DING!
YOU HAVE DEFEATED BOTH GUARDS
+3 WIL
+3 END
+3 DEX
…
BEWARE THE FOUNTAIN GUARDIAN APPROACHES!
BE WARNED!
TIER IV DREAD HERETIC COMES!
Jazmel shuddered at the system screen, and he felt the fear creeping through him, it felt like pressure. But it covered the entire platform and Jazmel looked around to see his friends suffering even more than he. Fear was seeping into his limbs, freezing him, and slowing down his movement as he tried to enter the mental space for a fight.
The dread heretic appeared stepping over the body of the armoured giant. Standing at around seven foot also, it was smaller than the others as it wore lighter armour. No mask this time, but its face was distorted as if Mana was blocking his sight. Jazmel inhaled, drawing all the dread and fear he was feeling. He then expelled it and from his mouth a toxic spew of Mana poured.
DING!
YOU HAVE EXPELLED THE DREAD FROM YOUR BODY!
A TYRANT DOES NOT FEEL OR SUFFER FROM DREAD!!
+2 WIL
He watched as the dread heretic moved towards them, it seemed to think they were all gripped by fear. But Jazmel was not. He rushed in, sword drawn and raised above his head, he leapt into the fight.
Sunder!
He slashed down and the heretic moved, dodging from the slash. With its hand it slashed through the air and dread, or death mixed into the Mana it was wielding. It cast it in a slashing form at Jazmel. He darted out of the way; he watched as it sailed past him and hit high on the wall and area began to decay as if rot or acid had been used. He was warier than before now, he sidled around to give his friends some space as they recovered from the dread.
Lacerate!
Sunder!
Sunder!
He struck his skills out and watched as the dread heretic dodged and was missed. This creature was strong, it slashed and countered him, and he danced around its strikes, as it did to him.
Howl!
He heard and the dread heretic, while not stricken. Stopped and seemed stuck. He turned to see Bannerman next to him, he had changed the tempering had changed him, he was definitely still a hybrid between a wolf and a man, but now he looked more like a man. His skin had darkened to a mottled grey and he had loss muscle mass also. His fingers lengthened into claws; darkened talons that looked stronger than before. His mouth was full of fangs and sharpened teeth, but the most startling change was his eyes, they were pitch black; completely. His entire eye was black now and Jazmel was a little startled by it.
“You tempered?” he asked, and Bannerman huffed and nodded.
“how do you feel?” he asked, and Bannerman cocked his head and then answered.
“Strong.”
“Good, let’s get him.” Jazmel said and sprinted forward, leaping through the air, and twisting in the air he slashed through the air, no skills but simply Mana slices through the air and peppered the heretic. It was still stuck in place and Jazmel watched as it was struck, its armour bore the brunt of the attacks. But a little blood appeared at the nape of its neck.
Great rumbling dragon!
He struck out but the grip that Bannerman’s skill had, had on it had been released. It darted out of the way, but Bannerman was there.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Frenzy!
His new tempered body had emboldened him and strengthened his abilities. He clawed through the light armour and found the flesh of the creature beneath. It hissed in pain and when it tried to turn on him, it was assailed.
Chain fang!
A chain riddled with thorns and sharpened edges shot through the air and glanced across the shoulder tearing up the armour that had been there. It hissed again, unable to defend itself from three different opponents but that was not all of them.
Thunderfire!
Lightning fall!
Thunderfire!
Sadé assaulted the heretic, thunder and fire burned and sizzled it. But this was a tier IV creature, it couldn’t be defeated so easily. It raised its arms and clapped a thunderous slap, both hands filled with Mana and Jazmel leapt out of the way. Pulling Sadé out of the way of the reverberation.
TIER IV DREAD HERETIC USED APPLAUSE OF THE APOCALYPSE!
DREAD HAS REARED ITS UGLY HEAD AND FORMED A DOMAIN
ALL THOSE WITH THE DREAD DOMAIN WILL SUFFER FROM MANA AFFLICTION!
MANA CANNOT BE REPLENISHED FOR 200 SECONDS!
Jazmel cursed it was an affliction skill and they all had been caught. He didn’t need to look at his skills, they were still buffed by Mary’s own buff, but it would hit the cooldown soon and his skills cost a great deal of Mana still.
He and Sadé leapt up and Paldane climbed free of his collar and leapt into the air. The heretic wasn’t done though, he raised a fist and then slammed it into the ground.
TIER IV DREAD HERETIC HAS USED FIST OF THE DOMINATOR!
DREAD DOMAIN HAS BEEN EMBOLDENED AND FILLED WITH VENOM!
DING!
WARNING!
YOU HAVE BEEN POISONED!
BECAUSE YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM DREAD YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM FALTERS!
…
…
ERROR
…
YOUR TYRANT TEMPERED BODY FORCES YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT!
TOXINS HAVE BEEN HELD BACK; YOU ARE NOT POISONED!
…
Jazmel almost laughed and then stopped when he realised the others were not protected like he was. Katie was already suffering badly, beneath her pale skin. He could see that her veins were going green from the toxins, and she was coughing up thick mucus and spotted with blood, Sadé was no better.
Bannerman seemed to have fought off the toxins for now, but he was tired, his stamina must be lower after his tempering. His hackles were raised, and he was dancing around from strikes and slashes from the heretic, but he wasn’t moving as agile as before.
“I will be back.” Jazmel said to Sadé as he let her down gently, she was alone, but Kazumi hopped out her ring and nuzzled her.
“I will be fine.” She shivered but he couldn’t focus on her, everyone was important to him. he whirled and bounded into the fight.
Sunder!
He struck and this time he caught the heretic, across its back a large cut appeared, and blood flowed. Jazmel had bled it finally. It screamed and Jazmel winced and blocked his ears.
DING!
TIER IV DREAD HERETIC USED CRY OF THE DREADENING!
STAMINA REPLENISHMENT HAS BEEN STALLED!
…
Jazmel kissed his teeth, this heretic seemed to only know how to affect or create ailments. But they were truly effective, and the others were suffering immensely under it. this one had caught him, he felt it before the system even mentioned him.
DING!
YOUR STAMINA RECOVERY HAS STALLED!
…
THE TYRANT TEMPERING HAS NOT OVERCOME THIS!
…
Jazmel didn’t stop or slow down, he struck with his sword. no skills now, simply skill and the edge of his blade. he struck a knee and dodged a strike to the face but caught an elbow in the side of the head knocking him down.
DING!
WARNING!
HEALTH UNDER 85%
…
He spun up from the ground, his blade singing around him as he slice upward and caught the heretic across the chest and under the neck. It backed off but raised its hands to clap again, Jazmel was a bit slow and almost missed him, but Bannerman was there. He leapt into the air and howled.
Wolf hunt!
Driving a clawed hand into the eye of the heretic, he plucked it out. Blood pooled and the heretic backed up and tried to recover a little, but Jazmel and his friends would not allow it. Katie flung her chains and coiled them around its legs stopping its movement for a moment.
“Jazmel!” she yelled, coughing up blood.
“I know!”
Sunder!
Jazmel raised his sword above his head, funnelling all his Mana into this one strike and dragged his sword down with all his strength. His skill scorched the ground as it sailed across and with a moment of resistance, he beheaded it. a squelching thud was heard, as the head fell before the body. The body crashed to the ground and Jazmel felt the system stop all the afflictions immediately and everyone sighed with ease.
DING!
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU HAVE DEFEATED A TIER IV DREAD HERETIC!
…
YOU WILL BE REWARDED!
YOU STOPPED THE RITUAL!!
…
…
THE PRIMORDIAL SLUMBERS BUT SHOWS ITS ANGER!
…
YOU WILL BE REWARDED!
…
YOUR FACTION HAS MANAGED TO DESTROY ALL THE CREATURES AND MONSTERS!
…
YOUR FACTION WILL BE REWARDED!
BRADDON HILLS HAVE BEEN CLEANSED AND THE PEOPLE ARE SAFE!
YOUR REWARDS WILL GREATLY IMPROVE!
…
…
YOUR FACTION HELD BACK THE DECIMATION OF DENIZENS!
YOUR FACTION THWARTED A RITUAL!!
YOUR FACTION STOPPED THE AWAKENING OF A PRIMORDIAL!!!
YOUR REWARDS WILL BE GREATLY IMPROVED!