Equalize
Page 5
The Atlantian Net strongly suggests you set up your user interface to show the de-buffs you are currently suffering. List of de-buffs: minor concussion, third-degree burns, 8 broken ribs, tendonitis, 53 micro-tears, shin splints, lazy eye, 2 torn meniscus, 12 stress fractures, 32 torn ligaments, early onset arthritis, and 2 lipomas. Durations vary.
Add de-buffs to upper right corner?
Yes
No
His mouth dropped open, and he had to quickly refocus as he saw the spell start to shudder. That was a stupidly long list. Rocky mentally selected yes and noticed a group of icons pop into the upper right corner of his vision. Each one had a timer counting down below them. Surprised, he actually skipped over the more serious ones to stare at the lazy eye de-buff.
Lazy Eye
Your eye doesn’t want to work right now. It is an extremely lazy organ. For the remainder of this effect, your eye will be whipped into shape and trained to function as it should.
Duration: 2 days, 14 hours, and 4 minutes.
Rocky had been born with a lazy eye and now it was going to heal itself?
This was quite possibly the strangest dream or the most wonderful side benefit to this crazy new world. After marveling at the de-buff and closing one eye to see if his deficient eye could see any better, he smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek.
As he watched, the minor concussion blinked rapidly and counted down from three seconds. When the icon disappeared, the dark of the night seemed to brighten just a little bit, and he clicked his tongue in astonishment when a weight seemed to lift off of his brain. Continuing with his perusal, he saw the burned de-buff had less than an hour remaining, same as his broken ribs. The tendonitis, micro-tears, shin splints, and everything else related to basketball’s constant abuse to his body was sitting at just over half a day.
The energy continued to swirl and coalesce above his hands. Rocky crinkled his slightly teary eyes and regarded the Ether in a new light.
You’re a wizard, Rocky.
Glancing at the last corner, a black screen popped up listing damage dealt, damage received, and a multitude of other pieces of information. The list was so long that Rocky immediately felt himself skimming and then not taking in information at all. Instead, he closed the window, deciding it would be something to look at later.
The unknown began to weigh on his mind and sat heavily on his chest. Rocky was even less willing to wade through the mountain of information that this notification contained.
This is already taking too long…
That thought was followed by a complete release of pressure as the Ether of his spell began to thicken and gain substance, forming into the recognizable shape of a sword.
The energy began to dissipate as the blade fell from the floating energy coated in a thin layer of blue liquid. Rocky almost snatched his hands away a moment later. The sword was cold, freezing cold in fact, but somehow, steam was rising from it as the liquid evaporated.
The sheath for the sword was pitch black and seemed to absorb the light of the moon around him. The hilt of the blade was worked in a pattern that Rocky couldn’t distinguish at first. Staring intently, he began tilting and turning it in an attempt to get a better view. As he ran his hands over the dark material that wrapped the hilt, he began to feel embossing on the black fabric.
One of his fingers also found a cold, smoothly sharp object that glowed red. The object was a ruby-like gem embedded in the guard, and it shone with ominous amber light momentarily when his finger left its surface. That’s when the design came together in front of his wide eyes. It was subtle and beautiful in its model, using the guard as spread wings, the grip to emulate the body, and the dark metal pommel as its carved feet. The hilt was meant to look like an ebony black raven.
With the hilt pattern revealed, he bared a few inches of the blade and gasped. The alloy the blade was composed of was inky black and seemed to suck in the moonlight. He tilted his head and looked at the extremely thin blade.
I feel like I am holding a piece of glass it’s so thin.
Rocky unleashed more of the blade and ran his hand up the flat of the sword. He marveled at the pattern designed to look like many ravens in flight. With a bit of effort, he tried to bow the blade and was shocked to find that it was flexible but far harder to shift than he would have guessed.
What is this metal?
The two rubies shone menacingly at him, seeming to stare at him as the raven on the hilt smirked. He narrowed his eyes, and a window popped up.
You now own Dark Tidings:
Dark Tidings
Soul Weapon Level 1
Quality: Relic/Soulbound
Ether Pool: 100/100
This sword will never dull and, if lost or broken, can be summoned using a spell, Summon Soul Blade. As a soul weapon levels, it will gain abilities and more information about its history and origin will be revealed.
This weapon was made for killing, as opposed to his other, more utilitarian weapons. Even his hatchet had been designed for a sport his brother-in-law had gotten him into. Thinking back to those days, Rocky felt the pressure on his chest increase as the need to return to his family in Ottawa slammed back into him.
His stomach now planted in his throat, Rocky hoped that his car was still safe in the parking area. His current position was at Arowhon Pines, a popular getaway inside Algonquin Park, at one of the cottages you could only hike or kayak into. He knew it would have taken him about six hours to kayak back to his car, but that wasn’t an option. He had never tried to walk it before and had no idea how long it would take to do so.
His eyes hardened with resolve, and he knew he better get started or at least find somewhere safe if he was going to rest the night. Currently though, he felt wide awake with all the forced sleep he had been put under but wasn’t sure how long that would last.
I guess getting knocked out repeatedly isn’t only an excellent way to earn a concussion but also to stay awake late into the night. Who knew?
Rocky picked up his bag and cinched the makeshift torches to the front of the pack. Then he quickly changed his clothes, gagging as he tossed his blood and pus covered ones into a plastic grocery bag before stuffing the quarantined clothes into the backpack to clean or burn later.
Finally, he strapped his belt on and then tried multiple different ways to buckle on his sword sheath using the frog that had come with it. He had never seen or heard of the device before and soon realized he had to take off his belt and rethread it through the contraption between belt loops where he wanted the sword to rest before it sat properly.
The immediate discomfort of the sword felt like a small weight was attempting to remove his newly donned pants. It also made him list slightly to the left. Rocky really hoped this was something he’d get used to. Otherwise, his life from this point on was going to be very frustrating.
The time to go had arrived, and he began jogging out of the camp. He winced with each crack of a branch or scuff of his shoe on the dirt, hoping he wouldn’t draw unwanted attention. A quick thought of his family, and he decided that trading noise for haste was acceptable.
During the run, he learned that a hand on the hilt of the sword stopped it from jostling and slowing him down.
Fifteen minutes later, he realized he could hear faint booms and wood splintering. Hoping it was signifying help, he picked up his pace. A few steps later, a red menu box popped up.
You are entering a Territorial Zone of a powerful being. If you continue, it will be alerted to your presence. Depending on your intentions or its mood, you may be in danger.
Rocky didn’t even hesitate; he knew of no other way to his car. He would just have to try his luck and hope for the best.
He skidded to a halt as he first heard and then felt a roar reverberate through his entire body. The sound settled on to his chest and vibrated his heart, causing the organ to send a signal of abject terror to his brain. If he were a dog, he would have tucked his tail and run away whimpering.
However, then as if in a challenge to the roar, a hellish chorus of howls pierced the recently silenced night, echoing through the trees. Suddenly, the whole forest hushed after the calls of war as if holding its breath in anticipation.
After the brief interlude of deafening silence, the explosions resumed and intensified as if trying to make up for the moment of cease-fire.
Chapter Four
The restart of the battle had also begun a heated internal debate for Rocky. In a cold sweat, he felt himself leaning towards the much faster and more dangerous option of going straight through. It might be safer going back and trying to go around, but it could take hours or even days longer. He managed to make up his mind when he considered that he had no guarantee of safety anywhere.
At least in here, I know where the crazy, destructive monsters are.
The anvil on his chest seemed to lift slightly as he resumed his jog. Rocky did change course slightly in an attempt to entirely avoid the ongoing conflict. To distract himself from the feeling of dread and to try to avoid thinking about the danger he was running towards, he checked some of the notifications that had built up.
Congratulations! You have earned a new non-combat skill, Endurance.
Current rank Weak-Endurance Level 1
Endurance
Increases your ability to perform strenuous activity for prolonged periods. At weak rank, each level will increase your physical endurance by 0.25%.
Congratulations! You have earned a new non-combat skill, Analyze.
Current rank Weak-Analyze Level 1
Analyze
By studying items, monsters, plants, and other objects in your surroundings, you will be able to see information previously hidden. At weak rank, you will be able to see two pieces of information. Increase your rank to discover more.
Continuing the distraction, he tried to thoroughly search his combat log and was rewarded for it by discovering an option to place his Etherience gained beside his notifications. As he began to mentally open that window, the sound of the conflict grew noticeably in pitch, and his mind froze, gripped by fear as the combat sounded like it would collide with his path. Rocky swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and gritted his teeth. There was no other way.
Now that Rocky was entirely focused on the noises, he realized that the howls were coming with less frequency, yet the monstrous roars seemed to be sounding with the same interval. Rocky actually started praying to whatever gods might be listening.
Please, please, please let them fight until I am passed. Please!
As if in answer to that prayer, his mind flew into a panic from an entirely different problem. The gamer inside him frantically realized he hadn’t taken anything from the golems back in the cottage clearing.
Damn, what if they have loot! I know for sure that the metal feet and hands might at least have been useful. What about the marble core thing?
Despite Rocky’s current situation, his personal greed menagerie began going wild. Loot was a fundamental reason why gamers continued to play games day after day, and he had just ignored possible goodies. He kicked himself again and again, feeling nausea rise from the pit of his stomach.
Maybe he should turn back. Rocky came to a stop, unable to continue with his insides roiling in a war for dominance. Logic, on one side which had the high ground, was desperately fighting off the barrage of emotions his body put forward as seemingly irrational evidence for turning back.
The decision was made for him as something enormous crashed through the trees not one hundred meters in front of him. Its wings were crumpled to its body, and it was bleeding from numerous bite marks. Maybe it was a tangle of creatures? Rocky could distinctly make out what appeared to be parts of multiple different animals.
As Rocky tilted his head, transfixed by a feeling of discombobulation because each foot, whether it was avian or feline, was as large as a small car. His eyes widened in awe as the jumble righted itself and got to shaky feet. Out of the tangle came a massive, majestic lion head; crumpled, injured bird wings; scaled hind legs tipped with talons; muscled, feline forelegs with claws extended; and a quilled mace for a tail, which was swishing in clear, feline agitation.
As he stood transfixed, his feeling of majesty was shattered as the massive creature opened its mouth and let out a roar which shook the leaves and left his body vibrating uncontrollably. A moment later, Rocky’s legs buckled, and he fell unceremoniously on his ass.
He was pretty sure it was a Chimera, but it shouldn’t exist…
Yeah, cause my kayak and cabin turning into homicidal humanoids is an everyday thing! Why not throw some Greek legends in too?
Within moments, four wolves, most missing fur, parts of ears, or sporting deep gouges and slashes, slunk into view. Rocky felt his breath catch as they stalked ever closer to the near-dead Chimera. Rocky immediately knew it had to have been a pack against the creature and felt his mind tremble with dread at the size of this evolved pack. The wolves, while extremely large, were slightly smaller than the perfect killing machine they faced, but they had clearly had numbers on their side. Only the large, metallic colored one in the back center of the pack could compete with the Chimera in height, but not even it compared in bulk. Rocky assumed it was the alpha of this pack. The way the rising sun reflected off its fur made him think that metallic color wasn’t just a shade.
The alpha growled deep in its throat which signaled the other wolves to begin a charge forward, attempting to flank the opponent. A moment later, the massive metallic wolf followed suit. The lesser wolves darted in with expert timing, attempting to hamstring the Chimera. This tactic was apparently what the wolves favored and had used before because the Chimera ignored the massive alpha and batted one of the lesser wolves with its barbed tail.
This strike caused three of the massive quills to dig deeply into the wolf’s head, and it went down, the cooling carcass sliding across the ground before coming to a stop as it hit a tree with a loud crash. The tree creaked and broke, falling to the ground and creating another loud bang.
Rocky tracked the Chimera’s movements with wide eyes. With all the agility of a cat and some of the flexibility of a snake, its head somehow turned nearly all the way around and latched onto the lesser wolf who was a few feet from one of its back legs. The massive lion’s head held on desperately as the wolf began to fight against the beast's clasp.
In a blur of motion, its tail returned to bat the third and final lesser wolf squarely in the ribs, causing it to whimper as it crashed to the ground on its opposite side of the deeply embedded Chimera quills.
The quills bubbled blood as the animal struggled to breathe and get to its feet. However, the blow was proven to be a mortal one as the lesser wolf crumpled back down and curled in on itself, the pain of its wound gripping its mind in an inescapable vice matching Rocky’s current dread.
This final, desperate strike left the Chimera with no further options as the massive alpha wolf careened right into its exposed side and clamped its enormous, metal teeth down around the lion-like neck. For a moment, the lesser wolf continued to struggle in the Chimera’s jaws as the Chimera attempted to struggle out of the alpha’s vice of teeth.
The concussive collision finally knocked free Rocky’s inaction. He stood slowly, trying not to make a sound and could hear massive, bass-filled drum beats, while the Chimera wailed on the alpha with its barbed tail. Even as the alpha wolf became a pincushion it held on despite the obvious pain. A few heartbeats later the fight left the Chimera and its front legs collapsed on top of the lesser wolf who had died in its maw. The alpha continued to hold onto the beast's neck for long moments until it also collapsed, heaving for air through its nostrils, the Chimera still clasped in its jaws.
Off to the side, one final lesser wolf inched toward the alpha, but its spastic crawl diminished as its injuries overtook it. The worming progress ground completely to a halt, however, as it fell into unconsciousness a moment later.
Rocky
narrowed his eyes but continued to stare at the scene; the alpha was clearly in just as dire a situation as the lesser wolf. It had over twenty barbs piercing its metallic hide, and he could hear the air leaking from its bellow like lungs as it desperately tried to take any air into its nostrils.
When the alpha released his jaws from the Chimera’s neck and collapsed to the side of the beast, its tongue rolled out and its panting intensified. With a sinking feeling, Rocky knew that he had to act now and put an end to the creature’s suffering.
Rocky began moving toward the collapsed creature. As he drew closer, he was able to better understand the sheer size of these beasts. The lesser wolves were probably the size of a garbage truck, and the two leaders of the conflict dwarfed them by easily half again. His stomach did a few somersaults when the alpha made one last attempt to stand.
As he finished his approach and tentatively drew his sword, the wolf’s eyes locked onto him, causing him to bring his sword out in front of him and take a step back. Luckily, it was unable to do more than blink at him. The creature was apparently on its final, borrowed moments of time. With a strange sympathy and resolve in his eyes, Rocky brought his new sword down across its throat, only to have the creature's fur barely part beneath the blade.
Even though he tried again and fought with every ounce of his strength, the fur only shifted and refused to part around the sharp edge of his sword. Knowing he couldn’t kill it this way caused his heart to clench in terror at the power of these predators. A tear formed in his eye because Rocky had always liked animals, and no creature deserved to suffer needlessly. He took a deep breath and approached its head, knowing what he had to do.
Sorry, boy.
The light in the wolf’s eye faded as he slid his sword into it. Rocky then turned his attention towards the lesser wolf whose breathing was nearly inaudible. He succeeded where he had failed before. His sword was easily able to part the lesser wolf’s throat. Immediately after killing the two creatures, notifications lit up his slightly teary-eyed vision.