RinoZ
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Chapter 1733 - Up Close and Personal
🕑 Added 2025-12-11 01:31:54 +0000 UTCAuthor note: Sorry about the disastrous schedule this week folks. We're getting carpet replaced in a few rooms and it has consumed my every waking moment.
If you must vent your anger, aim it at my cat, who's a territorial little stress-head and feels the need to spray everywhere if he even sniffs a neighborhood feline. Yes, George, I'm talking about YOU! Damned adorable cat.
Graham had to admit, being up close to the monster was an intimidating sight. No matter how much his experience tried to tell him it was just an ant, that it should be something weak, its presence reminded him that simply wasn’t the case.
Taken by surprise, the creature had reacted with unreasonable speed to the appearance of the Penitent Lances. Even so, he had been pleased to see one strike home. They weren’t easy to conjure, and though his people would gladly pay the price, the War Bishop was reluctant to call upon them to do so unless it was strictly necessary.
Unlike many who were above them in the Church, he would not take them for granted.
Yet, he had hoped that single blow could prove to be significant, only to have his hopes completely dashed upon closing the distance with the monster. It towered over them, mandibles gnashing, tree-sized antennae sweeping through the air as it skittered with unreasonable speed and grace, not letting itself get bogged down.
Careful inspection told him the wound was already closing over, the carapace regrowing over the healed flesh beneath. He’d been told it healed quickly, but that was absurd!
Raising his sacral mace high, Graham gave voice to his overflowing faith.
“LET FLY THE WRATH OF YOUR FAITH!” he roared, then dived into the purple light that swirled around the monster.
In an instant, he could feel the weight pressing down on him, trying to drive him to his knees. He almost dropped his mace, so heavy his wrist ached with the pain of holding it.
Yet it wasn’t so easy to inflict magic upon those who had come to deliver judgement. Graham felt the furnace that burned within him, the flames fuelled by his belief and the Path upon which he walked. Into it, he fed his own life, burning his health with wild abandon.
His skin burned with power as light erupted from within him, driving back the magic of the monster and loosening its grip on him. All around him, he felt his brothers and sisters in Judgement do the same. Behind them, the four thousand soldiers of Green Mountain took up flanking positions, seeking to encircle the monster and firing upon it from a distance.
With a swing of his mace, skill-light exploded from Graham and he brought it in a wide arc, swinging for the ant’s head.
Almost contemptuously, the ant parried the blow, flicking it away with its mandibles, dispersing the light with ease, but a dozen other blows rained down on it at once. To no avail. None were able to penetrate the ant’s carapace, and a moment later, the creature dashed, charging through them, light exploding from its mandibles.
Men and women went flying, blasted back from the power and momentum of the monster, but it didn’t go far. Hemmed in on all sides, it was surrounded by the burning light of the Path.
“LANCE!” Graham roared.
He fed more of his life force to the flame, allowing it to grow brighter, stronger, merging and melding with that of his brothers and sisters.
Others were tasked with accepting and moulding that energy, forming the lances and directing them towards the monster as its momentum stalled.
A dozen spears of light surged towards the beast, streaking away too fast to be seen. Yet, somehow, the creature seemed to react as if it knew they were coming. It twisted violently, far faster than anything that size should be able to move. Despite its best efforts, it was still struck twice. Once close to its head, the other sinking into the joint connecting one middle-leg to its body.
As the ant stumbled, Graham surged, Dashing with all his strength to close the gap, swinging his mace once more.
Then, the ant flickered, vanishing right before their eyes, only to reappear two hundred metres away, soldiers blasted to the side in its wake.
“KEEP UP THE PRESSURE!” he bellowed, and an answering roar echoed off the chamber walls.
Two good strikes. The lances were powerful weapons and weren’t easy to shrug off. Even so, as he swung his mace, Graham could see the wounds were healing even faster than before, the flesh closing and the carapace regrowing the second the lances faded away.
How was it doing this? There were many types of regeneration available to monsters, hundreds were seen in the records of the Church. Every monster who reached this level of power was able to heal itself to some capacity, it was simply a matter of grinding them down, forcing them to heal over and over again until they no longer could.
Graham swung his weapon, fury in his eyes and strengthening his arm.
At all times, the soldiers of the Judgement Battalion were moving, repositioning, adjusting. When some charged in, others were in place to support. When some retreated, more would move in to fill the gap. No matter where the monster went, there were always soldiers attacking in unison, from all sides, at all times.
The monster endured the hail of blows, opened its mandibles wide and chomped.
Comments
Ruwa
Starcrusher?
Elmithian
They are probably using the scuffle to close off avenues of escape, collapsing tunnels and possibly dealing with the mercs.
Elmithian
I agree. I think they are literally burning their life-force away. I am sure they can regain some of it by leveling, but I doubt many there would live past middle age very easily.
Sean Bloodgood
Tyftc
Reader-13
Dang it George!!!!
Cindermoth
Yes... but I'm not sure he's immune to the acid either. And Anthony doesn't have shields to protect him
CentaureHeart
If Anthony is surrounded, couldn't he fire acid point blank behind him?
CentaureHeart
"how to maximize damage to your army"
Silent Consent
Interesting. I wonder if they are burning vitality that can be recovered or strait up sacrificing their longevity. Probably the latter and that makes me think they have a suicide attack. Anthony better be careful and somehow incapacitate them before they sense inevitable defeat and sacrifice themselves to kill him or his army.
CherMi
Anthony doesn't know they're drawing on their life, right? He's fighting them seriously, but still without intent to kill, so I bet most would just die because of life drain. Or at least it would weaken them to the point that Anthony's otherwise moderate attacks are lethal. I really want to see both legion and church reports after this battle.
Jomel Mirafuentes
Just that lone ant is giving them a hard time, cant wait for the battalion of ant to join in the fray, gwehehehe.
alt31415
Hmm. What are the Colony's soldiers doing in the meantime? Nice job showing that these aren't just human soldiers. Like, Anthony with all his mass dashing through regular IRL humans would definitely kill people instantly but these guys just get back up. Despite the naysayers bemoaning how Anthony 'goes easy' on humans, the delvers and batallions are, well, superhuman.
Igor Chmurski
Honestly i have given up on keeping up with the schedual of things i read. At least one thing at a time seems to always have wierd schedualing thing going on. Whenever something comes out i'm just happily suprised
Koala Man
:)
Fred Bright
"So, at what point exactly did we lose control of the situation..."
Fred Bright
Great point. I want to see how the Legion reps react to a Judgement Battalion being used as a punching bag for Anthony and company.
Rahsheem Reid
With Shadow Slave still down im lost in the wind so Fuck you George. Okay Im better now. Im sorry George.
Fred Bright
Frankly, I am a bit surprised that Crinis didn't go all "Shadowripper 9000" when Anthony got injured, though he may have given strict instructions so he can test his new abilities and features.
Black Rose
Tftc
Gabus Deux
Anthonys next pet is a cat named George and i will have no arguments
Anthony Romanov
If only Graham knew that Anthony was CLEAVED in TWO. And he still survived THAT!
giann flroesca
Maybe it's because it's meant to be more comedic and less edgy but ALSO (bear with me and my tinfoil hat) it might just be because it's being told in Anthony's perspective. I've noticed that when it's being told through someone else's POV like Sarah, Granin, or any of the more edgier characters, it shows in how brutal or gory the scenes become and because Anthony was just so peppy even when he died back when he was human, it paints his perspective a certain way when it's from his POV. Not sure if you guys know remember the Pyro character trailer for TF2 where all the characters were running scared shitless at the hell pyro was bringing but in his POV he was actually spreading love, rainbows, happiness, and hugs to all giggling and skipping all the way through. Maybe I'm overthinking it and it's just meant to be a more lighthearted story but IDK.
UNKNOWN
RinoZ, as repayment for the messy schedule, we demand a picture of you petting your cat. It's the only way we'll be able to forgive you
Nordbard
Well your about to find out this monster cant be grinded down
FeelingsandFoibles
I think its such an interesting difference between your two stories. Book of the dead is very, very unforgiving to the people in it, but this one is very gentle toward them. Anthony and Co. go out of their way not to kill humans and whatnot when honestly he could really just mow down everyone in the damn army. Against monsters, he goes ham, but it's almost like a slap fight. The people are earnestly trying to kill him and hes like "take this neener neener." I hope that doesn't come off as disparaging because it was just a funny little observation on my part. I love both stories
ChillyPepper
You're lucky you're cute George! :shakes-fist: Can't wait to see these Path goons finally see the light of the Great One when they realise just how little of an impact they're having
dracs
tftc !
David Harshman
Sure was nice of them to bring 4000 Green Mountain soldiers to stand back and constantly fire worthless attacks at Anthony to power his healing...
blucube 14
Thanks for the chapters!
Crazy Abe
I'd recommend against rubbing Anthony's belly, that's dangerously close territory to any part of him.
Yeslek Nnamhctits
Yeah... church took too much bite...
Student of Asacoco University
Be sure to rub him belly as many times as you want
KooZnack
Thanks for the chapter!
