by EA Hooper
Vincent leapt onto a broken wall that many Justiciars had taken cover behind. He released his first Black Cinder, and then dove away as they fired off attacks. He rolled across the ground, trying to keep momentum as the dirt exploded from flying spells.
The old man jumped to his feet, ducked, and sprinted around groups of Justiciars. A few more attacks struck his side, but he ignored them and chugged a mega-ether. A mana bolt shattered the bottle, but he’d already drunk enough. He pivoted and blasted the army with a second Black Cinder.
Groups of Justiciars to his right emerged from their cover, having drank potions. One fired a Mana Cannon that ripped through Vincent’s armor and bloodied his chest. The Ranger tumbled back, but managed to catch his footing. He saw his allies charging from the corner of his eye, and they forced the Justiciars back with mana blasts.
Vincent gathered mana from the rune before he unleashed a third Black Cinder on the cowering Justiciars. Dozens of men melted away from the embers, and dozens more found their hands, arms, legs, and shoulders full of holes. The men screamed and burned, and many tried to flee. However, the Jiminy World Crickets circled around the Justiciars and gunned down any man that stood from cover.
Xan ran up to Vincent and healed his wounds, but the old man was distracted by the mass destruction they’d caused. Several blocks of the city had been torn to pieces by their battle, and dust covered everything. He looked at his hands and noticed that even he was covered in blood and dust from players he’d slain.
>Athena: We’re winning! This war is good as done!
>Lloyd: This isn’t close to over. Lucas probably wanted our void users weakened before they reached him. They’re the only ones that can stop him, and he knows that. The rest of us are mere cannon fodder. Besides, we know from our intel that Lucas has stronger Justiciars than these. He has elite soldiers and a few high-level players that might challenge Xan and her friends.
>River: Ugh, that lightning guy was bad enough. You’re telling me he wasn’t even their best guy?
>Lloyd: Not even close. I get the feeling Lucas put him to the front to clear out our weakest soldiers.
>Vincent: I noticed that too. He didn’t even try to fight me. His spells were better developed for clearing out groups of weaker enemies. They only wanted to whittle away at our army, so their stronger people can focus on us.
Jim and Quinn regrouped with Vincent and Xan. They all swapped to undamaged armor, healed, and refilled their mana. Their army had scattered to hunt down fleeing Justiciars, but they soon gathered to collect potions off their dead enemies. Vincent guessed about a hundred Crickets had survived the first part of the war.
He peered around at the streets full of dust and couldn’t even guess how many had died between both sides. Thousands. Their deaths might not be permanent, but they suffered all the same. I can only hope this war will be worth all this pain.
Chapter 33
Player: Lucas the Chosen Lord
Location: Valahym (World) | Midrun (City) | The Lord’s Castle (District)
Class: Sheriff (Moderator)
Vitality*: Lv 123
Spirit*: Lv 130
Resolve*: Lv 128
Perception*: Lv 129
Agility*: Lv 125
Strength*: Lv 123
Lucas watched the holographic projection of the battlefield on the large, rune-plated table he’d placed in the great hall. He tapped his fingers impatiently as the battle went back and forth. Several times, Erik cheered, thinking their side had the advantage, but Lucas remained quiet even as the battle turned in favor of the Jiminy World Crickets.
Fynn and Farah stood beside the table, waiting until they needed to step outside of the castle. They both paid attention to the fighting styles of the four players that Lucas wanted them to target.
“I like her butterflies,” Farah said, watching Alexandria the Ashen drain the light from dozens of Justiciars. “And that handsome guy Jim is pretty smooth on the battlefield. What do you think of them, Fynn?”
The Wolf Lord’s eyes narrowed on Vincent as he charged toward a crowd of Justiciars and released waves of black embers that ate through their shields, armor, and flesh. “I see why you wanted to weaken them first. If we sent all our best men at him at once, he’d slaughter everyone with those void spells. We need to think this through strategically.”
“Any ideas?” Farah asked.
Fynn equipped a long crystal, activated it, and tossed to Lucas. “Catch.”
The rows of elite Justiciars in the great hall turned their head with nervous jerks, wondering what he was throwing at their lord, but Lucas remained calm as he caught the item.
“That’s a rare Checkpoint Crystal,” Fynn told him. “I only have one left, and it’s one-use only, but from what I’ve seen I think I’ll need it. If I die, all the items on my body will be transported to that crystal, and I’ll respawn after a few seconds.”
Lucas nodded, but his eyes stayed on the holographic projection. He watched as Vincent stared at the dust on his hands.
What’s he thinking? I know nothing of this mysterious nemesis of mine. Just that he’s a friend of Jim. Why does he think he can stand against me? What’s so inspiring about him that would make these people risk facing me? Whatever the reason, they’ll regret it soon enough. I’ll punish them all—especially him.
He watched the remnants of the enemy forces continue toward the streets where Gwendolyn, Quinton, and their chosen support team waited in hiding.
“This’ll be good,” Farah said. “I’ve seen what Gwen and Quint can do, and I would’ve loved to have them on my team when I was on higher worlds. Their little trap is particularly devilish.”
“Well, you two should go prepare,” Lucas said, finally speaking.
Farah pouted. “I wanted to watch.”
“Go now,” Lucas commanded. He looked at the rows of Justiciars, fifty-six players in total. “My elites, I’d like all players primarily classed as Wardens, Mages, Clerics, or Rangers to go with these two. Provide them whatever support you can. However, Fighters and Rogues will remain with me.”
Farah raised an eyebrow. “You have something planned?”
“Yes, I do,” Lucas said, smiling. “But don’t worry about that. Focus on wearing down our enemies. No matter how much they’ve prepared, they’ll only have so much equipment and so many potions.”
Farah’s glossy lips curled into a smile. “Wear them down? That’s pretty much my specialty.” She looked at the thirty-two soldiers that had gathered. “Come along, boys and girls. I want Wardens to the front and Clerics to the back. Let’s draw this fight out as long as possible.” She walked out of the great hall, and the men marched behind her.
Fynn glanced at the holographic projection, and then left without saying a word.
“That’s good thinking, my lord,” Erik told Lucas. “Players with magic or long-range builds won’t be much use for what you have planned.”
Lucas looked at the projection without replying. He watched explosions dance across the screen as Gwendolyn and Quinton set their plan into motion. Buildings crumbled, and members of the enemy guild died left and right. However, Lucas’s eyes stayed on Vincent.
Chapter 34
Player: Vincent the Eldritch
Location: Valahym (World) | Midrun (City) | Town Center (District)
Class: Ranger
Subclass: Mage
Vitality: Lv 165 (+20)
Spirit*: Lv 174 (+20)
Resolve: Lv 153 (+20)
Perception*: Lv 180 (+20)
Agility: Lv 163 (+20)
Strength: Lv 162 (+20)
Vincent and the remnants of their army had been running down the street toward the diaglass tower when the enemies struck. Jim shouted that he saw a Justiciar on the rooftop, and then forty enemies leapt toward them at once. With Vincent’s superhuman sight and reflexes, he caught the glimpse of a Lotus Capsule between one person’s teeth.
>Vincent: Run!
The explosi
ons sounded all around Vincent, shaking the city street, as enemies fell into their army and detonated themselves. He hurled himself away from a Justiciar that tried to tackle him, and watched them explode, killing several nearby Crickets. Two more Justiciars ran from an alley toward Vincent, but he fired Void Guns through their heads.
He heard the flutter of someone using Vanish behind him. Few players would’ve caught the subtle sound over the explosions, but with his high Perception, he noticed many details others would miss. He turned, felt someone touch his side, and found the person had Vanished away.
A flash of light came from Vincent’s side, and an explosion knocked him off his feet. His Gravity Shield and hardened-verasteel armor withstood the damage, but the blast had shaken him. He rolled to his feet as a flickering person appeared in front of him, touched the ground, and Vanished once more. The ground exploded, knocking him toward several Justiciars as they self-detonated in the crowd.
The multi-colored explosion of mana shattered parts of his armor, but his shield drained small amounts of his mana to lessen the damage. Several smaller explosions tore apart the surrounding ground, and he realized they’d come from a different source.
Vincent ran for the nearest alleyway, but explosions ripped the buildings apart before he reached it. He saw the angle of the shots and turned to Scan the two enemies on a rooftop: a scrawny girl that barely looked old enough to play the game, and a slim, slick-haired man that carried two large, portable rune cannons.
Player: Grinning Gwendolyn
Class: Rogue
Subclass: Mage
Real Age: 18
Highest World: Loxus
Vitality: Lv 126 (+10)
Spirit*: Lv 153 (+10)
Resolve: Lv 142 (+10)
Perception: Lv 133 (+10)
Agility*: Lv 159 (+10)
Strength: Lv 127 (+10)
Player: Bombardier Quinton
Class: Ranger
Subclass: Mage
Real Age: 22
Highest World: Einrale
Vitality: Lv 133 (+10)
Spirit*: Lv 149 (+10)
Resolve: Lv 141 (+10)
Perception*: Lv 155 (+10)
Agility: Lv 135 (+10)
Strength: Lv 132 (+10)
Vincent launched a Void Gun at Quinton, but the slick-haired man sidestepped it and fired back with his portable rune cannons. The old man raced across the street as buildings exploded from the shots. Pieces of rubble flew at him, but his Gravity Shield nullified the damage. He felt his mana running low and equipped a mega-ether.
Gwendolyn appeared in front of him and tagged his mega-ether with crystalized mana before disappearing.
Vincent tossed the potion away from himself, but quickly Scanned the spell stuck to it before it exploded.
Hard-Mana Grenade (Upgraded) – Mana Usage: Medium | Magic Rating: 100-300 | Creates a dense crystal of hardened mana that explodes after three seconds. The damage of the explosion greatly diminishes beyond one meter. | Upgrades – Sticky Bomb: The user can spend a minuscule amount of mana to give this spell a clinging effect. | Timer Tamper: The user can set the timer of this spell anywhere between half a second and thirty seconds.
“Yoo-hoo!” Gwen called, reappearing nearby with a smile. “Try again, pal.”
Quinn appeared in front of Gwen and struck her in the stomach with Gravity Fist. The wide-eyed girl flew into a building below Quinton’s feet, demolishing it. The man jumped off the collapsing building to a nearby one, and he blasted at Quinn with his rune cannons.
Quinn Vanished twice in a row, disappearing into the clouds of smoke that filled the street, and Quinton turned to Vincent as the old man equipped another potion. The younger man aimed his rune cannons and fired multiple shots.
Rune-covered shells fell from the cannons with each shot, and Vincent knew the man only had so many attacks in his weapons. He dashed back and forth across the street, dodging the attacks, but also keeping himself in Quinton’s sight.
Keep wasting your ammo on me. I need to keep as many of my friends alive as possible.
As Vincent dashed back across the street, Gwendolyn appeared, tripped him, and tagged him with three Hard-Mana Grenades she’d gathered in one hand. Vincent’s eyes widened as he tumbled across the street.
She’s still alive?
Quinton aimed at Vincent and bombarded him as the crystalline mana exploded. The attacks ripped apart Vincent’s armor and his chest cavity. It fractured most of the bones in his body and tore his limbs to shreds. His mangled body hit the ground next to a cloud of dust, and he gaped at Gwendolyn and Quinton on the rooftop. The copy of Gwendolyn that had tagged him winked and disappeared just after he Scanned it.
Mana Doppelganger (Rogue Only | Upgraded) – Mana Usage: Medium | Creates a doppelganger strengthened by mana. The user can spend a minuscule amount of mana every ten seconds to move the doppelganger and maintain it. The user may channel their spells through the doppelganger at a 10% cost increase. The doppelganger can’t use shields, however, and all its weapons and armor are treated as if they have a 100 Magic Rating and no Material Rating. | Upgrade – Recycle: If the user dissipates this doppelganger before it takes lethal damage, they’ll get back a low+ amount of mana.
The light went out in Vincent’s eyes as Xan emerged from the nearest dust cloud. His vision faded, but then returned as she cast Revive. Xan equipped her Divine Healer’s Pendant, used her once-a-day Full Restore, and finally pulled Vincent away as mana blasts ripped apart the ground.
Vincent picked up his speed, and the two players split apart. Xan hurried back to the cloud for cover, but Vincent stayed in the open. He got ready to fire at the players on the rooftop, but then they jumped away from Jim’s Void Crow. The crow circled around, trying to swoop at the players again, but Gwendolyn used Vanish, and Quinton’s reflexes seemed too sharp to get caught by the attack.
Quinton jumped from rooftop to rooftop and searched around until he found Jim holding onto a Gravity Web high above the buildings. The Rogue leapt to safety just before the enemy fired on him.
Vincent launched Void Gun at Quinton, but the Justiciar sidestepped the spell.
“Look out!” Lloyd shouted, jumping between Vincent and Gwendolyn as she reappeared. She tagged Lloyd, twirled around his sword slash, flipped him off, and then Vanished. Lloyd looked down at the shards stuck to his chest. “Crap.”
“Dad!” Athena shouted, right before the blast tore her father to pieces. She ran to him to use Revive, but he turned to dust before she reached him.
“Too slow,” Gwendolyn mocked as she appeared beside the Mage-Cleric. She went to tag Athena with mana crystals, but a spherical barrier appeared around her, trapping her.
“Got you!” River said, stepping from the cloud of dust with her hands held up. “Now, choke on your own explosion.”
“I’m not the real one, idiot,” Gwendolyn said, flipping off River. She stuck out her tongue, and then exploded.
Quinton fired a few shots at their group, and they scattered in different directions. He couldn’t focus his attention for long, however, as Jim finished a mega-ether and fired at the building.
“How do you drink potions so fast?” Quinton shouted, leaping across the rooftop and firing back at Jim.
“I’m an alcoholic!” Jim replied, shooting Mana Magnums at Quinton. With his Steady Aim and Sniper Dot upgrade, he chipped away at Quinton’s shield and even broke one of his light armor plates.
Quinton swapped his rune cannons for two fresh ones, turned, and fired the rounds until the cannons glowed red hot. The man that had seemed calm-natured and focused so far, despite all the destruction he’d caused, roared as he blasted at Jim. The building below Jim’s feet crumbled, but Jim’s Air-vanish upgrade let him disappear even as the roof disappeared under his feet.
Quinn jumped onto the building from behind the gunman and Vanished toward him, but he noticed and leapt away. He aimed in mid-air, but she swatted him with Gravity Wave. The attack
slammed him into a tower across the street, demolishing several floors.
Vincent had watched the battle, allowing it to look like he’d let his guard down, but he kept his ears open. He heard a light flutter in the distance, and then another behind him. With his superhuman reflexes, he angled a finger over his shoulder and fired a blind Mana Magnum that tore through one of Gwendolyn’s doppelgangers.
“Wow, you’re good,” the doppelganger said before fading.
The first flutter came from that alley. The real her is hiding over there somewhere.
Vincent sprinted toward the alley. Another Gwendolyn stepped around the corner and flashed a bewildered look before he cut through her with Song of War. Vincent turned the corner to find the real Gwendolyn sitting against the wall of a building. She held a rune tablet in her hands that displayed a view of the street where they’d been fighting, and several empty potion bottles lay on the ground.
“Uh oh,” Gwendolyn said, turning her head to Vincent as he raised his fingers. She Vanished the full distance the spell allowed, but looked surprised when Vincent didn’t fire right away.
Vincent turned and fired Void Gun through her chest, and the young woman collapsed to the dirt. She grabbed at the gaping hole in her chest and gasped.
Gwendolyn gave Vincent a tearful look that made him feel guilty. “Spare me, and I’ll help you.”
“Kind of a cliché response from someone so full of surprises,” Vincent told her. “It’s really too bad you took Lucas’s side.”
“I—I just thought it was fun,” she said. “This is still a game, you know?”
Vincent swung Song of War and used Singing Blade to decapitate Gwendolyn from a distance. He sighed and hurried back to the street as he drank a mega-ether. His eyes tracked Quinn, Jim, River, and Athena as they neared a building where Quinton had taken refuge. The injured Justiciar only had one of his rune cannons, and it looked like Jim had sliced off his other arm with Void Crow.