Wellingpar Dernear - The Oghqoa Sewers.

We started to prepare ourselves for this trap by walking back down toward the tunnel entrance; it would make sense for them to grab the boxes closest to the Teleport Platform instead of the boxes at the far end of the tunnel.

After making my suggestion for reinforcements to Master Carson he responds, “Approved, you will have a contingent of Adventurers there as soon as possible.”

The message is broadcast to all members of the team, as we walk forward the one named Number 5 asks a question, “Wellingpar, are these things volatile? These are filled with extra mana right?”

“Yes, however they are water and not pure energy. As such they can be damaged without issue, but be sure to keep collateral to a minimum.”

“I have been thinking of a combat plan” I add, “There are multiple types of Powers that deal with passing through objects. As such there may be several or no options for us. We will need to be cautious and adaptive during the fight, especially as these pipes and boxes are blocking our effectiveness.”

“Understood, we’ll play it by ear then. Permission to darken the lights a little, if they are already back it will help us be less visible” says Number 5. I approved and soon afterwards I see our shadows move, the Kage as he calls them, climb up the wall and onto the roof, covering up the light crystals above us to mask our approach.

Dim light is all we have available, the Kage allowing just enough light to make it through their bodies to keep things dark but still allow us to see a little.

We are only a few minutes away from the tunnel entrance when we hear the grunting of bodies and the straining of wood. We all manage to hear it but remain out of sight behind boxes and pipes, as we peek around the corners we see the lights on up ahead, two large men dressed in a mix of loose clothing with knives on their belts are moving large boxes and themselves through pipes. The tunnel which was filled with boxes when we arrived is now clear of boxes behind them already.

There is no way for us to determine what Power they have exactly and so I signal to approach slowly. The Kage are the front line, swiftly approaching with ease, myself and our other more physical members move slowly. Via the communication stones I ask Number 4.

“Have the front line check if they can touch them, and if they have shadows.”

After a moment, a response. “They cannot touch them, nor do they have shadows… Correction, there appears to be four small ball shaped shadows on the floor.”

That was what I was afraid of, as the Kage are physical but made of mana that means that physical objects or objects made of mana will go right through them, nor will normal mana based attacks work as well. The lighting crystals produce light using mana, as they do not have shadows light is also passing through them.

But how do they see? Their eyes are probably the only physical thing about them right now, but as they can walk through walls and pipes at head height it must be something they can turn on and off.

There is only one Power that fits that description, Drio’s Physical Invisibility. A high value Power, very sought after and not easily taught either, it's only downside is the concentration needed to use it. I share this information with them, including the one Power I have that may be able to hurt them in this state.

We make our way forward silently as they walk away from us, muttering between themselves hurried remarks of quickness and complaint, not work repeating. We stop our advance near the next boxes to be taken and sit behind, awaiting their return for the rest.

“Number 4, have the Kage fully darken all the lights, we will let our eyes adjust. Our plan will be thus; As they lift up the box I will run forward and attempt to…”

Foot steps again, that was too quick! “Alright, follow my lead. I’ll try and stop their Power temporarily, you attack to keep them down and out.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

They are not able to respond as the men arrive and pick up a box sitting on top of a pipe, the one I am hiding behind. Perfect.

As the other man starts to move around the pipe I spring forward, swinging my short sword towards his head at speed. A moment before my sword hits his head he and I activate our Powers.

He activates his Power fully, allowing his eyes to become un-physical. While I activate mine. True Strike.

As my sword swings through his head I run through him and spin towards the other slashing downwards as if to cleave in two but not following all the way through. As I finish, the first man screams out in pain.

True Strike is a Power to turn a near miss or deflected attack into actual, physical damage onto an opponent, no matter who or what they are. A gift from my family elder for reaching my current rank.

The attack however does not hit the head but instead slashes through the body, leaving a massive cut on the first man's arm and a cut on the second one's leg. A quirk of the Power.

As the first man cries out from pain the strike he becomes physical again, tangible to Lockness’ and the clones attacks.

Lockness with weapon ready shoots a Lightning bolt to the first man, shocking him into submission for a moment before falling unconscious. One of the clones then uses their Elemental Avatar Power to move a chunk of stonework toward the second man’s head, knocking him unconscious as well. Good teamwork and target choice!

The Kage, which had stayed in place during the fighting then move down and wrap themselves around the men, holding them in place till reinforcements arrive. So long as they are unconscious they will not get back up.

But the fight is not over yet! From down the tunnel we see the entrance to the Hoist as it slowly arrives. Two more men standing in it run forward through the tunnel, passing through the pipes. These guys will be harder to handle.

The two men are running directly toward me on my right side of the tunnel, one turning his foot physical for a second, jumps onto the large central pipe before crossing over onto the left side of the tunnel, where Lockness and the clones are. I reach down to the man at my feet and pull a small knife from his belt, throwing it and activating True Strike, it just misses him before he grunts in pain from a small cut, blood staining his chest and shirt but still moving through the pipes if only a little slower.

I am told of this after the fact however as the man on my side of the tunnel is quick to approach and goes to place his arms through me, I lean back and pull my outstretched arm back just enough so that his fingers just enter my hand. It quickly turns physical and we each take a lot of damage, my hand glowing red. Without Shipton’s Damage Translocator my hand might as well be worthless.

His fingers however, appear mangled but are quickly healed with a sickly green glow, as he kicks with his leg toward my chest I run around him jumping on pipes while swinging my sword upwards, as it hits the ceiling it bounces off and I bring it back down again, two True Strikes in a second causes slight bleeding from his leg and arm but only for a few moments.

I was too far away. I am dealing with the smallest distances for a near miss. A centimetre would be a small amount of damage compared to a direct hit or one just scraping by.

I have now moved around so that my back is to the Hoist. I know that Lockness, the clones and the Kage will watch my back as I watch theirs to see if they need assistance.

We are silent and gauge each other, a battle of feints, movements, and gauging the enemy occurs but for a moment as we feel each other out. We clash again and again, in a flurry of blows, I run through my Powers in my mind, trying to find one that might creep out an advantage.

I test Force Wall, the only other Power that might have a chance against it but it does nothing as he punches forward easily through the Wall and nearly through my head as I duck out of the way. The Kage are dropping from the roof in a surprise attack as I duck away, trying to at least poke his eyes to break his concentration.

But they just slip right through as if through air, there has got to be an option to get around this dammable Power! Otherwise it will just be a war of attrition and while I may have some luck facing one I doubt the others will. These men are high ranked, if not in Powers then in martial skill.

I dodge around another kick that just clips me and adds further damage to my Damage Translocator stone, in retaliation I slice back up and down the leg. Adding three more cuts to his body that slowly heal.

I need to find some way of winning this! I will not allow my charges to get killed off or captured in their first real fight! I just need to think of a new way, a new strategy!