(I) Breach

-The Challenger and Lord Scorn130 (I)

Breach

Shiv and the others emerged from the obsidian tower to see an eruption of molten fluid rise high into the air. It was the very same molten fluid that once ran as rivers at the base of Gate Theborn. Now it was spewing free from the cracked barrier built over the Vulketh gateway. Meters of reinforced alloy had been fractured, and more tore open with every passing second. More importantly, the Dimensional spell patterns layered over the reinforced barrier were also failing, flickering out one after another as a building flood of dimensionality overflowed into the gate. A puddle of static-covered blackness shivered beneath the mana core’s azure light.

At the same time, another explosion rocked the gate. Shiv bit back a curse as he watched the bridge connecting the Surface Gateway to its district collapse. A groan of metal paired with a scream of distant voices echoed through the air. Above the crumbling bridge were fast-moving silhouettes that unleashed balls of fire upon buildings and encampments built atop the surface district.

Shiv blinked at one of the shapes in particular. “Is that a felling Jealousy?”

"Godsdamnit all," Adam growled. “How did it get in? How?”

"You deal with the surface district," Shiv said. "I'll make sure nothing gets in through the gateway.”

“Right, Uva—”

"I'll go with him," Uva said as she leapt aboard her shield. "We'll handle matters there and return as soon as possible." She made eye contact with Shiv and cast a thought at him.

The Deathless smirked.

The Gate Lord gave Shiv a brief nod before he fired a Veilpiercer. A dimensional pathway opened before him, yet before he accelerated across, he shot a look at Valor and Can Hu.

“Go,” Valor said, flaring a blade forged of Necromancy. “We will be here and serve as Shiv’s backline.” Can Hu built on his words by creating a rising wall of stone, shaping a small fortress around the breached gateway. Shiv and the others rose high into the air as they found themselves standing on the newly risen battlements.

"Don't worry about me," Shiv said to Adam. He spun his Skysplitter in his hand. "I’ll be fine. Go.”

Adam clenched his jaw and accelerated through. Uva followed thereafter.

By now, dimensionals summoned to guard the gate were swirling overhead, composing spells in anticipation of the coming invaders. At the same time, the first responders of the Arachne Order arrived. Umbrals and Weaveresses emerged from spatial pockets and took their positions atop the towering battlements Can Hu hoisted from the ground. Immediately, they began casting spells of Portomancy and Dimensionality, trying to reinforce the failing spell patterns layered over the Vulketh gateway.

Shiv had a feeling that their actions were too little, too late.

True to his expectations, another jet of molten fluid blasted through the fracturing alloy barrier, and just then a shape burst free from the rising spray—the shape of an armored Vulteg, who emerged with a roar as he dove out from the burning fluid. He drew his obsidian axe back as he sailed through the air, and a dozen other Vultegs followed him.

"Lord Scorn!” he screamed. “Witness my—”

And that was as far as he got.

Temporal armor flared over Shiv’s body. The Vultegs froze. froze. Only he remained in motion. He blasted toward the enemy. Shiv noted that his armor looked impressive. Tragically, it did nothing to spare the Vulteg’s life when Shiv drove the tip of his Skysplitter through his bright-blue eye. Deepest Edge sent Shiv’s stab all the way through the Vulteg’s skull. Blood erupted from the back of the axe-bearer's head—and the Vulteg’s body disintegrated as Shiv spiked himself another dozen times. Shiv's Inertial Overdrive thundered in delight as he sought new victims.

The members of the invading Vulteg vanguard were all clad in enchanted armor and bore heavy weapons. A few even had powerful Magical Skills. But none of them were Chronomancers, and as Shiv fell upon them with might and metal, Vultegs died without ever knowing who killed them.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The Skysplitter sang a screaming song as Shiv used it to split armor and break bone. He stole the mass of some Vultegs, increasing the weight of the blade in his hand, but he kept its size minuscule. This allowed him to hammer and hew with a near-ton of mass in his hand. What he couldn’t cut well was and A few of the Vultegs had Master-Tier Toughness. They died all the same as Shiv pierced eyes and split skulls. A pulse came from a temporal warding. Shiv backhanded the approaching counter-mana with his Magebreaker, and the cascading field of golden mana went off course due to his Frictionless Vector.

Frictionless Vector 63 > 64

Distant Vultegs were bombarded with laceration spells. Their Magical Resistances shattered. They split apart within their own armors, coming asunder as they were betrayed by their own biology.

As Shiv killed, he added his Vitaemancy into the mix. Streams of white and red speared through other Vultegs. At first, he simply sapped their vitality, but then, using the halted pace of time to his advantage, Shiv crafted a Vitae Golem, and he infused within it both Inertial Overdrive and Gravitic wrestler. But the golem hovered frozen beside him, and Shiv frowned as the cold touch of weakness chilled his exhausted being.

He infused it with his Chronomancy as well, and suddenly a golden shell flashed around the golem. Shiv grinned in delight as the golem shifted to regard him. Shiv pointed at the building rupture splitting the broken barrier just as his Chronomancy field began to crack.

"Get through that crack, spike yourself as many times as you can, and then discharge your Inertial Overdrive before you break or evaporate.”

The Vitae Golem didn't hesitate. Immediately, it blasted off, spiking high into the air at first, before plunging straight down through the dimensional chasm lining the breaking barrier. More cracks spread across Shiv's temporal shell, and he dismissed his Chronomancy. As he did, the second group of Vultegs blasted out from the Dimensional blackness welling out from the broken blockade. Yet, rather than arriving ready for battle, they were flung out from the dimensional chasm. Several were already dead, their bodies blasted apart, a few were missing limbs, and even the toughest among them seemed stunned and dazed. They died stunned and dazed as Shiv struck their head clean from their body with a flick of his elongated Skysplitter, beheading three Vultegs at once.

Golemancy 5 > 7

Before Shiv could go for the other downed Vultegs, bolts of Dynamancy smashed into them. Instead of splattering them across the ground, the bolts Vulteg in fields of gravity and began collapsing inward. The Vultegs screamed as their bodies were compressed into small singularities that promptly collapsed. The Vultegs burst apart and turned into smears of red—balls of twisted metal and flesh.

Shiv turned and found Tequila with a foot planted high on the parapet. The orc spun his twin wands as he gave the Deathless a joyful chuckle.

"The thing about gravity," Tequila said, the cigarette between his lips bobbing up and down, "is that it can collapse even the strongest body."

Shiv made note of the orc's wands. If he was ever going to fight Tequila, he would make sure the Orc was disarmed first.

Just then, Shiv felt a resonant vibration pass through his Chronomancy. There was another Chronomancer approaching. The Deathless instinctively triggered his Strider of the Unbending Path.

And just in time, a temporal shell fused over Shiv as a massive Vulteg shrouded in a ten-meter-wide veil of golden mana exploded free from the dimensional chasm lining the ground.

The Vulteg moved in an aberrant manner. Rather than traveling normally, as Shiv did, he skipped across existence, flickering from moment to moment with every ripple of his Chronomancy. His field wasn't very wide, but it wasn't nearly as compact as Shiv's dimensional armor. It only oscillated a single meter away from his body, but it seemed to propel him, to cast him forward with every passing half second.

The Vulteg jumped from place to place, going for one of the Weaveress groups casting from the walls.

Shiv intercepted him. However, as he collided with the Vulteg's body, he felt a heavy impact slam against his temporal shell. Pieces of golden armor broke free from Shiv. He felt himself lose five seconds of time. Yet, in the clash of Chronomancy, it was his adversary that came out worse. Their Chronomancy field burst open, partially tearing. A brief scream escaped the Vulteg's vertical jaw. Then they went still before Shiv, unable to use their Chronomancy to influence time.

As the veil of gold faded from the Vulteg's body, Shiv saw that the Vulteg was at least three meters tall, blessed with rippling muscles and barely any armor. In fact, aside from a leather vest that glowed with revolving spell patterns, the Vulteg had nothing else guarding his body. He also used no weapons, aside from a few metal studs that were wrapped around his knuckles.

Shiv realized.

Before the remains of Shiv's temporal shell could break away, the Deathless dismissed his armor. Chronomancy had been a lifesaver in his past, and he needed to preserve it in case there was another Chronomancer coming his way.

Time resumed. Shiv slammed his blade into the Vulteg's gut. The large enemy let out a cry of pain, but rather than folding over, he reached out and seized Shiv by the neck. Shiv responded by throwing himself backward with a tug on his gravity field. The Vulteg was ripped off balance. Shiv twisted his body and swept the Vulteg's leg from under him before slamming them against the ground.

Gravitic Wrestler 144 > 145

Shiv landed on top of him and immediately began stabbing and slashing. Yet, as Shiv cleaved into the Vulteg, who flinched with every slash, the large, single-eyed Pathbearer didn't die. Rather, he developed slight lacerations, bruises, and no more. Every injury he sustained was reduced at best.

A barrage of spells crashed down on the dimensional rupture. Roaring blasts of artillery screamed down from above. More Vultegs arrived. Shiv tried to finish his current foe.

As Shiv brought his blade down again, the Vulteg reached up, caught him by the wrist, and, rather than physically struggling against Shiv, he screamed. The noise made Shiv's bones rattle. Something burst within his inner ear. Equilibrium vanished. Shiv tumbled backward, unable to maintain his own balance.

For the first time, the Vulteg hit him instead. Shiv was ragdolled through the air and felt himself tear an ugly gash through the battlements, confusing his broken balance even more. And somewhere in the middle of all that, the Vulteg caught his leg and flung him back down to the ground.

Shiv impacted the floor—and the Vulteg smashed knee-first into the Deathless’s chest before he began hammering him in the face. The first punch fractured Shiv's helmet. The second blow left a bruise on his neck. The third landed under Shiv’s armpit—and bounced off due to Adamantine Adaption. Shiv groped blindly, trying to figure out where the Vulteg was, trying to steady himself so he could get back into the fight.

It felt like water was pouring into his skull, unbalancing him. Shiv pulled blindly on his gravitic field and felt himself slam into the Vulteg. He was briefly freed, but he also felt himself rolling along the ground. He shaped a Woundeater, and it slid inside his skull, devouring the wound. At once, something popped inside his ears.

The world stabilized; things stopped bobbing up and down. Shiv found himself lying face down on the floor, and there was a shadow descending upon him. He turned, whipping his Woundeater high, but the spell passed through the Vulteg as the cyclopean Pathbearer dissipated into a splash of misting shadow. He reformed right in front of Shiv and lashed out with a heavy kick.

The Vulteg was fast.

Shiv was faster.

He caught the Vulteg by the leg, but then the Vulteg dissipated into mist again. He appeared behind Shiv, only to miss his next punch entirely as Shiv activated his Chameleon enchantment and ducked down. Pure instinct saved the Vulteg as Shiv swiped his blade up. The Vulteg laughed, reveling in his own skill—only for Shiv’s Woundeater to crash into the back of his head. A blast of mana swallowed the Vulteg—then he vanished from Shiv's sight.

For a beat, he thought the Vulteg had used a Stealth Skill. But then the enemy warrior burst back into view just a few meters away, with several gleaming knives lodged in his thigh and armpit. Blood poured free from his body, but rather than gush, it only ran as a trickle.

A Dimensional barrier burst beside Shiv as Whisper revealed himself. He was stumbling, smacking his right ear with an annoyed expression on his face. "That was loud," the orc commented with a chuckle of his own.

As the Vulteg pulled a few of the gleaming blades out of his body, he turned and glared at Shiv. Behind him, the erupting jet stream of molten metal intensified as the alloyed barrier succumbed entirely. Plates of metal furled like a blossoming flower as a flood of new forces broke through. Spells descended from above, the defending Dimensionals responding only now due to their lacking Reflexes.

"Deal with them," Shiv called out. "I'll have this one."

"Aye, Insul," he heard Mortar reply from above the walls, and then came a concussive blast. An arcing projectile sailed through the air as it struck the emerging Vultegs in a cataclysmic impact. The world trembled. Bits of burning flesh joined the molten metal in a rain of fire and destruction. But more Vultegs came, spilling out faster and faster. They slipped out from the building eruption of molten fluid in proper formations, stepping out in teams of five.

Yet, before they could truly amass any momentum, the sounds of a violin squealed, and a small army of new Dimensionals entered the scene. They crashed into the Vultegs as a rain of gleaming knives followed behind them. Bolts of Dynamancy descended as well, scattering teams and creating openings for the defenders to exploit.

While the orcs, Umbrals, and some dimensionals worked to bottleneck the Vulteg invaders, Shiv eyed his adversary and briefly disabled his Chameleon. "Interesting Toughness Skill you got there," he said to the Vulteg brawler.

"You as well," the Vulteg replied, assuming a fighting stance. ". Master-Tier"

"Adamantine Adaption," Shiv replied. “Master-Tier.”

The Vulteg did a double-take. "Adamantine Adaption? How?”

“Die and find out,” Shiv taunted.