Grand Game 377: Mind Games (Patreon)

The good news was that the thorns appeared to have been fired blindly. There was bad news too, though. As widely dispersed as the thorn barrage was, it would be impossible to avoid entirely.

So, instead of ducking, I huddled small, tucking my neck into my chest and shielding my head with my arms while I waited for the hammer to fall.

A stygian thorn has failed to injure you. Your mind shield has blocked the attack, absorbing the psi damage.

A stygian thorn has failed to injure you.

A stygian thorn has failed to injure you.

…

…

In all, two dozen thorns struck me—all of which were rebuffed by my mind shield. Amazed, but pleasantly surprised by the outcome, I raised my head.

More missiles were heading my way.

These, while thorns too, were of a different kind and were already too close to evade. With no other choice, I gritted my teeth and waited for the second storm to hit.

10 blight thorns have struck you.

Your void armor has repelled 7 blight thorns!

Your void armor has reduced the nether damage incurred from the remaining 3 projectiles by 100%.

Huh, I thought, impressed anew by the strength of my defenses. I had escaped two full volleys of nether and psi projectiles unscathed. But I was sure more attacks were on the way, and it was time to move.

My mindsight reported the immediate vicinity to be empty—falsely so, the weavers had shielded themselves—but I wasn’t fooled. Slipping free of the harbinger’s corpse, I jumped down from the guardian’s back.

Halfway to the bottom, I materialized a ramp of air and coasted the remaining distance.

I hit the ground running and raced towards the void sapling. It was time for my next kill. A few short steps later, I was under its sickly branches. Another torrent of thorns descended from above, better aimed now that the tree could see me. Evading as many of the tiny slivers as I could, I lashed out at the ash-white trunk.

A level 201 void sapling is immune to necrotic damage! You have failed to injure your target.

Urgh, I spat as my blades clanged off the bark as if it were steel.

“Hurry, Michael,” Adriel called from behind. “The nest will be here soon.”

Nodding sharply, I rammed my stygian swords back into their sheathes and, reaching over my shoulder, grabbed ebonheart by the hilt. Another shower of thorns fell.

Dancing around them, I thrust the black blade point first into the tree’s meaty trunk.

It, too, failed to penetrate.

A level 201 void sapling is immune to physical damage! You have failed to injure your target.

“Damn, damn, and damn,” I cursed. What was it with this damnable tree?

Motion around the corner of my eye drew my attention—more blight thorns. The weavers had found me again. Dropping flat onto the ground, I let the incoming hail of projectiles sail over me.

You have evaded 6 blight thorns.

While I was presently resistant to the weavers’ attacks, that would only hold true as long as my void armor remained active. Every attack my armor fended off drained it a bit further, and I couldn’t afford to be needlessly struck.

Surging back to my feet, I materialized a psi dagger and flung it at the sapling.

Your target’s mind shield has blocked your attack.

I’d more than half-expected the result but had flung the dagger anyway as a test. Now, I knew the tree was only shielded from—not immune to—psi damage. That gave me two viable means of killing it. There was no quick way to implement either though, and I needed to regroup.

Turning tail, I fled.

Thorns raced after me—both stygian and blight ones—but before they could close, I shadow blinked out of reach.

You have teleported into a stygian crawler’s shadow.  You are hidden.

✵ ✵ ✵

An hour later, I was still in the mists.

Meditating psi and channeling mana, I listened to the frustrated cries of the stygians searching for me. Despite having numbers on their side, none of the creatures had come close to finding me.

Retreating from the void tree had been necessary if only to give the stygians a wider search area. Even with my ridiculously high stealth, I couldn’t see myself going undetected once the nest crammed shoulder to shoulder around the tree.

And truly, time did not press down on me as severely as before. The harbinger, the biggest threat, had been eliminated—leaving me far more options.

Your psi and mana have been fully replenished.

Opening my eyes, I took stock of myself.

Most of the lichs’ buffs had dissipated, but they were no longer necessary. None of my remaining foes were anywhere near as fearsome as the harbinger.

It was time to return to the fray. Rising to my feet, I stalked through the mists.

“This is a strange way to fight,” Adriel remarked.

I chuckled, relaxed and at ease despite the thousands of stygians between me and my target. “I’m not one for a stand-up fight, not if I can avoid it.”

Adriel smiled crookedly. “I can see that.” She, too, was in good spirits. Success lay close at hand.

“Are you going to whittle down the stygians’ numbers before renewing your assault on the tree?”

For a moment, I was tempted. Slaying a few thousand stygians would undoubtedly take me to level two hundred, making me an elite in truth, but that was not the mission and getting sidetracked was a good way to get killed again.

I shook my head. “No need. Without the spores, the creatures can’t find me, and I need to get rid of that sapling before it creates any more of those troublesome things.” And besides, I could always kill the stygians after I saw to the void tree.

Adriel tilted her head. “I hadn’t thought of that. You’re right, but how do you intend on killing the sapling?”

“There’s two options,” I said. “Farren’s spell or astral blades.”

“Hmm. Which of his spell do you have?”

“Darkness bolt.”

The spirit grinned. “Use that.”

I glanced at her questioningly. “You’re sure?”

“Definitely. Few things in this world are immune to Force damage. I will be surprised if the tree can shrug off the bolts easily.”

Nodding thoughtfully, I crept back toward the sapling.

✵ ✵ ✵

I did not approach the seed as closely as I had originally anticipated needing to. In fact, I halted my advance at the fifty-yard line and well outside of sight range.

I did not need to see the sapling; I only needed to know where it was. And from my current position that was glaringly obvious. The ring of emptiness ahead could only be the void tree. That it could neither move nor dodge only made matters worse for my foe.

“Ready?” I called to Adriel. The spirit had positioned herself twenty yards from the tree. She would act as my spotter, reporting the outcome of each of my attacks.

Just like Ghost used to do, I thought fondly.

Since our last conversation in the archlich’s court, Ghost had fallen asleep in the cloak, and knowing how much she would hate missing out on the action, I had decided against rousing her. Better, I thought, for Ghost to awake to the news that she could try out her new stygian form than to keep her waiting in breathless anticipation of the moment.

“Ready,” Adriel confirmed, unaware of my inner musings.

I drew mana. “Alright, here goes,” I said. Rising to my feet, I released the casting I had prepared.

Mana rushed out from my core, slipped down my right arm and out my pointing finger. Spearing through the mists, the black missile flashed towards my target.

You have cast darkness bolt. Multiple hostiles have failed to detect you.

Eyes fixed on my unseen target, I waited.

I’d chosen the launch site for my attack wisely, and even though the nearest stygians were already wandering closer to investigate the source of the bolt, I had time yet before I needed to retreat.

You have injured a level 201 void sapling.

“A hit! A palpable hit!” Adriel crowed. I smiled, just as delighted by the outcome. Killing the tree could end up being easier than I expected. Weaving psi, I repositioned in anticipation for the next attack.

You have teleported 50 yards.

Emerging from the aether behind a stygian hydra, I slipped away unseen from the oblivious creature. “I’m in position,” I told Adriel. “How did the first attack go?”

“You’ve hit the tree squarely, leaving it with a new scar running down its center. And from the looks of it, the sapling isn’t too happy. Its branches are quivering, and its trunk is swaying. Trembling, really.” She laughed. “All in all, I’d say, you’ve given our foe a good scare.”

“Perfect,” I said. “Time to hit it again, then.” Stretching out my arm, I hurled another darkness bolt at my foe.

You have injured a level 201 void sapling.

I didn't need Adriel’s report the second time around. The furious bellows and roars of the surrounding nest creatures made clear enough. The stygians were unhappy, and just as importantly, uncertain about what to do

Chuckling quietly to myself at my foes’ impotence, I launched an entire volley of bolts at my target.

You have grazed a void sapling.

You have injured a void sapling.

You have injured a void sapling.

…

...

It proved too much for the void tree.

“Wait!” Adriel called. “Something's happening.”

About to reposition again, I paused. “It's dying?”

“No... It almost looks like it’s uprooting—” Adriel broke off. “Quick! Hit it again before it flees!”

I didn’t need to be told twice. Ignoring the nearby stygians rushing closer, I hurled another darkness bolt in the direction of my target.

You have injured a void sapling. Multiple hostiles have failed to detect you.

“Again! Again!”

I wasted no time in complying. Spinning mana, I flung forward another projectile.

A void sapling has evaded your attack.

“It's airborne. Aim higher!”

Airborne? Although I didn’t question the veracity of Adriel’s statement, I didn’t ready mana again, I wove psi. If I was going to hit a moving target, I needed to get closer. Escaping the converging stygians, I shadow blinked.

You have teleported into a stygian hydra’s shadow. Multiple hostiles have detected you! You are no longer hidden.

I emerged out of the aether to find the hydra I’d used to relocate already turning to strike at me. I leapt over the first snapping jaws, ducked beneath the next darting head, then sidestepped the third.

Unfortunately, more attacks were already coming. In a move that was either foolish or daring—or both—I’d teleported to the center of the nest, right beside Draven’s legs, in fact. That put the sapling dead ahead. Orienting myself in its direction, I dashed forward.

A weaver behind me raised its pincers, and another appeared on my left, both preparing to strike. Beyond them, even more stygians waited. Paying the threats no heed, I stayed focused on my target, drawing mana as I went.

Your void armor has repelled 2 blight thorns!

A couple of steps later, my quarry came in range.

Or, at least, the last vestiges of it did.

Jerking my gaze upwards, I spotted a tentacled mass of roots disappearing into the mist. Ignoring the absurdity of the sight, I took aim and cast.

A void sapling has evaded your attack.

Raising my arm, I fired blindly into the mists again at where I thought the sapling’s trajectory would take it.

A void sapling has evaded your attack.

Swearing viciously, I dropped my hands, not bothering to fire again. The void tree had disappeared from sight, and even with Adriel’s help, hitting it now was near-impossible.

A blight thorn has struck you.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the rest of the stygians were closing in fast. If I was not careful, I would be trapped soon. I was out of options. A second retreat was called for. Sighing, I cut right and dashed back into the mist. Perhaps the sapling would return.