Chapter 50 - Ultimatum

The brief moment the Stranger’s complacent smile broke into an indignant snarl was savory. Max shot the panther next to the Stranger in a few well aimed shots. It died with a pained yowl and Max took distance from the Stranger enough to see the cave’s mouth. The matriarch came out and hissed. The panthers around the area all hunched their shoulder blades and started a focused prowl towards Max.

Max cast [Alter Gravity] on himself and his weapon. Then he took distance from the Stranger, who clearly hesitated. Perfect time to chug down a [Potion of Greater Mana Regeneration]. The other panthers were prowling towards him, but both the Stranger and the matriarch stood still, watching.

He doesn’t want to risk the tribunal. Coward. Well, all the better for me.

The panthers came from both sides, three approaching him from both sides of the rock. This was going to be easy. The panthers had no element of surprise.

In quick succession Max cast two [Gravity Wells] at both groups.

The stranger gasped in frustration and immediately went in to help the panthers out of the spell. He moved fast. He lunged at the panthers like an american footballer, arms stretched and pushed them out of Max’s spell. The Stranger got almost pulled into the swirl, but he either had enough Resistance or bodily strength to pull himself out of the effect. Max released the spell.

While all this was going, Max shot at them. When the Stranger settled on his feet, he also ate a bullet. A face of utter shock and anger stared Max down. At that moment Max knew without a shadow of doubt that there would be one dead guy and one facing the tribunal.

Max used two simultaneous [Tethers] on the big mossy rock to propel himself backwards as he shot at the tangled mess of panthers on his right, still swirling and yowling angrily in the [Gravity Well].

The move backwards was just enough time to dodge a spear throw from the Stranger. He ran towards his spears faster than a professional sprinter as Max used another set of tetherings to maneuver towards the panthers trapped in his spell. He shot at them, killing one of the panthers. He did not release the spell, as it required the Stranger to find a better angle, as Max was positioning himself so that either the big mossy rock, or the three panthers in the air were shielding him.

Then the panther matriarch attacked. It swiped at Max twice, chunking him for 50 Health. Max turned and used a repelling [Tether] instinctively, pushing the panther away. By then the Stranger had found an angle and threw the spear. It struck Max and propelled him four yards away. He fell on the ground, clutching the spear on his stomach. It hadn’t pierced skin, but it still hurt some. 100 Health gone like that. And the panther Matriarch and the other three free panthers jumped on him.

They got a few swipes in before Max used another [Gravity Well]. Another 40 Health gone. And the Stranger ran at him. Max threw the spear away into the woods with a [Tether] repelling it from his hand. It flew in a beautiful arc a good fifty yards.

The Stranger produced a knife from his inventory. He wasn’t as fluid with its use as Max was, which allowed him to quickly chug down a [Health Potion].

The Stranger came at him with the knife, attacking fast as a viper, but Max slid away with a [Tether], shooting at him a few times.

The Stranger was shocked, possibly by the damage [The Maverick] had caused so quickly. Max wasted no time. He used [Tether] on the Stranger and the ground to hold him still and he kept shooting.

The Stranger was fast though. He broke free from Max’s spell and went to free the panthers. He tackled at the group of four, but Max managed to impede him with a [Tether]. Still two of the panthers broke free. They attacked Max immediately. Max shot at them, while the Stranger ran behind the big rock to presumably drink some potions.

Max managed to kill the two panthers attacking him and to drink a [Mana Potion] but in that time the Stranger had freed all the remaining panthers. One psychopath and four panthers left.

The four panthers came from two sides again, Max slid with tetherings to the left to steer his enemies to come from the same direction. Only the matriarch and stranger reacted fast enough. All the other three panthers were caught in a new [Gravity Well]

Max shot at the Stranger who moved in swift jerky moves from side to side to avoid being hit. Meanwhile the matriarch prowled closer and pounced at Max. Max repelled the attack with a tethering and alternated shots between the Stranger and the trapped panthers. He managed to kill two more of the panthers. He released the [Gravity Well] and cast multiple tetherings to stay out of the Stranger’s reach.

His Mana was starting to get low. The Stranger got in range and swiped with a knife. He was brutally strong. Another 30 Health gone from just a knife. Now both his Health and Mana were in the 200’s. But the Stranger was breathing heavily and slowing down every so slightly as well. So was the matriarch. They were expending Stamina. The Stranger took time to chug down a potion, presumably Stamina. Max took the time to use one too. Needed to choose. Mana or Health. No Mana would result in no Health. He chugged down another [Mana Potion].

Still. The Stranger was too fast. He would always be on Max’s heels, if he wasn’t zipping around with [Tether] and shooting at him. But if he did, the panthers would get a jump on him, taking swipes. Max could move reasonably fast without a tethering, due to the [Alter Gravity] still affecting him

Max alternated between targets to keep them off him, and he eventually managed to kill the last panther, barring the matriarch.

The Stranger was too focused and angry to care, but the matriarch yowled with anger and took another swipe at Max. He lost another thirty Health. Max tethered the beast on the big rock. Max took a few shots at it, before the Stranger shoulder charged him. Another 20 points of Health gone. Max was starting to feel pain. Only a little over 100 Health left.

Max repelled the Stranger away, but despite the potency of his spell, the Stranger was just so strong. He doubled down, which kept the man away. It cost him a fair chunk of the Mana he had left, Max could only do a few more tetherings. But it gave him enough time to kill the matriarch.

Level up! [Level 19 Graviturgist]

You have gained + 1 Constitution, + 2 Intelligence, + 2 Wisdom, + 2 free attribute points

“You’ll pay for that,” the Stranger snarled and shoulder charged again. The knife hit Max in the abdomen and his vision flashed red. There was pain. Almost paralyzing pain. The knife was lodged in his lung. Max coughed and the Stranger pushed him down. A rictus grimace of anger stared down at him with wild eyes. The knife was pulled and Max gasped. It struck again, and Max instinctively blocked it with a hand. It pierced his palm. The pain was blurring his vision.

Maverick woke. He sent a strong pulse through his soul to Max, which brought some clarity back. He only had Mana for two [Tethers]. It wouldn’t be enough. Even if he could get the Stranger off him, the man was so strong, he would break free from the tethering.

Maverick sent another pulse of Spiritual Energy through Max. His vision became clearer and he noticed he had a sliver of Health again. And a bit more mana.

“Suspend this fool, Max!” Maverick said in a sharp tone. Max knew immediately what it meant.

The Stranger had climbed on top of Max ready to strike again. Coughing up blood Max rapsed.

“[Tether]!”

Max cast multiple. Three repelling [Tethers] yoinked the Stranger up to dangle in mid-air over Max. A look of horror dawned on his face. He threw the knife but Max lifted up his useless arm and it glanced off the shoulder, cutting as it went. A minor scratch compared to his lung situation.

Max raised [The Maverick]

“Yes,” Maverick said coldly. “You were a fool to oppose us.”

“Please!” the Stranger cried out, haste in his voice. “I promise, I will—”

Whatever else he had to say was lost in the sounds of gunshots echoing through the forest opening. It took but a couple of shots before the Stranger’s eyes lost focus and he went limp in the air.

Max turned to his side, which threw the Stranger’s body on the ground further away. He sighed. Dropping the Maverick, he took out a [Health Potion] with his good hand. His body resisted the liquid, blood mixing with the potion, but Max got it down. His breathing became a little easier. His hand was still damaged, but it felt like he wasn’t drowning in blood anymore.

With weary movement Max got up and picked up [The Maverick] again. Just as he did, a plastic jellyfish appeared in mid-air in front of him.

“Max?” Maverick asked.

[Hello Max. You will now be immediately transported into the Tribunal. Apologies for the inconvenience]

[Initializing relocation…]

Max felt a fear lurch inside of him. Maverick caught onto that.

“Max?” The gun said. “Are we in trouble?”

[Initialization complete.]

[Relocating.]