These spells seemed interesting and had real potential, especially the elemental affinity one. The only problem was that in order to cast a spell, I’d have to spend Estoan to brew some kind of concoction that would allow me to memorize the exact wording of the spells. Fortunately, I had quite a bit of Estoan available, thanks to the Fylk’s yield and the enhanced lab equipment. Curious, I glanced down at the Wood Charm and wondered if I’d be able to access the Minor Illusions aspect, now that I had mana.
Indeed, as I had hoped, selecting the Weaver option on the aspect list was now possible. A new menu opened up on the Spell tab, showing me that Illusion magic was now unlocked. Perhaps I could find something in here that would help me face off against that dreaded Ur-beast lurking in the apartments.
Minor Illusion Spells:
Phantom Sound:
Casting Time: Instant
Duration: Instant
Mana Cost: 10
Memorization Cost: 50 Estoan
Description: Creates a sound of your choosing within 100 feet of you. You can replicate any sound you have heard as well as speech.
Shimmer:
Casting Time: 5 minutes
Duration: 1 hour
Mana Cost: 20
Memorization Cost: 50 Estoan
Description: Coats you in an afterimage that makes it harder for monsters to pinpoint your exact position, reducing their accuracy.
Dazzle:
Casting Time: Instant
Duration: 30 seconds
Mana Cost: 20
Memorization Cost: 50 Estoan
Description: Creates flashing lights that are bright enough to blind and disorient a monster. Lights are only visible to the target.
Ghost Steps:
Casting Time: 30 seconds
Duration: 10 minutes
Mana Cost: 25
Memorization Cost: 50 Estoan
Description: Create a pair of phantom boots that make realistic footstep sounds. The phantoms will walk a path as directed for ten minutes before vanishing.
An interesting set of abilities. They were significantly less impactful than the Enchantment abilities. But with some creative application, I could use these spells to distract predators, lure monsters into traps and prevent them from accurately hitting me. That Dazzle spell alone would have easily won me that fight against those Kinru in the trees.
The only problem was that I might not be able to use these abilities, even if I memorized them, without wearing the Wood charm. I had been planning to go back to my enhanced perception after this, but now…I wasn’t so sure. I’d have to find three Fylk in order to make this spell ability permanent and that meant traveling elsewhere, for my Home Territory senses told me there were no more Fylk in the area.
“Choices, choices,” I mumbled. Extra perception was nice, but a few of these illusion spells would be paramount for escaping the Ur-beast if it found me. I’d have to bite the bullet and just accept that I’d be wearing the Wood Charm for longer than I anticipated.
In the end, I brewed four potions, spending all of my new Estoan almost as quickly as I had earned it. I memorized Dazzle, Phantom Sound, Weak Elemental Affinity and Return Arrows. These were the most useful spells for both combat and escape.
As I drank each potion, arcane knowledge burned its way into my mind and I felt my fingers twitch, instinctively knowing how to move to form the sacred spell symbols of Heart and Mind. I could sense a burning reserve of power deep, deep within me, as if it were a wellspring of mystic energy that was just waiting to rush out through my fingertips. Slowly, I uttered a few words and listened as my own voice rang out a few feet away from me. “Hey!” the phantom shouted, a perfect recreation of human speech. The energy within me ebbed a little, but I felt no ill effects.
“Yes?” Mayor Trent called from the top of the stairs. He must have heard the false voice.
“Get me a map of the apartments,” I said, forming the symbols to practice the Return Arrows spell. “I’m about ready for a scouting run.”
Chapter 26
I slowly crept across the empty, long hallway that led to dozens upon dozens of rooms. The underground apartments were well constructed, sturdy and solid; I wasn’t afraid of everything collapsing on top of me. Rather, I was afraid of the mysterious beast that lurked in one of the floors.
Dette had arrived to my workshop a few hours ago, grumpy but carrying an additional 100 Firnin and 150 Estoan Points for me to brew a few potions. This first run would be a scouting run, so I could get a lay of the land. I had crafted the chameleon potion for stealth, nighthawk so I could see in the utter darkness without a light source, a dexterity potion and I washed it all down with an accelerated healing potion, so I could recover from my shoulder wounds faster.
Drinking such a large batch of potions had not been pleasant and now, as I walked through the darkness, able to see as if the sun were right over us, I felt a little stomach sick. I wasn’t sure if this was just a side effect of drinking so many potions at the same time or fear of what was above. I just hoped my new spells would help if I were to get caught.
Following the map, which I could read in pitch darkness without a problem, I moved through the bottom hallway of Complex A, looking for the stairwell that led into the basements, where the preserve food would be stored. Before the Ur-beast arrived and attacked, the basement was a lab of sorts, where boxes of rice had been carefully stored, as well as some preserved vegetables and mushrooms.
The alchemical process to extend the life of food had been one of the saving graces for the village, allowing the emergency stores to last up to years. When the farms and rabbit hutches had all been functional, a portion was put away to save for the future, in case of dire times. How unfortunate that the food had not been placed in a safe house far away.
As I made my way to the stairwell on the far east end, I heard a shifting noise. Something was moving above me, causing a few bits of stone to crumble from the ceiling. Each step that it took was loud and plodding, filling me with a sense of dread. Did it know I was here?
I pushed the fear away and moved forward, slinking over to the stairwell and placing my hands on the metal railing that led downwards. The stairs were circular, descending directly into the emergency storehouse. The stairs themselves were made of rather rickety metal and did not look very stable. The railing was warped as well, as if something had been idly gnawing on the metal, pushing things around and causing damage to the stairwell itself.
Carefully, I took a few steps down, the metal swinging with each step. While my body might blend in with the surroundings, thanks to my chameleon potion, I was still making quite a bit of noise. I’d have to find some other way down. Fortunately, my acrobatics skill allowed me to easily hop over the railing and drop onto the floor beneath, all without making a sound.
The bottom of the stairwell was a mess. I gagged at the scent of rotting corpses, holding my breath as I examined my surroundings. There were bones everywhere, suggesting the Ur-beast liked to eat down here. There were a few decomposed human bodies strewn about as well as sharp metal spears scattered everywhere. One of the bodies had been gnawed on recently and I shivered at the realization that these corpses had probably been here less than a month. No wonder Mayor Trent had grown so desperate.
Bow in hand, I carefully moved across the ground, ensuring not to step on a bone or spear that was scattered around. The entrance to the storage unit was shut and I could see deep gashes in the stone door. The beast must have attempted to get the door open through force; either that or it was merely clawing at something solid to sharpen itself.
I grimaced at the sight of the door, knowing that it would be the only way to get inside of the laboratory. How much noise would it make when I tried to open it? I grabbed the thick handle that was miraculously still attached to the door and began to pull it back with all my might.
Grnnnnnn the door groaned as I pulled on it, sliding it open, heaving with all my strength. In the distance, I heard a g
rowl, followed by the sounds of rapid footsteps and thumping. But I kept pulling, harder and harder, forcing the door to open wide enough for me to slip through.
Upstairs, I could hear the clanging of metal and the violent sound of deep, guttural barking, like a disturbed, wild hound. I glanced up to find that at the top of the stairs was a long, slender beast with four legs, a long tail and a panther-like head trying to force its way through the narrow corridor. The skin of the beast was deep blue and rubbery, somewhat like scales. On its round nose were two long flaps that were wildly moving up and down, sniffing the air for food. The mouth continued to bark, showing razor sharp teeth. Its green, glowing eyes searched up and down, looking for the source of the sound.
Instantly, I stopped moving, inches away from the door. I was translucent, my skin color and clothing matching the surroundings behind me, making it hard for the creature to pinpoint my position. But the nose could not lie. I had bathed quite a bit before this venture and had Dette clean my armor thoroughly, but my efforts had been in vain. I carried a scent and now the beast was well aware of my presence. It just couldn’t see me.
Finally, after struggling to get through the door frame, the large beast shoved its way further onto the stairwell, causing the rickety metal to bend and creak. I kept perfectly still, slowing my breathing down enough to where I was drawing air silently. My heart was in my throat, but if I made a single sound, I’d be dead.
There came a sudden snapping sound that startled me, but I kept my composure. One of the metal stairs had dislodged itself from the weight of the beast. There was more creaking, followed by a loud groaning sound and then the cacophony of shrieking and metal as both stairs and monster came crashing down on the ground.
I kept perfectly still, gritting my teeth so hard my jaw was growing sore from the pressure. The beast rolled around on the ground, stretching out from the fall and then hopped back up to scan the room. The sudden jolt had distracted the beast and it became interested in some of the meat, sniffing the corpses before finding one to violently gnaw on.
Much to my good fortune, the Ur-beast was now looking away, giving me a chance to escape. I carefully wedged myself in between the door and the opening to the lab, pushing ever so slowly to get through. With the stairwell destroyed, I had no chance of leaving the way I came in. The only thing I could hope for was some kind of escape hatch in the storage room. But…wouldn’t the map have mentioned such a thing?
The door was a tight squeeze, but somehow, I knew the right way to roll my shoulders back, making it easier to slip out on the other side. I made little noise, and thankfully the beast could not hear over its own savage chewing. I emerged on the other side of the door, silently catching my breath as best I could. I was safe, at least for now.
The storehouse was indeed a kind of laboratory. I could make out many shattered and broken jars lying about, as well as overturned tables, bags and beakers everywhere. A few alchemical ingredients were in decent condition on the higher shelves, but otherwise, the entire room was a mess. I couldn’t find any signs of food anywhere; just bones, more spears and hundreds of shattered jars. This was just great. I had trapped myself in the lab for nothing.
On the other side of the door, I could hear the continued gnawing and growling of the panther beast as it dug into its food. What would the beast do once it had finished eating? I hoped that it would be able to climb back up, allowing me to slip out undetected. I had only a few hours on my chameleon potion left and I needed to get out of here as soon as possible.
While I listened intently to the creature’s feasting, I searched the room for anything valuable that I could bring back. While there was a lot of destroyed jars and refuse scattered about, I couldn’t help but notice that there was no sign of food waste. Nothing rotted or long decomposed, just bottles, glasses and jars everywhere. Perhaps the storehouse was hidden. I should have spent more time asking the mayor about the layout instead of just blindly trusting the map.
Without much else to do, I began to search for a secret door or wall, being very careful not to make a single noise during the process. The beast had ceased its eating and I could hear the skittering sounds of it trying to run up the walls, to get back to the hallway upstairs. There were many thumps indicating the beast was simply unable to get out of here. It was trapped, and that meant so was I.
Ignoring this predicament, focusing only on finding some secret passage, I continued to run my hands along the walls. After some time, as I moved my hand to the right, I felt a little piece of the wall push in. Aha! I was quick to press harder on that part of the wall until I heard a click. The sound was fortunately rather quiet and I don’t think the beast heard it.
With the button pressed, part of the wall could now be pushed back, revealing it to be nothing more than a fake door, painted to look like the stone walls surrounding me. Behind this door was a long, narrow hallway with dozens of shelves lining both sides of the walls. My eyes grew wide at the sight of all the food.
Pickled mushrooms, perfectly suspended in alchemical ingredients meant to preserve and enhance the nutrition, were everywhere. Bags of rice were piled all the way up to the ceiling. There were dozens of jars containing beans and several bottles of alcohol as well. This single storeroom probably had six months’ worth of food for an entire colony.
I should have been more excited about this discovery, but there was a sinking feeling in my stomach as I ran the numbers in my head. I couldn’t carry much with me out of here, or else I’d be weighed down too much to run. Going back and forth would be too dangerous, especially since there was still no other way out than through the way I had arrived. All of this food would continue to sit and wait while so many people struggled to survive.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. I couldn’t just leave all of this food behind. If there were three other apartments that contained even a fourth of this food, both villages would have enough food for the rest of their stay in the underground. I would be free to focus more on hunting simply for Bloodpoints and organs, as opposed to constantly needing to devise logistical ways to bring the meat back home. This would free me up to travel more too, so I could find a few more Fylk to make my spellcasting permanent.
There were many reasons in my head that justified the decision I was beginning to lean towards. Killing the Ur-beast would bring me power, food for the villages and better homes for everyone. The only con to this plan was that I’d be fighting a terrible and deadly beast without any hope of escaping if things went sour. But even that wasn’t enough to dissuade me from fighting this monster. I was trapped, for now, and my enhancement potions only had a few hours on them. Waiting meant allowing my powerful enhancements to expire, just in the hopes that this beast would find some way outside. But from the constant sounds of thumping and falling, it was clear the creature could not jump high enough to get out of here. I was trapped and my options were to fight now, when I was at my prime, or wait and hope that it fell asleep so I could escape. Grim choices, but I was stuck.
As I looked outside of the storehouse, into the lab, I noticed that there were quite a few metal spears laying around, still in decent condition. Maybe there was a way I could turn the battlefield to my favor…
Chapter 27
I had enough rope on me to rig a few spear traps on the ground. A tripwire, placed in front of the door, would cause the spears to spring up, impaling the target. The beast was on all fours, meaning that it was certainly a charging creature. Perhaps I could end this quickly by getting it to run itself through on the six spears that were lined up. If the first row of three didn’t kill it, the second row would certainly do the job. At least, so I hoped.
The truth was that I had no clue what my chances were against this Ur-beast. In an ideal world, I’d be coming back in a few weeks after growing even stronger in power to fight this thing, but my back was against the wall here. I had to make do with what I had available.
Once I finished preparing the spear traps, I turned my
attention to the alchemical ingredients resting on the top shelf. There were six bottles of different chemicals, all meant for a different part of the food preparation process. But, if there was something I had learned from the alchemy skill, it was that some ingredients disagreed with each other when directly combined. Two such bottles contained normally harmless ingredients, but when mixed, heated and then violently shaken, a reaction would occur that made them noxious to breathe.
The only trouble was in finding a heat source. I scanned the room for a few moments, looking for some wood that I could perhaps burn or set on fire, but everything here was made of metal: the tables, the shelves, the chairs. No doubt the alchemists were aware of the fire hazards of the chemicals they were working with and had taken precautions to ensure nothing was flammable in the room.
As I searched, my memory was quick to inform me that the bow hanging off of my back could shoot flaming arrows. Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of that? I combined the bright red and yellow liquids into a larger glass beaker and set up a little improvised stovetop, using what little rope I had left. A single shot of my flaming arrow was all it took to get a small fire going.
Smoke began to rise immediately as the little fire pit made of stones and cloth ignited, heating the beaker up slowly. As the liquid in the beaker began to change color, turning green, it also started to bubble. While I had no precise recipe in mind, I knew that the liquid needed to be boiled, then shaken to produce the toxic gas.
As I tended to this improvised poison, there came a loud sound of barking from the panther beast. It was snarling and hissing, slamming its head against the door repeatedly. The scent of the smoke had captured its interest and now it was excitedly trying to get inside, to find a new meal to devour.
“Here we go,” I whispered, readying my bow and slipping to the side of the large stone door. Not much time had passed since I started readying my traps and my chameleon ability was still in full effect. I had some semblance of a plan, but it wasn’t a very good one. I’d have to get really lucky to pull it off.
Monster Hunting 101: A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Titan Termination) Page 17
