[Voidknight Ascension] Chapter 41: IMD’s (Improvised Mana Devices)

A blinding wall of noise and light washed over Sam and Komachi, throwing them back with a herculean force that ripped the floating hall apart.

The barrier exploded a moment later, bringing far more destruction than Sam intended.

The hall quaked, throwing Sam—just as he was standing up—clean off his feet and into the wall. The chamber, past where the barrier winked out of existence, erupted into flying rubble and clouds of dust.

A wave of utter destruction rolled forward like a raging bull, destroying everything in its path. Gargantuan golems shattered and dissolved in the silver-black inferno of Void mana before they could ever awaken.

Which proved to be a problem.

Apparently, an unawakened golem was no more a threat than an inanimate statue. Though they did still spill some interesting looking loot that Sam could spot, even from his supine position.

The only Experience he gained was from the lone enemy that had been waiting for him. Or, considering the fantasy-style panic room, hiding from him.

The [Stellar Warden’s Hollow], or rather what was left of it, lay in a heap within an utterly destroyed construct. It vaguely resembled an ashen shell of splintered bones.

Defeated before it could even go for round two with Sam.

The icing on the cake was all the Experience he got for one-shotting the boss, or as Komachi would say, one-bonking it.

You defeat the [Stellar Warden’s Hollow (Boss) (Level 12)].

You gain substantial Experience for slaying a Tough Boss monster.

Level Up!

Your [Void] Path has reached Level 3.

+1 Insight Talent | + 1 Strength Talent

+1 Arcane Talent | +1 Vigor Talent

Level Up!

Your [Adventurer] Legend has reached Level 4.

+1 to all Stats

+2 Bonus Points

Level Up!

Your [Void] Path has reached Level 4.

+1 Insight Talent | + 1 Strength Talent

+1 Arcane Talent | +1 Vigor Talent

Your [Void: Scour] Art has reached (☆ Primitive III).

Your [Power Stance] has reached (★ Common IV).

More than half of his health had been sheared off in that explosion, and Komachi was looking rough, but it was hard to complain when he saw the notifications.

Two levels higher in his Void Path, plus a tier increase to his [Scour] Art and [Power Stance].

The gulf between [Scour’s] Primitive III and Void mana’s Legendary III was so severe it skipped past embarrassing and all the way into hilarious.

Good thing it wasn’t the other way around, or else [Scour’s] capacity would be presumably throttled to a thimble.

Even then, Sam could only assume that the effective rarity of his Void mana was limited by his stats and levels. It seemed that rarity was both how commonly found something was, along with its power rating.

Which—and perhaps this was the concussion talking—seemed pretty much like one and the same to Sam.

“Well,” Sam said groggily. “That’s one way to get a level. A few levels, actually, if I’m counting my Legend. Though I do feel a bit like I just committed some sort of war crime.”

Sam filed away the destructive potential of chaining multiple Void mana batteries together and detonating them with [Scour].

It might prove handy in a tight situation.

Though it did destroy all but one [Grey Crystal], he noted.

Scooping Komachi up, he petted his cat gently to soothe her. She didn’t look badly hurt, just dazed. She hadn’t been standing as close as Sam had.

The healing effect of Regen flowed over Sam, easing his hurts slowly. He could see the little musical healing notes appear over the Cleric too.

“Sleepy,” she mumbled.

Going on his previous desires to boost his magical stats, Sam tossed the two bonus points into Arcane and Insight, bringing them both up to 12 a piece.

Limping into the room beyond, careful to mind the gaps in the stonework that opened to the gray expanse that stretched effortlessly into the beyond, Sam surveyed the damage.

He had to admit, it was impressive.

Unfortunately, most of what he had thought was loot was really dross upon closer inspection. The Void mana had done a number on everything, including the remnant of the Stellar Warden.

Anything he might have been able to gather from the downed enemies was in one state or another of destruction. He spotted several of those stretched hexagonal coins, slowly bubbling away until they melted into a mixed slag of various metals.

Several items that looked like they might be mana cores were cracked or shattered completely into glittering dust, while bits of [Grey Crystals] were strewn about.

Though whether that last bit was from the leftover detonation of what Sam was tentatively calling the “Void Bomb” or not was anybody’s guess.

The Stellar Warden’s last ruby-red eye glittered in its motionless body, and a huge, mangled weapon stuck out of its remains. Though calling it a weapon was a bit of a stretch, he could only assume that’s what it used to be.

Now whatever it was, was more a lump than anything usable.

[Unidentified Metal Slag Lump]

(Crafting Component) (E-Class)

(☆Primitive)

Enhancements

Blunt Damage V

The warped and melted metallic remains of what once was either a colossal hammer or a cannon, you’re not really sure. Rendered into a barely functional weapon that would be better suited towards salvage or smelting it into ingots. Incredibly heavy.

“Loot is loot,” he mumbled. “E-Class too. And yet… Primitive? Interesting.”

The only thing that was still left intact was that strange hexagonal ruby eye from the Stellar Warden.

Sam wandered over, avoiding the large rents that seemed to be growing larger with each passing second, until he knelt by the ruby jewel and picked it up.

He put it with the others in his Inventory.

No quest popped up, but he had a strong sensation that he needed to bring it back to the arena where he fought the Stellar Warden. The same one with the floating tree and the crystal.

And just because he might find a use for it later—and it was the only loot that still was identifiable—Sam stuffed the unnaturally wrinkly metal of the [Unidentified Metal Slag Lump] into his Inventory.

It was incredibly heavy, even for his Strength. For a moment he was afraid it wasn’t going to fit into his Inventory. After a few shoves and some distant avalanches of old loot, Sam finally got it in there.

You never knew what might be useful. And it was hardly a difficult decision given the magical Inventory he had.

More pieces of the room began to crumble and drift away into the gray nothingness. “Time to go,” Sam said, hurrying out of the room as the stones beneath his feet cracked and broke apart to join the detritus below.

Without the Stellar Warden, it seemed the entire place was coming apart at the seams. Cracks the width of his finger began to trace their way throughout the halls as he ran down them, eager to be out of this strange place.

Once he was back at the Stellar Warden’s arena, the pathway to the ruins beyond finally gave way and fell without a sound into the distant grayness.

“Odd place,” Sam said, looking over at the floating steps that ringed the crystal and tree.

Sam took the steps two at a time. He circled the base of the tree and came upon a small black altar with three hexagonal sockets. If Sam wasn’t looking for it, he would have easily missed them. The stone was so dark it made the depressions practically invisible.

He socketed two of the three Stellar Warden’s “eyes” and Sam could already feel the magnetic tug of the third eager to join its brethren.

“What’cha think this is going to do? Or go?” Komachi asked in excitement.

“Not sure. It could be anything.” He realized it literally could be anything from Ascension Gems to more equipment or even better and bigger Inventory space.

“Whatever it is, it better be awesome!”

Pressing the final jewel to the altar’s last socket, Sam stepped back and gently slipped Komachi into his armor. With one hand on the hilt of his sword, he watched as the altar shivered and then cracked in half.

A violent storm of mana rushed out, draining the three jeweled eyes and siphoning the red energy into the large tree. Its roots immediately began to rot, and the entire floating island shook violently.

Sam took the hint and hurried down the floating steps to the arena, fully expecting another boss fight and realizing that his mana was nowhere near fighting shape.

In fact, his HP was hardly over half even with Komachi’s Regen stacks.

Darkness began to swallow the world from the gray expanse until nothing existed apart from Sam, the arena, and the rapidly decaying tree. Its roots rotted away, freeing the crystal, which shrank like some sort of illusionist’s trick.

From the distance Sam stood at, the floating crystal island was small enough he could reach out and pluck it out of the sky.

Of course, that was foolish. Every child knew you couldn’t just reach out and grab the moon from the sky, but we all try because hope abounds, and the imagination of a child is without limits.

And because Sam had never truly grown up, he found himself reaching out with his gauntleted hand and to his immense surprise, the island of crystal he had just been walking upon fit between his thumb and index finger.

Staring at it, Sam tried to wrap his head around what had just happened.

I was just walking on this island. He shifted the marble-sized crystal this way and that. Something dark within shifted. It feels like one of those weird perspective-shifting games.

“For the love of the Kindred, stop shaking me about!” boomed a rather peeved voice.

It was far too loud to have come from the crystal, and yet he was absolutely sure that’s where the voice came from.

“Uh… hello?” Sam said.

“Yeah, yeah,” said the voice. “Can we skip the pleasantries? You’re in possession of my [Stasis Shard], right? Has a big tree on top and everything?”

“Had,” Sam corrected.

“Sam put the eyes on the altar!” Komachi added helpfully.

“Huh,” said the voice. “You did, did you?”

“I could put them back,” Sam offered, then realized he couldn’t see where they had gone. The entire world was now utterly and completely dark save for the glow of light coming from the rough-cut jewel in his hand.

“Well then, are you going to let me out?” asked the voice after an uncomfortably long pause.

“Sure, why not?”

“Seriously?” the man, or whatever it was, couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice. “Just like that? You aren’t going to ask for anything or extort me?”

Komachi got that piggy look in her eyes. “Wait, wait, we can ask for something? Let’s see… what do I want, outta the whole Worldshard? Hmm, ya got any food?”

“No,” the voice said. “No food. No water. This isn’t exactly a posh prison, if you get my meaning.”

“Oh dang, you doin’ okay?”

“…No?” said the voice, who, like most people meeting Komachi for the first time, didn’t quite know how to deal with her.

Sam shrugged, then realized whoever was inside probably couldn’t see too well. “Would it make you feel better if we asked for something?”

“It might,” offered the voice. “It’s not often you mee—wait a second, hold me up to your eye.”

Sam did so, though he performed the well-known and all-too-often-employed “safety squint” used by any trades worker who can’t be bothered to find their safety equipment.

“Break me and bleed me dry!” the voice cursed. The crystal buzzed so sharply that Sam nearly dropped it. He managed to catch it in the palm of his hand, which was good because even though it felt like he was standing on solid ground, he could no longer see it.

And there was no telling where the crystal would go if he dropped it. He had a very strong feeling that it wouldn’t land at his feet.

“Oh, the Fates are fucking cruel,” the voice said vehemently. “You’re an Incarnate of War, aren’t you?”

Sam didn’t see any reason to lie. “I am.”

Another round of cursing and buzzing, though this time Sam was ready for it and cupped his hand protectively around the crystal.

“Listen,” the voice wheedled, “you can just drop me, yeah? No harm, no foul. I’ll go back into my nice little jail, and you won’t have to bother with little ol’ Volquist, okay? Sound good?”

“You don’t want me to free you?”

“Not if you’re going to bloody kill me!”

Sam shared a look of confusion with Komachi. “Why would I kill you?”

“Because I killed you!” Volquist wailed.