“Come on Dude, you are with us now.” Lance said as he dragged Synn off with his group “Don’t even think about Danika. We’re all going to be so rich and powerful after this delve, you’ll have girls queuing up to spend time with you.” He joked.
“I’d happily spend some time with you now.” One of Lance’s friends winked suggestively. “Those emerald eyes and the matching hair paired with those rippling muscles. Yes, please.” She said hooking her arm round Synn’s as she sidled up alongside.
“Sophie, we talked about this. No teasing the new members in the group until after we delve.” Lance mock scolded.
“Sorry Lance, it’s just a unique look. I was beguiled by it.” Sophie replied but didn’t look at all apologetic still staring at Synn like she wanted to devour him.
“It really is, I’ve never thought about it before. How did you end up with the hair colour?”
“Gift from my mother was the best guess when I was growing up. She is very much aligned to nature, and I think that is where my talent and looks came from.” Synn shrugged answering.
“You certainly look like you’re carved from a tree, I would love to…” Sophie started.
“Enough Sophie. Susan, douse your sister please. I think she really is beguiled by Synn’s eyes, and yeah well, all his other features too thanks to his mother’s earth nature.”
Sophie sputtered as Susan fired a half-powered water cannon at her sister instantly drenching her through.
“You could have waited a minute or two Sis. I was not prepared for that.” She scolded Susan before turning to Synn. “I really am sorry this time. It is a side effect of my innate skill that I’m drawn to people and objects that are closely linked to nature, the more attuned they are the stronger the pull. It’s never been as strong as that though, it was quite liberating and terrifying all at once to just be a passenger in my own body."
“Anyway…” Lance rolled his eyes. “Let me properly introduce you to squad C who you will be working with today. You’ve met Sophie our nature mage and her sister Susan is a water mage who fights with me in squad A. Just so you know we have smaller teams that we break down into as it can be helpful with a group like ours for clearing mobs at a quicker rate. Up next is your shield, Tommy here is one heck of a Shield Knight in the making and that is the class he is hoping to unlock if you were wondering. He’s piled everything into strength and vitality so he can withstand the life ending hits that would otherwise kill us all off. Any questions so far Synn?”
“Nope, think I’ve got it.” He smiled “Now who else have we got in the team?”
“Just one more for squad C. Come on over Samson” he beckoned another of the group “Samson here is our resident ranger although he is aiming to be a sharpshooter we prefer his tracking talents.”
“Is that a skill or just a lot of camping as a kid?”
“Bit of both really.”
“Cool, I look forward to working with you three. Who is taking point of squad C?”
“That would be Samson.” Lance quickly answered, “he has the best view of the field from his position and probably the most experience.”
“That’s cool with me. So as for my intro, I like melee but my talent allows me to borrow skills and stats from my opponent. So I can end up becoming back line very quickly depending on the skill I borrow. When I take the skill it also stops them utilising it so if they have an overpowered skill hope I get that one.” He chuckled at the end.
“Isn’t that unpredictability hard to work with in a battle that your very life may depend on?” Samson asked.
“That’s your question?” Sophie asked “Not how unfairly overpowered is that ability?”
“Well to answer you both it has definitely made me very adaptable and as for overpowered, I wish! The borrowing is temporary and if I’m up against multiple opponents it can end up switching halfway through an attack. Yes it’s great in a boss battle as I can make it easier for all of us but skirmishes it can leave me pretty vulnerable sometimes.”
“Don’t let his modesty fool you.” Lance chimed in again as he listened in on their conversation. “His skill with those short swords is up there with most talent holders.”
“Had to have something that was always mine. Besides it’s what my grandfather trained me with the most too.” He looked almost melancholic as he remembered his time with his grandfather.
“Okay, so our standard approach will be Tommy up front, with Synn behind ready to engage if they’re within his capabilities and Sophie and I to attack from range. Synn, if you steal a skill that means dropping back shout the skill name as you do so and then we can prepare too.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Sure thing” he acknowledged while also giving a thumbs up.
“Alright everyone.” The rift office called out ensuring all attention converged on her once more. “You’ve had some time to prep your teams so all that’s left is to enter. Now you know the drill, scan your ID tags as you pass me on your way through the rift. Hopefully you have all kept your next of kin details updated.”
Synn felt a gaze land on him at this point and turned to see who it was, Danika! She must have had the same realisation as him, they were both still listed as emergency contact for each other.
“Don’t worry man, we’ll get it changed after this rift. I’ll drive you over myself.”
“Thanks Lance. You’re a good friend.”
“Woah, don’t misunderstand me. I just want first dibs on your swords.” They both burst out laughing at this as they walked forwards scanned their tags and stepped through the rift.
Entering the rift, Synn felt like his entire body was quickly plunged through an icy vacuum and at the same time as you stepped out the other side you were instantly refreshed. It was like you’d had a good nights sleep, a hot refreshing shower and that perfect first cup of coffee.
“Oh how I love that feeling.” Sophie giggled as she stepped out just behind.
Synn had drawn his swords the second he stepped out but the others seemed to be just milling around continuing their chats from before.
“Come on Lance, get the squads together. We need to start this search, there is too much at stake behind us if we fail.” Synn called across to his friend.
“I hear you, just clarifying our strategy.”
ROOOAAAAARRRR!!!
“I’d say your time is up.” Synn said running forward with a hastily prepped squad C following behind.
“Synn, the formation.” Samson called out.
“Sure, as soon as you’re all ready to step in that’s our default but Tommy still has his shield belted to his back. I’ll buy us a few extra moments.
“Do you even know what you’re fighting?” Samson called to Synn but he was already entering his first combat 200 metres away.
Synn did know exactly what he was fighting, it was a low level elemental in the form of an ice troll. Being elemental they had a small core inside that allowed them to regenerate and replenish as long as their corresponding element was in the air. He’d spent a lot of time studying as a child before his innate skill turned out to be fairly useless to his parents and they had shunned him. Still Grandpa had looked after him and made sure that he could protect himself and those around him, at least until he’d disappeared in what should have been a standard dungeon run. His home life had become far worse at that point due to the grief and blame running rampant in the house. So, he’d packed a rucksack with some clothes and food and left, determined to make something of himself without any input from the family. The only keepsake, a signet ring, etched with a red tree and shield, given to him by his grandpa that he wore on his right pinkie finger.
The ice troll brought it’s club of ice straight down from above its head but Synn was ready, he slipped to his left his right sword swinging low and cutting straight through the right leg of the troll just below the knee. The troll started to fall forward, swirling ice around the cut already trying to form a new limb, but Synn was already behind it. His left sword flashed out this time stabbing straight through the troll and pushing a small core out of its body that shattered at the tip of his sword.
“Ice elementals, go for the core in the chest like you just saw with my attack. It’s the only way to finish them off. They’re fairly resistant to magical attacks and poisons as I’m sure you already know.” He told squad C as they closed in on his position. “Now let’s stick to formation and try not to get surrounded a chunk of the Venomous Stingers are going to be useless so we’ll have much fewer fighters in this battle.”
“Synn, I don’t think we have an option about being surrounded. Look to the right.” Samson called out.
Looking right Synn could see a towering ice troll king leading around another 100 ice trolls. The Venomous Stingers were already being forced back in their battles. The ice troll king was probably a level 10 elemental where as the normal ice trolls were levels 6 and 7.
“Damn, should have known that would be too easy for a potential rift break. Okay, new plan I’ll go after the big guy, you work with Lance and the other squads to keep the minions at bay.”
“Are you sure? It doesn’t look an easy fight even in a group.”
“Yeah, I’ll be it’s limiting factor remember. All being well it means I can keep you safe from any wide ranging attacks.”
“Okay. Go ahead.” Samson agreed
“Come back safe.” Sophie called out while Tommy just nodded at him.
Sprinting towards the ice troll king Synn adjusted his grip on his two short swords and two steps away he darted casting a glancing blow on the troll king.
Syphon activated – Skill Glacial Prison acquired!
Stats boosted!
The advantage to borrowing skills through syphon? He instantly knew how to make use of the skill.
“Everyone withdraw.” Synn yelled over all the battles. “I can end this quickly!”
“We’re not listening to you. You just want to keep the loot for yourself.” Brad called back.
“Look, I’m not arguing. I’m activating this skill in 10 seconds. If you’ve not cleared a radius and you get caught up don’t blame me.” Synn argued while still dancing round the troll kings giant club and wildly flailing arm.”
“We should back off.” Danika loudly spoke up in his defence. “He wouldn’t jeopardise those around him for a reward of any size. If he says he has a skill to end this he’s serious.”
Brad growled before giving the order to fall back. They were gradually moving back to the others when another troll king started to appear in the radius of his planned attack but cutting a path towards those he was trying to keep safe.
“Go Synn!!! This is our only chance to get them all.” Sophie and Lance shouted at the tops of their voices.
Glacial Prison activated.