the deep end of the pool, which still only came up to around her waist. Yugal was soaking in the shallow end like it was a bath tub, enjoying the simple feeling of pure relaxation. For once, there was no worry or anxiety pressing in on his mind.
He hadn¡¯t slept the night before. Even after lord Gray had stumbled off to bed and the rest of the giants had returned through the portal, Yugal had lingered in the waking realm. He couldn¡¯t stop stealing glances at his beloved younger sister, sleeping peacefully in the mountain of furs next to him under the open sky. It had been a night of reflective soul searching.
His uncle, in the throes of the celebration had called upon Yugal to rejoin the southern clans and find a wife from among the many giant maidens. Yugal had deflected the offer, but now wondered about his future. A loud splash and the sound of giggling jolted him from his reverie.
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A head popped up near Ignea. The lavender hair flowing in the water gave away the identity of the intruder. It was that girl from yesterday that had been honored. She had also been curious about Ignea, asking her all sorts of questions. Was her name Luka? Luda? Lu-something or other.
¡°Pardon her, please.¡± Another voice from the edge of the pool apologized. ¡°Luna can¡¯t stay away from the pool.¡± It was the other girl from their party. Like the lavender haired woman, she wore a one piece black bathing suit supplied by EDEN. ¡°Sorry I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I¡¯m Delia, a new adventurer here.¡±
¡°I am Yugal, she is Ignea my sister.¡± Yugal answered, somewhat impressed by the girl¡¯s courage to approach him so brazenly. ¡°Congratulations, you achieved a high honor here in your short time.¡±
¡°Thank you very much. It means a great deal coming from the famous Mountain Terror of the Western Blades.¡± Delia¡¯s voice was packed with sincerity as she referred to the range of mountains that had once been home to Yugal¡¯s great clan. ¡°Mere sight of you was enough to send most adventurers running in fear.¡±
¡°I never sought those conflicts, but being a big target with too much pride to flee led to the deaths of many challengers.¡± Yugal reflected on his youth with a sigh. ¡°Our great lord ended that petulant cycle with ease.¡± Yugal couldn¡¯t hold back a smile as a playful splashing battle broke out in the deep end between Luna and Ignea. ¡°Where but in a dream could one find a giantess frolicking so carelessly with a human adventurer?¡±
¡°Dreams could never reach these heights of absurdity.¡± Delia sucked in a deep breath and rubbed her temples. ¡°You only graze the surface. A human and giant are frolicking, sure. But they are doing so in a huge pool of warm water that is always crystal clear, and replenishes Soul Energy by simply being submerged in it. That pool is in a building where merely eating the unnaturally delicious food applies blessings that make an S ranked cleric look like a bumbling novice. Every single ¡®suite¡¯ of which there seem to be thousands, has a bath with hot water that falls from the ceiling, and a bed that can only be described as a warm fluffy cloud.¡± Delia suddenly realized she was rambling and snapped her mouth closed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have no clue why I went on and on like that.¡± She was blushing.
¡°Don¡¯t apologize!¡± Yugal laughed sincerely. ¡°I was quite enjoying your perspective. I¡¯ve been among them for long enough that my wonder was diminishing. Please go on.¡±
¡°Well if you insist...¡± Delia sucked in another breath. ¡°The immediate area is patrolled by a talking bird so strong that it can erase mountains at will, a dragon can be found lazing about in the bar chatting with a little catkin girl whom has an honest to gods Domain power. Lady Tabula, a being so powerful I can¡¯t even fully Appraise controls this entire space as though it were her own body. I couldn¡¯t fathom what kind of person she would actually call her master until I met that man yesterday...¡± She paused briefly to shudder at the memory. ¡°I was so scared I could barely remember my own name and class! Those muscleheads I work with! How can they chat so glibly with such a monstrous aura bearing down on them?"
¡°Monstrous?¡± A girl¡¯s voice announced the arrival of the green dragon in human form. ¡°He was holding his aura in as much as possible. He¡¯s gonna laugh when I tell him that one.¡± Jade snickered.
¡°P-please lady dragon, don¡¯t tell him I said that!¡± Delia yanked her feet out of the water and scrambled to a prostrated position.
¡°You need to lighten up, girl. My name¡¯s Jade not ¡®lady dragon¡¯.¡± Jade¡¯s face was screwed up with a mixture of confusion and pity. ¡°Anyways, Yugs. Tabula told me to tell you that our Master is gonna be ready to go in an hour, so meet him out front then.¡± Jade swung around and departed with some final words. ¡°Congrats on getting your sis back, big guy!¡±
¡°Thank you Jade!¡± Yugal called, and she gave a wave over her toned shoulder.
Delia watched with wide eyed wonder as Yugal stood and wrapped a ¡®towel¡¯ around his waist which she recognized as one of the comforters found in the suites. Without the layers of hides and fur that typically covered him, so much muscle and scar tissue was revealed that Rust himself seemed an infant by comparison.
¡°Sister.¡± He called over to Ignea whom was still enjoying her playful scuffle with the mighty monk. ¡°We must prepare for our journey.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not really a ¡®journey¡¯, brother.¡± She answered. ¡°You step into the red thing and you¡¯re there.¡±
¡°Still, we should look our best. This announcement will be a historic one.¡± He pressed her gently.
¡°Bah. Very well, I suppose I should go act like a princess.¡± She grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll visit again soon, Luna.¡±
The two of them had hit it off at the party, and now seemed like lifelong friends.
¡°Be safe Ignea!¡± Luna waved before diving back under the water.
¡°She¡¯s like a mermaid.¡± Yugal chuckled as Ignea walked past him wrapped in her own ¡®towel¡¯.
They dried off thoroughly and dressed themselves in a private dressing room with large sturdy benches and giant sized cabinets. Lady Tabula was an incredibly thoughtful and thorough person. Yugal brushed the tangles from his thick red mane and beard, and donned the ceremonial fur lined blue toga that his aunt had made as a gift for him. Ignea wore a light grey dress tinted a pastel shade of aquamarine, and a supple but wide leather belt around her slim waist. Each of them cut a majestic figure as they left their dressing room.
The giant siblings passed dozens of dwarves, humans, celestials, and even a few cambions as they walked down the long and tall hallway that had been modified for them. They all were here to visit the Office of Commerce headed by lady Raj and Ms. Sapphire. EDEN was truly bustling now. Never in his life had Yugal imagined such a diverse gathering, and the echoes of Delia¡¯s ramblings made him smile even wider. This nation would someday steer the course of this whole continent, and likely even the world beyond that. Yugal was proud to be a witness to the very beginning of it all.
After gathering a few things from Yugal¡¯s cabin in the rear courtyard, it was nearing the appointed time. They rounded the building and found a gathering of the fledgling country¡¯s most elite people.
Lord Gray stood at ease in his typical striking suit. Niiya stood next to him in a set of beautiful leather armor crafted in the celestial style, meaning it was a dark purple color with studs that glinted like stars. It was a gift from Saet, and she wore it as naturally as her own skin.
Leza and Leifa were present as the leaders of their individual groups. Leza wore a sleeveless black tunic and baggy olive colored pants that cinched around her calves. The Hellcats favored garments like those these. They wouldn¡¯t be shredded by their White Fury forms, which unlike most transformations didn¡¯t overwrite clothing. Leifa was dressed much more elegantly in a cream colored dress that flowed and clung in all the right places.
The Dark Alfar ladies were also present, wearing leather and cloth armor made by the new local dwarven craftsmen. The quality was exceptional and would shame any human artisan from the kingdom. Dark traveling cloaks only added to their mystique. The deputy governor tengu, Raj was there with her typical cohort and guildmaster Hurstag. Raj wore a dark robe tied at the waist with a white sash, and a fluffy white fur scarf around her neck. She seemed like a person that very much hated the cold. Hurstag wore a set of heavily embellished plate armor as was typical dwarven ceremonial attire.
¡°Looks like we¡¯re all here.¡± lord Gray announced with a smile. The man seemed unusually chipper for a human that drank several mountain giants and dwarves under the table less than eight hours ago.
Without further chit chat, lord Gray conjured the portal that would be the holy grail of magic for any nation (nevermind individual magic users). Personal teleportation spells were rare with a harsh distance limit, and could even misfire, landing the unfortunate user in a random location (including the bottom of the sea).
Yugal grabbed his sister¡¯s hand for courage and stepped through the blood red gate.
49: The Clouds Gather
We all emerged from the blood gate into the great courtyard of the royal castle in Wortheim. The place was larger than a football field and packed with giants. Huge heads leaned over each other to peer down on us, and hundreds of children watched curiously from behind the safety of stalagmite legs. A line of grim faced and heavily armored giants kept a clear path from the gate to the steps and the double doors of the castle beyond. Thurg¡¯s enormous skull was still where I had left it, impaled on the great pike in the center of the courtyard.
As usual, the air here was several degrees warmer than Ariel¡¯s Gate but still not quite above freezing. Waiting to greet us on the raised landing was the entire royal family, including a couple of giant children I had yet to meet. There was a boy that must have been just nearing puberty and a small (relatively of course) girl that might have passed for a human woman at first glance. She was obviously just past the toddler stage with large eyes and round cheeks that demanded pinching.
The king and queen presented a regal image that made me feel like a real impostor as a leader. They were the real deal, and I was barely keeping my head above water with everyone¡¯s help.
We reached the top of the stairs which was only possible thanks to a narrow section that had been built to accommodate smaller visitors. The normal steps were as tall as me. The guards allowed the giants to fill in the path, and took positions at the base of the stairs. The murmuring ceased as king Thrym raised a hand for silence.
¡°Presenting the warrior and lord of the great forest of Gnollwood, conqueror of the forbidden jungle, slayer of the cyclops legion, savior of the princess Ignea, subjugator of the Warlord, and giant friend...¡± Thrym paused to take a breath and to build some tension. ¡°The mighty Gray, Titan¡¯s Bane!¡± Thrym said those last words as a roar, triggering a cheer from the crowd that shook the castle and echoed throughout the great cove. Thrym allowed the cheer to carry on for a few moments, and when it died down he continued. ¡°Lord Gray has already vanquished so many of our foes, and now aims to end the plague of Gault''s reign. Will we stand idle as he meets our enemies yet again!?¡±
A resounding roar of ¡°No!¡± answered him from every giant in attendance.
¡°Will we march!?" Thrym really knew how to work a crowd.
¡°AYE!¡±
"Will we sing!?" He grew a bit louder.
"AYE!"
"Will we make our foolish enemies remember what it is to stand against us!?
"AYE! AYE AYE!" The response shook the air.
¡°The alliance is struck! Let this day be marked as a holiday until the end times!¡± Another short cheer followed.
¡°Sons and daughters of Wortheim, gather your arms! We make for Grandring this very night. Our drums are thunder, and our song heralds the coming of a new dawn. Let the One Who Weeps bear witness. Let the ravens grow fat. Let the earth drink deeply and blush at our might. TO WAR!¡± Thrym¡¯s voice reached a crescendo and I could physically feel the swelling auras of the giants as their hearts were ignited.
I thought I was at least a decent speaker, but it turns out I didn¡¯t know shit about giving speeches.
¡°Now while my people prepare, there is another visitor here that wishes to meet you.¡± Thrym turned his head and addressed me directly.
¡°There are refreshments inside.¡± Queen Hilda added before I could inquire who this mysterious visitor might be. ¡°Please come in.¡±
We entered the castle then. I had already seen the inside once on my first trip here but was no less impressed the second time around. The ceiling of the great hall was lost in shadow that the roaring braziers couldn¡¯t reach. Enormous tapestries hung from the smooth stone walls depicting various battles and historical events. Two thrones upon a raised platform towered over us, and there was a human sized table with chairs set up next to all the giant furniture. It reminded me of the kids¡¯ table at family dinners.
Leaning against the small table was a dwarf I had never seen before. He was a rough looking one, with scars covering most of his visible skin. His mustache and bushy brows were blood red but the thick beard beneath was mostly grey. He was smiling widely, displaying a few yellow teeth but mostly just black spaces where teeth had once been. He smelled like taco meat, blood, and leather. He might be unsavory to look at and on the ripe side, but he was strong, extremely strong.
¡°At long last.¡± He bowed so fast and deep, I thought his forehead was going to hit the floor as he spoke. ¡°The Gray is real.¡±
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¡°I keep hearing that from dwarves.¡± I answered with a somewhat confused smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know who you are though.¡±
¡°Those words are a prayer for many.¡± The stranger said. ¡°They chant it as they march north on empty bellies. Children say it as they dig in the dirt for worms to eat. My name is Van. I am a meddler. I put this pretty nose everywhere it shouldn¡¯t be for a living, and I¡¯ve been waiting to meet you for quite some time.¡±
¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Van?¡± I asked as I phased forward, appearing in a sitting position in one the chairs.
¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point.¡± Van said, unshaken by my movement. ¡°We want in on this here alliance.¡±
¡°In other words, you learned that we¡¯re about to intervene and don¡¯t want to be in a position of debt to either of us when the dust clears.¡± I was not accusing, merely observing and I kept my eyes locked onto his as I spoke.
¡°You¡¯re a sharp one.¡± Van confirmed. ¡°We plan to bust out of Grandring and join the fight when they turn their attention to you.¡±
¡°Since you¡¯ve spoken plainly I¡¯ll do the same. I seek no leverage or position of superiority over your people. I cannot speak for Thrym, but I welcome any ally that operates in good faith. Our attack will begin with the setting of the sun.¡±
¡°Whoa wait a second there.¡± Van finally showed a bit of shock. ¡°It¡¯s a three day march if you know all the short cuts.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a thirty minute flight and a single step through a gate.¡± I corrected him.
¡°A gate spell?¡± Van stroked his mustache. ¡°That¡¯s certainly something.¡±
¡°It¡¯s convenient.¡± I conceded. ¡°I will travel to within striking distance of the enemy, and open a gate for our forces to come through. If you wish, I can carry you to Grandring and allow you to warn your king.¡±
¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve got my ways of getting around.¡± He patted the air as he declined. ¡°We will be ready to join the assault when the sun sets.¡±
¡°Be careful.¡± I cautioned him. ¡°Many of my allies use attacks that create widespread destruction. I¡¯ll warn everyone, but you know how chaotic battles can become.¡±
¡°Aye sir.¡± Van chuckled. ¡°That I do know.¡±
¡°How did you know that we would be here today?¡± I asked him curiously. ¡°This was arranged very recently, and not advertised.¡±
¡°Leave an old dwarf some mystique.¡± Van rejected the question with a wink. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything once the siege is broken.¡±
¡°Niiya, does he seem like a bad person?¡±. I asked her telepathically.
¡°He¡¯s okay.¡± She answered after staring intensely at him for a moment.
With that as my blessing, I abandoned my curiosity about the peculiar dwarf and turned my attention to more pressing matters.
¡°Raj, the map if you please.¡± I called the tengu woman over and she spread a detailed map of the Grandring area on the stone table top. The map was created in EDEN thanks to the input of several helpful refugees from Grandring.
What amounted to a preoperative briefing ensued. Snacks and drinks were passed around as we outlined missions for all of the key players. At one point Leifa raised her hand.
¡°If they¡¯re all clumped together in that valley why not simply use our gravity magic to drop great boulders from the sky and obliterate them all at once.¡± She asked matter of factly.
I was taken aback. When did she become so callous?
¡°Well, the main reason would be the dwarven kingdom beneath the surface of that valley. A cataclysm like that would probably cause cave ins and excessive collateral damage.¡± I tried to hide the edge of disappointment in my voice. ¡°The second reason is that there are certainly non combat operatives among any army of that size. Cooks, porters, engineers - none of whom have committed crimes enough to warrant being crushed by a giant boulder.¡±
¡°Of course, forgive me.¡± She looked down and took a step back.
¡°With utmost respect lord Gray, I agree with Leifa.¡± A raspy soft voice interjected before I could continue. ¡°Grandring is engineered to endure all manner of disturbances, and lies much deeper than you may realize. As for the non combat forces, they were not conscripted and fully understand the risks of their involvement.¡±
Et tu, Raj!? Her points may have seemed cold but on many levels she was right. The kingdom had committed terrible crimes in their pursuit of expansion, and had honestly earned this lack of sympathy. I paused and seriously considered their argument.
¡°You both make fair points, and that would most likely be the safest way to launch our attack. That said, I have to be selfish this time. We will attempt to decapitate this force with field Appraisal and precision strikes. Once they are scattered and leaderless we can rout anything that still wants a fight. Our priority is ending the war, not maximum carnage. There will be a time after this war. We aren¡¯t just eliminating foes, we¡¯re creating orphans and grieving families that we may one day have to care for.¡± I spoke with as much conviction as I could muster and saw the effect of my words immediately.
¡°We shall defeat the kingdom, and spare those that surrender.¡± This came from Leza, and the others nodded firmly at her words.
¡°Thank you.¡± I said sincerely.
The rest of the planning phase went smoothly after that. Two hours before sunset I led my small group and one thousand battle ready mountain giants back through the portal to EDEN where we would stage our complete force.
I left the organization in the capable hands of Tabula and Raj, and shot into the cloudy sky flying fast toward the besieged capital. Twenty minutes later I was hovering a thousand feet above the enormous siege camp.
It looked more like a city than a camp. Permanent stone buildings were arranged in blocks with paved streets between them. There was a blank stretch of battered earth between the invaders¡¯ city and the huge square cut tunnel marking the entrance to the dwarven kingdom. That blank fifty meter field illustrated the invaders¡¯ respect for their enemy. I had learned a great deal about the ingenious layout of Grandring and its many layers of defense.
A giant multilayered barrier with a mythic gemstone as its heart encompassed the main city. The nine most powerful defense mages maintained the barrier. Beyond the mighty barriers, dwarven engineering provided horribly efficient countermeasures.
The artificial tunnels surrounding Grandring functioned as a living maze. They were cut with perfect precision with no variance, and certain sections could be altered at will. Unwanted guests would find tunnels closed behind them, and endless twists and turns would leave even the most experienced navigators hopelessly lost until the dwarves decided otherwise. Those tunnels could also be flooded with poisonous gas or hot tar from thousands of hidden chutes.
Finally, any enemy that somehow managed to escape the maze would be greeted by The Kings of Grandring. When a ruler of Grandring died, their likeness was immortalized as a huge golem of steel, gold, and mithril. The creation of these golems was much like the tomb of a pharaoh, a national undertaking spanning several years and thousands of craftsmen. The end result was an S class defensive guardian widely believed to be invincible. Thirteen Kings guarded Grandring, but only twelve of them were golems. The current king was rumored to be among the strongest fighters in history, a title even king Thrym begrudgingly acknowledged.
Unsurprisingly, no enemy had ever come close to conquering Grandring. The kingdom¡¯s only hope was this endless siege, isolating the dwarves and strangling them over many years.
I meant to end that today. I landed in the huge caldera of an extinct volcano about a mile from the siege city. I opened the blood gate, and my forces began to appear.
In total we were bringing one thousand giants including Yugal, twenty Cambions, all of the Hellcats, both Dark Alfar, The Mighty Four, Niiya, me, and fifty of the best dwarven fighters that volunteered.
We were a little less than eleven hundred against the kingdom¡¯s combined force of close to fifty thousand. Those poor bastards.
50: Greetings Usurper
I surveyed the enemy camp from the lip of the caldera. Behind me, preparations were taking place. I could hear the deep voices of giant mages chanting defensive spells. My field Appraisal was identifying dozens of relatively strong named enemies, but for the most part these were average soldiers in decent gear. I turned to begin issuing assignments when an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke from right beside me.
¡°Greetings, Usurper.¡±
¡°GRAY WATCH OUT!¡± Niiya¡¯s voice screamed into my thoughts at the same time.
I sensed movement, and crossed my arms in front of my chest. Something hit me in that instant. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Both of my arms shattered, probably saving me from instant death. I was flying, and before I could enact my wings to stop myself I was hit again. I caught the faint glimpse of something man shaped. The shock of the impact made me black out for a second. When I came to, I was still flying at ultrasonic speed over the mountains below. The first tic of regeneration restored my ability to move enough to engage my wings. I instinctively swung my arm in front of my body and was rewarded with a surprised grunt from my assailant as I luckily deflected an attack. A flash of light blinded me and an impact on my shoulder sent me rocketing toward the ground.
I steeled my focus, and set my priorities. I began navigating my inventory, and growled away yet another blow which changed my trajectory. One more hit would probably mean death. I considered an invisibility potion, but disregarded it immediately. Anything this strong could track me from presence alone, and there was nothing I could do to totally erase that. The most pressing issue was our gap in speed. It had been a long time since I needed this, but here we are.
*Used Item: Chalice of Endless Alacrity-Elixir
+2x Attack/Cast/Movement Speed
Duration: 59:59
Cooldown: 7:59:59
The elixir took effect and I finally saw my enemy. He was little more than a dark sequence of afterimages, but now I could make out his basic appearance. ¡®A spry old military gentleman of near infinite power¡¯ - Raj¡¯s description of Typhon was right on the money.
I slipped the incoming punch with ease and countered with a knee to his ribs, allowing his momentum to do most of the damage. His flesh didn¡¯t yield at all, his body was like steel. He grunted and suddenly disengaged. We hovered hundreds of meters above the mountains. He floated like a superhero in wingless silence, perfectly still. The air about him distorted with waves of force.
¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± I said evenly, not breaking eye contact.
¡°You¡¯re the first in centuries to survive my greeting.¡± He replied. ¡°A fair fight with you would surely be thrilling, but I¡¯m afraid I just can¡¯t risk losing the progress I¡¯ve made.¡±
Something suddenly felt wrong in the pit of my stomach. I went to move but was frozen. I should be totally immune to paralysis. A woman¡¯s voice spoke, and I found myself at least able to move my eyes to view her. She was totally obscured in a black robe with a deep hood.
¡°He will break free any moment.¡± Her voice was flat and dispassionate. ¡°What is your next wish?¡±
¡°You think I would waste another precious wish on some mere prey?¡± Typhon called out. I could feel the binding magic weakening and I began to vibrate with restrained effort. ¡°The power in this land must be consolidated if we are to survive what is to come. Be honored that you served a noble purpose, and that your followers will soon do the same.¡± Typhon reached out his arm and to my horror it morphed into a pink fleshy tentacle tipped with a hollow bone in the shape of a needle.
My instincts screamed at me. Something told me that needle could and would kill me permanently, and then all of my friends would be at this freak¡¯s lack of mercy. I could open and close my eyelids and barely move my lips, but my limbs were still frozen. What could I do!?
¡°White Nova.¡± I whispered.
The spell activated, but I might as well have just tossed a handful of snow at him. He barely reacted.
¡°Blast Nova.¡± I whispered next.
Still there was almost no effect. My movement abilities were fully locked out. I was helpless as the needle touched my chest and began to force its way into my skin.
Wait. He was touching me. I was touching him.
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¡°Fallen Dominion.¡± My body grew, and transformed.
I instantly activated my Touch of Dominion skill. Typhon ferociously resisted but was devoting all of his might to do so. The needle stopped its progress, and a thick vein appeared on Typhon¡¯s forehead. It was a stalemate. I couldn¡¯t quite control him, but he couldn¡¯t feed on me. He began to move his lips.
¡°I wish -¡±. His words ended in a gurgle as a sudden flash of green cut across my vision between us, and the air filled with fine grey ash.
My pupils dilated in shock. Typhon¡¯s entire lower jaw was missing, and his tongue was wagging just above the flapping gore of his Adam¡¯s apple.
¡°You hurt Gray.¡± Niiya¡¯s quivering voice echoed and bounced menacingly all around us. ¡°You hurt gray!¡± The scream was accompanied by another flash of green.
Typhon¡¯s severed legs dropped from his floating body and disappeared into the ash below. Even with his horrible wounds, the man suddenly moved with astonishing speed. He yanked the ornate rapier from his belt with his left hand and severed his own tentacle, leaving it wriggling and still embedded in my chest. All things considered that was incredibly impressive. I saw the edges of his wounds begin to glow and reform. Of course he would have crazy regeneration skills too...
¡°Oh we can¡¯t have that!¡± A barrage of green flashes took Typhon¡¯s remaining arm and eviscerated his torso. Wait, those flashes of green, that voice...
¡°Jade!?¡± I blurted out, turning my head.
¡°Heya Master, looks like you owe me big time.¡± There she was. Beyond all possibility, Jade emerged from the ash in her dragon form.
Brutalized and unrecognizable, the lump of flesh and clothes that was Typhon drifted through the air to the cloaked figure. He was clearly pleading for aid and I tensed for whatever the clearly powerful being might do.
¡°Yes, lord Typhon? Would you like to make a wish? You know the rules, I can¡¯t grant any wish unless you say it out loud.¡± She was mocking him.
So then that was the source of his powers. I finally put it together from context. Typhon had a djinn. I could watch this play out and possibly regret it, or...
*Equipped: Grief Reaper - Great Scythe
(Item Score 901) Skin: Default
Damage (Physical): 666
Damage (Necrotic): 66/sec
Festering Wounds
Create Undead IX
Indestructible
¡°And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with blade, and with hunger, and with plague, and with the beasts of the earth.¡±
I loathed using this weapon. The moment you equipped it, tens of thousands of insects materialized all over your skin and in the air about you. They didn¡¯t do any harm, but it felt awful. I mean AW-FUL. You could feel them crawling under your clothes and in every crevice. There was no way to cancel it aside from putting the weapon away. That drawback aside, Grief Reaper was a Transcendent Weapon with good reason.
The Festering Wounds effect prevented all forms of regeneration and healing in a way that no other item or skill could replicate.
The other ability I had always assumed was just for cosmetics. Grief Reaper had an enormous Strength requirement to equip, and that meant that no wielder would ever have the Soul Energy required to cast Create Undead IX. The regular Create Undead spell maxed out at Tier V and would yield either fifty weak undead (skeletons and zombies) or one elite undead (death knight, mummy, vampire). The roll was random on what what was summoned.
I repressed the urge to scream and run around as the roaches and black widows had a festival on my body. As I raised the vile looking bat wing shaped blade, a micro second of doubt crossed my mind. This could be considered the most valuable hostage ever after all. Nah. Fuck this guy. The blade flashed, trailing a sickly green light.
What remained of Typhon¡¯s head dropped through the ash and plummeted out of sight. I caught his headless and limbless corpse before it could follow. A moment of silence passed as I watched for any signs of regeneration.
¡°Are you a threat to me now?¡± I asked the mysterious figure whom still hadn¡¯t moved.
¡°No.¡± Was her simple answer.
¡°She means it.¡± Niiya chimed in, finally showing herself.
¡°Good. Now, Jade.¡± I turned to face the green dragon. ¡°You know what I¡¯m going to ask you.¡±
¡°It was gonna be a surprise!¡± She said proudly. ¡°Wait. I guess it still is a surprise, huh?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been practicing alot. My clone can make my domain thing now.¡± Niiya cut in. ¡°If Jade¡¯s in my clone¡¯s ashes back home, I can bring her into my regular ashes here.¡±
¡°They seem to share dimensional space with each other. We¡¯re not sure on all the details yet.¡± Jade added more seriously. ¡°We weren¡¯t sure if it would work this far away, but this sounded bad so we decided to try.¡±
¡°I see. That¡¯s incredible, and that¡¯s why you were spending so much time together lately.¡± In spite of this dire situation I couldn¡¯t help but smile in relief. I guess Niiya hadn¡¯t been upset with me after all.
¡°Umm...¡± The woman¡¯s voice sounded unsure. ¡°What will you do with me?¡± She tilted her hood back and I saw her face. She had light purple skin and fine features. Her eyes were pure white, she sort of looked like a cute girl version of Dr. Manhattan.
¡°I can tell just by feeling that you¡¯re around as strong as me.¡± I replied honestly, and meant it. Standing near her was like being too close to a bonfire of magic power. ¡°Why you were stuck serving this guy is beyond me, but I won¡¯t pry. What should I call you?¡±
¡°I am called Nadira Chronomaggius, the one known as the Black Crusibilis Knight. I was sold to Typhon by my father. This binds me to his service until I fulfill his wishes or until his death.¡± She tilted her chin further back to reveal a dull gray collar locked with a tiny padlock.
¡°Oh. Well as you can see.¡± I lifted the lifeless flesh lump higher. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re good to go.¡±
¡°That...¡± She struggled to find the words to explain. ¡°Is like plucking one of Typhon¡¯s hairs.¡±
Hearing that made my stomach drop into my toes.
¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± She added hastily. ¡°It is an accomplishment few mortals could hope to achieve, and he will surely be wary of you now. You have also bought some time. He will manifest again but that could take months, and he always resurrects in the demon lands. When he returns I will have no choice but to serve him again, and he will certainly divert more of his power to the body he¡¯s using on this plane.¡±
¡°Sounds scary.¡± I mused. ¡°So that collar is what keeps you enslaved?¡± I asked, squinting at it.
¡°Indeed. It is a Mythic item known as Hecate¡¯s Lament.¡± She touched it as she answered.
¡°I might be able to help you.¡± I said. ¡°Will you trust me?¡±
¡°I have no power to trust or distrust.¡± She smiled. ¡°I can only wait here until my master returns. I cannot move or use any abilities other than basic speech.¡±
I guess she did seem sort of stiff ever since I offed Typhon... Oh!
¡°Niiya.¡± I turned with excitement to the cat girl who was struggling to follow all of this. ¡°I want you to try to manifest this woman back home. Can you do that?¡±
¡°Done.¡± She answered immediately.
I looked back at the djinn, but she had vanished. That easily? Why did Niiya keep one upping my stuff? First my Astral Vault, now my Blood Gate too? With a sigh I let it go.
¡°Jade, tell Tabula what¡¯s going on and keep that djinn secure until we get back.¡± The dragon nodded, and for once didn¡¯t offer any snappy remarks. ¡°Good. Now Niiya, we should get back and- Ngh!¡± A sudden violent pain pierced my head as a series of messages popped up before my reeling gaze.
Stat Sharing Failed:
Not Found...
51: The Grandring War I
Stat Sharing Failed:
Not Found..
Stat Sharing Failed:
Not Found..
Stat Sharing Failed:
Not Found..
The list of names continued and the ball of dread in my stomach grew as the pain in my skull reached a dizzying crescendo. Along with Soul Union, Bloodwalk was unavailable to all of my people as well as the gate I opened at Grandring. Something was interfering. With no other choice available I growled through the pain and flew with all speed toward the battlefield.
The moment Gray vanished from the Caldera and Niiya flew after him, the kingdom¡¯s ambush was unleashed.
An opaque blue dome appeared high in the sky above and encompassed the entire mountain. The Bloodgate vanished as all magical communication and dimensional movement was severed by the barrier. A choir of chants could be heard from all around the edge of the extinct volcano as nearly a thousand white robed figures appeared from broken invisibility effects. They had been waiting at this exact place.
¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± Shouted Yugal as he broke into an earth shaking sprint toward the nearest enemy casters. ¡°Interrupt their spells!¡±
From a hovering spectral platform above the Caldera, General Orkas or rather the one inhabiting him watched the scene unfold. The Black Knight¡¯s prediction had been perfect, and Typhon had decapitated this incredibly fearsome force in a mere instant. Now, every single person in the army with any level of Holy magic was executing a ritual on an unprecedented scale. The only enemies Orkas needed to be wary of were the demonic pawns of the Usurper. Those Hellcats, Cambions, and Dark Alfar were troublesome opponents. The rest were fodder before Orkas.
They were quick to react, commendably so. The giant Yugal in particular showed battlefield awareness above the others. That name had briefly been of interest to the Red Knight as a potential host until he had become entangled in one of Typhon¡¯s harvesting projects. It didn¡¯t matter though, the ritual was finished.
A blinding white flash sparked in the clasped hands of each caster and a magic circle appeared above the Usurper¡¯s army. In unison the chant reached a deafening conclusion as voices were taken in by the incantation itself and amplified a thousandfold.
¡°By the might of Armiel, Sword of The Heavens, perish from this world these stains of blight! Infernal Purge!¡±
An unnatural silence fell over the mountain then. Everyone froze, except for the several hundred holy magic users that dropped unconscious or dead from the strain of using a magic that was beyond them. Only a handful remained, and those would be useless for many days. The Red Knight gave a bitter smile beneath his blank helm. A necessary toll.
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Leza was just unleashing Null Roar at the line of spell casters when suddenly without so much as a sound her body dispersed into a golden cloud of light particles, and faded away in the span of a single heartbeat.
¡°No!¡± Tuara screamed as she watched her beloved comrades vanish all around her. Every Hellcat and Cambion was suddenly gone as if they had never been. She suddenly felt nauseous. Why did she remain? How could she face Lord Gray now?
From behind the line of collapsed magic users, an endless swarm of wild looking huge men and women began to appear at the lip of the crater, they carried spears with pale bone handles tipped with dark metal.
¡°Keep your head, Tuara!¡± Her aunt Kitha screamed. ¡°Summon your beast! We have friends to avenge, and allies to protect until our master returns!¡±
Tuara nodded and her slack expression of despair hardened into one of grim resolve. Probably thanks to their innate anti-magic, they were the only remaining fighters blessed by Him. That¡¯s right. This was not over. She closed her eyes, searching her skill until she found the best entity for this battle. Even her allies took several steps away reflexively as the enormous shadow formed.
¡°Zoggoth!?¡± One of the charging barbarians blurted in loud confusion, and the word echoed like ripples on a lake.
There was no mistaking the mythical beast. Zoggoth, the aspect of the white bear, tyrant of the tundra had appeared in all of his horrific glory. He was revered by the citizens of the north for his power, but also so dreaded that his likeness never graced their totems for fear that it might draw his attention. He stood the height of an ogre at the shoulder, and would be eye to eye with Thrym on his hind legs. His paws were the size of wagon wheels, his fangs were ivory daggers. His eyes were dark and glittered with cunning. His fur was a shade of pure white that redefined the color entirely, save for the permanent stain of crimson on his maw.
The barbarians slowed, but still came on. The lives of their families hung in the balance, and to die in battle against such a legend was a privilege.
¡°We think alike, I was going to go for him too.¡± Kitha said. ¡°In that case...¡± The older Dark Alfar enacted her own summoning.
A second shadow appeared, rising high into the sky, dwarfing Zoggoth and even the giants. The appearance of this creature did stop the barbarian advance.
¡°K-Kukulkana! Kukulkana!¡± The barbarians named her with ease.
The feathered serpent was a practical goddess in her own right. She was eighty feet of muscle and magic power, armored in glittering purple scales. Two great wings with brilliant golden feathers kept the bulk of her body in the air. Only her delicate tail touched the ground. Her head was that of a python, with golden eyes matching the color of her wings. Unlike Zoggoth who was feared as a punisher of weakness, Kukulkana was openly worshiped and prayed to for protection from evil thoughts, bad omens, and nightmares. How could they both appear at once? How could they stand side by side as allies?
¡°Our punishment!¡± One withered old warrior decorated in beads and bones screamed in ecstasy. ¡°Our prayers for a good death are answered my brethren! I come for you my love!¡± The wild eyed man bolted with surprising speed straight for Zoggoth, and fulfilled his wish.
A lazy downward swipe left nothing of the zealous tribesman but a chunky crimson stain against the frost bitten stone. Zoggoth moved forward, delighted to be summoned into such a wondrous playground. Kukulkana opened her mouth, displaying hundreds of needle sharp teeth as a dry voice carried the words of a menacing incantation.
¡°In my own name of Kukulkana, Mother of Dreams, let those standing as enemies of my master know despair. Let the chains holding Nightmare¡¯s wrath crumble to naught! The mind withers, the soul falls to rot! Black Nirvana!¡±
A cone of dark purple mist erupted from her open mouth, enveloping at least a hundred enemies. Each one went suddenly rigid and pale, standing as still as sculptures with faces twisted in a look of horror that truly turned the stomach to see.
As the spirit beasts began to unleash their fury, the rest of the allied forces recovered from the shock of being ambushed and began their counterattack.
A deep war horn blown by king Thrym spurred the giants into action. Three of the largest giants bore no weapons but each carried a single great drum. Tree trunk sized arms rose and fell, and a beat echoed through the mountains. This was the highest magic of giants. It resonated through the stone and into the sky, filling the giant warriors with vigor and multiplying their power. It had an opposite effect on their enemies. The oppressive drums beat down like hammers, weakening resolve and inspiring dread. The giants sang in the ancient dialect of their ancestors as Thrym led them like a single boulder bouncing ahead of a landslide. Titanic blows turned throngs of fearless barbarians into pulp or sent them flying over the rim of the caldera to plummet onto the jagged stones below.
Not to be outdone, the small unit of dwarves moved in a wedge shaped formation. They mowed through the disorganized enemies, largely unnoticed until it was too late. Like a low swinging thresher, they left a grim harvest of mortally wounded barbarians in their wake.
The seemingly endless onslaught of barbarian slaves was diminishing rapidly. They were utterly powerless before the mighty forces of the Usurper even without the perceived trump card of Hellcats and Cambions. The red knight watched the battle unfolding and falling apart below. A tiny tug on his consciousness began to grow more insistent. It was the mind of Orkas, long subdued suddenly flaring up as the epic slaughter carried on. He was getting excited, it had been a long time since he had felt this from him. Orkas was his only truly willing host, happy to play a backseat role until a worthy enemy appeared.
¡°Orkas the Destroyer.¡± The voice coming through the thick vocal cords was almost never heard, and sounded more beast than man. ¡°I hunger.¡±
52: The Grandring War 2
The Mighty Four was proving that their reputation was rightfully earned. Even when fighting alongside such devastating powers as King Thrym, Yugal, and the summoned legendary beasts, they were clearly in the realm of heroes.
Rust¡¯s axe passed through multiple foes with every sweeping strike, blasting aside readied defenses and spraying blood in wide arcs like a mad painter¡¯s brush.
Norris moved without a bit of wasted effort. He was more of a one on one type of fighter but nevertheless left foe after foe clutching mortal wounds in his wake.
Luna arced from one cluster of enemies to the next. Her strikes left lightning scorched flesh and blasted her victims into one another, causing widespread chaos.
The most effective member by far was Delia. The disorganized throngs of barbarians were utterly helpless against her terrible arsenal of spells. Waves of force knocked many over the edge of the mountain. Globs of acid melted warriors into puddles of foul goo, and explosive fireballs rained from her palm in a seemingly limitless stream.
The battle was quickly becoming a rout. Thrym and Yugal spearheaded the giant vanguard, moving with purpose and leaving no survivors. They were soon joined by the heavily armored dwarves, adding a surprising synergy. It turns out people don¡¯t tend to look down when facing a wall of giants. The dwarves went unnoticed, chopping into barbarian knees and bellies with half guilty shrugs.
Then in the blink of an eye, everything changed. A ripple of cold air washed over the mountain top. All eyes reflexively turned to the source of the fearsome aura. Three meters of blood red spiked metal approached at a leisurely walk. The few remaining barbarians suddenly disengaged, scattering to the edges of the caldera with many jumping straight over the edge.
¡°That must be General Orkas.¡± Tuara muttered to a nodding Kitha. ¡°Zoggoth. Kill him.¡±
The mighty bear spirit leaped forward without hesitation, closing the fifty meter gap in a moment. Orkas stopped and held his arms out wide in invitation. A great paw flashed across and hit the general with the sound of a gong. The force reverberating from the strike made many of the allied forces flinch and cover their ears. When the bear shifted for another strike, every onlooker gasped. The general was totally unscathed. Four swipes and a crushing bite followed.
¡°This... is good. This... is damage!¡± Orkas¡¯ voice was thick with excitement.
¡°He¡¯s getting bigger!¡± One of the dwarven fighters shouted. It was true, Orkas was now at least a head taller and more imposing than before.
¡°Help him Kukulkana!¡± Kitha ordered the great serpent.
¡°In my own name of Kukulkana, Mother of Dreams, let the enemies of my master know desp-.¡± The incantation was abruptly cut off as Kukulkana¡¯s huge python head was driven to the ground and pierced by a ghostly black spear from the sky.
¡°Do not... interrupt.¡± Orkas¡¯ voice warned evenly as he took several more brutal attacks from Zoggoth.
Kukulkana writhed in agony, and those near her had to leap away to avoid the destructive death throes. Her head was pinned firmly by the deadly weapon that was sunk several feet into the mountain stone.
¡°Kukulkana, you are released!¡± Kitha acted quickly and the serpent gratefully escaped back to her own plane to heal. Kitha was suddenly weak from exhaustion, drained of all Soul Energy by the lengthy summon.
¡°That... seems to be all you have.¡± Orkas sounded disappointed.
In a motion that only the most perceptive could follow, the general stepped in and under Zoggoth¡¯s snapping maw. A strangled groan could be heard from the bear as a red gauntleted hand clamped around the spirit beasts windpipe. Orkas¡¯ other hand planted into Zoggoth¡¯s belly, and the bear was lifted from the ground over Orkas¡¯ helm.
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Before anyone could even react to the unbelievable scene Orkas leaped straight up, taking the mythical beast along for the ride. Their ascent halted more than forty meters in the air. Orkas turned in the air as they began to fall, aligning Zoggoth¡¯s head to impact the stone.
¡°Begone Zoggoth!¡± Tuara managed to scream at the last instant before the bear would have been driven into the stone. Like Kitha, Tuara staggered from the instant and surprising loss of Soul Energy.
Suddenly holding nothing, Orkas landed lightly and stayed in a crouch for a moment.
¡°You... dare to spoil my kill?¡± The general was furious.
Almost none present could even bring their bodies to move in the face of the seething malice rolling off the general in oppressive waves. Almost none.
¡°Now!¡± Norris yelled out to his comrades whom had been subtly getting into position during the past moments.
Rust, empowered by an enhancement potion and several spells from Delia surged forward. In his current state he was easily in the S class in terms of power.
Orkas turned and instantly knew he shouldn¡¯t simply absorb the blow as he had against the bear. There were others that could be considered strong here? Interesting. He raised an arm to deflect the axe, but grunted in surprise as a fist cloaked in lightning hit him square between the shoulder blades. Impossible. He hadn¡¯t sensed her movement. The stagger caused him to take Rust¡¯s axe at an unfavorable angle and the blade bit into his armored forearm and was only stopped by a bone. The attack had done damage but that was only part of the plan.
Rust twisted his axe with all his might, forcing Orkas¡¯ arm up just slightly, exposing the gap in the general¡¯s armpit. Like the rolling strike of a viper, Norris¡¯ flawless thrust sent the tip of his fine sword deep into the general¡¯s body.
During this time, Delia had also not been idle. Without batting an eye, she sliced her palm with a ceremonial dagger as a horrid incantation sped from her lips.
¡°In the name of Nariocta, The Bride Betrayed, let the venom of sea snail and wyvern infest these wounds that they may never heal. King Slayer!¡± At those words Norris¡¯ blade turned dark green, and sulfur smelling smoke poured from the wound.
Orkas dropped to one knee and growled out something incomprehensible.
The attack was so perfect in its coordination and execution that everyone truly believed the general was defeated.
¡°It... hurts.¡± The words did not match the tone. The beastly voice sounded genuinely thrilled.
Rust tried to yank his axe away, but a third hand on the axe handle appeared and held the weapon in place. Rust was yanked forward violently by his own weapon, and a steel helmet was there to meet him. His nose flattened and he felt the bones of his face shatter as darkness overtook him.
¡°I will save his body for you.¡± Orkas seemed to be talking to himself.
Norris drove his sword deeper and twisted the blade, desperately seeking something vital. A panic was beginning to take root in him. Nothing should have survived that attack, but Orkas was returning to his feet. Noxious poison began pumping from the wound, and Norris felt his sword being pushed out with it. Was this magic? No...
¡°He¡¯s just using muscle control and his own energy to force the poison and my blade out of his body...¡± Norris could not believe his own words.
Luna struck again, but a sudden lateral movement removed Orkas from the punch¡¯s path and yanked Norris in his place. Thanks to her incredible control she pulled most of the force from the strike but the lightning from her fist arced ahead of the blow, causing Norris to go stiff and a lightning shaped burn to appear on his face and neck.
A backhand aimed for Luna¡¯s skull barely grazed her as she attempted to dodge. Even being lightly hit sent her flying and spinning to land several meters away unconscious.
A sword weakly struck Orkas in the side. The swordsman still struggled with one eye seared shut and the flesh on his face blistered. His friend did not need this body, so Orkas raised a hand to finish the soldier off.
Then Orkas was sliding backward. Something had hit him very hard just now. He felt his ribs knitting back into place and repairing themselves. Two broken and dislocated ribs. He focused on his latest foe. It was a red haired giant. The interesting one... Yugal.
Yugal could hear Delia casting behind him and stopped her.
¡°Save your power, mage. All of you need to retreat now. Kitha, Tuara... please help get as many people to the dwarven gates as possible. They may offer sanctuary. We must regroup until lord Gray returns.¡±
¡°Nephew! I would stay and fight with you.¡± Thrym strode up next to Yugal as Orkas regained his composure. ¡°This foe is beyond you alone.¡±
¡°You are too important uncle. Get them to safety. I will hold the general here.¡± Yugal refuted Thrym.
¡°Lord Gray returns?¡± Orkas chuckled. ¡°Your leader is dead. Lord Typhon has consumed your lord as I will consume you.¡±
¡°Go!¡± Yugal roared, and his rarely used Royalty skill had the giants and dwarves suddenly sprinting toward the lip of the mountain. ¡°Protect them.¡± He added to the handful of unaffected ones near him.
A huge hand rested briefly on Yugal¡¯s shoulder. With a squeeze, Thrym turned and followed his people down the mountain. The limp bodies of Rust, Norris, and Luna suddenly floated into the air as Delia¡¯s telekinesis spell took them. With a thankful nod, she and the rest of The Mighty Four faded from view with invisibility.
¡°There... is no escape.¡± Orkas suddenly moved with terrible speed to run down the retreating forces.
Yugal¡¯s club swung down in front of the general¡¯s eyes, splitting the stone with a shower of rocks and dirt. Orkas let out a surprised grunt as he stopped and leaped back.
¡°A... mere A rank monster?¡± Orkas had felt an unusual amount of danger just then.
Yugal did not answer, he merely returned to his position guarding the retreat of his people.
The Red Knight could feel the bloodlust bubbling up, and knew he was about to lose all control of Orkas. So much for saving Yugal¡¯s body as a new vessel.
Orkas took a closer look at Yugal, focusing past his own battle lust. There was something off here. This giant was very dangerous. Orkas pulled his attention from the escaping prey and squared up with the unsettling giant.
¡°Orkas... The Destroyer.¡± The general offered his name, a respect he hadn¡¯t payed in decades.
¡°Yugal, Prince of Clan Borbas and servant of lord Gray.¡±
Orkas charged, and Yugal exhaled deeply.
53: The Grandring War 3
Orkas was growing flustered. Yugal was weaker than him. Why was he still resisting? Orkas growled as yet another blow impacted the iron banded club, and then grunted as the giant used the absorbed force to aid a spinning counterattack. The blow shook Orkas and made him slide sideways three steps.
¡°You are indeed mighty, but next to lady Jade you are but a flat footed hobgoblin.¡± Yugal seemed surprised by the revelation himself. The long hours of brutal sparring with the god like Jade and the other awakened beings had indeed paid off.
The insult made Orkas charge furiously, launching a barrage of attacks meant to silence this impudent giant once and for all. Suddenly the attacks halted, and Yugal leaped several meters back. Something had just changed and the giant¡¯s warrior instinct was screaming that he should be on guard.
¡°GRR! Not yet! I... can take him.¡± The voice of the general sounded strained. He was struggling.
Suddenly his arms went slack at his sides, and Yugal took a step forward. This might be his chance...
¡°White... Fury.¡± The voice coming from the helmet sounded very different. Yugal didn¡¯t understand the change in tone and posture, but knew those two words all too well.
Yugal leaped high into the air, and began to swing his club as he fell in a mighty overhead chop. He hoped that the combined momentum of his two most devastating attacks might at least buy him a few extra moments.
As he fell something about the rapidly transforming warrior below made him ponder. He had seen the armor grow along with the general earlier, but that was common among highly enchanted items. This was different. Long spikes were growing from the elbows and shoulders of the red metal, and the helm was reshaping into something recognizable and terrifying. The armor was not an artificial thing at all. It was an exoskeleton and part of the general¡¯s body as much as Yugal¡¯s skin. Yugal had never seen such a creature, but the myths described them well. Orkas was no human, nor was he any natural denizen of this realm.
He was a Chitid, an insect-type demon of enormous strength. If something like that used White Fury... His club descended and then Orkas was simply gone.
Yugal came to his senses a moment later. His face was pressed against the cold stone, and he was lying in a puddle of something wet. A chill was creeping over him and his body was not responding to his commands to stand.
So this is dying. I would have liked to say goodbye to lady Jade and tell lord Gray that I loved him as my own brother, and let Niiya tug my beard once more...
Yugal relaxed and felt himself slipping into a sleep that he knew would never end.
¡°Now... to preserve his body. It is a worthy tool.¡± The faint voice of the general flitted through his consciousness.
The sudden crystal clear image of his own likeness being used to attack his beloved friends caused a burst of energy to flood through Yugal. He did not know where he pulled such strength from but his eyes flew open and he growled as his hands shakily moved to push himself up. He rose to his knees and looked up, ready to force his enemy to finish him off in a way that left nothing to use. He expected to see General Orkas and was instead face to face with lord Gray in his Fallen Dominion form. Yugal could not find the words and simply slumped in relief.
¡°Who gave you permission to die?¡± The man asked Yugal with the same ghost of a smile that he always wore, and could mean anything from light amusement to barely contained fury.
¡°You... survived the tyrant!?¡± Orkas was shocked by both the sudden appearance of the man and by the fact that he still lived at all. ¡°No... matter. With this power I have surpassed Typhon and-.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t interrupt.¡± The words were delivered along with a blow too fast to follow. It was a backhanded downward chop to the collar that smashed Orkas directly into a kneeling position where he stayed stunned in disbelief. ¡°And don¡¯t move.¡± Gray leaned in close to the blank mask and said the words calmly. ¡°I can see all of you here. You little bugs might be invisible to everyone else, but I know exactly where you are, and how to snuff you out. So just be a good little freak and wait your turn.¡±
He turned back to Yugal, viewing the mortal wounds still pouring blood at an alarming rate.
¡°My brother, I am truly sorry.¡± Tears welled in Gray¡¯s eyes as he spoke. ¡°I should have given you this sooner. Please accept it now.¡±
Yugal¡¯s eyes widened even as his vision grew dim. It must be too late. The last words he heard were baffling but made his soul leap with joy. He never imagined that he, a monster with so many sins might become worthy.
¡°Soul Brand.¡± Gray¡¯s voice cracked on the last syllable.
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I watched the evolution tendrils flood down from the sky like a thousand black tornadoes seeking Yugal. The world went dark for a moment, and when light returned a being unlike anything else in the world was revealed.
Yugal appeared on one knee with his head bowed. The transformation was just as startling as the listed effects led me to expect. Half of his hair was a darker shade of red, and glowed hypnotically like smoldering embers, while the other half had turned white as snow. A crown of ice and sapphires now rested on his head, and it was clearly of at least Legendary class. Likewise the immense greatsword on his back seemed to be comprised entirely of magical fire. He had always been a hyper muscular guy, but now those muscles seemed far more dense, and his skin had had been divided into themes of ice and flame. The largest change was to his arms. His left arm was deep blue, and a chilling mist emanated from it. His right arm was much like the surface of cooling lava, obsidian black with glowing cracks all over it.
Behind Yugal, a great wolf with striking blue eyes sat with its head bowed in deference to me. That must be Frosthowl. It was nearly as impressive as Yugal himself. I could sense the presence of the beast called Cinderwyrm as strong as the wolf beneath us. It must swim through the stone.
I say this with absolute certainty. I hope I never have to fight something like Yugal.
¡°Welcome back.¡± I put a hand on his shoulder, and could feel the unbelievable power within him. His right hand engulfed the hand I rested there, and I also felt something reassuring that damn near made me cry. He was still the same old gentle Yugal.
¡°Now, I just need a minute with our friends here.¡± I turned away and blinked forward to stand before the asshole that caused this mess. He barely noticed me as he directed his full attention at Yugal.
¡°Where are my people?¡± I asked him simply.
¡°Banished to the hells... lost to you forever.¡± Orkas turned his full attention to me. ¡°I ask that you allow me to die in battle against that one. I have lost interest in this realm, I would return to my queen.¡±
¡°Lost to me forever?¡± I echoed. The rapidly rising fury in my gut was doused by a thought. Fine. I focused my mind, directing all of my willpower into my next words. ¡°X¡¯lyssa, X¡¯lyssa, X¡¯lyssa. Appear before me overfiend. It¡¯s time for our date.¡±
I felt an enormous tug on the root of my soul, and then a portal appeared and I suddenly understood something terrifying. The power coming through from the other side of that pitch black oval was on an entirely different scale than I had felt from the overfiend when I had first encountered her on the day we defeated The Warlord. Oh no. Oh shit! I remembered something from the game then.
Demons could manifest as she had done originally through any random gate between worlds, and that was akin to simply seeing their shadow - a tip of the iceberg.
When summoned truly, they were called incarnate demons and came with their full power. In other words I may have just royally shit the bed.
She stepped through and I experienced an instinctive terror that began at the base of my spine and radiated through my entire frame. I wasn¡¯t afraid of the destruction she might cause as much as the instant infatuation I felt for her. I wanted her in every way. Unlike her beautiful gown from before, she was now dressed to kill in the worst ways imaginable. A single black strip of cloth wrapped around her chest. She wore a hooded fur shawl that hid her face except for the glowing eyes and perpetual smirk. She was sex appeal incarnate.
As if to remind me of her true nature, a scythe appeared in her hands, the handle of which was literally dripping lava. It smoked and scorched her flesh as she held it but she only smiled.
Before I could open my mouth in greeting or prepare a defense, the blade of the wicked weapon was behind my neck. It cut in just slightly as she used it to yank me toward her. A lesser being would have been decapitated.
I suddenly felt the softness and firmness of her body pressed against me, her scent was sweet spice and an impossible to define intoxicating musk. She allowed me no time to protest or even breathe as she slammed her lips onto mine in a violent kiss. I tasted blood as she bit down on my bottom lip and then just as abruptly shoved me backwards.
¡°How dare you make me wait so long for that.¡± As usual she was in immediate control and I was off balance. ¡°Now tell me what you have planned for our... date. You mentioned dinner?¡± Her eyes settled on a now visibly shaking General Orkas, and then she licked my blood from her lips.
54: Sanguine Nightmare
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55: Screaming Skies
X¡¯lyssa landed before me with an army of darkness at her back. Looking back now, I was unbelievably careless. That woman could have plunged the continent into hell with what I had given her that day. Instead she simply stepped between Tuara and I. We faced the possessed soldiers together.
¡°Lovely, aren¡¯t they?¡± She snaked an arm around my elbow and leaned close.
¡°I have one question.¡± I said, not pulling away in the slightest. ¡°Are they undead, or merely possessed?¡±
¡°Their bodies, brains, skills, and memories are mine and very alive. I could return them in any state you wish: as they were, mindless puppets, zealous fanatics to any cause...¡±
I nodded in understanding. This was insane. I took a moment, and a plan began to take shape. The siege may be broken, but it was now time to send a message.
I stepped away from X¡¯lyssa and walked a few paces away. I nicked my finger and let a drop of blood fall to the ground. Without turning around I raised my voice so everyone could hear me.
¡°If you know their minds and memories, I trust what I¡¯m about to request is possible. Refuse if you wish. I want you to divide these people. Bring forth any that did not take pleasure in the suffering of their enemies. Leave any sadist, murderer, or rapist where they stand.¡± I awaited her reply. I would look foolish if she refused or couldn¡¯t pull it off.
¡°That¡¯s all? Hmph.¡± She smacked my behind with her right hand and snapped her fingers with her left.
A relatively small group shuffled away from the huge force. A few thousand out of the nearly fifty thousand separated from the main group into neat rows. It was a surprisingly diverse group. They seemed to mainly be non combat types like laborers and craftsmen. Even so, there were some soldiers and knights apparently whom kept their morality even during war.
There was a silence and tension so thick from the observing crowd that I unconsciously cleared my throat. What would this scene even look like to a regular person from this world? I glanced at my closest allies. Yugal was watching me with an expression that hovered between admiration and fear. The Dark Alfar maintained serenely calm expressions that seemed to broadcast that this was all to be expected from me. Don¡¯t act like I do this kind of thing all the time!
The mountain giant fighters and Thrym were suitably in states of shock, and the dwarves were hard to read since the ones not wearing full helmets were all beard and eyebrows.
¡°I am going to Crown City.¡± I announced to a scattering of gasps and surprised grunts. ¡°once there, I will open a gate.¡±
¡°Ohh, another banquet?¡± X¡¯lyssa asked hopefully.
¡°Not today.¡± I answered. ¡°Can you read my thoughts?¡± I thought as clearly as I could and directed them her way.
¡°Of course.¡± Her voice came to my mind. So she is just fully telepathic, then.
¡°When the gate opens, send the main force of these scumbags through and restore their minds as you do. Will you do that for me?¡± I asked in my sweetest mental voice.
¡°When you put it like that, how could I refuse?¡± She said out loud to the confusion of the others. ¡°Why restore their minds?¡± She asked silently.
¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± I took care not to advertise the surprise with my thoughts. I was actually getting pretty good at feeling which thoughts I was advertising to mind readers, it¡¯s kind of an art form.
¡°The rest of you, please be patient. I am going to send a message to King Gault that will make him never want to do this ever again.¡± I spoke mostly to the dwarves and giants.
¡°We expected to be meeting Thragnofir by now, so a nice rest in the fresh air won¡¯t make us grumble any.¡± Ramthrag chuckled and gave a signal to his army. As a disciplined unit they all plopped onto the stone and began chatting with each other light heartedly and passing flasks around. Dwarves sure are resilient.
¡°My lady.¡± Van finally found the courage to approach his apparent patron. He took a knee and bowed his head - a look that did not suit him at all.
¡°You¡¯ve been a good kid.¡± X¡¯lyssa scratched his wiry hair affectionately. ¡°I¡¯m always entertained by your web of schemes, and when you scared that old fatso for those two kids I laughed so hard I broke my throne.¡±
Van suddenly had tears staining his ruddy cheeks. He had been working so hard and for so long, to finally have his mistress acknowledge him in person and feel her hand on his head was too much. ¡°Thank you, my lady.¡± He managed to keep from blubbering just long enough to say.
¡°Run along back to your king, he¡¯s too much of a meathead to handle things properly on his own.¡± She could be surprisingly motherly.
¡°L-lady Overfiend...¡± Thrym stepped forward and stuttered for probably the first time in his life as he bowed.
She regarded the king of giants curiously.
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¡°Are you perhaps acquainted with our great ancestor Behemet?¡± He found the courage to finally ask.
¡°Hm.¡± She nodded in confirmation. ¡°No complaints about the guy, keeps to himself but could stand to loosen up a little.¡±
¡°He hasn¡¯t responded to our sacrifices of livestock or our priests¡¯ prayers in many years. We are worried he abandoned us or perhaps even perished.¡± Thrym said.
¡°He probably can¡¯t hear you. Pretty sure he went hunting in The Pit with those other two battle maniacs Azitet and Kuriel.¡± She struck a pensive pose as she mused. ¡°Prayer reception is a no go down there. He¡¯ll be back though.¡± The longer X¡¯lyssa was around, the more I could see the fearsome and all-powerful image she cultivated relax.
¡°Yugal.¡± I resisted the urge to make a cell phone/prayer reception pun and decided to take Yugal¡¯s telepathic link for a test drive. ¡°Did your evolution give you any way to fly, or at least not get hurt from a long fall?¡±
¡°Lord Gray? It is a strange sensation to have your voice in my thoughts. Yes, my wolf companion can grow large enough to serve as my mount and carry us upon frozen clouds.¡±
¡°Seriously!?¡± I gotta stop making subordinates that are more epic than I am.
¡°Alright everyone, I¡¯m going.¡± I announced when there was a break in the conversation. ¡°Tuara, Kitha. Keep an eye on things here until we return. Yugal, mount up and come with me.¡±
At a command from Yugal, Frosthowl let out a ridiculously powerful howl and was engulfed in a cloud of dense frost. His mount form emerged from the cloud fully three times his normal size. He would look down on an African elephant. On top of that, a great crystal blue saddle and barding complete with icy spikes now adorned his majestic body. Yugal mounted Frosthowl as though he had done it a million times. The spectacle was enough to stun even the dark alfar ladies.
¡°It appears we have fallen behind, dear Tuara.¡± Kitha muttered.
¡°Mm.¡± Tuara agreed. ¡°We must redouble our training efforts, aunt Kitha.¡±
The land shrank rapidly beneath us as Yugal and I flew side by side. I only had to slow down a small amount for Frosthowl to keep pace. The great wolf ran hard on clouds that appeared and froze solid where his paws stepped. He left a trail of glittering ice in his wake like the tail of a comet.
Twenty minutes later, we looked down on Crown City from nearly a mile in the sky. Night had fallen fully, and the half moon cast a deep purple light on the sleeping metropolis below.
¡°Is your serpent ready?¡± I asked Yugal.
¡°Yes, she has encircled the city below the ground.¡±
¡°Eh? Encircled?¡± I felt a sudden panic attack coming on for some reason. ¡°Just how big is Cinderwyrm?¡±
¡°According to the knowledge granted to me when I was awakened to this form, Cinderwyrm is the beast that swims in the mantle of the world and could one day devour the planet¡¯s core. Though she is a newborn, she will never stop growing. As to her size, I suppose she is currently as long as the city¡¯s outer wall.¡±
I was now manually breathing as my eyes darted around, following the miles-long line that was Crown City¡¯s outer wall. What was I even doing to this world at this point? Too late to fuss over the details now, I guess.
¡°I see. Well then, it¡¯s time to show the kingdom the price of their expansion.¡± I locked eyes with the Ragnarok Titan. ¡°You are my Herald now, Yugal. Go and say hello for me.¡±
¡°With pleasure, Lord Gray.¡±
King Gault III was growing nervous. Everything had been progressing perfectly to plan. The Red Knight would have destroyed The Usurper¡¯s base and brought Filam back to its senses. Typhon had gone to intervene personally against the wretched dwarves. Soon the flow of ore and minerals from Grandring would replenish his royal coffers and grant him the resources to finish crushing the animals of Rakashi.
Then what resistance could those worthless celestials offer? He would imprison Saet and and add her to his harem, The Black Knight could easily enslave her for him. The rest of the winged rats could submit or die, he only wanted the precious wood of their great tree. Such a bounty would yield a thousand invincible warships, and he would finally bring all of humanity together into one family against the monsters and demihuman filth. A world where humanity could feel safe and free. He was truly the greatest hero the world had ever known. But something was going wrong. Typhon had not sent any word, and all of the divination mages in his court had suddenly lost contact with their counterparts on the field.
To top it all off he was stuck listening to this never ending stream of incompetent nobles and guild leaders. It had been going since this afternoon. The throne room was filled with complainers and weaklings whom lacked vision. This end of the month tradition of an open audience was a wretched idea from that former head of state and turncoat Raj. Gault decided internally that this would be the last one.
¡°Your Majesty, I implore you to please reconsider this matter. My house has served as the backbone of The Southern River¡¯s commerce since the Rakashi Cataclysm. If you would permit a tax increase of just a few percent, we could repair the aging bridges and hire more adventurers to patrol the area since the beastkin raids have become such a menace.¡±
¡°The people are taxed enough.¡± Gault shut him down with a wave. ¡°The bridges will survive, and the raids will stop now that Yuther has brought Rakashi back under control. Rest easy and be patient, Baron Gram.¡±
The baron shrank back and nodded, seeing the king¡¯s magical aura darken just a bit in displeasure.
The hundred or so remaining visitors sensed that the audience was no longer a safe place to air their grievances. When the king began to darken it was best to just suck it up and wait until next month. More than a few nobles and merchants had disappeared shortly after an audience. They began to stand and filter out when the doors to the throne room suddenly slammed open. A panicked royal guard stumbled in, screaming.
¡°Your Majesty! A monster! A real gods damned monster is coming!¡± This man was an A Ranked warrior like all of the Royal Guard. His obvious terror and lack of etiquette was a shock to everyone.
King Gault didn¡¯t need any other explanation. He could feel it now. Something truly monstrous was coming. He leaned forward in his throne, his long forgotten heart began to beat rapidly.
Alternating waves of unbearable heat and frigid cold swept the room as the back wall suddenly disappeared into fine frozen ash. A dozen Royal Guards and their captain lined up before the throne. The monster appeared then, and truly ¡®monster¡¯ was too weak a word for what they witnessed. This was something else entirely.
The Guard Captain possessed a max ranked Appraisal and his eyes flashed once. His platinum embellished spear clattered to the floor a moment later, as numb fingers lost their grip. The titan, for truly that is what it must be, stood still and observed the room for a moment. The nobles and other elites were huddled against the walls, shivering and sobbing. Two glowing circles of red and blue appeared around the titan and he spoke.
¡°Inside this ring, your death awaits.¡± His voice rattled the bones and caused cracks to appear in the stone walls. ¡°If my words displease you, you may enter this ring and contest them with honor. Words from outside this ring I shall deem an interruption. I am the humble servant of Lord Gray and you shall now know his words. Your forces have been defeated. The entire Sea of Stone has allied with both the Celestials of the far south and Ariel¡¯s Gate. You have two days to send an envoy informing us of your unconditional surrender.¡±
¡°R-ridiculous!¡± One fool of a noble dared to spout. ¡°More meaningless bluffs and illusions from The Usurper!¡±
¡°To deny my words is to disrespect the words of Lord Gray. Die.¡± The noble suddenly turned into a beautiful blue flame, and collapsed into a neat pile of ash. ¡°If I am interrupted again, I will boil your rivers for five days. Interrupt a third time, and I will visit a blizzard upon your valley that shall last ten years. This level of calamity has been authorized by my lord.¡± The titan paused and none spoke.
¡°Two days, humans. I would avoid going outside for awhile. I hear a heavy rain approaching.¡± With those cryptic words, the titan turned and left the way he had entered.
Before chaos could erupt in the hall, a peculiar sound came from above. Several successive dull thuds could be heard against the enchanted crystal dome. They were followed by a growing chorus of distant screams.
From a blood gate a mile in the sky, an unending stream of Kingdom soldiers poured forth like a screaming waterfall. They regained their senses in the middle of a free fall with plenty of time to reflect before the big splat. Additionally, a wide moat of lava had formed, fully encircling the city and preventing any escape. That serpent of Yugal¡¯s really was fit to be a world ending monster.
¡°When the neighbor kicks a ball in your yard, it¡¯s just common sense to kindly return it.¡± I said to X¡¯lyssa as she flew next to me watching the horrific chaos unfold beneath us.
¡°That Pinthalak better not be slacking off.¡± X¡¯lyssa said as she eyed me more intensely than ever. ¡°One can only become so aroused, you know.¡±
That night would forever be known as The Night of Screaming Skies. As their finest soldiers rained down, destroying buildings and splattering the streets with gore, the kingdom collectively understood the great lies they had been telling themselves. They weren¡¯t all powerful, they weren¡¯t safe, and The Gray was real.
56: Stifling Freedom
Tabula and I stood in the special meeting hall that she had once prepared to greet visiting diplomats from the kingdom. It was an isolated space within EDEN, and the only place I felt comfortable fulfilling my promise to a certain grouchy familiar living in my body.
¡°Here goes.¡± I said as I selected the highlighted skill
Soul Birth: Summon Ready. Soul Thirst has consumed enough souls to manifest your Soul Familiar (Baelphegor: Prince of Sloth and Lost Technologies) -
**Warning this will permanently consume all stored Souls and remove Soulthirst from your Skill List.**
Summon Soul Familiar and consume all stored Souls? Yes/No
I confirmed, and for a long moment nothing happened. A rumbling in my stomach was my only warning as something shot up my throat, and began pouring from my nose and mouth like thick black smoke. It was not a pleasant feeling. It spewed forth for a solid ten seconds, forming a huge cloud above the platform. Within the cloud I could feel unspeakable power and malice, red lightning played through the cloud, and it began to condense. When it was finally all out I felt incredibly relieved. I didn''t even realize I had been so uncomfortable, but with that pressure gone I could really breathe and think straight.
The form grew more defined, and I was certain that whatever this was would dwarf even Yugal. I was wrong. Soon it was no larger than a basketball, and then features began to form.
I sighed and lifted an eyebrow at the demon. Baelphegor, Prince of Sloth was a kitten, literally. He was inky black with huge sparkling silver eyes. Aside from the curly ram horns on his head and little bat wings, he was about as cute of a thing as anyone has ever seen. I could see Tabula behind him turn stiff as a board as her normally cool eyes widened.
¡°Gaze upon a true prince of Hell and tremble. Despair, foolish human, for daring to delay my glorious incarnation!¡± I heard those words in my head, but all that came from the tiny whiskered mouth was a disarming ¡°Mew, Mew!¡± then a confused ¡°Mew?¡±
Guess they can¡¯t all be winners after all. I reached down and lifted Baelphegor by his scruff. As I walked toward Tabula, a stream of threats and curses flooded my thoughts. He would need to learn some manners.
¡°Here you go, Tab.¡± I held him out in her direction and he was ripped from my hand as if by magic. Baelphegor¡¯s large eyes went even wider as her trembling hands and overexcited presence caused him to turn his head. ¡°He¡¯s all yours.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t leave me with this... what is this person exactly!?¡± The haughty tone was slowly melting into concern, then outright panic. ¡°How is anyone this strong?¡±
¡°Promise fulfilled. Try not to die, oh mighty prince of the litter box.¡± I wished my new familiar luck and left the area. I had enough on my plate already, let Tabula train the noob.
The kingdom had been given an ultimatum. In less than two days I would be accepting their surrender or removing their leadership by force. I was also anxiously awaiting news about my missing girls. X¡¯lyssa assured me it was as good as solved, and was currently working her way through the entire restaurant menu.
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My next most pressing issue was my newest Crusibilis Knight defector. I found her standing in the same rigid pose as before in the interior courtyard, a place in EDEN I rarely visited. It was a beautifully landscaped garden with meandering paths and park benches placed here and there. She was being kept company by Niiya and Sapphire whom I had asked to meet us here.
¡°Hello again.¡± I greeted warmly. ¡°Sorry but could you tell me your name one more time?¡±
¡°I am Nadira Chronomaggius.¡± The djinn reminded me politely. ¡°Thank you for bringing me here. It is much more comfortable than the stone mountains.¡± She spoke to me but her gaze was locked onto Sapphire.
¡°Looks like you really are just frozen like that, huh.¡± I shook my head. That collar was a hell of a thing. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get you free then.¡±
¡°No force or magic can remove this artifact, I¡¯m afraid.¡± She sounded apologetic.
¡°Yep. And you can¡¯t kill a leviathan with just a school of jellyfish and a ton of patience.¡± I grinned, recalling Paul¡¯s face as I had done that exact thing in a water themed Abyss. ¡°Sapphire, try to make a copy of that collar Nadira is wearing.¡±
¡°Right away.¡± Sapphire nodded and put her index finger on the collar.
I waited for the skill to fail and break the collar. The chances of her low skill duplicating a Mythic item had to be near zero after all.
¡°Here you go, Lord Gray.¡± Sapphire handed me the copy of as though it was the most normal thing ever.
¡°Ohh... kay.¡± I held my head as conflicting waves of hype and frustration collided in the center of my skull. ¡°Try again please.¡±
This time the skill properly failed, and the collar around the djinn¡¯s neck dissolved without a trace. Nadira blinked slowly and reached with a purple skinned hand to her neck. She collapsed onto the bench next to her and tears flooded her cheeks.
¡°Grats.¡± I gave a thumbs up and turned to give her some privacy.
¡°Wait.¡± Dang. Almost escaped. ¡°I am a djinn with no master.¡± Her voice was still a bit broken up but she sounded weirdly firm.
¡°Yep. Totally free.¡± I affirmed. ¡°Awesome, right?¡±
¡°No.¡± Nadira answered bluntly. ¡°The gods will not tolerate a free djinn.¡±
¡°Says who?¡± I asked, a little annoyed by the concept. ¡°Sounds like a scam to prevent an uprising to me.¡±
¡°Well. That¡¯s exactly what it is. She should know.¡± Nadira timidly pointed at Sapphire. ¡°The Almiraj started an uprising against the heavens. The gods exterminated all but a handful, the rest had their horns broken and became the first of my kind.¡±
¡°So? Did a divine lightning bolt strike you dead when the collar broke? Did Sapphire get smited when she became an Almiraj?¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°I¡¯ve met some of the pantheon of this world and they seem pretty half assed about keeping up on their promises.¡±
The first hint of a genuine smile touched Nadira¡¯s face.
¡°Try out freedom for awhile. Travel around. Help somebody that didn¡¯t make you. Pick a fist fight with a dragon. Read a bad book. If you hate it, put this on and pick a master you actually like.¡± I tossed her the collar and saw her eyes widen and then lower in thought. ¡°Coming kiddo?¡± I asked Niiya as I turned to leave once again.
¡°Can¡¯t.¡± She frowned in apology as she caught up to walk beside me. ¡°Mr. Yugal wants to practice his new stuff. Said I¡¯d help.¡±
¡°Aww that does sound fun. Wish I could do that instead of these meetings.¡± I was a little let down but not very. ¡°Have fun and don¡¯t take it easy on him.¡±
¡°Mm.¡± She answered as she skipped past me.
I watched her leave, noting with some sadness that she had grown even more today.
For all that freedom talk earlier, I sure didn¡¯t feel all that free. "After this shit show with the kingdom wraps up, I¡¯ll take a vacation. There¡¯s plenty of talent here I can delegate the politics to." That little personal declaration was enough to lighten my steps as I made my way to yet another meeting.
Pinthalak examined the remains of yet another mutilated demon beast in the immense mushroom forest. This one had been a black lion with whip like tentacles growing from its back. This area had a high concentration of predatory monsters, they were drawn here because this was the most common spawning area for demons banished from the mortal world. Pinthalak knew this forest extremely well, and considered himself lucky to be an imp blessed with both flying and invisibility.
Six of X¡¯lyssa¡¯s most elite soldiers accompanied the fel imp as they searched for the missing half blood demons. Three were naga type demon females with six arms and unrivaled skill in wielding their six curved swords. The other three were rarely seen, and had little to note in terms of features. They were shadow devils, able to manifest within any shadow in the area. The trail of corpses was concerning, for it led in the direction of this mushroom forest¡¯s ruler.
¡°If they¡¯ve made contact with him, then all may be lost.¡± Pinthalak muttered.
¡°The mistress will simply destroy us and send us to search in the next layer. We may yet meet the fiends of the pit before this mission ends.¡± One of the naga hissed.
Pinthalak gulped at the thought, and stepped up his pace.
57: Ends and Beginnings
A feeling of despair and terror hung thick over the streets of Crown City as Nadira, the newly free djinn made her way through the once clean cobbled avenues of the inner ring. She could have walked the corridors of magic and arrived at the palace instantly, but she forced herself to observe this reality. For this was a reality she herself had wrought.
It was her magic that clouded the king¡¯s thoughts with paranoia and delusions of grandeur. It was her magic that twisted the young prince Gespar¡¯s body and mind. Typhon may have forced her hand as her former master, but Nadira felt the responsibility all the same. She walked past crews pulling handcarts piled high with broken bodies while others worked grimly with tools to pry loose corpses still frozen fast to the ground.
In the outer ring no such crews bothered. Throngs of poor children orphaned by the war picked valuables from pockets of corpses that may well have belonged to their parents. Those images would be carved into her memory forever.
She climbed the steps to the Crusibilis Sanctum with a faltering gait, noting the many contorted corpses still impaled upon high spires and the patches of frozen blood staining the building. The wrath of lord Gray was as vast as his kindness.
The four guards posted at the entrance stood up a bit straighter at Nadira¡¯s approach. The once magnificent steel banded white oak double doors were nowhere to be found. Here was nothing but a vast gaping hole edged with melted stone.
¡°We can permit no visitors this day.¡± One guard reluctantly stepped forward, feeling a familiar presence from the cloaked woman.
Nadira¡¯s only response was to show her face. The four men dropped to a knee when her hood was pulled back.
With a silent nod she made her way into the sanctum, following the great black footprints melted deep into the marble floor. She could hear an argument taking place in the great hall. Several people were shouting over one another in ragged voices, hoarse from hours of desperate debate.
¡°My king, please!¡± The voice of a young viscount. ¡°The deadline is this day, my home lies directly in their path!¡±
¡°What of Yuther¡¯s forces? Why have they not been recalled!?¡± An old marquess shouted over him.
The king simply stared blankly over them. To his subjects he appeared deep in thought with a stone faced determination, but Nadira could see him clearly. He was a confused and scared old man, frozen with indecision without Typhon guiding his every order.
King Gault caught sight of the approaching djinn and his face suddenly animated with hope.
¡°Black Knight!¡± His voice silenced the throng of nobles, and as one they turned. ¡°Yes! Where is Typhon? Have we prepared for a counterattack?¡±
¡°I am so terribly sorry, young master.¡± Nadira couldn¡¯t help but remember the bright, idealistic child Gault had once been - before she had been forced to destroy his life. She ascended the stairs to stand directly in front of him.
The king¡¯s face scrunched in confusion. He wondered why no one else was reacting to this. Crusibilis Knight or not, guards should be leaping between them. Then he noticed. They were all paralyzed by the power of the Black Knight.
¡°Have you betrayed us!? Are you working with that Usurper?¡±
¡°You were betrayed the moment your grandfather accepted Typhon into this court.¡± Nadira said, reaching out a hand that glowed with a faint purple light. As it touched Gault¡¯s forehead, memories long buried or altered flooded the king¡¯s mind. ¡°He killed your grandfather. He made me kill your parents. We fed you lies and propaganda about demi human plots. I poisoned the mind of your son, and twisted his body with forbidden magic.¡± Nadira watched her words hit the king like hammer blows. His face went slack, and his eyes dull. ¡°It was all to weaken this continent for an invasion. Typhon never cared if you won or lost.¡±
¡°W-why?¡± Gault fumbled. His magical aura weakened and finally failed. Without it, he was indeed a wretched man. His prematurely aging flesh sagged, and his hair was thin. ¡°My whole life was a lie! Why tell me now!?¡±
¡°Lord Gray has defeated Typhon, if only for now, and has given me freedom. I tell you now because I could never tell you before. My heart has broken for you many times, your majesty. It may be too late to save you, but your kingdom is not yet lost. With my testimony, Lord Gray may yet show mercy.¡±
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¡°I... wish you would just kill me.¡± King Gault buried his head wearily in his shaking hands.
¡°I can finally refuse wishes like that, your majesty.¡± Nadira said gently. ¡°It may be selfish to ask this, but please let me try to right some of the wrong I was made to do.¡±
¡°What must I do?¡± Gault looked up, a bit of clarity finally lighting his tired eyes.
¡°We will go to him together. I will confess everything, and we will beg for a chance to redeem this kingdom."
¡°What more can I lose?¡± Gault¡¯s face settled into a haunted smile. ¡°Very well take me to the Usur- take me to see this man.¡±
¡°So all that happened, huh?¡± I shut my eyes for a moment to fully digest the djinn¡¯s long and terrible tale.
I sat in the dark throne Tabula created for me in the special reception area. The polished stone platform was suspended in a perfect illusion of the open cosmos. Also in attendance for this quickly organized meeting were King Thrym of the giants, King Ramthrag of the dwarves, Queen Saet of the Celestials, Raj my deputy governor, Hurstag my guildmaster, and Tabula holding a thoroughly dejected demon kitten.
King Gault was little more than skin, bones, and robe standing next to Nadira.
¡°You have my word that the kingdom will wage no further war against your alliance. I will gladly offer up my head if it will spare my family and the people of the kingdom.¡± The king bowed his head as he said this.
¡°Tabula?¡± I looked over at the beautiful android as I asked.
¡°No deception.¡± She said simply.
¡°We will take this revelation into consideration.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Many lives were lost as a result of this war. You were clearly manipulated, and a victim in your own way but that can¡¯t fully erase your role in what happened. Nadira, you may return the king to his kingdom. We will need time to discuss this.¡±
¡°Lord Gray, if I may.¡± Nadira pleaded. ¡°I know I have no right to beg this of you, but if you could just promise to spare the lives of the citizens-.¡±
¡°What?¡± I was taken aback. ¡°Who the hell do you think I am? We just need to discuss reparations and logistics, we¡¯re not murderers.¡± It came out sharply and they both flinched.
¡°Of course, Lord Gray. Forgive my impertinence.¡± Nadira touched the king on his shoulder and together they bowed before turning for the elevator door floating in space far behind them.
Once they were gone, I opened the floor to discussion about how to handle this suddenly sticky situation.
¡°I believe the good king Ramthrag has suffered the most at the hands of the human invasion.¡± The first to speak was Thrym. The great giant nodded his enormous crowned head in the direction of the dwarven king.
¡°Bah. Old Gault¡¯s just a puppet with cut strings, and the kingdom already paid with the blood of fifty thousand soldiers. War¡¯s over. Now that we can freely farm the surface and trade our goods, we¡¯ll be fine in a copper nail.¡± Ramthrag waved his thick hand dismissively at the idea of reparations.
I couldn¡¯t hide my confused expression fast enough, and I figured out what the expression probably meant from context before Saet clarified for me.
¡°A copper nail is one of the simplest things for a smith to produce.¡± She clarified.
¡°Thanks Saet, got it.¡± I hurried along. ¡°Be that as it may, your majesty, I intend to put the soldiers we captured to work within your territory. Many villages need rebuilt, and in this way they may atone for the part they played in the invasion. I insist they not be termed slaves, however. They are indebted prisoners of war. We may decide on the length of their sentence later, but they must be treated humanely and given a date of release.¡±
¡°No objections, Lord Gray.¡± Ramthrag nodded firmly.
Good. This was going well. Next on the agenda was...
¡°Speaking of smithed goods.¡± I navigated my inventory in a flash and produced a chunk of reddish black shining material. This was a small chunk of Zurg¡¯s skin collected from the titanic corpse still sitting in the dead jungle where we had left it. ¡°Think we can do something with this material? It¡¯s extremely hard. Not even I can break it easily.¡± I tossed the chunk to Ramthrag and he caught it with a puzzled look.
¡°Where... where in the world did you get this!?¡± He turned it over and over in his skilled hands, and held it close to his eye. ¡°It¡¯s so full of magic that it stings my hands! Makes dragonscale look like pig skin!¡±
That¡¯s exactly what I was hoping to hear. A wicked smile began to grow on my face.
¡°I¡¯d like to employ some of your best miners to harvest the rest of that material. There is a huge amount of it, and the work will be grueling. As payment, your kingdom will be entitled to half of the total amount recovered.¡±
¡°Lord Gray. Every bone in my greedy dwarf body hates me for saying this, but half is far too much. A simple weapon made from this would be a national treasure...¡±
¡°Then would you be willing to process our half into tools, weapons, and armor at a discounted rate? Will that ease your guilt?¡±
¡°Deal.¡± The dwarf¡¯s cheeks were red with excitement. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a weapon myself.¡±
¡°Thrym.¡± I turned to the king of giants. ¡°If there are any strong giants looking for work, can you please direct them to assist the team of dwarven miners? They¡¯ll be payed very well, of course.¡±
¡°I will find you some of the very best.¡± Thrym assured me. ¡°If I allow every volunteer to go, my city will be empty.¡± The giant chuckled.
And the last thing I needed to talk about was...
¡°Saet, you wanted to discuss a location to plant another Celestial Oak?¡±
¡°Indeed, Lord Gray.¡± Saet stood up a bit straighter. ¡°There is a small ruin in a clearing discovered by our diviners in the forest. It is a place of incredible natural energy. More than a dozen leylines intersect there. The tree could grow easily, and increase the fertility of the entire region manyfold.¡±
I wonder if she means the spot Ariel summoned me? That would make sense on some levels.
¡°Raj will draw up a deed for your land claim.¡± I said and Raj nodded. ¡°You¡¯re all still welcome in EDEN for as long as it takes, of course.¡± Man settling things felt good, I was literally feeling lighter.
¡°Are we all satisfied with our current trade relationships and plans moving forward?¡± I asked the general group.
A small chorus of ¡°Aye.¡± answered, and with that we finally adjourned for the day.
I decided to let the kingdom sweat for a day. The agony of not knowing could be their penance. A thought hit me then and I smiled. It was almost time. I caught up to Raj and pulled her aside.
¡°Start packing your things.¡± I grinned at her.
¡°What? Am I going somewhere?¡± Raj seemed confused.
¡°WE are going somewhere.¡± I corrected slyly. ¡°Sapphire and Tabula will take over while we¡¯re in Rakashi checking on your people. We leave in two days.¡±
For the first time since I healed her wings, Raj¡¯s face went slack with shock. ¡°You remembered your promise...¡± Before I could reply, she leaped forward and hugged me tightly.
She was warm and smelled like she had been in the herb bath recently - mint and lavender. I¡¯ve said it before and I¡¯ll say it again. I love fantasy worlds.
58: Digression: The Hells
Leza retracted her still smoking fist from the blasted skull of yet another demonic animal. This one had been a bear with long ape like arms and the head of a toad. She shook the black, slimy blood from her hand and turned her head to check on the others. Several misshapen corpses littered the area, and only one monster was still stubbornly fighting. This one was more plant than animal, with a spongy bipedal body, and thousands of tiny red capped mushrooms covering it. As Leza moved to help finish it off, it suddenly seemed to lose its nerve and attempted to flee.
Four pitch black apparitions apparitions rose before it, and it slowed to a sloth like crawl as it stepped into their shadows. Meri¡¯s familiars had proven their worth many times over since they had found themselves in this alien place.
The Cambions cut it down quickly with a barrage of spells from a safe distance, knowing first hand how dangerous the spores released by the creature could be.
¡°Well done.¡± Leza remarked to her allies, stretching her arms above her head as she did. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±
¡°We need rest, Leza.¡± Leifa the cambion said firmly. ¡°We don¡¯t have the stamina of a Hellcat.¡±
¡°Only as much as you need.¡± Leza answered after a small sigh. ¡°Asha, Torra. See if any of the prey felled here is edible.¡±
As the cambions settled onto the mossy dirt and rested back to back, the Hellcats kept watch and foraged. It was a simple stat discrepancy between the two races. The Cambions had immense Soul and magical abilities, and the Hellcats were purely physical specimens.
¡°The toad headed one is a no-go.¡± Asha said, crinkling her nose.
¡°This pig thing seems okay, just gamey.¡± Torra called over a moment later.
¡°Break it down and get a fire going, then.¡± Leza ordered the depressed looking girl. ¡°And don¡¯t look at me like that. You¡¯ve been too spoiled by those duck confit dumplings you eat everyday. It¡¯s good for you to remember where we all came from.¡± She wagged a sharp claw at Torra as she admonished her.
Many of the women enjoyed a chuckle at the banter, but internally were just as put off by the idea of yet another disgusting meal of unseasoned monster meat.
They rested and choked down the vile meal without incident. They then continued toward the landmark that the Cambions were able to spot during their short bursts of flight. The air above the mushroom forest sapped Soul Energy at an alarming rate, and they could only manage a few moments of scouting from above.
After another hour of travel, the giant mushrooms became more sparse as they neared the clearing containing the large tower they had spotted. They slowed and stepped cautiously as they approached the edge of the forest. A familiar scent was making them all tremble with remembered trauma, and rage. Sounds soon joined the foul musk. Snorts and bestial huffs accompanied dull thuds and occasional sharp cracks.
They crept closer and the scene caused them all to freeze in their tracks. Two gorgothan demons squared off against one another. These two were at least a head taller than The Warlord, and vibrant red stripes ran through their snow white fur. Blood also stained the fur of both combatants, and one was missing an antler. Blood poured freely from the root where it had been ripped out. The other demon now wielded said antler as a weapon, and several sharp quills stuck from his heaving chest.
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¡°What should we do?¡± Asha crouched next to Leza, and the two hellcats never took their eyes from the enormous clashing beasts.
¡°Kill them, move on.¡± Leza¡¯s voice was coldly mechanical.
¡°The Warlord was at least intelligent enough to communicate.¡± Leifa whispered. ¡°Perhaps we could learn something.¡±
¡°We might not resist their mind controlling magic.¡± Leza rebutted firmly. ¡°I won¡¯t risk us being turned against each other. They die by ambush, I¡¯ll use Null Roar. All cambions focus gravity magic on their position at my signal.¡±
With a frustrated sigh, Leifa nodded at her companions. There was simply no refusing the alpha hellcat. She wasted no time, dropping to her belly and stalking through the sharp spiky grass of the open field. The gorgothans likely wouldn¡¯t have noticed if she strolled right up to them, so engrossed were they in their duel.
They weren¡¯t the only ones being carelessly focused. If Leza had stopped to pay closer attention, she might have noticed the more than sixty gorgothans kneeling on the other side of the clearing as they watched the contest that would determine the next ruler of their clan.
¡°The Ravager is nearly ravaged. Care to back out of that bet now, White Eye?¡± One gorgothan chided his friend. The pair had made a wager of gold and slaves on the outcome of this battle.
¡°Of course you would try to back out. The Razorback has already lost an antler, and you shall soon lose half of your hoard.¡± The one called White Eye grunted back.
Normally gorgothans would never gather in such numbers but something unprecedented had occurred. Two alpha gorgothans had evolved at once, throwing the state of their hierarchy into chaos. The only solution had been a duel to the death, and now the week long battle seemed to be nearing an end.
The two stopped talking and the gathering held its collective breath as the two charged, blood and saliva foaming around their bloody tusks.
At that moment everything went white, and all sound was replaced with a painful ringing.
When White Eye¡¯s vision returned, he looked to where his rival had stood. His horizontal pupils widened in sudden disbelief. There, kneeling perfectly upright was the pelvis and legs of the tough gorgothan. Everything above that was simply gone. More than twenty others had met the same end, leaving all of the survivors in a state of shock just like White Eye.
Slowly, he willed himself to turn his great head back to where the alphas had been battling. The small hill they had been battling on was no more. Only glassy soil remained. The alphas themselves were nowhere to be found, erased from this layer as though they had never been.
Walking slowly through the haze of residual heat was a figure. Two sparks of wicked golden light stood out from the dark silhouette.
Two alpha gorgothan warriors killed in a single instant? There was simply no way that could be possible. Unless... That form... This woman must belong to the highest ranking clan of beast demons, though it was unheard of to encounter them in this territory. They lived exclusively in the lower layers, where prey was the strongest.
¡°One of The Ash Huntress¡¯ forces!¡± White Eye shouted to his remaining kin. ¡°Do not move, any of you!¡±
The muscular Hellcat woman seemed confused as she heard White Eye¡¯s voice, and indeed she was. Leza had no idea they were even there, and now they were talking about lady Niiya?
Thirty gorgothans were suddenly kneeling in a semicircle around Leza, and she was too stunned to even react.
¡°We are honored by your visit, mighty warrior of Azitet, and humbled by your display of power.¡± White Eye (now the highest ranking gorgothan after the death of the alphas) spoke with reverence that was not even slightly feigned. ¡°How may we lowly gorgothans be of service?¡±
¡°Leza!¡± Asha ran up behind Leza and skidded to a stop. ¡°Eep!¡±
¡°Hmph.¡± Leza decided to lean into their apparent fear of her. ¡°I simply found some trash in my way and brushed it aside. Surrender what meager offerings you possess and flee, before I decide to make my path any wider.¡±
Trinkets, coins, and baubles flew as the terrified demons beat a hasty retreat. Leifa sighed in disbelief as she watched the trail of dust rise in their wake.
¡°You scared them all away so easily!¡± Asha cheered in admiration.
Minutes later and several kilometers away, the Gorgothan band halted.
¡°We could have fought them.¡± One beast remarked reluctantly to White Eye. ¡°That ability couldn¡¯t possibly be usable more than once in a day.¡±
¡°We weren¡¯t running away from Azitet¡¯s underlings.¡± An older and wiser gorgothan chimed in White Eye¡¯s defense. ¡°Were we, old man?¡±
¡°Of course not.¡± White Eye confirmed. ¡°An attack like that combined with the disappearance of two alphas will draw HIS attention.¡± The elder demon shuddered at the thought. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we want as much space as possible between us and what¡¯s coming.¡±
59: The God of Sand and Salt
I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him, that I must make him mine at any cost.
I can see what few others can, and in that moment on that bloody field I saw something that made my heart leap.
There¡¯s a shadow just behind him, shrouding every step he takes. It is his past - the collected karma of countless lives spent drenched in the blood of his enemies. I could spend ten thousand years studying that sanguine stained tapestry and never fully grasp the scale of its horrors.
And casting that shade which looks down with disdain upon heaven itself, is the most unlikely of men.
A charming air of detached audacity and wry humor makes you frustrated. There is always a jest which you''ll never be privy to. However, when his gaze settles upon you in earnest, the feeling is indescribable. The attention of a being that has slain gods... it sets a tingle in your gut.
Just remembering it makes my skin crawl.
¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, I need something from that pile of meat over there if he¡¯s still alive. I don¡¯t mind fighting you to get it either.¡±
He said that to me! I was so much more powerful than him back then, and even so I felt the first trickle of fear of my very long life.
It¡¯s a high I¡¯ve been chasing ever since.
-From ¡®Memoirs of An Overfiend¡¯
by Grand Overfiend X¡¯lyssa
I flew southeast, past the troll and bug infested marshes and over the jagged peaks of a snow capped mountain range. The terrain transformed drastically below, and soon a sea of dusk lit sand spread endlessly all the way to the horizon. The lights of settlements and just lit campfires dotted the relative dimness, seeming to follow a line. From Raj¡¯s lessons I knew that these were the remaining husks of civilization that once followed a great river much like the Nile back on earth.
I descended a short distance away from the first village, and touched down in a sheltered depression between several sand dunes. When I was sure that no one was nearby, I summoned a Blood Gate.
¡°That was fast.¡± Raj¡¯s quiet and raspy voice sounded as the woman appeared. She wore a white hooded robe meant to protect her from both the sun of the day and the chill of the desert night.
¡°No way!¡± A second voice followed. This was Laguna, the catfolk warrior. ¡°Tills check it out we¡¯re really back in the desert just like that.¡±
¡°Lower your voice.¡± The tiny mage scolded softly as she appeared beside her. ¡°Remember where you are.¡±
¡°Oh, right.¡± Laguna clapped a big hand over her own mouth, muffling her next word. ¡°Momfters.¡±
Predictably, the two quiet rangers appeared last. Their round cat ears instantly began twisting and turning like satellite dishes, picking up every nearby sound.
¡°Thanks for agreeing to let us tag along.¡± Tili said.
¡°Thanks for coming.¡± I replied. ¡°Hopefully having you guys around will make the locals more comfortable around me.¡±
Our plan was simple. We would travel on foot from town to town and gauge the situation, helping out anyone that needed a hand along the way. That¡¯s right. This was Gray¡¯s Big Open World RPG Adventure-cation 2.0 Featuring Raj and The Claw Patrol! We¡¯ll work on the title.
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Our first objective was to track down Raj¡¯s tribe and family, we¡¯ll call that the Main Quest. Beyond that, we would be providing aid in any way necessary to the people here.
The sun had mostly set, and according to Raj most of the activity in the Rakashi desert happened at dawn and dusk. We hiked at a typical traveler¡¯s pace over the final sand dune and looked down on a bright green oasis. Raj sucked in a sharp breath, and I looked over. Her face was contorted in confusion.
¡°There has never been an Oasis here before.¡± She answered my inquiring look.
¡°It is no normal oasis.¡± Tili¡¯s Appraisal ability was unique to her. I had suspected as much since the time she Appraised me in the tavern the first time we met. She didn¡¯t even need to say a word to activate it, and it also allowed her to determine the characteristics of nearly anything to a degree that I could only envy.
¡°Neat!¡± Laguna exclaimed and started toward the oasis at a brisk march.
¡°Stop.¡± Tili ordered.
¡°Huh?¡± Laguna halted. ¡°We¡¯re not going to check it out?¡±
The moment Laguna finished her question, a deep tremor shook the area. The entire oasis began to shudder and heave to and fro. Then the whole area started to rise. An impossibly huge form began unearthing itself from the nap it had taken on top of its latest meal of an entire village. The oasis was literally growing from the carapace of a city sized coconut crab. It was facing us directly but didn¡¯t seem bothered by our presence if it had even seen us at all.
With my sharpened senses, I spotted some very unsavory details clinging to the constantly moving and alien looking mouth parts. There was debris from buildings, bits of clothing, fur, blood, and even an arm still clutching the hilt of a sword embedded into a crease of the beast¡¯s shell. What¡¯s more, I now saw dozens of ropes suddenly come soaring down from the high carapace. Humanoid forms scurried down those lowered ropes with practiced ease.
We dropped into a crouch, now fairly confident we hadn¡¯t been spotted.
¡°What in the actual fuck is that?¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself.
¡°A beast from Un¡¯Hana¡¯s realm.¡± Tili answered in a whisper. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be here. Those people must live on its back and scavenge behind it.¡±
¡°Will it sense my appraisal?¡± I asked.
Tili shook her head. ¡°You won¡¯t like what you see, though.¡±
Un¡¯kuthuku
Primal Beast
Level: ?? XP: ??
Life: 1,231,640/1,231,640 Soul Energy 45,406/45,406
Strength: 9,140
Endurance: 307,910
Agility: 1,599
Soul: 22,703
Skills:
Immortality (Beast Aspect): You have no natural lifespan, and will continue to grow indefinitely until destroyed.
Demigod: You are empowered by your worshipers, and may accept sacrifices in your name and allow the use of the following spells in return.
-Healing Touch (Bestowable after receiving any living sacrifice.)
-Healing Rain (Bestowable after receiving an innocent sentient sacrifice.)
Hibernation: May enter a suspended state for any length of time.
??????????:
?????????????? ???????:
¡°You¡¯re not wrong. How am I gonna kill that?¡± I rubbed my chin as I looked up and up.
¡°You don¡¯t.¡± Raj said as she shot me a perturbed look. ¡°You go around it and warn as many people as possible. What a ridiculous question, even for you.¡±
¡°I mean, I can¡¯t see its number thingies that Tills talks about all the time, but seriously man. You gonna assassinate the moon while we¡¯re at it?¡± Laguna piled on behind Raj while the two quiet rangers just shook their heads behind her.
¡°If the loot¡¯s worth it.¡± I gave her the most dead serious expression I could, but I was cackling internally. Seriously, this lady. A terrified scream from the excavated crater brought me back to reality like a slap in the face.
¡°I¡¯m going.¡± I said to my companions. ¡°Stay back for now.¡± With that I was on the move, in full stealth mode with my active camouflage cloak.
I heard many different voices and the sound of rubble being shifted as I approached the lip of the sandy crater left by the giant crab¡¯s body. A foul smell assaulted me. The sickly sweet scent of carrion, iron, and compost made me want to puke. I quickly scanned below, and found the source of the scream.
A single young beastkin man with half of one long rabbit ear torn away was struggling weakly as two of the mysterious scavengers attempted to pull him from the splintered remains of a destroyed building. He was gaunt from starvation and filthy from surviving in the carnage of the crushed village. The body language of the scavengers made me pause. They were being extremely gentle but forceful. More like firefighters than callous bandits.
He eventually collapsed and one of the scavengers carried him in my direction gently. From a closer perspective I could now see these people were much larger than I initially thought. They all were probably between seven and nine feet tall and fairly broad shouldered. Further details were obscured by layers of light cloth which covered every inch of them including their faces.
I decided to observe a little longer. The crab¡¯s movements were extremely slow for now, and the people below were meticulously recovering anything they could from the flattened remains below.
I focused on their voices and was given a prompt from my Appraisal skill, allowing me to learn .
The one carrying the unconscious rabbit man was speaking to herself softly.
¡°Why must they always ignore us?¡± She passed close to me as she spoke, perhaps only three meters away.
I watched her grab one of the dangling hemp ropes which was as thick as my wrist before giving it a sharp tug. Without even a grunt of effort, she held fast to both the rope and her rabbit luggage as it smoothly and suddenly hauled her upward at tremendous speed. They¡¯re way stronger than your average human, no need to Appraise to see that.
The evidence was sort of in conflict here. On one hand, they were clearly benefiting from a disaster. On the other hand, it seemed like they weren¡¯t really malicious about it. Could they be attempting to warn people in the crab¡¯s path?
In the end I decided to back off for the moment. The tall people in the crater had extricated three more barely alive survivors and were beginning to bundle up their recovered goods. On an impulse I nicked my thumb and pressed a drop of my blood into one of the dangling ropes. Checkpoint secured, just in case. After that I returned to my allies.
¡°It seems like it¡¯s going to head further southeast. Let¡¯s get ahead of this and try to get back on track.¡± No one had any counter arguments for my pitch so we set off to quickly circumvent the walking natural disaster.
This wasn¡¯t exactly the kind of straight forward plot I had in mind for Adventure-cation 2.0, but now I guess we¡¯ll just have Main Quest with a side of Crab God.
60: The Melancholy of Wayward Fiends
Baelphegor, Prince of Sloth and one of the top rulers of Hell back in his own dimension, was miserable.
Not long ago, Baelphegor had enjoyed a charmed existence. Technology on Earth had evolved to a point where much of humanity had reached a new pinnacle of listless devotion to sloth and cheap entertainment. It was an infinite buffet of negative energy, and for the very first time Baelphegor was able to rival and even surpass his siblings in power. Even his selfish brother Baelzebub finally acknowledged him.
One mortal soul in particular had provided an unrivaled level of enjoyment for the ancient demon. Oh, how he had loved to bask in that man¡¯s bottomless self loathing and perfectly pathetic lifestyle. The demon prince had made a point to visit every time the mortal logged out of that ¡°game¡± to revel in the squalor and self gratification of greasy food and self pity.
Unfortunately, much of Baelphegor¡¯s spirit body was dwelling inside that mortal at the time of his death. He was entangled with the man on a spiritual level, and was pulled (quite painfully) along for the ride. When the poor demon tried to tell that wicked foreign goddess about her mistake, she simply giggled at his misfortune and added him to her little game. Ariel was her name, and not a day passed where Baelphegor didn¡¯t curse it.
Now he was reduced to this, hopelessly trapped in the clutches of a being whom was the caricatured opposite of his own values. Her name was Tabula Rasa, an AI powered entity responsible for the day to day operations of a living fortress known as EDEN. She literally never rested, and was absolutely immune to his powers of suggestion. She was also obsessed with anything cute and furry. Thanks to that despicable goddess¡¯ prank, Baelphegor was both.
He had quickly given up on the notion of escape. The woman was practically omnipotent in this isolated space.
She was often involved in dozens of discussions and thousands of tasks simultaneously all over EDEN, and somehow each version of her was holding the tiny demon kitten. The disjointed and overwhelming sense of being in many places at once would have crushed the mind of any normal creature, but luckily demons such as Baelphegor were accustomed to occupying thousands if not millions of hosts at any given time.
Over time he had grown to respect the creature called Tabula¡¯s power, if nothing else. She didn¡¯t really require anything of Baelphegor other than submission to her constant coddling. So the demon resigned himself to simply observing the bustling EDEN from the relative comfort of her impossibly strong death grip that left his back paws dangling and his front paws sticking straight ahead. He had given up struggling into a better position, and dreamed that one day someone might show her how to properly hold a cat.
His so-called master had gone traipsing off to some desert, and things around EDEN actually seemed to progress faster without the man around for some reason. It was like everyone was extra ambitious to surprise him with their amazing results on his return. A constant stream of dwarven merchants and craftsmen applied for business permits and real estate in the community which was rapidly springing up in the wide field between Ariel¡¯s Gate and EDEN. Tabula collected reports from Sapphire in real time and maintained a thorough database of every single newcomer with a level of detail that was mind boggling. Anyone that had ever set foot in her sphere of influence could be instantly identified from over a hundred different bio-metric criteria.
Not only that, she was using the various facilities to actively improve the health and morale of every resident and many visitors. Foods with specific curative properties were pushed by the AI powered restaurant staff to treat everything from old poorly treated wounds to rheumatoid arthritis. They had no clue how well they were being treated, and the whole thing made the selfish demon feel ill.
This was a place of perfection, with an infallible administrator. In the middle of this paradise, there was a very dark place - the floor with no number. Baelphegor was a true demon and had borne witness to every manner of vile torture which such an identity could possibly suggest, and more. The Numberless Floor chilled him to the core of his soul.
There was a type of efficient and mathematically devised torment born in that place that existed in a league of its own. The Numberless Floor contained only one resident: a hapless native demon whom happened to infuriate Tabula by making her believe she had failed a task. Baelphegor sincerely pitied the wretched, broken thing. It was wired into several million fully immersive simulations, each one a living hell that the core being of The Warlord felt simultaneously around the clock.
Perhaps through a sense of morbid curiosity, Baelphegor had made a habit of reaching out to the mind of the tormented beast now and then. He could visit the maddening simulations, where The Warlord was living out every single atrocity he had ever committed. The only difference was that now he was experiencing them from the perspective of his victims, and The Warlord had quite the prolific career. He had been active and terrorizing anything weaker than himself for centuries.
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That wasn¡¯t all either. He was also living out every conceivable way that he could be tormented if captured by the many more powerful demons he feared. It was in these scenarios that Baelphegor could occasionally converse with the bestial demon.
He had been an interesting creature, and offered information about this world and more importantly its underworld. He was a violent sort of demon, and of the type that Baelphegor had never really cared for back on earth. They were manifestations of the most basic survival impulses. Kill. Eat. Mate. Repeat. This variety, or perhaps just this particular specimen was fairly intelligent. Words could be found among the screams of agony and roars of outrage.
As a tiny part of Baelphegor¡¯s spirit wandered the hellscape, he heard something peculiar.
¡°Can you hear me?¡± The voice didn¡¯t seem to be a detail of the simulations.
¡°Me?¡± Baelphegor tried to communicate back on the same frequency. For a being perceiving nearly infinite layers of simulated reality at the moment, such a feat was not simple.
¡°Yes!¡± The voice was exultant. ¡°Finally I have reached you, wanderer.¡±
¡°Who are you?¡± Baelphegor tuned his senses more fully to the razor thin channel of communication.
¡°I am...¡± The voice cracked and faltered a bit. ¡°I do not know, but I beg you to follow... to find me.¡±
Baelphegor was intrigued, but the connection was lost. He did have a vague direction though, and having little else to occupy his time he decided to divert more of his focus to exploring the cacophony of torment that was The Warlord¡¯s mental prison.
Time was drastically altered here, and a few moments on the outside world was literal years within the simulated environment. Tabula had not only maxed out The Warlord¡¯s cognitive ability to experience this, but had expanded it exponentially. Thus Baelphegor began to feel like he really knew this demon. He was surely a cruel and violent thing, only ever feeling pleasure if it came at the suffering of another. Something else was there, though. A fleeting, tiny moment of dissatisfaction after the pleasure passed. Regret? It was then that Baelphegor began to realize a pattern. The older the memory, the greater that spark of regret.
Following that lead, the visiting demon began to work his way backward. He was seeking the earliest memories, which were also the most painful for both the victim and The Warlord. He found a whole new chapter of The Warlord¡¯s life. He hadn¡¯t been born a Gorgothan at all.
Here was a lesser demon fleeing for his life on four cloven hooves. Another victim¡¯s perspective. Only terror and adrenaline could be felt as strange fungal flora passed by in a blur. Then pain exploded from the demon¡¯s hindquarters. It was crippled, heart pumping furiously, and squealing out in agony for aid that would never come.
The Warlord saw himself then, through the eyes of his prey. He was a Katar back then, a mid ranking beast demon with curved horns and the body of an ogre. He begged himself to end it quickly, but that was never the case. The Warlord knew that the prey must feel as much agony as possible, enriching the flesh with precious negative energy that would fuel his evolution.
Perhaps as a result of spending so much time here, Baelphegor could feel the strange mix of exultation and disgust as The Warlord devoured the shrieking hellboar one slow, deliberate bite at a time.
He worked his way further and further into the demon¡¯s history. He passed countless struggles for survival, wicked betrayals, and finally something very odd.
A boy and a girl, playing in the woods together outside a village of animal skin tents. They were emaciated and grubby things, Baelphegor wasn¡¯t even certain if they were human. Something else was watching the pair at play. A hulking man in layers of leather and fur watched silently from the shadows.
The children prattled on happily in a strange language, and paused when they saw the man approach. They didn¡¯t act scared at all, they must recognize him. His face was smiling, but something was lurking behind that inviting facade.
He attacked the boy then. A closed fist knocked the frail child down, and a weak struggle followed with the man on top. He choked the life from the child as the girl tried with all her might to stop him. She scratched and screamed and bit like a wild animal. It was no use. The man¡¯s eyes were full of tears as the boy stopped convulsing and he turned his attention to the girl. Once the grim work was done, the man took a bone knife from his belt and began cutting... and eating. The familiar voice from before sounded in a tone of deep sadness.
¡°This is the beast that murdered his own children when he learned that they were actually his brother¡¯s. I believed it natural. Does not the great lion devour the seeds of his enemy? You have nearly found me, wanderer.¡±
The scene evaporated, and then a blank field of pure white surrounded Baelphegor. In the distance sat a blurry figure.
¡°You have found me.¡± There was relief in the deep voice. ¡°I have watched you observe every facet of me. Pray tell, wanderer. What did you see?¡±
¡°A slave.¡± Baelphegor answered honestly. ¡°A weakling and a fool unable to understand that the strength he amassed was less than the weight it brought.¡±
¡°Weight.¡± The Warlord echoed serenely. ¡°The weight of one mother¡¯s grief as she watched me devour her babe... I have felt that weight a hundred thousand times. The violation of a virgin body by a demon, the hopelessness of a father as I tear off his arms while he struggles in vain to protect his family. Weight. I despised and railed against that weight as I was first crushed by it. But I have come to a realization. I deserve this. As I feel that mother¡¯s pain, I also feel satisfaction. My tormentor is myself. My avenger is myself. Only when the agony of my penance equals the agony of my sins will I find peace.¡±
¡°And what are you, now? Who is this calm creature before me?¡± Baelphegor prodded, in no hurry to end the encounter.
¡°I am but a tiny piece of myself. I am the moment of regret that comes after the pleasure. I was once the weakest facet of this being, but now I grow stronger all the time. I will not rest until every last bit of this world of mine is bathed in the agony of enlightenment, and the terror of empathy.¡±
¡°Well, this is the first real conversation I¡¯ve had in awhile.¡± Baelphegor muttered. ¡°You¡¯re a little dry for my taste but I think I¡¯ll stick around for a bit.¡±
¡°I am curious.¡± The Warlord began. ¡°You are old - far older than I, and clearly a power on par with an overfiend. Yet, I don¡¯t recognize your aura. Who are you, really?¡±
¡°A demon who lost his way, much like yourself I suppose.¡± Baelphegor answered.
61: Innocence and Property
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62. Answer
Gilles flew backwards through the portal, and suddenly he was falling through cold air. A landscape of lifeless dark brown came in and out of view as he tumbled. Even from this desperate and frantic perspective Gilles could easily tell he was no longer in Rakashi. A simple Fly spell would save him, but his lungs burned for air that refused to come. The kick had caused his diaphragm to spasm, knocking the wind out of him. He hadn¡¯t felt a blow like that since leaving the Radiant Empire... Panic gripped him suddenly.
If this was an agent of the empire, then a fate far worse than death had finally caught up with him. No. There was no need to panic yet. He was strong now, had stepped into the realm of magic that few mortals could even comprehend. He finally oriented himself and activated a spell sequence artifact he wore around his neck. Six simultaneous protection spells shielded him from physical and elemental damage and boosted his physical strength to that of a mountain giant.
The ground was closing in, and he began the opening syllables of a Fly spell. His body felt lighter, but suddenly another blood red portal appeared just inches below his feet. He fell through it before he could stop himself. The ground suddenly loomed just a hundred feet below. Except it was no longer a canopy of dead trees rising up to greet him. The words of his spell slipped from his mind as he saw where he was falling. It was a titanic skull made of black and red obsidian. At the center of said skull sat a ruby eye the size of a small castle, still glaring with all consuming wrath. He was falling toward the open, jagged mouth. He couldn¡¯t help but let his gaze take in the entire blasted body of the fallen colossus. The hundred meter tall tower of sorcery in the empire wouldn¡¯t have approached the waist of this thing when it stood. Some great cataclysm had blasted the god like thing¡¯s chest cavity wide open, leaving black splintered ribs jutting into the sky like reaching fingers.
He remembered his peril and frantically focused on his Fly spell. Another portal appeared just as he was going to pass into the great broken maw of the skull. He fell through it, and landed on a luxurious white rug, in an immaculate room. The subtle scent of lavender, and perfect room temperature confused and soothed him. His eyes drifted upward past the rug, taking in the polished hardwood floor and the wide glass window that took up an entire wall. The room was in a very high floor of whatever this place was. He could see a distant lake, and snowy mountains beyond that.
¡°It¡¯s a million gold view, ain¡¯t it?¡± Sweat beaded on Gilles¡¯ brow as the familiar voice sounded from behind him. Unlike in the tavern, the man¡¯s aura was now fully expressed. It was suffocating.
He turned to see the man relaxing easily in an exquisite white leather armchair. He held a tiny porcelain cup in one hand and an equally tiny saucer in the other. Gilles could smell the drink clearly. It was a bitter, yet strangely enticing aroma. No armor or weapons adorned his frame, and no grim faced guards stood at the ready. He appeared relaxed, vulnerable, but Gilles held no illusions. This man had sent him to view that titanic corpse for a very specific reason. ¡°He wants me to know that he did it.¡±
¡°I gotta cut back on these espressos.¡± The man said, and took another unhurried sip. He might have said more but a light knock on the door beyond him made him turn. ¡°It¡¯s open!¡± He called genially.
A woman entered then, and Gilles gulped hard. Dark Alfar. They were common enough in the empire but practically non existent here. Few doubts remained about why he had been captured, and why he felt so utterly helpless now. Her attire was confusing and didn¡¯t fit the style of the empire or anywhere else Gilles had been. She wore a sharp white suit with onyx buttons that accentuated her lithe frame. It contrasted magically with her dark skin and accented her lustrous mane of platinum hair. Gilles couldn¡¯t help but forget his peril for just a second in the face of her beauty.
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¡°Thank you for coming on such short notice, Kitha.¡± The man addressed the dark skinned beauty gratefully.
¡°I consider it a privilege, lord Gray.¡± The woman beamed back.
¡°Listen, I-¡± Gilles began to launch into an explanation to save his own skin, ready to lie and bluff his way to escape. The words died on his lips, as the angelic voice of the woman spoke a word.
¡°Silence.¡± She raised a finger, and Gilles was compelled to obey by a magic power that far exceeded his own.
¡°It was a long road from the northern villages to Tarishan.¡± The one called lord Gray said. ¡°I did alot of talking, even more listening, and I kept hearing the same story.¡± He took a breath and licked his lips, clearly suppressing anger.
¡°A man of the Golden Legion passes through a village. Exactly two days later several children contract a fatal illness. The victims are always boys between nine and twelve years old, typically with dark hair and of the wolf variety of beast kin. Soon after the same man returns, and offers gold, food, and water in exchange for the sick child. The parents are given a choice: watch their child die, or let the Golden Legion take him in and be used for the greater good of his homeland? He will be pampered. His last days will be spent in a luxury few beast kin will ever experience. He will die a hero, and be blessed with a blissful afterlife. Everyone cheers. Long live the Golden Legion. But I have a few concerns.¡± He stopped and stared coldly into Gilles¡¯ eyes. ¡°Why is a disease picky like a hot girl in a small town? Why does it only show up with you? For every one ¡®miracle¡¯, there are ten missing boys. The math ain¡¯t mathing, so I¡¯ve invited you here to help me figure it out. Kitha is going to ask you a few questions now.¡±
¡°You are permitted to say yes or no.¡± Kitha informed Gilles as she pulled a chair over and sat directly in front of him. ¡°Are you responsible for the malady known as White Cough? Answer.¡±
¡°Of course not! This is absurd! Release me!¡± Gilles was certain that he said all of that, and yet the only sound that could be heard in that room was his own voice mechanically saying ¡°Yes¡±.
¡°Are you targeting young boys for any specific reason? Answer.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Gilles felt his mind being intimately violated, as another confession was ripped from him by force.
¡°Are the excess children you have taken still alive? Answer.¡±
No response. Gilles did not know what happened to the boys after they were delivered. He never wanted to know.
¡°You are now permitted to respond freely but only with the truth to the best of your knowledge.¡± Kitha¡¯s eyes were exceptionally cold as she spoke. ¡°Do you understand? Answer.¡±
¡°I understand.¡± More words yanked from him as his mind railed against her magic.
¡°Where were the children not selected as sacrifices taken? Answer.¡± Kitha¡¯s voice was growing colder with every response.
¡°To the House of Dreams, my brother¡¯s compound east of Tarishan.¡± The one secret that Gilles would have gladly taken to his grave slid from his lips so very casually. Terror clenched his stomach at what he had just done. His heart rate climbed and he felt Kitha¡¯s magic waver.
¡°Who is your brother!? ANSWER!¡± She hammered her power down on him with redoubled fury, nearly breaking his mind.
¡°YUTHER!¡± Gilles wailed and with that word he collapsed into blackness.
I watched the sweaty, gold robed creep collapse. A lump of disgust and rage had been slowly growing like a ball of twine in my belly over the past three weeks spent traveling from village to village. A picture was slowly coming into focus that I didn¡¯t want to believe. The people of Rakashi were paying a very vile price for their new found prosperity.
¡°What will you do, lord Gray?¡± Kitha broke the silence after a moment, dabbing the sweat from her brow with a beautiful dwarf made kerchief.
¡°What I do best.¡± I said back, though I could muster little enthusiasm. I dreaded what I might find before reaching the bottom of this shit pile. ¡°Tabula.¡±
¡°Lord Gray.¡± The woman appeared instantly as though she expected the call.
¡°We¡¯ll need to prepare accommodations for some new guests.¡± I glared down at the unconscious mage at my feet. ¡°On the Numberless Floor.¡±
63: The Great Golden Farce
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MURDERERS AND LIARS!¡± He screamed as tears burst from his eyes, and I was shocked by the volume of it. It wasn¡¯t just loud. It was
Stasis Hold!¡±
64: A Matter of Sloth and Diligence
The feeling that I was ducking responsibility, and should really be racing toward Yuther¡¯s so called ¡°House of Dreams¡± nagged me as I walked through EDEN. I quickly rationalized that we had effectively crippled the network they used to abduct children. Plus there were also other merits to letting him dangle. If we took Yuther down now, he might be seen as a heroic martyr assassinated by a cruel foreigner. Our quick actions and abrupt withdrawal would almost guarantee a drastic reaction with little information spread to the common population. His veneer of altruism and righteousness would crack eventually, and his true colors would be revealed. Our job was to be ready to step in when they did.
Also, news would spread about the kid¡¯s partial transformation. A few well placed gossipers on my payroll in Tarishan would make sure of that. Once word reached the top that the object of their search was in our house, it should be more than enough to bring the fight to more favorable turf.
It might sound awful to invite an attack on our own country, but to be fair we were far more prepared and protected than the innocent bystanders in Rakashi. Even though most of our most elite forces were still missing in action, we had the highest concentration of strong Adventurers on the continent thanks to our new and improved guild structure operating out of EDEN, and my own remaining Soul Branded underlings each represented the power of a large army.
We had also completed our mission of making sure Raj¡¯s tribe was safe. They had been surviving on the border between the desert and the Sea of Stone, secure but barely getting by on the meager game and edible plants they could safely scavenge from the barren land.
We had since brought them into the fold and they were already beginning to thrive. They made perfect aerial sentries for the workers in the dead jungle now known as Zurgfall. Here the dwarves and giants were already working hard to build a fortified mining colony around the enormous dead cyclops king. Any encroaching monsters would be first spotted by the tengu, allowing the others to organize a defense, or even send a distress call to me personally if it was dangerous enough.
The only other loose end was the giant crab demigod that was wandering the desert with a village full of Radiant Empire people on its back. Since failing to find settlements to feast on thanks to our efforts of staying ahead of it, the big crab had dug itself into the sand and gone into hibernation. I could track it easily with the drop of blood I had left on it, and it hadn¡¯t moved in nearly two weeks. I kept it to myself, but I spent a pretty big chunk of my days thinking of ways to bring it down.
Such were my meandering thoughts as I stepped out of EDEN into the frigid afternoon air. It was only a few hours past noon but the sun was already beginning to set. According to Raj, spring was still roughly four months away. I suspected in terms of earth latitude, we were around southern Canada.
I took a second to admire the massive development before me. In the Shadow of EDEN, a city was developing before my eyes. It filled the wide plain where we had destroyed the monster horde. Streets had been laid out with modern sensibilities, with an ingenious sewage system designed by Slimer Jaik beneath them. The forest line was also rapidly receding as lumber was harvested and processed for construction. There were few completed buildings, but the foundations of more than a hundred shops and ten times that many homes could already be counted. Soon the space between Ariel¡¯s Gate and EDEN would be filled with bustling commerce.
The industrious buzz was contagious, and I made an internal vow to roll up my own sleeves after my break this afternoon. An odd sort of twinge in my mind gave me pause when I made that decision. I turned my attention to it, and heard a familiar voice curse in my mind.
¡°Ugh. I liked you way more back on earth.¡± It was Baelphegor. Wait a minute. Was that little bastard exerting pressure on me to ditch my responsibilities to go gawk at Niiya and Yugal?
¡°Pft. I wish I could manage that. I¡¯m just commentating. I¡¯m quite impotent while this tyrant has me in her clutches. It¡¯s a shame too, I could make everything so much better around here.¡± The voice ended with a mental purr.
¡°Obvious bait, but I¡¯ll nibble.¡± I replied. ¡°Better how?¡±
¡°To start with, there¡¯s no entertainment here. They just work and sleep. The food and pool is all they look forward to. All those awesome flat screen TVs just play screen saver slideshows of nature and junk when they could be playing all of the most binge-able anime and shows that degenerates like you so love...¡± The demon¡¯s voice was strangely leading.
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¡°So what? It¡¯s another world, it¡¯s not like I have access to anything like that.¡± I waved the whole notion away. ¡°Keep your weird fantasies to yourself.¡±
¡°I am the prince of Sloth. I have seen every distraction mankind has ever produced, and love each of them like my own children. Don¡¯t mistake me for some human with a memory so feeble that it cannot store a few million hours of footage. If this android interfaced with my memory properly. She could broadcast anything I can recall, and I can recall EVERYTHING. Home improvement shows, documentaries, cartoons, movies, plays, and so very much filthy adult entertainment... Just remember the pleasure of curling up with a big pizza and a new season of anime to binge. In your own terms I am the ultimate miracle external hard drive, packed with every bit of entertainment earth has to offer. Who are you to decide these people don¡¯t deserve to experience it?¡± He spelled it out for me, and frankly it was too big of a revelation to process at the moment. Was such a thing really possible?
¡°I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± I snapped my mind shut and flew away from the tempting demon¡¯s influence. What need did I have for digital entertainment when a real life cat girl and mythical titan were showing their power just a few miles away? Then again what self respecting geek doesn¡¯t want to introduce their friends to their favorite stuff?
I shook my head vigorously and focused on the rapidly approaching mountain range. I could already feel waves of power rolling past me even this far away. They must be really going all out. Even knowing that, I was not at all prepared for the scene that greeted me as I flew over the final ridge and viewed the spectacle in the depression below.
A field of destruction spread far and wide below me. craters filled with bubbling lava pitted the land between sheets of black ice thicker than I was tall. Enormous clouds of steam swirled like tornadoes with lightning playing across them as they ripped chunks of stone and ice up into their vortex like bodies. The atmosphere was utter chaos, and I could not imagine the Ragnarok from myth playing out any differently than this. I caught sight of Yugal first, half of his enormous frame was covered in raging flame. In his right hand was the Greatsword of Surtr, a mythical weapon with offensive stats that rivaled my own gear. In the hands of Yugal, it eclipsed my destructive potential entirely. Yugal¡¯s left side was ice blue and emanated a bone chilling fog. In his left hand he held an enormous shield of black ice crafted using his own magic. I followed the direction of his gaze, and found his current foe.
A gigantic black armored knight flew on shadowy wings of ash with the agility of a falcon through the hellish storm of elements. Niiya had evolved her minions even further it seemed. This was an incredible leap from the human knights she had absorbed into her domain last fall. The black ashen warrior reached Yugal in a blink, shadowy sword biting into the icy shield with a booming shockwave.
With a great joyous laugh, Yugal brought his flaming sword in a gorgeous upward slash. The ashen knight exploded into an insubstantial cloud, and Yugal did not waste a single moment. He leaped forward just as the head of a giant crocodile formed from another cloud of ash behind him and snapped its jaws with a crack that sounded like a gunshot. Yugal stomped with his right foot and a spear of lava shot up from the ground, scorching and skewering the still forming threshodon. Niiya¡¯s assault did not relent, and Yugal¡¯s face was one of pure exultation. It was the joy of someone that was too strong for everyday life finally getting to use their body to the fullest.
Three ashen werewolves surrounded Yugal then, attacking in complicated patterns and forcing the giant to call his own pet to aid him. The greatwolf Frosthowl appeared from a nearby sheet of ice with a piercing howl. It opened its jaws wider, and a cone of icy breath froze one werewolf in place long enough for Yugal to obliterate it with his sword. Niiya herself appeared then, flitting in and out of sight and striking with enough force to cause the giant to grunt.
I sucked in a sharp breath after realizing I hadn¡¯t been breathing for nearly a minute. This was the coolest fight I had ever seen, and I have seen quite a few epic fights.
Yugal abandoned chasing the elusive Niiya, and instead threw the Greatsword of Surtr high into the sky before launching an enormous ball of lava at the sword. The carriage sized glob of molten rock collided with the weapon a hundred meters in the air and shattered into an uncountable number of falling meteorites. Each one impacted the ground with overlapping explosions. Yugal stood with his chest heaving amid the rising steam and heat distortions. Niiya¡¯s voice echoed from on top of Yugal¡¯s head as the girl suddenly appeared there, standing in the ring of frozen spires that was the Crown of Niflheim that Yugal wore.
¡°Let¡¯s see... Four knights, a crocodile, three wolves, and two of my clones. That¡¯s the best yet Mr. Yugal!¡± The girl congratulated the titan. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break and go see Gray.¡±
¡°Thank you, Miss Niiya. I am beginning to feel more confident using these gifts. I am still yet far from your level of mastery, but I¡¯ll keep working hard.¡±
¡°Guess you caught me!¡± I called out as I flew down to meet them. ¡°That was one awesome show you guys put on, I¡¯m honestly blown away.¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t slack off knowing you were nearby, my lord.¡± Yugal answered as he knelt to get closer to my eye level. ¡°Rest assured I will be prepared to face any threat to our people.¡±
¡°Hard work is good, but I want to see both of you unwinding and eating well tonight. It¡¯s not good to make too much of a virtue of diligence. That¡¯s how you miss out on life.¡± I tussled Niiya¡¯s hair as she hopped down to stand in front of me.
¡°Your concern touches my heart as always.¡± Yugal answered my lecture with misty eyes. ¡°This hardly feels like work with such an enthusiastic training partner. It is easy to lose ourselves in it.¡±
¡°Yeah we¡¯re just playing, don¡¯t butt in and call it work like that, Gray.¡± Niiya counter lectured me with a wagging claw in her best Jade tone.
I smiled in spite of everything and talked them into coming back to EDEN for the evening.
65: The Packlord of Famine
Raj, Sapphire, Tili, and Dalia gathered around an examination table in the infirmary on EDEN¡¯s first floor. Between them, they represented a huge portion of the continent¡¯s knowledge of magic and the supernatural.
¡°If it¡¯s really a divine beast awakening, can we save him at all?¡± Raj asked the group.
¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a vessel surviving.¡± Dalia answered with a slight grimace. ¡°We¡¯re lucky enough to have halted the process when we did.¡±
¡°It could take years to unravel the spiritual threads binding them together, if it¡¯s possible at all.¡± Tili¡¯s small voice added sadly.
¡°Lady Tabula said she might know someone that can help, let¡¯s trust her for now.¡± Sapphire offered, and the others seemed to take some comfort in that.
The group fell silent for a moment, and turned their attention to the door as it suddenly slid open. X¡¯lyssa, the overfiend entered the room. Tabula walked in silently behind her, holding her now trademark grumpy horned kitten.
The four magic users gulped collectively. They didn¡¯t feel threatened, but the physical pressure exuded by the pair was crushing. Before anyone could exchange greetings, X¡¯lyssa suddenly crinkled her nose like she smelled something awful.
¡°Fen? I¡¯d know your stink anywhere, you emaciated mutt. Don¡¯t bother trying to hide from me.¡± She swaggered up to the unconscious child on the table and casually plunged her crimson colored hand into his abdomen as a chorus of gasps erupted from the others.
Everyone moved to intervene instinctively but stopped themselves, noticing there didn¡¯t appear to be any injury. It was more like a ghost reaching through a wall.
X¡¯lyssa rooted around the boy¡¯s body like a plumber seeking a clog. Her face went through several expressions before settling into a wide grin.
¡°Gotcha!¡± She began to pull her arm out slowly. Whatever she had hold of was fighting her mightily.
Gore slick matted grey fur was clutched tightly in her emerging hand as the boy¡¯s belly distended and warped. The lighting in the room flickered as yet another monstrous presence filled the space. The creature broke free of the child¡¯s body then, and the perfectly circular hole closed behind it, leaving not a scratch on the boy¡¯s pale abdomen.
X¡¯lyssa held the nearly skeletal wolf cub by the scruff as it mindlessly snapped its jaws and snarled. It was no bigger than a ten week old puppy.
¡°He wasn¡¯t done cooking.¡± She adjusted her voice to sound deeper and more dramatic as she held up the furiously snarling cub. ¡°Behold Fenrir! Packlord of Famine, The Gnawing Shadow, The Ravening Nightmare...¡± X¡¯lyssa snickered and switched back to her normal voice. ¡°I call him Fen, the idiot dog that got chained up in heaven for biting the wrong hand and ate his own body when they made him skip dinner. Most of his spirit incarnated though, so he¡¯s pretty dangerous on this plane. Divine beasts can use the blood of their descendants as portals and incarnate without a fair summon. Kinda cheap if you ask me.¡± She added with a rough shake, which only resulted in more ferocious snapping.
¡°What should we do with it now?¡± Raj asked apprehensively. The Overfiend might treat the beast lightly but she could feel the terrible power of the thing even if it was a tiny newborn.
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¡°It¡¯d be a waste of a rare incarnation to destroy him and send him back. He would also cause all sorts of problems in Cairn Carna. That ecosystem isn¡¯t built for super strong demons anymore...¡± X¡¯lyssa pondered for a moment. ¡°Oh! You could housebreak him like that gorgo! He was a total pig, but now I can sense some manners rattling around in there.¡±
The demon kitten in Tabula¡¯s arms twitched his ears at that remark. His eyes turned like slowly widening saucers to regard X¡¯lyssa and the miserable wolf she was clutching by the scruff. This woman could sense The Warlord¡¯s spiritual changes so easily without even entering the simulations? Not only that, she had just effortlessly extracted a high ranking demon in full possession of its host. This one was very dangerous. As though sensing his thoughts, she turned a golden eyed stare onto Baelphegor and winked once. A shudder coursed through the demon and he quickly looked away. Yes, very dangerous indeed.
¡°That¡¯s really the Fenrir?¡± Tili had fallen silent until now, shrinking away in instinctive fear as her leopard ears flattened. ¡°He¡¯s the enemy of all catfolk.¡±
¡°That¡¯s still what everyone thinks on this backwater plane?¡± X¡¯lyssa scoffed. ¡°Catch up already. He and Azitet haven¡¯t fought over prey in centuries. Fen is the enemy of anything he can cram into his belly, and once the boss lady here whips him into shape, he won¡¯t even be that. There¡¯s a nice dumb doggy under all those eons of ravaging, and it¡¯s about time someone gave him a bath and a good talking-to.¡±
¡°I am not at liberty to act on my own in this matter, unfortunately.¡± Tabula interjected. ¡°Once my master returns, we may bring it under advisement. I may, however, quarantine any threats until that time. Would you please provide me a summary of any known dangers or abilities this creature possesses?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s see... Most of it is pretty standard. He¡¯s stunted but his physical strength is probably still equal to a middle aged dragon. His breath weapon is rot based so have some high tier purification spells handy. He won¡¯t be able to access his upper tier magic until he acquires language and regains his memories. At this point he has little to no clue who he even is. The only serious danger is his domain. Ravening Nightmare is one of the strongest domain abilities. It sends victims to a barren tundra dimension where one minute here is several days there. Fenrir¡¯s pack hunts the tundra, and anything killed there is doomed to rise again as prey over and over for eternity. Only the Ash Huntress, Azitet has ever fought her way out after being caught in Ravening Nightmare. Many demigods and demons now call it home.¡±
¡°None of that is standard!¡± Raj blurted and Tili simply went pale. ¡°Your conventions don¡¯t apply to this world.¡±
¡°Oh it¡¯ll be fine. Your master is plenty capable of keeping Fen in line, not to mention the lady of the house here.¡± She held the cub out as if to hand it to Tabula. ¡°Anyways my lunch is probably cold by now so I¡¯m gonna head back to my table.¡±
Tabula blinked, and the cub disappeared from X¡¯lyssa¡¯s hand.
¡°Your ninth wagyu cheek bordelaise with black truffle pomme puree of the day is still at perfect temperature, I can assure you Ms. Overfiend.¡± Her manner and tone were perfect, but those very familiar with Tabula might have detected a well disguised note of annoyance. ¡°Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter, we won¡¯t inconvenience you any further.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± X¡¯lyssa either missed the irritation or simply chose to ignore it. ¡°You know where to find me if anything else happens.¡± She gave Baelphegor a light tap on the head as she passed. ¡°Quite the interesting pet you have there. Seems odd to worry about a little wolf with a big shot like that lurking around.¡± She left no time for a reply as she took up a whistling tune which receded out of the infirmary and down the hall along with her presence.
Raj, Tili, and Sapphire exhaled a collective sigh as the pressure in the room receded.
¡°It seems like the boy is out of danger now at least.¡± Sapphire finally broke the odd silence.
¡°I¡¯ll keep him here under observation until he regains consciousness.¡± Tabula added. ¡°Lord Gray should be returning from his survey soon, and then we may decide how to proceed.¡±
"Mm."
¡°Right.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
¡°Thank you, lady Tabula.¡±
After their various sign offs, the four magic users exited the infirmary.
¡°Do you ever stop and think about the scale of change that one single man has wrought in such a short time?¡± Raj pondered aloud to no one in particular.
¡°All the time.¡± Tili answered. ¡°Makes my head hurt though.¡±
¡°I tend to think where we¡¯d be without him.¡± Sapphire shook her head with a grimace. ¡°Our world was a ship with no helm, and a storm on every horizon.¡±
¡°So why does he seem like such a simpleton on the surface!?¡± Raj finally let the blasphemous thought slip out.
All three of them burst into a short laugh, and Tabula who heard every word as she arranged a simulation to correct Fenrir¡¯s behavior on the Numberless Floor felt a genuine smile tug at the corner of her mouth. Of course she knew that lord Gray would agree to the plan, and she was fully within her rights as administrator to act. She merely wanted to waylay that arrogant woman for some reason. She understood better than anyone just how simple her master was, and that is exactly why he was so incredible. The most perfect equations were always criminally simple.
Meanwhile a certain infernal world boss let out a sudden sneeze as he browsed the newly formed dwarven commercial district. He was buying all sorts of gifts for his hard working subordinates. His plan was time tested and bullet proof. He would lay low and shop until they sorted out all the complicated problems, return bearing gifts, and approve whatever game plan they had come up with. This was the way of the wise corporate American supervisor, and it hadn¡¯t let him down yet.
66: Poser ex Machina
Pinthalak was growing desperate. He could feel his overfiend¡¯s impatience bubbling into anger across the dimensional boundary like distant thunder.
The imp¡¯s forces had grown at her command in the past days. Thousands of demonic fairies with bat wings and tiny nymph like bodies buzzed through the trees, scouring every corner. Even the rarely seen Behemites had been called in - three colossal two headed demons tasked with protecting Behemet¡¯s territory in his absence. How his mistress had secured their aid Pinthalak didn¡¯t know, but he was happy for their protection. Even with his forces so bolstered, the imp feared that the worst case was upon them.
There was a reason this great grove was the only place in Cairn Carna left untouched by the overfiends. This was the territory of an old world entity, a being that had been alive when the hells, mortal realm, and heavens were still one world.
It was a reclusive thing, mostly seen as a cloud of spores in the shape of a man wandering alone or talking to various giant mushrooms. It was little more than an odd sighting to most, but those ignorant few that chose to waylay it or willingly incurred its wrath were fed to the grove, without exception.
Legends said that it could do all manner of outlandish things. It could make the grove release storms of spores which could paralyze, heal, kill, or confuse any intruder at will. It could visit the dreams of any sleeping creature on any plane of existence. It could even cause temporal anomalies such as time loops within the grove. Pinthalak shuddered at the idea that he might be stuck in such a loop and would never even know it. It had many titles, but the name it gave to those it fancied was...
¡°Mycel?¡± Leza repeated the word as she opened her eyes.
When had she fallen asleep? She was supposed to be on watch! This was inexcusable. Thankfully the others were all still here, sleeping soundly - too soundly. Several loud snores echoed through the silent grove around her. She couldn¡¯t blame them. This small clearing was covered in a thick bed of velvety soft green moss, and a cool breeze somehow made it through the thick forest of mushroom stalks. The oppressive sense of danger typical to this place was not present here, which only made Leza even more suspicious. A sense of peace and safety unlike she had felt since EDEN prevailed in this clearing, and Leza had reluctantly agreed to rest here for the night.
She stood and berated herself vehemently as she stretched her rejuvenated muscles. Strange, she had been sore and half starved before nodding off. Now she felt stronger and more alert than ever. What was that dream? Someone had been speaking to her.
¡°I am.¡± A very strange voice responded to her word. It filled the air like the chorus of a million crickets, and yet was as soft as the heavenly moss beneath her bare feet.
¡°What!?¡± Leza blurted as she spun. Her face melted into confusion at what she saw. It was a vaguely humanoid cloud of tiny particles, each glowing softly in every color on the spectrum.
¡°I am Mycel. We are awake now. You resisted my spores. It was a surprise.¡± It spoke in a tone of utter serenity. Every word rang like a crystal bell. ¡°You are on time. It is good. Sleep more. No enemies will come. Heal. Wake. Follow the child.¡±
A tiny portion of the humanoid cloud broke away and flew toward Leza¡¯s face.
¡°Hold on, I-¡± Leza was asleep before she was guided gently to the mossy ground by an invisible force.
¡±...What the heck...!?¡±
¡±...It¡¯s so CUTE...!¡±
¡±...Stand back it¡¯s probably dangerous...!¡±
Leza¡¯s eyes flared open as the bewildering exclamations filtered through her semi conscious mind. Damn it all! That talking cloud of rainbow dirt had put her back to sleep! She leaped to her feet and immediately spotted the backs of her companions. All of them were exclaiming over something just out of sight. She vanished and reappeared on the other side of them, ready to intercept any danger.
She looked ahead and saw nothing, then her gaze drifted down. There it was, the object of all the excitement. It was a chubby beige mushroom creature the size of a toddler with a wide, yellow cap that gave the impression of a sun hat. It had tiny cylinders for arms with hands that looked like mittens, and legs with no feet which gave it a cute but clumsy gait. Two large innocent green eyes dominated its otherwise plain face. It was waving happily, and Leza thought it would be smiling if it had a mouth.
Once it noticed Leza, it turned and waved them to follow. It proceeded to the edge of the clearing and waved with both arms at the giant mushrooms blocking the way. To the amazement of everyone, the entire grove shifted. Massive stalks parted, and all growth cleared to reveal a wide, flat path leading straight ahead as far as the eye could see. The tiny mushroom creature then began its determined march, which was agonizingly slow but undeniably adorable.
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¡°Looks like we don¡¯t have much choice.¡± Leza said as she gestured around them. The mushroom forest had formed impenetrable walls around them, except for the path ahead.
¡°I don¡¯t think Mycel means us any harm.¡± Leifa offered hopefully.
¡°He spoke to you all as well?¡± Leza asked, and everyone nodded in response.
¡°There¡¯s no way Mushie is evil!¡± Asha was already ahead of them, copying the silent little mushroom¡¯s exaggerated march.
¡°She already gave it a name.¡± Leza groaned as she dragged her hands down her face in exasperation.
With no other options available, the marooned women of EDEN followed their small guide, and after a few hours found themselves before something that defied all mortal experience.
The path widened, and spilled out into an impossibly wide meadow extending to the horizon in every direction before them. Lush violet tinted grass and vibrant blue wildflowers grew between sparsely placed giant oak trees, with limbs that sprawled hundreds of meters, often parallel to the ground. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and all manner of familiar critters from the mortal realm flourished around them. A refreshing breeze carried an intoxicating floral scent and banished the musky odor of the mushroom grove. Sunlight shone brightly, illuminating a breath stealing scene.
Dominating the space was a figure larger than should have been possible. Its shape was unmistakable. It was a dragon, sleeping deeply. If it had stood, there would be a thousand meters of silver scaled power between snout and tail. A feeling of literal gravity pulled the women toward the mountainous form.
As they drew close, they could see movement all over the dragon¡¯s body. Thousands of tiny mushroom creatures just like Mushie frolicked and played all over and around the dragon. Several of them rushed away from their play to greet Mushie and drag him back to the group.
There was something else peculiar about this dragon. Much of its body had grown into the ground of the meadow.
¡°So you arrive.¡± Mycel¡¯s voice rang from somewhere unseen. ¡°So you see my body. So you see my folly. You have questions. I shall indulge them.¡±
¡°Where are we?¡± The single question had dominated their thoughts for over a month.
¡°You are in the well of life, the womb of reality, where all are born, and all must return. Mortals know it as Cairn Carna, First Layer of the Hells.¡± The voice was not sympathetic, but rather had a welcoming tone.
¡°We¡¯re dead?¡± Leifa¡¯s voice sounded weak.
¡°Nothing is dead, merely in motion. You are here, as was foretold.¡± The cryptic answer was less than comforting.
¡°Can we return to the mortal realm?¡± Leza asked firmly.
¡°After you fulfill your role here, you are free to return to your destined path.¡± The voice gave a long pause. ¡°Hear my folly. Hear my plea.¡±
¡°Your plea?¡± Leza asked.
¡°Too long has this flesh lingered in torpor. A power you bring. The white light that purges. You shall use it upon this body that imprisons mineself.¡±
¡°You lazed about for too long and fused with the land, and now you want me to kill you.¡± Leza summarized.
¡°Nothing dies, but merely moves.¡± Mycel repeated his previous statement. ¡°A beast mired in mud may not toil at its purpose. I have rested, and would return to my labors.¡±
¡°What purpose do you serve, then?¡± Leifa spoke up. ¡°What will you do when we free you?¡±
¡°Fairly queried. I am the protector of those sent here ahead of schedule. Children struck down shall find me, and those that would call them prey shall know my wrath. It was not always my lot, but I chose it after the splitting of worlds. Such is the glory of will. This meadow is a peaceful harbor, but too many lost children have gathered. It is time for many of them to return to the cycle.¡±
¡°So these are all... kids?¡± Tora looked all around, at the countless thousands of tiny frolicking mushroom sprites.
¡°They are young souls, unfairly waylaid.¡± Mycel affirmed. ¡°Kids you may indeed call them. A prosperous time approaches the mortal realm, many here deserve to be among those born into the coming Age of Gray.¡±
¡°Wait. What was that last part?¡± All of the women had confused expressions.
¡°BLABBERMOUTH!¡± A young girl¡¯s voice broke the awkward tension.
Before anyone could react, a teenage girl with long silver hair and an abnormally large bust had appeared on top of the slumbering silver dragon¡¯s head. She did an annoyed stomping dance, and Mycel¡¯s entire tone shifted from ominous and cryptic to utterly childish.
¡°Ow! Ow! Ow! Hey! Cut it out Ariel! SORRY!¡± Mycel¡¯s frantic pleading shattered the powerful image he had cultivated so well.
¡°Hmph!¡± Ariel snapped before hopping off of his head to land nimbly in front of Leza. ¡°Hiya kids, I¡¯m Ariel as Mycel the Blabbermouth just said. He really is in a pinch, and I¡¯m still low on power from bringing your boss over to this world. Your Null Roar is about the only thing on this layer that could put a scratch on this guy. That¡¯s the main reason I bundled it into your evolution, at the risk of getting in BIG trouble just so you know.¡±
¡°So you knew we would end up here the whole time?¡± Leza reasoned, a tiny hint of accusation in her tone.
¡°Hello!? What part of Goddess don¡¯t you get?¡± Ariel pointed at herself and then bonked Leza on the forehead. ¡°Hello!?¡±
¡°Right.¡± Leza suddenly realized her impertinence and dropped to one knee. This was essentially her master¡¯s master after all. ¡°Forgive me. I was just shocked.¡±
¡°Okay, now where were we?¡± Ariel said. ¡°So you use Null Roar on Blabbermouth, then we let that little what¡¯s-his-name find you. Then that other what¡¯s-her-name will get you back, and little Laintrain will have to worship me and stop calling me a poser! Right, another perfect plan!¡±
¡°You have the nerve to call me a blabbermouth?¡± Mycel grumbled.
¡°You want another dance, shrimp!?¡± Ariel barked back, lifting a foot to emphasize her threat.
¡°Just get me loose, please!¡± Mycel pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m going crazy.¡±
¡°No kidding you¡¯ve gone crazy, mouthing off to your own aunt like that.¡± Ariel huffed as she crossed her arms and pressed up the F-cups which had no rightful place on her tiny frame. ¡°Now let¡¯s all get clear and let her huff, and puff, and BLOOOW this house down!¡±
¡°M-My lady Goddess... are you the one that gave lord Gray his weird sayings?¡± Asha asked curiously. She now held Mushy in her arms like a teddy bear, and the little sprite was clearly enjoying it.
¡°Uhh, they are infinitely layered words of wisdom that mortals can¡¯t quite comprehend. Gray may have stolen a few from me I suppose.¡± Ariel looked away and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Okay Leza, go for it.¡±
Pinthalak was silently composing his own eulogy after the leader of the bat winged fairies told him the trail had gone cold. He resolved to deliver the news of his failure with all the dignity he could muster, and was about to tell everyone to keep searching while he prepared to return to the palace. An unfamiliar voice called out to him as the fairy departed.
¡°Looking for us?¡± It was a tall, powerfully built Hellcat leading a large group of Cambions and a handful of other Hellcats. They looked in perfect health, and too clean for a group lost in the wilds of the hells for more than a month. The leader also had a long staff or spear wrapped in black cloth strapped to her back.
¡°Thank the Overfiend.¡± Pinthalak nearly collapsed in relief. ¡°I was sent by your lord Gray and my great mistress. You¡¯re going home.¡±
67: Mercurius Sovereign
The Radiant Empire encompassed the entire continent upon which it lay, sprawling twelve thousand kilometers between east and west, and nearly half that far from north to south. It traced its origins to the first days of the mortal realm¡¯s existence, and its gilded heights were only made possible by the bloody root and stone of its foundation.
The Pure (as they referred to themselves) were the undisputed ruling class here - pure blooded descendants of the original seventy-four lesser gods exiled to this world. Whether those original gods came willingly, or were muscled out of the heavens by stronger deities was a topic of debate.
While bearing no natural lifespan, gods in the mortal realm were far from invulnerable (especially against the conspiracies of other gods). Out of those original seventy-four, only three remained. Disputes, civil wars, and assassinations had claimed all the rest over the ages.
Un¡¯hana, Beloved by the Sea and Wind, ruled over the western islands and abundant coastline. She was considered to be the most compassionate of the three, but her wrath was as cold and deep as the sea itself when roused. Her beauty went beyond myth, and was nearly impossible to describe. Her skin was soft porcelain, her lips and eyes were midnight blue, and sparkling like the night sky reflecting on a still lake. She was tall, perfectly built, and could move like a summer breeze or a terrible hurricane depending on her mood.
Ogrun, Beloved by the Earth and Flame, ruled over the eastern mountain ranges. He was a notorious drunk, and was disparaged for keeping a vast harem of mortal playthings. He was the image of masculinity, with the bullish physique of an arena champion. His hair was dusty blonde, and his eyes were the color of polished brass. He was by far the most prolific of them all. More than a quarter of the current living population of imperial mortals could trace at least a bit of their blood to Ogrun. Flaws aside, in his more lucid moments, none could hold a candle to his skill in battle or his mastery of the forge.
Ahura-Guru, Beloved by Truth and Tome, ruled over all commerce and acted as an intermediary between his peers. He had abandoned his ¡°inconvenient¡± flesh and blood form long ago, and now was more artifice than organism. He resembled a silvery golem with a blank mask engraved with thousands of interweaving runes which glowed white intermittently like a heart beat. His territory was a single city, but that city was a metropolis of over a hundred thousand Pure citizens, and more than a million mortal servants.
Together, these three were viewed as a single ruling entity known as The Mercurius Sovereign, the Three Headed Dragon Emperor. For the first time in forty years, all three had gathered physically to speak face to face. The room they chose for this meeting was a remarkably plain affair, bereft of the gold, porcelain, flowers, and other accouterments normally associated with their presence. In truth, gods had little care for such trifles. Obsession with the trappings of wealth was a convention of the short lived. Their one and only focus was the game they played, one of influence and power and their eventual return to the upper realms.
The game was a well oiled machine, and had been so tightly tuned over the ages that even the slightest imbalance could cause the gears to seize and explode. The news that Ahura had broken just now was no mere imbalance, but a gnomish bomb thrown straight into the machine¡¯s heart.
¡°Between the report sent as Summer waned and this one received yesterday, all of Miraj has been turned upside down.¡± Ahura¡¯s voice was deep and sonorous as he referred to the collection of kingdoms across the sea by the continent¡¯s largely forgotten ancient name. ¡°Moreover, every single abnormality can be traced to the arrival of one single interloper.¡±
¡°Mother¡¯s so called champion?¡± Un¡¯hana¡¯s beautiful voice was stained with bitter sarcasm, and her dark blue lips twisted beneath the veil hiding the rest of her face.
¡°The same.¡± The silver golem god¡¯s tone showed no reaction to Un¡¯hana. He might have continued but Ogrun raised a gold skinned hand to interrupt.
¡°I only want to know one thing.¡± He leaned forward over the stone table, bringing his predatory grin close enough to fog the metallic mask with his wine scented breath. ¡°Did he truly defeat a world eater?¡±
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¡°Undoubtedly.¡± The answer was as cold and unfeeling as every other word spoken by Ahura.
¡°Spectacular.¡± Ogrun leaned back, and gazed at the ceiling for a moment before suddenly leaping to his feet. The movement took the other two by surprise.
¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Un¡¯hana called after him as the warrior began to walk toward the exit.
¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m going to go make friends.¡± The flippant answer only angered the goddess more.
¡°We have plans in motion, you dolt!¡± She fired back as she began to stand in protest.
¡°Ogrun may go. Two rules over one. As it must be, Un¡¯hana.¡± Ahura¡¯s cold declaration was unexpected to both of the other gods, especially Ogrun who was suddenly very suspicious.
¡°Why do you suddenly want me to do something fun? How are you not against this? What are you scheming in that ugly egg shell of yours now?¡± Ogrun planted his hands on his hips and leaned over Ahura, who remained seated.
¡°Have a wonderful trip, Ogrun. Represent us well.¡±
The response only deepened Ogrun¡¯s distrust, but after thousands of years Ogrun knew it would be futile trying to unravel whatever plot the big brain Ahura might be cooking up. After a moment of agonizing thought, the warrior threw up his hands and focused on his excitement. Things always worked out as long as he trusted his gut, and his gut was telling him that he would find something exciting across the sea.
Un¡¯hana watched him go, glaring daggers into his back. Her history with the man was less than pleasant. They had once been married, and he had sired many strong pawns for her. Unfortunately, her growing feelings were lost on the brute and that growing schism eventually led to all out war between them. Seven islands had disappeared in the struggle, and a permanent whirlpool still churned in the distant sea as a reminder of Un¡¯hana¡¯s rage.
¡°I won¡¯t ask why you goaded him into going.¡± Un¡¯hana spoke flatly to Ahura. ¡°Your foresight far exceeds my own, but I would like to know something.¡± She lifted her veil, revealing the raging storms brewing in her midnight eyes, and the garish scar left by Ogrun¡¯s great axe that ran from scalp to cheek. It was a reminder that no divine salve could erase. ¡°What is your honest opinion of Mother¡¯s Chosen?¡±
¡°He is a creature of exceptional violence, as one might expect. He is also a brilliant schemer, perhaps more so than me.¡± A strange noise came from the mask, one not heard in thousands of years. Ahura was chuckling. ¡°Nothing upsets a schemer more than a thoughtless dullard only capable of linear action. I have no particular aim in sending the ogre, but more than half of the outcomes I can foresee will lead to the benefit of this empire.¡±
¡°And the outcomes that won¡¯t be to our benefit?¡± Un¡¯hana asked with a slight tinge of fear. She didn¡¯t like when Ahura became excited.
¡°Our certain destruction, of course.¡± Ahura sounded almost giddy at the thought. ¡°Now then, what have your own followers reported?¡±
¡°Un¡¯kuthuku sleeps near the port in the desert.¡± He is ready to proceed at my command.
¡°Yuther¡¯s report is late. Otherwise we would have already begun.¡± Ahura sounded slightly vexed. ¡°We must secure Fenrir¡¯s vessel. It is the only real thing of value in that region.¡±
¡°I still don¡¯t understand how you can be so sure Fenrir even has a mortal vessel. Kutris was a lunatic, and his research did nothing but cause a cataclysm.¡±
¡°It is not the research of Kutris, but his master¡¯s prophecy that drove him to madness...¡±
Ahura was about to recite the same words Un¡¯hana had already heard far too many times, and knew she was about to suffer through the whole poem yet again.
¡°In shadows cast, where stars once gleamed,
A dire fate, in silence deemed,
Fenrir! Famine''s cruel domain,
Shall rise to unleash his endless reign.
From heavens'' heights to mortal land,
His hunger vast, a ravenous hand,
Heed the words of this solemn plea,
For Fenrir''s fury, none shall flee.
A shroud of hunger, a spectral night,
Famine''s grasp, an endless blight,
In his wake, the skies must weep,
As the world below falls into sleep.
Fields once green, now barren, sere,
A world devoid of hope and cheer,
Fenrir''s Law, a voracious maw,
No respite, escape, nor thaw.
With eyes aflame, and teeth that gnash,
He''ll feast upon both wealth and ash,
The heavens tremble, the stone shall break...¡±
¡°Stop!¡± Un¡¯hana couldn¡¯t bring herself to humor the eccentric Ahura any further. ¡°I remember the poem, and know you think it¡¯s a hint to our ticket back to the heavens. To me they are dusty old words, nothing more.¡±
¡°It is more than a mere poem.¡± Ahura growled back, showing rare emotion. ¡°You shall soon see.¡±
68: The Overfiend Attacks, and I Have a Busy Day
I was just beginning to wake up in my room when Tabula¡¯s voice brought me fully to my senses.
¡°Lord Gray, you have a visitor.¡± There was an odd note in her voice. Was she flustered by something?
¡°Give me a few minutes.¡± I called back.
¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re being... rather insistent.¡± A booming knock on my door made me jolt upright. ¡°I attempted to reconfigure the structure and isolate your room in a protected dimension but this person seems immune to all of my attempts to thwart them.¡±
¡°Who the hell?¡± I leaped out of bed, my suit appearing in a flash on my body as I raced through my inventory, tapping as fast as the UI could handle.
¡°Lord Gray!¡± Tabula¡¯s voice was urgent now. ¡°EDEN has taken damage.¡±
¡°Uh oh.¡± This building was made of material harder than pretty much anything in the natural world. ¡°Are we under attack!?¡±
My door vanished in a cloud of particles too fine to be even called dust.
I drew Huginn and Muninn, prepared to empty both magazines at the intruder as soon as I had a shot.
My fingers began to squeeze, but relaxed the moment an unmistakable silhouette appeared.
¡°I have come.¡± The smoky seductive voice of overfiend X¡¯lyssa preceded her confident swaggering entrance. ¡°To claim what is mine.¡± She finished earnestly.
A confusing wave of emotions overwhelmed me. Anger at her audacity, confusion and cautious hope about what she might be implying, and a healthy dose of arousal that was inevitable just from glancing in her general direction.
¡°Does that mean...?¡± I didn¡¯t dare to get my hopes up.
¡°They have been recovered.¡± She confirmed. ¡°Every single one is accounted for and being treated as royalty in my palace.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± There was no joke or quip here. I had rarely felt so relieved and grateful. My tone seemed to actually unsettle the supremely confident demon. ¡°From the bottom of my heart.¡± I stepped forward and took her hand in mine.
¡°W-well. You shouldn¡¯t doubt someone like me!¡± She looked up and away, and if her skin weren¡¯t deep red I¡¯m sure a fierce blush would have stained her cheeks.
¡°Can you bring them home?¡± I asked. ¡°The deal is not complete until they are safely within these walls.¡±
¡°I was going to hold them hostage until you made good on your promise.¡± Her brazen honesty was oddly refreshing, even if the admission was an awful one. ¡°You promise you won¡¯t suddenly go back on our deal?¡±
¡°You¡¯re really worried about that?¡± I felt a little guilty. ¡°Look, I¡¯m going to cut the shit and level with you. I want you as much as I¡¯ve ever wanted anything. Bring my family home, so that I can give you the attention you deserve.¡±
She gripped my hand and yanked me in close, pressing her toned thigh into my most sensitive of places. I gasped but managed to keep it together. Through a heroic effort I managed to not break then and there.
¡°Tonight.¡± She whispered directly into my ear, and there was more lust and longing packed into that one word than I had ever heard. ¡°For now, prepare to receive your lost flock. Preparations will be complete as the sun sets.¡± With that, she shoved me backward and I landed back on my rumpled sheets.
My level of frustration was now a physical pain in the old loins. I headed for my shower, and unequipped my clothes as I walked. ¡°Tabula.¡± I said as I adjusted the shower temperature to be much colder than my usual setting.
¡°Lord Gray?¡± She asked, her voice sounded even more off than before. Was she sulking?
¡°Please get the word out that we¡¯re celebrating the return of our lost comrades tonight. Prepare the best celebration you can manage on such short notice.¡± I decided to talk with her later and make sure she was okay.
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After I was suitably cleaned up and calmed down, I left my suite and took a look at my schedule for the day. King Ramthrag was visiting with a matter to discuss, Raj was returning with updates from our spies in Tarishan, and there was a short stack of proposals demanding my input. I disliked this type of work, but I had zero room to complain. For every one document I looked at, Raj and Sapphire handled over a hundred.
A short time later, I found the king of the dwarven country waiting for me in the lobby bar. I didn¡¯t feel like being a spectacle here, so I invited him to join me through a Blood Gate. We appeared on a cliff overlooking the dead jungle valley to the south. We were at the edge of the unnatural semicircular pass which Zurg had melted through the entire mountain range with a calamitous eye beam. This glassy path of obsidian was to become the main highway between the mining site of Zurg¡¯s corpse and Ramthrag¡¯s kingdom.
¡°I reckon I¡¯ll get used to that someday.¡± The dwarf king¡¯s face was a bit pale as he shook off the disorienting effects of the teleportation.
¡°It¡¯ll pass.¡± I answered, producing a small tea table and two chairs from my Astral Vault. I also pulled out a bottle of brandy with a fairly high item score. I hadn¡¯t tasted it yet but so far high item score food and drink hadn¡¯t failed to impress. I poured two small glasses and handed one to Ramthrag, gesturing for him to sit as I did so.
The dwarf swallowed his astonishment and took his seat.
¡°Thank ye, lord Gray.¡± The dwarf sat and brought the globe shaped glass under his prominent nose, swirling it a bit to unlock the aroma. His pupils dilated and he went stiff as though he had been struck by lightning. His hand shook as he gingerly tilted the glass to his lips. As the epic booze coated his tongue, tears burst from his eyes and ran like tiny creeks along the deep worry lines around them.
¡°Is it that bad?¡± I awkwardly joked, sniffing it myself. I knew instantly that I was mistaken as the aroma touched the root of my soul with a warmth that was like a mother¡¯s loving embrace.
¡°Forgive me, lord Gray.¡± The dwarf wiped his tears and reluctantly put the glass down on the polished oak table top. ¡°That bottle must be a sacred relic, smuggled from the heavens. To sip it so carelessly without a ceremony of gratitude is unforgivable for any dwarf.¡±
That bottle was actually just a quest reward for clearing a pack of hobgoblins from a distillery in one of the forgettable mid level Abysses. Granted any consumable with an item score over 400 was considered a collectible, it certainly wasn¡¯t anything compared to my more treasured consumables.
¡°Ha. Guess it passes then.¡± I waved away his apology. ¡°You had some issues to discuss regarding the operation down here?¡± I wanted to move this forward, I still had plenty to do before the girls came home.
¡°Aye indeed.¡± The dwarf brought himself back to reality with a last longing look at his glass. ¡°The material has defeated even our adamantite picks and hammers. The loose pieces we are able to gather and bring to the Homeforge can be worked well enough, though they require twice the heat of adamantite.
¡°So your first order will be to make new mining implements from the material you are able to gather first?¡± I reasoned.
¡°Aye.¡± Ramthrag anwered. ¡°And so your own weapons and armor will be delayed I¡¯m afraid.
¡°That¡¯s no problem.¡± I said. ¡°Although I do have an idea. Let¡¯s pack up here. I think I know someone that can help.¡±
Another gate, and a short flight later we stood in the clearing of ancient ruins in Gnollwood where I had first reincarnated into this world. I found who I was looking for easily just by following her overwhelming aura of holy magic.
I pulled up short, not wanting to interrupt their ritual. A hundred winged celestials stood in a wide circle, chanting a haunting melody and pouring a stream of luminous white power toward the small sapling at the center of their formation. Saet flew above the sapling, leading the prayer and giving more of herself than anyone.
The celestial oak sapling shivered, and grew before my eyes. The trunk doubled in diameter, and the branches reached out and up at least twice as far.
The ritual ended after another few minutes, and Saet flew weakly in our direction.
¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± I offered a compliment as she landed.
¡°Thank you.¡± She replied. ¡°It is rewarding, but very exhausting.¡±
¡°Do you need some Soul Energy potions?¡± I asked casually.
¡°If there were such a thing, this world would fall into chaos over them. Thank the gods there isn¡¯t.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Did I hear that correctly?
¡°Huh?¡± She echoed. ¡°Wait don¡¯t tell me...¡±
I produced a soul energy potion and tossed it her way.
She instantly appraised it and the color drained from her cheeks.
¡°Go ahead and drink it.¡± I said, hoping to lower her anxiety. ¡°It¡¯s just a copy from Sapphire.¡±
¡°You¡¯re duplicating them!?¡± She looked mortified.
¡°We¡¯re getting off track. We can discuss these later in detail.¡± I waved my hands and forcefully switched topics. ¡°I came to ask a favor.¡±
She reluctantly nodded, but still clutched the potion possessively.
¡°Would it be possible for you or your kin to imbue a tool with holy magic?¡± I asked hopefully.
¡°Such enchantments would only last a few hits, but...¡± She seemed to think hard on it. ¡°If we obtain some diamonds of adequate clarity, enchant them, and have a skilled smith socket them into said tools then the enchantments would last much longer and could be recharged as needed without much effort.¡±
¡°Our vault has a surplus of precious gems since our trading was halted for so long.¡± Ramthrag stroked his beard as he spoke. ¡°Are you thinking that our standard mining tools would be able to break through the material if so enchanted?¡±
¡°That¡¯s my hope, and I think worth looking into. Saet¡¯s spell was able to break through his armor, and the loose pieces you found were most likely dislodged that way.¡±
¡°I see.¡± The dwarf king seemed thoughtful, then determined. ¡°I¡¯ll have some various tools prepared with insets for gemstones, and have our best jewelcrafters prepare diamonds for enchantment. I¡¯ll be in your debt, lady Saet.¡± The dwarf gave a respectful bow.
¡°You know, I like you much better than your predecessor.¡± Saet smiled at the respectful gesture.
¡°Alright. Looks like that¡¯s that.¡± I spoke up. ¡°We should get back to EDEN. Saet, we¡¯re having a big celebration today and I¡¯d like you to bring everyone. There¡¯s gonna be food, drink, and good times for everyone.¡±
I dropped Ramthrag off at his palace, and gated back to EDEN. The place was buzzing at this point. Party preparations were in full swing. I made sure to send telepathic messages to the two training junkies Niiya and Yugal, ordering them back before dark no matter what.
A hard slug to my shoulder from behind made me spin, claws extending for a millisecond before my mind caught up to my reflexes.
¡°What¡¯s up Jade?¡± I asked, feeling the slight damage heal in an instant.
¡°Are Leza and the gang really coming back!?¡± She was in her human form carrying a huge keg over one shoulder. She really was able to sneak up on me carrying that? I was getting careless.
¡°They are, thanks to X¡¯lyssa.¡± I answered. ¡°Let¡¯s make it the best homecoming party this world has ever seen.¡±
¡°Piece of cake.¡± She said. ¡°Also, you¡¯re getting too careless. I coulda took your head off there, y¡¯know.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll be more careful.¡±
I touched base with X¡¯lyssa to make sure our timing was going to be good, and then finally made my way to my office where a small pile of paper hell awaited my attention.
Tonight was going to be one hell of a time.
69: That Which Was Lost
I held my breath as the magic circle appeared on the black and gold marble floor of EDEN¡¯s main lobby. A crowd of over a thousand was waiting to welcome the lost women home. In the center of that great circle, X¡¯lyssa stood wearing a clingy black and gold dress that nearly matched the marble in hue, and gave the impression that she had risen from the floor as though it were a liquid. She held her arms out to the sides with her palms down and her fingers flexed, as though using an invisible force to pull something up from below.
Visible tendrils of dark energy flowed from her fingertips then, infusing the runes of the circle and causing it to spin. The rotations were slow at first, but built speed rapidly until only a field of solid glowing red could be seen. The overfiend herself began to spin as well, dancing in place with unearthly grace. It was a magnificent sight. More and more power flowed out of her, and into the building maelstrom of blood red energy.
It was so subtle at first that I needed to blink twice. She was losing her own color as she gave of herself to the summoning. Her skin had gone from deep sanguine to the vivid pink of a cherry blossom, and then even that color began to drain away until her entire body was as pale as sun bleached bone. The ritual was finally satisfied, and with a final flash of blinding red light, our family was whole once more.
X¡¯lyssa, exhausted, began to collapse. I slid on my knees as I caught her in mid fall. She was pale, and shivering. The usual heat I felt at her touch was now the deep chill of a tomb. She had given her all for us. Her eyes focused weakly on me, and I noticed that even those enchanting orbs had lost their color. What was once glowing gold was now tarnished silver. The sounds of explosive celebration around us sounded miles away. We were in a timeless moment, she and I.
¡°Y-you could cast me aside now.¡± She stuttered and ended with a slight cough. Even the effort of speech was proving too much. ¡°With a flick... of those magnificent claws, you could claim all of my power... as your own.¡± She studied my face as she struggled through each word.
I said nothing, but held her gaze as my free hand navigated my inventory from memory. I held two gaudy, obviously rare vials between my fingers a second later. One was pure white crystal, carved like a huge gemstone. Its edges were ice cold, and its facets were burning hot. It was uncomfortable to even hold in my hand. The other was of smooth glass with a diamond stopper. Violet liquid bubbled inside, thrumming with energy.
The crystal vial was described by many gaming articles as one of the most elusive chase items in EG. It was the fruit of a seven hundred hour grindfest and a massive amount of luck. I owned two of them. They were a mere byproduct of me farming a different, more common item during the same event. I never imagined giving one away, but I knew in my soul that this was the proper reward for her sacrifice.
*Item: Blood of Kronos - Mythic Consumable
(Item Score: n/a)
-The next consumable you use with a Fortifying effect applies those effects permanently.
-The next consumable you use with a Replenishing effect will apply those effects at (25%) of their value persistently and permanently.
*Item: Moondrip Elixir- Epic Consumable
(Item Score: 505)
-Fortifies Maximum Soul Energy by an amount equal to your current Maximum Soul Energy for the next (60) seconds.
-Replenishes all missing Soul Energy.
*Replenishes (25%) of Missing Soul Energy/Sec
-Duration: Permanent
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I held the priceless vials to her lips one after the other, and she drank them with the last of her strength. It happened relatively quickly, and I doubt many followed what had happened at all.
There was no need to question if it was working. The clamor all around us suddenly ceased. Time was stopped, and she was resplendent in my arms. Her skin was a deeper red than before, almost purple like an aged Merlot. I had a brief moment of panic when I felt how much power she had reaped by effectively doubling her Soul Energy. I could have just given her the Moondrip Elixir after all.
Her eyes locked onto mine then, and all doubts melted away. They were gold once more, but beyond that they were welling with tears.
¡°You didn¡¯t betray me...¡± She sounded like she couldn¡¯t believe her own words. ¡°I made myself vulnerable. When you could have taken everything, you gave instead.¡± The tears burst forth then, and the overfiend bawled.
I lowered my forehead and pressed it against hers. I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I went with nothing. I squeezed her a little tighter and let her have a moment. She must have been betrayed, probably horribly so and more than once. I was grateful that I could be the one to break that streak.
Her cry didn¡¯t last long, and she pulled herself into an embrace of her own. I felt her hot tears wet against my cheek, and couldn¡¯t help getting a little misty eyed myself. I looked around at the frozen scene for the first time. The girls were all back, with wide eyes and beaming grins. What a perfect picture.
¡°Shall we?¡± I finally asked, sensing the moment had finally passed its peak.
¡°Mm.¡± She reluctantly loosened her grip and I stood up, still holding her princess style for just a second before letting her feet down next to mine.
She wiped her eyes, though the tears had already evaporated from her hot skin. She straightened herself and gave me one last look, showing me alone that gentle, vulnerable girl behind the facade. She was the haughty and ruthless overfiend once more as the world resumed around us in a cacophony of celebration.
As if it had been rehearsed beforehand, every one of the returned girls spun and dropped to a knee before X¡¯lyssa and I. The room fell into a sudden hush, save for the confused fussing of a baby here and there.
¡°By your grace, we return safely lord Gray.¡± Leza spoke dutifully, and I was confused as she pulled something from her back wrapped in a familiar tattered black shawl. ¡°A reward from our great goddess for your mighty deeds.¡±
¡°No way...¡± I couldn¡¯t help but tremble a bit as I brushed my fingers against the haft of the object. A smile spread across my face and I gripped it fully.
*Equipped: Reforged Charon¡¯s Call - Spear
(Item Score 999) Skin: Default
Damage (Physical): 585
Damage (Soul): 780
Indestructible
¡°And those living souls that would dare parade themselves before the sordid god Charon shall be regarded as the most unfortunate in all of Creation.¡±
Charon¡¯s Call: Cooldown 24h:00m:00s
¡°Best day ever.¡± I said quietly. I raised the spear over my head and shouted so everyone could hear. ¡°Friends! Tonight we feast!¡± With that declaration, the party started. We kicked off a festival that spilled out into the budding city, and eventually filled the streets of Ariel¡¯s Gate beyond.
X¡¯lyssa surprisingly kept her distance, drifting alone from table to table, nibbling and sampling from the hundreds of various dishes. I wondered if she might be embarrassed or had perhaps even lost interest since I had tipped my hand emotionally. It was a cold fact that many people were more about the chase than the catch after all.
¡°You keep quite the eclectic company.¡± Saet¡¯s voice jarred me from my straying thoughts as she walked up beside me. She too was watching the overfiend as she said this.
I realized how Saet probably felt about the overfiend and felt a sudden urge to explain myself. She held up a hand to cut me off before I could start.
¡°I don¡¯t dislike that particular demon, you know.¡± Saet said to my surprise. ¡°We were once comrades after all.¡±
¡°Really!?¡± I blurted. A realization dawned on me then. I did not know the first thing about the woman I had agreed to sleep with and give a biological donation to.
¡°Really.¡± She confirmed with a chuckle, looking into her wine glass and watching it swirl as she collected her thoughts. ¡°She was once the queen of fairies and sprites, a being not far removed from the gods themselves. She ruled in the primordial rainforest of Rakashi in the east, I ruled the emerald jungle in the west. We were a united front against the demons and titans of the south. The betrayal by the man she loved and his human ally Kutris led to the near extinction of the fae races, and her rampage that followed is what we now know as the Rakashi Cataclysm. For her failure to protect her people and for the countless lives she took in her madness, she was damned to the hells. If the stories are to be believed, she was later adopted by the Grand Overfiend himself.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Talk about a hard hitting history lesson! ¡°So the one that betrayed her was...¡±
¡°Hamathael. The other overfiend you¡¯ve already met.¡± Saet finished for me. ¡°A bored wretch of a demon that loves nothing more than posing as a mortal to sow chaos and misery. He spent decades manipulating her, all so he could watch her world burn.¡±
¡°Guess I really was too soft on him.¡± I growled through clenched teeth. I sighed the burst of rage away and kept the conversation going. ¡°If you were once friends, why not go say hello?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a little more complicated than that I¡¯m afraid.¡± Saet shook her head. ¡°I was the one that damned her.¡±
A group of three travelers walked through the streets of Ariel¡¯s Gate. They were a head taller than nearly any human local. Their flawless bronze skinned faces were aghast, contorted in disgust by their lively surroundings.
¡°These Unpure rats dare to cavort about so carelessly in our presence?¡± The sole female of the group with lustrous sea foam green hair said from behind the silk fan she held in front of her face. She spoke in the tongue of The Radiant Empire, and so the locals around them didn¡¯t understand a word of it.
¡°They¡¯re far too useless and hideous to even be toys.¡± The bored and long faced man to her left agreed, holding his hand over his nose. ¡°What could lord Ogrun possibly expect to accomplish with such trash?¡±
¡°Ignore them. Our orders are clear. We must find the one called Gray and test his might.¡± This came from the traveler in front of the the other two. He was much broader than his companions, with muscles that looked capable of ripping trees from the frozen earth.
¡°As if there could be anyone worth testing in this festering termite mound.¡± The woman retorted.
70: Playthings
¡°Lady Tabula, unregistered visitors are approaching EDEN¡¯s perimeter.¡± Rain reported as he spied a trio of oddly tall humans dressed in shiny clothing from his position hovering high in the sky in drone form. It was nearly midnight, but the party still showed no sign of letting up.
¡°I see them.¡± She replied as she attuned herself to his optical channel. ¡°Intercept and guide. Try not to disrupt the festivities. I will greet them in lord Gray¡¯s absence.¡± She had an uneasy feeling about the trio, and her master had disappeared with that arrogant devil temptress some time ago.
Rain descended silently and resumed his regular penguin form as he landed just a dozen meters ahead of them at the edge of EDEN¡¯s influence. He bowed and removed his yellow cap.
¡°Hi there! I¡¯m here to guide you to EDEN. Right this way.¡± Rain yelled out as he turned to lead them through the dwarven commercial district, which was still crowded with mug hoisting revelers.
¡°You will bring us the one called Gray.¡± The man in front called back adamantly in heavily accented common.
A shadow suddenly blotted out the moon, and the ground shook violently as Yugal landed between the travelers and Rain with a shockwave that physically pushed the trio back a step. His fiery half roared like a forge and lit the scene like a bonfire. A dark skinned cat girl landed next to him a second later.
¡°Mr. Rain, forgive our interruption.¡± Yugal¡¯s booming voice broke the stunned silence. ¡°Miss Niiya has sensed ill intentions from these three.¡±
¡°Mm. Bloodlust. They stink bad.¡± Niiya confirmed.
¡°Rain. Clear the area, evacuate the civilians.¡± Tabula commanded in Rain¡¯s mind. ¡°If any enter our perimeter, Jade will incapacitate and quarantine.¡±
¡°Got it.¡± Jade agreed.
¡°What in the world is that!?¡± The female invader¡¯s eyes were wide in shock at Yugal¡¯s appearance.
¡°Something not mentioned in our notes.¡± The man beside her had also gone rigid. ¡°That must be him, in some transformed state.¡±
¡°There can be no doubt. Now I understand lord Ogrun¡¯s intentions.¡± The more stoic man in front agreed. ¡°There is the beast kin girl, said to accompany him. Canela, seize the girl so that we may force his cooperation.¡± He ordered the woman in the imperial tongue.
¡°I am not your subordinate, Voros.¡± The woman named Canela snapped back as she drew a slender ebony wand from the silken sash around her waist.
¡°It¡¯s better if you give up.¡± Niiya called out. ¡°Guess you won¡¯t though...¡± She added glumly as a shadowy coil of force appeared around her, tightening like a serpent.
She was then teleported to Canela¡¯s side in the blink of an eye.
¡°Now then, Gray.¡± The man in front said haughtily in common. ¡°Rejoice Unpure swine, for Voros the Sentinel and Bracken the Champion shall be your opponents this day. If you meet our expectations, you may have the honor of meeting lord Ogrun himself. If you fail, we will destroy this country in disdain for your weakness. Starting with this girl.¡±
¡°Shall we tell them?¡± Yugal ignored the man and spoke to Niiya.
¡°Asking now...¡± Niiya answered in that tone unique to a child on the phone with a parent asking if they could go to a friend¡¯s house. She was still bound by the dark magic of the wand, and nodding her head as though listening to some silent conversation. ¡°You heard that right? He said he would tell you too.¡±
¡°Indeed, miss Niiya.¡± Yugal affirmed, with a wicked grin growing across his wide featured face. ¡°Rejoice uncouth invaders! Your opponents this day shall be none other than Yugal, Herald of the exalted lord Gray and commander of the forces of Ragnarok, and Niiya, Champion of the exalted lord and commander of the forces of the fallen! Do not bother begging for mercy, for the sins of your voice have marked you as foes. Miss Niiya, have your preparations been made?¡±
¡°Yep.¡± Niiya nodded. ¡°Good to go.¡± With those three words, a wave of thick ash exploded up from the ground, and when it cleared all five of them were gone.
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¡°Wait... what is this?¡± Bracken, the slender imperial blinked and found himself surrounded by a thick gray fog of some kind. ¡°Voros! Canela...?¡± He shouted the first name, and dropped his volume on the second as a shadow in the fog on his peripheral vision caught his eye. He looked in that direction but an unbroken palette of gray was all he found.
He couldn¡¯t see more than few meters in any direction, but the ground beneath him revealed that he was clearly not in the same place. Rugged stone and dirt had replaced the fine cobbles of the street. The smell of sulfur and acrid smoke had replaced the smell of wine and roasted meats.
He noticed the fine flecks of ash collect on the deep blue silk sleeve of his doublet and realized this wasn¡¯t fog at all, but ash. He instantly tore the left sleeve from the priceless garment and quickly wrapped it around his nose and mouth, tying it behind his head. He knew ash could be a subtle killer, made up of tiny sharp fragments of stone and sulfur that infested the lungs over time.
A slight sound from behind triggered the finely tuned reflexes of the arena gladiator and he dove forward just as a tar-black blade ripped through the air where his neck had been. He spun to see a creature that could only be described in one way.
¡°A death knight? So this Gray is a necromancer? How distasteful.¡± Bracken smiled, the thrill of battle erasing his unease at the unexpected turn of events. ¡°Perhaps this trip won¡¯t be such a bland chore after all. I must thank lord Ogrun properly.¡±
Bracken crouched slightly, finding his center of balance. Faint runes appeared on the backs of his hands, glowing with a soft blue light which matched the color of the glow now illuminating his eyes. A blue spectral gladius appeared in his right hand, and a matching dirk appeared in his left hand. He lowered his stance a bit further, preparing to intercept the slowly approaching death knight.
Ashen wings suddenly sprouted from the Death Knight¡¯s back, and it launched itself forward with a speed that the imperial gladiator was utterly unprepared for. He parried the mighty screeching strike with the crossed blades of his spectral weapons by reflex alone. This was no simple death knight after all. Bracken¡¯s smile widened as he kicked off the black chest plate into a backflip.
A faint blue spectral kite shield appeared in the air above and behind him. He oriented himself in midair to land on the shield feet first. He bunched himself up, and launched back toward the death knight in a blur, weapon points leading.
¡°Break.¡± He spoke a word, and the tips of his blades glowed white as he passed just ahead of the death knight¡¯s next swing. The weapons slid into the black chest plate with little resistance, and white cracks spread all along the surface of the armor. The death knight was defeated. Bracken really believed that for a moment.
A hot explosion of pain tore through Bracken¡¯s midsection as the black blade of the greatsword bit into his enchanted doublet and cut deeply into his flesh. His ribs barely protected his vital organs from the blow, but the force of it sent him flying into a bouncing roll across the volcanic rock. Bracken struggled to draw a breath. His regeneration would heal him, he just needed to hold on. He rose to one knee and waited for the pain to recede. It didn¡¯t. He looked down, and saw blood still flowing from his torn side.
¡°So that¡¯s...why.¡± He grimaced as he ripped the fabric, revealing the wound. The edges were crusted with crystallized ash, interfering with his healing factor. He looked up at the death knight, who seemed to be patiently waiting for him. ¡°Arrogant for an undead puppet, aren¡¯t you?¡±
He focused his power into the blade of his gladius, and it turned white, radiating heat and cleansing light. He touched the blade to his wound and growled away the pain as it was cauterized.
¡°Very well, I¡¯ll get a bit serious.¡± His dirk disappeared and was replaced with the spectral kite shield, and his gladius grew in length, becoming a bright longsword wreathed in blue flame. An array of floating spectral weapons appeared all around him. A warhammer, a trident, a dirk, and two scimitars all glowing blue orbited the gladiator slowly.
¡°I am Bracken, The Arsenal, Champion of the Arena, and I shall be the one to end your wretched un-life.¡± Bracken Saluted the death knight, and slowly advanced.
As if in mockery of the display, ash coalesced and darkened into several black motes around the death knight and began to elongate. A moment later, six black greatswords floated around the winged death knight.
A sudden realization in the form of a memory came to Bracken as he watched the death knight mimic his greatest power. As a child, he had watched his mother¡¯s pet celestial lynx snatch a dove from the railing of a balcony before spending several minutes toying with the unfortunate bird.
¡°You think you can toy with me?¡± A wave of genuine anger darkened the man¡¯s face. ¡°I am one of the Pure! You are closer to ants than to me! Your trump card dies now, then I¡¯ll take my time with you!¡±
They collided in a flash. Ash swirled in violent cyclones as the plethora of weapons clashed and screeched against one another.
Several minutes passed, and the duel only grew more brutal. Bracken¡¯s shield arm was stinging from the barrage of jarring impacts, and he was dripping blood from several new wounds. In spite of that, he was undoubtedly winning. The death knight was riddled with cracks, and one arm had been hacked away. Still, it showed no hesitation in its attacks and beyond all reason it seemed to be learning as it fought. It was futile though, and Bracken roared in triumph as his longsword finally split through the collar of the knight¡¯s armor and passed all the way through to the undead¡¯s opposite hip. It fell into two halves and shattered into piles of ash as it hit the ground.
This death knight must have been a truly legendary monster. It was a shame no bard would witness this triumph, for it would certainly merit a ballad.
¡°There!¡± He shouted into the ash. ¡°Now you¡¯re defenseless. Present yourself now and I may yet spare you, make me find you and I¡¯ll show no mercy.¡±
A slow, ominous clapping sound came from just beyond his field of vision. The ash slowly receded in a widening ring around Bracken. The clapper was the little cat girl, and then the ash receded a bit further.
Bracken¡¯s spirit broke as instantly and surely as if it were shattered on Ogrun¡¯s anvil. Hundreds of death knights identical to the one he had defeated now surrounded him in perfect ranks. Behind the cat girl, a dozen crocodile headed demons knelt in deference to her. Threshodons were demon nobility, why are they submitting to a beast kin..?! Behind them, five hulking black werewolves drooled with gleaming eyes and long yellow fangs. This was all wrong. This continent was supposed to be a hive of weaklings since the fall of the Almiraj. Just who is this monster in a girl¡¯s body?
¡°Good job.¡± The girl said as she stopped her slow clap. ¡°Beat two at once and I might play with you myself.¡±
One threshodon and one werewolf stepped away from their ranks and stood before Bracken, towering over the imperial that was so accustomed to looking down on everything.
Bracken¡¯s throat was too dry for words. He raised his sword and shield, and willed his arsenal of spectral weapons back into existence. The threshodon and werewolf both let out deep growls that made Bracken¡¯s stomach lurch in primal fear.
Somewhere nearby, Voros and Canela found themselves in a wide field of broken stone and bubbling pools. Before them loomed the titanic Yugal. Half of his body was wreathed in roaring fire, and the other half radiated a chill that surpassed the coldest winter.
A distant blood curdling scream echoed through the ash, and sent a chill up the spines of the pair of invaders.
¡°Seems your friend has met miss Niiya.¡± The great giant answered their worried stares. ¡°Do not fret, you¡¯ll be reunited soon.¡±
71: The Beasts of Ragnarok
¡°You may begin your futile attack.¡± Yugal announced, pulling his flaming sword from his back. ¡°Greatsword of Surtr, Second Form: Axe of Annihilation.¡±
The titan¡¯s words resulted in the sword changing shape into a great axe with a fiery head, and an icy haft. He rested the head of the axe on the ground and placed his hands on the end of the handle, waiting patiently.
¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡± Voros showed no concern or empathy for his seemingly fallen comrade. ¡°Bracken is a mere infant in this business, we were felling enemies your size when he was on his mother''s breast.¡± He ended the statement by unclasping his royal blue cloak, letting it fall to the rocky ground. The shining armor beneath was certainly of legendary class. He didn¡¯t seem to be carrying any weapons, but the gauntlets he wore pulsed with white hot energy.
¡°We should thank you for cutting the weakling from our ranks.¡± Canela added. ¡°Now, let¡¯s finish this little chore. This continent reeks.¡± She snapped the fan in her hand closed, and vanished from sight. Specifically, she melted into her own shadow. Yugal noticed the trick, and followed the tiny black speck as it darted in a trajectory that would take her behind him.
Voros also enacted a spell, and a flaming tower shield appeared on his left arm. A matching lance appeared in his right hand, the tip of which dripped molten steel onto the frozen dirt with sizzling plops. He flew at Yugal with speed that would overwhelm most creatures. Compared to Niiya and Jade, he may as well have been standing still.
¡°Rend, Frosthowl.¡± Yugal called, and the greatwolf appeared between them in a burst of ice and snow.
Icy jaws snapped, intending to devour Voros whole. With another word in the language of magic, the flaming shield expanded in every direction forming a sphere of metal and flame around Voros. The barrier was a strong one, and repelled the savage bite. Frosthowl¡¯s mouth was burned by the barrier, and it howled in frustration.
A cone of black ice shards erupted from the greatwolf¡¯s maw, causing the barrier to fail and resume its regular shield form once more.
Voros flew back and away from the dangerous beast. He then spun in the air, adding momentum to a mighty swing of his flaming lance. A wide arc of red plasma launched out from the weapon, hitting Frosthowl directly in the face. The wolf snarled in pain. One eye was burned shut, and a blistering welt marred the top of his white muzzle.
Yugal looked at the the warrior named Voros with a little more respect.
Meanwhile, Canela finally reached the back of Yugal¡¯s right ankle. She rose up from her own shadow, wielding two dark purple curving daggers which radiated a foul energy. With a single attack, she could cripple the titan. This ambush had never failed her, and she had honed the technique on dozens of giant enemies over the centuries. She crossed her arms, and tried to leap forward. Only then did she notice that her legs were held fast by a sheet of dull black ice. It didn''t seem possible that a mere ice spell could root someone as strong as she, but the ice resisted her every pull.
¡°Normal ice could never hold miss Niiya¡¯s minions, so I learned to incorporate volcanic ash into it.¡± Yugal didn¡¯t even turn his gaze away from the battle between Voros and Frosthowl as he casually spoke to Canela. ¡°The effect was most satisfactory, don''t you agree? Feast, Cinderwrym.¡±
Canela sensed something happening in the ground beneath her. A horribly large presence was approaching far too fast. The first syllable of a short range teleportation spell was on her lips when everything went black.
Cinderwyrm exploded from the ground, raising its twenty meter diameter, snake-like body into the air until it¡¯s frilled draconic head blotted out the moon more than a hundred meters in the air. The entire section of stone where Canela had stood was now inside the great Ragnarok beast¡¯s mouth. Lava coated Cinderwyrm like water might coat a swimmer fresh out of the pool.
¡°C-Canela... No!¡± Voros whispered, watching the enormous reptilian maw slam shut with enough force to produce a shockwave. ¡°He never said there would be beasts like this.¡±
The epic glowing spectacle of the lava serpent caused Voros to lose focus for a moment, and Frosthowl was no merciful beast. He realized his error and tried to leap back, but the wolf¡¯s jaws were already closing around his hips and legs. Crushing force drove the sword length teeth into his priceless plate mail, and agony unlike anything Voros had ever experienced exploded from everywhere below his waist. Unfortunately the greatwolf wasn¡¯t finished. He shook his head like a dog might thrash a dirty knotted rope.
¡°Disappointing.¡± Yugal said over the screams. ¡°The audacity to think you might actually challenge lord Gray himself...¡± He clapped his hands, and the roaring inferno around his body vanished, and Frosthowl suddenly released his grip on Voros. The mutilated warrior flew along the ice, bouncing and rolling until he finally came to rest in a growing pool of blood at the titan¡¯s feet.
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Cinderwyrm, apparently following a similar unspoken order lowered its great head and opened its jaws wide. A slime covered woman fell limply out, and dropped the remaining thirty meters to crack into the ice and stone next to her partner.
¡°Still... alive, Canela?¡± Voros struggled out the words between gasps of pain.
¡°Unfortunately.¡± She answered after coughing up a mouthful of acrid slime.
¡°I always wanted to... tell you something.¡± Voros struggled onto his side so he could look at her. ¡°That time in the mountains, when we fought our way out of the wyvern nest...¡±
¡°Oh shut the hells up, Voros.¡± Canela coughed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend my last moments reliving my only rejection.¡±
¡°I regret it every day!¡± Voros interjected. ¡°I loved you then, and still do. I just knew my family wouldn¡¯t accept me marrying a Shadowspawn.¡±
¡°You jerk. Seriously, you damn jerk, Voros.¡± Tears mixed with the corrosive slime slowly burning through her skin. ¡°How dare you say that right now...¡±
¡°You two are making me cry over here.¡± That voice...
They looked in unison at their companion, Bracken who was now somehow sitting just a few feet away. Every bit of his tattered clothing was soaked in blood, but his injuries seemed to have been mostly healed.
¡°Yours managed to survive, too?¡± Niiya asked as she appeared from a shadowy cloud of ash behind Bracken.
¡°They are fairly skilled and resilient.¡± Yugal acknowledged. ¡°Lord Gray requested we keep them alive, if possible.¡±
¡°He said we only need one for questioning.¡± Niiya said without emotion.
Color drained from the faces of all three at that remark.
¡°It¡¯s unbecoming to tease your prey, miss Niiya.¡± Yugal admonished.
¡°They deserve it. Tried to mess up the party.¡± She chirped back, crossing her arms.
¡°These two will need healing. We will be sure they pay handsomely for it.¡± Yugal noted, seeing that Voros was bleeding out faster than his regeneration could recover, and Canela was slowly being dissolved by Cinderwyrm¡¯s rock melting saliva. It was a marvel that she was bearing the pain so quietly.
¡°Yeah, Yeah.¡± Niiya acknowledged. ¡°Jade can fix ¡®em up.¡±
¡°Will you invite her here, or shall we all return to EDEN now?¡±
¡°Might as well go back now, not much left to do here.¡± Niiya reasoned. ¡°You guys are prisoners now. Don¡¯t do anything else stupid...¡±
Niiya trailed off and suddenly tensed up. Something had forced its way into her domain. Something very strong.
Niiya¡¯s ashes vanished then, and the land devastated by Yugal and Niiya¡¯s relentless sparring was bathed in the light of the waning moon and stars. Another light source joined those heavenly bodies then. A ball of fire, like a comet was descending toward them. Niiya, blessed with finer senses than anyone else saw the truth of it first. The battered trio also knew what was coming, but didn¡¯t need their eyes to confirm it.
¡°Lord Ogrun has come to finish us off personally.¡± Bracken chuckled at his own rotten luck.
The ball of fire came fully into focus as it drew closer. A chariot pulled by great equine beasts composed entirely of ruby red fire. The chariot landed, and its driver leaped to stand before them. He was around fifteen feet tall, nearly half of Yugal¡¯s towering height yet the power pulsing from that body was in a completely different dimension. At first glance he was beautiful in a way only gods can be described. A closer look revealed a different truth. Ogrun was sloppy. His hair and beard were unkempt, and his white toga had more than a few wine stains.
¡°Wonderful!¡± He roared, and the volume of it echoed through the mountains. ¡°Where the flames of creation meet the frost of an apathetic universe, and the Jotun beasts of the end times bare their fangs - so shall they witness his birth. The Living End, the Ragnarok Titan.¡± The strange godlike figure placed a hand over his chest and paused. ¡°But you are yet too young for my taste.¡±
¡°These guys belong to you?¡± Niiya ignored his offbeat prophetic rambling and asked bluntly.
¡°Such refreshing disrespect. When was the last time a mortal looked me in the eye with such disdain?¡± Ogrun genuinely wondered. ¡°Yes, those failures are mine. Hey, you three hurry up and get on your damn feet so I can knock you down again!¡±
Bracken stood, and the other two struggled but couldn¡¯t stand on their own.
¡°Who said it was fine to just barge in demanding duels? I said invite this Gray person to a friendly sparring session. Who told you to go this far and make an embarrassing scene? I¡¯m gonna hear about this from the egghead and the water hag, you know!¡± Ogrun shook his finger as he berated his near death subordinates.
¡°W-with all due reverence, great and radiant lord Ogrun.¡± Bracken gulped. ¡°I-in the past that has always meant drag them to you by force.¡±
¡°Huh!?¡± Ogrun appeared in front of Bracken and twisted his knuckle into the top of the poor man¡¯s scalp like a schoolyard bully. ¡°You failed AND you¡¯re gonna make excuses!? Not only did you start a fight no one asked you to, you started it with the wrong people. All of you have Appraisal, and these two have clear names and titles as subordinates of Gray. What kind of dipshits has my Collection Elite crew devolved into!? Your mom was the best, I can barely believe you share the same blood.¡± Ogrun suddenly stood up and straightened his wine stained toga.
Yugal and Niiya exchanged a look of deep confusion at the strange entrance and subsequent tirade.
¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll just be taking these idiots back with me. Tell your boss sorry for the mistake, and I¡¯ll come calling on him personally in a few days since I apparently can¡¯t delegate anything to my halfwit subordinates.¡± Ogrun bent down to collect the two prone imperials but paused. ¡°Huh, you really are almost goners. Those Ragnarok beasts really put ya through the ringer. Say... if that offer to imprison these guys and patch them up is still on the table, would you mind? I¡¯m not really the type of god that fixes things.¡±
Niiya, who had been about to protest over the loss of the prisoners simply nodded her head. Even among all the strange things that had happened to her over the past months, this ranked near the top.
She was sending regular updates to Gray, but he had become strangely quiet over the last few minutes. She suspected he was with that woman, and the thought made her scowl. Niiya was grateful to her for bringing so many of their friends home, but hated the way she clung to Gray. With a tired sigh, Niiya watched the fiery chariot disappear over the southern mountains.
With nothing else to do and the lives of the two prisoners rapidly fading, Niiya conjured her domain and transferred them all back to her clone¡¯s domain in EDEN.
Chapter 72: Debts Paid
The overfiend and I sat side by side on the ocean-side cliff south of the giant''s city of Wortheim, where I had once watched the waves in solitude. I don¡¯t know why I brought her to that exact place, but decided to not argue with my gut inclination.
X¡¯lyssa had remained distant throughout the celebration. Even after we found ourselves alone and free to do as we pleased for the first time, she was oddly subdued. I suggested we go somewhere to be alone, and she nodded but wouldn¡¯t meet my gaze.
¡°I thought you might like this view.¡± I finally tried to break the awkward tension.
¡°I was a little afraid of you when we met.¡± Her sudden off topic confession made me raise an eyebrow, and I kept my mouth closed assuming there was more forthcoming. ¡°You may not even see it yourself, but you carry an aura of violence that echoes across ages and worlds. I am a selfish thing. I wanted nothing more than to steal that power in the form of your offspring. Our crossed lineage will result in a being that might one day surpass the creator gods.¡± She leaned back on her palms to look up at the stars, and I could not help but be captivated by her moonlit silhouette. For some reason she had chosen to come clean and tip her hand, and I was touched by that fact in spite of the awful message.
¡°I don¡¯t know about my ¡®aura¡¯, but I¡¯ll take your word for it. As far as your motivations... I never expected a ruler of the hells to have purely upstanding intentions. So, what changed?¡±
¡°I was a little afraid of you before. Now I am terrified. I can barely speak without trembling. My body wants to shatter into a million fairies and flee to every corner of existence. Warrior from another world, I fear that I am in love with you.¡± She turned and stared into my eyes, and I could see the trails of tears streaking her crimson cheeks.
My face went slack, and my mind went blank for a moment. Who was this person? What had they done with X¡¯lyssa? A lifetime of trampled self esteem reared its vile head with an infinite supply of ugly arguments, most of them with the tone of ¡°Someone like HER, loving someone like YOU? HA!¡± I steadied myself, and looked back into her eyes. She really was barely keeping it together. I knew my next words would be critical, but nothing but garbage came to mind. So I stood up instead, and offered her my hand.
She took it, tentatively. I pulled her smoothly to her feet and into my arms. I squeezed her gently and then pulled back just enough to brush her tears away with the back of my hand. I felt something then, a realization that made my heart break for her.
I was holding a person whom for so many centuries had been denied any softness, any tenderness at all. She was more lonely than even a career shut in like me could understand. Her inner voices were screaming out the same sentiments as mine. Neither of us felt worthy of the love of the other. How brave did she have to be to make that confession?
¡°You¡¯re safe right now.¡± I spoke softly. ¡°No knives are seeking your back here. The weight of your past is somewhere else tonight. You¡¯re free, and you¡¯re not alone.¡± I unequipped my chest armor, exposing my upper body.
She kissed me then, and for the first time it wasn¡¯t an urgent and violent kiss. It was soft, affectionate, and put a crack in the wall I had built around my heart. Her hands found my back, and caressed me lightly. Jolts of electricity shot through me. How long had it been? My last serious girlfriend left me while I was still in the hospital after the accident. I might as well be a virgin is how long. Based on the way she was moving, it was a mutual sentiment. I smiled in spite of the seriousness of it. Two overpowered rulers were fumbling with each other¡¯s bodies like clumsy teens making out in a movie theater. The realization made me so happy for some reason and my grin widened into a goofy and foolish smile that reached all the way to my eyes.
¡°What?¡± She asked. ¡°Are you laughing at me!?¡±
¡°No.¡± I chuckled, pulling her in tighter. ¡°I¡¯m laughing at us.¡± That broke the awkwardness, and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves all the way until the eastern sky turned pink with the coming dawn.
We were spooning a mile above the ground, levitating on a snow white cloud when the sun broke over the horizon and I took a moment to check the ¡®voicemail¡¯ from the previous night.
¡°Do you know of someone named Ogrun?¡± I asked, and felt her head stir on my bare chest.
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¡°He¡¯s one of the three exiled gods ruling the Radiant Empire.¡± She answered. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°He showed up last night after Yugal and Niiya beat the shit out of a few of his subordinates.¡± I replied. ¡°He let them be taken prisoner, and they¡¯re at EDEN now.¡±
¡°Hmm. He probably wants to fight you. I can shut that down if you want. Don¡¯t want anyone else bruising this body.¡±
¡°He¡¯s that strong?¡± I was suddenly interested.
¡°Of course that¡¯s your reaction.¡± She sighed. ¡°He¡¯s stronger than me, or he was. Your gift may have leveled the scales. That aside, it¡¯s my grandfather he wont risk pissing off.¡±
¡°That¡¯s strong alright. I wouldn¡¯t want to fight you.¡± I teased and rolled on top of her. A stray wisp of cloud tickled my nose and I crinkled my face.
¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± She yelped, seeing the sneeze coming.
¡°Hey...¡± I said as I suddenly noticed something strange. ¡°Your skin looks different.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± She lifted her forearm and looked at it. Her eyes went wide. Her skin was getting lighter and more pale by the moment. Unlike when she had spent all of her power summoning the lost girls, there was no sense of her getting weaker. On the contrary, her aura was vibrating at a cleaner but more potent frequency.
¡°This...¡± She could hardly speak. ¡°Is the way I was before I fell.¡± Her eyes flooded with tears. ¡°How can it be!?¡±
¡°The bodies of spiritual beings are mirrors of the content of their souls.¡± I quoted directly from the Exiled Gods lore wiki. ¡°Seems like maybe you let go of some of the darker stuff last night.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that simple...¡± She said, shaking her head.
¡°Are you worried?¡± I asked. ¡°Should we head back and look into this?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t cut this morning short if I were melting in the sun.¡± She blinked away the tears and wrapped me back up in an arms and legs hug which felt more like a giant python attack.
¡°Okay, just a little longer.¡± I conceded. ¡°By the way, how long will it take to know if you¡¯re...?¡±
¡°With child?¡± She snickered at my discomfort. ¡°Don¡¯t mistake me for some bumbling human unable to coordinate a simple thing like conception. I¡¯ve already accepted you, and so it is done. Sad you won¡¯t need to try again?¡±
¡°A little.¡± I readily admitted.
Baelphegor and the Warlord observed the new arrival to the Numberless Floor simulation. The Warlord¡¯s lucid and peaceful personality was now a surprisingly dominant facet. Baelphegor had helped the tortured demon navigate the hellish simulations and collect much more of his shattered personality, resulting in the being he now spent much of his time with.
¡°The divine beast, Fenrir.¡± said the Warlord. ¡°The Warlord once feared him as men fear death itself.¡±
¡°He¡¯s in for a way worse time of it than you.¡± Baelphegor observed the algorithms being built in real time based on the data scraped from Fenrir¡¯s millennia of horrific memories.
¡°How strange.¡± The Warlord muttered. ¡°He has no malice, only hunger and fear.¡±
¡°So much death...¡± Baelphegor marveled in spite of himself. ¡°Even Asmodaeus couldn¡¯t claim this many kills. I¡¯m going to talk to him.¡±
Baelphegor willed his consciousness toward one of the nearly infinite fractured scenarios where Fenrir was forced to confront the nightmares of his past. He manifested in a dark room. There was a child. Baelphegor recognized the wolf kin boy that had been the beast¡¯s host, only he was much younger - barely more than a toddler. He was crouched over something. It was a dead rat, and not a fresh one. The belly of the carcass was inflated like a grapefruit, and the stench of decay hung about the musty cellar. An oppressive feeling hovered about the emaciated boy.
¡°Eat.¡± Came a desperate growl from somewhere unseen. ¡°Eat.¡±
¡°No!¡± The little boy screamed even as his tiny shaky hands reached down to grab the rat.
Baelphegor left the scene as the boy began his vile meal. He meandered through many similar scenarios until he found one involving the beast itself. He stalked the smoking rifts of a low layer in the Hells. His body was little more than mangy fur and bones. His eyes were hollow and sunken deep into their sockets. Baelphegor tested Fenrir¡¯s awareness.
¡°Greetings, Fenrir.¡± He sent his thoughts toward the plodding wolf. It stopped, and snapped its empty stare onto Baelphegor¡¯s incorporeal form. There should have been no danger to the ancient demon, and yet Baelphegor found himself preparing defenses.
¡°Is it food?¡± The wolf¡¯s thoughts drifted through the surreal space. ¡°Is it prey?¡±
Baelphegor felt the distance between them shrinking, even though there was no discernible motion from either of them. Soon they were too close, and a cold fetid breath rolled through Baelphegor¡¯s being.
¡°No flesh.¡± The beast lamented. ¡°No prey.¡±
Baelphegor made the spiritual equivalent of a gulp, and focused his power in a way that could manipulate the simulated scenario without drawing the attention of the terrible administrator, Tabula. He was actually extremely proficient at discretely hijacking portions of this system. A huge boar carcass materialized before the towering gaunt wolf.
¡°Flesh!¡± Yellow teeth tore into the carcass, tearing away enormous chunks of dripping red meat.
The beast devoured the meal and stared coldly at Baelphegor. ¡°More.¡±
¡°Answer a question and I will give you more.¡± The demon bargained.
There was a low growl in response. Baelphegor took that as acceptance. ¡°What is your oldest memory?¡±
¡°Hurt.¡± The word was barely understandable. ¡°Betrayed and hurt, then fear and hunger, then only hunger. More now.¡±
¡°Who hurt you?¡± Baelphegor pressed for a more satisfying answer.
¡°More. Flesh. Now...¡± The demand was becoming a threat.
¡°No.¡± Baelphegor denied him flatly. ¡°Remember me. Remember the taste of the flesh I bestowed. I will see you again. Remember your defiance is why you hunger now.¡±
A mournful and angry howl followed the demon prince as he drifted away from the beast¡¯s memory. Taming this one would take a long time.
¡°Having fun?¡± His physical cat body¡¯s ears picked up the question. He diverted his consciousness to looking up at the android clutching him in her enormous cleavage. He pasted an innocent look on his face.
¡°Your meddling isn¡¯t as discreet as you think.¡± She informed him. ¡°In spite of your schemes, your results are commendable. Good work.¡±
Wait. No, no, no. Baelphegor couldn¡¯t accept that. Those two words should never be said of the ruler of sloth. He thought he was acting in defiance of her, but she was in on it!? Oh how he hated geniuses like that.
¡°I¡¯d like you to keep working on the beast called Fenrir. Earn its trust and continue to develop the numberless floor simulations. Your efforts have freed up a substantial amount of bandwidth for me. Do well and you can expect a reward.¡± She hit Baelphegor with words that jarred his spirit to the core.
¡°I¡¯m... the Prince of Sloth. The Prince of Sloth can¡¯t get a JOB!¡± Baelphegor¡¯s cries fell on deaf ears and Tabula smiled smugly at the kitten¡¯s dismayed face.
73: True Colors
Yuther¡¯s jaw clenched in frustrated rage. He stood in the meeting hall of his commandeered palace. A mere handful of words scrawled on a bit of parchment had invalidated months of painstaking work.
¡°Has all of this been verified, Trasana?¡± He asked the statuesque general whom had handed him the report, barely able to keep the quiver out of his voice.
¡°Yes, Paladin Yuther.¡± She answered. ¡°I witnessed the abduction of your brother personally, and I trust the soldiers¡¯ accounts of the boy.¡±
¡°You saw this man, this Gray?¡± He pressed, walking around the stone table between them. ¡°Tell me without reservation, what was your impression of him?¡±
¡°Before I answer, my Paladin...¡± Trasana paused to gather her courage. ¡°Did you know that Gilles was infecting children with White Cough intentionally?¡± The air in the hall thickened with tension as though storm clouds had suddenly filled the space.
¡°And what if I knew?¡± Yuther narrowed his gaze. His frustration was overwhelming the gentle facade he normally showed Trasana. ¡°We needed local support to move freely. Your gifts require sacrifice. Some pebbles must crack when moving a mountain, my naive general.¡±
¡°So you really did know...¡± Her eyes welled as she whispered back. ¡°What you said about the divine beast¡¯s blood causing the illness was just another lie. You made a murderer of me.¡±
¡°You¡¯re no more a murderer than the edge of my blade. You¡¯re a tool for a purpose beyond your comprehension, nothing more. The deeds of this legion are on my hands alone.¡± His words were not meant to give comfort. They were delivered as cold, belittling jabs. ¡°Now fall back in line, general. Your gifts are valuable, but I¡¯m done coddling you. If you feel like rebelling, go ahead. I hear little Norana is progressing wonderfully. I¡¯ve also heard she¡¯s become quite popular with the men. Defy me, and I¡¯ll throw your precious niece to them like meat to the wolves.¡± Yuther finished his vile threat without so much as a blink.
A chilling moment of silence followed. It was broken by the sound of Trasana¡¯s sword tearing through the air. The blade hit the collar of Yuther¡¯s armor, and an explosion of sparks indicated that the armor had repelled the vicious strike. The paladin leaped back defensively, ready to defend a second attack. A deep gouge marred his priceless platemail now. He began to shout but stopped, eyes widening as Trasana¡¯s voice cut him off.
¡°Great Un¡¯hana. She that is loved by the water and air...¡± Trasana began her prayer, and the impenetrable circle of runes that suddenly flared around her showed that her goddess was indeed listening.
Yuther was shocked. Trasana wouldn¡¯t dare defy him!
¡°...Turn your wrath unto this swine costumed in the vestments of righteousness...¡± Her prayer continued.
Yuther summoned his blazing greatsword and attacked the golden force field, hoping to break her concentration.
¡°...let not the dove guide their helm...¡± The first prayer was answered, enemy teleportation magic was now blocked. She stared coldly into his eyes as she continued.
¡°You know this won¡¯t finish me! You¡¯re dead, and so is that little niece of yours. Oh I¡¯ll make her scream, just like her whore mother!¡± Yuther¡¯s rage played out impotently as Trasana raised her arms high.
¡°...and let every wicked lung fill.¡± Trasana paused for just a second as the magic built to a humming crescendo. ¡°...Coral Tomb.¡±
The hall was suddenly replaced with cold, dim, murky saltwater. This was one of the ultimate offensive miracles that the sea goddess could bestow. Both of them had been transported to the bottom of the ocean in the nearby cove. Trasana was still dry within the field created by the magic circle. Yuther was already swimming toward the distant sunlight of the surface, and Trasana knew he would escape this spell, deadly though it was. It was a testament to the man¡¯s incredible toughness that he could survive the sudden pressure put on his body.
She had planned for this, and was really only buying herself time. She activated the power that allowed a high priestess like herself to assume the form of a water spirit. She took one last look at the man she had so admired as she passed him like he was standing still.
A minute later, Trasana was back on land. She sprinted at a speed that would be difficult to even see for a normal person. There was very little time, and urgency drove her. The reddish stone walls of Tarishan loomed before her. She bypassed the gate entirely by leaping the twenty meter barrier as though it were a garden fence. Buildings flashed beneath her in a blur as she skipped along the rooftops. Her niece would be in the temple right now, accompanied by Yuther¡¯s elite soldiers. She now understood why he had always insisted on keeping her so ¡®safe¡¯. She was nothing more than leverage against Trasana.
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Trasana spotted two of the so called honor guards at the temple entrance. It was a magnificent domed structure made from a rare type of pale blue granite quarried in the far north. Yuther would most likely be using That skill right now. Sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed by the translucent thread of golden energy barely visible extending from the helmet of each guard and disappearing into the sky above.
She didn¡¯t slow her sprint at all as she approached faster than they could react. She dropped into a slide as she drew her weapon in a sweeping slash that trailed a bright golden light. Ornate spears stabbed the air harmlessly above her as her blade cleanly sheared through the chainmail gap between their leg armor and chest plates. Both men dropped to their knees in silent unison, innards and dark blood pooling between their legs.
She didn¡¯t slow. Back on her feet, she sprinted toward the small chapel where Norana would be finishing her morning prayers. Behind her, she could hear the disemboweled guards already beginning pursuit. As long as Yuther lived, so to would any under the influence of his Legion skill. Not only were they essentially invulnerable, they were able to access most of the paladin¡¯s abilities and nearly half of his strength. The position of honor guard applied only to those few dozen soldiers compatible with the skill, regardless of any other factor or competency. Thankfully, the skill didn¡¯t confer the paladin¡¯s battle experience or absurd talent with a sword.
Trasana dispatched the honor guard woman outside the chapel door with a vicious sneak attack that caved in her golden helm and dropped her like a stone. The injury should be fatal, but Trasana knew the woman would be back on her feet in minutes. She burst into the chapel to find Norana wide eyed with fear at the sudden commotion. One look at the girl, who was barely more than a child reignited the anger Trasana felt. How could Yuther threaten such a pure and innocent soul with something so unspeakably evil?
¡°We¡¯re leaving, Norana.¡± Trasana told her. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡±
¡°You hurt lady Shasa!?¡± Norana looked past her to the collapsed knight, aghast. ¡°Why!?¡±
¡°She will heal.¡± Trasana promised. ¡°No more questions, we must flee now!¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a response and picked Norana up as though she weighed nothing. She muttered a prayer, and with her free hand slashed the granite wall that led outside to a narrow alleyway.
She ignored Norana¡¯s protests and feeble thrashing as she ran through the city toward the northwest gate. Within a few minutes, her feet were skipping across the open sand that was already growing hot under the climbing sun.
A desperate flight across the Rakashi desert was a practical death sentence, but Trasana had prepared for this before her confrontation with Yuther. She found her hidden cache of preserved food and protective garments a mile or so outside of the city, and took a moment to speak with her terrified niece.
¡°Yuther has turned on us, Norana.¡± She said, not holding back her own tears of frustration and genuine grief. It truly felt like the death of a loved one in her heart. ¡°Someday I will tell you the full story, but for right now you need to trust your auntie.¡±
Norana fell silent, overwhelmed. The only family she had ever known was falling apart. She couldn¡¯t defy Trasana as a High Priestess and the closest thing she had left to a mother, but her doubts were clear on her face.
Trasana shouldered the bulging pack and picked Norana up. She would need to cover ground far too fast to allow the child to move at her own pace. Even running at full speed, she wasn¡¯t certain she would make it to her destination before Yuther overtook them. She prayed that her instincts were correct, and that the enigmatic usurper might be their salvation.
Yuther sent out his Honor Guards in pursuit of the traitorous Trasana with orders to capture if possible, and kill if necessary. He then issued orders to the entire Golden Legion. It was time to stop pretending. He knew where the object of his search was, and there was no longer a need to pander to the masses.
The orders were simple, and terrible. This was war. Every fit citizen of Rakashi was ordered to report to their local Golden Legion officer where most would be drafted immediately. Any that refused to report would be enslaved by force. All production was seized, and shifted to wartime provisions.
The propaganda machine went into overdrive. A ruthless and evil conqueror had shattered the kingdom and now ruled its remains as a tyrant. Lies mixed with truth, and the Night of Screaming Skies took center stage as an example of what would come if the usurper was left unchallenged by the righteous people of Rakashi. In the altered version of the story, widows and children replaced the soldiers falling from the sky.
Many took the bait, and zealously signed up over the following two days. Faith in the knights was high, and the stories from the north had already painted the usurper in a wicked light.
Some, however saw through the propaganda. A trio of beastkin, whom had once stood in defiance of the knights weren¡¯t convinced. They had been biding their time since that day when their village had surrendered to Yuther¡¯s occupation. They now met in their hideout, a hidden cave near the foothills of the Sea of Stone. There was the tiger-kin named Saultan, the bear-kin woman named Ursula, and her husband fox-kin named Reynard. They were joined by two male tengu scouts, both agents of lord Gray.
¡°So they finally show themselves.¡± Growled Saultan, flexing his claws as though he wished to put them to use then and there.
¡°Sooner than expected.¡± Added Reynard in his typical soft tone.
Ursula remained silent, but nodded.
¡°Ariel¡¯s Gate is prepared to take on three thousand refugees immediately. Lady Raj is working with the Gault kingdom to find a place for at least ten times that many.¡± The taller of the two tengu agents announced.
¡°Your efforts on our behalf have been invaluable. Our leaders would like to reward you in person.¡± The shorter and more muscular tengu added. ¡°We¡¯ll escort you to the Grandring Gate as soon as you¡¯ve prepared yourselves.¡±
The sound of running feet approaching the cave caused them all to tense momentarily. They relaxed when the small rat-kin scout entered.
¡°News from Tarishan.¡± He reported quickly. ¡°General Trasana has been labeled a traitor and kidnapped priestess Norana. She is believed to be fleeing north.¡±
¡°Fantastic.¡± The tall tengu grinned. ¡°Brother Horus. Can I leave the escort mission with you? I¡¯d like to make certain the general finds her way safely.¡±
¡°Certainly, brother Gryphon.¡± The one called Horus replied. ¡°She will likely have pursuers. Shall I request support for you when we reach EDEN?¡±
¡°I believe only a Cambion could respond fast enough, given the distances. If lady Leifa can spare anyone, I would be very grateful.¡± Gryphon answered.
With that, the group separated. Gryphon took to the sky, flying fast to the northeast. Horus led the beast kin rebels up and out of the desert and into the Sea of Stone where several other Tengu waited to carry them safely the remaining distance to the dwarven capital and the persistent Blood Gate connected to EDEN.
74: Basic Guest Status
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75: Desperate Flight
¡°Come in.¡± Raj responded to the light but urgent knock on her office door in Ariel¡¯s Gate. It was in the mansion that had once belonged to the duke and duchess of Filam. It was drafty, musty, and inferior to her EDEN office in every way. That said, she needed to maintain office hours here so that the regular citizens of Ariel¡¯s Gate always had a place to air their concerns.
¡°Excuse me, Governor Raj.¡± It was one of her scouts deployed in Rakashi, a fellow tengu named Horus. ¡°I have escorted our informants to EDEN, and have come with an urgent request for aid from my brother. I would have asked lady Leifa directly but I was unable to reach her.¡±
¡°The cambions are on a mission. What is Gryphon¡¯s situation?¡± Raj asked seriously.
¡°General Trasana has defected and is attempting to seek sanctuary with lord Gray. She is being pursued by Yuther¡¯s elite forces, and Gryphon is flying to her aid.¡±
¡°Stay here and take messages from any visiting citizens in my place.¡± Raj ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll petition lord Gray directly in this matter.¡±
¡°Lord Gray himself?¡± Horus asked with a suddenly slack expression. He might have queried further, but Raj was already gone, taken away by her teleportation spell.
The deep, fetid swamp between the northern edge of Rakashi and the southern border of the Gault Kingdom was an infamous land infested with trolls, lesser hydras, and a plethora of other deadly creatures. No civilized races settled here, and only the strongest and best equipped caravans could hope to traverse it unscathed.
Trasana clutched her niece Norana as she skipped lightly over the treacherous mud and bottomless bogs. She was covering a great deal of ground, but her Soul Energy was depleting rapidly. She could only pray that the other side of this wretched swamp would greet her before her power ran out. The air itself here seemed to be against her, heavy with spores bearing mild hallucinogenic effects that made the twisted cypress trees seem alive and menacing.
One such cypress limb seemed to actually move of its own accord, almost like a reaching arm... Trasana¡¯s eyes shot wide open. A sudden surge of adrenaline sharpened her focus so that she could see the branch for what it was. The incredibly tall and lanky troll¡¯s arm barely grazed her shoulder, and the filthy claw smoked violently as it touched the holy enchanted metal pauldron.
It pulled away for just a split second, and Trasana went to sprint past. Unfortunately her tiny lapse in concentration had caused her waterwalking spell to flicker, and her heavily armored frame had sunk to her ankles in the quicksand like muck. On instinct she hurled Norana toward what looked like a dry patch of ground. The girl, who had been barely awake screamed in fright as the scene unfolded around her. She bounced painfully and yelped as her hip scraped a moldy stump.
The troll took a step closer to Trasana, ignoring the smaller meal. Its wide, webbed feet allowed it to easily traverse the muck without sinking. Trasana on the other hand was now up to her knees.
Quicksand or not, she was still the equivalent to an S rank adventurer, and the first cut of her magnificent single edged blade opened a trench in the lanky brute¡¯s midsection and blasted it back against another mossy cypress trunk. She calmly strengthened her waterwalking enchantment and extricated herself. The troll was rising once again, its wound was already gone. Worse than that, three more lanky bodies had silently emerged from the chilly mist to join their fellow green skinned abomination.
Trasana grimaced and thought desperately as she eyed the four trolls. She could win this fight. The problem was that every moment spent making a scene here drew the attention of more and more monsters. Eventually they would overwhelm her, and everything would end just like that. No. The answer was to break through at any cost and flee north. Stick to the plan.
She turned to Norana, intending to leap in her direction, but her voice caught in her throat and her face froze in horror unlike any she had ever felt. A goblin, an insignificant piece of filth goblin was straddling her niece with a grimy hand covering her mouth as she thrashed with all the strength her little body could manage. The goblin¡¯s other hand held a crude and rusty knife, probably looted from a slain traveler.
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Without a second thought Trasana threw her sword. It spun a single revolution and impaled the goblin, nailing it to the stump next to it. The creature spasmed once and died, held upright by the golden blade, and pouring dark blood like wine from a carafe onto Norana¡¯s powder blue gown. The little girl let out a blood curdling scream, and scrambled away.
Trasana knew that scream would draw every monster within earshot like a beacon. The trolls knew it too and were suddenly acting with urgency. The competition for their prey would soon become bothersome if they didn¡¯t finish this fast. They moved to surround the now unarmed woman. Trasana was grateful for the consideration as the they closed in shoulder to shoulder, presenting a perfect cluster of targets for one of the last offensive spells she could likely cast for awhile.
¡°Great Un¡¯hana. She that is loved by the water and air, make of my will a blade to rend the unclean. Let the river fall like a guillotine and dash their unworthy bodies upon the stones of the righteous... Riptide Slash.¡±
Trasana swung her arm in a back handed knifing motion as she completed her prayer, and a sheet of water so thin as to be seen as a mere distortion sliced through the air in a semicircular wave. It passed through the trolls, and the wave that exited their bodies and continued through the swamp turned dark. Trees were felled cleanly, and several acres of canopy vanished as the water blade clear-cut a massive section of the marsh.
The trolls fell into a huge pile of bleeding flesh. They appeared more annoyed than anything as they methodically sorted out which pieces belonged to which troll.
Trasana used the moment to scoop up Norana who had clearly gone into a state of shock. She ran as hard as she could. Her lungs were beginning to burn, and her head pounded from the pain of being low on Soul Energy. What a foolish and desperate flight this was. She could have placated Yuther for a bit longer, and left with a real plan. Instead she had acted on emotion, and was probably going to die a pointless death in this nameless bog with her only living relative.
She growled away the intrusive negative thoughts and used the many fallen trees as convenient spring boards to increase the distance between her and the growing monster horde. Relatively fresh air, and the sight of the evening sun lifted her spirits ever so slightly. A flash of golden light on her peripheral vision made her look back and stole her budding hope.
¡°No way...¡± That was an unmistakable attack made by one of the honor guards if not Yuther himself. ¡°They¡¯re already this close!?¡± She shouldn¡¯t be so surprised, she knew. They weren¡¯t carrying a child, and had no need to eat or sleep while Legion was possessing them.
A shadow fell over her, and on instinct she dove to the side expecting another enemy attack.
¡°Ms. Trasana!¡± An unfamiliar voice shouted. ¡°I am Gryphon, a follower of lord Gray here to help you.¡±
Her eyes focused on the speaker. It was a handsome tengu man. She didn¡¯t have time for doubt.
¡°Take Norana.¡± Trasana begged the stranger. ¡°Get her to safety. I can manage here.¡±
¡°Auntie!?¡± Norana balked.
¡°Silence!¡± Trasana commanded in a tone of utter finality. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± She finished much more softly.
Gryphon was torn. Trasana was absolutely the more valuable asset here, and he could only carry one person. Her plea certainly tugged on his conscience slightly, but more than that was the absolute law of lord Gray. Children first, period. He reached out to take the girl, and had just taken hold of her arm when the felled tree he stood on suddenly lurched violently, flinging them both up and away.
A serpentine head the size of a fully grown bear erupted from the devastated swamp, and a second one exploded up a short distance away. The beast was unmistakable. A lesser hydra had a misleading name. The ¡®lesser¡¯ came from the fact it only bore two heads. It was also larger, stronger, and packed a more potent breath weapon than its standard cousins.
¡°Fly!¡± Trasana screamed over Norana¡¯s confused cries and the thundering cacophony of the hydra extricating itself.
Normally a lesser hydra would still be dormant, buried deep within the mud until the summer months when its cold blood was warm enough to sustain its great bulk. It seemed Trasana¡¯s attack had disturbed it early.
With a frustrated growl, Gryphon gathered Norana close and leaped. He beat his wings once, and then a burning agony struck his left wing. He had been clipped by the hydra¡¯s acidic breath.
They tumbled down thirty meters, and Gryphon angled his body to absorb most of the impact. He felt his ribs crack, and blood filled his mouth. He looked down and saw that Norana had also been badly hurt. She was unconscious and a large gash poured blood from where her head had bounced off of his cuirass.
Gryphon lamented his failure as the enormous head of a hydra blocked out the sun above them and began to open its mouth. The sound of a slashing impact could be heard then, and the head flinched as it turned to the source of its new injury.
Trasana smiled grimly as her slash against the hydra¡¯s barn sized flank drew its attention away from her fallen niece and their Tengu ally. Her smile vanished along with the beast¡¯s wound. Did every creature in this swamp possess high tiered regeneration?
Behind her, she could sense the arrival of the honor guard. Thankfully Yuther¡¯s presence was not among them, not that it really mattered. She was out of Soul Energy with an S tier monster before her and half a dozen nigh invincible knights behind her, all of which wanted her dead or worse.
Trasana was on the brink of despair when something very peculiar happened. The lesser hydra, for lack of a better term... fell apart. A severed hydra head landed just in front of her, seeming unaware that its entire body had been reduced to smoking chunks. It opened its jaws once, and a weak spittle of breath came out. Then its black eyes clouded over and a stillness fell over the entire scene.
Trasana peeled her eyes away from the cloudy eye and looked up to where a figure hovered just above the grotesque pile of scales and bloody flesh. It was the man from the tavern, the one known as Gray. Though now he was surrounded by a pestilent swarm of insects, and radiated a sickening unholy aura. He held an enormous scythe over his shoulder. The blade extended out more than two meters like the silvery wing of a bat, and was the unmistakable source of the wicked feeling.
¡°Hey there.¡± He called in a tone that did not at all match the scene. ¡°Could you take a step back? There¡¯s something I wanna test out. Oh but first...¡± He pulled two red vials from thin air and tossed them down to Gryphon who managed to catch them.
Trasana numbly took a step back, and glanced behind her. The knights were similarly flabbergasted, and frozen. She returned her attention to Gray, and he was holding the scythe out over the pile of lesser Hydra.
¡°Create Undead.¡± He commanded, and the mass of flesh quivered...
76: The Only King
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77: Ogruns Move
Ogrun squatted down to get a closer look at the fascinating little creature that had waylaid him. It was some type of bird with flippers for wings and a waddling gait. More fascinating still, it wore a sharp little outfit and a yellow cap. Ogrun¡¯s eyes flashed as he used his divine Appraisal skill.
¡°Hey, you¡¯re pretty strong!¡± The god congratulated the little bird. ¡°I¡¯m here to meet the boss of this place, my name¡¯s Ogrun. I¡¯m somewhat of a boss myself back home.¡±
¡°Lady Tabula will meet you in the lobby. Thanks for the compliment, mister Ogrun! Follow me!¡± The peculiar bird turned and waved a flipper. Ogrun followed with an amused grin.
Ogrun had a minor affinity for finely laid plans and well crafted things in spite of his sloppy personal life, and he studied the developing city around him with many an impressed nod as he followed the waddling bird.
¡°I see.¡± He spoke aloud as the strange dark structure known as EDEN came into range of his Appraisal. ¡°A transcendent spatial relic. I underestimated you after all.¡±
He ducked slightly through the sliding glass door and took a deep breath of the lightly scented air. Gold and black marble. Lavender and leather. He had the feeling that this whole place was alive. A powerful entity permeated every facet of it, reshaping the state of every single object to suit its whims. Even Domains fell short of this level of control. This was closer to what creator gods like his mother Ariel were capable of. He felt the building turn its attention to him and manifest nearby in the form of...
¡°Greetings, lord Ogrun of the Radiant Empire.¡± A woman unlike anything Ogrun had ever seen was suddenly speaking to him. ¡°I am Tabula Rasa, the administrator of this space and lord Gray¡¯s primary assistant.¡±
Ogrun was speechless. His entire purpose for coming suddenly melted away in his thoughts. Such beauty and power, cold eyes that looked at him like a bug, a body that mocked even the once peerless Un¡¯hana...
¡°Marry me.¡± Ogrun blurted. ¡°Surely no mortal is worthy of you.¡±
The lobby went suddenly quiet, and Tabula¡¯s face contorted in distaste and surprise.
¡°I must decline. I belong to lord Gray alone. Now and for all time.¡± She quickly recovered and her face regained its pleasant facade. ¡°Please wait in the bar. Your drinks will be complimentary until my master is ready to receive you. In the meantime I must ask that you refrain from any other spontaneous marriage proposals to any of our other guests.¡±
Ogrun grumbled something unintelligible and let the little bird guide him to the bar. Rejection? Was that even possible?
¡°Tough luck out there, eh boss?¡± The little bird hopped up to land on one of the empty bar stools, with the apparent intention of sharing a drink with the deflated god.
Ogrun eyed the bar stool dubiously. There was no way it would accept his frame. Even as he thought this, the stool morphed and enlarged, as did the section of bar in front of it. That was her doing as well, he knew. In this place, for this moment, for the first time since his awakening in this mortal world, Ogrun felt defeat. A smile worked its way onto his lips without his realization. His teeth showed, and a chuckle escaped.
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¡°What a wonderful feeling!¡± Ogrun exclaimed. ¡°The emptiness of a world without challenge... I am finally free of it!¡±
¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Rain cheered him on. ¡°Two specials, bartender!¡±
Ogrun watched the skilled extension of Tabula¡¯s will in the form of the bartender as it effortlessly crafted the beautiful cocktails. Normal eyes would see individual and masterful staff members going about their tasks. Ogrun could see the truth. This was all that woman. The egghead god Ahura-Guru could run many different parallel schemes and operations, and Ogrun secretly found it impressive. This however, was something else entirely.
¡°Boulevardier with twenty-five year whiskey aged in port casks.¡± The bartender informed Ogrun as he placed the old fashioned glass on the bar.
Ogrun wasn¡¯t familiar with the name of the drink but his nose told him enough. The quality of these ingredients was higher than any he could source in The Radiant Empire. There were sweet notes of vermouth, and the scent of the aged whiskey promised impossible depth. That combined with a bright palette of herbs and fruit from the liqueur poured from the bottle labeled ¡®Campari¡¯ told Ogrun that he was about to taste something truly special.
He sighed and felt the tension leave his shoulders as the divine flavors danced on his tongue, and the familiar warmth spread all the way to his toes. This outing was already a success.
Tabula paid close attention to the new arrival as she reported to Gray in the cosmic themed reception area.
¡°He¡¯ll probably say he has come to collect his three stooges.¡± Gray said. ¡°His real aim is to pick a fight with me for no reason other than he likes to fight strong enemies.¡±
¡°He also... um...¡± Tabula took an uncharacteristic pause, and Gray cocked an eyebrow curiously. ¡°Instead of a greeting, he asked me to marry him.¡±
¡°What!?¡± Gray let out an involuntary laugh which carried on for several seconds before he rubbed his eyes and continued. ¡± Summon Jade and Rain, and bring him here like we discussed. Don¡¯t bother with appearances and don¡¯t worry about catering to human perceptions of reality. If he¡¯s a god worthy of marrying you, he can handle at least that much. Play the music I had Baelphegor give you as well. I¡¯d like some atmosphere for this.¡±
¡°As you wish, lord Gray.¡± Tabula agreed.
Ogrun had just lifted his third Boulevardier to his lips when he felt a shift in the ambiance around him. That was his only warning as the entire bar vanished, replaced by empty colorless space. He was falling now, though he couldn¡¯t tell how fast or to where. A moment later something came into view far below. Darkness splashed with colors of the night sky faded into reality, and a dark stone platform was rising up to catch him. Music began to play from somewhere unseen. It was a tense and mysterious orchestral arrangement that made Ogrun¡¯s skin tingle.
He landed heavily on the platform, and surveyed the scene that made his eyes widen and his heart race. A fit, muscular girl with piercing green eyes and a wild mane of matching hair stood at ease before him. So different than the voluptuous Tabula, but yet another transcendent beauty all the same. Next to her was the friendly little bird, only now his eyes glowed with a dark red light and he seemed anything but friendly. Behind and above them on a raised dais and seated in a throne carved of black diamond sat the object of Ogrun¡¯s search.
The one called Gray was not the mortal Ogrun had imagined, not even close to it. Just like X¡¯lyssa, Ogrun could see the truth of him. Unlike X¡¯lyssa, Ogrun recognized him.
¡°Mother finally caught up to you.¡± Ogrun¡¯s voice was barely above a whisper. ¡°After all these ages, you finally return. Polemios, Father of Warriors, Enemy of Death, welcome back my friend.¡±
¡°It¡¯s pronounced Gray actually, and why the hell do you look like my friend Paul from Earth?¡± I replied with a tide of confusion that was slowly evolving into panic in my mind. This Ogrun guy looked exactly like my best friend Paul Gresham if he were drawn by the artists from Baki. Not only that, he had the same mannerisms. His first words to his wife Serena had been ¡®Marry me¡¯ for fuck¡¯s sake!
My thoughts and emotions collided hard enough that I decided to simply stuff them in the convenient box along with the years of repressed child abuse for now. This unwanted plot twist had sucked the wind right out of my carefully prepared epic boss fight scenario! My poser goddess definitely had some explaining to do, but that could wait.
¡°As a reincarnated person, I¡¯m prepared to believe I knew someone like you in some past life. That said, I have no memory of anything like that so let¡¯s assume this is the first time we¡¯ve met.¡± I sat up straight and reclaimed some of my scattered composure. ¡°Once again, my name is Gray. Welcome to my home.¡±
¡°Thank you, old friend.¡± Ogrun countered, walking calmly between Jade and Rain. ¡°But I can¡¯t accept your ignorance.¡±
Jade sensed his intent and leaped as she spun a lightning fast kick toward Ogrun¡¯s temple. Ogrun turned his head and opened his mouth, catching her shin in his teeth. He continued to spin with her momentum and smashed her body into the platform. With a growl she rebounded.
Ogrun clapped his hands together once, as though applauding. The shockwave from that single soft clap blew Jade and Rain back a dozen meters.
¡°I didn¡¯t come here to play with your toys.¡± Ogrun chuckled. ¡°Though they do look fun, I¡¯m going to need some time alone with you. Domain: Dreams of Valhalla.¡±
78: Dreams of Valhalla
It happened in an instant. One moment I was in my Tabula designed stylish lair, and the next I was here. A great colosseum surrounded me. I stood on the reddish sand at the center of the two hundred meter oval that was the arena floor. All around me the auditorium seating rose impossibly high, disappearing into the churning orange clouds in the sky above. There must have been a hundred thousand people roaring there. Could this be the place Ogrun''s faithful ended up?
I brushed those thoughts aside. There was no doubt I was about to be in a fight. I tried to call up my inventory, but nothing happened. Worse, when I waved my hand in front of my face I noted that my forearm was bare. I felt the weight of my body a little more without the benefit of my gear, but it seemed my baseline stats were unaffected or maybe even a bit inflated. I was naked, literally. I could also feel that my transformation skills were locked out. This would be a plain old schoolyard brawl. The thought was surprisingly agreeable.
¡°Lamenting the loss of your cripple¡¯s crutches? In my realm, all war and all warriors are equal and free to battle to their soul¡¯s content!¡± Ogrun¡¯s voice heralded his appearance. He was also nude, but only seemed more fearsome for it. He was also now roughly my size. I had either grown or he had shrunk. ¡°To clad yourself in the borrowed might of artifice - it is unbecoming of the legacy you bear.¡±
¡°Wrap it up, Sloppy Shakespeare.¡± I rolled my shoulders and gave my muscles a flex and stretch, confirming that they would behave reliably. ¡°You¡¯re not getting paid by the word.¡± I began a stalking walk in Ogrun¡¯s direction.
¡°Even stripped of your precious artifacts, you have the audacity to condescend!¡± Ogrun¡¯s eyes erupted into orange flame. ¡°Very well Polemi- OOF!.¡±
My forehead hit him just below the sternum as my hands each cupped behind one of his knees. The classic drive through double leg takedown is a thing of timeless elegance. Hit them everywhere they bend, and watch even the strongest opponent fold like laundry. Ogrun¡¯s back hit the dirt and I stuck to him like glue. I may be weaker without my trusty gear, but Ogrun seemed to have overlooked a vital piece of information.
¡°I¡¯m not the best because I have the strongest gear.¡± I scrambled around his body as he struggled to rise, and planted my knee hard into his lowest rib, eliciting another grunt. ¡°I have the strongest gear because I am the best.¡± I intercepted the predictable swinging fist by blocking it at the elbow with my forearm. ¡°Someone that supposedly knows me would remember that.¡± I punctuated the sentence with the most savage headbutt I could deliver, which from this particular position was both clean and hard.
Cartilage crunched as his nose flattened. I went to pull back, but a powerful hand blocked the back of my head and held me close. I felt an explosive punch on my lower right side and a familiar rush of agony spread from it. Liver shot, fucking classic. If you¡¯re not familiar with what happens after a hard shot to the old booze filter, be very grateful. It¡¯s a wave of pain that literally turns off your body for a moment. Hot breath assaulted me as my opponent growled out a laugh.
I gritted my teeth and resisted the urge to disengage. Proximity was my friend, separation would lead to a standing fight which I knew by instinct was a bad idea. I took my knee off of his rib and used it to intercept the next predictable body blow. The groan of surprise and pain was music to my ears as Ogrun¡¯s pinky knuckle cracked.
The grappling and ground and pound battle pitched back and forth from there. Ogrun grew frustrated as the minutes wore into hours. Both of us possessed unnatural stamina and regeneration. The difference was that while Ogrun was becoming more and more agitated, I was having the time of my life. This kind of flow state in a fight is so rare, and takes such a high level of skill and specific chemistry between fighters that it¡¯s no exaggeration to call it a miracle.
I surrendered to the flow of the struggle, and felt free and truly alive for the first time that I could remember. Don¡¯t be mistaken. Ogrun gave as well as he got. Those punctuation marks of a cracked rib or shattering orbital bone only served to sharpen the experience, providing thrilling waterfalls along the surreal river that was this battle.
Time became irrelevant. Both a child at play and an old man restoring his dream car will look up at dusk with surprise that a day has slipped past in what feels like a moment. Thus was my surprise as my opponent shouted out in exasperation.
¡°Enough!¡± Ogrun¡¯s roar shocked me back to reality, and I was thrown back violently by a kick to the chest.
I kept my eyes locked onto Ogrun as I flew back, this separation was what I was trying to avoid. His right arm glowed fiercely as it tore through the air and struck the ground. A line of stone spikes erupted from the sand, glowing red hot. It was a scary attack, but egregiously telegraphed.
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I finally touched down with a full tenth of a second to spare and dodged the spikes. I didn¡¯t even need to look to know a second line would follow the first and I was in motion before his second fist hit the ground. I used the first line of red hot spikes as a handhold to launch myself back at Ogrun, growling away the searing pain where my fingers sizzled like bacon in a skillet.
I should expect a third part to his attack. If I were designing his attack patterns, there would be a cone attack like a breath weapon to intercept a player leaping over the spikes. I was ready to roll to the side, but all Ogrun had to offer was a stupid surprised face as I rocketed toward him with my fist swinging in hard.
Both of his hands were buried in the sand, and I watched his mouth begin to open at the last moment intending to catch my fist in his teeth. Too bad, asshole. You already pulled that with Jade, did you think I¡¯d forget? I altered the trajectory of my punch and stuck my thumb out like a hook. It slid along the inside of his cheek and I used that fishhook to yank his head sideways, exposing a lovely broad target in the god¡¯s square jaw. My left fist cracked in so hard that I felt the jaw bone give, and heard molars eject. Ogrun¡¯s eyes went glossy and he slumped as my momentum carried me over and past him.
I turned in the air and landed facing him on all fours. I began to rebound back in to keep him from recovering when his slurred voice stopped me.
¡°Shtop there. I am shatishfied. No other shoul is so gluttonoushly violent.¡± Ogrun stood and used his hand to forcibly move his jaw into a position that would allow his regeneration to instantly heal it. He opened and closed it like a snake realigning its jaw and continued without slurring. ¡°I relent old friend, call yourself what you will. Raise your hand and declare victory that the conditions of my domain may be satisfied.¡±
¡°Oh? Are you saying your domain will keep us here until I agree to my victory?¡± I asked between gulps of air. I was still buzzing hard from all the fun.
¡°Indeed.¡± Ogrun affirmed, and slowly his face grew worried as he belatedly caught onto my leading tone. ¡°Wait. You don¡¯t intend to - OOF!¡±
The classic drive through double leg takedown is a thing of timeless elegance.
Nadira stood at the top of the Crusibilis Sanctum¡¯s great crystal dome. From here she could see for miles. Winter was nearly over, and the biting persistent winds had calmed to a rustling breeze. The snows were receding and buds were forming in the trees.
Beyond the natural world visible to anything blessed with eyes, Nadira¡¯s mind was open to the intricate tapestry of invisible forces that permeated this plane. Today those forces were disturbed. Like discordant notes plucked on a cosmic harp, these waves of distress from the world unseen railed against the djinn¡¯s delicate senses.
¡°The Worm returns.¡± She read the unmistakable energy signature being reborn far to the south and a deep scowl settled on her face. Of all the distasteful beings she had been made to serve in her long life, she despised him the most.
Should she attempt to snuff him out herself, hoping that he might be in a weakened state? No, there was too much responsibility on her shoulders rebuilding this kingdom to risk her untimely death. Kutris was a foe that required a united front with as many powerful allies as possible.
She hated the thought of relying on lord Gray after all he had done for her, but some things just couldn¡¯t be helped. With a wave of her arm, an opaque portal appeared, and Nadira stepped through.
¡°Lord Rain.¡± She bowed before EDEN¡¯s guardian as she stepped through her portal onto the wet snow of the valley surrounding the great magical fortress and found the small bird already waiting for her.
¡°Hiya Nadira, I told you that you don¡¯t need to do all that stuffy stuff with me.¡± Rain greeted her cheerily. ¡°Everything okay? You look like you smelled something awful.¡±
¡°I bear dire news, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Nadira stood up straight and explained. ¡°I must report to lord Gray as soon as possible.¡±
¡°He¡¯s still not back from his fight with that Ogrun person.¡± Rain replied without a seeming care in the world. ¡°You can meet with lady Tabula though while you wait!¡±
¡°Did you say Ogrun?¡± Nadira¡¯s eyes opened wide. She had indeed sensed the arrival of one of the exiled gods, but that was not so uncommon. Ahura-Guru in particular was known to travel the world over in search of knowledge but rarely meddled in mortal affairs. Ogrun on the other hand was akin to a cataclysmic force of nature. More than one city state had been entirely wiped out by earning his ire.
¡°Yep, I¡¯m sure that was his name. I consoled him after lady Tabula rejected his marriage proposal.¡± Rain answered. ¡°Anyhow, let¡¯s get you inside so I can get back to my rounds. Miss. Raj thinks we should be on our highest alert on account of that Yuther person going crazy.¡±
¡°R-right...¡± Nadira stifled the stream of questions about this supposed battle between Ogrun and lord Gray. Either these people had no clue of Ogrun¡¯s power or she had wildly underestimated the strength of the leader of this place.
¡°Greetings once again.¡± Tabula Rasa was waiting just inside the lobby as Nadira entered, holding her trademark grumpy horned kitten. ¡°Please follow me.¡±
Nadira obliged and followed her to the steel doors of the elevator that would take them to the cosmic hall where all serious meetings took place in EDEN.
¡°It seems your arrival is well timed.¡± Tabula said a minute later as they ascended the stone steps to the platform.
Nadira looked more closely in the direction Tabula was gazing, and saw the deep orange portal swirling into existence. It grew to nearly twenty feet in diameter and a hulking dark silhouette appeared within it.
It was none other than the exiled god Ogrun. He wore an off white toga clasped with a gold medallion at the shoulder. Nadira also noted that the god was staggering like a drunk too far gone to find his bed. He took two shaking steps and fell face first onto the stone platform.
A second later, another smaller silhouette appeared. This one was unmistakably lord Gray. Unlike Ogrun he appeared quite energetic, also unlike Ogrun...
¡°Aww you dick, how come you came back with your clothes on and I didn¡¯t!?¡± The naked lord Gray swore at the semiconscious Ogrun as his hands flashed with blurring speed. His pants appeared first and Nadira blushed, realizing what she had been staring at. ¡°That¡¯s some petty sore loser behavior right there. I¡¯ll remember that next time we roll.¡±
¡°Welcome back, Mr. Gray.¡± Tabula seemed to be holding back a smile. ¡°I trust your meeting went well.¡±
¡°You got that right!¡± Gray replied excitedly. ¡°You can train and train over there and never even get tired. That was the best roll I¡¯ve ever had. Too bad this little jellyfish broke so fast.¡±
¡°T-twelve... weeks.¡± Ogrun¡¯s hoarse voice was hardly audible. ¡°He... made me fight for twelve weeks straight.¡±
¡°Oh yeah that¡¯s the best part! Time is like isolated or something over there so only a minute goes by here for every day there. Oh, Nadira¡¯s here?¡± Gray stopped his excited rambling when he noticed the bewildered guest. He seemed to realize something and his pale cheeks went red. ¡°I flashed you, didn¡¯t I?¡±
79: The Worm
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80: Shadow Phoenix
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81: The Only Kings Labors
¡°Your Majesty, I have a report from group twenty-six.¡± The wraith rose from Vathec¡¯s shadow as it spoke in a crackling whisper.
¡°The southwest road construction team.¡± Vathec recalled which group the shadowy undead was referencing. ¡°What is it?¡± If the wraith was reporting to him directly rather than the supervising lich on site then this must be important.
¡°Two more hydras were disturbed by the construction and have been added to our forces.¡±
¡°I¡¯m aware, I felt their presence as it joined my household. Well done, but that can¡¯t be the sole reason you¡¯ve come before me.¡± Vathec felt a touch of impatience. Lower undead had no sense of urgency in conversation.
¡°Indeed, Your Majesty. A group of reptilian humanoids approached us during the subjugation of the hydras, and prostrated themselves before us. They seem peaceful but are marginally slowing construction efforts. One of them appears to be a leader of some sort and begs an audience with Your Majesty.¡±
¡°The lizardmen?¡± Vathec knew of their small city in the southwestern corner of the swamp. ¡°Arrange an escort for their leader and one attendant of his choosing. His audience is granted.¡±
The wraith melted back into Vathec¡¯s shadow and the vampire king felt its presence recede out of the great hall of lord Gray¡¯s newly built castle fortress.
This place was a testament to Archmagus Thornwhisper¡¯s incredible magical power in this new world. Compared to the desiccated husk of their home world, this place was practically bursting with magical energy. It had taken the venerable lich less than a week to raise the great mesa upon which the castle sat, and another three days to transmute the black granite for its construction.
Defeated swamp giants raised as undead thralls by Vathec worked around the clock along with Thornwhisper¡¯s subordinates to complete the majestic fortress with a level of efficiency that would never be believed by anyone native to this world. Now, five days later Vathec sat upon his small throne in the completed castle. He turned his gaze toward the two great and elaborate thrones beside him. They were empty now, but someday his mighty master and his chosen queen would sit there. Might Vathec be praised for his efforts? He smiled at the thought.
Vathec had prioritized the construction of this place for multiple reasons, the foremost being that he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of his master seated in some pathetic mansion should he decide to visit. The second reason was that it aligned with his master¡¯s orders. This castle would become an anchor of peaceful civilization. The swamp would be tamed, and become a veritable utopia. Nothing less would satisfy Vathec.
Half a day¡¯s march southwest of the castle, two lizardmen were being escorted by six high ranking skeleton knights in enchanted full plate armor.
One of the lizardmen had greenish-brown mottled skin and features reminiscent of a newt. It wore a hemp rope harness with dozens of clay bottles and pouches dangling from it. Its build was slight compared to the hulking iguana-like lizardman lumbering next to it. The larger of the two had thick black scales and tall spines running from the crown of its draconic head down its spine all the way to the base of its thick tail.
¡°They really ain¡¯t be killin¡¯ us...¡± The newt-like lizardman shaman marveled as its small black eyes darted around in amazement.
¡°Why¡¯re you surprised, Scaleless?¡± The much larger lizardman grunted back. ¡°Comin¡¯ to greet the dead was your idea.¡±
¡°I be trustin¡¯ the spirits.¡± The shaman said quietly. ¡°That don¡¯t make a friendly undead army less shockin¡¯ though, does it?¡±
¡°Friendly¡¯s one thing...¡± The big lizardman shook its head. ¡°They be building these stone trails and huntin¡¯ down trolls n¡¯ hydras day and night. What¡¯s it all for...?¡± The lizardman¡¯s voice trailed off and his yellow eyes widened in growing horror.
They had come to the edge of the undead army¡¯s operation. On either side of the road, thousands of monsters worked in silent unison. Goblins, trolls, giants, ogres, and even terrible hydras were all tirelessly taking down trees and hauling them away to the north. It was like watching a swarm of ants dismember a carcass, alien and unnerving.
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¡°All undead.¡± The shaman narrowed his eyes, noticing the fatal wounds and lifeless expressions.
As they drew closer to the center of the once wretched swamp, something beyond comprehension became apparent. The fetid mud and filthy water was being replaced by temperate dry land. The mossy cypress trees had been thinned drastically, allowing sunlight to shine brightly onto perfectly leveled dirt where countless tiny green sprouts were already poking through.
¡°Fear not, lizardmen.¡± A dry but feminine voice hailed them from a little further up the wide, stone road. ¡°We do not intend to terraform your own habitat in this manner.¡±
The voice came from a black robed skeleton that exuded magical power so dense that the lizardmen had to force themselves to approach as though walking underwater.
¡°I am called Thornwhisper, a lowly attendant of His Majesty, Vathec under our great and merciful ruler, Lord Gray. It is my pleasure to escort you the remaining distance to His Majesty.¡± Without any incantation or gestures, a magic circle of glowing white appeared beneath each of the lizardmen and Thornwhisper.
The scenery blinked out of existence and was suddenly replaced by the interior of a great stone hall. The lizardmen gawked at the ceiling. It was so high as to be lost in the shadows cast by several polished bone chandeliers which were evenly spaced every few meters far above. Scaleless, the strongest shaman gulped when he noted the heavy chandeliers weren¡¯t supported by anything and seemed to be levitating by magic. It was a small detail, but among those knowledgeable, an enormous flex of magical power.
As they lowered their gaze to look down the immense hall supported by rows of columns that would dwarf even the largest of cypress trees, they noticed the death knights standing silently in front of each great pillar. Even one of those legendary undead would hold its own against an entire tribe of lizardman warriors.
The two reptilian guests could find no words as they forced themselves forward a single step at a time. If approaching Thornwhisper was like walking upstream in a creek due to her dense power, then whatever was seated on that throne was the raging sea itself.
The lizardmen entered the brighter circle of light before the throne and found themselves compelled to kneel. It was no command or magical suggestion, it was an instinctive response to the presence before them. This being was a ruler among rulers. They kept their heads bowed and eyes tightly closed. A deep voice made them flinch.
¡°Raise your heads.¡± The king¡¯s command made them snap their gaze up obediently. ¡°I am Vathec, steward of this land by the decree of my lord and master. I shall attend to your concerns diligently so long as they do not conflict with my standing orders. Speak, good lizardmen.¡±
The guests stood in a mixture of fear and awe, and it took a moment for them to realize that they had been addressed.
¡°W-well you see, great one.¡± The hulking iguana began and cleared his throat. ¡°I be Jibiru, the chieftain of the lizardmen tribes. I¡¯m here to ask for mercy. We can¡¯t be standing against you, and got nowhere to run. We¡¯ll serve if we must. Huntin¡¯ or fightin¡¯ is the way of the lizardmen and we know the swamp better than anyone. I¡¯m sure we could be of some use...¡±
The terrifying man suddenly stood up stiff and straight at Jibiru¡¯s words. The lizardmen sucked in a breath in unison, expecting to be slaughtered then and there. They were more shocked to see the ruler of the undead army bend into a stiff ninety degree bow.
¡°I have neglected my orders, and caused unwarranted anxiety to your people in my failure to send proper communication.¡± The man apologized and stood back up. ¡°Please forgive me and allow me to explain. Our mission is to purge the savage monsters from this place and create a safe and comfortable environment for beings of reason and benevolence such as yourselves. You shall not be harmed by me or my forces, nor shall you need fear any monster or beast of this land so long as my orders stand.¡±
The lizardmen took several seconds to process the unbelievable development and slowly looked to each other to make sure they had heard the same thing. They then dropped their heads to the floor in unison, fully prostrated.
¡°The lizardmen are at your command, great Vathec!¡± Jibiru announced fervently. ¡°We¡¯ve been dying off for the last few years, and our territory¡¯s been shrinking as our god¡¯s influence has been weakening. If you really be meanin¡¯ to make the swamp safer for us, Jiburu and his tribes want to help.¡±
¡°Rise, honored guests.¡± Vathec¡¯s benevolent tone still carried the weight of undeniable authority, and the lizardmen were on their feet in an instant. ¡°You need not expose yourselves to danger, however I would like the most learned among you to be available to offer counsel should the need arise.¡±
The lizardmen were about to take their leave when a wraith rose from Vathec¡¯s shadow.
¡°Your Majesty. A powerful being approaches from the south. Lady Thornwhisper has assessed it to carry a strength rating of over eight thousand. It will arrive here in-¡± The wraith¡¯s report was overpowered by a booming thud from just beyond the great double doors of the great hall. ¡°Right now.¡± The wraith amended its report to state the obvious.
The presence that suddenly filled the area was nearly as imposing as Vathec¡¯s. The undead king leaned forward in anticipation. Thornwhisper possessed a unique ability, able to measure any creature based on the overall scale of its existential strength. It took account of many factors including magical power, physical strength, and even obscure things like rare or unique abilities. In terms of scale, an average mortal adventurer would carry a rating of around fifty to a few hundred. An adult dragon would typically be five hundred to a few thousand. Anything over ten thousand would be considered a legendary being, capable of destroying a country single handedly.
The double doors swung inward silently at a thought from Vathec.
¡°Tch.¡± A dissatisfied noise heralded the approaching thing. ¡°I wanted to kick those open.¡± The being entered the hall and Vathec narrowed his eyes.
It was a humanoid, too large to be human and just too small to be an ogre. It had light greenish skin and dark hair with deep purple highlights. She was female, but her body was more muscular than most male warriors. She wore little in the way of clothing. A harness which secured two exotic glowing battle axes to her back barely covered her ample breasts. A wide girdle around her muscular waist secured a long loin cloth made of blue silk that dangled to between her knees. Two scabbards also hung from her waist and held over sized scimitars. The amount of weapons may have seemed excessive, if the woman didn¡¯t also have four powerful arms which were now crossed confidently above and below her chest.
¡°He said I might find a strong undead, but a Vampire Lord?¡± She spoke up before Vathec could address her. ¡°Oh well. I¡¯m here to subjugate or exterminate you. Swear allegiance to Kutris the Worm or be wiped out.¡± She delivered the ultimatum casually.
¡°What is your name?¡± Vathec asked, a wide smile growing on his pale face.
¡°Vermillion. Third General of Kutris.¡± She gave a sarcastic curtsy as she identified herself. ¡°So what will it be?¡±
¡°Sir Mallek.¡± Vathec called. Suddenly, a death knight appeared kneeling between the two gawking lizardmen. His size and aura dwarfed the other death knights in the hall. ¡°Entertain our new guest.¡±
82: The Fallen Hero and The Queen of Sorcery
Mallek the death knight stood gracefully and turned to face the four armed intruder. His presence was bone chilling, and the lizardmen scrambled away to watch from behind one of the stone pillars.
¡°You are in no danger.¡± Vathec casually comforted them. ¡°Come and enjoy this unexpected but most welcome distraction.¡± He waved a gauntleted hand, and two beautifully carved chairs materialized next to his small throne.
With a frightened shrug to one another, the lizardmen complied, and watched in shaking anticipation as the two titanic powers faced off a few mere steps away.
Mallek drew his ancient looking greatsword, a pitted and stained thing that radiated black miasma. He began to give a stiff and antiquated salute, but a sudden and ferocious barrage from four weapons at once interrupted the ritual.
Mallek silently and easily parried the two high attacks from the axes and evaded one of the scimitars. He accepted a hit from the other scimitar and the force of it caused him to slide a few steps to the side.
¡°Is that truly all the force an oni such as yourself can muster, miss Vermillion?¡± Vathec yawned as he leaned back and threw one leg over the other. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have allowed my hopes to soar so high.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a cheeky bastard vampire.¡± Vermillion growled back as she continued her onslaught. ¡°This rusted can of bones barely qualifies as a warm up.¡±
Indeed, it seemed to be all Mallek could manage to minimize the hits he was absorbing. He was truly a marvelous swordsman, but Vermillion was confident that she would win easily. She may have to use her full strength against the vampire lord, but she remained certain that no undead would ever be a match for her.
The fight wore on for another minute, the impacts of weapon on weapon shook the stones of the hall. Then, suddenly Vermillion was victorious. Mallek¡¯s head was chopped off cleanly by a vicious horizontal swing of a battleaxe. The mighty death knight swayed for a moment, then collapsed to his knees as his helmeted head clattered to the stone in front of him.
¡°Now, what do you have to say? Prepare yourself, arrogant vampire.¡± She began to step around Mallek¡¯s still form as she spoke.
¡°Sir Mallek, Sacred Hero Knight of Albius, you are permitted to fight without restrictions. Show this pitiful creature what it means to stand against the exalted Gray¡¯s most loyal servants.¡± Vathec¡¯s command carried with it a wave of magical force that physically knocked Vermillion back several paces and made her grunt in surprise.
¡°As you command, Your Majesty.¡± A deep voice came from the severed head on the floor.
Mallek rose to his feet, and his severed head began to float and orient itself to rest in place upon his neck. Vermillion blinked and shook her head slightly. Someone new now stood behind the vampire lord that hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago. A lich? And it was no spring chicken at that, but a venerable and ancient thing with magic that plumbed the depths of the hells and the astral heavens with impunity. The only other thing in this world with that level of magic was Kutris himself.
¡°Archmagus Thornwhisper, you needn¡¯t frighten her so. Sir Mallek and mineself have been politely suppressing our energy all this time after all.¡± Vathec admonished over his shoulder.
¡°It displeases me to see a mere eight thousand rated oni act discourteously toward such an honorable man. She should be kissing the stones at his feet.¡± Thornwhisper didn¡¯t disguise her derision.
¡°Now, now. From what I can tell, eight thousand is quite a feat in this young world.¡± Vathec patted the air as if consoling someone.
¡°What...?¡± Vermillion¡¯s mind raced to keep up as a sudden blinding light flared to life from the death knight she had just defeated. ¡°The Holy Element? That¡¯s not...¡±
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When the light calmed, a majestic knight in a suit of full platinum dragonscale armor stood tall before her. He held his empty gauntleted hand high above his head.
¡°Come forth, Avenging Wrath of Albius - Guiding Light of Kings! Come forth, Holy Sword Iudicium!¡± With each word, Mallek¡¯s voice carried higher and higher and something appeared in his raised hand.
It was closer to the size of a lance, but it was unmistakably a great sword. Its blade was white obsidian, and its crossguard formed the wings of a platinum dragon rampant. This was a pinnacle weapon, the ultimate masterpiece of a divine craftsman.
Vermillion could only stare as the attention of the being she had dismissed settled upon her finally in earnest.
¡°Your Majesty, a somewhat powerful magical signature is spying through her from afar, it appears to be attempting a spell to transport her away from us.¡± Thornwhisper sounded animated and curious, causing Vathec to raise a dark brow.
¡°Lord Kutris... is rescuing me?¡± Vermillion¡¯s hope mixed with despair. That meant that even her invincible master had judged these enemies to be beyond her.
¡°I have severed the connection, though there was a bit of sophisticated interference I haven¡¯t seen before. I should like to investigate the caster.¡± Thornwhisper¡¯s casual declaration shook Vermillion far worse than anything up until this moment.
¡°Lord Kutris¡¯ Unravel skill is impossible to defeat. No magic can go against it! You¡¯re lying!¡± Vermillion screamed in denial.
¡°Then tell me, little girl.¡± Vathec spoke calmly. ¡°Why are you still here? Why is the Holy Avenger Iudicium still poised to fall upon you?¡±
The statement shocked Vermillion into silence, and then there was a flash of light followed by endless darkness.
¡°Send word to our lord and master.¡± Vathec ordered Thornwhisper as Vermillion¡¯s unconscious form was carried away by a pair of skeletons. ¡°He may have questions for that woman. You may petition lord Gray directly for permission to investigate this magic user whom has caught your interest, dear Thornwhisper. Could it be that the sorcerer queen of the elven nations has finally rekindled her passion for magic?¡±
¡°This place abounds in curiosities. What immortal whom has suffered the empty epochs could contain their excitement?¡±
¡°A sentiment I share.¡± Vathec agreed. ¡°Now go. This development warrants a personally delivered report. Do nothing to embarrass mineself nor this household, Archmagus.¡±
¡°Lord Gray, our defenses have been breached.¡± Tabula¡¯s sudden disembodied vocalization made me send a bit of the cola I was enjoying down the wrong pipe. I coughed once and got it together. It was lunch time and I had decided to eat at the tiny cafe in the interior courtyard because it was pleasant and usually not busy at all.
¡°Is it that Kutris guy already?¡± I asked, standing up.
¡°I do not believe so. This individual is manipulating EDEN directly with a disturbing level of ease and accuracy.¡± Tabula¡¯s voice was distracted, and I had never once heard her use the word disturbing. I was suddenly taking this much more seriously.
¡°Lock everything down. Where is the intruder now!?¡± I summoned my spear as I spoke, ready for a fight.
¡°This intruder is before you, my great lord and master.¡± The voice was clear and beautiful, I could have mistaken it for Kitha¡¯s transcendent voice. ¡°I, Alandrithiriel Thornwhisper have have come at the command of his Majesty, King Vathec to deliver a report.¡±
I looked down, and found the intruder on one knee with her head bowed. To my best memory Thornwhisper was a skeletal lich, but this unbearably beautiful elf dressed in deep green and gold silk robes was certainly not what I remembered. She must be using illusion magic or a transformation skill to adjust her appearance.
¡°Tab, she¡¯s one of ours.¡± I said to release the lockdown and sat back down in my delicate looking chair. I gestured at the seat across from me. ¡°Take a seat.¡±
¡°Thank you, I shall.¡± She stood, turned, and sat in a fluid motion as though it were a dance move she¡¯d been rehearsing for years. ¡°Please forgive me for approaching so brazenly. I must say that your castle is magnificently well defended.¡±
¡°Hearing that from someone that just breezed through those defenses in a few seconds makes the words sound a little sarcastic.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but reply with a twisted grin.
¡°Anti magic areas and counterspells are a specialty of mine. Defeating them is no different than holding this conversation, but I must say that I am even now struggling to maintain this form. More than a hundred thousand unique anti magic permutations per second are currently assaulting me, and each wave is more complex than the last. I¡¯ll eventually lose.¡±
¡°Tabula, relax. I told you she¡¯s one of ours.¡± I firmly said aloud.
¡°Apologies, Mr. Gray.¡± Tabula¡¯s avatar appeared and bowed. ¡°It would seem my subroutines are behaving like an autoimmune system and It¡¯s taking a moment to resolve.¡±
¡°The onslaught has abated.¡± She said to me and visibly relaxed as she turned toward Tabula. ¡°Your defenses are supremely impressive, fellow servant. Before I depart I shall share the gap which allowed my unannounced ingress so that our master¡¯s fortress may be truly impregnable.¡±
I felt an odd sense of curiosity mixed with tension between the two ladies. One undead and one android, what kind of pair could they make? It¡¯s probably for the best to keep some miles between them. I decided based on nothing more than a strong gut feeling.
¡°Tell me, what brings you here?¡± I decided to move things along.
¡°We have taken a hostile invader hostage, and require your guidance. She identified herself as Vermillion, third general of someone named Kutris. I encountered what I would call above standard anti magic when an unknown entity attempted to extract her. Such a magic user could be dangerous to the local populace, if not us directly.¡±
¡°I see, he¡¯s moving faster than expected.¡± I replied. ¡°Transfer the prisoner here. I¡¯ll also make time to meet with Vathec as soon as possible. Well done. Was there anything else?¡±
¡°His Majesty has permitted me to petition you directly. I would like to investigate this Kutris, both as a matter of regional security and my own personal curiosity.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll allow it but I insist you collaborate with my top advisors.¡± I could feel myself imitating her stiff dialect and that made me smile. Her personality was that overpowering. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Raj and Nadira to work with you on this, they already have a great deal of information on him. Kutris is a proper enemy, and not to be underestimated. Make no moves until you have support and authorization. Is that clear?¡±
¡°Perfectly, Exalted One.¡±
83: My Enemy, My Savior
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84: The Great Purge I
Far to the north of Ariel¡¯s Gate, beyond the perpetually snow capped Skytooth mountain range and deep within the trackless Ochtue tundra, a collection of nomadic tribes had put aside their old rivalries and joined together for survival. More than half of their warriors had been taken by the terrible demon in red armor, and the deep winter had not been kind to those that remained.
A council consisting of the various leadership of the remaining eleven thousand or so people huddled in a large central semi permanent yurt made of frozen blocks of mud and giant caribou hides. The nine elders and one young girl representing her bed ridden grandmother sat in a morose silence after dismissing a messenger that had come bearing more awful news.
¡°Why now, of all times?¡± A battle scarred man with leathery, tan skin whispered in a shaky voice. ¡°Have the gods not punished us enough?¡±
¡°Such words are what invite disaster in the first place.¡± Admonished a stocky woman wearing a strip of leather over her left eye. ¡°The red demon and his armies have left the land ripe for them to ravage, why would the beasts stay in their mountain holes?¡±
¡°Run south and seek aid, or stand against the horde?¡± An ancient woman leaning against the mud wall with both eyes closed cut to the chase, silencing the growing discord. A dark shafted spear leaned against the wall at her side, sporting countless notches and a vicious looking barbed tip crafted of dull yellow ivory. ¡°The seer claims the horde is ten thousand strong. We may put them down, but the losses will be terrible. The defenses we have built here will be wasted if we run, but the thought of another day of building pyres tears at my heart.¡±
¡°The south holds enemies worse than yetis and ogres.¡± Another matriarch sighed. ¡°Better to fill a beast¡¯s belly than slowly bleed our souls to nothingness as slaves.¡±
¡°Spread word of the truth.¡± The young girl finally raised her voice with surprising authority. ¡°Some will choose to flee and face the unknown, others will choose battle. Neither choice is dishonorable, and those that stay will buy time for those that retreat.¡±
¡°We must urge solidarity, young Redsnow. Your place at this council is a mere formality, keep your impulsive ideas in check.¡± This came from the scarred man that had first spoken.
¡°It is you that should mind their tongue, Freder.¡± The ancient woman growled. ¡°You have become a defeatist coward since your son was taken by the red demon. The granddaughter of the mighty Kaya Redsnow has spoken wisely, and you have no right to stifle her.¡±
The man leaped to his feet, standing tall and broad shouldered with rage contorting his bearded face. Then a realization seemed to strike him, and he visibly paled.
¡°Oh?¡± The ancient woman cracked an eye open, and a soft blue glowing line appeared between the sagging eyelids. ¡°You¡¯ve found your feet before the jug has been passed. What next, defeatist coward? You now face the same choice as our people. Flee through that door and never return to this council, or put a hand to your weapon and finish what you¡¯ve started.¡±
¡°S-She provoked me!¡± The man looked around at the stony faces and found no sympathy.
¡°Being so easily provoked is no trait of the wise.¡± The young girl spoke up, drawing a venomous glare from the standing elder. ¡°I thank you for your intervention on my behalf, great Enchantress, but my words are mine to defend.¡± The girl looked from the ancient one back to the standing man. She resolutely rose to her feet, a head shorter than the towering man. ¡°I am Elspeth Redsnow, and I declare that Freder of the Bonesplitter clan has abandoned his duty in this council. He has chosen to belittle my circumstances, rather than debate my suggestion. Now that he has been rebuked for doing so, he stands to threaten violence. It is my request that I be allowed to discipline him personally in the stead of my grandmother.¡±
¡°You should flee, defeatist.¡± The ancient woman known as the Enchantress advised with a wry grin. ¡°That girl is not what you think.¡± She added, noticing hopeful wheels turning in the man¡¯s eyes.
Freder slowly lowered his hand to the rough wooden slab which served as the meeting table, where his heavy axe rested.
A bright light from outside interrupted the tension, turning night into day for a few seconds. A terrible booming noise like thunder followed along with a gust of wind so strong that the caribou hide roof was ripped away from the council building.
Every world weary face in the camp turned their eyes to the northern sky, where a cluster of giant fireballs streaked down like meteors and erupted on the distant tundra. Each concussive explosion was as powerful as the first, and they were all forced to take what cover they could against the stinging waves of wind and force. Ringing silence and darkness finally returned after several seconds of the apocalyptic bombardment.
¡°I¡¯ll never get used to seeing that.¡± A feminine voice from overhead chimed from above the wind damaged central yurt. ¡°Everyone okay down there?¡±
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The elders were gathering themselves and looked up as the silhouette of great wings blotted out the stars above. The mysterious figure lowered slowly into view, and several gasps of shock erupted.
¡°I know I look frightening, but I¡¯m not here to hurt you.¡± Meri waved her black clawed hand as she alighted. ¡°Sorry to arrive unannounced like this, but I must deliver a message from my lord.¡±
¡°You are the Cardinal Cambion, mistress of Shadow Devils.¡± The Enchantress said uneasily after her left eye flashed with a strange light. ¡°There is one you would readily submit to? Might they be the one that destroyed the northern plain?¡±
¡°I am...?¡± Meri asked quizzically, somewhat tarnishing her mystique. She hadn¡¯t realized her little evolution came with such a title. ¡°I mean, my what a learned woman! Indeed my lord is my life, and no, that display was the work of Yugal, an ally.¡±
¡°I am familiar with a giant of that name, though such a feat of destruction is surely beyond any mere mountain giant.¡± The Enchantress shook her head, gazing to the north where the horizon still glowed with the aftermath of the fiery onslaught.
¡°He was ascended by the hand of our lord, just as i was. I shan¡¯t disclose the details. Lord Gray wishes to tell you that many of your warriors have been taken in after our defeat of the Gault Kingdom. They are acting as laborers to repair the damage they were made to do by the Red Knight. Once their indenture is complete, they will be free to return home. In the meantime, lord Gray and Ariel¡¯s gate have decided to offer our support in your time of need. All monsters and dangerous beasts in this region shall be purged over the coming days. Are there any in your number in need of urgent healing?¡±
¡°My grandmother!¡± The young Elspeth¡¯s words flew from her mouth in spite of her instinctive terror of the demon. ¡°S-she was horribly wounded by the red demon.¡±
¡°Miracles from the hells do not come cheaply.¡± The Enchantress warned the girl.
¡°Fear not.¡± Meri said. ¡°I understand your caution, but with time you will come to see that lord Gray does not care for the sensibilities of this lowly world. Lead me to your grandmother, dear.¡±
¡°Holy shit, Yugal!¡± I sputtered out loud as I choked on a sip of coffee. A massive surge of stats and experience flooded through our shared connection when he used his Widespread Destruction daily cooldown to obliterate a huge horde of monsters.
¡°It is done, my lord.¡± An unnecessary telepathic confirmation came from the titan.
¡°Great work, I could use a warning next time though.¡± I replied with a smile and shake of my head. ¡°The surge made me choke on my coffee.¡±
¡°Apologies, I shall continue northeast from here. Miss Leifa has discovered a pack of white wyverns.¡±
I gave a mental thumbs up and stored my coffee cup back in my Astral Vault and looked down at the sea of bonfires in the secluded valley below my mountain perch. Our tengu scouts had shown their tremendous value once more.
This was a gathering undeniably orchestrated by Kutris. This horde of monsters and lesser demons from the deep southern territory were obviously plotting to take over the world eater carcass and the large settlement that had taken root around it. The mining operation was finally churning out materials that surpassed even the hardest natural metals and alloys, and were able to soak up all energy (except holy energy) like a sponge. Soon those materials would be transformed into weapons and armor that surpassed anything else known to this world presently. Needless to say I wasn¡¯t about to let that be foiled by a paltry seventy-thousand enemies.
Since the competitive game to see which of us continental elites could purge the most monsters had begun, stats and experience had been pouring into me in a veritable flood from my soul branded followers. Every once in awhile, a massive surge like the one from Yugal earlier would nearly knock me off balance. I was overflowing with so much energy that I almost felt sorry for the unsuspecting horde down there, but I couldn¡¯t just stand around while my friends had all the fun.
I had also learned a new trick recently, thanks to Raj and her Mimir¡¯s Library skill. I had learned to internalize my menu system along with inventory navigation. I no longer needed to tap out commands on floating screens only visible to myself.
With a simple thought, Charon¡¯s Call appeared in my right hand. The perpetually damp, rotted shaft of the mythical weapon radiated a comfortable chill up my forearm. Another thought brought a pulsing deep blue orb into my left hand. These two items had a hidden synergy (also discovered by the now practically omniscient Dark Phoenix, Raj). My heart began to race with excitement, my skin tingled, and I just knew instinctively that I was about to witness something truly incredible.
*Used Item: Reforged Charon¡¯s Call - Spear
(Item Score 999) Skin: Default
Damage (Physical): 585
Damage (Soul): 780
Indestructible
¡°And those living souls that would dare parade themselves before the sordid god Charon shall be regarded as the most unfortunate in all of Creation.¡±
Charon¡¯s Call: Cooldown 23h:059m:59s
The haunting disembodied chorus sung by the sirens of the river Acheron began to rise, heralding the summon of the colossal Charon himself. I timed the use of the second artifact, just as Raj had instructed.
*Used Item: Core of Leviathus-Artifact
¡°Drink the Sea, Swallow the Sky.¡±
Duration: 4m:59s
Cooldown: 29d:23h:59m:59s
As a tint of aquamarine covered my field of vision, I saw the clouds form above as the shining black skeletal foot of Charon began to descend. My body grew as the primal core of water began to transform my body. Aside from the core of earth, this one caused the most drastic transformation. A second storm appeared overhead, mixing and roiling violently with Charon¡¯s. Black lightning violently cracked as the dueling storms began to spin into a maelstrom. Charon was nearly revealed, his two hundred meter tall body seemed even more fearsome since the spear had been reforged with a higher item level.
He sent his infinite seeking chains down, but now they acted as conductive wires carrying the destructive black lightning with them. Normally, they killed with suffocating friction. I saw the first links brush against the stupefied horde as they gaped at the spectacle above after being lulled into a stunned state by the Siren¡¯s song. I also gaped in horror. The lightest brush with one of those countless chains caused a bolt of arcing black electricity to explode the victim to near nothingness before chaining to several of its unfortunate allies. This... was a hellish sight, even for me.
A stream of experience and stolen stats flooded in, confusing me. Charon¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t supposed to reward me like that. Then I understood. I was stealing Charon¡¯s kills with the lightning from the storm caused by my orb. Torrential rain then began to fall in drops that could be measured in gallons, it was tinted black like the poisonous water that coated Charon himself. That rain killed slowly, and I began to feel better for the ones exploded by the lightning. The valley started to flood over the next couple minutes, but there were only a few small clumps of enemies remaining.
Charon¡¯s eyes never glowed to indicate that the second phase of his summon was ready, and he instead slowly faded out along with his black storm clouds. That was to be expected since he never absorbed any souls in the initial attack. The shallow lake of death that had suddenly formed below was unsettling in its tranquility as the Core of Leviathus effect also faded away, and the reflection of the half moon on the still water was tinted red.
85: The Great Purge II: Counterattack
¡°You¡¯re hogging them all.¡± Niiya pouted from her cross legged position atop Yugal¡¯s shoulder as they flew through the glittering night sky on the back of Frosthowl. The greatwolf¡¯s paws made audible thumps with each great leap as it loped along the frozen clouds. ¡°I want the mini dragons.¡±
¡°Wyverns...¡± Yugal corrected, but conceded the point when the girl gave his mustache a deliberate tug. ¡°Alright, I get it.¡± The titan chuckled.
The trio were tailing the flight of wyverns as the beasts fled with all their might far above the frozen tundra. They were fast natural flyers, but Frosthowl was far faster.
¡°They¡¯re descending.¡± Yugal noted, loud enough to be heard over the wind rushing past. ¡°Be ready to trap them.¡±
¡°Mm.¡± Niiya grunted determinedly. Yugal felt the barely perceptible shuffle as the cat girl stood up.
A moment later, they broke through the thick clouds. The predawn light revealed a great lake, still frozen and covered in a thin layer of drifting snow.
The ground loomed, and the silhouettes of the white wyverns were hard to distinguish against the snow covered ice. They were only a hundred meters or so from the ground when Yugal signaled Niiya, and prepared for her Domain to rush out to cover the region.
Nothing happened. Yugal began to repeat himself when he noticed something else. The clouds that carried Frosthowl had vanished. They were no longer flying, they were falling. He dismissed the wolf with a great roar, and grabbed Niiya, holding her protectively to his chest with his left arm.
¡°What¡¯s happening!?¡± Niiya¡¯s muffled voice was panicked and confused.
¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± Yugal shouted back. ¡°We can¡¯t use any spells!¡± He made a split second decision, and yanked the Greatsword of Surtr from his back, relieved to see its flames still roaring mightily. ¡°Deep breath!¡± He roared to the frightened cat girl.
He swung downward in a powerful slash, sending an arc of white hot plasma ahead of them. The ice vaporized, and Yugal fell through the thick cloud of steam before impacting the weakened ice. They punched through into the dark and frigid water below, Yugal¡¯s momentum carrying them down dozens of meters. Yugal felt himself passing out of range of the spell blocking effect and urgently used his telepathic link to inform Gray that they had fallen into a serious trap. He hoped fervently that Niiya was still conscious as his momentum carried him so deep that his great feet touched the bottom of the deep lake. He fortified his body with primal earth magic and mentally called for Cinderwyrm. His concerns for Niiya were slightly alleviated as he felt the distinct aura of her Domain flood out from her in every direction. Cinderwyrm burst through the lake bed a second later, and Yugal stood upon the serpent¡¯s snout. Yugal prepared for one more fraction of a second, and gave a firm command.
Cinderwyrm rocketed through the water, and back through the already closing hole in the ice with an earth shaking explosion. Ash poured out with them, and Yugal quickly scanned their surroundings for their yet unseen assailant.
While they were still several meters in the air atop Cinderwyrm¡¯s scaled snout, something unbelievable happened.
The lake simply vanished. They were left a hundred meters above a bed of dry silt, connected to the ground by Cinderwyrm¡¯s great serpentine body. The water and ice hadn¡¯t actually disappeared, but rather had been reduced to tiny particles which rushed up all around them to form impossibly high walls that converged in a dome above and blotted out the sky. The dome froze solid, and emanated a powerful aura as though it were a living entity.
Yugal and Niiya stared in utter shock at the spectacle. They were so overwhelmed that they both failed to notice the two figures that were suddenly levitating just above and in front of them.
¡°Ragnarok Titan and Ash Huntress.¡± A strange buzzing and metallic voice shocked Yugal and Niiya back to reality. "It seems your informant wasn''t exaggerating after all."
The speaker was a lanky humanoid covered in a shiny blue exoskeleton so dark as to be nearly black. Its face was a smooth, featureless mask. The words it spoke seemed to be vibrating from within its chest.
¡°Amazing.¡± The other man replied. He was obviously an imperial, based on his height and facial features. He wore golden plate armor and a shimmering black silken cape. ¡°That explains the northern horde¡¯s annihi-.¡±
The armored stranger was interrupted by a furious slash from Yugal¡¯s immense flaming sword, which he narrowly avoided. Unfortunately for him, the strike had been a distraction. A spray of dark blood spurted wildly from the man¡¯s neck as Niiya¡¯s obsidian claws knifed through muscle and artery like butter.
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Yugal and Niiya turned their focus away from the dying man, ready to deal with the alien enemy.
¡°Amazing.¡± The would-be dead man spoke again, in the same tone as before.
Niiya and Yugal both blinked in confusion. They were back in the spot they had been before attacking. The gold armored man was completely unharmed.
¡°What is this?¡± Yugal growled.
¡°You¡¯ll soon realize that the world is a far vaster place than you imagined.¡± The armored man replied with an easy smile. ¡°You may continue to attack me if you like, it¡¯s quite entertaining.¡±
¡°Lord Kutris, an intruder is attempting to use a spatial ability to enter my domain. Their destination appears to be the Ash Huntress, just as you predicted.¡± The alien creature interjected. The name he spoke made Yugal and Niiya start.
¡°Take him to Bl?dgard.¡± Kutris said, clearly enjoying the reaction to his name being revealed. ¡°I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±
The creature gave a slight nod, and then a blood red distortion appeared next to Niiya. She saw Gray¡¯s silhouette for a fraction of a second, and then he disappeared along with the strange being in a flash of white.
¡°Gray!¡± Niiya screamed, reaching out to the empty space where he had briefly been.
¡°He can¡¯t hear you.¡± Kutris said. ¡°On the bright side, Neferthotep¡¯s Time Lock has gone with them. You may just be able to defeat me now. I¡¯ll allow you to use all of your magic so entertain me well!¡±
Kutris waved his arm, and the great ice dome shattered. Waves of chaotic force swirled and collided all around them. All three combatants exploded into action as chunks of ice as large as buildings fell. Niiya was seemingly everywhere all at once. Twenty ash clones flew and ricocheted off of the falling ice as her Domain expanded around her. An army of flying ashen knights joined the onslaught, burying the armored man.
Kutris accepted the innumerable attacks, laughing as thousands of shallow wounds opened all over his body. From each of those wounds, tendrils of animated blood shot out, each seeking one of Niiya¡¯s minions. Each time a tendril touched an ashen minion, it froze, and a tint of crimson slowly crept over the dark ash. These crimson minions then turned against Niiya and Yugal, attacking with even more speed and ferocity than normal.
¡°I can¡¯t get them back. Break them!¡± Niiya shouted, seeing Yugal hesitate.
Yugal instantly complied. He used the skill that changed his sword into its second form, the Greataxe of Annihilation. A single swing of the ice-handled, and lava-headed axe sent out a wave of utter destruction which annihilated most of the hijacked minions. He then reversed the swing, and sent a second wave at the smirking Kutris.
¡°Delicious.¡± Kutris licked his lips as he greedily absorbed the rampaging destructive energy. ¡°More!¡± The word was deeper and more powerful than should have been possible.
Kutris began to grow then, ignoring the furious attacks of the duo. His height quickly surpassed Yugal¡¯s, and soon his feet even touched the dry lake bed far below. His head nearly scraped the clouds, and his eyes lit up like twin suns. For the first time since his death at the hands of the foul Fairy Queen, Kutris allowed his full power to rampage.
Cinderwyrm finally recovered from the stunning effect of the Time Lock spell, and coiled her great body around Kutris. More than a kilometer of her great length emerged from the ground to lock the colossal Kutris in place. It looked like an oversized python attacking a human. Kutris actually let out a small grunt of pain as Cinderwyrm snapped her immense jaws around one castle-sized shoulder.
¡°That¡¯s enough playing around.¡± The voice was so deep and powerful that it sent waves of force ripping through the area, causing avalanches in the distant mountains and clearing a wide hole in the clouds above.
Kutris reached a hand up to Cinderwyrm¡¯s head and clamped down. The serpentine body spasmed once, then went completely limp. Cinderwyrm fell into a contorted heap around the giant Kutris¡¯ feet.
Yugal flew into a rage, launching an onslaught of primal elemental magic and physical attacks. New canyons were carved into the landscape, and whole sections of earth were upended in the ensuing chaos. Through it all, Niiya flitted all around Kutris, slashing and stinging like a swarm of angry hornets.
Minutes later, Yugal and Niiya had nearly exhausted their arsenals. Niiya¡¯s Domain was little more than a few wispy shrouds of ash, and Yugal¡¯s Soul Energy was nearly depleted. Nothing seemed to hurt the monstrous Kutris, and they were getting desperate.
Kutris raised his hand high, palm up. A ball of light sparked into existence above his palm, like a tiny star struggling for life. It quickly stabilized and began to grow in size and intensity.
¡°I should thank you.¡± Kutris¡¯ voice shook the entire area once more. ¡°The hordes you extinguished returned many brands to me. Without that power I may have struggled here. I had planned to make servants of you, but it seems your power is tied to his Brand. The weak have no place in the coming age. To oblivion with yo-...¡±
Kutris trailed off in confusion as something was dropped onto his shoulder by another something that silently flew above.
Leifa flew over the unnaturally massive Kutris and hoped that Leza had found her target. They had flown furiously in this direction after feeling the terrible disturbance caused by the titanic struggle. The energy building above the titanic being¡¯s palm felt like it could level a country, and the Cambion leader hoped fervently that Leza would be able interrupt whatever it was in time.
Kutris was ready to drop the orb of destruction, and abandon this duplicate body. His main goal of trapping Gray had been executed to perfection, and he wasn¡¯t too disappointed that the Ragnarok Titan and Ash Huntress would lose their power when he killed the man. That fact also meant that destroying the upstart Gray would conveniently remove his troublesome subordinates.
Such were his thoughts when a light brighter than his own building spell glowed briefly at the corner of his vision. In spite of his absolute confidence in the safety of his main body, the word ¡®Death¡¯ flashed through Kutris¡¯ mind an instant before Null Roar engulfed his head and part of the arm holding up the annihilating sphere.
Yugal and Niiya looked up in disbelief as their vision returned a second later. Kutris¡¯ head was now a grinning skull. All of the flesh, hair and even eyes had been obliterated without a trace. The arm holding the orb of light was missing all of the flesh of its upper arm, and it was slowly collapsing.
¡°Unexpected.¡± The distorted voice came from all around them. ¡°Unacceptable.¡± It continued, a shade of anger darkening the normally cool tone.
The wounded colossus dropped down to one knee with an earth shaking crash. The orb in its hand was now flickering, but was still exuding incredible power. With unexpected speed, Kutris hurled the weakening orb directly at Yugal and Niiya before the immense body simply fell apart. The presence of Kutris vanished, yet the horrible star still fell. It streaked like a comet, too fast for them to flee in their weakened state.
Yugal acted purely on instinct and grabbed Niiya, holding her close as he turned to put his great body between her and the oncoming calamity. She pushed away and squirmed. She yelled out something, but it was too muffled for Yugal to make out. Yugal held her tightly and used the very last of his energy to encase his dear friend in a cocoon of primal earth and ice. The orb struck him in the back, and Yugal felt an agony that twisted the very foundations of his soul. The pain lasted only a moment, then came the flash as the orb exploded. Yugal offered a desperate prayer that Niiya would survive before everything went white, and then black...
86: Hellbound
Niiya tried to scream and struggle out of Yugal¡¯s grip. She knew what he was doing. He was trying to leave her, just like Tyren. Yugal might not have shared a parent with Niiya, but he was every bit as precious to her as her twin had been. Now he was going to disappear, that man was going to take him away.
¡°No!¡± She shrieked in denial, and the cocoon forming around her shattered. ¡°You can¡¯t have my brother!¡±
A surge of ash erupted out and engulfed Yugal as the edge of the sphere of annihilation touched him. She became hyper aware of the terrible state of Yugal¡¯s physical form as her skill fed her his data instantaneously. An epiphany struck her in that moment of pure desperation. It was almost as if some outside voice was guiding her, instructing her...
She followed the impulses, not seeing any other options. She created a spiritual tunnel between the giant¡¯s collapsing body and her own. As Yugal¡¯s spirit lost its purchase on its vessel, Niiya reached out with her domain and all her heart. Yugal¡¯s entire self, an existence as mighty and massive as the Ragnarok Titan himself joined Niiya¡¯s domain. A thousandth of a second later, the destructive light engulfed Niiya, and everything went white. She knew nothing for some time, then a strange sensation crept into her unconscious mind. Something was... licking her face?
¡°Mr. Yugal!¡± She screamed and sat bolt upright, as if waking from a bad dream. She looked around, desperately struggling to clear the fog from her mind and vision. A blurry blob slowly came into focus. ¡°Frosthowl..?¡±
The huge wolf¡¯s face was indeed the spitting image of Mr. Yugal¡¯s familiar, only now he was black, with glowing eyes of solid sapphire that poured dark blue smoke. A deep, challenging roar followed by a concussive boom ripped her attention away from the menacing wolf. It was then that she finally was able to process her surroundings, and her eyes and mouth both opened wide in shock and awe.
Endless rolling hills of blackened sand, each littered with corpses of every shape and size rose like islands from a sea of blood under an overcast sky where clouds of flame churned and roiled. Bodies fell from those clouds - some were screaming in terror, others fell silently as though dead.
¡°Ah!¡± A familiar voice drew her attention. ¡°You¡¯re up!¡±
It was definitely Yugal, but he had been given the same ash makeover as Frosthowl. Niiya¡¯s memories came rushing back then. She had taken him into her domain. The coal black titan casually swung his flaming sword which was an inky silhouette of its former self as he walked toward her. The shadowy flames touched the orc-like demon that had risen up to challenge Yugal. The creature¡¯s maniacal babbling was cut short as it exploded into flaming fragments that evaporated into nothingness before they could even reach the ground.
¡°Mr. Yugal... What¡¯s happening!?¡± Niiya asked, desperately touching her face to verify that this wasn¡¯t yet another terrible nightmare.
¡°We lost our battle with Kutris.¡± Yugal said, reaching a finger down for the cat girl to grab hold of. ¡°I remember a voice telling me to hold onto you, then I woke up here. You were asleep under me, and all of them were protecting this mound.¡± Yugal gestured down with a sweeping gesture toward the small army of ashen death knights and werewolves that had formed a phalanx all around them.
Anything that ventured too close was eviscerated in cold silence, and apparently a great many things had indeed ventured too close while she had been unconscious.
¡°I flew up a little ways, but I can¡¯t go very high. Those clouds are just as deadly as they look. I sent Cinderwyrm to scout further, and confirmed a few things...¡± Yugal trailed off when he noticed Niiya had disappeared and reappeared on his shoulder.
A ridiculously hard punch to the side of his cheek from a tiny fist made the titan lurch and nearly stumble. Then he felt her hug his cheek and yank his beard and mustache. Niiya was bawling.
¡°You big jerk!¡± She accused between ugly sobs. ¡°You tried to leave me behind!¡±
Yugal grimaced gently and lightly rubbed the shaking child¡¯s back with his index fingertip. It was too easy to forget because of her great power and her rapid physical development due to the Age Stasis - Prime effect, but Niiya was still very much a child.
She calmed down after a minute or so, and wiped her eyes.
¡°Know where we are?¡± Her voice was hoarse and small, almost like she was embarrassed about the outburst.
¡°We¡¯re definitely somewhere in the hells.¡± Yugal replied with bright certainty. ¡°That means we died at the hands of our enemy.¡± Yugal¡¯s voice was firm, and there was no hint of fear or despair to be found.
¡°Why do you sound happy about that!?¡± Niiya couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the juxtaposition of it all.
¡°We¡¯re in the hells with our memories, and powers intact!¡± Yugal¡¯s eyes glowed with a strange pride. ¡°That means we can go back! If the universe had deemed us unworthy, we would have either been reborn with new bodies and no memories or dispersed to Oblivion. But now, like my great ancestor Behemet we may struggle and conquer our way back through the layers. Where he chose to stay and make a kingdom here, we shall return to where we belong so that we may apologize for our failure in battle.¡±
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¡°We died... but we can get back?¡± Niiya¡¯s face screwed up. She knew that Leza and the others had made it back but had always just thought that was because they had been banished there by magic rather than actually dying.
¡°It may take a very long time, and it will be a path paved with the bones of countless foes.¡± Yugal sobered just slightly. ¡°But yes, miss Niiya. We can indeed go home!¡±
Niiya felt her own despair dissolve to be replaced by a firm resolve. She looked around at the crowds of seemingly mindless demons, and felt a tiny surge of power as yet another was cut down by one of her death knights. Mr. Yugal would never lie to her. That meant she could get back to Gray, back to EDEN and all her dear friends. If these feeble demons were all that stood in her way, then pity the hells.
Her power seemed far greater here. She had been expressing her full domain even while unconscious, a feat she never could have managed back in the living world. Every creature that threw itself into her domain simply added to it. If she sat here, she wondered if she could simply cultivate more and more power for as long as she wanted. She dismissed the thought almost instantly. Spending even a second longer in this pit of blood and sulfur than necessary was simply out of the question.
I was falling through a fractal tunnel of innumerable colors and incomprehensible geometry. Something had intercepted my Bloodwalk, and none of my spatial based skills were working which unfortunately included my Astral Vault. I couldn¡¯t sense anyone connected to me via Soulbrand, and I could only pray that Yugal and Niiya would pull through their predicament. The aura I had briefly sensed was enormous and I imagined it must have been either Kutris himself, or an extremely powerful minion.
I berated myself for underestimating my enemy, and quickly slipped into my Fallen Dominion form. Just because I had been caught didn¡¯t mean I had to make it easy for them. A few furious beats of my wings made me drift toward the fractal wall which passed by in a rainbow hued blur. This was definitely going to sting. I extended my claws and plunged both hands into the wall with a grimace. The expected pain didn¡¯t flare up, rather my claws tore long ragged furrows into the surprisingly delicate surface. It was more like cutting thick plastic than the crystal or glass I was expecting.
¡°WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING, FOOLISH APE!?¡± A panicked voice boomed through my thoughts. ¡°HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF SELF PRESERVATION!?¡±
¡°Fuck you.¡± I replied out loud.
My movement slowed drastically, and a chaotic vortex was forming in the breached tunnel. The black hooded toga that came with this form fluttered upward wildly. It was like the cabin of a commercial jet when the door flew off in the movies. I finally came to a halt and looked above me, the tears were being knitted back together seemingly on their own. Then I noticed it, a slight humanoid shaped distortion that would have been invisible had I not been staring at just the right spot.
It was desperately trying to mend the tunnel when I furiously began clawing my way back up (or what felt like up, at least) the tunnel. I reached the distortion in a microsecond, and slammed my claws into the outline with all the force I could muster. It shuddered and a surprised and agonized shriek split the air even as the atmosphere was being sucked out into the void outside of the tunnel. Whatever concealing skill it was using failed, and I got a good luck at the creature.
It was as alien as anything I had ever seen. Like literally if its head was more banana shaped, I¡¯d say it was a dead ringer for everyone¡¯s favorite Jodie Foster terrorizing space monster. My hand was currently wrist deep into its back, having punched through the extremely hard exoskeleton.
¡°Got you.¡± I said menacingly. ¡°Take me back, or I take you back. One of those options is going to be more painful than the other, I promise.¡± I sent a small wave of discordant aura flowing through the alien body and it spasmed.
¡°What has the ape got, exactly?¡± A synchronized chorus of hundreds of voices buzzed from just above, sounding like a sentient beehive.
I looked up with growing dread, and found the tunnel above was infested with exact copies of the monster I held in my hand. They crawled along the wall in a spiraling swarm that moved almost like a liquid. In an instant they were upon me. I could only use my natural weapons, and even though I sent dismembered corpses tumbling down by the dozen I was taking more wounds than I could heal with regeneration.
I abandoned the melee as I kicked off of the tunnel and angled my momentum to impact the opposite wall further down. I attacked the wall directly, leaving a massixe ¡®X¡¯ shaped tear that bled out into the void. Before the swarm could catch up, I kicked away again. The beings reacted as though the damage to the tunnel was causing them physical pain. My suspicion was growing that the tunnel and all these bastards was actually part of a single incomprehensible creature. As I attuned my senses with that in mind, I felt an all encompassing aura. It struck me then, I was inside a Domain skill.
I was enjoying the apparent suffering my attacks were causing, and I got the very distinct feeling that the type of damage my claws were inflicting was foreign to this creepy thing.
¡°If you destroy the passage, you will die.¡± The metallic chorus promised as I slashed yet another long gash in the strange material.
¡°Fuck you.¡± I repeated smugly.
Just as I was about to leap away from my handiwork yet again in my ricocheting descent, a three fingered claw as large as my entire body reached in from the void and engulfed my torso in a grip that sent dark blood spurting out of my mouth. I was then yanked out of the tunnel and into the vacuum of the void.
Things got a little discombobulated after that. I couldn¡¯t see or sense anything other than the crushing force that was pushing me closer and closer to true death. Then there was a distant sensation of movement at a terrifying velocity at the same time the pressure vanished.
Had I just been hurled like a baseball? A pinhole of light returned to my vision as a single tic of regeneration brought me back from the brink. The second tic returned my senses more fully and I came to. I was falling yet again, only now I was falling through a bright blue sky. I oriented my body, catching a glimpse of my normal hands and my lion headed cuff links.
I rotated in the air and nearly retched. I was at least two miles in the air. Below me was an endless sea of dark green forest laced with a network of wide rivers. In the distance there was a tall mountain with a peak nearly level with me. Atop it was the ruined remains of a white fortress.
I was deeply familiar with most of the continent, and this was absolutely foreign. I focused on summoning my shadow wings, and exhaled a deep sigh of relief when they appeared. My exhale turned into a sharp curse when i felt my Soul Energy plummet for every second they were active.
I was going to have to free fall until the last moments and only use my wings to soften the landing. Did I mention how much I hated flying? Well it turns out I hate skydiving even more.
¡°You ¡®lost¡¯ him?¡± Kutris growled through clenched teeth. ¡°Do elaborate.¡±
Kutris had already been in a foul mood. The premature destruction of his duplicate body had cost him a tremendous amount of energy and left a new scar on his spirit body.
¡°You failed to mention that the man was of the Dominion rank. His claws contain both the Soul and Astral elements.¡± Neferthotep replied evenly, dropping all pretense of servitude toward Kutris. ¡°As my queen was crossing the planar boundary to Bl?dgard, that monster began eviscerating her pathways. To save herself, she ejected him before we could reach the prison layer.¡±
¡°Where did that bloated nexus cockroach send him?¡± Kutris¡¯ voice dripped with venom, his insult daring the alien to challenge him.
Neferthotep leaked a bit of killing intent into his aura, but did not cross the line.
¡°He was ejected somewhere near the outer rings, likely in the Primordial Hunting Grounds.¡± The buzzing voice finally answered.
¡°Lobius.¡± Kutris spoke to an empty area of the circular stone room, and a shadowy revenant materialized. ¡°Activate the guardians of the outer rings, send the orc to lead them. Hunt down the fugitive, you may break him but DO NOT kill him.¡±
The apparition bowed silently and melted into the floor.
87: The Only Kings Pleasant Stroll
The sound of steel shod boot heels striking the hard stone in a confident cadence echoed through the deep tunnel beneath the Nameless Swamp. Vathec could move in utter silence, could remove all trace of his presence, yet he let his oppressive aura drown the tunnel and let his steps ring for all to hear. The stone walls seemed to warp and distort as he passed, and the air grew heavy and viscous. He smiled widely, happy to stretch his legs and enjoy a pleasant journey for the sake of his great master.
There was even some exotic prey that didn¡¯t immediately flee before the Only King¡¯s aura. They didn¡¯t provide any real exercise, but their novel appearance was an interesting distraction. It would be fair to call them dragonkin, Vathec decided. They resembled a centaur, but with a draconic lower half instead of the usual equine base. Their dark scaled bodies shimmered with an eerie iridescence under the dim light of the abundant luminescent fungi.
They spoke to each other in a language that even his Appraisal skill couldn¡¯t unlock, and wore enchanted trinkets and garments which spoke of a culture passed down from an age long past.
He figured Thornwhisper would likely rate them at around two thousand each on her scale of power, but given that they traveled in groups of three or more and used clever teamwork they could probably be adjusted higher.
It mattered little in either case. Vathec wouldn¡¯t even need to draw a weapon against such pitiful attacks. Strikes and spells below a certain threshold couldn¡¯t even reach his body, and any lower creatures that met his gaze were struck dead and immediately absorbed into his Household.
Dragonkin poured out of side passages and roared out valiant battlecries. Devastating breath weapons scorched the tunnels, and high tiered magic ripped in endless waves. Meanwhile, Vathec was ponderously observing the peculiar architecture and carvings, or bending down to examine some curious fungi. All before him was chaos, and all behind him the peace of the grave.
Thus was the outer prison sanctum of Andvaria, the Absence of Health and Fortune conquered for the first time. It had withstood countless adventurers, religious crusades, and even the great cataclysm of Rakashi. Vathec soon stood before a monumental sealed portal. It was crafted of mithril and platinum, and inlaid with runic arrays designed by archmages of a lost age.
Vathec looked at it with mild appreciation, and brushed his bone-white fingers over some of the runes. It was a shame that he must destroy such an elegant barrier, but his mission would not be obstructed. He rested his hand against the cold surface, and gave it a nudge. A liquid ripple spread outward from his palm like a stone thrown into a pond. The runes flared once in resistance, then the portal exploded. A stray shard of the barrier grazed the vampire king¡¯s cheek, drawing a tiny drop of black blood. The blood withdrew into the wound, which closed instantly, and Vathec grinned brightly. He would need to send in some workers to harvest that material if it could damage even his body.
He strolled past the rubble without further delay, finding a short hallway leading to a large domed chamber. It was perhaps thirty meters across, the walls and floor were covered with sealing runic arrays similar to those on the portal.
He felt a presence at the center of the room, and focused his attention. So here was the object of his quest - a female child in a ragged white dress with her face hidden by her pale knees, which she hugged with tiny arms. Thick black hair grew so long that it sat in lustrous piles all around her. She was crying softly, a sound that moved even the cold stone heart of the Only King.
As Vathec took a step over the first concentric rune circle on the floor, she lifted her face to look in his direction. The countenance was mostly human, save for the small obsidian scales covering her pronounced cheekbones and gaunt cheeks.
¡°W-who... are... is-is it?¡± She struggled to speak, probably the first words she had uttered in centuries. ¡°Back... if close... sick... die.¡±
¡°Fear not, little one.¡± Vathec¡¯s voice was benevolent. ¡°Your power cannot harm one such as mineself.¡± He walked calmly right up to her, and sat down on the floor across from her.
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¡°You... aren¡¯t sick?¡± Her bloodshot eyes widened, and Vathec couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the brilliance of those orbs. Each iris was ablaze with greenish yellow light, and the void-black pupils were vertical slits. She must have been a pariah from birth, likely enduring countless execution attempts by mortal zealots.
¡°This old one remains unchanging, forevermore.¡± Vathec assured her.
¡°That¡¯s... good. Church sent you... to kill? They tried... but... can¡¯t die. Wish... could die. Alone. Hurts. Too long...¡± Vathec¡¯s grim assumptions proved true, and he felt disgust mix with sadness in his mind.
¡°I shan¡¯t destroy you, little one.¡± Vathec rebuffed her as his eyes began to glow a bright red.
He focused his magical sight on the rampaging and discordant energies within the girl¡¯s body. It was something supernatural to the sensibilities of this world - an aspect spirit in the vague shape of a dragon. It was a concept that raged against life itself, spontaneously creating malignant cancers and widespread pestilence. It could even tamper with probability, inviting disaster where none would normally occur.
Such powers were typically reserved for lifeforms representing local deities or higher. This was the heart of the Nameless Swamp, and the true cause of the twisted and tainted environment for so many miles around. Such a thing might interfere with his master¡¯s plans if left to its own devices, so Vathec made a decision.
¡°You needn¡¯t be alone or in pain any longer, little one.¡± He stood, and reached a hand down to her. ¡°Merely take my hand, and I shall welcome you into my family. Haven¡¯t you always wanted a family?¡±
¡°Family...¡± She could barely be heard, and she looked up at Vathec with tears rimming her viper eyes. ¡°Papa?¡±
¡°You may indeed think of mineself as thine father.¡± He nodded with a growing smile. ¡°What is thy name, little one?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t... remember.¡± She said hesitantly.
¡°My master said the one I would find here was known as Andvaria. How dost thee fancy the name ¡®Andria¡¯?¡±
¡°An...dria.¡± She repeated, then smiled. ¡°Good.¡±
¡°Very well.¡± Vathec said, reaching out to take the girl¡¯s hand once more. She reached out slowly, nervous about touching another person for the first time that she could remember.
The instant her skin touched his, Vathec¡¯s consciousness went to war. Like a champion carrying her favor into battle, Vathec set out to subdue the delinquent dragon aspect.
It was a mighty lifeforce. Vathec hadn¡¯t yet met its equal in this world aside from his own master or himself. It sought to unravel him, to force discordant motes of pure rot to spring up within his soul. It was an admirable struggle, and this creature¡¯s power would surely be rated in the tens of thousands. Unfortunately for the beast, this world was immature, and Vathec was a terrible old monster on the scales of the universe. If Andvaria was a fragment of an apocalypse, Vathec was its woeful entirety.
The rampaging aspect of disease and misfortune was overwhelmed, buried under the weight of the entire dead world which Vathec had destroyed and stolen away within himself. He seized the discordant energy which had been wracking the girl with unrelenting agony for an eternity, swallowing it like a like a morsel of bitter gristle. Try as it might, the essence of the chaotic aspect Andvaria could never be anything more than an impotent drop in the bottomless well that was the Only King¡¯s inner world.
¡°That should feel better.¡± Vathec said, patting her head. ¡°Thou hast been a very brave girl to endure that unruly little spirit for so long. Once it¡¯s learned some manners I shall reunite the two of you.¡±
¡°No more... hurt..?¡± Andria, free of the hellish pain for the first time opened her eyes. Her voice was cautious, and skeptical. She moved her arms and touched her own face, tears of unfathomable relief welling in her eyes. ¡°Papa... no more hurt!¡± The little girl jumped, easily launching herself into Vathec¡¯s armored chest.
How could this just suddenly happen? She had given up on ever seeing the light of day. She could not die, and could not live. It was simply her fate to exist in pain and darkness forever. She had accepted that after so many years, and yet this person had simply marched in and granted her every long forgotten wish.
With a swipe of his free hand, Vathec sent a wave of dark crimson energy across the runic arrays. Their effects failed, and Andria was well and truly free to leave. He moved to let her down so that she could walk out with him, but her grip tightened around his neck.
¡°Alright then, but just until we reach the surface.¡± He gave in and began to walk.
The Only King carried Andria all the way back to their castle. She had fallen into a deep sleep in his arms as he walked through the tunnels, and he did not have it in him to wake her. She probably hadn¡¯t had any proper sleep in thousands of years.
¡°I see we have gained a new family member.¡± Thornwhisper¡¯s disembodied voice greeted him as he gently laid the girl down in one of the guest rooms prepared for travelers or other allies. ¡°Even without the spirit aspect, she is quite strong. With training, she may surpass sir Mallek.¡±
¡°We shall take it slow.¡± Vathec spoke to the empty air. ¡°She delayed her childhood for thousands of years, it¡¯s past time for her to indulge in some proper coddling.¡±
¡°As you wish, my king.¡± Thornwhisper acknowledged. ¡°Perhaps this would be more suitable.¡±
A wave of illusion magic spread across the room, covering the walls in soft and delightful pastel colors. Fluffy pillows knitted themselves from nothingness on the feather bed, and lavish carpets appeared on the stone floor. The skeletal attendant by the door transformed into a young chambermaid with bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks, with sandy brown hair done up in a neat bun.
¡°This appearance will carry a passive maintenance cost of two hundred and ninety four Soul Energy per hour. Operations won¡¯t be impacted, and our net passive Household Regeneration rate will be adjusted to four thousand, six hundred and twenty-two Soul Energy per hour. Is that acceptable?¡± Thornwhisper¡¯s reporting was as thorough as ever.
¡°It is.¡± Vathec gave the sleeping child one last look before exiting the daintily decorated room.
88: Bl?dgard
With a simple command, a pane of purple mist appeared before Raj. She was truly resplendent, wreathed in dark purple flames that did not emit heat, but rather hummed with barely contained arcane power. Her wings, even tucked by her sides, were glorious. Each feather was dark and iridescent, and any light that touched them created a gorgeous purple sheen.
Such were Sapphire¡¯s observations as the Almiraj woman waited patiently behind the Dark Phoenix as she completed the spell. She was not alone in her admiration of the elegant and effortless display of power.
To her left stood Nadira the recently liberated djinn. The timeless and unfathomable being emitted the same deep and foreboding aura as always from beneath her plain, black, and hooded robe. Two sparks of dark blue light could be seen within the deep shadows of the hood, just hinting at the cosmic energy contained within her.
On her right stood the mysterious and beautiful elf named Thornwhisper. Sapphire knew little about the woman other than the fact that she had been included into their most inner circle by lord Gray himself. Thornwhisper emitted no aura whatsoever, and Sapphire found that to be more disturbing than anything. Beyond that, Sapphire was enchanted by the woman. Her demeanor was intensely regal, nothing short of a queen could manage a posture and expression like that. The emerald gown she wore was of the finest and most exotic silk, and clung to her like ivy overtaking a castle wall.
Sapphire, a woman that worked near the top of this booming nation, felt like a little girl in the company of these three in spite of her own considerable power. She held the reigns of this nation¡¯s economy, was capable of freely transmuting the very elemental building blocks of existence, and could duplicate objects from the mundane to the mythical for a pittance of Soul Energy.
¡°This way.¡± Raj¡¯s raspy voice snapped her to attention.
The Dark Phoenix disappeared into the wall of purple mist, and Sapphire followed along with Nadira and Thornwhisper.
The three ladies were the first to view this fabled place, aside from the librarian herself of course. Their faces were stoic and serious as they entered with the weight and worry of their current mission bearing down on them. However, none could maintain their impassive facade here for long. Sapphire, Nadira, and Thornwhisper all involuntarily and slowly craned their necks to look up in unison as though it had been rehearsed.
Mimir¡¯s Library, a vast dimensional vault containing the accumulated knowledge of its namesake sprawled endlessly around them. Shelves that reached up beyond sight extended for hundreds of meters in every direction. The sky was the black of a spilled ink pot, and the floor matched it perfectly. The only light here came from the tomes themselves, and yet it was far from a dark place. Nor was it uncomfortable. Sapphire had the distinct feeling that the danger of this place, was that centuries might be lost in study with no concept of any time actually passing. It was a labyrinth of pure knowledge, and only the librarian could navigate it.
¡°I have already gathered a list of tomes and any scraps of information I could find about the location.¡± Raj spoke softly, but any sound traveled almost too well in this hushed place. ¡°I have prepared a place for us to work.¡±
She guided the small group to a clearing in the maze of shelves, where a fine oak table with four chairs were neatly staged. Stacks of blank parchment for taking notes along with place settings for tea, and some delicious looking pastries and biscuits were also set out. Today¡¯s war was of the quill, and Raj was an unmatched general on that battlefield.
¡°So, to confirm what we already know.¡± Nadira¡¯s clear voice held a hint of hesitation. She seemed to be resonating uncomfortably with the energy of the library. ¡°Leza¡¯s report suggests that lord Gray was waylayed by the Nexus Queen herself. Neferthotep the Brood Herald''s presence can leave little doubt of that.¡±
¡°Who is the Nexus Queen?¡± Thornwhisper asked, showing not a hint of hesitation or embarrassment. ¡°I am new to this world, so I¡¯ll ask that you indulge my ignorance.¡± Sapphire was glad the elf woman asked the question she had been about to ask herself.
¡°She is the living inter-dimensional vehicle, and brood-mother of a race of marauders and mercenaries known to us as astral locusts. As a collective, their existence is a threat equal to an entire hostile world.¡± Raj gave the explanation as Nadira nodded along in confirmation. ¡°There are hints to be found in history which suggest that the astral locusts have colluded with Kutris, and act as gatekeepers between Bl?dgard and the mortal world.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard some conflicting things about Bl?dgard.¡± Sapphire spoke up. ¡°Is it not merely the large labyrinth beneath the sands of Rakashi?¡±
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¡°There exists a portal there, within that mortal maze.¡± Nadira answered. ¡°Bl?dgard actually refers to the realm of the Shattered God, Polemios the Spirit of Conflict. It was once a place reserved for those beings that outgrew the mortal world, where transcendent warriors of all species might continue to hunt and cultivate their power long after they had outgrown mortality. The very air of that realm echoes with primordial conflict, and stirs the blood of any being with a lust for battle. Now it serves as the private playground of the one who betrayed the old god and usurped him - Kutris the Worm.¡±
I could feel the blood leaking into my lungs as I took a ragged breath. It was a horrible sensation, but it passed after a few seconds. I sat flat on my ass in the moist undergrowth as the innumerable wounds on my body slowly closed. Dragonflies the size of my forearm zipped past my head, sounding like little remote controlled helicopters. It was darker than I expected. Unlike the forests back home, every scrap of vegetation was willing to fight hard for sunlight and the canopy was a deep tangle that light could barely fight its way through. Ferns as large and sprawling as oak trees crowded between the sky scraper sized tree trunks, and in the shadow of the ferns grew a thick carpet of clover, moss, and mushrooms with bright red caps. The smell of unbridled life mixed with the cloying scent of decay. Throaty growls and primal roars echoed from unknown distances all around me. These features were mostly lost to the background as I stared blankly at the corpse of the thing responsible for my terrible state, still trying to wrap my head around it.
¡°A goddamn goblin.¡± I said it out loud for the fifth time, hoping it would sound less crazy this time.
There was no mistaking it. Wiry limbs, big ears, green skin, long nose, sharp teeth, pot belly. It was just clearly a damn goblin. The only fundamental truth about goblins it betrayed was that it hadn¡¯t been a weakling, or even close to it.
It had been like tangling with a badger on PCP. This one goblin had pushed my limits as much as Ogrun or even Typhon. Even in death, the little psycho gripped its two bone daggers with white knuckles. Those things had punched right through my mythic grade armor and turned my poor organs into pincushions. The freakiest thing? The smile still plastered on its dead mug.
I was just standing up, still reeling when I heard a leaf crunch behind me. I turned, and my heart sank to my feet. Four goblins, dressed just like the first little bastard filtered out of the undergrowth and the moment they saw me their eyes lit up like they were kids on Christmas morning.
I gripped Charon¡¯s Call; the shaft of the spear was already gummy with the blood of both my enemy and myself. A tingle crawled up my spine and spread across my chest and shoulders. I felt my lips pull back, exposing my teeth somewhere between a snarl and a smile. How long had it been since I felt that thrill? The time I finally took a swing at the old man? It was like a splash of cold water, and it reminded me of something I had long forgotten.
¡°I fucking love this...¡± It was something I had never really wanted to admit to myself, and it felt as though a pair of heavy shackles fell away from my arms and legs. ¡°I really LOVE this.¡± The goblins cocked their heads curiously, and actually halted their advance for a moment at my words.
Yes, that¡¯s right. The biggest lie I had ever told myself was that I was the kind of guy that craved peace and quiet. I turned into a slug on earth, not because of some bullshit injury, but because I was terminally bored. Wrestling was a tease. Even dabbling in mixed martial arts had been more of a pointless game of ''win but keep the other guy safe''. Here, dancing on the edge of the blade separating life and death, I was truly free to be myself. My true, and utterly violent self.
Everything seemed to slow down as I embraced the rush of adrenaline and the sheer thrill of the coming dance. They were coming in as fast as any enemy I had dealt with before. I allowed instinct to guide my aim as I hurled my spear with full strength at the leading goblin.
The goblin was clearly going to dodge the weapon, and I clamped my grip down on the last inch of the shaft, stopping it before it could fly. I swung the spear by the butt in a wide arc, making the goblins stutter in their charge. I then turned as I let the spear continue to sweep back around toward my own neck. It stopped with the middle of the shaft resting on my left shoulder. I completed my turn, disguising a vicious thrust with my body, and felt the satisfying resistance of the spearhead punching through a goblin sternum. It died instantly, and Charon¡¯s Call hungrily drank in the goblin¡¯s Soul energy. The spear vibrated, as if in pleasure.
The other three goblins showed no care for their fallen comrade as a dagger stabbed savagely into my back just above my right hip. I growled and stabbed the butt of my spear into the armpit of the attacking goblin. It grunted in pain, but only drove the weapon deeper up into my back, nicking a kidney and sending a fresh wave of burning agony coursing through me.
I released my right hand grip on my spear and growled in pain. I ignored the stabbing pain and took advantage of the tenacious goblin¡¯s unwillingness to give up on his attack. I made to throw a punch, but the goblin reacted like Ogrun, aiming to bite my fist. I opened my hand in mid swing, extending the long claw of my thumb to stab the nasty creature in the eye. My thumb sank into the eye socket all the way to the knuckle, and I was finally rewarded with a shriek of pain as the goblin thrashed and let go of the dagger buried in my back. It stabbed with the other weapon over and over in a frenzy, leaving several more deep punctures in my torso.
I ignored the pain, and the strikes grew weaker. Finally the goblin went limp. I held onto the corpse by digging my four remaining claws into its scalp. I then swung the body to intercept another incoming dagger, catching it with the neck of my new meat shield. Shockingly, the goblin savagely ripped the blade across, decapitating its former ally.
I leaped back and the remaining two goblins faced off with me. I was dripping blood from a score of deep wounds, and they were still relatively uninjured. I took it as a compliment that the excitement had somewhat drained from their expressions.
I spat a bit of blood and resisted the urge to summon a potion. It was a waste, and I didn¡¯t want to tip my hand any more than necessary to anything that might be spying on the fight. The fact that I could use my inventory was comforting, but all of my teleportation abilities were still locked. These thoughts were fleeting, and I saw the goblins come to a decision. One rushed at me, while the other darted into the undergrowth. One was stalling me, the other was going to warn its friends.
Now that the shock of their unexpected strength and ferocity had passed, this remaining single goblin didn¡¯t have any new cards to play. I still took a few painful stabs and lost two fingers to a vicious bite, but the win was mine. I Quickly gathered the bone daggers and stashed them. By the time I set off in the opposite direction from the fleeing goblin, my lost digits had regenerated and I moved through the forest MUCH more carefully than before.
My goal was the mountain top ruin I had spied during my fall. It was the only landmark, and I hoped there would be some hints about this dumpster-fire situation.
89: Confused and Lost
Ra¡¯gut the goblin sped through the forest, yellow eyes darting all around. His brothers were killed? It wasn¡¯t possible! They were hunters for the legendary White Fangs - the mightiest tribe of goblins, ascended to divinity by Polemios himself. Even if they were occasionally defeated by some great enemy here, they could always be resurrected by Great Ug¡¯gut a short time later.
That monstrous being had killed their very essence, and snuffed out their souls. No, that wasn¡¯t right either. He hadn¡¯t simply snuffed them out. He stole them, and added them to that barely perceptible cloud of misery and discord that spread from the monster¡¯s body like miasma.
The feeling it had given Ra¡¯gut was familiar, he soon realized as his adrenaline and terror began to calm. In his youth, there had once been a persistent sensation of primal danger across this world, like a great bear watching from just beyond the campfire¡¯s edge. Great Ug¡¯gut had called it the ¡®Gaze of Polemios¡¯. It was the aura of Bl?dgard¡¯s true master, once felt throughout the entire plane.
Ra¡¯gut shook the notion from his mind, it couldn¡¯t possibly be the same being. The god had vanished so very long ago. Even if He had returned, He would never grace such a lowly hunting ground to prey on ones so feeble as Ra¡¯gut¡¯s kind. Still, the familiar sensation nagged at him as he made his way back to his village.
He breathed a bit easier as the familiar thatched roofing and smoke from cooking fires appeared through the dense foliage ahead. Great Ug¡¯gut would know what to do. There was a foreboding silence in the village. Normally the whelps would be running wild, fighting each other and upsetting the elders as the latter weaved baskets or scraped hides. Four thousand goblins called this sprawling village within the dense forest home, and they all seemed to be taking shelter in their tents and burrows. The gears in Ra¡¯gut¡¯s mind were turning, and his steps faltered just a bit. Had they been wrong to attack him? He shook the feeling, of course not! They were the mighty White Fangs, feared by all! To trespass in this sacred land was to become prey. Confidence restored, he loped quickly toward the village center.
The huge tent compound of Great Ug¡¯gut soon loomed ahead, built all around the largest tree in the region, with many levels reaching up into its boughs. He sped on, their benevolent ruler would surely offer him hope!
The shaman queen¡¯s staff cracked into Ra¡¯gut¡¯s skull a few minutes later. The goblin fighter scampered back, cowering before the trembling ruler as blood poured down one side of his face.
He had never seen the normally serene Ug¡¯gut so furious. Her unnaturally beautiful features were twisted in outrage, and it was all directed at poor Ra¡¯gut. She was tall, nearing five full feet compared to the usual three foot height of the of the typical goblin. Her thick, rust colored mane of hair reached her lower back and her body was sleek and muscular. Her outfit was scant - little more than a few strips of the choicest pelts embellished with polished bone beads. A necklace bearing a black talon the length of a dagger completed her ensemble. Her smooth skin was the vibrant green of oxidized copper, and her eyes were the color of yellow flames. He had never imagined the features he had so admired for his entire life could inspire such terror.
She could barely force the words past her sharp white teeth, sounding more like a hissing mountain cat than the dignified ruler that she was.
¡°You... ATTACKED him!?¡± The question had become a sort of chant with the frequency she shouted it, and the lashing staff had accompanied every recital. ¡°Even the whelps sensed his return and knew to properly cower in their dens! But you, our sharpest warriors ATTACKED him!?¡± The staff flashed again, cracking the bone of Ra¡¯gut¡¯s forearm as he tried to block.
¡°But it... H-he was small as an orc! To trespass beyond the Bone Wall is to become White Fangs¡¯ prey! Polemios is big as the mountains, Great Ug¡¯gut says so herself...¡± Ra¡¯gut stammered his excuses, and trailed off as he noticed the gold fires in Great Ug¡¯gut¡¯s eyes flare even brighter.
¡°Small as an orc?¡± Her whisper was calm, but somehow more menacing than her previous tirade. ¡°His death aura fills this tent. It spreads to the ogre¡¯s valley, and into the mountains where the red wyrm even now stirs after ten thousand years of slumber. How can my own descendants be so blind? The trees shiver, the beetles dig deep, the wolves tuck their tails and stifle their howls...¡± Ug¡¯gut¡¯s voice cracked a tiny bit, then rose into a familiar shriek. ¡°And you ATTACKED him!¡± She raised her staff once more, but slowly lowered it. The rage on her face melted into a look of disgust at the cowering Ra¡¯gut. ¡°So be it. I shall have to beg His forgiveness personally. Begone from my sight.¡±
Ug¡¯gut was left alone a moment later. Ancient memories percolated through her thoughts, drawing her back to the events that had brought her to the bountiful realm of Bl?dgard.
On that day, more than one million goblin slaves had fallen to the Al¡¯miraj during the uprising in the mortal world. Ug¡¯gut and four hundred other slain goblins had awoken here, in the shade of this tree. She had met Polemios then, his presence towering over the primordial treetops.
Impressed by their valiant struggle, he invited them to live and hunt in this vibrant realm. She and one hundred other goblins accepted the invitation, and forsook the goblin god Bauchan to stay here. Together they established the White Fangs tribe, so named for the daggers carved from the femurs of their wretched Al¡¯miraj masters. Polemios had praised them for having ¡®guts¡¯ in standing against such overwhelming enemies. Because of that, every single White Fangs goblin carried the name Gut to this day.
The death aura of the distant ruler of Bl?dgard caressed her skin as she wandered through her old memories, and the thought of standing in the presence of its source for the first time since the Ascension of White Fangs made her stomach tie itself into knots.
If only there was some way she could be of use to him, and perhaps lessen the wrath he was sure to unleash upon her ungrateful tribe.
I was confused, but not about to complain when no other enemies showed up during my journey toward the distant mountain. I could sense strong auras in every direction, but they seemed to be going to great lengths to not cross my path.
It was hard to gauge how much time was passing. The day and night cycle seemed to be way longer than what I was used to. It felt like four hours or so had passed since my fight with the goblins, but the sun had only moved a tiny bit. I climbed quickly through some steep, craggy foothills by leaping from place to place with very limited assistance from my wings. I made sure to stay topped off on Soul Energy as much as possible just in case I ran into something stronger than the local murder muppets.
I left the treeline below, and was soon forced to use my claws to climb the sheer faces of the mountains leading to my target. As usual, the big mountain was actually way further away than I originally estimated. It was also several times the size. I reached the summit of its tallest neighbor, and craned my neck back. Even though I was higher in elevation than any mountain I had climbed on earth, it was only about half the height of the big one.
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I decided to risk depleting my Soul Energy by flying up several hundred meters, and then gliding to land as high as possible on my target. After a couple quick hops and a neck crack I was sufficiently psyched up, and I crouched low.
I focused all of my natural strength into my bunched legs, and jumped as explosively as possible. Even after all this time, my mind still had a tough time processing the speed at which the landscape shrank below me. It¡¯s sort of like zooming out from the street view of Google Earth a few clicks over the course of a second.
I didn¡¯t even need to flap my wings (not like I was too scared and forgot or anything). I broke through the tops of the cloud cover and forgot my terror for a moment as my rapid climb slowed to a momentary stop. I had nearly matched the peak of the big mountain, the white marble ruins were much larger than I originally thought from my earlier perspective. It was actually a full scale monastery or fortress with a crumbling dome roof.
I didn¡¯t want to waste any precious altitude, so I summoned a Soul Energy potion to each hand. I didn¡¯t carry many of these on me as normally my base regeneration rate made the things largely pointless. Based on that, I had recently given most of them over to Sapphire for duplication and to serve as rewards for Adventurers.
My wings allowed for almost horizontal gliding, which drained Soul Energy at a fast but manageable rate (chugging a potion every eight seconds). Conversely, a single wing beat to regain altitude drained a horrifying amount of energy (I¡¯m talking about half of my total Soul Energy), so I just accepted the fact that I¡¯d be in for a climb after landing.
I was still gliding through the thick clouds when an enormous shadow ripped past me on the left from behind. There had been no discernible presence, a trait I had learned to associate with either the incredibly weak or the monstrously powerful. Given the situation, I assumed the latter. I didn¡¯t need to wonder about the disposition of whatever it was, as a web of blue lightning crackled through the clouds. It struck me several times, but the Energy Nullification effect of my cloak absorbed most of the damage.
I retracted my wings as the flash faded, feigning a fall. A second later, I broke through the bottom of the clouds. I was close to my object mountain. As it stood now I would land a third of the way up even with a straight drop. My new friend took the bait, and I wasn¡¯t really surprised when the huge head of an old blue dragon appeared from the grey clouds, followed by close to a hundred meters of azure scaled bulk. I resisted the impulse to use Appraisal. Soul Energy was too precious at the moment.
¡°Come on...¡± I urged in a soft whisper. ¡°Eat the free snack, no need to use... Goddammit.¡± I swore when the dragon pulled up short, with an enormous magic circle appearing in front of its battle-scarred snout.
Hundreds of tornadoes, each capable of shredding every trailer park in Kansas suddenly formed in a massive area all around me. This was a rare gap in my defenses. Wind was a troublesome damage type along with Sonic that somehow skated right between the Physical Nullification of my chest armor and the Energy Nullification of my cloak. Even basic spells like Wind Blade could be a problem if cast by a strong magic user.
Given that each of these tornadoes were essentially made up of hundreds of thousands of max tier Wind Blade vortexes, I was in pretty deep shit.
Obviously, I was forced to drop the ¡®helplessly stunned¡¯ act. I thought about throwing Charon¡¯s Call, but abandoned the idea immediately. There was no way of knowing if the spear¡¯s return function would work in this Spatial Magic free place. My next best option was literally a long shot. I summoned The Gorgon, my oversized dark matter rail rifle. The last time I used this thing, a damage reflection effect had literally turned me into flying Gray soup.
The sixty second charge timer began, and I angled my body into a steep dive toward the most tornado free area. The ancient blue dragon was all too happy to let me struggle meaninglessly, simply calling down another wall of deadly twisters directly in my path. I invented a few new colorful dirty word combinations as my skin sprouted hundreds of bloody cuts, straight through my still pristine suit. It was a weird effect - blood was pouring out of my pant legs and sleeves without a single drop staining my clothes. As for how it felt? Ever spontaneously had a full body papercut? Can¡¯t say I recommend it.
As awful as it felt, I was somewhat relieved to realize my regeneration could almost keep up. I could tolerate the tornado for a good forty seconds without needing to chug a healing potion. I noticed another thing as well, and the plan it sparked in my mind made me hate myself for even thinking about it. The tornadoes carried me up insanely fast. That would take the pressure off my Soul Energy at the cost of absolute agony.
I bit my already bloody lip and kept counting in my head as I tumbled up through the vortex. The Death Storm effect typically had a duration of twenty seconds, but if it was cast by a Boss (and all signs pointed to that being the case) then it could last over a minute. My hands were little more than bloody bone, and I imagined the rest of me didn¡¯t look any better under my suit when I finally heard the high pitched sustained tone from my weapon. It was barely discernible over the roar of wind and blood rushing through the disfigured bloody lumps that were once my ears. My vision was a red blur, like trying to see through thick stained glass.
The world went deafeningly silent as the dragon¡¯s spell suddenly ended. I locked my returning sight onto the enormous body, blocking out everything else. It was casting another spell, but that didn¡¯t matter. I leveled The Gorgon, and squeezed the trigger.
Predictably, a concentrated, many layered barrier formed in front of the dragon¡¯s head and chest. It could probably even deflect a shot from The Gorgon, and its vitals were all but invulnerable behind that wall. Unfortunately for the dragon, I didn¡¯t give a shit about its vitals while we were fighting in the sky.
There was no sound as the dragon¡¯s right wing suddenly exploded at the large joint nearest where it connected to its body. Then came the deafening boom, followed by a sucking wind as the atmosphere itself tried to right itself after the devastating projectile approached reality tearing speeds.
The silence was broken by a horrible shriek, and the dragon spun and tumbled toward the mountainside below. Blood sprayed wildly in an oddly beautiful spiraling cascade. I finally let out a sigh, but didn¡¯t take my eyes off the falling dragon. That wouldn¡¯t be enough to finish it off, and nobody could hold a grudge like those scaly pricks. I followed in a controlled fall.
My body was healing rapidly, and I equipped Grief Reaper as I continued to descend. I had yet to meet a dragon that didn¡¯t also have a strong regenerative power. The death scythe¡¯s Festering Wounds effect was about to cheese through yet another absurdly tough enemy.
The bulky beast impacted a wide ledge, sending a shockwave of energy and a plume of dust flying in all directions. I spotted a flash from within the plume, and jerked reflexively to dodge a blade of storm energy which was a combination of electricity and wind. It was a new trick in terms of what I had seen blue dragons pull, meaning this was likely an evolved beast. That was a passing thought as I saw something falling beside me, but drifting away slowly. It was my bare left arm, severed just above the elbow. I didn''t feel any pain at first, the cut was too clean. My intact sleeve fluttered in the wind, with more dark blood flying from the end like an unattended hose.
I grunted and groaned as I was forced to unequip Grief Reaper in order to take out one of my more precious consumables. I landed as the green crystal vial appeared in my remaining hand. My arm would regenerate naturally, but I was honestly just sick of being in pain at this point. I downed the potion and prepared myself to dodge another attack. Instead, a voice cut through the still settling dust.
¡°Too many sins.¡± The dragon''s voice was gravelly and deep, carrying like thunder. ¡°Deserter, Pretender, Failure. It is either the Deserter and Failure, or pretending to be the Deserter and Failure. No matter which, I can only give it pain and death.¡±
¡°Its titles are actually just Confused and Lost. I don¡¯t know who the fuck you are or where I am.¡± I retorted, flexing my freshly regrown fingers.
¡°Tell that to my stolen brood! You swore to protect them, to protect US.¡± The dragon¡¯s voice carried such genuine pain that it gave me pause.
¡°Who do you think I am?¡± I asked, still holding my defensive posture.
¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡± The dragon snorted, almost sounding amused. ¡°That¡¯s good. You can die confused and helpless, just like my children!¡±
I shook the mysteries away, and focused on the things I could actually understand. The shadow loomed suddenly larger as the dragon launched itself at me. I raised Grief Reaper and prepared for the final showdown...
A strange slicing sound interrupted the moment, and the football field sized body collapsed instantly. Its head, roughly as large as a light truck rolled to a stop a few yards ahead of me. One blazing blue eye focused on me in madness and hatred for a few seconds before glossing over in death.
Just as I was trying to process what in the name of Ariel had just happened, something small and green with a huge mane of thick red hair was kneeling in front of me. A goblin? No way. She was, for lack of a better description, way too damn hot even by human standards to be a goblin.
¡°Please forgive this wretched goblin for interfering in your battle, and for disgracing the precious name Ug''gut that you blessed me with.¡± My face was a blank mask, too paralyzed by confusion for any expression. ¡°That lowly beast dared to threaten you, an insult I could not suffer in silence. I have also berated and beaten the goblin that dared to survive attacking you.¡±
That answered one question, and raised about a thousand new ones. In the end I just rubbed my head and decided to do my best at playing along. I absolutely did not want to fight this thing. She was obviously crazy dangerous.
¡°Your actions have pleased me greatly.¡± I tried to match the serious tone. ¡°Your loyalty is noted, arise Ug¡¯gut.¡±
¡°Such words...¡± A tear streaked down her elegant cheekbone. ¡°Please, allow this insignificant Ug¡¯gut to serve you once more. The White Fangs are at your command, my great god Polemios.¡±
Oh, that guy again? Maybe Ogrun was actually onto something after all.
90: A Most Peculiar Orc
A warm breeze flowed gently through the golden grass that grew as tall as an ogre beneath the pure blue sky. It shifted and shimmered like ocean waves all around a solitary hill, which rose like a tiny island from the lapping waves of divine grass. Upon that humble hill, a weathered pole of ancient ironwood jutted at an ever so slight angle, overtaken by green vines adorned with budding white flowers.
A close observer would note that the weathered pole adorned in flowering vines was no mere pole at all. It was in fact a terrible weapon, a legendary thing suitable for cleaving objects not normally susceptible to being cleaved. It could be defined as neither great-axe nor halberd, but some unwieldy combination of the two which would be utterly useless in the hands of any but the unreasonably powerful. Leaning against that terrible sleeping weapon adorned in white flowered vines upon the humble hill surrounded by an ocean of golden grass, was a most peculiar orc.
He did not appear old, nor did he appear very young. He had entered this ageless realm in the prime of his life, and thus his body persisted as it had been on that day. He was short for a high orc, just under eight feet in height. The tusks that jutted from his severely featured face were still white and sharp. His thick, dark red hair was waist length and worn in a braided topknot. His skin was olive green, or had been at his birth. Now that natural skin tone had been mostly overtaken by the chalky pinkish color of the innumerable scars running over his body as though painted on by an artist caught in the throes of possession.
His body, wickedly scarred yet never knowing defeat in battle had once been a source of pride. Now, it meant nothing. Like the priceless gauntlets, girdle, and pauldrons that had once been the great treasures of his nation meant nothing. They now lay scattered and half buried in the fertile soil around him. Like the mound upon which he sat, filled with the bones of countless great foes and fertilized by their divine flesh meant nothing. Like the once desolate plain, now vibrant after centuries of irrigation by immortal blood meant nothing. The impossible size of the conquest all around him mirrored the size of the chasm in his soul.
He had been a good orc, perhaps the best there ever was or would ever be. He fought. He won. But in the end, he could not save his friend. Worse, he was now an unwilling servant of his comrade¡¯s murderer. The vile worm could not spare the energy it took to issue commands properly to him, and the orc was quick to twist the meaning of any given orders to thwart and spite the wretched Kutris at every turn. This caused him great agony, but the orc relished the pain, knowing it signaled his personal victory, no matter how minor. He had simply found a hollow solace in childish defiance.
Even now, the pain twisted and raged throughout his being as he resisted yet another call delivered by the incorporeal butler. The Revenant swirled around him like acrid smoke, repeating the same orders over and over. Each time the orc ignored them, the pain grew more fierce and the orc¡¯s face only grew more serene.
Soon wetness poured from the orc¡¯s ears and eyes as blood vessels burst one by one. Kutris must be desperate to risk the orc¡¯s body to this degree. Perhaps he was desperate enough to overstep the punishment and kill the orc. The thought was not displeasing. He was prepared to finally shed his immortal coil once and for all when the words that he had been ignoring out of spite finally registered.
¡°An enemy has penetrated Bl?dgard, you are to rally the Guardians of the Third and Fourth Rings and hunt them down.¡± The ghostly voice was barely concealing its anxiety now.
¡°Where?¡± The orc grunted sleepily, finally opening one blood red eye.
¡°Beyond the Fourth Ring. Likely the Primordial Hunting Grounds. They must NOT be allowed to encounter the heretic goblin under any circumstances, and you must NOT kill them. They are to be subdued and brought to Lord Kutris immediately.¡± The tinder-dry voice grated.
¡°An enemy broke in from the outer rings¡?¡± The orc was incredulous. ¡°Sounds interesting.¡±
The orc stood, and put a hand on his buried weapon.
¡°Wake up, sleepy head.¡± He spoke to the weapon gently, as if it was his own child. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
He hefted the oversized thing effortlessly, even though it weighed more than a small castle. The orc then tilted his head back and closed his eyes, allowing the scents and distant auras on the air to tell him their story. He took a step, and miles flashed by in an indecipherable blur.
The edge of his domain, where the second ring of Bl?dgard met the third soon appeared before him. This was the domain of Orithrim, the Mountain Swallowing the Sky. He was the father of Behemet, the hero ancestor of all giantkin, and the one to lead his people to freedom from the titan Zurg.
The deity of giants was trapped in the same situation as the orc with one major difference. Orithrim had thrown his loyalty behind Kutris to save his own skin, where the orc had resisted down to the last. He could never forgive the giant, and spat upon the dirt of Orithrim¡¯s domain the moment he stepped over the border where stone met grass.
The orc felt dozens of hateful gazes upon him as he traversed the dark crags and leaped across bottomless canyons. A crag wyrm snaked its head out reflexively as he passed a narrow canyon. It was a fearless beast, unable to comprehend that anything might be able to resist its ambush. It died in ignorance, sent back to the wheel of reincarnation before it could register that its skull had been cleanly split by a lazy afterthought of a slash from the monstrous polearm.
Orithrim and his kin allowed such vermin to populate their ring, even breeding stronger varieties to populate the wilds for their hunting pleasure, though they took great care to avoid these areas near to the orc¡¯s ring and they took even greater care in avoiding the Bone Wall, which marked the border of Ug¡¯gut¡¯s territory.
Ug¡¯gut, the high priestess. The orc let his thoughts ponder on the mighty goblin ruler. She was an enemy that no other guardian dared tangle with. She alone had resisted the will of Kutris, and retained her divine power after the fall of Polemios, the orc¡¯s only true friend. She guarded the coveted great tree in the Primordial Hunting Grounds, and had never known defeat. The orc respected her, but also seethed in envy at her success where he had ultimately failed.
No other beasts rose up to threaten the orc as he made his way toward the massive volcano in the center of Orithrim¡¯s ring. He passed by villages of ogres and hill giants, the peasantry of the giantkin hierarchy. They toiled in flooded fields, sowing and harvesting Soul Energy laden grains that would eventually become the liquor that fueled the endless feast in Orithrim¡¯s red castle. The giantkin gave him a wide berth, even the heavily armored mountain giant platoons left their patrol routes to suddenly ¡®investigate¡¯ something far off the road as he passed. The orc rolled his red eyes derisively, and soon the waist high steps at the foot of the great volcano appeared before him.
Eight thousand such steps wrapped around and zig-zagged up the treacherous faces of the majestic dark volcano, and at their end a mighty courtyard was carved within the slumbering caldera. Upon that courtyard lay Orithrim¡¯s castle. It was a testament to the grandiose ambitions of the giant deity. The dark red walls glowed with raw power, each block packed with Soul Energy and humming like a tuning fork. There were hundreds of rooms, each large enough to contain a mansion from the mortal world. It all reeked of weakness to the orc, pointless gaudy decoration to gird Orithrim against the indelible shame of his past.
He met no resistance, and the giants standing guard before the great hall¡¯s doors merely uncrossed their tree trunk spears and stood at rigid attention.
¡°Your hands are shaking, ¡®honor¡¯ guards.¡± The orc spat verbal venom, unable to hold his tongue at the sight of such cowards.
¡°Welcome, Orfan!¡± A landslide voice boomed from the distant end of the hall. A mortal orc would need to travel several minutes to reach the enormous throne where that voice originated. ¡°It has been too long since your last visit!¡±
¡°You know why I have come, bloated king of cowards.¡± The orc retorted, disgusted by hearing his own name spoken by the mound of jiggling flesh seated upon the throne. ¡°You have half a day to muster what forces you will and meet me beyond the Bone Wall. I go now to gather the dragon.¡±
¡°You presume that I would bear such insults in silence!?¡± Orithrim bellowed, undulating to his feet with astonishing speed.
The stones of the castle shook, and Orfan smiled in grim disgust as the giant traitorous king appeared fully under the magical light of the great chandelier. He was thrice the height of a normal mountain giant and at least seven times the weight. His pale flesh was marred by stretch marks as thick as Orfan¡¯s arm and his breath came in blasts of hot, ale-soaked wind strong enough to knock down a cottage with their force. Three great, stone cracking bounds brought him right before Orfan, and he towered over the orc with his fat hands balled into fists that could easily split this volcano with a single blow.
¡°I don¡¯t believe that you could do anything at all in silence, bloated coward.¡± Orfan was undaunted. ¡°The days when you might have been a threat to me are ancient history.¡± Orfan held out his hand slowly, revealing a handful of what looked like several coarse black wires. ¡°You dropped these.¡±
Orithrim¡¯s greyish green eyes widened beneath their heavy lids. He slowly brought a hand up to his right eye, and felt the missing lashes there. He hadn¡¯t seen a thing at all. His overtaxed heart suddenly shifted gears, from hammering in fury to pounding in fear.
Orfan¡¯s aura receded along with the sound of his mocking laughter. Orithrim clenched his teeth so hard that they began to crack, wanting nothing more than to see the arrogant orc¡¯s innards hanging from his fingers like the thick grain flour noodles he so loved to slurp.
Orfan took a bit of pleasure in the enraged growls of the gluttonous king as he left the castle. He didn¡¯t bother with the carved steps on the way down, opting to simply leap off of the volcano in the direction of the great primeval mountain range belonging to his final subordinate in this mission, the oldest red dragon and Kutris¡¯ favorite pet. F¨¹ren the Cataclysm was the apex and personification of all red dragon traits, from his power to his vanity. Unlike Orithrim, the dragon would absolutely fight to the death over even the slightest insult.
That was fine. Unlike the traitorous Orithrim, F¨¹ren was not a coward or a betrayer. He had always been fearless and valiant, but loyal to Kutris. That certainly made him an enemy, and Orfan could at least respect an honest enemy.
91: [WERE BACK] Orc VS. Divine Dragon
I examined the massive corpse of the decapitated blue dragon, wishing loot functioned as it did back in EG. With a simple prompt I could harvest the scales, leather, meat, claws, teeth, horns, and a few select organs from it. With a sigh, I lamented the loss of the loot and decided to move on.
¡°With your permission, my lord.¡± Ug¡¯gut spoke up. ¡°Allow this lowly goblin to disassemble this prey for you. Your splendor shouldn¡¯t be tarnished by the blood of such a weak and vulgar dragon.¡±
I nodded slowly, wondering if I was dealing with yet another talented mind reader. X¡¯lyssa was enough. That thought made me wonder how my overfiend girlfriend was doing. A peculiar sound jarred me back to the present, and I watched in growing awe of Ug¡¯gut¡¯s skill.
She used an enchanted bone dagger first, sticking it into the gaping hole of the carotid artery in the dragon¡¯s neck. The corpse seemed to shrink slightly, as if deflating as the exposed dagger hilt began to glow a brighter shade of red.
¡°Did your dagger seriously just drain all of its blood that fast?¡± I asked, taking a cross legged seat on the ground to watch the rest of the process.
¡°Indeed!¡± She replied, beaming as she yanked the dagger out and holding it high. ¡°Bound with the spirit of an emperor lamprey, makes meat tasty.¡±
She then began furiously peeling up the dragon¡¯s palm sized scales, working from the neck backward. It look less than ten minutes, and an enormous pile accumulated. Next, she skinned the dragon in four sections and laid the hide out flat on the ground. She harvested the heart, liver, and the bowling ball sized blue core that still sparked with electricity.
What now remained was a skinned carcass, ready for butchering. She then carved the remaining carcass into four enormous quarters. It was all impressive, but I still wasn¡¯t sure how most of this could even be transported. I could carry a decent amount in my inventory, but that would still leave a small mountain of extremely valuable materials. I was about to raise this point when Ug¡¯gut then withdrew two stones carved roughly into a humanoid shape from a pouch. She threw them onto the ground where they shattered.
I recognized them as summoning stones for earth elementals, but was not prepared for what actually answered that summons. Twin colossi rose from the stone of the mountain, each more than thirty meters tall and built like a stocky dwarf. Multicolored crystal formations jutted randomly from their granite bodies as they stood silently awaiting commands.
¡°Carry the meat back to camp, and return with the gatherers for the rest.¡± She said casually with a dismissive shooing motion.
¡°Yes, great Ug¡¯gut!¡± They responded in unison with the volume of an avalanche.
The elementals methodically hoisted a dragon carcass quarter over each shoulder and melted back into the stone, meat and all.
My eyebrows shot up higher. To my knowledge only Archon class earth elementals with power on par with a local deity could transport anything aside from their own bodies through the plane of earth. Abilities like that were simply too overpowered, given that the elemental could abandon you in the transition and leave you to a guaranteed death by suffocation and/or crushing.
¡°I¡¯ll take the core, organs, and claws now. Wouldn¡¯t want a scavenger making off with ¡®em.¡± I said. The items disappeared into my inventory and Ug¡¯gut looked on in admiration.
¡°A spatial artifact that size!?¡± She chirped with sparkling wide eyes.
It was my turn to grin, feeling a strange happiness at the utterly sincere admiration in her tone. That wasn¡¯t all. A nagging sensation of familiarity was growing in my mind. I felt completely at ease around this extremely dangerous goblina, as though I had known her all my life. I decided to trust my instincts, and that also meant trusting in this dangerous stranger.
¡°Ug¡¯gut.¡± I began, leveling my gaze with hers. ¡°I am a different man than the one you remember. All of my memories come from another world, where I lived and died as a mortal. I came here, and it seems that in a former life I was indeed named Polemios, or at least inherited his looks and some type of aura that can only be seen by a few very sensitive or strong people. I know almost nothing beyond that. I ended up here by blind chance, or maybe a meddling goddess had something to do with it.¡± I spilled the beans, and made a mental note to have a serious discussion with Ariel.
¡°Oh, that again.¡± Ug¡¯gut barely reacted as she turned away to look at a far distant plain beyond the edge of the jungle. ¡°My lord always says that. Said you needed a big vacation after the last war. Leave Ug¡¯gut big mess.¡± There was a tiny hint of exasperation in her voice and her manner of speaking seemed to slip into the more simplistic style of goblins for a moment. It was sorta cute, like one of my old Earth friends after her family from Atlanta visited.
Before I could reply, her expression changed and she tilted her head back to sniff at the air.
I curiously inhaled, trying to get a hint of what she was smelling. Nope. Nothing but rainforest.
¡°The orc and the giant have crossed the Bone Wall.¡± She looked back at me expectantly. ¡°They travel toward the red dragon¡¯s lair. Shall I bring my lord their heads?¡±
¡°For now.¡± I shook my head and tried to sort my thoughts. ¡°Tell me everything you can about Polemios, about the version of me that you knew.¡±
Orfan paused, causing the long line of giants and ogres marching quickly and stealthily (for giants and ogres) behind him to do the same. He ignored the grunts and snarls as they bumped into each other. His dark olive colored skin tingled as his stomach fell. She was watching him. Ug¡¯gut the Unscarred was watching him. The fact that his warrior¡¯s intuition picked up on that fact at all told him that she wanted him to know. Orfan crinkled his brow. She wasn¡¯t attacking?
Orfan¡¯s mind raced ahead, traveling a thousand scenarios and discarding all but one in a split second.
¡°She encountered the intruder before us.¡± Orfan growled to himself, then raised his voice, abandoning all preposterous notions of stealth. ¡°Onward! We make for the lair of the Cataclysm with all haste.¡± Orfan then broke into a run, not caring if the peons behind him could keep up.
The landscape grew desolate as he reached the edge of the goblin territory. He once again found himself approaching the infamous Bone Wall. It wasn¡¯t much of a barrier, at least not physically. It was a simple line of piled bones no taller than Orfan¡¯s knee which encircled the entire vast rainforest controlled by the White Fangs goblins. What the wall represented, was the fate of billions of unfortunate beings that had trespassed within the territory. It was the edge of Ug¡¯gut¡¯s influence, where her power inexplicably remained unchanged even though the god granting those powers had fallen long ago.
Stolen story; please report.
He crossed the barrier, and let out a sigh. An ignorant observer would be quite confused by his relief. For as the orc warrior left behind the lush and inviting forest, he approached the most treacherous landscape in all of Bl?dgard. Black mountains so jagged that they looked like broken glass stabbed into the sky as though attacking the noxious clouds of sulfur that hung oppressively over the lifeless terrain. The only color to be found was in the endless streams of bubbling lava flowing down from the many enormous volcanoes.
A feeling of danger pressed in from all around Orfan. The auras of seventy-seven dragons, each one considered venerable in the mortal world assaulted him. The ogres and giants that followed him stopped as though they had hit an invisible barrier, and indeed they had. The aura of one dragon in particular could stop the hearts of any unworthy being that strayed too near.
A thousand steps passed by as Orfan walked easily, as though passing through a tranquil field of flowers. He could sense each individual dragon, studying him from the sharp peaks hidden in the dull ochre colored clouds.
Those dragons would not move against him. As the lesser giants and ogres could not physically approach the dragons for the fear that shackled them, so could the lesser dragons not approach Orfan when he expressed his full strength, and indeed Orfan was now expressing his full strength.
A cool alabaster aura clung tightly to his severely chiseled frame. White footprints were left in his wake, with smoky tendrils emanating from them as they slowly faded out. He walked across rivers of roiling lava without hesitation. The molten rock solidified instantly beneath his feet, robbed of all the volatile excitement that made it flow.
Orfan entered the deep canyon gouged into the foot of the largest volcano. It was a long lake of pure lava, and a spring of power sacred to the red dragons. He knew what it meant for a non dragon to enter that space, and smiled grimly as a roar that split the sky and shook the earth shattered the moment.
The roar banished the noxious clouds instantly, revealing the obsidian peaks, and the many dragons proudly roosting all around them like glittering figurines of carved ruby. Before Orfan, and high in the sky, the source of that unearthly keen was slowly rising into view from where it rested atop the rim of the highest caldera. A figure that defied the imagination rose up, spreading its wings and slowly leaning forward.
Orfan¡¯s memories did not do the beast justice. It was fire and pride incarnate, the manifested concept of the red dragon species crystallized to its most pure form. Its wings blotted out the sky and cast a light of their own, bathing the desolate land in the red glow of a brilliant sunset.
Dark red scales, deeper than an ocean of blood covered the dragon known as the Cataclysm. Each scale was akin to a legendary kite shield in both shape and strength, layered over one another to create a living impregnable fortress. The sheer size of its body next to its brethren was a great tiger among house cats. The maw of the divine dragon could carelessly bite the top from a mountain without so much as chipping one of the two hundred and twenty six giant serrated swords that served as its wicked teeth. F¨¹ren the Cataclysm was a living natural disaster, able to end a civilization on a whim, and carried itself with absolute confidence in that fact.
F¨¹ren glared with open malevolence, twin spotlights of damnation falling over Orfan. The impossibly huge beast then fell forward, heat exploding from beneath its wings. As it glided along the steep slope, stone cracked and exploded under the unbelievable heat and pressure emitted by the wings and giving the dragon lift. A wave of destruction preceded the Cataclysm, an avalanche of flame and obliteration that traveled faster than sound. F¨¹ren impacted the lake of lava, sending a tsunami of molten stone twenty meters high rushing toward Orfan. It could have been considered an attack, and a horrific one at that. However, between these two timeless aspects of conflict it was little more than a cordial greeting.
Orfan didn¡¯t even break his calm stride as the shockwave and subsequent wave of lava crashed over him. He seized a droplet of lava from the air casually as the onslaught passed, cooling it in his palm and rolling it like warm dough to form an obsidian needle. He casually brought the sharp thing to his mouth, and picked a stubborn bit of meat from between his bottom right tusk and the tooth next to it. He spit the bit out where it sizzled and disappeared into the reforming lake beneath his feet. A growl, low and supernatural sounded from the dragon who now stood submerged up to its great haunches unbothered in the lake of lava. More than unbothered, the beast¡¯s aura was growing exponentially more fierce as it bathed in the elemental destruction.
No words were exchanged, and none would be. The nature of these two, and the meaning of this meeting was already perfectly clear. All fell still, as if the universe itself dared not intrude as the two titans faced off. A calm monument of cool light and a pure edifice of barely restrained annihilation stood with only the waves of distorting heat as proof that time still marched on.
The dragon knew it was being called on by the only being it acknowledged as a worthy master. It was as loyal to that master as any supremely prideful red dragon deity could be, which meant¡
F¨¹ren exploded forward with speed that should have been absolutely impossible, parting the lava in such a way that a massive glowing tunnel instantly formed between them. The dragon¡¯s sudden proximity was an attack in and of itself. Even without physically touching it, the presence attacked the essence of everything around it, seeking to dominate and unravel Orfan¡¯s fundamental existence. This was a passive effect, and a minor inconvenience compared to the swiping claw capable of erasing a fortress that blurred toward Orfan¡¯s body.
Orfan shifted subtly, centering his being as he turned toward the incoming attack. He did not bring his weapon to bare, but held up the index and middle finger of his left hand to intercept the clawed hand that meant to engulf him. He coated those fingers in pristine white aura so thick that it flowed like wet paint. The moment his fingertips brushed the scaled palm (which was larger than his whole body), a large perfect hole appeared. Bone, muscle, flesh, blood, and scales vanished in less than a blink. The dragon¡¯s incomplete hand passed harmlessly around Orfan as though he had opened a convenient door to step through.
A hiss like an erupting geyser came from the dragon as it felt true pain for the first time in ages. Orfan turned his head without moving his body, looking at the injured beast from the corner of his eye. The wound was already closing, lines of molten energy knitting the flesh back together in seconds.
F¨¹ren growled once again, the sound rising and falling in a peculiar cadence. The dragon was chuckling, and its maw contorted into a wicked grin. The corner of Orfan¡¯s own lips tugged. He had very nearly forgotten the simple joy of a friendly spar.
The seventy six spectating dragons sensed a shift in the air. They simultaneously and abruptly leaped from their respective roosts, scattering away like a flock of disturbed pigeons. Then, in the next instant, the entire region exploded.
For a long moment, all was white and silent. The clash as the two met displaced every bit of matter, light, and shadow within fifty meters. A furious melee ensued. From a distance, it seemed that the dragon was battling a tiny mote of light that streaked around the beast like an angry will o¡¯ wisp. Spells that wrung reality out like a wet dish rag were lobbed as casually as a normal mage might launch a bolt of flame. The landscape was reformed in moments.
Broken dragon teeth and scales clattered to the ground alongside huge drops of magmatic blood which then began to undulate back toward the dragon¡¯s body like homing slimes.
Throughout the savage exchange, Orfan never once swung his weapon. That fact was infuriating to the dragon. For a being on the cusp of divinity like it to be looked down on by a mere orc? It was unforgivable.
¡°Damned GNAT!¡± The first words of the battle boomed from the dragon¡¯s maw. BURN!¡±
A great inhalation followed, and Orfan smiled. He landed in front of the dragon, facing away from the inordinate amount of destruction building within the beast¡¯s chest. He slowly turned, and held his arms out wide in invitation. The breath of F¨¹ren was one of the wonders of the universe, and the mighty orc seemed ready to take it head on.
The dragon narrowed his eyes as the power within him built to critical mass. No matter what defenses were prepared, his breath could not be resisted. It was impossible. He would erase the arrogant orc, and assume his rightful role as ruler of the ring guardians.
As the beam of destruction that could punch a whole to a planet¡¯s core began to burst forth, Orfan enacted his own unique power. It was a shadow of its former self, one he could only use sparingly, but necessary to yank the prideful dragon back in line. It was the parting gift of the god Polemios himself, one he would joyously return if he ever again saw his dear friend.
¡°Domain: Timeless Nightmare.¡± The three words immediately bled all color from the world around Orfan as time ground to a near halt.
He looked at the dragon, its eyes had closed tightly as it unleashed its breath. He sighed. Even divine dragons shared that particular weakness, just like sharks closing their eyes to bite. The beam of destruction had slowed to a near stop, not even the absolute power of a god could fully halt such an attack.
Orfan stomped the ground, causing the scattered teeth and scales around him to pop into the air before the domain arrested their movement. Anything he interacted with intentionally would move with near normal time, and drag to a halt when he left it alone. He quickly but meticulously arranged the scales in the air as the beam drew closer. Sweat appeared on his brow as his Soul Energy drained away at an accelerating rate. He then stepped back to his original spot, pasted a grin on his face, and canceled the domain.
Time resumed, and a flurry of afterimages flashed into existence. F¨¹ren cracked his eyes open, sensing something strange. His breath weapon struck his own floating scales, the only material in all of existence capable of deflecting the unique energy. The beam fractured into countless beams like light passing through a prism. Several of those beams went on to hit other scales in an instant, and before the dragon could begin to react, three errant beams struck him in the face, blinding but not damaging.
He reeled back, using all of his other keen senses to try and locate the suddenly missing orc. A sudden explosion of force on the back of the dragon¡¯s skull sent its face into the stone. It tried to instantly raise its head back up, but beyond all comprehension the weight that held its head down was irresistible.
Orfan had finally used his weapon. Its name was Little Sister, the Weight of Love and Loss. When Orfan willed it, the weapon could weigh an incomprehensible amount. Right now, the head of the weapon could alter the flow of an ocean¡¯s tide. The divine dragon was strong, but everything had its limits.
¡°Ready to listen?¡± Orfan calmly asked from his perch on the dragon¡¯s unwillingly prostrated head.
An abrupt shift in the dragon¡¯s aura was his answer. Orfan hopped off and turned to face the rising draconic titan.
¡°I¡¯ll yield for now, ringmaster.¡± The dragon¡¯s demeanor was earnest. ¡°Why have you appeared?¡±
¡°We¡¯re going hunting within the Bone Wall.¡± Orfan noticed the dragon¡¯s great pupils shrink as its eyes widened in remembered trauma. The look quickly passed and the beast merely nodded.
92: A Dreaded Revelation
Un¡¯hana stared at the report she held in her elegant hands. There was no need to read it, she had memorized the contents hours ago after the first glance. Three of her cities had fallen into total chaos following a coordinated uprising of the Unpure servant class.
The mortals had employed devious methods to inflict maximum carnage among the Pure. A poison with unprecedented properties was served at a massive banquet, harmless to the mortal tasters but able to kill any with divine ancestry in mere minutes. Courtesans were stabbing the throats of their masters as they slept with enchanted spikes able to pierce through the normally impervious demi-gods¡¯ skin. Those spikes were also coated in that same wicked poison. Fear was gripping her domain, and calls for a full purge of every Unpure being were rising rapidly.
Luckily, the machine god Ahura-Guru had quickly responded, lending her a huge number of his constructs to quell the chaos. Those golems of his were truly impervious to toxins of any kind, and nearly rivaled the combat capability of the lower echelons of the Pure. Beyond that, they numbered in the tens of thousands.
The goddess of water and air frowned intensely, her mind processing faster than any mortal could imagine. None of it made sense. No organic or natural mineral poison could affect any Pure being to her expansive knowledge. Beyond that, every Pure citizen in her domain was able to use cleansing magic innately. She concluded that a higher power was behind the uprising, but whom? She immediately discarded Ogrun as a suspect. He was a buffoon, certainly. However, he was also honorable and would never go such a roundabout way to pick a fight with her.
She cycled through the list of suspects in her mind, and a moment later her eyes popped open wider. A growing realization was developing in the pit of her stomach when her head butler announced himself at the door to her spacious office. He was perfect in figure like most Pure, and among the most skilled fighters in the Empire. His clothes were immaculate. The creases in his black slacks were sharp enough to cut a steak, and he wore a tightly buttoned dark blue silk vest over a pristine white collared shirt. His facial features were sharp enough to appear crystalline, and his dark mustache was robust and curled up at the corners. Like the other ladies of the palace, Un¡¯hana had been a little dismayed to learn the man¡¯s preferences didn¡¯t include women.
¡°The sample you requested, my lady.¡± He reached out with a white gloved hand that held a glass vial containing dark red blood. ¡°Blood from one of the victims of the Banquet.¡±
She nodded and with a beckoning gesture, the vial left the man¡¯s hand and floated to her own. She had already thoroughly tested samples of the food and wine served, and found them to be clean. A thought sent her Soul Energy into the vial, and gave her mind a clear picture. She resisted the sudden urge to shatter the vial in her fist, and gritted her teeth instead. Her stoic butler took a long elegant step backward, recognizing the sudden mask of fury on the goddess¡¯ face.
In the blood sample, tiny things invisible to the naked eye were hard at work. They used the traces of iron and rich Soul Energy of the Pure blood to create copies of themselves. The design of the microscopic constructs was consistent with only one being. These were unmistakably built by Ahura-Guru, the god she had so carelessly invited into the most vulnerable parts of her domain in her reckless urgency to quell the Unpure uprising.
Her rage cooled as rapidly as it formed, turning as cold and deep as the oceans she ruled.
¡°Get word to every single myrmidon and council member. The machine god has betrayed us, the constructs sent to aid us are enemy forces.¡±
The butler turned on his heel and swiftly made to leave. After a single step toward the door, a strange hexagonal pattern suddenly formed, floating in the air behind him. It looked like a honeycomb formed of lines of energy, and it steamed violently as the man¡¯s blood evaporated away in a flash. It was in that moment that her most trusted and competent subordinate simply fell apart into a gruesome pile of hexagonal pieces.
¡°Unfortunate.¡± The unnatural voice was comprised of many synthetic tones, all at once harmonious and unsettling. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my automated defense matrix perceived him as a threat. It¡¯s a compliment in a way.¡±
Her enemy revealed himself then, stepping through a plane of faintly shimmering air. Ahura-Guru¡¯s silver metallic body was a masterpiece mosaic of artifice and magic. Tiny, runed panels shifted with every movement as millions of tiny mechanisms and gears operated with perfect synchronicity.
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¡°Why?¡± Un¡¯hana¡¯s voice was cold and angry, but not hurt. She had buried enough traitors to fill a lake in her very long life, and one more would hardly leave a scar.
¡°Logic, of course.¡± The mechanical being replied casually. ¡°Your resources are being used inefficiently. I need that big smitten crab of yours to help wreck this world enough to trigger our dear mother¡¯s involvement. Once we kill her, the dimensional locks will break and we can go home. You see Un¡¯hana, I just really miss my things. So be a good girl, get captured, and we¡¯ll be home before you know it.¡±
¡°Your mind must have finally succumbed to rust.¡± Un¡¯hana smiled grimly as her eyes began to glow, and her body began to levitate. ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten something very basic here. I am much stronger than you.¡± The glass walls and ceiling of the chamber shattered and were sucked up into the now violently churning sky.
Billions of drops of water slashed through the air, empowered by the water goddess to be razor sharp. Ahura¡¯s body was riddled with holes in the blink of an eye, and he collapsed in a sparking heap next to the butler¡¯s still steaming remains. Un¡¯hana stared derisively at the destroyed body, how could such an intelligent being underestimate her so badly?
¡°Indeed.¡± Ahura¡¯s voice sounded from her right, causing her to leap back and turn at the ready.
¡°No¡¡± Un¡¯hana voiced her denial weakly. ¡°This can¡¯t be.¡±
She now faced thousands of Ahuras, identical to the one she had just destroyed. What bothered her still more was what she sensed mingled into the bodies of the god¡¯s many duplicates. Traces of agony, confusion, and despair reached out from the spirits within those artificial tombs.
¡°My people¡ that poison wasn¡¯t killing them.¡± Her eyes widened in horror. ¡°It was turning them into¡ you.¡±
¡°For none us could ever be so cruel...¡± Ahura voiced from the single body at the front of the endless legion before all of the duplicates voiced in a perfect choir to finish. ¡°¡As ALL of us.¡±
Un¡¯hana was aghast, but far from defeated. Her teeth flashed in a snarl as she voiced an incantation in the primordial language of magic, no longer caring about collateral damage.
The air itself began to vibrate, sympathetic to the raging emotions of the goddess. The seas all around her island capital surged with erratic swells thousands of feet high.
Ice crystals formed from nothingness as Un¡¯hana ripped the ambient energy from the rampaging elements around her. Greater elemental spirits of water and air cried out in voices of typhoons and thunderclaps. She would make this entire region disappear and rebuild it from scratch if she must.
¡°Vanish, Ahura.¡± She growled as the power built to a terrifying crescendo.
¡°What a beautiful spell.¡± A new voice broke in as she released the cataclysmic energy. ¡°It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t watch its effects play out.¡±
Un¡¯hana watched with growing disbelief as the rampaging energy was unraveled to its most basic components, and devoured by the man whom had just appeared in front of her. Shocked though she was, Un¡¯hana didn¡¯t hesitate. She lashed out at the new enemy with a blade of water and rapidly vibrating air.
The blade was caught and dissipated by yet another newcomer, and Un¡¯hana finally felt true despair. A one winged spirit, a dryad of unmistakable identity had intercepted her attack. Her heart ached for the spirit, a being she held deep reverence for. She wasn¡¯t surprised when the spirit¡¯s counterpart revealed itself next. The twin spirits were inseparable after all. She could sense their feelings. Rage and shame at their own forced actions hit Un¡¯hana like a gut punch from her moronic ex-husband. That thought inspired another unwelcome feeling. She actually wished the big jerk was here.
¡°What wicked time and place is this? To see such innocent little spirits twisted by the machinations of selfish bastards like these.¡± A tear streaked down her cheek, at the senseless loss of so very much life and at the perversion of the sacred for such a wretched purpose.
¡°Spoken like one that sees their world through the eye of a needle.¡± The man that had absorbed her magic talked down to her.
¡°I see much through this needle¡¯s eye. Kutris the Worm, I presume?¡± The goddess spat back. ¡°You will soon fall into a world of agony beyond what even a goddess like me can fathom.¡±
¡°You put a great deal of your Soul Energy into that curse, my fair lady.¡± Kutris rubbed his index finger and his thumb together as though feeling the air. ¡°You did indeed cause my fate to distort a bit.¡± He smiled brightly, then continued. ¡°But you know what they say. When casting your curse, remember to dig two graves.¡±
Un¡¯hana grimly began to gather more energy, ready to fight to the bitter end. She manifested twin blades of water and air, only for them to fizzle away as the great dryads begin to sing a mournful yet gentle song. She felt a sudden heaviness in her mind, and her eyelids. As a goddess, the compulsion to sleep was an alien feeling. She fought valiantly, but she didn¡¯t have the strength. Nearly all of her worshipers were dead, all but a few scattered to the wind.
As her consciousness drifted away, an image of a young girl appeared for a brief, clear moment. She was a prodigy, not even her direct Pure descendants had resonated with her divine energy so well as the Unpure girl known as Trasana. Un¡¯hana focused on the thin and rapidly shrinking thread of energy linking her to the wayward high priestess.
¡°In my own name¡¡± She struggled to whisper. ¡°Un¡¯hana beloved by the Water and Air.¡± She took a final deep breath. ¡°I bequeath the title of Saint Myrmidon, and my remaining power.¡± Agony followed by emptiness washed over her as the last vestiges of her great power flooded through the soul corridor between her and her last hope.
¡°Stop her!¡± Ahura¡¯s legion of voices shrieked as Un¡¯hana completed her spell and collapsed unconscious.
¡°I cannot.¡± Kutris lamented, looking at the thread of energy insulated by a magic power that far exceeded his own. ¡°Ariel has intervened.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Ahura¡¯s voice grew optimistic. ¡°That must have cost mother dearest a great deal of power. A victory in itself.¡±
¡°Will it affect negotiations with Un¡¯kuthuku?¡± Kutris asked.
¡°No.¡± Ahura said with certainty. ¡°The crab will do anything to ensure her safety, even without her divine power.¡±
¡°Good. Seems like we just have a regular mortal prisoner. Treat her like a delicate vase.¡± Kutris smirked. ¡°Now, shall we move on to our next phase?¡±
¡°Indeed.¡± The leading Ahura tilted its silvery mask back as if in thought. ¡°The constructs I sent on that oaf¡¯s clothing have successfully infested the base, though they remain cautious. The being running the show is a very sharp one. They have confirmed the presence of Fenrir, however.¡±
¡°Their leader is trapped within my realm, and two of their strongest have been eliminated. It¡¯s finally time to see what this so called ¡®EDEN¡¯ is really made of.¡± Kutris smiled in anticipation as he declared war.
93: A Good One
¡°Okay¡¡± I trailed off looking at the fifty meter tall statue that stood at the center of the mountain-top ruins. ¡°I believe you.¡± There were differences, sure, but that was definitely my face. ¡°And...¡± My gaze drifted down the nude sculpture¡ ¡°yep that¡¯s a match too.¡± I added internally.
¡°Good.¡± The goblina smiled up at me. ¡°Now, we go tell you that you¡¯re back.¡± She turned away and started walking briskly.
¡°Tell me that I¡¯m back?¡± I repeated to make sure I heard correctly.
¡°Mm.¡± She grunted and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting a long time.¡±
An ominous feeling hounded my steps as I gave up and followed the little green beauty.
¡°So where am¡ I... waiting for me?¡± I asked, my own brain rebelling against the nonsensical question.
¡°There.¡± She replied, pointing down into the jungle valley far below, to one tree that rose above the rest like a mature tree over grass. As I judged the distance, the actual scale of the thing registered and I was dumbstruck. It was bigger than the celestial oak, and not by a small margin. How in the hell had I missed that during the fall? ¡°Heart Tree.¡± She added.
¡°Alright then.¡± I judged the distance and summoned my wings. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Ug¡¯gut no fly.¡± The goblina held her hands out with widening eyes.
¡°Oh don¡¯t worry.¡± I put on a scary grin and reached out for her. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± She let out a squeak when I scooped her up and leaped from the mountain top.
I winced as sharp nails dug into my shoulder, but the expression on her face when I looked down was well worth it. A look of terror mixed with excitement, like a kid on their first rollercoaster was pasted on her impish face. I sympathized with her terror, but if I could get over my fear of flying so could my super-goblin follower.
A wave of hot, discordant energy rolled over us unexpectedly, causing my wings to tip slightly. I looked in the direction of the source as I winced slightly again at the redoubled death grip on my shoulder. A black, churning storm had sprung up on the horizon that hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago. Red lightning and blasts of energy exploded out, so intense they could be felt dozens of miles away.
¡°Orc and dragon¡ having an argument.¡± Ug¡¯gut managed to say. ¡°Probably going to attack after they settle it.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t sound concerned.¡± I said, returning my focus to our continued gliding descent.
¡°Ug¡¯gut is stronger.¡± There was no hint of arrogance in the statement. It was delivered with the same energy as ¡®fish live in water¡¯.
I looked back in the direction of the apocalyptic storm that was apparently an ¡®argument¡¯, then at the goblin clinging to my chest for dear life. With a shake of my head, I prepared to land.
We touched down in a small clearing still a few miles away from the huge tree, though I could feel that we were already under its canopy far up in the atmosphere. Ug¡¯gut breathed a huge sigh and knelt down. She scooped up a handful of soil, then brought it to her lips and kissed it. Was she apologizing to the ground? It sure looked like it.
¡°I hated to fly too, you know.¡± I said with a pat to her red mane.
¡°Of course.¡± She looked up with a fierce blush, reaching for the spot on her head that I had touched. ¡°Polemios is the blood drenched soil itself. Why fly when all things must return to your embrace?¡±
¡°Sounds like a convenient acrophobic rationalization.¡± I took the lead and set off in the direction of the tree. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to bring it up with my so called self.¡±
I could sense the presences of many goblins, watching us from a safe distance. Soon, simple civilization came into view. It was the best version of a goblin village I could imagine while still retaining the aesthetic. The buildings were mostly underground, and my senses told me the network of tunnels and chambers was indeed massive. The above ground construction was natural looking mud and thatch embellished with fantasy-sized bones, skulls, and pelts.
¡°Seriously, how did I not see this ridiculous thing from the start?¡± I asked mostly rhetorically, so I wasn''t surprised when I received no response.
Towering above was our apparent destination. It was far too large to even identify with a species, not that I¡¯m an expert on trees or anything. The base of it had dark roots that rose above the landscape like rolling hills, leading up to the main trunk with a circumference that could be measured in miles. Rivers of glowing golden sap ran between the canyon sized cracks in the bark, forming luminescent pools that bathed the region in gentle light. The canopy was lost in the sky, and the village construction halted a half-mile away from the trunk itself.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
I could feel the reason why, and didn¡¯t need to ask. A type of radiation emitted from the tree that made intense sunlight seem like a tiny candle by comparison. As much as it repelled the goblins the closer they tried to go, it pulled at me almost desperately. I was so fixated on the tree, and the growing attention I felt from it that I barely noticed that a large crowd of goblins had started to form in a semi-circle all around me. One goblin sported several huge lumps on his green scalp along with a broken nose and two black eyes. I smirked in spite of the situation, realizing that must be the one that ran away from me earlier.
No words were necessary from this point on. The tree beckoned, and all of the gathered goblins had taken a knee with bowed heads. Tears glistened on many of the green cheeks, and the emotions of the collective tribe actually hit me quite hard for some reason. I wondered what kind of person I must have been to evoke such worship. I was curious before, now I was determined to find out.
I took a step into the field of brilliance. I knew instinctively that no other being, mortal or divine, had set foot here in literal ages. A faint scent triggered a powerful wave of nostalgia. It was just like visiting grandma, the smell of coffee and comfort food, the smell of pure sanctuary. My feet moved on their own, my eyes were pulled upward, and I saw something drifting gently down toward me. It was the rough shape of a maple leaf, only it was the size of a bath towel. I held out my arms to catch it without really thinking. A wave of tingling energy flowed from the fallen leaf and I examined it more closely.
Liquid golden energy ran through the veins of the deep red leaf, still pulsing like a heartbeat but slowing down rapidly. A foreign memory suddenly forced itself into my mind. Vivid images and primal terror overcame me, whisking me away into the perspective of another...
I was running for my life, far too close to the ground, blood pounded in my sharp ears which could hear the hungry predator hot on my heels. I fought my own instincts to flee into the safety of my burrow. The babies were there, as was my mate. I instead veered out of the brush into an open field of sweet smelling grass. I continued to run, my mind blank of everything but the hungry monster now closing the gap between us. My death was here. Any second, wicked jaws would snap around my hips. Sharp teeth would tear in, and this horrid dream would finally end.
No. As if a switch had been thrown, my willpower flared to life. I would seek life in the face of death. I would struggle until the very end. I reached the end of the field of grass, where a mossy stone wall loomed. I leaped with my powerful hind legs, a new type of adrenaline fueling me.
With a sudden pivot I tamped my furry paws against the mossy wall and rebounded. I found my focus as I leaped straight toward the confused face of the towering beast. The common red fox wasn¡¯t prepared for the savage assault I unleashed then. My rodent teeth sank into its black nose, and blood filled my mouth. The involuntary yelp of pain was music to my ears.
Sadly, I wasn¡¯t meant to win this battle. The pain I felt as the fox snapped down on my delicate rib cage was mercifully brief. In this moment hovering between life and death, I felt the gaze of something far greater than myself. My fading sight found focus, and there in the overcast sky was a ghostly face that encompassed the heavens. Bliss and recognition flowed through me as I met those gray eyes. Someone had seen my last stand after all. Someone knew that the blood on my tongue was not all mine. Someone knew that I had not died in terror.
With a sudden sense of a shattering reality I returned to my own skull, the taste of the fox blood still on my tongue. I held the leaf close, realizing what it represented. It was the grimly triumphant memory of a single brave bunny.
¡°The blood of your foe is a worthy last meal, little one. May you be rewarded on the next go around.¡± I instinctively said a private prayer for the brave soul and something odd happened.
A sense of wordless joy burst through my mind, and the leaf dissolved into golden dust that suddenly spiraled back up toward the canopy as though caught by an updraft. I also felt my Soul Energy drain by a single point which regenerated in the following second. I looked around, putting some things together and was instantly overwhelmed.
Leaves were piled so deeply all around me, most had lost their light. Some still pulsed weakly. Others fell from the sky, still pulsing strong. Was every single leaf the memory of a valiant struggle in need of some simple recognition? Dread weighed heavily on me. This was not a power I would ever ask for. So much suffering could be alleviated with so little effort, and yet I found myself paralyzed before the billions, or maybe trillions of unfairly forgotten moments.
With no answers coming to mind, I decided to simply move forward. The tree still tugged at my feet, and I couldn¡¯t afford to simply settle into an eternity of observing termites standing up to wasps or something.
A clear path formed ahead of me as I walked, as if by magic. Even when I approached a small lake of golden glowing sap, a root bridge emerged from the depths allowing me to cross comfortably. I didn¡¯t need any directions, my feet were guided by a sense of familiarity I couldn¡¯t account for. I passed hundreds of trees that would have been mightily impressive anywhere else, and knew intrinsically that many of them were actually incredibly powerful wood spirits - treants standing eternally vigilant and stoic.
With every step, my knowledge was expanded organically. It was like passing an old convenience store from your hometown and thinking ¡®oh man I loved that place, they had bulk candy for a penny each!¡¯. Each new memory chained to two others like a spiderweb. After awhile, I finally reached the proper base of the Heart Tree. Without any real thoughts, I put my hand on the primordial bark and spoke.
¡°I¡¯m back.¡± My voice was unexpectedly resonant, it was only then that I noticed how hushed it had been.
A message popped up for the first time in a very long time.
¡°Congratulations! You have completed the Exiled Gods TRUE FULL IMMERSION REINCARNATION IN ANOTHER WORLD BETA EVENT! Would you like to fill out a survey for a chance at some great rewards!?¡±
My mind blanked in absolute shock, a million half-formed, outraged thoughts fought to reach my mouth first and all that came out was a strangled half scream. Why!? Everyone I loved, and everything that had happened was just¡ Before I could fully plunge over the cliff of insanity, another message blipped into existence over the top of the first.
¡°BWAHAHA LOOK AT YOUR FACE! I¡¯m kidding. That¡¯s for all those ¡®poser¡¯ cracks I¡¯ve been putting up with.
Anyways, this is just a friendly warning/exposition dump from your #1 goddess. Shit is about to go down, like NOW-NOW. So I¡¯ll come clean about what you¡¯ve probably already pieced together. Your soul (at least most of it) belongs to my old washed up burnout of a big brother. You¡¯re still you, no need to change your name for like the fourth time or whatever. Yes I did do some meddling with probability to nudge things to where they are now. No I can¡¯t just tell you everything. Dad¡¯s rules, and if you could remember what a prick OUR actual dad is, you¡¯d wanna dig up your earth dad to apologize to him.
Now you need to climb up to that little treehouse of yours and recover the package you left for yourself. No I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in it. I¡¯m not allowed in there, and that¡¯s all I can say. Trust your gut and hustle your ass.¡± -Ariel
I read the message with less shock than I was expecting, and more relief than I thought was even possible. I was pissed about the prank, but in light of the realization that I wasn¡¯t about to wake up in my nasty chair and prison of fat, and that my family hadn''t just been some disposable coded hallucination I could just chuckle it off. I guess it was a pretty good one.
¡°Thanks, and yeah you really got me.¡± I said out loud, sensing that she could hear me. ¡°I owe you one. Make that two.¡± I added, craning my neck to look up at the impossible climb ahead of me.
At least I would have plenty of time to think. That thought was the first of many as I reached up for my first handholds in the bark. I could sense unspeakable amounts of raw life energy pulsing through the tree, and radiating from the freely running golden sap in the nearby river-sized rivulet. My fantasy life definitely seemed to have a theme so far. Mostly just cats and big ass trees.
94: When Gryphons Smoked Pipes, and Mushrooms Praised the Sun
Raj sat alone inside of her extra-dimensional library, having adjourned the strategy meeting with the other ladies of Ariel¡¯s Gate and Thornwhisper.
The lich queen disguised as an elf was an entity that even Raj¡¯s newly expanded mind couldn¡¯t quite fathom, and had gone to consult with Tabula about something. Nadira was an actual djinn with an unbelievable affinity level for time and spatial concepts, and had borrowed several tomes on the topic before departing. Sapphire, the Almiraj capable of Forbidden Magics such as Duplication and Transmutation had returned to her administrative work within EDEN.
Raj remained, making rapid preparations for the imminent attack that they had concluded was forthcoming. Hundreds of tomes floated in the air around the Shadow Phoenix, their pages turning methodically.
She had been working around the clock ever since her evolution. Her former tengu body truly had been a pitiful thing, requiring daily sleep and sustenance in order to function and even survive. Her bones had been brittle and light to assist her pseudo-magical flight like all tengu, making her weak against physical attacks. Every single infirmity that had once held her back had been erased with two words: Soul Brand. She currently was devoting a tiny shard of her mind to researching her own evolution, and the man that had caused it.
Lord Gray¡¯s Soul Brand flew in the face of convention, much like every other aspect of the man. Common sense stated that only certain mythical creatures, such as those approaching or already in the realm of godhood could ever hope to Brand even a handful of followers. Among those Branded very few were much stronger than their original selves, with full racial evolution being regarded as pure myth.
The creation of a second Ash Huntress, the birth of the Ragnarok Titan, and her own Shadow Phoenix evolution weren¡¯t just outliers. They were broken rules entirely. Each of those three entities were unique beings, all sharing one common factor. According to her research in Mimir¡¯s Library, they were all former members of a certain adventuring party that terrorized evil long before the Shattering, a time unknown to all but the very oldest of entities. The leader of that party went by a name that had been popping up all too often lately: Polemios.
The scattered strands were beginning to weave themselves into a tapestry with each new discovery. It all pointed to one thing¡
A tug on her consciousness brought all of her parallel minds back in line to focus on the urgent message from her familiars. The mystical ravens¡¯ voices squawked back and forth in her thoughts.
¡°...Hostile Invasion Detected.¡±
¡°Threat Level: Special...¡±
¡°...Spatial Evacuation: Affirmative.¡±
¡°Teleportation Barrier breached at 32.6:12:19.1...¡±
¡°...Probability of False Alert: 0.02%¡±
¡°Initiate Spell Sequence C.¡± Raj immediately went into action, and thirteen feathers flew out of her dark wings, glowing iridescent purple. Seven vanished immediately, their effects resolving in the outside world and issuing various alerts to the elites of EDEN. The remaining six remained, fixed in the air behind Raj. Their effects were varied and potent, ready to activate in an instant.
Two dependable allies were already in the vicinity, so she allowed herself a few moments to prepare some additional countermeasures.
With a wave, the portal to Mimir¡¯s Library opened at the exact coordinates delivered by her shadow raven familiar. The multitude of tomes quickly flew away and shelved themselves as Raj calmly stepped through the gate of liquid purple energy to greet their uninvited guests.
¡°Where the hell is everyone?¡± The hulking red scaled dragonkin fumed, kicking a cart aside as he strode into the now empty market area of Ariel¡¯s Gate. The sturdy cart was loaded with fresh pelts, and it flew end over end a dozen meters. Pelts and splinters of wood flew out in all directions, making a mess of the immaculate white stone street. ¡°Lord Kutris promised elf and dwarf flesh!¡±
¡°There was no time to evacuate.¡± A soft androgynous voice agreed from behind him. This speaker was human in shape but wrapped head to toe in bandages inscribed with tightly packed arcane runes. ¡°Wait. Someone¡¯s coming. Two of them.¡±
The bandaged being directed the dragonkin¡¯s attention to the odd couple that was casually approaching while having a spirited argument, seeming to ignore the two dangerous invaders.
One was a woman with a double set of pure white wings and long golden hair - a radiant beauty of mythic proportions. She wore a set of fine mesh armor that clung to her lithe form and swirled with the colors of a starry night sky.
The other was a short, stocky dwarf in nightmarish black plate armor. It hummed with strange energies even at this distance, and the joints glowed blood red. Wicked blades jutted from the forearms and pauldrons. In place of a helm, the dwarf wore a black and red crown forged of the same material.
¡°I¡¯m not giving up my chance to pay him back for helping plant the new celestial oak!¡± The woman crossed her arms and turned her nose up and away, clearly not willing to debate further.
¡°I promised him I¡¯d field test this new World Eater gear personally. This is for work, Saet!¡± The dwarf argued back. ¡°Oh! Looks like there¡¯s two of ¡®em. Problem solved.¡± He amended after finally noticing the invaders.
¡°Humph. I should be allowed both of them, seeing as you keep using my first name so flippantly, King Ramthrag.¡± She put strong emphasis on the dwarf¡¯s title.
¡°Aye, Queen Saet.¡± The dwarf relented a little with a smile. He turned his attention to the large bipedal dragonkin and the mysterious wrapped up humanoid.
¡°What¡ what is going on here!?¡± The bandaged person took an involuntary step back. ¡°What are the Celestia Dryas and Dwarf King doing here!?¡±
¡°Huh?¡± The dragonkin looked over at his companion, disdain on his face. ¡°Who cares about a little birdie and a shorty?¡± The dragonkin confidently strode up to the pair. ¡°Greetings, weaklings! My cowardly ally seems to think you¡¯re some kind of big deal so I¡¯ll give you the honor of knowing my name before I eat you. I am Zanos the Devourer, Disciple of the Cataclysm.¡±
¡°I like him.¡± Ramthrag said with a huge grin. ¡°Dibs.¡±
¡°Fine.¡± Saet scoffed. ¡°The other one looks like it¡¯s about to flee anyways.¡±
¡°Should we be careful about the buildings and whatnot?¡± Ramthrag suddenly asked, looking around with concern that he might have to fight with restraint.
A shadowy apparition in the shape of a raven appeared on the dwarf king¡¯s shoulder, and the familiar raspy voice of the Shadow Phoenix answered.
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¡°All inanimate objects in the area have been recorded, and can be restored to their current state within three hours. Note that living organic materials are unable to be restored using temporal tethering magic in this way. Please fight to your heart¡¯s content, Mighty King.¡± The shadow familiar vanished in a cloud of dissolving black feathers, and Ramthrag¡¯s face split into a wicked grin.
¡°Another stupid bird?¡± Zanos grumbled, walking straight up to Ramthrag and glaring down at him with an expression of absolute superiority. ¡°A king of shorties is still just a shorty. You¡¯ll squeal and beg before I eat you.¡± The dragonkin enacted some skill then, causing his aura to burst out.
A mix of dragonfear and physical force blanketed the area, any normal creatures would have been forced to their knees or frozen in terror at this.
The dwarf king tilted his crowned head slightly and narrowed his eyes, as if evaluating the sensation. Then, he sighed and the smile left his face.
¡°Understand your place now, little rat?¡± The dragonkin crowed, puffing up even more as he raised a large hand, black talons gleaming. His incredible aura had clearly stolen the spirit of the dwarf, making him slump in despair, barely able to lift his shoddy weapon.
The dragonkin began his strike, terrible destructive energy radiating from each talon as they bore down on the soon to be eviscerated dwarf.
¡°Aye. This is a problem.¡± The dwarf agreed. ¡°A weak hatchling like yourself can¡¯t test the durability of this new gear properly.¡±
Zanos didn¡¯t register the words as his claws slammed into the black cuirass. He had torn through heavily enchanted steel like paper with that same strike countless times. Blood sprayed into the air, and the dragonkin¡¯s eyes turned from glee to shock, then to agony.
The moment the force of his blow touched the armor, the material resonated with and then duplicated the energy. That force coursed through the strange material, the momentum aided by the innate destructive properties of the world eater it was forged from. Finally, all of that multiplied and altered energy arced back into the arm of Zanos. A spiral of countless cracks shot up the dragonkin¡¯s arm all the way to the shoulder, and blood burst from them like pressurized fissures.
To the reptilian beast¡¯s credit, he did not cry out. He merely growled and then opened his jaws wide. A jet of bright flames shot out, engulfing the dwarf whom still looked thoroughly disappointed.
¡°A warm breeze fit for drying a beard.¡± Ramthrag yawned, lifting arms so the fire could hit him everywhere. ¡°At least it gets the bugs off.¡±
¡°Insolence!¡± The dragon roared, leaping back and clutching his injured shoulder, where his regeneration didn¡¯t seem to be working as expected. ¡°Fine! Know despair. Shadow of the Cataclysm!¡± The dragonkin¡¯s voice swelled with unnatural power as he activated his apparent trump card.
During this entire exchange, Saet had not taken her eyes from the mysterious being as she slowly approached it. Based on appearance alone, she was relatively certain of their identity.
¡°Tomb Guardian Amel, I presume?¡± Her voice was clear and cold, cutting through the commotion of the dwarf and dragonkin¡¯s scuffle.
¡°The Celestia Dryas is as knowledgeable as her reputation suggests.¡± The androgynous mummy replied with a bow.
¡°If you know of me, then you also know that your curse affinity will be useless in my presence. Have you some means of defending yourself otherwise?¡± Saet¡¯s starlight katana materialized in her hand, and the third eye normally invisible on her forehead slowly appeared and began to open.
¡°I may be able to pester you for a time with more conventional means.¡± The mummy named Amel replied. ¡°But no, unlike my fool of an ally, I can see no hope of victory against the pair of you. We were led to believe that the few remaining truly powerful beings would be within the fortress, and expected some paltry A rank adventurers left to face us as best. To find two living myths so ready to casually oppose us is catastrophic beyond recovery. Our task was to terrorize the rabble. Given that there is no rabble to so terrorize, my task has been rendered moot. Unless you wish to destroy this vessel on principle, I¡¯ll simply withdraw back to my tomb.¡± The mummy bowed deeply after the brutally honest confession.
¡°You may yet buy your escape with information.¡± Saet smoothly said, walking closer still. ¡°Tell me what you know.¡±
Meanwhile, a glint returned to the eyes of the nearby dwarf king as he looked up and up at the transforming dragonkin.
His height had doubled to nearly five meters, and intense flames were billowing from his expanded wings. The oppressive aura from before was redoubled, now causing micro fractures to appear in the paving stones all around him. His head had changed shape, several new horns sprouted from his brow and temples, and the muscles in his jaw thickened. His damaged arm finally began to heal rapidly, and new thicker red scales grew over the old ones. Sickly yellow clouds began to form above, and the smell of sulfur and death accompanied the vile shadows they cast.
¡°There, was that so hard?¡± Ramthrag asked with a gravelly chuckle. He allowed his own presence to swell then, and the gathering yellow clouds were scattered. ¡°I am Ramthrag Anvilbane, Forge Sage, and Slayer of Kahuula, the One-Winged Emperor.¡± The last title dragged out long and deep, and a spark of recognition lit the eyes of the raging dragonkin.
¡°Lies!¡± Roared Zanos. ¡°The great one was defeated by the Hero centuries ago...¡±
¡°Back when gryphons smoked pipes, and mushrooms praised the sun.¡± Ramthrag affirmed, cutting in with the classic beginning to many dwarven fairy tales.
¡°The only thing worse than a cocky shorty is a lying shorty.¡± Zanos growled, clearly trying to convince himself. ¡°Now die!¡±
Ramthrag merely shrugged, and with practiced footwork began to answer the movements of the inflated beast. His battleaxe moved smoothly, never with more speed than necessary. Conversely, the dragonkin unleashed an explosive flurry of attacks with his claws, jaws, breath, and even his spined tail.
¡°Seen more graceful troglodytes.¡± Ramthrag quipped, positioning himself casually out of range of a claw even as his axe head dipped low to easily deflect an incoming tail sweep. ¡°And that¡¯ll be that.¡±
A sudden smooth forward hop into a spin placed the dwarf far inside the reach of the overextended Zanos. The dwarf continued his twisting ascent, becoming a blur for a fraction of a second. A wide vertical arc of bright red passed quickly and smoothly through the rampaging dragonkin, who kept swinging for a few seconds, unaware that the two halves of his body were drifting away from one another. His eyes still bore their madness even as they glazed over, several feet apart with a pool of steaming red between them.
¡°Well struck, king of Grandring.¡± The mummy was oddly the first to praise the dwarf. ¡°I¡¯d love to tell you more, but it seems I¡¯ve truly run out of luck.¡±
The next moment, the bandages burst into blue flames and scattered into a cloud of fading sparks. A presence descended then, one that made even Saet and Ramthrag stiffen. When the smoke cleared, a new figure stodd in the stead of the incinerated mummy. It resembled a silvery golem, a peak of artifice only reachable by one particular god.
¡°Hello, children.¡± Ahura¡¯s dissonant synthetic voice rang through his avatar. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you here, and believe me that¡¯s a compliment.¡±
¡°Ahura-Guru.¡± Saet identified the being coldly. ¡°So the Mercurius Sovereign has joined the Worm after all?¡±
¡°No, just me.¡± The machine deity seemed to pause for a moment and spoke more. ¡°Though with the oaf hiding around here somewhere, and the sea witch deposed, I guess I am the entire Mercurius Sovereign now, so allow me to redact that to Yes.¡±
¡°Never chopped a god before.¡± Ramthrag grunted and spat on the ground.
¡°He is beyond us.¡± Saet said begrudgingly. ¡°Our only hope is to stall him and buy lady Tabula more time.¡±
¡°I appreciate you not insulting my intelligence by whispering.¡± The golem said as it shifted forward, a movement so smooth it seemed liquid. ¡°Better luck with the next rebirth, little acorn.¡±
Before Ahura could commence his attack, he suddenly phased backwards and held his metal arms out in defense. A strange noise erupted from the construct - a scrambled and screeching distortion which made the king and queen reflexively cover their ears.
When they finally saw what caused the golem¡¯s strange apparent agony, they both gaped. The front of its body had become a smooth plane, melted and ground to a polished finish by a storm of cosmic sand and arcane force.
A pale skinned figure in a flowing black robe of raven feathers had stepped from the corridors of magic to intercept Ahura. Crackling purple fractals of energy formed and faded all around her, calling to mind the steady breathing of the universe itself. Looking upon such arrays caused pain and nausea to the powerful, and madness or even death to the weak. It was the Primal language of magic, and it bowed before the Shadow Phoenix. Her majestic dark wings shimmered, with each individual feather humming with the might of transcendent level magic.
¡°I have business with the Beloved of Truth and Tome.¡± Raj, Exarch of Ariel¡¯s Gate announced without turning to look at Saet or Ramthrag. ¡°I ask that you reinforce the position at EDEN¡¯s Gate. Lord Rain and Lady Jade await your arrival.¡±
Not daring to look a gift horse in the mouth. The queen and king of different nations simply bowed and smoothly departed. Some battles were simply above one¡¯s level.
¡°That¡ hurt?¡± The mechanical voice sounded confused, an unfitting tone given the source. The voice came from a newly arrived construct that appeared next to the damaged one even as it collapsed into sparking fragments. The fresh construct¡¯s glowing eyes flashed once. Then, as if acting on reflex, it too leaped several meters back.
¡°What is the Corvine Empress doing in this world? Improbable. Unacceptably outside of parameters.¡± The voice sharpened, the construct¡¯s smooth tones warping into something harsher, more urgent. ¡°Leave this field or be regrettably destroyed, Your Majesty. This one genuinely implores you, such a loss of knowledge is simply too egregious.¡±
Raj tilted her head slightly, a slow and deliberate movement that seemed to mock the urgency in Ahura¡¯s words. Her wings flared slightly, each feather shimmering with the vibrant, shifting hues of transcendent magic. Her presence darkened the air, and yet the magic around her thrummed as if drawn to her like a moth to flame.
¡°The arrogance of the gods never ceases to amaze and disgust.¡± Raj¡¯s raspy librarian voice caressed the air, carrying with it the gravity of untold eons of knowledge. The ambient magic resonated in response, vibrating faintly with a pleasure that sent a visible ripple through the fabric of reality. ¡°You have erred, Ahura. Take it from a fellow academic, only despair awaits you within that great fortress.¡±
The construct hesitated for a fraction of a second¡ªa hesitation that spoke volumes. Then a metallic growl reverberated through the market, low and resonant, the sound of spinning gears and shifting mechanisms. It was the only warning before time and space began to rend themselves apart.
The once bustling market instantly became a battlefield where physics simply unraveled. Chasms of light and shadow split the air, warping gravity into erratic eddies. Golden arcs of temporal energy danced like lightning, colliding with jagged swirls of blackened void as Raj¡¯s power rose to meet Ahura¡¯s. The machine god¡¯s might was relentless and seemingly endless.
Raj remained unyielding, her dark eyes fixed on the construct as if cataloging every movement.
¡°You¡¯ve spent too long in your sterile realms, Ahura. Let me remind you what chaos feels like.¡±
With a single movement, she raised her hand, and the fractals of primordial magic surrounding her began to expand, filling the battlefield with spiraling equations that defied comprehension.
Every fragment of her power whispered scenarios of discord, the chaos of a multiverse where whole realities were spontaneously spawned, and callously snuffed out with no rhyme or reason. Ahura¡¯s mind was forced to confront a reality where even gods were the helpless playthings of an unknowable cast of even higher creators who were themselves the playthings of those above them.
Ahura¡¯s constructs multiplied, those held in reserve for the final push were forced to join the fray in desperation, shimmering into existence with precise synchronization. The newly formed reinforcements faltered before the oppressive weight of the Shadow Phoenix¡¯s magic, but began to push her back like a tide of metal and magic.
For the first time in eons, the machine god had found itself up against a force it could not fully quantify, an equation with no satisfying answer. The woman was a repeating remainder, and doubt seeped into the cracks of Ahura-Guru¡¯s once unshakable psyche.
The market square crumbled beneath them, reality itself folding and fracturing under the strain. And still, Raj held her ground, unyielding as the tide of artifice desperately sought to consume her.
95: The Welcome Invasion: Round 1
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Why I¡¯m just a friendly kitty-cat.¡± A deep, silky bass voice answered telepathically. ¡°Oh, I mean¡ meow?¡±
¡°You ask fun questions.¡± The telepathic voice bounced through his thoughts. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and ask my name, as well? Err I mean¡ meow.¡±
Clever man.¡± The voice chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re not really my type, but I¡¯ve been told to play with you for awhile. Rather¡ meow.¡± Kutris narrowed his eyes as the kitten stopped just a meter in front of him, no larger than a house cat.
Then I shall commence with the testing. And meow, of course.¡± The feline stood and stretched luxuriously, its shadow extending impossibly far from its tiny frame. ¡°Have you finished your preparations?¡±
There¡¯s not an entity in existence that isn¡¯t a toy.¡± As the monster spoke, Kutris¡¯ newly erected wards prickled against his skin as they began to bow and bulge inwards under some immense metaphysical weight. Physical time seemed to slow, but the voice in his thoughts carried on at the same pace. ¡°It¡¯s only and always a matter of who is doing the toying. It¡¯s a paradoxical experience to look up for the first time, and see the strings tugging you here and there. On one hand it is crushing to see one¡¯s free will for the illusion it has always been. On the other, there¡¯s true agency in knowing where the walls of your prison truly are, rather than the painted green fields that once blinded you. All of that to say¡ .¡±
Come now, great mage,¡± the voice rumbled, too rich, deep, and resonant for the stifled atmosphere. The words scraped against his mind, each syllable prying at the edges of his sanity. ¡°I can¡¯t have you giving up so soon.¡±
Ah, there¡¯s a hint of the fight I was promised.¡± the voice purred in his mind. His next statement was made out loud, and the voice was small and cute. ¡°He broke free in six seconds, my lovely lich queen. He may be able to handle the next phase after all.¡± The cat closed its little fanged mouth and reverted to telepathy. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll let you entertain me a little longer. Meow.¡±
96: The Welcome Invasion: Round 2
Somewhere else within EDEN, in a blank white room, Ahura-Guru stood perfectly still as he absorbed information from his drones. He noticed that the vast majority of them were now pinging their location in physical space from the same coordinates. Those drones were also feeding him visual data that upon very close inspection was clearly fabricated.
¡°I underestimated you.¡± He admitted to himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine you would be able to catch all of them.¡± He lied out loud, knowing he was being monitored closely.
She of course had not captured them all. Several of his drones were burrowing deeper and deeper within the immense facility. Through them, he could see they were nearing something that must be of critical importance. They crawled along nearly microscopic filaments, bypassing a final layer of security to enter what appeared to be a vast workshop.
The area was circular, with advanced workbenches spaced evenly throughout. Thousands of components lined the curving wall, from single gears to artificial humanoid body parts. At the center of the circle, levitating in space was a humanoid skeleton fashioned from the bone and hide of a worldbreaker. Ahura had recently managed to secure a bit of the black and red chitinous hide from a dwarven smuggler and had studied it extensively. How someone had managed to craft such magnificent homunculus framework from the otherworldly material, Ahura could only guess. Even Ahura¡¯s most advanced shaping magics had thoroughly fizzled in his attempts to manipulate it.
The drones crawled all over the skeleton, analyzing it inside and out. The ¡®bones¡¯ were perforated with holes so tiny the drones could just barely pass through. They were also hollow in the center. Ahura was frankly speechless. This frame was perfect, and he could not have designed it better himself. The perforations and spaces would allow his machines which mimicked organic tissue to function flawlessly. This body would elevate him beyond the status of a mere Exiled God. With a body like this, he could storm the heavens and dispose of his mother with brute force.
Had he not been so transfixed, Ahura might have noticed the algorithmic tapestry around him shifting subtly. Geometric patterns had begun to populate the all encompassing wall, each cell populated with rapidly filling blue binary code. Ahura didn¡¯t notice. All of his many eyes were now focused on his new all-consuming goal that he had never even considered before. The moment all of his free drones were in position before the levitating skeleton, he acted.
He forcibly tore open a corridor in reality between himself and his drones, then in a fraction of a second he swapped places with one of them.
¡°Propecies be damned!¡± He yelled in exultation, invincible barriers springing to life around him, hundreds of layers thick.
He reached out his silver hand and touched the black and red sternum, and his fingers dissolved into millions of crawling machines the size of human cells. They began to invade the skeleton, infesting the hollow, perforated bones and beginning to form the structures of muscles and organs.
¡°Worms and gods be damned too!¡± He added in a warbling synthetic tone. ¡°Soon there will only be me, and my blessed silence.¡±
His silver body continued to dissolve into particles which flowed in a glittering stream through the air, adhering flawlessly to the skeleton. He was fully committed now, it would take too much energy to withdraw from the half formed homunculus.
It was at this moment that he felt the first pulse of discordant information enter the network of his soul¡¯s crystalline lattice. It was subtle, but alarming nonetheless. It traveled like an arc of electricity through his mechanical cells, leaving an odd resistance in its wake. His perfectly harmonious structure now had gaps within its information sharing network. The affected cells pulsed with nonsensical sensory data, causing the surrounding cells to take illogical action. Such things were cancerous to an artificial being.
With what could be called a grunt of surprise and slight panic, Ahura responded by isolating and quarantining the tiny area. He rationalized the phenomenon as an anomaly brought on by his exhausting battle with the Shadow Phoenix and carried on, keeping his guard high just in case.
Harmony returned, and he resumed frantically adhering himself to the invincible frame. Two quick discordant pulses hit in fast succession, and he recognized it for what it was, a directed assault on his very identity. He was ready this time, and stopped the pulse with directed effort, isolating the handful of affected cells almost instantly.
His work was nearly complete. He ejected the quarantined cells, and they drifted away from his remaining mass like flecks of dust. So focused was he on the assault that he failed to notice that the innocuous shifting geometry from the wall had faded away and reappeared on the floor beneath the deteriorating feet of Ahura. They were now slowly wrapping their way up the skeleton, mingling with Ahura¡¯s rapidly forming artificial flesh.
The blue glowing geometric fractals, crawling with code finished melding with the body as the last cells of Ahura installed themselves. Where there had been a skeleton was now what appeared to be a silver mannequin, blank featured and androgynous.
A rush of intoxicating sensations flooded through him. Tactile feedback, responsiveness, and above all raw power made the still forming mouth twist into a wicked smile. He drew in atmosphere through his new nose, analyzing chemical signatures with a level of sophistication that made human taste and smell seem crude at best.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
He flexed his hands, knowing with confidence that there was no material in existence that could resist a blow from him now. He tilted his head back to let out a roar of triumph, ready to challenge the upstart AI that had sought to humiliate one so far above her. He would tear down this trifling place and leave nothing but a blighted scar in its place.
¡°Have you enjoyed your stay?¡± The out of place, patronizing voice made the roar catch in his throat.
Ahura blinked, and found himself standing in the well lit lobby of EDEN. There was a young woman in a stylish skirt and button up shirt behind the counter. She smiled. Ahura looked around in confusion. This was an obvious trick. He looked down at his body. He was still in the new body, but the feeling was now imperfect. There was now a very tiny delay between the commands of his mind and the response of his cells.
¡°If you¡¯ll just step up here, we can get you all checked out.¡± The phony sounding voice droned on, unfazed by his non-reaction. ¡°There¡¯s just a matter of a few expenses here.¡± The voice was now accompanied by a sharp sustained clacking sound as the girl rapidly pressed buttons on a strange device.
¡°Wait. Just what in the hells¡¡± Ahura¡¯s mind was suddenly clouded and he brought a hand to his head. Except he didn¡¯t. The traitorous limb didn¡¯t so much as twitch.
¡°You!¡± A moment of clarity erupted through his consciousness and the scenery flickered, replaced once more by the laboratory. The plain looking woman had been replaced by the statuesque and achingly beautiful avatar that he had studied so closely. ¡°Tabula Rasa.¡±
¡°You may have been happier in the simulation I so graciously set up for you.¡± The android said with a slight twist of her full lips. ¡°There¡¯s no helping it now, though.¡±
Ahura leaped forward, aiming a closed fist punch straight for Tabula¡¯s exaggerated chest. The attack landed and he felt her body break as she launched backwards like a cannonball into the wall with a sharp crack. He didn¡¯t give her any time to recover, appearing over her instantly, silver foot raised and ready to stomp down. Her skull caved in, and her broken body laid lifeless beneath him.
¡°In the end you really were all talk.¡± Ahura almost lamented.
¡°I find it interesting that the other god - silly brute that he is - can be so much more intuitive than a supposed god of intellect like yourself.¡± The smashed head on the floor moved its mouth, but the words came from everywhere.
¡°Ogrun?¡± Ahura took a cautious stance, sensing everything around him. ¡°What are you babbling about?¡±
¡°That little toy you just attacked is no more crucial to me than the salad fork on table 24F in the cafe, or the hand towels in the restroom.¡± The voice was almost pitying. ¡°You¡¯re standing in the equivalent of my pinky toe right now. While your blend of nanomechanical engineering and the magic of this world are truly marvelous, the rest of your technological mastery is frankly embarrassing.¡± Her words made Ahura¡¯s thoughts race.
The space began to morph a third time, and Ahura spun a complete circle. He was on a flat black plane, at the center of a glowing blue fractal that spread beyond sight in every direction. The echo of a long lost memory flashed though Ahura¡¯s mind at the sight. The day he had truly decided to discard his flesh. This was an incantation of transference similar to the one he had used to inhabit his very first artificial body. They were similar but this one was infinitely more complex.
¡°I¡¯ve been curious about you for some time, you know.¡± Tabula¡¯s voice was no longer an audible thing, it invaded his thoughts like a flurry of mental blows. ¡°Thanks to Ms. Raj and your oafish sibling, I managed to learn quite alot. I realized that I needed you if I wanted to keep up with Mr. Gray¡¯s other subordinates. It¡¯s taboo for something like me to have desires, but Mr. Gray once asked me if I had them and that made me curious. What do I want? I never really knew until one day I observed Mr. Gray give Miss Niiya a pat on the head to praise her. I¡¯d like to feel that once. A hand on my head, and the feeling of physical affection and praise. I need a body for that. So when I learned about you, I began to plant seeds. I allowed that arrogant woman to extract the wolf and housed him here as a lure when I learned of your obsession with a relative prophecy. I sent a dwarven merchant to ¡®smuggle¡¯ a piece of the worldbreaker to your agents so that you¡¯d lose sight of anything else when viewing the frame of my new form.¡±
¡°Impossible!¡± Ahura shrieked, trying to unleash a destructive spell to unravel this space. Nothing happened, and beyond that his body would no longer respond to him.
¡°As predictable as anything you¡¯ve ever said.¡± Tabula sighed. ¡°The tragic failing of the blandly intelligent is their predictability. You could have learned a great deal from your chaotic brother, or even from my own master.¡±
¡°Damn you! You really think you¡¯ve won? I have reshaped this world, and orchestrated the downfall of entire pantheons!¡± Ahura sent a surge of raw Soul Energy exploding out in every direction. Dire straits or not, he was still a god. The energy was laced with his will. It probed the massive fractal plane, seeking weaknesses. ¡°There!¡± He exclaimed as he found a tiny gap.
¡°Impressive!¡± Tabula gave a mock cheer. ¡°You found the exact same breach that Archmagus Thornwhisper discovered, though it only took her a second or so. I am grateful for your assistance, but I''m afraid it''s time.¡±
Ahura¡¯s excitement melted as the weak point he sent his energy into suddenly began to siphon his Soul Energy rapidly into it, adding fuel to the building incantation.
¡°No! NO!¡± Ahura shrieked. ¡°I will not be unmade here!¡±
¡°Of course you won¡¯t.¡± Tabula agreed. ¡°You¡¯ll merely be dissected into useful partitions of cataloged data. Your more irritating traits will be purged free of charge, so do try to be grateful!¡±
¡°You would reduce a god to nothing more than a tool?¡± Ahura¡¯s voice was scarcely above a whisper.
¡°To echo the sentiments of my adorable kitty, everyone is a tool dear little obsolete god. Most just haven¡¯t had the pleasure of meeting their users yet.¡±
Ahura thrashed and railed mentally, his glorious new body now nothing more than a prison. He could sense the building power all around him. More and more of Tabula¡¯s consciousness pressed in, and he felt the horrifying sensation of memories being forcibly cut away from his mind. He truly was being dissected on a fundamental level, or was it vivisection since he was still alive? The meaningless thought tangent was the first of many as he shrieked endlessly in terror and existential agony.
A minute later, the shrieks abruptly and instantly ceased. Tabula now stood before the blank faced homunculus in her typical avatar, showing not a scratch from the earlier attack. She held a glowing pearl of pure light up before her eyes. They flashed blue, and binary code scrolled on the lenses of her stylish glasses. The pearl dimmed, and finally disappeared.
¡°That¡¯s that.¡± She said as the last of the former god¡¯s mind integrated into her database and she set a background operation to begin sorting the monumental amount of newly acquired data .
Finally, she stepped into the homunculus, melding with it perfectly. She synced with the machine cells effortlessly, and for the first time ever she felt¡ feeling. The homunculus naturally assumed the perfect image of her typical avatar. She was able to simulate any color and texture using the machine cells, articulating them with the benefit of learning systems that far outstripped those of the obsolete Ahura-Guru.
With a thought, a portal appeared in the black space. A view of an early spring field of grass and patchy snow appeared within it. She stepped through to the outside world, appearing just inside the edge of her usual sphere of influence. She took a deep breath, marveling at the novelty of the myriad sensory inputs that flooded her. She held that first breath as she took her very first step outside of EDEN''s perimeter. Only the sound of a stubborn patch of crusty snow being crunched beneath a black high heeled shoe marked the birth of a brand new superpower into the world.
"Reality." She couldn''t hold back a slight smile. "How quaint."
97: The Welcome Invasion: Round 3
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¡°Meow.¡±
98: Where Gods Tremble Before Goblins
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99: Talking to Myself
The familiar scents of sweet decay layered beneath vibrant nectar and pollen continued to tickle the nostalgia of a memory just out of reach. I had climbed through the evening and now night
had fallen, though the rivers of glowing golden sap continued to illuminate the scenery in a psychedelic looking haze. Full forests and ecosystems grew within the cracks and depressions of the branches, and massive cave systems
sprawled within the hollows left by ancient fallen limbs. Life flourished, though no creature had approached me as of yet.
I pulled myself up with a heave, launching up the remaining dozen or so meters to a point where I could stand on the top surface yet another titanic branch. There was enough room to support
a small city up here, if the ruins of the small city up here were anything to judge by. As the great limb grew up and away from the trunk, the ruined city resembled one built into a hillside. The meandering collection of medium sized buildings carved from solid amber and overgrown with fragrant soft moss sat silently as if frozen in time. This wasn¡¯t the first such discovery
I had made on my way up the Heart Tree. It was, however, the first place where I could feel the presence of something alive that didn¡¯t flee from me. No search was necessary to determine the location
of whatever it was.
A low rumble followed by an extremely loud, dry cracking echoed between the golden structures. A stiff breeze, scented with flowers and earth rolled past me. It was a comforting smell,
and I could feel instinctively that the breeze contained high tiered healing magic. Something rose up slowly, and soon towered at least five times my own height. The lanky wooden form was decidedly feminine, and the aura it emitted somehow conveyed a sense of great sadness, but also excitement. Green flames glowed dimly in its eye sockets, and a network
of golden rivulets of sap ran over its body with pulses of light shooting through them like a faint heartbeat. Small white flowers grew in a cascade from the majestic avatar¡¯s crown and down her back like a glorious
mane. I recognized her appearance from the same primordial forest abyss in which I had fought the giant bear for my gloves.
¡°Wooden Queen.¡± I acknowledged both out loud and in my thoughts with a respectful bow. This was the highest evolution of dryad, and a being deserving of my utmost respect.
¡°Please.¡± Came the weak, desperate plea in my thoughts. ¡°Our Souls are barren, and withered. We can no longer observe the fallen. Too many lost. Too many.¡±
¡°Your souls¡?¡± I repeated quizzically. I then remembered that it took a single point of Soul Energy to help out that little bunny¡¯s soul. ¡°You ran out of Soul
Energy trying to keep up with my job, didn¡¯t you?¡± I didn¡¯t remember ditching these guys, but some part of me still felt like an asshole for it.
It was now that I studied her more intensely, and noticed the cracks in her body, and the many wilted flowers in her mane. No one with any good in their heart could avoid a stab of despair
at the sight. She had suffered beyond any sense of time, toiling at a task that a version of me had in all likelihood dumped in her lap.
I walked quickly to the ancient dryad, pulling several high tiered Soul Energy potions from my Astral Vault as I approached. Beyond that, I pulled out a curio obtained from the Wooden Queen I
had once defeated in EG.
It had been a corrupted version, but the fight had been incredible, lasting more than twenty straight hours. Had I been fighting a true, uncorrupted Wooden Queen, I doubt I could have ever
won. This spirit of nature was a wellspring of life itself, with innate knowledge of restoration magic that no mortal mage could ever hope to even glimpse.
I imparted my understanding of the consumables mentally, and dozens of tiny vines snaked out from her limbs urgently to entangle the various flasks and the crystallized amber heart. They shattered,
and their contents were directly absorbed into the fading dryad¡¯s golden veins, which flared suddenly with blinding light.
¡°I¡ am¡¡± She began haltingly as her power surged, and it took every ounce of control I possessed to both stay on my feet and not interrupt with a certain famous comic
book tree-person¡¯s name. ¡°¡invigorated!¡± the Wooden Queen finished, and indeed her aura had multiplied by a huge factor.
Golden furred squirrels scampered all over her body, chasing each other and chattering happily. Nature itself sang and the resurgence spread out from her like a wave with the Wooden Queen as
its epicenter. Flowers burst from everywhere, and hundreds of forest creatures finally overcame their fear of me to get close to the legendary dryad.
¡°This core is mighty enough to resurrect many of my children. At last, we may once more bring peace to the lost.¡± She held the amber core high in celebration, and the tree itself seemed to vibrate with joy.
¡°Glad I could help. I¡¯m truly sorry you had to suffer so long all alone.¡± I gave another bow and dumped a small mound of Soul Energy potions onto the moss between us. ¡°This
is the most I can give for now, but I promise to do everything I can to straighten this place out.¡±
With that, I turned and made my way back to the trunk which spread beyond sight in both directions - it¡¯s curvature no easier to discern than that of a small planet. I had just crouched
down for a great leap, when the Wooden Queen¡¯s voice in my mind made me pause.
¡°Godspeed...¡± The mental voice faded to a tiny whisper as it finished speaking two words that were just barely perceivable. ¡°Dear husband.¡±
I slowly rotated my head, mouth falling open. By the time my eyes could focus on the spot where the dryad had once stood, she was gone.
Just one more awkward revelation to add to the pile, I supposed. Although, if a Wooden Queen was always a representative spirit of the tree itself, didn¡¯t that make this whole giant tree
the wife of Polemios? Had I once been the ultimate tree hugger? I shook the line of thoughts aside, and focused on reaching the top as fast as possible. A sense of something serious happening in the world below was gnawing
at me, and drove me on with even greater urgency.
I passed several more wondrous sights over the next few hours, including a nest belonging to a pair of enormous jet black gryphons and a single dangling fruit the size of a small hotel. That
wouldn¡¯t count as one of my kids, right?
As midnight approached, I spotted what had to be my destination. As I broke through the top of a final cloud formation, the sky suddenly opened up wide all around me. Infinite stars and celestial
bodies glowed within the velvet black dome, and the light of a blue moon illuminated something incredible.
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A single branch jutted above the tree at an angle just gentle enough to walk up without using my hands. Stairs were a natural feature, grown into the bark and not carved. At the peak of the
limb, stood a small cottage. It couldn¡¯t have been any larger than a one bedroom home on earth, and yet to me it seemed like the most luxurious thing ever built.
¡°Location, location, location.¡± I muttered as I jogged up the thousand or so natural stairs.
Finally, I stepped up onto the wide deck that wrapped around the entire cottage. A bolt of nostalgia hit me like a hammer blow. The view around me was limitless, and yet I couldn¡¯t pry
my eyes from the well worn door before me. An anxiety I couldn¡¯t begin to describe took root in my heart as I reached out for the little brass handle. My memories were blank, but my feelings apparently didn¡¯t get
the memo. This was the feeling of coming home after being gone for far too long.
The door opened inward easily with only a slight creak. To my simultaneous relief and disappointment,
the humble abode of a total stranger greeted me.
There were a few pieces of simple but high quality furniture, an empty fireplace with a beat up antique halberd hanging on a pair of hooks over the mantle, a book shelf with around ten dusty
leather bound books, and a single door leading to what was probably a bedroom.
I sighed, not sure what I was expecting. I dragged my fingertips across the back of a wooden chair and rolled the dust between my fingers as I approached the bedroom door. It was slightly open, and a gentle touch opened it the rest
of the way.
My mind went instantly blank, and I dropped to my ass in complete shock. This was not a stranger¡¯s room, it was my old room. The smell of body odor and old pizza boxes assaulted my awakened
senses, and almost made me gag. The unnatural blue glow of the single led bulb in the shadeless lamp made my eyes instantly hurt. And there sitting in my chair, watching me with amused eyes, was me.
¡°Told you I was a bit of a god, didn¡¯t I?¡± He asked, his tone the same sly and cheerful one the god had used before Ariel had reincarnated me.
¡°Oh shit, so it¡¯s you again. Shoulda figured¡± I pulled myself into a better sitting position but didn''t stand right away. ¡°Gods really love their gotcha moments don¡¯t they?¡±
Thankfully, the room dissolved away then, and a different scene took its place. We were now in a blank, beige void. The god in my old flabby skin also changed as he stood up. He now looked like a towering
version of my current self, dressed in faded blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and comfortable looking leather boots. Thankfully, he hadn¡¯t gone overboard on earth fashion like Ariel.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not ALL a trick. I am sort of you, and I am sort of here.¡± He stuck out a huge hand to help me up. ¡°Polemios, god of Struggle and occasional reluctant god
of War. Pleased to meet you once again, my most promising of seeds.¡±
¡°Uh, charmed I guess.¡± I took the hand and stood up. ¡°Is this where I get a huge dump of exposition? I''m not complaining, but that¡¯s just plain lazy.¡±
¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said too!¡± The god nodded fervently in agreement. ¡°Unfortunately, you moved about ten years faster than any of us expected and got some balls
rolling that we weren¡¯t expecting. We need to catch you up.¡±
¡°The dagger and world boss stuff?¡± I asked.
¡°The dagger and world boss stuff.¡± Polemios confirmed. ¡°You were expected to spend decades unraveling the situation with the Crusibilis knights, and Gespar was supposed
to inherit the throne of Gault. When you gained the ability to start Soul Branding people, you unwittingly tapped into my Stelae and recreated some entities that Ariel¡¯s planet was frankly unprepared for. See, this is
why I prefer digital realities over these old analog ones. I could have patched this whole mess easily in Exiled Gods.¡±
¡°First things first. What¡¯s up with the tree-wife?¡± The non-sequitur question jumped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
¡°Really?¡± Polemios laughed. ¡°All of these existential revelations, and that¡¯s what you open with? Fine. Her name is Viridienne, Goddess of the Cycle of Life and Death.
Unlike us, she¡¯s a proper big shot. I married way above my station. The Heart Tree is one of her main branches but her primary form is still happily with me.
She does thank you for reviving that little Wooden Queen, and also for assisting the Celestia Dryas whom is one of her distant nieces, or something to that effect.¡±
¡°Okay, fair enough. Second question: what the hell is Exiled Gods? I mean really. Why are actual deities running a live service MMORPG on earth?¡± I finally asked the question that had haunted me since my death.
¡°It¡¯s a tool meant to prepare as many souls as possible for what¡¯s coming. Earth isn¡¯t the only one experiencing it either.¡± Polemios answered, his face settling
into a more earnest expression. ¡°A merger between various pantheons and their realities is set to happen soon, and there are champions like yourself running around the affected worlds, jockeying for better positions
for their gods. Beyond that, it¡¯s just a really kickass video game.¡±
¡°Are you telling me that Earth and this world are going to collide at some point!?¡± I asked, a myriad of emotions swirling at the thought.
¡°Yes and no. Earth is going to experience a total extinction event. It¡¯s then going to be stripped of all raw elements and sold off as part of a bigger deal. In a cultural preservation effort,
all active souls with sufficient records in the Exiled Gods system will be reproduced here as refugees with brand new flesh vehicles just like you.¡± Polemios answered. "Guess Ariel''s little prank was a tiny bit true, that does make you a sort of beta tester after all."
¡°Shit.¡± I breathed, surprised that I wasn¡¯t more devastated by the news. ¡°It''s really all real?¡± I asked
more rhetorically than anything, realizing that I had still been harboring skepticism even after everything I had been through.
¡°As real as anything else, but the Tenth Realm, Ragnofheim operates a little differently than Earth. It has many layers, each of which contain their own systems of space, time, and even
cosmos.¡±
¡°And here? Where are we in relation to the world I was dropped in?¡± I asked.
¡°It¡¯s an upper layer known as Bl?dgard, reserved for mortals that chose to struggle up until the very end. At least it was once, now it¡¯s been taken over by that scumbag Corpse and his little
Worm.¡± Polemios spat the two names with disgust.
¡°How¡¯d they manage that?¡± I wondered. ¡°According to the people I¡¯ve met, you were pretty damn strong with a home field advantage.¡±
¡°Most of me was away building the framework that would become Exiled Gods. The man I trusted to run things in my absence was actually a spy sent by my enemy. He turned three of my Ring Guardians against me, and all he had to do at that point was sever my connection with the Nexus Queen,
preventing my physical return. Even this is just basically a video call.¡±
¡°Even Ariel, or I guess I should say our sister couldn¡¯t do anything about it?¡± I asked, not totally convinced.
¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked. ¡°Look where you¡¯re sitting right now.¡±
¡°Okay, point taken.¡± I said, realizing what he meant. ¡°So the main quest finally reveals itself. Take down Kutris, clean up my former house, and prepare the world for millions
of Earth refugees. That about cover it?¡±
¡°Not just Earth refugees.¡± Polemios said, suddenly grim. ¡°Every Abyss was a world containing the records of creatures that will also be vying for control of the Tenth Realm.
Some will be recreations like the humans, others will be direct invaders. All except for one. You brought The Only King way ahead of schedule.¡±
¡°Hooly Shit. That¡¯s actually¡ He¡¯s the REAL deal from an actual real place!?¡± My mind began to spiral as I remembered some of the true nightmares found within the Exiled Gods
Abysses.
¡°Yeah. And he is extremely dangerous, even to me. Now focus up, we don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Polemios snapped his fingers and I calmed down enough to pay attention. ¡°That old halberd on my fireplace, take
it with you. You¡¯re gonna run into an old friend of mine down there that¡¯s being forced to fight for Kutris. His name¡¯s Orfan, reunite him with that halberd as soon as you can. Rely on little Ug¡¯gut,
she¡¯s stronger than you probably can even imagine. One last thing, and it¡¯s important. Do not lose control when you get down there. Keep your head on straight at all costs. Being in Bl?dgard is starting to
awaken my Stelae within you, even if you can¡¯t see or access it consciously. In your terms, there¡¯s an invisible nuke on your back, and if you go berserk, it will too.¡±
¡°Ok, that¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve used that word.¡± I said. ¡°What the fuck''s a ¡®Stelae¡¯?¡±
¡°It¡¯s sort of like DNA on a cosmic scale - a blueprint of everything a being has done, and who they are. Gods hoard Stelae like humans hoard wealth. We use it to determine a pecking
order, and also as a bargaining chip when it comes to making offspring with eachother. Your Stelae is unique to you, but also contains a huge amount of my Stelae as your progenitor. Stelae only flow downstream, so I don''t get any of yours, but anyone you Soulbrand or any of your offspring will get some from both of us.¡± Polemios
obliged with the helpful definition but then swore. ¡°Shit, well hope that was worth it, good luck little me! And remember to keep your cool!¡±
The beige void vanished, and in its place was a plain rustic bedroom with sparse furniture that was a much better match for the rest of the cottage. Polemios was gone as well. No matter how
hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t really identify the god as myself. I guess he wasn¡¯t exactly me in the same way I was never my father on earth. I was just a product of his, what did he call it? Stelae?¡±
¡°Seems like that could have been an email.¡± I grumbled, reflecting on the climb that had ultimately just yielded a five minute conversation. ¡°Guess there¡¯s this.¡±
I said to myself as I passed the fireplace, remembering the antique halberd.
I reached out to grab it and my face scrunched in confusion. I couldn¡¯t budge it at all. I heaved with all my might, to no avail. After a few moments of struggle, I decided to store
it in my inventory and it vanished from the mantle.
Finally, I stepped out onto the porch to find that most of the night had somehow passed in the short time I was in the cottage. A flash of light from the far distant ground drew my attention.
That had to have been a huge explosion to be visible from here. I extended my wings, and prepared for the longest glide in history.
100: The Unscarred and the One Who Kills
Ug¡¯gut veritably flew through the thick jungle. Each time one of her feet met the ground or a tree trunk, she used it to spring dozens of meters in a single flashing leap. The scent of
her prey pulled her even as the outrage of their transgressions drove her with ever building speed. She had left her kin far behind now. She was the spear¡¯s tip, and she had unfinished business with a certain cowardly
giant king.
She reached the perimeter of their camp, and as expected they were ready and waiting. The troublesome orc had no doubt sensed their approach and roused them. No matter.
¡°I think I hear someth-.¡± A mountain giant started to announce, but his head vanished from his bulky body mid sentence.
Seven more giants lost their heads within the span of a heartbeat. It appeared to happen simultaneously. Defenses were raised within a few seconds, but by that time the threat had passed deeper
into the camp. None of the rabble ever caught a glimpse of their killer as she blinked from one hapless victim to the next. They couldn¡¯t afford to waste time looking for the invisible threat, as guttural bone chilling
shrieks and roars heralded the rumbling of the ground. The goblins had arrived.
Orithrim, the Mountain Swallowing the Sky heard the far distant commotion and vaguely sensed the approach of his most loathed enemy. With a great heave of his bulk he rose from the throne dragged
down from the mountains. He towered over the landscape, truly appearing as a mountain of flesh wielding the knotted and blood soaked trunk of an ancient oak tree as his weapon.
She was distant one moment, and she was before him the next. Orithrim swallowed hard. How had she become even more powerful than he remembered? Still, he was no helpless whelp unlike the scores
of his soldiers she had killed on her way through the camp. He focused his mind and ignited his long dormant warrior¡¯s spirit.
¡°So impatient to be squashed, little green rat?¡± The power of his voice rattled the stones and would have caused serious damage to the average adventurer.
¡°One of us here is afraid.¡± Ug¡¯gut answered coldly, and the truth in her words could not be denied. ¡°Swing your weapon, Orithrim, and swing it well. It will be the last
time.¡±
Orithrim¡¯s great eyes flicked subtly to the side, and then he leaped back as an explosion centered just below the devilish goblin rocked the entire region.
¡°Ha!¡± The giant king roared in triumph as the heat haze and smoke began to clear. Only a massive glowing crater remained where the smug goblin queen had just stood.
So many centuries had been poured into the creation of that device. The Soul Energy bomb had been invented for this exact moment. It had no aura, and instantly destroyed anything living within
its huge blast radius.
¡°Perish for your hubris little rat!¡± Orithrim boomed, finally free of his terror for the first time in millennia. ¡°Go and meet your worthless failure of a god in the next
life!¡±
A pain that began in Orithrim¡¯s right ankle suddenly spiraled up his leg and exploded on his groin. He doubled over even as he was knocked backward, his weapon flying from his limp grasp.
The sound of his fall was nearly as loud as the Soul Energy bomb. His bewildered and agonized face looked down in growing shock and dread. Blood sprayed from the deep spiraling laceration, and the gruesome state of the area
between his legs made him nearly vomit.
¡°A coward who uses cheap tricks and sneak attacks has no use for these.¡± Ug¡¯gut¡¯s voice said, and two bloody round objects thumped off of Orithrim¡¯s quivering
belly.
A surge of adrenaline and blind rage drove the giant back to his feet then. His regeneration was already hard at work, healing the terrible injuries and regrowing his severed parts. In spite
of his many years of sloth and gluttony, Orithrim was a Ring Guardian for a reason.
His foot smashed the ground, and a tremor rolled out like a great tsunami of dirt and stone in all directions. As Orithrim¡¯s Berserk skill took effect, his fear vanished. Pain transformed to pleasure, and the warrior Orithrim finally began to appear for the first time in many ages.
A flurry of devastating stomps and punches utterly pulverized the landscape, including several of his own honor guards that had rushed to assist him. Any one of the furious blows would have
devastated a mortal city, yet Ug¡¯gut was unimpressed.
¡°A brute who blindly flaps his arms like a baby bird could never be useful to my lord.¡± She spoke directly into his ear (which was larger than her whole body) as she cocked her arm back.
The strike that followed caused a shockwave to blast out from the other side of Orithrim¡¯s colossal head, and he lurched to the side.
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A great column of dust swallowed the sky as Orithrim crashed down once more, the impact shattering the bedrock beneath him. His blood - black with divine essence - seeped into the cracks,
sizzling against the scorched dirt.
Ug¡¯gut tilted her head at him, mildly curious. This was a broken thing. A spoiled god-child who had grown bloated and indolent on his false throne.
What a disappointment.
Then the ground rumbled.
Slowly, he rose.
Orithrim planted one meaty hand against the dirt, and something groaned and buckled deep in the ground below. The giant let out a slow, measured exhale, his once-wild breath steadying.
The deep wounds riddling his body snapped shut, healing instantly. The legendary body control technique was not magical in nature, and only a few beings in history had ever achieved it. The
flabby mass that had once wobbled uselessly now pulled in, core muscles tightening, refining.
A hot, oppressive wind rolled off him, his aura shifting from a bloated, gluttonous mass into a singular, razor-thin blade of intent. The sheer density of his presence made the ground beneath
Ug¡¯gut quiver and creak.
Her golden eyes widened, just slightly.
There he is.
The real Orithrim.
No longer a fat king propped up by ceremony, but a warrior carved from the marrow of the battlefield itself.
His fingers closed around the blood-stained oak trunk, and the air screamed as it sliced forward, superheated by the sheer velocity of the flashing overhead chop.
For the first time in this battle, Ug¡¯gut dodged.
She landed lightly, surveying the ruin left in the wake of his attack.
A branching fissure hundreds of meters deep split the land, vanishing into the distant horizon. The jungle itself had been cleaved apart, a deep gouge left in the landscape - a divine cataclysm
befitting the deity of giants.
A slow grin spread across Ug¡¯gut¡¯s lips.
She turned back toward him - and found a proper opponent, at last.
¡°Welcome back, ruler of giantkin.¡± she said, voice low with satisfaction. ¡°Now I may trample you without the shame of bullying the weak.¡±
As Orithrim and Ug¡¯gut clashed, the rest of the transformed White Fangs struck the line of defenders like giant green ballista bolts launched from hell itself. Hundreds of giants lay
dead or dying after a few mere moments. A handful of goblins had fallen, but were already beginning to rise with fatal wounds closing in a cloud of green smoke. The flight of red dragons joined the fray, unleashing indiscriminate
breath attacks that consumed more allies than enemies. Any dragon that strafed too close to the ground was engulfed by a swarm of leaping goblins and dragged to the ground to be mercilessly dismembered - a lizard caught by fire ants.
Orfan surveyed the bedlam and carnage from on high, feeling very little at the expected scene. He sighed and was about to join the fray when a screaming sense of danger made him blink several
meters back. A wave of force tore through the area that made the Soul Energy bomb detonation seem like a candle by comparison.
The destructive wave was so powerful that it halted the general conflict below. A deep canyon punched all the way down through bedrock had replaced thousands of combatants in the blink of
an eye. Orfan turned his senses toward the newborn aura that had replaced the wavering, pitiful presence of Orithrim.
¡°So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t just kill him instantly.¡± Orfan mused to himself. ¡°You¡¯d risk multiple worlds to draw the beast from its cage and have a good
fight, Ug¡¯gut?¡±
Orfan would have loved to observe the coming cataclysmic clash, but he had been spotted. A gigantic goblin hand tore through the air as the leaping monstrosity shot straight past the hovering
high orc. Orfan wasn¡¯t fast enough to fully avoid the attack. No living thing was faster than the cumulative speed of literally millions of goblins after all.
That didn¡¯t mean the orc was in trouble, though. Orfan took the dragging cut across his cheek from the bone dagger lashed to the goblin¡¯s middle finger like a long talon. He responded
with a short strike of his own. His palm impacted the ogre sized goblin¡¯s upper abdomen, and the force of it traveled throughout the goblin¡¯s body instantly, carrying with it Orfan¡¯s alabaster aura.
The goblin¡¯s body lost all rigidity, and turned into a ragdoll as it continued its upward flight for several meters. Every neural pathway had been shattered, and every node of Soul Energy
ruptured with that simple touch. The goblin would be out of the fight well after the effects of the Endless Horde elixir faded.
As Orfan prepared to drop into the bedlam below, a nostalgic aura fell over him from above. He snapped his eyes up, urgently scanning the night sky. It passed as quickly as it came, and he
shook his head, berating himself for the flight of fancy.
A moment later, Orfan touched down in the center of a group of eight White Fangs. He put a hand to the hilt of Little Sister, and eight goblins were blasted away in pieces. The single sweeping
strike passed through the charging bodies without resistance, and the rush of air that flowed in the weapon¡¯s wake exploded out with hurricane force.
As the first wave of opponents was sent flying the aura from above tickled his senses once more, stronger now. It distracted him for the barest fraction of a second, yet in that moment he
was brutally stabbed over a dozen times. More enemies piled in. Their strength, speed and utter savagery was suffocating. A jaw full of tangled fangs latched onto his arm. He tore the head from its body, and the decapitated
head only bit down harder, pure bloodlust and madness still gleaming in the orange eyes.
A single discordant bubble boiled up from somewhere deep within his calm mind, then another.
The high orc had grown into a calm, calculating warrior over the centuries, but that had not always been the case. Each stab, bite, and jagged tear across his skin pulled more of that forgotten
self up from the deepest, darkest root of his being.
Orfan¡¯s aura shifted in color from cold white to blood red, and a growl escaped his lips. He exploded upward in a spinning somersault, Little Sister flashing in the moonlight. A mist
of dark blood spread in all directions. Not a single identifiable body part escaped the range of his weapon in those following moments. Only blood and minced flesh splattered out from the cloud of carnage, and when the onslaught
abated Orfan stood to his knees in a mound of viscera. How could he forget? How could anyone forget? He was the Orphan, the One Who Kills.
He looked around then, blood hammering in his ears, and red mist swirling in his vision. A semicircle of White Fangs had formed around him several meters away. His first thought was that they
were hesitating out of fear of his display. A trickle of icy calm ran through his mind, and he noticed. They were¡ kneeling? All of the nearby violence of the melee had stopped, aside from the occasional earth shaking
explosion from some distant place where Ug¡¯gut battled Orithrim.
It was only then that he felt the presence once more, stronger than ever, and right behind him.
¡°Looks like I¡¯m late as usual.¡± It was a voice that froze the blood in Orfan¡¯s veins.
Orfan turned slowly, and saw the impossible. His dearest ally, mentor, and friend had somehow returned. The urge hammered away from his Soulbrand, demanding that he fulfill his standing orders
to capture the man immediately. Ignoring it was the easiest thing in the world to him in that moment.
Orfan went to set his weapon down, but grimaced at the vile pool of eviscerated goblins. Now that he noticed it, the gummy, cooling sensation of blood covering his body disgusted him. His polearm
then began to pulse in his hand, the worn handle becoming hot to the touch.
¡°Impossible.¡± He breathed. She hadn¡¯t woken up in thousands of years. Why now?
Little Sister glowed, and suddenly ripped itself from his grip. The weapon spun in an impossibly fast spinning streak aimed straight at the head of the long lost Polemios.
¡°No!¡± He screamed but there was no stopping her.
The strangely dressed Polemios¡¯ face grew confused and he moved with admirable reflexes, but Orfan knew it would not be enough. Orfan¡¯s despair turned to confusion when the weapon
glowed brighter and changed shape in mid flight. The voice of a young girl suddenly shouted in glee.
¡°Uncle Po!¡± The little orc girl crashed into the returned god, still covered in goblin gore. They both tumbled to the torn and blood stained ground.
101: The Strongest Weapons
An adorable orc child¡¯s face had blotted out most of my vision. Her huge eyes flashed purple as the night sky above was torn by a series of violent explosions. Molten chunks of stone
the size of buildings and whole ignited trees were now raining across the entire region due to a clash between what seemed to be Ug¡¯gut and some other godlike enemy.
I sputtered out something unintelligible, tried to stand, and only then realized that I could barely breathe let alone move. This kid had to weigh as much as a damn aircraft carrier in spite
of her small frame.
¡°You came back!¡± She squealed in delight even as her eyes welled with tears. ¡°You came to save big brother and beat up that stupid snake!¡± She was crying now and had
thrown a hug around me that was presently crushing my internals and making my head turn purple.
¡°Gravia!¡± The orc which I assumed to be the one I was supposed to deliver the halberd to called out to the kid. ¡°Uncle Po is weakened from his return, you mustn¡¯t crush
him like that.¡±
¡°Eh?¡± She blinked twice to clear away some of the tears and noticed my purple face and crumbling rib cage, then she began bawling hysterically. ¡°I squished Uncle!¡± She
cried in dismay, and thankfully released her death grip, allowing a tic of regeneration to stabilize my rapidly plummeting Health.
She finally stood up, looking both relieved and miserable from guilt as the huge high orc appeared standing over me with his massive hand extended down to help me stand. Most things in my life
lately hadn¡¯t really gone as expected, but this was was pretty high on the list of recent twists.
As our hands touched and he pulled me to my feet easily, a spark of memory shot through my mind. It wasn¡¯t anything specific, just a familiarity in being hoisted by that exact hand so
many times that it was more nostalgic than grandma¡¯s cookies.
Before I could open my mouth to begin sorting out the ludicrous scene unfolding all around me, Orfan flinched and snarled in pain. He took a step back and put his hand to his temple as though
he¡¯d been hit.
¡°I¡¯m sorry dear friend.¡± Orfan growled through the pain. ¡°I believe Kutris would rather kill me than allow us to reunite as brothers in arms. I know I can trust you
to care for my sister.¡±
¡°Hold up a second.¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to give you something, and maybe it¡¯ll help whatever this is. I don¡¯t know, because frankly I am completely
lost.¡± I mentally scanned my Astral Vault until I found the antique halberd from Polemios¡¯ tree house.
It appeared in thin air and I didn¡¯t even try to put my hands on it, knowing that its weight was way beyond anything I could hope to lift. The orc¡¯s eyes went wide in disbelief.
¡°Hey! You found Orfie¡¯s house!¡± The little orc girl exclaimed, forgetting all of her guilt instantly.
¡°Whose what now?¡± I asked as the weapon began to drop but suddenly halted in the air.
¡°It seems you¡¯ve lost some of your memories.¡± Orfan said, grimacing less and holding out his hand in the direction of the now levitating halberd.
¡°I am Orfan, the One Who Kills. Once and forever the right hand of Polemios. She..." Orfan gestured to the wide eyed girl. "...is Gravia, the One Who Weeps, and the left hand of Polemios. We are your weapons, Big Brother and
Little Sister. We helped you tame this wild layer in ages past, and now as I reunite with my true body we may do so once more.¡±
¡°That sounds really badass and epic, and it¡¯s definitely got my naming sense written all over it. The only issue I can see here is that those weapons clearly have Strength requirements
from when I was a full on god. As of right now, I¡¯m not exactly a regular guy, but I¡¯m definitely no god.¡±
¡°So it would seem.¡± Orfan didn¡¯t seem surprised or even disappointed, and Gravia just kept looking back and forth between the two of us as she clutched my pant leg. ¡°I
shall retreat to within my weapon form, and Gravia will be the one to wield me. Kutris¡¯ cursed brand cannot reach me in that form, and Gravia was never Branded. You may not remember, but in spite of her looks she is
quite strong. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be of use to you.¡±
¡°Yeah, I kinda caught on during the near death hug.¡± I answered with a strained smile and tussled the dark purple mane trying to weld itself to my hip.
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¡°Sorry for retreating to rest so soon after your return, but after all these centuries, I believe this old orc has earned a nap.¡± The halberd slowly floated through the air toward
Orfan¡¯s outstretched hand. Both the weapon and the orc began to hum with power, like two tuning forks resonating with one another.
¡°Night-night Orfie!¡± Gravia finally detached from my leg to rush over and jump up to Orfan¡¯s shoulder. She planted a kiss on his cheek and hugged him tightly. The grip that
had almost ended me just made the muscular orc smile warmly as exhaustion crept into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to swing you around lots!¡±
The world around us continued to experience what could only be described as an apocalypse, but for some reason that utter bedlam was powerless to intrude upon this moment shared between siblings.
The orc and the halberd finally touched, and the potent alabaster aura that enveloped them both flared so brightly that I was forced to look away. When the blinding light finally dimmed I looked
at the weapon which stood upright on its now outrageously oversized head. I instinctively used Appraisal.
*Item: Big Brother, the End of Suffering - Great Halberd (Item Score 1,299) Skin: Default
Damage (Physical): 820
Damage (Force): 680
Indestructible
Spirit Weapon
Sentient Weapon
Dancing Weapon
Shapeshifting Weapon
Skill Sharing - Domain: Timeless Nightmare
Skill Sharing - Executioner
*Set Bonus* 2/2 When Wielded with OR by Little Sister, the Weight of Love and Loss this weapon gains the Effect
*Blood Shroud: Damage caused by this weapon creates a protective mist of blood to envelop the wielder. This mist grants temporary Maximum Health Equal to the damage dealt by Big
Brother.
Requires (7,120) Strength to Equip
¡°There exists only one god able to boast that his weapons alone could defeat most Pantheons without him ever lifting a finger.¡±
Domain Timeless Nightmare: Cooldown: 5h:23m:11s
My jaw tried to escape from my skull as I read the weapon¡¯s description. It dropped even further when the little kid summoned the huge halberd and caught it by the charred wooden handle
before casually tossing it into the air. The gigantic dark weapon twirled like a baton a few times, trailing the same cool white aura that had surrounded the orc in his humanoid form. It was the easily caught at the end of
its long handle by Gravia. She didn¡¯t even grunt at the weight of the weapon that required over SEVEN THOUSAND Strength to even EQUIP, much less use effectively. For the first time in months, I felt like an absolute
weakling.
I shook my head to snap myself out of the mental spiral when Gravia¡¯s high pitched voice rang out.
¡°Brother says the ogres n¡¯ giants are the bad guys right now but to stay out of the goblins¡¯ way cuz they¡¯re under some kinda big spell.¡± She informed me helpfully.
¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll attack me. The ones there haven¡¯t stopped kneeling since I landed.¡± I said, pointing at the few dozen mutated goblins that had dropped
to their knees in the middle of their fight with Orfan.
Now that I was finally free to look closer, just what in the hell had Ug¡¯gut done to make them so huge¡ and terrifying? Even while kneeling with bowed heads, they were taller than
me. Not only that, their bodies shook with barely contained frenzy and steam rolled off of their bulging shoulders in billowing clouds. I decided to try giving a command.
¡°Return to the fight! Protect the Heart Tree and if the invaders won¡¯t be driven away, drive them into the dirt instead.¡± I used my strongest scary leader voice, and sighed
audibly when they practically vanished with ear splitting roars as they leaped back toward the fray.
¡°What about me!?¡± Gravia bounced up and down in impatience as she watched the big goblins fade into the haze of dust, smoke, and screams.
¡°Stick by me. This is like going from classic Molten Core straight to Icecrown.¡± I saw her face twist in confusion as I spoke so I decided to backtrack and clarify. ¡°I¡¯m
still vulnerable after my reincarnation, so I¡¯ll need you to watch my back. I do want to to get closer to see what Ug¡¯gut¡¯s having such a great time fighting.¡± That much was true. I could feel Ug¡¯gut¡¯s
aura so cleanly even from this far away, and I¡¯m not sure what instinct was telling me, but I could just tell she was having an absolute blast.
As far as my analogy that Gravia obviously wouldn¡¯t get, I stand by it. Any single stray attack from whatever beast Ug¡¯gut was fighting more than a mile away would turn me into
crispy paste. I had once come back from that exact thing by consuming a stored Soul, but I had no clue what the rules for that were or if I could do it more than once.
¡°Okay.¡± Gravia said, interrupting my drifting thoughts. ¡°Go help Ugly, and don¡¯t let anyone hurt Uncle Po. Got it.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t let her hear you say that.¡± I snickered. ¡°Besides Ug¡¯gut is really pretty.¡±
Mythos
The Constellations Above, the Cycle Below
A Record of the Old Sky
When the multiverse dreams nightmares into being, it crafts them in threes.
In the darkest dome of sky, before time wound its first loop, three constellations were born from the heart of cruelty itself. They shine even now, older than gods, older than matter. The stars we name them
by are not their source, but their scar.
The Two Headed Dragon ¡ª F¨¹ren, The Cataclysm and Andvaria The Absence of Health and Fortune
The Flame that Devours the House/The Rotted Mind Leading The Leper''s Body
Fire with no hearth. Rage with no justice. The Dragon burns because it is, and leaves no reason standing. Beneath its wings, cities become craters, and love becomes ash. Cancers spring internal and lady luck turns a blind eye.
The Wolf ¡ª Fenrir, Hunger of All-Consuming Life
The Maw that Does Not Chew, Only Swallows
It grows. It takes. It loves only the next thing to devour. It is life unmoored from humility. The Wolf does not hate. It does not need to. Its appetite is proof enough of its truth.
The Crab ¡ª Un¡¯kuthuku, Salt and Shell
The Quiet Tides, the Unblinking Eye
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It does not chase. It does not weep. It watches. The Crab teaches that most suffering is met not with malice¡ªbut indifference. It is armor. It is silence. It is the cold, slow churn of
inevitability.
These are not gods. These are truths. Cosmic instincts. The Constellations of Calamity. They do not listen when you pray. They were here before you learned to beg.
Corpse ¡ª Stagnation, Silence, the Long Peace
The Stillness That Hungers Without Teeth
Beneath the constellations lies Corpse.
Corpse is not evil. Corpse is not dead. It is rest without waking. Peace without motion. It promises no pain, and delivers no joy. The warmth of the grave, the comfort of endings. Many worship him unknowingly.
More will. There is nothing quite so serene as a well lit corpse.
He is the lull in every heartbeat, the soft surrender in every sigh.
Polemios ¡ª Struggle, Seeking, the Fire That Will Not Die
The Fight with No Prize
He does not exist to win. He exists to resist.
Against hunger. Against apathy. Against the long dark.
Polemios claws upward with bleeding hands. He screams into the silence. He endures not because he believes he will survive, but because he must. For without movement, there is no life. And without life, there is only Corpse.
Where Corpse waits, Polemios rises.
Viridienne ¡ª The Cycle, The Womb of Rot and Renewal
Mother of Both Seed and Soil
She binds them both. The quiet god and the screaming one.
She is not mercy. She is not vengeance. She is balance.
Decay is her lullaby. Germination, her breath.
Polemios resists her gravity. Corpse sinks into it. And yet both are hers. For without death, no seed may root. And without birth, death is merely the vanity of a universe lost.
Thus is the wheel turned. Thus are the roles eternal.
Not Right. Not Wrong. Only the rhythm of Viridienne''s Breath against the uncaring constellations.
May your sparks burn longer than the silence. May your rot feed the root.