Mike felt a rush of success as the barrier finally gave way in a titanic surge of ancient mana that rippled through the ruins. So great was his satisfaction that he only barely noticed the vibrations of a secondary explosion taking place somewhere far above him. A part of his mind analyzed the source of this disturbance and quickly discarded it as unnecessary for his attention. Instead, he needed to focus intently on the task at hand.
Unfortunately, that was proving somewhat difficult due to the screaming of the two lesser beings who had been trailing in his wake ever since his descent into the tunnels.
[Lesser beings? When did I…]
They were shouting something, the sound of their buzzing proving distracting enough that he momentarily contemplated removing them from his presence. However, before the thought even began to take shape, it was just as quickly dismissed. The two humans would be necessary in the near future. Destroying them now would be wasteful. Thus, he reluctantly decided to spare a modicum of his mental faculties to decipher their whining.
[Wait? Wasteful?]
"Stop! It's a trap! Don't do it!" The shorter one was yelling.
Frowning Mike spared a glance over his shoulder and noted that both of them were a few meters away, struggling to approach him. It took him a few seconds to realize that they were pressing against the force of mana emanating from the stone slab at the center of the room.
The thought of such a paltry amount of energy being enough to drive them away brought a sneer to his lips as he replied, "What are you on about? Things are going exactly as I desire."
"No, you don't understand! This is all a setup. The ghouls are being played for fools! This ritual is meant to fail. When it does, the resulting backlash will destroy what's left of the city and tear a hole in the fabric of reality. The Shadow Council, or whoever they really are, have been planning this for years. It's meant to be, and I quote, 'the beginning of a new age of darkness.'" The small man yelled back through gritted teeth.
Mike frowned again. "Then by destroying this barrier, I've stopped all that. You should be thanking me."
"That's just it. According to this note," he held up a scrap of paper that was waving furiously in the gusts of wind moving through the room, "they were expecting someone to try and stop the ritual. While they don't explicitly state as much, I infer that they have countermeasures included in the process to ensure their plans come to fruition. If you directly disrupt the barrier at this stage, I can only assume the consequences will be dire. For us and the world."
For the briefest of moments, Mike felt a sense of dissonance. As if his perceptions of reality were somehow warped. Everything seemed wrong and he couldn't understand how he'd come to be here or why he'd made the choices he had.
Any growing unease was quickly crushed by an overwhelming affirmation from the deepest parts of his mind. Things were going according to plan. Clearly the man was delusional. It would be best to ignore him.
"Clearly you are delusional. It would be best to ignore you." Mike muttered before turning his attention back to the stone slab. He could sense that the barrier's prisoner was nearly free. It would soon be time to face the powerful being. He needed to be ready to claim his reward.
[Reward? What the hell is going on?]
This time, before the strange thoughts buried in his unconsciousness could suppress the feeling, he latched onto his uncertainty and fought the sensation. He briefly felt something loosen its grip on his thoughts, and in that moment the full horror of his situation became clear.
He sensed the entity which had been controlling him gather itself in an effort to regain its dominance over his mind, and had to use every ounce of his willpower to resist the tidal wave of mental pressure.
Using what small amount of his will he had left, he quickly released a surge of Life Magic into his head, trying to tear away the tendrils of foregin thoughts. This elicited a harrowing mental scream as the entity retreated from the sudden interference. Any relief he felt was cut short when he felt himself pulled down into the depths of his mind after the being.
Mike found himself standing in a familiar mist shrouded chamber, a seemingly bottomless pool of water in front of him. It felt like a lifetime ago since he'd made use of the Meditation skill to enter this place and speak with the entity that had taken up residence in his soul, but he nevertheless recognized his surroundings.
Things had changed however, no longer was the place quiet and tranquil. Instead, the mist swirled with unseen disturbances which were perhaps related to the strange noises that could be heard from beyond his range of sight. The sounds of breathing, scratching, and low-pitched growling could be heard, echoing weirdly in the mists and bringing mind the image of hungry beasts slowly circling. Waiting for him to drop his guard.
The pool itself had also changed, becoming dark and inky, with an oily film spreading across its surface. Tendrils of corruption seemed to be slowly sinking into the earth around the pool's edges, eroding the ground and giving off a sickening, chemical stench.
"You're too late." A harsh voice emerged from the polluted water. Mike couldn't see the speaker, but he knew that this was likely the source of his current unnatural state.
"What are you trying to accomplish?" He asked, trying to maintain his calm.
A sharp, piercing laugh, reminiscent of two bits of rusty metal being scrapped against each other filled the air. "Come now. There is no need to play this out. We both know what the point of all this is."
As the creature spoke, yet more corrupting tendrils emerged from the water before burying themselves around the pool, expanding the circle of polluted earth. Mike took a moment to send another burst of Life Magic through himself, causing his surroundings to briefly flash with golden light that seemed to halt, but not reverse, the spread of corruption.
"It is futile." The being in the pool said. "I have gained too much ground within your mind. You cannot be rid of me that way, not without losing a great deal in the process."
"And yet you seem to find the process unpleasant, which makes it worthwhile for me."
"Now, now, child. There is no need to be so petty. I have much to offer you, should you be willing to accept it."
Mike scoffed. "When we first spoke, you demanded that I yield my body to you. Now, after influencing my thoughts and trying to control my mind, you want to give me something? No, I don't believe it. I should simply burn you out of me regardless of the cost."
The being laughed again. "Well, that would be one solution, but you lack the precision and skill necessary to do so without causing a great deal of...well, let's call it collateral damage. That is a term the people of your world use, right? I wonder what your comrades will think once they finally reunite with the drooling idiot you will make out of yourself."
Gritting his teeth, Mike resisted the urge to simply blast the pool with as much mana as he could manage and test that statement. "Regardless, it does not change the fact that you are a cancer. One that I mean to have removed at the first opportunity."
There was a brief moment of silence before the voice spoke again. "You know, I have been watching you since we came in contact. And although I must admit I've learned a few things from your memories, I can say with complete honesty that you are a fool. A blind, ignorant, simpleton who has only survived this long thanks to his luck. Someone who, despite having all the power he could possibly desire at his fingertips, has failed to live up to even a small fraction of his potential."
For the first time since the start of the conversation, the surface of the pool flickered, displaying a series of images that Mike recognized from his memories. "I have seen you make the same mistakes. Over and over and over again. Each time vowing to become better. To do better. And yet..."
The nature of the images changed, now focusing on his companions when they were at their weakest and most vulnerable. "And yet, you've failed to recognize your biggest mistake of all. Relying on these insects."
A brief flash of Brenden lying beaten and bloody, face twisted in regret, quickly morphed into the tear-streaked face of Sara as she kneeled on the ground, clenching her fists in frustration. Tal, unconscious and maimed, lay helpless as a circle of enemies drew ever closer. Lily stared off into the distance, blood-covered face blank and emotionless, as the sword plunged into her chest.
With a ripple, the images disappeared as the voice resumed. "You could be so much more if you simply let go of your attachment to these mortals. Let me show you how."
For a long moment, Mike stared at the pool coldly. Finally, he whispered. "What are you offering?"
The laugh returned. "We have been at odds, you and I, since we first became one. Initially, I was the weaker of the two. Little more than a faint echo of a shadow, forced to bury myself deep to avoid destruction. However, I bided my time, expanding my domain little by little, and now I control almost as much of your mind as you do. Quite simply, I now stand as your equal."
"Get to the point." He growled.
Mike could almost hear the voice smiling at his impatience. "As we are equals, perhaps it is time to change the nature of our relationship. I am offering you a contract. In exchange for my continued presence in your body, I will give you power, knowledge, and guidance. With my assistance, you can become truly unstoppable. Even the gods themselves will learn to fear your might."
"You haven't been watching me very closely if you think I will take you at face value. Besides, I'm already one of the most powerful beings in this world, with virtually limitless potential ahead of me. I don't think I need you at all."
The harsh laughter sounded again, louder than before. So loud in fact, that it caused ripples of disturbance in the oily surface of the pool. "You overestimate yourself. No matter. When the corpse eaters' god finally frees himself from his prison, and you realize your own weakness, you will know where to find me."
"...This was your plan from the beginning, wasn't it?"
"Hmm...it is telling that you ascribe such foresight to me, but I am merely seizing an opportunity that has presented itself. I do not know who has played the ghouls for fools, nor what they intend to do by unleashing a god, no matter how weakened, upon the world. But how could I pass up a chance to reap the benefits for myself?"
"And the two civilians? Why did you bring them here?"
There was another pause as the pool rippled for a few moments. "The answer to that should be obvious, but I suppose I can illuminate you. Tell me, what separates ghouls and vampires from the rest of the undead?"
"I'm not playing your games." Mike growled.
Seemingly amused, the voice continued. "Many would point out the fact that they alone amongst the ranks of the undead can appear as living members of their former races, and use that quality to blend into society. However, there is something more basic that unites the two races, something they've inherited from their shared god."
"...Hunger." Mike whispered, suddenly feeling sick.
"Indeed. Among all the various types of undead, these two alone have the tendency to feed upon mortals. The vampires consume blood, while the ghouls devour flesh and bone. In the past, their hunger drove them to prey upon mortals wherever they could be found. That, however, has clearly changed. Based on your encounters with them, they have succeeded in blunting that instinctual drive, allowing them to survive on the fringes of living society. I doubt that holds true for the Ascendant who embodies that hunger, especially considering how long he's been imprisoned."
"You intended to feed them to it." He murmured, his question coming out as a statement.
"As a means of currying favor, yes." The pool bubbled carelessly in response. "They are, after all, mere humans who would have died in a few decades anyway. What's the harm?"
Mike turned and began walking away from the corrupted water. He'd heard enough.
"Done already?" The voice echoed through the mists, growing softer as he pulled away. "We'll have to continue this next time, then."
With a snap, Mike was once more standing in front of the stone slab. It seemed that very little time had passed while he was in the middle of his internal confrontation, but the waves of mana had nevertheless subsided, leaving the room as calm as he'd found it.
Partially out of spite and partially out of a belief that it was his only option at this point, he sent another wave of Life Magic through his head, enjoying a brief feeling of satisfaction in the way his thoughts cleared as a result.
[That creature's influence is still there, so I will need to be cautious of it trying to take control again. Right now, however, I have bigger problems to worry about.]
Thinking quickly, he scanned the barrier formation, hoping against hope that there was something he could do to prevent its destruction. Unfortunately, it was simply disintegrating, falling to pieces as if some central pillar of support had been removed.
Sighing in resignation, he turned back to the two humans who were now watching him warily from a short distance, "I appreciate the warning, but I'm afraid it's a little too late."
Dorn hesitated for a few seconds, and then seemed to collapse internally. "No...no, that cannot be...if only I'd realized it sooner…"
Julia moved to comfort the man, but Mike held up his hand. "We don't have time for all that. You need to leave. Now. I don't know when-"
The stone slab exploded upwards, shattering into dozens of pieces as it did so. As the fragments rained down on the three of them, Mike took note of the pale, long-finger hand wrapping around the lip of the space the slab was covering.
Clearly, it really was too late.