The Age of Reason

The Age Of Reason is a evolutionary novel in that the story is updated based on the memory of the characters. As their memories return, the novel is updated.

we_mac · Fantasy

Not enough ratings

21 Chs

Chapter 12: Map of the Fallen Sword

Kerelia returns to her room before she and the others set off. The room seems to respond to her presence as the ceiling spell shifts and spins. Kerelia looks around and sees what looks like grassy marshes emanating from the ceiling. "Uhh, guys..." Tredot and Deigus aren't far behind and run inside. "What is this…magic?!" Deigus wonders at the visions descending upon them. The ceiling cautiously shifts positions as it spins and lowers. The spell expands throughout the chamber as the three prepare themselves for battle. Unsure of what they are to face, they notice the doors fade away as the ceiling nears. "Armor up!" Kerelia shouts. "Command…accepted!" Her armor awakens and systematically checks various statistics. "Comply. Comply. Accessing battlefield... Processing...data available. Armor increased. (Strange mechanisms whirl and chime about the armor as it surveys the field.) Defenses…increased. Magic wielding…increased. Enemies: searching... enemies...various." Strange gnawing sounds grow closer as they approach the apex. "Classes: unknown. Origins: unknown. Maximum defenses. Maximum durability. Maximum offenses. Maximum flexibility." Several spells enhance the armor as it upgrades its durability and stats. This particular model is a intermediate warrior class special edition. The Tierdienia (tear' den' ya) Shellback Pathogen 27. A more than capable combat suit that takes 17 solar life cycles (roughly 29 Earth years) to obtain. Certain merchants sell them for about 48 million tinks (roughly 250 gold bars). They are fairly difficult to obtain. Those that do lose years of their lives due to the Fenkyuku (fin' kyo' koo) curse. The curse is a generational enchantment that breaks the spirit and bends the will of its host. Only the finest warriors can wear them. Additionally, if you're inquiring, the "Pathogen 27" is the amount of years the armor is guaranteed to reduce the hosts' lifeforce. Now, uh, where was I? Oh…right. Ahem. Adorned in colorful crystals, the armor checks for faint movements in the distance. The others walk towards the suit, when suddenly… "Danger! Approaching enemies. Various classes. Weapons engaged. Maximum energy reserves. Maximum output. Armor…ready." The armor is fully equipped with self-sustaining energy sources. The panels, about the body armor, are luminous plates that can give strategic information to its bearer, tactic battle scenarios and rogue warring advice in times of life-threatening situations. As the spell engulfs the three, they realize it's a portal to the fields of monsters. These "fields" are the home of many different and fiercely violent intergalactic beings. Just think of it as a huge storage closet chock full of beasties from every corner of every universe. Reasoning won't work cuz seriously, who speaks that many languages? Anywho, the magic that brought them there is a mixture of various incantations. One of which is powerful enough to "stack" dimensions. This particular concoction is for those that enter the circle. As the room slowly fades away, the three are savagely attacked from all sides. "Defend. Defend. Armor engaged. Protocol 1." The armor is adorned with black Daedalus dragon skin. Some of the strongest material in Tachnia. This would be the "Shellback" feature. The armor rises a few feet above the ground. It's outermost layers begin to heat up and emit large shockwaves of massive energy. Almost like a tsunami on your world but like a Gryndif on ours. The Gryndif? Oh, I'll tell you later. Meanwhile, the core of the armor burns brightly as it changes attack sequences. Kerelia rocks to and fro as the energy fires in all directions. "Down!!" She shouts. Deigus and Tredot dive just as the beams of energy tear through the carnage before them. The monsters are drawn by their presence and attack wildly. Their lust for death emboldens the campaign as they flail mercilessly towards them. "Now! Stand and fight!" Kerelia commands. She steadies her breathing and syncs her thoughts with the "living" armor. A small blue aura surrounds her armor. The armor, sensing the connection between itself and Kerelia, anchors itself and opens up various slots to reveal multiple beams of energy. The crest, now full, feeds the armor. "Prepare. Prepare. Multiple enemies approaching. Defend. Defend. Protocol 2." The armor unleashes a salvo of energy bombs and lasers that slice through the rampaging creatures. "Arhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" Kerelia gives out a warcry that shakes Tredot and Deigus. The two are awestruck. Embolden by her bravery, they jump into the fray. "On your feet, brother!" Tredot helps Deigus up. "Barrier! (Bwwwommm) Heat shield. Engage!" Tredot commands. A thick barrier surrounds the three as Kerelia continues her assault. The barrier recognizes friendly fire but deflects enemy attacks. That's magic for ya. "Hold on to me, you two!!" Tredot warns. "Armor!" The armor responds. "Ceasing defenses." Tredot places a yupiqi (u' pik' ee). It's a weathering stone of sorts. It gives the summoner the ability to move large things quickly. Tredot shakes violently as the two hold his legs. A small pocket of energy forms from the vibration. The pocket builds massive walls that surround the outside of the barrier. "Yeeeeeeeeeeegghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" The wall of energy explodes and ricochets in all directions. The monsters are swept away and dismembered from the impact. "Deigus!!! You're up!!!" Deigus rises from the war's fog and clears his head. His eyes are now green as he absorbs the energy residue from his allies' attacks. His body swells with this energy and causes him to dig his feet into the earth. Anchoring himself for a massive assault, Tredot grabs Kerelia and covers her head. "You're gonna want to stay low for this one." Kerelia crouches as much as she can as the area around them heats up. Deigus' fur slowly stands on end as the massive energy bomb builds. His mouth drools from the rising heat. He takes a deep breath. His body, now full with this borrowed energy, is ready to strike. "Wrogggghhhhhhhhhh!!!" The energy cracks and pops as it's expelled. The beam covers 2/3 of the battlefield and lays waste to thousands of creatures. Tredot taps Deigus. "What are you doing?! Teasing them? Do it again!" "But, I just-" "Again!!" Tredot supplies suppressive fire to give Deigus time to charge up. Kerelia stands and supports the effort. Eventually, the fight presses on and pushes them to their limits. The three have their backs to one another as the battle continues. "I've got nothing left. The fight must end, now!" Tredot tosses his weapons down in frustration. "This cannot be how I fall?" Deigus grieved. However, Kerelia has other ideas. "Not dying here! Armor, report!" "Battle mode depleted 33%…enemy forces depleted 26%…armored defenses holding. Shall I release the Grideon?" Kerelia pauses for a moment at the suggestion. "Response is needed to continue." "Response is needed to continue." "Response is needed to continue." Kerelia knows this attack could win the battle but kill everyone as well. The Grideon is a armor-busting attack. It's fueled by the crest of its user and drains their power and life force. "Survival rate: minimal. Release the Grideon?" Kerelia takes a deep breath. Tredot and Deigus looks around at the impending doom. "Do I need to ask what's a Grideon?" Tredot quips. "Grideon is certain death for us all. A last ditch effort to win when all other options are exhausted. This model would level the field to dust…with us in the blast radius…it would kill us, too. Realizing their options are few, Tredot lowers his head and ponders the thought. "Such a powerful device. Should we…end it?" The question is met with silence as the three are spent. The armor anxiously awaits a response but one never comes. Suddenly, a strange orb appears on the battlefield where a dark figure stands. It is immersed within this sphere of energy and light. "Who are you!?!" Tredot asks as the figure before them makes no movement. "Are you friend or foe?!" Kerelia commands an answer but none comes. Deigus, given the few options at the moment, cautiously approaches the silent being. He slowly disappears into the sphere. Monsters rush towards the group and the orb. Tredot follows after Deigus and disappears as well. The orb remains. Horrified, Kerelia releases her armor. "Grideon Sigma…engaged!" The armor digs into the earth and temporarily powers off. Kerelia dashes for the orb and disappears. The armor stands alone. "You fought well, my friend…" Kerelia looks back as the orb slowly ascends into thee heavens and disappears. With her crest depleted, Kerelia cowers inside this unknown vessel. She can see below her the Grideon in action. The armor breaks down to dust. The energy within stands and readies for attack. The "being" within the armor collapses with the density of a black hole. The creatures are slowly drawn in as the core builds with an immense amount of energy. The orb shakes a bit from this but continues to ascend. The collapsing "star" stops abruptly as it unleashes devastating shockwaves of massive energy. The battlefield is singed as the temperature reaches 2 billion Kelvin. The monsters are no more as the attack spreads nearly 7,000,000 yards in all directions. Before she passes out, Kerelia notices a strange, faint glow. A series of lights appear for a moment, scramble briefly, then disappears. They seemed to be a sort of path leading towards an odd mass of land. After the lights dissipate, the mass of land lowers back into the ground. Kerelia tries to point to the image but no one's around her. The orb continues to rise above the clouds as the ground below is once again swarming with monsters. Her crest flickers about as colorful sparks shoot out. As this happens, a faint image can be seen. Somehow, the strange mystical path reappears. However, unlike before, It's as if the passage is burned into the scorched earth. Kerelia, noticing the change in scenery, leans against the orb to get a better view. Her eyes flash as the image is imprinted into her system's memory core. "It's a start." She knows the image will only be available for so long before it disappears entirely. "Just need to rest and try to find my way back." While traversing the area, she finds similarities in the image and the path. Before her lies a field a darkness, as the passage breathes. With each breath, it changes its location. Leaving the weary wonderer perplexed. She assesses the best way to proceed but notices the random movements from the energy drawn to different areas of the grounds. "Reds…I need you to try to capture the coordinates of the path!" Her wristband lifts like an antenna and pings a location to her memory core. With this she can try her luck again. However, she still needs to find the others and get more armor.

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