28 Chapter Twenty-Eight – Hello, Me Aunties! (1/2)
Ten more deaths had passed.
I hadn't managed to get past the ghosts yet. I had killed fourteen of them, however.
Today, four key things were happening.
The first thing was Slaughter earned its first Slaughter alternate Bane today, and Bane to the Undead stamped itself into my Sword. +2 to Enhancement, +2-12 damage… so, like adding a greatsword along every sweep of my blade, punching harder, deeper.
”You really do sleep too long once they kill you.”
The vibrato voice was equal parts amused, concerned, dismissive, and curious.
Tremble's Familiar powers had reached the point where he could speak. Long ways to go. That also meant that his Detect Bane power was up and working.
”Good nightmare to you, too,” I replied. With my continued refining, he was looking less and less like half a pair of scissors and more like a real sword. But I always had something to do, every day.
I crossed my legs and laid him down on top of my Vajra as he entered Firephase, and I began to ripple my Vajra through his solid-fire form. He rippled as my nails passed over and past him, and tittered.
”I had no idea you were ticklish,” I commented.
”Oh, you are like the best masseuse ever,” he acknowledged without missing a beat, as I worked at moving around the fiery substance that had replaced his steel, refining the flow of power and crystalline structure while he was in this more mutable form.
”Flattery gets you a higher QL,” I answered calmly.
”One can only dream,” he shot back in total deadpan. I smiled. He was a snarker. ”Are you finally going to make it through those ghosts today?” he sighed softly.
I also sighed softly. ”Yes.”
Third item, I ticked over Winds Mastery/2, my Ki rose to 23, and my Diamond Vajra to 45.
Fourth item, I ticked over Diamond Vajra Resistance/1. Negative Energy.
”22 points of Negative Energy Resistance online,” I informed him blithely.
”I am not sure how effective that is, but it sounds impressive,” he admitted after a moment.
”An average shadow does 1-6, a spectre 2-12, and a ghost 10-60.”
”Wow, that is a huge damage jump!”
”Shadows also do strength damage, and wraiths and spectres drain Levels. Different manifestation of the energy, pure Negative Energy Resistance doesn't stop it. But I'm almost immune to that with my Null now, so it's not a concern of mine.”
”So instead of taking 35ish damage a hit, you'll be taking 13? That will be much, much better!” Tremble worked out, the flames making his hum sound like a rushing crackle.
”Yes, and I should be taking no damage from the earlier waves whatsoever, so I'll be meeting them in top condition. Additionally, my Damage Reduction is ki-based, so it resonates with my Vajra. Since this negative energy is an actual attack, my Crystal Dragon Way of Iron will stack right on top of it. Only four points, but 26 points of negative touch resistance is nothing to sneeze at. If they only graze me, I won't feel a thing, and if they stick an entire arm through me, that'll hurt, but not as much as before,” I agreed.
”Tremble, she comes…” hummed my Sword, vibrating just above my knees with palpable eagerness.
”We're going to need a stanza for ghosts here soon.”
”In Necrus!” Tremble replied cheerfully.
”Can't terrorize the undead without it.” Undead were nominally immune to fear, unless you jumped through some hoops. A mnecromonic Weapon that recorded everything that died to it and was Bane to them did the job nicely. Only had to overcome the -20 penalty to affect something immune to fear. Blaring at them in Necrus while they felt the liberation of so many of their kind en vivus was enough to shake even the brainless undead.
My Intimidation modifier was maybe +15 or so right now, with Tremble in hand, so not likely to do anything to them. I was fighting crap way above my Level, after all.
”Foul in life, fouler in death, chains a-rattling with every still breath,” he began experimentally.
”That doesn't actually rhyme in Necrus…”
”Oh. I need to learn more languages…”
”No reason you can't have a version for all the human listeners to admire,” I reasoned, as I continued at my task.
”Oh, true, true!” he agreed happily. ”Damned ghosts, a score of spirits groaning, vivus to the face, their cursed fates bemoaning…”
”Their deaths, their doom, it came at last, end of the endless, all too fast…”
”Free of pain, unlife burning, free in horror, undeath churning…”
”TREMBLE, SHE COMES!” we belted out together.
”Gotta get the notes right,” I observed.
”Right, right. But I can't hit the right notes while in fire mode,” he crackled.
”True. I guess we'll just have to practice while on the job.”
”So, how does that sound in Necrus?” he asked curiously.
I opened my mouth and began to croak a truly disastrous litany with a melody that sent chills up my own spine at the sheer inhumanity of it. Tremble listened with professional interest.
”Wow, that sounded like a hellhole gave birth to a constipated toad,” he informed me after I finished.
”Ghastly?” I noted acerbically.
”Argh! I hath been punned!”
”Word structure in Necrus is pretty fucked up in regards to Human, but taking liberties with it is one of the ways you really upset the undead, who aren't big on change.”
”We're going to make a twenty-tongue masterpiece stanza someday, just to show them all how not to fuck with us!” he promised dramatically.
I laughed lightly. ”Yes, we are. Once we get out of here. What kind of accompaniment?”
”Weird flutes for humans listening. For undead, hmm…”
”Water glasses?”
”Ohhhh…” he seemed to like that. ”With silver jingle bells. Ostentatiously cheerful stuff.”