Kakky Oin shook his head in confusion-- why would he grab hold of something that was killing him? He needed to push it away from himself.... Right? His grip began to loosen as his right hand let go entirely. As the memories continued to flood through the young goblin's head, he couldn't help but feel as if something was... missing? Actually, it felt like a LOT of somethings were missing. Little by little his grip continued to loosen with his remaining hand.
Almost as if under some kind of compulsion to confirm his mind was his own. he happened to raise his right, and stare at the strangely large, misty palm. Why were they so big? Where was the webbing between his fingers? Pain like a lightning bolt shot through his head as different memories flooded the goblin's mind.
The misty, featureless hand before him flashed through different scenes from his memory, a memory that didn't seem to be that of a goblin, but of something else entirely... The hand held many things in these reminiscent images-- a gun, a knife, a grenade, even a book, and countless other objects as well. As many different things had touched these hands, no matter how many times they'd been covered in blood and dirt and viscera- there were marks that denoted their history upon them. Every callous was a trial, every wound a battle, every scar a badge. These weren't the hands of a goblin, these were the hands of a man! These were JASON'S hands! His grip with his remaining hand clenched tightly with resolve as he raised his right hand, one by one each digit curling into a tight fist. With a fervorous roar, Jason drove his fist just below the goblin's ribcage--- and further! He aimed to drive his strike through the goblin and into the void beyond! "I. AM. JASON!"
Asura felt the difference in how his fake karambit bit deep and smooth. Strange. God damn it...System Monitor and inform me of Skill Growth. He thought as he changed. His liquid nature made the form he was trying to take harder to maintain. That meant it'd take more Stamina. But practice made perfect, so he held the form. Unfortunately he couldn't apply his human anatomical knowledge to this body, he had no real muscle. He could only take the shape and work the hydraulic system that his body used for movement.
But he did get that level up. So it wasn't just combat that earned experience points. "Interesting... Ardur, Mother Slime, Steve, it's not just fighting that gains us levels. Skill building does as well." He said, making the line that was his mouth move in time with his speech. He saw some new skills, and other skills on the verge of ticking over. Two points into Slash Resistance. He thought just to finally tick that over to tick over his Physical Resistance.
Ardur mentioned that Steve now had Poison Fang. The chance for poison seemed awfully low, but it was one of the most annoying Status Effects one could get. He thought for a moment. "Alright...Steve, bite me with Poison Fang." He said as his right hand turned into a heater shield. Defender, huh? He placed the shield in front of himself and tried to make it as firm as goo could get. "Bite this without hurting yourself. Mother Slime, please Smash it as well." He said as he mentally examined his skills.
System, Analyze all currently Unavailable skills. Full descriptions. He thought. Meanwhile, as he hoped to get an information flood, he mentally focused on Stone Shot. He didn't want magic, he didn't even want magical skills floating around unavailable. So he tried to Steal or Drain those Skill Points it had sitting in there, at least one, to put into something more useful.
Hmm, so all the Wall spell needed was to be given more Mana so it could properly form? That was a little disappointing to be honest, but it was still a relief to have the spell completed after a few failed attempts; he was glad his instinctive reaction had worked in his favour. Wall was more expensive than he had expected, but from the description it seemed like it would be effective at blocking most abilities of the same rank as itself. It did seem like it would be more effective against a single impact than a constant source of damage however, so it would be better used against something like Mana Orb or Fire Ball than something Torrent’s Wyrm Breath.
The last of the Wall was melted away by the poison before he could properly analyse it, so he would need to remember to do that later, but for the moment Oberon turned to Torrent to respond to her request. “You want to use Light? I can try to help you with that but… I don’t know if you can do it.” He’d only been able to use Light at first because of his nature as a Sprite; standing in sunlight had helped to restore his Mana even before he learned the Gather Light skill, which led to him using sunlight to transform his Mana Orb into Light Ring. Whether or not it was possible for someone other than a Sprite to learn Gather Light would likely determine whether or not they could use Light as an element for other skills.
Then again, he’d been able to learn all sorts of elemental spells despite not having a link to them due to his species or through something else. It should be possible for anyone to learn Light spells; it would just be harder for them than for him.
“Okay. I think the best way to start might be to try and get a feel for Light, and then maybe you’ll be able to absorb it like I can.” Oberon looked around for the best spot to practise, trying to find an area where the sun made it through the trees above to shine a sun beam on the ground. Once he found one that looked big enough for the both of them he flew over to it and beckoned Torrent to follow him.
“I have a skill called Gather Light that lets me restore Mana through sunlight, kind of like photosynthesis I guess. It’s similar to the way Meditation works but instead of trying to draw in actual Mana from the surroundings you’re drawing in sunlight and converting it to Mana.” He was probably making it sound more complicated than it actually was, and he had to remind himself that Torrent was probably younger than he thought she was. “Well, that parts not important. All you have to do is pretty much just sit in the sun and focus on the way it feels, try and draw it in to yourself or imagine it filling you up or something. Just do what you did to learn Meditation, but with sunlight.”
His own Mana was probably getting a little low if Wall cost as much as its description suggested, so Oberon decided to use Gather Light himself to restore it. “Watch what I do with Magic Analysis and see if it gives you any hints.” Closing his eyes, Oberon activated Gather Light and began to restore his Mana be absorbing the light from the sunbeam. He continued this until his Mana was fully restored both for his own benefit and to give Torrent plenty of time to observe his methods. “Give it a try. But before you do, can you show me how you do that Ice Breath?”
Danny being stronger than at least one of the Goblins was a surprise given his lack of non magic skills but a welcome one, even if the strength difference wasn't enough to over the Goblin's experience with his weapon. Eventually he had to stop back and spotted the third Goblin from the corner of his eye, just too late to counter his attack. Instead he decided to use his new armor. He moved just enough that he could put his bracer in the spear's path and used Lesser Force II to try and make sure the spear wielder wouldn't be able to correct their weapon's path in time.
Afterwards he decided to create some distance between him and his enemies since he was still a range fighter. As he switched from standing on the ground to levitating he could hear Jason yell out his name, which naturally caught hom of guard and he instinctively used both Mana Vision I[/b] and Spiritual Awareness I to try and find if the Slime was alright before quickly turning mana vision off to preserve as much mana as possible.
The realization he needed to save Mana also ruined his plan to create the bullet shaped mana shell around to improve his aerodynamics and thus raise his"flying"speed. Still he didn't stop levitating and used the fact both his legs were free to kick at the nearest Goblin with both of them while keeping an eye out on what the others were doing. "Take this!."
Abilities:
Mana Orb I and II
Lesser Force II
Levitation
Monster Analysis II
Meditate I
Mana Shape I
Aqua Sphere I
Magic Analysis I!
Mana Dart I
Blunt Resistance I
Focus I
Faster I
Plant Analysis I
Mana Vision I
Point Strike I
Muffle I
Crafting I
Spiritual Awareness I Wisp > (Immature) Poltergeist
Torrent listened carefully, following Oberon to the patch of light silently. As he instructed she used her Magic Analysis on him to try to get more information on this... Absorbing sunlight skill. The way he explained it seemed simple enough, though, given what she'd already discovered with the various elements she'd already learned so far. It was kinda like what Crispy had been saying about Fireball, in a way.
Nodding to herself, she about missed his request.
"Oh, that's easy actually. See..." She paused, giving him a moment to be ready to use his own Magic Analysis on the skill, before she blew out a Frost Breath towards a nearby tree.
"It's like I was saying earlier. It's about feeling. I just took all the feelings of the coldest cold I remember when I was on the streets, of ice and stuff, and how it felt and just made the power feel like that too. It's like empowering the water and air with that feeling and then pushing out with it really hard. When I wasn't pushing so hard it was kinda like snow."
She nodded to herself a bit again. "Yeah, and like I needed to use water and air at first to get it to work right. Cause that's what ice is, right? Just really really really cold water. Cause that's what it turns into when it gets hot. But like elements feel like stuff, y'know? Fire is angry and water is calm and air is kinda free and needs more force to control and ice is cold!"
She slid her tail side to side as she talked, growing more excitable as she talked. Maybe Oberon would be proud of her like she was of herself? She'd really figured out a lot about this magic stuff and feelings, she thought anyways.
Finally she quieted down however and stepped into the light and closed her eyes. This time instead of simply meditating she took what Oberon had said and focused on the light. The way it played across her eyes even when shut, how it felt a little warm on her after a few moments. It felt, well, light. Maybe it was like fire and air together?
She focused on absorbing that feeling. Instead of pushing the power out, she focused on pulling it in but only from where she felt the warmth touching her body. Kinda like if her whole body was a mouth and it was breathing in the light.
Digbie managed to carefully cross the stream with little problem, especially once he used his Earth Wall to block the current. However, using his Tremor Sense in the water produced an entirely unpleasant effect on his equilibrium, much like being drunk. Still, the stream was too shallow and the current too weak to sweep him away even if he did stumble a few times. Once on the other side, he continued in the direction of the shelter. He would probably be there shortly, even though walking while reading was an activity that took a little bit of care...
The next few pages weren't in good shape. Blood smeared over what seemed to be some kind of calendar for holy days, but a few of the names Digbie could still pick out matched what was mentioned in some of the earlier liturgy. A page with what seemed like the start of more prayers for different times of day had been largely torn and badly crumpled. A few more pages had been ripped out completely, leaving behind frayed strings from the book's bindings. But finally, Digbie came to another legible piece.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CANTICLES
Many followers of Jehanne seek nothing more than Her divine acceptance and forgiveness. This in and of itself is admirable, as all struggle to make sense of this world the Maker has created. There is nothing wrong with those who choose this simple life. However, many of the more ardent members of Jehanne's flock will pursue diligent studies to gain further blessings. Like most other organizations dedicated to the Spirits, Jehanne has bade us to do Good Works where we may. The Maiden's Church has many branches devoted to charity work, militant action focused around the defense of Her believers and their communities, healing, missions to spread Her teachings, and the various fiscal and bureaucratic needs that make all of the aforementioned things possible. Depending on where a parishioner wishes to apply their talents, the local Avatar should seek to guide them in their training as best they may. This may include teaching the Canticles.
Simply speaking, to be elborated on by further reading here or in other volumes, Canticles are the Skills and Spells compiled specifically for the purpose of Jehannen woshippers. Many of these abilities are not tied to Jehanne herself, but they are considered Canticles due to their widespread use by the Church. One should take care not to confuse these Canticles, or their usage, with other lists compiled by other doctrines. There will often be a great degree of overlap, but in the same way that our manner of dress or speech may identify us, those who follow Jehanne should strive to understand these magics and techniques using the context of Her teachings. Conflict between the teachings of Spirits is a dangerous thing and should be avoided lest there be no other retort to wrongdoing.
Guidance Also known as the Guiding Ritual, this Canticle is performed by the simple act of prayer itself. It is recommended that one be sure of themselves before they attempt to discern the Lady's signs. Preferably, one should be righteously cleansed and freshly clean, dressed in appropriate attire, and in a calm, quiet place. When praying, be firmly confident that the requests are made with an honest and just heart. Praying for the misfortune of others, for selfish personal gain, and for other evil things--even if one has deluded oneself or tries to ignore the wriggling desires of a demonic heart--will have thoroughly dire consequences. But Jehanne hears our honest desires, and though She sometimes withholds from us that which we most covet, it is always for our own good.
Before one begins to pray, enter a calm state in which one feels the flow of their Magical Power. As Mana progresses through the body's Meridians, some believe that certain physiological rhythms help Prayer. Those who speak prayers aloud may imbue their words with Magic Power; indeed, this is the origin of many hymns and songs used in praising the spirits. Magical Power should be offered up with strong intent. When Jehanne has received the offering and heard the prayers, Her follower must be open-minded and discerning in order to receive Her signs. This can be difficult for those who have difficulty with the abstract. At the same time, the follow must not assume they know the workings of Our Lady, lest they see signs in places where there are none. Indeed, Demonic Powers may be at work to trick the worshipper in such a way.
However, throughout the centuries, the Great Avatars of our Maiden have done much study and debate to compile some of Jehanne's signs that seem to be commonly interpreted in the same ways. Through this, they do not presume to know Jehanne's will, but rather to give the uneducated and unexperienced acolyte a place from which to start. These signs are as such: Fire Visions, Vode in Flight, Musical Sounds, especially if produced by a woman, Movements of the Effigy, and Undue Peace.
There are other Signs listed in other liturgy, and the Scriptures describe many Signs throughout Jehanne's works, but these are often specific in nature and context. The above signs are some of the most general and most common, and many members of the Church, even those who do not practice magic or pursue deeper understanding, have reported them with accurate meanings and results.
Prayers are best when they come from the heart, but of the many ritualized prayers contained within this book, those recommended for Guidance are--
And here again a long rip distorted the page. And more pages after this had become blood spattered. Digbie didn't have a great deal of the book left--perhaps enough for three or four more complete readings, though he might have to piece together various bits to understand them based on what little he already had...
But now, a sudden loud chuffing sound caught Digbie's attention! His Tremor Sense warned him, but not fast enough--whatever this creature was, it had a knack for sneaking around on light feet. A huge mass of dark brown fur came out of the bushes, lunging down the bank of the stream!
Goblins were around three and a half feet tall. Dire Rats were larger than normal rats, so comparing them to Goblins was like comparing a large dog to a normal human. Digbie was a Demigoblin, and thus roughly a foot or so taller than your average greenskin. Thus, comparing him to a Dire Rat would be like comparing a normal human to a medium sized dog. And comparing him to this Giant Rat would be like comparing a normal human to a brown bear.
The Giant Rat leaped with more agility and speed than one would think its large size could generate, and as it closed the distance its enormous jaws opened up. Those massive yellow teeth looked like they could go all the way through Digbie's throat--!
Would he fight? Run? Cry? Was he close enough to the shelter that the others could hear him? Would something else in the woods hear him?
---Frost Breath--- An Ice-aligned Breath skill. Mana is used to lower the temperature of a volume of air within the body; often, any present moisture is condensed into the breath as well. At this rank, the skill deals smaller amounts of damage maintained over time, as ice builds up on the target. At this rank the breath must be concentrated into a line, though its effectiveness holds out up to a range of ten feet. Has a possibility of slowing down an effected target's movement. May be less effective in hot or dry environments. Negative reactions to Fire and Lightning magics, and under certain circumstances Water, Wind, and Metal elements can counter or interfere with this ability. This Skill would work very well against Nature and Earth aligned targets, and in most circumstances would also be effective against Water and Metal targets.
As Torrent used her Frost Breath skill Oberon activated Magic Analysis and watched carefully as the skill created a layer of ice on the bark of the tree she was aiming at. It seemed more like a cone of frigid air than ice itself, though it certainly produced a lot of the latter when it hit something, and based on its description is was a combination of low temperature air and moisture which could slow whatever it hit. The negative reaction with fire and lightning was to be expected as were the strong effects it had on nature and earth, assuming nature meant things like plants and trees. The fact that it was sometimes effective and sometime not against water and metal depending on the situation was interesting and complicated things somewhat. He could also understand how wind might disrupt a breath skill like Frost Breath by helping to disperse the effect.
Oberon nodded as he listened to Torrent’s explanation of how she had created the skill, paying close attention to the elements and process involved and almost missing the detail about her living on the streets in the process. Once again he wondered just how old Torrent was exactly and what kind of life she had lived before this world; it didn’t sound like a particularly happy or safe one. The Sprite wasn’t sure what to do with that thought, or if he should do anything at all; Torrent seemed happy enough right now.
“So you mixed water and air and then lowered the temperature?” Once again Torrent mentioned using feelings to invoke certain effects; using anger to create fire or using the memory of cold nights on the street to make ice. It didn’t seem like something he could do himself, nor did he even want to try; three was no doubt in his mind that it worked well for Torrent but he was more comfortable using his own method than something like that. It was clear that there was more than one way to create new spells and what worked for one person might not work for another, but there was no reason they couldn’t learn from each other anyway. “You said you’d made ice, water, fire, fog and poison skills? That’s really impressive. Thanks for showing me Frost Breath; it gave me a few ideas to try. If you need any help with the Light stuff let me know.”
Leaving Torrent to her experiments Oberon flew back over to the stream so that he would have an available source of water for his attempts and thought about what he had just seen and heard. Torrent had made Frost Breath by combining water and air and lowering the temperature somehow to make an ability that froze the target. As far as he was concerned there shouldn’t be any reason why water by itself wouldn’t suffice, taking an Aqua Sphere for example and draining the heat from it should produce a ball of ice, the added air probably just helped to make the skill as diffuse as it was and turn it into a freezing stream of air rather than a projectile.
Oberon decided would start by trying to make water into solid ice, so he stepped up to the edge of the stream and case Aqua Sphere above the water’s surface, using the moisture in the air around the stream to ease the casting. He held the spell above his hand and concentrated on it as he started to imagine it growing colder, to visualise the heat leaving the ball of water. Then he tried to imagine the heat flowing into him, from the orb into his palm and then down through his arm. He tried to imagine himself growing warmer as the heat continued to leave the sphere as it began to freeze from within.
It was like a meditative exercise, but he wasn’t sure if just thinking about it would achieve anything. He tried to reach out to the Aqua Sphere with his senses, to feel the Mana within it like he had done with the air earlier, and then tried to feel the heat instead. Rather than just imagine it he tried to draw heat from the orb the way he drew Mana from his surrounding while Meditating or from sunlight when using Gather Light.
Used "Magic Analysis IV" on "Frost Breath" Used "Aqua Sphere" Attempted to draw heat from "Aqua Sphere" to create ice
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression. You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression. You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I (1.0)! You may now analyze magical energies or objects to learn their most basic magical characteristics. Less effective on Materials and Monsters unless they are magical in nature.
Femus failed to properly duplicate the shield spell, perhaps his lack of understanding was hindering his progress. However, it felt like he might be practicing something too advanced for his current level. With a new set of words flashing in his awareness to remind him of the past few level up experiences, he found it fairly easy to understand that the words said exactly what they meant. He was developing a skill quickly. His methods were bearing fruit, whether or not it was the fruit he aimed to get. In any case his newly acquired analysis skill would definitely come in handy.
In fact, Femus began using it immediately. His first target was the nearest blue flower. It wasn’t magic but it was closely related and he knew that its mana restorative properties were something that he needed to better understand if he was going to cultivate them in the future. The next target was the tree in which he sat.
After using these uses to gain a practical understanding of the function of the skill, and hopefully some useful information, Femus began reforming that mana orb and trying to alter its attributes to reflect the memories, feelings, and knowledge he used before. This time, he repeated a simpler series of images and concepts in his mind like a chant to crystallize the concept into a more cohesive idea. He closely observed the orb’s changes in behavior as well as how it made him feel, seeking to strengthen the previous effects and continue the skill’s ‘rapid progress’. He also turned his Magic analysis on this developing skill, seeking to push the skill as far as he could and gain specific information about the component parts of the spell.
After this test, regardless of outcome, he meditated back to full mana and turned his attention outward. He heard chittering. It was fairly faint, likely due to some distance, but it was definitely Pixie chatter. Either that pixie was gathering help closer than he remembered pixies gathering or else… it had disturbed Nira. In that case… who could possibly know what was going on out there. At least, he didn’t hear any sounds of fighting yet. Maybe, just maybe.. he could use this time to try another approach… or store extra mana for a possible fight.
Survival first.
He meditated, concentrating as much mana as he could and trying to compress it in an effort to improve its quality within his body. He also thought about the tree around him. It was old and lived slowly. A great deal of power flowed through it but it must flow slowly and be closely guarded. He tried to open himself to the tree, not seeking to pull mana from it but seeking to draw mana that felt similar to the tree from the surrounding air into himself. If he could, he would seek to keep it distinct from the regular mana but circulate it through his body in tandem.
However, if any loud noise or violent change became audible outside he would immediately stop his activities. Femus would also grab two of the blue flowers, letting them orbit himself as he headed outside to see what was going on.
'Nice. Thank you, System.' Ed thought as he began to assess which of the options they had of visiting was the most beneficial to them now and in the future. Ed quickly put off the village, as they were trying to move away from it as of now. There was also the South. It had signs that there was water there, but also the smell of something dusty that caused him to reflexively sneeze. Splattering the tall grass in front of his face with saliva and snot. "Eugh...gross." Ed cringed as he chose to ignore the snot and spit covered grass and keep moving. The scent to the East was far stronger than the one from the dusty South.
Cautiously, he peered out of the grass to look at the East but saw no signs of any body of water. But the smell was still the strongest among all of the other directions had. Meaning to suggest that the body of water was still a good distance away but was big enough to actually have this strong a scent. If anything, the East was one of their best bets of finding a stable source of water but it looked like that they were still a ways off it. "Guess its going to be quite a walk before we see any water we can safely use." The young ratman commented as they continued Eastward. Eventually they discovered a dirt road, but by the looks of things it wasn't used that recently.
"Well, ain't that interesting. Seems like there are travelers heading Eastward too...but it looks like they had a day or two head start compared to us. Normally, I'd be glad to see something like this but, due to our current circumstances, following this road might spell some trouble for us later on." Following this road to the East and eventually the large body of water was undoubtedly risky, but the high change that they can find a stable source of drinkable water was too big of an opportunity to pass up. "But I suppose it's a better chance of us finding water when compared to the South."
LVL: 6 HP: Hurt SP: Tried MP: Very Low
Effect/s: PECKISH, THIRSTY
SKILLS:
Unspent Skill Points: 0 Current Skills: Monster Analysis (1.25) Overwork (1.3) Dynamic Eye I (1.1) Rabid Fit I (1.9) Smash I (1.3) Beast Sense II (2.75) (ACTIVE) Alert I (1.15) (PASSIVE) Harder I (1.0) (PASSIVE) Faster I (1.05) (PASSIVE) Stronger I (1.65) (PASSIVE) Muffle II (2.275) (PASSIVE) Dexterous I (1.1) (PASSIVE) Use Light Equipment (--) (PASSIVE) __________________________________ <UNUSABLE SKILLS> SKILL PROGRESS: Material Analysis (0.5) Magic Analysis (0.9) Warcry (0.7) Tremor Sense (0.05) Mental Resistance (0.9) Telepathy (0.1) Mana Shape (0.7) Focus (0.8) Shield (0.5) Mana Shell (0.4) Soil Manipulation (0.7) Crafting (0.6) First Aid (0.1) Meditate (0.4) People Sense (0.3) Plant Analysis (0.2) Swift Swimmer (0.4) Charm (0.025) Repel (0.025) Stealth Kill (0.3) Blunt Resistance (0.1) Prehensile Tail (0.5) Mana Strike (0.6) Minor Heal (0.05) Iron Gullet (0.4) Taming (0.1) Suppress Presence (0.5) Use Medium Equipment (0.4) Inspire (0.2) Point Strike (0.3) Strengthen (0.3) Pierce Resistance (0.2) Double Skill (0.1) Deception (0.2) Lucid Dream (0.2) <UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Inventory: - Vine Belt (Shoddy Quality) x 1 [Equipped]
Bundle of Sticks x 1
Flame touched crystals x 2
- Grass Mat (Unknown Quality) x 1 [Equipped]
Healing Herbs x 1
Nullven Cone x 1
Flint and Striker x 1
Tainted Crystal x 1
Great Club (Unknown Quality) x 1
- Short Cudgel (Unknown Quality) x 1 [Equipped] - Assorted Insect Parts and Meat x 1 [With Asteria]
-Thanks the System and sneezes when he sniffs the air from the South. -Discovered the scent to the East but realizes that its still quite a ways to go before they reach water. -Admits that its good to discover the road, but also risky due to the higher likelihood of encountering people. -Also can't deny the greater chance of them finding a stable water source to the East, so decides to keep going.
All the armor > Prep the food /// Adventuring day 5 // Afternoon / Location - Forest
Breathe in and out, in and out. Feel the mana of the world around you and pull it into you. A slow process but with every breath he felt lighter, with every breath he felt stronger. Now was a time to train, he knew that but there was one more thing he needed to do. That thing was to preserve the rest of the food that they had gotten from that deer, food he had left in the shade and out of the sun.
Standing from his meditation feeling better than he did but still not quite full. Taking his sharp stone the high pixie grabbed a few sticks that were laying around that were strong and green with Y branches he could use to wedge the pieces together and create a sort of crude teepee. Gathering some more branches and loose twigs with some green vegetation. Making separate piles for the two, he looked at the others and smiled.
“Go ahead and do what he asks Steve just be careful. This way you can grow stronger too.” Looking back to his piles of debris Ardur pauses for a moment. This would be a good time to think about what to do after this, “System show complete stats for character Ardur… or player Ardur.” He could not remember if he asked like this before but it was worth a chance.
Digging out under the sticks, he set up next to the smaller tree so that he could use it as a brace. The pixie began setting up a small pile of twigs, bark, and dry leaves. Really, anything that looked like it would burn and then set to taking the sharp rock to cut the meat he had left into small strips to hang over the sticks he set up. Once he was feeling optimistic about his plan to smoke and dry the rest of the meat he knelt down to the pile of kindling and carefully held it in his hands.
“Fire nurtures and keeps us warm; the mother cradles it to keep it protected by those who would extinguish it.” He was holding the pile of tinder like it was something precious and very slowly started to cast a fireball I spell releasing just enough mana to get it started and warm. “This flame is that of the mother for it will feed us for some days. This flame is of the protector, the beasts will stay away. It is a flame of the king, for the wise prepare ahead.” This spell was not being used for fighting but for cooking, he was curious as to see if the spell changed when not being used in an aggressive manner.
Once the tinder bundle would ignite, Ardur would set it under the meat in the center of the sticks. Slowly setting more and more branches. Once the fire was big enough to sustain itself, he would add the green plants to make smoke. With this hopefully the small strips of meat would be dried out and smoked to help preserve them. He is aware of the basic way to smoke meat but was unaware of the details to it.
Inventory: bow horn venison x20 lbs. +Rubber Frogskin Backpack - This item is more elastic than it looks. Can hold 15 Small Items. The number of items held may be affected by larger items that take up more space. It is more durable than most raw materials due to its rubbery composition, but without proper care it may degrade over time.
Clothes: +Beetle Bracer - This item for your Arm makes you feel slightly tougher. +Bone Breastplate - This item for your Torso makes you feel slightly tougher. +Grass Skirt - This item is fragile and flammable, but serves as decent clothing.
Weapons: N/A +Sharp Stone +Beetle Mandible - Rather hard and sharp on its own, it might be sturdy enough to refine.
Current Party: Asura, Mother Slime, Steve, and himself.
Magic/Skills: Shield II, Lesser Flight III, Minor Heal III, Physical Conditioning I, Fire Resistance I, Taming I, Fireball I, Stronger II, Crafting I, Muffle I, Inspire I, Guidance I, Spell chant I, Use light equipment, Meditation I, Point Strike I, Keen Sight I,
Kills for current level: 1x bowhorn Deer 2x Rubber Frogs
Finally, the damp scent of water. Asteria ignored the dust from the south beyond noting there might be a desert there, and focused on the refreshing scent from the east. There were still several miles away from it, but Asteria was determined to get there without any pauses or interruptions. They had a heavy load to carry, but she was certain they could manage. They’d even found a well-traveled dirt road heading to north east, but they could inspect wherever it led later. For now, staying in the foliage which helped cover them and not tray from their goal was a priority. “We can head east while staying far enough from the road not to be seen by any humans on it. Though if any of them have decided to take a rest by the road or something, we’ll have to be careful,” Asteria replied.
That said, she focused on balancing their loot without it compromising their stealth. Having to accommodate for the additional weight and the bulkiness of their stuff definitely wasn’t easy. At first, they had to walk fairly slowly to adapt, but dragging their feat would mean a longer journey. Asteria sharpened her hearing, this time not listening only to the surroundings and the potential dangers around them, but themselves. While the plants might provide some cover, rustling would still be a dead giveaway to a careful observer. Well, someone like that would still spot them easily, but there was only that much they could do. Thankfully, Ed’s mad was a fairly decent cover that blended with their surroundings.
Asteria flexed her muscles, doing the best she could to prevent any cramps while on the move. She’d have to stretch after they were done hauling their things to whatever water-side awaited them. She was aware that fresh water likely equaled a settlement, especially given the dirt road weaving in loosely the same direction they were going. They’d have to be on the lookout for that. Asteria huffed as her tail began to feel kind of numb. She just had to keep it pressed around and against their baggage or else risk it getting dropped – which would not only delay them, but may cause an unfortunately loud noise. She kept a careful eye on Mother rat, because the non-human-souled rodent couldn’t communicate with Ed and Asteria with as much clarity as the humans could between themselves. Mostly though, she kept her gaze trained eastwards, her paws working diligently to carry her and their items closer to their goal.
Suggests being stealthy while heading to the east. Listens to surroundings and their own noise with Beast Senses II: Hearing. Does best to reduce the noise they’re making. Silently bemoans muscle-cramps. Carefully balances their baggage, keeping a hold of it despite her tail aching. Keeps an eye on Mother rat.
As soon as Digbie felt the sudden approach of a Dire Rat due to Tremor Sense, he slammed his book closed and thought for a split second. Tons of things rushed through his head as he turned to stare at the Dire Rat leaping towards his throat. It was almost as if time had slowed down that he realized he didn't have much to do in defense here that would result in him not being in some sort of mortal danger. This thing was like a bear to the Demiblin, and he was afraid.
In that moment, he couldn't help but have an instinctual response in his head. Fight, or Flight? Which would he choose? How would he escape this situation and live to see the sunrise tomorrow? Could he even do this alone? How strong was this rat anyway? Could it actually kill him in one massive chomp at his throat, or would it miss and have to nibble some of the dirt? Tons of questions that he couldn't answer, but he did know the answer to one of them...
Flight.
He didn't have long to react, so with a quick breath Digbie ducked down and lunged in the direction he was heading initially, his book being clutched under his arm all the while. He just barely managed to leap out of the way of the Rat's gaping maw, and it was evident that he wouldn't be able to keep dodging forever. Running though was certainly a possibility, since he was so close to the others that if he just made it close enough he could probably get there and be safe.
It seemed like the rat wasn't planning on missing, so as it skid across the dirt behind Digbie in an attempt to regain its footing, Digbie got a head start on his beeline. He didn't care for reading about Jehanne at this immediate moment since he could do that after he survived his encounter, but he knew he needed to get out of there! A last look over his shoulder towards the Rat allowed just enough time for Digbie to get his analysis off, going for a Monster Analysis, Material Analysis, and Magic Analysis all on the Rat in case it could teleport and just off him easy.
"J-Jehanne protect me!" he choked out as he kept running, a hand pointed at the ground underneath him as he used Earth Wall. He needed to buy himself some time to keep this rat at bay so he could get back to base, and with any luck the wall he made would help him make some distance over the Rat.
With all he could do out of the way, Digbie knew that the only remaining thing he could do at that point was flee. Just in case he couldn't get all the way back, he took a deep breath and shouted towards the camp. "TORRENT! OBERON! ASH! HELP MEEEEEEE!"
Ducking out of the way from the Rat. Monster Analysis, Magic Analysis, and Material Analysis all on the Rat. Earth Wall behind him to help slow the Rat down. Running like Hell! Shouting at Torrent, Oberon, and Ash.
You used Magic Analysis I! ---Blue Yill Flower--- The Yill species of flowering plants are adaptable and conducive to magic, so depending on where they grow and what kind of ambient energy is present they often change forms. The Blue Yill has absorbed a great deal of raw mana. ---Hollow Old Kao Tree--- This Kao tree is very old and has been damaged in the past, creating a hollow. It has more magic than other trees in the area, but nothing that stands out too much. ---???--- An altered Mana Orb spell. The magical energy focused within it has begun to change properties. It smells of ozone and seems relatively unstable.
Your MP is Full! You have gained Temporary Extra MP.
Femus chose to ignore the Pixie in the hopes it would go away, and instead experimented with his new analysis skill. Unfortunately, at this rank it didn't seem like it would tell him a great deal of information. But it at least confirmed that the Blue Yill were magical, and that he could probably refill his power from them in a pinch. And it did tell him that something seemed to be working with the Mana Orb.
After meditating to refuel himself--and finding a little bit more Mana than usual in the area, or maybe it was that his techniques were growing more efficient--he headed out to confront the Pixies, two Blue Yills that grew on the side of the tree's mossy bark "clutched" in his Lesser Force.
The Wild Pixie watched in curosity as Nira picked up the wilted, now blackened flower, and cast Shield on it. It tilted its head, and the expression on its face seemed to say what would ya do a stupid thing like that for, but then as Nira circled around it the creature began to follow her. When she motioned towards the flower, then towards the Wisp, the pixie's expression brightened and it began to giggle. With a nod, it flew down along the side of the old tree and began plucking all the flowers it could find. There were a handful of the blue yills, but also some more normal looking white and pink flowers, and the creature even grabbed some of the leaves from the tree's branches.
By the time it came back to Nira, assuming she had gathered her own flowers, they had a fairly decent amount of plantlife between them. As soon as Femus floated out of his shelter, his own flowers in hand, the Wild Pixie gave a squeal of delight and let loose a flood of colored petals over the top of his head. If Nira did the same, Femus would find himself blinded by color and possibly sneezing in a douse of pollen.
Monster Party (Rejoined by Digbie!)
You used Magic Analysis II! You used Mana Sense! You used Mana Vision! ---Poison Splash--- Much like other elemental spells collecting trace elements, surrounding impurities and toxins are synthesized with Mana as a catalyst to produce this sphere of liquid poison. Its nature as a poison causes severe nausea, vomiting, and caustic tissue damage. Upon impact, it splashes for a small Area of Effect. It may poison an organic target, and deals corrosive damage to most objects. If a target ingests the poison, the amount of damage it inflicts is roughly the same but the chance to inflict Poison damage over time rises greatly.
This is your own Mana, but it has an incredibly forboding sense of danger. Its coloration itself almost seems to serve as a warning. It feels sickly or unsafe, like a plant that causes an unpleasant rash to deter herbivores.
STRUCTURE: M?W?N?E?F? = P3
Skill Rank Up: Mana Analysis II > Mana Analysis III (2.975 > 3.0)! Gain more detail about observed magic skills, objects, etc. Lose less effectiveness when using this skill on other things, even if they aren’t magically inclined. When analyzing a spell you have seen at least one time before, you may learn information such as its element or function depending on various factors.
LEVEL UP! Your learning experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 9! Your Max MP has increased (this will not restore current MP levels)! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!
Unspent Skill Points: 8 ((3 from last time, 5 from level up))
Current Skills: Stun Stinger II (2.05) Poison Spray II (2.025) Alchemy II (2.85) Overwork III (3.2625) Charisma I (1.65) Venom Shot II (2.0) Crafting I (1.65) Lesser Force I (1.8) Magic Analysis III (3.0) Alert I (1.3) Lesser Flight I (1.3) Muffle I (1.55) Monster Analysis II (2.35) Material Analysis II (2.25) Meditate II (2.2) Poison Glob I (1.2) Poison Breath I (1.05) Plant Analysis I (1.05) Tremor Sense I (1.05) Mana Orb II (2.175) Shield I (1.05) Mana Slice I (1.6) Mana Shape I (1.5) Analysis (--) Rabid Fit I (1.05) Mental Resistance I (1.5) Mana Vision I (1.6) Mana Sense I (1.4) Minor Heal I (1.075) Prehensile Tail (--) Poison Splash I (1.1) <UNUSABLE> Blunt Resistance (0.2) Scribe (0.6) Faster (0.3) Intimidate (0.6) Acid Volley (0.1) Venom Claw (0.2) Dragon Affinity (0.45) <CANNOT BE INCREASED WITH SKILL POINTS> Stronger (0.95) Dual Cast (0.8) Slash (0.3) Fireball (0.2) Dextrous (0.5) Mana Dart (0.4) Mana Control (0.8) Use Light Equipment (0.05) <UNSUITED FOR CURRENT SPECIES> ---
EXP: 100% > 20% You are Tired. You are Peckish. Your throat is Dry. Your HP is Full. Your MP is Very Low. Your Health is Fine.
TRANSFORMATION STATUS: Fanged Lizard > Immature Pygmy Drake Known Currently Possible Transformations: 3 1. Adult Pygmy Drake* 2. Adolescent Lesserwurm* <THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN ALTERED> 3. Adolescent Kobold**<THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN ALTERED>
Unknown Currently Possible Transformations: 3
Previous Transformations Lost: 1 1. Tailed Frog
After taking in all of this information, as Ash Meditated to regain her Mana she also experimented with the slow, calming exercises of Yoga. However, as soon as she felt any muscle strain from the movements or her breathing became harder than normal, her MP would stop increasing. If she found a position she could easily hold without moving, Meditate would begin working again...but, if such a thing were so effortless, then what would be the point of Yoga? In order to get the full effect of Meditation, at least for now, it seemed like physical exercise had to be done separately.
Her next experiment with a new Mana Orb, after several minutes to refuel her MP, was to break apart the various elemental pieces orbiting the raw magic and see what happened to the environment.
The gold, silver, and darker green particles once again gravitated to the floor and disappeared into the ground. The lighter green particles, and blue particles, merely floated around...though they did seem to be pulled by a draft current towards the outside of the shelter. Once they left the cavern, the wind particles were swiftly carried away while the blue particles began to drift down lower to the ground. Once they dipped into the stream, they disappeared completely. The red particles seemed to orbit around Ash herself, near the core of her body. A few were caught up with the other pixels and floated outside, at which point they seemed to pointedly move away from the blue squares. Neon purple particles were drawn to different places--sometimes they moved with other magical atoms in groups, other times they moved to a wall or the ground. Whenever they made contact with something solid, they seemed to lose their glow and disappear. The very few purple pieces Ash had been using previously drifted to the ground, but then simply rolled along it rather than sinking into it.
Watching all of these different particles disperse became more and more difficult after the first few seconds, though. They were so small, and some of them moved quite quickly--and in addition, there were other squares all around Ash. Most of the other energy particles she could see were gold in color, but looking around with her Mana Vision was starting to get trippy, to the point that making out the actual landscape was becoming difficult...
Eventually she had to blink, whether because of dry-eye or because of the hallucinogenic colors swirling all around her.
Or maybe it was that loud scream that sounded suspiciously like Digbie...
You used Magic Analysis I! ---Gather Light--- This skill allows the user, under full sunlight, to convert solar energy to Mana.
Skill Rank Up: Magic Analysis I > Magic Analysis II (1.95 > 2.0)! Gain more detail about Magic oriented Skills and Spells. Lose less effectiveness when analyzing Monsters, Materials, etc so long as they are magically inclined.
As Torrent tried to produce the Gather Light skill for herself, she found the experience of sunning to be quite pleasant. Her reptile body didn't seem quite so sluggish as lizards and snakes back in her Old World, but maybe that was just because the temperatures here were warm enough that she could stay comfortable. Still, either she was cold blooded, or it was just nice to lay here for a little while.
Her entire body felt shrouded in warmth, and she could feel her MP increasing...though it was hard to tell whether or not it was just her normal Meditate skill. Maybe if there were a way to absorb more sunlight, or to do so faster? But, what could one do to "absorb" more light, like a plant or...some other object that could take solar heat?
Meanwhile, Oberon attempted to do the opposite--to remove heat, to create an absence of energy better known as cold. His Aqua Sphere floated in his hand as he imagined the flow of thermal energy, and tried to pull it with his will. He soon noticed that the Aqua Sphere's smooth blue surface rippled a tiny amount. He felt his fingertips, then his palms, getting warmer. It seemed his theory was spot on. However, as he "pulled" at the heat, he was also slightly pulling at the Sphere it seemed. Maybe the flow of energy was producing a current. Whatever the cause, the water was no longer a perfect orb--it had begun to lengthen, being pulled towards Oberon, and became more of an oval or elipse shape. He could feel his palm growing warmer...and then, where the liquid barely touched his fingers, it was indeed a few degrees cooler than before.
And then both Lesserwurm and Sprite were shocked out of their thoughts by a familiar voice.
"TORRENT! OBERON! ASH! HELP MEEEEEEE!"
Flashback to a few moments ago. Digbie had managed to duck under the Giant Rat, and as he lunged away he barely avoided getting knocked over by its bulk even as its jaws missed him. He took off running for everything he had, though he spared one glance back to try and Analyze the creature.
You used Monster Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis I! You used Material Analysis I! ---Giant Rat--- Giant Rats are rodents of such unusually large size, many people don't believe they exist. Their behaviors are virtually the same as the Dire Rat, but they often shed many of the usual "prey" animal behaviors of rats due to their much greater size and strength rendering them difficult for predators to bring down. As a result they can often be quite calm, and some humans even keep them as pets. They lack magical power and usually don't develop any magical abilities unless their environment is very rich in ambient energies. Their fur is very thick and, once cleaned and treated, actually sells for a decent price. Their bones, being much larger than some animals, and their teeth, being much sharper, make decent materials for primitive societies. Bone ornamentation made from their teeth is present in many Unenlightened tribes as a symbol of strength.
But that single glance back nearly ended him--he nearly tripped over a piece of low scrub growing out of the ground. In a panic as he tried to cast earth wall, he called out to the Maiden of Mercy.
Skill Rank Up: Earth Wall I > Earth Wall II (1.9 > 2.05)! MP Cost increased. Maximum thickness increased by 6 more inches. A second wall can now be created without destroying the first, but the mass of both walls must be maintained by the same total. Example: You make a wall half the normal height and width that is six inches thick. The second wall can thus also be half the normal height and width, and also six inches thick, or it could be even smaller. The wall can also be shaped differently so long as total mass is still conserved, but only basic geometric figures.
The Giant Rat's body made a heavy thud as it crashed into Digbie's newly thickened wall, and he just barely managed to keep himself from falling. As he ran, he could hear the objects in his newfound satchel rattling around--that wooden effigy he had found sounded like a taiko drum as it beat back and forth. Despite his perilous situation, as Digbie ran he felt himself gaining a second wind of sorts--adrenaline rushed through him and it felt like his vision sharpened, so that he could more easily avoid tripping again and make his way through the forest.
But the Giant Rat was soon on his heels again--it had lost quite a bit of ground after crashing into the wall, but it was a simple thing to go around the construct. Its heavy body didn't accelerate quite so fast as Digbie's, but once it got going its powerful muscles propelled it at speeds nothing that size should have been able to reach. There was about ten feet between it and the Demiblin as they ran along the bank of the stream...
Digbie burst back into the clearing where the others had made camp. He could see Torrent and Oberon standing near the stream, and Ash was probably in the shelter or off looking for materials.
The Giant Rat was about five feet behind him.
"TORRENT! OBERON! ASH! HELP MEEEEEEE!"
PixieSlime Party
ERROR. System is already monitoring Skill Growth. Skill Progression is already visible.
Skill Gain: Slash Resistance I! Take less damage from Slashing attacks.
Skill Synergy Has Occurred! Pierce Resistance I, Slash Resistance I, Blunt Resistance I have Synergized! You have gained Physical Damage Resistance II (2.0)! Reduce damage from all Physical attacks! Pierce Resistance I has degraded (1.55 > 0.55). Slash Resistance I has degraded (1.0 > 0.1). Blunt Resistance I has degraded (1.95 > 0.95).
--- Charisma (0.5) - This skill seems to develop by learning how to interact with others, and using your force of personality to get a favorable outcome from said interactions. Dextrous (0.8) - This skill seems to develop when you use fine-tuned or precise motor skills, which proves difficult due to the nature of your species. Soil Manipulation (0.6) - This skill seems to develop by moving soil when digging or constructing. Stone Shot (0.55) - This skill seems to develop when using small stones as a projectile weapon, especially when you put all your energy into it. Slime Coil (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when attempting to use your body to restrain a target. Magic Analysis (0.6) - This skill seems to develop when you are observing magical phenomena. Bounce (0.6) - This skill seems to develop after taking heavy impacts that move your entire body, or by bracing yourself against attack. Muffle (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you attempt to be stealthy. Poison Resistance (0.3) - This skill develops as you recover from taking poison damage. Dash Attack (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you move fast while attacking. Spiritual Awareness (0.2) - This skill seems to develop as you experience supernatural phenomena. Intimidate (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you interact with others in a forceful manner. First Aid (0.2) - This skill seems to develop when you try to help an injured ally. Acid Spit (0.4) This skill seems to develop when you spit acid from your body. Fire Resistance (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you recover from burning. Water Resistance (0.0125) - This skill seems to develop when you recover from taking water damage. Focus (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you take extra time to put effort into another skill. Alert (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you stay aware of your environment. Fortify (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you construct free standing structures. Point Strike (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you strike accurately at weak points. Cleave (0.2) - This skill seems to develop when you use a heavy, edged attack meant to split a target. Crafting (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you make things. Material Analysis (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you carefully observe different materials. Telepathy (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you attempt to communicate non-verbally. Defender (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you brace yourself for attack. ---
Skill Rank Up! Blunt Resistance has been restored to Rank I (0.95 > 1.0)! Take less damage from Blunt attacks.
ERROR. You do not meet the requirements for Skill Point Reset.
You have been Poisoned! You are taking damage over time!
ERROR. Target "player" not recognized. Defaulting to recognized target "Ardur."
NOTE: INFORMATION MAY BE OUT OF DATE.
Name:
Ardur
Gender:
Male
Species:
Pixie
Appearance:
Ardur looks like a small person with light fair skin, shoulder length green hair, Golden glimmering eyes, and wings that look similar to green leaves. A few things stand out on his person. There are three round dark spots on his chest and back. Also his hands are stained purple up to his wrists.
Goals:
Ardur simply wishes to be Strong. Strong enough to protect others and take care of them. He will do what he must to push others so they can also grow and be better.
- become worshiper of the sun and spread its influence.
New personality traits: Impulsive, Slightly crazy, Inquisitive, Courageous, Maybe a bit stupid, Opportunistic, lacks empathy towards most others.
Ardur was once known as Travis Smith and worked and lived in the weird city of Portland Oregon. Now Travis had a rather normal upbringing with nothing too significant happening to him. He had parents that worked in industry. His father, worked with shipping containers as a foreman. His mother, worked with air cargo as a manager. Both did rather well for their family and kept them in a modest home. He had two younger sisters, twins actually. Both were dead set on joining the navy after they graduated.
Now Travis learned early on through volunteer work with his high school, that helping others was what he wanted to do. So instead of joining up with the military, was able to get a few scholarships and went into paramedic courses and physical trainer classes. Both of which he excelled at, finding his purpose in helping others. He did adopt a strange and sometimes dark sense of humor through this to deal with the stressful work environment of a paramedic. he filled his down time with listening and singing along to a variety of different modern and classic music as well as watching nature documentary's to help him relax.
For a time his life was good. He did what he could to help others through work and volunteering. Travis learned more about himself then he expected too. Working one week on one week off was a bit of a pain but it allowed him to work with some local athletes in his free time. Travis eventually found himself to be quiet in the company of others, always with a smile on his face. He did tend to be a bit pushy toward the people he was working with. He wanted to see them grow and be great. Somehow he adopted a protective side to him as well, especially towards his friends or the people he loved. This protective instinct would eventually lead to his down fall.
Travis, now 32, was going to be married in three months to a beautiful short red head named Sara, who just so happened to be a couple months pregnant. Sara was the one person who could really light a fire under him and get him to do anything. She was his motivation to be better, she was his muse. The last night he would be working was a stormy one. Just past midnight with rain, wind, and thunder. A strong winter storm. He was called out with his partner to a domestic. Apparently the husband beat his wife up pretty bad then ran out into the night.
The two paramedics didn’t think anything of it. It wasn’t the first time they had been called out to something like this and it wouldn’t be the last. The police officers that stayed at the residence called out that the scene was safe as they approached. A severely beaten female sat on the hood of one of the police cars. Travis and his partner approached her and began to asses her injuries. The police officers were nearby interviewing some neighbors when it happened. He saw him out of the corner of his eye. A man brandishing a revolver came at them from in between a few houses intent on killing the woman.
Travis didn’t think he only reacted. Grabbing the woman and turning away from the man he tried to push her away and around the ambulance. He remembered hearing thunder and a scream. The thunder rang out three times but all he felt was cold as he hit the wet pavement. Several other flashes of lights and thunder rang out into the night as the last thing he remembers was thinking that Sara was going to kill him for this. The blurry and muted voice of his partner and the other officers continued in his head until everything faded, and he was alone and cold.
Then suddenly there was light and a voice talking about rebirth and demon kings. He thought he was hallucinating and thought this was just some sort of way his body dealt with the sudden loss of function, so he decided to play along. So many choices he wondered which one would suit him? The slime seemed nice but strange, the dire Rat just reminded him of filth and garbage. Then there was a wisp it seemed more of a loner and mysterious.
The goblin simply reminded him of stories of greed and madness, both things he dealt with regularly before and wasn’t too keen on continuing that. The serpent seemed interesting but seemed more designed to inflict lasting pain or torture and that wasn’t what he stood for. Finally, he was introduced to the Pixie. A strange creature sure, weaker than the others but a healer. Something that supports groups without inflicting too much pain. This is what he decided on and in an instant he felt cold again but also strange like waking up from a bad dream.
Tamed Creature Status: Name: "Steve" Gender: Female Species: Oculus Spider - A low-ranking Arachnid-class Insect-type Monster. While it possesses venom, it is not that much more potent than a normal spider and thus is virtually harmless to humans save in very large doses or in the case of specific allergies. However, because it has adapted to Mana in its environment and thus become a Monster, it has gained a large eye that works differently than its normal eyes. It will swing from a web in a hypnotic manner to entice prey. Appearance: Abilities:
Level 4
Web Spit II - Spit a glob of sticky web at an opponent. Deals very little damage, but may Slow an enemy's movement. >> Stamina Consumption of this skill has decreased. Range of this skill has increased.
Doze I - For the Oculus Spider, this spell is cast using their eye as a catalyst. May inflict Sleep on a single target.
Thread Control I - Manipulate threads, wires, hair, etc with unnatural skill by channeling power through it. At this rank, only one simple manipulation can be passed through a single medium, for instance causing a strand of web to change direction once. Depending on the quality of the material, this skill may cause it to break or degrade.
Transformations: Common Spider Species > Oculus Spider
Inventory: Stomach Sac - 0/3 Slots Filled. Small Items only.
Level: 6 Shield II (2.2) Lesser Flight III (2.3) Minor Heal III (3.675) Physical Conditioning I (1.0) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH SKILL POINTS> Fire Resistance I (1.4) Taming I (1.7) Fireball I (1.7) Stronger II (2.15) Crafting I (1.95) Muffle I (1.3) Inspire I (1.1) Guidance I (1.55) Spell Chant I (1.2) Use Light Equipment (--) Meditate I (1.2) Point Strike I (1.05) Monster Analysis I (1.05) Keen Sight I (1.05) <UNUSABLE> Keen Ear (0.3) Alchemy (0.5) Faster (0.5) Magic Analysis (0.7) Mana Orb (0.15) Focus (0.6) Throw Voice (0.1) Mana Strike (0.9) Charisma (0.2) Soothe Song (0.7) Harder (0.1) Alert (0.9) Reinforce (0.6) Throw Item (0.5) Stone Shot (0.6) Iron Gullet (0.5) Soil Manipulation (0.3) Material Analysis (0.8) Rabid Fit (0.5) Lesser Cleanse (0.7) Fire Fist (0.2) Magic Resistance (0.3) Minor Regeneration (0.1) Flame Aura (0.1) Warcry (0.1) Immolation (0.05) Spiritual Awareness (0.4) Overwork (0.1) Lucid Dream (0.1) Blood Drain (0.1) Dextrous (0.1) Mana Sense (0.2) Mana Drain (0.1) Mental Resistance (0.1)
--- Skill Gain: Material Analysis I (0.9 > 1.0)! You have developed an eye for determining the qualities of inorganic or non-living objects. At this rank, you will only be able to gain surface information about an object. When used in conjunction with a crafting skill, it may help discover more compatible items.
Skill Rank Up: Crafting I > Crafting II (1.95 > 2.0)! Crafting Complexity Increased. Stamina Requirement Decreased.
Obtained Item: Cooked Bowhorn Meat! Cooked Bowhorn Meat is currently Processing into a new item...
As Asura formed himself a shield using his new shapeshifting abilities, he found it helped significantly and he could manipulate it just like having an actual shield strapped to an actual arm. Momma Slime's heavy blows reverberated against it, though Steve's fangs didn't seem to make much of a dent--although he could still tell by the prickling sensation that some of the spider's venom was getting through. As they attacked him repeatedly, the next time Ardur healed him it seemed that Momma Slime's attacks had pushed his Blunt Resistance to the next level...or rather, it would have, but it seemed that Physical Damage Resistance had drained his other resistances in Rank! Still, he had some progress left over in each skill, and his actual resistance hadn't seemed to decrease. The attacks were still doing less damage than before.
Up until Steve bit an area of the shield that Asura had relaxed just a little too much. The red slime felt the burn spreading up his pseudopod, as a cloud of poison inside his membrane began to spread like a nasty bruise...
And in addition to that, after all that information the system had given him, he suddenly had a crippling headache. Like those really sharp migraines that feel like your eyeballs are going to explode, even though he didn't have eyes.
Meanwhile, Ardur spent some time cooking up the meat they had taken from the Bowhorn deer, and did some information gathering of his own. Yet he too, was not ready for the flood of images and words and other sensory information that overloaded his mind. Like Asura, a skull splitting pain rocked his body. Steve immediately left off attacking Asura, seemingly not aware that she had poisoned him, and ran to the Hipixie as her mouth parts hissed in concern.
"Ahsoowah? Wut happun?" Momma Slime asked, coming close and putting a pseudopod on Asura's "head" as if she were checking him for fever.
Rat Party
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! Your Max HP has increased (this will not restore your current HP). You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Note: You are very close to your next level!
Unspent Skill Points: 5
Current Skills: Beast Sense II (2.775) Rabid Fit I (1.9) Stronger I (1.7) Muffle II (2.275) Use Light Equipment (--) Alert I (1.15) Faster I (1.05) Harder I (1.0) Dynamic Eye I (1.1) Smash I (1.3) Dextrous I (1.15) Monster Analysis I (1.25) Overwork I (1.35) <UNUSABLE> Material Analysis (0.5) Magic Analysis (0.9) Warcry (0.7) Tremor Sense (0.05) Mental Resistance (0.9) Telepathy (0.1) Mana Shape (0.7) Focus (0.8) Shield (0.5) Mana Shell (0.4) Soil Manipulation (0.7) Crafting (0.6) First Aid (0.1) Meditate (0.4) People Sense (0.3) Plant Analysis (0.2) Swift Swimmer (0.4) Charm (0.025) Repel (0.025) Stealth Kill (0.3) Blunt Resistance (0.1) Prehensile Tail (0.5) Mana Strike (0.6) Minor Heal (0.05) Iron Gullet (0.4) Taming (0.1) Suppress Presence (0.5) Use Medium Equipment (0.4) Inspire (0.2) Point Strike (0.3) Strengthen (0.3) Pierce Resistance (0.2) Double Skill (0.1) Deception (0.2) Lucid Dream (0.2)
Skill Rank Up: Beast Sense II > Beast Sense III (2.975 > 3.0)! Senses are further sharpened. Passive senses are now equivalent to the enhanced sense of Rank II. Focusing on a single sense at a time will still enhance it, now to a level beyond that of Rank II.
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! Your Max MP has increased (this will not restore your current MP). You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! LEVEL UP! Your learning experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 8! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!
Unspent Skill Points: 10
Current Skills: Beast Sense III (3.0) Faster II (2.275) Monster Analysis II (2.7) Dextrous II (2.175) Poison Resistance I (1.0) Crafting II (2.175) Muffle I (1.95) Mana Sense II (2.075) Mana Drain I (1.65) Magic Analysis I (1.3) Stronger I (1.45) Prehensile Tail (--) Alert I (1.4) Telepathy I (1.65) Plant Analysis I (1.4) Use Light Equipment (--) <UNUSABLE> Charisma (0.95) Mental Resistance (0.1) Soil Manipulation (0.9) Overwork (0.7) Lesser Status Heal (0.1) Minor Heal (0.3) Meditate (0.8) Smash (0.8) Strengthen (0.2) Scribe (0.1) Spell Chant (0.15) Lesser Force (0.1) Stone Shot (0.3) Lucid Dream (0.4) Spiritual Awareness (0.2) Swift Swimmer (0.1) Suppress Presence (0.5) Alchemy (0.7) Tremor Sense (0.2) Throw Item (0.3) Stealth Kill (0.1) Material Analysis (0.4) Iron Gullet (0.3) First Aid (0.9) Quicken (0.1) Skewer (0.4) Point Strike (0.2) Warcry (0.1) Mind Wave (0.2) Curse Word (0.1) Rabid Fit (0.2) Mana Gift (0.1)
The trio of rodents made their way across the plains, staying some distance away from the road but within sight. Soon, the village was out of sight behind them. The treeline of the forest, however, grew a little closer. They were still heading away from their starting point, but it seemed that around here the forest's edge had extended a little more to the south, so they could once again see the thicker wilderness a much shorter distance to the north. There were also a few rising slopes near the forest now--one of them looked particularly rocky and rose up a little higher than the others.
The rats could see a column of smoke rising up from behind it, not thick enough to be a chimney but perhaps a campfire. Ed was reminded of the smell of leather, smoke, flames, and metal from his dream, and the humanoid figures crouched around it.
The plains, too, began to slope. It was a much gentler rise, however, one that the rats hadn't really even noticed until a backward glance showed that they could see the village much more clearly now due to its lower elevation. They had left it far behind at this point, though, and it was only a dark collection of shapes in the distance. The grass was still long, and they were more than far enough away that the humans shouldn't be able to see them.
Oddly enough, given their luck lately, no wild creatures bothered them for quite some time. They didn't see anyone on the road either, though as they kept going at one point they saw a place where someone had recently made camp. It was set just a little off the road, enough to be out of the way of any travelers who might pass. All that was left now was a campfire, responsibly covered over with dirt, and the footprints of the people who had been here.
They looked the same as the footprints Ed and Asteria had found the previous day, back when they first left the forest. This seemed to be the place where they had left the road, though they had taken that wide, sweeping arc before entering the forest...had they been avoiding those hills, where the smoke had come from?
The smell of water was growing stronger. The landscape had dipped again somewhat, and now the rats headed downhill again. But as they reached the lowland, they noticed that up in front of them was another rise--this one much sharper in slope. And...it also seemed a bit unnatural.
As they got closer, they soon noticed that this wasn't just a grassy knoll. Rocks had been stacked up and mortared into a fairly sturdy wall, forming a long rectangle of sorts. Earth had been layered up overtop it, producing a smoothly rounded mound where grass grew thick and green--natural grass, not the thatch of a rooftop. It seemed more like a man-made mound of earthworks rather than a dwelling. Up on its top, a small structure made of megaliths--large stones, carted from who knew where--had been set up. They couldn't see what it consisted of from here, as one of the large, flat stones was obstructing the view.
Maybe if they climbed up there they would have a better view of the surrounding lands--the amount of moisture their noises were picking up had definitely increased. But what exactly was this huge mound for? Why would people--presumably people--have built it?
There was an entrance to the mound, though the rats would have to make their way around to the side facing the road in order to see it. It had no door...it was simply an archway in the earth, peering into the darkness...
The day was getting late. The red sun was dipping in the far distance, and light was beginning to fade from the sky...
Ghost Party
Your MP is Full! You have gained Temporary Extra MP!
Jason's punch actually seemed to push the goblin away, and the vision of Limbo broke as Jason's Transparency bounced him away from his target's body. He felt like he had been slapped in the face, but it was clear the goblin had taken a much heavier hit from the backlash. It fell to the ground as it had been punched hard in the gut, and writhed in agony as it struggled for breath. Its soul was still there, though diminished, and it wasn't glowing as brightly--had Jason drained all of the Goblin's MP?
"Heeeeeeeelp!" the Goblin cried pitiably, getting to all fours and trying to scramble back into the bushes. "Dun wanna diiiiiie!"
Skill Rank Up: Lesser Force II > Lesser Force III (2.9 > 3.0) Range increased, total radius is now 5 feet. Power extended at this range is the same as Rank II. Power at arm's length is now stronger.
With a unique use of his Lesser Force power and his beetle armor, Danny was able to deflect the Spear Goblin's attack without even touching it--the stick barely scraped his shell coated forearm, and the goblin itself acted as if it had run into a wall. It stumbled back as it thumped invisibly against Danny's magic. In this brief lull the Poltergeist checked on his ghostly friend, and could see that Jason was okay--better than okay, actually, as the Ectoslime seemed to brimming with magical power.
Danny then used his levitation skill, and though it was much heavier than before his body lifted off the ground. Moving like this wasn't as easy as when he was a wisp, more like swimming than flying, but the Spear Goblin was just now getting back up. He delivered a heavy kick to the off balance greenie, with both feet. He heard and felt bones crunch from the impact as the goblin lost its grip on the fishing spear, and the monster tumbled backwards head over heels.
However, the cudgel goblin got the drop on Danny from behind, and swung for the stadium! Danny's side exploded in pain as he was knocked out of the air and to the ground--if he hadn't yelled out "Take this!" when he attacked the spear goblin, no doubt the air would have been knocked from his lungs. Still, he was somewhat dazed...and his opponent approached with a toothy grin, raising the club up for another attack...
Asura wasn't very surprised at how well his body 'shield' was. He had numerous resistances and defensive stats that was mitigating the pairs attacks. Steve's fangs had to be Piercing, and Mother Slime was going Blunt. Although once Slash Resistance ticked over a Synergy happened. Physical Resistance went up one rank, but the other three Physical types went down as if drained. "Well that's just stupid...Physical Resistance drains Blunt, Slash, and Piercing Resistance by a certain amount to gain its rank." He growled out.
Surprisingly the System didn't waste any time and told him how each skill he had that wasn't available could become available. But all that information came at a price, it gave him a killer headache just as he got Poisoned by Steve. Damn world acts like I can't handle all this information... He thought as he collapsed into his base form. He didn't necessarily have eyes to strain or veins to get constricted. How DID a slime get a headache?
Then the System said he didn't have the requirements to Stat Point Reset. I wasn't asking you... He thought as he tried to put Mana into his demand. He still tried to forcefully Drain Stone Shot's points while Mother Slime checked on him. "Information overload, and poisoned." He said, noticing Ardur wasn't doing much better.
System, Status Condition. He thought, he wanted to see how much damage Poison did, and possibly to see if there was a countdown on it. His pseudopod slowly became the heater shield shape once more. "Keep hitting, Mother Slime, get one Smash in." He stated. It didn't hurt, well technically it did, to find out how much damage she could put out.
Just as he was about to go for a killing blow on the severely weakened Kakky Oin, he heard Danny cry out, and immediately turned toward his companion. Though Danny had held his own pretty damn well against two other monsters that in most cases would wipe the floor with a lone poltergeist, the cudgel goblin managed to land a lucky blow, seemingly incapacitating Jason's only ally, and prepared to deliver a killing blow. Determination and will surged within the core of Jason's being-- there was no way in hell he'd let ANYONE or ANYTHING harm those close to him! Jason's mana surged and churned as he charged at the goblin, almost as if subconsciously trying to generate that same 'sharp' aura that Undine and Zieglar had given off. Just as he had done to Kakky Oin, Jason slammed hard (or as hard as a ghost really can) into the chest of the cudgel goblin, immediately activating [Transparency] and [Mana Drain]!
As he took on his human form in the misty in-between, Jason's telepathic roar would echo through the strange void as he charged the goblin's soul. Grasping its head between his hands, Jason attempted to gouge its eyes out with his thumbs!
Right, now it was time to get to work. Food was down again so she sent the hunters to go hunt while the gatherers would need to grab more materials. She took note of Clod making himself leader of the hunting party even though she assigned Biggs. Orchid made a mental note to remember this. No doubt Biggs might come to her about this issue, though she figured if Biggs couldn’t prove himself a better warrior than he doesn’t deserve to be the Hunter Midboss. Even her kindness doesn’t get in the way of simple facts of competence.
As Orchid went to handle the badger hide, Crispy spoke to her about something. Something for medicine, mixing an herb called Bugwad, Kilm, some mushrooms, and the berries they’ve been eating. Also something from a beetle that makes fire, so a fire beetle. Certainly, it’d be more effective medicine than just chewed up herbs, and the fact they don’t live in or near the cave anymore would mean they need to find new ways to heal themselves. ”Alright then. When the hunters get back, and after we finish up things here, we’ll go looking for those herbs.”
Eventually the gatherers would return. More of the antidote ferns, a few sticks, more rocks, fines, and more berries. Counting them out, Orchid separated four berries from the nineteen; they can eat these four, but others needed to be saved for the medicine. It was time to get to work. She left Crispy and Wej to their own devices as she worked on tanning the hides of the armored badger. This process she knew was going to take time, but she also knew that all she needed to do was help prevent it from rotting. Hardening it would require time and materials that Orchid didn’t have, so she’d have to make due with what she did.
First Orchid needed to stretch the hide. She made a simple rack using two sticks and some vines, tightening the hide between the sticks, securing with the vines, and then doing that again on the opposite end. She hung the hide off a low branch as she grabbed one of the hard stones and used it to scour the badger’s hide of fat and other meaty bits. She could save it for later. Once she had scoured all of the fat off, she used a few more branches nearby to stretch out the hide.
The next process Orchid knew usually took a few days. When her father hunted deer, she’d remember seeing their skins hung up inside the barn for a while. However she didn’t have days to wait, and at the risk of lower their quality, she needed to make these hides useful soon. So once she had the hides stretched out, she placed them near the campfire to dry. She fed a few fresh branches to the fire so that it smoked the hides, helping it dry even if it would also end up making it a bit brittle. Now she just needed to wait. Orchid did this same process to the other badger hides, using local branches and sticks instead of the ones the gatherers brought.
Eventually the hunters would return with a dead hexcat. Orchid had a few ideas about how to work with that when suddenly there was an explosion. Orchid immediately reached for her club, and saw the mountains in the distance tumble and fall. What just happened? How did that occur? Immediately, Orchid assumed it had to be the work of those other monsters. Sure maybe they didn’t personally do it themselves, but there was no way that could’ve happened without them being too curious for their own good, and messing with something that could do that much damage.
Orchid growled and looked to the others. ”Fuckin hells, it’s not even noon yet. Whatever… Yous lot!” Orchid pointed towards the hunting crew. “You stay in camp for now, I’m going to go look for something. Don’t touch dat hex cat, I’ll butcher em up later. Wej, you stay ‘ere and make more rope, or weapons, or whatever. Gatherers, keep doing what you’re doing. Crispy,” Orchid looked to the older goblin. She still didn’t trust him. Frankly, this would be the perfect moment for him to betray her. Or for her to finish him off. ”Let’s go find that stuff you were talking about.”
Health: Full Stamina: Full Magicka: Full
Inventory - Hex Fur Shirt (Good) (Equipped) Raw Dire Rat Hide (Equipped) Loincloth (Equipped) Sharp Stone Club (Well-Made) (Equipped) Vine Bracer (Above Average) (Equipped) Torch (Good) (Stored) Rawhide Bag (1/12) (Equipped)
Antidote Fern
Bloody Garrote
Current Skills:
Demon Affinity (0.666) Use Light Equipment (--) Pacify Animal I (1.3) Stronger II (2.025) Crafting V (MAX) Material Analysis II (2.1) Monster Analysis I (1.3) Smash I (1.6) Charisma II (2.0) Taboo (0.3) <REQUIRES RESTORATION> Faster I (1.0) Fireball I (1.3) Hellish Fiend's Protection (Petty) Warcry I (1.0) Fire Resistance I (1.0) Defender I (1.0)
Throat Pouch: - x6 Nothing Rawhide Backpack - x5 Nothing Equipped: Mana Bone Spear (Average)
That was a lot of information to take in. Not only did she level, she was apparently already 20% of the way to level 10! How on earth - she wasn't questioning it, but that seemed to be quite the high boost. Her status apparently was less than optimal. Tired, peckish, and a bit dry. Meditation should fix the MP. Those evolutions though were the most interesting. Didn't the system say something about those marked with a star would be the best ones suited for some sort of affinity or mutation? Curious. For now she continued with her meditation before deciding on which skill points to use.
It was a less successful experiment than she had hoped for. Seemed like she couldn't exert herself physically while meditating still, but perhaps that was simply a limitation of her limited skill.
The other experiment proved just as fruitless as the last. What did it mean, the glowing mana Particles? She could hazard a guess that they were being drawn to their natural elements. Blue and green out of the cavern towards water and air. Blue was clearly Water and Light Green Air, with the red ones circling her body being clearly fire, until they moved away from the Water particles, but what did it all mean? At least she decided on which skills she wanted.
...was that Digbie? Ash flicked her head towards the entrance of the cavern, blinking to get the multicolored lights out of her eyes.
"Two points into Dual Cast, Two into Mana Control, two into Lesser Force, one into Stronger." That should be good enough.
Grabbing her Mana Bone Spear, Ash hurried outside to where she had heard the commotion.
That was a big rat!
"Now that's an excellent looking specimen." Ash commented to herself. Might as well skin it for extra food as well. First though, she activated her Monster and Magic Analysis as she launched herself into the air as high as she could. Once there, she formed that silvery, mercury like orb of Poison in her claw, flying over the Dire Rat, hopefully it hadn't noticed her - and tossed the ball of poison right on top of it. Next, she activated Overwork, angling the sharp end of her spear over her head, letting gravity do most of the work as she aimed the spear right for where the glob of poison should have hit the rat, and dove.
Torrent felt pretty good. She felt calm for the first time in... She couldn't remember how long. Since she was... Before the streets? Was there a before the streets?
She opened her eyes - when had she shut them? - and looked up into the sunlight. Was she just normal meditating? There wasn't a skill so she probably wasn't doing it quite right yet. But she could do better! As she shifted positions to maximize the amount of sun to skin contact, a sound broke the calm.
Digbie was back. And he had brought trouble. Big trouble. With a hint of smugness she thought about how she always took care of her trouble, the kind of reaction a small child might have when their sibling getting caught red-handed.
But she didn't waste any time before jumping into action. She'd didn't way too long in both this life and the next to be caught by surprise like this.
"Oberon, distract it! I'm going to come from another angle!" she called out before activating Scale Shift and Muffle III and scurrying off to the side in a loop like she had with the slime. As she moved she used her Monster Analysis and Magic Analysis skills on the creature for information on how best to tackle it. She needed to be smart, like Ash and Oberon. As she moved she tried her hardest to be undetectable alongside her skills. If she could just fade into the background this thing would never expect her attacks.
This thing was made of fur and flesh. So arguably a fire spell would be her best bet at the start. This thing was big and tough and she didn't think she could just get on it's back and bite down into it's neck to kill it like she had that rat in the cave. Or had it been a lizard?
... Or maybe it was those goblins she'd killed by the entrance when she was spying?
Whatever. Bigger thing.
Carefully Torrent moved in from behind and slightly to the side, getting within range to use her Wurm Breath, in fire primary mode. After using the spell just long enough to produce the attack for about the space of a long exhale, Torrent backed away quickly, activating Scale Shift and Muffle III again as she moved for another angle to attack from.
Skill Rank Up: Lesser Force II > Lesser Force III (2.9 > 3.0) Range increased, total radius is now 5 feet. Power extended at this range is the same as Rank II. Power at arm's length is now stronger.
The leveled up Lesser Force was nice enough and it seemed his kick caught the spear wielding Goblin of guard and did some damage even if levitation seemed harder than before. The fact that Jason and he clearly had the upper hand in strength and skill at least, combined with the fact that Jason had looked like he had enough Mp and the one Goblin crying how they didn't want to die nearly convinced Danny to give them a chance to surrender. At that point though the third member of their group hit him by surprise.
While the Poltergeist was recovering from the blow Jason unbeknownst to Danny went hogwild on the Goblin that hit him. He just saw the club coming at him and did the first thing he could try to think of. Using his newly upgraded Lesser Force III he tried to pull the cudgel out of its owner's hands since it would probably make a better weapon than his wooden stick, even if he wanted the spear more.
Abilities:
Mana Orb I and II
Lesser Force III
Levitation
Monster Analysis II
Meditate I
Mana Shape I
Aqua Sphere I
Magic Analysis I!
Mana Dart I
Blunt Resistance I
Focus I
Faster I
Plant Analysis I
Mana Vision I
Point Strike I
Muffle I
Crafting I
Spiritual Awareness I Wisp > (Immature) Poltergeist
Despite his reservations, it seemed that Oberon’s attempts to pull heat from the Aqua Sphere above his hand were somewhat successful. He could feel heat enter his fingertips, then his palm, and as the water touched his skin it felt cooler than it had when he first pulled it from the stream; while not exactly at the point of freezing he should be able to lower the temperature of the water below zero if he continued with this method.
The only concern was where the heat was going to go.
However, in addition to losing heat it seemed that the Aqua Sphere was also changing shape along with his efforts. Was this a result of him ‘pulling’ the heat from the water, the shape of the orb distending with the force of his efforts, or was this another case of a spell wanting to take the form it was most comfortable without his input? If he thought of ‘ice’ what shape immediately came to mind? The answer was probably an icicle, a long spear of frozen water not too dissimilar to the elongated shape the Aqua Sphere was taking now.
If he used Mana Shape to alter the Aqua Sphere into a longer, pointed form before attempting this again would he find it easier?
The Sprite was pulled from his thoughts by a sudden shout. The Aqua Sphere, or oval at this point, fell apart as his concentration was broken and Oberon turned to see the approaching form of Digbie closely pursued by a large rat. Torrent called to him from the side and asked him to distract it before she faded into the background as her scales changed colour; she was probably going to try something similar to what she had done during the fight against the Slime earlier, using his distraction to get close to the rat before diving in and attacking with everything she had.
Oberon took to the air and flew towards the Rodent of Unusual Size, idly wondering at what point he had become the one taking aggro from enemies when he was supposed to be the healer, before firing off a Mana Slice towards its face. If he was lucky the attack would cost the creature an eye, but if he wasn’t it would hopefully still gain its attention; regardless, as he got closer to the rat he angled his flight and began to ascend.
Once he felt he was far enough above the creature that even with a leap it couldn’t reach him, but not so high that it couldn’t see him, he stopped and began to hover. Reaching up he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled as loudly as he could, just in case slicing its face open was too subtle, to get the rats attention. With this done he took a moment to use Monster and Magic Analysis on the creature, then used Magic Analysis again to learn of any weaknesses it might have; it’s large size meant it might be a little resistant to bludgeoning attacks, while the fact that it actually had blood and vital organs meant slicing and piercing would be more effective than against the Slime.
Until he knew for sure what elements would be most effective he would just have to wait and see.
Used "Mana Slice I" on ROUS Flew above ROUS and whistled to gain it's attention Used "Monster Analysis II" on ROUS Used "Magic Analysis IV" on ROUS Used "Magic Analysis IV" on ROUS again
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