I was outside the Sanctum, one hand upon the door ready to push it open and the other clutching my new staff. I had a little over an hour left before I was forcefully removed from the Dungeon, but I had spent some time practicing with my new Congruency Darts and staff. I was as ready as I would ever be and felt confident I had a fighting chance of success, Sul favor me.
I can always run away if things go south. The Infestation didn’t follow me last time when I ran from the Sanctum. I’m not leaving without Ara’s Shard.
“Gods, protect me.” I pushed open the door and ran inside, eyes searching for the Void Infestation.
The thing wasn’t hard to miss. Rather than reattaching itself to the mana stone above, draining it of energy as it no doubt had been before, this time it was orbiting the Shard of Ara resembling a cloud of flying ants. The moment I entered the cloud roiled and lunged towards me. I dodged aside and raised my free hand. A blue glowing bracelet of darts formed of mana orbited my wrist. With a simple act of will, I launched them all at the Infestation.
I had learned through practice that Congruency Darts do not behave as regular darts do. A regular dart, when launched, tends to fly in a straight line at a target. My darts would zig, then zag, juke right or left, up or down. They were a dizzying array of rapid fire blue lights as the darts followed (or so I assumed) some geometric pattern I could not discern.
The Void Infestation also seemed confused until one dart after another knifed into the cloud tearing through the black mass and splattering dark matter onto the floor and walls.
You have damaged {Void Infestation} for 4 points of damage!
You have damaged {Void Infestation} for 3 points of damage!
You have damaged {Void Infestation} for 1 point of damage!
You have damaged {Void Infestation} for 3 points of damage!
You have damaged {Void Infestation} for 1 point of damage!
There was an unearthly screech that reminded me of glass scratching against glass. The void cloud spun and pulled itself upward back towards where the Mana stone was, leaving behind lifeless pieces of itself. I had hurt it!
“Ord’s Light, I’ll drive you out…thing!” I shouted up at the creature. Was it my imagination or did the cloud briefly form a face that looked like a snarling monster of some kind? The cloud scattered, forming different sections resembling the arms of a squid. I brandished my staff and activated its magic.
Several tentacles snacked forward and my eyes widened as they came within inches of hitting me, but they were all thwarted when they smacked against a golden barrier. A great bell sprang into existence covering me like a tent that reverberated with a great bong! The Void Infestation screeched in pain as its attacks reflected back on it and I grinned fiercely. The Staff of the Stone Bishop’s description was as accurate as I had hoped.
Description: When the wielder of this staff is attacked by heretical elements opposed to the Light, a bell of Positive Energy forms over the wielder that absorbs 100% of damage directed against it for 3 seconds. Each attack will cause the bell to toll and return 30% of the damage done upon the attacker.
The Infestation tried to wrap itself around the bell, attempting to either envelop it completely or find a weak point to penetrate the defense, but the bell shield enveloped my entire body completely for 3 seconds and I was safe.
Bell’s Reverberation returns 3 points of damage!
Bell’s Reverberation returns 2 points of damage!
Bell’s Reverberation returns 2 points of damage!
As the creature reeled from the damage it took from its own attack, it gave me time to ready my next spell.
You cast Vow of Denial!
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As the barrier came down I threw Sul’s magic at the Infestation, centering it at the center of the cloud. The creature was slowing down its attacks, but I still kept on the move. Vow of Denial had won the fight in the Dungeon against the Hellblade. I was hoping it would do it again now.
Vow of Denial has no effect on [Void Infestation]!
[Void Infestation] is not Undead, Eldritch or Infernal in origin!
Uh oh.
I was late in dodging aside as a tentacle snacked out and lashed across my hip. Pain flared and I gasped in pain as I staggered back granting myself some space. The cooldown on the staff was 10 seconds and wasn’t yet ready, but I managed a quick Minor Heal and found some good fortune as the Infestation had also backed off as it seemed to be collecting itself as it prepared another attack.
This is just further proof I’m not cut out for the adventurers’ life, Gods of Aramyr. I should have known to do this first!
You have used Lore Sight on a Void Infestation:
Lore: A Void Infestation is an Abomination type creature created from disparate strands of Negative Energy. It is the lowest form of Void creature and requires a great deal of mana to absorb in order to evolve.
Advanced Lore: They are weak to Positive Energy, Fire, Holy and Light based attacks. Low Intelligence and Perception. Often keeps its Voidlink hidden close to whatever energy source it is currently draining.
Voidlink?
I had no time to explore what that meant as the Infestation went on the attack again. The Stone Bishop’s Bell protected me doing damage to the frustrated creature, but I was busy trying to find some clue as to where this ‘voidlink’ was or could be found.Then I noticed it.
The Void Infestation was attacking with each of its tentacles…save one. This lone tentacle was behind it and snacking upwards towards the ceiling where it disappeared into the shadows close to the mana stone.
Could this be it? I have nothing else to go on. Tek’s Wisdom guide me.
I launched another host of Congruency Darts less than a moment after I summoned them. Then another. Another! I gasped as my mana took a heavy dip. Over a dozen darts flying confusing patterns, dodging tentacles then slicing through the cloud each of them homed in on the long tentacle connected to the ceiling. Each dart found their mark, one after the other, but it was the next to last one that finally accomplished what I had hoped. There was a loud snap and a backlash of sound as the tentacle severed in two.
The Void Infestation went wild. It fell to the floor with a wet sounding splat splitting into hundreds of different beetle-like inkblots. I tried backpedaling, doing all I could to keep the oily looking things as far away from me as possible. I felt my back press against the wall and several of the blots began crashing into one another, growing bigger and bigger. It was trying to reform!
“How do I stop you?” I groaned. I felt exhausted mentally and physically. Being a Priest was supposed to be spreading the teachings of the Gods. I thought of my lost Brothers. I should have been in Port Tyren with them by now, meeting with Pilgrims or administering to the sick. Above, the mana stone began flickering wildly once more. It gave me an idea. Not one I liked, but it was all I had. Remembering those lost at sea filled me with guilt, but also a renewed sense of purpose. This had to work!
If this doesn’t work…
I was down to the last bit of mana I could dip into for a final set of darts. I summoned them with a thought and they went into orbit about my wrist, but rather than launch them at the reconstructing Infestation, I pointed my arm upward and launched them at the mana stone.
Pop! BOOM!
The mana stone exploded plunging the Sanctum into near darkness, a soft radiance coming off the Corrupted Shard of Ara the only light. There was a screech of anger then silence. The black mass that had been the Void Infestation sank back to the floor, this time nothing more than a lifeless pile of oily goop.
Congratulations! You have defeated a [Void Infestation] and have completed 2 of 2 Challenges of [Monk’s Faith Test] within the allotted time!
Reward calculating…
You are awarded the Skill: Purgation {ERROR! SKILL NOT FOUND IN…RECALCULATING…ARCHIVAL SYSTEMS ACCESSED…ARA SYSTEM SKILL: PURGATION…ACCEPTED}
Requirements: Shard of Ara
Purgation: Fate Skill
Description: The power of Fate does more than cleanse and cure, it also reconnects past, present and future where it has been severed. Remove that which is the antithesis of the {LEVEL INSUFFICIENT} and restore the flow of Positive Energy.
You are awarded [1] Secondary Power Node-Clear
Requirements: Attach to any Skill to grant it a Secondary Power. Secondary Power Nodes can be detached from Skills, but cannot be reattached for 24 hours.
You gave gained +100 Faction with [GOR]. Current Reputation set to [-325] Despised.
Do you wish to exit [Monk’s Faith Test] and return to Sector 13AX4
(Goodlabor) ?
Yes/No?
I was still trying to catch my breath and I squinted at the remains of the Infestation. I was daring it to get up again, but I was more concerned that I would have to walk through its disgusting remains to reach the Shard. I summoned up my courage and strode across the wet floor to snatch up Ara’s Shard, immediately sending it to my Inventory space.
You have received one [Corrupted] Shard of Ara! WARNING! Void Corruption has a {50%} chance of mutating the Skill unlocked.
Mir, forgive me! What do I do about this?
I didn’t dare use it! If I used it on the Purgation Skill instead of cleansing and curing, would it corrupt and destroy? How could I could bring myself to take such a risk? If I could somehow find a way to fix the shard or if I could locate another, uncorrupted shard that would solve the problem. For now, this shard was unusable.
Dejected, I finally selected ‘Yes’ and felt myself whisked away from the Monk’s Faith Test, which despite having been rewarded for succeeding, I felt I had almost certainly failed.
