by EA Hooper
“So, it’s over here somewhere,” Vincent said, struggling to see anything beyond the range of Clarity.
Xan sent more butterflies over and around the uneven landscape. Several of the light creations mapped out a large drop-off, and when the friends journeyed in that direction, they could see the twin lights of the bright-walkers pulsating in the fog.
They reached the edge of the quarry and peered downward at the glowing silhouettes walking circles through the fog. By that time, Xan’s butterflies had mapped passages branching in and out of the quarry. Vincent took a guess that the monsters had originally wandered in through the tunnels.
No telling why they haven’t left, but it seems like they enjoy places where they can walk back and forth ominously, waiting until players cross them.
“Okay, so are we doing Quinn’s rush strategy or my attrition plan?” Xan asked, staring into the fog.
“Rush, rush, rush,” Quinn said, pumping her fists.
“Xan, I’m leaning toward your idea,” Vincent said. “However, once they’re weakened, I wouldn’t be against going all-in. That okay, Quinn?”
“Alright,” she said, staring into the glowing fog like a hungry animal. “Either way, this’ll be a hell of a fight.”
“Okay, you two get started,” Vincent said.
Xan created a swarm of Light-Drain Butterflies overhead, but she stopped to refill her mana before making more. Quinn drank enough ether to make six Breaker Doppelgangers, which pushed the limits of how many she could control at once, then topped off her mana afterward.
Vincent and Xan both equipped the Specter’s Pendants they’d gotten from defeating Fayros and used their once-a-day ability to summon specter knights. The ghostly allies rose from the ground, their armor glowing green as they brandished swords.
“Let’s do this!” Quinn shouted, sliding down the side of the quarry with her doppelgangers.
Xan sent all of her phantom butterflies toward the center of the quarry as she, Vincent, and their specters followed Quinn. By the time the three players had the powerful monsters in their sights, the butterflies had already swarmed the bright-walkers.
The monsters tore through the butterflies with swings of their gargantuan swords, but they didn’t notice the players until Quinn hit the nearest one in the head with Gatling Breaker. Her doppelgangers rushed the same target, striking at him with a variety of Breaker-charged attacks. They kicked him, punched him, and two even leapt into the air with spin kicks.
The bright-walker tore through two doppelgangers at once with a single swing, but in the meantime, Quinn nailed him in the head with several more long-distance strikes. Vincent fired at him with Void Gun, but the monster hid behind his sword. Still, the Ranger took a second shot, chipping off the side of the boss’s head.
The other bright-walker—a woman it appeared—didn’t hesitate to defend her companion. She kicked off the ground, sprinting by two of Quinn’s doppelgangers and tearing through them with her blade. Butterflies chased after her, but she swatted a dozen away at once with a swing of her mighty blade.
Vincent focused his attention on the more aggressive enemy and fired two Void Guns. However, the monster ducked her head under the shots without losing speed. She raised her blade and kicked dirt behind her as she quickened her pace.
With how top-heavy she looked with her blade overhead, Vincent focused on her legs, throwing a huge portion of his mana into a Zero Field. The gravitational field swept her legs out from under her, sending her crashing to the rocky ground, but she tried to roll to her feet and keep her momentum.
Vincent had been so focused on the enemy that he hadn’t seen Xan send the beams of light into the ground. Before the monster could jump again to slash them, the World Wall came up, buying the group time to drink ethers. Through the white glow, Vincent saw the male bright-walker cut down Quinn’s last two doppelgangers.
“Hit them with everything you got!” Vincent shouted at his teammates.
As soon as the World Wall collapsed, both bright-walkers charged. Xan summoned two Light-Drain Longswords and sent them flying at the woman. Vincent targeted the same one with Black Cinder, using Tempest to focus the embers on her head, but he doubted it would kill her due to her body’s density. Quinn crouched, readied Gravity Fist, and then launched herself at the male bright-walker.
Vincent didn’t see if Quinn’s attack hit, but he heard the shockwave. His eyes stayed fixated on his target, who had raised her off-hand to protect herself from the embers. The void attack and phantom blades slowed her movement, but she still stomped forward until the two specters intercepted her. Together, they blocked a swing of her massive sword.
After the bright-walker’s sword came to a stop, she pulled back into a spin, using the momentum to swing her weapon around from the other direction. With her tremendous speed and strength, she tore through both specters like their armor was paper.
Vincent remained calm as he focused. A black bolt flew from his fingertips, taking off a chunk of the monster’s forehead. Her head tilted back, and she stumbled two steps before steadying herself. When she tried to take another step, she was forced to struggle against Xan’s floating blades, which made an X-shape against her chest.
The monster shattered the phantom blades with a sluggish swipe, but her loss of speed and momentum gave Vincent time to gulp down half a mega-ether. Xan had already moved forward with her Guardian’s Blade to defend him, but he aimed over her and fired Void Gun through the boss’s head.
Just as the woman bright-walker dissolved into dust, Quinn went tumbling past her allies. Her arm looked broken in several places, and when her friends turned, they saw the other boss injured but alive. He sprinted for the two standing players, who were both low on mana.
A massive cage of orange light appeared around the bright-walker, stopping him in his tracks.
“Got him,” a woman called, leaping over Vincent and Xan to land between them and the monster. Four other players ran after the woman as she readied a basteel spear. “I recall Chaos Breaker worked well against the last one of these I killed.” Blue sparks ran along her spear, flickering much faster than any Breaker Vincent had seen before. She glanced at her allies. “How about Speed Blitz Aura, Airjump Aura, Mana Regen Aura, and Mana Tether?”
Each of the four players cast a different spell, creating a layer of auras around her. The woman kicked off the ground, moving even faster than Quinn, and rocketed overhead as the bright-walker shattered the cage she’d made. She took two stabs at him in mid-air, sending shards of crystals in all direction. As she landed, the bright-walker spun and swung his heavy blade, but she backflipped over it before hopping again in midair.
The bright-walker’s off-hand leapt forward like a snake, grabbing the woman from the air. A layer of her shield broke off, and an orange bubble exploded outward, releasing her from the monster’s grip. The bright-walker raised his greatsword and brought it down on the bubble-shaped barrier, but he only managed to crack it.
The fierce, longhaired woman settled into a crouch, and her bubble dispersed. She launched herself into the air to gain a height advantage, then kicked off nothing to spring forward with a lunge that shattered the bright-walker’s head into a thousand pieces.
The stranger landed, sliding to a stop near Vincent. When she stood upright, the woman stood a few inches taller than him. Her stern eyes looked over him and his group before softening into a smile. “You’re the ones that killed my crew, right?”
“Your guys attacked us first!” Quinn shouted, climbing to her feet. She raised her non-broken arm and charged it with Breaker.
“Settle down,” the longhaired woman said. “I didn’t come to fight you. We were already on our way here when my team told me you’d showed up in our territory. I didn’t care that much, to be honest. It’s only a coincidence we crossed paths.”
Vincent relaxed as the woman unequipped her spear, but he Scanned her to know what they’d be up against, just in case.
Pla
yer: Dragonspear Jeanie
Class: Fighter
Subclass: Warden
Real Age: 65
Highest World: Cryasal
Vitality*: Lv 253
Spirit: Lv 225
Resolve: Lv 220
Perception: Lv 231
Agility: Lv 236
Strength*: Lv 260
“I don’t believe that,” Quinn huffed. “You told them to kill us, didn’t you?”
Jeanie smirked. “After they told me who you were, I was curious to see if they could win. Looks like my people weren’t up to the challenge. Considering the odds you three have overcome by beating them and two different bright-walkers, I think it’s only fair I let you go. However, I’m keeping the Bright Shard from the one I killed.”
“That’s fair,” Vincent replied.
“Nah, I say we fight for it,” Quinn said.
Jeanie’s smirk grew into a full-blown smile. “Oh dear, you wouldn’t stand a chance. And yes, I know all about your negative energy attacks. They wouldn’t help you against someone of my caliber.”
“If that bright-walker can catch you, then so can I,” Quinn said. “I only need one good hit.”
“You think so?” Jeanie said, sounding curious. She looked at her teammates. “Full Restore her.”
“Boss, are you sure about that?” one man asked.
“Let me have my fun,” Jeanie replied.
The man equipped a Divine Healer’s Pendant and cast Full Restore on Quinn before hurrying back to his teammates.
“And no help from your team,” Quinn said, getting into a fighting stance.
Jeanie glanced at her allies. “Get rid of my auras and break the Mana Tether.”
Her teammates complied, and Jeanie equipped her spear once more. She stared off into space like she was thinking. “Hm, let’s go with this setup. That ought to do the trick.” She equipped orosteel armor that had a basteel breastplate and visor. Vincent Scanned a shimmer that appeared over her body as she swapped her bubble-making shield to a different one.
Blitz Shield (Requires Spring Shield | Requires Momentum Wall) – Mana Usage: Medium | Replaces the user’s Mana Shield. | Partially redirects the momentum of attacks away from the user. As the user moves and redirects attacks, they build momentum power that increases their speed and physical attack power. Momentum power is lost when the user stands still or attacks.
Quinn equipped hardened-verasteel armor, something she only did against powerful enemies. She charged her gauntlets with Breaker as Jeanie cast Chaos Breaker on her spear once again. The two women stared each other down as their teammates moved out of the way.
Jeanie glanced at Vincent. “Sir, would you be a gentleman and count us down from three?”
Vincent nodded. “Three. Two. One—Fight!”
Both women took off a superhuman speed at the same time. Jeanie circled around her foe, keeping her distance as Quinn threw Gatling Breakers at her. Jeanie sidestepped them with ease, but Vincent noticed her movement growing faster as her Blitz Shield gathered momentum power.
I can’t warn Quinn because they agreed to fight without help, Vincent realized. Hopefully, she notices something is up with that shield.
A few Gatling Breakers glanced off Jeanie’s armor, barely leaving scratches, but it seemed to add to her momentum. She readied her spear and charged at Quinn, but the other woman jumped away, clearly trying to avoid wasting mana on Vanish or Phaseshift.
Jeanie took a sharp turn, but her Blitz Shield kept her from losing any speed as she rebounded toward Quinn. Once again, the shorter-haired woman ducked away from the spear. This time, however, she made a Breaker Doppelganger behind her that took a swipe at Jeanie.
The doppelganger slugged Jeanie and sent her crashing into the ground. Her momentum kept her going, and she slid into a crouched position before launching herself toward Quinn even faster.
The doppelganger jumped between them, and the spear destroyed it. Quinn seemed to have anticipated the attack and leapt through her own dissolving doppelganger, swinging at Jeanie with Gravity Fist. Her attack looked like it would hit directly, but Jeanie leaned back, so Quinn only grazed her. The longhaired woman’s Blitz Shield discharged its stored momentum, sending Quinn’s fist upward just before she unleashed the gravitational shockwave.
The force of the attack knocked both women away from each other, but Jeanie quickly caught her footing. She connected her arm to her weapon with a chain made of barrier magic before throwing the spear. Most Breaker effects fizzled out once the player released their weapon, unless designed to travel through the air, but her chain appeared to keep her spear charged with Chaos Breaker as it plunged through her opponent’s chest.
“Game over,” Jeanie said, sending a shockwave through the chain. Her spear exploded into a thousand shards, sending fragments through Quinn’s heart and other vital organs.
Xan ran to cast Revive on Quinn, but the Fighter crumbled into dust too soon.
“I’m taking your friend’s items,” Jeanie said, approaching the crystals before Xan could reach them. “Really, that’s all the items she had? I have to give her credit for picking fights with bosses and top players with only the bare necessities. I don’t even leave home without four types of armor, six weapons, and a hundred potions.”
Vincent and Xan both glared at the woman.
“Relax,” Jeanie said, waving her hand to dismiss them. “Like I said, you two are free to go, but only if you leave right away. If you decide to stick around my territory, I’m not giving you another chance.” She glanced at one of her teammates. “Cast Long-Distance Tracker on them.”
One of her teammates pointed a finger at Vincent and Xan, and a shimmer ran across their bodies.
“I’ll give you four hours to leave Grayvere,” Jeanie said
“Any chance you’ll point us toward the Jump Gate?” Vincent asked.
Jeanie smiled. “No. I suggest you pick a direction and start running.”
Vincent and Xan hurried to the edge of the quarry, and Xan used Barrier Wall, tilting it sideways. They both stood on it, and she attempted the upgrade she’d been working on to use it as an elevator. She managed to bring them just outside jumping range at the top, so Vincent used Zero Field to throw them both onto the ledge.
The duo hurried over and around the jagged stones and hills, then broke into a sprint when they reached level ground.
“Do you have any clue how to get back?” Xan asked.
“Just a vague idea,” Vincent replied. “The guy that told us about the quarry said the Jump Gate was in the opposite direction. Let’s retrace our path back to the prison, then continue southwest. I assume its within four hours of the quarry, since she gave us that long.”
It took them less than two hours to find the prison, but they struggled to navigate the region beyond it. After an hour of dodging enemies in a twisted forest, they made it back to the region covered in tombstones and mausoleums.
Xan sent Light Butterflies in every direction, drinking enough ether to make numerous swarms. However, it became harder to control so many flying in different directions at once. She decided to just send them on straight paths, hoping one might ping the Jump Gate on their map.
The rolling mist that came and went made it difficult to find any familiar terrain they might’ve recognized, and the two players grew tense after crossing the four-hour mark. Once they found a level area with few revenants, Vincent made a tower with Builder’s Tome to take him above the mist. From that high, his view constantly changed as roaming mist revealed different parts of the landscape.
After several seconds of searching, he spotted a familiar mausoleum in the distance sitting on a hilltop. That looks like the one we first entered, he thought.
Vincent dropped into the mist below to find Xan fending off revenants. They cleared the monsters with ease, then Vincent led them toward the mausoleum. Dozens of revenants climbed from graves as they traveled, and Vincent even saw one large tombstone twitch and grow spi
der-like legs.
Great, now we have mimics following us too.
The duo sped toward the hill, then circled around the revenants shambling around it. They backtracked through the path they’d first followed, and eventually the mist moved to reveal the Jump Gate. Vincent and Xan hurried onto the platform and activated their crystals.
As they floated into the air, Vincent saw a silhouette of Jeanie as she stepped out of the mist with a spear in hand. She had an opportunity to throw it at them, but merely watched as they took off into space.
>Alexandria: Phew, that was close.
>Vincent: Actually, her teammates hadn’t caught up yet. She knows she probably can’t take us both on without them. I think she was just trying to scare us more than anything, so we won’t cross her guild again.
>Alexandria: Oh, makes sense. So, we’re going to keep crossing them, right?
>Vincent: Yeah, for sure. Juniper wanted to shake things up, after all.
After landing on Styxis, the duo made their way back to Risegard, passing the defense towers and city ruins. They stopped by Juniper’s place first, so Vincent could give her the slabs of basteel he’d gathered. He told her what had transpired, including the battle between Quinn and Jeanie, and the duo’s race out of there. The girl seemed amused by the trouble their team had caused the Boss Hunters, and she even offered to make Quinn new bracers with an enchantment that’d help her deal with Jeanie.
After their conversation with Juniper, the two returned to the Daiglass Tower, but they had to wait a minute for the gate to open. Vincent touched the tower, which activated several bounties, so he could transfer the items for payment. He sent over two Bright Shards, five Tomb Tomes, ten Ghost Chains, twenty-six Dry Maggots, and a dozen other items with lower payouts.
26,874 gild has been added to your storage inventory.