On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Forty-Four

Returning to the Boundary we quickly checked the status of our build queues. The upgrade to the Armory was nearly done, a bit under a day left. In terms of ether we had accrued a decent amount as well. I added a Warehouse and then queued in an upgrade to take it to Rank 2 as well.

Warehouse Rank 2- At Rank 2 the Warehouse can store non-treasure items up to a volume of 3m by 3m by 3m. It will protect them from theft or loss.

With this I’ll be able to store the various parts of the wyrm from earlier. They will no doubt come in handy.

“All right then.” I said to Shaeula after finishing my business. “How about we find some monsters the tide has washed this way and get you levelled up?” Wait a second. ”Hmm, aren’t you going to go back to your weasel form?” I asked. She was still the Shaeula that had joined me in the Material.

“I can if that is what you desire. But I have no need to do so while you are around. I have no doubt you find this form pleasing, no-no?”

“Well, your other one was pretty cute too I guess… but whatever makes you happy will do for me.” Although I feel bad for admitting it.

“When I am alone with my kin I shall resume my prior form I have no doubts. But until then there is no need. This body is suitably strong-strong.” Looking up at the sky her eyes glowed, shining amber. “The tide is beginning to abate I see. It is still quite high but has passed its peak. Soon normality will return to the Boundary so we should make the most of this chance-chance.”

“All right, I like that eagerness.” We joined up with her weaselkin and began to hunt. The problem was we didn’t have many areas to expand to, as we were bounded by Grulgor’s Territory and the Raven Knight’s, and didn’t want to provoke them. Still, there were a few open locations to move to, and the weaselkin had slowly been expanding our Territory in the safer directions.

Heading that way we ran into a group of giant spiders. They were the size of horses and dripping venom from their open maws, looking quite intimidating. Still, size was all they had going for them, so we barraged them with blades and drills of wind, slashing through limbs and torsos in clouds of dirty ichor, blowing them apart into clouds of ether. Shaeula quickly levelled up, the silvery notification entering my vision, and she must have been notified too, as she exclaimed in excitement “I am growing stronger! I have reached the first level-level.” As she spoke she continued to attack, compressing air down into a vibrating edge which chopped through the necks of two spiders who rushed us. “And again. Now I have reached the second level. As expected from the noble princess of the Seelie court, I am a natural-natural!”

“Well it gets harder as you gain levels. I’m afraid I haven’t managed to level up.” I said as I boxed in the remaining spiders with a spray of vibrating air blades. These spiders are not as big as a threat as the human-faced ones with the jorogumo. They are elite-class at best, maybe even strong normal.

“You will gain a level in time I am sure-sure.” Shaeula said condescendingly, bringing a laugh from me. We continued to mow down the spiders, and then a small group of giant ants that had been attracted by the fighting. When we were done we rested, Shaeula proudly declaring that she had reached the third level. Level 3 eh? I wonder how much she has grown. On checking her status it looked like most of her material statistics had gone up by around eight each level. Overall it was a really good boost to her power. That will make her safer in combat. That sets my mind at ease a bit. Although if she keeps up that growth rate she will surpass me! I would really hate for Shaeula to get hurt now, I had grown very used to her. Besides, now she could come to the Material plane as well I would no doubt be spending a lot more time with her.

Looking up at the beautiful rainbow-coloured skies full of glowing sleet I yawned. Starting to get a little tired, still, I reckon I can keep going a fair while longer. Just as I was about to suggest pressing on into the unclaimed areas for more hunting I was cut off by a warning flaring across my vision.

Your Territory is under attack. Immediate response is recommended. The strength of the defensive barrier is currently at ninety-one percent. If the barrier is breached then…

I blinked away the warning. Shaeula had bounded up beside me, looking a little panicked. She too must have received the message, since I had delegated her the new additional functions that the Throne of Heroes allowed. Before she could speak I nodded. “I know. We have to go. Something is attacking.” I could feel where the attack was coming from, around the area bordering Grulgor’s Territory, down by the river. It is Grulgor? Or…

We led the weaselkin that had accompanied us back towards the river, constantly seeing messages about the barrier dropping. Damn, it’s going down quite fast for a Rank 2 defensive barrier. If only I’d constructed the Defensive Emplacements on this border faster…

As we rounded on the river a troll was in front of us being held back by the shining light of our barrier and being peppered by sling stones and arrows from a few weaselkin up on the nearby roofs. It let out a foul bellow, dirty saliva dripping from slab-like teeth. It swung warty green fists the size of my head, striking sparks of light from the barrier, which shrunk inwards by a dozen centimetres in an instant.

“We had best hurry before the barrier is breached. Though I do not see how one mere troll can be doing so much damage-damage.” Shaeula proclaimed, an assessment I agreed with.

“We’ll hit it from either side. With our wind we should be able to win.” I ordered, going left while Shaeula went right, accompanied by her Kamaitachi. I gathered the wind that was flowing through me, feeling an abundance despite the heavy usage earlier as I drew it in through my Elemental Silo. Time to die. No-one gets to attack my Territory and threaten my kin.

Feeling the swelling wind I forged it into swirling vibrating blades, firing them from all directions. Beside me from the other flank Shaeula and her sickle-weasel also sent forth glowing jade volleys of blades and drills, shrieking through the air. The troll watched the oncoming assault with dull yellow eyes, fists still pounding on my barrier, before shifting to avoid some of the incoming attacks.

There was a sickening series of squelching thuds as the leathery green skin of the troll exploded, gouts of fuming blood smoking as it splashed across the barrier and the pavement. The troll howled, but he did not stop punching and kicking the barrier, causing it to shrink in further, flickering weakly where it was struck hard. Even as I prepared for another attack the troll was healing, skin covering the raw wounds.

“It is a regenerating-type troll.” Shaeula warned. “They heal much faster than the stone-types. Our only fortune is that they are far easier to injure-injure.”

“Not much luck but I’ll take it.” I said as I compressed air into a narrow vibrating blade some three metres long. Lashing downwards from behind the barrier my blade struck the troll on the shoulder, boring deep with the whining of a chainsaw through meat and bone. Gore flew in all directions and the troll wobbled, howling. Flesh tried to regrow around the wound, but the rotating air blade shredded new growth apart as soon as it formed. My stomach lurched unpleasantly at the gory scene and I swallowed down bile. Damn, don’t want to look uncool in front of Shaeula and her kin. Wow, this is draining on my wind… I need to work on my wind energy generation like Shaeula, she has barely drawn any from our Silo yet.

The troll reared back as Shaeula took her lead from me and conjured a similar blade, digging into the other side of the foe. Blades of wind from the sickle-weasel were striking it in the face, and one eye exploded with a gloopy pop. The arm I was attacking tore free from the shoulder, flesh bubbling, and the troll turned to flee. Oh no you don’t.

Aiming the blade at the legs of the troll I slashed through the back of his knees. As he fell Shaeula’s blade pierced deeply, and with one final cry of anguish the troll disintegrated to a heap of ether, which was promptly absorbed by our Territory.

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from eleven to twelve.

“I have reached the fourth level-level!” Shaeula said with satisfaction. “I have grown much stronger. Now we can fight against Grulgor’s trolls-trolls.”

You aren’t wrong. “It looks like we might have to I’m afraid.” The barrier was still taking damage, and even as I watched several more trolls of the stone type were rushing over, accompanied by another regenerating type, carrying a large branch as a club. “And how do you think we’ll do against Grulgor?”

Behind the trolls loomed an immense figure, which must have been getting on for three and a half metres tall. He had thick stony grey legs and arms, his barrel-like torso green and warty, covered with patches of jagged stone-like grey protrusions. But it was his head that was the most intimidating, stony tusks jutting from a huge maw like daggers, eyes burning red with rage.

At the sight of him Shaeula stepped back reflexively, going deathly pale. “I fear … not well-well. It shames me to admit it but Grulgor outmatches me-me greatly in terms of raw power-power and his tireless stamina. Were he alone and you joined with me, along with all our kin-kin…” shaking her head she let out a bitter sigh. “… It would still be very hard-hard. As for him and his trolls…” she didn’t need to say any more, her expression stricken. Seeing her so sad I took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently. It may be time to flee. We could return to the Material and try and rebuild the Territory afterwards… but wait, what will happen to Shaeula if Grulgor destroys the Throne? Shit, this is bad…

I drew my spear from where I was carrying it on my back and began converting ether to aether. Sweat was running down my neck and my breathing was starting to speed up. Putting myself in front of her I made ready to hold back the onslaught, when a blinding flash filled my vision, the air filled with a huge roar.

What the hell?

I threw Shaeula down, cradling her from the impact, which was a wave of wind washing over us. No damage?

The strength of the defensive barrier is currently at fifty-two percent.

The last time we saw drops in strength like that… looking up from where I cradled Shaeula I saw what I had feared, hanging in the sky over Grulgor’s Territory was a huge white wyrm, rainbow eyes glittering with malice. It swooped down, jaws biting, and suddenly it was dragging a stony troll into the sky, fangs biting deep into it. White energy flashed, and the troll exploded, the aftermath of the energy slamming into my defensive barrier, dropping it another six percent just from the leftover force.

Well shit. The situation had turned to the worse by far. Fighting both the trolls and the wyrm would be impossible. Below me Shaeula was shaking, and the other weaselkin were panicking, looking to us for orders. Holding my spear tight I pointed it at the wyrm, catching sight of the jagged scar that ran across its body, where the scales had been torn by our previous huge attack. Of course it’s the same one. Our ether stocks can’t have attracted it this time, it is probably revenge.

“Well this is pretty bad. I don’t suppose we have a choice but to fight.” If it looked terminal I would flee with Shaeula and risk the destruction of the Throne. It might be all right… of course, that is if Grulgor or the wyrm give us a chance to flee…