COI C151
Ironno and Rusic made it out alive. They refuge inside one of the saferooms with the other guilds who were left behind to stall their allies as they escape. Rusic tries to remember the story of the bomb.
“So that’s how the brown red smoke had gone to. We’ve been here in this ruin finding it for some times. The bomb effect works on monsters and everything around it that has magic on them. The cores and the like are used for the monsters to manifest itself. The clouds are supposed to empower it, but the bomb negates it. The cloud just blows away while the bomb fills the air with its own. Do I get it right, Ironno?”
“I have no idea with their interaction among the magic. It made me wonder why they have it in the first place”
“I would try to talk it with your boy, Haw. Where is he anyway? He was doing some scouting when we send ourselves down to the underworld, Laugh*”
Along with them are trying to reach out the surface for any contacts. Magic around them is fully blocked their access to teleport. The adventurers watch the two Enders building up a device to link through other saferooms. Limited to only Ironno’s scrolls, only a few people will go one room to the other to the safest location they could teleport to, inside Mihayara district.
People who are outside in the ruins are begin to march faster than they have expected. The Enders in their casual clothes are following the familiars flying over them. The loud caws coming from them are distracting the phenomenon. The sky in light blue turned into smoke. Quickly pulling the wounded and the cursed in their arms, their persistent to escape rather to refuge among the saferooms. The Enders are not the type to hide inside but to venture through because of the dangerous curse.
Illtended is with them along with Altair, they walk among them as they see the supernatural events coming from the sky. The wind formation with the smoke is approaching among the birds. They look like they fought in the air while the familiars flew as it drops the solid dust in hails. Enders and with their scrolls provided by the city were absolute useless as the defensive shields were not strong enough against the spirits’ advance. The shields are molded to the figure of the spirits with hideous expression of savagery.
“Keep going! There something beyond the smoke, we need to pass through the buildings as soon as we can”
The Faye and Syri move first as they clear out the smoke. The ruins on the streets weren’t safe enough for them to go to. They used their scrolls to forge a terrain for them to walk through the debris.
“There! The familiars are guiding them away from this side, take the others over there!”
Altair sees the familiars are distracting the spirits and the time to go through the debris. The dust is corroding the magic terrain while something below it starts crumbling up. Countless holes open up as it reaches out to the surface, small arms and hands trying to grab out from it.
The adventurers watch all around them as they see the environment turned into a nightmare. All they can see is chaos and the silence made it worse as their voices couldn’t speak or hear anyone from the wailing spirits. They can only hear the Enders trying to maneuver their way out of here. To the last steps they bring, from the path they take, and to the sight to behold. They saw another group coming to their way, with barrier with it including the shining light of the dome. One of their companions raises his lamp, stare at the gaze of its rituals aiming to the other direction.
The familiars saw the light raying to the other side and begins to flee, the rest of the birds forming each other like flocks. Different kinds of bird forming up together as it retreats away from the ruins. The spirits saw the ray of ritual light gazing to the other direction. Aiming it to one random building, it follows, it craves, and insanely go to where its ashes apparition haunt to where it leads. The building is engulfed then passes through. Tricked, they circled back and continue its hunt.
Reunite at last from this terrible experience. Tabitha and Archivist have come to help along with the rescue team. The spirits rain down on them as it stops and sense the life coming from the plant. The feral flee from it while others being soothed. The plant able to restore the spirits’ natural behavior and follow the dome. The adventurers take their time to carry the injured and the curse to their arms while the other defends them against more of them attacking.
The S rank guilds have done what they needed to do, as the records show that they almost save the entire group. The rest they received from another source have given the list of people who are trapped. However, the people who are cursed show signs of symptoms on their bodies. They have no time left as they heard one of the Agatheans
“We need to go now. The curse is already biting through their mana”
They turned around as the people who hold the plant immediately run back to the base.
The spirits are getting stronger as one of the monsters phasing through the dome, the cursed adventurers are starting to lose their consciousness. They are not prepared against the wrath of the spirits as one of Agatheans is already in a dying state. Kaye and Syri checked on their conditions as they calling out to the others.
“This is impossible, we need to retreat. This curse is mixed with the demon’s magic, we have to let the dying Agathean go. They won’t make it”
Altair rushes toward them including the other supports.
Hearing her to say to let them go kicks in their pride as a healer. “What are you saying? Bring him here, we can save him and the rest”
The healers look around any injured and the cursed individuals. One of them cleanse off the curse while the other gives regeneration, all of the spells are ultimate. The Enders witnessed their ultimate spell as it forces the dying state to be remove, for now. The over exaggeration of the flashy spells did cure their wounds and the curse. However, they remain down as they are still in the condition in pain. The healer can’t understand why
“They are healed and still down”
“Our ultimate is fine. They are affected by shamanism. Can anyone of us has a strong spirit against it?”
Silfa comes in and tried to summon Puma, but Puma decline it as its message sent to her. “Bad spirits are there. I will bring them more if they hear the roar of my essence. Your rescue is in danger of our curses. Neutral mana is extending their will to live, yet the dying continues to come. People near dead isles are poorly prepared, ruined by master’s home. Flee if you worry them or fight to see keeper man”
“I can’t believe the most important spirit in my powers is worried about me and the others. Gemina! Is your spirit is acting the same thing?”
Gemina’s spirit wasn’t too bright to figure out. The elemental form immediately rushing out to fight. The mass numbers of the spirits materialized by its presence, it immediately burst out its ritual magic all around it. The spirits cannibalized itself as it destroys and feast everything around them. The elemental spirit survives but continue to flee away from its master.
“Yeah, my spirit didn’t know and now find out about it. Sheesh, it gives them elemental magic too”
The dome is being bombarded with spells, identical to the strength of Gemina’s strength. The Enders used their scrolls to blocked it as it is immediately destroyed.
The last strength left taken from Gemina’s spirit is to disappear. Meanwhile, the dome is nearly reaching its breaking point. The adventurers who step out were pulled to safety with their supports lying inside. The curses and the rituals are sustaining the damage on them. Even with runes and light ritual items. It is clear in their UIs detecting the strength of their rituals.
“This is not good, they a mass themselves in thousands and combining all of its ritual into one. We have to use our RAP here”
The Enders stop them “Don’t! We are fighting spirits here combining with the demon’s magic. The only to fend it off is calm down the feral spirits. The dome is supposed to quell their animal instinct”
They look at the dome making cracks as the leak helps protect itself from the feral spirits. The barrier is there to shield against the neutral mana. The merged spirits can’t go in except for the spirits to return to its spiritual nature. The spirits slip in as their forms harmonize inside as the sounds of the roaring beasts within. One of the Enders with the lamp is collecting them all.
The spirits heard him and follow to his aid. The Enders shift his weapon to blow out its smoke. The spirits follow it and guided to where he points. The ritual magic conjured near it and the lamp is being marked into the rituals. The quick succession of his reflex to make his first ritual abilities. The spirits manifests into an elemental beast. He swings his weapon with the spirit follows his strikes. It fires through the group of adventurers fighting outside of the dome. The phased beast passing through the battle as it bites down the curse haunting one of them. An illusion demonstration how the beast fanged down the ashes of the spirit, then both of them dispersed.
The spirit he called never comes back, showing the sign of the impossible. Too many spirits are corrupted, and the spirits who are with this Enders will flee when they left the dome. The adventurers who tried to fend them off cannot withstand such a relentless horde. They able dispersed them from their numbers, but more and more keep coming, streaming their way here as they sensed the flow of demonic mana and competitive spirits. Deceiving all the feral spirts from the many spirits are carrying the demon’s power to here.
Meanwhile the adventurers are shouting out outside of the dome. “Pullback! We have found the survivors. We can’t stand a chance against them”
The adventurers are starting to understand why. Others with their spirits are hiding and away outside of the dome. In their UIs shared and see the data, the sight of their spirit pets watching around them with countless spirits flying over them. The body they possessed are wraiths. Put them down with the best weapons they wield, all for nothing as the spirit free from the body and be replaced with another. Their foolish spirit pets still fight, but only attracts more feral spirits.
Across the far distance, the dome starts reacting where the spirits calmed themselves are sensing something, big and terrifying. The Enders uses the lamp as he raises to the direction where the dome feared. All while the others are shouting for danger.
“Our familiars are getting spoof. We should head back now . . .”
The Enders lights up the lamp and rays down to where the threat is. A golem appeared as it was knock down as it leaps. It throws a doll on the dome’s barrier as it is hitting it. The adventurers recognized the design. It’s healing rituals with the stone golem treating it like a throwable weapon.
An unbelievable sight, the doll talks as it wails in demonic voice. “Curse stuff, overwhelming with bad voodoo. Rest the spirits, there is no heal ritual in this dead valley”
It fades away as the doll is taken over the feral spirits. The spirit repelled out from the body and replace with another spirit. Its ritual raised a large mound of ground moving like a tidal wave. The last remaining presence of the golem to cast it down with multiple strong slams on the ground. The dome has no effect from the ritual all while the rest who are outside a being pushes out into the dome.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
This diversion was enough as they escape from the mass spirit waves. They are closing in to the border as the place didn’t dwell with any spirits yet. As they made it to safety, the echoes come again as the spirits disappear after reaching to their ears.
“Du-u-u-u-ck”
The workers and the Dexter Guild see them coming. The spirits disappearance leaved an expression to the people who saw it. Emerald was there with along with the other researchers. All of them help the adventurers out from the ruins as the cursed people are still struggling from their weaken bodies.
They were put in a special containment unit as they are in stasis. The Agatheans barely keeping themselves alive have their chances to survive. The Enders never been so humiliated to see how their effort relying on the city’s equipment can’t even face the wild spirits. Yet, the irony continues. One Enders couldn’t get in with the equipment on hand. The gifts given by his guild master. The police reach tried to allow him to get in with an authorization. Still, he could not get in.
“What’s wrong with it?! Let that guy in”
They watch the man holding the ritual weapons. Not letting it go, the spirits push him on the city barrier as the hands appeared around his body.
He looks at the adventurers with distasteful look. “We answered your call, just to make us your fodder?!”
The Enders was grabbed and pulled back to the ruins impulsively. Losing vision, as they could not see the new color fog appearing before them. Ashes fog appeared before them as the sight of movable dust cloud forming the figure of the wraiths. It haunts as they look at the city barrier then left as it chase the man been taken. The Enders was not given a permission to enter with that gear on. Emerald runs to the city barrier as she saw someone is taken away.
Tabitha couldn’t believe she had saw. She turns to Faye and Syri about it while they could not say a word. They are frustrated to see what happened. Nothing else to show their disappointment, but they never show their mourn for him. The adventurers ask
“Will he going to make it?”
“Worse, he is done his mission. Poorly”
They didn’t understand what she meant. They look at the ruins and saw bright explosion coming from the far distance. A powerful caw as it reaches to the city barrier, a crack suddenly appeared. It reaches almost half of the barrier. The light turned solid, crystallized with a cracked fissure. It chips down from the ceiling. They covered their heads, but it vanishes when it falls.
The city barrier broke through and the spirits squeezed itself into the Taiyou Industries. Everyone panicked and run for shelter or casts their shields. The Enders didn’t show any glimpse of fear, rather the same expression as before. The adventurers are gathering themselves and leave the area to find the better position to fight. Illtended run to Altair and grabbed him. “Hey, let’s go before we get hurt”
“That’s not important right now, we need to evacuate these people from . . . here?”
The spirits tried to invade inside the city barrier, yet it wiped off from its corruption as it faces the cleansing substances made by the Dexter Guild. More so as the spirits were calmed down by the presence of the plant inside the glass dome. The Enders was caught by the feral spirits is rescued. Falling into the ceiling as the only passage he could get in with his equipment. A large flying beast coming through the broken barrier as it follows the man gliding down. One of the banner keepers raised their banner. The symbol of the new moon bird.
The city is being alerted, but the flying beast caws again to silence it. It caws so loudly as the entire area cleanse all the filth coming from the outside. Even further as the ash, light blue fog, and brown red cloud wipe off from its existence. It lands on the ground turning its head and its beak to the side to look everything around it. The flying beast has identity of a crow on its upper body, but its two legs is a mammal with strange feet that looks like hands for claws. A strange creature when they look down, and its presence is alluring the power of shamanism.
Its body disperses with numerous crows, in silhouette, flying around the vicinity. Fading away as the light burns their very existence, burning away leaving the night glow after being exposed to any light sources. The flock blends in with the light as it burns to ashes, its ashes surround the cursed individuals as it seals the continuation of the rituals. A man appeared from the big strange creature, showing his aging complexion as he wears a robe hiding his suit from the public. The banner symbol is there on his back, revealing what guild he is in. The same new moon bird, and he is here as he activated the symbols into his magic.
The banner keeper still raises it when it’s time use his magic. The area around them is being sealed off from the other districts. The entirety of the Taiyou Industries is engulfed by the new moon bird’s power. They look up at the ceiling where at the highest top of the city barrier is the moon itself shines in color of rituals. Multiple colors matching the night like an aurora, and continue to ray down to help the cursed people to hold off from their weakening state. They were able to stand up, but no signs of magic within them.
The Archscientist walks out from the station and saw what is happening. A loud scream coming from her as she saw someone important.
“Guild Master of the Phantom Clouds, why are you here?!”
The Phantom given the name by the Archscientist as the adventurers hear his title. The aged man showing complexion once again, a middle age man, the expression he gives to them with pure malice and frustration. The waves on his hand as the birds summoned out around him as one of it flies towards the archscientist. It reaches and teleported next to her where the two birds switch.
The Phantom looks at her in her uniform if there are significant remarks that the city allowed their equipment to enter. None on her has what the city forbids, then he looks at the Dexter Guild’s military corps. The birds flock to them as they are holding very promising battle tech. But something is different, they look the same as they saw back in Enders Bridge, the difference is the ammunition and the energy they are holding. A shell of a mighty warriors but the inner strength of frail men. A gun with rubber bullets, Melee weapons with very dull blades, and the energy won’t satisfy their destructive power.
This is nothing less to be shock about, the Lady had already told him, yet he still couldn’t believe. The adventurers going through his birds flocking around him. They stood there aimlessly to see the presence for the first time, a powerful presence, and only they could do now are feeling in fear. The Enders continue on to take care of the people as they froze. The birds frolicking around, finally gives off the relief, it transforms back to its natural appearance, removing its shadowy silhouette, and reveal to be spirit birds in different kind of species.
So many of the birds showing its natural colors. Intimidating expression, powerful presence, and feint in power it has before it dies. The adventurers with their own abilities saw through the physical birds with the other spirits behind it. The same feeling when they are surrounded by the spirits in the ruins, the same horde numbers around, and these are all tamed under one man in front of them. The Phantom has his time with the archscientist, while she is trying to explain the details about the spirits going uproar, his birds going around scouting in the area under the new moon above them.
Finally, they group up with him. Leaders and companions joined to fill up the questions and the struggles from the Phantom’s patience.
“No one knows about the interaction of the spirits without their goblins to guide them. Nor you people don’t know a simple lore among the dead. Yet I am impressed that you people improved and still able to grasp your heart to keep it beating. I am asking you this simple, and still dare to ask after what happened today. Why limiting the Horsin’s potentials? I’ve seen many low ranked ventured here as none of the known and the strong come to this place”
The members of the Sun’s Skies had a lot history when they met those strong adventurers. The Agathean are prove to be strong secretly, but surprised when they can only find them inside their own cities.
“Honestly, we still have no confidence since there are rare exceptions. From what happened in the summer festival and the goblin introduced the Kes’thar, we are not ready to face special powers that we could not understand”
“I understand that part, but the people we have entrusted to you continue to hold only the weakest of masteries they ever sheath with a toy”
Emerald reaches out from the crowd as she explains it to him. “Pardon to my intrusion, I am Emerald who knows about your Enders’ security. You know the name Myrrkei, the researcher”
The Phantom uses the new moon to gaze its light on to her, the people around her fade to black as the light focuses on her.
“Then explain to me why they did it”
Emerald looks around nervously, nothing around her as she tries to reach out the nothingness. The people are still there but phases through her touch. The immersion grows ever so bleak.
“According to him about the Enders, not as many ever trust this city ever since. The people like you to meet are who are in strong loyalty rather than personal tolerance. In truth, you have no interest of us but the guild members you set your orders into”
Everyone heard says it as they deliberately trying to stop her. The new moon shines on her keeping their hands off of her. The Phantom didn’t change his expression, due to his subordinates having nothing, even given them his powers. They are not allowed to enter the city. He looks up at the ceiling where he breaks in. Their best achievements were ruined by him alone, and alone he still proven to be dangerous.
The birds are flocking around the dome. They took and brought it near him. The new moon breaks widen its ray of light as everyone could see her. In the short radius, everyone could see to the people he is talking to. The dome shakes like a snow globe where the carved soil and the spirits inside swirling around the plant. The birds outside of the dome able to harness its rituals as it marked themselves having tattoos; painted, chipped feathers, or ritualized with magic. Their spirits feel the sensation of its aura as it starts to grow stronger.
One of the spirit birds heard the plant’s whispers, dared to speak as its master let it be.
“Awk* Feral spirits are too many Awk* Must find creature that echoes ‘D-u-u-ck’ Old descendants, still goblin, and other goblin spirits are trying to ease the beasts Awk*. The doll with rocks helping humiskis barely push to safety. Awk* Trapped with bad spirits, bad spirits tamed goblin spirits. Ancient vengeful spirits blind, no goblin to guide it Awk*. Living goblins are useless and can only clean weak curses. The curses here is immense by the millions of feral bites. Awk* Clean it forever to keep them alive”
Silfa heard through Puma’s dialogue, along with Gemina and Ruby shared their UIs together. It makes it brief about the curse. “Under the bird man’s flying moon thing, they are safe, but nature outside even our presence in spirits will ingest the curse continuously. They are truly cursed, need to quell all feral spirits who touched them or enough for the other spirits strong enough to remove it. Search for the spirits who survive the million claws and fangs of the feral. Its essence is cure”
The Phantom continues. “I have more things to say, but this woman had told the obvious of our judgement. As long as the agreement still hold, we will still have our shares. I ask you this, let me interfere your struggles as I can solved your situation briefly. We are not here to do the kindness of your expectations, the Raker Mawn guild is, and you have to deal on your own against this threat or it will return in our absences. Remember this, as this woman respectfully tells you. I have my interest, and losing my men from your city’s confidence is not how I paid for this”
The adventurers went silent, but relief that he is here. The new moon is the sign of his good intention, and his honest words hurt their anticipations. Yet, they envy that kind of power when it comes to shamanism. That alone, made the Phantom heard their griefs, to hear through the thoughts of the plant trying to convey its schemes. Was it right to let his birds to speak it out for solution? He is here, why not to test their resolution? Including the rumored two Raker Mawn members.
Tabitha’s feel something from her shoulder and it was Faye and Syri. “Will you follow the command guild master’s orders?”
She shakes her head with a grunted face. They both smile at her with a serious look “Good, but if want you us to join. Remember we still need your equipment”
Everything had happened was very convoluted after the incident. All around them by the sheer wild feral spirits running amok. Now finally regrouping after so many sequences of events. Tabitha wants her team back, even the flaws they have. There is no way for them to lose their lives over this.
Altair and Illtended grouped up with Silfa and the rest. Illtended looks at Tabitha as he still wants to join. He asks Altair “Say, we should team up with Tabitha again. We can finally have a serious group. The enemies out there are all hell”
“Are you sure about that? I was not fully part of the team during our few days with them”
“It is because it is a planned attack. We are really in need of their help. I think the Saint Heroes, Sun’s Skies, or any S ranks on the matter can able to handle themselves. I should wish Team Platinum was here”
Gemina watches them having a conversation about going with Tabitha. They heard enough during their free time how they prepared against the sealed off monsters, but regards to spirits and also the Enders themselves who are allowed to use their equipment. She whispers to Silfa’s ears.
“I think those two are focusing on that girl again”
“It’s fine Gemina, we have entire guild here to back us up. I’m not sure why we need them as we are facing something big here”
“I am just glad they made out from the curse. You wouldn’t believe how it . . .”
Puma tugs her boots, looking at her angrily. She smirks and carried it on her arms. Silfa watches her without realizing Gemina is treating a Horde Chief like a doll. In her UI is the details of the feral spirits, not very important what she had read. The only important ones are the two. Listen to the dome, and seek for the spirit echoing the word ‘Duck’ or follow what the Dexter Guild teach them to do. Use the dome alone to calm down all the spirits, it will take time but this is not good for the others who are initially cursed, including the Agatheans.
Her guild members come by about the patients. “He will contest the curse for how long as we want, but it doesn’t mean his mana is eternal, he said. Luckily, Emerald gives a reading on him that he will last more than years. I’d say we should get this over with as soon as possible”
The guild laughs as they ready themselves. Illtended and Altair had made up their minds
“Since you guys are bringing your entire guild. We should do ours over there”
“It’s fine. I hope you help her the best you can, Altair”
The Enders, who wasn’t allowed to enter city, is with the Phantom. He knows that this will be his last day with two days remaining of the agreement. The guild master gives him a spirit bird. A bird that with no traces of it being alive before. Its eyes eyeing on the equipment he wore then immediately dives into it. The lamp and the smoke sword start to merge together as the spirit is manifesting it all together into a one single form. The Enders is shape shifting his armor. Transforming it, through his guild master’s image.
The tribal like armory while it forms a body that won’t fit him. The sounds of the scream of the bird while the others being spoof. The wings on his back, the claws shifted on his arms to hands as it floats around him, and the large beak floating above his head. His face is covered as a chest piece and moves like any spirit. The chants of the Phantom were heard.
“Spirits bound by the rituals in runes, carved by Elven magic, harmonize by the archscience’s artistry, and with neutral mana’s nature as its magic. Let this spirit that is not belonged to bear your will, for its game will be tributed fully. Honoring your examples”
They watched Enders in its bird armor body. The birds spread to the adventures as they are being blessed gaining the abilities of the bird spirits. Adding to the mystery as more spirits are coming to join its presence. They gain the abilities of the shamanism that they never thought are using. A blank on their spells entering their mind as they gained strong and controlling essence. The power is terrifying, it is never easy to remove, and permanently there until the ritual sense no more of the wild spirits. ‘Temporary skill; Pack Leaders’