44 The Might of a Follower (1/2)

I dashed towards Galt once more. With his stamina and mana drained, he took punishing blow after punishing blow. I quit dodging and planted my feet so that I could crush my fists through his skin. After a minute of beating him to death, he finally fell while drowning from the blood leaking out of his ruptured lungs.

Gaining 7 levels in one go, I turned towards Althea. Mightus chased her as she leapt and sprinted away, firing bolt after bolt. Sweat poured off Althea, yet Mightus looked refreshed. He was a hunter, cornering his prey. I wouldn't let him finish what he started.

I dashed forward, the ground cracking underfoot. I closed in before shutting off oppression. It would rip Althea apart, so it wasn't worth the risk. As I neared them, Althea tripped over a stone. Mightus sliced his sword across her neck, lopping her head off.

As her head spun through the air, blood squirted from her neck. Mightus turned towards me and bowed his head. He pointed his sword towards me,

”Then you will be my brother in arms.”

I rolled my eyes as I ran towards him and her. He raised an eyebrow at me before Althea's headless body wrapped around him. With her unusual strength, she crushed him like a snake. Blood leaked from his mouth as he gurgled,

”How?”

I reached them before whipping a slicing hook towards his jaw. He flew sideways, Althea holding on like a bear trap. Several teeth clattered on the ground before I charged towards them both once more. I raised my fist like a guillotine and cracked his skull against the pavement. Slamming strike after slamming strike, his life left his body as Althea's head regenerated.

Soaked in blue blood, Althea slowly stood up and reformed. Despite gaining 20 levels in one go, she wasn't pleased. Slinging the gunk off her arms, she said,

”Goddamn this is disgusting.”

I clapped my hands hard in front of her, the metal gauntlets ringing,

”Come on. Focus. Put your points where you need them and let's go help Kessiah.”

”Ah...Of course. Sorry.”

I opened my screen, putting a single point into constitution before the perk option came up for constitution.

[Behemoth(Constitution of 100 or more. Note - Two more level 100 perks left. Choose wisely.) - Your shadow shall blot out the sun. Doubles height, weight, and density bonuses ffrom constitution, and doubles the leveling bonuses of the leveling perk. Gain an additional 5 health per point in constitution, and 2 extra hp per level. Another 1/10th of constitution added towards strength(3/10ths conversion). Power oriented melee skills scale with constitution.]

I selected the perk then poured my points into strength. Right as I had nearly emptied out my attribute points, the strength perk appeared.

[Apocalyptic(Strength of 100 or more. Note - One more level 100 perk left. Choose wisely.) - You cannot bend. You can only break. Doubles physical damage bonus per level. Adds 5 more health per point in strength. 2% total bonus towards physical damage for every 1% of health missing. Another 1/10th of strength added towards dexterity(3/10ths conversion). Maim chance converted into break chance.]

After selecting the perk, I put all the rest of my points into endurance. I'd handle my next leveling perk at another time. When I finalized my decisions, my chest ruptured. The constriction took me to my knees, like someone struck your stomach and stole your breath. I couldn't breath before my armor ruptured on all sides.

Blood gushed into my chest and out of my armor. The skin I relied on had turned agianst me, choking me before my expansion tore it apart. Fortunately, it didn't last long. As my wounds and armor healed, I gripped my hand. When I clasped hard, a monstrous, overwhelming power came back.

I doubled my strength in an instant. My body was that of a titan. I stepped forward, my limbs freed by my sudden shift in strength. For a few moments, I was intoxicated by the rush of rush in my limbs. Every part of me ebbed a steady, colossal might. It was like changing bodies with a giant. Everything around me seemed smaller, like I grew a foot taller. Maybe I did, I don't know.

What I did know was that Kessiah was getting her ass whooped. I shouted, ”Come on Althea. let's go.”

She fumbled, ”Uh, I don't know what to put my points into.”

I snarled, ”We don't have time for hesitation. Get your head out of your ass.”

As my senses adjusted to my new body, the raspy, old voice of Dakhma came into focus.

”It is strange that a remnant would fight against Yawm. You're kind never held flesh as sacred. The only difference between your kind and Yawm was that you used science to bend your bodies. Yawm uses his own powerinstead.”

Kessiah couldn't reply, her arms and legs a blurred fury of movement. Sparks flew off the flowing sword of Dakhma as his blade clanked against Kessiah's skin. I shot into a sprint, seeing her health bar dwindle. Kessiah's blood splattered in every direction by now as Dakhma continued his interrogation,

”I imagined your kind would join Yawm in freeing the living from Schema's little game. You are enslaved and hated by Schema. Your kind, who is his creator, has been banished to forever wander the stars with no home. Yawm offered you all a home, and yet you refused.”

Dakhma movements blended so smoothly and so perfectly, they couldn't be called anything but beautiful. Every twist and turn merged into his next strike, like a never ending dance. Instead of beating his opponents down, he showed his superiority in skill and finesse without ever needing too crush them.

Anytime Kessiah gained a clear shot, he would spin and turn and torque out of the way. Every dodge would lead straight into another counter attack, making retaliation impossible. I neared them as Dakhma mouthed,

”You called my master's light madness. You would rather wallow in darkness than open your eyes. You have chosen to be blind, despite being born with the gift of sight. How I envy your opportunity. I wished I could have been given what you were given. But no-”

His cape wrapped around Kessiah's waist, slinging her back and forth onto the ground. Craters formed under each strike with cataclysmic booms echoing around us. He tossed her, sending her flying through another pillar of the bridge.

The concrete wall crushed at the force of her impact. The ground rippled with an earthquake radiating from the ground. Like a reaper, Dakhma paced towards her,

”Unlike you, I was born a slave.”

Kessiah coughed up a pound of blood from her throat. Dakhma didn't even look tired or damaged. It didn't just look like he was a higher level. He was a better fighter too. Kessiah couldn't hold a candle to him.

Even worse still, Althea was fumbling with her status screen instead of firing at him. She needed to learn when to act. Kessiah shook as she raised her head and spit her words like venom,

”You don't know a damn thing about me.”

Dakhma dashed towards her,

”I know enough.”

With a surge of orange lightning, I charged straight into Dakhma. I couldn't stop his attack, but I sent him off course just enough to miss Kessiah. When we landed on the ground a hundred feet away, my armor caved in like crushing a can underfoot. Waterfalls of blood pumped from between the cracks in my armor. The ground around me oscillated.

It was a force unlike any I'd ever known. Nothing even came close. It was like swallowing a grenade and letting it detonate in your stomach. No, it was like standing and staring at a tsunami tall as a mountain, knowing you will die.

Yet, I lived. I survived as he pulled his sword from my shattered chest. From under the hood, Dakhma’s scarred lips frowned. He sighed before deflecting a bolt from behind him. I couldn't move. Everything blurred together like reality had become a soupy mess. That was probably my face getting in my eyes at that point though.

Still, I tried moving out of the way. I couldn't tell what was going on, but I still didn't want to lay here and die. Instead of finishing me off, Dakhma grinned,

”You are a true fighter. Admirable. Yawm would love a fighter like you in our ranks.”

Dakhma turned towards Kessiah before deflecting another harpoon. He paced towards Kessiah, slapping Althea's spears away with ease. With so many pillars crushed though, the bridge above us caved inwards before collapsing. A wave of dust plumed upwards, masking us in a wave of noise and dust.

Before the powder settled, a pair of thin arms pulled me from the rubble. A second later, the scenery shifted once more. A soft something held me off the ground. It was a pleasing cool, almost cold. Two more swooshy sounds ebbed around my dark, fading sight before a familiar face glanced down at me.

With a proud smile, Torix whispered,

”You've done well. You may have even saved Kessiah's life.”

I grinned back,

”Yeah, I'm pretty fucking cool.”

My words didn't come out smooth. They were choppy, with a bit of choking in them. Blood sloshed in my throat a bit as I spoke too. Still, I think Torix got the message. Minutes later, my body was back. The bones snapped into place. The skin reconnected. The tears in the armor suturing back as if it were alive.

It was after all. With a few snaps and pops into place, I was good as new and ready for more. Kessiah was laying on another table of mana. Her recovery was nothing like mine. It was going to be a lot longer before she recovered.

Althea had a few scrapes, but that meant nothing to her. She may have had wounds worse than mine if she was still showing signs of damage. Either that or her regeneration couldn't be bothered with more cosmetic wounds. I couldn't tell.

It was interesting seeing how drained she was compared with me. She fell asleep on the black bed beneath her within seconds of healing. Torix pointed at her,

”Take her to her tent when you are able.”

I glanced around, noticing the kevlar cloth surrounding us. I sat up, taking a few breaths to orient myself. When I stood, the ground gave a little under my steps. It was odd, but not altogether unpleasing.

After a few steps forward, I could use my legs without them wobbling. I shook out the stiffness of myself. It was weird moving now. The shift in strength and the destruction of my body made me feel like I was moving a freshly healed wound.

It didn't take long before my brain accepted my new self as its carrier though. The whiplash faded as I paced over towards Althea. I picked her up, princess carry style before walking back towards her tent.

As I walked through the camp, everyone seemed smaller. It's strange how the mind will do that to you. It would rather assume everything else changed rather than yourself.

Anyways, I could hold Althea in one arm comfortably now. She was so much smaller than me. I opened the tent before setting her onto her hammock. I walked outside of it before checking out my stats.

I gained quite a few skill levels and levels after all the fighting. 32 levels to be exact. The two leveling perks made a massive difference, especially for my physical damage bonus. That was through the roof now.

Level 326 Attribute Totals

Strength - Increases carrying weight, maximum speed, and physical power 100.1

Constitution - Increases hardness, density, and weight of your body 100.1

Endurance - Increases regeneration of stamina, health, and their totals 567

Dexterity - Increases ease of movement, flexibility, and reflexes 54

Willpower - Increases internal motivation, mana regen, and Mental Res 270

Intelligence - Increases memory, critical thinking, and total mana pool 101.4

Charisma - Increases likeability, persuasion, and decreases prices at shops 29.3

Luck - Increases money found, odds in your favor, and chance of rare events 54.5

Perception - Increases comprehension, the five senses, and awareness 34.8

Daniel Hillside Totals Regen Buffs/Debuffs

Health 22,196/22,196 4547/min Oppression Damage- 10,000+30%hp/min

Stamina 12,789/12,789 160/sec Elemental Res - 97.5%