The struts were barely able to withstand the strain, and my pod shook mercilessly side to side. The earth was getting closer, and I prayed to all the Gods I knew that this mechanical wreckage wouldn't let me down. Holding the girl who had not yet regained consciousness in my arms, I pushed open the door with my shoulder and jumped out of the booth.
In a rain of rivets, bolts and other larger pieces of iron, I ran away from the collapsing colossus. The wheel, settling under its weight on the ground, tilted, and with a earsplitting sound crushed on the entertainment buildings and carousels.
But, I didn’t care about that; I didn’t even turn around to look at and assess the scale of the destruction.
«That's it. I've had enough of this fucking park!»
Squeezing maximum potential out of my body, I fastened across the trembling ground to a further exit. This direction remained the only one, where there was not a single creature visible.
“ROAR!” Unnatural battle cry and a powerful shacking of the earth's firmament knocked me down. Once on the sand, I turned around: breaking the tree bark like an eggshell - a living tree, an Ent was right there, barely visible in the moonlight! A tall ten-meter mythical creature, straightening its mighty shoulders, slowly grabbed the nearest pine tree and, tearing it out along with its roots, launched it towards the army of the black faction.
Numerous spells struck the raid boss. Dim-purple flames burned all over the giant Ent’s body.
«We should be running while they're fighting! Hurry! This might be your only chance!»
Picking up the girl in my arms once again, I rushed towards the park's administrative building. Nearby were several sports-grounds, a parking lot a little further, and an exit from the territory. «Finally, I can escape this accursed place! The primary goal right now is to save Mother's heart.»
My legs carried me in another direction, against my will - to the glass dome of the local greenhouse.
“No! Not this again!” A cry of despair escaped out, but the rest of my body was controlled by someone else. Next to a huge greenhouse in the shade of deciduous trees, two level 3 octopuses were guarding, whom didn't react to my appearance. I roughly threw the girl aside and went inside the glass shelter.
In the center of the room, among the dead flowers and plants, something amorphous hovered smoothly, suspended in the air on flexible roots and sprouts. A clot of unclear consistency constantly changed its shape; bent, wriggled, and twisted. At the same time, its physical condition was also ever-changing. The original glob of dripping goo hardened, only to crystallize a moment later and then return to its original chaotic form. Such was the essence of the Mother tree's heart.
It emitted a powerful aura of subjugation around itself. A command filled with colossal power reverberated in my brain:
«Come!»
I took a couple of steps, almost bumping into it.
«Hold out your hands!»
The heart freed itself from its nourishing roots and plopped down into my arms. Initially, slimy body began quickly hardening, covering itself with a layer of sturdy wood. The quintessence of Mother tree's power became heavier and began to weigh around five or six kilograms. My skin prickled with pain - the creature launched thousands of small, no thicker than a hair, sprouts into me.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
«Bloodsucker!»
Through these thin roots, it slowly began to suck out of me all my energy, all my vitality.
«Go!»
Resignedly obeying the order, I left the greenhouse, where familiar hypnotized others, like me, were already crowded in front of the entrance. There was the Dog, and that girl, apparently already awake, and about twenty or thirty other creatures of various factions. Together with the rest of the controlled, I carried Mother's heart to the exit of the park.
“Well... It seems that now my destiny is to be the bearer of this hideous thing until it sucks all the essence out of me. Damn, why did I even go in this direction! And why, in general, did I go out on this fucking evening walk? And, I could've simply ignored the pleas of those idiots stuck on the roof!”
Perhaps I dug too deep inside my mind, because I did not notice what was happening around me. Our convoy was blocked by two apprentice necromancers, a huge golem, and about fifty thin and skinny, emaciated altered ones. In their hands they hold bone weapons and, already familiar to me, turtle-like bucklers.
“Sir, you happen to be right again,” a lanky Level 3 guy said obsequiously, pushing a strand of long hair out of his face. “The prey has come by themselves.
“OBEY!”
A fearsome voice boomed inside of me. Looks like Mother tree's will encompasses a vast area.
“It won't work, piece of wood,” the second one grinned and, unbuttoning his jacket, pulled out a silver-plated amulet in the shape of a raven's head. “We are immune to such a weak spell!”
“CHILDREN! KILL THEM!”
“Haha!” The lanky guy shouted a short spell, and the wall of violet flame surrounded our few-numbered troop.
I felt that the magical wall's core structure was extremely familiar, and almost shouted out loud:
«Yes, this is the energy of Nihility! So, that's there the Tome of Eternal Life will lead me!»
Several "our" guardians who touched the wall started convulsing; their skin and flesh began to decompose right there. In a matter of seconds, only a few bone piles remained of them.
«What a truly powerful spell!» I mentally exclaimed.
“BACK!”
Panic could clearly be felt in the "Deity's" call. Sensing that its life was in extreme danger, it stopped taking my strength, and now, on the contrary, pumped me to the brim with power and mana.
“Ha-ha! These monsters are so stupid,” the other apprentice snickered. He held out his hand, covered in fresh scars. “Attack, warriors of my!”
In a single formation and almost simultaneously altered ones started marching at us.
“Toha1, why do you scream it out loud every single time?” Shaggy guy grimaced and rubbed the bridge of his nose with the curve of his thumb. “You can command them mentally!”
“Yura, shut up!” This is so much more fun. The white-haired boy was a little embarrassed. “Come on! Help me and cast your rotation! Now, now we're getting a shitload of exp!”
“Tut-tut,” clacked the lanky guy in displeasure and then started uttering the spell, making weird moves with his hands in sync to his chant; unfamiliar hieroglyphs appeared above and showered surroundings with black ash.
Tome of Eternal life blocked the curse - Feeble flesh.
Tome of Eternal life blocked the curse - Slowed tread.
Yura then used spells to strengthen allies; obedient servants stepped over the violet flame wall, and it did not cause any harm to them.
The slaves of the Mother's tree immediately attacked their ranks. The first line of defenders were three dark-skinned, hefty sub-elites from the yellow faction. Just before, I got to know their strengths and especially the armored skin. The current giants were completely out of shape, barely able to hold back the enemies around them. Their blows were slow and weak, and I couldn't say the same about their opponents: they easily pierced the skin of the brutes with ridiculous swords and axes. Dark-skinned monsters growled with anger and rage at first, but gradually their cries were replaced by moans of pain. And so, the first giant fell, covered with numerous festering wounds, followed by the second and third. Away from the massacre, the apprentice necromancers stood and commented on the battle:
“Ha, just look at his face! The blonde laughed merrily.”
“I've got so little exp for this guy, strange...”
“Oh, there's also a funny-looking dog! A good bone helmet will come out of its skull!” The last words of the short, skinny bastard heart-struck me.
The so-called Deity immediately responded to my powerful emotion and a quiet voice rang out inside:
«Release me! Help your brothers and sisters»
Mother tree's heart pulled out the roots from me, and I laid its heart gently on the ground. This time, the piece of wood gave me more freedom, even allowing me to control the body myself. But my will, as before, was suppressed by some irresistible mental order.