Chapter 194: Size Matters

“There’s a group, heading through the valley in the middle, straight towards the southern fort.” Ria said, leaning on a stolen halberd. It was the weapon she was most comfortable with, and she only used shapeshifted claws if it was absolutely necessary.

It was an interesting ‘personality’ quirk that Loth had noticed about the most righteous of the three facets of Brianna’s personality. Ria naturally felt that using weapons made her more human, just like Anna felt that the validation of others made her more human, and Bee got her fix by defying laws to prove she had free will.

Each of the girls unconsciously expressed their distaste for themselves in different ways, and if they had more time, they would be an excellent case study.

Alas, they did not have more time.

“What’s the group’s composition?” Loth asked.

“About forty of them…Looks like all warriors.” Ria said.

A vanguard meant to punch through Ria’s numbers and reinforce the defenses of the southern fort.

They were too far away from Loth’s group and June’s group were operating. The sky was still under their enemy’s control, so they wouldn’t be able to rush there with any speed without getting Abilities dropped on their heads.

They would have to carefully backtrack to the west in order to block them. A group of dedicated warrriors would probably cut through whatever barrier Ria could make, but she might be able to buy enough time.

“Engage them. I’ll send Mason to-“

THUD.

Loth watched as all the muscles in Ria’s body went tight at once, and the girl toppled over before a keening cry escaped from her lips.

Across the group from them, the same happened to Bee and another Ria, all their muscles tightening at once as though they were somehow displaying the symptoms an instant form of tetanus.

Mental attack. Crossing the link between them. Those were not warriors.

Loth mentally berated herself for not asking enough follow-up questions as she looked up at the sky.

All the patrolling palanquins were beginning to change course.

They’re going to meet somewhere to the northwest.

Loth’s mental map of the situation showed them coalescing around this mysterious group of forty and forming an escort, making them an impenetrable moving fortress with one goal:

The Tangled.

“Everyone that way! MOVE!” Loth shouted, pointing towards where Brianna’s real body was hiding and following that statement by breaking into a full-on sprint.

“What about them!?” Jason asked, kneeling beside Bee.

“That’s exactly why we have to run, GO GO GO!”

“Let me-” Jason seemed to concentrate for a moment before he, Reggie, Alicia, Mason and Loth were all picked up by invisible bands around their waists.

The kid didn’t have Will’s control or speed, but it was still far better than using their legs.

The landscape slid by underneath them.

An explosion sounded nearby as a distant Nuker tried to get a shot off on them, but missed due to their speed.

“There!” Loth shouted above the roaring wind, pointing at the hidden cave where they’d left Jean.

The fifty or so Tangled that had been guarding her had dropped their camouflage and were writhing on the ground in pain.

Loth had her bugs widen the cave entrance until they could rush in and pull Jean out into the light.

Jean’s eyes were wide but not registering anything as she gave rapid panting breaths, like a wounded animal trying to process the pain.

Crack-crack-crack-BOOM!

About half a kilometer away, a series of explosions was followed by a larger one, and even from here they could see Will’s hammer flailing above the short desert trees, soaked in blood.

He must be closing in on twelve feet tall.

“Mason and Reggie, go backup Will, he’s gonna get killed. Alicia, help me scan Jean Jason, buff them, then come here.”

“But-“

Loth silenced him with a crooked finger.

Loth felt several Charges travel from Jason to Mason and Reggie before they took off toward the battle, sprinting at full speed.

“Alicia, tell me what you see.”

“There’s some kind of curse in her brain.” Alicia whispered, kneeling beside Jean. “It’s…resonating? Like the way a guitar string vibrates.”

Figured as much. A resonance, huh? That’s probably a delicate maneuver.

If another psychic Ability took up space in her mind, it might crowd out the other one enough to stop it from reinforcing itself, breaking the loop.

Or she might just die and we did their job for them. One way to find out.

“Jason, have you ever tried to use Withering Repudiation to only do a little psychic damage?” Loth asked, rummaging through her pack for a healing potion.

Jason shook his head, his face pale.

“Think you can complement someone while using it?” Loth asked.

“I don’t…know?”

“Well, good a time as any to try. Give yourself and her that luck buff. You’re gonna need it.” Loth said, instructing her insects to create a shelter around them.

The cave didn’t have quite enough space to work, but that didn’t mean they wanted to be exposed to the prying eyes of Caddock’s fliers.

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Loth saw Jason take a deep breath and felt a Charge reach out and form a link between the two of them.

“Jean, I hate you because you’re such a stupidly nice person it makes everyone else feel like a jerk by comparison.” Jason whispered, his eyes watering.

**William Oh**

They must’ve spotted Will dropping on them, because his body was suddenly knocked around by the Nuker’s lukewarm Abilities, causing the Tanks in the damage relays keeping those fellows alive to wince in pain.

“It’s HIM!”

Will felt something insidious worm its way into his mind, bursting into the forefront of his thoughts like a-

The rapid build-up of ominous miasma in his mind was cut off by the jarring impact of Will hitting the target dead-on, crushing one of the cursemongers underneath him.

Again, the damage was relayed to the Tanks, but the man was just as neutralized planted in the ground like a daisy.

Will leapt to his feet and discovered he was surrounded by children.

Or…that’s what it seems like.

Will was three feet taller than the tallest man here, with most of them coming up to the bottom of his breastbone.

User gains a bonus to attack/movement speed when damaged.

Now was the time to see if he had truly packed enough speed into this Build to surprise them.

+65% movement speed base, plus a boost every time I’m damaged.

Will hefted the warhammer he’d created to round out the Build. Will had been running out of good Relics so it wasn’t amazing, but it had a good gimmick that scaled excellently with increased size.

Warhammer of shockwaves.

+12 Strength

+5 Resistance

+8 Kinesthetics

Creates a small shockwave on impact that redeals a small portion of the damage dealt by the initial strike.

8% Lifesteal

It had been a warhammer when he was only five foot eight.

Now it was a sledge.

Will felt an ominous Charge move behind him and to the left.

Will lashed out with blinding speed and folded a cursemonger around the hammer.

BOOM!