The Inverted Spire | Page 4

• 125 / 125 HP

The thing was dead, long live the thing? It had been a quick fight; more of a slaughter really than an actually engagement. The party had rushed, all save Temperance, and attacked the thing with sword and spell, tooth and claw, word and deed. She, as ever, had stood off to the side and stared at the communications channel on her UI, reading the comment over, and over, and over.

If someone dies, especially Destiny... I'll murder you.

Indeed. That caused the white haired woman's face to lose its grin. Her already light skin went pale... whether from fear or incomprehensible rage, or just plain shock, none could know. Really, they couldn't even see he UI and know what she was reading, so for all they knew she was just pale with fatigue or disgusted with the recent slaughter of the white thing. What even was it, anyway?
No.
Didn't matter.
Only one thing mattered, now...
Only one agenda.
Goal.
Dream.
Hunger.
Need.

She was going to destroy Bradwynne. First she was going to bruise him. Then she was going to break him. Even if it meant killing Destiny over, and over, and over right in front of the boy. She would join mission after mission with the pair. Disguised with Doppleganger if she had to be... And make sure that the woman died because of Bradwynne's failures.

She would disguise herself as him, and drag his name through the mud.

She would disguise herself as Destiny, and fuck a donkey in front of Brad, if that's what it took to break his stupid little heart.

Murder. You.

Nobody threatened her, period. Especially not over something as inconsequential as an argument in a comms channel. Especially when they were too stupid or too proud to remember a simple phrase to ask for healing. So what if she made them dance like puppets for healing? They should have specced into healing if it meant so fucking much to them. Well, they had a dungeon to get on with.

The color back in her face once more, Temperance smiled softly. Almost sweetly? It was perhaps even more disturbing than her typical wolvish grin, in that it seemed so... genuine. And something that made such a woman genuinely happy had to be something worthy of genuine fear and panic. Approaching the waters, she opened her inventory and removed all of her clothing and gear for the second time in their adventure, clearly not ashamed or embarrassed to reveal her almost too-lean body. She stepped into the warmth of the springs, took a breath, and dove under the surface looking for... anything, really, that might've fallen down from the last explorers to come to this place. Perhaps there was a smattering of gold or jewels or more execution letters? Whatever she might find or not find, she concerned herself more with the place than the people she was with, leaving them to their own devices.

Diving for dosh
23
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• 53 / 118 HP

-12 HP from the Quills of Doom​

After all was said and done, Iván felt more tired than usual. He had just awoken from some sort of sleep, a brief coma, but he wasn't resting while his body was unconscious. Something was happening to him, to his mind, and although it was enlightening to say the least, it was now catching up to him along with the battle that they had just waged against some sort of monster that had been residing in the hot springs. The felled beast's blood now tainted these waters, but with the help of the strong sulphurous smell and their intense need for some respite, the hot springs were still serviceable to the adventurers. Iván in particular appreciated the soothing break from every terrible thing that has happened to them.

"I guess there was a reason why the Rangers left this place unexplored," he murmured to himself, realizing now that sharing what he had witnessed while he was unconscious wouldn't be welcomed by the others.

He couldn't blame them. This place was pretty much hell for them. A missing ear, slices and cuts against their bodies, giant sea dragons, and whatever that thing had been... They've been attacked wherever they went, whatever they did. Maybe he could tell them some other time. Maybe not. He wondered if such things, such enlightenment, should be kept within a small circle of people that would appreciate the knowledge. Maybe he'd just impart what he had learned with Emerath Katou and Lightning Ironworks. These people... They didn't seem like the thinking bunch, anyway.

The communications channel was filled with threats against each other, not what a team should be doing. This wasn't really a team, was it? It was just a group of strangers, each with their own agenda, each just trying to survive this hellhole, to get whatever they wanted to get. Wealth, fame, glory... The latter probably interchangeable... Hell, Iván was only there because he found the entire premise of the quest curious. Maybe they should have done some team-building exercises before plunging down here. Maybe they should have elected a leader.

Not contented with just the rejuvenating properties of the springs, Iván grabbed something from his own supplies, a vial that had the Lightning Ironworks logo. Without hesitating, he drank the entire thing and felt himself get better. He felt more than relief, more than rejuvenation. It was as if he was born anew. It was one of the things he's been working on as the company's resident alchemist. He was still trying to find ways to mass produce it. At the moment, he could only make a few small batches. One day, perhaps, he would succeed and his name, alongside Lightning Ironworks, would be remembered for it.

Finally, he took an empty bottle and filled it with spring water. It might come in handy, the further they press on in this hell.

He shrugged and yawned, finally getting some much-needed time to look at @Bradwynne, "You're not Haru."

Recovery (70), Stealth (30), Bottle (+20 Supply)
↑ +10 mod, Recovery ↑
94
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• 021 / 118 HP

The snow-quilled guardian was no more. Destiny knew how to skin and gut a kill as well as anyone, but her hands trembled with exhaustion and fatigue, slowed by blackened skin and deadened nerves. She was quiet as she worked. A new truth—or perhaps an old truth—was dawning on her with each quill, each cut of meat, each arrow she retrieved. She remembered who she was. And she forgot who she’d become.

It’s a good thing, ain’t it? Des wondered as she stiffly removed her clothes before splashing into the red-tinted waters. The relief was immediate. “Mmm,” she sighed, practically melting back into the soothing heat. ...Ain't it?

Somehow, Destiny still found herself lingering over the berry-experience. Its sheer fantastical power, what she’d felt compelled to do for one person without thought or hesitation. Hell, while it was happening she’d just wanted it to go back to normal, but now that it was gone… Sure wasn’t fun, but feels... like something’s missin’ now. Something rare and special. Hell, maybe something someone like Des only got to experience once in a lifetime.

Destiny didn’t know why the others were here—but like most groups, she figured they wanted something. Maybe that thing was glory in battle, or diggin’ up treasure. But no matter what it was, one thing Des had learned was that no matter what they were lookin’ for on their own, people all wanted stories. That was the real reason why people went to—so they could go back, and tell the tale.

Somehow along the way, she’d fallen head-first into the idea that this was just one of her tours, and that her job in this place—before guiding, before keepin’ everyone safe—was to make sure those stories still all got written. Even bad ones. Beautiful and bright, reckless and risky, painful and promising. Experience. Make it out alive. And remember.

They needed an ending. Hell, maybe that ending was gettin’ swallowed by some monster, or Temperance stabbing everyone in the back and making it out all on her lonesome, or maybe it was even the five of ‘em working together and actually getting to see the light at the end of this damn dungeon. One thing was for sure—it wasn’t running out of supplies in some stone-cold passage and watching everything they’d gone through and everything they’d worked for fade to black. That was failure. That was hell.

Des closed her eyes and let the back of her head rest against the warm stone. She let out her breath in a swirl of steam. With every exhalation, she felt more relaxed. More like herself. I’m feelin’ better already. Hell, forget trail rations and infighting and falling in and out of love—right now, the best thing she could do was soak in the last of the gifts the spring guardian had left them before they took the next step. And what was that?

Guess that's why we're here—to find out.

Recovery (100) & Invigorate
33
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• 90 / 121 HP

As he had finished to get the attention of the beast with his slashes, he then saw the others attack the beast so hard that it lay dead quite as quick as they did the water dragon. Sighing at the relief that they had did a great job, Bradwynne then sat huffing. The long quills had got him on his arms, fortunately the little thing in his left arm managed to escape. Now where did that thing go... He then looked all over the place, and then he saw Sharkie again, emerging from the carcass of the large creature... wait. Did it just cannibalized that creature that looked like it when it would grow up? Bradwynne then thought: if Sharkie would grow up, would it remember him that treated some of the wounds that Destiny... It had seemed that he had said that name with affection before, but he was in doubt if he really did that. Although Destiny was his companion, he did not hold an affection about her, and as a fourteen year old in a nineteen-year old body, he thought it was quite absurd that he would fall in love with someone evidently older than him. Anyways, he would need to check his mail to make some pep talks, and maybe joke about the cannibalism of Sharkie here. He then checked his mail, but what he had saw stunned him. He then scrolled backward and he wondered, was it really him who wrote those lewd, if not conemptible messages? He then tried to know when he started to be like that. and he then saw that he started typing those after he had eaten those berries... the berries. What the hell were in those berries. What the hell did he even do while he was within the influence of those berries. Moreover, while he was reading those that he had typed, a strong realization dawned upon him.

He was not a true man, much less a hero. And until he had reconciled with all that he had hurt, he would stay that way. As of now, he had a strong responsibility about Temperance. It was not the effect of some other hallucinogen as he was thinking, it was his duty to remove all the rifts that developed in this party while they were in this hole. And that is the burden of a true hero. And Temperance was a woman, there was no telling what a woman's wrath can do. He had experienced it once... would never want to repeat it again.

Bradwynne then accompanied Temperance as he un-equipped again his clothes and dove into the hot spring to search for anything that could help them in their travels. Of course he would not try to glance towards the direction of Temperance's naked body as he would swim with her, as a sign of respect for a woman. After the dive for loot, and after he had equipped his clothes again, he would then toss a sweet potato, which should be quite warm, towards her, saying, "What should better complete a bath in the hot springs than eating a sweet potato cooked by its waters? Don't worry, I made sure that no blood had touched it." He would then move forward, to blaze the trail for the party, while eating another sweet potato that was cooked in the same way.

Progressing(100) while Looting
↑ +15 mod, Progressing ↑
72 & 23, respectively
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• 44 / 116 HP

There was a moment's respite after they had deemed the battle ended when they stood around, eyes sizing up the prey they had slaughtered in order not to become the next victim's of its probably indiscriminate policy of slaughter. She stumbled a step back, holding the wrist of her dominant hand, the responsible one for casting and directing the arcane spell, in a tight grip as she sucked in a few breaths. This... This sensation wasn't pleasing. Her head felt lighter, and all possible color drained from her porcelain features as water down a drain.

Could this be the result of using arcane magic a lot more than she had ever done? It wasn't nearly as pleasant a sensation as when she fought hand-to-hand, taken by the thrill of direct engagement with her foes and the unique feeling she knew all too well from real life experience. Here? Well, she couldn't afford her health to drop as low as it already had. There was a lot to be done. Unused to a magic system she didn't understand half as well as she'd hoped, even in Assist Mode, every burst of energy that left her fingers felt like it was being sucked out.

Now, she wasn't so sure what to do for the next encounters.

Her palm closed and opened again to reveal their talking thread as she advanced towards the Hot Springs, searching for a location near the water in which to take a seat and relax for one bloody moment. Portia scowled and attempted a reply but there weren't words she could write nor say to mend the mess her group was in now. No clever input, no witty retorts, no obvious directions, no nothing. The Communication channel was as good as it could currently be if one was willing enough to look past all the threats and almost-fights initiated there. After all, they had been people gathered under a common purpose: Find what the Rangers hadn't been willing to, explore the hole in the ground and be the first ones to see what the world of Terrasphere held in store for those brave enough to look underneath the surface.

All they got so far, however, were episodes after episodes of chaotic situations with the occasional comedic or bonding between certain party members. The berry the blondie and Destiny ate proved as much.

''Might come in handy later, won't it?'' She mumbled as she procured an empty vial from her inventory, allowing the springs' water to flow inside until it was filled. It wasn't a surprise for anyone in the party to say they would soon be reaching the end of their supplies, and when an occasion was presented to them to at least manage their thirst meters while also ensuring they could continue what they'd come here to do, they had to take it.

Recovery (100) Bottle (+20 Supply)
97
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• 78 / 121 HP

As Bradwynne trudged forward, the gentle mist suddenly became a suffocating one as he coughed a lot as he continued to trudge. It also hurt him that his lung condition had not that recovered from the slamming of that water dragon from earlier, and so he was coughing out blood aside from whatever he had been inhaling. This should be bad, as he then stared at Sharkie. He hoped that he would not be affected that much by the fog.

Not long after, he then saw the monstrous figure within the fog. As he saw the monster, he then looked at his teammates, thinking about their decisions, and then, knowing what their predicaments were, he then started moving forward.

Deciding
↑ Whatever Mod This Will Use ↑
85
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• 54 / 118 HP

+1 HP (15-14, Heal-Damage)​

As he squinted towards the ominous silhouette before their group, Iván realized he only had one shot, one opportunity. Letting things slip was no longer an option. He was determined to finally seize everything he has ever wanted and capture that one moment. "Yo," he muttered to everyone and no one in particular, as his palms continued to sweat, his knees weak and his arms heavy. He was thankful they didn't have any spaghetti, that he wasn't wearing a sweater, or he would have probably vomited all over them because of the way he was feeling.

Although Iván looked calm and ready on the surface, he was actually pretty nervous. Whether that was merely because of another battle looming or because of the atmosphere around them, he didn't know. He was even having difficulty remembering his own thoughts at the moment, the things he was writing down in his head. In that silence, in all that fog, everything seemed so loud to Iván. He tried to speak, but the words didn't seem like they wanted to come out. The fog was choking him, physically, mentally. He was running out of time. Everyone was running out of time. The joke's over.

Iván shook his head, snapping himself back to reality, standing his ground hard. He was feeling the gravity of the situation. He was starting to feel mad. Iván wasn't in the mood to give up this easily, not this time, although he's had thoughts about it earlier. He's just not going to have it anymore. His whole back might be against the ropes at the moment, but it doesn't really matter. He knows there was nothing left to do. The worst that could happen was that he'd be back in his home, back to the lab again. He turned to @Bradwynne with a smile, "You can do anything you set your mind to, man."

Eminem
↑ *prays for some mod* ↑
21
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• 013 / 118 HP

Each breath was physical labor, as taxing as high altitude. Destiny had long grown used to the dank, sour stench of sulfur wafting around them. Her clothes clung like a second skin to her body, sticky and damp as if she’d just gotten out of the shower. Feels like—the goddamn South, Des thought, wheezing a little as they moved through the sauna-like atmosphere. It was enough to exhaust even the most stalwart hero, but determination still burned in the black-haired woman, invigorated by the mineral bath. We need an ending. And that ending wasn’t going to be here, a place that you could close your eyes and (if you ignored the rotten-egg stink) pretend was a men’s shower room. Nope. They had a report to bring back, and a whole host of landscapes ahead of them.

Still, Des was lagging. Soaking in the springs and getting a good meal (albeit missing out on the sweet-potato pie) had helped, but she’d really been through the wringer. “Everyone, look at my pain,” she tried, trying to jog to catch up with @Temperance. “Pain, without love. Pain, can’t get enough? Aw, cut me a little slack,” she broke off, mopping soaking-wet strands of hair out of her face, “I can’t remember the safeword, but I’m feelin’ like I’m on my last legs here. Would you do me a big one and give me a hand next time we stop?”

Destiny didn’t know how much HP she had left. Hell, she’d gone her first month in the game without even checking her player status or her masteries. She’d never been big on games, but Terrasphere was special. It didn’t feel like no game. It felt real, and that was the stinger. For all her talk, Des had always played on Realistic. Hell, not doing so just made this like every other tecchie-nonsense Crane had tried to get her into. As she struggled through the pain, it was worth mentioning those bruises and fatigue felt very real. And she was just going on the basis that “she felt like she was about to keel over, so probably pretty low.” Not the most accurate gauge, but it worked.

“Shh. Stop,” she said suddenly as an orange light lit up the oppressive mist. She crouched, eyes widening as the monster loomed, spindly and strange and a hell of a lot larger than anything she’d ever ran away from in the forest before. “Oh, hell,” she breathed, shrinking into her armor as the firelight of the creature’s gaze passed through the fog. “You’re a real big boy.” It was hardly more than a whisper. Her eyes darted around the area, assessing their chances and any environmental advantages they could pull into play. She checked her crossbow to make sure it was loaded, just in case. Arright. Only one thing to do. Destiny glanced at her companions and she gestured with her head, holding a finger to her lips. With one hand, she counted down from five.

Destiny
Good Luck, Y'all!
89
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• 115 / 125 HP

Stuff was happening. But also, things. Looking through the fog, Temperance felts its harsh conditions press upon her now that they had left the rejuvenating spring. She had found a weird feather there, apparently tipped in a poison... interesting. Perhaps she would sell it at the end of things, to an apothecarian, or hunter. Following her team, she dawned her gear once more, waiting for the mists to clear and the next step of their journey to arrive.

And it did, shambling like a landslide across the flat expanse. Apparently it hadn't noticed them yet, due to the fogs. Her teammates were quiet so as not to draw attention to themselves, but hadn't bothered to formulate an actual plan before leaping into action, unorganized and destined to die. Fuming silently, she watched as Brad moved off into the mists, Ivan looked and acted both slim and shady, and Destiny hissed silent instructions and began counting down. Rolling her eyes, Temperance followed her silent count-down, and then sprang into action.

Doing a thing
22 & (66+mod)
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• 49 / 116 HP

(-15 HP + 19 from Recovery = +5)

Portia removed the bandages around her head for the second or third time since she had ever put them on, washing the blood-stained cloth in the water only after she had finished gathering some of it inside a little bottle she chose to carry with herself. She cupped her hands and brought water to her face first, and then to the wound sitting on the left side. The reaction of the woman's was to inhale sharply, face grimacing at the pain she felt in said area. However, and as much as she disliked it, there was no better option than to clean it while she still had the chance to, than to risk a possible infection.

As she soon came to realize, relaxing for a bit between all the monster killing and the unpredictable circumstances inside of the cave did much more than to soothe her senses. The weight on her shoulders, the lingering sense of unease faded as she worked on the spot where her left ear should've been, had it not been cut by the water dragon. By the time it was time to move forward with the rest of her party, she found herself renewed and much calmer than before entering the Hot Springs.

Still, it seemed the little relaxation she could've hoped for was cut short by the noises coming from an unknown source, brought to her attention by the earth beneath her toes shaking and the echoing sounds striking her ear once again. Unlike the two monsters they had fought earlier, this one and the sounds it made from merely moving spoke of a size she had only seen once... And that was when a bunch of veterans and Zeus himself had been by her side to fight the threat. Now, with fewer companions and their energy meters running short, what could they possibly do?

Portia cast a subtle glance over her shoulder to the rest of the party and decided to... Breathe for just a second, seeking to steady her breathing even when every muscle and thought in her screamed to do anything else than to stay in one single spot.

Nothing to see here
15
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