As the dust settled from the battle against the the Tawg, Jeff and Fracta had cautiously approached each other, uncertain of the other's intentions. Fracta's multitude of eyes examined Jeff carefully, her mandibles clicking softly. Though she was a giant fur covered spider, to Jeff her form possessed a certain beauty in its complexity, with intricate patterns on her carapace and a ceaseless ripple of multiple colors passing through the cilia on her limbs.
Jeff had been hesitant at first when he saw the two monstrous creatures battling on the barren desert floor. The scene had reminded him of some old Ray Harryhausen stop-motion animation movie from the 1950s.
What changed his mind was the fact that the huge arachnid was not the aggressor but was rather attempting to flee.
After the short battle, Jeff had felt oddly moved when his symbolic gesture of extending a hand in a gesture of friendship had been accepted by Fracta. He sensed no malevolence from her. The opposite in fact - he had immediately felt comfortable in her presence.
"Thank you for your help," Fracta said, her voice surprisingly melodic, each syllable resonating from her body like the plucking of a harp. "I am Fracta of sub-clutch 12, sector 7 grouping. I am here to compete in this tournament."
Jeff processed that silently for a second then responded. ”I'm Jeff, from Earth. Looks like we're in this thing together. You fought well back there. That creature didn't stand a chance.”
Fracta tilted her head, considering him with her compound eyes. "I appreciate your assistance, Jeff. I have never been disconnected from my Hive_Gestalt before, and it is… disorienting. Your timely arrival was most fortuitous.”
Jeff stared down at the Tawg one last time. “Why did it choose to fight us?” He wondered aloud, a sombre note in his voice.
“It is something to do with its alignment” Fracta replied.
“I asked my machine helper in the training room what the definitions were. Lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil.They all represent a different attitude to authority, and how we interact with other peoples.”
She went further. “You and I are the same alignment, Neutral Good, so we share a similar world-view and moral and ethical code. We may find that we naturally partner up with others similar to ourselves - the evil alignments will no doubt be our natural enemies.”
Jeff thought about this for a moment. Although he wanted to keep his moral compass throughout the course of the tournament, he also had already decided to win at all costs. He looked across at Fracta and hoped there would not come a time where he had to make a painful decision.
They took a moment to tend their wounds and divide up Ztiral’s loot. As well as the system allocated reward, which was distributed evenly between them, they found some other items of value on and around the corpse. It seemed that on the demise of a contestant, the possessions held in their inventory were deposited on the ground by the side of their body.
Fracta kept the spear, which on inspection was intricately inscribed with a long fractal like pattern down its length.
[Spear - AetherStrike] - +10 Offense.
Empowered with unerring accuracy, Aetherstrike never misses its intended target. Consumes 10 MP per use. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Jeff found a wicked looking morning star next to the insectoid.
[Shuriken - Tooth of Shadar] + 5 Offense.
1. When thrown, the Tooth of Shadar follows a unique trajectory that allows it to return to the thrower's hand after striking its target or reaching its maximum range. The shuriken's path can curve around obstacles and corners, making it a versatile and agile weapon.
2. Ricochet Strike: The Tooth of Shadar possesses the ability to ricochet off solid surfaces, allowing it to hit multiple targets with a single throw. The shuriken can bounce up to three times before returning to the thrower's hand.
Jeff was happy to add this item to his inventory - he had been lacking any ranged weaponry and the shuriken would work well with his Path of Arcana & Blade.
Jeff tore off a piece of the remaining goblin meat in his inventory and handed it to Fracta. She eagerly accepted and began consuming the flesh, her mandibles making quick work of it. A shiver passed down Jeff’s spine at the sight. No vegans here - she was indeed a carnivorous creature, something he had already suspected based on her formidable mandibles.
Before continuing their journey towards the mountain, Jeff decided to take a moment to review his stats.
NAME: Jeff Nostro
RACE: Human
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good
HEALTH POINTS (HP): 80/80 +10
MANA POINTS (MP): 70/70
ITEM: [Long Sword - Stormcaller] Legendary Rank - +12 Offense
ITEM: [Goblin Bone Dagger] Common, +2 Offence
ITEM: [VogelCorp Ether Powered Chainsaw] Common, +2 OffenseITEM: [Periapt of The Erstwhile Tree Gods] Uncommon, +2 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +10 HP - Equipped
ITEM: [Ningish Orb of Mana Replenishment] Rare, +50% Mana Boost (temporary) x 12
ITEM: [Ring Mail] +2 Defense - Equipped
ITEM: [Helm of Enchantment] +5 Defense - Equipped
ITEM: [Orcish Battle Boots] - +2 Speed
ITEM: [Bag of Fairy Life-Cap Mushrooms] +5 HP with each mouthful (46% remaining) COINS: 489
Strength: 22
Speed: 10+2
Vitality: 10+2
Endurance: 10+2
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Cognition: 15
Offense: 8
Defense: 9+2+5
Total Attribute Points: 84/200
CLASS: Steel Mage Level 1
SKILLS: Path of Arcana & Blade, Necromancer
He noticed that his strength had significantly increased after the battle with the Tawg. The other stats had seen some modest gains as well, but not to the same extent as his Strength stat. Jeff remembered a conversation he had with Jinx, who had mentioned that it was always a good idea to balance the growth of his stats. Jeff made a mental note to focus on developing his other attributes more evenly, ensuring that they would all reach a harmonious balance by the time he accumulated the total of 200 points.
The timer had been steadily ticking down, and now only 18 hours remained for them to reach the lounge. They continued on.
As they trekked towards the mountain, Jeff listened intently as Fracta recounted what had happened when she had been selected by the Vogels as her people’s champion.. Her voice carried a mix of pride and melancholy as she described her life within the Hive Mind and her selection as her people’s champion.
"In the Tesek star system, we live in a vast network of interconnected colonies, where each member of the Hive Mind contributes to the greater good," Fracta began. "We share thoughts, emotions, and experiences through a psychic link, creating an unparalleled sense of unity and harmony. But it also means that any threat to one of us is a threat to us all.”
Fracta looked at Jeff, her antennae twitching thoughtfully. "And so, here I am, far from home and disconnected from the Hive Mind. I must rely on my own strength to survive this tournament.”
Reaching in to a pouch built in to her abdomen, Fracta pulled out a crystalline green hexagonal prism, glowing with an inner light. “This is a Hive Seed. My only connection to the Hive_Gestalt. But the connection is weak… I feel.. alone…”
Jeff nodded, impressed by Fracta's bravery and resolve. He peered at the prism, wondering what tech it employed to create such a link. His cell phone had no signal so he presumed it used something other than radio waves to connect.
“You are not alone, Fracta. I’m here. Let’s get through this together.” He felt a kinship with her, as they both faced the daunting challenge of the tournament and the responsibility of representing their respective worlds.
As they approached the base of the mountain, the landscape grew increasingly treacherous. The once-flat terrain transformed into a gauntlet of sharp rocks and deep chasms. Jeff and Fracta made their way across the last two hundred meters of jagged rocks and rubble, cautiously jumping across ravines and sinkholes.
Jeff clambered across a jagged rock near the staircase, his arms and legs covered in cuts and bruises from the journey. He grimaced from the pain but pushed forward.
Fracta, on the other hand, was better suited for this type of terrain. Her many legs provided stability, and her natural ability to adhere to surfaces enabled her to traverse even the most precarious of routes. Her carapace had completely healed already from her skirmish with the Tawg, showcasing her impressive regenerative capabilities.
As they approached the beginning of the staircase, the pair rounded an obscuring rock and saw that there was some sort of toll booth at the base of the stairs. They approached cautiously.
Leaning out through a hatch in the booth was a strange gnomish creature. It had a bulbous nose, ears that seemed too large for its head, and wiry grey hair sticking out in every direction. Its eyes were a piercing shade of green, staring impassively at them as they approached.
"Morning," it grunted, despite the fact that the sun was still overhead in the exact same position it had been when they first set foot on the plain.
"Fastpass, get your fastpass here," rasped the creature, waving a book of tickets above its head.
Jeff and Fracta approached the booth and got a good look at the staircase for the first time. Now that they were up close, they saw that there were two staircases next to each other, climbing in a spiral around the mountain to the summit. One was a rough-hewn stone staircase, seemingly cut out of the rock of the mountain. Next to it, separated by a yellow hazy force field of some type, was an escalator - a moving staircase of some sort. Jeff and Fracta peered up the dual sets of stairs, noting that judging by the speed at which the moving stairs proceeded up the mountain, using them would probably halve the journey time to the top.
"How much for a ticket?" Jeff inquired, taking the lead in the exchange. Fracta watched on, still slightly confused by the whole concept of capitalism and the exchange of tokens for goods and services.
"500 coins each," the gnomish-looking character rasped, a greedy glint appearing in his eyes.
That was more money than Jeff had in his possession, although through conversation with Fracta, he knew she had over 600 coins. Their combined balance would be enough for two tickets, but they would be cleaned out.
Jeff turned to Fracta. "What do you think? Spend all our funds or climb the mountain the old-fashioned way?"
Fracta deliberated for a second. "Let's walk up - I'm not convinced the fastpass is worth it..."
Jeff also sensed a trick of some kind. Entering the lounge with no funds seemed a tactical error to him.
The gnome cranked up his marketing a gear. "Bloodthirsty predators with razor-sharp claws and teeth are eager to feast on your entrails... They lurk in the shadows!" He ended the sentence with a shout.
Jeff and Fracta ignored the dire warnings of the gnome and continued up the stone staircase.
As they climbed higher, the air grew thinner and more frigid, making each breath a struggle. A brisk wind picked up, nudging them as they ascended the ancient stone stairs and causing them to stumble. The wind howled through the crags, an eerie chorus that threatened to blow them off the treacherous mountainside. Mesmerizing sparks of light danced in the air, and they began to notice an unusual quality to the wind gusting across the mountain's flanks. It seemed to carry an almost tangible energy, a magical essence that appeared to respond to their presence with growing intensity.
A thick layer of ice coated every surface, glistening in the weak sunlight. Icicles hung like daggers from the rocks lining the path to the summit. Jeff found it increasingly difficult to maintain his footing on the slippery, ice-encrusted steps. Fracta, however, was faring better; her fur-like cilia had puffed up, forming a protective barrier against the bitterly cold wind. Her natural agility and experience aided her in traversing the treacherous stairs. Occasionally, Jeff noticed the familiar yellow haze surrounding her, indicating that she was using her [Paper Weight] skill to facilitate her ascent.
Concern began to gnaw at Jeff as they continued their arduous ascent. Both of them had been awake for a considerable amount of time without rest, and the countdown timer showed a mere 8 hours remaining. His mind was plagued with more general worries about the tournament and his overall chances of success. A heavy pall of existential dread settled over him; his shoulders slumped, and his pace slowed.
"Jeff… you are such a loser…" a sinister voice whispered in his ear. "Just give up. You'll never make it in time…"
Jeff looked around sharply. Fracta had also paused, her antennae swiveling this way and that in confusion. "The wind feels...alive," Jeff remarked, the swirling, twinkling gusts of air enveloped them in mesmerizing patterns.
Fracta nodded, her antennae twitching with foreboding. "Indeed. I sense a fell aura emanating from the breeze. It is as if the mountain itself is testing us, probing our abilities and our resolve.”
Now Jeff realized the source of his anxiety. Squaring his shoulders, he steeled himself against the taunting wind whispers and pressed onward up the stairs.
They persevered for another grueling half an hour, battling against the malevolent, light-infused air that seemed intent on hindering their progress.
Twice they saw other contestants, whipping past them on the fastpass escalator. Each time, Jeff and Fracta were beset by doubts. “You should have taken the fastpass…” the wind whispered in their ears.
To distract themselves from the taunting whispers on the wind, they engaged in conversation on the way up. Fracta clicked her mandibles together, a sign of curiosity. "Jeff, I've been studying your physiognomy and I am curious about how humans interact sexually. Could you enlighten me?”Jeff coughed, his face turning red despite the chill. He hurriedly explained the mechanics of mammalian reproduction to the arachnid.
“I am also interested in your mating rituals. Explain please.”
Jeff chuckled nervously, unsure of how to explain the eccentricities of human courtship, and not wanting Fracta to know how inexperienced he was on the subject. "Ah, well, you see, human mating rituals can be pretty strange. It often starts with two people finding each other attractive, either physically or emotionally. Then they might participate in various activities to get to know each other better."
"Like what?" Fracta asked, her multi-faceted eyes glittering with interest.
"Well," Jeff began, desperately trying to work the question out in his own head too. "They might go out to eat, see a movie, or just take a walk together. Sometimes they exchange small tokens of affection, like flowers or chocolates."
Fracta tilted her head, clearly puzzled. "You exchange plant reproductive organs and sugary substances? That's... endearing?"
Jeff laughed, realizing how bizarre human rituals might seem to an alien. He also wondered how good the translation system was. ”Yeah, it can seem strange, but it's a way of showing our appreciation for each other. Then, there's also this thing called flirting."
"Flirting?" Fracta repeated the word, trying to understand its meaning.
"It's a playful way of interacting, where we give compliments, tease each other, or use body language to express our interest," Jeff explained, demonstrating some of the gestures.
Fracta's antennae twitched, and she attempted to mimic Jeff's movements, causing him to burst into laughter. "This is... highly inefficient," she commented, amused by the complexity of human social interactions.
"Yeah, we humans can be pretty weird sometimes," Jeff agreed, still chuckling. "But that's part of what makes us, well, human.”
“How about you? Any boyfriends?” Jeff asked curiously, but also wanting to deflect the conversation away from his poor showing in the girlfriend department.
“No Jeff, I have not reproduced. I have not yet found a suitably delicious Tesek to mate with.”
Jeff was confused by the use of the word ‘delicious’ and was about to question Fracta further, but the intensity of the wind went up several levels, making further communication difficult.