Unchosen Champion-Chapter 307: The Omega

Coop stood on the dark colored beach beneath an even darker sky, his stance a picture perfect depiction of defiance. It wasn’t an ideal location to be caught standing, as he was completely exposed to the elements, but he didn’t shy away from the uncertain situation.

He squinted into the dim evening light, ready for whatever would come next. His gaze was unshaken, partially obstructed by sweat soaked hair, but he kept his chin up and his breath steady. His motivation was a simple refusal to allow the Primal Constructs to fully reclaim their place as a frightening enemy, no matter how entrenched their strongholds, or formidable their tactics.

The last remnants of the angry crimson sunset reflected off the viscous sea, making the body of water seem like it was an enormous pool of murky blood, still in the process of congealing after being drained. Compared to the pleasant sunsets of Ghost Reef, which painted the sky delightful colors at the end of a fulfilling day, the Fallen Zone provided an ominous spectacle to kick off the next phase of his little adventure. It was as if the entire setting was trying to warn him that he wasn’t a welcome guest to the domain, but the scowl on his face said, “Too bad.”

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While there was hardly any wind, the waves had started to pick up even without such obvious encouragement, increasing in intensity as if something huge was brewing from below. There were no obstructions Coop could use to hide himself from detection, and aside from turning around and running back into the forest, there was simply nowhere to go.

He wasn’t interested in retreating anyway. After millions of individual instances of combat, he had grown into someone that was able to confidently face challenges with his head held high and shoulders set. The butterflies that came before a physical contest had retired sometime between grinding Slayer titles and exploring unfamiliar jungles. Survival during the assimilation was a simple series of battles, nothing more and nothing less.

Upon entering the Fallen Zone at the behest of Champion Hali and the Neptune’s Bridge settlement, he had spent far more time than he would have liked just trying to understand the lay of the land. Once he caught the scent of the local Elites, he had refused to let it go. He was the one seeking this confrontation. He wouldn’t abandon it at the last moment just because it got a little weird.

Hunting the monsters throughout the core of the domain had led him to the alien coastline of the Mississippi Sea. Naturally, he expected to encounter the Insurgent Field Boss, but he hoped that his hunt wouldn’t end there. A Field Boss was too insignificant to have established control over a territory that covered a dozen states. Surely, something bigger was behind the curtain and pulling the strings. He figured there would be a Siege Boss hidden somewhere within the Appalachian forests, at the center of it all. A Field Boss would merely be another step on the ladder, but hopefully this one would lead him to the next rung. In his mind, the Siege Boss was his final goal for this particular test.

Coop watched as bubbles of escalating size swelled and burst on the surface of the viscous sea. He was feeling the heaviness of his spear increase as he boosted the mana within his ethereal weapon. Black abyssal mana sparked to life as spectral mists leaked from his skin, originating in his shoulder, running down his triceps, across his forearm, and used his fingers as a bridge into the ethereal weapon. The spear was crackling with energy as the volatility of his manifestation reached its peak.

Meanwhile, the sea continued to boil until it roiled like a cauldron hanging above an uncontrolled bonfire. The turbulence was expanding from a singular column of froth nearly a hundred yards away from the shoreline until the water churned for as far as the eye could see. Whirlpools started to gather, scattered among the frothing bubbles, and Coop raised an eyebrow.

The expansive reaction in the water yielded his first doubt that this would merely be a Field Boss. It seemed too large, more like the Siege Boss he was looking for, but if it was something unexpected, it wouldn’t matter in the slightest. If anything, a surprise escalation would actually be a good thing. He could have the impact he wanted on the Fallen Zone sooner than he had hoped. Hundreds of Siege Bosses had already been defeated by Champion of Ghost Reef. One more, even with a higher level, was hardly cause for undue concern. He dug a toe into the sandy dirt, seeking a better footing for his opening attack.

While he waited for the first appearance of the monster he was challenging, the air started to buzz, physically reacting to the watery upheaval. The vibrating energy reminded him of the moments before the Yucatan settlement’s civilization shard imploded, when the settlement’s mana had concentrated upon the shard. He didn’t think that level of influence was completely unexpected for a wild Siege Boss, so he continued to keep an eye on the water, suppressing the instinct to panic and flee the unknown. The churn had finally expanded to the air, building until it started creating gusts of wind that sent splashes of sand crashing across the shore before being hammered by another blast from the opposite direction.

The haze that infected the entire region seemed to concentrate upon his position on the beach, covering the barren area in a blanket of oppressive pressure, apparently laying out the red carpet for a Siege Boss that wouldn’t be long for this world if he had any say in the matter. The stars were shrouded in the murky gloom that characterized the domain, while the red sunset flickered with the last moments of the day, sending individual beams flashing through the soupy atmosphere while reflecting off the increasingly violent waves on the sea.

Coop rotated the heavy spear in his hand, feeling the ridges in the knurling rub against his palm. He was growing more impatient with every whipping gust that disheveled his hair. He used the edge of his shield to rub the side of his jaw, wondering if all of this introductory excitement was even necessary.

The mana of the domain crashed into his aura, a threat beyond normal human senses, but it broke like storm waves against a sea wall. He was an immovable object against all the energy twisting through the domain. Coop imagined himself representing a lighthouse within the Fallen Zone, though he had no intention of remaining a passive monument of resistance. It seemed like this boss believed he was so insignificant, it could do whatever it wanted, feeling no urgency to meet its challenger.

He took a deep breath before pursing his lips and nodding to himself as he came to a conclusion; he was unwilling to wait any longer. He heaved the volatile spear into a ready position, planning on punishing the Primal Construct boss for indulging itself with such a telegraphed entrance.

It was quite odd, given the established nature of the Elite Primal Insurgents, that their boss would implement an opening tactic that contrasted so wildly with their own patient ambushes. Coop grunted to himself, refusing to grant so much grace to something he intended to kill. If the invader didn’t want to take the initiative, he would gladly take it for himself.

Rather than continue to lazily entertain the preliminary appearance of his opponent, he sought to claim the opening strike. He planted a heavy foot onto the gritty ground, sinking slightly beneath the heaviness of the overwhelmingly dense spear, then launched it high into the sky, fully extending his arm into the gloom with a pinched exhale through his flexed abs. The ethereal missile shot through the darkness of the approaching night, dragging a dusty contrail that glinted for a few moments longer with an angry red reflection before being completely lost to his sight.

The water continued to churn for a few seconds, patterns uninterrupted. Murky waves had grown large enough to break, dotting the surface of the black water with small white caps that oozed with vivid green, all across the sea. The air vibrated so that Coop’s ears buzzed uncomfortably while mana pummeled the beach like it was the approach of a building tropical storm. Then, without any further warning, the heavy spear that he had thrown cut through the surface of the water, barely adding its own splash to the turmoil. It landed directly above where the first bubbles had formed in a perfectly placed shot, but for another second nothing more happened.

A moment later, as the spear blasted deeper into the sea and struck something with enough solidity to trigger the mana explosion beneath the dark surface, a gout of white water erupted from the sea. Ethereal shrapnel that rapidly dissipated into mists before gravity could pull them back down enhanced the explosion of thick liquid, carrying the substance high into the black sky. The droplets of water glittered with red as they were caught in the wind before falling, almost in slow motion.

Coop peered into the chaos borne from his attack, ignoring the splashing water as he sought signs of his opponent while resummoning a second spear for a repeat of the orbital strike. He was aware that he hadn’t defeated whatever was coming due to the lack of notifications, but he wasn’t discouraged yet. That would have been too easy anyway. The attack would have been enough to split one of the Underlayer Siege Bosses in half, but this one would obviously be a higher level.

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Before he stepped into another throw, the surface of the water seemed to warp, still covered in white foam from his explosive attack. The foam slid off the rising shape while the water held together like superheated glass. A bulbous figure arose from beneath the unbroken surface, too large to be immediately recognizable beyond its size. It shot upwards, growing and growing, like a smooth mirror-like mountain being born between tectonic plates, causing Coop to step back as he tried to keep its entirety within his field of view despite the distance.

He adjusted the aim of his second spear, losing the confidence he had in predicting what his opponent actually was, and sent a line drive as it continued to rise. A wave of water preceded what must have been a limb as it sideswiped his spear, sending it careening off to the side with its own momentum.

As the bulge in the water widened, he recognized shoulders attached to a head that was already approaching the height of an entire Siege Boss. Coop started to feel real doubt in his actual abilities like he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Water draped the surface of the monster, clinging to it like a shadowy cloak that had been printed onto its skin. It matched the Elite Primal Insurgents, with their polished black shells, the only color present reflected through hints of red from the sky. Then, it raised both of its arms, confirming that it was a humanoid creature with familiar shaped limbs. From Coop’s perspective, It seemed intent on pulling itself from what looked like a swampy lagoon full of molasses.

However, rather than rising higher and revealing more of its body, the torso of the giant leaned forward while the arms were slammed down toward the beach. The limbs were like a pair of impossibly large, felled trees, their canopy of leaves replaced by fists, clenched tightly in preparation for slamming the earth. Coop only had a split second to gape at the spectacle, realizing he was in the presence of yet another titan, one that clearly wasn’t on the side of humanity.

In the end, Coop did end up retreating, backpedaling as his eyes were drawn to the ridiculously large forearms that sought to crush the coast. Luckily, the arms didn’t extend far onto dry land, attached to the boss monster’s shoulders which hadn’t been able to move far from their original position off the shore. The enemy was fixed to its position in the sea, with only its upper torso breaking the surface of the dark water. Still, it towered above the beach.

Coop stumbled when the black metal limbs slammed into the coast, causing an enormous tremor and sending tidal waves of black sand and water across the shore. Coop raised his shield to protect his eyes, and by the time the clatter of debris slowed enough for him to peek above the edge, the monster had removed its arms, spreading them out to the sides, palms up, as if it was assuming the position of an orchestral conductor as they were greeted by an adoring audience. Its featureless face angled up toward the sky, as it reveled in a silent applause to its arrival. Coop inspected the tremendous Primal Construct, unsure if Siege Bosses were truly meant to become like this.

[Region Boss: Omega Construct (Level 450)]

[The Last]

[Manifestation of the Primal Constructs]

Coop grunted at the creature’s designation, spear returning to his sand-covered hand. While Coop acknowledged the new tier of enemy, not a Siege Boss at all, he had no time to come to terms with the escalation in scale. The monstrous boss was still moving, raising its right arm and extending its fingers while a storm of murky mana engulfed its digits. It pinched its fingers together and a moment later a familiar black metal needle manifested from the swirl of mana, magnified in size by a thousand times. It held the gigantic needle carefully between its fingers before it dramatically flicked the implement across the sky, like it was a wand, twisting it as if to write some calligraphy, culminating with having the tip pointed directly at Coop’s position.

In the shallow water between Coop and the Region Boss, thousands of the smaller Elite Primal Insurgents appeared. Rather than dropping stealth, they had been summoned by the main enemy as easily as Coop could cast Retribution and summon an ethereal weapon.

Coop glanced at the Omega Construct as its smooth head angled back down from the sky, finally facing him. A pair of enormous, pupiless, rectangular eyes slid open on its otherwise featureless face. They glowed with a sinister red and were fixed upon his position, laser focused on the one that had torn through its domain without an invitation. Then another pair opened beneath the first pair, and a third pair beneath the second.

Coop exhaled as he launched his third heavy spear at the center of the creature’s face, utilizing all of his enhanced strength to grasp the initiative that seemed to be slipping away. Unlike most of his most recent encounters, this was clearly one that would challenge his level of power. The spear ripped through the thick atmosphere, an even more powerful line drive that would blast a hole directly through the faceplate of the partially revealed boss.

When the spear landed, too abrupt to be intercepted, it exploded on the exterior of the monster as all six eyes flickered shut, sending an ethereal smoke cloud blasting past its features. As the mists and shrapnel disappeared, following the momentum of the throw behind the point of contact, the Omega Construct remained completely motionless. The fact that it wasn’t collapsing in a wreck of twisted metals was already enough to know that Coop hadn’t done the damage he had hoped.

For a moment the stillness of the oppressive domain returned, and Coop stared into the many unblinking eyes of the titanic manifestation as they opened back up and his spear solidified in his hand. It seemed to stare back, looming over the backs of an army of slender polished constructs who hadn’t yet moved to engage. The look of disgust that marred Coop’s expression had come unconsciously, but the rage he felt toward the alien invader burned all the same. It didn’t seem like the monster felt anything at all, but it had lured him to its den and already shaken off three of his most powerful attacks. It reminded Coop of a time when he lacked the firepower to decisively end things, but that was essentially a lifetime ago. He was different now, or at least he thought so.

The Omega Construct responded by jabbing its oversized wand toward Coop. Coop reacted instantly, and while he prepared to evade the aggressive move, planting his foot into the sand, the wand abruptly stopped. At the same time, a thousand Insurgents fired their own needles from the palms of their hands, as if directed by the motion, and Coop only had a split second to raise his shield and dive toward his side, onto the ground, in an effort to avoid the bulk of the coordinated attack after rapidly changing directions.

Even though his evasive maneuver was successful, he was still bombarded by projectiles. His shield transformed into a pincushion, protecting his most vital areas as he swung it across his body, but his flesh was also struck dozens of times out of a thousand attacks.

Coop stabbed his spear into the ground and used his empty hand to rip a needle from his thigh and another from his bicep, flicking them into the ground where they immediately began disintegrating as he stood back up, ignoring the rest. Mists leaked from the wounds in his body as additional acidic magic damage events were resisted and further debuffs were prevented by his Infusion skill. Still, just the needles had caused the most significant amount of damage he had taken in recent memory. He was coming to the realization that he was actually in danger.

He yanked the spear out of the ground and used it to snap the needles embedded in his shield before slamming his foot into the ground and blasting the weapon toward the boss. He aimed to bypass the army of Insurgents with a mistjump that would put him on the shoulder of the giant Region Boss where he could summon one of his more heavy hitting melee weapons and show this creature just what it would require to shake off the Revenant’s attacks.

He flickered across the battlefield, reappearing in an instant, but as soon as he burst from the mists, he was caught by a reflexive backhand. It swatted him away like an annoying fly that buzzed too close to an ear, shattering his shield into tiny fragments while easily preventing him from beginning his assault.

Coop rocketed back toward the beach, smashing into the dark shoreline with an explosion of dirt and sand that sent debris halfway back to the forest. He crashed through the surface, leaving behind a deep trench that began filling with the dark water as he stumbled back to his feet and shook the dirt from his hair.

The arm that had smacked him was larger than a city bus and had moved at least as fast as he could. The pained grunt that came unbidden from his throat caught him by surprise, almost as much as the counter.

He spat the sand from his mouth, taking a moment to reconsider his approach as the Elite Primal Insurgents drew closer in leaping bounds. This wasn’t a fight he would be able to end so easily and he’d rather not be slapped around by such an enormous enemy if he could help it. Some credit was due to this Primal Construct.

Instead of reengaging immediately, he stood straight and shut his eyes, raising his spear while his broken shield regenerated in his offhand, much larger than before so that it could protect his whole body. He was imagining his own army of phantasms to support his efforts against the Region Boss. If a battle of attrition was what it would take, then that’s what they would get.