Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Arrival
I did not succeed in finding a suitable place to pass the night in, every building a potential den of horrors and monsters from beyond. We decided it'd be best to just head straight for our destination.
At one point we saw, a monster nestled atop a skyscraper that pierces the heavens. It was a fleshy monstrosity, wider than the entire building, vaguely shaped liked a malformed brain. It had a dim green glow about it, many eyes scattered throughout its humongous body.
One of its many eyes moved, it turned, and I thought for a second that the monster's gaze had landed on me.
I did not stay to find out, whether my premonition was correct or not. Instead, I bolted all the way out of there, Longstrider coming out of cooldown just in time.
Which brings me back to the present, our life on the run. We were being chased by an enemy familliar to myself, a rat with shit-colored skin, nearly hairless. The monster we now faced, however, is nowhere near as harmless as those that had once chased me across the broken streets of York Wood. Instead it was a rodent larger than even myself, a horse.
It was The Mother Rat. A level 70 Tank.
It had started when I saw some of those brown rats in my way, and I had the brilliant idea to kill them in order to summon their entire pack for farming experience and Levels. I succeeded with that plan, I killed them as they gave chase, as did Flaze do the same. But they never stopped coming, more pouring in from every alley, stronger and stronger, until eventually this big level 70 rat came in, ramming right for us.
Still a brilliant plan. I neighed.
I kicked the oversized rat on the nose, and it shrieked, nearly raking me with its claws. But I was faster, my Longstrider Skill still active. It is only able to get close because I need to be in melee to do the kicks I'm known for.
Flaze was on her squire outfit this time, and she was smacking the monster as well whenever it got close, albeit she was having trouble getting her squire powerup as this method of attack does not count for much of a struggle.
That's worth some experimenting, eventually.
Flaze also sent some shockwaves from range, but she mainly stuck with using the ability as a point-blank attack. A far more efficient choice, exceedingly important in a protracted battle such as this.
The boss rat opened its ugly mouth as it had many times before, but this time, Flaze suddenly yelped.
What? I neighed.
"There's something inside!" She shouted, and then I too saw. From within the rat's mouth were countless eyes staring us down.
Shit!
I sped up just as we found out what exactly those eyes were. They were phantoms of mice, an undead look to all of them, like ghosts. The ghastly rats ran through the air and gave chase, a swarm heading right for us with the mother rat still hot on our heels.
I heard an explosion behind me, and I looked. The rats were chasing us faster than their mother could, but they just went ahead and exploded by themselves. A tiny blast, and a sickly smoke left behind.
Half of them were already down, and I tried sending a Hellish Fireball to a certain cluster. They caught flame indeed and exploded, a chain reaction.
Flaze saw that and started using her squire shockwaves from range, popping more of the fuckers.
They fell faster than they could get to us.
But not forever.
I saw one then, a single ghastly rat had evaded my notice and stuck right by my side.
I could not react in time, the rat had already gotten far too close. Flaze could kill it, and she did, but that only caused the illusory creature to explode, its purpose in life to die, a mere sacrifice.
I felt the explosion, a relatively tiny blast. I barely staggered from the force, albeit it was certainly painful. But then I felt my steps become heavier as I continued to run away. Like a curse, a foreboding sense of wrongness.
[Blessed Heal]!
[Blessed Heal]!
I doubted it was enough to actually cancel my Longstrider, but I wasn't going to risk it, so I used as many heals as it took to cancel the debuff.
We briefly debated, myself only neighing, whether we should just leave the monster behind. I can certainly pull ahead of it, the rat actually classed as a Tank, and Flaze can summon a clone to distract if we truly wished to escape.
The Levels it'd give however were quite tempting, so we decided to kill the creature and pull ahead in power while we can.
I shot some fireballs at mother rat, the flames sticking to the creature for some time. It opened its mouth again, and ate one of my spicy fireball, heat like no other. I laughed when it actually worked, the ethereal rat creatures detonating in her mouth. It was but a silly idea, the summons not really a big threat as long as we pull away, but you won't catch me complaining about my own genius
The level 70 rat gave a loud screech then, one of pain and anger. Flaze cheered upon hearing it, and sent another shockwave straight into the monster's throat just to rub salt into the wound.
The detonation of its own minions quite honestly weren't so damaging, I know how one's own spells tend to have very neutered effect against oneself. But as the dust settled and I saw the rat again, its burning mouth confirmed that my move was right regardless. Its teeth were mildly charred, and her tongue was still burning in places. It was only a slight amount of damage, but there is value in getting rid of the swarm that forms in her throat regardless. Not to mention that it wasn't just her spell that backfired, but my flames burned the rat's mouth as well.
We reached an open area after a short a while, a park with a swing, some tires, and a skateboard rack. The rat continued to give chase, and I and Flaze nodded at each other, having finally found a wider field to maneuver.
Another Squire Flaze appeared just behind me, a clone of hers that immediately charged against the rat as a distraction. We would've gone with a knight, but that would cancel the current buffs her Squire form had stacked up, however little. Meanwhile, this way the clone actually retains those enhancements, albeit scaled down.
[Trailblazer].
I ran around the rat, just as it met the clone which quickly got its attention despite the lack of a taunt ability. Having one's nose clobbered does wonders to grab someone's notice.
I reached its side and I kicked, keeping up my ran before delivering another kick. A blast of hellfire shot out, and then a flash of light, my gambit cast with every attack, but not the fireballs as it would empty out my mana way too quickly.
Flaze as well clobbered the creature from my back whenever we passed by close enough, her squire buffs kicking in harder now that it was more of a struggle.
"BABIES!" Clone Flaze yelled, and I immediately stormed for the creature's head. I sent a fireball from the side of its face, and both Flazes shot out their shockwaves. The summons died in the monster's mouth before they could ever make it out.
I went back to working on destroying the rat's body from behind.
That came out wrong. I neighed. Flaze laughed, even though she couldn't have possibly understood what I meant.
"I understand enough, that you said something stupid."
One of its tails suddenly caught me by the face like a whip, my head rattled as I was sent careening to the side. But I did not stop running, not unless I wished for Longstrider to cease.
Flaze too took some hits, at times from its claws, and others from stragglers whenever we popped the rat's summons early. I healed her again for a particularly bad cut on her stomach, the added danger feeding her buffs as I felt the power within her form, near tangible.
Flaze yelled and cackled as she kept on taking shots at the creature whenever I ran past it, sometimes extending herself as far as she could go just to get one more hit in. The double impact of her charged strikes ruptured rat flesh every time now, her squire form truly showing its worth.
Flaze's clone died, crunched between teeth, just as the rat was left heaving. It bled from a thousand wounds, tired and dying. I managed to kick it in the chin with my hind legs, stunning the creature for a few moments, along with a healthy blast of hellfire.
Flaze took that opportunity to jump from my back and over to the rat's head, taking out both its eyes with two swift strikes. The monster shrieked and reared up, but Flaze held on, slamming the creature's head one last time with her sword. An impact resounded, and then another followed, the shockwave near palpable as the creature's brains spilled out with a sickening pop.
[You Party has defeated a Level 6 Rogue!]
[You Party has defeated a Level 29 Rogue!]
...
[Your Party has defeated a Level 33 Handler!]
[Your Party has defeated a Level 70 Tank!]
[Your Level Has Risen to 35!]
...
[Your Level Has Risen to 38!]
Fucking brutal. Four entire levels. That's very nice.
I was still running, corpses littered all over the park. Our fight had attracted more monsters to join in, and the big rat had very courteously helped us take care of them, taking off some pressure from Flaze's Clone and ourselves.
I passed by Flaze over and over as she gathered herself, unable to break my stride due to Longstrider, until she finally decided to jump back on.
~~~
It should have been around midnight when we finally made it to Darkvoid's place. The plan was to maybe clear out the first floor, and just find a place to collapse in for the night.
We arrived at the front of the apartment, also one of those fancy ones with a reception and guards. Presumably.
I can really only tell by the scattered uniforms left lying around, some still on bodies, but those bodies were dead.
This establishment has been taken by sheep people. The body of a person, covered in wool, the face a cross between lamb and man.
An abomination.
Horses are cooler.
I'll call them Sheeptaurs.
[Warrior - Lvl 40]
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[Warrior - Lvl 36]
[Warrior - Lvl 43]
I must say, I'm not impressed with what they've done with the place. The blood of the former tenants and staff just lying around, uncleaned. 0/10.
I immediately felt dread upon thinking of that joke, Darkvoid could very easily be among their number. He doesn't seem to have murdered his way down, considering that these sheep are ostensibly, unmurdered.
Though I do see a lot of murder here, plenty of rancid decaying corpses just like everywhere else. Perhaps the Sheeptaurs came from outside, and maybe Darkvoid had already escaped before then.
Flaze dismounted from myself, summoning a new clone. She doesn't have an extra one in reserve this time, but this much should be manageable, specially since not a single one of her enemies surpasses her level now. We've gained a lot of levels, from the many skirmishes and the rats we fought on the way here.
The two knights rushed forward against the barehanded enemies. The sheeptaurs crashed into her shields, very easily baited by the taunt.
I circled in from the side, and kicked the left-most one in the knees. He stumbled and lurched forward, a bright flash of light originating from the point of impact. I kicked him again in the face, this time with hellfire and a resounding crack.
The two other sheeptaurs turned to me at that moment, but they were immediately assaulted by a headache the moment they tried to switch targets, because of Flaze's taunt. I tossed a Hellish Fireball towards each of them as the two Flazes held them back from reaching myself.
My own prey had gotten up, and tried to jump for myself. I hopped out of his way, and then kicked him as we passed by each other. Blinding Flash was triggered.
It baa'ed, the cry of a sheep. As did the other ones fighting Flaze. They were burning, profusely, the wool of their bodies providing easy targets. I sensed some kind of aura from them, within my limited perception of magic, my own designated enemy coming at me at a speed I didn't expect in the next moment.
But he was too dazed, to properly aim, still burning in some places. I dodged and turned the hit into a glancing blow, a scratch not worth wasting a heal on. I kick him again, and he burned further.
I looked over to Flaze, she and her clone were managing to hold back the sheep people, but it was clear to see that she wasn't quite able to deal enough damage to them. Her knight form just isn't the strongest, and these guys were tougher than they look, even when they're fucking set alight, that fire already beginning to dissipate as their wool had already gotten eaten up..
I sent two more fireballs then, towards the lowest level sheep, the one fighting Flaze's clone. Both projectiles hit dead on, and I turned back to my own battle, dodging the savage charge of my own foe.
He was still on fire and I added more to it with another Horsekick Gambit, and then a Hellish fireball. I also realized that this was taking a bit of a while, so I activated Trailblazer, for the buffs that it can give to myself as I ran around here, in circles. I
should really give that skill some love more often, a lot of my abilities already getting close to 100% integration, and more importantly, a level up.
The smell of burning meat filled the room now, my opponent had become panicked. He came at me even harder, but also with bigger tells, the trajectory predictable. I kept my distance and kicked him when I could, more worried about keeping myself unharmed. He took one final desperate leap, one that ended with him sprawled on the ground when he inevitably missed. I stomped on his head then, knocking the sheep out with a brilliant flash of light. I few more well-placed stomps, and his head had burst open.
I neighed, satisfied.
Flaze finished with her fight just as I did. She'd defeated the lower level one first, the one that was more on fire. And then she worked on the remaining sheeptaur, both clones still alive. They ganged up on the creature and went for his chest over and over, until it burst open, allowing her to stick both swords into the heart within. He died in seconds, though the monster did manage to nearly kill the clone in one final punch.
Flaze unsummoned her copy after, the dented helmet and skull below far too big a damage to keep. That might be the first time I've seen her done that, she usually keeps clones until they die.
I could have healed it, you know? I neighed.
She shrugged, uncaring. Though I saw the remnants of a smile beneath her knight's armor, her chest still heaving, a mist of rabid excitement.
She's enjoying herself. A bit creepy perhaps, having known her before. But considering what's to come, just a constant repeat of the battles we've had today; It is better this way.
In fact, I should also try and develop a taste for battle. Not just for winning, but the entire process. I still need to work on not freaking out at random moments, after all.
We explored the rest of the building afterwards, visiting the rooms on the first floor, and the quarters of the staff. Flaze had summoned a new clone to take the lead, after a short wait by the reception.
What we found were a lot of monsters scattered on this floor, but few stragglers remained living. Most had been reduced to corpses. Dead. Killed.
I wondered for a moment if Darkvoid had come down and cleared the area. But Flaze disagreed.
"The wounds match the fighting style of those sheep, though perhaps hand-to-hand combat is very common. But see this mark here? That lowest leveled one kept trying to bite me, you know? It matches."
But what if you're wrong? I neighed, but was unable to convince even myself. There were more sheeptaurs as well, seemingly having fought the monsters of the first floor and never each other. Their corpses were also left mangled, but otherwise untouched. Much as the apocalypse is brutal and deadly, this tells me that the fights were relatively recent. Monsters could easily wander from outside, and they're not ones to waste a perfectly good meal.
Neither are we for that matter.
The toilets had a single large slug-like creature killed in the middle. Quite disgusting to look at, without even mentioning the smell. But I quickly went to one of the stalls and slammed the door, doing my horse business inside. I know that it's the apocalypse and I'm obviously a fucking horse, but I'd still like to retain some standards when I can.
I can't always.
Flaze was laughing when I got back, she had stood watch outside. I simply huffed at her and we went to pick our accommodations for the night, having confirmed that the floor was mostly monster-free. Except for me.
Those sheeptaurs did a pretty good job clearing the first floor. I neighed. Wonderful reception.
Flaze just looked at me. I smiled back at her, showing my teeth.
She looked away, like I was a crazy person, and I gasped. Flaze did not get the joke.
Neigh.
_______________
Name: Jackal Dolmer
Level: 38
______________
(Unassigned MANA: 0)
Vitality: 80
Strength: 50
Magic: 100
Agility: 100
Intelligence: 50
_____________
Class:
[Thy Blessed Pony]
[Hell Baby]
Skills:
[Foal Blessing] (Level 1 / Integration 40%)
[Hellborne] (Level 1 / Integration 49%)
[Hellish Fireball] (Level 1 / Integration 80%)
[Trailblazer] (Level 1 / Integration 40%)
[Blessed Heal] (Level 1 / Integration 70%)
[Longstrider] (Level 1 / Integration 78%)
[Horsekick Gambit] (Level 1 / Integration 84%)
_____________
AN:
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