Genuinely hoping we jump inside the wurm's mouth and Kool Aid Man our way out of its chest, Xenomorph style. Maybe soaking in its heart's blood will let our Accretion pull a Siegfried.
Best to cut to the heart of the problem and remove the wurm-beast. The sheer scale of its battle with the giant was sufficient to cause collateral damage for every minute that it proceeded unnecessarily. He took stock of the implements available to him as he prepared to move.
There was the Blade of the Tyrant's Forebear. It had broken alongside him in the process of delivering his final blow to the its first wielder's progeny. Had that been simple overexertion or evidence of a deeper connection? It hardly mattered now. When he'd abducted the Blade from the Tyrant's catacombs it had bonded to him fully, had leapt to his hand from the crypt, fierce and eager in its willingness to serve, the vigor of a weapon suffering dire neglect...
Huh. While I knew that we had an Accreted Rank as the bond transformed us, I hadn't realised it would change those we bond with as well. We're getting more pieces of the story; a deposed Tyrant whose son arises again to carry on his work. Can Accreted Rank pass down through generations? Or did his blood relation to the Tyrant just let him more easily take up the mantle? I'd have thought he'd have taken up his father's(?) sword in that case, especially if it proved so key to the hero's victory. Might shed a new light on Rihaku's comment re: the noble's response to the veil of ignorance test. I thought that was self-serving bullshit but if their station actually changes their magic and its mythic role, that would be more reasonable than I would have initially assumed.
Still bastards though.
As a sidenote, I'm curious how things would have changed if we'd ended up with one of the Seals options rather than Luna. Would our sword still be stolen? Or would we have received it from some other storied predecessor?
It had never betrayed him across years of insurgency. In time they had become a single being, their story a single legend, the hero true and Sword That Was Stolen, of disparate origin but as thick as thieves.
In truth it was inaccurate to think of them as separate entities. The sword was a part of him like his liver or heart, and just as essential to the hero's function. Before his infusion of Accursed power it had slumbered comatose, form and purpose shattered as he had been. All that remained of the bastard sword's blade was a jagged shard about a foot in length, but the Accursed's infusion of power had reached it as it had reached every other part of his self. The broken Blade had quickened once more, its mere presence imparting him with an echo of the Forebear's storied might, the power of Ruin suffusing his every strike.
Wow, really hammering home just how fucked up the hero was. If my liver was shredded like the sword was shattered, I'm 80% I'd be very dead. Was he just carting around this busted blade during his retirement? Now that its been made whole again, I really hope we can give it a new name. I know we've got the Doom of the Tyrant and all but there's no need to lean into it
that hard, not when we have alternatives. Hopefully the power of Ruin, whatever that is, will let it act as more than a splinter vs. the kaiju we're about to sword.
But that was not the only artifact touched by the Accursed's spark. There on his hand was the ring Hunger, a band of black mythril surmounted by crimson, the final memento of his journey and the only one stolen from the Tyrant's corpse. Rumor abounded that the ring was the source of the Tyrant's martial gift, but in his hands it had only been a powerless token. Now it had awakened, bound to him by Accursed investiture and fused indestructibly to his index finger.
It impelled him towards action, towards greatness, the fulfillment of his human potential; prodded him to embrace the joys and sorrows of life fearlessly and without regret. So too was the ability it imparted: the hero's capacity to advance via personal training would be greatly diminished, but any form of conflict or genuine endeavor would grant power tenfold.
A shame his armor had been stolen from him in the hours leading up to his assassination. But the Forebear's Blade granted resilience enough.
Huh, I didn't realise the ring was something we'd looted from the Tyrant's corpse. I gotta wonder how that went down. Did he just snatch it right in front of his wife's cooling corpse, so desperate for more strength in those last few moments of the confrontation after he'd burned everything else? So, heh, hungry for the thing that had made him the Overlord's lesser? I imagine if all my friends sacrificed themselves for me because I wasn't strong enough, I'd seize the thing responsible no matter the cost. Imagine the crushing disappointment when it it turned out to be useless and how even if it worked, it still wouldn't bring back the dead. That would certainly fit with the catatonia.
Kind of spooky that both the items we grabbed were part of the Tyrant's myth or panoply. Would that have held true for the Talon too? If so, no wonder this guy could rise to power when seemingly everyone hated him. Every time he fought, both him and his empire would only ever grow stronger. Better than the Scythe, as far as making bread from the bones of your enemies goes. Makes the loss of his companions even worse in hindsight since they'd almost certainly have ended up feeding the Tyrant's war machine.
And of course the nobles stole his armour too. Couldn't even leave him that much, huh. Couldn't take the risk that this ashen husk of a man might find some last resevoir of strength to oppose you. I really thought they would've just poisoned him, making the armour entirely pointless. Or maybe they just wanted to stop people from doing to it what the hero did to the Forebear's Blade. If you're willing to delve into the forbidden arts, breaking into a hero's grave is probably no big deal to you.
God, this guy's life is depressing. I fully support bringing some Nameless Justice to these fuckers.
He bounded forth, greenery whirling by as yards and miles disappeared beneath him, towards the city of white stone in which the colossi fought. The situation became clearer as he approached: the common folk of the city, better dressed and fed than those of the Tyrant's world, were fighting a desperate action against a horde of hyena beasts, which streamed like spilled blood from the dragon-jackal's wounds. The city was pervaded by them, creatures beyond number, and he drew his blade as he reached the walls, propelling himself with a crack of thunder through an open gate and into the fray.
Like a falling meteor he struck, the steady tide of beasts become a sea in tumult. The force of his impact rippled outwards, monsters hurled like stray droplets as the fight began in earnest.
There was no time to waste. He scythed though their ranks with brutal efficiency, carving a path to the progenitor dragon. Thirty stories it towered above them, blotting out sky and sun, its reddish-brown carapace mottled with scars. As creatures poured from a wound, the cut itself steadily shrank in size. Troubling.
Damn, our boy is a lot stronger than I thought he'd be. One hell of a dynamic entry too; can't wait for the crushing disappointment when people find out that their hero turned out to be an asshole. Probably no personal combat enhancement magics in this world, at least not at the level of the masses. Not when even the Sword version of our hero could take out the enemy's ground forces with a bit of magic, luck and tactical thought.
Good design on the dragon thing's part though, it's like a living Trojan horse. Lesser defenses against conventional siege are entirely useless against this thing since it'll just smash its body into your walls and rampage, not caring about wounds since it bleeds friendly units and can regenerate. I'm guessing its either a new design or there's more than enemy faction these guys have to face because otherwise they'd have switched up their defenses at least a little bit. Or maybe they just don't have the resources and are working with the best they've got.
Good to see this place isn't a totalitarian hellscape and that the people are reasonably prosperous, even if they face the occasional giant monster attack.
Nearly of a height with it was its opponent, a bio-mechanical giant armored in dark grey with accents of red. Hydraulics and ceramic plate spoke to a degree of sophistication that was absent from the city around them, but its overall appearance was disheveled, parts ill-fitting or in disrepair. Its head bore little resemblance to that of a human's; a fierce and angular thing with livid gold eyes, sporting an enormous maw filled with cruel, curving fangs.
But that was hardly its strangest feature. At the top of each arm where the shoulder would normally lie was another armored head, neckless as if in place of a pauldron, similar in structure down to the fanged maw. These had eyes of green; the rightmost face stared appraising down at him. As he watched, the giant attacked, pulling aside the dragon's arm to bite at its neck, shoulder-face tearing into the flesh of that arm as it came into range.
Getting a very "frontier" vibe from this place, between the monster attacks and the ramshackle mecha used to defend it. How much do you wanna bet that the pilot's an untrained farmboy who dreamed of being a mech-knight between shoveling shit and turned out to be the only one compatible? Either that or a summoned hero that people told to get in the fucking robot. I suppose a grizzled veteran who retired to the countryside with his ol' girl to live a quiet life only to be called back into service one last time is also possible.
That the pauldrons are also heads makes it seem like grappling might be standard operating procedure for these guys, which I suppose makes sense since you hardly want these things to rampage while in the middle of your city and they have neither the Geofront nor a Sentai team's impossibly good insurance. That could invalidate my theory that this is a new thing though. It might just be that someone fucked up and the monster was allowed in as a result where normally the fight would take place outside the city and the walls are just meant to hold off the minions while that happens.
It was probably this thing that had sparked his feeling of affinity, this devourer with three heads. Indeed he felt no hostility from it, though it hardly seemed overly solicitous.
Fuck me, are you saying this bargain bin Ravana looking motherfucking
doesn't seem friendly? Say it ain't so. I'd be low key sad if it turned out the affinity meant that we're drift compatible though because that might put a kibosh in our plans to 1v1 kaijus with a sword.
He had almost reached the place of their duel, its radius of devastation increasingly apparent, when he was stopped short by a bolt of phantasmal force.
"Another outlander! Can you help me evacuate these guys?" An inappropriately cheerful voice accosted him. The interloper was a woman in a finely-tailored dress, its gossamer material streaked with trails of blood and gore, though none of it appeared to be her own. Blue eyes, pale violet hair and distractingly beautiful, inhumanly so. The hackles of his suspicion rose. Some form of Fey? Her ears seemed normal enough, but that could be glamour.
She was leading a large convoy of civilians out from the epicenter, so likely not an enemy. Her bolts seemed to stun and disorient those beasts they struck. It could be a ruse, improbable as it seemed. He'd allow it, at least until the civilians crossed the boulevard, but would stay on guard.
"Hey there voters, it's me, ya girl."
Good to see some more hints about the hero's isekai adventure world* and even better to see them in the form of an old friend. Also, while the creatures aren't magic, it seems obvious that whatever connection they have to the monster is. That indicates something fucky is going on with the world though since that might make their disappearing act a normal thing by its laws. Unless that in itself is magic but that doesn't seem too likely to me.
*does our hero also hate Elves? How tragic we didn't take the Prosselarch-Gisena synergy, we'd have been one big happy isekai family.
"Fine," he assented. "Stay out of my way."
"So grumpy," she huffed, arriving at his side. "Wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?"
"Maybe I'm always rude."
She laughed airily. "A handsome knight like you? I don't believe it!"
He sighed. "Is now the time for this?"
"When better? We could die at any moment, you know. What, afraid you can't keep up?"
"Yes. So focus on the battle."
"Liar. You're even faster than me! So, where are you headed next? Going to attack that dragon? I could help..."
Finally the civilians were through. Tides of translucent force emanated from her, sweeping through the hyena-beasts emerging from the dragon. Where that magic passed, the creatures swayed and sat as if in a stupor.
While she's goofing and having fun, its clear to see she taking the situation pretty seriously, immediately switching from repartee to tactical coordination once it looked it their current task was about to be completed. Certainly better than doing the latter immediately and then sitting around in silence because they can't convey any meaningful information in that time that hadn't already been shown through demonstration. This builds camaraderie for one and eases tension besides.
Or maybe I'm just reading into it too much and our girl is just the second female Archbishop of Banterbury.
She seemed capable enough. "Yes. Come if you like."
"How forward! I knew you liked me after all."
"...Circle around to the far side. I'll hit it from the front."
The absolute savagery.
Nice to see our boy not simping for the first pretty face. Now if only we could say the same for the voters...
"As if you'd get rid of me that easily! If you get me to the head, I can bypass its healing. Then you finish it off?"
He grunted in assent. "Can you survive a fall? I could throw you into range, then sprint up the tail."
"A delicate flower like me? I'm not so acrobatic. Carry me?" She batted her eyelashes.
"Fine. Climb on."
"I'd prefer a princess carry, but this is fine too." She kipped up and hugged his neck, crossing slender legs against his stomach. He did his best to ignore the prominent sensation of her chest against his back. Her skin was milk-pale, no sun exposure, hands free of callous. Likely a life spent indoors, with servants for menial work.
Yet her speed and precision were above the level of ordinary humans. A product of her magic alone, rather than experience? No. She was composed in battle, suggesting some level of familiarity. Perhaps that selfsame magic reverted any changes to her form.
Maybe not so inured as he tried to seem. Love how he tried to steer the ogling into deduction about her nature and background, like he's fooling anyone. Don't worry bud, you're far from the worst dude we've had to pilot in this regard, we won't judge you. You actually managed to get useful intel from that staring for one. Moreover, you didn't mention her feet.
Interesting that the healing is a magical effect though, almost certainly confirms that this thing is some kind of weapon. Considering how they vanish, maybe its an artifical amalgamation of monster-stuff that the enemy then enhanced and sent it to battle? Or perhaps its a mage in its own right given how its directing these things in a hive mind through what's probably magic.
An ongoing magical effect too I just realised or wouldn't just cause a temporary disruption.
Once she was secure, he sprang forward, leaping up to land on the dragon's tail. From what he could recall, he'd never actually slain a dragon before. That would have been a memory worth saving.
I'd poke fun at his priorities but if I killed a dragon, that would be something I'd take to my deathbed, even as I forget my master password or how to not shit myself. Grampa may be getting on in the years but he can and will tell you the story of how he killed a dragon in truly
excruciating detail. There are some memories you just don't forget.
Plunging his blade into its side, he ran up its length, too quick for it to toss. Had its attention not been diverted by a renewed assault from its chief opponent, perhaps it could have dealt with him, but not in its current sorry state. Where his blade passed, flesh parted cleanly and sloughed to the side, up and across the whole of its spine until it came apart as if unzipped. The sorceress followed up with another wave of her magic, nullifying its regeneration.
No really comment here, I just love the imagery of a one armed swordsman running up a dragon's back while dragging a sword through its flesh and carrying a sorceress who's casting spells. The most kickass piggyback of in the history of this world. So very, very rad.
He attacked with savagery as they reached the head, blade-force projected into great thrusts and cleaving arcs to carve away at the dragon's skull. The sorceress shifted, holding her left arm against his collarbone to fire away with her outstretched right. Before long they had reached the brain. Crossed slashes cut it into quarters; a volley of bolts and it trembled, falling still.
The ring Hunger pulsed on his finger, a warm flood of power radiating outwards into his body, and through him the Forebear's Blade. The spoils of victory, progression so rapid it felt unfair. He would have to get used to that.
I suppose it would make sense that he'd interpret the power of XP and Progression through the lens of Accretion. Or did he just automatically add the points of the level up to his magic? That might be an interesting contrast to Seram's more controlled interface actually; if the bounty of his growth was greater but we didn't have the ability to distribute the harvest.
As a sidenote, I actually forgot about Hunger's other effects for a sec there. That would certainly explain his attitude towards. I imagine he'd be more of a bummer without it, less grumpy and more just sad. Glad we took it then, he deserves to have a bit of fun in his life.
"I hope this thing doesn't dissolve beneath us," he grumbled.
"It won't. The flesh itself is nonmagical, it was only infused with magic. Mostly its nervous system, which distributed the power as it was needed." She leapt down to inspect its wounds. "What an interesting specimen! It's a shame biology's not my forte."
"You're a scientist?"
"The very best!" She exclaimed, standing up to face him with a lecturing finger. "Lady Gisena Allria, Sorceress of Nullity and genius technologist, at your service!"
As Gisena said, interesting to hear that the magic acted more like electricity would in a conventional mecha. At least part of my theory is proven wrong here, that regeneration seems like an innate capacity of the monster rather than an external enchantment considering how it had a degree of control over the magic. The infusion comment through suggests that the entire thing was artifically made, the magic just added after the fact like fuel. No mention of any disappation from its body but then again its ridiculously huge and it only just died.
While I didn't think about it earlier during the action, I wonder why our boy didn't recognise Gisena? Was the Lesser Remittance vote a more meta thing, with the Accurssed instead just granting him the gifts involved?
"What do you think about that?" He pointed his chin at the humanoid abomination, which stared at them unblinkingly. Steam hissed out from a set of cylinders in its neck, a pillar of smoke to join the countless coiling upwards into the sky.
Huh. Turned out to be a Steampunk Mecha Fantasy Anime with some Gigerian characterics. Really would not have expected that. Disproportionate level of technology considering the surroundings though, really feeling the frontier vibe now.
The sense of affinity had grown with proximity, almost sharp now like an ache. He was certain. It was this thing - the monster itself, not any pilot or creature that resided within - that held that affinity to him, aligned across some inexpressible valence.
I'm not getting in the giant robot and you can't make me.
Here ends the live reaction, though I haven't read the thread yet. I think I'll try this a few more times before deciding between this and reading the update in full. Perhaps I should try the latter but without reading any of the thread's comments, just to see the difference.
[X] Luna Conquerer and [X] Cut Off the Head have won. With the abomination's help and Gisena's Nullity, the hero managed to slay the dragon and reap a bounty of strength.
Gisena Allria. She knows more than she lets on. Always suggesting, requesting or implying, never commanding directly. Does her power to nullify magic allow her to perceive the contours of the Tyrant's Doom? Instinct tells you that her powers could weaken your own, to a degree. Had she desired your death, she would have had numerous chances. That she hasn't taken one doesn't mean she's entirely trustworthy...
[ ] Trustworthy Enough - But the chance is low enough that you aren't terribly concerned. There are far more pressing matters in play. [Take 1 extra Selection below, +Gisena]
[ ] Keep Your Distance - You know too little at this juncture. Best to prepare countermeasures if you can. [Gain Null Resistance - Your magic can't be reduced below 30% by any source]
Very rough choice. Though I trust Gisena, Null Resistance is just so shiny. It would stop a repeat of what happened to Seram and being able to fight even while hit with her Ultimate could be really useful. That it functions against all forms of magic is really sweet too since this is an entirely novel world with capabillities unknown to us. The effects on our hero's character are worth noting too; I want him to be able to trust people and make friends with those he's fought beside, to find companionship again. That it ups our Gisena social link is just gravy and would probably lead to him being happier. Also, more power is always good.
What did the murdered dragon yield? Choose 2, or 3 with Trustworthy Enough.
[ ] Sword That Was Stolen - Thick As Thieves - The Forebear's cunning and force of personality. Highly likely to cause mental contamination. Can be taken multiple times. [+Charisma, +Intelligence, +Heartlessness]
Probably gonna end up picking this just for that sweet, sweet Heartless Might. Intelligence upgrades are rare so Rihaku being generous enough to give us potentially three is a row is a suspiciously great bargain, even with the mental side effects.
[ ] Forebear's Blade - Echo of the Forebear - Cloud-shadow of the Forebear's might. Legendary strength and speed, and the resilience to exert them. Can be taken multiple times. [+Might, +Agility]
Straightforward but no less powerful for it. Pairs well with anything.
[ ] Forebear's Blade - Fell-Handed Stroke - A devastating blow of unutterable magnificence from which no recovery is possible. A powerful, but draining strike that inflicts cursed wounds from which spirit and will leak as freely as blood. Resists healing.
A great trump card, could easily save our life if we're ever in deep shit. This is probably the option I want to get the most.
[ ] Hunger - Feast of Lives. The Ring Hunger brings unnatural vigor, staunching wounds and replenishing blood, but its true strength is evident only at the moment of triumph. Gain modest regeneration and improved health of the body. Briefly gain extreme regeneration upon defeating a non-trivial opponent. [2 picks]
*Your appetite quadruples and you become more carnivorous.
*So long as you feed this appetite well, reduce the Decimator's Affliction by .5% a year. Doesn't increase difficulty of future mitigations.
*Without a regular supply of animal-based foods, you will suffer increasing penalties to your bodily health, and increase the Decimator's Affliction by 2% a year.
*Healing's convenient to advance through battle. Life steal even more so!
Getting to Grim Reaper's Sprint our way through battle is really useful since it can reverse the disadvantages of being outnumbered by relevant opponents. That said, the change in appetite is problematic though since it likely ties us to society unless we want to waste a bunch of time hunting but Gisena means that's probably the case anyway. Probably not gonna get this one.
[ ] Hunger - Might's Repose. With every exertion comes a moment of repose; that is nature's proper order. Sleep and physical rest are not inconveniences to be pared away, but an inextricable part of life's rhythms. [2 picks]
*Like an Elder Wyrm of yore, the more you sleep, the more powerful you become.
*Sleeping at least 9 hours a day yields the following benefits: You become only stronger, wiser, and more glorious with age, never becoming infirm, as if the travails of aging themselves have an inverse effect on you. You gain a substantial bonus to physical attributes and a minor bonus to mental attributes for the day. You are immune to hostile effects that would tire or exhaust you or induce artificial sleep.
*You may sleep up to 90% of the time. When sleeping, you grow stronger with age at twice the normal rate.
*The strength of age is not the vigor of youth. It is stabler and more fearsome but less expressive, less joyful and innocent. It will not bring back what was lost, merely overwrite it with a power that in time will be far greater.
*Without extensive mitigation, those possessing the Affliction of Slumber cannot benefit from this.
24 hour sleep cycle, you awake you a fake. Since we're gonna be in this for the long haul, an effect that gives us free strength without needing to train or exert ourself is shockingly good, especially since Hunger reduces training benefits. Would be amazing if we can have these people provide transport to battlefields; a life of 90% sleeping, 5% eating and 5% battle. Would that even cost any willpower to do? Almost certainly wanna pick this one up.
[ ] Forebear's Blade - Unshattered. Turn your afflictions into strength. Your body is maimed, your blade broken; that does not mean you yourself are less than whole. Let the Broken Blade be the new complete form of the Forebear's weapon, a symbol of his dynasty shattered by your hand. Let your wounds be the battle-standard, tapestry of the sacrifices your journey demanded of you, forevermore a reminder of victory's cost. [3 picks]
*Helps the hero move on psychologically without reducing the relevance of his companions' sacrifices or his drive for vengeance.
*Massively increases your power level to about three-fourths of the hero's apex. [+Rank]
*Not his power three-fourths of the way through his journey, but three-fourths of the total strength at his height (not accounting for sacrificial techniques). It could take years to reach this level again.
*Power enough to bring ruin to high lords and kings with a single malediction, rout armies with a single strike, overwhelm and dismember horrid beasts out of myth. The cut of your blade is the end of sorcery; cities that oppose you are reduced to rubble, fortresses to ash. You outrace the thunderclap, or your words drown it out; stand against the flood or hurricane, and by majesty of spirit turn them away.
*Slows Accretion growth in the future as you cease to benefit from recovery boost. Further expends the To Shatter Heaven effect of the King's Scepter.
*You will remain forever maimed, and your blade forever broken, reducing its reach. In time you can develop capabilities to substitute for what you have lost.
*You're pretty sure the humanoid abomination is in a weakened state and its full power is vastly greater than even this.
I don't really care for this to be honest, though usually I love the broken blade aesthetic. Immediate power is useful and would let us capitalise on this our showing her a lot better but slowing our power growth isn't worth it, especially when the immediate power provided isn't even enough to fight a mecha on foot. Amazing to see the heights from which our boy has fallen.
In hindsight I'm glad Cut Off the Head won. Despite the suspiciousness of the Evangelion, we should start as we mean to go on and I mean to go on as an ABSOLUTE MADLAD.
[X] Trustworthy Enough
[X] Forebear's Blade - Fell-Handed Stroke
[X] Hunger - Might's Repose
Might's Respose serves as an attribute enhancement to empower our baseline level of strength while the Fell-Handed Stroke could prove as an invaluable trump card against opponents greater than ourselves, granting both the powerful physique and destructive breath of an Elder Wyrm with none of the downsides.
P.S. 2437 words.
