The Mad Immortal: A LitRPG Adventure, page 35
Then, the Lord Protector was on top of him, snarling as he pressed a vibrating palm toward Nate’s chest. Nate reacted on instinct, swinging his Frost Shield around.
As he did, he threaded a vera into the enhancement crystal he’d claimed and activated it to instantly empower the shield. The crystal worked perfectly, his icy barrier thickening to twice its normal width with a Mighty infusion.
Even with the extra power, the weave disintegrated easily beneath the Lord Protector’s touch. Icy shrapnel flew in all directions. Shards that should’ve hit the Lord Protector simply broke apart as they neared his skin. Nate wasn’t so lucky, the shrapnel chipping away at his aegis.
He tried to scrabble back and regroup, but the Lord Protector’s hand already reached for him through the haze of the dissipating spell. A single finger stretched out, brushing against his vera-enhanced skin. Tendrils of force reverberated through his chest. Bones and vera alike splintered apart.
Another five vera gone. In a few seconds, Nate had already lost almost half of his available reserve. It took everything he had just to stay ahead of the Immortal’s strikes, let alone try to retaliate. At this rate, he’d be lucky to last a full minute.
Gritting his teeth against the pain radiating through his chest, he swung his Mighty Ice Blade around. If he could hit the Lord Protector with Ellie’s Contingent Suppression binding, maybe that would be enough to counteract his defenses.
At the same time, he burned another of his precious vera for a Quick Fire Bolt aimed at the Immortal’s face. The Fire Bolt unraveled harmlessly where it hit, but he’d expected as much. Its sole purpose had been as a distraction to help the Mighty Ice Blade sneak through.
Nate’s heart sank when his empowered sword broke apart as easily as the Fire Bolt had. So much for that plan… A Suppression binding was worthless if you had no way to land it on your foe.
At least, the split attack had succeeded at momentarily dividing the Lord Protector’s attention, buying Nate an extra second to act. He’d hoped to save this, but things were already looking about as desperate as they could get.
Reality stuttered to a halt as he activated his Band of Timelock. Well…mostly to a halt. With the ring not fully invested, the world around him still seemed to be moving, albeit far more slowly. Ellie had estimated the effect should last for about ten minutes. In its weakened state, however, he couldn’t count on it holding out that long.
Time to get to work.
Chapter Forty-Two
Nate gasped as vital essence washed over him. After a moment’s hesitation, he’d activated both of his healing gems with a vera apiece. He would’ve loved to keep one in reserve, but his time was limited, and he needed his body to mend quickly. The more healing energy he pumped into himself, the faster the process would go.
The next couple minutes passed in a haze of agony as his shattered bones pieced themselves back together. Twice the vital essence also meant twice the suffering. He tried to keep track of time in his head, but most of his concentration went to resisting the urge to black out. He kept his jaw clenched to choke back his screams.
Finally, the healing had run its course, and he struggled to his feet. He felt wrung out, his exertions and remaining soul sickness sapping his resolve. But he couldn’t allow himself to give up now. Not when Ellie and his guide had placed their faith in him.
He swept his gaze over the stage, studying the state of the battle. He might not be able to interact directly with the environment while time was altered, but he could at least take this opportunity to strategize.
The Lord Protector had been frozen in mid-lunge where Nate had been lying. Even with the timelock in effect, the Immortal’s hand still visibly crept toward the wooden stage.
Nate started by putting some distance between himself and the Lord Protector. The last thing he wanted was for the timelock to suddenly end and leave him exposed at center stage. He was easy pickings in a straight fight; he needed to level the playing field.
The piano seemed the obvious choice. It had proven the only viable means of distracting the Immortal so far. The issue was the portal stone that still sat on the piano’s bench. If Nate kept the Lord Protector focused on the piano, it would be impossible for Ellie to find an opening to snatch the stone.
Maybe I can at least make her job a little easier. He readied himself by the piano, verifying that he stood next to the bench. He didn’t bother resummoning his Ice Blade or Frost Shield. What was the point? Instead, he focused all his attention on the Lord Protector so that he could act as soon as the temporal distortion wore off.
He didn’t have long to wait before reality reasserted itself. The Lord Protector’s slow-motion lunge completed, his strike impacting the stage. Wood splintered apart beneath his fist. The Immortal paused, turning his head from side to side until his violet eyes locked on Nate.
Nate spun, purposefully knocking into the bench so that it toppled over. He heard the faint thrum of glass rolling across the wood. That’s the best I can do, Ellie. Once he was facing the piano, he slammed his fists into the remaining keys again and again.
The theater reverberated with the discordant notes. So close to the sound, it was loud enough to make him wince. The Lord Protector, however, screamed and collapsed, convulsing on the stage.
Nate had no idea why the Immortal reacted so strongly to the noise. Perhaps it was his lack of vera or a side effect of his affinity for sonic magic. Either way, he was happy to take advantage of the weakness.
Continuing to pound on the keys, he risked a glance toward where the portal stone had rolled. It was nowhere in sight. He let out a relieved breath. Nice work, Ellie. Now get out of here.
More and more keys were breaking beneath the force of his blows. He just prayed the piano would keep producing sound long enough for Ellie to slip away. He looked back to the Lord Protector and cursed.
The Immortal’s face remained scrunched in pain. Nevertheless, he had shakily regained his feet, forcing himself through his obvious discomfort. With trembling steps, he staggered toward Nate and the piano. I need a plan, fast.
Just as the Lord Protector reached the edge of the piano, Nate activated the second charge in his Gusting Boots and hurtled off the front of the stage in a rush of churning air. Performing a nimble roll between two seats, he sprung spryly to his feet. I am so keeping this Circlet of Agility.
He dashed for the stairs leading up toward the top of the theater. Ellie should’ve had time to make her own escape by now; maybe he’d actually be able to retreat and join her. A crack echoed behind him. He glanced back to see the Lord Protector literally tearing the piano apart.
Spinning away from the ruined instrument, the Immortal’s eyes briefly locked onto Nate’s. Then, he charged off the stage, straight through the nearest row of seats. The chairs simply disintegrated before him as he carved a path across the theater.
Nate’s breath caught. There’s no way I can outrun him. The best he could do now was ensure Ellie got far enough away from here that the Lord Protector wouldn’t be able to hunt her down.
That was the contingency plan they’d developed: Nate would die and resurrect back at Tabula Rasa while Vince ferreted Ellie away with the portal stone. One hundred thousand drops was still a fortune, and even completing half the bounty would cement their status as true heroes of the Nexus.
He sprayed Fire Bolts in the Lord Protector’s path as quickly as he could conjure them without expending vera. The Immortal didn’t even bother to dodge, letting the weaves break apart upon his skin. In a matter of seconds, he was at the base of the stairs.
Now would be the perfect time for your grand entrance, Vince, Nate thought as he manifested an Ice Blade. He angled the weapon toward his chest rather than the approaching enemy. Better to die quick than be left to rot as Wes had been. Nate closed his eyes and pictured Ellie’s smiling face. See you in my next life.
Something hurtled past him with a whoomp. His eyes shot open just in time to see a beam of expanding golden rings collide with the Lord Protector. Unlike the weaves Nate had hit him with, this one actually did some damage: enough at least to spin him to the side and knock him off balance.
The Lord Protector quickly recovered, focusing his attention on a spot behind Nate. Nate turned to see Ellie on the landing atop the stairs, the last of the illusory weaves that had cloaked her fading away. She held her Channeling Rod in one hand, sonic energy still swirling around its tip. Her other arm cradled the portal stone.
Even as Nate felt a surge of gratitude for her intervention, his heart sank. You were supposed to sneak away while he was distracted!
The Lord Protector smiled at her. “So, you have finally seen fit to reveal your presence. I admit,” he continued, his gaze shifting back to Nate, “you have proven a more formidable foe than expected. Yet, it matters not.
“There are but two paths forward. Annihilation…” He held out his left hand, which vibrated furiously. “Or salvation.” He held out his right hand, purple energy oozing from his fingertips.
“You forgot our last option,” Ellie said. As she spoke, she tucked away her rod and hefted an empty essence grenade. “Retribution.”
The Lord Protector shot forward, swerving to the side to avoid Nate. Ignoring the stairs entirely, he barreled up through the rows of seating, leaping from tier to tier and leaving destruction in his wake.
Ellie began funneling an essence cartridge into her grenade, but there was no way she’d have enough time to finish, not with how swiftly the Lord Protector was approaching.
Nate activated the last charge in his Gusting Boots to zoom up the remaining stairs. He skidded to a halt directly before Ellie. If the Lord Protector wanted to get to her, he’d have to go through him first.
He channeled the weave for his Frost Shield, gambling that he’d have long enough to form the weave without quickening it. His risk barely paid off, ice materializing just in time for the Lord Protector to crash through it.
The spell did little to impede the Immortal’s advance, but it at least refocused his attention on Nate. If the Lord Protector had gone for a disintegrating strike, he probably would’ve killed Nate with his next blow.
Instead, he wrapped a hand wreathed in violet flames around Nate’s neck and lifted him off his feet. Nate clawed desperately at the fingers choking him, but the Lord Protector’s grip was too strong. Purple fire leaked down the Immortal’s fingers, cold rather than warm against Nate’s flesh.
Something clattered on the floor by their feet. A moment later, their world was swallowed up by an ear-shattering boom.
The shockwave of sound that erupted from Ellie’s tossed grenade sent all of them, the Lord Protector included, hurtling through the air. He lost his grip on Nate’s throat, and Nate gasped in a relieved breath. Then, he crashed into a chair hard enough to snap the wood apart.
Groaning, he forced himself to stand. He hesitated to check his reserve, afraid of what he might find. When he did, he saw he had five vera remaining. His body felt like it already needed another healing gem, and his reserve was down to its last dregs.
Of course, if Ellie hadn’t stepped in, he’d already be dead. He thought of the violet fire and that alien essence lurking behind the Lord Protector’s eyes. He suppressed a shudder. Dead…or worse.
He was relieved to see Ellie picking herself up from the section of seats below him. She appeared to be in better shape than him and had somehow kept her grip on the portal stone. However, they’d both been thrown farther from the exit. They might have little choice left but to fight. What the Null is taking Vince so long?
Eyes roving over the theater, he finally spotted the Lord Protector. Ellie’s sonic grenade had actually wounded the Immortal, ripping open shallow gashes along the front of his tuxedo. Sound definitely seemed to overwhelm his defenses, perhaps because they were composed of sonic vibrations themselves.
Still, the Lord Protector was already regaining his feet. His eyes flicked between Nate and Ellie, his face a stoic mask. Whatever jovial demeanor he’d had before had been stripped away. Now, the Immortal was all business.
The Lord Protector’s gaze settled on Ellie. “I cannot allow you to escape with the soultrap.”
Soultrap? Before Nate could ponder the meaning of the unfamiliar word, the Lord Protector rushed forward. Nate’s Gusting Boots were out of charges; there was no way he’d be able to reach Ellie in time, not without overloading the boots and risking permanent damage to them.
If we die here, they’ll be lost, anyway. Nate threaded one of his few remaining vera into the boots, straining to manually activate their binding. Before he could, however, a familiar voice spoke faintly inside his head.
“Hey there, boss,” Vince said, sounding out of breath. “The package is ready to be—”
“Do it!” Nate screamed over the mental link. “Ellie’s position, now!”
Vince had explained earlier that there were two ways he could position the ends of his Twin Gate. One was to be familiar with the location himself. The other was to use an item with which he had a strong connection as a tether. Such as a certain Coat of Vanishing…
A green line of essence split the air in front of Ellie a moment later. The line slowly rotated, energy expanding out to the sides and widening into a crackling portal. The completed gateway towered over them, far larger than those Vince had conjured previously.
The Lord Protector skidded to a halt a few feet away, studying the weave warily. “What new trick is this?”
Vince dashed through the portal, his hair tangled and his face pale. Nate could tell at a glance that Vince’s reserve was as strained as his own.
“It’s coming!” Vince roared. He paused only a moment to glance toward the Lord Protector before bolting at top speed away from the crackling gateway.
“Who are you? Explain yourself!” the Lord Protector demanded.
Then, a massive shape emerged from the portal, tendrils of vines lashing through the air. Nate grinned.
Step 1: Retrieve the portal stone and somehow survive. Check.
Time for Step 2.
Chapter Forty-Three
The Guardian of the Forest dragged itself from the open portal, barely able to squeeze its bark-coated bulk through. Propping itself up on its four clawed limbs, it swept its leafy visage across the ruined theater.
Its gaze settled on the Lord Protector, and the leaves forming its face shook to expel a rattling hiss. A flurry of whip-like vines lashed out at the Immortal, who still stared at the newly arrived behemoth with wide eyes. He didn’t even try to dodge the blows.
Chunks of vines disintegrated as soon as they connected with his flesh, yet the stronger vera sustaining this Expert-tier creature seemed to slow the rate of decay. The vines held together long enough for at least a few to slam into the Lord Protector, hurling him across the room.
Nate grinned. So far, Vince’s distraction was working splendidly. He might’ve been the one to firebomb the Vermilion Glade with a handful of essence grenades courtesy of Ellie. But now that the guardian was here, it had focused on what it perceived to be the biggest threat. They’d finally evened the odds.
With the Lord Protector occupied, Nate hurried over to Ellie. She appeared enraptured by the nearby duel. At least she didn’t pull her goggles down. The floor trembled as the verabeast rushed away from them toward the fallen Immortal.
He tugged on Ellie’s arm. “Come on, we need to go!”
She blinked, then nodded. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
The two of them dashed down what remained of the aisle of seats and up the stairs after Vince. The huffing spaceweaver had already reached the top landing, where he struggled to catch his breath beside the exit.
The din of battle resounded behind them. Nate paused at the top of the stairs to watch the great clash taking place below.
With blurring speed, the Lord Protector dodged the guardian’s increasingly frenzied attacks. Whenever he could, he’d dart in to land a blow on the guardian’s torso. The tactic reminded Nate of Wes fighting the ferroceros, and he felt a dull ache in his chest. If only Wes were here with them now.
Each light touch from the Lord Protector consumed another swath of plant growth in a spray of dust. Yet, none of the wounds seemed enough to seriously injure the verabeast.
As quickly as the wounds formed, the green glow of vital essence suffused them to regenerate the damage. This is what it’s like when an unstoppable force meets an indestructible object.
Vince turned toward Nate and Ellie. “Please tell me I didn’t do all that work for nothing. Did you get it?”
Ellie rolled her eyes and held up the portal stone. “Nope, sorry, this is some other mystical artifact we recovered.”
Vince snatched it from her hands, turning it over and over to study its smooth, faintly glowing surface. “Incredible…” he whispered.
Nate wondered if perhaps Vince’s Insight allowed him to discern more than he could. To him, the portal stone just looked like a crystal orb. He started to turn away.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a suggestion of movement within the orb. As if a dark shape billowed inside its depths, a shadow passing over the light. But when he turned back to study the stone more closely, whatever he’d seen had vanished.
He frowned and focused his attention on the unfolding fight. He didn’t have the energy for any more mysteries right now. The Lord Protector had somehow leaped past the vines onto the verabeast’s bark-covered torso. He now climbed up its rough surface, carving out handholds in the wood wherever he touched.
The guardian bucked wildly about as its vines batted ineffectually at the Immortal’s nimbly dodging form. Nate could already tell the Lord Protector would eventually win this fight; slowly but steadily, he would wear down the creature’s energy until he landed a blow it couldn’t recover from. It was just a matter of time.
