Chapter 97: No, We Didn’t!

Chapter 97: No, We Didn’t!

Dynamic Quest

Hidden Boss!

A Fallen has partially awoken.

Uh do something?

Something Done: 0/1

Hirals brain processed the notification despite the shock threatening to overwhelm him. Even the PIMP doesnt know what we should do. Not good.

With a thought, he dismissed the notification window and turned his eyes to the top of the tower. Terrifying power swirled to his Cycling ability, like the ocean hed felt before had been released to hang above the entire island with a physical weight. Was it something like his Rune of Gravity? No, nothing so simple as that. The released Fallen was exerting pressure on reality itself.

Hiral had to forcefully shut down the extra sight Cycling gave his vision so he could make out the towers peakand what their doom looked like. The top half of the crystal was completely gone now, a man atop it with his arms spread and his head back like he was tasting the air and freedom for the first time in a very, very long time.

Unlike the Infested Hiral had already met, there were no tentacles wrapping the mans arms, torso, or head. Instead, lines glowed like tattooed tentacles in place of the real thing, and they shone with a fierce, concentrated power.

Are those the true inspiration behind our PIMs?

Putting the curiosity out of his mind, Hiral focused on the Fallen who had to be Vorinal, if the name of the tower held true. Besides the glowing lines, his arms and chest were toned, with wiry muscles like corded steel under the flesh, but emaciated. His waist was so narrow the bottom of his ribs showed clearly in his skin, like he hadnt eaten in thousands of yearswhich, while true, couldnt account for his appearance. If food was the issue, he wouldve just been dead.

No, it had to be something else Solar energy! While the crystal held him captive, the whole point of the tower was to use him to channel solar energy into the island. The tower itself mustve acted like some kind of vacuum, sucking the solar energy out of the Fallen and into the islands systems. His physical appearance was probably some kind of representation of his solar reserves.

Beyond the body of a starved Shaper, a short-cropped beard framed his jaw, while oddly full hair stretched to his shoulders. For being trapped in a giant crystal, he looks like he just stepped out of a shower.

Energy sparked at his fingertips, pulling solar energy into the visible spectrum despite Hiral not using Cycling to look at it. But something was odd. Something

His legs are still trapped in the bottom of the crystal!

Hiral changed his attack mid-swing to defend himselfcatching the beambefore giving chase. Again, the crystal moved horizontally, then shot straight up to escape him. Not bound to the surface, Hiral rocketed up on planes of Rejection, batting aside energy beams as he went with the fast-moving sword. Even when he caught up, however, the crystal scooted to the side just enough to evade his hurried slash, then went on the counterattack. He flipped, dodged, and brought the sword up again to block the blasts as he sprinted to the side through the air.

This thing has to be at least C-Rank. What is going on? Was this on Fallen Reach the whole time?

That was a question for later, as the sphere fired off blast after blast to ping off Hirals sword. Still, despite his ability to block or avoid the shots, he didnt doubt the damage theyd cause if one got through. Grabbing the RHC off his thigh in his free hand, Hiral flipped over another slicing energy beam and pulled the trigger while upside-down.

A slight shift to the side was enough for the sphere to dodge the bolt of Impact, and then it was back on the attack.

Starting to hate things I cant hit.

Cutting his spring short so the next blast overshot him, Hiral cut hard in directly towards the sphere. Another pull of his trigger whipped past the dodging globe while he blocked the counterattacks with his sword. He managed to close half the distance, zigzagging as he went, and pulled his trigger again as soon as it was off cooldown. Another missthough not by as muchand he parried one more blast before hurling his RHC at the sphere.

Almost like the thing was confused at his action, the sphere reflexively dodged but didnt immediately launch more beams. In that odd hesitance, Hirals still-extended hand pulsed with Attraction. The contrary runes on the sphere that mustve been used to move it flared with resistance, but they werent nearly as strong as Hiral, and the whole unit jerked in his direction.

And right into the path of his descending sword.

This time, there was no dodging or escaping, and the Emperors Greatsword punched through the crystal like it was rotten fruit. Small shards of broken crystal exploded in every direction, but not with enough force to punch through the Second-Skin of UrThul. One second, then two, Hiral waited to see if the device had any other tricks up its sleeve. Then he spun on his heel and dashed back to the rest of the party.

They finished up with the second crystal sphere just as he arrived, the nimble thing managing to stay just out of reach until they finally took it seriously.

You okay? Seena asked.

Fine, Hiral said, skidding on the wet ground to a stop beside them.

In the distance, more of the crystal spheres had engaged the fighting Shapers, turning the melee into a three-way battle. Obviously, the Fallen wasnt on the same side as the insurgents which didnt really help Hiral and the others.

Not bad, Vorinal said. Too bad for you I have thousands of those.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Hiral felt dozens of the same cubes vanishing in the ground through his Domain. The same number of crystals floated up from the newly created spaces to surround the party, their facets already glowing.