While we waited for the Stalker-Hounds to make their moves. I put some finishing touches on my preparations. With a new injection of essence, I could bolster some of my general skills who needed some love as well.
Raised Skill Meditation to rank 5, level 2 for 44 ES (+176 levels)
Raised Skill Mental Mastery to rank 5, level 1 for 31 ES (+124 levels)
Raised Skill Mental Acceleration to rank 4, level 2 for 15 ES (+60 levels)
Raised Skill Mental Partition to rank 4, level 2 for 15 ES (+60 levels)
Raised Skill Mental Construct to rank 5, level 1 for 30 ES (+120 levels)
Raised Skill Mental Coordinator to rank 4, level 1 for 10 ES (+40 levels)
The biggest increase was from meditation. The skill was always active at half strength and even worked during combat at twenty percent. With a base regeneration value of five times, I had just doubled my mana, health, and stamina regeneration in combat.
Meditation (Rank 5, Level 2)
Centers your mind and reduces negative mental effects such as fatigue.
Resource regeneration is increased by 100% plus an additional 20% every 10 skill levels (500%, max).
Rank 1: Can be channeled only while immobile.
Rank 2: Automatically channeled at 50% efficiency while asleep.
Rank 3: Some movement is allowed out of combat. Regeneration is reduced to 20% while moving and increases by 5% every 20 skill levels. (70%)
Rank 4: The skill provides passive regeneration at 10% efficiency. The efficiency increases by 10% every 20 skill levels in this rank. (50%, max)
Rank 5: Meditation can be used at 20% efficiency while in combat. The efficiency increases by 5% every 10 skill levels in this rank. (20%)
With the improvement to my mental support skills, including two new constructs, I could now easily keel track of all my phantasms during combat in addition to my other duties like tactical oversight and healing. I still had around four hundred essence left to improve other skills.
Raised Skill Magic Combat to rank 5, level 2 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Magic Strike to rank 5, level 2 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Mystic Enhancement to rank 5, level 3 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Mystic Aura to rank 5, level 1 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Mystic Perception to rank 5, level 20 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Mystic Body to rank 5, level 14 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Multishot to rank 5, level 1 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Spatial Movement to rank 5, level 8 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Mystic Arrow to rank 5, level 1 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Phantasm to rank 5, level 1 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Metamagic to rank 5, level 15 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Multicast to rank 5, level 28 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Swiftcast to rank 5, level 28 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Mystic Mind to rank 5, level 18 for 20 ES (+80 levels)
Raised Skill Runic Magic to rank 4, level 1 for 35 ES (+140 levels)
Raised Skill Runic Casting to rank 4, level 1 for 15 ES (+60 levels)
Stolen story; please report.
Raised Skill Crystal Magic to rank 4, level 1 for 35 ES (+140 levels)
Raised Skill Crystal Growth to rank 4, level 1 for 30 ES (+120 levels)
Since the jungle was calm at the moment, I used them to fill my minor spell slots. Since I had plenty of general spells already and an abundance of slots, I could afford to more specialized ones for the rest.
For Nature, I focused on buff spells like Fury of Wind, Fury of Storm, Inner Fire, Inner Flow, and many others that could be used on my allies. I used one half of my Arcane and Psychic slots for hex and curse spells. The ability to do damage over time or to impose penalties or restraints on my enemies was paramount when fighting such large groups. I had managed against the Taratects since Vel had been the one to take care of that aspect of the fight. The rest was used for a few more defensive and offensive spells to round out my kit.
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Not even an hour after night had fallen, an ominous howl shook the jungle. It wasn't any ordinary sound either. Through my sphere, I saw the wave of mana travel through the air towards us. It was a skill, one that would target our minds if what I understood was correct. I inscribed several runes in the air around us and cast Divine Barrier. The runes on my focus lit up with golden light and the spell snapped around us. The skill slammed against it an instant later. Its golden surface rippled, strained, but ultimately held against the assault.
"I think it was some kind of demoralization skill," I said.
"Very powerful," Darrel said. "Only elite monsters have them from my knowledge."
"Then let's give em' a nice greeting," Gwynn played with her hammer.
"Stick to the plan," Darrel reminded her.
Any mistake could cost us dearly here. Everyone started to use their skills, Vel and I cast our protection and enhancement spells on everyone. My Mystic Aura flared and I further bolstered our tanks.
Above our group, I started to form a large assembly of dozens of catalysts. The work of several hours of research and development with the help of Elyssa and Vel. The central spherical chamber was composed of amplifiers coupled with meta-alteration catalysts. It could receive spells, alter them, then expel them through the four short barrels poking through the top.
Magical Artillery
Elyssa started to cast a fire spell, an angry red ball appeared between her hands. A few Stalker-Hounds emerged from the bushes and made their way across the minefield. They made it ten meters before the first trap triggered. The Arctic Nova spell froze everything in a twenty meter radius, including two of the hounds. Hamak fired his bow. The faintly glowing arrow ran another of the hounds straight through.
"Ready?" The snow elf asked.
"Fire away," I said.
She shot her spell into the runic sphere. The runic pathways and crystal lenses did their jobs and four, much larger, red spheres came out of the other side. We all watched them fly towards the tree line. When they reached about ten meters above the ground, the fireballs burst into several dozen smaller projectiles which rained down on the approaching monsters. I felt dozens of system notifications appear in my mind, I shoved them away for later.
"Bloody hell," Gwynn grinned, "that was pretty damn effective."
"Let's not let our guard down," Hamak said.
A second howl came and I blocked it with another divine barrier. The hostilities were on. Dozens of Stalker-Hounds burst from the trees. They moved in packs of around six, each led by an Alpha. There were a lot of monsters. Enough that we would have been overwhelmed if they had attacked before we were ready.
Darrel used his Knightly Inspiration skill. A wave of energy washed over us and I felt … inspired. I cast Telepathy and handed the spell to my tactical partition.
'Telepathic network ready,' I broadcast. 'Call for help if you need it.'
I received feelings of assent. Katherine vanished into the shadows and I saw her appear behind one of the hounds an instant later. Hamak took position and targeted the Alpha Hound closest to us. Gwynn and Darrel took position at the top of the stairs. Since all the other points of entry were sealed and trapped, it was the only way to reach us.
Behind me, Vel had prepared one of her spells. She sent me her idea and I adjusted the firing angle. Her small green ball passed through the magic mortar and arced over the charging monsters. As soon as the spells hit the ground, large areas of vines and branches sprouted from the ground. They immediately set out to entangle anything in their proximity and even drag them towards the various mines buried underground.
Explosions of fire and lighting lit up the night.
Elyssa fired spell after spell through my mortar and I set to create a second one. The hounds were advancing and my mana regeneration was keeping pace.
'Elyssa, help Katherine with her Alpha,' I sent. The rogue had killed all the regular monsters but was in a deadly dance with the Alpha. Another pack was also on their way to her.
Two phantasms appeared behind me and cast their spells. One prepared a lance of obsidian covered in runes and infused with contact spells. I adjusted the firing solution slightly and the four lances that came out impaled several of the Alphas headed for the stairs. The other continued the large-scale bombardment with alternating elements. Next to me, Vel was focused on controlling her plants and culling as many of the lower level Stalker-Hounds as possible.
'The leader hasn't shown itself yet,' I said, 'I don't like this.'
Most monsters on the battlefield, my familiar sent. Alan can not find leader.
Where the hell was it? Did it run away when it saw the amount of resistance we put up?
Something bugged me with that line of thought.
I put it aside as a larger group managed to make it to the stairs. The first two ahead triggered the anti-gravity traps and flew up. Hamak dispatched them easily. One of the Alpha used its shadow magic to throw black spears at Darrel and Gwynn. I intercepted them with an Arcane Barrier and sent back obsidian spears of my own.
Most of the group besides the Alphas died before reaching the top of the stairs. The rest crashed like a freight train against our defenses. Two of my phantasms, using the Mystic Knight class, quickly flanked the hounds and stabbed with their extended glaives enhanced with Void. I guided several needles infused with Arcane Strike to hit vital areas on the Alphas. Gwynn twirled her massive hammer and sent one flying down the stairs.
A second group arrived at the stairs. They had tried their luck at the lower floor but had given up when they had reached the sealed staircases. My cutting thread had already done a number on their group and the follow-up artillery barrage nearly finished them off. One of the Alpha was limping from the two spears impaled through his shoulders while the other one was still on fire. Hamak finished one and my phantasm and fired her bow and killed the other.
Further away, I saw Katherine jumping in and out of shadows and harassing the remaining Alphas. Most of their packs were tangled in Vel's vines or had been killed by the mines.
We were winning, if slowly.
That was when a much larger Stalker-Hound jumped out of the shadows at the jungle's edge. Twice the size of an Alpha, it was likely the one responsible for this mess. Instead of a howl, it let out a deep growl. The sound was so deep I felt it resonate inside my exoskeleton. There was no magic attached to it, only pure primal instinct.
'What the fuck?' Katherine almost shouted through the network.
[Elder Stalker-Hound (Level 192, Rank 6; Mage)]
'Beastie's angry.' Gwynn said.
'It has a class,' I added. 'Reads as Mage, be careful everyone.'
'Fall back and defend the entrance,' Darrel said. 'Liscura, hit that thing with everything you've got!'
'Elyssa!' A third artillery piece was already forming. I felt the strain on my mana. My regeneration couldn't keep up with that many but I didn't intend it to be for more than a few shots.
Most of the remaining hounds gathered around the elder who slowly and deliberately moved towards the stairs up. Its forked horn bubbled with magic and I saw tendrils of magic reach the other monsters.
'Looks like it's casting enhancement spells.'
The elder howled and this time it was a skill. I raised a barrier to protect us but I only managed to partially block the attack. The mental component was stripped away but it was accompanied by a curse. I felt its cold tendrils try to worm their way through my resistance. I dismissed one of my vanguard phantasms to free up a mind and I immediately started to tear the curse apart with my own mana and Remove Curse.
Cursed by [Howl of Agony (???)]
The name was appropriate. The pain spreading through my body felt worse than a molt. I didn't have the minds to spare to check my status in detail to see what was targeted by the curse but my regeneration had gone down for certain.
"Bloody mutt!" Shouted Gwynn, her hammer blazing with golden light. "Get over here so I can skin you meself!"
'I won't be able to bombard more than three times,' I broadcast, 'my mana regeneration is too low. I'm trying to remove the curse but it's a tough one.'
'Make it count.' Hamak said.
'We will,' I said.
Behind me, Elyssa, Velatha, and one of my phantasms fired their spells.