Smiling at the still grooming Artemis a few moments later with Horus perched athletically upon her shifting back, I lay out a plan, “This time, Horus and Artemis, you two will be responsible for keeping the Beast’s attention. You both have far greater mobility than us and can attack high and low simultaneously."
Turning from them to our Bulwark, I continue, "Meanwhile, Belina and I will stealthily use the grass and come up on either side. When I give the signal, use your best strikes and while it deals with those, Belina and I will cut through it and meet in the middle! Sound good?” I ask, meeting each of my team’s eyes and seeing nothing but resolve and a hunger for battle, for growth, looking back at me.
Prep work done, we get to it with Artemis and Horus rushing at the next hill just as it begins to awaken and pull itself from the earth.
Seeing them dodging and striking with gusto, Belina and I slink off as silently as we can, my own stealth assisted by my now nearly obsolete cloak useful only when combined with Forest Fade while Belina just has to hope Artemis and Horus play their parts well enough to cover for her.
A couple minutes later, gut clenching in worry at every roar, bark and piercing cry, I am in position, but I force myself to wait a few moments more to make sure Belina has had enough time to get into hers as well.
Then, as I see Horus swoop down just over the top of the tall grass from my crouched position, I signal my Companions to go all out!
Artemis attacks with a new Skill, one she gained from her Level 15 recent choice, her claws striking out at empty air in front of the Beast but the movement releasing a huge icy blue slash shooting through the air toward the bison’s massive head.
Horus, now already at Lv. 13, uses his Lv.10 Skill unlock with his attack, his talons lighting up like twin suns as he flies just past the Beast’s head before Artemis’ attack lands, the luminance seeming to stun the great Beast!
Stuck in place, it can do nothing as Artemis’ attack approaches, merely try to tough through it, not that Belina and I have any attention of allowing that to happen.
Just as the huge icy slash hits the creature’s chest, I come across my side of it with a punishing, full-powered, Wild Rampage infused strike right between its ribs while Belina uses her spear’s reach to try and reach its heart from her side.
As all three attacks land home, the Beast collapses swiftly, dead!
Whichever one of our strikes did the job, the deed is done!
More confident now, we make quick work of the next three, racking up more and more XP until a small wrench is thrown in the works…
The last two “hills” emerge together, both Beasts coming at us at once!
Thrown for a moment at the change, I take a second to collect myself, slowing my steps and indicating for my team to do the same, Horus flying in slow circles high above.
As the earth begins shaking far greater than before, I shout a bit to be heard over the growing din while keeping a nervous eye trained on the charging creatures, “Any ideas?”
Belina, thoughtfully peering at the great Beast’s, replies, “Do you think we could manage to distract them enough and then bait them into a charge in the direction we want?”
I bite my lip as I mull it over before replying with reasonable, if somewhat forced, confidence, “I think we can swing it. You and Artemis take the one on the left, Horus and I will take the left. Make sure to really get it enraged, otherwise it will probably figure out what we are trying.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Belina nods sharply before her and Artemis jog off toward the flank of their target, leaving me to head over to mine alone, Horus trailing my path from above.
As the Beast and I begin to grow ever closer, I allow myself to pick up speed until I reach the freedom of a full sprint, eyes alight with battle-lust and eager to take on this challenge.
Through our link, I feel Artemis having similar feelings as her and Belina engage their bison while I detail to Horus to attack just before I reach the Beast.
He swoops down with sun-powered talons and creates a slash of small cuts across the creature’s forehead just as I arrive and leap toward its upper torso, my hatchet channeling both the Soul piercing affect and my own application of Wild Rampage as I swing it out.
My attack, aimed at the shoulder of the bison on the side its partner is on, splits fur, skin and muscle before lodging into bone with an ugly ker-chunk.
ROARRR!
The burrow Beast lets out a bellow of pain and fury, turning toward to me with eyes nearly blazing red from rage.
“Perfect!” I say aloud, before the motivated Beast rushes at me with the clear intention of trampling me under-hoof.
“Oops, maybe too perfect?” I mumble, letting out a long-suffering sigh before turning to my right and sprinting for all I am worth toward the site of the rest of my team’s battle.
Not looking back, I begin shouting and waving my arms to Belina and Artemis, ‘Get ready!”
As I grow closer and closer, I begin to worry, if our plan fails, we will be left with two very pissed and now grouped together Beasts of literally titanic proportions.
But my anxiety is unfounded, Belina landing a strike with her spear through the Beast’s nose as it tries to swallow Artemis whole!
Belina, seeing its growing anger, turns and sprints at me, dropping her shield and spear to increase her speed.
As our two adversaries grow closer together, we both yell and insult our respective stalkers to keep their attention from wandering further afield, launching some casual attacks as well whenever their breath grows too close to our backs for comfort.
And then, finally, Belina and I meet in the middle, with me gesturing to the left, she dives that way while I go right, landing with arms covering my head in nervous, bordering on giddy, anticipation.
I am far from disappointed…
BOOM!!
I feel a massive rush of air, dirt and detritus batter my body as moans of pain echo into the late morning air, a clarion call of our final battle in these lowlands.
Picking my head up, I rub dust from my eyes and blearily make out the staggering figures of our enemies hobbling aimlessly, clearly concussed or even worse.
Knowing we need to take advantage of this opportunity; I pull myself to my feet and go to finish the job.
I quietly come up behind the one closest to me and target one of the tendons on the back of one of its legs with the chopping edge of my hatchet, severing the bit of sinew and causing the Beast to fall, placing its vitals at a much more palatable height.
I walk casually up to the suffering bison and end it without ceremony. To my mind, merely doing my duty in helping this System mutated and rabid creature find what peace it can-- in its next life.
Congratulations! You have killed 6 {Burrow Bison, Lv. 27-29} for a total of 15,000,000 XP!
“Whoa!” I utter involuntarily, eyes wide at the huge XP total.
Belina, similarly astonished, states wistfully, “Wish we would have found creatures like this sooner!”
Nodding in agreement, I turn my attention back to my notifications expectantly.
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have 4 free Attribute points available.
Constitution +2
Level 19!
So close….
Hopefully the rest of the day will be long enough, turning my mind to the XP to reach 20.
3,290,800/26,214,400 XP to Lv.20
Oof!
Over 20 million XP??!
‘Well, maybe the rest of the day won’t be enough after all.’ I think glumly.
After a moment’s consideration, I just continue my strategy of balancing my stats, bringing my Dexterity and Strength to 15 and my Intelligence and Soul to 14. Constitution sits pretty at 26 without me placing any points, closing in on Adept tier slowly but surely.
Closing my PAID for now, I turn to see the rest if my team at the ready, Horus’ gaze returning from his own status nearly right as mine do.
We walk to the very foot of the mountain, where the flat plain gives way to a rocky set of brush heading uphill and into the sky, the huge tree’s crown just barely visible from this vantage.
Taking a deep breath, I begin leading my Party upward and onward!