Chapter 64: The Logic of Monsters

Chapter 64: The Logic of Monsters My name is Isabelle Vhagar. My world has been simplified to a single, brutal truth: there is the mission, and there is everything else. We have been advancing for six hours. The command from our Lord was simple: CONQUER. We have carved a bloody path through two of Queen Alyssa’s sectors, leaving a trail of shattered crystal and silenced defenders. Her forces are scattered, her command structure in chaos, just as he predicted. Now, we stand before the final bastion of this sector. It is a vast, cathedral-like cavern, the walls lined with colossal, glowing crystals that pulse with a soft, holy light. It is beautiful. It is also a kill box. At the center of the cavern, on a raised dais, is the sector’s True Core, a sphere of pure, uncut diamond humming with power. Guarding it are the last of this sector’s commanders. "Analysis, Reina," I say, my voice low. Reina, my stoic Dhampir assassin, peers from behind a crystal formation. "Four elite Crystal Goblins, Commander. Heavy armor. Their crystal clubs are C-Rank enchanted. Shields are integrated. A tough nut to crack." Fenris lets out a low growl beside me, his nose twitching. "And the floaty things. Four of them. Don’t like them. They smell like lightning and bad news. And... condescension. It’s a very smug smell." He’s right. Floating around the True Core are four small, humanoid figures with shimmering, insect-like wings and skin made of pure, solidified light. "Sprite Sorcerers," Lillith whispers, her usual playful tone gone. "Nasty little things. Their light magic will be particularly painful for you and Fenris, Commander. It will feel like being stung by a thousand self-righteous wasps." This is the boss fight. Four heavy tanks and four glass-cannon mages. A classic, balanced encounter. A standard approach is for fools. "The Sprites are the priority," I say, my mind formulating the plan. "Reina, Fenris. You are the distraction. Be loud. Be violent. Draw the Goblins’ attention." BOOM! Fenris needs no further encouragement. The ground cracks under his powerful legs as he lets out a deafening howl and charges, a blur of black fur and rage. Reina follows a half-second later, her fists already glowing with destructive crimson energy. The four hulking Crystal Goblins turn to meet the charge, raising their massive shields and roaring a challenge. Their focus is singular. Predictable. "Lillith," I murmur. "The Sprites. Make them argue." The Lilim smiles, a slow, wicked curve of her lips. "With pleasure." She steps out from behind our cover and winks. A wave of invisible, hypnotic energy rolls across the cavern. The four Sprite Sorcerers, who had been preparing a volley of light spears, suddenly stop. Three of them turn on the fourth, chittering angrily. "I suggested that the one on the left thinks her leader’s wings are tacky and that her glow makes her look fat, " Lillith explains with a satisfied purr. "Vanity is their greatest weakness." But the leader, the fourth Sprite, shakes its head, its light flaring angrily. It seems to fight off the illusion, its eyes locking onto Lillith. It was only partially successful. One target remains. While three mages are distracted, I move. BOOM! The crystal floor explodes under my feet. The wind shrieks as I close the distance, a silent, dark arrow aimed at the heart of their formation. Dáinsleif, my dark blade, is a whisper in my hand. I do not attack the Sprites directly. I attack what they are standing on. CRACK! My sword strikes the crystal dais. The impact is a focused detonation. A massive shockwave of pure force blasts outwards, shattering the dais into a million glittering shards. The force runs through the very bones of the platform, turning it to dust. The three bickering Sprites tumble through the air, their concentration broken, their spells fizzling into harmless sparks. The fight is almost over. But the leader, the one who resisted Lillith’s charm, lets out a high-pitched shriek of pure rage. It recovered from the shock of the dais shattering. It sees me, the clear leader, momentarily exposed after my powerful attack. BOOM! It unleashes its final, desperate spell. A spear of pure, white-hot light, concentrated and vicious, shoots across the cavern, aimed directly at my heart. The wind itself screamed as the holy energy tore through the air. It is too fast to dodge completely. Reina and Fenris are still tangling with the Goblins. I am alone. I bring Dáinsleif up to parry, but the attack is not physical. CRACK! The light spear strikes my blade, but the holy energy doesn’t stop. It explodes against me. It feels like being burned and electrocuted at once. A searing shockwave of holy energy rips through my body, and a sharp, agonizing pain shoots through my left shoulder. My armor smolders and cracks under the assault. I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stand as the force of the blast throws me back several feet. "Commander!" Reina shouts, her voice sharp with alarm. She abandons the Goblins and moves. BOOM! She becomes a crimson blur. The last Sprite, its power spent, has no defense. Reina’s glowing fist connects with it, and the creature of light detonates in a silent, final flash. The fight is over. Reina and Fenris dispatch the now-leaderless Crystal Goblins with brutal efficiency. I lean against a crystal pillar, my shoulder screaming in protest, the smell of burnt leather and my own scorched flesh filling my nostrils. I look at the now-unguarded True Core. We have won. There is no cheering. There is only the quiet, professional satisfaction of a task completed, layered with the dull, throbbing pain in my shoulder. I push myself off the wall and walk, each step a testament of will, to the True Core. I place my hand upon it. A notification appears in my vision, a message from my Lord’s System. [Sector Secured]. We are a weapon. And sometimes, even the sharpest weapons get chipped. But we are not broken. Our work is not yet finished.