Dark Matter Ascension

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[Stardust Acquired: 3000.]

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"Why so little?" Jace asked. "There had to be thousands of these things killed."

"You did not get the kills, or participate in the kills," Ollie replied. He looked over to the crater edge, and Jace followed his gaze as the armored figure slid down into the bowl. "You should run. An Ascendant, 2 Tiers higher? You will do far less damage."

"How much Stardust do I have?"

"4305 Stardust currently."

"That’s enough for eight levels, and I’m level 19. I’d hit Tier 2, right?"

"Close. It costs 500 Stardust per level until you hit Level 25. Then, it costs 1,000 Stardust from 26 to 50. So, you will get seven levels if you spend all you can right now."

"But that level up means a Tier increase, which should offset the damage reduction from being a lower Tier."

The figure kept approaching but was a few thousand feet away still. "Okay," Ollie said softly. "I trust you. You got this!" He threw the Stardust into Jace’s face, and he felt a huge rush of energy fill him up. "What do you want for a Skill? It will not happen until you make that choice."

"I want some type of Skill that I can dump lots of Ranks into. Maybe something like body improvement?"

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Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 2)

Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 26.]

Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending], Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) [Reflecting.], Swordmage Stance (Rank 3), Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4), Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), Dark Energy Mine (Rank 3), Cosmic Infusion (Rank 7), Starfire Stride (1/day),

Stardust: 305

Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, Wirecannon Arm, Dragonclaw Devastation Legs, Runner’s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x46), canteen (x4), medical kit (x2), flint bar, flashlight, 40x arc reactor components, 2x hyperbike components

Boons: None

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Cosmic Infusion (Rank 1): Increases the user’s physical traits by a minor amount.

Cosmic Infusion (Rank 2): As Rank 1, increases the user’s sensory traits by a minor amount.

Cosmic Infusion (Rank 3): As Rank 2, increases the user’s cognitive traits by a minor amount.

Cosmic Infusion (Rank 4): As Rank 3, increases the user’s physical traits by a moderate amount.

Cosmic Infusion (Rank 5): As Rank 4, increases the user’s sensory traits by a moderate amount.

Cosmic Infusion (Rank 6): As Rank 5, increases the user’s cognitive traits by a moderate amount.

Cosmic Infusion (Rank 7): As Rank 6, increases the user’s physical traits by a large amount.

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[Congratulations! You have achieved Tier 2. If you wish to stop your advancement in your Class and choose an Ascended Power, speak to your Wayfinder.]

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Jace grinned as he turned to face this new threat. He was still under the effects of his Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), and he sprinted to the right of the person. Oliver was whispering in his ear as he ran to the side of the figure – completely undetected.

"Physical traits include your strength, agility, flexibility, breathing, heart rate – anything that has to do with your body. Sensory traits are your senses, like sight, hearing, and smell. Cognitive traits encompass concentration, memory, reaction speed, and mental fortitude. The Skill is always active. Literal Cosmic Power coursing through you. Every Aspirant has access to it."

Jace could feel the effects prominently. His breathing had never been clearer, he could see the edges of the person’s armor with crystal clarity. His sight was able to discern minute fragments of debris that had scattered from the singularity collapsing. And, most significant of them all, the figure appeared to move slower. Jace knew it was just his perception sped-up; but the thought that he could maybe eventually reach some Rank that slowed the world around him even more was filling him with excitement.

The prospect of this fight being something difficult or dangerous didn’t even cross Jace’s mind. He felt supremely confident. I’m a master swordsman. I’ve got Skills for everything I need. Let’s do this!

Jace already had Dark Matter Blade manifested at (Rank 5) with [Rending] active. He used his fingers to trace out the Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2) pattern, and the tower shield appeared on his prosthetic arm. Running in, he slashed into the figure’s back.

A pulse of black energy surged out and blew Jace back. Digging his feet claws into the ground, he came to a stop as the figure turned around, "Invisible? Interesting. I’ve not encountered a Cosmic Power that enables that ."

How can he see me? Jace thought. I’m invisible, untraceable, and undetectable. Unless he can…sense gravity around him? That makes sense. No point in keeping the Cloak active and draining my energy, then. Jace let the Cloak drop and took up a fighting stance.

"Ah, there you are." The figure pulled out an enormous sword – ridiculously large – that dwarfed Jace’s whole body with its sheer bulk. His right hand had the Black Hole Cosmic Power symbol, but there was another symbol that was smaller and hidden inside of that one – a pure, black dot that absorbed all light. He turned his body sideways to present a small target and pointed the weapon at Jace, ready to impale. "You’re the one who destroyed our drill. Working for the Pulsar Coalition?"

Jace clenched his jaw and dashed forward, swinging his blade in an arcing curve. His opponent lifted his blade and blocked Jace’s invisible weapon. The gravity detection is all around him. That’s inconvenient. Jace backed away.

"Not one for talking during a fight?" The figure moved forward with a speed that belied their large mass, and Jace interposed his shield between him and the overhand chop. The sword impacted the invisible barrier, and Jace angled it slightly upon impact so that the blow would slide to the side. It gave him just enough of an opening to stab forward with his own weapon, cutting into the Conclave member’s side and scoring a wound.

The purple miasma-tinged crimson began to slowly fester and spread as micro-singularities formed along the wound. There was a pulse of black energy that filled the air around the figure. Jace was forced to the ground from the crushing pressure. "Gah, why you-" The Ascendant swung.

Jace screamed out in pain as the blade cut down into his good arm – severing the limb with a single chopping blow. He couldn’t move – the crushing gravity drove him to the ground, and he couldn’t breathe as his lungs were being squished. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). Detonate. A small sphere of black appeared under him and then immediately exploded.

The man with the sword floundered for a moment – and Jace deactivated his shield, using the chance to point his prosthetic arm out to his right, fire the grapnel, and drag himself away. He was able to catch his breath as the enormous pressure lifted. Another arm. Fuck! He gritted his teeth and shoved the stump into the dirt, screaming out in pain as he did so. Need to stop the bleeding. Anything to make it clot faster. I’ve got med kits in my bag. Glancing up, he saw the figure with the enormous sword slam back into the ground as they used some gravity-based Skill to return to the surface.

I’ve got twenty-five seconds of mobility. Jace shot out the grapnel again, activated the retracting cord, and went zipping away. He thumbed the release as he got closer to the tether point – and let his momentum carry him to the edge of the crater. The man with the sword was chasing – but couldn’t move nearly as fast. Jace repeated his action on the lip of the crater, launching himself up into the sky.

Now…disable. He felt gravity reassert itself and he began to fall. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). Detonate.

He was weightless once more and went flying in a gentle arc towards the ground. Once he touched down, he let the Skill deactivate. He ripped open his pack and fumbled for the supplies to clean and staunch his still-bleeding stump. The shove into the dirt had helped stop the flow, but he felt dizzy from the blood loss.

Ollie never left his side, "I will keep an eye on your back."

Jace grunted an affirmation as he got the disinfecting liquid out. Gritting his teeth, he poured the whole container over his stump, stifling a scream of pain. Survive, he thought. Survive for her. You can’t die here.

He used gauze to clean the wound of the dirt, applied a second round of the disinfectant, and wrapped the stump in the bandage that squeezed down on the severed nub. It had some type of painkiller inside the fabric, and he felt the sharp pain become a dull throb. The pulsating throb brought clarity, and he focused on the here-and-now once more. "Sword?" Jace asked as he stood up.

"Back with your arm," Ollie replied. "He is still coming."

Jace nodded. "I can’t take this guy. I should just leave the arm and run for the portal."

"He will track you. You will not make it in your current state." Ollie’s voice was monotone and robotic.

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[Quest: Slay the Black Hole Conclave Ascendant.]

[Time Limit: ASAP.]

[Reward: Legendary (Equipment) Boon.]

[Sender: Dark Between Stars.]

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"I got you a Quest," Ollie said as his usual voice returned. There was a trace of fear, of panic – but also a sense of resolve. "You will survive. For Chroma. For yourself…for me." He looked at Jace and the Aspirant saw the whiskers of his otter companion twitch slightly. "He has stronger gravity manifestations than Dark Matter can emulate. But he specialized in gravity manipulation, not entropy. Just stay out of range."

"Can…Can he do another one of those singularities?"

"Doubtful," Ollie replied as he crossed his arms, "You struck him. [Rending] never ends unless you will it to end. That is making him weaker. That is sapping his energy. You can just keep away from him and let that do its work…but he might be able to stave it off."

Jace nodded. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3). He vanished once more, and moved away from his last position, knowing that the scent trail would lead to that spot.

He saw the sword-wielding figure stomping across the ground towards Jace’s last location. The man was covered in the black miasma, and the crimson had spread from his midsection to the tops of his legs. Good thing I got him with the Dark Matter Blade, Jace thought. He ducked into the grasses out of instinct. Hold on a second…

This was the exact same type of grassland that Jace first arrived in. He gripped the ground with his claws and felt the familiar, slight ’crunch’ of the soil. That gives me an idea. He pulled out the survival knife. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). The black dot manifested on the dagger. He flung the blade in an overhand throw.

The dagger stopped and dropped two feet from the Black Hole Conclave Ascendant. He looked over in the direction of Jace.

Detonate.

The space around his target erupted as the nanite-infused soil floated from the ground and created the equivalent of a smokescreen. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4). Jace launched a flurry of invisible projectiles at his opponent.

There was a pulse of black energy as the anti-gravity was disabled and the particles fell to the ground. A split-second later, the nine darts slammed into him – punching into the armor across his torso and neck. He toppled to the ground. Jace waited patiently, watching as the purple and crimson miasma continued to spread across the prone form. He was moving, but barely.

There was a burst of black energy once more, and the miasma creeping across him receded – but was still there and began to slowly spread once more. Some type of healing? The Ascendant stood up, but looked completely exhausted. His shoulders were shaking, and Jace could hear the ragged breathing.

Jace felt tired, also. His eyelids were drooping and he felt himself falling asleep. Just one more shot. He raised his palm. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 1).

The bolt of purple slammed into his opponent’s skull, and punched all the way through the head, blowing out the other side. The body collapsed into a heap on the ground.

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[Quest Completed: Slay the Black Hole Conclave Ascendant.]

[Time Limit: ASAP.]

[Reward: Legendary (Equipment) Boon.]

[Sender: Dark Between Stars.]

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"Wow…you did it!" Ollie shouted. "I knew you could do it!"

Jace nodded, tried to say something witty in response, but collapsed as the world went dark.