Published at 16th of February 2024 2:24 pm

Chapter 44. Voidborne

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The party used mana and stamina recovery brews to recover. Nox gave everyone a diluted version of his empowering cocktail. He worried they’d struggle to deal with the concentrated version’s toxicity. Caitlin had suffered burns and used her wood elementals’ magic to accelerate healing. Lillin had also suffered a few lacerations. She shed the injured flesh and replaced it with biomass from her evergrowing storage. The rest of the party had survived relatively unharmed.

“I’ve never read about creatures like those,” Nox commented as the party briefly rested. The constant casting had drained everyone’s mental strength. “Intermediate Dungeon Theory needs to include them in its syllabus. Those things flimsy but terrifying.”

“They should be long extinct,” Caitlin said. “Apparently, the Arachne were on their last legs and turning feral when Grandmother and her father encountered them. War parted them from their master and trapped them in a dying world. They had long lost their original forms and cannibalized human corpses to house their consciousnesses.”

“Wasn’t their world dying because of a Void Lord?” Alexander asked. He appeared more drained than others. Resummoning squirrels and commanding several squads of them had severely drained him.

“Oth, Devourer of Worlds.” Caitlin nodded. “If its traces of him Lillin detected, we’re as good as dead. Oth’s eyes turn all who look into them mad. Then his minions feed on what’s left while leaving the life essence for him to absorb.”

“Wouldn’t the rift’s danger level be much higher than yellow-green if we were dealing with Oth?” Caitlin’s right eye twitched when her brother spoke. “It’s more likely a minion. Could it be commanding the Arachne?”

“Unlikely. They were probably the last of their kind and original residents of this dimension.”

“Either way, we need to carry on and investigate,” Nox stated. “It's too early for us to turn back now. If we encounter something beyond our capabilities, Lillin and I will cover the rear so the rest of you can retreat.”

“Niddhogg’s taint, Nox,” Caitlin swore. “What’s wrong with you? Why the blight are you so suicidal?” She sighed, shaking her head. “You lot are right. We need to destroy the dimension’s rulers and close the rift. There is no retreat.” While the others prepared to move on, she approached Nox and spoke with her volume lowered. “Just ensure nothing happens to Alexander, alright? He can’t die.”

“Of course. I won’t let anything happen to my brother.”

“You don’t get it. It's more than that. Alexander is more than an ordinary summoner. Grandmother claims he has the potential to ascend to druidhood someday. He needs to survive for Ygg’s sake.”

“Dean Woodson is rearing him to take her place when she’s gone?” Nox whispered.

Caitlin nodded. “We’re trying to ensure she’s not the last druid. Alexander doesn’t know, and we need to keep it that way. He’s much too foolhardy, though.”

“I get it. Thanks for telling me, Caitlin. I understand your hesitation. We’ll do whatever is necessary to keep Alexander alive.”

“Thank you.”

The party moved deeper into the structure, following the trail left behind by the Arachne horde. They once again encountered vertical drops, forcing them into vulnerable positions while traversing. Alexander’s squirrels continued to scout but failed to find further signs of life. Meanwhile, Lillin’s senses guided them closer toward an eerie presence below them.

It didn’t take long for them to encounter more Arachne. Smaller groups of them emerged from cracks and crevasses, attempting to catch the party off guard. They often flanked the group or came at them from the rear during descents or in tight corridors. Alexander’s squirrels proved invaluable. The party often waited at strategically advantageous locations, forcing the creatures into bottlenecks and using the environment to their advantage. Specimens stronger and more durable than the scaled asura emerged before long. However, they were significantly dumber and, therefore, reasonably easy to kill. Parties more focused on defense or debilitating foes would probably struggle against the creatures since they relied on attrition for victory. The party pushed through them with overwhelming force.

Nox had to use Trap Foam several times, blocking off side tunnels or the path behind them. Traping or delaying the creatures made more sense than fighting them when the environment gave them the advantage. At times, he missed Ernest’s sound judgment. He had more experience as a delver and often handed out sage advice that made the party’s life easier. Now, Nox felt the burden on his shoulders alone. Caitlin almost had as much experience as him but focused all her efforts on defending the party. She only highlighted the holes in Nox’s plans. It wasn’t malicious. Instead, it helped them prepare for the worst-case scenario or cover blindspots.

After two hours of exploration and combat, the party stopped for another rest. Unfortunately, they didn’t get a long enough break. Rapid scuttling echoed through the caverns. The sound told them a new foe had emerged. The clicking of joints and scraping of hardened nails on crystal heralded the Arachne horde. Meanwhile, the unique sound reminded Nox of the southern coast’s giant crabs exploring the rocky seafront.

The illuminated crystals darkened as the new foe approached. The Woodson siblings stiffened and paled. “My elementals don’t like this one bit,” Caitlin said.

“The same goes for the squirrels,” Alexander added.

Six-legged chitinous beasts scurried out of the tunnels. Their size ranged from regular house cats all the way to war horses. Crab-like clawed arms grew from their triple-segmented torsos; some specimens had long, barbed stingers. Their compound eyes caught the party’s light, looking like polished mirrors of solid black. Worst of all, an unnerving chill followed them. The impossibly frigid realm felt even colder.

A solid white arrow burst from Ratra’s Bow. Three hallows surrounded the projectile as it ripped past the party’s vanguard and into the approaching monsters. The arrowhead cleanly pierced the first three foes it struck, and the rings sliced all surrounding biomass into tidy pieces. Then, the arrow hit a humanoid entity made of hard, coiled flesh. It shattered into countless pieces, showering the surrounding creatures with shrapnel. Unfortunately, only a couple of them fell.

Meanwhile, the black coating softened and glistened for a moment. Chunks fell free, burned, and squirmed for a moment before melting. The black solidified again, looking harder and denser than before.

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Subsequent projectiles did even less damage to the creature and more stumbled into the right among the scuttlers. Nox’s heart pounded in his chest as he failed to do enough damage. Alexander’s squirrels were useless against the creatures. Meanwhile, the vanguard struggled to put up a defense. The monsters were far too fast and coordinated for Lillin to mow through them. Their bites and attacks did more damage to Caitlin’s armor than Nox expected. He guessed Void essence lined the claws and stingers. The situation felt hopeless. Nox was about to order a retreat when Joey surprised all of them.

Fuschia flames washed over Lillin and Caitlin, leaving them primarily unharmed. However, the Voidborne screeched when the conjuration touched them. The fire stuck to their chitin, melting it and spreading when they bumped into each other. Suddenly, Joey materialized in their midst. He launched a concentrated blast into the twisted humanoid, and more of the black melted away. Meanwhile, the spearhead darted around him, ripping through the heads of any that ignored the flames and targeted him.

A pale, aged human face emerged when enough dark flesh receded. It resembled the wildfolk from the Arctic Wastes in the distant north. Nox only got to study the features for a short time. Joey drew his new weapon and extended it to the spear form in a single smooth swing. Then he thrust it into his opponent’s face. The black flesh crawled off the man, revealing an old, frail body. The countless pieces moved like agile slugs, charging at Joey. He drove them back with a burst of thick fae fire before disappearing into thin air. He reappeared behind Caitlin a moment later, panting heavily and covered in sweat.

“Close your eyes!” Nox yelled, drawing a rune-covered white essence glass sphere out of his pocket. His Artisan's Arm threw it with greater strength and accuracy than Nox's normal limbs could ever master, and Essence Master triggered the spell script.

The flash that followed was so bright Nox could see it through his closed eyelids. Deafening screeches filled the tunnel, making the giant crystalline structure tremble. He had to blink away spots for several seconds after the brightness faded. Most of the Voidborne lay immobile, covered in white and pink flames. The black chitin had melted away, revealing ugly purple and grey flesh underneath.

Only a trio of humanoid beasts remained upright and mobile. Unlike the first specimen they defeated, the black coating appeared wet, soft, and squirming. The surrounding light helped Nox get a better look at the creatures. Some dislodged from the body and curled into tight spiraling rings as they fell.

“They're leeches,” Nox commented, his face contortions in disgust. “The lich queen. These things fit the description of her strongest minions.”

The historical records spoke of two types of undead in her army. The first, weaker variety were half-alive bodies controlled by the giant leeches in their chest. The other wore the leeches like armor. The second variant was significantly more robust, agile, and innovative. Historians didn't link the lich queen's magic or minions to the Void. However, Nox's keen mana sense recognized the familiar Void essence. It resided in each individual leech and the accompanying chitinous beasts.

Smaller leeches assisted their larger compatriots by suffocating the flames. They died as a result, but the colony lived on. The black masses twisted around each other, forming hardened coils. The form reminded Nox of flayed bodies used to train medical mages, surgeons, and other healers. Then, the leeches' external layers set. The resulting humanoid appeared more petite and slender. They appeared weaker. Yet Nox struggled to put them down as they charged. The lack of bulk made them faster and more flexible.

Caitlin had replaced her wood spear with a hammer. The shorter reach made the weapon easier to use in the narrow passageway. She attempted blocking with her shield and clobbering as the creatures recoiled. Unfortunately, the new flexible limbs folded naturally to absorb attacks and then extended, slipping through her guard. The fingers coiled into long, twisted spikes and stabbed at her joints.

Another leech person lunged at Caitlin’s blind spot, but Lillin jumped between them before they could make contact. Despite the effects of Haste and her gravity orbs’ ability to imbalance foes, she struggled to land a clean bow. Her opponent danced, bent, and wove out of the way. In fact, her magic—armor included—flickered whenever it got within an inch of the body.

Sniper’s Eye enhanced Nox’s eye, giving him a better view of the ongoing skirmishes. It was subtle, but Caitlin’s armor discolored and cracked wherever the leech-covered body touched her. The beasts appeared to get faster as the fights continued, but that wasn’t the case. The Void Essence distorted and destabilized all magic that it touched.

Unfortunately, Joey’s attempts to assist them at close range failed. The last remaining humanoid raced past the vanguard, forcing him to engage with Djinn Fire melded with Fae Fire. He didn’t get sufficient time to cover his opponent in fuschia flames. Instead, he wrapped his arms in them and swung at his opponent, occasionally launching fiery tongues. Joey only managed to graze his opponents, shaving flesh off the leeches.

“Damned draugr,” Alexander hissed.

Neither he nor Nox got the time to help them as more Voidborne flooded the tunnel. They used their magic to keep the monsters at bay, ensuring they didn‘t reach the vanguard or Joey and overwhelm them. Repositioning to get better angles kept the Aritsan’s Arm busy. Nox needed it to hold on to the wall as he stood on a narrow, elevated outcropping. The position allowed him to fire empowered arrows over Caitlin and Lillin’s heads without worrying about hurting them.

“Alexander, leave attacking to me,” he said, panting. The mental strain of Finesse Shaping and Live Spell Weaving left his temples throbbing. Meanwhile, Ratra’s Bow had grown to its more advanced state, sapping his mana significantly with every shot. “Get me your fastest and smartest squirrels.”

“What are you thinking?” Alexander asked, summoning twelve. The act left him pale, panting, and relying on the wall for support. Nox appreciated that the Woodson man wasted no time despite his doubts. He respected the ‘act first, ask questions later’ attitude.

Nox stopped firing momentarily and emptied his satchel of all but one of his light-essence spheres. There were six. “One for each draugr. Have them carry the rest into the horde and their entry tunnels.”

“How will they trigger it?”

“A lightning spark and light mana infusion will suffice.”

The squirrels jumped into action straight away. They disappeared into the enemy horde. The empty-handed squirrels accompanied the critters heading to the connecting tunnels. Nox kept the foe's attention while Joey and the vanguard continued their fight. All three mages had slowed significantly over the past handful of seconds.

Cuts covered Joey’s arm and torso. He appeared more reliant on the djinn container than his martial ability to avoid the draugr’s accurate attacks. Nox guessed Lillin would’ve long perished without the excess biomass reinforcing her flesh and bones. Her lacerations only appeared skin deep but exposed the pulsating biomass underneath. Caitlin seemed in significantly better shape when compared to her opponent, but the state of her armor suggested her defense wouldn’t last long.

“Ready,” Alexander said a moment later.

“Eyes!” Nox yelled. He gestured for Alexander to count down from five before signaling the go-ahead.

The flash that followed was so powerful it flooded the crystalline structure, surrounding the party and their foe in blinding white. Nox couldn’t just see the glow through his closed eyelids but also got a headache because of the brightness. Screeches and cries followed. The sound shook the structure. If not for the Artisan’s Arm gripping the wall, Nox would’ve fallen from his narrow perch.

White flames covered the Voidborne when he opened his eyes. The draugr had fallen, and their leeches were no more. A solitary chitin-covered beast stood in the rear. It was larger and sleeker than the rest. The head was enormous, and the eyes glowed with an otherworldly violet shade. The light essence had melted most of its armor away. It struggled to stand upright and swayed on its six legs.

“That’s the source of the emptiness,” Lillin said. She sat like a fog in front of a pallid, hairless corpse. No leeches remained in front of her.

A final arrow made of white essence glass ended the battle. It destroyed the monster’s head and shredded its body. Then, Nox, too, collapsed, feeling worn out.

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