EPISODE 120: OBLIVION 4
— Hall of Attributes, Year: 7291. Season Color Fading.
Madria stumbled through the Pillar of Power and Endurance’s entrance—part panicked, but mainly intending to complete her final trial in mind. She paid no heed to the scattered rocks and other debris that lay around the hall. Instead, she stumbled to a halt and immediately sat—prayers for Lawruthian’s safety on her mind alongside other worries.
“Intent… Intent… I have to understand my Intent…,” Madria vocalized in a panic.
“Oh child of the Gamal—you have done well,” a voice spoke in the darkness.
Madria jumped in fright, but her shoulders relaxed as she recognized the voice and a familiar figure emerged from the darkness—her glow provided light to their surroundings.
Alidra Edryani looked… exhausted. That was the only word Madria could use to describe her state. The lavender glow of her body diminished significantly since Madria last saw her, and tiredness radiated from the [Echo]. Madria prepared to stand, but Alidra held a hand up as she moved before the young woman. Instead, the first [Chosen of Madris] joined her upon the gravel floor—sitting cross-legged, as did Madria.
“All but one of the Lords are dead,” Alidra began as she sat. “Once there were six for each of the attributes. They were here as protectors—challenges the greatest of the students sent here may one day face. When Carno first arrived, and with him Olvido, I did not immediately see that he held a remnant of [Oblivion] with him. You can see the results of that mistake.”
Madria listened, but her mind remained agitated, worried about Lawruthian.
Alidra shook her head and sighed. “The story doesn’t matter. Lawruthian has succeeded in completing his trials and is currently facing the beast. He is smart, so his disadvantage against Olvido will quickly become known. I pray he disengages and makes his way here. The test for him is complete, and together you may leave at any time. However, you… have yet to master Intent—pay attention, I will teach you now. Resist. ”
Alidra gave Madria no opportunity for input as she whispered the final word. Instead, she simply began to speak again—this time it was different from her normal voice. Her voice became an irresistible sound that caused Madria to completely focus. Alidra’s tone became deeper—it wasn’t masculine, but held sway that Madria found unavoidable.
“ Pay attention—sit up straight, ” Alidra commanded.
Madria was already doing so, but her posture straightened, and her eyes widened as she focused on the translucent woman. She hadn’t moved by her own accord. Instead, it was like her body was no longer under her full control—a feeling she felt many times when Aspect Rasheed spoke.
Madria shook her head and her body and posture shifted. This time under her command. “Is that it? That is how Lawruthian described it but… I do not understand how.”
“ Do not feel with your mortal senses, instead use that of the system. ”
Again, Madria’s body went rigid. It was clear Alidra was attempting to guide her in the right direction. Madria closed her eyes and focused—as she took one sense away, another became clear. She focused on the new sense that expanded her sense of surroundings. Intent primarily governed the range of your aura, but it also could help you perceive the objects within that range. Once Madria closed her eyes, she focused on seeing through that sixth sense. To see from it wasn’t her primary objective, instead, she was looking for something.
“ Stand up, walk around but keep your eyes closed. ”
Alidra gave her nearly a few minutes of respite between each command.
Madria’s body obeyed even as she attempted to resist. The compulsion over her forced her to obey, but as Madria began to walk, she understood her ability to choose what direction she went. Her Intent held a range just past twenty meters. Madria’s focus was just within a few feet of her, as there was far too much information to try and see the full range of her Intent.
“I think I’m beginning to understand,” Madria said. Her focus began to expand, and Madria noticed another Intent overlapping hers. Not just overlapping, but pushing into her aura and interacting with her.
“ Halt, ” Alidra commanded.
This time Madria saw it. This time, Madria watched as wisps of aura invaded her own—tendrils of Alidra’s Intent forced themselves through and toward Madria’s body.
Madria halted, but she watched curiously as Alidra’s Intent interacted with hers. It was like watching wispy smoke coil itself around her body in a tight hold.
“You are understanding. Good, we don’t have much time. Usually, I wouldn’t use this method, but the ultimate test is for Lawruthian and not you to gain my inheritance,” Alidra commented.
Her control over Madria’s body hadn’t let up for a single moment, but as she spoke, Madria barely paid her any heed. She continued to study the tendrils of Intent and how they interacted with her body. Alidra, sensing this, continued to command her. It was only after tens of minutes that a change occurred.
Madria opened her eyes.
“ Stop, ” she commanded.
Alidra Edryani smiled. “Your ancestor was always a great listener, able to understand and pick things up quickly… I’m glad to know you take after her. Commanding others is just one of the many applications of Intent, but as you begin to reach into the domain of the high-levelers, you will understand just how much more you can do with not just Intent but all attributes.”
Madria only half listened to Alidra. A small, tight frown was on her face as she stared at the notification. There was a small grimace of pain on Alidra’s face, that didn’t escape Madria’s notice, as the [Echo] gazed toward the entrance of the hall.
Congratulations!
You have passed the Trial of Intent.
The reason for this frown was simple, did Lawruthian use his new understanding of Intent upon her?
The attack by Olvido was sudden and greatly affected Madria. It became clear to her that Intent could be used to influence people and outright command them to do things against their will. Madria suspected there were much more insidious ways the attribute could be used. She could immediately think of three different ways her new understanding could be used. Just as she was about to contemplate further, the atmosphere changed as Alidra abruptly staggered to her feet.
“Lawruthian is close. I must prepare to teleport you both back to Edryan,” the first [Chosen] grimaced. The light of her body dimmed and Madria watched as it continued to lower.
“Is there any way I can help,” she asked, concern showing as she approached the first [Chosen].
“It will take several minutes of preparation—Olvido is persistent in chasing your partner… ,” Alidra began. “The Hall’s power is continuously draining, and the pillars no longer hold much of the same protections they once did. Survive. ”
Alidra didn’t bother to say much else, instead, her hands began to weave as she began to mutter a complex incantation. Large spell constructs formed around her, and Madria turned to the entrance as a figure stumbled through. The next moment, the hall shuttered as something large impacted into it.
“Damned creature, what sort of…,” a familiar voice grumbled.
Dust and other various debris covered the figure, but the long hair, black at its roots before fading to become white, was unmistakable. It was only seconds later that Madria noticed the blood scatter over him and sensed the weakness coming from the young man before her.
“I’m glad to see you alive Lawruthian. (Imperius Divine Mend),” she activated, placing a hand on his shoulder as she assessed his condition.
“Nothing’s broken, thank the Goddess.”
The pillar shuddered again as a heavy object impacted into it. A second later, a low vibrating rumble sounded and the sound of two impacting objects was heard.
“Good, Adam must have caught up to it.”
“Did you influence me with your Intent,” Madria questioned.
Lawruthian turned to her, a wry smile on his face. “Well… yes, but only because I needed to get the Prime System to acknowledge the completion.”
“Hmph, of course it was,” Madria responded, her eyes rolling at the excuse.
Lawruthian glanced back toward his predecessor, curiosity in his eyes as he watched her. Several different color spell constructs surrounded Alidra, and it was clear her concentration was entirely focused on completing the spell. Lawruthian listened for a few moments, the sounds of fighting continued in the background. His eyes flickered to the left every once in a while as he glanced at a screen only he could see. He appeared relaxed and that reassured Madria, who finally removed her hand as Lawruthian’s Health Points was restored to its peak.
“What exactly is Alidra casting?”
He’d been able to infer a lot from her verbiage, but the incantation was far too advanced for him to understand. Alidra continued to chant, and the air began to swirl as the world joined in. The sounds of clashing grew intense, and the attacks on the pillar resumed in force. Cracks began to appear in the ceiling above, and Lawruthian grabbed Madria’s hand as she began to respond. He guided her near the entrance.
“A teleportation spell, one that will take us back to Edryan,” she responded, her hand tightening around Lawruthian’s.
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“And the hall? What of Alidra and this place…?”
“I don’t know—she never mentioned anything.”
“We can’t let that thing escape… if it can and use its (Anti-Life) skill… then Edryan—no, anywhere it appears will suffer devastation,” Lawruthian said, shuttering.
Moments later, the chanting of Alidra halted and behind her, a swirling portal appeared. The first [Chosen of Madris] opened her eyes, her body sagged and the light she shed dimmed further. It flickered and threatened to go out at any moment.
“You must… leave… hurry,” she said, falling heavily to the ground.
“If we leave it in this state… how long do you believe you can prevent it from escaping,” Lawruthian yelled his question toward the fallen [Chosen].
His yell roused Alidra, and she struggled to her feet before approaching the two of them. She stayed silent, a complicated expression on her face as she gazed at the young pair of magi-humans holding hands. She sighed before answering Lawruthian’s question.
“Not long, perhaps a decade, perhaps two if I sacrificed the final Lord.”
“What happened to the rest, how did they die without killing it when it was only just becoming a calamity?”
“It was a calamity when it entered—hiding in the depths of Carno’s soulscape. I hadn’t paid much attention when he first arrived, and it was able to kill two of the Lords without much trouble. That’s when I noticed and fought against it and Carno. As you saw, it managed to kill another two Lords, but not without suffering a massive loss that knocked it down to a four-star beast. It was then Carno escaped, and the other two Lords were far too injured to finish it off. Instead, in its weakened state, I managed to seal it by forcing it to become a beast tied to the Hall. It was here I fell into a dormant state,” Alidra said.
Lawruthian grabbed onto Madria and steadied her as another massive attack hit the pillar. Large stones fell from the ceiling, kicking up dust in their wake as they hit the floor. A frown appeared on Lawruthian’s face at the sight of this. He hesitated, glancing at the portal, then his eyes shifted to Madria, who stared back defiantly. Her grip around his hand tightened.
“If I can injure it enough… how long do you believe it can be sealed?”
Alidra pursed her lips, contemplating. She chanted silently for a few moments as she looked at a screen only visible to her.
“If you can provide it a {Mortal Wound} that will force it into a state of recovery as it once was—half a century at most.”
“That’s enough. This world may not exist for that long.”
“It has learned to control a few of the attributes. It will only increase in lethality during that time,” Alidra warned.
…
“ So will I. ”
Lawruthian turned and walked to the entrance, not bothering to say much more until he arrived and could peer outside at the calamity. Storm clouds gathered in the sky, threatening to release their heavy load in a burst of aggression. They covered the light from the not quite sky and transformed the Hall of Attributes into a place of darkness. A golem, one of starlight, shined in the darkness—a monstrosity looming over it. It was battered, but a magical blast emerged from it as it fought against the creature.
Madria hadn’t let go, and Lawruthian turned and smiled at her.
“I can injure it, but I’ll need your help.”
Her eyes widen at his words. That… wasn’t what she expected him to say. Unknowingly, her body straightened and she released her hold on Lawruthian.
“I’m here,” she answered.
“Good. Here’s the plan…”
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Lawruthian burst through the entrance, steps flashing as a long glittering blade, seemingly made of starlight, was held in his hands. His boots crunched over hardened, cracked, black earth—wisp of miasma trailing as it followed in his wake. He appeared like a soldier, but one who was under the command of death itself. A shield surrounded his body, golden-brown in color, that prevented the miasma from harming him. His eyes were cold, calculating, and lacked any shred of empathy. He moved in a methodical, systematic manner as he headed for the remnant.
Nearly a hundred meters away, a battle was taking place. Not far, considering the scale of the monster Adam faced. The golem did well to face against Olvido lacking a weapon. Its spear long turned into slag from the monster's toxic blood. However, it was apparent the golem managed to deal several minor blows to Olvido.
Lawruthian drew closer, a skill on the tip of his tongue as he prepared to help his prototype suit. The moment a large eye of [Raid Boss: Olvido] turned to him, Lawruthian activated the skill.
“(Heroic Sentinel),” he activated.
(Heroic Sentinel)
Function:
Summon a temporary golem Sentinel to guard your person or a specific location. Summoned golem is imbued with powerful defensive abilities and capable of launching devastating ranged attacks.
Cost:
125 HP, 125 SP, 100-500 MP
Description:
The most important thing in a golemancer class… is the golemancer!
The ground near him began to shift. The blackened earth withdrew as a shining gold plate golem began to emerge from the ground. It was equipped with a large rectangular shield that held an owl on the hunt at its center. A long, grey-stone spear, its tip golden, was held in its right hand. While a gladius was equipped at its waist.
“Hmph, unfortunately, I could only summon a three-star—it’ll have to do.”
He commanded the golem forward, while his emotionless eyes watched Olvido. A frown was on his face. Slowly, he began to circle toward his prototype suit. However, Olvido no longer seemed interested in combating Adam as it began to move toward him. The [Chosen of Madris] seemed unworried as the summon golem was between Olvido and its new target. Instead, while they moved toward one another, Lawruthian activated another two skills in quick succession.
Fifty meters.
“(Mindfulness),” he said, activating it as the first skill. The general skill immediately surged, pulling in the surrounding mana until he was full.
He was far stronger than normal—his attributes greater by a third, a small smile graced his emotionless face at the memory of the exhausted Madria. The buffs she provided were paramount to his success. Now, she waited for him next to their ticket home.
Forty meters.
“(Skill Prowess),” he finished.
(Skill Prowess)
Function:
Upon activation, boost the power of your next skill to a single tier higher.
Cost:
50 MP, 50 SP
Description:
One skill? Twice the Power!
Although he was indifferent, his mind, actions, everything… was beyond clear. No action was wasted, and he used his skills to maximum efficiency.
Thirty meters.
He was well within the range of the danger. Yet, this golem suit stayed away as he mentally commanded it. The same could not be said for the newly summoned golem as it took off in a burst of speed toward Olvido.
Twenty meters.
At the same moment, Lawruthian began to sprint back, steps flashing as he created distance for what was coming. He commanded Adam to join him and the golem obeyed.
Ten meters.
“What happens when a heroic skill is supposed to be upgraded to one tier higher… it's already the highest in the Mortal Realm,” Lawruthian wondered aloud as he created distance between him and Olvido.
“ Let’s find out. (Critical Mass).”
(Critical Mass)
Function:
Ignite the core of your golem to unleash its stored energies. The core charge determines the blast radius and explosion size.
Cost:
150 MP, 150 SP.
Description:
Most golems are designed for a single purpose. Some are built for construction—large, bulky masses that can easily lift tons. Others are designed for war—heartless, armored creations that will slay all enemies as ordered. Each are built with a functioning core.
Sound dispersed, and Lawruthian’s mage shield activated as an invisible blast passed him. The darkness that held sway over the Hall of Attributes was forced back as light, like that of the sun, emerged to eradicate it. Moments later, Lawruthian was swept from his feet, but strong metallic arms grasped him and pulled him back down to earth.
A fiery wave made its way toward him, eradicating the blackened earth in its fierce wave of destruction as the low rumble emerged from the area of impact.
Without looking back, Lawruthian activated a final skill.
“(Party: Heroic Shift).”
End of Season 4.