Grand Game 354: Battling Oneself (Patreon)

The mimic did not give me time to recover from my shock.

Blinking out of existence, the thing reformed at my back, and if not for its startling inner light, I would not have realized it was there at all. Death would have followed swiftly.

As it was, I did not manage to avoid my foe’s assault entirely.

A Light mimic’s attack has grazed you.

You have failed a magical resistance check! Your void armor has reduced the light damage incurred by 5%.

The blade in the mimic’s hand was no ebonheart. While it looked identical, it was formed entirely of Light—and unsurprisingly dealt no physical damage. It hurt just the same, though.

The mimic’s sword snaked forward again in a maneuver I instantly recognized. Throwing myself to the left, I avoided the sweeping blade.

You have evaded a Light mimic’s attack.

Huh, I grunted as I rolled back to my feet. So that’s why it’s called a Light mimic. My gaze darted to the elite that had spawned it. And that explains the appellation, ‘Force.’

Holding ebonheart at guard, I turned back to my foe, expecting to see it charging straight at me. What I beheld instead was the mimic curving around on a bed of air. Only then, did the true horror of what I faced sink in.

It doesn’t just look like me, it has my abilities too.

The thought spurred me into action. Realizing I could expect another assault from the rear, I spun around in time to see my foe’s blade bearing down on me. Reflexively, I thrust out ebonheart.

You have blocked a Light mimic’s attack.

Light met black steel and light was turned away.

It was only a split second later that I realized my attempted block could have gone horribly wrong had my foe’s Light blade truly contained no physical presence. Still, my maneuver had succeeded, and I didn’t dwell too long on the matter. Darting forward, I counterattacked.

The mimic slid out of the way and slashed down with his blade. Stepping into the attack, I parried the blow with ebonheart, then smashed my left fist into the creature’s all-too familiar face.

You have injured a Light mimic.

So. I can hurt it physically. Excellent. Empowering my sword with stamina, I attacked in earnest.

You have cast whirlwind and piercing strike.

A Light mimic has evaded your attack.

You have grazed your target.

Your target has injured you.

…

…

It did not take me long to figure out something was wrong. My foe was matching the pace of my attacks which meant it had cast whirlwind too. Damn. Time to change things up. Jumping backwards from the mimic’s searching blade, I shadow blinked.

You have teleported into the shadow of a Light mimic.

I emerged from the aether on the back foot and immediately lunged forward in attack.

My foe vanished.

Realizing there could be only one reason why, I kept going forward, transforming my lunge into a dive.

It was not enough.

A Light mimic has backstabbed you for 5x more damage!

Quick mend triggered, restoring 20% of your health!

My quick action saved me from a fatal blow, and instead of plunging through my heart, my foe’s blade slashed across my lower back.

The damage was still enormous. I lived but teetered on a very thin edge. And so, I did the only thing I could think of. I used magic.

Rolling onto my back and ignoring the blood pooling beneath me, I unleashed the harbinger’s stolen spell.

You have cast death’s cacophony.

The mimic, dashing forward to finish off his kill, was caught squarely in the pulsating waves of sound.

You have injured a Light mimic, dealing death damage.

My foe staggered back and attempted to flee the discordant noise, but turning my head to track his moments, I kept my gruesome howl centered squarely on him. If the mimic was truly a replica of me, then his null death skill would be as low as mine, and he would not survive the spell long.

You have injured a Light mimic.

You have injured a Light mimic.

…

…

A Light mimic has died.

Gasping in relief, I closed my mouth, cutting off the horrendous sound and let my head fall back to the ground. I had survived—barely—but if I wanted to remain that way, I had to heal, grab my stuff, and get out of here. I definitely did not want to hang about to see what the elite did next.

Drawing psi in preparation, I let my eyes drift back to the Force Multiplier, wondering what it made of its spawn’s death.

Two more rectangular shapes were dropping free from the elite.

I stared aghast. “More mimics? Already?”

The first block vanished in a blot of darkness, the second and a cloud of shadow.

A Dark mimic has spawned. Chosen template: the player named Michael, a level 182 voidstalker.

A Shadow mimic has spawned. Chosen template: the player named Michael, a level 182 voidstalker.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I groaned.

✵ ✵ ✵

I shoved my emotions—shock and despair—in a box and promptly forgot about them. There would be time enough to deal with them later. Now, I had to focus on one thing only: survival.

The fight with the Light mimic had carried me away from the elite, giving me a couple more vital seconds to react to its latest spawns. I was in no condition to fight, obviously. That left only flight or stealth, but with my back the way it was, I wouldn’t get far running either.

Hiding it is, I decided, and attempted to vanish.

There were no shadows in easy reach, but my fade was still active, and I was counting on it to make up for the lack.

It did not let me down.

Multiple hostile entities have failed to detect you. You are hidden!

The two mimics—one of glistening black, the other of eerie gray—paused in their advance. I paid them little heed. I was not done yet.

Stealth alone wouldn’t suffice to conceal me. Reforming the pool of psi at the pit of my subconsciousness, I hid my mind too.

You have cast mind shield. Psi abilities are unavailable.

The mimics resumed their approach, but this time at a much slower pace as they searched for me. No doubt, they had attempted to locate me with mindsight but failed. Exhaling silently in relief, I rolled onto my side and very carefully regained my feet.

Multiple hostile entities have failed to detect you.

The pain was excruciating, but thankfully quick mend had already closed the wound, and I did not leak blood. Gritting my teeth against the expected agony, I gingerly limped away.

Given my injury and the need for stealth, I moved slower than my foes, and the pair drew closer. I wanted to hurry but couldn’t. That way lay certain death.

The two mimics reached the spot they’d last seen me. I’d only managed four yards in the interim. Expecting the worst, I braced myself.

Multiple hostile entities have failed to detect you.

I couldn’t believe it. The two had failed to spot me. Even riddled with pain I found that strange. If the pair’s senses matched my own, they should be able to find me.

Unless...

The earlier Game messages had labeled the mimics ‘voidstalkers.’ That was not my true Class, though. My real Class—the hidden one— was voidstealer. It’s my secret bloodline at work, I realized.

The mimics were imitating my falsified Class, not my true one. The naming difference between the two was so small that in the chaos of the battle I’d missed it.

But while the naming difference was small the Class difference was not.

As voidstalkers, the mimics would not have my Wolf-derived benefits. They would possess mindsight but not slaysight. They would be protected by void armor but lack the ability to steal or siphon my spells. Then, too, there was the wolfwalker trait that enhanced my senses. They would not have that either.

Which perhaps explains why they are struggling to find me. I grinned toothily. This battle may not be a lost cause, after all. But first, I had to get far enough away that I could heal up safely.

Limping on in torturously slow fashion, I headed towards the closest cliff wall.

✵ ✵ ✵

Nestled in the shadow of a cliff and out of what I knew to be my own mindsight range, I lowered my psi shield and chain-cast chi heal, before mediating and channeling mana.

You have healed yourself of all injuries. Your health is at 100%.

You have restored 100% of your psi and mana.

Fighting-fit once more, I glanced across the canyon to the elite and the two mimics. It was clear the spawns were magical constructs, and I’d half expected them to have vanished before this.

But both remained manifested.

Killing the Light mimic had yielded no experience, nor had the Game reported a spell duration for any of the spawns. And I could not be certain they would not remain indefinitely.

My gaze flickered back to the Force Multiplier. There were over a dozen more rectangles spread along its central trunk. If they all spawned copies of me... I shuddered, not wanting to contemplate fighting a dozen versions of myself even if they were only voidstalkers.

Besides, I thought, there is no benefit to killing the elite’s spawns.

I had already analyzed the Force Multiplier and confirmed that the Light mimic’s death had hurt it not at all. The spawns were purely a defense mechanism. If I was going to win the encounter, I had to attack the Force Multiplier directly and avoid getting drawn into a protracted engagement with the spawns.

And since the mimics were not voidstalkers that was… doable.

I rose to my feet, a plan taking shape. After casting my buffs, I wrapped my mind in a psi shield again. Then leaving ebonheart sheathed, I crept closer to my targets. The two mimics where at the base of the Multiplier, standing guard together. My corpse lay a few yards to their left, but for now I ignored it.

Multiple hostile entities have failed to detect you.

I drew to a halt seven yards from my targets, making sure to place the spawns directly between me and the elite. Here goes. Opening my mouth, I howled.

You have cast death’s cacophony. You are no longer hidden!

Discordant waves of noise rolled out of my mouth to strike the two mimics and the elite behind them. The spawns were caught completely by surprise. As for the Force Multiplier I couldn’t say, but it sustained damage all the same.

You have injured a Shadow mimic.

You have injured a Death mimic.

You have injured a Force Multiplier.

The two spawns tried to escape my banshee-like howl, but death claimed them before they could muster psi or advance into melee range.

Still screaming, I advanced.

You have injured a Force Multiplier.

You have injured a Force Multiplier.

…

…

My howl built to a crescendo as I passed the mimics’ corpses, and I could only imagine the damage the elite was sustaining from the tier seven spell. Not letting up, I advanced closer still.

Two rectangular shapes fell downward from the monolith.

Snapping my mouth closed and cutting off my scream, I hurriedly wrapped my body in shadow and my mind in psi.

You are hidden.

You have cast mind shield. Psi abilities are unavailable.

Safe from detection, I reversed course and began my retreat. A second later, the new spawns burst into existence—this time they were both Light mimics—but finding themselves bereft of a target they stood around looking lost.

I smiled slyly. My plan was working beautifully. Continuing my retreat, I glanced at the elite. The Force Multiplier looked no worse for wear, but I was certain I’d hurt it. Seeking confirmation, I analyzed the creature.

The target is a level 201 Force Multiplier. It is barely injured.

Good enough, I thought.

✵ ✵ ✵

For whatever reason, the Force Multiplier could create only two spawns at a time. And against most foes, that would suffice presumably.

Against me, however, it only served to delay the inevitable.

After replenishing my lost mana, I resumed my assault on the Force Multiplier and drained its health a little more. In all, it took four trips back and forth across the canyon before the elite finally succumbed.

You have killed a Force Multiplier.

You have reached level 185!