Chapter 40 – Interception
In the hills outside Vil’ Krad, a battle raged. Or, rather, it had. The entire battle had boiled down to a single fight. The swarm of insectoid beasts had been completely obliterated, routed to the last by the combined might of the warriors of the city. So it was that a dozen pilots and almost 200 classers watched Matt and the guardian duke it out, from a safe distance of course.
The opening salvo had been impressive, showcasing both the resilience of the guardian and the abilities of Matt and his construct. Rohm stood beside Jess, both still strapped in but with their hatches open. “What do you think will happen?” Rohm asked, his voice nervous.
“Matt will win.” Jess replied, not a moment of hesitation or a hint of doubt.
“You are so certain.” Rohm observed. “What makes you so confident?”
Jess thought back to the ambush in the woods. The way he had dictated the entire engagement, his power and the brutality of how he fought on full display. Even now she could feel his emotions, her trait letting her glimpse at that layer of his mind. She could feel the building inertia, his wrath was a constant since the fight started but there was more. There was something she couldn’t quite identify just below the surface.
“The only reason the guardian is still alive is because his grace allows it.” Venri chimed in suddenly.
“Gah!” Rohm shouted, flinching away from the dwarf woman. “Venri, that’s um… that’s quite the assessment you have.” He said after calming down.
Jess looked over and took a good look at the dwarf. She had broken through the threshold, only needing to go through the formality of the evolution. Then she took a deeper look with her trait ability and picked up an unexpected emotion. There was a heady mix of religious fervor that could only be described a zeal. A series of bangs and thumps brought Jess’ attention back to the fight before she could dig any deeper.
*****
Matt was having an interesting experience. He was fighting a guardian, but it was a very bad match up. He had already managed to penetrate the armor in a few locations but was holding off on doing anything about it. He was also barely containing the urge to turn the damn thing into a crunchy pulp.
He was now using this giant insect as a test bed for his trait and one of his skills. Shaped Mana and his Sovereign Aura Domain had a synergy that he knew about but so far hadn’t had much to test against. The Amalgamated Insectoid Guardian was just tanky enough and also more than deserving of the torture.
Once again, he fired a trio of standard APE rounds into the face of the guardian, causing it to charge and try to gore him. It had grown wise to his antics of teleporting and leaving it with a blast of plasma to the face. It had begun to pivot quickly, guessing at the direction he would appear and hit him with a sonic attack. It hadn’t been very successful thus far but that didn’t mean it couldn’t get lucky.
This time when it charged, Matt stepped back and envisioned a barrier between him and the beast. Suddenly, after a hit to his mana pool, before him appeared a 12-meter-tall octagon of mana and naturally it carried his plasma affinity. The guardian that was rushing him, couldn’t break its charge and slammed into the barrier.
Matt half expected it would fail, given the guardian had a couple meters of height on the barrier and a lot of mass. He was pleasantly surprised when it held, stopping the beast dead in its tracks. The monster screamed in pain as it pancaked into the wall of plasma. It suffered charring all over its carapace where it contacted the barrier.
The energy drain was impressive, taking far more to sustain after catching the charge and stopping it. However, it gave Matt another idea and he let the construct fade, backing away as the guardian regained its footing. He decided to fire a long burst into its flank, cracking open the carapace even more.
Another scream and sonic blast buffeted Matt as the guardian turned to face him again. Matt teleported away again, straight backward opening the gap to over 200 meters. He fired again, single shots aimed at the joints and wounds he already inflicted. This time, he began to advance on the beast and they both charged each other. He had his shape in mind and hoped it would be enough.
The guardian saw the charge and raced to meet Matt, likely hoping to crush him in melee. It would have no such oppertunity. Once they were within 50 meters of each other, Matt summoned a mana construct. The shape was simple, a very long isosceles triangle with a diamond shaped cross section extending from the ground, angled slightly upward. The guardian stood no chance of stopping its momentum and tried to jump but failed miserably when Matt sent a wave of plasma toward it, blinding the monster and ruining its timing.
A faltering step was all it took, and the guardian impaled its chest upon the spike. The wedge shape acting as…well… a wedge. The bottom of the guardian was split wide open, down to the mid-point where it collapsed, driving the point through the middle of its back. Matt appeared right beside it and summoned his tomahawk, imbuing the blade and driving it deep between the creature’s eye clusters. He buried the weapon up to its pommel, meeting little resistance after breaking through the shell.
The guardian screeched again but feebly. Its body began twitching and started to curl in on itself. Matt withdrew his tomahawk, deactivating the imbuement of mana and whipping the blade down and away, sending a spray of gore in an arc along the dirt. He backed a few steps away, just watching the life leave the guardian until…
You have Killed Amalgamated Insectoid Guardian. Level 40.
Class: Pilot – Gunfighter is now level 36.
Stat points awarded.
“Is that all…” Matt said.
*****
“A good thing we didn’t put any money on that.” Rohm said to Jess. They had watched the entire fight and barely learned what Matt was capable of.
“You would have bet against him?” Jess asked.
Rohm barked a single laugh. “Ha, hardly. But I would have bet on him taking at least some physical damage.”
Jess thought back and couldn’t recall if Matt had been at all injured by the mutants but doubted it. If the commandos had barely taken any wounds, he most certainly wouldn’t have. She looked out to where Matt was standing, still encased in his ‘mech’. She could see the eyes beginning to dim, their blue glow hadn’t been nearly as bright as the night of the ambush. She was too far away to truly sense his emotions but had a feeling he was less than pleased.
Remembering there was a third member of their watch party, Jess turned to look for Venri but saw that she had disappeared. She wasn’t sure when, but the dwarf had vanished. She probably just went back to camp to evolve Jess thought as she began to round up the commandos and do a final sweep of the area. She didn’t expect to find much after she saw Echo stalking his way back toward them, covered in yuck as usual.
*****
Now is the perfect time. Venri thought after Matt finished off the guardian. He would soon quit the field and make his way back to the camp. If she could intercept him, she would be able to perform the rights of the devout. She had all the materials on her after making some trades the night before. She just had to predict where he… would… go?
Venri looked around, not recognizing the area suddenly. She knew that she hadn’t traveled far enough for these pine trees to have come from nowhere. She turned to look behind her and saw a wall of conifers so dense that there was no way she made it through. When she turned back around, she nearly screamed.
Standing before Venri was a steel door imbedded in a concrete wall. As she stared at it, dumbstruck at its appearance, it opened, and a human man stepped out. He had long black hair neatly pulled back and held in a ponytail. His garments were a blue lab coat over a fine white shirt. He wore a soft smile as he looked at her. “Please come in child, we have much to discuss, and time is short.”
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Venri immediately felt compelled to follow him into the doorway, not an ounce of hesitation in her action. Her own will power was sapped, and she felt like a passenger in her own body. After entering, she found herself in a sort of laboratory. No, that wasn’t right. There was far too much discordance, some equipment looked archaic while others looked… well, she didn’t know what it looked like since she had never seen it’s like before.
The man led Venri to a small table with some tall chairs and bade her to sit. Once her butt touched the seat, the sensation that had plagued her mind vanished and she could once again think and act on her own. “I am very sorry about the suppression but not much to do about that when there is so much difference in our grade.” He said, summoning a silver tea service onto the table.
“Gr…Grade? Suppression?” Venri managed to squeak out.
“Ah yes, allow me to introduce myself. I am Herman, otherwise known as the Wasteless Concoctor.” The man said, as he poured tea for both of them. “You and I must have a discussion about your future and a certain demi-human known as Matt.”
Venri was thinking much more clearly now and was able to get out more than a single word at a time. “I plan to devote myse…”
Herman interrupted her immediately. “You will do no such thing, young lady. His patron would not have you ruin his path to power with such nonsense. We know of your people’s history with the veiled and understand your desires to some extent.” He slid a cup and saucer over to Venri as he spoke. “You are not allowed to have that sort of path, as it harms both of you in the long term.”
“I am allowed to have any path I wis..” Venri began before being cut off again.
“My dear Venri, no.” He shook his head softly before taking a sip of his tea then looked from her to the cup in front of her. “Do be sure not to waste that. I am not saying you can’t devote your life in service to the veiled, but you can’t do it publicly or with that garish ritual. That is why we are having this conversation.” Herman looked at the teacup again then back to her.
“Sorry.” Venri said as she took the cup and sipped, finding the tea rather delightful.
Herman nodded before proceeding to tell Venri what he had in mind and a plan for everyone to get what they want. As he spoke, she found that the path he proposed sounded even better than her plan. Afterall, it would allow her to be in service to the veiled with only the up sides and none of the self-mutilation.
*****
Immediately after the fight, Matt handed over control of the area then wandered off. He wasn’t exactly sure where he was going, just letting the terrain guide him. He felt very off, emotionally unbalanced and wanted to get some breathing room. Echo fell in behind him at some point in his ambling, barely making a sound as he followed in the wake of the mech. Van hadn’t said anything, likely sensing his mood and waiting to comment.
Matt finally found a secluded spot and dismounted from his mech. He stepped down onto the grassy slope and immediately sat. He stared out through the gap in the trees, looking across the valley into the forest and hills in the distance. Echo came and wrapped himself around Matt, laying behind him and providing a back rest.
“That was… disappointing?” Van rumbled after several minutes and having to search for the proper word.
Matt sighed and scratched at Echo’s scales. “Yeah, I had wanted more but it was just sad.” He thought back to his fight. He could always watch the recording but didn’t want to. “I just thought it would be more satisfying, like the other guardian. Not just this… bullet sponge. Hell, it was barely a good test bed for skills.”
“We need to find more suitable fights.” The core gave a mental nod. “I fear we will stagnate if we stay for too long.”
Matt didn’t know about that, but it sounded right. He sat for a while longer, “chewing on it” as his dad had often said. Slowly, he made up his mind and voiced his thoughts to Van, getting no argument from the core. He wouldn’t abandon the city but would definitely spend a lot less time there, ranging farther afield. It would be his home that he rarely stayed in for long periods of time.
“What should we do now?” Van asked. “There isn’t much left for us to handle, and the crafters will begin their work on developing the mine.”
Matt got up and began climbing back into the cockpit. “Lets head back to camp and find Tobias. I don’t know where he disappeared to after the first part of the mission.” He knew that Tobias had only come out to get his last class level to evolve so it was likely he decided to head back to their base camp. In any event, Matt would find him.
Matt did indeed find Tobias back at camp. He was talking with Rohm and a couple of the crafting types when Matt approached. He wandered into what was clearly the tail end of a conversation.
“…Best if we leave a contingent in the area until its properly established and we get the surveys completed.” Tobias said as Rohm nodded along. “I will return to Krad and see about getting more crafters up here to help establish the fort.”
“Thanks Tobias. Do you require an escort?” Rohm asked.
Tobias turned at Matts approach. “Nah, my ride just showed up, if I am not mistaken.”
Matt waved as he walked up to the group. He learned that Rohm would be having his pilots in the area as a form of security while the crafters began to uncover the mine area. Jess was headed back to the city already, escorting those crafters that didn’t need to stay. Venri had also gone with them, saying something about work to be done.
Without any more fanfare, Matt left the camp, Tobias having returned to his former seat. The trip went rather quickly without being limited to the speed of people on foot. They soon caught up to the commandos and the people they were escorting. After a few quick words, they continued on, leaving the caravan to its escorts.
“Somethings up.” Tobias said after a few minutes. “What’s going on, Matt?”
Matt filled him in on what happened after the fight. Apparently, Jess had mentioned that he wandered off, which was nice of her. Tobias, as usual, was very patient and listened to his explanation. He didn’t immediately offer any feedback, choosing to wait and think it through.
After several kilometers had passed, Tobias spoke. “I think you might be making a bad choice but it’s your choice to make.” He said, the tone indicated he had more. “Limiting yourself to only being in the city for short amounts of time is very short sighted and doesn’t fix the core issue.”
“I think it would since I could be out fighting and exploring more.” Matt countered.
“Be that as it may, it also limits you. The longer you spend away from the city, the less you are informed of current events. Frank might have quests that come up that allow you to do what you want but you can’t take them if you aren’t around.” Tobias paused, his foot tapping on the metal floor.
“Matt, you need to find a balance, or you will risk burn out. Nobody can be a hundred percent focused, a hundred percent of the time.”
Matt let that one hang in the air for a minute. “So, what do I do?”
Tobias laughed. “Do what you were doing. Go out fight something, take its stuff and bring it back for me to play with. You can have it all but just make sure you do things you want to do. You can tell the others to deal with problem themselves, they are big boys and girls capable of taking on risk of their own.”
“Right, I’ll just keep using Vil’Krad as a home base. I can wander out and come back as I please.” He paused, took a deep breath and asked what he was worried about. “You think they will hate me for it? Frank, Rohm, Jess and the others?”
“No, they might not exactly understand or be the most supportive but it’s your path. Hell, you can sick Tori on them if they get out of line.”
Matt had forgotten about that. He had a patron that he could ask for guidance, one who had lived for who knew how long. He would try to reach to her and get some input before making any rash decisions.
“Thank you for the input, Tobias.” Van rumbled. “Matt is conflicted over his desires and his perceived responsibility.”
“It’s a new world for us both.” Tobias said. “What we want has much more sway over our lives now.”
*****
“It is done, Tori.” Herman said after stepping through a rift and returning to the headquarters of the Eternal Warden. “The little ‘alchemist’ and I have come to an understanding. I took a page out of your book and even made her a prime.”
Tori looked up from her monitor when Herman entered. “Really, that is quite the ambitious route, even for you.” She closed the window that was open showing a report of her holdings and their disposition. “That would be your fifth and final prime if I’m not mistaken.”
“Indeed, but I have high hopes for my first and third primes to ascend soon.” Herman sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk Tori occupied. “This Venri might actually be…”
Herman stopped mid-sentence as a portal opened at the far end of the room and a grey skinned demon man stepped out. He was tall and heavily muscled, wearing his traditional apron over a sleeveless shirt. His tool belt was suspiciously empty as always. He walked halfway across the long room and stopped in front of the 2 gods already in the room.
Bowing deeply, though never letting his smirk slip, he addressed both of them. “Greetings Victoria, Herman.” Said Weltgan, The Proverbial Hammer. He rose back to a standing position and touched his fingers to one of the curved horns on his forehead in a traditional demon greeting.
Tori stood and glared over her desk at the intruding god. “What brings you here Weltgan? And unannounced through unofficial channels at that.”
“Oh, I just heard from a certain merchant that your alliance had two primes in one city and wanted a piece of the action.” Weltgan said as his eyes sparkled, the golden iris’ seeming to amplify the light in the room.
With a horrible ripping sound that came from tearing through several protective barriers, Tori opened a rift right next to her. Before it even finished opening, she had reached her arm through and grabbed her target. There was a short scream from the other side of the portal before she yanked Hal through by his collar, snapping the rift closed behind him.
“Sit.” Tori commanded the merchant as she dropped him in a chair next to Herman. The word was a full command and she flexed her will power to pin the weaker god in place. “Please join us Weltgan, it appears we have something to discuss with our mutual friend that perhaps brokers too much information.” Her tone was frosty, with no allowance for disobedience.
Weltgan walked forward and took a seat while he tutted at Hal. “Tsk, tsk. You should not have stuck around, especially after the assurances you made about how you got the information.”
Tori glared at the poor merchant god, frost forming around her as her affinity manifested with her will, spilling over into reality. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure we can make this equitable for everyone.” She looked back to Weltgan. “Let’s hear your proposal then.”
Looking like the cat that ate the canary, Weltgan spoke. “I know we are not formally allied but I would like to propose a little joint venture with the end goal of me joining your faction. It would seem that our little broker here has done disservice to your prime’s friend.”
“What concern is it of ours if he doesn’t uphold his promise of the blessing?” Tori asked, genuinely curious as she let her aura recede.
Weltgan smiled even wider, showing his pointed canines and incisors. “The young Tobias could be so much more. If he were to develop in a more controlled manner, your prime is surely to benefit. He is a forge master, and I am a crafting god after all.”
Tori was taken aback briefly. She had not thought of how a fully aligned God would push both Tobias and Matt forward. In an instant she considered the scenario of Weltgan bringing his small faction into her own. “Then let us talk details. Hal, be sure to stay around, I would want you to miss the opportunity to trade your blessed to a god who could truly benefit him.”