Path of Being Evil (Original Fantasy Quest)

[X] Lab Details
Stewardship DC: 40
Roll: 75 + 14 = 89
2 Success

Your month begins with you in a somewhat rare cheerful mood. It's not like you are humming a tune in your lonesome or anything, but it is noticeable enough for others on your team to bother themself to comment on it during one of your talks. Something that you can't help yourself with as the search for tools to fill in your lab had gone exceedingly well.

It's not wrong for you to say you were satisfied. How can you not? While they aren't as good as the ones being sold at the Grand Market, in Varon, these exotic instruments were practically the best that you could hope for to find without preordering them from outside the country.

The prerequisite to create these delicate and precise objects with Silver is already difficult enough for most to handle, but add in enchanting them all with various kind of spells, with different specifications to each? You dread the amount of useless waste that would be left behind from all of the failed products.

Fortunately, you only need to accompany Mary in one of her shopping spree to gain these lab equipments. You would never understand other woman's needs for excessive clothing, but where in Inferno did she get all the money to buy that much dress for both her, And you?

(Gained a set of Advanced Lab Equipment: +10 in Specific Actions)

[X] Outdoor Foraging
Stewardship DC: 40
Roll: 34 + 14 = 48
1 Success

All these thoughts about money did remind you about your latest series of activities however. Which is regarding your effort in obtaining more materials and reagents separate from your wage by going beyond the wall. Your fund had recently gone pretty low all things considered, and you rather spent a few days of your time sweating for valuable resources in the wild rather than sit uselessly waiting for your next pay day.

Material Search: 21

Unfortunately, you didn't find much in term of materials, only a couple of precious stones from a nearby river. Though it is somewhat to be expected. While monsters do still exist in Phione, their number is low enough for even average people to dare try their luck outside of the city's protection. Many people must have regularly depleted the natural resources of the surrounding land close to what it could regenerate. Something which while frustrating, you really can't do anything about.

And you are unfortunately late during this particular round of venture. You having more than a day to collect the leftovers are perhaps the only reason why this is not a total waste of time.

Reagent Search: 38

Your search on reagents, on the other hand, is doing great. While Phione is indeed known for it's population of Mages, most of it's people are still ordinary citizens who couldn't differentiate between magically reactive resources with those of the mundane ones. That's the only reason that you could thought of as to how you were able to found multitudes of untouched herbs, insects, and glands that will do well in your experiments. Though you did need to kill a few weak monsters with Dark Blast to get some of them, so maybe that is also a factor.

(Materials are at 41. Reagents are at 63.)

It could have definitely gone better, but you take it. Though you can't speak the same with your attempt on sabotaging the Tower's database.

It all had gone so well too at first. The control room had been practically abandoned during one your shift to keep watch over it. There's none of those grumbling Assistants who does nothing but complaint and chatters about how they were only doing boring jobs. A perfect time for you to do a little bit of skulduggery.

So, you then briskly go over to one of the consoles. Quickly activating the monitor and moving past a number of security checks based from your prior experience with the device. Sitting on an available chair all the while, absently noting how it is one that is very uncomfortable to use. Eager to erase every last bit of evidence connecting you with the disappearance of one little acolyte.

Magic as a whole, is erratic and unpredictable. It's not strange for a new result to come out from a previously established behavior due to the most unlikeliest factors. So the Tower had made it easy for it's records to be changed in order to follow the latest bit of developments availabe. Something that only applies to data that were a year old as most magic would have settled down or been gone by then.

"Come on, come on." You muttered under your breath as you watch the progress bar presenting the deletion of all the data that shows your use of magic around the Church and other similarly incriminating informations. Just a little bit more and it wou-

"What are you doing Vecna?"

"KYAAK!?" You screamed. Being absolutely caught off guard by the appearance of Dawn who is suddenly standing right beside your chair. You hold a hand againts your rapidly beating chest as you leaned yourself away and stare wide eyed at the Light Mage who innocently also stares back at you for her part. "H-How long were you there?"

"Just now?" She answered. Looking visibly confused by your reaction. She then bend herself forward to have a better vision on the screen behind you. Something that you are trying to prevent by moving infront of her to no avail. "Are you erasing something?"

"Just some files." You blurted out. Utterly incapable of thinking straight.

"Well, just make sure to make a note of it in the records. I had been scolded once for not doing so with a pile of complaints that were sended to us a year ago about how nosey we are." Dawn then snorted at the memory. Clearly being fond of the experience despite her words. "Anyway, just want to let you know Alan is bringing a bucket of ice cream after his patrol. It's rare for him to treat us like this and he would grumble if we don't finish them. So hurry to the waiting room after you finish your shift, Vecna. We will left some for you."

And with that being said, off she goes then to apparantly enjoy a bucket full of something called ice cream. Leaving you alone in the once again empty control room with a low ding sound indicating the successful deletion of your files.

[X] Data Sweep
Stewardship DC: 20
Roll: 6 + 14 = 20
1 Exact Success

(All data indicating Vecna's participation in anything illegal for the past year had been erased from the Tower's record.)

[X] Boiling Up Raid

The only thing left of particular significant then would be the raid againts the Supplier and Creator of Boil High drugs. A lot had happened there while also very little at the same time.

You just need to let out a bit of something first, and that is; Why must it be the sewer?

To be continued in the Interlude: Origin of Beast and Madness

Random Event Roll:
88 (Success)
41 (Nothing Happened)
25 (Minor Failure)

"I assume all of you are all well prepared for tonight's operation?" Stoically asked one Vice Master Noralf. His eyes piercing straight through everyone who is inside the same room as him, daring anyone to say otherwise. His query however, is only met with various sign of affirmation to the Elf's inscrutable satisfaction.

You meanwhile, chose to discreetly remain silent. Simply content on letting others talk on what you all know will be happening very soon. There's just no other reason for why would there be a gathering of such a large number of people in a place usually reserved only for the Tower's personnel to conduct a highly important strategy meeting.

No matter what is going to happen after this meeting, the Boil High incident is going to put into rest. Either one way, or the other.

You did keep an eye on some of those who are present though. While you are able to guess their main reason of attendance, their continued presence are still capable in keeping you most wary. No matter the amount of reassurance did you gave to yourself.

"We all know of what is to come, Brother Noralf. So please, speak about what will you have us do in this fine night." Encouraged the Head Guard Ricardo with a gesture of his hand. He is flanked by a pair of his soldier and looks very eager in the prospect of imminent combat he will soon be apart of.

Seeing the same sentiments from a few other and no observable objection, Noralf then continued. Explaining to you all the overall situation regarding tonight's planned raid.

"I will skip on all the pleasantries then." Said Noralf as he then tapped a few buttons on a table, turning on an image of some kind of map from the screen behind him. "As some of you may have already known, we from the Tower had recently obtained the means to track down our ignorable culprit after his act of terrorism during the Festival of Akhti. We do need a couple days to recalibrate our equipment with the newly acquired data, but as of yesterday, we had finally managed to narrow down our target's location to the sewage system around this particular area."

Roughly everyone then winced at words being said in the end, with some of them even saying how it is going to suck. Nobody is definitely looking forward to the experience of having to trek through the damp and smelly, suffocating tunnels of the sewer. That's for sure.

To those who are both clueless and far more attentive on the subject however, they are far more interested in the multiple branching and dead ending paths that were being shown on the map. Realizing quickly just what kind of annoying place the drug supplier had embedded themself into.

"It's a labyrinth?" Asked Cobe with worry from his seating position at the back of your own. Something which Noralf then quickly noticed and nodded to in confirmation.

"Correct." Answered the pale Elf who then promptly began to swiftly swipes away the screen panel behind him with one hand. Deftly navigating it's controls to show all of you just how confusing the city's underground really is and to further help him explain the overall strategy of the raid. All without looking away from the people who he is supposed to be presenting it to even once.

"I won't bother you with all of the unnecessary details, but please be aware of how it is only due to the sewers highly diverging and narrow pathways do we are unable to just sent dozens of our people into its depths. All of these characteristics creates a terrain where you will find yourself be easily able to get ambushed by not only what our target may have prepared for us, but also by our ever existing rodent population. So instead, we will be cordoning off the area with multiple checkpoints where backups are going to be stationed, and will be sending off a few strike team with aims to both search for the missing citizens and apprehending our criminal. We will also be supplying all of you with a set of breathing mask for your protection as it is apparant of how willing our target is in using gas weaponry."

Most people then let out a sigh of relive at that, with the majority them being Beastkins. Though you expect it is more due to the notion of not needing to breath the sewer's disgusting air rather than the fear of Boil's effect on their person. Having a very sensitive senses is likely a very big detriment in this scenario.

"Wasn't there supposed to be a surveillance system being put under there?" Suddenly asked someone outloud. Brazenly halting Noralf before he could continue his speech, and putting everyone's attention on him.

From the looks of it, It is one of the Guards that Ricardo had brought along with him to the meeting room. Completely decked in armor with the exception of the head, he seems to be a youthful man with a very strict sense of responsibility. Though apparantly not strict enough to prevent him from being a busybody.


Noralf however, doesn't seem to mind the interruption very much as he then immediately answered the question without any noticeable change of expression. Quickly changing the screen's image to display a series of messages saying no changes had been detected. "There are, but the ones we had installed around the area kept on sending us a constant false negatives on the situation. We suspect them to had been tampered with to only repeat the same result over and over again."

"I see. Then thank you for indulging me, Sir." Said the youthful Guard before he then sat on his chair once again. Where a quiet discussion between him, his superior, and his partner then took place. Though everyone is far more concerned with what the glasses wearing Elf had just said regarding the sabotaged surveillance system to care.

No one likes the sound of what had happened. Because it means that the drug supplier's list of recorded skill had gone up once again. Just who is this guy? Beside you, two of your teammates are also thinking the same thing.

"This is the most worrying. Just who in the name of Spirits are able to do all of this and remain unnoticed for so long?" Said your team leader Elisen. The blond Elf is currently frowning in thought while holding her chin in worry. From his seating at her back, Alan responded to her saying he also feels the same.

"Yeah, because it means they are familiar enough with our ways to not make even a single mistake when they are disabling our equipment. Familiar enough to know they are there in the first place and familiar enough to disable them on the first try where it is the most likely for them to fail."

Before any of you could ruminate on the matter further however, the Elven Vice Master then continued. "Now, as we are rather short handed at the moment, this operation will not only be going to conducted by the Mage Tower and the City Guards, but also by a number of concerned citizens who had volunteered themself into helping us in tonight's endeavor. All having already been heavily processed and was then considered to be beneficial to the operation."

Then, with a single hand gesture by Noralf, the assortment of hardy looking people who had been sitting in various disorganized positions to the side of the room stands up. Saying all sort of things to introduce themself into the room. Most of them seems to be Adventures from the Guild, but among them there are only three people who had caught your eye. Two of which you had already met before.

"Can we just hurry up, and get this shit done already?" Muttered Char in annoyance. The feline Beastkin clearly feeling impatient at how long this meeting had been going on.

"I will be in your care." Said Franklin Fawkes with a short bow. The Church Head Bishop looking like he hadn't had much sleep as of late judging by the dark circles under his eyes.

"Hehehe, now don't let us old timers do all the hard work. Capiche?" Said the hulking mass of muscle at the forefront of the group with a firm salute. He looks to be some kind of bovine Beastkin and those around him seems to revere him for some reason.

From the corner of your eye, you can see Dawn who is sitting beside you flinch at the sight of the giant. Curious, you then asked her for the reason. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah? Oh, it's nothing really." Awkwardly said the Light Mage. Though a single dubious look from you is enough to make her talk. "It's really nothing, Vecna. I just had a bad reaction, that's all. That guy is Brock. You know? The one who had given me and a couple others a pounding for a minute or two?"

"Geez, what a way to say how he had absolutely destroyed us both, Miss Dawn." Said Aaron from behind the potioner. Earning himself a flustered response from the brunette. You meanwhile, took a moment to ran those words inside your head.

"Ahh." You exclaimed softly as you returned your gaze to the bovine Beastkin. Remembering the detail of what happened to Dawn and the others at the plaza.

So that's Brock? You can definitely see him being called as the strongest adventurer in Mavis with that kind of look.


With a couple of words from others who are much, much less noteable, the meeting is then resumed. With Noralf quickly going over the distribution of the teams and their assignment. Though there seems to be a bit of a situation going on behind the scenes based on what you could hear being said by your nearby seniors.

"We would have more people if we haven't directed half of our manpower in protecting that idiot with his damm tour." Grumbled Sonia with a fold of her arms. Apparantly not liking the arrival of a certain someone.

Her displeasure however, wasn't quite accepted by the others. Well, at least not so strongly in Isaac's case. "Now, now, its the thoughts that counts, isn't it Sonia? Give the guy some appreciation for his effort."

"While I want to say otherwise, I do need to agree on how this is not the best of times for us Beastkin to visit Mavis." Rick chimed in between the two. Looking a little bit uncomfortable with the topic "Despite his good intentions, all that Brother Raldo did is only giving us a few more matter to pay attention to."

"Well, as long as nothing happens, then it's all fine, right?" Nervously muttered Kiera in the side. Her hands being rather occupied with stroking her familiar Blake. "Beside, couldn't he just use his wings to blow away the smokes like you, Rick? If it ever comes to that of course."

"With that small pair of his?" Questioned Sonia with a glance. Feeling skeptical.

"Yes he could, Miss Sonia. To us avian sub types, the size of our wings doesn't matter." Coughed Rick as he explained. Though the white haired Observator seems to still be doubtful on the subject.

"Doubt he will react quick enough. You haven't seen it Rick, but that smoke works fast. The stuff only last less than half a minute before the wind mages get rid of it, and yet every Beastkin in the plaza was already affected by then. The Priest would need to flap his wings the very second he saw green to escape."

"Haah~, why it all must be so difficult?" Moaned Kiera in dismay as she hugged Blake closely to her chest. Seeing this, Isaac who is beside her then gave her a pat to her back.

"Just be grateful that it was the believer of Gildor who had come for the pilgrim. Imagine if it was either Athanoss' or Akhti's. They would all but demand to also be let in on the fight, and wouldn't that be fun."

And so on did their conversation then went. Discussing either something about the raid or how things are about to go back to normal once this is all over. Personally, you also want the heat to go down a bit. You were just about to be done with all of your preparation and want to start improving yourself in earnest.

You need to take care of the troublesome rat first however. None of your team had decided to be absent on the raid, and seems to had all been split into two different strike groups. You don't know which are you going to go with just yet, but you hope it will be one where you stand to gain the most.

In which group are you?
[ ] You are going with Cobe, Alan, Char, Sonia, and Ricardo. A Team focusing on capture.

[ ] You are going with Elisen, Dawn, Rick, Father Franklin, and the Guard who had asked a question earlier. A Team focusing on rescue.

[X] You are going with Cobe, Alan, Char, Sonia, and Ricardo. A Team focusing on capture.

After the meeting, everything had gone very organized and swift. The Elven Vice Master had given you all an obligatory motivational speech at the end before everyone then moved on to their each assigned post. With half of them going to escort the out of town Priest on his tour around Mavis as a distraction. You guess giving away an impression of being focused elsewhere may make the drug supplier drop their guard for tonight's raid.

You had also moved to where you are supposed to go to. At first, with everyone else while being on the streets near the Tower, then only with those who are climbing down the same sewer hatch which is located at the edge of the West Residential District where the drug supplier was said to be hiding under, and then, finally only with your own capture group.

Squelch

With you both regretting and rejoicing of your life decisions which leads you to this damp, dark sewer tunnel.


You scowled. Glaring in open disgust behind your set of breathing mask at the sludge of shit and waste you had put your feet onto. Already, you had lost count on how many times this had happened in the span of the last hour, and are slowly getting sick of it occurring repeatedly.

Your current inability to perceive the surrounding smell is the only thing preventing this experience from being completely unbearable. True, the place is a little bit cleaner than what you had expected it to be, but it just makes the revolting sensation when you did involuntary landed your shoes on a place which does a whole lot worse.

You may have been fine with a little bit of blood and gore in your necromantic pursuits, but the sucking and sloppy sound that these slimy things made when they are being stepped on just keeps grossing you out.

"DIE!!" SQUELCH!

The sound of meat being pulped due to being hit by a strong kinetic force however, you are completely fine with in hearing.

"What the fuck are these things!?" Shouted Char in frustration as he tore a lunging dog sized rat to shreds with his claws before backhanding the second, and then turning around to smash an opportunistic third to the ground head first. The Beastkin looking completely beyond pissed off at the beings currently assaulting him from the dark. "I thought there are only rats in here!?"

"These are the rats." Said Alan with a grunt as he slashed a ravenous rodent in half with a loud sizzling sound, instantly cooking it's inside. His sword is currently glowing very brightly in a hot angry red, as if it had just been heated by a very intense fire. Yet, as the name suggest, the Fire Mage doesn't seem to be bothered by the heat even for a single bit. Holding firmly to his weapon with a grace just like what you had expected from someone who had been born in high places like him.

Using his sword as a source of illumination, the noble's eyes are then filled with disdain as he gazed upon the rest of the filthly creatures that he found is advancing towards him without any sign of fear. Hunger driving them ever forward.


Deciding the sight wouldn't be enough to make him falter, Alan then casually continues his earlier explanation just as he brandishes his sword. Uncaring of the blood that is slowly dripping from the wound on his left leg, something which he had gained by the ambush these creatures had made earlier when they had attacked from the water.

"Dark and Water Mana congealed themself thickly down here. Creating an ideal environment for even these vermin to grow into monstrous proportions." Said the Scion of the Meurdac family as he prepares to jump straight into the horde to exterminate them all. Sadly for him however, it just wasn't meant to be.

"And monstrous indeed they are!" Suddenly agreed Ricardo as he barrel through the horde of rats in front of the redhead, surprising both Alan and the horde at the same time. The Headguard is using the strapped buckler on his left arm to pick and then throw simultaneously all of the rats into the canal river beside all of you with only one, mighty swing. Laughing uproariously all the way. "But don't you worry Char! My foul mouthed companion. Together, we shall reach our goal, very much untouched!"

Char, in response, can only stare incredulously at the old soldier with his mouth gaping wide open. Having just been given a brief reprieve from the large vermins surrounding him as they look for openings being made. The Feline Beastkin is seemingly can't believe what he had just been hearing. It only took a moment however, for Char to angrily yell what it is inside his mind as he shows off the current state of his right arm with his left. Revealing a bloodied limb that had just been used as a chew toy.

"Are you fucking kidding me, you damn old geezer!? We had just been fucking ambushed, and had suffered injuries already. By the Gods above, there's one of the fucking thing gnawing on your neck right now!!"

Blinking, Ricardo then turned his neck to look at what is behind his head, where he was then being greeted by the sight of what Char had just described; A giant rat gnawing on his neck.

Rather than appearing upset, the Headguard's face instead brightens, and before the rat could even react, Ricardo had already reached for it and crushes it's skull with a single hand and a smile. After he had tossed it's bloody remains to the ground, you can see how he hadn't suffered even a single scratch from the experience. "Aha! It is indeed so! Thank you for bringing this to my attention my friend, but T'is not a problem. Mere beast could never dream to match my sheer fortitude."

"How!?"

"By doing what everyone else does, of course! By willing yourself to not get hurt, Very strongly."

"That doesn't make any fucking SENSE!!" Yelled Char in the end of his sentence as he spin-kicked a rat that thought it had caught the Beastkin off guard from behind. "Also, why are there so many of them!? Aren't you guys supposed to deal with this kind of shit!?"

His question, was then tried to be anwered by Cobe. Who doesn't seem to hold a grudge after almost being choked by him. Though it doesn't seem to be appreciated very much.

"Yes." The bluenette answered as he dodges to the side a splash sounding attack from his assailant. "Us Assistants and Guards often comes down here in turns to thin up the-" "GRAH!!" "Sweet Altaria!? Watch where you throw that rat, Char!"

"Like I fucking care!!" Char angrily responded as he continues to fight off the three remaining rats that is persistently attacking him from all sides. "There are still too damn many of them running around! You fuckers clearly does a piss poor job with the place, and what the fuck is that thing you are fighting!?"

"I don't know, a Water Spirit?" You sarcastically answered the Beastkin as you unleashed a pair of Dark Blast upon your target. Where you are immediately was then rewarded with it's gurgling cry of pain.

You, Cobe, and Sonia wasn't just sitting by being idle when the others are being busy. No, the three of you are dealing with a much rarer and a much more annoying problem that had emerged literally seconds after the rats, one that seemingly had just chased after the skittering creatures; a Water Elemental.


Body entirely made out of dirty liquid, the will of water made manifest then appears to become more and more agitated in response to your attack that had just destabilize it's being for no matter how short. Once it had collected it's bearings however, it then immediately releases a multitude pressurized blast of murky water upon your entire group. Barely giving you all a chance to react.

You avoided the fate of swallowing any of that disease infested water by creating a cover for yourself with magic. A dark shielding that appears by leaving your mana behind the path that your arm had taken in the air. One that will resist any attempt on moving it for a few second without a strong enough force, and while this Elemental is indeed strong, it isn't strong enough to breach your well prepared shield in an instant. Not when most of it's attention is being taken to handle Sonia.

Beside you, Cobe is winching at your words as he narrowly ducks a stream of water being aimed at him. Having just enough speed to barely maneuver over the rampaging barrage of water based attacks.

"Zephyr wouldn't be happy if he hears that." Said the Wolf Beastkin as he darts in to take a quick nick to the Elemental with his ice claws before swiftly retreating. Which seems to only have a minimal effect. "Spirits doesn't like when they are being compared to Elementals."

"Yes, I know." You admited to Cobe's dismay.

"Of course you are. The two of you need to get along already. It's been months."

"Maybe in a few years."

"Vecna." Groaned the blunette helplessly to your internal pleasure. Though maybe you are being a bit too comfortable as the second Adept in your group is starting to get annoyed.

"You two, don't get distracted!" Shouted Observator Sonia as she froze off one of the Elemental's 'limb' that had just tried to smash her head off of her shoulder. The Mind Diver is currently proving how she is just as capable in a fight as she is in inspecting people's mind; by battling the Elemental in a close quarter.

Honestly, it is quite an eye opener for you. Back in Varon, most Mages will be content to just blast away every opposition in a distance with an overwhelming firepower, and while you had seen something similar in Elisen and Alan, neither of them had displayed the sheer skill of what Sonia is currently doing.

Even as you are wordlessly jerked to action along with Cobe to assist her, the female Observator is fending off all of the assault againts her with nothing but the slightest movement of her body. A twirl, a side step, a flip. All is being done as if she is just following some kind of current to safety, and among all of that, she always did makes sure to freeze over the bits and pieces of the literal galons of water that is being whipped around her with a smooth swipe of her hand. Slowly depleting the Elemental's mass as if she is a whirlpool of cold that is sucking the being to it's eventual demise.

You can't just simply stand there and take it all in however. All of you had a job to do and the longer did you take your time here, the greater the chance of operation's failure will be. Patience is simply not an option. A fact which one of your teammates seems to share, albeit seemingly not for the exact same reason.

"Enough." Declared Alan as he took a stance for a wide swing, his sword now properly ablaze with flames. "Get out of the way." He ordered, barely giving Char the time to jump over to the ceiling for safety, and just like that, it's over for the giant rats.

With a heave of effort, the redhead had instantly entered the rodents area of vicinity with only a single giant step. They tried to attack him then, but by then Alan had already swinged his sword in a wide, circular arc. Doing it several time in order to not let anything to get away from the wrath of his blade. Slashing and burning everything in his path without mercy. Creating a whirlwind of fire and death for the rodents.

Battle Check: Giant Rat Horde
10(Nat 1) + 54(Ricardo) + 14(Alan) + 15(Char)
Vs
15 +10 +10 +10 +10
=83 Vs 55
Success! Giant Rat Horde is slaughtered

Ricardo, Alan, and Char each received 1 Wound due to a Nat 1

Ricardo's Trait activates. He negates 1 Wound being inflicted on him

Alan, and Char is at 3 Health

There might be a conversation that happens immediately after that between an angry Char, an unsympathetic Alan, and a joyous Ricardo, but you simply just can't hear it as you are also in the middle of finishing up your foe. With Sonia being the main attacker as it is logical.

You mainly serve as the one providing the cover fire for Cobe, and Sonia. While darkness is also effective, ice will hurt the Elemental more and killing it faster when you are surrounded by water like this. You take it in the likeness between an injury and being poisoned.

To your knowledge, an Elemental, and thus Spirits by association, are annoying to deal with because they don't really have any solid body for people to attack them with. Even an Earth Elemental will just reforms it's body from the surrounding rubble when they are destroyed. To properly kill them, you will need to reduce them effectively to nothingness. Extinguish every cinder, turn every drop to fumes, crumble every rock into dust, and scatter every single gust to the four cardinal direction. Destroy their vessel completely to the point where every single piece of their divided self doesn't even have enough mana to gather and build up another body for them to inhabit. Do so, and their remaining mana will soon be then taken back by Altaria. Finally killing them for good.

Those two are doing something similar. By freezing the waters, not only did they poisoned the Elemental's essence with the cold from their magic, they are also essentially infusing their own mana into forming the ice. Preventing it from using those frozen parts anytime soon, and while it can use the waters from the canal, it is only a stopgap at most. Sooner or later, it will eventually run out of mana to even form itself as it needs to continuously expel those foreign mana that are harmful to it's being.

Given time, it could definitely recover, but Sonia wouldn't give it even a single chance.

In a place with a very poor lighting like this, it is very easy for you to notice how the pale haired observator is doing something different. It starts with a glow from her hands and feet, and before you can even wonder what it is she is doing, Sonia had already created multiple circles of wards both on the ground and on the air in the middle of her deadly dance. Wards that by looks alone you could already tell contains a great amount of mana.

The Elemental doesn't seem to understand what they all actually are however. Only avoiding them as it continues it's agitated pursuit over the Ice Mage. A decision which will soon prove to be fatal.

"Time for you to kick the bucket, pal!" Declared Sonia as she took a large leap backwards, and with a snap of her fingers, all of the wards she had made exploded.

Cold! Is your first thought upon witnessing the aftermath. Even in the distance that you are in, your body could still feel just how cold the blast that Sonia had just created. For a moment, all that you could see behind the arms that you had brought up to shield your face are only the whiteness of the ice cold mist, but soon enough they dissipate by themself. Revealing the completely frozen form of the Water Elemental. In a pose that depicted it's last desperate struggle to escape.

A crack formed, and then it shudders.

You immediately let loose a Dark Blast upon it's center mass, shattering it into several large pieces. From behind it, you could see Cobe who had reacted even faster than you are to even be able to get himself over there, and in an instant, he wildly spins his claws around those pieces, shattering them even more and scattering them away from one another with the wind he had created from the force of his arms.

The Blunette stilled for a few seconds then, waiting, and then relaxes. Figuring he hadn't sensed any further movement, you followed his example. Lowering your arms from their battle ready position along with letting out a long fatigued sigh from your mouth.

Battle Check: Water Elemental
22 + 34(Sonia) + 18(Vecna) + 12(Cobe)
Vs
29 + 55
=86 Vs 84
Success! Water Elemental is frozen to pieces

Vecna is at 6 Health

Cobe, and Sonia is at 4 Health

"That could have gotten worse." Mused Cobe as he looked around the damaged state of the surrounding area. "I hope the sound of water will be enough to mask it all out."

"On that, I would have to agree." You said to him as you put your breathing into order. Body still feeling quite chilly after everything. "I never knew the sewer would be this....lively."

"It usually wasn't." Ominously said Sonia from behind you. Turning around, you can see she is being accompanied by Alan and the others. The three seemingly had just approaced.

"Indeed it wasn't." Agreed Ricardo with a grim look on his face. "It is only in time most dire did the rats had ever become that bold. When their number had reached it's peak, and when their meal had become scarce. Yet, there are only so few of them, and fewer more are just skin and bones. Something had spurred these creatures to go out for blood."

"Boil?" Asked Alan with a barely noticeable concern, but the Adepts then shakes their head in a negative with Sonia then explaining the situation further.

"We can't know for certain until we brought their remains back to the Tower. Something which we can't do at the moment. For now, all that mattered is to continue our mission."

"Then let's fucking go already!" Yelled Char as he makes his way deeper into the sewer. Already on the limit of his patience. "We need to get to the fucker now! We can't waste anymore time daddling here."

All of you watched as he disappeared into the darkness of the sewer, and with a single glance to one another, all of you then followed.



"A lookout?" Said Cobe with a frown as he lay himself spread againts the floor in order to not be seen by around a dozen figure who are currently staking out the area below you with only a campfire for comfort. Crouching beside him, you can barely see that he is clenching his fist tightly at the sight. "Then is this place?"

"It better be." Spat Char as he glared at the same scene that his fellow Beastkin is watching. Teeth grinding to one another audibly. He looks to be extremely agitated and you couldn't exactly blame him. After all, you too, are feeling very irritated as well.

It has been around an hour after the encounter with the Elemental and the rats. Ever since then, your group has been combing through for every nook and cranny of this sewer, never meeting any opposition as great as the first, though also never meeting any sign of people's habitation. Something that makes every single member of the group quite restless.

This is the first indication after traversing so long in this damnable place that truly points out how the drug supplier had really put a residence down here, and not just all of you having being led into a wild goose chase with a very uncomfortable breathing mask for hours.

Frankly, if you didn't already want to kill the bastard before, now you do.

"It seems so." Answered Sonia after a quick look from a map that she had been given earlier at the meeting. "That tunnel behind them leads to one of the many supply room of the sewer. Very isolated, and very spacious if they get rid of stuff in there. I count only two other path that will lead there beside this one. Isaac's kid, call console and tell them about the situation."

Alan narrowed his eyes, but beside a single nod, he only carefully walks away to do exactly as he is told. "Understood."

The redhead only goes to a stand somewhere a few meters away however, and most importantly, still visible to all of you. The sewer is still full of danger after all, and he only needs some distance in order to speak clearly to his communication crystal.

Watching this from the side, Ricardo let's out a single grunt while rolling his shoulder. Face pensive. "Now, all that's left is figuring out our method of attack. While blunt, I am confident a direct confrontation will result in our victory."

"I much prefer this to be done covertly honestly." Replied Sonia. Frowning in concentration. "Our man doesn't seem to be aware of us as of yet, and I rather keep it that way."

"Fucking how, auntie?" Said Char with a roll of his eyes, though he then winched when the Mind Diver then gave him a glare. With the somehow not in confinement Beastkin quickly scrambling for a save. "I, I mean. Weren't there only two other paths beside this? Think no one would be there?"

"No." Drawled Sonia. A bit displeased. She then continued her words while eyeing down the canal which also leads to the tunnel. "I am thinking something a lot dirtier."

"You mean....by going below the water?" You said in horror. Face turning left and right desperate for a counter argument. "Wouldn't, wouldn't Sir Bevis be bothered by that? The water will drag his armor down."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Iza." Said Ricardo, momentarily lifting you up before pulling the rug under you with his next couple choice of words. "But you don't need to worry yourself further. My armor had never been a burden upon myself, and it never shall. If we are going to brave these foul depths, then so be it."

That's not it! You thought as you hang your head in dismay. In the middle of your deppression however, Alan returned. Bringing with him news of the overall situation.

"They received the message and are leading the others to the other paths. The traveling pilgrim also hasn't been disturbed, and we are told to proceed as we deemed fit. Is there any change to the lookout?"

"No." Answered Cobe as he squint his eyes to see better in a distance. "Though they do seemed a little restless."

A short discussion then followed with all of you then decided to...

[ ] Blitz them
[ ] Take a dive
[ ] Write-In