by Aaron Oster
Starforge was a more powerful version of Stormforge, alleviating the cost of charging his constructs when they were summoned. He also had the additional effects of having a stronger gravity field around the constructs, though he would need to do some testing to see what they could really do. He could also use any skill using a construct as a medium, and he could hardly wait to try it out.
Earth Mastery had taken the place of his Earthen Shift but seemed to also incorporate the effects of Nature’s Wrath and Sand Cyclone.
Expanse seemed to be a newer, more powerful version of his Compression skill, and Rift was his new teleportation skill.
They were all extremely powerful, and though he technically had fewer than before, they would be much easier to access and meshed far better than they had previously.
He moved on to the Superior tab next, making sure to read over its description beforehand.
Superior: Superior skills are the amalgamation of the user’s abilities and skills, combined to form powerful attacks that are vastly superior to ordinary skills. This new tab is created in place of Extra skills when one reaches the Pinnacle of power.
That was pretty straightforward. Nothing more needed to be explained, so Morgan continued looking over the skill descriptions.
Superior:
Light Star - Summon a sphere of dense gravity, pulling all light into a single point. The power of pure light is unleashed when it ruptures, burning all caught within its radius of destruction.
Cost - 6,500 RP
AOE - 200 Ft
Cooldown - 4 hours
Infernal Star - Summon a sphere of dense gravity, pulling all darkness into a single point. The power of the infernal is unleashed when it ruptures, disintegrating all caught within its radius of destruction.
Cost - 6,500 RP
AOE - 200 Ft
Cooldown - 4 hours
Meteoric Downfall - A rift opens in the sky, raining down fiery destruction from above.
Cost - 7,000 RP
AOE - 350 Ft
Cooldown - 12 hours
Continental Collapse - Split the ground with a bestial burst of power, detonating the very earth itself. This skill can cause the eventual collapse of an entire continent, so use with caution.
Cost - 9,000 RP
AOE - 100 Square Miles
Cooldown - 24 hours
Soulstream - Channel your inner power, calling forth the beast of your past and enhancing your body tenfold. Your injuries all continually heal, and your RP regenerates at ten times the normal speed.
Cost - 9,500 RP
Duration - 15 minutes
Cooldown - 24 hours
A lot more had changed here than with his previous skills, mainly the addition of the Light and Infernal Star skills and the disappearance of the gravity-related ones. Still, if the descriptions were even close to what they seemed, Morgan was extremely excited to try them out.
Meteoric Downfall was a more powerful version of his Massive Meteor, though this one seemed to cover a much wider range, and instead of using one single attack, it would rain destruction down from above.
Continental Collapse was his new Continental Crush, though once again, it was far more destructive and deadly, with a span of four times what the other could do. Plus, the cooldown for the old skill had been two weeks, while this one was a mere twenty-four hours!
Soulstream seemed to be the only one that hadn’t changed much, though the description had been altered. He wondered how it would function, now that the Beast King was gone, but he was sure he’d find out soon enough.
He’d been saving the best for last, and as he looked at the Ultimate skills, Morgan felt his heart begin to race.
Ultimate: Ultimate skills are those bestowed only upon kings. Beasts of such immense power that they can topple entire continents. You are the first human to gain access to these skills.
Morgan remembered the massive skills that all of the Pinnacle Kings had been able to pull out and how much damage they’d done. Octagon had frozen time itself in addition to killing several powerful fighters.
Pentagon had unleashed a sandstorm that had leeched the water from his body, trying to kill him by drying him out, and Decagon had pulled an entire storm into a single sphere. If the Ultimate skills of the Pinnacle Kings were anything to go by, then his would be equally as amazing!
Ultimate:
Eternity Beam - Call upon the power gained from bathing in the Wells of Eternity. The skies open up and rain a beam of destruction down upon the world, rendering the area barren and unlivable for years to come.
Cost - 15,000 RP
Duration - Instant
AOE - 1 ft - 500 miles
Cooldown - 1 Week
Sunscorch - Embody the power of the sun, embracing its might and infusing it within your very soul. You cannot be killed while this skill is active.
Cost - 15,000 RP
Duration - 5 minutes
Cooldown - 48 Hours
Morgan was not disappointed.
He didn’t fully understand what either of the skills would do, but they seemed to be separated quite distinctly. One was a mage-based ultimate skill, and one was a super.
Eternity Beam was a lot clearer in its description, though he wasn’t entirely sure what a ‘beam of destruction’ would look like or how it could possibly destroy something in a five-hundred-mile radius. He didn’t doubt his status, but he was curious.
Sunscorch was a lot less cut and clear. The latter part of the skill was understandable and got his heart racing. Five minutes of invulnerability was incredible, especially if he could use it once every two days. What wasn’t so clear was what power he would gain by using the skill. Still, even if it did nothing else, full invulnerability was more than enough for him!
Closing his status, Morgan affixed all of the skills into his memory. He would not forget what he could do nor how powerful he would be in a fight. But it was also important for him to remember that despite all of his newfound strength, there were still those who were stronger than him. Carelessness was not something he could afford when fighting a god.
He felt a light thrumming in his chest, then the spear – Sarah – calling to him. He had just six minutes left before he needed to leave, so he hurried over, excited to tell her of all that had happened.
66
The earth shook before his might, stone crashing down all around him and opening to reveal a clear sky, one now devoid of the power that had cloaked it previously. Breaker, the World Beast, Elder Dragon of Greed, was finally free. After weeks of work, slowly burning his way through the side of the mountain, his eyes stared up at a clear sky.
Despite his urge to hurry, the massive Elder Dragon took a few moments to appreciate the grandeur that was the open air. He hadn’t seen it in hundreds of years, and it made him wonder why he’d even gone into this mountain to begin with. There had to be better places to hide his hoard, ones that didn’t involve being stuck in the dark underground.
Breaker decided, right then and there, that he would find a new place for his treasure. He loved the open air far too much to consign himself to centuries more underground. It was a place for creatures like Strangler or Quaker, not for him. The sky was a dragon’s domain, and it was one he would not abandon again.
The golden dragon took another step forward, stone crumbling around his massive form and falling to the ground below. He shook himself, taking another step and finally freeing his torso. He exhaled, a puff of black fire flashing before his nostrils as he fully emerged from the underground Beast Zone.
He tilted his head back, staring up at the sun and flexing his Will. While most might have assumed that his power would be heightened during the day, they could not have been more wrong. While Breaker’s scales gleamed gold and fire flowed through his veins, Breaker’s true might only really showed itself beneath the light of the moon.
Normally, it would be impossible for him to extend his Will, as at least one of the other World Beasts would be th
ere to counter him. But, as of right now, the area was clear, the world open to him.
Breaker sniffed again, then flexed his Will as he spread his massive wings wide. They rustled as they extended, then he flapped downward, sending a powerful gust of wind billowing out. His body didn’t move, of course, his bulk far too great to be lifted by the wings alone.
This was just a warmup, an exercise designed to loosen him up while his Will extended over his surroundings. His Will was the one thing his kind, the World Beasts, had over all others. Their power was so incredible that they could force the world to obey their commands. If other World Beasts were around to contest him, they likely would have stopped him, but they were all too far off.
Breaker flapped again, his body lifting a few inches off the ground as his wings snapped against his scaley hide. He inhaled once more, pulling in the sweet scents of the outside, basking in the glory that was the world.
The Elder Dragon cracked his jaws as he extended his wings for a third time, reaching within himself for his own power. His muscles coiled up beneath him, his body lowering several feet in preparation. Then, he leaped, driving his wings downward and bathing the sky with black fire. His body shot through the black flames, his golden scales taking on an odd sheen, and a weightlessness overtook him as his form lightened.
Breaker rose quickly toward the sky as the world darkened around him, his Will bending the world to suit him. The Elder Dragon continued to rise, flapping powerfully and taking himself over a thousand feet into the air. From his lofty position up in the sky, he could see a towering wall in the distance. He knew this to be the border of the dwarven lands. The Convergence point was closer than he’d realized, and Breaker grinned, unleashing a powerful jet of black fire into the sky, before turning and winging his way eastward, just as the others had.
***
Shedra stepped through one of the permanent portals set throughout Faeland and out onto a wooded path some two miles from the meeting area. They had all mutually decided to meet in this place, the same spot where the gods had warned them of the human scourge. This was the place where their alliance had really been formed and where the gnomes’ plan for conquest had been born.
For years now, his race had been plotting, scheming, and trying to find a way in which to succeed in a complete takeover. The reason they hadn’t acted until now was because they were meticulous, careful, and never did anything without a guaranteed victory. That was why, despite the laws on how many attendants or guards could come along, Shedra was preparing for something quite heinous indeed.
It was a crazy plan, so crazy that the others had thought he’d gone mad. He’d been afraid that he’d need to get rid of them sooner, but when the man who’d helped Strangler get her Cultists into the Five Kingdoms had stepped forward and offered his aid, the others had soon capitulated.
Yes, it was still a bit risky, but with all of the correct pawns in place, he could rid himself of all of the leadership in Faeland as soon as the contract was signed. Better still, if he knew how these leaders operated – and he did – the chances of them bringing other important members along with them was quite high. This way, when their leaders were taken out, there would be no one qualified to step up and take over.
“Are we still sure we want to do this?” Tibsmith asked from atop his palanquin.
Shedra resisted the urge to sneer at the other Councilor as he turned. For some reason, the others all needed to be carried, further proof of their inadequacy and weakness. A real leader used his own two feet and didn’t need to be carted around like a child.
“We will never have a better opportunity than this,” Shedra said. “They will all be clumped together, gathered in one place, and ripe for the slaughter.”
“You do realize that they won’t go down easily, right?” Tibsmith said.
Shedra hid his anger at the Councilor, promising that he would die first. His death wouldn’t be a fast one, either. Shedra would make sure of that.
“That’s why we’re bringing so many soldiers,” Shedra said. “To make sure they don’t escape.”
“And what of Tork?” Nava asked, peeking her wrinkled old head out of the shade of her palanquin.
“We already agreed to leave him alive,” Shedra repeated, finding it harder and harder to remain patient with these morons.
They had gone over their plans not two hours ago, so why the hell did they insist on chattering like a bunch of idiotic ingrates?
“Won’t it appear suspicious if we and our allies are the only ones to remain alive?” Tibsmith asked.
You won’t! Shedra thought angrily, but out loud, said, “As we’ve already discussed, our position will be unquestionable. We will situate ourselves farthest from the attackers, and when they come, we will sound an immediate retreat using our Tunnel Gates. It won’t be perfect, but so long as the turncoats we’ve planted do as they’re told, we should have a smooth transition of power. Especially so, what with the scapegoats we have planned to take the fall.”
Tibsmith sat back, seemingly content with his answer, but not before making one last snide comment.
“Well,” he said, “we all know what will happen if this plan doesn’t go according to how you’ve outlined it.”
Shedra knew perfectly well what would happen. The others would all immediately turn on him, laying the entire blame at his feet. They would claim innocence and insist the other races take him in retribution. It was the way of their race, after all. The strong survived, and the weak died.
Unfortunately for the other Councilors, they were now the weak ones, and Shedra would assure that they all died. This way, there would be no question as to whether he’d betrayed them or not. Additionally, Tork would meet an unfortunate end as well. Useful as the leader of the trolls was, he was in Shedra’s way. And, as the only surviving ruling member of any race, Shedra would soon take power.
All of the soldiers had been handpicked by him, intermixed with dozens of Cultists disguised as mercenaries. Shedra had even gone so far as to allow other Council members to hire these, just so that they felt included, carefully guiding them to make the correct choice. It gave him particular joy when they’d made their selections, picking the very people who were going to kill them. He could hardly wait!
They continued heading to the meeting point, soldiers reporting in every few minutes and letting him know whenever another leader had exited a portal in the area. Malachi, the king of the beastmen, was the last to arrive, exiting his portal nearly twenty minutes after Ragnar had. Still, they were all on schedule, and seeing as his scouts hadn’t picked up anything suspicious around the beastman leader, he dismissed them.
When they reached the boundary between the clearing and the forest, Shedra left his soldiers behind, and with them, several dozen Tunnel Gate rings. Because there were five of them, the Councilors were allowed a slightly larger retinue, and with the regular servants bowing out in favor of powerful supers and mages, they continued, heading into the meeting area and setting up on the far side.
They were the first to arrive, but that wasn’t uncommon. Shedra had also made sure to time it so that the next group, the elves, would arrive just as they’d finished settling in. His eyes scanned over the multicolored stone, roving over the gazebos complete with the thrones where the supposed leadership of the other races would gather.
By the time this meeting was over, there would be only one leader remaining – him. With all of his opposition out of the way, Shedra would pave his path to the position that had always been meant for him as the ruler of all of Faeland.
He moved slowly, taking the centermost seat under their pavilion and leaning back, pretending to get comfortable, even as his eyes tracked the movement of his troops, preparing to spread out and surround the area as soon as everyone had gathered here.
He closed his eyes for a moment, running the scene over again in his mind. He’d run this exercise a thousand times already, and his plan was flawless. There was no way that this could go
wrong. It wasn’t arrogance that told him this, but careful and practiced planning. Yes, there were still a few uncertainties, such as Elyssa’s unconfirmed death, but Magma and his team were the best, and he doubted they’d fail. They never had before.
Faeland was as good as his. All he had to do was wait for the leadership to gather and hand it over to him.
67
Grace rubbed her eyes as the late-morning light streamed into her room. She’d woken at an insistent pounding on her door, and when a servant peaked in to let her know she was needed in the queen’s room, she was forced to get up, even though it was the last thing she wanted right now. She was exhausted, having only gotten into bed around two hours ago after an entire night of emptying her core into that odd glass ball.
She stretched wide, her arms flying out to the side and one of her fists colliding with the wall. Normally, she might have felt something and winced at the expected pain. But instead, all she heard was a loud crack as her fist shattered the plaster, revealing the stone wall behind.
The sound made her flinch, and she whirled, seeing the damage she’d caused to the wall. It seemed that she hadn’t been dreaming about what had happened last night, after all. She hoped she’d been mistaken, but if her fist had gone through the wall that easily, then it was undoubtedly true. Still, she pulled up her status, just to make sure.
Name: Grace
Supermage: Rank - 26
Energy to Next Rank - 11,229/68,000
Ability - Sound Self
RP - 1,280/1,280 (Regen - 12.8 per second)
Strength - 161
Agility - 118
Constitution - 149
Intelligence - 128
Wisdom - 128
Skills - Expand Blows II, Body Shift+, Siren Scream, Echolocation+, Sound Burst
