Zeldritzon [Cycle 13] - Morning
Current Location:
[Dareloop Zone]
[UvoSath Forest of the UvoSath Realm]
----------------------------------------
The next morning, before the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, KiAera stood before the gaping maw of the Dareloop Cave, flanked by Scarbol, Tailza, and the Nexperbax trio—Nex, Rox, and Viz.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
[Innate Status]:
Name: KiAera
Age: [26 Cycles] [25]
Race: [Merecritt]
Species: [Merecritt]
Innate: [Human 𓆩♡𓆪]
Class: [Unselected]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling] (F)
Variant Grade: [Common]
Attribute Influence: [Beast] [Fire]
Dominions: [Revise] [Virtuoso]
Stored AP: [194]
Current APeX: [5400 Units]
Power Limit Cap (APeX): [5850 Units]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
— — —
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Scarbol the Kobolbo
Faux Nym: Awaiting Confirmation…
Brief description: fledgling kobold monster.
APeX: [2315 Units]
Dominion: [Generalist]
Attributes: [Brawl] [Cryptic]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
Current Variant Grade: [Common]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
— — —
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Tailza the Kobolbo
Faux Nym: Awaiting Confirmation…
Brief description: fledgling kobold monster.
APeX: [1652 Units]
Dominion: [Generalist]
Attributes: [Brawl] [Cryptic]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
Current Variant Grade: [Common]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
— — —
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Nex the Nexperbax
Brief description: fledgling sonic-bat monster.
APeX Power: [3860 Units]
Dominion: [Hidden] [Hidden]
Attributes: [Sound] [Wind] [Beast]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
Current Variant Grade: [Rare]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
— — —
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Rox the Nexperbax
Brief description: fledgling sonic-bat monster.
APeX Power: [3490 Units]
Dominion: [Disrupt]
Attributes: [Sound] [Wind] [Beast]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
Current Variant Grade: [Uncommon]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
— — —
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Viz the Nexperbax
Brief description: fledgling sonic-bat monster.
APeX Power: [3180 Units]
Dominion: [Disrupt]
Attributes: [Sound] [Wind] [Beast] [Voltage]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
Current Variant Grade: [Uncommon]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera adjusted her stance, her ears twitching at the slightest noise from the cave's depths. "This is it?"
Nex folded his wings casually, a cocky smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yep. The Dareloop Cave. Beyond here lies the dungeon you're after—if you've got the guts to venture in."
Rox gave an exaggerated shiver, her pink-streaked fur catching the faint light of KiAera's spectral flame. "Creepy, isn't it? Gets worse the deeper you go. Good thing we're here to babysit."
Viz, standing a little too close to Scarbol for comfort, nervously nodded. "Y-yeah, it's… uh, not so bad once you get used to it. Kinda. Maybe."
Scarbol snorted, unimpressed. "We're not here to play around. Let's get moving before the sun catches us." His tone was gruff, but there was an edge of unease in his stance.
KiAera turned to Nex. "You said you know this place better than anyone. What makes you so sure we won't get lost in there?"
Nex spread his wings slightly, casting a shadow that made him seem larger than life. "Because we're Nexperbax. This is our playground."
He tapped one of his four glowing eyes with a claw. "Echolocation. We see with sound. The Dareloop's twists and turns? The pitch-black abyss of the dungeon? It's nothing to us. Every bounce of sound maps the world like a picture in our heads."
Rox chimed in with a grin playful. "And stealth, don't forget that. No one sees a Nexperbax unless we want them to."
Tailza tilted her head as her hands clasped together nervously. "That's… amazing. But can you really keep all of us hidden?"
Nex rolled his eyes. "Not all of you, no. But if you follow my lead and don't do anything stupid, you'll make it out in one piece."
KiAera raised an eyebrow, her patience was already wearing thin. "That's… comforting. I hope your bravado isn't just for show, Nex. Otherwise, you'll regret dragging me into this."
Nex smirked. "Feisty as ever. I like that."
Rox clapped her claws together. "Alright, enough flirting. Time's wasting, and if you want those crystals before Mina and Boggorc come knocking, we better move."
KiAera shot her a glare as her ears twitched. "Flirting? Hardly. Let's go."
Viz let out a quiet, nervous laugh as the group began to descend into the cave. The walls narrowed quickly, the air growing colder with every step. Tailza hovered close to KiAera, the kobolbo girl holding KiAera's ear hand tightly. She gazed back, but turned her gaze away with a nod.
"We'll be fine," KiAera whispered.
As they moved deeper, the natural light faded entirely, replaced by the faint bioluminescence of glowing fungi that dotted the cave walls like tiny, eerie stars. Nex's wings brushed against KiAera's shoulder as he leaned in.
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"Stay close," he whispered. "You'll want to be quiet from here on out. The Dareloop Dungeon doesn't like noisy visitors."
KiAera nodded, her spectral flame dimming to a faint glow. Whatever lay ahead, she wasn't about to let Nex or her companions come to harm.
Saying that, her ears flicked back and forth, scanning for sounds.
Beside her, Scarbol led at the fore with his shoulders squared and axe glinting in the faint fungal glow. Behind them, Nex and Rox moved, their wingbeats near-silent. Viz lagged slightly, muttering nervously under his breath as his claws clicked against the stone.
She noted that the oppressive darkness competed against her flame's luminance as they descended further into the Dareloop Dungeon. Its silence pressed against KiAera's ears, broken only by the soft rustle of their movements and the faint drip of moisture from stalactites high above. The air carried a metallic tang, mingled with the damp, earthy scent of the deep.
Above all—the whole place thrummed with a strange, unwelcoming energy that set her instincts on edge. The subtle pressure in the air alike the higher settings in the training facilities.
Nex then flitted ahead just far enough to scout, his wings making almost no sound as they beat the air. Every so often, one of his high-pitched clicks would bounce through the cavern, mapping the path ahead.
Rox and Viz followed closely, their movements synchronized, their eyes darting to every shadow.
"Crawl through there," Nex pointed.
KiAera and the others followed suit as he scurried through a crevice.
The air grew heavier, and the walls closed in, glittering faintly with traces of crystalline veins. KiAera caught a glimmer of blue from a cluster of clear crystals embedded in the wall ahead.
Her heart skipped—a first lead on the edible blue crystals they sought.
Their path opened into a vast chamber bristling with crystalline spires, their shimmering blue surfaces reflecting the faint glow of KiAera's spectral flame. She slowed as she inspected the room. Light-blue crystals. Not just a few—hundreds of them. Perhaps enough to pay off the ransom for Scarbol's.
They jutted out from every crevice like teeth, some clustered together like jagged blossoms, others stretching toward the ceiling.
"This…" KiAera whispered, her eyes darting across the chamber. "This is it. The crystals we need."
Nex landed lightly beside her, his grin practically splitting his face. "Told you I'd get you here. Dareloop's best kept secret."
The group took their first steps toward collecting the crystals. With Nexperbax keeping watch. KiAera, Tailza, and Scarbol grabbed quartz, tore down fragments from larger crystal formations to place in their satchels.
Items Obtained:
Blue Crystals x52
Light-Blue Crystals x3680
The foraging was going great so far.
"…chitter…scuttle…scrape…"
She paused, lifting a hand to signal the group to halt. Nex gave her a sharp look but said nothing. Slowly, she turned away from the crystals, averting her gaze toward the several entrances in the chamber.
Her spectral flame shifted in hue as she revised its properties to detect organic matter.
Her ears twitched as the faintest vibration rippled through the ground. She froze. Something was wrong.
"Stop moving," Nex hissed, stepping closer. His voice was barely above a whisper. "It's bait."
KiAera narrowed her eyes. "Bait for what?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he tilted his head, his four eyes gleaming with a focused intensity as he unleashed a high-pitched pulse of echolocation. The sound rippled through the chamber and returned to him with an unnerving speed. His wings stiffened. "Something's moving on all sides. They're big and fast."
Scarbol growled, raising his claws defensively. "Directions, Nex. Now."
"Everywhere," Nex said grimly. "We're surrounded."
The chamber swiftly plunged into chaos as shadows erupted from the walls and floor—dark, chitinous creatures with glinting mandibles, massive pincers, and glowing yellow eyes. They moved like liquid, swarming toward the group in unnervingly coordinated waves.
"Burscourge!" Viz yelped, his voice cracking as he launched into the air.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Burscourges
Species: Burscourges
Sobriquet: "Burrow Scourges"
Alignment: [Predator] [Evil]
APeX range: [2000 Units] → [5000 Units]
Attributes: [Xensect] [Evil]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling] (F)
Variant Grades: [Common] and [Uncommon]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera barely had time to register the name before one of the creatures lunged at her, mandibles snapping. She reacted instinctively, her ears whipping out like striking snakes and slamming the creature into the wall with a sickening crunch. Her [Spectral Flare] flared brighter, casting ghostly light across the fray.
Tailza screamed as another Burscourge leapt toward her, but Scarbol was faster, cleaving the creature in two with a single powerful swing. "Stay close!" he barked.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Scarbol the Kobolbo
APeX: [2315 Units] → [2525 Units]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Nex and Rox dove into the swarm with Mach speed and precision, their echolocation guiding them as they tore through the creatures with sonic bursts and razor-sharp claws. Viz flitted overhead, disoriented but managing to fend off attackers with quick, darting electrifying strikes.
Bundled back to back, KiAera fended off the Burscourges with Scarbol and Tailza.
Her mind raced. Their attack patterns, their coordination. The Burscourge weren't just attacking—they were driving them toward something deeper within the cave. A trap? An ambush? Either way, they couldn't stay here.
"Keep moving!" she shouted. "Don't let them box us in!"
Scarbol took point again, plowing through the swarm with sheer brute force. Tailza stayed close, her trembling claws finding their mark as she struck down any creature that got too close. KiAera fought alongside them, her spectral fire burning cold and bright, freezing the Burscourge in their tracks.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Name and Status: KiAera
APeX: [5400 Units] → [5850 Units] (MAX)
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Scarbol the Kobolbo
APeX: [2525 Units] → [3114 Units]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Tailza the Kobolbo
APeX: [1652 Units] → [2410 Units]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Behind them, Nex's voice cut through the chaos. "This way! Follow me!"
KiAera turned just in time to see him veer down a narrow side passage, Rox and Viz close behind. She hesitated for only a moment before nodding to Scarbol and Tailza. "Go!"
The group plunged into the passage, the walls closing in around them as the Burscourge gave chase. The sound of their skittering claws grew louder, echoing like a storm of steel against stone.
Nex led them through a dizzying series of twists and turns, his echolocation guiding them through the maze-like tunnels. KiAera struggled to keep up, her ears straining to track the sounds of their pursuers. The Burscourge were relentless, their glowing eyes a constant, haunting presence in the shadows.
Finally, Nex skidded to a halt in a wide, open chamber. "Here!" he called. "We can make a stand here!"
KiAera's eyes darted around the chamber, taking in the jagged crystal formations and narrow choke points. It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do. She turned to her companions.
"Hold the line," she commanded. "We fight together, or we fall alone."
Scarbol growled, flexing his claws eagerly. "Will do, KiAera."
The atmosphere inside the dungeon had shifted. KiAera could feel it—her instincts screaming as the chill in the air became suffocating. The flickering glow of her spectral flame cast jagged shadows on the walls, which now seemed closer than before, pressing in around them.
Her ears twitched, catching the faintest scrape of movement. It wasn't the rhythmic flutter of the Nexperbax trio's wings or the steady crunch of the Burscourges' scuttle against the crystal floor. This was something else entirely.
Scarbol raised his makeshift weapon, his eyes scanning the dark. Tailza's grip tightened on KiAera's ear-hand, trembling slightly. "I d-don't like this," she whispered.
Before anyone could respond, they emerged—creatures with elongated heads and unsettling, featureless faces. Their humanoid forms were unnatural, flailing with disproportionate fists as they charged from the shadows.
Mrumunch.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Mrumunches
Species: Mrumunches
Sobriquet: "Long Mouths"
Alignment: [Predator] [Aggressors]
APeX range: [1800 Units] → [4100 Units]
Attributes: [Brawl] [Evil]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling] (F)
Variant Grades: [Common] and [Uncommon]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
"Defensive positions!" Scarbol's voice cut through the chaos.
KiAera leaped back, her [Spectral Flame] shifting from its dim glow to a blinding blaze along her ears. One of the Mrumunch lunged at her, its fists aimed to crush, but she lashed out with her extendable ears, the impact sending it stumbling.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Name and Status: KiAera
APeX: [5850 Units] → [5850 Units] (MAX)
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
"Stay close!" Nex's voice rang out as he darted through the air, his sonic screech stunning a group of the creatures. Rox followed his lead with a scream, a blast of concentrated sound sending another Mrumunch crumpling to the ground. "We need to head back to the surface!"
Viz hovered protectively near KiAera and Tailza, his wings glowing faintly as he prepared to intercept any attack that came her way. "T-this's not looking good."
Just as the group seemed to gain the upper hand, the situation worsened. A new kind of Mrumunch emerged—their clawed hands gleaming like polished blades. These variants moved with strikes carving through the air with terrifying speed—climbing and anchoring themselves on the walls of the cavern. No matter where she looked, the room became infested with them from ceiling to floor.
KiAera spun, her [Spectral Flame] morphing into a burning whip that clashed against one of the blade-clawed creatures. "Anymore guest we need to know about?" she hissed through gritted teeth.
The fight grew chaotic, with Scarbol and Tailza holding the line as best they could. Scarbol's weapon clanged against the blade-claws, sparks flying as he grunted under the pressure of each blow. Tailza used her agility to evade attacks, striking whenever an opening presented itself.
Then, as if the dungeon itself continued to conspire against them, the ceiling above trembled. Two new types of monsters crashed into the fray: Diamos and Cryvitates.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Diamos
Species: Diamos
Sobriquet: "Diamond Daunts"
Alignment: [Neutral] [Aggressors]
APeX range: [2300 Units] → [3800 Units]
Attributes: [Ore]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling] (F)
Variant Grades: [Common] and [Uncommon]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Cryvitates
Species: Cryvitate
Sobriquet: "Crystal Gravitators"
Alignment: [Neutral]
APeX range: [1500 Units] → [3400 Units]
Attributes: [Ore]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling] (F)
Variant Grades: [Common] and [Uncommon]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
The Diamos, rock-like beasts with jagged diamond bodies, struck with heavy limbs that could shatter stone. Next were the Cryvitates who hovered, their shimmering ore-like forms blasting beams of energy that ricocheted through the chamber.
"Incoming!" Rox shouted, narrowly dodging a blast from a Cryvitate that disintegrated a nearby stalagmite.
It was pandemonium. The Diamos and Cryvitates attacked indiscriminately, targeting both KiAera's group and the Mrumunch. The narrow dungeon chamber became a chaotic battlefield, with debris and energy blasts flying in every direction.
KiAera's flames lashed out, freezing Cryvitates mid-blast before shattering their crystalline bodies.
Stored AP: [2910] → [3154]!
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera's Status
🌀 [Uncommon] Particles of the defeated Cryvitates gained…
Siphoning from [Common] to [Uncommon]. Progress: 48% → 54%
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
"We're getting overwhelmed!" she shouted over the cacophony. "Follow my lead so we can—"
Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the entire dungeon. Every monster froze. From deeper within the dungeon, a massive figure emerged—a terrifying amalgamation of muscle, claws, and raw power.
Mruzast.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Mruzast
Species: Mruzast
Sobriquet: "Greater Long Mouth"
Alignment: [Predator] [Aggressor]
APeX: [9019 Units]
Attributes: [Brawl] [Evil]
Evolution Stage: [Emergent] (E)
Current Variant Grade: [Uncommon]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
The evolved form of the Mrumunch loomed over the battlefield, its grotesquely elongated mouth and impossibly long fingers marking it as something far more dangerous than anything they had faced before.
With a roar, it struck, its muscular arms smashing through the combatants like a hurricane. Lesser Mrumunch were eradicated instantly, their bodies crumbling under the force of its blows. Diamos that dared to challenge it was hurled across the chamber, shattering into rubble against the wall.
"Scatter!" Nex bellowed, his wings propelling him upward as the Mruzast's clawed hand swiped through the space where he had been moments before.
KiAera barely had time to react as she registered a second Mruzast carving its path through the mayhem, its elongated mouth opening to emit an earsplitting screech. Its eyes were set on a target as it tore through its own kind with no hesitation.
Tailza!
The kobold girl had froze, her body locked in place as the beast lunged.
KiAera's ears extended to grab Tailza, pulling her back just as the Mruzast's fist crushed the ground where she had stood.
She turned again to see a third Mruzast charging, its bizarrely long fingers twitched with anticipation before it swung at her.
Before the blow could land, Viz darted in, tackling her out of the way. The Mruzast's massive claw caught him instead, sending him spiraling into the ground with a sickening thud.
"Viz!" Rox screamed, diving toward her brother, who lay motionless amidst the rubble.
KiAera scrambled to her feet and forced her [Spectral Flame] to blaze brighter than ever. Her heart pounded as she stared at the Mruzast, its soulless gaze fixed on her once more. She clenched her fists. "You'll pay for that!"