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My heart was pounding.
Grade 5 monsters, the monsters somewhere between myth and reality, a wall that we had to overcome someday. The right choice was to run for the hills. But too many factors were at play for me to pass this change up. The Cheonma’s ( 天馬) wings were torn off, meaning that it had lost at least 50% of its HP. It was sleeping too, meaning that the Scavengers had managed to lower its HP to 30% at some point.
So we ran towards the black-and-white mythical canine, greaves and boots beating the sand.
Thirty paces away, the Cheonma lifted its nose to the air and sniffed.
Then the battle began.
The monster leaped on all fours, suddenly alert and let out a deafening, high-pitched, mournful howl that echoed through the field.
｢Cheonma( 天馬) casts [Horrible Howl] ｣
[Horrible Howl], a widespread AOE ability that caused damage based on the target’s [Hearing] stat. The effect was immediate and debilitating to our party.
Something akin to a needle passed through my ears, penetrating my ear canal and causing me to stumble. Barely managing to keep myself upright, I realized that something hot was running down my ears. Blood. I saw Kyrian and Aurora stumble but hold their ground while Skaris took a knee, holding a hand to his ear.
Stole…
Blood exploded out of Stole’s ears as she fell, her eyes unfocused.
Without delay, the monster ran straight towards us, its shadowy jaws opening up and an orb made of black mana beginning to solidify.
“Aurora!”
I wasn’t sure if she heard me or she instinctively knew what was coming, but the tank planted her shield on the ground regardless. I grabbed Stole by the back of her neck, absently realizing that there was a loud pinging sound in my ear and I hadn’t heard myself yell at all, and piled in behind Aurora’s shield along with the others. Kyrian waved his staff, summoning a tornado between us and the Cheonma to lessen the momentum of its projectiles.
Our practice had paid off.
And it was all useless.
I dared not peak out of our hiding spot because I could only guess at how much firepower this thing had.
Pppppppnnnnnnnnngggggg
A single sound effect that you hear in those spaceship movies when they fire lasers, except infinitely higher in frequency echoed through the air and the moment I registered what had happened, I was eating dirt.
｢Cheonma( 天馬) casts [Gravity Laser] ｣
I didn’t see what exactly happened but I could guess. The Cheonma’s abilities revolved around controlling gravity and light. It must have fired [Gravity Laser] a single burst of focused energy that bent light and space itself. I looked around to find everyone on the floor, Kyrian and Skaris managing to get to their feet. But I couldn’t find Aurora, just Stole who lay on the ground next to me, her fingers clutched around the arbalest.
“Lock! Over there!”
Aurora was exactly where she had been except now there was a gaping hole in her shield and a matching one through her thigh. She had withstood the gravitational pull of the laser thanks to her ability [Hold your Ground] which gave its user a 500% defense boost and an immovable status. But the defense boost hadn’t been enough to keep her from being wounded.
The Cheonma barked; loud and startling, loping towards Aurora with a limp in its legs.
20 seconds. That was how long we had before it could use [Gravity Laser] again.
I dragged Stole up by the shoulders, who was absently chugging a health potion. “Go get Aurora out of there. We’ll cover you. Now! Go!”
Kyrian heard what I said to Stole and immediately began to cast spells.
｢Kyrian Tricilan casts [Electric Web] ｣
｢Kyrian Tricilan casts [Tornado] ｣
The tornado that Kyrian summoned up sizzled with lightning-imbued mana, sputtering as its summoner slammed it into the Cheonma. The mythical canine snarled and pounced on the tornado, using its claws to snuff it out of existence. Then it took one step towards Aurora, who was growing paler by the second.
Skaris and I made our move.
Skaris didn’t pull back any punches, he immediately summoned his clone and flanked the creature from either side. The speartip was smoking, glowing with blue fire and forced the Cheonma back. The monster howled in pain as Skaris’ strikes left fist-sized embers that hissed and spat; inflicting seconds of [Burn] status on the thing. I joined in from behind, locking the creature up in my manacle and leaving a glancing blow with my katana.
My katana snapped in half.
I was supposed to do a hit-and-run because if I stayed in one place for too long behind the creature-
Its tail with the scythe lashed out and I saw black.
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When I woke up, I was in Stole’s arms and she was pouring a healing potion on my neck.
“Ugh…. ghkk…… Ahkk…..hakh…” Trying to speak brought a sharp pain to my throat and Stole slapped my hand away.
“He’s awake! He’s alive!” Stole uncorked another healing potion and started pouring it over my neck again, the agonizing burn returning my throat. I felt the skin on my neck mend together.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Holy shit. The monster had slit my throat and I had blacked out.
“Mr. Skaris!”
Skaris screamed and leaped up on top of the creature, stabbing his spear down into its fur and staying there. Mounting the Cheonma right behind its neck, Skaris drove down again and again, the flames scorching flesh and blood. It bucked and howled, turning its head to try and nip at the lizard warrior but there was no use; Skaris had his legs wrapped around its neck, continuing his assault.
Stole took a knee next to me, taking aim.
As my consciousness emerged from the calm of near-death, I noticed Kyrian had been chanting behind me.
｢Kyrian Tricilan casts [Lightning Rain] ｣
The world brightened in a glow of blue and white as countless balls of lightning streaked into the sky. They swirled like fireworks, leaving long meteor-like tails and at the height of their flight each of them split off into dozen more V-shaped electric missiles. Instead of falling immediately, they paused.
I realized that Kyrian had never stopped chanting.
｢Kyrian Tricilan casts [Lightning Rod] ｣
Pointing his staff at the monster, Kyrian cried out, “Skaris! Now!”
Skaris flipped off of the creature, and quickly hid behind Aurora who covered them both with her shield. At the same time, Kyrian’s staff released small strands of electricity that hit the Cheonma on its ribcage. It must have only tickled the creature because it snapped its jaws at Aurora and Skaris; batting a paw at the shield. But the [Lightning Rod] spell isn't meant to hurt in any case.
Krrr-Krrr-Crack-CRACk-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACKKK
As Kyrian’s [Lightning Rain] spell fell, they hit the Cheonma.
All of them.
It yelped in pain, its fur singed with black scorches and danced away. Skaris’ flames were still burning on the creature and the lightning only exacerbated the burns. I had forgotten about Stole until her Arbalest thumped next to me, accentuated by the creature stumbling sideways –which it turned into a 360 spin and slammed its tail-scythe into Aurora’s shield, cutting it in half. Behind the shield, Aurora fell backwards, bleeding freely from her chest.
I put out a hand towards her, using [King’s Guard].
The Plurality which lay on the ground next to me after failing to block the initial scythe strike –which proved that its [Physical] stat was much, much higher than mine– flew over to Aurora, protecting her from harm.
The Cheonma’s next claw strike struck against my [Lunar Shield], creating sparks. Then as if knowing that I was responsible for the shield, it spun towards me; head sniffing in my direction.
“Mister! Take this!”
Taking a plain sword that Stole passed over to me, I recast [Share the Load] between myself and the monster.
“Stay leashed this time.” I snarled, fear and panic in equal amounts summoning up a false bravado that I didn’t have.
Had I made a mistake in us fighting this monster?
It didn’t matter. The Cheonma wouldn’t let us run, not right now.
As if proving that we weren’t allowed to run, the creature’s spike-like fur bristled. Its body shivered once, then twice in a strange undulating rhythm and tiny spheres of black and white came surging out of the monster’s body. Then they all moved off in different directions, forming a dome around the battlefield.
Oh shit.
｢Cheonma( 天馬) casts [Diamond & Newton] ｣
｢You have entered Special Field: Diamond & Newton ｣
｢Field Effect: Diamond & Newton is now active ｣
｢Field Effect - Diamond & Newton: Characters with low [Physical] stat will be prone ｣
｢Field Effect - Diamond & Newton: 30% Chance of [Physical] based abilities and skills failing ｣
｢Field Effect - Diamond & Newton: All [Physical] based abilities and skills directed up-to-down are 200% more effective ｣
Inside the dome, everything was gray. No red of Skaris’ fire or the white of Aurora’s shield. None even the black of Stole’s hair. Just varying shades of gray, except the Cheonma. A single source of black and white so bright, like carving out its existence in bold letters.
The Cheonma leaped up into the air, heading straight towards us. A chance.
｢Lock Slaveborn casts [Tidal Force] ｣
The Cheonma crashed down on the ground and I heard its bones snap. One bloody piece of its femur, looking like a sharpened bamboo shoot, stuck out from where a dog’s armpit was supposed to be. The Cheonma howled, its jaws no longer lining up. The bottom half hung loose, dislocated from the crash. Immediately, the special field began to clear; color returning to the world.
The Cheonma slammed both its paws on the ground. Dogs do that often when frustrated or when about to play.
A tell.
“EVERYONE GRAB ONTO SOMETHING!”
Then it barked, a pulse of purple-black energy emanating from the creature.
｢Cheonma( 天馬) casts [Mass Fetch] ｣
I stabbed the sword that Stole gave me into the ground, fighting against the pull towards the creature. Skaris did the same with his spear, holding onto Aurora.
Kyrian and Stole were sucked into the vortex.
“Fuck! Kyrian! Stole!”
Moving fast, I took the sword out of the ground and called my shield back with [King’s Guard].
Immediately, gravity pulled me towards the Cheonma and I didn’t resist, suppressing every single instinct screaming inside of me not to approach the creature. Instead, I used the momentum to sprint forward. The combination of my speed buffs and gravity made it easy to reach Kyrian and Stole who were flying midair at this point. Grabbing them by their ankles I slammed them against the ground, ducking my head at the same time.
The Cheonma did another 360 spin, it's scythe nothing but a streak in my own eyes.
If I didn’t have both eyes, anything could’ve gone wrong. I could’ve misjudged the distance to duck, I could’ve caught one but not the other or worse, lost both of them. I fought to keep the bile in my throat, my mind showing me a picture of Kyrian and Stole on the ground, their bodies separated into halves; intestines spilling out.
I felt more than heard the Cheonma open its jaws –or what was left of it– trying to fire off another another [Gravity Laser].
“Get away from me!” I didn’t need to have yelled because Kyrian and Stole had scrambled out of the way already.
Striding forward, I stabbed the creature in the foot and used it immediately.
｢Lock Slaveborn casts [Gravity Laser] ｣
I had to give it to the canine-monster, it was fast and smart. As soon as its own [Gravity Laser] dissipated, it reacted with violence and struck with its scythe tail again.
The creature blurred as I fired its own move against it, the beam missing its head by inches and piercing through its one remaining wing. Having completed its spin, the scythe came straight down towards me but my [Lunar Shield] snapped up to meet it. Finally, I had enough buffs to compete with the creature face to face.
But that feeling didn’t last for long, I was nearly out of mana; even if I stole another ability I wouldn’t have enough to use it. The Cheonma didn’t let me dwell nor was it understanding of my circumstances, it continued to whirl and dance, snapping with its jaws, claws and tail. Feeling the wind from its moves cut into me, I danced closer with the sword. Each cut leaving long bleeding wounds on its forelegs and with each consecutive maneuver along with markings of ink that came to life and skewered the creature.
｢Cheonma( 天馬) casts [Mutual Attraction] ｣
A ring of purple settled around my hips and an identical one around the Cheonma’s neck. It growled at me.
Now I couldn’t escape even if I wanted to.
So I fought, barely managing the trickle of mana. Casting a grade-5 ability isn't cheap.
I ducked, weaved and rolled; Skaris joined me sometime after, inflicting blue flame that lingered on the creature’s body. Kyrian began to cast spells again with the occasional thumping of Stole’s [Concentrated Aim] shots. Time continued to pass as we all bested our previous selves.
Today though, the show belonged to Aurora.
｢Aurora Candrian Vetilian casts [Perfect Guard] ｣
｢Success ｣
｢Aurora Candrian Vetilian casts [Perfect Retaliation] ｣
The Cheonma had overstretched with a gravity laser. The creature had grown panicked, Skaris and I were starting to figure out its patterns. Our hit-and-run approaches were only getting better and like a pack of wolves, when one darted in, the other darted out. Aurora had chosen the perfect spot to lay in waiting.
Almost half an hour.
Half an hour of dancing on a tightrope between life and death.
I screamed, the pure joy of victory, the happiness and the inexplicable pleasure rolling through my body. I hadn’t felt this since I had killed the Dokkaebi back in the tunnels. Killing a grade 5, even if it was wounded, was a milestone. We had stepped foot into the frontier, into what was considered mid-game. Finally, finally, finally, I could say that the things I did weren't in vain.
I wasn’t the only one screaming.
“M-Mister! Look! Shut up and look!”
A Core.
Perfectly white in one half and perfectly black in the other with the pattern of two wings embedded into it.
“STOP! PLEASE STOP!”
The Scavengers. They scurried out of hiding.
“Of courssse.”
“Fuck… cockroaches…” Stole looked around wide-eyed.
“Wake up. It’s not over yet.” I told myself, growling. “Kyrian, put the Core in a-”
“I said stop!” Two of the scavengers approached us. “Surely, there’s a way to talk about this.”
“Lock… there’s a lot of them.” Kyrian warned. “You must stay calm.”
Realizing that I was gripping the sword tight enough to hurt my hand, I relaxed my grip. Sending a silent nod of thanks towards Kyrian I stepped forward a little bit from my party. “What do you want?”
The man cleared his throat. It was that armored fucker again.
“We’ve been hunting the Cheonma for three days now. It was nearly defeated and we simply went back to our Clan to restock up. What you did can be construed as kill-stealing.”
I let him finish his bullshit excuses.
“We’ve poured considerable resources into hunting this beast and have taken a lot of losses keeping the hunting fields safe from it. What you did just now can be considered an open declaration of war against our Clan, hunting something we’ve been working on for days.”
I sighed. “Get to the point.”
The man’s eyes sharpened beneath his helmet.
“Give us the Core.”
I sneered. “And if I don’t?”
“Then it’s war.”
Silence.
I stared at the man. He didn’t bat an eye. Of course he wouldn’t. He had nearly fifty of his cronies surrounding us while we were beat to hell and back. Absently I touched my throat, noticing that on top of the manacle scars, fresh patch of skin was growing there. It was tender to the touch and thin, I could feel the rush of blood below it. It stretched all the way through my throat.
The man was looking at my scar.
He saw me looking and smirked, hand thumbing the mace on his hip.
I saw red.
They expected me to attack. They were asking for it. I’m ashamed to say I lost control of my temper. Just not in the way they expected.
Before anyone could say anything or react, my hand snaked out and grabbed onto the back of Aurora's armor. I pivoted, hard, and threw all my weight into the throw, sending the armored Vetilian Shielder into the air, limbs flailing in confusion.
People stared, mouths open.
Aurora sailed through the air and when she made contact contact with the [Cheonma ( 天馬)]’s Soul Core, it split into strands of energy that entered her body. The armored warrior landed with a thud, her eyes wide and trying to speak. Actually, it was probably the first time since I met her that I saw Aurora so completely at a loss for words.
“M-M-M-Mister L-Lock?”
Ah. I felt much better.
“G-Get them! GET THEM!”
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