Chapter 48: X Doesn’t Always Mark the Spot |
Beside the goal, Romin thrust his fist to the sky in victory, while Hiral and the rest of the party whooped their cheers at the Bonder. The tank was always concerned about pulling his weight – and who could blame him in a party like theirs? – but maybe this would make him just a bit more confident in himself. The rest of them knew what he brought, and it was about time he realized it too.
“Romiiiiiiin!” Yanily shouted. “Yeah!”
“Good job you two,” Gran said. “See, not getting hit isn’t so hard!”
“Gran, nothing was trying to hit them,” Seeyela said.
“Where were you looking?” Gran asked. “The entire trial was trying to hit them. And for once I don’t need to plug a hole or reattach a limb. This is the best trial ever.”
Seeyela smiled and shook her head. “I can’t argue any of those points.”
“Shouldn’t argue with your elders anyway,” Gran said.
While the group bantered, though, Hiral looked to the side where the other Infested stood glaring at his party. Maybe it was because of their fifth trial loss, or maybe it was just because of who they were, there was no friendly discussion going on beyond the shimmering wall. The lone Possessed still with the group stood ostracized off in a corner, while even the four Infested clearly didn’t look to be friends. There were more than a few feet between each of them, with the robe-wearing, bearded water-user standing at the front.
Arms crossed and hidden within the sleeve of his robe, the man’s eyes were narrowed, while the tentacles across his head pulsed.
Instead, they got the eighth-floor notification springing up in front of them as if the tower itself was trying to distract them from violence.
Tower of Dynamic Trials – Eighth Floor
Challenge – X Doesn’t Always Mark the Spot!
More treasure? If you know where to look.
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
“Another treasure hunt?” Yanily asked without taking his eyes off the Infested through the shimmering boundary. “Lazy trial design.”
“Maybe Tomorrow needed some filler,” Seeyela said, likewise glaring at the other faction. “You know, she chose twelve trials, then realized she only had enough ideas for eleven.”
“Or she’s like Yanily,” Hiral offered. “She just really likes treasure.”
“She is a dragon,” Romin said. “All the stories talk about dragons and their hoards.”
“Which would explain Fenil’s shiny-object syndrome,” Gran said.
“Anybody in their right mind likes treasure and loot,” Yanily said.
“For now,” Seena interrupted the banter, flames dancing above her fingers as if daring the Infested to try something. “We have a trial to decide on.”
“Left,” Hiral said without hesitation.
“Our list should’ve reset with Romin taking the last one,” Seeyela said.
“Even so, Left is the best choice. Attunement almost as good as mine, and this one doesn’t say anything about water. His tattoos should work.”
“I’m fine with this,” Seena said. “Left?”
“Consider it taken care of,” Left said.
“No objections from anybody?” Seena said. “Good, locking that in.”
With one last glare at the robed Infested across the way – the others hadn’t quite gotten as involved in the staring match – and Seena tapped the air. As soon as she did, the brief seventh floor came to an end with a flourish of teleportation sparkles. The next second, Hiral was still lined up beside Seena and the others, but they weren’t glaring daggers at the Infested group.
Instead, they stood at the railing of the spectator booth overlooking the new arena floor. Almost like a mash-up of several of the previous floors, this field had a forest, a jungle, a lake, an obstacle course, and, yes, even a big rock.
“See?” Yanily said. “Lazy trial design.” Then he noticed the massive Bonder in his Onslaught form beside him. “Romin! Yes! High-five!” The spearman held his hand up – which barely reached the Rune-o-man’s chest.
“Thank you,” Romin said in a deep voice, then gently leaned forward and tapped his gargantuan hand against Yanily’s.
“You did a great job, Romin,” Seena said, going over to pat him on the thigh. Anything else was just too far away.
“It was all Wallop,” Romin said. “He is very good at cheating.”
With the words, the Bonder’s transformation ended, a blinding flash of energy separating the pair and depositing them side-by-side.
Snuff.
“Sorry, very good at tactical ability usage,” Romin clarified. “Also known as cheating.”
Snuuuuuff, the Rune-o ‘said’ with a roll of his eyes.
“Cheating is totally okay when it puts the bad guys in their place,” Yanily comforted the Runeocerous. “Watch, Left is absolutely going to cheat to win this trial.”
Hiral chuckled. “It all depends on…”
The notification window sprung up in front of them with the trial rules.
Tower of Dynamic Trials – Eighth Floor
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Challenge – X Doesn’t Always Mark the Spot!
The wilds have long been a mystery to most, hiding fortune and danger both. Which will you find as you search the terrain of the Nexus?
Numerous treasures – both natural and those lost by people – now lay somewhere within this wild grave. Retrieving those treasures will accrue points, with more valuable finds equating to a higher point value. The side with the most points at the end of the trial is the victor.
Note: Attacks will not be limited or restricted within the trial, neither against the denizens of the Nexus nor the opposing faction.
Note (2): Treasures can be taken – along with their points – from the opposing faction. Protect your treasure as surely as your own life!
Note (3): There will only be one round, lasting up to thirty minutes.
Note (4): ‘Death’ within the trial is only temporary, depositing the ‘deceased’ back on their starting island after a short recovery & respawn cooldown.
Note (5): All self-buffs are allowed.
Preparation time – 1 minute, beginning now.
Hiral couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the notification. Yanily was right. That was almost word-for-word the same blurb they’d gotten for the fifth floor. This really was lazy trial design and writing.
“Right,” Yanily said quietly to the double. “You, you know, going to be okay if Left wins here? Same trial, but you lose, he wins…?”
“Just for that question,” Right said before a wildly fancy pastry appeared in his hand. Then he met Yanily’s widening and horrified eyes, and took a huge bite out of the flaky goodness.
“That was my last…!”
Right held up what was left of the half-a-pastry, stopping Yan’s words cold as the spearman’s eyes followed it. “For starters,” Right said after he finished slowly, dramatically chewing. “I will be happy when Left wins this trial.”
“He is so going to cheat,” Hiral said from beside Right.
“Secondly,” Right continued. “Even suggesting we have some sort of rivalry going on as to who is the better double is ludicrous. It’s clearly me.” Then he shoved the rest of the pastry into his mouth as Yanily’s jaw dropped.
“Shouldn’t have left it in the Shared Storage,” Seeyela said, patting the spearman’s shoulder. “How many times did I tell you?”
“Not sure that was the moral of this story,” Seena said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Enough of that, though, let’s cheer Left on. He may not look it, but he likes the moral support.”
“He does?” Hiral said. “He usually looks like he hardly cares.”
“Oh, he loves being the center of attention. He has the same tells you do.”
“I don’t like being the centre of attention, though.”
Everybody stopped and looked at him. At how he glowed in the literal center of the group.
“Just because it happens to happen from time to time doesn’t mean…” he trailed off.
Seena reached up and put her hand on the side of his face. “You’re cute when you’re flustered. Now, support your friend.”
“Left, prove you’re a better double than Right-the-bully!” Yanily shouted, even though Left couldn’t hear him through the magic of the trial. Too bad for the spearman, the other double could, and another pastry appeared in his hand.
“Since you didn’t learn the first time,” Right said, digging in.
There was a cry of despair from the spearman – really, though, he’d earned that – but Hiral’s attention was on the arena. Or, more specifically, on the windows hanging above it, and the portrait of who Left’s opponent was.
“Ooooh,” Seena said, spotting what Hiral had. “It’s Mr. Beard.”
“Mr. Beard?” Hiral asked, looking from the plain-robed Infested that had won the trial against Right to the party leader next to him. “And you call my naming bad.”
“It is not the Mistress’s fault if that’s what the Infested calls itself,” Li’l Ur said.
“That’s actually its name?”
“If she says it is, it is,” Li’l Ur said with a sagely nod.
“I’m not sure that’s how it works…” Hiral trailed off, but there were only a few seconds before the trial would start. This one could be very different from the last. Yes, there was the lake, but that wasn’t even a sixth of the space. If the Infested was hoping Left would conveniently go for a swim so he could crush the double beneath the waves, he was in for a disappointment. Even the watery giant would be less effective with all the greenery and rocks.
Then Hiral looked from to the image of Left, and immediately down to where the double stood. Solar energy warped the trees around him as he stood with his eyes closed, glowing Coat of Amin Thett lightning the space within the forest like a small sun.
“Oh, he’s actually taking this seriously?” Seena said.
“Any objections?” Hiral asked. “From the feel of the solar energy, he’s planning to use several tattoos. If you think he shouldn’t show them, I can always cancel Foundational Split.”
Seena shook her head immediately. “You know what? Let him go wild. I think he’s a little pissed about what happened to me and Right.”
“He’s usually the calm one,” Yanily said.
“All the more reason the Infested should be worried,” Seena chuckled. “Left usually plays the role of support, so let’s see what he can do when he’s got center stage. Here we go.”
As soon as the countdown timer hit zero, the Infested dashed from his starting point in the direction of the lake. As expected. His speed was impressive, the physical attributes of an Infested carrying him through the woods at a blistering pace. He’d make it to his goal within thirty seconds – tops – if nothing slowed him down.
Which didn’t seem to be what Left was doing, at the moment. Instead, his hands went from tattoo to tattoo, solar energy shaping his strategy with pulses that shook the treetops. Leaves rained below as birds – apparently there were some in this trial – burst into the air in a flock hundreds strong.
In the next instant, another bird joined them. Shooting through the canopy like a loosed arrow, this new addition rocketed two hundred feet strait up before it spread its twelve-foot wingspan with a snap. Despite fleeing the shocking pulses of solar energy, the entire flock of birds paused as the new bird of prey surveyed the sky and everything within it. A shrieking cry from its hooked beak shattered the pause, and the previously cohesive flock of birds instead shot off in every direction. Anything to get away from the huge bird now beginning its swoop.
Luckily for them, the Bond of the Hidden Prince had no interest in hunting the birds. No, it had been given other instructions, and treasure was the only prey it would be seeking as its eyes glowed, before a powerful beat of its wings sent it streaking off.
Below, it wasn’t the only addition Left had called on, with The Pack shaping around him. Now numbering nine-strong, the largest of the wolves lumbered up to look Left directly in the eyes. While the double was the alpha of the animals, this prime specimen – complete with spines lining its back and protruding from its joints, along with jaws that could crush one of Tomorrow’s brass constructs – would lead the others in the field.
A rumbling growl reverberated from its chest, sending the still-falling leaves vibrating in the air, and it lowered its head in submission.
Left placed his hand gently on the beast’s large forehead – right between a pair of spiral horns – and waited until the wolf looked at him again. Red, coal-like eyes stared up at him. “You know what to do. The hunt is on. Let nothing stand in your way.”
Another growl of understanding, and the beast stepped away to join the other – only slightly smaller – animals. Then, as one, they howled, the sound spreading the width of the trial grounds in a heartbeat.
A shiver ran up Hiral’s spine at the sound, like the gaze of a predator had landed squarely on him. Even the running Infested stumbled and skidded to a stop, his head snapping around to look in the direction the bone-chilling cry had come from.
“Is it just me,” Yanily started. “Or are those wolves bigger? And a whole lot more intimidating.”
“They’re kind of S-Rank now,” Hiral said. “Thanks to the bonus of the Second-Skin of Amin Thett.” He shared the window with the others to remind them what it said.
When worn as a complete set (4 pieces), the Lost Second-Skin of Amin Thett increases the power of any abilities inscribed upon it.
As the other reread the notification, Left continued to activate his tattoos, namely Touch of the Primal and Way of Shadow, which combined into the Touch of Night. Body wreathed in darkness, only coal-red eyes left visible, the double dashed into the trees. Now, he was moving in the direction the Infested had gone.
“Before,” Hiral said as he watched a patch of shadow sprint through the trees. “It was basically getting an extra rank of effectiveness. The gap between A-Rank and S-Rank is too big, though, even for the S-Rank set. Still, it’s pretty close, and I’m excited to see what he can do with it.”
“No Spear of Clouds?” Seeyela asked.
“I don’t have the Edict of Piercing, so he’s missing a third of the spear to be able to shape it. Once I have that…”
“Then he’ll be a real terror,” Seena said.
“Sorry, but you’re wrong,” Right said between licking his fingers of the last pastry flakes.
“Oh, back to the rivalry?” Yanily said.
“Not at all,” Right said. “The mistake is thinking Left isn’t already a terror. Just watch.”
And so the party did, as a giant of water emerged from the lake, and a flittering of shadow bolted out of the forest line a few seconds later. Wings of blue flames erupted from the double’s shoulders, while a pair of liquid daggers appeared in his hands, and he leapt into the air.