Life Reset: Conquest (New Era Online Book 5)

Life Reset: Conquest (New Era Online Book 5) Page 7

by Kuznits, Shemer

  “What, no XP gain notifications?” I asked.

 

  “Fine. No skills upgraded this time?”

 

  “Let’s get to those fights then.” I continued walking through the giant cavern.

  I found and killed one more scorpion, raising my progress to the next level by 15 percent, but not improving any skills. And then there was nothing. I roamed around the cave for another ten minutes before I had to stop.

  “This doesn’t make any sense. There has to be more of them somewhere.” The goblin adept mentioned that he’d encountered a few small scorpions, which suggested they had a nest somewhere, but I only saw their adults.

  Vic asked.

  I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

 

  “I’m going to use the force of purple goblin bait if you don’t start making sense in a hurry.”

  My unruly companion tsked.

  “Oh … good idea.” I’d almost forgotten my underdeveloped skill. Usually, Tracking worked automatically, but it was more efficient to actively use it to scan my surroundings.

  I walked around slowly, inspecting the ground and stalagmites closely. After several more minutes, my mana bar refilled and I recast Shadow Hound, bringing my mastiff count back to eight. Thanks to Dark Mana gaining a level, the mastiffs were all level 39, one level higher than before.

  I kept looking for any sign of the Infernal scorpions, occasionally spotting scorch marks indicating their passing, but nothing more.

  I had almost given up, and was about to teleport back to the clan to bring in a squad of hob scouts, when I finally found something.

  A large section of the ground was charred more intensely than the other parts I’d seen. It looked like the result of repeated fire blasts. Poking at the sooty ground, I dislodged a bone. It was the carcass of some creature killed by the scorpion and burned so thoroughly that almost nothing of it was left behind. I continued rummaging through the pile, dislodging another bone, when something small and quick darted out from under it.

  It was a tiny scorpion about the size of my palm. It was only level 5, not a threat. I was about to squash it when I had a better idea. With Mana Infusion still empowering my muscles, I lashed out and grabbed the scorpion. It tried to sting me but couldn’t penetrate the powerfully enchanted Dread Totem Gloves I was wearing.

  “Just relax, little buddy,” I told him soothingly. “I’m not going to hurt you. Right now.”I let a gentle trickle of mana wash over the critter’s primitive mind and subverted it to my will. Then I lowered my hand and allowed the dominated scorpion to walk away. “Now let’s go find your mama.”

  I didn’t really need to speak to it. Dominate allowed me to completely control my target, but I was trying for something more subtle. Instead of guiding it along like a puppet on a string, I wanted the creature to remain in control enough to be able to follow my orders.

  It was a delicate balance; it was called Dominate and not Mind Control for a reason. Still, I’d managed to let enough of the little scorpion’s own will out to guide its direction while I forced its body to keep walking. It moved slowly, almost reluctantly, its legs pushing its main bulk in jarring bounces.

  After what seemed like forever, we arrived at a pile of blackened pebbles at the base of a large stalagmite. The little scorpion squeezed through some of the larger rocks and disappeared.

  “Hmm, where have you gone?” I asked, frowning.

  I moved back and ordered my mastiffs to dig. The shadowy creatures stormed the mound, their front legs tearing at the stone in a frenzy, sending pebbles and loose rocks in all directions. Several moments later, they uncovered a small tunnel entrance, barely large enough for a goblin, leading into the hollowed-out stalagmite.

  Vic said.

  “No,” I agreed. “But there is a good chance this is where they came from. They could have gotten out of there when they were small and grown up out here. We need to check this out.”

 

  Instead of replying, I simply projected my amusement at him.

  He groaned.

  “As I said before, you know me so well. And I need the clone and mastiffs in case I’m attacked out here.”

  Vic dropped from around my shoulders and into his goblin shape. “Fine, but you owe me one.”

  “I thought you missed the adventure and excitement. I’m only giving you what you wanted.”

  “Excitement, yes. This is more of a suicide mission. And I hate hanging out there in the ether.”

  “I’ll re-summon you instantly if you die,” I promised.

  “Yeah, but those seconds will be like a lifetime for me. Oh never mind, just make sure to pay extra attention.”

  “You got it, Vic.”

  My disgruntled companion ducked into the tunnel. He was smaller than me, but the opening was still pretty narrow, even for him. Instead of struggling through, Vic simply morphed his arms and legs into a sort of mass of writhing snakes that easily propelled him through the tunnel.

  I watched him go. He reached into an open chamber at the base of the hollowed-out stalagmite then disappeared into a second tunnel that led farther away.

  Are you all alright? I projected my thoughts at him.

  he said.

  I have a better idea, I thought back at him. Despite the proximity of the altar, the vast cavern wasn’t part of Nihilator’s zone of influence, maybe because it wasn’t settled yet. It meant I couldn’t teleport around anywhere I wanted, but the basic teleportation range was still substantial. And being at the Apprentice rank of the spell meant I could teleport into places outside my line of sight. I just had to be extra careful about where I aimed or I risked reappearing inside solid rock.

  In a burst of inspiration, I sent a mastiff down the tunnel. Though it was much larger than Vic, its shadowy flesh was malleable, and it easily traversed the narrow tunnel. Vic, let me know when the mastiff reaches you.

  After a short moment, my companion replied.

  I closed my eyes, expanding the reach of my senses. This was not my domain; I couldn’t just reach out to the information tendrils around me, but I could sense a creature born out of my own mana, even more than I could Vic. There. I concentrated on the mastiff, about 20 meters away, and willed myself to its location.

  I appeared inside a hollowed-out chamber about five meters in diameter. A series of tunnels opened up from there, most of them large enough to accommodate even the larger scorpions.

  With a mental command, the rest of my mastiffs and my clone joined me, pouring out into the chamber through the narrowest tunnel.

  Vic looked at me then back at the many holes in the ground. “What now, Boss?”

  I grimaced. “I guess we’re going to scout those out.”

  “I’m not going to crawl first through all of that .”

  “No,” I agreed. “I have a much more efficient idea.” I sat down in the lotus position and cleared my mind. Then I focused on my mastiffs, anchoring the eight creatures’ presence in my mind, and uttered a single word.
“Scout.”

  The mastiffs ran into the open tunnels and darted away. I kept a firm lock on each of them in my mind as they moved farther away, creating a mental map of the tunnels.

  “Neat trick, Boss,” Vic said approvingly. “I wouldn’t have thought of it.”

  “Thanks, I–” I stopped talking. One by one, the bulbs of darkness were snuffed out of existence, their presence disappearing from my mind.

  “I’d say there are some live scorpions in there,” Vic said helpfully.

  “Yeah. Let’s check it out.”

  I cast Shadow Hound again, channeling extra mana to empower the spell to the maximum, bringing back another eight mastiffs. I moved toward one of the tunnels. The map I had envisioned was still fresh in my mind, and I knew it would lead to another chamber after a short distance.

  I ordered four of the mastiffs ahead of me and the other four to bring up the rear. Then, with Vic securely back in his cloak shape around my shoulders, I descended into the tunnel.

  I managed a few meters before the sound of many scuttling legs came from ahead of me. A moment later the same scuttling noise appeared from behind. The infernal arachnids were smarter than I’d thought.

  Fire brimmed from ahead and behind me. Then over a dozen different lines of fire shot straight into the tunnel, filling it to the brim with inescapable flames.

  5 - Short Live the Queen

  Multiple lines of fire sped toward me from both sides.

  I was trapped. The scorpions had flanked me, waiting until I was trapped before they made their move.

  I had a split second to decide what to do. I could raise my shield and let the flames chew at my mana pool instead of my health, but that would leave me at a disadvantage. Instead, I teleported away, using the long-range ability of the spell to appear back at the shrine.

  As soon as I materialized out of the shadows, I saw a portion of the floor a few dozen meters away explode outward in a geyser of flame, turning the rocky ground into a pool of molten lava. It seemed that escaping had been the right choice after all.

  The goblin adept looked at me in alarm. “Dire Totem?”

  “I’m alright,” I said, wincing as I realized I’d lost all the mastiffs and my shadow clone. “These scorpions are a problem.”

  “Yes, Dire Totem,” the adept agreed emphatically.

  Vic asked.

  “Hmm.” I examined the giant stalagmites. The bases of the larger ones were big enough to hold a hundred goblins. They could be filled to the brim with giant scorpions. Trying to go after the dangerous critters in their own tunnels was akin to suicide. Even as a tier 3 boss, I couldn’t handle multiple giant fire-hurling scorpions on their home turf. The best approach would be to break into the stalagmite from the outside and expose the scorpions within. Unfortunately, I had no easy way of accomplishing that. My spells worked best against living enemies and would do little against thick stone. Even with drilling arrows, carving out an entrance would take hours.

  my companion pointed out.

  “Thanks, Vic, that’s not helpful.” I’d purposely given my other VI companion a relatively smaller void crystal when I created his new golem core. The fact that the VIs were now godlings in this world clashed with my ultimate goal of thwarting Shiva. At the time, it felt prudent to put a limit on Aidanriel’s strength, making him into a somewhat less dangerous weapon.

  I must not have guarded my thoughts well enough, because my companion was quick to reply.

  Vic said.

  “I thought we agreed to disagree,” I said. “So let’s just drop it. I need to find a way to break through all this rock.”

 

  What else can I use? I thought as I examined the stone pillar. Grenades? Guba’s Goblin BoomBooms were effective against lower-level enemies but hardly strong enough to tear through solid rock. Explosives weren’t the answer, but it gave me another idea.

  I checked my inventory. Yes, I still had a couple of Guba’s laughing gas grenades. The monstrous creatures chose to remain inside a closed area. I couldn’t get to them from the outside, but I could use the small space against them by filling it with gas.

  I had no idea if the laughing gas would even affect them, I doubted it would make them laugh, but I hoped it would cause enough discomfort to flush them out. Seeing how the scorpions pooled their fire to melt through the stone indicated they had no problem getting out of the tunnels anytime they wanted. They probably melted all the other entrances shut, leaving a few cracks open to let out their young. That would explain why I had so much trouble locating them.

  Using the mental map I charted, I approached one of the larger stalagmites. The original four scorpions that attacked me had come from there. I concentrated and summoned a single drilling arrow into existence. It hummed while rotating above my palm. I’d done this before. Back when my clan was still growing, I used a similar method to carve grooves for molds to create obsidian bricks from lava.

  I’d grown considerably stronger since then.

  The drilling bit of the magical projectile burrowed into the stone at a downward angle. It only took a slight mental effort on my part to keep it from dissipating. It was a lot easier than I remembered. To speed things along, I summoned four more arrows, the maximum I could maintain with a single casting. Narrowing my eyes in concentration, I guided the drills close together, tunneling through the rocky surface. Dividing my attention between all five arrows to keep them intact was more mentally draining but still well within my ability. I rotated the five arrows slowly so that as they burrowed they also etched a perfect circle into the stone.

  I spent several minutes concentrating on the exercise, feeling it becoming easier as I grew more proficient. After a few more minutes, I felt confident enough to increase the arrows’ rotation speed. They blurred, and the circular groove grew visibly deeper by the second. Soon, their shafts disappeared into the stone.

  Not being able to see them made controlling the drilling effort ten times more difficult. I recast the spell, making each arrow shaft a half-meter longer, then I sent them back to work.

  Long minutes later, I felt the drill bits emerge on the other side and immediately canceled the spell. The stone pillar now had a perfect circular stone ‘plug’ sitting about a meter off the ground. All it needed was a light touch and it would fall into the other side.

  I didn’t immediately proceed with my plan. I’d been rash in the past and paid for it many times. The scorpions were dangerous, but I had several advantages. I was more mobile, thanks to my teleportation spell, and I had better ranged attacks.

  I looked around the vast, open cavern. The ceiling was filled with overhanging stalactites, and I’d seen the scorpions climbing them, but they weren’t very fast. I found a sort of natural shelf protruding from one of the taller pillars, then spotted a few others like it spread a few dozen meters apart.

  I smiled. I’d come up with a plan.

  I returned to the adept at the altar. “Things are going to get a little dangerous here for a while. Go back to Goblin’s Gorge. Take a break at the inn. I’ll send for you when it’s safe.” I focused on the altar’s new enchantment, forming a connection to the cathedral, and a portal opened next to us.

  “Yes, Dire Totem.” The adept bowed and disappeared into the portal.

  “Alright, now that I don’t have to worry about accidental casualties …”

  I called for my shadow clone again. I looked at myself, seeing both bodies from two different sets of eyes. With my real body, I teleported to one of the overhanging stone shelves while my clone approached the stalagmite I had drilled. With a mana-loaded punch, my clone dislod
ged the stone plug and, before the scorpions inside had the chance to react, shoved two gas grenades into the small opening. Then my clone teleported as well, appearing on another of the stone shelves.

  I didn’t have to wait long.

  A light yellowish smoke streamed out of the open hole. A moment later, the edges reddened as they heated up. The red glow grew and pieces of stone began to crumble. The small hole melted into a large opening, revealing the chamber beyond. It was full of yellow gas and scuttling scorpions.

  Then the horde burst out.

  I cast Shadow Web with both bodies, covering a large swath of ground with the sticky substance. The first scorpions that charged out became entangled and fought to push on. They were strong and high-level enough to make it through, but it still slowed them down considerably – enough to make the opening into a choke point.

  “Time to bring on the pain.” I grinned and started casting.

  I didn’t go for anything fancy. This wasn’t a training exercise; this was extermination. Between my clone and me, I was able to cast three volleys of five drilling arrows every several seconds. It was by far the most damaging of my current spells, though it still took four volleys to bring down one of the large chitinous creatures.

  Three volleys impacted the lead scorpion. A few seconds later, a fourth one downed him, and the other two went into the one behind it. Then another three volleys; two to bring down the injured one, and another to start wearing down the next one.

  It was slow going, and scorpions were fighting to push through into the open. I’d brought down five of the large creatures when the first scorpion reached the edge of the shadow web.

  My mana pool was nearly full; drilling arrows were a very cost-effective spell, and my monstrous mana regeneration almost completely compensated for the repeated castings. I allowed myself a single unempowered Shadow Hound spell, summoning four black mastiffs and dipping my pool by 360 MP. The dark creatures appeared around the edges of the web and snapped at the scorpions that tried to leave it. Herding them back in.

  This tactic bought me enough time to continue casting drilling arrows and bring down two more monsters. Then the ones at the back seemed to tire of waiting. They formed another coordinated Flame Jet attack, burning through the shadow web, the mastiffs, and the scorpions that blocked the exit, though the last weren’t affected. The flames remained behind, which made casting another web impossible.

 

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