by Rick Scott
The match starts and Aiko vanishes, using Shadow Cloak right away. The girl Amanda starts spinning with a 360 attack that looks like it could be an AOE. When her spin stops, Aiko appears behind her with a backstab that take off a third of her health. The girl retaliates with another spinning chop that Aiko backflips to avoid. Again Aiko waits for the spin to stop, before using Charge Strike and stuns Amanda for three seconds. That’s all the time it takes for her to slice the little girl down with a series of triple attacks.
Aiko has defeated Amanda!
Round 1 Winner: Team Aiko
Gilly shrugs. “So far so good, I guess.”
The match resets and Aiko is pit against the cyberpunk guy in the trenchcoat I saw earlier, named Rembrandt. The match starts with buffing like before, but when Aiko tries to use Shadow Cloak when the countdown ends, Rembrandt opens up with his double pistols blazing.
20% of Aiko’s HP disappears before she blows an Active Dodge and becomes a blur. She then runs at full tilt around the arena, outpacing the cyberpunker’s shots. She hits him with a Charge Strike from afar and get in a couple of hits, before Rembrandt does a move similar to Retreat, cartwheeling backwards to gives him distance and then opens fire again. Aiko dodges using evasion and I’m mesmerized as she ducks and weaves so fast that it almost looks like she’s using Active Dodge.
A round hits and her shadow disappears. But she closes the gap and forces Rembrandt to retreat again as she lands a series of quick katana strikes that take him down to less than 50% health. Aiko uses Decoy Shadow as the cyberpunk backpedals and fires at her and she explodes likes she’s made out of fine china.
Rembrandt shifts on a 360, trying to aim at a target he can’t see. The match ends with Aiko reappearing behind him and landing a backstab that drops his HP from half to zero in one blow.
Aiko has defeated Rembrandt!
Round 2 Winner: Team Aiko
“Not looking good for this last guy,” Gilly says.
The final match sets up and the crowd grows loud with excitement as the odds are placed on the boards: Aiko versus Maxis. I then see the same karate dude, with the shades and scarf, appear opposite Aiko.
Val Helena sighs. “So much for no competition.”
The match starts and Aiko immediately casts Shadow Cloak.
The karate dude just stands there as she disappears and then loses a third of his health bar when Aiko backstabs him. He spins about with a leg sweep that forces her to Active Dodge. Aiko then lashes out at him with her katanas. The two become a blinding image of fists and blades as the karate dude amazingly matches each one of her strikes with a block.
Maxis successfully blocks the attack!
Aiko hits Maxis for 58(147) damage!
Maxis successfully blocks the attack!
Aiko hits Maxis for 61(156) damage!
Maxis successfully blocks the attack!
Critical Hit!
Aiko hits Maxis for 123(312) damage!
But his HP quickly drops to 50% as the damage penetrates his blocks, while Aiko dodges each of his retaliation strikes. The one sided onslaught continues as they dance around the ring. Aiko has him on the backfoot, still at 100%, as Maxis desperately tries to block each blow and fails a couple of times. His HP drops to about 20% and then a loud metallic clang! sounds throughout the arena.
Maxis parries Aiko’s attack!
Aiko is stunned!
Maxis performs a spinning roundhouse kick to Aiko’s head but nothing happens.
Aiko’s Shadow absorbs the attack.
She backflips to remove the stun effect and then recasts Shadow Copy again. Maxis hops forward but then pauses. As soon as her cast completes, he thrusts his fist outward with a yell and a wave of blue energy shoots at Aiko, engulfing her in an AOE.
Maxis uses Dragon Fist!
Aiko’s Shadow absorbs the attack.
She retaliates with a Charge Strike that takes Maxis down to 5%, stunning him.
“It’s over,” Val Helena says.
Aiko prepares to land the killing blow, but then Maxis uses a stun breaker of his own. He twirls like a top as he performs a spinning kick that sends Aiko flying backwards across the ring. Before she even hits the ground, Maxis flies forward with a charge, stunning her with a triple kick.
He then starts swimming on her in a series of blows and kicks so fast his entire body becomes a blur. Her HP bar drops to 60% and just when it looks like she’s about to break free from the stun, Maxis stomps the floor with an AOE move that stuns her again. The rapid assault continues, draining her HP until Maxis finishes her off with a flying uppercut that sends Aiko sailing across the arena.
“Yes!” I shout, even though I’m not supposed to want her to lose.
Maxis has defeated Aiko.
Final Winner: Team Maxis!
“Told you it was over,” Val Helena says nonchalantly with a smirk.
Gilly balks. “I thought you were talking about her killing him!”
“As soon as Maxis landed that parry, it was the end for her. That’s all he was doing the first half of the match, teasing that out. Once he got that, he forced her to blow all her defenses and then locked her down with chain stuns to 100 to zero her.”
I never thought I’d see someone actually beat Aiko. “What’s that guy’s class?” I ask, staring at the karate man. “It must be super OP.”
“Karate Master, and it’s not. He just outplayed her.” Val Helena shrugs. “Guess that’s why he’s the top PVPer in the game.”
A column of bright blue light shoots down from the ceiling and lands in the center of the arena. The karate man reaches out to it and vanishes, as do his teammates while one or two other players appear.
(RNG)Val Helena: Go now! Everyone grab the key item from that blue light. We have 15 seconds!
I dash forward with Gilly behind me. We rush into the arena as do a few other players. Most however seem to be leaving the arena en masse, winking out of existence as they log out of the shard. I reach out to the light.
You received a key item: Citadel Gate Key A1FE
“Looks like you’re all going for the World Boss…”
I tense as I hear Aiko’s voice behind me. I turn to see her standing arms akimbo with a smirk on her face.
“Congrats on your defeat,” Gilly says stepping next to me. “Looks like that karate guy owned you.”
“I wouldn’t be so smug if I were you,” Aiko says to Gilly before reaching out to the column and then looking back at me. “My offer still stands, Reece. Once I get the claim I’ll invite whoever’s willing to join the winning team. Or maybe I’ll let you soften Vulnar up for me and then pull another Gruzug when you all wipe.”
She cackles and then vanishes as she fast travels away.
Val Helena growls. “She’s still going for Vulnar…”
(RNG) Val Helena: Guys! Get back to Nasgar quick! But don’t log out. Use the Nexus the way we came!
“Can we beat her?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” Val Helena says to me. “She knows the shortcut too. Just run like you’ve never run before.”
Chapter 35 World Boss
I race through the Nexus with Gilly by my side, both of us following in the wake of the main guild as they jump through the portal for Nasgar ahead of us. We get to the portal ourselves and as I access it, something crosses my mind. I’m ten levels below where I should be and about to face a world boss. If I’m ever going to survive I need some kind of edge. As I materialize back in Swifttide I see most of the guild already there.
“Hurry!” Val Helena shouts. “Everyone fast travel to the plains!”
As they wink out one by one I hesitate.
“Come on!” Gilly says, tugging at my arm. “Aiko’s going to beat us.”
“I need to get something first!” I say and take off running for the nearest auction board.
Gilly joins me just as I pull up the list of ninja scrolls.
Level 5Shadow Cloak 5000 Cr
Level 15
Decoy Shadow 15000 Cr
Level 25Shadow Mist 30,000 Cr
Level 35Elemental Shadow Wheel 15,000 Cr
Level 45Shadow Bind 5,000 Cr
Level 55Shadow Wall 2,000 Cr
Level 65Shadow Tendrils 75,000 Cr
Level 75Shadow Haste1,250,000 Cr
Level 85Shadow Step1,750,000 Cr
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Just a sec,” I say and pull up my current credits. “I need to buy something.”
You have…. 1,657,230 Credits.
If I’m ever going to gain an advantage, now is the time. Val Helena said Vulnar is a 40mil drop. If we win I’ll have more than enough to cover the treatment. But to get that win I’ll need to risk what I have already. I buy the scroll of Shadow Haste and watch my credits disappear.
You have…. 407,230 Credits.
Geez, I hope I know what I’m doing!
I read the scroll and it disappears in my hands.
You have learned “Shadow Haste”
Increases attack speed and reduces recast and cooldown times by 50%
Cast time: 2 second
Duration: 3 minutes
Recast: 30 seconds.
Cost: 20 TP
“Okay,” I tell Gilly. “Now I’m ready.”
* * *
I materialize with Gilly on the floating island within the Plains of Duality to find Val Helena waiting there and looking furious. “About time, Reece! What the hell? Did you get lost or something?”
“I had to get something! I’m sorry. ”
“We need to move, quickly. I don’t see Aiko and the boss is still unclaimed.” Val Helena then turns to Gilly. “I’m sorry about this, but this is as far as you can go.”
Gilly has been kicked from the party.
“What?!” Gill and I cry in unison.
“This isn’t like the Beast King fight. It’s too dangerous for her to even enter the arena. You can watch us from up here, okay, Gilly?”
“Um…” Gilly looks at the ground dejected. “All right…I guess.”
“I’m sorry,” Val Helena says again and then adds. “Reece will be back soon, I promise. I know how much he means to you.”
Val Helena looks dead serious when she says that.
“Let’s go, Reece,” she says and then enters into the translucent portal that’s now illuminated in the center of the island.
I’m about to jump through myself when Gilly grabs my arm.
“Hey! Good luck!” she says. “I know you can do this. You’re going to save your brother!”
She beams at me and I crush her in a hug. “Thank you, Gilly. Thank you for everything.”
We kiss and then I’m through the gate to follow after Val Helena.
* * *
I materialize into a hell on earth.
The air reeks of sulfur and a rocky black shale crunches beneath my feet. Running through it are small rivulets of molten lava that breaks the ground into a cobblestone patchwork of red and black.
A roar reverberates through my chest like a bass drum and I look up to see a massive blue scaled dragon at the center of the arena. It’s got a head that’s as big as a car, stuck on the end of a thick serpentine neck that runs into a wide body with powerful forelegs and squat rear haunches. Its tail is as long as its entire body and covered in a ridge of spikes that runs from tip to snout.
Vulnar
World Boss
Level: ???
The ancient dragon Vulnar who guards the heart of the shard is said to be the first being ever to be created by the god Nasgar.
So this is Vulnar... finally.
The dragon blows fire on the entire guild as Val Helena rushes in to engage. My heart jumps as I see the HP bars instantly reduced by a third. I need to get in there. Quick!
I buff myself, casting Shadow Haste first to lower the cooldown times of all my other spells. I cast Shadow Copy next and am overjoyed to see a 7 second recast timer appear. That scroll was worth every credit! I then buff with Shadow Tendrils and disappear with Shadow Cloak.
I sprint to the boss, running past my teammate to get to the tail.
“I’m taking the boss,” I yell in party chat and then jab up and underneath the sharp metallic scales to hit for a critical backstab that takes off 3% of Vulnar’s health. The gargantuan beast roars in rage as it turns about and swipes at me with one of its giant claws. I try to dodge but the thing is just too big to avoid and I lose my shadow.
What!?
I get a sinking feeling in my stomach as I quickly recast Shadow Copy. “Was that an AOE attack?”
“All of its attacks are, except for its bite,” Val Helena says as she slicing and dices with her long sword. “You’re going to have to spam Shadow Copy like crazy.”
Holy crap! I can’t just dodge tank anymore. I’ll have to shadow tank it! Was that even a thing?
I lose my second shadow as it attacks with the other claw and then blow Active Dodge as it chomps down for a bite. I blur and shift a few feet from where its massive snout buries itself into the black shale.
I use the opportunity to finally get in some hits with my blue flamed katanas and generate some hate. I can’t let this thing turn on the party. With two AOE attacks just from its claws, Vulnar could wipe the entire guild in a matter of seconds. Val Helena seems to have predicted this however and the melee team is attacking from the flank while she positions herself at its tail. Thanus and Silvi are far away at the edge of the arena and hopefully out of AOE range.
Vaulnar rears back its head and a jet of orange flames shoots down on top of me.
Yikes!
Vulnar uses Fire Breath!
Your shadow absorbs the attack.
I come through unscathed and can fully appreciate how this scroll was at one time worth 8 million credits on the open market. I use Warcry and quickly recast Shadow Copy once the 7 second timer hits zero. Vulnar’s HP is going down steadily now. Already at 87%. Hope springs within my chest at how well we are doing. Vulnars attacks may be AOEs, but they are slow and with my Shadow Haste on, I can just about fit a recast in between each attack.
We work off another 20% and then a roomwide message appears.
Vulnar readies Eruption.
Uh oh…
I brace myself and the ground beneath Vulnar’s feet explodes in a shower of molten rock. The HP of the melee team is reduced to a third, but the mages get hit as well, some dropping to as low as a quarter. Only Val Helena manages to get away with 50% damage while I lose my shadow and take none.
The healers start to top everyone up but a panics ensues as a second room message appears.
Vulnar readies Trample.
“Yo, what the heck?”
“Two?”
Oh Crap!
I barely recast Shadow Copy in time as the dragon raises up on its hind legs and then thunders back down again sending a shockwave of damage across the arena. The mages are spared this time, thankfully, but the melee team takes another hit and a few death cries sound as Jax and Vic from Team SVR bite the dust. Everyone else is at a sliver and the panic goes full bore
“No way!”
“Two AOEs?”
“We got the healing for this fight, Silvi?”
“We’re trying!”
“Get us up! Get us up!”
Vulnar swipes at me but my Shadow Copy is still on cooldown. I try to dodge anyhow but I just can’t get out of the way.
Vulnar hits you for 881 damage!
Crap!
“Don’t let Reece die!” Val Helena screams.
A heal from someone tops me up right before I take a slap from the other claw, knocking me back down to 10% again. Everyone’s HP bars are in the red. TP and Stamina bars look not too far behind. Darn it! I thought we were doing well, but now I see that we’re totally unprepared for this fight. Our focus is broken and we’re all over the place!
As if to add insult to injury I get a PM.
Aiko: You�
�re not going to win. I’ll have fun cleaning up your mess when you wipe. Invitation still stands by the way, pretty boy. >; )
Damn Aiko!
She’s probably been here the whole time. We never beat her to the World Boss at all, she just let us go first to soften it up for her. I grit my teeth frustrated at the thought.
I finally get my shadow to recast but lose it almost immediately to a breath attack.
This is too much…Aiko’s right. We are going to wipe!
“Reece, let me take it!” Val Helena shouts and uses a Warcry. “Everyone stabilize. Don’t panic. We got through the worst of it, just keep going.”
The massive creature turns about toward Val Helena and I see her HP bar begin to take massive dips to 30% as the world boss strikes her with its claws. But they are slow attacks and Silvi has enough time to pop Val Helena up to full in between. But for how long she can keep that up, I don’t know.
“Tell me when you’re ready to take it back, Reece!”
I use the time to reply all my buffs and then wait for my Shadow Copy’s recast timer to hit zero before hiding and jabbing Vulnar with another backstab.
The beast roars as its HP drop down to 45%.
It turns back to me, swiping me with its tail and I lose my shadow.
Dang! I wasn’t even expecting an attack like that!
I quickly recast Shadow Copy and the game begins again. Me, timing my recasts of Shadow Copy and using Active Dodge, when the beast thankfully decides to use its bite attack on me. The healers get Jax and Vic back on their feet and they resume their steady damage from the side. Thanus and his team shower huge chunks of ice from the sky, dropping its HP one or two percent with each cast. Then I remember my debuffs.