Antelligent Design

53. The Stuff of Nightmares

What exactly has my Mana become? What is it that I have unleashed? The Gravity Bomb is smaller than my previous efforts, but far more menacing. Reality itself groans under the weight of the thing I made, this small rotating orb that drains the light from its surroundings as it rips through the air.

Even the monsters who are the unfortunate targets of my orb of death seem to sense something wrong is headed their way. Fear and utter terror overwhelm the poor beasts. As my spell descends, a dark avatar of air-rending death, they scramble to escape its path. Climbing over each other, clawing and tearing at those who get in their way.

And all the while, the dreadful shriek emanates from the Gravity Bomb as it pulls the atmosphere, as if a hole had been punctured in the sky and the world rushed to fill it.

What the heck is going to happen when it hits?

Come to think of it…

[Tiny, Crinis, brace for impact! And maybe back up a bit.]

I heed my own advice and scrabble back a few steps before the spell finally impacts. The monster who was my primary target, looming large over its smaller followers, thinks fast, snatching up a smaller Garralosh Infant in two of its four claws, and in a horrific feat of strength, hurls it through the air to take the brunt of the spell.

I don’t hear if the croca-beast makes a noise before it’s consumed, so deafening is the wind that whips and stirs the grass, sending the trees to creaking. The moment the spell impacts against the unlucky croc, it expands, swallowing it whole. In a flash, the Gravity Bomb manifests its full glory. A near-black, revolving sphere that drags its victims within to crush them into a particularly spicy meat ball.

There are a few changes. Deep in the Meditation Skill, I observe the destruction impassively. The energy of the Gravity Bomb is greater than any I’d cast before. Flickers of black lightning emanate from it, almost invisible as they appear and vanish so quickly, it’s hard to say if they exist at all.

What I can see, can feel, is the horrific pull of the spell as it attempts to consume all within its reach. The grass sways toward the sphere as the wind rushes to fill it. I resist its force, hunkered low and digging my claws into the dirt with all of my strength.

Belatedly, I reach out to Morrelia. [Hold on! You don’t want to fall into that!]

[You think?] she roars back, looking rattled.

[Yes! Yes I—oh, you were being sarcastic.]

The monsters haven’t fared well. The spell was set off before it landed in their midst, but it was close enough that most cannot resist its dreadful pull. They struggle with all of their might to no effect. One by one, they’re dragged into the air and fall into the Gravity Bomb.

They don’t make a sound once they’re caught in the spell’s grasp. Or if they do, it’s snatched out of their jaws by the howling wind. Once within the sphere itself, they vanish, not to be seen again.

Well, not looking quite the same, at any rate.

Though it feels much longer, the revolving sphere only lasts a minute before it flickers out of existence, leaving a core of crushed material suspended in the air that promptly falls to the ground.

Due to its quick thinking and powerful physique, the commander-croca is still standing, though its detachment of followers has been reduced to a few titan-crocs and a mature Wolf Dragon.

These Gravity Bombs are becoming serious business.

Seems I’m getting closer to getting myself consumed by the spell each time I cast it.

[Can you hit it with another one of those?] Morrelia queried as she readied her blades.

[Nope. Takes a bit of time to charge, and friendly fire is a real issue. Once we start fighting, it’ll be impossible to cast it safely.]

[Well then…] Her eyes narrowed and a fierce expression seized her face. [Time to take the fight to this child of the beast.]

That’s another thing I like about Morrelia. She hates the croca-beasts just as much as I do.

[Tiny, Crinis. You guys remember how it went down last time we took on one of these things. It wasn’t great. We all nearly died and my backside was razed clean. Let’s be a little more careful. Tiny, I want you to hit and run. You gotta stick and move. You stay too close to him, you’re going to get torn up. Crinis, stay sneaky. Wait for your moment, then hit the arms like you did last time. We’ve trained for this, people. Be careful!]

[Yes, Master! I won’t fail you!] Crinis declares passionately.

[Hrn!] Tiny grunts, his eyes alight at the oncoming challenge.

He’s not listening is he…

Sigh.

[I’ll stay back and join the fray later. Try not to die,] I tell Morrelia. She’s not listening either. I can see from her expression that she has begun to work herself into the rage she needs to unleash the benefits of her class. Possessed by her anger and bloodlust, she walks up to the towering croc-commander, blades gripped in her hands.

Here we go…

The croc and the last of its retinue have begun to make moves. Having sensed the oncoming conflict, they’ve spread themselves out. The croc-commander’s steps thunder in our ears and tremble the earth with each tread of its feet.

Before it can get too close, I prepare to unleash my ranged barrage. My sub-brains whir into high gear and begin to draw out Gravitational Mana independently as they each weave a Gravity Bolt. Sunk deep into Meditation, they construct the spells at a rapid pace as I lower my body and arch my abdomen high to present my famed commercial district.

Have a taste of what your sibling couldn’t stomach!

POW!

A jet of acid streaks through air to splash against the croca-commander’s scaled hide. The monster doesn’t bother to deflect or avoid my strike, not threatened by it in the least. Doesn’t mean I’ll stop!

POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!

Along with this salvo of acid, the first two Gravity Bolts streak forth, and another two enter production the moment they’re released. Again, whether through confidence, arrogance or stubbornness, the commander refuses to dodge, its body splashed with acid that hardened even as it burned.

Likewise, my two bolts strike home on the beasts left leg. The force of Gravity will be increased on that side, perhaps enough to slow it. If that isn’t enough, no matter. If two bolts aren’t sufficient, then I will shoot two hundred!

[Advanced Enhanced Precise Shooting (II) has reached Level 2.]

Nice! I like this Skill since it’s applied to both my spells and my acid. Double value!

I slow the pace of my acid barrage and allow my main mind to form Gravity Bolts also. I’m unwilling to invest my attention to create condensed bolts, since I need my wits about me for the fight. Just like the last time, quantity will need to win over quality in this contest.

As I pepper the commander with magic and acid, Morrelia circles to the right, seeking to cut off the remainder of the goon squad whilst Tiny circles to the left, for once not listening to instincts and closing in at the first opportunity.

No, wait a second. There he goes.

Dammit, Tiny!