Crystal Shards Online Omnibus 1

by Rick Scott

  A roar reverberates through my chest like a bass drum, and I look up to see a massive blue-scaled dragon at the center of the arena. Its head is as big as a car, stuck on the end of a thick serpentine neck that runs into a wide body with powerful forelegs and squat rear haunches. Its tail is as long as its entire body, and the beast is covered in a ridge of spikes that runs from tip to snout.

  Vulnar

  World Boss

  Level: ???

  The ancient dragon Vulnar guards the heart of the Shard and is said to be the first being ever to be created by the god Nasgar.

  So this is Vulnar . . . finally.

  The dragon blows fire on the entire guild as Val Helena rushes in to engage. My heart jumps as I see the HP bars of my team instantly reduced by a third. I need to get in there. Quick!

  I buff myself, casting Shadow Haste first to lower the cool-down times of all my other spells. I cast Shadow Copy next, and am overjoyed to see a 7-second recast timer appear. That scroll was worth every credit! I then buff with Shadow Tendrils, and disappear with Shadow Cloak.

  I sprint toward the boss, running past my teammates to get to the tail.

  “I’m taking the boss,” I yell in party chat, and then jab up and underneath the sharp metallic scales to hit for a Critical Backstab that takes 3% off Vulnar’s health. The gargantuan beast roars in rage as it turns about and swipes at me with one of its giant claws. I try to dodge but the thing is just too big to avoid, and I lose my shadow.

  What!?

  I get a sinking feeling in my stomach as I quickly recast Shadow Copy. “Was that an AOE attack?”

  “All of its attacks are, except for its bite,” Val Helena says as she slices and dices with her long sword. “You’re going to have to spam Shadow Copy like crazy.”

  Holy crap! I can’t just Dodge Tank anymore. I’ll have to Shadow Tank it! Was that even a thing?

  I lose my second shadow as it attacks with the other claw, and then blow Active Dodge as it chomps down for a bite. I blur and shift a few feet from where its massive snout buries itself into the black shale.

  I use the opportunity to finally get in some hits with my blue-flamed katanas, and generate some hate. I can’t let this thing turn on the party. With two AOE attacks just from its claws, Vulnar could wipe the entire guild in a matter of seconds. Val Helena seems to have predicted this, however, and the melee team is attacking from the flank while she positions herself at its tail. Thanus and Silvi are far away at the edge of the arena and hopefully out of AOE range.

  Vulnar rears back its head, and a jet of orange flames shoots down on top of me.

  Yikes!

  Vulnar uses Fire Breath!

  Your shadow absorbs the attack.

  I come through unscathed, and can finally fully appreciate how this scroll was at one time worth 8 million credits on the open market. I use War Cry and quickly recast Shadow Copy once the 7-second timer hits zero. Vulnar’s HP is going down steadily now. Already, it’s at 87%. Hope springs up within my chest. Vulnar’s attacks may be AOEs, but they’re slow, and with my Shadow Haste on, I can just about fit a recast in between each attack.

  We work off another 20%, and then a room-wide message appears.

  Vulnar readies Eruption.

  Uh oh . . .

  I brace myself as the ground beneath Vulnar’s feet explodes in a shower of molten rock. The HP of the melee team is reduced to a third, but the mages get hit as well, some dropping to as low as a quarter. Only Val Helena manages to get away with 50% damage, while I lose my shadow and take none.

  The healers start to top everyone up, but panic ensues as a second room message appears.

  Vulnar readies Trample.

  “Yo, what the heck?”

  “Two?”

  Oh crap!

  I barely recast Shadow Copy in time, as the dragon raises up on its hind legs and then thunders back down again, sending a shockwave of damage across the arena. The mages are spared this time, thankfully, but the melee team takes another hit, and a few death cries sound as Jax and Vic from Team SVR bite the dust. Everyone else is at a sliver, and the panic hits full bore.

  “No way!”

  “Two AOEs?”

  “We got the healing for this fight, Silvi?”

  “We’re trying!”

  “Get us up! Get us up!”

  Vulnar swipes at me, but my Shadow Copy is still on cool-down. I try to dodge but I just can’t get out of the way.

  Vulnar hits you!

  You take 881 damage!

  Crap!

  “Don’t let Reece die!” Val Helena screams.

  A heal from someone tops me up right before I take a slap from the other claw, knocking me back down to 10% again. Everyone’s HP bars are in the red. TP and Stamina bars look like they’re not too far behind. Darn it! I thought we were doing well, but now I see that we’re totally unprepared for this fight. Our focus is broken. We’re all over the place!

  As if to add insult to injury, I get a PM right on the heels of that revelation.

  Aiko: You’re not going to win. I’ll have fun cleaning up your mess when you wipe. Invitation still stands by the way, pretty boy. >;)

  Damn Aiko!

  She’s probably been here the whole time. We never beat her to the world boss at all. She just let us go first to soften it up for her. I grit my teeth, frustrated at the thought.

  Finally, I get my shadow to recast, but lose it almost immediately to a breath attack.

  This is too much! Aiko’s right. We are going to wipe!

  “Reece, let me take it!” Val Helena shouts, and uses a War Cry. “Everyone stabilize. Don’t panic. We got through the worst of it. Just keep going.”

  The massive creature turns about, heading toward Val Helena, and I see her HP bar take massive dips, dropping to 30% as the world boss strikes her with its claws. But they’re slow attacks, and Silvi has enough time to pop Val Helena back up to full in between. How long she can keep that up, however, I don’t know.

  “Tell me when you’re ready to take it back, Reece!”

  I use the time to reapply all my buffs, then wait for my Shadow Copy’s recast timer to hit zero before I Hide and jab Vulnar with another Backstab.

  The beast roars as its HP drops down to 45%.

  It turns back to me, swiping at me with its tail. I lose my shadow.

  Dang! I wasn’t even expecting an attack like that!

  I quickly recast Shadow Copy, and the game begins again. Me, timing my recasts of Shadow Copy and using Active Dodge when the beast thankfully decides to use its bite attack on me. The healers get Jax and Vic back on their feet, and they resume their steady damage from the side. Thanus and his team shower huge chunks of ice from the sky, dropping its HP one or two percent with each cast. Then I remember my debuffs.

  In my panic, I’ve forgotten all about my other role!

  In between the claw strikes, I cast Shadow Darkness, and after three tries, I finally get it to land. I then squeeze in a Shadow Mist and manage to poison it, but the other two effects don’t stick. Finally, I debuff for ice and see Thanus’s spells go from doing one and two percent damage to two and three.

  It’s working. We might just be able to do this, after all. I know the next round of room AOEs has to be coming soon, though. I precast Shadow Copy to be ready for it, and steel myself when I finally see the room-wide message appear.

  Vulnar readies Eruption.

  “Be ready!” Val Helena shouts. “If we get through this, we win!”

  The attack goes off, and the damage puts everyone’s HP bars in the red. My shadow disappears. I recast Shadow Copy immediately, but Vulnar hits me with a random claw strike and removes it.

  No!

  Vulnar readies Trample.

  I desperately try to recast as Vulnar rears back on its haunches, preparing to drop back down again. The timer should be close to resetting soon. I might just make it in time!

  I check the recast time when nothing continues to happen.
r />   Shadow Copy: You can cast this spell in 6 seconds.

  What? Still 6 seconds? What the heck? I check my buffs in a panic and see that my Shadow Haste has worn off. No! I should have recast it earlier, but I was too focused on landing those rebuffs!

  Vulnar crashes down, and my HP drops to zero.

  You have been defeated by Vulnar.

  The dragon turns immediately to Val Helena, and with a single claw strike, it drops her to the ground as well.

  No! Damn it!

  Aiko: Looks like this is it. Nice try . . . you were actually doing okay for a while there.

  The dragon turns on the melee party next and takes them out with another AOE claw strike.

  Vulnar has defeated Jax!

  Vulnar has defeated Zeke!

  Vulnar has defeated Vic!

  Vulnar has defeated Stan!

  Vulnar has defeated Rolo!

  “Get Reece up!” Val Helena yells though the party chat while still face-down. “We can still save this!”

  A raise lands on me from someone, drawing the attention of Vulnar. The giant beast lumbers toward the mage party at the edge of the arena while I start to raise. The distance will help. If I can War Cry it away from them, we might have a chance to recover.

  But the dragon doesn’t walk all the way. It stops, and then breathes fire on them from afar.

  No . . .

  The HP bars of the mage team melt to zero. The entire guild is now dead . . . except for me.

  This is it.

  We’ve failed. Aiko’s going to get the claim.

  I half-heartedly cast Shadow Copy as the dragon turns my way and prepare to face it with just a couple of hit points and no one to back me up.

  I’m sorry, Mike. I couldn’t do it. Just like you thought.

  Aiko: Leave your party and join me, and we can still win.

  The idea sends a nasty feeling to the pit of my stomach as I consider it out of desperation.

  But no. I couldn’t do that to Val. I could never sink to that!

  Me: You’re as bad as Val says for even suggesting that, Aiko. I’d never join with you.

  But I’m about to die soon. And lose everything.

  I take a claw from Vulnar and recast Shadow Copy for perhaps the last time.

  “Everyone, recall and run back!” Zeke says through the party chat, and then disappears.

  Yes! That was it! I just need to stay alive until they return. “Hurry back, guys!”

  One by one, the entire guild begins to vanish from the battlefield.

  “No!” Val Helena shouts. “Don’t do that!”

  Huh?

  (RNG) Val Helena: If you leave, you probably won’t be able to get back in again. The key item is one use only.

  (RNG) Zeke: Damn! I’m sorry, Val. Crap! >
  (RNG) Val Helena: It’s no use. We’re all dead, anyway.

  As soon as Val Helena says it, I take another claw, and then an AOE fire blast with no shadow and fall.

  Aiko appears next to me, laughing. “Guess you made your choice. Looks like it’s going to be Gruzug all over again for you.”

  I have an out-of-body experience as I watch Vulnar’s name. It blinks as it prepares to change from red to white, becoming unclaimed. 14%. I can’t believe this! I’ve risked everything on this gamble, and I’ve failed. In a few seconds, Aiko will claim the prize that I need to save my brother’s life. And I can do absolutely nothing to stop her.

  “Reece!” someone cries.

  I turn to see Gilly running onto the battlefield, her small mage’s wand already raised to cast. “Invite me to the party quick, so I can keep hate on the boss!”

  *** Reece: Gilly?

  “Hurry,” she says as starts to cast Raise on me. “Val, I’ll get Reece up, and then you. Invite me, quick!”

  *** Val Helena: Dammit! What are you even doing here? This is not how it’s supposed to be!

  “Do you want to win or not?” Gilly shouts back.

  Val Helena invites Gilly to the party.

  Gilly finishes casting and Vulnar’s name solidifies in red as it’s drawn to her spell. But then it starts to lumber toward her, as well. No! I have to save her!

  “Gilly!” I cry as I finally rise up. I dash in with no preparation at all, using Hide just as it’s about to swipe Gilly with its front claw. I hit it with a Backstab that removes another 1% of its health, and Vulnar roars and shifts back to me.

  Gilly heals me up, but with weakened HP, I can’t afford to take even a single hit. I need to get Shadow Copy and Shadow Haste on again, and fast, or we’ll have no chance at all. I’m naked and facing death, depending on which attack Vulnar uses next.

  It snaps at me with its jaws, and I praise the heavens as I blow Active Dodge to avoid it. One more chance! But I have to be smart about it. I cast Shadow Copy, and then Shadow Haste right after. I take a claw strike, losing my shadow as my cast completes, granting me Shadow Haste. I then sprint to kite the dragon until I can recast Shadow Copy again. I take off running, and my heart is in my throat as the ground trembles beneath me. Vulnar’s giving chase.

  I can’t believe this. We might just have a chance now.

  I stop, and immediately cast Shadow Copy when the timer hits zero. I stand my ground with a War Cry and lose my shadow to a claw strike, but I know I have ample time to recast again.

  I’ve done it! I’m back in business!

  “Reece, stay alive!” Val Helena says as Gilly begins to cast Raise on her. “I’ll be up to help you soon!”

  I keep tanking with Vulnar at 13%. Gilly finally raises Val Helena, and when the half-giant lands on her feet, her armor disappears as she quick-changes into Warrior mode. She’s still weakened, though, and her HP is at 152/1752.

  Val Helena engages in the combat, hammering away at Vulnar’s flank with her massive battle axe.

  Aiko chuckles from the sidelines as she watches. “Pulling out all the stops, are you, Helena? Won’t help. I’ll enjoy watching you all wipe again.”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Val Helena cries as she hacks at Vulnar’s side like a lumberjack. “We can still do this!”

  I narrowly miss another bite from Vulnar’s jaws and recast Shadow Copy just in time to lose it to another claw swipe. With each hit, I’m praying that there won’t be a breath attack in between to mess up my Shadow Copy casts. Just one, and this will be all over again. Just like Aiko says. As I watch Vulnar’s HP barely move, it dawns on me: we’re not going to be able to do this.

  Not with just the three of us.

  “Val, we need to get Aiko to help us,” I say in the party chat. She looks back at me, shocked. “It’s the only way.”

  Val Helena glares like I’ve just stuck her in the back with a katana, but there’s a spark of rationality behind her steely gray eyes, as well.

  “You know I’m right,” I press. “We can’t do this with just one tank. Please, Val. I need this win. You’ve got to get her to help us!”

  “Damn it all to hell,” Val Helena mutters, and then shouts aloud, “Aiko, if there’s any soul left in you, join us and help us kill this thing!”

  Aiko smirks as I manage to get Shadow Copy up again, but then lose it near instantly to a claw strike. Please say yes, I beg inwardly. Please!

  “And why would I do that?” Aiko says.

  “Because his mother’s life depends on it!” Val Helena shouts as she buries her axe in Vulnar’s hide. “And you know why I need to do it. So please, Aiko! Do something decent for once.”

  Val Helena invites Aiko to your party.

  Aiko smirks again, but this time, it comes with a scoff. “Decent? Like leaving your best friend to die alone?”

  What?

  Val Helena’s eyes flare with rage. She stops attacking Vulnar and looks as if she wants to attack Aiko instead. “I’m ready to pay for my sins, Aiko. Isn’t it time you paid for yours, too?”

  Aiko doesn’t respond. The two just stare at one another as I blow my last Active Dodge to avoid Vulnar’s jaws.<
br />
  “Will you two hurry this up?” Gilly screams. “We’re about to lose here!”

  “Fine,” Aiko says and joins the party. “You win, Helena. But don’t expect me to go any further than this. After this, we’re done. You go your way, and I go mine.”

  I have no idea what they’re talking about, but neither do I care. I’m just thankful she’s decided to help. “Hurry! If this thing breathes, I’m dead!”

  Aiko disappears, and a few seconds later, Vulnar loses another 3% to a Critical Backstab that spins the beast about and away from me. I use the reprieve to recast Shadow Haste and get all my other buffs up.

  “Go all out before it AOEs again, Helena!” Aiko says as her twin kunai become a blur, Triple Attacking the beast. “Reece, I’ll tell you when I need you to take the boss back.”

  Val Helena spreads her arms wide and releases a powerful cry as she buffs herself.

  Val Helena uses Berserker!

  Attack speed and damage increased.

  Val Helena uses Onslaught!

  Critical attack chance increased.

  “I’m using my 24-hour ability,” Val Helena yells. “Try to keep hate if you can!”

  “Please.” Aiko chuckles. “When have I ever lost hate to you . . . ?”

  “Always a first for everything.” Val Helena grins, and I see an unexpected glimpse of camaraderie pass between the two women.

  Val Helena uses Rampage!

  Power attacks may be used at will for 30 seconds.

  Val Helena becomes a blinding whirlwind of destruction as her battle axe cleaves into Vulnar’s scaly hide. The movement is so fast it looks unreal. Every hit is a Critical Power Attack that continues in an endless chain. Vulnar’s HP drops in steady chunks until it’s down to 7%.