As the Party stepped into the doorway of the boss chamber, Sally chose to ignore the fact that Claude just admitted to previously being on hard narcotics. At least, that’s what she assumed he meant - the System often had an odd way of translating things. She narrowed her eyes between the two Players. Surely not.
“Boss looks like a caster,” Claude murmured, breaking her from her thoughts.
“Let me get my zombies in as distractions, and Poppy and I can do the old lance trick?” She glanced back at the small gathering of undead zombies, one of which was leaning against the door frame.
[Poppy: Sounds good to me, I don’t have a lot of magic resist.]
Sally nodded. “Perhaps I can spec that way? I’m pretty sure I saw Willpower helps with that and it’s one of my core Stats. You can be the phys tank and I’ll be for magic?”
[Poppy: Sure!!]
While it sounded like a plan, the thought of being so intertwined with the rules and processes of a System made the zombie grimace. How far she had fallen. Still, two knights and a healer seemed like a decent Party composition so far. If they could find someone with ranged damage, then they’d be pretty well-rounded.
“Alright,” she said and rolled out her soldiers. Her miniature horde groaned and clambered into the room, stumbling towards the Boss.
Poppy moved to the right flank, while she stepped over to the left. Other than the Boss at the end of the room, this chamber full of small stools and feasting tables had a couple of groups of regular goblins on either side.
The first struck her breastplate with a short dagger, and she grabbed it by the throat - lashing past and skewering the second Monster. As the Boss started to cast something at her zombies, she used [Gravecurse] on him ahead of time. Headbutt to the grappled greenskin and then she threw them to the floor. A zombie leaped atop the fallen opponent.
“You again? You’re supposed to be up front, goofball.” She shook her head before blocking the swing of a sword. The fact that one of her zombies seemed to struggle with understanding her commands should be more concerning than she was making it out to be, but the middle of combat wasn’t the best time to sort this kind of thing out.
She turned her head at the sound of Poppy’s sword bashing against her shield. Already the goblins on that side had been dealt with, and two of the decoys up front had been killed by the Boss. Other than a little sword-work, she hadn’t even had the chance to sink her teeth into anything yet.
Flourishing her blade to dissuade the remaining goblins from approaching her, Sally then extended her left hand toward the casting Boss. A rough crown upon their head and a tiny red cloak. He looked ready to fill one of her pals with lightning. [Chain] struck him, interrupting his spell and dragging him across the floor towards her.
Or at least, until Poppy flashed forward, striking the goblin at a right-angle with the radiant lance skill. His head burst like a firework, and his inert body slid across the dusty stone ground as Sally’s skill no longer saw him as a target.
Between them both, the handful of remaining Monsters were little effort to dispatch. Seemingly panicked with their leader so easily felled, the small group lost heart in defending their little ruins against the powerful knights. Jabbing her sword through the ribs of the unarmored Monster, she ate their brains and pushed the last one away so that Poppy could interrupt and finish them off.
Sally wiped her mouth off as she watched her clumsy zombie trip and splay out across one of the short tables as it tried to wander back over to her.
“I will surely regret asking this…” Claude pulled a face. “But, what do brains taste like?”
She grinned in return. “Honestly, I think there’s something up with my skill, because everyone tastes different - which can’t be right, biologically. The hornets tasted like battery acid, and these gobbos taste like old cheese.”
“Oh?” The healer scratched at his chin. “Both more and less macabre at the same time.”
[Poppy: What’s the nicest brains you’ve ever eaten?? <<;]
“Poppy.” Claude scowled at her. “I feel as though we are already skirting with mania by traveling with the walking dead. We shouldn’t encourage dabbling in the darker arts.”
[Poppy: You started it! :V]
“Players,” she answered. “Real living and breathing Players.” Her crimson eyes glowed, and she ran her tongue across her sharp teeth. “Although I used to get bonuses whatever I ate, so wasn’t picky. Plus, in my home world, I could eat real food and that is definitely nicer than brains. Sometimes.” Sally crossed her arms. “See, it’s the texture of brains that-”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“Okay, point made.” Claude waved his hands to shush her. “Let’s get this place looted and leave before I go insane.”
----------------------------------------
Theo stumbled back into existence atop the square platform and began throwing up in between laughing to himself. After both actions seemed to die off, he stood up straight and wiped his mouth.
“Wow. Never been bisected vertically before, that was a rush.”
“I can hear you from down here,” Borin called up. “You sound crazy.”
The vampire grabbed the warhammer from the racks and walked halfway down the steps to the circular platform.
“Compared to a lot of my peers, I haven’t died that many times.” He sat down with the weapon across his lap. “Certainly not as many times as Sally… so it’s always rather novel.” Ignoring the fact he was the only one of them to actually die for real that one time.
“You allow your lover to die repeatedly?”
Theo rolled his eyes. “She revels in it, and she’s her own person. I always look out for her, but in some ways she is a lot stronger than I am.”
Borin grunted, not keen to weigh in any further to the conversation.
“Plus, fighting isn’t everything. What would you do if you could give this up and return to a normal world?”
“I’ll not encourage your delusions, vampire.” The giant shook his head and turned away. “No good will come from you trying to fraternize with me.”
“How so? We’re going to be spending a lot of time together… I’ve barely even warmed up!” Theo stood and drew the warhammer up over his shoulder. “You’ve been holding back too, I can feel it.”
Borin exhaled. “I have level fifty-six sword, and forty-nine mace. You cannot hope to have a chance.”
“Tell me what you’d be,” the vampire repeated. “And I’ll show you something neat.”
Across his back, the head of the warhammer illuminated in the pink glow of [Novice Strike].
----------------------------------------
Sally rifled through the pockets of one of the dead goblins. “I wonder if I’ll ever see a world with more diverse currency than just gold coins.” That might make retrieving the scant handful of loose change from the little Monsters more depressing, however. Stealing lunch money.
“You expect to go to other worlds after here?” Claude was sitting down on one of the small stools.
[Poppy: Of course! Sally is like a System-saving angel!]
[Poppy: Can’t you read subtext?]
The healer rolled his eyes. “I lived too many years under the sun to accept such a grandiose thought.”
Sally hummed. “It’s not that far off the mark. Clearly I’m no angel, but my vocation is killing big bads to save the little unbelievers like yourself.”
“Far too selfless for my liking,” he grumbled. “Is there no ulterior motive? You do this solely to gain the title of hero?”
[Poppy: Don’t be so grouchy, Claude.]
[Poppy: You prayed for hope and you received it.]
[Poppy: Blessings come in all forms!]
“He’s right to be sceptical.” The zombie shrugged. “You might not be so trusting of me if I had killed and eaten Kenny back there. Morality is a conscious choice for me.” She grinned and jerked her thumb back at the treasure chest awaiting their perusal. “Shall we?”
“Be my guest.”
Archie frowned and tried to lean away from the zombie goblin stumbling around - the Monster just passing through him to slam into the wall behind. “Perhaps a mercy killing is necessary.”
“No way.” Sally wagged a finger at him as she walked away towards the throne area. “I need every mote of strength until we know what this world can offer me. One silly zombie could be enough to save the System.” She gave him a wink.
The cat turned his head to watch the goblin slide down the wall slowly and collapse to the ground.
----------------------------------------
“Knock again,” Edward suggested.
Humphrey glared at the demon. “I’ve knocked three times already. He is clearly not in.”
“But he isn’t answering messages either?”
The Death Knight grunted and worked his jaw. “Lucius is not a person who leaves a message without a response. I once accidentally sent him something at three in the morning - near instant reply.”
“Gross.” Edward put his hand over his eyes to glance up at the building. “Ready to do some breaking and entering then, detective?”
A shaken head was the immediate response. “There are more ways to find the location of someone… but I would have to request authorization.”
“Even as Head of Security?” The demon crossed his arms and turned to look out toward the ocean, a promenade of stone not too far off from the office of the Shade.
“Privacy concerns.” Humphrey flexed his plated fingers as if contemplating knocking the door in anyway. “Not that I’d use it to check up on Sally constantly, but being able to lock on to anyone in the System requires approval so that it isn’t abused.”
“Boring…” Edward deflated. “I suppose we can’t just keep it between ourselves if it comes to that.”
“What can I say, other than… oh, hang on.”
[Lucius: Humphrey! Sorry~]
[Lucius: Was taking the rest of the day off :X]
[Lucius: Anything important? We could meet tomorrow?]
[Humphrey: Tomorrow is fine.]
[Humphrey: Just making sure you are okay.]
[Lucius: Never been better! :D]
The Death Knight grunted. “He is fine. Will talk to us before our nerd meeting.”
Edward shook his head and started to walk off toward the promenade. “You’re remarkably soft for being made of metal.”
“Explain?”
The pair walked around and went down the short set of stone steps to the long strip by the beach. It was getting close to dusk now, and the area seemed to be rather quiet as whatever visitors had been here turned in for the day.
“Lucius is a habitual people-pleaser. If you tell him to jump, he’ll ask you if he is high enough while still in mid-air.”
Humphrey shrugged as they continued walking. “Everyone is entitled to some privacy. Maybe he has something important going on.”
“Other than his work and odd fascination with his dead insect collection that he keeps secret, he has no life.” Edward put a hand in his pocket. “Not that I am disparaging his work - even I have found it helpful… but he has no interest in any vice or distraction.”
“So, you’re saying either he is lying… or someone is falsifying the messages? That is quite the jump.”
“A jump?” Edward stopped and crouched down. Eyes narrowed at the stone walkway, he ran a finger across the sand-swept ground. Withdrawing it, he raised an eyebrow at the odd residue now marring the outstretched digit. “Perhaps. But how high?”