“Declaring a name of a card can empower it even more than the standard overcharge, but the technique drains the card of its vital energy. An arcanist must remember when which tactic is needed for each situation.”
~Excerpt from the Handbook of the Iraten Arcanist Corps
“Of course.” His sister said.
Thank God. Devin tried not to let his shoulders sag as the relief flooded his body. He didn’t know what he would do if he still had to go at it alone.
When he was found, Bateman didn’t let him escape, blasting fireballs bigger than basketballs in every direction he tried to run in. Despite not wanting him to leave, Bateman was content with leisurely throwing fireballs while letting his lackey do most of the work.
The near-invulnerable man was hardly a threat since Devin’s rage-induced strength was more than enough to overpower his defense, but Bateman didn’t give him any chance to put an end to him. Fire lances threatened to cauterize his insides while bombs threw him every which way, not giving him a moment to spare.
Yet, that had all stopped the moment Bella got here. And not a moment too soon. Devin thought as Bateman screamed into the orange tinted night as he cauterized his bleeding wound with a ray of concentrated fire.
“Really,” He said between raspy breaths. “You’re having a woman protect you now? I knew you were less of a man than the shit stain on the bottom of my boot, but I should’ve known better. Only dogs need the help of other bitches.”
Devin didn’t take his eyes off the thugs, but even without looking, he knew his sister was bursting at the seams with anger. I would bet everything I have that her forehead is about to pop.
Bella’s voice turned sickly sweet. “I’ll gladly show you a real bitch.” His older sister disappeared, sinking a heavy foot into the pyromancer’s stomach, sending the both of them flying, taking their fight elsewhere amongst the flaming rubble.
Leaving Devin all alone with the man that started this whole mess.
“I don’t even know you” Devin admitted to the man in front of him, not wanting to fight for once in his life. He was tired—beyond exhausted. “Why did you do all this? Just for a couple of shards.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Lenny spat on the ground, glaring at Devin. “You killed Rob and Tanner. I need to do right by them, and put you in the ground.”
“You idiots trespassed here first!” Devin tried to explain, but the bald-headed lackey wasn’t having any of it.
“I’m not going to explain to a dead man the complexities of owing somebody.” He cracked his fist, his purple magic circle burning its line into the air around him. “Just shut up, and die.”
A green card flashed in his hand, and a current of aether swirled around him before blowing past Devin harmlessly.
“Hah,” Devin laughed, “I don’t know what you thought would happen, but don’t go begging for forgiveness now.”
Lenny smirked, as he channeled energy into his fist. “Keep thinking that while I punch your head off.”
You have been Taunted
Devin’s feet moved without his input; slowly at first, but with increasing vigor. Soon, he was running full force at the man who’s proven more than able to tank his rage empowered strength. The bald thug twisted his hips and cocked his magically-charged fist back, prepared to take his head clean off with his bare hands.
A dirty, red cap suddenly appeared on Devin’s head, followed by a flash of his red circle as he activated {Gap Slip}. Space warped to slip him through the gap between two bicycle spokes and drop him on the roof of a car.
His arcanium dropped by 10%, yet it was worth it. Devin narrowed his eyes at the bald arcanist.
He didn’t have that ability a few hours ago. A new card, or ability. Either way, I’m not the only person who can grow in a short amount of time. That was important to know, but it didn’t change much. Devin still had to fight for his life.
Seeing the sudden distance between him, the thug paused, just as uncertain as Devin. The calculations in the bald man’s eyes were clear, probably trying to guess the limits of his ability, and the exact wording.
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“I see I’m not the only one who got stronger. What the hell did you do? Sell your soul to the devil?” Lenny said, grasping the air, and pulling a battle ax taller than him out of nowhere. “Since you were so kind as to let me leave last time, I’ll show you the same kindness just once.” Lenny held up a finger. “Leave your cards, and beat it.”
“But not my shards?” Devin questioned from his perch on the hood of a car. “Must be planning to kill me, and take it off my dead body.”
Lenny smiled savagely. “Fine, be like that. It's more fun when they don’t give up until they realize they’re dead.”
Devin’s quip died on his lips as he noticed the pair of growls surrounding him from opposite directions. The spreading flames occasionally highlighted a tail, or a huge canine frame, but he could only catch hints of the monsters until one pounced right in front of him,
A rage-fueled punch sent the wolf flying, but another came at Devin from his blindspot, mangling his leg in a blur of limbs before Devin recovered enough to invoke {Gap Slip}. Space bended once more, the path passing through the gap of a slightly ajar door to drop Devin in the cab of a truck.
Warning!
Life and Arcanium below 50%
The lack of energy slammed into Devin, making his eyes sag with the effort it took to keep them open. Exhaustion threatened to sweep him away, but he held onto wakefulness for dear life. He pushed past the grogginess, and the shooting lances of pain that ran up his leg and ankle, then concentrated on the sinister laughter, and the beastly huffs he heard echo through the crackling junk-filled yard.
Something hummed deep inside him, lending him the ability to ignore his limits, and [focus] on the enemies coming to him.
Rage stole more of his arcanium, stamina, and even life, but gave more power in exchange. Wrath stoke the fires rage produced, creating a feedback loop that fed into each other, reaching an even higher high.
Devin’s eyes burned through the darkness, making Lenny flinch. “Attack!” He yelled, a hint of fear in his voice.
The wolves ran forwards, Lenny stomping after. A flame sparked in his hand, traveling up the handle of the ax onto the blade. [Focus] kept his mind cool as he let the man and beasts approach. He held back, right until they were within ten feet.
“Boar’s Charge!” Devin poured as much of his arcanium into the conjuration, projecting its name with arcanium for an even greater boost.
A huge, red, opaque boar appeared above Devin, this time with velocity. With the speed and weight of a freight train, the conjured boar crashed into the wolves and their summoner, not stopping until it reached the full extent of its blitz, throwing the man and wolves into a pile of trash.
Instead of dissipating afterwards like it normally did, the conjuration turned around, and rushed horned first at Devin’s enemies it had already squashed into the ground.
The bald-headed man showed his resistance card once more, getting up to tank the hit with his bare hands, allowing the two wolves to recover and move towards Devin once more, who kicked the door off their hinges to meet them.
Devin grabbed the door, using it to smack one wolf away then throwing it at the other who tried to pounce on him from his blindspot. The first one returned to tackle Devin with a snarl as the second one fell to the ground, yet a backhand to its snout sent it skittering back.
They backed off, regrouping to circle around Devin while his faithful boar had already scattered, allowing Lenny to join his summons to lock his movements down.
Unfortunately, Devin could sense that he wouldn't be able to use the card again anytime soon due to his overcharge. All he had was Dewey, Rage, and the equipment cards in his side deck.
He smiled. The thought reminded Devin of what he truly had. He put a hand into the air, reaching into the void of his deckspace to grab his other piece of equipment.
Sticky Tribe’s Bag O’ Tricks (Uncommon)
Atomic/Artifact
An ancestral heirloom
of the Sticky Goblin Tribe.
1st circle—ACU, CHA
Infused with Goblin Racial Magic
Conjure alchemic concoctions
{Laughing Juice}
{Itch Spit}
{Prick and Sleep}
{Explody Stick}
“Don’t go dying on me yet.” Lenny said as he and his wolves edged closer as they circled around him. “I’ll make sure to bury you where no one can find you, so only I can look down on you.”
“I’m not concerned about what a dead man has to say.” Devin bared his teeth. “You’re just somebody’s errand boy; some lunatic’s pet. Once a dog, always a dog.”
“I’m gonna tear those cards off your dead body.” The bald man yelled, forgoing caution to lunge at him while brandishing his seven foot battle ax.
Devin manifested the Bag O’ Tricks, feeling the instinctual knowledge wrapped around his mind while a dirty, burlap sack appeared in his hand. He dug to the bottom of the grimy bag, where a stick of already lit dynamite suddenly materalized.
“Go to hell!” Devin screamed back, throwing the dynamite at Lenny, who was dumb enough to cut the thing out of the air.
A sharp thud rocked the ground, but Devin couldn’t pay it any attention, too busy defending himself from two wolves. A small, sky blue magic circle manifested on Devin’s shoulder, conjuring a [mage hand] to parry one of the wolves' attempts to get close. Devin handled the other one, throwing it straight onto a sharp piece of metal where its physical form dispersed into countless sparkless.
With one occupied, taking down the other was way simpler. Dewey held the summon down with her skill, giving Devin the opportunity to stab the wolf over and over again with a sharp scrap piece. It disappeared in a shower of glitter, and it only took a second for Devin to slash the other into pieces before it too was dismissed.
No longer in immediate danger, Devin returned his eyes to his gasping and bleeding opponent, pushing down the urge to vomit. Somehow, the explosion didn’t blow apart the ax or its wielder; instead, the force of the detonation knocked him back, straight into the RV.
Despite not directly injuring Lenny, the explosion did accomplish something—it jammed his own weapon deep into his chest. The only reason he was still alive was probably because the stuck ax head kept a lot of blood inside his body instead of outside.
It’s actually a miracle he didn’t get sliced clean through with the weight and sharpness of the blade. I guess that’s superhuman durability for you. Superhuman or not, the man was a goner. It wouldn’t be long until he bled out completely at the rate he was losing blood.
Unable to finish him off now that the heat of the moment passed, Devin made sure Lenny had nothing that could harm him. He checked for traps, more summons, or anything else that could give the man a chance to get up, or even just finish Devin off before he died. No such thing appeared. The dying man reached out to him gurgling blood, unable to speak.
“I wouldn’t usually kill someone, or even let someone die, but I guess the apocalypse changed me like it did the rest of the world.” Devin said, thinking aloud. “I changed to survive, and I’d be damned if I let someone take everything I have away from me.”
So caught up in his own thoughts, Devin didn’t notice something fall into the thug's mouth, until he swallowed. Dewey slapped his neck, alerting him to the rapidly closing wounds on the thug’s body. Devin jumped back seeing the supposedly dying man rip the ax out of his chest along with a few portions of ribs.
The new injuries were ignored like the older ones, the wounds healing before his eyes. Lenny’s flesh writhed under his reddening skin. Hot air blew in his face like a furnace as a disgusting aura wafted over the area.
Devin gagged at the transformation, until he heard something rumble across from him. Chunks of metal and wood fell to the ground as Lenny tore out of the RV, standing at least a foot taller than before.
“You think you can look away from me?!” He yelled in a sinisterly deep timbre, stomping at Devin with his bloody battle ax held high.