SOM - Chapter 36 - Off Script

Luke knelt beside Rurik's lifeless body, his armour thrumming with barely contained power. Despite the dwarf's dull, lifeless eyes, Luke spoke to him as if he was still there. 

He was in denial.

"A few days, right Rurik? I'll bring enough whiskey to get through the next decade. Thank you, Rurik. For this, for everything. I'd be dead without you," Luke said, his voice catching in his throat. When he raised the last of his whiskey to his lips, amber liquid sloshed over the edges.

That was when Luke noticed the rumbling.

A tremor rocked the forge, and Luke turned to leave, but Fenn pulsed insistently in his hand. The pulse drew his attention to the shimmering platinum coins scattered on the floor and the various magical items strewn about the workshop, including the masterwork sword, Vera.

Remembering Rurik's wish for his 'children' to see the world, Luke spent the next minute hurriedly gathering the valuable items as the rumbling intensified. He ejected some of the bulky [Sea] aspected trade goods he had collected from Nate, to make room for the bulkier pieces from Rurik's inner shrine, where the dwarf kept replicas of his students' works.

As the magma from Rurik's wounds began to cool and solidify, Luke noticed new items leaking out from the dwarf's soul space. 

He quickly added these to his storage as well, just to hold onto them.

As he stepped into the undead city of Lundheim, he noticed visual glitches flickering along the dungeon. It was like the changes he had seen when Maruk died, but occurring on a larger scale.

The gothic cathedral in the distance seemed to be growing, its spires stretching towards the sky like grasping fingers. Entire buildings morphed from one form to another, their facades shifting and twisting as if caught in a kaleidoscope.

Luke climbed to the roof of the forge, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of Frank. With Rurik temporarily out of action, he was keen for some company and hoped the little ratling hadn't been caught in the chaos.

As he waited, Luke reached into his soul space and pulled out his second golden ticket. The shimmering piece of paper felt heavy in his hand. With both tickets in his possession, Luke had the means to catch Charon's train and leave Lundheim behind.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Luke took a look at the quest rewards for killing Rurik. He opened his system interface, expecting to see a list of items to choose from. Instead, he was greeted by an error message:

[Error: Resonance not found. Unable to generate rewards.]

Luke frowned, confusion and concern warring within him.

He wasn't completely oblivious.

While he wasn't sure and would like to pretend otherwise, he recognised that there was at least a chance that Rurik was truly dead, and wouldn't respawn. Luke had no idea how it was possible, but he recalled one of the first things Rurik said to him.

If I could take the Draugsvär with me, I would collapse it myself, Luke recalled the glint in Rurik’s eyes when he had spoken the words.

The tremors continued to rock Lundheim, causing buildings to twist and morph in unsettling ways. After a few minutes, Luke decided he couldn't wait any longer.

He jumped off the roof, briefly activating [Null] to slow his fall, and [Brace] to avoid putting stress on his recently healed leg.

As he turned to look at the forge one last time, something caught his eye through the window. A jagged rip in the air hovered in the centre of the forge, above Rurik's lifeless body, its edges shimmering. It was only an inch thick and a couple of feet in length, but Aether poured through it.

Curiosity overwhelmed Luke's sense of caution and he re-entered the forge, his steps slow and measured as he approached the anomaly.

The closer he got, the more he could feel the rift tugging at him, like a vacuum trying to pull him in. Lacking much in the way of self-preservation instincts, Luke walked right up to the rift and peered through.

Luke's eyes widened as he recognised the familiar sight of Paddington station on the other side. White tiles lined the walls, and the distinctive signage was unmistakable. It was so close he could literally touch it with his hands.

Luke debated internally, torn between the temptation to poke at it and the potential danger of interacting with a rift in space. Taking a deep breath, he decided to test the waters. He took out one of Rurik's practice swords. The blade was durable, with runes that could be activated to blunt the edges. He unceremoniously stabbed the sword through the rift.

It passed through without meeting any resistance, and when he drew it out the metal didn't show any visible damage. Emboldened, Luke put away the sword and purchased a piece of [Mammoth Steak] from the marketplace.

His credit balance sat at seven thousand from the platinum coins Rurik dropped, and he was sitting on a treasure trove of hot ticket merchandise. If the steak disintegrated, his credit balance would survive.

He tossed it through. Again, no adverse effects.

Steeling himself, Luke extended his arm through the rift. He felt a strange sensation as his limb crossed the threshold, like putting his hand through jelly. While he suffered no harm, it was an odd feeling.

Since the world changed, aether had constantly saturated Luke from his surroundings, even if he hadn't noticed at first. The aether on the other side was different. His aura sense hadn’t developed enough to discern the nuances, but it felt just a little weaker and less flavourful compared to the rich tapestry of Lundheim.

Luke pulled his hand back from the rift, the strange sensation fading as his arm passed back through the shimmering veil. As tempting as it was to step through and return home, the gap was far too narrow for his broad frame to fit. He studied the rift intently, watching the aether pour out in wisps, but there was no indication of how long it would take to widen sufficiently.

This left him with a couple of options to consider. He could remain at the forge and wait patiently, hoping the rift would eventually expand enough for him to pass through safely. His other option, and the original plan was to return to the train. With two golden tickets, the [Ferryman] would take him anywhere in the sector, if the gaunt monster could be trusted.

He wasn't particularly eager to deal with the heart-eating aspect of [Undeath] again. Their previous encounter hadn't given him a good impression. Luke had assumed the train was his only way out, if it wasn't he would rather hold on to his tickets.

The more appealing option, at least for the moment, was to bide his time and wait for the rift to widen naturally.

There was also the matter of Frank to consider. The albino viran was scouting out the cathedral at Luke's suggestion, and considering the turmoil his actions caused, he would feel like a bit of a dick to leave Frank behind.

As long as the dungeon doesn't start falling down on me, Luke thought. If it does, you are on your own, mate.

A sudden rumble that shook the forge startled from his musings Luke. The tremors had been ongoing, but this one was different, closer. He turned just in time to see the outer wall of the forge rip open, stone crumbling as it exploded inwards.

Through the gaping hole, a massive [Bone Golem] emerged, its skeletal form held together by pulsing dark energy. The creature's burning green eye sockets fixed on the rift.

Luke felt a surge of anger and frustration well up inside him. With the growing doubts that Rurik would come back, he needed a punching bag for his emotions. This bone monstrosity provided the perfect opportunity for some cathartic violence.

His therapist would be proud.

Gripping Fenn tightly, Luke launched himself at the golem, his newly empowered armour amplifying his movements. As he leapt, a burst of fire erupted from the soles of his feet, propelling him higher into the air.

Lundheim's Legacy reacted instinctively to Luke's thoughts and desires, but he didn't get any sense of independent thought like Fenn gave off.

Luke slammed down on the golem with all his might, Fenn crashing against the creature's bony exterior. The impact sent a shockwave through the forge, but the golem remained standing, its frame only slightly cracked.

Undeterred, Luke pressed his assault, striking at the golem with a flurry of hammer blows. A burst of fire from his armour, the flames licking at the golem's bones accompanied each strike. A [Fire] energy barrier flared to life around Luke, forming a spherical shield that protected him from the golem's counterattacks.

Soon enough the golem's body lay in pieces strewn over the floor, making it trivial to remove its crystal core. His power armour enhanced his already formidable strength, and with a vindictive smile, Luke crushed the crystal core in his grip.

[Concept ranked up: Bulwark - Platinum. Awarded incorporating an advanced barrier into your fighting style. +7 Endurance, augments shield and armour. You shall not pass.]

[Concept ranked up: Warhammer - Platinum. Affinity gained for killing monsters with a Hammer. +7 Strength. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.]

As the notifications flashed in Luke’s mind he felt a pulse of satisfaction. It was about time his two main domains hit platinum, and the attribute boost was welcome. 

In the corner of Luke's vision, where the gaping hole in the forge's wall lay, Luke saw movement. He swung around to look, but it was only Frank. The albino viran's gaze flicked from the shattered remains of the bone golem to Luke, who stood amidst the debris, his armour still glowing with residual fire.

"What happened here?" Frank asked.

Luke gave a brief, edited account of recent events, omitting his growing certainty that Rurik wouldn't respawn. "I think the dungeon break is happening," he said, gesturing to the tremors that continued to shake the forge.

Frank frowned, his brow furrowing as he tried to recall something. "I don't remember anything like this happening before," he admitted.

Luke seized on the comment, hoping to prod Frank's memories further. "Are your memories coming back now?" he asked.

The viran merely shrugged, his expression uncertain. "It's still hazy. I think that most of them are lost, no matter how much aether I spin into my core. Some things can't be glued together," he replied, before changing the subject. "There is a horde of zombies backed up by skeletons on their way to the forge, a big one."

Luke nodded, he already had a plan. "This is your chance to bring the tailless out of the dungeon. You're faster than me, so fetch them quickly. I'll hold the rift as best I can, but if the [Nightwalkers] come knocking, I'll have to run."

Frank nodded along initially, but shook his head when Luke spoke about holding the dungeon. "This isn't the only crack, I saw a couple on my back here, and I can feel them in the air."

Luke's eyes widened, then he nodded. Multiple rifts meant that the tailless could escape the dungeon more easily, but it also meant that the undead could pour into London unchecked.

"Ok, fine," Luke said, his tone urgent. "We'll meet on the other side. Head to the London Eye, the big Ferris wheel by the river. I'll find you there."

Luke proceeded to give the ratling directions as best he could and trusted Frank to find his way. Since they met, the albino ratling had no trouble navigating Lundheim. He should be able to manage the city above, even if Lundheim was a fraction of the size.

As Frank scurried off, Luke turned his attention to the approaching zombie horde which had just started filling the streets outside. The undead shambled towards the forge, the stench of rotting flesh smothering the air. Among their ranks, skeletal warriors marched in eerie unison, their bony hands clutching ivory bows.

Luke charged forward, his armour blazing with fire as he crashed into the horde like a meteor. Fenn smashed through rotting flesh and brittle bones, each strike accompanied by a burst of searing flames. The zombies and skeletons fell before him, their bodies pulverised by the onslaught.

Minutes passed as Luke fought, the rift behind him slowly widening with each tremor. He could feel the dungeon breaking at the seams, and the boundary between realities cracking.

With a final, mighty blow, Luke crushed the last of the undead beneath Fenn's head. He stood amidst a sea of shattered bones and putrid remains, but he had hardly broken a sweat.

Turning back to the forge, Luke saw the rift had expanded to a comfortable size, easily wide enough for him to pass through. He took a deep breath, savouring the aether-rich air of Lundheim one last time.

Goodbye, Rurik... I hope we meet again.