Beastborne- Mark of the Founder

by James T Callum

  A future I might not experience if I don’t spend enough sparks in order to strengthen myself for this fight.

  It was the most annoying conundrum. Just like holding onto a potion past when you obviously need it because, “what if there’s an even worse boss later in the game that I’ll need this at?” And then you just end up beating the game with thirty unused potions.

  If this wasn’t the equivalent of a boss fight, Hal didn’t know what was. He would strike a balance and upgrade Enfeebling but nothing else. Unlike Thirty-seven, he wasn’t exactly afraid of Shae’kathoth touching him. He had a feeling that the body-stealing creature wouldn’t be welcomed by the Beast.

  Despite that, it was a theory Hal wasn’t keen on testing. The potential loss, if he was wrong, was too great to risk it. It was like leaping out of a plane without making sure what he grabbed was a parachute. And increasing his Enfeebling would let him use both Enchainment and Bloodrake at a higher efficacy.

  Investing the sparks gave him a rush of euphoria typically associated with skill Level Ups. His notifications rolled past.

  Your Enfeebling Magic has risen to Level 7.

  …

  Your Enfeebling Magic has risen to Level 10.

  +1% Enfeebling success (+10%).

  +2% Enfeebling duration (+20%).

  +5% Enfeebling magic resistance (+10%).

  You have 1 Enfeebling Perk awaiting assignment.

  Nemesis 0/1

  Deal 15% extra damage to the last creature you’ve enfeebled.

  Dream Thief 0/1

  Take the dreams of the sleeping, empowering your next enfeebling spell by 50%.

  Shatter 0/3

  Enfeebling spells apply a 10% MDEF reduction.

  Lv1: 10% MDEF reduction.

  Lv2: 15% MDEF reduction.

  Lv3: 25% MDEF reduction.

  Dream Thief did nothing for him, he had no spells that put somebody to sleep. Nemesis was tempting but so was Shatter. The former would do more damage if the description wasn’t misleading.

  But Shatter would deal more damage overall if he was in a party with other magic users. While Nemesis wasn’t constrained to only magic, it had a single Level.

  He could either choose to boost his own damage or increase everybody’s magic damage.

  How many more bosses and battles might he have in his future? How many more times might his friends need his help? If he had been able to weaken the Shoggoth to magic with Enchainment and Bloodrake, maybe the battle would have gone differently.

  Hal looked up at Thirty-seven, he stood patiently with arms crossed over his chest. Hal wanted to ask him what he thought but he knew the answer before the words formed in his mind.

  Thirty-seven was a Paladin. He’d choose the perk that helped the most people. He would choose Shatter. And if Hal wanted to separate himself from Rinbast, he knew that was the right choice as well. Especially since his first reaction was to take Nemesis.

  He took Shatter, feeling the effect wash over him and knowing with iron-clad certainty that each spell would weaken his foe magically. With Level 10 Enfeebling Magic, Hal also had a better grip on how to utilize his spells better.

  Increasing skill was more than raw damage or the perks they gained, it was like downloading more information about the subject directly into his brain. A single Level allowed him to operate the skill with a higher degree of familiarity and awareness that numbers simply couldn’t convey.

  The methods of his magic were clearer to him and he could already look back over the Shoggoth fight and see where he had improperly used his spells. Most importantly, he understood how he was able to summon Bloodrake and channel into the spell to rip the Shoggoth apart.

  There was no way he could do that now. That was largely due to the empowering nature of the Elysian Surge he was under. But, he understood the underlying mechanics. And that was important.

  While he lacked the power to rip Shae’kathoth in half, he could alter the spell and tie up one limb or another and move it around like a doll’s. Though the MP cost would be significantly higher.

  Strain was going to be a problem though. Despite the increased HP, MP, and SP the Old One’s Blight effect gave him, the Strain increase was monumental. He already had 3 points of Strain and he hadn’t done anything yet.

  Hal summoned the [Chain of Binding], wrapping it around his left wrist and gripping the chain. He nodded. “I’m ready.”

  Thirty-seven took a step toward Hal, still wearing his armor even if his body was in a simple shirt and breeches. He placed a hand on Hal’s shoulder and squeezed. Hal felt the comforting gesture and nodded at the man. “Remember what I said. Do not let him touch you. He will be weak when he first awakens. Strike hard.”

  “I hope you have a well-deserved rest,” Hal said. “Thank you, Hal.”

  The spectral figure smiled back at him and shut his eyes. “It’ll feel good to finally rest…” Thirty-seven’s face became calm and restful. He exhaled. His body thinned and grew indistinct. An unseen wind swept over him and carried his spirit away. His body crumbled to dust.

  Some of Thirty-seven’s ethereal form seeped into Hal’s shoulder, filling his resources to full and wiping away the small amount of Strain he already accumulated. He felt refreshed and ready.

  Thanks, man.

  Seeing Thirty-seven leave this plane of existence, Noth drifted over. She floated a foot off the ground, her wings outstretched.

  Hal tore his eyes away from the pile of dust that was Thirty-seven’s body to look at the Reaper. “I know you want to stay off to the side and all but I wanted to warn you about what I’m about to face. I don’t know how much you heard about what Thirty-seven and I spoke of-”

  “Nothing,” she interrupted. A raised eyebrow was the only sign that Hal had offended her. “I do not eavesdrop. I was asked to leave and I did.”

  “Well, then you need to know that Shae’kathoth is an abomination that takes control of people’s bodies. Thirty-seven explained that a single touch, skin-to-skin contact is enough for it to fully corrupt and take over a person’s body.”

  Hal shrugged. “I don’t know how much of that affects you, but I figured even if you didn’t help me you deserved to know. Now that you’re….” He motioned to her.

  “Corporeal,” she finished for him.

  “Yeah.”

  Hal turned about in a slow circle, looking for any sign of Shae’kathoth’s appearance. The [Chain of Binding] had a unique property that allowed it to bind creatures to itself, making it easier to chain them up with it. Hal had other uses in mind for it.

  As Hal turned about, Noth rose through the air high above. Shadesight painted her in hues of blue amid the rough cavern’s ceiling nearly a hundred feet up.

  With Thirty-seven’s final gift of healing Hal and reducing his Strain down to 0, he double-checked to make sure the area effect was still active, bringing it up again.

  You are afflicted with Old One’s Blight.

  The aura of being so close to an antediluvian gate is corrupting the very air you breathe. Being a Beastborne, you feed on this unnatural corruption, allowing it to strengthen you while it slowly inflicts Strain upon you.

  HP, SP, and MP +20%.

  HP, SP, and MP recovery +50%.

  Strain Accumulation +50%.

  Maybe there was a benefit to not being a knight in shining armor after all.

  It was unlikely that Thirty-seven or one of his kind would be receiving any buff from such an ominously named area effect. Only a Beastborne could turn something corrupting into a source of power.

  The well of oil bubbled and splashed to his left. He took a careful step back as the tarry substance sloshed over the side and puddled on the floor. The black goo rippled and surged until the pool was emptied. A towering eight-foot-tall creature of incredibly thin proportions stood before Hal.

  Its face was featureless and perfectly smooth save for a too-wide grin that showed rows of shark-like teeth.

  Shae’kathoth looked to th
e pile of ash nearby, dripping oily residue the entire time. Its voice was thick and bubbly. “You have robbed me of my ticket out of here.” Its head twisted to the side unnervingly. “I suppose I will just have to take yours instead.”

  Hal lashed his chain against the ground, cracking the already weakened stone. Chips went flying. “Come and get it Shay-ka-thot.”

  He briefly wondered if the abomination would even get the reference. In the end, it didn’t seem to matter. Its face twisted in rage at the mere hint of mockery. It didn’t need to understand the insult to know it had been insulted in the first place.

  “That is not my name!” Shae’kathoth screeched. It lunged at him with too-long arms that ended in sharpened, oily talons. “I will teach you respect before I consume your soul and wear your meat like a garment!”

  He couldn’t believe how easy it was to rile the thing up.

  Hal lunged back, glad for the movement buff on his [Leaping Boots], narrowly avoiding a swipe meant for his neck. His armor wouldn’t do much against those wicked talons. And if Thirty-seven was right, a single touch would corrupt him.

  That wasn’t much of a concern for Hal. He tapped shadow and treant essence. But instead of making multiple shadowy limbs, he took a cue from Besal’s use of essence.

  He wreathed his body in the dark immaterial substance. The cool grasp of the shadows darkened his Barkskin and he found his limbs moving faster than they normally would. Almost like an exosuit.

  Every movement was quicker and stronger than it should have been. Without witnessing Besal’s use of essence, Hal would have kept to his shadow-limbs. This was so much better.

  It was a vague mockery of Shadetouched. He tapped his Guild badge, dousing the room into utter darkness. Shadesight made it easy to see with varying hues of blue. In pitch darkness Hal’s Shadowy Presence kicked in, making him even harder to hit.

  The edges of his shadow-limned body became blurred and indistinct like the very shadows he fought within. Another lunging strike from the off-balanced creature struck nothing but air as Hal hopped back.

  With a smirk, Hal noticed a small symbol in the corner of his vision. A small counter he intuitively understood to be Patient Offense’s boost. Having dodged two attacks now, the counter read 2.

  Hal quickstepped to the side, avoiding a long-limbed swipe and whipped his chain out. The tip graced the side of Shae’kathoth’s head but that was enough for the binding magic to trigger. Hal tightened his grip and yanked with all his might.

  Unbalanced, the towering rail-thin creature was pulled toward him as Hal conjured Drill Branch in the space between. Shae’kathoth was pulled right into the spinning branches that whirred and hummed. He released the chain’s binding effect as Shae’kathoth neared the point of his spell.

  Hal rushed forward, using the devastating spell to bull Shae’kathoth toward the far wall, tearing the creature up along the way. He realized it was risky, but it was one of his best spells to deal damage and keep the creature at bay.

  More to the point, if Shae’kathoth was really as strong as Thirty-seven suggested, then Hal’s best course of action would be to overwhelm him while it was still waking up from its long imprisonment.

  Oily blood splattered across the room. Hal warped the size of Drill Branch to create a makeshift shield so none of the stuff would rain upon him. The gore hit the spell and was flung far and wide, sizzling as it splashed against the stones.

  You cast Drill Branch.

  [Shae’kathoth] takes 71 points of damage.

  Patient Offense’s effect wears off.

  [Shae’kathoth] takes 52 points of damage.

  [Shae’kathoth] takes 41 points of damage.

  [Shae’kathoth] takes 47 points of damage.

  Shae’kathoth let loose a horrible screeching wail and Hal staggered back, momentarily stunned. He dropped the spell, no longer able to concentrate.

  Hal lashed behind him with his left arm. As soon as the chain cracked against the stone he triggered its binding effect, simultaneously pulling with his arm and pushing with his legs as hard as he could.

  The creature’s lanky claws swept through the air. Mere inches from Hal’s retreating form. Hal overshot the mark and tugged hard on the chain to halt his momentum, then with a thought he released the binding enchantment.

  This chain is great.

  Hal looked to the side, noticing Noth was making her way above and behind Shae’kathoth. He was about to ask if she was going to continue being a witness or actually help him but the question seemed moot.

  If she was going to help him, bringing attention to her wasn’t going to do the Reaper any favors. And if she wasn’t intending on helping him, he doubted there was anything he could say to change her mind.

  Shae’kathoth lashed out with his disturbingly long arms. They stretched like black taffy. Two swipes came at opposing angles. Hal ducked under one and used his [Chain of Binding] to lash the stone and pull himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the next attack.

  So far he was able to stay ahead of the creature. He may even be able to defeat him on his own. Edge of Disaster was making each of his attacks and movements faster with each point of Strain he incurred. And Patient Offense was giving his spells some much-needed power so long as he managed to meter his attacks.

  With Edge of Disaster, the shadows wrapped along his limbs, and the flat 10% boost of his [Leaping Boots], Hal was moving faster than ever before.

  Faster even than the Beast.

  As his familiarity with his essence-enhanced exosuit grew, so too did his speed and prowess. There was a fluidity to his motion that belied his meager 14 points of AGI.

  Using his shadow essence as he did had a bit of a learning curve. He had to match the mental commands of both his limbs and the essence simultaneously. If he sprang from his legs and then pushed with his essence a moment later, the effect was greatly diminished.

  And as his essence “muscles” were so much weaker than his actual body, if he pushed with those first, he might not get out of the way in time. It was a delicate dance but one he was quickly learning the steps to.

  Each dodge came easier than the last, Shae’kathoth was fast but Hal was faster and as he lobbed out a Bomb Toss that consumed the creature in a brilliant conflagration, he became even faster.

  He taunted the creature with every breath. Baiting Shae’kathoth to recklessness as he unleashed one wild attack after the other trying to hit the quick Beastborne.

  All to no avail.

  Hal egged him on with everything from childish insults to crass name-calling. Shae’kathoth went into a blind rage, long sweeping arms tried to catch Hal mid-hop but always he was able to lash his chain to the stones and pull himself out of danger.

  The [Chain of Binding] allowed Hal to almost immediately arrest his momentum and shift it to a direction that was impossible for Shae’kathoth to predict. And all the while, Hal’s Patient Offense was racking up the points.

  When Hal hit Shae’kathoth again, it was in for a world of hurt. And Hal knew just the spell to use.

  86

  Shae’kathoth swung his clawed hand in a downward strike, Hal lashed behind himself to the stone steps meaning to pull himself harmlessly out of the way. As soon as he heard the familiar metallic clink of metal on stone, he enacted the magic that would bind the chain to the stone as if it were fused.

  Unfortunately, the stone steps near the bottom of the room where they fought were pitted and weakened from the corrupting air. Hal soon discovered his mistake when his shadow-enhanced tug only succeeded in bringing a fist-sized chunk of stone sailing his way.

  The chain bound itself to the stone just fine but that stone was weak and it only took one tug to break free a section of the step. Hal hastily scrambled to the side. Shae’kathoth’s claws swept so close to Hal’s face he could feel the breeze across his cheek.

  Hal’s chain came in over Shae’kathoth’s strike and nearly slammed the creature square in the face. With a frantic tug, Hal pulled th
e chain back. Much to the confusion of Shae’kathoth.

  His Patient Offense had stacked up to a ridiculous 14 points. He didn’t want to waste the attack on a weak chain strike.

  As Hal pulled back on the chain, he conjured Goblin Rush. By far his strongest spell, though it only worked close range. Right where he was at the moment.

  Determined to turn a mistake into a success, Hal’s magic lunged forward in the frantic shadowy swipes of a goblin’s mad rushing attack. Each swipe of the magical echo bit deeply into Shae’kathoth, splattering its oily essence across the battle arena.

  Hal’s eyes bugged out at the damage the first Goblin Rush did. A whopping 316 points of damage racked up on the abomination as all those stacks of Patient Offense were let loose in a single spell.

  Shae’kathoth was looking more than a little ragged already. And a good thing too, because Hal was already feeling the twisting sensation of his rising Strain.

  Not willing to let up, Hal spat out a black gobbet of Blinding Spit, followed by two more Goblin Rushes, each hitting the lanky monstrosity after the flashy explosion that blinded it. Shae’kathoth swung its arms wide like reaping scythes, harvesting nothing but air.

  Strain Affliction Lv.1 (Taxed).

  You have taxed your body beyond normal limitations. Channeling Beast Magic has its costs and each use of the magic warps your body in new and unforeseen ways. Using Beast Magic beyond this point risks more than your health.

  Beast Magic Efficacy +20% | Beast Magic Damage +20%

  MP Cost +10% | Strain Accumulation +15%

  Noth twirled her scythe in the air and came down with a devastating slice, splitting Shae’kathoth’s weakened form right down the middle. It wobbled awkwardly for a moment before collapsing into two halves.