When Nil didn’t question the current weapon’s uses and compatibility and continued enjoying its gifts, the white lines faded, and the soul weapon solidified. The material around the hands and wrists resembled a regularly used and seasoned wok's dark finish, like metal regularly charred by hot flames and extreme heat. The outer surface gathered a robust sheen further up the arm and almost resembled liquid tar at the elbow. It took several minutes for the shape to stabilize.
The gauntlets no longer resembled armor but seamless organic arms. The joints lacked breaks, and the soul weapon looked like a single, solid piece. They were his arms but one-and-half times the thickness and length of his own. It covered the elbows too and jutted outwards at the elbow, tapering to a sharp point that lay flat against his tricep when Nil straightened his arm.
Since no visions accompanied the source gauntlets, Nil didn't understand its capabilities clearly, but he believed that it reacted to the energy flowing through them. The soul weapon appeared to sense his intention and react appropriately.
The blades and blasts felt like only the tip of the soul weapon’s potential. When the Cursed Hounds surrounded him and threatened to overwhelm Nil, he wished for a tool to repel them without a full-body Expend. Before he could turn to the only possible recourse, he felt the gauntlets convert a giant chunk of his source into something wild and more volatile. Then crimson lightning burst from the sides of his forearms and followed them like tassels. All enemy flesh and hide they touched burnt, and the afflicted creatures stumbled and spasmed. The damage appeared minimal, but the momentary reprieve gave Nil a moment to create the three-finger hand blades again. They didn't disappear even when he switched from Expend to Absorb. Enemy blows only extended the conjurations’ duration, letting him slice his opponent's to bits.
As the soul weapon's chassis stabilized, all the energy conjurations adopted the same crimson as the lightning. It was a dark but gorgeous sight that continued the dark and savage theme of Brutal Battery. Best of all, no Expend uses through the gauntlets burned Nil. In fact, he felt no heat at all. The possibility of using the ability’s offensive half without damaging himself excited Nil the most. He also noticed a tertiary function while fighting a trio of human foes.
The source gauntlets helped Nil push past Brutal Battery’s capacity momentarily. They stored a quarter of his maximum. Bright crimson veins ran along the length of the soul weapon. They rapidly faded unless Nil used the energy to fuel an attack.
The battle only lasted fifteen minutes after Nil and Andrew joined it. They pushed through the masses of foes to the corner where all the miners, soldiers, and the other Summoned had gathered. Nil stayed at the front, defending everyone behind him. Only the archers, spitters, and casters got attacks past him. Thanks to Andrew, none stayed for long. Since he didn't need to worry about getting flanked anymore, he sniped the distant foes, swiftly shifting the tides.
“Thank you,” Zorah said, panting. She had fought at Nil’s flank, letting him lead the vanguard. Her right arm had hung limp at her side when he and Andrew joined the battle, forcing her to fight with her non-dominant arm. Blood trickled from it now, and she held it close to her side as she approached. “I hate to admit it, but we wouldn’t have made it without you. Far more than half a dozen would’ve died if not for you.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Nil told the woman, glad she finally found him worthy of conversation. “You held the Scourge Agents and their minions back alone and ensured no one else fell. And you did it with only one arm and no soul weapon. I can honestly say, Zorah, such a feat is well beyond me.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed as she studied Nil for a moment. “Take the compliment, weirdo.” Then she turned on her heel and walked away. “You there! Get the dead and injured together.” Zorah pointed at a miner. “Get all your equipment and mined crystals out of here. I want everything and everyone out of here in fifteen minutes.”
“What’s the plan, Zorah?” Andrew asked. He was far more familiar with the woman than Nil. He interacted with her often while helping Samara develop an appropriate soul weapon.
“Get everyone out. Start a fire. Then seal the cavern.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Nil frowned
“It's the only idea,” Zorah answered. “The Cursed corrupt the ground they die on. Bathing in sunlight or burning is the only way to prevent it. Would you rather we burn everything here or carry the hounds, beasts, and their masters to the surface.”
Neither Nil nor Andrew questioned the decision. Samara had put her in charge of all-day defenses, especially protecting the mines. Apparently, she had experience with defending such spaces. It was her specialty, which was also why Samara had invited her for a long-term quest with a soul weapon seed and custom chassis.
Andrew took advantage of the abundance of magic crystals and rigged a quick arcane circuit to power the carts. They rolled up the tunnels on their own, only requiring a guide to lead the way. Meanwhile, Nil assisted with the injured. Once the cavern was clear, Zorah had one of Samara’s apprentices erect a barrier, sealing off everything but a face-sized hole. Before leaving, they had gathered all the flammable material and corpses at the center of the space. Zorah’s fire-slinging ability proved enough to set it all ablaze.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Then, they started their ascent as a caravan. Nil and Andrew took the lead while Zorah brought up the rear. First aid had stopped her bleeding, but she appeared weak and far too spent to fight.
“Those are incredible,” Andrew commented, nodding at Nil’s gauntlets. “They’re not Samara’s design, are they?”
Nil shrugged. “It almost feels like an amalgamation of them combined with soul weapon’s will.” He glanced at his metal-encased arms. Following his will, the gauntlets turned mercurial, seeped through his pores, and disappeared into his forearms. “It's memory. I don’t know how to articulate this or how I know it. But this seed has had a long life. It had a history before me and Symbiotech. Perhaps its current chassis is a fragment of its former self or born of something it learned and experienced during its previous adventures.”
“I was almost sure you’d go for Rip and Tear or Forger of Worlds.”
“They were all tempting and had their benefits. Claws powered by Brutal Battery’s energy seems incredible. But that would require me to learn an entirely new fighting style. Meanwhile, World Forger’s powers couldn’t be more different from mine, and the compatibility with Brutal Battery wasn’t obvious. Absorb, Expend and martial arts already dominate all of my focus. Another ability would make it far too complicated.”
“Fair enough. World Forger involved gathering local material and infusing it with energy to create something more. Something else. The telekinesis thing was some minor form of gravity manipulation. I only peeked at the visions of Samara’s creations, and she wasn’t clear about her designs either. But it felt incredibly powerful and an almost perfect blend of offense, defense, and utility. You’re right, though. It was an entirely new powerset, and you’d have to split your attention and training a fair bit.” Andrew smiled sheepishly. “It had artisanal elements. I guess I was just biased.”
“Adapt seemed incredible, but its reactive nature wasn’t for me,” Nil continued. “And I’m not sure I quite got World Breaker.”
“What’s there not to get?”
“The chassis is supposed to balance offense and defense. Rip and Tear did that with the armoring along the gauntlets, but it had nothing besides the chains.”
“I suppose entangling people is a sort of defense. Anyway, the source gauntlets seem perfect for you. Do you know what it is? The source.”
“I can sort of feel it, and it's not quite magic or qi. The source feels like raw energy.”
“It's raw cosmic energy,” Andrew said. “The beginning of it all. It separates the universes and holds it all together.”
Nil had nothing to say about the revelation. They completed the rest of their journey in silence. Nil had sent a runner ahead to let the settlement of the approaching returnees. Samara appeared to have already dispatched off-duty guards and healers. They met the approaching caravan during the final third of the ascent. The injured received immediate treatment, while the rest got to quench their thirst and fill their bellies.
Once they reached the settlement, its remaining residents welcomed the caravan . Tears flowed as families claimed the dead. Some celebrated the victory. A few eagerly dug through the tools, weapons, clothing, and materials they had hastily gathered from the attackers. Samara directed them all, standing above the crowd. Everyone followed her instructions to the letter. She proved an excellent leader even during times of crisis. The settlement faced regular—almost daily attacks—but it was the first time Nil had seen her following a true disaster.
When their eyes met, she mouthed ‘tomorrow.’ She waved Andrew over, and he rushed to her eagerly. The new Summoned had taken to his education eagerly and rushed to Samara, leaving Nil alone. He ate, washed, and retired to his quarters. Only a handful of hours remained until his shift began.
Engrossed with the soul weapon’s developments, Nil had forgotten about Meatball. After spending time with her on the quest, he trusted the whelp to survive and was pleased to find her waiting for him. Samara had arranged a large trough full of cave dirt, and Meatball sat in it with a Cursed Hound’s leg. Sprouting luminous flora somewhat masked the twisted flesh’s scent, and Nil left his spirit companion to her meal.
Finally, he checked his Schema interface. Several notifications demanded Nil’s attention during the battle, and he brushed them aside. Now, he finally checked his interface, and the changes surprised and pleased him.
Toggled Supercharging has progressed to Iron 0!
The base energy cost per second is reduced by twenty percent.
* Might: Iron 5
* Finesse: Bronze 0
* Mind: Iron 0
* Spark: Bronze 1
Brutal Battery: Iron 4
* Absorb: Iron 4
* Expend: Iron 5
* Toggled Supercharging: Iron 0
* Energy Instinct: Iron 2
Feats:
* Armsmaster’s Disappointment
* Through Sheer Grit
* The Power Of Belief
* Primal Origins
Nil had hoped for more from Toggled Supercharging’s ascension.
Multiple simultaneous boosts would’ve been great.
He expected an option of possible upgrades. Instead, he only received a cost reduction. It wasn’t the worst of gifts. The Schema’s notification regarding the soul weapon and Meatball made up for it.
You wield the source!
Source Gauntlets: Iron 0
* Wield The Source: Iron 0
Shape and Manipulate the Source, and convert stored energy into forms to suit your needs.
* Galvanized: Iron 0
The energy emitted through the gauntlets will never hurt the wielder. Enemy energy attacks also suffer when breaking through their defenses.
Ironroot Whelp: Iron 6
* Reinforce: Iron 2
* Regenerate: Iron 3
The quest, and especially the last battle, had won him a good deal of strength. Even though the Nexus’ latest Earth-side quest displeased Nil, and he still had no intention of throwing his life away in Death Gauntlet, the Schema interface told him he had a chance at success. The thought of becoming a hitman turned Nil’s stomach. However, he had to admit that the Symbiotech’s agents, especially those who preyed on the hopeful and funneled Cursed Energy into Earth, needed to be put down. If not, there was the risk of more people he loved falling to their twisted machinations.