[Your Party has defeated a Level 15 Warrior!]
[Your Party has defeated a Level 26 Rogue!]
...
[Your Group has defeated a Level 69 Warrior!]
[Your Group has defeated a Level 80 Rogue!]
[Your Level Has Risen to 62!]
...
[Your Level Has Risen to 66!]
...
...
_______________
Name: Jackal Dolmer
Level: 66
______________
(Unassigned MANA: 50)
Vitality: 100
Strength: 100
Magic: 160
Agility: 160
Intelligence: 90
_____________
Class:
[Thy Blessed Pony]
[Hell Baby]
Skills:
[Foal Blessing] (Level 2 / Integration 100%)
[Hellborne] (Level 2 / Integration 100%)
[Hellish Fireball] (Level 2 / Integration 100%)
[Trailblazer] (Level 1 / Integration 99%)
[Blessed Heal] (Level 2 / Integration 100%)
[Longstrider] (Level 2 / Integration 100%)
[Horsekick Gambit] (Level 2 / Integration 100%)
[Curse of The Horse] (Level 1 / Integration 30%)
_____________
I and Flaze slumped in the middle of the road, tired. The constant stream of goblins had massively thinned the number of monsters here so it's no big deal.
I checked my notifications, a smile crept to my face at having jumped five levels at once from that stunt.
"Some of those system messages said group..." Flaze mumbled, her chest heaving as she got her breathing back under control. I was also still panting from the exertion, from the insane battle that we have just had.
I huffed out air from my nose, reading through my system notifications again. The classification of belonging to either a Party or a Group does indeed change midway through, and the reason seems obvious...
"Group is when we were out there, working closely with the people defending." Flaze said, sealing my genius once again. Just because I can't speak it myself.
She saw my frustration and sneered, a smug grin on her face. "Oh I'm sorry Jackal. That wasn't something you were able to come up with right? You're frustrated that I came up with the right answers instead?"
Gah! That's not it! You know it's the opposite1
I growled and bit her hair, pulling lightly.
"AAAHHHH!! Stop! Your breath stinks! Stop!"
I let go and neighed at her, indignant. My hooves were pointed at her skin coated with dirt, grime, blood, and gore. Her black hair as well had pieces of entrails stuck in it, and I had to hack them out. I'm not the only one that's fucking dirty right now!
"It's different than having fucking horsebreath!" She argued. "But, yes. We've been neglecting hygiene a bit. We should clean ourselves up later."
I looked back at myself. The white and black fur, gold and red mane, all split down the middle. I'm certainly covered in dirt and shit, more visible in other parts, where my fur has lighter coloration.
I'm a dirty horse. That much is visible. Obvious.
But I don't feel dirty. I feel fine. Studs are just naturally in a state of unwash.
~~~
[Trailblazer]
A corpse laden cafe glowed in the light of my Skill. Bones and flesh of dead felines were illuminated, the establishment we'd found ourselves in, a former cat cafe, a place familiar to Flaze. Clearly because she's a weeb. Unlike me.
Now it's ruined, beyond recognition, a mess that stands out in the devastation of the apocalypse.
[Trailblazer]
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I turned off the skill, and cast it again, flooding the area with more light. I had noticed that the Skill was nearing a breakthrough, so I'm trying to push it past that final stretch.
[The Skill, [Trailblazer], has reached level 2!]
_____________
[Trailblazer] (Level 1 / Integration 1%)
Clear out a path for your allies, leaving them a trail to follow. Designated allies standing on your path receives a 10% bonus to their running speed and toughness.
Level 2: Designated Enemies who look upon your trail have their perceptions impared. More effective, the closer they are to the trail.
_____________
And then it happened. Finally. All of my original skills have now reached Level 2. The sole exception, is the new addition, the Curse of The Horse.
Trailblazer's upgrade seems to be an excellent addition. It has been the Skill that I've used the least, because I prefer to be on the move. But now, I might just turn it on, for every lethal interaction.
I can see it now, already, myself running around a single foe with a myriad of debuffs, or perhaps against a crowd unable to gather a coherent response to my amazing tactics.
Only the best spotlight, for the best horse.
"Hey." A voice called out. It was Flaze, and she interrupted my grand master planning. Unforgivable. Death by a thousand horses. "What are you laughing menacingly about? Care to share with the rest of the class?"
Her clone snicked, as she sat on a torn up couch. The dead carcass of a pink tiger just below. Wow. This place allowed big cats near people. Bad ass.
I rolled my eyes, and cleared out some of the junk so I could find a piece of tile to burn and write on. Trailblazer. Level 2. Light confuse foes.
Flaze looked at the many patches of light I'd scattered on the area. She squinted hard. "I think that's happening? Maybe? I'm certanly confused."
"I'm gonna be honest," her clone chimed in. "Fucking weak."
I groaned and neighed. I just got it. Those trails don't have the effect yet. Assholes.
Or well. Asshole. Singular.
It'd probably be bad and unhealthy if I actually do start seeing them as separate people.
[Trailblazer].
I activated the skill, and ran over my old trails, painting it in a new layer, one noticeably brighter.
"Sorry dude. It's brighter, but otherwise, still nothing." Flaze shrugged.
Eh? No, no, no. That can't be.
I read over the Skill description again, and it took me a horse minute to figure what had probably gone wrong. I looked back to Flaze on her clone, and then willed my Trailblazer to affect them.
"Ow." Flaze intoned, and her clone put a hand over her head. "Yeah, it's suddenly much harder to see, navigate. And there's a mild headache, I suppose. It's not that strong, honestly, but the slightest disturbance can and will sway a battle's outcome."
I neighed, and shook my mane proudly.
Flaze rolled her eyes, but gave me a happy smile. "Yeah. It's a good addition. Wanna give it a try now?"
I shrugged, but pointed further into the building. Nah. They can handle it from here. I don't wish to fight any more goblins.
Flaze hummed, nonchalant, walking towards the kitchens. "Fair enough."
~~~
"Hey Jackal." Flaze made small talk while I looked around the cafe. For some reason there was a chainsaw hidden in the lockers, right beside a rotting dead human. At least it wasn't a horse. I'd be sweatin' then.
"You know, I had a fairy Class option once." She pointed at the carcass of a comically enlarged cat past the door. "You think that would have made me tiny?"
I imagine Flaze as a little fairy, voice too high pitched because of her size, like a mouse. I laughed and pointed at her, creating a tiny fireball that zipped around, most annoying.
"I thought it was just some flavor text." She shivered. "Glad I didn't take that. I'd rather be turned into a horse."
I puffed up my chest, proud.
"You look more like a donkey." She sneered.
What was that!? I chased after her, biting. Flaze chuckled and jumped, getting on my back.
"Go donkey, go!" She laughed, and held on, as I tried to hop around and shake her off.
Might as well have fun with all of this, and play around.
Eventually, we stopped, having made our way back to the front of the cafe area. Flaze had fallen again off my back, and her clone, a knight, was giving chase. They both walked closer to the glass windows then, as if looking for something.
"It's gone quiet." Flaze intoned. "They're probably done, the goblins held back. Let's check on them?"
Sure. I agreed, walking towards the broken doors. Flaze followed, and mounted my back, the copy of herself walking in front. We weren't in a hurry this time, so we walked at a more leisurely pace, feeling the stench of death hit our skin as we stepped back outside. Not that much has changed, as we'd picked a horrible establishment to camp in.
Seriously, the cats-turned-monsters did a number on that place. And I doubt those that remained animals but gained powers were any more behaved.
I walked us back to the settlement we found, reasonably wary, humans cannot be trusted. The natural enemy of a horse.
Along the way there were goblins. Again. Most were dead, but there were still packets of the green monsters traveling, hoping yet to take down the human outpost that we've found earlier. Much of those that remained chose to be stupid and go after us, but it was no hurdle to turn all who came into unrecognizably burnt splatters.
We soon reached our destination, and Flaze had her clone go first. I saw the translucent knight walk up to them, her hands raised, a disarming smile on her exposed face.
"We come in peace." Said the woman that looked like she'd just jumped into a flaming vat of toxic mud and never bothered to clean up.
Proceeds to abduct the whole lot of them.
Chatter resounded from the defending soldiers upon her proclamation. There was one voice among the many that stood out.
"F-Flaze?"
Philip, the guy Flaze had been on the lookout for, had a look of surprise on his face when he saw her. He looked tired, a mangled suit worn over his body, underneath a light suit of armor. There were thick bags under his eyes, a fatigue that goes beyond the physical.
The man spoke to some people. I watched as they conversed, squinting my eyes at the appearance of one in particular, a woman with overly large googly eyes, and pointed ears. Interesting.
They argued about the two of us in hushed tones. Or perhaps they believe that we are three, including Flaze's clone.
Flaze transformed back to her squire form, to show that she was the same person who helped them out, choosing not to lie this time. That got the people to relax.
Though not enough to let us in.
I took the time to really admire whatever they've built here. A defensive line had been built between two buildings, the structures having their doors and lower windows blocked by large pieces of wood, metal, earth and other such materials. The spikes were sticking out towards whomever dares trespass upon their territory and there were plenty of mages and rangers atop the buildings, their eyes trained on us even now after we've gone and helped them. This is why I was against it to begin with. Not that I wouldn't be similarly cautious.
The people themselves wore an assortment of clothing, but plenty had armor of some kind, a few wearing shirts and suit, battered to the point of nearing undress. They had weapons that I assumed were created by their Class, or perhaps they have a blacksmith. That's probably a Class that exists.
Philip came back to us after a while, there was a passage in the middle of the spikes. He gave a weak wave to Flaze, and I felt the real one squeeze my back hard from where she rode.
It's fine. I neighed.
"It's not fine." Flaze pointed at Philip who approached.
I remembered him being more energetic, outgoing. Hopeful. A far cry from the thousand-yard-stare now reflected in his pupils, the man quivering with every step like he might just keel over at any point.
"Hey Philip." Flaze waved back at him awkwardly.
"Hey..." He started, and then stopped, deciding not to say whatever came next.
"I'm glad you survived." Flaze Clone fidgeted. Philip knew this one was a clone, but he didn't seem to pay it any mind. It probably hasn't quite sunk in yet, for a lot of people, that this is now reality.
"I'm not." He answered simply, to Flaze's gratitude for his survival.
"Oh..."
Flaze hesitated.
"What... happened...?"
Pihilip looked up at her, a single exhausted tear dropped from his reddened eyes. "Dead. Everyone's dead."
"Oh..."
"I killed her."
"Oh."
My eyes met with someone else's while Flaze and Philip were catching up. A woman wearing the modified uniform of a police officer. She was eyeing me with a wary and hostile glance, warriors stationed all around her, guards to keep her safe.
But why her in specific?
I thought back to our earlier battle, against the goblins when we helped this group. She was the one who sent beams of water to push back enemies, and she was shouting the entire time.
Orders. She was shouting orders.
She is their leader. Or at least, the one in command of the defensive line here.
[Handler - lvl 53]