The Systemic Lands

Chapter 252: Day 535 – An Army Without End

I stepped forward, waving at the soldiers to stay put. He had his hands open and out to the side of his body, clearly indicating he was no threat. But that didn’t mean anything.

“Hello Astrologer. I don’t think I have seen you around before. Quite an odd time and place to show up,” I said. The man let out a long sigh. I couldn’t get a read on his Body stat.

“The Ritualist is a grave threat to the stability of the region. I was content to mind my own business. But he seems determined to make a mess of things,” the Astrologer said.

“And why do you care? What city are you from I asked?” If he wanted to discuss things than I needed information first before I made a decision on how to respond to this man who had just showed up in the night when we were on our way to attack the Ritualist. I hadn’t forgotten the fake Ajani.

“My city was destroyed, and my hope is that Purgatory will grow and be my new home. So, you could say that I am homeless currently. I have no hostile intentions towards you. I am here as a courtesy, to let you know that when you attack, I will be striking directly at the Ritualist with the intent to kill him,” the Astrologer said.

“Really. That seems like a stretch with all the monsters and hybrids he has,” I said. Even I wasn’t delusional enough to think I could do something like that. Still, as long as this man kept his distance, I wouldn’t say no to some more help. Even if it was suspicious as hell. This Astrologer felt like some old cultivator crawling out of his grave to cause trouble for his amusement and benefit.

Still, I couldn’t afford a fight right now. Even more so when I was strapped with lots of primed bombs. “I can tell you are suspicious of me and that is fine. I welcome your scrutiny. After the Ritualist is dead, I was hoping we could have a peaceful and friendly chat,” the Astrologer said.

“No demands? No requests for favors?” I asked, trying to understand his angle.

“There is a favor I would ask for, but not demand.” The figure shook his hooded head. “I believe in making friends, not enemies. And there are greater threats than the Ritualist that deserve our attention. As for me striking the Ritualist down, summoning like he does, outside the boundaries of the system has critical weaknesses that can be exploited.”

“What kind of weaknesses?” I asked.

“Hmmm, well I don’t want to give away all my tricks. Let me just say the tethers he has can be severed. I plan to sever them all at once in the chaos you are causing. His army will implode as the hybrids devolve to their base instincts,” the Astrologer replied.

“Keep away from us. And if you succeed, we can talk then,” I replied.

“I appreciate and thank you for your understanding. So many people just resort to attacks and violence as their first response,” the Astrologer said. Yeah, he was super shady and I still didn’t understand where he had come from or for what purpose. “The Ritualist is just half a mile or about a kilometer ahead. I will take my leave now.” The Astrologer just floated up into the sky.

Okay, he was flexing with that move, but it was impressive as hell. To just slowly float away. I wanted that ability. Finally, things were going my way. A hidden grandfather had come out to help me. Even if he was suspicious, talking would be a nice change of pace compared the unrelenting brutality of the Ritualist.

With a name like Astrologer, he was definitely focused on causing trouble and meddling. I just had to be sure his meddling ended up in my favor and I didn’t get caught up with things beyond my control. I returned to the soldiers.

“We continue. The Ritualist is just ahead. Ignore the creepy Astrologer and don’t trust him. He is playing his own game, that I don’t understand yet,” I said. “Air Burst.” I prepped my skill since conflict was imminent.

“Understood Champion Michael,” Captain Kenji said and began adjusting the formation as the tension racketed up. Well, I wasn’t going to count on deus ex machina grandfathers to save the day. If he managed to win, then we could talk, until then he just spoke well but was all sizzle and no steak.

We advanced towards the Ritualist camp. We were positioned on a hill and his forces were encamped on the next one. The great red pulsing worms had wormed a pseudo wall. Like a pimple on the land itself that I needed to excise. I moved forward as the soldiers remained on the hill. The eighty summons were just in front of me. I allowed them to take the lead.

I reached into my harness. I threw one blue bomb after another, throwing out all five. I detonated the bombs. I frowned, since it appeared I had overthrown them. My sense of their location wasn’t great like it was with summoned monsters.

The summons rushed forward. Monsters showed up on top of the worms and unleashed their attacks, cutting them down. I quickly threw both of the death-decay bombs. They exploded, taking out several hybrids and wounding the worm, but it was only a small dent.

“RADIANT BEAM!” The ground lit up as the sky turned to fire above me. The pulsing red worm bulged and then burst into dust. The trail end of the beams struck into the camp. At least a hundred hybrids had been killed or wounded in that attack.

A quick glance showed that the soldiers were already running away. Spinning bladed things in the night sky moved for them. Time for some aerial combat. I leapt away from the camp towards the monsters. Air Burst.Acid Shot x10. “Air Burst!”

I landed on the ground and quickly kicked off to keep up my speed. I angled directly West, while the soldiers had headed more Southwest. The Ritualist didn’t seem to be in a hurry to chase me and I slowed down and then regrouped with the soldiers.

The attack had gone better and worse than I had expected. If the Ritualist’s army was at 100% health before the attack, we got him down to 97% if I had to guess. A major dent, but not a knockout blow by any means. We would need 100 Radiant Beam users to wipe him out.

It was also good to confirm that the great pulsing red worms countered Radiant Beam. Not surprising. I scanned around my retreating group and noted a wave out scouts in the distance pursuing us both on the ground and the sky, with the horde behind them.

They were gaining ground. I looked at the soldiers ahead of running as fast as they could. They had poor form unfortunately and not enough Body stat. “Air Burst.” I prepped the skill. I stopped and pulled out one white bomb and my only gray bomb. Time to cross some energy streams and see what happens.

I glanced to my sides, the monsters were trying to flank and engulf me. I turned to the North directly towards one of my flanks. Acid Shot x3. Three armored horses melted as I easily broke through. Acid Shot x3. I melted three dark blue centaurs with horns. Were-unicorns possibly.

I quickly retreated but the Ritualist didn’t pursue me even as one of his worms moved in my direction. The monsters on top shooting beams of fire and black beams which were probably some kind of death energy. Air Burst. I got more distance.

The Ritualist still kept up his pace towards Purgatory. I shot off towards the East to out pace him. He matched my speed with his army. He was trying to block me from returning. I turned and angled for his worm. I threw both bombs towards his worm.

I detonated them. A kaleidoscope of effects burst out. I didn’t hesitate and immediately pulled and through the single combination bomb the good doctor had given me at the worm as well. It exploded and several hybrids on the worm were killed or wounded, but the great pulsating red worm was barely damaged. The clumped-up nature of them made they easy targets.

Another two worms moved in my direction, more ranged attacks were fired at me from the hybrids on top of them and I was forced to run. I kept my speed as fast as I could go with the occasional Air Burst to gain some ground.

I noted that the soldiers had moved off of the straight line to Purgatory. Even if they were stranded outside the city, they could survive for a while and circle around to another gate. But unlike before where a long siege was in the Ritualist’s favor, it was better for him to break through as quickly as possible.

I outpaced the Ritualist and reached the East gate of Purgatory. I entered the city and it was slammed closed behind me. “My people?” General Smith was there and asked me.

“Alive and circling around. Let’s go to the top of the wall,” I said. General Smith nodded at me and lead the way. A soldier handed me a cup of water to drink which I quickly downed and then left to the side of the staircase of the tower once I had finished it.

We reached the top of the wall. The full extent of the Ritualist’s army finally became visible since I had height and it was spreading out in front of the East gate in a half arc formation. I noted the super large worm in back with a structure on its back I had missed before. That was where the Ritualist was.

“General, there are no tethers,” one of the soldiers said and I listened in.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there are no tethers. None of the sensors can spot them,” the soldier repeated. I frowned at that. The Astrologer had talked a big game but had not made any kind of move I had seen yet.

“Target the large worm in back with Radiant Beam,” I ordered. The General looked at me for a moment.

“I have a plan in place. Allow me to conduct the battle,” General Smith said. Someone had put on their big boy pants today.

“Very well, I trust you can handle things on your end,” I replied. That was when a lone werewolf advanced out of the horde with a white piece of cloth on a stick. So the Ritualist wanted to talk.

“Can you leave the gate open for a retreat?” I asked.

“I will arrange it personally,” the General said. I nodded at him. Time to flex on the Ritualist and inspire the troops. I leapt off the four-story wall. I landed with a superhero pose, one knee and fist on the ground.

I then stood up and walked to the werewolf to have a conversation with my arch nemesis.