World-Tree's End

by E A Hooper

  >Vincent: Mint?

  >Keanu: Nice, isn’t it?

  >Jim: Dev, do you have a map marker for us?

  >Devon: Yeah, give me a second. I’m searching my inventory for the right crystal.

  A few seconds passed, and then Vincent saw a twinkle of light nearby as Devon activated a mapping crystal. Vincent watched lines races across his map and encircle the world until they reached one location.

  >Jim: Alright, let’s all regroup at that location. Don’t let the angels spot you.

  >Vincent: We’re not staying together?

  >Jim: Dude, I already left the Jump Gate. With these cloaks and this blue fog, it’s too difficult to stay together. We’ll meet up at the mining camp.

  >Vincent: Makes sense. See you all there.

  Vincent thought he heard one of his teammates step off the platform, and he headed into the blue mist himself with only his map to guide him.

  Chapter 15

  Vincent followed his map across the rocky world, spotting new types of monsters along the way. He talked to the party members on team chat, finding out more about Zenmire. Despite being a dangerous world crawling with many kinds of monsters, below the surface it was abundant with resources. Almost anywhere the Jiminy World Crickets set up a mining operation, they’d inevitably found basteel deposits. There were also underground lakes covered in crypt-shrooms.

  The thought of so many crypt-shrooms waiting to be converted into Candy Apples made Vincent lose focus while running through one of the barren canyons. However, he still managed to spot something flying through the fog overhead. His movements slowed to a walk as he watched the figure pause then change direction.

  >Vincent: Just saw an angel. It didn’t spot me, though.

  >May: I think I see the same one. It’s searching around for something. Maybe it noticed the Jump Gate light up when we—oh, it sees me.

  Vincent heard mana attacks flying in the distance, so he leapt to the top of the canyon wall and raced in the direction the angel had gone. Down in another canyon, he spotted the angel standing in front of May, who’d removed her cloak to fight. May hadn’t done much damage to the angel, and she seemed frozen in place as the monster held up a glowing hand.

  Vincent Scanned the angel’s spell, but then he True Scanned the monster itself. His negative energy couldn’t reach Rosaria when he had tried the spell on her, but he hoped it would on the lesser angel, which looked like a Judge type.

  Greater Holy Stun – Mana Usage: Very High | The user gathers world magic into their palm and spreads it through a target within reach, freezing the target in place for one hour.

  Helena the Lovely Star (Exotic Boss) – Death Triggers: Brain (if 50% damaged), Full Body Total (if 50% damaged), Lifeforce (if 100% lost). World Magic Field (Average Rating): 700 | Bone Rating: 800 Total (600 Material | 200 Density) | Magical Protection: 600 (all other body parts).

  The easiest way to kill the angels is to go for their brains. If I remember correctly, every drop of world magic is constantly jumping between a rating of one and nine hundred ninety-nine, so this angel’s field likely stays on the higher end of that more often than not. The stronger angels probably have a higher average rating. I still don’t understand how they gather world magic so quickly in the air, though.

  Vincent searched through the extra data he normally sorted away when using True Scan. After skimming a few paragraphs of nonsense and numbers, he eventually found his answer.

  Helena the Lovely Star (Exotic Boss) – World Magic Redirection: 7,000%

  >Jim: May, you still there?

  >Vincent: She was stunned, but I’m here gathering intel before I take down the angel. My True Scan picked up some kind of rating called World Magic Redirection. I think it might connect to how the angels can spam attacks without touching the ground like Xan has to.

  >Jim: Yeah, we figured it was something like that. You might’ve noticed there isn’t much plant life near Edgelight. Keith figured the angels were channeling the flow of world magic to themselves, kind of like Isaac’s Foundry. The one advantage for us is that when the angels are grouped up they can’t regather mana as quickly. Usually, it ends up flowing into whichever angel is the most powerful. That also means that even if you kill a group of angels, a lone survivor becomes deadlier because it can spam attacks endlessly.

  >Vincent: Good to know. I’ll try to take this one down quickly, but it might be difficult since it’s next to May. I’ll try not to kill her too.

  Vincent cast Zero Field and floated down into the canyon. When the angel finally seemed to notice him, turning her head in his direction as if she’d sensed something, he fired three Void Guns at her head. The first didn’t seem to make it through her protective field, but the next two took out chunks from her skull.

  The angel dashed toward him to cast Holy Stun, but she realized too late that he had a shield based in negative energy. As the colliding forces flickered white and black, Vincent engulfed the upper half of the monster’s body with Voidfire.

  As the bottom half of the angel’s body turned to dust, Vincent cast Zero Field on May, knocking her out of the stun just like he used to with players frozen by Mod Gun. She fell to the ground, collected her breath, then stood to don her Ghost Cloak.

  >May: Thanks, Vince. It sure is nice to have you back in the guild.

  >Vincent: No problem. It might help if more people started learning void abilities, though.

  >May: We have been. It just takes so damn long. I finished Void Gun decades ago, but I’m still working on Gravity Shield. At the training camps on Helixos, Athena is teaching a bunch of people void spells. However, only a couple dozen have been able to finish their first one.

  >Jim: Out of our current team, Lloyd and Keanu have Gravity Shields. Oh, and Devon has All Shield he learned from Xan.

  >Vincent: Devon, that’s great to hear. I remember you wanted to learn world magic. I’m sure Xan taught you a lot.

  >Devon: Yeah, Xan is just so great, uh… at teaching. I wanted to spend more time with—I mean learn more from her—but she’s been exploring worlds.

  >Keanu: Dev, my man. You should’ve asked to go with her.

  >Devon: She probably wouldn’t want to drag me around. Plus, I have so much work with the mining operation.

  Keanu let out an audible sigh over team chat.

  >Keanu: She likes spending time with you, Dev. I think she was disappointed when you didn’t ask to go with her. I could’ve taken over your job here.

  >Vincent: Wait, Devon has a crush on Xan?

  >Keanu: Yeah, man. I’ve been trying to set them up for a while!

  >Devon: No, no, it’s not a crush. I just really respect her. She’s a great warrior and leader.

  >Jim: Sounds like you want to respect her all night long.

  Devon tried to respond over team chat, stumbled over his words, then went silent.

  >Juniper: For real, you two would make a good couple. Stop being so awkward about it and ask her out already. You two have had the entire guild on edge with this will they, won’t they crap for the last few years.

  >Vincent: Wow, sounds like I’ve missed a lot. I’m surprised you’re not married again, Jim. Wait—you’re not married, are you?

  >Jim: No, Jeanie and I are taking things slow.

  >Vincent: What?! You and Dragonspear Jeanie? Man, I wouldn’t have guessed that.

  >Jim: You think that’s weird? May and Keith got married last year.

  >May: I’ve always gone for the nerdy guys, so I don’t think that’s too big of a surprise.

  >Vincent: Jesus, this guild is turning into one big family. Any other marriages I should know about?

  >Jim: River and Athena finally got hitched forty years back. I think my granddaughter was worried about marriage, considering our family’s track record, but things have worked out great between them. Antonio went through two divorces. Gwendolyn and Quinton got married, and then divorced a few decades later. Now Gwen is back to following Fynn around like a puppy dog
.

  >Vincent: Oh, are they dating?

  >Jim: No, Fynn has never dated anyone in the guild. He might have someone waiting for him outside the game, but I couldn’t tell you for sure. That dude is an anomaly in my book. Over the last hundred years, I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with him that lasted longer than thirty seconds. Oh, I just reached the camp. This, uh, doesn’t look very good for us.

  >Devon: Holy crap. There weren’t this many when I left.

  >Keanu: I’m coming over the ridge right now—oh damn.

  Vincent had been following the patter of May’s footsteps, but they both slowed as they climbed a ridge. In the lowlands beyond the ridge, Vincent saw the mining camp. Besides various pieces of exposed equipment, most of the camp was hidden under magically camouflaged tarps. He thought he spotted several entrances to underground passageways, but even those looked partially hidden.

  Above the camp, he counted about twenty winged figures. Ten appeared to be Judges, and eight were armored Paladins, but then he spotted two others that looked stranger than the angels he’d seen before. The nearest of the two Watchers had a very elongated body, and they had eyes sticking out from any exposed skin. They didn’t have masks like the other angels, but even their normal faces seemed replaced by a multitude of oddly located eyes. The only garments they wore at all were loincloths and a chest wrap for the one that appeared female. Their four wings stretched out farther than their fellow angels, and they lacked hair.

  >Juniper: How the hell are we supposed to take down this many?

  >Jim: We might not have to fight them all. Really, we just need to free our allies. They can kill themselves and respawn back at Edgelight.

  >Vincent: Hang on, how deep do those tunnels go?

  >Jim: Some of them are pretty long. Assuming the angels got everyone, there might be a few people a mile underground.

  >Vincent: I might have an idea. I’m working on a new spell, something that could wipe out the entire area. Maybe I can blow up everyone at once.

  >Jim: That’s not a bad idea. If you let us take cover, then can kill of most of the angels, we could use drilling spells to dig into the lower tunnels.

  >Vincent: It might help if I get to the middle of the camp first. Do you think I can sneak past those Watchers with my Ghost Cloak?

  >Jim: Probably not. We’ll need a distraction for you.

  >Keanu: I’ll volunteer.

  >Juniper: I’ll help. You ready, Vince?

  >Vincent: Yep.

  About fifty meters away, Vincent saw a figure take off its Ghost Cloak in the blue mist. The person fired a spell through the air that flew at close to supersonic speed before hitting the Watcher and causing a huge explosion. Vincent had managed to Scan the spell, even as he dropped from the ridge and darted for the middle of the camp.

  Mana Missile (Requires Mana Bomb | Requires Mana Cannon | Upgraded) – Mana Usage: Very High | Magic Rating: 400-600 | Launches a high-speed mana sphere that creates a large explosion on impact. | Upgrade – Detonate: The user may detonate this attack at will.

  The explosion faded, revealing the Watcher to be unharmed after the attack. By the time it launched a spell in response, the player had raised several large barriers on the ridge. Another Mana Missile struck the second Watcher, and it also attacked in response. As the other angels began to race in the direction of the players, Vincent slowed to a stop in the middle of the camp.

  He unequipped his best gear so it wouldn’t get destroyed in the blast, although he kept Silpher’s Coat on for the extra mana. At some point during that the angels must’ve spotted him, and he felt their first few attacks batter him, ripping apart his cloak moments after he drew mana from it. Vincent tried to cast Greater Mana Bomb and Greater Voidfire together, and darkness engulfed his view.

  You’ve died. Respawning at your Checkpoint Crystal…

  Vincent respawned next to the Jump Gate. As soon as he appeared, May, Keanu, and Juniper showed up with him. When he checked his spell development, it said it was still only one percent.

  “Uh, what?” May gasped. “I thought I was far from the blast?”

  >Jim: Holy shit, Vince. My god, what the hell even was that? I barely survived with my Alcubierre Shield!

  Devon coughed into team chat before speaking.

  >Devon: I started running the moment Juniper attacked the Watcher. Even with my All Shield you almost killed me too. I had to use three ultra-elixirs.

  >Lloyd: You about got me too, and I was hiding in a canyon.

  >May: I was still running, then I saw nothing—just complete darkness.

  >Jim: Good news, at least. All the angels above the camp are dead. I don’t know if there are any left underground, but we’re digging a new tunnel. You guys hurry on back.

  >Vincent: Got it.

  Vincent and the others put on their Ghost Cloaks, set new Checkpoint Crystals, then flew back to Zenmire. They kept their hoods down that time so they could stay together as they hurried full speed to the mining camp. When they neared it, they saw right away that the blast had vaporized the ridges, leaving a crater several hundred meters across. Even the blue gas had disappeared from the area. They found the tunnel that Jim had been digging, but it looked like he, Lloyd, and Devon had already entered into the mines.

  >Vincent: Do you have a mapping rune? We can’t see where you all are.

  Jim tried to respond, but his voice was too heavily distorted by static.

  “There’re probably more angels down there,” May said. “It’s not uncommon for them to interfere with the communication.”

  “Guess I’ll lead the way,” Vincent said, stepping inside. He handed Juniper a rune torch with Area Reveal 30, which acted like an extended Clarity spell. Vincent had discovered a few dozen similar torches in King Rosebriar’s stash.

  Vincent led the party into one of the tunnels. After descending about thirty meters, it intersected the large mining passages that branch off in every direction for miles.

  >Vincent: These tunnels are huge! You guys didn’t mine this with just the equipment I saw earlier, did you?

  The next response came in sounding like static, despite Keanu standing a few steps behind him.

  >Keanu: Nah, we’ve developed several spells for tunneling. The main one is Breaker Drill, which Jeanie made. Then whenever we hit something tough like basteel, we use rune-operated equipment that Quinton and Fynn invented.

  Just as Keanu finished explaining, Vincent spotted a figure in the tunnel ahead. He approached the person, who he recognized as a mid-level guildsman that had helped them in the war against Isaac Bell. After checking to make sure there were no angels nearby, Vincent cast Zero Field and knocked the guy out of his stunned state.

  The man fell to the ground, gasping for air. “Ah! Thanks!”

  “Did you see any angels recently?” Vincent asked.

  “After that huge earthquake, the one guarding me got nervous,” he said. “That bastard had been stunning me repeatedly, but then it flew that way a few minutes ago.”

  The man equipped a Lotus Capsule before moving away from the party to detonate himself.

  >Juniper: A few minutes ago? It might’ve heard the rest of our team. Let’s head that way.

  Their group hurried in that direction, but Vincent stopped to cast Zero Field on several more guildsmen they came across. Like the previous man, they all thanked him before stepping away to blow themselves up with Lotus Capsules. After reaching a downward-sloping tunnel, which had exposed basteel deposits sticking out of the dirt, they saw that four Judges and a Watcher had cornered Jim, Lloyd, and Devon. Beside them stood a frozen Antonio, the guildsman Vincent had once given a Pitchfork of Smiting.

  Devon had equipped his Bright Armor, which he seemed to have completed in the last century, but he’d also supercharged his Bright Blade with a world magic spell Vincent didn’t have time to Scan. Jim had swapped to mithril armor, which he’d likely gathered from killing angels, but he’d lost an arm fighting off the monste
rs. Lloyd was in basteel armor, and he wielded two swords that appeared to be made of folded basteel. However, Xan’s father was blasted to pieces by two of the angels just as Vince and the others arrived.

  Vincent cast Voidfire, but the Watcher saw him with her many eyes and threw up a wall of magic that almost looked as dense as the ones made by Rosaria. Dozens of the Watcher’s eyes flashed with world magic as they focused on Vincent, and the man felt his muscles stiffen. He tried to move, but found himself immobilized by the angel’s gaze.

  Are you serious? Even my Density Shield isn’t stopping this.

  Vincent tried to force himself forward, and he managed to take a single step, causing the Watcher’s eyes to open in surprise. However, Keanu jumped between them, and Vincent’s body relaxed. Keanu didn’t fare as well as Vincent had, and his body twisted and convulsed as the angel’s glare overpowered him. His bones snapped, and his ribs exploded in his chest, causing him to cough blood before his neck muscles twisted on themselves.

  Vincent Power Launched his next Voidfire, striking the Watcher before she could raise another magic wall. The black flames burned her to nothing, and Keanu fell on the ground convulsing until he turned to dust.

  As the Watcher died, Juniper and May jumped into action. They charged at the next-closest angel, both hitting him with Mana Missiles that did moderate damage. Next, they attacked with folded basteel weaponry.

  Vincent equipped Endless Edge and charged the next angel. The monster struck him with a white blast that didn’t even scratch him, and then he decapitated the foe with a quick swipe of the blade. The angel’s headless body tried to grapple him, but Vincent’s reacted quickly by slicing off both its arms. He took a second to gulp down two ultra-ethers, then equipped Green Flash. The hand cannon, which he’d gotten from Silpher, let him cast Vaporize on the angel’s head, which instantly killed it.

  May and Juniper had struggled with their angel, but it also looked like they had badly injured it. As the monster snarled and tried to break through a powerful barrier that Juniper had raised, Vincent approached it from behind and shot it in the head with Vaporize.