Chances of Death: Seven Decks Book I
Page 29
Jen only said to Director Tobin that she believed they needed to burn the next stumps after taking their heads. Based on her advice, Director Tobin had split the raid group into three teams. Each team had a man or woman ready to cauterize the neck with an elemental fire weapon. They were also prepared with torches, but they were a last resort tool.
Jen noticed that each of their team members were cross-trained with multiple melee weapons, and bows or crossbows. The teams were made up of two members that were tank oriented, two focused on dealing damage, and one spellsword that could fight and do some minor magic and minor healing.
The plan went off flawlessly with the Hydra’s acid head and scent head. All three teams approached at once overwhelming the hydra, cutting off the heads and cauterizing them. Jen, Sam, and Tamako were impressed with the speed, strength, and skill in which the raid team struck. Jen could see how tense Sam was because he wanted that mana-imbued ink so badly.
Unfortunately, the cauterizing of the fire breathing head didn’t work, and two fire breathing heads grew back. Upon seeing this, Director Tobin ordered everyone to retreat and hold. Sam called out to Director Tobin, the raid leader, “Just a suggestion - take only one of the heads, while I try to kill the stump with a blast of water since it’s a fire head?”
Director Tobin asked, “Can you cast a spell with enough water?”
Sam shrugged his shoulders and replied, “If it’s not enough water, then water will not work.”
Tobin nodded agreement, and ordered the raid teams forward again, but Sam joined the team that was ordered to sever the head. As they moved forward, and the head was severed, Sam opened his water ring for only a couple of seconds. Sam had filled the ring from a fast-moving river, and the water flowed out of his ring like a firehose blast. The water covered the hydra’s neck and the force of the water almost knocked it to the ground.
The teams retreated, and after a moment, cheered when the neck didn’t grow two more heads back. Within seconds, Tobin called out for an attack on the remaining head.
Sam was grinning as he received a system message asking where he would like his mana ink stored. He selected one of his rings and gave Jen and Tamako a wink as he forwarded the message to Jen.
Director Tobin did not realize that Sam was using his water ring to drench the Hydra. He was wondering, “What is the size of his mana pool to cast water spells with such power. I thought he was a Master enchanter, not a Master mage!”
Tobin then picked up the loot drop from the Hydra. The loot was to be divided after the raid was over. Tobin knew that with such a large raid team, the difficulty of the dungeon would impact the quality of the loot drops, but damn that was just the entrance beast. “Scout the entrance and let’s move in” he ordered.
Director Tobin looked at the Nine-headed monstrosity with dismay. He was thinking about their raid through the dungeon and estimating their chances with the final boss, “The hydras have just kept getting bigger. Seven raid members are out of the fight, but alive, and if not for Master Sam’s healing ability three of them would surely have died. Ms. Jen’s perception must be at an unknown level. She was able to spot almost every trap and warn us in advance. Tamako stepped in as a tank after the third raid member went down, and her skill and strength matched that of any of the other tanks, even with her short height. Only a couple of the hydras had fire-resistant necks, but the acid spitters have caused the most problems. Much of our armor and gear has been damaged by the acid, but to their credit, these epic adventurers I am here with today have killed over 20 hydras in the last twelve hours. The quality of the loot drops have already made the trip a financial success for everyone!” but Director Tobin just shook his head at the sight of the Hydra Boss. It not only had nine heads, but it was also two stories tall. He was thinking he would need a raid team with twice as many fighters to come back and kill the boss.
Sam could see the decision on Director Tobin’s face, but he was also looking at the gambling-quest he just received.
The Greater the Risk, the Greater the Reward!
==
Gambling Quest: Kill the Hydra Boss!
==
Requirements: Kill the Hydra Boss within 60 minutes
Select your Fortune:
Accept reward of 10 ability points plus euphoria for every ability point gambled, maximum bet of 3.
Accept reward of mana shield technique scroll for gambling 15 ability points.
Decline Quest and probably die like a loser!
==
Sam wanted a mana shield almost more than anything. A plan started to form in his mind, “If I hit every one of its heads with a full-on lightning strike, it would probably stun them long enough for the raid team to sever and cauterize all the heads, and I could drench any fire heads with my water ring, but… Stupid is as stupid does.” Sam cried a little inside as he selected “C” declining the quest, and followed Tobin’s orders to start heading out of the dungeon.
Chapter 77:
Beers on Lucky
Stone Wall visited Team Kelly in their guest quarters and drug Sam, Tamako, and Jen out for drinks with the rest of the dungeon raid members. True to his word, Stone Wall bought all the drinks for Sam, but he also insisted on paying for Tamako and Jen. After witnessing their skill and teamwork in the dungeon, the raid party treated Team Kelly like they were brothers in the guild. They knew Team Kelly was going to be Deck jumping in a few weeks, and they did their best to tell them everything they knew about the higher decks.
While they waited for their Deck Jump, Sam commissioned a jeweler to make teeth molds. He then placed mana-infused steal and gold ‘ring’ enchantments on the teeth caps for each member of Team Kelly for storing their weapons and gear.
Sam spent his “spare” time enchanting several hundred more cross bow bolts for his enchanted wooden repeater rifle. His biggest and constant complaint to Jen and Tamako was his almost complete lack of a defensive mana shield.
Jen finally said, “Sam, lock up your inner boomer. We’re more prepared than most Deck jumpers, and just don’t forget to Dodge!”
Sam nodded in embarrassment and replied, “you’re right boss.” Sam hated to realize that he was being the whiner in the group.
Finally, a few days before they were to Deck jump, Slim joined them and they all went to the System Shop and transferred to Slot City where they were greeted by Deck Director Constance herself. She escorted them to the Arc Guild’s facilities, and thanked Sam for the bracelet charm Jen had given her during Jen’s last visit.
Jen messaged Sam, “I told her it was a dungeon drop like we discussed.”
Sam replied, “It was a wonderful loot drop from Hot Streak Dungeon, I’m glad you like it.”
Deck Director Constance simply gave Jen and Sam a knowing smile, and then said, “Tomorrow you will party up with Paul Pascal. He dropped from the Second Deck six months ago. He has served his First Deck tour and will be jumping back to the Second Deck with you.”
The morning of the Deck Jump, Slim noticed everyone putting the metal and gold caps over their teeth and asked Jen, “What’s up with the metal teeth, are they supposed to be some kind of weapon?”
Jen replied, “I forgot you were off playing with the Rolling Dice felines when Sam made these. They are storage devices. We are hoping with the caps on our teeth, while keeping our mouths shut, the system will not force-drop them on our rainbow teleportation to the Second Deck.”
Slim shrugged, “It might work. I’ve always been able to keep my loot when Deck jumping or dropping.” Slim then hissed saying, “Vicki Chang always treated me like her personal purse between the decks.”
Jen was not shocked at how Vicki Chang treated Slim, but then felt ashamed for the request she was about to make, and asked Slim, “This is only a request, but we have some very unique items from Earth that we cannot replace. Everything else we will carry ourselves in our teeth caps, but do you think you could carry one storage ring for us?”
Slim looked lik
e Jen had betrayed him with her request, but before he could reply Jen said, “In exchange, we will give you the first loot drop we receive in the Second Deck.”
Slim didn’t really understand favors between friends, but he could sense through his mana bond with Jen that she wasn’t trying force him to do anything. It felt more natural when she offered to pay him for his service, and he calmed down and countered, “First two loot drops, and you have a deal, but you should be aware that after a rainbow jump between decks, I will be completely out of mana. It will take maybe 10 minutes before I have enough mana generated to give you your ring back.”
Sam was ecstatic when he learned that Slim would be carrying their gear from Earth. They were all just wearing simple robes, but Sam couldn’t stop grinning on the way to party up with the Arc Guild’s Deck dropper, and finally leave for the Second Deck.
Constance introduced them to the Honorable Paul Pascal, who was an Alchemist. Paul seemed like a fairly nice guy, but Team Kelly could see that Paul was in a constant state of nausea from mana deprivation.
Sam said, “No wonder why no one wants to return to a lower deck.”
Tamako replied, “Exactly. They may be powerful, but every minute on a lower deck is miserable. As part of their bargain to jump to the next deck, the jumpers are then obligated to return a few years later and spend a minimum of 6 months on the First Deck teaching and training.”
Without another delay, Paul added them to his System Party, directed them all to stand on the transfer pad, and when the system options appeared, they all closed their mouths tightly and selected teleportation to the Second Deck.
As the rainbow and fireworks enveloped them, Sam thought, “Kelly, I’m on my way!”