Travis Gardin
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Chapter 13: Dragon And Dungeon
🕑 Added 2024-09-30 18:00:08 +0000 UTC6/21
Washington D.C.
7:15 PM
“Users recover Ki, Spirit, Faith and Arcana upon using a level up.” Mercy says this apropos of nothing as we climb the stone stairs down to the green dragon's deadly, fog-filled lair.
“What?” I ask, thoroughly stumped.
“A new rule we could add with the amendment scrolls. Point recovery on using a level up. It wouldn't contradict the humans should die angle of the Dracosys rules. It becomes a risk-reward feature. Decline being more powerful now for a possible mid-battle boost later. Even then, if you have to close an eye to level up, that leaves you vulnerable while you do it.”
“Like the delay in using an Estus flask in Dark Souls,” Rutger says. “No reward without risk. Pretty smart, Mercy.” Rutger gives a rare grin. Mercy smiles back.
I swear that Mercy gets along well with just about everyone. She does have a great smile.
The chatter continues a few minutes as we descend stairs, then when we hit the stone doors at the bottom, the chatter stops abruptly. Having been briefed on possible poison, we all go into our inventories and pull out goggles and gas masks.
The doors are big, looking like they belong to the massive temple above. They're also inscribed with depictions of a dragon breathing acid down on unsuspecting villages. Lovely. I use my Strength to shove the heavy door and it moves with surprisingly little effort.
The door opens and we see nothing but fog. There are green lights coming from in the fog, giving the large chamber a haunted feeling. There's no sound from inside the fog. Not yet. I move forward, knowing that a partially or fully invisible green dragon is somewhere in here.
I can't see the walls or ceiling, there's too much fog. My superhuman Intelligence does some rough density calculations and figures the walls and ceiling must be at least a hundred feet away. The wall the stairs are set into is a glossy, black stone. This all feels so wrong. Dozens of soldiers and Capitol police died here over the last few weeks, trying to fight the dragon. Dozens of highly trained people who couldn't take this thing down.
I take a deep, humid breath. I turn to the others. They also look concerned. I address the group. “We're the Pathbreakers. We're here because we can do what nobody else can. So let's do this.” I get nods and confidence returns to my people and-
ROAAAAR! The dragon's cry echoes through the cavern, fog wafting about just from the air being shaken. I can probably match that with Atmos spells. Atmos Mind! I charge and fire successive Storm Shots, and as each air bullet passes through fog it spirals the mist and condenses it. This lessens the fog density just enough for us to see the dragon as it comes in to attack.
It's big. Really, really big. It's got to have a 80 foot wingspan and be 60 feet long from nose to tail. It's your typical European dragon. Four legs, two wings, body the size of a school bus, head the size of a Volkswagen Golf. As it glides in from above, the fog around it turns yellow. As it lands in front of me it's long neck rises and it sprays a line of acid down at me. The Pathbreakers behind me open fire. I dodge forward under the spray and scan it as I go.
Green Party Dragon. Tier 6. Some say they spoil the race. Others say a two party system is inherently corrupt. The truth is that if the Green party used this guy as their candidate, they'd win in a landslide. A landslide of acid and poison. This system message can only confirm what you already know, so its mere presence turns normal fog poisonous and it spits acid and boy, is it strong and tough.
Possible loot: Dragon core, dragon scales, ability scroll.
I'm in Atmos mode, so my actual most potent power is punch. So I punch. I reach the dragon's chest and give it a good Typhoon Uppercut. Neon pink Atmos energy forms a tornadic cloud around my fist, which impacts the dragon and does not a damn thing. Well, I guess the dragon's chest wobbled a little. Still, totally underwhelming.
Bullets and arrows fly. An exploding arrow hits the dragon's neck and its head sways despite not much damage being done. Rutger fires a small ball of fire that explodes when it nears the dragon's head, but this also doesn't seem to do much aside from knock it around. Scratch that, the fire burned away some fog. We have a path forward.
I dash back after the acid spray stops, but the dragon is beating its wings and taking off into the fog again. As it goes it sprays a line of bile-yellow acid aimed at Rutger, and Madeline dashes in to block it with her magic shield. The shield sizzles and the metal bubbles, but then after the acid ceases, the shield seems to repair itself and go back to top condition. Neat.
Solar Mind! I make ten Solar lances and fire Prominence Burn from each one. Bright orange flames shoot out in all directions as I burn away fog. The dragon doesn't seem to be around but now he's got less to hide in.
As soon as I'm starting to look back at my crew Rutger's chest and stomach explode in blood. The blood coats invisible claws and I can feel the wind from the beat of wings. I turn my lances to right above Rutger and Prominence Burn a wide area. The flames outline the fucking invisible dragon and my team opens fire. The dragon loosens its grip and Rutger drops. I keep flames on the dragon and hear Kailani start to heal Rutger but I don't know if they're already dead or not. No, wait, if they were dead, they'd have dropped their inventory items. So they're alive, for now.
The dragon flies back and my burning lances follow it. I don't know how much damage I'm doing to this invisible son of a bitch but I'm not letting it get away easy. It eventually flies into a fog bank. I can't send my lances in there without losing control of them so I break off the chase.
Rutger is dying. Kailani's incantation is keeping them alive, but they're losing way too much blood. Having watermelon sized claws rip into you seems pretty fatal. But, not 100% fatal. I have to take two chances to save Rutger's life.
“Libra!” Five stars appear in my right palm, lines connecting them in the pattern of the constellation Libra. The constellation flies over to Rutger's open wounds and disappears. Then, suddenly their wounds begin to close... And mine open. Blood gushes out of brand new wounds in my chest and abdomen as Libra seeks to balance the wounds between the two of us. I summon Biscuits J. Cannonball Jr. and the floof of orange fur and wings appears in a puff of fire. I grab the kitten and ask politely, “hey can you heal me?” I drop to my knees as I start passing out from blood loss. I use Ki healing techniques on myself to keep me conscious while Biscuits just tilts her head at me as I hold her in my arms. Goddammit Biscuits, heal me!
I hear the roar of the dragon and fear runs through my veins for the first time in a long time. The little kitten looks at my increasingly blood-stained shirt and meows. I feel her healing powers rush through my body, feeling like three shots of espresso at once. And, just as I start to heal up, Libra kicks in, feeling like it could balance my wounds and Rutger's wounds a little better. I see Rutger's wounds close and I know they're going to live.
“Nothing on heat, infrared or ultraviolet,” Parker says as she shuffles through the modes on her optical lens.
Jose raises his rifle and says, “I can see it. I used a thing. Everyone follow my shots.” A bolt of lightning strikes something a hundred feet away in the air and everyone else opens fire in that direction. Jose's bolt keeps arcing between his rifle barrel and the dragon, and I can see blue electric sparks outline its body.
“Thanks, mate!” Quins says and he looses an arrow that's closer in size to one of the lizard men's javelins. The projectile flies slowly but flies true, hitting the dragon right in the head as it swoops in to claw more of us. I'm pretty sure that's an eye he just hit because the dragon flickers into visibility and reels back and lands 20 feet away from us.
Without missing a beat, Madeline charges forward and leaps up to deliver a massive, Ki empowered chop to the dragon's neck. Yellow caustic blood sprays out and Madeline raises her shield to shield herself from the acid. Mercy appears to the dragon's side and slices up and through its right wing. Bullets fly at the dragon's face and it opens its mouth to breathe acid, only for our team to rain lead down its throat. I pull back my lances to me and cast ten Solar Motes from ten lance tips. The small balls of orange light and fire fly to the dragon's left side and then explode, tearing its left wing and front left leg off.
Now with exposed guts and muscle to shoot, the team proceeds to shoot the damn dragon to death, firing hundreds of rounds into its side. Not to be out done, I fire all ten lances into the thing's neck and each one punches in just far enough for me to then use Prominence Burn from the lance tips to burn the fucker's throat from the inside out. The bastard collapses and dies, and I fall over as well, landing on my ass.
Biscuits looks up at me and I pet her behind the ears. “Are they taking good care of you, girl?” I ask. And, as I look at her, she grows three inches. Uh, what? I check her status.
Biscuits J. Cannonball Jr.
Called familiar of Jun Kyung Han
Level 14
Strength 1
Dexterity 2
Agility 39
Toughness 1
Constitution 4
Mental Attributes
Intelligence 1
Memory 2
Wisdom 1
Charisma 44
Reflexes 20
Etheric Attributes
Energy 44
Luck 25
Free points 26
Woah! She got credit for participating in the dragon fight! I raise her up with both hands, Lion King style. “Behold, our savior!” I shout.
I use the menu to allocate the free points into Intelligence, Memory and Wisdom, hoping that I'll get a more reliable pet.
“Papa, put me down.”
Huh?
“I want attention, but I want it how I want it, not how you want to give it to me.” It's a tiny girlish voice coming from my cat.
Well, shit.
