ALEXiThymiA: Chapter 105 Banishment

<<<<Author's Note: SUBSTANTIAL REVISION: Thank you all for your feedback. I realize you all are correct, as such I have made some substantial revisions to this chapter, particularly at the end. Hopefully this change will help the overall chapter make more sense. If not,  please let me know if more is needed.>>>>>

Chapter 105

Banishment

“Finally!” Alexa said, as a sadistic smile filled her lips. She was tired, bleeding, and exhausted. She had gashes on her body that were still slowly bleeding. Her muscles were still constricted from having been electrocuted. Her feet felt like they could slide out from underneath her at any moment from the way water and mud sloshed about in her boots in equal measure.

The minotaur she was forced to go against was easily twenty feet tall, could breathe fire from its nose. Its sharp horns jutted out like bent traffic lights extending out high into the sky. Despite both having run for over three miles each, the path that Alexa had forced the minotaur to go through was met with more road blocks and enemy combatants, mainly because Alexa used the two opposing armies as distraction and cannon fodder to allow her to escape the giant monster’s relentless pursuit.

It had only been a half a minute since Alexa spent her entire reserve of mana to create not one but two distinct magical effects that affected a wide area. She had of course caused both sections of the poisonous hedge maze to grow and lash out against the elves who attempted to pin her in a wall of death between them and the minotaur. Additionally, she had created a tri-weave effect of quicksand and blinding light that disoriented the elves into falling into, or pushing their companions into the growing walls.

All of this was to say, that given the odds, it was clear that the level 0 Alexa with only a slotted class, should have been well outmatched against the minotaur, she should have been at a complete disadvantage.

Legendary Sized Minotaur (Summoned Aspect): Level ???, Status: Healthy, Disposition: Enraged

Even inspecting the monster, showed that the minotaur now knew that things were getting desperate, as its disposition had changed from Guarding, to the now evident Enraged.

How could Alexa know that the minotaur was enraged? Simple, it all but seemed to glow with a bright internal light, as if its entire inner body was filled with burning magma. Flames and sparks could be seen flowing out of the nostrils of the enraged beast. Seeing the monster, its sheer size, and power Alexa couldn’t help but feel excitement boiling deep within her.

Her mission was simple, draw a bit of blood from the beast and have it fall to the ground. Logically just as Alexa herself had numerous and cuts and scratches on her body from her battles with the orcs and elves, the minotaur too could have such injuries as well. But the beast was massive, and judging by the deep glow emanating from the creature, Alexa felt that the blood of such a monster would be readily apparent, as she expected it to glow much like magma would.

Thump, rumble, stomp.

Each step forward caused the ground to shake and vibrate. Using the energy of the unknown, feeling surges and waves of Earth energy flow through and then past her. Her body able to absorb some of the ambient energy being released, at least that is what she mentally thought. She also knew that at times like these, thinking was just as important as things actually happening. So regardless of the facts, Alexa chose to believe the flowing energy around her made her stronger, that she was in fact growing stronger with each massive stomp and pressure filled wave of energy that washed over and through her.

Alexa held onto the feeling, then moved.

While her mana was completely depleted, she knew from experience that her psychic related powers operated from a different reserve of energy. One was a mental pool of energy; the other was a more spiritual pool of energy. This was partly why the two sets had always been separated, even being noted as being on two different colors and sides of her school uniform’s sash. Green for magic, and blue for psychic, while magic was always more revered for its vast utility, the psychic powers had their own innate benefits. Her psychic powers allowed her to avoid having her mind read, gave her better ways to read opponents thanks to her Analytical Eye (I), and gave her a greater resistance to magic, thanks to her Magic Disruption. But the one power that she always held onto as a just in case, would finally come to life here.

Reaching out with her mind, she reached out with a power she hadn’t used since the fourth stage of her Trials of Ascension. There she was forced to change and adapt to the world she found herself in. It was on that very stage that she learned her first word of power. A word that she first had to internalize the very concept of the rebellion she now stands for. The very rebellion she has forced vampires, werewolves, and humans to all walk with her.

Seeing the monster before her, she reached out with her mind and then with the force of her will, she imagined a giant invisible all powerful hand grabbing hold of the demonic beast and lifting the beast up high into the air.

Tremble.

There was of course, only one problem. Alexa was only geared towards fighting with magic. Of all of her titles and bonuses that she had, only three that helped cover her normal attributes. Those were of course her Rank: Countess which offered a 35% bonus to her attributes, and then a further 35% bonus to her psychic powers. Then of course her Title(s): Dungeon Runner, and Attribute Increase, both of which increased her Attributes by 13% and 110% respectively. This all added up to give her maxed out attributes a bonus of 879, which allowed her to lift 8,790 pounds. This should normally ben more than enough power, to lift over four tons of weight. Yet, either her mental exhaustion was playing a part, or the minotaur had some anti-psychic protections making combating the massive beast with psychic powers to be all but useless.

Regardless of the reason, Alexa found herself struggling to lift the creature into the air.

Wham.

The minotaur slammed a massive hoof down onto the ground. The force was so intense that it sent a minor shockwave of force directly at Alexa. Focusing through the attack, Alexa kept her concentration on strangling the massive monster before her. Not just lifting the monster up, but forcing the beast up by intense pressure placed in and around its massive neck.

Struggling there, Alexa forced the mental hand to Telekinetically lift the monster higher and higher. Inches above the ground the beast squirmed for a second. Then an intense look of rage and desperation flashed across the beast’s eyes. At least that is what the status effects showed.

Legendary Sized Minotaur (Summoned Aspect): Level ???, Status: Choking, Disposition: Desperation

Then she was it, the moment that desperation led to action. One second the minotaur was grasping at an invisible hand around its neck. Then the next second, its horns began to pulse and thrum with an electrical current that spoke of violence.

Seeing the build up and discharge, Alexa dropped the beast and immediately began rolling to her left out of the way.

ZZAPP!

A bolt of dark lightning struck at the ground where Alexa had been standing a moment before. Even though she had managed to get out of the way, she still felt the intense pull and release of energy. Energy that her body greedily absorbed. Within seconds, minor aches and pains she had been feeling began to dissipate as her tense and sore muscles began to relax slightly.

Thud.

The minotaur didn’t make it out of the situation unharmed as it collapsed to the ground, letting loose a massive rumble as it stumbled and rolled to get back to its cloven feet.

Seeing this as her time she called forth the energy that her body had been building up. Seeing the beast now, it was clear that elves and orcs alike both tired and failed to use their magical energies against the beast. Scorch marks from where Arcane blasts landed could be seen, doing little more than scorching away a bit of fur. Likewise the signs of wind blades could be seen against the beast skin, doing little more than parting away skin in clear lines.

Seeing the beast she attempted her own brand of magic, drawing some of her reserves and let loose an intense ball of tightly woven magic.

Arcane Plasma Ball.

The sphere of energy flew forward towards the giant beast. As it approached, Alexa saw how the tightly woven threads of energy all began to fray and tear as it got close to the beast. Then she watched in interest as her once brightly ball of light crashed into the beast, leaving little more than a minor gash in the beast.

Then she watched as a slight trickle of glowing red magma blood oozed out from the minor wound on its massive thigh and just sat there. That was it, the full effect of her magical prowess at work, unwoven and undone by an anti-magic barrio that seemed to naturally surround the great beast.

Seeing the glowing blood, Alexa nodded to herself. That was it, her final bust of mana that her body had managed to siphon off and accumulate.

In her mind she knew that if she had been at full energy the wound would have been great. Just that minor gash showed that her magic would work, if barely. Now the only problem lay in the fact that she was exhausted, she had spent her entire magical surge on getting to this point.

Meaning now, she had to rely on her old but reliable form. Her fists.

Smiling, she began charging forward.

The minotaur saw her advance, and instantly jumped to its feet, as it began stomping its giant legs into the ground, trying to build up momentum.

Alexa moved with the energy, having her strides run counter to the stomping hooves of the minotaur. This allowed her to run between the most violent of the energy waves that shot out through the ground.

As she approached, the beast grew even more enraged. Its eyes glowed a deep crimson, steam poured out of its nose, and most importantly electricity began flowing off of its body in waves.

Zzz.

The closer she got, the more static build up she felt, as the hairs on her body began to stand on end. Charging forward she let her analysis skills and Analytical Eye (I)  flare to life, as she let began reading the attack path of the monster. She was outclassed in size, speed, and power. But there was one thing she had in droves, determination.

Willing her body to move forward, she charged forward angling her body slightly to the left, forcing the minotaur to shift its body its right. Then Alexa shifted right, once again causing the giant minotaur to stop, come to a stop, then turn again. Like this, Alexa found she could dictate the speed of the battle, the time when they would intercept each other and ultimately, when she would get under the guard of the minotaur.

Whoosh!

Flames shot out from the beast, but Alexa didn’t flinch. The flames burned, but she forced her way through the pain. Her self-Created poly-weave carbon clothes more than capable of dissipating the worst of the flames.  What her clothes couldn’t deflect, her body absorbed, and her psychic powers further dispersed. Her skin was charred and painful, but it was minor. Even now the stolen energy from the flames went directly into fusing her body with Regeneration. It would take time for her body to get back to its normal state, but it was still a start, just enough to keep the edge off of the pain. Just enough to keep her mind sharp and focused, as she ducked under a surprise swing of the minotaur.

The minotaur was so surprised to see Alexa barrel through the flames that it let out a half hearted swipe that Alexa was easily able to duck under. Then Alexa dove in close, darting to the right, then weaving under a massive leg, she made her move.

Lunging into the air, she dashed forward, flying like a spider monkey at the massive monster. A split second of fear flashed over the minotaur, the same way any larger animal would react when assaulted by a feral creature.

WHAM!

A meaty hand the size of a door slammed into Alexa.

Oof!

The wind was forced out of her lungs, as bones broke and crumpled under the sever impact of the blow. Her ribs weren’t the only damage she suffered either, as her arm was dislocated, as she was caught up in an awkward position she was struck, her arm splayed out wide.

Rolling over, she held her arms out wide.

Blood from punctured lungs filled her lips, as she tried to wheeze in breaths full of precious air, only to be met by blood in her lungs. Still it had all been worth it.

Holding up her hand, there was a faint glow, as a bright red light seemed to be caught within her hand. Holding the hand out, she slammed it down on the ground. Instantly swells of energy could be felt pulsating out from the epicenter of the circle she was in, which happened to be right where her rolling body finished going to.

With blood covered teeth, Alexa smiled wide, as she turned to look at the Minotaur. A monster from myth and legend, one so powerful that she stood no chance against it, that much she was certain of now. Still, she felt the waves and pulses of energy flowing out from her, flowing to the circle and then ultimately to the burning blood in her hand. Blood that now formed a sympathetic link to the giant minotaur.

“NO, no!” The minotaur let out, in a deep guttural voice.

Hearing the words, Alexa paused, as she felt she could almost understand the grunts of the beast. It had been one of her languages that she had learned so long ago, a language she had thought of as useless until now.

Her mind thought about the language, more so than what was happening right before her. It was an odd language, then she remembered what it was, the language of the Harbingers.

Realizing that, she looked to the beast, that was now glowing in a bright blinding light that surrounded and encapsulated the beast.

Then Alexa watched as the sphere of energy surrounding the monster solidified and then began to sink through the floor. Or rather, it sank through the thin membrane of energy on the ground that seemed to momentarily link the dungeon to a land of fire and flames.

Even with a sealed connection heat and intense energy leaked out from the alternate realm. The energy was so powerful and pure that Alexa first felt the energy wash over her in a wave. Then she felt the moment the surge of energy was too much, as her greedy body tried to absorb too much too quickly. She felt the energy pulse and flood into, until finally she felt like she was going to burst.

Then in a moment it was gone.

Whoosh!

It was done.

The beast was gone, sent back to an alternate dimension.

Wheezing.

Alexa forced pain filled breath after pain filled breath through her lungs. Still, she had done it, her ribs were broken, her arm dislocated, her hand nearly burnt off by holding magma blood in her hand. Yet, despite all this, she had succeeded. She had been punctured, electrocuted, nearly poisoned and trampled to death, and set on fire, but she had done it.

Healing.

Using the newly absorbed energy that flooded her body from the alternate dimension, she began casting Heal on herself. It would take time, but she could already feel her bones being forced out of her lungs, causing a slight tickling sensation, as she felt her body beginning to convulse, in an attempt to cough up blood from her lungs.

Everything burned from inside, as her blood began forcing its way up her esophagus. Still, it was a welcome sensation, “tastes like victory.” She said to herself between bouts of coughing up blood. It had been a long time since she had been so close to death. Even with the knowledge of the dungeon,  she had been close to death. She had been cocky, and complacent, she realized that. In fact, she had known that this was the case for a while, but she had ignored it, turned a blind eye to it.

I need to train more, to do better. Alexa swore to herself.

Then just as she thought this, she saw her reward for completing the dungeon appear before her.

Reaching out her unblemished left hand, she grabbed the stones and instantly infused them with her energy. She had earned them; she had earned a break.

The flow of energy allowed her to relax slightly, though her mind was still too foggy to focus on what she had gained as a reward from the dungeon. Especially as her danger senses were telling her that she was now being surrounded by yet more enemies.

Clap, clap.

“I must congratulate you. It is not everyone who can pull off the Banishment Ritual, even while our Mana Draining and Mana Dispersion wards are in effect.” A well-dressed elven noble said, as she nonchalantly strode casually and began inspecting Alexa as if she were some dungeon awarded prize for completion.

After the comments, everything made sense to Alexa, the constant fatigue, the difficulty casting, everything was making sense. Even the way her Healing, seemed to be taking forever, it all suddenly made sense, and she was kicking herself mentally for not noticing the changes previously.

With an act of desperation, Alexa rose up to her feet, forcing out strained wheezing breaths as she fought to stand.

“Oh look at that, she still has some fight in her. You will make a special prize to my collection.” The elven noble said, then with a gesture, she signaled for more high level elves to appear. “Get her.”