Chương 237: Abomination

Even through the agony of his current state, body still trying to recover from the disrupted transfer even as his spirit felt bruised, Jin couldn't help but smile as he felt the power of the latest cog in the Builder's grand machinery.

"See, my brethren. The confirmation of our devotion and trust in the almighty astral one is here before us, his order and vision made manifest through the gift of the clockwork cores." Kura, who stood beside Jin's crippled form could only agree, awestruck before the gargantuan edifice of the Builder's might.

And while his form was locked and stationary for the moment, Jin could feel Moro - their head ritualist - agree through a pulse of his aura even while most of his attention went into keeping the ritual of the dimensional beacon active.

"And now, leader?" Kura asked him.

"Where shall we guide the Builder's vanguard? The modifications to the space seem to be breaking down as the trial's integrity is weakening. Do we make for the other Ruler?"

"No," Jin replied.

"No, it would serve little purpose. We weren't subtle in our entry here, and should we exit through the gate we are sure to be overwhelmed as soon as we emerge. No… We shall have to exterminate the opposition and then we will simply have to trust in our fellow devotees to reach us in time before the space breaks down."

"And Discord's followers?"

"If they show themselves useful, let them fight alongside us. And should our brethren arrive, we should have the numbers to turn them into better vessels for the Builder to make use of before we exit through the dimensional tunnel. Verses show promise enough to warrant a star seed too. Her sharp mind would make a great fellow servant once the seed rids her of such lowly sentiments as devotion to local so-called gods. Come, it is time to be off.

But I will need your assistance, Kura, as my form is too damaged to move with the speed needed to keep up."

"Of course, leader. In our unity, we honor the Builder."

"Let none in the cosmos stand before his great undertaking," Jin agreed, turning to the nearby monstrosity which now lumbered even taller than before.

"Go!" he called, command clear in his tone as he felt the ascended Ruler's attention upon him.

"Find the interlopers! Kill them!" What followed next was a cacophony of screeching metal as the huge form passed above them, ponderous as it set off to follow its command. Its purpose. Like any good piece of machinery should.

"It's moving. We need to hurry," River called as she came running towards the group from a side passage.

"Where? Its presence is blanketing everything, so I have trouble pinpointing its direction." Kite asked, trying and failing to discern anything in particular among the spiritual pressure that suffused the whole area.

"The Odd one should know better, but towards us would be my guess. We cannot hide from a thing such as that without additional aura shielding."

"Leave it to me!" Wander replied, perking up at Kite's shoulder.

"Let's see here… Not here.. Not there. Ooo, but there are a lot of our drones here making a good push. Go, drones! Go! We've- Ohcraponaricecrackerwhatwasthat?! No way. That took out so many? Poor drones…~""Wander…"

"Well, I found it. As did our poor drones. Man, that beam meant business. And yeah, River is right. It's heading in our direction. Not overly fast though. And… It's pretty big, guys. And nasty. Those cultists sure seem to enjoy ruining the vibe of things. I almost feel sorry for it. But we should definitely hurry. Full speed ahead~!" At that, the rat at Kite's shoulder scurried out in front, joining more and more of its kin into a rushing tide.

Occasionally one of the rats would stop at an intersection or split in the passage, assuming a little self-important pose where it made a great show of pointing the others in the direction that should be the most expedient way to reach the center of the Labyrinth while avoiding the steadily more numerous other varied monsters that prowled the area.

With her guidance, the group sprinted through the maze of tunnels and corridors at the top speed their silver-ranked bodies could manage even though the oppressive sense of the mindless aura seemed to pursue them everywhere.

"Is it gaining on us?" Kite asked River during a moment of catching up to the much faster woman, but she shook her head after a moment of concentration.

"Slowly. Too slow to matter. We will get there in time." While her demeanor was the same as usual, Kite once again found the acolyte of Pain's presence oddly comforting as her ridiculous aura meant that they would rarely be taken by surprise. And he also acknowledged the oddity of a situation which could make him feel that way.

"The fickle heavens sure have a humour only they know," Kite mused to himself as he watched the bitter avenger of a deity shunned by society race ahead of them again.

"What was it one of my teammates from Gauntlet said? Strange situations make for stranger bedfellows?" Just over two tense hours of running along winding pathways later, the group finally emerged in the crater-like center of the modified astral space where the stone pillar rose high up into what felt like the eye of the storm with the circle of the gate visible where it floated at its top.

The area was mostly empty except for a lone squad of their drones who were heading towards another tunnel as well as some kind of mole-like monsters which were busy carving out some kind of burrow in one of the cliffs to the side.

"Braid, anything you can prepare?" Kite asked while they all made for the pillar to get a look at what they were about to deal with.

"Given what's coming, a lot of what I could make probably wouldn't have enough impact to make a difference. But I have one more potent idea I have been toying around with…"

"Go for it," Kite replied to the weaver, who nodded his masked head before heading off towards a stretch of more open slope. He considered whether some of them should go and clear out the digging monsters too, but given the distance and their seemingly non-aggressive nature at the moment, Kite decided to leave them be as they would probably need all of their resources for what was coming.

Instead he joined the group heading towards the spire itself, ascending upward on panes of force alongside Dragonfly who used her axe for a measured ascent. They soon found themselves spread out around the topmost section of spiral pathway, looking out at the churning majesty of the storm around them and the labyrinth which sprawled out to each side.

"Heavens," Dragonfly breathed, and Kite could only agree. Off in the distance, its form somewhat obscured by the churning magical erosion, what could only be the enemy Ruler was ponderously making its way towards them. Or what had been the Ruler would be a more apt description, as it was clearly changed by whatever the Builder's cultists had done to it.

Assuming that the opposing Ruler had looked like theirs, with a long, thick and bulbous body and the blank pale face, the general shape of the abomination drawing near them was still somewhat the same. But where their Ruler had only smooth chitin, the thing making its way across the top of the Labyrinth towards them had multiple long, spindly limbs that carried it forward.

The angular things looked as if they shouldn't be able to support the body itself, and its ponderous gait somewhat supported that notion, but they still managed enough locomotion to get the job done. Between the legs, the body itself had its chitin broken open in several places to sprout some kind of odd metal tubes which Kite couldn't discern enough of to know their purpose. But the most gruesome change, clearly visible even through the concealing haze of the storm, was the head.

The somber face of the ruler had been broken and warped, as if the mouth had been forced open way, way too far in both directions, ripping it open for several meters down the long body. This formed a new set of jaws much more jagged and terrifying as they gaped open to reveal some kind of churning core fastened by cords and cables to hang there like a grotesque metallic uvula. Against the thing, a true gold-ranked being, even the shredding storm seemed to have found its match.

Some slight wear and tear along its surface was visible, but given that it had been making its way towards them for over two hours now, the lack of more substantial damage was concerning and Kite silently prayed to all the gods who couldn't hear that it was merely due to the tyranny of rank and not some potent regeneration capabilities.

"While I hate to be the one to add bad news to a strained situation, that might also be a problem. Or at least it limits our options in time," Little Crow said as he pointed out several other points in the distance where a pale field of nothingness dotted the edges of the disc-like trial space. They were clustered more thickly the closer to the edges they were located, and many grew with speed visible even from this distance.

Alongside these, several whirling rainbow manifestations were also visible, indicating monsters appearing around the Labyrinth as well.

"So while it was unlikely that we would choose that path, it leaves retreating out into the Labyrinth for a skirmish an even less attractive option," Kite agreed.

"It should not be necessary. The tempering is to be found here, after all. Marching towards us willingly," Soul added with her usual adamant confidence.

"While you have done admirably with the previous constructs, taking on this one alone will not be an option," Fantina gently chided, before turning towards Kite. Or, more specifically, the orb floating beside him.

"Honored officiator, do you have anything to add? Anything which you knew of the Rulers in their original form?"

"A sound question, minion of the trial-taker!" the orb trumpeted back.

"Seeing how the trial has been subverted and the parameters changed, I suppose I can tell you without risking your tempering. That is still the purpose that the Queen laid out for this place after all, even the way we have entered. As for the Rulers, they were indeed gold-ranked but their fighting capabilities were always very limited. A lone trial-taker was meant to leverage their path well enough to guide their side to victory and gather enough of the drones to take it down.

Be it through sheer prowess among the battle lines, assassinating the variants and commanders or similar feats, these were all meant to be possible routes to victory. Your numbers have made this moot though, but given the audacity of the corruptors, it cannot be helped I suppose…" The last was more of a mutter, and Kite couldn't help but hide a smile.

It looked like no matter whether they were native to a trial or a later addition, there was still a streak of pride in how the trials were crafted that they all seemed to share.

"Well, it is at least a comfort that the base materials for that… thing aren't made for combat. Hopefully that will work in our favor. That said, I wonder what they even did to it. And how. Any insights?" Fantina said, the last question directed towards River. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"I do not know. The Builder's cult is very elusive and I have not had actual dealings with them. What I have told you and their general tendency towards constructs is the extent of my knowledge," the acolyte of Pain replied.

"We should not forget our true foes in this place either. There should still be three remaining followers of Discord remaining."

"And we shall keep watch," Kite agreed.

"And speaking of which, we need to strategize a bit. We have an unknown enemy, but let's speculate on some of its capabilities to form some core strategies. Let's-""Ohcrapit'sdoingitagainwatchout~!" Wander's shout interrupted Kite mid-sentence, but her shout of warning was also what let the group act in time.

Because off in the distance, the odd core suspended within the gargantuan construct's jaws suddenly lit up before it quickly discharged a crackling white beam that tore a hole through the storm as it lanced out, crossing the final stretch in but a moment.

Kite and the others scattered, leaping, flying and otherwise just getting off the spire in the most expedient way possible as pieces of stone in all sizes erupted from the edifice like a geyser when the beam impacted, crackling energies ripping the whole thing to shreds as it spread throughout the structure.

Kite let himself fall for a while before conjuring a pane of force which he grabbed to shift direction several times to avoid a few of the bigger projectiles while Heaven-and-Void Warding shielded him from the rest as he pivoted to instead stand atop his conjuration and survey the situation. The pillar, over a hundred meters tall, was no more, or at least soon would be as many of the myriad pieces had not yet reached the end of their flights.

Fortune had been kind though as he felt the steady auras of all his companions scattered around the airspace above the central open area, and above them the gate still hovered, uncaring that the stone beneath it had been blown to kingdom come. And in the distance, inside the roiling storm, the massive abomination had sped up significantly as the spindly legs seemed to groan and buckle as the lumbering thing started its charge.

"So much for planning~," Wander squeaked as she climbed back onto Kite's shoulder from only gods knew where she had found a hiding spot.

"And yikes. That beam means business. Where do you want me in all this~?"

"Please help us keep touch and scout the perimeter. Things will probably get chaotic, and communication is ever key."

"You got it! That thing looks pretty nasty to bite into anyway, so glad I'm not on gnawing-duty for now~!" Scattered around the air, all Kite's companions likewise started their preparations. Fantina was released from where Dragonfly had been holding onto her, producing her flying disc before her tentacles also emerged and started reaching out to provide their blessings and boons.

Little Crow conjured needle after needle which he threw straight up into his open parasol where they vanished, and Will likewise started to prepare his arsenal through his summoning ritual after touching down on the ground below. Meanwhile Soul, River and Dragonfly had started moving a bit further towards the direction where the abomination would be emerging from the storm, spreading out and making themselves ready.

Kite, Glint and Fantina were making their way over as well, and were almost there when their foe emerged from the storm in a screeching cacophony of metal and crushing stone. There was no finesse in its lumbering charge, but the sheer bulk and power still forced the group's vanguard to scatter in order to avoid being sent flying far enough to smash into the opposite wall. They all countered too, flame, axe, chain and fist all scoring, denting and tearing into the monstrous construct.

But each impact was but a small mark on the huge creature that had been one of the trial's rulers, which truly hammered home that this would be a marathon, not a beatdown. Kite went on the offensive too, going for quantity of attacks rather than quality with the sole purpose of letting Tempered Soul Resonance - his evolved racial gift - chip away at the effects of rank disparity.

Even in these dire straits this too became a practice, as he had to put enough effort into each attack to have it actually deal some damage and make the racial gift take effect while still keeping as high a pace as possible. The construct itself didn't seem to acknowledge their efforts overly much though. Instead, its ponderous form landed in the crater in a geyser of gravel and debris.

Its mighty jaws snapped a few times towards Soul and River who kept darting in and out for strikes, but the thing was slow for a gold-ranker. Slow, but Kite suspected that neither of them would actually have managed to survive the bite if it had actually hit. The problem was that this was also when the odd tubes sticking out diagonally along its back started showing their purpose.

Each of them was capped with a contracting metal shutter that drew open as one before they sent out a volley of big metal projectiles in wide arcs. If it had been an attack, it would have been a pretty bad one as none of the arcing shots seemed to be aimed at anything in particular.

But as the projectiles turned out to be metallic, centipede-like constructs - with an elongated humanoid torso and sharp bladed arms, that soon unfolded from compact almost-spheres to clattering, scything dealers of death - their purpose at least became clear.

"Dragonfly!"

"They're mine!" Dragonfly replied to Kite's call, diving down to start taking on the closest of the deployed machine drones that was a clear callback to what the Ruler this thing had once been. Her path would benefit the most in the long run from the prolonged attrition of fighting greater numbers too, hopefully able to come back into the main fray with a vengeance later." Face the defiant phalanx! Tide of penetrating glory!"

Will arrived just in time to pick up the slack of the departing Dragonfly, Laevyeth in hand as he rode a wave of spears into the construct's side while launching a hail of javelins in support of the additional phalanx that burst out from the ground to try and impede the spindly legs and strike at its bulbous body. And around him, the twenty-one additional spears with various glowing enchantments flew in formation before spreading out to harass their sizable adversary.

They were the result of Will's power Myriad Spear Array, and the conjurations both acted as a potent way to kickstart some of the spearman's other powers as well as a force in and of themselves. Little Crow was about to join the fray as well, but as the construct sent out another wave of its minions, the celestine had to direct his efforts there instead." Ward!" Between attacks, Kite kept sending out barriers to take the brunt of any blows directed against Soul and River who were the main current harassers.

The abomination had started to take note of their efforts in earnest and was currently counterattacking by thrashing its huge body and limbs as well as deploying a new kind of defensive measure in the shape of a long spike which could erupt seemingly anywhere along its body and could grow far longer than the circumference of the construct's body.

It kept jabbing out toward the slightly more distant River in a staccato rhythm that kept the scarred woman on her toes and unable to completely dedicate herself to her assault. Still, as far as an initial few exchanges with a gold-ranked being went, things were progressing better than Kite was expecting, especially as Soul managed to bait out another of its beam attacks which seemed to be the most potent part of its arsenal so far.

That line of destruction was simply sent skyward through a feinting maneuver by the celestine which was further driven home as Will conjured yet another phalanx of spears to help push the jaws upward. Kite had just thought that he was about to settle into some kind of rhythm when the heavens revealed that things would not be allowed to progress so smoothly.

"Curs- Ward!" Out of nowhere - or rather out of her shadow - River was suddenly beset by a dark chained sickle which scythed upward as a familiar draconian emerged in a burst of shadow. The acolyte of Pain had sensed his appearance through her sharp aura however, and was able to evade the ambush. But Kite's intervention was not directed at that attack, but rather the one on its way towards precisely the space that River was dodging towards.

Mere moments after his ward appeared, a boulder the size of River's torso impacted and broke the barriers, enough force remaining to ensure that she was thrown away from the Ruler-turned-construct. In the distance Kite could see Discord's remaining two servants come charging in atop a sliding slab of stone while the lines of a hidden enhancement ritual faded in their wake, probably responsible for the opening shot.

And while the armored elf commanding said slab might have commanded the most attention as she fired more spells of earth and rock, her aura irate with vengeance and grief, it was the other woman at her side who Kite's attention was really focused on. And the orb floating at her side.

"River, can you-""Yes," came her terse call back as Pain's acolyte started directing chains both in defense against the draconian as well as in attack towards the massive, thrashing construct.

"Good. Little Crow, help them. Sorry, my love. More for you."

"Kyaaaaaaaaaahhh!" came the warcry in response from Dragonfly who was tearing through - and being torn up by - the construct minions and their slashing arms. Kite felt the confirmation through her aura though. Dragonfly would do her best to persevere alone.

"Little Beauty, you and I go meet them. Ready?"

"Always," Glint scoffed in return. She had floated next to Kite and sent out her defensive water simulacra to take the brunt of stray strikes for the others or restrain the growing number of minions. But through their bond, she had apparently sensed Kite's intent for how he meant to intercept the incoming enemy reinforcements.

In a flash of light and glittering droplets of water, the familiar grew to her serpentine dragon form, and while she didn't let out a mighty roar - Glint's dignity not allowing for such a brutish display - the way she carried herself conveyed the sentiment well enough.

"Will you manage for a while?" Kite asked Fantina as he sprung atop Glint's back.

"Thank you for the concern, but I will manage," Fantina replied even while she fired her arrows of interception.

"You aren't the only nearby source of assistance here either, Kite. Trust in the rest and go handle those two."

Kite shot the priestess a grateful nod, sent a few more attacks towards the once-Ruler to further weaken its resistances and then he and Glint were off, leaving a trail of glittering water behind them as they rushed towards the two incoming agents of Discord; essence powers and carnage filling the previously empty space of the crater while the pale light of the storm above reflected in Glint's resplendent antlers. Apparently feeling the moment, the orb at Kite's own side gave off one of its signature clarion calls.

"The Queen's justice awaits you, corruptors! For Soaring Soul! For the trial! For victory!"

"Curse it! Curse it all!" Verses inwardly swore as she stood beside Sister, firing off what spells she could while on a direct collision course with the Pathbreaker and his familiar, who had broken off and were currently descending towards them like a furious starburst. It was rare for her to feel small, but she had clashed enough with the Pathbreaker during this trial to know that their seeming advantage in numbers - two essence-users against one and his familiars - was not as substantial as one might think.

"If we'd only managed to take out one or two of them. Or more. If we'd never come here in the first place-" Verses had to forcefully center herself, quenching whatever regrets her mind could manage to conjure even in this situation. There was no path forward in those thoughts. They had been provided with the best distraction available at the moment, with what she assumed to be the ascended Ruler bearing down on most of the Pathbreaker's companions and keeping them busy. This was the best shot they would get.

So Verses Sung Twice prepared her spells and path as the adventurer's projected attacks started raining upon them, those accursed arms of his allowing him to fight like three men. Or at least that was how it felt as the sheer number of strikes was too much. One of them, particularly hard to detect, even slipped by to strike the slab beneath them and the conjured stone dissolved down the center in a burst in response.

Neither she nor Sister had any trouble in leaping off the rapidly destabilizing vessel, splitting in different directions to flank the new arrival while projectiles of stone and discordant energies flew in return. But even after all her years spent doing Discord's work, be it through combat, intrigue or sabotage, Verses had to admit that she had not expected the next wave of attacks to be heralded by a most unexpected charge.

"For the Queeeeeeeeeen!" The orb at the Pathbreaker's side suddenly shot ahead of the incoming dragon, its warcry echoing all around the crater-turned-battlefield. Verses easily sidestepped the incoming construct with a frown, but as it turned out she had never been its intended target.

"Submit to the purest of authorities!" the orb cried out as it crashed into Verses' own orb in a shower of sparks and odd resonances, the other construct merely sputtering and crackling in response as the pair were sent careening off into the distance. Her instincts screamed that this particular development was most concerning and should be seen to at once, but Verses found that it merely joined the chorus of other warnings about less ideal aspects of their current situation.

"Curse you, fickle heavens. Give me the chance and I will tear you down for this indignity!" Verses Sung Twice thought before the Pathbreaker and his companion finally reached them. So the next of their clashes began. And this, Verses vowed, would be their last. Nothing would be held back. No resources, not her final artifact. Nothing.