Creatures of the night flew over the ground towards the party like preying shadows. A vampire opened his bloodthirsty mouth and a silvery scythe reaped its head. The wooden clacking of ten mantis puppets feuded with violent hissing. The puppets danced around Jean in perfect coordination claiming a undead every other swing of their bladed arms. A vampire noble shot up from the ground below the puppetmaster and her clawed hand shattered the skull of one of its kin. She scarcely had time to comprehend before two puppets ripped her to shreds and Jean continued his routine slaughter.
A frozen spear pierced through the mouth of another legendary tier noble and three more regulars followed with deft movements before a fifth met the surging aura of Karla’s kick. The two burst around at the same speed, destroying every enemy in their wake, twice as fast as they were before now that they’d upgraded Rapid to the mythic tier Body Flicker.
Almost as fast as them was the blinding flare of a bolt of fire of immense intensity. Yen’s Comet struck a swift vampire and claimed a dozen others caught within its fiery impact. A noble lunged for her and Donny cleaved its head, his eyes of focused raged locking on to the next target as the blood knight joined the carnage in the company of arrows from the hidden hunter, nearly as fast as the amazon and dragoon.
And in the center of the chaos, Shin stood in a calm trance, unconcerned with his surroundings. Invoke merely cloaked him with his bonded spirits but as he had felt with Spirit Possession, he wanted more. Deeper, closer, inseparable. Light started to fall from his body as the boundaries of being melded into one. A union of souls.
Shin blurred, faster than anyone else, claiming a path of vampires in the blink of an eye. Red marked white hair flowed in the wind as he turned hollow red eyes across the fields, shrine priest warrior’s robes adorned his body but his face was uncovered. Pulse gathered beneath his feet as he waved two swords in his hands and the remaining vampires severed away in an instant, Shin basking in the sense of unity for a moment before his form faded away to normal.
[Greater Invoke has upgraded to mythic tier Resonance.]
[Human Invoker (legendary) - Greater Lord]
Strength - 200 (420)
Agility - 600 (1260)
Constitution - 50 (105)
Vitality - 152 [228] (479)
Dexterity - 33 (69)
Perception - 300 (630)
Force - 24 (50)
Spirit - 793 [1190] (2499)
Control - 150 [225] (472)
Willpower - 100 [150] (315)
Skills:
Greater Restore lvl. 10, Greater Mystic Protection lvl. 10, Summon Skyward Kitsune Throneguard lvl. 10, Ultimate Martial Combat lvl. 10, Greater Rapid lvl. 10, Greater Spirit Communion lvl. 10, Greater Mana Meditation lvl. 10, Greater Invigoration lvl. 10, Greater Harvest Soul lvl. 5, Resonance lvl. 1, Pulse lvl. 10, Greater Channelling lvl. 10, Greater Spirit Gyro lvl. 10, Greater Ward lvl. 10, Greater Soul Fusion lvl. 10, Truestrike lvl. 10, Greater Sense Through Spirits lvl. 10, Invoke Skill lvl. 10, Eclipse lvl. 10, Greater Mana Absorption lvl. 10, Merge lvl. 10, Mana Harnessing lvl. 10,
Traits:
Body Supremacy, Eyes of the Spirit King, Ethereal Soul, Vessel of Spirits, Unfettered, Instant Regeneration, Martial Eye, Third Eye, Summon Master, Great Control, Great Spirit, Great Willpower, Poison Immunity, Disease Immunity, Curse Immunity, Golden Body, Golden Mind, Golden Soul, Great Vitality, Vestiger,
Shin scanned over his status once again. In their time spent training he had upgraded and maxed all his skills to at least legendary, and more importantly acquired two more mythic tier skills, along with the recently obtained Resonance.
Both were straightforward upgrades, Eclipse now boosting his stats while possessed fivefold compared to overshadow, and Merge enabling him to combine any two compatible skills up to mythic tier. And with that, he now possessed six such skills. One more and he could finally advance to his mythic tier class, but time was short in this event now and his seventh desired skill harder to obtained than any of the others.
[Skyward Kitsune Throneguard (legendary) - Greater Lord]
Strength - 1800
Agility - 2402
Constitution - 1024
Vitality - 1448
Dexterity - 1905
Perception - 1572
Force - 2377
Spirit - 1992
Control - 1539
Willpower - 1941
Skills:
Duality lvl. 10, Sacred Fire lvl. 10, Greater Foxfire lvl. 10, Greater Slash lvl. 10, Greater Glare lvl. 10, Supreme Sword Combat lvl. 10, Greater Rapid lvl. 10, Greater Swiftness lvl. 10,
Traits:
Unity (mythic), Greater Hallowed (legendary), Greater Occult (legendary), Greater Soul Weapon (legendary), Greater Windwalker (legendary), Greater Foxtail (epic), Greater Nightvision (legendary), Greater Poison Resistance (legendary), Greater Disease Resistance (legendary), Greater Curse Resistance (legendary),
[Lamassu Gatekeeper (legendary) - Greater Lord]
Strength - 733
Agility - 952
Constitution - 1015
Vitality - 829
Dexterity - 791
Perception - 1984
Force - 4201
Spirit - 3187
Control - 2048
Willpower - 2160
Skills:
Sanctuary lvl. 10, Mana Barrier lvl. 10, Aurora lvl. 10, Greater Vector lvl. 5, Greater Mindfray lvl. 7, Greater Bewilder lvl. 4, Greater Fly lvl. 8, Greater Channelling lvl. 6, Greater Blink lvl. 2, Greater Disruption lvl. 3,
Traits:
Guardian (mythic), Greater Psychic Mind (legendary), Premonition (legendary), Greater Nightvision (legendary), Diamond Mind (legendary), Greater Poison Resistance (legendary), Greater Disease Resistance (legendary), Greater Curse Resistance (legendary),
[Yeren Magecrusher (legendary) - Greater Lord]
Strength - 3500
Agility - 1890
Constitution - 2397
Vitality - 2548
Dexterity - 1555
Perception - 2101
Force - 526
Spirit - 1041
Control - 1189
Willpower - 1253
Skills:
Crush lvl. 10, Anti lvl. 10, Greater Haymaker lvl. 10, Greater Rebound lvl. 6, Greater Thunderclap lvl. 4, Greater Momentum lvl. 1, Greater Shift lvl. 10, Greater Swiftness lvl. 10, Greater Overpower lvl. 10, Greater Agile lvl. 10, Greater Barbarism lvl. 3,
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Traits:
Mana Devourer (mythic), Unfettered (mythic), Rapid Regeneration (legendary), Greater Hawkeye (legendary), Greater Leather Hide (legendary), Greater Weakness Resistance (legendary), Greater Nightvision (legendary), Diamond Body (legendary), Greater Poison Resistance (legendary), Greater Disease Resistance (legendary), Greater Curse Resistance (legendary),
[Dusk Garm (legendary) - Greater Lord]
Strength - 1635
Agility - 3102
Constitution - 1001
Vitality - 1248
Dexterity - 1927
Perception - 1950
Force - 1899
Spirit - 2015
Control - 1500
Willpower - 1723
Skills:
Darkness Lordship lvl. 7, Shadowmeld lv. 5, Light Blitz lvl. 10, Haste lvl. 10, Fear lvl. 3, Greater Sneak lvl. 8, Greater Invisibility lvl. 5, Greater Premeditation lvl. 6, Greater Agile lvl. 10, Greater Rapid lvl. 10, Greater Ghost Claw lvl. 4, Greater Phase lvl. 3,
Traits:
Malevolent (mythic), Malefic (mythic), Darkness Overwhelming (mythic), Loved by Darkness (mythic), Darkvision (mythic), Martial Eye (mythic), Curse Immunity (mythic), Greater Poison Resistance (legendary), Greater Disease Resistance (legendary), Greater Necrotic Resistance (legendary),
He was not the only one improved. With his mana and switching between the Spiritmaster’s Vest and Training Silk Shirt, all four of his spirits had ample time to train themselves, reflected in their skill levels. Most of the truly important ones had been maxed, Haste especially which increased his speed tenfold.
“It’s basically only vampires now.” Yen commented. “We should leave him alive since he did his job.”
“What, after you wanted to kill him so bad?” Donny jabbed.
“I didn’t want to, just pointed out the general vibe of the team…”
“Too many, all the time.” Basem interrupted with displeasure.”
“Yeah, well, we’re kind of easy to find now.” Donny mused. “Don’t we have enough?”
“No.” Kamala answered. “But we’ll have to settle.”
Yen glanced over at Mujin’s brooding, troubled expression. “Hey, stop feeling bad for them. Most of them are enemies and the rest would’ve got killed by something else anyway. We have a goal, stay focused.”
“...there’s a lot.”
“Because we need a lot. Hey. Goal. Focus. Don’t drop the ball because of something stupid like guilt.”
“Yeah, way too much compassion around here.”
“Shut up.”
“Soon?” Shin asked Ashley.
“Just a little more~” She smiled from a crouch, her head resting on delicate looking hands.
“Okay.” Shin dashed off on his own. While the plan readied itself, he decided to make one last round hunting for souls, hoping to find something good.
---
Johan stared inside his golden locket as he often did when he was alone. His source of comfort and resolve, the bittersweet pain than accompanied it no less than the very first time he found himself stuck in its memories, though lately he found he needed it more than ever to disperse the cloud of guilt hanging over his mind.
He lingered for a moment more then tucked it away back in his collar, rising from his seat of debris inside the half destroyed house with firmer expression. The cardinal threw a body from his bag on the ground and focused his mind. First a soul coalesced over the cold corpse until it formed a ghost, whole in form just as the skill should, but its mind recovered only partially.
Johan focused further, willing the ghost’s self to return intact as well, with all its memories and personality. Sparks strained against the ceiling of the skill and the cardinal pushed himself further still until the light broke and he stopped with labored breathes, the still unwhole mind of the ghost drawing frustration to his face.
“Necromancy?”
Johan’s eyes went wide as he wiped out to the sudden voice. A hollowed eyed boy stared back at him, sitting on a partially rotten beam of the roof, his unusual nonchalant posture mirroring the tone of his words.
“Spirits are better.”
The cardinal’s mind raced as he imagined flashes of the worst consequences of this most disastrous encounter. The Champion and his party was the strongest hand he had to play and yet now he was caught redhanded practicing the vile arts. With no excuse possible, his thoughts turned to how best to spin this yarn, but as he did, he slowly realized the state of the calm boy patiently waiting.
“...do you not take issue with this?”
“No?” Shin tilted his head at the ghost. “Seance?”
“You know of it?” A trace of hurry appeared in Johan’s voice.
“I saw it. You want to talk to ghosts?”
“No… No, that is not my goal.” Johan’s face pained again. “There are people I must bring back.”
“From before the tower?”
“Yes.”
“Me too.” Before a slightly surprised Johan could respond, Shin calmly hopped down next to him, bearing a slight smile. “There’s nothing at mythic. You have to become a god.”
A mix of emotions found Johan’s face, some of discouragement for his fruitless efforts, some renewed resolve at the information the boy gave with such certainty. Anyone else and he might have dismissed them, but the Champion must of seen more than any other initiate thus far.
“Who?”
Johan hesitated for a moment at Shin’s honest question, then held out a hand and a golden locket appeared. “My wife and son…” He opened the locket to show small painted portraits of a a young blonde woman with the same green eyes as the young boy who had the cardinal’s hair.
“Who do you wish to bring back?”
“Akane.”
“I see…” Johan smiled wryly at the direct answer with no indication of any further information as though it was meant to be obvious. Though he couldn’t help but admit he felt some odd kinship over their shared goal. “Become a god, is it…? I suppose it must be possible. I… have felt for some time that what I seek may not be in this world. But still, I must find that library… I must know for sure.”
“We’re going to the capital soon.” Shin admitted. “You can come.”
“Thank you.”
“Let’s go.” Shin started to turn.
“Ah, the town beside the cliff?”
“Yeah.”
“I have a gate there.” Johan opened a swirling portal and they entered.
Johan passed through the gate, and his mind slowed to a crawl. Before them ambled an army of undead, tens of thousands strong. Many among them recognizable monsters, many mere raised corpses still wearing lesser tier garb of the commonfolk. A baffling amount, almost too much to comprehend, made worse by their disfigured faces making a nauseous mockery of life itself.
“Ashley made the undead. If a lot of them stay in one spot, more get created. Some types can control the others. They’ll charge the walls and kill the paladins, then we can kill the stronger ones left. Kamala says we need more but-”
“Are you insane?!” Sweat ran down Johan’s face with unsteady breath. Such atrocity before him laid bare, the very same which he had been struggling for so long to bury within his mind for the thought of it slowed his hand, shown to him now with stifling indifference.
“These are people! Innocent people! …Do you feel nothing?!” Johan spat out the words, conscious overriding his calculations, as members of the party started to head towards them. He looked straight at Shin, the boy’s calm demeanor remained but a beckoning depth held his eyes now. “How… How are you any different…?”
Johan stood overcome with guilt and shame but firm resolve of a new kind started to take form in his stare. “I’m not like you.” Shin watched patiently as Johan left back through the gate and the rest of Chariot arrive.
“Why’d you let him go?” Yen asked, her expression leaning serious.
“He has to understand.”
“I don’t think he’s going to, mate…” Donny commented.
“He will interfere.” Kamala stated bluntly.
“Did you tell him the plan?” Yen asked Shin.
“Yeah.”
“Fuck… We should probably change it up a little, right?”
“Time is not on our side. We’ll make adjustments on the way.”
On those words, Ashley signalled something and the horde moved. Slowly at first, but soon the higher tiers commanding them urged them faster and faster until the undead army was charging in the direction of the capital. Chariot followed behind at the side, ready for a battle soon to come. And of their thoughts, none were calmer nor more unbothered than Shin.
---
“The scourge cannot breach our defenses. We have the men and the supplies, our position is sound. There’s no cause to move.” One of the captains reported.
“Our cause is the capital. The longer we remain out here, the longer the holy ground is at risk.” Another rebuffed.
Odwin had not been able to choose all his commanding officers, and this man was among those assigned to him. Troublesome pests interfering with his noble ambitions but ones he had to tolerate. Not only did he require their strength but it would stain his reputation to have good paladins of the church assassinated merely for not siding with him from the start. He would have to take the longer, more tedious route of winning them over.
But in order to do that, he needed accomplishments, and he needed Gregor to die. The otherworlder heathens would return in mere days now, yet none of the blasted cowards had even made so much as an attempt on the capital since his absence. Something needed to change, he knew that.
“The capital will stand.” He spoke, bold voice from a hard face, the look soldiers would desire of one who leads them into battle. “Our duty is unchanged. We will purge those within these lands who threaten the church, without fail.”
Odwin glanced up at the messenger who just entered his command tent. “Speak.”
“Commander. The aristocracy remains under heavy assault by vampires… but the Sunlight Fellowship has just slain the last of the inquisitors battling them.”
“Their numbers?” Odwin asked, showing little surprise.
“...over 300,000. Commander. Most are common conscripts from the outskirts survivors, but the scouts report many are capable and half a company’s worth of notables.”
“Good work. Dismissed.” The messenger nodded and left at Odwin’s leave.
“We must face the rebel army now. Take them off guard, on favorable ground.”
“When we are just 30,000?” Another of the officers retorted.
“We are still the superior in quality. How long will those heretic conscripts last in pitch battle before they rout?”
“Perhaps long enough for the heathens to inflict us grievous harm!”
“Enough.” Odwin took the opportunity one of his supporters gave him in the flow of conversation. “Send more scouts, deeper in this time. Bring a clearer picture of their situation before we make our move.”
The officers gestured and left Odwin to his thoughts. The situation was far from ideal. Regardless of their chances of victory, he could not allow his army to meet the false king’s. To weaken himself while the Pope remains unharmed would be the most foolish path he could take. However, he could not stand idling by if the Fellowship marched on the capital. Dissent against him would foster, and should the heathens who doubtless pulled the strings of that blasphemous boy king fail, he could offer no excuse to the church. Odwin wracked his mind for strategy once again. Something had to change.
“Cardinal Odwin.” A voice entered his mind, somewhat familiar.
“What business does a traitorous heretic have with me…?” Odwin spat back at the detestable lowborn upstart.
“The Champion and his party leads an army of undead to the capital as we speak. If not the city, the Pope will at least fall.” Odwin remained silent at the information Johan volunteered. “The Sunlight Fellowship will find themselves beset by traitors from within. Their march on the capital will stall.”
“And why tell me this?”
“Because you will use it.”
The voice left Odwin to his thoughts yet again, and this time, he thought more narrowly. That filthy heretic sought to manipulate him, the damnable traitor not even bothering to hide as much. Still, it showed him an opening he could not let slip through his fingers. Odwin rose to a march and flung open the flap of his tent.
“Here me, valiant crusaders! Ready yourselves, for we march on Nostravania! To slay the vile King of the Night! His wretched creatures grow fewer and weaker than ever. Now is the time to rid the world of his scourge!” A boisterous roar arose from the soldiers. “For Sol!”
“For Sol!” The paladins, his paladins, chanted battlecries of devotion, and Odwin smiled. He would take out that wretched vampire king, and then he would return to eliminate whoever remained from the conflict in his absence. And as for that upstart traitor, he vowed to kill him with his own hands.
---
Luther strolled down an empty hallway, and Johan appeared before him with a face of resolve. “You seem rushed, Cardinal.” Luther smiled.
“I know the capital’s poisons comes from your hands.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
Johan narrowed his eyes. “The Champion’s party marches with an army of undead. Now would be the time to make your move.”
Luther’s smile deepened, a little more knowingly. “Are you handing me the papal throne?”
“...take it if you think you can.” Johan vanished back through his gate with only those words.
Alone again, Luther mused to himself. Regardless of what the young cardinal’s plans were, this was opportunity like no other. Even more so, was the Champion to play the leading role, something he simply could not pass up.
“Be ready.”
“Yes.” Vestra spoke from the depths of his shadow, as the cardinal continued his pleasant stroll.