by Lucas Flint
“The Wormbeast’s weak point?” said Cyclone. “Why shouldn’t we get it instead? We’re more powerful than you.”
“It’s on the ground,” I said in annoyance. “Plus, you guys serve as better distractions than I would. Just claw at its face and stab it a few times.”
“I will trust the outworlder in this,” said Aeolus. “Besides, we have no time to argue about tactics. The Wormbeast is getting ready to attack again.”
Aeolus was right. The Wormbeast was already starting to turn around, a deep growl emitting from within its deep, sticky maw. It still couldn’t reach us from below, but that didn’t mean it would leave us alone.
“Put me on the ground near its tail,” I said, pointing at the ground. “I’ll take it from there.”
Aeolus nodded and dove toward the streets below. As for Cyclone, he circled in midair and shot back to the Wormbeast. The Wormbeast let loose a powerful roar as its claws shot toward Cyclone, but Cyclone easily dodged them with simple but effective twists and turns in the air.
But I stopped paying attention to Cyclone as we came closer to the ground. Once we were close enough, Aeolus let me go and I hit the street at a roll, rolling onto my feet while Aeolus flew back to go help Cyclone. Rising up to my feet, I ran over to the tip of the Wormbeast’s tail, which wagged back and forth as the Wormbeast tried to kill Aeolus and Cyclone.
It was easy to spot the Wormbeast’s weak point from here. Right on the tip of its tail was a glowing spot that was just begging to be stabbed. I pulled the Cannibal Sword back, timing my attack just right, but before I could thrust my sword forward, the tail suddenly lashed out and slapped me hard enough to send me flying.
I crashed onto the street and went rolling a few feet until I hit the remains of the water fountain. Dazed from the blow, I nonetheless managed to read the notifications that popped up when I got hit:
-40 Health! No debuffs added.
Whoa. It was nice I didn’t get any debuffs other than a bad headache, but losing nearly all of my Health in one hit was extremely bad. I couldn’t afford to take another hit like that, not unless I wanted to die. I chugged a Health Potion quickly, but it only healed about half my Health, which almost made me drink another one until I heard a voice cry out in pain and looked up.
Cyclone had somehow gotten captured by some of the Wormbeast’s tentacles. They were slowing dragging him to the Wormbeast’s gaping maw. Aeolus was darting around, doing his best to save Cyclone, but the rest of the Wormbeast’s tentacles formed an effective wall, keeping Aeolus from getting close enough to save his Bodyguard. Cyclone himself was struggling to free himself, but even he wasn’t strong enough to save himself from getting eaten alive.
Knowing I didn’t have much time left, I struggled to my feet and ran as fast as I could to reach the Wormbeast’s tail. It was still waving back and forth, but at a slower rate now, probably because the Wormbeast was trying to devour Cyclone now. Not that I had time to think about that, however. I just raised the Cannibal Sword as high as I could and then brought it down directly onto the glowing tip of its tail.
Critical hit! Enemy Wormbeast -300 Health! Enemy Wormbeast is defeated!
The Wormbeast let loose a loud roar of pain before it suddenly collapsed, crashing into another building on its way down. When it stopped crashing, the Wormbeast’s corpse suddenly turned into a big pile of dust, which rapidly sank into the ground out of sight.
A boss monster (Wormbeast) has been defeated! 1,500 EXP goes to the slayer of the boss!
Immediately, another notification appeared in front of my vision that only I could see:
Level +2! You are now Level 32. You have gained +6 Stat Points to be distributed among your stats as you see fit.
I frowned. Fifteen hundred experience points seemed awfully low given the Level disparity between me and the boss monster. Then again, maybe it had to do with how glitchy the world was becoming. Perhaps that was negatively affecting my experience growth.
In any case, I was just glad the thing was dead. I sheathed the Cannibal Sword when I noticed something gleaming in the spot where the Wormbeast had died. Curious, I ran across the ruins until I reached the item, which I picked up and looked at. It was a tiny green gem, reminding me of Bait and Switch’s Blood Gems, only much smaller and more glassy. I Scanned the item and got this description:
Heart of the Wormbeast
Status: Rare
Description: An extremely rare jewel said to be the heart and soul of a Wormbeast. Prized by mages and jewelers alike for its magical properties, it is said to grant the user peace with all Wormbeasts they run into, although there may be more to the gem than meets the eye.
“Huh,” I muttered as I put the Heart into my item inventory. “That’s kind of neat.”
All of a sudden, Aeolus and Cyclone landed next to me. The two Birdmen warriors looked frazzled and tired, but at the same time, they also seemed relieved by the fact that the fight was over.
“Good job, outworlder,” said Aeolus, lowering his sword to his side. “Very few people have ever slain a Wormbeast and lived to tell the tale. In particular, I must thank you for saving Cyclone.”
“Yes,” said Cyclone. He didn’t look me in the eyes as he spoke. “I must also thank you for saving my life. Had you not done so, I very likely would be dead. I am in your debt.”
Abruptly, yet another notification popped up in my view:
Status with Elite Birdman Bodyguard Cyclone raised from Neutral to Friendly! Cyclone is now far more likely to trust you in battle, although the two of you definitely aren’t best friends yet.
Swiping the notification away, I said, “Now that the Wormbeast is dead, maybe now is a good time to start exploring the city. There’s still a chance that Mecha Knight might be here.”
“A chance, Bolt?” said a voice above us. “I am right here.”
The three of us looked up just in time to see a massive black thunderbolt roaring down toward us. Before we could react, the black thunderbolt struck the ground between us and sent all three of us flying in separate directions.
When I hit the ground, I saw the damage notifications:
Enemy Mecha Knight cast Black Thunder! -20 damage! You were Stunned!
Status: Stunned. Your body was stunned by lightning. -20 Speed and -20 Evasion. Duration: 2 minutes.
My eyes widened at the status effect that that attack had inflicted on me, but I didn’t have time to worry about it, because I saw a figure rising out of the ruins of the building which the Wormbeast had destroyed.
It was Mecha Knight, but he looked very different … and very, very hostile.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The man standing in the center of the city’s ruins looked somewhat like Mecha Knight’s character. Same shaved face, same muscular body, same general build, but beyond those few general similarities, he looked almost completely different.
For one, he had ditched his crimson mage robes for a set of demonic-looking black and red armor, which looked twisted and rusted in several areas. He still carried a staff, but it was way taller and deadlier-looking than his original staff, topped with a razor-sharp blade that looked even sharper than my sword. His hair was longer and grayer than before, while a fire burned in his eyes that looked distinctly unnatural. He also seemed to be radiating heat, based on the way the stones melted around his feet.
Struggling to get to my feet, I Scanned Mecha Knight and was surprised to get some information on him:
Name: Mecha Knight
Level: 150
Class: Boss/Herald of Abaddon [Corrupted Player]
Affinity: Evil
Health: 2,000/2,000
Weakness: NA
The Herald of Abaddon is a figure shrouded in myth and legend. Some say he is a mortal chosen by Abaddon to ready the world for the apocalypse, while others say that he is meant to warn the peoples of Keoria about Abaddon’s return so they can prepare for his arrival in a final futile battle to save their world. The only thing people kn
ow for sure about the Herald is that his arrival signals the beginning of the end.
My eyes widened in shock. The last time I Scanned Mecha Knight, I had gotten an error message because he was a player and player characters were immune to Scan. Yet Scan worked this time, which made me wonder if Mecha Knight was no longer considered a player. I bet that [Corrupted Player] notice had something to do with it, though I’ll be danged if I knew what.
Not that I had any time to consider this, however, because Mecha Knight’s eyes shifted toward me and he said, “Bolt. Long time, no see.”
Mecha Knight’s voice sounded normal at first, but then I caught a hint of maliciousness to it, a growl that hadn’t been there before. Even more disturbingly, the growl sounded indistinctly inhuman, which just made me all the more wary of Mecha Knight.
“Mecha Knight,” I gasped. Although I was now standing, I had to lean on the Cannibal Sword for support and I would still be Stunned for another minute and a half at least. “So glad I found you. When Aeolus and Cyclone told me that you were possessed by Abaddon, I really didn’t want to believe them.”
“You should have,” said Mecha Knight in a voice as cold as ice. “It would have spared you from suffering a world of pain.”
“Mecha Knight, what are you doing?” I said. “You’re talking like a bad guy.”
“I am neither good nor evil,” said Mecha Knight indifferently. “I am the Herald of Abaddon. It is my mission to lay waste to the world and destroy all resistance and opposition to Abaddon’s rule. Should you continue to oppose me, I will be forced to slay you, as well.”
Mecha Knight’s statement shook me to my core. He sounded like he believed every word he said. It made me wonder if there was anything of the original Mecha Knight left or if his entire personality had been replaced by a mindless servant of Abaddon, designed solely to carry out his will. It was a chilling thought.
“Herald!” said Cyclone suddenly. I noticed that he and Aeolus had also risen to their feet, but based on how weak they looked, I could guess they were Stunned like me. “Slayer of the Birdman Tribe! We have come to avenge our people!”
Mecha Knight turned his attention to the two Birdmen, looking singularly unimpressed. “And how, pray tell, do you intend to do that? With pecks and scratches? You are as pathetic as the other members of your race and the only reason you exist at all is because you got lucky.”
“Not luck,” said Aeolus, shaking his head, “but the sacrifice of one of our close comrades, who died to ensure the survival of our people. You are simply upset that you did not wipe out every Birdman, as your lord demanded. Did he punish you for your failure?”
Mecha Knight’s grip tightened on his staff, but apparently, he decided against responding to the Birdmen, for he turned to me and said, “I did not come to talk to the Birdmen. I came to deliver a message to you, Bolt.”
“Me?” I said. “A message from who?”
“From my lord, Abaddon,” said Mecha Knight. “He is aware that you have entered the Vaultwork. You may think you fooled him, but he is aware of all players and NPCs. He is, in this game, a god, every bit as omnipotent as that title implies.”
I stiffened. “Is that what his message is? Just bragging about his god complex?”
“That was not his message,” said Mecha Knight. His eyes narrowed. “His message is this: Stop fighting against, Bolt. Join me in advancing the scientific understanding of the human race. Or face extinction.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay, just what the heck does that even mean?”
Mecha Knight shrugged. “It is not my place to interpret my lord’s messages, only to deliver them.”
I shook my head. “Tell Seth I said no. Also tell him that he can take his ‘science’ and shove it.”
Mecha Knight looked completely unmoved by my threat. “I told Abaddon you would reject his offer out of stubbornness. I am not surprised to learn that I was right.”
That startled me. It sounded just like something Mecha Knight would say if he wasn’t under the control of Abaddon. Could that mean that the brainwashing wasn’t complete? It was definitely an encouraging sign, even in the face of such a seemingly insurmountable enemy.
Mecha Knight pointed his staff at me. “If that is your answer, then I am afraid I will have to wipe you from the face of the earth, the same as if you were an NPC in this game. For Abaddon demands it.”
Power began glowing at the tip of his staff, a sign that Mecha Knight was about to cast a powerful spell. I tried to Dodge, but got an error message informing me that my Stunned status prevented me from Dodging. All I could do was stand and stare helplessly at his staff as it glowed brighter and brighter.
Then, without warning, Cyclone appeared behind Mecha Knight and shouted, “For Tornado!”
He brought his silver sword up and brought it down on Mecha Knight’s back, but the blade never connected, for Mecha Knight disappeared and then reappeared behind Cyclone, who staggered forward from the momentum of his blow. Cyclone immediately whirled around to face Mecha Knight, but then Mecha Knight thrust his staff in Cyclone’s face and finished casting his spell.
A huge burst of black fire exploded from the tip of the staff, bathing Cyclone in a column of burning, smoking onyx flame. Cyclone yelled in horror and pain, dropping his sword as the fire overtook him, but I could see his massive health bar rapidly dropping and a second later it hit zero. In the next instant, Cyclone’s whole body turned into a pile of smoking ash and I got this notification:
Party member Elite Birdman Bodyguard Cyclone has died! Respawn time: N/A. NPCs do not respawn.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Shocked by this sudden turn of events, I could only stare dumbly at the notification informing me of Cyclone’s death. Despite the fact that my reputation with Cyclone had gone up just recently, I hadn’t expected him to sacrifice himself like that to save me. I felt very much like how I did when the NPC Okac sacrificed himself to save me the last time I played this game, only even worse knowing the horrible state of the Birdman Tribe.
Mecha Knight, on the other hand, simply lowered his staff, his expression as cold as stone despite the heat radiating from his body. “Pathetic. I guess he didn’t learn from the death of his fellow Bodyguard, who tried to kill me in a similar manner not too long ago. It might have even worked if he hadn’t announced his presence.” Then he shook his head. “What am I saying? It was always destined to fail.”
Mecha Knight looked up at me again, his eyes burning with a cold fire. “Now, where was I? Oh, yes. I was about to finish you off.”
Mecha Knight raised his staff again, but then, right before he could cast a spell, Aeolus rushed down out of the sky, screaming at the top of his lungs. One of his claws was glowing with a brilliant white light and, as he passed Mecha Knight, he raked the glowing claw straight across Mecha Knight’s chest.
Mecha Knight roared in pain as the glowing claw tore through his chest armor, causing him to stagger backward and clutch his chest as a new notification appeared in my vision:
Part member Aeolus uses the Light of Hope! -1,000 Health to Boss Mecha Knight!
My jaw dropped. Aeolus took out half of Mecha Knight’s Health in one blow? Just how freakishly powerful was Aeolus? Or was it that Light of Hope attack that did most of the work?
Aeolus flew away from Mecha Knight, his wings beating furiously as he hovered above the Herald. Mecha Knight was clutching his chest, which seemed to be bleeding profusely due to Aeolus’ blow. Mecha Knight clenched his teeth and looked up at Aeolus, hate and confusion in his eyes.
“What … was … that?” said Mecha Knight, straining to speak the words due to the pain he was in.
Aeolus raised his glowing claw, an unsympathetic look on his face. “Your doom, Herald. Or did you think that Cyclone actually intended to kill you himself?”
Mecha Knight’s eyes widened. “You mean his death was a distraction?”
“His sacrifice was a part of the plan all along,” said Aeolus. “The plan
to kill you and avenge our people. Or did you not notice the aura surrounding me?”
Now that Aeolus mentioned it, I did notice a glowing white aura around his feathered form. It made him look almost like an angel, in stark contrast to Mecha Knight’s more demonic appearance.
“Your aura …” Mecha Knight hissed. “Impossible.”
“Everything is possible, Herald,” said Aeolus. “You see, while the Birdman Tribe is not known for its mages, we are not entirely without magic. Two Birdmen can form a magical bond known as a Union which gives us greater power together than apart. Even more importantly, however, is the power that you receive when one member of the Union sacrifices himself for another, which has boosted my power to heights I could never attain on my own.”
Now it was my turn to gasp. Cyclone’s sacrifice hadn’t been in vain at all. It had all been part of a plan, a plan Aeolus apparently didn’t think to share with me before he did it. I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or annoyed.
“Yet even the power boost from a Union sacrifice would not give me enough power to destroy you,” said Aeolus. “Hence why I went on a quest to attain the Light of Hope, the most powerful light spell in all of Keoria. It is granted only to those who complete a quest for the Light God, Nimiko. With it, I can deal deadly blows to those who are of the Evil Affinity, even those who are much stronger than I.”
“You mean to tell me that you had this all planned from the start,” said Mecha Knight in a ragged voice. “I cannot believe it. You are far cleverer than an NPC has any right to be.”
“Call me what you will,” said Aeolus, “it won’t save you from your destruction.”
Aeolus rushed down toward Mecha Knight and slashed at him again. Mecha Knight raised his staff to block the blow, but the Light of Hope slashed through Mecha Knight’s staff as easily as if it was a twig and cut through his chest again. That blow did slightly less damage than the last—only 700 rather than 1,000—but only because Mecha Knight’s staff had taken the brunt of the blow. That left Mecha Knight with only 300 Health left, but even that was rapidly dropping due to his bleeding chest, which I realized must have acted as a debuff against him.
