Her stalling action turned into a true fight.
As one creation fell, she quickly tossed out another. Suzy’s control was so precise that her creations could fight alongside others without fear of them hitting the summoner’s allies.
The Air creations’ blades slowly whittled down the Earth shades as Anna entered the fray. Anna dropped from her high position, coming level with the Earth Affinity spirits.
The air around her sped up as she raced forward. Her short hair was erratic with her speed, her tail not moving as she closed in with her prey. She jabbed forth with her sword, revealing her hidden strength.
A vortex of wind appeared like a lance, moving as fast as Lu Lu’s lightning. It pierced a dense Earth Affinity spirit and a hole appeared in its chest. At the center of the hole, one could see the glint of a Mana core before the Earth Affinity spirit dropped to the ground.
Anna’s speed increased as she seemed to race through the Earth Affinity spirits. Her blade howled; wind blades cut outward in a storm, her blade blurring into a silver light.
In the time it took someone to breathe, she carried out all these attacks and was past the Earth Affinity spirits. As if time had now caught up with these spirits.
They howled out as they were attacked by Anna’s Air Affinity Mana. Air, the absolute opposite of Earth, was much more potent than other Affinities.
These Earth Affinity spirits turned savage, making to follow Anna.
The Air creations descended on them, cutting many down as a massive axe and sword came in from both sides.
The remaining Earth spirits found it hard to move as runes over Dave’s face and hands glowed. His eyes looked down coldly at the Earth Affinity spirits as the area that held the spirits turned into a slaughterhouse.
With Dave suppressing their ability to move as Lox, Steve, and Suzy’s Air creations grinded away the shades’ Health points, the pace and advantages of the battle switched from the shades to Party Zero.
The last of the Earth Affinity spirits were destroyed, their Mana core dropping to the ground.
No one rested; instead, they prepared themselves to fight again.
“We’re good for some rest,” Dave said. With his Touch of the Land, he was able to sense whether there was any more Affinity spirits eager to attack them.
“Dammit! They beat us,” Steve pouted, hitting the dirt floor aimlessly with his axe.
Everyone had sour expressions on their faces as they looked at the other half of the party that seemed to be relaxing beside the Water Affinity pool.
“Great day for a swim!” Gurren yelled over.
Steve continued to poke the ground with his axe.
Suzy shook her head. The weapon in his hands was an undeniable treasure, yet he treated it as if it was nothing more than a stick to play in the dirt with.
Dave snorted as Lox laughed.
“We’ll have to beat them next time,” Lox commiserated with Steve.
“Well, that was a lot better than the first time.” Anna sheathed her sword.
“The creatures are much weaker than the ones that we first fought. Seems that with all the time they grew in strength, making the first raid have to fight a lot harder,” Dave said.
“Also, now we’ve already fought them once, it’s only natural that we figure out how to deal with them faster,” Suzy said.
“Plus we’re stronger since then.” Lox’s sword and shield seemed to dissolve into nothingness.
“What do you think about the Affinity spirit-possessed animals?” Dave looked to the next group of creatures they would have to deal with. The other parties that had come into the Six Affinity Temple were all fighting the different Affinity spirits within their Affinity pools.
Seeing as they might be sour from the kill stealing with the shades and they didn’t look to be in a dire situation, none of Party Zero moved to kill these Affinity spirits.
“Their numbers are going to be annoying. I think that we might be able to fight them in these same groups, but it’d be best that we group together to fight them.” Lox took on a serious tone. He might have gained a Weapon of Power, but relying on just it and diving into every situation was a quick way for someone to end up dead and lose a Weapon of Power.
There were many people who, after gaining a Weapon of Power, would then jump into some dire situation and end up the one dying. It was a tool that had to be carefully and accurately used by its master to its full potential.
“Well, let’s go and see the others at the Water Affinity pool,” Suzy said.
They walked over. Gurren sat on the ground with his legs in front of him. Seeing the massive Devastator armor in such a relaxed position was a rather comical scene.
Suzy looked over to Dave, who snorted at the sight.
“Heya! Want to go for a dip in the pool?” Gurren asked as if he sat on a beach, pointing at the Water Affinity pool.
“Ah!” Gurren yelled as he dropped into the pool.
Steve admired his fingers, standing behind Gurren. He looked over to everyone’s stares as Gurren dropped to the bottom of the pool.
“What? You can’t say you wouldn’t have done it!”
No one said anything as Gurren climbed out of the water.
“Have a nice bath?” Steve grinned.
“Now I’ve got to clean all my armor to make sure that it doesn’t rust!” Gurren used heat to evaporate the water as he studied his armor closely.
“All we need is a few water balloons and they’d be happy for days,” Suzy muttered to Dave, who chuckled.
***
It only took about another ten minutes before the other Players and POEs defeated the remaining Affinity spirits.
They came and gathered around Party Zero. Having come this far, those around saw that the others indeed had qualifications and abilities that meant they wouldn’t have to carry them.
Loot breakdown was talked over as people deferred to Lox and Deia. They were famous people and were good leaders.
As they made plans, a large group of Players entered the crack, walking through the cleared area around the Six Affinity Temple.
They all had the same guild badge on them.
“Look—just sitting around. No wonder they couldn’t get farther than the Free Affinity shades,” one of them said, their voice carrying.
“At least they took care of the simple creatures. Really is boring dealing with the low-leveled beasts.” Another member of the group looked down on the various Players and POEs who were talking next to the Water Affinity pool.
“Freeloaders,” one of the people around the pool said, shaking their head as the forty-person group bypassed the Affinity pools and went straight toward the Free Affinity-possessed animals.
As the first group recovered to peak condition and started to get a battle plan together, the new guild that had arrived started to lazily get into a formation, continuing to throw insults that the others could hear as they moved toward the animals confidently.
Suzy shook her head at their actions.
Making fun of other Players was common, but within Ashal it was much more natural for people to work together if they knew the dangers. This guild that had just arrived through the ono underestimated the dangers and were treating their upcoming fight as if it were a simple matter.
Deia and Lox divided everyone up. As people talked, those who had fought past the Affinity spirits were happy to share their knowledge with those who hadn’t. It showed their ability and it also meant that they might move ahead further if the new fighters knew a bit more.
In the distance, animal roars could be heard, as well as the noise of weapons hitting animal hide.
Suzy looked over to see that the newly arrived guild was fighting off the creature. They were able to keep it at bay but it was clear that they had just read the level displayed by the creature and did not take into account the additional power of the Affinity spirit within.
They were facing a silver gorilla. This creature had great strength and
had a lightning attack and armor that could stun its enemy or negate magical attacks. The silver gorilla was possessed by a Water Affinity spirit; as it roared, water shot out from around it.
The electrical currents over its body charged the water. As the water blasts pushed people back or made them dodge, those who were covered in water were hit by the electrical charge that passed through the water.
Five of their number were numb as the gorilla reached them. It smacked those stunned few with its massive hands and sent them flying. Armor was crumpled under its hands.
Arrows were fired at it. The gorilla, with the Water Affinity’s natural enhancements, dodged in a way that was completely unnatural for the gorilla.
Spears of water rushed out to meet the ranged attackers, suppressing them as the gorilla charged the melee fighters who were taunting the creature.
The water lances changed targets, focusing on the melee fighters. Electricity sparked all over it as it charged; it slammed into the shields, passing on its lightning effect to the defenders.
The soaked defenders would have been fine if they met the gorilla straight on. Together they were stronger than the creature and their clothes stopped the electricity passing from their shields to them. With the water covering them, this all changed.
The lightning was so strong that the Players couldn’t even cry out as they fell down in pain, smoke faintly rising from their clothes.
The gorilla was a creature of nature; it had no sympathy. Its fists slammed down on those on the ground, cracking and denting their armor.
The ranged attackers backed up.
“Watch out!” one of the Players within the Affinity pools called out, their tone slightly mocking.
It was too late—they had accidentally walked into the detection range of other roaming mobs.
Five more creatures piled in, attacking them.
“Get ready. If they run back here, we can kill off those creatures,” Deia said.
People with grim expressions stood and checked their weapons. Getting attacked by these spirit-controlled creatures while they were discussing their next move would not be pretty.
The mages and rangers were letting loose with their weapons, trying to pull out their friends as they pulled back. Their expressions sour and panicked, the melee fighters were trying to defend them as they pulled back.
One of them started running, not wanting to die and lose their gear, and then another and another. None of them cared what the others thought; right now they just wanted to keep their gear and levels. Some tried circling around to get their friends but instead only drew the attention of more creatures.
They ran for the stairs and the creatures followed them.
Suzy sighed, dusting off her pants as she stood.
Dave pulled out his twin rods. Gray smoke moved over them and a simple bow appeared. An arrow appeared; he pulled back the string and aimed at the silver gorilla.
The gorilla was marked by Deia.
“Only use attacks that don’t contain Water Mana.” Deia’s voice was neither loud nor quiet but everyone heard her.
Dave let his arrow loose. Those with ranged attacks added in their attacks.
The gorilla was staggered by the attacks. Red and black marks appeared on its fur. Its Health declined rapidly under the concentrated attacks.
There was a yellow-striped serpent; the Earth-attribute creature made to dive into the ground. Malsour gestured with his hands and the ground forced the serpent out. The Fire Affinity spirit unleashed Fire attacks at Malsour.
It might be a Fire Affinity spirit but compared to Deia and Induca, it was barely a weak flickering candle. None of the Fire attacks made it within ten meters of the people standing around the Affinity pools.
The fleeing Players raced past them.
None of those around the Affinity pools spared them a glance. If they had wanted to work together, they might have cared. With their comments and attitude, those around the Affinity pools didn’t care. Their eyes were cold and uncaring as they watched Players die on the ground. They were arrogant assholes, but now at least they would get some extra loot from these dead idiots.
Gurren, Lox, and Steve were the center of the defensive wall. The tanks lined up off them as their weapons appeared in their hands.
Dave slowed the creatures down with gravity. Malsour cast curses over the area and onto the creatures, draining their Health and Mana quickly.
Deia quickly organized people to fight the different creatures so that opposite Affinities would be matched to have a greater effect on the incoming beasts.
Three of the seven creatures that the cocky guild had disturbed made it to their position. Steve squared off with the silver gorilla as it smashed against his axe.
Steve was covered in arcs of lightning. “Oh, tickles.” Steve used his immense strength to toss the massive gorilla backward.
Malsour formed steel around the gorilla, pinning it to the ground. It fought against the restraints just like its deceased companion. This one carried the Water Affinity spirit. The spirit started to use high-pressured water to cut through the steel manacles that kept it pinned to the ground.
Steve didn’t even pause; his axe came down on the gorilla repeatedly. Water spears fired at Steve. He hit them away with his axe as mages from the Players and POEs called attacks down on the gorilla.
The water spears weakened, allowing Steve the opening he needed. He brought his axe down again, this time with all of his strength.
Around the gorilla, the ground cracked with the impact, the gorilla now in the center of a shallow crater. A flaming pillar dropped on the gorilla, its Health bar reaching zero.
Lox and Gurren had also taken on their own creatures. Their swords blazed with Affinity flames. The Affinity spirits didn’t have any chance to win against their polar opposites. Gurren and Lox’s hits were powerful and quick, leaving afterimages in their wake as their blades whizzed through the air.
When the creatures lashed out, the massive Devastator easily moved across the ground, its speed and agility defying its bulky appearance.
Silence descended as the last creature dropped to the ground, a loot icon above the creature.
The guild members who had run away now looked over the people they had insulted before. Embarrassed looks were on their faces.
Talking a big game was good, but if you couldn’t back it up, then gamers would call you out on it.
The guild members silently moved to take back their fellows’ gear. Those at the Affinity pools let them, checking their own gear and healing any wounds that they might have gained while also restoring any spent stats.
“Hey, get your hands off that.” Steve pointed out that one of the guild members was trying to loot one of the creatures that had been killed by the people who were already in the Six Affinity Temple’s grounds.
The person quickly took the loot into their bag, sneering at those who stared at him. “What you going to do?” the Player spat. The rest of his guild mates rushed to grab Mana cores.
Dave increased the gravity on all of them, sending them to the ground. “Malsour?” Dave asked.
Metal spikes tore through the ground and the guild members.
Silence descended as everyone looked at the dead guild members.
“Well, they were a bunch of pricks anyway,” one of the Players with Party Zero said.
The Players and POEs shrugged and started making their way to recover the guild’s loot and their Mana cores.
Deia frowned but only sighed lightly.
“Hopefully they’ll learn from losing their loot and being idiots,” Suzy said.
“Hopefully,” Deia said. “All right, we’ll divide the loot up, see if there are any good weapons or items we can use. Then we’ll start to deal with the rest of the possessed animals.”
The quickly formed raid party made motions of agreement, a number of them with large smiles. A decent guild member could have quite the loot on them.
The POEs’ eyes
lit up as they went through the various bags of holding and gear that was on the dead guild members.
Dave and the rest of Party Zero took some of their charged soul gems, the potions, food, clothing weapons and gold went to the others with them. They didn’t need any of it but the others wouldn’t allow them to go on empty handed.
Chapter 35: Gateway
All of the Stone Raider leaders were present as Ela-Dorn and a number of Aleph professors came through the teleport pad. Behind them were various components being hauled by automated carts.
Josh’s face turned pensive as he looked at the different carts. His usual joking manner was cold and serious. After Dave had shown him the reality of Earth and Emerilia, his core thoughts and beliefs had been shaken.
He seemed to have aged a lot in just a few short weeks. He devoted more time to prepare for the future, to look at new possible members for the Stone Raiders as well as make alliances with the various powers on Emerilia.
His thoughts were a confusing mess. All he knew was that he cared for the people he’d interacted with in Emerilia and he would protect his fellow Stone Raiders with everything he had.
Right now, he could only look at those carts with cold and calculating eyes. These parts would make up a summoning hall that the Stone Raiders could use to contract beasts.
People were muttering and talking to themselves in excited tones, trying to guess what was within the crates that were going by while also staring at and studying the large groups of Aleph. There were a number of Aleph who came to do business in Terra, though seeing so many of them with such a large protection detail was indeed exciting.
Ela-Dorn moved over to the Stone Raiders leadership, a smile on her face. “It’s good to see you all again.” Ela-Dorn rarely came out of her college to do business; even for the Aleph council meetings she would only go if she was absolutely needed. However, Dave seemed to be capable of luring her out.
“You, too, Ela-Dorn.” Josh smiled and relaxed a bit as he shook her hand in greeting.
With his people gaining contracted beasts, their strength would have a large increase without having to vet and recruit more people.
Time of Change (Emerilia Book 7) Page 42
