Nick shuddered as he trudged past some tipped minecarts, stepping along the rail tracks down the cavern depths. He could see his breath billow out, disappearing in bursts of fog.
Blue light illuminated the way ahead, revealing only a few paces in the tunnel ahead. Mechanical creaking and clacking trailed from behind.
He glanced over his shoulder at the trio of droids. Two by his flanks holding spears. A third holding a healing staff which provided the sole source of light in the depths.
There wasn't really a need for an escort. The droids had swept through the maze in the past few hours, exploring every nook and cranny in the past hours. All possible entrances and exits were covered. The location of the spawn core had also been secured, leaving no avenue for any lurking threats to reach him.
He knew he shouldn't be worried, but better safe than sorry. At best, they provided a measure of mental comfort and physical protection. At the very least, they could distract any monsters so that he could escape.
And… well, if he was being honest with himself, he kind of liked having his own little entourage. A set of personal servants tending to his beck and call. More than servants perhaps. Like the Earl's ceremonial honor guard. Uniform disciplined footsteps, rigid postures, sharp weapons at the ready.
Lord Nicholas. He scoffed at how high-flung and pompous the thought was. Even if it elated his spirits by several notches. Childish even, but it couldn't hurt to indulge. Especially after everything he went through up to now. He did restrain the smirk creeping up his mouth.
It also reminded him that "Lord Nicholas" couldn't stay here forever. Eventually he'd have to leave.
Sooner than later. Every minute and every hour which passed, was another minute and hour that Vlara, and everyone else who had been taken captive, slipped further and further away.
Maybe he didn't have to worry. Lara would raise a fuss, and she probably had some clout in the Vislandan military He also couldn't see the Earl excusing such a direct assault toward his own domain. It may be enough to drive the first Vislandan expedition to the old continent since the Companions returned decades ago.
Maybe wasn't enough. He clenched his fists. Nick knew if you wanted certainty in anything, that you should handle it yourself.
Brown sparkles appeared in the distance. Agates. Spoils left behind from the latest confrontation.
As he stepped closer, the light from the healing staff revealed the shattered remnants of his side's casualties. Arms and legs torn in two. Chests and heads cracked and laying along the walls. One body strewn with sigils curved in a fetal position against the wall. An advanced droid. A striker. The first he had lost in the ventures.
No blood nor any organs. If Nick didn't know any better, he would have thought someone smashed apart of bunch of gray marble statues in the area.
He picked up one of the shards. Nothing about this resembled any type of crystal engineering he knew of. All he knew was it was made of aether and whatever the red "minerals" are that were extracted from gemstones.
Further ahead he could make out a glimmer of white light and a low humming noise. Nick dropped the shard and pressed on.
A chill gripped the air as he approached. The ceiling slanted higher, and the walls spread apart. The rail tracks dispersed into many individual intersections. Lone solitary minecarts appeared along with night-moss. Thin green plants which carpeted the ground between the rails.
Then the tunnel swerved and the rising brightness caused Nick to raise his hands to shield his eyes. He squinted as his vision slowly adjusted to the light.
Around the corner was a rectangular room littered with rail intersections. Stacks of minecarts were piled high along the walls. The density of night-moss was heavy here, but gradually receded toward the middle of the room. At the center stood a bright white orb, floating atop a vortex of pure rainbow colored aether streaming from the ground.
Eleven droids surrounded the spawncore. Their weapons pointing inwards. Their shadows looming large against the walls.
The humming noise drowned out all other noise, but Nick could make something else out in the background. Twinkling thuds echoing beyond. Like raindrops.
He took another look at the rail tracks and noted one set led out below the opposite wall.
Not a wall, he realized upon a closer look. A cave-in.
He realized this was likely the same blocked-off ground entrance he came across earlier.
Good fortune as it turned out. If he had entered the tunnel complex here, he would have run right into that last group of kobolds. Spelling his own doom in the process.
One of the droids stepped award from the group and marched towards him. Legatus Two.
"Mechanar Nezra," it said. "We have secured the object as requested."
"Any more monsters?" said Nick.
"None. No threats have been detected since your arrival."
Nick nodded, stepping past the droid toward the spawn core.
He did not know of a single tale of the old continent which did not mention the orbs. Almost always they were mentioned as heralds of doom.
They first appeared after the Fallen cast their curse. Hundreds throughout the capital, like blisters from someone sick with pox. Shortly after, came hordes of twisted abominations of aether. The first monsters.
Wherever they were, monsters soon followed in their wake. Whether they served as a portal or as some kind of breeding nest remained up to debate to the present day. However, as long as one remained, monsters would appear in clock-work fashion. They appeared unpredictably. Spreading throughout the continent like locusts. For every one destroyed, two more would appear, and through sheer attrition humanity was forced further and further back, until they were driven away entirely.
Nick stopped, an arms-length away from the illuminant sphere.
When the Paragons launched the effort to reclaim the old continent, they discovered something. When an orb was destroyed, the energies within could be harnessed. Absorbed to strengthen and imbue the body of a user faster than any traditional form of training.
And thus, the reclaimers as they became known, gained the means to fight back. Casualties were high, but each victory strengthened those who survived. Until a fraction of the land was freed from its grasp.
A discovery of the ages, and the reason why so many still ventured to the reclaimer cause beyond any sentimental notion. The risks were high, but so was the reward. Both in prestige and power.
It was how Vladric, who was little more than a common bracer, rose to the precipice of individual power. As far as Nick knew, he still maintained the record-keeper for the number of destroyed spawn cores.
He hefted his sword up.
Nick wasn't lacking for power anymore, but he could use any boost he could get. Not to mention, it was only a matter of time before more monsters were spawned. Kobolds he could deal with, but he was all too aware of what else could appear. Too aware to just let it happen.
He tipped the blade forward, and shoved.
It was like trying to cut through a glob of tree sap. Nick pried deeper, putting more effort into his thrust.
As the blade plied through the pale surface, a ringing noise rippled through the air.
Then the vortex below the orb sputtered away. Cracks formed along its surface, outward from where the gray sword cut into it. White wisps fluttered out from the wound, whirling out and towards the nearest living creature. Himself.
Nick relaxed as the energies charged towards him. From what Valdric said, it was supposed to be soothing. His father described it a bit more poetically than that, but Nick wasn't one for pomp.
A wisp flickered onto his skin.
Then something loud snapped, immediately followed by a sharp jolt of pain.
"Ow!"
Nick flinched his arm back. Violet static ruptured from where the wisp touched him, chasing it away.
Something was wrong. He tried to step away when another wisp clung toward his chest.
Pain and violet light flared. Nick buckled over and wheezed. More of the wisps strode towards him, and his entire body erupted as if someone was setting off explosions everywhere. Snapping sounds recoiled through the air. Violet static leapt off his skin, until it surrounded him like a lightning storm.
Nick saw several of the droids rush toward him, sensing his distress. Then the storm touched the orb.
It burst. A booming sound deafened his ears, and a shockwave sped out, lifting him up into the air.
His back slammed into something hard, then he blacked out.
***
Nick woke up to the sound of rain and pain.
Everything hurt. His ears, his skin, his joints.
Between the spasms of shock however, he could feel something pleasant. Like a soothing salve starting from his back, and flushing inward.
Nick opened his eyes to the sight of a tipped minecart. Crooked wheels spinning along its axis.
"Mechanar Nezra," said a gravelly voice. "Have you regained consciousness."
One of the support droids. Legates. Either two or three. He couldn't remember.
"Yea," said Nick, wincing as he tasted blood and cuts along his mouth. "What… What happened?"
"A kinetic outburst was emitted from the object. It has caused physical destruction to most of the surrounding area in addition to the majority of our forces. You were among the casualties. This unit has engaged emergency protocols to restore your functionality."
Nick barely understood half of what the thing said. However, he got the part about destruction.
"I see…" Nick blinked, opening his eyes to face the droid kneeling next to him. It held a healing staff. The blue orb pulsing with energy which wrapped around his body.
It must have been bad, because Nick could see blisters and scrapes slowly healing along the entirety of his arms. He could feel the burn of more wounds along his bare chest and back. Along his legs too.
He didn't want to take a look at the state of his pants. One of the last things he wanted to do was lose anymore articles of clothing. As far as he knew, there weren't any replacements nearby.
"How long was I out?" said Nick.
"Approximately one minute Mechanar."
Not long then. He tried to recall what had happened. In the exact order. The violet static. The explosion.
"That…" Nick pushed himself upright, wincing at his shaking elbow. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
As he looked at the room, destruction was an accurate description of what happened.
Upended rail-tracks twisted like statues. Broken and destroyed minecarts littered the walls. Night-moss ripped up and thrown asunder. Rail tracks bent up and out of shape.
A small crater remained where the orb once stood. The room was noticeably dimmer in its absence.
He did not expect it to react that way. Everything he read said destroyed spawncores simply fizzled away. Perhaps it had something to do with the power he had gained?
Despite the orb's absence, a new light flared on the opposite wall.
Nick blinked and could make out trees and rain beyond. He realized the explosion must have cleared out the cave-in.
Mentally, he could feel several of the phantom connections had fizzled out entirely. As his eyes drifted once more through the room, and he could make out bits and pieces of droids littering the landscape. Shields, swords, and shields cluttered the room.
He turned back to the Legate.
"Are you all that is left?" said Nick.
"Several units are recovering," said the Legate. "They have been deactivated while you were unconscious."
As it spoke Nick noticed several figures rising along the walls. A few pulling themselves out of wreckage.
"Well that's good to kn-"
Something terrible shrieked from outside, followed by a rapid clicking noise. Nick swerved his head in the direction of the sound. The newly exposed entrance ahead.
A hulking shadow blocked his view of the forest, peaking a bulbous head through the opening. Six glowing eyes resting atop twin fangs and a gaping razored maw peered through. Liquid dripped down, sizzling holes in the rock below it.
A forest arachnid, which promptly let out an ear-piercing scream.
Nick's ears to flared in pain. He cupped his head as his world spun, going to his knees before he toppled over.
Then it pushed forward, trying to squeeze its way through the entrance.
It was only one monster, but this was on a completely different level on the hierarchy than the kobolds. If it got through…
"S-Stop it!" Nick huffed.
"Understood Mechanar," said the Legate.
A newly risen droid charged the engorged spider-like monster. It grabbed a spear from the ground and thrust it forward.
The weapon clanged harmlessly off its shell.
The arachnid let out another ear-splitting shriek, which sent Nick's eardrums through another spasm of pain. Then the monster's front legs shimmied through, the opening to grab ahold of the walls, and pulled the rest of it through.
Rock and rubble splintered away as its body shot forward, crushing the droid to the ground with its bulk. Fangs pierced into its chest, while the maw shredded it apart. Gray bits and pieces flew about, coated and sizzling away from acid.
"Shit."
He needed to get out of here. Teams of reclaimers would be called to get rid of forest arachnids. Fighting here with the few droids he had left was suicide. The rush of emotion triggered the lurking madness within to rise up. Only adding more problems to the situation.
Nick bit his tongue and forced himself standing. His ears were ringing with pain, but everything else appeared to have healed. He took the first step back up the tunnel complex, when all six of the monster's beady green eyes primed themselves onto him.
It squawked, and skittered toward him as quickly as a charging bull, cutting him off from escape.
Nick leapt sideways to get out of the way. However, the spider adjusted course mid-charge. Impossibly fast. His eyes widened as the twin fangs swept toward him.
Then violet light sparked.
A gray figure rushed in front of the encroaching danger. Nick caught sight of Legatus Two as he landed on the floor.
Barely a second passed while the monster's fangs pierced and sheared the droid in half.
In that instant, Nick felt a wave ripple through his mind. As a single phantom thread splintered to many.
However, he didn't have time to ponder this. The arachnid finished off its latest prey, and all six of its eyes zeroed back onto him. It rushed forward, fangs primed and maw opened wide.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Nick saw a shield on the ground next to him. The monster's shadow looming large over him. With no better idea, he hefted it up and raised it in front of him.
He had no idea what it would do against this level of monster. All he could do was hope now. He braced his knees for impact.
"Activating Ability: Energy Shield."
Nick blinked in surprise as violet light swirled from his arms to coat the shield in a thin barrier, right before the monster struck.
The force rattled his arms. It sent him streaking backwards through the floor, tearing through nightmoss and causing dust to swell up in his wake. The heat of friction flared up his feet as he heard the soles of his boots shear away.
The shield, shimmering violet, remained intact and unpunctured.
Nick lowered his arm in shock. He saw the arachnid slink back, shaking as if in pain. Its fangs noticeably dented.
Brown-colored aether swirled around them, straightening them out and resharpening their edges. The monster started moving towards him again, but then it stopped, letting out a howl of agony.
Behind it, Nick saw a large droid. A striker based on its yellow nameplate. Its body coated in edged lines. Two hands, holding a spear shoved through the monster's carapace.
The arachnid swerved around. The striker pulled the weapon free, but it was still within range of its fangs. The monster lunged to attack.
Another droid dashed between, holding up a shield with a violet outline encasing it like it did Nick's. Light sparked upon impact and the monster recoiled backward.
Then Nick heard the thumping creaking sound of droid movements behind him. He turned, seeing a tanker step by his side, holding a shield glowing with a violet outline.
Nick looked at his own energized shield. The blue screen which flared had vanished but the message was clear. He could call upon the same powers as the droids.
As the arachnid struggled and hesitated, the other striker and tanker dashed across to cover Nick's other flank.
He looked at the striker's spear, which was still glowing violet.
Nick picked up a sword from the floor, noting the gaping wound along the monster's carapace. Normal attacks couldn't harm the monster, but…
He focused his mind, willing what he desired to be.
"Activating ability. Imbued Weapon."
He felt energy leak out of him as violet light streamed out his arm and enveloped the sword.
The arachnid recovered and howled. It stood between Nick and escape. However, what was an otherwise hopeless situation, had changed.
Nick faced the arachnid, brandishing the blade and crouching low into a fighting stance. He felt the madness giggle below the surface. Instead, he breathed… then focused, entering the meditative state of direct combat. The droids crouched, following suit next to him.
The arachnid pressed towards them, and they prepared to fight.