"You want me to what now?” Xani’s voice came through Micro’s flatscreen, Micro smiled from ear to ear as she flew.
“I need you and maybe even Jasmine to design and make me a flight suit, with a re-deployable parachute, and any effects that help darkness, void or maybe even shadow, and light suppression effects,” restated Micro. The young woman flew circles in the air above Khalif and Oscar, who had laughed at her tying a sheet to herself until she’d used it in combination with shadow infused nanobots to fly. Then the awe she felt from flight was seemingly mirrored on their faces below.
The swarm of miniature dragons that flapped underneath her makeshift hang-glider kept her afloat, and Micro had begun to use the creatures to dive bomb her targets. Many of the demons they fought were either pierced through by their speeding forms until they collapsed or literally eaten by the nanobot dragons.
“Why would we waste time doing something you could do more easily and reliably with those nanobots of yours,” asked Xani. Micro froze long enough that she nearly collided with a roof, the thought of what Xani suggested never occurring to her.
“Yeah, sounds great, I’ll work on that, but in the meantime I need the suit,” said Micro, running along the rooftop, missing her smash landing by less than a yard.
“What makes you think—“ Micro cut Xani off, smirking as she spoke.
“You might be able to defend yourself from me, but Arson has only trained me to handle problems one way, so either you help Jasmine, or I’ll help Jasmine make you help her…” Micro wasn’t a Builder of Godhood, nor a member of the BHC, she was an assassin in training. His hitman, anyone else in Micro’s eyes was disposable.
“Woke up on the right side of the bed today I see. Well, I’ll put together something, but for my time and Jasmine’s you’re going to pay, not that I wouldn’t have done it for a friend for free, but I see you’re not as amiable as I once thought,” said Xani unfazed by the non-veiled threat.
Micro wasn’t there to make friends, she’d enjoyed the little time she spent with Khalif and Oscar, but wouldn’t have thought to call either, a friend, until recently, much of that having to do with fighting demons together over the past day, and partying together by chance a few days previously.
Yet something told her not to make an enemy here, she wanted to show her skill, and her ability to grow. Not wanting to be left behind by her boss.
No matter how sparking strong he gets…
“Look, I’ll retract the fangs, and try this again, I’d really appreciate the favor, and would offer one in return, how does that sound?”
“Better, much better…” Micro laughed to herself, Xani having had spoken and immediately hung up.
Oscar: So can I ask you guys some questions?
Khalif: Depends on the questions. Stay focused, we are looking for the boss.
Micro ignored the messages until Oscar messaged again. The questions being directed at her to begin with.
Oscar: So, Micro, you spent a lot of time with Carter, how does he know so much stuff?
Micro: His head is a library I think, or maybe he said he thinks of his head like a library, I can’t remember, why?
She knew Arson felt to be connected to a storm made of skies and stars. Most things he based his cultivation practices surrounded the principles and constructs of creation that were celestial bodies and beyond.
Not that I’d discuss that with anyone, I shouldn’t even know…
She’d learned many things about Arson, forced to watch over him during the rarest of sleeps that overtook the cultivator sometimes. The trials no exception to the instances, even though he had no need to eat during the challenges.
Oscar: Brain is a library, I believe it. Has Arson always been this powerful or this all just pretty regular for him?
Neither Khalif nor Micro responded at first, But Micro was quick to change that, a realization of silence being more admission than anything else.
Micro: You mean Carter? I wouldn’t mess up either one of their names in front of them, both the boss and Carter could probably break you with their eyes closed.
Oscar: is that because there're the same person?”
Khalif: playing with fire buddy. Slow your roll, and think about how prying the way you are, to the bodyguard and blade of the people you are talking about, could end badly for you. Regardless of how good and bad your next words are…
Micro was headed toward Arson as instructed, alongside Khalif and Oscar, a young man she now hovered above. A vantage point that allowed her to see the flickering form of Khalif closing in on Oscar’s position rather than Arson’s.
Oscar: I’m with you guys, seriously. Just want to know how a little kid becomes what he seems to be in a fraction of a season? It's either impressive or astoundingly scary.
Micro thought for the briefest of moments, and decided to restrain the young man, rather than outright kill him, until Khalif spoke up once more.
Khalif: Don’t kill him Micro, I got him…
Oscar: I mean no harm. It's just after being around you all I started to do my own research, and our boss and both sides of his family are… questionable… We aren’t a part of some sort of secret gang, are we?
Micro bursted into laughter, until she saw Khalif emerge from Oscar’s shadow, knife in hand. The blade pressed to Oscar’s neck enough to completely stop the young man’s movements across the roof he traveled on.
Micro rolled her arms to tighten her sheet around her body and commanded her nano-constructs to slow their flapping wings and allow her to descend slowly toward them.
“So I’m right, that random scion that came onto the scene recently in Maelstrom is Carter, or Sovereign Arson Omni, disowned son of the royal family, now adopted son of the heiress of all scapegraces,” said Oscar with a glance over his shoulder toward Micro. The young woman perched nearby looking down at him and Khalif.
“You have yet to say anything that would make me feel comfortable with letting you leave here alive,” said Khalif tapping his blade on the side of Oscar’s face.
“He hasn’t said anything that people aren’t going to either figure out with time, or a little digging,” said a deep and familiar voice. Micro looked up to see Arson walking over to them, a smile on his face, even though his clothes were torn, dirty. Most of the runes that would have repaired the clothing destroyed.
“Ha, what got a hold of you?” asked Khalif. His knife left at Oscar’s neck until Arson closed the distance and lowered the blade.
“Who slipped up?” asked Arson. Oscar lowered his arms and laughed.
“No one. I just haven’t seen the little kid who is supposed to run all this, and everyone follows you like they’ve known you a long time, not just a brief time. Your status implies you have worked for the BHC, honestly don’t think I would have figured it out from the outside. You're not small like the footage I’ve seen online.”
“Hmm, we’ll get that worked out, thanks. Khalif, you can kill him now…” Oscar’s eyes went wide, and Khalif sighed.
“Sorry buddy, it's been fun. Didn’t think this day would ever come to be honest but things happen,” said Khalif, raising his knife once more.
“Oh sparks—“
“Kidding, Khalif. I don’t think he’s gonna flip on me, but only because I get the sense he’d never want to let you down,” said Arson before he looked directly up toward Micro, moving on as if unaffected by the stranger knowing such an intimate detail of his life.
“Have you all seen it yet?” The question was obviously directed at all of them, Micro included. The young woman jumped down to join them, and was the first to shake her head.
“What are you talking about?” asked Micro. Khalif and Oscar also gave their own signs of confusion and Arson spoke up.
“I don’t know if we can kill this creature, but I don’t know if we can let it live either,” stated Arson, his brow scrunched as he thought. Oscar looked around, feeling glad by the other bewildered faces around himself that confirmed he wasn’t alone.
“What?”
“There is a demon down here that we may have to kill, if we are even capable of doing so, but we may not want to, as the demon may be connected to an even stronger demon, that grows in power if the smaller demons it sends out die.” Oscar looked around, everyone’s compositions unchanged, before he looked back at Arson.
“You don’t speak commonality very well, do you,” asked Oscar, and Micro couldn’t help but laugh.
“You get used to it, but I thought him speaking funny was because he was from where you are,” said Micro. The words came out casually, but internally Micro raged at herself for sharing more of Arson’s life.
“You're from CloudLake, wow, would have never guessed it,” said Oscar with a scoff and a chuckle.
Micro could make many guesses at the sarcastic tone Oscar had taken when he spoke to Arson just then, but Arson’s response was enough to stop her from asking.
“Born, not raised… proudly.” Arson’s smile didn’t reach his eyes in that moment, but he moved on quickly after Oscar began to gain a sense of his conversational footsteps toward sensitive subjects; his features apologetic.
“There is a demonic creature running around down here, it's large, and maybe faster than even Troy,” explained Arson, trying again to work out an appropriate plan of action.
“If killing the creature was the problem, I’d be less bothered, but because of the type of demon I think this is, we may be in trouble if we do kill it, more or less the same if we don’t and it keeps hunting though,” said Arson wiping sweat from his forehead and neck with a handkerchief he pulled from his watch's inventory.
“So what happens if we do kill it that is so bad?” Khalif spoke up next and Arson’s real smile returned.
“If we do kill it, and this is the type of hive I think it is, the larger demon this one is connected to is fed by the life-force of the demon we kill, and then it alongside the entire hive becomes stronger as the energy is spread between the rest of the living hive still gathering life-force and mana,” said Arson. Oscar’s eyes went wide with realization.
“So the demon you're talking about is strong enough that you are struggling to fight it… so why don’t we go get people who are trained for this type of stuff. Graveyard isn’t even this far deep into the scar by any means,” said Oscar, convinced that matters could be solved simply. A call to authorities in hopes that a collective answer for their distinctive circumstance would end agreeably.
“Too many officers would die in a situation like that, and with that in mind, making the overall strength of even the minor demons being faced by Maelstrom’s defense force won’t end in our favor either,” said Arson. Micro didn’t miss the glance toward Jill that sat on Arson’s left shoulder, the construct rolling its fingers across Arson’s exposed shoulder.
Is he anxious, or is the construct?
“Didn’t think the prince of—"
“Call me the prince of anything and you won’t even know that you're bait,” said Arson, staring at the shocked Oscar.
“Noted, I guess my only other question is how do we solve this then?”
“After we find the root of the plague, or before?” Khalif laughed at Arson’s answer and Micro couldn’t help but roll her eyes..
“Before I guess,” asked Oscar.
“Figure out how to contain something the size of a baby dragon moving faster than any of us can currently,” said Arson. His face once more contemplative. He ripped his tattered shirt off and Micro couldn’t help but stare momentarily, especially at the runic tattoo of a handprint, before Micro forced herself to look away, a slight flush to her cheeks.
Arson then pulled a tabard from his watch's inventory and put it on. The musou black material, drank in the light around it. A hand made of light covered the front and back of the tabard, a stylized musou black swirl made more refined and intricate to emulate a black hole centered within the palm of the large hand. A symbol within a void of darkness outlined in runes of various colors, forming a trim of magical letters that looked like stars.
Jack and Jill fell back upon his shoulders once he was finished dressing, and Arson drew Sky from his inventory, pointing his weapon toward a large set of crumbled buildings.
Just as Micro and the others looked that way, a massive wolf was seen busting through the side of a tower, the barely upright structure obliterated. The legacy of new and old cultures crumbling to nothing in an instant before their eyes. None there powerful enough to complete the same feat.
“Any suggestions?”
…
Arson skulked alongside Khalif, both trying to get closer to their target. They’d spent most of the day gathering information on the habits of the demon Arson wanted to try and capture rather than kill.
An idea coming to him as he struggled to find answers on how to make the seeming impossible challenge ahead, achievable, when he remembered that he’d been awarded by the system when he’d returned from Endless, and still had a free skill to choose from, and looked over his available options.
He wanted to help his homeland in anyway he could, and knew that his time in Endless should be used to make sure the people he loved the most survived. Which made his next choice weigh heavy on his shoulders.
Basic Abilities List
Spark bolt: this lance of lightning does minimal damage at lower levels, but can both grow through use and the understanding of light or lightning based properties of Uni-Vare.
Gravity pulse: this basic snap of force has the strength of a punch, and knocks back any prey weak enough to be subjected to the dome it creates. Force emitted and area of dome's size is increased with both level and gained knowledge on space & time properties of Uni-Vare.
Wind clouds: these three clouds orbit the cultivator and shoot compressed gusts of wind at targets for as long as the ability is channeled. Movement while casting increases the mana cost. Strength of strikes and mana cost are both, increase and decreased prospectively, based on the cultivator’s understanding of mana control and the wind properties of Uni-Vare.
Aura of light: This allows the cultivator to increase their regeneration passively for both life force and mana, can increase the rate of generation by expanding your understanding of the light, healing, and aura based properties of Uni-Vare.
Beam of frost: this channeled beam of cold may take long to freeze something but has an effect that both increases the damage taken by ice over time, a relatively low mana cost and can be used easily while in motion, effects increased by increasing your understanding of cold, and water based properties of Uni-Vare.
Conductive waters: this orb of water won’t electrify your enemy, but is filled with the power of the sun’s energy, so instead these boiling water atoms may boil the flesh from your foes or shut down electrical systems by literally drinking in all the energy they come in contact with, size of orb conjured, stability of water and charged atoms, as well as how much energy can be drained, is determined by the cultivators understanding of water, spacial forces, as well as the effects of foreign energies in regards to the properties of Uni-Vare.
Touch of the SunStorm Sovereign: combine all of the basic tools of the SunStorm Sovereign into one attack of pure devastation, increased by understanding nearly any attribute of Uni-Vare. *Note* this ability cannot be gained before gaining the six pieces of the SunStorm, this ability cannot be gained after level 1.0. Use wisely, even the SunStorm feared her own might.
The line about the woman he now suspected was his mother fearing her own power now struck a cord with Arson. Reaper at the back of his mind a constant example to Arson of how easily control could be lost or taken from a Cultivator.
Arson pondered over two choices while they peeked over a ledge at the demon. The bodies of the dead feeding the demon twisted Arson’s stomach, making him rush to make a decision.
Beam of Frost, or Spark Bolt?
Arson liked the thought of a lightning attack, but didn’t like how the skill mentioned low power outputs at lower levels. He was incredibly low leveled, and didn’t know if the system put direct limits on skills it bestowed, or if the description was only an example of what was seen as easily attainable.
Arson didn’t know if he was going to select Spark Bolt and be able to shoot a compressed beam of lightning, or have the equivalence to stun batons at his fingertips. Both situationally useful, but one more than the other by far in Arson’s opinion.
Arson chose Beam of Frost for two reasons. One, the fact that it was a beam made Arson assume that it was potentially used at range. While secondly he noticed that the skill said it could be used easily while on the move.
He’d never struggled to use conductive water orbs while moving, nor had he practiced trying to use the skill at long ranges. So Arson didn’t know if the disadvantage of using a water based skill was subverted by his mid range tactics, and if his aim was truly all that noteworthy.
I guess we will see…
Arson gave Khalif the signal that he was making a selection and that he was about to be forced into a system meditation. Khalif nodded in confirmation, and Arson selected Beam of Frost. A vision pulling his entire conscious to a time before his own conception.
“For the honor of Maelstrom…”