Chapter Five Hundred And Fifty Five – 555
Jesus, what am I doing? Felix fell back on his heels, letting the spinning pattern of Chthonic Tribute die down to a low hum. Pit. Back off.N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
His friend gave Felix a curious tilt of his head, but said nothing as he withdrew his ice-shaped claws from the Frostfathers core. The only problem was he was now trapped down on the Supreme Elementals surface.
Right. CloudstGnh! Felix tried and failed to muster his Mana for another Cloudstep. His channels had been torn to shreds by that last attack, and forcing his power through them now was like pouring alcohol on an open wound. He hissed at the pain; it was sharp enough that it stabbed straight through his Song of Absolution, and that was to say nothing of the looseness he felt around his lungs.
Felix?
Stay there, bud. Felix marshaled his Sovereign of Flesh, letting the Essence hed stolen fuel his Health regeneration as he let fade the secondary set of monstrous jaws. A powerful itch overcame him as things shifted inside, crawling back into place within the shadows of his guts. It sucked, but with some effort he stayed standing. Frostfather. I accept your surrender.
You Have Defeated The Frostfather, Supreme Elemental Of Frost!
XP Earned!
Your Companion Pit Has Gained 2 Levels!
Pit Is Now Level 74!
He Gains:
+20 STR, +18 PER, +8 VIT, +22 END, +14 INT, +20 WIL, +40 AGL, +40 DEX!
+20 AFI, RES, and REI!
You Have Gained 1 Level!
You Are Now Level 63!
+20 to STR! +22 to PER! +22 to VIT! +26 to END! +24 to INT! +28 to WIL! +26 to AGL! +29 to DEX!
+20 All Harmonic Stats!
You Have 15 Unused Stat Points!
New Title!
Conqueror of Ironskin Domain (Legendary)!
You have achieved what no one else has in the history of this Domain: defeated the Frostfather in combat. Your connection with ice, stone, and metal Mana has deepened, and your dexterity with all three elements has increased!
Rime Shaping is level 85!
Stone Shaping is level 95!
You Have Digested Your Opponents Mana!
You Have Gained A Skill!
New Skill!
Ferric Shaping (Epic), Level 1!
You have parsed the secrets of stone to find the refined ore within. The patterns of metal have revealed themselves to you, and the base metal iron is yours to shape.
Felix staggered back as System energy flooded his core space, only distantly aware of Pit doing the same. Notifications jumped out at him. Felix read through them all, smiling grimly as he read the last. Another shaping Skill. Probably from that Superior Steel Elemental. How many more are there?
Youhave defeated me, creature. the mountain below rumbled. Are those rewards sufficient?
Pretty good, Felix admitted. He grunted as a spike of pain shot through him; he was pretty sure a bone just reset. And stop calling me creature. My names Felix.
Purple-white eyes flashed curiously. Why did you seek my destructionFelix?
The Frostfather rumbled yet again, and this time it was with curiosity. Surprise laces your Spirit. When did you become the Maw?
Felix grimaced. He didnt like that phrasing. Less than a year ago.
Less thantoo soon. Your power is still mostly nascent. It will take an Age to mature fully.
An Age?! Felix doubted hed live that long, not with the enemies hed been accruing. I dont have that kind of time.
I can imagine not. The gods stir. Even I can feel it here, in this cage I built for myself. I will grant you three boons, Scion. As tradition demands. A new hand, this one open and flat, rose from the mountain upon an arm of corded stone and steel. It stopped briefly near Pit, who hopped aboard before it was lifted the rest of the way to Felixs platform. My power is limited, but I am ancient. I can offer you knowledge above all else.
Felix placed a hand on his friend as he returned to his side, his icy armor banished for now. Alright. How does that work? Do I just ask some questions?
A single finger lifted, easily twice as tall as Felixs ten-foot battleform, before curling onto the palm. Yes, but I shall provide the first. You are awakening, Scion. You summoned a manifestation of your core into the world, a feat that should remain beyond your advancementand yet you did not die at its unveiling. I knew the Maw as well as any Elemental could, and her Hunger knew no bounds. You desire Essence, Mana, and significance, yes?
Yes. Not for the reasons the Frostfather was suggesting, but Felix couldnt deny those words. As much as I can.
I can sense within you all nine Pillars of your mortal advancement. You stand upon a threshold of power, and with more to consume you will become truly fearsome, it is true. But you are a Scion of the Unseen Tide. Stones tumbled from around the Frostfathers core, still open and gleaming in the wintry air. You must learn what that means. Seek that which unites and divides. The breaking and the binding. If you find that, Scion, you will find a Path to power greater than any I could offer.
That which unites and divides. Unite the Lost did the former, and Skein of Fate could break Oaths as well as make them, but Felix had a feeling the mountain wasnt talking about his Skills.
That is the greatest of knowledge I could give you, Scion. You may ask twice more. The Frostfather held up two more fingers.
Felix considered his options. He could ask more about the Path the mountain was on about, but doubted hed get more than he already had, especially since he lacked the right information to do anything but restate the Frostfathers own words.
Could make him tell us, Pit suggested.
Maybe. But we already pushed him to the edge. Felix patted his friend on the neck, along the metal scales of his barding. Other than consuming his core and hoping to grab a Memory from him, I dont think theres much else well get from that line of thinking.
Well
Pit, little pig. Were not eating the god of the Frost Giants.
Hmph. Fine.
Felix had almost lost sight of their diplomatic goals in his fight, and he wasnt planning on doing so again. An idea bloomed.
Alright. My first request is that you fix the boundaries of your Domain, Felix said. The Risi still need this place to train their people.
Done. Gladly. A wave of shimmering Mana rippled outward, down the mountain and into the distance. The background vibrations around Felix shifted, ever so slightly, and a second finger curled down. My lesser children have been growing too strong without the Risi to prune them back. Your rampage has solved that, Scion. You and your Companion.
What of the last boon?
Felix traded a look with Pit. The tenku looked tired, hitting the end of his considerable Stamina as he panted. Pit nodded. My Companion is hurt. He is under a curse and it prevents him from healing his wings. Can you remove the curse?
The Frostfather was silent for a long, tense moment, then motes of ice and stone separated from his remaining finger. They hovered around Pit, rotating around him like tiny satellites. After several minutes, the ice and stone retracted, and the Frostfather grumbled. I cannot. The curse appears to be wound through him and his core space. To remove it would kill him.
Pit shrank back, tufted ears held low, while Felix fought off a wave of helpless rage. Fuck. Same as what Isla said. Then what can I do?
I am not a creature of healing. I could, perhaps, replace his wings with ones of ice and steel. The stone and ice shifted, but did not draw closer to Pit again. But there is a storm within you, Chimera, one that will not suffer my presence.
I can offer one thing.
What? Felix looked at the mountain, torn between hope and frustration so big he didnt know what to do with it. What can you offer?
There is a treasure, an artifact created in Ages lost that can heal anything, Body, Mind, and Spirit. Even this curse. A shimmering ring of chaotic elements appeared above the Frostfathers finger. Flame, ice, lightning, shadowtoo many Mana types to count flitted through its structure, all of them whirling around like a miniature hurricane. The Mote of Frenzy.
Felix reached out, but his hands passed through the whirling display. An illusion. Where is it?
It was last in the hands of my brother, a Supreme Elemental of Fire and Stone. Powerful, but not invincible. He was defeated at the hands of the Dwarves, captured and taken. Killed him, perhaps. The mountain shook again, and house-sized chunks of stone and steel rained down from the Frostfathers shoulders. The purple skies turned pink and orange. A sunset of rage. If anyone has the Mote, it is them.
The Dwarves do not let go of what they claim.
