Here we go folks! First apex kill of the season and it promises to be something spectacular, so hold onto your lunches because shit’s about to get real up in here!
Gary turned down the volume on his coms unit, tuning out the announcer’s grating voice as the screen shifted to show a picturesque landscape in a distant world. He leaned forward and rubbed a sleeve across the window, smearing grease from the fryer and obscuring his view as the scene switched from third to first person perspective.
We’re moving now to a live feed from renowned hunter and all round badass, Samson Graves!
Gary found a bottle of cleaner and sprayed the window, careful not to get too much onto the meat patties sizzling beneath. He wiped off the glass just as the perspective on screen shifted to a first-person view of a thickly wooded forest, the vision bobbing up and down in concert with the subject’s head movement.
Shafts of golden sunlight filtered through the emerald canopy, casting dappled patterns upon the forest floor. The air was crisp and clear, high-definition footage barely doing the scene justice as distant calls of birds added a melodic harmony to the deceptively tranquil scene.
“Alright, it’s just up ahead, so I’m gonna start prepping,” a husky voice said.
A HUD appeared, showing basic stats and a mini map in the top corner with a flashing red light to the north. A helm symbol at the bottom right of the screen flashed bright orange for a moment before the screen changed, showing a list of character stats arranged on a floating panel at the center of Samson’s vision.
SAMSON GRAVES
Class: Rogue
Level: Ascendant
Ether: 3590
Guild: Shadow Clan
Preferred Title: Grandmaster of the Hunt
** BASE STATS **
Constitution: 600
Strength: 300
Agility: 1200
Intelligence: 200
Wisdom: 200
Etheric Aptitude: 5
** GEAR **
Head: Shadowborn Hood (Mythic)
Chest: Shadowborn Tunic (Mythic)
Legs: Shadowborn Trousers (Mythic)
Hands: Shadowborn Gloves (Mythic)
Feet: Shadowborn Boots (Mythic)
Ring 1: Wrathmaker Spiral (Epic)
Ring 2: Hunter's Eye (Mythic)
Neck: Forest Heart Pendant (Mythic)
Tattoo: Viper's Sting
Main Melee Weapon: Venomwhisp (Mythic Dagger)
Secondary Melee Weapon: Gargantuan Flint (Mythic Dagger)
Range Weapon: Hallock's Dreadbow (Mythic)
“Okay, my sponsor says you guys want a quick look at my gear, so here goes. I’ve got the complete Shadowborn mythic set. Those were a bastard to get, but worth it for the crit and stealth bonuses, plus the complete set gives you a permanent buff to range attacks which is nice.”
The view bobbed up and down as Gideon moved quickly through grass surrounds, trees moving past as he looked left and right, the stats panel still showing at the center of his HUD in semi-transparent orange light.
“Standard rings to max out crit chance and damage. And yes I know I miss the mythic buff by having an epic ring instead of all mythics, but the Wraithmaker Spiral is just too damned good not to have in the mix, especially because it ramps up damage when I get hurt.”
The view quickly shifted, showing a view of Sampson’s face, grinning as though he were holding a cell phone out front on selfie mode.
“And we all know I’m gonna get hurt sooner or later right? I mean, that’s just Artemis for you!”
The perspective shifted again, moving back to the stat panel as he continued.
“Melee weapons are just there for the stats because everything is going to be coming from the Dreadbow in this fight. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get this Shadowshrike beastie down below fifty percent health before it moves into its second phase. Those bone shards are a real bitch, and I’ll probably be dodging half the time during that phase which means a hell of a lot less DPS.”
The display dropped, revealing the forest once more as Samson moved through the woods. Gary watched wide-eyed from the cramped kitchen as the trees passed by on the screen, beams of light cutting through the foliage and occasionally cutting across Samson’s vision.
“Phase three is gonna be the real problem,” the hunter continued as he climbed over a series of raised tree roots. “As soon as it drops its Shadowstalker ability, my hit chance drops sixty percent. For those that are counting, that means only about one in every three shots will hit and then there are natural resistances I need to get past as well.”
He stopped, spinning around and pausing for a moment, scanning the horizon for signs of danger.
“Shit! Though I heard a Growler.”
The view shifted as he turned back and started walking again.
“I’ll need to switch to Firestone Arrows in phase two. The fire damage over time will keep his shield from regenerating while I’m dodging my ass off, but it won’t do much damage by itself. I’ll have to switch to the Wyvern Arrows now and then, for burst fire and then permanently during phase three because they’ve got the Rapidfire augment which shoots two arrows at a time and increases fire rate by fifty percent. That’ll get past any hit chance debuff, and it will max out damage for a minute or so. Plus, they’ve got a venom augment which will keep the damage going.”
Gary flipped his burgers, one eye still on the screen as the meat sizzled and the familiar scent of seared beef reached his nostrils. Samson kept moving through the forest, pushing aside branches as he held up one of the Wyvern Arrows for the audience to see. On the side of the screen, a string of emojis and comments showed up on the feed.
“Cost me an arm and a leg, these beauties,” Samson said, turning the arrow shaft around in his hand. The forked head of the arrow split into four individual points with a sharp tip extending out from the main shaft and glinting in the sunlight.
“The four tips are cut from Wyvern teeth and dipped in Wyvern venom. The main head is just to help push it through into the flesh, past thick hide, or feathers. You can only get these by killing a Wyvern yourself and then paying a Grand Master level weaponsmith to make them.”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
An image showed on screen for a moment, showing Samson frozen in battle, bow drawn as he faced off against a Wyvern in a previous fight. A message ran beneath the advertisement, suggesting that viewers check out the previous battle at their leisure. A Raven Eye logo appeared in the top left of the screen with the words ‘Sponsored by Raven Eye Gaming’ written beside it.
A private message came through to Gary’s comms unit, flashing on the holographic display above his wrist and chirping like an angry bird. He tapped on the small screen and an advertisement for Raven Eye Gaming showed up, along with a short message.
Hit the Raven Eye hub and score yourself 30% off all home studio equipment for the next 24 hours to celebrate the Shadowshrike Hunt Showdown featuring Grandmaster Samson Graves. Use code: RE2210 and hit the store today!
Gary swiped the ad away, turning his attention back to the big screen. The window he was looking through had fogged up again, so he wiped it with a towel and squinted at the forest landscape bouncing steadily up and down from the hunter’s perspective.
“Big boy’s just past this clearing, so I’m gonna start prepping now,” Samson said, slipping the Wyvern Arrow away and pulling out his bow. “Now, I’d like to say I’m gonna melt this sucker, but we all know that’s not how this shit works on Artemis. Doesn’t matter how maxed out your gear is or how much experience you have, any of these apex enemies can one shot you if you’re not careful so I can’t afford mistakes.”
Intricate crimson scrollwork ran down the edge of the dark wooden bow. Shadows rose around the weapon like mist clinging to the earth. Even through the grimy window, Gary could sense the power in the weapon.
Hallock’s Dreadbow was known throughout the entire world as one of the greatest single hunting weapons in the history of The Great Game. Cedric Hallock had been one of the greatest early game champions and one of the few successful players to have retired rather than died in-game. He had gifted his weapon as the prize in Artemis’s greatest contest, a contest that Samson Graves subsequently one, claiming the Dreadbow as his prize.
“Okay, I know you’re all gonna ask for it,” Samson said, “so here’s a quick look at this little beauty. Just a quick one though, I’ve got a monster to kill.”
He tapped the edge of the bow and brought up the weapon stats display. Gary leaned forward, scolding himself on the edge of the grill before shifting back and squinting to get a better look at the rundown.
** Hallock’s Dreadbow **
Primary Ability: Base arrow damage +10
Secondary Ability: Increased crit chance (10%) and crit damage (20%) while stealthed or wearing full stealth gear.
Tertiary Ability: Dual bow string fires 2 arrows at once.
Etheric Charge: Allows for up to 5 points of etheric enhancement per second, increasing weapon stats by 10%.
Imbued with the strength and cunning of one of Artemis’s greatest champions, Cedric Hallock, the Dreadbow resonates with power.
“Holy shitballs!” Gary hissed, scorching his hand again on the side of the grill and cursing a he stepped back.
The weapon’s stats were impressive enough, but what made the Dreadbow truly staggering was its unprecedented etheric charge. Its capacity to draw ether and increase the chance of finding etherically-charged loot from enemies was simply unprecedented.
Not only did the bow’s etheric charge capacity enable the highest-level rewards from a kill, it also allowed the wielder to infuse the bow itself with etheric power, spending the key currency of the game to overclock the weapon and boost all its stats.
“Okay,” Samson said. “You all get a good long look? ‘Cause I got a bird to kill.”
The weapons display vanished as the hunter continued walking through the forest.
“Popping healing regen,” Samson voice said, “an etheric booster, as well as a stam pot and something to give me added protection from shadow damage. I’ll charge the bow where I can, but I’ve only got a couple of thousand ether to spend, so I’ll need to manage that carefully.”
Gary watched as a series of potion symbols with sixty-minute timers showed up at the bottom of the screen. Samson grunted as they took effect and, for a moment, his vision blurred, before turning back to normal.
“Okay, so this is gonna be a difficult fight and I’m doing it solo, so I won’t be able to talk. Fingers crossed I don’t end up dying because I spent three echoes just getting here and I’ve only got one backup left, so if this doesn’t work, I’m done.”
Gary scooped up burger patties with his spatula, sliding them onto a series of waiting buns and moving to the preparation bench to finish each of the meals one by one.
“I’ve put most of my power into burst damage, crit chance, and a little into damage over time,” Samson went on, “mostly venom and a little fire. Also shadow resistance because the Shadowshrike has some mucho AOE shadow damage and I don’t wanna get caught sleeping on that.”
Gary finished off the meals, carried them over to the service bench and hit the bell, walking back to the grill. He looked up again at the screen outside where Samson was still moving through picturesque woodland.
Amidst the towering trees, a large clearing opened up, a verdant oasis amidst the sea of green. Long grass swayed gently in the breeze, and wildflowers bloomed in a riot of colors, painting the landscape with vibrant hues. Even through the grime-stained window, Gary could practically smell the flowers. He could feel the heat of the sun shining down from above.
Then again, that might just be the heat from the griller, seeing as his fan had just packed up the day before and the heat in the kitchen was stifling. Gary wiped sweat from his brown and focused on the screen outside, praying it didn’t rain and spoil his view of the game.
At the edge of the clearing, a rocky outcrop rose defiantly from the earth, its weathered surface a testament to the passage of time. Perched atop the highest point of the outcrop was a colossal nest, woven from broken tree limbs and entire trees that had been uprooted and twisted into place.
The spikes and twisted boughs of the nest were covered in a black, tar-like substance, as though each branch had been carefully dipped before being placed. The thick, oily substance ran down from the bottom of the nest, making it look like it was crying, or wounded. Drops of the dark ichor hung from branches like teardrops frozen in time, hanging from sinewy strands of inky darkness.
“There it is,” Samson confirmed, stopping for a moment to consider the Shadowshrike’s gruesome nest. “Gotta admit, my heart is thumping. This is gonna be epic!”
He moved on and, as the rocks grew larger, Gary caught sight of bones heaped about the bottom of the nest. Skeletal forms lay in large mounds on the ground, humanoid figures among the remains of other beasts scattered about as though intended to warn any who might stray too close. The bones were covered in the thick, ichor that dripped down from the nest above.
“Sun’s about to set,” Samson whispered, his voice hitting Gary’s ears as though the hunter were speaking directly to him. “That’s when the shrike will show, and I’ll have about twenty seconds to get my first hit in before it…”
A cry cut through the air and Gary nearly jumped out of his skin, flinching so wildly that he flung his spatula into the air and sent it clattering to the floor. He ran after it, scooped it up and lowered the volume again on his comms unit.
When he looked back the screen was shaking left and right, a loaded Dreadbow scanning the skies for the midnight form of the Shadowshrike. A figure moved through the air, a giant bird with bony, skeletal wings that dripped with onyx colored ichor.
It moved too quickly for Samson to catch, cawing as it cut through the air, its voice a harrowing cry that was chased by a chorus of ghostly shrieks. He tracked the creature, attempting to predict its trajectory as the shrike dove behind the tree line and out of view.
“Damn it!” the hunter cursed. “Come on, baby. Come back to papa.”
He ran sideways, moving further into the middle of the clearing while keeping the bow aimed at where the shrike had vanished. Once more the unnerving cry of the monstrous bird cut through the air, followed by the distant chorus of a thousand birds and critters.
As Samson backed further into the clearing, a note popped up at the bottom of the screen.
The Shadowshrike’s screech is often accompanied by the death cries of its victims. It is believed that every animal it has ever killed will join that chorus until the Shadowshrike itself is brought down. Other species in Artemis exhibit similar traits.
Gary cursed in frustration, annoyed at having even a little portion of the screen covered by the information. If he were watching on his home unit, he could turn off tips and background info, but here at work he was at the mercy of the public broadcast.
The shrike shot out of the trees and Samson loosed two arrows from the Dreadbow. The arrows left a trail of purple light in their wake as they few toward the giant beast, disappearing into the shrike’s feathered chest as Samson drew a second time and fired. A health bar showed at the top of the HUD, a vast number slowly counting down from five million as a venom indicator signaled the damage the monstrous bird creature was taking over time.
The second volley of arrows hit home, and Samson ducked to one side as the shrike swooped down, its talons gouging huge clods of earth as it passed by.
Samson turned and fired three more arrows in rapid succession, imbuing the bow with etheric potency as the charged arrows flared with blue light. They hit the shrike’s flank as it turned and rose sharply, twisting in midair and screaming in rage.
The hunter used the opportunity to pepper the beast with a full barrage of arrows, pouring ether into the attack and burning through his reserves in seconds as the flurry of arrow fire tore through the shrike’s enraged form. It dove again, this time moving in unison to Samson’s dodge, and clipping the hunter with lethal talons as it passed over head.
He cursed, rolling on the ground, his own HP meter dropping by a third as blood sprayed across the ground and onto the Dreadbow. Samson drank a healing potion, downing the small flask as quickly as he could manage while the shrike circled quickly and prepared for another dive.
“Gary?!”
Gary turned, enraged at the interruption.
“What?!” he shouted.
“Lunch rush is about to hit. If Gonzo catches you watching that shit, your ass is done.”
Jini was leaning in through the kitchen doorway, a look of concern across her long face. Gary wanted to stay angry, wanted to turn back to the fight and ignore everything else. But Jini was just watching out for him so there was no point taking out his frustration on her.
“I’m sorry, Gary, but you know it’s true. You’re on your last chance, remember?”
He sighed, tapping on his comms unit, and saving the program to his favorites. Gary then turned to look at the orders coming through on the old holo display above the grill and sighed heavily.
“God I hate my life.”