@genmaweek
Since I saw the prompt "But Did You Die?" I had to write this.
Follow the Link ➡️ Dressed Up
Rating: Mature
Relationship: Hatake Kakashi & Shiranui Genma
Characters: Shiranui Genma, Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo, Morino Ibiki, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai
Tags: Friendship, Campfire stories, Missions going wrong, Banter, Light Angst
Summary:
“You can’t deny the fact you always have the most amazing stories to tell,” Izumo said, taking one of the sticks with the fish, offering it to his partner.
Grumbling Kotetsu took it. “Fine, one story. But first I want to hear something by Genma.”
“Shouldn’t be Kakashi first? He is the squad leader after all.”
“And as the leader I think it’s your turn, Genma.”
He really didn’t like the amused glint in Kakashi’s eye, the other one as usual covered by his hitai-ate. Being at his mercy could be a good or a bad thing. He respected him as a shinobi. He counted him as one of his friends. But he wasn't his entertainer.
“If you insist I will tell you about a mission that went so wrong that I ended up in a dress in Amegakure.”
The worldbuilding is going crazy but I don’t know if I’m ever gonna use them all. Sorry it took a while. I hope you enjoy!
Rated: Teen/Up for swearing
~*~*~
“I never thought such a random quest will trigger this.”
“Mm.”
“Are you really getting slack-jawed at this, Beast? It’s a fallen kingdom, a pile of rubble and stones.”
“A golden rubble. How much money can I get if I sell that?”
“You sell that and NPCs will stab your ass.”
A scoff. “As if.”
“Those mermen with shiny stabby sticks might.”
“What mermen –!”
It was a step too near, too close for the comfort of the NPCs. A breach of their borders, even if their sacred kingdom had fallen, they would protect it till their last breath!
Seeing danger approaching, Tailless Beast quickly swam to the side, dodging the valiant charge by the NPC Mermen. As they tried to escape, he couldn’t help but wonder how she had been able to catch sight of the mermen when he was unable to. Ducking under the rubble, Akira and Tailless pushed off the fallen pillar with their legs, briefly increasing the distance between them if only for a little, and with the small extra distance, the two players could finally observe the pursuing NPCs.
Grieving Merman Guard (Level 52)
HP: 280,000/280,000
Tailless Beast pursed his lips, bringing his broadsword up to his side, sick of running away while Akira furrowed her eyebrows. That word was nagging at her mind, magnified and dancing teasingly. Normal NPC monsters would not be named as such, unless...
“Beast, stop!” A forceful tug at Tailless Beast’s large arm interrupted his skill and he shifted his glare from the returning Merman Guards onto the smaller, human figure by his side. His jaw opened, pointy teeth bared in a snarl, the urgency rising higher within him but Akira simply returned it with a deadpanned. “Calm down, will you? You’re always looking for a fight!”
Before the furious Blade Master could retort, Akira had already pulled him out of Atlantis borders and the pursuing Merman Guards immediately halted their bloodthirsty pursuit, stopping a couple of meters shy from them. Up close, they could see the smooth skin of the Mermen, darkened by the black circles and bags under their dull eyes. Scales gleamed, though dull, under the dim shine in the sea from their waist down, revealing hips entirely covered with the same scales that ended in long, thick fish tails instead of legs. In the lore of Eden, it was said that the Merfolk were humans blessed by Suijin, the Water God that presides over all things water, a manifestation from the people’s beliefs of a benevolent presence that resided in the element. And water to them, was the source of life!
With intruders beyond their borders, the Merman Guards relaxed their stances and started to swim back to their positions when a gentle voice called out to them.
“There are no words that I can offer you to ease your grief, but the great land of Atlantis will always be remembered and revered in my heart,” Akira solemnly said. When the two Merman Guards turned around, they saw the Elementalist bow at the waist, long hair softly waving in the water at her lowered head. Moving their spears to their left hand, the guards held out three fingers with their right hand, thumb and little finger folded in, and placed it over their hearts before also lowering their bodies into a low bow, returning her respect with one of their own: The Trident’s Heart, where their king and the land of Atlantis would forever remain in their hearts. Seeing the situation, Tailless Beast gave his respects and bowed as well, but the guards blatantly ignored him and addressed Akira.
“We thank you, kind traveller, for your words. If I may so bold to ask, what is your purpose in visiting Atlantis?”
Akira was silent for a moment as she contemplated her words carefully, before deciding to risk it with the truth, praying that Mermaid Knight Rie was at least someone respected in their ranks since they were both of a similar profession. “I was guided here by Mermaid Knight Rie with the hope that I could uncover the truth behind her death.”
Like a crack on the dam slowly spreading outwards, the guards’ smiles slipped away, eyes widening in agonised disbelief as words tried to crawl out of their trembling lips. “Y-You know... of Her Highness – M-Mermaid Knight Rie?”
Akira sneaked a glance at Tailless Beast, who had turned to look at her too. That little stumble caught their attention, piquing their interest. The Merman Guard was pale as he lowered his head, his friend edging closer and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Before, Rie had been just a mere Mermaid Knight. A Mermaid Knight that, to Akira, was not anyone special, that this quest would be simple enough to complete. Now, however, that simple Mermaid Knight turned out to be – possibly – a princess. A new turn of events, a different perspective. The quest was no longer as simple as they expected. Because in the end, it was different if a mere Mermaid Knight died; her death most likely insignificant, definitely not enough to affect Atlantis’ downfall. But a princess? That was on a whole different level. A princess was, could be, reason enough for the entire fall of the kingdom. And then, thinking about it, if it was a princess... Akira turned to Tailless Beast.
What was a simple quest, now turned to be a complicated plot – their two quests, likely related.
“There’s probably a big boss to fight. Yay for you.” The edges of her lips curled while she sent him a whisper.
And he happily returned it with a toothy grin, “That makes things interesting.”
A soft chuckle under her breath, a small shake of her head and she turned back towards the guards before lowering her head slightly. “I do not personally know of Mermaid Knight Rie. I’ve only been tasked to find out the truth behind her death.”
The two guards stiffened, tails waving in the sea ever so slowly, but Akira noticed that they were inching back bit by bit. “By who?”
Her mouth clammed shut, forehead creased. She couldn’t exactly tell them it was a quest given by the game, but she couldn’t not answer them either. If this continued, the conversation wasn’t going to end well. Unless...
Akira’s head perked up, eyes bright with hope and she lifted her hand, deliberately slow while she observed their reactions. The guards’ faces twisted back into hostility, the grip on their spears tightening as they in return watched her hand suspiciously. They knew of Elementalists, of the magic they hold over the elements, that a mere wave of their hands can control an element’s will and bend it to their desires. Even if the one before them wore red coloured robes that indicated her control over fire, it wouldn’t be surprising if she knew a water spell or two.
Akira’s fingers inched closer to her chest, still agonisingly slow, but extremely careful as they slipped into her robe, little by little, until a cold smooth surface tickled her fingertips and her fingers gently wrapped around it. Words were stuck in her throat, the silence tense and suffocating and heavy, sparking with hostility and wariness, and she looked into the eyes of the guards as she slowly tugged the item out, fingers uncurling to reveal the pearl on the necklace. Mermaid Knight Rie’s Tear.
“T-That...” The Merman Guards had their eyes and mouths dropped open in stunned silence, before they started to tremble, mournful gazes shifting from the pearl to Akira and they swam a little closer, as if to confirm what they saw was true, that it wasn’t the light in the water playing tricks with them.... But the iridescent gleam on the pearl, a shimmering ivory tinted with the colours of the rainbow dancing together, it was real.
It was definitely real. Genuine. Only hers and those of the royal blood could produce that pearl. But was it really Rie’s?
Steeling his resolve, the other guard that had remained silent lifted his head to look at Akira and spoke up, “Kind traveller, may I perform a test to determine its legitimacy?”
“Of course you may, esteemed guard,” Akira agreed immediately. Her hands wound around the back to remove the necklace when a calloused hand, marked and hardened from the years of battle, of wielding the spear to protect his home, stopped her gently with a fleeting touch and the guard graced her with a soft smile and shake of his head. With the same hand floating below the necklace, he flipped it over palm up and waved it around fluidly at the wrist, almost like algae twirling with the currents. Streams of water collected at his fingertips, separating from the sea itself and convening in his palm like a second pocket of water, which swirled up to fully encapsulate the pearl and his hand in a mini globe. Tailless Beast and Akira watched on curiously, wondering silently at the lack of reaction when the guard flicked his thumbnail over his second finger, easily drawing blood with the swift cut, blood that was drawn to the pearl like a moth to a flame. The blood stopped short by the pearl, bobbing sluggishly, its movements growing slower and slower when the pearl gleamed a pale golden glow, like a small star in the sky.
As the golden glow gleamed, the blood slowly started to dissipate, dissolve into nothingness, but it was the wound on the guard’s finger that truly held their attention. That little tiny cut upon hardened skin began to seek each other out, one cut epidermis layer to another, like a pair of long lost lovers finally reuniting and the cut flicked gold, the colour emerging strong at one end and tracing along the cut, where the colour passed was where the gap in the wound welded shut.
Tailless Beast and Akira’s eyes widened further with each passing second as they watched the marvel, surprise evident in their attentive gazes, coming out as murmured gasps escaping under their breaths. There was only one thing they could fathom. If Mermaid Knight Rie was truly a princess and she possessed – possibly the only one who did because why else would the guard wish to check? – the ability of healing, she would have been desired by many, by multiple parties that wanted that power, that in a war, she could possibly, simply, turn the tides of war. Was the entire sea their search site!?
“It... it is, H-Her High – Mermaid Knight Rie’s tear. It is. Oh King Aenon, was this your will?” The guard wailed, sorrow rolling off his cries in waves, agony, relief flooding his system, and he was joined by his partner who sobbed and shook, tremors attacking his robust body.
“I apologise for having to interrupt,” Akira voice out, soft and gentle, just barely audible for the guards to hear, melding into their cries like a soft cloud. “But I hope to succeed with the task I've been entrusted to. May you point us into the direction of Mermaid Knight Rie’s tomb?”
“Y-Yes, honoured guest. Right this way.”
“Thank you, brave men. Is it alright if I brought a guest along?”
“Yes, yes. Of course. As long as the person is a friend of honoured guest, he or she is welcomed.”
Akira looked at Tailless Beast, face half angled towards him with a smile, a small upwards tilt of her lips at a corner with eyes half lidded, full of taunt and confidence. “Hehe.”
Tailless Beast scoffed, strapping his broadsword back onto his back and moved to take a step forward.
[Clear Shadow sent a video message. Click to view.]
The corner of his lips twitched. He averted his gaze to glance at her, hearing the giggle echo in his mind.
“Aww, not going to open it, Beast?”
“No.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever you say.”
He watched her walk away, following after the Merman Guards who waited upon her. He glanced back at the message as he fell into step behind her, curious and dreading the content. They swam through the rubble, past the golden kingdom, clean from any red algae that would grow in these deep waters with only colourful corals littering the ground. The journey was in silence, the guards occasionally pausing and looking back, waiting for Akira to catch up before continuing once again. Tailless Beast felt the curiosity return in the endless silence following them.
“Tch.”
He tapped on the message, opening the video and immediately after, a loud, lilt voice blared in his ears as the man started singing: “Never gonna give you up; Never gonna let you down –!”
Akira twitched when she felt a heavy stare on her back, only to find Tailless Beast glaring at her heatedly. With a knowing giggle, she waved and kicked her legs harder to catch up to the guards. A growl rumbled at the back of his throat as he chased after her grumpily.
Soon, they left the borders of the kingdom, leaving the plains covered in red algae and towards a rocky area. Every now and then, schools of small marine life would swim past the group and without fail, they would swim nearer to Akira, butting their heads at her midriff, wishing to be pet, tails wagging almost like excited pups. The guards would always watch with a smile, tinged with sadness as Akira traced her fingers along the fishes, sometimes even letting them nibble on her fingertips. They never rushed her, never voiced out their impatience, only waited wordlessly, almost in obeisance, whereas Tailless Beast scooted further, watching the scene with an unexplainable emotion.
“I'm sorry! I don’t know why this is happening!” Her mellifluous laughter rang clear, glee infectious as the three men felt their lips curving wide.
“We’re going to take forever to reach the tomb,” Tailless Beast grumbled under his breath, fingers itching for a battle.
The guards shook their heads before waving them to continue. “The tomb is not far now.” The light dimmed and tall rock formations appeared in their vision after a few more moments of swimming, and they came upon a small cave’s mouth, dark and cold. An aura of resentment leaked out the entrance in black tendrils, eerily waving them around in a dark welcoming.
[You have discovered The Azure Garden Grotto.]
“This? Is where the tomb is?” Akira was sceptical. The underwater cave didn’t resemble a tomb at all.
“To answer honoured guest,” one of the guards clasped his hands and bowed, “This is indeed where Mermaid Knight Rie was buried. King Aenon had gifted this place to her on her 18th birthday and it was where she wished to be buried at if s-she passed on. As written in her will.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
“Then, we will take our leave.” The Merman Guards bowed and left.
Akira watched the cave, the dark entrance a deep void where no light passed. Tailless Beast frowned. “What are you waiting for?”
“Calling a few friends over,” she replied simply.
“What? Why!” he growled. More people meant more shares, more shares meant that his share will have to be reduced! The area before them was unexplored land, treasure for all to take, mobs to kill, experience to gain.
“You can go ahead if you want.” She bowed slightly and gestured welcomingly for him to go ahead, and he did without a glance back.
He walked past her towards the cave’s mouth, through the darkness, only to be rebounded and forced back by an unknown, unseen force. She reached out a hand to steady his staggering steps.
[You do not meet the requirements to enter.
Party members: Minimum 5 members; Maximum 10 members.
Party level: Minimum Level 40; Maximum Level 45]
“What the fuck?”
Akira shrugged with a mischievous smile when he redirected his wrath onto her. “My friends should be here soon. I've sent them the coordinates.”
Tailless Beast leaned against a rock, scowling at having to wait some more when he remembered something. “Can they even make it here?”
With a shake of her head, she could only smile helplessly. “I hope so. The coordinates triggered the system just now and I think they’re – ” Three separate balls of light suddenly appeared, glowing brighter and brighter as water surged towards the element. Faint silhouettes flickered within. “ – teleporting here.”
Tailless Beast straightened himself while his hand moved to grip his broadsword, a familiar shadow amongst the silhouette giving him uneasy feelings, yet the closer he observed the figures under the dimming light, his lips were pursed tight and muscles taut. “You know them?”
Akira glanced over at him, noting the icy chill in his deep voice, unlike the usual growls and snarls he’s bestowed upon her so far. No, this was a silky, smooth tone, calm and unnerved, almost so calm that she shuddered involuntarily. She turned back to the three men that appeared before them. “You could say that.”
“Wasn’t he chasing you down just yesterday?” Tailless Beast nodded his chin at the Earth Elementalist Misty Forest who now stood wielding his wand at Level 43. The hell happened to him too? How did he power level up?
Akira laughed nervously as Misty Forest – Yamato – found his wand particularly intriguing. “Yes, he was but we settled our differences.”
“And him?”
His tone was flat, unyielding in the slightest as he gestured at the Level 45 Shadow Hunter, the first advancement of the Ninja class, School Beauty King. The man wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face, silvery grey hair spiked up, defying gravity even under water. She and Shadow Hunter exchanged glances. ‘What the fuck did Kakashi do to piss him off?’ With a smile and a tilt of her head, she looked at Tailless Beast in confusion. “What about him? Have you guys met before?”
“Yes,” came the snarl almost immediately. “He goddamn stole my drops!”
Kakashi stared at Tailless Beast. “Ahh, I remember you now. Thanks for the Ivory Shells that time.”
A growl ripped through the large blue man’s throat as he instantly lunged at the Shadow Hunter with his broadsword drawn. Kakashi easily sidestepped the attack and Tailless Beast swung his arm out horizontally, only for a much smaller, more fragile wand to meet its blade head-on. Akira grunted in a grimace as the force of his strength threw her backwards, the wand’s durability dropping to 2.
His small black eyes met her pained blue ones and a phantom image flashed over her countenance; a similar face, the long navy hair tied into a ponytail, the flower kanzashi tinkling with the breeze, and the anger dissipated, a trace of worry flashing through them. “A-Are you...” Words had escaped his lips, soft, gentle, and he then clammed his mouth shut. Uncertain. Confused. But he resolutely shot forward still in that moment, reaching out his other hand and caught onto her arm. He brought her near, steadying her on her feet.
“He can be a little arrogant,” Akira coughed as she gripped onto Tailless Beast’s arm, “But I swear he's a good Shadow Hunter, Beast.”
He pulled his arm back, the warmth of her palm lingering upon his skin and he turned his head. “Whatever. As long as he doesn’t slow us down.”
[Clear Shadow invited you to her party. Accept? Reject?]
Glancing at her wide grin from the corner of his eyes, he shook his head and accepted the request.
[Tailless Beast joined your party!]
[Misty Forest joined your party!]
[School Beauty King joined your party!]
[Good Boy Tobi joined your party!]
Tailless Beast observed the latest member. She was a level 42 Cleric, a branch of the White Elementalist class. The White Elementalist and Black Elementalist, unlike the normal elemental classes, were unique where the former focused on: Summoning magic, Healing magic or Bless Magic, while the latter concentrated on Illusion Magic, Necromancy or Curse Magic. And unlike other classes of warrior, rogue or ranged whose first class advancements were at level 20, Elementalists had their first advancements at level 45 after choosing their first element at level 10.
“Hello!” Good Boy Tobi greeted cheerily with a wave of her hand and grin on her face, but the voice that sounded...
Tailless Beast suppressed the twitch in his eyes. She... Good Boy Tobi... was a he? He looked up and down the female character, dark luscious locks a stark contrast against her white robes, then glanced at Clear Shadow and shook his head. He wished he was more surprised by that fact but with someone as weird as her, it wasn’t all that surprising anymore.
“How long can you guys stay underwater?” Akira asked the three newcomers who were breathing easily underwater.
“We managed to buy only twelve Oxygen Pearls,” Obito, who played Good Boy Tobi, chimed in. “We’re already using three.”
“And they last for two hours each pearl,” Yamato tacked on at the end. “So we have roughly eight hours.”
“They cost us a lot too! Why the hell are Oxygen Pearls so expensive...” Obito grumbled under his breath.
“How close are you to levelling up?” Akira turned to Kakashi, ignoring the grumbling man.
“I just levelled up to 45. It should take a while.”
She nodded, less worried than before. If he levelled up in the dungeon and they couldn’t complete it... ah, it was too troublesome to think.
“Are we ready to go in or not?” Tailless Beast interjected, directing the question at a blankly staring Akira.
“Maa, does it look like we have other things to do?” Kakashi folded his arms behind his head and walked forward while Akira snapped back to reality.
“No one asked you, pretty boy,” Tailless Beast snarled and quickly hurried from behind.
Yamato and Obito smiled, following suite as Akira walked first into The Azure Garden Grotto, unimpeded. Past the complete darkness, a large cavern meters high and wide sparkled, lit by an azure- emerald light, a rare sight of bioluminescence as they swam through the water.
Suddenly, a black shadow flashed past them in a blur, screeching in an agonised, despairing wail.
Avenging Spirit (Level 40)
HP: 15,000/15,000
“The monster isn’t even strong,” Tailless Beast tutted.
A feral grin flitted onto his face as he held his broadsword ready. Pulling his arm back, ready to hack at the taunting monster when a dragon whose flesh and body was made of water slammed directly into the Avenging Spirit. Kakashi released his hands and swam around the monster.
-6,589! A critical hit!
The Avenging Spirit wailed louder, its icy voice piercing their minds and a bright light enveloped Tailless Beast, immediately dispersing the stunning effect. Purification! Kicking his legs, he pulled his arms back, muscles of both his hands taut as he gripped the handle tight. With a cry, he cleaved the Avenging Spirit in two before spinning and slicing the shadow at its head with his second slash.
“Hehe, this is going to be fun.” Akira grinned toothily and waved her right hand just as an entire mob of Avenging Spirits appeared, covering the beautiful cavern in black clouds. Elements of water started surging towards her palm and she brought her other hand forward, running it horizontally before her chest, from her right hand to the left, and water surged together, converging by her palm and it grew, lengthening as though she was pulling a something out from her hand. The sword manifested itself from water, both sides sharp as the water constantly circulated to maintain its shape.
“You gotta work hard, Obito,” chirped Akira just as Yamato started chanting an Earth Spell. “Can’t let those spirits get us.”
“But I don’t have that many blessing spells like a Priest!” Obito mockingly shrieked in horror, hands palming either side of his feminine appearance, only to quickly glance at something from the corner of his eyes and calmly waved his hand out at Tailless Beast, enveloping the man once more in a bright white light, healing him. There was a carefree smile lingering on his face.
“You’re doing a good job though,” Akira grinned as she joined the fray. A thick branch gurgled, shooting past her body and speared through an Avenging Spirit rushing towards her. She lashed out with her water blade and sliced the face, causing it to screech in a dying wail.
“You can count on me!” Obito chuckled, staying close to Yamato.
The quieter man was chanting once again, sets of archaic runes muttered from his lips while his other hand focused on controlling the branch he summoned, swinging and wreaking havoc as he pleased. One syllable, two syllables, and an emerald light shone in the side pouch hanging on his hip. A few seeds floated out, dropping onto the ground right beside where the first branch took root and they rapidly grew. Thick and sturdy, the Branch Dragons took the form of snakes, ready to skewer some spirits. There would occasionally be a flash of white light or two around the battlefield, more healing than purifying the members, but their health constantly danced at the same level, never below 65%.
Tailless Beast glanced over at Akira, more specifically staring at the water sword in her hand. “Aren’t you an Elementalist?”
“I am. Just a little bit special,” she winked as she stabbed at a spirit sneaking up behind him.
He stretched out his arm, piercing the head of another spirit chasing after her. “You’re weird. A sword using Elementalist?”
“Admit. I look cool,” she laughed, planting a foot at the spirit and kicking it away.
He rolled his eyes with a scoff, but she caught a glimpse of a lopsided smile upon his lips when she twirled around, seeing him bring his sword down on another kill.
It took them a little over an hour to fully clear the 100 Avenging Spirits.
The second stage began. And the third, and fourth. Each stage’s killings increased exponentially, each stage the spirits a level higher than before. When the fifth stage came about six hours after, when Kakashi, Yamato and Obito ate their last oxygen pearl, they were all tired and grumpy at the mindless killings. However, despite their first dungeon run together, they worked well together, almost like a good oiled machine (and Obito will argue saying that it’s because of his perfect heals that they’re good!).
The enchanting scenery did nothing to quell the annoyance, even when they saw lights akin to fireflies floating in the water, swimming freely when they finally neared the end of the dungeon. Not only did killing one spirit give such pitiful experience, this dungeon was simply too mind numbing! Kakashi wasn’t even near 50% in his experience bar!
...
[Stage 5. Kill 50 Avenging Spirits. 0/50 killed.]
“Ahhh! Finally!!” Obito cried out. “I don’t have any mana pots left. I just want this over with! I'm not going on anymore special quests with you, Shadow!”
“How many do you have? I’ll give you some,” Akira asked as they tried to catch a breather. “And come on. Without me, you can't even come here. We’ll be getting first clear.”
“Only two intermediate pots and a few basic ones left,” he sighed dejectedly. He had stocked up on lots of potions before he entered as a precaution, but this dungeon had eaten up lots of his mana as he tried to keep everyone’s health stable. Those spirits can be quite annoying to deal with but it was more annoying to deal with his teammates that loved charging into the freeway without second thoughts. “And no, you guys suck.”
If the others purposely ignored him or didn't hear, he didn't know.
“Take some, I’m not using as much mana.”
Obito gratefully accepted the dropped potions, animated tears streaking down his face while the group continued forward, their killings evidently slower when a high pitched screech rumbled through the waters at their 49th kill. The shrill sound stabbed their minds, forcing them on a seven second stun.
Tailless Beast at this moment observed his skills that were on cooldown while stunned and a message popped up from Akira.
[Clear Shadow sent you an image. Click to preview.]
‘Might be a clue to the quest!’ he thought and frantically opened the message, only to scowl at the sad green frog and the words ‘feels bad man’ written below it. He glared at the scene happening before them without moving his head, seeing as he couldn’t move yet due to the stun, all the while pretending that it was Akira getting stabbed at with his glaring daggers.
At the next second of the stun, black tendrils emerged from the corpses of the Avenging Spirits, converging together into a huge lump of ink. At the third second of the stun, they watched as the gigantic Avenging Spirit loomed over them. Unlike the previous spirits that lacked a face on their heads, this one only had a crescent slit that was curved like a bowl, silvery sharp and wide. It grinned, revealing many rows of pointed teeth arranged neatly, and lifted its arms where two claws similar to reptiles flexed. Curling and uncurling its fingers, a maniacal cackle echoed in their minds.
[You've been inflicted with Hatred of the Spirit. All stats reduced by 20%.]
A grey ghostly skull appeared above their heads and the entire party felt their bodies grow heavier, strength and speed weakened.
Avenging Spirit (Elite) Level 45
HP: 200,000/200,000
“Ah, fuck.”
Obito and Akira exchanged bitter smiles at the Elite Boss taunting them; the former worried at how heavy his job would be as his heals would be reduced significantly with the curse while the damage taken would increase, and the latter
At the fourth second, the Elite boss slowly raised its hands as though it was lifting something and a dark murky blob reached out from way below, appearing from the crevices of the rocks, cackling from the shadows while they latched onto the team’s feet, steadily pulling them down into the abyss as they retreated back into their abode.
-100!
-100!
-100!
-100!
-100!
A continuous string of damage ticked away at their health but they could do nothing to escape, not with the final three seconds of the stun still in effect. Their hearts pounded loudly in their chest, screams of protest banging loudly in their minds – just how broken was this boss!?
So much happened in such a short span of time and they were forced to be sitting ducks, watching their fate before their very eyes.
‘No, no, no. Like hell I'm falling like this!’ Tailless Beast struggled against the stun, willing his body to move. Robust muscles bulged, taut and defined while veins crawled under his skin. He tightened his grip on the sword, yet his fingers never moved. The fifth second passed. His eyes shifted to the side, catching Akira’s fiery gaze coincidentally, both sides unwilling to give up. No way were they going to be bested by a damn boss. Not when they just started on this quest!
Simultaneously, two gentle lights shone from their chests.
‘The necklace!’ they thought.
Fuelled further by their will, the light suddenly broke, dissipating into tiny shards flickering in the light that enveloped the pair. The tenseness of their muscles loosened, a heavy weight pushed off their shoulders. Akira gripped onto her sword, running a hand over the blade as she called forth another wave of water, making it surge towards her weapon. With a graceful twirl, she lashed out her sword, elongated by a few meters as it sliced the water with a shrill sound. The Elite boss cried out in pain, charging forward in retaliation when a thick silver blade halted its advance. Tailless Beast sliced and slashed with all the strength and brute force of a berserker, his movements oddly smooth in the water, connecting swiftly and efficiently as he took on the boss’ aggro.
With the stun over after seven seconds, Yamato began chanting, calling upon the soggy dead wood lying on the ground. Kakashi turned to face the black tendrils dragging them down while his hands became a blur in a series of hand signs. At the last hand sign, he pulled down his mask for the briefest of moments as he spat out a large water bullet, the force strong enough to knock them astray. The dead wood floated up. Pointing his wand at the tendrils in the abyss, the Wood Arrows swam and pierced the monster, causing it to shriek and run away into the shadows where they couldn't touch it anymore.
Obito held the cross with both hands as he chanted out a spell, the holy light surrounding him growing stronger by the second. The light travelled from his body to his outstretched arm, trailing around it like a coiling snake before it shot forth, a pair of feathery wings unfurling from its back.
Level 40 Healing Angel, his newest skill in his arsenal. It flew around the cavern, continuously healing the entire until the thirty second timer was up, negating the damage done by the Elite boss.
Handing off a few seeds to Kakashi, Yamato watched Akira and Tailless Beast pin the Elite boss down while his senior quickly swam around, planting the seeds in the small crevices of the rock walls. The last location of their fight was at a smaller cavern that narrowed near the end, with an arched roof filled with stalactites and large stalagmites on the bottom.
‘This place must have been on land before it was sunken underwater,’ Yamato thought, knowing that stalactites and stalagmites couldn’t form underwater, but could stay underwater for a long time as they slowly dissolved back into the water. He caught Kakashi’s signal as the man planted the last seed and he started chanting. Magic ripples surged around him, robes dancing around him quicker and quicker. Multiple green lights pulsed at different points in the walls, answering to his call. Leaves sprouted out of the seeds, stems unfolding from their abode and they charged towards the Elite boss fearlessly, winding around its large body in a tight grip.
Earth Lock!
The three damage dealers swam back, landing on small platforms in the walls as the sturdy branches tightened the hold, unyielding even when the Elite boss struggled hard against the restraints.
“I can only hold it for three seconds!” Yamato called out. His face was twisted in a grimace, veins appearing on his forehead while he fought to hold his skill.
Akira, Tailless Beast and Kakashi shot forward at the same time, the strength from their calves travelling to their feet as they pushed off the walls on their toes, weapons drawn and skills activating. They unleashed their strongest moves, attacking at the weaker spots like the neck, spine and skull, praying, hoping that the spirit would register the extra damage like ordinary beasts.
-9,731! A critical hit!
-5,054!
-9,352! Another critical hit!
-5,571!
-3,899!
-2,421!
“Can you guys stop critting and making me look bad?” Akira laughed while she flipped back and retreated a distance away, landing solidly on her feet when the Elite boss broke free, large splinters and wood chips flying towards them, and his health firmly dropped below 75%. “This would be much easier if our stats weren’t lowered.”
“Well, you can’t exactly use your fire magic, Shadow,” said Kakashi, “And you are playing with a toothpick.”
“This toothpick can kill you, okay!”
With a cry, the Avenging Spirit swam towards Tailless Beast who sent a blade light crashing into its body but the spirit suddenly turned translucent and the attack passed right through. “What?” Instinctively, he brought the blade up to his face, parrying the claw aimed at his head. A pressure built up in his chest when the force slammed into him, instantly sending him crashing down onto the bottom and he sprayed out a mouthful of blood.
“Beast!”
Akira swam forth, stabbing her sword through the spirit, but like Tailless Beast’s, her sword went through as though it was only water.
“Watch out!
She refocused onto the Avenging Spirit a beat too slow. A sharp pain burned from the inside, spreading out through her veins. Her gaze grew blurry, the lump in her throat hard and heavy as she gritted her teeth. The spirit pulled its arm back, bringing the impaled Elementalist closer to its face. She blinked her eyes with a grimace, forcing her vision to sharpen and she saw, in a slow, slow curl, the spirit widened its grin in a dark satisfaction, the silvery teeth bright against its black face. Its arm was cold to the touch, slimy yet rough when it was pulled out, tips of the claws scratching deeper into her exposed skin and she spat out a fog of blood as the pressure caught in her throat was released.
“Shadow!!”
Crimson blood slithered in the water, a dark red cloud tainting the beautiful waters of the grotto and Akira floated lifelessly in the water. Seeing its masterpiece, the Avenging Spirit laughed joyously while it swam around the blood, occasionally flicking out a tongue to lick at it, tasting the iron taste upon its taste buds.
An earthquake soon rumbled across the cavern. Tailless Beast quickly jumped and swam away, narrowly avoiding the broken falling stalactites. A deep guttural snarl rumbled through the walls, vibrating loud and clear, and the team felt their bodies stiffen. A large silhouette appeared at the end of the cavern, fast approaching the fight. They held their breaths in fear, feeling suffocated by the overwhelming presence rolling off its figure. Out of the shadows and into the gleaming waters appeared a four-meter-long great white shark, its size easily dwarfing the Avenging Spirit. Silver armour adorned its robust body, enhancing the strong aura rolling off its figure.
