November 2, 2022
Day 13
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Their journey toward the center of the island proved much more fruitful than the one around it, as Daniel and team stumbled upon a clearing that screamed boss-battle.
"Looks like we've found the nest of the first alpha. Hardly the well-defended position we had set out in search of, but the sun is setting and I believe it'd be better to deal with the alpha now that we are here. Depending on how long this battle takes, we can either go explore one more island, or look for a safe place to camp on this one."
There were no disagreements and the quartet circled the island while considering their options.
Daniel spoke again.
"All the crocodiles we've faced were level 9 or below. The alpha has got to be level 10."
Ivan interrupted.
"And if it's not? Let's plan for contingencies."
Daniel thought for a second.
"If it's level 11 or 12, I'm confident we can handle it easily. Actually, given there are four of us and just one alpha, we should be fine as long as it's below level 15 and has no minions. To be safe, we can cast inspect the moment we see the alpha and retreat if it's too high level."
Ivan shook his head.
"That's too aggressive. We don't know what changes occur after reaching level 10 and getting a class. For all we know, a single level after unlocking classes might be worth two. Let's draw a line at level 10."
Daniel gave it some thought before replying.
"I don't believe such an escalation in power is likely, as that will snowball way too quickly. Still, I get your point. Just because I feel something is unlikely doesn't mean it won't happen. Our intent is not that powerful, yet."
That last comment drew smiles on everyone's faces. Daniel, and to an extent, every one of them, could now subtly alter reality with their intent.
Ivan's presence Inertia, and his skill Unstoppable I were both proofs of that.
Daniel continued.
"We'll be cautious then. If the alpha turns out to be higher than level 10, we retreat. We can find somewhere safe to spend the night, grind levels in the morning, and try again."
A placated Ivan thanked Daniel, and the group moved on to tactics.
Alex spoke.
"Helena and I will fight from a distance and use our bows. But what about you, Daniel? Fireballs or bows? And Ivan, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to fight in close range with a foe of unknown strength."
Daniel nodded.
"I'll stick to bows unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Stamina-enhanced arrows have proved very effective against these reptiles so far. And as far as fighting at close range is concerned, I agree with Alex. It'll be better to stay at a safe distance until we gauge the enemy's true strength, but ultimately the decision is yours, Ivan. "
Ivan nodded.
"All four of us will be on bows then. I'll keep my axe handy in case the alpha targets one of us and tries to get up close and personal."
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The team entered the clearing full of energy and enthusiasm, and lost it all as they saw the alpha emerge from the ground with a fully metallic tail. One by one, they all cast inspect, noticed that the alpha's level was not visible, and got into a heated argument.
Ivan and Helena wanted to retreat immediately, but Daniel and Alex still liked their chances.
Daniel argued that the reptile was just level 10 and that they couldn't see the level because it was higher than them all.
Alex nodded, but Ivan and Helena shook their heads. They agreed that the level was hidden because it was higher than theirs. But they contested the other point. For all they knew, the alpha's level could be 15.
The group bickered amongst themselves, no one ready to concede. Then they noticed that the alpha was just sitting idle. Attacking them, but only with its contemptuous gaze.
Daniel spoke.
"It's just an arrogant reptile with a superiority complex, not a real threat."
Once more Ivan and Helena found Daniel's statement half true. They didn't object to the comment about its arrogance. But they did object to the one about it not being a threat.
Helena spoke.
"Maybe the reptile is simply arrogant, or maybe it has the strength to back it up."
The arguments continued for some time, but Daniel was persistent and it was Ivan who had to give in.
Helena argued even longer, but at last, she relented as well.
Now all on the same page, the four spread out around the alpha and took optimal positions to shower it with arrows from all directions.
Only Daniel noticed the translucent dragon that had appeared on his shoulder. He checked his status screen to find the presence's name, but said nothing to the team, opting instead to just start the countdown.
Its tail may be metallic, and it may be higher level than the crocodiles I have fought before. But the rest of its body has got to be vulnerable.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Ivan thought as he readied his bow for the first shot and looked at the reptile.
Even as Daniel's countdown hit GO, the alpha still refused to react.
Then four arrows flew, and just before they reached the alpha, another thought crossed Ivan's mind.
Big cats play with their prey before killing them. I wonder if this alpha is doing the same, and whether it can truly afford to.
Ivan got the answer the very next instant, as the alpha's tail disappeared in a blur of motion and blocked all four arrows. The whipcrack sound that followed made Ivan's ears ring and told him in no uncertain terms that the tail was moving faster than sound.
If I ever end up within melee range of that tail, there is no way I'd even see it coming, leave alone block it.
The terrifying display got to Ivan, and the moment the ringing in his ears subsided, Ivan shouted.
"Daniel, we need to get the fuck out of here. NOW. That tail can behead any one of us in a single strike."
Daniel shouted back.
"As soon as I call the retreat, all four of you run into the forest immediately. We will regroup near the marshes where we first entered the island. Ivan and Helena, you're on the opposite end, so take the long route around the island. Don't try to run across this clearing, we don't know how fast the alpha can move."
Ivan nodded, relieved that he didn't have to argue with Daniel about this.
But Daniel wasn't done speaking, and Ivan realized that he had counted his chickens too soon
"But before we do that, I want to try something. Let's all fire at the alpha with everything we got. Burn through stamina potions if we must. I want to see if we can pin it down. I suspect it won't be able to move while defending against all the arrows."
Daniel could see the disagreement on Ivan's face and before he had a chance to say anything, added.
"If the alpha moves even an inch, we retreat immediately."
Ivan knew Daniel was taking them down a slippery slope.
Every single one of his arguments had been low-risk in isolation, but chained together, they were compromising their safety one calculated risk at a time.
Every time Ivan agreed to Daniel, the risk was compounding.
Ivan knew they should have run away the moment they saw the metallic tail and the hidden level.
But he had argued a lot just minutes ago, and the cautious and risk-averse part of him was tired.
So a different part of Ivan, one that craved adventure and wanted to find out if they could somehow beat the alpha took over instead.
So Ivan meekly nodded, all the urgency and conviction of moments ago gone.
Soon, Helena and Alex reluctantly agreed as well, and Daniel started another countdown.
Ivan was sure that the alpha would react and move to attack them now, giving them a reason to retreat.
But it was still unconcerned.
And then the shower of arrows started.
Four arrows flew through the sky and soon there were eight. The group continued firing as fast as they could, and the eight turned into sixteen.
And Daniel had been right.
The alpha didn't move.
Ivan had a feeling that it couldn't move.
Yet, there was still no worry or alarm on the alpha's face.
Daniels shouted again, this time particularly loudly so he could be heard over the deafening whipcracks.
"Conserve your stamina. Hide low-stamina shots between the high-stamina ones. Let's see if it can discern which arrows are harmless and which ones need to be defended against."
His team complied, and they noticed that the alpha either couldn't differentiate the arrows or didn't care. Whatever the case may be, it indiscriminately whipped every single arrow out of the way.
Ivan barely heard Helena as she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"What are you planning Daniel?"
Daniel shouted back, his voice significantly clearer, despite not being noticeably louder.
"See how fast the alpha's tail is moving to block all the arrows. That level of coordination has to be mentally exhausting, and taxing on the body. I'm waiting for the alpha to tire out and start making mistakes."
Is he channeling intent into his voice to get it heard?
Ivan wondered, as he evaluated the merits of Daniel's plan, and found himself agreeing.
Enticed by the possibility of actually killing the alpha, Ivan's apathy gave way to optimism and he took some initiative of his own.
Daniel was probably right, and the alpha would likely get exhausted at some point. But there was no guarantee that the four of them wouldn't run out of stamina potions before that happened.
And killing the alpha after running through their supply of stamina potions wasn't a good outcome either. There were three more alphas in the dungeon and a lot of scope for grinding levels with the regular crocodiles. It'd be stupid to waste all their resources in a single fight.
Ivan wondered if he couldn't bait the alpha into being lazy long before it genuinely ran out of energy. Somehow bait it into taking it easy and conserving stamina.
He had a plan and put it into motion.
At first, Ivan fired weak and strong arrows randomly while keeping a 1:1 ratio, not much unlike what the rest of his team was doing.
As expected, the alpha defended against them all.
Then, he introduced a noticeable pattern, alternating between weak and strong arrows.
The alpha didn't take the bait and continued to whip them all away with impunity.
Ivan made it more lucrative for the alpha by firing two weak arrows followed by one strong arrow. A 2:1 ratio.
Nothing changed.
Three weak arrows.
Four weak arrows.
Five weak arrows.
Still nothing.
Deciding that a 5:1 ratio was more than enough, Ivan opted to give the alpha more time to get used to it.
Five weak arrows. One strong arrow. Repeat.
He kept the pattern up consistently but wasn't rewarded with any results.
Eventually, Ivan had to take a few sips of stamina potion to keep going. He soon noticed his teammates doing the same.
By this point, Ivan was uncertain about his experiment, but kept it up anyway, since it wasn't costing him anything. Five weak and one strong arrow was an efficient ratio and one he could keep up long term.
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Ivan had gone through one entire bottle of stamina potion before something changed.
The alpha let one arrow through.
A weak arrow that predictably bounced off without leaving so much as a dent on the alpha's scales. At first, it seemed like a one-off event, as the alpha did not let any arrow slip again for a while.
Then it happened again.
And again.
The alpha started letting one arrow slip in every batch while trying not to be predictable.
It seemed to suspect that Ivan was baiting it but was probably exhausted and forced to bite. Despite its desperation, the alpha was smart about it and not leaving any discernible patterns in the way it ignored arrows. Sometimes it would let the first weak arrow through, at other times the second, third, fourth, or fifth.
Or maybe I'm seeing patterns where none exist and the alpha is just an instinctual beast, letting arrows go at random because it can't block them all anymore.
Ivan thought.
Irrespective of what the case may be, Ivan would need to find the best way to make use of this opportunity, since he would only have one chance. The moment Ivan broke the pattern and fired strong arrows, it was over.
The alpha would not fall for the same trick twice.
Ivan decided it best to wait longer, and his patience was rewarded as the alpha started ignoring three of the weak arrows in every batch.
Not willing to wait any longer, Ivan fired six strong arrows in the next batch, packing as much punch into each of them as possible.
The alpha failed to react in time and two of Ivan's feint arrows sunk deep into the alpha's hide.
Not only that, nine more arrows that his teammates had fired made it past the alpha's defenses. Three of them had been strong and sunk deep into the alpha, joining the two that Ivan had fired.
Getting his gut punctured had thrown the alpha off balance, and it had failed to block eleven arrows in total before it could pull itself together.
Perhaps if Ivan had announced his plan to the team, they could have all switched to strong arrows together and dealt more damage. But Ivan had been afraid of spooking the alpha and making it more cautious.
Fortunately, that lack of coordination didn't cost the team much, as an overjoyed Daniel ordered everyone to fire only strong arrows henceforth. The growing exhaustion and the accumulating injuries had worn the alpha down, and the tides of this battle had turned.
An arrow or two kept hitting the alpha every minute, and they all knew it was only a matter of time before it would die.
But then Helena got the rapid-fire skill and expedited the process with three quickly fired arrows, one of which lodged into the alpha's brain.
It dropped dead immediately.