Nexus Games [litRPG] Chapters 15-17

Hey peeps!

Holidays are crazy. Feeling mildly bummed. Still writing like crazy, lol (Also, I had these chapters set to go up on a "schedule" but apparently Patreon just wouldn't do that, so here they are as a set of 3). Hopefully you enjoy.

—Chapter 15—

—I Thought You Had a Problem—

“A member of his family dies?” Mavis repeated, her brow furrowed.

“They disappear,” Husker said, his voice so faint, Kellan almost didn’t hear it. While still on the ground, Husker sighed and continued with, “They vanish from existence. Never to be seen again.”

Sen slowly nodded. “However, there’s a small bit of hope. Perhaps we can find a way to find them once we reach Zenith.”

Kellan suddenly understood why Husker wanted to avoid confrontation at all costs.

“And Husker will be completely cured of this hex if he reaches Zenith?” Mavis asked.

“Yes.” Sen flipped back his long hair. “That’s why he agreed to join our team for the Nexus Games.”

“Why doesn’t he just kill himself?” Kellan asked, though he knew he came across as callous. He was curious—and it would’ve been his own solution to the problem if he had any family left.

“If Husker dies, the hex is transferred to someone in his family,” Sen replied, no emotion in his response. “His is a hex of dynasty. It will haunt his bloodline until they have all disappeared… Or until Husker solves this little problem. We must reach Zenith.

Kellan glanced over to Mavis. “Zenith is the realm of high technology and perfect magic.”

She nodded. “I know. Husker told me about it when you were speaking with Sen’s sister.”

“Perfect. Since we’re all on the same page, why don’t we discuss the arcana? Apparently, we have six. Two goes to Husker, two goes to me, and two goes to Mavis? Or maybe Husker should get all of it… Due to the circumstances.”

In Kellan’s mind, Sen didn’t do jack shit, and therefore deserved nothing. But Husker…

He really did deserve the majority, as the very least.

Husker remained on the ground, unmoving. When the others turned his way, he closed his eyes again and sighed. “I want none of it.” There was a finality in his voice that bothered Kellan. Did Kellan consider the arcana tainted? Someone in his family died to obtain it, so now Husker couldn’t touch it?

“You two should split it,” Sen stated, gesturing to Mavis and Kellan. “You’re our weakest mages. Even one or two abilities will take you a long way.”

With a curt nod, Kellan glanced over at Mavis. She offered a shrug. “I haven’t gotten any yet.”

“You take five,” Kellan said. “I’ll take one.” That way, we’ll have gotten an equal amount.

After a brief second of contemplation, Mavis nodded. “All right.”

The two of them returned to the giant pool of blood around the massive alligator. Despite the fact they had been talking for several minutes, the beast was still gushing bodily fluid at a fierce rate. Kellan wondered if there was a second dimension hiding inside the belly of the gator—a dimension that led straight to blood.

Once they were out of earshot from Sen and Husker, Kellan lowered his voice. “Are you okay, by the way?”

Mavis glanced up at him and forced a single laugh. “I don’t know.”

“That’s it? You got nothing else?”

“Everything is so surreal.” She ran a hand through her dyed hair. “You don’t think it’s crazy that it’s still technically Christmas? I mean, I should be home watching It’s a Wonderful Life for the twentieth time, but instead I’m here, fighting monsters in a trailer park forest.”

“I meant are you physically okay,” Kellan said. “But I guess I can play therapist, if you need.”

Mavis snorted. “Do you always use sarcasm as a deflection tactic? Or is it just with me?”

“Oh, you want to be the therapist?” Kellan smiled as he leaned down and touched one of the scarlet arcana. “I’m down with some roleplay.”

The arcana absorbed straight into Kellan’s body through his fingertips. The sweet sensation of power filled his being, like a hit of a satisfying drug.

Mavis knelt down to collect her five arcana. The moment she touched one, she shivered and closed her eyes. “This is… weird. I like it. But it’s weird.”

“That’s what all the girls tell me,” Kellan quipped.

When Mavis opened her eyes again, she had absorbed all the glorious arcana. She stood—but it was slow, as to not put any pressure on her bad leg. “Are you okay, Kellan?”

He lifted up his new assault rifle. “I’ve never been better.”

“See? There you go again. Deflecting.” Mavis rubbed her hands together and glowered up at him. “You just agreedto help these lunatics win a game you know nothing about. Are you seriously so down on your luck—or looking for thrills—that you don’t care about your life? Shouldn’t we focus on just getting out of here?”

For a long moment, Kellan said nothing. He mulled over her comments, wondering if there was a kernel of truth behind them. The fact of the matter was: he didn’t have much going for him. No family. No friends outside of the Delta Force. Had the decision to stay and help out with a nightmarish game been so easy because…

“If you want to leave, I’m sure you can find a way on your own,” Kellan muttered.

Mavis shook her head. “If you’re staying, so am I.”

“Why?” He hefted his weapon close. “Are you so seriously down on your luck—or looking for companionship—that you’ll cling to anyone?”

He hadn’t meant his statement to sound so harsh, but he couldn’t take back the words now that they were said. Mavis locked up like she had been slapped, unmoving, her breath held.

Silence festered between them. Mavis finally looked away, her gaze drilling a hole in the dead trailer park grass.

Kellan rotated a shoulder. “Look, never mind that. Clearly, neither of us should pretend to be a therapist. We have bigger problems.” He motioned to the giant alligator with Vanna White-flair. “I give you exhibit A. Monsters.” Then he dramatically motioned to his ripped-up jeans and bare feet. “I give you exhibit B.”

“Bare feet?” Mavis quipped.

“No. A complete lack of armor and supplies.”

As if he had been eavesdropping the whole time, Sen called out, “We need some protective gear if we’re going to make it to the AVU Palace. Stop playing with the yami’s blood and get back here!”

“Is it just me, or has he been angrier lately?” Mavis whispered.

Kellan shrugged. “Puberty will do that to you.”

Together, Mavis and Kellan walked around the shallow pool of blood and made their way back to Husker and the kid. To Kellan’s surprise, Husker was still on the ground, unmoving. Had he given up on life? His hex was horrific…

“Ah!”
 Confused, Kellan tensed.

Sen’s eyes went wide the moment he caught sight of Kellan’s bare feet. The little kid ran over, his adult-sized robes dragging across the grass.

“What’re you doing to yourself?” Sen practically shouted. He knelt in front of Kellan and touched at his feet.

Kellan jerked away. “Watch it, kid.”

“Sit down,” Sen ordered, no mirth in his voice.

The worms…

They writhed and moved, fighting against Kellan’s desires. But they were weaker… Possibly from the barbed wire? Kellan held his breath and decided to play along. If Sen tried anything funny, he’d just jump up and surprise him.

Kellan took a seat on the grass, his riddle still in hand.

“Let me see your feet,” Sen commanded.

After a long sigh, Kellan allowed the kid access to his bare feet.

“Look at this!” Sen shrieked.

He grabbed at Kellan’s foot and then molded the skin and muscle—like it was clay. Kellan almost pointed the rifle at Sen’s head, but the kid quickly reached into Kellan’s foot and withdrew a thin shard of glass.

Mavis uttered a quick yikesand Sen held the glass into a pillar of light shining through the trees. The crimson blood made the glass seem stained.

Then Sen tossed the glass off to the side and “molded” Kellan’s foot around a second time. Kellan couldn’t feel anything, and as his heart pounded against his ribs, he remembered why.

His ignore pain ability.

“You can’t treat your body like this,” Sen said as he withdrew a second piece of glass. “Do you understand how complex you are? You’re a vessel for your brain, and each part feeds into another. If you neglect something as important as your foot, you’re going to struggle with everything else. We’re a system. A machine. A computer.” Sen huffed and practically shouted, “We’re a flesh computer!”

“Calm down,” Kellan growled. Then he held up a hand. “Quiet. Please. I’m listening. No need to yell.”

“How are you… twisting his flesh around?” Mavis asked, her attention glued to Kellan’s morphing feet.

“Our warrior has mold metal, but I have mold flesh,” Sen said matter-of-factly. “Body magic has domain over most things blood and bone. For years I altered the faces and features of mages in our court.”

He continued to “sift” through Kellan’s foot. He withdrew another piece of glass, and one screw. Once he was done, he shaped Kellan’s feet back to how they had been—perfect and undamaged.

A few times, Kellan swore he saw worms squirming to escape his body, and he wondered why. San had the queen… Were they trying to return to her?

Sen sighed. Then he glanced up at Kellan. “Have you looked at your more advanced abilities? You should be able to see D rank possibilities now.”

Although Kellan was still fascinated by the fleshcrafting magic, he decided to turn his attention inward. Like before, he saw a lift of abilities. But… There were a few more.

Metal Magic Rank D Cost: 5 arcana

D Rank Metal Abilities:

Repair   [1 arcana]

One of the most common and most   useful abilities, this power allows a metal mage to return something to its   proper, ordered state, taking the inherent structure of an object, and   returning it to that base.

The metal mage spends a mana, and   any single, non-magical object of up to person size is repaired.

Blades   [2 arcana]

Metal mages are able to manifest   metal on their body as a transformation, taking on the forms of knights or   even stranger automatons. Early on, however, it manifests in smaller ways, which   allows blades to spring from the arms of the mage, allowing them to always be   “armed.”

The metal mage spends a mana, and   gains blades from his arms for thirty minutes. These deal strength + 4   damage.

Intuitive   Tech [2 arcana]

The metal mage quickly understands   how machines, vehicles, and foreign computers work…

The mage spends a mana, and for   thirty minutes, he has a “phantom” understanding of machines. He can   temporarily use most vehicles, firearms, planes, pick locks, and computer   terminals as though he has trained with them before.

Systems   Check [2 arcana]

Metal mages can sense the true   form of objects, the perfect state that it should be in… and where it   currently is. This can allow them to see where the deviance is for even the   largest objects, including cars, radio towers or battleships.

The metal mage spends two mana,   and instantly knows where damage or disrepair is (not things like micro   fractures that might someday lead to damage, but actual, causing problems at   the moment, damage). There is no limit to the size that can be checked, but   it must be a distinct unit (spaceship) as compared to a concept or network (a   city, or the internet).

Laser,   rank II [3 arcana]

Metal mages rely on “laser” energy   in their attack. This power is, weirdly, shared by eclipse mages, thought by   many to be an “opposite” typing. This tends to be excellent for beams, and   weak for nearly everything else.

The metal mage gains “laser” as an   energy type, and the damage dealt is equal to metal magic rank + the mage’s   dexterity store. This stacks at half rate (round up) when added to any other   light power.

Servos   [Cyborg] [1 mana drawdown/5 arcana]

Metal mages that have taken “Cyborg”   abilities gain multiple options, including servos, in which the mage   generates a system throughout their body that instantly controls muscles with   feedback to more closely mirror the mages intent, increasing precision of   force applied, and increasing the rate at which they react to minute changes   in the physical environment.

The mage gains +1 dexterity.

Excalibur   [Metal/Eclipse rank C] [4 arcana]

Metal and eclipse mages can   make metal weapons supernaturally hard, sharp, and give them a sheathe of   light energy. The result is a weapon that is extremely dangerous.

The mage spends two mana, and a   mana to hold per round, and manifests metalline and light properties onto a   weapon as one bonus. This adds +4 damage and ignores 4 armor rating. This can   also affect a mage’s “Blades” power.

Kellan could hardly believe it.

Some of his abilities were fascinating, but in a way he hadn’t expected. The ability to repair things? Metal magic… It was the magic of civilization and technology. Of order. Or hierarchy. And, of course, metal.

The more Kellan understood, the more he liked it.

Sen turned to Mavis. “You need to determine what abilities you’ll be taking. You’re a metal and magma mage, correct? Magma has plenty of offensive abilities. Fire. Heat exhaustion. Controlling the earth around your opponent’s feet. Surely you can pick something suited to your fighting style.”

For a brief second, Mavis went still and quiet. She stared at nothing in the distance, her gaze vacant.

Is that what I look like?Kellan mused.

“Now that you have your weapon, we need to get you some armor.” Sen glared at his bare feet. “We can’t have you showing up to the AVU Palace looking like a drug addict.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want that,” Kellan quipped.

“This is serious. We need to ask the Arbiter for forgiveness. You destroyed one of his Pestbyters, or have you already forgotten?”

Kellan sighed. “Trust me. I’m never going to forget.”

With a dramatic swing of his arm, Sen pointed at Husker. “Help carry him. We need to hurry. We haven’t much time.”

Although Kellan didn’t want to drag a giant werewolf man around, he knew they would probably need him. Kellan got to his feet, walked over to Husker, and then knelt. The half-man, half-canine, jerked away from Kellan’s grip, his reddish-brown fur on end.

“I… I can walk,” Husker growled. With shaky hands, he pushed himself off the ground.

But then he slipped.

Kellan grabbed him and held on. With as much strength as he could offer, he helped Husker to his clawed feet.

“Why’d you do it?” Kellan asked as he held the other man steady. “Why’d you use your ability if it was going to hurt your family?”

“The yami would’ve killed Mavis.” Husker’s ears went down as he sighed. “And we don’t have enough time to find another teammate. Not even Sen could make new puppets in the small amount of time we have left…”

“Competing in the Nexus Games is that important to you?” He risked everything to save Mavis for that?

“It’s my only solution,” Husker said, his voice hollow. “I’ve tried everything else to break the hex. If the magic in Zenith can’t do it… I have nothing left.”

—Chapter 16—

—Inbred Mages—

Husker smelled of wet dog and cologne.

What an odd combination,Kellan thought as he half-carried Husker’s weight. He was a werewolf-thing—his race was a rennic?—and was larger than most humans, but Kellan didn’t mind. He could handle escorting Husker for a while. With one arm, he helped carry Husker, and with the other arm, he carried his rifle.

Kellan searched his rifle until he found a strap secured to the side. He unhooked it, and then hefted the rifle up on his shoulder. It made everything easier.

“Thank you,” Husker said as they turned around one of deserted mobile homes.

“Don’t mention it.” Kellan his arm around Husker’s body secure. “These Nexus Games are cooperative, right? We’re a team now? In my experience, it’s better if we get along.”

“Hm. Where I come from, in the Batonka Jungles, the Immortal Rarn teaches us the importance of family. Not just families of blood, but families of profession, and craft. The shipwrights are a family. They all pour their sweat into the ships they make. The leatherworkers are a family. They all work with the same pelts and tools, caring for the same environment.”

“That’s not really the sentiment held in my homeland,” Kellan said with a smirk.

“Our families are smaller,” Husker growled. “My kin and home are a fraction of your homeland’s population. It’s easier to know and care for three hundred people than it is to care for three hundred million.”

“Makes sense, I suppose.”

Husker turned to him, his foxlike ears twitching. “We will need to be like family if we have any hope of surviving these games.”

Surviving.

Kellan had avoided asking about the death rate for a few specific reasons. He hated hearing the odds—he much preferred to focus on the current obstacle in front of him, rather than a nebulous chance of failure.

While they walked, Mavis veered off toward a patch of red tulips. She stopped and stared, her eyebrows knitted together. “Some of them are dead.”

Kellan glanced over and noticed some of the deathweed that he had seen before. The deathweed had a distinct wilted-vine appearance. The black weeds complimented the bright red of the tulips, though, like a ladybug-themed garden.

Information about the weed came back up for Kellan, but he waved it away.

“Don’t bother with that,” Sen said. “Leave it. We must hurry.”

No one bothered to argue.

Mavis moved away from the plants and hurried to watch up with the others, even if she limped slightly to do it.

As they reached the edge of the White Trash Forest, Sen stopped walking and froze. Kellan followed suit the moment he noticed why.

A strange man was rummaging through the wreckage of the trailer park. It didn’t take long before the man noticed them.

He was a ratty-looking man with a pair of stained sweats, and a moth-eaten tank top. Had the man dressed himself out of a dumpster? Kellan could think of no other explanation.

But the man was holding a plastic grocery bag filled to the brim with deathweed.

The man glanced over and spotted them. His eyes were so far apart, it was as if they were trying to escape his face.

Kellan couldn’t tell if the man was twenty-five, fifty, or just deformed.

Kellan’s magical sight gave him a bunch of other information.

Name: Brenty Flinn

Race: Human

Magics: Wyld

Rank: D

Armor Rating: ---

Health: 7

Stats: Concealed

Abilities: Concealed

“Hello, Brenty,” Kellan said, confused by such an odd name. He released Husker and placed a hand on the side of his rifle, hoping this wouldn’t turn violent.

Brenty caught his breath. He had a scruffy beard and no shoes—the epitome of a homeless man. And then he clutched his bag of deathweed close. “You… You’re all outsiders.”

“We’re not here to hurt you.” Kellan pointed to the nearby deathweed. “Look. You can have all that.”

“You’re… You shouldn’t be here… You’re no good. Bad luck.”

Kellan almost laughed. Did this weirdo miss the dead giant alligator? I’m pretty sure I’m bringing good luck to this whole area.

That was when Mavis stepped in. “Let’s pretend we didn’t see each other, okay? No bad luck then.”

With a shaky hand, Brenty grabbed a fistful of deathweed out of his plastic bag. As he brought it to his mouth, Kellan thought back to what his eyes had told him about the substance. What had it done? Just thinking that question brought the information back.

Magical   Item [Plant]—Deathweed

A potent leafy vine filled with remnants   of arcana. When consumed, it enhances magical capability. Once the bonus   fades, the mage loses 1 to all stats. If any stats are brought to 0, the mage   passes out for the remainder of the scene.

Enhances magical capability?

Kellan lifted his rifle and fired before Brenty could put the strange plant in his mouth. Kellan hadn’t aimed for the man—but for the deathweed. The power of his rifle practically splattered the weed in one brutal go, and it took part of the man’s hand with it, leaving Brenty with only three fingers.

“You aimed for his hand?” Sen balked. He motioned to Brenty. “What’re you doing? His head is the most logical spot.”

With confusion and fear, Brenty shivered. Then he took a single step backward, his freakish eyes glancing down at the bag and then up at Kellan more than twenty times a minute. He never even reached to cover his hand—it wept blood at a steady rate.

“Take your stuff and go,” Kellan stated, his rifle up and his finger on the trigger.

Brenty caught his breath.

Then the bleeding of his hand stopped. While Kellan watched, bits of Brenty’s flesh stitched themselves back together—bone formed, muscle twisted into place—and soon, Brenty had fourfingers.

With his good hand, Brenty picked up his grocery store bag of deathweed and then hustled away, glancing over his shoulder with twitchy paranoia.

“What’s wrong with you?” Sen turned and placed his hands on his hips. “Half the reason I brought you here is because you’re a cold killer.” He waved his hand. “That hobo was probably worth an arcana or two.”

“I’m not a cold killer,” Kellan stated with a sneer. He slung his rifle onto his shoulder and then offered Sen a glare. “I’m a soldier—a special agent. Someone who completes specialized tasks for the greater good of their nation. I’m not about to murder a coke-head for the fun of it.”

Sen slapped the back of his hand into the palm of the other. “We need arcana. This is a matter of life or death. Trust me—if we don’t have enough power for the Nexus Games, we’re all going to die. Do you think Coke-Head has anything going for him? Of course not. We need that arcana more than he does.”

With an indignant glance, Kellan turned to Mavis and Husker for help.

“I agree with Sen,” Husker said. He held his side with one clawed hand, his red fur matted with dried blood. “If someone has to die, I’d rather it be Coke-Head, as you so lovingly put it.”

Mavis shook her head. “I don’t agree with murder. If we can get arcana from monsters, let’s just leave the people alone.”

“Coke-Head won’t fight back, though,” Sen said with a sigh. “I thought the two of you would understand the strategic genius of easy arcana.” He waved away the comment. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll soon come to agree with me. Since we’re outsiders, the locals will always want us dead.”

“Locals?” Kellan asked.

“People born in the Nexus. They see outsiders as corruption. The Conflux is a season of bad omens to them. Everything that crosses over into their dimension is considered evil, and must be done away with.”

Kellan pointed in the direction Brenty ran. “And he was a local?”

“Correct. You can tell. The man was so inbred he was practically a sandwich.”

Without another word, Sen headed for the city. His robes were dirty from their adventure in the trailer park, but that didn’t seem to bother him. Kellan and the others followed close behind.

“Wait,” Mavis said as they walked. “If that man was a local, why was he speaking English?”

Husker snorted. “He wasn’t speaking English. You can just understand him. That’s a side effect of the Nexus—since so many places, dimensions, and times touch this one world, the magic is in flux. Everyone can understand the spoken language of others.”

“I can’t read half the signs,” Mavis muttered.

“Because it’s not spoken—the words remain as they did in their home dimension.”

Entering the city was the same as the last time. A strange barracuda—more hobos milling around the entrance, each with wide eyes and salivating lips. Apparently, there was a competition between mages somewhere in the city, yet Kellan hadn’t seen it yet.

He wondered why.

Husker forced himself to walk over to a battered shopping cart. In a quick move, he yanked a grubby trench coat from a pile of festering clothing. Despite the odor, Husker threw it over his shoulders and then pulled tight around his body.

“What’re you doing?” Mavis asked, scrunching her nose.

Husker returned to the group. He had the appearance of a 1920s dime novel detective. Who was also a werewolf.

“I have to hide the shackles,” he said, his foxlike ears twitching.

“Why?”

“They’re manifestations of the hex. They give me my powers to kill others—but they also mark me. Other mages who understand the terrible nature of hexes will likely want me dead, for fear I can spread the hex to them.”

“Can you?” Kellan asked, stopping dead in his tracks and turning around.

Husker snorted. “If I use my ability on someone, and I don’t kill them, I can pass the hex.” He growled, showing his sharp fangs. “But that won’t remove it from me. I’d just be spreading the poison—like a sickness. I don’t want to infect anyone, but the other mages won’t even want to take a chance. It’s best if we just hide this for now.”

That all made sense to Kellan, but his gut told him it wouldn’t be that simple. Something would happen unless they found a better disguise.

“This way,” Sen said as he turned into a narrow alleyway with the rank stench of sewage.

With reluctance in his step, Kellan followed after. Mavis and Husker lingered behind, each whispering to each other. Kellan almost wanted to linger back and join their hushed conversation, but he decided to stick close to Sen instead.

The kid will get into trouble far faster than the other two.

Their footsteps echoed in the narrow space. It made it difficult to listen for enemies. Kellan kept his hand close to his weapon.

“So,” Kellan said, keeping his voice low. “I noticed Brenty someone healed some of his injury.”

“Who?” Sen shot him a baffled look.

“Coke-Head. He healed part of his hand.”

“Oh. Him. He isn’t worth remembering. Clear that from your mind.”

“But how did he heal himself?” Kellan almost wanted to shake the kid. “I just want to know that answer.”

“All mages can heal themselves. It’s just inefficient without a body mage.” Sen patted his own chest. “I’m a fantastic healer, for example. With my body magic, I can heal most injuries. I fixed Husker’s broken ribs, if you hadn’t noticed.” He tossed back his hair. “You can thank me later.”

“Back up. I thought I needed Tyranny Worms to heal. I don’t need them?”

Sen shook his head. “Technically, each mage can spend one mana to heal one point of damage, but since mana is also how you use the majority of your magical abilities, that’s a problem. The Tyranny Worms heal you without the need to spend mana. They’re superior in every way.”

“Superior to… what? A bullet to the head? I’ll agree with that.”

“Body mages learn healing early on. Trust me.”

The long and dark alleyway seemed empty. Kellan sighed and closed his eyes, trying to think of his own body magic abilities.

Body Magic Rank D Cost: 5 arcana

D Rank Body Abilities:

Heal   the Body [2 arcana]

This power is the simplest   manifestation of the body mage’s well-known ability to heal others.

The mage may spend a point of mana   to heal another for three points of damage.

Brutal   Reaction [3 arcana]

Another simple manifestation of   the body mage’s ability to increase their body with direct magical infusing.   This power relies on a sudden spiked infusing of mana directly to the twitch   muscles of the mage. Although extremely effective, this sudden influx to the   muscles, without proper compensation, is damaging to the body of the mage.

The mage may spend two mana in   order to jump into immediate action. For thirty seconds, the mage moves at   twice the speed, and for double their strength. However, this is   extraordinarily damaging, and inflicts three unsoakable points of damage that   take effect during the course of the thirty seconds.

Increased   Strength, rank I [4 arcana]

As the body mage increases in rank,   magic comes to permanently infuse their musculature, granting them increased   strength.

This increases the mage’s strength   by one point permanently.

Increased   Dexterity, rank I [4 arcana]

As the body mage increases in rank,   magic comes to permanently infuse their musculature, granting them increased   speed and control.

This increases the mage’s   dexterity by one point permanently.

Increased   Stamina, rank I [4 arcana]

As the body mage increases in rank,   magic comes to permanently infuse their bones and muscles, granting them   increased resistance and durability.

This increases the mage’s stamina   by one point permanently.

Jolt   Resistant Muscles, rank I [4 arcana]

Body mages that rely on rapidly   infusing their body with magic soon learn that even when their body can   perform amazing feats, it rips itself apart when doing so. The mage with this   power learns to compensate to some degree, reinforcing their body in such a   way to inhibit the damage they take from their powers.

When using body powers that   inflict damage on the user, the mage takes a point less damage.

Ragged   Edge of Mortality [Body/D rank Entropy] [2 arcana]

The mage with this power   understands both life and death deeply. They gain the ability to both harm   and heal in the same attack, allowing them to meticulously control the damage   inflicted.

When a mage hits somebody with an   attack that would kill, the mage may spend a mana to keep the individual   alive with exactly one health.

“Rank D of body seems interesting,” Kellan muttered.

“You should focus on that magic,” Sen stated. “It suits you. Pick up some fighting powers—but leave the healing to me.”

“Hm.”

Kellan had three unspent arcana. It required five arcana to “rank up” to D, and it seemed that all the D rank powers would be locked until he managed the advancement.

Kellan didn’t get much time to ask about the powers, however. Sen stepped out the other side of the alleyway and then pointed across the shattered asphalt of the wide road. A large warehouse stood across the street. Unlike most warehouses, with windows and cracked doors, this one was made of reinforced steel, even the roof.

It was more a shipping crate than a building, but Kellan spotted several doors, and a single skylight window on the slanted roof. In his mind, the building seemed… sleek. And futuristic. Some odd words were written on the side, but in a language he didn’t recognize.

“Why’re we here?” Kellan glanced at the sky. The red hue of an angry sun was his only prize. “I thought you said we don’t have much time.”

“This used to be a supplies locker for shocker troopers.” Sen gave him a sideways glance. “I pretty sure it’s been picked through, but some of the weaker supplies—or maybe even cursed supplies—should still be left. We’ll outfit ourselves, and then meet my sister at the AVU Palace.”

—Chapter 17—

—High Tech Armor—

Sen led everyone to the side door of the warehouse. The solid construction told Kellan that Sen was probably right—this was a place for valuable equipment. No one secured a warehouse with a steel door, reinforced walls, and tall roofs unless they had something worth protecting.

The walls of the building had to be thirty feet tall, all without windows. Clouds gathered in the sky, some so black they looked like they were going to a funeral.

Sen motioned to the door. “See if you can use your new ability to mold metal. Open the door.”

“All right,” Kellan drawled.

He walked over and placed his hand on the steel of the door. Instead of bending to Kellan’s will, and molding like clay, he pressed his hand against the surface and struggled. The metal wouldn’t yield. Had it been longer than thirty minutes? I hadn’t thought so.

“I can’t.” Kellan gritted his teeth. “Why not?”

“It’s as I suspected. The building is infused with magic. You can mold metal, not magic—altering the composition of the material used in construction is a preventive measure against low-rank metal mages. This warehouse obviously came from a dimension where magic is prevalent. Places without mages wouldn’t have thought—or been able—to do this. That means the contents of the warehouse, if any are left, will probably be high-tech or magical.”

Sen gestured for Kellan to move aside.

With an exhale, Kellan stepped out of the way. He watched as the eight-year-old-looking man placed his little hand onto the door. Then Sen closed his eyes. When Sen removed his hand, the door slid open with a whoosh akin to a soft sigh. It was like the door was straight from a Star Trek set—perfectly moving on its open and fitting into the wall.

Stale air wafted out of the dark warehouse.

The building clearly had power—the door just opened—but no lights came on. Sen stepped aside and pointed Kellan in. With a few hesitant steps, Kellan moved into the building, keeping his back to the wall.

He held his rifle close, his attention on the metal of the grip and magazine.

I couldn’t use my mold metal ability on the gun, either, Kellan realized. My power doesn’t affect anything magical, just like Sen said.

When Kellan reached a set of light switches, he tried to illuminate the cold warehouse. He clicked the switches into place, but nothing happened. The darkness remained thick. The only light came from the single skylight in the roof, and it wasn’t enough to see anything.

Squeaks echoed throughout the warehouse.

Hundreds. Of. Squeaks.

Kellan held his breath, straining his hearing. What did the sounds remind him of? I’d give the remainder of my shredded pants for a pair of field goggles, he thought, his jaw clenched. If he had night vision, the warehouse wouldn’t be a problem.

Wait. Apparently, I’m an eclipse mage. Something about eclipse magic…

He thought about the powers available to him. He could make things glow, he could create shadowy blades, cause a flash in someone’s eyes, or… see in the dark.

The others waited at the edge of the darkness, all around the warehouse door. Mavis poked her head inside. “Kellan?” she whispered. “Are you there?”

“Yeah,” he said. “There’s no light.”

“Okay. But what’s that noise?”

The squeaking persisted.

“I don’t know.” Kellan rubbed at this temple.

“What’re we going to do?”

I have three arcana. I could purchase the ability to see in the dark—which sounds amazing—or I could purchase the ability to create illumination, which would help the group, but also alert the enemy to our presence.

The dilemma ate at him for a moment, but again Kellan didn’t want indecision to hold him back. Illumination was cheaper—a single arcana—which he’d likely recover quickly, at the rate they were killing things.

When he spent the arcana, another sense of electricity flooded him. He had the ability to make something glow like a torch.

Kellan bent down and searched the floor. His fingers touched something hard—a steel pipe—and he picked it up. His mold metal shaped it oddly, but not too bad. He spent a mana.

Only two mana left.

The pipe suddenly lit up like a bright white glowstick, as though the object were comically radioactive. It was like a lantern flashlight, and Kellan held it high above his head.

The warehouse was a storage facility for metal crates, wooden boxes, and a ton of machinery that Kellan was unfamiliar with. Bits of broken machines were scattered around the floor, but Kellan still couldn’t spot the source of the squeaking.

“You can make pipes glow?” Mavis asked as she stepped inside, her eyes squinted as she stared at the glowing pipe. “Sorry… I just used some arcana in order to do this.”

She held her hand out and flames sprouted from her palm. The fire flickered with a powerful inner heat, and the reddish-white embers provided a decent amount of light. It didn’t compare to the pipe, though.

“I can create fire now,” Mavis said, awe in her words. She stared at the fire, half-smiling. “Magma magic, apparently. I can, uh, make rocks on my skin, too. If I want armor rating, apparently.”

Sen pushed his way into the warehouse, almost knocking Mavis over. He glanced around at the piles of boxes and broken machines. “Let’s navigate this junk maze and get to the armor in the back.”

“Do you know what that squeaking is?” Kellan whispered.

After a short pause, Sen frowned. “It sounds like something you should handle, warrior. That’s your lot in life. Handling noises like this.”

Husker stepped into the warehouse, his disgusting trench coat dragging along with it a smell like a second shadow. He kept his head down, his mood still subdued after the incident with the hex.

“Eclipse magic is useful,” he said, staring at the pipe. “Eclipse mages can bend light at will, even around them, granting them invisibility.”

“Don’t encourage him.” Sen huffed. “We want him to rank his body magic first.”

Kellan hated the way Sen seemed to think he could dictate everything. In an act of defiance, Kellan was almost ready to just exclusively focus on every magic but body. “Why shouldn’t I learn invisibility?”

“I didn’t say you shouldn’t—I said you should focus on body magic first. Whichever magic you rank up to D will become your primary magic, which means you can’t rank anything higher. So, if you go to D rank eclipse, but then later want to go to C rank body, you’re going to have to raise eclipse magic first, does that make sense?”

Kellan nodded. “Sure. Yeah. I get it. The first magic I improve is my favorite for life.”

“Good,” Sen said with a hint of smug satisfaction. “I can explain things to you, but I can’t understand them for you—let’s hope you never grow confused.”

The squeaking grew louder and more desperate. Hundreds of squeaks. How many things were in the warehouse?

Mavis, Sen, and Husker all turned to face Kellan.

I guess I have to discover the cause of the noises. Kellan smiled to himself. He used his rifle’s strap to tie the illuminated pipe onto the barrel of his weapon, creating a makeshift flashlight.

Now that I have an eclipse power… Shouldn’t I be able to see the D rank powers?

Eclipse Magic Rank D Cost: 5 arcana

D Rank Eclipse Abilities:

Laser,   rank I [3 arcana]

Eclipse mages rely on light, or   “laser,” energy in their attack. This power is, weirdly, shared by metal   mages.

The mage gains “laser” as an   energy type, and may spend a mana to shoot a destructive beam from their hand.   The damage dealt is equal to eclipse magic rank + half the mage’s dexterity   store. Stacks with other “laser” powers.

Photosynthesis   [4 arcana]

Light can be a power, and it can   be a power source. In some places, it is the only readily available power   source…

The eclipse mage gains an hour of   “rest” and 3 mana for every hour they are near naked in relatively high   levels of daylight. In obvious blazing hot desserts, they gain 4 mana per six   seconds.

Shadow   Tools [2 arcana]

The eclipse mage with this power   causes the nearby shadows to form into solid objects… Small, precise, and   fragile objects.

The mage spends two mana for thirty   minutes, can create small tools made from pure darkness. Light destroys the   objects.

Eyes   of Light and Darkness, rank I [4 arcana]

The mage is simply better at   noticing subtle things, whether it be a blush, a shifting of the eye, the   movement of a shadow, or even the time of day based on the light.

The mage gains +1 perception.

Sentient   Shadow, rank I [4 arcana]

The eclipse mage’s shadow gains a   slight amount of sentience as it’s infused with magic. This power makes the   shadow have a slight physical aspect, and it moves slightly to help block and   hold.

The mage gains benefits when   dodging and brawling, but they lose 5% to familiar growth.

Thick   Shadows, rank I [Sentient Shadow, rank I] [2 arcana]

The mage’s shadow jumps in the   way of all damage, protecting their “person” at all costs.

The mage gains +2 “living shell”   to their health. The shell must be broken before the mage can be harmed. The   shell is reformed whenever the mage sleeps.

Empower   Shadow, rank I [3 arcana]

The mage can “boost” their shadow.

The mage spends two mana, and a   mana per round to hold, and their shadow gains increased fortitude. This   gives the mage +1 armor rating until their shadow is destroyed.

Dammit, Kellan thought. Sen was right. I’m not even a few ranks into this mage thing, and already I can’t get enough arcana to purchase everything I want. And the cost just keeps going up.

“What’re you waiting for?” Sen asked. He clapped his hands once. “Come, come. Those noises are irritating, and I want them dealt with.”

Kellan moved forward, and to his surprise, Mavis hurried after him, her flame in hand. She offered a smirk, and he acknowledged it with a quick nod.

“You’ve got bare feet,” she whispered. “You’ll need some backup. That’s me.”

“Thanks.”

Whatever awkwardness had come between them in the trailer park had faded. Kellan continued forward, stepping around a machine the size of a large house. In the lowlight of the warehouse, with only his impromptu flashlight and Mavis’s fire, he couldn’t tell what the machine’s original purpose was. Maybe it dug in the ground? It had “claws” and a small driver’s seat.

The squeaking became louder.

Mavis and Kellan reached an intersection of boxes and broken equipment. Shattered guns—rifles, shotguns, and even a few empty magazines—were scattered across the floor. To Kellan’s disgust, blood was smeared across the concrete. The splatters were consistent with a struggle…

And then a body being dragged.

Red blood. Not black. Which meant it was fresh.

“I’ll go this way,” Mavis murmured, motioning to the left of the boxes. “This place is huge.”

Kellan shook his head. “We’re not splitting up.”

“Aren’t we supposed to be hurrying? We can search the whole warehouse quicker.”

“I don’t care. Haven’t you seen a horror movie? C’mon. Get your head in the game, soldier.”

Mavis half-snorted and laughed. “All right. We’re a team.”

“Okay, then we’re going to the right.”

“Why?”

“That’s where the squeaking is coming from.”

Mavis replied with a single nod. Together, they headed around the boxes and broken equipment. Kellan took point, his rifle held close. Technically, he’d use a different gun for close combat encounters, but the Mk-17 SCAR was still suitable for close firefights.

More boxes. More machines the size of houses. The further they went in, the more Kellan’s blood pressure rose. And the squeaking just kept getting louder—and angrier. Like the buzzing of bees.

Kellan didn’t speak, he just glanced at Mavis and mouthed, “I’ll go first.” Then he walked around another set of metal crates and lifted his rifle.

The sight shocked him. Kellan stumbled back, his shoulder hitting one of the giant grates. The sturdy storage unit didn’t move—he just slammed into it.

Rats.

Hundreds of rats.

They swarmed over bodies. Dead bodies. People of all ages. Adults. Children. No clothes, just chewed flesh, blood, and dirt. It reminded Kellan of holocaust pictures he had seen in high school.

The rats chewed at the bodies, ripping apart the flesh. Everything soft on the corpses were devoured first. Eyes. Guts. Brains. The insides of the bodies were strewn across the floor. The black-furred rats fought each other over the organs, playing tug-of-war with human tissue.

The bodies… They reminded Kellan of his time in Syria, a recent memory he didn’t wish to relive.

Kellan stepped back around the boxes, his body stiff, unable to breathe. Calm down, he repeated to himself. Dr. Hanley gave you relaxing exercises for a reason, dammit. Just calm down.

“You okay?” Mavis mouthed, no voice, her brow furrowed.

He nodded. “Y-Yeah,” he whispered, his voice shaky. “I don’t think we need to worry about the noises. They’re just rats. Let’s just… go the other direction.”

Together, they left the scene of the rats, but Kellan couldn’t block out the noises they made. Mavis and Kellan returned to the fork in “road” and continued to the other side of the warehouse. Pods and lockers were lined against the metal walls. Although there was foreign writing on everything, Kellan recognized military equipment when he saw it.

The pods had full suits. Head-to-toe sleek equipment, like some sort of space marine under suit. The lockers had weapons and armor that Kellan recognized. Vests. Leg guards. He understood what to do with everything there.

His eyes flared to life on some of the objects. Magical items. Most just provided armor rating, but a few added to dexterity or fortitude.

More squeaking drew Kellan’s attention. He pointed his rifle and flashed light on more rats gathered around a locker. He couldn’t see any bodies, but the red on the floor told him there had to be something nearby.

“I don’t think we’re in a horror movie,” Mavis whispered, staring at the rodents. “I feel like this is a twisted comedy, where someone just wants to see our reactions.”

“Oh, this is a horror movie.”

“Yeah? How do you think it’s going to end?”

“I’m going to die. Sen is definitelygoing to die. Husker will probably go tragically. Sen’s sister is probably the killer, let’s be real. But you—you’ll live. You’ll just be haunted by all our deaths as you return to college to try to piece together your broken life.”

Again, Mavis smiled. “But we have magical powers.” She held her hand up, the fire still flickering. “That doesn’t happen in horror movies.”

“Haven’t you seen The Shining? Magical powers mean we’ll probably die faster, and because we went insane. If we ever get out of here, and make it back home, we’ll have to have a marathon of all the classic horror flicks.”

“Sounds like a date,” Mavis said, her tone a mix of hope and melancholy.

Would they make it back?

The squeaking grew in agitation, drilling into Kellan’s thoughts. And while he enjoyed the conversation with Mavis—and the ease at which they could talk about nothing and have fun doing it—the rats swarmed around the locker as though they were trying to tunnel through it.

Kellan pointed his rifle around until he found a shattered portion of the floor. Rats were pouring into the warehouse through the crevice, climbing over each other to get inside.

“Let’s get Sen and Husker, get our equipment, and then get out of this place,” Kellan muttered. “Knowing the Nexus, the rats will be filled with diseases, or more sentient worms, or hexes.”

As if the dimension wanted to prove him right, the wall moved. It pulsated, as though alive. The metal warped, and shifted, and Kellan didn’t want to take any chances. He grabbed Mavis and yanked her back around a few crates, his heart beating fast. When he chanced a glance, he didn’t need to shine his light to see what it was.

It was an Eye of the Arbiter.

The gross half-flesh, half-machine object had appeared on the wall. Its iris shone with inner light, like a red LED. With slow and calculated movements, the eyes scanned the nearby area, stopping only on the pile of rats, examining the rodents for a long sixty seconds before disappearing back into the wall.

Then it was gone, just as quickly as it had come.

“What was that?” Mavis whispered.

“The Arbiter, apparently.” Kellan took shallow breaths. “His eyes can appear on any surface with electronics—which guess I means the walls of this hellhole.”

Mavis sighed. “What a Snafu.”

“You’re telling me.”

Without wanting to drag anything else out, Kellan guided Mavis back toward the entrance. The warehouse was “secure,” but they weren’t really safe.

Sen and Husker waited patiently at the front door—no conversation between them. The moment they spotted Kellan, they moved forward.

“Did you handle the problem?” Sen asked.

“It’s just rats,” Kellan replied. “For some reason, there’s a stack of bodies in the building. I have no explanation for that. I haven’t seen any people here. Just a crack in the ground that I suspect leads to the outside, and one of the Eyes of the Arbiter. The rats are using the hole as an entrance.”

Sen sneered. “Bodies? Must be the locals.”

“Show us the bodies,” Husker said. “I can smell the difference, even when they’re dead.”

Smell the difference?

Kellan shook his head and led them through the machine graveyard. The angry squeaking led them just as much as the bloody path. Even before they reached the corpses, Husker stopped and snarled.

“They’re locals. Ten of them.”

“Why?” Kellan asked. “Who would pile a bunch of bodies here?”

Sen rolled his eyes. “Remember when I wanted you to kill Coke-Head? I’m not the first person to have this idea. Sometimes, outsiders who are familiar with the games come to harvest some of the stray locals. Those inbred mages and half-mages are easy pickings. Sure, they only give you a single arcana if you’re lucky, but when they barely fight back, most don’t mind getting their hands dirty.”

The rats continued their chorus of anger and feasting.

“This way to the armor,” Kellan said, leading them away before he had to see the carnage a second time. “Keep an eye out, though. If someone was murdering a bunch of a random people, he’s probably nearby. The blood is fresh.”

Sen, Husker, and Mavis stuck close. Mavis’s fire illuminated their faces like an eighteenth-century church oil painting.

Despite Kellan’s fear, they found nothing else. They arrived at the pods and lockers without incident. The rats continued flowing from the crack in the ground, heading toward their mysterious locker, or rushing for the pile of bodies on the other side of the warehouse.

No more Eyes of the Arbiter.

“Ah, thank the north star,” Sen said with a smile. “This is exactly what we need!” He hustled over to the armor and weapons. “We’ll take whatever we want, and then head straight to the palace.”

“Your sister wanted you to gather armor from reliable places,” Husker growled. “You shouldn’t have spent so much time following the Alex Kellan—you should’ve given that up when I told you months ago.”

Sen snapped his fingers. “Enough. We made our decisions. This is where we are now.”

“This is junk left over by everyone else. You should’ve listened to your sister and just done things right.”

“This is better than nothing, isn’t it? Gather the armor. Put it on. Only magical items, though. If you wear non-magical gear, it’ll be destroyed within seconds during the games.”

Husker flattened his ears against his head, displaying anger like only a canine could. “The magical items will all be cursed, mark my words.”

“We’re going to make it to Zenith, aren’t we?” Sen rubbed at both his temples. “I swear to the dark stars that if you don’t stop chiding me about these decisions, I’ll fleshcraft your mouth shut while you sleep. Do you understand me?”

Husker never responded.

“I’m going to search around,” Kellan said as he backed away, his tension still high. “I’ll stay close. Call out if you need me.”

While Sen and Husker tore the lockers apart, Kellan glanced around the darkness, shining his magic-enhanced pipe at every corner. The rats continued their march on the corpses, but when Kellan flashed them with light, they scattered around, their red eyes alight with murder.

“Warrior! Here now. We have the perfect armor for you.”

Kellan returned to them, silently wishing he had picked up the Pierce the Darkness ability to see in the dark. At least then he would be able to spot whatever villain was lurking nearby.

When Kellan returned, Sen was waiting for him with a tiny rectangle of black held in one of his kid-like hands. “Look at this,” Sen said. The tiny rectangle was barely the size of a Band-Aide. “You’ll like this. It attaches to your spine, and enhances eclipse and metal magic. Perfect for you. See? I know what I’m doing.”

Kellan stared at the magical object and allowed his analysis to determine the significance.

Magical   Item [Armor]—Shadow of a Dying Star

Uniform armor worn by the stealth   gunners of the Flestiss Dominion. Sturdy and reliable, this piece of armor   attaches to the mage’s spine and requires a mana to active. Once activated,   the armor covers the mage completely and grants +2 “living shadow shell”   armor defense, and +2 armor rating. The mage an unactive the armor at will.   It’s also cursed.

Hurray. Another curse for me. How pleasant.

Kellan exhaled and mentally shrugged. Might as well. We’re either winning or we’re all suffering the consequences, apparently. And while Kellan wasn’t a fan of randomly taking detriments, he couldn’t think of another way to acquire armor and weapons. Sen was his only source of information, as much as he loathed to admit it.

He snatched the armor from Sen. The moment he touched it, another whispered voice filled his mind, like a ghost was so close it was scraping its teeth on the shell of Kellan’s ear.

“Will you wear me?”

Kellan nodded once.

“I will grant you protection, and the ability to slip through shadows. But as punishment, you will lose at a game of chance. The dice will not fall as you want them.”

“That’s it?” Kellan quipped. “No doom or gloom? I don’t have to pay with the blood of my firstborn child?”

“It will happen when you least expect it. A chance encounter will not go your way.”

While Kellan hated everything about the curses and hexes, he at least knew now that the curses were a one-time occurrence. He would lose one “game of chance” that involved dice. Couldn’t he just avoid dice?

But I don’t know jack shit about the Nexus Games. Maybe they’re entirely played with dice.

“How often will we be rolling dice in the Nexus Games?” Kellan asked, giving Sen a narrowed glance.

“Never,” Sen stated. “At least, that’s never been one of the challenges in the past games.”

Kell held his breath.

“Do you accept?” the ghost-like voice asked, a mere whisper in Kellan’s mind.

“I accept.” And then Kellan brought the tiny square to the back of his neck and pressed it against his flesh. He waited for a few seconds—wondering if he had done it right—when the pressure of needles entering his flesh caused him to shiver.

When he removed his hand, he rotated his shoulders.

The armor… felt cold and powerful. A steady sensation ran down his spine.

And then a siren pierced the quiet of the outside.

“Registration for the Nexus Games will soon close,” A metallic and robotic voice blared throughout the area. The thick metal walls muffled the words, but they couldn’t drown them out. “All outsiders who fail to register within the next twenty minutes will be branded a menace. The Justices and Pestbyters will remove you from the city—dead or alive.”