Chapter 96: Kelpie
Robert stood still, his head spinning as he tried to wrap his mind around what just went down. The Dagda had torn him apart, cleaned out his soul, and rebuilt him tougher than ever. The Triskellion on his back, a blazing mark of divine power and balance, pulsed with energy, a permanent sign of the change he'd gone through. Magic flowed through him like never before, pure and unstoppable, a rush that hit him hard. He wasn't the same guy anymore. The Dagda made damn sure of that. He had broken through the peak level of his cultivation, to a whole new realm of potential.
The Dagda loomed over him, massive and commanding, with a calm that felt straight-up otherworldly. Robert stood taller now, his body jacked up with the god's blessings. First was the nine-pointed star lodged in his mana core, replacing the one the Warlock had trashed trying to break his soul. Second was the Triskellion glowing on his back, a mark of balance and raw strength. Together, they'd turned him into something bigger than he ever dreamed, body and spirit leveled up.
The Dagda's voice rumbled like a storm kicking up, deep and solid. "These badges will shield their bearers from the Nuckelavee's breath. Its deathly poison will find no purchase on those who wear them." His huge hand pointed at the badges on the ground, like he was making sure Robert got the memo.
"To do this," the Dagda went on, "you must imbue them with a blend of life, light, and water magic to shield against the Nuckelavee's poison, on top of the strength and toughness you've already given them. These elements, pure and fused, make a force that death itself backs off from. Life magic feeds and boosts, light magic guards and shines, water magic washes and cleans. Together, they form a barrier against death, unyielding and pure."
The Dagda stepped closer, his giant frame casting a ghostly shadow over Robert. "Channel these magics into the badges. Let them flow, but keep your head straight. You've got big power now, and it'll demand focus."
Robert nodded, the Dagda's words sinking in, his brain locking onto the job. He knelt by the four badges spread out on the stone floor, hands stretched out toward them. Shutting his eyes, he tapped into his amped-up body. The mana poured out smooth and fast, wilder than he'd ever felt. It flowed so quickly and smoothly that his hands started heating up, almost too hot to handle, from the raw force.
The feeling was unreal, a buzz of strength and freedom that nearly made him crack up laughing. He bit it back, lips twitching into a grin, and zeroed in on the badges. The energy filled them, each one shimmering with the spark of life, water, and purity.
The Dagda, now a faint, ghostly figure, reached down and pressed a massive hand over Robert's Triskellion tattoo. The spirals on his back blazed bright, the mark surging with the god's heavy power. Robert felt the Dagda's energy pour straight into him, an ancient force way beyond anything he'd touched before. It roared through him like a busted dam, and with a wild burst of magic, it shot from his hands into the badges. The four artifacts soaked it up like dry dirt, glowing brighter as divine power sank in.
In front of him, on the floor, sat four enchanted hydra-scale badges. Each one gave off a vibe of protective power and enhancement magic, their energy crackling like a live wire in the quiet room. Robert crouched down, hand hovering over them, feeling their strength. The Dagda's voice echoed in his head, a warning: these badges would only hold their juice for three days before the enchantments fizzled out.
Robert caught his breath after the intense rush, his mind racing as he thought about what he'd signed up for: being a god's disciple. In a world obsessed with science, where faith gets laughed off as dumb, he was living proof of something bigger. He'd seen the impossible, felt it burn through him, and knew it was real. The Dagda wasn't some fairy tale or vague idea. He was legit, powerful, and had left a mark on Robert's soul. That truth hit hard, but it also messed with him. How do you deal with that in a world that won't buy it?
As Robert scooped up the four badges, his head churned over science, magic, and faith. The Dagda had dropped hints about something behind science, a force shaping how the world works. Science calls faith stupid and wants to cage or kill magic. But magic drives new ideas and protection, and faith… it's something else, tough to pin down. He wondered why gods like the Dagda zeroed in on places like Ireland and Scotland. Those questions stuck with him as he geared up for what was next.
One question nagged at him, too big to shake: what about other gods? Were they out there, watching? Judging? No answer came, and he figured the Dagda wouldn't spill if he asked. He let it slide and focused on the job.
When Robert stepped into the room where Langston, Scotty, Euphrates, and Sasha were waiting, the place went dead quiet. All eyes locked on him. He looked taller, shoulders wider, healthier than ever. His eyes were sharp, glowing with a weird intensity. He carried himself with a quiet vibe that screamed authority without saying a word.
Langston got up first, the others around him. Robert walked over, the four badges pulsing in his hands, and passed them to Langston. Langston took them carefully, eyeing Robert and the artifacts. "Thanks," he said, his voice more respectful than usual. He hesitated, looking unsure for a second, then handed the badges to the team.
Langston passed them out, and the others slapped them on. The enchantments kicked in, and a surge of power hit them hard. Strength, agility, and toughness magnified in an instant, their bodies ready to push back the Nuckelavee's corruption. Their eyes went wide, muscles flexing, feet bouncing like they were testing new gear.
Langston grinned, sharp and wicked. "Oh," he said, voice low, "time to show these demons who the real nightmare is."
Robert headed to the arch, his mind still chewing on the Dagda's unanswered questions. He flicked his hand, and the portal roared to life, its swirling energy opening a path to Edinburgh. A long trip turned into seconds as the way cleared.
The Special Forces team was ready. Gear tight, weapons locked in. They checked straps, swapped a quick look of steel resolve, and moved out. Langston led, stepping through the glowing portal, the others right behind.
On the other side, all hell broke loose. Smoke and gunpowder burned the air, mixed with gunfire cracks and monster roars. Shadows zipped between busted buildings as bullets and claws ripped through the fight. Edinburgh's nightmare was back in full swing.
Langston's boots crunched on shattered glass as he hit the warzone. He froze, stunned by the destruction. Edinburgh was trashed. The streets were piled with rubble, twisted metal, and bodies of humans and Cu Sith. The sky choked on smoke and ash, artillery blasts lighting up the chaos. Soldiers in beat-up uniforms darted between makeshift cover, rifles spitting bullets at packs of Cu Sith charging through. The beasts' barking growls were deafening, their green eyes slicing the haze like hot coals.
Langston spotted more military rolling in. Reinforcements from deeper in Scotland, armored trucks, tanks, mortar teams, had joined the mess. A tank rumbled by, turret swinging toward a Cu Sith pack. Its main gun boomed, blasting fur and flesh, but the beasts kept coming. Mortar shells whistled overhead, slamming into the city's heart. The blasts hit the Nuckelavee's lair, pissing off the awful monster. Its howl shook the ground, and Langston's gut twisted as he spotted it thrashing in the moat Robert had made. The Nuckelavee's rage seeped into the ground, its screams dragging more horrors from its corrupted portal.
Scotty slid up next to Langston, voice calm but hard. "We need the command post. No point fighting blind."
Langston snapped out of it and nodded. "Yeah, let's roll." He waved the team on, and they pushed into the chaos, carving a path to the nearest command post.
The Special Forces moved like a machine. Langston took point, zapping Cu Sith up close with lightning bursts. Each hit sent electric arcs dancing over the beasts, dropping them in spasms. Scotty stayed tight, hands blazing like flamethrowers, torching anything too close. The air stank of burnt fur and flesh as monsters piled up.
Euphrates threw up water walls to block attacks, then flipped to offense, trapping beasts in floating bubbles. They thrashed desperately but couldn't escape. They drowned inside the bubbles, and when the bubbles popped, their limp bodies hit the ground. Sasha held the center, hands glowing as she tossed healing spells over the team. The magic wrapped them like a shield, patching cuts and keeping them in top shape. Between heals, she slung life mana into the ground, sprouting grass and plants that glowed, slowing the monsters with death-repelling juice.
The team adjusted as they went, working out combinations of attacks to cover all angles. The four walked in diamond formation, pivoting to cover every side, turning to back each other up when a big pack hit. They blazed a path to the command station with fire, water, lightning, and healing light. Langston's hand-picked team started out a little rough, but by the time they neared the post, they had become the second most terrifying force in Edinburgh.
Langston raised a hand, stopping the team near a fortified building stacked with sandbags and soldiers. The command post bristled with machine guns, hammering waves of beasts. Two Kelpies crashed the fight, their slick, wet bodies glinting with a creepy light. The first smashed into the post, hooves hitting like thunder. Soldiers scattered as it plowed through barricades, leaving behind slick, magical mud puddles that writhed like living things, reaching for anything close. One guy stepped too close, and the puddle sucked him down with a gulp. He was gone.
The second Kelpie eyed three tanks down the line. Its glowing eyes narrowed as it reared back, unleashing a wave of foul water that swallowed the ground under the tanks. The terrain turned to sludge, and the tanks sank, treads stuck, cannons buried in the muck. The beasts' roars got louder, screwing over the artillery.
The team slipped through the madness, hitting the command post's relative safety. Langston scanned the room, locking eyes with a grizzled officer barking into a radio.
"We need an update, aye," Captain Scotty said, his voice slicing through the racket.
The officer glanced up, saluted Scotty's rank, and said, "Captain." He eyed the pulsing badges on their chests and the hard set of their jaws. "Glad you're here," he muttered, jabbing a map spread across a battered table streaked with blood and ash. "We're holding for now, but it won't last. The Nuck's spitting out more monsters, and our artillery barely dents it. We need a fix, fast."