As we approached the hill, a part of me was still worried about Selene, after all she seemed to have gotten a lot off her chest from earlier, but I was still worried about her. As we walked I slowed down to walk next to her as I reached into my cloak and grabbed an energy potion.
"I forgot to give you your morning medicine."
I said chuckling as Selene took it with a polite nod as she downed the potion. As she finished she handed the vial back to me as we continued to the top of the hill. Below us in the valley of the hill was a small building.
It looked to be entirely made out of stone, the design of a large flower sat at the very top of it. While the building was close to the city, it was old and seemed to be run down. Despite this, nearby a family seemed to be having a picnic on the nearby hill, a group of two children seemed to be playing tag as they ran along the fields.
"Do you think we should get them to move?"
Kaelen asked giving a friendly wave to the family as we headed for the shrine.
"Nah, should be fine, the bone beast is actually in the stoneflower temple"
Liora said shrugging. Much to Jax, and Kaelen's annoyance, she had taken off the bone clothes and shifted how she wore it, wearing it now as a rather flashy cape, like a morbid fashion statement.
As we got to the entrance, Kaelen reached into his bag and pulled out the torch we had gotten from the brigade of the 23rd dungeon, and after a moment of striking flint and steel the torch ignited. Holding out the torch we started to head on in as Jax went over the plan.
"So we will hide in the side of the halls as Liora stands there as bait. When it arrives to attack, Thalia will grab her and pull her away as we all attack it at once. With luck it we won't take a single injury."
While a part of me wanted to argue that was optimistic at best, Will told me to just stay quiet. As we started down the stone hallway, the tunnel opened up to a small foreroom, to the left and right sat a set of stairs. Thalia stretched her strings out, and after a moment she said in a quiet voice.
"Its waking up from us walking, but it doesn't know where here, the stairs lead to two side balconies we could use."
We all lowered our voices as Liora said.
"In that case, how about Aiden and Selene go on one side, and Jax and Kaelen go to the other. Thalia can stay in this room, I walk into the main room, when it lunges at me, Thalia draws me back, and you all jump down and attack it."
I looked around waiting for someone to object, however nobody did.
"Dude, remember that Jax and Selene can both jump from the floor to your roof, the fall is inconsequential to them."
I thought back to cleaning where Jax had jumped 10ft to the ceiling to get a patch of soot that floated up. Everyone broke to move their own ways before I could object, so I kept my objections to myself and followed Selene up the stairs.
As we headed up the stairs I couldn't help but pay attention to every step, knowing every step up was going to soon be a distance I fall down. I tried to shove it to the back of my mind, as Will, who seemed just as panicked as I was repeated the plan over and over again. While normally this would be annoying, the constant babbling was a welcome distraction from what awaited me.
As we reached the top of the stairs we saw the twin balconies, bits of broken stone benches sat in various locations. As we snuck over to the railing, I peered over to try to see the monster.
It wasn't very large, no bigger than a bull. Its entire body was encased in bones of all kinds, multiple rib cages to protect its chest, femur bones to guard its arms and legs, and even a human skill acting like a knight's helm on its head. It sat in what looked to be the start of a bone nest, and while not complete, there were signs of work on it.
As Thalia had said, the beast seemed to be staring at the rotting wooden doors at the end of the cathedral.
Across the way Jax and Kaelen were getting into position, so all we had to do was wait for Liora. We waited, and waited, and waited.
"Did she run away or something!?"
Will yelled in my mind, the anticipation breaking him. However, as he finished, Liora walked in. The bone cape trailing as she strutted on in without a care in the world.
At the same time, I reached into my cloak, grabbing my new spear I pulled it out, and tightened my grip on the handle. The skill of the smith shone through, as it felt good in my band, the various features of the spear were accentuated by the materials we had incorporated, and I attribute a lot of it to Selene's production notes as to which materials and features were desired.
The Bone Beast rose from its nest and started to walk over to where Liora was, confusion etched on its face as it cautiously walked forward. Liora seemed stoic, but I could see that her fingers were twitching towards the clasp, ready to throw the bones and run the moment it charged.
She wasn't kept waiting long as it lunged at her, an arm outstretched to grab her. Thalia's strings went taught as the bone beast's hand was slammed into the ground as it hissed and writhed, trying to yank its hand free. Liora leaped into the air, and a bit to my surprise she seemed to be standing in the air. She swung her staff as a blast of air flew at the bone beast. However, as the air struck the bones, it ricocheted off, and struck a nearby wall, causing the dust all over the old room to fly up in a frenzy.
Party member Thalia has used skill Marionetting Fingers(E)
Enemy Bone Beast has been restrained
Party member Liora has used skill Wind Blast(E)
The attack missed
The bone beast started to pull its arm free, despite Thalia weaving more strings to try to reinforce the original ones they started to strain and snap as Liora yelled.
"NOW!"
In a weird way, seeing the others jump made my body move before my mind could catch up. Falling toward this thing I saw that only Kaelen stayed on the balcony where Liora jumped up to get beside him as Jax, Selene, and I fell towards this thing. Jax landed first, his paw striking down on the beast's arm with a deafening crack as the bones that guarded its arm broke and fell away to reveal the black flesh beneath them. Selene's fingers sharpened as she brought her serrated hand down on the beasts back as I tried to aim my spear for any gap in its neck, but both our attacks scraped off the bone, leaving gashes, but doing no damage.
Party leader Jax has used skill Iron Fist(E)
Bone Beast takes 28 damage
Bone Beast loses a chunk of its armor to the blow
Party member Selene has used skill Claws of the Beast(E)
The attack misses
You have used item Spear of 7 hunts(D)
Your attack misses
As we all landed to the sides of the bone beast my knees sent a jolt of pain up as they took the force of the landing, but I gritted my teeth to prevent from crying out. As I raised my spear again the bone beast finally ripped free from its bindings. Halia tried to quickly wrap strings to catch the ribs on its torso, but it spun, ripping the strings free.
"It's too strong to hold for long, my strings can buy maybe a second or two at most!"
Thalia yelled as she poured more mana as the strings from her fingers lengthened and stretched out.
"Got it, Aiden, you're with me!"
Jax yelled as he rushed forward. I was a bit flustered as Will yelled
"Don't just stand there move!"
He grabbed control of my left leg and took the first step as I rushed after Jax. ax rushed forward as the bone beast tried to swing its claws down on him, Jax slid underneath the attack and got under the bone beast, using his front paws as a base, he delivered a powerful back kick to the Bone Beasts chest, causing the exterior layer of bones to have a spider web or cracks spread from the impact.
The bone beast lifted off the ground from the impact as I ran in. From my time of practicing against Jax I had learned that a spear was more than thrusting, so as I ran up I spun, swinging the spear around in a cruel arc as the side of the blade connected with the cracked ribcage and shattered what remained. The bone beast letting out a gurgle of pain as purple blood seemed out and dripped from the human skull helmet it wore.
Party member Thalia has used skill Marionetting Fingers(E)
Bone beast has broken free
Party member Jax has used skill Iron Fist(E)
Bone Beast has taken 20 damage
Bone Beast loses a chunk of its armor to the blow
Skill fragmented Will(E) Has activated and taken control of your left leg
You have used item Spear of 7 Hunts(D)
Bone Beast has taken 29 damage
Bone Beast loses a chunk of armor to the blow
Bone Beast has lost its consolidated armor
I had known that D rank weapons made E rank look weak and fragile, but the difference between the two was almost appalling, even in untrained hands I could do just as much damage as Jax if I get a good opening. My attention was snapped back to the fight as the Bone Beast landed and started to swipe at me, interrupted by having to jump to the side as Kaelen finished his prayer and a jet of white and gold flames arose from the ground. It lunged, grabbing onto the edge of the ledge where Kaelen stood, but as it pulled itself up, Selene, with her staff in hand, brought it down like a hammer on the Bone Beasts skull. The skull shattered as it was thrown down and slammed into the ground, a stone bench breaking around it as it fell.
Party member Kaelen has used skill Condemn the Wicked(E)
Bone Beast dodged the attack
Party member Liora has used skill Wind Blast(E)
Party member Liora has struck a vital point CRITICAL HIT!
Bone Beast has been defeated.
Party has completed a Porcelain rank quest, +1000 XP
Party has defeated Bone Beast(E) X 1, +2500 XP
You have leveled up 8 ->9
HP 24 -> 26
MP 69 -> 73
Str 4 -> 7
We all stared for a moment, more stunned than anything as after a moment Liora yelled.
"Thats it?"