NOVEL NEXT Chapter 76
Awareness returned slowly, faint whispers chasing me from the dream of endless war. It was as if they were from far away, but I neither doubted they were real nor that I was meant to hear them. I recognized the dream as a warning about the nature of the people that would serve me. A really didn't enjoy what I was seeing.
"In the name of the Emperor, BURN!" Dour women with white hair, facing countless demonic beings.
"The Emperor protects!" Bright eyed young men and women marching in unison towards a battle almost none would return from.
"In his glorious name, CHARGE!" A seemingly endless battle line of troops surging forward toward a mass of green foes.
"By the Emperor, not one step further, Xenos filth!" A young boy holding a readied grenade, while trying to keep himself between his remaining family and an odd looking suit of power armor.
More and more, dozens, then hundreds, then thousands, then millions, then billions of voices softly reaching out to... not me, but a version of me that was unimaginably far away. Golden light trickled into my mind from this connection and I felt something shift in me. I couldn't have pointed to where the changes were happening yet I could feel them none the less. The light burned with a fury and a purpose I would have thought could never have existed, before now. This was the essence of the people I was about to inflict upon this world.
My BTC shook,
[ You have received Faith energy. ]
I felt something shatter inside me...
[ Your Class Paladin of Nature (???) has rejected you. Reason not given. Please return to the Town Hall to redeem your Class XP and select another Class. ]
Suddenly, all the points into Body and Cool that the Paladin class had provided were simply gone. A horrid weakness creeped into me. A sucking emptiness where those points used to be.
I could barely open my eyes, never mind crawl out of the bed.
It took a long time to adapt to my new state, everything inside me felt jagged and broken. I tried casting Regrowth and it did soothe the pain and emptiness for a few seconds, but seemed unable to help with the underlying issue.
Slowly I focused on each muscle, tensing and releasing them until I could force them to move together. It if seems like I was calm, I assure you I wasn't. My frustrating led to anger which led to a spiraling series of self incriminations.
Had to pick the fucking Theme it warned you about. Fucking dumbass. Admit it you thought the name was too cool to pass up.
'...'
Even my inner voice was pissed at me.
I gritted my teeth and pushed up off the bed, and immediately regretted the decision. Everything spun and my legs felt like a couple of those paper straws trying to support my weight. I had grabbed the bedframe to stabilize myself without even realizing it.
I snarled, "Move you fucking idiot."
Thus began my epic 27 step journey to the kitchen area, time lost all meaning in the drive to get to food and water. I was as dry as a desert and my stomach was as empty as the void between galaxies.
I supposed it was a small mercy that no one was in here to see me like this.
Thankfully, one of the Probes had moved some ration packs down here. I hadn't even considered what I would have done if there hadn't been any vittles down here.
We won't talk about how embarrassing eating was then. Or than I demolished two packs before beginning to feel better.
Later after I had reached some manner of normal I made my way to the lift chamber and turned west to see the progress the Probes had made.
Oh, they were already done. An empty 500 yard cubed space greeted me after a few hundred yards long hallway that was made up of more stairs than not.
I had a hard time grasping the size the area until I saw it. I had no idea how they had kept the ceiling from collapsing, but it was a perfect cube, in so far as I could tell. Probes are a blessing. Everyone should have some.
I sat on the last step into the giant room pondering.
No, it was too late to turn back. Damage done. Let's see this through.
I messaged Raynor and Mr. Wick to come down and grab the cube on the way. There was no way I was doing this alone.
They arrived with the troops. They had all donned their armor, probably a good idea.
Raynor handed me the cube, "You okay, Hoss? Looks like someone danced on your grave."
"No, because I didn't take a deal, I've lost my Paladin Class for now, and all the points it granted me. I'll be messed up until we can return to New Lordaeron to get it sorted out."
Mr. Wick growled.
"No, it's my own damned fault. I think these guys are what we need, but they are going to be different. I get the impression that they come from a... universe of unending war."
I gestured wildly at myself.
"This already has caused me problems because I have to be someone they obey without question. Or they would kill us all in the name of their... God? It's not a very clear idea, but yeah this will be intense. They will likely believe I am their God or the agent of their God. As shitty as that is, don't disabuse them of that notion."
I smashed my fist into my other hand.
"They have no tolerance, no pity, no mercy. Expect truly grim psychotic people. Their first reaction is usually going to be to destroy anything they don't understand. We have to be very careful how we utilize them, otherwise they just murder everyone and flatten everything."
"Hoss, are you sure you want to bring these bastards into this?" Raynor sounded worried. Hard to tell behind his skull faceplate.
"Want? No. Need to? Probably. Some part of me thinks this will be the best chance to change the nature of this mission. They have forgotten more about war then all the people on this world together have ever learned. We need that knowledge, even if it hard to deal with."
Mr. Wick grunted.
"Alright, but I reserve the right to complain about this later, when it blows up in your face." Jim really knew how to lighten a mood.
"Our faces." I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say." He was smirking behind his faceplate, I was sure of it.
I activated the cube.