by Aaron Oster
A loud laughing sound from her right made Sarah spin on the spot, her mage shield already flaring to life around her, and hair pickling at the back of her neck. A tall, oddly shaped animal, vaguely reminiscent of a mix between a bear and a dog, lumbered towards her through the tall grass.
Its body was compact and powerful looking, with a collection of brown and gold spots spread across its gray-green fur. A pair of massive wings were tucked against its side, and when it drew closer, Sarah could see that its rear half was not covered in fur, but in a fine layer of feathers which perfectly blended with it halfway up its back. This was undoubtedly an Advanced beast, and Sarah prepared herself for a tough fight.
The beast let out that bone-chilling laugh again, and Sarah felt her heart rate increase in response. Then the beast charged, spreading its wings and buffeting her as it closed the distance. Sarah had gotten over her momentary fear and was now completely focused on taking the beast down. She used her Icicle trident, forming pair of the weapons and launching them at the beast.
It dodged, as expected, but the attack had only been a distraction. From the way it had moved, Sarah could tell right away that she was dealing with an opponent that relied on speed. Her job was to slow it as much as possible, and luckily for her, she had the perfect skill for the job.
She used her upgraded Deep freeze, and a freezing mist exploded out in all directions, engulfing the off-balance beast in seconds. It let out a sound between a laugh and screech, making Sarah involuntarily shudder. It fell from the air and crashed into the ground, its entire body now coated in frost.
Sarah took the opportunity to summon three Ice golems, sending them at the prone beast. Each of her golems was roughly man-sized, with arms made of long blades. They attacked the downed beast, plunging their arms into its sides, but after the first strike bounced off, Sarah knew she would need to hit harder.
The beast roared, sending out an explosive gust of wind that knocked two of the golems back and destroyed the third, then got swiftly to its feet. However, it was still a good deal slower than it had been, as frost continuously crackled over its body. Sarah immediately used Ice blade, a new skill she’d acquired at rank 29, and began hurling massive half-moon blades at the creature.
Even as it attempted to dodge, her golems hemmed it in. The attacks slammed into the beast one after the next, scoring deep cuts across its wings and side. The beast shook itself, then glowed a brilliant blue. The ground shook as the air exploded around it, shattering the golems and tearing up the ground in a fifteen-foot radius. Sarah’s blades were halted as well, shattering against the swirling barrier of razor sharp wind.
She wasn’t about to let up, even as the beast shook off the crackling ice that had been slowing it. The wind around it dissipated, and its legs glowed blue as wind sprang up around each of them. It was a very obvious sign of a speed enhancement, but Sarah was already working on a countermeasure.
As the beast rocketed towards her, feet flying over the ground, she used her Condense water skill, gathering it up into a ball before her. Then, just as the beast came within striking distance, she sprung her trap. The ball of water expanded in an instant, turning into a wall of ice with razor-sharp icicles protruding in all directions.
The beast screamed as it slammed into the wall, shattering it under the massive power it had generated with the force of its charge, and only Sarah’s shield prevented her from being crushed under its weight. As it was, she was sent bouncing across the ground, cursing as her body dug furrows into the soft earth. She grimaced as she forced herself back to her feet, noting several cracks in her shield.
She could already feel a bruise spreading across her right thigh. While the shield would protect her from being skewered, it was still entirely possible to pick up a few bruises. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for the beast that was now nowhere in sight. At the last moment, she remembered it could fly, and felt her heart seize in her chest as her head whipped upward.
With a loud cackle, the beast hurled out of the sky, aiming right for her. Blood streamed from a dozen cuts in its side, and icicles protruded from various parts of its body, but it was still alive. Without even having a chance to think, Sarah used the only skill she thought might do her any good. The second skill she’d acquired at rank 29. She grimaced at the mana cost, but it was either that or die, and she liked living just a little too much to take the latter option.
Sarah held both arms out wide and used Ice age. The description of the skill had been vague, but she was fairly certain of its effects. The only remaining question was if it would be enough. Sarah felt her MP drop almost to 0, then the skill activated. There was a loud crackling sound as everything within fifty feet turned to ice. The grass, dirt, rocks and even the very air froze solid. There was a few seconds of silence, then there was a loud thump, followed by the sound of shattering ice.
Sarah had taken a few steps back as soon as her skill had activated, and now she was glad she had. The beast had fallen from the sky, its body frozen stiff, and had shattered upon impact. Shivering at the sudden end of the intense and terrifying battle, Sarah quickly hurried over to the beast and found its core still intact, not that it was a surprise. The things seemed to be extremely durable. Picking up the core, Sarah opened its stats.
Name: Eagle-Winged Cackler Core
Rank - 34
Total available energy: 55,791/55,791
This core was taken from a eagle-winged cackler. As this core was taken from an advanced beast, the amount of available energy has been massively increased.
Sarah sighed, tucking the core into her armor and rubbing her hands together to warm them. She really wished she could see how many attribute points the core contained, though she could make an educated guess based on what Morgan had told her. She watched her MP recharging, a little annoyed that she’d been forced to use her most powerful skill right away. It would now be completely inaccessible for the next 20 hours, meaning that she wouldn’t be able to count on it again.
Not to mention the massive 2,500 MP cost per use. If her regen had been any slower, she might not have had enough to use it in time. Looking around at the frozen wasteland her skill had left in its wake, Sarah felt quite proud of herself. She’d done what most would have called impossible. She’d managed to kill an Advanced beast the same rank as her, and all without taking any injuries.
She winced as her thigh throbbed with pain, and she amended that statement to almost no injuries. She did some quick math in her head, trying to figure out how much energy Morgan would need to move to advance to the next stage in his ability. According to him, he needed a bit over a million energy. If each beast gave her as much as the cackler had, she’d need to kill about nineteen more.
She let out a long sigh as she came to that number and knew that the best she’d be able to do was get him closer. Everyone had their limits, and she was going to find them tonight.
***
“Back for a visit so soon, Sammy?” Loquin asked, already shifting back to her normal form, albeit, in a much more revealing outfit.
“Don’t pretend you weren’t expecting me,” Samuel replied, mimicking Simon’s earlier sentiment.
“Seems like everyone’s been figuring me out lately,” Loquin replied with a shrug. “So tell me, what is it you want?”
For once, Samuel didn’t look upset. In fact, he was practically oozing with smug confidence.
“I finally found a way to prevent Morgan from getting the Skyflare.”
“Yes. I noticed your interference during today’s match,” Loquin replied. “Though I do have to wonder how you managed to do so without attracting the Author’s attention. Also, I thought you were done interfering,” she said with a self-satisfied smirk.
Samuel ignored the jab and continued his gloating.
“I gave him a warning about entering the tournament, but the ungrateful brat didn’t listen. So I taught him a lesson. Tomorrow’s challenge won’t be any easier either, and after he fails to win
that one, I’ll go to him with another offer. This one will be the one that he can’t refuse.”
“Really? You don’t think he’s already aware of what you’re doing?” Loquin asked with a raised eyebrow.
“How would he know?”
Loquin rolled her eyes, standing up from her chair and sauntering over to him.
“You’re clearly losing your touch, Sammy,” she said, patting him lightly on the head. “In case you’ve forgotten, Gold has been snooping around…”
She felt Samuel stiffen up immediately and felt her smirk turn into a full-on grin. It really was so much fun toying with him.
“Of course that bastard would tell them!” he growled, shooting to his feet and sending his chair clattering to the ground.
“Oh, he didn’t tell them anything,” Loquin replied. “Sarah was already highly suspicious of foul play. All he really did was give her a nudge in the right direction. In fact, if she has her way, she’ll be exposing someone as a cheater tomorrow.”
Samuel snorted.
“How? There’s no way to prove it.”
“Simple. She’ll raise his rank until it matches the others. Then when he has a much harder time than the rest, she’ll call foul, and you do know they’ll look into it. If there’s even a chance that the first challenge was compromised, they’ll redo it. Not to mention that however you’ve been fooling the big guy, it won’t survive that kind of scrutiny.”
Samuel’s fists clenched at his sides as he looked off into the distance. Sure enough, Sarah was inside a beast zone and collecting cores at a prodigious rate. If this kept up, Morgan would have enough to move up at least 3 ranks by morning. Either that, or reach the next stage in his ability, something which Samuel desperately wanted to avoid, at least for the time being.
“Damn it all,” he growled, then vanished, leaving Loquin alone once more.
***
Sarah wiped at her brow tiredly as she tucked away another core. This was the ninth core she’d managed so far, and she was already beginning to flag. Since Morgan was normally the one to take the brunt of the attacks, she wasn’t used to this level of physical activity. Her role usually consisted of standing back and blasting things from a distance, but fighting alone was swiftly showing her the weaknesses inherent to such a style of combat.
She had no idea how Morgan could continuously fight the way he did, but she really needed to increase her physical fitness from now on and make it a priority. If she ever came up against a tough opponent on her own, she needed to be able to stand her ground and take a few hits. Otherwise, she’d be less than useless in a fight where Morgan couldn’t protect her.
Groaning lightly, she stretched her back out, hearing a few loud pops and sighing in contentment. Despite the hard work, she really was enjoying herself. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d pushed herself so hard in a fight. Doing a quick check of her MP, Sarah noted that it had nearly filled up again, so she headed out in search of more beasts.
Thus far, the highest rank beast she’d faced had been the first one at 34. Since that first one, she’d only run into rank 33 beasts. Not that it would be a problem for Morgan, but the amount of energy they gave was a bit less, which would mean more work for her if she kept running into only them.
A sudden cackling laugh rang out in the silence of her surroundings, making Sarah instantly alert. Looking around, she soon spotted the familiar shape of a cackler flying some way off, but approaching rapidly. She grinned to herself as she prepared for a fight, and was readying an attack when she heard another of the cackling laughs, but this time from behind her.
Whirling on the spot, Sarah felt her heart rate increase as she saw another cackler approaching in the distance, this one closing the gap rapidly as well. Gritting her teeth, Sarah looked quickly between the two beasts. She had a decision to make, and fast. Either she stay and fight an uncertain battle, or leave with what she’d collected so far, and not take an undue risk.
Her decision was made for her when she heard another cackle, and spotted a third beast coming from yet another direction. Sarah didn’t even need to think twice, immediately pulling the key from her pocket and exiting the beast zone. She might like a good fight, but she wasn’t suicidal! Morgan might have taken those odds, but there was no way she would.
Stepping back into the now dark room, Sarah let out a long sigh. She hadn’t collected nearly as many cores as she’d wanted. She debated opening the portal and going back in, but dismissed the idea a moment later. There was no way of knowing where she might exit, and those beasts could be waiting for her on the other side.
She could also hear the deep breathing coming from the other side of the room, which meant that Morgan was already fast asleep. Checking the clock on the wall, she winced, noting that it was after two in the morning. She immediately headed for the bathroom, already stripping out of her sodden clothes. If she was fast enough, she might just get a normal amount of sleep tonight, though after the strenuous physical activity she’d just endured, her usual five hours might not be enough.
***
Samuel was laying on the ground of the Advanced beast zone, face pale and sweat trickling down his brow when Gold appeared next to him. He glared up at the grinning man, but didn’t otherwise say a thing. He wouldn’t have been able to even if he’d tried.
“Tut tut, Sammy,” Gold said, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “Did someone go a little too far and get punished?”
Samuel just growled, then winced as another lance of agony raced through his body.
“You know, I’m not normally one to lecture,” Gold continued, as though he and Samuel were having a casual chat. “But isn’t tampering with an active beast zone while someone is participating against the rules?”
Samuel’s body twitched a few more times, but he managed to squeeze out a few choice words for his millennia-long rival.
“Screw you… asshole!”
“Well, maybe not breaking them, per se,” Gold continued, “but you definitely came close if you’re being punished this badly.”
“You…did…this!” Samuel gasped out.
“Did what?” Gold asked, feigning innocence. “Hinted to Sarah that you were the one behind Morgan’s difficulty in the challenge, then suggested she send Morgan into a beast zone so he could increase his rank before the next match? And all while knowing that Morgan would be too exhausted, thereby prompting Sarah, who is hot-tempered and strong-headed, to go at it alone?
“That I, in my infinite wisdom knew you wouldn’t be able to resist visiting Loquin, and that she would point out what Sarah was doing, and that you, in your infinite stupidity would try and sabotage her? Really, Sammy, you give me way too much credit!”
Samuel’s face clouded over in anger, but Gold was already leaving.
“Well, as much as I’ve enjoyed our little chat, I believe Morgan has a challenge to win in a few hours, and seeing as you’ll probably be tied up until the very end of the tournament, I don’t think he’ll be running into any issues.”
“Bastard!” Samuel gasped, clutching at his stomach as he tried to force himself off the ground.
“That I may be, but at least I’m a clever one,” Gold replied. “Until we meet again, Sammy.”
Then, he disappeared, leaving his hated rival to his misery. This really was turning out to be quite a good day indeed.
39
Morgan woke up to the sound of someone banging on the heavy steel door to his room. He groaned, sitting up in bed as Percival marched in, followed a moment later by Eric. A second after that, Percival was forced to dodge a flying pillow as a disgruntled Sarah was pulled from her peaceful slumber.
“Seems like the two of you are lively as ever,” he said in a dry tone as Sarah pulled the covers over her head.
Morgan winced, his sore muscles groaning in protest as he forced himself out of bed. It had been such a long time since he’d had to deal with muscle fatigue, that he’d almost forgotten what it had felt like.
“Eric, if you wouldn’t mind…,” he said, voice still heavy with slumber.
“Of course,” the man said, quickly rushing over to him.
Sarah poked her head out from under the covers, eyes bleary with exhaustion.
“If you wouldn’t mind getting me next, Eric. I feel like I’ve been run over by a horse.”
Morgan, who was already relaxing as the pain in his body faded, gave Sarah a questioning look.
“Had a hard time last night?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” she groaned as Eric made his way over to her.
Morgan was rolling out of bed when he glanced at the clock on the wall and froze halfway.
“Percival?” he asked in a deceptively calm voice.
“What?” the man demanded, curt as ever.
“Can you please explain why the hell you woke us up at five in the morning!?”
Sarah, who was sighing in relief as Eric healed her sore muscles, quickly turned her eyes to the clock. Sure enough, Morgan was right. The clock read just past five in the morning, which meant that she’d gotten fewer than three hours’ sleep.
“You will need some time to wake up. Then you will have to eat. After that, you will need to warm up, and finally, prepare for the challenge ahead.”
Morgan glared at the man. It took a lot for him to lose his temper, and waking him up before he had to be up was at the top of his list. Sarah clearly agreed with his sentiment and was glowering at the man as well.
“And we needed four hours for that? Morgan could have eaten, stretched and prepared in less than ninety minutes. You should have let us sleep for at least another two hours!”
“No one said that you had to get up,” Percival said, waving a dismissive hand in her direction. “You’re free to go back to sleep any time you like.”
