Chapter 9: Unforgivable
Sydney, Australia
Several individuals dressed in nurse's garb, along with a face mask, walked in through the doorway of St. Vincent's Hospital. Each of them had a small grey plastic case. It happened to be a very busy day at the hospital, which allowed the three to travel down the hallways without harassment. They rounded a corner just before the ICU, then walked down an empty hallway and into a janitor closet.
Their cases were placed on top of a janitor's trolley and opened them. Each case contained a gun-shaped device, with a needle on the end. The device was embedded in foam alongside three glass bottle filled with a yellow fluid.
"We get three each," Rika told her subordinates. "Since we're part of a party, we will all gain experience points from this mission. We get experience points we gain levels. We gain levels, we become stronger. Inject this fluid into patients that aren't awake." Rika held up one of the bottles before attaching it to her injector. "Then leave this building as soon as you can. If this substance does what the monster says it does, we don't want to be anywhere near here when the effects take place."
"Yes, Ma'am," they both answered.
The three stuck the injection guns and bottles into a brown paper bag and walked out of the closet. They went down different hallways. Rika walked casually down the ICU ward. She immediately spotted at least half a dozen individuals who were unconscious.
Making sure no one was looking, Rika entered the first room with a man in his mid-seventies. She closed the door behind her and pulled out her syringe gun. Rika attached the bottle filled with the yellow goo and then injected the fluid into the man's neck. The yellow fluid left the glass bottle and entered the old man's body.
Rika ejected the bottle and placed it on the bedside table. She left the room and closed the door behind her. Rika repeated the process twice more. The next two victims were an African-American man in a full body cast and a woman in a coma.
In each case, she left the bottle on the bedside table. Rika could have taken the bottles with her, but she wanted people to know that this wasn't some freak accident. It was a deliberate attack. Each bottle was inscribed with the symbol of the Phoenix organization to ensure that everyone would know they were responsible for the attacks.
Rika met up with her fellow soldiers who confirmed their usage of the slime fluid. They briskly walked out of the hospital without anyone the wiser. A blue window appeared to confirm that they had accomplished their mission.
CongratulationsYou have completed the quest Slime Mutation.
Back in the ICU, the old man that Rika injected with the fluid began to react. He started to twitch. The heart rate monitor started to beep faster and faster until a loud long beep was heard. The old man stopped twitching and lay on the bed, motionless.
A doctor and a nurse burst in through the door with a defibrillator. The nurse took out a pair of scissors and cut open the shirt. The doctor turned the defibrillator on and took out the paddles from their holders. The machine squealed as it charged.
"Charging!" the nurse called out as he monitored the power level. "Charged!"
"Clear!" the doctor yelled before pressing the defibrillator against the old man's chest.
The body jumped up from the electric shock. The heart monitor still continued its long beep.
"Still no pulse," the nurse confirmed.
The defibrillator squealed as it charged up for another jolt.
"Clear!" the doctor yelled again as he slammed the paddles onto the man's chest.
As he pressed downwards, his hands went right through the man's chest. The doctor and nurse stared, dumbfounded at seeing the doctor's hands in the man's chest like the skin was made of gel.
The doctor's shocked state was quickly replaced by a new sensation. Pain. He cringed and started grunting. "Ah. Ah! Aaaaaaaah! Get me out of it!"
The nurse ran to the doctor's side and started pulling on him to get him unstuck. He managed to yank him out of the man's chest and the two fell backwards onto the ground.
The nurse took a moment to collect himself before he looked at the doctor. The doctor had his arms up.
"Oh god!" he screamed. "Oh god!"
The flesh from his elbow to his hands was all gone, leaving behind bloody bones and tendons. The nurse heard a gargling noise come from the old man's bed. He looked up and saw the old man sitting up in bed with two large holes in his chest. His shirt had fallen off at this point, leaving him half naked. The two holes closed up as the man stood on his feet.
"Monster!" the nurse yelled.
The nurse left the doctor behind as he ran out of the room. The doctor was in a panic as the old man walked towards him.
"Don't leave me!" he cried out to the nurse.
The doctor pushed himself towards the wall as the old man walked towards him. The old man's arms elongated and his face seemingly melted as it got closer. The top half of its body expanded and then slammed into the screaming doctor.
The staff and patients outside of the room saw the nurse run out of the room in terror. They all heard the screams, but still didn't know what to make of the situation.
"Monster!" one of the nurses yelled. "The monsters are here! Run for it!"
The panicked nurses stopped in his tracks as a nude woman walked out of a side room in the direction he was running. The woman looked at the nurse with a deadpan expression on her face.
"A-Are you okay, Ma'am?" the nurse asked her.
The woman suddenly moved forward and hugged the man. The man immediately felt pain on his skin from the woman's arms.
"Ah, get her off of me!" he screamed.
A couple of nurses tried to run to help the man, but by the time they reached him, the woman's arms went through his body. The man's torso plopped onto the ground. He was no longer screaming, but he was still partially alive and gasping. His legs fell to the ground by his side.
The two nurses looked at the woman, who still had no change in her expression. She stepped on top of the man's torso and her foot expanded to cover it. Her other foot stepped on the legs and also started the process to assimilate the legs.
Gargling and bubbling could be heard coming from the room the male nurse had run out of. The old man walked out with the doctor's face poking out of his chest.
VVVVV
It had been two days since the first mission they did together. The day after the mission was left as a rest day to recover from the massive level ups that Reia had experienced. Tom used the opportunity to get more work done in translating the two Xoth books in his possession. At this point in time, he had finished translating the history book. The book itself was at least four hundred and fifty-six pages at size twelve font.
The process of translating was much harder than Tom had imagined it would be. There were some words that didn't translate perfectly into English. Considering the book was a history book, Tom wanted to translate and interpret the history book as accurately as he could. Even one mistake could have consequences in the future for Earth-Xoth relations.
Thanks to his Intelligence and Wisdom skill, he was able to translate the history book with minimal issue. With the completion of the first book, Tom managed to unlock a new title.
NoticeBy accurately translating a Xoth book into another language, you have earned the title, "Interpreter". By earning this title, you have been granted +15 to Intelligence and Wisdom.
With that title, Tom's Wisdom was bumped over one hundred and earned him a new skill.
NoticeYour Wisdom has reached over 100. This has unlocked the passive skill "Enhanced Mind".
Enhanced MindTypePassiveRankALevelBeginner 1 (0%)Mana Regen MultiplierX2Increased Gained Magic Skill EXP+5%By improving your Wisdom, you will regenerate Mana at a faster rate and learn magic skills faster. The more Mana you regenerate, the more this skill improves.
Tom and Reia also managed to plant the seed they acquired during the goblin attack. They filled a large pot with soil and Tom stabbed a hole into the dirt with his finger. He dropped the seed in and then covered it up. As soon as the seed was planted, a window appeared over it, announcing a new system mechanic.
NoticeYou have successfully planted the Seed of a Mother Tree. Sacred Plant Growing system unlocked. This seed will have many needs that you will need to fulfill to ensure that it grows properly and healthy.
[/tr]
Sacred SeedMaturity0%Status 1:The seed is thirstyStatus 2:The seed is hungryDaily Mana Need0/10
Tom made a mix of chemical fertilizer and water and poured the solution into the pot to satisfy both needs of the seed at the same time. The window reappeared again after the solution was poured into the pot.
[/tr]
Sacred SeedMaturity0%Status 1:The seed is contentStatus 2:-Daily Mana Need0/10
As soon as Tom began to wonder what Maturity and Daily Mana Need meant, two new windows appeared.
MaturityThis tag keeps track of the plant's growth. As soon as it reaches 100%, the plant is fully grown. Keeping the plant fulfilled will increase the rate this percentage increases.
Daily Mana NeedThis plant is special and requires more than food and water to keep it alive. Hold your hand out towards the plant and it will take what Mana it needs from you. It will need more Mana every day.
Doing as the window told him, Tom held up his hand and blue energy radiated off of it and was absorbed into the soil.
[/tr]
Sacred SeedMaturity0%Status 1:The seed is contentStatus 2:-Daily Mana Need10/10
With the day of rest over, Tom and Reia returned to their training. With the extra swords they collected, Tom suggested that Reia turn towards using a sword to diversify her skill set. Any injury they sustained during their sparring matches, they would use Heal on themselves to increase their own skills.
Reia, without the tools needed to help her, was unable to use any of her crafting or repair skills. Any repairs of weapons or gear was left to Tom, who was more than happy to increase his Magical Repair Skill. With Magical Repair in the Intermediate Level, he was able to, on rare occasions, give weapons he'd repaired a temporary buff such as additional elemental damage for twenty-four hours.
Several days passed, as they trained like this. During this time, Tom never neglected the sacred plant that was growing in his kitchen.
It was the middle of May and the weather was sunny and mild. With their intense morning training over, Tom and Reia took a break to eat their lunch on a bench outside. From there they could view the green forest that acted as a wall around his home.
Reia sighed happily before saying, "It's so peaceful here."
"It sure is."
Reia focused on the chicken fried rice she had before her. She moved it around with her fork as she was deep in thought.
"Penny for your thoughts," Tom said.
Reia was jutted out of her thinking. "Sorry?"
"Penny for your thoughts. It's an old human saying meaning 'What are you thinking about?' It's just I've noticed you stirring your rice for several minutes without saying anything. You looked like you were in thinking about something important. You don't need to actually tell me, if you don't want to. It's just a saying."
"No, it's fine. It's just something's been on my mind for a while now. Do you think about what will happen in the future. When our worlds fuse?"
Tom stopped eating. "Yeah..." he sighed. "It's going to be rough in the beginning. But I'm hoping to minimize the damage. You know the work I'm doing in translating those two books and such?"
Reia nodded. "The bestiary and history book."
"I've also started writing a guide book to the SYSTEM and a report of recommendations for the world's governments. Some steps they can take in order to ease the 'transition' and minimize damage. I know for a fact they are not going to like a ton of my recommendations."
"Why's that?"
"It is going to cost a ton of money to everyone and we've just recently gotten out of a worldwide recession."
"That's stupid to put money before lives!"
Tom shrugged. "There's a lot of rich people out there with the power and influence to stop changes to the status quo. However, they only have so much power. My recommendations are not going to be sent just to the world's governments. I will spread it publicly. While this may cause panic worldwide, it is the best course of action I can think of to pressure my race to change."
[tr]
Quest:Revenge of the SlimesDifficultyBGiverKaraTime Limit3 hoursA mysterious organization has used the remains of the Monstrous Slime from Madrid and injected it into humans in a hospital in Sydney, Australia. This has caused a mutation, creating Mimic Slimes.Reward1000 EXP
1 gold 50 silver
Random weapon
Random armour
1000 fameConsequence For FailureThousands will die
Sydney will suffer massive damage
Panic will spread across the world
'Accept quest,' he said in his mind.
"We just got a mission," Tom said before quickly cramming the last of his rice into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed and said, "It's in Sydney, Australia. We have to eliminate Mimic Slimes."
"Mimic Slimes," Reia repeated. "There hasn't been Mimic Slimes in hundreds of years."
"We need to hurry," Tom said. "According to the bestiary, they get stronger as they eat."
"Equip set 1," the two said. Their gear appeared on them in a flash of white light.
"You ready to go?" Tom asked Reia.
"Ready when you are," she replied.
"Fast Travel to quest location."
Their vision flashed. Like blinking and having a different image appear in place. They reappeared in front of a large hospital. It was quiet in the area as they tried to reorient themselves. They scanned the area and found it deserted.
"It looks like they evacuated the area," Tom said. "This makes things easier."
Tom and Reia walked through the entrance.
"Did your quest window say how the Mimic Slimes came to be?" Reia asked.
"Some mysterious organization injected some humans with remains of the slimes I defeated over a week ago," Tom said. "Not much more than that."
They started to hear a banging noise from down the hallway. Tom signalled Reia to get out her weapon. They didn't bother taking out their weapons. Using magical attacks against Slimes at a range was more efficient and safer. They gathered at the corner of the hallway.
Tom peaked around the corner. Down the hallway he saw a young, nude woman banging on a door.
'Identify.'
Mimic SlimeLevel15RankBHealth420/420TypeRareA rare creature born from unnatural means. Slimes usually only survive by living off of their magic energy core. Because of their lack of energy core, they are dependent on spirit and life energy and need a constant supply of food.ResistancesPhysical100%Disease0%Fire-20%Plant100%Ice-10%Earth100%Lightning-30%Water0%Wind0%Spirit100%Light0%Darkness0%
"It's the Mimic Slime," Tom whispered. "It's tougher than usual, but it has weaknesses we can take advantage of. It seems to be the only one down the hall."
"We should take it by surprise," Reia suggested.
"Exactly what I was thinking. Come on."
They sneaked from around the corner and prepped their spells.
'Fiiiiire Ball!'
'Wiiiind Blade!'
Their attacks launched forth and combined on their path to the Slime. The fire tornado spun and collided with the Mimic Slime. The Slime wailed in pain as the fire tornado whirled around it.
You both inflicted 232 damage
NoticeFire Tornado has reached Beginner Level 2.
NoticeMimic Slime has been inflicted with the debuff "Burnt". It will lose 10 HP per second.
The Slime turned its attention away from the door it was attacking and towards Tom and Reia. The two could finally see how inhuman the creature was. The breasts of the women lacked nipples and her stomach had two faces sticking out of it. Each face looked like it was crying in agony.
"Well, fuck that," Tom muttered. "Lightning Strike!"
The lightning struck the Slime, injuring it. It was starting to have difficulty in keeping its body together.
You inflicted 101 damage
NoticeLightning Strike has reached Intermediate Level 1.
NoticeBy raising your Lightning Strike skill to the Intermediate level, you have unlocked the skill "Chain Lightning".
Chain LightningTypeActivateMana Required20 per jumpCurrent Jumps3RankBLevelBeginner 1 (0%)You are able to cast a web of lightning that will connect from enemy to enemy. Increasing this skill's level will increase how many enemies the lightning will jump to.
"Wind Blade!" Reia called out, launching blades of green energy.
The blade of energy went through the Slime, cutting it in half at the waist. The Slime plopped to the ground in two puddles.
You inflicted 67 damage
NoticeWind Blade has reached Beginner Level 9.
You gained 40 EXP
Mimic Slime has dropped 1 Spirit Axis
"Aurora, do you know what a Spirit Axis is?" Tom asked.
"Oh..." Reia muttered mournfully. "A Spirit Axis is a material that is made from the concentration of souls. Considering that it came from a Mimic Slime, the Mimic Slime was made up of at least a few people."
Tom's eyes widened at the revelation. "It's made of human souls!"
Reia nodded.
"Jesus Christ... Is... Is there a way to free them?"
Reia closed her eyes and nodded a few times. "If I recall correctly, you need to smash it."
"Wait, seriously?"
"Yeah!" Reia slammed her right fist into her left palm. "I remember now. Tala mentioned it before. A Soul Axis can be used to power yourself up by a great margin, or you can smash it to free the spirits."
"A Spirit Axis can be used to make yourself stronger?"
"It can..." Reia admitted reluctantly. "But it uses the spirits' energy. Condemning them to non-existence. Removing them from the cycle of life and death."
Tom opened his Inventory and took out the Spirit Axis. It was a blue pearl-sized gem that pulsed with light. It was beautiful to look at.
Spirit AxisRankSSNumber of Souls3This jewel can be used to power an individual's stats at the cost of the souls' existence. The more souls a Spirit Axis contains, the larger the boost.
Reia watched Tom closely as he examined the stone. She was worried over the fate of the Spirit Axis. Before she could say anything, Tom let the jewel fall from his hand onto the ground. He followed up by slamming his foot down and shattering the gem. The spirits of the gem flew upwards from underneath and swirled around Tom.
"Thank you..." they whispered as they flew by his ears.
The spirits flew off through the ceiling.
"To say that was kind of you would be an understatement," Reia commended. "Some people would have used such a rare item to make themselves more powerful."
"Well, I'm not them," Tom affirmed. His voice was filled with anger. It was unsettling for Reia to hear Tom so upset. "I don't know who's responsible for creating these Slimes. But to treat souls with so little regard..."
"Tom," Reia said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
Her voice broke him out of his trance.
"S-Sorry," Tom quickly apologized. "I'm just angry at whoever is responsible for this attack. I heard the voices of the souls and I guess I kind of got lost in thought."
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"It's understandable."
"It's just before all this stuff happened, I wasn't really religious. Or spiritual. Knowing stuff like gods, demons and souls exist is scary. The idea of an item that can make a person's soul just disappear is one of the most horrifying things I have ever heard of."
"Thunder, if you need time-"
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured her. "I appreciate your concern. I just briefly lost myself. It won't happen again."
"If you're sure."
"I am." Tom smiled. The suddenness of the expression caused Reia to blush. "Now that Slime was pounding on that door ahead. We should see what it was trying to get to."
Reia nodded. "'Kay!"
They continued down the hallway and approached the door. Tom stayed to the side of the door and gave it a knock. "Is someone in there?" he called out.
No one answered back to his call. Tom signalled Reia to stack up around the door. He stood in front of the door and gave it a a solid stomping kick by the door handle. The door flung open and Tom was greeted by several loud bangs. He felt several small attacks on his chest causing him to jerk in several directions.
[table=#800000]40 Damage[/table]
[table=#800000]
[tr]41 Damage[/table]
[table=#800000]
[tr]38 Damage[/table]
"Hold your fire, it's Thunder and Aurora!" a voice yelled out.
Tom could finally see into the room and saw half a dozen individuals. The man who shot him was a police officer who was on duty at the hospital.
"Oh shit, I'm so sorry," the police officer apologized profusely. "Do you need medical attention?"
"It's fine." Tom found himself saying that a lot lately. 'Are these quests making me more cynical?'
"You were just shot several times."
"It just took off about ten percent of my health. Look." Tom held up his hand. 'Heeeeeaaaaaaaal.' The bullets popped out of the three holes in his chest and the holes closed up right after.
NoticeHeal has reached Intermediate Level 1.
NoticeBy raising your Heal skill to the Intermediate level, you have unlocked the skill "Group Heal".
Group HealTypeActivateMana Required15 per personCurrent People3RankBLevelBeginner 1 (0%)You are able to cast a healing spell that will cover more than one person. Increasing this skill's level will increase how many people you can heal.
"Oh hey, I just learned a new skill," Tom thought out loud. "So thanks for shooting me, I guess."
"What skill did you learn?" Reia asked.
"Group Heal. Should be useful in the future."
"I'm sorry, what?" the officer said interrupting the two. "Skills? What the hell are you two talking about?"
"Well-" Tom stopped himself and reminded himself the situation they were in. "We don't exactly have the time. I need to know where these Slimes originated from."
"Slimes? You mean like those monsters from Madrid?" one of the nurses said.
"Yeah. Some organization used their remains to mutate some humans in this hospital into these Mimic Slimes. I need to know where they came from to try and find clues about this organization."
"They came from the ICU," a doctor answered. "I was there at the time. That's the second floor in the east wing."
"Thank you," Tom said. "As far as we can tell, the way to the entrance is clear. Get out of here while you can."
The survivors barely waited for Tom to finish his sentence before they both ran in the direction he came from.
"They sure didn't waste any time," Reia noted.
"It's for the best," Tom said. "Less collateral damage. We need to get to the ICU as soon as possible."
They entered a nearby stairway and went up a level. They came out on the second floor and saw blood splattered on the walls and floors.
"It was a damn slaughter here," Tom stated.
Tom saw a blood streak coming out from one of the rooms. He tapped Reia on the shoulder and pointed towards the room. She nodded and followed close behind him.
They went inside the room, finding it empty save for the puddle of blood on the floor. Tom scanned the room and saw an unusually shaped glass bottle sitting on a bedside table. He walked over and picked up the glass bottle. Tom twirled the bottle between his thumb and two fingers. He came across a symbol on the bottle.
"It looks like a fire bird," Reia said after seeing the symbol.
"Phoenix," Tom corrected.
"Phoenix?"
"It's a terrorist organization here on earth. They believe the world isn't worth fixing and that the best solution is to metaphorically, and in many cases literally, burn everything down and build everything back up from there. Them being involved raises questions."
"How do they know how to make Mimic Slimes?"
"Exactly. I have a lot of questions to ask Kara once this quest is over."
Their conversation was interrupted by bubbling and gargling sounds coming from outside the room. Tom placed the glass bottle back on the table top and ran out of the room with Reia. Down the hallway, several Slimes were walking towards them. Each of them had a collection of faces on their bodies to denote their death toll.
"I guess they... smelled us?" Tom guessed.
"Slimes sense living energy," Reia corrected.
"Oh... It seems like there's three Slimes. This is perfect for my newest spell."
Tom held up his hand and yelled, "Chain Lightning!"
Lightning shot out from his hand an impacted the first Slime. It quickly jumped to the second and then the third.
You inflicted 45 damage
You inflicted 51 damage
You inflicted 48 damage
NoticeChain Lightning has reached Beginner Level 2.
"Looks like I'll need to increase this skill's level before each strike does as much singular damage as Lightning Strike."
Reia saw the three Slimes standing in a row after they went into a spasm from Tom's attack. "I got this! Wind Blade!"
The blade of energy shot forth and went through all three Slimes, cutting them briefly in half before they reformed again.
You inflicted 67 damage
You inflicted 65 damage
You inflicted 71 damage
NoticeWind Blade has reached Beginner Level 10.
"Nice attack!" Tom cheered. "Now let's finish them off quick before-"
The three Slimes lost their humanoid form and turned into their more classic form. They slid away at an extremely fast rate.
[table=#800000]WarningYou have angered all the slimes in the area.[/table]
"Shit!" Tom yelled. "Kill them now!"
Tom started to run after the Slimes.
"What's happening?" Reia asked as she ran after him.
"The Slimes pulled the same trick back in Madrid. If they are allowed to continue they will become a Monstrous Slime."
[table=#800000]WarningTo fight back, the slimes are combining.[/table]
"Chain Lightning!" Tom screamed as he ran.
The Slimes went around the corner in the hallway, dodging Tom's magical attack. Tom and Reia followed around the corner only to see the Slimes go through a vent in the floor. Tom ripped the vent cover and tossed it aside.
"Lightning Strike!" he yelled as he fired his attack down the vent.
There was no notification that any damage was done.
"These Slimes are cowardly bullshit monsters. How did your people deal with them?"
"Usually a large group of mages are summoned to go eliminate any group of Slimes."
"A large group?"
"Because Slimes have a tendency of fusing together when threatened, they have to be eliminated quickly. Just having two magic users, especially in the Beginner stage, is never recommended."
"Considering we are the only magic users on Earth, we have no choice but to be here."
The building started to shake. Tom and Reia struggled to stay on their feet.
"Here it comes," Tom announced.
The floor exploded ahead of them. They both blocked their faces to stop the dust and rubble from hitting their eyes. As soon as it stopped, they lowered their arms. The sight in front of them was enough to make the average person die from shock.
A wall of faces was in front of them. Each of them with a ghastly expression. Unlike the Slimes they'd faced before, this giant didn't gargle or bubble. The sounds it made were similar to wailing. It made it seem like its victims were crying out in anguish from being fused to the monster.
"That monster must be made up of dozens, if not, hundreds of people," Reia gasped.
"I now know what hell sounds and looks like," Tom muttered. "We need to kill this thing quick before it can leave the area and cause more damage. Identify!"
Monstrous Corpse SlimeLevel30RankAHealth4200/4200TypeBossFeeling threatened by an unknown being, Mimic Slimes fuse together to share their energy to increase their strength.ResistancesPhysical100%Disease0%Fire-20%Plant100%Ice-10%Earth100%Lightning-30%Water0%Wind0%Spirit100%Light0%Darkness0%
NoticeIdentify has reached Intermediate Level 6.
"Let's try a combination attack," Reia suggested.
"A Fire Tornado," Tom said.
They stood side-by-side and held up their hands.
"Fireball!"
"Wind Blade!"
Their attacks combined and transformed into the Fire Tornado and hit the monster. The tornado spun and grind against the monster's wall burning its surface. The creature cried out in pain. With all the faces in its side, the wailing sounded like hundreds of humans screaming in pain.
You both inflicted 241 damage
NoticeMonstrous Corpse Slime has been inflicted with the debuff "Burnt". It will lose 10 HP per second.
The wall pulsed after the tornado dissipated. A tentacle grew out from its side.
"Get your shield up," Tom warned Reia. "Lightning Shield."
"Wind Shield."
The tentacle launched out. Without any room to dodge, the tentacle hit the two and sent them flying. Tom quickly grabbed Reia and wrapped his arms around her to shield her from additional damage. They went through the hospital walls. Concrete and steel bars broke apart as they went through the two walls of the hospital before ending up outside.
Tom hit the ground and slid about twenty feet before stopping. Reia was on top, relatively unharmed from the attack.
[table=#800000]
[tr](Reia) 375 Damage[/table]
[table=#800000]
[tr](Tom) 763 Damage[/table]
NoticeLightning Shield has reached Beginner Level 8.
NoticeWind Shield has reached Beginner Level 7.
Reia shook her head and struggled to get up. Underneath, she saw how hurt Tom was.
"Thunder!" she gasped. "Are you okay?"
"Why do I keep getting my ass kicked by Slimes?" he groaned.
"Give me a moment, I'll heal you," she said.
Reia pressed her hands on his chest and said, "Heal!"
Tom felt some of his pain go away. It was enough for him to sit up. He was in such a rush that he ended up face to face with her. Both of them blushed at the sudden intimacy.
"Uh, er, I-" Tom stuttered. "I can get up."
Reia looked down and then up again. "Oh... right!" She got off of him and helped him to his feet.
"Stay where you are!" someone yelled out.
Finally aware of their surrounding, the two saw a small army of police special forces and military soldiers gathered outside of the hospital. Each of them were armed with assault rifles and in the crowd were several armoured personnel carriers.
"Thunder, Aurora, you are both wanted for questioning," the military commander with the loudspeaker announced.
"All of you need to get out of here!" Tom tried to warn them. "It's coming!"
Each of the officers aimed their weapons at Tom. Before any new action could be taken, the roof of the hospital exploded. All of them looked up at the monster that emerged from the building.
"You people still want to arrest us?" Tom dared them. "Do you want to fight that thing by yourselves?"
The officers and soldiers thought over his words for a moment. Not being blind and stupid, the military commander said through the speaker, "Lower your weapons. Thunder, Aurora, please come here."
Tom and Reia walked towards the military commander while casting heal repeatedly on themselves. At the moment, the Monstrous Slime hadn't made a move. Tom theorized that it was taking some time to understand the new environment it was placed in and adjusting to its new form.
Notice (Reia)Heal has reached Beginner Level 6.
The two approached the commander, who asked, "Do you have a plan to take down that monster?"
"Maybe," Tom replied. "Your current weapons are based on projectile ammunition. This is classified under physical attacks which this monster is immune to."
"Seriously?" the commander muttered.
"I know!" Tom said agreeing with the commander. "This monster is bullshit, but I have an idea. I need to quickly test it out on one of your guns."
"Excuse me?"
"I need to make sure it doesn't cause it to explode and hurt someone else."
The commander looked like he was losing his patience and was about to have an outburst. He reluctantly pulled out his pistol and handed it to Tom. He grabbed it and said, "Lightning Enchant."
Tom was half-expecting the gun to blow up in his hand. Beyond his expectation, it didn't.
"And for the second test," Tom said.
Tom aimed the pistol at the Slime and fired off several rounds. The creature growled as the electric bullets hit its side.
You inflicted 28 damage
You inflicted 23 damage
You inflicted 25 damage
"It works!" Tom cheered. He turned to the commander and said, "It looks like I can enchant your weapons to do Lightning damage. We can take this monster down if everyone has their weapon enchanted."
"Got it," the commander said. He lifted his loudspeaker and said, "Everyone present your weapon. Thunder is going to give it the ability to hurt this monster."
On command, each soldier and officer held out their weapon in front of them. Tom and Aurora walked by each soldier while Tom enchant them one by one. In a short amount of time, he was able to enchant every weapon.
NoticeLightning Enchant has reached Intermediate Level 2.
With his Mana reserves at zero, Tom said to Reia, "I'm going to need to take one of our Mana potions."
"I think this situation would fall under emergency," Reia said.
Tom opened his Inventory and pulled out a Mana potion.
"What the hell did you do there?" the commander questioned upon seeing Thunder's hand disappear and then reappear with a bottle filled with a blue liquid.
"Inventory magic," Tom quickly explained.
The commander didn't even bother coming up with follow-up questions.
Tom popped off the rubber bottle top and chugged the bottle's content. He went into a coughing fit upon finishing the drink. "That is the worst thing I have ever drank. It's like a mix of extra-strength cough syrup and fish oil."
"It's meant to recover your Mana, not taste good," Reia laughed.
NoticeYou have been giving the temporary buff "Mana Potion".
By now, the Slime had adjusted to the new environment and climate. The creature roared and burst through the hospital's side. Its destination was the line of soldiers and police.
"It's coming this way," Tom called out.
"Everyone take aim!" the commander ordered.
Every soldier and officer took aim at the approaching monster.
"Fire!"
The air was filled with yellow energy as their bullets fired forth. The creature roared as it took in each attack. Tom and Reia watched window after window appear denoting how much damage the creature was taking in. With its large size, the creature was much slower than its smaller counterparts. Tentacles emerged from the creature's sides. The monster was readying to attack the soldiers and officers.
"Let's finish this monster off," Tom said to Reia.
To the side of the line of soldiers, Tom and Reia held up their hands.
"Wind Blade!"
"Lightning Strike!"
Tom wanted to see if he could make a different party skill by using his lightning attacks with the Wind Blade instead of the Fireball. Their magical attacks twirled around each other and flew above the Slime. The spells exploded into a black thunder cloud that rumbled loudly. A massive lightning bolt shot forth from the cloud and struck the Slime.
You both inflicted 354 damage
NoticeBy combining attacks, you have unlocked the party skill "Thunder Storm".
Thunder StormTypeActivateMana Required40RankCLevelBeginner 1 (79%)By combining one person's Wind Blade with another person's Lightning Strike, you both created a Thunder Storm to cause massive damage to an enemy.
It screamed as electricity coursed through its form. Its screams were loud enough to force every soldier in the area to cover their ears with their hands. The creature fell against a nearby building, destroying its side.
CongratulationsYou have defeated the Monstrous Corpse Slime.
You gained 4000 EXP
Monstrous Corpse Slime has dropped 1 Soul Axis.
Monstrous Corpse Slime has dropped a Wind Enchant Spell Book.
NoticeTactician has reached Beginner Level 10.
Tom has levelled up!
Tom has levelled up!
Reia has levelled up!
Reia has levelled up!
Reia has levelled up!
Reia has levelled up!
Reia has levelled up!
Reia has levelled up!
While the soldiers were watching and cheering as the Slime fell apart, Tom quickly pulled the Spirit Axis out of his Inventory.
Spirit AxisRankSSNumber of Souls197This jewel can be used to power an individual's stats at the cost of the souls' existence. The more souls a Spirit Axis contains, the larger the boost.
Like before, he dropped it to the ground and stomped on it. The souls that were trapped in the stone were freed and flew upwards.
Tom placed a hand on Reia's shoulder and whispered, "We're done here. Fast Travel Home."
The military commander put his weapon away and went back to business. He looked to where Thunder and Aurora were standing and saw them vanished.
"Great," he growled.
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Author's Note: I split this chapter into two at the very last minute so no character charts at the end here for this chapter.