MM - Chapter 173 - HEART OF A MADMAN

Princess Selena's Cannon Thrust turned her into a red haze that streaked across Raine's vision. She was fast, too fast to catch by normal means. Yet, if he wanted to stop her before she reached the waiting Morkits, that was precisely what he had to do. 

Raine leaned forward until his inverted head was pointed at where she was about to be. A full 40 Discipline per second coursed through his body, triggering the threshold boosts for each of his physical attributes. The world slowed to a crawl; his muscles swelled with newfound power and speed, while his bones and skin solidified enough to contain the massively increased strength.

Each individual boost demanded a significant toll on Raine’s mental faculties. Two at once, with brief bursts of a third, was his limit in the past. Alternately, activating all four at once was only slightly more challenging than a single boost. Yet the cost in Discipline was much higher; a tradeoff that Raine was happy to make. He needed as much focus as possible for what was to come.

Micro-bursts of Connection firmed the air beneath his feet, feet which vanished as he rapidly Lunged after the princess. Each kick created a sonic boom as Raine hurtled across the canyon. The explosions of his footfalls came faster than a gatling flechette launcher; his ReGen-enhanced brain was pushed to its maximum to keep up. The sea of beasts, canyon walls, and the red trail Selena left in her wake transformed into blurred, multi-hued streaks of light.

Raine caught up to her in less than two seconds. Enhanced durability and an arm wrapped in a flaming gauntlet allowed him to smash straight through the dangerous field of energy surrounding her. There was no bloodlust, nor intent to harm, packed into the punch that crashed into the back of her helmeted head; therefore, ZionLine didn’t consider it an actual attack. She barely took a hundred damage, yet the force of his blow sent her hurtling into the ground, where she released an explosion of dust. Her skill flickered and failed, allowing the furious Torkits to close in from all sides.

Bloodlust blasted from Raine’s skin, soaking into the tide of muscle. The beasts were already slow to Raine’s enhanced perceptions. Now, they moved like molasses.

[Negative affliction applied (Enfeared): Enemy attributes reduced by 20% (Duration 3.72 seconds)]

Raine stood calmly as the Bulwark of Reaper's Revenge appeared on his arm. A frosty chill immediately seeped into his skin where his armor touched the shield’s bindings. While Raine could have grabbed the princess and Lunged to freedom, he had no intention of doing so. Every drop of his blood demanded he throw himself into battle, fighting back the horde with his new skills. Besides, Selena needed time to recharge her thrust in case his next plan failed. At least that excuse sounded better in his head than any of the others he came up with. The truth was that Raine was itching for a fight worthy of testing his unique skill.

Kicking off to the left, he plowed into the beasts shield-first. Mid-flight, Debilitating Crush turned the bulwark into a beacon of light, and every Torkit who saw it screamed in frustration as they were blinded.

[Debilitating Crush: (Beginner) With any melee blunt weapon, create a powerful blinding light. The next hit lowers armor by 55% for 12 seconds and deals 600% physical damage (Cost: 18 Discipline) (Cooldown: 18 seconds)]

With his attributes nearing 1,000 each, and his senses cranked to the max with Discipline, Raine was finally able to perfectly combo two skills. The exact moment he activated Debilitating Crush was also the instant his shield struck the air, releasing Rupture’s dual waves of force. The effects of both skills merged. Instead of Rupture lowering the beast’s Defenses by 45%, they lost a staggering 69.75%. The usual 750% bonus damage from Rupture’s second wave was amplified by a further 600% to a total of 1,350%.

The Torkits within a 5.5-meter cone were blasted away. Only the highest-leveled among them survived long enough to screech in agony-fueled rage. However, they fell silent upon landing within the whirling blades of their ‘allies.’ If Raine were still looking that direction, his vision would have been swarmed with floating damage indicators. [-61,592] [Critical hit! -135,502] Without Prominence of the Fool’s flat 30% bonus damage, he would have dealt closer to 47, and 104 thousand. Thanks to that massive boost, the lower-level Torkits died instantly.

At the same time that it amplified his damage, Prominence of the Fool had Raine on the clock. There was no time to watch the weaker Torkits exploding into bloody mist, nor collect the many bubbles of loot that appeared as they died. The dangerous passive ticked a second time as he spun and stepped over the still-prone princess. [-21] The health lost was insignificant compared to the bonus damage. Likewise, the dip in Movement and Attack Speed was minimal at the moment. If Raine let the effects double even a few times, that wouldn’t be the case. In 15 seconds, he would lose 32% of his total health and speed per second; in 17 seconds, 64%. There was no point thinking about what came after that.

From behind, a ghastly howl filled the air as the souls of those slain were unwillingly sucked into the bulwark. Uncanny Acceleration, with its ability to ignore momentum and force, further propelled Raine’s Discipline-boosted Finesse. As the skill pulled him forward, he once more comboed skills. In the instant the bulwark cracked into the nearest Torkit’s skull, he released a fully charged Decree and Punishment. 

The ghostly apparition of a demonic skull rushed from the shield, sliding through tens, then hundreds of beasts. It grew exponentially, swelling in size until it matched even the distant Morkits. [-46,137] [Critical hit! -101,501] Much more debilitating than the damage was the force packed into the massive skull. Whichever monster it touched was blasted away to crash into their brethren, who in turn toppled over in a cascading domino effect that expanded Raine’s field of view to take in more of the horde.

There was no end to the Torkits. Only the lowest-level ones that received a critical hit were dying in one shot. That was more than enough. Raine only needed five. The howling souls of the dead were music to his ears as they flowed into the shield, recharging Decree and Punishment.

The beasts to the east and west closed in. With less than a second before they were buried in a tide of whirling blades, the final two pieces of Raine’s build were put to the test. Flawed Conversion ate through his Demonic Power at a prodigious rate. In a blink, Raine’s Discipline was topped off. Far more importantly, each near-instant conversion counted as a fully fledged skill use capable of triggering the unique passive he chose.

[Fluency of the Soul: (Unique - Passive) Each skill use has a 25% chance to reset the cooldown of an Armsman skill]

Before Raine could fully reorient himself, Debilitating Crush and Uncanny Acceleration were already off cooldown. Ignoring momentum and force once more, he was pulled along by the bulwark, first to the east, then again to the south. Two more uses of Decree and Punishment cleared the Torkits, allowing him a chance to score some loot. Meanwhile, the princess rose to her feet, shaking her head, unable to understand what was happening after Raine thoroughly rang her bell.

Prominence of the Fool ticked a third and fourth time, its damage and slow doubling. [-42] [-42] With the loss of a full % of Raine’s health, Edge of Torment activated, softening the decreases to his Movement and Attack Speeds while slightly boosting his damage. The subtle shifts were more noticeable than he thought they would be, like being jerked around by wires latched to his limbs. Determined to make every moment count, Raine dove into the fray.

Selena stood frozen, watching with wide eyes and a gaping jaw. With each ghastly, screeching skull Alaric released, her ears were further filled with the tormented wails of the dead. She stared dumbly as her hired mercenary zipped around her at blinding speeds, rapidly releasing necromantic powers that didn’t at all match the image she’d formed of him.

Alaric’s roar snapped her back to reason, “Why are you just standing there?! Get your shit together and charge your skill. We’ll need it if you want to get out of this alive!”

As much as Selena wanted to unleash a barrage of questions, now wasn’t the time. The vile little broodlings were being drawn by their need for death and destruction. They were packed in thrice as thick as before, and their Field Berserk was growing. With a determined nod at Alaric’s back, Selena summoned Blood Drinker. The narrow blade sensed the call to battle and appeared in her grasp. She turned sideways to avoid four spinning blades, simultaneously sliding her sword's length through the throat of the nearest Torkit. The weapon automatically absorbed what little life force the beast could provide. Its energy flowed through the blade and her armor, empowering her attributes and decreasing her cooldowns.

The next beast was on her almost before she extracted the lethal blade. She swung, and swung, and swung. No matter how many she killed, they kept on coming, forcing her to steadily retreat toward Alaric. Selena had no idea how many seconds passed as the frantic melee intensified. The more blood was spilled, the faster the Torkits berserk state intensified. They were already immune to pain, and now their attributes were growing beyond hers. Soon, she would be overwhelmed. Cannon Thrust was only halfway recharged. Frustration pulled at Selena’s heart. She should have already been out of the canyon, but something she hadn't seen interrupted her skill, which made no sense.

Abruptly, the wailing of the dead stopped cold. Selena panicked. She couldn’t let Alaric die yet. Surviving the Girding alone was beyond her. And the more immediate crisis wasn’t much better. It took everything she had to hold back the beasts flooding in from the south. For Alaric to hold three sides for so long was the final verification that she’d made the right choice in him.

Her lips parted, intending to scream for Lyale. Her guardsman beat her to the punch. His desperate roar was boosted by a commander’s battlefield skill. It overwhelmed the Torkit’s clamor, echoing off the canyon walls. It was a scream pack with horror and urgency, “Ruuuun!” His shout was immediately followed by an explosion of rock and dirt as Lyale was blasted across the canyon and embedded deep into one of the walls. Four Morkits trundled after him, each of their steps releasing tremors that swept through Selena’s brain, scattering her thoughts.

Less than fear for Lyale’s safety, her dread came from the fifth Morkit that was barreling right toward her and Alaric. Selena’s scream was choked off in a strangled cry as the mercenary grasped the back of her collar, dragging her along behind him at tremendous speed. Looking up, she saw him using an entirely new skill, one even more destructive than the demonic skulls. And somehow, he was using it multiple times per second.

Just before Prominence of the Fool started to chunk 8% of his health and speed per second, Raine triggered the cursed ring. [-903] The instant loss of 11% of his health hurt like hell, but was no worse than the freezing shield turning his arm to a solid block of ice. Before his old, two-handed mace finished appearing, Raine triggered the ring again. [-903] The bulwark formed on his arm once more, and the much diminished cold radiating from it confirmed that Prominence of the Fool’s damage and slow had reset as he’d hoped.

Not that it would save them from a level 50 Morkit. With Lyale losing the fight against the powerful beasts, Raine’s desire to stay and kill every last Torkit vanished like smoke in the wind. Healing Burst topped off his health as he rolled the curse again, only slightly relieved when the hefty weight of a hatchet settled into his palm. [-903]

[Hatchet of Vile Pestilence (1H Axe): (Marvelous Gold - LVL 25) (Attack Power +105) (PTC +45) (ACU +30) (PHY +45) (Durability 250/250) (Innate Passive - Pestilence: Enemies cut by this axe will suffer 80% physical damage over 15 seconds)]

Raine didn’t care what part of Selena he managed to grab. They needed to go, now. With a single swing, he unleashed an upheaval of light and weaponized soil that decimated the brutish Torkits. They were so incensed by their berserk state that they didn’t even try to dodge. Great Divide cleared a path. [-110,995] [Critical hit! -144,188] The combination of Fluency of the Soul and Flawed Conversion reset the skill's cooldown a quarter-second later. Raine charged through the damage notifications, doing his best to kick the abundant drops into his inventory while swinging again and again.

[Great Divide: (Adept) With any melee slashing weapon, rend the ground in a 15 x 3.5-meter column AOE. Deals 2500% physical damage at the expense of 4% weapon durability (Cost: 22 Discipline) (Cooldown: 22 seconds)]

[Hatchet of Vile Pestilence: Durability -10]

[Hatchet of Vile Pestilence: Durability -10]

[Hatchet of Vile Pestilence: Durability -10]

[Hatchet of Vile Pestilence: Durability -10]

Flawed Conversion had so far kept Raine’s Discipline topped off by eating deep into his other resources. He had no intention of allowing Demonic or Elemental Power to dip below 50% where they would start negatively affecting his mentality. Instead, he drew from his health pool (also considered a viable resource for the skill), which was easily topped off with Life Drain and Healing Burst. Unfortunately, those two skills had several second cooldowns that couldn’t be so easily reset.

Raine (with an attached Selena) quickly dashed through the cleared space ahead as the Morkit thundered after them. Its hurried steps murdered Torkits by the dozen, only inciting the little bastards further. As the tide of beasts closed in, Great Divide continued to extend a narrow path. The hatchet was down to 170 Durability when they reached the steep slope leading out of the Canyon.

Not daring to take another step closer to the hidden Morkits, Raine dropped Selena and hollered over the cacophony of screeching beasts and their whirling blades. “How long?!”

She stared up at him with wide, panicked eyes. The next rumbling step of the Morkit snapped her back to reason. Raine couldn't hear her response, but it was easy enough to read her lips. “J-just a few more!”

“Then fucking get it done!” The hatchet vanished, replaced by spiked knuckles. Thinking fast, Raine called on the Flames of Amanesh. They sprang from his hands, appearing as nothing more than an innate skill of the weapons.

Guarding the princesses back, he unleashed every skill in his arsenal in rapid succession, blasting apart the beasts who threw themselves forward with wild abandon. There was good reason that any farming in this canyon was only done after higher-levels culled the Morkits and separated the Torkits into manageable groups. Their ramping berserk had already doubled their speed, soon, they would surpass even his Discipline-fuelled state. Blows began to sneak through Raine’s defenses, doing more damage with each passing second.

The Morkit was nearly on them, bestial excitement causing drool to gush from its mouth. It roared again, close enough that its hot breath washed over Raine.

“Now!” Selena shouted, assuming the stance to activate her thrust.

“Not yet!” Raine snatched her wrist, once more pulling her behind as Great Divide cleared the way to the walled slope leading out of the canyon. The beast was right on their heels; its shadow enveloped them, and Selena cried out in terror. Raine ignored her, blasting forward off Connection-solidified air. Large rocks on either side of the passage up and out of the canyon exploded with activity as five more Morkits barreled into view. They took up nearly the entire pass, huge muscly forms and steep walls on either side blocking the way forward.

Selena’s scream died on her lips as realization struck. She was going to die. None of her family’s gifts could possibly save her from so many level 50s. One, sure, but definitely not surrounded by six. They approached with disgusting, eager expressions. No doubt anticipating chewing on her bones. Bulging muscles flexed across their huge limbs, each wielding a weapon that would finish her with a single strike. Pincered, and with a berserk army at their backs, the situation was truly hopeless.

She turned to run west, the only direction that didn’t hold an obviously immediate death. Lyale’s name was on the tip of her tongue. Except, when she tried to take that first step, she was jerked to a halt by Alaric, who still had a death-grip on her wrist. She saw it then; the demonic grin he wore didn’t belong to any sane man. He lifted a flaming hand, knuckles facing the approaching death. For a reason Selena couldn’t possibly fathom, Alaric extended his middle finger toward the beasts in some inane taunt or ritual. “Get fucked!”

In the next instant, just before she was chopped to oblivion, a god took pity on her plight and descended to intervene. A massive pillar of rock extended horizontally from the nearby wall. Alight with fire, lightning, and crystallized shards of ice, the column of rock smashed into the group of Morkits, blasting them into the opposite wall. Then, she was in the air, pulled upward by Alaric’s unbelievable strength as the rear Morkit’s cleaver sailed harmlessly beneath.

As they neared the top of the sideways column, Alaric threw her forward, shouting in her ear, “Now!”

They crested the column, and Selena saw her freedom. The path ahead was clear, but already the Morkits were tearing through the solid rock that had trapped them. Everything finally made sense. Selena was already in her stance when her feet touched down. She’d practiced Cannon Thrust thousands upon thousands of times. Her body knew what to do, even if her thoughts couldn't keep up. With a desperate roar, she thrust, and the red field of energy surrounded them both. Together, they blasted toward salvation.