Ghostwalk, Undetectable Step.
Getting some height – Shadestep.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/JRwdmGSC/Ghostwalk-WEBP.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/z5skH47n/Undetectable-Step-WEBP.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/fw8K3LqL/Shadestep-WEBP.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/TfkLNd8x/78-1.webp]
Felix turned invisible as he warped through the darkness and alighted atop one of the buildings. One of the creatures was rushing down the side of the building next to him, clambering down as its claws dug into the structure. It was a pale, mutated humanoid with several long, ghastly pincer-like limbs poking from its back. It was a horrific cross between a fleshy-spider and a person that gave him chills. I hate bugs.
Technically, they’re not bug-
Just sync up with me. Electroblade.
Right. Stormbringer.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/q4PQyd54/Stormbringer.webp] image [https://i.postimg.cc/RMRTkJVZ/Electroblade.webp] image [https://i.postimg.cc/7Dk2ft1F/78-2.webp]
Felix’s wrist-pistol flared with crackling yellow lightning, and he trained it on the creature that had almost reached the ground directly below him. He pulled the trigger, and heard a powerful click before a twang as a rounded projectile of hardlight – arcing with yellow lightning – pierced forward and slammed into the creature from behind. It let out a piercing screech as it continued to move towards Tinuriel and Reth. Damnit. Felix continued to shoot from above, making sure to hit each enemy he could see at least once. Thanks to his high Agility stat, his shots were incredibly accurate, and he was able to apply the Lightning Rod effect to all of them.
Tinuriel grabbed Reth and threw him to the side of the street. “Stay back!” she commanded. Closing her eyes for a brief moment she exhaled and activated a host of Skills. Bastion for 100 Vigor, Deathless Juggernaut, Icy Shell, Aura of Frost, and Menacing Chill for 70 Vigor – putting the aggro effect on each of the incoming hostiles.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/2r1PCp6h/Bastion-WEBP.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/TRJstf7M/Deathless-Juggernaut-WEBP.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/X3rttBjB/Icy-Shell.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/GR7ZMxC1/Aura-of-Frost.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/dsxpLwB0/Menacing-Chill.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/PhQ8Zb2P/78-3.webp]
The blue flames rose from her skin as the damage reduction aura flared up around her. Immediately after, the blue-white, icy shell coated her body as a blizzard exploded into existence around her. Lastly, small traces of white and blue arced out to each of the incoming creatures – all seven – and they charged her.
She hefted her sword and slashed with wild abandon, laughing aloud as she carved into the creatures, Valiant Edge sparking with the same icy white as the imbued Rime Spike sent shockwaves of frost from her impacts. She sliced, slashed, and severed – but the creatures regenerated from the injury and swarmed her. Their claws jabbed inward, the spiked tendrils stabbing down, and some even put their heads in to bite her.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/z8DHkLcp/78-4.webp]
Reth scrabbled to his feet and planted the staff in the ground. “Let’s see how they like flames!” He activated Affinity Empowerment and Affinity Amplification as his staff glowed with a deep, green glow. Holding his hand above the top, the energy arced to his fingertips as he thrust his palm forward, “Fireball!”
image [https://i.postimg.cc/SQJ8wxDX/Affinity-Empowerment-WEBP.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/MwDkDbNM/Affinity-Amplification-WEBP.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/ZTFNWG17/Fireball.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/mB6kNmM2/78-5.webp]
An orb of fire the size of a baseball appeared atop the staff before dashing forward and into the mass of creatures Tinuriel was fending off. A cacophonous boom echoed out as the sphere expanded in a massive explosion, the orange-red flames catching all of the monstrous creatures alight as their skin charred and bubbled. The flames persisted, and they screeched in pain. Tinuriel was unharmed; Reth’s uses of Class Skills having prevented allies from being damaged in the explosion.
The creatures persisted in their assault on Tinuriel, and Felix kept firing shots into them. They’re healing too much, Felix thought as he saw each hardlight bullet hole heal over, and the charred, burning skin continuing to mend and repair itself.
Querying System…They regenerate the equivalent of 10 Health every second.
How do we stop them?
A huge burst of damage in a single go. Enough to drop them to the equivalent of 0 Health.
I need you to convert Vigor for me as I channel a huge Magic/Power effect. “Reth! Get ready to use that Explosion when the lightning hits!” Overload.
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Vigor Conversion.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/X49kfx1t/Vigor-Conversion-WEBP.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/bq1gRF7b/Overload.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/9VbrzmQ9/78-6.webp]
The electricity crackled in Felix’s hand as he drained all his Anima and fed his Vigor into the Overload effect. His hand glowed a bright, coruscating yellow as sparks and bolts of energy flared from his palm. “Here it comes!” He pointed at the creatures. I want them dead. (P) Killing Intent was deactivated.
Reth used Affinity Empowerment to prevent Tinuriel from being affected, and shouted out, “Explosion!”
image [https://i.postimg.cc/dqKdtsSZ/Explosion.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/3rxr2Gxv/78-7.webp]
The electricity vanished from Felix’s hand and crashed down from above – dealing a massive amount of damage to each of the creatures as the same damage was replicated upon them. An enormous cascade of yellow energy that bounced from target to target faster than the eye could trace. At the same time, the flames licking the creatures stuck in place and froze for a split-second before they exploded outward.
The creatures screamed and fell to the ground – crisp, twitching corpses as they fell as one.
[Experience Awarded = 70]
[Congratulations! You have reached the Experience threshold to level up! Speak with your Versewalker Core when you are ready to Choose your next Class.]
Felix jumped down the twenty foot fall, rolling with the landing, as his (P) Like a Cat effectively reduced damage he would have suffered to zero. He walked over to the creatures and activated For the Hoard!
image [https://i.postimg.cc/ZZMM7fcR/For-the-Hoard-WEBP.webp]
[Loot Obtained]
· Crimson Tide Manifesto
· Cavestalker Claw (x14)
[Loot Bonus from For the Hoard!]
· 1000 VC
Felix pulled the manifesto from his inventory and flipped through it while Lucifer looked through his eyes. The Fallen Angel was a much faster read than Felix, and as Reth walked over, he cleared his throat. “Ahem. The Crimson Tide are a cult. They worship some creatures called The Cavern Keeper. Nonalus is where new aspirants can go to be blessed.”
“Or cursed,” Reth muttered as he pushed at one of the corpses with the staff. “Disgusting things.”
Tinuriel held up her blade in a ready stance and glanced to Felix, “Any more coming?”
Felix looked around and activated another Detect Hostiles – but didn’t see anything. “I think we’re in the clear.”
Slowly, a handful of people began to leave their houses. Felix pointed them back towards the market, “Go to the church.” He turned to Reth and Tinuriel, “We have to go to this rail station and head to this Nonalus place. If that’s their headquarters then we can find more information there.”
Reth poked the corpse again and shook his head, “Do you think they were intelligent?”
“I don’t know,” Felix muttered as he crouched and turned one over.
“Oh! I have an idea!” Reth crouched next to Felix and held his hand over the monster. “Let me try something with this Necromancy. I haven’t used it much. Dread Revelations.”
image [https://i.postimg.cc/Gcdh2byW/Dread-Revelations.webp] image [https://i.postimg.cc/sjcDBmsz/78-8.webp]
The corpse’s head turned in Felix’s hand, and he dropped it. The body ponderously sat upright before the hollow, blood-red eyes with no iris glared at Reth. A gasp escaped it as the chest filled with air. Tinuriel raised her blade and prepared to chop down, but Reth held his hand up. “We can ask it five questions. If it can answer, it will.”
Tinuriel sheathed her blade and nodded, “First question: how many are there?”
“Thousssandsss,” the creature sighed out.
Felix looked to Tinuriel, “You’re the strategist. Ask away.”
Tinuriel pursed her lips, “Second question: What are your weaknesses?”
“We have one weaknesss. Lack of blood.”
“Third question: How intelligent are you?”
“We are asss sssmart asss anyone elssse. Our mindsss are intact.”
“Fourth question: Who created you?”
“We drank from the blood pool. The Cavern Keeper gave usss ssstrength.”
“Fifth question: What are your plans?”
“We desssire to turn all into our kind. All will turn from the lady’sss light and embrace the dark.” The corpse let out a final breath before stilling.
Reth chuckled, “That’s very useful! Too bad I can only do it to a corpse a single time. Then, it can’t be used against it again.”
Felix nodded, “We have another six bodies we can ask questions of.”
Tinuriel shook her head, “These are akin to foot soldiers. We need to find a commander. They can give us more information.” She looked to the South, “To the rail station then?”
----------------------------------------
The walk was silent and dark. Felix kept a Hellfire Wick active not because he needed it but because the warm glow gave him a sense of comfort in the darkness. Normally he would have no concerns, but he was being overly cautious and hoping that the light would keep the creatures at bay – as they had only attacked when the lights had gone out.
It’s strange. I thought that Holy Sister said the station was locked down. And yet there were those Cavestalkers a good distance into the city.
She might not have had as good of a grasp on the situation as we think. This town also seems to be a huge, single tunnel with buildings on either side. So perhaps the people moved closer to the church when this thing first happened?
Felix nodded. That made sense. Especially since the buildings they were passing showed no signs of life save the occasional rodent that skittered by. This place seems pretty lifeless. He caught some type of movement on the roof nearby and looking up, saw a pair of red eyes staring back. But they kept their distance. He held up his wrist-pistol and shot the thing right between the eyes. There was a loud snarl as the impact drilled it through the forehead, and it vanished over the lip of the roof.
“What was that?” Tinuriel asked as she drew her blade.
“Just one of these Cavestalkers. I think they’re afraid of light. And, well, my Hardlight Recurve…pistol, uses light for its bullets.”
“Not as mad at yourself for having Hellfire Wick now, are you?”
“Yeah, it’s good to keep around,” Felix replied, “Just for our allies’ sake.”
Reth frowned, “I can do the same thing,” A small flame emitted from the tip of his staff, adding to the illumination in the area. “If light truly does help repel them.”
Felix nodded and continued to lead the way until they came to a large tower. The cave dead-ended where the tower stood, and the T section led off in two directions. The tower had an enormous metal rod sticking out of either side – a huge, suspended rail system. They were layered, and labeled as the A-Train, B-Train, and C-Train. All three looked to be mothballed and stuck to the tracks, suspended from above.
Tinuriel led the way up the metal stairs as they ascended the tower to the C-Train. When they reached the train, Felix used his thieves’ tools to open the door and push it open. The thing was filled to the brim with boxes. “C stands for Cargo train, apparently,” Felix stated.
“Yes, and the other two are for passengers. Look there,” Lucifer replied as he flashed an indicator in Felix’s vision. It was a map of the rail network with small bulbs that were dark marking the various stops. Nonalus was at the opposite end of the rail line from some place called Lady’s Repose. Fheldarm – where they were located – was the closest on the line to Nonalus.
“Now to figure out how to get this running,” Felix muttered.
“Their technology is intriguing,” Reth commented. “It’s clockwork, but there are some electrical elements here and there.”
Felix rummaged around the train car while Tinuriel kept watch outside. Eventually he found a control panel. “Let’s see if Electricity can help out here.” Electrical Bypass.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/TfLCKPQt/Electrical-Bypass.webp]
The train car whirred to life as cogs and gears turned. Tinuriel hopped on as the car sped off to the South – into the dark tunnels.