• 117 HP
  

  MAX 167 HP

• 114 EN
  

  MAX 182 EN

Location: AC1

Moving from AB3 to AC1
-10 EN from Attack

The dizziness and cloudiness her mind found itself in was broken as Alpha did a tumble roll forward, watching as the offending elemental submerged itself back into the water. A vein popped from Alpha's forehead and, completely oblivious to the state of her teammates, she picked up her dagger and began to poke through the filmy bed of water. "Ooooh, you do not get to run away! Take it like a man!" Alpha bellowed, angrily making long, powerful stabs down.

The smell of scorched flesh filled her nose and she turned around briefly, curious and distracted by the strange stench. "Celes?" Alpha tilted her head to the side, eyes focusing on the girl and the beast that separated them. Flan made a tiny, unhappy squeal and, retrieving her dagger from the soaked water, turned around to give a death glare at the living blob of water camouflaged within its home. "Stay there. I'm not done with you yet."

And then she turned to where the beast laid, nearly obscuring the blue-haired girl entirely from sight. "Don't worry, partner! Alphabet Chocolate is coming to save your souuuulllll!"

Attack Water Elemental D
80 + 35 (Pierce) + 20 (Weapon) + 32 (Buff) = 167
Tracker / (Roll) Depths of Riverside Ruins
Water Elemental D: 83 / 300 HP

 

• 125 HP
  

  MAX 125 HP

• 155 EN
  

  MAX 185 EN

Location: L8

Moving from K2 to L8
-10 EN for attack

Blanks hand wavered in front of her as she tried to continue concentrating on her spell. The wind sprites were running quickly out of mana, however, and were quickly fading. Soon her spell came to an end without the follow up she had expected instead she heard from a distance away from a complaint about lasers. "Lighting bolts are lasers!" she yelled in reply as Triz took a step forward sending out a powerful spell of her own.

Blank clicked her tongue as she watched the admittedly superior mage at work. It would seem she could benefit from dipping further into her aeromancy skill line than she had previously wanted to admit, but not today. For now, they had a bigger threat to face. The chimera.

The stupid three-headed monster sprang forth sending a bolt of fire at Celestine, lighting her garb on fire. Despite her teammate's pain, Blank smiled. If it was using fire, she knew the perfect defense. Ice. Raising her staff she uttered a quick few words intending to create a small but protective shield of ice around herself in the form of a bubble, as soon as she finished the spell, however... She was suddenly surrounded by fire!

"AHH!" She screamed, charging forward recklessly as her newly created shroud of fire formed a protective circle around her. Not knowing it was the result of her own spell, Blank continued to panic, running over the water elemental she had attacked previously, the fire shield melting away the last of its health. "WHAT DID YOU DO YOU STUPID GOAT FACE LIZARD BREATH PIECE OF CHICKEN!" she screamed as she approached the chimera, suddenly realizing the flame was in fact not burning her to cinders. "GIVE ME BACK MY ICE MAGIC, OR I SWEAR TO SHIVA I WILL LAY THREE EGGS OF KICKASS IN EACH OF YOUR HEADS"

Careful Attack Water Elemental D
2+ 60= 62
(Tracker) Depths of Riverside Ruins /(Roll) Depths of Riverside Ruins
Target: -44 / 300 HP

 

• 114 HP
  

  MAX 154 HP

• 119 EN
  

  MAX 157 EN

Location: L3

Moving from L3 to D6 (water) back to L3
-10 EN for attack
-40 HP from Fluffbutt Fireball

Celly stole herself a quick moment to breathe. It wasn't really like casting magic should be exhausting, but that was just the way it worked here: cast magic and it drains you physically. Sadly, it seemed she'd remained there just a bit too long as a mysterious growl-hiss entered her ears.

"Nice kitty... thingy..." Cel chimed, backing away slowly. Sadly, like many a protagonist who'd tried to calm a savage midboss, she was promptly met with a plume of fire.

"Owowowowowowow!"

Spinning around in search of the nearest source of water, Celestine charged for it and made a dive, instantly feeling the relief, mixed with the standard chill that came from diving into a freezing pool of water. Straight from burning to freezing... it was pretty jarring. It was also the first time she'd actually felt water rush into her non-human ears. It tickled in ways she'd never even thought possible.

Swiftly surfacing and climbing back onto the solid stone tiling, Celestine turned back to the 'kitty' and ran straight for it, face filled with rage.

"Stupid kitty! How dare you do my clothes the wetness!!!"

Thrusting her hand forward, a light formed at the palm before it was unleashed as a ghostly beam of energy. Unsatisfied with the lack of proper vengeance, Celestine flicked her wrist back around to fire another one. Again, and again, and again... an excessive barrage of attacks fueled by blind fury.

"Die! Die! DIE!"

Attack Chimera
94 + 45 + 30 = 169
Tracker / Roll
Target: 431 / 600 HP

 

• 90 HP
  

  MAX 125 HP

• 140 EN
  

  MAX 185 EN

Location: D8

Moving from L8 to D5 to D8
-15 EN for Attack
-10 HP Damage from Aqua Slicer
-20 HP Damage from Fire Breath
-5 HP from Burning

Despite her ice aura shield being replaced with a firey shroud, it did well to deflect the incoming attacks headed her way. Both the elemental and Chimera turned towards her, pinning her in a two-sided attack of fire and water. Grimacing Blank held firm to her position not letting either knock her over. Still the flames had managed to break through her shroud enveloping her in a small flame once more, "Not again..." she whispered to herself as she thrust her staff at the larger of the two threats.

"I'm not sure what effect you're having on my magic but it doesn't matter. For I am Blank, the greatest ice mage in the world. You will learn to fear my name!" A quick flip of her wrist sent her staff's tip into the ground before her. "Hey! @Alphabet Chocolate! @Celestine! I'm going to force it to make an opening, you better make use of it!" With that, a large magical circle formed beneath Blank, before quickly expanding to include the Chimera. "Those who defy the laws of the land are bound to succumb to the ultimate punishment. Tremble in fear before you are dragged into oblivion, knowing that there's nothing you can do, locked in ice, trapped in soul. Ice Bind!" From the floor, a series of dark blue chains suddenly erupted forth, each latching on and wrapping around a different limb and neck. The chimera struggled, but the chains of ice held for a time, holding it to the ground so that the others could attack it.

Her spell completed, Blank turned her back on the beast running towards the water. "Hot. hot. hot. hot." she complained before jumping in its cooling surface, dousing the flames with a sigh, "I've burned to death once...not again..." she muttered under her breath before moving to return to the fight.

Attacking Chimera
85 + 60 + 7= 152 - ???
(Tracker) Depths of Riverside Ruins / (Roll) Depths of Riverside Ruins
Target: ??? / 600 HP

 

• 54 HP
  

  MAX 154 HP

• 109 EN
  

  MAX 157 EN

Location: C6

Moving from L3 to L6 (to attack) to C6
-10 EN for attack
-40 HP from Fluffbutt Fireball
-10 HP from Fire from Fluffbutt Fireball
-10 HP from Memory of Fire from Fluffbutt Fireball

Huff huff...

Cel panted, having given that spirit barrage her all. Still, the darn thing was standing, and the beastie was swift in releasing another torrent of fire towards both her and the crazy ice loli with no name.

"Arrrgggh... you must be doing a kidding...!"

She tried to swiftly brush the fire off of her, but nope. It was WAY too strong to just be patted off. Running up beside the nearby pillar, Cel peeked out the side just long enough to release a bolt of lightning from her fingertips. It was all she could manage before she was forced to sprint off towards the water... AGAIN!

Splash!

"Fluffbuuuuutt...!" Cel muttered several choice words in Norwegian at the strange animal as she shook the water from her hair and death-glared it from across the room. Luckily, most foreigners she'd met didn't actually speak Norwegian, so her title as Verm XIII's family-friendly neko should still be perfectly well in-tact.

Attack Chimera
14 + 50 = 64
Tracker / Roll
Target: (??? - 64) / 600 HP

 

• 117 HP
  

  MAX 167 HP

• 54 EN
  

  MAX 182 EN

Location: T3

Moving from AC1 to T3
-60 EN from Time Stop

There was something...strange. A feeling Alpha couldn't place her finger on as the mana within the room changed. Alpha, however, paid it no mind as she made her way across the room, tossing Blank a grin and a thumbs up for the assist. The Chimera, stunned, gave her an ample opportunity to weave through the ruins and find herself face-to-face with the beast, her partners in crime a distance away. "Okie dokie, just gather up and I'll heal y'all!" Alpha shouted. It'll be like vaccinating cattle or something: round them up and then give 'em all the shots at the same time. Productive and safe.

Fran (the resident friendly Casper) shot back towards Celestine, devotion in its eyes. Alpha had half the mind to coo at that display of love but found herself wrapped up in something a tad bit more urgent (although not that much because what could possibly be more serious than celebrating acts of loyalty?).

"Nerf this!" she laughed, sharp teeth showing as magic enveloped the room. "Icy can freeze stuff but I can freeze time! What's cooler, huh?"

She ignored the bone-aching exhaustion that was beginning to settle over, instead taking joy in the mind-numbing pangs that resonated through her body. Isn't this what hard work and loads of fun felt like? "YOU CAN'T SPELL FUN WITHOUT COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF PAIN!" she crowed.

Time Stop
3
Tracker / (Roll) Depths of Riverside Ruins

 

• 54 HP
  

  MAX 154 HP

• 99 EN
  

  MAX 157 EN

Location: L8

Moving from C6 to L8
-10 EN for attack

Celly climbed back out of the pool yet again, shaking the water from her hair only to notice the droplets hanging there in mid-air.

@Alphabet Chocolate

"Oo, Sprinkles! This freezing of the times is of great coolness!" She shouted her awe across the room, noticing a dutiful little ghosty figure returning the same way. Grabbing the vial, she held it out for Francine, who slipped back inside.

Celes began to run back but paused next to the nearest elemental. With a playful smirk, Celestine poked the top part of the blob a few times, before stepping to the side, revealing her masterpiece...


"Now the elemental of the waters is- chuckle -doing itself a happiness," she declared, chortling at her own awful idea of a joke.

Raising an informative index finger, she continued into a silly story, "For all the elemental of the waters ever did itself a wanting of from the livings of life, was to do itself a smile. The other peoples could do themselves the smile, but it could not, and so it did the angers of the jealousy, and anyone who approached would get themselves the attacked. Until one of the days, a team of super-cute magical girls did it a find, and finally did its dream a fufill~!"

Wandering closer to her team, Cel struck a fun, magical girl pose, turning back to the mutilated elemental.

"It kind of does me the remind of someone..." Cel commented, suddenly turning very stoic. "Poor water blob... just wanting to do itself a uniqueness. Just wanting to be special..."

Turning to the other elemental with a disturbing look in her eye, Cel raised finger gun at it, which crackled and sparked.

"And then its friiiieeeeennnnds LEFT IT BEHIND! Because it was too UNIQUE for them! And too SPECIAL for them! And THEY thought its smile of KINDNESS was creeeeepy!"

Celestine froze as she noticed several white arcs of lightning frozen in the path from her hand to the momentarily healthy elemental. That might've come out less subtle than she'd thought. Glancing down at the floor in embarrassment, she explained, "A frie--... someone I know... has been having some trouble lately... so..."

Attack Water Elemental G
(68 + 50) * 2 = 236
Tracker / Roll
Target: 64 / 300 HP

 

• 117 HP
  

  MAX 167 HP

• 44 EN
  

  MAX 182 EN

Location: M7

Moving from T3 to M7
-10 EN from Attack

Bone-tired and running purely on adrenaline, Alpha felt tears slip past her eyes at the piece of art Celestine had created, the uproarious laughter hard on her ribs. "Ah, no, wait! Wait, wait!" she giggled, suffering through the sudden spasms that smiley face had brought out of her. Every wave of laughter brought more pain and yet the Cheshire grin that sported itself on her face just wouldn't go away. "Wait, wait!" she wheeze, raising her hand up to the universal 'stop' sign as Celestine went into full-on story telling mode.

"It's so cute but so goofy!" Alpha whined, rolling on the floor until she accidentally slammed into a frozen blob of water. She curled in on herself as lightning stru—er, well, failed to strike the monster. The bolt stood frozen in time, pointed at the creature mid-air. As the fits of giggles simmered down, Alpha slowly opened an eye to find an ashamed Celestine facing the ground, the girl probably miserable about her performance issues.

"Look at the good side, Celes," she drawled the girl's name out in an effort to get her attention. "I mean, you're soggy wet and everything but you're not on fire! And I'm not getting electrocuted!" she gave a thumbs up. "And hey! My magic can't even hurt a fly. Well, it can. Mentally. Emotionally. Emotional pain in battle. Like, uh, bringing up a guy's daddy issues in a bar fight. Not that nice but effective. I mean, what's cooler: shooting off lightning like a bearded god in the sky to smite your foes or making guys think their mom is in front of them, is dying, and is disowning them on their death bed as she rots away slowly right in front of them, giving them everlasting mental trauma and emotionally scarring them for the rest of the fight?"

She flicked her wrist, attempting to send a little wisp of her illusion magic out for emphasis. Harmless.

Well, it would've been if she didn't have the magic of the stars. Cosmic energy burst out of her palm and, fiery and righteous, stopped in time an inch away from the slime. Alpha scratched the back of her head, puzzled. "Er...?"

Attack on Water Elemental G
44 + 35 (Astral Magic) + 25 (Magical Weapon) + 20 (Astral Mana Bonus) = 124
Tracker / (Roll) Depths of Riverside Ruins
Water Elemental G: -60 / 300

 

• 90 HP
  

  MAX 125 HP

• 125 EN
  

  MAX 185 EN

Location: L2

Moving from D8 to L2
-15 EN for Attack

Blank let out a content sigh as she exited the waters, casting a small cantrip to remove the excess water from her clothes as she walked back to the battle. Suprised she looked at the monsters which seemed to be suspended in mid-air, as Celestine and Alpha attacked a water elemental with great force. A quick look at her toolbar indicated that someone, probably Triz, had cast some sort of time altering effect allowing them to freeze the monster's in place for a prolonged amount of time. Sadly it seemed to Blank they were squandering their best chance.

"Wh-What are you doing!" she yelled at the two while thrusting her staff at the Chimera, "You were supposed to finish that thing off! Not kill the stupid bubbles!" With a grunt of anger, she moved back towards the beast happily seeing her chains were still intact. With a wave of her staff, she brought forth a new magical circle that centered underneath the beast.

"Fine, if they aren't going to help I'll do it myself! Time may have stopped, but it doesn't matter for my cold is beyond time itself. Come forth goddess of ice and let loose your breath, and cover the field with a never-ending permafrost!" As she spoke an ill wind blew, bringing with it a sheet of ice, that lay thickly upon the Chimera, freezing it in place.

Attacking Chimera
70 + 60 + 9= 139 - ???
(Tracker) Depths of Riverside Ruins / (Roll) Depths of Riverside Ruins

Target: ??? / 600 HP

 

• 90 HP
  

  MAX 125 HP

• 115 EN
  

  MAX 185 EN

Location: Floor Three

-30 EN for Combos
+20 En for Resting

With a final flick of her staff, Blank ended her spell and appreciated her work with a confident smile. The Chimera stood before her frozen solid, before its weight proved to be too much, and collapsed upon itself, sending shards of ice throughout the floor of the room. As it died, so did the water elementals that had accompanied them thus far. In one fell swoop, she had ended the conflict with a decisive attack. Shooting a glare at the others, Blank let out a sniff before adding, "It would do you well to learn from an expert of magic, and tactics such as myself. You're lucky I was here to end that fight so quickly."

The group didn't stay on this floor long, moving instead down the staircase before them, deeper into the ruins. Blank quickly prepared herself with a shroud of ice, the spell she had tried and failed to cast before, expecting further attackers. However, the attacks never came, as they entered to see that the third floor was some sort of work of art, with gigantic waterfalls and beautifully gated doors. Blank would take to appreciate the scenery if it wasn't this room wasn't so blatantly obvious.

"A puzzle room..." she moaned in an annoyed tone as Overwatcher explained the mechanics of the puzzle.

Blank's head spun around as she looked for some mental reinforcements. However, a quick look at Alpha, Celes, and Triz sent her further into despair. There was no way they were going to be any help in figuring this one out. No, she'd be alone in this endeavor, she only hoped she could figure it out before her time ran out.

"Ok Megan! Think! Hmmm... if you made a puzzle, you wouldn't make it super hard right? Like your lock for your bike, you made it all one number, "7777" Ok, so all the waterfalls...probably have to go one way or another... and since I'm a super mage I'd want them to go the opposite way they are supposed to so..."

With a wave of her staff, she sent each of the waterfalls that were currently flowing downwards, back upwards. Something seemed to click as once she performed the spell the waterfalls continued to flow on their own. Now it was just a matter of time to see if it worked. After a few moments if the plan failed, she'd reverse all the waterfalls sending their water back down in a normal pattern, and if that failed, she'd set it to the opposite of how she had found it.

Attempting to solve puzzle
Attempt #1:
All four waterfalls rising
Attempt #2:
All four waterfalls falling
Attempt #3
Waterfall 1: Falling
Waterfall 2: Rising
Waterfall 3: Falling
Waterfall 4: Rising
(Tracker) Depths of Riverside Ruins

 

• 117 HP
  

  MAX 167 HP

• 64 EN
  

  MAX 182 EN

Location: Floor 3

+20 EN from Rest

Alpha was on all fours, peering down the great abyss with much curiosity. "Hello!" she shouted, hoping to hear an echo through the chasm. Whether or not she got an expected 'hello' back was unnoticed as she sat, enraptured, by yet another view. She pointed at it eagerly, turning her head back to flash the others a beam of delight. "Look, look, look!" she repeated, eyes wide with excitement.

"That thing's just like the thingy from Hawaii! Or Fiji...or somewhere! The waterfalls that go up? Oh wait, that's Canada! And oh-oh-oh!" Alpha couldn't help the growing elation at Blank's manipulations. The girl's power over the movements of the waterfalls entranced her and she watched raptly as it changed directions over and over again, each time more exciting than the last. "Oh, do that again! This is so cool! And turn it into ice or something! And make it all go do the Cha-Cha Slide! Horizonal waterfalls!" she sang enthusiastically.

Tracker