[SYSTEM NOTICE!]
✦ QUEST COMPLETED ✦
» All five buildings have been fully repaired.
» 2 skills unlocked and available for immediate use.
[Skill Unlocked!]
[Hourglass Cascade] – Offensive / AoE / Strategic / Delayed Burst
The caster launches 2 to 6 enchanted hourglasses that drift across the battlefield, each exploding on contact with enemies in small bursts of temporal energy, scattering small fragments on impact. Every hit is silently recorded. Once a target has been struck 5 times, the caster can choose to shatter any marked hourglass at a previously hit spot. If that spot has been healed, the hourglass triggers a focused temporal explosion that unfolds over 5 seconds. This effect can only be triggered once per enemy.
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[Skill Unlocked!]
[Destiny Reckoning] – Offensive / Debuff / Control / Fate
Fires a vortex of spinning timelines at enemies, engulfing them in fractured time. Each target is marked with a random countdown, tied to a fate experienced by one of their alternate selves and forced onto their present body. Short timers cause mild debuffs or crowd control, while longer timers unleash severe effects, from curses to death. When the countdown ends, the effect erupts in blinding light. Usable 5 times per day.
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A holographic notification flickered in front of me.
"We have to go after them!" Victor shouted, sprinting toward the shattered glass wall.
The three of us hurried after him.
"Victor, wait! We can't fly!" I called, but he didn't slow down.
Seconds later, psionic energy wrapped around our bodies, lifting us off the floor.
Victor leapt through the broken glass without hesitation.
"Wait!" I shouted again as the psionic force pulled us, sending us soaring after him.
We floated above, watching three figures running below.
"There they are!" Margaret shouted, pointing in their direction.
The three of them activated their gears, and Luna and Margaret called their weapons into their hands.
"Rainbow Passage!"
Luna stretched out her hand, her wand glowing. A rainbow shot toward them, its colors spiraling and brightening. The energy hit the concrete ground, sending up a small cloud of dust, until golden edges formed along its arc. Slowly, it solidified into a glowing bridge.
"Hop on quickly!" Luna urged, motioning with a sweep of her arm.
Victor let us hover, and we dashed toward the rainbow bridge.
[Buff Active!]
[Rainbow Passage – Movement Speed +50% ↑]
My legs felt lighter, moving faster than before, and I noticed the shimmering edges. I remembered it as silver before, but now the edges glowed gold.
We ran and ran until we were nearly at the end. The vampires spun around, ready to flee, but Victor and Margaret jumped across the bridge, landing on the other side.
Luna and I followed, jumping together and landing right behind them, surrounding the vampires. I realized they had been running like ordinary humans earlier.
"They're not letting us go," one of the vampires said, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward.
Around us, people scattered as they realized we were dealing with something.
"What are your intentions here?" Victor asked, stepping closer.
"Like we said, we're looking for that Luke guy," the vampire replied, his lips curling into a smirk. "But it seems you're looking for him too."
"Why are you out here in broad daylight?" Margaret asked, fingers tightening around her trident.
"Oh, this?" the female vampire said, tilting her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Let's just say an ally helped us step into the sunlight. But it's only temporary."
"That's why we'll take all three of you down in an instant," the other vampire added, eyes glinting with menace.
The three of them bared their fangs and flexed their sharp claws.
One of them stepped forward to face us. Luna and I braced ourselves, hands ready to unleash our magic.
Seconds later, the other two lunged toward Margaret and Victor with a roar.
Our remaining opponent extended a finger and made a precise cut. A stream of blood poured from his finger, forming a floating pool before him. He crossed his arms, positioning his hands toward us.
"Crimson Ricochet!"
The hovering blood twisted, tiny droplets spitting out and sizzling as they hit the ground, before transforming into hissing, gelatinous acid. It bubbled violently, rushing straight for us in a relentless wave.
"Temporal Shift!"
I thrust my hand forward, and temporal energy erupted around the incoming blood acids. They slowed, wavered, and then reversed, hurtling back toward the vampire.
His eyes widened in confusion as his attack dropped uselessly. Then he lunged at me, claws slashing.
His speed seemed slower than before.
He swung one claw at my face, but I ducked just in time. Another strike came, and I leapt backward, barely avoiding it.
He lunged again, springing forward, though not nearly as fast as he had been inside the hotel.
In the middle of his leap forward, his eyes caught something. He twisted his body midair, dodging an incoming burst of colorful magic. I turned to see Luna aiming her wand at him, her eyes gleaming with focus.
"Two against one… quite unfair, don't you agree?" he hissed, inching backward.
"Hmm… unfair?" I replied, smirking. "Only for you."
Thank goodness I had gained new skills. I knew I had to use them now. Two skill names had appeared in front of me earlier, though I hadn't had time to read them because Victor had been gesturing for us to follow him.
"Hourglass Cascade!"
Five golden hourglasses materialized, hovering in the air before me. I focused on the vampire, then waved my hand, sending them hurtling straight toward him.
The vampire leapt again and again, trying to dodge, but he didn't notice the hourglasses' hidden power. With every leap, they exploded on impact, sending fragments flying and striking him.
The first few blasts made him clench his teeth as magic struck him repeatedly. He staggered from the constant hits, but the final explosion sent him flying into the air, his eyes wide with shock.
He pushed himself to his feet, blood running down his side, soaking his clothes and streaking his face. Then, almost strangely, it began to flow back toward him, healing his wounds as it went.
I remembered that they had intense regeneration.
My eyes caught a mark above him, an hourglass-shaped symbol glowing faintly. Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of me, hovering in the air.
[Hourglass Cascade: Target Marked]
[Choose Body Part to Shatter with Hourglass]
A miniature image of the vampire formed in front of me, with a glowing hourglass mark hovering over it.
[Select Body Target]
➤ Right Leg
➤ Left Arm
➤ Chest
➤ Right Arm
➤ Left Leg
Of course, I chose the chest. I reached out and tapped the option.
[Confirm Selection?]
[▶ YES] / [▶ NO]
I clicked Yes to confirm.
The marked hourglass above the vampire shifted at once, drifting down until it settled over his chest.
He charged at me again, claws raised. From the look in his eyes, he could not see the mark at all.
I held my ground, watching, counting the seconds in my head.
Then, without warning, his body burst apart. The explosion tore through him, scattering pieces in every direction.
I turned away slightly. "Disgusting."
Luna rushed to my side, lowering her wand as she looked at the aftermath. "What happened to him?" she asked, glancing at me.
I exhaled and lowered my hand. "It's my skill."