Weapons of Mass Destruction

Chapter 446: Can you promise?

The question I have is how the spear compares to voidsteel and weapons made of it? Maybe voidsteel is a better option for physical threats and this will turn out to be a better option for mana based threats.

I also feel just the tiniest bit cheated. Yes, in the moment of naivety, I had hoped for an arcane item because of the base I used. But damn, that's kind of dumb, I still have trouble understanding the damaged arcane items I already have so I clearly should have checked my expectations. Just the fact that it's an upper epic item, even accounting for my rushed preparations and janky methods, should be enough for me.

I need to make a few hundred more of them after all of this is over. The system will probably limit me somehow, because of course it will, but I should be able to get a good number of shards out of it.

Tess seems to be liking it and as she reads the description I know she’s thinking along the same lines as me. This could easily be turned into a weapon of mutual destruction against the Champion. Just overcharging it or break on impact would be enough.

That silly blonde doesn't even ask and does some [Declaration] thingy and after that, she moves the spear around her, testing its weight and feel.

Well, I don't entirely mind anyways, I picked this shape specifically for her.

I turn my attention to the remaining forms and charge my thermal energy again.

The process goes much the same as before but knowing the melting temperature and process from before speeds the process along and soon enough we have both items completed.

It likely cost me most of the mana, converted to thermal energy, that I’ve gained from my beatings. Though I do wind up with two more spears. One for Min-Jae and another for me to examine.

I still am not fully satisfied with the result because of one glaring mistake. The blades are made of glass that is probably tough but I don't think it's indestructible and if it breaks or absorbs too much mana it could end up being a danger to its wielder.

Well, we here in group 4 like to live dangerously, but even with such a glaring flaw the items do qualify as upper epic. I really need to take as much as we can later.

As I'm examining my weapon Min-Jae moves closer, he glances at the spear, twin to the one in his hand, and then at me.

“Doesn't this entire situation remind you of something?” he asks me.

“The tunnels under the old capital on the 4th floor?”

“Yes, exactly that.”

“Maybe a little bit,” I agree with him, but with a part of my mind, I start making small changes to inscriptions while repairing the ones that broke during the “crafting” process.

“It's weird to see how differently we’re handling things now,” Min-Jae continues. To me, he sounds a bit proud of the progress. “Back then these days in darkness would have been terrible and I remember how scared I was. I'm scared now too, but at the same time, I feel more confident.”

I pause my work for a moment, “How do you think things would have gone if we had gone through the old capital with our current levels?”

“We would have probably burned the tree to the ground.” He smirks confidently.

I feel amused by his answer and tell him, “I think you would die.”

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He stares at me, unblinking and I see how he squeezes the spear in his hand so I explain, “You think that just because you’re stronger now you’d have a much easier time on earlier floors and that’s partially true. You could find an easy way to clear the floor quest with your current powers. But on each floor, we went through something fucked up and our decisions made it more difficult than was necessary.”

Finishing up my adjustments to the spear’s inscriptions I turn to face him, “I know hundreds of people who would have wiped the floor with me on the second floor. From the second floor, The Last King and his warrior supported by that healing aura would cause me trouble even now. The First One, The Matriarch, The Living Tree would be fully capable of killing me if I got unlucky or they got the drop on me. Even on the 5th floor, there are enemies I still know could kill me, that I would need to put my life on the line just to have a chance of defeating them.”

Min-Jae quietly asks, “Don't you hate it?”

“A little, but more than that I love it. Any time I start to think I'm at the top and there is nowhere to go, someone jumps out from behind a corner to fuck me and climb over me.”

“You may be weird but everything you say seems to have this twisted logic to it.”

“I know, right? Was there something else you wanted?”

“You’ve probably noticed but people are starting to act weird, especially Tess and Sophie. Izzy’s noticed as well, you should talk to her. I…”

“It will be fine.”

“Will it, Nat?”

“Yes, because I'm here.”

“Nat… I think you’re being affected as well.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed.”

Instead of heading to Izzy right away, I spend a few more hours examining the spear I just made. I find it even more fascinating than I should and spend these hours tinkering with my inscriptions. I shape them so that I can channel mana into the spearhead and increase the cutting force of the weapon.

Every time I do I feel the glass blade start to shake as if the sand it's made of wants to break free and attack everything in the area, only its solid form preventing it from doing so.

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It's almost like ethercrystal. Specifically the sword I had on the 4th floor. Its blade absorbed mana from anything it cut and used it to strengthen my body.

It's not exactly the same effect but it is similar enough to make me wonder if the white sand hasn’t been made from ground crystals with similar properties, but that sounds crazy. There is so much of it here.

Sophie said something even crazier too, that each grain of sand was a separate construct, every single damned grain of sand has its “own will”, or programming.

For the next few hours, I examine the tiny grain of sand I still hold within my body, trying to uncover its secrets. I only stop when the fighting starts and head towards the source of the racket, curiosity getting the best of me.

A wave of not monsters, but passengers, members of our small alliance, have begun to attack our group, targeting those they see as the weaker individuals like Izzy and the boys. Their motivation seems to be blackmail and I watch as 50 or so passengers rush into our group of 20-30 members.

For some reason, Tess is not here.

Izzy defends herself with her flames, many of the attacks concentrating on her while the others rush to her aid.

Before the fight can even truly start, dozens of attackers just stop, frozen mid movement before they turn their weapons on themselves.

One woman stabs at her chest over and over with a short dagger. A thylarin concentrates his mana into a skill before jumping into the attackers, causing an explosion mid melee. A vyssari literally pulls his head off.

But they do not call off the attack, seeing dozens of their comrades die like that only seems to galvanize them as they locate the source and turn on Sophie.

Everyone from group 4 is clearly way above them so the attackers are being cut down before they can cause much trouble, but I also catch a sight of Famir. The Dawnslayer man who clearly has a concentration skill. His level is lower than that of the two thylarin brothers or Heryd, but he still seems extremely competent.

From him I spot clear signs of a domain type skill as well, it seems to mess with the skill activation of others or something of the like. The man weaves through the assailants with a calm and emotionless expression, destroying anyone in his way with a series of simple and powerful strikes.

Dravos and Drekar try to use the opportunity to escape but Sophie breaks their teleportation and Min-Jae shoots a few orbs through the duo´s legs, preventing them from running. He shouts something at them as they try to stand up and their bodies crumble under the immense gravity of his skill.

The expressions they give Min-Jae are hateful. Gone is their playful nature, they even appear to be more affected than some of the others.

None of the attackers get spared and the fight ends in a decisive win. But even that win came at the cost of ever decreasing mana reserves and a flood of monsters I can already feel beginning to occupy the area.

I wait for a bit longer and then teleport to Izzy as she separates from the group walking back into our room which still has plenty of defenses protecting it. Teleporting there through my anchor I find her sitting on the ground with Noodle coiled around her.

The pearl-white snake with emerald eyes isn't currently small enough to be tied around her arm, no he is massive, enough so to almost make Izzy disappear beneath him.

It isn't threatening Izzy in the least. In fact, Noodle’s head is gently supporting Izzy´s cheek while the 11y old girl sobs inconsolably.

“Hello, Dumbthaniel,” she says, her voice sounding weak even as she forces herself to stop crying and turns her wet eyes to me.

“Hello, Izzy. Rough day?” I ask, moving in closer as Noodle shifts, halving his size so that I can plop down on the ground next to her.

“It's terrible, experiencing all these emotions. I can't bear to feel them.”

“Can't you filter them out?” I ask curiously.

“I can't. He did something.”

“The Champion?”

“Yes, everyone's emotions are amplified. Passengers, monsters, by a lot. Sophie’s and Tess’s the most. Yours too. I tried to help. I tried to reduce them for us but it hurts.” she wipes her eyes into a sleeve and hugs Noodle’s head.

“So stop.”

“I can't, it’ll get even worse.”

“No, Izzy, I mean it. Stop.”

“I…”

“Just trust me.”

“Tess will…”

“I know. Don't worry, I’ll make sure it works out.”

“She’s…”

“I know,” I repeat, reaching down to caress her head. She’s not my ESM but it feels nice so I add a pinch of her nose, “Tess deserves some of it anyways, and I think it will help her. I think It's cute how you try to act all adult-like and responsible, but let us dumb adults deal with things for once.”

Wordlessly she stares at me and I let her connect to my feelings without any defense.

“W-will it really be ok, Nat? Can you promise?” her hands are still shaking and I can see the desperation in her eyes.

“I’ll tell you what I told you back on the 4th floor. I can't promise, but I will do my best.”

“You’re still so dumb…” she sobs.

“I hear that a lot.”

Tess returns an hour later. She comes to the room where group 4 is, smiling brightly all the while. The spear I made, floating behind her along with several endurium javelins.

Her crown is dimmer than before and there are a score of wounds criss crossing her body.

She’s missing a finger. A piece of flesh is torn away as she removes a bit of sticky web from her body. She breathes heavily, her limbs have been damaged by some attack or other.

At first, everyone acts normally as she lets us tell her about everything that’s happened. She listens calmly and nods, asking questions of her own and adding her thoughts and adjusts a bunch of organizational stuff.

I watch the conversation continue until Sophie asks where she’s been.

For the first time, Tess seems to be confused and falls into silence.

“I don't know,” she answers honestly, the answer seeming to surprise her as well. “But it doesn't matter. In a few hours, we’re going out to explore the other two tunnels leading into the platform where the Champion’s been trapped. There might be something useful or another exit. Maybe we’ll even find a tunnel long enough to avoid the storm and…”

“What the fuck do you mean, Tess! It's dangerous, we’re not going out on some fucked up expedition!” Sophie stands up, screaming. Her mental abilities activate almost without her knowing.

A feeling of fear washes over us, the barest touch on the mind. An ability capable of making a person do horrible things against their will.

Tess seems confused and opens her mouth to say something but I interrupt her. “We’re going.”

The blonde's expression quickly changes and she smiles. “Thanks, Nat.” she then turns to Sophie, “I'm sorry if I did something you dislike. We can talk about it...”

As she speaks I send a message to Sophie, through her web, (Just follow through for now. I will make sure nothing happens to Izzy.)

I notice her clenching her teeth but she still doesn't complain.

I’ve already decided to use this situation to my advantage, there’s no need to interfere yet. I just need to let things happen and poke them in the direction I want.

Still, it's obvious where Tess was and who she talked to, and sooner or later I’m going to need to have another talk with that guy.