Healer Arc 2 -- Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The moment that Thaden was taken off of Glory’s Passage and brought to an undisclosed location had been a frightening experience, even if it didn’t last all that long.  After the initial unpleasantness where the cloth over his head suddenly drained all of the Mana out of his body, prompting his unconsciousness, he had woken up to find himself being manhandled through the alleyways and minor streets of Teglir, until he was fairly sure he had passed back through the gates leading to the docks.

He had been tempted to try and escape right after he woke up, but Sadia advised him to wait and see who it was and where they had been taking him.  They obviously didn’t want him dead, otherwise he would’ve been killed outright, and they probably expected him to be completely defenseless based on the strange cloth over his head.  Unfortunately for them, after his Mana was somehow drained entirely for a split-second, leading to his unconsciousness, his Mana came back all at once despite being cut-off from the ambient Mana around him.  As one of the Adversarial agents on Tarth had discovered a bit too late, Thaden was essentially made of Mana that he continued to produce even if he was cut off from the world, so he wasn’t really impaired in the least. 

Another reason he didn’t try to escape was that he didn’t know who was around.  If he suddenly tried to control the extremely strong individual holding him, then it was possible that someone would see it and stop him.  The problem was that he didn’t want to cast a wide-area spell like Major Enthrall without being able to designate who he would affect, as he didn’t want to hit 500 bystanders in the busy city.  He also didn’t know the Level of the one who was carrying him, as he couldn’t see their nametag with a bag over his head.

So, he instead pretended to be unconscious as they carried him to the docks, and from there into what sounded like a large building based on the acoustics, before he was brought down a set a stairs.  He didn’t move as he was placed in an uncomfortable, cold metal chair, his limbs secured with a strong, itchy rope, and the cloth bag taken off his head and dropped in his lap.  Pretending to wake up and struggle to free himself didn’t take much acting, as he genuinely wanted to be free, and the rope around his neck was genuinely annoying.

In the end, Thaden honestly wasn’t surprised to see that the Local Legion had been the ones to snatch him off the street; he mentally chastised himself for temporarily forgetting about them, though to be fair, he had his mind on bigger matters – such as an attack on the city.  What did surprise him was that he could see their Levels now, and they were even higher than he had imagined.

Darvo – Densartis Local Legion {Densartis Faction}

Orbrion

Level 142

Zarin – Densartis Local Legion {Densartis Faction}

Heliothrope

Level 144

Bat’la’hera – Densartis Local Legion {Densartis Faction}

Aelveen

Level 145

Loc’ra’toda – Densartis Local Legion {Densartis Faction}

Aelveen

Level 143

Narden – Densartis Local Legion {Densartis Faction}

Charee

Level 144

All of them were more than 100+ Levels higher than him, which meant that they were probably one of the highest-Level Parties in the entire city.  From what he’d learned, getting to even Level 50 was a big deal in most of the towns such as Felith, and anyone over Level 100 was more likely to be on the Front Lines fighting the Adversary, but apparently that didn’t apply to the Local Legion.  He’d seen that the Branch Leader of the Coalition, Eleria, had been 122 when he had just recently visited her, but these individuals were somehow even higher. 

Which told him that, even if someone had seen him being snatched-up, there wasn’t anyone that could match them in terms of strength.  In other words, he was on his own. 

After he refused to answer Bat’la’hera’s questions, Sadia warned him when Darvo began to cast something.  Thaden didn’t react right away, as he wasn’t sure what it was, but he quickly found out a second later as something tried to mess with his mind.

“It’s some sort of mind-control spell.  Not quite like yours, though; it’s only a psychic attack, not a spiritual one.”

Since the source of the spell came from someone more than 50 Levels higher than him, Thaden’s Size Matters Advancement from his Psychic Resiliency Competency kicked in, completely nullifying the spell’s effects even if he could still feel it surrounding him.  At the same time, he could feel a second spell directed toward him from Narden, which was familiar enough to identify as a truth-detecting spell that he’d felt multiple times, including when he’d been in Purbooth where he’d been asked questions.

Apparently, it was also a psychic-based spell as well, though less invasive; regardless, it was also nullified, though neither of the Local Legion members appeared to notice.

Hmm… I’ve got an idea.

When he started to pretend that he’d been affected, Sadia momentarily questioned what he was doing.

“What are you—?  Ah, yeah, that’s probably for the best.  While you’re talking, I’ll start looking for solutions to get out of here.”

He couldn’t do anything but very subtly nod in acknowledgment, as he proceeded to answer the insistent questions with as much truth as possible, though it was crafted in a way to help exonerate him from being the source of the attack on Felith after it became quite obvious early on in the questioning that they suspected him of something.  They were grasping at straws, though, as they didn’t actually know anything and consequently ate up his explanations, even if they didn’t like them. 

“I can see Darvo struggling to keep the mind-control spell active, so he’ll have to drop it soon.  Once he does, I think I’ve done the calculations that will allow you to escape – though we might have a problem.”

He hadn’t been able to respond to her, but they’d been working together long enough that she knew he wanted an explanation.

“First, you need to cast your Celestial Spiritual Enhancement Aura for 15% of your Mana pool, which has a base increase of 50% to your spiritual spell effectiveness, which is increased by 400% because of your bonuses.  This then gives you 250% extra spiritual spell effectiveness, and when you cast Major Subjugation Aura taking up another 40% of your Mana pool, which has a base spiritual will battle success rate increase of 25%, the extra spiritual spell effectiveness plus your other bonuses means that you will increase the success rate by 650%, or 187%.  When that is added to your Advancements and Achievements bonuses, that equals a bonus of 306% to successfully winning a battle of spiritual wills.   

“You’re going to need all of the advantages that you can get.  Even though Major Enthrall will allow you to Enthrall targets up to 6 Levels higher than your own, which means Level 40, and your spell effectiveness bonuses raise this by a total of 450% when you make convert it to a wide-area spell, the fact that you can theoretically Enthrall a target up to Level 220 is balanced by the Level disparity between you and a target that high.  Major Enthrall will give you an extra 550% spiritual will battle success rate, bringing you to nearly 900%, but I’ve noticed that the Assimilation System weighs Level disparity much higher when it comes to successfully casting a spell like Enthrall than even any resistances they might have, so I give you only about a 30% chance of actually succeeding with each cast. 

“But that isn’t the issue that I see.  You can overcome the 30% success by alternating the channeled Major Enthralls you cast, but there is a very good chance that Darvo is either immune or heavily resistant to your spells, similar to that bush Boss you defeated in the Wild Flower Dungeon.  If that’s the case, you’re going to have to use the others that you succeed in Enthralling to restrain him.”  

He understood her concerns immediately, as he was aware of the Level disparity issue despite the increased success rate, and he was also worried about Darvo being immune to just about anything he could do.  As someone who used spells to control people, even if it was just their minds, it was likely that he had high resistances or immunity.  He additionally wondered if she had found any other spells that might give him an edge, but she apparently had that covered – though not necessarily to his satisfaction.

“Unfortunately, after searching through all of your Celestial spells, there are only a couple that are within range of your current Mana pool, other than Celestial Regeneration, which you already knew about.”

Celestial External Stimulation (Channeled): Creates a connection with a single target that not only constantly heals them, but with each instance of healing there is a chance for the target’s Physicality and Celerity stat to temporarily increase. 

Healing Amount: 10% of maximum Health per second

Physicality And Celerity Increase Chance %: Fortuity/225

Physicality And Celerity Increase Magnitude: 10% of target’s base Physicality and Celerity

Physicality And Celerity Duration: 10 minutes after spell is canceled

Range: 180 feet of caster

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 4,500 per second

Celestial Spirit Lock (Single Cast): Forces a powerful cage of spiritual energy to envelop and restrain the spirit of a singular target; success is determined by comparing the spiritual will of the caster versus the spiritual will of the target, which is calculated by an assessment of Level Disparity, psychic resistances, and Personality; if the caster’s spiritual will is not strong enough, the spell will fail and the target cannot be the focus of Superior Spirit Lock for a cooldown period; if the caster’s will is strong enough, they will be locked in place, unable to move for a pre-determined duration, followed by a cooldown period where they cannot be the focus of Superior Spirit Lock; targets locked down with this effect are unable to move or attack, but any damage they suffer while in this state will break the effect.

Lock Duration: 15 minutes

Lock Cooldown (Success and Failure): 2 minutes

Range: 180 feet from caster

Casting Time: 2 seconds

Mana Cost: 5,400

Celestial External Stimulation was a Support-based, channeled healing spell which had a chance of increasing his Physicality and Celerity stats, but it wouldn’t necessarily help him in the current situation.  Celestial Spirit Lock was a good way to lock down a target without having to spend a channeled spell or reserved Mana pool to keep control of them, but the problem was that it had a long casting time, which would make it unfeasible to constantly cast on the Local Legion members.

Therefore, without any other options, and because he had absolutely no desire to spend the next whoever-knew-how-long stuck in the uncomfortable metal chair while they continued to ask him questions, he decided to go for it.

Thaden was relieved when he felt the spells fade from around him, “freeing” him from the mind-control and truth-detecting spells that were employed against him.  He argued for his release, but he was almost certain that they wouldn’t just let him go, at least until they confirmed a few things; he was proven right when the Mage told him, “We’ll let you go as soon as you prove to no longer be useful.  For now, you’re going to be held here in this safe and secure location.  Regardless of whether or not the System sent you here, we have a job to do, and to prevent you escaping from our clutches again, you’re under our absolute control.”

That’s it; I’m done.  It’s time to go.  He was quite tempted to get back at them, perhaps by making them harm each other, but he restrained those thoughts because it wouldn’t do any good and would only put them at even further odds than they already were.  They technically didn’t hurt him even during the interrogation, and he could tell that they were just doing their jobs – even if the way they went about it was contrary to what he would’ve preferred. 

Still, the thoughts of revenge that he didn’t actually plan on enacting caused him to freeze, before he could feel a slow grin emerge upon his face.  “Am I?  Are you sure of that?”

That’s when he struck.  Activating the normally instant Celestial Spiritual Enhancement Aura took a half-second as his Mana fought against the cloth attempting to suck all of his Mana away, but it eventually activated.  A split-second after that, Major Subjugation Aura also activated, setting up his attempts to Enthrall the Local Legion members keeping him captive.

A half-second later, the first channeled Major Enthrall went off as it targeted everyone within range, and he mentally crossed his fingers.  As the channeled spell washed across them all, he immediately knew that none of them fell under his thrall. 

As disappointing as that was, he had somewhat expected it, and his second Major Enthrall went off shortly thereafter – again with no positive result.  He canceled the first Enthrall and channeled it again, starting to worry for a moment, but he finally managed to catch one of them in his net: the large, 6-armed, blue-skinned Heliothrope, Zarin.

By that point, it had been a few seconds, and while momentarily caught off-guard by his casting, the Local Legion began to react.  “Control him!” Bat’la’hera shouted, looking toward Darvo, even as she flung out her hand toward him and a spray of toxic-looking sludge covered his face.  It burned as it hit his skin, blinding him as his eyes were eaten away by some sort of disgusting acid; it hurt enough that it was a distraction he didn’t need, though he could sense that it wasn’t meant to actually kill him.  He quickly cast Major Healing Assistant on the Heliothrope even as he blindly cast Major Enthrall again, as he didn’t have enough Mana to cast Celestial Regeneration with his Mana pool being smaller, while continuing to keep control of Zarin – who he mentally ordered to move to stand in front of him, blocking any other attacks coming his way.

He felt another mind-control spell attempt to gain a foothold in his mind, but it was again nullified without any harm.  He ignored it as he felt the other Aelveen, Loc’ra’toda, fall under his thrall, who he sent to grab Darvo to keep him busy.  His Enthralled minions couldn’t actually do any damage, but they could perform actions in a defensive manner, which grabbing someone certainly qualified for. 

“He’s controlling them somehow!  Narden, get rid of it!”

Even as he felt the last of the acid sprayed on his face dissipate, Major Healing Assistant kicked in after a short delay, and he felt his Health being restored, along with the skin and eyes that had been lost.  Meanwhile, he felt his control over Zarin disappear after Narden cast a quick spell on Loc’ra’toda, the Support member obviously having a spell that got rid of Thaden’s control.  Unfortunately for Narden, his next Major Enthrall went off, and he was able to add Narden to his forces, preventing his control from being lost again.

“Move!  Out of the way, Zarin!” the Mage shouted, even as a bunch of vines sprouted from nowhere and latched onto each of the Heliothrope’s limbs.  The vines were strong enough that they actually began to pull the large, blue-skinned figure downwards, as if they were going to trap him against the floor.  As soon as he was brought low enough, he could see the angry face of Bat’la’toda staring at him with murder in her eyes.  “That’s enough!  Kill him!”

Loc’ra’toda, having been freed from Enthrall’s control, took a second to recover from the experience, but when he heard that, he leapt into action, pulling out two knives as he disappeared from sight.  Thaden could sense him moving quickly toward him, so fast that he was a blur, but he hadn’t stopped casting.  Major Enthrall caught the Aelveen again just as he appeared in front of Thaden, stabbing toward his chest.  The spell couldn’t prevent what was already in process, and he moaned in pain as the weapons slid through his robe as if it wasn’t event there, before stabbing deep into his lungs and nicking his heart.

Crap.  That could kill me. 

Blinded by pain, he was only tangentially cognizant of Sadia suddenly appearing near him.  “I’ve got this, Thaden,” she said, and he could feel the knives retracted from his chest.  Checking his Health, he noticed that it was down to under 100, as the strike had been a kill shot, and it was only the sudden Enthrallment of the Aelveen that made him miss a full strike on Thaden’s heart. 

Fortunately, he was healed a moment later by Zarin and Major Healing Assistant, and suddenly he was back to full Health.  When he could look around again, he saw and felt the continually casting Major Enthrall spell – courtesy of Sadia taking over while he had been incapacitated – finally grab ahold of the Mage before she could cast any deadly, leaving only Darvo free. 

“Yep, he’s immune.  Zarin, if you would,” the giant squirrel said, even as the Control Class member of the Local Legion started backing up.  The vines fell away from the Heliothrope as he stalked toward Darvo, who cast a spell toward Zarin that created a strange aura around the 6-armed Legionnaire, but it didn’t seem to do anything.

“No, what are you doing?!  Stop!”

Now that he was better, Thaden took the opportunity to have Bat’la’hera approach him and grab the cloth off his lap, and even as she staggered in place, nearly collapsing into unconsciousness, his thrall managed to hold on and follow Zarin as the Heliothrope grabbed the mind-controlling Orbrion, keeping him from escaping.  Additional spells were flung out by the Control Class, but nothing stuck as they couldn’t compete with his Enthrallment of the Local Legion, and soon enough even that stopped as the Mage placed the Mana-sucking cloth bag over his head. 

Sadia had already instructed Loc’ra’toda to untie the cords keeping Thaden bound to the metal chair, and less than a minute later, he was able to stand up, freed from his confinement.  He stretched, feeling a little stiff from the position he had been forced to maintain, and looked around at his new minions.  He wasn’t necessarily planning on doing anything with them, but they were technically his to do with for the moment.

Though that moment might not be that long.  Already, he could feel something coming from everyone under his control but Zarin, as they seemed to be fighting back against his control – something that he hadn’t encountered until that point.  Either Zarin was unable to fight back, or didn’t have the ability to altogether, but he could sense that the others were eventually going to break free.  He sensed that even casting Enthrall again or switching it to either Dominate Spirit or Befriend Spirit wouldn’t have a significant effect.  They were going to eventually break free, no matter what he did.

Looking toward the exit, he made a decision.

“Dropping Major Subjugation Aura,” he told her.  He needed his Mana pool back, and 40% being reserved for the Subjugation Aura spell was taking a huge chunk of it away.  He didn’t need it for this next part, anyway. 

Using Celestial Spirit Lock, he cast it with a wide-area effect on all of the Local Legion, and he felt it take hold on all of those that he already had control of.  With his bonuses, the normal 15 minutes that they would be locked-down was increased to just over 82 minutes in an ideal situation.  He could only hope that they would be frozen in place for at least 10 minutes so that he could get far enough away from them that they couldn’t recapture him. 

The only one the spell didn’t activate on was Darvo, further cementing the fact that he had some sort of immunity to it, but as he was unconscious under the cloth bag, he wasn’t too worried about him.

“Come on, Sadia.  Let’s go.”