Chapter 419: Cats and dogs
Mason near got chomped by the relentless mechanical mouth. He'd gone down a series of side passage and found nothing but dead ends, almost too late when he doubled back to get ahead of his pursuer.
He'd gotten close enough to feel the power of it. And while he was a bit curious what might happen if the thing caught him and he tried to break it apart with Duality of Strength, ultimately he decided this was a curiosity best left for a 'last resort'.
His opponent also had traps. Which was just great.
As Mason and Streak ignored their enemy and kept at their mapping quest, the wolf hit maybe his fifth one in a corridor crossroads, roaring and howling in fury. Shadowy tendrils wrapped around his forelegs like rope, crushing and hissing with a kind of acidic hiss as they burned fur and flesh.
Mason hacked the strands carefully with a Claw, taking some of the damage with Shared Pain. Though it probably didn't matter. No doubt the traps would be pretty bad for the average non-tanky player. But Streak regenerated, too, and could take a lot of punishment to begin with. So the trap mostly just slowed him down. And pissed him off.
"No you can’t eat him alive when we catch him," Mason said with a sigh as they kept running. "And I told you to watch out for the weird shadowy lines. Think about it—there's no light so why would there be any shadows? Because...no. You don't have to understand. Just do what I tell you. Follow me. And avoid the shadowy lines."
Streak growled and fell back behind Mason feeling more murderous than usual. Apparently he'd had kin hunted and killed by trap-using humanoids when he was young. Considering the animal seemed to eject nearly all memory as irrelevant, this one seemed impactful and important to have stuck. Mason definitely didn't envy his opponent if the wolf ever caught him.
That moment was coming soon. The maze was nearly mapped now. For the most part it was square and consistent, with a few areas cut off and leading to dangerous dead ends. Other than those, there was nearly always a way to keep moving and ahead of the chomping constructs. Which meant Mason's opponent was swiftly running out of advantage.
But catching him would still be tricky. He could definitely teleport, or something similar, easily moving around Mason and Streak as they explored the maze. Occasionally he launched some sort of shadowy daggers or lay traps to annoy them an try and get their attention or direct their movement. Mason ignored it all completely.
A few magic dagger blows, though, had given him pause. He'd mostly resisted some kind of 'corruption' effect that interfered with his regeneration. But even so, the strange power had stuck in his back and vanished into mist, the wounds still healing but slowed considerably to take about a minute.
If this particular enemy was grouped with other powerful players, Mason knew that regenerative debuff would be a serious issue. He decided in the ‘real’ world, this man would have to die quickly.
For now, though, the rogue’s traps hadn't been strong enough to deal with Mason’s stats or titles, the few he'd hit breaking apart as he kept on running.
"Good enough," he said, seeing everything on his map now except a few little edges. "We find him. We kill him. Sniff him out. Do you know your way around or do I need to..."
Streak flew off down a corridor like he'd slipped his leash, an eye-rolling feeling of confidence hitting Mason. He wasn't sure if the wolf had just memorized their surroundings or if he had some kind of access to Wayfinder through their bond.
Either way, it felt like an annoyed teenager. Mason grinned and took a different path, watching Streak and trying to figure out a way to cut off their target if the wolf found him.
It took a few tries, and several minutes of racing around the maze. Mason finally saw his enemy long enough to get up a Ranger's Mark, the power blinking back the almost comical 'advice' to: 'Kill in close combat'.
"Great,” Mason mumbled. “Thanks. How do you suggest I catch him, exactly?"
He activated Aspect of the Cheetah and flew after his prey, seeing him turn and run straight through a wall a moment before Mason slammed into the metal. He sighed, not sure if that was better or worse than teleport. But at least his instincts had been correct.
He'd been laying traps as he explored, but decided the man would somehow get out of snares and instead had just dropped lethal variants. Now he suspected he could walk right through snares.
But he also suspected the son of a bitch could detect his traps, because he hadn't heard a single one go off. And he had some kind of impressive defensive barrier that caught the few stray arrows just like the original power shot.
So. It was catch him or nothing. Mason cracked his neck and decided to Shapeshift, knowing the enhanced senses might help him. He was perfectly aware of all the eyes of the other players on him, and he hoped it didn't scare the wrong people away. But he ultimately figured to hell with it.
His joints popped, his body shivering in a strange kind of pleasure as it re-shaped with a variety of canine features. Even his eyesight improved, and Mason grinned as he inhaled the far more obvious scent of his opponent.
He was slightly slower over long distance in his wolf form, but was faster in a sprint. Though he realized with a bit of regret, as he'd grown a good foot he now nearly scraped the roof with his head.
But it was more comfortable hunched forward now anyway. He loped forward through the tunnels sniffing for his prey, knowing it was only a matter of time. For maybe half an hour he and Streak circled the map, staying ahead of the metallic trap as they ran their enemy like a deer.
The man's 'plan' was soon obvious—he got closer and closer to the metallic jaws, hoping to lure Mason or Streak close enough they'd make a mistake. Mason could smell his enemy's sweat now, and almost licked a spilled drop off the floor. He heard himself growling like the wolf he was bonded to, his clawed hands clenching in anticipation as he threw himself down the halls.
He found his prey waiting with the chomping jaws right behind him, staying just ahead as he jogged towards Mason's position. The man's dully glowing eyes widened when he saw the changed Mason. He looked ready to turn and run but also compelled to try and finish his plan. Mason just waited.
Instead of trying to cut his enemy off he just charged ahead, straight into the 'trap' that would close any chance of escape. But they were at the corner edge of the square now, and there was only one way for the clever rogue to go.
As Mason got close the man panicked and did just that, vanishing through the wall to his left and into a more open series of corridors.
Where Streak was waiting.
Mason leapt at the nearest side passage just before the metal crusher found him, forced to loop around for a minute before he could circle back to his enemy. But even from his far position, and with all the distance between them, he still heard the man's screams echo down the halls as Streak caught him. He couldn't help but wince.
* * *
"Oh that's nasty."
Adela looked away, but Chinua kept his eyes on the screen as the Baron's animal literally chewed Karthik the cat’s cheek off.
The giant wolf was pinning the man down with his claws and eating him alive as he screamed. It went on for a good minute before Nimitz showed up and ended the match with a swipe of his claws.
"I mean…he deserved it. But I doubt our good western warlord knew that," said Julio. "He probably just likes watching his enemies get chewed on. So uh, enjoy your chat, Cap."
A few soldiers laughed. Chinua just sighed. But there was no point in re-hashing the arguments and debating anything. Ayden was right, they'd already voted.
And it was time to go meet the monster. Chinua stood without a word and made his way to the House of Mason, getting a few mocking/supportive salutes as he went.
He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked up with a deep breath, hearing the players up top talking and laughing. Soon enough these might be his allies. Or another batch of terrifying enemies to avoid.
He wondered again (and again and again…) if it was foolish to announce themselves, if it wasn't better to just hide and hope the great powers destroyed each other. Maybe then they could...
"Hello. Can I help you? Would you like to speak with the Baron?"
A beautiful, young blonde stepped up beside him, long hair tied in a bun, dressed like some kind of office executive. Chinua took a breath, still warring with himself.
"Would I?" he said, letting out a breath. "I'm not sure. Will he let that wolf eat me if I'm rude?"
The woman's laugh was very genuine, and very appealing.
"Baron Mason prefers honest rudeness to polite lies." She smiled. "Tell him the truth, and you'll get along fine. Shall I take you up, Mr...?"
Chinua said nothing, a bit disarmed by the woman's charm. He knew well though how many dangerous and powerful men kept sweet smelling flowers in the front to cover up the rotten smell behind.
He just kept looking up those stairs, trying not to picture the worst case scenario.
"He isn't like Jeong," said the woman, and Chinua blinked and turned. She smiled again, almost kindly, as if somehow she could see the horror of Chinua's fears, and looked right through them. "He is young and very American. But all he does is protect us. It's what he is."
Chinua watched the girl's blue eyes a long time before he nodded and looked back at the stairs. It felt like either the stairway to hell or heaven—like the best or worst decision of his life.
Somehow, he felt if he climbed them there would be no going back, one way or another. But Chinua Keita, a soldier who had spent a lifetime fighting for his country, and against it, and for it again, was not a man who let fear or difficulty prevent action.
He turned to the girl and asked her name, straightening his posture to his usual self, and sharpening his mind for the meeting to come. The time for deceptions were over, he decided—he would meet this baron man to man.
"My name is Chinua. In my country I was a general, and once also I served the UN, and before that the French foreign legion. I'm very pleased to meet you, Haley. And yes, thank you. I will see your master now."