Champion Interface Basic Stats
Name: ??? Experience Points: 100/700. Level: 7. Mana Points: 180/180. Mana Recovery rate: 5 Mana Points per hour. Race: Siren. Class: Bard.
Physical Stats Strength: 6 (-20 due to current physical conditions). Agility: 10 (-40 due to current physical conditions). Dexterity: 10 (-8 due to current physical conditions). Endurance: 10.
Abnormal Stats
Charm: 69. Composure: 33. Bloodlust: 35. Lust: 15. Will Power: 16. Pride: 20.
Skills Expert singers [Level 5] Expert swimmers [Level 5] Survival [Level 2] Trickery [Level 2] Walking [Level 2] Expert composers [Level 5] Mind Control [Level 1] Torture [Level 3]. Disguise [Level 3].
Abilities Harmonic Melodies: The Siren sisters can use their combined vocal talents to create powerful harmonies that enhance their allies' abilities. Cool down: Passive. Enthralling Chorus: The Siren sisters can combine their enchanting voices to create a mesmerizing chorus that charms or hypnotizes enemies, rendering them unable to attack or resist their commands. This ability can be used to control foes or gain information from them. Cool down: Passive. Siren's Call: The Siren sisters can use their alluring voices to create a captivating aura that charms or influences multiple targets at once. Cool down: Passive. Song of Illusions: The Siren sisters can use their musical talents to weave illusions that deceive enemies or create illusions to aid in their escapes or subterfuge. This could include creating illusions of illusions, fake treasure chests, or disguising their appearances to blend in with their surroundings. Mana Points will decrease by 60 when Song of Illusions is activated. Cool down: Passive. Call of the Sea: As Sirens, the sisters can call upon the power of the sea to create tidal waves, whirlpools, or other water-based attacks to damage enemies or provide strategic advantages in aquatic environments. Mana Points will decrease by 40 when Call of the Sea is activated. Cool down: Passive. Echoes of the Past: The Siren sisters can use their songs to tap into the memories and emotions of others, reliving past experiences or emotions. Mana Points will decrease by 50 when Echoes of the Past is activated. Cool down: Passive.
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Quests
Main Quest – Survive the second trial – Ongoing! Side Quest – Gather thirty beacons [10/30] – Ongoing! Side Quest - Defeat at least three parties participating in the Judgment Path [2/3] – Ongoing!
Scott's gaze narrowed as he studied the status screen of the sirens. The fact that the sisters shared identical stats and abilities sent a shiver down his spine. Despite their supermodel-like beauty, with silky azure hair cascading over their shoulders and eyes resembling sparkling gemstones, an uneasy feeling settled in him.
Staring at the outstretched hand of the siren, Scott glanced at his companions. Slim and Zara exchanged glances, their expressions on the brink of laughter, yet their smiles failed to conceal the underlying sense of danger radiating from them.
Meanwhile, the siren leader furrowed her brow, lowering her hand. “Why isn't it working?” she queried mentally.
“Sister, I can’t see their beacons. Maybe the flashes came from elsewhere,” a siren suggested, her brows furrowed.
The leader shook her head. “I saw the glow originate from them. They must have found a way to conceal it,” she concluded.
“Sisters, look at their hands. There’s nothing there,” another siren pointed out. The sirens turned toward the trio, staring for a prolonged moment, but found nothing, no matter how intensely they looked.
“If it’s not them, then we need to get out of here quickly. They might be one of those parties being chased by the judges. I don’t want to see those things again,” another siren added, her apprehension evident in her voice.
The leader directed her attention back to Zara's group, her voice resonating through the air. “It seems you lack what we're searching for. We won't be staying here any longer.”
The sisters turned away, departing the area with deliberate steps. On their fifth stride, Zara's voice pierced the air. “And who granted you permission to leave?”
The sirens halted, pivoting to face the cat girl. “Do you intend to attack us?” she inquired; her expression unchanged.
Zara smirked, advancing a step. “That depends on you. We won't do anything if you relinquish all your tokens. Then you can willingly remove yourselves from our presence.”
“We initially planned on letting you savor the precious few minutes you have left, but we might as well assist the judges in purging the towers of vermin like you,” a siren said.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Zara scoffed; arms folded across her chest. “Before passing judgment, perhaps you should glance in the mirror. Don't parade a face that isn't truly yours.”
The sirens' countenances shifted to seriousness, and they retraced their steps to reclaim their earlier positions with deliberate slowness. Flanking the leader, the other sirens resumed a languid hum, while the leader clicked her tongues softly. “Since you seem so eager to meet your end, we'll assist you in fulfilling that wish!”
The gentle humming gradually evolved into an exhilarating crescendo, marked by stunning high-pitched notes. The siren's melodious voice reverberated through the surroundings, submerging the undulating mist in its captivating resonance.
Imprint of Madness has resisted an attempt to control your mind! x3! Imprint of Madness has resisted an attempt to control your mind x4! Warning! The odds of succumbing to mind manipulation increases the further you move away from the bearer of Chaos!
Zara and Slim shifted their attention toward Scott. “Buddy, it looks like there’s a lot we still haven’t found out about you. No pressure: you can tell us whenever you’re ready,” Slim communicated telepathically.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but thank you,” Zara said before clenching her fists together. “Give me a minute, and I’ll have these fakers with a mouth full of dirt.”
“Wait a minute,” Slim mentally interjected, taking a step forward. “Let me handle them. As a fellow singer, I should do the honors,” he suggested.
Zara glanced at Scott, and the masked man simply shrugged. It didn’t matter who dealt with the sirens, as long as they retrieved their beacons, he believed.
Zara stepped back while Slim approached the passionate sirens. Unlike before, doubt and surprise filled the eyes of the quintet. This wasn’t the first time they had used their abilities during the trial, but it was the first time a party showed no reactions whatsoever to their songs.
Slim stopped a few feet away from the singing ladies, shaking his head. “I feel bad for you ladies. I’m usually a gentleman, but I guess I’ll have to smack some hoes today.”
Scott’s mouth opened slightly. Where the hell did he learn that? How long was he in Nova Primus?
Slim accessed his inventory, and his scythe materialized in his right hand. With a confident motion, he lifted his left hand. “It's showtime, boys! Let's give them a performance to remember.”
Five bleached, bony hands tore through the earth, forcefully pulling themselves out of the damp ground. The melodious symphony ceased, and the sirens watched with open mouths as five skeletons, dressed in ash-black suits, materialized beside Slim. Equally tall as the necromancer, each skeleton sported a unique dark shade, concealing the swirling mass of blue within their empty eye sockets.
Zara turned toward Scott, and, for the first time, genuine surprise flickered in the eyes of the eldritch knight.
“You finally summoned us. Took you long enough,” remarked one skeleton.
“Yeah, what took you so long? We've been dying for some action for a while now,” another chimed in, while surveying his surroundings.
“What do we have here?” one skeleton said as he slowly removed his glasses, fixing his gaze on Scott and Zara.
“That’s our leader and buddy, right?” another skeleton waved at the stunned duo, while the last one remained in the same pose, staring intently at the sirens.
“I didn't summon you guys for a friendly chat. We have a show to put on,” Slim declared, gesturing toward the bewildered sirens. “Can you sense the energy in the air?”
The skeletons surveyed their surroundings more intently, the mist swirling in tandem with the haze in their eyes. The quintet released a chilling chortle as dark energy wisps raced toward their bodies.
“Why the delay, man? Why didn't you summon us sooner? Were you planning to savor this alone?” the final skeleton cursed, tempted to smack his summoner's head.
The skeletons lowered their hands, and from the earth, several rusted brass knuckles emerged. One by one, the summoned beings shed their jackets, tossing them onto Slim's scythe, before advancing toward the sirens.
“Ladies. My name is Ossie, it’s pleasure to meet your acquaintance.” Ossie introduced himself, gesturing toward his skeletal companions. “That's Marrow, Necrobone, Ivory, and Rattlebones.” As he loosened his tie, he added with a sly grin, “I apologize in advance because you're about to witness the performance of a lifetime.”
Ossie lunged towards the stunned sirens, and his fellow skeletons followed suit. With no warning, the eloquent skeleton delivered a devastating blow to the midsection of the lead siren, propelling the petite creature off her feet. Maintaining his composure, Ossie swiftly reached for the struggling siren's head, raising his knee to her nose. A sharp crack reverberated through the air as bluish blood mingled with a watery goo, gushing from the shattered nose.
The other sirens fared no better; skeletons armed with brass knuckles and a refined swagger unleashed a ruthless beatdown on the women. Each blow echoed like a percussionist playing an intense rhythm on a set of animal skin drums. Blood splattered in all directions as the sirens attempted to escape the assault, but the skeletons intensified their attacks, disfiguring the once-beautiful faces of the ladies.
Ossie seized the unconscious siren via her silky hair, as blood dripped from the rusted brass knuckles. He shifted his gaze from his blood-stained shirt to Slim. “You owe us big time for this. We'll be seeing you around,” he declared before dissolving into a puff of smoke. The other skeletons followed suit, leaving behind the jackets they had entrusted to Slim.
Simultaneously, the sirens lay sprawled on the floor, their motionless forms surrounded by a pool of their own blood.
Slim chuckled as his scythe vanished into his inventory. “What a performance,” he remarked, applauding with enthusiasm. “They didn't hold back.” The necromancer nodded approvingly, his laughter intensifying.
Meanwhile, Zara remained in the same position staring at the battered sirens. He wasn’t kidding when he said this place was paradise for him. For a second, I started pitying those sirens, she thought as she focused on Slim who approached the motionless Sirens. She felt there were still a lot of things she didn’t know about the eccentric skeleton.
For a moment, Zara entertained the notion that Slim intended to engage in a singing contest with the sirens. It wasn't until the skeletons brandished their weapons, discarding their jackets, that her perception shifted. Initially skeptical of the debonair summons, her doubts quickly dissipated as the skeletons mercilessly pummeled the defenseless sirens.
Turning her gaze to the side, Zara found Scott, predictably composed once again. This battle would have gone differently if he wasn’t with us. I can’t even… What's he doing?
Taking a step back, she observed as a darkened handle protruded from Scott's mask. With an eldritch flourish, he yanked it out with considerable force. Before she could fully grasp the situation, Scott hurled the blackened weapon toward Slim, the projectile gliding noiselessly through the air.
“What are you doing?” Zara screamed, witnessing the hammer rapidly approach the oblivious skeleton. Contrary to her expectations, it collided with an invisible barrier, splattering fresh blood on the back of the necromancer. A decapitated corpse materialized, and Slim turned to witness the war-hammer crushing the remains before him.
Where the hell did this person come from? Slim thought to himself.
A headless human corpse in leather armor lay flat on the ground, its arm holding a pulsating beacon.
“There are at least twenty of them surrounding us, and the strongest is a level 8 warrior, with most of the others being level 5 swordsmen. These bastards are using the same trick as the warriors from the desert!” Scott's voice echoed in the minds of the brawler and necromancer.
Slim quickly returned to his companions, summoning his scythe again. The trio stood back-to-back.
Scott gestured towards the war-hammer of the mad god, and blackened tendrils shot out from his hand, dragging the mysterious weapon back to him.
An unfamiliar voice echoed. “There's no need to hide anymore. We won't be able to catch them off guard.”
Several distortions appeared, and champions in dirty leather armor revealed themselves. A tall man holding a broadsword stared at Scott, pointing the weapon toward the half-human. “The goddess warned us about you. Like always, she was right. Tonight, I shall rid the world of your existence.”