Delay [Uncommon]
Delay the alchemical reaction of any essence-based concoction. Duration of delay scales with Will.
The skill seemed pretty pointless at first. For the most part, a delay in reaction was simply something you worked into a potion or bomb recipe by adjusting essences or ingredients used. But when you took Dalen’s class ability into account that wasn’t the case.
Dalen didn’t waste any more time and reached out with his mind and mimed that action with his extended fist. He really wished he had more practice at this but this wasn’t a trial of finesse, it was something far less subtle.
The aura resonating from within the tower did not only feel Dalen with fear it also resonated with the mark within his chest.
Mark of Wrath
Your core has been marked by Kalum Lesta the Slayer of Fate and Exemplar of Defiance. May you overcome your limits and sunder that which binds.
As the mark pulsed against his core, Dalen’s still barely healed wounds burned as if they had only been scorched moments ago. The thought of how he had gotten them was both chilling and awe-inspiring but that isn’t what came to mind when Dalen thought of Kal’s mark. What came to mind was the feeling of entrapment, pointless defiance, and above all, anger.
Dalen’s body tensed with discomfort as the pain of his wounds suddenly multiplied but in the next instant, his hand flared with crimson light.
Turning his head to Iladrian who had already recovered from the Retina Scorcher. The War Druid had finally looked down at what Dalen was doing and what anger that was there before had been replaced by abject horror, “Are you insane alchemist?! That is no potion.”
Dalen chuckled as he felt a savage glee fill his heart, “Hah! Probably. But it’ll fucking get us in there!”
Warning: Resonance increased. Core type incompatible.
Without a second thought or time to rethink the stupid plan, Dalen plunged his hand along with his distilled anger and activated Delay. The skill activated instantly but even so, the dark liquid almost left the cauldron as its color exploded into a blinding luminescence.
Warning: Delay duration lowered significantly due to instability of concoction.
Delay activated! Time until the reaction is continued 0:00:10
Delay activated! Time until the reaction is continued 0:00:09
Delay activated! Time until the reaction is continued 0:00:08
Dalen’s eyes widened, “Oh! Shit!” Dalen started running and didn’t look back. He thought he would have time to take his cauldron but there was no fucking chance he was going to waste that much time, “Fucking, run!”
Before Dalen had taken five steps the first Empire soldier had arrived and his sword came down swinging for Dalen’s neck. The savage emotion that Dalen had felt fled the instant he saw that timer and panic had replaced it. He scrambled to duck under it but luckily Iladrian stepped in and slapped the warrior away with surprising force.
Iladrian’s body shifted once more into his owl form but this time it was significantly bigger. Before Dalen could stand up the owl's clawed foot snatched him up by the ankle before doing the same with Melisia but instead, she was taken by the arm. The owl’s powerful wings tore them from the ground with ease and Dalen’s blood rushed to his head as he fell back and watched his cauldron begin to glow brighter.
“Hurry up!” Dalen shouted.
Iladrian soared through the air ducking and weaving passed Empire soldiers who had begun to separate them from the rest of the Sceleti warriors. The moment they were clear of them Iladrian let go of both of them and they tumbled across the ground hard. Iladrian’s shifted back into his elven form, “Druids! Barriers! Fourth Degree!”
Delay activated! Time until the reaction is continued 0:00:04
The druids immediately sprang into action and their assorted barriers burst forth. Roots, stone, air, and water rose up from the ground before other casters stepped to fortify the barrier with traditional mana barriers. Iladrian’s barrier of thorns joined them only moments later and suddenly the entire encroaching force was obscured by the barrier.
Delay activated! Time until the reaction is continued 0:00:02
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Dalen staggered to his feet, his head and back aching from bouncing across the stone. On the other side of the barriers a muffled roar was just barely audible, “Bring down their barrier! The War Druid cannot esca-”
Delay activated! Time until the reaction is continued 0:00:00
Dalen screamed as his ears exploded into agony and an unbelievable weight crushed his chest, completely throwing him off his feet. The sky exploded into a searing radiance that instantly blinded him with a pure white afterimage before everything faded into darkness.
Jayne could only watch. The demon moved unnaturally between the sorry Dhinir and Uton fighters. A priest was torn from the ground by a shattered leg and swung to break against the armored warrior next to him. Both were pulped beyond recognition, but The Demon never stopped. The refuse left its grip and splattered against the nearby wall as its leg snapped out to cave in the next fighter’s skull.
Barriers rose and fell before The Demon’s fist or flame-like they weren’t even there. Crimson fangs carved through armored flesh and forged steel with equal regard and the feeble attempts of the fighters either bounced off The Demon’s flesh or left barely noticeable lacerations that healed before they could even bleed.
Crimson flame lashed around The Demon’s flesh and any who attempted to attack from behind found themselves screaming in agony as their flesh charred and boiled.
None died cleanly. Each and every one died in agony and fear as their bodies were broken, torn, and bisected.
The prisoners screamed, scrambling over each other to get away. Men, women, and children tore at their bindings and captors who only half-heartedly resisted them as they themselves turned to run.
More Uton and Dhinir fighters moved past her and into the chamber. Some entered as if they were going to shout commands but soon their expressions paled and any will to charge into battle left them. But that didn’t matter, they were already marked.
The Demon’s first victims fell and it simply threw itself into the new arrivals. Mana bolts, arrows, and fire pelted it before it arrived but even as chunks of flesh tore free of his body it didn’t slow at all. Instead, the fear crushing them within its grasp only grew stronger as the wounds stopped bleeding and instead leaked more of the crimson fire.
Jenkins turned and started running. Jayne would have tried to stop him if she could will her body to work but instead, she just watched him go-
A tendril of crimson flame surged over her head and scored the walls and ceiling before catching Jenkins across the back of his neck. Instantly his hair and head burst into flame and leather armor began to char as he fell screaming to the ground. He rolled around in agony, “No! No! I was chosen!”
Jayne couldn’t even spare the effort to shiver at the bastard’s state and instead turned back to watch her coming death.
Beside her, Rendal coughed and lifted his head slightly, “Gods, he really is a monster…”
More soldiers flooded into the hall from outside, any one of them strong enough to kill her and Rendal but to The Demon they were nothing. It hacked through them like it did the rest, its every movement meant to maim or kill.
Then it was over. The last Dhinir and Uton worshipers fell to The Demon’s hands and it stood with blood pouring down its chest and almost none of it was its own. Then its fiery eyes fell on Jenkins once more as he feebly tried to crawl away while smoke trailed from his face and head. The Demon moved, its powerful form moving through the space between them almost faster than Jayne could believe.
When Jayne’s eyes finally caught up, The Demon had already snatched Jenkins from the ground by his horribly burned neck. Deep red burn and charred flesh covered the man’s face and his eyes darted around in terror, “No! You can’t-’
Jenkins' neck snapped with an audible crunch. Blood sprayed all over The Demon’s face and chest and in a smooth and careless motion it hurled Jenkins’s corpse into the stone wall. Despite Jenkins’ level, his body pulped like the rest.
Jayne didn’t feel anything as Jenkins died but her heart died as The Demon’s gaze turned back to the hall and fell upon her. A sneer cracked the dried blood over its mouth as it started toward her, its previous ferocity slowed for the moment but that did nothing but make Jayne shake more.
It stopped its stride less than a foot away from her and for the first time, Jayne noticed something about The Demon’s face. The blood mask covering its face was not only marred by the cracks from its sneer. Beneath its eyes two lines of clean skin were visible, showing her what was beneath the blood and gore.
The Demon moved in a burst of sudden speed and tore Jayne from the ground like a doll. She cried out but The Demon’s grip instantly cut off her airway and nothing but a slight gasp managed to escape her lips. Jayne could feel its grip tightening but the fear dominating her didn’t even let her raise her arms in defense.
“Any moment now…” Jayne whimpered in her mind.
Kal felt the corpse’s weak neck held tightly in hand. Wrath Incarnate had long since spent the last of his wrath and killing this one would begin the next stage of his slaughter. Then why did he stop?
Kal’s head tilted to the side as something far away spoke to him. It had done so already, and he had easily ignored it before. But this time was different. Tears ran down his face and the voice forcefully brought it to his attention and something about this corpse… this girl…
Rage exploded in his chest and his vision darkened, “No! It is a corpse! Nothing more!” Kal tried to close his fist around the corpse’s throat but again his body failed to listen. The girl hung limp in his grasp and yet he could not kill her.
“Why this pathetic thing?! It is a mercy!” Kal thought furiously, his gaze shifting lethargically through its spectrum. Color returned slowly and his head spun. The grayscale thing in his fist resolved into the features of a girl with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Her face held no expression but her eyes were dull with acceptance of what was to come.
For some reason, the tears pouring down his face grew worse and he felt the evidence of his slaughter oozing away. Then something in the corpse's expression changed. The acceptance vanished and anger rose up in Kal’s chest but then the corpses spoke.
Her voice was barely audible from the pressure he had applied to her next but it was unmistakable, “Kal?”
Kal’s anger fled and his thoughts shattered. Beside him a person he had barely noticed before stood on unsteady legs and slammed a dagger into Kal’s wrist. Jayne fell from Kal’s loose fingers and the man dragged her behind him.
Kal barely saw any of that. His mind quaked as it battled against the crimson fire of his soul. His eyes fell across the room of slaughtered people and his stomach twisted upon itself but in the next moment the rage dominated his mind once again and the disgust became nothing at all. The image of his sister and the man protecting her became dull, and indistinct.
He felt his Flames of Wrath flare across his body but his eyes fell on Jayne again and the fire stilled as he roared, “No!”
He had to get away while he still could. Kal spun and fought against the instincts fighting to dominate his mind and body. Crimson flames licked at the air around him, reaching for the survivors of his massacre. He took a step into the passage leaving the hall but before it even touched the ground he staggered as the world turned gray.
“KILL THEM ALL…”
The sneer returned and Kal turned back to the corpse-