Chapter Text
- Ley line Surge • Noun
a sudden increase in Ley line activity (ex: mob spawning) from a specific Ley Line Blossom. Caused by excess Ley Line energy either due to inactivity or a blockage in the lines being destroyed. Can range from minor to severe.
Minor Surges are characterized by a marginal increase in both mob density and level - bringing extra party members is suggested
Moderate Surges are characterized by a moderate increase in both mob density and level - caution is necessary when dealing with Moderate Surges.
Severe Surges are characterized by a substantial increase in both mob density and level, and may even spawn specialized mobs. Severe Surges are extremely dangerous, and any nearby towns should be evacuated. Considered a Natural Disaster.
Ley Line Surges. Before these last few months, he’d read about them before- but never truly considered them. Due to adventurer activity, there was never enough energy for one to occur, and blockages were moderated and taken care of.
So how exactly did he end up in this situation? Supplies dwindling, in the sheer cold, and constantly being attacked by high level monsters. He was at his limit.
Perhaps there was a blockage deep underground where they could reach- maybe someone wasn’t doing their job correctly and didn’t notice the giant buildup- but however it happened didn’t matter now.. what did matter is getting out of this disaster alive.
Surely the Knights were coming to get him. Surely they’d come to get him soon.. right? They wouldn’t just leave the Chief Alchemist to rot in this frozen landscape.. but it had been months, and not a single sign of them.
A last ditch effort to destroy the core of the problem while it was on the lower side but still too dangerous to fully escape (like normal Ley line challenges, these come in waves..)- the Ley Line Blossom leads Albedo to the epicenter of this disaster.
He stumbled through the snow, a snowstorm in full effect. Wind whipped past him as he tried to stay upright. Between little water, little food and dwindling supplies for fire- the alchemist was not in good condition.
*WHACK*
His eyes widen as his back is practically split in half with the force of the blow. He’s sent flying forward into the spherical formation, just in time to witness something incredible. He noticed something he hadn’t before. A major line came up and sprouted into the blossom- but a second line branches off of that one.. twisting into a smaller, more condensed blossom off to the side.
Several hilichurl Shamen giggle as the Mitachurl readies another swing. The smaller blossom condenses further, as the Mitachurl begins to put momentum behind its swing.
The condensed energy then changes form as the alchemist reached out towards it in a panicked haze- and soon enough he found himself looking at an extremely strange sight… himself
His own face was staring right back at him.
It looked up, right as the Mitachurl brings down its axe-
*SHK- THUNK*
The axe carved through the hardened snow and hits the ground underneath with an earth-shaking force.
Albedo looked on, more confused than he had ever been looking over even the most complicated of alchemy concepts. His (extra) double had been able to move the both of them out of the way just in time. The double propped the alchemist up on a stone before turning back to the Mitachurl, quickly kicking a thrown Dendro slime out of the way as it was thrown.
It clenched a copied version of Albedo’s sword in its hand before spotting a smaller hilichurl wielding a club. To the alchemist’s bewilderment, the double went for the hilichurl first, swiftly driving its blade through the creature’s throat.
Any giggling or confidence the monsters had before was turned into horror as the Double grabbed the (now) corpse’s arm, before it was sucked into the Double.
It doubled (no pun intended) over for a moment, before it’s skin turned the same color as a hilichurl’s, it’s muscles contorting- before it’s skin turned back to the alchemist’s pale complexion.
It then took a deep breathe before running right at the Mitachurl. It hesitated for a moment before raising its axe to swing. The double quickly jumped, the axe swung through the air, the double twisted midair- using their own sword
As soon as the alchemist blinked it was over- the Mitachurl not even hitting the ground before it met the same fate as the smaller hilichurl. Unfortunately, the smaller blade of the Alchemist hadn’t held up against the pressure, and ended up breaking.
The Double simply grabbed the Mitachurl’s weapon, and quickly took care of the slow Shamen Hilichurl- (them also being seemingly absorbed)
Albedo was starting to really feel the blood loss at this point, his last few moments of consciousness being filled with his double turning back towards him, discarding the axe and walking in his direction.
And yet.. he was too far gone to think how much danger he could be in.
—
Jean paced around her office, hair unkempt, eyes dark. A full paper on Ley Line Surges written by Lisa lay on her desk, alongside a report from some adventures on the situation on Dragonspine.
Information was limited, not even Fischl’s companion- Oz was able to get too close without provoking the monsters. They blocked just about every point of entry to Dragonspine. The only information they had was that it was a Severe Surge… a natural disaster..
This wasn’t like Hilichurls… they aren’t coordinated strategists. They live in small tribes with- MAYBE a Shaman and Mitachurl. They attack anyone who gets close to their camp- but most of all they had no strategy. Each member just did whatever- they shot arrows, tho with clubs, maybe used magic if they’re a shaman.
But the Hilichurls from the Surge.. they were different. They coordinated to keep people in. They coordinated to keep people out. They’re BUILDING their forces, for fucks sake.
And Albedo, Chief alchemist, was stuck right in the middle of it.
Most of all.. this was someone more intelligent’s doing. Not even an Abyss Mage could pull this off.
No… something else was at play here.
Prologue: Where it’s not even chapter 1 and everything has gone to shit.