Belgar and Zarali hugged each other endlessly. They cried, laughed, and had a good time in each other’s company. The souls in Tero’gal were happy to see more mortals in their realm, giving them a sense of energy they hadn’t felt since their mortal lives. Uz’Xulven and Khahar had departed after arguing over petty things, but that was to be expected. The Queen didn’t get what she wanted in his takeover and felt jilted.
“Do I have to go back?” Zarali asked, turning to give Theo those puppy-dog eyes.
“If you stay, you’ll be here for almost a year. We’re also not sure how well mortals do in Tero’gal.”
Sarisa raised her hand. “I don’t wanna stay.”
“Me either,” Tresk said, swaying on the spot.
“Uz’Xulven is warming up to Theo,” Belgar said, hugging his sister again. “She might let you visit more often.”
“Heh. I’ll be able to overpower her soon enough.” Tresk rubbed her hands together.
Theo didn’t care either way. Zarali could stay, or she could go, but his time in the realm was limited. At least he understood what that shooting pain in his head was. He couldn’t help but consider letting Uharis and Sulvan into his realm. They had wronged him, but if they took Glantheir’s cores, the world would be a better place. The Elven God of Healing was the only patron who had cores effective against the undead. If you didn’t count the tangential effect Drogramath’s cores had on them.
The group lingered in the realm for some time. They had twenty-four hours to kill, so Theo took Sarisa on a tour of the realm. She was struck by how massive it was. The hills and valleys stretched on forever, and he brought her to the sea he had created. Swimming in the shallow places near the sandy shore were little fish that darted around. The latest upgrade, [Simulated Reality], had introduced animals to the realm.
“This is an entire world, isn’t it?” Sarisa asked, marveling at the fish.
“Almost. It’s not as large as a real planet, but we’re getting there. One soul at a time.”
“You pluck souls from the void, then give them a home? Reminds me of something.”
Theo nodded. This was the same thing he was doing with Broken Tusk. In his town, he harbored those that didn’t have another place to go. Refugees from the elven wars, mostly. Here in Tero’gal, the spread of races was vast. They were mostly dronon, but not exclusively. Sarisa had a lot of questions about the realm. It was one thing to hear about it, but to experience it was altogether different. The passage of time was something that caught people off guard. Even Fenian had trouble keeping a handle on the way time moved in here.
As time went on, both Zarali and Sarisa seemed less eager to stay in the realm. It wore on them strangely, completely dissimilar to the way it wore down spirits. They weren’t just uninvited, they didn’t belong. Tresk had recovered enough to stand, and had gained enough of her energy to face the monster wave that waited for them. Theo grabbed both women as he prepared to depart, not willing to put the strain on his companion.
“Uz’Xulven should be more eager to send us through this time,” Theo said, holding on tight. “She showed me her face, after all.”
The realms parted, allowing the group easy passage back to the mortal plane. Theo targeted the place where he had departed on the wall, spotting the scenes of battle from a distance. Only a few minutes had passed since they left. Xol’sa was tapping his foot impatiently as they appeared.
“What was that about?”
“Realm was under attack.” Theo leaned over the wall, checking the battle. It hadn’t moved much. “Uharis was trying to break in, so we slapped him on the wrist. I thought I would need Zarali and Sarisa, but I didn’t.”
“So you interdicted them? Seems risky.”
That was true, but Theo wasn’t thinking when he did it. He had just snatched the two closest people that could have made a difference in a fight. While he was confident in his throwing abilities, he could only do so much. But what he learned was that he could drag along mortals into his realm, so long as he stayed on Uz’Xulven’s good side. She seemed to like him. Perhaps she would make for a keen poker player in the future. That shadowy face could come in handy when bluffing.
Zarali was excited to be reunited with Xol’sa. They hugged and kissed before the Drogramathi Priestess went over the story of her adventure. There was a look of jealousy on the wizard’s face. But the more excited Zarali got, the less he seemed to mind that she had gone without him. The adventurers fought below as the pair warmed up to each other again.
Alex circled overhead, feeding information to Tresk who then fed it to Aarok. The monsters were well contained near the river at first, but they were getting the upper hand. Each monster outleveled the adventurers by at least ten, and they were gaining momentum. The front-liner shield bangers were performing a fighting retreat, coming under the protective gaze of the towers. The rail gun hadn’t fired yet, reserving its deadly ice-based rounds for the boss.
“They sure looked practiced,” Theo said, chuckling as he looked down on the fighters. The back-liners covered them as they retreated while the towers did the heavy lifting.
“At this rate, we’ll see the boss,” Sarisa said.
Theo’s assistant remained close, although there seemed to be little danger. But she took her job seriously, and remained on her guard. The only problem was that her visit to Tero’gal had placed a haze over her eyes. It was as though she was back in that realm, frolicking in those fields and playing in that water. The alchemist just smiled, remembering his initial shock when he visited the Dreamwalk for the first time.
“There she is,” Sarisa said, gesturing toward the river.
Theo had fallen into his own thoughts and hadn’t noticed the swirling waters of the river. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for the boss to spawn. Sure enough, the moment the boss’s head poked out of the water, he got a notification.
[Boss Monster] spotted! River Lady Zara has been sighted. This monster is stronger than regular monsters, use caution.
The boss removed itself from the river, sloughing over the edge and sending waves of herself crashing forth. Theo rubbed his hands together, salivating at the chance to get more [Living River Water]. He had made sure his people were stocked with ice-based attacks this time. Between the towers, bombs, and the rail gun, there was enough ice to freeze the entire boss solid. The alchemist flinched as the sound of the rail gun firing sounded throughout the town. Most everyone else gathered there also felt the shock of the round.
Before River Lady Zara had even removed herself from the river, a sizable chunk of water had been removed from her head. The area surrounding the hole had frozen over and was spreading quickly. As with most things involving monster waves, things went slightly sour. The monsters rushed forward, assaulting both the eastern gate, and the harbor gate. Several creatures pushed through and the defenders within the town swooped in to support the retreating adventurers.
Theo withdrew a bone throwing knife from his inventory, and tossed it into the wild mass of monsters below. It impacted one in the chest, sending it falling on its back. Then the field of [Dragon’s Dance] erupted, shredding the nearby monsters into a fine mist.
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“Oh, that’s effective.”
But between the towers and the adventures with ranged weapons on the walls, Theo’s warded throwing daggers weren’t making the impact he had hoped for. The boss monster waded through the field of monsters, caring little for its own kind. Creatures were washed aside with the tide of living river water, casting them away from the area in a great torrent. Zan’kir barked orders to his companies, focusing on the boss. Several of the gross fish-people scaled the walls, using the piles of fallen monsters as ladders.
“Watch it,” Sarisa said, sweeping her massive spear through the air. The few unfortunate monsters that got in the way were sent tumbling back to their deaths. The air filled with the scent of stagnant water and stinking monsters. The half-ogre bashed her shield forward, sending more monsters over the edge.
Theo’s wards sprung up as the water elemental struck out at the wall. A shimmering, prismatic barrier caught her attack. The water that remained fell over it, falling to the ground and sweeping some monsters away. The barrier cracked in places, but remained mostly stable. Each shot from the [Frost Cone Towers] staggered the boss’s attacks, slowing the creature more by the moment. Adventurers tossed bombs, freezing it further.
This was the most chaotic boss encounter the alchemist had witnessed in Broken Tusk. Well, aside from the troll that broke through the wall. That was bad. But with all the weapons they had accumulated, and all the levels each adventurer had gained, he thought this was going to be a simple fight. When his barrier cracked overhead, he realized how wrong he was. Sarisa held her shield high, and Theo tucked underneath it. Even her strength couldn’t hold back the river. It sent both of them tumbling off the wall, and onto the ground below.
Fresh air refused to draw into Theo’s lungs. Desperate to suck in a lungful, he rolled on the ground, clutching fresh wounds on his head. He chugged a [Greater Healing Potion] and turned his attention skyward. The half-frozen water elemental loomed, striking out at anyone who was near. From his prone position the alchemist tossed a bone dagger, watching it arc before impacting the ground near him.
More freezing bombs flew through the air, freezing outreaching appendages. Magically infused arrows impacted the boss, sending large chunks of ice slamming into the ground. Theo rolled to one side, still taking enough blunt impacts to inflict damage. Powerful hands scooped him up, dragging him away from the fray. The space between the eastern gate and Miana’s farm had become a wild battle with no defined front. Aarok barked orders somewhere in the distance, corralling the willful adventurers to do his bidding.
There was some kind of strategy at use here. Theo finally found his feet, turning to spot Zan’kir smiling at him. The Khahari didn’t remain there long. He darted off, joining with the adventurers to batter the fish-people back.
“I underestimated the quantity,” Xol’sa said, jogging up to stand near Theo.
The alchemist held his hand out and channeled a spell. An uncomfortable sensation spread through his body. The unfamiliar act of creating a ward in real-time, rather than imbuing an item with the effect, felt like using his non-dominant hand for a task. Eventually, a defensive ward sprung up around him and Xol’sa, glittering with the prismatic light of Toru’aun.
“That’s why we have Aarok,” Theo said, gritting his teeth. A chunk of ice fell, impacting the barrier and falling away as smaller shards. “Maybe we should get more walls.”
Aarok slipped through the barrier, clapping a hand on Theo’s shoulder. “This is a lovely forward command post. You! Tighten up that formation! Don’t let them go north!”
“I could do without the shouting.”
“You’ll live. Saw you take a tumble. Everything turning right in that head of yours?”
“Fine. Just fine.” Theo focused on his ward, feeling mana trickle from his chest as he maintained the form of the spell.
“Theo acting as a real defensive mage.” Xol’sa tutted, swiping his hand through the air. A complex array formed, causing his spell to fulminate in moments. Twenty monsters were sent spiraling off into the void. “Careful. Aarok might reassign you for the next fight.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking about it.” Aarok grunted, swiping through the air as he interacted with his military interface. Theo pulled that screen up, nodding with approval. The commander was drawing lines on the map, directing the adventurers into various positions. “For now, he’s my mobile command post. Can you move this thing?”
Theo nodded. He could move it, although it would be laborious. The water elemental was staggering back, losing more of her form by the moment. Pushing forward, and dragging the barrier along with him, the alchemist spotted the damage to the wall. It was far worse than the time the troll broke through. A large section of the wall had been destroyed, taking Throk’s rail gun with it.
“We’ll be ready for the bonus wave. No way this elemental lasts much longer.”
“Zarali is ready. I’m almost certain we’re getting a new wave modifier.”
“I could use the rewards,” Aarok muttered.
Theo could only maintain his barrier. The words of Toru’aun’s poems repeated in his mind, barely holding on to the shape of the shield. They passed by large chunks of [Living River Water]. It was enough to stock his lab for a long time, providing him with the valuable [Tunneling Potion]. But for now, he walked. Aarok shouted. And Xol’sa tossed spells around. The alchemist was happy he wasn’t in charge of the fight. It was a chaos only Aarok could manage.
The fight went on for longer than it should have. Everyone held their breath collectively as the elemental fell, waiting for the system message to appear.
[Boss Monster] defeated! River Lady Raza has been slain. Bonus Wave!
[Bonus Wave!] Broken Tusk defeated the monster wave in 3 hours! Bonus wave: [Death From Above].
[Death From Above]
Monster Wave
Duration: 30 minutes
A strange creature has spawned high in the sky. This creature will continue to descend, destroying everything if it touches the ground. Inflict enough damage on the creature to avoid being crushed!
Effects:
1 Boro’tal has spawned high in the sky. It will descend at a constant rate until it hits the ground.
Increased reward for completing the monster wave.
“That’s a new one!” Aarok shouted. All eyes in the town turned skyward.
A mountain had appeared in the sky. It blocked out the sun, casting a massive shadow over Broken Tusk. If it wasn’t bad enough that a mountain was falling on the town, the monsters from the wave still lingered around, fighting in the streets of Broken Tusk. Theo saw Zan’kir run, shouting orders to his gunnery teams. Within only a few moments, explosions issued from the mountain above. Large sections of rock fell, impacting the ground. Theo winced from the blast wave of his improvised explosive bombs, barely holding on to his barrier.
“Zarali! Don’t cast it!” Aarok shouted.
But Zarali was already chanting a spell. She couldn’t hear Aarok over the sound of a falling mountain. The [Blessing of Drogramath] spell fulminated, filling every defender with increased power. Theo’s heart skipped a beat as he referenced his memory of the effect.
[Blessing of Drogramath]
Spiritual Effect
Duration: 24 hours
A priest or priestess of Drogramath has blessed you with power. You will receive a series of buffs based on the caster’s willpower.
Effect:
Increased effectiveness of combat (increased Strength, Dexterity, Vigor by +10).
Double the effectiveness of all potions used while under this effect.
“Oh, crap,” Theo muttered. “If Zan’kir shoots another potion, he’ll…”
The Boro’tal overhead shattered. Massive sections of stone fell off, careening down toward the town. Theo spread his will as far as it would go, extending his barrier to a breaking point. He watched as a town-sized chunk of mountain hurtled toward him. In an instant, the mountain vanished. A system message appeared.
[Monster Wave] complete!
1,080 Monsters Destroyed!
30 gold bonus (paid to the Leader of Broken Tusk).
Bonus for defeat both wave bosses:
Obtained: [Tulwar of the Stalker].
Obtained: 5 gold, 1 silver, 82 copper.
[Broken Tusk] gained new effect: [Defensive Effects].
Theo’s ears rang from the effect of the enhanced bomb annihilated the creature. He was glad that the thing vanished when the wave completed. Even if they won, that would have been a disaster for the town. Looking around, the damage didn’t seem that bad. Some buildings took hits, but the walls earned the bulk of the attack.
“Why did it give me a sword?” Theo asked, holding up the massive weapon the system granted him.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned.” Aarok laughed it off, but there was an edge of nervousness in his voice. “I was expecting a normal boss.”
“And Zan’kir just had to take it into his own hands.”
“Could have ended much worse.”
All Theo could do was shrug. The adventurers had done well to use as many freezing bombs as they could. Piles of frozen [Living River Water] were strewn throughout the town. This was going to be a hell of a cleanup effort.