by Konrad Ryan
Never had Tad wanted to cast a painfree healing so much. The need burned inside of him. He envisioned warmth and tranquility, the sunlight of her hair, the cool pools of liquid that were her eyes. His health pooled from his hand to her jaw. He focused on how she made him feel when she looked at him, when she laughed. When she poked fun at something he did or said. Then, gently, he released the spell into her flesh. Tad held her aquamarine eyes with his. The swelling went down instantly, and her jaw shifted and set, without a hint of pain.
“Wow…” Liz breathed the word, her cheeks were tinged with pink. It was a good look on her. Maybe that was why Fat Jack was always embarrassing her.
“Okay, lovebirds, let’s spend the quality time inside the boss’ room. Like really, he’s coming back, you know.”
It was hard to pull his eyes from Liz’s. He had never felt a connection like this before. Never had anyone been interested in him like this. But Tad turned to study Fat Jack, reappraising the man. Maybe Tad had been unfair. The man wasn’t insane, he’d had a plan the entire time. A time when everyone else, including Tad, had either panicked, died, or relied on Cain’s mercy. But not this man. No, he schemed and played with Cain like a marionette dancing to his strings. Fat Jack had hidden Liz away from Cain’s danger, and come up with a plan on the fly, to get Salvation Cain out of the room. And it succeeded brilliantly.
“Fat Jack… Thanks. I thought you’d gone crazy and were going to get us all killed.” Tad felt a little ashamed at vocalizing the words.
“Pshhh, me? They don’t call me the Fat Genius for nothin’!”
“No one calls you that, Jack.” Ethan’s grin quickly morphed to concern once more. “We should probably get in there though, we are all dead if he comes back.”
Fat Jack looked Tad square in the eyes “Now kid, I gambled on you, I hope you can pull through. If you don’t it all falls apart.” for the first time, red touched the cheeks of Fat Jack. “So son, can you lift me?” His mask of confidence slipped just enough to show his insecurities.
It shocked Tad to see it. Somehow in his mind Fat Jack had been this pillar of absolute confidence, one who loved being the center of attention and making others feel miserable. Now Tad knew he had made a snap judgment, hadn’t given him a fair shot. Like what all of his bullies had done with him.
Shame shot through Tad from all the nasty things he had thought about Fat Jack. During the werewolf fight, during his teasings, even during his episode with Cain. The guy couldn’t even move on his own and, just like Tad with his negative charisma, it wasn’t even his fault. Jack’s massive size had most likely accompanied his rebirth. Jack didn’t have a character creation aspect, Tad had full control over how he looked, but Fat Jack had none. Fat Jack’s constitution must have been out of this world, but with it came some serious drawbacks.
Tad walked to the large man and grasped the huge bound straps from the harness the man sat in. The straps were smooth in his hands and made from some silvery material Tad had never seen before, but it was rough under hand. Tad grunted and put his full force into lifting the massive man known as Fat Jack. He didn’t even budge. Just how heavy was the man? Tad could cleave through trees without resistance, could lift impossibly heavy loads, he practically had super strength, but he couldn’t lift this man. Just how strong had Tony been?
Fat Jack let out a tremendous sigh, defeated. “Well, I’m dead then. Was probably dead anyway, with the way Cain was lookin’ at me from the start. You guys should probably get out of here before he gets back. It’s going to get unpleasant.”
“But he couldn’t hurt you, you were healing too fast.”
“I can only keep up my wave of regeneration for a minute. I knew that the blustery bastard would quit before my time ran out. Or at least, I hoped he would.” Fat Jack’s countenance darkened as he fell into silence.
“Wait, I still got a few tricks up my sleeve. Let me try something.” Tad said.
Fat Jack’s eyes lit up, then just as quickly, the light went out. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, son, There are only a couple warrior rank slayers that can lift me. Looks like my time has come.”
Liz pushed Tad out of the way, trying to lift the behemoth man, but she didn’t fare any better than he had.
Tad opened his stats
*Tad Harrington
Rank: Warrior
Class: Fighter/Void Minotaur
Level: 57
Health: 948/1000
Mana: 219/300
Str: 180
Dex: 120
Con: 90
Mag: 100
Cou: 80
Cha: 20
Debuffs: Silverfang Virus Incubation (30 Days Remaining)
Points to allocate:20*
Tad could think of two things that might help. He could pour the rest of his points into strength, but somehow increasing it by twenty points didn’t seem like enough, Fat Jack didn’t even budge from his first try. The second was his dead clone. He had one more skill he hadn’t tried yet.
*Enhance Self: For an additional 50% of your maximum mana, you can absorb the essence of your fallen clone adding its stats to your own for 1 hour.*
His clone’s stats would be added to Tad’s own. Did that mean he would get double his total strength? Or would it not count aspects or item stat increases? Either way Tad was glad that he wasn’t the one who had to calculate it all, it was getting pretty complex. It seemed too strong to be true. Only one way to find out.
Tad walked over to his clone. “Enhanced Self.” Gasps filled the room as his dead clone rose to its feet in the same manner of the fallen werewolf. A loud howl reverberated through the small dungeon from the helmet on Tad’s head. Something primal, deep within him, wished to join in, to intertwine his howl with that of the helmet, but he resisted. Golden essence from the clone pooled out of its neck, at the feet of the clone. Strand after strand shot into Tad’s body as energy surged through him. His strength grew with each strand. Finally, the last thread was absorbed into Tad’s skin and his clone’s physical form crumpled like a puppet with cut strings.
“Tricks boy? That was more than a trick! Holy Titan!” Fat Jack looked Tad up and down once more. “I reckon you might be able to do it. Quick, give it a try.”
Tad opened his stats, eager to see the increases.
Stats
*Tad Harrington
Rank: Warrior
Class: Fighter/Void Minotaur
Level: 57
Health: 1000/2000
Mana: 69/600
Str: 330
Dex: 240
Con: 180
Mag: 200
Cou: 160
Cha: 40
Buffs: Enhance Self (1 hour remaining)
Debuffs: Silverfang Virus Incubation (30 Days Remaining)
Points to allocate:20*
Tad’s breath caught in his chest. He had gotten his clone’s stats after class powers, and stat aspects, for an entire hour. But his strength, it should have doubled to 360, why hadn’t it? Tad examined his dead clone. He found the answer. His clone hadn’t been wearing the gorilla gloves when it died. Bunta had still had them.
He put Fat Jack’s straps around his shoulders like a backpack and strained his muscles. The silvery straps grew taut, then creaked as Fat Jack slowly rose off the floor, Fat Jack’s soft body pressed past his back, his head almost directly above Tad’s. Tad took a few steps on unsteady legs. The weight on his back was tremendous, he could hardly walk, like an ant carrying a very fat leaf. But he crept forward, not perfectly, but it would get the job done.
“Well done, lad!” Fat Jack sounded ecstatic. “I’ll live another day! But we really should hurry, I know I was mocking him before, but I meant it when I said he was a scary boy.” He let out a whoop of victory as Tad carefully stepped to the door of the boss room, placing his hand in one indentation. Fat Jack reached over his head and followed his lead. Ethan was next.
As Liz put her hand into the last remaining slot, a rage-fueled scream came
from the entrance of the dungeon.
Salvation Cain was there, with one of the healers in tow.
But it was too late.
Just as the last doors had, it sucked the four figures into a flash of light. Their bodies tumbled through space to some unknown destination.
Tad swore he could hear Cain’s scream the entire trip.
Chapter 34
At the end of the journey, Tad tumbled through some gelatinous membrane, finally coming to rest in a golden field of wheat or some other grain. Fat Jack had become dislodged in their tumble through space, and sat several feet away, kicking his feet trying to upright himself with little luck. Tad wiped at the gooey feeling on his skin, but his hands came back dry. A quick look around showed Liz and Ethan doing the same.
Overhead, the night sky was complete darkness. There was not a star to be seen in the dark expanse which extended forever. No moon or planetary object was visible in the sky, and the only light source came from the edges of the horizon, where a silver-tinted glow somehow penetrated the dark of night, giving them light by which to see. It wasn’t true light, for they cast no shadows, but somehow, it allowed them to see all the same. Among the flat endless field of grain there stood but one eyesore, an immense hill that jutted from the ground, gently sloping upward until it kissed the sky.
Atop the hill stood a humanoid figure, ears distinctly wolflike, a thin golden chain that gleamed in the darkness bound his arms. The chain glowed, brighter and brighter until an immense wave of power burst forward, like a clap of thunder. The grain bowed away from the thunderclap as far as the eye could see. The chains, now dull, began to glow once more. From the wolf himself, Tad could feel no power.
None whatsoever.
But the power that filled the golden chain was beyond understanding. Beyond control. Only the Defector’s and Zero’s power rivaled it. Besides those two, the power in the chain dwarfed any power Tad had ever felt. The aura surrounding the chain was white hot with golden tendrils of light that spilled from the chain, growing in power every second until it burst, sending a golden-white shock wave, forcing the grain to bow once more.
White light and golden aura was creator strength.
What had they gotten themselves into?
Above the figure’s head, a fiery script writhed, spelling out the words one letter at a time.
*Fenrir, Harbinger of Ragnarok.*
Fenrir? Like from Norse mythology? Maybe the Defector’s encounter with this monster wasn’t its first trip to earth.
The wolfman stood and roared into the night sky. “Leave in the same manner in which you came, if you desire life.” The words shattered the silence of night, almost like a howl. Tad’s hackles stood on end. With that, the wolfman turned and disappeared, revealing a furry wolven tail as he climbed past the crest of the enormous hilltop.
Tad broke his eyes away from where the wolf had disappeared, acutely aware of the cold sweat that dripped down his back. His party stared at where Fenrir had been. They stood, securely paralyzed at the strength of the chains that had bound the creature. Even Fat Jack had tensed as the creature spoke. The chain’s power made Cain look as strong as a kitten.
“It… doesn’t want to fight?” Ethan said. He sounded stumped. What kind of boss didn’t want to fight? “And… I can’t feel any strength from him. Can you?”
“No, but those chains… Maybe it’s a trick?” Liz said. She nervously fidgeted with her dragon-emblazoned sword and shield in her hands, her eyes still glued to the hilltop.
A chill ran down Tad’s back. They couldn’t feel the boss either? How could that be possible? The only way you couldn’t feel someone’s power was…
The realization slapped him across the face.
Unless the boss was a void.
The boss on the hill was a void, just like Tad. One restrained by an infinitely strong chain.
Liz spoke again. “The portal is gone, though I’m not in a rush to get back, because, you know, Cain.”
“We’ll worry about that blowhard after we kill the boss.” Fat Jack said. “Hey you furry fat-ass, how bout you get down here and die so we can get outta here!” Fat Jack’s sudden shout boomed far louder than it should have.
“You’re the fat-ass, Jack.” Ethan quipped almost rotely, it lacked his usual enthusiasm, worry stained his face. Fat Jack just grinned.
The wolfman figure reappeared atop the hill. But now, dark anger gleamed across his face, even at this distance. A moment later hundreds of smaller wolven silhouettes appeared against the silver-glow of the night sky. There appeared to be no end to their number.
“Well, look at that, he brought friends.” Fat Jack said.
“Great job, fat genius, looks like you picked us a fight.” Ethan said.
“See? I knew it would catch on.”
At a silent gesture from Fenrir, the wolves sprinted down the hill like a furry landslide. More dashed past the hilltop, only to be replaced by even more. Forget hundreds, there were thousands of these wolves. Tad stood and picked up Fat Jack by his straps.
“Don’t look so nervous my trusty steed.” Fat Jack said. He slapped the side of Tad’s face with one meaty hand. He pointed with the other at the disappearing form of the boss wolfvoid. “Now that daddy is gone, these babies won’t even notice your scrawny bones. They all want a plate of this meaty sausage.”
“Gross, Jack.” Liz said, though she didn’t looked grossed out. “Any plans?”
“What if Jack and his horse stays down here, distracting the wolves, and Liz and I go get the boss? If we all stay down here fighting, we’re only going to get tuckered out.”
“Wait, I want to come.” Tad said. He wanted to test his new strength against that massive monstrosity, but Ethan shook his head.
“Fat Jack might be durable, but they’ll eat him alive, eventually. Better you two stay down here as a distraction. Jack, can you get their attention that far away?”
Fat Jack let out a few offended sputtering noises. “I can get little mobs like that from twice this distance. The boss won’t be affected, but that’s what you want anyway, I reckon. You’ll need this too, seeing how scary that lil’ pup’s chain was. ‘Platemail of Courage!’” Fat Jack’s voice amplified many times at those last words.
*+250 Courage.*
The notification floated before Tad’s eyes as the intimidating weight of the chains lifted from his shoulders.
“Thanks, Jack. And Tad, don’t let them eat Jack up, will ya? I don’t want him thin enough that I have to carry him.” Ethan said with a grin. He turned, preparing himself for the ascent and the battle beyond.
“Oh, ha-ha.” Fat Jack looked slightly offended.
Liz pulled her eyes away from the hilltop and closed the distance between her and Tad.
“Thanks for healing my jaw. Don’t die. Remember, you owe me lunch.” Liz flashed a dazzling smile then turned toward her Dad. “Hop on, Ethan, I’ll get us up there.”
Ethan placed one hand on Liz’s shoulder, then heaved himself up and braced both feet on her lower back. This clearly wasn’t their first time performing this maneuver, and even though it looked like a precarious position, Ethan’s strength and grace kept him perched on her back effortlessly. At least, it looked effortless. Without another word, Liz sprinted toward the hill covered with wolves and leapt. The two of them soared through the night sky, more than a hundred feet up.
“Boy, she is gonna eat you up and spit you out.” Fat Jack slapped Tad’s forehead, a hint of jealousy in his voice. “Lucky dog.”
Tad suddenly couldn’t wait for the fight to start.
Fat Jack slapped the side of Tad’s face once again.
“You might want to cover your ears for this one.”
Tad could hear the fat man’s grin in his voice. Tad pressed against his ears as best he could through the werewolf helmet as the world suddenly went quiet.
“Animal Magnetism!”
The shout blasted Tad back ten feet, reeling to keep his balance with
the giant man atop his back. The vibrations of the bellow shook him to his very core. The waves of grain laid flat, this time from the violent shock wave of Fat Jack’s voice. They rustled far more violently than the aftershock of power caused by the golden chains securing Fenrir’s wrists together. It was a miracle Tad’s eardrums hadn’t ruptured.
“Hey! You didn’t fall over! Even Tony couldn’t do that.” Jack’s voice was suddenly eager. “Say… you wouldn’t want to be my new handler, would ya?”
As the shock wave passed over the wolves they doubled their pace. Hunger and greed glinted on their faces, their sprints hastened toward the pair with renewed intensity. Tad pulled his arms from the straps and let the massive man fall to the ground in a crash, and the earth beneath shook from the impact. There was no way he could fight this many wolves with the huge man perched on his back. Fat Jack made a few wounded noises before laughing raucously. He seemed to be having a jolly good time.
“Jack, can we talk about this later?”
Jack slapped his own belly in response. Tad ignored him. He scoured the mountain for Liz’s hopping figure, and as Jack had promised, the wolves didn’t pay them any attention.
“Don’t die lover boy, she looks like a delicious lunch.” Fat Jack said before making various whooping and wooing sounds followed by many kissy noises.
Tad did his best to ignore the large man’s tauntings, but he had half a mind to join the wolves and attack Fat Jack alongside them.
The wave of wolves were upon them an instant later, swarming past Tad toward the fat man with claws and jaws. Tad was a whirlwind of death and violence. He swung his two-handed greatsword in vast arcs, cleaving through several wolves with each slash. His kicks exploded wolf heads when they ran too close, but they ignored him too, desperate in their need to kill Fat Jack. Tad marveled at their focus. He no longer held any doubt that Fat Jack was the best shield amongst warrior rank slayers.
Tad’s weapon barely felt resistance as he slashed through bone, fur, skin, skull and teeth alike. His clone-enhanced stats outmatched those of the wolves, but they were quick. They swarmed past his blade like ants charging past a mantis.
