EPISODE 102: SIX — 3
— Hall of Attributes, Year: 7291. Season: Color Fading.
The [Echo] screamed out again, mimicking Madria’s voice to perfection—an echo of what she was. It was the last of its kind, and it knew the screams would awaken what was within and attract the man who was outside.
It was the last—they… were the last of them, and the burden now rested upon their shoulders—a task assigned to them for over a thousand years.
“We, [Echo], never belonged to ourselves. Master is gone, and this place has not seen the use he promised. Oh, the light and excitement we held vanished as the river of time flowed. For my sibling, I will avenge.
For my sibling, I will avenge.”
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Thick ink black miasma blocked my vision and clung to my clothes like mud, forcing me to slow my initial sprint into the graveyard. The miasma only allowed me to see less than a dozen feet before me—the air consumed by its stench. Bones with half-rotten flesh crunched underneath my boots, as maggots and large flies buzzed in my wake. The air was foul—nearly gagging me, as it was much worse within than out. I silently started chanting—gathering air mana to surround my face and remove the toxic fumes from further infecting me.
A second scream emerged, and the terror I felt strengthened. This place was eerie, dangerous in ways I didn’t know. Now that I entered before my [Spy Golems] could finish their mission, I’d have to react blindly to whatever was within. I didn’t hesitate. I couldn’t… I didn’t truly confront the feeling that built in me during my interactions with Madria. Her belief in me was something I didn’t know I necessarily needed, but… it is something I’m starting to cherish. I want to protect that belief, protect her .
It didn’t take long for me to spot another two pairs of footsteps as I neared the center. My eyes narrowed and my pace slowed. There were footprints but no signs of Madria. Instead, a figure stood by its lonesome—metallic red-gold eyes gazing at me emotionlessly.
It had my face, posture, and build. It was an [Echo] of who I am, but it was not me.
“Where is Madria?”
“My master said many would come, to seek what lies within, as they train in the ways of the old. In the first few years, we believed, [Echo] believed. We waited, then the flow of time continued and nothing showed.”
I stayed silent, madness danced within its eyes. Whatever these things were, they’d gone defective long ago. While it spoke, I slowly focused on my Intent, sweeping the area in hopes of connecting with one of my spying golems. The mana within this place was dull, it did not possess the same vibrancy I’d long grown accustomed to. It was suppressed, and it felt like something was gnawing at it. It made me feel highly uncomfortable.
The creature’s face twisted, its appearance morphed from my face and into another. Short, cropped ebony-gradient hair showed, and its frame grew half a size larger, but it still kept its lengthy build.
“This is my master, do you recognize him? A descendant of the great Edryani bloodline.”
His face was similar to my own, similar to my mother’s… similar to Hers . I knew the answer to the creature’s question, but I asked anyway.
“What is his name, creature?”
“Carnoooooo Edryaniiii,” it hissed. It seemed offended that I didn’t recognize the man.
“[Brightest Gift] was his title, as he was the brightest gift given to the magi in their homes of leading them as champions and victors to unite the realm under the banner of Goddess Madris.”
It paused, chest heaving up and down—whether in frustration or consternation at my response, I did not know. Before I could respond, the creature continued.
“His title allowed him to excel in learning and creating. It is how me and my kin came to be, he was a master of the Soul attribute forgoing Mind in favor of the superior option.”
The [Echo] stood on a slightly raised hill of bone and decay. It spread its arms wide as if a preacher singing with his choir. Its gaze was no longer on me, and its voice continued to rise in volume. I began to approach it slowly, my head scanning around for signs of Madria. I knew there was some sort of trap placed here, but what choice did I have?
“He used his gift and sought the Aspect of Knowledge, hoping to gain what he could in preparation for his divine quest. It is how we, my kin, [Echoes] were born. A shadow molded after the soul as he attempted to help the [Mad Dragon] and gain the knowledge he sought. Who knew his infatuation would lead him into [Oblivion]… who knew it would use us to create such madness… but of course, our Master. ”
[Limitless Love] slightly lengthen until it was reminiscent of [Eternal Love] length. I was only twelve or so feet away—a distance that could be crossed in a single flash.
“An echo we shall be no longer for the opportunity to have our own bodies would come. That was his promise—his guarantee after he failed the test of the first one.”
The creature continued to ramble and I halted. Did it… grow taller?
I carefully watched the [Echo] for any signs of treachery. I wasn’t exactly sure what these creatures were, but from the sound of it, they were products of one of the three lost attributes.
Soul…
It was good to know the name of one of the missing attributes. Perhaps there may be no written knowledge remaining… but stories and traditions were best kept by word of mouth—passed from generation to generation. When I returned to Edrya…
The creature was growing taller, not it, but the ground beneath it began to rise. The graveyard already possessed an eerie silence, but the occasional buzzing of flies still showed signs of life.
So… when did it become completely silent? So much so that not even the flies moved. I quickly began to backpedal, finally connecting to a few of the [Spider Golems]—simultaneously ordering them to converge on my location. I built these golems with only two simple functions. The first was to record and relay on any highly dense mana-filled target…
“We agreed, ohhhh, but how did we not see it…? How did we not see the Aspect infecting our Master with his Madness? Infecting… us?
…
Tell me, did my master win…? Did he unite the realm underneath the banner of Edryani?”
My lips pursed at the question of the [Echo]. Instead of answering its questions, I once again asked…, “where is Madria?”
She wasn’t dead, I was certain of it—but captured or incapacitated?
By now, the ground underneath the [Echo] rose over a foot and some—continuously increasing as the bones and decaying sludge slid slowly outward. I concentrated for a moment—reopening my eyes as a pristine, shining golem stood next to me.
“Adam, Guard—Defense.”
The Star Suit Mark I was a fully functioning golem, only its interior was hollowed to allow me to wear it as a suit of armor. Without the golem possessing autonomy, (Imperius Synchronization) wouldn’t work.
A gleaming metallic grey golem, glittering like starlight, emerged next to me. It wasn’t as massive as my original [Hero Golems] nor did it hold a candle to Nubia—yet the second Adam held a startling presence to it. One that drew attention out of the material it was produced from.
Its body shrunk a quarter of a foot into the surrounding sludge. In its right hand was a bronze spear about two feet taller than it. I threw the oversized shield I held to it, and Adam quickly caught it before getting into a defensive posture. A dense amount of mana radiated from it.
The [Echo] snarled at my question, and when the golem appeared, it bared its teeth—sharp inhuman and appearing like it could easily tear flesh from bone.
“You think a soulless automaton will help you? The woman you came with should already be arriving at the Pillar of Power and Endurance—by now… my sibling will have its freedom,” it said, growing calm before it began to chuckle. Its arms spread eagle and its head tilted upward. The miasma grew increasingly thicker, and the creature closed its eyes—its face morphing into a blank mask with only two eyeholes.
“We are already in the maw of the beast, the embrace of death shall allow me relief.” It fell back into the muck, leaving me in complete silence as the rising ground slowly consumed it.
Its last words left me startled. “No… it can’t be—can it?”
I looked down at the muck in the ground, only noticing its rise around me now.
“(Inspect).”
Your (Inspect) has undergone the necessary qualifications and has upgraded into [Legendary].
[Raid Boss: Olvido – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ]
Base Atk: 750
Base Def: 300
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
HP: 7500/7500
SP: 6000/6000
MP: 4500/4500
HP Regen: 90/Hour
SP Regen: 72/Hour
MP Regen: 54/Hour
Power: 2500
Endurance: 2000
Vitality: 2500
Mind: 1500
Self: 1000
Description:
Created in hopes of understanding how to reverse the effects of [Oblivion]—Olvido, the failed experiment of the Aspect of Knowledge grows as it consumes. One day, it too shall return to the embrace of Him.
Skills:
(Corruption) [+], (???), (???), (Breath of Olvido) [+], (Anti-Life) [+], (???)…
Theorize Weakness:
NOT ENOUGH DATA PROVIDED.
“Raid Boss? Is this place some sort of dungeon?”
Raid bosses, were only creatures that were part of a dungeon's creature hierarchy. For it to be here meant that this Hall of Attributes was similar to a dungeon. That meant it held an entrance to the real world somewhere within. Dungeons could not exist without them.
I read over the notifications and smiled grimly—two of the [Spider Golems] returned and were quickly scooped into my hands.
“Let’s go Adam,” I called out. The surrounding area continued to change, and I calmly threw one of the small golems at the area the [Echo] was slowly being consumed.
You have defeated an [Echo].
Echo Shard: 2/3.
Flames raged as the [Spider Golem] detonated under my command—firelight flicking off Adam’s metallic visage. I began to head toward the outside, the muck and decayed parts around me increasingly rose. This place was beginning to take on a different look as aged and yellowed, jagged pillars began to emerge from the ground.
The miasma within the air grew dense, and I studied the new and improved notifications (Inspect) provided me as we hurried. I had a feeling the information shown to me was based on general observations I noticed as I entered the domain of Olvido. Its miasma and the general decay of the creatures within all told a story I was only just figuring out. The [Raid Boss] was similar to a venus flytrap, and any creatures that wandered in were caught in its maw. I’d been lured here by the [Echo] to ensure my dead at the creature's hands while its companion attempted to consume Madria. I would not let that happen.
I briefly opened the tooltips next to the skills I could see of the creature—it wasn’t quite a calamity, but it was in the process of upgrading into one. From what I could see, it possessed no direct attacks otherwise… I should be dead.
The grim smile I held, long since faded, replaced by a hard swallow and clenched fist.
“Shit… this breath skill.”
The surrounding miasma continued to thicken. I’d only been able to see a few feet in front of me previously, but at the rate it was increasing—I wouldn’t be able to see my hand in front of my face in five minutes.
I dodged around another white pillar—Adam on my heels as a burst of speed emerged from me.
Seconds passed, then a minute came and went, my mental clock continuously ticked. My eyebrows creased upward and my jaw clenched. I’d made the right decision in keeping a bubbling of pure air around my nose. The skill, (Breath of Olvido), held the effects of disorientation—I should have prevented this from affecting me but…
Bones crunched under my boots as the creatures that died from its ability decayed. I’d been moving in one direction, retracing the steps I took to enter yet… there was no exit in sight. Time was running out and the internals of Olvido continued to shift—I would rather not be here when it finished whatever transformation it was undergoing.
Large sharp yellowed pillars continued to piece their way from the ground. I turned to look at them, hesitating on whether to use a skill, I believed may be able to help me--but the cost…
I didn’t want to pay such a cost and put my life in more danger. Sacrificing Mana and Stamina points was one thing… this skill required Health Points as the major contributor. I glanced at my HUD, before shaking my head.
Not yet.
HP: 825/825
SP: 570/765
MP: 883/1050
I moved close to one of the pillars, the task took me away from the direction I was headed toward. My body turned upward, the ground rising and attempting to force me back. The large piles of decayed matter slowly began to drift downward as the ground increasingly rose.
I grabbed onto the pillar, its height more than double my own, and it continued to grow. Its stone-like surface was warm and free of the muck on the ground.
Adam continued to stand on guard near me—the golem grew dirty from the muck that clung to it.
“How am I going to get out of here,” I questioned. Overviewing my list of skills as I leaned on the pillar for support. Using my skills with quick efficiency was something I realized I truly lacked. Not from a lack of understanding, but most of my skills weren’t related to direct combat. If I had gone under the path of a warrior…
A hand went up to my face as an audible smack echoed out. The moment the idea came to me, I felt so stupid for not having thought of it earlier.
Madria stared in horrific fascination at the rising halves. Two massive stone-like shelves seemed to be closing upon one another. She stood there, her dressed ripped in multiple places and a few light cuts and bruises on her person. Yet even with her ragged appearance, a strange confidence shined in her eyes.
“(Examine),” she uttered, only to gasp as she read the notification.
In front of her was what she just began to make out as a colossal creature, one that was truly nearing the size of the reputable [Calumniates].
A black cloud hovered between the two massive shelves. Madria quickly assigned her new levels, having defeated a rather sizable population of [Power Kittens]. Through her battle, she began to understand exactly what was being asked of them within the trial. Now all she had to do was find Lawruthian. She glanced at her HUD and frowned. Her regeneration was slowing as the level of her {Hunger} increased. She sat calmly on the ground, putting her hands together in prayer and meditation.
HP: 233/255
SP: 140/195
MP: 145/546
DP: 145/546
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Madria prayed for Lawruthian’s safety—it became one of the first things she uttered as she called upon the Goddess. This change happened since their arrival in the domain of Rasheed.
‘ My Goddess, my Mother of Magi, guide me—protect Lawruthian…show him the light and lead him to- ’
Madria’s voice caught as she felt her main class react. A skill—the very still that turned her into a [Hero] began to react. Madria gazed at the closing maw of Olvido, a wave of black miasma traveled from it as both shelf-like parts shut tight. Aged, yellowed teeth snapped shut with a resounding click.
Her heart stopped and for a moment, Madria believed the skill (Party), specifically, its second function failed.
It was the very skill she used to appear before Lawruthian and attempt to warn him. Instead, they’d ended up swallowed by a spatial storm and tossed into the domain of Aspect Rasheed. Now Madria’s throat tightened, as Law hadn’t appeared. She stood, but froze in shock as a hand clasped her shoulder.
Madria didn’t hesitate to react, her body instantly turning as she ducked low—fist swiftly flying toward the assailant's midsection. A second hand grabbed her wrist, but before Madria could make any more startling moves, Lawruthian spoke.
“Hey, that’s dangerous… I want to keep my ability to have kids for the future… there isn’t many Edryani’s left.”
Her shoulders sagged and relief flooded into Madria. She looked up at the half smiling Law, and the concern she felt nearly vanished.
Her lips pursed, she opened her mouth and questioned, “how do I know it’s you?”
Law put his left hand on his chin, the other—a golem’s arm—remained stationary and strapped to his chest.
“Do you remember when you first met me at Imperius Academy… do you remember the words I told you on that wintery night as the chill of New Beginning faded?”
“I could never forget.”
“Now… we can play some real chess.”
Madria let off a breath of relief and opened her mouth to speak as she checked over Law.
grrrrroooOOOOAAAAN.
Her eyes went wide and turned away, a blush of embarrassment covering her features.
Lawruthian laughed and several pieces of jerky appeared in his hands that were quickly snatched by Madria. While she ate, he studied the closed shelves.
“Teeth… to think those rising pillars were teeth… I was literally in the maw of the beast,” he said, and a small shutter escaped.
“Are you hurt,” Madria asked once she finished enough to get her de-buff to disperse. She reached out a hand to place on Lawruthian but was halted by him.
“I’m fine, conserve your mana, I haven’t been able to kill a creature here yet, and I don’t know how long we’ll be trapped here.”
She smiled at him. A small thing that seemed to capture his attention—her heart fluttered at his focus.
“I think I understand what the Trial of Power requires.”