The stranger stopped shouting at the night sky with his arms spread when he was fully engulfed in the fog. The transparent shield seemed to only prevent external attacks, having allowed Coop to approach without warning the stranger and letting Fog of War spill beyond its threshold. The light drizzle continued to sprinkle through the shield as well, but it did little to diminish the mists. The oathsworn spun around, seeking the source of the sudden bank of fog to no avail.
“Finally!” The man seemed relieved. “The first tribute from Ghost Reef… I welcome it!” The stranger shouted into the mists, taking a combat stance as if he had been instigating the fight from the beginning.
The oathsworn grunted as he flexed twice in a most muscular pose and his body immediately doubled in thickness, shredding his dirty white robes and exposing tight skin rippling with muscles. He repeated the motion and doubled again, as if he was being inflated with energy. When he went for a third boost, Coop’s spear pierced his flank. The turbulent trail that followed the spear only existed for a brief moment before the rest of the fog consumed the disturbance and erased the trajectory.
“Ach!” The stranger coughed, caught completely by surprise and barely maintaining his balance in the sand.
The tip only pierced a few inches through the man’s waist even though Coop had meant to end the fight with the opening strike. Coop resummoned his spear as the man’s meaty hands gripped the shaft and began to pull the tip out. The ethereal weapon disappeared from his grasp as if the fog itself swallowed the spear, causing his hands to involuntarily clap together.
The man abruptly laughed as his wound rapidly healed with muscle fibers intertwining like strings followed by skin regrowing over the hole. “Come! Enrich Chakyum with your power!” He spoke in an inhumanly deep voice that matched his freakish build. Blood dripped from his chin as he turned to face the completely wrong direction. He was clearly confident in his powerful physical resistance, but his Mind stat and aura skill left him to the whims of the fog. The Ones That Hunt had been even more resilient, with the ability to counter his fog, and they had ended up fueling Coop’s progression. This Oathsworn had bitten off more than he could chew.
Coop swapped his weapon and cast Legacy of the Mists, still standing in the middle of the path, surrounded by thick billowing clouds of fog that rolled across the sand like a vaporous storm, taking his time as he felt completely in control of the fight.
A phantasm leapt through the mists from a different angle and sliced the back of the oathsworn with a ghostly sword. The blow cut deep, revealing the man’s lacking magic defense relative to his physical protection. The man spun with abnormal speed, twisting his torso with unbelievable flexibility and blindly punched through the obscuring fog. When his fist struck the phantasm’s shield, a bang reverberated through the fog as it billowed away, revealing a ghostly knight in plain metallic armor before refilling the gap. The oathsworn’s wrist broke with a snap, leaving the phantasm with an opportunity to counter attack with another slice, cutting deep into the stranger’s thigh before abruptly disappearing into the fog.
The man shouted in pain and frustration as he lost track of his target and yet another phantasm struck him from behind, forcing him to wheel around again, flailing his uninjured arm while the other rapidly repaired itself. “Honorless cowards!” He yelled and Coop scoffed at the exclamation. Coop may not have any real interest in taking lives, but it had nothing to do with honor. “I demand a duel!” The man screamed.
“This is a duel.” Coop muttered to himself, letting the sounds be smothered by the mists, never reaching his opponent’s ears. This stranger sure was demanding, but the idea of unspoken gentlemen's agreements after an apocalypse was questionable at best, especially after shouting threats and challenges for anyone to hear. He was sure it was a simple ploy to avoid defeat. It seemed his opponent was truly confused because he believed he was being attacked by a coordinated squad. Fog of War lived up to its implicit promises.
Coop flexed Presence of Mind, trying another of the feints that hadn’t worked without Fog of War, pretending a ghost was gearing up to attack the man’s flank again. The man spun and punched at the ghost, finding nothing but fog. He bellowed in growing rage as Coop made another discovery about his skills. Fog of War was a necessary base for magnifying Presence of Mind and their synergies shouldn’t be underestimated.
Coop tried again, spinning the man around with the impression of attacks; an imaginary onslaught leapt at the man from different directions in the fog, but none of it was real. Until it was.
When another phantasm sliced at the man’s neck, he panicked. He held his neck while he sprinted through the fog, away from the ghost. Perhaps he was seeking the edge of the domain, to buy time for his healing skill, or simply hoping to collide with his opponent, but his bearing was wide. He was running toward the scrubland with stomping feet that made him seem like a frenzied monster, kicking up sand with each heavy step. It seemed like he thought he could make distance and regroup if he moved fast enough.
Coop summoned another phantasm as the man crossed his path and the ghost clotheslined him with a sword, ending the completely one-sided fight with a decisive blow. The green energy shield disappeared and the tiny triangular shards fell straight to the ground where they disintegrated on the sand.
The oathsworn’s headless body remained upright in a shocking display of balance. One moment he was sprinting across the sand, and the next moment his body was completely stationary, adjacent to a smug looking ghostly shieldmaiden, twirling her sword like a toy until she burst into mists herself.
Coop tilted his head curiously, waiting for the body to tip over, carried by its momentum, but it stood motionless like a swollen scarecrow guarding the foggy crossroad from seagulls. Whatever boosts the stranger had used to physically bulk his body hadn’t dissipated with his death and Coop wondered if he was somehow still alive. It wasn’t like Coop understood the limitations imposed on mana.
Before Coop had a chance to cast Legacy to summon another phantasm for a double-tap, Coop noticed the body started to swell. Presence of Mind combined with Fog of War to bring his attention to the subtle change right away. The stranger’s body was already abnormally large, but that didn’t stop the muscles from ballooning even further. Coop backed away immediately, expecting the worst, but thankfully, it didn’t explode.
Instead of a violent eruption, dozens of formless shadows shot from cracks in the skin. Coop paid close attention, raising his shield, but even Presence of Mind struggled to follow them as they were incorporeal. Once they were freed, they shot toward the cloudy night sky like leaking balloons, disappearing into the light rain. One after the other, the blobs of mana flew upwards, leaving Coop’s fog behind as if it did nothing to confuse them. Coop tried inspecting one, but received nothing in response. They didn’t seem to be entities recognized with an aura.
The stranger’s body shriveled as each one left, shrinking back to a normal size, then even smaller. The wisps of energy quickly disappeared in the light drizzle, and after the last one was gone, the body completely disintegrated, turning into ash that filtered away, much like the gold and silver triangles. Coop finally received the delayed notifications confirming his opponent’s defeat.
[You defeated Oathsworn Human (Level 115)]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
Coop shook his head, thinking that was weird, disappointing, and sad. He walked through his familiar fog toward the fort. The residents seemed tense as they watched his silhouette, until he stood in the flickering light of torches at the end of the moat when they finally relaxed.
“I’m back?” Coop clumsily announced. It seemed like the standoff between the defenders and the oathsworn had been going on for a while. More than one face peeking above the ramparts seemed relieved that he had returned in time to end it before it got ugly.
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Shane began dismissing and reassigning the defenders while the gate opened and Marcus exited in a hurry. Marcus clearly wanted to start explaining, but Coop interrupted him.
“I killed that guy. Should I take care of his friends? Maybe capture them?” Coop asked, pointing toward the fishing boats, obscured by the darkness, but certainly still there.
“It’s fine, he was alone.” Marcus reassured him, and led him inside.
Coop followed, but was confused. “He came alone? With three boats?”
“Well, he didn’t start alone… Let me start from the beginning.” Marcus tried to organize his thoughts as the pair entered through the front gate and walked along the smooth stone street, glistening from the gentle rain that continued to fall. Phantoms and residents alike streamed back into the central area of the fort, leaving the walls to those on duty. Apparently, the oathsworn drew the defenders out as if they were being raided.
“The boats arrived a couple days ago and he presented himself as a foreign dignitary establishing relations between settlements. I met with him, diplomatically, to learn their intentions. He claimed to be an envoy, sent to recruit Ghost Reef, but he was obnoxiously vague and his demands to see the Champion were suspicious enough for us to turn him away.” Marcus seemed worried that he hadn’t done a good enough job representing them, but Coop didn’t see it that way.
“Seems fair enough to me.” Coop reassured him. He had only listened to about a minute of the man’s threats before he realized the guy had bad intentions, even if the specifics weren’t clear, and that was coming from someone like Coop, who wasn’t exactly trigger happy, willingly giving the benefit of the doubt to most people.
Marcus sighed. “The only thing he really told us was that he was here on behalf of Chakyum, the Lord of Death and ruler of the Underworld, and that he would become a priest after successfully incorporating Ghost Reef into the fold.”
“Nothing about that sounds like a good reason to develop friendly relations.” Coop pointed out. Someone with a title like Lord of Death should probably be suspect by default.
“No kidding.” Marcus agreed. “The envoy refused to actually leave, though. He returned to his boat and conducted some kind of ritual that involved breaking a large talisman that he wore then boosted his power in an instant. When he first arrived he was only level 66, but after that his level was unreadable. You’re the only other person that would have an unreadable level to everyone here, so we figured who he was by process of elimination.”
“You think that talisman was some kind of experience booster? A faction item or something?” Coop asked, curious. He had repeatedly wondered how other people were leveling, especially when they were at the top of the leaderboards. He wouldn’t put it past the system to allow experience items to float around.
Marcus scratched at his sideburn before he responded. “I didn’t see it myself, so I’m not sure. Kayla witnessed the whole thing and tried to interrupt whatever was happening, but that energy shield was impenetrable and we didn’t dare rush in without more information. She suggested the talisman was a defensive item and the levels came from the sacrifice of the crew. When the acolyte arrived, he wasn’t alone, but after the ritual, the boats were completely empty…”
Coop grimaced at the logical conclusion that revelation drew. “Well, that’s no good.” He conceded. “Get Amanda to find where he came from. If there’s a faction near enough to come here that’s actively sacrificing people for levels, I want to know where it is so that I can put a stop to it. Especially if they’ve put us on their radar.” Coop shuddered at the thought, realizing that Ghost Reef was probably specifically targeted for that purpose, like the settlement was a giant experience farm waiting to be harvested once ripe.
Marcus nodded. “I think that would be prudent, although he was pretty adamant about them not being a faction. More like a cult of personality around Chakyum, but they must be based somewhere. We can’t do anything without some reconnaissance first. His actions really put some of his words into context. Consolidation sounds a lot more like being sacrificed in order to accumulate experience.”
Coop nodded before he changed the subject. “Did I miss anything else?” He asked as they approached the civilization shard. Marcus was heading to the town hall, but Coop wanted to enter the tavern to debrief with Shane and Arthur.
“The port is complete, the pirate ships have been returned without issue, the reinforcements should be ready alongside the upgrade, a few more buildings were added like the school, and the repairs are going faster than expected.” Marcus briefly summed up the last few days of settlement progression. “Oh! Madison will be ready for you within the next two days.”
“Finally.” Coop sighed in relief, glad to be getting rid of the blood curse once and for all. “How unfair is it that the Empire’s Chosen were given such overpowered artifacts?”
“I believe the blood curse is only so effective while we are all still at a low level.” Marcus pointed out. “If there’s another faction that may be handing out experience tokens that can boost 50 levels in an instant, the Empire’s artifacts might not seem all that special.”
“Hmm… I suppose the Zombie Lord had unique items way too early as well.” Coop conceded. “Could you send Shane and Arthur to the tavern so I can let them know about the mana well? I think it’s gonna be an excellent place for the residents to level, but it’s going to need constant maintenance or it’ll get too strong again.”
“I’ll send a messenger.” Marcus confirmed as he would also need to summon the Outrider to begin her scouting mission.
The pair parted ways and Coop turned to the Clumsy Shark and let himself inside. The warm glow from the fireplace gave the tavern a welcoming appearance compared to the drizzle outside.
A stream of residents entered along with Coop as the mostly empty seats slowly became occupied. Maeve and Desmond were both actively directing people to tables and serving drinks as they came in.
When Derek spotted Coop, he put his guitar down and jumped up. “Over here!” He called from the corner, getting the attention of a dozen people. When a pair of phantoms started approaching his table, he waved them away dismissively. “Not you.” He waved aggressively and shouted again. “Coop! Come over he, mate.”
The other residents at the entrance realized the Champion was among them and parted ways respectfully. Coop sighed and went ahead and joined Derek at his table.
“Don’t need to make a big scene, dude.” Coop complained as he took a seat.
“If it’s gonna get crowded, I might as well get the best service with the local Champion.” Derek rationalized conspiratorially. “You take care of that weirdo that’s been at the front gate shouting all day? Is that where the crowd is coming from?”
“Yep, I guess so.” Coop confirmed.
“Thank goodness. I’m like 90% sure he was planning on eating us.” Derek made a face and shivered. Apparently, even he had been exposed to the shouting at the front gate.
“What other stuff was he saying?” Coop asked. “I only heard a bit, but even I won’t let someone come to our front door and threaten us like that.”
Derek nodded in understanding. “I think he was more of a monster than those Siege Bosses. He was all about Earth being consumed by darkness and the only way to prevent it was by joining his boss-man, Chumyum, or whatever.”
“Chakyum, I think.” Coop corrected, but not hating Derek’s interpretation.
Derek shrugged before putting his elbow on the table and leaning on it. “He wasn’t happy about being turned away by Marcus, so he was appealing directly to the people. Tried to convince us to let him in and have him guide us into his embrace. After a few hours of that, he wanted us to drag Marcus and you out so that he could free us from your oppression. It was like some kinda door to door salesman with regime change as his product.”
Maeve appeared briefly with a pair of mugs. She placed them between Derek and Coop before smiling at Coop and moving on to the next table.
“Why didn’t he just force his way in?” Coop wondered.
“I think he was trying to win our hearts and minds first. I figure, once he realized he was barking up the wrong tree, that was next. Turn us all into tributes immediately instead of letting us fatten up.” Derek smirked and tapped his head with his finger. “That’s why I’ve been hanging out in here all day, can’t eat me if I’m protected by the demons.”
As he smiled the door opened again and Shane and Arthur both entered, scanned the room until they found Coop, and headed straight for the table he shared with Derek.
“Mate, why didn’t you tell me you were here on business?” Derek whined.
“I’m just gonna tell them about the mana well, you can listen in. You’ll probably wanna go down there with a party and get some levels too.” Coop explained as they watched the pair weave between tables to sit with them.
“I’ve had several people try to get me to join them for grinding, but that’s not the type of party I like.” Derek grumbled as he took a swig from his mug.
Coop welcomed Shane and Arthur and gave them the rundown on the mana well. They were clearly relieved that it was workable.