Veloren

Chapter 30: Soldier Pill

"Hmm...That's strange...You look familiar..." - Heymlir says as he gazes at Archer's face with a blank, soulless stare.

"Didn't I....Kill you?"

Archer's face flinches at Heymlir's cold words.

Heymlir: You appear to be much younger than the last time I saw you.

Heymlir: Interesting...Let's see what happens if I kill you again.

Heymlir senses tingles and he quickly retracts his arm, letting go of Archer. An incoming projectile zips past and slightly grazes Heymlir's arm. Archer, mid-motion from falling, quickly gets snatched away by Darren.

Tatsuo notices and is pleasantly surprised to see the arrival of his friends: Darren, Sharon and Windie.

Tatsuo: Oh...! You guys!

Sharon is positioned atop a rooftop at a nearby house with her bowgun aimed with Windie by her side.

Meanwhile, Heymlir is enraptured by the sudden growth in his capabilities as he stares at his hand.

Heymlir: Incredible...

Heymlir tightly grips his hand as power surges within him, "My strength...My senses...All of it has been enhanced...It's as if I've taken a soldier pill - except its effects are on a whole different level..."

Suddenly, a sharp jolt of pain runs through Heymlir's body and flinches upon reflex. Heymlir's sudden reaction alerts the group.

Heymlir trembles in pain, and a huge wave of pressure explodes from Heymlir's body, rippling throughout the entire area with a waft of intense black aura. The blast hits Jayce and slightly pushes him back as he covers himself with his arms. The black ominous pressure pushes back everybody else within the vicinity, restricting their movements.

Jayce (thinking): Tch...! What the hell is this black energy...?! I can't approach him...!

Archer gives Darren his thanks, but tells him that there's no need for his assistance.

Archer: Thanks for saving me, but your help was not needed. It's dangerous here, so you best get out of here, kid.

Darren: Says the guy who looks like a kid himself now, what on Beria happened to you?!

Darren: Anyway, I didn't plan on getting myself directly involved in this. At least not anymore. I'm not risking my life going against whatever the hell that thing (Heymlir) is now...

Heymlir quivers as he struggles through the internal pain as the black wave of energy continues to pulsate.

The pressure blast reaches Sharon, making it harder for her to aim. The pressuring wave then stops to a fizzle, and Heylmir regains his sanity.

Sharon (thinking): I'm free!

Sharon takes the chance for a clean aim as the scope of the bowgun carefully gets Heymlir in vision, but hesitates as her hands shake.

Sharon (thinking): I've always hunted monsters...But this is the first time I will be striking a human with my arrows...!

'I...I need to do it...!'

Sharon reaffirms herself, charges her arrow with magic and fires. But it is futile. As the arrow strikes Heymlir's body, a black substance with cybernetic markings appears to protect him. Bewildered, Sharon wonders if it was armor, but then exclaims that it was infused by magic.

Sharon: What?! What was that...just now? Does he have armor? But I infused that attack with magic, it should've pierced through...!

Heymlir: It's useless...

Heymlir (thinking): The core that I've ingested has become a part of me. We are now one. The core is fueled by magic, thus...

'I am immune to magic.'

"Not just that..." - Heymlir turns to face towards Sharon's direction.

From his body, Heymlir shoots out the black substance in an appendage form.The black energy slices through the air at extreme velocity and slams against Sharon, knocking her away.

Archer's legs flare up and swishes them in the air, firing off blades of flame projectiles at Heymlir's. However, just like the arrow, Heymlir directs the black energy to form a wall between him and the attack, protecting him. The flames simply disperses upon impact and the wall molds itself to form prongs which then extends towards Archer. Archer and Darren evade by leaping out of the way as the prongs shatter the ground below them.

Darren: What is that...? Black goo...?!

After evaluating Heymlir's newfound presented capabilities, San draws a theory.

San: Could it be...

San: Did the amp. Core enhanced him to the point that he has...Evolved?