Olga was running threw them like a bowl being sent through pins down a lane. Except the pins were literally everywhere and being smashed to pieces making for a very messy game of bowling. Tisha followed in her wake mostly using the Aurum Arts with the occasional blast from her Orb as to not hit anyone on accident. Damon ‘s improved first ability allowed him to crush the Skeleton Swordsmen with ease and the long-ranged support they received from Mel and Finch gave them breathing room.
Tisha also focused on using Suspension on Mages that were mid cast, cancelling the spells, she could even use it on two at a time with the tier upgrade. However, there were simply too many of them and the cool down despite being short still did not allow it to be used frequently enough to keep them completely locked down.
Mel and Finch did a great job of focusing and thinning down their numbers over time however and with Olga being her usual explosive self, most of the attention from the skeletons was drawn to her causing Tisha to break off from her and Damon.
Damon’s shield was tough allowing him to take a lot more hits more consistently than Tisha could. On top of that his rarely used Armament’s ability gave him a small blue barrier that floated around blocking attacks for him including ones that he could not see. It did not last long however and broke very easily. Damon’s overall combat style was very obviously amateurish. You could tell that he was used to fighting, being a soldier and all, he kept his cool and took opportunities when they presented themselves. But he was very clearly not used to fighting with sword and shield, for good reason.
He was smart enough to know this however and made sure to just do basic cuts, slashes and blocks in an efficient manner. That was until he had an obvious upgrade in whatever skill he had for using such an artifact. His attack became much sharper and focused with little wasted movement. Like he had been training for at least a few years or more. Seeing the change brought about by upgrades from the outside was a strange experience for Tisha, it was almost like he became a different person. Especially when he fought enemies he previously struggled with like entire groups of Skeleton Swordsmen.
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[Swordsmanship upgrades from Novice to Amateur]
[Shield Combat upgrades from Novice to Amateur]
Damon sighed in relief as he tore through a Skeleton on his right with a swipe of his blade before blocking the attack of another on his left pushing forwards and bashing it with the same shield. A black arc slammed into his barrier from behind breaking it, one of the Knights was targeting him, before it promptly got destroyed by a large Nail to the face. He glanced at a grinning Olga who gave him a thumbs up before leaping back into the fray.
As he fought, Damon almost went into a trance as he could not help but think back to his squad back on Earth, they were in a precarious combat situation only having a small moment to rest before he had been pulled into this world. He was sure they would be fine and he would get back in time before anything went down but he could not help but be worried. His squad was like a family to him after the death of his daughter from an incurable disease he had nothing tying him to normal life apart from battle as a marine. That was one life he could not save and as the captain he had been responsible for the squad’s survival. It was how he tried to carry his life, a person that strove to help others. He could not be happier with the Artifact he had been granted especially the new ability he gained, he would be sure to use it to benefit the group, he had a feeling they could not fail this mission.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
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[Suspension gained a tier]
[Suspension – Tier 2/10]
[You may now use Suspension on three extra targets, Multiple Suspensions must be used simultaneously, Suspension also freezes targets for a little longer]
Her continuous use of suspension lead to another tier gained and this time she could use it on four targets all together on top of that she went from freezing the Mages and Knights for only a second to about two seconds. It still was not a large amount of time but was significant all the same.
She found that she could freeze enemies without looking directly at them as long as she knew their current positions and they had not moved beforehand.
Tisha noticed something strange however, the enemies’ movement and who they targeted. Nearly all of them focused on Olga as she was causing the most havoc, however Tisha still found that behavior somewhat strange because little to no enemies went after Mel and Finch who had free reign to blast at whoever they wanted. Tisha knew that the monsters unlike the bear they fought earlier had little to no ego and thus had no care about their own wellbeing. However, she knew that they could be somewhat tactical as in her tests, the swordsmen took were smart enough to surround her and use their superior numbers to their advantage.
Here, they just attacked with wild abandon and went after the most resilient target without a moment of pause. Olga’s completely carefree attitude made Tisha suspect it had something to do with her or her Skills.
The fighting went on a while longer and Tisha was starting to feel a drain on her stamina, Mel and Damon also looked very winded. With Damon in particular starting to breathe very heavily.
On the bright side her Suspension gained a couple more tiers from the constant use.
[Suspension – Tier 4/10]
[You may now use Suspension on seven extra targets, Multiple Suspensions must be used simultaneously, Suspension also freezes targets for a little longer]
“This is getting annoying.” Olga said with a crack of her neck. At first it had seemed like the numbers were thinning but after a certain threshold had been reached, more monster appeared. Tisha suspected that they would keep appearing without something to trigger their end.
“We’re making a break for it chicks, I’ll create an opening, just follow to the doorway!” Then she turned to Tisha.
“Pick up those two stragglers will ya.”
Tisha nodded in response before rushing towards Mel and Finch in the back. Ducking under a sword swing, she swept her leg to trip the swordsman before blasting it with the Orb. She froze eight enemies with Suspension and charge up a huge energy attack as she reach them. Finch released his mist as he was up under one arm with Mel under the other. Her inhuman strength made them light as feathers as she took off into a sprint.
Neuter Sensation
A mass in front of her lost all coordination, practically flailing about.
[Neuter Sensation gained a tier]
[Neuter Sensation – Tier 2/10]
[Neuter Sensation lasts a little longer also slightly damages enemies affected over the duration]
[Your Artifact has reached the first threshold, choose one of the two available Abilities]
Tisha did not have time to pay attention to the system messages, blasting a hole in the group that gathered in front of her she saw Olga charge on ahead and could feel what she could describe as a gathering of an energy in the woman’s core, something that felt like Varos but different.
Moments later.
“It’s been a while. Follow, now!” The large woman yelled before the air around her bent and twisted under the release of an grey black coloured energy covering her like a barrier except it burnt and vaporized whatever it touched. The ground and the enemies were turning to ash as she rushed forwards the others behind her.