On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Two Hundred And Nineteen

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from Sixty-Three to Sixty-Four. All of your Material statistics have increased by nine. Aether has increased by twenty.

“Damn, that’s the third level-up in a few minutes. Who knew genocide was so profitable?” I muttered self-mockingly as I launched another projectile out into the forest like a mortar. After the first consecutive bombardments we raced into the forest, aiming for our goal, the Spring at the centre, amidst the crowning hill. Huge amounts of ether were being generated as well, hundreds, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of plant creatures and Myconids dying all around the forest, erupting into masses of vivid red and orange toadstools, which greedily devoured the plant material, before detonating in bright clouds of spores, spreading the taint ever further.

I have to take what I can. I greedily dragged in all the ether around us, fighting the Territory for it, and I must have grabbed tens of thousands of units at the very least. Another glass jar sailed high into the air, and moments later more spores cascaded down like deadly rain.

“This is both-both wonderous and terrible.” Shaeula said beside me, watching the slaughter with a very complicated expression, a mix of happiness and regret. She raised a hand holding her pink jade bells, and a series of fine wind blades flew out, carving apart both the rapidly-decaying trees blocking our path and a dozen Myconid warriors who were trying to make a stand, even as their bodies were ravaged by the growths, flesh melting and disintegrating. “I know this is how-how the Myconids do their cruel work, but what is it you said, Akio? We must be careful not-not to become the monsters we fight?”

“Yeah. This is a forbidden technique after this war. Seeing it up close it’s even more horrific than I expected.” Beside us, Grulgor was rampaging, engaging any Myconid that tried to resist the tide of death, making short work of them. Hyacinth was merely following along with Ixitt and his wagon of equipment, saving her strength. “It might have been more humane to simply burn everything down with Foehn.”

“Well, dead is dead, is it not-not?” Shaeula shrugged, chainmail jingling. “I do not-not believe they care about the manner of their death, nor would they have any dignity doing so, considering the brutality they have-have themselves wrought.”

“Right.” I fired off another glass jar of spores and nature energy. “That should be every target hit as per the plan. Now we just have a few left for emergencies.” I slung the makeshift bazooka over my back, drawing my Twin Tangs. The forest ahead of us was now a sodden mess of exploded mushrooms and fronds of fungus, and the underfooting below was treacherous. It might well be worth purging the whole forest with fire afterwards, starting over before replanting the Territory. Still, that won’t be my worry. A tide of thorn-bears, pitcher plans, sunflowers, pumpkin-beasts and worse were trying to rally, but all it took was some spores to feast on one of their number, sprouting, before the contagion spread. My blades slashed out, cleaving rotten creatures apart in splashes of green goo, though even that was starting to turn a vile red, making it look more like blood.

“This is too easy.” Shaeula remarked, a pinwheel held in her other hand sweeping a wide area. Ether scattered and we pulled it in, using a little to offset the effects of the enemy Territory, but most of it we funnelled home. “They must-must be able to put up some resistance?”

“Don’t jinx it.” I said, before shaking my head. “Too late.” The ground trembled, and from the hill that was our destination the thorn behemoths emerged, starting to stride through the dying forest. Still, even they were not immune to the deadly effects of the spores. One was stumbling, the green of its legs becoming overwhelmed with a creeping tide of putrid ruby and nauseating orange, and even as it stumbled, legs snapping, the mushrooms exploded. Myconids tried to leap free, some falling to their deaths, but those that were too late merely popped wetly, stinking goop seeping from their toadstool-ridden corpses.

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from Sixty-Four to Sixty-Five. All of your Material statistics have increased by nine. Aether has increased by twenty.

No shit. Still, it isn’t all going our way! Even as I levelled up at the death of the hulk and its passengers, the other two were unleashing their massive thorns towards us, blotting out the moon like a rain of arrows. We had no cover either, what trees that had survived the long Myconid occupation now melting away, forming a layer of slimy detritus that dogged our steps, slowing us.

“Shaeula, barrier!” I called, raising wind myself and creating a jade typhoon around us. The impacts were heavy, the shrill screeching of solid thorns impacting the grinding wind hurting my ears. “I’ll use aether too. We have plenty to spare!” I hardened my image, the winds intensifying, imagining an impenetrable shield. Compared to modifying the spores, this is trivial! The thorns that were slowly penetrating before, forcing their way through our defences like spikes from an iron maiden, found themselves sliced apart, sharpened tips dropping to the ground, the rest repelled. Another flight landed, dull thuds rocking the barrier, but it held firm.

“Time to counter.” I declared, as the barrier shimmered and broke apart, olivine motes of light scattering as the wind energy and aether was spent. All around us the ground was impaled by massive spears for dozens, no, hundreds of metres, but some were already starting to sprout vivid fungus.

“Shaeula, cover me. I’m going to take those moving fortresses out.” I loaded one of the few remaining bio-shells into the artillery, shouldered it and quickly calculated the firing angles. It didn’t take too many tests for me to figure out the quirks, and rapid calculations for things like trajectories and firing angles is what Intellect does best. The first shell soared out, followed by a second. Just two left now. Still, we have Hyacinth.

More thorny spears were being grown from the behemoths, dozens of Myconids using all their energies to urge them forwards, each stride carrying them closer to us. One shell struck the shoulder of the lead thorny hulk, exploding into a cloud of death, and even from here we could hear the shrill cries of panic. One down. The second however… Well shit, they are learning. A bit quicker than I would have hoped, though. Myconid Aeromancers had erected a barrier similar to our earlier one, and the exploding shell merely showered spores against it, for them to be pushed aside. Their control was clumsy, and they only managed to spray further death across their rapidly decaying comrades, but even so, it kept the final behemoth intact.

“Fine then. Try this.” I launched the last two shells, one arcing high, the other on a low trajectory. Once more walls of wind erupted, blocking the first shell. The second was blocked by the ground erupting, geysers of decaying black mud swallowing the projectile, crushing it. “Yeah, of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Still, two down.” I got another level-up, pushing me to Sixty-Six, and I idly wondered if anyone else was levelling up this fast. Though I soon had less time to think such nonsense, as hundreds of Myconids were marshalling up, shimmering walls of wind and fetid mud and water around them. There were Aeromancers, Terramancers, Aquamancers, Rangers, Warriors and many more. But what really drew my attention were the six Sporecasters that occupied the centre of the small army. Their wooden staves were giving off shimmering light, and beside me Hyacinth hissed.

“They are doooing something, master. That energy is similar tooo mine!”

“In that case, if they can defend against the spores, we just have to kill them the old-fashioned way.” I declared. At my words, Grulgor laughed grimly, charging towards them, leaving craterous footprints in the ground.

“Do we?” Shaeula asked, suddenly, having an idea. She turned to Hyacinth, even as Grulgor came under heavy bombardment from arrows, spores and elemental attacks, which he was shrugging off, his heavy armour jangling, rings scattered into the muck. “If I make-make an opening, can you cast your spores inside it?” she asked.

“I can dooo it!” Hyacinth was nodding frantically. “I have been working sooo hard to be of use to master and mistress. Hyacinth is happy to be relied upooon!”

“Very well. Akio, please aid Grulgor, prevent that-that oaf from suffering damage to his protective gear. Make me an opportunity!”

“Fine. Wait up, big guy!” I cried, rapidly catching Grulgor. Spikes of rock and arrows flew at me, but I turned the muddy ground into my shield with a ruby flow of earth energies, the surging mass of dirt slamming into the oncoming projectiles. Grulgor smashed through the earth walls that were thick with red and yellow dust, his fists and new mace sweeping through. One Warrior tried to block him, but the heavy metal shaft of his mace smashed the head to paste, before he swung it wide, tossing Warriors asunder.

“This is what Grul wishes for! Crush puny fungi, win victory through might!” He bellowed, a headbutt crushing the cap of another Warrior, goo splattering his visor and goggles.

“Careful! There are still plenty of Myconid Death Spores in the air.” I warned. “Watch your gear.” I swung with my left hand, and severed the arm of a Warrior. Blasts of air and razor-sharp jets of water were aimed at me by the ‘Mancers, but I was too quick, slipping past them, my own wind and flame energies piercing through several opponents. Even so, Grulgor and I were seriously outnumbered, and the Sporecasters were reaching the climax of whatever ritual they were attempting.

“Now! Foehn, my wind-eating breath!” Shaeula declared, and the whips of wind energy I was using to slash through some Archers disintegrated, the energy drawn in, along with all the nearby green barriers. As the air walls and bubbles the Aeromancers were using to keep out our own spores collapsed, the energy turning into a single, massive wind-weasel that plunged towards the suddenly desperate ‘Mancers, Hyacinth was there, breathing out a cloud of nature energy that flashed red and yellow, like a cloud of brightly-coloured chalk dust.

Water and mud was hurled out in a desperate attempt to halt their doom, but several Warriors and Rangers were caught, shrilly shrieking as mushrooms mirroring their own form sprouted, parasitic tendrils of fungus devouring them from the inside out, before exploding. Shaeula’s wind-weasel tore through the mages, reducing them to shreds of flesh and ether, before slamming into the Sporecasters, two of them perishing as the wind detonated. One of the remaining four was covered in rapidly-growing mushrooms, though the other three had seemingly found a way to protect themselves, nature energy running rampant.

“Too bad.” I hurled my Twin fangs. One slid through the head of one Sporecaster, the other rending space and chopping the second in half. I then had my spear in hand, one thrust, and then a second, and all around us were only dying Myconids and fifth, toadstools detonating wildly.

Crap, I can barely see, my goggles are thick with this crap. Using a gentle touch of aether, I cleaned my mask, before doing the same for Grulgor, who was smashing the dying Myconids to paste as he stomped, kicked and punched them with his massive, brutish limbs. Once I could see clearly again, other than the message notifying me I had reached level Sixty-Seven, I wished my vision was still obstructed. With the walls of wind and mud they were using to protect themselves gone, the full horrific effect of our biological warfare was revealed.  Myconids were dissolving or breaking apart, and with the death of another more spores were unleashed, until the hundreds who had engaged us were all dead, their ends truly horrific.

I felt sick, suddenly, my stomach heaving, but with an effort of will I forced it down, trying to calm my mind, Resilience working overtime. “So, this is war then? Fuck.” I cursed bitterly, my heartfelt wish at this moment that the world wasn’t in danger, that I didn’t have to fight, that this was all just a bad dream. It was then I felt something squeeze my hand. No, both hands.

“I know well what-what you are feeling.” Shaeula said, rubber-clad hand gripping mine. “You grieve even for our enemies. You are too-too soft, Akio. Though I do rather like that about you.” She gave me another squeeze. “Still, I shall carry this sin with you, you shall not-not have to carry it alone. After all, you did this for me, did you not-not?”

“Yes, but it was I who…”

“Noooooooooo!” Hyacinth, who had taken my other hand, hers bare and lacking a glove, protested, clearly furious. “Master, we did it tooogether. Hyacinth and master! Hyacinth…. I knooow bad things, evil things.” She shuddered. “I still wake screaming sooometimes, wanting to kill the ooother maids, ooor to poison the meals. Or burn the hooouse!” At that her eyes shimmered with tears behind her mask, and from her body language I could see she was trying to smile. “Master beat me tooo that ooone!”

“I don’t mean to rush you, but that last behemoth is getting awfully close, and…” Ixitt began, only for Hyacinth to scream at him.

“Shut uuup, shut uuup!” She spat venomously, causing him to recoil. Even Grulgor looked at her askance, though he quickly lost interest, readying his mace as the looming behemoth strode ever closer, dead tress shattering under its feet of vines, a shimmering curtain of wind and water energies cascading down it, casting rainbows in the spray from the light of the moon overhead. It was eerily beautiful.

“Nooo, look at me!” Hyacinth grabbed my head with her free hand, pulling me back to face her. “Dooon’t feel sad, master! We all dooo bad things sometimes. But you did nooot do it for fun, did yooou? It was for the mistress!”

“Yes, you did it for me, and the Fae.” Shaeula agreed. “Hyacinth is right. All of us shall carry the guilt, but there was not-not any other way. Imagine Tokyo under their spores, Hinata, Motoko, Natsumi. Kana. Ichika. Karen. Your parents. Eri. Aiko. If we did not-not halt the Myconids here, one day… all would be lost. I am not-not telling you to feel nothing. Only a monster could look at this…” she gestured to the dying forest. My calculations had been accurate, and due to the effects of the wind and dying plant-creatures spreading the spores recklessly, most of the forest was simply gone. The last generations were even now spilling their spores, corrupting more, but surely the Myconid threat was largely ended.

“…. And be unmoved.” Shaeula continued. “But think-think of those your actions will have saved in the future. If this grieves you, then we shall make a world where such battles are not-not necessary. But alas, you are but-but one male. You are not-not a god. Fight hard for now, and later we shall grieve. Together.”

“Yes, tooogether! Just as we did this tooogether!” Hyacinth echoed.

“Grul thinks you worry too much. Death by mace, death by this. It is all the same. Fungi waged war before, they should not expect to be free of the same fate.”

Shocking, even Grulgor is comforting me. He’s right as well. Those who live by the sword, they die by the sword, right? I just have to remember that when it’s my time… I gave Hyacinth and Shaeula a squeeze back, before casting my gaze to the nearby behemoth, hundreds of Myconids using it as both weapon and shield. It raised a great head, bellowing to the sky, dirt and spores blowing. Spikes began to tear free from it, striking down towards us, and I released my companions, going for my weapons once more.

“Fine. I get it. I’m being weak again. Old habits die hard. Shit, I’ve killed before. What do they say? One kill makes you a murderer, a hundred a hero, a million a conqueror? Well, here’s to the million then.” I grinned bitterly, tasting iron and bile. “The only thing I can promise is, that this will not be for nothing.” As the spikes rained down Shaeula’s pinwheels took to the sky, milling through them savagely. The remainder that approached us I countered, spears of rock slamming into them, changing their directions. I’ll end this threat, and show the Unseelie that peace is better than war, that only extinction beckons if both sides continue to fight. That way, these deaths will save others, and won’t have been in vain.

“Charge!” I declared, and we surged forwards. There was still over a mile to the brute, but we crossed that in well under a minute. Bombardments flew down around us, meeting shields of wind and mud. Their wind was useless, Shaeula merely eating it with Foehn and turning it against them, amplifying it with the bells, and so their fate was sealed. Hyacinth cast her spores onto the wind, and they were swallowed by the raging wind-weasels, which slammed into the gorgeous water armour, scattering droplets everywhere. Some snakes shattered, washed away, but it only took a few to breach the waterfall, releasing the deadly cargo within, and soon the behemoth was falling, one arm eaten clean away, striking the ground with a loud thud, only to vanish under the ravenous mushrooms. A leg exploded, and it was down on one knee, the Myconids on board desperately and futilely trying to stave off death by whatever methods they could. It was useless though, Ixitt shooting them down with his new rifle, Grulgor picking them off with heavy balls of iron, or Shaeula striking them down with her pinwheels. The Behemoth was nothing but a brightly-coloured hill now, and then with a last series of explosions, the wind was red and gold, glittering under the moon, spreading death to what little remained of our enemies.

“Pretty!” Hyacinth remarked idly, and I had to nod. Yeah, it is. Beautiful and Terrible…

********

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from Seventy to Seventy-One. All of your Material statistics have increased by nine. Aether has increased by twenty.

“Ten levels. Pretty much the entire Myconid race was only worth ten levels.” I shook my head. Well it’s not technically true, as we gained a few fighting them before. I guess I missed out on a lot of experience points as most of the deaths happened far away and indirectly as well.

Shaeula nodded, understanding. “I see. When you reduce it to that, it is indeed-indeed rather sad. Still, there was the ether too, was there not-not?”

“Yeah.” We must have accrued a few hundred thousand ether, maybe a little more, though a large amount would have been drawn into the Territory, that of the Myconids that died distant from us. “Can’t forget that.” I said, a touch bitter still. “So anyway… you noticed, right?”

Ixitt answered me instead. He had pulled his cart of supplies all this way, barely having anything to do yet, but now he would come into his own. “Yes, Hyacinth’s spores are being repelled. Worse, the Myconid Spores in the air here are significantly more virulent. And somewhat acidic.”

We were standing in front of the crowned hill that housed the Spring of Clear Reflections. The once-pristine white stone that made it up was choked with fungi, mushrooms, toadstools and more of many vile colours. It reminded me of seeing a cluster of sea anemones at the aquarium in Las Vegas. Yeah, if this doesn’t reek of danger, I don’t know what does. Worse, the density of spores was far thicker here, and in addition to the Myconid Death Spores, there were tiny seeds that were extremely corrosive. Our chainmail was already starting to melt, as was the glass of our goggles.

“Well, this will do for a while.” Ixitt said as he ladled out gloopy barrier cream from the barrel on his hovering supply sled. Smearing it over our gear, including our goggles, which gave everything a softer, more unfocussed cast, we were at least temporarily protected. Though I’m tempted to take the goggles off and let Ether Healing do its work. No, too risky…

“So, I get the feeling this isn’t going to be a case of Hyacinth just filling the interior with spores and us walking away with the boss loot drops.” I said sarcastically. The yawning entrance to the hill beckoned us in, an archway that was probably once carved with many beautiful works of art now weathered and cracked, mushrooms and slimy fronds sprouting from the gaps, hanging down like curtains.

“No, I suppose not-not.” Shaeula agreed. “Still, other than a few survivors, the Myconids are finished. Other than whatever lurks within.” Her eyes glowed bright behind her smeared mask. “I can sense a strong presence, rivalling my father. I… well, I admit to being concerned.”

“Yeah. I’m getting cold feet myself. I’m even wondering if it might be wise to speak to Shaeraggo, get some reinforcements. Even make some gear for Ulfuric. But…” I shook my head at the ominous presence. “… so long as the Myconid within relies on his spores and contagions rather than power, we’ll win. Ixitt, you have the most important task. I want our line of retreat open at all times.”

“I shall be ready.” He patted the numerous crates, sacks and boxes. “We have prepared as well as we could have. I am confident that at worst we can safely escape.”

“Grul wants to destroy strong opponents, but Grul admits, what lies within feels strong. Like Duke Formor. But running from the fight will not serve you.” He shook his massive head, a sizzling snow of seeds and spores accumulating on his greased shoulders, emitting faint steam. “If this is your limit, you will never rule, princess.”

“Indeed.” Shaeula was shaking slightly, but even so, her eyes were resolute. “I am not-not a cowardly young female alone any longer. I have you all at my side. Besides, I must-must simply try out the arts Ulfuric has been teaching me. Using them on the worthless mushrooms who have fallen before us is no-no test at all.”

“Let’s go then.” I didn’t want to spoil the moment, so I stepped forwards. The pressure was suddenly more intense, aether being pulled from me, my body feeling sluggish. Still, I resisted, focusing on my chakra network, boiling my energies within, and I pushed through, sliding through into the dark cave, lit only by phosphorescent glows from the fungi dotted everywhere, dull green and purple.

“Still no barrier. Not that we wouldn’t be able to break it, given time.” I observed. “But the Territory is thicker here, denser. Probably pushing Rank 4, if I had to guess?”

Shaeula nodded. “It is quite-quite draining. We can ill afford a protracted battle here. Ixitt and Hyacinth will not-not be able to withstand this force for long.”

“I am fine mistress, dooo not worry abooout me!” She declared stoutly. “Where master and mistress gooo, I shall be behind them.”

Ixitt merely bobbed his head, already struggling. Luckily his battle prowess wasn’t essential to us, and most of his use was in his supplies. Grulgor was also slower than usual, but even so, as we marched through the straight corridor deeper into the hill, the air choked with spores, our breaths rasping through the masks we wore, we steeled ourselves for what was ahead.

“Do you hear that-that?” Shaeula asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah. Sounds like the trickling of water. Makes sense, as it is a spring, right?”

“The most beautiful amongst all the Seelie Court.” Ixitt lamented. “Though you would never know it now.”

“Hush. I hear-hear something else.” Shaeula growled, and we stilled. Yes. Like breathing. A booming, cavernous breath.

“Well, there’s no way that whoever dwells down in these depths doesn’t know we are here. The amount of Alert Spores flying about must have been crazy.” I declared boldly, grasping at my confidence. “Come on. We may as well see what we face. Who knows.” I shrugged. “Maybe we can even negotiate the return of the Spring. We’ve shown we are more than capable and ruthless enough to threaten the Myconids as a whole.”

“That would be pleasant.” Shaeula muttered as we came ever-closer to the end of the corridor, a silvery glow streaming through the thick fog of spores, forming pretty beams of light. “Still, I do not-not believe we are that fortunate.”

“No, probably not.” I agreed, stepping out into the hollow hill that housed the Spring of Clear Reflections. Wow. Incredible. Even now. I subconsciously imitated my sister, as the sight within stole my breath. The hollow hill towered into the sky, and the walls were white stone, filled with shining crystals of emerald and sapphire. Even the filth and fungus smearing the walls could not obscure the full beauty of it. Light was streaming in from the hole in the mound, reflected from the crowning monoliths, creating a series of dazzling beams that shone silver, blue, green, purple and more colours. They were all focussed down to the centre, where a large lake was sitting, stagnant. It was then the beauty faded.

Disgusting. What was likely a pristine lake and spring was now choked with reed-like toadstools, black and purple caps releasing the constant slurry of acidic spores that plagued the hill. The water itself was now black with toxic sludge, and if it wasn’t for the filters on our masks the odour would likely have been intolerable. The watery sound we could hear was likely the spring flowing into the lake from below, sending gentle ripples along the surface, but instead of a beautiful mirror reflecting the light from above, the waves seemed to devour the light, only gloom remaining.

And amidst the lake, that light… towered something. Something grotesque, bloated, something that my mind wanted to reject. It was a Myconid, at least it must have been. A twenty-metre tall stalk-like body, though dozens, hundreds of faces were peering out from the poisonous yellow flesh, virulent caps twitching and drooling acids and spores. A dozen frond-like arms were dangling like roots, greedily sucking up the pestilent waters of the lake, and the head… it was a mushroom cap, true, but it was a dull grey, reflective, and caved in at the top, many of the beams of light from above being swallowed by the dark void that dwelt within, a deep purple that lacked all majesty, and only looked like decay.

“By the moon… that is an abomination.” Shaeula gasped, and I could hear Ixitt also swearing. Hyacinth merely stared at it, unblinking, and Grulgor rumbled his disquiet. Me, I get the urge to swear too. What the fuck is that? My Eye shone amber, and I attempted to analyse it, but as I was doing so, a vicious, fanged mouth split open in the huge stalk-like body of the beast, each fang a huge, venom-dripping thorn, capped with a toadstool head, spotted with white and red. Eyes stared at us from his teeth, yellow and white, filled with madness, and it was only my Determination and Resilience that kept me from screaming, running away. My hand crept out, and I seized Shaeula’s, seeking her reassurance.

“An abomination?” the creature spoke, his voice booming within the confines of the hill, his breath accompanied by a tide of toxic spores, the walls smoking where they landed. “Such arrogance. Who are you to judge I?” The mouth chewed over that. “You come into my world, trailing in the blood of my puppets, and call I thus? You Fae were ever arrogant. It shall be your undoing. Now pay proper respect before I, Myrcolaxriath the Ever-Present, once Duke of the Unseelie Court of Pandemonium, now Inheritor of All Lands, the Spreading Death, the Harbinger of the End of False Life. All Shall be I, and I shall be all!”