Zark'thul loomed over the vast array of shimmering displays in the Command Room, his many thoughts stirring beneath the human mask he now wore. He tapped his finger rhythmically against the interface, an affectation he had not yet discarded—one of many small, unremarkable habits he had unwittingly adopted since awakening in this cursed flesh.
The motion was steady, like a clock's pendulum, though he felt no need for such human concepts as patience. For while he was forced to pause, Zark'thul was anything but idle.
A pause merely served to recalibrate, to regroup and reassess. Such was his strategy now.
His eyes scanned through the myriad screens, meticulously parsing data from each. If his Agents were tired of slaying the murk beast for the nth time in a row, fine. So be it.
Zark'thul would find something else for them to do, if that were what it took.
> [Directive 1-2] Harvest Aetherroot from the Darksheen Fens
> [Objective] Gather Aetherroot, a rare glowing plant found in the Darksheen Fens, to be used for enhancing magical resistance and upgrading artifacts. The Aetherroot can only be harvested during the dimming of the swamp's natural phosphorescence, requiring precise timing and coordination.
> [Difficulty] ★☆☆☆☆
> [Success] Collect 4 Aetherroot plants within the time limit.
> [Failure] If all Agents are defeated, or if Aetherroot is harvested incorrectly causing it to wither, the operation will fail.
> [Rewards] 100 EXP, 10 Quintessence Shards, 1-2 Basic Experience Cores, 4x Aetherroot, 2-3 common materials, 1x random common-rarity gear.
> [Time Limit] 6 hours
> [Repeatable] Yes
> [Bonus Objective] Harvest all four Aetherroot plants without triggering the Echo Beasts (native to the swamp).
> [Bonus Rewards (can be claimed only once)] 200 EXP, 20 Quintessence Shards, 2x rare consumable item
The screen expanded, and Zark'thul leaned in, inspecting the details. Compared to the murk beast directive, this one seemed to be comparatively lenient. Four plants. That was all.
He turned from the console, addressing the silent presence behind him. "Prepare the team. We depart in one hour."
"Understood," Elspeth responded in her flat yet pleasingly harmonic voice. "Shall I inform them of the nature of the mission?"
"No. Let them feel the tension of the unknown." His eyes gleamed as he waved his hand over the screen, then slipped the AetherLink back into his pocket. "It will… invigorate them."
With those words, he strode out of the room, the heavy thud of his footsteps echoing softly against the pristine, whitewashed walls as he headed toward the barracks.
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Upon entering the barracks, his five REDLINE Agents stood in precise formation, silver-haired, red-eyed, waiting in their matching bodysuits of gunmetal hue, ready to serve, without a word exchanged between them. The efficiency in their silence, their immediate attention to his entrance, was to be commended.
He crossed his arms behind his back, adopting a stance of authority as he addressed them. "The murk beast mission has been… efficient. Yet I have observed a diminishing in your operational performance."
There was a flicker in Two's expression, barely perceptible—an arch of the brow, a slight twitch of the lips. It was insolence, barely controlled. He had noted this in her before, a growing restlessness that, were she not so efficient, he would have stamped out.
However, he had begun to understand it may not be simple insolence, but rather the stirring of ambition... interesting. She was easily his best Agent.
"A diminished performance suggests... I am not using you efficiently. For that, I shall atone."
Surprise rippled through their features, manifesting in subtle, unspoken glances at one another. Before they could form any semblance of thought, he pressed on.
"The monotony of your recent directives has weakened your efficiency. We will be taking on a new task. A more... dynamic one," Zark'thul said, eyeing each of his Agents in turn. "It's different from your previous encounters. It requires caution, diligence, and..." he paused momentarily, eyes narrowing as the words flowed with more eloquence than he anticipated, "trust."
Again, their gazes flickered to one another, a muted whisper of unspoken questions hanging between them. Good. Let them learn that it was not an insult that fueled this decision, but his utmost care in ensuring their utmost efficiency. Every ounce of their abilities would be squeezed out of them with these measures.
"Directive 1-2 has been chosen. We'll be entering the region of that bog called Darksheen Fens this time. We are to collect ten Aetherroots from this location. It is a task that might be slower, more meticulous work than you're accustomed to. Be prepared to follow my instructions as carefully as you would in combat. Am I Understood?"
The chorus of "Yes, sir" punctuated the air as they all saluted crisply, all the affirmation he needed.
With a curt nod, he turned away. "The departure is in two hours. Come ready." Without awaiting a response, he strode out of the room with Elspeth trailing in his wake.
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The Darksheen Fens unfurled in a broad canvas of earthy gloom and watery stillness, sprawling out towards the distant fog-clad horizons. As soon as his squad emerged from the portal, the atmosphere of the bog enveloped them immediately. There was no transitional buffer to ease their passage from the crisp cleanliness of the Tower's halls to this dank, muddy realm.
Even so, they'd already traversed this landscape several times hunting down one murk beast after another, and for that, Zark'thul supposed the repetition brought its own sense of familiarity. Tedium had given way to understanding.
But this part of the bog seemed new.
Ahead of Zark'thul's footfall, the firm and often squishing terrain was layered with a carpet of mossy and lichen-stained detritus. Upon his advance, the vegetation relented under his weight, expelling a miasma of age-old rot, as if the very soil exhaled. With each step forward, he sank ever-so-slightly into the fetid embrace of the soggy earth—a discomfort amplified by the way the icy cold sludge seemed to slither its way insidiously past his footwear and caress his flesh.
Behind him, the five REDLINE Agents followed in disciplined formation: One with his sword and shield at the ready, Two with her blades poised, Three scanning the periphery with her rifle poised, Four clutching her med-kit, and Five pacing silently in his rear guard position. Their silver hair and red eyes reflected the swamp's glow, making them appear as phantoms amidst the putrid light's sporadic outbursts.
Yet their silence betrayed no unease with the quagmire into which they had descended, at least not with their words. Their caution, though, said far more.
Zark'thul checked his AetherLink. He brought it close to his face to read the directive details against the gloom, recalling the rest of its contents. This time, a map projected upon the screen, guiding their route through the putrid land. It displayed a curving pathway, ending at a faintly illuminated patch, supposedly the location where they could harvest the Aetherroots.
As they waded deeper into the mire, their surroundings closed in like a living thing. Bulbous gas bubbles periodically surfaced through the dark waters, their viscous membranes gleaming in the errant streaks of light.
Zark'thul began explaining what they should expect. "Listen up. These plants grow in the shadow of ley lines in this bog. They require very specific conditions to be properly harvested. A five-minute dimming phase happens every hour. The objective of this mission is to harvest them during that phase, without arousing any unnecessary attention. Their extraction must be precise. Even the slightest of cuts or marring can induce withering."
Agent One's voice punctured the silence, still somber as the bog they walked through. "Sir, the directive on our visors mentioned something else—what are Echo Beasts? What should we prepare for?"
Zark'thul checked his AetherLink. Unlike with the murk beast, supplementary information about hostile creatures was more forthcoming.
> Data Analysis: Echo-Beast
> Level: 3
> Type: Magical Beast (Common)
> Role: Assassin
> Health (HP): 160
> Magic (MAG): 30
> Defense (DEF): 25
> Magic Resistance (MRES): 30
> Speed (SPD): 32
> Critical Rate (CRIT): 7%
> Dodge Rate (DODGE): 10%
>
> Abilities:
> Spectral Claw/Bite: Strikes a single target with ethereal claws, dealing moderate magic damage.
> Echoing Wail: Emits a sonic wave that reduces the SPD and DEF of all enemies within range by 10% for 10 seconds.
> Phase Shift (Passive): 10% chance to become intangible for 2 seconds when attacked, evading physical attacks completely.
>
> Weaknesses:
> Light-Based Attacks: Take 150% damage from light-element abilities.
> During Dimming Phase: Physical attacks are more effective as they are fully corporeal.
> Disruption Effects: Abilities that disrupt magic can prevent them from phasing.
"They're spectral entities native to the ley lines around here. They become corporeal during the five-minute dimming period where we'll also be harvesting Aetherroots. Encountering them can be... disruptive, hence the bonus objective. Do not trigger them."
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Agent Two turned her head, her eyes gleaming amidst the swamp's murk. "We're just avoiding them, sir? We're not engaging with them at all?"
"We're not here to kill beasts. That's not the goal. Weren't you listening?" Zark'thul paused to shake off mud stuck to his footwear. "The goal is to harvest the Aetherroot during this time. Not fighting whatever apparitions we stumble upon."
Agent Two persisted. "Then why didn't you choose any of the combat-based directives that might have posed a greater challenge?"
Zark'thul made his own eyes more beady and frowned. "Am I hearing you wrong, or are you're implying I made a poor decision, Agent Two?"
"Sir, my words hold no ill will." Her expression turned grim. "I only question whether avoiding direct confrontation is the best method to utilize our—my—capabilities."
"Which, what, Agent Two? Your overabundant battle lust?" Zark'thul quipped. He didn't meet her stare, instead regarding her with a sidelong glance, a stern frown on his face.
A strained silence blanketed their interactions. Agent Two offered no response, her silence mirroring that of the somber bog they marched through. Good, he had set a boundary, and she acknowledged it, despite her growing gall.
The other Agents exchanged silent glances as the tension ebbed.
"This Aetherroot," said Agent Five, choosing a more careful cadence compared to Two's terse phrasings, "how do we extract it?"
"They're root bundles that grow intertwined in complex patterns," he replied, swiping the AetherLink screen and showing them images of their target. "Each pattern represents the core that anchors the Aetherroot to the ground. All you need to do is untangle them during the dimming phase, and then extract them fully."
"The dimming phase is when those Echo Beasts materialize?" Agent Three inquired.
"Yes, that's why we shall avoid any direct engagement, so as not to disrupt our harvesting," said Zark'thul. He pressed on with his squad trailing closely behind, ever watchful of their surroundings. The trek would take some time, according to the AetherLink's map.
Half an hour into their mission, a distinct change punctured the ambiance, unsettling the rhythmic whisper of the swamp's flora.
In the distance, the first hints of the ley lines beneath the swamp began to pulse, faint arcs of light running through the ground in erratic patterns. They bore little resemblance to what Zark'thul was accustomed to; rather than being linear conduits, these glimmered chaotically, weaving about and crisscrossing with a raw intensity. Their iridescent dance sporadically shattered the shadowed tableau, forcing the shadows to dance as well.
Up ahead, he spotted it.
An illuminated patch sat nestled amidst the quagmire, distinctive in its vibrant fluorescence. This must be where the Aetherroot lay. The phosphorescent glow from below illuminated the gnarled trees, their leafless branches extending outwards as if seeking respite from the dark waters that nearly drowned their roots.
Zark'thul checked his AetherLink; the dimming phase would not commence for another half hour. Their location seemed free from lurking threats... for now.
"Hold here," he commanded, waving his Agents to take position on the firmer ground around them.
The Agents held their formation as Zark'thul bent towards the earth. He dug his fingers into the soil. The earth welcomed him with a resonant squelch, protesting as he extracted his hand from its grip. In its wake, it left him coated with viscous slime that glistened in the fading light.
"During the dimming phase, we'll tend to those roots. I shall attempt the first one myself, and I need all of you to watch."
Two shifted her weight from foot to foot, her impatience evident. "Permission to scout the area, sir?"
"Denied," Zark'thul replied without turning.
She exhaled softly, a barely audible sign of frustration. "Understood, sir."
Five approached hesitantly. "Sir, should I begin setting traps? The terrain may affect placement."
"Not yet," Zark'thul said. "We'll wait until the dimming phase is imminent."
Five nodded and began to venture toward another location, perhaps for more optimal placement. He bent down to study the earth beneath him, sifting through the mud with his fingers.
Silence settled again.
One paced to keep watch in a broad circumference, his stoic gaze scouting for any unwelcome approach. Two mirrored his movements, but her tension seemed ready to erupt, especially as Five skulked at the outskirts of their formation. Agent Three, not distracted by their peers' nervous antics, remained close to Zark'thul, acting as a watchful sentry of the other three, her rifle still strapped across her back and a hand never leaving its side. And lastly, Agent Four seated herself on a more solid patch of ground, inventorying the contents of her med-kit, re-arranging its supplies.
Every ten minutes, a muted pulse resonated through the ley lines in the ground, more clearly noticeable now that Zark'thul was close. As each pulse reverberated through the surroundings, the earth responded with a quiver, sending ripples through the shallow pools, the gentle swaying of tree branches, and the sluggish movement of dark water, which continued for another moment before subsiding back into an eerie quiet.
Between those intermittent pulses, the swamp reclaimed its stillness, which they settled into with watchful anticipation. As the countdown neared its end, Zark'thul ordered them, "Get ready."
This was their cue. In a unified response, his Agents fell into formation, attentive to the next step.
The pulsations grew weaker, finally dwindling into a hushed hum. He waited, the screen of his AetherLink still alight, its luminescence stark in the waning light. An interface, hovering before him, counted down the seconds.
9...
Zark'thul stepped towards the central patch of Aetherroot.
8...
The luminescence that had moments before painted the trees and swamp pools in dim radiance now flickered, as if anticipating an inevitable demise.
7...
A cold wind threaded through the remaining luminance, whispering secrets of the mire around them.
6...
He reached down, the remaining threads of light still bright enough for his unobscured human eyes to see. Zark'thul could hear the unsteady breathing of his Agents from where they stood, vigilant.
5...
The bog held its breath.
4...
With a bated exhale, the ambient light surrendered, diminishing as the encroaching shadows devoured its final glow. An unnatural absence of light now enveloped them, eclipsing even the stars above.
3...
Total darkness encased their surroundings. Only the vague shapes of his Agents could be seen, yet their silver hair caught whatever eerie lights were still present.
2...
A final, faint pulse wavered through the quagmire, its weakness akin to a last gasp. Then, it stopped.
1...
Silence. All that remained was the sound of his squad's labored breathing.
0...
His fingers extended once more into the earth. From beneath the muddy surface, a light—different from the rest—began to grow.
He shifted his grip onto something—the roots—visually seeking the exact place where they all connected. Now, a series of glowing threads protruded from the ground, forming intricate, overlapping knots.
Slowly, he began unthreading them.
"Echo Beasts incoming," Three called from her vantage point.
"We see them," One replied.
Zark'thul didn't turn, didn't take his eyes off the knotted roots. Just like any battle, this would take patience and finesse. He delicately unwound one knot, then another, gingerly prying apart the complex weave.
Each completed knot rewarded him with a fresh surge of light that flared outwards, before vanishing beneath the skin of the Aetherroot itself, gathering closer to its center.
"Don't engage," Zark'thul stated, focusing on the second tangle. "Only move if they close in too much."
"Yes, sir," One's reply resonated in the growing darkness. From what he could see, the Agents edged in his direction, making a defensive circle with him at its epicenter.
At that same moment, another wave of illumination swelled inside the Aetherroot as he separated another cluster of knots. Closer now to the plant's core, the luminescent substance seeping into the root began to form a viscous pool within.
At the corner of his eyes, shadows cavorted with the luminescent afterglow from his plant as spectral beings drew nearer. Their elongated forms twisted and distorted, only catching fragments of their white visages for the briefest of moments, before vanishing again as if swallowed by the night. They formed no complete, unified form, instead, they remained amorphous shadows, fluid, constantly shifting.
Another thread he separated, painstakingly seeking the point where the myriad of fibers interlaced. When they pulled apart, he moved to the next cluster, and then the next.
One called out, "They're getting closer, sir."
Zark'thul nodded, untangling another knot, then another. Two more, and he would reach the central nexus where all roots converged. The air now carried a strange echo that twisted One's voice, stretching it. By the sounds of it, the Echo Beasts circled around them.
So close.
With a sharp clack of snapping wood, an Echo Beast lunged at Three, nearly encircling her with its vaporous tendrils. The weapon in her hands sparked and hummed to life as she evaded its grip with a sharp backward leap.
"Engaging!" Three announced.
From his peripheral, Zark'thul could see her rifle aim unerringly at the amorphous being, her shot sizzling through the misty surroundings before puncturing the entity, causing its shape to temporarily ripple and disperse.
The rest of his Agents reacted in tandem. They burst into motion, dispersing to face the circling entities while he remained stationed at the plant. From where he was, he could hear their frantic movements in the distance. The crack of gunfire, the clang of a sword, the cries of warning as the Agents fended off the encroaching Echo Beasts.
Another knot loosened under his meticulous fingers. Only one more to go.
"Moving East," shouted Five, before darting away into the dim light. A spectral presence appeared to tail him momentarily, then stopped. "Your turn, Two!" shouted Five, and seconds later, the hiss of Two's bladed attacks announced her response to this menace. They'd switched off.
"We can't fend them off much longer, sir," barked Two, her words punctuated by the swift strikes of her weapons carving through the air.
With a grunt, he began tugging at the last knot. "Almost done," Zark'thul answered. The final thread proved stubborn, almost wilfully resisting his efforts. He wrestled with it, coaxing it slowly free.
Nearby, One thrust out his shield just as an Echo Beast attempted to get past his defense, deflecting the creature and exposing its ethereal body to Three. She moved and discharged her rifle's energy in short, powerful bursts, eliciting a hideous hiss from her target.
Five popped out of the darkness to his right, then skulked away after slapping an explosive trap that pulsated onto the flank of Three's already disrupted target, detonating the device as soon as he'd pulled away, shredding through its nebulous form.
Zark'thul saw a vague flicker as Two engaged another nearby being.
Suddenly, a piercing wail came from the specter just beyond the barrier of his Agents. The high-pitched shriek struck Zark'thul like a lance through his psyche, robbing him of clarity.
In his moment of distraction, he clumsily wrested out the final thread—harder and faster than intended. The plant dimmed and darkened. The thread, with his last motion, snapped off, severed, dead.
"Dammit!"
The luminescent threads seemed to sag and slowly wilt away, even while still entangled with each other. The bundle then liquefied into an inky black puddle, dripping listlessly back into the soil beneath them.
He snarled. Thanks to that confounded shriek, the Aetherroot had died because he hadn't performed the last extraction with the precision he should have.
"Sir, it's—" Four began.
"I know," Zark'thul replied, holding in an ancient rage. "Fall back! We're done here."
His Agents obediently retreated while keeping him covered. The Echo Beasts stopped short of the dimming patch, and started shifting aimlessly again. From here, the luminescent aura of their phantom forms painted them in shades of ghostly pallor that shrouded their nebulous anatomy.
Once safely away, Zark'thul rechecked his AetherLink's screen. The next dimming phase was another hour away. But that didn't matter. Even if they managed to get other Aetherroots during the next dimming phases, they wouldn't have enough time to find and collect four Aetherroots at this pace.
He couldn't deny the disappointment stabbing at him—one botched extraction out of sheer foolishness.
He tapped the "Recall" icon on his AetherLink's interface, and he and his Agents disappeared in a flash.