Darius watched smugly as his Specter materialized in front of the intruder. His father had taught him this spell once his Death Magic Skill had reached level 10. Since then, it had become his favorite tactic in battle.
The Specter would use its Frightful Gaze to freeze his victims in place. Then he could let his minion finish its victim off with Soul Grasp or bind them securely for later use. It was the latter tactic he had used on the young Scraeling.
He glanced over at his captive, still struggling uselessly against her bonds. She certainly had been a lucky find. When he had set up here in the wilderness to focus on his craft, he hadn’t expected to find anything other than mindless beasts to work with.
He would make her part of his next flesh construct and this time he would find a way to preserve at least one of her natural Abilities. Doing so would advance his Fleshcrafting Skill by leaps and bounds. His last attempt had involved a dwarf he had found passed out drunk in an alley. He had mixed parts of the dwarf with pieces of cadavers he had gotten from the Stonetree cemetery, but the resulting Homunculus had retained none of the dwarfs natural abilities. The creature had only been useful as a guard dog. This time, however, he was determined to succeed. But first, he had to deal with the pesky intruder who had dared to interrupt his work.
He turned back towards the savage in time to see a spearpoint heading directly for his face.
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The Specters red eyes bored into Jacks.
[Specter has attempted to inflict Fear on you]
[Empathic Shielding has helped you to resist Fear]
Jack was confused for a moment before remembering the upgrade he had purchased for himself and Goldeyes. It was supposed to protect him from attacks on his mind or emotions. It looked like he had gotten his moneys worth with that particular Ability.
The Specter paused, confused. It had never before encountered a foe who could resist its Frightful Gaze. Before it could react, Jack seized the opportunity to strike. With a swift and powerful thrust, he drove his spear straight at the Specter's incorporeal form, aiming for its ethereal chest with all the strength he could muster.
[You have dealt 33 Piercing damage to Specter]
[You have dealt 15 Freezing damage to Specter]
The undead spirit fell back in shock as Jack withdrew his weapon before plunging it back into the misty substance that composed the Specters form.
The Specter opened its mouth in a silent scream before dissipating back into purple smoke. Jack didn’t waste any time watching it fade away.
He hurled himself at Darius, his spear slamming into the Death Shield again and again. The elf stumbled backwards, a look of surprise on his face. He almost fell outside his protection but managed to regain his balance at the last moment.
Snarling at Jack, he withdrew a bone wand from his belt pouch and began unleashing bolts of dark purple energy. Jacks high Agility allowed him to dodge most of the projectiles, but one hit him in the leg and he staggered for a moment off balance.
[You have been struck by Death Bolt]
[You have suffered 18 Necrotic damage]
Darius took advantage of Jack's momentary stumble to press his advantage. With a flick of his wrist, he sent another barrage of dark energy bolts hurtling towards Jack, forcing him to duck and weave to avoid being hit. Despite his best efforts, another of the bolts grazed his shoulder, searing his flesh with an aching cold. It was like being hit with a blast of icy wind, sending shivers down his spine as the necrotic energy sapped away at his strength.
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Gritting his teeth against the pain, Jack launched himself forward once more, determined to take down Darius before he could unleash any more devastating spells. He slammed his spear against the barrier again and again.
Darius put his wand away and began weaving a new spell. Before he could finish, his shielding spell finally broke under Jacks relentless onslaught.
Jacks spear plunged into the elfs chest just as Darius completed his latest spell sending a wave of grey energy washing over Jack. The elf looked down in disbelief at the spear piercing his heart before crumpling to the ground, his form going lifeless and still. Jack ignored the fallen elf even as he ignored the notifications that announced his victory. He had a bigger problem.
[You have been afflicted by Curse of Necrosis]
[You will suffer 10 Necrotic damage per second for 20 seconds]
Even if he had been at full health that still would have been enough to kill him in less than half a minute. As it was, he had less than 15 seconds left to live.
Jacks mind raced. He remembered the vial that Darius had pulled out of his pouch to heal himself. Hurrying over to the necromancers body he reached down and grabbed at the pouch.
[Small Pouch of Holding
Rarity: Unusual
Quality: Good
Durability: 70/70
Material: Spatial Spider silk, Crushed moonstones
Slots: 10x10
Properties: Spatial Storage, Weight Reduction
Description: This pouch can hold far more than its outer dimensions would suggest.]
As Jack reached inside the pouch an image appeared in front of him. It looked kind of like the inventory slots in an RPG game interface. Frantically searching through the contents, Jack's heart raced as he desperately sought something that could save him from the curse that threatened to consume him.
He saw one of the slots had a vial of the same clear liquid he had seen Darius consume to heal his arm. He reached for the vial not thinking of any particular word just knowing he needed it desperately. His fingers closed around the vial, and he wasted no time in uncorking it and swallowing its contents in one swift gulp.
[You have consumed Lesser Healing Potion]
[You will gain 8 health per second for 10 seconds]
Jack could feel the potion healing him even as the curse drained his life. With each passing second, he could feel his vitality returning, pushing back against the dark energy that sought to consume him.
It wasn’t enough to get him to full health but, once the potion and the curse had run their course, his health stabilized at 56/170. Far from ideal but at least he was still alive.
He turned his attention towards the bound Scraeling who had been watching the whole battle play out with wide eyes. There was a leather gag in her mouth and her arms and legs were bound with cords made from the same material. She was wearing tattered and dirty garments that barely clung to her slender frame. She wore a simple tunic that had once been a vibrant shade of blue but was now faded and stained with dirt and grime. The fabric was torn in several places, revealing patches of pale skin beneath.
Her leggings were similarly worn, with holes and frayed edges betraying the hardships she had endured. They were caked with mud and dirt, evidence of her struggles within the confines of the cave.
Jack hurried over to the bound woman, his heart heavy with concern for her well-being. As he approached, he saw the fear and confusion in her eyes, the flicker of hope struggling to overcome the despair that had taken root in her heart.
With gentle hands, Jack reached for the leather gag that bound her mouth, his fingers working swiftly to loosen its tight grip. As the gag fell away, he saw the relief flood her features, the tension leaving her body as she took in a deep, shuddering breath.
"Are you alright umm...?" Jack fumbled, realizing he didn’t actually know the woman’s name.
The Scraeling hesitated for a moment before responding, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I'm Lyla," she said, her gaze dropping to the ground.
He tried to smile reassuringly back at her “I’m Jack. Your aunt sent me here. Just give me a minute with these bonds”.
The gag taken care of; Jack turned his attention to the cords that bound the Scraeling's limbs. He considered using his spear or Darius’s knife to cut the bonds but was afraid of accidentally cutting the woman he was trying to free. No, he would have to use his hands for this.
He knelt beside her, his fingers deftly working to untangle the knots that held her captive. The leather cords were tight and secure, but Jack's hands moved with practiced precision as he worked to loosen their grip. With each careful tug and twist, he felt the bonds gradually give way, the leather cords slipping free from their bindings with a satisfying snap.
The woman tried to get up and immediately stumbled. Jack caught her as she nearly fell over onto the stone floor. “Sorry” she said “I was tied to that table for hours. I…”
Jack nodded sympathetically “It’s all right. Take as much time as you need to get your bearings.”
The woman gave him a grateful look as she sat back down on the table.
Jack turned his attention to the body lying in front of them. “For as much trouble as you caused, you’d better have some good stuff on you” he thought.