Chapter 444

“Why are you being so difficult.” James grumbled at Ifrit. The party stood at the entrance to the second floor, in the abandoned, run down area where the portal between second and first floor flickered. All around James could see the husks of the cars and other such remnants that offered up scrap metal and other such crafting materials for players. There was also the sign welcoming them to Jurassic City, a fun little touch James had added to the floor what felt like a lifetime ago. The party was looking out at the wide swaths of grass, so tall that Steve could get lost in it, which James knew was full of velocity raptors. The dangerous, three-foot-tall pack mobs of the second floor, that excelled as assassins. Even more dangerous, were the variants, the philoso-raptors, which would utilize their ‘knowledge bombs’ to send grenade clusters out at players, which made the path no longer safe either.

James had seen parties handle this part of the floor in different ways. Those with reliable, powerful tanks, would, and sometimes did, wade into the grassy expanse, doing all they could to draw aggro from the ambush mobs, putting faith in their high defense stats and skills, as well as their healers, to keep them alive. Their dps members would then take down the mobs from a safe distance, and once the pack was down a member or two, the mobs became much less dangerous. An obvious and known weakness of the mobs that gained buffs from being in groups.

Other groups, those who didn’t want to risk their tanks, would either move as quickly as they could towards the city, opting to face the less chaotic and sudden foes that patrolled the decaying cityscape. Another variation of that particular tactic, utilized by groups with powerful AOE skills, involved launching AOE attacks blindly into the grass on either side of the path. Doing so could easily damage the velocity raptor threat, and draw the foes out of their cover, and into a visible, easy to navigate and fight from, path.

James and his party were trying for that similar tactic, but their main AOE source, was being…childish, for lack of a better word.

“It’s the principle of things.” Ifrit said coldly, which was impressive, given he was a being of fire. “I’ve got my pride as a Djinn to consider.”

James let out an exasperated sigh. “It was an accident, alright.” The accident being the fact James had looked at Ifrit’s information, without the summons’s permission. Which, James, even with his connection to the AI, was still having an issue really understanding. For fucks sake, he was the summoner, and it was only right he should be able to look at the stats of the creature he’d summoned. It was literally something all good summoners did. And yet, his particular summon, had a very different opinion on that matter. “And I already apologized.”

“Words are cheap.” Ifrit said ideally. With his growth in size during his transformation, he now stood taller than James, meaning the djinn was literally looking down at James as it spoke. “Actions are what makes a man.”

James growled. “You mean like when I saved you from Old Man Jenkins? You know, when you screwed up, and nearly got yourself killed?” James’s temper was flaring. Seriously, of all the AI to generate, why did he have to get this one?

“One good deed, does not excuse such an action.” Ifrit countered. “You broke my trust. You’ve trampled on our bond.” Ifrit’s blue hair burned brighter, and his twisting horns of flame flared. His eyes flashed white hot. “You’re a fool to expect subservience immediately from a creature such as I. Especially given my new status.”

James opened his mouth to speak, but Rue stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. A message appeared before him a second later.

/Rue: Allow me.

He nodded to her, and Rue offered him a smile, her fangs flashing. She stepped up towards Ifrit and crossed her arms, looking upwards into the creature’s face, her face an unreadable mask.

“Listen here, you little shit.” She said suddenly, her tone dangerous, threatening.

“You don’t speak-“ Ifrit started, but before he could even finish, a bucket appeared in Rue’s hand. She splashed its contents towards ifrit, a yellowish white liquid. Scapegoats milk, if James wasn’t mistaken. The liquid splashed towards the Djinn’s face, much of it evaporating from the intense heat with a loud sizzle. Still, the look of astonishment on Ifrit’s face, showed Rue had caught the creature by surprise.

“I said, listen.” She said calmly, another bucket in her hand. “I just spent over an hour on that first floor, farming mobs with everyone. I’ve got plenty of these, if you want to interrupt me again.”

The djinn shook his head, mouth closed, as he looked at Rue with a look of confusion and anger.

“Good.” The bucket in Rue’s hand disappeared. “Now then. I’m going to lay down some important facts for you, and then, we’re going to go with the plan, okay?”

Ifrit opened his mouth to speak, and the bucket once again appeared in Rue’s hand. “I didn’t say you could speak. Just nod, if you understand.” The djinn, nodded.

“Alright. First, and foremost.” She looked back towards James. “While your summoner may be a bit of a pushover, he’s my pushover, not yours.” She narrowed her eyes at Ifrit. “Meaning, you better think twice about trying to act up towards him. Because while he may let you get away with it, I won’t. And trust me, this is the mildest form of punishment in my disposal. I can make your literal life hell, you understand?”

The djinn nodded, again.

“Second.” Rue continued. “I can assure you, Nyx over there, is probably the best summoner you could have landed with. He isn’t malicious, and he wasn’t trying to do anything to anger you. His breach of your trust came from him being excited for you. He wasn’t trying to pry, he just wanted to see what it was you’d become. He was happy for you. Your actions, are not how you treat someone that literally just wanted to see how awesome you were becoming, alright?”

Another nod.

“Third,” she glanced back toward James, then Steve, then back to Ifrit, “even though you are our main DPS for the party, DO NOT think you are irreplaceable. We are treating you like our equal, but the truth of the matter, sadly for you, is that you are a summoned companion. Nyx over there, can just as easily get rid of you, as it is he summoned you. As it stands, you’ve been with us for a single floor. You do not know what all we’ve been through together, and if there is anyone who needs to earn trust, or try to prove themselves, it’s you, not Nyx. Nor I.” Her tone lightened for a moment, as she glanced back at Steve. “The halfling, maybe. But just maybe.”

Ifrit’s mouth opened and closed again. The summon was just as uncertain over the whole situation, as was James and Steve it seemed.

“You need to learn who exactly is in a position of power. Right now, you aren’t. If we wanted to, we could get rid of you, summon a new djinn, with a better personality, and in an hour, have them leveled up and evolved. It’s not hard for us, and trust me, if you’re going to be difficult, it may actually be better for us, than putting up with your shit.” Her voice lowered as her eyes narrowed. “So, I’m giving you a chance, right now, to prove yourself to us. Prove, that you’ll work with us, and give us a reason to keep you around. Otherwise, I am turning this party right back around, and you are getting kicked off our adventuring bus.”

She pointed towards the grass, and without a single word, without a wasted moment, Ifrit’s swords were in his hands. He raised them in the sky, and just as before, a massive ball of flames appeared. This one, dwarfed his previous one, likely empowered thanks to his transformation. The suns on his hilts flashed with power, blue flames twirled around the blades, and with visible effort, Ifrit drew the blades apart, creating not one, but two, balls of fire.

He lowered his blades towards the grass, and the twin balls erupted forward, scorching the ground and burning away the tall grass instantly, the spheres of flame flying at least fifty feet outwards before they erupted, consuming another twenty or thirty feet worth of grass. From there, grass fires broke out, and quickly, the second floor’s rolling fields of grass, were ablaze, sending dark smoke into the sky, alongside the metallic clicks and cries from distraught and annoyed mobs.

A few velocity raptor bodies could be seen, their lack of magical defense making them prone to the powerful blaze from the djinn. Others, could be seen cautiously investigating the burned grassy fields, their glowing eyes turning their attention towards the party.

It had been an impressive display of power. And now, with Ifrit’s actions speaking for him, the party launched rapidly into their second floor dive. They didn’t have a choice. From James’s estimation, they’d aggroed a good number of the pack mobs, and they didn’t have the time, nor luxury, to further have any type of discussion. The party seemed of the same mind, and Steve, laughing like a mad man, rushed into ash of the burned field, taunting all enemies he could, to give him a try. At his side, Ifrit, blades drawn, flames flowing, a look of determination, and rage, plastered across his face. James was already preparing buffs for his summon, even as Rue walked calmly back to his side, a look of pure satisfaction on her face. Once again, James was reminded just how terrifying Rue could be, and how lucky he was, to have her on his side. While it had needed to happen, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Ifrit. Sure, the Djinn had been being difficult, but James couldn’t help but feel Rue may have gone a little hard on him. Everything she’d said, had been true, but still, the scapegoat milk threat, especially, seemed a little uncalled for. Even if it was, arguably, funny enough that he’d already saved it as a video clip…for reasons. Mimic videos were still popular with the dungeon cores, but James had a feeling this event, might make for an even more viral video. Or serve as a good reminder, to not get on Rue’s bad side.