Test Summoning: Apocalypse

The time in Silk Caverns had fits and starts. We used the evening to improve our coordination while my concussion cleared. It took six more spiders before the teamwork somewhat solidified. I'd shoot an arrow to get a spider's attention while Lia intercepted it. Void and Tizek circled around the back and pounded on the carapace. When it was finally weakened, they took turns with the final kill to spread the essence gains equally.

We had a decent night and worked hard the next day to clear out the spiders. With my concussion cleared, each additional kill became much easier as our coordination improved. As we made each kill, I began to feel a lot better when we met then surpassed my estimated silk needs.

The princess spider boss was not on our menu. We still had coordination issues and, with my damaged mana pool, we had no hope of killing the thing with only three unskilled Advancement 1 party members. Maybe if Lia had a polearm and we had a few weeks of drills, we could have done it. We didn't need the minor gear or metals it dropped since our finances were healthy.

The next few weeks flew by in a blur. Our time was set fabricating and preparing my portal closing MASER. I spent most of my time working the lenses. They had to be as perfect as possible. The hardest part was making the surface level for the lens mold to properly sit. I had to shove little pieces of paper under each leg of the table in my room while using a bubble level I bought at a crafting supply shop. It wasn't going to be perfect, but it was better than eyeballing the effort.

While I worked on the lenses, the others assisted with my efforts. All three of them spent their days draining their mana into the Advancement 2 battery cores. For the silk weave, Tizek surprisingly had a good braiding technique and assisted with creating the ropes to make the array and fuel the MASER. I had to go buy a few bits and bobs I hadn't thought of as they cropped up during construction. The big one was a trigger for the mana batteries so the array wouldn't dump immediately into the control crystal the moment it was hooked up. It was just part of the creation process. Forget something, cobble together a fix and engineer it more elegantly in a later iteration.

It was now three days before the crack that signified the start of the invasion formed in the city and we were ready to test to see if it worked. I decided to start with just one battery core instead of the whole array. The others were way too fatigued to fill up the whole thing. Plus, using that much energy would be overkill on a test.

That left where to test it. Another thing I failed to procure was a view slate. Being a product with minimal demand, it wasn't something routinely available at shops in town. They had to be custom ordered and I didn't have the time for that.

Which is why we were 100 meters outside the city arena. People were stopping to stare at the weird summoned hero and his party with their giant wooden tube on a rolling bronze cart with a hole cut in one end. Eventually, we lost out to the event going on in the arena. The high ranking parties fighting unusual monsters was more interesting than me standing around looking at a wooden object.

Void was rubbing her head from her splitting headache after weeks of charging up batteries. "Why are we here exactly?"

"It's the best place to see if this thing works. If we can cut out the entire bank of view slates along the arena wall, then it should have the range to close the portal in the sky," I said low to avoid anyone overhearing us. Not that anyone paid attention to random conversations out in the street.

"What's this thing called again?" Lia asked, also nursing a headache. She was looking at the wooden housing of the MASER.

"It's called a MASER. It's an acronym. It won't make sense to you since it's from my world," I explained. "Basically, it concentrates mana inside the control crystal. It bounces the mana aligned between the two mana mirrors inside and concentrates the effect until it's strong enough to breach the one facing out from the front. That should make it powerful and have a good range."

Lia peeked inside one of the gaps in the housing. "How are you getting the mana to bounce between the two ends? The sides are open."

"It's an inefficiency of the design. I have to rely on mana bending just right inside the crystal to bounce along the plane aligned with the mirror. I'd like to have set up a parabolic mirror and a magical check valve, but if such a thing exists, it's closely guarded by one of the guilds." I positioned the end of the MASER to face down a string of slates affixed to the arena wall.

"Is that why we need so many of these mana batteries?" Void asked. "It sounds like we're wasting most of our effort."

"We are," I replied. "It's unavoidable, really. I have no way of bending the mana once it gets into the control crystal, so we just have to rely on the energy that aligns right."

Lia tapped the housing on the MASER. She was still fascinated by the construction. "How much mana did we store?"

I ran some calculations in my head. "Roughly equivalent of an average Advancement 50."

Lia paused and gaped. "Wow, that's a lot. I don't think anyone ever got that strong or if there are any monsters like that."

"It's the benefit of spending weeks draining our entire mana pool ten times a day." I made the final adjustments and ensured the slates were lined up. "Ready to see if it works?"

Tizek, who was bored stiff from all the technical talk, lit up. "I want to see it work."

I flicked the activation switch. "Then let's see it go."

We waited for a moment and nothing happened. The screens didn't flicker out and I didn't hear the cries from viewers outside of the arena when they lost the signal to the fight going on.

"That's anti-climactic," Void commented.

I could feel my fear rising in my chest. The invasion was in just three days and my MASER wasn't working. I frantically began checking connections to the mana battery and the switch. Everything looked fine. I then peered into the housing and saw a slow glow building inside the control crystal. I let out a sigh of relief.

"What's it doing?" Void pulled in next to me and peered into the opening.

"I forgot about the speed of raw magic," I said.

Her face turned toward mine. "What?"

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"I'm used to light. Light moves so fast it feels like it crosses distances in an instant. Where I come from, we use light in these devices. When we activate it, it is as far as we perceive, instant," I explained. I pointed into the MASER at the slowly pulsing and growing glow. "It's just taking a while to build up the critical mass inside the crystal. I also made the reflection a little too aggressive. The effect will look instant when its released."

We waited a few more moments and still nothing. Then people at the arena started shouting as the screens cut out. I moved to one side and saw the entire row of screens in the path of the MASER went dark. Every single one the entire 200 meter length went dark. The effective range was at least 300 meters and likely even more.

I wanted to jump with joy, but doing so would make it very clear I was the one responsible for killing the view slates right as the fight was reaching a climax. I flicked the switch off and turned to my companions. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"I take it the MASER thing worked?" Void asked. I could see a grin growing on her face.

"It did. And I'd like to get back to the tavern before the crowd over there realizes I'm responsible for disrupting the signal." I began stowing the MASER for Lia to carry.

"Did you break the screens?" Lia asked as she worked the straps she would need to carry it on her back.

"Nah," I said and pointed. The screens had already come back on when the eye reestablished the connection. "It still doesn't help they missed the finale."

I saw a look of concern cross Void's face. "What's stopping…it…from doing the same thing?"

I paused. I hadn't considered that fact. Now I was getting worried my plan would be a huge bust and I'd have to see everyone die again. No, push that aside. "Based on the energy calculations from the view slates, portals use energy based on a factorial of their diameter."

The other three stared at me like I had spontaneously grown three extra heads and began signing a barbershop quartet routine. "Sorry, it's advanced math. Basically, making a data portal larger requires an incredible amount of energy. We're talking Advancement 50 to make something the diameter of a gold Sovereign. And that's just to open a data connection, not sustain it or move a physical object through."

"You're saying it takes a crazy amount of mana to open the portal in the sky?" Lia said, summarizing my explanation.

"It is," I said. We had finished gathering up the device and began walking back to The Gnashing Teeth. I continued talking as we walked. "The pattern is the beginnings of the portal appear in the sky as a jagged crack. It remains that way for around an hour before it spreads open. That's when it disgorges the shadow monsters to invade the city. Another half hour after that, it opens wider and the thing's tentacles appear, which pull open the rupture further. After we see its face, those who aren't immediately knocked out from the horror of it have get to enjoy a caustic fog eating away their bodies."

Void crossed her arms and gripped her shoulders. She shuddered in mild fear. "That's awful, but it sounds like it's a difficult effort."

"Right," I said. "I doubt the thing invaded on a whim. Based on the production just to get the portal wide enough to get through, it was an extensive preparation. If we can close it, the thing won't be opening it anytime soon. Plus, we'll have developed a means to fight back so it can't invade in the future."

The others were placated by my words. I, however, knew I was slinging bullshit based purely on supposition. It was a bad scientific practice, but we really didn't have the luxury of applying the scientific method to this. My worries ramped up to 11 after Void pointed out the thing could open the portal again. I'd have to hope the MASER destabilized the portal enough to cause a cascade failure.

"What's that?" Lia was pointing at a paper announcement posted on the side of a building. I looked at it and saw it was an announcement.

"That's the hero meet and greet. Interestingly, it's the same day as when the portal opens and it starts just 30 minutes prior," I said.

"That feels oddly coincidental," Void said.

I shrugged. "I looked into that. As far as I can tell, it really is coincidental. The other four reached Advancement 2 recently and the king wants the public to see them up close. I've proven terribly uninteresting to the public."

"I think you're interesting," Tizek commented. "I am the knight of the greatest of lords."

"Thanks for the support, buddy," I replied.

"They're stronger than us, right?" Lia asked as she adjusted the MASER on her back to avoid bumping into people walking down the street. We got a few curious glances from passers-by.

"Quite a bit." I nodded at a few of the people passing us. "Why do you ask?"

"How well do they do against the monsters?" Lia continued.

I hummed. "They can individually defeat the weakest ones. Working together, they can handle one of the midrange ones. Once they get more, Carolina and Aurelie both go down fast. Damu has an ability called Flow which makes him very hard to hit. Even so, he still dies. Disha is the most effective since she soaks up shadow spells with her ability. She usually survives until the caustic gas comes through."

Void glanced at one of the pamphlets on the wall. This one had Aurelie's image on it. "What's their strength?"

"They're roughly equal to an average Advancement 5," I replied.

"We don't have a chance if we have to fight one, do we?" Void said with dejection.

I shook my head. "Working together, you three can defeat a weak monster. The stronger ones? No chance. The last time I saw you, you were still a Guard and you were the sole survivor. You managed to take one out with a 20 man unit. The other 19 didn't survive."

Void shuddered. "It must have been bad if they woke me up and called me in. Most Guards are Advancement 2 and 3."

I held back another wave of fear and insecurity washing over me. "No point in dwelling on it. The idea is to disrupt and close the breach so no one has to worry about anything coming through." We decided to stop talking about a battle which wouldn't happen this time around.

The rest of the day and the next was spent getting the unit finalized. I had to connect all the batteries and test to make sure the flow worked. After that, Void, Lia and Tizek topped up the energy we used during the testing phase. We also had to procure a cart to move it in the morning. I had picked out a quiet alley where we'd fire the MASER up at the sky. I didn't want anyone confusing us as the culprit and calling in the Guard to disrupt our efforts.

The evening meal was so muted Mira and Doun thought we had a fight. I made up a story about my project running into a roadblock. Doun tried to give me some advice, but I had to brush it off by saying there are fundamental rules in my world which aren't present here. It was all bullshit to keep him from wondering why we were so down.

We decided to head to bed early. Even Tizek was showing strain at the prospect of what we were facing the next day. I found myself fussing over the MASER for a while. Checking, double checking, double checking my double check and so forth. I eventually sat down on my bed, still too amped to sleep. Part of me wanted to be exhausted for when I looped again since I'd not be shocked by the sudden fatigue in my body. Then I heard the knock on my door.

At one point, I had looked forward to this. Enough times failing the loop? I began to dread it. Each time was a premonition of loss. I walked to the door and opened it. Outside, I saw Void. She was wearing her night shirt and shorts. The top two buttons of the shirt were awkwardly unbuttoned, showing her cleavage. Her expression, though, didn't quite match her attempt at titillation.

"Can I come in?" Void whispered as she peered at the floor with insecurity.

I moved out of the way. "Come on in."

She moved in. I hated seeing her like this. She was usually confident and now I was seeing her with fear and doubt in her eyes. After I closed the door, she drew me into an embrace. "I want to experience my first time."

I sighed. "We should wait until you're in a better mood." I knew I was going to fold.

She gripped me tightly. "Please. I'm scared and I don't want to regret this."

"Empty pleasure isn't something to aspire to," I replied, trying to convince myself it was the truth.

I felt her head shake. "I have fingers for that. I have to show you how much I care."

I returned her embrace. "As much as I want to, I don't know if I can this time. Let's save it for a celebration and not a farewell."

"Please," Void whispered. She pulled away, looked me in the eyes and began unbuttoning her top. I couldn't resist. I wanted to believe my own words, but I had a terrible feeling this was a goodbye.

I watched as she removed her clothing. I took in her features. Her muscular frame, her soft face with a mixed look of anticipation and sadness plastered on it. Her grey fur and firm cups greeted my eyes. I examined the pale spot where her fur hadn't grown back from the spider bite. I saw another on her buttocks where she slipped off a tree and landed on a fence post from a stupid childhood dare. She kept it hidden from her parents for so long the scar removal tonic no longer worked. I pulled her in for a long, gentle kiss before lowering her onto my bed.

As much as I'd like to describe the blow-by-blow, dear audience I invented in my head, this is our time. It's a knowing farewell, which is meant to be private. I can tell you we poured our emotions into each other. I patiently guided her through her first time once again. It was always wonderful.

After some time, I found myself looking down at her sleeping form on my chest. She had fallen asleep in my embrace and was now trailing a string of drool on my pec. I watched her as she snorted in slumber, my arm going numb from her weight on it. I endured the annoyance since I feared this was the last time I could have a moment with this version of Void.

My eyes turned toward my MASER sitting in the corner of the room. My eyes then drifted toward the ceiling. "I hope those damned gloves you gave me is a sign I'm on the right path," I silently said in my head to the Grand Creator. I knew he, she, it, whatever, wouldn't respond. Everyone knew the Grand Creator was a silent God and never answered prayers. He worked in subtle, mysterious ways.

I lay there in the dim light of the magic light I refused to extinguish and filled my vision with Void's sleeping figure. I felt the numb tickle in my left arm like a heart attack. I knew it wasn't a medical emergency. I was terrified. Visions of Lia, Tizek and Void dying in a few hours tore into my mind. It was why I spent centuries avoiding them. I freed Lia, saved Tizek and went on my way. I couldn't bear building up our relationships again only to lose it. I was alone for thousands of loops. Because I was tired of this moment. The hope, the fear and the inevitable wrenching away of everything I cared for. It hurt less when everyone I cared for was safely out of sight.

I remained awake for the entire night. I had to mentally prepare for what was to come. I had to be the rock, the foundation, the confidence the others needed to get through the horror. The portal would appear at 901Mor.

As the sun started to peek through the shutters, I poked Void. She blinked blearily at me and, after a brief look of panic, wiped away her drool from my chest. Her eyes then met mine with a silent question.

I sighed deeply, dreading the moment. "It's time to go."