Guardians of Terraria II: The World of Calamity

Episode 29.1 - Phantom Emotions

He waited the two minutes it took for the Schematic to fully decrypt, watching the jumble of random letters and numbers slowly coalescing into comprehensible words, and eventually, complete sentences.

I have since made progress to even greater weapons than these, but they remain creations to be proud of. No progress can be made without a desire that comes from dissatisfaction.

Addendum: The time has come. You are ready.

***

Robyn made her way through the dingy pink tunnels of the Dungeon. She leapt over collapsing floors, dodged poisonous darts that shot from walls and avoided the swinging spiky balls. She fired entire bursts from her Clockwork Bow to instantly obliterate any of the Armoured Bones that came after her, and whenever the skeletal enemies began to overwhelm her, she would switch to her Astreal Defeat to push them away.

An enemy draped in dark gray robes with blood-red trimming ran forward holding a shiv out. A Cultist Assassin, which Robyn quickly silenced with an entire volley from her Clockwork Bow. After its death it morphed into a bright blue Dungeon Spirit – a spectral enemy that accelerated towards her, phasing through the floor before curving up in front of her. She jumped backwards, anticipating its attack, and fired an arrow that turned the spirit into Ectoplasm.

A Paladin chose that moment to round a corner, hurling a large hammer at Robyn. She dodged to the side and began firing her Astreal Defeat, pouring arrow after arrow into it, an endless wave of purple bringing its health down quickly.

But when the Paladin fell, it too morphed into a spirit. This time it was red – named a Phantom Spirit. A wicked grin seemed to spread across its form and it lunged itself towards her.

It had a surprisingly large amount of health – Robyn's arrows weren't able to bring it all the way down before it slammed through her, dealing over 150 damage. She spun around as it curved to make another charge at her, only for a golden scythe to slice right through it, causing it to dissipate into phantoplasm, the dropped item rushing into Robyn's inventory.

"What are you doing down here, Robyn?" Renee asked. "This whole place is filled with the vengeful lost souls of those that Yharim imprisoned down here. You never want to mess with them."

The sound of her name made a tiny part of Robyn's true personality. Some of the carefree confidence and clarity she'd been feeling seemed to fall away, and a part of her began to question why she was down here. In this grim, horrific underground Dungeon.

Then, she reminded herself.

"It's all because of the Lunatic Cultist," she said to Renee.

"The who now?"

"First he invaded my nightmares. A few times actually. I could dismiss that as being paranoia, but... I can't ignore the Cultist I kept glimpsing while we were fighting Providence..."

"Robyn, what the heck are you talking about?" Renee asked.

Robyn stared at her. "You wouldn't know. You don't know me."

Renee stared right back, remembering a time when she'd once said that to Permafrost the Archmage.

"I can't claim to know you," Renee said, using his response. "I only know William chose to join up with Yharim and that peeved you off."

"It didn't peeve me off!" Robyn shouted. "It made me..." she suddenly gulped. "Disappointed." She sighed, looking down at the floor. "Yharim claimed to have found a way to real life. And... he chose that over me. He chose something that may not even be true, and threw away something so..." she choked. "Something so real!"

She collapsed, dropping to her knees. She looked down at her armoured hands.

Renee considered making a snide remark at her overdramatic attitude, but thought better of it. Let her cry, she thought.

And she did, for a good few minutes. Soon she looked up at Renee, her eyes burning with tears. "Aren't you going to say anything? Or do you only know how to kill people?"

Renee bristled. "I don't only know how to kill people!" she shouted.

But what do I know how to do? she found herself thinking.

She'd been raised to fight. To kill. She hadn't been raised to help those in sadness.

Robyn kept crying, feeling more alone than ever. No William to comfort her. No Sid to put things in perspective. Just Renee, who to her seemed just as cold as Meg. Meg, who had turned out to be a fiery hot witch.

Robyn clambered to her feet and spun around.

"Wait!" Renee called, but she ignored her.

She had to find answers, and the Dungeon here in Secondworld was the only place she could think of.

Firstworld and Secondworld were very different, but there were numerous features they shared, including a Dungeon.

And the Dungeon had been where the Cultists had operated out of Firstworld.

Surely there were Cultists in Secondworld too?

She ran and ran and ran, instinctively firing her bow at enemies in her path, her eyes not taking in any details about them.

Until she came face-to-face with a large cloud of cerulean ectoplasm.

Morphing into a black metal body, two ghostly claws sprouting from its maw, a single white eye opening on its side.

Extending out four ghostly chains that grappled into the brick surfaces around it.

Polterghast gnashed its jaws and charged towards her.

They could probably use Luigi right about this point. Not only can he win by doing absolutely nothing, but he's also a seasoned expert on the supernatural thanks to adventures in his mansion.

This statement has nothing to do with voting, carry on (don't forget to vote).