Slayer Read online

  “You see that?” I said. “That rabbit… That’s not gonna grow fangs and come hopping toward us, is it?”

  “Not all life in Pandora has a threat level. Only some Shadows are hostile.”

  “Right… But if there are some peaceful creatures in Pandora, aren’t we messing it up for them? I mean, Omegas make their living shutting down Junctions. When there’s no Mana, this world will cease to exist. That rabbit didn’t do anything wrong but it’s gonna die.”

  “The way it was explained to me when I was at the District was that everything here is a reproduction of something that already exists. Mana comes in all forms. Creatures. Air. Grass. Trees. We’re not killing the rabbit. The Mana will flow from one dimension to the next, taking another form. Even the creatures. Which is why they’re referred to as Shadows.”

  “Hmm…” I watched the fluffy white rabbit harmlessly nibbled on some grass between its paws. “I think changing its essence into something else might be worse than killing it. But that also begs another question.”

  “Which is?”

  “How come everything looks so familiar? We’re in another dimension but I see grass, I see trees, I see a blue sky. It’s a lot more colorful but all of it looks like something I’d find on Earth. Everything except for the goblins.”

  Jade stopped in her tracks. Her staff resting on her shoulder, she looked around then shrugged. “I’m not an expert on Pandora. But honestly, I don’t think even Dr. Redgrave has an answer for you. I never really thought too hard about it but there’s no denying what we do know. Shadows from the First Event came to Earth and killed thousands. We have to do everything we can to stop that from happening again.”

  I wasn’t too fond of the Legion and the work the Omegas did. Up to this point, I was surprised I managed to find some irony in the fact that I was doing what they were doing. I didn’t have to explain to Jade how I felt. The situation with my dad was enough for her to know what was on my mind and why I was doing anything in the first place.

  I watched the bunny burrow a hole into the grass and disappear. “Let’s keep moving forward.”

  “We’re already past the halfway point of the zone. The end should be near.”

  “Just when I was getting used to it.”

  “Don’t get too comfortable. It’s not just about getting closer to Anarchy. The deeper we get into the zone, the more dangerous—”

  Jade was interrupted by the crackle of lightning in the air. Swirls of white energy flashed and dozens of goblins spilled out in front of me. Some of them fell on their faces while others landed on their feet. There were so many of them it didn’t matter if they hurt themselves before I even got near them.

  “All right. Time for a warm-up.” I pounded my fists together and the metal clang rang through the air.

  Jade readied her staff and pointed at it the slowly approaching mob of goblins. “Your call.”

  I ran forward and the goblins moved to meet me.

  “Gaaaaaaah!” The sound of their feet tearing up the grass as they ran toward me was joined by their high-pitched yells. A trio jumped in unison to slash at me with their claws.

  “Too easy.” I raised both fists and hammered two of the goblins before they could reach me.

  “Ahhh!” Their squeals filled the air as they went sailing back, colliding into the group behind them and knocking them down like bowling pins.

  The third goblin managed to slash at me, drawing blood across my shoulder. I raised my gauntlet to swing but a Solo Spark from Jade knocked it back and turned it into Mana.

  “I have your back, Slayer.”

  I turned back to her and nodded before rushing to meet the rest of the group. As bursts of green flames ignited the goblins around me, I rushed forward to fight off the swarm. Straight right hands and left hooks connected with every goblin. Fangs were shattered when I caught their jaws. Swollen bellies were split open. The noxious smell of their blood only lasted for a second before the small beasts were turned into Mana.

  “Ahhhh!” I yelled out, fueled by the strength of the gauntlets that made all of my punches a thousand times harder. I worked my fists like a piston, breaking so many bones I quickly got used to the goblins screeching for help.

  I was in a rhythm. The punches added up. Before I realized it, the goblins were gone and colorful orbs of Mana had littered the grass around me. A deep sigh escaped me as the sweat dripped down my forehead.

  “That’s the problem with these gauntlets,” I said. “Can’t wipe the sweat from my face.”

  Jade walked up to me, not showing any signs of fatigue. She reached her thumb up and swiped my forehead. “Better?”

  I nodded softly. “I should think about wearing a headband or something. This is a pretty good workout.”

  “A workout… I don’t know if I’d call fighting goblins that but I see what you’re saying.”

  The corner of her lips turned into a barely-there smile. Jade was young but she carried herself like someone twice her age. I guess some people matured faster than others.

  I put my head down and collected all of the Mana surrounding me. The wind continued to blow by to cool me down. The tall blades of grass swayed. The breeze picked up suddenly. It was so hard the ground started to shake.

  “Hmm… That’s weird… I think…” I listened closer and noticed a rumble like a storm was coming. But when I looked up, there were only a few white clouds. “You hear that? Sounds like thunder…”

  Jade had the end of her staff stuck in the grass as she stared out into the distance. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.

  “Yo, Jade. What’s up?”

  She continued to ignore me, shaking her head. Her mouth opened slightly. “It’s not a storm.”

  “What is it then?”

  She stayed silent. Silent enough for me to hear the growing rumble. The ground continued to shake all around me. Every second that went by, the shaking became more violent.

  “What the hell is that?” I turned to where Jade was looking. I squinted, trying to make it out. The darkness between the trees began to shift. Shadows were moving around. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. A slow and steady rhythm. Growing larger and larger… and larger…

  “Shit…” I clenched my fists and stepped in front of Jade when I saw what was coming toward us.

  A group of four goblins was coming right at us. The goblins weren’t threatening. But the rhinos they were riding were.

  The gray beasts stomped on the ground with giant hooves, kicking up dirt and grass with every step. Their dull, leathery hides were worn and probably thick. I’d never seen a rhino up close outside of a trip to the zoo. And even then, they weren’t charging at me. Judging from how big the horns were on their heads, they were probably enough to do some real damage even though they were broken off.

  They were about a half-mile away and closing the distance quickly.

  “You ever fought a rhino before?” Jade asked.

  “I used to do it every weekend. It’s been a few weeks though. I might be a little rusty.”

  She raised an eyebrow at me. Despite the seriousness in Jade’s eyes, I still smirked back, wondering if she could detect my sarcasm.

  “The plan doesn’t change,” I said. “Unless you’ve got some advice.”

  “Ahhhhh!” The goblins raised their hands as they neared.

  “Just remember that your gauntlets have defensive capabilities, too.”

  I slammed my fists together and stepped forward. “Let’s find out just how good they are.” I ran forward into a sprint, ready to meet the goblins head-on. The rhinos locked their eyes on me. Even when they gored me, they were just gonna keep going like I wasn’t even there. There wasn’t much solace in wearing a Recall Box to protect me. Now I knew what Redgrave meant when he said Omegas weren’t eager to endure the pain of death.

  The rhinos moved closer. And the closer they got, the more I realized just how big they were. It was like four cars were about to run me over. And I realized
it just in time.

  “Shit!” I dived out of the way at the last moment. I only got clipped in the ankle but the weight of the rhino ramming the top of its head into me was enough to send me tumbling back along the grass.

  “Enzo!” Jade shouted out.

  “Ungh… Fuck…” I pressed my knuckles into the ground just in time to see the rhinos circling back around. Jade fired off a blast to knock off one of the goblins but it wasn’t enough to stop the rhino’s charge. “Let’s try this again.”

  I shook off my daze and regained my footing. I took a moment to watch the charging pattern of the rhinos then ran forward. “Gotta flank ‘em…”

  Jade fired more Solo Sparks to keep the goblins off balance. The flames bounced off the thick hides of the rhinos but managed to slow them down some. That was all I needed.

  The rhinos turned in my direction and began charging again. Fifty yards away and closing. I ran toward them at an angle.

  Forty yards away.

  I had to get to their side. If I could just get one of them.

  Thirty yards away.

  I pumped my legs faster, trying to get out of their trajectory.

  Twenty yards away.

  “Gaaaaaaah!” the goblins squealed in delight at our impending collision.

  Ten yards away.

  “Now!” I ran to the side, just managing to move out of the path. As soon as the rhinos zoomed by, I raised both gauntlets and slammed them into the side of the rhino. WHAM. The beast roared as it tumbled into the rhino next to it. The giant creatures yelled as the chain reaction knocked them all onto the grass.

  “Gotchu now… Jade!”

  Jade shot a green fireball to take out another one of the goblins. While one of the rhinos struggled to get back to its feet, I moved in front of it and brought my fists down. My hands moved like lightning and I pounded the rhino’s head in. The red blood splattered in every direction, some of it landing on my face. But I didn’t stop until there was blood all over the grass. Suddenly, its remains disappeared as it burst into Mana.

  The two goblins remaining tugged their rhinos back to their feet while I finished off the other unattended beast.

  Two goblins. Two rhinos.

  Jade ignited another goblin with another Solo Spark.

  One goblin left.

  “Not so tough when you’re not charging.” I walked over to the nearest rhino when it suddenly raised its head and slammed it into my side.

  “Ahhh!” The pain of its horn digging into me was sharp and blunt at the same time. “Fuck…” I punched its head and pulled myself away then immediately felt the blood gushing from a fresh wound. The red stain wetting my shirt made me tear it off completely.

  The last goblin spurred its rhino away. The other rhino was slowed down by another Solo Spark from Jade, making it an easier target for me to take down with a left and right hand right to its chops.

  One goblin. One rhino.

  Jade rushed up to me, her eyes wide as she looked at the blood coming from underneath my ribs.

  “Don’t say anything,” I gasped as I glanced at my touchscreen. “My HP’s holding steady for the moment.”

  “There’s still one of them left. And it’s working itself into a full charge.”

  The rhino was a full hundred yards away before it turned around to face us. Even from so far away, the ground still shook as it pounded its hooves into the grass. It didn’t give me a chance to recover fully and began its charge.

  “Round’s almost over,” I said. “Keep fighting to the bell.”

  “I think I can slow it down. But you’ll have to time your shot against its side like you did the last time.”

  The rhino galloped forward, gaining speed with every forceful step. The goblin bounced up and down like it was trying its hardest not to go flying, a giddy grin on its face.

  “I don’t know if you’ll have more than one shot at this.”

  It already closed half the distance in the short time I had to think about it. I stared at the grass. Then it hit me.

  “Better make it count. Jade, how strong is your Solo Spark.”

  “It’s only level two. I never gained the Green Mana to level it up.”

  “Is it strong enough to get through grass and dirt?”

  “I don’t know—” She stopped, her eyes widening in understanding. “It should be enough. I just have to aim it properly.”

  “It’s moving in a straight line. You got this, Jade.”

  She took a deep breath and nodded. She raised her staff with both hands, charging another Solo Spark. I moved in position, ready to move right when it happened.

  Jade dug her heels into the grass as the rhino headed right for her. If she missed this, she was gonna get run over clean. But the focus in her eyes looked like she was determined to not let that happen.

  “C’mon, Jade,” I muttered under my breath. “You got this.”

  “AAAAAAH!” The goblin squealed a high-pitched cackle of excitement and the rhino roared in unison as they neared.

  “Now!” I yelled out and Jade fired.

  She lobbed the green flames forward in a stream and hit the spot on the ground just in front of the rhino. An explosion sent all of the grass and the dirt underneath it flying in the air. A cloud of earth filled the air but I moved forward through it, ignoring all of the dirt getting between my teeth as I searched for my target.

  The rhino squealed as it struggled to get out from the crater it was in. The goblin was trapped underneath the weight of the beast.

  Two easy targets were short work for the gauntlets. Only a few punches and there was nothing but Mana to collect inside of the giant divot Jade made.

  I pulled all the Mana into my communicator then climbed out of the hole. Jade stood there, looking at the wound in my side. A deep gash looked like a gunshot as two lines of blood poured down my skin.

  “Are you still okay?”

  I nodded. “My HP is going down.” Jade might not have admitted it but she was more worried than she let on.

  I could’ve kept going but decided not to push it. “The next checkpoint isn’t too far from here. Let’s get to it then head back for the night.”

  12: Cooldown

  The dusty confines of the storage warehouse were a lot less appealing after traveling through a place as vibrant as the Vale. I had to remind myself this was the real world and the place I belonged.

  I looked down as my wound slowly stopped leaking. Even with as deep as the gash was and how much blood I lost, the dermal regenerator healed my insides and closed the wound like it wasn’t even there. Redgrave made the finishing touches then peered up at me.

  “I’m afraid it’s unlikely I’ll be able to procure any armor for you.”

  “In the meantime, I guess I should probably stop wearing shirts in Pandora. I always fight with my shirt off anyway.”

  “Perhaps that would be for the best.” Redgrave patted me on the arm then moved back to his workbench.

  I headed over to Jade, where she was busy leveling up at the tablet. “I don’t suppose I can give you some of this Red Mana so you can level up,” I said.

  “Believe it or not, these beasts are lower level than me. I think it’d be better in your hands. Besides, you have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Is that right?” I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at her. Even though she wasn’t looking at me, the growing smirk on her lips made it obvious she was holding back a laugh. “And what level are you?”

  “Now, now, Enzo. This isn’t a competition.”

  “I know it’s not. We need to be balanced though.”

  I kept staring at her until she broke. Jade knew I wasn’t gonna let this go. She sighed as she turned to me. “I’m level 19.”

  “Is that right?” I poked the inside of my cheek with my tongue, looking down at the display to confirm everything she told me. “Level 19 and you couldn’t take down some low-level rhinos.”

  “Harbingers are ranged attackers focused on
damaging targets from a distance. When you’re dealing with an armored enemy like a rhino, most of the offense will come from another class in the squad. A Zealot to break it down. A Strider to cut through. Maybe even a Vanguard to bash with its shield. In our case, the Slayer has to do the work.” She crossed her arms. “Don’t tell me your ego is getting to you—”

  “No, no,” I said as I put my hands up. “I get it. Teamwork. The Slayer and the Harbinger.”

  Jade cocked her lips to the side in a half-hearted smirk then rolled her eyes. “Go ahead and level,” she sighed as she walked over to Redgrave.

  I chuckled as I took the workstation for myself. I only had one of the gauntlets on but the communicator on it was enough to bring my stats up.

  Enzo Drake

  Level 6 Slayer

  (4 levels available)

  Hit Points 100

  Endurance 50

  Strength 11 (+1)

  Speed 9 (+1)

  Durability 10 (+2)

  Control 5

  The increases from my last level up were there. Another four levels would bring me up to an even ten. I didn’t hesitate to upgrade. The rush of Red Mana flowing through my veins was familiar but I didn’t know if it was something I would ever get tired of. The energy pulsing through me spread all over my body then eventually subsided. I immediately noticed how much firmer my muscles were. I reached up and tapped my bicep, realizing it was harder than it had ever been in my life. The stat screen indicated as much.

  Strength 12 (+1)

  Speed 9

  Durability 13 (+3)

  Control 5

  “Durability… Maybe it’s trying to tell me something…”

  I headed over to Redgrave and Jade at the workbench where the doctor was working on something. He slicked a hand over his balding head then picked up a watch. But considering everything else I’d seen, I knew it was more than just a watch.

  “This is for you,” he said to me.

  It was a plain black band. The small touchscreen was half the size of my phone’s. The blue display didn’t have anything on it except the digital seconds of the time ticking by.