Denizens of the Labyrinth

Jazmel stepped through the gate as the last of the four. Timone and Sadé were standing to the side and Baek was appreciating the sunlight now that they were outside of the tomb.

The gate had opened up onto a singular, yet large boulder; which laid on a beach shore. He looked back and couldn’t see the indent of the gate or anything. To anyone who noticed them, it probably looked like they had just appeared out of nothing. The labyrinth never seemed to stop amazing him and he wasn’t shocked but simply amazed.

The beach shore was huge and for nothing but miles, Jazmel could see nothing but the stoney beach shore was nothing but waves and stones.

The wind was brisk here, he could feel it but there was no sign of life at all. A high ledge bridged the seashore and without leaping up onto it, Jazmel could see no other way off the shore side. They walked for an hour, then two and then three. Jazmel was ravenous, he hadn’t packed food, but Sadé share what Melle had given to her for the journey and Jazmel didn’t even check to see what it was before stuffing his face.

TIER I FROST RAM MEAT CONSUMED!

…

10% VIT BUFF FOR 1 HOUR

He almost choked when he saw the screen flash in front of him. A buff from food? He hadn’t even been aware something like this could happen. He sipped the mead she had made too and smiled as another notification flashed in his face.

TIER I MANA HONEYMEAD CONSUMED!

10% INT BUFF FOR 1 HOUR

He drank his feel and topped up the buff before finishing off the sandwich he had been gifted. Sadé shared them amongst them all and Baek thanked her but declined, saying they should keep their own resources as it would do nothing for him. Timone ate almost as ravenously as Jazmel and when she noticed them watching her, she declared that they had been in the tomb for four days. Barely having any time to rest. Jazmel didn’t know how long they had been in the labyrinth, but he didn’t think it had been that long at all.

They pushed through and then midway through the third hour did the ledge decrease and they were able to move inland. They travelled quickly in a four-point unit; Jazmel leading from the front, his eyes allowing him to see and spot the smallest of things concerning Mana. Behind him and on his left ran Sadé, she was keeping look over his shoulder and to the left. Timone ran beside him on the right, she was all power and strength and though there was a grace to her run, it wasn’t nimble at all. But behind them, simply floating through the land; was Baek. Who effortlessly kept up behind them and simply looked like he was merely sightseeing.

Inland was cold, Jazmel could tell it was going to get colder, they were running through rocky outcrops and slate land. There were no trees or mountains around and to Jazmel it looked like someone had shattered or smashed a mountain and the debris that made up the landscape was what was left.

All around them snow fell, it was faint at first, but the further they headed in. the heavier it fell and soon the frost was almost in their bones.

“Do not let the weather consume you, use your Mana to warm your bodies. Focus on the Mana moving through your body. Temper yourself with it; let it warm your body against the storm.” Baek called from where he was running and looking at him, Jazmel noticed that while the snow fell all around him; it didn’t touch or land on him. It was like it was evading him and Jazmel surmised he was using Mana to create a dome of warmth about himself. Jazmel focused on Mana and using his eyes as a focus he perceived the Mana around him and tried to force his body to warm itself. he tried a few times and only after almost shivering, he felt his body will warmth into it and his Mana immediately knew what to do.

DING!

MANA CIRCULATION IMPROVED!

+2 PER

He smiled and the focus almost wavered, but he sunk back inward and let it move around him, he tried to use his breathing to create a rhythm and let his body push the warmth about him after each heartbeat.

The ground continued to be slate and rock, but his dexterity was at such a level. That he was always balanced, and he could move at his top speed without much issue, no matter how bad the ground was, his eyes could keep up with his body too; thankfully.

Mana appeared in his peripheral, and he smiled at the thought of finally finding something or someone. They had been travelling for almost six hours and this was the first sign of life they had seen.

“Stay ready.” He called, it wasn’t loud, but he was sure they could all hear him. They were all tier III seekers and Baek was even stronger than them. he wondered what his stats were like.

“ROARRR”

Over a rocky jagged piece that stuck out of the ground at an odd angle, a white form burst through the air, arms raised, and fists clenched. The three seekers darted out of the way as it crashed into the ground where they would have been before. It was all white furred and the face reminded Jazmel of a bear but different, but there was no time to consider what to do, they were in a fight. It was taller than Jazmel, standing at eight feet. Even in its size, it seemed like it was stocky for its size; extremely wide in the shoulders and muscles coiled around its limbs in true show of strength. Its beady eyes were ice blue and sneering at Jazmel.

Flight of the blue kite!

…

ERROR

He had forgotten that the skill was tied to Hajime. The skill didn’t happen, and the white furred bear man rammed its shoulder into him. Knocking him off his feet and sending him flying. He drew Nozarashi and stabbed it into the ground to stop himself from damaging anything else. That simple attack had taken almost ten percent off his health.

Thunderfire

Radical crash!

Timone and Sadé were attacking the thing from both sides, he rushed back in and slid forward before striking deeply with his sword. He rolled out of the way of its clawed swipe but in its aggression against him, it had forgotten about Sadé.

Firebolt!

Thunderfire!

In one hand she threw thunder and in the other she threw fire. She cast them at the thing, and it wailed a growl of pain and suffering. Jazmel leapt up and took its head, without uttering a skill. It fell and died as it crashed to the ground.

TIER II FROST YETI KILLED

Tier II and it took all three of them to bring it down? Jazmel grinned, the roar seemed to have awoken the whole area as his eyes darted about him and he watched as others appeared from above, around and near their position.

“Get ready guys.” He bid them.

Thunder crown

The familiar skill, Sadé pulled thunder from the sky and then wrapped her head with a tiara of power.

Ion form

He heard and looking over he saw Timone burning Mana from her arm solely. It moved through her body and then erupted around her arm. The Mana took an ember tinge, it reminded Jazmel of dawn but also the embers of a dying fire.

The frost yeti’s that rushed them were numerous and before he could even study Timone’s fighting again they rushed him. the first one, he was ready for it. Jazmel cut through the under arm as it swiped over his head, he twirled beneath it and cut its muscles to ribbons with his blade.

Cleave!

He cut off the arm and it dropped in front of him and then clutching its bloody stump the yeti roared and wailed a cry of morose pain. But it disappeared from view as the others rushed at him. But he was in a fight, he was always cool in a fight. His passive trait always carried him through, and he marvelled at it even now.

Cleave!

Cleave!

Cleave!

He threw his skill around driving them back so they couldn’t mob him, he pushed through them bloodying their white fur and darkening his blade. Nozarashi cut through anything he struck with his intent. There was no lag and he realised how different it felt using it now that Hajime was broken.

Whirlwind!

He churned the snow up around them, the snow pounded down onto the yetis, and they growled and snapped at each other, blinded by his skill. He focused on them, and he felt his eyes twinge and his title flickered in his mind, he remembered the new title he had gained.

DING!

YOUR ENEMIES ARE ENTHRALLED FOR 3 SECONDS

Jazmel rushed into the turmoiled whirlwind and began carving up the yetis in front of him. By the time his whirlwind had died down, he had already killed the others. He turned to see how his friends were doing and could see the charred and burned bodies lying around Sadé’s feet. He noticed that she had released her tails too. He counted and noticed she had five! She had gained another tail, he wondered what her plot had been and what that meant for her. But for now, they were in battle, his interest would have to wait.

He turned to look and saw that Timone stood trying to catch her breath while her arm spewed steam from it. around her were broken yeti bodies and craters broken from her blows and strikes. He walked over to her, and she swigged deeply from a Mana potion, this let her stand up; but she was still tired. She drank a stamina potion and then a man potion, when she noticed him standing beside her. She explained herself through haggard breaths. “Ion form is where stamina and Mana merge to create power, it’s something I can do because of the symbiosis of my arm and my body. It allows me to use my body at peak condition, but after I use it; my Mana and stamina are dangerously low.” She explained and Jazmel listened, as the faction leader. He needed to know what his members and friends could do, he needed to know how he could help them and what he needed to do to support her.

“We should look into finding you something that can help you recharge quickly or use it for a moment rather than burning through all your stamina and Mana in one go.” He said and she looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

“Well imagine if you can only use your skill for three minutes, then you would have to defeat everything and everyone within three minutes right?” he asked and she nodded, so he went on. “Well consider if you could split up how much you use it and rather than using up all your Mana and stamina, you use it in short bursts and that way you can use it one or two times. But also, you preserve some Mana and stamina so you can react after your move.” He explained to her, and she nodded and listened thoughtfully and then a smile formed on her face.

“I know what I need for my next upgrade.” She began picking through the yeti corpses and began collecting loot, Jazmel nodded and left her to it. he moved to his own pile of bodies and began picking through them trying to find something worth taking. To his surprise the yetis did not have hearts but where their cores should be there was a shard of ice that functioned like both a core and a heart. It was most interesting, and he collected as many as he could.

TIER II FROST SHARD x13 COLLECTED

“we should keep moving.” Sadé said and this time, Timone took point and Baek stayed at the back and Jazmel and Sadé walked beside each other, being able to talk for the first time since entering the tomb.

“I saw you gained your fifth tail now.” He started and she looked up at him and a grin appeared on her face.

“Well thank you for noticing.” She teased and pushed her beautiful purple hair being her faintly pointed ears.

“Well, I picked a tier II item for the reward for clearing the tomb and it was just my luck that it was a kitsune tail. but with the fifth tail, I completed my plot!” she exclaimed, and Jazmel nodded, smiling at her happiness.

“What was the plot reward?” he said and looked at him and then looking around, she pulled something from one of her storage rings and it appeared in the palm of her hands. A small fox, a two tailed fox.

“Is that…” he started, and she nodded before he could finish. “It’s status says kitsune pup and it already has two tails. But it hasn’t woken since I got the reward and I don’t know what to do to wake it.” she explained to him and he wondered, what to do. “I would probably ask Baek but do that when you are ready ok?” he offered and she nodded, making it go back inside her ring.

They pushed inland still and pass the rocky outcrop the yetis didn’t bother them again or attack them but that’s when they passed the biggest piece of rock slag that Jazmel had seen, and it solidified his theory that they were indeed at the site of a huge battle.

The rock slag blocked their view and when they made it through the group were silent. Before them was a crater of such a size that Jazmel could not see the bottom of it.

“A battle took place here.” Timone said what they were all thinking and then turning to Baek she asked. “Could you do that?” and Baek looked around thoughtfully, “Maybe. But not without sacrificing something.” He said and Jazmel couldn’t hide his awe. Just how powerful were master tier’s.

“A great battle took place here, but it was only between two masters. If you can, you can feel the ghost of their clashing Mana.” Baek explained to them, and they listened intently.

“Can you tell why they fought?” Sadé asked and Baek simply shrugged. “Just as a seeker tiers can fight between themselves why can’t masters?” he asked, and they all fell silent. “Because the consequences are greater.” Timone countered and Baek looked at her and simply inclined his head in respect.

Jazmel looked around and before he even considered anything else. He looked at the crater and laughed, they all looked at him and he pointed at the crater.

“The gate onward is down there.” He could feel the faintest pull of Mana and he recognised that the same feeling was inside the crater that seemed to have no bottom.

Before they consider it further, the roar of yetis crooned across the expanse and without thinking of fighting anymore of these frosted ruin.

He leapt across the expanse and closing his eyes; he waited to hit the bottom or a gate.