'This is a mistake, Hierophant.' the mental voice is flat, hard and implacable, so much so that it catches me off-guard for a moment, especially once it's followed by a powerful beat of wings and the landing of an armored angel. I turn to look at the Arcadian Avenger who just landed on the roof with me, already questioning the wisdom of my choices.
Normally that could've annoyed me, someone questioning me like that. Not a lot, I don't yet have that kind of ego, but no one likes to be told they're being dumb. Especially when it's true. Even as I watch the metaphoric gears turn in Tattletale's head over my offer, I realize it's not, probably, the cleverest deal I'll ever make. That much money, for something she should be offering herself? It's a waste.
Thing is, I don't care. Money means nothing to me anymore. If having her helping me shaves off a minute or two from the time it takes me to find Oni Lee, that's dollars well spent.
Or at least that's what I thought, before the embodiment of Order and Justice standing next to me spoke up. There's something about the sheer presence of a being saturated in, no, entirely made of the very concept of Law and Good that makes one rethink your notions. At least I got them to stop calling me 'lord'. I like the Avengers, especially Nu-Antef, but boy can they be stuffy.
She continues after a moment, evidently taking my silence as an indication to proceed. 'I understand the need to make whatever allies one can in an emergency. But you haven't reached out to any of the legitimate authorities. You haven't even told them that this Oni Lee is coming for them. Your actions fit ill into the rules of this situation.'
Ah. Um.
I open my mouth to answer and then close it. Why didn't I just call the PRT the moment I found out about the whole threat coming up? I rack my brains, but the answer is slow to come. And not a cheerful thing when it does come.
Because it didn't occur to me to do so. It simply wasn't among the options I considered. I suppress a wince. No one can be more aware than me of how out of my depths I truly am, but this level of Tunnel Vision is a bit too much.
That being said, there's only so much self-flagellation I can swallow. 'It's been like ten minutes since I found out, Nu. And contacting the Protectorate is easier said than done. There are IVRs and switchboards to get through, and then they doubt you till the last second'. I answer. Admittedly I haven't ever actually tried it, but it's how governments do things, and I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime.
'That is an unworthy excuse for one such as you, Hierophant. And these would-be allies of yours are not acting quickly either.' Nu points out in response.
And I can't fault that. It's only been like five seconds since I made her the offer, but Tattletale hasn't said or done anything. She's just been staring… at Nu-Antef.
Oh, goddamn it. Man of Mystery doesn't protect others.
I reach forward and snap my fingers in front of Tattletale, breaking her out of her reverie. She blinks rapidly, looking from me to Nu several times in quick succession.
"…right. So, you need me to find Oni Lee. But I don't know, Hierophant." She pauses at the name, saying it mockingly, as if it was a joke. It probably is, to her.
"I get that Lung will turn into a big monster and try to kill everyone. But see, me and my team? We've seen that already, and we got away just fine. You, on the other hand, seem to consider this whole thing way too important. Just waving us off with a single mil is kinda small, don't you think?" she picks up steam as she goes. By the time she stops, it's as if she was never shocked into silence by looking at the Arcadian Avenger at all.
Thanks to having Detect Thoughts on, I can tell exactly what she's thinking, and… yeah, I have nothing. She's seeing this as a good opportunity to negotiate, taking my earnestness as desperation. An attempt to hold the well-being of the city hostage, to get herself some more cash. It'd be enraging and twisted, if I couldn't just see into her head and read how… sad it is.
She's terrified. This whole situation is everything she hates, and whatever she saw about Nu-Antef shook her on every level. She's trying to feel back in control by screwing me over. It would behoove me as the person with all the advantages and the maturity here to allow it, to let her feel back in control so we could cooperate.
Thing is, I'm not that nice a person. Never was, never will be.
"It's sad. I was hoping there would be something, anything I could use to justify not bringing the hammer down on this club of yours, Tats. Such is life, though." I speak up with a sadness in my voice I do really feel.
As the words wash over the Undersiders and they rear up to attack, I cast a Maximized Mass Sleep on all of them. Turning to Nu, I speak. "Have them be secured somewhere, I'll want to have another talk when the whole city isn't at the risk of burning down." As the Avenger nods, I continue "And have everyone pull back and take positions around the Rig. If we can't find Oni Lee, we'll just have to fortify the Rig while I talk to the protectorate. Maybe we can neutralize Lung pre…" I trail off.
Having raised my INT as much as I have, it has boosted my senses to something truly absurd. I have to focus, but I can hear basically anything over a normal conversational tone from many, many blocks away.
It also means I can hear louder noises from that much further away. Loud noises, like, oh, a man roaring and screaming at the top of his lungs as he transforms into a Dragon. Bloody hell, this world never fucking stops, does it?
Turning to the Avenger, I see her looking in the same direction. She got the information from the mental link, I'm pretty sure. Wordlessly, she gestures towards the edge of the Docks, where the tiniest speck of flame is visible even now. I nod, before a wordless Fly moves me off the roof. I fire off Incarcerous spells at the Undersiders as I go, simplifying the whole 'securing them' thing for the Avengers. Done with that, I switch the full brunt of my attention to the flame I saw, picking up speed even as it starts to grow.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In the air, zooming towards where Lung is already growing into a Dragon, I start switching out my gear. In a weird, perversely twisted way, some part of me is glad for this. I anticipated fighting Lung, spent untold hours designing and crafting gear for it. And while there is no doubt I'd have preferred if I didn't have to use it… well, I might as well.
Red robes melt away into the ether, replaced with strong armor layered with all the enchantments and seals I could put on it. I wonder for a moment if I might not have gone overboard, especially since some of the last few additions I didn't even have time to test properly. But the vast bulk of everything was designed, tested, improved and implemented in several iterations against all manners of devils and gangbangers and devil gangbangers, so it's gonna be fine.
Once the armor is in place, I start pulling out the rest. So here's something fun. Turns out that once you're good enough with enchantments and crafting and have a high enough DEX, there's no functional difference between a gun and a bow. I can do basically everything with this bow that I can do with a gun, which leaves the choice basically aesthetical.
And come on. There isn't an Indian kid who has looked at the archer heroes of the myths and not wanted to be one of them. I actually can.
By the time the last of my gear is in place, I've covered significant ground towards where Lung is rapidly growing into a monster. He's just in from the coast, between the Boat Graveyard and Lord's Market, heading rapidly towards the latter even as he grows. I'm headed to intersect him just before he reaches it, but the way he's accelerating… I come to a stop, picturing a destination just a bit ahead of him, before I twist midair… and find myself forced to dodge before I can apparate.
There was no choice, I had to do it to avoid the bomb that came within an inch of hitting me. It's something I'm way too familiar with by now, another of Bakuda's stock. Looking under, I notice Oni Lee on a roof, moving even as he tosses another three bombs at me.
But I have neither the time or the patience. War spells aren't the only Metamagic Incantatrix allows me to use, and they need not always apply just to D&D spells. An area-of-effect version of the Tripping Jinx later, the teleporter crashes into a wall at his full speed, and a moment later I nail him on the sternum with a Stunner, following it up with a full-body bind, and then a full set of ropes for good measure.
I dismiss the notifications that pop up with a thought, while my Auto-loot informs me that a new skill book, some potions and another fucking 100k dollars have appeared in my inventory. One of the Avengers following behind me swoops down on the cape, picking him up and flying away rapidly. They'll secure the man with Bakuda, I confirm through a mental command. It's just as well.
This does remind me, some stealth is never amiss. I channel MP in a few specific patterns, and I'm rewarded by certain seals coming to life briefly on my person. Sound-absorbing seals to take in all the sounds I'm making, even a general Fuuton-tied scent masking seal that absorbs any scent from me. The Disillusionment Charm is almost unnecessary after those, but why not?
Finally reaching close enough, I Observe Lung.
Takeshi Kenta/Lung
Rage, Forever Burning
The Dragon
Level 97
A gang lord operating in Brockton Bay, Lung is a refugee of Japanese origin, with a Japanese/Chinese family history. Having arrived with nothing to a foreign land, he has carved out an empire for himself with his own two hands, and he will not brook any threats or challenges to it.
Status: Partially Transformed, in process of transforming fully.
Mental Status: Enraged, excited.
Thoughts about you: Rage, Hate. Plans to kill to make an example.
Ah. Charming, as always. I'm told that it takes Lung several minutes of sustained fighting to start visibly changing from the human appearance, and that it needs to be serious fighting, only active dangers to him. If so, the cocktail Toybox made for him was really quite something, because in sheer size Lung is already almost twelve feet, and he's rapidly growing even now, right before my eyes. His skin is a deep, burning blood-red, while long, curved horns poke out of his head. On his back, there's the beginnings of a pair of misshapen wings.
Right now he seems to be headed to destroy Lord's Market, presumably in a bid to draw the city's heroes so he can beat them as a show of power. That, or he could be going for the Empire instead. The tinkertech that got him into this state cost him quite a lot in terms of both Bakuda bombs and cash, and I can't imagine he doesn't intend to get his money's worth. Killing off half the E88 would count, I imagine.
Looking around, there don't seem to be any heroes arriving at the scene just yet. It can't have been long since Oni Lee escaped, and there's the matter of containing whatever he did to their base.
Well… just as well.
I send out a mental command along the link I feel to the Avengers. Unless they see me at the risk of death, they should stay out. I can recover from basically anything with a night's rest. There's no telling what'll happen to them if they get, for instance, burnt to a crisp. In any case, they can't do very much to help. Not here.
Okay, then. To take him down as quickly and effectively as possible, it's better to go overboard than to underpower things. A quick check confirms that I have a full MP bar, and my shiny new gear is just itching to be used.
It takes a moment to set up, as I pull the giant drums out of my inventory and activate the seals that start rapidly weakening the structural integrity of the material. I toss them along certain trajectories, placing them so they come close to where Lung is in a moment. But even as the drums fly, I'm already moving.
Hand seals form, and one after the other, four drums burst as my MP, long since suffused in them, rouses all of the liquid into vigorous, hard motion. A circle of water forms in front of me, and out of it pours all the gallons of water that I stored, lashing out in a gigantic outpour with all the speed and sheer force of a Locomotive.
The Water Release: Giant Vortex catches Lung hard as he does one of his half-jumping, half-flying attempts, blasting into his left side and carrying him away with it. It moves him through the air, over the buildings, pushing him across several streets most of the way to the Atlantic. That's the first target, of course. When the enemy is a huge fire monster, get them as close to the literal ocean as possible.
The water is made more effective by the fact that it's chilling, just short of being completely frozen. A state of affairs I fix rapidly, as I cast the most overpowered Freezing Curse I can on where Lung crashed just a second ago, with a puddle already forming around him.
Cryomortis was converted into Latin by one of the mages of the old Warlock's Council that predated the Wizengamot, and its original, Scandinavian version was invented by the wizards the tales of Jotun people of Norse myth is based on. It's a cruel, terrible spell that is nonetheless brutally effective in what it does, which is to entomb the target into the coldest, deepest sub-zero possible, completely locking them into ice that isn't actually magically inviolable, but is cold enough to be that way to any mundane methods.
The temperature in our surroundings drops like a rock, the hungry spell draining every scrap of warmth from meters around it with every second. It's as if a sphere of cold has formed, a place of absolute zero energy, expanding rapidly. The spell connects a fraction of a second later, and the water in the puddle, and the monster lying in it, freeze rock-solid in an instant. To say that it's cold would be exactly like saying that the depths of the Arctic are cold. It's icy in a way no one who hasn't quite grasped the meaning of dying of cold has grasped. It's a story of hypothermia and frostbite and a thousand other cheerful fates.
And it's what's been visited on Lung right now, by yours truly.
I watch as the man just freezes, becoming a solid statue of cold in just a second. It's not like I'm going to stop, though. A simple gesture from me gathers up gallons of water from around me from the discharge of the Vortex, raising it all in a great wave that crashes into Lung, rising from all directions simultaneously. As soon as it touches him it stops, freezing in a thick layer of solid ice all over him. I buff it with another Cryomortis, and a Cone of Cold just for good measure.
Okay, then. I watch for several seconds, anticipating him breaking out… but nothing happens. As the seconds pass, I move again. I pull out paper tags from my inventory, elaborately written Ofuda with just a few smattering of Anglo-Saxon Runecraft here and there, and start placing them at geometric positions around the half-Dragon statue. In a few seconds the placement completes, and with a sudden, pinching drain of Mana a barrier springs to life around him.
It closes in, sealing the giant hunk of ice perfectly, digging under the ground to connect fully. Once it's completed a wrenching sound lifts the whole completed barrier into the air, away from the ground, carrying several kilograms of said ground with it. Those detach with a flick of my wand, and the barrier flickers before settling on the ice around Lung's feet.
And… it's done. Without a command from me, the Barrier can't be dispelled, and the force it would take to break it… well, it's possible, but it's rated to stand against Bijuudama. And in any case, it's the strongest barrier I can make for now.
As difficult as it is, certainty starts to settle once the last of the errant MP flows in the barrier settle, and it fuses with the ice to supplement it, and in a personal improvement from me, to keep draining energy from it to further strengthen itself. So the ice keeps getting colder, and it'll wrench out any hint of energy from the man entrapped, too.
Lung is powerful, but he's not that powerful. This is a win of preparedness over raw power. Even with all that, an errant thought arises, an enduring doubt. Could it possibly be so simple? I leave the question unanswered, because if a lifetime of media consumption has taught me anything, it's that questions like that should bloody well be left unanswered.
I move my weapons to my Inventory, and switch off the all-too expensive enchantments on my armor. The pseudo-glow that it'd been emanating dampens, as the flows of magical power settle down. The batteries are all practically still full, but I can reactivate them all in a second and there's no sense in draining the mana unnecessarily.
'Nu-Antef, get here with half a dozen other Avengers, and let's get ready to transport this lunk to the Protectorate.' I send out over the summons connection, and I'm glad to get affirmative replies.
The woman herself lands a few moments later. Instead of using the link, she speaks up for real this time. "I shall admit, when you spoke of the Dragon who grew bigger and stronger the more he was fought, I had expected it to be a tougher fight. Us Avengers do not relish offering up our lives, but against an enemy like that I had expected casualties. This was almost too easy." She says. I can see that she's trying to congratulate me, but I wince. Call it superstition, but Murphy is an asshole I really don't want to pick a fight with.
I say as much. "Please, Nu-Antef. I'd prefer it if you didn't say it quite like that."
In another entry in the 'things I didn't expect entities of Pure Law to do' list, she actually rolls her eyes. "Come on. I have felt the power of those measures you used to contain him. He couldn't possibly get out."
…I sigh, and switch all my armor enchantments back on. My inventory opens and closes in a moment, and my weapons return to my hands. The Arcadian Avenger seems surprised, but I tune her out.
A loud, almost deafening crack echoes through the air.
I can't even muster the energy to be surprised. Turning around to look at Lung, he's still trapped, and the barrier's holding, but the giant rock-like ice formation now has a huge gash across it. Even as I watch, more cracks spiderweb from it, spreading throughout the piece of ice in a single moment. Lung himself is as still as a fly in Amber, but I look at his mask and the sheer unadulterated hate pouring out of his eyes has grown stronger than ever.
Beside me, Nu-Antef is shocked "But. I felt the cold of that ice, and the power of the barrier. It shouldn't be possible!" she reacts. To her credit the shock lasts just a moment, and then she's getting into a fighting pose. Until I touch her on an arm.
"No, Nu. This is my fight. Take your fellow Avengers and evacuate the buildings nearby, there are people who could get caught up in the crossfire." It seems kinda silly to send away the backup, but honestly, getting the innocents out of the way is more important than anything they could do here.
The good thing about beings of Law is that they don't make emotional entreaties. Nu-Antef just nods and flies off, meeting an incoming Flight of half a dozen avengers midair and leading them to do a circuit of the neighborhood. I turn back to Lung, and consider the other barrier tags in my inventory. It's tempting to use them, but… why? None of them are stronger than the one I already used, and it's not like I can merge or layer them to make them stronger. Maybe with another day or two of studying barriers, but not just yet.
Instead, I check on my armor and my weapons. I planned for this too, though not remotely as much as the containment. I was really relying on that plan working. I should've done better, but I had like, one night to finish the basics and three days where I had to manage all my crafting and planning between, oh, avoiding and killing the thousands of fucking Devils that infested the ID.
Bow in hand, I fly high, deliberately stepping away from Lung. I have ranged capability, it'd be very stupid not to use it.
Even as I reach a fair distance and set myself to aim at him in midair, the last of the ice shatters and the Barrier fails with it. Huge chunks of Ice erupt through the air, and I wince as three of the crash into a building with the force of cannonballs, making it collapse in on itself, and doing the same to two more behind it.
A giant cloud of steam envelops the entire street where I trapped Lung, and I consider just raining my weapons down into it. But no. They're outrageously destructive, and there's going to be enough collateral damage here that I should try to avoid the unnecessary damage where I can.
Sure enough, the enraged, bloody-minded roar that erupts from the cloud pinpoints his location for me, and a second later I have the bow drawn. And then I loose an arrow. Again, and again. The bow has no string, and I have no arrow-holder. The string for the bow is a line of pure force that appears when I need it to, and the arrows I'm firing are coming out of a seal in my bracelets.
One after the other the arrows rain down continuously. Shot so close together that the tip of one is all but touching the shaft of the other, and while in midair they explode into the effects I enchanted into them. The first wave just has thousands of more arrows sealed into them that get violently unsealed in the middle of the sky, all of which then home into Lung before detonating with the force of melon-sized blocks of C4. Exactly that much force, since one of the 'Random Criminal' IDs had a Bomber who dropped a sample and I used that to conjure whole Quintals of it to craft into the arrows.
The blasting arrows zero in on Lung like heat-seeking missiles, and I wince as windows shatter for blocks around us, when the arrows start going off, dozens at a time. Once I have a whole volley of blasting arrows in the air and zooming towards Lung, I switch to another set, activating- danger!
I move, Apparating several dozen meters away and into the air, and watch as a white-hot gout of flame sputters out after a moment. Before I can start firing again, I see Lung himself, emerging from the cloud of steam through my arrows, uncaring even as they carve open huge gashes into his body.
A body that has grown, I realize even now. He's transformed into much more of a dragon, and commensurately larger, easily reaching fifty feet now, though a lot of that is the tail. Giant wounds litter his body, omnipresent but disturbingly smaller than they should be, and closing even before my eyes. He's not just regenerating from them, I realize with horror. He's grown tougher. Dragonhide and dragon flesh, orders of magnitude harder to tear or destroy than plain humans.
What the fuck did Toybox give him?
He moves breathtakingly fast through the rain of explosives, taking them all, letting them tear his skin apart without even pausing for the pain. I dodge again, as his tail, meters long, elongates further right in front of me, swiping at me in a motion that would've ripped me in half if it connected. Well, it'd have caused a fuckton of HP damage, I correct myself, but yeah.
I need to shut him down, and hard. Drawing on my bracelet again, I keep moving as I let loose another volley of arrows, and then another and another.
Lung is properly flying now, giant sinuous wings beating powerfully, sending off huge gusts of wing as they keep him aloft. My arrows home in on him again, releasing their effects as they approach him, giant tornadoes of whirling wind-blades engulfing him, visiting more cuts and damage, followed up with huge pouring clouds of acid, bolts of pure necrotic energy… and everything else I could think of.
It's all just a distraction, of course, as I line up a direct shot for an Avada Kedavra to end him in one shot. Or a dozen, if it takes that many. But that plan goes right to hell when his tail swipes again and slaps most of the arrows right out of the sky. Several of them move towards me and I have to dodge my own engineered effects, while dozens go careening into the streets where their effects tear apart cars and houses by the dozen.
I wince. I really hope the Avengers got those streets emptied in time, or that they were abandoned previously. I'm not picky, I'll take anything. In between dodging all the arrows that he sent back at me, I try to get a clear shot at the man, but of course, it's not going to happen. A blue gout of flame erupts right where I was going, and I find myself falling back in a hurry, trying to manage my momentum when- danger screams my every instinct, and I apparate straight to the ground. I watch as that fucking tail again finishes its swipe from where I was a second ago, and shrinks back to what's 'normal' size for the freakish limb.
It takes Lung several moments to find me again, and I take the time to come up with a plan. Okay, so if I can just do something about that fucking tail, I can work on other things. I check my Mana. I have most of it left and I'm recovering it even now, but D&D spells are fucking greedy and I can't rely on them too much.
In a few seconds, a plan forms. The key is removing that fucking tail. If I can do that, just that, it'll change the situation. He'll grow it back, of course, but judging by his regeneration it'll take him several seconds, and that should be plenty. The plan after that isn't very fancy or complicated, but it should work and it's all I have.
Looking around, I hope against hope for any heroes to show up. Fuck, It'd take Empire showing up to fight him at this point. I don't particularly care about myself, but if Lung grows much larger he's going to start smashing apart entire neighborhoods.
No, there's no time. I cast the first spell, Hide from Dragons. Simple and easy, and effective if the way Lung freaks out is any indication. My guess is that whatever smells or sounds he was using to track me just vanished completely. Not as in, he lost the trail for a second, but more like he had the trail, he was just in the process of turning to look at me, and then any hints of me vanished completely.
The freak-out is less amusing when he just opens his maw and throws out a giant torrent of flame at the building to the right of me, an apartment block that starts melting straight away. Nearby buildings catch on fire, even the tar on the road is bubbling just from being in the vicinity.
I can't take time here. The spell will end the moment one of my spells makes contact with him, so I better make it a good one. And I will. I take a deep breath and release it, calming myself even as Mana pours into my hand. An orb of power takes shape, steadily growing and morphing as it turns into a full Rasenshuriken. It is, bar none, the most damaging thing I have in my arsenal right now, barring exotic spells like the AK.
Even as Lung lands on a building ahead of me, making it collapse under his weight, I channel power into the jutsu. His tail swipes left and right, and two streets' worth of buildings are shattered before it. I apparate away as the second swipe is about to hit me, and instead apparate high in the sky, barely a dozen meters away from Lung.
You have been burned! -100 HP
You have been burned! -100 HP
You have been burned! -100 HP
The notifications sound out, announcing the damage I'm taking just from being near him, and I wince. I should've cast the Flame Freezing charm. Can't cast it now, because I'm pretty sure my wand will burst into flame if I take it out of the inventory. Instead, I take aim. This would've been better if he was still flying, since I could've set the trajectory so the spell would pierce through him, removing his tail and ripping apart as much of his innards as possible.
Settled on the ground as he is, I have to settle for his back. Maybe I can paralyze him if I shred his spine badly enough. A moment later my hand moves forward, and the disc made of pure power lances ahead, cutting through the air. Lung is completely unaware of it, thankfully, and even his tail, lacking anything to demolish within range, is still.
The roar that erupts out of him as the discus rips into him is music to my ears, especially as I watch that fucking tail fall away from him. Then my smile fades as I look at the extent of the damage beside that. Or I should say, the lack of damage. He's barely even wounded. The wind blades ripped apart his hide, and dug into his flesh, but it's already mending back at absurd speeds, and even a tiny stump of a tail is starting to regrow.
I… is it hopeless? What can I even- I move, as, unprotected now by the spell, Lung finds me and darts so much faster than something his size has the right to. Or rather, I try to move. A fraction of a second later, I feel myself burn as claws close around me, before they lock in tight, and I'm granted the opportunity to see my own flesh sizzle. I try to move, to apparate, but in a moment Lung does it for me.
He throws me, and I feel myself crash into first one building, then another, and a third before coming to a stop against the fourth.
-2500 HP the notification declares, and I feel, for the first time, real fear as I notice the miniscule thirty five HP left in my bar. If that throw had done a smidgen more damage…
Even as my armor gets aglow with the green light of healing spells and my HP bar recovers rapidly, I find myself holding my head in my hands. What can I do here, against power like this? I threw the strongest thing I had against him and he barely even noticed it.
That's not true, Hierophant. A voice intervenes, and I'm surprised for a second before I recognize the voice of another of my Arcadian Avengers. Huh. I check, and yep. I kinda started broadcasting on all channels under the influence of the sheer pain.
'Nu-Amphet is the wisest among us, but I am Hat-mit-ra, and I command the Hunt when monsters such as these need to be fought. I can tell when a creature is faking its strength.'
'Exactly what part of that strength seems fake to you?' I asked semi-sarcastically.
'It threw you away, Summoner mine. It might be tempting to dismiss it as the act of a rage-addled beast, but I do not think so. It wanted distance from you, so its fel powers may heal it before you clash again.'
… ah. Hm. That's… surprisingly, entirely possible.
'Even so. Even if I managed to injure it, that's not good enough. I need to put him down before he grows too big.'
'Which it is doing even now, yes. You need to raise the might of your attacks, and sharply at that.' Hat continues, and I turn to see that yup. Lung's grown several meters larger. He's also flying again, moving vaguely in my direction even as he picks up height. Meanwhile, every time he dips with his wing movements, he crashes into a building and smashes it to the ground.
'You don't think I know that? But how… ah.' I trail off, even as I 'say' it to the Angel-esque being. There is a spell. It channels my 'grace', composed of my 'magnificence' along with my 'steps along the path to greater might'. That is, my level and CHA score, and it channels them so I can use both to boost the power of my attacks several-fold. But the thing is, it's kind of one of the spells that I, well…
'There is no time for you to entertain your hesitations, Hierophant.' Hat reminds me none too kindly. But she's completely right, of course. I sigh.
'How complete are the evacuations?' I ask before I start again, watching Lung fly in his ungainly, lumbering manner towards me, now high enough that only the top floors of buildings are smashed as he grinds along them.
'They were done while the both of you were still clashing in the sky. The few people we found still nearby had already retreated and were watching the both of you on these devices you call Phones.' She answers, and I roll my eyes. Of course. Why wouldn't there be videos of this showing up later?
Okay, then. I'll need to use some of the barrier tags again, to immobilize him as I take my shot. I settle the plan into my mind, cementing it with a certainty before I cast Aspect of the Deity.
If asked later, I could never quite explain what it felt like to anyone's satisfaction. I feel the connection, the link to something infinite, something eternal and ever-changing, an intelligence so vast that even the sum total of all minds on the planets in all the universes is like insects compared to it. I don't have its attention, that would be silly as a moment of concentration from Him would burn me in rapturous agony. What I have right now is a fraction of a fraction of a thought, a brief bit musing the likes of which we dismiss dozens of every moment in our own minds.
It's more than enough. My body moves practically on its own, a fluid dance of perfect grace and lethality. The arrows from my bow land perfectly, erupting into tendrils of pure power, catching hold of all of Lung's limbs, including his wings. The second Rasenshuriken forms in less than a second, transformed from a jutsu made of wind into a discus of raw, divine might. It strikes true barely a fraction of a second after leaving my hand, lancing through the air like a miniature star.
Smashing into Lung's face, it rips apart the draconic visage in savage display of its raw destructive power, before doing the same to his flesh, and his brains after that. I watch the steaming blood bite into the ground where it sprays, and the brains, as they fly, are as much flame as flesh. But the tears all of that apart, before spending itself on the back of his skull.
It feels like a dream, as I see Lung fall from the sky in a gigantic crash, smashing another block under his weight. Soon the last embers of vitality fade from his form, and I feel something vast appearing in my inventory, so powerful that it sets my whole form thrumming for a moment.
You have Defeated the Parahuman Warlord Lung!
+150000 XP
+$10,000,000
You have gained the Title: Dragonslayer
You have gained the Perk: Eu Sunt Dracul
You have gained the [High] Crafting Item: Dragon Heart!
You have gained the [Legendary] Item: Legendary Mana Crystal
You are now Level 30!
Aeromancy has gained 20 Levels!
Ranged Combat has gained 12 Levels!
Warding has gained 4 Levels!
Hydromancy has gained 5 Levels!
Mana Control has gained 3 Levels!
You have Completed the Task Set 1: Defang the Dragon, under the Main Quest Yada Yada hi Dharmasya.
More information regarding the Main Quest: Yada Yada hi Dharmasya is now available.
And then it's over.
As cliché as it sounds… I feel myself slumping to the ground, kneeling in sheer relief. I let the emotion pour over me, wafting off me in waves. Despite Gamer's Mind, despite all my powers… it still hits me far too hard. Intellectually I know that it's not a big deal when I have the kind of powers I do. Hell, it should've been easier, probably.
But the monkey brain that's making my decisions right now doesn't care. It still can't quite believe that I won.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It's almost a full minute spent in silence, with me just… catching up to myself, before I stand up from my place again.
Looking around, I'm surrounded by the Arcadian Avengers, and two of them are already pushing and prodding at Lung's Corpse, as if assessing it for parts. Right. D&D. Dragons are a known quantity, and corpses are outrageously valuable. It's right there in the name. It should be fine once they realize it isn't the kind of dragon they're used to.
Looking beyond them, there's the beginnings of a crowd developing, a few people here and there recording with their phones. These would be the people who withdrew earlier, now back.
And then there's the futuristic, hyper-advanced Motorbikes. Two of them, parked side by side. I close my eyes for a second, even as I hear their owners' footsteps approach. A heavy gait, with a hint of a metallic clink every time it lands. Power armor. Armsmaster, then. That would make the other one Miss Militia.
The leader of the local Protectorate and her 2IC. I suppose it was inevitable, after something like this.
I wait till they're close, before raising a hand even as the nearest of my Avengers, Hat, I believe, steps in to ask their purpose.
"Hello, Miss Militia. Armsmaster." I nod, and I'm gratified to note they respond back. They're tense, but not hostile.
I watch as both heroes survey the situation, looking from me to Lung, then at the demolished surroundings. While they're watching, a badly damaged pillar with deep cracks spiderwebbing throughout it gives up the ghost all of a sudden, crashing in a pile of concrete. The collapse triggers the fall of the whole building, bringing down what little of it was left after Lung tore it in half with a tail swipe.
It almost seems to serve as a reminder for them to speak to me.
"We'll need you to come with us, Hierophant?" Armsmaster speaks brusquely. He's looking at me in a way that makes me pretty sure that behind his helmet he's glaring. His chin is set hard, and his lips are set in a frown. And while his hands are nowhere close to his weapons, I just don't like the tone he's using.
Please, please tell me this isn't the traditional post battle 'heroic miscommunication', that'll force me to go on a mischaracterized villain arc. I never liked those in stories.
"Excuse me?" my voice comes out sharper than I meant it to, and the Avengers react to it. They're oddly hesitant about even preparing to act against these two, and it takes me a moment to understand why. Right. Embodiments of Law wouldn't like to act against a Lawful authority.
Fortunately, even as I consider the merits of forcing their hand and thus forgoing all the useful advice they've been giving me since they liked me, Miss Militia speaks up. I see the scarf around the lower half of her face move as she makes a deliberate effort to smile.
"What Armsmaster meant" she shoots a look at Armsmaster that's as exasperated as it is annoyed before continuing "is that there have been a lot of things happening very rapidly in the past few days, and you've been at the center of most, if not all of them. We'd like you to come in to debrief."
… ah. That's rather more reasonable… I throw a questioning look at the man in question.
His expression is blank, but he's nodding just so slightly. Oh, dear gods. He's just that fucking socially inept, isn't he? He doesn't see anything problematic with his tone or attitude.
I mean, it could all be an act, but what would be the point? No, no… it's been a rough night, and they're probably as stressed as I am, if not more so. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
But I should probably respond to the heroes looking at me like they can actually see the wheels turning in my head.
"Ah. Would it be okay if I did it tomorrow? I still have a few errands to run, and I'd like some time to recover and get my head right after all… this" I say as a response, gesturing vaguely around us.
They seem to have expected as much, thankfully. Miss Militia speaks up again "That should be fine, Hierophant. Now…" she trails off, pausing for a moment. She doesn't move, but I can see by the way she twitches that she wants to turn towards Armsmaster.
"And Armsmaster has something to ask you." sure enough, she confirms, gesturing to him to speak.
"I would like to come to an agreement with you about Lung's body." he speaks with no preamble.
… right. Tinker. And while the Dragon's Corpse might not be valuable in the Faerunian way, Tinkers here have their own processes and material needs.
I mull over the request for a second, before coming to a decision. I'm pretty sure it's no real use to me, since I felt the Drops from it get auto-looted into my Inventory when he died. Might as well.
"Sure, take it." I shrug. If nothing else, Armsmaster owing me one should be good.
He looks uncertain for a moment, before speaking up again. "I should tell you, many parties would offer considerable amounts of money for it."
I wave the concerns away "It's fine. Just give me whatever's left when you're done."
He nods, and that's that. The heroes stick around for the PRT to move in and secure the area, while I take off with the Arcadian Avengers.
'That was well handled' Nu-Amphet speaks up immediately. I'm not sure why she feels the need to praise me for nothing, but it can't lead to anything good.
'Well, I try' I answer all the same.
'The question now arises, what will you do after this?' she asks immediately, and I feel my wariness rising. There's something she's probing for, some hidden test.
'I'm… not sure? I made preparations to do some healing work throughout the city, so probably that.' I answer. She doesn't respond, looking at me as if waiting for me to continue. When I don't, she sighs. Ah. That was the test, then.
'Hierophant, it's good that you seek to heal. But do you truly think that that is all it will take to recover from this? Look around you.' She says, and I pause for a moment before looking. Everywhere I look, it's the typical sights of this night. Half-burned buildings, large piles of rubble where there were houses, wrecked cars, fire hydrants spraying water… the city looks like it was just thoroughly bombed and then underwent a huge clash between a Dragon and a Wizard. Since, y'know, that's what happened. I'm not entirely certain what Nu's getting at, unless it's the material damage?
'Do you mean the actual damage to the city, Nu-Amphet?' I just up and ask her. No point playing games with beings like these.
For just a second, she looks at me like I'm an exceptionally stupid child. Then she confirms 'Yes. Many lives and livelihoods were ruined tonight. And judging by what me and my people have researched, there is precious little the government of this land can do to help. They're overstretched, already in debt, and lacking resources on all fronts.'
… ah. I consider. What she's saying still feels a bit weird, because see, I'm used to seeing the government like this. But that was the Indian government, and in another world. Meanwhile everything I ever heard about America was that they had more resources than they knew what to do with. It does align with Amar's memories and what I've picked up myself in these last several days, however.
'Hm. Well, thanks for that piece of advice on top of everything else, Nu. I'll act on it.' I confirm as a way of ending the subject. She just nods. Before any other matter can arise, we're here.
I didn't head directly to my home, instead of a high spot on a building close to the neighborhood. So the way the Incantatrix perk works, it allowed me to layer the War Magic Metamagic with a few others, meaning that I could extend this spell way beyond what the initial parameters would've allowed. But now it must end, and they might as well be in one place for it.
With a thought, I feel the connection between Earth Bet and the Plane of Daanvi open once more, and just for a moment I feel the energies of pure Good and Law flow into this world. Then the Avengers start flowing into it, dissipating into pure energy and reforming on the other side.
Which leaves me free to apparate away, appearing back into my house.
It's changed much from when I arrived into this world, though it doesn't look like it, even on the inside. At least, not unless you know what you're looking for. I took out all the internal walls between rooms, expanded the space a thousandfold, and then put back the walls at the original sizes of the house. So to a stranger everything is still as it was, meanwhile an unremarkable portion of the wall in a closet opens up into a gigantic, cavernous space that's like an Aircraft Hanger in size.
And vast swaths of this new space was set aside for making many, many workshops, for all manner of things I might need to work on. Like everything else I have right now, it's all more ideas than reality, since most of the workshops are just empty rooms with plans stenciled in. But one of them isn't, and that's where I am right now.
I pick up a giant, black branch, looking oddly like an arm. That's since it is an arm, specifically a drop from a Tree Bough I killed in the ID. As skeevy as using something from a literal devil might be… it's the most powerful wood-type material I have right now, and I'll probably need it. I place it on the table carefully, before taking a step back. Next, I open up my inventory and pull out one of the drops from Lung just a little while ago.
Dragon's Heart
The Heart of a Dragon you slew with your own hand, this is an immensely powerful and valuable crafting material, with virtually limitless applications across all manner of fields.
Tag: Wand-Crafting Material
Just to confirm, I look at the Bough Arm again, and yes, it has the Wand-Crafting Material tag too. Okay, then. Placing both items side by side, I close my eyes.
Harry Potter Wandlore is a vast, immeasurably deep and immensely complicated field. It's shaped by dozens of cultures, hundreds of clan traditions and thousands of Master-Apprentice lines. Even learning the basics can take years, and no wand-crafter has made a proper, usable wand before their first decade of learning was up.
No Wand-Crafter has had 86 INT.
Even with that, the time would have only shrunken to some days or weeks, had it not been for the, frankly, absurdly advanced crafting skills I have. What can I say, CYOAs are cheats.
I dabbled a bit with Wandlore before, but it wasn't much. This time I take a deep dive, letting facts and theories sink into my mind with every second, letting giant sections of the Archive my CYOA power gave me burn itself into my head.
Even with all my cheats it's still over two hours before I find myself returning to reality, awoken from the intense reverie the influx of knowledge pushed me into. But it worked. I don't know everything there is to know about making wands, but I know enough.
Without wasting any more time, I reach out, and Craft.
Mana surges from my fingertips, and both the heart and the Wood glow. For several seconds the room is flooded with light, so bright that even I have to close my eyes for a moment.
Then it's over, and I look at the table again.
The Bough Arm is mostly gone, reduced to about a third of what there was before. The Dragonheart, on the other hand, looks completely unaffected, though closer inspection tells me it's a bit smaller.
More importantly, there on the table before me are ten real, proper Harry Potter style Wands.
I pick one up as an experiment, waving it gently, watching as a cascade of sparks floats out from the tip.
Okay, then. The thing about healing and repairing the city is, I can't do it alone. Well, I kinda have to, but not… I can't do it as one body is the more accurate way to put it.
Fortunately, I have a plan. I was going to use Water Clones for this, but I took a glance at the Skill Book Oni Lee dropped earlier. Wouldn't you believe it? Shadow Clones. The fucker I took down in one second dropped the shadow clone skill-book. What the fuck game?
Even so, it serves me well now.
Rationing my MP rightly, I form the gestures with my hand, more out of a giddish nostalgia than need. And once the last one of them is formed, a cloud of smoke appears around me, before fading away to reveal ten copies of me, identical in every manner.
As little Mana as I have right now, creating them properly would've been impossible. I have never let my MP bar drain fully, but for all I know it could kill me dead. So instead, I spent just enough for them to be corporeal. They can touch things and things can touch them, and they look like me and can talk.
But they're so weak that a love tap from a child could disperse them. Fortunately, I have a plan for that. Opening my inventory again, I pull out the 'preparations' I made for healing people that I mentioned to Nu earlier.
It's all in rings identical to one of the ones that form my costume. That's because on my costume the ring is another device like the ones I just pulled out. I watch as the clones pull their clone versions off their fingers, dispelling them to reclaim the smidgen of Mana they're made of. Instead I toss them the actual versions from my inventory, and watch as they put them on and start activating the seals on each to pull stuff out.
Ten rings of Stoneskin are first, each tossed to one copy of me, granting them all the durability of a full-powered clone and then some. These are followed by Belts of Flying… well, belts with the HP Flying Charm on them. All the speed and maneuverability of a Firebolt, none of the silliness of a broom. Next up are forty Wands, twenty each of Cure Serious Wounds and Neutralize Poison. Each copy of me inspects theirs, before placing them back into the rings.
"Well, guys. The healing part is the same but reconstruction got added to the menu-" I'm about to continue, when the copy nearest to me interrupts.
"Yeah, we know. We're the same person right up until three seconds ago, remember?" he says, and bloody hell, do I really sound that nasal?
"Lay off him. You know how we like to speak things out loud to think better." another me speaks up. Thanks, me.
Thankfully the clones all apparate away in the next few seconds before it can get even more surreal, leaving me alone in the room. Well, I was alone previously too, but… nevermind. Instead of dwelling on the pseudo philosophy of clone interactions, I walk into one of the few other completed sections of this place.
I didn't like the notion, to be honest, but this is a prison of sorts. No real bars, but unbreakable glass doors, sleeping charms I can activate at any time, and most importantly, a derivative of the confundus charm I designed myself that should help in shutting down the part of the brain that directs their powers, placed on the lightbulbs so it filters in with all the light their eyes catch. The place is not designed to humiliate or hurt or even reform, just contain. Just a place to put people while I figure out what to do with them.
Like, oh, right now.
"Let us out, Amar!" Taylor speaks in a very reasonable tone, even though I can feel both the rage and the restraint that's muzzling it. I slip a glance sideways at Tattletale, who looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.
I'd like to think that she's looked back on her choices and reconsidered her actions, but something tells me her docility has a lot more to do with the fact that Bakuda and Coil are in the cells opposite hers, and while they're concealed, her power may have revealed them to her.
"I will, Taylor. I will. All I want is to have a chat." I answer. And it's even the truth! I have no real vested interest in her or the other Undersiders, not anymore. I would prefer to help them if possible, since I like Taylor after a fashion and even the Undersiders are not that bad, considering that the other villain groups in this city are literal Nazis, slave traders and… whatever the Merchants are.
But preferences are one thing and sunk-cost fallacies quite another. I won't take it on myself to 'redeem' them, or anything that ridiculous. And besides, they're not that bad now. Nor were those other groups, a long time ago.
"Just a chat?" Taylor asks again, sounding oddly surprised. My guess is she expected a moralizing speech here. As if.
"Yes, Taylor. Just a chat, between me, you and your new friends, which will decide what I say to the Protectorate when I hand all of you over to them." I confirm. It's vital to set accurate expectations, don't you know?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Name: Amar Keshav Chandra
Class: The Gamer
Race: Human
Title: Novice Healer, Novice Hunter, Journeyman Law Enforcer, Dragon Slayer
Level: 30
Stats
STR 56
CON 67
DEX 39
INT 86
WIS 80
CHA 53
Stat Points Available: 25
HP: 3340/3340
Full Recovery Period: 81.07 minutes
MP: 3430/3430
Full Recovery Period: 74.57 minutes
Skills
Gamer's Body (Passive) LV Max
Grants a body that allows the user to live life like a Game.
Gamer's Mind (Passive) LV Max
Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows a peaceful state of mind. Grants Immunity to psychological status effects.
Observe [Basic] (Active/Passive) LV 52 Exp: 18.13%
A skill to find the target's information. Observe is obtained and improved through continuous observation.
Through leveling Observe past level 50, user unlocks passive INT-based deduction capabilities.
Mana Control [Basic] (Active/Passive) LV 73 Exp: 26.91%
A skill to more effectively channel and use Mana.
Reduces Mana costs of all skills.
ID Create [Intermediate] (Active) LV 66 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to create various types of Instant Dungeons.
ID Escape [Intermediate] (Active) LV 66 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to escape Instant Dungeons and other pocket spaces.
Creation [Basic] (Active) LV 34 Exp: 48.43%
The ability to create things with magic.
Divination [Basic] (Active) LV 7 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to use magic pertaining to information.
Illusion [Basic] (Active) LV 26 Exp: 19.82%
The ability to use Illusion based magic.
Healing [Basic] (Active) LV 52 Exp: 94.83%
The ability to heal others.
Transmutation [Basic] (Active) LV 19 Exp: 27.13%
The ability to transmute things with magic.
Universal [Basic] (Active) LV 15 Exp: 31.42%
The ability to wield spells that do not fall under other classifications.
Unarmed Combat Mastery [Basic] (Active) LV 22 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to fight without using weapons.
Bladed Weapons Mastery [Basic] (Active) LV 38 Exp: 92.30%
The ability to fight using Bladed Weapons.
Blunt Weapons Mastery [Basic] (Active) LV 24 Exp: 96.87%
The ability to fight using Blunt Weapons.
Ranged Weapons Mastery [Basic] (Active) LV 57 Exp: 6.73%
The ability to fight using Ranged Weapons.
Teleport [Basic] (Active) LV 33 Exp: 63.46%
The ability to move further than humanly possible in an instant.
Crafting [Greater] (Active) LV 28 Exp: 3.08%
The ability to craft and create useful items
Inscription [Greater] (Active) LV 21 Exp: 65.89%
The ability to create runes and seals with powerful effects.
Enchantment [Greater] (Active) LV 16 Exp: 69.69%
The ability to enchant objects with magical effects and powers.
Dimensional Magic [Intermediate] (Active) LV 66 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to use magic dealing with other dimensions, universes, planes etc.
Summoning [Intermediate] (Active) LV 70 Exp: 78.60%
The ability to summon other creatures and beings with magic.
Pyromancy [Basic] (Active) LV 44 Exp: 0.92%
The ability to wield Fire based magic.
Hydromancy [Basic] (Active) LV 23 Exp: 48.12%
The ability to wield Water based magic.
Electromancy [Basic] (Active) LV 11 Exp: 67.82%
The ability to wield Lightning based magic.
Evocation [Basic] (Active) LV 12 Exp: 49.36%
The ability to utilize directly offensive magic.
Telekinesis [Basic] (Active) LV 43 Exp: 4.72%
The ability to move things without physical contact.
Aeromancy [Basic] (Active) LV 33 Exp: 97.83%
The ability to wield Wind based magic.
Bluff [Basic] (Passive) LV 11 Exp: 12.64%
The ability to lie, deceive and otherwise trick others.
Diplomacy [Basic] (Passive) LV 15 Exp: 5.96%
The ability to convince, charm and otherwise play well with other people.
Perform [Basic] (Passive) LV 20 Exp: 2.12%
The ability to deliver theatrical performances.
Software Development [Basic] (Active) LV 10 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to design and program computer software.
Linguistics [Basic] (Active) LV 10 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to use and understand languages.
Parkour [Basic] (Active) LV 6 Exp: 8.00%
The ability to move rapidly in urban environments
Geomancy [Basic] (Active) LV 7 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to wield Earth based magic.
Abjuration [Basic] (Active) LV 1 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to use Defensive Magic.
Mind Magic [Basic] (Active) LV 34 Exp: 20.71%
The ability to use magic to affect minds.
Necromancy [Basic] (Active) LV 1 Exp: 0.00%
The ability to use Death based magic.
Warding [Basic] (Active) LV 19 Exp: 34.96%
The ability to create defensive enchantments, barriers and long term shields using magic.
Feats: Silent Spell, Empowered Spell, Mass Spell, Still Spell, Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, Maximize Spell, Delay Spell, War Magic Study
Perks
Comic Book Pretty: You look like a Model, airbrushed to perfection in all circumstances. CHA +100%
Man of Mystery: You wear mystery like a stylish cloak. Provides Immunity to all abilities based on Supernatural Perception.
Special Snowflake: Provides Immunity to all hostile actions/skills/powers targeted at your powers/skills.
Beneficial Case 53: +5 to all Non-Mental Stats.
Invictus: Infinite willpower to keep going through any amount of hardship; even bloody and broken. You will not stop.
Iron Body: Immunity to all diseases, immunity to minor health problems, and the ability to consume anything that isn't actually poisonous or indigestible by your metabolism without any problems.
Incantatrix: The ability to manipulate and shape the nature of your magic in an incredible variety of ways through Metamagic.
Eu Sunt Dracul: Only a Dragon can defeat a Dragon. You have the ability to transform into a Dragon. Size and stats, as well as the duration for which you stay transformed, are determined by your level.
Powers:
Hope Empowerment 9: Provides Bonuses to all Stats, Skills and powers based on ambient Hope and Hope induced by you.
Dimensional Magic 5: Attunes you with the raw energies of the dimensions. Provides Bonuses to all related skills, provides Skill: Dimensional Magic
Crafting Magic 6: Provides all crafting related skills at two tiers pre-advanced, allows for casting of all manner of artifacts and objects.
LOCKED
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Well, here you are again. Later than I'd hoped, but such is life. I tried to address some of the very valid points brought up, no idea how well I did. Anyway, rip it apart, tell me I did good or bad, try to kill me... just for fuck's sake, comment.
Also, a retcon that won't affect the story much. I wanted to have skills for certain stats being reached, the way they did it in the original comic. Buy I found I didn't like it and it's annoying, so that's no longer happening. I'll fix it in text... sometime.