Chapter 402

“Evasive maneuvers.” Z called fruitlessly as he fired shot after shot at the approaching Alien. Being taunted meant his attacks had to remain focused on the creature, and he couldn’t move further away from it than he’d started. On players, taunting also meant they could only utilize offensive skills and attacks during that time. Though players had learned some work arounds to such taunts. As in, it didn’t matter if the attack was single target, or AOE, as long as the main focus was the creature that had taunted them.

A fact James had seen used and abused on more than on occasion. Players had come to, er, be wary of taunting mages, on account of the taunted mage, especially if the situation was dire, simply overloading a fireball or other ridiculous AOE and sending it center mass at the object which had taunted them.

While they couldn’t move further away from the Alien, as long as the creature was moving closer to them, they could at least try to move sideways, while still attacking it. Which was what Z was trying to have his teammates do. An important, but unneeded order for the veteran players.

Immediately upon unleashing its taunt, the Alien had burst into action. With speed enhanced both by Happy Feet, and Force Filled, the creature moved almost in a blur from its spot in front of Oak, and immediately rushed the trees, its target clear. The intelligent creature was gunning for Med Ic, trying to eliminate the healer to cripple the team.

As it moved, Oak, who’d been taunted, was forced to chase after it, trying his hardest to pull its attention back to him, to somehow regain aggro, while being limited with the skills he could use during those dire seconds.

Likewise, badgy and Turk were trying, and failing, to slow the Alien. Badgy was taunted, and Turk, who’d gotten lucky and resisted the taunt, was slowed, his movement speed greatly decreased, making him seem like he was swimming through an extremely thick substance, rather than flying.

Med Ic, who’d unfortunately for the party not been able to resist the taunt, was therefore forced to utilize his own offensive skills on the approaching alien. While he was a healer, he did have some attacks of his own, the earliest being his holy hand grenade. Since then, he’d gained snares, binds, blinds, and other types of debuffs he could try to apply, as well as a holy ray of light he could blast enemies with.

That move, Holy Ray, was what he was activating now, blasting the searing beam towards the Alien in a futile effort to slow it as well. All the while though, the boss rapidly approached him, and it was able to close the distance between itself, and the healer, in mere seconds.

With a powerful leap, the creature flew towards the healer, its tail parting the air before it, a deadly javelin aimed straight for Med Ic’s heart. Sure, the level 69 healer wouldn’t die from that single strike. But, it would chunk his health, open him up for more damage, and if it stunned him, he was as good as over.

James winced in anticipation, knowing the Alien had correctly planned its attack, and was now executing the best course of action it could. A fatal strike that would remove the team of its sole healer and make them easy prey for the creature that had much higher stats than any of the adventurers.

“Sorry no sorry.” Faust said as a massive explosion ripped into the alien just as its tail pierced into Med Ic. The spell, a concussive burst of thunderous might, was an AoE spell Lightning Focused mages had. It was essential a wave of sonic sound and energy called Thunderclap, that dealt concussive force the target, as well as splash damage to anything around it. Depending on the mana sent into it, the spell had the ability to send everything around the target flying an additional bit of feet. That was what he’d done, the quick-thinking mage, limited by the taunt effect on him, using the only thing he could to get their healer to safety. Even if, in doing so, he sent himself, Z, Elm, and Med Ic all flying through the snow.

Med Ic was ripped off the ground, the tail only penetrating an inch or two into his chest before the Thunderclap had activated. The Alien cried out in annoyance as its claws met with empty space, while Med Ic cried in out in surprise and panic, his body sailing a good 10 feet through the air before he smashed into a tree.

The others hit by the thunderclap were all blasted similarly in a less than elegant manner, their forms crashing into pine trees, snow covered trunks, and the like. James knew that had to hurt them but compared to the chances of Med Ic becoming Alien food, it seemed a better alternative.

Additionally, the blast bought them the remaining few seconds needed for the taunt to wear off. Med Ic, somewhat disorientated by what had happened, though still a top tier gamer, activated a mass heal on the party, along with a cleanse, clearing any additional debuffs they may have, and topping their health back up. Furthermore, James saw him use one of his higher leveled Cooldowns, applying a buff to the party that would last for 30 seconds, keeping them immune from all forms of crowd control. At the very least, it meant they couldn’t be taunted by the damned creature before them, at least this time around.

After that, it would be up to the others to try and interrupt the boss whenever it tried to use the Bleat of Despair. Now that they knew it had that skill, they’d be able to somewhat predict it, and, given the right situation, would be able to negate it.

The Alien twirled rapidly, its eyes raging, and the party’s victory was short lived. Oak hadn’t been able to keep pace with the rapidly moving creature, and while Med Ic was out of its range, Faust was now the closest creature to it. And the Alien was more than a little pissed that its prey had been stolen from him.

Even as the other members got to their feet, their minds processing what had been done, the Alien made another strike, and this time, its aim was true. Faust’s health stabilized for a moment as Med Ic’s heal washed over the party, but then it plummeted again as the Alien bit into him. Acid splashed over him as the creature bit again, its claws piercing into him, its tail holding him in its clutches. He’d saved the healer, but in doing so, he’d sacrificed himself.

Faust burst into a death orb even as Oak reached the Alien, the Mini Boss’s form glowing for a moment, its eyes sparkling with amusement. Then it turned on Oak, the tank once again snagging aggro on it. However, the damage had already been done, the players, just didn’t realize that. After all, what they didn’t know, but what James had figured out in that moment, and confirmed with a quick mental check, was the added danger of fighting against the Alien. Everything around the Alien was viewed as its prey, and as such, could trigger Adaptive Entity. And this time around, it had gained the racial passive the Elves had been relying on for the fight.

That brief glow across its body, was the creature gaining and activating the passive. It’s movement speed spiked even more, and more damning for the party, considering the Alien had entered the wooded area in its effort to try and kill Med Ic, it gained the increased evasion rate. Between the elf passive it had just absorbed, and its increased Dodge Chance from Happy Feet, the Alien, had taken another massive step towards being a Dodge Tank. And needless to say, The Knights Who Go Ni, were not prepared.