Chapter 248: The Gift of Death

Chapter 248: The Gift of Death

Laying in my little carved-out nook a few slithers below the Coreless, tail caught securely within my mouth, I had some time to figure things out.

I needed that time. Needed that bit of safety that it gave while I figured things out.

Another mind was poking and prodding at mine. One that had far more depth than the spore-puppets that I was used to controlling. Those were simple; easy to understand, easy to control.

My newest minion was not; unlike with my spore-puppets, I could feel him resisting. Trying, anyway. Pushing at the link between us, some small, hidden part of him trying to exert his own will. I could have let it free, I guessed. Could have given him close to the same level of awareness and free will as he had in life, only a few changes marking him as different from before.

I didnt do any of that.

Instead, I pushed back, crushing that resistance with ease. It came naturally, as if I were a giant bad-thing and the undead Coreless were a helpless small-thing scuttling underfoot. The natural order of things.

That thought made me sick; it reminded me of how easily the same thing had been done to me, when the Death Core stole me away from the Great Core. But I pushed through it anyway. This was different.

The now-undead Coreless had already turned away from the Great Core. I was just bringing him back into the light, kicking and screaming.

When he finally understood the gift that I was giving him - if he ever understood - I was sure that hed feel much better about things - but, for now, I was forced to keep the vast majority of his mind pushed down into the dark. Bits of thought and memory played against the outer edges of my mind, incomprehensible things that I didnt have the time or ability to interpret, but his emotions - dulled and distant though they were - were easier to understand. Similar enough to the connection that I had to the bearers of the [Little Guardians Totem]s that I could figure out what he was feeling.

He wasnt enjoying this. I wasnt surprised. That was okay, for now. His mind pushed a little harder against my control, an uncomfortable tingling pressing against my head-scales, and that was less okay.

I shoved him all the way into the dark.

With that done, I focused on turning my newest minion towards his fellow blasphemers. My newest minion wouldnt last terribly long; I could already tell that the death essence keeping him going was starting to fade, sacrificed in order to temporarily allow his lifeless body to continue moving.

But he would last long enough - and at least when his body eventually failed, it would do so while serving the Great Core.

A much better death than he might have otherwise had.

A gift, really.

Leo had always taken pride in his position as the mines Overseer. Taken pride in what it allowed him - a strength far greater than most, with armor and weapons that allowed him to beat back the strongest of monsters. Where some of his underlings gear had minor flaws - not many, but some - Leos was flawless. Able to hold its barrier of wind for longer, and able to extend his Windspears reach beyond what the others could.

Even then, he had never fought an Ascended before.

He moved oddly, stepping forward in jerking, stuttering motions that werent nearly quick enough to catch Leo off guard.

The fuck you doing, Devon? Leo barked, recovering enough for his surprise to shift towards anger. Put the fucking spear down before I put you down.

Devon didnt listen, just staring back at Leo with an annoyingly slack jaw. Made him look like an idiot. Black-flecked saliva dribbled down his lower lip, and the man thrust his spear forward again.

Slowed by his barrier of wind, Leo easily batted the thrust aside, pushed forward, and made good on his threat.

The tip of his spear found its way into a joint of Devons armor, reaching past the mans raised arm and thrusting up through his armpit. Leo followed through with it, too, activating the spears enchantment and sending a blade of wind through the wound, tearing his insides up further as he pushed metal and wind all the way through, only stopping when their bodies pressed together and he could push no further.

Devons blood bled black, spilling from his mouth and mixing with the lesser black of his saliva - but he refused to fall. Instead, he abandoned his spear, teeth snapping at Leos face like an animal. The Overseer just barely managed to save his nose, leaning backwards.

He couldnt help but notice that his former friends breath smelled like weeks-old carrion and rot. Still, as horrifying as that was, Leo was fine. He would win.

Someone screamed behind him, and Leos confidence wisped away.

Somehow, he had forgotten about the Ascended below them.

Fuck.

That was a much bigger problem than Devon, as confusing a problem as Devons betrayal was. He pushed the black-bleeding guard aside. The man fell, and Leo used the momentum to pull his spear free again.

You! Thief! Leo bellowed, projecting his voice so that it would raise over the wind and the screams. Give me that Skies-damned null-water!

More than ever, Leo was sure that it would be needed to kill the Ascended. Stabbing the damn thing wasnt enough last time, and he wasnt going to just hope that it would be the next.

The thief shook his head, eyes wide. Leo scowled, stepping towards him.

Devon stood up again to block his path, and the Overseer stabbed him again.

Just like before, it didnt seem to take.

Devon just stood back up, standing in the way again.