Apocalypse game, p.43
Apocalypse Game, page 43
“Finn!” Adeline shouted, and screamed in absolute rage.
Her hands lit up with her crimson flames as she hurled them one after another at the beast. They stuck like glue and burned deep into the stone, but Adeline wasn’t finished by a long shot.
She cast Conflagration and enveloped the Statue King within her circle of flames. The fire started eating away at the dragon’s scaled limbs and cracking the stone even further. A puff of concrete dust billowed out from one of the cracks, and there was a massive explosion as the tightly packed dust hit the fire.
The dust explosion ripped huge chunks of stone from the outer shell of the dragon and exposed its pale, magma-lined skin to us.
Adeline noticed and screamed even louder. “I’m not fucking done with you yet!”
A small black flame flickered to life on her index finger, and she flicked it at the dragon. It stuck to the dragon’s flesh and burrowed into its body, ethereal black smoke trailing from the wound it made while the dragon groaned as its insides were cooked.
The spell kept up for a few more seconds until Adeline ran out of mana and sagged to the ground, sweating bullets.
We’d taken a third of its health in the first few minutes, but Finn and Ade were both out of commission, and I had no idea if Finn was even alive. Though I worried for my friend, I couldn’t focus on that because as soon as Ade dropped, Conflagration and whatever new spell she used flickered out.
I ran up and pulled a mana potion from my spatial ring, tossing it to her.
“Drink up.” As she caught it, I tossed her a health potion. “Go heal Finn. Sal and I can take it from here!”
Though I had no idea if that was true, Adeline had the most offensive capabilities with her magic, and Finn was a tank. Salvatore and I were not really equipped to handle a monster of this scale by ourselves.
But regardless, we had to try.
Salvatore had been firing nonstop at the beast since we began, but his bullets had pinged harmlessly off the statue's concrete skin. He’d switched targets when Ade blasted a hole in the side of it, but his shots were scoring superficial wounds at best.
I unslung my rifle and peppered the Statue King. The green-tipped rounds punched into its body, scoring a few minor injuries, but from the way the beast's health barely ticked down with each shot, I was just wasting my time.
Salvatore realized the same thing as I did and vaulted over a bike rack before hitting the sidewalk and vanishing as he used Bridge. He teleported on top of the Statue King and ran up the dragon’s neck. Salvatore grabbed hold of one of the many spiked ridges leading to the dragon’s forehead and swung around to shove the barrels of his Berettas into its eye.
He grinned as he emptied his magazines.
The tortured howl of pain that erupted from the dragon’s mouth was enough to cause me to wince in pain from nearly thirty feet away, and satisfaction dug into my heart at the retribution for hurting Finn.
I could only imagine the pain that Salvatore was in, but he bared it like a champ and shrugged it off as the Statue King reared back his head and slung Salvatore off.
He flew towards a crumbling brick building, but just before he crashed into it, he turned, using Bridge in midair to jump right back on the dragon. He held out his hand, and a bright green spike appeared in his palm. It oozed and dripped smog as Salvatore reared back and shoved it into the Statue King’s neck.
As soon as his attack landed, the dragon's health began ticking away at an increasing rate, losing several hundred points every few seconds.
With that, Salvatore used Bridge once more and appeared beside me.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Poison Spike,” he said with a grim smile. “A continuous stream of poison that drains the target’s health until my mana runs dry…which should be in a minute or two.”
“Well, stop the spell. I need you on your feet. This bastard is still standing, and I don’t want to fight him alone.”
Salvatore nodded and cut the spell. The green glow around the dragon faded away, and the dragon moved its massive frame up off the ground.
“Why don’t you use your Demon Form?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Can’t. Not yet.”
“Why?”
Adeline’s voice cut through the air, saving me from answering.
“Kill, I need you!”
I looked over and back at Salvatore. “Keep his attention for a minute!”
“Got it!”
Salvatore kept on the move, firing at the one remaining eye of the Statue King while I went to check on Ade and Finn.
Finn wasn’t moving when I got over to them. His armor had faded, revealing numerous lacerations, as well as his arm that was bent at an unnatural angle. Blood soaked into his shirt, welling from somewhere on his body, and dripped down the back of the taxi to the pavement.
Why didn’t the potion work?
I asked, and Adeline held it up. “He’s stuck, and something is holding him in place. If I heal him while it’s still inside him…” she trailed off, leaving me to finish her thought.
“He’ll be just as bad off.” I nodded. “Alright.”
I lifted his head to check that he was still breathing. He was, but it was faint. With Adeline’s help, we pulled him from the crumpled shell of the car and laid him down. The blood was coming from a jagged four-inch shard of steel that had punctured his back; the gouge was deep, and when we pulled, a gush of blood spurted from the wound.
He’d bashed his head against the door hard enough to knock him out, but he would live. I unstopped the small vial of red liquid and poured it down his throat. Finn glowed slightly as the potion healed him. I set him down and looked at Adeline.
“Take care of him. I’ll go finish off the giant stone asshole.”
From a glance at the thing’s health, he was down to just over half. Which, while incredible, the others had thrown everything at it and were spent. I still had a few Displacements, and all my Rends, but I was hesitant to go all out against the Statue King.
Because there were still eyes on us. Ones that had nothing to do with the beast king in front of us.
I caught up with Salvatore as he reloaded his pistols. The loss of the dragon’s leg meant it wasn’t very mobile, but it still had its wings. I didn’t want it to take to the skies if I could help it, so I rushed in, hip firing with my rifle at its face to keep it distracted.
A few seconds later, and my gun clicked empty. I dropped it, and the sling cradled it against my chest as I reached the king. Rend burned from my fingertips and slashed across its jaw, splitting the stone all the way to its long, charcoal teeth.
The Statue King’s head snapped to the side from the impact, its burning blood leaking from the gashes.
As it leaned away, I pivoted and brought my hand up, casting Displacement. It bubbled to life in a hazy mirage over the Statue King’s right wing, where it connected to its spine. Displacement gulped down the dragon’s stone flesh and severed the wing from its body before spilling the bloody remnants at my feet.
The monster snarled and spat a thick gob of magma out as it stumbled forward, a low growl building in its throat. We’d trapped it, cornered it, and its fury dripped out of every wound we’d rendered.
I had two more Displacements available, and I aimed for its other leg and fired it off. The dragon shifted suddenly, and all I managed to grab was a chunk of asphalt. I tried to use it again. I aimed for its leg once more and I snagged half of its foot.
It took a small chunk of its health away, but I’d wasted my last Displacement spell. I used up my mana, and unless I wanted to burn a potion, I’d have to rely on my remaining Rends.
Salvatore Bridged in front of the beast, dodging an errant swipe.
When the attack didn’t land, the Statue King howled and opened its mouth. A gravelly crunch echoed from its throat as ash began spilling from its jaws. It coughed and then let loose a torrential gray miasma.
It poured from its mouth and rushed onto the street. It billowed out, coating everything in a fine powder as it settled over the road and abandoned cars. Ash drifted about, and a stillness unbefitting our battle settled around us.
Then there was a single crack before jagged shards of concrete erupted from the ash. Cars crunched as they were torn apart. The street rumbled as the concrete hardened in an instant, forming deadly spikes that shattered glass and punched through metal like it was cardboard.
Shit. Petrification!
“Everyone, get back! Don’t let the mist touch you. Adeline, take Finn and clear the area!”
The Statue King opened its maw to unleash more of the gray mist, but we kept out of its reach. It couldn’t travel more than a dozen feet in front of the dragon before stopping.
Or so we thought.
The stream that rushed out was far more condensed than before. It shot out like a geyser and surprised the three of us. Adeline and Finn were to the side and out of range, but Salvatore and I were smack in the center of it.
I moved to escape the incoming cloud, but I wasn’t fast enough. Salvatore was, though. He Bridged the gap between us and teleported us away.
We appeared a few dozen feet away, and he let go of me.
“Thanks for the save.”
He nodded. “What are friends for? So, what’s the plan to beat this monster?”
“Kill it. Not die,” I said.
“Short, to the point. My kind of plan. What do you need from me?”
I paused, which was something one should never do in battle, but the Statue King was far enough away and weak enough that I had a moment to work out my strategy.
It was weak now. We’d taken well over half its health away. A few more well-placed strikes should finish it off.
But we’d have to get close to it.
Which meant dealing with its Petrification. If it landed, it would spell the end for us. We had no way of curing Petrification.
Though we only have to worry about it if the dragon can catch us.
“Sal, can you Bridge me?”
He grinned, nodding. “I like your style.”
Salvatore placed his hand on my forearm. In an instant, we were on top of the Statue King.
I steadied myself and ran to its neck. Sometime during the fight, it had taken damage and was slightly cracked and bleeding, which only helped my plan along. I brought both arms down and I activated Rend simultaneously. Ten points of darkness rose over my fingertips and lashed down at its damaged stone skin.
Rend’s crescent blades hewed thick furrows of stone from the beast, each one carved deep into its neck, leaving behind long gashes which quickly filled with steam and blood.
The king howled in agony and bucked, writhing as he tried to throw us off. It ripped large chunks of concrete up as it thrashed, tearing up the asphalt. Its tail struck a parked truck and crumpled it, sending the wrecked vehicle skidding across the street and into the cheap metal gates, into the side of a building.
As the king tried to throw us off, I grabbed one of its spikes and held on as Salvatore and I fought to regain our balance.
When we could stand, I knelt over the wounds and unleashed another pair of Rends right on top of them, dealing critical damage as the second salvo carved even deeper into the bleeding flesh of the beast.
Salvatore kept the king’s attention by teleporting around and shooting at its vulnerable, weak points, never standing still long enough for the Statue King to unleash its Petrification breath.
When Rend cooled down once more, I unleashed one final round that slammed into its spine.
In the thirty seconds, I’d nearly exhausted my stamina, but I had one more move left.
As boiling magma cascaded from its ruined neck, I drew my sword. It slid from its sheath with a rustle of leather before it lit up with a fiery glow, not unlike the blood that ran perilously close to my feet.
With every last bit of my strength behind my blade, I rose it overhead and plunged it as deep as it could go into the Statue King’s neck. It slid through its meat and sinew, only slowing when it hit its spine, but I knelt, shoving as hard as I could before the blade slammed into the hilt, slicing through its spine.
I twisted and pulled the blade free.
The Statue King shuddered and lashed out with its remaining wing. It caught me in the shoulder, and I went sideways. The world spun as I tried to find my balance, but with its spine severed, its body was lifeless, and I fell, sliding down its leg before I kissed the concrete, and pain dominated my world.
Movement from next to me flicked past my sight before my vision blurred, and I was a dozen feet from the king, with Salvatore next to me.
I shook off the hit and stood, groaning.
“Thanks,” I said, pulling out a mana and stamina potion and chugging them both.
“Of course.” He nodded to the king. “Looks like it’s on its last legs.”
Salvatore was right. The once impenetrable Statue King was a mess of blood and missing flesh. Pieces of it were scattered around the area as it lay crumpled on the street, its breath blowing dust all around.
There was only a sliver of its health remaining.
It was time to finish this.
But before I could take a single step, there was a chuckle from a deep voice.
From high above in the clouds, a radiant golden spear thundered through the sky, racing towards the weakened dragon. It skewered through its head and obliterated its skull. The Statue King’s head blew apart like a burst bubble and exploded across the street and buildings. Magma gushed from its ruined neck as the body went still.
Combat Results!
1 Killed (Statue King): 5463 Exp!
Experience Boost (+27.5%): 1502 Exp!
Total Gain: 6965 Exp!
AC Earned: 4,000!
Level Up!
Investigation Quest: Lost in New York Completed!
Discover the reasons for the increase of Beasts near Central Park and put a stop to it.
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: 3050 Exp!
Experience Boost (+27.5%): 839 Exp!
Total Gain: 3889 Exp!
AC Earned: 1,263!
Level Up!
System Notice: New York City threat level has decreased!
New York City: 19
System Notice: The Statue King has been defeated!
Beast Skill Available: Petrification
Petrification (Rank 1): Sends out a condensed cloud of dust that petrifies anything it comes into contact with.
Cost: 50 Mana (5 Per Second)
Cooldown: Instant
There was no time to deal with the notifications as a figure floated down from the sky.
Angelic was the only word to describe them, as they bore two shocking white wings that helped them glide towards the ground.
The figure was garbed head to toe in resplendent golden armor, plate mail not dissimilar to Finn’s Abyssal Armor, but the complete opposite. Where Finn’s was shadows, theirs was light. What little sun was overhead in the overcast sky sought them out and bathed them in sunshine. A full helm obscured their features, but they radiated grace and power.
Even without the completely obvious imagery, I knew who this was, knew it as soon as I gazed upon them.
I smiled as they settled to the ground.
“The Archangel of the White.”
Chapter 29- The Archangel of the White
Ah, hell. This is just what I need today.
Though I’d known I was being watched, the Statue King had nearly forced me to my limit. And I hadn’t considered my mortal freaking enemy would show up out of the blue.
Though I’d kept my Demon Form back, I was still woefully unprepared to deal with them while they looked to be in top fighting form. Their wings glowed with a soft radiance while the spear they wielded pulsed with sunfire.
“You know, kill stealing is a cardinal sin, right?”
The Archangel tilted their helm. Ice-blue eyes flared as they attacked without hesitation. It was only thanks to my increased Agility that I sidestepped in time. Their spear struck where my heart had been only moments before.
“Woah, hey, let’s talk─“
My words were cut short by a roundhouse kick that sent me careening into the side of a nearby Lexus, leaving a Killian-sized dent in the side. Pain bubbled from my side, but it was manageable.
I stood, only to throw myself back to the ground as they attacked again, not giving me a moment to catch my breath.
Their spear struck just behind my head, but I wasn’t safe yet. A spark of sunlight rippled down the length and exploded in a white-hot inferno that sent me flying. I landed with a snap as something in my chest broke, probably a rib.
My back rose and fell and a sharp fire made it hurt to breathe, but I had to get up.
Holy hell, they’re wiping the floor with me. Alright, it’s my turn to go on the offensive!
I aimed for the spear and cast Displacement. A hazy ball of nothing coalesced in front of them and ate half of their spear before fading and dropping at my feet.
I’d broken their spear into two completely unusable pieces. They’d let go just in time, but I was hoping to take their hands along with the damn spear.
“Alright, I’ve broken your weapon,” I said, holding my sword aloft. “Now, can we talk?”
They just chuckled and brought her hands together as if in prayer, and a white light spilled out from between their fingers. When they brought them back, a glowing white sword appeared out of thin air.
“Yeah, that figures.”
“Hey, Killian. You need backup?” Finn shouted from behind me.
Both he and Adeline tensed, preparing to engage. Salvatore stood behind them, pistols raised.
I held up my hand to stop them. “Stay out of this!” I turned to the Archangel. “This is just between you and me. Leave my friends out of this.”
They cocked their head to the side, quizzical. “Consideration from the Demon Lord. Now I’ve seen everything,” they said, their voice a deep baritone underneath the helm they wore.
“How do you know I’m the Demon Lord?”
“Instinct.” They tilted their head, looking past me to my companions. “But to answer your question. Fine. As long as they don’t interfere, I’ll leave them be.”
