The lightning tower came out first, and I summoned it several feet ahead, right next to a large piece of rock. It rose with a crackle and ended up being taller than it had been last time. By several feet at least. The flashing orb on top was also larger and more violent. Melina entered just then and stopped right behind me.
“Take the rock and watch my back.”
“Got it,” she whispered and ran past me as I activated the second tower and placed it some fifteen feet further in. Only then did I stop to study the oasis that sat on the other side of the zone. There was no one. I frowned and cursed under my breath.
“Do you feel anyone?”
“No, I don’t,” she replied from behind me.
I pulled out my crossbow and equipped it as I placed one foot in front of the other on the hot sand. It felt as if my feet would disappear at any moment, sending my mind into overdrive. The constant fear of being attacked from below wasn’t something I was used to. Not even after seeing the large snake the first time near my base.
I slowly made my way forward and kept my eyes ahead but roamed the whole area. The bastard either wasn’t there, or he was staying hidden. There was only one place where he could disappear and hide from prying eyes: the water.
“Do you see anything?” I called over my shoulder.
A sudden breeze caught my cheek, and I turned around immediately, releasing several bolts from my crossbow. Something yelped and shrieked. The air in front of me shimmered slightly before a strange-looking tentacled creature came into view for the briefest of moments. A bolt of lightning struck its chest, and a fireball hit two tentacles as it dodged an arrow from Melina. Before I knew what the hell just happened, the creature was running toward the water and disappeared inside.
“What the hell was that? And how did you see it?”
“I didn’t,” I called back. “A slight breeze caressed my cheek and—shit, I’m not feeling well.”
I raised my hand and moved it over my face. A thin line of blood was sliding down to my chin. A debuff notification suddenly appeared in my periphery.
Damage Notification:
You have received 219 damage from Vrasnjek
You have received Nausea debuff for 10 seconds.
I dropped to my knees and threw up whatever we had eaten on our way here. It disappeared into the sand as if eaten by an invisible monster. Only then did I realize that I hadn’t caught on quickly enough. There was something under the sand. Something big and it was moving toward me.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“Mel! Pepper the area ahead of me!”
I pulled out a grenade from my subspace, one of the very few that had been in Kade’s storage ring. I thought of the foolish man and how much it had hurt me to see him die the way he did, but it was over as soon as it started. I pulled the pin out with my teeth and waited three seconds until the rumbling became much stronger, and tossed it ahead of me.
The grenade was on a proximity sensor, but after the pin was pulled out, it was armed. And since I was stupid and hadn’t thrown it far away, I needed to wait until whatever it was that wanted to kill me was close enough to trigger the grenade.
I didn’t have to wait long, as only four seconds later something rose from the sand. A spiked tail rose first and was followed by a rather small body for something that could disturb so much sand. Just before its skeletal body triggered the grenade, I released the remaining seven bolts at it and stashed the crossbow into my subspace and pulled out my war hammer. The projectiles struck its shield and bored through without any problems, but didn’t do much damage, as they bounced off the skeletal remains of a great scorpion.
Damage Notification:
You have inflicted 7,112 damage to Antares
You have inflicted 1,466 damage to Antares.
You have inflicted 1,397 damage to Antares.
You have…
A ball of flame and a lightning bolt struck the shield and bounced off, the bolt trailing off and striking the water accidentally. Or maybe it wasn’t an accident, as lightning worked like a bloodhound, chasing after nearby targets.
Another scream came from the pond, but the creature stayed out of view.
“I don’t think arrows are going to do much good!” Melina yelled from atop the piece of rock where she was standing. “Let me use my fan!”
I didn’t reply and instead focused on the sharp tail that was trying to pierce me. Every time it struck out, the tip glanced off my shield, taking away some of my points. Deciding to cut it short, I grabbed another grenade from my subspace and pulled the pin, threw it at the antares, and jumped backward. The explosion rattled its bones and sent fragments flying in all directions. The shield was gone, it seemed.
Another fireball and bolt of lightning raced past me as I charged the beast. The flames immolated its head in hellfire as the bolt passed through and struck Vrasnjek yet again. I didn’t pay him any attention, at least not any more than enjoying his screams as I clashed with the antares, slamming my hammer down against its flaming head. I had no skills, and I wasn’t going to waste my current ones to get one, as I’d be healed up any day now, but it would prove to make the battle slightly difficult.
A wave of Enma enveloped the monster and then slammed it into the ground. I knew it was Melina’s doing, but other than crowd control, the damage was minuscule. My hammer was going to change that part. My left hand wasn’t as strong as my right, but I had the stats, and I was going to use them.
The flat part of the hammer connected with one of the pincers that reached for me, and cracked its shell right away.
Damage Notification:
You have inflicted 5,419 damage to Antares
Melina ran past me and released a gust of Enma into the pond. Water flew in all directions and was followed by more shrieks and a now visible Vrasnjek. He looked like a squid on legs with six tentacles and an armored body, but instead of a bulky carapace, it was a thin layer of scales.
I pushed the thought aside as he screamed something, and the monster turned its back to me. I lunged forwards and struck its hind leg, shattering it with a single blow. It stopped for a mere second, but that was enough for me to end in a roll and smash the second leg just under its lowest joint. The antares, no longer able to hold itself upright, stopped and hit the sand.
I climbed its back and started hammering the head, but by the fourth blow it didn’t move anymore, and all of its bones disintegrated. Vrasnjek was screaming bloody murder when the monster died, but I still didn’t understand shit of what he was saying.
Not caring about anything anymore, I exchanged my hammer for the crossbow and released ten bolts into his side. The bolts deflected off his shield, at least the first eight did, but the last two burrowed into his armored skin, and he howled even more.
Melina, seeing I wasn’t trying to capture him or become best friends, pulled out her bow and planted an arrow in his skull. The creature still wasn’t dead after the arrow, but a good hammer blow to the nose later, and several more, all there was left of the rifter was a pouch, just like every time. It was only then that I remembered that I hadn’t opened Loravian’s pouch. Not that I expected anything out of it, but still.
A now-familiar notice popped up.
ACHIEVEMENT LEVELED UP:
Friend or foe? Foe!
Kill enemy contestant within the rift 3/3
Rewards:
1. Level Up +15
2. Vrasnjek Rift Pouch
BUFF LEVELED UP:
NAME: Killer Level 3
DESCRIPTION: +20% to all stats.
“Did you get a pouch again?”
I nodded and sat down, dropping onto the sand more than lowering myself. It hadn’t been a difficult fight, not in the least, but it had drained me in a way no battle before had. How the hell did this little shit manage to last so long? And Loravian? Sure, he had a strong body, but this little shit was all tricks and nothing else.
“Yeah,” I said with a sigh. “Sure is a nice place, so no
wonder he kept coming here.”
“Yet somehow I got a strange feeling regarding this place.”
I shrugged and got back up again, totally forgetting that I needed to go back to our base. “See you at home?”
She flashed me a smile and nodded, then whispered the word before I could. “Home.”
I found myself standing next to the peach tree, just like every time. A heavy stench of smoke and burnt flesh hung in the air, but the hunters were mostly accounted for from what I could see.
“Edge! Talk to me!”
The man seemingly appeared out of nowhere and put his hand on my shoulder. “Boss, it only took them an hour to start attacking once you left. I also found the traitor and have him locked up.”
“So there was someone who was selling us out? Even after all that I’d done for them?”
Edge shrugged and gave me a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, boss, but I don’t know what to tell you. I did a thorough check, and his wife is here, locked up in a separate room. Makes me wonder why he would risk it.”
“Unless she’s not his wife,” Melina said as she appeared from around the corner. “Who knows if he was even telling the truth.”
“And we have no real way of knowing, right?” I more stated than asked. “Anyway, talk to me. What did they do? Who attacked?”
Edge scratched his head and let out a deep sigh before he replied. I mirrored him as I scratched my beard and then took in a deep breath.
“The Apocs and the military. Combined. First, they sent in a wave of fighters, but once we killed all of them, we had some suicide bombers. They came in here wrapped with C-4 and amplified by crystals, but whoever made the bombs was an amateur. The walls held.”
“And then? How many did we lose?”
I looked around, trying to count them quickly. Every man or woman who died was a big loss for us. We didn’t have big numbers and even less a way to get our hands on new recruits. At least from Sylmar.
“Nothing, really. They’ve been licking their wounds, I guess. We killed anyone who came in, though.”
“Doesn’t matter. You did great. Where’s Mark?”
“Inside with the others. Oh, and as for our losses, I think we only lost the traitor. We had several wounded, but they’re being treated.”
I looked up to the sky and called out, “Veles! How do I shut down the portal! I don’t want anyone else getting in before I allow them to!”
She didn’t reply, but the portal shut itself off, much to my surprise.
“Did she just—no way!” Melina chuckled.
“Thanks!” I yelled back upwards. Again she didn’t say anything and just let us mortals be, probably happy with her newfound powers. I let out a sigh and nodded at Edge.
“Good work, man. Have them burn the dead outside in the field and then take a rest. I’m here, so if anyone tries anything, I’ll be there.”
“Wait, boss, how about leaving a small group behind? Let us have six people keep watch at the entrance to the wall and another two runners to search for you if need be?”
I nodded and offered the man my hand, just like before we’d left earlier during the day. He shook it and grinned.
“Thanks, Edge. I’ll make it worth it for all of you.”
“No worries, boss. You gave me a purpose and a way to protect my family when the others wouldn’t. Screw them! We’ll follow you to death if need be!”
“I’ll pee myself from all the brotherly emotions flying around,” Melina mocked. “We’ve got more important things to do, don’t we?”
She was right. We did have some important things to take care of, like opening the two pouches and then planning on how to take Sylmar before the Zanoxian came back to life. I did a beeline for the inn to check up on the others first, but once I saw that everything was alright, we excused ourselves and climbed up onto the balcony.
“Want me to get us something to drink?” Melina asked as she stopped in the doorway.
“Yeah, please do. I’ll wait with the pouches.”
I sat down on our usual tanning chair and stared up at the bright sky. The stench hung even stronger up on the balcony, but Enma was something that could be used in many ways, so that was what I did when I sent a burst of power outward from the balcony. The stench dissipated, and most of it blew over towards the dome entrance.
Next, I used up what Bura I had by forcefully injecting all of it into my hand. My thumb grew to the first knuckle but stopped there. Good. I was getting to my end goal. It would still take a while, and I would have to wait until I recovered to take Sylmar on, but I still had more than a month.
Melina arrived, and I pushed the thoughts aside. She put down a tray with a large pitcher and some nuts and meat slices. It sent me back to the first time we sat up here, enjoying ourselves with the same combination of food and drinks.
“It’s been a while already. Over a year,” I said as I grabbed a slice of meat and pushed it into my mouth.
“Time flies, but we’re not the same people as back then,” she replied and sat herself down opposite me. “Look, we need to talk. Do you want to open the pouches first?”
I shook my head. “No, talk. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“A lot, but the worst thing of all is that I’m starting to get delusions of grandeur. And I know that you’ve been joking about being the owner of Sylmar and that shit, but why not? They want to get rid of us so badly that they’d do anything in their power to get there. Including killing indiscriminately.”
“Wait,” I said, holding up my hand, palm toward her. “Before you say anything, let me ask you one question.”
“Sure, go ahead,” she said as her hand plunged into the pack of nuts.
“Are you willing to sacrifice people along the way? Who knows how many of them will die before we pacify them.”
“I am,” she replied with a single nod. “I’m willing to do anything after being betrayed so many times. It just shows how trashy a species we are.”
“Then alright. We’ll do just that,” I said and picked up a second slice of meat. “See, I already planned to attack Sylmar once my hand recovered fully, but I had no idea what to do with them. Now I do. We’ll take it all and establish our rule.”
I grabbed the pitcher and gulped the rice wine down. This was heaven, and I would do anything I could to keep it that way. If anyone gave me crap—well, I’d see what then. I did enough for Sylmar and for people in general. If they still thought they deserved to be in charge and in power, they could pry it from my dead, cold fingers.
“Let’s drink to that, love. I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces once we take Sylmar. Now that’s going to be the most beautiful thing ever.”
“It sure will,” I replied and pulled her in for a kiss. “It sure will.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The first pouch held a single passive skill and nothing else. It looked like Loravian had used up everything he had or sent it back, and all I got from him was the skill as a sure-drop. It was an interesting one, though.
SKILL RECEIVED:
NAME: Exploit
DESCRIPTION: After using Exploit, the user will inherit the special skill “Exploit.”
NOTICE: Exploit automatically shows every
weak spot when fighting your target.
I used the skill and found myself sitting there with a strange sensation coursing through my body. I stared at Melina, but nothing popped up.
“Mel, can you pull out your bow and hit me with an ordinary arrow?”
She nodded but narrowed her eyes on mine. “Are you—sure?”
I nodded in return and sat there as she asked. The arrow didn’t do much damage, but it was enough to activate the skill Exploit. Three spots appeared on her body: one on her heart, the other on her head, and the third on her neck. There was nothing strange with that, as those indeed were weak points to humans. I wondered if it would help me with the Zanoxian.
“Passive that shows weak points,” I said and wi
nked. “Will be much easier when we fight something strong next time.”
“Maybe we should hunt a boss just for kicks and to test your arm once it’s done regrowing?”
“Yeah, sounds good. Let me open the second now.”
I picked the second pouch from my subspace and opened it.
SKILL RECEIVED:
NAME: Conqueror’s Call
DESCRIPTION: After using Conqueror’s Call, the user will summon a single boss monster the user has defeated within the rift.
NOTICE: The summoned boss monster will be as strong as the summoner, not stronger. The monster can grow using the ingredients its adult form drops
I activated the skill hurriedly and was given the option to summon a monster. All the way up to the basilisk. My heart skipped a beat as I made the choice without much thought. The sky turned dark, and lightning struck the balcony as a dark shape took form directly where the bolt had struck. I frowned as the supposed basilisk appeared. It wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for, as it was barely six feet in diameter. Scales covered its body and shimmered as the light struck them. Its maw was… gross, but that didn’t matter. It could swallow a whole man without any problems and chomp them up with the four rows of long, sharp teeth.
“You are one ugly motherfucker,” I cursed as I got to my feet. “And get off my balcony, snake. It can’t hold your weight!”
The basilisk lowered its head and snaked over the railing, breaking it wherever its body touched. It stopped and looked over at me as if waiting to be scolded, but I just let out a sigh and motioned for it to move.
Crossroads: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 3) Page 29
