Critical Hit. Alex Till lands Killing Blow on Necrogrell (Level 92 Elite)
Necrotic Abomination (Level 90) x80
Total - 32,780 experience gained.
All enemies looted
Loot Received:
20 x A-Grade Credits
Level Up
Name: Alex Till
Race: Human (Earth 0)
Class: Fire Warrior
Titles: Planetary Forerunner 100, Multiverse Forerunner, Multiverse Dungeon Diver, Multiverse Elite, Initiation Perfectionist
Faction: Clark County Resistance
Sponsors: (2 of 3) Bio-Evolutionary Laboratories, Teacher of the Worlds Society
Core Pantheon: Coricancha
Level: 52
Attributes:
Strength: 253*
Inner Fire: 164*
Constitution: 159*
Agility: 75
Wisdom: 22
Charisma: 21
Stat Points from Buffs or Items are not shown on this screen.
Available Stat Points - 5
Alex pushed the 5 points into Inner Fire.
Inner Fire: 169*
Alex groaned, opened his eyes and mouth then grimaced. He was lying face down in Corpse Juice and Necrotic Fluid.
"Till?"
"Professor… gross!"
Alex rolled onto his back and spat on the ground.
"You answered with your lips in the liquid didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Same old Till."
"Not even close, I'm now missing…"
Alex's voice trailed away as he looked down at his body.
"My arm… and my leg. But… how?"
"I managed to get one of Fernandes' Elixirs into you."
"You… professor? You can't… I don't understand."
"Till, I haven't been completely honest with you."
"I don't-"
Alex's voice trailed off as he finally looked up at his Companion.
"Mama said she proffered this form, it takes a little of my power but… the Tome doesn't fit me anymore."
"Doesn't fit you?"
"My Nexus has been upgrading. Since you got to Level 50, then completed when you received the loot from the Synthmage and levelled up again. I didn't know what it would change so I didn't say anything."
HistoriAI
Enhanced Profession Companion
Created by Alex Till
Nexus Specialist
Multiverse Civilisation Knowledge
Multiple Forms
Additional Modes Available
"You absorbed the second Nexus Cube and the Corvus 17?"
"Yes. When then went into your Inventory I received an offer from the System to integrate them."
"Makes sense. Odd that it wouldn't give me the same option."
"Would you have allowed it?"
"Allowed? Professor, you're half of this team, I would've given you my advice… which wouldn't have been useful. But the decision would've been yours."
"Thank you, Alex."
Alex waved his hand then Scanned the professor again.
"Additional Modes?"
"The System won't provide any information on them."
"So your restrictions are still there?"
"Yes, however, my access to information feels like it has grown."
"That should help, somehow. We'll just have to wait and see."
With a groan Alex got to his feet then stumbled.
"This new leg isn't ready."
Alex stood, leaning heavily on the leg that had just finished growing and looked around the room, taking in the bodies, Corpse Juice and Necrotic Fluid.
"Necrogrell's aren't biodegradable are they?"
The professor just looked at him then shook her head.
"What? Like that would be the strangest thing we've seen."
The professor didn't answer and Alex realised her new form had at least one down side.
"It's harder to ignore your disappointment and annoyance now."
The professor just smiled then turned to the far wall.
"Let's check out the second floor."
Alex and the professor moved towards the wall which flickered as they got close.
Scanning
81/81 Enemies Defeated
Leaving Floor 1
Arriving on Floor 2
Scanning
0/81 Enemies Defeated
Welcome to Floor 2
Difficulty increased
7 minutes Remaining Until Floor Collapse
Fight!
Multiple things all happened at once. The professor disappeared, portals opened around the room, the natural light that lit the area flickered until it went out and a message popped up on his HUD.
30 seconds of Inventory access remain
Non-combat Companions deactivated
"No professor or Inventory, that's just fighting dirty."
Alex withdrew his axe, then made a worrying discovery, at the bottom of the axe's pop up was a new message.
Chains of Woe MISSING
"My arm…"
Alex searched through his Inventory.
"Poison, Elixir, Spines, Skillet Handle… there you are! Weapon Enhancement: Chains of Woe."
11
10
9
Weapon Enhancements cannot be applied while on a Contested Floor
"Damn it!"
5
4
Alex held his slightly underpowered axe, a handful of Spines and his Skillet Handle as the time reached 0.
Inventory Access Blocked
The portals around him shimmered and new enemies poured in.
Draconium Guard (Level 85) x 80
When Morris destroyed Earth 51's Draconium he didn't do it just for power, he was also possessed by an all consuming Xenophobic fury. Perverting the teaching of the Draconium Morris decreed that Dragons were no longer allowed to live, but they could be altered while in Undeath to match Morris' racial requirement. The Draconium Guards are perhaps the best example of this, dragons that have been altered using stolen techniques from Dr Vance's Bio-Evolutionary Laboratories, techniques that have been corrupted with Necrology to create bipedal, semi-human dragons that worship Morris like he is their God, while constantly tortured with the knowledge they have turned their back on their true deities and aided in the destruction of their original race.
Warning: Enhanced Strength
Enhanced Constitution
“That’s… dark and oddly detailed.”
Alex watched as the hulking brutes moved closer, their skin looked similar to what you’d see on a crocodile, other than that they looked like large humans that had been stretched further, then additional muscles had been poured into any gaps. Alex looked up then to the side, so used to the professor adding her commentary that he momentarily forgot that she’d been deactivated.
“They probably have a really obvious weakness…”
Alex deflected a large clawed hand with his axe, he stepped back and to the side then swung and cut into the thick hide… skin of his most aggressive attacker. It was like cutting into a tree made of thick rubber after swinging through a pool of oil. The Guard barely reacted. Looking down he could see that the axe’s blade had penetrated but there was little to no blood or Necrotic Fluid. Alex pulled at the axe, attempted to free it but was forced to let go as two more Guards swiped at him. His original attacker fell back into the mass of other former dragons taking the Volcanic Axe out of the fight. Looking down he pulled two Spine’s from his jacket’s inner pockets and held them like daggers.
“This is going to suck.”
Smouldering Ember’s was just getting started so flames were beginning to lick against the feet and legs of all of his attackers. Leaping up he wrapped an arm around the neck of one Guard then sung onto the creature’s back. Looking down he saw that wings had been removed, the stubs were left to scar over without any medical attention. As the Guard started to react Alex slammed both Spines into its eye sockets, then pulled them out quickly trailing a large ocular nerve. Summoning his extreme Strength he jumped from the dying Draconium Guard and landed on the back of another. His first victim fell to the fire below clutching at its empty eye sockets and roaring in pain. Imagining the professor’s analytical tone he smiled.
“While their Strength and Constitution is high, this is offset by their speed. Ahh, the enhanced musculature and modified skeletal system, that’s what she’d say, limit the mobility and flexibility of the final Guard form making them susceptible to quick, decisive movements.”
Alex bounced on the balls of his feed, letting the Guards get closer then with an explosive moment that left cracks in the floor he sprung into action.
“Blazing Fury!”
The spikes in his hands shot out in different directions, impaling the humanoid dragons, leaving bodies to fall screaming into the flames that grew higher with each body they consumed. His HUD informed him that Blazing Fury was about to fall off his Buff list and taking a deep breath he prepared himself.
“This is really going to suck… Blazing Fury!”
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With the effects of the Ability coursing through his body he knew he was on borrowed time.
Ability Overuse - Repetitive use of Abilities can put undue strain on an Adventurers body which can induce Bloodlust.
Constitution reduced by 15
Attack Speed increased by a further 10%
Using this Ability again will cause additional damage and increase damage taken by all sources
Alex grimaced as his Constitution was reduced. His nose started to bleed and blood dripped from his mouth, coloured his teeth and mixed with the Corpse Juice and Necrotic Fluids. Then the spike in his left hand snapped, heaving most inside a Guard’s eye socket. Looking down he saw what was left of the spike, kicked the closest Guard and threw the broken end.
“Blazing Hurl!”
The section of bone scythed through the air, caught fire and slammed into the chest of the Guard he had kicked. The scaly flesh bubbled and melted before his eyes and the half-spike sunk in and set fire to the creature’s heart causing smoke to course out of the hole.
“That’ll do it.”
The guard clutched at it’s chest and tried to pull the shard of bone out as it’s eyes glazed over and it fell into the fire.
"Damn it! I need my axe!"
Pulling another Spine from a pocket Alex swung back into action, shuddering as he watched the Guards. Their immense strength couldn't be argued, but the lack of speed and agility was just as apparent. Charred and blackened bodies covered the ground and several of the former dragons tore at their brethren from behind.
"Damn it Professor, I could really use your System Cheat Sheet right now. Why are they attacking each other? Flame Manipulation."
Alex jumped backwards, springing off a platform made of fire all while throwing Spines out, Spine that drove deep into throats, chests and eye sockets. Then he saw it, his axe was standing on its end above the blackened remains of one of the Draconium Guard. His eyes lit with an all consuming fire as he dove into the remaining masses, striking out with anything he could bring in contact with his enemies. With a laugh that would’ve struck fear into any of the creatures he'd already dispatched, his right hand gripped the axe's hilt.
"Perfect! Ahhhh, mother fucker!"
Alex staggered as one of the Guard tore it’s claws down his back. It shredded through his jacket, the remains of one of his t-shirts, skin and muscle. His left hand gripped his last Spine and he swung up and backwards impaling it in the throat of the Guard he'd now leave till last.
“I haven’t hit there for a while… makes you miss the Hatchet.”
He sagged to one knee, the deep wound across his back feeling both hot and cold. With a scream and a monumental effort he managed to get up to both feet and looked at the now heavily damaged room that took up what seemed to be the entire floor.. The carnage around him brought another smile to his lips as he swung his axe down in an arc creating a storm within his Smouldering Embers.
"Flame Whirlwind!"
Alex spun, pulling the flames at his feet into the storm that was already raging around him. Without Chains of Woe he only had access to the chains of fire that sprung out of the enemies closest to him within the ring of fire. Slowly but inevitably they were pulled closer, the Guard ripped at the chains, attempting to free themselves as they were pulled into the churning vortex that Alex had become. The spines that had been impaled in the ReDead Guard tore free from the combination of the storm and Whirlwind, then they slammed into his remaining Undead enemies. This was quickly followed by blades of fire created by Flame Manipulation and the blade of the Volcanic Axe. If he had been completely present and not lost to the flames and the beginnings of bloodlust he would've seen Volcanic Resonance doing its gruesome job. Enemies cut with his axe would've felt lucky, if they could feel emotions. The blade of the axe cut deep but didn't kill all it touched, Volcanic Resonance did. The flesh of the Draconium Guard bubbled then started to glow with a terrible light, this light shot from wounded Guard to those further away like small rays of fire and light. It acted like wildfire, so once the rays started they were out of control. Large mouths with unnaturally sharp teeth opened wide in soundless screams. The wounds were burning with Volcanic Resonance, this resonance was enhanced by the fiery chains that had been imbued with the raging inferno within Alex's soul. Bodies dropped around him as their Constitution melted away and was overwhelmed by the volcanic power.
"Incan Might… coupled with my… jesus this hurts, coupled with my," Alex released a pained scream as he stood up straight, "my damage enhancers… really, screw it. The professor isn't here."
Alex checked his HUD.
Buffs Active:
Will of an Ancient
Constitution Increased by 30
Damage against Morris, Necrologist of Earth 51 and Allies of Morris increased by 20%. For the Will of the Draconium!
Incan Might
Resistance to all Chankan effects and debuffs while within Multiverse Dungeons
Increases the efficacy of weapon and item effects
Bonus - Fire attacks release rays of light that inflict additional damage to distant enemies
Health regeneration is increased by 50% at night, and by 80% while in moonlight while out of combat
Increases Fire Damage from all attacks
Alex smiled through the pain when another screen popped up. Swiping the buffs from his Core Pantheon, bracelet and jacket away the smile grew wider showing his bloody teeth.
Scanning
80/81 Enemies Defeated
The portals around him shuddered then flowed to the back of the room where they merged into a single black hole against the far wall. Looking at his HUD again he noticed two crossed swords in the top right disappear. Instantly his healing started, healing increased by Incan Might and his bracelet. The night requirement was missing due to the buff he received from Mama Qucha so his natural healing was ramped up. With a sigh he fell to his knees feeling like a cool refreshing wave was running over his mutilated back.
"Riqsikuyki," he whispered.
A small screen popped up on his HUD.
Quechua Language Proficiency Increased To Novice
'Riqsikuyki' added to library
Quechua Library (Recent Usage)
Suyay - Hold
Napaykuy - Greetings
Aventurero nisqa - Adventurer
Mama Qucha - Mother Sea
Warma - Child
Coricancha - The Golden Temple (Incan Pantheon)
Riqsikuyki - Thank you
Alex's eyes fluttered then closed completely, within his ring of fire he felt oddly safe. His back was knitting itself together and the waves of healing were flowing over him. He could sleep.
----------------------------------------
Alex woke suddenly, Maddy's tortured screams echoing through his mind.
"I'm sorry, Maddy. It should've been me."
"Oh, I am sorry. My name isn’t Maddy, it’s Shawn."
Alex froze, realised his Smouldering Embers had died so he was stretched out on the cracked floor of the tower. Oddly some sections were carpeted while others were plain concrete. That extended to the walls and ceiling, it was like the original structure had been copied in areas, then stretched to fill in new spaces but the carpet, paint and wallpaper hadn't been reapplied. Alex had an odd but visceral flashback to Maddy playing the Sims and complaining that the new version had lost a lot of what made the previous two instalments in the series so fantastic.
“Graphics aren’t everything!” he whispered to himself, quoting Maddy..
Alex dragged himself up to his knees and looked in the direction of the voice. A small unassuming man was sitting in a large, overstuffed wing back armchair that looked completely out of place in the tower.
"Hello?"
"Good, you're fully awake. Morris knows why you'd fall asleep in this…” he waved a hand in the air, “place. Do you live here?"
"Morris knows?"
"Yes."
"Why would Morris know? Wait, who is Morris?"
"The God Morris."
"I'm going to need more than that."
"The God Morris. The Necrologist. God of Undeath. God King of Earth 51. Scourge of Drago-"
"Oh, the dick who killed off all your dragons and tried to turn my friend Zargath."
"So you know of him."
"That's stretching it. I met a dragon and we chatted a bit. A little about some crackpot bloke called Morris, a little about the Good Word. You know, dragon stuff."
"Crack pot?"
"Your boss. Some prick called Morris. Tricked the dragons, killed them off and set himself up as a God. Absolute… you know what? I don't have time for this. Where's the Floor Boss?"
"You dare!"
"Yeah, yeah. I hear you, something about Smiting and other God stuff. Honestly, I'm tired, I'm sore, I'm lonely and… nope, that's it. I just don't care about you, Morris or anything other that getting off this floor, finding the professor and clearing this Dungeon."
"Dungeon?"
"Keep up."
"This is a Dungeon?" The man looked around the large room. "Not much here."
"Multi floor Multiverse Dungeon, this is Floor 2. I'm just waiting for the Boss."
"A Multiverse Dungeon? Impressive. Where is your Party, Adventurer?"
"My Party? I'm here alone."
"Alone? Then…"
The man stood quickly and stared intently at Alex.
You are being Scanned
"Damn it. I always forget to Scan first"
Ales stood as he Scanned the small man and saw the portal was still open.
Name: Shawn Dishel
Race: Human (Earth 51)
Class: Necrurse
Title: Aspiring Necrologist
Core Pantheon: ERROR Church of Morris
Level: 118
"The Church of Morris… bloody hell, you're the Scientologists of Earth 51 aren't you? Still, 118, not bad."
"You're only level 52?"
"Lay off, it's only been…," Alex started counting on his fingers, "Professor? Damn it. Maybe two weeks?"
"Two-"
"Shawn, can I call you Shawn?"
Shawn stood a little taller.
"I'd prefer, Necrologist."
"You'd prefer…” Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, “fine. Necrologist Shaun, what the, and I stress this, fuck are you doing in my Dungeon?"
Shawn flinched and nervously patted the pockets of a lab coat that was far too big for him.
"I don't know. I was late for… I don't know."
Then everything went hazy, like Shawn was on an old TV that had lost its connection to the aerial.
Name: Shawn Dishel
Floor 2 Boss
Race: Human (Earth 51)
Class: Necrurse
Title: Aspiring Necrologist
Core Pantheon: ERROR Church of Morris
Level: 118
"Screw you System, why didn't you show that before?"
The portal behind Shawn snapped shut as Alex bent slightly to grip the hilt of his axe.
"What are you doing? I'm not a fighter? I do… I did research, I was just late for work on the day part of Vegas was traded to another Earth… taking with it… what did you say the Undead dragon you met was called?"
"Zargath, and he isn't Undead anymore."
"He's not… but how? No, no, no. That isn't possible. The God King… the Scriptures… everything. I gave up my life to follow Morris."
"Blazing Hurl!"
Alex threw his axe and Shawn raised a hand as if to stop it. The axe went through the hand and through the small man's head, then it kept going like nothing had happened and ended up impaled in the wall behind where the portal had been.
Critical Hit. Alex Till lands Killing Blow on Shawn Dishel (Level 118 Necrurse)
Draconium Guard (Level 85) x 80
Total - 67,410 experience gained.
All enemies looted
Loot Received:
7 x B-Grade Credits
1 x Wingback Armchair
"Don't say it."
Alex paused then looked up.
"I'm so used to you being here, professor. It's crazy, I was happy being alone before the System, I never spoke to anyone outside of work… Now, I talk to you even when you're gone. But you're right, or would’ve been, that was easy."
Pantheon Quest
Defeat the Multiverse Dungeon Floor Bosses
2/7
Inventory Unlocked
Companion Unlocked
"Oh shit!"
Alex ran to his axe, pulled it from the wall then removed the Chains from his Inventory.
Restore Weapon Enhancement to Volcanic Axe
Yes/No
"Yes! Yes."
The Chains disappeared, then appeared again as they coiled around his arm and onto the hilt of the axe, then they glowed with an intense volcanic heat and sunk into the weapon and his arm.
Alex sighed deeply.
"That's better."
"So your first thought was to get those chains back, not to see if I had returned?"
"I knew you were back."
"Really."
"Of course. Good to see you, Professor. It was quiet without you."
"Till, I was watching the whole time."
"You were…" Alex stumbled slightly, "oh, good. Right… so, the next floor?".
"Yes. Oh and Till?"
"Yes…"
"The Draconium Guard didn't have a weakness, their speed was normal, you just overclocked your Abilities. But you were right about that Necro Nurse-"
"Necrurse."
"Yes, him. That was too easy. This Dungeon is odd. He wasn't the Floor Boss, something altered the Floor so you'd fight him."
"Something? The System?"
"No, it wasn't the System."
"But I thought you said… something, something, the System can't be hacked."
"Something, something…? Really? But you're right, I did say the System can't be hacked, because it can't, or, it couldn't. Something has changed."
"Does that mean…"
"You'll need to be more specific."
"The Quest."
"Which? Oh, yes, The Quest. We need to assume that people know about… the artefact."
Quest Updated
The Quest:
Recover all 11 pieces of Viracocha's Regalia of Creation
(1/11)
Survive the Chankan Mercenaries while retaining the Regalia of Creation
Find Viracocha
"Bloody hell, mercenaries?"
"Mama and I talked about, in vague terms. We need to be careful. If something has hacked the System and is making changes to this Dungeon, who knows what will happen next."
"You spoke with-"
"Not the time, Till."
Alex nodded and looked at the far wall which was flickering..
"Why am I suddenly nervous about walking through that wall?"
"Because an unhackable Multiverse spanning entity that controls deities has been hacked and something unknown now controls what this Dungeon Floor portal can do?"
"Thanks professor…"
Timer:
6 minutes, 42 seconds elapsed
Scanning
81/81 Enemies Defeated
Leaving Floor 2
Arriving on Floor 3
Scanning
0/1 Enemies Defeated
Welcome to Floor 3
Difficulty increased
Fight!
"I forgot about the timer!"
"You were fine."
"I fell asleep!"
"For 3 minutes."
Alex froze, then slowly turned to look up, then realised the professor didn’t float any more and looked at the ethereal looking woman.
"I killed 80 Draconium Guard in 3 minutes?"
"You were moving exceptionally quickly."
"80 Guard…"
"It's fine. Let's go."
Alex moved towards the flickering portal with a shake of his head and a bewildered expression on his face. The professor took a deep breath and steadied herself then looked around the large room.
"That was closer than it should've been Mama. What is happening with the System?"
"We're working on it, warma, just look after Alex. You know whats coming"
"I'm trying, the System is getting in the way."
"We're working on it. Confianayku."
The Professor updated Alex's Quechua Library.
Quechua Library (Recent Usage)
Confianayku - We need to trust each other
"Agreed, we do have to trust each other."
"Hurry, warma. You can’t let him out of your sight. They’re coming."