Chapter Four Hundred And Fifty Eight – 458
Voracious Eye!
Name: Fathom Depthwurm
Type: Draconic (Manawarped)
Level: 92
HP: 15943/15943
SP: 10003/11248
MP: 8301/8439
Lore: A corrupted version of a true lindwurm, the Depthwurm has been immersed in the warping influence of the Fathom until it has been irrevocably changed. Able to command many of its lesser brethren, a Depthwurm is a dangerous foe to face, especially within range of its Den.
Weakness: More Data Required
Strength: More Data Required
"Hold tight!" The wave washed over his flagship at the same time Voracious Eye's info did, and Felix dropped low as the entire boat was soaked, bow to stern. "Adamant Discord!"
A blast of lightning sang into existence between Felix's outstretched hand and the approaching nightmare. It seared into Felix's vision, slamming through the water and into scaled hide only fifty feet from their deck. The Depthwurm screamed and twisted away from the attack, it's long, serpentine neck lifting entirely from the water as its voice turned from muffled screech to a bone-shaking bellow. It was easily fifty feet tall and twenty wide, and that was just the part of its Body above the water. Not one, but two heads writhed at the ends of that neck, both shaped like arrowheads given sentience and hatred for all things.
"Blind gods, it's a Tier V," Atar said from behind him.
Felix could only nod in mute agreement. If Tier 0 were the same as a Beginner Tier warrior, then Tier V was something like a high Adept or low Master Tier. The comparison wasn't entirely one to one, but Felix could feel a significant well of power in the serpentine horror's Body. Not even his Adamant Discord stopped it, and Felix was shoved back a dozen yards as the Depthwurm continued to advance. "Everyone open fire!"
His Claw, many of them on deck for the approaching Pass, now unleashed a flurry of Skills and spells. Bolts of lightning and shadow and fire and acid arced outward along with a volley of arrows infused with flickering vapor. The Depthwurm reared back at their approach, but the attacks hit and shattered against the its blue-clad hide, doing nothing. It bellowed again, and this time it was like a thousand car horns attached to a squealing speaker, and it sent a burr of Dissonance crawling across Felix's brain. All at once, the waves boiled, churning to reveal the approach of dozens, no hundreds of Human-sized shapes hurtling across the water.
Voracious Eye!
Name: Fathom Hatchling
Type: Draconic (Manawarped)
Level: 45
HP: 1443/1443
SP: 1100/1127
MP: 400/400
Lore: The least of the Fathom spawn, the Hatchlings are fish-like humanoids that are aggressive and cruel. Like all Fathom spawn, they will toy with their food before eating it, often keeping their prey alive for days before consuming them.
Weakness: Vulnerable to heat and fire, Agility and Strength reduced when sufficiently dried
Strength: Agility and Strength increased while in the water, and large eyes see easily in dark, stormy conditions.
Felix yanked out his hooked sword and channeled the power of his Skill through it and his own clawed fist. Both cut into the Depthwurm's scales, sending it rolling with greater ferocity, but Felix didn't pause. He stabbed deep, digging with his left hand until ichor and innards began to fall atop him like a vile, boiling stew. The Fathom spawn scrabbled against the mountains, cracking the rocks even further, but it could not dislodge him. Felix fell, sword and claw tearing a mighty gash into the Depthwurm's neck, until he hit the thicker protrusion of its torso. Flanked by its clawed paws, he immediately could sense the thrumming vibration of its heart...and it's monster core.
He started digging.
Ichor and offal spilled out, drenching Felix and staining the rocks. The Depthwurm went ballistic, heaving its bulk across the cliffs in an effort to shake him free, even clawing at its own chest, but Felix batted its awkward attempts away. He glowed with azure and golden light, a clarion song that drove him ever deeper, even as the flesh began to rapidly heal itself. Regrowing muscle threatened to push Felix out, right into the waiting, dual jaws of the beast...but chains of ice and ghostly light snagged into its limbs and neck, while a huge Multipeded crawled atop its snout and bound it shut once more.
"Where's Felix!"
"Inside, you lummox!"
"What?! GROSS!"
Given respite from the Depthwurm's violent movements, Felix put his friends out of his Mind. With his Strength and Agility, he moved like a wood grinder, going so far as to sheath his Inheritor's Will and focus entirely upon his talons. He burrowed deeper, a sense of dj vu tingling in his memories, of the time he fought and killed the Larval Ravager. And just as then, creatures began to writhe from within the innards of the Depthwurm, parasites that were wurms themselves. Tube-like and filled with teeth, they lunged for him without warning, but Felix burned them all as he switched to channeling his Rain of Cataclysm through his Wild Threnody. Mantle of the Infinite Revolution turned, igniting Felix's form with red-hot flame that cauterized the flesh around him, slowing down its healing as he tore deeper. Deeper. Until it was there. The monster core, shaped as a huge black pearl, lumpy and misshapen and glowing with a brilliant light.
More of the parasites surged, coming from all directions. It was all Felix could do to keep the Depthwurm from regenerating, fight off the parasites, and keep the Storm Ward at bay. His Mind trembled, the weight of Authority far greater than activating a dozen Skills at the same time. It was clear: if he wanted to land the killing blow on the monster's core, he needed to drop his hold on the Storm Ward.
Adamant Discord!
Lightning tore outward, back along the path he'd carved, and wrenched the lot of it wide. Gooey innards parted, newly healed flesh tearing again, until he could see the dark stormclouds above them. Alone, he'd have to choose the death of an enemy over the safety of his people. "Vess!"
But he wasn't alone.
From the sky where he'd felt her presence, a blazing spear of howling wind tore down and into the Depthwurm's guts. Even as the reopened wound tried to heal, Vess tore through it, blasting downward to hit with the impact of a damn bomb. Felix threw up his arms, skin covered now in full scales as her Draconic Stormfall shattered the Depthwurm's core.
You Have Killed A Fathom Depthwurm!
XP Earned!
The parasites all died, the flesh immediately stopped its hectic healing, and Felix dropped every Skill he held before reaching out and claiming it all.
Chthonic Tribute!
Around them, Vess and Felix, the gargantuan creature turned to greasy, light-filled smoke. It streamed into him while his Hunger rumbled in happiness and his Divine Tree blossomed with new, vibrant Essence foliage. Body now gone, the two of them dropped several feet onto a blasted and scraped rock shelf, barely jostled by the transition from monster guts to wind-scoured cliff-face.
"Hm," she started, wiping a bit of smoke from her partisan. It flowed over toward Felix and was pulled into his mouth. "How did you know I was there?"
"How did you know I was?" he asked.
Vess' lips quirked, as if she was fighting down a smile. "Thick of battle, fighting the biggest and worst monster, hip deep in trouble? Where else would you be?"
Felix laughed. "Fair." He ran a hand through his hair and reminded himself again that he needed a haircut. At the very least, his Tribute had removed all the nastiness that had been in it. "I'm glad you showed up, though. Really. That strike was"
Your Enemy's Essence Has Been Digested!
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