Standing near the corpse of the oversized arachnid I look at the open back of the tipped over trailer, With the door rolled up there is just on open space which is filled with dark strands of thick webbing hanging down to create a wall that reminds of an evil bead curtain. Each rope like tendril swaying gently in a breeze that doesn't exist, just beyond the screen is darkness even my small Darkvision Skill and high Perception Attribute can't quite see through the small gaps between the strands.
The map still shows one dark red dot inside the trailer. Stepping to the side out of direct line of sight I consider my options. The click clack of The Ravens talons on a nearby car hood breaking the silence of the night. I don't understand the map how can it determine whats inside a dark enclosed area I've never been. More thoughts for later.
If the green dots are people I'll need to use a little bit if care, so the rifle is out. The sword isn't my first weapon of choice it was just handy, but it should work for getting through the web wall. With a thought I send my rifle back into inventory and draw my Colt Python, A better choice for close in work, I wonder if it'll be silenced like the rifle and what the recoil will be like, the first shot will be for practice which will set me up for the next shots. Checking over my man cannon, the weight and grip is identical to the original one at my safe house, I check it carefully then making sure it is loaded with the enhanced system rounds, put it back in its holster. I'm ready. A quick check and the dot hasn't moved at all, maybe its something the spiders caught, though if that was the case I don't think my premonition would be warning me of danger.
Thinking of defense and going in proper for a fight for once I take a second and send some Mana Energy into the shield bracelet and watch a 3 foot tall shield grow onto my arm, wide enough to cover the center of my body and block if needed. Powering up he sword with another burst of Mana Energy it catches fire with dark flames again. Transferring the blade into my shield hand I grab a chunk of spider with a leg attached to it and poke the closest strand.
The rope like web comes alive, mini tendrils flaring out and sticking to the leg chunk then curling around it and with no warning the webs on either side move and grip as well, watching in wonder I realize the ends of the tendrils?....begin to travel down towards my hand looping around the leg and getting too close for comfort. Letting go and backing up the piece is quickly wrapped up tight then the webbing....contracts.....squeezes.....coils? up and backwards carrying its prize along the inside top edge of the semi trailer.
The space vacated by the retreating strands finally allows me to see what is lurking inside, through the foot wide gap and the added light I can just make out a shape crouching midway down encased in a nest of thick webbing strands, like a birds nest. Lumpy and spiderish I can see legs sticking up here and there almost the color of the webs, just a little dark and shinier. An oblong face full of orangey golden eyes is staring at me, each eye glowing with a faint trace of Mana Energy. The interior of the trailer is covered with loops and trails of the thick webbing. All the lines seem to come back to the entrenched insect, The chunk of spider trapped in the webbing is now trussed up like a mummy and is slowly being moved near other hanging, human sized things.
Insect - Arachnid / Grasping Web Spinner / Level 4 / Endurance - Mana Sense - Intelligence / Specialty - Grasping Webs / Control Webs - Paralyzing Bite - Defensive Position - Captivate
Once the new encased morsel is hanging amongst the rows of the other trussed up meals the ropy web slither crawls its way back toward me. Not wanting to lose my opening I raise the sword and begin to chop. The enhanced blade coated in dark fire slices through each piece like butter and I dice them up while they hang making a pile of crispy bits along the bottom edge.
A high pitched keening wail comes from the nestled in spider. The webby tendrils from the walls and opening are racing away from me and back towards the nest and the spider shifts about as the nest grows. The webbing surrounding the spider is expanding and looks a pile of intertwined thick smokey colored strands layered on top off and around each other creating a sticky blockage in the middle of the trailer. The small filaments of each piece interlocking with the others to form a fortress of whatever it is, I can just make out the burned ends that I already cut sticking out at odd angles.
What an odd creature. The final bits of the webbing now surround the spider like a dark fluffy scarf, with Mana Sight I can just make out a pattern moving across the coils, mesmerizing, the more I follow it the more......but with a shake of my head the feeling is gone.
Tricky. No time like the present to bring down overwhelming force. Drawing my Colt and using my Perception, a splash of Luck, and my skills from both warrior classes, especially good ole Class #10 probably my favorite class I haven't tried yet.
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Specialist Class - Gunfighter
Class is based upon historical fiction.
Attributes - Agility +1, Speed +1, Dexterity +1, Perception +3
Class Skill - Accurate shot.
Class Item: Gunfighters Managun.
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First up my test shot with a new gun. One handed, firm grip, aim at center mass, and fire. I don't even notice a recoil, pistol still firmly gripped and aimed dead on, that may be due to strength rather than the weapon, the noise on the other hand is just as loud as a standard non system version, in an enclosed space it echoes but high stats means I mostly ignore it.
The webbing is more resilient than expected, the round tears through the first two tendrils but is stopped by a third. The shredded ends are flayed out and the dark silk pulses and ripples as new webbing moves into position. So three or four shots should pierce the barrier and impact the spider.
No recoil, dead on aim, decent damage, with a grin I aim at the same spot and rapid fire the remaining five rounds. Training kicks in and I pop out the spent rounds, grab a re-loader, and in seconds the Python is ready to fire again.
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / GRASPING WEB SPINNER / LEVEL 4
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / GRASPING WEB SPINNER / LEVEL 4
With no kill notice I advance slowly, pistol at the ready, I let the shield disappear and pull the sword back out, with a flip it's ready to go, I load it up with Mana and once it's flaming I slice away at the webby nest, again making small crispy pieces fly everywhere.
The shroud falls away and the web spinner is exposed, four craters punctured through its carapace. Black ooze dripping out of each wound. The source of the web is exposed now, each strand is attached to the back end of the spider where you'd expect one strand to leave theres more like 30 or 40 it seems to be the source of every strand of web in the room. The creature tries to lift itself up mandibles clacking as it struggles "I don't speak spider" I whisper as I ram the sword straight into its face spearing 2 eyes in the process, then rip the sword out of its head. Now I see the the death notification.
The source of Mana Energy gone the webbing starts deflating?..... like a gas the energy is released into the air and what's left is a tiny amount of silk. Using Mana Sight I collect various bits of the web spinner that were glowing with Mana Energy, another level four core, then look beyond the corpse.
Attached to the ceiling and hanging like slabs of beef at a butcher shop are multiple..... that's too small a word since I can see at least 14 or more just from my position.....bodies, what I assume are bodies. Some of the shapes are wrong to be people and If these are all hanging in the back third of the trailer there could be a lot more then I see. Scattered around in the piles of webbing and amongst the dangling are glowing spots of Mana Energy I can see with my Mana Sense, a bit of movement draws my eye and I notice one of the mummy wrapped figures moving and wriggling a little bit.
Stepping through the webbing mess and spider remains I look up and where each bundle is attached is just out of reach by hand or sword. Sending the blade to inventory I reach out and poke the wrapped bundle, as my fingers penetrate the shell I hear a muffled scream. This webbing isn't sticky it's similar to dried glue meets wax paper but also slightly porous. I shout "hold on I'm gonna try and get you out."
At my words another wrapped figure starts squirming "hold still, this might tingle." Grabbing a hand full of the wrapping on either side of the body I dig my fingers in, it feels almost like styrofoam or paper mache, then with increasing strength I pull down.
At first there is resistance then a slow give that comes with a tearing sound and the bottom half of the wrapping comes free, the debris and body fall to the floor.
Poisoned / Thomas / Dancer / Level 1 Human / Agility- Dexterity / Footwork
Oh right I can identify stuff....looking at the other moving bundle I get
Webbing Sack
Bleh....the next one rips the same and another person drops down.
Poisoned / Sam / Ranged Warrior - Cards / Level 1 Human / Dexterity / Card Attack
My Identify seems to add a condition to people now, poisoned......ill deal with that in a few first let's look around, Leaning the two people against the wall and propped up they appear groggy and out of it, I mean falling to the ground in a weakened state may not of helped them.
"Hey Raven, keep a watch for me! I have a yummy core or two for you" I hear from the outside and above me "Kraaaa"
Using Mana Sense and Perception I look throughout the back of the trailer and small auras of glowing Mana Energy light up, what I've come to recognize as system Items from the Integration. In the hanging corpses there are also spots of color I can make out through the wrapping, my favorite part of everything is loot, I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder but someone else's loss is definitely my gain.
It turns out the lumpy piles on the ground are a mix of humans, dogs, and other small to medium sized animals. Each person had two or three items in with their webbing tangle pile and all the animals had a variety of core sizes. One of the human remains had a core instead of Items, it was larger than the other cores from insects and animals.
Sentient Core / Skill or Attribute / Basic
Well that's unique, definitely not feeding that one to the bird or......maybe I should.
I pulled down each of the hanging bodies one by one and search through them as I work. No one else was alive but I was able to add a pile of weapons, items, system coins, and random stuff to my inventory, everything was from the starting shop so it could be inventoried.
After looting the area I head back to the two dudes, I notice they haven't recovered much in the time I was distracted. Looking over my last few system notices some of my highlights include.
Skill Learned - Penetrative Shot
Skill Learned - Basic Sword Handling
Skill Learned - Sword Thrust
Skill Learned - Burning Slice
Enhanced Skill Learned - Dark Fire - Weapon
Skill Learned - Scavenge
Skill Learned - Heightened Awareness (Passive) - Mana Energy - Items
Title Earned - Not Available
Ok time to help the others. My medic class I think will be useful here. Switching over I take a look at my patients.
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Basic Class - Medic
Attributes - Intelligence +1, Dexterity +1, Perception +1, Unlocks Healing Magic+2 (20%)
-Class skill - Identify and Heal Minor Wounds, Poisons, and Conditions.
-Class Item: First Aid Kit
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Let's see my class Skill can be used by other classes just not as effectively, the Class Item on the other hand can only be used by the class itself. Opening my inventory I watch as it spirals open. This time my Medic class is highlighted and the box has three items in it
(sys) Earbuds / Universal - Adaptive / Noise Canceling and Enhancing
(sys) System Jacket / Adaptive Light Armor / Heated - Cooling - Adaptive - Camouflage - Repairs - Cleans
I move both Items into my general Inventory then pull out the first aid kit and take a look at it.
Class Item / First Aid Kit / Adapts as needed as per understanding
What I see is a medium sized suitcase crossed with a brief case or an old doctors bag, covered in zippers and pockets. It's mainly a whitish tan color with red crosses on each side. Looking in a few of the pockets I can tell it is packed with medical gear but nothing complicated that i can see. Seems like overkill for poison so I send it back into inventory and laying my hands on the first person I cast my class skill/spell Heal Minor Wounds, Poisons, and Conditions. Hoping the general spell will do the trick, It did fix my bird friend.
Moving to the second person I repeat the action and both of them astart looking slightly better.
Hearing "Kraaaaaa Kraaaaaaa" with just a note of alarm I walk to the trailer opening and The Raven is staring west.
Climbing up on some of nearby cars I just see movement heading our way, focusing in on the area I see two spiders making their way back, one of which is dragging a web wrapped bundle. Tossing a level 3 core to The Raven "One for each of us buddy, when they get closer you take the one without the body bag"
Switching classes back to my Skirmisher we head out with stealth hiding our movement in the shadowy night.
Insect - Arachnid / Stalking Unmidia Guard / Level 3 / Endurance - Perception / Specialty - Defensive Crouch / Fade - Pounce - Quick Block
Insect - Arachnid / Leaping Unmidia Grunt / Level 3 / Agility - Strength / Specialty - Leap Thrust / Web - Triple Struke
Picking a spot on the spiders route, we wait for them in ambush. Instead of my other weapons this time I try out one of my new finds from the victims in the trailer.
(sys) Pike / Adjustable / Specialty - Lightning
When the creatures are in range I step out from behind the truck and Luck stays on my side as I stab forwards with the twelve foot pole arm and pierce the spider while lifting it off the ground. Once it releases it's captive, I trigger the lightning effect and Instantly I'm blinded as electricity fires from the shaft and head of the pike racing through the main body then shooting out of each leg like a bolt of lightning looking for metal. I might of overpowered my Mana Energy. The bolts fire into the air at least twenty feet in all directions searching for something else to latch onto, Luckily I don't fry myself, the captive, or The Raven
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I get a death notice for my kill and also The Ravens unlucky victim, looking at my screen I see a new tab for party. That answers a question I haven't thought of yet. Groups or parties are possible, something to explore later.
The two spiders one crispy and shriveled the other one torn in half, that bird is scary. And of course he is taking both cores "Greedy as well i see" all I get is the standard "Kraaaa" in reply.
The person in the webbing starts thrashing around wildly "Hold up, let me help, stay still I'm going to cut the web away" pulling out a replica multi tool which is also part of my spoils from the spiders, I check the blade and it is surprisingly really sharp. I slice away the silky webbing and help the......lady to her feet.
Poisoned / Karen / Dealer / Level 0 Human / Dexterity / Ambidextrous
Trying my Medic skill without the class I send a Minor Heal at her, she starts looking a bit better, soon the poisoned tag disappears. Checking my stats I notice the amount of Mana Energy used is less and I 'feel' that the heal spell is not quite as effective out of class.
"Hello" giving her a once over "All better now? we need to move over there I have two other people to check on" I point towards the trailer.
"Wait, what. I mean. I don't understand what happened."
"Talk and walk, they were in worse shape than you. Also don't mind the bird he is with me." Putting out my arm I produce a core as The Raven lands on my forearm catching the treat while staring at the lady.
Following behind me she is slow but working her way in the dark "wait up just a moment I can barely see" I hear her looking through something then a bright light stabs the darkness and when I look she has her cell phone flashlight on "thank you, I don't know how you can make out anything in the dark. By the way my name is Karen Owens."
"Sorry about that, I have a skill for the dark and I forgot. I'm Ben."
"Ben, do you understand what's happening, I thought the planet was going to be destroyed, then it wasn't, what are classes? How did you kill whatever those things were, I just don't understand."
"Let's get back to Sam and Thomas in case they have the same questions" looking ahead, I point "they are in the semi trailer there the one on its side"