Midnight rolled around and as predicted *Plop* the [Midnight Monkey]s swarmed in. Of course they are really nothing more than a menus *Plop*. But the left wingers’ weren’t prepared for them *Plop* *Plop*. This was because they ostracised the right wing group. *Plop* Of course [Midnight Monkey]s were considered more *Plop* of a hazing ritual for new travelers. But the *Plop* left wingers’ were too incensed to care about that *Plop*.
Micky thought he would be too if he had poop thrown at him constantly by a hundred constantly shifting monkeys. From what Mathew said they were all probably one or two monkeys. They all appeared at midnight and only midnight for one hour. And, they could appear in multiple places at once.
These were the go to example of the [Mystery] branch of [Monster] classes. [Arcane Mage]s believe that they are an example of over adaptation to the [System]. This branch are so adapted to the [System]s that they are physiologically dependant on it to maintain normal bodily function. This also gave them weird and interesting powers. Not of course, to be confused with [Ghost]s or other [Monster]s of the phantasmal or other non-newtonian creatures. Of course Newton and his theories were bonkers. It’s amazing what he stated, I mean where is the 5th law, magic? He doesn’t even explain something so fundamental how could it be true?
So Micky and his crew were hanging out in a tree not 50 paces from camp. Watching the pissed off left wing hurling things at creatures that jittered in and out of existence. Micky took a sip of his wine (Real wine, not the watered down stuff) as he watched one of the Sampson boys get plopped in the face by a big steaming one. Mathew had told them to just get out of the camp, but of course they didn’t listen. And now they were blaming Mathew for this and telling him to “Fix It”.
Mathew, of course, told them that it is their choice to follow him or not. For those that can’t keep pace he will help them out. For those that did not, they could find a dragon’s gold or the dragon and he wouldn’t care either way. This did not help the situation.
He then told them to abandon their stuff and if they were lucky the monkeys would get bored and leave after throwing a shit fit. They instead tried to lead the monkeys towards the other group. This did not work and the monkeys just hemmed them in. Now they were trying to fend them off but it was just 7 people versus hundreds of near phantasmal monkeys.
Simone [The Village Idiot] had asked how you would defeat the monkeys. Mathew replied to just let them get bored and go bug somebody else. After some badgering, he had told her that all the monkeys were in fact one monkey. So the best way was either an instant targeted spell or AOE support. Micky figured he could probably try charming it… but it was funny so he left it be.
Micky rubbed his slime and asked if someone had tamed one. Mathew replied that if you [Tamed] it it would become a normal monkey. Or at best clone itself a couple of times. This was because the cloning was actually just several instances in time. And the ability only worked after midnight. So in order to get it to work the monkey would have to cease to exist for several hours before reappearing at midnight. This monkey was an old and wily one that had not only raised the ability but also multiplied itself with at least 4 days worth of instances. It was also probably doing more than just this one assault. Which would place it as a wily elder of this forest and not to be messed with. In other words he wouldn’t recommend it.
Micky nodded. He had plenty of time to figure out what ten creatures he would need to become a [Tamer]. From there he could actually launch his life, instead of being stuck in this [Dead] end class.
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After the monkeys disappeared randomly at midnight Micky and crew ended their impromptu feast and regrouped with the left wing. They tried to get some of the endless pile of shit stuck onto the right wing crew but the joke was on them, it disappeared exactly one hour later. At least for the right wings, the left wings still didn’t listen to Mathew and had to have their stuff smell like shit for the next full day cycle. Then the trick would work for them as well.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Nothing else happened that night and the crew was ready to move in the morning. The left wings finally started to listen to Mathew now. But they smelled like shit so it was their turn to get snubbed.
As they walked they heard booming and roaring in the forest. They decided to pick up the pace, or they would have if the stubborn mule that was pulling the cart hadn’t decided now was a good time to stop and eat grass. No matter what the group did they could not get the mule to move. And of course, in their ever present bad mood, the left wings argued for leaving it and going on ahead. After all their lives were more important. Even though most of the stuff on the cart was theirs.
Actually, without their stuff Mathew and his crew would be able to sit on the cart which was what he was originally intending. This did not work out obviously but up to this point Mathew had given them the benefit of the doubt. He then argued he could just dump all their crap and leave them and it would be so much faster. They of course disagreed.
Then the monsters blew up the forest in front of them. A dragon flew overhead, and a small [Monster stampede] blew threw in front of them. Then a phoenix chased the dragon off throwing flame like the insults from a wronged woman.
The group firmly decided to follow the mule from then on. Well Mathew and crew did, the left wings decided that they would at least listen to the rest of the crew from now on. Micky wondered if that was normal for the forbidden forest or if it was some quirk of fate. He worried if it was either of those.
After Mathew scouted around a bit and decided it was safe the group moved on. Of course, the mule was already moving by then but the group wasn’t going to take any chances. They were well into the part of the forbidden forest that they were going to travel for their journey and monsters were becoming the norm and not the exception.
Of course that also meant they were fighting off monsters as the norm and not the exception.
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[Charm]! “Don’t hit thee [Austress]! It’s [Charmed]! Hit the [pin Cushion] I have it [Enraged] it’s going to enter melee!” Screamed Micky. Of course, the first thing they left wing did was completely ignore Micky. However, the right wing went after the [Pin Cushion] with the other two members while Mathew acted as the main tank. He conspicuously let the [Austress] run wild in the left wing thought.
Micky would have loved to have one of these monsters as a companion. However they were all too pissed off. They attacked after the left wing threw a rock at them. Of course, they were likely to attack anyway, but they didn’t tell the right wing that they were pulling them yet. And all throughout this the mule just stayed where it is, eating grass.
The slime was bouncing around the battlefield diverting some monsters and just smashing itself into others. It was actually doing a good job considering that all of these monsters were in the upper level of the [Low] rank. For a [Base] Monster to deal [DMG] was considerable.
However, it was still Mathew pulling the right wing. Simone was throwing knives attached to a string and using the wires to puppeteer the field. While the third, a skinny boy that was a [Rolly Polly] spun around the battlefield like a top on his shield and used his sword to slash at things.
Altogether, they had considerably less Dps then any member of the left wing. With the exception of Mathew who had more Dps then the rest of the group almost combined.
Micky dodged the [Austress] that was now in the right wing, after the left wing let it go wild. It was now a wild monster uncontrolled by anybody. Micky thought quickly. If this monster was left uncontrolled then it would be a menace that might hurt somebody. So when it went back to the left wing he [Enraged] it as it went for Michael. He was a young [Warrior] and could take the [Austress] for long enough to put it down. So Micky stacked the [Enraged] on the [Austress] until it wouldn’t attack anybody else.
Michael of course, screamed to “Get it off me!” which the left wing tried to do. Oddly they tried to force it onto the right wing more then Dps. The left wing however just burned it down. Even Mathew gave up trying to tank it and left it to Michael.
Eventually, The [Austress] [Dead] even though it was not the last monster. When the group did turn to the last monster it almost seemed scared. But of course it attacked anyway. It was quickly burned down by the ire of the group.
“You tried to kill me!”