[May 3, 12:15 pm, in the game world]
[Mokkun/Kingumo's POV]
"[Squall Shield]!" I put up a barrier around brother Jun to protect him from the scaly pests. Although I can pick them off one by one, there were dozens of them and then there was Jun.
It's only a matter of time before we find a safe place to fend them off. It's also frustrating to recount our situation, considering that Jun is the one responsible for this mess at the beginning.
Long story short, Jun inadvertently beamed his location to the boss of this area we had arrived. I was too late in warning him not to use Aura Sense. In fact, I couldn't even explain anything.
The result was a 10 minute-long chase around the Catacombs, with our lives at stake. The ankle-deep water did not help Jun for stealthy escape, in the slightest. The entire event was sheer bad coincidence. Emphasis on the 'Bad'.
After finding a safe place and raising Jun's LUK to 10, we set out on a hunt for snake scales! Apparently, brother Jun got a task to collect 44 Cerulean Grass snake scales. He and I... don't know why.
Nevertheless, without further delay, we searched for snake pits, which are found in the dead-ends of the Catacombs, provided that the boss is not around that area.
Jun managed to collect about 39 scales in a peaceful way by taming the snakes, which earned him the title
"King, give me the route to the nearest narrow corridor! I have an idea!" Jun shouted out his request.
"On it! Uuhh... There! At the upcoming intersection, take 2 lefts, 2 rights and run straight ahead. You'll get one! But it's one of the dead-ends though!"
"That's all I need! All you have to do now is distract the boss while I bait the snakes away! Promise to stay in one piece until I get back, okay?" Jun asked for the impossible.
"It should be the other way around! Anyways, I'll try! Good luck, Jun!" We seperated at the intersection. The snakes chased after Jun like bloodhounds, not caring for me.
My heart raced out of fear at the thought of facing the monster. I lost count of the times it ate me. But when Jun's face flashed across my mind, hope was restored. With my courage stirring my heart, I planned to face that fear-feasting nightmare.
"Buffet's closed, you scaly pig! I'm the apex predator, RAAAAAHHHH!!!"
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[Jōbun/Junkitsu's POV]
'Alright, any moment now...'
I stood inside the corridor, waiting for my prey. I took the spear out of my inventory and got ready.
Finally, the snakes had arrived.
'Now, if they slither a little bit inside..... Bingo!'
"[Stone Wall]!" The snakes' head got caught by the rising wall and got slammed into the ceiling, critically damaging them and got stunned.
"Title equip:
I approached the injured snakes carefully, trying not to provoke them. Grass snakes may be harmless but if threatened, they'll spew something out, just like a skunk. Then, you gotta say goodbye to stealth until the next bath.
I appealed to their better nature, thanks to the title, and three of them immediately coiled around my arm. I gently rubbed on their skins, searching for loose scales. After that, I completed my mission and got three scaly friends, in the process.
I returned back to the intersection where King and I split off. Using my night vision, I could make out the walls and the pathways, but the water dampened any traces to track on. Using the Aura Sense would turn me into boss bait. My only option was the snakes.
I covered my finger with aura and touched them. They were being frisky all of a sudden, coiling my arm and hand tighter. Suddenly, an idea lit me up.
'Maybe, I have a chance at communicating with them via aura.' I gently covered the snakes and wrapped them around with my aura. Slowly, our energies come together, intertwining and melding together.
[Aura Resonance detected]
[Strong desire of emotional connection perceived]
[Crural Pool has been opened]
[3 Fortitude (FRT: 9 ▶12) points have been awarded for the achievement]
[A new sub-stat, Charisma (CHA) is integrated into Cognition (COG). CHA:COG effect ratio = 1:5]
'Woah! This is nice. I got another Pool open, free stats and... why am I aroused?' Then, I remembered that particular chakra situated at the root of sexual organs. This was utterly embarassing on my part. 'I want to crawl into a hole...'
Tiny, cute voices whispered in my ears, comforting me about the moment. The snakes on my arm raised their heads and gazed their dear blue eyes in mine.
'Oh my god, you three look so cute! Thanks for the pep-talk!'
I nuzzled them with love, speaking with them via telepathy. From this exchange, I learned some new things about this place.
First, there are actually two bosses lurking around the Catacombs. They are the parents of these hatchlings.
Second, the father patrols, while the mother stays in the central area of the Catacombs, resting.
Third, occasionally she would wander around the catacombs for food, who were obviously the players. He would hunt the players interfering her hunt. This meant that I may have kicked King to his grave.
'Shit, I need to get back to King soon.'
With no time to lose, I asked the hatchlings to lead me through the Catacombs. After some time, I reached the central area. Apart from the arch I exited from, there were five more situated around this place like a circle.
'Woah! This place is pretty big! No wonder the mother rests here! Hold on... if the area is this big, then how big would the mother be?'
A horrible thought came to me as my dread for King's life was freezing me solid like an ice sculpture.
"King, where are you?! I'm in the centre now!" I yelled out at the top of my lungs. "King! Give me a signal, man!! King!!!"
The hatchlings started to panic, begging me to get ready for battle. Their hissing grew more aggressive, warning me that something dangerous was about to emerge from the dark. I gripped my spear tight, preparing for the impending danger.
Two blue dots stared right at me. One hiss later, a thin, silver blade darted from the shadows, aiming for my heart. Fortunately, I dodged on time or so I thought.
I fell flat on my back, watching the rapier sticking out of my chest. Out from the shadows, a Cerulean Grass snake approached me with a scornful look in his eyes. He pulled the rapier painfully on purpose, drawing the blood out of me. Fortunately, the hatchlings helped me patch up by healing me with water. I got up, with Vim and Zest bulking in my shoulders.
"Just in time, buddy! Got your pack of cigars? Your kids missed you."
The snake probably got triggered of my joke and kicked me. Although I blocked it with my spear, the knockback was so great that I was pushed away across the centre. Vibrations traveled around my body due to block, dazing me. Getting up felt very groovy.
"Straight to the point, I see... Let's dance."
Slashes and thrusts were exchanged between us for quite some time. Cuts and slashes marked my body when he countered. Sometimes, life-threatening stabs kicked me near to Death's doorstep. Despite my best efforts, his defense was an impenetrable mirror of pain. Meanwhile, the hatchlings kept on healing me.
'Dammit, I should've invested some stats into Reflexes (RFL)! I see no opening at all!'
During the fight, my heart got uncomfortably warm and grew hotter, forcing me to sweat. I tried to juggle between defense and sweating but that's basically putting my tongue at risk. Worst-case scenario, I would be mute. At this time, a notification popped up.
[Congratulations! You have received a passive skill!]
'Seriously? Now?!' I hastily retreated, taking advantage of the timing, sprinting along the walls of the Catacombs and perched on a ledge.
'This better be something good...' I can't believe there weren't any invisible walls covering the area when I was fighting him, which was a good thing.
[Passive Skill: Regeneration]
[Regeneration: The Heart Pool absorbs ambient energy in the vicinity and converts into healing aura, boosting your natural healing potency and speed. Upgradable.
Condition: Survive 3 fatal blows without aid]
'Woah hohohoho! Another pool opened? Weird freebie. Need to find a way around this skill, though.'
I thanked the hatchlings for the fortune and put my brain to work for my new plan.
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[Mokkun/Kingumo's POV]
'Finally, I'm safe... Now, what happened to Jun?'
Earlier, I heard Jun yelling about his location. He sounded pretty desperate, which got me worried. The boss was persistent in eating me alive, which also added to my list of worries.
In spite of gouging its eyes out a couple of times, it kept on healing with water and continued pursuing me. Accidently, I found a hole on the way and cramped inside, tail first. It felt like ages since I started hiding here.
I opened my map and scrolled around to find Jun's position. To my joy, he was behind me, seperated by just a few walls.
'I think the coast is clear now.' With my courage mustered, I slowly flew to the central area to see a humanoid snake knight standing in the middle of the area. It seemed like they were waiting for something.
Suddenly, from the left passageway, a spear flew out, embedding on the wall beside the snake. The Knight got alert and pulled out their weapon but was caught off guard due to a tackle from behind, their rapier slipped away in the process.
'Jun!' My heart leapt in joy as he was mounting on the Fencer's back and rained down a flurry of punches on its head. After disorienting them, he lifted them up, used as a battering ram and drove it through the spear.
The Fencer hissed violently in pain as they were pushed deeper through the spear, until their back touched the wall and received a second flurry of punches from Jun. He beat them within an inch of their life before stopping the punishment out of fatigue.
On a closer look with my vision, he intentionally missed their vital spot but damaged the Aura Organ (left lung), which is an organ that acts as a capacitor for life force.
Jun returned to the snake again, whispered to them and snatched something out. It appeared to be some sort of blue-colored cross. He pulled out the blue scales from his inventory and initiated Crafting. Once it was over, a beautiful rosary made out of blue snake scales was made. Satisfied, he climbed up the wall and perched there.
Some time later, out of nowhere, another blue humanoid snake in a nun's habit was running out from the passageway towards the injured snake.
'Hold on a second, is that the boss?!' She appeared to be in distress, searching frantically for ways to pull her mate out safely. She broke down in tears, seeing her mate pinned like that helplessly.
Mixed feelings of frustration and sympathy for the snake washed over me, which devolved into anger for Jun when he landed on the Nun and started strangling her with the rosary. I rushed from my vantage point to meet him.
"Jun! What are you doing?!"
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"Hey, King! Perfect timing! Do me a favor and tie the rosary, while I catch her hands!" He was grinning with joy while choking the snake without mercy.
"Stop it, please! You're hurting her!"
"That's because she's not co-operating! Look, just come over here and tie the rosary, would ya?!" Jun barked the order with annoyance, directed at me. Reluctantly, I partook in the barbaric act and tied the rosary. Suddenly, the snake stopped its struggle and its arms dropped loosely. I flapped away in horror as Jun looked down on its still body with a stoic demeanor.
"What's wrong with you, Jun?! I know it's an NPC, but do you have to be so---"
"Shut up. I get it. Now, watch." He nonchalantly stopped my tearful outburst, almost convincing me that he's a sociopath, until I saw a black hand clawing out from the Nun's body. Soon, a black snake-shaped entity emerged and immediately grew into the gigantic form that the player base was thoroughly familiar with.
'A Karmic Beast...' I believed my senses got dissociated due to the revelation until Jun snapped me back to reality, albeit a bit painfully.
"Listen closely, King. Get to a safe spot and take care of the snakes. Got it?" Jun ordered his plan in a stern voice as he pulled the spear out from the snake's mate.
"Bro, sorry in advance, but you're delusional. I mean, look at the size of that thing! You'd have to be insane to face that monster! We gotta---"
"Shhh, relax! Besides, the woman is the linchpin. Once she's awake, explain in five words or less and bring her here. Now, go." He pushed me towards the unconscious nun, while prepping in a leisurely manner.
I nodded with grudging reluctance and dragged them to safety, along with three snake hatchlings coiled around my leg.
'.....What?!'
----------------------------------------
[Jōbun/Junkitsu's POV]
'Note to self: stop acting on bravado. You have no idea how to deal with this, in the first place.'
Silencing the cacophony of regret inside my mind, my eyes focused on the prize, the boss. Before I got into my stance, it conjured dozens of water balls and shot high-pressure jets. I barely managed to escape unscathed.
Channeling aura into a body part is easy, but to maintain the supply while fighting, that's multitasking. After a few tries, I converted Battle Vision into a toggle-type skill. How I achieved this was by infusing the humours within my eyes with Aura and use them as reserves.
'Okay! Round 2!'
Diving into the fight, I parried the water jets left and right, chipping the boss's health little by little. As the fight got longer, the water bullets became more defined and clear. I could parry them with pin-point accuracy. It was as if time got slower during the fight.
After this little tactic, it got annoyed and jumped into the water and blended in. Soon, water spikes shot up at random, forcing me on the defensive again. I may be defenseless, but not helpless.
"[Tremor]!" The platform shook violently, disrupting the spikes and I trudged across for a vantage point. After this counter, a large circle appeared beneath my feet. I clung onto a wall to avoid getting chomped by massive jaws of water and then, the boss came out of the water, tired.
"[Burrow Pounce]! [Vulpine Claw]!!". I gouged its left eye and rained slashed on the head. Then, it shook me off and tried to assault with those water bullets again. This time, I parried the shots right at the eye, dealing massive damage. I kept on with it, until I slipped up in my tactics, giving it room to corner me.
I was supposed to die from a barrage of water jets, but not before those water bullets were diverted away.
"I hope you're alright, laddie!" A beautiful, elegant voice filled my heart with relief. The nun has arrived, along with the hatchlings! They hurried across and coiled on my arm again.
"Never been better, madam. I was waiting for your aid."
"Just in time, lucky me! Now, I would like to exchange pleasantries with you but it seems we must wait. We have bigger problems at hand." Her deep-blue eyes shone with trust and promise of alliance.
"I agree! I have no idea, though..."
"I propose you buy me some time. I have a way to fell this Beast in one move. Think you're upto the task, lad?" Her confidence was blinding, to be honest.
"I got you covered. Give me a signal when it's ready!" Without waiting for a response, I dashed towards the boss like a mad bull and started a brutal assault on its scales.
'I hope my aggro does the trick!' To my expectations, the boss was now hot on my tail. I distracted and damaged it until exhaustion. Just when I thought I'd pass out, the Nun shouted.
"Laddie, step aside!" I turned to see King and the Nun made a large ice arrow, ready to be launched. I jumped away to safety, as the boss got shot by the arrow.
Frost soon engulfed the boss as it tried to let out its death throes before it exploded. Black mist-like energy was released and dissipated.
The boss fight was over.
King and the Nun's laughs grew louder as I trotted closer with barely any energy left in me.
"Thank you for the assist, madam. I wasn't sure what I'd do without you."
"Oh, the pleasure's all mine! My name is Marlowe, and you are?" Her greeting was filled with elegance and charm, combined with grace and humility. Our names twisted her tongue into a knot.
"Allow me to call you Kit and King, then. Fighting the Beasts is tough, unless you know the cause of its birth." Her hands joined in prayer for the boss, which she considered to be a lost soul.
"What are these Beasts, if I may ask?"
"Let me explain, Jun." King barged in, trying to take the spotlight. "These beings are Evil Karma incarnates. They are consumed by Neth-Aura and negative emotions and are driven by their last emotions before they turned."
"Really? But that doesn't explain why that beast came out of her."
"You mean to say that the Beast was dwelling inside me, all this time?" Her eyes widened with shock when she heard us.
"Yeah, it's not everyday you see a giant snake lurking in the shadows like that." He chuckled nervously.
"Ohh... now that you mention it, I sincerely apologize for trying to eat you, King." Despite her apology, her stomach growled for eagle meat, which made her flustered and scared him out of his feathers.
"Never in my life did I expect to see myself as a monster, inspite of leading a pious life. But then again, even researchers are yet to find out the correct criteria of these beings' birth." Marlowe wore her thinking coif.
"Yeah, even Oakman was feeling bad about it." King brought him up, to cite the similarities between them.
"Oakman?! What happened to him?" Marlowe panicked with concern.
"You know him?"
"Know him? I was his one of his beloved customers of his fruits. He tends to some of the most beautiful orchards in our village. His large hand was lent in providing good food for children in our care. He's fond of them and they cherish him. It was such a beautiful sight." Her voice was sweet as she was reminiscing her memories. Suddenly, bitter shrieks of despair shot in our ears as she started crying.
"Madam, are you alright?! What happened?" I grabbed Marlowe's shoulders to prevent her from falling but to my horror, her head fell off. King held her body and I held her head. Both of us tried to console her while suppressing our fear.
"Poor Oakman... not you too..." She whispered with a heavy heart.
"Madam, may I know what happened?"
"I remember being in the altar... with the rest of the clergy... when the altar exploded and... the chapel was crumbling. I woke up... inside the rubble and escaped my way out of it... Then, I saw Oakman... fully turned and I prayed... Now you understand how I ended up here..." Her breath was stifled with grief and anguish.
"Maybe, it was fear all along. Kit, do me a favor, please." I nodded. "Take me closer... to my body." I carried out Marlowe's request and placed her head on the neck. She struggled to move her hands and finally got used to it.
"King... Kit... come closer... May you be blessed... with great strength... to help those in need. Take care... lads..." We couldn't help but cry as she was slowly fading away, embracing her death with the smile of a mother. "Myrnach, my love... I'm coming..."
I let the hatchlings accompany her and they vanished along with her soul. In her place were items, fit for the taking. But we were not in our moods to enjoy. Another sad story... another lead behind this tragedy.
'Man, the backstories... are really good. These characters are life-like. It wouldn't be surprising if they were actually denizens from another world.'
With half-hearted consolations and shallow laughter, I took my loot and checked the message log.
[Healing enhanced by Aura Resonance, resonates with the Heart Pool]
[Heart Pool has been opened]
[5 STR(12 ▶17), FRT(12 ▶17), RFL(12▶17) and COG(12 ▶17) points have been awarded for the achievement]
'Huh, no wonder I felt stronger when I was dealing with the Fencer back then. So, these were the ones before the passive skill notice. Next.'
[Battle Vision was under Overclock effect, leading to a higher level of perception.]
[Resonance with Ocular Pool detected]
[Ocular Pool has been opened]
[50 COG(17 ▶67) points have been awarded for the achievement]
[Passive skill: Cosmic Perception has been awarded]
[Furthermore, any present and future skills related to Ocular Pool will be integrated into Cosmic Perception. As a result, Battle Vision and Aura Sense would be integrated]
'Hold on a second! All this while, I've been using this OP skill against that boss? I mean, I was dodging death blows like it's no big deal. And I opened three pools already.'
Personally, I can't ignore the power creep anymore. It was as if the word 'impossible' has no meaning now. Perhaps, the fault was within the dungeon, the bosses would be stronger or this place... was for the chosen one: Me. I slapped myself for the ridiculous notion.
'Even a kid knows the world doesn't revolve around them! Are you stupid?!' Just like that, my conscience picked on me before King saved me from my mental conundrum.
"Did you get any Pool Tokens, bro?
"I think so... Lemme grab it quick." I pulled the token out and absorbed it.
[Crural Pool has been greatly enhanced. Elemental Aura affix: Water has been established. Water-based skills are now available]
[Skill quest will be available after the raid of Abyss Cathedral]
'Hmm... I'll check this out later.'
"Woah, brother! Four pools open already?! At this rate, it's gonna be a breeze!" King was excited about the current progress and my growth as well.
"Or Hell. Let's not forget about the bosses, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, but I believe you can bring great change." I shrugged him off.
'Now, for the last one.'
[Nemesis defeated! You have defeated True Boss: Marah, the Saintess of Sorrow]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!] x 15
[4 Stat Points have been rewarded] x 15
'Okay, this totals my stat points upto 114! Now, let's add 15 points each to strength, reflexes and fortitude. Let's not forget: 10 points for luck.'
"Alright, King! On to the next stage!"
[To be continued]
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Name: Jōbun
Lvl: 30
Title: Snake Charmer
HP: 1650/1650
MP: 3450/3450
Stat Points: 59
XP: 56%
STR: 32
RFL: 32
LUK: 20
FRT: 32
COG: 67
Passive skills
Pacifista Lvl 2
Regeneration Lvl 1
Cosmic Perception Lvl 1
Active skills
Vulpine Jab Lvl 4
Vulpine Claw Lvl 2
Vulpine Tackle Lvl 2
Burrow Pounce Lvl 1
Shards: 1750
[Skills used]
[Squall Shield: Conjure a barrier of strong, swirling winds to deter enemies from approaching. Ignorant enemies may suffer from medium damage.
The longer the charge, the longer the shield lasts. MP: Min.60, CD: 30 s]
[Vulpine Tackle: Lunge at a quick pace to tackle your enemy to stun them. Low to medium chance to disarm weapon
Higher chance of stun increases when Aura is applied. CD: 30 s]
[Burrow Pounce: Release a burst of Aura mid-air to to perform a groundbreaking slam. The longer the charge and larger the burst, the faster and stronger the ground slam. The resulting shockwave would inflict minor to low DMG.
MP: Min.30, CD: 60 s]
[Vulpine Claw: Infuse your claws with Aura and slash your opponent. The larger and longer the rate of supply, the longer and stronger the attack. Crit.DMG on random.
Parrying can nullify techniques and reduce the impact of skills.
Special effect depends on the nature of Elemental Affix. MP: Min.10, CD: 5 s]
[Weapons used]
[Oakman's spear (Melee)
Passed down from the oldest to the latest, between father and son, this pitchfork-turned-spear is proof that usage can re-define purpose. This humble tool helps rejuvenate and enrich the soil, thrusting many famines into oblivion.
Phy.DMG: 80 Aura DMG: 140
Crit.DMG: 200 Crit.Chance: 7%
Passive Skill: Morning Glory's Rising- When equipped, the casting speed of the skills will be 1.2x faster]
[Stone Wall: Stab the ground with the heel of the spear to conjure a stone wall.
The larger the supply, added with basic idea, the various dimensions of walls to be produced. MP: Min.40, CD: 10 s]
[Tremor: Stab the ground to create seismic vibrations to buy time.
The longer the charge, the longer and larger the radius of effect. MP: Min.20, CD: Upto 5 min]