AN: "In and out, 3 hour Dungeon." Boy was I wrong about Vesper's Host. It took most of two days, but my team managed to clear it on Contest Mode. Anyways, here's the chapter.
A collective pause takes hold as hundreds of Fallen acknowledge my words. I doubt many of them speak English, but my message is clear enough. After all, pulling a sword from a moonbeam and shouting at them is pretty hard to misinterpret.
The Moonlight Greatsword thrums in my grip, a cool, pulsing energy coursing through the blade. It's a contrast to the crimson barrier shimmering around me, protecting me from the onslaught of attacks I know is about to come. For a split second, the world holds its breath.
{+100 points! Rolling…
Divination - Psychic Abilities: Psychometry (Three Dots) - World of Darkness: Sorcerer (100 points)
Roll Failed (Missing Prerequisite). Current stockpile: 400 Points.}
Then all hell breaks loose.
A guttural roar erupts from the Fallen ranks. Their weapons ignite in a violent cacophony of electric crackles and plasma hisses, blue and orange flashes lighting up the night in chaotic hues. The air reeks of ozone and burning metal, and the rhythmic barking of Captains echoes across the battlefield as they attempt to organize their forces. Dregs scramble to erect makeshift barricades, while Servitors hover higher, channeling energy into Shanks that buzz above like mechanical hornets.
I charge forward, the Moonlight Greatsword leading the way. With a wide, sweeping motion, I pulse magicka through the legendary blade and unleash its arcane power. A crescent of brilliant moonlight erupts from the blade, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. It mows through the first line of Fallen like butter, disintegrating the area it slices through, and sending Ether bursting from their bodies in wisps of pale light. They drop, lifeless heaps of armor and scrap.
The sword drinks in every ounce of magical energy I pour into it, converting it into brilliant moonlight that hums with every swing. Each strike leaves a luminous trail, cutting a swath through the horde. The Fallen come at me in relentless waves, but for every Dreg that rushes me, I meet them with calculated strikes, severing limbs, smashing bodies, sending them sprawling into the dirt.
Normally, hundreds of enemies shooting at one guy would spell the end, even for a wizard like me. But they've never faced anyone like me before. Each kill regenerates my Pyro energy, and I immediately dump that energy into the shielding spell covering my body. Already the barrier is well past what I could manage on my own, and growing stronger with every kill. I've no doubt there's a limit to the amount of energy it can take, but I haven't reached that limit yet.
Explosions rock the battlefield as Fallen shock grenades detonate around me, but I don't even flinch. Shrapnel from cannon blasts ricochet off my barrier harmlessly as I weave through the chaos. My sword moves with fluid precision, every strike finding its target, every Fallen that approaches me meeting a brutal end.
Fifty kills in, and I'm fairly certain I could easily survive a direct blast from a modern tank.
Suddenly, a scorching blast slams into my barrier, causing it to ripple with crimson energy, depleting maybe a tenth of the overflowing energy. I glance up, spotting a Fallen Captain perched atop a ruined tower, his scorch cannon leveled right at me. His heavy armor glistens under the faint light of the moon, the blue glow of his personal shield flickering with every movement. Someone high ranking, it seems.
"You're next." I mutter, planting my feet and gathering my energy. Wings of flame burst from my back, and with a powerful push, I launch myself into the air, my wings sending ripples of heat through the night sky.
As I soar upwards, I spot several explosive Shanks flying toward me. I extend my hand and sweep it over the group, sending a stream of Tamrielic lightning arcing through them, and they explode in fiery bursts, their wreckage falling away as I twist mid-flight, narrowly avoiding another blast from the Captain's cannon. Landing on the crumbling edge of the tower, I lock eyes with him. With a roar, he discards his weapon and charges at me, two crackling arc blades in hand, electricity sparking off their edges.
I brace myself as he swings both weapons in wide arcs, attempting to skewer me. The Moonlight Greatsword meets his arc blades in a violent clash of magic and electricity, sparks flying from the impact. His sheer strength is impressive, but I hold firm. With a sharp pivot, I duck beneath his next strike, and before he can recover, I drive my sword upward in a clean diagonal slash.
Magicka pulses through the blade, and the Captain's shield pops with a high-pitched whine. I follow up with a heavy, overhead strike, cleaving him from shoulder to hip. His body crumples in a heap, Ether hissing from his severed form as his life force fades into nothing.
No time to savor the victory. Below me, the Fallen forces are regrouping, trying to encircle my position, their robotic forces shifting into tighter defensive formations. From the far end of the battlefield, I spot a massive Walker crawling over the ruins, its towering legs creaking as its heavy cannon swivels in my direction.
'That's a problem.' I think as I leap down from the tower, landing with a roll just as the Walker's main gun fires. A huge energy blast slams into the ground behind me, sending debris and shrapnel flying in all directions. I push forward, sprinting toward the machine as the ground shakes with every heavy footstep it takes.
"Spectre!" I shout. "Give me a reading on that Walker."
Spectre's voice crackles in my helmet. "It's got phasic shielding! You'll need to disable the shield drones protecting it."
I grit my teeth as I notice the drones. Wonderful.
With a burst of Pyro energy, I blast forward, closing the gap between me and the towering machine. My feet barely touch the ground as I move, my body a blur of fire and motion. Shanks dart through the air, trying to track me, but I'm already ahead of them. I swing the Moonlight Greatsword in a wide arc, sending a wave of arcane energy slicing through the drones. Sparks fly as five Shanks and two of the shield drones explode in a brilliant display of light and sound.
The Walker stumbles slightly, its shields flickering off as its front legs buckle. But it's not down yet.
{+100 points! Rolling…
Transformation - Six Hearted Revolver - Fate/Strange Fake (600 points)
Roll Failed. Current stockpile: 500 Points.}
No time to contemplate failed rolls. Another blast from the Walker's cannon streaks toward me, but I dart to the side, dodging it just in time. The ground explodes behind me, sending chunks of debris flying into the air. I leap onto one of the Walker's legs, using it as a springboard to launch myself higher. As I sail through the air, I gather my energy, the Moonlight Greatsword glowing brighter and brighter as I charge it with all the magicka I can muster.
I bring the blade down with all my might, releasing a blinding beam of moonlight straight into the Walker's central joint. The impact is devastating. The machine groans under the force, its systems failing as its legs collapse beneath it. The Walker crashes to the ground, a twisted heap of metal and broken armor.
For a moment, an eerie silence falls over the battlefield. The Fallen soldiers stand frozen, stunned by the destruction of their Walker. But it doesn't last. As if fueled by rage, they surge forward with renewed ferocity, weapons blazing. Plasma and shock grenades fill the air as I sprint through the chaos, dodging sniper fire, searching for cover. Sliding behind a pile of debris, I take a quick breath, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.
Then, I hear it- a deep, warbling growl echoing over the chaos.
Insurrection Prime.
The massive machine emerges from a cavernous pit leading into the vault, its towering form bristling with Black Armory weapons, each one crackling with energy. The ground trembles under its weight as lands, casting a long, menacing shadow over the battlefield. Swarms of drones buzz around it, feeding energy into the machine's shimmering phasic shields.
The Fallen brought out their biggest weapon early. I'm flattered.
Before I can dwell on the thought, a volley of Void energy streaks toward me from one of Insurrection Prime's cannons. I bolt to the side, barely escaping the devastating explosion that follows. The blast sends molten debris flying in all directions, but I don't stop. I know what I need to do; those drones need to go.
With wings of flame igniting behind me, I launch into the air once more, the battlefield a blur below. The Moonlight Greatsword hums in my hands, vibrating with raw power as I streak toward the closest drone. The Fallen forces try to react, plasma and electricity filling the air, but I'm already moving too fast. In one wide arc, I unleash a crescent of moonlight, slicing through three drones in a brilliant flash of light and sparks.
Insurrection Prime's shield flickers, its defenses faltering for a moment. But only for a moment. Three more drones still circle it, maintaining the shield's integrity.
I twist in midair, dodging a barrage of arc fire from shanks below, and dive toward the next drone. Another sweeping strike from my greatsword, and another drone explodes in a shower of scrap metal. The shield flickers again, weaker now.
But before I can close in on the third drone, Insurrection Prime anticipates my move. Its main cannon roars, sending a blazing wave of Solar energy barreling toward me. It's too fast, and I brace myself for impact, using the Greatsword as a shield. The explosion sends me crashing into a pile of rubble, pain exploding through my body. Dust and debris billow around me, and for a moment, everything goes dark.
I groan, forcing myself to my feet, my body sore despite my crimson Fallen are closing in, their guttural growls echoing through the smoke and wreckage. Insurrection Prime looms in the distance, its cannons glowing, charging for another devastating blast. But something inside me reignites- something primal. The fire within me burns hotter, fiercer than ever.
With a roar, I push off the ground, my wings of flame propelling me forward at blinding speed. Plasma rounds and arc bolts whiz past me, missing by mere inches as I zigzag across the battlefield. The fifth drone hovers just ahead, shielded by a Servitor. Shielding the shield drones? Now that's just unfair.
Summoning all my regenerated magicka once more, I pour it into one powerful strike. The Moonlight Greatsword glows with an intensity that nearly blinds me as I bring it down, obliterating first the Servitor and then the drone in a furious slash.
Insurrection Prime's shield falters once more, flickering dangerously, but it still holds.
One drone left.
The ground quakes beneath me as Insurrection Prime takes another step, its cannons glowing with deadly energy. I glance up and spot the final drone circling above its head, a twisted halo of technology and phasic power. I don't have time to waste. The next cannon blast could be my last if I don't move quickly.
… Wait. Why am I fighting like a knight? I have other options!
Thought acceleration surges to 3x speed and I draw my hand cannon, unloading four bullets into the final drone and destroying it, before shooting a few more scattered Fallen to regain most of my energies.
The massive machine staggers for a moment, the backlash from its shields failing overloading its systems and forcing the machine to reveal its weak point; A Prime Servitor housed in its chest. In a desperate last attempt to win, the cannon on its shoulder extends an antenna-like protrusion that begins spinning, much to my own horror. Phasic energy emits from the spinning antenna, rapidly charging an attack that I half remember a dev saying could destroy the entire City.
No phasic tech installed my ass!
"Fuckfuckfuckfuck-!" I panickedly mutter, leaping onto the hulking machine, the metal vibrating with the power of its still-active systems. With a surge of sheer fucking desperation coursing through me, I raise the Moonlight Greatsword high above my head. All the energy gathered from my slaughter of the Eliksni and pushed into my barrier drains into the blade, the sword hungrily drinking the energy and causing it to glow so fiercely that it actually begins damaging my eyes.
I bring the sword down with every ounce of strength I possess, driving it deep into Insurrection Prime's core like the sword in the stone. The blade slices through metal and circuits effortlessly, the surging moonlight releasing a torrent of Ether that explodes from the fatal wound. The battlefield erupts into a cacophony of sound and light as Insurrection Prime's systems overload, Ether and moonlight energy flashing in every direction.
The antenna grinds to a stop, and the machine emits a final, warbling groan, a desperate lament for its failure, before it collapses, its once-mighty form reduced to a smoking ruin. I leap clear just before a final explosion rocks the battlefield, sending waves of ignited Ether cascading outward, showering the area in a fiery rain that finally breaks my depleted barrier like glass, sending fractal shards of energy in every direction.
{+100 points! Rolling…
Transformation - Evie - HighSchool DxD (1200 points)
Roll Failed. Current stockpile: 600 Points.}
The fuck is an Evie?
For a moment, there's nothing but silence. The remaining Fallen forces stand frozen, their eyes wide with shock as they stare at the smoldering wreck of Insurrection Prime. The massive war machine, their ultimate weapon, lies in ruins at my feet, killed by a freaking sword of all things.
Thank God-Me I arrived before they could really outfit that thing further. The air strike missiles would have been a pain to deal with on top of everything else.
I can feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, mixed with an overwhelming sense of triumph. But it's not over yet.
From the throngs of Fallen a figure steps forward, 10 feet tall and draped in white and blue armor that glints in the waning moonlight. Siviks, Lost to None, stands before me. His presence alone instills fear, even among the most hardened of his kin.
"Foolish Guardian." He snarls in English, his voice a low growl. "You may have destroyed my machine, but you cannot hope to stand against me."
I grip the Moonlight Greatsword tighter, feeling its power thrumming in my hands. My magical energies are waning, and the few Fallen around me are already gathering, forming a circle, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Despite how obviously weakened I am, they don't attack. Instead, they seem to be waiting for Siviks.
I prepare myself as Siviks draws his weapons, twin arc blades crackling with energy. He launches himself at me with a ferocity I wasn't quite prepared for.
His speed is astonishing, a blur of motion that takes me by surprise with every swipe. I barely manage to sidestep his initial strikes, feeling the rush of air as his blades swish past me. I counter with a wide arc from the Moonlight Greatsword, but he pivots with a fluid grace, dodging effortlessly before bringing his blades down in a powerful diagonal slash. The impact reverberates through my arms as I block, struggling to hold my ground against his relentless assault.
I have the combat skills of an expert warrior by the standards of Runeterra, but he nearly matches that skill and definitely outclasses me physically. Without my Pyro barrier stuffed with the energy received from hundreds of kills… he actually poses more of a threat to my life than the mech did.
"Is this all you've got?" I taunt, trying to buy myself a moment to regain my bearings. "I should have expected this weakness from the Spider's brother."
Siviks snarls, anger flaring in his four glowing eyes at being compared to his brother. He presses forward, forcing me back. The fallen circling us move with the clash, keeping a safe distance from both our assaults as they watch on.
He lunges again, feinting left before spinning right, aiming to catch me off guard. I barely manage to deflect his strike, the force pushing me back against a crumbling wall, my heart racing.
Siviks shifts his weight, preparing for a low slash aimed at my legs. Anticipating the move, I push off the wall and leap over the attack, twisting mid-air to land behind him. The moment my feet touch the ground, I swing the Moonlight Greatsword in a wide arc, but he spins around faster than I can react.
"Not so fast!" He barks, bringing his blades up to block. The impact sends shockwaves through my body, and he follows through with a brutal kick that sends me crashing into a pile of rubble. Pain explodes through my side, a searing reminder of my mortality.
He roars something in his native tongue, and the Fallen around him cheer, their morale bolstered by his display of dominance.
Ignoring the pain, I push myself up, readying the Moonlight Greatsword once more. "Tough talk for a dead man." I retort, forcing the words through gritted teeth.
Siviks rushes at me again, blades swirling in a deadly dance. I meet him with a counterstrike, our weapons clashing with a deafening crackle. Sparks fly, illuminating the dark battlefield as we engage in a brutal exchange of blows. The area around us is growing brighter as sunrise approaches, but the sun hasn't peaked over the horizon quite yet.
I parry his next strike, the shock reverberating through my arm, and counter with a swift thrust of my own, aiming for his chest. He deflects my blow with a flick of his wrist.
"Your weapon is impressive. It will make a fine trophy!" He bellows, his voice filled with fury as he begins to unleash a flurry of attacks. I find myself on the defensive, dodging and weaving to avoid the deadly arcs of his blades.
"You fight like a hatchling!" He taunts, landing a glancing blow to my side. Pain shoots through me, but I grit my teeth, refusing to show weakness. I ration the scraps of magicka I have left to the wound, healing the cut slowly as I shift my stance.
In a moment of desperation, I abandon healing and channel the last dregs of my magicka through the Moonlight Greatsword, sending a dim crescent of energy slicing toward him. He barely manages to dodge, but it catches the edge of his fur cloak, cutting a third of it off.
He snarls, but I see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes as he steps back, sizing me up.
This whole duel is a dominance display, a way for him to prove to his followers that he's still worthy of leadership. His forces, the Kell's Scourge, consist of anarchists and pirates, not exactly the loyalest followers. If he fails to kill me and save face, the vast majority of his remaining subordinates will abandon him. Hell, they might even if he kills me.
He thought I'd be completely drained after dealing with everything else, and I am now. Only the partial refill of energy I received from slaying Insurrection Prime kept me in the game, but I'm well and truly empty now. By all rights, I should be at my weakest…
If I drew my gun to kill a few fallen, I'd recoup a decent chunk of energy, but not before they all gang up on me in response to me breaking the 'sanctity' of this duel. Fucking weird how pirates value this kind of combat, but it's working to my advantage.
I feel my soul reaching out to the Grimoire, and I can only hope it gives me something to turn the tide of the fight. I have just enough prana to accelerate my thoughts for a few brief moments…
{+100 points! Rolling…
Source - Building Connections - Genshin Impact (400 points)
Roll Success. Current stockpile: 700 Points.
Purchase Building Connections?}
Building Connections
Most beings in this world are limited to only a single element. The vast majority of users of elemental energy, be they human or spirit, can only use a single one. But this is not a set rule. Delusions can allow mortal men to wield more, and several gods as well as godlike spirits are known to be able to use two. Perhaps the most impressive is the Traveler from another world, who by all rights appears to be able to wield all of them. As a world traveler yourself, this is a trait you share: you are able to resonate with multiple elements with no negative consequences. In future jumps too, you will find that as long as you can find a strong source to resonate with, you will be able to wield the various supernatural energies that exist in those worlds even when most would be limited to just one.
(AN: I fucking give up, his luck is busted.)
Yoink.
Siviks is taken aback by the low chuckle that escapes me, my amusement bubbling over into full-blown maniacal laughter. The sound echoes in the ruins around us, drawing the attention of the Fallen pirates.
Before I can catch my breath, a sharp crack rings out in the distance, slicing through the tension like a knife. In an instant, a thunderous boom follows as a beam of pure Solar Light streaks through the air, striking Siviks directly in the head. The light envelops him in a radiant burst, creating a dazzling flare that momentarily blinds the Fallen gathered around us.
When the blinding light dissipates, I blink, trying to clear my vision. To my astonishment, Siviks has vanished, leaving behind only the scorched remnants of his fur cloak and a blackened mark on the ground where he once stood. It's as if he was never there at all.
... Was that really it? What kind of incredible power is this? I can't help but smile at the absurdity of it. Truly, the player character is something else.
As the reality of their leader's defeat begins to sink in, the remaining Fallen scatter in panic, their morale shattered. They frantically search for an escape, desperate to flee as six actual Guardians descend upon the scene, quickly vanishing into the ruins. Ah well, they can be someone else's problem now.
My gaze lands on one figure in particular, standing out among the others: a Guardian wearing a beaked golden helmet I instantly recognize from the game. Yep, definitely a player character.
I drive my Moonlight Greatsword into the dirt beside me and lean my weight against it, finally allowing myself to relax after the intensity of the battle. The adrenaline starts to fade, leaving a tingling sense of relief in its wake. As I focus on my saviors, I remove my helmet and let a grin spread across my face.
"What took you so long?"
CHAPTER 5 END
AN: The final battle with Siviks was a sword fight solely because I wanted to write a cool sword fight. Six Guardians showing up and clapping Metal Gear Eliksni's cheeks would send Siviks bolting for the hills like canon, but if one dude shows up, dunks on your battlemech and then looks like he's running on fumes, you'd obviously take the opportunity to get revenge for fucking your plans up. And because he's a space pirate, it's a sword fight. My brains still melted from the Dungeon, so if my logic doesn't logic then meh.
Mavriel finally rolls ass rolls, then immediately follows up with a perk that's blatantly a way for him to gain access to the Light and the Darkness. Fucking bullshit.