The mermaid cried out in panic then took a deep breath. She unleashed a loud discordant screech that caused Flora to clutch her ears and fall to the ground. Scott did not fare much better despite being outside the primary attack range of the sonic effect. He clutched his ears as well then staggered back.
Their intended target used the momentary distraction to try and crawl back to the water while dragging Flora with her. If she reached the water it was over. Whether she continued to fight or flee, they would not be able to beat her in her own element.
Scott recovered before Flora, and immediately went into action. He called up his inventory screen then chose to even the odds a little. He could not ethically attack the girl directly and do damage, the attack she used only injured him indirectly, but he could certainly inflict a status effect on her.
The hunter opened his hand and a small spherical device shimmered into existence on his palm. It was light blue with metal electrodes. Scott set it to a three-second discharge. He tossed the thunder grenade at the mermaid in a casual manner. It bounced off of her pert fishy bottom, and she turned to look at what had hit her. Just as she did, the grenade went off.
A loud bang and a brilliant flash of light engulfed the sexy beast. She cried out in surprise then went completely limp. The modern day version of a flash bang grenade did little to no damage, but it did have a high chance to stun an opponent. The effect was especially potent against Crystallim who were weak to electrical attacks.
Flora recovered not long after. She immediately dragged the mermaid back with all of the strength she could muster. The Nightmare did not resist. She would remain stunned for quite a while. Soon, she was dragged nearly to the tree line, which was a good distance from the water.
The Alraune was now more in her own element, the forest and grass! She immediately used her attunement to plant life to cause vines and roots to sprout from the ground. They wrapped around the stunned mermaid then held her tight. Flora quickly began to lash the girl with her personal vines. Vine whip after vine whip rained down on the girl. Eventually, she succumbed to the attacks and lost cohesion.
A small blue crystal sphere appeared then fell to the earth below. There were minor irregularities, bumps and cracks, along the surface.
“Good job, Flora!” said Scott excitedly. They had managed to defeat a mermaid Nightmare. They were somewhat rare in this lake, but common in a few others. They were most common near the ocean, however.
The Alraune smiled thinly at him then clutched her shoulder. The light green flesh had taken on a dark, angry, shade. Several small lacerations bled lightly as a reminder of the attack that she'd withstood.
The mermaid’s water spear attack was potent even when she was physically removed from the water. Had the angry fish girl actually been in the water at the time, Flora might have had taken extensive damage, instead of a few minor scratches and pressure bruises.
Scott walked over and placed a hand on her uninjured shoulder. “Do you want to use your abilities to heal, or would you like for me to use an item?”
“I can do it master,” said Flora. She kissed him softly on the cheek then stepped away from him. A slight wince was the only admission of the pain that she felt when she spread her arms out wide. She followed the motion by leaning back and lifting her chin. She faced toward the sun for a moment, and then the world around her grew slightly darker. Solar absorption was now in effect.
Flora sacrificed a little of her vital force in the short term but the effect would last until she completely healed or she was forced to stop.
A short few minutes passed, and Flora was completely healed of her minor damage. She also regained all of her vital force in the process. Once her healing was complete, she lowered her head and the absorption effect came to an end.
While Flora was healing, Scott did his job. He moved forward and collected the blue water Crystallim core.
Now that she was forced out of her Nightmare state it would be possible to communicate with the true mind of the girl. A Nightmare was like a living prison. The true personality was trapped inside her own mind while her body did things beyond her control.
Even when they could communicate, they were still not their true selves. In truth, they were more of a mockery of themselves, a parody of their true nature. That was why Crystallim found in nature were considered Nightmares. They were a dark and twisted version of that girl’s true heart.
A Crystallim did not always have to be beaten in a fight, but they still needed to be forced out of their cohesive manifestation so that the core would be acquired. Only then could a human try to reach the mind of the Crystallim. That was the point where a bond might form. Where they might become emotionally stable.
The mermaid had immediately attempted a lethal response once she had been ensnared. That might seem like a common sense answer, but it was telling of her nature. In her Nightmare state she had not tried to talk beyond a threat, and instead of attempting to communicate in a meaningful manner she immediately tried to kill. That was common, and the hunting party was lucky that the battle did not favor the mermaid more heavily.
Had Scott not noticed that subtle splash, the mermaid would have potentially attacked them from behind with a much stronger attack. Mermaid Nightmares were known man-eaters after all. They would bludgeon and pierce their prey with water spears then drag them beneath the surface.
Stronger mermaids, such as the siren, would even develop their screech into beautiful songs that ensnared the senses. They would then lure humans to their doom by causing them to drown themselves in an attempt to reach the origin of that song.
Scott held the sphere in his hands and checked its resonance. He eventually saw two numbers. Those numbers were one percent and ninety-nine percent. That proved two things. She really was a Nightmare.
It was not always easy to tell such things when close to human civilization. She might have been a stray, or perhaps she was simply separate from her master. The second thing it proved was that she was an F-Rank. She'd probably never had a master before. She would also no doubt prove to be a wild Nightmare, as opposed to the offspring of a human and a Crystallim.
The hunter gazed upon the sphere for a moment then said, “Hello.”
The only response he received was a soft and pitiful sob. The Crystallim was obviously frightened and upset. She would have been born alone, lived her life alone, and currently existed as an incomplete personality trapped inside of her own mind. It would have been a hellish existence for a human, and it was no doubt similar for her. There was also the fact that she just fought two people she'd never met before.
“Hello. My name is Scott. I have come to help you,” said the man. Sure, they beat her till her body went poof, but that was nothing to be too concerned about.
She sobbed a little louder then made a sniffling sound. He repeated himself then gently said, “I want to be friends with you, if you’ll let me.”
The tiny little crystal sphere sniffled a little more, but eventually words were spoken. “H-how can I believe that...?”
It was a start! The girl had a natural resonance with him of only one percent. That meant she at least had a minor interest in him, or someone like him. Such interest was more of a spiritual wave-length than anything else, but it still counted as interest. His resonance stat granted up to a ninety-nine percent chance to form a bond, but first he needed to create a real connection with the girl. That could take some time.
“I can’t tell you what to believe. I can only tell you, that I am here for you. Your Nightmare is over.”
The tiny little crystal unleashed a few sobs. Light flashed around it and tiny little tendrils of ethereal energy began to form. “R-really...?”
“Yes. If you can’t accept me as a friend, I can take you somewhere that will help you eventually find someone who you can trust. OK?” said Scott.
The crystal brightened a little further. “Friend... What... is a friend?”
The fact that the crystal brighte
ned meant that she was curious and interested in the concept at least. She did not know what it was, but Scott’s kind demeanor made her feel a little safer. The approach was important.
Some Crystallim responded to aggression favorably. Others would be too terrified to communicate again if a hunter was overly aggressive during this part of the process. It was important to try to figure out exactly what an individual Crystallim needed and responded to best. Unfortunately, there were no status points for that aspect.
“A friend is someone who cares about you. They protect you, spend time with you... If you have a friend, you won’t have to feel lonely all the time,” said Scott gently.
The Crystallim core dimmed slightly for a moment then suddenly brightened to a far stronger degree than before. “You... want to spend time with me?”
Scott knew that it was time. He needed to initiate the bond while the girl was interested. If he didn’t manage it, he might have to wait a little while to try again. She would need time to think it over, as it were.
He envisioned the girl who leapt out of the water. He thought strongly about simple things like holding her hand, or hugging her close while he stood in the water with her. He thought of hugs, and gentle kisses, and all manner of sweet things.
The core brightened slightly and Scott received an image as well. The bond was starting to form. However, the image he received was a bit different than what he thought. It was the image of the girl from before crying out in ecstatic bliss as he hotly pumped his man-hammer into her soft, pink folds. Romance was something she appreciated, but this fish wanted to be feisty!
Scott immediately sent back another erotic image. He thought strongly about sliding into her sweet folds while massaging her breasts and gazing down at her in a loving, but authoritative, manner.
The crystal practically exploded with light and began to vibrate wildly. A soft dinging sound caught his attention.
<<< Message >>>
[Congratulations!
You have formed a bond with a wild Crystallim. Please treat her kindly and help her grow into a strong and productive person.
- American City Council.]
<<< * >>>
“Ha. Ha. I got a mermaid!” exclaimed Scott happily before kissing the Crystallim core. The blue sphere grew slightly darker where he kissed it. Though the change in color was most likely due to moisture and atmospheric issues, it did give off the impression that the crystal had blushed.
Scott placed her into a slot on his armguard then watched as blue lines of light joined with the green lines from before. A soft smile was followed by a giddy grin. The hunt was successful!
He now had two girls to work with. His new friend would have limited usage outside of the water at the moment, but when she reached a high-enough level to evolve to the second-tier she would be able to switch between aquatic and terrestrial forms. In short, she would be able to grow legs and walk on land.
Flush from their recent victory, Scott walked over to Flora and pulled her close to give her a warm kiss on the cheek. “Your new sister will need to rest for a while before I can manifest her properly. Do you want to call it a day?”
“Sure.” said Flora. She offered him a gentle smile and then her hand.
Scott took her hand in his, and they walked away from the scene of the short battle. They made a new friend, and would no doubt make more in the future. For now, however, it was time to go back to their room and prepare for the night’s activities. He was supposed to meet up with Alexis at nineteen hundred. That was only a few hours away.
On the way out of the park, he checked Flora’s status and noticed that she had gained three experience points. It was not bad, for this area, but they would need to head to another part of the park. The pickings in this area were slimmer than usual.
It would have been a sad day for him, if his new fishy friend did not spark with him. Making money was nice. Making new friends to adventure with was even better, especially when they thought of sexy happenings as a proper way to get to know each other.
Idly, he wondered how his status would change. He would check on his new friend’s status after she calmed down a little. He should receive a few experience points for both leading a team that defeated a Nightmare, and bonding with a new Crystallim, but that sort of thing was awarded at dawn.
Everything that he did and chose to report before sunrise, provided that he could show proof, would be totaled. He would receive experience and rewards in accordance to his job performance.
He did not have to report every day, especially if he was out in the field. He could make a singular report upon returning to a town. If he was in the field for a long time and did many things, his overall status and level might increase dramatically all at once. Of course, that would just be his backlog of experience and rewards catching up. If he reported in daily, he would have slower but steadier growth.
Scott and Flora chatted amiably amongst themselves for a while. Flora was in the middle of an anecdote that took place during her warped parody of a childhood when she took stock of something. "Hey, is that girl, alright?"
They rushed over to check on the girl lying on the ground. Next to her was a burnout hovercycle, and a broken fishing rod. Scott pulled out a restorative and administered it to the girl.
After a brief moment, the previously unconscious girl's eyes fluttered open. "Wha—"
"Miss, my name is Scott and this is Flora," he said while gesturing to himself and then to Flora. "We found you unconscious here."
"I..." She sat up and looked around. Her bright blue eyes were curious and mildly surprised. "I remember that I was out on the water with my hovercycle... and then..."
"Not to be rude, but do you have a permit for that?" asked Scott. He eyed the rod next to her after a brief moment. "And for that?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm a rescue agent for my family's aquarium. We catch water Crystallim in the national park and take care of them in a more natural environment than many other places."
"Alright, noted... So, you were saying that you were out on the water?" asked Scott.
"Yeah... I think. Oh, that's definitely what happened!" She growled low under her breath.
"What?" asked Flora curiously.
"There was a stupid guy on the beach arguing with his Crystallim. Something about how a wooden plank had more sex appeal, I think..."
Scott sighed. It was one thing when they just caused each other issues, but there was no way he could ignore getting involved now. "Was this a guy with a baseball cap, and a Volmaus?"
"Yeah! When I shouted for them to go argue somewhere else, he told me that he couldn't hear me over the sound of his partner's flatness," she said.
"Do you have a system connection to the city administration?" asked Scott.
"Wha— No... Wait, you're a hunter?" she asked him curiously.
"Yes, we're hunters. I need to report this, and get you proper medical attention," said Scott.
"Wow, cool," she said.
Scott nodded to her. It certainly was cool.
He called up a message screen then fired off a report to the city council's office, marked priority two. Had they walked up on the scene as it occurred it would have been priority one.
Not long after the report went out, a loud rush of air echoed from high overhead. An ADF Med-Sec Force transport had arrived on scene. Med-Sec, short for medical security forces were the military response team that handled casualties during combat situations outside of the city.
A large red cross was emblazoned on the side of the transport. It was an ancient symbol used by humanity for well over a thousand years. It was used now to make it certain that everyone knew the purpose of the soldiers on board. The moment the transport touched down, six heavily armed and armored soldiers raced out to the scene.
Armored head-to-toe in the latest security forces body armor, there were no physically distinguishing marks among them save for one. There was one soldier who wore an armband with a large red cross on it to
signify their position as the lead medical officer for the group.
"Hunter, Matthews. Is there anything further to report?" asked the med-sec officer, while his team administered to the wounded girl.
"Nothing further. The perpetrators were gone by the time my team arrived on-site," said Scott.
"Understood," replied the med-sec officer. He then opened a menu screen and made a few notations, before asking, "How certain are you regarding the suspected assailants?"
"I did not see them in person during the assault. However, given the nature of the victim's statement and verification of a similar appearance and power set, it is highly probable."
"Care to give a percentage?"
"About eighty-five percent, I'd say. Baseball caps and electricity wielding Crystallim aren't uncommon in the area," said Scott. He took a breath then continued, "The main thing is the interaction. The master of the pair was cited as mentioning the flat chest of his Crystallim. He did the same during our brief interaction previously."
"Understood," said the officer. He made a few more notations then nodded. "As an accredited hunter on scene, what would be your recommended course of action?"
Scott was not foolish enough to think that this was actually a request for him to pass judgment on the perpetrators. It was a test of his hunter's credentials and understanding of legal principles regarding Crystallim ownership.
"If the pair involved do turn out to be the ones whom I met previously, my recommended course of action is a suspension of the master's Crystallim license, mandatory retraining for the human, and reassignment of the Volmaus," said Scott.
"Suggested reassignment?" asked the officer while annotating Scott's reply.
"Reassign her to the injured party as partial repayment for injuries and loss of special equipment such as her hovercycle," said Scott.
"Noted. If there is nothing further, we will handle this situation from here," said the officer. He pivoted smartly toward the injured girl then walked away with crisp professional movements.
Galataea Crystallim Core 1 Page 12
