Volume 3 Cloverfield start chapter 57 - preparations 

Standing in the guild plane, I looked at all of my gathered comrades. 

Solomon: so, are we ready? 

After receiving a nod from everyone, I turned towards the guild bot 

Solomon: start the mission. 

Guild bot: guild mission, commencing. Mission world, Cloverfield.  

With a flash of light, a panel appeared before us. 

Mission: Escort Jason Hawkins, Rob Hawkins, Hudson Platt, Lily Ford and Marlena Diamond out of Manhattan.  

Rewards: 500 points per surviving character. 5 points for every parasite killed. 

Preparation time: 1 hour 

Looking at the words before us, we were surprised. 

Alice: huh, preparation time? 

Tony: you didn't know? 

Seeing his unmoved expression, it seemed like he was already aware of this. 

Solomon; you knew this would happen? 

Tony: yeah, I'm surprised you didn't? 

Having a person with experience in Domain was very helpful at times like these. 

Solomon: well, this is our first guild mission. Anyway, can you explain to us? 

Tony: sure. 

Sitting down on a chair, tony began to tell us what he knew. 

Tony: Basically, this is one of the perks of guild missions. Depending on the rank of the guild, you can receive information about the mission, as well as time to prepare for it. I've heard that for C rank guild they can prepare for a whole day, though I don't know how true that is. 

Thinking over what Tony said, the importance of guilds were once again raised in my mind. The prospect of preparing for a mission and then being able to tailor your equipment to it is very op. 

Solomon: okay, then this is good for us. Let's not waste the time we have. Has anyone seen Cloverfield? 

Looking around, it seemed that nobody had. 

Solomon: damn, alright then. Guess we'll have to watch it. Gareth, go online and find a synopsis of the film. Use whatever info you can to prepare for the mission. As for everyone else, I want you to do nothing. 

The intense expressions of my teammates went dumb after hearing my order. 

Nicholas: huh, nothing? We can't just squander the time we've been given. Surely you can give us something to do? 

Solomon: at the moment the best thing you can do is prepare yourself. Though I've not seen this film, I've heard of it. The main premise is that a giant monster is attacking new York. The likelihood of any of us surviving an attack by that monster is tiny at best. 

Being told so bluntly to prepare for death left Nicholas dumbstruck. 

Nicholas: su, surely you can do something to it? I mean, you're so strong. how could you ever be put in such a situation? 

Solomon: I'll say this now. if that monster attacks us, Then it'll take my all to hold it off for a minute. 

Having seen the adverts for the film in the past, I knew that the creature was a skyscraper tall giant with several arms. Trying to face off against it would be suicide. 

Sasha: we understand. if it comes to that we'll fend for ourselves. 

Grabbing her brother by the hand, Sasha spoke up. Surprisingly this young girl had an extremely mature mind. If I had the chance, I wanted to nurture her. 

Solomon: thank you. Alright then, let's get this done. 

Sitting down on the sofa, I pulled up the film. As it was an hour and a half long, I would have to watch it in two times speed. Luckily my enhanced reactions and thought process allowed me to still understand it. But even so, I would have to concentrate to pick up all the details. 

Honing my senses to a fine edge, I turned the movie on. 

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On another side of the room Gareth was fastidiously researching the film. 

Pluvia: so, what have you found about this monster? 

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Walking over to him, Pluvia wanted to hear what he knew. Having heard the gist of it in Solomon's words, she wanted to see the enemy. Being an S rank fighter, she could accurately place the level of most opponents she faced. 

Gareth: well, there's not a great deal in the film to go off. After looking if only found a handful of videos of it. But I did learn something worrying. 

Skilfully switching between different tabs, he showed several images and short videos of these creatures. They were small, dog-sized, beige coloured insects. With sharp teeth and several pincer-like legs, they screamed danger. However, the small size and lack of range led to them being Fairly weak compared to humans. To the extent that one character took on and killed one easily in a one vs one fight.  

Gareth: these are the parasites. After seeing it as a reward, I checked what they were.  

Pluvia: what's the point, these are just weak bugs. Even an unranked could take on several of these. 

Gareth, that's true, but this is the issue. 

Switching to another video, he showed me a longer clip. It started with a group of the characters inside a tunnel. After hearing weird noises, they are attacked by these parasites. In the process of escaping, one of them is bitten by the small insects.  

Pluvia: ho, they can move in the dark. This would be problematic if we didn't prepare for it. But it only takes some lights to solve this issue. 

Gareth: just wait. 

Turning back to the video Gareth sped it up. Eventually coming to a stop in some sort of military tent. At one point, the character that was bitten started to bleed from their eyes. After being collared by the medics, they were taken behind a screen. Using the light in the background, you could clearly see that the characters head explode. 

Pluvia: oh, poison. 

Gareth: that's right, this is the worst weapon of these creatures. I'm guessing that if enough gets into us, even us enhanced could die. 

Adding in the element of poison to these little creatures, made them many times more dangerous. It's like the difference between a house spider and a black widow. 

Pluvia: that's true, especially if the system ups the power of these bugs. 

Gareth: ups the power? 

Gareth had yet to experience the upgrade in power that agents of the system received. Having spent all of his missions in unfamiliar series, he didn't know that some of the characters were stronger than their real life counterparts. 

Pluvia: yeah, sometimes to even out the missions and make them challenging, the enemies will be strengthened to some degree. Of course, the opposite may be true for stronger enemies. We may go into this mission and find the creature to be several time weaker than it should be. 

Hearing that possibility, the thought in Gareth's head expanded. With the new info, he could think of several more possibilities to account for. 

Gareth: shit, what a double-edged sword. 

Pluvia: yep, so, how are we dealing with this poison. 

With a swish of Gareth's hand, a panel appeared before the two of them. 

Gareth: after looking in the system, I found this. 

Antidote 

Unranked equipment 

50 

From the resident evil series, a cure-all for poisons. Able to fight of all non-energy based poisons. Has a minor effect on weak energy poisons. 

Pluvia: hmm, these seem like a safe bet. I don't realty see the parasites developing energy poison. 

Gareth: yeah, but if we take into the consideration the costs, we have an issue. 

Even with the combined money of everyone, there was only a little over 900. To get an antidote for everyone would cost 350 points. And even then there only one-time use. If you get bit a second time, you're dead. 

Pluvia: I don't need one. Even if I die I'll only go back to Solomon. Then he can summon me again. 

Gareth: okay, so that's one more for the rest of us, but it's still not enough. 

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Gareth was unsure of how to spend the money. 

Pluvia: I don't think it's that hard of a decision. what else are we going to buy? 

Gareth; huh. Well, not much. Other than a light in case we go underground, then nothing. 

Thinking it over, there was nothing else that was worth buying. Though they could get lots of consumables, it would do nothing against the gigantic creature. And when it came to the parasites, even if they're strengthened they won't be a threat to the G ranks. 

Gareth; thank you Pluvia. 

Pluvia: don't worry about it. Uh, I've got a favour to ask? 

Seeing the slight awkwardness in Pluvia expression and words, Gareth was amazed. Since meeting her this was the first time he had seen her express emotion. Though it was only a little, he felt a deepening in his companionship with her. 

Gareth: haha, what is it? If I can help I'll try my best. 

Pluvia: in this mission, I want you to look out for Solomon.  

Gareth: huh, you think I'm not going to? 

Shaking her head, Pluvia showed that he had misunderstood. 

Pluvia: I'm going to give you something that will make you stronger. With this power I want you to keep him safe. 

Hearing that she was going to give him something. He was ecstatic. He knew how much she had helped Solomon advance. he wanted her to do the same for him. 

Gareth: I won't turn down your offer, anything that can help me survive can't be bad. But I've got to ask, why? 

From his perspective, he thought that Pluvia saw them as disposable pawns. Though she was part of the team, she was never really friendly with anyone. But from her perspective, she didn't feel the same. Being both from a different race, and having adapted to the world of Domain for years, her emotional side had been severely dulled. But even so, she thought of these people as her friends. 

Pluvia: whether or not I show it, I care for my friends. Though were not used to each other yet, I would be affected by your death. 

Though she wasn't the most eloquent with her words, her meaning was conveyed. 

Gareth: thank you, it's nice to have comrades again. 

For a moment, Gareth felt the same warmth from Pluvia as he did from his team in the past. With the idea of chasing this feeling in his head, he swore to himself that everyone would make it through this mission. 

Pluvia: it is. Anyway, here's the item. 

Holding up her hand, a small black marble appeared in her hand. Picking it up, Gareth inspected it.  

It was a pearl sized black orb. Looking deep into it, he could see the figure of a man on a throne. Suddenly the figure turned to face him, screaming in horror. Startled, Gareth took a step back. 

Gareth: damn, what is that? 

Pluvia: it's a mana orb from a shade of Mordor. There creatures from the lord of the rings. Being close to your enhancement, you should be able to absorb the orb for an instant powerup. 

Gareth: instant? Didn't Solomon have to use these continuously to get stronger. 

Having spoken with Solomon, he knew of his use of these orbs. 

Pluvia: that's right, but his enhancement is different to yours. You can only absorb these orbs once every few weeks. Then depending on the quality, you'll get a power-up. 

Gareth: oh okay, I'm going to save it for now then. 

Pluvia: huh, why? 

Having considered it, he would use this orb to its full potential. 

Gareth: if I take this when I'm low on energy, it should fill me back up right? 

Pluvia; ah, that's quite a clever idea. I'm surprised I never thought of it before. 

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As Gareth and Pluvia kept discussing, Solomon was getting close to the end of the film.