Life Reset: EvP (Environment vs. Player) (New Era Online Book 2)
Page 27
Quest Updated: Dark Missionary
You have dedicated a place of worship to The Cult of Nihilator.
Remaining places of worship to dedicate: 1
Time remaining: 17 days
“HA HA HA, you have done well, my minion,” Nihilator’s voice sounded, coming from his new shrine.
By now the bodies of the dwarf and the Ogre had melted into pools of darkness, oozing down the shrine.
“Hmmm, how interesting. The essence of a demon and the essence of the once divine, coming together on my shrine. How … quaint.”
Instead of coalescing into new void crystals, the two pools of darkness flowed into each other, merging together into a single puddle.
“You shall not have the crystals, my greedy minion. But do not fret, Nihilator rewards his loyal minions. Behold!”
The puddle of darkness flowed over the shrine, rippling but maintaining its shape without a container to hold it. I distractedly put the new level-up attribute point into Mental as I watched events unfold around me.
A shape slowly emerged from the puddle, first, a head appeared, then hands, torso, and legs. The pool subsided as the body grew out of it until it vanished completely.
Standing on the altar, looking around him with small, beady eyes, was Kuzai.
But it wasn’t the same Kuzai. Though he still looked to be mostly a dwarf, his appearance was greatly changed.
His skin had become deep grey, like a corpse. He was completely bald, without a trace of his previous proud beard. His head was thinner and elongated, with a pointy chin and sharp, long ears. His fingers were twice as long as before and had three knuckles on them. He looked like a nightmare version of a dwarf, one whose name was used to scare small dwarven kids into obedience.
The creature – Kuzai – looked at me. His lips peeled back in a sneer, exposing gleaming sharp teeth.
Kuzai, Aberration, Acolyte of Nihilator
Level: 28
Type: Boss Tier 1 [Priest]
HP: 354/354, MP: 541/541
Attributes: P: 11; M: 20; S: 1
Skills: Mace 21, Shield 21, Control Shadow 18, Shadow Heal 18, Banish Good 10
Traits: Half-Demon, Shadow-Touched
Resistances: Physical 25%, Magic 20%, Fire 50%, Mental 50%, Holy -100%
Description: After being sacrificed on Nihilator's shrine, Kuzai’s soul became mixed with that of a demon. Intrigued by the paradox, Nihilator allowed the new mixed soul to be reborn as his faithful minion, instead of devouring it.
I stared at this obviously unnatural being, speechless.
“I am reborn,” the creature that used to be Kuzai said in a flat, whispery voice, He lowered his gaze, examining his own hands. “The Master demands obedience; we are all his servants.”
That was unexpected. Kuzai was now a monster, a boss one. His stats were impressive but still lower than mine. Though he was three levels above me, my higher boss tier more than made up the difference.
I blinked a few times, trying to wrap my head around this new development.
“Yeah, sure. All hail the master,” I said, still trying to figure out what was going on. “You mean Nihilator, right?”
“You DARE utter the master’s name!” The creature’s nostrils widened. “You are unworthy! Perishhhh!”
He directed his palm at me and I felt his will manipulating the shadows around me. Patches of darkness swelled, threatening to bury me.
I raised my hand as well, channeling my mana, resisting and countering his influence with ease. The darkness slowly deflated, returning to normal.
“Now listen here,” I growled. “Play nice or I’ll sacrifice you again.”
“So, it has power,” Kuzai muttered. “The mark of the master is seared on its flesh. But it is a lowly goblin! It cannot be worthy of such honor. How could it be? Ah … it wields power … and magic. Yes, the master always chooses his servants well.”
The creature continued talking to himself. On the bright side, while he was talking he wasn’t trying to kill me, so I had that going for me.
Kuzai jerked up his head and studied me. “Oh, it has a companion. A being of shadow-weave and blood. Come here, minion of a minion.”
To my surprise, Vicloak disengaged from my shoulders and slithered, still in his cloak shape, to the mentally unstable dwarf.
What are you doing, Vic?
Vic reached Kuzai. The dwarf held up his hand, and Vic flowed into his open palm, condensing himself into a purple ball.
“That’s enough,” I said sternly.
Kuzai raised his eyes and looked at me steadily. “Minions should learn their place.”
I could feel his will clenching, pressing down on Vic’s mana-made body. I could have probably resisted what came next, but everything happened so quickly, I was still trying to figure out what was going on.
The purple ball started leaking mana, becoming smaller and smaller.
I got a grip on myself and tried to counter Kuzai actions, but it was already too late. All the mana was promptly withdrawn from Vic, and the only thing that remained of my companion’s body was a few drops of blood, dripping between the creature’s fingers onto the ground.
“You made your point,” I hissed, clenching my fists to stop myself from blasting away that conceited dwarf. Despite the provocation, there was no reason to go to war over his little display. After all, I could resummon Vic in a heartbeat.
My eyes flashed with anger as I examined his uncaring expression. “So I take it you’re also a priest of Nihilator?”
He bristled as I dared utter the name again, but restrained himself with visible effort. “I am the master’s most devoted servant,” he declared proudly. “I shall forever follow his command.”
“That’s awesome, good for you,” I said dryly. “I wish you all the best. I’ll be going now.” I turned my back on him and started walking away.
I was bluffing, of course.
“Wait!”
And it seemed to be working. I stopped and looked back at the dwarf. He began to slowly circle me. “The master has marked it,” he muttered again. “It is bound on the pain of death, and oh … it was to be devoured.”
Surprisingly, he finished that sentence with a tone of respect.
“What are you going on about?” I demanded.
“The master wished to devour you. You were deemed worthy of such an honor. Whereas I …” he looked down, “… I was unworthy. My essence was rejected. My fate was to be reincarnated instead.”
Okay, now I missed having Vic around. With his body gone, something about the dark energies permeating the chamber blocked our mindlink. He would have said something along the lines of, ‘That deranged puppet’s deepest wish is to be devoured by a larger, even more deranged puppet?’ I shook my head. Yeah, Vic would probably make a better punchline than that.
“Yes, that’s right.” It was time to dazzle him with how close Nihilator and I were. “I’m Nihilator’s head priest. I offer him sacrifices, feeding him until he grows strong enough to break his chains. Oh, and he also taught me some useful skills. We’re buddies, really. Bros almost. He touched me in a special way, putting his binding rune into me. You think he does that with just anyone he meets?”
On second thought, maybe it was a good thing Vic wasn’t around to hear me say that.
Kuzai lowered his head. “It is favored by the master. I shall offer my services.” He looked back at me “A piece of my essence once commanded this place. As such, I offer you the choice to do with it as you please. In the end, all our achievements are to the glory of our master.”
You have
defeated the leaders of the Ogre Fort.
As a boss, you may choose to take command of the settlement or demolish it. Demolish/Control?
Well, that was a step on the right track. I wondered why I hadn’t received this prompt earlier. Without hesitation, I selected ‘Control.’ After all, that was the whole purpose of coming here.
You have taken control of a new settlement.
Name: Ogre Fort
Type: Fort
Garrison: 1 boss [priest]
Buildings: Shrine
Well, that was underwhelming. The only value this fort had to offer was the Ogres themselves. Slightly disappointing, but I had achieved my goal.
Granted Quest Completed: Raid Ogre Lair
Malkyr, Hoshisu awarded: 200 reputation, 500 XP, 170 gold. Potion Belt (Malkyr), Assassin Needle Ring (Hoshisu)
I chuckled. Good for them.
I looked at the crudely constructed shrine. It was made of rough stone and decorated with pieces of broken bones. Ogres weren’t great builders it seemed.
Despite its appearance, the shrine was projecting an almost overwhelming sense of raw power. Waves of condensed blackness pulsed regularly, intensifying the darkness around us. The energy resonated with me. It felt comforting to stand that close to a source of power so attuned to my own. I laid my hands on the rough surface and felt the energy thrumming through my body, filling me with a sense of power.
“This place is worthy of the master,” Kuzai declared. “It is a place of deep darkness, free from the accursed light of the heavens. In here, our master’s power is undiluted. Pure.”
“I can feel it.” In fact, I almost didn’t hear him over the roar of energy running through me.
I withdrew my hands from the shrine and something caught my eye. An elongated object on the ground was partially obstructed by the shrine. It looked like Jawbreaker left behind some loot. I moved around the shrine and picked up the object. It was one of the demon’s long, straight horns.
Demon Horn Staff
Description: The horn maintained some of the demon’s infernal powers before he was banished back into the abyss. It is exceptionally durable and can double as a spear. Three bloodstones are embedded along the shaft.
Runecraft viability: 4 runes
Type: Two-handed
Rank: Rare
Durability: 300/300
Damage: 45-50
Effect I: +10 Mental when calculating mana regeneration
Effect II: Can store up to three magical charges that can be cast instantly
The staff was shaped like a narrow cone with a wide butt and a sharpened point on the other end. A circular groove ran along its length and it had three gems embedded along its upper half. It was nearly two meters long, but it was light enough for me to wield with ease. It’s high time I upgraded some of my equipment, I reflected. This staff was a significant step up from my old Feathered staff. Though it would mean I’d also lose the item-set bonus as well, the boost it offered to mana regen was negligible at my power level. Besides, I was planning on replacing the rest of my gear anyway.
I inventoried my old staff and gripped the new one, then turned to the dark dwarf to inform him of the bad news. “I need you to stay here.”
Kuzai stared at me, unblinking.
“I intend to raise a Dark Temple to serve the master, back at my clan,” I explained. “It will become the focal point of condensed darkness, funneled in from other shrines, like this one. Someone has to stay behind and channel this shrine’s power.”
He averted his gaze. “It wants to leave me behind.”
He’s talking to himself again, great.
“But it also intends to raise a Dark Temple to the glory of the master. I will serve the master best by working at the temple. I shall go with it.”
He looked up at me. “I will go with you back to your clan.”
“Yeah, I got that.” I rolled my eyes. “I still need someone to stay here and maintain the shrine.”
“This is an inconsequential complication.” He closed his eyes, concentrating.
I could feel him redirecting his mana back at himself. Weird.
Then, with a soft pop, Kuzai’s shadow separated from him. The shadow grew into a three-dimensional creature, solidifying before my eyes. A perfect black replica of the dwarf himself.
“My shadow will remain behind and maintain the holy shrine,” Kuzai declared. “It is an inconvenience, but it will do for now. At least, until you send another to replace it.” The shadow obediently moved to stand in front of the shrine.
“How did you do that?” I looked at him with newfound respect.
“It is asking how to wield the master’s gift,” he mumbled.
Yeah, I missed Vic. Well, now was a good time to get him back. I resummoned my companion, investing 400 health and 800 mana, almost my entire pool to form up his body.
Vic’s amorphous purple body appeared, floating in the air, as large as a dinner table. Once I stemmed the flow of health and mana, it transformed, taking Vic’s familiar goblin shape. He was now as tall as me.
“What took you so long?” he blurted. “Good job sticking up for me by the way.” He glared at Kuzai, who looked at us impartially.
“Sorry Vic, it all happened too fast. But we talked and we understand each other better now. This won’t happen again.” I shot the nonchalant dwarf a warning look.
“That’s not good enough!” he fumed. “Do you realize the extent of this situation’s severity – what it meant that I was put down like that?”
“Yeah, I get it. Kuzai has a similar ability to mine and can manipulate Dark Mana.” Which makes him dangerous, I added silently.
“I’m not talking about that!” Vic stomped his foot. “Without my body, I lost precious opportunities. All those excellent puns and chances to poke at you two ‘Priests of Dorkness’ – all gone!”
I chuckled. “You better watch out for Kuzai from now on. I don’t think he takes your jokes well.”
“Bah, I can work around him. He’s so obtuse I could joke-juggle beyond his comprehension and get away with it.”
I shrugged, “Suit yourself; it’s your own body at risk.”
I turned back to the dwarf. “So, care to let me in on how you control your shadow like that?”
Kuzai gave me superior look. “Is it unaware of the power the master has bestowed upon it? Why, even the lowliest of –”
“Save it.” I waved at him dismissively. I didn’t really need his help, now that I saw him doing it.
Mimicking the dwarf, I concentrated and channeled my mana into my own shadow. Dark mana and shadow combined together easily, as if made for each other. I could feel the reins of absolute control over my shadow, much more than when I manipulated the environment’s shadows. The sensation was a lot like dominating another creature, except here I was dominating a part of myself. There was no resistance to break through, no conflict. With a soft pop of its own, my shadow disengaged from me and grew, becoming a three-dimensional shape.
I was unprepared for what followed. I wobbled on my feet, overwhelmed by a bombardment of sensations. I was simultaneously looking through two sets of eyes, hearing through two sets of ears, feeling the cold air on the skin of my two bodies.
The disparity between the two viewpoints threatened to overwhelm me. I closed my real eyes firmly, seeing only through my shadow. That helped a little, but it still felt wrong. I was looking from a point of view that was out of sync with my real body. Bodies. One of them anyway. The misalignment was confusing and disturbing, to say the least.
That was another, previously unknown, side effect of living inside NEO. Another example of how the rules of this world could play with my perceptions and wreak havoc on my senses in a way humans were never meant to feel.
Keeping my eyes firmly closed and holding still, I looked through my shadow at my real body. ‘Unsettling’ didn’t come close to describing the experience. ‘Creepy’ was closer.
I took one step and bo
th my bodies moved. I concentrated more, letting go of the controls of my own body and moved again. This time only my shadow body moved. That’s better.
Then, with no one to control it, my physical body collapsed to the ground. Crap.
I let go of the shadow copy, releasing my control. The shadow diminished back into a two-dimensional figure and reconnected with my body.
I opened my eyes and found myself on the cold, hard floor, sweating and shivering. This was a harrowing experience.
“It understands now. Though not well,” Kuzai cackled.
New Dark Mana ability discovered: Shadow Clone
You may separate your shadow from your body and control it as a separate entity. Any action carried out by the shadow requires mana, even simply walking.
As the distance between the shadow clone and your physical body increases, so too does the mana requirement. Similarly, the strength of spells cast by the clone declines as the distance increases.
I clutched my head with both hands.
I’m fine now, Vic. It was true, though that brief, multi-body experience had given me a splitting headache.
Still, it was a nice addition to my Dark Mana repertoire that up until now consisted of only three abilities: Freeze, Dominate, and Sense Emotion.
It looked like we were done here. “Let’s go.”
“Wait.” Kuzai scowled at me. “You do not wish to show your devotion at the master’s altar?”
“Not really.”
“You must pray,” he insisted.
I could tell he was going to be difficult about it, so I went to the shrine. Standing next to Kuzai’s shadow, I placed my hands over the rough, bone structure. I concentrated, letting the sense of power wash over me.
I stood there for a while, breathing, letting the roaring energy run through me. After a few moments, I received a new message.