A/N: Changes have been made to the quest!
- The Agility sub-stat Armor Rating has been changed to Dodge Chance. It functions in the same manner as the previous stat.
- Armor Rating is now a standalone stat that can only be affected by equipment or skills. It now works as a damage reduction stat rather than a contested chance to hit.
[X] Plan NaanContributor.
Vit +13. Str +5. Agi +4. Int +3.
[Pending] Con +10. Spi +5.
Green Ostrid Lv: 2 → Lv: 3.
Summons a Lv 15 Green Ostrid.
Hp +40 (150).
Mp +15 (70).
Agi +20 (50).
Air Power & Air Resistance +20 (50%).
Mach Kick: 2d4 → 2d6 Air Damage. Agi Steal +1 (4).
Cooldown -1 (3).
New Skill!
Air Cutter: 1d6 Air - Magical (Crit 1.5x)
Inflicts one rank of Bleeding status.
Cost: 3 ap | Cooldown: 2 rounds.
Iron Crackrock Lv: 2 → Lv: 3.
Summons a Lv 20 Iron Crackrock.
Hp +40 (200).
Mp +10 (30).
Str +17 (60)
Earth Power +12 (45%)
Resistance to all elements +2 (25%)
Crusher: 2d10 → 3d10 Earth Damage.
Cooldown -1 (3).
New Skill!
Earths Embrace.
The unit burrows underground for up to 3 rounds.
Recovers 1d20 hp a round while burrowed.
Cost: 4 ap | Cooldown: 6 turns.
Animal Vigor Lv: 1 → Lv: 2
Target: +20 Vit → +40 Vit.
Target Summon: +100 Vit --> 200 Vit.
--==+++==--
Adventurer Quest
Arc 1: A New Frontier
Chapter 12
--==+++==--
Day 278 of the Year 290 AW.
Early Evening.
Weather: Overcast.
[X] Assault the nest.
The closer you approach to the Scarab Nest, the more you feel your theory regarding other adventurers is correct. From a distance, the Scarab Hill looks like any other mountain of dirt and debris. It is only as you get closer that you are able to spy the signs of battle. Night has fallen by the time the three of you reach the nest proper but with the light of the rising moon, you are able to just barely spy the various battle scars and the like decorating the hillside. Areas of damage that the Worker Scarabs were likely attempting to patch up before your brazen assault into their territory.
A few craters mark the side of the hill that you approach from. Each looking like it was created by the titanic impact of some great weapon or spell. A single, circular scar of blackened earth marks where fire, or perhaps a bolt of lightning, was used. A long, thin fissure runs along the side of the hill where the earth has been sundered apart by some form of magic. There are multiple, discolored patches from where great quantities of blood has been shed. Be it from the Scarabs or the adventurers, you do not know.
The three of you take this in as you steadily advance up the side of the hill. Sen is far too excited to care about any of the damage or the cause. Cadmus has a slight frown but the Avian chooses to say nothing as he proceeds up behind the Lizardman. You, in turn, are far too inexperienced in these matters to garner any information from the battle damage. You can only follow along above the other two and trust that one of them will mention something if it becomes relevant.
The hike up to the top of the Scarab Nest goes uninterrupted. The Scarabs that you spied earlier have either already died to your party or retreated into the nest. Leaving the way clear for your party to climb up the hill and drop down into the tunnels of the nest. Due to the darkness, you can see no more than a handful of meters into the nest. All there is, is a yawning pit of blackness with no sign of how deep it stretches.
Sen leads the way in, of course. The bulky Lizardman doesn't even hesitate upon looking into the pit. He simply sends your descending form a toothy grin before jumping into the dark pit. The last you see of him, is him sinking a clawed hand into the soft wall in order to slow his descent. Then the darkness swallows him up and you only have the soft sound of crumbling dirt to track his progress.
Cadmus is next into the hole. The Air Mage simply casts a spell of some sort on himself before dropping in. He falls slowly. As if gravity has no pull on him, the Avian slowly descends into the dark pit like a leaf on the wind. You land on the side of the pit just as he vanishes into the darkness, making no sound for you to use to track him. The sound of Sen sliding down has faded by now. Either the Lizardman has reached the bottom already or the pit descends far beyond the range of your auditory senses.
Having no choice but to follow, you take a step off the edge and fall feet first into the pit.
You fall perhaps a dozen feet before your momentum suddenly cancels out and you begin to slowly float down. The effect is similar to Cadmus' method except rather than a spell, this is your innate ability at work. Your wings are primarily for control and steering after all, it's your innate magic as an Angel that allows your flight. As the walls of the tunnel are far too close for you to glide down as usual, you have to keep your wings tucked in and use your magic to float yourself down.
You make good time catching up to Cadmus. A faint aura of pale green light surrounding his body allows you to see him in the darkness, you don't think you would have noticed it if it wasn't so dark right now. The two of you float down in silence, eyes peeled for any sign of the ground. The pit seems to lead deep into the ground. After a point, you pass what must be the base of the hill but still the pit continued deeper and deeper. Minutes pass before you even catch sight of the ground. Sen is waiting patiently for the two of you there. The scaly Lizardman is intimidatingly illuminated by patches of florescent mushrooms growing on the walls and ceiling around him. The fungi glows with a faint blue light, providing just enough illumination for you to see a few feet into the long tunnel the pit connects to.
Cadmus lands seconds before you do but just as your feet touch the ground, you feel a wave of something wash over you. It's similar to when you entered the bank this morning. Except rather than feeling like you've just entered a warm, comfortable room after some time in the cold, you feel like you just passed too close to a roaring fire. Similar but entirely different
"What was that?" You ask quietly, trying to peer down the dark tunnel. Only now do you notice that Sen has his weapon out and has been frowning the entire time.
Cadmus makes a quick circuit of the area, even jumping up a number of meters before slowly descending again. It is only after his third time doing this that he answers.
"Hmm.. far too weak a reaction to be fully grown
~hoo.." The Avian Mage mutters to himself before turning to fix you both with a serious look. There is a slight, downwards dip to his beak. "It appears
~hoo that we have discovered a Field Dungeon."
[Dungeoneering Check: 10 + 1 = 11. Minor Success]
You frown in a mix of uncertainty and trepidation. You have no idea what a Field Dungeon is but given what you do know of Dungeons, this cannot be good. You only know the basics that everyone is taught but even that is enough to tell you that this is probably bad news.
As you know it, Dungeons are semi naturally occurring pockets of warped space that can be found almost anywhere on the continent. They appear randomly and warp an area of space into a pocket dimension of sorts full of monsters and traps. Not only do monsters appear inside a Dungeon, even if there were no monsters in the area beforehand, but those same monsters are far stronger than their natural counterparts. In turn, gold coins, articles of enchanted equipment and various sorts of treasure will also appear inside the Dungeon. These are said to be bait, as Dungeons have a need to draw in adventurers and treasure seekers. There has been no instance of a Dungeon being discovered in the wild. Only after the establishment of a village, town or some other form of civilization will a Dungeon appear in the surrounding area. Some Dungeons have even appeared in the middle of a thriving city.
This is somewhat fortuitous as left unattended, a Dungeon will grow larger and larger until the pocket dimension can no longer contain it and it spills out into the real world. Often to detrimental effect. The only way to prevent this is for adventurers to battle their way to the deepest reaches of the Dungeon and either destroy or conquer its core. Not an easy task as a Dungeon is also home to a singular, powerful existence known as a Boss Monster. These Bosses live in the deepest reaches of the Dungeon and serve to protect the core. If a Dungeon grows large enough, it can even elevate one or more ordinary Dungeon Monsters into an elite unit known as a Miniboss.
Still, if adventurers manage to brave all these obstacles and reach the core, they can choose to destroy the Dungeon entirely or conquer it. Destroying the core will collapse the Dungeon dimension and drop all living beings outside. It will also provide a tremendous amount of xp to the responsible parties. Conquering, in turn, involves a single adventurer laying claim to the Dungeon and subsuming whatever intelligence was originally in control. This will completely halt the growth of the Dungeon yet monsters, bosses included, and treasure will continue to spawn over a period of time depending on the size of the Dungeon. Most Dungeons you know of have already been Conquered by one guild or another. These guilds use the conquered Dungeons as training areas for their weaker members, sources of treasure or resources, or as a source of revenue by charging other adventurers a fee to enter the Dungeon.
Still, what that has to do with this Scarab Nest, you're not sure.
Likely spying the look on your face, and perhaps a mirrored one on Sens, Cadmus deigns to explain.
"It is nothing too troubling." He says, which helps to calm your nerves somewhat. "Field Dungeons
~hoo, are Dungeons that have yet to fully form. Somewhere in this nest, likely in the Queen's chamber, there is a Dungeon Core that has not yet matured
~hoo. A few more days, maybe a week, and it will be complete."
You nod in understanding. A fully mature Dungeon Core, you extrapolate, is likely the cause of a true Dungeon then. Still...
"What does that mean for us?" You ask, still peering into the dark tunnel. "What's the difference?"
Cadmus coos and brings his free hand up to scratch his chin. An action you have come to recognize as a sign of him thinking.
"Well," he replies after a few seconds. "there are a number of differences between the two. When a Dungeon fully matures
~hoo, any naturally occurring monsters within will gain a significant increase in power. As our previous battles will attest
~hoo, the Scarabs here are still well within the expected limits."
You nod and he continues.
"We might still encounter treasure
~hoo, but nothing so great as what we would find in a matured Dungeon. We may also be lucky enough to come across a rest area
~hoo, if any have already appeared then we can make camp without worrying about a monster attack." He pauses, frowning at the next words. "Unfortunately, what experience we would gain from defeating monsters will instead go to the core
~hoo. Should we defeat whatever serves as the boss, likely the Scarab Queen, then we will get all the experience points we are owed and then some. Should we perish
~hoo or leave the Dungeon at any time, that experience will go to the core. Likely speeding its maturity up."
"Is that everything?" You ask when it doesn't appear like he'll be continuing. He frowns, thinking, before perking up as he remembers something.
"Ah, yes. Field Dungeons cannot be conquered, only destroyed
~hoo." He explains with a nod. "The Scarabs will try vehemently to prevent this. A fully formed Dungeon is a great boon for the monsters within
~hoo. Not only will the core completely supplant their need for food by sustaining them with its magic but through defeating adventurers and expanding the Dungeon
~hoo, the Dungeon Monsters can achieve a rapid growth in power. Some can even be chosen to evolve into an elite unit should the Dungeon grow strong enough. They will guard this growing Core to the last Scarab
~hoo."
You nod. Considering the points he's brought up, you can only shrug really.
"Right. Well, we're already here and not much has changed. We might as well proceed." You reply. You're already inside the nest and the three of you came ready to deal with monsters stronger than the norm anyways. They won't be Dungeon strong sure but with the setting of the sun, these monsters will be far stronger than usual. Also you're only here to gather resources, nothing says you have to assault the Queen or her chamber. Not even the potential loss of xp will be worth the danger if things take a turn for the worse.
Sen grins and releases a bone rattling chuckle. Hefting his weapon, the Lizardman plods ahead into the darkness. Cadmus nods and follows, his staff thudding along with each step. You sigh and bring up the rear.
This is going to be a long night.
--==+++==--
Squinting into the dark, you try to make out the form of any of the approaching figures. You see nothing. You can hear them coming though. The sound of armored feet marching along fills the entire tunnel and sends shivers down your spine. A moment passes. Then two. Finally, from the distant darkness, the first figure plods around a partially buried boulder and enters the dim circle of light cast by the glowing fungus.
One after the other, Scarab Soldiers of every color march into the dim light. There are six total, two of the green and two of the red varieties. The creatures stand three abreast, one line in front of the other, and are marching in perfect step. Behind them all is a White Scarab of monolithic size. Even on all fours, the creature is almost as tall as Sen and twice as wide. This is the Scarab Knight, the final defense of the nest and one of the personal guards to the Scarab Queen.
It says quite a lot about the damage previously sustained by the hive that a Knight would be so far from the Queen's chamber. According to Cadmus at least.
The seven Scarabs continue marching forward for a number steps before suddenly stopping. Your heart is pounding in your chest but thankfully, it seems that they are still far enough away that they can't sense you with their feelers. So long as you don't make any disruptive movements at least. Instead, the creatures seem concerned with why the steady -thudthud, thudthud- of their marching has turned into a -squishsquish, squishsquish-. The Knight pokes at the soft, wet ground before chittering in annoyance. Likely some Workers will be disciplined for being lax in their repairs. The tunnel will need to be inspected and then reinforced to deal with any water leaks.
That would be the case at least, if these Scarabs weren't already doomed.
Just as the Scarabs resume their march, you feel Cadmus step past you with his staff held aloft and a whispered chant on his lips. You begin your own Chant just as the Avian finishes his own.
『Gale! Gale!』The Avian calls out, the crystal tip of his staff lighting up.
One after the other, two walls of solid looking air launch from his staff and blast across the distance. The Scarabs react quickly, far quicker than you expect of them, but the thick, sticky mud they've marched into keeps them from dodging the attack. With a loud bang, both walls of wind slam into the pair of Green Scarab Soldiers standing in front. The two creatures are blasted backwards, sent crashing into the Scarabs behind them. The four creatures release pained cries as they're knocked to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Cadmus takes the moment of surprise and distraction to retreat back into the darkness.
Standing and rushing forward past the retreating Avian, you lash out with your whip in a tight, cracking movement.
『Flame Whip!』
The flame wreathed weapon scores a red mark across the shell of the single Blue Scarab Soldier. The damage is minor but the creature still backs up in panic, further entangling the mob of monsters together. Seeing this, the Scarab Knight releases a keening chirp of command. The creature tries to advance forward while reorganizing its troops, only for the boulder the creatures passed by to uncurl into the titanic form of your Iron Crackrock.
Pulling its half-burrowed form out of the ground, the Crackrock easily advances through your deployed Quagmire and brings it fists down in a powerful blow across the Knight's back. The impact is loud, the entire tunnel shaking as the Knight is slammed into the ground. The creature cries out in pain, causing half the recovered Scarabs to turn towards the Crackrock at their back.
It's at this point that the mud covered form of Sen explodes up from the Quagmire, his entire form wreathed in a glowing red aura. A dark green aura surrounds the blade of his weapon, leaving a trail of light as he swings wildly into the mob of creatures. Blood and limbs fly as Sen lays into the creatures with a cackling laugh. Someone is certainly excited to finally start fighting.
The mob of monsters disorganized, Cadmus returns to the battle with a chant on his lips. Smirking at the success of your ambush, you begin your own chant while commanding the Crackrock to continue its attack.
--==+++==--
+15 Scarab Antenna.
+17 Scarab Shell.
+14 Scarab Wing.
--==+++==--
"Well, that was certainly exhilarating
~hoo." Cadmus sighs, collapsing to the ground once the last Scarab has been defeated. Even with the benefit of surprise, that battle was difficult. These Scarabs were far more durable than the weaker Scarabs you dealt with in the Swamp.
Sen laughs as he marches over, looking quite satisfied with the battle.
"Good fight. Sssen had fun." The Lizardman announces, battleaxe slung over his shoulder. "Look for more?"
You nod.
"Yeah, we can certainly handle a few more groups like this but it's getting late." You reply. This is the fifth Scarab mob you've ambushed in the tunnel, it's quite a bit into the night now. You're not sure how much longer you can continue at this pace. "Any chance of a safe area in here?"
Cadmus frowns and stands. A wave of his staff sends a gust of wind blowing through the tunnel. The Avian closes his eyes in deep thought. You and Sen remain quiet while waiting, having already experienced this. A few seconds pass before his eyes open and he nods.
"I sense a fork in the path ahead
~hoo. One leads to small chamber with what feels like a warding effect to keep monsters away. The other
~hoo seems to lead deeper into the nest. I believe we are almost to the end" The Avian reports, turning to you. "What shall we do?"
You frown, thinking. At this point, you've certainly hunted enough Scarabs to gather the resources you all need. You can leave with no regrets, except for the experience points stored within the maturing core. If you do that, you gain will lose them all and gain no experience from this assault. There is also a chance the Nest will fully evolve into a Dungeon due to it. On the other hand, you can rest in the safe zone and continue after some rest. No new monsters should spawn while you are resting thanks to the magic of the forming Dungeon.
What will you do?
[] Leave the Nest.
[] Continue deeper.
[] Rest in the Safe Zone (6 to 8 hrs).
[] Write in.
--==+++==--
Voting is Still Open.
