End of an Era (Project Chrysalis Book 2) by John Gold (always you kirsty moseley .TXT) 📗

from a god?” Fem laughs. “I’ll have to take off my plate armor boots to put them on, and that will mean I won’t have access to the armor’s set effect. I won’t have amplification or dissection.”

“You won’t need them. All we have to do is wait for my debuff to expire and get started. You’ll have to take your armor off anyway. You can’t swim in it.”

We spend the final three days collecting provisions for the road. I’m loving the feeling of having strength back in my body, and I decide to celebrate just like last time. Two enormous fire storms appear on the ice in the open sea. I’m even stronger! Way stronger than I used to be!

I have 25000 mana, 2000 intellect, and 5000 mana restored per minute. Who wants to take me on?

The last time, I sailed across the sea on a boat. This time, we spend four days running across the ice before venturing out onto the water.

The ocean is beautiful when you’re in the water, but it’s much trickier when you’re running across it in the middle of a storm. The enormous waves reach fifty meters in height, dropping a wall of water on us that’s so strong it takes off some health.

It’s hardest for the dogs. It takes a week for them to be able to keep up with us, and then, once they’ve adapted, storms start coming in constantly. We’re in the middle of a large area that’s caught between two large atmospheric fronts. The cold air on one side meets with the warm air on the other to create a funnel at sea, the first time I’ve seen such destructive power out over the water. The twister is several kilometers wide and settled in at the very heart of the hurricane. The scariest part is that it’s headed in our direction. We’re forced to go around it before we can keep going.

We have to pick the dogs up so they aren’t engulfed by the waves, as they can’t get back up without help. Right by the hurricane, we almost die from the constant physical damage inflicted by the tearing wind. Fem and the dog she’s carrying fall into the water a couple times, though they’re able to pull themselves out.

When we finally get out of that terrible climate area, we couldn’t be happier. Project Chrysalis is fantastic, giving us thrills and enjoyment everywhere we go. For example, there’s the joy of escaping a natural disaster.

As soon as we are out, we set off again. I think the dogs are happier than we are. They’re enjoying the world’s best walk, and it’s so much fun for them.

We enter the Sea of Calm, which borders the Sea of Monsters. The name comes from the fact that it’s always peaceful, even though there are strong underwater currents. It’s here that we meet a wonder of nature.

A cat is sitting on the water looking straight at us.

Monster, Malik the Only, non-level, non-rank

What’s that supposed to mean? And what would an enormous cat be doing in the middle of the ocean?

“Sagie, should we go around it or kill it?”

Her question is answered by a small bolt of lightning that hits the water near me.

“Fem, take the dogs and give us some distance. It isn’t going to let us past.”

There’s only one way to respond to something like that: a bolt of lightning with ten streams of consciousness. My ears pop when it lands home.

The cat yawns and then starts changing. Enormous fangs and claws appear, something like those of a saber-toothed cat, its fur turns black, and flashes of lightning skitter across it. There’s a pattern on its back that looks like it must mean something. Tufts adorn its ears, and the cat itself is as big as a bear.

Monster, Malik the Only (Mountain King), non-level, non-rank

Oh, you clump of fur. You’re a shapeshifter!

The cat mixes six balls of lightning together and hurls them at me. They fly slowly, so grounding them with six boulders isn’t too much of a problem. On the other hand, that strategy throws the cat for a loop. He makes eight more lightning balls, half of which are swallowed up by my shield, while the other half are blocked by my resistance. After thinking for a second, the cat starts throwing water blades at me. He can use up to nine streams of consciousness, too! The blades all stick in my shield.

Monster, Malik the Only (Fire Lord), non-level, non-rank

He starts to change form again. His fur and entire body give off a fire aura, the water around him boils, and he looks like a burning torch. Now he’s as big as a horse. Ah, stupid cat, you shouldn’t have switched on your protection. Now I know you’re weak in close quarters. I don’t care about fire, so I take down my shield and start coming over. I’ve seen worse fires than this! Malik boosts his fire aura to the point that the water starts to steam, and we find ourselves standing in a giant column of the stuff. I get five steps away and stop.

“What next, Malik? How about a meteor? Or a tsunami? If you want, I can pull up a fire storm for you.”

The cat once again starts to change. He becomes semi-ghostlike, more a thick spirit with bright white hair and red eyes. His body shrinks to the size of a big dog. You aren’t exactly a cat; you’re something intelligent.

Damage received: 918900 (ignored: 1155597)

3440/3440

The cat decides to use its strongest weapon: near-range mental attacks. Sure, they’d do in a normal player, but I’ve been to a desert where the land and air burn, where the fabric of reality is so thin that you can see the souls flying around in the astral.

“No, Malik, that’s not going to work