Touch of Fate

"Ah, the famous Limit Break of the Hero. I was wondering when you'd activate it."

Another system message flashed in front of Mike.

[Battle Trance activated.]

Mike's fury cooled, and he found himself a dispassionate observer to the events that followed, unable to control his body.

The expansive white aura surrounding Mike contracted down to a single glowing point, at the center of his forehead.

[What is this?] Mike found himself wondering, although in the strangely emotionless state, he really couldn't bother to care.

"This is new. A special skill perhaps? Hopefully you can make this a little more interesting." Brutus sounded amused by the turn of events.

[Analyzing Host data...]

[Warning. Insufficient energy]

[Analyzing Host soul data...]

[Soul Efficiency at 4.2%, Composite soul detected, Initiating soul compression.]

Mike felt a strange pressure throughout his entire being. Like he was being crushed by an immense weight.

He sensed something deep within himself igniting, and a tidal wave of power exploded out from his soul. More power than he had ever felt before. Summoning the dragon in the dungeon could barely compare.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Brutus was watching Mike, waiting for his next move, when a titanic presence descended over the plains. The two remaining adventurers immediately lost consciousness. Brutus proved a little more resilient, however.

[I haven't felt a presence like this since I stood in front Dark Lord all those years ago. I don't know where this child is summoning this power from, but this quite the trump card.]

He felt an excitement that had long been deprived to him. Ever since he had entered Tier 4 nearly a thousand years ago, the vampire had almost never faced a challenge. The sheer awe-inspiring weight of the Hero's presence awoke his long forgotten blood lust.

Finally. After all these years, he was going to have a good fight.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Analyzing Host soul data.....]

[Soul Efficiency at 38%, Energy reserves sufficient]

[Adding Administrator Rights]

[Initiating Time Pause]

The world turned grey, as every movement, save the continual scrolling system messages, cease.

[Unlocking Analyze Skill]

[Analyzing Hostile]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Brutus Stormborn

Race: High Vampire

Age: 3562

Class: War God

Tier: 4 (Mid)

Title: Lord of War

--------------

Skills

--------------

Primary Skills:

True Rage of the War God (Rank 5)

Grandmaster Way of the Empty Fist (Rank 4)

Master Mana Reinforcement (Rank 5)

Grandmaster Staff of the War God (Rank 5)

Soul of the Devourer (Rank 3)

Adamant Form of the Unbending (Rank 4)

True Warrior's Will (Rank 5)

--------------

Secondary Skills:

Lifestyle Magic (Rank 0)

True Evasion (Rank 4)

True Staff Fighting (Rank 5)

True Unarmed Fighting (Rank 4)

Master Sword Fighting (Rank 3)

Master Spear Fighting (Rank 1)

Advanced Archery (Rank 3)

Advanced Riding (Rank 1)

Intermediate Persuasion (Rank 2)

Intermediate Haggling (Rank 1)

Intermediate Artistic Skill (Sculpting) (Rank 3)

Basic Cooking (Rank 3)

Basic Musical Performance (String Instrument) (Rank 3)

--------------

Passive Skills:

True Fear Resistance (Rank 5)

True Heat Resistance (Rank 3)

Extreme Endurance Enhancement (Rank 5)

Extreme Agility Enhancement (Rank 5)

Large Strength Enhancement (Rank 5)

Moderated Speed Enhancement (Rank 2)

Detect Presence (Rank 3)

--------------

Inherent Skills:

True Vampiric Regeneration

Vampiric Form

Undead Constitution

Chosen of the Devourer

--------------

[Enemy Threat Level: A-6]

[Analyzing Host battle data.....]

[Unlocking Extreme Physical Enhancement, Unlocking Extreme Mana Enhancement, Unlocking True Unarmed Combat, Unlocking True Elemental Magic, Unlocking True Air Magic, Unlocking True Fire Magic]

[Terminating Time Pause]

[Initiating Enhancement Magic: Speed]

[Initiating Combat]

The world resumed its normal motion, and Mike was already moving. He vanished from sight, leaving a crater in the ground behind him.

Brutus was barely able to react. If not for his millennia of experience, he would have been helpless in the front of the sudden offensive. He activated all of his defensive skills, and dumped as much mana as he could into them, hoping to weather the storm.

A virtually imperceptible kick slammed into Brutus's blocking staff. The enchanted mythril weapon, designed specifically to withstand the vampire's strength, gave way almost immediately, practically disintegrating.

The blow caved in Brutus's chest, broke his spine, and sent him hurtling into the sky like he was fired from a cannon.

[Wow, I didn't know I could do all this...Wait, is this even really me anymore?]

With a quick activation of Air Magic, Mike flew after his opponent, a sonic boom sounding as he broke the sound barrier.

Before Brutus had even fully registered the blow that had sent him flying, Mike grabbed him by the head, and with a magic induced spin flung him back towards the ground. Brutus impacted with force of a meteorite, creating an explosion of dirt hundreds of meter in diameter.

By this point the Brutus's physical form had largely been crushed beyond recognition. However, he hadn't survived for three millennia for nothing. Knowing that he only had a second or two before the Hero came to finish him off, he activated his Unique Skill: Soul of the Devourer.

In a visibly expanding wave, every plant, insect, and animal within a kilometer weakened and died. Orbs of white energy formed and flew towards the vampire merging with his form.

He recovered almost immediately, and rose to his feet stronger than before.

"What now, Hero?! Surely you aren't done with just that?!" He was filled with a self-destructive impulse to push this confrontation to its climax.

[Warning! Hostile's Unique Skill has 78% chance of effecting host within 2m]

[Recommend engaging in ranged combat]

Mike raised a finger into the air, before swinging it down towards Brutus.

A wall of air, dozens of meters in diameter and visible only for the way it displaced the cloud of dust that had formed after Brutus's fall, slammed into the vampire before he had a chance to react. He was crushed into the ground by the force of the blow, as another, deeper crater was formed within the first.

[Locating Hostile.....]

Another wall of air formed next to Mike, blocking a chunk of earth which was hurled up at him.

Brutus, now some distance away from his point of impact was standing, once again recovered.

"I could keep this up for days, Hero! How much longer will your skill last?!" He called with a taunting voice.

[Simulating current battle outcome...]

[Chance of Host victory at 56%]

[Analyzing...]

[Unlocking Time Magic]

[Unlocking High Speed Chanting]

Mike opened his mouth and a blur of noise issued forth.

After a second of this he stated in a cold, emotionless voice, "Prison of Time."

Suddenly Brutus couldn't move. He could't react, he couldn't talk, he couldn't even use his skills that required only will to activate.

The only thing the Hero's terrifying spell allowed him to do was watch as his end approached.

Another garbled sound emerged from Mike's mouth, this time for nearly 5 full seconds. He raised a hand into the air, and completed the spell.

"Vengeful Fist of the Heavens."

The sky clouded over in an instant, crackling lightning illuminating the scene. Then the portion of the clouds directly above Brutus parted.

For one brief moment, perceptible only to the caster and his unfortunate victim, the vampire was enveloped in a column of bright light.

[Ahhh, so this is the taste of defeat. I had forgotten...How nostalgic.]

The vampire had time for one last thought before a pillar of lightning, dozens of meters accross engulfed him and much of the surrounding scenery.

So intense was the light and sound that observers hundreds of kilometers away feared it was the coming of the apocalypse.

The very walls of Wyrport shook under the assault of the thunder, and the guards posted there would later say that it looked as if the fist of an angry god had smote the very land itself.

This night would come to be known as the Night of Wrath.

Mike looked down at the smoking hole that was once Brutus.

[Holy crap! That was awesome! I'm going to have to learn how to do that.]

Some of his feelings were starting to return to him, but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Another system message flashed across his eyes.

[Battle concluded]

[Initiating shutdown procedures]

[Wait! Hold on! The others are still in trouble!]

[Analyzing....]

[Unlocking Advanced Healing Magic]

[Secondary effect: Pierce the Veil acquired]

Mike flew down to the other adventurers and used a gentle application of Air Magic to gather them together.

With a wave of his hand, Shy and Philip's injuries were healed. Mike could hear the bones of the unfortunate party leader's forearms snapping back into place.

He turned his attention to Kate. It was clear, even to Mike's untrained eye, that whatever spark of life that had existed shortly before, was now extinguished.

If not for his forcibly calmed condition, Mike might have lost it then. [F***!....Even.... Even with all this power, I couldn't save her.]

Mike's body, still under the influence of whatever force was controlling him, stepped forward and laid a hand on Kate's corpse.

A massive amount of mana, greater even than the amount used for his destructive lightning spell, surged forth from his soul.

He whispered another sped up chant, as a white glow began to spread out from his body. After nearly a minute the air was vibrating with invisible, barely controlled energy.

With a calm, almost gentle voice, Mike finished the chant.

"Return That Which was Taken."

With that simple intonation the massive swell of power that had been accumulating poured forth into Kate's stilled form.

As darkness returned once again to the plains, a loud gasp could be heard.

Mike felt like crying as he watched once dead adventurer taking slow and steady breaths. She was alive!

Before he had a chance to react, a series of system messages blocked his view.

[Warning! Energy levels critical]

[Terminating action]

[Returning host to baseline parameters]

[@$&-*"@$/+& now on cooldown]

[Wait, what?]

The glowing spot on Mike's forehead faded and suddenly he was in control of his body again.

He felt drained, but didn't seem to be suffering the usual after effects of using Limit Break.

He glanced around at the devastated landscape and the still unconscious forms of his traveling companions.

"Well, s***."