[X] Go and bring Aaron with you to rejoin with the rest of team 8. Attacking every Beastkin that approaches with Dark Grasp. Once you met back with them then act strictly as support, giving covering fire for the rest of your teammates when they are in danger.
-[X] Try to avoid causing fatal wounds.
As someone said, we should do our job instead of going somewhere else when we are on duty and practically a new recruit.
Not sure if this is a good idea. If this fails, someone will remember this event or the records will be saved somewhere else the mages of the Tower will decide that there is a traitor in their ranks. Of course, this is not a very high chance, but it can be disastrous.
That will only happen if you rolled a Crit Failure in the action. Vecna has 2 Months in doing this, so she has many chances of doing it discreetly when she is on the console duty or when there's no one around. Normal failure will usually be Vecna not founding a good time of doing the action.
I'll also drop this here incase people are wondering. The stuff about the city blowing up is just Vecna exaggerating the problem because she is concerned about her Sister. That will only happen if it's a a Relic Grade that was being messed around. A Legacy Grade will at MOST, as in the strongest one, only destroy a couple of streets.
I will close the vote in a 3-4 hours. There's only 1 Plan at the moment and it has 4 Votes.
[X] Go and bring Aaron with you to rejoin with the rest of team 8. Attacking every Beastkin that approaches with Dark Grasp. Once you met back with them then act strictly as support, giving covering fire for the rest of your teammates when they are in danger.
-[X] Try to avoid causing fatal wounds.
That will only happen if you rolled a Crit Failure in the action. Vecna has 2 Months in doing this, so she has many chances of doing it discreetly when she is on the console duty or when there's no one around. Normal failure will usually be Vecna not founding a good time of doing the action.
Yes, but looking at this turn, this is exactly what I fear. I don't think our chances of extricating ourselves from such a mess are high.
In fact, for Vecna, the attack happened at a very opportune time. Since less than a day has elapsed between Lily's death and the attack, people are more likely to assume that the events are related. It does not mean that we should not be careful, but our chances of avoiding detection have increased significantly from this event.
Scheduled vote count started by Black.Horus on Dec 19, 2021 at 8:56 AM, finished with 7 posts and 5 votes.
[X] Go and bring Aaron with you to rejoin with the rest of team 8. Attacking every Beastkin that approaches with Dark Grasp. Once you met back with them then act strictly as support, giving covering fire for the rest of your teammates when they are in danger.
-[X] Try to avoid causing fatal wounds.
In fact, for Vecna, the attack happened at a very opportune time. Since less than a day has elapsed between Lily's death and the attack, people are more likely to assume that the events are related. It does not mean that we should not be careful, but our chances of avoiding detection have increased significantly from this event.
We could abandon the idea of carrying out necromancy research on the corpse of the acolyte and just try to use the body in a way that keeps suspicion away from us... but it should be done with care if we decide to go that route.
We could abandon the idea of carrying out necromancy research on the corpse of the acolyte and just try to use the body in a way that keeps suspicion away from us... but it should be done with care if we decide to go that route.
[X] Go and bring Aaron with you to rejoin with the rest of team 8. Attacking every Beastkin that approaches with Dark Grasp. Once you met back with them then act strictly as support, giving covering fire for the rest of your teammates when they are in danger.
-[X] Try to avoid causing fatal wounds.
"Let's go back to the others." You said to Aaron. Already moving away to do exactly what you had just said. The Karrion Mage response is to chuckle at your words before swiftly following.
"What else will it be?" And with that, both of you are off. Fearlessly entering the Plaza's chaotic melee in order to meet up with the rest of your teammates, and encountering your next maddened Beastkins soon after.
There are 6 of them, 5 Male and 1 Female. All busy either trying to intimidate each other or chasing after panicking Non-Beastkins. From their clothes they seemed to be just ordinary civilains before all this, but to your eyes they only serve as an annoyingly brittle obstacles for you to move pass through.
In fact, there's far too many of them around for your liking. Judging by what Aaron's next words to you are, he is also inclined to agree.
"I'll take the two on the right, you the left, and then we handle the rest!?" Shouted the Earth Mage while tilting his body downwards as he ran just beside you. The ground he touches with his hand then immediately turning into streams of sand that travels up his arm. The sand spinning dangerously fast all the while.
You don't bother to give him a reply. Your actions of attacking the assigned target on the left with Dark Grasp answered it all for you.
The Beastkins reactions to the two of you are slow. They not noticing how they are being attacked before it is all too late. A gaping maw of literal darkness and a blast of glittering golden sands having no troubles whatsoever in hitting two of their number, and before the other four could do anything, another volley of the same magic from both you and Aaron had already claimed another two. Leaving a single pair of angrily snarling Beastkins as the only remaining threat still standing.
You began to charge for another magical attack on your non injured hand, as the last pair had apparantly gained a little bit of confidence boost seeing by how they are doing a straight up mad dash at you. Rapidly closing in the distance between you and them. Before you released it however, something had happened to caught your interest and it is the state of those who had been hit by the Sandmancer.
They were now fast asleep. You presume due to a curse that Aaron had somehow dealt to them. You don't know how he had done that however as he is nowhere near the two to cast one properly, and the notion of him already having some of their body parts to use as a focus is just too ridiculous to consider. Not to mention with Slumber which is already a fairly difficult curse to begin with. Did he somehow used his sand to help him do it?
The effects on the ones being hit by your Dark Grasp however, is pretty normal, and somewhat to be expected. That being, the Beastkins screeching in pain the moment their upper bodies had been engulfed by your dark magic. Not even a painful slam to the ground is enough to stop their screams from continuing. They may thrash around however much they want, but the darkness now hungered for their flesh, and will never let them go that easily. Binding them to the ground as if they are being cocooned by a particularly lively set of black spider webs.
Though, you seemed to have distracted yourself a little bit too much this time as the last pair had finally come close to you then. From this distance, you can clearly see how one of them are a middle aged man with tiger part's while the other is a teenage brown cat girl.
The first, landed himself right in front of you after a particularly impressive leap on his part. Roaring ferociously while trying to rip your face into shreds. It is then, did you release the magic that you had been holding onto him. Which the man then had somehow avoided by suddenly bending himself 180° backwards with a snarl before retreating even further by taking a couple of steps back from you.
You quickly try to smash his face in with another dose of Dark Grasp before he could get away, which is a fatal error on your part. The cat girl that that you had forgotten then seems to find your back to be a nice looking perch for her to land her feet on. Though maybe it's a bad one as you can hear her hissing while she tried to claw your face off from your head.
"Get off me!" You angrily shouted to the feline as you moved yourself around trying to get rid of her from your body. An effort which you succeeded in doing. At a cost of making yourself open for a retaliatory strike from the tiger man.
"Gukh!?" "Miss Vecna!" You grunted in pain while hearing Aaron's concerned shout for you. The tiger man doesn't waste the opening that had been given and had immediately slashed your chest with his sharp dagger like claws before retreating yet again. An attack that would have been a lot more devastating if you weren't wearing a set of MTA uniform on you that had blocked the most out of the damage being given.
That's it! You thought to yourself while quickly charging for a twin Dark Grasp on each of your palms. Ignoring how it makes the wound on one of them ache and then immediately sending it after the two.
The tiger man wasn't able to dodge your attack this time around while the cat girl did, but she is now the one who had leave herself wide open by foolishly jumping high into the air. Voiding her maneuverability for a moment while she is airborn. A fact that you used to your fullest advantage by curving your magic at her with a twist on your arm and a little bit of effort on will. Adding a single higher note ladened with surprise and an extra to the melody of agony that was already playing in the air.
"You're a ruthless one aren't you Miss Vecna?" Noted Aaron while he observed the girl fall from the sky with a painful screech, both of you running pass the rest of the entrapped Beastkins in the meantime all the while watching them for any signs of them breaking free. "When you had said how you have a binding technique during one of the team meetings that we had, this isn't quite what I had imagined them to be. Just where had you learned this?"
"From Varon obviously." You replied with a grunt while tenderly touching your stomach. They were useful in subduing the targets of your experiment quickly if only for a moment before you knocked them out unconcious. Your teacher had said sometimes you will need a still breathing one to make progress. "They will get out of it soon enough. Let's move!"
"Of course, of course." Said Aaron before trailing down after you. You had somehow seemed to avoid the worst out of the melee, and your destination is now pretty close. Only requiring you to get past another set of enemies for you to reach it.
There's only four of them now. A much more manageable number than before, but for some reason Aaron is determined to be the one who will take them all in.
"How about I'll be the one who'll take the lead this time? Let me show myself off before we reunite with the rest?" Offers the Earth Mage with an inquisitive smile on his face. Sands already spinning like a drill on his left hand.
"Okay?" You don't know his exact reason for it, but if he want's to be the one to take the blows in case his curses failed to make them go to sleep then you let him have it.
Before any of you could do anything however, a single pair of Beastkins that you were facing then was suddenly being blown away by something. A shout from your leader's being enough to indicate who is the cause of it.
"Aaron! Miss Iza! Come here!" Ordered Elisen from the encirclement of Guards and MTA's as she draws for another arrow from her quiver. Zephyr turning itself corporeal briefly at her side to seemingly add a wind attribute to the arrow.
"Many thanks, Elisen!" Yelled Aaron with gratitude as he throws a batch of golden sand at the disoriented pair of Beastkin. Swiftly making them fell asleep while you are busy trying to kite in the other pair with multiple weak burst of Dark Blast to the ground around them. Making it easy for him to manipulate his sand to fall down onto them from the sky after he had send another batch of it right above their flailing heads.
"Are all of you alright?" Asked Elisen in concern as you and Aaron finally reaches the area they had been guarding, others making cover for the three of you to talk uninterrupted. There's a bit of a wound mark on the Elf's left side that had been healed, but aside from that she seems to be relatively untouched all things considered. She let out a sigh of relief when the both of you replied in negative, though a question that she had next does makes you want to raise an eyebrow. "Did any of you see Cobe?"
"I thought I saw him here?" You asked her in return. Ignoring how Zephyr is making faces in your direction.
"He was, but he then went on his own saying he found a suspect in the crowd. I want to chase after him, but these unfortunate people just keep on denying me the opportunity."
A suspect? Does Cobe means Char? "I think I know where he had gone off to."
"Truly? Then let us-" Said Elisen brightly before taking one closer look at your half mauled form that is full of scratches. "-Miss Iza, you are not alright! Hurry and go on inside. Sister Lynn might be occupied, but Dawn is not so. Please heal yourself first, before considering joining me. I can find Cobe all by my own and will depart shortly."
And with that being said, the Spirit user then ushered both you and Aaron to the area behind her. Confirming your suspicion of Phione being a lot less violance prone than Varon. She must have known you had already stopped the bleeding with your mana, which while it might not be getting better anytime soon, it would not get any worse either. Yet she still worry herself too much about it. An assault this overt inside the city must be practically unheard of to her.
You stay silent, and let yourself be pushed however. This is just another fact for you to use at a later date, and you do want to take a breather after fighting your way through almost a dozen of Beastkins.
Novice can only do Magic actions againts 2 targets in a single battle turn
Novice can only do Martial actions againts 4 targets in a single battle turn
Any actions being done after using these 6 will be a martial action with a malus
Once a character had supported somebody else a.k.a giving them half of their stats, then they will also share their action slots with that person. More stats will be shared if the relationship between the two is Four Star or Higher.
Also the supporter won't be randomly targeted for an attack. They will only be targeted if the attacker is specifically targeting them for some reason.
2 Errata has been made:
-Martial and Magic of 40% Battle Modifier does no longer apply
-Barrier in Vecna's Uniform is now called Armor instead of Barrier
Vecna and Aaron long distance Ambush!
Intrigue Clash:
12 (Nat 1) + 7 + 8 - 3 Vs 12 + 8 + 4 = 24 Vs 24
Vecna and Aaron Wins due to being a higher Class!
Vecna Attacks Beastkin 1 and 2
Beatkin 3 and 4 can Battle Vecna in Martial directly this turn due to Nat 1
Aaron Attacks Beastkin 5 and 6
Vecna used Dark Grasp on Beastkin 1 and 2
21 + 34 - 6 Vs 15 + 12 + 10 - 5 = 49 Vs 32
Vecna Wins! Dealing 1 Damage to B1 and B2
Beastkin 1 and 2 passed their turn in order to get out of Dark Grasp
10 + 12 + 10 Vs 49 = 32 Vs 49
Failure!
Beastkin 1 and 2 is at 1 Health and Trapped!
Aaron used Sleep Sand on Beastkin 5 and 6
32 + 35 - 20 - 3 Vs 9 + 12 + 15 - 5 = 44 Vs 31
Aaron Hits!
Sleep Sand is effecting Beastkin 5 and 6
44 Vs 15 + 6 + 9 + 10 (Mad)
= 44 Vs 40
Aaron wins! Beastkin 5 and 6 are asleep
Aaron had subdued Beastkin 5 and 6
Beastkin 3 and 4 battled Vecna!
Mad Claws Vs Dark Grasp
14 + 12 + 6 Vs 12 + 8 - 6 = 32 Vs 14
Beastkins Wins! Dealing 2 Damage to Vecna
Vecna's Armor reduced the damage to 1
Beastkin 1 and 2 passed their turn in order to get out of Dark Grasp
10 + 12 + 10 Vs 49 - 10 = 32 Vs 39
Failure!
Beastkin 1 and 2 are still trapped!
Vecna used Dark Grasp on Beastkin 3 and 4
16 + 34 Vs 14 + 12 + 6 = 50 Vs 32
Vecna Wins! Dealing 1 Damage to B3 and B4
Beastkin 3 and 4 passed their turn in order to get out of Dark Grasp
13 + 12 + 6 Vs 50 = 31 Vs 50
Failure!
Beastkin 3 and 4 is at 1 Health and Trapped!
Wave 1 ends! Vecna and Aaron continued onwards with 2 and 0 Wounds respectively
Second Enemy Wave!1d10
Roll = 4
4 Beginner Class Beastmen Approaches! They can attack immediately this turn
Vecna is assisting Aaron in battling Beastkin 7, 8, 9 and 10
The goal is within sight! Elisen had joined the battle
Elisen used Wind Shot on Beastkin 7 and 8
15 + 32 - 3 Vs 17 + 14 + 14 - 10 (Pinned) = 44 Vs 40
Elisen Wins! Her arrow had blasted Beastkin 7 and 8 while also disorienting them from being attacked from both the front and from behind
Beastkin 7 and 8 is at 1 Health
Aaron battled Beastkin 7 and 8
Sleep Sand Vs Mad Claws
10 + 35 + 17 (Vecna) - 20 - 3
Vs
18 + 14 + 14 - 10 (Disoriented)
= 39 Vs 36
Aaron wins! Beastkin 7 and 8 are asleep
Aaron battled Beastkin 9 and 10
Sleep Sand Vs Mad Claws
20 + 35 + 17 (Vecna) - 20 - 3
Vs
18 + 10 + 8
=49 Vs 36
Aaron wins! Beastkin 9 and 10 are asleep
Enemy waves are over
Vecna and Aaron had rejoined with team 8
"Aaron! Vecna! There you are!" Exclaimed Dawn in surprise and relief once she seen the both of you emerging from the line of defenders. Running up to you with Alan close behind her.
"Looks like you haven't died by wasting your time saving that girl, Aaron." Snided Alan with a fold of his arms. Which was then received in good humour by the Earth Mage.
"You know I won't kick the bucket that easily." Smiled Aaron with a wry expression before continuing. "Also, Miss Vecna can handle herself pretty well out there. Took out four Beginner Class on her own just fine."
Alan's response to that remark is to take one unimpressed look at your current pathetic state. Which the Sandmancer can't do anything about beside chuckling nervously while rubbing his cheek "I don't see it."
Dawn however, don't have any patience for any of this infuriating exchange of theirs.
"Now that is enough out of the two of you!" Rebuked the Light Mage with a scolding tone before turning towards you. "We don't have any time for all of this. Vecna, I can see your arm. Give it to me so that I can fix it."
You want to, but...."Wouldn't that take a while?"
"It will be faster than what the others can give, but yes it will. Why?"
"I don't need it then. I will be fine like this."
"Wha-? Why!?"
"I want to prove myself. Treat somebody else." You blandly said to her. Making the Healer splutter in incredulity at your words and prompting Alan to give you an ultimatum.
"You better soon decide how then." Uttered Alan while giving a side glance towards somewhere further into the safe zone. "Just like what Dawn had said earlier; This needs to stop, now. Everyone here also thought the same. The leading Observator, one Sonia Huberta, is going to leave soon with most of the battle ready combatants that we have and will start actively subduing the infected Beastkins as fast as possible. I will be joining them in this endeavor"
You turn over your gaze to the direction where he was looking at. Managing to see the unknown silver haired woman who you had seen earlier with Elisen and Dawn. She is commanding many of the MTA's and MTO's around and indeed will seems to be departing soon for battle.
"Dawn here meanwhile was going to support Kiera before the two of you arrived." Motioned the red head towards the Potioner who is still trying to persuade you to be healed. "If either of you want to stay here then better do so with the both of them."
You consider your options while giving him a nod of acknowledgement, and then decided to....
[ ] Accept Dawn's offer of being healed, and then fighting alongside her in defending the safe zone as support for Kiera.
[ ] Assist Elisen in her efforts to find Cobe. It's very unlikely for you to find him since he was long gone, but maybe you can find something in his trails?
[ ] Assist Observator Sonia in subjugating the rest of the Maddened Beastkins alongside Alan. This will be the hardest option, but it is the best chance for you to show others what you can really do.
I need to do a couple of rewrites on this one, but I finally managed to create one that I was satisfied with after cutting it down for a bit.
Also, congratulations! With Sonia here, you all had finally met with every single character that I had prepared for the tower. Any named ones after this will only be one offs barring a very specific circumstances.
[X] Assist Elisen in her efforts to find Cobe. It's very unlikely for you to find him since he was long gone, but maybe you can find something in his trails?
Damn it, Cobe! What were you thinking when you went there alone?
We should probably try to find him. He is Vecna's partner, and it would be unpleasant if something happened to him. In addition, this is how Vecna will show that she actually cares about her companions, even if she pretends that she is not so most of the time.
Besides, this is an opportunity to make a better impression on Elisen, which is quite important for our cover. She may have one of the highest chances of revealing us if she gets suspicious.
[X] Assist Elisen in her efforts to find Cobe. It's very unlikely for you to find him since he was long gone, but maybe you can find something in his trails?
I am worried that if we try to find Cobe we might be forced to use necromancy at some point, definitely outing us to Elisen, although that probably would only happen if we roll a nat 1, and i am also worried that Cobe might die
But we are shit at Intrigue, so we might not find Cobe if we look for him, although Elisen probably will.
At least the attack might serve as a reason to explain the dissapearance of that priestess, somehow
Fuck it, i am going to throw a two faced die that reaches 4 to decide, 1 for going with Elisen, 2 for Sonia.
[X] Assist Observator Sonia in subjugating the rest of the Maddened Beastkins alongside Alan. This will be the hardest option, but it is the best chance for you to show others what you can really do.
[X] Assist Elisen in her efforts to find Cobe. It's very unlikely for you to find him since he was long gone, but maybe you can find something in his trails?
[X] Assist Elisen in her efforts to find Cobe. It's very unlikely for you to find him since he was long gone, but maybe you can find something in his trails?
[X] Assist Elisen in her efforts to find Cobe. It's very unlikely for you to find him since he was long gone, but maybe you can find something in his trails?
Scheduled vote count started by Black.Horus on Dec 23, 2021 at 3:26 AM, finished with 7 posts and 6 votes.
[X] Assist Elisen in her efforts to find Cobe. It's very unlikely for you to find him since he was long gone, but maybe you can find something in his trails?
[X] Assist Observator Sonia in subjugating the rest of the Maddened Beastkins alongside Alan. This will be the hardest option, but it is the best chance for you to show others what you can really do.
It would be better for me to find Cobe. You thought to yourself after thinking about all the possibilities.
The one who you want to lower their guard the most in Team 8 is Elisen. Among the Five, she definitely will become one of your hardest obstacle in pursuing any further Necromantic advancement in the future what with Zephyr on her side at all times. At the very least, with this, you want to gave her a reason to not suspect you about what your real Profession is by getting close with her.
A possible chance to gain more intel on the Boil High's supplier also sounds intriguing.
"I will go with Miss Alberad." You indifferently said to the three before turning yourself around to find your chivalrous Elven leader. It just won't do for you to arrive late and then miss her, wouldn't you? Before you do so however, Dawn then takes a hold of one of your arm, stopping you in your tracks.
"Before you go and do something stupid." Uttered the brunette in consternation the moment you turn your gaze upon her. Next, she then began to quickly caress the areas where your injuries are with her softly glowing palm, the pain you feel on them receding as she does so. "This isn't enough to make them better, but you can do without the aches, right?"
"I do." You said to her once you had retracted your arm, noting how the wounds had been properly sealed this time unlike your previous poor attempt, before continuing. "Thanks."
"Your welcome." Grinned Dawn before hurrying towards one of defender's line, a cry of someone being downed proving itself to be enough to make the Novice Healer go rushing. Something Aaron then chuckled at the sight of.
"Guess I'll be going with the mother hen then." Wryly said the Sandmancer before continuing. "Now, be careful you two. They may be weak, but there's a lot of them. Don't let your guard down and be swarmed."
Having said his piece, the Karrion Mage then began to make haste in following after Dawn's trail before she could make much of a distance. Leaving you alone in the crowd with one Alan de Meurdac for the first time since ever.
Something the red head, and you, doesn't feel very enthusiastic about judging by him shortly beginning to make his way towards Observator Sonia. Though not before throwing in one last question at you.
"So what is your reason for wanting to go with Elise?" Asked Alan in a strange tone before explaining himself further. "Proving your worth with an empty audience is quite a tall task."
Diplomacy Check: What should you say?
DC: 50
Roll: 43 + 7 = 50
Success
"I can't just leave my partner behind, couldn't I?" Is what you had answered the Noble with instead of your true reason as to why. He responded by stopping in his steps for a brief second to give you a glance before silently resuming his path.
_ _ _
"I am much obliged to you, Miss Iza, for joining me in this endeavor of mine." Thanked Elisen as she ran alongside you. You can't see her expression very well from this angle, but her words seemed to be genuine. "With your aid we surely shall be able to find Cobe before something ills befell him."
"No problem." You responded simply to the Elf, eyes busy scanning for potential enemies that would hinder both of your path.
The Spirit User had been slightly dubious of bringing you along when she saw you haven't yet fully recovered, but you did have somekind of a lead and time is just not something that she can afford at the moment. You have met a few of her kind before, the personality; not the race of course, and they usually would go above and beyond if it concerns the safety of those under her charge.
Something Elisen is not an exception of based on what her next words to you is. "So you are certain that Cobe would go after this Char?"
"He is the only 'Suspect' who comes to mind that I have seen together with Cobe recently." You answered her with a nod, already done explaining to your leader the circumstances regarding your first encounter with the feline Beastkin. Or just how little there was. "Any ideas as to why would he be this reckless?"
After waiting for a moment or two without receiving even a single answer, you thought that Elisen also didn't have a clue, but soon after she finally decided to speak about what she does know. Her hesistance to say them to you however, is pretty obvious.
"Our Cobe had always had a strong opinion on the relationship between Beastkins and the other races." Vaguely explained the Elven Ranger as the two of you gave a wide berth on a battle between a Guard and some Beastkins. "It is a long tale, but please understand that it has something to do with his past in the Northen Land of Iskaldin. It is better for us to speak of this at a later venture, Miss Iza."
"I see." You actually don't, but you can't just say that to her face, can you? Elisen clearly still wasn't comfortable with you enough to talk about her teammates sensitive information. Which is fine. This is exactly the problem that you wished to resolve by volunteering to go along on this mission of hers.
Something which you can soon start seeing by how there are some undistracted Beastkins that are blocking the path ahead of you both. There are four of them, equal in gender distribution. A young cheetah man, an old boar guy, a muscled rhino woman, and an unhinged looking hyena lady. All of which then began to make a loud outcry at the sight of you and Elisen before bounding straight towards the both of you.
They also seems strong. You can't quite explain it, but the way those four are moving strikes you as something entirely different from those who you had encountered with Aaron. Those have an unsteady gait in their actions despite the ferocity, a contribution to their combat free life you presume. These four? There's firmness and familiarity in their wild like stride, as if this is something that they had done a lot of times before and all that the green smoke did was just making them be more unrestrained.
Something that Elisen unknowingly explained to you with the first swear that you had ever heard from her.
"Root be dammed!" The Elf weirdly cursed before giving you an order. "Those are Adventurers, Miss Iza. We can't let ourself be hindered by them. I shall provide cover, please assist me!"
Elisen then, to your shock, began to run straight towards them. The supposed Mage fully intending to do a close combat with the physically superior Beastkins, with the cheetah man being the first one to reach her. Just when you thought the Elf had fractured her skull somewhere, she then draws the sword on her hip and swung it with such speed she blurred right behind her opponent before being followed by a strong gust of wind, the maddened Beastkin being violently thrown off into the air in her passing.
It's not over for the cheetah however as the thrown was apparantly a dodge on his part and Elisen's attack had only resulted in a thin line of red on his forearms. The moment he landed, the spotted Beastkin then immediately leaps towards the Elf who had been prepared for such a comeback. The two then trades a series of claws and slashes onto each other that you barely are able to keep up on.
You want to just stare at the furious exchange between the two. It is rare for you to witness a full blown battle between equals who focuses on the physical aspect of their being, but the sight of the remaining hostiles who is beginning to circle the two of them snapped you out of your daze and you began to throw Dark Grasp after Dark Grasp at the three Beastkins.
The Boar guy went down easily enough, him falling down with a squeal of pain the moment your magic had enraptured his torso. The remaining two is what concerns you. The Rhino woman blocks the literal darkness with her arm alone and just with a groan of pain as the cost of it while the Hyena Lady infuriatingly laughs at you as she casually do a flip over your attack.
Well let's see whether they like it when you began to get serious.
Widening your stance, you spread out your arms to connect yourself with the World around you. Pulling at them for every little scrap of dark mana that you can take by using your own dark attribute as a resonance for them to gather.
The two female Beastkins charges at you then, perhaps realizing what you are up to due to their Adventurer experiences. The moment that they could get close however is the moment you had finished your preparation.
With spheres of dark magic on each of your arm, both of them having swirls of dark energy coming in and out of them from your surrounding, you maliciously smiled at the two who had generously come closer to serve as an easier target for you. Thus it is with a heave of effort did you thrush your twin Focused Dark Grasp towards the both of them. Eager to hear them screaming.
The Rhino woman tried, futilely. She may have an excellent physical figure and strength, but her resistance proved to be meaningless againts the might of your empowered darkness. She used her arms to try and block it like before, but this time your magic is almost the same size as her and unless she has something on her to make her be able to physically interact with mana like what the Dwarfs do, which she does not, then she is simply grasping at clouds. The darkness embracing her completely and pinning her down to the ground with a slam.
The Hyena lady however, oh the Hyena lady. Can this bitch just shut up for a second? Your Dark Grasp managed to hit her, but barely. It clips at her side, painfully ripping out a layer of skin out of her and yet all she did was to laugh at it! You tried to hit her with a barrage of normal Dark Grasp then, but this maddened woman is jumping and scurrying around from side to side as if this is what she had been born to do, doing her irritating mocking laughter all the while.
"Kyahaaa!!" Shrieked the Hyena lady as she pulled her arm back for a powerful right hook aimed at your head, somehow being already in front of you after dodging every single one of your attacks.
You stared, wide eyed. Knowing how unlike her, you can't dodge something like this. So you close your eyes and prepare yourself for the following pain.
"Kyaak!?"
Only to open them in surprise to see the back of Elisen's figure as she slashes through the side of the Hyena lady. Somehow managing to get to your side instantly from such a far distance. Turning your gaze towards where she had been, you can see not only the wound covered Cheetah man, but also the Boar guy who had come out of your Dark Grasp. The latter having just in a position to throw a punch at your particular direction.
"Are you alright, Miss Iza?" Asked your leader with concern as she eyed up the enemies in front the two of you. Her legs shaking.
"....I am." You said to her. Already charging up for your next attack. "What should I do?"
Elisen narrowed her eyes, Zephyr coming out of her chest, what?, and said. "Our foes had been weakened. Give Zephyr an opening so that we could blow them all away."
"Okay." You stoically replied while watching the Rhino woman getting out of her bindings. Not much can you do here beside to obey her really. At this point, the both of you had wasted too much time with these four.
"May the Six smiles upon us." Ironically wished Elisen in good luck before heading straight towards the four once more for a second round, leaving Zephyr behind who then quickly began to disperse into thin air.
You don't know what exactly is she planning right now, but you know what you have to do. Her coming in to your rescue is prove that your efforts are working and all that you need to do is to continue doing it.
Thus the battle then proggressed. You and Elisen finally finding each other rhythm and cooperating much more smoothly, not letting anyone get past her. The Elf dodging and weaving between the four Beastkins while you discourage any attempt to strike her from the back with your series of Dark Grasp. A couple of times Elisen would switch up her weapons to shoot someone who did managed to get pass through, sheathing her sword and preparing her bow in an instant. She throws her bow afterwards in order to not be at disadvantage when fighting in such close quarter, and when they thought they could get to you the next time they do that? Elisen magically draws her bow back towards her and shoot them afterwards. You don't think that was Zephyr however, most likely it is one of the abilities that the Bow has as you are sure the arrows it had been shooting with has been curving very unnaturally. Definitely a High Grade item.
All of this happened in less than 5 minutes and yet you had become quite tired by the end of it. Fighting others who is within the same Class as you are when they have an advantage in number is exhausting. You are beginning to consider using your Necromantic magic at this point. All consequence be dammed.
Fortunately, Zephyr is done with whatever it is that it has been doing by the time you had thought about this. Soon enough a very intense whirlwind is formed at your little corner of the Plaza, much bigger than what they had created months ago in the waiting room and it sucks all the four Beastkins away with a couple more from your surrounding and maybe some of the Guards as well.
You were also being drawn into it, but before you were able to be dragged away by it Elisen is able to envelop you in her embrace to hold you from taking off into the air. The fierce wind ignoring her entirely.
The Spirit User wants to say something then, but you ignored her as from the whirlwind come the unmistakeable form of the Hyena lady, uncharacteristically silent. The Beastkin is hounding towards you both by sticking her claws into the ground, preventing her from being thrown into the sky by the slowly dying down whirlwind.
The Hyena lady is getting close. So you pushed Elisen aside and sticks yo-
"Ugh!"
"Miss Iza!?"
-ur arm out to block the bite that she leveled againts the blonde Elf.
You winced in pain as the bitch gnaws on your arm. She was about to dig her claws into you next, but you stopped her by holding a palm ready to blast her with Dark Grasp directly in front of her chest.
"Die." You coldly said to the annoyingly persistent Beastkin. Letting a little bit of your true personality out while you released your magic on her at a point blank range.
"Kyaauukk!?" Yowled the Hyena lady as she was thrown to the side of a nearby building. Trapping her on it's wall for a short while.
"Let us continue?" You tiredly asked your leader then. All of this is pointless if you weren't able to find Cobe after all.
For a moment all that Elisen did is just stare at you from her kneeling position on the ground, Zephyr looking at you up and down from beside her before shrugging itself away into thin air, but before long she answered your question with a kind smile on her face.
"Of course Vecna."
How many Wave? 1d4
Roll: 3
Martial Check: First Wave! 1d10 = 10
22 + 29 + 17 (Vecna) - 5
Vs
26 + 25 + 12 + 10 + 10
= 63 Vs 83
Failure!
+20 Roll Difference; 3 Wounds
The MTA Uniform's Armor reduced the Wound to only 1 for each
Vecna is at 3 Health
Elisen is at 3 Health
Martial Check: Second Wave! 1d10 = 1
31 + 29 + 17 (Vecna) - 3 Vs 8 + 15 + 5 + 5 + 5
= 74 Vs 38
Success
You are panting quite heavily by the time you had entered the alleyway where you had seen Char and the monster ran into. The evening had turned into night then and by turning your head around you can see the chaos in the Plaza is steadily getting controlled. It won't be long until the authority will reinstate some semblance of order back there.
There are more feral Beastkins that had blocked your path along with Elisen's after your ordeal with the Four Novice Beastkin. Fortunately, all of them are just in Beginner Class and your improved team work with your Elven leader had managed to overwhelm them quite easily despite being swarmed like what Aaron had warned you about.
"So this is the place?" Asked Elisen as she examined the dirty alleyway where you are all in currently. Noting the trail of destruction the Monster likely had caused when it had bulldozed right through the place.
"Yes, I saw them come into here." You wheezed out while leaning yourself over to the nearest wall. All of this excitement is just pure suffering to your weak body. "If Cobe had also seen what I had saw then he would definitely be coming through here."
"We would better start retracing their steps then." Said the merciless Elf as she began to do another jog to your utter dismay.
Sadly, the both of you weren't able to find Cobe. The trail had dissappeared after a short while and for all Zephyr capabilities to sense mana, there is simply too much time that has passed and Cobe didn't exactly use a lot of magic.
You did however, found a couple of suspicious people. A couple of suspiciously beaten and freezing people to be exact.
Duak!! "Kiak!?" Cried the scrawny rat man with a baggy outfit and several frozen claw wounds on his person as Elisen slammed him into the wall. He is the only one who is still lucid out of the dozen people that you both had found sprawled on the ground. Which all of them are Beastkins.
"Do not speak such lies to us." Warned Elisen as she glared at the cowering man she had grabbed. "We know you had met a companion of ours and it would be best for you to tell us the truth; Where is Cobe?"
"I-I don't know!" He replied before panicking as the Elf then strengthened her grip. "I can't! I can't! I not tell anyone anything!!"
"Why?"
"Cause I can't!" He whimpered before continuing, steadily devolving into a broken speech. "Master said can't, so can't! Need obey, or need no more Boil, Master said! So can't!"
Elisen slackened her hold over the now openly crying man, horrified at what she is seeing. "What in the name of Spirits had happened to you?"
You meanwhile had been searching over those who are still unconscious. After concluding your research, you then relayed your findings to her. "I remember seeing these people from the list of missing person related to the Boil High, and I also found many signs of drug abuse on them. I suspect him to be no different. The supplier must have a method to instill obedience into these Beastkins. Forcing them to be loyal even when they have a freedom to escape."
"Can it be possible?" Asked the Elf as she released the previously kidnapped Beastkin. You responded by holding an unused can that several of them had been holding.
"As possible as convincing them to do terrorism in Phione of all places."
"By the Spirits." Muttered Elisen in distress, and you can't blame her. Even by accounting the possible Legacy grade item, the supplier's apparant range of skill is very wide for merely an Adept. You would expect something like this from somebody who is very well learned, even with the standard of Phione.
You take one more look at the blabbering Rat man. He definitely knows the supplier's location of hiding. Whatever had happened to him during his disappearance is the only thing preventing him from selling out his captor. It shouldn't be a problem for the Tower to extract the answer out of him however. Mages always have a way for everything.
You just need to capture these people and let Cobe deal with whatever fallout that he had made with his foolish action.
Personally, you are very interested in what he had to say. The Tower would surely confiscate everything that the Supplier has for evidence once they had got to them, leaving you with nothing but a simple congratulation of "job well done" and maybe a bonus wage.
If you were able to know the location of their hide out and then prepare yourself accordingly however, then maybe you can get your hands on some of their research. Whether it be some materials that they are experimenting with or the research notes themself, it would be a great boon for you.
Maybe even the Legacy Item itself. You fantasize within the privacy of your mind before focusing your gaze more on the mine of information before you, making him flinch in fear.
Just how would you be able to make him talk though?
[ ] Leave him be. You need to find Cobe.
[ ] Capture them all. Cobe will be fine.
[ ] Interrogate him further. You need him to talk.
-[ ] Specify How
[ ] Write-In
Should have done that from the start. Would have given me more freedom in writing the scene and let me dodge the horrible math. I will preserve the previous Battle Mechanic only in battles that truly matters.
Hint: There's a hidden usage in one of your skill that without a doubt will make him talk. How will you use it is the question.
Anyways, I am interested in what you are going to do here. Merry Christmast everybody!
Well, right now, this is a joint mission with our commander, so the things we can do are limited. And I doubt the Tower mages would receive important and relevant information from such low-level performers, otherwise, they would have done it earlier.
Tracking alone sounds like taking unnecessary risks for dubious gains. It doesn't seem like their research has anything to do with necromancy. Plus, our intrigue, which is used for this, is small. We are more likely to fall into someone else's trap.
Glad you like it. I tried for more descriptive battle scene and was worried I made it too dramatic at the end there. It's a relief to know I didn't fumble it all up.
Glad you like it. I tried for more descriptive battle scene and was worried I made it too dramatic at the end there. It's a relief to know I didn't fumble it all up.
Well, scenes like this are pretty much what to expect from an epic fantasy world, right? Plus, the dialogues were great as well. If this were a story from Elisen's perspective, this entire chapter would be about the suspicious and cold newbie being the selfless and caring person on the inside. It is not even entirely wrong - it is just that Vecna always puts her sister first.
