Oblivion's Crown

by M. H. Johnson

  Even Terrans porting in using synthetically constructed bodies, players who thought it all just a game, reveling in the awesome feeling of leveling up and improving their bodies and minds in both worlds, were overwhelmed by the siren call to cut Val down. Worse, Val was denied Shadowmind’s ability to cloak his physical presence once the curse latched onto a new victim. Val could only hope his greatest gift could still shield his mind.

  Fortunately, the thousands of enemy soldiers that had fled after morale finally broke had been caught on foot and stranded, once Tiberius and the gate he dared put up in Highblood territory both collapsed. Of course that meant thousands of armed, disorganized soldiers would be trickling through hundreds of miles of neutral territory, but there was nothing Val could do about that now.

  He was just grateful that they were in no position to reinforce their home province, which Julia and Val were racing towards as fast as they could.

  He could feel Julia’s tremble. “Val, please… I need to rest. I know we’re in the middle of nowhere and there’s no safe place to go, but I feel like I’m going to collapse with the strain!”

  Val grimaced and nodded, feeling much the same. “All that experience we earned fighting for our lives, now coming back to bite us,” he said, turning off the road as they approached the outskirts of a forest, grateful night lingered still overhead, Val doing his best to find them a safe bit of shelter as he spied a comfortable-looking nook filled with dry leaves and thick trunks on all sides.

  “Oh this is perfect, Val,” Julia declared with a grin, laying down her cloak over the leaves like bedding. “Excellent camouflage, and we can dart out in a heartbeat if trouble comes.”

  Val nodded, still wanting to make their little bower as secure as possible. He took a deep breath, placing his hands on the trunks of the nearby trees, viscerally recalling the powerful rituals he had cast with the help of the ghosts of ancient dwarven druids, an entire dying grove given life once more. His heart began to race as he felt himself touch that green spark of magic once again, only needing to embrace the barest edge of that torrent of power, transforming the trees around him just enough to mask him and his girl from the eyes of all his enemies.

  For countless moments Val stood there, deep in concentration, as much the trees as the young man communing with them, before Julia’s frantic tug pulled him free.

  Congratulations! You have learned Woodshaping! This Level 30 Creation + Manipulation + Transformation / Herbam spell will entice all plants in a 10-yard radius to warp and grow in whatever way you see fit! Mana cost is effect-dependent. Build a wooden house on the fly, or seal yourself in a fortress of adjoining trunks like you just did! Either way, no enemy’s going to be sneaking up on you. But if they surround your fortress with oil and light you ablaze, you’ll have only yourself to blame!

  Val took a moment to collect himself, happy to see the mana spent was only a small fraction of what he invested when repairing a battle-mech. He turned around to catch Julia’s awe-filled gaze.

  “And you just made up another level 30 spell, on the fly. You are something else, Val. And I still can’t get over how the universe talks to you!”

  Val shrugged. “Either that, or it’s my snarky subconscious. Either way, knock on wood, we’re safe for the moment.”

  Julia flashed an exhausted smile. “Thank god. I swear I’m about to collapse, Val. And not just from the need to level up. But just because...”

  “We were fighting for our lives against thousands of enemy soldiers?”

  Julia swallowed. “Pretty much.” Her fingers caressed his cheek, beautiful green-gold eyes peering deeply into his own. “And I can’t tell you how grateful I am we both made it through.” She flashed a smile both exhausted and mischievous. “You saved my life twice over, Val. Now how about you hold me in your arms and rock me to sleep, but not before I let you know how much I love you.”

  Her lips met his own and Val’s heart soared as he sunk to the ground, reveling in the girl he adored. She who had been so close to death was now wearing a beatific grin as he filled her with his passion, holding her close and swearing in his heart to protect her always as they twined together, sailing upon waves of purest ecstasy before crashing to the shores of blissful release, safe in each other's arms, drifting off to the sounds of hooting owls and leaves rustling overhead.

  2

  “Val, help me!”

  Julia’s desperate cry jolted Val out of sleep. In a panic he lurched up, momentarily disoriented by the shouts and screams of dying men, the stink of ozone, blood, and scorched hardware. The flashes of countless lasers, the cries of soldiers tearing each other apart with electro-blades and reflective shields.

  The battlefield. They had never left.

  “Val!”

  Val’s heart pounded with his lover’s desperate scream. Searching desperately for her.

  There she was! Hands raised up in supplication, the grinning countenance of Tiberius Dominicus leering down at her with his crackling blade held high.

  “Julia!”

  Val tried desperately to get to his feet, yet found himself up to his waist in shimmering black tar.

  “You’ll never get to her in time, Val,” said the soft voice of the hooded woman gazing down at him, Phoebe’s moon shining brilliantly over her left shoulder, a crow the color of freshly spilled blood on her right. “Not like that.”

  “Please, help me!” Val cried. “Help me save her!”

  Brilliant blue eyes the color of Phoebe’s seas gazed sadly into his own. “There is nothing I would love more than to help the hero who has saved so many.” She sighed and shook her head. “That was before you chose to walk the path of blood.”

  Val winced, swallowing his panic, unable to deny it. “Please… it’s not Julia’s fault. What I did? I alone must bear that burden.”

  The ancient mystic nodded. “I know. You have chosen your path, and now must bear its bitter fruit.” She crouched before him, gazing deeply into Val’s desperate eyes. “I will offer you a chance I have offered no mortal before, Valor Dauda Hunter. You need but wish it, in this vision of what is to be, more real than any dream, and I shall grant it.”

  Val blinked. “What? I’m not sure I understand...”

  “Walk away. Free yourself of Destiny’s mantle. You need but step back from your dream and you shall awaken as a normal boy born to a happy, loving family that will cherish you for all your days, with no memory of this life and all its cares and burdens.”

  Val blinked, speechless. “But what about my friends, my family, Earth?”

  “For you? Gone. Gone as if they had never been. And it will cause you no more than a single heartbeat’s longing for a bittersweet halcyon memory fading with your mother’s call to embrace a new day, a blessed life rich and full, just a single wish away.”

  Val took a stunned breath, suddenly hit with a flood of innocent memories of love, laughter, and friendships. A boy cherished by his doting parents, a young man living what seemed a blessed life who savored school, sports, and long moonlit walks with a beautiful girl who had stolen his heart at the ripe age of ten, and they had become the best of friends before realizing they were so much more. Val could almost taste the memories of university, a career in cutting-edge technology, and the family to come. It was serenely beautiful, and he knew that he would die a happy man if he made that choice.

  Sad eyes gazed into Phoebe’s own. “I think you already know what my answer has to be.”

  The ancient avatar of all Mystics smiled sadly. “So be it, Valor Hunter. We are all slaves to destiny, fates already predetermined, yet no destiny is more inviolate than the one you choose for yourself, in those rare heartbeats that one is truly free.”

  She raised her left arm and the crow of blood took off in a cloud of crimson, soaring high above before abruptly spiraling down with a caw that chilled Val to the bone as the creature blasted through his soul. “Now you must bear the burden of the innocent blood you spilled, and the tyrant you slew!�
�

  Congratulations! You have earned 2 Dominion Points for the capture of Terrance Province and the ruthless slaughter of an entire manor’s worth of people! You have earned 3 Dominion Points with the death of Tiberius, who also walked the Path of Kings. You are now a level 5 Overlord Mystic! +1 bonus to Willpower, Perception, and Scholarship! Your spells are now 30% more powerful! You are now 50% less likely to be pulled from Shadowmind when casting spells! You can now purchase Arcane enhancements for your territories of Tier 3 or lower quality!

  Congratulations! Your ruthlessness knows no bounds! You have earned 1 additional Darkpoint for your savage acts! You now enjoy a +4 to all intimidation and seduction rolls, and a 40% potency increase whenever you embrace your wrath! Kill on, Valor Hunter!

  And Val screamed as hot caustic blood burned through his soul, searing him with a lifetime’s worth of innocent, beautiful memories of an entire clan, cut brutally short by one act of desperate savagery. Realizing only then that the life he had denied himself had been lost with his act as well. A beautiful life he could have claimed as his own. And even as he wailed with the loss of innocence, his soul was pummeled by the desperate fury of a Highlord who already knew he was dead.

  Val screamed with the horror of it, fighting desperately just to retain his sense of identity, his sense of self. Yet even in the extremis of agony, Phoebe’s ancient avatar showed him no mercy, her terrible gaze pinning his own.

  “You must focus, Valor. Focus on what you must learn, or all will be forever lost.”

  And then Val heard it, an echo of his desperate cry, as time stuttered forward once more. “Starfall!” he had screamed, enemy mecha blasted apart by the meteor that had exploded right behind them.

  A terrible spell he realized only then had been impossible for him to cast.

  Magics he now struggled with every desperate iota of his being to master, so many arts so close to leveling up. Hundreds of hours of fanatical practice were stretched into a single lifesaving spell blazing through every fiber of his being.

  Congratulations! Fire Magic is now Rank 3! (1 of 7 points spent.)

  Congratulations! Manipulation Magic is now Rank 4! (3 of 7 points spent.)

  Mana and Psion reserves have both increased by 10%! (5 of 7 points spent.)

  “Val!” Desperate green eyes flaked with a Highlord’s gold pierced Val’s heart and soul.

  As the mechanized roar of first one, then a dozen, then a hundred battle-mechs marching in perfect concert crested over the lip of a nearby hill, pounding the ground in unison so violently the earth itself knocked thousands upon thousands of men off their feet.

  All of them with Vulcan autocannons pointing at the woman he loved.

  “Starfall!” Val roared, a cry echoed a thousand times as the spell and the terrible magics he forced his tortured soul to master blazed through him as hotly as the white-hot balls of carbonized iron from the depths of space that were now blasting through battle-mech after battle-mech, a storm of meteors and shrapnel leaving no survivors in its wake. Blood streamed from Val’s ears as he crackled and cooked with magic, his own terrible gifts keeping him alive as the deadliest spell cast upon the face of Jordia in a thousand years imprinted itself upon his soul.

  Congratulations! You are now an Adept caster of Starfall! 20% reduced cost/increased damage/faster casting time!

  Congratulations! You have mastered Starfall! This 50th level tactical spell is now a further 50% cheaper to cast with zero chance of spell failure! A good thing too, since health as well as mana is the price of this battle-mech blasting spell! (6 of 7 points spent.)

  Haunted eyes gazed into his own, green-gold transforming somehow to blue as Phoebe’s avatar gazed solemnly at him. “And now my gift to you, Valor. The Dauda who dares to walk the Path of Kings in my name, as covered in blood and virtue as any saint or tyrant could ever hope to be.”

  And Val gasped when the robed woman plunged her hand into his chest and squeezed, her pristine features snarling into his own. “For I am both death and life, Valor Hunter. The last hope of a dying planet’s salvation, and the final dirge of those who embrace bitter folly. As are you. Now seize the crown in my name, even as you weep for every innocent soul you butcher in your mad quest for the throne. Bear my gifts with bitter tears, boy. For they are your salvation, and your doom!”

  Val screamed as agony unending crackled through every fiber of his being, before blessed blackness presaged oblivion’s mercy, and he knew no more.

  Congratulations! You have learned the Overlord Ritual Meteor Storm! For one territory point, you can unleash a meteor anywhere you wish upon any territory you own! Like Starfall, only bigger! Meteor quantity increases by one order of magnitude for every additional point spent.

  Congratulations! You have purchased an additional 5 territory points. A good thing too, since you had just run out! (7 of 7 points spent.)

  ___________________________________________________________________

  Valor Hunter: – Level 19 Dauda Assassin / Level 5 Overlord (Mystic)

  Primary Attributes

  Strength 18 *

  Vitality 23 *

  Finesse 15 *

  Quickness 21 *

  Perception 23 *

  Scholarship 17 *

  Willpower 20 *

  Charisma 16

  Luck ?? +4

  Secondary Attributes

  Health 10xVit+Str+IC= 253 *

  Survival (Health+(10xLevel)+Luck) = 443+?*

  Stamina 10xVit+Str+IC= 258 *

  Mana 552 (534 Accessible: 200.5 kg Elementium Stored)

  Psion 552 (550 Accessible: 197.5 L Silbion Stored)

  Insight 17

  Base Appearance 10 (+3 charisma +1 fitness = +4 to reaction rolls.)

  Dark Points 4 (Additional +4 to reaction rolls and influence when you let your intensity shine. -2 if you try to hide the darkness in your soul. +40% potency increase when you embrace your wrath!)

  * Rank 10 PRM & Jordia's fields. (+5 Strength / + 10 Vitality / +2 Quickness / +2 Finesse) Regenerates 5.52 Mana/Stamina/Psion & 1.14 Health per second.

  * Tier 5 Overlord

  Reputation

  Champion of the Dwarves: +6 reaction from all surviving dwarves in the northern hemisphere.

  Hero of the Skogur Tribe: +6 reaction from all Skogur dwarves.

  Champion of Your People: +6 reaction from all your citizens. (After saving over half a million Jordians from the Red Death, how can they not love you?)

  Team Player: +2 reaction from all Terrans encountered off-world.

  Helpful Hero: +1 Reaction from Dominion friendly citizens, +6 reaction from forest faeries.

  Ideal Mate: A genetic reputation! (+3 Reaction from all female Jordians close enough to smell your pheromones!)

  Skills of Significance

  Enhanced Shadowmind Rank 8 (Adept) / Psi-Sense (Shadowmind Dependant) Rank 4 / Psionic Perception Rank 3 / Mindmeld Rank 2 / Shadowsplit Rank 2 / Arcane Perception Rank 4 / Arcane Artificer Rank 2 / Psion Artificer Rank 2 / Cypher Rank 2 / Meditation Rank 3 / Rift Mastery Rank 2 / Psionic Oathbinding Rank 1 / Stealth Rank 3 / Magesight Rank 3 / Synergized Mageward Rank 2 / Basic Literacy Achieved! (Limited to texts of Arcane or Psionic nature) / Deception Rank 2 / Inquisition Rank 2 / Intimidation Rank 3 / Spirit Link Rank 3 / Small Arms Rank 3 / Demolitions Rank 2 / Laser Carbine Rank 3 / Grappling Level 3 /Sword and Shield Rank 4 / Longsword Rank 4 / Psiblade Rank 7 (Adept) / Pickpocket Rank 1 / Forceshield Rank 1 / Blade Riding Rank 5 (Adept) / Sense Emotions Rank 2 / Find Weakness Rank 1 / Mercantile Rank 2

  Potion Formulas Learned

  Basic Restoration (Jordia) / Cure-all (Rank 2 Expert - Jordia) / Greater Regeneration (Rank 1 Expert - Jordia)

  Greater Skills Learned

  Greater Alchemy Rank 4 (Specialization: Elemental Infusions)

  Meta-Magic Feats: Stabilization Rank 4 / Spellboost Rank 2 (150% for 250% cost) / Psiboost Rank 2 (150% for 200% cost)

  Personal Resonance Mastery Rank 10 (PRM Mastery achieved! Zero
mana radiation! -5 mana cost to all spells. Stat boost, regeneration, & superior arcane protection; degree dependent upon realm inhabited.)

  PRM Specialized Skill – EM Mastery Rank 4

  PRM Specialized Skill – Enhanced Regeneration Rank 1 (x2 standard health regeneration rate)

  Greater Oathbinding Rank 4

  True Artificer Rank 4

  Jordian Magical Arts Learned

  Creation - Rank 4

  Destruction - Rank 2

  Manipulation - Rank 4

  Transformation - Rank 3

  Corpus - Rank 3

  Earth - Rank 3

  Fire - Rank 3

  Herbam - Rank 3

  Time - Rank 2

  Water - Rank 2

  Jordian Spells Learned

  L 20 Firestream (5 Mana)

  L 30 Explosive Retribution (12 Mana) - Must save against Oblivion when casting.

  L 5 Condensation Collection (0 Mana)

  L 1 Stoneflow (0 Mana)

  L 20 Dwarven Catalyzation (8 Mana)

  L 20 Automative Folly (15 Mana)

  L 40 Plentiful Bounty (Greater Ritual) (60 Mana)

  L 50 Greater Plentiful Bounty (Master Ritual) (120 Mana)

  L 20 Ice Spear (Adept Rank) (6 Mana)

  L 20 Burning Light (5 Mana to cast, 0.5 per minute to maintain)

  L 20 Fencer's Fire (12 Mana to cast, 0.5 mana per second to maintain) - Stabilization check required, or weapon bursts!

  L 10 Lesser Power Manipulation (Cost: Size-dependent)

  L 20 Dominion Catalyzation (6 mana) - High PRM needed, or short out what you’re trying to fix!

  L 30 Greater Dominion Catalyzation (Mastered - 15 mana per minute of repairs. High PRM needed.)

  L 10 Water Spout (3 Mana)

  L 20 Haste (8 Mana to cast, 0.25 mana per second to maintain.)