Chapter 45 – Wasted Initiative

The battle from here on out goes smoothly. The first Elite Thug who got put on fire was the first to die after the combined effects of the trap wreaked havoc on his body. His life ended shortly after when my two Prowlers managed to snipe the last few percentages off his health bar. The remaining Thug and Cutthroat were soon to follow, standing no chance against the sheer numbers of my other underlings piling upon them. The enemy Prowler lasted the longest, but having an angered Cobra at his heels, the Prowler could do nothing but feebly run in circles, unable to stop and reload his crossbow until Cobra managed to catch up to him. His life ended shortly thereafter in a brutal wrestling match.

I’m a little amazed at how smoothly this battle went. The battle was far more controlled, with far fewer enemies and no reinforcements, but the enemies were still powerful and should have been able to at least make a dent in my own lines. To merciless slaughter them like this? Not bad. Not bad at all.

I’ve gotta hand it to the trap though. That thing worked like a charm! It completely took one of the Thugs out of the fight, immediately lowering their combat potential as well as interrupting their damage dealers. I already have tons of other ideas I want to try out. Who says the trap only needs to deal damage? What If I combine some sort of basic hallucinogenic substance together with an enragement potion… Oh, the devastation it would cause if a group of people stumbled upon the trap. I can really see the appeal and potential of using traps during fights later, and I can imagine my future battleplans revolving completely around the use of traps.

Nevertheless, the real star during this fight was Cobra. While his core attributes are basically the same as any other elite mob, he still managed to outsmart the enemy elite units by sheer intelligence alone. I’m not completely sure how, but I imagine it’s because he’s seeded with a higher grade artificial intelligence unit which not only has given him the ability to converse, but also the mental capacity to perform more efficiently during combat. I gotta say, I have really high hopes for his future.

Stroking my gigantic mind-balls aside, I think I’m onto something here. I didn’t go into this fight fighting fairly. I used the environment to my advantage and I didn’t give the enemy any chance of fighting back. I can work with this, and I have several good ideas that spring to mind.

First of all, though, I have to secure the spoils. Elite enemies usually drop more and better graded items than regular mobs, and I’m certain these enemies won’t disappoint. My underlings already know the drill, and the fallen enemies’ pockets are already being pilfered. Grinning, I wait for my underlings to bring the goods back to me.

[Heavy Leather Armor Set. Common. +30% Physical Resistance, Per level gain: +1,5 Strength, +1,5 Endurance, +1 Agility, +0,5 Dexterity. Requires: NPC, Fighter Classification.]

[Light Leather Armor Set. Common. +20% Physical Resistance, Per level gain: +1,5 Dexterity +1 Agility, +1 Perception, +0,5 Constitution, +0,5 Strength. Requires: NPC, Ranged Classification.]

[Shadowed Leather Armor Set. Common. +25% Physical Resistance, Per level gain: +1,5 Agility, +1 Perception, +1 Dexterity, +0,5 Constitution, +0,5 Strength. Requires: NPC, Rogue Classification.]

[Dark Iron Stiletto. Uncommon. 20-22 Piercing Damage, +5 Agility. Requires: Level 8.]

[Dark Iron Shortsword. Uncommon. 22-24 Slashing Damage, +3 Strength, +2 Agility. Requires: Level 8.]

[8 Gold, 2 Silver, 7 Copper.]

Woah! I stand gaping. I knew I would get better gear when killing elite mobs, but I wasn’t prepared for this. Three different types of armor and two uncommon graded weapons? That’s insane! It’s way above a fifty percent drop rate. Granted, I haven’t killed many elite monsters during my time, but this takes the cake as well as the frosting. Is this a common occurrence? Or am I simply this lucky?

…

It’s definitely a common occurrence. We all know I’m not this lucky. But hey, I’ll take it. God knows I need it. I just wish this quest was repeatable as I sincerely doubt I’ll come across another treasure trove like this anytime soon. Do you know what? To hell with the Plaguebringer. I’m completely dedicated to completing this quest, no matter how long it takes. The loot is just too good and I can’t afford to have to abort the mission due to making a mistake.

My underlings and I retreat back into the storage room to rest and restore our health pools. We didn’t take much damage during this fight, so luckily, we don’t have to wait long. I also only have a few minutes left on the cooldown on ‘Fight Dirty’, so I might as well wait that one out also. I don’t see a reason not to be patient here, except, you know, the impending plague that is about to descend upon the city. But that’s a problem for future-Ryan to solve. God, that guy must really hate me at this point.

While we sit around and wait, I try to plan our next step. The big dining and living hall beyond is quite large, and there isn’t much natural cover to take advantage of. Apart from the door we are hiding behind, three different doors are leading out of the room spread evenly around, forming a natural cross-pattern. I can only guess which door leads where, but the most obvious option would be that the furthest door leads to the boss.

Should I save that one for last? Maybe head through both the side doors first to clear out any potential lurkers beyond? The options are many, but I should definitely play it safe. I still haven’t forgotten my mistake up above, and my first order of business should be to cover my bases.

The first order I give when my underlings are all done and rested is to have them all grab a crate each and start stacking them in front of the leftmost door. This is to make sure no reinforcements can come through and ambush me when I head through a different door. After blocking off the leftmost door, I have my underlings start stacking crates in front of the rightmost door. I will probably try to scout through one of these doors later, but I’d rather no enemies appear behind me while my troops are off blocking the furthermost door.

As my underlings finish blocking the rightmost door, I take a better look around the room. This really looks like a very professionally made secret lair. I wonder if I can make something similar of my own later? That definitely would be pretty awesome. I still haven’t forgotten about one of the Thief Lord’s basic class abilities that allows me to establish a hideout, and I definitely have to look into it at some point. My little army is growing, and my loot is starting to pile up. Getting some sort of safe zone set up would be optimal.

My musings are interrupted as my underlings head back to the storage room to pick up a third stack of crates to block off the far most door in the room. Looking closer, I notice that the door differs slightly from the two side doors. Whereas the rest of the doors in the room are all sturdy wooden doors with metal handles and hinges, the furthest door has its frame reinforced with steel. Whatever is behind there, it’s either someone powerful or something valuable. Preferably the latter.

I should probably start setting up another GoD trap above it before anything really bad-

Just as my underlings get around fifteen meters away from the door, it starts opening with a loud metal screech. Oh, shit. “Retreat to the center of the room!” I shout. My underlings immediately comply and drop their crates. Shit. Did we trigger some kind of event, or did we wait for too long?

“Well, what do we have here?” A raspy voice says boorishly as a figure steps through the door at the far end. “I heard a commotion earlier, and I figured it was just my men getting a little rowdy. I didn’t know we got ourselves a little rat infestation though.” The man sneers.

[Syndicate Leader - Alzahr Farq’Mel(13). HP: ????/????.]

A tall and lanky Dark Elf emerges from the door. He’s wearing a full set of darkened leather armor with a layer of chainmail stitched in to cover the vital parts on his torso. He’s also wearing a thin leather and steel helmet with what appears to be steel wings extending outwards, covering his ears. A steel rapier rests at his side, and I can spot the reflection of a blood-red gem encrusted into the hilt. Whatever he is wearing, the gear seems to outclass anything my own troops or I can muster.

I’m so focused on Alzahr that I fail to notice the two enemies that appear behind him before they step in front of him, blocking my view.

[Human Elite Thug(11). HP: ???/???.]

[High Elf Elite Thug(11). HP: ???/???.]

Oh, buggers. This can’t be good. I look around and find Cobra standing right next to me, carefully eyeing the three powerful enemies ahead of us. “Order the men to apply poison to their weapons. I want you to have the Cutthroats use a Paralyzing Poison each. Go all out.” I whisper to my Lieutenant who nods in return.

“I am not without reason, however…” Alzahr says while casually lifting his hand in front of his face, examining his fingernails with a bored expression. “If you and your little vermin surrender quietly, I may be persuaded to-”

“Cheap shot!” I shout, and my two Prowlers immediately fire at the Human Elite Thug to the left. Their skill enhanced bolts fly true, striking the surprised Thug in his chest.

With a look of rage, Alzahr glares at me. “You dare-”

“Take out the wounded enemy first. Cobra, keep that talkative cunt busy.” I shout my orders, completely ignoring the enraged boss. If that stupid bastard wants to waste his initiative by gloating, then so be it. I’ll take a freebie when I get it. I immediately start channeling ‘Calm’, targeting the high elf elite.

With a roar, Cobra charges forward towards Alzahr. Furious, the boss reacts by drawing his rapier, leveling it towards my charging Lieutenant. “I’ll teach you insolent little whelps how a true son of the noble Farq’Mel family fights. Shadow Pierce!”

In the blink of an eye, Alzahr’s body jolts forward, covering the ten-meter gap in less than a second. Cobra coughs up a mouthful of blood before he even realises Alzahr’s rapier pierced his chest. My heart skips a beat as I notice that singular attack took nearly thirty percent of Cobra’s health. Shit!

Clutching his chest in pain, Cobra drops to his knees, his shortsword dropping harmlessly onto the cobbled stone floor. Alzahr yanks his rapier out, a small spray of blood trailing his sword as he swings it back for another strike.

“Stop him!" I shout, my body moving on instinct. I rush towards my fallen Lieutenant as I fish for a health potion. My dwarven Thug throws herself at Alzahr before he can finish his swing, forcing the nimble boss to jump back a step. The dwarf takes up a defensive stance in front of Cobra who is trying awkwardly to get back onto his feet.

I reach Cobra and immediately force a health potion into his mouth. He struggles for a moment, too enraged at his enemy to even notice that I’m trying to help. He chugs the potion down, and I’m relieved to see his health bar starting to rise. “You won’t get away with that again…” Cobra mutters through clenched teeth.

Trying to capitalize on our immobility, Alzahr dashes forwards, swinging his rapier at my Dwarven Thug’s throat. She barely manages to parry the swift rapier, immediately trying to counter with a lunge of her own. Alzahr effortlessly sidesteps, bringing his blade around to strike again at my overextended Thug.

A pair of crossbow bolts race through the air and Alzahr immediately dodges backwards. He is too late, however, as one of the bolts strikes his left arm. He sneers, casting a quick glance at his bloodied arm. “How dare you!” He shouts while jumping back a few more steps. Looking around, a serious expression forms on his face. I get a bad feeling about this. Before I can order my underlings to re-engage the boss, he sucks in a whole lot of air before he unleashes what can only be a skill. “In the name of your lord, assist your master!” He shouts loudly, his voice bouncing between the stone walls.

Faint roars echo his shout, and I swivel around to find out where the shouts are coming from. What the… Are those reinforcements!? The roars quickly grow closer, the stone tunnels making it nearly impossible to narrow down the direction the sounds are coming from. The shouts are growing louder, rising in volume in tandem with my own panic. Should I call for a retreat? I don’t think we can handle any reinforcements right now.

I’m a split second away from calling the fight off when something forcefully impacts both the side doors of the hall simultaneously, followed by loud cursing. Soon after, someone starts hammering at the two doors, trying to force their way through. I thank whatever god is watching that I had the foresight to block those doors, but my happiness is short-lived as I notice several cracks starting to appear on the shut doors.

I need to finish this quickly. I glance around the room while backpedaling away from the boss, trying to regain control over the situation. One of the enemy Thugs is nearly dead, but the other one is currently making life miserable for one of my half-orc twins. Not good. I need to accelerate this fight, and fast. “Fight Dirty!” I shout as my underlings’ weapons start to glow. “Take down the weaklings as quickly as possible!”

“O-Rah!” My underlings shout as one, throwing themselves into the fight with renewed vigor.

I start preparing to cast my ‘Calm’ spell when I catch a glimpse of Alzahr from the corner of my eye. The boss dances around the swings of Cobra and the dwarven Thug as if in slow motion, stabbing towards my underlings at every opportune moment. He is about to deliver a rather vicious slash at my Dwarf when another set of Crossbow bolts cross the room, one of them embedding itself in his shoulder, while the other nicks the side of his thigh.

“Insolent pests!” He snarls, directing his eyes at my two Prowlers and me in the distance. “Shadow Pierce!” He shouts, and his body once more jolts forwards. We have no time to react before he is upon us, his rapier effortlessly piercing my Halfling Prowler’s throat. My Prowler emits a weak choking noise as his body goes limp, his much lower health pool not enough to survive the powerful thrust.

[Your underling (Halfling Prowler(10)) has been slain by Syndicate Leader - Alzahr Farq’Mel(13).]

With wide eyes, I stumble backwards. Oh, shit. This is bad.