Asteria
On the Trail (D2)@SilverPaw
Asteria eventually left Mei to whatever experiments she was doing, and convinced the Mother Rat to follow her once more. Mother wasn’t quite as quick as her daughter, but she was further along it seemed than Mei or Ed had been when it came to keeping up with Ria’s increased speed. As they tracked Ed’s trail from the previous day and came across the scene of carnage, Asteria took to sampling and investigating.
Your observations have granted you a new skill!
Skill Gain: Monster Analysis I!
Gain basic biological information about a monster by actively observing it.
Mother’s squeak drew her attention next. The bigger rat seemed to have picked up that they were tracking the other male rat from yesterday, as his scent was the only familiar one to her that Asteria seemed to have been following. Now that they had another lead, they began to follow it.
Soon they could see Ed, standing near the Pool. He was watching two nearby slimes...and seemed rather traumatized, if a rat could show emotions…
[[You can join their group if you’d like.]]
Edward, Asura, Jason
Pool Party (D2)@Searat@Kazemitsu@Guy0fV4lor
As Ed watched in shock, his brain slowly began to register that what had happened was, perhaps, not such a randomly unfortunate occurrence after all. The red slime came to a stop--and considering its momentum, such a thing must have been calculated. It had wanted to stop, specifically, to meet a second green-colored slime. And, though its large mass gave it more trouble, the blue slime stopped as well. If Ed used his sharper senses, he could even hear what the Red and Green slimes were saying to each other--and these were the only two slimes he had ever heard, thus far, who could speak. Just like those Wisps, and those other rats…
As Jason and Asura conversed, the green slime decided to try another experiment. As he used his Tremor Sense on Asura, the red slime would feel much like one could imagine a bowl of jello feeling if you simply picked it up, put the lid on it, and then violently shook it like some kind of crazed bartender mixing a James Bond martini. In the end it made him quite dizzy, but at least it didn’t seem to be painful yet.
Jason, on the other hand, would notice that Tremor Sense didn’t really give him any noteworthy feedback about Asura’s body the way it had the Fanged Lizard. Maybe it was the lack of solid bones and flesh available to “map out” the body through the waves, or maybe it was just that there didn’t seem to really be anything “in” a Slime, except for their bile-like fluids and...well, maybe just one thing. The closer the waves got to Asura’s center of mass, the slower they became and the more of their energy bled out, leaving the vibrations that made it back to Jason weaker and less clear. So maybe there was some kind of “core” in there? Like the membrane pockets they could use to wrap up items in their Inventory?
As for telepathy...When Jason thought directly towards Asura, his intentions to communicate became perfectly clear between the two slimes. But while he could
physically feel his Tremor Sense, and so could Asura, the only other feeling Jason could detect was somewhat similar to how his Mana behaved when he used Earth elemental spells. It was not so much that he controlled a flow of energy, or generated a certain type of power, but that whatever Mana he was putting into this--this “focus” of his own mind, this “invisible connection” between himself and another being--the Mana he put into it would pool up, and then “suffuse” the subject.
It was quite a hard thing to describe, and the green slime probably couldn’t even imagine how difficult it was to type in words. It was so difficult that most writers would probably just say “fuck it” and slap something down to be done with it.
But, the important thing was that there was a
difference. There was a noticeable difference in what was happening to the Mana he used for Tremor Sense, and the Mana he was using for...whatever this form of communication between slimes could be called, since it didn’t seem to be quite the same as true mind reading.
Momma Slime, after watching in silence for a few moments, reached out to pat Asura on the head with a heavy pseudopod, causing his body to undulate somewhat.
What other small used-to-be-now-not me do? How...How I do?
Lorek
The Pool (D1)@Bishop
Skill Rank Up! Your constant practice of a skill increases its ability!
Mana Orb I > Mana Orb II
MP Consumption Increased.
Magic Damage Increased.
As an Active Spell Skill, you may cast any Rank of this skill you have access to. At full MP, you can cast (2) Mana Orbs at Rank I. At full MP, you can cast 1 Mana Orb at Rank II with some MP left over.
As Lorek whirled and fired, his Mana Orb suddenly crackled all the louder. The energy blasted the zombified Pixie and kept going, tearing through its already mangled flesh. Now missing a large chunk of its ribcage and one of its arms, the zombie fell over backwards--but it wasn’t re-dead yet. Still groaning, blood and bile pouring from its mouth, nose, and eyes, it twisted until it gathered both legs underneath it. Pushing off with those snapping bones, it once more launched itself at Lorek.
Even though he had used Curses to kill it last time, the Pixies weren’t able to take this much damage normally. What would he have to do to put it down this time?
And more importantly, would he have enough MP to do it? If that System Message was any indication, he couldn’t use another Mana Orb now--would he be able to kill the creature with just his Lesser Force? If he used the Curse Word again, would he have any other method to damage it with no MP?
Rain, Orchid, Digbie, Mourningstar, Oberon, Orochi, Ardur
Flame of Chaos (D2)@Old Amsterdam@Lucius Cypher@King Cosmos@CriticalHit@Gardevoiran@floodtalon@ReusableSword
Orochi launched a glob of Poison Spit after Orchid as she dragged Cripsy away, only for the goblin girl to almost instinctively react and swing her sword, swiping the poison blob out of the air. Her weapon hissed, its untreated sinew-bindings burning away and further weakening it, but she had managed not to let any of it get on her or Crispy. Orochi didn’t pursue any further, however--his priority was now Goblin #1, the one that had already been poisoned. In fact, even as Orochi was creeping up on him, the goblin clutched his stomach and then began to wretch.
As he bent over, Orochi darted in. Climbing up and over, he scaled the green monster’s body. He was almost to its throat before its diseased body could react, but the goblin missed as it reached for him. The Fanged Lizard sang his claws and fangs into the vulnerable throat, and this goblin too went down--but of course, he was taking Orochi with him! The lizard felt himself slammed into the ground, hard, dislodging him from his prey. The goblin rolled, one hand holding his own throat wound, and snatched up his Gnarled Stick. He stood up, weapon raised and hatred burning in his eyes--
Then he convulsed, throwing up once more, before dropping to the ground. His stick clattered to the stone floor.
Rain tried to take advantage of the bleeding Goblin #3’s distracted state to use her stealth ability, but in pitched battle it wasn’t that easy to simply go back into the shadows. Still, even though Goblin 3 turned towards her, all he could do was weakly kick out at her--which gave her the perfect opportunity to dart under his foot and seize the one planted on the ground. As her fangs savaged at his flesh, the goblin couldn’t help but fall, forcing him to let go of his wound. But he had already lost too much blood--with his heart struggling already, Rain’s paralytic venom simply stopped it. The Goblin weakly thrashed as he went into cardiac arrest. He looked up at the lizard sitting on his chest with an expression of fear.
What kind of death must it be, for a sentient creature, to be paralyzed, bleeding, afraid, dying? To slowly let life ebb away, helplessly? Would it, perhaps, be what was felt by those prisoners executed by lethal injection? Could anyone, still alive, ever know that feeling themselves?
Goblins 1, 2, and 3 were down. But Orchid and Crispy were already getting far from the battlefield, and getting further with every passing moment. For the young female goblin, right now Survival was a form of victory too. And right now, survival meant getting the hell out of here, with her “teacher” in tow. That's when she heard something being hurled towards them. Orchid didn't get a good look and simply acted on reflex; blindly swinging her sword backwards hoping to intercept the projectile. Against the odds she succeeded, swiping a ball of poisonous purple spit out of the air! None of it got on her or Crispy as it spattered against the rocks, but the acid burned through the sinews and strips of hide she had used to bind her sword together, further weakening it. When Digbie javelined a large stone spike at them, she again deflected it, but with more effort this time. But the strain was too much for her weapon, and it shattered. Pieces of wood and bone shrapnel peppered her, and Crispy to a lesser extent, but at this point it was a small price to pay.
But now with both hands free, Orchid could turn her greater-than-the-average-gob’s strength fully upon Crispy. She practically carried him now as they ran, and the blinded Goblin seemed to be making some kind of expression between awe, fear, confusion, and rage.
“Youngling! The big hole, to outside! Find Rattleskull!” the flame touched goblin managed to get out as he found his own feet--though all he could really do was jog at a slower pace alongside Orchid, since he had to rely on her to lead him.
But they weren’t out of the clear yet. As she shook off the flames of Orchid’s thrown torch, Mourningstar had let her rage get the best of her. With a shouted order at Oberon she set off in pursuit of the two goblins. Orchid and Crispy already had a fairly decent head start, though--if she really pushed it, Mourningstar might be able to maintain distance with them, track them over time and perhaps catch up whenever they stopped. But she just didn’t have the speed to overtake them, at least not right now. Would she continue the chase?
Oberon had done as was asked, healing first Mourningstar and then Rain, as he saw her perched on top of her slain goblin. Both of them would receive Full HP notices from the System, and Mourningstar had also refilled her MP with a crystal--speaking of which, hadn’t Crispy been stockpiling those somewhere?
But Oberon, like Mourningstar, found that he simply lacked the physical speed to overtake their retreating prey--but he could, perhaps, stay within sight of them and try to track them. But if he could see them, they could probably see him too--except Crispy, of course.
But one member of the party
was able to catch up. Thanks to his Lesser Flight II skill, Ardur’s speed was greater than that of the others. He was able to catch up to the two goblins, and even managed to land on the female’s shoulder--
Then he cast a Shield spell on her!?
“Keep moving, you’re almost there!” he shouted at Orchid.
Ash, Naji, Scott, Danny, Reoth
Nearby the Pool (D2) @Rune_Alchemist@ghastlyInc@CollectorOfMyst@Duthguy@Kangutso
The other Fanged Lizard looked at Ash with bestial eyes. They could only see two things--that which was prey, and that which was not. As she spoke to it in a clear voice, there was no understanding in those eyes. It seemed curious...but ultimately, as the wild lizard backed out from under the rock, its curiosity was overcome by its instinct. It glanced around at the others--Pixies, a Wisp, another Fanged Lizard. Too many. Competitors? Predators? Prey? Too confusing. As Ash took a more relaxed stance, the Lizard finally made its move, and backed away from the group. It turned and tried to run--then promptly became tangled in its own leash. It began to thrash to free one of its legs, hissing and baring its fangs at the others again to try and keep them from attacking it in its moment of weakness.
You used Monster Analysis I!
This Monster is Dead. Decay has not begun, Effectiveness at 99%.
This is a Goblin. A semi-intelligent monster with the limb dexterity and mental capacity to use tools. By comparison, usually as large, strong, and intelligent as a human child, but far more vicious. This one was carrying a Hard Rock as a weapon. It was killed by something with claws and fangs. From its size and other identifying features, it is probably a fully mature specimen. You can’t be sure because you haven’t met that many goblins.
As Danny partook of the raw goblin, he experienced much the same thing Naji did. Thankfully he wasn’t as bad off as the Pixie, and could afford to eat much less. His Monster Analysis gave him some rather plain information that he could probably have just guessed on his own, but then again it was a brand new skill at the first rank.
Naji managed to pull out one of the goblins’ eyeballs, complete with a gushing of blood from the socket and a stringy length of optic nerve. There was also an excellent view of the inside of the green creature’s head, at least until you got to the gristly yellow of the bones under all the flesh. And of course the smell was
just lovely. But as Naji chewed and chewed and forced himself to swallow, he felt the pangs of hunger finally beginning to settle a bit.
You are still Exhausted. You have regained a small amount of Stamina. You are still hungry. You are no longer starving. You are no longer experiencing HP Drain. Your HP is still Low. You are still Thirsty.
As Reoth avoided drawing attention to himself, it was surprising how good at it he turned out to be, given his albino coloration. But the one Pixie seemed so intent on devouring that goblin, and the other was hiding behind a rock perhaps until the leashed lizard was either tamed or had gone away. And everyone else was either talking or distracted by said starving pixie and aforementioned formerly enslaved lizard.
It would probably behoove Reoth to go ahead and take the initiative...
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