Karp
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Chapter 130
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 20:07:02 +0000 UTCPain like no other assaulted Varrus as the tip of the Dragon's claw pierced his chest, and tossed him to the ground.
His vision turned black, and his guts felt like they were on fire. At the same time, everything else felt cold. The blood in his veins were ice, the ground appeared shaky, as if his head was on a swivel cam hung from a rope.
Varrus's consciousness threatened to leave him as he saw his health bar begin to rapidly drain from the corner of his eyes.
Gulping a mouthful of blood, Varrus felt the sticky fluid stain his robes. Blinking back the pain, Varrus could barely wheeze as he experienced this extreme trauma in some fucked up state of slowed down time.
Each agonizing second ticked by as if it were a minute. This observation wasn’t figurative, as time stretched thanks to the Dragon’s magic.
All the while, Varrus felt the presence of Murozond hovering over him. The hot breath of the Infinite Dragon's breath snorted from his nostrils repeatedly, and bowled Varrus over on his back.
It was a simple fall, one his Stamina, and Elven Grace should account for, but the hole in-between his stomach and his chest was so gut wrenching, and the time dilation so powerful, he could barely position himself at all, and badly landed on his back.
“Ehhhmrrrrmm.” A slow-mo moan escaped his lips.
As soon as he hit the ground, Varrus felt the blood accumulate in his lungs, and a terrifying drowning sensation began to take ahold of him.
His eyes ever so slowly widened, and he tried to cough as best he could. Yet Murozond's mastery of time made each action take several seconds to nearly a minute longer to accomplish than normal.
The simple task of clenching a hand into a fist took upwards of 15 seconds.
Yet at the same time, the experience of pain had been sped up! Essentially, he was experiencing double or triple the pain level of an ordinary person!
Varrus attempted to cough, and clear his lungs.
Fortunately-or unfortunately depending on how one viewed it-his thoughts were not sluggish, or diminished in any way.
He was perfectly cognizant of everything happening to him.
It was such a bootleg situation he found himself in, even concentrating to raise his hand and cast a spell seemed impossible.
If he was experiencing real time, Varrus thought he could manage to do what needed to be done. But between the movement speed of his hand being so slow, and the sped up sensation of agony spreading from his wounds, it was impossible for him to even cast a Fast Heal!
There was hope, however. Varrus had a few perks that would automatically heal himself.
They were:
Emergency Teleport - When you fall below 15% Health due to combat damage, you briefly turn invulnerable and teleport back to the location where you entered combat.
Sacred Guardian - Emanate a 20 foot aura of protection. Any living allies within range who fall below 30% Health are automatically healed 150 points. This effect has a 30 second cooldown per target.
Wheel of Life - In combat, gradually accumulates ambient lifeforce from the environment and releases it in periodic bursts, healing you 100 points every 30 seconds. Becoming affected by a different healing spell or effect restarts the cycle from the beginning.
In short, he had a few safety nets to rely upon.
But really, he didn't want to wait on them, as he was already nearing 50% hp, and he felt like absolute death!
He could even see some of his intestines hanging out of his body, and he felt a fresh wave of blood trickling out of him. The ground and grass beneath him were slick with his own vital fluids, and his pain fuelled mind recalled the ace up his sleeve.
It was the one ability that could get him healed up quick.
Warriors Flame. An ability that periodically affected an ally or enemy during combat restoring health, mana, or stamina.
He couldn't rely upon the periodic nature of this ability, but there was one method to forcefully activate it.
The final perk in the Restoration skill tree was Apotheosis. It was a once a day ability, and he would have Warriors Flame spread to all nearby targets, himself included!
Right as Varrus was about to activate the spell, he heard something that turned his ice cold blood absolutely frigid.
“I have observed you through the time stream, Vandercross. I am aware of your proclivity towards the healing arts. That being said: Freeze!” Murozond flapped his wings, taking flight as he withdrew his claw, his massive body somehow dodged Nightsong's follow up attack, and he hit Varrus with a pale-yellow orb of energy just as he was activating Apotheosis.
Warriors Flame instantly spread to every other person present, and began to heal his allies, whilst Murozond shed the flame abusing his time magic.
As for Varrus, he noticed that his hp wasn't improving whatsoever! Curiously, it wasn't decreasing either.
Checking his status, Varrus saw a new condition.
[Time Dazed: The wounds on the body are trapped in the current state.]
Varrus felt like passing out once he read that line of text.
‘Are you fucking kidding me?!’ Varrus internally raged.
The anger briefly cut through his suffering, but only for a moment.
Breathing heavily, Varrus angrily glared at the oversized lizard. It spared him a brief glance of smug satisfaction, before returning to the fight with his mother.
All the while, flaming wheels of cheese were slowly dropping down all around him, and exploding with the power of a Heroes full force attack.
“Varrus!” Syra yelled, and ran to his side.
The slow aura that Murozond had unleashed affected her differently thanks to her enchanted gear attuned for enhanced speed.
Where Varrus moved like he was wading through molasses, Syra was swift like a cheetah. To an ordinary person, this would still appear impressive, but it was a far cry from Syra's former super sonic speed.
“Varrus!” Syra said again, this time in desperation as she stood over his bloodied form, and looked on in a panic.
Varrus slowly blinked his eyes, and tried to say something to reassure her. Yet only garbled, slowed words and blood left his mouth.
Syra kneeled down, and gently stroked his hair. Her hand glowed with Holy energies, yet she couldn't heal him whatsoever.
Varrus wanted to chuckle over her concerned look, and at the fact that she was trying to heal him. Her healing spells weren't exactly up to par. But when he heaved his chest, all he experienced was that drowning sensation again as the fluid moved around in his lungs.
A queasy expression fell upon his face, and he tightly closed his eyes.
“I can do this. I won't lose you.” Syra said, voice thick with emotion.
Varrus felt hot tears falling onto him, and opened his eyes to see Syra an absolute mess.
He wanted to reach up, to hug her, to comfort and squeeze her, yet he felt as if he were paralyzed since he moved so slowly.
Eventually, after many failed attempts, Varrus managed to grip her shoulder with one hand, and point a finger with the other.
Syra turned her head back, and saw that he was gesturing towards the now 2v1 fight between Murozond, Nightsong, and Grom.
“I can't leave you. Never again. Never again will I leave your side.” Syra shook her head, and said with a hint of madness.
Varrus silently stared into her eyes, and bore down upon her with whatever will he could muster.
‘Do it Syra. Kill the lizard, and free me from this cursed state.’ Varrus all but willed to her.
Syra deeply inhaled as she seemed to get the message.
Leaning down, she brushed his hair aside, and planted a kiss on his lips.
When she pulled back, his blood coated her face, covered her clothes, and was on her hands.
“I will make him pay, my Sun. I will be right back.” Syra promised, then charged at Murozond in a cold fury.
~~~~~~~~~
(The event from Syra's POV)
Before today, Syra never thought she would be fighting alongside Grom Hellscream. He was one of her few unresolved enemies. Yet when she successfully recruited him, and presented the Orc to Varrus, the praise had made her alight with a warm glow.
Not only had she added a powerful weapon to her husband's arsenal, but he had restored the Sunwell! Something that seemed so impossible, that most other Elves thought was impossible, he accomplished!
Truly, she had married the greatest man of their time! No, the greatest man of all ages!
But when this tragedy struck, she was completely caught off guard.
The sudden strike and near death of her love almost sent Syra to her knees in shock. For a very brief moment, all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and sob. At the same time, anger, regret, and self doubt assaulted her psyche.
He had warned her not to leave his side. Yet she was selfish, and went anyway.
Syra began to beat herself up. If only she had stayed by his side, Varrus would still be hail and healthy.
Eyes going red, tears streaked down her face, and a complex concoction of sorrow, suicidal tendencies, and apocalyptic anger coursed through her system.
Yet when she saw he was still breathing, she knew she felt butterflies in her stomach, and had run to him in a hurry.
Killing the Dragon, or inflicting self-harm upon herself were secondary compared to Varrus's health.
Over the last few months, she had been studying healing arts under Dawnbringer, but even then, she couldn't get past the time-barrier placed on Varrus!
When he gave her that look. The one telling her it was fine, that he wanted her to go out and kill. It almost made her crumple in place. She never had an issue doing what had to be done for the family, but she had abandoned him earlier, and this was the result. If she left him now, who was to say one of the flaming cheese wheels wouldn't fall atop his head?
Turning to the sky, she slashed one in half that was headed straight towards them.
An explosion of super hot gooey cheese splattered all over the place, and she used a barrier of Light to block it all.
She wouldn't allow a single droplet to touch her precious.
Syra bit her lips and felt like ants were crawling on her skin as she internally warred within. Should she focus on vengeance, or stay with her man?
If another cheese wheel, or stray attack landed in this position, he was a goner. But if they wanted to remove this time-based scourge afflicting him, slaying Murozond would likely do the trick. That, or her mother-in-law seemed like she might have some way to cure him.
Syra was fraught with indecision, and eyed Varrus with worry.
‘What should I do?’ Syra thought to herself in a crazed panic.
Never before had she felt so indecisive in her life. Never before had she felt as if her entire world was on the verge of collapse like today.
They had had some close calls.
But this?
This hit different.
Watching Varrus suffer in a perpetual state of agony tore apart her heart, and there was nothing she could do that would immediately alleviate this pain.
“What should I do?” Syra cried hot tears as she leaned over Varrus, and grasped his cold, clammy hand.
“Gdmn. Gohg. Go!” Varrus garbled several times, before he got out one word.
Syra felt tears spill down her face like a tidal wave as she witnessed the effort Varrus went to to get his message across.
“You are the strongest man I know.” Syra leaned down, and embraced him for a kiss.
Her heart was in an absolute mess, yet the struggle Varrus put forth injected a sense of admiration and love into her spirit.
She would do as he requested. While she feared to step even one foot away from the man of her dreams, she knew deep down that slaying Murozond would be the key to his recovery.
“I will make him pay, my Sun. I will be right back.” Syra promised, then charged at Murozond in a cold fury.
Comments
Karp
DW, Varrus isn't out of the fight. Am just showing off how deadly a buffed Aspect of Time can be.
Sarratugga Rites
Yeah but it probably went from time is stoped but he is aware to time is slowed and he is aware.
Kasikan
Cracked, not shattered right? So wouldn't it just be weakened, not completely useless?
Sarratugga Rites
Ahh I missed that part yesterday
Karp
Tomorrow or Friday, I think? Halfway done with it.
Karp
it cracked last chapter
Sarratugga Rites
Does the anti-Time_Fuckery necklace just not work anymore? because this seems like the time it should be doing something.
Erostan
Ahh! The wait! Tomorrows chapter gonna be good😤🤩 Btw how is the next star wars chapter doing?🫣
