Jack stared at his opponent.
The one controlling the cursed mecha was a summoned creature. As that was the case, there must be a special rune. A rune that functioned as a binding rune. A rune that glowed in the shades of green.
Without a binding rune, the creature would not be able to stay longer than an hour in this world. He had to find it and destroy it.
The locomotive-mecha charged at him. Swinging its oversized iron arms.
Jack jump-rolled sideway, evading the obvious attack. And then he leaped. Slashing his unnaturally sharp scythe. Tearing part of the iron plating.
The machine-beast was a goddamn wrecking ball. It was all screeching metal and relentless force.
Jack dodged another swipe of its piston-powered arm. The wind whistling past his hooded head.
The ruined buildings of Whitecoal Town offered little cover. The thing was too big. Too fast.
He needed to find that binding rune. Fast.
The locomotive roared. It was a sound that scraped against his very being. It charged again. It smashed through the remains of a storefront like it was made of paper.
Jack leaped aside. The ground vibrated beneath him.
He channeled his [Draugr's Combat Instinct]. Letting it guide his movements. Rapidly evading the barrage of punches. Turning his undead body into a blur of motion.
He danced around the machine. It was a grim reaper waltz amidst the ruins. His scythe sang a song of death. It chipped away at the locomotive's armor. It caused sparks flying with each strike.
But it was like trying to take down a mountain with a toothpick. The damage was insignificant for the monster. He needed precision. Not brute force.
He circled around his monstrous opponent. Observing. The thing was a grotesque combination of scrap metal and infernal energy.
It was held together by the warped will of the shadowy creature. He needed to expose that creature's anchor. He needed to remove its link to this world. The binding rune.
But he hadn't seen such rune in its body.
The fight was a chaotic ballet of destruction. The locomotive smashed. Jack dodged. He slashed. It retaliated.
Buildings crumbled. The ground cracked. The air was filled with the stench of burning coal and corrupted magic.
He felt the strain. It was not physical exhaustion. But it was the drain of his mental focus. This thing was a goddamn storm of destruction. Just failing to evade one attack could spell the end for him.
Jack had been fighting for what felt like an eternity. Each near miss was chipping away at his mental fortitude.
He swung his scythe horizontally. Taking a chunk of the creature's metal armor. It responded. Smashing its piston-powered arm at him. He quickly evaded. It was another close call.
But he had to admit. He was getting tired mentally.
"Damn it!" He roared. Slamming his scythe down on the locomotive's headlight. The glass shattered. Showering the area in shards. The place turned into darkness once more.
The screeching halted. The grinding gears stuttered. The whole monstrous construct began to convulse. The metal plates were shifting and grinding against each other. It was transforming. Reverting back to its original form.
It was just like what previously happened. The mecha-beast was becoming a train again.
And, for a split second, as the plates peeled back, Jack saw it. A rune, glowing with sickly green light. It was etched onto the side of the engine. That was it... the binding rune.
But it was gone as fast as it appeared. It was swallowed back into the machine as the transformation completed. The locomotive stood before him.
It was no longer a monstrous war machine. It was just a broken, rusted train. But he knew it wouldn't take long until it recovered and it became monster again.
"Damn it!" Jack swore again.
He understood now. The rune was only visible during the transformation. He had to time it perfectly. He glanced at the train. Waiting. Impatient.
A few minutes passed. He was anticipating the next transformation. He kept his scythe ready. His draugr's combat instinct was on edge.
The locomotive shuddered. It was happening again. The metal groaned, the pistons hissed, and the transformation began.
This time, Jack was ready. He exploded into motion. A dark blur propelled by pure determination.
He focused on the spot where he had seen the rune before. He weaved around the shifting metal plates. Dodging the hissing steam.
There!
The rune was exposed again. He swung his scythe with all his might. The blade was connected with a satisfying crack. The metal beneath the rune shattered. The sickly green light extinguished.
Done!
The transformation stopped mid-process. The machine shuddered. It reverted back. It groaned one final time. And then it fell silent. It was back to a normal, broken locomotive again.
The curse was broken.
...
But the silence was short-lived. The air crackled with sudden, intense energy.
From the heart of the locomotive wreckage, a vortex of shadow coalesced. It solidified. Writhing and twisting.
Until it took a vaguely humanoid form. Pure black. Slender. Hunchbacked. Long arms.
Eyes like burning coals bored into Jack. A low, guttural growl echoed from its form. Just like coal grinding against steel.
The creature screeched. It voice was a symphony of discord.
Jack gripped his scythe tighter. The bone handle felt cold against his dead flesh.
He realized what this thing was. He had expected this would happen. The summoned creature.
It was the architect of the curse. The source of the town's tragedy. The puppet master behind the possessed locomotive. A demonic parasite clinging to the echoes of pain and sorrow.
It could disappear back to its realm, now that the binding rune was gone. But, it seemed it was too feral. Or too corrupted.
"Alright Blacky!" Jack said. His draugr's voice was dry and hoarse. "Since you didn't choose to go home... Time for your judgement."
The creature lunged. Its form was fluid. It was constantly shifting. Tendrils of shadow lashed out with unnatural speed.
Jack parried with a slash of his scythe. The infernal blade slicing through the darkness. Sparks flew as hellish metal met shadowy flesh.
The duel began. A dance of death under the pale moonlight of the twin moons.
The creature was a master of deception. Its shadowy limbs feinted and struck from impossible angles.
Jack had his [Draugr's Combat Instinct] though. A skill fueled by the ages of a warrior's accumulated experience of struggles.
He met his opponent's onslaught with grim determination. And masterful expertise. He flowed like water. His movements were precise and economical. Deflecting attacks with practiced ease.
But his opponent was also skilled and experienced...
The creature slammed a shadowy fist into Jack's chest. Sending him staggering back. He felt the cold seep into his very bones, draining his strength.
He retaliated with a sweeping arc of his deadly scythe. Forcing the creature to retreat. He immediately followed with another slash. His scythe turned into a whirling dervish of death.
The air thrummed with power. The Grim Reaper's tool cleaved through the shadowy essence. The scythe connected. It sliced through the heart of darkness. Releasing a shrieking wave of raw energy.
The creature staggered. Its form was flickering violently. Jack pressed his advantage. He knew this was his moment. He channeled his draugr's rage into each swing.
His scythe became a blur of motion. It was a whirlwind of bone and infernal steel. He chopped at the creature's weakening defenses. Each strike chipped away at its shadowy form.
The creature retaliated with desperate fury. Shadow tendrils lashed out. Leaving trails of icy cold where they passed. One wrapped around Jack's leg. Attempting to drag him down into the abyss.
He grunted. Severing the tendril with a swift downward stroke. Another shadow claw raked across his undead face. Tearing away a chunk of his decaying cheek. He ignored the wound. His focus was unwavering.
He spun and flipped. Dodging a volley of shadowy projectiles. They exploded against the wreckage of a house, leaving behind patches of frost and lingering darkness.
He pressed forward. Relentless in his assault. He leapt and brought his scythe down in a two-handed overhead swing.
The blade struck true. It cleaved the creature's shoulder. A torrent of shadowy energy erupted. Washing over Jack.
He felt a searing pain. It was like his very soul was being burned. But he held on. He refused to yield. Almost there. The final push.
He saw an opening and lunged again. Aiming for the creature's core. The scythe connected. It sliced through the heart of darkness. Releasing a shrieking wave of raw energy.
The creature roared in agony as its form began to unravel. The shadows flickered. Sputtered. And then with a final, desperate shriek, they collapsed in on themselves. The air cleared. The pure black creature was gone.
Then, a wave of spectral energy washed over the town. The air cleared. The oppressive atmosphere lifted. And the feeling of dread that had hung over Whitecoal Town for decades vanished like smoke.
And then, he saw them. Seven spectral figures. Translucent and sorrowful. They were hovering near the broken locomotive. The children.
They looked at him. Their eyes were filled with gratitude. Then they smiled. Fading away into the light. Their souls were finally free.
Jack smiled. An extremely ugly smile on his dead draugr face. He won.
The ruined town was now free of curse. But there was still a faint residue of the curse on an object. The locomotive.
He approached it without stopping his vigilance. This felt... similar to the statue of Goddess of Purity in Highcliff Sewer. Or the werewolf statues in Ironpile Town.
He reached out a hand to touch its cold, rusted surface.
Immediately, the system notification appeared.
[OBJECT OF POWER DISCOVERED!]
[NOT ENOUGH POWER INTENSITY. ABSORBED AND CONDENSED INTO 5 ARTIFACT SEEDS.]
[DETECTED THE HOST POSSESSING 11 SEEDS]
[AVAILABLE CONVERSION OF 8 SEEDS TO A PERSONAL ARTIFACT] CHOOSE ONE:
[GRIM REAPER ATTIRE]
[SHIELD OF DUAT]
[BATTLE MAGICIAN CANE]
Jack stared at the notification. Another artifact? Nice. His Grim Reaper Scythe was his first artifact. And he liked it very much.
Now, another one was finally here. All those choices sounded interesting. But, which one to pick?