New Building added to your settlement: Lumber Yard
Boss Options! Upgrade Boss Tier! I shouted again.
Prerequisite met: Level 2 Settlement. Are you sure you want to upgrade to Boss Tier 2, Cost: 5000 EP? Yes/No
“Fucking YES!” I roared.
A cyclone of yellow energy erupted at my feet, building in height and intensity up, to engulf my entire body.
All I could see were the swirling bright yellow forces cycling around me, pulsing like a heartbeat. With every pulse of the whirlwind I could feel new strength being injected into me. I felt myself growing, my muscles expanding, my senses sharpening. I could feel clarity where only a haze of red rage was before, and as the subsiding whirlwind infused me with its last energizing pulse, I felt something else. Blackness. The world was black again.
I grabbed at my eyes, rubbing them with both hands. It hurt.
My eyes hurt!
I pulled my hands back and opened my eyes.
I looked around, taking in the colors; the green fields, the blue sky, the burning red fires…
I could see again. The process had restored my eyes!
Trait Upgraded: Boss Boon II
As a boss you’re naturally stronger than standard creatures, you receive bonuses based on your boss level and boss type.
Attributes: Totem Boss II: +2 for Mental, +1 Physical, +1 Social
Health: character level * 10
Mana: character level * 20
Skills: All skills +5 levels (including future acquired skills)
Mana regen: character level counts as Mental attribute when calculating mana regeneration.
Bonus ability: Nihilator’s Sanction (passive)
Title updated. New title: Dread Totem
I looked down at my hands, then around me. I knew I was at least a head taller than before and my arms looked more muscled. I felt powerful. I didn’t need to open my character sheet to learn the effects of the boost I had received, I could feel the surges of power for myself. I had more health, more mana and my skills had improved. I was transformed into a deadlier, more powerful, version of myself.
Though the transformation was now complete, I could still feel the Shrine beckoning to me. I placed my palm on the stone and bone structure.
Faith Rank 1 reached. The Following divine spells are now unlocked:
Shadow Web, Shadow Hound
New Spell acquired: Shadow Web (M)
You can shape the darkness around you into a pseudo-physical web, slowing or even ensnaring enemies caught in its radius. Shadow Discipline.
Level 15: Apprentice: creatures caught by the web are slowed even after escaping it.
Effect: 3.2-meter radius.
New Spell acquired: Shadow Hound (M)
Summon a shadow hound. The higher the skill, the stronger the summoned hounds. Shadow creatures are immune to most non-magical attacks, but highly susceptible to Light damage.
Shadow discipline
Level 15: Apprentice: Summon Shadow Mastiff instead of a Hound.
Effect: summons 3 creatures
A crushing sound made me turn. An Ogre had started to climb toward me, his hands rested on the ledge, pulling himself up with the strength of his arms alone.
I snarled, beastlike, and stepped back, placing the altar between us.
The Ogre pulled himself up fully, and rose to his full height, eyeing me stupidly.
“Barska say kill you, give much food!” It roared, barely able to pronounce the words.
He was blocking my way down, cutting off any chance of escape.
That was good, escape was the furthest thing off my mind.
“Come here then” I growled back at him, raising my staff in one hand, and the sacrificial bone dagger in another.
The Ogre took one large step, closing the distance between us and standing right in front of the Shrine which barely reached his knees. He raised his large club, looking at me stupidly. “Me smash you!” he bellowed and swung down hard.
Aided by my newly acquired muscles, I easily stepped back out of reach of the attack. The club smashed down where I had stood a second before, the entire Ogre’s body was hunched over the Shrine.
“Right back at you,” I replied coolly. And activated one of my new spells. The shadows around us surged towards the Ogre, fraying into a hundred thin strands that arched over and around his body, ensnaring him in a web of dark lines. The Ogre struggled powerfully, snapping some of the shadow filaments, hindered, but not quite immobilized.
I wasn’t about to let this dull creature do me, or mine, further harm. I was a master of Mana and Darkness now. I had just learned my first Shadow discipline spells, and I could mold them to my will just as I did with Mana Discipline spells.
I raised one hand, palm out, and concentrated. Dense blackness radiated from my hand, directed at the shadow web holding the Ogre, strengthening the strands, reinforcing them with more and darker shadows. The strands thickened, and the weave flexed, pulling tighter around the now panicking Ogre. I kept channeling power at the web, making it mine, a part of me. I closed my fist, and the web tightened around the Ogre even more, pulling him back towards the Shrine. It cost me over a hundred mana points. But that was a pittance to me now.
I clenched my fist, laying the Ogre face down over the Shrine, bound completely, unable to struggle. Helpless.
“Shhhhh, don’t move.” I whispered as I approached the Shrine.
His midsection was pressed tightly against the top of Shrine, his head forced down at my feet, his cheek pressed to the ground. With vengeful purpose I stabbed down, driving the dagger deep into the giant’s ear, twisting it viciously. The blade sank in all the way to the hilt, grinding through the skull-bone, releasing a torrent of blood that sprayed over the rocky ground.
Ogre sacrificed. +52 Faith Points (Cult of Nihilator) [base 13 X 4 using an altar]
I pulled the dagger out, my hand awash in the Ogre’s lifeblood. The now familiar sight of black tendrils erupted from the wound, snaking across the Ogre’s body in all directions. A moment later, all that remained was a pile of gear and a shining Void Crystal.
I walked to the ledge and stared down into the valley. Eight Ogres remained, frolicking in the destruction of my settlement.
Still feeling energized by my recent ascension to the second tier, I jumped off the ledge. Using the principles I learned from the new Shadow Web spell, I controlled the force of my landing with a cushion of soft semi-tangible darkness. Like walking down the stairs, I kept on walking as I reached the ground, glaring at the invaders.
“Dread Totem” a whisper from behind me.
I whirled around, and looked into the cave behind me.
Guba peeked out from the cave entrance.
“You’re alive!” I almost yelped. The constriction in my chest eased, and my rage and grief receded a little.
“Where is everyone else?”
“We got lucky, Dread Totem.” There was no trace of her usual impatient gruffness.
“A big ole’ ape came running out the forest, giving the alarm, Vrick told us to hide in the cave. Then them Ogres came, and he took the warriors with him to try to stop them.”
She looked back into the cave. “Without that warning, all the younglings would have died. But I still be fearing that we be eventually discovered and killed too.” She didn’t seem worried for herself.
I looked behind her at the huddled goblins. Yeshlimashu the gremlin was also there, along with several new goblin children. They were all clinging to each other in fright, hiding in the dark.
“Don’t worry, no one else is going to die. Except for the Ogres.” I said darkly.
I had a crazy idea, it was inappropriately greedy. The noncombatant goblins couldn’t help me in the coming fight, but maybe I could help them benefit from the situation, which would help me in the long run.
I formed a War Party and added all the goblins in the cave to it. Thanks to my recent skill boosts and the enchanted ring I looted from Bars
ka, my skill was high enough to include everyone.
“Keep everyone inside the cave.” I instructed Guba.
“Yes, Dread Totem.” She disappeared back into the cave and out of sight.
I activated Mana Infusion, on normal gear this time, and ran toward the Ogres, passing the Breeder’s Den along the way.
It was a good decision to put it so out of the way. The Ogres had concentrated on demolishing the buildings in the center of the settlement first.
The nearest two Ogres were gleefully breaking down the Rabbit Warren. In the village proper the three Ogres who’d kicked my ass had almost finished destroying the Mess Hall. In the distance, I saw the last two Ogres lumbering toward the Smithy against the cliff wall.
“Shit!” I needed to decide which group to engage first, I could either go for the closest Ogres, to keep them from rampaging unhindered, or run after the ones about to demolish the Smithy.
Indecision paralyzed me for precious seconds, until I heard a new sound.
“Hey, you fugly boneheads! Bring it!”
It was Malkyr! He stepped away from the Smithy, brandishing his outsized Greatsword, Hoshisu following close behind.
The two stood between the Smithy and the charging Ogres, blocking their way. They positioned themselves in the same battle stance they used when they fought the Ogres outside the Raiders’ Camp; Malkyr on point for the high attacks, and Hoshisu slightly behind him, ready to dart around him and attack from below when the Ogres were distracted by Malkyr’s attacks.
Knowing their capabilities, I was fairly certain they could at least keep the Ogres occupied until I could come back and help them.
Reassured, I turned my full attention to the two Ogres demolishing the Rabbit Warren and charged at them. Pulling every shadow within reach toward me, I funneled a large part of my mana into my fist and slammed it into the ground with a resounding CRACK. The mana exploded out, opening jagged rents in the ground that drew the darkness to them. Shadows flowed and coalesced into of dark mass around me. I pushed even more mana into the spell, straining its limits, overcharging it. More amassed, getting larger and draining the shadows around them. When the spell was fully charged, I stood up and let the magic run its course. The shadows finished amassing and continued to change. They sprouted four legs, tails, and jaws filled with sharp, dark teeth. I had summoned six Shadow Mastiffs. Though the creatures were smaller than the ones in Nihilator’s cave, they looked just as ferocious.
With a thought I directed the attention of the summoned beasts to the two Ogres and sent a single command; Attack!
The Mastiffs charged in a pack at the surprised Ogres. The Ogres’ howls of pain filled the air as the Mastiffs jumped at them, hanging on their backs and arms with their teeth, ripping at their flesh with their claws. The Ogres tried to retaliate, but their blows passed harmlessly through the dark beasts’ bodies as if through smoke.
This is fun! I like this spell.
Though the Mastiffs were ferocious, they weren’t causing a lot of actual damage, the Ogre’s natural spell resistance and thick skin protected them from the brunt of the attacks. Since the Ogres couldn’t even touch the shadow-mutts, it was only a matter of time before the hulks were shredded to pieces.
Two of the three groups of Ogres were now engaged, so I turned my attention to the three remaining Ogres. Racing across the village to the Mess Hall I arrived just as the Ogres finished demolishing it completely. I saw one of Gandork’s cauldrons, lying among the wreckage, broken and crushed. For some reason, that enraged me even more, as if the cauldron was one of my clan mates. The Ogres were out of my spell range, exposing my sharp teeth in a goblin snarl, I charged them
This time, they saw me coming. They let go of their clubs, picked up pieces of debris and started throwing them my way. I was forced to dodge right and left, evading huge chunks of stones and tree logs that could have squashed me flat.
I was forced to continue dodging while slowly closing the distance between us. A large beam clipped my shoulder, shaving off 40 of my health and hurling me to the ground. When I started to rise, I saw another large piece flying directly toward my head, and managed to activate Mana Shield at the last second, causing it to bounce off harmlessly.
The Ogres took advantage of my moment of weakness, and used the delay to pepper my shield with more flying debris. They had decent aim, I’ll give them that. Every piece of log or chunk of stone that hit my shield drained a few dozen mana points out of me.
I was stuck. By the time I managed to pull myself together and stand up, I was surrounded by wreckage and could not walk over it with my Mana Shield active. Meanwhile the Ogres continued their bombardment. 50% mana remaining... 45%...
I deactivated my shield and bolted forward, trying to close the distance. A large piece hit me straight on, hurling me back, taking away 20% of my hit points. Another followed, another 20%.
The pain was negligible, I’d learned to ignore pain, to use it.
The two hits fueled me with rage, unlocking my Blood Wrath. I stood up, pointed a finger at a single Ogre who was about to launch another volley at me, and shot out a beam of pushing force. The beam hit the Ogre straight in the chest. Fueled by twice the standard energy, and strengthened by my upgraded skills, the beam hit the Ogre with a force of nearly two tons. The Ogre was blasted backward and down onto his back. The piece of projectile he was holding fell on him, causing him to take some damage.
Taking out one of them threw the other Ogres out of sync, and I caught a break from the barrage. I leaned forward and sped toward them, casting another Shadow Web, commanding the darkness to hold them down.
The shadows shot out tendrils at the ogres again. But this time, since I hadn’t empowered it, it was only large enough to hold down one of the Ogres. It struggled against the web, and it was clear that his strength would prevail eventually. But he was out of the picture for the moment, reducing the number of enemies that could gang up on me to two.
“Freeze,” I raised my palm toward the still standing Ogre, pouring my dark mana into his limbs, forcing them to stop moving. With a flick of thought I launched my dagger at him, soaring through the air.
The dagger hit, directly over the heart, but didn’t strike deep enough to cause major damage, the Freeze effect on that Ogre wasn’t strong enough for the dagger’s Sacrifice ability to kick in.
The Ogre ignored the dagger embedded in its chest, grabbed its club and charged at me. The one I had hit with my Blood Wrath also recovered and was standing up, collecting his club.
I concentrated on my dagger still inside the Ogre body, and made it go upward, slicing open my enemy. I could feel the Ogre’s innate defenses resisting my efforts, forcing me to invest more mana to increase the dagger's strength, so it could perform the maneuver. I also shot two Drilling Arrows at it, for good measure, reducing him to 50% of his health.
But still, it was not enough to stop them. Seconds later, the two Ogres charged at me with raised clubs, and I once again activated my Mana Shield around me, absorbing the hits. This time, thanks to my increased skill levels, no damage came through, but that only meant that more mana was drained as a result.
I was down to 40% of my mana.
I launched another two Drilling Arrows and forced the dagger to cause more damage, bringing the Ogre down to 20% health. Goddamn tough bastards.
Then, with a roar, the third ensnared Ogre broke free of my web, and charged me as well.
As before, the three were raining blow on my shield, draining my mana in an alarming speed. I had a sense of Deja Vu.
I looked through my shield at the Ogres around me, and clenched my teeth. “You bastards want to play? Bring it on!” I gave in to rage, maniacally launching arrow after arrow at the Ogres around me, making the dagger zoom from one to the other, wounding them all, but not enough to kill any.
The last of my mana pool drained quickly. 20%... 10%... 0%
Just as before, the descending clubs finally smashed away the shield and s
truck at me, my new enhanced body took the blows better than before, but I was still overwhelmed. One club hit my shoulder, forcing me down to my knees. Another slammed into my back, dropping me on my face.
50% health remaining.
Then the third club came down, aimed straight at my head. There was no way I could dodge that hit.
And I didn’t.
The club connected with my skull and then the ground.
But I didn’t die.
Instead of killing me, the club merely passed harmlessly through my head, as if I was made of air.
This was a special, ‘get out of jail’ trump card I had just received. It was a passive ability called Nihilator’s Sanction. Once per day, it allowed me to transform into a being of pure shadow for a short while rather than dying from mass damage.
I started laughing maniacally. My voice sounded hollow and high pitched, mad. Even to my own ears.
I rose to my feet, staring with amusement at the bewildered Ogres around me.
One of them swung at me, it's club passing harmlessly through my shadow body. I smirked.
To me, the shadows on the ground around pulsated with energy. I could feel it thrumming in my body through my feet. I drew power into me from the shadowed ground, drinking it in, restoring my health back to full, but leaving my mana quite drained. I stood there, looking at the befuddled Ogres, and laughed at their stupid expressions. In this form I was untouchable, but I also could not harm them. It allowed a tier 2 boss to escape death’s door and regroup. As a player facing a boss, it was a very annoying ability. But as a boss… It felt awesome!
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