Misha shifted in place nervously, her eyes darting back and forth. Not having quite realized the gravity of the situation, a puzzled look remained on her face.
“Is everything alright, Mister Adun? What’s going on right no-”
The very air seemed to split as a crimson spear, engulfed in a raging inferno, tore through the trees. Its jagged tip spun furiously as it created a vortex of flame and wind that left a shower of embers in its wake.
Just as it sought to impale Misha and turn her into a living pyre, a twisted hand made of flesh and metal reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to the ground.
The spear instead grazed by her cheek, with only mere inches separating the two. It continued to careen off into the distance, until it buried itself deeply within the thick trunk of a Monolith tree. The mighty tree shuddered as bright tongues of flame began to greedily lick at its core.
The fire soon spread from the impact zone and made its way upwards. Multiple smaller branches and leaves were consumed in an instant and charred black.
Just when it seemed as if the Monolith was about to be devoured whole, the ancient tree groaned and swelled massively. A bright glow began to emanate from its bark, illuminating the veins of sap that lay underneath.
It continued to expand, growing until the injured area of its trunk had reached nearly double its original size.
Then, as if exhaling, it expelled the deeply embedded spear with a great gust of wind.
A streak of green light flew through the air like a comet. Now wreathed in an ethereal emerald flame, it returned to its origin at a nearly imperceptible speed, even with my enhanced vision.
The vengeful spear whizzed by my head and vanished into the dark of the Canopy. A mere instant later, a sharp cry rang out as a pillar of flame erupted in the horizon.
Agonized screams and moans continued to sound in the distance, slowly becoming quieter until they eventually stilled. Within the mental 3D map provided by my sonar, I was able to visualize a group of creatures surrounding one of their kin. It lay nailed to the earth, the spear clearly jutting out of its abdomen.
Its companions frantically poured an endless stream of some sort of liquid, perhaps potions, but to no avail. Although I wasn’t able to “see” the flames, their effects were plainly visible. The creature’s entire body rapidly melted away and vanished, leaving naught but ashes.
A momentary silence fell upon the Canopy, leaving me wondering.
The way the Monolith tree had rejected the spear and returned it....had that been a natural self-defense mechanism? Or were these trees something... more?
Well, whatever the case, it would have to be investigated later. Thanks for the assist anyways!
My hand, still tightly grabbing Misha by the scruff, gently lifted and helped her to her feet.
As I brushed off the bits of dirt and detritus that stuck to her, I gruffly asked, “You alright?”
To my surprise, no traces of fear or panic could be seen in her scarlet eyes. Her previous nervousness had vanished as well, leaving only a calm determination.
No longer confused, she nodded as she said, “I’m ok, thank you Mister Adun. There are some more... bad guys that have come, right? I’m ready.”
It seemed that the innocent, easily frightened girl I’d first met was slowly disappearing, bit by bit. It brought me a sense of relief, yet a slight sadness as well.
A golden chain spread from her fingers as she activated Misery’s Company, linking all the otherworlders together, except for me. In her other hand, a small tornado began to form and slowly grow.
Around me, Khaelen and the others were rapidly arming themselves and preparing their equipment. They weren’t quite battle-ready currently, having been taken by surprise in a moment of rest. Nevertheless, their movements were swift and practiced, without hesitation. The weeks of nonstop conflict and vigilance had hardened us all, it seemed.
Xandros swiftly approached, his staff brightly glowing as a tightly compressed orb of mana coalesced at its tip.
He threw aside the various goods he’d been carrying, scattering them about as he spoke.
“Do you know who these attackers are, Sir Adun? How many of them are there?”
I shook my head as I made my own preparations. Both power cores shuddered to life, flaring bright blue. Tendrils of electricity flickered erratically between my mechanical parts as they reached full operating power. I also uncorked and quickly chugged two potions.
20,000 points, poured down my throat. Yet, I couldn’t afford to hold back in this current situation.
As the last drop of beige liquid flowed into me, I replied to Xandros.
“Never met them. But I think they followed one of our buyers all the way here. There should be nine Tier 4s, but one of them got taken out by that spear just now. Still, we’re in for a fight.”
Xandros tightly gripped his staff, his jaws clenched. With a grim face, he nodded as he said, “Indeed, this will likely be our most dangerous encounter yet. But we’ve been preparing for such an eventuality, have we not?”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
That was true. With how massively they’d all leveled up as of late, our odds of victory weren’t completely hopeless. However, there were too many unknown factors at play, coupled with the fact that I wasn’t in my strongest form. If I was able to find a moment to swap back to the Onisha frame, I’d feel a bit more comfortable about our chances.
Khaelen finished donning a soft, leathery armor, along with a belt carrying several pouches filled to the brim with a variety of throwing weapons. No longer limited to his regular shurikens, he’d evidently obtained several new toys.
Standing next to me, he patted my shoulder reassuringly.
“No worries, we’ve got this. We’ll do it like we always have. Mark the target, and I’ll follow up on you.”
I nodded as I said, “Sounds good. Keep in mind though, I can’t just charge at them like usual in this form. We’ll have to be a bit more diplomatic in our approach.”
The sonar in my second mind updated again, displaying the assailants’ movements. They seemed to have finally given up on saving their companion and were recapping their potions. A few moments were then spent collecting all the equipment that had dropped, before they began to move once more.
Frame by frame, their figures moved through the mental map as they rapidly closed the distance between us. They didn’t appear to be preparing another ranged attack, perhaps afraid of the retribution that might follow.
Withdrawing One Strike, a half meter long red blade appeared in my hand as I shouted, “Get ready! They’re coming!”
Several individuals stepped forth and surrounded me, their palms outstretched with shimmering lights.
A tingling warmth began to spread over my body.
Increased strength, increased healing, resistance to mental effects, improved mana efficiency...
A surge of power filled me as various abilities were stacked by the buffers in the group.
Hm, at this level, it may be more doable than I initially thought. I had some experience fighting with Khaelen’s group, since there had been a few times where I needed backup against the Nemeses. However, this was the first time I’d be cooperating with all of them together, as the previous incidents had only required a small portion of assistance.
Around me, the forty-odd Glathar slithered into place, their curved claws gripping a whole new array of armaments that had been acquired over the last several weeks.
They divided into units of five and assembled into battle formations thinly spread over the area. The rest of the otherworlders followed suit as well, taking vantage points up on the hills or in the trees.
I withdrew into the shadows and disappeared into the treetops. Even without the aid of my thrusters and wings, the trees passed by in a blur. As quietly as possible, I left their line of sight and concealed myself. One Strike shifted in color, becoming pitch black as its passive activated.
The air was taut with tension, with the seconds dragging like hours. Every being present waited with bated breath.
Soon, they arrived.
Their silhouettes emerged slowly, one by one. Wordlessly, they stepped forth into the encirclement and revealed their appearances.
None of the eight otherworlders shared form or function, possessing distinctly separate origins. This was the first group I’d seen other than Khaelen’s that wasn’t all composed of the same race. An alliance born of desperation that preyed on all those weaker than it.
The first figure was round yet sinewy, a jellyfish-like mass of flesh with no discernible eyes. What was assumed to be its head tenuously floated above its torso, connected only by thin strands of nerves and fiber. A translucent barrier shimmered over its body at all times, but its six elongated arms appeared to carry no weapons.
A freakishly long crawler skittered along beneath it on hundreds of tiny legs. Plates of armor had been fused along its reinforced spine and inscribed with glowing magical glyphs. It bore a rather strange visage, as it wore a pair of hilariously oversized boots and a staff with a glowing gem appeared to have been glued to its head.
Behind it, a behemoth of stone and moss lumbered along. It easily rivaled the Onisha in both size and height, with massive fists the size of boulders. Its torso was embedded with an orange core that steadily pumped a stream of molten lava throughout its body. With every step it took, the earth trembled.
The rest of the otherworlders followed suit, forming a wide line. For a moment, all was quiet, as both sides simply stared at each other.
Finally the first otherworlder that had appeared, the jellyfish-like creature, glided forward. Its floating head bobbled slightly above its body as its limbs swayed in the air.
It approached Xandros and opened its mouth, its nerve tendrils glowing. However, what came out were not sounds, but rather a mental projection that echoed into the minds of all those present.
“Greetings. I presume you are the leader of this sorry group?”
Xandros chuckled, as all six of his eyes narrowed in derision.
“You presume correctly. To what do we owe the honor of this meeting?”
The otherworlder tilted its floating head.
“I believe it should be sufficiently obvious. Surrender all the points and equipment you have earned, and your lives shall be spared.”
Xandro’s chuckle deepened into a hearty laugh as he said, “Our points? What makes you think we have anything of value? As you can see, we are simply a humble group of Tier 5 races that have gathered together in solidarity, much like yourselves.”
“Cease this foolish charade. We know full well what your group has been up to. Degenerates United, was it? Some otherworlders we came across had some very... interesting things to tell us. The wealth you possess is not something that is deserved by the likes of your lowly kind.”
“Ah, but you and your companions do?” Xandros sneered. “Quite the arrogance for a group of beings that barely managed to survive as the last of their worlds.”
The jellyfish-like otherworlder shuddered, as all of its nerve tendrils began to brightly glow in anger. Its previously limp, swaying arms stiffened and moved forward menacingly.
“Silence, cur! Unless you wish to be annihilated upon the very ground you stand, you will comply. Our first attack was naught but a warning; what follows will not be nearly so merciful.”
“I have but one question, if I may,” Xandros said. “Are you not afraid of what stands behind us? You may find yourselves dearly regretting the decision you have made today.”
The flaps in the side of the otherworlder’s head vibrated intensely, clearly amused. A tremor pulsed through its body in waves, mimicking the motion of laughter.
“Ah, a most humorous bluff indeed. Cornered like the rats you are, and desperate to find a way out. Unlike the others you may have fooled, we are well aware there is no high tier race commanding you from the shadows. There is merely a moderately powerful individual that has been aiding you. If they possess a modicum of reason, they will know how foolish it is to attempt to resist all of us. Now, I will not ask again: give us all that you have.”
“Very well,” said Xandros, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Unlike before, it contained no mockery, only a somber sadness.
“In my former life, I was a priest. Upon arriving here in Bellona, I have not had the chance to fulfill my duties. But now that it has come to this-”
Xandros paused, tightly closing his eyes and clasping his palms together.
“I shall pray for the departed souls of your world.”
“Hm? What do you speak of, you foolish-”
A sharp, sizzling sound was heard as the shield surrounding the jelly-fish otherworlder flickered rapidly. Visible cracks spread through its translucent structure as it attempted to hold steady. Then, with a high pitched whine, it failed completely and collapsed, buckling in on itself around the point of intrusion.
The air filled with the acrid stench of ozone as a crackling blade, jet-black in appearance, suddenly sprouted from the otherworlder’s chest. After a few moments, the blade slowly faded away back to its original crimson color.
Simultaneously, a burst of golden ichor exploded from the otherworlder’s hovering head despite being seemingly untouched.
“I... what...you....”
Slowly, it collapsed to the floor, as more ichor continued to flow out of it and feed the greedy soil.
Through the vapor of the broken psionic shield, my figure appeared, holding the gently steaming One Strike.
The battle was on.
