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World: MSS - Loading...
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“I-It’s coming!” Stole sounded both excited and nervous.
I could understand why, I was excited too.
Skaris trembled, barely able to contain his eagerness. “Sssssha! Sssslaveborn! Let me have thisssss one!”
“I could shoot it down from here.” Kyrian commented.
“...” Even Aurora looked to me, as if asking for permission,
Of course, I couldn’t let them. The point of this wasn’t just to kill the monster, but to work together. Besides, I chose this monster specifically for this task. There was no way they could kill it so easily, especially by themselves.
“It’s a Grade-7 monster. Why don’t you guys try tackling it by yourselves first? I’ll step in if there’s difficulty.”
“Sssssshhhaaaaaa!” Skaris cried out and sprinted ahead of the others, his spear held out behind him.
“Mr. Skaris, wait!”
“Wait for me!” Stole ran after him.
But none of them could match a caster’s speed.
Kyrian swept his staff out in front of him, deceptively slow. A web made of electricity followed, the sparks snapping and hissing like a living being; at the end of the movement a bolt made of concentrated lightning, white and hot, zipped across the field like a racecar.
｢ Kyrian Tricilan casts [Lightning Arrow] ｣
It slammed across the Hwacha's chest, sending it stumbling back and stopping its momentum cold. The monster looked confused and even with its basic elemental resistance stats, I saw a ring of blackened flesh across its chest.
Before it could even move, Kyrian cast two more.
The twin bolts of lightning weren’t accompanied by the sound of thunderous explosions; they were launched with a sound effect akin to a gunshot. I saw the elemental projectiles find their mark once more, more rings of scorched flesh across the Hwacha’s chest appeared and the monster screamed horribly. Still, the monster remained standing and began to move, the coffin-chariot behind it starting to pick up momentum.
I saw Kyrian frown in confusion. “Why is my spell so weak?...”
Finally, we were getting to the difficulty in the game where people gave up.
Level 30. Grade 7. Where monsters like [Ujo], lovingly nicknamed things like [Keyboard Breaker] by the community. It wasn’t the first time Kyrian faced a Grade 7; but it was the first time he was trying to kill one with an elemental resistance to lightning. In the Spirit Maze, they had all been weak to Skaris’ fire affinity, so he was underestimating them. I couldn’t have that. Kyrian needed a wake-up call.
“Mr. Kyrian! It must have elemental resistance!” Aurora was the only one who remained behind and she took up position in front of the baffled mage. “Ms. Stole! Get back here!”
｢ Stolen Stars Fall Silently casts [Concentrated Aim] ｣
Stole ignored Aurora’s cry. There was no way our main scout didn’t hear Aurora’s warning from thirty paces away. But instead of listening to the tank –whose whole job was protecting our backliners– Stole placed herself in front of the charging Hwacha, taking a knee and aiming with her arbalest. The arbalest thrummed with power, vibrating from the recoil.
Of course, the Hwacha took a sharp turn and dodged; resuming its flaming charge straight towards her. Kyrian's damage had only activated its passive, [Fiery Road]. Depending on how much HP the monster was missing, it got a huge boost to its [Speed] stat. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised that Stole missed. Adventuring alone, she was probably used to ambushing monsters while hidden, meaning her prey had no chance to react. Then when we worked in conjunction with the two members of Parthenon, she had frontliners who kept the monster in place.
Aurora whipped her head, glaring at me. “You chose this monster on purpose.”
I shrugged.
Finally, Skaris reached the monster, standing in its path. “Ssssshhaaa!! Come, come, COME!”
I watched as Skaris’ Core passive, [Playing with Fire] synergized with stage 2 his [Evolution], both of them worked on coating the wielder’s attack in fire.
So what happened if you combined fire and fire?
Hotter fire.
His spear tip glowed orange, then red then blueish-white as the temperature continued to rise. The weapon was lit with a small body of flame like a torch –except blue. It was so hot that it bent the air around it, blurring my vision. In fact, it was so hot that Skaris’ [Rare] weapon couldn’t handle it and I saw the shaft beginning to smoke. Skaris howled with laughter and stabbed forward with his spear, leaving smoking holes in the Hwacha’s body.
Skaris’ fire was hot enough to inflict a Burn status on most monsters, but the Hwacha didn’t burn.
It’s fire resistance was too high.
The monster continued its charge and slammed into Skaris, sending the red-scaled warrior flying towards the side where he landed on the soft sand.
“Skaris!” Kyrian yelled out.
“He’s fine.” I answered and I was right; a moment later Skaris got to his feet. And except for the small dent in his armor, there was no apparent damage on him.
Racial Traits were just as important as Cores in a build and Skaris’ [Evolution] path would pay dividends. The first stage gave him 15% resistance to all elements and a 30% resistance to Fire, his chosen path. The 2nd stage boosted his fire elemental damage by 50%. The Hwacha, with its own fire elemental resistance, was the worst enemy for Skaris to kill; but at the same time it couldn’t do much damage to him either.
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For someone of Skaris’ personality, it would be the most frustrating fight.
He hissed and stabbed again and again, leaving tiny smoking craters on the monster’s body but no significant fire damage. The monster began to speed up, growing faster and faster until it outpaced Skaris completely and headed towards Stole who was trying to trudge up the sandy hill towards Aurora. But her feet kept sinking into the path uphill was a grueling one.
She’d get hit by the monster.
Aurora slid down, her metal boots working like skates and placed herself in front of Stole just in time.
Right before slamming into Aurora’s shield, the Hwacha’s entire body lit on fire and exploded on impact.
｢ Hwacha casts [Explosive Charge] ｣
BOOOOOM
The explosion was deafening; and the flames sprouted everywhere like rain. Aurora had actually held her ground, leaving deep grooves in the dirt with her shield. I heard her yell out a fierce battle cry and slam forward with her shield, which was glowing red and it exploded into a huge burst of red and blue flames.
Damn. She managed to cast [Perfect Guard] and [Perfect Retaliation] in that instant?
So far she had the best judgment out of all of them.
…But the Hwacha had taken too much damage; a tank like her could never land a telegraphed hit like that.
The Hwacha ran in a circle around her veering off course and heading straight for Kyrian.
｢ Lock Slaveborn casts [King’s Guard] ｣
My [Lunar Shield] bulleted towards the frail mage, reaching him before the Hwacha could and blocking the rampaging chariot-like monster.
BOOOOOOOOOOM
Kyrian fell to the ground, rocked by the shockwaved from the resulting explosion. But I had bought him precious seconds, the Hwacha was circling and looking for a different target.
Speed against Aurora. Elemental Resistance against Skaris and Kyrian. Overall difficulty curve for Stole.. A monster that required a multi-faceted strategy; a monster that none of them could overcome alone except by relying on each other. Plus, it dropped a Core for Skaris and had a high item drop rate. I’d thought of everything when I chose this monster as a target.
“Come on. Put your back into it.”
“It’s too fast! I can’t aim!”
“Hold it ssssstill, Vetilian!!” Skaris yelled out.
The Hwacha sprinted around the battlefield, causing havoc. Explosions littered the field and it was all Aurora could do to keep Stole and Kyrian safe. Skaris ran back and forth but the monster avoided the beastman, continuing to ram itself into Aurora again and again after gaining momentum.
Damn. I hadn’t expected teamwork off the bat but this was worse off than I thought. Personally, I thought Aurora would have taken charge. But she was unable to reign in the stronger personalities; namely Skaris and Stole, the two beastmen. Meanwhile, the Hwacha began using its other abilities.
It used [Trail of Fire], leaving Aurora, Stole and Kyrian stranded amidst a sea of flames which followed wherever the Hwacha went.
｢ Hwacha casts [Rolling Coal] ｣
Skaris almost caught it while it was starting to change directions, but the monster spun in the circle; sewing black flames from the coffin like a pickup truck on the highway. The red-scaled warrior came out coughing and sputtering while the monster ran off again.
Finally, having had enough; I gave them a hint. “Kyrian. Control the area.”
Kyrian looked at me and an understanding passed between us.
Good. Being around Skaris so much, I was afraid he was picking up some bad habits. Besides, Mages made the best shotcallers due to positioning and their versatile abilities which could change the battlefield entirely. Just like he was doing now.
｢ Kyrian Trcilan casts [Electric Web] ｣
Small patches of electricity, resembling a spider’s web, began to appear around the battlefield. They tangled in the Hwacha’s legs and body, slowing it. It wouldn’t go so far as to inflict [Shocked] due to the Hwacha’s elemental resistance but the monster was noticeably slower.
With the monster slowed, Aurora was finally able to engage the monster. Unlike Skaris, she was able to use the combination of her tower shield and colossal lance to keep the Hwacha in place. She stuck to it like glue with well-placed thrusts and shield slams, herding it in toward Skaris. Seeing the effectiveness of Kyrian’s strategy plus the lack of his own damage, Skaris changed strategies as well.
｢ Skaris casts [Hand in Hand] ｣
｢ Skaris casts [Sticky Flames] ｣
｢ Skaris uses [Double Stab] ｣
Skaris stabbed forward twice in quick succession and the blue flames stuck to the Hwacha. His clone did the same and more blue flames stuck, mostly at its foot and the ground. The creature wailed in rage and spun in a circle, using its coffin to create distance. But Aurora and Skaris had managed to keep it in place.
Stole had been charging up [Concentrated Aim] ever since the Kyrian changed the tide of battle.
She fired and the arbalest bolt pierced through the monster’s forehead, finally bringing it down.
All four of them breathed heavily, looking around the scorched battlefield.
“W,we-” Stole wheezed. “We’ll be hunting those?! Are you fucking mad?” She cried out to me.
Skaris looked at his spear. “I do not like thissss monsssster.”
Even Kyrian nodded.
“I know. I purposefully chose the worst possible match up for you guys but I didn’t think it’d this bad.”
“Why?!” Stole protested, simply lying down with her arms spread on the floor. As young as she was, she was also the lowest level in our party with only two Cores from what I could see.
“First. To see how well you guys worked together. You guys failed that part by the way. You guys all did your own stuff without checking the ability of your party members.” I strode in among them, all of them sitting and lying down. I started passing out health potions and bandaging up minor wounds while talking. “Second, to see how fast you changed tactics. Skaris and Kyrian, I understand you guys want to test out yourselves out, especially now. But after the first few attempts, you should have pivoted.”
Once everyone got a drink of water, I really began to lay it on them.
“Stole, you should never have been in the front at all, always sticking near Kyrian or out of sight. You’re a Pioneer… if you become incapacitated, who’s going to lead us out of the dungeon? The island we’re going to will be filled with Grade 6 and Grade 7 monsters like this. Many times, you won’t be able to participate in battle and be useful.”
For the first time, Stole gave me a defiant look in her eye. “I make my own choices.” She growled.
I shook my head, speaking softly. “No. You can’t.”
“Remember what I said about the role of a [Pioneer]. Your job isn’t to snipe the monster from afar or contribute in battle. Your job is to lead us, getting us to our destination safely. We don’t expect you to contribute in battle and definitely not to lead the charge.”
Stole’s eyes widened in indignant anger and her mouth opened to argue.
“The moment you exposed yourself, you failed as a Pioneer, just to waste a few arbalest bolts.”
The young girl's eyes filled with tears and her lower lip trembled. She quickly looked away, pointing her face away from me.
I turned to Kyrian. “You’re a mage, you’re the most versatile out of all of us. Damage and Support. You were too excited about dealing damage and so far, when you were hunting slaves in Samak that was all you needed. Kyrian, I need you to start thinking outside the box; different ways to turn the battlefield to our advantage. Not just firing lightning and hoping the burn everything to a crisp.”
The panting wizard looked at me with shame in his eyes.
“Skaris.” I took a deep breath. If I went on a long-winded speech, he’d zone out. Lecturing someone who was impervious to the mood of others was tough, but something I needed to do. “Until you get your next Core, I want you to stick next to the Shielder; whether its Aurora or whoever else.”
His eyes flashed with hot anger. “I am a warrior, not helplesssss. I do not need protecsssssion.”
I rounded on him, my voice soft. “Prove it.”
Skaris got up, a snarl on his face. Slowly, I put a hand on my sword.
I was gambling here. I’d just insulted him and outright said that I was stronger than him. Which was true. It was a fact. Our relationship so far had been based on an unspoken soft deference from Skaris to me while I treated Skaris with the respect due a warrior of his culture. But the man almost died once, and this mission in front of us was even more dangerous than the last. He needed to rein in his battlelust.
So if I had to kick his ass to prove a point, I would.
Skaris stared at me for a few moments more and I sensed everyone holding their breath. Tears forgotten, Stole looked back and forth between us while Kyrian looked ready to jump in with his frail body.
Skaris looked away first. “Feh. It won’t be long, Ssslaveborn.”
“It won’t be.” I agreed. “But you know I’m right.”
Finally, I turned to Aurora. “You tell me, Ms. Aurora.”
Truthfully, Aurora had done the best. But she’d made one crucial mistake. A mistake that anyone could make, but all the more important because of it. It’s those small things that separate the 1% from the rest after all.
“I left Mr. Kyrian behind in my effort to get to Ms. Stole, leaving him defenseless.”
Satisfied, I nodded.
Damn. They all looked crushed and disheartened. “I know I’m being harsh.”
“But where we’re going, it’s going to be dangerous. The monsters are going to be on a different level and we literally have one week to be on par with the other parties or they’re going to walk all over us. If we’re not skilled, we’re not valuable. If we’re not valuable, we’re expendable. And the three of you should know what it means to be expendable.”
Skaris, the former slave. Kyrian the former Akka Xalud soldier. And Aurora, the bastard of a Great House.
They all winced like I stabbed them.
“Stole, are you feeling better?”
“...Yes?”
“Then find us the next Hwacha.” I looked to the horizon, there was still plenty of sunlight left. “You guys are going to do it again.”
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Tanya was finishing paperwork when one of the Scavengers came into her office.
“Boss!”
Technically, he should refer to her as ‘Clan Head’ but old habits died hard. The riffraff she gathered throughout the years as spent too much time as bandits and outlaw adventurers. When she first took over, they were little better than a gang of adventurers. Now, they were a Clan with rights and everything… except the official titles.
“One of these days, I’m going to have to drill them on proper etiquette.” Already dreading the sideproject, the dwarf looked up, her pen hovering.
“Yes?” She answered.
“There’s an adventuring party hunting on our turf. The field with the Hwachas.”
Leaning back, Tanya frowned. Technically it wasn’t their ‘turf’, not legally anyways. They never got around to getting the proper permits from the Adventurer’s Guild because owning a field meant paying taxes and getting involved in loads of other politics. Resentment from other clans, showing up at Clan Head meetings hosted by the Adventurer’s Guild in Jayu as well as being responsible for upkeep. No, it had been much simpler to keep adventurers away with a simple show of force.
Other clans did it all the time.
“You said it was just one party? Hunting the Hwachas?”
“Yea, boss.”
“Then leave them be.” She waved a hand, dismissing him. “Those Hwachas are annoying and a pain to deal with. And none of you guys want to deal with it. Let them hunt the Hwachas for a few days.”
She thought for a moment then added, “Just keep an eye on them… and if something valuable drops, you know the drill.”
The man saluted. “Got it, boss!”
What could go wrong?
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