Most of the population I’m here to free are Kylaren, an ancient semi-humanoid species generally a bit taller than humans and known for their ability to extract arcane resources. They have long, spindly frames composed of a pale exoskeleton with glowing, bioluminescent veins running through them. Built naturally much more for magical and Crafting endeavors than combat, their natural leanings are then manifested in the kinds of Classes they generally have and their society leans toward Crafting, trade, and economic activities.
The Kylaren have a rare adaptation; their large eyes shimmer and allow them to inherently detect Mana currents and mineral Mana signatures deep within rock and solid formations, giving them huge advantages in that kind of work. Their hands are long and dextrous and their fingers end in fine, extremely sharp and durable claws that are capable of carving delicate runes directly into most materials. From what Kretchna has told me, the Kylaren view rare resource extraction as both a science and an art that allows them to mine very quickly with minimum disturbance to the environment.
Orvorax is apparently not the only place where you can find Kylaren, the species is spread throughout the Universe on more than a hundred worlds. Unfortunately, due to their nature the kind of oppression that the Qillathe Syndicate has brought to Orvorax isn’t unique. In most cases economic and military ties manage to keep the Kylaren out of the worst of trouble through sanctions and counter-offensives, but in this case the takeover was fast and organised meaning it’s very entrenched and the Syndicate has made their play; they’re not budging.
Hurting the Kylaren’s case is that the elements and magical substances found on Orvorax are of medium value and rarity, meaning the cost of trying to take back production is a tough calculation. As a moon it’s apparently not even a huge prize. I don’t know what the deal behind all this is, but I assume getting Orvorax on the docket for the KCT costs less than lunar counter-invasion where there are no winners in the aftermath.
I spend a few hours with Kretchna and Zarithrax gathering my own information. We leverage their knowledge of the situation to look through my Portals at what’s going on within the headquarters and a number of extraction and processing facilities. We find and examine locations where hostages are being held under harsh conditions and I have to restrain myself from manifesting a Portal and jumping through to free them immediately. We see Kylarens being beaten, working because their families are being held hostage, and worse. We watch some resist, but those are put down mercilessly and tortured to create horrible examples for others to learn from. The only thing that holds me back is the knowledge that once I’ve learned enough I will unleash everything I have on this situation.
After their initial shock of what I can do while I leave the first part of Omnipresent triggered, they get fully on board with the idea we can get a full assessment of the situation and even begin bringing in a few key Kylarens who have managed to avoid capture and are part of what could be termed an underground resistance, if only they were more combat ready as a species. The odd one does have a combat Class and some decent equipment, but it takes no time at all to conclude they’re not turning this situation around by themselves.
We view a short battle between some Kylarens and the Chimorak at a more remote processing facility which ends in a massacre; the Chimorak firepower and skill is vastly greater.
Why wasn’t this world better protected? Why did the Chimorak decide on a gamble like this and win? I spend only a few short moments considering since it’s not changing and I need to focus on the task at hand. Winning this Trial is still my motivator, but it’s not just about the Trial anymore, this is something that needs fixing. I feel tempted to check on things on Earth just thinking about it. Hopefully what I’m doing here and the potential to win the KCT will make more of an impact than I could back there. A force multiplier.
Enough planning. Someone else might already be winning.
“It’s time,” I say to Zarithrax and Kretchna with certainty, and I move my Portal to the key room in the Chimorak headquarters, where we’ve decided it will begin.
The room is a hexagonal functional space with curved walls that flow seamlessly into the ceiling and floor, lacking any sharp edges. It looks like it’s been built for the Kylarens, not the Chimorak who are hybrid creatures with modular biology, allowing them to adapt to multiple environments. I can’t get a clear picture without pulling Statuses of what kind of a Class each of them have. They’re fearsome predators as well as ingenious inventors of organic technology. Infinitely diverse, mostly with multiple body parts whether it’s legs, arms, torsos, or heads. It’s bathed with a dim, phosphorescent light coming from wall panels that reminds me of the veins in a Kylaren exoskeleton.
Pod-like, semi-translucent alcoves line the walls with faintly glowing energy fields. At the center of the room is a low, circular table made of a crystalline material. Its surface looks alive with shifting patterns that provide a view of the resource harvesting operations. Suspended from the ceiler are organic-looking vines and cables that pulse with energy.
I scan the room looking for the boss and soon find her.
Threxil Dravith, Conqueror, Administrator (Level 18 Resource Harvester) (L)
[Chimorak] [Qillathe Syndicate Resource Acquisition Force] [Orvorax]
Next to Threxil is her Bodyguard. Half a dozen Mythic Class thugs are also hanging around; they don’t look busy. In contrast, twice that many Chimorak are frantically darting around and performing tasks on different panels within the room and moving their limbs around in ways that make me suspect they are manipulating notification screens. I eye the Bodyguard with interest, he might be the biggest problem.
Iyhila Tyrvok, Force Multiplier, Protector, Guardian, Shield of Haviir, Delver, Defender of the Nilhoor Gate (Level 21 Elite Mercenary Bodyguard) (L)
[Chimorak] [Qillathe Syndicate Resource Acquisition Force]
Health: 8390/8390
Mana: 3220/3220
Conditions: Environmental Adaptation, Iron Oath, Wardenshield, Lifebond, Aegis Surge
A glance at Zarithrax and Kretchna reminding them to stay back and then I manifest the Portal to the room. Strong resistance, very strong resistance, tries to keep my Omnipresent Skill from forming the Portal. I shove with my will and break through the barrier with ease causing my Portal to snap into being.
Spatial Lock penetrated.
I enjoy the thought they believed they were safe and protected as I step through the Portal into the room. All of the Chimorak freeze as I unleash my newly raised Charisma to send waves of threat and intimidation washing over them, without even having triggered a Skill. Only the two Legendaries push it aside. Threxil the Resource Harvester looks around quickly as if wondering what happened to the Spatial Lock and the Bodyguard reacts instantly by triggering multiple defensive Skills at Threxil.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Stop!” I command, not really expecting it to make any difference. Iyhila Charges me while he pulls a massive tower shield from his Inventory and more Skills and spells trigger from both of them. I lay down a quick Psychic Eruption across the room and everyone else crumples to the ground. Threxil is stunned, but the Bodyguard shrugs it off and it’s clear that if I want this Skill to be effective against Legendary Classes I’m going to have to drop more points into it.
Before the Bodyguard can crash into me I’ve called my Swords to my hands and triggered Wraithstrike, passing through him and then I materialize in the middle of a double, spinning backhand chop across his body. My newly enhanced Swords and Strength overwhelm his defensive armor, Skills, and Attributes instantly and carve him into three pieces. I Loot the body casually and turn my attention to Threxil, who is still recovering and watching me warily.
“You’ve made a big mistake,” she snarls at me. Surrounded by her dead bodyguards and assistants, I’m not sure it lands with a lot of force.
“I am Bronwic Cadimus. Release all the Kylarens including the hostages and vacate this moon immediately. Take nothing with you,” I growl out, no room for negotiation in my voice. “If you don’t, I’ll remove you from this moon like I removed Oblivion Shroud from my planet.”
She isn’t phased by my threat and I catch the second she must try to access information about me through my Status or call on a notification. Perhaps send a message.
“If you kill me, the hostages will die and my commander will destroy you and whatever pitiful group you’re working with,” she declares. Her odd frame shifts position to face me squarely, showing her confidence. It’s clear she still thinks that she has all the cards despite what’s just happened. “More guards are just about to arrive. Surrender or I will start executing hostages immediately.”
“Your commander will take revenge if I kill you?” I ask, my anger starting to build, not just about this situation. I trigger Omnipresent and push with my will to trace the connection from Threxil to her commander and manifest a Portal, then step through. Hundreds of bullets and lasers strike my Elemental Aegis with green flares and collapse it, tearing at me. I ignore them all and grab the Qillathe commander then surge back through the Portal, closing it behind me.
“Gah!” he grunts as I hold his odd body up, multiple arms and legs straining and striking with me. Spells, Skills, and blades hammer into me as I stare straight into Threxil’s many eyes without flinching, my Resistances and regeneration taking everything he can give and more.
“No!” shouts Threxil as I call a Sword to my hand and whip it back and forth through her commander’s body like a hot knife through butter. I kick his remains aside as she drops a powerful portable shield generator and then another, trying to protect herself.
“Leave or the hostages will all die! I will give the order now!” she shouts.
I surge forward with Wraithstrike straight through her shields and trigger Omnipresent at the same time, then open a Portal so she can see through it. On the other side are her closest family members.
“Ah!” she cries. “They will die in glory!”
I can see in her body position she’s going to do it no matter what the cost. She’s going to order as many Kylarens to be killed as she can unless I surrender. I refuse to let this happen. Refuse to let them continue. Refuse to let them kill the hostages.
I release the Portal and dive deep into Omnipresent, pushing with my Affinity and the new strength it has. I reach out all over the moon and force my Skill to show me everyone. All the Chimorak who are holding hostages. My Skill bucks and twists at being forced in this way but my new integrated Skill can do it, I can feel it. I find hundreds of Chimorak, thousands, in a moment. I can feel the strain trying to rip me apart but it’s blunted by my new capability and it’s no match for my Constitution and regeneration rates.
I grit my teeth, far away from the room I’m standing in, as physical punishment starts to hit me while more guards arrive to help Threxil. Instead I open Edges. So many Edges, everywhere I can find Chimorak holding hostages. I don’t try to trigger a Portal, it’s too much. Just a small Edge from here to there, hundreds of them. A connection I can use.
In the distance I set my feet and hold myself rooted in place with my Strength as my body is battered. With anger and urgency I trigger Fury of the Clan through my Edges, forcing them to accept the Skill through the small conduit across space with my Affinity. I trigger 20 Furies and decimate hundreds of Chimorak in the biggest locations I’m connected to. My Stamina drops like a stone as my Health see-saws and I trigger Elemental Aegis again to help me focus. Each second I trigger four more Fury of the Clans through new Edges as my Stamina recovers. After another three seconds a piercing shout hits me.
“Stop!” Threxil shouts, trying to shake me with her many limbs even though I’m an immovable object. Her odd face is right in mine and the guards are no longer trying to hurt me.
“What are you?” she shouts and pauses for half a second, stunned with what I’ve done.
I don’t stop and as another second ticks over I kill dozens more Chimorak.
“We will leave! We will leave!” she shouts at me.
I pause for a moment and turn my attention to her. She has an odd, alien, organic smell. The strain of holding open all the Edges is unbearable without my full concentration so I drop them for now and my Stamina starts to build back up. Notifications flash in the corner of my vision.
“You have five hundred UTUs to start your evacuation of this world and ten thousand to be completely off this moon. Leave everything. Anyone from the Qillathe Syndicate left on Orvorax in ten thousand UTUs will die.”
“We need more time!” she protests.
“This was the road you chose. There will be no negotiation,” I declare with no doubt whatsoever in my voice.
“Let me send out word now,” she asks.
“Time is ticking,” I reply flatly.
The guards file out but Threxil remains, manipulating notification screens and ordering Qillathe Syndicate members to retreat. I wonder how much of it is for me, for show. Surely they have secure communication channels and I can’t see her notification screens.
A couple minutes later my Foresight Skill activates and I see Chimorak warriors from the Qillathe Syndicate appear at Carter’s house and try to capture my family. I watch as the scene blurs by and Logan defeats them all, but in the battle Millie and Benjamin are both killed, their bodies laying broken and bloody. I yell in anger and frustration and trigger Omnipresent again and step through to Carter’s house.
“Basement!” I yell, and not even Logan questions me. They all race down the stairs and a few seconds later a Portal opens. Before any of the Qillathe Syndicate goons can come through I use my Affinity to alter the Portal’s composition and step through myself to their side into some kind of military base. The Chimorak I saw with Foresight are all racing toward this Portal to capture my family and Foresight flashes again showing Uncle Ant under attack.
I rip through everything around me with my Swords and Fury of the Clan. Hundreds of specialist troops fall in the first few seconds, then they rally and start hitting me with everything they have. I drop more Fury of the Clans and now that they’re attacking me, Guilty as Charged. Less than a minute later the entire military base is silent and bodies lay everywhere.
I’m mad as fuck and trigger Omnipresent to take myself back to Threxil. I emerge on a ship and when she sees me she scrambles away.
“We will rape your world!” she screams and I decide there are no more chances. I slice her apart with my Swords and reach out with Fury of the Clan all around, imploding every Qillathe Syndicate member I can find. With my new Skills I stand in the ship surrounded by blood and open more Edges every few seconds, closing Edges where I leave behind dozens or hundreds dead. I’m sure some of them are innocent or just doing their job. I don’t give a shit.
Twenty minutes later there’s not a single Qillathe Syndicate member on Orvorax, and I’m not done yet. I feel myself shaking and I close my eyes then spend a few minutes trying to center myself. I know what my next step is going to be if the Qillathe Syndicate is now a threat to Earth, and I’ve got until the next round of the KCT to change their minds.