~LoneJones POV~
I watched JST fly towards me and sidestepped at the last second, the air whipped my hair back. Second later I felt a burst of heat and saw Cobb follow the same arc.
"Damn, how did that not kill me?" JST propped himself up.
"I let up at the last second." Cobb walked past us.
We didn't have to walk very far to reach the next section of the branch where we could cross to the next. Canopy Gorillas and Scoutsassin Geckans positioned themselves to block us. The beating of chests and cries from the gorillas permeated the air, there were about twenty of them and they were very active. The Geckans were more subdued, no sounds came from them but the threat from them was just as equal. There was no cover in the small distance across the branch so we were noticed quickly.
"What's the plan?" JST asked.
"Take the front and i'll cover your sides there's nothing else I can do." Cobb answered, all he had was Fire Magic right now.
"I can't sneak past." I said. "Look's like im supporting the rear." There was no surrounding cover.
"Move." Cobb commanded.
We moved swiftly but stayed in formation. The Canopy Gorilla was huge now that I got a good look at it, the same height as the Geckans but muscular and slower. They didn't seem resistant to fire however. JST acted as our vanguard and pushed forward, only stepping back to counter and take two steps forward. His flanks were kept clear by Fire Magic from Cobb it seemed that he was trying different ways to use the fire against the gorillas. I kept my eyes on a particular Scoutsassin playing smart and dodging the flames while staying out of JST's range. He moved in but a sudden beam of fire curved toward him and tore through his torso. I glanced back at Cobb who was behind me but he had already moved on to the next enemy.
I walked forward at a steady yet quick pace, stepping over dead bodies. My body was in a state between relaxed and tense, able to react at a moments notice. I took in the surrounding battle in Hyperfocus, slow moving green fire coated Geckan and gorila alike, their last movements were always spent in a futile attempt at a kill. Occasionally a burning body would need to be redirected by a swift kick since some like to lunge forward on their last breath. I took to creating fake Cobbs so that they would throw their bodies out of the way instead.
JST endured the brunt of the force. Stupidly the Canopy Gorillas came one at a time. One would approach while the rest would beat their chests and grunt, they liked to make a lot of sounds with their body. Not one to be outdone JST would make a sound too, the sickening squelch of a blade entering flesh. It was some sort of challenge, only one gorilla would be on any other person at one time. It might be part of their culture, vaguely I recalled some bigger Canopy Gorilla challenge JST before getting launched off into open air. I sliced the neck of an incoming Scoutsassin who I was keeping track of for a while.
"Jesus." Cobb whispered.
Looking forward I saw a particularly large Canopy Gorilla raise both of his fists and bring them down towards JST. Nimbly he entered his guard but the gorillas arms were so thick and bulky I couldn't see what he was doing. I heard a sound and the gorilla roared and fell over. Right before landing JST slipped out from underneath the corpse with only his shield, with an effort he rolled the corpse over and retrieved his weapon from the bottom of the gorilla's neck. That made the rest of the Canopy Gorillas go silent and they turned and went up the canopy dissapearing from view.
"I think the bastard just killed the strongest one." Cobb smirked.
There were only seven Scoutsassin Geckans left and they charged us, hoping to catch us off guard. A blob of green fire exploded between their formation as they approached us, four of them died instantly, two were launched towards JST and one rolled to a stop in front of me. JST decapitated the first one who had landed on the ground and caught the flying body of the second on his shield before administering a quick jab to the heart and letting its body slide to the floor. Getting back to business I slit the throat of my charge as well.
Our trip continued like this until the very last step. We arrived on the end of the last branch and we could clearly see some kind of structure made of leaves at the trunk of the tree. There were many hostiles on this level so after clearing the initial enemies we took a break and I checked my status. I was liking it so far.
Class: Guerilla Name: LoneJones
Title: The Fast One
HP: 209/209 Lvl: 27
Effects:
Race Sperid: +30 AGI, +10 PER
The Fast One: +50 AGI
Guerilla: +10 INT per level, +10 AGI per level
Spider Blessed: +Relations with Spiders increased, +Can communicate with Spiders
MP: 120/251
SP: 160/235 STR: 10 CHR: 10 END: 45 AGI: 260 INT: 130 PER:75 WIS: 10 LUK: 10 Stat Points: 5
Sensitive Hairs (Race Skill) - Advanced 4 (16%)
Hyperfocus - Advanced 1 (4%)
Unarmed Combat - Advanced 1 (1%)
Evasion - Advanced 5 (27%)
Dagger Mastery - Advanced 4 (17%)
Illusion Magic - Beginner 8 (0%)
Examine Enemy - Beginner 3 (4%)
I decided to hold onto my five stat points I wasn't sure where I wanted to put them yet, my class was strange and I had no idea how I wanted to play it. I would hold onto these points until I knew where I could use the most use of them for now.
Sensitive Hairs (Race Skill) - Advanced 4 (16%)
The sensitive hairs found on the Sperid allow a heightened perception of ones surroundings. Reacting to changes in air pressure they are able to detect even slight movements. Because of this the Sperid are thought to have a 6th sense.
Effects:
+Sense changed in air pressure accurately.
+Develop a sense of moving objects around you.
+Sense of specific shapes based on movement sharpens.
My race skill was one of the most constantly used, and like my leveling it seemed to plateau. I'm thinking the upper levels of advanced require a different method of training. The only thing i've really been doing is sensing air pressure and movement, I haven't tried visualizing exact shapes since there hasn't really been a need to. Still I can see how that might come in handy when fighting an oppopent I can't actually see.
Hyperfocus - Advanced 1 (32%)
Your battle hardened instincts did not go unnoticed. Shifting from a state of joy and complete catharsis to complete control and focus is found in only those who experience battle daily.
Effects:
+Perception of time slowed by 31%
+22% increase in muscle reaction
+5% speed when Hyperfocused.
Hyperfocus has to be some kind of cheat skill, the fact that we all got it by the same method can't be ignored. Us brothers can snap to a situation in an instanst, it has been something we've done to throw off opponents multiple times. I'm inclined to believe that the system recognized that and gave us a skill for it. The effects are amazing, we can react so much easier and become that much deadlier with these bonuses. Once we reach the Advanced tier we even get a bonus to speed, so that even when time is slow our body can move the same.
Skills are still a mystery to me, i'm not sure whether they are tailored made or available for everyone. The method to obtain skills are varied from the ones I myself have gathered and my brothers have. I can understand skill achieved through combat and efforts to connect with the magic of Twoen but skills like Hunted Sense and Hyperfocus? Those are a mystery to me. Are they hidden skills waiting for a situation to unlock them or have they been tailor made for the player? Skills like Warrior Bond also add to the mystery, that skill is oddly tailored to teamfighting and planning, is that type of skill available to everyone who plays in a party or specifically players like us three who actually have that bond? Shrugging I checked the rest of my progress.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Unarmed Combat - Advanced 1 (1%)
Fighting with nothing on you but your own body is an art. The body is a weapon and with you can kill.
Effects:
+63% increase in damage when no weapons equipped
+22% speed when attacking barehanded
+.5% to chance of severe crippling effects
Understandable, it didn't change since Cobb gave me Sand Daggers.
Evasion - Advanced 3 (3%)
If fighting is a dance then you and your opponent are dancers. But every now and then your partner is fucking ugly. You are smart enough to avoid who you do not want to dance with.
Effects:
+69% of air resistance ignored
+39% less stamina consumed
+6% more likely to slip into opponent blindspots
This one went up slightly, I might need to train this one differently too. Maybe danger had something to do with it? When I fought Jennifur I was in real peril and it increased the level dramatically, now surrounded by lumbering gorillas and Geckans that can't keep up with me i'm in no actual danger. Something to think about.
Dagger Mastery - Advanced 4 (17%)
When one wields the dagger, it shouldn't be out in the open. If you see someone with a dagger walking around, his friend is probably behind you.
Effects:
+79.2% efficiency when wielding daggers
I glanced at this prompt while twirling my daggers on their points. At 79% I could really feel the difference. It was easier slicing through the muscle of the Geckans, I had never fought the Canopy Gorillas before so I wouldn't know how it felt before the increase. I moved on to my newer skills.
Illusion Magic - Beginner 8 (0%)
Illusion Magic is a Specialized Magic which can only be learned through special methods. Illusions are deceitful and underhanded, fake and tricky, dishonorable and disrespectful but most importantly illusions are profoundly beautiful. The magic itself is as wild and unpredictable as Fire Magic, but it is as fickle and difficult to grasp as Light Magic or Dark Magic, Illusionists are known to occasionally go insane and become lost in their illusions.
Effects:
+24% duration of illusions left alone.
I now realize that the duration of the illusion when I leave it alone depends on the amount of mana I use and how vivid the image I construct is. The cow I made earlier was taken straight from memory and it lasted quite a while doing exactly what I would imagine a cow would do, despite the fact it was floating in the air the magic took over and gave my idea life.
Examine Enemy (Class Skill) - Beginner 4 (3%)
Facing stronger foes you have learned to watch for their weaknesses and strengths. The enemy of the Guerilla must be ready to face every method of attack conceivable. This skill allows you to know the weakness of your enemy so that you may capitalize on it and their strengths so that you may avoid them.
Effects:
+Small or obvious weaknesses and strengths are revealed.
By the time we were ready to leave I looked at my Class Skill and realized I only ever used it on the Adapter Bug.
"Guys I'm gonna try my class skill on one of the Geckans." I warned them.
"Go for it." JST said, he was lying down his head propped on his elbow waiting for us.
I sent out an illusion of myself and walked him straight down the branch, instead of a Scoutsassin a giant wasp shot out from the surrounding leaves and impaled my clone. I studied its features, it was huge for a wasp the size of my clones forearm from the looks of it. It kept darting through my clone since it wasn't actually there and I realized its wings weren't designed very well for turning.
Examine Enemy:
Weaknesses:
+Can't make tight turns.
Strengths:
+Venom.
"Jacket Wasp." Cobb said. My skill didn't give me a name.
"It's bad at turning and its venemous." I said. "Class Skill." I explained.
"You think its stinger can pierce my scales?" JST asked.
"As long as they don't get enough speed they shouldn't be able to, once they're close and have already missed you can take them out." I reasoned.
I started to walk the clone back to me leading the Jacket Wasp to us. It didn't seem very smart and when it got close enough I dashed forward and sliced it in half, its top half buzzed for a while and its antennas twitched wildly and it stopped moving. I popped some berries into my mouth since I was hungry, I had scavenged them earlier from the base of the tree, they were primarily made of water so my needs were taken care of. I had stored them in one of the sheaths of my daggers, it didn't take much for me to dig a hole with my finger in the dirts sheathes and put berries in it. I wasn't sure what my brothers did for food and water but they seemed fine, the Druman was combat oriented so maybe he had something that made eating and drinking less of a priority, the Jjerg I was less sure about.
It took me a while to notice the buzzing over my chewing, the berries were chewy, surprising since they had a lot of water, but I had gotten over it a long time ago.
"That might be more wasps, the thing was calling for help." Cobb said. "I should be able to just set them all on fire if they swarm."
The problem was that they did swarm, but they came from three different directions, the front and flanks. The buzzing was incessant and there was a faint pressure in my head from it, I could feel the vibrations in my bones. I was losing my concentration. Faintly I noticed Geckans further down the branch. I felt a prick in my left arm and then I felt nothing at all. I was tired, the buzzing was a gentle rocking now. My hairs were perpetually disturbed and I knew I was stuck in the swarm. I could hear yelling and roaring, even though I knew they were loud they were so quiet compared to the buzzing. So very quiet.
"-focus!" It was muffled but I knew my brothers voice.
"Hyper-" It was cut off but I knew the word.
I Hyperfocused and everything came back to piercing clarity. The roaring I heard earlier was a green inferno I could barely make out. I was within one of the swarms and my left arm was useless, a dead wasp clung to it and I ripped the bugger out. Then using my right hand I put one my daggers in my mouth. Then I swarmed the swarm. My right arm was a hurricane and feet always found a Jacket Wasp before finding the floor again. Biting down on the hilt of my weapon, the grainy sand helped mitigate the taste of wasp that creeped into my mouth. By the time I had finished I had lost feeling in my most of my upper body and I thought I had taken fatal damage. There were pieces of Jacket Wasps scattered all across the floor, on the other side of the battle there was nothing but ashe, where JST was there was a combination of sliced wasp and goop. I examined myself and realized that I was just numb, sometime during the fight I realized I had lost feeling in parts of my body, looking at those parts now I had stingers covering my left arm, some on my lower back and thighs. It wasn't that I couldn't control those parts, I just couldn't feel myself moving them. That was a strange venom. I operated completely using my Sensitive Hairs that weren't numb to judge where my body was, but my movement was still stilted. I tried moving my left arm and it didn't work at all, maybe after enough doses the venom actually becomes a paralyzing agent.
I walked awkwardly to my brothers who had met in the middle, the stingers in my thighs really messed up my gait.
"Pull these out will ya?" JST was showing his back to Cobb. "Those things were hypnotizing until I Hyperfocused. Fuck man."
"I never got stung what are you feeling?" Cobb asked.
"Probably nothing." I answered for JST. "They had numbing venom he can actually still move, eventually though it leads to paralysis." I shrugged my left arm, or tried to. I settled by gesturing to it with my right.
Cobb noticed the stingers covering my left arm and scattered over my body, he gave a low whistle.
"I'll be fine I can judge where my body is with these." I flexed my hairs, I learned how to control them a while back. "They almost had me with that buzzing but i'm fine."
"Woah, when did you learn that? Are you sure you're good? Your arm is paralyzed?" JST probed.
"Yeah, i'll keep you updated." I said, as I had already been stung the most I would be the patient testing the effects of the Jacket Wasp venom.
"That's badass." JST said. "You fought while numb? Damn."
"We really need clothes." Cobb said suddenly. "We really need bags too." He was holding the Illusion Magic skillbook since he didn't really need his hands to fight and I had nowhere to hold it that was convenient.
As it was we were still all naked but technically we were all covered by something so it wasn't as weird. I had my hairs, though it wasn't really thick it was something. JST had his scales practically covering his whole body, not really sure how it covers his junk but I never looked and am not planning to. Cobb is just bright green and transparent so he looks more like an art piece than actually being naked.
"Well when you're this far from civilization don't expect clothes bro." JST said. "And we chose the challenge start so we don't get shit 'no starting items or equipment' remember?"
"He's right. We do get a Legendary Skill though. I'm thinking a normal player couldn't get through most of this." I said looking around.
"The chance for someone insane enough to do the Absolutely Insane Challenge Start is low. But for three people to do it? And then team up?" JST asked. "Well shit. If any three people are gonna do this, it's us." He finished.
Cobb breathed out. "Alright guys. I think this " He gave a sweeping gesture to the Jacket Wasps. " was all of them."
"All of the wasps at least." I said. "Still can't feel my arm by the way."
"I'm thinking we just move forward and have Jones send clones of us up ahead. That way we clear the way of any ambushes, the wasps took us by surprise. It's come to my attenton that we need to be wary of any type of enemy most of our opponents have been straightforward so when the wasps came we weren't ready. We have to be ready for anything that might suggest an out of the ordinary attack or effect. Things like hypnotism or poison or even if they try bashing uf off the side of the tree." He glanced at JST and laid out a plan for us. "We'll send copies of us forward and we'll shadow them and be ready to take out any ambush as it happens. Jones do you think you can camoflauge us?" He asked.
Camoflauge? I focused on my body and tried to imagine nothing there, then I applied the magic. What happened next was very strange, actually i'm not even sure I saw it correctly, flowers, fire, fireworks, frogs, a dragon, a unicorn. I think I just let the Illusion Magic go free for a second. If it wasn't imagining nothing in place of myself what is it? Instead I tried imagining the branch but it faltered as soon as I moved.
"Not working?" Cobb asked. "Try making a box and then step inside of it."
"Uhh ok." I wasn't confident but I tried it anyway.
I created a box big enough for me to step inside that just displayed its contents to the outside. I stepped inside of it and immediately the box just showed me to the outside. I stepped back out and tried to hold onto the feeling I got from the magic before I stepped inside the box. I took a few times of this, and being acutely aware that to them I was just stepping forward and back for no reason, until I finally got it.
"Woah he's gone!" JST exclaimed. "It looked stupid but whatever it works!"
"Nope, he's right there." He pointed to me. "Aren't you?" He smiled.
The box of Illusion Magic I made showed an empty spot of the branch when in reality I was inside, the feeling was amazing.
I poked my head out. "How'd you know?" I squinted. "How'd you know how to do it?"
"Ha, you forget who I am peasant. Sometimes you have to think inside the box." He swished his imaginary cape and grinned. "Do you think you can move now?"
I could. I moved the box and started walking with it, I tried to go around and scare Cobb but his eyes snapped to my position.
"Nice try." His eyes twinkled and he smirked. "Heat vision remember?"
After creating copies of us I idly wondered how real they could seem if i charged them with the memory of my brothers and a ton of mana. Instead I opted for just keeping track of them and letting them walk forward. After a few meters we followed them in silence, wrapped in Illusion Magic to wandering eyes they would see only three, but not the right ones.
Profoundly beautiful indeed.