Chapter 11: Combination

====================================================================================

*STAB*

The tip of Ascalon plunged into the Chimera’s torso oozing out black liquid. The black blood caused the foul stench to get worse nearly making Haruki puke.

When he tried to pull back the spear it suddenly wouldn’t budge

Pulling as hard as he could, it didn’t move a single bit. Looking at the head of the lion Haruki found it was getting ready to take a bite out of him.

“Shit!” He jumped back evading but leaving the spear still stuck

“Careful Haruki! It’s blood seems to contain some sort of binding magic!”

“WHAT! Doesn’t that make melee useless?!”

“Possibly, for now attack using your magic!” Sylva suggested

Damn looks like this battle’s gonna drain my mana potions. I can’t keep consistently activating skills without gulping down them like it were free water!

“Tsk, can’t be helped!”

I poured mana into the nameless katana and started to charge again. I parried its claw and managed to cut its thick fur causing wound. The lightning on my blade seems to evaporate the black blood before it could trap the sword.

Seeing my attack work I retreated again as an ice pillar crashed into its side. Looks like magic really is the creature’s weakness!

My excitement was immediately doused when I saw the mounds it had. The thick black liquid seemed to bubble at its wounds and slowly closed them.

“The hell!?”

“Looks like its regeneration is pretty high. Keep attacking without falling back!”

Sylva cast another spell in the shape of a flame spear as it burned the side of the goat head.

Easy for her to say charge.... Every time I attack it just closes up wasting my mana, not to mention that horrid smell!

I didn’t say it out loud though. I just readied my blade again and this time ran to its side trying to flank it. As I stabbed the lightning blade at it and shot started slashing with my lightning claws I heard a hiss to my right.

It’s the snake head! Hurriedly I pulled back the blade and blocked its bite locking it with the snakes huge fangs. Seeing a chance it was about to turn around and claw at me but a ice spike pinned it to the ground.

Pushing the snake head back I rolled under the beast to the other side while slashing at its lower body.

Look like it already predicted my move, as I emerged on the other side the snake head was already swinging at full speed knocking me back.

Tumbling on the ground I picked myself up and saw the chimera was already charging at me with the goat head trying to ram me.

Before I could move Sylva’s thick ice wall appeared in front of me making the goat crash into it.

“Get of there!”

I quickly dashed at the wall kicking it using the momentum to launch myself up. Landing on its back I hacked and slashed with lightning blade and lightning claws until I ran out mana and jumped back down.

I took a mana potion and drank it while the beast had already recovered from the crash impact.

Even though me and Sylva were barraging it with attacks the wounds slowly healed forcing us to keep dealing damage.

With my mana, this time I just spammed lightning bolts at it burning my palms a little until I ran out of mana again and took another potion.

Sylva also looks like she’s out of mana as I glanced at her pouring blue liquid down her throat.

Maybe I should try dismembering it....

No matter how fast it regenerates growing back limbs should still take a fair amount of time.

This time I attacked it from behind aiming at the green scaled snake like limb that was its tail.

Stabbing inside its mouth it let out a pained hiss as I wrapped my left arm around its thick body lifting me up. Hanging on I slowly crawled to where it was connected to its main body while Sylva distracted the lion and goat pelting it with small fireballs and ice spikes like a machine gun.

Reaching the spot I started slashing my sword coated in lightning at the snake body. After A whole minute of slashing it finally cut through the thick scales and severed the snake from the chimera.

With my mana empty I ran back to Sylva as the lion head roared painfully at the loss of the snake tail.

“Haruki I’m out of mana potions!”

“Here!” I gave her 3, half of what I have left

“Our attacks aren’t working against it....” She said as she finished drinking all three

“Maybe we should use a huge attack and kill it in one hit.” I suggested

“I don’t have a powerful enough spell, but I do have an idea...”

“Really, what is it?”

“Maybe we could combine our mana and attack it with every last bit.”

“What! Is that even possible?” I doubted her

“I don’t really know but this game fully recreates a fantasy world and player freedom is the best part of it.... It should work, I think.”

“I guess we just have to gamble on it... What do I do?” Looks like we’re desperate here

“Try focusing your mana into my Gambanteinn together with me, just picture the your attack and I’ll handle the rest.”

“Got it.” I said while grabbing on to the staff she was holding on her right hand with my left.

I started pouring all my mana focusing it into the staff as the red crystal on it started shining brightly.

In my mind I pictured the most powerful display of lightning that I know of. A storm. Lightning striking everything near it destroying all that crosses its path.

As I felt the last of my mana leave my body exhausting me, Sylva raised the staff and pointed at the chimera that was ready to jump at us.

Before he could do that suddenly dark clouds formed over it with visible electric sparks on the surface. Then a sudden tornado formed engulfing the chimera but it wasn’t a normal tornado. It was a flame tornado!

With lightning following the flame tornado the two elements combined into a deadly electric fire storm burning and zapping the chimera at the same time.

It was a surreal scene. Inside a cave underground there was a spectacular display of weather that destroyed the entire middle part of the room while the chimera slowly disintegrated

A new skill has been successfully created

Fiery Tempest (Combination)

A deadly spell that creates weather that has massive destructive capabilities. The cooperation of the elements of fire and lightning forms a raging thunderstorm with winds of fire.

Mana Cost: All

*combination skills cannot increase in level

“Woah....” I was speechless as I watched the chimera disappear

“It seems our gamble paid off.” Sylva slightly smiled

“I didn’t even know we could combine skills....”

“Well, in the first place the game had only been released for 2 weeks before we were trapped. No doubt the players don’t even know 5% of all the game content.”

“Yeah, I remember them even saying this game would be limitless in its content.” I added

“I don’t know if anyone can do it though. We do have the special ‘Bond of Trust’ skill.” Sylva guessed

“Well anyway, looks like the quest is done now.” I read the notification window

Quest Completed: Infested Mines

The mines were attacked by a Chimera. It is unknown how the beast made its way there but you have succeeded in slaying it.

Report back to Sagami to receive your reward.

Reward:

-information you seek

-exp up

“Man, all that hard work and he doesn’t pay anything..”

“Yes it seems after consuming potions and buying my staff I don’t have much gold left.”

“.....yeah and look at this.” I showed her Ascalon that was still pierced to chimera when we cast the spell.

The white spear was now black with burned wood and the black hardened liquid were on the spearhead forming cracks on it.

This is a very rare quality item... the repair cost is going to be enormous

“I see. That’s unfortunate....”

“There goes all my gold now. Man I knew I was unlucky today.....”

By the way the chimera also didn’t drop anything.

===================================================================================

“I see you’re back.”

“Yes, we cleared the mines. There was a chimera there.”

“I know, I also got the notification window.”

“So players can give quests and even know when they’re completed?” Sylva asked

“Yes, but only if you have a special position like mine. Now thanks to you the mines can be used to make profit again,” Sagami smiled

“Okay, good for you. Now it’s your turn to hold up your part of the deal.” I reminded him impatiently

“Yes, I know where she is but you probably won’t find her for at least a month.”

“Why is that?”

“She’s on a quest given by the city of Roden to 100 hundred players to explore the mountain range north of here.”

“WHAT! Isn’t that dangerous!?”

“We’ve been trapped for 5 months now. We’re all used to danger.” Sagami answered frowning

“Haaah, I guess so....” I guess Hime wouldn't just do nothing, maybe she’s trying to find a way to escape this game?

“So, I’ve told you what I know. The players on that quest should be back at Roden next month.”

“Alright, thank you then.” I bowed and quickly left the room with Sylva

We exited the building and walked some distance down the street.

I asked Sylva to accompany me to the blacksmith to repair my nearly destroyed spear.

When I got there the old blacksmith thought I was here for the wakizashi and said it wasn’t finished. I just showed him my Ascalon and asked for a repair.

Because it was a highly valuable item it cost me a whole 75 gold!

“What should we do now?” Sylva asked after waiting 2 hours for the repair

“Hmm, are you in a hurry to get to Roden?” I asked her

“Not really, at first I was just heading there because it was the biggest town around, I’ll probably keep travelling with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I think I’ll have a higher chance of surviving if we stick together.”

“Yeah I also think that too.”

“We still haven’t decided what to do.” She reminded me

“There’s only one thing to do. Let’s stay here doing quests and earning more gold. I have the feeling this game will keep getting harder and that we should increase our levels too.”

Nodding, she agreed with me as we walked to find some bounty quests.

=====================================================================================

-5 days later

We were hunting in a desert region north-west of Tyrne killing mobs of monsters and picking up various drops to sell at the city.

We were also in the middle of completing a bounty quest to kill 3 giant earth worms and had already killed 2 of them.

They’re mid class boss monsters but killing them wasn’t really hard for me and Sylva.

As we kept walking we felt the earth shake and quickly started running.

“Looks like we found the last one!” I shout as I ran

“Yes, let’s quickly kill it and return to the city.”

At that moment from the ground where we were a minute ago a hole 3 meters in diameter formed as sand sank into it.

What came into view was a giant brown worm that exposed 6 meters of its enormous body with its bottom still in the sand.

On the top of the body there were no eyes and only a circular mouth with razor sharp teeth similar to leeched could be seen.

“I hate these things.” Sylva looked disgusted

“That’s why we’re killing them.” I say while carrying my shiny white spear in my left and sword in right.

I first stabbed the spear halfway into the body and slashed at the worm’s skin while leaving the spear there. Before i jumped back I released some mana into the spear which electrocuted the worm.

The worm now with a spear that was clad in lightning doing continuous damage tried to burrow back into the ground.

Not letting it get away Sylva froze the sand surrounding the hole and fired a dozen ice spikes at its body that had its lower part stuck in the ground.

Leaning its body forward it tried to reach and eat Sylva but the frozen hole had blocked its movement making it unable to reach her.

As the body tilted forward I quickly ran up from behind climbing the worm with speed from lightning movement.

Reaching near the top I stabbed my katana and let go of my footing.

I started to fall while the sword kept ripping the worms body nearly splitting it in two as it fell down with a huge thud.

“That’s the third one.” I say sheathing the blade and retrieving Ascalon

“Good, let’s head back for today. I’m beat.” Sylva says

“Sure, on the way to get the reward I need to pick up the wakizashi though.”

“That’s fine.”

As we headed back to the city we stopped by the blacksmith that I commissioned the weapon to. As I entered I was handed the weapon and payed 35 gold to the blacksmith

Dragonling Bone Wakizashi (Rare)

A sword with a short blade made from the hard bones and scales of a dragonling.

This sword is lighter than normal long swords.

Attack: 60-80

+5% fire damage

It was somewhat less than what I expected.....

The attacks weaker than my white katana even though its potential hasn’t been fully unlocked. The bonus to fire was also useless to me......

But I did just make it to use as a one handed weapon when fighting with a spear so that’s fine.

Strapping the scabbard to my belt above the white katana I exited and headed to claim the worm bounty with Sylva.

“Haruki? Why haven’t you changed your coat?” Sylva suddenly asked

“Hm? What’s wrong with it?” I examined the coat I was wearing.

“Isn’t the defense low for your level? I don’t need new robes because I use range attacks but wouldn’t melee need better gear.”

“That is true, but I need this for my skill.”

“You see, the ‘lightning affinity’ skill still levels up but the resistance it gives barely increases, so the one given by the coat’s really important or else I shock myself.”

“Do you know why it doesn’t increase more?”

“Maybe element resistance is capped? The damage bonus still rises normally though.”

“So you’ll never be able to use more powerful lightning spells?”

“I think if I get more gear with lightning resistance I could reach 100%, but from my total 70%, only 10% is from the coat even though it was from a raiju.”

“Maybe we should hunt for more lightning element monsters?”

“Nah, the only thing I can imagine with higher resistance than raiju material is Thunder Dragons and I think we’re hardly strong enough for that.”

“Or maybe we’ll find some ring or necklace with it.”

“Anyway, that’s why I haven’t changed coats. Besides, I kinda like the black color and blue bolts.”

“ I guess that the style of it is well designed....”

As we walked continuing our small talk we picked up the gold bounty and headed back to the inn near the center of the city.

Back to Main Page

Characters + Setting + Suggestions