Animal Kingdom- Riot

by Aaron Oster

  “Wait, what? How do you know?” Arthur asked, his attention shifting to the frog riding on his shoulder.

  “We tried following them, sending scouts to see where they were taking the captured villagers. We expected them to head to the nearest Feline city, Raya. But they headed in the complete opposite direction. The scouts sent back news that they were headed this way, but when none of them came back, we assumed they’d been caught.

  “They mentioned killing an ant girl, remember? We sent several ants out as scouts, so they must still be here. Arthur, we have to go after those guards. Some of them might still be alive, and if they are, we need to save them.”

  Quest Available: Frog-Scue

  Jeremy Hopps Croaksalot has asked for your help rescuing some captured scouts. You really need to stop hanging around this guy.

  Objective: Investigate the second level of the Dungeon and rescue all captured scouts

  Failure: Fail to save at least one scout

  Difficulty: B

  Rewards: 5,000 XP, Bag of Holding, Variable

  Time Limit: 8 Hours

  Will you Accept?

  Yes/No

  Arthur sighed when he saw the quest, nearly cringing when he saw the quest name.

  Frog-Scue? Seriously? Couldn’t whoever was doing this come up with a better quest name?

  He accepted it, noting that this one had a time limit after which, presumably, the last scout would be killed.

  “Alright, looks like we’re continuing our suicide run through this place. And now we have a time limit,” Arthur said, eyeing the still-sleeping boss.

  This quest better have a freaking boatload of gold at the end or some seriously awesome gear!

  “You’ll really do it?”

  Hopps was looking a little teary-eyed, which made him feel a bit better. Helping out a friend in need was always fulfilling, even if it was such a stupid idea that even the game was calling him out on it.

  “Yeah, just let me check my status before we go in to kill that thing,” Arthur said, pulling up his status.

  He knew that Hopps had gained a new ability at level 7 that let him use sticky mud to impede an enemy’s movements. It would come in handy in the upcoming fights. His status flashed before his eyes, showing him his progress.

  Character Status

  Name: Arthur

  Race: Humanoid - Poison Frog

  Class: None

  Level: 7

  XP: 2,970/3,500

  AP: 0

  Survivability

  HP: 130/130

  MP: 70/70

  STA: 210/210

  Armor Rating: 0

  Attributes

  Strength - 4

  Constitution - 13 (+3)

  Endurance - 21 (+3)

  Agility - 23 (+3)

  Intelligence - 7

  Wisdom - 7 (+1)

  Charisma - 8

  Luck - 5

  Skills

  3/8

  Unarmed Frog-Bat: Level 5

  Perception: Level 7

  Knife Wielding: Level 4

  Abilities

  3/8

  Tae-Frog-Do: Level 4

  Frog Slicer: Level 3

  Parry: Level 1

  Racial Bonus

  Poison Touch: Tier 1

  Spring: Tier 1

  He still hadn’t gotten a handle on how the XP worked with each level, but he was beginning to get the gist of it. He just hoped that it didn’t follow AKO standards and double at level 10. Then again, knowing his luck, it would. He checked both of his Racial Bonuses, noting that Poison Touch was getting close to Tier 2, and Spring was already halfway there.

  He hadn’t gotten any new skills or abilities while fighting in the Dungeon, which surprised him. He’d added another point into Wisdom when he’d leveled the last time, to increase his chances of picking them up. He also knew he should start thinking about what Class he wanted to play. If the Class system worked the same as AKO, then he would be able to choose at level 10. Then he’d be limited to classes the system deemed appropriate for his attributes.

  Sighing, he closed his status and turned his attention back to the Boss still lying in the center of the cavern.

  “You think we can take that thing?” he asked.

  It was a rhetorical question. They had no choice but to fight it if they wanted to escape. They were still trapped in the Predator Zone. Speaking of which…

  “How did those Feline guards get in here? I though Predator Zones sealed off all access.”

  “You can get in, but not out,” Hopps replied with a shrug. “You ready to take that Boss?”

  “No,” Arthur replied honestly, feeling at the potions he’d tied to his belt.

  He had three Health potions, four Stamina, and six Mana. The Mana were mostly useless, but if he used his Poison Touch too many times in a single fight, he would need it to replenish his MP. The HP and Stamina potions were the more important, with the Stamina being the most important.

  He depended heavily on his mobility and already knew that he’d stop pouring so much into Constitution once his HP hit 150, or until he got some decent armor. All the rest would be going into Agility and Endurance. There was no way to keep a balanced character and have him be powerful as well. In fact, had his life literally not depended on it, he probably wouldn’t have spent even half of what he did on Constitution so far.

  “Don’t worry, mate! I’ve got your back. We’ll take the fluffy wanker down, then go after those damn guards. They need to die for their part in attacking my village.”

  “Anyone ever tell you that you’re really bloodthirsty for such a small frog?”

  Hopps flashed him a grin.

  “All the time, mate. Now let’s go kill that kitty!”

  10

  Just as Arthur had expected, the massive lynx rose as soon as they entered the room.

  He let out a very un-manly – or was it un-frogly? – yelp as the entrance was sealed shut. A massive stone slab slammed into the ground just five feet from him.

  “Oh, well that’s not good,” Hopps unhelpfully put in. “On the bright side,” he continued. “At least the cat can’t escape.”

  “Your optimism is never-ending, isn’t it?” Arthur said dryly as his gaze fixed on the massive lynx.

  It was instantly outlined in red, and a timer began counting down from 30 in the top right corner of his vision. Arthur guessed this was how long they had before the Boss attacked, and he used the time to examine the beast.

  Name: Mitten

  Race: Dire Lynx

  Level: 10

  HP: 500/500

  An icon in the shape of a crown flashed over its health bar, indicating that it was a Boss monster. The crown was white, and if the rules held the same as the old AKO, it meant that the Boss would have only 1 AOE – Area of Effect – attack, also referred to as a White-Crown Boss. Yellow would indicate 2, Orange 3, Red 4, and Black 5. Suffice it to say that he wasn’t ready to face a Black-Crown Boss, even if it was just three levels above him.

  He no longer felt panic when coming up against powerful enemies. However, facing down this Boss monster, which was a whole three levels above him, he could feel the panic threatening at the edges of his consciousness before it was wiped away.

  The timer flashed red as the numbers counted down from 10, and Arthur pulled the dagger from his belt, feeling his palms growing slick with sweat. The timer finished counting down, every second feeling like an eternity. As soon as it hit zero, he threw himself forward as though in a dream.

  He staggered as Mitten’s roar shook the cavern, slamming him with half a dozen debuffs, reducing his speed, concentration, and attack power. A second after that, Hopps’s buff hit him, restoring the important attributes to normal.

  Mitten hissed as he closed the distance and swiped out with a massive paw, glittering claws extended. Just the gleam of light should have warned him of their danger, but even if they hadn’t, the fact that they sliced into the solid stone as he dodged them w
ould have been hard to miss.

  “Holy shit!” Arthur exclaimed.

  Only using his Spring to retreat had saved him from the lightning-quick attack. He just had to hope the attack was an ability and not a regular one. Otherwise, he could kiss his life goodbye now.

  The lynx whirled on him as he landed, only for a Water Bomb to slam into it, detonating along with 25 points of its health. The bar above its head barely budged. Arthur briefly wondered what the Boss would have been like, had this not been a Predator Zone.

  Mitten would probably have only been level 8, and even if the HP difference hadn't been huge, the amount of damage it could dish out would probably have been much less.

  Arthur crashed into the Boss, using Poison Touch to start draining its HP. He then slashed out with his dagger in a rapid series of strikes. As soon as Mitten shook the attack off, he used Tae-Frog-Do, delivering a double kick to the cat’s face as he flipped back.

  His eyes flicked to the health bar above its head, wincing at how little damage he’d done. There should have been more. He was briefly confused before he pulled the damage logs.

  -6 Damage, slashing (Base: 12 - 6 Armor)

  Crap. The Armor Rating. How could he have forgotten?

  Arthur braced himself as the giant lynx bounded after him, its glittering claws flashing out. Arthur danced back, remembering the attacks used by the other lynxes and avoided the blow. However, he’d made the mistake of not accounting for the Boss’ much more varied attacks.

  Mitten landed on his front paws and instead of landing for another attack, twisted his body mid-air, bringing his half-ton bulk around to slam into Arthur and send him flying back.

  -54 Damage, blunt

  The breath was knocked from his lungs as he went sprawling and gasping for air. He knew he had to stand up, to move. The massive cat would be on top of him any second. But, as much as he willed himself, he couldn’t force his body to move. He was in too much pain.

  It took a handful of seconds for him to regain his senses, and when he did, he shot to his feet, expecting the cat to be on top of him. To his surprise, he found the massive cat with its back to him. It roared and yowled, swiping at a small spec hopping around its body and barely avoiding attacks.

  Hopps!

  Arthur dashed forward, using Spring when he was close enough, and buried the Centipede’s Carver right behind Mitten’s shoulder. The cat roared so loud that the cave shook, and its HP dropped by a full 10%.

  Mitten whirled, throwing him free. Luckily, he managed to regain his footing, as the cat was practically on top of him by the time he landed. Instead of backing off, he dashed forward, and the cat sailed neatly over his head. It landed and attempted to whirl into him to deliver the same attack as earlier, but Arthur dove into a roll, avoiding its heavy bulk and coming back to his feet.

  “Thanks for pulling its attention off me, Hopps!” Arthur yelled as he spun and sprinted back toward Boss.

  “No problem, mate. I’m using Mud Bath, so you’ll have a second to heal up and maybe get in some damage!”

  Arthur nodded, skidding to a halt. Mitten had turned to face the both of them, when the ground beneath his feet suddenly turned to thick, cloying mud. With a yowl of anger, Mitten sank up to his knees in the muck.

  Reaching down to his belt, Arthur popped the cork on a Health potion, downing it instantly. His eyes flicked to his Stamina bar. He still had 160/210. The mud would hold Mitten for 10 seconds, so should he go for a Stamina potion, or inflict some damage?

  Arthur dashed toward the Boss, his mind made up, and began slashing it his eyes. He’d managed to inflict a massive critical hit earlier and was sure he’d be offered a skill if he survived. Now all he had to do was aim for weak points.

  Unfortunately, he still had to be careful. Mitten’s paws were trapped, but his head was still free. Arthur barely avoided getting caught in the cat’s powerful jaws before switching to attacking his flank. Activating his Frog Slicer, he began to hack at the lynx in a frenzy, shaving off small chunks of health with each slash.

  He made sure to add a Poison Touch as he did. With a wet pop, Mitten’s paw came free, and Arthur barely managed to avoid the glittering claws in time. The mud vanished, leaving Mitten free and furious.

  His entire body began to glow with a dull white light, and Arthur called out a warning.

  “AOE attack incoming!”

  He had no idea what the lynx would do, but he knew that the attack was unavoidable within a certain area. He just had no idea how far that range was.

  He turned and ran for the opposite side of the room as Mitten lifted his head and roared, the white light exploding outward in a massive force bubble. Arthur tried to use Spring to get out of range as the attack flashed towards him, but he wasn’t fast enough.

  The attack slammed into him, sending him into a wall once again, and a damage notification flashed in his vision.

  -83 Damage, Force Roar

  Thankfully, Arthur managed to regain his feet quickly.

  “Hopps! Are you alright?!” he called out, reaching for a potion at his belt.

  His HP was getting dangerously low.

  Unfortunately, Mitten had begun moving as soon as the attack had blasted off and was already closing with him. Arthur had no choice but to dodge without taking the Health potion. The lynx whirled again, beginning to move in a tight circle, its front and back paws lashing out as it spun.

  What the hell was this?

  Arthur tried to use Spring to avoid the attack, but it was still on cooldown, and as a result, took a hit from the whirling cone of death.

  -43 Damage, Claw Storm

  Arthur’s health bar was flashing at 4/130, and the cat was nearly on top of him once more. He threw himself frantically to one side, scrabbling for a Health potion but finding himself unable to take it due to the cat staying on top of him.

  “Damn cat!” he yelled, using Tae-Frog-Do, and slamming it in the face, staggering it for a second.

  It wasn’t long enough to take a Health potion, but enough to allow him to get a few feet from the Boss. It seemed, however, that Mitten wasn’t going to let him off.

  The Boss came bounding after him, closing the gap in less than a second and slashing out with its razor claws. Arthur ducked, feeling his heart in his mouth as the cat spun, its massive bulk spinning around to slam into him.

  He tried to move out of the way but knew it would be too late. This was it. He was done for.

  “Back off, you wanker!”

  Mitten’s body was blown to the side as Hopps’s Water Bomb went off between them. At the same time, his buff hit him, raising his HP by 20, just in time for it to be dropped back down to 2 as the Water Bomb caught him as well.

  Arthur sprawled on his back, gasping and trying to get his feet under him. His entire body was a mass of bruises. He ached all over, and worst of all, his HP was so low that a stray blow would kill him.

  “On your feet, mate! We’ve got a Boss to finish!”

  Arthur felt a heavy weight on his chest, and his eyes focused on Hopps. His companion’s HP was down to 14/60, meaning he’d taken some damage. Even as he watched, it refilled by 20 as he used his Recover.

  “Right. Boss to beat,” Arthur wheezed, forcing himself into a sitting position.

  His eyes flicked to Mitten, seeing the Boss trapped in the Mud Bath. His hand moved sluggishly down to his belt, finding one of the glowing green potions. As soon as he downed it, his mind sharpened, and his aches and pains dulled.

  “You back with me?”

  Arthur looked down to see that Hopps was eyeing him critically.

  “Yeah. Thanks for that,” Arthur said, rising to his feet and downing the last remaining Health Potion, raising him to 102/130.

  He also took the opportunity to take a Stamina Potion, as it was down to just 65/210.

  “The Boss will be free in just a couple of seconds,” Hopps said. “Plan?”

  Arthur examined Mitten’s HP, seeing it was still at around hal
f. He had unleashed his AOE after hitting 60%, meaning they would likely see it again at 20%. They had to shave his HP down, then somehow avoid the attack.

  “We get his HP down to about 25%, then I retreat, and you hit it with a Water Bomb. He’ll stop moving as soon as he prepares his AOE, and it’ll take 3 seconds to charge. Just make sure I’m at least fifty feet from him before you use your attack. Think you can manage that?”

  “If you can do all that, I think I can manage,” Hopps said. “Good luck, mate!”

  Then he leaped away as the Boss broke free of the mud. Arthur took a deep breath, focusing on the enemy before him. He was halfway there. All he had to do was survive the next AOE and he could win. The Boss had shown all its attacks, and aside from its AOE, the Claw Storm was the most dangerous.

  He dashed forward, spotting his dagger lying on the other side of the Boss. He’d lost it during that last attack, but it was no problem. He ducked under a swiping paw and rolled to avoid its body. Snatching his dagger, he slapped it into the beast’s side, using Poison Touch to begin leeching its HP once more.

  Mitten’s tail came slamming down, and he weaved to the side, slashing with his dagger and triggering his Frog Slicer ability to inflict extra damage. The Boss roared again and began spinning in place, throwing its limbs into the air.

  Arthur had been waiting for this and used Spring to escape, then charged back in as the Boss stopped moving. He hadn’t been coherent enough to see it before, but he’d guessed that the spinning attack would leave the Boss momentarily dizzy, and he was right.

  Mitten’s spin slowed and he wobbled drunkenly on his feet. Arthur used the opportunity to lay into him, slashing and cutting, whittling down his HP and using Poison Touch again before Mitten snapped out of it.

  Arthur continued fighting the Boss and at one point, received Hopps’s buff to restore HP and boost his attributes. He managed to avoid most hits, but he still took minimal damage. It was worth it, though, as he managed to get Mitten down to the 25% mark. As soon as he did, he used Spring to disengage and ran for all he was worth.