They say the best battles won are those that are never fought.
That'd been our ethos going in.
Sneak one member under the cover of [Cloak] (the ability the fireballist had used to stay hidden) into the Gate and get the rest of us sucked in through the power of party retention (the same thing that'd dragged Jye and Wren along when Axel tackled me into Nabu's Dungeon).
It was simple.
It was elegant.
It was the fine line between life and death that I so desperately wanted to tread.
Unfortunately, everything went to shit.
Sitting around breakfast that morning, we'd all agreed: no mercy but no murder.
We’d do it clean or as clean as we could.
The conversation after that went in circles, with Tam insistent on us knocking them unconscious at the very least, if we could. I hadn’t been against the idea but couldn’t see how that would ever be logically possible with the number difference, and Axel chimed in that, even if we wanted to, none of us had the experience to know how to pull our punches and none of the abilities we could purchase really helped us in that regard. Gigi’s training could only extend so far.
Which meant we had come to the crux of the issue. I knew vaguely how everyone had spent their credits, but without us understanding how all party members were currently sitting, it would be impossible to properly tailor a plan and figure out who should take which ability.
So, I asked everyone to share their player attributes.
I was surprised by what I saw.
When we went around the table to fill each other in on our new stats, I realised that I’d finally caught up to and was on par with Tam. Though that was based on her word since she’d only reluctantly agreed to let us know her HP, stamina, and mana. Still, that she allowed us that much was truly momentous. I’d struggled to even learn about her favourite foods when we cooked together. We were genuinely making progress, and that wasn’t me being sarcastic!
Taking in the three extra windows that had popped up, absent Jye’s and Tam’s for different reasons, I considered who the abilities might best suit to get us through to the CBD Dungeon and past the guards that surrounded its Gate.
Other Student* Player Gigi | [Vanguard] | LVL 10
140 HP | 25 MANA | 60 STAMINA
28 CON | 19 STR | 5 DEX | 5 INT | 18 WIL | 18 END
Student* Player Axel | [Combatant] | LVL 3
110 HP | 45 MANA | 90 STAMINA
22 CON | 18 STR | 18 DEX | 9 INT | 15 WIL | 18 END
Student* Player Wren | [Synergist] | LVL 3
50 HP | 120 MANA | 55 STAMINA
10 CON | 11 STR | 11 DEX | 24 INT | 16 WIL | 15 END
In comparison to the others, my stats looked very aesthetically pleasing now: 75 HP, stamina, and mana, and 15 on all attributes. I’d decided to pour all my credits into each attribute equally, settling on the idea of being an [All-rounder] truly and fully. For now, with our limited wallet, there was no point in purchasing any additional abilities on my end, since my singular one meant I could use everyone’s, so now I only had 23 credits remaining whilst everyone else had retained just enough to be able to buy one ability each.
Jye had explained to me that during one of their chillout seshes, they’d been able to haphazardly upgrade their attributes by getting so high they couldn’t remember how they’d figured anything out. Based on what Jye could recall, they thought they’d mostly bought points in DEX, CON, and INT. I wondered if that had been the one where they'd been crying…
Like Tam, they shared their HP, mana, and stamina, since that was pretty easy to parse for them, which also put them on par with Tam and I.
But still, it begged the question: who should get what ability?
“I’ll take Cloak if no one else wants it,” Tam said, casually.
“Uh-uh, no way are we letting you go ghost.”
She gave me a pointed look. “It’d work best with my skill set. Me being assassin-like and all.”
Axel began to retort, and I knew it wouldn’t be complimentary, so I intervened.
An honest approach would be best with someone like her. “Look, Tam, I appreciate that you’ve been on good behaviour, but that doesn’t mean I fully trust you yet. Historically, you’re there for finishing blows, but as far as teamwork goes, giving you an ability that lets you genuinely piss off whenever you want would be stupid of us.”
With a whistle, she leaned back into her chair and folded her arms. “Fair.”
Warning bells began ringing in my head. The cutthroat was taking this with alarming ease. She had to be planning something. But what? She had been a little too cooperative lately. I hoped she hadn’t found some sort of loophole around her [Collar of Control] and was scheming outright betrayal. I had literally just warmed up to her icy attitude when she was cooking alongside me in the kitchen.
Repressing a sigh, I asked, “Jye, what about you? Apart from Tam, you could benefit the most from sneak attacks.”
They ran a hand over their jaw in consideration.
“I was thinking about putting my hand up, yeah. Might be cool to lob my knives from an invisible position.”
Glancing at Wren, Gigi, and Axel to see if they disagreed, I was met with two approving nods.
The third’s expression was one of deep thought.
“Wait a tick. Volley is more up Jye’s alley, isn’t it?” Axel said.
I reflected on our battle with Test Name and the continuous rain of arrows that the old man had sent our way. Since we’d allocated Jye as backline damage, and given I was also hoping they’d take to the bow and arrow, Axel’s idea wasn’t without merit. If they could mimic the same ability, it could be a fantastic advantage.
It was Gigi who voiced xir disagreement. “I believe I am familiar with Volley. I do not know it by that name, but having seen it in action, it is likely the same ability. It is not as simple as you would believe.”
Like Tam, Gigi had been restrained in sharing xir past, insofar as xir experience with xir own Event, so xem talking about this was unexpected. Xe hadn’t even told us what xir wish had been. Other than giving us weapon training and xir explanations of previous battles, xe’d been quite reserved.
“How so?” I replied, hoping my tone didn’t betray my interest.
“One of my prior party members used it. The ability is not a summoning of arrows. It is a magical duplication of the weapon shooting the projectiles.”
So, Gigi had previous teammates. Well, of course. While I didn’t doubt individuals had won the wish before, it was far more likely to win with more than less. What had happened to them? Were they also somewhere on Earth now? That was assuming they’d survived alongside xem. It was possible xe had lost them in xir pursuit of the wish. Certainly, xir empathy toward our mission would make sense if that were the case. Maybe that was also why xe stayed silent unless spoken to. Perhaps xe was too afraid of forming bonds and losing them again.
Returning my focus to xir explanation of the ability, a saltiness descended on me fuelled by how little the system explained of the skills available to us. Why couldn’t it just describe things without all this guess work? Instead we were forced to hem and haw over them.
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A duplication of the weapon shooting the projectiles... Based on the Test Name fight, its complexity didn’t stop there either. The shots that had rained down hadn’t all come at once but had been staggered.
A thought occurred to me. “Is it applicable only to one’s own projectiles?”
With a frown, Gigi said, “I do not believe so. Thinking on it, my ►◐⬘ was able to use it with our ◡◴⭖.”
I blinked. Gigi’s mouth had moved and sound had come out, but xir speech was so foreign to me it might as well have been whale song or R2D2’s beeps and boops. I couldn’t have guessed at what consonants and vowels would’ve matched the lyrical noises I assumed were words.
The Linnikian blanched. “I apologise. I lost myself in my eagerness to respond. What would be the equivalent of your archers was able to use it with our…” xe paused, brows furrowed. “A blow gun user is the closest English word you have.”
“Was that your people’s language before?” Wren asked, eyes sparkling.
Gigi nodded timidly, an oddly hesitant bend to xir expression. “One of them.”
“It’s beautiful!” she said.
The small alien’s human face lit up. “Perhaps I could teach you a few words, if you would be interested.”
She nodded enthusiastically. “I don’t know if I can make those sounds, but I’ll try!”
Their exchange had been quite wholesome. I didn’t know if I agreed that the Linnikian language was beautiful, certainly it was unique, but it was good to see Gigi and Wren getting along. Makris words about xem and how he trusted Gigi the least had been weighing on the back of my mind. At the very least, his opinion wasn’t tainting Wren’s. I did wish I could get to the bottom of why the tumour suspected Gigi.
I said, “Then Wren can have Volley. She’s got six empty slots—”
“Ten now, actually!”
Even better. That would be twenty overall. I didn’t want to say it out loud, but my suggestions for Wren’s build were to make her a bit of a jukebox of abilities for me. Of course, all of them would be applicable and useful to her in her role as a support class, but with her two huge open shelves for skills, it would be a waste to not put them to use.
Once I earned more credits, and if no one wanted abilities we happened to pick up, I’d also be filling my slots too, now that I also had seven empty as well. That said, I didn’t like how easy it was to unlock these skill slots. It was like it was urging players to kill each other to load themselves up.
“No one but Jye really uses ranged weapons, so Wren could support you with it,” I suggested.
There was no objection from the party.
“Sunshine, I really think I’d be the best fit for Cloak,” Tam finally said, bringing us back full circle.
Jye cleared their throat. “Lee said it was for me.”
“Can you and your little LVL 1 status even learn a new ability?”
Again with her bullying! She already made a few snide remarks earlier about it throughout the days we’d been at base. I was glad that the moderation had stopped because if she’d found out we’d lied about Jye’s reactions to that, I didn’t know what she would do. Though it was impossible for our team to get along perfectly, it would be nice for just once if they weren’t actively at each other’s throats.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I decided it was best to change topics.
“What about Fireball?”
Eventually, we allocated the abilities to the most suitable people before discussing both our plan of attack as well as a backup. More often than not things had gone wrong, but this time we had ample preparation to consider the possible forking branches of cause and effect.
We really had no excuse for not pulling this off perfectly.
Everything was going well.
Jye and I, under the cover of [Cloak] had begun our approach toward the Gate, keeping an eye on the twelve current guards. Luckily, exactly as Tam reported, there was a day shift and a night shift, with Damien often visiting at random times. Tam had the most knowledge about day shift, so we'd chosen to put our plan into motion around midday.
We’d waited until Damien had left for our best chance. Tam hadn’t been able to ascertain what exactly their leader could do, but I did not want him there if we could avoid it. A crew with something to prove to their boss was always more dangerous than one that could slack off without authority watching.
According to Tam’s information, we were slipping in between the very precise timetable our opponents followed as they completed their patrols. Situated in the center of the Queen Street Mall, the Gate to Dungeon 11 was guarded on each of the four intersecting walkways by two stationary watchmen and one patrol walking up and down the open area between storefronts; twelve in total. All sentries were armed with a melee weapon, either hanging by their hip or already held in their hands, ready for battle.
Tam had reported all the abilities she’d seen them use when catching the people who’d tried to sneak in. She’d explained them as best she was able: freezing, turning to stone, binding, flash-stepping, flying, acid spitting, shooting lightning, perfect aiming, speed buffing, and shadow controlling. The cutthroat hadn’t gone into detail with how the battle had gone down, but suffice to say, the people had not gotten away alive. With that amount of lockdown, damage, and pursuit, if we fucked up a single thing, we’d follow in their footsteps.
One wrong move and we were toast.
I had been especially worried about the weakness Tam had reported in their patrols. Supposedly, when Damien wasn’t around, they didn’t walk as far down the pathways, which would allow us to get closer easier. Part of me thought this might be intentionally planted as a trap.
To assuage my concerns, Gigi had used [Locate] to ensure that all the guards were in their right places before Jye and I had headed out. Xir new ability was like a sonar ping, detecting all living beings within a given radius. It wasn’t the cheapest ability to use, but I’d borrowed it once we were about the halfway point, to give us as much information as we could get.
It brought me some relief to do so. The ability appeared like wallhacks in COD but upgraded further into a peripheral sense. I couldn’t see through solid objects, but everyone’s outlines, a blue silhouette, gave away their location, with their brightness matching their proximity. Beyond that, there was a niggling in my mind outside of my sight, like a mental notification that another was near in the direction it vibrated. It tasted like sherbert.
Knowing where the twelve guards were, even when they were out of sight, was strangely comforting. Since it wasn’t something I needed to concentrate on, [Cloak], feeling exactly as it sounded, like a shroud around me, had remained functional. Technically, both Jye and I hadn’t needed to have gone in together, but I don’t think either of us had been game to do it alone.
Breaths held, Jye and I finally stepped in direct view of the two guards between us and the fence surrounding the Gate. We’d been trailing quietly behind the patrol, closing the distance to the one connection of fences that weren’t chained together.
No one had seen us yet.
Trusting that with [Cloak] active, we’d be impossible to detect, we began drawing nearer and nearer, perhaps only thirty metres away now. As both Jye and I were using the ability, we couldn’t see each other and had opted to keep a hand on each other’s shoulder to stay aware of where we were.
Our steps were slow and careful. We might be invisible, but we were not inaudible.
Wren and Gigi had remained hidden out of sight, but close enough to hear if we absolutely needed them to come to our aide. Axel, however, had climbed to the top of one of the tallest buildings nearby that looked down on the street to keep me in eyesight, ensuring that his [Devoted] trait always gave me prior warning of system danger.
We’d tested it earlier to see if it would work, since technically when using [Cloak], I was invisible, but the trait had still remained functional. It seemed the wording of it leaned toward one’s range of vision and view, rather than what one was able to actually observe. Everything that should fall into his range of vision technically was within his eyesight.
As we made our approach, feline Tam tagged alongside us in the shadows of the storefronts. She’d said that she wasn’t able to detect us with her cat sight, but our smell was very distinct and easy to track to her. I’d tried not to be insulted, but given we’d all only had one shower since we’d commandeered the base, it was probably more true than I cared to know. I wanted to believe that it was her special animal olfactory senses that allowed her this scent tracking.
The main reason she was here was to warn us if Damien came back. His presence often put all the other guards on higher alert, probably to impress him. Should he return, that would signal us pulling the plug on the plan and regrouping with another one. She could’ve performed this task from a distance, but she’d argued that, should we need the warning, it would give away the fact that we were trying something and raise everyone’s defences. Gigi had agreed, saying that it would make a second attempt should we fall back doubly hard and all the time we’d spent on recon a waste, as they’d likely switch things up as a result.
We couldn’t afford to lose any more time.
Besides, I was hoping even if they caught a glimpse of Tam, they might think the same thing I once had back in Nabu’s Dungeon; that she was just a hungry stray looking for a feed.
Earlier, Tam had snuck closer and tagged Damien with [Track] before he’d left and we’d begun our operation. While nearby, Tam had also used the ability on the two of the guards who hadn’t shown any of their abilities, maxing out the amount of targets she could use it on. Our reasoning for this was simple: a danger unknown was worse, as we’d long since learned.
According to Tam, for this shift, luckily both the guards that had unknown abilities were stationed on the opposite intersection that we were approaching. Unless something were to draw their attention, they shouldn’t notice us and we’d be able to skate on by.
Once there were no more shadows to hide in, Tam skidded to a stop, following my and Jye’s movements with watchful eyes.
One step, two step… The patrol on our pathway beelined past us, following their route back to the end, away from us.
So far, so good.
Three step, four step… Nothing new. Everything exactly as planned. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and I hoped none of the guards could.
Five step, six step… Maybe only ten meters now. Should we make a run for it?
I was deeply considering it when I heard a hiss of an ability be used.
Heart in my throat, I squeezed Jye’s shoulder to stop them from moving any further.
“Oh my god, can you see that kitty over there?” one of the guards asked, squinting into the shadows where Tam tried to shrink away, excitement in their voice. “I swear I’ve seen it around here lately. Is this the cat distribution network finally working in my favor?”
Both guards in our intersection were now looking directly through us.
Shit, shit, shit.