Dark Matter Ascension-Chapter 36B2 - : Returning to The Cosmic Corridor
Jace ran up the staircase, turning the corner as he heard the loud screech of the elevator descending to deposit another payload of corpo-soldiers. The burning rage was still festering in his torso, and he stood in front of the elevator. “Raging Cleave (Rank 10).” His blade ignited with darker, crimson fury as a spectral extension appeared that would let his next strike hit anyone within the blade’s distance x10. In this case, 50 feet.
Ollie tapped his head, “Are you going to bring the whole building down?”
“Greg asked me to,” Jace replied tersely as he made sure his hood and mask were pulled up to protect his face. (Terrifying), do your thing.
The elevator doors began to open, and Jace stared at the grouped-up corpo-soldiers. None of them moved, as their equipped gear and armor did not bring them up to the equivalent of Jace’s Tier 4. They stood in silence, quaking with fear as his eyes looked upon them. “This is for Greg’s team” Jace stated, taking a horizontal slash. It carved through the entire group of foes and into the elevator, slicing all in half as they slid apart. Mechs and soldiers both cut down in a single instant.
It was brutal, and Jace did not care; he knew they would’ve given no mercy if their roles were reversed. They were corpo-scum, nothing more. People who looked down upon street folk and the less fortunate. Anyone who wasn’t a part of their megacorp was just an asset to be used and thrown away.
And that made him furious. He went to each still-living individual and swiftly executed them. The entire elevator was covered in red, viscous gore. “Dust them.”
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[Stardust Acquired: 1000]
[Stardust Split: 250]
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Greg and Priam came up the stairs and joined him on the stairs. Priam took care to step around the puddles of blood and gore, “Wow, you really let them have it.”
Greg patted Jace on the shoulder, “Thank you.”
Jace shot a glare at Greg, feeling the anger-amplification of Wrath’s Embrace still coursing through him. “First floor.”
Greg nodded and tapped the button as the elevator began to ascend. The cargo elevator stopped on the first floor, and Jace was the first out, charging at a group of mechs and corpo-soldiers who tried to turn and fight but were frozen by fear from his eyes’ (Augmentation).
Jace slashed through each of them with merciless and ruthless efficiency, carving left and right. Each slash, another cascade of blood or circuitry. Each stab, another vital organ pierced. Within five seconds, the whole group of fifty troops and ten mechs was eliminated. “Dust them.”
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[Stardust Acquired: 1000]
[Stardust Split: 250]
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Jace turned to his allies, “Did Quinn get word out to the staff? My comms are fried from the water.”
Greg gave a thumbs up, “Yeah, about three minutes ago.”
Jace nodded, “You two, head to The Cosmic Corridor’s portal. I’m going to bring the building down.” Ruination Razor (Rank 3) [Wrecking]. Jace’s blade ignited with blazing, crimson fury as he sprinted towards one of the corners of the building. “Ollie, give me a two-minute timer.”
A timer appeared in Jace’s vision as he got to the farthest corner of the building from the entrance. Swinging his blade in a slanted, angular arc, he let out a battle cry as the entire corner of the building was carved through, and cracks began to spiderweb up the wall and ceiling, letting out puffs of concrete as the screeching and grinding of steel buckling was also audible.
Rushing to the next corner on the back of the building, he had to turn sideways to allow a rush of people who looked to be workers flee towards the building entrance. Once they had passed, he used his second charge of Ruination Razor as he sliced through another corner of the building at the same angle as before.
The whole building began to shudder and Jace heard a horrific grinding noise. One more. He rushed over to the last corner of the building as the timer began to tick down to zero. “Why two-minutes?” Ollie asked.
“I wanted to give Priam and Greg enough time to get out,” Jace muttered in response. He reached the final corner, waited for the timer to finish, and slashed at the building’s structure. It too cracked and began to spread spiderweb cracks along its length. I need to keep Wrath’s Embrace active for the x6 physical traits amplifier, Jace thought as he sheathed his sword and focused entirely on running.
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He dashed past the fleeing workers, through the torn-open doors: he assumed Greg’s doing: as he sprinted down W 34th Street, and then turned onto 7th Avenue. He spotted Greg and Priam and overtook the duo, grabbing them both by the back of their armor and robes, respectively, as he slowed only slightly. They reached the portal, and Jace set them down as he let all of his Skills fade.
Looking back up, he saw the building start to come down, and it fell down across the city in an enormous crash that kicked up a shockwave of dust and debris. But he had slashed at the supports in a direction to ensure that the building fell onto the orphanage he had been abandoned at. Good riddance, he thought as he pushed his allies through the portal before the cloud of dust reached them. The black space they stood in was soothing, in a way, and Jace let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. A sigh of relief.
I’m done with this city, he thought. My past is buried. Nothing to look towards but the future and getting Chroma back.
Priam made a slightly distressed noise, the best way Jace could describe it was a mix between a whimper and a whine, “Did all those employees get out in time?”
Greg shook his head, “If they ran? Probably. If not? Well, they sold their lives to the megacorp.”
Priam frowned, “I don’t like the idea of killing innocent people.”
“They aren’t innocent!” Jace snapped. He frowned and sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to shout at you. They signed their lives away to work for the megacorp instead of living for themselves. They all had a choice. And choices have consequences.”
Greg nodded, “I got my revenge for my crew. I’m satisfied. But we have more work to do. General Logistics in Beijing, and Enduralife Enterprises in the middle of the Mediterranean.”
“Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3) [Group].” The trio vanished from view. “Let’s get back to the apartment and get a night’s sleep. We’ve got how many days left?”
“Six,” Ollie stated. “If you sleep tonight, it will be six.”
Jace glanced at his allies, “Thoughts?”
“You’ve got that tent. Let’s just set it up in here, get some shuteye, and head to the next one.” Greg began walking to the portal leading to The Cosmic Corridor, “But I need some ammunition. Quinn, think you can facilitate that?”
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Jace couldn’t hear the response thanks to his fried earpiece, but the context was easy enough as Greg waved him along. The trio headed to the Star Market, and Jace saw the friendly, red-skinned and horned man standing behind the counter. He let the Cloak drop, and the man jumped slightly.
“I, erm. Can I help you?”
Greg’s helmet melted away, and he waved, “Hey Karlos. Just me and my crew.”
Karlos relaxed a bit at the familiar face, “Oh, Greg. Good to see you.” His head cocked sideways for a moment and the man nodded, “Quinn just informed me. Ammunition restock?”
“Yeah,” Greg replied as he set his guns on the countertop.
Karlos looked past Greg at Priam and Jace, “Anything you two looking for? Ammunition is on the house, courtesy of Star Father since you’re working towards the Star Council’s goals.”
Priam shook his head, “I’m good!”
“I need a new lockpick set, and an e-pick,” Jace stated as he stepped up.
“Those will cost you a bit.”
Jace put the Vibro-Slicer knife on the countertop, “This cover it?”
The man picked the knife up and nodded, “Yeah, I’ll do that trade. Oh, and here,” he put an earpiece on the counter. “Quinn said yours was a goner.” He gestured to the couches nearby, and the trio went over to sit down.
Jace slid the earpiece in, “How’s work going on selling the mechs and other loot, Quinn?”
“It’s only been an hour,” she replied. “It takes a while to find buyers for that bulk amount of items. And they’re from a Tier 3 world, so it could take a while.”
Jace nodded and leaned back on the couch, letting his eyes shut.
Priam glanced over at Jace who had seemingly nodded off as soon as he had put his head back. He must be exhausted, Priam thought. He had saved Priam from the rock man. And the Priest was on his last legs during that fight, having re-established his Pulsar Ward over ten times as the rock-man kept breaking it. And Jace just cut him down in a single strike. I need to get some Skill Evolutions of my own to deal with Aspirants and Ascendants.
He looked down at his Soul Warden’s Writ on his hip. But my Class is a support. I’ m supposed to help out other Aspirants, and not be on my own. Greg is a ‘tank’ as Giordo called it. “Hey, Greg.”
“Yeah?” The big, cheery man asked.
“What would be the ideal party optimization for Aspirants, you think?”
Darrin crawled out of his armor, “I will answer if you do not mind.”
“By all means,” Greg replied as he scratched his bushy beard. “I wouldn’t know where to start, anyways.”
Darrin floated in front of the duo, “You ideally want someone who can take hits for the group. Colloquially, they are referred to as a ‘tank’. Greg recently acquired the Sphere of Protection Skill, which makes this much more viable for him. And with his new Class Expansion of <Resolute Guardian>, he is even more capable in that role.” The spider pointed a spindly leg at Priam, “Then, you want a ‘support’ whose sub-classification is ‘healer’. That is you, in our group’s case.”
“What about Quinn? What would she be?”
“Also support,” Darrin replied. “I would classify her sub-classification as a ‘coordinator’.”
Priam pointed at Jace, “And him?”
“His functionality in a group setting is ‘melee striker’. But, from what I have observed and what Ollie has revealed, he is more than capable as a soloist. He has a broad set of Skills for all manner of situations.”
“Which implies we need a ‘ranged striker’,” Priam added.
“Having a tank, support, and striker is the bare minimum for a well-rounded group of Aspirants or Ascendants. But, thanks to the versatility of The Cosmic System, some Classes can cover multiple roles. For instance, Priam, you could pursue a Class Expansion that enables you to perform more damaging Skills, which would then make you into one of these ‘ranged strikers’ for the group’s composition.”
Greg groaned and put his head in his hands, “These are like video game terms. The holy trinity.”
“Accessing database…correct. The role-playing game concept of tank, healer, and damage-per-second would apply here.”
Greg sighed, “Well, at least it makes things easy to understand.”
“Greg, order’s ready,” Karlos said as he waved the large man over.
Priam watched Greg get up and acquire his gear. Glancing over at Jace, Priam tightened his grip on his thighs. I need to be able to stand on my own more, he thought. I don’t have to worry about taking large hits because of my powerful Pulsar Ward…but I need more means of damage, or incapacitating foes that go after me. I can’t just rely on Greg and Jace to bail me out of situations.
He sighed as he tapped the top of his hat, “Hey, Bloopa? Could we do that Class Expansion here in Khrox, since it’s technically all worlds?”
You could.
“Let’s do that. I want a Class Expansion for something that lets me hit harder. And we’ve got Stardust for 2 levels. So, let’s level up and get some incapacitating Skills.”
Alright. Here you go. System message coming up.
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[Your Wayfinder has prompted the Class Expansion feature of The Cosmic System.]
[Qualifier of 75 levels in a base Class met. Bypasses ‘extreme emotional state’ restriction.]
[Class Expansion available.]
[Priest <Seraph>]
[Confirm selection?]
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“Yes,” Priam said. “And let’s get those two levels-worth of Stardust spent.”
Okay. Here you go!
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Name: Priam Westerfold (Aspirant, Tier 4)
Power [Class Level]: Pulsar [Priest <Seraph> 83]
Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Pulsar Ward (Rank 35) [Multi-Target], Pulsar Physic (Rank 10) [Contingent], Priest's Benediction (Rank 13) [Enduring], Priest's Smite (Rank 10) [Marking], Energy Cost Reduction (Rank 10), Wrath of the Gods (Rank 5), From on High (Rank 2), Soul Restoration (1/day), Ishtar's Embrace (1/day)
Stardust: 244
Equipment: (Light) Archpriest Vestments, (Conservation) Soul Warden Writ, (Insightful) Dad's Hat, (Light) Venture Pack, survival meals (x40), enhanced canteen, optimized medical kit
Boons: Common (Information), Epic (Augmentation)
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From on High (Rank 1): The user gains the ability to fly for 10 seconds. While flying, they may conjure up to three bolts of divine energy that will strike any target within 100 feet. Cosmic Power manifestations may be substituted for the default divine damage.
From on High (Rank 2): As Rank 1, but the flight lasts for 15 seconds, and the user may conjure four bolts.
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Priam grinned, “That’s more like it! I get to maneuver away from danger, and throw bolts around!” But a thought crossed his mind. “Wait, Bloopa…what if I’m mid-air when the flight runs out?”
You would float until you reached a solid surface capable of supporting your weight.
“Whew, that’s a relief.”
Greg finished up with his restocking of ammunition and supplies, but a flash of golden light from behind him caught his vision, and he wheeled about with his pistol drawn. But he lowered it as he saw the bunny-boy had a pair of radiant, gold wings that sprouted from his back momentarily before fading. “New Skill?”
“Class Expansion!” Priam said with a huge smile across his face. “I’ve got plenty of support capability with the barriers and healing. I need something to keep me safe.”
“Smart,” Greg replied as he turned back to the counter, nodded to Karlos who had also begun to draw a weapon, but seeing Greg relax, also relaxed. “Thanks for the restock.”
“No problem. Make sure you take your sleeping friend, there.”
Greg nodded and walked over to his allies, “Wake Jace up.”
Priam leaned over and shook Jace. The Dark Matter Aspirant’s eyes snapped open and he immediately went into a defensive posture before relaxing. “I must’ve nodded off.”
Greg chuckled, “Come on. Cloak us up and lets get home.”
Jace nodded and shrouded the group as they left and traveled to the apartment. On the way, Greg decided to level up twice with the Stardust he had saved up. I want to get a skill that let’s me…I don’t know, instantly teleport to an ally? I think that would be handy.
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Name: Greg Bhastal (Aspirant, Tier 4)
Power [Class Level]: Planet [Protector <Resolute Guardian> 83]
Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Protector's Vow (Rank 3) [Guardian's Vow], Planetary Defenses (Rank 3), Planetary Retribution (Rank 3), Cosmic Infusion (Rank 10), Protector's Panacea (Rank 8), Planetary Palisade (Rank 10), Planetary Growth (Rank 6), Rock Blast (Rank 15), Energy Cost Reduction (Rank 10), Defensive Upgrade (Rank 10), Sphere of Protection (Rank 5), Call to Guard (Rank 2), Thellor’s Reversal (1/day)
Stardust: 244
Equipment: (Heavy) Thellor's Impenetrable Bulwark, Pheracorp deflection matrix, Stunstick, (Heavy) Venture Pack, survival meals (x40), enhanced canteen, optimized medical kit, 20,000 creds, Bunker-Buster Mk. 3, Enduralife Guardian AR, General Logistics 9mm Pistol, x2 EMP grenade, x3 flashbang
Boons: None
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Call to Guard (Rank 1): Only useable if a creature is affected by Protector’s Vow [Guardian’s Vow]. The user may teleport to a marked target within 30 feet. This cannot be used more than once every 10 seconds per target.
Call to Guard (Rank 2): As Rank 1, but increase range to 60 feet. Reduce cooldown for each target to 9 seconds per target.
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Greg immediately glanced at both of his allies. Okay. Let’s try this out. Protector’s Vow (Rank 3) [Guardian’s Vow]. He saw a slight, opaque-blue and brown symbol appear above both of them. A screen flashed in the corner of his vision.
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[Guardian’s Vow] Skill Evolution has been enabled. Access to <Resolute Guardian> Skills has been enabled.
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I hope I don’t get that message every time.
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[Confirmed! The Cosmic System will not display this message every time. Please notify your Wayfinder if you change your mind.]
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Nice. Greg saw the world shift around the group and let the trio into the apartment building.
