Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Operation Fuss (II)

They had emerged into the ruins of a large mansion. The time and the corruption had ruined part of the roof and one of the walls. Despite this, most of it was still standing, although it seemed it could crumble at any moment.

The shadow was beyond the mansion, and was patrolling the perimeter of the area it had to guard. Although patrolling was perhaps an understatement. It was enjoying the walk on the shell of a corrupted land turtle, half a meter tall and more than two meters long.

It was lying on it, while the reptile's triangular head looked in all directions.

Although similar in appearance, the environment and mana had made the turtle a very different animal from those on the visitors' home planet. It was fast, carnivorous, and had a poisonous bite. The corruption had altered the nature of its poison, its color, and added some spikes to its shell. However, in general, it was very similar to when it was alive.

Several triclops, corrupted giants with three eyes, surrounded the turtle. They were shielding the shadow from possible attacks. The corrupted spirit was quite cowardly, to the point that it didn't even plot against its peers.

Surrounding the triclops were a variety of corrupted beings, up to forty. Not only did they guard the perimeter, but they radiated a corrupted aura that acted as a barrier.

In addition, above, more than a dozen aerial losts flew overhead. One of them was even always exactly on top. It was controlling its flight as if it were a hummingbird. That lost was a strange insect with a single leg in the center of its abdomen, four pairs of wings, and a long stinger.

"It's a difficult target. It's protected, and some are high-level," Goldmi revealed. "Its group is moving, so we could set some kind of ambush for them."

"Can you describe them?" Eldi asked.

"Of course. They're like that..."

The elf told them what she was seeing through her sister's eyes, both about their enemies and the terrain. Through the goshawk, her virtual map was updated, so she was the best informed about it.

"Maldoa, those corrupted spirits fight between them, right?" the vampiress wanted to be sure.

She thought she had heard it before, although she hadn't paid much attention at that moment. The drelf had been on the corrupted battle front for many years, and had access to all the information regarding their enemies.

"Yes. More than once they've been discovered attacking each other, well, their troops were fighting. We believe they have a great rivalry, although they put it aside if they see us," she explained.

"Perfect! What do you want to dress up as?"

The lynx didn't like disguises. However, if she had to appear as a corrupted being, what better than a tiger? She didn't like them.

Therefore, when the shadow and its escort turned a bend in the road, they found her face to face. The costume, apart from changing the appearance, was covered in a layer of miasma. In this way, not only was the aura of life hidden, but she looked like another corrupted being.

It wasn't easy to create such material. Many tests and experiments had been carried out in the past, and Gjaki had simply taken the finished product. The leprechaun and his allies had spared no effort to provide the vampiress' group.

Next to the corrupted tigress, there was a tall bipedal reptilian being. He was armed with a huge rock that he held with both arms. His two companions had laughed a lot at Eldi's costume.

On the other side, there was a strange being. It walked on two legs too, but it was difficult to deduce the original race. The face and body seemed half melted, and even the arms seemed to fork several times. Although somewhat gruesome, the drelf had found it practical. She could use her roots without arousing suspicion. At least, at first.

These newcomers frightened the shadow. Although the corrupted beings couldn't harm it, they did threaten its forces. Besides, the levels of those intruders were much higher than those of its escort.

"Why? I haven't done anything to them! Which of the others is attacking me?" it wondered.

It sent the bulk of its troops to attack the newcomers, while trying to turn around with the turtle and the triclops, and the insect flying over it. The shadow didn't want to fight.

However, it could only flee a few meters. Something it couldn't see was blocking the retreat of its triclops. There were almost invisible threads of adamantine. The vampiress was lurking nearby after having placed them.

At that moment, the insect flying over its head was suddenly pushed aside. A strange black bird with a corrupted aura had Collided against it.

Eldi, Maldoa and the feline had attracted the other corrupted beings, including the winged ones. The corrupted aura that protected the shadow had partially dissipated with them, and, most importantly, it could no longer regenerate. In addition, several obstacles had disappeared from the sky.

Three by three, thanks to Three better than one, several bursts of Light Arrows fell on the shadow. The first few arrows eventually dissipated, but they had served their purpose. There was now a path through the miasma barrier.

They came one after the other, as the archer had Held them so that there was barely any distance between them. With Curved Shot, she had been able to adjust the trajectories to the movements and gaps available.

The twelfth arrow reached the confused shadow, passing through it and dissipating it forever. Goldmi had spent quite a bit of mana and energy on her attack, but she had achieved her goal. She redirected the rest of the Light Arrows to the losts.

Gjaki appeared as soon as she received the signal that the plan had been successful. That is, the goshawk had dropped her disguise. Immediately, the lynx did the same, which warned Eldi and Maldoa.

The high human threw the rock at a corrupted wolf and wielded the axe. An Abyss created a cut in front of him, thus attracting many of his enemies. The lynx took advantage of this to Jump on them, while adding a couple of Fireballs before arriving.

The drelf decided to throw a Lightball. It was a spell that she hadn't mastered yet, and that she had learned with the help of Goldmi. Her aura close to nature was appropriate for purification spells.

Although she hadn't yet mastered it, that only meant that it was a little unstable, and that her aim could be improved. Since her enemies were quite close, it wasn't a big problem. The purifying power, the antithesis of the losts, caused them serious damage. In addition, she could throw it without worrying about damaging the feline or Eldi, since they were immune. At most, she could blind them a little.

Seeing the result, several more followed the first Ball. Although she couldn't use the power of nature directly, the Lightball was a good substitute in those circumstances. In addition, she was training the spell.