Juth was not happy with me. She had been updated by both Myantha and Suda, who had stealthed back with little trouble. She lectured me on recklessness.
Austin gave me and Tāwai a thorough check-over and used a specialised bone-mending skill on me. “Your Regeneration is best with soft tissue,” he said. “Having it fix your bones is slowing everything up. With this, you should be fairly right in the morning, although the bones might be a bit fragile for a few days. No more leaps of faith.”
Tāwai was given a general health boost and told to rest.
Juth didn’t give me any rest and insisted we spar with the spears. It was good that we did as I did notice the loss of the attributes from my armour set and didn’t really realise how much I relied on aspects of my armour like the bone inlays. This was going to take some getting used to.
Some of the sparring was jarring and I felt some of my bones were not as strong as usual. I need to watch that.
We headed off to the side. I was letting my Seekers Intuition guide my Pathfinding skill toward the next shard. The guards took care of the threats, but there was nothing they couldn’t handle. Tāwai advised on weaknesses with his Hunters Eye, but we didn’t get into the fighting.
After about six hours of travel and intermittent fighting, I felt we were close. Juth had Suda find a defensive spot for the night and then scout ahead.
Suda came back just before dark and conversed with Juth. I saw Juth frown. As we sat around for the evening meal, Juth said, “This is not going to be easy. There is a massive swarm of bugs."
Suda displayed dark, round bugs like Crickets. These bugs had large hind legs for jumping, and those legs had small spikes. They also had wings so they could fly. The largest was about the length of my middle finger.
Suda took up the narrative. “They fly, they jump, they bite and scratch. We don’t think they are poisonous. They make a loud sound by rubbing their hind legs together, but we are unsure it this has any special effects.”
“This would be easy if Norm were with us with his fire,” Juth said. “Even Akina and her water, but they are not. We could head back and let the lieutenant do this one with Akina, but I would like to attempt it, at least. Suda is pretty sure the shard is in the middle of the nest, which is in a hollowed-out branch. Let's have some ideas.”
“Take a page from the rats and cut the branch?” Joe said.
“That is going to make them swarm,” Suda replied. “We would need to protect the cutter, of whom I assume I will be one.”
“We need area of effect skills that affect flying insects,” Juth said.
“Insects are generally susceptible to cold, so my Umbral Cold is what I have,” I said.
“Excruciating Screech,” added Tāwai.
“And Tāwai and I have Air Manipulation,” Myantha said.
“I would have to test the effectiveness of Umbral Cold. It may not kill them,” I said. “Excruciating Screech is not designed to kill either. If it is effective, I could draw them into the Umbral Cold with Provoking Aura, but if it doesn’t kill, it could be a problem.”
Austin was poking at the bodies Suda had brought back, “Could we burn or smoke them out with a normal fire?” he asked.
Juth nodded, “That is a good idea.”
“How effective is their bite?” Joe asked. “Did it get through your bark skin, Suda?”
“These few didn’t, but eventually, I think they would, and there are a lot of them.”
“I have Darksteel Skin, and I know Tāwai has Darksteel feathers. Marvin has Toughened Skin, and I think you also have something, Sarge?”
Juth nodded, “That would make us the strike team, then?”
Joe nodded.
“I have a skill stone called Stone Skin I could sell if anyone is interested,” I said.
“What would you want for it?” Juth asked.
“It is worth more than the Nightsight I sold to Joe. I am open to offers.”
“He sold me Nightsight for monster cores on credit,” Joe supplied, undermining the little auction I was aiming for.
“Monster cores and coins?” Ryan offered.
“And other non-skill stone drops,” I countered.
“And non-potion drops,” he came back.
“That doesn’t leave a lot,” I said.
He shrugged, “I have some coins collected to sweeten the deal?”
He tossed me a small pouch of coins, and I shrugged and tossed the stone over. He learned it immediately.
“Do you have anything else that might be helpful here?” Juth asked. I suspect she remembered the question I asked about their purchasing of skills.
“Probably,” I said, “but your policy is that the trial provides appropriate skills.”
“Maybe the trial has already provided these skills,” Wella said in a not quite accusatory way.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“These actually come from a previous trial I was in,” I said. “I haven’t found the right market yet.” In my mind, the right market was one that would pay more than usual.
Juth nodded, “That’s the truth.”
Interesting. I didn’t know she had a truth-sensing skill. The other guards must have known as the tension dropped. It pays to tell the truth, even if it is not the whole truth.
“What do you have that might help?” Juth asked.
“Hist has a moderate leaning toward Ice. I have Ice Manipulation.” Hist’s eyes lit up.
“You can have my firstborn,” he said.
“I am telling Angela you said that,” Ryan said.
“I am definitely not interested in children,” I said.
“Yeah, but I am guessing a few monster cores and coins are not enough,” he said.
“Ice would be effective against insects,” Suda said. “Fire would be better, but cold will kill them.”
Juth shrugged, “Up to you, Hist. The Trial will provide.”
No, it won’t, I thought. You have to take it and grab everything you can while you survive.
“How about the trial rewards?” I offered.
“You will regret that,” Juth said.
Hist shook his head, “Yeah, too much. You keep it.”
“You are a bastard,” Wella swore at me. “With ice, he could save lives, possibly your life. You do what you can for your squad, and you get there together.”
It was a mistake to say what I had. I should have stuck with the stone skin. It was also some impressive loyalty. It was like they were a strongly bonded adventuring team, and then I realised that is exactly what they were. I wouldn’t have been enticing any of them away with me. Loyalty together was a strong thing.
“Marvin is not part of your squad,” Juth said. “Different rules, different expectations.”
Wella backed down, but I could tell she was not happy, and I could tell I would be treated differently, always an outsider. In the end, that was who I was. My squad was me, Tāwai and Rob. Everybody else was an outsider.
Juth started planning their assault, including gathering dry wood to set alight. The smoke would help, and the plan is to burn out most of the nest.
We tested Umbral Cold; if the bugs spent long enough in it, they would die. I would station myself away from the nest, have Umbral Cold in front of me, and use Provoking Aura to attract the bugs. Tāwai and Myantha were to be stationed arrow and use Air Manipulation to send bugs, so my Aura picked them up, and the Guards assaulted the nest with fire and smoke.
Wella thought it was a great plan with me as a target. I could recognise it was a workable plan without feeling targeted, but it was hard. I think that, as a bonus, Juth solidified the squad together. Austin was also stationed close to me, so I had a healer close if I needed it. I didn’t like being the target, but it was the best plan to date.
I need a team to work with in the future, but I think it will be hard to have a permanent one. The squad is close-knit, and it is one of the benefits of being in something like the guard. I don’t think it is ever going to be me. Zeek does not have a permanent team. I am leaning toward temporary teams for different projects.
The bugs were mainly nocturnal, so we waited until an hour after dawn. The nest was in a sloping branch well away from me, and the number of bugs out was more than I expected. Maybe it was a bigger nest than I expected.
I cast Umbral Cold between me and the nest and then set Provoking Aura going. A number of bugs came in from the side, but most came from the nest area. I slapped and squashed them. If then made it through Umbral Cold, they were very sluggish, and Austin and Rob helped destroy them. Rob’s tongue was very effective.
Smoke started rising from the nest. The guards plugged the holes with burning wood, leaves and mulch, trying to create as much smoke as possible. This was going to be an all-day affair as they expected the smoke to kill most of them.
When bugs started pouring out holes they hadn’t found, they were blown into the Umbral Cold by Myantha and Tāwai, and the guards scrambled to plug the holes. This was an almost constant thing as they were biting bugs and would make more holes.
My job was to keep Umbral Cold and Provoking Aura going for hours and kill anything that made it through. I mostly left the killing to Rob. He liked eating the bugs.
While I was waiting I was trying to add Mana Syphon to my Umbral Cold, but it was not working. I layered Nights Embrace and tried that but had to stop suddenly as there was a big breakout, and a massive swarm broke out into the fresh air. Both Tāwai and Myantha were on the job, but I felt the drain of Umbral Cold as many warm bodies entered simultaneously. It was sucking out my Mana, and mana syphon was only a single target ability. If I could turn it into an aura, that would be best, but I have no idea how.
I had explored things with Tāwai before he flew to his post. He has the Poison skill and has learned to use it with his claws, but it is not a strike ability. It is just a general poison ability, so he should practice using poison with his air manipulation. I think this might be starting to work for him. Some of the bugs coming from his direction are looking a little drunk.
The stream of bugs slowed and then stopped after lunch. I dropped Umbral Cold and Provoking Aura, and I let Rob go and gorge on the huge pile of dead bugs.
The Guards started chopping into the branch where Suda thought the Shard was. I heard their excitement when they found a skill stone and then their disappointment when it was appraised as Painful Bite. The Trial doesn’t give the good stuff. You have to take it.
I watched as they hauled out larger grubs, which were apparently the queens. They were harvested and had cores. The shard was brought out after the first hour, but they kept digging for more prizes. That, I agreed with. Take everything you can.
They got Chitin bracers and potions and coins. Then they got real excited. It was a class stone. Nobody had a spare class slot, and our appraisal skills didn’t tell us much about the class other than it was a basic class.
“OK, people,” Juth said, “It will suit somebody here. It is a basic class, so only those without an advanced class should go for it. If you want it, tell me why. Austin first.” Always look after the healer.
“Not for me, Sarge. I don’t get a healing vibe, and that is where I am headed.”
“OK, Ryan, Wella and Hist talk to me.”
“Not for me, I think Sarge,” said Hist. He nodded to me, “I will aim more to the cold or ice type classes and that is not cold.”
Both Ryan and Wella wanted it, so I was interested to see how Juth would handle that and how the group dynamics worked.
“My Swordsman class is high-levelled, but my second class is Guard and is only newish after breaking with the Verran bastards. I can swap that out for this.” Ryan said. “I might mean I’m not so one-eyed,” he added, indicating his missing eye.
“I also picked up the Guard class after we kicked the bastards out,” Wella said, “I am feeling this is a better fit for me.”
“OK,” said Juth, “we will toss a coin. The winner gets to try and use the stone first, and if they are unsuccessful, then the next one.” She got out a coin, “Duke or Duchess?”
“Duke,” said Ryan.
Wella nodded acceptance of having the Duchess' side, and Juth tossed the coin.
“Duchess up first,” Juth said, handing the stone to Wella.
Wella took the stone and concentrated on it. After a few seconds it melted into her hand and her eyes went vacant and she looked inwards at her new class.
“Oh, that is interesting,” she said. “I have never heard of a summoner class before.” Her eyes focussed again, and she looked at Juth, “I can summon different animals. Only one for now, and the first is a Bugbite swarm.
Rob looked up, very interested. “I don’t think you will be allowed to eat these,” I whispered to him, which disappointed him a lot.