Chapter 19: Frenzy

The ‘Upgrade Jewel’ had a wondrous image as it seemed as if clouds swirled within it.

[Upgrade Jewel] - Upgrade a piece of equipment by one full rank. Disintegrates after one use.

One full rank—does that mean a max level rank ‘C’ will become a max level rank ‘B’? I assume so. If I upgraded my ‘Kite of Biding Eruption’, then it would become much stronger, however, I risked the chance of the requirements of it increasing to match the ‘B’ rank. But, I didn’t really have a chance otherwise. I needed the extra absorption it would provide me. Having a higher absorption also meant more backlash, but I had 75% fire resistance. Not only that, I could infuse my ‘Ashen Gladius’ using {Bladefire Infusion}, removing backlash and it would be much stronger due to the extra buildup of hellfire.

I closed my eyes, holding the ‘Upgrade Jewel’ tight to my body. If—instead I were to upgrade my ‘Ashen Gladius’, then my damage with it would almost double—but using it on a rank ‘D’ or rank ‘C’ seems wasteful if I could use it on a future rank ‘A’. I didn’t know how often I would actually be able to obtain precious jewels such as the upgrade or transfiguration ones. But I wouldn’t get the opportunity to know if I died here.

“System—” I held the ‘Upgrade Jewel’ out. “Begin upgrade.” I placed the ‘Upgrade Jewel’ onto my shield, holding it there. My breath was just starting to come back to me after everything that had happened. It was a well needed rest.

[System: Beginning upgrade.]

My ‘Kite of Biding Eruption’ disappeared off my arm, reappearing in front of me. The jewel seemed to dissolve and spread through the shield as the process began. After it completed dissolving throughout it entirely, the shield pulsated, and I could see it visible on my arm once again. Light as a feather, I rested my head on it, knowing the requirements remained negated.

[Kite of Biding Eruption +1 (Rank: B)] - A kite shield that takes a hit, and gives one back. Has a defense value of 275. Grants ability: {Biding Eruption} and ability: {Fire Resistance: B}. Requirements: 40 Strength, 40 Vitality. {Spin!} has negated requirements.

275 defense—that is the cap of rank ‘B’. I thought for a moment before pulling out my other, and final, ‘Upgrade Jewel’. Should I do it again? Or is this enough? I decided against it, putting the ‘Upgrade Jewel’ back in my inventory.

With 275 defense, it should let me absorb 550 damage. Including my own health, that’ll be—680. Actually, I don’t know if that is enough against a level 16. I sighed. As the sigh finished, I could feel the earth rumbling—a sign of the ogre awakening, and heading my direction. That sleep lasted about six minutes? That’s actually pretty potent!

I got up, activated {Goblin’s Recovery Hymn}, and made sure I was well covered behind the tree. However, it didn’t really matter. Raash Miira Guugi began smacking trees down left and right, ripping their roots from the soil as it tossed the ones it didn’t want to bother breaking. The thrown trees crashed into the trees near me, causing them to splinter and act as shrapnel as they burst apart.

My tree had not yet been hit, but I couldn’t just wait for it to break. I pulled out two ‘Hellfire Flasks’, keeping my ‘Ashen Gladius’ in its sheath. I quickly reassured myself that I could do this, then I ran out from behind the tree and dashed toward the great ogre. Its two heads spotted me, bellowing loudly.

“Oh. Ho. Ho. You. Tiny human.” Raash Miira Guugi spoke its words in a broken manner, grabbing another tree and flinging it towards me. {Battle Prowess} kept my mind running fast and clearly. If I had an athletics type ability, I could easily do some parkour with all these trees around.

Not all the thoughts that processed were helpful, but I managed to estimate how far I needed to duck to dodge the thrown lumber. I approached a tad closer before throwing both ‘Hellfire Flasks’ at it. Success!

The explosion of the flasks hit the big-bellied ogre, setting the nearby wood on fire. With my 75% Fire Resistance, this jungle of fire can become my playing field. {Goblin’s Recovery Hymn} will keep me fresh!

The ogre began covering its face while swinging its tree mace around, attempting to disperse the smoke from the fire caused by my flasks. I ran through the fire and the flames, only receiving ten fire damage - practically nothing as my recovery aura healed it up. Reaching Raash Miira Guugi, I sliced into its thigh.

[Twin-headed Ogre, Raash Miira Guugi, the Keeper, Lv16 takes 317 damage.]

The beast was huge for sure. The damage I inflicted being much lower than I expected, most likely due to its own rough skin being affected by its Vitality. As instinct, Raash Miira Guugi swung its tree where I had been, almost instantly as if a bug had just landed on it. I activated {Shrouded Blink}, effectively dodging the strike that most likely could have taken my life.

Putting aside my fight against Aurel, the level 11 Taurant Knights hit for 170. However, this boss is level 16, named, and titled. The Dead Goblin King hit me with 500 using a fully powered up move, and he had been level 10. So, I could wager a 16 using normal swings, being a boss and all—probably around 600. I can take a hit if I really must, but I’d rather not. My increase in all my attributes helped a lot. My thinking and the speed of said thinking increased majorly.

I chose where I wanted to blink, and struck the Twin-headed Ogre once again.

[Twin-headed Ogre, Raash Miira Guugi, the Keeper, Lv16 takes 317 damage.]

One. I made sure to count how many blinks I had used. The ogre seemed resistant to sneak attacks, as I made my attack from an angle it wouldn’t know. Raash Miira Guugi kicked back with great velocity, activating blink number two.

Of course, I took the opportunity of digging my ‘Ashen Glaive’ into it.

[Twin-headed Ogre, Raash Miira Guugi, the Keeper, Lv16 takes 317 damage.]

My strike didn’t seem to phase it still. It just swiped out with the tree mace, and grabbed another. I didn’t know the ogre could dual wield, perhaps it was due to having two heads. As my attacks weren’t phasing it, I couldn’t help but wonder—how much health does it have?

I used blink number three, the last blink available to me. My ability went on cooldown, showing up as 1:40. I could use this last blink to attack Raash, but I’d be compromising myself. I used it to move as far as I could, which was currently only four meters. It tried looking for me, but through the smoke and flames, its vision was a bit disoriented. Yet, something came flying at me. I could feel the pressure of the flying object, the tree which the Keeper had grabbed earlier. The only choice I had was to intercept it with my kite.

I couldn’t crouch down to keep myself the most stable I could while blocking. I had just came out of a sprint when I was barely able to turn around to meet shield with tree. The enormous impact fiercely blew me back, lifting me off my feet and thrusting me straight into a tree. I could hear something shatter as blood shot out of my mouth, yet whether that was my bones or the tree I was now partially a part of, I didn’t know. But I was alive.

[Biding Hellfire Rupture power at 485/550.]

[You took 50% Current Health damage from forceful impact. Current health: 65/130]

This was the first time I’ve encountered percent health damage. Luckily it was current health, meaning I shouldn’t die from future impacts like this. Probably.

I pulled myself out of the tree, bones intact but body aching in pain. The 150% pain sensitivity was a killer all on its own. I quickly moved the energy swelling in my ‘Kite of Biding Eruption’ to my ‘Ashen Gladius’. This would increase my damage by a great amount now that the energy was increased due to the shield being upgraded. I could fire it off, but taking the five swings when {Shrouded Blink} came off cooldown would tear this floor ten boss down.

I could hear yet another tree being pulled up from the earth. Assuming an incoming projectile, I had to zigzag around. I could block it as I did with the last, but it would still hurt if I was launched into a tree. I let {Goblin’s Recovery Hymn} quickly bring my health up. The fire slowly spread, mainly surrounding the Twin-headed Ogre, so I didn’t worry about it chipping my health any.

The tree came from behind, but I nimbly dodged it. I thought I’d hear another being uprooted, but with the flames burning on them, I think that it gave up that option as the ogre began running towards me again. I pulled out another ‘Hellfire Flask’ so I could mask myself within the smoke and fire, tossing it at the beast. Knowing that damage would immediately awaken a sleeping enemy, I held off against using {Sudden Slumber} again until I had burned it enough. Additionally, I couldn’t easily approach without {Shrouded Blink}.

The cooldown for {Shrouded Blink} was almost finished, with Raash Miira Guugi approaching steadily. The fire definitely helped in preventing it from killing me. I waited for Raash Miira Guugi to attack before letting {Shrouded Blink} to do its thing. With the {Bladefire Infusion}, my ‘Ashen Gladius’ was ready to melt away its skin. And so that is what I did right after blink one.

[Twin-headed Ogre, Raash Miira Guugi, the Keeper, Lv16 takes 619 damage.]

I couldn’t give up there, trying to get greedy and attacking it once more, but my second blink activated as the attack came for me.

We were both out of the fire, and I contemplated throwing another flask, but if it didn’t die shortly, then I would need to put it to sleep.

[Twin-headed Ogre, Raash Miira Guugi, the Keeper, Lv16 takes 619 damage.]

The additional fire damage practically doubled the damage I was doing against its tough skin. The beast didn’t swing yet, so I sliced at it again, hitting for another 619. I could see the ogre begin fuming, letting out a tremendous roar. Its skin quickly grew red, and another swing from the Twin-headed Ogre, much faster than all the previous, forced my last blink.

I appeared behind it. “Sudden Slumber!” I activated my ability, but the ‘zzz’ I expected did not appear. Fuck. Whatever ability it had used to be rage induced must have cut off sleeping abilities. I saw the swing of the tree limb head my way, and I hoped the boss was near death, as I shot my {Bladefire Infusion} at it.

[Twin-headed Ogre, Raash Miira Guugi, the Keeper, Lv16 takes 302 damage.]

[System Notice: You gained 4000 EXP.]

[System Notice: You learned a new Ability through {Assimilation}. You learned {Frenzy}.]

{Frenzy} - An active ability. You reduce your remaining health by half, increasing attack damage, attack speed, and resisting most negative status conditions. Cost: 20 MP.

I fell to my knees as the boss, Raash Miira Guugi, burnt to a crisp and disintegrated, leaving behind a loot bag. I threw it in my inventory as a portal as reminiscent as the day I died on floor 20 appeared. A portal meant that it was time to finally visit the Hub.