We fought desperately, hacking and slashing our way through the horde. My gauntlet sword cleaved through decayed flesh while Maya’s short swords flashed in the dim light as she seamlessly switched to melee combat. The streets became a blur of combat as we were pushed deeper into the city. I realized with growing dread that the undead were driving us, steering us toward the center.
“We’re being herded!” I shouted, slashing through another zombie’s neck as it lunged at me. “They’re leading us somewhere!”
Maya laughed, her voice tinged with wild excitement. “Who cares? Just fight! This is amazing!” There was something in her tone, a fervor that seemed almost... gleeful. I risked a glance at her, catching the manic light in her eyes. She was reveling in this fight. The way she moved, the way she struck down the undead—she was enjoying this a little too much. A chill ran down my spine, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the battle.
Before I could respond, Maya reached into her pack and pulled out a small flask filled with an unknown liquid. Without hesitation, she hurled it high into the air above a dense cluster of the undead. As the flask reached its zenith, she drew her bow and fired an arrow with deadly precision. The arrow struck the flask mid-air, and it exploded in a brilliant flash, raining fire down on the zombies below.
The flames spread quickly, engulfing the undead in a blazing inferno. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as the zombies shrieked in agony. The ones that weren’t immediately consumed by the fire stumbled back, retreating from the intense heat. The path ahead of us suddenly cleared as the flames forced the undead to move away, opening a gap just as we reached the front of a looming, rundown mansion.
“What now?” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper as I scanned the perimeter. The sudden retreat of the undead didn’t feel like a victory. It felt like a trap.
My instincts proved right as the heavy doors of a rundown mansion creaked open. From within the darkness, a figure emerged, towering and cloaked in the remnants of what might have once been fine armor, now worn and stained with blood and grime. His skin was pallid, stretched tightly over his skeletal frame, and his eyes glowed with an eerie, unnatural light. He moved with a slow, deliberate grace, his every step exuding an aura of malevolence.
“Welcome to Ebonfall,” the figure intoned, his voice a deep, resonant echo that seemed to come from everywhere at once. “I am the Mayor, and it is my duty to grow our population and ensure that all our citizens are safe and happy.”
He paused, looking us up and down with a twisted smile that revealed rows of blackened teeth. “Ah, yes... fresh faces. How delightful! It’s been too long since I’ve had the pleasure of welcoming such... spirited individuals to our humble city.” He chuckled darkly, the sound sending a chill down my spine. “You’ll make excellent additions to our community.”
Maya and I exchanged a quick, wary glance. The Mayor’s words were as twisted as his appearance—he spoke of safety and happiness in a city overrun with the undead, and his enthusiasm for adding us to his ‘population’ was unnerving.
The Mayor stepped closer, his bony hand resting on the hilt of a rusted, ornate sword that hung at his side. “I must say, it’s rare to find guests who arrive with such vigor, such determination. It’s... refreshing.” He drew his sword, the blade glowing faintly with a sickly green light. “Consider this your official welcome to Ebonfall. I do hope you’ll enjoy your stay... indefinitely.”
“Now,” he said with a mock bow, his grin widening, “allow me to entertain you.”
Without warning, the Mayor lunged at us with surprising speed for someone of his decayed stature. I barely managed to parry his first strike, the force of the blow sending a numbing shock through my arm. His sword carried a malevolent energy, and he swung again before I could fully adjust, his sword nicking my forearm, a searing pain following the shallow cut. I glanced at my HUD and saw a red icon flash: Debuff Applied. My heart sank as I watched my status indicators change—my constitution and dexterity were dropping, and my health bar dipped slightly, the debuff pulling directly from my vitality.
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My tattoo's regenerative powers kicked in, the familiar warmth spreading through my body as it tried to heal the wound. But it wasn’t enough. The debuff wasn't just holding; it was stacking with each blow, overwhelming my regeneration. My vision blurred, the edges of the world twisting into dark smears, as if reality itself was unraveling. My limbs felt unnaturally heavy, as though I was wading through thick mud, each movement slow and labored. Time seemed to stretch and warp, turning each second into a nightmarish eternity. The world around me dulled, and every sound became muffled, distant, like I was hearing it from underwater.
The Mayor pressed the attack, landing a series of blows on both of us. None were deep, just shallow cuts and glancing hits, but each one brought another flash of red to my HUD. I could feel the debuff stacking with every strike, my health bar inching downward even though the injuries themselves were minor. My constitution drained faster with each movement, my muscles growing heavier as if burdened by an invisible weight. Every swing of my weapon was slower, less controlled, as the Mayor’s relentless assault chipped away at my defenses and sapped my strength.
Each clash with the Mayor sapped more of my vitality, the debuff growing stronger as if feeding off my attempts to fight back. My movements became sluggish, my limbs heavy as if they were made of lead. I was losing ground, and fast.
“Maya, be careful! He’s debuffing us!” I shouted, my voice tinged with desperation as I struggled to hold my ground against the Mayor’s relentless assault. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut—if this kept up, I wouldn’t last much longer.
Maya didn’t seem fazed. In fact, she looked almost invigorated by the challenge. She darted in and out, her blades flashing as she tried to find an opening. But the Mayor was no ordinary undead—he moved with a calculated precision, countering her every move with a grace that belied his appearance.
“Oh, what fun we’re having!” the Mayor crooned, his voice dripping with mockery. “I can feel it, you know... the doubt gnawing at you. All that strength, all that determination—yet here you are, faltering. Do you think you can save her? Do you think you’re strong enough to stop what’s coming? Or will you fail her, you’ve practically failed already?” He laughed, the sound a kind of twisted mirth. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you? But don’t worry... soon, you’ll be just like the rest of us—part of the city, part of the family.”
He cackled as he swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing us both to leap back. The ground trembled as he unleashed a wave of corrupt energy that sent jagged cracks spiderwebbing through the cobblestones at our feet.
I stumbled, barely managing to keep my balance as the ground shifted beneath me. Maya, however, laughed with glee as she rushed to attack.
The Mayor’s voice rang out once more, taunting us. “Yes, yes! That’s it! Fight! Struggle all you want, it only makes your eventual failure more delicious. Fight!
With a surge of determination, I focused on my telekinesis, trying to use it to unbalance the Mayor. I sent a pulse of energy toward him, aiming to push him off his feet. He stumbled, but only slightly, his glowing eyes narrowing in amusement.
“Oh, how delightful!” the Mayor hissed, clearly entertained by our resistance. “Such spirit! I’ll enjoy breaking it.”
But the brief distraction gave Maya the opening she needed. She lunged forward, her short sword aimed directly at the Mayor’s heart. He twisted away, but not fast enough—her blade bit deep into his side, black ichor spilling from the wound.
The Mayor roared in fury, his form shifting and warping as the dark energy within him surged. He looked down at the wound, and as we watched in horror, it began to knit itself back together, the black ichor seeping to the ground, leaving his flesh smooth and unmarked. His grin widened even further. “Oh, I do love it when they fight back. It makes the inevitable so much sweeter.”
He swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing us to leap back once more. The ground trembled violently as he unleashed another wave of corrupt energy, the cracks in the cobblestones widening as if the very city itself were reacting to his rage.
I gritted my teeth, feeling the Mayor’s attacks sapping more and more of my strength. My limbs felt heavy, my movements sluggish, but I couldn’t afford to falter. I had to find a way to turn the tide. Maya, however, seemed almost exhilarated by the chaos, her eyes gleaming with a wild light as she prepared to strike again.
The Mayor’s laughter echoed through the air, his voice filled with twisted delight. “Yes, fight! Fight with everything you have! You’ll soon be part of my city, and your strength will make it all the more powerful!”