by Rick Scott
Level 55Shadow Wall 2,000 Cr
Level 65Shadow Tendrils 75,000 Cr
Level 75Shadow Haste1,250,000 Cr
Level 85Shadow Step1,750,000 Cr
I purchase the scrolls up to Level 55. I can figure out what most of them do just by their name. Shadow Cloak is obviously some kind of invisibility spell, and I already know what Decoy Shadow and Shadow Mist do. Elemental Shadow Wheel allows you to do a ranged elemental attack that seems pretty low-powered, but it can be switched to any element. Shadow Bind is a root, and Shadow Wall is a mass invisibility spell. For the last three, I have to check the actual descriptions.
Shadow Tendrils
While under the effect of Shadow Tendrils, all your attacks have an ethereal component that increases enmity.
Shadow Haste
Use the power of shadows to quicken your attack rate, movement speed, and lower your spell recast and ability cool-down time.
Shadow Step
Travel briefly through the shadow realm to surprise your opponent and regain your strength. While under the effect of Shadow Step, Retreat and Charge Strike gain the effect of teleport. It also restores 10% of your max HP/TP/STAM with each use.
Holy cow, these spells are awesome! Especially Shadow Haste and Shadow Step. I can understand why they’re both over a million credits each. If Aiko has spells like these, she’s pretty darn invincible. The thought makes me imagine what having such powers would be like. I’m almost giddy with the idea of one day being able to use them. But for now, I’ve got something way more important to spend three million credits on.
I use all the scrolls I purchase, learning the spells, and then check to see what Gilly has for me on her list.
From: Gilly
Hi Babe! <3
Okay, here’s the plan. I checked out your awesome Sheeba takedown vid. It’s like all over the Shard now! Needless to say, I’m super proud of you! ^_^ I’m going to brag to everyone that you’re my BF! xD
But I digress.
I went through all the monsters and found one that has a similar attack pattern to Sheeba. That basically means you already know how to Dodge Tank it. Remember, just don’t get hit! ;D
Head to the eastern part of the Moa Desert and look for the Flame Manticores. You should be able to get to Level 60 on them. After that, find the Fire Manticores further to the south. They’re basically the same kind of monster. But the best part is they both drop Platinum Beast Coins. And they sell for 10k a pop! Fire Manticores drop them more often, so level up and hit those as fast as you can!
Good luck! ^_^ XOXO
I chuckle at her message. Gilly is such a sweetie. I check my other guide from Val Helena. The Moa Desert is listed as Level 60 to 85! I hope Gilly knows what she’s talking about. I fast-travel back to the Goatoa Plains, but instead of heading east toward the Yughatha Jungle like I did before, I start heading south.
It takes a good twenty minutes in real time to traverse the terrain, but slowly the grass gets lower, until eventually, I’m standing on the edge of a vast ocean of sand. The sun is brilliantly hot, and a mirage of heat casts a ripple effect atop the endless dunes. I have another moment of absolute tranquility as I stare at it. It’s hard to believe it’s not real, that I’m actually stuck down in some bunker miles below the surface.
Thank goodness for Crystal Shards, indeed.
I get to work searching for my prey. It takes me another couple minutes of travel, but I head east according to Gilly’s instruction and eventually spot one. It’s a pretty large creature, about the size of an elephant, and looks like a lion with huge wings on its back. The one I’m looking at is currently fighting a party of four players who are all in their mid-50s.
A female elf is tanking as Paladin, and a male dwarf with a big red beard is doing damage as Thief. The other two are male humans, both Mages. One of them, wearing a Pope’s hat, is healing with Celestial Magic. The other guy is dressed like a witch doctor with tribal tattoos; he’s blasting the manticore with big Elemental Magic spells.
It’s a pretty standard party setup, I suppose. I watch the fight. The manticore does indeed seem to attack with the same pattern as Sheeba, which makes sense, since it’s basically just another big cat. I wait until I can see a full attack pattern cycle through. It’s got the Tail Swipe like Sheeba, but instead of her Savage, the manticore has a flame-breath attack, and instead of Thunder Roar, it has an AOE move called Whirlwind where it beats its wings at you to surround you with mini-tornadoes.
Even though it’s got the same attacks, I’m hoping these won’t be as tough as Sheeba was. These are just normal mobs, after all, even if they are a higher level than me.
Flame Manticore
Level: 60
These mystical creatures roam the Moa in search of prey and lost souls. The fire goddess Ifris is said to have created them as play things, but dissatisfied with her creation, she tossed them to the burning wastes of the desert, where they remain to this day.
Affinity: Wind/Fire
Only ten levels higher. Not too bad. I pull up my stats next to take a look at how I’m doing.
Name: Reece
Class: Ninja
Level: 50
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 60
Agility: 70
Intelligence: 4
Mind: 6
Vitality: 8
HP: 321/321
Stamina: 177/177
TP: 105/105
I still haven’t allocated my points from leveling to 50 yet, and I have 15 to spend. I’m tempted to dump some into Strength for added damage. I do fairly well for only 8 Strength, but I imagine I could be doing better if I had more. And with mobs this high-level, I’m probably going to need to do more damage to kill them anywhere near as quick as I want to. Then again, maybe more Dex is the way to go. Critical hits will activate more the higher my Dex is. Then there’s my default plan: Agility. That hasn’t let me down yet. I decide to stick to the min-max strategy and put ten points into Agility, bringing it to 80, and 5 points into Dex, bringing it to 65. I then promise myself that any future points will go into trying to bump up my strength a bit. At least to maybe 20. Or maybe I should stick with Dex?
Whatever. I’ll decide later.
I head past the party looking for my own manticore to try out. They manage to kill theirs 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 too 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% of 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 had—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, try to slow its attacks down some to buy myself some time.
Kanji runes swirl about me as I cast the spell, and a purple haze of smoke shoots from my palm to engulf 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 cast Shadow Copy just as its AOE attack goes off, surrounding me with twirling dust-devils.
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
I use my brief moment of invulnerability to go all out, the same way I did
with Sheeba. I take the manticore down to 85%, 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 repeat 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 Beast Coin.
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 all my points into Dex. I notice my critical hit 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’ve hit Level 60.
Congratulations! You have gained a Level!
You are now Level 60!
You have learned a new ability: Advanced Charge Strike.
Advanced Charge Strike
Your Charge Strike now has the effect of stun and paralyze 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, only they have more hit points and take longer to kill. I’m getting bored out of my skull at this point, and probably would have stopped if not for the drops. Where the Flame Manticores dropped a platinum coin every two or three mobs, these ones are dropping one every other kill. 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 guild mates 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 check my level.
Name: Reece
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. 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.
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, a fact that doesn’t go unnoticed by my new companions.
Vanessa: What happened to your HP?
Orin: Are you weakened?
Jixer: How’s he got less HP than the mages at Level 69???
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. Joining them now is Fredric. And they’re all sprinting right toward me.
“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 anticipation. My measly hit points 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 giant scorpions. “What kind of monster is this?”
“Legendary,” Fredric says, looking at me funny.
“I know. 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 as 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 la
ughs.
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 our home points here in case we wipe.”
“No chance of that!” says the dwarf, Jixer, pulling out a set of twin daggers. “We got a Dodge Tank with us!”
He grins at me when he says it, and by 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 home point 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. A bunch of large tortoises mill around down there, and Fredric points to them. “There it is.”
They all look as big as busses, and I count about a half dozen of them, but I can’t seem to pick out which of them is the LM. I squint my eyes for a closer look.
A message appears on my HUD.
Fredric has kicked you from the party.
What the heck?
I sense something behind me right before a thud lands in my back.
Your Awareness increases by 0.7.
Jixer Backstabs you!
You take 310 damage.
My HP drops to a quarter as I fall to my knees under the crippling blow. What the—!