Chapter 39: Aftermath Excerpts from Bestiary of Xoth: Abomination Creatures Abominations are a special class of monster that is born from the corruption of a person's body or soul. These creatures are divided into three different classes: Natural Natural Abominations are those that are born due to natural causes. The most common ones are parasitic-based and biological fusions. Parasitic Abominations are born after a person is infected by certain parasite species. This parasite would take control of the person's mind and eventually transform the host's body to suit its needs. Fusion Abominations are created after a monster fuses itself to a person's body. Depending on the monster, the host could be alive or dead for the fusion to take place. Examples of Natural Abominations: Arachne, Parafiend, Carrion Hermit Crab, Squigler, Parasite Zombie Magical Magical Abominations are monsters created through either magical alteration or fusion. This type of magic is outlawed in most of Xoth, but that doesn't stop rogue mages from performing these kinds of spells on unwilling subjects. Altered Abominations are born from magic being used to change the person's form in order to create a monster. Fusion Abominations are created when a mage fuses a person with a monster. Examples of Magical Abominations: Undead Zombies, Corpse Slime, Lich, Chimera, Manticore, Mummies Cursed Cursed Abominations are very similar to Magical Abominations in that they require magic for the Abomination to be created. A curse is applied to a person which causes them to morph into a Cursed Abomination. The difference between a Cursed Abomination and a Magical Abomination is that a Cursed Abomination can be cured within a period of time before it becomes permanent. Examples of Cursed Abominations: Werewolves, Sentinel, Wraith, Vampire Thrall Excerpts from Thunder's Recommendations Report: ->Recognition of the Personhood of Xothicans Reason: Not just a moral issue, if we wish to ensure future cooperation and integration of Xothicans, every country in the world needs to recognize the personhood of Xothicans so they can benefit from all the rights and privileges that Humanity is given in our world. Delaying the recognition of the Xothican people, would only serve to disenfranchise Xothicans and only engender resentment towards Humanity. This would delay Humanity's ability to learn about the realm of magic and in turn stifle our own growth. ->Allow Xothicans to Join Global Defense Force Reason: Even with the advantages of our technology and battlefield doctrine, the possible unified military is going to start out with a disadvantage since our soldiers will start out at level one. Many Xothican soldiers and mages will have levels in the twenties or higher. Recruiting high level Xothicans into our unified defense force would enable our military to do more to protect our people and the Xothican people. Our military would also be able to learn more about Xoth's culture, politics and military. VVVVVV Green's Field Stadium, Mississippi Tom and the others teleported into the area. The size of the destruction was made immediately apparent to them. A large plume of smoke rose from a pile of debris that was once the stadium. Fire trucks were on scene trying to dose the flames that raged on top of the remains of the stadium. At least a dozen ambulances were in the area. It took little time for any of the police to notice the appearance of Tom's and Laura's teams. One of them ran up to them. The insignia on the officer's forearm denoted his rank of sergeant. He said to them, "What are you people doing here?" "We heard what happened here and we wanted to lend assistance," Laura replied. "We'll take all the help we can get." "My team and I can handle healing people," Tom said. "You can heal people?" "It is one of our abilities." "There's a tent over there." The officer pointed with his thumb towards a large gray tent with a few ambulances parked at them. "We are keeping people with non-life-threatening injuries there. Every person with life-threatening injuries were shipped off to local hospitals. If you can do anything, it would greatly help us." "My squad can help with search and rescue and clearing of rubble," Laura said. "I'll have you meet with the Fire Chief," the officer said. "Thunder, please do all you can for the injured here." "We will," Reia said. "I'll radio ahead and let the doctors know you're all come," he said. "Thank you, come on everyone, we have work to do," Tom said to his team. They briskly walked towards the large tent that the officer pointed towards. The police officer that stood in front of the tent looked on in shock at Tom's team approached. "Right in here," she said to them. Her voice was slightly shaky. Tom nodded and entered the tent. His team was overwhelmed by how many people were inside the tent. Some were sitting on chair holding bandages against their bloody bodies. Others had masks placed against their faces to breathe in oxygen. Everyone in the area looked up in their direction and were speechless. Only the couching from a few people in the area broke the silence. "Everyone split up into pairs and start healing," Tom ordered. "We have a lot of work ahead of us today." Tom went ahead on his own to start healing people. Tala and Vivian paired up and went to one side of the tent. Reia and Sylmae went to the other side. Tala and Vivian approached a pair of elderly woman with oxygen masks on. "H-Hello, ma'am," Tala greeted. "Ma'am." She gave them a slight bow. "We're here to heal you." The two women coughed into their masks but nodded to acknowledge Tala. Tala quickly looked at the woman's status screen and looked at her debuffs to see what was affecting her. She read that the woman was suffering from Arthritis and Smoke Inhalation. Vivian check the other woman and saw she saw that she suffered from Smoke Inhalation and Osteoporosis. "I'm going to cast two spells on you," Tala said to the woman on the left. "The first is to cure you of your afflictions and the other to bring your health back to normal. Vivian will do the same to you." Tala said to the woman on the right. "Is... Is that okay with you two?" The elderly women just nodded again. They had little energy to say or do anything. The headaches they were suffering from made it difficult for them to focus. Tala held up her right hand and said, "Purify. Heal." Vivian held up her right hand and also said, "Purify. Heal." The old women's eyes widened when they felt the magic flow through her body. The feeling felt warm and soothing. When the warm feeling died down, the women slowly placed their oxygen masks down. They took in a deep breath. "Are you ok-" Tala was cut off when the old woman embraced her. "Nya!" "Thank you!" the old woman cried out. "Thank you so much." The other woman embraced Vivian in kind. She even managed to lift her off of the ground briefly. "I-It's okay. I'm glad you're okay now." The old women let go of two. The woman on the left curled her fingers. "My joint pain... It's gone..." "When curing your smoke inhalation, I cured your Arthritis at the same time," Tala explained. "And I got rid of some disease called Osteo... poro... sis?" "Thank you. You're an angel. I haven't felt this good in years." "You're telling me!" the woman on the right said. "Look!" The woman did a quick little jig on the spot. "I haven't been able to be this light on my feet in decades." "No problem, ma'am." Tala didn't know what an angel was but the way the woman used it made it sound like a nice term. "Glad we could help, ma'am," Vivian said. "Now go on and help the others, dear. They need you." "Yes, ma'am!" they both said. The five went through the tent healing and purifying everyone they could find with injuries. The rate of them healing people outweighed the number of people who were brought in. The reaction of the people healed were positive and Tom and his group were thanked by everyone they helped. This thankfulness came to an end when Tom came across his fifty-first person. The man had a gash in his thigh. It wasn't over an artery so the bleeding wasn't heavy. Tom healed the wound and stopped the bleeding. The man thank him and made his way out of the tent. "Where were you!" a voice yelled in Tom's direction. Tom turned to see a woman with dirt and blood on her face. She had tears coming out of her eyes. "I bet you feel like a damn hero coming here to heal people," she scoffed. "Why didn't you come here to stop Phoenix? You always seem to know when those monsters attack. You couldn't come here to stop this attack?" The woman started to choke on her words more and more as she yelled at Tom. "Thousands are dead! Among them- Among them was my daughter. M-My daughter is dead! I watched a concrete pillar fall right on top of her when we tried to escape the stadium." The woman then caught Tom by surprise and slapped his face. She then cried out and collapsed to the ground while holding her hand. She had broken it. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Vivian yelled at the woman as she approached Tom with her friends by her side. "This man did everything-" "Terra," Tom said to interrupt her. He held up his index finger to let her to know to give him a moment. Tom crouched down in front of the woman. He noticed everyone in the area was watching them. Several individuals had their phones out to record what was happening. The woman had her hand close to her and cradled it. Her hand started to swell up and become discoloured. Tom, without a word, reached for her hand. He grabbed her forearm and pulled out her hand towards him. She watched him with bated breath. Tom held his right hand over her broken hand and said, "Heal." The crying woman whimpered as the bones in her hand mended and the swelling went down. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," Tom said in a calm tone. "I am only made aware of dangerous transfers from Xoth. Anything than that I have to learn about it from others. If I could, I would have come here to do everything I could to stop Phoenix. I'm sorry for your lose. All I can do is do everything I can to stop Phoenix from hurting more people. It's all I can do." Another wave of sorrow passed through the woman and she broken into tears. She moved forward and hugged him and cried into his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she choked. Tom wrapped his arms around her and cooed, "It's okay. Cry all you want." Tom stayed there to allow the woman to cry. He nodded to his companions and gestured towards the others in the tent to tell them to continue healing people. He stayed with the woman until he heard David's voice. "Hey Thunder, we need your help with someone." Tom released his hold on the grieving woman and asked, "Ma'am?" "Go ahead," she said while she wiped away her still flowing tears. "You've done more than you needed to. Go do what you're good at." "Again, I am sorry for your loss." "Thank you..." Tom got up and walked by David. "What's the situation?" "We have someone trapped under a steel beam. He's badly injured." "Take me to him." Tom and David climbed over the rubble towards where David found the trapped man. The air grew harder to breathe as it became more polluted by smoke and dust. Tom saw the man David told him about. A doctor was talking to the man who was pinned under a three foot thick steel pillar. The two approached the doctor and pinned victim. The doctor saw the two approach and quickly got up and walked to them. "Thunder, thank you for coming here to provide aid," he greeted. "It really means a lot to the people here." "Oh, no problem," Tom said. "David told me about the man here needing help." A dark look came across the doctor's face. "Corporeal Li left before I could fully examine Mister Edwards' situation. His lower half was crushed by the steel beam." "Okay..." "His lower body was completely crushed," the doctor emphasized. "The steel beam is the only thing keeping him from bleeding out. I was explaining to Mister Edwards his situation. As soon as he is freed, he will immediately die." Tom looked at the man and saw that attempting to heal him wouldn't help. The steel beam would recrush his lower half. Even without the beam, the shock from the injury being exposed would be enough to kill him. The only thing they could do is grant the man a quick death. "It's okay," Edwards said. His breathing was laboured and his voice was weak. "The doctor explained it all to me. I've accepted it. I must say, it is certainly something to meet Thunder before I go." "Don't you have someone you want to talk to before, you know...?" Tom awkwardly asked. "I'm afraid they wouldn't get here in time. I flew here for the football game. Frankly, I don't want my family's last memories of me to be of me cut in half in the epicentre of a terrorist attack. Just let them know that I love them very much and that my end was painless. Right now, I just want to get this over with. You... can teleport. Right?" "I can." "Then could you take me to the Grand Canyon? It was one of my favourite travel destinations. My parents used to take me there almost every year. I would love to see it one last time. Could you do that for me?" "I can do that," Tom said. He looked back to the doctor and David. "Is this okay?" "If he is ready to go," the doctor said. "Then take my hand," Tom said to Edwards. "And don't blink." Tom and the man vanished from the area and then reappeared at the edge of the Grand Canyon. The man's bottom half was completely gone. His organs spilt out of his body after the blockage was removed. Edwards breathed heavily as his life left him. Tom felt his grip on his hand tightened like a vice. Edwards let out a gasp before he went limp and his hand slipped out of Tom's. Tears came to Tom's eyes as watching the man's final moments affected him. He was thankful that his hood obscured his face so no one would be able to see his face. Tom teleported back to where he was with Edwards' remains. The doctor immediately checked Edwards' pulse and made the call that he was died. "I hope that his remains will be handled with the dignity he deserves," Tom said. "He will," the doctor said. "Li can you hear me?" Laura called over the radio. "I read you," he replied. "Command is calling us in. They want us for a debrief over what happened in Australia, Germany and Mississippi. We'll head to the medical tent to regroup with Tom's team." "Understood." "You guys really should get me one of those communicators," Tom said. "We should be getting in a shipment soon," David said. "It was Garza. Command is calling us in for a debrief over what happened in Perth, Stuttgart and here. We need to head back to the tent to regroup." VVVVVV The debrief took a little over an hour to go through. Since the UNDF did not have leadership or soldiers yet, the person Laura's and Tom's group reported to was a British Field Marshal by the name of Conall Steele. Conall Steele has worked alongside the UN Peacekeepers in the past so he was a widely accepted to take control of UNDF operations until the military could form. Despite the attack in Mississippi, the Field Marshal was pleased with their effort that day. Steele commended Tom's and Laura's teams for their quick response to the Perth attack and the minimal amount of civilian casualties by the monsters. He was also thankful that the Phoenix attack in Germany was put to a swift end and even eliminated a high-ranking SYSTEM-enhanced Phoenix lieutenant. When the debriefing ended, Tom and his group gathered their belongings to return back home. A week had past and the construction work on Tom's house was finished. Tom and his group would return to the base for training, but they all wanted to sleep in their original beds especially after doing, what amounted to, three missions in one day. They all reappeared in the front yard and could see the results of the construction work. In the distance, they could see the array of solar panels and three wind turbines. The blades of the turbines slowly spun. "Home sweet home," Tom announced. "What are those?" Vivian asked. "Solar panels and wind turbines," Tom answered. "They use the sunlight and wind to generate power. With them, I am now one hundred percent off the power grid. Though I suspect that Ontario Hydro will still find a way to charge me... I also have a bunch of closed-circuit security cameras installed in the area to provide additional security. We should head inside and unpack. It's getting there in the evening and I'm hoping get dinner going." "Can it be hamburgers?" Reia asked. "I don't have the ingredients." "Aww..." "I'll make some dumpling and udon soup," Tom said as he pulled out a container of chicken broth and a pot from the pantry. "It'll be quick, you all can unpack your things while I do so." Tom set the pot on the stove. Tala walked up to Tom while fidgeting with her hands. "Something up, Tala?" "I-I never got the chance to properly th-thank you for saving me from that scorpion," she stuttered. Tala then hugged Tom. "Oh! Hey... Yeah, no problem," Tom stuttered. "I'll be sure to train you to react to sudden attacks. That way you won't need my protection in the future." "Well, it's nice to know that you're here for us," Reia said as she joined in on the hug. Vivian then joined in on the hug. "You, too?" Tom muttered. "I didn't want to be left out of the group hug," Vivian joked. Out of the corner of his eye, Tom saw Sylmae staring daggers at him. Sylmae then walked out of the kitchen towards her room. "I just remembered I needed to do something real quick. Could you three grab the bok choy and mushrooms from the fridge and clean and chop them for me? I won't be long." "Sure thing," Reia said. In the shared bedroom, Sylmae sat on her bed while looking at her hands. They slightly shook as the memories of the death of the Human terrorists flashed through her mind. Her breathing became shallow. "I'm sorry I brought you and your friends into this whole mess," Tom said to Sylmae. Sylmae looked up and saw Tom standing in the doorway with a remorseful look on his face. "Wha-?" Tom walked over to the bed across from Sylmae and sat down. "Don't think I don't notice when you glare at me." "Ah-!" Sylmae jerked back in her seat. "I figured you were glaring at me because you're upset with me for bringing your friends and you into this kind of danger. You care for them and their safety. I really am sorry about changing that, but the truth of the matter is that I can't do this alone and I can't afford to decline a helping hand when offered. I want you to know that my concern over your friends' and your safety is a priority for me. I'll do everything I can to make sure you're all safe and happy." A slight smirk came to Sylmae's face to hear Tom explain his concern for their well-being. Suddenly her hands started to shake again. Tom saw her hands. "Killing a person is different than a monster," Tom muttered. "David told you?" "Back at base, yeah. You have the shakes. It's perfectly normal. I get them sometimes as well." "How do you deal with it?" "Talking about it," Tom replied. "Expressing your feelings. I tried to suppress those feelings. That was a mistake. It just built up over time until Reia made me face it. Since then, we talked about it to help deal with it. Look... Sylmae. If you want to talk, Reia and I are willing to listen." "Thank you for your concern," Sylmae whispered. "Always." Tom pushed himself off of the bed and said, "Now I have some soup to make. I'll let you know when it's ready." "Okay." Tom let Sylmae to her own thoughts. She looked down at her hands and found they have stopped shaking. VVVVVV "You both are sure you want to do this?" Tom asked Tala and Sylmae. He stood next to their bed with Reia and Vivian sitting behind him. "We might as well get this out of the way instead of letting it linger," Sylmae replied. "Well, it's just that we just had those missions today. It was pretty exhausting. You two could take the rest of the day off and we can do this tomorrow." "Tom, it's okay, we want to do this," Tala assured him. "We want this." "Alright then. I want you two to lie on your beds and close your eyes." Tala and Sylmae did what Tom said and laid one of the beds next to each other. They closed their eyes as soon as they laid down. "Now you just need to think about the quest to start it, just let me get a proper seat before you-" Tom lost consciousness and fell to the ground with a thud. "You'd think he would have taken a seat before giving Syl and Tala the instructions," Vivian mused. "Eh, Tom sometimes thinks and do things several steps ahead of what he should be doing," Reia shrugged. "It helps out a lot of the time, but sometimes"-Reia pointed towards Tom's body-"stuff like this happens. Help me move his body on top of the empty bed." VVVVVV "I should have sat down before I told you two to start the quest," Tom mumbled. "I really hope I don't feel that in the morning." "So this is the spirit realm?" Sylmae asked. The dark landscape was empty in every direction. The wide open space inspired dread and anxiety in Tala who was used to smaller spaces. Tom rested a hand on her shoulder and said, "Just focus on the immediate area." "Welcome, heroes," a voice greeted them. Two figures of energy appeared in front of them. One was a slender figure similar to Sylmae while the other wore a robe made of energy. "I am Evaline Acer," the slender figure introduced herself. "One of the six heroes who fought Hastur." "And I am Leo Ordata." "Evaline Acer was an elven archer during the last Demon war," Sylmae explained to Tom. "She was unparalleled in skill with the bow. A legend." "It is nice to know that I am still remembered. I will be your teacher." "You know anything about this Ordata guy, Tala?" Tom asked. "Yes, I do. He is honoured at the Magic University in Skysign. He was an extremely powerful feline Beastkin mage. Some say he could single-handily take out platoons of Demon soldiers. I have taken a few clases at the University, one of which covered his history." "Wait, you went to the University?" Sylmae blurted out. "They sometimes offer cheap classes. I try to take advantage of them when I can. Full-time classes are far too expensive, but I really wanted to learn about magic." "With introductions out of the way, we are going to teach you about your potential in your chosen class," Acer said. "Sylmae, you'll be going first. I have a specific target that will allow you to understand what it means to be an archer." "Just a target?" Tom said. "The last several heroes fought us and beat us to a pulp to get us to learn our new skills and capabilities." Acer sighed in frustration. "Those three are great warriors and fantastic friends but..." "But..." "They're meat heads," Ordata finished. His tone was monotone and lethargic. "Those three prefer to talk with their fists. If it wasn't for our keen minds they would have perished long ago. A sorry lot, those three." Another spirits appeared behind Leo and punched him in the back of his head. "Don't talk ill of us behind our backs!" Niala yelled. "Especially to other people!" Leo regained his posture and said, "As you can see, not smart enough to realize that a spirit can't be hurt. And so easy to anger. Very sorry lot, indeed." "Nice to see you again, Niala," Tom said. "Oh, Tom, hello," Niala said in the middle of pulling at Leo's ears with no result. "Doing well?" "Can't complain." "Wh-What about Reia? Is she... happy?" "Always smiling." "That's good to hear. Well, I leave these two to continue their lessons." Niala's spirit vanished. "With her out of the way, to your practice," Acer said. She snapped her fingers and the target range appeared. Two poles stood as markers and a target circle stood at the end of the range. "Please stand at the range and take aim." Sylmae raised a brow in suspicion as she approached the range. "Something wrong?" Acer asked her. "It's just... I've done target practice before. I was expecting something..." "Different? No worries about that." Acer snapped her fingers again and ten circles appeared in front of the target. Each circle had a small slit. "And to make it even more interesting." Acer snapped her fingers again and the circles started to move back and forth in a swinging motion in front of the target circle. The circles alternated direction; first circle swinging to the left then right, the second circle went from right to the left and so on. "The range is known as The Alignment. You are to shoot an arrow through those slots and hit the minotaurseye." "That's impossible!" "To the average person, yes. But you are not an average person. Equip your weapon and take aim." "Equip Set One," Sylmae said. Her armour formed around her body and her bow appeared in her hand. Sylmae nocked an arrow and took aim. She watched the circles swing a few times to try and get the timing right. After three swings, Sylmae released the arrow. The tip managed to enter the first slot but impacted the side of the second slot. The arrow shattered. Sylmae groaned at the failed attempt. She nocked another arrow and aimed. Sylmae fired the arrow. The arrow made it through the first hole and the second, but then the circles sliced up the arrow. Sylmae fired another arrow and received a similar result. She fired arrow after arrow. None of them managed to get farther than four circles. Sylmae felt herself become more and more humiliated as she kept failing in front of one of her heroes. As she drew another arrow, Acer's hand rested on hers. "That's enough," she said. "No, no, I can still do this." "If you keep forcing yourself like this, you will not succeed. Listen to me. I want to to aim, but focus on where the holes align." Sylmae did as she asked and stared at the place where the holes align to each other. "Now, don't fire your arrow yet. Keep watching that alignment. Every time they align, I want you to slow your breathing." Sylmae focused on where the slots aligned and her own breathing. Every time the holes aligned, Sylmae slowed her breathing. As her breathing slowed down, Sylmae noticed that the swinging circles were slowing down. "In... Out..." Acer whispered. The circles slowed down more and more until they seemingly froze in place. "Let go of the arrow." Sylmae released her fingers from the bow string allowing the arrow to fire forward. As the arrow approached, the circle holes all align and the arrow entered. The arrow flew through all ten circles and impaled itself in the center of the target circle. Sylmae's breathing returned to normal and time returned to normal. "I-I did it..." Sylmae muttered. She pumped a fist into the air above her and cheered, "I did it!" "Holy hell, that was incredible," Tom said. "You were amazing!" Tala said. "I've never seen someone do something like that." Acer rested a hand on Sylmae's shoulder and said, "I knew you could do it, little Syl." "What was that last part?" Sylmae asked. "I, uh, said 'I knew you could do it, Sylmae.' Normally it would take weeks or months of practice to do what you just did, but as I said, 'You are not an average person.' Congratulations, Archer." Notice (Sylmae) By unlocking your class' full potential, you unlocked the skill "Focus" and earned an additional ten points towards Perception and five points towards Agility. Focus TypeActivate Stamina Required100/sec RankSLevelBeginner Level 1 (0%) While aiming with the bow, time slows down around you. You'll be able to aim more accurately and fire more quickly. Improving this skill will allow you to slow down time even more. "Focus will allow you to slow down time which allows you to aim more accurately and fire more arrows. It is a very powerful ability. Make full use of it in your future battles." "Thank you, Acer!" "You will see me again when you get your next job specification." "I look forward to it." "Miss Mau," Ordata called out. "Ah! Yes?" Tala replied. She stiffened in her stance. "It is now your turn. Come forward. I will teach you what you need to know to become a proper Elementalist. I want you to cast a spell. As you usually do." "Fireball!" The Fireball launched from Tala's right hand and flew off into the distance before it arched towards the ground and made a small explosion. "A very fine Fireball," Ordata said with a slight chuckled in his throat. "Now do it again but with your other hand." "O-Okay." Tala raised her left hand and yelled out, "Fireball!" The Fireball shot out like the one before it. "Now I want you to cast a spell with both of your hands." "Both?" Tala repeated in disbelief. "Yes, both." "I-I don't know how." "You have taken classes about the basics of Magic haven't you?" "I have." "Then you should know the basics of magical energy and its interaction with the body. When you cast a spell, you are focusing magical energy towards an exit point. This is a subconscious action. Like breathing. Also like breathing, you can forcible control it. Imagine your Mana as a blue light in your chest. When you cast a spell, that light stretches towards your hand. An Elementalist has the ability to split that energy towards both of their hands. Give it a try." Tala raised both of her hands and tried to imagine the Mana within her splitting in two directions. "Fireball!" A small flame, no bigger than a match flame, came from both of her palms. "Aww," she moaned. "Don't worry," Ordata assured her. "That was an excellent first try. Try again but more force. Push that Mana out." "Fireball!" The flames from her hands were larger than the first attempt. They had reach the size of her palms before they dissipated. "You are on the cusp of achieving the skill," Ordata told her, "but you need to push yourself further. Imagine trying to protect someone precious to you." Tala glanced back at Sylmae and Tom who quietly watched. Sylmae smiled and waved at her. "I know you can do it," Tom yelled. Tala smiled and and her cheeks became warm. She turned away, held up her hands and yelled, "Fireball!" Two basketball-size Fireballs appeared in her hands and fired forward. As they left her hands, they combined into a beachball-size Fireball. The attack travelled half the distance of a normal Fireball attack. The Fireball created a large explosion which caused a force of hot air to hit Tala's face. "Congratulations," Ordata said. "You have achieved the skill Dual Cast." Notice (Tala) By unlocking your class' full potential, you unlocked the skill "Dual Cast" and earned an additional five points towards Intelligence and five points towards Wisdom. Dual Cast TypePassive RankSLevelBeginner 1 (0%) You are able to cast two spells at the same time to create one powerful attack. Increasing this skill's level will improve the synergy and strength of the combined spells. "Now this skill isn't just limited to skills of the same type. You can cast different spells with unique results. Like a Party Combination Skill. Try combining Flamethrower and Water Blast." Tala raised her hands and yelled in quick succession, "Flamethrower Water Blast!" A pillar of flames erupted from her right hand and a pillar of water came from her left hand. The two spells combined to create a high-pressure blast of steam. "This ability is extremely useful to use against enemies with multiple elemental weaknesses," Ordata said. "This is the truth strength of an Elementalist." "Thank you for your lesson, Sir Ordata," Tala said with a modest bow. "It is quite alright, my child. You make me proud." "You all make us proud," Acer added. Acer and Ordata stood side by side in front of Tala, Sylmae and Tom. "By the five of us, you five have all become much stronger," she continued. "It is regrettable that we won't meet again until you reach the requirement for the next class." "Until then, know that we believe in you and your abilities," Ordata continued. "You are all going to change the world and achieve greatness." "Thank you for everything," Sylmae said. "What about the sixth hero?" Tom asked. "Excuse me?" Acer said. "I was told that there was six heroes. We've met Delix, Niala, Axel and you two. That's five. Where's the sixth hero?" Acer and Ordata were quiet. "Good bye," Acer said while dismissing the three from the spirit realm. "That was quite rude," Ordata muttered. "There wasn't anything I could say. Their ignorance of these questions is the only thing keeping Hastur unaware of their existence. It's already bad enough that Mordiggian knows what they are now. They must become stronger before they learn the truth of their existence." VVVVVV "What the fuck," Tom gasped as he woke up. The evasive nature of the heroes irritated him to no end. He knows that there is something more going on concerning his companions and the heroes are intentionally avoiding his questions about what they are and what's really going on. It further frustrated him that he won't be able to get any answers until the next time they meet. Hopefully. Tom looked over towards Tala and Sylmae and saw that they haven't woken up yet. Their breathing revealed that the two immediately fell asleep as soon as they left the spirit realm. 'I knew it was too much for them,' Tom thought. A form to his right moved slightly and something tightened around his arm. He looked down and allowed his vision to focus. Reia was sleeping next to him and had her arms wrapped around his arm and one leg over his right leg. Someone else moved to his left. Tom looked and saw Vivian was in the same position as Reia. Both were dressed in their casual wear, but the situation he was in was awkward nonetheless. He attempted to slowly move his arms out of their grip. Tom's attempt ended in failure as the girls' grip on his arms tightened. 'Fuck me... Today must have been really exhausting for all of them. They must have fallen asleep as soon as we entered the spirit realm. Okay. This is fine. They sleep several hours longer than me. I'll just sneak out before they wake up. Hoping that they loosen their grip by then.' Tom relaxed and readied himself to fall asleep. While he was worried about Reia catching him in this position, he couldn't say he hated this situation. VVVVVV Rika entered her command centre where several of her agents were hard at work in decrypting the Russian files. "Is it here?" she asked the room. Rika refused to acknowledge Mordiggian in any personal manner. "He's in your room," one of her technicians replied. Rika rushed towards her room and burst in through her door. There she saw Mordiggian standing in the corner of the room. "I did what you asked of me," she declared. "I blew up that stadium and killed over twenty-five thousand people. My level and the level of my lieutenants has now reached twenty-six." "Hmm," Mordiggian hummed in his throat. "What class did you select?" "Assassin. You promised me that if I completed this task, you would help my lieutenants and me with the Agony." "I never made such a promise." Mordiggian corrected. "I said this quest was your last chance to prove your worth. I would have preferred that more died, but you have accomplished your mission. You have proven that you were not a waste of Soul Axes. Very well... I will grant your wish." Mordiggian reached out to her and placed his hand on her head. A dim glow came from his hand that lasted for a minute before it went out and he removed his hand. "Your time has been extended," Mordiggian declared. "Bring your lieutenants to me so I may do the same to them." "You didn't get rid of the Agony?" Rika's words were almost released as a whimper. "Why would I get rid of the Agony when I still have use for you?" "You monster..." she growled. "Quite ironic coming from someone who just killed thousands just for a little peace of mind." "As I said; until you kill Thunder and his companions, you will not be freed from the Agony. Till then, you will complete every mission I ask of you if you wish to be given extra time." Rika felt herself tremble in rage at the creature that stood before her. The idea of attacking him flashed through her mind. "Thinking of attacking me?" he said in amusement. "You would only find yourself personally delivered to the Agony." "Wh-What do you require of me?" she hissed through her teeth. "Much better... Here." Mordiggian handed a hand-size stone. "What is this?" Rika asked as Mordiggian dropped the rock on her hand. "It's a Magic Stone. You channel your Mana into it to cast a spell that has been assigned to it. In this case, the stone has Lightning Strike assigned to it." "What do you want me to do with this?" "I want you to kill Senator Samuel Hawke." "What? Why?" While not opposed to killing politicians, especially American politicians, Rika found it odd that this creature specified this one in particular. "It is not your place to know. You must kill him privately. No witnesses. And you must use this stone to kill him and anyone else at the site. Fail this quest and I'll outright abandon you." "What!" Rika yelled. "You have your orders. There is no time limit, but I'd suggest doing it sooner than later. Your next treatment will be given to you when you kill him." Mordiggian made a small chuckle. "Good luck." Mordiggian sunk into his shadow and Rika watched as his shadow crawled out of her room underneath her door. "Keep laughing, demon," Rika muttered under her breath. "I'll burn this world with you in it." -------------------------------------------------------------- Character Stats: Status NameThomas "Tom" Everett Level25Experience23854/24890 ClassMagic Blade RaceHumanAlignmentGood Currency Canadian$10,579,546.65 Xoth0 platinum 5 gold 71 silver 30 copper Title Clever One, Determined, Giant Slayer, Vaccinated, One Of The First, Sole Survivor, Agent of Kara, Generous Healer, Interpreter, Selfless Lover, Human Anatomy, Survivalist, Lobbyist, Voice of Humanity Buffs Agent of Kara2x experience Bestiary of Xoth+10% damage towards the creatures of Xoth Human Anatomy+10% damage towards Humans, 50% increase to experience gained for Heal and Purify Lobbyist+10% increase chance of persuading a politician Voice of HumanityPositive aura towards anyone (with a moral alignment of neutral or good) you first meet Debuffs Voice of HumanityPositive aura will irritate individuals with an evil alignment that you first meet Health1380Health Regeneration/min11.5(3.5x) Mana1310Mana Regeneration/min14.2(3.3x) Stamina1320Stamina Regeneration/min10.0 Fame4550Infamy0 Strength138Intelligence131 Wisdom142Perception77 Endurance132Vitality115 Agility100Luck104 Unallocated Points0 Resistances Physical49%Disease/Toxin91% Fire49%Plant49% Ice49%Earth49% Lightning49%Water49% Wind49%Spirit44% Light44%Darkness44% Skills IdentifyMaster Level 2PersuasionMaster Level 3 Language ComprehensionMaster Level 10Book LearningMaster Level 10 TeacherBeginner Level 6NonchalantMaster Level 10 Lightning StrikeIntermediate Level 8Lightning EnchantIntermediate Level 7 Lightning ShieldIntermediate Level 4HealIntermediate Level 9 PurifyIntermediate Level 6Melee Weapon SpecialistIntermediate Level 1 DisguiseIntermediate Level 10PrayerMaster Level 10 Hero's CallMaster Level 10Fast TravelMaster Level 10 Loot CollectorIntermediate Level 4Magical RepairMaster Level 2 TacticianIntermediate Level 10CookMaster Level 2 Trap MasterIntermediate Level 1UnbreakableIntermediate Level 1 FireballIntermediate Level 2Fire EnchantBeginner Level 10 Bow SkillBeginner Level 10Surge StrikeIntermediate Level 4 Enhanced BodyIntermediate Level 5Enhanced MindIntermediate Level 5 Chain LightningBeginner Level 6Group HealBeginner Level 8 Enhanced SpellsIntermediate Level 3Enhanced ResistanceIntermediate Level 5 SM TransferMaster Level 10Computer SkillIntermediate Level 7 MassageIntermediate Level 4LoverIntermediate Level 3 Mixed Martial ArtistIntermediate Level 2Small Arms SpecialistBeginner Level 6 Light Weapons SpecialistBeginner Level 7StealthBeginner Level 5 LotteryBeginner Level 4Enhanced DodgeBeginner Level 1 Status NameReia Zyer Level24Experience19769/21640 ClassLancer RaceNagaAlignmentGood Currency Canadian$0.00 Xoth0 platinum 5 gold 49 silver 14 copper Title Unknown, Giant Slayer, Determined, Life Saver Buffs -- Debuffs -- Health1640Health Regeneration/min10.7(1.6x) Mana500Mana Regeneration/min4.9 Stamina1100Stamina Regeneration/min11.5 Fame4550Infamy0 Strength164Intelligence50 Wisdom49Perception57 Endurance110Vitality107 Agility115Luck96 Unallocated Points0 Resistances Physical25%Disease/Toxin100% Fire27%Plant27% Ice27%Earth27% Lightning27%Water27% Wind27%Spirit27% Light27%Darkness62% Skills IdentifyIntermediate Level 8Weapon RepairIntermediate Level 6 Armour RepairIntermediate Level 3Weapon CraftingBeginner Level 9 Armour CraftingBeginner Level 10Accessory CraftingIntermediate Level 1 Spear SkillIntermediate Level 9Clothing ReformMaster Level 3 Ice SpikeIntermediate Level 1Wind ShieldIntermediate Level 4 Wind BladeIntermediate Level 7HealIntermediate Level 7 Club SkillBeginner Level 4Sword SkillBeginner Level 10 PersuasionIntermediate Level 4Power StrikeIntermediate Level 2 Enhanced ResistanceBeginner Level 10Group HealBeginner Level 5 FlurryBeginner Level 5Spiral ThrustBeginner Level 5 Enhanced DodgeBeginner Level 7Language ComprehensionMaster Level 10 PurifyBeginner Level 1Enhanced RegenerationBeginner Level 5 Status NameSylmae "Syl" Lyvan Level21Experience10534/11460 ClassArcher RaceElfAlignmentGood Currency Canadian$0.00 Xoth0 platinum 4 gold 29 silver 71 copper Title Unknown, Determined Buffs -- Debuffs -- Health550Health Regeneration/min4.4 Mana550Mana Regeneration/min5.0 Stamina1000Stamina Regeneration/min11.9 Fame650Infamy0 Strength55Intelligence55 Wisdom50Perception120 Endurance100Vitality44 Agility119Luck109 Unallocated Points0 Resistances Physical16%Disease/Toxin100% Fire16%Plant16% Ice16%Earth16% Lightning16%Water16% Wind16%Spirit16% Light16%Darkness51% Skills IdentifyIntermediate Level 6Language ComprehensionMaster Level 10 Bow SkillBeginner Level 10Ice SpikeBeginner Level 9 Ice EnchantIntermediate Level 1Ice ShieldBeginner Level 3 HealIntermediate Level 1SlowIntermediate Level 9 Group SlowBeginner Level 6PurifyBeginner Level 1 Enhanced DodgeBeginner Level 6RouletteBeginner Level 1 Enhanced VisionBeginner Level 2Enhanced ResistanceBeginner Level 1 FocusBeginner Level 1 Status NameTala Mau Level21Experience10534/11460 ClassElementalist RaceBeastkin (Feline)AlignmentGood Currency Canadian$0.00 Xoth0 platinum 3 gold 12 silver 87 copper Title Unknown, Book Enthusiast, Determined Buffs -- Debuffs -- Health450Health Regeneration/min6.0 Mana1750Mana Regeneration/min15.2 (2.5x) Stamina400Stamina Regeneration/min4.1 Fame650Infamy0 Strength45Intelligence175 Wisdom152Perception54 Endurance40Vitality60 Agility41Luck100 Unallocated Points0 Resistances Physical15%Disease/Toxin100% Fire15%Plant15% Ice15%Earth15% Lightning15%Water15% Wind15%Spirit15% Light15%Darkness50% Skills IdentifyIntermediate Level 5Language ComprehensionMaster Level 10 FireballIntermediate Level 5Fire BarrierBeginner Level 3 Fire EnchantBeginner Level 10Fire ShieldIntermediate Level 3 FlamethrowerBeginner Level 4HealIntermediate Level 5 Group HealBeginner Level 8PurifyIntermediate Level 1 Ice SpikeBeginner Level 9Wind BladeBeginner Level 5 Lightning StrikeBeginner Level 3Water BlastBeginner Level 9 Rock ThrowBeginner Level 4EnchantmentIntermediate Level 2 AlchemyBeginner Level 6InvisibleBeginner Level 10 Bubble ShieldBeginner Level 5DispelBeginner Level 8 Enhanced SpellsBeginner Level 7Enhanced MindBeginner Level 6 RouletteBeginner Level 1Dual CastBeginner Level 1 Status NameVivian "Vi" Terrabane Level22Experience12879/13850 ClassBarbarian RaceDwarfAlignmentGood Currency Canadian$0.00 Xoth0 platinum 29 gold 18 silver 93 copper Title Unknown, Determined, Giant Slayer, Explorer, Lone Adventurer Adventurer Guild Rank6 Buffs -- Debuffs -- Health1290Health Regeneration/min10.0 (1.1x) Mana430Mana Regeneration/min3.6 Stamina1060Stamina Regeneration/min5.1 Fame900Infamy0 Strength129Intelligence43 Wisdom36Perception58 Endurance106Vitality100 Agility51Luck78 Unallocated Points0 Resistances Physical18%Disease/Toxin100% Fire21%Plant21% Ice21%Earth21% Lightning21%Water21% Wind21%Spirit21% Light21%Darkness56% Skills IdentifyIntermediate Level 9Language ComprehensionMaster Level 10 Hammer SkillIntermediate Level 9Rock ThrowIntermediate Level 4 Earth EnchantIntermediate Level 5Earth ShieldIntermediate Level 2 Earth ManipulationBeginner Level 9HealIntermediate Level 2 PurifyBeginner Level 1Club SkillBeginner Level 2 Sword SkillBeginner Level 2EruptBeginner Level 3 Power StrikeBeginner Level 4War CryBeginner Level 4 Enhanced ResistanceBeginner Level 4Enhanced RegenerationBeginner Level 1 PersuasionBeginner Level 1