Chapter 58: Heart of Darkness (Patreon)

We went over the plan one more time and as we were about to leave, I stopped her and asked, “hey, what did you do before all of this?”

Elise frowned. “That’s kind of an odd question to ask right before we fight an evil space monster.”

“I know. It’s just… this might be our last chance to talk as regular people.”

It was more than that. Recently, I’d seen a lot of people die. People that I barely knew. All I can remember about them is their pained final moments. The ones from Earnest’s group, whose names I never even bothered to learn, were just reduced to their weapons and gender. People that I’d failed to save that were just known as ‘female archer’ and ‘male wand bearer.’ It didn’t make seeing them die easier, but it did make their sacrifice feel lesser somehow. I also couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if Ostorox had gone for the melee group first. Would I be dead with Earnest standing here trying to remember me instead?

Elise was different from the rest of the group. She helped me when the others fled and she chose to stay on the mountaintop with me, even when it looked like we had no chance of winning. If she dies today, then I want to remember her as more than the girl with glasses and a wizard’s staff.

“Oh okay,” she said, looking nervous. “I was a video game developer. It sounds so silly now, in light of all of this.”

It didn’t sound silly at all and had me curious. “You make anything that I’d know?”

She grimaced. “Probably not. I worked at a small mobile games company. Our best success was a Cupcake Clicker knockoff called Santa Saver.”

I nodded. “Right, I remember that one. You had to keep clicking to make Santa’s elves produce toys. You only had till Christmas to reach the quota or else all the world’s children would die of heartbreak.”

“Oh, so you played it?”

“I may have upgraded my factories and reached Industrial Elf Magnate status before finally managing to quit,” I said, relieved that I was able to kick the habit.

“Yeah, it was kind of designed around how slot machines work, which made it super addictive. You didn’t spend money on it, did you?” she asked, out of concern.

“No, only an inordinate amount of my time. So thanks,” I said sarcastically.

She grinned. “Well, that was the goal. Anyway, what about you?”

“Graphic designer. Nothing exciting. You know those flyers and brochures you sometimes get in the mail from local businesses? Yep, some of those were my designs that you briefly glanced at before throwing them into the trash.”

She smiled. “Look how far we’ve come. Now we’re monster slayers.”

I nodded. “We’ve been promoted from aiding and abetting the murder of trees and time, to something more respectable.” I unsheathed my sword. “And remember, if I die…”

“Run like hell for the stairs or the door.”

“That’s right. But if you could be a little sad about it too, that would be great. Not like wailing at the heavens going ‘why god, why?’ level but something appropriate.”

She nodded. “It will be a somber, mournful run. There will be tears,” she promised.

I opened the door and went back inside the large black void of the Stairwell. Elise was right behind me, and this time she left the door open. With Night’s Eye, I could see a lot further than her, so she stayed close as we moved further away from the door.

It was something we’d talked about before. Ostorox had lost the tip of one tentacle trying to reach through a door to get me in the past. So we knew it would now be wary of such places. We had to get away from the door to make ourselves look more vulnerable. Only that would be enough to entice the void spawn to come after us.

We moved further into the dark until the door we’d come through was a tiny speck in the distance behind us, and then we waited.

The creature was smart enough to know that it couldn’t surprise us. In fact, I’m guessing the only reason it was hesitating to attack now was to see if any reinforcements came through the open door. When it became clear that it was just the two of us, Ostorox slowly floated forward out of the darkness.

Elise gasped. “Oh god.”

The creature held up the corpses of our group. One in each tentacle to taunt us.

“Remember the plan,” I told her.

We stood firm and let it draw closer. Ostorox, not getting the reaction it had hoped for, flung the corpses at us one at a time. I grabbed Elise’s hand and pulled her out of the path of one flying body, then knocked aside another with my arm. A third body, heavier than the last two, caught me at an angle. It threw me off-balance and Ostorox, sensing its moment, moved forward to strike.

I let go of Elise’s hand and closed my eyes. “Now,” I said.

Elise raised her staff. “Fos magna!” she cried.

A burst of blinding white light shot out of the staff, followed by an almost deafening thunderclap.

Elise called it her Loud Light spell. She’d crafted it herself by amplifying her common light spell with a compressed version of the air blast spell she’d used to get us to safety. Compressing the air and throwing it out with enough force generated a loud sonic boom that would disorientate any creature used to dark, quiet places.

My ears were ringing and there were stars in my eyes when I opened them, but it was worse for Ostorox. The creature wailed in pain as its eyes burned. The sonic boom had rendered its hearing useless as well. Blind and deaf, it waved its tentacles in front of itself in a wild, defensive pattern to try and ward us off.

With my high dexterity, I glided past them easily with my sword. I activated Heart Strike but could not see a vital organ. Perhaps it didn’t have one. Gripping my blade, I did the next best thing and stabbed its closest eye, plunging my sword all the way to the hilt.

It screamed, but not like before. It felt like I’d been stabbed in my brain. I cried out and doubled over while Elise was on the floor, moaning and clutching her ears.

Ostorox floated back and then suddenly jerked to the side. It juddered as if the sword had interfered with some important process.

I wanted to finish the job I’d started with my knives, but the pain was too much. I mirrored Elise and put my hands over my ears. They were wet with blood. My blood. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever hear much again without healing, but that didn’t matter now.

Ostorox’s remaining eyes had recovered from the light blast and searched until it found me. Enraged, it flew towards me so violently that its main body slammed into me before I could pull my knives. I was thrown back and when I looked up, Ostorox was floating above me. One of its tentacles wrapped around my legs. The movement was slow, letting me feel every inch of pain as the spikes pierced my legs. I groaned as it lifted me up, bringing me closer to its eyes. Unfortunately for Ostorox, it had also brought me closer to my sword. I grasped the blade and triumphantly pulled it free. The void spawn reeled in agony but held onto me as it swayed. With both hands, I moved to pierce another eye when a tentacle swung around and slapped the sword out of my hands. It then wormed its way around my waist, cutting off my access to both knives. Ostorox was preparing to kill me, but it wanted it to be slow. It wanted to savor the moment.

I would deny it that chance as a dead goblin body flopped down on it. Then a set of armor and some swords clanked down on its head. I threw everything from my inventory that I had at it, but none of it proved to be anymore than a mild annoyance. This was it. Elise would be running back to floor 96 while I was being eaten alive by a flying spaghetti monster.

God damn it. Why do these monsters seem less scary and more stupid right when I’m about to die?

Ostorox opened its gaping maw. A row of sharp teeth greeted me as the tentacles pushed me closer. I closed my eyes when suddenly there was another bang.

Elise threw out another Loud Light spell. It had the same effect as before, but Ostorox would not relinquish me. Instead, the creature closed its eyes and blindly rushed towards her. Elise tried to back away but her foot caught on Earnest’s body and she fell.

Ostorox used its tentacles as feelers to find her.

“Get out of here” I shouted, but it was too late. Ostorox had found her.

The void spawn loomed over Elise while she lay awkwardly on her stomach on top of Earnest’s body. As it reached for her, she rolled over and fired Earnest’s pistol right into its face. The bullet penetrated another eye, and the tentacle dropped me as it tried to shield its face.

Ignoring the searing pain in my legs, I took out my Viper Fang and leapt towards it while it was distracted. I stabbed another eye and kept going, shoving my arm through this thing's eye socket. I kept going until the tip of the knife pierced something vital. Ostorox went still and fell to the ground.

*DING!* You have slain [Punished Ostorox (Rare)] Level 18 - Experience Points and Currency Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 15 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 16 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 17 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 18 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 19 – Experience Acquired.

Huh, I guess the Rare creatures count for a hell of a lot more points.

*DING!* [Sword Work Skill] Increased to level 8

*DING!* [Sword Work Skill] Increased to level 9

*DING!* [Knife Work Skill] Increased to level 7

*DING!* [Knife Work Skill] Increased to level 8

*DING!* You have gained [Heart of Darkness (Rare)] – You have gone into the heart of darkness and killed a creature of the void while wearing a cloak of the Shadow Weavers. Darkness is where you are most comfortable, and so it is now yours to command. You now have the ability to create, shape, and manipulate shadows and darkness. This cannot be done using faith and the willpower stat and nor can it be accomplished like a sorcerer using intelligence. As a Blood Reaver, your own blood and vitality will be the cost to use such an ability and determine its strength. So choose carefully.