Grand Game 288: Building Resistance (Patreon)

A few minutes later, the tunnel opened into a large cavern reminiscent of the first level of the guardian tower.

Multiple hostile entities have failed to detect you! You are hidden.

Dropping into a crouch, I scanned the chamber. While the cavern contained no lava, the rock floor glowed a dull red, courtesy of the heat generated by the dozens of fire lizards lazing in its depths.

The creatures themselves were man-sized and built low to the ground. Their bodies were covered by a roughened hide with cruelly tipped spikes that, despite their seeming thickness, failed to hide the gleaming crimson of the lizards’ innards. Most of the creatures appeared asleep, but now and again, one would emit a small plume of fire through its elongated snout.

Flaming snores? I wondered inanely.

Letting my gaze rove over the cavern, I took count of the creatures’ numbers. Fivescore, I concluded. It was a sizable lair. The closest lizards were more than ten yards away, but even in the cavern’s soft red light, they failed to spot me.

Reaching out with my will, I analyzed all the creatures within range.

The target is a level 61 fire lizard.

The target is a level 63 fire lizard.

The target is …

…

The fire lizards’ levels were exactly as the twins had described, and the tactics I’d devised should suffice. But damn, if it isn’t hotter than I expected, I thought as I wiped away the sweat running down my face.

Behind me, I heard the twins approaching. Retreating from the chamber, I headed back to let them know what I’d found.

✵ ✵ ✵

“This is it,” I told the youths after describing what we faced. “Are you ready?”

Tense nods.

Whatever doubts the twins had—and I was sure they still had plenty—they hid them well now that our course was decided. “Good. Cast any buffs you have while I do the same.”

Your Dexterity has increased by +8 ranks for 20 minutes.

You have gained an encumbrance aura for 10 minutes.

You have trigger-cast quick mend.

Extracting four healing potions from my backpack, I handed them to the twins. “Use those and heal yourself if it becomes necessary. Now, do you remember the plan?”

“We do,” Teresa replied. “Strike from the sides, and don’t get in front of you.”

I nodded. The three of us had retreated to the tightest stretch of the tunnel. It was barely wide enough for me to swing my swords, and I judged that no more than one of the fire lizards would be able to come at me at a time.

Terence stood a step behind me and held his shield and broadsword at the ready. Teresa was on my left, also a step behind and with her longswords drawn.

“There is just one more thing to do.” Walking a few steps forward, I crouched down and, rubbing my thumb across the blue rune on the trapper’s wristband, activated the item.

You have passed a thieving skill check!

You have removed 2 trap-making crystals from your trapper’s wristband.

Remaining trap-making crystals: 198 of 200.

One of the nice things about my new veteran trapper’s wristband was that it did not force me to use four components for every trap. For less complicated traps or when I needed a less powerful effect, I could use a minimum of two parts, thereby rationing my trap-making crystals.

As the enchanted crystals fell into my waiting hands, I cast set trap and configured the device I had in mind.

You have concealed an ice trap element.

You have connected a trap element to a remote-control trigger.

An ice trap has been successfully configured!

Rising to my feet, I pocketed the trigger.

“What did you do?” Teresa asked, studying the empty ground in confusion. The ice trap, of course, was hidden from her eyes.

“I laid a trap.”

“A trap? Why would you do that?” Terence asked.

“As a failsafe.” I smiled and tapped my pocket. “I don’t think we’ll need it, but if things start to go wrong, I’ll activate the trap, and we’ll get the hell out of here while the lizards are frozen.”

The twins brightened immediately. “A backup,” Teresa marveled. “Clever.”

I grinned. “I thought so.” Turning around, I faced down the tunnel. “Alright, here goes.”

Drawing in a deep breath, I raised my head and howled.

Behind me, I heard both youths start at the sound, and I felt my own measure of surprise, too. What I’d intended as a generic war cry had come out sounding uncannily like a wolf’s howl.

I’d yelled to attract the lizards’ attention, and I could have chosen any noise, of course. In hindsight, the sound I’d opted for was perhaps not the wisest choice, but it was the battle cry that came most naturally.

“Are they coming?” Terence asked, gripping his weapons tightly.

Holding up one hand for patience, I cocked my head and listened. There was a faint tremor to the floor and what I thought sounded like the tramp of many webbed feet drawing closer. “Yes,” I replied, somewhat unnecessarily, as the forefront of the lizard wave rounded a bend in the tunnel.

Catching sight of us, the mass of flickering shapes hissed in displeasure and slithered forward faster.

“There’s so many,” Teresa whispered in dismay.

Ignoring her, I bent my knees and readied myself. There would be no fancy footwork to this fight and minimal dodging. I would have to rely solely on my swordplay to keep the snapping jaws at bay, my void skills to minimize the fire damage I sustained, and chi heal to restore myself.

No biggie, I thought, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d overestimated my ability to hold back the creatures. A fine time for second thoughts, Michael, I thought dryly.

Narrowing my eyes, I focused on the lizard in the fore. It was wider than I was and longer than I was tall—which was good, it would keep the others out of reach—and was already emitting short bursts of flame—not so good.

The flares of flames were contained, though. While they would undoubtedly wash over me, the twins were far enough back not to feel the fire’s touch. The other bit of good news was that, weighed down by their armored hides, the lizards were slow, increasing my chances of avoiding their attacks.

The lead lizard reached striking distance.

Beating its tail against the ground in anger, the creature opened its mouth, and a small flame ballooned out.

I saw the attack coming but stayed where I was. This is going to—

You have failed a magical resistance check!

A breath of fire has injured you!

Raging hot flames bathed me, scorching hair, blistering skin, and charring armor. I clamped my jaw shut, holding in the scream that threatened to burst free, but as much as the flames hurt, the level of pain was nothing like what I’d experienced at the touch of Inga’s self-immolation spell.

I was fully aware of the avidly watching twins too. This was the most critical moment. If I cried out now or showed the least sign of fear, the pair would bolt.

Swallowing the agony, I kept my eyes open and focused on my foe. The lizard’s jaws were darting forward, reaching for the meaty mass of my thigh. Swinging ebonheart downward, I pushed away the creature’s snout.

You have blocked a fire lizard’s attack.

I chanced a look behind me.

The twins were staring at my ravaged face in horror. “Attack,” I croaked from a throat burnt, blackened, raw, and parched.

“He’s crazy,” Terence whispered in awe.

“But right,” Teresa whispered back.

Jerking into motion, the two struck in tandem from my flanks, doing nearly no damage to the lizard. But that didn’t matter. The two were engaged. The battle had kicked off, and everything was going according to plan—so far. I smiled grimly.

Now, all I have to do is stay in the fight.

The lizard’s jaw opened again. Bracing myself for another douse of flames, I summoned psi.

✵ ✵ ✵

You have restored yourself with quick mend. Your health is at 100%.

In a fraction of a second, my hair grew back, and my skin took on a new sheen of health.

Of course, in the next second, I was engulfed in flames again, and the cycle began anew. I was unfazed, though. Now that the first brush of contact had passed, the battle had settled into a steady exchange of blows.

I had judged the width of the tunnel correctly, and despite frantic attempts by the lizards behind my foe, none of them were able to join their fellow in striking me, leaving them to rage impotently at nothing.

Teresa and Terence had fallen into their own rhythm. Their swords rising and falling, the twins chopped into my foe and, slowly but surely, hacked away bits of its hide armor.

For my part, I kept my maneuvers defensive, fending off every attempt of the fire lizard to clamp its jaws around my ankles, shins, and thighs. Its bout of flames, I ignored.

Most of my attention was not on the physical contest, though. Turning my focus inwards, I concentrated on the Game messages scrolling through my mind.

You have failed a magical resistance check!

A breath of fire has injured you! Your health has decreased to 96%!

Your void armor has reduced the elemental damage incurred by 10%. Void armor charge remaining: 98%.

Your elemental absorption has increased to level 26.

Unlike in previous battles, I kept a close watch on the performance of my void armor. My elemental absorption skill was still too low for me to fully resist the fire lizard’s breath attacks. However, the mana shell encasing me still absorbed a decent portion of the damage I incurred, and ever so slowly, my skill was advancing.

Your elemental absorption has increased to level 30 and reached rank 3, increasing your chances of resisting harmful elemental effects by 7.5% and decreasing the damage you suffer from them by 15%.

Given the relative ease of the physical combat, I was able to split my focus as I’d learned to do in guardian tower and cast quick mend when my health dropped too low. Taking matters a step further, I also mediated and channeled mana while in the thick of battle.

You have restored your psi to 100%.

You have replenished 1% of your mana. Void armor charge remaining: 99%.

Your channeling has increased to level 27.

My multitasking was not without consequences, and I missed parrying more than a few blows, but even when the fire lizard clamped its jaws around my leg, it was unable to inflict grievous damage before I recovered and beat it back for the cycle to begin anew.

✵ ✵ ✵

Thirty minutes went past, then an hour, before the twins finally killed their first fire lizard.

A level 65 fire lizard has died.

Terence whooped, and Teresa laughed. My attention fixed on the rest of the fire lizards still swarming behind the dead beast, I didn’t turn to look at them.

“Congratulations,” I called over my shoulder. “How many levels did you two gain?” Not unexpectedly, I’d gained no levels.

“One level each!” Terence shouted excitedly.

I frowned. “Only one level?”

“It’s because you’re helping us,” Teresa said. “You can’t fool the Adjudicator, you know.”

I nodded, realizing she was correct. I glanced at the remaining fire lizards. They were still milling behind the dead creature and making no attempt to advance. My frown deepened. “Why aren’t they attacking?” I wondered aloud.

“It’s because their underbellies are soft,” Terence explained.

I shot him a puzzled look. “What does that mean?”

“The fire lizards know better than to try climbing over each other,” Teresa said. “The spiked armor covering the dead beast’s back will tear open the bellies of whichever one tried.”

“Ah,” I muttered in understanding, then gestured at the corpse. “Then, what are you two waiting for? Drag that away, and let’s have at the next one.”

✵ ✵ ✵

Six hours later, we still labored on.

The twins had gradually become more efficient at slaying the fire lizards, gaining levels and skills with each kill. My own elemental absorption and channeling skills increased apace, but after six hours, I was thoroughly bored with my routine and decided to add another wrinkle: charging the remaining aetherstone on my bracelet.

As expected, the stone eagerly sucked at the mana I provided,  and I was stretched to my very limits to simultaneously tank the fire lizards, restore my psi, keep my void armor operational, heal myself, and charge the gem.

It made for an interesting afternoon.

As night fell, after nearly thirteen straight hours of fighting, our small party was exhausted. Behind us was a pile of fifteen corpses. We’d slain close to a fifth of the fire lizards, and though that was nothing to shout about, the twins had gained fifteen levels and multiple ranks in their weapon skills.

My own player level had not advanced at all, and while my skill improvements did not match the twins, they were impressive nonetheless.

Your elemental absorption has increased to level 81 and reached rank 8, increasing your chances of resisting harmful elemental effects by 20% and decreasing the damage you suffer from them by 40%.

Your dodging has increased to level 119. Your shortswords has increased to level 137. Your two weapon fighting has increased to level 119. Your light armor has increased to level 126.

Your chi has increased to level 121. Your meditation has increased to 143. Your channeling has increased to level 101.

I glanced at my companions. Both their faces were masks of concentration, and none of the fear they’d shown earlier in the day was in evidence. They’re enjoying themselves, I thought, pleased for the pair.

Still, it was time to cut things short.

I had a long night ahead of me. First, I had to escort the pair back to the village, and then, I had to return to the mountains. I had not, as I’d hoped, been able to scout the area for the pack while training the twins, but I would do so after they were back in the safe zone.

“This is the last one,” I said. “Then we retreat.”

A perspiring Teresa nodded weary agreement. All three of us were soaked through from the ambient heat generated by the fire lizards.

“Will we return tomorrow?” Terence asked.

I hesitated. I’d only committed to taking the twins on a single hunting expedition, but after my own skill improvements over the course of the day, I knew I would benefit from another day too. “Perhaps,” I allowed eventually. It would depend on what I discovered tonight. “I will let you know—”

“GGGRRRR...”

I froze as the snarl cut across my mind. Loud. Abrasive. Angry.

“What’s wrong?” Teresa asked, sensing my distress. She didn’t stop hacking at the fire lizard attacking me, though, and neither did Terence. They had not heard what I had.

The growl was all in my mind. But real. Very real.

Ignoring the question, I fixed on the source of the sound. It had come from a dire wolf—an unhappy dire wolf who, at this very instant, was stalking closer.