Then nothing.
The sound of an explosion filled the chamber, rising above the constant roar of water. Felix whipped his head toward the source and saw Evie and Vess get thrown bodily as a massive fireball detonated nearby. Directly atop the male Acolyte, Niall, completely incinerating him.
You Have Defeated Niall Palast, Acolyte of the Inviolate Inquisition!
You Have Gained XP!
Evie, Vess! He mentally screamed, dodging away from the Initiate's monstrous swings. The Acolytes weren't dead!
The orange trail of Mana vapor extended back from the explosion to the female Acolyte, Aenda, who fell to her knees with her arm outstretched. There was a huge dagger through her chest, at least a foot long. Through the dissipating fireball he saw her look weakly behind her before collapsing completely.
Is that...the courier?
"HAH!"
A blaze of heat scorched Felix's back, throwing him forward. He tucked into a roll and barely held onto consciousness as his resistances rebelled against him.
"AHHGG!" Felix couldn't believe he'd turned his back on the damn Initiate! He pushed himself to his feet, his vision dipping in and out as his resistances flared to "protect" him from the hardened light Mana of the sword.
H34t R!s/$*4nce is level 23!
Armored Skin is level 46!
"A heretic cannot stand the Divine fire of the True God!" Crell expounded while Felix got his bearings. "I will burn the impure flesh from your bones, piece by piece!"
Moving faster than he ever had before, the Initiate surged forward and kicked Felix in the chest. The Nym was sent flying through the air, landing on his back before tumbling end over end. He stopped only after he had smashed through a boulder-sized chunk of rubble, thirty feet away.
Jesus, this guy. Felix leveraged himself up, feeling his bones protest, but having little choice. The zealot was already charging at him. That last kick had definitely loosened something inside of him, though. Felix saw his Health had dropped again (big surprise), and he was hovering somewhere around 30% his total. I've gotta end this fast. I--
Felix doubled over as spasms wracked his Body, Mind, and Spirit. Someone started screaming.
Dimly, Felix realized it was him.
Deep within him, his core was rioting. His internal fire flickered before igniting a deeper and more impressive blue, now flecked with gold flames. In his mind's eye, there was a ring of golden light that radiated outward until it fetched against a new etching of light. This one almost looked like a stylized arrow.
You Have Fully Digested Your Opponent's Mana!
New Skill!
Arrow of Perdition (Legendary), Level 1!
Conjure an arrow of ruinous fate. Changed by your very nature, the Arrow can directly damage the highest level Skill of the target. Must physically penetrate the core of the target. Penetration power increases with level, damage increases with level, Mana consumption decreases slightly with level.
Whoa. Felix's head swam with the sharp rise of melodies from within his core. It felt...triumphant.
"Who do you think you are, to contend with an Initiate of the Inquisition?" The jerk pounded toward him, his gait eating up the distance. The golden panels of his armor slightly distorted his sneer. "I can't see your level, stranger, but I can sense your advancement well enough! What power could an Apprentice Tier possibly have that could contend with Divine Will?!"
The music still surged through him, and Felix managed a pained grin.
"Etheric Concordance."
A brilliant flash of light went off to the side, making the Initiate flinch in his charge. From the light manifested a Great Dane sized Chimera, disguise dropped and massive wings outspread like crimson shadows. Those wings whipped outward, sending a blast of concentrated air directly at the zealot. The Initiate blocked the Wingblade with an upturned arm, though some of the force cut through his upper arm, breaking the weakened interior sections further. While the zealot hissed in pained annoyance, Felix rushed forward.
Unfettered Volition!
Corrosive Strike!
Corrosive Strike!
Corrosive Strike!
Flowing over the debris strewn bridge, Felix sent a flurry of blows into the man's golden abdomen. The Initiate doubled over, his massive, enhanced frame sent reeling by the Nym's strikes, compounded by his physical transformation. His talons ripped into the golden Mana, though he left only deep scratches instead of sundering the material. A massive arm swung at him, the movement powerful but slow and easily dodged. Wingblades rained down on the two of them as well, but the Initiate suffered through them with nothing more than strained grunts.
Pit's Wingblade is level 22!
Pit's Wingblade is level 23!
"You assault an Epic Skill gifted by Divinity to my order with unholy claws? And a chimera!" An arm of shimmering light blasted past Felix, still slow but growing faster. The armor never stopped moving, seemingly building momentum with every swing of its massive gauntlets. "Your folly knows no bounds, Fiend!"
"Shut up," Felix groaned.
Felix ducked another haymaker before leaping into a midair barrel roll, gracefully avoiding a follow up strike. The absolute control over his own Body that Unfettered Volition offered Felix was intoxicating. He flowed like water through the Initiate's powerful counterattacks, deftly avoiding all of them; but the margin was thinning. Each attack was faster than the next, until the gleaming giant was a whirling dervish of limbs.
Unfettered Volition is level 17!
Still, Felix hit him, and hit him hard. Higher levels, enhanced stats, and the Initiate's sheer size let him dart in and out of the Initiate's guard. Cracks started to form along his abdomen, where every single one of his slashes landed.
"Stop! Moving! And! Die!"
The Initiate's armor flared brighter, burning like a tiny golden sun as he swung his fists up and over. They came down like a speeding train, as inevitable as an avalanche.
Arrow of Perdition!
Felix summoned his fledgling Arrow on the move, though it ate up a staggering 80% of his available Mana. A surging headache pierced his skull and almost sent him stumbling from the drain, only his heightened Alacrity and Willpower keeping him on course. It was tiny, barely longer than his finger, but an actual, physical arrow made of gold and blue light.
Unfettered Volition is level 18!
Felix spun into the giant armor's reach and jammed it right into its cracked abdomen. It sank, straight into his gut.
Into his core.
Crell looked down, his eyes wide with fearful anticipation. Seconds later, nothing had happened. He laughed. "Pathetic! That Skill only works on those of a lesser advancement. Fool!"
His armor flickered and shattered into mist.
Arrow of Perdition is level 2!
Arrow of Perdition is level 3!