Warbreaker's Risk: A LitRPG Apocalypse Adventure (The Connected System Book 2), page 44
Just as Loch had hoped.
The bear was ready, watching the two combatants come together. If it needed, Grodu would join its master, but Loch only needed seconds of it not engaging.
He’d only come up with one plan to deal with the monsters.
Divide and conquer.
He caught the spiked club on Onyx, using the weapon’s defensive properties. He pushed up against the greater strength of the taller troglodyte, forcing the club back. Loch shifted his feet, only Offensive Stance Activated, taking some of the weight off his arms and shoulders. The more he used the Ability, the more Loch gained benefits from smaller movements. He learned how shifting his feet just a couple inches, or angling one to the side, strengthened his body or allowed him to avoid attacks. There was a lot to melee combat, not just swinging a weapon.
Lug was just that much stronger than Loch, forcing his club back down.
So Loch let it.
He pulled Onyx back, stepping fully to the side, one foot staying planted long enough to keep Stance active. Both feet stayed in contact with the ground, resetting the counter. Like most things in the Connection, Loch didn’t have an exact time that Stance would remain Active as his feet moved, the Ability needing one foot to stay in contact. It was just a feeling. Seconds was all he got, hoping that eventually, when the Ability ranked up, he’d get longer.
Ability descriptions just gave basic information. There was still so much more that he had to learn on his own and through experience.
Overbalancing, Lug fell forward, Onyx coming up to attack the exposed monster. But Lug moved faster than Loch would have expected, twisting away. Onyx missed, Loch managing to not overbalance.
Lug stood up, a couple of feet away, sneering at Loch. He said some words in his language, just grunts and growls to Loch. When he didn’t get a response, Lug spit on the ground at Loch’s feet. He pointed the club at Loch, growling.
Grodu responded with a growl of its own, rearing up, then feet slamming onto the ground as it got ready to charge Loch. Brian slammed into it, his own spiked club crashing into the bear’s side. It penetrated the thick fur but barely hurt the large bear.
It spun, batting at Brian, who managed to get his club up to catch the large paw. It pushed Brian back a couple of feet, but somehow he managed to stay on his feet. Harper appeared out of the shadows, tonfas stabbing into the bear. Lightning crackled around the weapons as they bit deep.
Roaring, Grodu turned around, swiping at Harper, but she was already gone, melting into the shadows. Frustrated, the angry bear attacked Brian. One paw, then the other, each knocking Brian back a foot or two. The Soldier didn’t fall, accepting the blows, moving back with them.
Drawing the bear away from Loch and Lug.
A blast of silver energy slammed into the bear, smoke rising from scorched fur. It roared in pain, trying to turn to find the source of the attack. A swat from Brian’s club got its attention just in time for Harper to appear again.
Loch focused on his fight, barely avoiding a swing from Lug’s heavy club. He had to step back, getting Onyx up to block the return swing. With the axe, he angled the attack away from his body. It left Lug exposed, but there was no way for Loch to counterattack.
At least not with Onyx.
Activating Bulwark, Loch lifted his left arm, holding it in front of him as the translucent energy shield appeared. Struggling against Loch, who twisted Onyx to get the hook end around the club, Lug glared at the shield, trying to pull his weapon free.
Loch smiled.
The troglodyte looked at him in confusion.
Loch released Lightning Bulwark’s elemental field.
He felt the energy drain from his Core, pushing out the shield. Small crackling arcs of lightning shot out from the green shield, slamming into Lug, spreading out across the large trog’s body. He roared in pain, falling back as his body seized. His hand didn’t release the club as Loch had hoped, grabbing it tighter. Loch twisted Onyx, letting the club go.
That had been holding Lug upright, the spasming body causing him to fall backward. He tripped on a loose pelt, falling onto the pile—a somewhat soft landing.
The attack didn’t cause much damage. It was more of a knockback effect.
But it bought Loch some space.
Activating Cleave, he swung Onyx down at the prone Lug. The axe bit into the monster’s shoulder, scoring a solid hit. Lug managed to smack his club into Onyx, knocking the weapon away. He lunged up, trying to attack the opening he’d created.
Loch was too quick. He sidestepped the lunge, Lug flying past. Lifting a knee, he caught the troglodyte in the gut. Lug grunted, and Loch bit back a cry of pain. His knee hurt, the bone almost shattering against the hard muscles of Lug’s stomach.
Hopping back, Loch cursed.
Lug landed hard on his chest, sliding across the stone floor, sending dust and pebbles flying.
Loch threw Onyx.
The weapon slammed into Lug’s back, small bolts of lightning crackling, whiffs of smoke drifting up as the smell of burnt flesh filled the area. Onyx ripped out, resummoned by Loch. With weapon back in hand, he ran at the fallen Lug, swinging the weapon down.
It slammed into Lug’s back. He felt bone breaking, muscles tearing. Blood erupted.
Loch raised Onyx over his shoulder, ready to swing it down again.
Lug turned around, onto his bleeding and shredded back, growling in pain, managing to kick his legs out. They caught Loch in the stomach, sending him flying.
He landed hard, sliding across the ground, trying to breathe. A stalactite stopped his slide, his head slamming into the rock.
He knew he had fractured ribs, maybe broken. Each breath was painful.
Loch blinked, head a little woozy. It throbbed, the world blurring. He could make out the shape of Lug, a tall and dark blur that wasn’t moving that fast. Lug growled. Loch struggled to rise, not taking his eyes off the approaching troglodyte.
His vision cleared.
Lug’s club was raised, spikes pointed at Loch. It swung down on an arc to connect with Loch’s head. He rolled to the side, the weapon slamming into the rock formation, shards of stone exploding, pelting Loch’s aching back, slicing into his exposed skin. He kept rolling, putting distance between himself and the troglodyte chieftain.
Hard stony ground became rough fur. Loch hit the pile of pelts, pushing himself up. The furs were all rough and dirty. They’d never been washed and smelled like it. Loch fought down a gag, standing up and Windstepping away from the furs and Lug.
He angled away, Lug already charging for the furs, chasing where Loch had been. Loch’s chest hurt. It was hard to breathe, and the force of the Windstep had caused the fractured and broken ribs to throb. The look of frustration on Lug’s face when the large troglodyte realized Loch was gone made the extra pain worth it.
“Over here,” Loch said, hand out, fingers curling toward his body.
Lug growled, raising his club high. He charged at Loch.
Activating Offensive Stance and Bulwark, Loch prepared to charge.
Or at least looked like he was.
Enraged, Lug committed to the charge. Club raised over his head, roaring in anger, Lug raced across the short distance separating the two. Loch held his ground, waiting.
Lug came closer, looming in Loch’s vision, taking it all up. The only thing Loch could see.
He waited.
Then he shifted his right foot back, turning his body, lowering Onyx in a two-handed grip to the right side. Lug couldn’t stop, running right where Loch had been.
Right where Onyx was now swinging up, Cleave Activated.
It wasn’t a strong swing, but it didn’t have to be.
Lug’s own momentum forced him onto the bladed head of the axe. It pierced his thick skin, cutting deep through the muscle, striking and breaking bone. Going deeper, the glowing edge struck vital organs.
That momentum twisted Loch, spinning him around as the still-running troglodyte yanked Onyx from his grip. He stumbled, managing to catch himself.
Lug came to a stop a few steps ahead, staring down at the axe embedded in his chest. It disappeared, the troglodyte reaching up with a shaking hand, feeling around where the axe had been. Blood fountained from the wound, pooling on the ground.
The spiked club fell from his hand. Both were shaking. Lug’s whole body started to shake. He fell to his knees, still looking down at the wound, wondering what happened to the axe.
Lug found out when Onyx sliced through his neck, having seconds to realize it happened before he died. The head hit the ground, rolling away.
Loch stepped back, letting the body sag and collapse.
He turned around, looking for the battle with the bear.
Brian stood in front of the massive monster, dodging and swinging with his club. He was mostly missing, just trying to keep the bear’s attention. Harper danced around behind the monster, Skipping into the shadows when it tried to attack her. She attacked often, hitting most of the time, but the speed and need to keep moving kept the attacks from being as strong as they could be. The bladed tonfas pierced the bear’s skin but didn’t cut deep.
Grodu was still bleeding from dozens of small wounds. The damage would add up. But the bear had a high Health pool. It was barely affected.
Brian was holding his own but fighting a losing battle. He was purely defensive. Eventually, Grodu would score a hit. Just one is all it would take for Grodu to break down Brian’s defense, opening him up to more attacks.
Julia was busy keeping Brian up. He may not have been getting directly hit, but there seemed to be an area of effect element to Grodu’s attacks. Brian was taking damage. Piper couldn’t do much. A black blob on the ground indicated an ink summon had been destroyed. She wouldn’t be able to summon another one. She fired off blasts of pure Spirit from her wand, doing more damage to the bear than Harper’s stings.
But the damn thing had immense Health.
Grodu roared as Onyx cut into its large back. The thrown axe cut through the thick fur into muscle, but not much deeper.
Loch appeared right beside the giant bear, continuing the run he’d started when Activating Windstep. He pushed off the ground jumping into the air, arm held out to the side. Onyx disappeared from the bear’s flesh, appearing in Loch’s hand as he landed most of the way up the bear’s massive body. He reached out, grabbing a hold of the long thick fur, swinging Onyx with his other hand.
Using Cleave, the axe bit deep, causing the bear to roar in pain and tremble. It tried to buck Loch off, but he held on tight, using the hair to pull himself up. His feet slipped, grip tightening as his body slammed against the thick fur. He felt the fur cut and pierce his skin like needles.
Cursing, Loch let go, landing hard on the ground. He managed to keep his feet, knees bent to absorb the shock, forcing himself back into a roll as Grodu turned, giant paw swiping where Loch had been.
He came to a stop, Bulwark raised to catch the paw that swatted at him. He staggered under the weight of the impact, feeling it through his body. A shockwave of force sent him back a couple more steps, barely keeping the shield up, his concentration broken, unable to Activate the elemental aspect of the shield.
That was what had been hurting Brian. There was a force damage aspect to Grodu’s attacks. Some component of its strength aided and magnified by Spirit? Loch didn’t have time to really think about it as another paw slammed into his shield.
The pressure lifted as Brian attacked Grodu’s rear. His spiked club bit into the bear’s flesh. Harper appeared on top of the bear, tonfas stabbing down. This time they pierced deep, lightning crackling from the wounds.
Grodu spasmed and Harper was thrown off.
She melted into the shadows before hitting the ground.
The bear ignored those attacks, focusing on Loch. It sensed that he was the strongest foe, the most dangerous one.
Which was true, but immensely fast Grodu’s continued attack kept Loch on the defensive, not allowing him to use his Abilities to the fullest. He’d Activated Aura of Attack to give Brian and Harper more damage output.
He felt warmth flow through his body, Julia’s healing Ability landing on him. Her strongest healing was by touch, but her ranged was still decent. It also cost more Spirit, which Loch found odd. The touch Ability healed more but cost less. Shouldn’t it have been the other way around? The better Ability would cost more Spirit?
Loch wasn’t going to complain, though. The ranged heal was the one she used most in combat, staying further back and out of direct danger from melee attacks.
Grodu was standing at its full height, towering over Loch, massive paws slamming down onto his shield. His legs bent, straining to hold up under the pressure. The bear was strong. He could sense the flow of Spirit around it, the extra strength some kind of Ability. A last-ditch Ability as the bear was low on Health. It bled from many small wounds, large gashes taken out of its flesh, fur matted with blood.
It was enraged, berserk, trying to kill before it was killed.
Loch focused on his shield, not bothering to go on the offensive anymore. Brian and Harper, with some aid from Piper, were doing good on that end. He sent more Spirit into the construct.
Spikes shot out from the surface of the energy shield, piercing the bear’s paw. It yanked the paw back, dropping down to all fours. Threes, as one paw was held in the air, a large hole through the pad.
He sent out an elemental wave from the shield. The bear’s head jerked up, caught by the wave of pressure, sparks of lightning crackling. It roared in pain.
Then fell silent.
Harper appeared on top of the bear, tonfas stabbing down into its skull.
The great monster collapsed, the ground shaking.
Harper jumped off, landing in a roll, coming up to face the dying bear. She glared at the monster, wanting it to rise. It didn’t.
Brian walked over to the side, club raised. He looked over at Loch, who just nodded. The spiked club came down, smashing into the bear’s head. The skull shattered, ending the bear’s life.
YOU HAVE SLAIN LUG, PAINTED CAVES CHIEFTAIN.
YOU HAVE SLAIN GRODU, ELITE CAVE BEAR.
A great mass of sparks drifted up from the two bodies, so many that it obscured his vision. Thick, multi-colored, swirling around the cavern. Loch had to shield his eyes. There were so many sparks, so many bright colors. He felt a rush of Spirit as the sparks entered his Core, pushing his advancement far. It was a lot, and he knew that he’d gotten less from the kills than the others. Lug and Grodu had been tough, but they’d been equal Level, barely, to Loch.
“Wow,” Julia said. “What a rush.”
Loch had to agree.
With the cloud of sparks gone, he could see that the Dungeonborn bodies had also disappeared, leaving small piles of Resources behind.
YOU HAVE GAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT TROGLODYTE KILLER RANK 1
TROGLODYTE KILLER RANK I: YOU HAVE FOUGHT AND KILLED OVER 2 DOZEN TROGLODYTES. YOU HAVE EARNED +2% TO ATTACK AND +2% TO DEFENSE WHEN FIGHTING TROGLODYTES.
YOU HAVE GAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT BEAR’S BANE RANK 1
BEAR’S BANE RANK I: YOU HAVE FOUGHT AND KILLED OVER 2 DOZEN BEARS. YOU HAVE EARNED +2% TO ATTACK AND +2% TO DEFENSE WHEN FIGHTING BEARS.
Loch felt bad about the bear’s bane achievement. He’d always liked bears, Kelly sometimes calling him a grumpy old bear.
“Look for the chest,” Harper said excitedly.
She’d never been a gamer, didn’t have a gamer’s greed for loot, but in the Connected world, she’d started to develop that desire. They all had.
The group spread out, starting to look for the chest that would appear when the boss was defeated.
Loch moved over toward the far wall, looking for the exit from the Dungeon. It should have appeared when the boss fight ended. Cerie had said that all Dungeons had a back exit so the party wouldn’t have to walk, and sometimes fight, their way back to the entrance.
So why couldn’t he find it?
It wasn’t just that. Something was off.
What was he missing?
He opened up the list of Notifications. Moving through the kill and the Ability gains. There was something missing. Something he’d forgotten.
Loch mentally scrolled through the list, for the first time thankful that the Connection kept the list. He scrolled back to the newest, reading them all again.
The quest.
There was a quest notification missing.
They hadn’t completed the quest.
The source of the corruption.
They hadn’t found it.
Loch cursed.
“Heads up!” he yelled.
Too late.
The ground started shaking, and small pieces fell from the ceiling above. Starting small, turning large. They had to move to avoid the pieces as the shaking increased. Loch could feel Spirit swirling around the room, rapidly moving toward the pond near where they’d entered.
Arms wide to help hold himself steady, Loch turned toward the pond.
The algae covering the surface was moving, waves spreading out from the center.
“Incoming!” he yelled, not sure if the others had heard or responded.
He realized that his Health, Stamina, and Spirit hadn’t regenerated. They’d never left combat.
He cursed louder.
The water rose, something coming from beneath to push it up. A head was revealed, horned, large. Then the body, with wings behind it. The creature was massive, standing in the water. It took a step forward, head almost reaching the top of the cavern.
“Fuck.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
LESSER BALRON
Lesser, Loch thought wryly, hating the Connection, seeing the monster standing before them. It was huge.
And didn’t seem to be concerned about them at all. It had walked out of the pool of water, which seemed too small to have hidden it, and now just stood in the cavern watching them scramble. Brian had stepped up next to Loch, both had weapons raised. Harper was a couple of steps behind them, ready to Skip. Behind her were Julia and Piper, whose eyes were wide with fear.
Loch couldn’t blame her.
