Standing amidst the shredded corpses, Joe burned a charge from his cleansing ring. The tornado of fangs from his [Lavalier of Talons] item was devastating against packs of enemies in hand-to-hand range. However, it had a real drawback in the amount of gore it sprayed everywhere.
“Hey, Yuk? You still there?” Joe murmured into the room.
“barely. spent almost everything on that blast.”
“Ok. Give me a sec, and I’ll see what I can do for you.” Joe opened the party screen and found only two entries. He guessed the distance between them and the others was too great to maintain the party. Looking at the info shocked Joe. Yuk’s numbers made no sense. Their maximums were a fraction of what they had been a few minutes ago.
P
A
R
T
Y
Name
Health
(Current/Max - %)
Stamina
(Current/Max - %)
Mana
(Current/Max - %)
Conditions
Yuk
34 / 38 - 89%
2 / 182 - 1%
37 / 44 - 84%
Diminished
Joe
826 / 1147 - 72%
318 / 2444 - 13%
2851 / 6954 - 41%
Impaired
“What happened to you? Did you actually spend your Vigor and Spirit on that explosion?”
“sort of. weird race. we have max attributes, but the more of us we lose, the lower our attributes get.”
“Oh, man! Last time, you said you needed stamina. That I can fix.” Joe looked at his shoulders and arms, but there was not a single bug in sight. “Where are you?”
Joe felt a tickling on the back of his hand as two small insects crawled out of the thick pelt covering his arms. One was a minuscule black dot. The other was a tiny millipede no thicker than a thread.
“That’s it. That’s all that’s left of you? Geez! You cut that close.” Joe sputtered as he cast [Effereous Endurance] on Yuk’s infinitesimal remains.
“those were the only ones we could get under your hide. the rest were either still on the others or were needed for our [bug bomb].”
“That was an impressive blast. You saved us.” Joe watched the bug mage’s stamina fluctuate as new vermin began to scamper toward Joe’s feet. “Hey. Any chance you can not rebuild on top of me? I’ve got some structural damage that needs to be addressed. You summoning the mini horde on me is a bit distracting.”
Joe received a quiet mental grunt of assent before he slid down the wall. Leaning against the stone, he sent his healing awareness through his battered body. Even though the skill was called [Eyes of the Healer], Joe had learned that sight wasn’t actually needed, especially for self-assessment. Which was good since one of his eyes was part of the problem.
Having repaired ribs in the past, Joe decided to tackle those first. Lacking Hah’roo’s nimble fingers to guide the bones into place, Joe made do with [Morphic Form]. By using the transformative skill to shape his muscles, he managed to wedge the cracks together as he healed the breaks. While his [Healing Touch] was strong enough to mend broken bones, it had to be actively targeted to make these more intensive repairs.
The eye was going to be trickier. His general healing and level regeneration had filled the socket with something eye-like, but it was not much more than a semi-formed ball of tissues and fluid. Joe found that if he closed his good eye, he could make out some vague, blurry shapes and colors, but it was like looking through a block of foggy ice.
He began cycling healing through the wounded socket, closing his good eye every few seconds to check his progress. He leaned heavily on his [Eyes of the Healer] skill, making minute tweaks to how the orb was formed and connected. After a few minutes, he could see clearly through the new eye, though it was still not perfect yet. His sight blurred for longer than it should when he tried to shift his focus from near to far.
He kept working on it, marveling at the fact he had just regrown an eye. He didn’t think he was up to the point where he could regenerate limbs, but Joe was feeling pretty confident with soft tissue repairs, even complex items like eyes and organs. Bone, on the other hand, always took more effort for him.
When his eye was back to normal, he used it to examine his current state. While Yuk was rebuilding a new body for himself, Joe opened his character screen to see what had advanced in the last few fights.
PLAYER PROFILE: Joseph (Joe) Morris
Race: Changeling
Level: 17
Experience: 71,409 / 89,210
SKILLS (Slots / Filled)
STRENGTH SKILLS: (5 / 5)
· [Savage Claws] (U) rank 17
· [Steadfast] (C) rank 26
· [Sundering Strike] (U) rank 9
VIGOR SKILLS: (11 / 11)
· [Beast Shape] (C) rank 5
· [Deaden Flesh] (U) rank 22
· [Efferous Endurance] (U) rank 53
· [Healer's Ward] (U) rank 17
· [Morphic Form] (U) rank 20
· [Stun Block] (U) rank 14
DEXTERITY SKILLS: (5 / 5)
· [Hunter’s Pursuit] (U) rank 23
· [Melee Defense] (C) rank 41
· [Stealth] (C) rank 9
· [Versatile Weapon Expertise] (C) rank 34
PERCEPTION SKILLS: (9 / 9)
· [Assess Creatures] (C) rank 38
· [Eyes of the Healer] (C) rank 46
· [Glorious Gauntlet] (R) rank 37
· [Night Eyes] (C) rank 21
· [Sense Weakness] (U) rank 11
· [Tracker] (C) rank 15
SPIRIT SKILLS: (17 / 17)
· [Call Nature’s Ally] (C) rank 1
· [Dispel Rot] (C) rank 19
· [Dual Cast] (C) rank 21
· [Exorcise] (R) rank 18
· [Grit Razor] (U) rank 17
· [Healing Touch] (C) rank 57
· [Healing Wave] (C) rank 9
· [Heart Fire] (C) rank 26
· [Mana Surge] (C) rank 8
· [Pack Master] (U) rank 14
· [Spirit of the Pack] (C) rank 9
· [Warding Heal] (C) rank 14
· [Wild Voice] (C) rank 1
RESOURCES
· Health: 1,136 / 1,147
· Stamina: 2,053 / 2,077
· Mana: 4,729 / 5,911
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
ATTRIBUTES
· Strength: 5 (7)
· Vigor: 11
· Dexterity: 5
· Perception: 9
· Spirit: 17
Available Attribute Points Unspent: 1
CLASSES
· Primary Class: Healer
· Secondary Class: Fell Bane Druid
· Tertiary Class: None
TRAITS
· [Anyone] (Racial)
· [No one] (Racial)
· [Alpha] (Racial)
· [Talent Diversification] (Racial)
· [Iron Mind] (Hereditary)
· [Altruist] (Achievement)
· [Ambidextrous] (Achievement)
· [Beastmaster] (Achievement)
· [Dancer] (Achievement)
· [Hometown Hero] (Achievement)
· [Hybrid] (Achievement)
· [Mystic] (Achievement)
· [Overachiever] (Achievement)
· [Punching-Bag] (Achievement)
· · [Glutton for Punishment] (Achievement)
· · [Death's Door] (Achievement)
· [Synergistic] (Achievement)
· [Survivalist] (Achievement)
· [Undaunted] (Achievement)
· [The Seal of Passing] (Prophetic)
DISCIPLINES
· School of the Sparrowhawk: 3
He was turning into a fairly rugged mage. The more he thought about it, the more ‘druid’ was a surprisingly good description of what he was becoming. Casting and healing while being able to take hits was a useful combination.
His mobility skills were a big plus as well. Joe had just managed to outrun a pack of incredibly quick ghouls over several different forms of terrain, from rough and tight spaces to vertical ascents.
After he had some more time for practicing, he planned to work shapechanging into his repertoire, as well.
Satisfied with his progress, Joe closed the window and looked for Yuk. Their only light was the gauntlet, which Joe had barely glowing at all. It was just enough for his [Night Eyes] to make out the basics of the dead-end tunnel. He could make out some squirming movements, but in the nearly full darkness, Yuk was not much more than a darker blot amidst the shadows.
“How are you doing, bud?”
“Better. Much better. We’ve pretty much assimilated everything right around us, but these caves are ripe with insects. We should be back to full size as soon as we start moving again. So what’s the plan? How are we getting out of here?”
“Good question. I have no idea where we are in relation to where we left the others,” Joe admitted. “Do your bugs know the layout of the caves?”
“It doesn’t work like that. Once they become part of us, they stop being what they were,” Yuk’s mental voice explained. “Even then, they’re bugs. Unless you want them to lead us to their hive, if they even have one, they don’t really have much sense of direction. Complex thought is not an option for them.”
“Great. What do you remember of the run?”
“Huh? I was reduced to a pair of crawlers hiding under your hairy coat sleeves. I have no idea which way we went.”
“Well, this is not good. Either way, we know we came from that direction,” Joe stated, pointing away from the dead-end. “Hopefully, I’ll remember things as we go, or maybe I can track my own scent.”
Quietly creeping to the edge of the passage, they stopped and peered in both directions. He even banished the gauntlet to see if there was any light out there. His eyes swam in the complete blackness until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Recasting [Glorious Gauntlet], Joe kept the light at the bare minimum he needed to function.
He closed his eyes and smelled the air. It was full of musty and chalky aromas. His scent was also there, but since it was coming off his body as well, he couldn’t tell which passage he had taken to get to where they were.
“Well, damn it,” Joe grumbled. “I think I turned right into here, but I’m not at all sure. Let’s give it a shot.”
They turned left and quietly slipped down the underground passageway. Yuk made no more sound than a chitinous rustle while Joe managed to level [Stealth] one more time. Unfortunately, nothing looked familiar in the scant light. In either direction.
There was nothing to do but push on through the labyrinth of passages, cracks, and small caverns.
“Joe,” Yuk’s voice whispered in Joe’s head. “There is something up ahead. Coming this way. Can’t see it yet, but I can feel its movements.”
“Can you tell if it’s a person or undead?”
“Can’t be certain, but our best guess is a ghoul.”
“One?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok, let’s try and do this quietly then.”
Joe was standing where a fissure split into the tunnel they were following. He placed the gauntlet against the ground across from the gap and kept the light low. Easing himself back into the crack, he waited. He wanted to be far enough back not to be spotted but close enough to be able to jump forward and nail it with [Dispel Rot].
He was pretty sure the creatures had both true darksight and some form of vision that saw life, similar to how his woundsight worked. Joe had tried to hide from the ghouls that had been chasing them. He had found full cover more than once and turned off the gauntlet, only to have the creatures beeline for him. It was as if they could spot his presence even if his stealth indicated he was hidden. He hoped they needed at least line of sight. He was about to find out for sure. If the ghoul came charging into the fissure, then it was an area sense, like scent. If it only spun on him when it reached the crack, then it was a sight-like ability.
The ghoul did snuffle as it approached the faintly lit hand. It seemed unaware of Joe until its body blocked the light coming off the force hand. It whirled and hissed, flaring its clawed hands, preparing to strike. Joe was faster. He surged two steps forward, and his extended arm planted [Dispel Rot] right inside the creature’s skull. The wight managed a choking gurgle, as everything inside its head began to melt. Before its head burst, the force fist clamped around its throat and twisted, snapping its neck. The undead dropped to the ground like a broken marionette. Once down, Yuk finished it off.
“Ooh!” uttered Yuk excitedly through the link. “We need one more of those. We’re so close to leveling.”
“Nice,” Joe thought back. “What level is that for you?”
“Fourteen. That’s a point-and-skill level.”
“You’re only thirteen now? You must have one hell of a Vigor to have survived with us this far.”
“That’s our best stat. It’s at eleven.”
“Mine too.”
“Then we might be about to pass you. A lot of our skills are Vigor based.”
“We should figure out a way to share screens. Maybe we have something the other can use. What’s the trait you have that blocks assessment? Mine is called [No one].”
“With me, it’s [Alienated].”
“That sounds way more lonely than mine,” Joe thought back, hoping the compassion he would have added to his voice translated through the telepathic link.
“Just the way it is, Joe. Thanks for being so cool about us.”
“So. I have to admit something. I can’t take full credit for being open-minded since I’m not really sure what it is that I’m supposed to be either careful about discussing or potentially freaked out by.”
“Myllo didn’t tell you?”
“Nope. We’ve both been pretty busy,” Joe confessed as they reached another intersection. “You sense anything in either direction.”
Yuk was silent for a minute while Joe tried not to move to help his collective companion sense the area around them.
“Nope. No ground vibrations other than us,” Yuk reported. “So the thing is, most people think we’re some guy with a vermin mastery or a transformation class. Have to admit it’s kind of fun to drive Kendell nuts since she can’t figure us out. Everyone thinks we’re a person that can turn into a hive of bugs. The truth is we’re really a hive of bugs that pretends to be a person.”
“Why would them knowing that be a bad thing?”
“Ok. Since your curiosity is practically shouting through the connection, let’s get this over with. But let me give you the short version since we are still in undeadland. The thing that made us is one of this world's great terrors. If people knew we were actually a hive-based creature, they might make the connection to the Locust King, Khimbar, the Ravenous Swarm. He’s got a bunch of other dire-sounding names, too. Making that connection would be bad,” Yuk hesitantly sent. “I have enough problems dealing with normal people without some deluded hero thinking I’m part of Locust King and need to be dealt with. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good, cause we have another ghoul coming. If we back up a bit, we can get around the corner, and you can do the same thing you did last time.”
Joe glided back to the intersection, and sure enough, a minute later, the hunting wight stepped into their trap. Joe took a scratch on the arm, but other than that, the second ambush was just as effective as the first.
Joe listened to Yuk’s mental delight as he gained his new level.
“Gods, we love that!” the sentient swarm exclaimed.
“Congrats! What are your options?”
“Our base class is Scavenger. That’s offering a Dex-based skill called [Rapid Reaction], which is tempting, but [Big Bugs] from Vermin Master is better. Way better. It’s a Spirit-based enlarge spell. We have a real problem doing damage ...”
“I know that problem,” Joe commiserated.
“Can imagine with your diverse skill set,” the verminist replied. “[Big Bugs] would allow us to grow insects from diminutive creatures to small-sized ones at first. The more ranks we get with the skill, the larger we can make them and/or the more bugs we can enhance. At rank 25, we could have a pack of wolf-sized critters or one big wyvern-size bug.”
“That would give you a lot of the same tactics as a summoner.”
“Exactly. Do you mind if I get the first few easy levels out of the way as we walk?”
“Go for it. I’ll keep your mana up.”
A second later, a rat-sized beetle was clicking alongside Joe as they continued to look for a way back to the hallways of the ziggurat or even the giant grotto. The critter had a pair of large mandibles, and it trundled along in a very determined manner.
Joe found its presence surprisingly comforting. All along, so far, Joe had known Yuk was with him, but the discorporated voice and scattered nature of the young man left him feeling a bit alone in the dark tunnels. The oversized trudging beetle gave him a physical companion.
On and on, the pair walked, lost in the dark depths below the blighted pyramid of the Erlking.