Gadget saw Nine's harpoon crash in front of him. Nine gripped Em's healing orbs in his hands and looked at Gunnar.
"He may be a pain in the ass but he's still a Pillar." Nine smiled
Gunnar raised his spear and collided with Nine's harpoon. Lightning came down on them and the villain pushed the warrior rightwards. Gunnar was stunned by the harpoon sticking out of his shoulder although he recovered quickly.
Gunnar pulled the harpoon out and looked at Nine with a new light in his eyes. He gave the villain a toothy grin with malicious intent.
"Goodness." Nine exclaimed
"Nine?" Gadget went
Nine sighed, "The other Pillars are heading to that huge tree. Get moving already."
Gadget saw the ground underneath Nine was corroding and wanted to say something.
"LEAVE!" Nine frowned
Gunnar nodded, "Agreed. The weak have no business here!"
Nine was leaking poison and his consciousness was slipping. How could Gadget....no, Vance not know what would happen to his comrade?
"Only Blood Lily gets to call Gadget weak." Nine sneered "Unless...are you here to apply for villainy?"
Gunnar advanced and their weapons clashed. Nine felt his bloodthirsty rising with every passing moment. Lightning struck the earth, static surrounded his poison-coated harpoon.
Nine advanced and thrust his harpoon into Gunnar's body again. The Nights Race punched him in the gut and he was electrocuted. The warrior didn't fall and grabbed the villain again ignoring the electricity attacking his nerves.
Nine's body was becoming sluggish and wasn't cooperating with his brain.
Nine prepared to counter Gunnar when a beam threw Warrior backwards. They looked at the source - Gadget?
"Boss?" Nine went "Whatcha doing?"
Gadget answered, "I'm fighting. What does it look like?"
Gadget looked at his system panel angrily. He now wanted to get to that tree as quickly as possible.
[ Player < Vance> has a passive skill gifted by Creator: < Double bladed>, your mental and emotional mood will affect the effectivity of active skills and stats. Be happy always!]
"MASK!!!" Gadget boomed clenching his fists
"When did Zai have time to do that?" Zyder marveled
Zander shrugged with a smile, " Who knows? Vance was just unfortunate, I guess."
"Luck is a stat even if it's not displayed" Zen laughed
Nine seemed to understand what was happening.
"You are so unlucky, Boss." Nine sighed "Why do you always fall for Big Boss's stunts?"
Gadget's veins were popping out, "Do you think I want to?!?!"
"I honestly don't know at this point." Nine sighed
"WHAT?!" Gadget reacted
Gunnar stood up and dashed forward. Gadget's eyes glowed cruelly and he punched the warrior's gut. A hole was in Gunnar's chest and his lifeless body met the earth again.
[Player < Vance> mental and emotional state are....good so returning skills and stats to full power.]
Lines extended out of Vance's left eye toward his cheek. He looked at the tree with fury.
"I need to talk with Multi Mask." Gadget frowned "Why the hell did he do this?!"
"Be my guest." Nine yawned taking out his phone
The villain sat down on the corroded soil underneath and resumed his game. Gadget looked at him with concern.
"Don't worry, I won't embark on a sudden rampage." Nine smiled "I'm just spreading the poison."
"We'll find them and cure you." Gadget replied.
Nine sighed, "Are you saying that to me or you?"
"Who knows?" Gadget answered honestly
Infuriated, Gadget flew away as his eyes were fixed on the Tree of Slumber.
"What is Zaiden doing in that tree?" Nine whispered as he coughed vigorously.
The earth corroded and everything died. The corrosion wave moved further away from Nine and the luckless met untimely death. It forced allies and enemies to squeeze together on safer grounds.
Laasya looked at her brother in the air with a surprised look.
"You can fly again?!" she exclaimed "What happened?"
Vance showed Laasya his Passive skill
"So you were your own worst enemy" she laughed "You deserve it, you damn wet blanket!"
"Are you really my sister?" Vance sighed
Laasya laughed, "I'm your flesh and blood, Brother!"
The siblings flew toward the tree while killing any enemies in their path. The course of all the Pillars was the mysterious tree in the centre and how couldn't the heroes not notice the shift in their paths?
The villains didn't reply to the heroes' enquiries about the Pillars' new destination and pretended everything was according to plan.
"You're worrying too much about minuscule details." Scar frowned at the heroes "Don't worry you pretty righteous heads. Everything is alright."
"You don't expect us to believe that?" Samurai frowned
The villains rolled their eyes and dispersed. They were all thinking: We can't have a civil conversation with heroes.
"So what will you do?"
The heroes turned and saw Jumbo looking at them. His body was severely wounded and some support villains were patching him up.
"Will you tell us why your pillars are heading elsewhere?" Tempest asked
Jumbo shrugged with a smile, "How would I know?"
They stared at him angrily and Jumbo gave them a charming smile.
"Traitor." a hero frowned
Jumbo hummed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
He chuckled at them while looking at his bandages and rushed stitches. He tested them to make sure they wouldn't come undone before walking away.
"Was it so easy to leave the heroes?" Greg frowned "After everything?"
"It was." Jumbo smiled "I found something better. I believe I already told you what it was. So stop being annoying always asking the same thing."
"DAD!!"
"Goodbye," Jumbo told
Everyone started to turn their attention to the tree that the Pillars were racing to as if their lives depended on it.
"STOP THEM!!!" The Nights Race yelled glaring at the Pillars
Jaxon frowned, " They're chasing after us!"
" Then kill them." Urvi answered, "Problem solved."
A woman looked at Zaiden, "What are you after?"
Zaiden opened his eyes as a thin smile came on his face, "No idea. I'll tell you when I find it."
"I'll be dead if you do." she frowned
Zaiden replied, "We've known each other more than a hundred years why would I kill you over a misunderstanding?"
The woman's face distorted angrily as she vanished
"Ugh. She'll get us all killed one day." Zaiden groaned "Where are my unexperienced players?"
"They're on their way."
Zaiden yawned, "Five more minutes----"
"ZAIDEN!!! WAKE UP!!!!"