Oberon
As Oberon used his two Passive Mana Regeneration skills to restore his energy reserves, not only did his MP rise much faster but he also began to feel more "refreshed" in some way--much like an athlete that has recovered from pushing their body past the limit. He had been using these two skills quite frequently lately, and though he had pushed his experimentation fairly far he was careful not to keep overusing his spells. Rather than wait until his MP was used up, he kept it at a decent level, "topping off" every so often rather than waiting until he needed a complete refuel.
Your Mana Burn has subsided.
Natural Mana Recovery restored to 100%. External Mana Recovery restored to 100%.
When he let the water of the shallow stream run over his hand and began channeling his Mana, without much effort on his part only a soft glow appeared in his palm. Like a flashlight with a weak battery, this unformed spell took a circular shape--but then, the water began to sweep it away. It was almost like holding sand between his fingers. The water simply swept it right along...But when the Sprite put conscious effort into holding his mana there, and trying to draw the water into it rather than letting it pass by, a proper Mana Orb began to form--except now, it didn't look so much like a crackling ball of light. It became transparent, much like the water, and its light was highly diffused. It looked more like foaming bubbles than anything else. But after a few moments, if Oberon didn't put any further effort into either maintaining the Orb or trying to drain power from the water, it too would simply be carried away by the current until the small amount of mana he had gathered in his hand was all gone.
Ash
Ash struggled valiantly against the monster's gullet, and though she drew blood with her claws many of her swipes slid off the creature's rubbery, saliva-coated innards. The frog's toothless mouth pressed down harder around her...until she released a Poison Glob right down the amphibian's throat.
The fumes from the acidic reaction even burned Ash's own nostrils in this confined space, but the writhing body around her immediately began to spasm. Bright light erupted around her before she tumbled back onto the forest floor, covered in frog mucus. Her attacker continued to vomit, even expelling a long, pulsating sack. Like a frog back in her own world that had eaten a bee or some other harmful creature, it had thrown up its own stomach in an attempt to dislodge the offender! But her glob had coated its insides already--as she watched, the creature seized and screamed in agony as the stomach sac was burned through, and the Rubber Frog's entire body seemed to shrivel up even after it had completely deflated.
Eventually this show of body horror ceased, and the frog collapsed lifelessly. Its tonge, as well as its stomach, were still hanging out of its mouth. Where the poison had burned through the lining, a mass of undigested food--something that looked like pixie wings here, a little rat fur there, the leg of some large insect--could be seen. All in all, quite a gristly scene, even for a scientist who planned on disecting her prey.
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 8! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Max Stamina has increased!
Unspent Skill Points: 12 ((OOC: 2 leftover from last time, 5 normal, 2 at 1000 post mark and 3 at one-year mark))
Current Skills:
Stun Stinger II (2.025)
Poison Spray II (2.0)
Alchemy II (2.525)
Overwork III (3.2625)
Charisma I (1.65)
Venom Shot I (1.8)
Crafting I (1.25)
Lesser Force I (1.5)
Magic Analysis II (2.5875)
Alert I (1.3)
Lesser Flight I (1.25)
Muffle I (1.55)
Monster Analysis II (2.0375)
Material Analysis I (1.6)
Meditate II (2.025)
Poison Glob I (1.15)
Poison Breath I (1.025)
Plant Analysis I (1.05)
Tremor Sense I (1.0)
Mana Orb I (1.55)
Shield I (1.0)
Mana Slice I (1.55)
Mana Shape I (1.1)
Analysis (--)
Rabid Fit I (1.05)
Mental Resistance I (1.5)
<UNUSABLE>
Blunt Resistance (0.2)
Scribe (0.6)
Minor Heal (0.725)
Faster (0.1)
Intimidate (0.6)
Acid Volley (0.1)
Venom Claw (0.1)
Dragon Affinity (0.45) <CANNOT BE INCREASED WITH SKILL POINTS>
Prehensile Tail (0.5)
Stronger (0.4)
Mana Sense (0.6)
Mana Vision (0.8)
Dual Cast (0.2)
Slash (0.2)
Digbie
The Flak Beetle's mandibles snapped like a pair of vicious scissors as it scuttled at high speed towards the Demiblin. Hesitating for only a moment, Digbie summoned up an Earth Wall between him and his attacker, then cast Rock Spire on the wall itself rather than his opponent. The yellow circle of light marking the spike's target appeared on the flat surface of rock as it erupted from the ground with a rumbling crack.
The beetle's charge pulled up short as its segmented legs did a frantic backpedal--but not quick enough! There was a crunching sound from the other side of the wall...but Digbie didn't hang around to see what happened. The demonic goblin fled at full speed from his attacker, yelling his head off. But he was heading towards the east, not back north where the rest of his allies were. Though he might be following the trail of the Blessed Yill's petals, he was heading into unknown territory...deeper into the forest...
Behind him, there was a snapping sound. The Flak Beetle tottered around the edge of the Earth Wall--with the tip of the Rock Spire planted firmly in its mouth bits like a toddler's pacifier. Its mandibles were angrily clicking around the rocky plug as two of its forelegs explored the stone's size and shape. Once it understood what had been shoved into its mouth, it gave an angry hiss. Like a pneumatic press the two mandibles began to slowly close...and after several difficult, grinding repetitions, there was another snap as it broke the piece of stone into pieces. It spat them out, then made grumbling clicks as it wandered off in another direction.
When the Monster Party originally left the cave, they had traveled to the north. The forest had grown deeper, the trees larger, and while the undergrowth wasn't so thick anymore the ground had become rockier and steeper. The canopy became denser, so though the sun was well up shadows still covered large swathes of the forest floor. Layers of leaves or straw had fallen thick over the years, disturbed only by the occasional beast. The Monster Party had made its shelter somewhat to the edge of the forest, closer to the mountains. So on his journey a short ways south, and now running helter skelter to the east, Digbie was heading right into the heart of the woodlands.
He had long left the trail he carved with his curved rock behind, and he wasn't anywhere near the stream either. Now, in all directions, there were just trees, trees, a rock or two, and more trees...
And as he ran between some of these trees, bursting out of a low slope over a pile of leaves, there was a sudden squeak. A Dire Rat, likely nesting in that leaf pile, burst up right in front of Digbie. The two were equally shocked by the other's presence, but as the rat scampered backwards it raised up onto its hind legs. With its fur bristling, fangs bared, and eyes blazing, it began to
hiss and snort at Digbie--but it didn't attack. Its entire body said "stay away!" but so far it didn't seem eager to actually fight. Digbie had fought and won against Dire Rats before...would he do the same here?
Torrent
Fire, fire everywhere, and not a spark to die. That was what Torrent wished for, as with a defiant shout--or an angry prayer--she let loose her magic. She felt her skin growing hot, felt scales drying, felt oxygen grow scarce, felt her Mana surging. The Fireball manifested, and expanded, all around her...
Or more accurately,
she was
inside a Fireball that had been cast "in place." But her intent, her desire, to see this pant cringe and burn and wither away, kept her going. The flames spread out just as the tendrils wrapped around her. Before they could squeeze her to death and crush the life from her rapidly beating heart, they were enveloped in fire and fury.
An odd creening, somewhere between a wooden creak and a squeal, came from the Blood Snare plant as the flames all over it continued to eat away its fibrous body. Torrent was dropped the short distance to the ground, singed by her own power but seemingly unharmed--her Fire Resistance definitely had something to do with it, she could feel. Parts of the plant blackened and shriveled and crumbled to ash, other parts writhed and smoked and then finally fell still. Several large petals fell off of the main body, smoking and smouldering like charcoal grilled meat and glistening with bubbling sap. Only a few strands of vine were left unharmed, but with their roots and body burned they could no longer pose any threat.
You have no MP remaining.
Loot Present: Grilled Flesh Leaf x3
Loot Present: Blood Snare Vine x2
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 8! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Max MP has increased (this will not recover your current MP)!
Unspent Skill Points: 10
Current Skills:
Stun Fang II (2.3)
Muffle III (3.0125)
Poison Spit II (2.0)
Poison Glob I (1.75)
Poison Breath II (2.075)
Fireball II (2.0)
Stealth Kill I (1.0)
Minor Recovery I (1.0)
Fire Resistance I (1.1)
Fire Breath I (1.85)
Rabid Fit I (1.0)
Meditate I (1.25)
Tremor Sense I (1.7)
Soil Manipulation I (1.1)
Underground Movement I (1.55)
Monster Analysis I (1.025)
Magic Analysis I (1.225)
Material Analysis I (1.025)
Plant Analysis I (1.025)
Scale Shift I (1.5)
Overwork I (1.0)
Analysis (--)
Mental Resistance I (1.2)
Spell Cancel I (1.05)
Sensory Resistance I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Crafting (0.2)
Alchemy (0.4)
Alert (0.4)
Warcry (0.3)
Poison Fang (0.3)
Blunt Resistance (0.6)
Smash (0.2)
Magic Break (0.1)
Suppress Presence (0.3)
Spiritual Awareness (0.4)
Prehensile Tail (0.1)
Fortify (0.5)
Spell Chant (0.4)
Dual Cast (0.5)
Guidance (0.5)
Focus (0.2)
Flame Burst (0.1)
Ardur, Asura, Momma Slime, Steve
ERROR. You do not have Permissions to Request Permissions.
The group decided to ignore the rat nest for now, and instead headed back towards the cover of the trees. As they went back down the slopes, they could see the forest from a higher perspective. Not quite over the treetops, but enough to see the structure of the cave from outside--how what seemed to be a collapsed part of the mountain had been covered over with silt over years of erosion and turned into a gently sloped hill, almost a mound. And they could see that the forest grew thicker to the north. And that the goblins' campfire in the clearing was gone.
They could also see, somewhat to the south of where they had originally started up the mountain, a burrow in the ground. It was just a hole, no telling how deep it went, but it was rather broad--at least a foot across at its widest, and deep enough that they could only see darkness down there.
As they were coming down from the rocks, something black and shiny--the carapace of a large insect--emerged from the burrow...whatever it was, it was coming out backwards, either dragging something out of the den or digging out its home further...
"Ahdoo." Momma Slime blurbled, remembering something for the first time. "Um...Fownd dis. Not taked. Fownd it." With a wet splurt she spat the corpse of one of the Fanged Lizards--the one Ardur had called dibs on and Asura made her not eat--out at the Hipixie's feet. It was only slightly dissolved around the edges.
Asteria, Ed, Mother Rat
Current Skills:
Beast Sense II (2.875)
Faster II (2.15)
Monster Analysis II (2.3)
Dextrous I (1.9)
Poison Resistance I (1.0)
Crafting I (1.625)
Muffle I (1.6)
Mana Sense I (1.8)
Mana Drain I (1.4)
Magic Analysis I (1.05)
Stronger I (1.15)
Prehensile Tail (--)
Alert I (1.15)
<UNUSABLE>
Use Light Equipment (0.6)
Charisma (0.9)
Telepathy (0.35)
Mental Resistance (0.1)
Soil Manipulation (0.8)
Overwork (0.2)
Lesser Status Heal (0.05)
Minor Heal (0.05)
Meditate (0.4)
Smash (0.6)
Mana Flex (0.1)
Scribe (0.1)
Spell Chant (0.15)
Lesser Force (0.1)
Stone Shot (0.1)
Lucid Dream (0.3)
Spiritual Awareness (0.2)
Swift Swimmer (0.1)
Suppress Presence (0.1)
Plant Analysis (0.7)
Alchemy (0.05)
Tremor Sense (0.1)
Ed couldn't quite see any magical glows just yet, but like a few experiments he had tried before, he could feel "energy" moving within him. It was almost like feeling your blood rush through your veins after a hard workout, the kind that makes your heart thud in your chest. But it was hard to remain totally conscious of it, and harder still to make it "circulate" the way he wanted. Nonetheless, he felt his hands grow warm. The minor cuts and bruises he had accumulated stopped stinging and hurting. His tense muscles grew a little more relaxed. But he couldn't keep up this state of "flow" for long, especially not while helping Mother Rat dig. After examining the system, however, Asteria returned to help her two packmates.
With Ed's greater strength and three pairs of paws, they soon had a sizeable burrow tunneled out. It still wouldn't be big enough for Ed to fit into, however--at least not without leaving about half of himself outside, and if he wanted to breathe properly it would have to be the half that had a nose on it.
But as they kept digging, even with the Alert skill they might be too distracted to notice a fluttering shadow overhead...it seemed to be circling around the bunch of flowers that Asteria had picked. At first glance, it was simply a butterfly or moth of some sort, likely a simple insect attracted by the smell of the plants...
But...a normal sized bug probably wouldn't cast a shadow at all unless it was much closer to the ground, right? And...why was this shadow, even for a bug, so big...?
Danny
When Danny didn't make any threatening moves, the younger human slowly turned to the trees. With only an occasional glance now at the Poltergeist, he picked out a smaller tree and started to raise his hatchet--
"Relax human, I don't want to fight you. Why do you think I distracted those Goblins earlier."
"AAAAAH!?"
The human immediately leaped backward, dropping his axe entirely and planting himself in a strong stance, shield up. He seemed to be trying to draw his sword, but in the excitement he was fumbling somewhat with the belt and scabbard.
"Squire! Focus!" the knight's own hand was on his sword, but he had not unslung the shield from his back. His stance was a cautious one--but there seemed to be a pressure building under his hand, as if the moment he drew the sword would be the same moment he attacked.
"Th-the Poltergeist can t-talk, sir!"
"I heard it too--keep your distance! Think every action through!"
The boy took a deep breath. His sword rasped on leather as he finally drew it out. He looked over the rim of his shield at Danny.
"Poltergeist! A Monster at your level shouldn't be intelligent enough to speak, much less a human tongue! Some transformed creature, or a familiar...What are you?"
The knight had relaxed somewhat, and the pressure under his hand lessened...but it was still there. He turned slowly in a circle, and beneath the visor of his helmet his eyes seemed to be taking in every detail of the surroundings...
Jason
By the time Jason had finished his conversation with Jason, and made his way to the exit of the cave, he would find that Asura, Ardur, Momma Slime, Asteria, Ed, Mother Rat, and Danny had all disappeared, as well as those traitors that had followed Mourningstar. And the goblins, they were all gone too! Had everyone simply thrown everything aside and run, now that the Dungeon was apparently on auto-pilot?
As he emerged into the light of early evening, the sun just beginning to redden as it sank toward the mountaintops to the west, he saw only...
A knight, looking towards him with a hand on his blade. From that sword leaked an aura that felt almost as sharp as Undine's--or rather, it was coming from the knight, and being channeled through the sword. And as the knight's head turned, it stopped for just a moment.
Jason couldn't see the knight's eyes under the visor. Was he...could he actually
see the spirit?
And behind the knight...was that Danny? It looked like the Wisp had gotten bigger--and grown a body under that spherical form that was now a head. Facing another human, a young one, with drawn blade...!
Orchid's Tribe
As the Goblins pressed deeper into the forest, heading straight towards the East, the trees soon became taller. The underbrush thinned out, but the canopy got thicker. They soon left the cave and the clearing entirely behind--along with the column of smoke from the grasslands--and traveled for some time with no disturbances. The dense foilage up above blocked out even more of the already fading sunlight...soon it would be pitch dark, unless Orchid wanted to light some of the others' torches. Doing so, however, might give away their position.
As the goblins tramped about over the leafy ground, tripping up over a root or two, they foraged for food and other materials as they went. Crispy and Yoona found a few Antidote Ferns, while Tiddies almost cut her foot on a Sharp Stone before picking it up. Bigs also found a Sharp Stone shaped almost perfectly for a spear head even without any knapping, and Wej found a bush full of Green Argeps. He began grabbing as many of them as he could carry, eating a few that were more ripe as he did so until the juice dribbled down his chin. He also found some Small Stones, perfect for slinging. Jezee and Clod also found Sharp and Small Stones, and Sqwal proudly showed off a Curved Stick with just the right heft to use as both a club and a throwing weapon if need be. Orchid herself found a bush of Blue Argeps, more properly ripened and thus much sweeter and less crunchy. There was also a Thick Vine wrapped around the woody stem of the bush, using it as a trellis to grow on.
But while this group of well armed goblins might be intimidating to most of the forest creatures, there was one that just didn't care. A familiar snarl greeted Orchid as her group gathered around the Blue Argep bush. From the shadows of a nearby tree, a creature slowly circled the group with bared fangs, head lowered as if preparing for a charge.
"ARMOR BADGER!" yelled Bigs, pointing frantically.
