Edited by: KenChi死
There wasn’t much to do here. Not for adventurers, that is. The room was filled with white statues standing under the walls. Each of them was holding a huge weapon – great swords, battle axes, glaives. Those statues, even if they had an innocent look were a deadly tools. Guardians. Powerful war golems, that if they would be activated would start attacking every creature that they would mark as an enemy.
The room also had a few artifacts and four pedestal. On those pedestal certain artifacts needed to be placed in order to disarm the room. Where is the trick? Not only do the right objects need to be placed, but also in right order.
The mages from the academy were studying ornaments and artifacts located in the room in order to find a clue. If they would screw up, a few of guardians would wake up. But until any object would be put on those pedestals, the adventurers have nothing to do.
Earthmaiden walked up to Tiger man. They stood in silence for quite some time. The mage was examining the beast-kin with her eyes, as the other one was trying to ignore her. But the S rank did was not a patient individual.
* “What do you want? I have something on my face?!”
* “I am just looking for deviations…”
* “Devia… I am not a pervert!”
* “Not that kind!”
The woman became impatient. This is why she hates talking with non-magicians. They don’t even know what they don’t know!”
She took her hood off, releasing chestnut hair. She had a nicely round, but not chubby, face with a small natural blush on her cheeks.
* “How are you feeling? Can you describe how tired you are? Have you had hallucinations of any kind? See things that are not supposed to be seen, hear strange noises that only you can here?”
* “I am not a lunatic! I am just a little tired! Fuck off!”
* “I thought that you would like to hear that you were cursed, but if I am bothering you this much…”
* “Wait… what are you talking about?”
Zaiara took a small bundle from her pocket and threw it at the beast-kin
* “It was subtle, but I felt small doses of magic from you, and knowing that your magical capabilities are on the level of a stone… I started investigating. I saw that you were tired, so I started to dig even deeper, I checked your belongings… and here is what I found. A hex bag. Under your bed.”
* “Who would dare… That little white haired fuck… I forced him to clean for the whole journey… first he opposed, but after not very long he accepted… His eyes changed… THAT LITTLE FUCK ALMOST LAUGHTED IN MY FACE!”
* “It’s nothing dangerous though. For a moment I thought that it’s some dangerous curse that would suck your strength over and over again, causing you to trip into a trap… but this is mostly a prank.”
The tiger-man was furious, but he kept all this anger for himself.
* “How do you deal with that?”
* “I told you, it’s nothing serious. Whoever did it had no intention to make it a permanent curse… or failed horribly, which I doubt. Destroy the hex bag, burning would be the best solution, and you should be fine.”
* “Zaiaro… thank you for telling me.”
* “Don’t get the wrong idea. You are nothing but muscles. Exhausted you are useless, and since we are forced to work together I don’t want you to fail… and one more thing. If I was put with Gisele’s team or would be left working alone, I would have never told you about it. Who knows, maybe I would even put it back”
The earthmaiden left, her attitude made Al even more furious. But he did nothing. He did not pick up his warhammer and rush to the other room. Instead he gave the hex bag to one of his part member and told them to burn it. He even stayed to watch it burn, just to be sure. And then… He did nothing. He went back to patrolling and waiting. But he never stopped thinking of what he would do to that F rank adventurer and how he would do it.
We fall back a few corridors. If it was a dungeon we would simply keep pushing our way slaughtering everything that would stand on our way. But one: it’s not a dungeon; two: we are not alone. We can’t just rush in, because we were supposed to protect a bunch of useless guys, that with their magic could light a candle. And even that was with efforts.
* “New enemy appeared. We don’t know if it posses any special skills, we don’t know of it’s fighting capabilities nor if it’s a lone fighter or if it lives in bigger groups. Yet we were still told to clear that location. Any ideas?”
Gisele analyzed situation
* “We could send scribblers back and ask them to warn the archmage about our situation. Since we would have no one to worry about, we could make a recon by fire. We could also wait for the answer from the archamge. He could either send us back and wait, or suspend his own research and send us backup.” I simply named a few more logical actions.
... or you could just send me. I wouldn’t mind.
* “The first option sounds best. I hate inactivity. If they would decide to send us backup we would already have important information about the enemy, evaluate danger level and possible strategy…” The dragoness turned her head to the students “… did you hear us? Go back. Tell the archmage that we could have found an area with a high danger level, and tell Zairana and Al’targor, that we have already started.”
She showed a smile full of confidence. She shined as commander. It even made one of the students say “Yes ma’am.”
We waited several seconds and watched them leaving before we started to march once again in the direction we found.
Gisele was in high spirits.
* “Do you have any idea how we should deal with that bug?” She asked me. Looking at her I knew that she had to kill hundreds of insectoids and she asks me as older an student that simply wishes to direct his friend from of a lower class or to check my already possessed knowledge.
* “Sword D’iabel…” I said materializing a bastard sword in my hands “… insectoids of this size are usually venomous…” I tried to quote what I once read in the bestiary “… also their limbs may be dangerous, especially those located in the front of the body equipped with sickles. They have high mobility, so we could try to cut as many legs as possible, yet since there would be no lethal it’s torso needs to be destroyed… Marika and Gustav should be more than enough as ranged support, I will try attack from the sides and back to cripple it, creating an opportunity for you to smash it down… sorry, I think I will let you take the role of bait…”
* “No problem kiddo! There are easier ways, but your plan is quite appealing too… let’s do it!”
Gustav was a psionic – a rare magician that domain laid in completely neutral zone – and here by neutral I am not saying Aira-neutral but true-neutral. A godless-art. He could lift object without touching, or from time to time “walk into the minds of enemies”. No, he couldn’t tell them what to do, nor to right away find their most hidden secrets, but he could cause a headache. A really bad headache. The less powerful the brain and sprit of a creature the more powerful of an effect he would have. It means that all kinds of bugs were a piece of cake for him, while assaulting a mind of another mage could bring more damage to him than to his target.
As soon as we get closer to the beast Gustav said..
* “I have bad information guys, in the mind of this bug, there is something else…”
“Feel free to elaborate.”
* “It is an independent individual, I can clearly say so… but it’s not alone… whatever it is, it doesn’t see me, so I should be okay. Give me a moment or two…”
Usually annoying and bitching about everything, the old man was suspiciously nice… Or maybe he is less of an asshole when he works?
* “… what for the gates of hell is it …” He whispered finally “… it is a… it looks like… Ou… my head…”
His nose start bleeding.
* “Gustav, leave it!” Gisele hissed both quietly and angrily.
* “Just a little more… I am almost there!”
He started crying from the pain. Even his tears turned into blood.
* “Your head won’t last any longer...” I said “… he is pushing himself too far, soon the pressure would literally blows his skull…”
* “JUST A SECOND!... I am in… I am in… it’s beautiful…”
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He started coughing up blood, but finally he shattered his connection.
* “Take it easy, take your time…” The dragoness helped him sit.
Asshole or not, he is my teammate, and he pushed himself to gain …whatever he found. I came closer and start healing him. There was almost no damage itself, but still I could ease his pain just a little.
He looked at me with gratitude in his eyes.
* “They are both individuals and connected. They are… natural psionics… very savage, yes, but it is still something remarkable.”
* “Psionics? Those things can use magic?” Marika asked with fear in their eyes.
* “Nonono… no like that. It’s like… a huge spiderweb. They are all connected. It’s almost as if they would partly share their mind… no, also not what I mean… it can’t be literally described!” He got frustrated. He experienced something that can’t be said with our language. We were simply lacking workds… “It’s like a caste! Yes! Imagine the king on the throne in the center of this web! Using strings he can send messages to every warrior. Like [I am hungry] and then bug number one will bring him food, or [we need to walk west] and then number 2,3,4 and 5 would do as he pleases… But it’s one sided. He can only send messages, but he can’t receive any! It’s also almost as if HE is a web… without him it would slowly start to collapse… My head… sorry, I have to rest a little. Could you kill that asshole and bring me its head? I would feel better…”
He chuckled a little.
* “King? Are you sure of it’s gender? Just asking, you know, bugs tend to have reversed hierarchy…” I asked shyly
* “They do? Like elves? Ha! I know some elves and their matriarchic hierarchy! I can’t wait to tell one of them that they are as good as bugs! You made my day!... and answering - no, I see minds, not genders.”
* “So, what does it means?” Gisele asked
* “That’ we can’t let anything that would see us live. It would inform the queen and the queen would send everything at us… in the end we are a new food source and we have opened a new gate… By the way, did you perhaps see how many of them are connected to the network… I mean web?”
* “Oh, surly I did! It was impossible to count every single one of them, but I can give you numerical interval. From 4 to 8!”
* “I doubt that this is 4 to 8 individuals…”
* “And you are right from four to eight thousands…” He chuckled “… it will be one long journey!”
Hold on, I should have some spray for bugs… oh, that’s right, I left it in another life. Damn it.
* “Let’s waste no time, Gustav rest a little, we should have no problems with just one of them.”
* “Once again, I want it’s head as a souvenir!”
We began preparation. Marika kneeled in the distance chanting quietly as me and Gisele were getting closer. Soon I started walking in a circle to get behind it. Gisele took a small piece of rock… or maybe it was a brick? And threw it at the monster’s head. It flew quickly through the air. The dull sound could be heard, a greenish fluid splashed around, and the body fell.
* “HOLY FUCK! I KILL IT! I DIDN’T MEAN TOO! SORRY GUYS, I AM SO SORRY! I WANTED YOU TO LEARN SOMETHING, BUT I OVERDID IT AGAIN!”
But soon the damaged creature got up. It was walking a but funny, staggering like a drunken.
* “Thank the goddess…” One could heard Gisele’s quiet sigh of joy, before she would point her warhammer at the enemy “… prepare to meet your maker! Vile creature!”
The mantis has opened its mouthparts as it hissed angrily, before it rushed at the Dragoness.
I rushed after it.
You are under effect of [Blessing of Wind]Your party member [Marika] casted upon you buff-type spellBonuses AGI +15
RFX +15
END -5
CON -5
A Few seconds before mantis reached Gisele but one of its rear limbs, lost its footing for a second. Unfortunately it raised in the blink of an eye. As if it wanted to check what disturbed its assault it began to rotate in place.
* “Turning your back to me? I am offended , YOU KNOW?!” Gisele rushed again rising it hammer I could see her eyes burning with the desire to fight.
The bug raised its thick front arms and crossed them creating an X shaped guard to stop the falling hammer.
Using this time I stabbed another limb before falling back, making a place for the impact. As soon as it takes a blow, I will jump once again in and will try to mutilate it even furthe…
Greenish fluid splashed on all sides. Gisele hammer broke through the guard and hit the insect’s head. But it didn’t stop even there.
The killer mantis was destroyed in one blow. Squashed like a fly.
Your party member [Gisele] has killed [Killer Giga-Mantis [Worker]]189 exp obtained
* “One down! 7999 left!” Marika cheered
* “Well, I am not sure how it is among those mutants, but and queen may lay up to 300 eggs per day, so…”
* “… what are you? A bugologist?”
* “I guess, that the word you are looking for is entomologist…”
* “So you are…”
* “… now I really did it… I killed it in one blow… Even if Zari tried his best… he took optimal strategy, he did his job perfectly… but I killed it in one blow… He will never learn a thing if he were to walk with me… I am a useless brute that can’t even control her strength…” Gisele wailed
* “G...Gisele… it’s alright… really!”
* “I am sorry I was born…”
* “Stop it! It’s not your fault that I have so much to learn! Watching you being so powerful only motivates me to get on your level as soon as possible, so please..”
I stopped. I thought that I heard something. Turning my back to Gisele, so I wouldn’t be seen, I shifted my tongue into a snake one. The very next moment I put it out of my mouth tasting the air.
Just like I though. Damned pheromones.
* “Get up, Gis. We have a company. And we could made a mistake…”
* “More squashing? I won’t take all of them for myself! I promise! Hm, what a mistake?”
* “The body fluids of those monster have a strong smell that their kin can sense. When one would fall, three more would take its place… then smell of those three would draw 9 more…”
Marika was shocked. We could fight a few of them at the same time. But geometrical progression will be our doom. Gisele will be able to take down some of them by herself, who knows, maybe even hundreds if she would keep killing in one strike. But with time one of them would land a blow. After some more two more would. Maybe she would even be bitten and the venom would enter her blood. This is bad. Seriously bad.
* “THAT’S PERFECT! It means that we won’t have to look for all of them! We can just keep killing and they would keep coming!” … I envy your optimism…
* “Gisele, you are amazing, but we should slowly head back and think about shutting the doors.”
* “… just five more minutes!”
… is that for real?! Nyx that up until now was sitting quiet just shook his/her head from side to side. So its normal…
Tiki-taka-taka-taka…. Could be heard in the distance. The sound of small sharp limbs hitting the ground at a fast pace.
Nyx spread out a hand and raised head. Voiceless chant. That’s new. Hope that it whatever he… she... it… is preparing – it would be our trump card.
Several beast jumped from behind the corridor. Not three of them but five.
* “Big sis…” I am going to regret this… “… are we going to check who can kill more of those?”
I shouldn’t have said that. I. Should not. Have said. That.
An inner fire appeared in her eyes again, she opened her mouth a little, and I could swear, that for a second I saw steam leaving her throat.
I turned my head back to our supporters
* “Nyx whatever you are doing, I am counting on you, Marika, could you please start casting garden of madness? We may need to run quickly…”
The monsters were running at us. One on the front and for packed in a small group. That formation was completely random.
I rushed at the beast at the front. I ducked under a cut aimed at my neck, and thrusted at its guts. Usually bugs have weaker exoskeleton on the “belly” level. The same belly that was exposed because of its semi-human posture.
Yet I jumped away gathering some distance. It began to slash with its sickles forcing me to perform a weird dance to keep my head attached to my neck. I saw something flying over my head. It was Gisele she jumped in the air and landed between the group of four. From the sound I could tell that she is not struggling like I am.
Damn. Wrong weapon. Sword would be perfect if I would want to support a brawler like Gisele. In one-on-one combat it wasn’t much use.
I took a step back, and using fire magic I created as smoke wall in between me and my opponent. We couldn’t see each other, but it didn’t matter. I already know its range and pattern.
Holding my head low, I jumped through the smoke. I felt sickles slide through the tips of my hair.
I landed exactly under mantis head, its frontal limbs were stretched making her defencless for a second.
The creature rapidly lowered its head as it wanted to bite me, but it got itself impaled on the pointed of my sword.
* “That’s one! How are you doi…”
Gisele was standing among four corpses cleaning her hammer. She looked at me still excited
* “So, when will the next one come?”
… Pardon me, my dear mantis, for calling you a monster. Indeed, within these ruins there is a monster… but her name is Gisele the Dragoness.”
Your party member [Gisele] has killed [Killer Giga-Mantis [Worker]]172 exp obtained
Your party member [Gisele] has killed [Killer Giga-Mantis [Worker]]194 exp obtained
Your party member [Gisele] has killed [Killer Giga-Mantis [Worker]]161 exp obtained
Your party member [Gisele] has killed [Killer Giga-Mantis [Worker]]201 exp obtained
You have slain [Killer Giga-Mantis [Worker]]220 exp obtained
At the same time Archmage Andalas literally dropped everything he was working on. He told everyone to gather in the central room. Arena! ARENA! It’s not a joke. He honestly was hoping, that these ruins would not have that. In the end they were not THAT big! And even if, they were usually placed either deeper, if the ruins would be built as dungeons – heading deeper in the ground, or higher, if they were built in the scheme of tower. Not on the first floor! Definitely not on the first!
Arena… The monsters living there were never the same. Sometimes clearing it took a week, yet there are still cases like Black Tower, which was being cleared by a raid of A+ and higher adventurers for over four years. It’s bad. And those idiots said that they are going for… “recon by fire…” A SUICIDE! And not only theirs! They have just risk the entire expedition! The first individual was never killed, but captured and investigated, so they wouldn’t make any mistakes when dealing with them!
They will need to be evacuated and the room has to be shut. The rest of adventurers already rushed forward. They will aid and help them retreat.
Chaos. Chaos followed. It was not a geometrical progression, but was still bad. After 5 of them there was 16, I know because I killed 3 while Gisele was counting loudly up to 13, but then over 50 of them came.
I switched my weapon to spear, and unfortunately for some of you I have to say, that size does matter, you simply couldn’t not notice how bigger range was making things easier, especially against primitive enemies that barely care for defense.
Yet I soon understood, my physical power was lacking, I couldn’t keep pace after Gisele. This is why pretty soon I unsummoned even a spear and focused myself only on magic. I also stop competing with Gisele, instead I created lots of fire walls that forced Mantis to fight one-by-one versus Gisele, If she would get surrounded it would be only matter of time.
I heard lots of people approaching from behind, backup? That’s nice. But I also heard a lot more TIKI-TAKA-TAKA sounds from corridor ahead. Another wave was coming before we even manage to deal with the 3rd.
* “THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!...” one of the mages that came to help us yelled “…WE ARE LEAVING THIS PASSAGE! Start moving out! We will cover you!”
Soon a small tempest of all kind magical bolts and explosion kept falling from the sky. Both me and Gisele start walking with our backs still turned to our allies.
From time to time a few of the Insects managed to get away from the hailstorm of magic, in that case either me or Gisele would took it down.
I noticed that someone was escorting Gustav, that’s good. But he can’t run, we will have to keep them at bay as long as we could.
Step after step we were leaving the room.
* “NYX! NOW” Gisele yelled.
Another wave of monsters entered the room, but after taking few steps, they started flying. No, not with wings or anything like that! More like if gravity had vanished.
We started running back, as soon as we get to the end of the room I saw Nyx with hos/her eyes rolled back in his/her skull. So he/she did that? Gravity magic… that can be really dangerous. Dozens if not hundreds of monsters were soaring higher and higher, up to the ceiling, then they were dropped.
But they did not die, were stopped yes, theirs limbs crashed, but were still living.
In that moment Marika unleashed Garden of Madness, vines start bonding the bodies of lying bugs.
After that spell, Nyx was is similar condition as Gustav. Gisele simply dropped her hammer, took Nyx and started running to the gates.
Everyone was evacuating, as I was leaving the room I heard yet another swarm entering it, this was also bigger than previous.
Corridor after corridor, passage after passage we were getting closer, but so was the swarm.
I turned for as second to raise multiple walls of fire, that would stop them even more, now our chance of getting out was turning into certainty.
The guy that helped Gustav walked through the door, the very next moment Marika followed them. Gisele with Nyx in hand also bolted inside the safe room.
10 meters. Only 10 meters were parting me from safe room. And then they start slowly shutting. I saw him, that fucking asshole near the pedestal as he pressed the button.
I used all my strength, each of my muscles was screaming in pain as I was abusing my body.
5 meters… almost there 3 meters… 2 meters.. 1 meter…
I didn’t manage to do it in time. I painfully hit the closed door. The last thing I saw was the wry, twisted smile on the tiger-man face.
And the swarm was approaching.
That’s it for today. I am also sorry to say, that tomorrow there will be no chap for 100%, for I have yet another test.