Boundless pride, p.32
Boundless Pride, page 32
Both Grandmasters enjoyed the show, betting on which would be victorious. In the end, the orcs won out but by a narrow margin, and Yaman cursed as he tossed a pouch of coins to a grinning Goretusk. Leon looked to his party, allowing the armies to be run by those who were in charge.
“For the raiding party, it will be the Champions, as we are immune to the Blight’s corruption. Unless either of you has a convincing reason for you to join, I will send you into the Domain for your safety.”
Thomas stood up straighter.
“I have a duty to my people- while I am leaving with you soon, they still need me now. I will stay with the orcs and ensure that no misunderstandings arise.”
Leon looked at the demihuman man for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“Very well. Then Han-”
“I’m gonna stay with him! I’ve been so bored in the Domain, and I mean… look at him. He’s gonna need healing for sure.”
Thomas looked offended but Leon chuckled, shaking his head.
“If you insist. Go see Goretusk and ask where he could use you both.”
The pair saluted him, Hannah’s more of a rude gesture than anything, and hurried off. Leon was left with the Champions in his party.
“Are we prepared for what we must do?”
Elzbeth shrugged as the rest nodded.
“I mean, won’t know till we get there, yeah? Between the five of us I think we can handle just about anything.”
Abdu chuckled deeply.
“I wish to reserve my thoughts, as being overconfident often leads to ruination… but we do represent a great deal of power- for mortals, at any rate.”
“I still don’t understand why the gods aren’t the ones on cleanup here.” Soren grumbled, spinning his staff in his hand idly, “They could just snap a finger and be done with it!”
Lin Mah shook her head.
“There is a great deal of restriction upon the gods… do not allow the old man to skew your view on that. He is… a special case, I believe.”
“How special?” Soren asked.
“Quite. Though I am afraid I don’t have a better answer for you.”
Soren shrugged.
“Well, good enough I guess. Shall we go bust some Blight skull?”
Leon laughed softly.
“I do not know that the Blight has a skeletal system, much less a skull, but yes. Why not? Let me inform the leadership.”
He walked over to the Grandmasters, who were deep in conversation that stopped as he approached.
“Ah, Leon Jäger. Are you heading off to fight indescribable horrors?”
Leon tilted his head at the demihuman, looking thoughtful.
“I could probably describe them if you would like.”
“No, thank you.” came the reply with a grimace, “Is there anything you need from us?”
Leon shook his head.
“No, I have sent two of my party to assist you- I see that they have been assigned with the army. The rest of us will be moving towards the Nucleolus now. I wish you all good fortune, and will see you upon my return.”
With a few more parting words, Leon turned and left, taking his party with him. They traveled into the savannah, the sun growing hotter in the sky above them. Leon extended his Area Temperature Manipulation around the party. Abdu was concerned at first, but after having the phenomenon explained he was quite happy for it.
As they drew away from the army, they could all sense the Spirit Beasts around them grow more interested in them. They were barely out of sight before the first one sprung from ambush, a large insect-like beast that attempted to gut Leon with the sharp talons on its feet. The appendages skated off the steel plate he wore and the bug found itself caught in a vice-like grip. With a squeeze, the knight popped the head of the creature off and threw its carcass onto the sandy ground. He looked at the green blood coating his gauntlet with disgust. Lin Mah shook her head.
“Beloved, can you activate your Qi Sense for me, please? I do not wish to be leapt upon by bugs.”
Leon grunted as he recalled the skill that had laid dormant for so long. He activated it and pushed outwards with his Qi, the entire party shuddering as the energy scanned them from top to bottom. Elzbeth squeaked.
“Oh that felt weird. Please do not.”
“Apologies. It will be active for now, so you should not feel the same, um…”
“Creepy Qi scan?”
“Yes, that.”
She squinted at him but nodded. Lin Mah took her hand, the two women deciding to walk in the center of the triangle made by the three men in the party.
“Much better. No bugs! Be dears, gentlemen- keep the noise down and the monsters off us, yes?”
Soren rolled his eyes, getting a laugh from Abdu. Leon just shook his head, leading the party deeper into the wasteland. They were waylaid occasionally by the monsters that called the place home, but soon reached the point of no return: a wide swath of land that had been clearly infected by the Blight. The dirt held a slight purple tinge, and there were no beasts to be seen. The sparse trees and shrubs seemed unaffected, but none truly knew if that was the case. The Nucleolus had evidently been hard at work, for they were nowhere near the crater in which Leon and Abdu had discovered it.
The first Blighted beast they came across appeared to be a mutated cow. Perhaps it had wandered into the Blight from one of the cities- though how it managed to survive the swarms of non-corrupted Spirit Beasts on the way was anyone’s guess. It was bulbous and grotesque, a misshapen spine causing the creature to lean to one side as it walked. It passed by the grass at its feet, suddenly dipping its head to grasp a wriggling reptile in surprisingly pointed teeth. The reptile was similarly afflicted, but it stood no chance as the cow bit down and devoured the smaller creature with a series of sickening crunches.
Soren made a disgusted noise, getting the beast’s attention. Its bloodshot eyes widened and it bellowed in rage as it rushed the party.
“Well done.” Abdu said with a small laugh.
“I mean it was going to attack us anyway, right?” was the monk’s defense.
Leon willed the Resolute Shield into formation and bashed it into the head of the oncoming Spirit Beast. The metal pavise split the thing’s scalp, sending purple blood flying as the beast was redirected. As expected, the blood almost instantly turned into mist, spreading out over the area like a cloud of death. The Blighted cow stumbled forward and then recovered, Leon using Inspect as he closed with it again.
* * *
Enemy
Dairy Cow (Blighted)
Disposition: Hungry, Furious
Threat Level: Early King
* * *
Soren flew in with his staff swinging before Leon had a chance to strike, battering the cow away with a meaty thud. The monk had also apparently used Inspect, as he stared at the creature in awe.
“Early King? It’s a cow!”
Abdu grunted, firing a stream of electricity at the monster, locking its joints in place as Elzbeth unleashed a beam of Lightning with a crack and blinding flash.
“It is more than it seems, clearly. Be on your guard.”
Soren nodded, schooling his face to seriousness. As the two electrical Qi types battled for dominance within the Spirit Beast, a volley of arrows rained down upon it. Lin Mah’s hair pin had transformed into a truly frightening bow, which she was using with deadly precision. Each arrow struck with great force, sinking to the fletchings before vanishing in a puff of Shadow Qi. The cow lowed, the sound a combination of fear and rage, as it turned, spewing a stream of purple sludge at the team.
“Nope! Absolutely not!” Elzbeth yelled, turning into a ball of Lightning and zipping back into Leon a moment before the deluge would have hit her.
Lin Mah dodged artfully, but Soren took the attack to the face. The purple mess covered the monk, and Leon expected to hear his pained cries for help an instant later. Instead, the entire mass of pus and bile was flung from the bald man, having landed on a thin layer of Wind Qi that Soren had covered himself with. The monk still shook himself like a dog, shuddering at what he had seen while within his air cocoon.
“Okay, that was truly gross.”
“There is more where that came from. Focus.”
The crew quickly returned to their tasks, and the Spirit Beast stood little chance. The power and ferocity of their blows, when counted over the volume of five Champions, practically melted the beast. Elzbeth reappeared and blasted it with Lightning, enjoying the way her power interacted with the more pure but tame electricity from Abdu. Leon took a heavy hit towards the end of the fight, but the dark-skinned Champion easily switched to his Light Qi and healed him before he had even crashed onto the ground.
A final volley of arrows landed in the beast’s skull and it dropped with a heavy thump. Leon grabbed both women and leapt away, with Abdu doing the same to a very startled Soren. An instant later, the cow exploded, sending pus and bile shooting into the air in all directions. It splattered down on the savannah like the worst kind of rain before bursting into mist. Anyone caught in the middle of the cloud who didn’t have immunity or an antidote would have been dead in moments.
Leon put Lin Mah and Elzbeth down, both women grinning at him. He had expected them to be upset, so their reaction was a pleasant surprise. Soren was unceremoniously tossed to the ground by the broad Champion, the monk tucking into a roll and popping back to his feet.
“Let that be a lesson to you all. They do not go quietly.” Abdu said, gesturing at the cloud, “While we are technically immune, I do not wish to test fate.”
“Nor the stain-proofing in my dress.” Lin Mah agreed.
The group skirted around the cloud, knowing that it would evaporate on its own eventually. They headed deeper into the center, engaging with several more Blighted beasts as they went. They traveled through the night, not bothering to stop for food or rest, relying on their enhanced forms to carry them through. Time was of the essence, after all.
The power levels of the creatures they saw were incredible, with one reaching Mid King as they neared the crater. With all five working in tandem they were able to take the enormous lizard-like creature down, but the three main-line combatants all took wounds in the process. The beast fired sharp spines from its body seemingly at will, and they easily pierced the armor that the two heavier defended men wore.
When the thing finally died, Leon attempted to loot it, as he did each time as a matter of habit.
[Do you wish to loot: Sandrock Skink (Blighted)? Yes/No.]
Yes.
[You cannot loot Blighted creatures.]
[You absorb Qi.]
While the lack of loot was disappointing, the volume of Qi they were taking in was far from it. Leon’s final symbol, written across his core, was nearly full and another few battles might end up pushing him into the King Realm. Even though the rest of the party had been a few stages behind, each one of them had moved into Half-step with him, albeit with a great deal more to go to complete the stage. Leon didn’t know what awaited them in the next Realm, but he was very aware of how much further he had to travel. Either way, he had it to do, so no point in worrying about it.
“That was… a lot.” Elzbeth said with a shudder.
Soren nodded, flexing his hands.
“Yeah, it was. A few more like that and I’ll catch up to Leon!”
“You do realize that Leon is also gaining Qi, yes?” Abdu asked the monk with a grin.
“Come on now, don’t ruin it. Let me dream.”
Leon shook his head at their banter, gazing out across the sandy stretch of dirt towards the lip of the crater. It was large enough that it appeared to be a small mountain ridge made entirely of displaced dirt. Whatever had collided with the ground in the center had been large and fallen with great force. He pointed at the top.
“That is the start of our adventure, I believe.”
Soren peered in the direction he was pointing, squinting his eyes against the sun.
“A dirt mound?”
Abdu clapped the other bald man on the back.
“Yes, a simple dirt mound. Nothing to be concerned about. Let’s go for a stroll, shall we?”
With Leon leading the way, the group crossed the last mile or so before the crater wall began and then trudged up the slope. It was slow going, somehow even less pleasant than the first time, the dirt sliding and getting into the travelers’ socks and shoes. There was a stream of grumbling from Elzbeth, and even Lin Mah looked unhappy, but they made it to the crest eventually. When Leon finally peered over the top, however, he stopped. The group nearly walked into the back of him, then spread out to either side, staring down at the scene below.
“That… is new.”
Abdu nodded at Leon’s words, gazing at the enormous… plant in the center of the crater. Where a fleshy mass had stood, a short, fat stalk now held a flower that looked to have yet to bloom, though far more disgusting. Like the mountain of flesh that it was formed from, the flower was made of the same material. Even from the great distance they stood, they could see veins pulsing in the stalk and the flower’s closed petals. The entire plant was a mottled purple and green and made the entire group feel a bit sick just looking at it.
Spreading out from the base of the flower were a spider’s web of thick roots, partially buried in the ground. They dipped under and rose above the earth seemingly at random, and disappeared entirely before they reached the edge of the crater. Undoubtedly they were spreading the Blight’s corruption further out into the savannah around it. Leon took in the sight and turned to his party.
“How do we deal with that?”
Elzbeth gawked at the plant, mentally gauging its size.
“Can we even deal with that? It’s huge! Where would we even start?”
Abdu squinted, his eyes following the roots to their terminus.
“Perhaps the roots? I have yet to hear of a plant that enjoyed losing its roots.”
Lin Mah nodded slowly.
“If I had known, perhaps I could have created a poison to kill the plant, but I fear that this may already be beyond that measure. The roots would be a good place to start, though…”
She trailed off, pointing down at the crater floor. A corrupted Spirit Beast that looked a bit like a deer from the hells was hobbling along towards the flower. It was set to a singular purpose, though what thoughts might be going through its mind was anyone’s guess. As it approached the first of the roots, it brushed against one of them with its flank, its odd gait making it tack to the side with every step. Instantly, the root shuddered and seemed to retract slightly before a purple tentacle erupted from the ground beneath the creature, grabbing it and tearing it in two. The two halves of the still-screaming beast were pulled under the ground and vanished without a trace.
Elzbeth suffered a full body shiver.
“Okay, that is nasty.”
“Ugh, why…” Soren agreed, his face pale, “How did I get signed up for this?”
Leon laughed, shaking his head.
“You could always return to the monastery. I am certain they would be glad to have you back. What was it, only a dozen years of confinement?”
Soren’s shudder matched Elzbeth’s and he shook his head vehemently.
“Nope! No. I will happily face the deadly, purple, tentacled flesh flower!”
“There is a sentence you don’t hear every day.” Abdu mused, then glanced at Leon, “What are your thoughts?”
Leon shrugged.
“I believe the roots are the best bet. We can always adjust if that proves ineffective. As to how- I believe I will be the most capable of severing them, as the rest of you lack… blades.” he looked around the group, each member glancing at the others’ weapons, “Perhaps a bit of fire will assist with that endeavor. If you keep the tentacle… things… off of me, we may just have a way forward.”
With the battle lines formed and what would have to pass for a plan made, the party crested the crater and began to descend into it. Immediately, they could feel the change in the Qi in the air, as if the very energy of the universe was being corrupted by the Blight Flower along with the ground beneath it. Breathing became more difficult, but the group soldiered on, unwilling to stop for discomfort. As they reached the first set of roots, Leon summoned his sword, extending it to his own height and pouring every bit of mass he had stored into it. He raised the blade but a hand on his pauldron stopped him.
“Let’s see if we can get farther in first, beloved.” Lin Mah pointed at the path that had been created by the closest pair of roots, the massive plant system rising like a hedge maze to either side.
Leon nodded and carried on, every step closer to the closed flower feeling like walking through increasingly heavy water. The aura coming off the thing was immense, and Leon’s attempt at using Inspect failed completely. He didn’t even get a notification that his skill was too low, his Qi simply bounced off the flower. Soon, the roots started to converge, and Leon stopped, looking back over his shoulder. Lin Mah nocked an arrow to her bow and the rest spread out around the man. She gave him the go-ahead and he pushed Qi into the blade, setting it ablaze.
With a leap, he swung the blade up over his head and then down at the nearest root with all of his might. The thing was easily ten feet around, but he had chosen a spot where it was entirely above ground and figured he would be able to get through it in a pair of blows. As it turned out, the roots were a good deal tougher than he had anticipated.
His blade bit in, sinking two feet deep across the length of the sword, but stopped there. An inhuman shriek sounded out from the direction of the flower and the root convulsed, nearly crushing Leon under it as it did so. Undeterred, the knight slashed out again, and then again, each strike carving the channel deeper. As he attacked, all hell broke loose behind him.
