We had each leveled up once in the last fight. After another round of rest and healing, we placed our points before venturing forth into the tunnel.
Considering that I am a physical striker and don’t plan to change that anytime soon if I can help it, I split my four points between strength and constitution. Etu took the most hits during the last fight so he split his between agility and wisdom for more speed and firepower. Similarly, Neytiri took the most damage from the hits so she split hers between constitution and endurance for more protection.
It was clear that whatever the galvanization did to us it strengthened our bodies because we didn’t take any serious damage from the hits we received during this last fight. During the first ambush in the cave, we didn’t take any direct hits, plenty of glancing blows but none direct, because there were plenty of obstacles to dodge behind or around. Out here there were no obstacles to use as protection so the hits landed solidly, but even a solid hit had very little effect on us.
For instance, Neytiri took a solid tongue attack to the hip during this last fight and all it did was leave a bruise and small puncture wounds. Before galvanization, it would have broken bone and knocked her back a few feet. It made me wonder if all our stats were set to 1 or 0 before galvanization. I put away the thought and focused on my surroundings, the monsters seemed confined to their respective caves but that was just a guess at this point.
Both Etu and Neytiri received new skills after the last level-up. I hadn’t received one on this level up but considering how this UI seemed to take inspiration from video games, I wasn’t surprised. Most games gave you skills for early level-ups and then slowed it down to one new skill every couple of levels. I figured that gaming quirk must have been copied over.
Etu received a skill called Barrage; [Barrage - Fires five flaming arrows at a target that cause fire and piercing damage.]
Neytiri received a skill called Barrier; [Barrier - Creates a barrier surrounding the target blocking off damage to a certain level.]
***
As we ventured further we came to a rounded-out section of the tunnel that split three ways. A careful inspection showed that no air was moving in or out of any of them, likely meaning none led out of this miscellany. Also meaning the crucible we were meant to survive wasn’t over.
We paused a little further back from the intersection to discuss options. I started, “The quest isn’t completed so looking for an exit might be a moot point until we finish it. My guess is that new or stronger-leveled monsters await us in these tunnels.”
“I agree, we should try and be as stealthy as possible while checking them out. Maybe take one each?” added Etu.
Neytiri nodded, then shook her head as she spoke, “We should definitely check them out stealthily, but we should also stick together.”
“Yeah sticking together is important. Having three tunnels and three of us seems too convenient for my taste,” I added.
***
The first tunnel, on our left, led to a smaller cave than the first one had woken up in. It contained a larger, stronger, and more aggressive monster than the Coqui we had faced earlier. It was a Killer Hutia, resembling a giant version of a regular Hutia on steroids. Its sharp claws and powerful muscles were a clear indication that this would not be an easy fight. We saw two, and beyond them, the back part of the cave had an eerie and unnatural darkness to it.
We crept into the cave on the right and found yet another new monster. The sense of danger and anticipation was palpable as we carefully observed the beast. It was an Armored Lizard. The creature before us was like a dragonized Armadillo Lizard. Its armor seemed to be made out of stone, its tail ended in a sharp, dagger-like point and a rhino-like horn protruded from its head. It was the size of a Komodo Dragon, making it a very formidable opponent.
We attempted to look into the third tunnel, but a few steps in, the tunnel was blocked by a magical barrier. We quickly retreated to a spot several feet back from the intersection to assess our options.
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“What do you think is behind the barrier?” I asked no one in particular.
Etu answered, “It can only be one of two things, either a boss monster, or the promised exit.”
I nodded with a grunt as Neytiri spoke up. “We need to be smart about this,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “One wrong move with any of these new monsters and we’re dead.”
I suggested a strategy, “Let’s take out the Hutias first, they seem fast but their defense is definitely weaker than the Armored Lizard. The creepy darkness at the back of both caves gives me pause though. Hopefully, we won’t be ambushed and instead will be facing waves of two and one, respectively, at a time.”
I paused to think, “This is what we should do. I’ll take the lead and face the monsters head-on. My agility should keep me from being surrounded. Etu, you cover me with your ranged attacks, and Neytiri, use your barriers to support us. What do you guys think?”
They both nodded thoughtfully, neither having a better plan, “Oh, and Neytiri, do you need to touch someone to use your healing magic?” I asked.
She wasn’t sure, “The skill doesn’t mention it, but I haven’t tried it yet either.”
“Okay, I’ll bite a finger and I want you to try and heal it from several feet away,” I said as I confidently moved to bite myself.
“Wait! What?” She exclaimed, taken aback. “Are you really going to hurt yourself just to test my healing abilities? What if something goes wrong?”
“It’ll be fine. I’ll only bite a small area, I won’t bleed out. And even if you can’t heal me from a distance, you can always heal up close,” I reassured her.
“Uh, yeah, I guess. But let’s not make a habit of self-harming for the sake of testing skills, okay?” She pleaded, worriedly.
***
As it turned out, she was able to apply her healing skill from up to fifty feet away. This was a crucial discovery, as it meant we could support each other from a safe distance and still have space to recover from anything getting past me to the back line.
“Good, now that we have a plan, let’s head in and face the Hutia,” I began before I was halted by Neytiri.
“We should test my barrier buff first, let me try a few things before we head in,” Neytiri said, determined to test the limits of her skill. Her first attempt at buffing me and Etu simultaneously failed. Next, she buffed me first, waited for her five-second cooldown she discovered the skill had, and then buffed Etu. This time, it worked. On the next cooldown, she tried to stack another buff on Etu, but it didn’t work. With her testing complete, she finally buffed herself and we entered the cave, feeling a little more prepared.
We planned to sneak up on the two Hutias, but as we crossed the halfway point, the monsters seemed to know where we were and charged at us. I ran to the center of the cave to meet the charge, while the others fell back to a safe distance.
I landed on the ground with a thud, my Shock Strike activated as I jumped the final few feet. I struck at the first Hutia’s head, but unlike the Coqui, it didn’t fall instantly. Instead, my hit stunned the creature. As I landed and prepared for another strike, a sharp claw from the second Hutia came swinging at me.
The second Hutia charged with wild abandon, its claws flailing left and right. I dodged most of the attacks, but two caught me. The first one broke the barrier, and the second left a deep cut on my right thigh. Realizing I had underestimated these creatures, I activated Augment. A second later, I felt healing magic hit me as I hopped back to lengthen the gap.
These Hutia were not only strong and aggressive but also smart. As the second Hutia continued its relentless attack, the first one, no longer stunned, flanked me and attacked from the other side. I quickly changed directions, dashing forward and flipping over the second Hutia as it tried to bite me.
Landing on its spine with a powerful kick I quickly rolled forward evading the first Hutia’s attack from behind. As I got up, the first Hutia lunged at me again. I caught it and pulled it close, making it difficult for the creature to bite or scratch me. I then jumped in the air, slamming it down on its head and disorienting it. Normally, I would continue to attack in this position, but I now knew better than to underestimate those deadly claws.
Etu was shouting behind me, “They're too close to you I can’t get a clear shot without hitting you!”
A heartbeat later Neytiri yelled, “Lookout…!”
Before she could finish her warning I was tackled from my left as the first Hutia recovered and jumped at me chomping down on my shoulder. We were caught off guard thinking I had incapacitated the monster with the last hit.
As we plummeted towards the ground, my screams tore through the air. My heart pounded in my chest as fear and rage coursed through my veins. The Hutia’s sharp claws dug into my arm and leg, causing intense pain. In a split second, I activated Shock Strike and drove my fingers into the beast’s eyes as we tussled. I kept my fingers in its eyes and continued to activate the skill not stopping until I felt it go limp.
With a swift roll, I used the dead Hutia as a shield against the second one, which was already lunging at me. Without hesitation, I quickly re-activated my Augment and strained against the weight of the two monsters. The one on top snapped its jaws, inches away from my head. But with a surge of strength, I lifted them both off my chest.
Suddenly, five fiery arrows pierced through the air, slamming into the top Hutia and causing it to screech in agony. One of the arrows seemed to sink deep into its skin, burning it from the inside out. Etu wasted no time reaching us and tackling both monsters from on top of me. He quickly followed up with a fireball at the Hutia which was now writhing in pain.
“Retreat to the tunnels in case there are more coming,” Neytiri’s urgent voice cut through the chaos.
Without a second thought, me and Etu began our hasty escape. As we hurried through the cave, my body trembled with adrenaline, but soon it began to fade. With each step, the pain in the left side of my body grew more intense, and I stumbled. Etu quickly caught my right shoulder offering support as we made our way to safety.
The smell of burnt flesh followed us out of the cave. As we emerged, I took one last look back, my heart still racing from the intense battle. ‘What an idiot move,’ I admonished myself for letting this new power rush to my head. I had always prided myself on having careful and thoughtful plans for dangerous situations. But this time I let the power go to my head and went in half-assed, won’t be making that mistake again.