The Systemic Lands

Chapter XXVII – Day 535 – A Conversation Between Equals

Chapter XXVII – Day 535 – A Conversation Between Equals

Someone was attacking. Ah, it was Champion Michael and a group of people. I knew he would try something like this. That was why I had rested before encamping here. My flying summon monsters easily spotted their approach.

He was throwing something into my camp. Ah crafting crystal bombs, how crude. My metal men were already picking them up and tossing them behind my camp when they exploded, the ground turning to liquid and liquid acid forming in their surroundings.

My forces came over the top of my worms and unleashed attacks on the pitiful summons that had been sent at me. Beams of fire and death easily wiped them out. Such pathetic attempts to copy me. Ah more bombs.

They exploded before I could get to them. I felt the pain through the tethers, but I was used to it by now and could filter some of it out with the Refraction Orb’s ability and redirect some of the pain with the Puppet Master’s abilities. Just a soft ache at worst.

There was energy gathering from the soldiers. Those Radiant Beam attacks. That was why I had my worms to counter them and act as defensive bulwarks with their energy conversion. The beams struck and my summon burst apart from getting too much energy. The beams cut deep into the camp, wounding several of my lesser level 3 hybrids.

I dispatched my were-sword dervishes to kill the soldiers. Champion Michael soared into the sky and killed five of them with his acid attack. My clear hawks swooped in to wound him, but he zipped away out of their range with that movement skill of his.

The rest of my camp had already been forming up during this time, but if that was their opener, I wasn’t worried. I had kept my trump cards in reserve. I didn’t bother to chase them. The real target was Purgatory, not Michael. If the city fell, he could only run for so long.

Those bombs, those soldiers, they were the real threat. Champion Michael was dangerous, but I wasn’t that worried about an individual combatant anymore. He would die eventually, but he was good at escaping. I had to cut off his escape routes and holes one by one, before I would be able to finish him off.

I set off for Purgatory at a good speed, but slower than normal since I had scouts surrounding my main force. Oh, Champion Michael was coming back to fight. He took out a couple of my scouts, but I quickly maneuvered a great worm towards his position. My hybrids on top, unleashing their ranged attacks, forcing him back.

I smiled as he tried to speed up to outpace me, but I matched his speed. I was not going to make it easy for him to return to Purgatory. Go on Michael, run off into the wilderness. I will find you eventually once I crack your home open like an egg.

He kept speeding up. Annoying. The soldiers had run off to the South, also annoying, but not a serious concern. I advanced forward. Flanking and strategy was useless against power. Power that I had in spades.

The sun was just coming up as I looked at the city of Purgatory once more. It had been a long journey, but with crystals of the great worms, it was easy to have a large amount of mass to feed my massive army of hybrids.

I spread out my forces and began my preparations. Time to stall a bit. I had a werewolf approach with a white flag. This would be an interesting diversion.

Champion Michael jumped down from the wall. Trying to intimidate me was pointless after all the level 4 monsters I had battled and triumphed over. Each one a unique experience, enriching me with knowledge.

“Ritualist,” Champion Michael greeted my hybrid.

“Champion Michael. Surprised you are willing to talk,” I replied. I had honestly thought he would have attacked right away. But I would not complain as my preparations began to take root.

“Well, after our history, how could I refuse. You accepted my dinner invitation all those days ago. Now I return the favor,” he said, clearly trying to needle me. The lips on my body turned upwards in a slight smile. Insults were the refuge of the weak and desperate.

“And I survived that first battle between us. Which I count as a victory. Now here I stand, ready to crush everything and drive you into the wilderness. What will you do then?” I countered. He stood no chance against me, and it was time to end our struggle once and for all. With the loss of Purgatory, I could chase him down without constraint.

“You seem awfully confident after our last encounter. Even with all your tricks, you were no match for me in the end,” Michael replied, arrogant as ever. I didn’t need paltry tricks, when raw power would suffice.

“Traps and tricks are old news. Only power matters. Power I have in spades. Well, that isn’t true, just one trick left. The best one of them all,” I said as I felt power coursing through me from the tier 4 crystals embedded inside of me.

“Oh, please do share, I am quite curious,” Champion Michael tried to get more information. It was funny how he thought I was that easily tricked into revealing what would be quite an unpleasant surprise for him.

“It isn’t that easy Champion Michael,” I replied and we both chuckled at that. For we knew one or the other was going to die.

“You can’t blame me for trying. Still, perhaps a trade of information, before we try to kill each other?” Champion Michael asked, and I knew exactly what he was talking about. That man was lurking about somewhere. All the better, I would kill two people I hated in one battle.

“Oh, you are speaking of the Astrologer,” I asked and saw the surprise on Michael’s face. “Oh yes. I know about that idiot. Thinking summoning is subpar and I am an idiot. He stands no chance against me. Why? Is he upset?” I had no fear of his the Astrologer’s paltry tricks.

“I would think so. What did you do to annoy him besides existing?” Michael asked clearly not trusting the man. Perhaps that was the only thing we would ever agree on before one of us was dead.

“Ruining his plans. His plans for you,” I said to ruin any chance of them working together. The unity of my army was my strong point. Michael’s disunity was his weak point.

“Of course he has plans. He is the type to spin and spin and get confused with how much he is spinning. Any idea what they are?” Michael asked, but I would say no more. A tiny seed planted would take root while a tree would wither and die.

“I have my guesses, but those shall remain mine. But let us move on to why I wanted to have a discussion.” Time to see if I could make Champion Michael kneel. Even if he did, I would just kill him. “Kneel and serve me. I have methods to ensure your obedience that is not hybridization. If you do so, I will spare 100 people of your choice from within the city.”

“Only a 100? Seems a bit low to make me kneel,” he asked, clearly seeing through my insult.

“Well, someone wrecked my city. A price must be paid. I don’t expect you to accept, but if you did, it would be quite hilarious,” I said and just toyed with him some more.

“You just wanted to gloat? Or are you moving things into position underground?” Champion Michael asked and I felt surprise that he knew what I was planning. I had enough control not to show that surprise through my monsters.

“Consider it a surprise. I doubt we will speak again. It has been entertaining Champion Michael,” I replied. It would soon be time to act.

“Entertaining. That is a good word. Don’t complain when I skin and salt you,” Champion Michael said. I let him go. Trying to kill him here, would only complicate things. Champion Michael would only die when there was nowhere left to run.

A Radiant Beam attack from multiple skill users struck my troops with only minimal casualties. A minor irritation, but the perfect single to act, now that they had used up their best attack.

One of my worms finally finished tunneling and cut off the escape route. My flying monsters moved in to clear the walls and my troops rushed forward to provide cover for my mental attack hybrids as they closed the distance needed to use their skills.

Arrows flew from the soldiers from the top of the wall. Blasts of force sent my aerial summons and hybrids tumbling and colliding with each other. That was when I felt a titanic energy shift happening beneath my forces at the wall.

The ground liquefied and acid burst out of the ground. More arrows rained down from the wall. Effects exploded among my troops. I couldn’t track them all and they didn’t matter. The mental attacks were shunted away. There was a reason I sent in the useless monsters first and kept the best in reserve.

My ranged units stepped forward. Lances of energy struck the top of the wall. Soldiers melted, decayed, froze. Their dying screams echoed sounded across the battlefield. Ah, Michael was about to finish off my worm. Well time to the repay the favor of crafting crystal bombs. I flicked a mental switch. All the crafting crystals my troops had deposited into the tunnel beneath the wall detonated.

That many crafting crystals would create an annihilation reaction. Massive amounts of raw energy propelled outwards with esoteric effects on the leading edge. The bottom of the wall bulged upwards. The wall cracked on either side of the bulge, despite the impressive weight pushing down.

The effects blasted up and out of the ground. The entire section of the wall cracked and collapsed, towers and all. My plan was perfect. There was no need to engulf the city or cut off the other entrances. They would fight me at the wall. I had my aerial scouts watching the movement of the people.

I wanted them to gather their forces here at this point. I would deal a devastating blow and wipe out the majority of the people who could stand against me.

They were idiots thinking I wouldn’t use bombs. The things were quite powerful. Even if I did not need much in the way of equipment, they were effective shattering an entrenched position.

I moved in more troops towards the breach.