November 3, 2022
Day 14 / Dungeon Day 0
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Since the start of combat, Rahul had been analyzing his fighting style for inefficiencies, and that introspection led to an insight.
Ever since I started using kinetic intent, I have relied more and more on dexterity, focusing on quick and instant killing blows. That worked well when I was vastly superior to my enemy, or when I had a lot of accumulated intent, but I can't sustain the approach in long-drawn fights against multiple formidable opponents. What's worse, I have been unknowingly underutilizing my other stats, my second-highest stat in particular.
In short, I need to play to my strength. Both literally and figuratively.
Just as Rahul finished his inner monologue, a bird swooped in to attack with its talons, giving him the perfect opportunity to test just how strong his 55 strength made him.
He had been dodging, ducking, and deflecting all the attacks so far, but this time, he dug in his heels and met the strike head-on. The impact hit hard, and Rahul started bending his knees to slowly dissipate the force, crouching deeper and deeper until the bird came to a complete stop.
With its two talons around Rahul's twin blades, the Guardian's face was only inches away from Rahul. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the man and the bird were completely still.
The next instant, both burst into action.
The avian's strength lay in its superior mobility, and it knew that a restricted position was not to its advantage. It predictably tried to fly away, and Rahul doubled down and went on the offensive.
The bird's attempted flight had freed his blades, and Rahul stabbed into the bird's underbelly with his left hand as it tried to get away.
This stab doesn't seem to be that much more effective than the earlier ones. But that's okay.
This was just the setup. I have something more in mind.
He thought as he dropped the blade from his dominant right hand, and used the now free hand to grab a talon of the panicking bird, immediately halting its nascent flight.
While the bird struggled, he waited to execute the next part of the plan.
Rahul didn't have to wait long, as a gush of wind on his back gave him the signal that he was needed. With all the strength that he could muster, Rahul swerved left, bringing the bird right in the path of the other guardian that was attempting to attack his ostensibly vulnerable flank.
A vicious talon strike that was meant for Rahul tore the Talon Guardian's back open instead, and the momentum of its plummeting brethren proved too much for the battered bird.
It crashed, right into Rahul, who had been expecting this and had a knife ready, aimed right at the bird's heart.
Even as he tumbled backward, the weight of his two enemies dropping him to the ground, Rahul smiled.
He had achieved what he wanted. His blade sank hilt deep into the guardian's chest, and after a few long seconds, it bled out.
You have killed a Level 23 Talon Guardian. 2300 experience earned.
So much for a clean and hygienic dungeon run. A sword would have killed the bird instantly.
Rahul thought sullenly, his satisfaction was marred by the blood coating his clothes.
The remaining level 23 bird didn't take long to pull its talons free of its brethren's back and fly away, letting Rahul shove aside the body and get up.
As he waited for the remaining level 23 bird to circle around for another attack, Rahul looked at his leveling progress.
197253/200000 experience to the next level.
Realizing that the 2300 XP the last bird would grant him won't be enough, he looked toward his friend, who was painstakingly hacking away at the level 20 bird, and spoke.
"Matt, could I have some of that XP? I'm close to a level up and I think the five stat points can make a huge difference in the coming battle."
Matt nodded.
"They definitely will. I've done a lot of damage already, but I think you can still get around half of the XP if you finish things up here."
Saying that, Matt dropped his weapon and used both his hands to pry open the wings with which the guardian was protecting its vulnerable neck and underside. The already battered and bruised bird screeched and tried to attack Matt with its talons, but with its neck exposed, it died a second later to a simple unempowered strike from Rahul.
You have killed a Level 20 Talon Guardian. 1132 experience earned.
A few seconds later, the last remaining bird swooped in for an attack. Without having to defend against attacks from multiple directions at once, Rahul had no difficulty killing it without spending any of his accumulated intent.
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You have killed a Level 23 Talon Guardian. 2300 experience earned.
Then he got the notification he was waiting for.
You have advanced to level 23.
685/200000 experience to the next level.
Your strength has increased from 50 to 51. You have been awarded 5 free stat points.
Rahul invested all his free stats into dexterity and smiled broadly as he looked at his stats and the 3 points of accumulated intent.
Character Overview Name Rahul Sharma Race Human (F) Class Melee Level 22 HP 220/220 MP 270/270 Stamina 720/720 Intent Points 3/7 Strength 51 (56.1) Endurance 72 Dexterity 42 Vitality 22 Intelligence 27 Perception 34.5 (37.95) Presence
Name Momentum Level 1
He shouted to his friend.
"Matt, it's time to go."
Then whispered under his breath.
Those birds won't know what hit 'em.
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"Here's what I'm thinking."
Rahul said to Matt as they got close to their destination.
"There are 21 birds up there, spread evenly between levels 20 and 23, with just two whose levels are hidden from me. If I pace my intent burn the way I did against Shahid and get into a good defensible position, I may be able to keep half of them at bay. But I won't be able to kill any of them, not without expensive bursts of intent that will eat the 3 accumulated points."
After a pause, Rahul added.
"There's also something else. Toward the end of the fight with Shahid, momentum had helped me get into a pseudo-intent trance of sorts. He had controlled the flow of intent while I had gone into my regular intent trance. I haven't got a skill or specialization for it yet, but with the help of my presence, I can go into the trance. While that'll allow me to use my intent for extended periods, it'll also restrict me to standard repeatable moves, and that won't work against overwhelming odds."
He paused again before speaking.
"But if we somehow trim their numbers to under a dozen, and if you can trigger your gratitude trance with my intent trance, we'll have a chance. For that to work though, we'll have to first repeat what happened earlier and get small groups of birds to break away and chase us. Once we have thinned their numbers enough, we can take on the weakened flock."
Matt didn't seem too optimistic as he replied.
"I have 3 intent points right now, but I need one more to trigger my trance, and that will take some doing. Luring small groups might not be as easy as it sounds either. If the two of us go together, they might perceive us as dangerous enough to warrant the wrath of the whole flock. But if I go alone, I'm sure a few would break off to attack me given my level."
After a pause, he added.
"You could go alone too. They can likely sense your vulnerability to intent attacks and would mistake you for easy prey. But no matter which one of us goes, it's risky either way."
Rahul nodded and replied.
"I'll go. But in case I get into trouble with the mental attacks, don't forget my golden words."
Matt looked confused, and Rahul explained.
"Aim your pebbles away from my nose."
The two laughed good-naturedly, and then Rahul picked up the pace, leaving his friend behind and reaching the nest area again.
The instant he arrived, a pair of birds noticed him. One of them chirped, and then the entire flock turned to look at Rahul.
Shit. That can't be good.
Even before Rahul could finish that thought, they all left their perches and took flight.
They must have gotten tired of waiting for my entrenched friends to come out. I can't blame them, they've been waiting a long time.
But it does mean I'm fucked now. There are a shit ton of them and they can easily outpace and surround me if I try to climb away.
Accepting that retreat was not an option, Rahul looked around for the best branch to make his stand.
I need firm footing, enough space to maneuver around without fear of falling, and something to guard my back and flanks.
But the birds were flying fast, and closing in quickly, giving Rahul no time to find the ideal defensive spot.
Deciding to lower his expectations, Rahul set his eyes on the biggest nearby branch. Jumping there and putting his back against the massive trunk, he equipped his twin blades.
Decision time.
I can either go all out from the start, burning all my intent to thin their numbers before they surround me. That way, I'll have fewer enemies to fight against but will be vulnerable for the rest of the battle.
Or, I could do what I had planned earlier. Keep my intent use at a minimum and make it last as long as I can. But where would that leave me? Even if all my friends come to my rescue, they can barely hold off 5 or 6 birds among them.
Neither of the options ended with Rahul coming out alive, and there was no clear winner.
If I can kill 3-4 birds upfront before my friends join in, we might have better odds. Instead of completely impossible, our task will then be almost impossible. But at least we'll have a shot.
But the approach is unnecessarily risky for me. Given their size, and the tree at my back, no more than 6-7 birds would be able to attack me at any given time. So, the pressure on me would be the same, irrespective of whether there are 17 of them or 21.
What won't be the same is my ability to defend. If I conserve my momentum, then I'll be able to hold off the birds for at least ten minutes. If I burn through it all up front, I'm not sure how long I can last.
Fighting against 3 or 4 birds was one thing, but 6 at once would be impossible. Even my 5 newly added points of dexterity won't be enough for that.
With only seconds left before the first wave of the birds would come within attacking range, Rahul had to make his decision now.
What the hell.
He thought, deciding to go for broke.
To start with, he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"HELP!!!"