Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Глава 20

Chapter 20

Camrad_RIP 03.08.22 в 19:53

A long time ago, when the sky was bluer and a visit to the Stone wasn't even planned yet, I wondered about an amusing question that sounded something like this: why are legendary creatures so dangerous? Aside from trivial answers like "high stats," "unreal level," "unique skills," and other nonsense, I came to a conclusion that scared the hell out of me. I'd always intuitively known that if I didn't keep control of myself and the powers of my classes, the resulting creature would be far more dangerous than the Skin Taker, or even the poor Spectre left to roost in an abandoned necropolis. It would come close, if not surpass, the creature from the Kraj. But why can some legends be so much stronger than others? What is it about me that makes me so special that I can bring about a not-so-local apocalypse? And the stronger I become, the less local the apocalypse will be, the more of a fucked-up global apocalypse it will be.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 13:48

The conclusion was self-evident, unpleasantly chilling to the back of my mind: the reserve of available power, or, rather, the lack thereof. Humans and non-humans with the title of "endowed," as well as ordinary monsters like orcs, have a strictly measured reserve of available power and even access to system classes (not in all cases). Full-fledged monsters are monstrous because their stats and skills are amazing, despite the lack of a class as such, and the reserve corresponds to them. Allowing them to wear down the ones they can't get at the drop of a hat.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 13:51

The thing that right now sought to sprout into me, to become me and replace myself, as I said, would have no reserve at all. Only capacity. The Shadow I'd summoned could use its skills for a very long time and recovered quickly through racial affixes and devoured souls, but even it was tired after it had slaughtered most of Ferer's retinue and almost reached the wizard himself.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 13:51

That's why she died she was tired.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 13:52

The thing I was to become had no such problem - human soul and body, fused with the will and essence of the Shadow realm itself, allowed it to draw as much power as it wished. Such a creature would not be drawn back into the Shadow, for its material component belonged to the real world, but it could not grow tired, always partially in the Shadow. The only limitation would be the sheer bandwidth - the amount of power that my body and soul could pass through in a single blow. Lately, I'd been able to let a lot of it pass through me.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 13:53

My attack, which had blotted out the dozens of ritual barriers he'd prepared at the beginning of the fight, was very good, just awesome, but I could only do it once, at the cost of body pain, blood from my nose, ears, and eyes, and the risk of "killing myself against the wall" or going mad. Even after I regained my strength with the Breath of Magic, I didn't risk hitting with that much power again, for fear of not being able to keep control.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 13:57

After the transformation, the resulting creature would be able to hit like that every second, without much fear of damaging its Shadow-soaked body or going cuckoo. How could I go any further if my body, fused with the realm concepts, had lost its materiality and was regenerating at a rate that would make even Ygra silently envious? How can you go further with your brain if you can already bang into the bottom of the universe from below, becoming the very nightmare that "could always be worse"?
* * *I thought I had hit rock bottom when suddenly there was a knock from below. © Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 13:59

After all, who better to make a mythic creature than a mythic class owner? It may not be the strongest, but it's a good match for its rank and has every chance to get even stronger. You should kill such a thing either by divine mercy or by a couple or three high-level Chosen Ones who are overdosed on stimulants and have the right mythical classes to counteract the Shadow, not by one local Hero who barely got his title.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:01

In short, Ferer had no more chance than a sucker who had come from a remote village to beat a professional team of gamblers and return home a millionaire. There were very few chances, very few chances.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:02

In theory.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:02

In practice, there was one small detail, almost imperceptible as the decency of an official, that stood between me and an easy victory. Perhaps you have all forgotten, but my initial purpose, for which I came to visit in the first place, was not to kill the enemy, or even to win a colorful victory, but to capture him and extract information. A task extremely poorly combined with eating the soul of a future informant and then transforming into a beast of horror. And even if first to turn, and only then to kill-eat, nothing in our scenario of children's party will not change.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:05

So I need to somehow keep myself from going over to the side of the cookies, to defeat the enemy without killing him. At the same time, pay attention, not to die first, like some idiot. At this point, I can't help but quote the classic quote, "What could possibly go wrong"?

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:11

Scooping up too much energy would be a mistake, probably the last one I'd ever make. So I decided to focus not on raw power, as the creature inside me wanted, but on my human advantages: high control and mobility, multiplied by the partial - almost complete, to be honest - fusion with The Shadow, and the speed of reaction and sorcery. Quite significant advantages, especially considering the low physical characteristics of Ferer, who was pumped almost entirely into a pure mage who despised the martial arts. Some might say that's silly, but the very fact that this guy got level fifty hints mildly that he knows a lot about proper and effective pumping.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:15

I wasn't going to underestimate my opponent, especially since he was probably expecting the overwhelming power and fury of a madman who had merged with the realm. This was no idle speculation, but a fact, for when I sent more than five hundred shadow needles at the bastard instead of a powerful stream of shadows, or even a melee attack at all, he was indeed surprised for a moment, but unfortunately only for a very brief moment.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:21

The shadow needle itself, as I play it, is comparable to a crossbow bolt, enchanted to deal extra damage to living creatures. That's why it's not a good idea to get hit by such an attack, even if you're high level and have artifact armor. If such a projectile is not alone, being only a drop in the wall of black rain of ominous energies, then without a powerful protective barrier or skill it is better not to get hit. The enemy had both.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:23

The first few dozen shells hit some strange veil, literally clumping together into one lump of blackness, which then flew behind the enemy and stayed there. I stopped controlling that shadowy matter almost immediately. He was obviously expecting me to make a single, powerful attack that such a contraption would devour in its entirety, and it would be a good thing if it didn't bring it back. The result was not at all satisfactory to the old Hero, as evidenced by the slightly tighter tightening of his lips, and the sudden loss of the deliberately insulting relaxed expression on his face. Trying to provoke a great master provocateur is not a good idea.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:25

The rest of the shadowy needles were simply brushed aside by the man, causing the flow of deadly magic to shift to the side, instantly absorbing into the stone walls and ceiling. My clairvoyance told me that this particular place had been my opponent's workshop for years and that his effects were seventy percent more effective here. The most disgusting thing was not the increase in efficiency, but the expansion of the available arsenal, even though I couldn't fully comprehend the problem.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:26

Whatever his classes gave him, he depended far more heavily on preparation and reaction time than I did, but once prepared, he was three times as frightening as he had been. Add to that the level, the titles, the experience, and my woeful condition to understand the depth of the trouble I was in. A good option would have been to force the bastard to leave the "home" part of the fortress by transferring to the lower levels of the Stone. I could reconcile myself with the fortress' still-active defenses, especially since it, after a farewell greeting from an already dead Brether had gone to pieces and was becoming more unstable by the second.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:28

Except that the enemy understood that, too, and would obviously not agree to follow me if I decided - and if I succeeded - in retreating from the current battlefield. He probably wouldn't be upset at all, just waiting for the rapid-response groups to finish me off, especially with the support of Ferer himself and the remnants of the garrison. It's fun, isn't it?

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:31

I couldn't delay, so I continued the attack, rearranging the plan as I went, making the shadows on the floor blacken and surge. It was as if someone had kicked out the dusty carpet, and now the wave was coming straight at the still-quiet Ferer. The attack seemed very strong, but it only pretended to be, for there was only enough power there to clog the background. The main damage was supposed to come from the extremely narrow and thin shadow spear that flew within the raised wave.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:38

I would have made Ferer's own shadow wrap itself around its owner, but he was clearly aware of such skills in the Shadowuser's arsenal and had correctly hedged against similar mischief. He had done so before the duel began, for even the legendary creature couldn't pull a stunt like that on him or his retinue. The man's belt was ablaze with a dull gray light - just don't ask me how such a color scheme is even possible - a small amulet that looked like a light bulb, stripping away all control over shadows within a dozen yards of the epicenter. Or rather, not allowing them to create there, because already ready shells fly in there quietly, and new ones in that area, as if they do not exist. Even the sphere is jammed almost to zero, in spite of its mythicalness and awesomeness.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:40

Apparently, the bastard had some sort of perceptual passive ability, like my Gaze, because my attack was not a surprise, on the contrary, it was a surprise to me. I was in the middle of a wave of shadowy matting right above him, ready to swoop down on the man and string him up with a splinter hidden in his depths, so he made his move.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:41

A quick movement of his hand and he just caught my spear with his hand, again depriving me of control over its structure, and the carpet itself froze a gray veil of the same shape as my shadow at the moment of transformation into that veil. And the resulting shit was stronger than my creation by an order of magnitude, as two more spears penetrated it, but could not break it. The spear still clutched in the palm of his hand went behind his back, pouring into the black sphere that was already there, left behind by the caught needles, increasing it to the size of a soccer ball. The remains of the blackness from the pins that shattered on the barrier are sucked into it, increasing the incomprehensible thing to the size of a full-fledged watermelon. I felt a sudden reluctance to feed the thing with my power, for I suspected that if I accumulated enough of it, it would strike me back. I was thinking that I might try an indirect attack, throwing some kind of stone at the enemy.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:44

Alas, my ideas remained ideas, for Ferer decided to stop playing the punching bag and start attacking himself. I couldn't say he was much weaker than the sweet and humble me. Less destructive, perhaps, but not weaker or less dangerous.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 14:45

The gray mist that had previously been my attack changed color again and then flew at me in a heterogeneous blotch, growing some sort of limbs, disturbingly reminiscent of a tentacle. The shadow attack, which is a similar blob, was only partially effective, managing to stop the abomination, but that's all. Attempts to dissolve the hostile energy within myself, which had always worked before due to the shadow magic's unique aggressiveness, allowing me to dissolve even the power of death, were a complete failure. Slowly, but inexorably, bitch, the black blot began to turn green, becoming a continuation of the green blot. And, merging with it, it resumed its movement toward me!

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:16

I would have panicked about that, but I had to dodge a new attack that looked like a brown ball the size of a small tangerine, thrown at me with a bounce off the wall. The thing, I noticed, ignored my clairvoyance, and was moving in unpredictable trajectories across the room. In addition, the thing somehow looped my clairvoyant talents onto itself, forcing my clairvoyance to spend all its resources trying to overcome the sudden obstacle. A very pale and almost transparent beam of incomprehensible origin, shooting out of Ferer's solar plexus, I noticed at the very last moment, thanks to my heightened perception, my Gaze, and my still-working, despite the Shadow Form, inquisitive gaze. It wasn't the most useful perk in my deck, but it saved my life, or at least my health.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:21

The standard tactic of "cover me with a barrier, leave a decoy, and attack," was only partially realized. No, I lifted the barrier, a powerful one, and I left the silhouette as a decoy, jumping to the ceiling and clawing at it at the same time. And then the beam pierced both the barrier and the silhouette, going into the wall, and all the shadows in its path at once returned to their normal two-dimensional state, as if all the energy had been drained out of them.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:22

Somehow I don't like this kind of kung fu, gentlemen, and comrades.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:22

The claws on my hand, or rather on what it had become, broke a piece of unusually hard stone from the ceiling, sending it into a ball that still flailed around in circles, though I was tempted to throw it at Ferer himself. This structure, clearly designed against clairvoyants - perhaps even the now deceased locals - could not resist physical damage, bursting like a ball stuffed with, say, chocolate. It was a good thing I didn't hit Ferer, though, for the missing distraction factor saved my ass from a very unpleasant encounter with some magical crap.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:24

In a certain area of space that strangely coincided with my location, the shadows simply disappeared. They were gone as if someone had photoshopped them out. The center of the enchanted space was about where my shadowy silhouette had disintegrated into nothingness, which saved me - although my position on the ceiling was also under attack, it was immeasurably easier to jump out of there. The initiative was quickly returned to the hands of the Hero unwilling to stop. It seemed that he only accelerated more and more, unaware of the banal fatigue and the depletion of the reserve.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:25

In his defense, the tricks used were undoubtedly very intricate, but not the most energy-intensive, and the man's reserve was not that high, indicating an obscenely high level of control - he had to put his stats in somewhere. My problem was that the brute wasn't repeating himself: so far all of his attacks were completely different and were very badly countered by shadow magic. No shit, they weren't countered!

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:28

This simple thought was confirmed by the enlarged green something, which completely devoured my spells and intensified at their expense. The cloud-globber became even more viciously green and then turned into a full-fledged network, covering most of the hall and crawling in my direction. And I wouldn't say that the distance between us remained so great. I would have considered destroying the enemy spell, but I was a little distracted by the new beams Ferer sent from his chest and eyes, forcing me to maneuver incessantly. They passed through the light green thing without the slightest problem, but the shadow barriers literally annihilated at the touch.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:31

My prying eyes helped me again, noting that the shadow watermelon hanging behind my enemy's back was shrinking a little, just a little, with each ray. Quite an amusing technique - to create such attacks, he needed a pattern and time to prepare, to analyze even, the energy received. The clairvoyance indicated this quite clearly, preventing Ferer from attacking, as if deliberately creating short windows for my strike, with shadows. There was no "as if" here, only intent and cold calculation, multiplied by balls of steel and the certainty that any blow I could direct under Ferer's continuous attacks would be repelled by him. And he would give me no time to prepare something against which his defense would pass.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:33

Then, however, the old man brought back the distraction ball clogging up the clairvoyance, making it, this time, invulnerable to physical damage, unlike the first version I had so successfully defragmented.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:33

The result was a kind of gambit professionally and lovingly executed, allowing him to come to a victory in any possible way without giving me a chance to counter-combination.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:34

I could keep dodging the rays hoping to exhaust the shadow pattern he'd accumulated, or catch me at an inadvertent mistake. Then he would simply wait for the moment when the green net would trap me and crush me slowly, methodically, and still quietly like a bug. Maybe even capture me.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:36

I could try to attack with a single attack hoping that the power and force surging through me would be able to push through the enemy barriers, exhausting, overpowering, or ignoring Ferer's strange protective magic. But something told me that I could do so immediately, and now I was already too bogged down, not having a chance to concentrate properly.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:37

It's always an open option to turn completely into a creature, giving my ass to The Shadow to tear down. After that, finishing Ferer would have much better odds. Except for the small fact that at the moment of complete transformation I would be the most vulnerable, and I would no longer have the brains to figure out the enemy's plans. The enemy is probably even more aware of that than I am. In addition, my downfall will be his victory, because one way or another, the problem of the Ultimate Hero will become irrelevant. In his place, there will be a new creature, which, though dangerous, is not going to break the regime. Finally, there's one more detail... you know, Hero and monster are in the same room, the monster is stronger and more dangerous, but Hero has plot armor and everything. Anyway, it's not like what's replacing me is going to pull off this battle.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:48

The last choice I had was to run away or retreat, which I could still do... to give the bastard time to consolidate his position, put on his defenses, and wait for me or backup. I can't summon Legend a second time, and I can't make him fight me head to head. Nor will he be satisfied with my escape, for the moment of surprise is already lost, and my person will be hunted down not only by the powers of Melareth but by any who can send their goons here. Even the Sorz will be tolerated, allowing them to participate in the corral of such valuable and dangerous prey.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:53

Damned if one does and damned if one doesn't.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:55

This was a chess game I couldn't win, no matter how I spun it. Which automatically led me to throw the board off the table, pulling a few stained decks out of my sleeves. Because that's the kind of asshole I am, not wanting to lose in a fair fight like some mediocre villain.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 15:59

Barely discernible transparent gray rays beat strictly along the cooldown, and the light green netting nearly encased me in a dome as I landed on the floor, becoming human again. Gone was the Form, turning flesh and bone back into matter, melted the Aegis, taking away a good deal of the protection and stealth that didn't work in this environment and with such an opponent anyway.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 16:00

That might have been considered an admission of defeat. For now, as I leaned my palms against the cold marble, breathing heavily and hoarsely under the mask, I remained completely vulnerable to my opponent's attacks. Yes, there was alchemy-treated armor, but it could hardly withstand such powerful and sharpened blows specifically against me. I might not have any shadow energy left in me, but a beam like that would knock me out, or at least take away my energy control, leaving me with my bare physical stats against a not-so-weary opponent.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 16:02

In general, my behavior resembled an attempt to lie on the ground, curl up in a ball, and, with my hands over my head, beg the angry bully not to hit Kostya. Have you ever seen any jerks spare a surrendered man without at least kicking him one last time? Nor did Ferrer, I suppose, as he calmly aimed another beam, this time particularly powerful, literally buzzing with the power he'd put into it, straight at my smiling mask. Knock me out, restrain me, then wait for help, leaving me in the hands of the rescuers who had arrived, while he went to demand new bodyguards with bigger tits.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 16:03

The only thing his plan didn't take into account was one fucking detail that proved to be no small thing - the marble of the floor, despite the battle, remained so smoothly polished that you could see my reflection in it. I thought my mask smiled even wider with a grin as my hand surged upward, taking in the open palm of the enemy's attack.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 16:04

A colorless spell, as reliable and powerful as it should be for a mage of his level, class, and title, struck the barely discernible lilac haze of Dream that manifested around me.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 16:06

And couldn't break through it.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 16:06

If Ferrer had been calm and collected before, now there was something akin to surprise in his eyes. Not shock or anything resembling fear, but a kind of "when is this jerk going to calm down"? A sort of emotion more befitting a kindergarten nurse, or a nurse in a psycho ward, than a mighty warlock... However, he had in his subordinates a whole bunch of talented young people, which surely brought him many unpleasant surprises.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 16:08

His expression did not change when I got to my feet fully, and from both of my palms stretched lilac ribbons of dream energy, gradually manifesting into reality, becoming thicker and more discernible, hiding, obscuring my figure in a bluish haze of unreality sprouting in Reality.

Camrad_RIP 05.08.22 в 16:34