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Grand Game 584: A Father’s Love
🕑 Added 2025-02-26 10:00:08 +0000 UTCDespite my confidence, I remained wary.
The void tree had more than a few powerful spells in his arsenal that could turn the tide—psychic scream, psi drain, and nether sacrifice not the least amongst them.
Yet, he used none of those spells.
A young void tree’s health is at 13%.
Despite teetering on death, my foe attempted no desperate gamble, tried no last-minute surprise, and executed no last-gasp maneuver.
Which led me to conclude he couldn’t.
Going airborne, it seemed, had done more than stop the void tree from holding the rift open and regenerating from the mist. It had also stopped him from using his most devastating abilities.
No wonder, it took him so long to make the decision to uproot himself.
A young void tree’s health is at 9%.
My muzzle dropped open into a smile as my foe’s health dropped into single digits for the first time. Even the stygian Power had to realize by now that he was not going to survive. What will he do? I wondered idly. Plead for mercy? Or bluster on?
A faint buzzing tickled the edge of my consciousness. Having experienced the sensation before, I immediately recognized it for what it was—the spillover from a telepathic communication.
You have passed a Perception check!
Mental sendings detected.
Given that we were in a largely empty sky, with the closest winged serpent more than a hundred yards away, there could be no question as to the source: the young void tree.
And this time around he was not speaking to me. Is he even speaking? Or was something more nefarious going on?
My eyes narrowing in concentration, I attempted to identify the underlying pattern in the sendings.
You have passed a Mind check. Communication link identified.
A young void tree is engaged in a telepathic conversation with an unknown entity.
Ah, I knew it. My foe was talking.
But who was the unknown entity? And why was the stygian Power trying to speak to them now of all times?
I should ignore the sendings, I knew. The fight was all but won, and there was no need to attempt snooping in on the conversation of a being as powerful as the void tree. But despite myself, I was intrigued—and who knew what bearing it would have on the battle—and so, I focused harder.
Eavesdropping successful!
The buzzing resolved itself into words and with no little trepidation, I listened in. Eavesdropping on a Power’s conversation was no small thing and a far cry from snooping on the mental sendings of a pair of low leveled thieves. The chances of getting caught were significantly higher.
You have passed a mental resistance check! A level 340 young void tree has failed to detect your mental intrusion.
The Game’s confirmation eased my mind. My presence had gone unnoticed—for now, anyway. My doubts quelled, I focused on the ongoing conversation.
“… FATHER… YOU… MUST... HELP… ME.”
“WHY? I WARNED YOU, DID I NOT?”
The second sending—shot back from where I couldn’t immediately tell—was smoother and more controlled than that of the stygian Power I fought. It was obviously coming from another void tree, but was it from the mature one in this sector or… something more dangerous?
Both prospects were equally frightening.
“YOU… DID.”
Even as unfamiliar as I was with my foe, I could tell the admission was difficult for him to make.
“BUT… NOW… I… AM… DYING. HELP… ME… PLEASE.”
A moment of stark silence.
Despite my rising concern, I kept my emotions locked down. I couldn’t afford either tree to sense my eavesdropping. Doing my best to keep my thoughts small, I kept beating at my foe.
A young void tree’s health is at 6%.
“NO.”
The pronouncement rang with finality, leaving me elated, even while it had the opposite effect on the young tree.
“WHY?” my foe asked forlornly.
“THE FACT THAT YOU ASK THAT IS REASON ENOUGH. DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING AT ALL?”
The younger tree did not respond, but his misery grew in leaps and bounds.
“YOU CREATED RECKLESSLY,” the other tree responded, driving the point him, “GIVING OUR ENEMIES A VALUABLE RESOURCE THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO POSSESS.”
“BUT… THE… NAGAS… ARE—”
“YOU IGNORED MY ADVICE,” the second tree went on, speaking over my foe. “YOU LET MY HARBINGERS—MINE, NOT YOURS—BE FOOLISHLY SLAIN. AND THEN YOU LOST THE SECTOR THE FATHERS ASSIGNED TO YOU.”
The reference to the harbingers clinched it: my foe was speaking to the other void tree in this sector. That eased my worries further. While the rank forty-two mature tree was certainly not to be trifled with, he at least was a known quantity and nowhere near as powerful as the void fathers were rumored to be.
I listened on.
“BUT YOUR BIGGEST CRIME BY FAR? THAT WAS STRENGTHENING THE WOLFLING. YOU HAVE MADE HIM STRONGER.”
“THEN… DON’T… LET… HIM… KILL… ME. IT… WILL… ONLY—"
“IGNORANT, CHOSEN. DON’T YOU REALIZE IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE FOR ME TO SAVE YOU?”
“BUT—”
“YOU LACK EVEN HAVE THE SENSE TO PROTECT YOUR SENDINGS. THE WOLFING IS LISTENING.”
I stilled. I’d been found out. Somehow, I’d done something to trip myself up and reveal my presence to the mature tree. Or….
Frantically, I parsed the earlier Game message.
….and realized something I should have picked up earlier. It only made mention of the young void tree! The Adjudicator had not confirmed that I’d gone undetected by the telepathic conversation’s second participant.
Idiot, I berated myself.
My thoughts churning faster, I rechecked the walls around my mind. But they were unbreached and strong as ever. Discovering that was not as comforting as it should have been, though.
The mature tree was a major Power. Who knew what it was capable of?
“NOTHING TO SAY, WOLFLING?” the older tree asked, almost coyly.
I stayed quiet. It was one thing to engage in conversation with a foe I knew I matched in telepathic strength, it was another thing entirely to do the same with a Power who had just decisively demonstrated his telepathic abilities far outstripped my own.
The mature void tree laughed uproariously in my mind. “DO NOT THINK YOUR SILENCE WILL PROTECT YOU, PRIMAL SCUM. I SEE YOU. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. YOU MAY SAVOR YOUR VICTORY HERE TODAY. BUT DO NOT LET THAT DELUDE YOU INTO THINKING ME AND THE REST OF MY BRETHREN WILL BE AS EASY TO SLAY. WHEN I—”
I broke off the connection.
I’d heard enough, and with the mature tree aware of my spying, it was unlikely I was going to hear anything of value anymore.
Eavesdropping stopped. Telepathic link broken.
A level 421 mature void tree’s subliminal command has failed to take root.
My eyes widened in alarm. Hells, just listening to the mature void tree appeared dangerous. I hadn’t even been aware of his subversive touch. The Adjudicator hadn’t warned me, nor had I felt the least brush against my mental walls. How had the bloody tree penetrated them?
I had no idea.
Still, I could only be grateful to the impulse that had spurred me to break off from the mental link when I did. No doubt, it had saved me.
But just as an added precaution, I poured the entirety of my psi into the mental walls protecting my consciousness, completely severing all links between myself and the outside world. There was no point in taking any more chances.
No further alerts from the Adjudicator dropped into my mind, as I half-expected.
I exhaled explosively. The lack of Game messages was a good sign. It had to be. Now, it’s time to be done with this damnable battle. Shifting my focus back to the ‘real,’ I attacked my foe with renewed vigor.
It was past time he died.
A young void tree’s health is at 3%.
A young void tree’s health is at 2%.
A young void tree’s health is at 1%.
…
✵ ✵ ✵
Transference circle still active. Remaining number of participants: 2.
The final stretch of my tussle with the void tree was all one-way. Yes, he railed at me, yes, he peppered me with thorns, and yes, he struck at me with his etheric lashes.
But none of the things the stygian Power attempted was able to change the course of the battle, and his demise, when it came, was sudden and dramatic.
You have killed a level 340 young void tree!
All about me the tree withered. The few black thorns remaining fell free, branches rotted before my eyes, and the rancid stench of death filled my nostrils.
Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I studied my paws. Dirt and soft bits of bark clung to them, but even as I watched, they began to shrink. My foe was dissolving before my eyes.
No, not dissolving. Decaying.
It was as if the only thing that had been keeping the tree’s physical shell alive was his strength of will. And now that it was gone, the rest of him was collapsing.
The branch underfoot cracked.
Then broke.
And in a split-second, I went from being comfortably perched to plummeting downward. But despite me being over a thousand feet above ground, my situation was not as problematic as it seemed. I had multiple ways to see myself to safety.
But before I did that, it was time to share the good news.
“Kartara,” I called over the farspeaker link, “it’s done.”
Her reply was immediate. “Truly?” she asked, her voice more than a little breathless.
“Truly,” I replied gravely. “The void tree is dead, and his corpse is dissolving.”
“I can’t… It’s almost too—” She broke off abruptly. “You’re falling,” she said in sudden realization. “Hold on. I’ll get Cait to—”
“No need,” I interjected. Contorting my neck, I focused on Ghost’s distant, but still visible form, and shadow jumped.
You have teleported into Ghost’s shadow.
I emerged from the aether in a jumble. The momentum of my freefall had not abated and I crashed headlong into the ground, breaking multiple bones in the process.
Only for them all to heal a moment later thanks to the transference circle. Rolling back to my feet, I shook myself free of dirt. Immediately, Ghost brushed up against me. “You did it, Prime!” she congratulated.
My mouth dropped open into a smile. “We did it,” I corrected. “The brotherhood played their part, as did you.” Not to mention, everything the forerunners in sector 18,240 had done to get us here. “Taking down the void tree and its nest was a team effort.”
Before she could respond, another voice intruded. “Havick?” Kartara called, her voice neutral and in control once more.
I was not surprised by how quickly the huntmistress had regained her composure. I’d come to expect no less from her. “I’m down and safe,” I replied to her yet unvoiced question.
“Good.” A pause. “We must talk.”
“We must,” I agreed, and looking around, finally took stock of the surroundings. The brotherhood was still arrayed along the line of dunes to the north, beneath their silver dome. But already, I could see a few emerging.
The immediate area was free of threat as well. The few lesser stygians that remained were scattering. Some headed south after the nagas, but most just fled mindlessly into the desert. The battle was decidedly over. Still, the brotherhood had some mopping up to do.
“I’ll wait here,” I added, not deeming it necessary to define where exactly ‘here’ was. I was sure Senzo and his scouts already had a fix on my position. “Come, find me when you can.”
“I’ll do that,” was the terse response.
Closing down the farspeaker link, I turned back to my familiar. “Keep watch, Ghost. I don’t expect the brotherhood to try moving against us, but better safe than sorry.”
“You’re going to check your Game alerts?” she guessed.
I nodded. “There’s a whole host of them vying for my attention.”
She sat down on her haunches. “Go ahead, Prime. I’ll make sure we’re safe.”
“Thank you, Ghost,” I murmured, and turning my focus inward, I opened up the first waiting message.
Comments
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
correct, should be home. fixing
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
tx, fixing.
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
lol damn caps, makes it hard to spot the spell mistakes :)
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
tx
David Brewer
Agreed. That's why I'm uncertain just how the mature tree plans to "stop" Michael. I just think it's possible he might try something to force them to abandon the naga corpses... he seemed awfully pissy about that. More even than the young tree getting his harbingers killed honestly. But my thinking that doesn't mean in this situation he actually has a way to do it.
Harley Dalton Jr.
“YOU CREATED RECKLESSLY,” the other tree responded, driving the point him, “GIVING OUR ENEMIES A VALUABLE RESOURCE THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO POSSESS.”. I think you meant to say home, not him
mark janson
Tftc ❤️
obiwann
All valid. But this is the first time that we know of so far of a tree being killed at all… and he was solo’d. Doubt any tree wants to make themselves vulnerable but uprooting when he is such an unknown.
David Brewer
Mm, but most of that army aren't even elites. Honestly, I think we can be confident that they have less than a hundred elites, maybe even only a dozen or two. Also, trees are giant cheats. If you recall when he attacked the sapling back in book 4 or 5... he had to use a stolen force spell to really hurt it because they are mostly immune to other damage types. Not saying the non elites don't have some abilities of that nature but a lot likely have few to none (Melee and Archer types). It's also noteworthy that they aren't Michael's army... it's Kartara's army... and while she's eager to kill the tree she may be less than willing to get a lot of brotherhood soldiers killed in the process. Finally, Michael was confident he could kill the tree. He needed help to stay alive, not to end the fight.
David Brewer
Yes, the game deliberately "nerfs" Powers to ensure players don't get spawn camped. But, they can defend themselves. Additionally, Michael upgrading his wolf mark doesn't force him to become a young Blood (aka minor Power). He has to choose to upgrade his Ascendant class to legendary. There's an argument (or multiple) for doing it immediately and some for waiting to rescue Saya.
David Brewer
Heh, you forgot already... these trees murder all other trees. Thus, a true environmentalist would cheer for the tree slayer! From the chapter the druid fox took Michael hunting.
Mike
That's why the game limits powers though. To keep them from doing things like that. Not just killing. I'm probably wrong though. 🤷♂️ I cant think of where to find anything to back up my argument
Mike
What else can he get? He can see through the mist and he is 100% nether immune. Ghost can also weaken nether toxicity. If anything his mind needs to be increased
Michael Kantor
Yay! Death to the tree! Wait, I'm an environmentalist, Booo, death to the tree slayer!
obiwann
Ok… so correct this if I’m wrong… I’m a power… I can’t attack u unless you attack me first… sooo… I need to get my person back. I walk in… say give her to me. You say no… I take her anyway. As in I turn invisible or whatever I need to to find her… then I just walk up and take her. You gonna lay hands on me knowing that is ALL you have to do to make me able to kill u?? Like… unless they are prepared to stop a power (we haven’t seen anyone that lvl paranoid yet except the Albion bank perhaps?)… then him crossing that line is more of a burden to lower level players not aligned with Michael than it is to him since he gonna be leveling up killing good ol stygians
obiwann
MC effectively SOLO’d the 340 tree. Realistically…what’s another 80 lvls… when MC has an ARMY. And the tree in the air is weaker. Why didn’t any mages cast towards tree? Big nebulous ball of roots shouldn’t have been impossible to hit. Dunno…. The tree in this sector isn’t impossibly out of reach … our MC has fought crazy diff before and fared worse… he barely has a scratch with all his buffs. He gets his hands on all of the three is one and it’s … his elder form breaks the game.
Yep
That or lack should be don't
Yep
Give him nether involved rewards at least some of them, PLS
Mike
I would have to double check to make sure but if Michaels wolf mark does deepen, it won't happen until he rescues saya I think. Claiming the secotr and rescuing her were linked I believe. It would make sense as well because if he became an acolyte before rescuing her, he wouldn't be able to attack any of the players.
David Brewer
I see no reason to assume it isn't something akin to that. The rift formed between their sectors which implies the young tree "started" as a seed in sector 30199. It's totally possible there is multiple trees in any given sector but ultimately we lack enough understanding of the void tree life cycle to really understand. All that to say he might have meant "creator" more than the gentler assumptions we sometimes apply to fathers and mothers... And yeah, we're all eager to see to final results... hopefully he's smart enough to warn the Brotherhood to "hurry" collecting their spoils as given the older tree's outrage I doubt he won't make an effort to reclaim the naga corpses. Given the loss of his harbingers I don't know what he CAN do... but the tree can fly and is absolutely out of Michael's weight class right now.
obiwann
Trees have been full of bluster … far as we know they have never been defeated… they aren’t ready for our MC!
obiwann
Not sure father is literally father in this case. Waiting to understand more. Also …I be wondering if there is more to these nagas than their scales. Not sure we know all just yet. Plus excited AF to see just how much stronger the tree made the “wolfling”
Alejandro
🫶
Harley Dalton Jr.
YOU LACK EVEN HAVE THE SENSE TO PROTECT YOUR SENDINGS. THE WOLFING IS LISTENING.”. I think the word have should be removed.
Harley Dalton Jr.
Thanks for the chapter. Interesting.
David Brewer
Yeah, but the way he told his kid is rather telling. I mean, yes he clearly knew Michael was listening but that didn't prevent him from showing some sort of upset about him dying. But he didn't, he was angry that his son helped power up the "wolfling" and gave them resources (the naga scales) they shouldn't have. It's expected from the void trees... I mean how many of their "children" die regularly as they attempt to invade Nexus? But still... just so damn cold. Edit: I mean, he didn't even threaten Michael to try to help his son, he merely told him to enjoy his "meaningless" victory and know that He won't be so easy to slay.
David B
I agree! Please drop the chapters for February at the same time of day!!
obiwann
Lmao. I tell my kids all the time… I warned you… now pay the consequences
obiwann
Yeah, I was thinking the same. He secured the sector. He has to have deepened his wolf mark which means that he is a full power now has to be perks for the transition prior to level 300. Also must say I’m a little disappointed that our boy wasn’t like anointed by light or a halo or something When he became a full power, even though he hadn’t checked his alerts. Lmao
David Brewer
Glad he's not my father.
David Brewer
Heh, he can and did. Honestly, we should be somewhat grateful to his accelerated release of these 10 chapters... imagine knowing we'd be waiting a few days to see the rewards instead of ~12 hours. Admittedly, the wait is more tortuous then normal.
CipherFTW
You massive tease. Holding the game messages back.. how could you?!
AL
Next chapter today? ;)
Alexander C Hyde
THE (WOLFLING)WOLFING IS LISTENING.”
Alexander C Hyde
But none of the things the stygian Power attempted (were)was able to change the course of the battle, and his demise, when it came, was sudden and dramatic.
Mohammed Sheekh
I'm curious about his wolf mark now
Hannibal Forge
On god this is torture. You can't drop this and not show us the alerts from a theoretical Game first kill. Tom pls.
wilbur henn
tftc
Suraj Rodrigo
Ooh! Tftc
obiwann
Haven’t even read it… but the implications from title 😬
