The battle had taken us to the outskirts of a desolate park. The once-beautiful gardens had become twisted and corrupted, just like the rest of Mordenstrad. My body screamed in protest, but I pushed forward, the Harbinger hot on my heels.
You've taken 5 periodic Necrotic Damage
I staggered into the park, feeling the cold metal of the wrought-iron gates pressing against my back as I fumbled with the latch. My vision blurred from exhaustion, pain, and poison.
Forced myself upright, I activated my Shadow Sense once more, searching for the telltale signs of the Harbinger's approach.
The Crimson Harbinger emerged from the darkness, its cloak billowing behind it like a sinister specter. I could see its physical tell—a faint red glow in its eyes—as it prepared to strike.
With my last stimpack in hand, I quickly injected the healing serum into my bloodstream, the revitalizing liquid flooding my body with a surge of much-needed strength.
You've healed for 50 Health
As the Harbinger lunged toward me, I rolled to the side, avoiding its dagger by mere inches. I retaliated with a barrage of bullets, the SMG spitting fire and fury as I emptied the magazine. The creature dodged most of the shots, but a few managed to find their mark, eliciting pained hisses from it.
It vanished into the shadows, nursing its wounds and plotting its next move. I wasn't about to let it get the jump on me again, though. I loaded my bolt-action rifle and took aim, my finger twitching on the trigger as I waited for the perfect moment to strike.
When the Harbinger reappeared, I was ready. I fired a single, well-placed shot, the bullet slicing through the air and striking the creature squarely in the chest. The impact sent it sprawling backward, its cloak billowing around it.
Attack Hit. You deal 46 Kinetic Damage
It shook off the effects of my attack, its eyes narrowing with cold fury, and came at me again.
I tried to gain some distance, using my Shadow Wall to slow it down. The Harbinger slammed into the barrier, its dagger tearing through the shadows, but it bought me a few precious seconds. I took aim with my rifle, focusing on the glowing eyes behind the bloodstained mask.
The Harbinger blended with the shadows again, but my Shadow Sense kept track of it.
It closed the gap between us, its dagger slashing through the air. I barely managed to dodge, feeling the blade slice through the fabric of my cloak. I stumbled back, using my Shadow Spike Trap to catch the Harbinger off guard.
It stepped on the trap, the shadowy spikes impaling its legs but it didn't slow down.
I switched back to my SMG, unloading a burst of bullets. The rounds tore through its cloak, and I could see dark stains spreading across the fabric.
Attack Hit. You deal 28 damage (26 Kinetic, 2 Electromagnetic)
The Harbinger came at me with renewed fury, its dagger a blur of deadly motion. It was fast, but I was starting to see a pattern in its movements.
I used my Shadow Launch to propel myself towards the Harbinger, swinging wide with a powerful strike from my electrified combat baton.
Attack Hit. You deal 19 damage (17 Kinetic, 2 Electromagnetic)
The Harbinger shrieked in pain, the crackle of electricity mingling with its anguished cry. It stumbled back, momentarily disoriented, and I pressed my advantage. I swung my baton again, my muscles straining with the effort, and managed to land a glancing blow to the Harbinger's arm.
It recovered quickly, retaliating with a flurry of dagger strikes that sent me reeling. I barely managed to block with my baton, the metal ringing with each parry.
We traded blows, neither of us giving any ground. I used my Shadow Manipulation to hurl debris at the Harbinger, trying to disorient it, while it countered with a vicious swipe of its poisoned blade. I felt the cold steel slice through my skin, and I gritted my teeth against the pain.
You've taken 55 Damage damage (45 Kinetic, 10 Necrotic)
I decided to take a risk, hoping to catch the Harbinger off guard. I feigned weakness, stumbling back as if the poison was finally taking its toll. The creature hesitated, as if sensing a trap, but its desire to finish me off proved too strong.
It lunged at me, its dagger poised for a killing blow. At the last possible moment, I used my Shadow Wall to block its attack, the force of the impact sending the Harbinger staggering back.
I followed up with a Shadow Blast, the dark energy slamming into the creature and propelling it to a nearby bench. The creature collided with the bench, momentarily stunned. I seized the opportunity, firing a barrage of bullets from my SMG, tearing through the Harbinger's shadowy form.
But it wasn't enough. The Harbinger recovered, the shadows stitching its wounds back together as it continued its relentless pursuit. Desperation clawed at me as I stumbled back, my thoughts racing.
There was one last gambit I could try. I activated my Shadow Grasp to bind its movements again. Tendrils of darkness snaked from the shadows, binding its arms and legs. This time, it was all or nothing.
With a primal roar, I emptied the remainder of my SMG's magazine and my bolt-action rifle into the Harbinger, each shot tearing chunks from its ethereal form. As the effects of the Shadow Grasp began to fade, I renewed it with another activation. "Just die already, fucker!".
Attack Hit. You deal 58 Kinetic Damage Attack Hit. You deal 48 Kinetic Damage Attack Hit. You deal 63 Kinetic Damage Attack Hit. You deal 24 damage (22 Kinetic, 2 Electromagnetic) Attack Hit. You deal 30 damage (28 Kinetic, 2 Electromagnetic) Attack Hit. You deal 23 damage (21 Kinetic, 2 Electromagnetic) Attack Hit. You deal 27 damage (25 Kinetic, 2 Electromagnetic) Attack Hit. You deal 21 damage (19 Kinetic, 2 Electromagnetic)
As I reloaded my SMG with my last magazine, the Harbinger finally fell, its shattered form dissipating into the darkness. Its wicked dagger dropped to the ground with a clink.
You gained 700 Experience Points
I staggered to my feet, my legs threatening to buckle beneath me. I made my way to a nearby tree, collapsing against its gnarled trunk. I could feel the poison still coursing through my veins, but for now, the battle was over.
You've taken 5 periodic Necrotic Damage
"Fuck...come on, how long does this poison last?"
It took a moment for me to finally realize a small icon blinking from the bottom right of my peripheral vision.
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Quest: "The Crimson Harbinger" complete You acquired The Crimson Harbinger's Dagger (Rare grade) You gained 1000 Experience Points
Experience Points: 8550/8000 You've gained a new Rank: Acolyte I You have 1 Stat point to distribute You gain an additional Attunement Slot You have unlocked one new Umbrakinesis ability Your existing Umbrakinesis abilities increase their rank by 1 You have unlocked a new functionality on your Interface 'Target Tracking' Your Proficiency: Firearms skill increased to Intermediate Rank Your Athletics skill increased to Intermediate Rank The next rank will be Acolyte II You will require 16000 Experience to advance in rank
Without thought, I put my Stat point into Resilience. More mana and more health with just one stat increase seemed the most efficient. Anything to increase survivability seemed premium.
The rest of the rewards were great, especially getting another new ability, but right now all I wanted to do was to lie down and sleep. I staggered to my feet, my legs threatening to buckle beneath me, and limped to where the dagger was to retrieve it.
Name The Crimson Harbinger's Dagger Grade Rare Type Dagger Damage 13 Kinetic, 2 Necrotic Stat Bonus +5 AGI, +2 STR Modifiers +5% Crit Chance, +6 Melee Attack Effects None
Well, nice dagger at least.
There were still nine more Riftspawn left in the city, and if they were all as tough a fight as this was, then I needed to come up with a better way to deal with them. I made my way to a nearby tree, collapsing against its gnarled trunk. Five-minute breather...I just needed five minutes.
The raindrops that started falling from the sky felt soothing.
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The day had been long and hard, and I felt my aching muscles begging for some respite. I rounded the corner into a wide street, the cobblestones still slick from the drizzle earlier. The streetlights cast a dim orange glow, their light barely penetrating the oppressive gloom.
As I limped along, I heard the mechanical footsteps of something coming closer from the direction that I was headed. I ducked behind an overturned cart to the side of the street, readied my SMG, and activated my cloak right away.
“Damn it, give me a break,” I muttered under my breath. I couldn't take another fight. Just had to pray whatever it is doesn't notice me. It didn't sound like the horseman from before, thank god.
From the mists came a hulking mass of metal and machinery that looked like a giant mechanical spider, about the size of a van, but with only six sturdy legs—each ending in a claw-like foot that sprawled out in a star-like formation—jutting out from its bulbous body.
Its surface was a mishmash of matte and glossy grays, with a large, dome-like central camera atop its cephalothorax that seemed to be scanning its surroundings. A pair of slender arms protruded from its sides, each tipped with a three-fingered claw.
The thing didn't look like it was in great shape. Its armored shell was dented and scorched, with chunks of metal missing, revealing the intricate web of circuits and mechanical components beneath.
It hobbled along, each leg jerking and whirring as it tried to stay upright. Sparks flew from its body, and one of its legs looked like it had been torn right off, leaving behind a mess of wires and jagged metal.
I watched the spider-bot's movements grow more erratic, its legs twitching and jerking as it tried to stay upright.
As it reached the center of the street, the thing let out a guttural whirring noise, like the death rattle of a broken engine, and finally shuddered to a halt. Smoke billowed from its vents, and its legs collapsed beneath it, leaving the battered machine sprawled on the ground like a dying insect. The soft hum of its internal workings sputtered and died, leaving the street eerily quiet.
I breathed a sigh of relief and rested my head against the rubble. Thank God I didn’t have to fight another thing in my current state. But whatever did that to that SCAV could have been following it.
With a grunt, I got up from behind the cart and went a different route back to the manor. If the thing that did that to the SCAV was still around, I wanted to avoid stumbling into it.
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I stayed put and rested for two whole days in the manor to let my health recover from the fight. Getting health back at a rate of my Endurance stat per day didn't seem like much, but back on Earth, I probably would have been hospitalized for months. Now, I was still pretty banged enough but I recovered enough to head back out. I only had six days left before this Server vanishes so I couldn't waste too much time recovering.
A constant headache pulsed behind my eyes and temples when my Mana was low. Fortunately, its recovery was similar to how my health recovered—my Resilience being the relevant Stat. During my recovery, I took a look at the new ability I acquired.
Umbral Echo Rank 1 Description You manifest shadowy duplicates of yourself to deceive enemies and provide assistance in combat. Effect Creates 2 shadow duplicates of yourself that can distract enemies, absorb a limited amount of damage, and perform simple tasks. Duplicates deal minimal damage in combat (Melee Attack 19, 10 Kinetic Damage) and dissipate upon receiving a certain amount of damage (50 Health, 19 Base Defense) or after a set duration. Target Self (creates duplicates) Range Duplicates can be created within a 15-meter radius of the user. Duration Duplicates last for up to 5 minutes or until they sustain enough damage to be destroyed. Activation Time 6 seconds Activation Cost 12 Mana Limitation You may only have one Umbral Echo active at a time. Must have shadows within range to use.
This ability was going to be a godsend. If I had this ability at the start, fighting multiple things could have been so much easier. But now with this in my arsenal, I felt my confidence grow.
After eating my ration bar for the day, I headed straight for the collapsed SCAV. Maybe it had some parts or items in it that I could scavenge. I really needed more ammo and stimpacks.
Fortunately, it was still there. I hesitated, glancing around the desolate street. There was no sign of what had attacked this thing, but I knew I needed to be cautious. I approached slowly, my hand on my SMG, half expecting it to spring back to life and attack me. I circled around it, taking in the extent of the damage.
Up close, the damage to the metal creature was even more apparent. Its once-smooth body was covered in scorch marks and deep gashes, and bits of machinery were strewn across the ground around it. It looked like it had been through a war zone.
"Hey, you still awake in there?" I called out, tapping on the shell with the butt of my SMG. No response.
I crouched down beside it and reached out to touch the smooth, cool surface of the machine, feeling the dents and gashes beneath my fingers.. The metal plating had been rent apart like torn flesh.
As I continued to inspect the battered robot, I wondered if it had been running away from something, or if it had just lost a fight it couldn't avoid. I knelt down, inspecting its legs, and noticed some kind of fluid oozing from the joints. I wiped it on my fingers and sniffed. It smelled like burnt metal and oil, an acrid stench that made my nostrils burn.
My Interface suddenly chimed a message:
Dynamic Quest "Repair and Recover" Collect parts and repair the fallen SCAV. Completion Reward: Skill - Advanced Mechanics. The repaired SCAV 'FII-256' joins your party. Your reputation with the SCAV faction is reset to Neutral. Experience Reward: 1000
Wait…what the hell? There were quests like this? Oh right, I guess so. When I saw the broken motorcycle, a quest popped up that told me to fix it to acquire it as a reward. But this was a SCAV we’re talking about. I thought they were just around for Players to destroy for loot. They always attacked on sight from what I’ve experienced. Now the System was telling me that if I fixed this one, it’d work for me? Hard to pass that up.
I accepted the quest and my Interface displayed a list of the parts I needed and a rough diagram of its internal systems. It also provided a map of the local area, along with a trail leading me to the spot where most of the parts could be found—the wreckage of the dropship from earlier that day. It was only two kilometers away which placed the site within the industrial district of the city.
With a deep breath, I committed the list to memory and got to my feet, brushing my hands off on my pants as I took one last look at the downed SCAV. If completing this quest meant getting a helper bot, then it was time to get to work.