There was time for a quick tweak or two. I accessed ‘Energy Options’ again and opened the upgrade option.
Rhynorn Bloodore. Skill Increase: Dirty Tricks 11, Cost: 32 Energy. Confirm: Yes/No?
Rhynorn Bloodore. Skill Increase: Terrible Roar 11, Cost: 32 Energy. Confirm: Yes/No?
A single upgrade for each of this boss’s unique skills would raise them into the Apprentice rank, improving their effectiveness. Not long ago, I would have hesitated to spend 64 energy points on such things, but it was a drop in the bucket of the energy available to me now.
I approved both upgrades.
Dirty Tricks (P)
Enables a variety of special combat maneuvers against opponents: trip, disarm, misdirect.
Countered by physical resistance.
The higher the skill, the higher the chance for the attempt to be successful.
Dirty Tricks imposes a damage penalty. Cost 10 MP. Speed 5.
Level 11: Apprentice: A successful attempt allows for an immediate second attack.
Effect: Success chance 72% (with size bonus).
Terrible Roar (P)
Unleash a tremendous roar that has a chance to impart the Shaken status to enemies.
Countered by physical resistance. Cost: 50 MP. Speed 30.
Level 11: Apprentice: The roar invigorates and rallies allies.
Effect I: Shaken enemies are slowed. Spellcasting might be interrupted. Radius: 11 meters.
Effect II: Allies gain an immediate additional attack. Radius: 11 meters.
Boss Special Bonus: Skill cooldown is reset every time 20% health is lost.
It looked like I had done the right thing. The Apprentice bonuses were invaluable; they had nearly doubled the amount of damage the Ogre could dish out when attacking with Dirty Trick, and the Terrible Roar ability to buff allies was going to be quite handy.
Motioning Rhynorn to follow, we made it toward the valley’s exit where my other troops waited. Bob was standing at the front next to Vrick, the goblin lieutenant. They’d known one another for a while now but still looked uncomfortable in each other’s company. It was understandable; not long ago they were leading forces on different sides of a conflict. This would be their first skirmish fighting side by side.
Standing behind them were Ashlazaria the scout and the four hobgoblin warriors.
“Where’s Bek?” I looked around.
The hobgoblins glanced at each other then parted to reveal Bek standing behind them.
“Here, Dread Totem,” the small goblin adept piped.
Seven soldiers and a healer, all between levels 5 to 7, two bosses, and a host of cannon-fodder foblins. Those were the forces I had to confront six travelers of unknown levels and abilities. I feverishly hoped it would be enough.
With a thought, I established a ‘War Party’ and included everyone. “Let’s head out.”
We turned and followed the road out of the valley.
***
Tom Wilkins smiled in the early morning sunlight as he walked to his parking spot. One of the perks of his new assignment was driving himself to work instead of riding the sardine-packed pub-trans in rush-hour traffic.
Tom was a FIVR technician with a background in healthcare. His assignments usually involved visiting the homes of the rich in the heavily populated and congested parts of the city. So most days he had to rely on public transportation.
His latest ‘client’ resided in a quiet suburb, less than an hour’s drive out of the big city. Tom loved the new routine. Instead of standing in line with the masses, he could now drive. His client’s house had parking around it.
The radio played country music for a while, then the news came on. As always, nothing interesting was happening in the world; the usual wars were ongoing in South Asia, the price of gold was down, and the company’s Israeli R&D department of had released a new FIVR gadget, increasing share value by 12 points.
Not that I’ll see a cent from that, Tom thought as he drove up his client’s driveway and parked.
“Tom,” Jerry, the night shift technician greeted him somberly.
“Morning, Jerry.” Tom waved as he entered the house.
They had worked on the same jobs for several years now and were accustomed to the coincidence of their names and the friendly tease they occasionally received from their few mutual friends.
Tom stopped in his tracks, noticing the other man’s uneasiness. “Something wrong with the client?”
Jerry ran a hand through his hair. “Something weird happened during the night, I don’t really know what to make of it.”
Tom tilted his head. “What happened?”
“Come, see for yourself.”
The two walked into the next room.
Electronic cables were spread all over the floor, connecting the FIVR capsule at the center to various other support systems. The capsule itself was elevated by six slender robotic legs which were slowly rotating it. Tom could see the clear biotech liquid swirling gently inside the capsule, sustaining its occupant.
“Over here.” Jerry pointed at one of the monitoring screens.
Tom looked at the screen for a moment then frowned. “I see what you mean. The brain waves are different from the last two days. What happened?”
In response, Jerry pushed a few buttons and the brainwave image was changed, depicting spikes of over 300 percent the normal value.
“This happened around 3:00 a.m.” Jerry indicated the spikes. “I called it in but was told to watch and report on any further changes. After about an hour, the spikes were over, but the brainwave patterns were altered, as you see now.”
Tom nodded. Instead of the rhythmic, ordered waves, the client’s brain produced over the past two days, it now looked … structured. There were no occasional peaks or variation in the length of time for each wave. It seemed almost … engineered. Tom’s frown deepened. “Why do those look familiar?”
Jerry clicked a few new buttons and the picture changed, depicting a similar graph but with a different color.
Tom gasped. “That’s impossible.”
“I know,” Jerry said grimly.
“That’s … that’s the data stream output for in-game NPCs!”
“I know.”
The two exchanged worried looks.
“All the vitals look okay though.” Jerry pointed at a different screen.
Tom studied the screen, his eyes pausing on a specific number. “Holy hell …” he mouthed. “It can’t be … 99 percent?”
“Yes.” Jerry nodded. “Mr. Berman here has just achieved the second highest Cerebral Connectivity Percentage in the world.”
2 – When Monsters Attack
We moved through the valley’s thick forest at a fast pace with Ashlazaria leading us and occasionally scouting ahead. We kept off the forest trail to our left and traveled in single file with Rhynorn bringing up the rear. I hoped keeping him in the back would reduce the chance of his crashing progress from alerting the enemy to our approach.
No need to be insulting, Vic, I reprimanded, suppressing my own grin at his words.
Despite the heavy undergrowth, the wily hobgoblinette found navigable paths. Maybe it was a Scout skill thing.
When we were in sight of the forest clearing, she stopped abruptly, which made me bump into her, earning me a look of disapproval from her and another chuckle from Vic.
I rolled my eyes at Vic’s comment and whispered to the scout, “Ash, why did we stop?”
She looked ahead and sniffed the air. Her petite tusks protruded as her lips curved in a grimace. “They are coming.”
I straightened, my heart thumping hard. We were about to engage the en
emy.
I used one of my new ‘tricks’ to relay orders to my troops.
Everyone spread out and surround the clearing, conceal yourselves, and wait for my command.
Being able to send silent commands to my troops gave us a significant strategic advantage. Though by itself, this ability I received by wearing the ‘Earring of the Warlord’ wouldn’t be enough to win us the fight. But at least it made me look cool, like a goblin pirate.
Moments after my troops positioned themselves, I heard several people approaching.
These travelers are going to learn just whose territory they’re trespassing on, I thought grimly.
I felt Vic’s discontent at that. For a while now, I’d been able to sense his surface emotions. It was similar to his ability to listen to my own thoughts, though more limited. I now detected that for some reason, my thoughts were troubling him.
The travelers came into view at the edge of the clearing, led by the green-clad elf Ash had reported. They walked casually, without a care in the world. Ash’s description was accurate. I could read the information streams filling my mind as I looked at them.
The group included two spellcasters – a healer, and an evoker. Two agility-based fighters carrying swords covered their flank. The elf leading them was a scout with a nature affinity.
Their levels ranged from 18 to 21. Very strong for this territory. Too strong. I didn’t understand what they were doing in the area. There was no challenge around here that would justify the long voyage to get here. They would earn hardly any XP from the local wildlife, and there were no special riches to find either. At least as far as they knew.
My attention was drawn to the last member of the party. My upper lip curled in a snarl, and a surge of hate welled up inside me when I identified his race. The last member was a dwarf, the goblins’ natural sworn enemies. He was so heavily armored there was only one word to describe him: Tank. I could literally smell the foul odor of metal coming from him.
As the dwarf walked, I spotted flashes of white metal between the thick steel plates of his armor. Reinforced with mithril underneath, I realized. It would make the armor lighter and tougher than if it was made only of steel. But what really made me hesitate and take a sharp breath was the sense of raw power coming from him.
Not fully trusting my mundane senses, I used Analyze.
Ragnar
Race: Dwarf (Stone)
Level: 40 (97%)
HP: 476, MP: 284
Attributes: P: 44, M: 4, S: 4
Skills: Taunt 47, Challenging Cry 46, Shields 54, Axes 54, Hold the Line 22, Vampiric Attack 14, Smith 31, Baking 14
Traits: Steadfast (resistant to takedowns), Dwarf
Resistances: Physical 67%, Cold 10%, Fire 10%, Armor 122
That was … ridiculous.
What would a level 40 dwarf tank be doing in a party half his level?
That guy could single-handedly wipe out his own group if he chose to, let alone our already overmatched force of lowbies. For a guy like him, walking through this forest was a pleasant stroll through the park.
Then it dawned on me. This wasn’t a random expedition through the wilderness seeking adventure. The group was too high-level for the area. There could only be one reason for a group so powerful to be here: They were searching for something specifically. And the only thing travelers might be interested about in this area was … me.
These bastards are here to find me!
The tank was probably a bodyguard the group hired to escort them, and he likely cost them a fortune. From his perspective, there was absolutely nothing to gain from a low-level area like this. So he would have to be well compensated for his trouble.
Regardless, they were already standing at the edge of the clearing, inspecting the wreckage of the old Chief’s Hut at the center. I couldn’t risk them getting any closer to my settlement.
I watched the group move closer to our ambush point. My troops surrounded the part of the clearing where it funneled back to the forest path.
They were getting closer. Ten meters. Eight. Six.
I was about to call for the attack when the green-clad scout raised his hand. The group stopped in their tracks, standing near the destroyed structure. The scout carefully viewed the ambush site in front of him, his eyes narrowed.
“What’s the hold up?” the man in red robes demanded. I plucked his name from the air: Nitrohawk. “We’re wasting our time, there’s nothing here. This shitty hut clearly indicates there are no goblins here anymore.”
I breathed a bit easier. It looked like my little decoy was about to prove itself.
The scout studied the path before them unhurriedly. “There’s something hiding nearby; I got a prompt alerting me to an enemy presence.”
Damned scouts and their enhanced senses, I cursed silently as my hopes crumbled.
Nitrohawk sneered. “And you’re stopping for that? The toughest mobs around here are the Forest Ogres, and they’re no threat. Besides, not many could hide here with all those thornthistle bushes growing nearby. I say let them attack. I want to finish this lousy expedition so I can get back to grinding my skills at the Academy.”
Interesting; they aren’t here on their own initiative. They were sent by someone. So someone else was looking for me. I didn’t know why, or who was behind this, but I planned to find out.
The scout shrugged. “Suit yourself, but I’m not taking point.”
The other travelers followed the exchange with indifference.
Nitrohawk grunted. “Geesh, what a wimp. Step aside, let me show you how it’s done.”
He moved forward, mumbling arcane words. A ring of yellow-red flames erupted around him, hot enough that I could feel the radiating heat from my hiding spot. The ring moved along with the wizard as he walked, wilting the nearby vegetation and leaving a trail of blackened ground.
I cursed silently. That was a Fire Shield spell. It wasn’t an overly advanced spell, but as it was cast by a level 18 character, it would cause serious damage to my lower-level troops. I couldn’t send my fighters to engage the wizard; they’d get slaughtered. Engaging the caster in melee would incinerate them or melt their crude weapons as they passed through the flames. Fortunately, I had alternatives.
I expected my war party would be able to handle the five travelers, but the dwarf was going to be a tough nut to crack. The level gap made his already high resistances even more significant. It would take us too long to pound him down. If we had engaged him first, it would leave the other travelers unoccupied, able to attack us at will.
No. The only way we could achieve victory was to eliminate the lower-level players before they could regroup, then we could concentrate all our forces on the tank.
I had no illusions regarding the outcome of this battle. We were going to suffer losses.
But I had planned for that. I looked around at the dozen disposable foblins hiding nearby and grinned.
I started channeling my mana and charging up a Drilling Arrow spell while sending a series of orders.
Ash and Bek, at my command, shoot at the one wearing red. Zia, Kilpi, engage the two swordsmen in melee but don’t attack – use your shields to keep them occupied and concentrate on defense. Bob, Vrick, take the scout. He’s a ranged fighter, so close the distance quickly – get him into melee range and keep him there. Kroakar, Ryker, attack the healer, that’s the one with the white robes.
I looked at the comically stupid foblins. As for you, err … kill metal dwarf! The foblins didn’t have any weapons, but that was what the Brawling skill was for.
The hobs and goblins all nodded their understanding. The foblins gaped stupidly, one of them mumbling quietly, “Me hear voicings.”
I gritted my teeth. Noise was an absolute no-no during an ambush. I was having second thoughts about bringing the stupid buggers, but I’d already committed to this course of action. Luckily, the travelers didn’t hear the extra-moronic one
whispering.
The red-robed wizard reached the center of our ambush zone.
“ATTACK!” I bellowed.
Nitrohawk froze as enemies burst out of hiding all around him.
Like good cannon fodder, the foblins charged first, followed by the more seasoned hobgoblins. They streamed around the red mage, headed for their intended targets behind him. Two foblins – unlucky or stupider than the rest – crossed the fire ring and fell as lifeless, charred corpses. The air filled with the smell of roasted meat.
Ash released her arrow just as Bek and I launched our spells at the oblivious wizard in red. The magic arrows were much faster than the mundane one. My Drilling Arrow spell hit first, slamming through the fire ring and into the traveler, their rotating heads easily burrowing through his magically enchanted robes.
Drilling Arrows hit Nitrohawk for 64 damage, [(15+17)X2]
My attack blasted 70 percent of his health away. Then the other arrows hit him as well, claiming the kill. Ash howled triumphantly as the wizard’s lifeless body dropped to the ground. “Raaaaarr!”
Like me, Nitrohawk had built his character as a Mental-focused one. But unlike me, he didn’t have the extra boss bonuses to beef up his health. That made him a glass cannon; a person who could dish out a lot of damage but sucked at absorbing it. Our combined range attacks were enough to send him to respawn.
One down, five to go.
Taking advantage of the initiative of our surprise attack, I began casting another spell.
Shadows gathered into larger black masses around me and the ground cracked beneath them as I activated my Shadow Hound spell. The fancy visual effects were the reason I hadn’t cast this spell in advance; it would have given away our position.
Meanwhile, all the hobs had reached and engaged their targets. The remaining travelers overcame the shock of the ambush, drew their weapons, and readied themselves to meet their attackers.
Life Reset- EvP Page 2