Below the Surface- The Second Door

Merc1225 stared at the first door, which was still smoking.  The scrap metal gathered around it was a testament to the brave pieces of steel that had given their lives in battle to shield the Vault.  But apparently it was not enough.
The Legion army was overpowering.  For every Legion warrior that fell, two Exiles were defeated.  The Lawman did not despair, though.  Apparently he still had a trick up his sleeves.
On the seventh day, they finally broke through.  The shell hit the Delta Vault gate, and it couldn't take it anymore.  It shattered.  The Exiles gathered around their broken gate.  They had expected to see what was inside the Vault- what would turn the tide of war.
The Exiles saw another door.
"You can't be kidding me," Merc1225 groaned.
Ulysses shrugged.  "It makes sense Baelius would think to secure the Delta Vault with more than one door."
Unfortunately, the door was covered by rubble.
"So, how do we get in?" Merc1225 asked.
"The Mechachillids," Ulysses said.  "Wait."  He left, and a few minutes later, he came back with two Mechachillids.
"Their arms were made to easily carry heavy rock," he explained.  "They can help with the debris removal."
Just then, M4tr1x materialized.
"Wait a sec," Merc1225 said, staring at M4tr1x.  "I thought you were aligned with the Legion.  What are you doing here?"
"I am not aligned," M4tr1x replied.  "I was merely created by the Legion.  I have come to offer you a selection of moltings from the Mechachillid.  They can resist damage from the Delta Vault's security systems."
"Excellent," the Lawman said, having joined quietly.  "This should give us an edge over the Legion."
"I am not aligned," M4tr1x repeated.
Merc1225 stared at the armors.
------------------------------------------------
The Light Mechachillid took hold of the last rock.  There it was- the second door.
"Should we call the others?" its partner asked.
"They're already here," the first Mechachillid said.  It pointed to the rows of tanks, manned by Exile Footsoldiers.

Below the Surface- The Delta Vault

The possibility of war was real.  Very real.  In fact, the war was so real that right now, it was happening twenty feet away from Merc1225.
In a turn from the Frysteland War, both the Exiles and the Legion were attacking the Delta Vault.  The two opposing alignments ignored each other as the combatants hacked and slashed away at the Vault, occasionally throwing a few grenades to soften up the defenses of the Vault.
What was in the Delta Vault?  Nobody knew.  Except for Baelius.  The cruel overlord had secured the Delta Vault with thick sheets of metal, making it close to impossible to punch through the doors.  He had added a security system as well.  Gatling guns and a armor-penetrating laser were added to the Delta Vault gates to ensure the continued safety of the Vault. 
Merc1225 walked up to the Exile Footsoldier.  These soldiers had originally gone through the same training as the Exile Soldiers, except near the end, they had been diverted to a special course.  This one was not for the weak-hearted.  When the Footsoldiers emerged, Level 35 and ready, they were at the front lines dividing the Exile and Legion bases.  There was not much warfare there, as most of the forces were concentrated on the vault.
After glancing at the Footsoldier for a while, Merc1225 then continued on to the Exile camp.  Legionnaires were forbidden here.  The roaming Exile Footsoldiers assured that.
Selina and her father, the Lawman, were in one part of the camp.  The Lawman was the leader of these Exile forces.  He had a bone to pick with Silas Auer, the head of the Legion camp and the Lawman's archenemy.  Merc1225 rushed past to the next part of the camp, and the entrance to the Delta Vault.
Galatea, and her husband, Ulysses, were there.  They were the two officers that completed the group of four.  Merc1225 was not sure, but he had a feeling that Ulysses' reconstructed metal face had something to do with this conflict.
At last, he reached the gates.  First, he saw the Delta Vault, gleaming, armed, and ready to take out people.  Then he saw the Heavy Mechachillid coming at him.

Below the Surface- The Beginning

Merc1225 sat down on a gray, flat rock.  He was in the mines, a dangerous and unstable place.  The rock ceiling above him could easily cave in, entombing him for the rest of time.  However, the rocks did not worry him.  The possibility of war did.
Only a few days ago, the Shadow Guard who had guarded the Refinery so carefully for years had finally been beaten aside.  As she was hardened with experience, it had taken a party of warriors to defeat her.  She would not accept mercy, but the warriors let her live.  They did not care about her.  They cared about what was behind her. 
The Refinery was a large place, colossal compared to the rest of the Minetower.  It extended so deeply beneath the earth's surface that magma bubbled in glowing, orange pits.  What made the Refinery so special was what it housed- the Delta Vaults.  The Vaults housed things no man knew of, except for a select few and Baelius himself.  It was obvious, though, that the Vaults contained items that were of great power-or destruction.  Both the Legion and the Exiles intended to get to the bottom of things.

The party of warriors, however, did not expect the Mechachillids.  The insectlike robots overwhelmed the warriors, causing them to flee.  However, the damage had been done.  The Delta Vaults were discovered, and no one on Delta V did not know about the Vaults after that, from the captured King Alaric to the program M4TR1X.

Delta V did not need war.  There was enough war already.  The Frysteland War had resulted in many casualties, especially on the Krampus side.  He himself had taken part in the war, rising to the rank of Field Commander.  The slaying of Arctic Guards and Yeti Hulks did not do a thing to stop Alydriah Descarl, Administrator 1, the right-hand woman of Baelius.  This war would not result in any good at all.  Few wars did.

Sighing, Merc1225 teleported away to Central Station.

My Excellent Hybrid Strength Build.

The Infernal Slayer sword is (hopefully) still in stock, right?  Probably clocking in at less than 500 now.  I've given up my quest to obtain the sword.  Oh well.  Anyhow, there are more important things to share.

It's a Hybrid!

On Friday, I formulated a new build, designed to help me get my 14,000 credits faster.  It's not a typical blood mage build (strength or technology- honestly, do you guys ever think of your own instead of build copying?).  But I think of my own builds.  This new build (predictably on my blood mage) is a strength hybrid.  What sets it apart from other blood mage builds (and all other builds) is that this build utilizes the Frost Slayer.
Now, Frost Slayer is not very exciting.  At the time of its release, only a few people wielded it, and many more discovered the fact that the Frost Destroyer was much more useful, being a class-specific mutating weapon.  Needless to say, the Frost Slayer was not bought in-game much.  I obtained the Frost Slayer through my first $50 Varium package promotion, the only time I would use my own money for Varium.  Like others, I chose to utilize Frost Destroyer.  So the Frost Slayer was left collecting dust in my inventory.  It was one of the few weapons I had first but enhanced last.  That was how important it was to me.
But I am creative with builds, and I like to use every weapon I have, as it allows for diverse builds.  The few other times I had used Frost Slayer, it had ended up horribly, not because of the sword, but because of me.  (Like a true Blood Mage,) I had used to Frost Slayer in a Strength build- no hybrids allowed.  And since at the time, Delta Knight was not released, I was stuck with Beast Master P M, without split defenses.  And, if you can remember, Beast Master offered a +8 boost to support, which was rather useless in a strength build.  My Primary damage triumphed at 26-32+35, but I was left with a low Dexterity and Technology.  If you remember how Dexterity affects one's likelihood to attack with a primary and block, and how Technology affects one's likelihood to deflect and be deflected, you can be sure how I came off in those deals.  That build was awful.
So, how the build works?  The cornerstone of the build is probably either Bludgeon or Blood Lust.  (I still freak out when a Pyro Fly takes out my Level 5 Field Medic.)  I just attack (mainly with primary, thus the dexterity) with the Frost Slayer most of the time.  I usually rage with my gun unless if my enemy has an usually high dexterity (looking at 30-36+5+1+11, tank TLMs).  If I see low health, I will try for a fast kill with my Level 8 Bludgeon (49% more damage).  Through the whole battle, Blood Lust really helps me out.  Reflex Boost, which should be in most BM builds, can be very useful for energy regain.  If I'm taking heavy damage that refuses to stop, be it physical or energy, I put on Reflex Boost.  Besides the small addition to my defense (26-32 -> 31-38) the energy regain is very helpful.
Now, like most other builds, this one has a failed prototype, which I have stored in the Closet of Useless Builds.  (I threw away the key.)  That failed prototype used high health (140).  Besides that great agility *boost*, my Strength was kind of looking on the low side.  I also didn't realize that Deadly Aim is very useful to Blood Mages, just as useful as Support is to BMs (which is to say, none- unless you have seen my other BM builds).  So I would march into battle with a +4 bonus on  my Carrot Impaler.  Ha.
Now, my Carrot Impaler is better off, with a +6.  My Strength-relying weapons are better now, with a 19-23 compared to an 18-22.  (I know, big difference.)  I have discovered that having Level 8 Intimidate with 24 Support is a big no-no.  (It was in my prototype.)  Now, I have 28 Support, great for Level 3 Deadly Aim, which increases the gun bonus to 6.
So, yeah

~ReconnaisX