The Fool's Freedom

It was more of a slow walk than an actual charge, but their copper bodies were intimidating enough and Alan had seen that even Ashlyn couldn’t overpower them. He sent a [Shadow Slash] at the nearest one and watched as it harmlessly broke into the copper frame.

“Well, they don’t seem that dangerous if we keep them far, but I won’t be able to do much,” he said. This was frustrating. Ashlyn could probably take them out with a well-placed arrow, while Florence could burst their hearts. He didn’t think a heart could explode like that, but then again those were pale, strange, obviously magical hearts.

The three of them stepped back towards where they had come from, but the door slammed behind them.

Ashlyn’s bow twanged next to Alan and he saw an arrow slip through the copper tubing and into the pale heart of the attendant. It took a few seconds but it stopped moving.

The rest suddenly raised their arms and crossed them as a shield before their chests. They were smart, if not that hard to kill… at least for the girls.

The 8 remaining constructs kept going undaunted by the death of their comrade, pushing the group further toward the wall.

“Flo? Can you take them out?”

Florence nodded and concentrated. Alan could hear one of the attendants' hearts start beating loudly before bursting apart, leaving it still as a bronze statue.

7 left.

Fuck, I want some of that experience.

“Ash, get ready to shoot at their hearts.”

“Got it.”

[Synaptic Failure] took a few seconds, then hit the closest construct, making it stumble and glitch. Its hands dropped and an arrow shot its heart, ending it.

This is easy!

You have slain: Pale Heart Copper Attendant (40)

Level up!

You have reached level 9 in [Warlock]!

+ 3 Attribute Points

+ 1 Mind, Will, and Magic

One more level!

Another construct stopped as its heart burst. However, Florence knelt on the ground, blood dripping down from her nose.

5 left.

“Flo? Are you okay?” Alan asked and helped her stand up.

“I think… I can do only one more. It’s really hard to force the skill so much.”

“Take a breather.”

The constructs were coming in two lines from both sides of the table and they were almost dangerously close now. Alan was sure one punch would be enough to hurt him, if not kill him.

Alan focused and cast another [Synaptic Failure], once again forcing the closest construct to malfunction. There was a twang as an arrow hit the bronze torso instead of the gap leading through the heart.

“Fuck!”

There was no time as Alan rushed with his spear and stuck it into the chest of the malfunctioning attendant.

You have slain: Pale Heart Copper Attendant (40)

He waited for the level-up message but it didn't come. He pulled at the spear but an arm of bronze suddenly came from the side and grabbed it as it was leaving the chest of the felled construct, then a second arm hit the shaft, breaking it into two before Alan’s eyes.

He felt himself step backward, having lost his footing and gaped at the piece of wood that was left in his hand.

“Alan!” Florence's weak voice came from behind and he turned to see her pale and leaning on the closed door, with blood dripping from both her nostrils and ears. Another construct fell from a burst heart at the same time as Florence crumpled on the floor.

“Flo!”

Ashlyn moved past him and started fighting the closest of the remaining three constructs. The other two moved toward her, careful to not bump into the still-standing bodies of their comrades.

Alan clenched his jaw, his mana half gone with two casts of Synaptic Failure. There would be time to help Florence but it was not now.

With a burst of [Warlock’s Body Mastery’s] mana boost he rushed under a swing meant for Ashlyn that she had already dodged, and faced the other two.

Ashlyn was having no trouble dodging, but the attacks of the constructs were wide and very powerful and the weak point in their chest was small and hard to hit.

He would have to do this. One more [Synaptic Failure] when the timing was right and they would have only two left to take care of.

And hopefully, level 10 would give him a new skill.

He could hear Ashlyn’s breathing behind him as she ducked and attacked, her weapons ringing on the bronze frame of the construct. She would win with enough time. He was sure.

He pulled his steel dagger, not wanting to risk any of the enchanted ones in this endeavor, and willed [Shadow Weapon] to mold it into what he needed – a thin blade of pure darkness.

[Synaptic Failure] went out targeting the construct on the right and Alan charged with a mana boost in his legs, throwing himself to the side to dodge a swing from the one on the left and stabbed out, only to miss.

The skill worked slightly differently every time as the affected bronze attendant’s legs gave out and it fell on its back with a loud bang that echoed through the hall, unwittingly dodging Alan’s attack. He cursed and stepped on the copper body, trying to balance himself as he stabbed down through the gap and into the pale heart.

You have slain: Pale Heart Copper Attendant (40)

Level up!

You have reached level 10 in [Warlock]!

+ 3 Attribute Points

+ 1 Mind, Will, and Magic

You can learn a new skill. Please choose.

Monochrome Armor (Epic)

Shadows protect you and make you faster.

Pact (Epic)

Borrow the strength of those who stand at the top.

Pestilent Touch (Epic)

Infect your target and let them spread a disease of your making.

An epic skill? With a quick look, Alan was pretty sure about his choice. Pacts were a no-go. He had met enough powerful assholes for now. He didn’t need any more.

[Pestilent Touch] sounded like it could be one of the greatest AoE skills if he wanted to wipe out cities. He didn’t, for now.

Alan didn’t have time to think as the last construct was upon him and he dodged backward, leading it away from Ashlyn’s fight. For all their ability to answer questions, the bronze attendants were not the brightest bunch. Then again, their purpose was seemingly pouring liquid… Who would have level 40 constructs as servants?

“Alan!” Ashlyn’s voice came and he positioned himself better, not letting the construct that was walking toward him out of sight.

The attendant she had been fighting was lifeless, an arrow stuck in its chest. Her bow was still on the ground where she had first thrown it, so she had probably stabbed it with it. Nice.

Ashlyn soon joined him. She was panting but other than that she looked fine.

“How is Flo?” he asked.

“Breathing.”

“Shoot it while I distract it?”

“No mana for the skill that fucks them up?”

“No.”

Ashlyn grimaced, “I have to grab my bow.”

“Go. I can manage.”

Alan sent a few shadow slashes to keep the construct occupied and held a safe distance. He chose his new skill without hesitation.

You have learned a new skill: Monochrome Armor.

It took him a few tries to read the whole thing, as there was a lot to unpack and the construct just didn’t stop.

Monochrome Armor (Epic)

A shadow can move and recover in but a moment. Become a shadow.

Adopt the trait of the shadowless for up to an hour as your shadow becomes one with you and seeps through your body and clothes, raising your speed and offering protection against physical and magical attacks.

Your speed is based on your Mind stats plus 50% of your Dexterity for the duration of the skill.

You are protected by an armor of shadows. Unless fully destroyed it can be repaired by consuming mana.

A portion of your mana pool is locked while the skill is active.

The skill cannot be cast if you have no shadow.

Duration: 1 hour for the first cast of the day. Each subsequent cast lowers the duration by fifteen (15) minutes.

Warning! Regular use of this skill may lead to physical changes.

Wow. It was both a massive speed buff and a defensive skill in one. A lot was going on with all the details in the description. It was also his first skill that came with a warning, which was a bit worrying, but he had seen firsthand that Ashlyn’s [Imitate Predator] could backfire in bad ways, and so could Florence’s [Manipulate Adrenaline]. Power always has a price.

Alan was tempted to try it but the time limit stopped him for now.

It didn’t take them long to end the last enemy. Alan didn’t get any credit for it since he hadn’t managed to damage it, but that was fine. He was sure there would be plenty of experience later.

The job was done, and they had quite a few doors to check.

As if on cue all the closed doors opened again, including the path toward where they had come from. The path forward would obviously have to be through one of the ten doors, but first, they needed to rest.

Alan couldn’t wait until he got the chance for a longer ritual as the mana from the enchanted bones was a godsent. His arm did look a bit greyer, but it was hard to tell under the constant red light.

Ashlyn, as the one with more Strength, picked Florence and carried her to the table, before setting her gently down. She seemed to be unconscious, but her breathing was even and after wiping some of the blood with a damp cloth, no more was coming out.

“Check the rooms?” Ashlyn asked.

“I think we should rest. I am tapped out.”

“Yeah, same. Did you get a new skill?”

“Yep, speed buff and protection in one!”

“Huh, similar to mine then. Well, [Imitate Predator] changes with the blood I use for it.”

“Mine comes with a warning, like ‘if you wear that shirt too long it might meld to your skin’ kind of deal.”

“So, a clingy skill?”

“Potentially. Like your ex.”

Ashlyn laughed and sat on one of the stone chairs around the table. Alan soon followed suit with a sigh, holding the pieces of his spear. It had served him quite well and it was his first weapon, but apparently, even system-made weapons didn’t last long.

“We will get you a new one.”

Alan shrugged and put away the two pieces into his shadow inventory, “I am not sure I even like fighting with a spear. It’s just convenient when I don’t know what I am doing. Although the constant slaughter seems to be helping quite a bit.”

“Yeah, it gets easier after a while.”

“I will try to see if I cannot hurry the mana regeneration or something. Don’t let me fall asleep, alright?”

“Sure.”

Alan put his now 12 free points in Magic, as he needed the extra mana now more than ever, and closed his eyes. He tried to focus on the feeling of his mana pool being refilled by drawing energy from the world around him. It didn’t take him long to get lost in the process and drift off…

***

Nadia grimaced as she took in the sights of Sanctuary 142. She was breathing slowly and using her enhanced hearing to its fullest. There was no quiet in the Sanctuary even during the night, as some classes seemed to need less and less sleep as their attributes grew.

She had a job tonight and she was impatient to get to the end of it. The bag felt heavy on her belt and swung silently with each step, reminding her who she was now. It felt like an eternity ago when she watched her friend die in her arms, killed by a boar of all things.

Nadia had become a different person. She didn’t cry anymore, and she didn’t shy away from violence as she had. For all his bullshit, Alan had been right to push them to level, she saw that now. It didn’t lower her dislike for the guy. He had always been an asshole, and his health issues were not an excuse.

It had been a bad day when she had learned he was alive and in the Sanctuary. Her own reaction had surprised her, but it had been a pivotal moment in realizing that she was different, better, much stronger.

She had never wished death on anyone before, yet now she dealt in it. [Assassin] had been a great class choice, although she didn’t understand how her two light-based skills had led to it. Maybe the Pioneer title.

Nadia turned a corner and shuffled with grace she didn’t have before, moving past the broken stones and barrels blocking the path, careful to not leave a trail. Finally, she reached the door and knocked following the pattern established beforehand.

It opened and she pushed through. No one dared stop her. This new feeling of power and influence was almost intoxicating. She was someone here.

She stopped in front of the largest table, sat in the corner by the improvised bar, and put the bag she was carrying on it – right on top of the nuts used instead of chips. Ivan was behind the improvised bar, watching with a smile, and she nodded at him. No one else would dare look at her.

Nadia barely stopped herself from smiling. She was growing to love being feared.

Tim reached for the bag, and opened it with two fingers, checking the contents. Some blood dripped out and stained the table to the horror of some of the card players. Nadia smirked at how green they were. This was a new world, a world of death, and they had chosen to be here.

“Anyone see you?” Tim asked.

“Of course not.”

She was too good. It had taken some time to learn how to do it all, but now she was unstoppable.

“Any news of Alan?” Tim asked.

Nadia shook her head, “Gone with that bitch Ashlyn. People last saw them leave with Florence, and it has been days.”

Ivan snorted from behind the bar, “Bastard’s tough, probably still alive.”

Tim tapped on the table, taking his time to think things through like he always did.

“It will be good if we can get him on our side. Florence will make things tough. She's a monster in her own right.”

Nadia agreed. Florence was terrifying. But she didn't know why Tim liked Alan. “Why? We don’t need him!”

“If, or most likely when, they return, they will be much stronger. To take control of all the Sanctuary, we will need strong people.” She was about to argue, but Tim raised his hand and continued, “I know you are strong. You, me, and Ivan are in this together, and the boys around are nothing to underestimate.”

Nadia snorted at the last part, but it elicited a bunch of nods and smiles from the dumbfucks around the den. Tim was good at getting people to listen to him.

Tim stood up and took a sip of his cup. They had no alcohol, but in typical human fashion, some were already working on it with decent success. Still, the cup held only water.

“Don’t touch Walter yet. We will use them against the Future. It is better to risk them than you, isn’t it my sweet Nadia.”

His hand caressed her cheek and she smiled, a shudder going down her spine.

“And after they are of no more use…”

Nadia didn’t care anymore if it was the System’s influence or her true self. The unspoken words sent butterflies in her stomach.

STATS

INFORMATION:

Name:

Alan Morgan

Race:

Human

Class:

Warlock

Level:

10

Titles:

First Pathfinder; Madcap; Slayer; Friend of the Spirit World

ATTRIBUTES:

Strength

38

Dexterity

35

Vitality

5

Will

71

Mind

59

Magic

79

TRAITS:

One Mind, One Body; Limited Vitality; Tongues of the four corners; Survivor’s will; Shadow Mind

SKILLS:

Warlock’s Body Mastery; Synaptic Failure; Shadow Weapon; Ritual: Enchanted Bones; Mortal Peril; Monochrome Armor

BODY ENHANCEMENTS:

Shadow Space;