by Rick Scott
Whatever, I’ll decide later.
I head past the party looking for my own manticore to try out. They manage to kill it just as I run by and I give them a thumbs’ up. The elven paladin stares at me, but the other players are too busy celebrating their kill to take notice.
I find a manticore not far away and prepare my plan of attack.
I cast Shadow Cloak and my character turns translucent as an invisibility buff appears on my HUD. I approach the massive beast from behind and thrust both my katana blades into its hide.
The manticore roars as my backstab takes 7% off its life and I duck under a tail swipe as it spins to face me. I go into combat mode, bobbing and weaving. The thing swipes at me with its claws much faster than the panthers and one of them leaves a huge gash in my arm.
Woah!
You take 276 damage!
Oh man! I forgot to cast Shadow Copy!
My HP drops to less than 10% and the thought of getting hit again forces me to focus. My adrenaline spikes as I retreat with a backflip to gain some distance. My survival instinct is screaming at me to cast shadow Copy right away, but I remember what happened when I cast it too early with Sheeba. I try using Shadow Mist instead to slow its attacks down some and buy me some more time.
Kanji runes swirl about me as I cast the spell and a purple haze of smoke shoots from my palm and engulfs the manticore.
The flame manticore resists the spell!
Darn, maybe my Shadow Magic skill is too low to affect it!
The manticore rears back and starts to flap its wings. Oh crap! I cost Shadow Copy just as its attack goes off and surrounds me with twirling dust devils.
You shadow absorbs the attack!
I use my brief moment of invulnerability to go all out, the same way I did with Sheeva. I take the manticore down to 85% and then retreat when it tries to bite me and cast Shadow Cloak again. I get the invisibility buff and circle behind it to backstab for another 5% damage. I keep repeating the cycle and my mind gets into the zone. I start anticipating and dodging its attacks. The fight goes on for about ten minutes and I have to blow Active Dodge a couple of times to avoid being killed, but eventually I kill it.
You defeated the Flame Manticore!
You gain 35000 experience points!
You find a Platinum Beastcoin.
Congratulations! You have gained a level!
You are now level 51.
You have gained 1 attribute point.
I breathe a sigh of relief. Definitely not as hard a fighting Sheeba, but it wasn’t exactly a pushover either. Felt like I was fighting a really tough panther. I decide to put my point into dex and then venture across the dunes to find another one.
The next manticore goes down a bit easier and the process continues until I basically lose track of time. I gain a level every three or four kills and decide to place my points all into dex since I do notice my crit rate increasing with each one and the kills go a bit faster.
Were I playing for fun, I probably would have left to find something else to kill, but this is doing the trick for now. I get a beast coin every two or three kills as well. Within a few hours I finally hit 60.
Congratulations! You have gained a level!
You are now level 60!
You have learned a new ability “Advanced Charge Strike”
Your Charge Strike now has the effect of stuns and paralyzes for two seconds.
Nice. Not too bad of an upgrade. I graduate to the Fire Manticores and find they’re much the same as the Flame Manticores but have more hitpoints and take longer to kill. I’m getting bored out of my skull at this point and would have probably stopped if not for the drops. Where the Flame Manticores were dropping a platinum coin every two or three mobs, these ones are dropping one every other. This becomes my new motivator and I begin counting coins instead of xp and levels.
I’m working on my third stack of platinum coins when I get a Private Message.
Fredric: Yo dude! Are you there?
The name looks vaguely familiar but I’m not 100% sure who it is, especially now that I have subscribers.
Me: Hey. How’s it going?
Fredric: Do you remember me? I’m the archer dude you rescued in the Murky Swamp a few days back.
Oh snap! I remember him now.
Me: Oh hey! Nice to hear from you, again. : D
Fredric: Dude I’ve been watching your stream. You are a beast man!
Me: Lol thanks.
Fredric: Hey a couple of my guildmates saw you out in the Moa Desert. Are you still there?
I wonder if he’s talking about that party I saw earlier.
Me: Yeah I’m still here. What’s up?
Fredric: Oh sweet!!! Dude, I got a super huge favor to ask you. They just spotted a LM in the next zone over and no one else seems to know it’s popped yet. Do you think you can help us with it? We need your super tanking skills bro! : D
Take down another Legendary Monster? But with a party this time? I’m not so sure.
Me: Um… What level is it?
Fredric: I dunno, but it’s out in the desert near you. So whatever level that area is, I guess.
Me: This is a pretty high level area and I’m only level 60.
Fredric: What are you talking about, Dude? You’re pretty much level 70.
Huh? I then check my level
Class: Ninja
Level: 69
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 79
Agility: 80
Intelligence: 4
Mind: 6
Vitality: 8
HP: 392/392
Stamina: 197/197
TP: 135/135
Geez, when the heck did I hit 69?
Fredric: Dude if you soloed Sheeba at 40 you can definitely tank this thing. Please? We need to hurry! We’ll split the drops even.
The chance at another huge LM payoff is tempting, but am I ready for this? I’ve never tanked in a party before and those cautionary warnings from both Aiko and Val Helena have me second guessing myself. I’ve been leveling fast, way fast, but not the way you’re supposed to. Most people level in parties like I saw earlier; learning the dynamics of group mechanics and such. But all I know how to do is not get hit. How am I going to survive when they feed its rage meter and the LM starts spamming its special attacks? I’m in uncharted territory here, but if I’m ever going to tackle stuff like the Beast Kings and a World Boss, I need to get some experience somehow.
Me: Okay. I’ll help. But I can’t promise it’ll be an easy fight. I’ve never tanked for a party before.
Fredric: What are you talking about? You tanked for us in the swamps!
Me: Lol! I was a noob warrior back then.
Fredric: Still counts! xD But thanks Bro! Join the party so we can see where you are on the map.
Fredric invites you to a party.
Do you accept (Y/N)
Butterflies fill my stomach as I hit yes. This is going to be interesting.
The stats of Fredric along with four other players show up on the side of my HUD.
Fredric Level 58 Ranger
HP 892/892
STAM: 230/230
TP: 280/280
Vanessa Level 57 Paladin
HP 2743/2743
STAM: 380/380
TP: 204/204
Jixer Level 56 Thief
HP 821/821
STAM: 260/260
TP: 170/170
Raph Level 56 Elemental Mage
HP 574/574
STAM: 170/170
TP: 780/780
Orin Level 58 Celestial Mage
HP 624/624
STAM: 210/210
TP: 940/940
Reece Level 69 Ninja
HP 392/392
STAM: 197/197
TP: 135/135
I balk at how much HP they all have compared to me and the fact doesn’t go unnoticed by my new companions.
Vanessa: What happened to your HP?
Orin: Are you weakened?
Ralph: All the better I say! Lol ; )
I see them arrive in the flesh a few minutes later. It is indeed the same party I saw from earlier and joining them is now Fredric. And they’re all sprinting.
“Come on,” Fredric shouts dashing past me. “No time to lose!”
“Okay.”
I sprint after them across the dunes, my heart rate soaring with anxiety and anticipating. My measly hitpoints are embarrassing enough, but if I fail in front of all these guys and make them lose the LM, it’s going to be terrible. I use that to motivate myself. I can’t screw this up!
We pass through manticore territory and into an area teeming with the giants scorpions. “What kind of monster is this?”
“An LM,” Fredric says looking at me funny.
“I know, but I mean what type,” I say. “Is it a manticore?”
“It’s ah… a big turtle kind of thing,” Fredric says.
A warning flashes across on my HUD
[You have entered a PVP zone. You may now engage in combat with other players who are not in the same party. ]
What the heck…? “Hey guys. This is a PVP area.”
“Well, duh,” Vanessa says, her black hair bouncing in a ponytail and she takes long strides in her gleaming armor. “Why do you think we’ve even got a chance at grabbing this thing? Most of the noob guilds are too scared to come out here.”
“Don’t worry, man,” Fredric says. “PVP is dead in this game. The only people who come out here are solo gankers and they wouldn’t dare mess with a full party. Especially one with a Dodge Tank!”
He winks at me and laughs.
But I remember that threat from Aiko earlier and wonder if she might be lurking around out here somewhere. The thought of her backstabbing me while I’m tanking the LM sounds like a horrible situation.
We approach a small rocky outcropping and Fredric comes to a stop. “We can set out homepoints here in case we wipe.”
“No chance of that!” the Dwarf Jixer says, pulling out a set of twin daggers. “We got a Dodge Tank with us!”
He grins at me when he says it and the way he emphasizes ‘Dodge Tank’ I’m not sure if he’s giving me a compliment or making fun of me. It makes me doubt my abilities a bit more.
“Got your homepoint set?” Fredric asks.
I do so and then nod with a smile. “Yup. Guess it’s safe to die now.”
They all laugh at that.
We run a short distance from the outcropping and reach a cliff that overlooks a rocky valley below. There are a bunch of large tortoises milling around and Fredric points to them. “There it is, down there.”
They all look as big as busses and I count around a half dozen of them, but I can’t seem to pick out which one of them is the LM. I squint my eyes for a closer look.
A message then appears on my HUD.
Fredric has kicked you from the party.
What the heck?
I sense something behind me and a thud lands in my back.
Your awareness increases by 0.7
Jixer backstabs you -310 HP!
My HP drops to a quarter as I fall to my knees by the crippling blow. What the…?!
Glowing root like tendril erupt from the sand and catch around my feet. Fredric and the rest of the party come charging at me, all their names now in red on my HUD. My shock sends my heart pumping. I freeze in incomprehension and disbelief.
What the heck’s going on?
I quickly shake it off as I realize me these guys are ganking me!
I use Retreat and break out of the hold, flipping backwards in a summersault. I draw my katanas and go into combat mode. I still can’t believe this is happening!
“Why are you guys doing this?” I yell as I side step an arrow from Fredric while ducking under a sword swipe from Vanessa. Avoiding their hits feels way different than fighting mobs; with mobs the attacks are predictable and uniform, but these guys are all over the place! “Why are you attacking me?”
“Because you suck, Dork Tank!” Ralph, Voodoo elemental mage readies another spell. “We’ll show you that you’re no Aiko.”
Are these guys Aiko supporters?
Fredric shoots another arrow which I barely avoid. “Sorry man. I’m just here for the cash. Nothing personal.”
“What?”
“These dudes were looking for someone who knew you and offered me a price I couldn’t refuse.”
Anger flares within my chest. “You set me up? You piece of crap!”
I Charge Strike at Fredric, flying across the sand. I stun him with a katana strike before he can let loose his next arrow. I go all out with my rage and slice into him with blinding speed. His hitpoints drop in massive chunks as I land four crits in a row.
His HP bar is down to a sliver and I’m about to finish him off when I sense something behind me again. I blow Active Dodge and my body blurs and shifts as Jixer stabs his twin blades where I was standing a millisecond ago.
Glowing white light surrounds Fredric as the Celestial Mage Orin heals him up to full.
Dang it!
I spin to face Jixer. I slash at him and get three hits in but miss one. Darn it, he’s actually kind of hard to hit… He backs off and I use the opportunity to cast Shadow Copy on myself.
“Fight me!” Vanessa cries.
Vanessa uses Warcry! You can now only attack Vanessa.
A debuff appears on my HUD with a 10 second countdown and everyone’s names turn gray while Vanessa’s stays red. Crap! Now I know how the stupid mobs must feel when I use Warcray against them. I avoid a set the lightning quick slashes from Jixer, but I’m so focuses on him that I take an embarrassingly slow sword strike from Vanessa who’s behind me.
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
I backflip to gain some distance and recast Shadow Copy but nothing happens. Darn it! Still on cooldown. Glowing tendrils surround my feet again, locking me in place. I try to backflip by its on cooldown too!
Oh no…
“Hey dude,” Ralph says as he casts another spell. “Dodge this.”
A massive fire ball flies from his hands and explodes in a thirty foot radius around me.
Ralph casts Fireball.
You take 573 damage.
You are defeated!
My body hits the floor and I have an out of body experience.
They all cackle and give each other high fives. “Toasted!”
“Alright, that’s enough, you guys,” Fredric says. “I think he’s learned his lesson. Raise him up so he doesn’t lose his stuff.”
Lesson? What lesson? I lash out at them through a yell since it’s the only way I can communicate now.
*** Reece: You guys are jerks, man! Why did you do that?
Orin casts raise on me and my body is surrounded by light and feathers. “Take it easy. You just needed to learn your place in the pecking order. No one tops Aiko. And don’t you forget it.”
Red hot anger fills my gut. I want to destroy these guys.
“You should have stuck with her,” Jixer says sheathing his blades. “If you had any brains you’d drop from Val Helena’s team.”
I fume inwardly as I accept the raise. My body gets to just about upright when another massive fireball goes off.
Ralph casts Fireball.
You take 546 damage.
You are defeated!
They burst out into raucous laughter again.
“Oh Man!” Fredric says hollering. “He actually fell for that?”
“Talk about no brains!” Vanessa leers at me shaking her head.
“What a damn noob!”
Anger mixes with impotence and humiliation. I can’t believe this is happening to me. That people would actually do something like this. That someone like Fredric, who I thought was a cool guy, could lie and manipulate me like this! My stomach is sick with rage both at their behavior and disgust at my own naivety. I need to get some distance from them so
they can’t do this again. I respawn and my senses go dark.
I reappear a short distance away by the rocky outcropping.
A fireball engulfs me.
You take 556 damage.
You are defeated.
Level Down!
You have lost a level.
You are now level 68.
What!?
How did he even target me without me fully spawning yet?
I then see that while I was respawning, Fredric’s party have all have crossed the short distance from where we fought, now marked by my tombstone. They are standing right on top of me again. I hit them with another yell.
***Reece: Why are you guys doing this to me?!!
“Because we can,” Ralph says with a sadistic smirk. “We’re here to kill you all day, bro.”
No… this can’t be.
They laugh at me again. Nasty, vile filled laughter. I cry out in rage. Are they just going to keep doing this to me?
“Hey, I wonder what kind of stuff he’s got,” Fredric says, milling toward my tombstone.