The following morning, I felt much better. My body needed that day of rest even more than I realized. I performed my morning routine of stretching, then headed towards the courtyard. Cass, Leo, and Telovir were already waiting for me. I greeted them each and grabbed a bowl of today's breakfast. Sam had prepared some oatmeal and chopped fresh fruit. I didn't recognize the fruit, but it was absolutely delicious.
"What's on the agenda today, guys?" I asked while still stuffing my face.
"Telovir is being cryptic about it. He said he wouldn't tell us until everyone was here," Leo answered.
That was odd; Telovir struck me as a man who stuck to a strict routine. I was joking when I asked, assuming it was more sparring. I looked up at him suspiciously.
"I have something new in mind today. You will be fighting various creatures native to the desert here. This will take place in the arena rather than on our training grounds. Sparring is good, but the progress is much slower than actual combat. I will not be helping you through action or advice, and the guards or mages will not save you if you are about to die. So you all better prepare yourselves and take this seriously." Telovir instructed.
My teammates and I shared a look but steeled our nerves and began preparing for the fight. We entered the arena and walked to the side opposite the lone entrance.
I crept close to Leo and leaned in. "Listen, Leo; I want you to hit me with control and slow effects as often as possible without endangering me. Do not react. Answer me like we are just chatting. Got it?" I whispered.
"Why the hell would I do that, Alex?" he asked quietly.
"Trust me. It will be important in the future. Even if we're out of combat, keep it up, and play it off as a joke or a mistake. Whatever works." I instructed. Leo nodded, and we both returned to acting as if our conversation had never happened.
It wasn't long before the guards and mages began entering the arena. Massive lizards the size of horses each dragged a covered wheeled cart behind them before stopping halfway to us. The guards unhitched the lizards and led them out of the arena. The mages removed the covers from the carts and revealed five giant beetles, all fast asleep. The smallest of them was easily the size of the average sedan. The monstrous insects had a carapace that seemed to be made of jagged rock, and their heads sported two deadly-looking pincers on either side. The pincers were probably three feet long! They had six legs, a pair up front, another near their midsection, and a final pair at the rear. The legs had three joints each. I quickly examined one before they woke.
[Stonestag Beetle - Level 7]
The mages began casting at the sleeping beetles, and they slowly roused from their slumber. Damn, I wish my examination ability would give more information than the name and level! I thought. I focused more intensely, hoping I simply hadn't tried hard enough. Nothing changed. I had a crazy thought. I pulled up my interface for examining myself, and to my surprise, it worked without the summary crystal. Rather than focus on me, however, I fixated on the beetle. A notification I had never seen before popped into my vision.
[Congratulations! You have awakened the 'Advanced Interface' racial benefit!]
"Hell yeah!" I cheered. I now had a combat interface materialize in my peripherals. It displayed my health, mana, and stamina in the top left. I examined the beetle again, and new information had been added:
[Stonestag Beetle - Level 7]
Health: 100%
Mana: 25/25
Stonestag Beetles are native to desert areas and are highly aggressive. They are often hunted for their carapace, which is extremely durable and used to craft various items. They use their massive pincers to crush and dismember prey.
"Their carapace is resilient to blades, and watch out for the pincers!" I yelled to my teammates. I cycled through the still-awakening beetles and quickly discerned them to be between levels 6 and 10. I informed my team of the levels. The beetles were alert now and clambered off their carts towards us. "Leo, hang back and keep us healed if necessary. Use your control abilities as needed! We still don't know what they're capable of." I shouted to him.
I bellowed my War Cry and buffed us, then charged at the closest Stonestag Beetle. I used Shield Charge once in range, and my shield slammed into the creature's head. It recoiled from the blow, and I activated Crushing Blow. The hit landed, and the insect slumped over. A little icon appeared above its head, indicating the time remaining on the stun effect. I popped Frenzied Strikes and delivered three fast slashes to its face. The cuts barely penetrated the thick carapace, and green ichor began trickling out of the wounds. I noticed I had an icon in my top right. It displayed the number 3 and was counting down. I gave it a cursory glance to examine it. It indicated the Frenzied Strikes stacks. Awesome! The new combat interface tracks both debuffs and buffs. Leo launched lightning bolts and wind slashes at the beetle every chance he could get.
The beetle recovered from the stun, and I let out another two quick slashes aimed at its front legs. One hit a joint and managed to sever the topmost section of its left leg. Green ichor poured out of the wound, and the beast struggled to remain balanced. "Leg joints are weak!" I shouted to the others. I crashed my foot down, activating War Stomp and slowing the unbalanced insect. I quickly cut the middle and rear legs off at the top joints, aided by the six-stack buff of Frenzied Strikes. The clumsy beast toppled over onto its side, with all three of its left legs severed. A new icon popped into my vision. It was a medieval executioner holding an axe. I immediately understood what it meant. I raised my sword above my head, activated Execution, and slashed it across the insect's underside. It split open easily, its green blood and organs flowing out of the cavernous wound. A notification appeared:
[You have reached level 7.]
"Underside is weak also. Aim for the bellies to finish them off!" I yelled as I turned to survey the others' progress; I was hit with a spell that slowed me. A snowflake icon appeared on my top left with a five-second timer counting down. I examined it quickly:
[Frigid Gale - You are slowed for 5 seconds.]
I gritted my teeth and began running towards the next enemy. I mentally rebelled against the slow, pushing it away as if it were some physical force, and to my surprise, the spell ended with three seconds remaining. I shot a wink at Leo and kept moving toward the next fight. While running, I watched Cass dispatch a Stonestag Beetle larger than the others, but she was covered in cuts and bruises. I could hear Leo chanting behind us and watched as Cass's wounds quickly closed up.
I used Shield Charge at the closest beetle, smashing into its side and toppling it. I felt my Prime Rune flare with power.
[Prime Rune: Ironwall has progressed to Level 3 - Intermediate Rank - One of your abilities has been upgraded.]
Before I could deliver a killing blow to the toppled beetle, another of the damn things charged into me from behind and sent me flying. I landed roughly and glanced at my health - 89%. I stood, turning to face the two insects. A quick inspection showed they both were level 8. They approached on either side of me, clacking their rock-like pincers together with tremendous force. I hit my left opponent with Crushing Blow, slashed at its leg joints, then turned to face the insect that wasn't stunned. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw lightning bolts slamming into the stunned creature. I blocked an attack it made with its deadly jaws, then counterattacked and slashed at its face. Once again, my blade did very little damage to its armored carapace. The first beetle's stun ended, and they were now both closing in. I let out a War Stomp and activated Frenzied Strikes again. I felt another flare of power on my arm.
[Augment Rune: Warlord has progressed to Level 3 - Intermediate Rank - You may now choose an ability to upgrade.]
While the two were slowed, I slashed at each of their joints, each attack hastening my strikes. I cut the left monster's two legs off, and the other lost just one leg. I backpedaled, raised my shield, and let loose a Shield Charge at the beetle to my left. I slammed my kite shield into its head, the force sending reverberations through the shield and up my arm. The shield slam completely pulverized its head, pincers and all.
I was so enamored by what just happened that I didn't notice the charging creature to my right. It snapped its massive pincers around my chest and squeezed. It purged the wind from my lungs, and although it didn't manage to cut through my armor, I couldn't breathe due to the pressure. I futilely hacked and smashed at the creature's head, but the awkward angle and being held so tightly prevented me from doing any real damage. I felt Leo pumping healing into me, but he wouldn't save me if I couldn't draw in more oxygen soon. He rushed towards me, staff held high and chanting something I couldn't hear. The beast relaxed its grip on me, and I took a deep breath. I fell to the ground, panting, and was about to thank Leo when my eyes grew heavy. I tried to sit up but lacked the physical strength to do it. The beetle collapsed beside me. Why was I so exhausted? I noticed a debuff icon in my peripheral and inspected it:
[Lethargy - Your stamina is being drained for the next 8 seconds.]
I let all my repressed rage well up inside me. I focused on how we were being abused and how my new friends had ended up here. I shook my head vigorously and stood. I cast off the tiredness and roared. The lethargy debuff ended with 4 seconds remaining. A notification popped up, and I quickly closed it, only reading the first few words:
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[You have gained a new Talent.]
I grinned at Leo, only for him to give me a worried look. The beetle suffering from the same debuff was still on the ground, fast asleep. I used the opportunity to check on Cass. She dodged around the level 10 beetle, landing powerful strikes with both swords when she could.
"Leo, check on Cass and make sure she's healed up. Hit that thing with some magic too. It's level 10, so be careful!" I instructed. Leo ran towards Cassilia, and I readied myself for the creature now rising next to me. It let out a guttural rumble and charged me. I held up my shield to block, but the beetle dipped under it and grabbed my leg in its powerful jaws. I screamed and slashed at it repeatedly, doing no real damage. I then began bashing its face with my shield edge. To my surprise, I caused a tremendous amount of damage. After a few more savage blows with my shield, the creature went limp, its face caved in and ichor pooling around it.
I didn't have time to celebrate as Cass and Leo were now struggling against the level 10 beetle. I sprinted over and inserted myself into the thick of it. I shield bashed the giant insect and drew its attention. Cass had managed to slice it up, but the damn beast was still going. I used Crushing Blow to stun it, then activated Frenzied Strikes. Cass took full advantage of the stun, unleashing all her powerful skills on the creature one after another. Leo also jumped in, peppering the beast with lightning and wind attacks. Once it recovered from the stun, it charged again at me. I blocked its charge, its immense strength and momentum causing my feet to slide backward in the sand as I held my shield against its head. Our continuous assault steadily wore the beetle down, and I sensed my Execution ability was ready.
"Cass, its health is low enough for execute abilities. I'll slow it, and we'll both unleash simultaneously!" I shouted.
I let out a War Stomp and gripped my blade tightly. I used Execution and cut vertically through the beetle's face, and Cass's attack cut it in half at the midsection. We let out a cheer of triumph.
[Congratulations! You have reached level 8!]
I looted the beetles I had killed, then asked Cass for permission for the one she took out. They all mostly dropped the same stuff.
You received [Stonestag Beetle Carapace x 5]
[Stonestag Beetle Carapace]
Crafting Item
Its extreme durability makes it well-suited for armor and shields.
You received [Stonestag Pincer x 4].
[Stonestag Pincer]
Crafting Item
Its extreme durability and incredible sharpness make it well-suited for crafting weapons.
I then approached the level 10 we had all killed. The window popped up '[Loot - Stonestag Beetle Lord]' - and I mentally clicked it.
You received [Stonestag Carapace Spaulders.] You received [Stonestag Pincer Spear.]
[Stonestag Lord's Spaulders]
Uncommon Heavy Armor - Shoulders
80 Armor
+20 Vigor
+10 Strength
[Stonestag Lord's Pincer]
Uncommon Weapon - Spear
165 Attack
+15 Strength
+5 Dexterity
+5 Vigor
We all sat down to catch our breath. I equipped the new spaulders immediately. They appeared to be made of the same rocky carapace of the beetles but with a nice padded interior for comfort. Then, I removed the spear from my Cache. It was on the shorter side, maybe six feet long, and the haft was made of beautiful wood that reminded me of cocobolo. The spearhead was a foot-long section of Stonestag pincer that had been sharpened on both sides, with vicious serrations running the length. I noticed Telovir approaching us from the arena entrance.
"Well done. I'm surprised you figured out so quickly how to overcome Stonestag Beetles. You learned their strengths and vulnerabilities almost instantly." he said.
"It was just luck, I suppose." I lied. I decided to keep my new interface to myself for now, as I had no idea who else could be listening. Telovir gave me a questioning look but didn't press the matter.
"Tel, two of my runes upgraded to intermediate rank, and I can now choose an upgrade for my abilities. How do I do that?" I queried.
"You focus on one of the rune's abilities, and the magic does the rest. Sometimes you're given a choice, and sometimes it's generated randomly. Think long and hard about which abilities you want to upgrade, as it can't be undone." he advised, then raised his voice so all three of us could hear. "Well, you all get one hour of rest before the next wave. I suggest you meditate. This second wave will be more difficult." Telovir stated.
I knew exactly how I'd be spending my hour-long break. I stored my equipment in my Warlord's Cache to help keep myself from overheating. I should have meditated but was too excited to explore my new advanced interface ability and upgrade my skills. I focused, and my rune menu faded into view.
Alexander Venriel
Level 8 (9%)
Health: 97%
Mana: 119/170
Stamina: 79%
Prime Rune: Ironwall (Intermediate Level 3 - 7%):
* Shield Charge - Rush at your target with blinding speed, blocking all attacks and finishing with an attack from your shield. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Cost: 5 Mana.
* Reflection - Send projectiles and magic attacks back at enemies for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Cost: 15 Mana.
* The Immovable Object - Raise your shield and block all attacks regardless of direction or position for 6 seconds. You take considerably less damage for the duration. You cannot move for the duration. You are immune to knockbacks and control effects for the duration. Cooldown - 24 Hours. Cost: 10 Mana.
* Shield Mastery - (Passive) Shield attacks deal three times as much damage. (Upgrades: 1)
Augment Rune 1: Warlord (Intermediate Level 3 - 4%): (Ability upgrade available.)
* War Cry - Shout a mighty war cry that increases your strength and speed by 15%. This bonus also applies to nearby allies. The effect lasts for one hour. Cooldown: None. Cost: 40 Mana.
* War Stomp - Stomp the ground damaging and slowing nearby enemies for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds. Cost: 20 Mana.
* Warlord's Cache - (Passive) Grants you a personal dimensional space to store armor, weapons, and other items. Using mental commands, you may immediately equip or remove armor and weapons.
* Blademaster - (Passive) Increases the rate at which weapon-related talents progress by 100%. Also grants you a bonus depending on what type of weapon you are currently wielding.
* Swords: Chance for attacks to be critical strikes that cause massive damage.
* Axes: Increases attack speed by 10%.
* Spears: Chance for successful attacks to cause an instant second attack.
* Maces: Increases strength by 10%.
Augment Rune 2: Onslaught (Novice Level 1 - 97%):
* Frenzied Strikes - Begin a barrage of strikes against a single enemy. Each successful attack increases your attack speed by 5%. Stacks up to 6 times. Duration: 8 seconds. Duration is refreshed upon gaining a new stack. Upon reaching max stacks, you may not refresh the duration. Cooldown: 90 seconds. Cost: 25 Mana.
* Crushing Blow - Deliver a staggering blow to an enemy. If successful, the target is stunned for 0.5 seconds. Cooldown: 45 seconds. Cost: 15 Mana.
* Execution - Attempt to finish off a critically wounded enemy. This attack deals 300% damage. The cooldown is reset if the target dies. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Cost: 10 Mana.
* Relentless - (Passive) Any time you suffer a control or slow effect, you heal for 10% of your maximum health. Control and slow abilities have diminished effects on you.
No wonder my shield attacks wreaked such havoc, Shield Mastery had been upgraded, and shield-based attacks now dealt triple damage. That was a vast improvement! Now I had to decide which Warlord skill to upgrade. I had no idea if I would get a choice of what type of upgrade I'd receive or if it just applied an upgrade to the skill as it did with Shield Mastery. War Cry was easily my best choice for a damage buff, but War Stomp had saved me plenty of times. Warlord's Cache was an excellent utility tool, but I wasn't sure what upgrading it would do. I could already store plenty of gear and items in it. Blademaster was awesome, but I typically fought with a sword or spear, and both of the bonuses for those weapon types were based on chance.
I ran my hand over my face, let out a sigh, and then mentally selected War Stomp.
[War Stomp has been upgraded!]
* War Stomp - Stomp the ground damaging and slowing nearby enemies for 6 seconds. In addition, you take 50% less damage from enemies while they are slowed by this ability. Cooldown: 20 Seconds. Cost: 20 Mana.
I was ecstatic. The slow duration had been extended, and now I only took half damage from anyone under the effect of War Stomp! I still had about 15 minutes to kill, so I decided to check on my new talent and progress.
Talents:
* Shield Expertise - Level 7 (48%) - Improves your ability to use shields effectively. Each level also improves your ability to block and increases damage dealt with by shields.
* One-handed Axe Expertise - Level 1 (84%) - Improves your ability to wield one-handed axes effectively. Each level also increases damage dealt with one-handed axes.
* One-handed Sword Expertise - Level 7 (4%) - Improves your ability to wield one-handed swords effectively. Each level also increases the damage dealt with one-handed swords.
* Spear Expertise - Level 2 (21%) - Improves your ability to wield spears effectively. Each level also increases the damage dealt with spears.
* Meditation - Level 2 (19%) Allows you to focus and gain experience by analyzing your previous encounters. Each level increases the experience gained from this action.
* Force of Will - Level 1 (4%) Enables you to overcome control effects you are suffering from by using your willpower. Each level reduces the focus and resolve needed to break free from the effects.
Attributes:
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 8
Vigor: 8
Endurance: 8
Intelligence: 8
Regeneration: 8
I grinned. That was an unexpected bonus to my plan. I had asked Leo earlier to hit me with slow and control spells to test my Relentless ability and see how much it reduced the potency of those spells. I never expected to gain a talent that further aided me in resisting those effects. I had no gear equipped, so my attributes were eight across the board. It seemed I gained one in each stat per level, but the others said that would change once I was assigned a class.
Now that Telovir had announced the next wave was about to begin, Cass and Leo had finished meditating and walked over to me. I stretched, cracked my neck, and prepared for the next fight.