Chapter 47: The Fastest Way |
When the tenth minute clicked finished, Seena’s solar energy sat at empty in the Party Interface, though the woman forced herself to stand straight. She’d basically just put on a masterclass of how to manage energy output while simultaneously raining near-endless death and fiery destruction across almost a mile of terrain. The only question was, was it enough?
Between the two hanging portrait windows above the arena, a third window with two bars had appeared, each representing the number of kills by faction. Two bars that looked disturbingly close in height.
Despite Seena’s volleys of fiery lances – some with Ur’s blight within – she had been forced to focus on one area of the arena at a time. She just didn’t have enough solar energy to blanket the entire place constantly. That had given the Infested an opening, his frost creeping in where her fire didn’t fall. As she moved her attacks to those spaces, the frost-field would simply slip into the area she’d left.
If she’d had access to Allied Killing Spree, it wouldn’t have been an issue at all. The sheer number of kills per attack would’ve kept her topped off the entire time. Too bad the trial had prevented the buff from applying to her. As it stood, after the full ten minutes, Seena and the Infested were neck and neck, nothing but a barren, frozen, and blasted wasteland stretching out beneath their towers.
No more of the monsters came rushing out of the gates. The seemingly endless horde had run out of targets to offer the duo.
“It’s too close to tell,” Gran said, her red and blue eyes within her hood squinting as she stared at the progress bars. “Boy, you’ve got the best attunement, who won?”
“Honestly can’t tell,” Hiral said. “The windows are every-so-slightly vibrating, which keeps the bars moving.”
“We’ll just have to wait for the…” Seeyela started, only for the notification window she was probably just about to mention to pop up in front of the party.
Tower of Dynamic Trials – Sixth Floor
Defeat!
Note: Reward will be announced on the twelfth floor prior to commencement of the death match.
“No way,” Yanily said, then shouted. “I demand a recount!”
“The Infested really won?” Seeyela asked.
“Just barely, I guess,” Hiral said. “It must’ve been from the beginning, where it killed its entire area, before Seena started bombarding its side.”
“But she killed all of hers,” Yanily pointed out. “How could the Infested have killed more when she was also killing his?”
“Because that silly girlie broke the trial,” Gran said, then pointed at the shattered gates. “She didn’t kill what was on the other side, just prevented any more from coming in.”
“That has to be it,” Hiral said.
“Sorry, guys,” Seena said over the party chat, looking in the group’s direction. “I guess I kind of overdid it.”
“Nothing new there,” Seeyela said. “You’ve been like that since you were three and you decided to…”
“No,” Seena interrupted. “I have no idea what story you’re about to tell, but I’m sure it’s embarrassing.”
“Not like you have any solar energy to stop me,” Seeyela jabbed.
“I’ll find some,” Seena threatened, but some of the guilt had left her voice. The pain on her face of letting the group down – that was how she felt, even if the others didn’t blame her – wasn’t quite as quick to fade, though.
“These Infested really do have unlimited solar energy?” Romin asked.
“If there was any doubt before, there isn’t anymore,” Hiral said. “No other way he would’ve gotten this result.”
“Still think he cheated,” Yanily muttered.
Out on the platform, Seena – and Li’l Ur – took a deep breath, then blew out like she was trying to let the loss go. “We’re still up four trials to two.”
“And the two we lost were nothing short of impressive,” Hiral said, looking first to Right, then out to Seena. “Even though they technically won, they have to at least be starting to wonder if they can win the death matches.”
“Unless they’re holding back way more than we are,” Seeyela said. She shook her head immediately after that. “Nah. Never mind. If they were anything like the previous Infested we fought, they don’t consider us a threat, which means there’d be no reason for subterfuge.”
“Did you just use subterfuge in a sentence?” Yanily asked. “With a straight face.”
“I’m going to stab you.”
“Before that,” Seena interrupted. “The next trial notification arrived. Here, take a look.”
A second later, a window popped up in front of Hiral’s eyes.
Tower of Dynamic Trials – Seventh Floor
Challenge – The Fastest Way from Point A to B!
Is a straight line really the quickest way to get from one place to the next? Or the safest?
Choose one party member (and their companion, if appropriate) to compete in this challenge.
Note: Chosen member will not be able to compete in any other single challenges until all other party members have competed at least once.
You have 1 minute to choose – 00:59
“This one sounds like a race,” Yanily said, looking directly at Hiral.
“I can’t enter another one yet,” Hiral said. “But, based on the wording, I think I know who’s an even better choice.” He looked straight at Romin and Wallop beside him.
“Us?” Romin asked.
“You,” Hiral said. His head turned to Wallop. “Remember how you beat that rabbit?”
Snuff.
“Exactly. You cheated.”
Snuff.
“He says,” Romin said. “Tactical usage of abilities is not cheating.”
“Well,” Hiral said. “I think a bit more tactical usage of your abilities – after using your Onslaught form – is exactly what we need here. You two up for it?”
Romin looked at his companion, then back at Hiral. “We’re ready.”
“Any objections?” Seena asked. “Left?”
“No,” the double said. “Romin and Wallop are the right choice for this.”
“Okay then, here we go.” Out on the platform, Seena tapped the air, and familiar sparkles surrounded Hiral and the others.
When they faded, he found himself in yet another seating-box, though the setup of the arena had changed. Now, instead of the Infested group being on the far side of the field to them, they were all in neighboring boxes. The usual shimmering wall separated one side from the other, but after seeing what Seena’s attacks did to the supposed barrier, Hiral kept one eye on the opposing group. Just in case.
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The other eye, well, that he turned to the apparent obstacle course laid out in front of them. Clearly set up as a race, it was filled with all manner of traps and mechanisms that would be anything but good for the racers’ health. The standard gouts of flame accompanied spike walls that opened and closed like a massive maw. Lightning arced in thick ropes between spherical nodes, and that right there definitely looked like an acid bath. Gaps with nothing but nothing separated numerous platforms where brass constructs waited with spiked maces for the runners.
Beyond the almost mundane traps, Hiral also sensed others, hidden energies along the track. Definitely more interspatial manipulation going on here. Traps and obstacles we can’t see until the runners get there. All in all, there looked to be eighteen different sections – islands or platforms – making up the trial.
As for the runners themselves, Romin and Wallop had replaced Seena in the field – who stood next to Hiral as he put his arm over her for comfort – while the Infested’s representative was the Possessed who’d competed against Yanily. Unsurprisingly, the notification window popped up in front of his eyes.
Tower of Dynamic Trials – Seventh Floor
Challenge – The Fastest Way from Point A to B!
Speed? Durability? Cunning? There are many strategies that will get you to the end of the track. Which will you take?
Upon commencement of the trial, the racers need only reach the goal. The first one there wins.
Note: Attacks against the other faction member will be prevented.
Note (2): Any means or tactic can be used to reach the goal.
Note (3): There will only be one round, lasting until the first faction arrives.
Note (4): All self-buffs are allowed.
Preparation time – 1 minute, beginning now.
Hiral read the notes as usual, then nodded. Their plan should work. The goal wasn’t even really far, it was just the maze-like obstacles and dangers would likely force most people to take a longer – and safer – route to reach it. Even somebody with Wallop’s armor would have a tough time tanking the various forms of damage without risk.
Without anything more Hiral needed to or could do for the Bonder and his companion, he instead turned his attention to the woman beside him.
“Don’t worry about it,” Hiral said quietly to Seena. “You did great.”
“Should’ve gone harder from the beginning,” she returned quietly. “Tried to play it too safe.”
“Then you would’ve been out of solar energy way before the finish. No, you played the right strategy.”
“Inifinite solar energy isn’t fair,” Seena grumbled.
“It really isn’t,” Hiral agreed, looking at the woman nestled up against him.
In reply, she tilted her head to look up and meet his eyes. “He’s mine in the death match.” Gone was the pain of losing and the guilt of letting her group down, replaced instead with the fire of determination in her eyes. Literal fire, with her irises burning as she stared at Hiral.
“If he’s crazy enough to try and take you on, he’s all yours,” Hiral chuckled.
They’d all felt a noticeable, qualitative upgrade moving from B-Rank to A-Rank, but here in the Tower of Dynamic Trials, they were really starting to see just how much they’d grown stronger. It was truly amazing how their PIMs and the PIMP took the solar energy they accrued over time – the experience they’d gained – and then used it all at once as fuel to basically reforge their bodies. Yes, a fair amount of it went incrementally into their level-up improvements – mainly their increased attributes – but Hiral had realized with the latest evolution that not nearly all of it got used at each level.
No, most of it was stored within their PIM universes, as he’d come to call it, until it was time for the evolution. Then, when the PIMP fully connected through an interface, it had everything it needed for a major overhaul. The earlier Rank upgrades had been tame in comparison, which made sense. Their bodies were weaker, and they couldn’t handle the really impactful upgrades until they were stronger. Then there was the fact the PIMP needed – and used – less solar energy for those D, C, and B-Rank upgrades.
Getting from B-Rank to A-Rank had been – by far – the longest stint the party had been through since they’d started running dungeons. It had taken an absurd amount of time and experience to reach B-Rank-twenty. Even with numerous abilities that extracted extra meaning and benefit from the solar energy they collected from fallen foes. And, with all the strength they’d gained over those twenty levels, the PIMP had a powerful base to work with.
Compared to anything before – with their gear and advanced classes – they were practically superhuman. Each stat point was more valuable than in earlier Ranks, their solar energy flowed like streams of liquid sunlight through their channels, and their abilities had become more specialized. More personalized. Their bodies were stronger than Tomorrow’s brass, and their minds processed information at an unbelievable rate.
They weren’t actually smarter – which Hiral found interesting – but they had a vastly improved opportunity for growth. It was a lot like Milly’s Fool tattoo, in that it didn’t make her more intelligent, but it did assist her in learning. With the A-Rank upgrade – and maybe even the earlier ones – it was like their minds had become more sponge-like. Ready, willing, and able to soak up information.
Assuming they had the time to take advantage of that potential, which they hadn’t yet.
Gauto will love reaching A-Rank.
Watching Seena unleash her magic – without going all out – had really hammered home what the PIMP had been able to do with them. For them. Yes, part of Hiral was still leery about how the PIMP was using them, but he couldn’t argue with its efficiency in forging them into the weapons it needed.
And, by the look on Seena’s face, a weapon that Infested would very much regret pissing off if it stood in front of her. The creature was powerful – unlimited solar energy was a cheat – but the coming fight didn’t feel nearly as impossible as it had the day they’d stood in front of the racial scanner. At the time, seeing Vorinal and multiple Infested signatures all in one place hadn’t seemed like a challenge they could overcome.
Sure, they’d said they would – they had to, after all – but the how was very much up in the air.
Until today, when how could be as simple as burning the Infested to ash.
Hiral clenched his other fist as his side, the Edicts visible to only his eyes around him moving closer as if anticipating his needs. Seena wasn’t the only one looking for the chance to let loose. These Infested – and Vorinal – were just another step in their party’s journey to stop the Enemy. To rid the world of the threat of the Raze.
They were all fuel to make the party even stronger. To reach S-Rank. And beyond? If there was one – a beyond – Hiral would find it.
“Somebody looks like they’re ready for a fight,” Seena said with her quirked smile that was just for him.
“Heh, maybe,” Hiral admitted. “You’ve got me a little fired up for the twelfth floor.”
“Those Infested won’t know what hit them,” Seena said.
“Oh, they totally will,” Yanily said from right beside him. “They’ll know it was us.”
“First things first,” Seeyela said, from Hiral’s other side, practically shoulder to shoulder with him. “Let’s cheer Romin on.”
“Romin and Wallop, you got this!” Yanily shouted.
“Rah rah!” Hiral and Seena said at the same time, looked at each other, then laughed.
“It’s about to start,” Gran said, drawing everybody’s attention back to the stars of the show.
On the platform, the stoic Bonder and his companion pulsed with solar energy before the two became one. Standing in their place, the massive – and now A-Rank – Onslaught towered. Romin had to be almost ten-feet tall now, his wide, armored shoulders supporting muscular arms that were almost as big as Hiral was around. The plating that covered his body gave off an aura of solidness, so much so Hiral was sure even the old goat Archwizard would have trouble punching through them like he had before, while his horn radiated Impact.
Anything getting hit by one of Romin’s charges would be in for a very bad time.
Luckily for the Possessed, that wasn’t how the Bonder duo was planning on using their abilities, and with a gong, the race began.
With a crack, the Possessed launched himself toward the first obstacle island – this one primarily comprised of alternating streams of fire – at an impressive speed powered by sheer strength. His claws tore at the ground as he landed to change his direction, side-stepping the first gout of fire, crouching down to all six limbs to let he second flash above him, then flipping sideways up and over the third.
Power and agility making up his speed. Not a bad method.
Watching the Possessed leap and dodge its way through the first trial, Hiral estimated it would only take a minute, maybe a minute and a half at most, to reach the goal. Against a lumbering monstrosity like Romin, that had to be enough didn’t it?
Except, Romin was already on the sixth island, appearing with a pair of heavy steps before he changed direction, took two more steps, then vanished again. This time, he reformed on the eleventh island.
“That Blink Charge is almost as good as Bamf,” Yanily said with a whistle.
“Not quite,” Seeyela said.
“Protective of ‘your thing’?” the spearman said.
“No, don’t get me wrong, it’s good,” Seeyela said as Romin made it to the fifteenth island with another Blink Charge. The Possessed was only on island three. “But, look, he can only go in a straight line, and he seems to have to take two steps at the beginning and end of the charge. That’s why he went to those islands specifically before…”
GONG!
Romin’s fist hitting the goal reverberated across the trial, the race-timer hanging overhead reading fifteen seconds, and the Possessed skidded to a stop on the fourth island, jaw dropping.
Tower of Dynamic Trials – Seventh Floor
Challenge – The Fastest Way from Point A to B!
Victory!
Note: Reward will be announced on the twelfth floor prior to commencement of the death match.