Path of Stars, Ch 30: Outpost Runemaster (Patreon)

Two arcs of brilliant orange-red light blasted through the Void from the second fortress as Sam headed toward it. The attack was faster than the last one he’d seen and the bolts had some ability to compress space and arrive more quickly than they should have, but they still had a long distance to cover. They were much too slow to catch him. Astral energy blazed around him as he found a thread leading in the right direction and disappeared.

He’d gathered the experience and essence from the last battle, but the essence needed to be balanced before he absorbed it and he didn’t have the time right now. Instead, he only glanced at the seven levels he’d gained. He was up to Level 271 now.

When he returned, he was at the edge of the fortress that hung close above Alora’s green world, about half a mile away, which meant it was just within the range of Astral Focus. This fortress felt a little different than the last one and its enchantments were stronger, at least by fifty percent. The red essence pouring across the stone surface beat against his skin like angry mallets full of destructive power.

The ripples on its stone surface shone with a brilliant red and yellow light and his scan of the closest sphere suggested it was fully manned, unlike the previous one. There were about forty Outsiders inside the sphere, although only two of them were above Level 300.

As soon as he arrived above the fortress, the defensive enchantments built into it came to life. Dozens of the yellow vultures began to rise from the surface, their beaks turning toward him with angry screams. He studied them at a glance and then nodded.

Unlike the last, it seemed this fortress was prepared for him. They’d watched what had just happened. The comparison between the two fortresses was also enough for him to make some educated guesses.

The last fortress had been emptier than this one, but it had a few more Level 300s in it, perhaps to balance out the lack of troops. This one, on the other hand, seemed to have a full complement of whatever mages it needed.

It looked like the main purpose of these fortresses was to allow many weaker Outsiders at Level 200 or so to combine their energy through the rune patterns. At the same time, the walls protected them and gave them a place to live. They were probably also able to teleport down to the world from here.

Unfortunately for them, they were still weak to direct hits, especially from the inside once he was past the teleportation restriction. Sam’s smile was dark as he raised his spear and channeled astral energy into it. It flared with life as he brought it down on the stone sphere below him.

A massive slash cut through the sphere, tearing open a hole in its side. It was harder than the last one as the surface resisted him and slowed down the cut. It was trying to fight back against the energy that was destroying it. Despite that, it still opened.

Inside, he could feel the fury of the Outsiders as they tried to reinforce the enchantments to stop him, but they weren’t able to block the astral energy ripping the sphere apart. The sound of their chanting and the twisting signatures of their magic filled his senses.

By this point, they might not be entirely sure what he was, but they had to have guessed that he was an Astral Titan, one of the legendary guardians of the Void. There weren’t that many beings who could single handedly tear through an Outsider fortress in minutes and leave it in ruins. Granted, without his particular skill set to shatter enchantments, the fortress’s defenses would have been much harder to get through.

Still, he had no interest in showing them mercy. They’d already devastated Alora’s world, and he had to hope that some survivors had managed to escape. Now, they were building these fortresses, which showed a plan to expand across the Void.

That wasn’t the main thing on his mind, however, as he finished carving through the sphere and leapt inside with his golems following. The significance of what he’d discovered in the last fortress was still ringing in his ears with the Titan Star’s voice.

No auras detected.

He had searched the ruins, but none of the Outsiders in the first fortress had auras. He’d never had time to examine the soul wraith or the Bloodstone Giants that had been attacking Alora, so he hadn’t noticed it until now, but the impact of it was staggering.

On Aster Fall, Outsiders gained an aura by devouring it when they forced their way into the world. If these Outsiders had come into the Chaos Wild the same way, through some rift between the galaxies or the Nexus itself, they would definitely have an aura. Since they didn’t, there was only one possibility.

It meant they hadn’t come through the World Seal.

And if that was true...then either they had come from a different route completely, one where they didn’t gain an aura, or they had come through the Nexus before the World Seal was constructed.

In the days before the First War, the Nexus had operated properly, guiding visitors from one side to the other. It was only after the World Seal was constructed that it became a matter of forced entry.

He needed to get down to the surface and see this Wild Grove and the doors inside it. He was sure now that it was some type of ancient prison, or possibly even a stasis artifact that held these Outsiders.

It could also be some type of portal to the other side that he didn’t understand, but that was unlikely. The amount of energy in the Nexus was effectively impossible to disguise. Not only would it be obvious to him, but the Will of the Path would have known about it and Alora’s world would not have been so peaceful.

It was far more likely that Asenya had trapped these Outsiders here for some reason he didn’t understand. Perhaps their ancestors had been friends of hers, or maybe it had been an act of mercy. But now, they had broken out.

Either way, he had to deal with them and figure out what was going on.

As those thoughts flashed through his mind, his attention was pulled back to the enemies in front of him, which were pressing toward him with a furious barrage of spells. He growled at them as his cloak flared to life with a brilliant icy blue light that washed across the room. Waves of crystalline Ice and a massive force of essence flowed with it, turning into frozen streamers in the air.

If it had been a different time and place, it would have been beautiful, but here it was a weapon, and the result was savage. Outsiders froze all across the room as they were covered in layers of shining ice, their expressions locked in the moment of their attack.

As soon as they were frozen, Sam’s spear blurred as he slashed it across the room. In its wake, ice statues shattered by the dozens, fragments of bones and frozen blood like crystals flying through the air. Within moments, the sphere was filled with destruction and no opponents were left before him.

Despite being more occupied, it seemed like this fortress would fall similar to the first one. There weren’t enough high level enemies to stop him. At that moment, however, the fortress below him trembled as a surge of violent and uncontrolled essence rushed through the sphere he was standing in.

The enchantments on the walls burned as angry red essence surged out of its channels and turned into warped flames in the air. It all happened in an instant as from one side of the sphere to the other, the process continued until the entire sphere was wrapped in a web of raging energy.

The space around Sam trembled, clamping down with a vise-like grip, and the essence on the walls grew brighter, reaching a fever pitch as the flames shot from one side to the other and grew more intense. Behind them, the walls began to warp, melting under the force.

Sam’s mind was crystal clear as he analyzed the changes and then his attention turned toward the next sphere ahead of him, where he could sense the flow of essence originated. It was too far to examine with Astral Focus, but he could still see the distribution of essence there, which was swiftly weakening as this area grew stronger.

It looked like someone in the fortress was willing to cut off their arm to save their leg. Any moment now, as soon as it reached the critical point, the sphere he was standing in was going to explode. Since they couldn’t hit him with the main weapon on the fortress, the commander here had chosen a different path.

The spatial enchantment locking down the area was stronger than anything he’d seen from the Outsiders before, but it was also familiar, a different layer to the same one they used outside, which suggested it was built into the outpost’s defenses. It was something they hadn’t tried until now.

He wasn’t sure if they understood his abilities or if they were just getting lucky, but now that he was inside the sphere, it actually was more difficult for him to leave. His view of the stars was blocked by the walls and he didn’t have time to return to the opening he’d made, which was already partially blocked by ice and the destruction he’d caused.

A short range teleportation would also take longer with the restriction here and there was no time to waste. So, he chose a different path. His hands swept out as he grabbed his golems and stuffed them away in his cloak, and then he turned his attention to the essence channel that was directing the energy into the sphere.

The warped line of red power was just at the edge of the tunnel leading out, where it headed toward the neighboring sphere. He stepped forward, covering the distance in an instant as his spear rose in his hand. A brilliant golden blade infused with Shatter Aura came down on top of the charged line. At the same time, his cloak wrapped tightly around him, covering him in a silver-blue Astral Shield.

The essence flowing through the room was like a serpent poised to strike. As soon as his spear cut through it and the pressure of energy inside was disrupted, it lashed out. The entire sphere exploded earlier than the Outsiders had intended and in a completely uncontrolled manner.

A ring of red flame and stone exploded outward, tearing apart the remainder of the stone walls and sending them hurtling outward as a rain of shards and energized dust. Along with them, a pulse of blood-tinged essence and a few flashing runes flew away as well, their lines covered in fractures. Before they got very far away, they disintegrated into nothing.

The Outsider commander had intended the damage to be focused on the inside of the sphere, but with Sam’s disruption, the explosion tore outward instead, erupting through the channels that had contained it. Blast waves exploded in every direction, clashing against one another as frequently as they flew out into the distant dark.

Near the center of the blast, a hundred-foot-tall silvery blue sphere was visible. Fragments of stone shards and waves of red energy crashed against it, but the surface only rippled in response, as if an entire frozen ocean were contained within. As stillness began to spread through the area, a crack opened on the side of the sphere and then it dissolved, revealing Sam holding on to the edge of his cloak. When he’d pulled it together around him, the sphere had formed, protecting him from the blast.

Even so, there were a few blackened spots along his skin from where fragments had transferred some force through the shield and his clothing and hair were tousled. He’d been flung around quite a bit by the blast and crashed into various things.

Now, however, there was nothing remaining of the stone sphere except dust. The Outsiders had done a better job destroying it than even he’d planned to. The tunnel that had once connected from this side of the sphere to the next one in the distance, where the fortress’s commander seemed to be, was almost entirely gone. Only about 10% of it remained on the far side.

Unfortunately, the Outsiders had gotten lucky and their sphere over there was still intact. There were a few impact spots where shards of stone had hit it, but it looked like the majority of the explosion had gone elsewhere.

Sam glanced down at his cloak, assessing its condition, and then he nodded. About a third of the essence in it was drained, but it would recover in a month or so with just its passive regeneration. The blast had been unfocused or it would have taken a lot more to block it, but it was still a massive expenditure in shielding energy, about 75,000 essence, which showed how dangerous the explosion had been, even with his interference.

This commander was swift to cut his losses and to try and kill the enemy, regardless of the cost to his own side. It meant he was dangerous. It was good that he hadn’t brought the nagas here. He wouldn’t have been able to protect them as easily as his golems, since he couldn’t shove them in his spatial items.

Fragments of dust drifted across his view as he studied the distant sphere, but he didn’t waste any time as soon as his shield fell. There was no telling what that commander would get up to if he gave him the opportunity. The Void was clear around him now and the green sun of the system was directly ahead, burning in the distance beyond the Outsider’s fortress.

Without hesitating, he gathered the essence and experience around him and then he disappeared in a wash of silver flame. He reappeared just inside the next sphere. All around him, he could sense the presence of Outsiders fleeing, heading down the tunnels in the opposite direction. There was only one being who stayed to face him.

Bloodsigil Runemaster. Outsider. Level 410. Lieutenant of Blood.

It was a female Bloodsigil. She was wearing a ruby-colored red robe with wide, flaring sleeves that revealed tattoos inscribed along her hands and arms. She was taller than a human by about two feet and beneath the tattoos, her body was striped with red, sigil-like marks. Her hair was braided and wrapped around her head like a crown.

She stood facing him with red sigils flashing across her hands as she wove a spell. All around her, the runes on the walls echoed with the same light, responding to her commands. She was the first Fourth Evolution being he’d seen among the Outsiders and there was a strong sense of spatial pressure all around her, similar to the wards against teleportation that came from the fortresses.

It looked like he’d found the commander of the outpost. She was probably the one who’d built a lot of them. If she wasn’t in charge of the project, she’d at least had a major hand. Her aura matched the essence that was flowing through the walls.

“An Astral Titan,” she said calmly as she saw him. Her hands didn’t stop moving as she spoke, even as she studied his body and horns. “What else could you be? The Race of Golden Legend, the children of the ages who have it all...except the one thing you want the most. How many years has it been since my kind killed one of you, I wonder? A million years or more? Time moves strangely in that prison, but I know it has been at least that long since we were free. Each year in there passes like an age. You’ve certainly done a good job eliminating the traces of our presence here. I haven’t been able to find a single other Outpost within range of this system.”

Her composure was unbelievable, given that he’d just destroyed one fortress and part of hers was floating away into space. It was also the first time he’d heard an Outsider speak a language he understood, and her words touched on many secrets.

In that instant, she confirmed that there was some type of prison here and it sounded like she was from the distant past. She was referring to the First War like she’d fought in it or knew someone who had. That was the only time he knew of when the Titans and the Outsiders had such close relations that she would be familiar with him at a glance.

For an instant, he was struck with surprise, but he had no intention of letting her finish whatever spell she was casting. He covered the distance between them in an instant and his spear swept forward like a bolt of golden lightning, heading directly for her chest.

A look of rage crossed the Runemaster’s face and her hands twisted upward, releasing a web of ruby-tinged runes to block his attack. Unlike the ones on the walls, these were brighter and were connected to one another by thin tendrils. The runes wove a dense net in front of his attack and then a wave of essence connected them all together, creating a sparkling red shield. The runes on the walls resonated at the same time.

His spear slammed into the shield with a shock like he’d struck a mountain. Behind it, he could feel the weight of the entire fortress blocking his attack. The spear point stabbed in a few inches before it stopped, and then a rebound force came back along the shaft toward him. From the pressure of it, it was three or four times stronger than the strength he’d put into the attack.

Instead of receiving that blow head on, he let the spear dissipate back into astral energy as he twisted to the side, dodging the wave of force that swept past him. It was close enough that it tore past his side and made his cloak sway.

Another astral spear formed in his hand as he continued the movement, and he grimaced. He wasn’t sure what type of strange spells she was using, but he didn’t feel like wasting any more time finding out. She was clearly linked to the fortress.

As he raised the spear again, this time he didn’t target the Runemaster. Instead, he infused it with Shatter Aura and hurled it toward one of the main rune patterns on the walls. The spear flashed out, releasing a brilliant blast of astral light as it tore a hole through the stone sphere and disappeared into the distance. The essence runes on the wall around the hole shattered, exploding into fragments. Thin fractures ran along the wall through their connections, sending a full tenth of the sphere into a wild roil of red energy that began to slowly darken.

“No!” the Bloodsigil shouted angrily as she twisted to inspect the damage. “I’ll skin you and wear your hide as a cloak for that!”

Her hands rose as another web of runes flared out from them. This time, runes poured out of the walls all around her, turning into a waterfall of power that began to swirl like a hurricane. Sigils he didn’t recognize twisted the air, crackling as they gathered force. A wave of deadly and crackling essence began to form into crystalline strands of blood red energy in the midst of it.

Instead of facing it head on, Sam turned toward the walls that were feeding the Runemaster energy. His bracers began to glow and then massive spirals of energy began to rotate around them. On his left arm, it was a river of astral flame that was so condensed it looked like a thousand miniature flames flickering in an ocean. On his right arm, it was loops of moonlight that spiraled around his bracer, their edges a brilliant tricolored light that glittered like endless blades.

Before the Runemaster could finish her spell, he unleashed both bracers at the sphere around him. The motes of astral flame drifted out in an almost timeless fashion. They seemed slow at first, but in the next instant they were already at the walls and burning through them like a thousand stellar spears. Beside them, thousands of lunar crescents spun with blue, green, and purple edges, like moons rising. Where they passed, cuts formed that led to the Void on the other side.

The spells tore through the walls and the red runes on them like a wave of meteors, ripping apart the rune patterns as they left gaping holes in their wake. Sam moved his target in an arc, targeting one part of the sphere and then another, aiming for the most complex parts of the essence channels.

Huge chunks of stone ripped free from the walls, disintegrating into a landslide that was hurled outward from the force of the blast. In seconds, giant and gaping holes were visible as the sphere began to crumble away.

At the center of the sphere, the Runemaster was still trying to gather essence for her spell. She’d clearly expected him to do something else or to face her head on with complex spells of his own. As she saw the sphere crumbling, her eyes widened as she desperately tried to grab at the essence around her and pull it back.

Chaotic fluctuations were wobbling through it, making the spell structure bulge wildly, and bolts of red lightning began to leap from rune to rune, promising destruction. Runes sprang from her fingers as a red shield appeared, reaching outward toward the edge of the storm she’d summoned as she tried to contain it.

Sam ignored her efforts as he silenced his bracers and turned back toward her. He didn’t know exactly what a Lieutenant of Blood was, but he knew enough to not give her the opportunity to try anything else.

Runes of his flowed from his hands into a spinning silver-white sphere that appeared just in front of him. The Runemaster was still trying to gather her spell back together by the time he was finished filling it. The surface rippled like starry liquid from the thousands of points of essence concentrated inside. With a light flick of his hand, he sent it flying in her direction. The sphere spun forward and stopped just above her head, flashing with a brilliant light like a star.

An instant later, Sam teleported away, taking up a position about a mile above the fortress. Below him, the Nexus spell exploded outward in a terrifying wave of silver energy that burned with runes along the edge as it shredded through the rest of the sphere. It blazed like the corona of a star a thousand feet across as runes and flames flared throughout it.

A moment later, the silver sun contracted again, pulling the essence, bits of stone, and the fragments of broken red runes back with it toward the center. Its edge was a brilliant cutting edge of force as it slammed back toward its origin, shrinking back to a point even smaller than before.

The Runemaster’s spell was sliced into pieces and pulled into the structure too. Her body twisted, nearly breaking under the pressure, but she was at the Fourth Evolution and far more durable than most enemies he’d faced. She snarled as she fought back against the pressure, trying to pull away before the sphere consumed her.

Her efforts amounted to nothing as the tiny silver sphere rippled with a dark distortion and then exploded outward again, transforming into a thousand silver spears. She was at point blank range and her defenses were gone. Her body was ripped apart as the spears tore through her like a hailstorm.

Above it all, Sam looked down with hard eyes as he pulled more Heroic auras out of his storage and began to combust them. He waved his hand to release the golems from his cloak. The eagle and the two armor golems hovered around him, forming a silver wall as he took a moment to catch his breath.

When he was done, he teleported lower to get into range for Astral Focus and scanned the remains of the fortress below him. There were still dozens of Outsiders inside the remaining four spheres, but he didn’t sense anything else over Level 320. It looked like the commander had been the main force here.

When he looked over his shoulder, he saw the Ice Drake slowly approaching in the distance, and then he turned to look at the third fortress. Its weapons were ineffective as long as he was next to this one, but he rubbed his chin as he considered how much essence he’d spent already. He was burning through his auras and the charges on his equipment quickly.

Eventually, he sent another glance at the Ice Drake and he nodded. There was an entire army of overly eager and battle-mad nagas on board, as well as a couple of Wild Spirits who needed to work out some of their anger at their enemies. It wouldn’t do to take all of the Outsiders for himself, especially when he wasn’t sure what they would find on the world below.

He’d wait here and protect the Ice Drake as it arrived, and then he’d let them deal with the remaining Outsiders in this fortress. Once they were here and protected from the long-range spells of the last fortress, he’d head over and deal with it. Meanwhile, it would also give him a chance to deal with all of the essence and experience he’d just absorbed.

Even now, the essence from the almost one hundred Outsiders he’d killed was pressing around his body in a dense silver wave. As he looked at it, he realized for the first time that it no longer had any of the sapphire blue that his essence used to have. It seemed it had also changed when he refined his subclass.

A quick assessment of his losses told him that he’d spent a third of the charges in his cloak and a quarter of the ones in his bracers. Besides that and some fatigue from the intense exchanges, he was in fairly decent shape. Notifications from the Titan Star began to ring in his mind.