MATURE: Chaos Rising: Code of Heroes (Season 3) Season Finale up!

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, it's time for the next part of Chaos Rising, as well as the Season 3 opener. What will our Heroes face this time?

Spoiler: Chapter 1) The Hunt for the Karma Beasts

The Hunt for the Karma Beasts

​

It had been a few days since General Alastor had returned and damaged part of Delgunner’s capital before fleeing. Most of the damage had already been repaired, though there still was some work needing to be done. King Alvin had since invited several major world leaders to a conference meeting to discuss this recent turn of events, as news traveled fast about the return of the Demon Generals, shocking everyone. While they were in the meeting, the Heroes were told to start preparing themselves and their parties for the next phase of the war.

Celtic and his party were at Danial’s Blacksmith shop to upgrade their weapons for the upcoming battles. However, Tyroe was in bit of a predicament.

“You mean you don’t have any more maces or morningstars in-stock?!” he sputtered.

Danial shook his head, “No, sorry, Tyroe. Maces and morningstars are becoming hard to find. Most are made from Hypaton, and that ore has gotten fairly rare lately. We don’t know why but judging from what the locals and traveling merchants are saying, it might be because of Sylph stealing the ore from the locations it forms in before miners can get it. From what you lot have told me, Sylph was hunting down rare ores when you got in her way, so that’s not a stretch to believe that she’s stolen most of the ore needed to make such weapons. Other weapons that rely on Hypaton are also in short supply, such as most boomerangs like Falcorangs, certain spears like Shooting Star Javelins, and some swords like Miracle Swords. The only suggestion I have is to upgrade to a new weapon type like an axe or hammer. Those are still in good supply, as they rarely use Hypaton as part of their composition. You could also try to find the Beaker family of monsters, as they often carry maces and such as rare drops, though that’s a bit of a gamble.”

Celtic then thought of something, “Wait… rare weapon drops? That brings something to mind. As I learned by accident a while back, whenever the Legendary Gear absorbs a monster part the user automatically gains one of the three drops a monster has and stores it in an inventory inside the Legendary Gear. Also, because of how the Legendary Gear functions, it also obtains at least one drop from any and all monsters I’ve fought before, so that means I’ve got a lot of items stashed away in my Shroud. I found this out when I was training in the Demon Realm, as the guardians that had taught me how to unlock my Assault Mode informed me about that. I ended up forgetting about it because of other events but after dealing with Robert last time did I remember about that special inventory part of the Legendary Gear. And if I remember rightly, I think I acquired a very rare hammer from a monster in the Demon Realm. Maybe you should upgrade to hammers since they’re thematically similar to maces. Let me just check that inventory screen and see if I can find it.”

He opened up the Shroud’s main screen and tapped an icon. This caused a new screen to appear, showing what looked like a huge list of items on it, much to the party’s surprise. Celtic took a moment to scroll through it until he found what he was looking for.

“Aha! Here it is. It’s a Colossus Hammer that I, fittingly, got from a Colossus Troll. Now… I just need to tap it and it’ll materialize from the Shroud’s core.”

He tapped the item on the screen. This caused the Shroud’s core to glow and start producing something from within it. Before long an item had fully formed in front of Celtic. It was a large warhammer, mostly black and blue in color, with a decorated, fairly thick hilt ending with a red jewel, and the hammer head was huge, mostly black with gold trimming, with a thick spike on the opposite side. Tyroe’s eyes went wide.

Danial smiled, “That’s a pretty rare find, kid. Since Colossus Trolls are quite rare here finding this behemoth of a warhammer is considered very hard. However, these beastly hammers are well worth it, as they’re titanically powerful and hold a powerful ability that could easily tip the scale into your favor.”

Tyroe slithered over and grabbed the Colossus Hammer. Despite its massive size he was able to hold it with one hand. He examined it with curious eyes, getting a feel for it before smiling.

“Wow, Cel, you’d really let me have something this rare?” he asked.

Celtic gained a crooked smile, “Tyroe, I can’t make any use of that thing, so it might as well be used by someone who can actually wield it. Remember, I can’t hold weapons due to being the Shroud Hero, so a rare, valuable, and strong weapon like that is useless to me. If you can make use of it then it’ll make hauling that thing around in my Shroud for so long worth it. Besides, this would be a solid upgrade to your previous morningstars, so it would be for the best. Take it, as I don’t need it, and you’re really the only one who could wield such a weapon easily.”

Tyroe gained a warm smile, “Thanks, pal, I’ll make good use of it.”

Danial walked into the back of his shop before returning with a special holster.

“Here, strap this hammer holster to your back in replacement for your previous one that held your morningstars,” he said. “I’ll give this to you in exchange for your old morningstars and their holder.”

Tyroe nodded, “Deal.”

Using his tail he removed the beat up morningstars and their holder and placed them on the counter. Danial then strapped the new holster onto Tyroe’s back, securing it to his clothes. Tyroe then placed the new warhammer into the holster, where it fit snuggly and securely, making the Naga smile.

“Cool… I’ve upgraded big time,” he said. “I’ll make sure to use this new warhammer to smash the Demon Generals like rusty nails.”

Viola chuckled, “That’s the spirit, big guy.”

Zuzu turned to Celtic, “Just how much stuff is in your Shroud’s inventory? It looked like a huge list.”

Celtic replied, “Too many to count. Fortunately, the Shroud organizes it into categories like ‘Herbs’, ‘Elemental Gems’, and so on, plus it groups all duplicates together so I don’t have to sift through all of them to find all of, let’s say, Gold Herbs. Weapons are also broken down into categories like ‘Swords’, ‘Hammers’, ‘Shields’, you get it. Makes keeping everything organized easier. Though I’m still trying to get everything out of it as, while most of it is just things like Healing Herbs and the like, some of the stuff is actually pretty valuable so I want to have it ready when needed.” He then turned to Danial, “Okay, since that’s everything, what’s the total come to, Danial?”

Danial did some quick calculation on an abacus before stating, “That comes to 13 gold and 79 silver.”

Celtic took out the money and handed it over to Danial, who took it graciously.

Skye gave a chipper smile, “Thanks again, Danial.”

Danial chuckled, “Happy to help, especially since we’re now dealing with even stronger Demon Generals. It makes me worried if killing them is even an option anymore, as they can just be cloned and start the process all over again.”

Celtic gained a grim expression, “That’s what I’m worried about, too. Which is why we need to go after the source of it all, Infinator, or at least find a way to limit his ability to do this cloning magic or whatever it is.”

Danial then said, “You know, I heard an old story back when I was lad. It was something about items called the Karma Diamonds. They say that when all five are gathered you can use their power to perform amazing feats. However, I’m not sure if that’s true or it’s just hogwash, as it was a long time ago.”

Skye pondered for a moment, “I think I’ve heard of that legend, too. Weren’t the Karma Diamonds being guarded by super-powerful monsters called Karma Beasts? I don’t remember the details, as the legend is as old as the Dragon Emperors themselves. I would normally say we should ask Tiamat but for all we know it could be just an old fairytale and not real, thus he might feel we’re wasting his time. And you know how testy he gets when he’s bothered with something he’s not interested in.”

Celtic took a moment to think before saying, “Still… legends are born from facts. If the legend is real, and the story behind these Karma Diamonds can help us, then maybe it would be worth looking into. It’s a roll of the dice but maybe it could help. Why don’t we ask King Alvin about it? Maybe he would know if the legend is fact or fiction.”

Leon nodded, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. And besides, I’ve heard of the legend, too, so it’s not like it’s unheard of. A bit on the uncommon side, yes, but the legend is still somewhat known. It’s worth a shot, especially if the Karma Diamonds could actually help solve our current issue.”

Rupert turned to Danial, “Thanks for the new gear, Danial. And who knows? Maybe you just helped solve our Demon General cloning problem with this Karma Diamond thing.”

Danial chuckled, “I doubt it but stranger things have happened. Good luck. Hopefully the legend is true, especially if it can put a stop, or at least slow down Infinator’s plans. One never knows.”

With a final nod the party left the blacksmith shop and headed for the castle. They entered the throne room to see Queen Amelia in her throne. She turned to them the moment they approached.

“Oh, Prince Avalar and company,” she said. “If you’re looking for my husband he’s still in the conference meeting. Can I be of any assistance?”

Celtic nodded, “Yes. Have you heard of something called the Karma Diamonds?”

Her eyes widened, “That’s an old legend, about as old as the Dragon Emperors themselves. But I’ve heard of it. Doesn’t the legend state that the Karma Diamonds are guarded by the five Karma Beasts? But… I wonder why you’re bringing this up all of a sudden?”

Skye replied, “The legend states that the Karma Diamonds can grant amazing abilities and even wishes. We were wondering if the legend might be true and we can use the Karma Diamonds to find a way to, at the very least, slow down Infinator and his Generals.”

The Queen took a moment to think before replying, “Yes, that is what the legend states. I see where this is going. You want to find out if the legend is true and seek out the Karma Diamonds in hopes they might give us an advantage against Infinator. That’s actually a good idea, as the Karma Diamonds, if they’re real, could very well be the element we need to turn Infinator’s newest tactic on its head. Cray, Karl, come here.”

The two Princes walked over to their mother, seemingly knowing where this was going.

“Go to your father and bring up this idea about the Karma Diamonds to him. Considering we’ve got most of the world leaders in one place it would be a good opportunity to ask them if they’ve heard of anything regarding them. Who knows? If someone in the meeting knows if the legend is true then we may have a solution to our problems. Go, now, while we have the chance.”

Both Princes nodded, “Right away, mother.”

They quickly left the throne room, leaving Queen Amelia, Celtic, and his party behind.

The Queen turned to them, “While I don’t know for sure if anyone in that meeting knows if the Karma Diamonds and Karma Beast legend is true, if it is then we might have found a possible solution to Infinator’s most recent plan. It’s a long-shot, but better a long-shot than no shot at all. For all we know you may have given us just the idea we need to turn the tables on that diabolical demon and his Generals.”

“Let’s hope at least one of them knows something,” Leon said. “The legend is rather obscure and has been somewhat lost within the sea of time, so it’s hard to know if the legend holds true or not. I guess we’ll find out shortly.”

Celtic nodded, “Yeah, but if it is true then it could be an avenue we can take advantage of and get the drop on Infinator’s forces. I guess for now we should head back to our guest room and just wait. Although I do have to run a personal errand first. You all go back to our room and wait; I’ll be back shortly. Skye, you hold down the fort until I get back, though I won’t be long.”

Skye’s ears drooped, “I can’t come with you?”

“No, sorry, this is rather personal so you can’t come with me. Sorry, but I have to do this one alone. It’s nothing major but it is very personal so I can’t talk about it. You’ll learn about it soon enough but until then stay here with everyone else. I won’t be gone long.”

Skye gained a dejected look, “Okay…”

“Good. I’ll meet back up with you lot shortly, as this shouldn’t take too long. See you then.”

Celtic then turned around and left the throne room, leaving his party behind. Skye gave a sad sigh as he walked away.

Viola placed a hand on her shoulder, saying, “Don’t get so depressed, Skye. It’s obvious that whatever he’s doing is rather personal so it’s best not to pry. Come, let’s go back to our guest room and await for any news and Celtic’s return.”

Skye nodded, “Yeah, okay. I just hope he doesn’t take too long; whatever it is he’s doing.”

Rupert chuckled, “Who knows? Maybe it’s a gift for you, Skye, as your birthday is coming up soon, right?”

Skye’s eyes brightened, her ears lifting, “Hey, yeah, I almost forgot about that. Ooh! Maybe it is. If so then I can accept that. That makes me feel better. Okay, let’s go back to our room and take it easy until we hear of anything that might help.”

“That’s more like it, Skye,” Zuzu chuckled.

About a half an hour later Celtic returned to his party’s guest bedroom. He seemed pretty satisfied with whatever he had been doing, making Skye quirk an eyebrow.

“You took a bit longer than expected, Cel,” she said. “But at the same time you seem rather satisfied about something. What happened?”

Celtic sat down, “The errand wrapped up pretty quickly but I ended up running into Ike’s parents along the way. They wanted to thank me for everything that I had done for them and Ike, giving me a gift, which was a magic chess set.”

Leon’s eyes went wide, “Those are not cheap. I guess the whole family is getting better pay as magic chess sets are fairly pricey.”

The redhead nodded, “Yeah, I noticed that, too. However, before they could give it to me a runaway horse and cart nearly ran them over. Apparently it was stung by a wasp and freaked out. I got them out of harm’s way but the chess set wasn’t so lucky, as it got destroyed. However, since I didn’t want their kindness and money to go to waste I found an alternative use for the chess set: I had my Shroud absorb it. It gave me a pretty powerful new Shroud form, easily one of my strongest even without any Mastery points. I’d say it’s nearly on par with the Dragon Rage Shroud, which is clearly my strongest Shroud, so that’s saying something. And since I still have some Energy Points from when my Soulavore Shroud ‘ate’ the undead monsters that Robert sicced on us I can use them to strengthen the new Magic Chess Shroud quite a bit. It wasn’t the exact intention they had for the magic chess set but Ike’s parents were happy that I could still make use of it. That’s why I took a bit longer than expected.”

Viola gained a warm smile, “That was good of you, Cel. While I’m sure Ike’s parents would’ve preferred you to play with the magic chess set, the fact that it gave birth to a powerful Shroud form as an alternative use for it clearly made them happy. And considering those chess sets aren’t cheap, you did them a real favor by finding another means of using their gift even when it was destroyed. Clearly Ike isn’t the only one who has taken a shine to you if his parents were willing to spend a fair amount of money on one of those magic chess sets. But, then again, Ike did say that because of your memories he and his family got much better lives out of it, along with those mages and other soldiers that have helped us in the past. At least their kindness didn’t go to waste, so that was very good of you to do that for them, Cel.”

Skye embraced Celtic from behind, “I agree. You probably made their day by finding a way to still use the magic chess set even after it was destroyed. And it’s good to know that Ike’s parents are such nice folk. They clearly raised him well.”

Celtic chuckled lightly, “I admit I was taken aback by their kind gesture, as that’s something I’m not quite accustomed to. But I couldn’t help but feel good about it. Even though I still hate this world, I do want it to prosper for the people who live here, so if something as simple as working alongside a young soldier could improve the lives of quite a few then I call that a win. Now, putting that aside for now, any news on the whole Karma Diamond thing?”

Zuzu shook her head, “None whatsoever. We’re not sure if anyone knows anything or not. Hopefully we’ll find out soon enough.”

Tyroe turned to her, “Hey, Zuzu, you’ve been around for a long time. Have you heard anything about the Karma Beasts and such?”

The Succuryn replied, “I’ve heard snippets of the legend here and there, but since I tended to avoid populated places due to being a wild demon, I haven’t heard much. Although I did once overhear a traveling merchant say that there are certain areas in the world where people rarely go due to the dangers. He mentioned that it was like the monsters were guarding something in those areas, and that a powerful energy and an equally powerful presence could be felt in the outskirts of said areas. However, that was a good 100 years ago so I don’t know if that’s still true or not. And since I’ve never been anywhere near those locations I can’t confirm if what the merchant said is true or not. Sorry, can’t say I know any concrete information on the subject despite my long life, only just little bits here and there.”

Celtic scratched his chin, “Hmm… still… if there are certain places where people have never, or at the very least rarely, have ventured into means that there are still some possible locations out there for the Karma Beasts to reside. Even if it isn’t much it could still be something of use.”

Just then a knock could be heard at their door. Leon opened it, revealing Prince Karl.

“Oh, Your Majesty!” he said.

“Did something happen?” Rupert asked.

Karl smiled, “Indeed. Your theory about the Karma Beasts and the Karma Diamonds… turns out we have proof of their existence, thanks to Queen Rease. She remembered she had old maps stashed away in her study back in Wichwoode. These maps are for the locations of the Karma Diamonds.”

Everyone looked shocked at this revelation.

“So the Karma Diamonds are real!?” Viola sputtered.

Karl nodded, “Yes, they are, much to everyone’s surprise. Queen Rease said she’ll head back to Wichwoode after the meeting to see if she can find the maps in her study. But she has confirmed that the legends about the Karma Beasts are true. She also confirmed that the legendary power of the Karma Diamonds is also true, saying she has other old documents from back before the Great Demon War that talk in length about their powers, although she admitted that most of them are kinda illegible due to age and from damage during the Great Demon War. But she said they should still have some information that can tell us more about the Karma Beasts and the Karma Diamonds, even though sizable chunks of info have been lost over time. She said that once she finds them she’ll have them delivered to us so father can begin a strategy meeting on how to acquire them. He’s sent Shadow Sentinels to track down the other Heroes and bring them back as we need everyone on-deck for when Queen Rease gives us the documents and maps she has. So, I was requested to tell you to remain here until further notice. It may take a day before she returns with the documents and maps but, thanks to you seven, we may have found our next battle plan and a solution to our current Infinator problem.”

Celtic replied, “You should really thank Danial at his blacksmith shop, as he’s the one who told us about the old legend in the first place.”

Karl nodded, “Okay, sure, that’s fair. But just think, we may have our solution for dealing with Infinator and his newly cloned Demon Generals. If this works out we may finally get the edge. But anyway, please remain here in the capital until further notice.”

Everyone nodded, allowing Prince Karl to leave them in peace.

“Well, this is very good news,” Leon said. “If we can obtain the Karma Diamonds then we may be one step closer to winning this war.”

Celtic nodded, “Agreed. Every advantage we can find is crucial to our success. Now, all we need to do is wait until Aunt Rease finds those old documents and maps and then our next mission will be in place.”

Everyone gained confident expressions, knowing that a solution may be within their grasp.

Next Chapter: Going Hog Wild

And that'll do for a start. What will the next major missions bring to the Heroes? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, here's the next chapter and the "official" start to the Karma Beast arc. What will happen now? (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence)

Spoiler: Chapter 2) Going Hog Wild

Going Hog Wild

​

It was the following day after the conference meeting. The five Legendary Heroes and their parties had been gathered in the throne room. King Alvin, his family, King Duskbane, and Queen Rease were all present as well. After making sure everyone was in the room King Alvin cleared his throat to begin speaking.

“The five Legendary Heroes are present and accounted for. Good. Now, onto the main discussion. Thanks to Prince Avalar and his party we may have discovered a solution to our current problem. It was upon their suggestion that we go after the Karma Diamonds that are being guarded by the Karma Beasts, five powerful monsters. We have Queen Rease to thank for confirming that the legend about these mystical items and beasts is real. As I said, there are five Karma Beasts: the Boar, the Cobra, the Crab, the Ox, and the Beetle. Fortunately, there are five Heroes and parties. Your mission is this: go to the locations where the Karma Beasts and retrieve the Karma Diamonds they guard. Now, to ensure that no one can complain about favoritism, we will be assigning you to a Karma Beast via lottery. King Duskbane, if you’d be so kind to present the lotto machine you have for us?”

King Duskbane nodded and gestured to two ShadoKnights, who pushed a cart over containing a moderate-sized machine with two glass domes.

“This lotto machine will determine what Karma Beast which Hero will face. All the balls in the machine are the same size and weight and the selection process is 100% random. That way we won’t hear any complaints about certain Heroes getting ‘better’ treatment. And the selection process is final, so once your designated Karma Beast has been selected you have to stay with it until the end. Now, let us begin the process. Activate the machine.”

One of the ShadoKnights pressed a button, causing the two glass domes, each with five ping-pong ball-sized balls to start flying around inside their respective domes. One ball from the left dome dropped into a tube that rolled down until it reached the bottom, where it was on display. It had a symbol of a sword on it.

“The first Hero chosen is the Sword Hero. Now, let us see which Karma Beast he’ll get.”

A ball from the second dome dropped into a tube and rolled out, revealing an ox symbol.

“The Sword Hero will face off against the Karma Ox.”

Ryan looked confident, “Good, that means I get the best one.”

King Duskbane took the two balls off the machine and turned to everyone.

“Okay, the first Hero and his Karma Beast has been decided. Now it’s time for the next one. Being the selection process.”

The balls in the machine started to fly around again. One was dropped into the tube and rolled out, revealing a shroud symbol.

“The next Hero chosen is the Shroud Hero. Now, what Karma Beast will he get?”

Another ball was dropped into the tube and rolled out, revealing a boar symbol.

“The Shroud Hero’s designated Karma Beast is the Karma Boar.”

Celtic shrugged, “Guess it’s time to bring home the bacon.”

King Duskbane took the two new balls and removed them.

“Now, it’s time for the next Hero and Karma Beast to be selected.”

One ball was dropped into the tube and rolled out, revealing a spear symbol.

“The Spear Hero has been selected. Now, what will his Karma Beast be?”

Another ball was selected and rolled out, revealing a cobra symbol.

“The Spear Hero’s designated Karma Beast is the Karma Cobra.”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Wench wailed. “I HATE SNAKES!!!”

Skye snickered, “Seems pretty fitting to me. A snake monster for a snake-in-the-grass. You’d fit right in, Wench.”

Wench glared daggers at Skye who merely sneered in response.

Lucas asked, “Can we have another go?”

King Duskbane gave him a very frightening glare, making the Spear Hero recoil in fear.

“The selection process is FINAL!” the demon king spat. “You don’t get a do-over. What you get is what you get, whether you like it or not. END OF DISCUSSION!” He then regained his composure before taking the balls off the machine, “Now that that’s settled, time for the next selection.”

A ball was selected and rolled out, revealing a bow symbol.

“The next Hero chosen in the Bow Hero. Let’s see what he gets as his opponent.”

The next ball was selected and rolled out, revealing a crab symbol.

“The Bow Hero’s target will be the Karma Crab.”

Jerry smirked, “Guess it’s time to make some crab cakes.”

“That means the Axe Hero gets the Karma Beetle.”

Eric looked confident, “Time to squash that bug.”

Queen Rease then walked up, holding five maps, stating, “Now that each Hero knows their target, these maps will guide you to the location of the Karma Beast and their respective Karma Diamond. You need to defeat each Karma Beast before you can obtain the Karma Diamond they guard. Be warned, as the areas where these powerful creatures reside are virtually uncharted and loaded to the brim with monsters, especially ones of their respective Karma Beasts’ type. The journey will be dangerous. Now, here are your maps that’ll guide you to your target.”

She handed out all five maps to their respective Hero. The maps were old and worn but were still legible, with detailed information about the territories of each Karma Beast.

King Duskbane then stepped up, “Due to the dangers each location presents, my people have created an emergency ejection bracelet for each Hero and their parties as a precaution. If you are in danger of being killed the bracelets will activate automatically and teleport you back to Delgunner. While I hope that doesn’t happen, as we need these Karma Diamonds before Infinator makes his next move, if it’s necessary that a Hero and their party need to be ejected to avoid getting killed, so be it. My Shadow Sentinels will take you to your respective starting point tomorrow, as the bracelets are not quite finished yet. That’ll give you time to stock up on supplies such like food and medicine, because this won’t be a single day trip. You need to take every precaution, as even my Shadow Sentinels won’t be able to follow you into those uncharted locations, so be prepared for the worst, as it may just happen.”

King Alvin nodded, “Indeed, King Duskbane.” He turned to the five Heroes and their parties, “You all need to prepare for what lies ahead. Don’t take any chances and don’t perform any risky stunts while on this mission. Everyone needs to work together with their parties in order to accomplish this very important mission. I will summon all of you here when the bracelets are ready so you can begin your task. Take this opportunity to stock up and prepare yourselves before you embark on this dangerous quest. Dismissed.”

Celtic turned to his party after putting the map away, “Come on, gang, let’s go and make the necessary preparations for this trip, as who knows what we’ll face out there.”

“Right!” his party stated.

Everyone left the throne room to begin preparations for the mission, although Wench was still not happy about her party’s designated Karma Beast. Celtic and his party spent the rest of the day purchasing food, crafting potions, and buying any other items that they might need. By the time the sun was starting to set they had gotten prepared as much as they could within the timeframe. By the time night had fallen they were out cold in their beds, tired but satisfied, hoping they had gathered enough for the trip.

It was the following morning. After a hearty breakfast all the Heroes and their parties had been gathered up in the throne room again. King Alvin and his family were with King Duskbane and five Shadow Sentinels. King Alvin cleared his throat.

“The five Legendary Heroes and their parties have been gathered. I hope you all made the necessary preparations for this dangerous mission. Now, onto the next step. King Duskbane will present you with the bracelets his people have made for you.”

King Duskbane stepped up, holding five gold bracelets, stating, “These emergency bracelets will eject each Hero and their party member out of severe danger if need be. Hopefully they won’t be needed but considering you’re entering virtually uncharted territory we don’t want to take any unnecessary risks in losing you. Each Hero will wear this bracelet, which will register said Hero and their party members to it. When it detects that you and your party members are in dire situations, such as everyone being knocked unconscious or your Hit Points are all in critical range, it’ll activate and teleport you back to Delgunner for safety. This is going to be bit of a trip so you need to ensure that you won’t get into any major trouble by taking all the necessary precautions possible. You must retrieve the Karma Diamond that your respective Karma Beast guards or it could cause even more problems for our faction. It is imperative that you complete your mission or Infinator may get the upper-hand again. After you’ve acquired your bracelet my Shadow Sentinels will take you to your designated starting point so you can begin the mission. Good luck, as you’ll need it.”

Each Hero was given a bracelet, which they equipped to their wrists. After the bracelet registered each Hero and their parties the Shadow Sentinels stepped up.

“It’s time,” King Alvin stated. “Go and retrieve the Karma Diamonds from the Karma Beasts, but most importantly come back alive. Now, go.”

The Shadow Sentinels gave a bow before they and each of the Heroes’ parties vanished in black portals, leaving the royals behind. King Alvin couldn’t help but sigh in a depressed tone.

King Duskbane turned to him, “You’re worried about the Heroes outside of Avalar, aren’t you?”

King Alvin nodded, “Yes. The Sword, Spear, Axe, and Bow Heroes have an abysmal track record; thus I don’t feel they’re ready for this mission. But we need all of them to pull their weight around, as we can’t keep relying on Avalar to do all the heavy lifting. Maybe this might whip them into shape though I harbor many doubts about it. We can only hope that they won’t fail this time. Avalar I have virtually no concerns about, as he and his party have proven to be the most competent and reliable, but the other four I’m concerned about. Let’s just hope they’ll finally take this seriously… but I still harbor doubts.”

Queen Amelia stated, “You have every right to be, honey. Let’s try to have some faith, though, as this could be the advantage we need over Infinator. We should try to have faith that the Heroes will succeed this time.”

“I know… but I can’t help but worry…” he replied.

Meanwhile, Celtic, his party, and the Shadow Sentinel appeared in a new location. It was the outskirts of a large jungle. They could hear the local wildlife, mostly birds, from their current position. The Shadow Sentinel bowed.

“This is as far as I can take you, Your Majesty,” she said. “The rest is up to you. I will take my leave now. Good luck.”

She then vanished in a black portal, leaving Celtic and his party behind. Celtic took the map out and gave it to Viola.

“Here, Viola, you take the map,” he said. “You’ve got the best sense of direction and you’ve always been our navigator, so I’m leaving that to you.”

Viola nodded, “You can count on me, Cel. Now…” she looked the map over, trying to match up the current area to the directions. “Okay, I’ve got the general gist of it. First, we have to go northwest until we reach what looks like ruins near a river. From there we go north until we find more ruins, this time near a small clearing of pitcher plants. From that point we go east until we reach a large river. And after that we go north until we find the large ruins where our Karma Beast resides.” She did a quick calculation before adding, “If my calculations are correct, this trip will take roughly two and a half days, give or take depending on various factors like weather and the frequency of monster attacks. We’ve made enough preparations to last us a week in this jungle, along with previous supplies giving us extra wiggle room, so we should be okay. Now, our starting point is that opening just off to our left.”

Celtic nodded, “Right. Let’s do this. The sooner we get this done the sooner we can go stop Infinator and his Generals.”

With a final nod the party entered the jungle. No more than a few meters in did some monsters appear. Most of them were green-colored Ballooners but there were also a few porcupine-like monsters. They immediately charged Celtic only to pretty much bounce off of him, much to their surprise. Celtic transformed his arm into Fighter Sword, grinning darkly.

“Bad move,” he said.

With a few sword swipes the monsters were dead, allowing Celtic to take samples from them, creating two new Shrouds.

“Hmm… the Prickle Porcupine Shroud and Green Ballooner Shroud,” he observed. “Not bad effects they grant. The Prickle Porcupine Shroud gives me the ability to use the Quill Missile attack while the Green Ballooner Shroud increases the quality of any accessories I make. That last one will be most useful as it’ll help us earn more money when we do accessory trading business. Now, let’s continue, as we’ve only just scratched the surface of this jungle.”

Nodding the party resumed their trek. It wasn’t long before they encountered more monsters. This time they were large boar-like monsters, easily the size of a Great Dane, with bronze-colored tusks, bronze-colored fur on their backs, whip-like tails ending in tufts of bronze fur, and glowing yellow eyes.

“Those are Bronze Boars!” Rupert stated. “They’re part of the Metal Boar family. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised to find them here, as we’re after the Karma Boar.”

The pack of Bronze Boars gave a pig-like roar before charging at the party.

“Shield Wall!” Celtic roared.

The Shroud glowed before summoning the orbiting shields from the Lizartaur Shroud. Celtic then gave a hand motion that caused them to scatter and one shield start orbiting each party member. When the Bronze Boars got close the shields positioned themselves in front of their respective party members, causing the Bronze Boars to slam headlong into them. The shields remained unharmed while the Bronze Boars were dazed and stunned from the impact.

Skye summoned her naginata, “Now’s our chance, while they’re stunned!”

The party quickly attacked the stunned Bronze Boars. Before the boar monsters knew what hit them they had been killed by the party, causing them to gain a fair amount of EXP.

Tyroe licked his lips, “I suggest we take some of these Bronze Boars with us, as they’re another type of edible monster like the Clobbsters we faced a little while ago. The Metal Boar family as a whole are edible, and they’re said to have delicious meat. Plus, it’ll give us some extra food for this trip.”

Leon nodded, “Tyroe’s right. The Metal Boar family are, in fact, edible, and their meat is very good for you due to the high protein, iron, and low fat contents it contains. You can basically substitute any kind of pork with it in a recipe and it’ll still give you good results. Besides, the Tek-Pak can preserve them easily. And I have a bad feeling that we may have more adventures into places like this soon, so it might be wise to have some extra food ready just in case.”

Viola added, “Plus, even if we don’t eat them, we can sell them to butchers for a fair price, as they’re considered exotic meat. And on top of that their tusks sell for a pretty profit, so there’s that, too.”

Celtic nodded, “Fine, that’s a good idea. Anything that can help us either get more money or more food is always helpful. Let me just collect a sample from one first for a new Shroud and then let’s clean them so they’ll be ready to be cooked.”

He tore off a chunk of fur from one of the Bronze Boars and had his Shroud absorb it, creating the “Bronze Boar Shroud”, which he read the effects over before stepping back.

Rupert turned to Tyroe, “Come on, Tyroe, let’s clean these Bronze Boars so they’ll be ready for the roast.”

Tyroe nodded, “Right, count me in.” He turned to the rest of the party, “Give us a few minutes to take care of cleaning these Bronze Boars and then we’ll resume.”

As the two gutted the boar monsters to clean them the rest of the party waited patiently. After about 10 minutes they were finished, wiping their hands clean. Celtic then scanned and digitized the Bronze Boars into his Tek-Pak and they resumed their trek. A few hours later, after fighting more monsters, they arrived at some ruins near a river. Viola looked the map over, then looked at the sky before turning to the party.

“Okay, we’ve made it to the first checkpoint, so to speak,” she said. “Why don’t we take a lunch break here and resume after eating? It’ll give us a chance to catch our breath and refuel ourselves.”

Celtic nodded, “Yeah, good idea. I think we all could use a rest and some lunch. I’ll start cooking something.” He took out what looked like a makeshift book with recipes in it, “Okay, let’s see… Thanks to Skye giving me several recipes, along with all the food items we have, I can make us something good. Now… how about I make us ginger pork stir fry? We did just get some good quality meat from those Bronze Boars so we might as well try it. Time to get to work.”

After making all the necessary preparations he began to cook their lunch. Tyroe and even Rupert were drooling as Celtic masterfully crafted the meal over a campfire. It wasn’t long before it was ready. It smelled delightful. The party eagerly got their plates and Celtic served them the special dish. The party took a minute to savor the food before eating with gusto, all gaining dreamy expressions as they ate.

“Cel, I dare say your cooking ability has gotten extremely good!” Skye said with sparkling eyes.

Celtic chuckled lightly, “Well, the various Monster Egg Shrouds I have do enhance my cooking ability. Not to mention the new Bronze Boar Shroud increases the quality of whatever meat I’m using by 20%, along with giving it minor HP self-restoration properties for a short time. While I was always a good cook, easily one of the best in the Pulsar family, the various Monster Egg Shrouds and the new Bronze Boar Shroud have made my cooking ability increase significantly. Which is good considering I’m working with mostly new ingredients, along with needing to feed very hungry mouths. But I’m glad everyone is enjoying my cooking. Now, if anyone wants seconds go right ahead and help yourselves.”

They party happily ate their meal, feeling more energized and restored as they did. It wasn’t long before their plates were clean and all the food was gone. Rupert and Leon then washed the dishes in the river before everything was gathered up and they resumed their trek. Suddenly, more boar monsters jumped out of the bushes and blocked the party. They were similar to the Bronze Boars only they were somewhat bigger, had silver tusks, silver fur on their backs, and even their tails were silver, along with striking orange eyes.

Tyroe got defensive, “Those are Silver Boars, another member of the Metal Boar family. They’re a lot nastier than their Bronze Boar brethren, as their tusks can cut through steel armor.”

The Silver Boars gave a pig-like roar before charging at the party.

“Shield Wall!” Celtic stated.

The Shroud glowed before the orbiting shields returned. With another hand motion the shields got in front of each party member. The Silver Boars rammed the shields with everything they had. This time the shields got light dents in them, which surprised Celtic, along with the fact that the Silver Boars recovered faster from their ramming attack. Rupert began channeling energy as the Silver Boars prepared another charge attack.

“Bamboo Spears!” he shouted.

The spears of bamboo impaled the Silver Boars from underneath, making them squeal in pain, along with lifting them off the ground a bit. Zuzu then zipped up into the air and slammed down her fists on their heads, crushing their skulls and further impaling them on the bamboo, killing them. Celtic examined the shields from the Lizartaur Shroud, still surprised at the dents the Silver Boars put in them.

“Wow,” he said. “Those Silver Boars must be pretty tough to actually dent the Shield Wall’s shields. While I know the Shield Wall isn’t indestructible I’m still surprised those boars were able to even put dents in them. Plus, they regained their senses much quicker when they rammed the shields compared to the Bronze Boars. Looks like I need to combine some more ore with this Shroud power to better strengthen it.”

Skye looked the dents over, giving a whistle, “Yeah. While they didn’t do much damage the fact that they did any damage at all is rather surprising. I can only imagine how strong the Gold and Platinum Boars will be, as I’m certain we’ll run into them while on this mission. And I’d be willing to bet that the Karma Boar would probably be strong enough to even break the Shield Wall’s shields, as it is a legendary monster. But, enough of that. Cel, you should take a sample from these Silver Boars and have Rupert and Tyroe clean them, as Silver Boar meat is even better than Bronze Boar meat. Plus, again, harvesting their tusks will be worth a fair profit.”

Celtic nodded, deactivated the shields, and walked over to one of the Silver Boars, tearing off a chunk for his Shroud to absorb, creating the “Silver Boar Shroud”. He took a moment to read its effects over before Rupert and Tyroe grabbed the Silver Boars and dragged them off for cleaning. After about 10 minutes they were done, having washed their hands in a small pond nearby. Celtic then scanned and digitized the Silver Boars into his Tek-Pak before they continued onward. By the time they got to the small clearing full of pitcher plants the sun was starting to set.

Viola turned to her party, “I suggest we make camp here. It’s starting to get dark and the monsters will be nastier at night. Sound good, Cel?”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, good idea. At least this clearing will make spotting any monsters easier. I’ll make dinner. How does pepper steak with onion sandwiches sound?”

Skye smiled, “Sounds good to me!”

Everyone else nodded, so Celtic went to work. It wasn’t long before the food was ready and everyone tucked into their delicious sandwiches. After the food was gone and the dishes were washed the party found comfortable spots and went to sleep, with Celtic taking the first shift of the night watch. As she slept, Skye was thinking about tomorrow.

“Tomorrow’s my 20th birthday,” she said silently. “Will it be different now that I have real friends? Or will it be the same as always ever since mother was kidnapped? I hope something good will happen tomorrow, as it would mean a lot to me. But… I know we’re on a mission so I can’t get greedy. I just hope I’ll finally have a worthwhile birthday for a change.”

Next Chapter: Full-Boar Action

And that's it for now. Tune in next time to see more ham-to-ham action. ...I'll show myself out now.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, here's the next chapter for your reading enjoyment. Hopefully. (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 3) Full-Boar Action

Full-Boar Action

​

It was the next day after the five Heroes had ventured off to find the Karma Beasts and the Karma Diamonds. After a hearty breakfast the Shroud Hero party continued their mission to find the Karma Boar. Skye was a bit quiet, as she knew what today was.

“Today’s my 20th birthday,” she said silently. “Does the rest of the gang know it? Or will our mission be the only thing we’ll do today? I guess I shouldn’t really complain, as just being around people who actually care about me is really what’s important to me. Still… it would be nice to have even just a little treat. But I can’t let that bog me down, as we have work to do.”

Celtic could see Skye’s expression and smiled inwardly, “She’s aware that today is her birthday. The rest of the party are aware of it, too. We’ve got something prepared for her tonight. What none of them know is that I have a little treat for Skye to celebrate her birthday. It’s not much, especially considering we’re in the middle of a mission, but tonight will make her happy, I know it.”

Suddenly, three porcupine monsters jumped out the underbrush and tried to ram Viola. Celtic quickly got in the way and brought out his Reflector Shield arm attachment, blocking the attack and sending an instant counterattack at the three porcupine monsters, sending them flying like bowling pins. They quickly recovered and started to hiss. The looked similar to the Prickle Porcupines from yesterday, only they were bigger, had larger, more vicious-looking teeth, steel grey quills, and glowing red eyes. The party got defensive.

“Those are Bite Porcupines,” Leon stated. “They’re the next level in the Prickle Porcupine family. They’re a lot nastier and their quills contain poison, so be careful of that. Plus, their bites can pierce copper and bronze metal like it’s paper.”

One tried to attack Celtic again only to be instantly cut down by Skye’s naginata, making her glare at the remaining two.

“No one tries to hurt my friends and future hubby, you rodents!” she hissed.

This caused the other two to hesitate, which gave Rupert and Tyroe an opening. Rupert slammed his claw weapons into one of them, tearing into its body, killing it, while Tyroe slammed his Colossus Hammer down on the other one, completely crushing it underneath, ending the fight.

Viola turned to Celtic, “Thanks, Cel, I owe you one. While I’m pretty sturdy, especially thanks to all the defensive buffs you’ve given us, that would’ve still hurt, as a Bite Porcupine’s… well… bites hurt like hell. So good reaction time there, as it could’ve easily bitten through my carapace on my arms or legs.”

Celtic nodded, “No problem. That’s what friends and party members do, right? Now, let me take a sample from one of these buggers and see what I get.”

He took the one that Skye killed and absorbed it into his Shroud, creating the “Bite Porcupine Shroud”, which he read the effects over.

“Not bad. This Shroud grants me the Poison Quill Guard, which coats me in quills that reduce damage from physical blows while both dealing the opponent some counterattack-like damage and even poisons them. Considering my defenses are pretty much to the point where it’ll take something pretty strong to hurt me, the damage reduction ability won’t be too useful, but the poison-inflicting and counterattack-like damage abilities will come in handy. It’s almost like a combo of the abilities Rough Skin and Poison Point from a game series called Pokémon. But, anyway, let’s keep moving so we won’t get ambushed by anything else.” He then turned to Skye, “And Skye… thanks for considering me worthy of being a potential husband… even though I’d probably be a terrible one.”

Skye replied, “No you won’t. I know you have a fair amount of self-loathing due to all the abuse you’ve endured, but I know that you’ll be a good husband to me. I’m not exactly a proper lady myself, you know, so we’ll be fine together. Besides, I feel that a little TLC will smooth out both of our rough edges over the years. But, like you said, time for this later, as we’d better keep going.”

Nodding, the party continued their trek through the jungle, cutting down any monsters they encountered along the way. After a while they decided to take a small break, as it was getting hot. Taking refuge under a large tree with lots of shade and a small stream nearby they sat down and took a drink.

Zuzu asked, “Hey, how much further until we reach our next checkpoint, so to speak?”

Viola looked at the map for a moment, then looked around to get a general feel of the area they were in, followed by observing the sun’s position.

“I’d say we’ll hit our next checkpoint in about an hour or so, just in time for lunch,” she replied. “Judging by where we are compared to the sun’s position, we’re about two miles from our next major location on the map.”

“Good,” Rupert replied. “We can use that large river to cool ourselves down a bit, as it’s hot here.”

Celtic took another swig from his canteen before stating, “Not too surprising, as jungles tend to be rather hot and humid. And the deeper we go the worse it may get, so we’ll also refill our canteens while we’re at that large river. Just hope no one gets washed away by accident.”

“That’s a scary thought,” Leon said. “Better steer clear of that possibility.”

After resting enough the party continued their trek through the lush jungle. After about an hour they reached the large river. Celtic started to set up for making lunch.

“Okay, let me start cooking,” he said. He took out his makeshift recipe book, flipping through the pages before saying, “Okay, thanks to those Metal Boars I managed to get ahold of some of their drops which were stored in my Shroud. Some of which were Greasy Roasts. I’ll cook some of those up along with a few veggies to make a nice meal.”

Skye then noticed something, “Hey, Cel, before you do, look over at that tree just to your left!”

Celtic turned to see a tree full of apples, although these apples were blue in color. He quirked an eyebrow at them.

“What are those?” he asked.

Skye ran over and picked one off the tree, “They’re Mind Apples. They’re a type of stat-boosting item, as they boost Magical Attack. They’re also quite delicious and very nutritious. Plus, I know a recipe that they can be used in with Greasy Roasts called a Greasy Apple Skillet Roast. I suggest we pick some and use them in our lunch, as it would not only boost our stats but make for a real treat.”

Celtic nodded, “Alright, sounds good to me. Gather as many as possible so we can have them for extra food for later on, along with having a healthy supply of stat-boosting items to further improve ourselves.”

Tyroe slithered over, “I’ll get them down. Watch this.”

He slammed his tail against the thick tree, causing it to shake and drop many, many Mind Apples. He and Skye eagerly gathered them up and brought them over to Celtic. With Skye’s instructions, Celtic used the Mind Apples alongside the Greasy Roasts to create the dish she had mentioned. It wasn’t long before the new recipe was ready, much to the eagerness of the Shroud Hero party. They ate the Greasy Apple Skillet Roast with dreamy expressions, clearly enjoying themselves. It wasn’t long before all the food was gone. Zuzu and Tyroe then washed the dishes before they packed up and got ready to move out. However, they were suddenly charged by something coming out of the dense underbrush. Celtic quickly got in the way of it.

“Iron Body!” he stated.

His body turned to iron as the fast-moving creature rammed into him. While Celtic didn’t take any damage he was stunned at the force of the impact, while the mysterious creature backed up a bit, dazed. It looked like another member of the Metal Boar family, only this one was even bigger, had gold tusks, gold fur on its back, and piercing red eyes.

“That’s a Gold Boar!” Rupert stated. “The next level in the Metal Boar family.”

Viola quickly moved her hands and tangled the Gold Boar in her silk, preventing it from moving.

“That should slow it down a bit,” she said. “But those tusks can cut through my silk, so we have to act fast and kill it.”

Celtic deactivated Iron Body before stating, “Let me have a go at it! Wood Tower!”

He slammed his palm on the ground, causing the Gold Boar to be impaled from underneath by the tree trunk-sized wooden spears, making it squeal in pain. It was using its tusk to try to cut the silk as it struggled to get off the pillar of wood. Zuzu floated up and channeled Dark energy into her fist.

“Time for some pork skewers!” she said darkly. “Dark Strike!”

She slammed her fist down on top of the still impaled Gold Boar, further gouging the Wood Tower into it. The Gold Boar gave one last pained squeal before it went limp, with everyone gaining a sizable amount of EXP. Zuzu then grabbed the Gold Boar, pulled it off the Wood Tower, and brought it back to ground level.

“Okay, you know the drill,” she said. “Clean it so we can eat it sometime later, as Gold Boars are well-known for their extremely juicy meat. I should know, I had one about 55 years ago. But first Celtic should tear off a chunk to feed to his Shroud for a new form.”

Celtic nodded and tore off a chunk of fur before feeding it to the Shroud, creating the “Gold Boar Shroud”. Rupert and Tyroe then took the Gold Boar to clean it while Leon looked concerned. This didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the party.

“Something on your mind, Leon?” Viola asked.

“I’m a bit concerned that we were only attacked by one Gold Boar,” he replied. “Gold Boars are pack hunters, as they always travel in at least packs of five. While the rest of the Metal Boar family does the same, Gold Boars and Platinum Boars are the most well-known, as just five of either breed can tear a village to shreds. The fact that we were only attacked by a single Gold Boar makes me worried that others will soon show up. Seeing how the Silver Boars were capable of denting the Shield Wall’s shields and seeing how Celtic clearly felt something when that Gold Boar rammed him while he was using Iron Body, I worry at just how strong other Gold Boars may be.”

Skye nodded, “That’s a good point, Leon. Gold Boars always travel in packs. So only getting attacked by one is a bit strange. Unless it was kicked out of the pack, which could happen if it challenged the pack leader and lost, there might be more waiting for us to avenge their fallen member. By the way, Cel, are you okay? You did flinch when the Gold Boar hit you while in Iron Body.”

Celtic replied, “Yeah, I’m okay, I was just a bit surprised from how strong the impact was. I took no damage and I’m not hurt or anything, it was just the force of impact that startled me a bit. The Iron Body held out just fine, I was just a bit taken aback by the attack’s force, as it did nearly knock me off my feet, but I’m unharmed and undamaged, so I’ll be okay. I might have to switch to my newly learned Titanium Body for next time, as that’s even stronger than Iron Body. While my Speed is reduced to a crawl, I basically become an immovable heavy cannon that can still attack freely. If we encounter the rest of the pack I’ll just use that to endure their hits now that I’m aware of how strong they are. Though I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, as even just regular wild boars are a lot stronger than they look. They can pack a mean punch in the right situation.”

At that point Rupert and Tyroe dragged the freshly gutted Gold Boar over to the rest of the party.

“Here ya go, one freshly cleaned Gold Boar!” Tyroe said cheerfully.

Rupert then said, “We overheard the conversation. Leon’s got a good point about the possibility of other Gold Boar packmates coming after us. We’d best stay on-guard, as they are nasty when angry. Though… then again, they always seem to be angry, so I guess that makes little difference. Anyway, stash this Gold Boar away and we’ll continue on our mission.”

Celtic scanned and digitized the Gold Boar and the Mind Apples into his Tek-Pak before the party continued their trek deeper into the jungle. Viola continued to lead the way, checking the map and matching it up with their surroundings. After about an hour she stopped, causing the rest of the party to stop in confusion.

“Something up, Viola?” Celtic asked.

Viola turned to him, “Well, I’ve been doing some calculations on our progress, along with keeping an eye on our current location and it seems we may get to the ruins where our targets reside by tomorrow morning, much sooner than expected. Despite the monster attacks we’ve covered quite a fair bit of ground in a short period of time. We’ll have to set up camp eventually but if we keep going at our pace we’ll be able to fight the Karma Boar by tomorrow morning, as we only have about another seven to eight miles left until we reach the ruins where the Karma Beast resides. My suggestion is this: we keep going for a little bit longer then set up camp before the sun starts to set. That way we can get some rest before the big fight that looms ahead of us, as I doubt the Karma Boar will face us alone. It’ll also give us a chance to make sure we have enough of everything for the battle. I suggest we set camp in the large grove of fruit trees that’s marked on this map. That’s only about four miles away from here. It’ll also give us a chance to harvest some more fruit for later adventures, as I doubt we’re done with them yet. Plus, it’ll be next to a fresh water supply in the form of a stream.”

Celtic took a moment to ponder before replying, “Yeah, that does sound like a good idea. It’ll give us a chance to rest, get a bit more food and water, and allow us to start mapping out a battle plan, as I agree that the Karma Boar will most likely not fight us by itself. That’s a good call, Viola. Lead the way.”

Suddenly, they all heard snorting, making them tense. Skye’s ears started to twitch along with Rupert’s, trying to pinpoint the sound. Another snort alerted them to something in the dense bushes to their right. They all got into a battle-ready pose, with Celtic summoning the Lizartaur Shroud’s Shield Wall shields ahead of time, positioning them so they’d orbit each party member. Suddenly, several fast-moving creatures emerged from the bushes. Celtic made a gesture with his hand that caused the Shield Wall’s shields to position themselves in front of each party member. The fast-moving creatures rammed the shields, causing quite a bit of damage to them before backing up. Some of them were more Gold Boars but there was also a few of a new monster among them. They looked like a much more vicious version of the Metal Boar family, with a body easily as big as Tyroe, platinum tusks, platinum-colored fur on its back, a mace for a tail, and fierce red eyes.

“Looks like we found our missing Gold Boars!” Rupert stated.

“Yeah, along with a few Platinum Boars, too,” Zuzu added.

The biggest Platinum Boar gave a more formidable roar that caused the other boars to charge again. Celtic gave them a strong look.

“Not happening! Wood Tower!”

He slammed his palm down on the ground, however, this time, instead of the tree trunk-sized spears impaling the boars, he created a wall of wood pillars that the boars ran headlong into, causing them to stumble back, dazed and hurt. This modification to the Wood Tower attack took the boars by surprise, which gave the rest of the party a chance to react while the various Metal Boars were stunned and dazed. Zuzu started to channel energy.

“Dark Meteors!” she shouted.

Several large Dark-energy meteors came raining down upon the various Metal Boars, striking them hard, injuring them. Rupert and Tyroe then started to channel energy.

“Bamboo Spears!” Rupert roared.

“Stone Spears!” Tyroe shouted.

The spears of bamboo impaled the two types of Metal Boars from underneath, making them squeal in pain, while the sharp rocks slashed at them. This combo caused the Gold Boars to die, leaving the now injured and confused Platinum Boars. Skye then, to everyone’s surprise, managed to run straight up the Wood Tower barrier with her speed and leg strength, jumped over the top, did a flip, and then slammed her naginata into the biggest Platinum Boar’s skull. This caused it to die instantly, leaving its now panicking brethren. Before they could flee Skye turned to face them and quickly gored them with her naginata, killing the last of them. Celtic lowered the Wood Tower barrier and dispersed the Shield Wall’s shields before everyone approached the dead army of Metal Boars.

“Well… at least we know we’re heading in the right direction,” Celtic said. “After all, I bet that big one is like a sentry or a bodyguard to the Karma Boar, so we are definitely getting close to where the big beasty itself is. We should exercise caution when we set camp in that fruit tree grove, just in case.”

Tyroe was practically drooling as he looked at the two types of Metal Boars, saying, “And these bruisers will give us enough food to last us a while. Especially the big Platinum Boar. I don’t think even I can eat all of that meat in one sitting.”

Leon chuckled, “Good, then that means we’ll have plenty to eat for a while. Now, let’s clean them, stash them away, and head for that fruit tree grove that Viola suggested we make camp at.”

After a good 10 minutes of Rupert and Tyroe cleaning the various Metal Boars, followed by Celtic scanning and digitizing them into his Tek-Pak, the party resumed their trek. Eventually they made it to the fruit tree grove that Viola mentioned. It was quite a beautiful spot, with enough space for the party to spread out, a clean, cool stream flowing nearby, lots of jungle flowers, and trees loaded with different kinds of fruit.

Skye took a moment to observe the fruit before saying, “Okay, we’ve hit quite the treasure trove of fruit. Not only are there Mind Apples here, but also Brain Bananas, which boost Magical Defense stats, Gold Peaches, Soul Mangos, Pink Plums, and even some rare Blue Star Strawberries. I suggest we harvest a lot of this, as they’ll not only provide us with good, fresh food, but all of them have some sort of special power that can be helpful, like healing effects and similar properties.”

Celtic nodded, “Okay, you, Viola and Tyroe go harvest as much as you can. I’ll stash it in my Tek-Pak when you bring them over. Then I’ll start making dinner. I’ve got something special planned for tonight’s menu. Then we’ll call it a day.”

Nodding, everyone went to work setting up camp while Skye, Viola, and Tyroe harvested as much fruit as they could. After collecting what they felt was enough, Celtic started to make dinner which, to Skye’s surprise, involved Clobbster. After they ate their Clobbster dinner, Celtic took something out of his Tek-Pak and presented it to Skye, making her eyes widen.

“Cel!” she cried happily. “You did remember!”

Celtic was holding out a cake. It was a white icing cake with strawberries and something written on top in Zakota’s native language.

“Of course, Skye,” he said warmly. “Happy Birthday.”

Viola gained a grin, “So… this was that personal errand you ran before we got involved in this Karma Beast thing. A cake for Skye.”

“Yeah, and that’s why Skye couldn’t tag along, as I wanted it to be a surprise. I know she likes strawberry shortcake, so I got a vanilla cake with strawberry buttercream, white icing and fresh strawberries on top. I hope you like it, Skye. I know it’s not much but I hope it’ll do for you.”

Skye looked like she was ready to cry, “Cel, I’m just happy that you all remembered. I though I’d go through this whole day without a single mention of it. And it’s perfect. Believe me, I’ve had pretty miserable birthdays since mother was captured by Sylph and fa… I mean Sludge went off the deep end, with my last birthday being ‘celebrated’ in a slave trader’s cage. Believe me, even if it’s just a cake and Clobbster dinner, it’s more than I’ve gotten in years. Thank you. Thank you all so much.”

Leon smiled, “You deserve it, Skye, after everything you’ve done. It may be a rather modest birthday due to our current situation, but at least it’s something. Now, let’s cut that cake and have ourselves a treat, as we’ve earned it after all the fighting we’ve done today.”

Nodding in agreement, Celtic cut the cake, allowing the party to dig into it. Skye was extremely happy as she ate it, clearly enjoying both it and the small celebration they were having. As night began to fall the party found comfortable places and fell asleep, with Celtic taking the first night watch.

“I’m glad Skye is happy,” he said silently as he watched her sleep. “She was worried we’d forget, but I certainly made sure that wouldn’t happen. Whenever my party finds joy in something it helps me be happy as well. That’s an emotion that has a long time left me since I came to this rock. I’m still not too fond to defend this world after everything I’d had to endure but… these guys need a home. That’s reason enough to keep fighting. A reason to let the world survive and prosper.” He then looked ahead, where he could see something that looked like a large temple in the distance, “That’s probably where our next battle will take place. We’re coming for you, Karma Boar. The Karma Diamond you guard will be ours, just you wait. But I know it won’t be an easy battle. However, I know we can overcome it as the team that we are. We’re like a well-oiled machine, and nothing will stop us.”

Next Chapter: The Karma Boar

And that's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to see the big battle between Hero and ham sandwich.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter. Will the Shroud Hero party prevail over the Karma Boar? (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 4) The Karma Boar

The Karma Boar

​

It was the next day. The day Celtic and his party would fight the Karma Boar. After having breakfast and mapping out a few strategies the party made their way to the ruins. As they got close several Metal Boars appeared. However, to their surprise, the various Metal Boars just let them pass, as if knowing what the party wanted. Now wary, the party continued until they reached the ruins. They looked like a large temple with a massive area that resembled almost like a gladiator field in front of it. As the party approached they suddenly heard something.

“So… I take it you’re after the Karma Diamond… Shroud Hero.”

They all looked around before looking up. Sitting on the top step of the temple was a massive boar. It looked like the other Metal Boars, only it had four sets of tusks that looked like they were made from titanium, each the size of the Legendary Spear, with the largest pair positioned directly in front. Its fur was gold and red in color, with a huge gold mace for a tail, sharply-shaped ears, and glowing green eyes. The party got into a defensive position.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” the Karma Boar said by using telepathy. “You know you’re not the first one to come here. However, I can tell that you intend to be the one to walk away with your prize. I am aware of the current situation with Infinator. Yes, the Karma Diamonds can grant you the wish that you seek, but only those who can defeat us Karma Beasts can unlock their power. Many have tried, all have failed, and all have perished. And I’m willing to bet you will be just the same.”

Celtic replied, “You’ll be surprised at what my party and I can do, Porky Pig. We’ll turn you into sausages.”

The Karma Boar chuckled, “This should be amusing. I’ll let you humor me for a bit. But don’t think I’ll be an easy fight. I can give even the Dragon Emperors a run for their money, and I doubt you’ll be any tougher. But, fine, I accept your challenge. But make no mistake, Shroud Hero, that I am not like other monsters. I am virtually a god to them.”

Zuzu raised her fists up, “Then that’ll make us the executioner of a god. Something we welcome. Do your worst you overgrown ham sandwich. Or should I say do your wurst?”

This annoyed the Karma Boar, “You’ll find out the hard way what happens when you mock a god of monsters.”

He then jumped from the top of the ruins and landed right in front of the party in the gladiator arena-like area. He gave a loud pig-like roar to signal the start of the battle.

Celtic stated, “Time for some roast pork! Battle Formation: Epsilon 12!”

The party took a set battle formation, making the Karma Boar quirk an eyebrow.

“Battle formations?” he mused. “This might be more interesting than I thought. But you will still lose to me regardless of your ‘tactics’. And two can play at that game! Minions, come forth!”

Several Bronze and Silver Boars jumped into the fray. To the Karma Boar’s confusion, Celtic gained a dark smirk.

“We thought you’d pull something like that,” he said with a grin. “Now, watch this. Blood Skeleton Solider Shroud!”

The Shroud transformed, becoming a new form. This one looked very similar to the normal Skeleton Soldier Shroud, only the bone patterns were blood red.

“Time to put you on a timer! Cursed Grip!”

He fired multiple Dark energy shots from the Shroud, striking every Bronze and Silver Boar, along with the Karma Boar himself. However, to the Karma Beast’s surprise, it did no damage. It chuckled darkly.

“You think a weak attack like that is going to hurt me?” he sneered.

However, his eyes widened as Celtic’s face twisted into a diabolical grin.

“Wrong, you porker!” the Shroud Hero smirked evilly. “The Cursed Grip doesn’t do any direct damage. It instead eats away at you with a very potent curse. Take a look at your Hit Points and you’ll see what I mean.”

The Karma Boar took a moment to see what Celtic meant and his eyes widened in horror as his Hit Points were steadily dropping.

“W-W-What!?” he sputtered. “You’ve inflicted an HP-draining curse on me!?”

“Damn straight, you swine!” Celtic grinned. “And it gets better. This effect is extra potent on Beast-type monsters like you and your porky brethren. So, your Hit Points will continue to drop quite steadily until you run out. There is a way to cure it… but that’s for me to know and for you to guess. But be quick about it, as your rump roast will soon expire!”

This angered the Karma Boar, “Oh, NOW you’ve done it! I’ll kill you first! Karma Tusk Slam!”

The two frontmost tusks started to glow, gaining tremendous energy before the Karma Boar charged at Celtic. His party had other plans in mind.

“Dark Chains!” Zuzu shouted.

“Vine Trap!” Rupert roared.

“Have a taste of my Arachne silk, swine!” Viola stated.

The Karma Boar was shackled by dark energy chains, followed by thick, thorny vines erupting from underneath and further ensnaring him, and finally his legs were tied together by silk. He gave an angry squeal as he struggled to break free of his bindings. This caused his attack to wane.

“Grr! Minions, attack!”

More Metal Boars, this time Gold and Platinum ones, joined the fight. However, Celtic merely grinned.

“Ooh, just what I was looking for: victims!” he said darkly. “Cursed Grip!”

He fired more Dark energy shots at the new enemies, striking them with the HP-draining curse. This made the various Metal Boars mad. However, this allowed the party to ambush the Metal Boars, killing several in a few shots while the rest, which were mostly Platinum Boars left, slowly succumbed to the HP-draining curse. This made the Karma Boar furious.

“You dare do that to my subjects!?” he spat.

Celtic chuckled darkly, “I’m half-demon, you overgrown ham hock. I don’t fight fair. If it ensures survival, then I’ll use anything and everything at my disposal to come out on top. And let me speed up your dropping HP with a personal favorite Shroud of mine. Cobra Hydra Shroud!”

The Shroud transformed again, becoming the Cobra Hydra Shroud. He snapped his left fingers, causing the three cobra heads to emerge from the Shroud.

“Cobra Venom Fang!”

The three cobras lashed out and bit the Karma Boar in the side, making him screech in pain as he was injected with the deadly venom. Knowing their job was done the three cobras let go and retreated back into the Shroud. The poison was combining with the HP-draining curse to quickly cause the Karma Boar’s HP to drop. This further enraged the Karm Boar.

“You little fiend!” he roared.

With tremendous strength he managed to tear the Dark Chains, Vine Trap, and Arachne silk apart, freeing himself from their grip. He glared at Celtic with hateful eyes.

“I will NEVER let a lowly slime like a demon get the better of me!” he roared again.

He then jumped up into the air and prepared to perform a body slam. The party quickly scattered to avoid the attack. Just before the Karma Boar could land Celtic got an idea.

“Time for pork skewers! Wood Tower!”

He slammed his palm down on the ground, causing several pillars of sharp wood to emerge from the ground directly underneath the Karma Boar. This alarmed the Karma Beast as his body slammed down upon the Wood Towers. While his massive weight managed to shatter the Wood Towers, he was still heavily impaled by the thick wood spears, causing blood to ooze out of his wounds, with chunks of the Wood Towers still protruding from his underbelly. It was clear that the Karma Boar hadn’t expected the party to be this powerful or resourceful as he was starting to become hesitant. The party noticed this and gained diabolical grins.

“What’s the matter?” Skye grinned. “Running scared? Didn’t expect us to be as skilled, powerful, and resourceful as you thought we’d be? You clearly got too complacent with your power, as you never learned the first rule of combat: never underestimate your opponent. You’ve been poisoned, inflicted with an HP-draining curse, impaled by Wood Towers, AND had your minions get turned into shredded pork sandwiches. Face it, your rump is about to be roasted!”

The Karma Boar gulped, “S-S-Surely we can talk about this, right?”

Zuzu cracked her knuckles threateningly, “The time for talk is over. You underestimated us and that’ll cost you dearly, with both your life AND the Karma Diamond! Face it, Sir Ham-a-lot, you’re about to become the world’s largest pig roast!”

The Karma Boar gained an idea, his eyes gleaming dangerously, “Not if I take you swine with me! I have one last trick up my tusk. A trick called Kamikaze!”

He started to glow, which alarmed everyone.

“He’s gonna blow!” Tyroe stated.

Celtic instructed, “Everyone, get behind me!”

They party quickly got behind Celtic.

“Scrap Iron Fortress Defense!”

He and his party were encased in the Scrap Iron Fortress Defense. The Karma Boar gave one last powerful squeal of rage before releasing a massive energy explosion from his body, engulfing the entire arena. The blast slammed into the Scrap Iron Fortress Defense, hammering away at it with everything it had, but the scrap metal barrier ultimately prevailed. After the explosion everything went quiet. Celtic gingerly lowered the barrier to see the Karma Boar still breathing but clearly dying. The Karma Beast could only look on in amazement.

“You… even survived my last-ditch Kamikaze attack…?” he panted. “Never… never has anyone managed to endure my assaults much less Kamikaze, and I’ve only had to pull it out once before… against a Demon General. It brought me to my knees but I survived while the Demon General was vaporized. I… I never thought I’d see the day where anyone would put me down… But… you have beaten me… Even my last-ditch attack wasn’t enough to penetrate your defenses… Clearly you are a Legendary Hero of an incredible caliber… Take the Karma Diamond… you’ve earned it… But make no mistake that my fellow Karma Beasts will avenge me, so you’ve only gained a short-term victory today. My fellow Karma Beasts will show you our true power, just you wait… you may have won the battle… but you have yet to win the war against us Karma Beasts… You won’t survive the next one… mark my words… You… will… perish…” before finally succumbing to the poison, HP-draining curse, and his wounds.

The party relaxed as the Karma Beast finally drew his last breath. The rest of the Metal Boars that didn’t partake in the fight realized what this meant and quickly fled into the jungle. Rupert and Tyroe examined the other dead Metal Boars from the battle.

“Well, these Metal Boars got most of their fur burnt off but they’re otherwise still completely edible. Should we take them with us?”

Celtic nodded, “Yes. While I’m not sure if all of us can eat that much Metal Boar meat, we can at least sell some for a pretty profit. Now, let me absorb the Karma Boar into my Shroud and see where the Karma Diamond resides.”

He walked over and placed the Karma Boar’s tusk against the Shroud’s core. The Shroud absorbed the beast’s whole body, creating a new Shroud called the “Karma Boar Shroud”, which Celtic read the effects over. Suddenly, a section of the arena opened up, revealing a pedestal with a large red-colored diamond. Celtic approached it, reached out, and gently plucked it from the pedestal, with his stat vision identifying the item.

“This is it… the Karma Diamond,” he said. “After all our hard work these past few days we’ve earned the Karma Diamond. Now… we just need the other Heroes to succeed in their task.”

Viola couldn’t help but sigh, “I’ve got a gut feeling that those morons failed miserably.”

Leon nodded, “As a gambler I’d be willing to bet our next paycheck that those four idiots screwed up somehow. I’d even be willing to bet that they didn’t make it to their respective Karma Beast before needing to be ejected.”

Tyroe sighed, “As depressing of a thought as that is… I would be willing to bet on that outcome, too. Those four nitwits always find some way to screw up their missions so it’s not exactly a stretch to think that’s possible.”

Zuzu shook her head defeatedly, “I’m inclined to agree with you. The one thing those four can do right is fail at everything they try. Especially Pointy Stick Boy, who would rather flirt with the local chicks than actually do his job. Then again, Bow Boy isn’t much better in that regard, although in his case he’d rather assist in revolutions and flaunt his self-proclaimed ‘ally of justice’ title than actually improve him and his party’s abilities. Plus, his party, who tend to praise him like he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, is only marginally better than Pointy Stick Boy’s gold diggers, as at least they’ll actually fight the enemy, even if they’re not very good at it. While I know what the real outcome of their mission is, I hope that, for once, we’re wrong. Otherwise this Karma Diamond thing could take even longer than expected.”

Celtic put the Karma Diamond away in his Tek-Pak, stating, “Sad but true. But, in any case, let’s gather up the rest of these Metal Boars and be on our way, as we’ve got a date with some real beds.”

Rupert wiped his hands clean, “Good timing, too, as we just finished cleaning them. Not only will we have plenty of food for a while but we can also sell some to local butchers for a decent profit. So, scan away and let’s get out of this jungle.”

Celtic scanned and digitized the various Metal Boars into his Tek-Pak. He then gave a gesture to Skye, who nodded in response.

“Warp!” she stated.

The party vanished from the temple ruins in the jungle. They reappeared outside the capital gates where they were greeted by the soldiers there. They saluted as the Shroud Hero party walked up to them.

“Sir Shroud Hero!” one said. “I take it you’ve returned from your mission?”

Celtic nodded, “Yes. Mission accomplished. We’re going to report to King Alvin about our success.”

“Then please proceed. He’ll be most pleased with your success.”

As the party passed the guards, one of them gave a flirtatious wave to Zuzu, making her quirk an eyebrow before moving on. After going through the large city the party made it to the castle. The guards stationed at the front doors graciously let them pass. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the throne room. There, King Alvin, his family, and King Duskbane, all of which looked very disappointed were discussing things. Their eyes lit up when they saw Celtic and the others.

“Prince Avalar!” Duskbane exclaimed.

King Alvin then asked, “Please, Avalar, tell me you succeeded in your mission to obtain the Karma Diamond?”

Celtic presented the Karma Diamond, stating, “As you can see we’ve succeeded in our tasks. …It’s safe to say the other Heroes failed, right?”

King Alvin gave a sigh of relief, “Thank the Gods, at least one of you Heroes are reliable. Yes… the other Heroes failed miserably. They didn’t even make it to their targets, as they got beaten by the local monsters instead. They’re all in the hospital, unconscious, and being healed by healers. It was fortunate that the Shadokor made those bracelets as that’s probably what saved their lives. Otherwise they’d be monster chow. At least you and your party can be counted on. King Duskbane and I have been discussing what to do about this issue but haven’t come up with anything good.”

Celtic and the others groaned in response, placing their faces in their palms or shaking their heads disapprovingly.

“We knew that was going to happen…” Viola sighed defeatedly.

“Those idiots can’t do a damn thing right…” Zuzu grumbled.

Celtic replied, “I’ll say. It’s almost like I have to constantly babysit them and escort them everywhere in order to ensure the job gets done.”

King Alvin’s eyes lit up as Celtic said this. He then gained a wide smile. Celtic immediately realized what it meant.

“Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no, no! No, no, no, no! Please don’t tell me you’re going to make me and my party escort those braindead baboons to their respective Karma Diamond!!!”

King Alvin replied truthfully, “To be honest I hadn’t thought of that initially, but when you brought it up I admit I realized that’s the solution. Yes, you and your party will act as escorts and bodyguard for the other Heroes in order for us to obtain the Karma Diamonds.”

Celtic looked horrified, “You’re kidding me! I have actually escort those four idiots and safeguard them from the monsters so we can get the blasted Karma Diamonds?!”

King Alvin replied, “I know how you feel, Avalar, and I’d rather not do that. However… in order for them to actually grow as individuals they need to be taught by example. And you’re the best example we’ve got. Now, I’m not about to make you do this without something in it for you. How about this? If you agree to escort them and help them obtain the Karma Diamonds, I will not only generously reward you for each successful mission, including this one, but I will officially declare you the leader of the Legendary Heroes and give you the authority to give them orders. Orders that they’ll have to follow if they value their lives, or at least their paychecks. What do you say?”

Before Celtic could reply King Duskbane added, “If you do it, Avalar, I, too, will reward you with anything you want or need. As much as I hate asking you this, King Alvin is correct. At this point and time, you’re the best example of a Hero we have, and if you can somehow get through to those boneheads and actually show them how to be real Heroes then maybe we stand a chance at winning this war. Please, my dear nephew, you may be our only hope in not only getting the Karma Diamonds, but also getting those other Heroes’ acts together. Please?”

It was clear that Celtic was struggling to answer, as his body was trembling while he mentally debated the request. After about a minute of this he slumped his shoulders down defeatedly.

“Okay, okay… you win…” he sighed. “But I also expect rare and/or valuable materials as part of my payments, as the battles with the Metal Boars showed that I still need to improve my Shroud’s abilities more. So, if you throw rare and/or valuable ores and materials into the payments… then fine, I’ll do it.”

King Alvin smiled, “I can arrange that very easily. Thank you, Avalar.”

Queen Amelia’s eyes lit up, “Avalar, did you say Metal Boars? As in another rare monster delicacy? You certainly know where to get some of the best foods out there. You wouldn’t, per chance, have some, would you?”

Celtic gave her a look, “I know where this is going. You want some, don’t you? Fine. Do you want Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum? Pick your poison.”

King Duskbane also looked eager, “You have all four Metal Boars on-hand, my nephew? I’d also like one, if you please. A Gold Boar for me, please.”

King Alvin chuckled as he turned to his wife, “Which one would you like, my dear?”

Queen Amelia replied, “Silver. I hear that the Silver Boar has the sweetest meat, and you know how I love sweet-tasting meat.”

Before King Alvin could say anything Celtic had already placed two Metal Boars, a Silver one and a Gold one, in front of himself.

“Take them…” he sighed.

King Alvin gave him a warm smile, “You’re a good person, Avalar. I know this will be hard on you, but you might be our best bet at getting the other Heroes to take things seriously and win the war. Now, men, take this Silver Boar down to the chefs. I’ll discuss with them when to cook it.”

Two knights grabbed the Silver Boar, hoisted it up, and walked away with it to the royal kitchens. King Duskbane reached down and picked up the Gold Boar with one hand, holding it under his left arm.

“How can you carry such a heavy thing like that so easily?” Rupert asked.

“Demon strength, my fine, furry friend,” King Duskbane said cheerfully. “Now, one last thing. Avalar, let me take the Karma Diamond from you. Queen Rease gave my people the documents that describe all the details about the Karma Diamonds. Though, unfortunately, the documents aren’t in great shape. So, I want my scientists to study the Karma Diamonds so we can not only fill in the blanks on the documents but also give us any other information we need about them. May I?”

Celtic handed the red Karma Diamond over to him.

Skye asked, “Is that okay with you, King Alvin?”

King Alvin replied, “King Duskbane and I have already discussed that, so we’re good there.”

King Duskbane then said, “I’m off. I’ll report back later, as I have to have a chat with Queen Rease about something she and her Druids are developing that might help the Heroes. Talk with you then. Farewell. Shadow Warp.”

King Duskbane vanished in a black portal, leaving everyone behind.

King Alvin turned to Celtic, “Now, you all must be tired. Go to your guest bedroom and take it easy. You’ll need the rest if you’re going to be escorting those other Heroes to their respective Karma Diamonds. I’ll let you know when dinner is ready, so go get off your feet and relax.”

Celtic could only sigh, “As you wish. Come on, gang, let’s go put our feet up and unwind, as we’re gonna get pretty wound up when working with the Legendary Stooges.”

All of them sighed defeatedly but complied, heading back to their guest bedroom. When they got there Celtic immediately flopped face-first onto his bed, groaning, making Skye concerned.

“Cel?” she said soothingly. “I know how you feel. We all do. But don’t beat yourself up about it. King Alvin would’ve eventually assigned us to the task even if you didn’t accidentally give him the idea anyway. And he is right. Maybe some one-on-one time with each Hero might help improve them in some shape or form. I know it’s a stretch, but stranger things have happened. So, don’t beat yourself up, as it would’ve turned out this way anyway. At least we’re going to be handsomely rewarded for our efforts.”

Celtic shifted his head slightly so Skye could see one eye, stating, “Yeah, I know. But even so, that’s the second big blunder I’ve made since coming to this rock. Those four are going to be the death of me at this rate.”

Leon quirked an eyebrow, “Wait? This is only your second mistake? What was the first?”

“Not trusting my gut instinct and allowing Wench to make a fool out of me back when I was first summoned here.”

Skye giggled, “That one everyone can forgive you for, as you’re not her first victim… and won’t be her last, either. So, that one is understandable.” She then gained a soothing expression, “But try to relax, Cel. The outcome would’ve been the same anyway, as we would’ve had to go after the other Karma Diamonds at one point or another. While I understand that you’re probably dreading dealing with Lucas and Jerry, at least Ryan and Eric can be reasonable. Especially Ryan. And at least you’re continuing the trend of each Shroud Hero being the official leader of the Legendary Heroes. Ever since the Shadow Prince has had each generation of Shroud Hero the official leader, so you’re just following in your predecessor’s footsteps. And if King Alvin is going to place a rule or something that’ll force the other Heroes and their parties to obey your commands lest they get punished for it, then that’ll make it easier. Just try to have some faith. It’s not ideal, and it’ll overwork us, but at least King Alvin and King Duskbane are going to try to make this as painless as possible for you, as they know you’re the reliable one. So, try to have some faith, okay, loverboy.”

“I’ll try… just don’t expect any miracles.”

Seemingly satisfied with that, the party decided to relax while they could, as they knew their mission had only just started.

Next Chapter: Horn-Locking Heroes

And that's all for now, folks. Poor Celtic always gets the raw end of the deal. The guy just can't catch a break. Tune in next time to see what happens.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter. Will Celtic and Ryan be able to work together? (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 5) Horn-Locked Heroes

Horn-Locked Heroes

​

It had been a couple of days since Celtic and his party returned from their mission to find one of the Karma Diamonds. He and his party had been preparing for when they’d have to escort the other Heroes to their respective Karma Beasts by crafting and purchasing items, ingredients, and medicine. It wasn’t long before the first Hero and his party had regained consciousness.

Ryan and his party stood before King Alvin, clearly embarrassed that they failed. King Alvin gave a sigh before he started talking.

“The Sword Hero, Ryan, and company, I have news for you,” he said. “Due to the fact that you and your other Heroes, sans the Shroud Hero, have failed in your mission to retrieve the Karma Diamond, I have arranged a special escort for you in order to try again.”

One of Ryan’s party members replied, surprised, “So, we’re actually going to get some sort of bodyguards this time? That might make things easier.”

“Indeed. However, there are some… conditions put into play that you need to follow. For starters, his orders are absolute. If you disobey the leader of the bodyguards you will be in very hot water, as you’re already in trouble for failing the mission. Secondly, when the Karma Beast is slain and the Karma Diamond is obtained, you cannot take all the credit for the victory, as I know you and the other Heroes have the tendency to do so. The credit will be split between you and your special bodyguards, so don’t try to fabricate anything to make yourself look big. You will still get the reward that is we promised you, but you can’t take all the credit or that reward will be negated. And finally, you will have to contribute to fighting alongside your bodyguards and not let them do all the work. I’ve had to make special arrangements to get these bodyguards to help, as they’re clearly not happy about it. But, in order to get the Karma Diamonds, it is necessary. Now, bring them in.”

The throne room doors opened revealing, much to Ryan’s surprise, Celtic and his party. The Shroud Hero party walked up to their designated spot and stopped.

“Wait!” Ryan sputtered. “I have to take orders from Celtic?! HE’S my bodyguard!?”

Celtic replied nonchalantly, “Considering my party was the only party that was successful in our hunt for the Karma Diamonds, yeah, that’s pretty much the situation in a nutshell. I’m not happy about it, either, but that’s what’s going to happen this time around. And don’t think you’re going to be the only one, as I’ll have to do the same with Lucas, Eric, and Jerry, too. I’m far from pleased about this but that’s how it goes.”

King Alvin then said, “That is indeed correct. Avalar and his party will be escorting you through the forest that your Karma Beast resides in and helping you fight it off. However, there is a slight problem with that. Because the Legendary Gear repel each other, you would not gain any EXP. However, the Druids have already sorted that out. You will be given special rings to wear that’ll negate that drawback as long as you wear them. That way you and your parties will gain EXP, which will be necessary as the creatures you will face could give you some much-needed battle experience. Also, I have to inform you that Avalar is now the official leader of the Legendary Heroes.”

Ryan sputtered, “What?! The useless Shroud is now the leader of us!?”

Skye snorted, “The so-called ‘useless Shroud’ has done more than the Sword, Spear, Axe, and Bow put together, Ryan. And besides it’s nothing new. Every generation of Shroud Hero has been the official leader of the Legendary Heroes dating back as far as the Shadow Prince himself, so it’s par for the course. So, in short, Celtic is merely following in his predecessors’ footsteps by becoming the official leader of the Legendary Heroes. So buck up and deal with it, as Celtic is now your commanding officer.”

King Alvin nodded, “Lady Skye is correct. Every generation of Legendary Hero has had the Shroud Hero be its official leader. Miss Zuzu has lived long enough to actually witness the previous generation of Heroes so she can confirm it, too. So, it’s not like this is anything abnormal. But Lady Skye is also right that Avalar is now your commanding officer, and his word is final. If I hear of you disobeying him you’ll be in very hot water. You’re going to have to work with him so don’t complain and just do as he says. It’ll make this whole process as painless as possible, especially given the current situation. Besides, you’ve seen the Shroud in action before, Ryan. Remember the duel between Avalar and Lucas? That was no trickery or cheating, the Shroud is just that versatile with what it can do. Avalar…” he then turned to Celtic, “I also need you to help open Ryan’s eyes about the true power of the Legendary Gear, such as the other strengthening methods and functions. That way it’ll help his Legendary Sword evolve and grow more, granting it the power and capabilities it truly needs in order to succeed. Can you do that?”

Celtic merely replied, “I’ll see what I can do. Narrowmindedness isn’t an easy thing to pry open, but I’ll try to grant your wish. Besides, maybe after this little adventure is over things might improve between us. Stranger things have happened, after all.”

King Alvin smiled, “I’m counting on you, Avalar. Do what you can. Now, let’s move on. By tomorrow morning he Druids will have the rings needed ready to negate the issue when two or more Legendary Gear are too close to each other. I suggest you both gather up as much as you can in the form of supplies, as anything can happen in a virtually uncharted territory like the ones where the Karma Beasts reside. It’ll be a decently long trip, so make any preparations you can. Don’t take any chances. You are dismissed. I expect both of you and your parties here in the throne room by 9 AM so we can begin the mission. Hopefully the other three Heroes will have regained consciousness by then, but according to the healers they took some nasty blows to the head so I’m a bit doubtful. But, anyway, go and prepare yourselves for tomorrow.”

Ryan gave a defeated sigh, “Fine. Though I’m not sure if having the useless Shroud as my bodyguard will make the job easier. Just as long as Celtic doesn’t abuse his ‘position’ then maybe we can make something work.”

Celtic turned to him, “Don’t worry, I have no intention of abusing my authority, I’m not like that. I’ll enforce it when needed but I don’t plan on becoming a drill-sergeant nasty or anything like that. As much as I hate this whole setup, too, I’m going to at least try to make this work. At least I’m working with you first, as you’re the one who has the best personal qualities. Flawed, yes, but you have the most positive qualities out of the other Heroes.”

Ryan looked surprised at Celtic’s statement, “You… actually think I have the most positive qualities of the other Heroes? Really?”

“Yes. From what I’ve seen you do possess the best qualities when compared to Lucas, Eric, and Jerry. Especially Lucas and Jerry. At least you try to live up to your title and actually care about your mistakes. I also feel you’re the most trustworthy of the four. So, as much as I don’t like this little setup, I’m willing to put some faith in this partnership of sorts in order to see this mission through to the end.”

The Sword Hero and his party were stunned at Celtic’s declaration of faith and positive qualities in them. Ryan gave a small smile.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s try to make this work. Neither of us are going to enjoy this at all, but maybe we can work something out. Just don’t expect any miracles.”

Celtic rolled his eyes, “Believe me, Ryan, I’m not. We’ll probably go right back to squabbling once this mission is over but let’s at least try to make this work. At least just this once. Now, enough chatting, I want to make some final preparations for this little trek. I suggest you do the same, as we don’t know what we’ll face out there. Now, come on, team, let’s get the final bits of prep work finished so we’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

Nodding, Celtic and his party left the throne room to begin the last bit of necessary work for the trip. Ryan and his party left shortly afterward, feeling a bit more confident about the whole ordeal. When night had fallen everyone had finished their prep work and went to bed, knowing that the real test was tomorrow.

It was the following day. Celtic, Ryan, and their respective parties were gathered in King Alvin’s throne room. They were all still unsure about this forced partnership but it was obvious that they were willing to try.

King Alvin stated, “Okay, it appears you are all ready for this mission. I hope you prepared enough, as we don’t know how long this’ll take. But, given the depth of the forest where the Karma Ox resides in, it’ll take a few days at the very least. So, I hope you all packed plenty of food and supplies. I take it you two Heroes have your special rings?”

Celtic and Ryan showed their left hands, revealing the gold rings on them.

“Excellent. Now then…” he gestured to a Shadow Sentinel, “This Shadow Sentinel will take you to the starting point. It’s the same one as before, so Ryan and his party should recognize it. I expect you all to at least try to make this work, as the Karma Diamonds may be the key element we need to overcome Infinator’s forces. It’s fortunate that he hasn’t attacked lately, though our sources have stated that Sylph and Alastor have been flitting about, possibly gathering more materials for Infinator. We’ll have to leave them be for now, as the Karma Diamonds take priority. Now, if you’re all ready, let us begin the mission.”

The Shadow Sentinel stepped up, “I will take you to the starting point. Let us being. Are you ready?”

Celtic and Ryan turned to each other before nodding.

“Shadow Warp!”

Both parties and the Shadow Sentinel vanished in black portals. They reappeared in front of a large, dark, and dense forest. The Shadow Sentinel gave one last bow.

“I’ll leave the rest to you. Be safe.”

He then vanished in a black portal.

Celtic gave a sigh before stating, “Okay, let’s get this over with. Which one of you has the map that shows the pathway to the Karma Beast?”

One of Ryan’s party members who looked like an assassin held out the map, “Here it is. I hope your sense of direction is better than ours, as we had some trouble staying on the right path, so to speak.”

Viola held out her clawed hand, “Let me have it. I’m the navigator for this party as I’m both good with maps and have a good sense of direction. Let me see what we’re dealing with.”

The assassin-like party member gave Viola the map. She took a moment to look it over, followed by observing the surroundings, checked the position of the sun, and did a few quick calculations.

“Okay, this is easy enough,” she said. “First we enter that pathway to our right. Then we go southeast until we reach a large pond with some ruins near it. That’s our first checkpoint, so to speak. Then we head south for a few miles until we reach a clearing with Narspicious flowers. They can be easily identified by their purplish black petals and bright red insides. They’re actually pretty useful in potion making as they offer strong medicinal properties. Anyway, moving on, we then head southwest until we reach a large river near some more ruins. After that we go south for a few hours and we’ll reach the Karma Beast’s domain. Given our current time and the distance we’ll have to go, it’ll take us at least two days to reach the Karma Beast’s location, so that’s not too bad. That is, of course, not counting weather and the frequency of monster attacks, but overall it shouldn’t take more than three days total, which is about the same time it took our party to find, fight, and defeat the Karma Boar.”

Ryan and his party looked stunned at how easily Viola managed to figure out the needed pathway.

Leon chuckled lightly, “That’s Viola for you. Give her a map and she can completely calculate everything we need to know within minutes. Now, let’s not waste any more time and get this mission underway.”

Celtic nodded, “Agreed. We need to find that Karma Diamond quickly before Infinator gains any more footholds. Viola, lead the way.”

The Arachne nodded and started to guide the two parties into the forest. It wasn’t long before they ran into their first monsters. A trio of Prickle Porcupines jumped out of the bushes and gave a threatening hiss. However, Skye and Ryan quickly ran up and killed them effortlessly. Celtic then noticed that both parties gained EXP.

He looked at the ring, “We all gained EXP from the monsters. Looks like these rings the Druids made are working just fine. I’ll have to thank Aunt Rease for these.”

Rupert turned to Ryan’s party, “Speaking of monsters, what exactly happened that got you all ejected out of this forest and back to Delgunner unconscious?”

One party member, who looked like a witch, replied gloomily, “We ran into a colony of Trolls led by a Colossus Troll. We killed some of them but the Colossus Troll nearly flattened us. That emergency ring the Shadokor made clearly saved our hides. I just worry that we’ll run into them again.”

Celtic turned to them, “We probably will, given my luck. However, here’s a tip when it comes to fighting any type of Troll. Aim for the head. Don’t bother attacking the body as all that blubber acts like natural armor. It also reduces Fire and Ice damage, acting like natural insulation. If you can’t get to the heads easily then attack their legs. Those stubby legs have to hold up a lot of body weight, so by crippling their legs it’ll limit how much they can do, especially since they don’t have great balance to begin with. My party and I once fought Mountain Trolls early on, and I fought a Colossus Troll back in the Demon Realm, which also earned me Tyroe’s new Colossus Hammer in the process.”

Ryan looked confused, “Wait. How? You can’t hold weapons, so how could you cart that huge hammer around?”

“The Legendary Gear is unique when it comes to monsters. If you feed the core a piece of the monster you automatically get one of the drops. On top of that, you’ll also automatically gain drops just by fighting monsters. They’ll be stored in a special inventory in the Legendary Gear that you can access at any time from the main menu. You’ll gain at least one drop from every monster you’ve ever faced and you’ll get an extra one when you absorb a monster part into the Gears’ cores.”

Curious, Ryan opened up his Legendary Sword’s main menu to try to find what Celtic mentioned.

“I don’t see it here…” he said.

Celtic walked over and pointed to an icon near the bottom left.

“Tap this icon. You’ll see what I mean in a moment.”

Ryan tapped the icon and, to his surprise, a large screen appeared that showed all the item drops he had inside the Sword, categorized by type. He and his party went wide-eyed.

“You mean to tell me I’ve had this huge collection of monster drops this whole time?!” he sputtered. “Why didn’t anyone mention it.”

Celtic sighed, “I actually forgot about it, as I learned of it back in the Demon Realm by accident. But at that point I was busy properly awakening my hybrid blood so I ended up forgetting about it. After a fairly recent incident with that Four Stars Church goon, Robert, I did remember about that inventory. Mine is at least double yours, as I’ve spent a bit too much time dealing with monsters, especially ones from Infinator’s waves. As you can see, they’re categorized by type and all duplicates are put together so you don’t have to sift through the entire inventory just to find a few scattered duplicate items.”

Ryan was in disbelief, “I had all this in my Sword this whole time and it never told me about it? A fair amount of this stuff looks valuable, too. How do I eject it from the Sword?”

“Just tap the icon you want to eject. It’ll then ask how many you want to take out if there are multiples of them. Here, let me demonstrate for you how to do it.”

Celtic opened up his Shroud’s main menu before accessing the inventory, showing the absolutely massive item list, much to the Sword Hero party’s surprise, as it easily dwarfed Ryan’s. Celtic selected an item from the inventory, input the amount he wanted, and pressed an icon that followed. The Shroud’s core glowed and ejected an item. It looked like a somewhat squarish blue chunk of ore that seemed to almost float in his hand.

“There you have it,” he said. “It’s just that simple. Granted, I’m still cleaning out my Shroud’s inventory, as there are some useful items here, but that’s the general gist of the Legendary Gears’ item inventory. You try now.”

Ryan nodded, tapped an icon, selected the number he wanted, and pressed the prompt that followed. A gold-colored herb emerged from the Sword’s core, allowing him to pick it up. His eyes were wide.

“Wow…” he said. “I didn’t know my Legendary Sword could do this. And all this time I’ve been carrying around potentially useful items that could’ve helped me.”

Celtic gave a crooked smile, “Do you now see the advantages of experimenting with your Legendary Sword, Ryan? Also, just to let you know that it doesn’t necessarily have to be you that kills the monster in order to get a drop. As long as a party member is registered with the Gear if they deal the killing blow you’ll still get the item, as they count as extensions of the Sword. For example, just now when Skye killed the Prickle Porcupines I got two Porcupine Needle drops in my inventory. So, yeah, that’s your first lesson on what the Legendary Gear is capable of. We’ll discuss more later, as we still have a job to do. But, hopefully, you now see that your Legendary Sword has more to it than you originally thought. Anyway, let’s keep moving, as we’ve only just scratched the surface of this forest.”

Still amazed, Ryan and his party nodded as they followed Celtic and his party deeper into the forest. After a few hours they arrived at the ruins near the large pond. Viola took a moment to observe the surrounding area, check the position of the sun, and make another quick calculation.

She turned to them, “I suggest we stop here for lunch, as we have a ways to go. Best get us reenergized, as the deeper we go, the nastier the monsters will get. And, considering that the Karma Boar had Metal Boars as its ‘minions’, I’d be willing to bet we’ll have to deal with Battle Oxen. They can be pretty nasty and short-tempered like the Metal Boars, though they’re not quite as territorial as Metal Boars. However, since we’re dealing with the Karma Ox, I’d say it’s a safe bet to think that the Battle Oxen will defend it in the same manner as the Metal Boars did.”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, good idea. And I think we could all use some lunch. I’ll get to work on that.”

Ryan then said, “We’re covered, as we brought pre-made lunches.”

The redhead shrugged, “Your call.”

Ryan and his party sat down on some logs and took out some sandwiches. However, just as they were about to bite them they noticed that Celtic was preparing a Metal Boar for his party’s lunch, making the Sword Hero’s party go wide-eyed.

One of the party members, who resembled a soldier, sputtered in shock, “Y-You’re having Metal Boar for lunch!?”

Celtic, who was busy preparing the dish, merely replied, “Yep. My party and I collected a huge number of Metal Boars during our Karma Beast mission. Since they’re an edible monster we took advantage of the fact they kept attacking us to better provide ourselves with more food. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get cooking.”

Ryan turned to his party, “So, Metal Boars are also edible like Clobbsters? Do they taste good?”

His party nodded, with the witch-like one saying, “Yes, Metal Boars are considered quite exotic. And very tasty. Granted, due to the fact that they’re not the easiest to find, though they’re a bit easier to find compared to Clobbsters, many people don’t know how good they are. Plus, they’re highly nutritious. Each Metal Boar is also said to have a different taste, such as Bronze Boars having a sort of smoky taste while Silver Boars are said to be somewhat sweet-tasting. Judging by the color of the fur on that Metal Boar’s back, the Shroud Hero is cooking a Bronze Boar.”

The party then looked at their sandwiches dejectedly before they started eating, clearly envious that Celtic’s party was having something exotic. Celtic could sense the envy as he prepared the dish, watching Ryan’s party from the corner of his eye.

“They’re clearly jealous of us,” he said silently. “We’re having an exotic dish while they’re having what look like plain roast beef sandwiches and such.” He took a moment to think before saying mentally, “You know… since we’re trying to work together, maybe it would be wise to invite them over. After all, I want to make allies, not enemies, as I’ve already got enough of the latter. It might not hurt to extend an invite to them. Maybe it’ll build a bit of trust between us. It’s worth a shot.” He then called out to them, “You know, if you want, you can join us for lunch.”

The Sword Hero’s party stopped eating their sandwiches and looked at Celtic hopefully.

“Really?” Ryan asked, clearly interested. “Will you have enough food for us AND your party?”

Celtic gave a crooked smile, “Not even Tyroe can eat a whole Metal Boar, so it should be fine. Swing it on over and park it if you want. It’s up to you.”

The Sword Hero’s party looked at Celtic, then looked at their sandwiches, before looking at Celtic again. They quickly abandoned the sandwiches and scurried over to the Shroud Hero party’s camp, taking a seat on some logs and rocks. Celtic merely chuckled before he resumed cooking. As he did, Ryan and his party started to drool at the food. It was chunks of Bronze Boar with sliced Mind Apples and some veggies. The smell was making them salivate. After a few minutes Celtic took a sample from the skillet, ate it, and turned to the hungry parties.

“Yep, that should about do it. One Roasted Apple Boar Skillet ready to eat.”

He started to serve the various party members the dish. Everyone looked eager as they were presented their plates of food. Ryan and his party in particular looked like they were about to drool all over themselves as they got their plates. They took a bite and their eyes lit up like stars, expressions of bliss on their faces.

“This is exquisite!” one of them said.

“The smoky flavor goes so well with the sweetness of the Mind Apples!” another added.

Ryan was trying to maintain a cool image but it was clear he was enjoying the food more than he wanted to let be known. Celtic could only chuckle as he did before eating himself.

Skye leaned over and whispered in his ear, “That was good of you, Cel. Those sandwiches looked pretty unsatisfying, so Ryan and his party clearly appreciate a much more filling dish. And it’s obvious you’re trying to build a bridge of trust with them, seeing how we’ve all been so antagonistic to each other. That’s smart thinking, especially since we need to try to make this ordeal work out, so some good food will certainly grease the hinges to get that door open.”

Celtic merely said nothing as he ate. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that a Prickle Porcupine snuck over and snatched the discarded sandwiches before running off. He left it be and resumed eating. After everyone got at least a second serving the food was gone. Skye and Viola then took the dishes and washed them in the pond, making sure to not get any pond scum on them before they all packed up and continued. It wasn’t long before they were attacked again.

A new monster suddenly charged out of the bushes, heading straight for Tyroe, forcing the Naga to swat it with his tail. This one looked like a large, white-colored ox-like monster with a mace tail, bladed horns, strong legs ending in bladed hooves, and glowing red eyes.

“As we thought!” Viola stated. “A Battle Ox! Be careful of these things, they pack a mean headbutt with those horns that can pierce iron.”

Ryan immediately charged in: sword held high, ready to strike it down. However, to his surprise, the Battle Ox deflected his attack with its horns and threw him back. It then lashed out with its mace tail, ready to pound the Sword Hero.

“Shield Wall!” Celtic stated.

The orbiting shields appeared before Celtic gave a quick hand gesture that caused one of them to position itself in-between Ryan and the Battle Ox. The mace slammed against the shield, doing very light damage to it, leaving Ryan unharmed. His party members quickly got into position to help the Sword Hero. Skye then slashed the Battle Ox with her naginata, slicing off one of its horns, making it moo in pain. The second it turned its attention to her she started to launch a rapid-fire kick assault, pummeling its face with her strong legs. This injured it enough that it started to back off, clearly dazed from the barrage of kicks. Ryan took the opportunity to attack it again. This time he managed to slash its side, leaving a gash, making the beast cry out again. Tyroe then raised his hammer up and slammed it down on top of the Battle Ox’s head, crushing its skull and killing it, which also caused its other horn to fall off in the process. Both parties gained EXP, though Ryan noticed that it was higher than normal.

“Hey, wait a minute,” he said. “The EXP gains from this monster are different than normal. They’re much higher.” He then noticed something, “Come to think of it, I just noticed a timer in my stat vision and a star next to the names of both me and my party members. What’s that?”

Celtic walked over to the Battle Ox while saying, “The stars and timer are connected to each other. You see, due to certain Shrouds I’ve acquired, it’s enhanced my cooking ability. On top of that, my cooking ability now has some extra effects like gradual HP and MP restoration and temporary minor stat buffs. However, the biggest takeaway from my cooking is for a limited time you’ll gain more EXP than usual. And the best part is these abilities stack, so you’ll gain even more EXP than you would normally get after eating one of my cooked meals. When the timer runs out the effects end and the stars will vanish.”

The Sword Hero’s party looked at him, wide-eyed, clearly surprised.

“Wait,” the soldier-looking one said. “So, you’re saying that we’ll gain extra EXP just by eating your food? How long does it last? And by how much?”

“About three hours. As for percentages, there are a few of them from different Shrouds. The Shiny Monster Egg Shroud increases EXP by 5%, the Gold Monster Egg Shroud increases gains by 15%, the Silver Boar Shroud increases it again by 10%, the Gold Boar Shroud increases it further by 20%, and finally the Platinum Boar Shroud increases it by 30%. In terms of total percentage, that’s 80%. However, the thing is it doesn’t work quite like that. Basically, you take the base EXP, add in the 5%, then you add in the 15% to the new amount, follow that up with the 10% into the new amount, and so on and so forth. So, really, every EXP total is increased by each percentage, one after the other, so it actually magnifies the EXP gains by quite a bit more than just a flat 80%. So, the grand total will be much larger due to each effect stacking upon the other. Now, let me see what I get from this Battle Ox.”

He took one of the horns and fed it to the Shroud’s core, causing a new Shroud called the “Battle Ox Shroud” to form. He took a moment to read it over before chuckling.

“Wouldn’t you know it? Another cooking enhancement Shroud. This one increases the overall quality of the ingredients I use by 15% and any meals made from said ingredients permanently boosts all stats by 4 points.” He then noticed Tyroe looking at the Battle Ox hungrily and realized something, “Let me guess. The Battle Ox is also an edible monster, right?”

Tyroe nodded, “Yep. They’re a red meat that tastes like a sweeter version of beef, along with being filled with iron, protein, and is quite healthy. Would it be…?” but was cut off.

“Go right ahead, Tyroe. You and Rupert clean it and I’ll stash it away for later. Maybe I’ll make it for dinner tonight. Hopefully I’ve got a recipe that’ll work with it.”

Skye then said, “Make sure to cut off the tail and give that to Celtic, too, as the mace-like end sells for a nice price at weapon shops, as they can turn it into an actual mace for warriors. And since maces and morningstars are in such short supply right now it would be a good idea to provide some form of substitute to the weapon shops to work with.” She then turned to Celtic, “Well, I’ve got a few recipes that use Battle Ox, so I’ll gladly tell you. Besides, like Metal Boar with pork, you can just simply substitute it for beef and that’ll work just fine, too.”

Celtic turned to her, “How do you know so many recipes, Skye?”

She giggled, “I read every book in the Light Elf royal library cover-to-cover at least five times. That included cookbooks, as the royal chefs left them in the library until they needed them. So, I’ve got a lot of good recipes stashed away in this head of mine. If you want to know any more recipes, just ask me.”

Celtic merely chuckled before Rupert and Tyroe finished cleaning the Battle Ox while also cutting off its mace-like tail. Ryan also took the chance to take the other Battle Ox horn and had his Sword absorb it, creating a new Sword form. Celtic then scanned and digitized the Battle Ox and its tail into his Tek-Pak before they resumed their trek. As they did, Ryan began to ponder.

“It appears the Shroud really is that versatile…” he said silently. “Maybe we were wrong to write it off as the loser Gear, as it’s clear that the Shroud has more tricks hidden away than a magician. Is it possible that the strengthening methods the other Heroes mentioned are also true? Celtic seems to think so. Could that be how he’s gotten so strong and is able to constantly one-up us? Maybe it'll be worth asking, as it appears that the Legendary Gear is more capable than I thought, especially once I was introduced to that inventory section. But… can I really ask him to show me more after all the times we locked horns? Maybe…”

Next Chapter: Bully Boss

And that's it for now. Looks like Ryan might be gaining some respect for Celtic. Will it help him in the future? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, here's the next chapter, ready to read. (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 6) Bully Boss

Bully Boss

​

The two Legendary Hero parties were continuing their mission to find the Karma Ox. They had encountered several more monsters since lunch, most of which were Battle Oxen but there were also a few new breeds, which granted both Celtic and Ryan some new forms for their Legendary Gear. Celtic was looking his over as they continued walking, thinking about what these new Shroud powers could offer.

“Thanks to those monster attacks I got some new Shroud powers,” he said silently. “I got a Yellow Ballooner Shroud, a Camo Saber Cub Shroud, a Jack Rabbicorn Shroud, and a Shroom Shroud. The Camo Saber Cub Shroud in particular will be useful for Skye, as it increases the effectiveness of Illusion magic, though the Yellow Ballooner Shroud is also pretty good, as it increases the chances of success with any item crafting I do. Even though we now get great funding from King Alvin having the option to craft accessories to sell is always a useful tool to make extra money, especially since the accessories can be game-changers in the right situation. But enough of this, I have to stay focused on our mission.”

As soon as he stopped looking over his various new Shrouds did the parties hear some snorts, making them stop and look around. Zuzu then sniffed the air before detecting something.

“I smell fire,” she said. “Judging by the particular scent it’s giving off; I think we’re about to have an encounter with at least two Red Battle Oxen.”

Celtic turned to her, “Then I take it they’re of the Fire element, right?”

Skye nodded, “Ding-ding, that’s correct. Which means Water attacks will do very nicely against them, as they’ll take extra damage from it.”

Zuzu then sniffed the air again, “Wait a minute. I also smell another type of fire. I think we’re also dealing with Fire Wydstocks.”

Ryan looked confused, “What’s a Fire Wydstock?”

Leon explained, “A Fire Wydstock is a flaming tree monster. Or, more accurately, a hollowed tree stump monster, as it’s only about the size of, say, you. They’re part of the Wydstock family. The interesting thing about them is that both Fire and Frozen Wydstocks can actually be created by hitting a regular Wydstock with Fire and Ice attacks, respectively, which basically instantly ‘evolves’ them into a stronger form. It also changes the item drops and EXP gained to match the specific version of Wydstock. My guess is that the Red Battle Oxen may have either set some Wydstocks on fire by accident or on purpose, as both types of monsters tend to work well together.”

Suddenly, they saw the light of flames approach them from their left, making both parties go into a battle-ready pose. Suddenly, three things charged out of the bushes, forcing the party to separate to avoid getting hit. The three monsters were red-colored Battle Oxen, only their horns were on fire and their tail maces were alight with flames, along with embers flickering from their nostrils. Shortly afterward three more monsters appeared. They looked like walking dead tree stumps about as tall as Ryan was with glowing eyes, a tube-like mouth, and flaming energy inside of them. The two types of monsters positioned themselves in a pincer-like formation, hoping to box the two parties in. Skye and Leon exchanged nods before each faced a different set of monsters.

“Hydro Tower!” they both said.

They slammed their palms on the ground, causing pillars of water to erupt underneath the two sets of monsters, hitting them with strong Water power. This instantly killed the Fire Wydstocks with ease, causing them to crumble and fall apart while the Red Battle Oxen had their flames snuffed out. This caused their stats to drop harshly, making Celtic smirk.

“So, by snuffing out a Red Battle Ox’s flames will weaken its stats 50%. That’s useful knowledge. Let’s get them while they’re weakened!”

The two parties instantly charged in. Before the Red Battle Oxen could react they were killed by their opponents. Celtic and Ryan then took samples from both monsters to unlock new powers for their respective Gear.

Celtic turned to Skye, “Hey, are Red Battle Oxen edible, too? Seeing how this theme of sorts is becoming rather common, I assume that’s the case.”

Skye giggled, “Yeah, you’d be right. Red Battle Oxen are also edible, and like Bronze Boars their meat has a slight smoky taste. Given the fact they’re of the Fire element it makes sense why. Let’s take them with us, as it’ll help feed all of us.”

Rupert chuckled, “Leave it to Tyroe and me. We’ll get these bull brutes ready for the dinner table.”

One of Ryan’s party members, this one looking like a martial artist woman, shyly asked, “Umm… can we join you for that, too? All we have are sandwiches as… none of us are very good cooks.”

Celtic nodded, “That’s fine. It would be for the best, anyway, as we’ll all need to be well-fed if we’re to face the Karma Ox. After all, good food makes you more ready to tackle any challenge.” He then noticed all of their shy expressions, “Something tells me you have a menu request. Am I wrong?”

Ryan replied, “Well… we were wondering if you had any Clobbster left? If possible, would you make something with Clobbster in it?”

“I see. I should’ve seen that coming. You’ve probably been wanting it since you heard about it from King Alvin’s anniversary dinner. I might be able to whip up a type of Clobbster meal. I’ll have to check my ingredients first but I might be able to make Clobbster rolls or bisque at the very least. I’ll check later when we set up camp for the night.”

Rupert then walked up, “Speaking of which, the Red Battle Oxen are ready.”

Nodding, Celtic scanned and digitized the Red Battle Oxen before the party moved on. After about another two hours they arrived at the field of Narspicious flowers. The area was practically overflowing with the plants, along with a few fruit trees nearby. Viola did a quick calculation before turning to both parties.

“I suggest we set camp here for the night,” she said. “While we still have a few hours until dark, it would be smarter to camp in an open space like this so we can spot hostiles more easily. Plus, there is a fresh water supply here in the form of that stream, so it would be best to refill any canteens and such while we can, as the next major water supply will probably be that river, which is our next checkpoint. It’ll also give us a chance to unwind and maybe start strategizing for the battle with the Karma Ox. What do you think, Celtic?”

The redhead nodded, “Yes, a good idea, Viola. Take a load off, everyone, and take the opportunity to stretch out a bit. Now, let me see if I have the ingredients needed to make a Clobbster dish.”

Viola then said, “I’m going to harvest some Narspicious flowers, as when used in potions they grant some amazing effects. Should I pick one for your Shroud, Cel?”

Celtic had taken out his makeshift recipe book before saying, “Yes, do so. Might as well, as it could provide a useful bonus or something. Now… let’s see…”

He started to flip through his recipe book while simultaneously scrolling through his ingredients in the Tek-Pak. Ryan and his party watched with anticipation as Celtic did this. After going through all his ingredients he turned to them.

“You’re in luck, as I have enough ingredients to make Clobbster bisque. I could also make Clobbster rolls but I don’t have the correct type of roll to use. Unless, of course, you don’t mind using regular rolls. What will it be?”

The Sword Hero’s party huddled together to discuss it before they turned to him.

“Clobbster bisque is fine with us,” Ryan said. “At least it’ll be pretty filling. And at least you won’t need extra butter and stuff.”

“Fine, Clobbster bisque it is. Let me get going, as it’ll take a bit to prepare.”

Celtic started to prepare for the Clobbster bisque. He took out a set of Clobbster claws, cracked them open and got the claw meat out, then began working on the dish. As he did, Viola harvested several Narspicious flowers while Skye, Zuzu, and Tyroe harvested some of the fruit in the trees, mostly Gold Peaches and Mind Apples, but also some that looked like gold-colored berries. As Celtic worked he noticed that Ryan and his party were hovering over him, practically drooling, making him cringe.

“Would you mind not hovering over me like that?” he asked. “You’re drooling on me.”

The five of them reluctantly stepped back, as it was clear they wanted the Clobbster dish badly.

“That’s better. Just be patient, it’ll be ready soon enough.”

Viola then walked over, holding out a Narspicious flower, “Here, Cel, have your Shroud absorb this. Might have some use.”

The redhead nodded and took the flower. He then allowed his Shroud to absorb it, creating the “Hyper Potion Shroud”, which he read the effects over as he cooked.

“Hmm… interesting,” he said. “The Hyper Potion Shroud is similar to the Advance Potion Shroud as it increases the quality of my potions by a large amount. That’ll come in handy when making potions and other medicine for future battles. Now, back to cooking.”

Skye, Tyroe, and Zuzu walked over, carrying their bounty of fruit.

“Check it out, Cel,” Skye said cheerfully, “More Gold Peaches, Mind Apples, and even some Gold Berries. They’ll make for great dishes.” She then turned to Ryan’s party, “Oh, and help yourself to some of these fruits, as they all have useful qualities. Plus, they’ll make for great snacks. And, of course, Mind Apples increase the Magical Attack stat, so that’s always helpful.”

The trio placed the fruit down next to Celtic’s Tek-Pak. The Sword Hero’s party hesitated to take some, but Celtic gestured that they could, so they helped themselves to some of the fruit and put them in their backpacks for later. By this point the Clobbster bisque was starting to smell really good. Tyroe summoned some rocks to act as seats so the two parties could huddle around the large pot comfortably. Celtic then took a taste of the Clobbster bisque, debated for a moment, then turned to the two parties.

“We’re good. Soup’s on!” he said.

Everyone eagerly gathered around as Celtic distributed bowls full of Clobbster bisque along with some rolls for dipping. As soon as Ryan and his party took their first taste of the Clobbster bisque their eyes lit up like stars and they all gained dreamy expressions, making Celtic and his party chuckle lightly.

“Clobbster is as good as they say!” the female martial artist said happily.

“So tender, juicy, and flavorful, this is the best seafood I’ve ever eaten!” the witch beamed.

“I never thought I’d get to eat such a delicacy in all my life!” the soldier-like one smiled.

“This can make a grown man cry!” the assassin-like one stated.

Celtic merely chuckled, “Glad you like it. There’s plenty more for seconds and possibly even thirds. Maybe.”

The two parties happily ate their Clobbster bisque. As they did the sun was starting to set. After eating every last bit of the soup Leon and Rupert took the dishes and began washing them in the stream. After a little bit everyone went to bed with Celtic taking the first part of the night watch. It wasn’t long before someone started to stir.

Ryan opened his eyes to see Celtic sitting by the fire reading a book. He mentally debated what he wanted to do before finally getting up and walking over to the Shroud Hero.

“Can’t sleep, Ryan?” Celtic asked.

“No, that’s not it,” Ryan replied. “I’ve been thinking about something throughout the day. When you showed me the inventory inside my Sword I began to wonder if… if you and the other Heroes were telling the truth about the other strengthening methods. You know, about refinement through materials and Stat Copy. Do they really exist?”

Celtic smiled inwardly, “Good, he’s willing to open his mind a bit. Let’s give this a shot.” He then said aloud, “Yes, they do exist. They’re very simple yet effective. Let’s start with refinement through materials. One sec.”

He put down his book and started to look through his Tek-Pak’s inventory. After finding what he wanted he ejected it, revealing it to be the bluish ore he had taken out of his Shroud earlier in the day.

“This is a Zolu ore. Zolu grants bonuses in Speed when crafted, along with increasing durability. Have your Sword absorb this. It will unlock a new Sword form like it did for me, but its real purpose will be known in a moment.”

Ryan took the Zolu ore and had the Sword absorb it. It unlocked a new Sword power in the process.

“Okay, now what?” the Sword Hero asked.

“Now, in order to use the Zolu ore to enhance your Sword, pick one of your abilities and open it up.”

Ryan nodded and opened up his Sword powers menu. He then selected something that read “Sword Storm”, opening up its statistics. He then noticed an icon near the upper right of its stats.

“Hmm? There’s a crystal icon next to my Sword Storm ability,” he said. “What does that mean?”

Celtic replied, “It means that you have a compatible ore that you can fuse with it to strengthen it. Tap the icon and it’ll show you a list of any and all compatible ores that you can use.”

Ryan tapped it and revealed a new list. On it was an icon that showed the Zolu ore.

“As you can see, your Sword Storm is compatible with the Zolu ore. Simply tap it, follow the prompts to apply its effects to the Sword Storm ability and boom, your ability will be enhanced. Give it a whirl.”

Ryan nodded and tapped the icon. After following the prompts he gave it the final command and the Zolu ore icon vanished. In return, his Sword Storm ability was enhanced significantly, effectively increasing all its parameters by 50%, making his eyes widen.

“N-No way!” he sputtered. “That Zolu ore made my Sword Storm ability much stronger!”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, that’s what can happen when you find compatible materials to infuse into your Sword’s abilities. I also noticed that you had another icon next to your Sword Storm. That icon indicates you have a monster part that can enhance your Sword Storm ability even more. Tap it and you’ll see what I mean.”

Nodding, Ryan tapped the second icon which brought up another list. This one had more items on it. Celtic looked it over before making a decision.

“Start with that Porcupine Needle. Just do the same thing as you did with the Zolu ore and see what you get.”

Ryan complied, tapping the Porcupine Needle icon and following the prompts. After applying it, the Porcupine Needle vanished from the inventory but this caused a small footnote-like prompt to appear underneath the Sword Storm ability. Ryan read it over and his eyes widened.

“No way!” he said. “That Porcupine Needle gave my Sword Storm the ability to deal 4% extra damage to Reptile and Beast monsters.”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, that’s called spirit enchantment. When you combine a compatible monster part with one of your Sword abilities it’ll gain new effects like increased damage to certain monsters or the ability to inflict a status ailment. Basically, you need to experiment with what you have in your Sword and any other items and monster parts you come across and try them out. Every little bit counts. And it’s actually good timing that your Sword Storm now has the ability to inflict extra damage to Beast-type monsters, as we’re going to be facing a Beast-type monster soon, so that ability, no matter how small, will come in handy. Now, onto the next lesson.”

He then opened up his Shroud inventory and started to sort through it. He found what he wanted and tapped it, causing it to be ejected from the Shroud, revealing it to be a sword.

“This is a Bronze Sword that I picked up as a drop from a monster,” he said. “I can’t make use of it but you can. Now it’s time to teach you about Stat Copy. Simply touch your Sword’s core and state ‘Stat Copy’. This’ll cause your hand to glow. Then touch the item you want to copy, in this case the Bronze Sword, and your Legendary Sword will do the rest. Give it a go and see for yourself.”

Nodding, Ryan touched his Sword’s core and stated, “Stat Copy.”

The core glowed and, in turn, made his hand glow. He then touched the Bronze Sword, causing it to start glowing and a trail of sparkles emerged from it and entered the Legendary Sword. After the sparkles stopped Ryan noticed that he and all his party members gain +11 points in Attack, making his eyes go wide.

“Wow!” he said. “My party members and I gained +11 points in Attack, giving us a boost in power. So that’s Stat Copy.”

Celtic scanned and digitized the Bronze Sword into his Tek-Pak before stating, “Yes, that’s how Stat Copy works. Even if the buff isn’t much, it could still be the difference between victory and defeat. Don’t forget any of these power-up effects, as they can make all the difference. And since you’re already aware of the Mastery and Energy Point strengthening ability you now know all three methods to make you and your Sword stronger. Don’t take any of them for granted, as even the smallest of bonuses could make or break a battle.”

Ryan nodded, “Yeah, I hear you. Looks like you were right again, Celtic, as much as I hate to admit it. But… thanks. If this helps make me strong enough to topple Infinator and his Generals then I’ll do it. Now, I’m going back to bed. But thanks again. Now I know my Sword can become even more powerful. See you in the morning.”

Ryan walked back over to his sleeping bag and crawled into it, falling asleep pretty quickly. Celtic gave a small smile.

“Excellent,” he said silently. “I opened Ryan’s mind and eyes to something that’ll help make him a more effective Hero and less of a laughing stock on the battlefield. Looks like I managed to fulfill King Alvin’s wish. Now, I just need to do the same with the other Heroes… though that’s going to be a difficult prospect. Especially Lucas and Jerry. I guess only time will tell if I can get through to them or not. Though they’re pretty bullheaded so I don’t know for sure. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

He resumed his shift of the night watch, keeping an eye out for threats while reading his book. The forest was quiet and tranquil, which allowed him to enjoy the scenery while he was at it.

The next morning both parties were ready for the new day. After a hearty breakfast they set off deeper into the forest. It wasn’t long before they were attacked by monsters again. Five monsters emerged from the dense forest. Four of them looked like blue-colored Battle Oxen with horns and a mace tail that looked like water shaped into a physical form while the last one was also the biggest, mostly gold in color with shining horns and a solid gold mace tail that was as big as a car tire. Both parties got into a battle-ready pose.

“Be careful, gang,” Skye said. “Blue Battle Oxen and Gold Battle Oxen are nasty. They can plow through a steel wall with ease. Especially the Gold Ox. Don’t give them that opportunity to charge you, as it’ll hurt.”

“Then let me give us some extra defense,” Celtic said. “Double Shield Wall!”

He summoned double the amount of shield from the Shield Wall ability, which he then dispersed to both parties, each person getting one shield. The Gold Battle Ox gave a command that caused the Blue Battle Oxen to charge. They first made a beeline for Celtic, as they realized he was the most dangerous. Celtic was ready for them.

“Wood Tower!” he stated.

He slammed his palm down on the ground, causing the pillars of thick wood spears to erupt underneath the Blue Battle Oxen, stabbing them from below, making them cry out in pain. Skye started to channel energy.

“Lightning!” she stated.

Powerful lightning bolts rained down upon the Blue Battle Oxen and the Gold Battle Ox, making them all cry out in pain. This angered the Gold Battle Oxen and started to give a command to the still-impaled Blue Battle Oxen. The Blue Battle Oxen managed to dislodge themselves from the Wood Towers before charging again, this time spreading out to attack multiple targets. They lashed out their mace tails at Ryan, Skye, Zuzu, and the female martial artist. However, this caused the orbiting shields to position themselves in front of their respective users, protecting them. The mace-like tails slammed into the shields, doing some decent damage to them but the shields held firm.

Ryan channeled energy into his Sword before saying, “Time to test something out that I acquired last night! Sword Storm!”

He summoned multiple energy swords, took aim, and launched them at the various Battle Oxen, much to his party’s confusion.

“Sword Storm?” the solider-like one said. “You’ve had that for a while now.”

Ryan nodded, “True, but thanks to a chat I had last night it now has an extra something to it. Watch.”

The flurry of energy swords struck the Battle Oxen and caused significant damage, much to the rest of the Sword Hero party’s surprise. Celtic gained a small grin.

“Good, very good,” he said silently. “He’s now got the idea of how to use his Legendary Sword more effectively. That’ll be a much-needed boost for him to finally stop being such a disappointment on the battlefield. But time for that later, as we have a battle to attend to.”

By that point Skye had killed one of the Blue Battle Oxen while Tyroe was wrestling with another one. Rupert then jumped over Tyroe, did a flip, and slammed both of his claw weapons down onto the back of the Blue Battle Ox’s neck, followed by the soldier party member slamming his axe down where Rupert’s attack was, cutting its head off and killing it. Zuzu then grabbed the last one by its tail and started to slam it against the Gold Battle Ox, effectively bludgeoning it with its own minion. This angered the Gold Battle Ox, causing it to grab the now heavily injured Blue Battle Ox out of Zuzu’s hands with its mouth and crush its neck with its teeth, killing it. This angered the two parties.

“That bully boss just killed its own henchman!” the assassin-like party member snarled. “That’s deep freeze cold!”

Ryan was preparing another attack, stating, “Then let’s give it some payback. Sword Storm!”

He fired the same attack again at the Gold Battle Ox. The attack hit the brute with a vengeance before it finally collapsed, dead. Everyone gained a large amount of EXP from it. Celtic and Ryan then took a horn from both the Blue Battle Ox and the Gold Battle Ox to unlock new powers.

Celtic then said, “Since it’s pretty obvious that these two are also edible, Rupert and Tyroe will clean them for later. I plan to use one of the Battle Oxen I already have for lunch today. And before you ask, yes, you can join us, Ryan and company. It would be in all of our best interests if we bonded over food. As my grandma always said, ‘Mealtime is the best time to forge lasting bonds’. Though she did also said all bets are off when it comes to the last pie slice, so I’m not sure if that’s counterproductive to her usual statement or not. Anyway, good work everyone. And it appears that your Sword Storm is much more effective now, Ryan.”

Ryan tried to act cool as he replied, “Yeah, well, I will admit that you were right about how to strengthen my Legendary Sword more. I just hope I can find some decent materials to use.”

Celtic took something out of his Tek-Pak and tossed it over to Ryan, who caught it, revealing it to be a Sapphire Conch.

“That should give you another starting point,” the Shroud Hero said. “That Sapphire Conch, which is decently rare, will grant some useful Water and Ice properties, so experiment with it and see what you get. As for anything else, you’re on your own, though don’t forget to check your Sword’s inventory for anything of use. I think I saw some Copper and Silver ore in there yesterday. Those’ll give you something good.”

After Rupert and Tyroe finished cleaning the two types of Battle Oxen, Celtic scanned and digitized them before the two parties continued on. They felt more confident now about their next major battle, ready for the Karma Ox.

Next Chapter: The Karma Ox

That's all for now, folks. Looks like Ryan is starting to gain respect for Celtic. Will this be progress of his character? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

This is it. The battle with the Karma Ox. Which side will prevail? (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 7) The Karma Ox

The Karma Ox

​

The Shroud and Sword Hero parties were still on their mission to find the Karma Ox. As they headed toward their next “checkpoint”, they encountered more monsters along the way. Most of them were variants of the Battle Ox monster family but there were a few new ones encountered. This allowed Celtic and Ryan to continue adding new abilities to their respective Legendary Gear. After another couple of hours they arrived at the large river with ruins.

Viola turned to all of them, “Let’s take a break and have lunch here. That way we can rest, heal up, and regenerate our strength. Plus, it’ll give us a good chance to start mapping out a battleplan for the Karma Ox.”

Celtic nodded, “Agreed, Viola. Take a load off, everyone, we’re stopping here for now. I’ll start preparing lunch. I want to try the Battle Ox meat and see what it tastes like, along with seeing what ingredients would work best with it. So, everyone, take it easy for a bit.”

Everyone nodded and decided to relax for a bit while Viola and Leon tended to any wounds. Celtic took out his makeshift recipe book and started to look them over. A few more had been added since yesterday, ones that included Battle Ox meat. After deciding on a recipe he began to work on making it. As he did he noticed that both his and Ryan’s party were getting along better, as many were engaged in friendly conversations. This gave him a small smile.

“Excellent,” he said silently. “Both of our parties have been building trust between them and are now on friendlier terms, which is a stark difference compared to past encounters. And it appears that Ryan and I are also getting along better. Good. After all, I want to make allies, not enemies, and I’ve already got enough of the latter. Though I dread dealing with Lucas and Jerry. Hopefully Eric is decent in that regard. Anyway, back to work.”

He continued his cooking. The smell of the food was getting good as the two parties started to eagerly anticipate lunch. After a while, Celtic took a sample from the pot, ate it, took a moment to judge it before turning to both groups.

“Yeah, I’d say we’re ready. The Sautéed Mango Ox with Peppers is good to go. Chow time.”

Everyone eagerly gathered around as Celtic started to hand out plates of food. It was clear that both parties were enjoying the food, as they all had expressions of bliss on their faces as they ate. They were enjoying it so much that no one said much of anything, as they were too busy eating to talk. It wasn’t long before everyone had their fill and the food was gone. Skye and Viola then washed the dishes in the river before both parties gathered up their stuff and continued onward. As they did Viola was observing the surrounding area, the sun’s position, and was doing some quick calculations.

“Hmm… interesting,” she said.

“What’s interesting?” Leon asked.

“Well, we’ve been going at a fairly good pace. We may be able to reach the Karma Ox by mid-afternoon at this rate. While I would normally suggest we find a place to camp so we can tackle it in the morning, I think this time we may actually have the time to fight the Karma Ox before sunset. That would be good since we need to get the Karma Diamonds quickly, as we’re already taking up more time than originally planned when we first started this mission. As long as we keep ourselves in good shape we can very easily fight the Karma Ox before it gets too late.”

Celtic pondered for a moment before saying, “Yeah, that might be the best course of action. You just said we’re already taking up more time than we originally wanted when we first started the hunt for the Karma Diamonds. I have an idea on how to make the Karma Ox easier. Remember what we did when we faced the Karma Boar? I used my Blood Skeleton Soldier Shroud to inflict an HP-draining curse on it. I suggest we do the same here, as both the Karma Boar and Karma Ox are Beast-type monsters, and the Blood Skeleton Soldier Shroud is more potent on Beast monsters. That way, even if our attacks aren’t doing a whole lot, the Karma Ox will still be on a timer, and I doubt it’ll have Curse Breaker under its belt to remove the HP-draining curse. It’ll also give us some crowd control abilities, as I doubt the Karma Ox will fight us alone. It’ll probably bring in more Battle Oxen to aid in the fight like how the Karma Boar did the same with Metal Boars.”

Zuzu nodded, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. The Blood Skeleton Soldier Shroud was a useful tool against the Karma Boar, as it also made it more desperate to defeat us, even using the self-sacrificing Kamikaze just to have a chance as winning. Putting the Karma Ox on a timer would be very beneficial to us since it means it’ll go down eventually whether we’re dealing it damage or not.”

Ryan turned to her, “Kamikaze? What’s that?”

Leon replied, “Kamikaze is a type of spell that sacrifices 99% of the user’s total HP to basically blow up and either deal extremely heavy damage to all enemies or even outright kill them. Certain monsters, like the Rok-Ko family, tend to save it as a last-ditch strategy. As I said, it sacrifices 99% of the user’s total HP, which means if the user has less than 99% HP it’ll kill the user in the process. The Karma Boar tried to use it against us as a last-ditch attempt to take us down when it was backed into a corner with low HP. Scrap Iron Fortress Defense protected us from the blast, effectively wasting the Karma Boar’s final gambit and killing it instead. So, we should be wary of Kamikaze being part of these Karma Beasts’ arsenals, as it would be their way to turn the fight into a draw instead of a victory for us, seeing how the Karma Boar had it and tried to do exactly that.”

Skye nodded, “Yeah, that’s a distinct possibility. But, anyway, let’s stop chin-wagging and get going if we want to make it to that Karma Beast before it gets dark.”

Nodding, the two parties continued onward. After about an hour they arrived at the outskirts of the ruins. There were many Battle Oxen there but they didn’t attack. Instead they made a path for the two Hero parties to proceed, though their expressions pretty much spelled out that they were expecting the group to die. After another half an hour they arrived at the ruins. They stepped into the large area in front of the temple and looked around. They could then hear a voice.

“So, you have arrived at last.”

They looked up to see the Karma Ox sitting at the top of the stairs of the temple. It was a massive ox, even bigger than the Karma Boar, with a huge mace for a tail, sharp, curved horns, and glowing yellow eyes. The two parties got into a battle-ready pose, making the Karma Ox snort.

“It’s pretty sad that the Sword Hero’s party needed the Shroud Hero’s party to act as an escort,” he said via telepathy. “I’m aware you tried to come after me before only to fall victim to the Colossus Troll and its minions before getting forcibly ejected from here. I’m also aware that the Shroud Hero’s party defeated my fellow Karma Beast: the Karma Boar, by themselves. That I’ll praise you on, as the Karma Boar is no pushover. He does, however, have anger issues that make him more likely to make mistakes on the battlefield. No matter, I will grant his wish and avenge him by defeating both of you. I, the Karma Ox, will show you my power. You won’t survive this fight.”

The Karma Ox jumped off the ruins and landed in front of them. He gave a snort and a battle cry, indicating the fight had begun. Celtic had already switched to the Blood Skeleton Soldier Shroud.

“It’s time to make some hamburgers!” he smirked. “Cursed Grip!”

He fired a Dark energy shot from the Shroud, striking the Karma Ox in the face, which made the massive monster narrow its eyes.

“I’m already aware what this will do,” he said. “You used it on my brother, the Karma Boar, inflicting an HP-draining curse. Even if I die today I’ll be sure to take both you and the failure Sword Hero down with me!”

Ryan gained an annoyed look as he channeled energy into his Sword, “I’ll show YOU who’s the failure here! Sword Storm!”

He fired his attack, sending several energy swords toward the Karma Ox. They struck him in the side, making him recoil in pain a bit before the attack waned. Celtic was channeling energy as the Karma Ox was distracted.

“Mega Guard!” he stated.

Energy flowed around both parties, seemingly strengthening them, making their stats increase.

“There, that’s a Defense and Magical Defense boost for all of you,” he said. “That’ll make surviving his attacks easier!”

The Karma Ox snorted, “We’ll see about that! Quake!”

He slammed his hooves down on the ground, causing an earthquake that shook everyone, dealing Earth damage to them except Zuzu, who was floating above the ground. Celtic started to channel energy again.

“Mega Might!” he shouted.

More energy flowed around both parties, increasing their stats further.

“There, a nice Attack buff for all of you,” he said. “That’ll make your attacks sting more.”

Zuzu smirked, “Then it’s time for me to grab this bull by the horns! Close Combat Combo!”

She started to punch the Karma Ox with Darkness-enhanced strikes. The Karma Ox tried to swat her away with both his horns and mace-like tail but she just skillfully dodged them and continued to whale on him. Finally, after building up enough power she slammed her fist down on top of his head, causing him to crash onto the ground, dazing him and damaging his skull. Ryan’s party took advantage of this to attack the Karma Ox while he was disoriented. Leon started to channel magical energy.

“Guard Crush!” he shouted.

The Karma Ox was bathed in energy, causing his stats to drop.

“There, I lowered his Defense and Magical Defense by 25%,” the Templar Knight stated. “That’ll make him more vulnerable for a bit! Hurry, as the debuff won’t last for long!”

The Karma Ox managed to get back onto his feet, giving an angry snort as he did.

“Don’t think it’ll be that easy!” he roared. “Ox Slam Attack!”

He started to channel energy into his body, gaining a glowing aura. He then charged at both parties with a barrier of energy forming in front of him. The two parties scattered to avoid the attack, causing him to slam headlong into a pillar, destroying it easily. However, as he came to a stop he started to shake in pain, allowing Celtic to realize what the move does.

“That attack deals him recoil damage!” he stated. “Plus, thanks to Zuzu cracking his skull, that head smashing attack hurt him even more. This is our chance!”

Leon turned to Skye, “Skye, let’s try our patented Typhoon/Hydro Tower combo!”

Skye nodded, gaining a grin, “You got it!”

Both started to channel energy while the Karma Ox slowly recovered from his own attack.

“Typhoon!” Skye stated.

“Hydro Tower!” Leon shouted.

The Hydro Tower formed first, followed by the Typhoon fusing with it, creating the powerful water spout attack. As the Karma Ox had come to his senses the combo spell struck him. To his surprise it managed to lift him off the ground and hurled him into the air. Celtic gained an idea.

“Time to make beef kababs!” he smirked. “Wood Tower!”

He slammed his palm down on the ground, causing the Wood Towers to emerge underneath the rapidly descending Karma Ox. This made the Karma Beast’s eyes widen in horror as he landed on the Wood Tower. His massive weight managed to destroy the pillars of wood but it also caused the tops of them to impale his underbelly as he crashed to the ground. He managed to get back up but he was clearly in pain.

“I won’t let you make a fool out of me like you did to my brother the Karma Boar!” he roared. “Battle Oxen, assist me!”

Several Battle Oxen of all types jumped into the battlefield. However, Celtic had been anticipating that.

“Not so fast, you bull brutes!” he shouted. “Cursed Grip!”

He fired more Dark energy blasts from the Shroud, striking the various Battle Oxen, inflicting the same HP-draining curse on them. Ryan then prepared another attack.

“Time for some shredded beef!” he stated. “Sword Storm!”

He fired the attack at the Battle Oxen, the dozens of energy swords striking the various Battle Oxen with a vengeance. Rupert was channeling energy as this was happening.

“Bamboo Spears!” he shouted.

Spears of bamboo sprung from underneath the various Battle Oxen, impaling them. This move killed several of the lower leveled ones, but the Gold Battle Oxen remained standing. Tyroe was channeling energy as they managed to recover.

“Stone Spears!” he shouted.

The jagged stone spears appeared and rained down upon the Gold Battle Oxen, dealing the killing blows to them. This alarmed the Karma Ox, who was aware that the HP-draining curse and all the damage he took had eaten away his HP to less than a quarter remaining by this point and was still dropping steadily.

“No! I won’t lose to insects like you!” he roared.

Celtic turned to Ryan, “Let’s double team him!”

Ryan nodded in agreement. He started to channel energy into his Sword while Celtic had changed his Shroud to the Killjoy Shroud.

“Flame Dagger Acrobatic Assault!” Celtic shouted.

“Sword Storm!” Ryan stated.

The fired both their attacks at the Karma Ox, striking him with everything they had, dealing him a lot of damage. It was clear that the Karma Ox was on its last legs. Viola turned to Leon.

“Let’s deal the killing blow, sweetheart!” she said.

Leon nodded, “You got it, babe!”

They both began charging energy into their weapons.

“Thunder Arrow!” Leon stated.

“Scythe Wind Cutter!” Viola shouted.

The two attacks combined into a powerful vortex of Wind and Lightning. The Karma Ox could only watch in despair as the attack hit him, dealing the remaining damage to him that finally defeated him. After the attack waned he crashed to the ground, defeated and clearly dying.

“You… win…” he grunted. “The Karma Diamond is yours to take. But… be warned… my fellow Karma Beasts won’t… take kindly to this… You’ve probably already enraged them… by killing both me and the Karma Boar… They will avenge my brother… and me… So… don’t get confident… otherwise they’ll end you… themselves… Mark my words…”

He then finally slumped down, dead. Both parties got into a more relaxed position, relieved the fight was over.

Celtic turned to Skye, “Skye, think you can use your naginata to slice him in two? We need to remove his body in order to get the Karma Diamond to appear, and both Ryan and I need to absorb him for new powers. Can you do that?”

Skye nodded, “Sure, give me a minute.”

She walked over to the front of the Karma Ox, started to channel energy into his naginata, making the blade glow and become much longer. She then snapped her eyes open and gave a powerful downward slash. This created an air slash that cleanly cut the Karma Ox in two.

“There you go,” she said cheerfully. “Hopefully both of you get something good from him.”

Celtic nodded as he and Ryan stepped up to one half of the Karma Ox. Both absorbed their respective halves into their Legendary Gear, creating a new form from it. As the Karma Ox’s body vanished, a pillar appeared from underneath the arena, showing a green-colored diamond. Celtic plucked it and put it in his Tek-Pak for safekeeping. He then turned to both parties.

“Good work everyone,” he said sincerely. “We managed to topple another Karma Beast, giving us the second Karma Diamond. We still have three more to go but progress is progress, no matter how small. It’s time to head back to Delgunner.”

Rupert and Tyroe had just finished cleaning the various Battle Oxen, the former stating, “We’ve also cleaned these beasties up so we can use them for food.”

One of Ryan’s party members asked, “Do you think we can take some of the meat for ourselves? While we’re not great cooks, even if it’s just roasting some meat over a fire would be a stark improvement to our usual pre-made sandwiches.”

Celtic nodded, “Sure, you can take as much as you want. Let my party cut them up back at Delgunner for you so they’ll be easier to transport. Viola also has a useful spell that’ll preserve them so they won’t go bad before you eat them. Just tell us how much you want and we’ll give it to you, as not even Tyroe can eat a whole Metal Boar, much less a Battle Ox.”

The party members looked very grateful, bowing and stating, “Thank you very much.”

Ryan turned to Celtic, “Celtic… thank you for this. My party and I probably wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help. And… I’m sorry for constantly writing off your hard work as cheating. You’ve clearly been working so hard to accomplish everything and me and my fellow Heroes have been dismissing you as the weakest of us when it fact it’s quite the opposite. I now see the Shroud’s true power. And… thanks for teaching me the various refinement methods to strengthen my Sword. Now I know what I need to do in order to make Infinator’s faction take me more seriously instead of just swatting me aside like they normally do. While I doubt this’ll stop our bickering, I do have some newfound respect for you.”

He held out his hand. Celtic gave a small smile and grabbed it, both shaking hands, making both parties smile. Celtic then scanned and digitized the Battle Oxen before turning to Skye.

“Warp!” she stated.

Both parties vanished from the forest before reappearing at Delgunner’s gates. The soldiers saluted them as they approached.

“You’ve returned!” one said.

“Did you complete your task?” the other asked.

Celtic nodded, “Yes, we defeated the Karma Ox and got the Karma Diamond. We need to report to King Alvin of our success.”

“Then go right ahead, noble Heroes.”

As they passed the same guard gave Zuzu another flirtatious wave, making her quirk her eyebrow again. After going through the city and entering the castle the two parties came to the throne room. King Alvin looked like he was about to wrap up the day when he saw both Heroes and their parties enter.

“Oh!” he said, wide-eyed. “Prince Avalar and Ryan! You’ve returned. I take it the task is complete?”

Celtic presented the Karma Diamond, “Here it is: the Karma Diamond. We defeated the Karma Ox and got our prize. The mission is complete.”

“Excellent! Now, then, did the Sword Hero and his party do a good job, Avalar?”

“They passed with flying colors. It was their best performance to date. They functioned like a well-oiled machine. I didn’t even need to give a single order as they proved their efficiency and compatibility with my party to be near flawless. They most definitely deserve a reward for their efforts.”

King Alvin looked delighted, “Music to my ears, Avalar. I am most pleased. You’ll have to hold onto the Karma Diamond for a bit, as King Duskbane is back in Shadoria right now, since it’s starting to get late. But I am most pleased to hear that both of you managed to make your partnership work. I will have your rewards ready by tomorrow morning. Hopefully at least one other Hero will have awakened by then, though it looks like the Spear Hero might be the next one to come to, as he and his party are now just asleep and not unconscious. But I am very pleased to hear that you two managed to put aside your differences and took down the Karma Ox. Now, go back to your guest rooms and rest, as you deserve it. I’ll reward both of you tomorrow. But good work to all of you. I am quite happy with these results.”

Celtic, Ryan, and their parties bowed before leaving the throne room. Both parties exchanged handshakes before heading to their respective guest rooms to rest, with Ryan’s party giving the requested amount of Battle Ox meat they wanted in the process. After Celtic and his party put their stuff down they all crawled into bed to rest, clearly quite satisfied that everything worked out okay between them and Ryan’s party. As they drifted off to sleep, they were all dreading the prospect of working with Lucas and his harem party, knowing it would be a rough ride.

Next Chapter: Vanquishing Vicious Vipers

That's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to see how the two Heroes with the most animosity work together.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter of Chaos Rising. Enjoy. (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 8) Vanquishing Vicious Vipers

Vanquishing Vicious Vipers

​

It was the following morning after the Shroud and Sword Hero parties had defeated the Karma Ox. Both parties were present in King Alvin’s throne room to receive their rewards. King Alvin looked very pleased as he saw the two Heroes.

“Prince Avalar and Ryan, well done,” he said. “You managed to put aside your differences and worked together to complete your task. I present your rewards to you.”

Two servants walked up, holding pouches. Both Heroes took them graciously.

“You get 200 gold apiece for your efforts. And speaking of rewards, Avalar, this payment is for your work with the Karma Boar. I have your payment for the Karma Ox nearly ready. It’ll be prepared in an hour, so please remain here until its then.”

Celtic nodded, “Fine. I take it this reward is what we discussed previously?”

King Alvin nodded, “Yes, it is. My men are just gathering up the remaining bits needed. It’ll be presented to you when they’re done.”

Now curious, Ryan asked, “If I may, what is this other reward you promised Celtic that requires extra time to prepare?”

Skye turned to him, “Materials, basically. King Alvin and King Duskbane promised Celtic various materials as part of the agreement for doing the extra missions in order to obtain the Karma Diamonds. I do wonder what kinds of materials you’ve gathered up, Your Majesty.”

King Alvin smiled, “You’ll know soon enough, Lady Skye. Now, Ryan, you and your party are dismissed. Good work.”

Celtic turned to Ryan, “Meet us at my party’s guest room in a little while so I can give you the promised items your party requested. I also found some other things in my Shroud’s inventory that might come in handy for you. We’ll talk more then.”

Ryan nodded before he and his party left the throne room. After little more than half an hour four knights walked in, carrying a large treasure chest. They placed it in front of the Shroud Hero party and opened it up, revealing many different types of ores, items, and even monster parts.

“Here go you, Avalar,” King Alvin said. “Various rare ores, items, and hard-to-find monster parts, just as we discussed. Just don’t take the chest, as it’s an heirloom from my great-grandfather. I just used it to carry these items because they kept tearing any sacks my men tried putting them in.”

Celtic nodded, took his Tek-Pak off, scanned and digitized all the items in the chest, the strapped it back on.

“Good, and thank you, Avalar. I know this whole ordeal isn’t something you’re happy about but it is necessary if we want to overcome our enemies. Now, you are dismissed. I will summon you later when the Spear Hero has completely recovered.”

Viola sighed, “So, we’re working with Lucas next, huh?”

“I’m afraid so. He’s the Hero that has recently awakened, though they’re still treating him and his party to a degree. He’ll get a clean bill of health in a few days they said, so you have some time until then. Now, you’re free to go. I’ll summon you again when you and Lucas will begin your mission.”

Celtic and his party nodded, clearly not looking forward to the next mission, before leaving the throne room. They returned to their guest bedroom and started to prepare for Ryan. About 30 minutes later they heard a knock on their door. Leon opened it to reveal Ryan and his party.

“I take it everything went accordingly?” Ryan asked.

Leon nodded, “Yes, everything is fine now. We’ve got what we promised you and your party, along with a few bonuses that should help give you an edge. Come in.”

Ryan and his party entered the room. Sitting on the coffee table were five strong-looking swords, a few chunks of ore, and three large shopping bags.

Celtic turned to Ryan, “Here, Ryan, I’ve prepared some semi-rare swords for you to Stat Copy, some various ores, and the promised Battle Ox meat. The swords in question are a Wasp Sword, an Iron Sword, a Hydro Sword, a Bandit Sword, and a Magma Sword. In terms of ore I’m giving you two Gold Ore, one Platinum Ore, a chunk of Myenite, a chunk of Zolu, and some Dark Matter. Most of these were in my Shroud’s inventory. They’re yours now. Do what you want with them, especially since I can’t make any use of the swords and none of my party members use swords, either.”

Ryan nodded and approached the coffee table. He then proceeded to use Stat Copy on each sword, gaining all their power and effects. After that he absorbed all the different ores into his Sword, creating new Sword forms and giving him more options for item enhancement. He and his party then took the bags of Battle Ox meat and the various swords, thanked the Shroud Hero party, and left. Celtic then went to work with his Shroud while the others relaxed for a bit.

“I’ve gained several new Shrouds lately,” he said silently. “While I’m still not happy about going out on these missions, they do provide me with new Shroud forms and other useful stuff. The most recent ones I’ve gotten are Doom Shroom Shroud, the Spotted Saber Tiger Shroud, the Rage Goremate Shroud, the Mauler Bear Shroud, the Wood Lamp Shroud, and, of course, the Karma Ox Shroud. These should come in handy as time goes on. Now, let’s see what I can get from the materials and monster parts King Alvin gave me, especially since I’ll be dealing with Lucas and the Karma Cobra soon. Better get prepared for that.”

A few days passed since then. Lucas and his party had been released from the hospital. Celtic and his party spent the days prior collecting anything they would need while strengthening his Shroud with the new items he got from King Alvin. Celtic also gave King Duskbane the Karma Diamond during that time. Not long after were both parties summoned into the throne room.

King Alvin stated, “The Shroud and Spear Heroes and their parties are present. It is time we take another stab at getting the Karma Diamond. Spear Hero, I’ll have you know that I’ve officially declared that the Shroud Hero is the leader of the Legendary Heroes while you and the other Heroes were unconscious.”

“What?!” Lucas choked. “Celtic is the leader!? Why?!”

Skye replied matter-of-factly, “It’s nothing new, Lucas. Every generation of Shroud Hero has been the leader, dating all the way back to the Shadow Prince himself. So, Celtic is merely following in his predecessors’ footsteps. It’s a well-known fact at this point.”

King Alvin nodded, “Yes, Lady Skye is correct. Every Shroud Hero since the Great Demon War has been the leader, so this isn’t anything abnormal. Besides, given Avalar’s track record, it’s only fitting that the most competent, effective, and reliable Hero would get the leader position. But that also means his word is law to you and the other Heroes. Disobey his commands and you’ll be punished accordingly. Also, he’ll be acting as your bodyguard and escort in order to find the Karma Cobra and acquire the Karma Diamond it guards. Seeing how he and his party managed to acquire the Karma Boar’s Karma Diamond by themselves and helped Ryan acquire the Karma Ox’s Karma Diamond means they’re the most suited to act as guides and protectors to the other Heroes. After all, we need those Karma Diamonds if we’re to overcome our latest obstacle. So, you will do as he says while on this mission. Is that clear?”

Lucas gritted his teeth before replying, “Yes, Your Majesty…”

Celtic turned to him, “You can relax, Lucas, I’m not going to be a drill-sergeant nasty or anything. I’ll only give an order if it’s necessary. I know neither of us remotely like each other but let’s try to make this work, okay? Seeing how Ryan and I managed to make everything work out, even pretty much burying the hatchet in the process, let’s at least try to tolerate each other for this mission. I’m not happy about it, either, but I’m going to do my job and get this mission completed. So, I suggest you do the same, as it’ll make this as painless as possible for all of us.”

Lucas turned to him, “Fine… if you promise not to bark endless orders, then I’ll try. Don’t expect any miracles, though.”

“I won’t bark endless orders; you have my word. I’ll only give an order if needed and won’t abuse my new status and authority as the leader. Just behave and we’ll get this over with as soon as possible. And don’t worry, you will get credit for completing this mission, along with a sizable reward. Right, King Alvin?”

King Alvin nodded, “Indeed. If you obey Avalar’s instructions and not cause any problems you’ll be rewarded quite handsomely. It’ll also make you more popular with the ladies.”

This statement caught Lucas’ attention, making his eyes widen.

“Well…” he said. “When you put it that way, fine, I’ll do it.”

“Good. Now, let’s begin the operation.”

A Shadow Sentinel appeared, stating, “Allow me to take you to your starting point.”

Celtic nodded, “Do so, please.”

“Shadow Warp!”

Both parties vanished from the throne room in black portals, leaving the royal family behind. They then reappeared in a new location. It was another jungle-like area.

“This is as far as I can take you,” the Shadow Sentinel said. “The rest is up to you. Good luck and stay safe.”

The Shadow Sentinel then vanished in a black portal.

Celtic turned to Lucas’ party, “Okay, which one of you has the map for where our targets reside?”

One of the women stated, “Lucas has it. Not like it mattered as we got lost anyway.”

“Give it to me, please, Lucas. Viola is the best with maps so she’ll need the map from you.”

Lucas sighed before handing over the map. Celtic gave it to Viola, allowing her to look it over. She then observed the surrounding area, checked the position of the sun, and did a few quick calculations.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ve got the general gist of our path. First, we go north from this point until we reach a large swamp. From there we go east until we reach a river with some ruins. After that we go northeast until we find a bottomless swamp like the one back in Duskmoon Forest. From there we go north until we reach a large grove of fruit trees. And finally we head northwest for a bit to reach the ruins where the Karma Beast and Karma Diamond reside. I estimate it’ll take a little more than two days to reach our destination, depending on certain elements like weather and the frequency of monster attacks. But that should do it.”

Leon smiled, “As always, excellent work, Viola.”

Celtic nodded, “Indeed. So let’s get going and find our Karma Beast.”

Viola led the way with both parties following her, though Lucas and Wench did so with great reluctance. It wasn’t long before they were attacked by some monsters. What looked like demonic ducks suddenly flew down at them. They had black and red feathers, glowing yellow eyes, a bill with foldable teeth, and webbed feet with sharp nails. They gave a loud quack as they attacked.

“Those are Glidolers!” Rupert stated. “They’re not very strong but they’re still rather nasty.”

Skye was already channeling energy, stating, “Time for some fried duck! Lightning!”

She launched her attack, causing several big lightning bolts to rain down upon the Glidolers, killing them instantly, with all of them gaining EXP.

Lucas looked at the ring on his finger, “Well, it looks like this ring works, since we got EXP.”

Celtic turned to his party, “So, given the theme I’ve noticed recently about certain monsters, I take it these are also edible?”

Tyroe nodded, “Yep. And they’re quite tasty, especially fried. Want Rupert and I to take care of them?”

The redhead chuckled, “Yeah, sure, go right ahead. It’ll provide us with some lunch later. Just let me absorb a piece of it. Lucas, you should, too, as it may come in handy.”

Lucas shrugged as he picked up a feather and had his Spear absorb it, with Celtic doing the same with his Shroud. After Rupert and Tyroe took care of the Glidolers they resumed their trek into the jungle. After about an hour and a half they made it to the first swamp. Viola took a moment to observe the surrounding area, check the position of the sun, and did a quick calculation before turning to the group.

“Okay, we should try to get to the next checkpoint before noon, as that’ll have a clean fresh water supply near it,” she said. “That way we can stop there for lunch. It’ll also be wise to avoid swamps like this as there are very good chances that Snap Alligators will be in them.”

Just as she said that they heard a rumbling noise. They all turned to the swamp to see something emerge from under the water. It looked like a large alligator with red eyes and slit pupils, shark-like fins on its back, a long, thick tail ending in a spade tip, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Everyone got into a battle-ready pose.

“Speak of the devil,” Zuzu stated. “That’s a Snap Alligator. And here it comes!”

The Snap Alligator immediately charged the group, its fang-filled mouth wide open, ready to bite them. The two parties dodged its lunge. Celtic then jumped onto its back and started to wrestle it, making it angry. Viola made swift motions with her hands which caused silk to encase the Snap Alligator’s jaws. Skye and Lucas charged in while Celtic held it down. Skye lashed out her naginata, slicing the beast’s tail off, while Lucas slammed his Spear head down into its skull. Celtic then transformed his arm into Giga Knuckle, using it to slam down upon the Snap Alligator’s skull, finally killing it. Celtic transformed his arm back to normal before getting off the Snap Alligator.

“Skye, slice this thing in two so both Lucas and I can absorb it,” he instructed.

Skye nodded before slicing it in two with her naginata. This allowed Celtic and Lucas to absorb the Snap Alligator, creating new powers. Rupert then dragged the creature’s tail over.

“Cel, have your Tek-Pak scan and digitize this tail,” he said. “It’s also edible and considered quite tasty.”

Nodding, Celtic scanned and digitized the Snap Alligator’s tail before he turned to the group.

“Let’s keep moving,” he said. “If we were attacked by one Snap Alligator, more might follow, as, from what I’ve read, they tend to form groups. So let’s not give them any other chances to attack us.”

Nodding, the two parties quickly made their way out of the swamp area and onto their next checkpoint. As they did they fought a few monsters here and there, though most were ones they’d all already seen such as Prickle Porcupines and Toxi-Slimes. After about another hour they arrived at the river with some ruins nearby. Viola did a quick calculation before turning to them.

“Let’s set up for lunch here, as we’re near a fresh water supply,” she suggested. “It’ll also give us a chance to catch our breath. After that we’ll continue, as the next checkpoint is a fair distance away.”

Celtic nodded, “Sure, good idea. I’ll start cooking our lunch. I learned a few new recipes back in Delgunner so I want to try one out.” He then turned to Lucas’ party, “You are invited to join us if you want.”

Wench huffed, “Like we’re going to share a meal with you!”

“Suit yourself.”

Celtic set up the necessary stuff to start cooking and began making his party’s lunch. Meanwhile, Lucas had filled up a pot of water and was starting to boil it. However, the water suddenly caught fire, much to the Shroud Hero party’s disbelief.

“H-How is that possible?!” Leon sputtered.

Celtic then said, completely deadpan, “Congratulations, Lucas. Your stupidity has reached cosmic-enough levels that you can break the laws of physics. That takes talent, though not the good kind.”

Lucas gave him a look before grabbing the pot with the flaming water and tossing it into the river. This caused the flames to instantly vanish.

“I’m surprised the whole river didn’t catch fire,” Zuzu said dryly.

Skye turned to her, “Don’t tempt him.”

Lucas gave them another look before turning to his party, “Okay, Plan B time. Jessie, if you’d be so kind.”

Jessie, who was a green-haired girl wearing clothes that looked like a cross between a martial artist and a belly dancer, gave a defeated sigh. She rolled up her pant legs, walked out into the river, crossed her arms, and focused. She then lashed out her right hand into the water, catching three fish by their tails. She then did the same with her left hand, nabbing two more.

“That was pretty impressive,” Tyroe said.

Jessie then walked back to Lucas and held out the fish, saying, “Here. Just don’t burn them again.”

Lucas nodded as he cleaned the fish and put them on sticks to cook near their campfire. The five of them sat and waited for their fish to cook. However, as they did, the smells from Celtic’s cooking caught their attention. It smelled delightful, making the three other women in Lucas’ party start to salivate. Even Wench couldn’t help but feel some envy as the delicious smell wafted over to them. Lucas, despite the smell making him hungry, remained adamant and continued focusing on the fish. After a little bit longer the fish was done and they started eating, but it was obvious that the other three women were envious of the delicious smells from Celtic’s cooking. Meanwhile, Celtic took a sample from his skillet, ate it, took a moment to consider it before he turned to his party.

“Yeah, we’re good to go,” he said. “One Greasy Roast Skillet in Plum Sauce is ready to eat.”

The party eagerly held out their plates as Celtic served them. This caused the other three women in Lucas’ party to become extremely envious. One of them, who was a blonde in rather nice clothes, finally mustered up the courage.

“Is the offer to join you still available?” she asked.

“Diantha! Don’t you dare!” Wench protested.

Celtic merely replied, “Yep.”

The three women looked at each other, looked at their fish, then exchanged nods. They quickly abandoned the fish and scurried over to Celtic’s party, much to Wench’s protests. They sat down in the group and Celtic gave them each a serving of food. They took a moment to savor the smell before biting into their meal, gaining expressions of bliss, eyes sparkling like stars, before they started to eat with gusto. Lucas and Wench looked on in disbelief.

“It can’t be that good!” Lucas stated.

Jessie replied, “Oh, yes it is! It’s heavenly!”

The other girl, who looked like a magician, added, “No offence but Celtic’s cooking is so much better. I feel like I’m walking on air as I eat this.”

“J-Jodi!” Lucas sputtered.

Celtic turned to him, “You know, Lucas, the offer does extend to you and Wench. At least you’d gain some special benefits from my cooking like a temporary increase in EXP and other such bonuses.”

This fact got Lucas’ attention, saying, “Wait. Your cooking can grant stuff like extra EXP gains and such?! How?”

“The passive effects of several Shrouds I have grant many bonuses to my cooking, such as temporary increase in EXP, some stat buffs, both temporary and permanent, and even self-healing abilities. I highly recommend you join us, as you’ll be able to capitalize on those bonuses to make you a more impressive Hero to the ladies.”

Lucas started to debate it before he tossed his fish aside and ran over to join them. Wench sighed defeatedly and followed suit. As they sat down Celtic served them some food. They both were reluctant to eat but the smell was too much. They took a bite and gained dreamy expressions, quickly shoveling the food down. Celtic gave a small chuckle before resuming to eat. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that a Bite Porcupine had scuttled out of the underbrush, ate the discarded fish, then scurried off, not bothering the two parties. After the food was eaten Skye and Viola washed the dishes, Leon extinguished the campfires, before they packed up and moved on. Lucas then noticed something on his stat vision.

“Hey, wait a minute,” he said. “What are those stars next to the names of my party members and me? And what’s with the timer?”

Celtic casually explained, “The stars represent that the bonuses from my cooking are now in effect. Like I said, that includes things like the temporary EXP increase, stat buffs, and other passive benefits. The timer is connected to those stars, as it tells you how long the effects will last. They last three hours after finishing the meal, so that means, with the exception of the permanent stat boosts for obvious reasons, for the next three hours you’ll have all the aforementioned bonuses applied to you and your party. The stars will vanish when the timer runs out, which will end the passive bonuses, again, except the permanent stat increases, which you get to keep.”

Suddenly, something jumped out of the bushes blindly fast, aiming straight for Wench. Before anyone could react Celtic lashed out his metal arm to take the blow as something bit down on it, revealing it to be a cobra. The cobra tried in vain to harm Celtic’s metal arm but to no avail. Zuzu then walked over, pried it off, threw it on the ground, and crushed its skull with her fist, killing it. She then picked it up and presented it to the party. It was about a foot long with white scales, a red hood with a green hood pattern, a spear-like structure on the tip of its tail, purple eyes with slit pupils, and two large fangs in its mouth.

“What’s that?” Lucas asked.

“It’s a Stealth Cobra,” Zuzu replied. “Judging by the size of it, this is just a baby or juvenile, as normal Stealth Cobras can get as big as a Great Dane. And, before you ask, the reason why their called Stealth Cobras is because they can change their skin to match their surroundings. In other words, they use camouflage to blend in with their environment to better hunt prey. Their poison is also pretty nasty, as it can kill a horse in an hour, much less a person. So be thankful Celtic took the blow with his metal arm otherwise you’d be heading to death’s doorstep, Wench. And you’d need a pretty powerful antidote to cure Stealth Cobra venom, which would also require Celtic’s care to administer due to his Enhance Potion Shroud. What do you say to that, long ears?”

Wench looked horrified as she heard this, clearly not happy at both being near a snake and having been saved by Celtic. She defiantly turned her head away, not wanting to say anything. This gesture annoyed Skye.

“Fine,” she said. “Then the next Stealth Cobra that attacks you we won’t block so you can have some venom in your system for your troubles. And, besides, like Zuzu said, this Stealth Cobra is a baby, which means mama might be nearby.”

As if on cue they all heard a strong hiss. They saw a pair of large eyes glare from within the dense jungle plants. It then lashed out, revealing it to be a much larger Stealth Cobra. The party scattered but Wench ended up getting bitten on the ankle, it large fangs easily piercing her boots, making her cry out as she was injected with venom. Lucas lashed his Spear out to defend her but the Stealth Cobra responded by using the spear-like tip on its tail to deflect the blow and easily push him back.

“Wood Tower!” Celtic stated.

He slammed his palm on the ground which caused a couple of pillars of wood spears to impale the Stealth Cobra from underneath, piecing right through its body, killing it instantly, causing everyone to gain a fair amount of EXP. Wench looked around desperately as she struggled to fight off the venom but was clearly losing.

“P-P-Prince Celtic!” she begged pathetically. “Save me!”

While Celtic was clearly livid at her using his title to butter him up, he pulled out an antidote from his Tek-Pak.

“Be thankful I have to bring all of you back alive,” he snarled. “Otherwise you’d be doomed. Enhance Potion Shroud.”

The Shroud transformed into its book form. Celtic walked over to the clearly desperate Light Elf, forced her mouth open, and poured the antidote down her throat. The Enhance Potion Shroud glowed, causing the antidote to become much more powerful, easily removing the venom from Wench’s body, making her relax and slow her breathing down.

“I’ll send you a bill in three-to-five business days.”

“Y-You’re kidding, right?” the Light Elf asked.

“I’m not a charity,” Celtic replied bluntly. “Whenever I do medical work, it’s for a price. So, no, I’m not kidding. And I expect the payment or I’ll make sure you get thrown to the jaws of my Shadokor brethren. After all, they’re already out for your blood for what you’ve done to me in the past, so I just need to give them the word and… well… let’s just say it won’t be a painless process. It’s your call.”

Lucas stated angrily, “You’re actually going to charge us for administering an antidote?!”

“Yes, because that’s how things work in the world, Lucas. Herbs cost money, especially the rarer ones. Besides, I’m just asking for one silver for one extra potent antidote, which is cheaper than what most medics and shops sell it for. So, you either pay up or you’ll have a Shadokor attack on your case.”

Lucas gained an annoyed look but handed over a silver coin.

“There. Was that so hard?”

Skye and the rest of the party snickered, much to Lucas’ annoyance. Celtic then walked over to the dead larger Stealth Cobra and had his Shroud absorb it, creating a new Shroud form. He then tossed the dead baby to Lucas.

“Have your Spear absorb this Stealth Cobra,” he instructed. “Baby or adult, it’ll still give you something useful. And you might get a decent drop or two from it, especially if you check your inventory.”

Lucas was about to absorb the Stealth Cobra before looking up, confused, “Inventory? What inventory?”

“Right, you don’t know about it yet. First, absorb the Stealth Cobra and afterward I’ll show you what I mean. You’ll find the function quite useful.”

Curious, Lucas complied and had the Stealth Cobra absorbed, gaining a new Spear form.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” Celtic stated. “Open up your Spear’s main menu. Look to the bottom left of the screen and you should see an icon that looks like a pouch or a sack. Tap that and it’ll show you your Spear’s inventory.”

Lucas complied, opening up his Spear’s main menu and looked for the icon. He found it and tapped it, revealing a large list of various items, making his eyes widen.

“What’s all this!?” he sputtered.

“Those are all the item drops you’ve received since obtaining your Spear,” Celtic explained. “The Legendary Gear automatically gain one item drop from each and every monster you’ve ever fought and stores it in that inventory instead of leaving it up to chance like most adventurers. You’ll also gain a second item, even if it’s a duplicate of the same item, by absorbing a chunk of the monster. Also, it doesn’t matter if it was you or a registered party member that dealt the killing blow, as you’ll received the item regardless. So, say, for example, if Skye had killed the Stealth Cobra I would still get one of its drops deposited into my inventory because she’s registered as a party member through the Shroud. Cool, right?”

Lucas looked at the list before saying, “So, I’ve had all these items in my Spear this whole time? Why didn’t anyone tell me before?”

“To be honest, I learned about it by accident while I was in the Demon Realm. I ended up forgetting about it because I was too focused on trying to gain control of my Assault Mode form upon awakening my hybrid blood. I remembered about it again after my party and I had another recent skirmish with that Four Stars Church goon Robert. It’s apparently a very lesser-known fact about the Legendary Gear, as not even most books on the Legendary Gear mention it. So, now that I’ve fully remembered about it I’m passing on this information to you. Oh, and if you want to eject an item, simply tap its icon, tap the number of them you want if there are multiples, and boom, new items will be at your disposal. It’ll also sort the items by category like herbs and such. I’m still cleaning mine out, as I’ve got quite the treasure trove of items in here, but that’s the gist of the inventory function of the Legendary Gear. Make sure to check it out every now and then after defeating monsters, as you might get something good and not know about it otherwise.”

Skye then said, “Come on, everyone, let’s hit the road and try to get to our next checkpoint before it gets too dark. Especially because Stealth Cobras tend to hunt at night more than during the day, though it varies by breed. Expect to see more Stealth Cobras, though I suspect we may only see normal and Camo Stealth Cobras, given our current environment. But let’s get moving before dark.”

Nodding, the two parties continued onward to find the Karma Cobra.

Next Chapter: Snake in the Grass

That's all for now, folks. And do note that I do know the difference between cobras and vipers. I just couldn't think of a good alliteration that would use the word "cobras" at the time.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter of Chaos Rising. (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 9) Snake in the Grass

Snake in the Grass

​

The Shroud and Spear Hero parties were still continuing their trek to find the Karma Cobra and obtain the Karma Diamond it guarded. They had fought several monsters since lunch, most of them were Stealth Cobras, much to Wench’s displeasure and fear. After a while they reached their next checkpoint, which was the area with the bottomless swamp. Viola did a quick calculation before deciding what to do.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” she said. “We should set camp for the night here. We won’t get much further before nightfall and Stealth Cobras are more inclined to hunt for prey at night so it would be smarter to set camp before it gets too dark. It would also bring out the other nighttime predators, so we’re safer here, where it’s wide open and not so dense with plant life. Plus, there is a fresh water stream here to give us a water supply. Just don’t fall into the swamp. It may not be acidic like the one back in Duskmoon Forest, but you’ll still sink like a rock if you fall into it.”

Celtic nodded, “Right, good call, Viola. Take a load off, everyone, we’re stopping here for the night. I’ll start making dinner. I’m going to make some of that Glidoler meat we collected earlier. Since it’s basically the same as duck I know a good recipe from Delgunner’s library that I want to try.”

Everyone decided to take it easy while Celtic cooked dinner. The three other women in Lucas’ party were eagerly anticipating the meal while Wench sulked at the thought of sharing another meal with Celtic and his party. Lucas took the opportunity to try to flirt with Skye, only to get a kick in the stomach and a threat to throw him into the swamp in return. After a little while the food was starting to smell really good. Both parties became eager as Celtic continued to make his dish. After a little bit he took a sample from it, ate it, and mentally debated it before turning to the two parties.

“It’s ready. The Barbequed Sliced Glidoler with Gold Berry Sauce is done. Gather up.”

Everyone eagerly gathered around the pot as Celtic handed out plates of food, though Wench was still reluctant. However, the smell of the food was too tempting and she gave in, eating the delicious meal with restrained delight. After everyone had at least another serving the food was gone. Tyroe and Zuzu washed the dishes in the stream before everyone started to turn in for the night, with Celtic taking the night watch. He kept his eye on Wench to ensure she didn’t try anything. It wasn’t long before someone started to stir.

Skye opened her eyes, got out of her sleeping bag, and sat down next to Celtic.

“Can’t sleep, Skye?” he asked.

“Kinda hard to with Wench nearby,” she replied. “I can’t help but get anxious that she’ll try something, since she always does.”

Suddenly, the two of them heard a loud noise. They turned to see that it was Wench snoring, which caused most everyone else to cringe in their sleep.

“I forgot that Wench snores…” the younger Light Elf sighed.

“So, she’s not only repulsive and obnoxious while she’s awake, but she’s also repulsive and obnoxious while she sleeps?” Celtic grumbled. “At least she’s consistent.” He then got an idea, “Hey, I know how to shut her up.” He started to channel energy before stating, “Silence.”

He cast a spell on Wench, causing her snoring to stop even though she looked like she was still doing it. All the sleeping faces to relax as the noise ended. Skye couldn’t help but giggle.

“Normally, one uses Silence to prevent the target from using any spells,” she giggled. “But you used it to shut Wench’s snoring up. Clever, quite clever, Cel. Though you will have to lift it before dawn.”

“I know, I just wanted a little reprieve from that long eared fiendess. At least for one night, since we don’t know exactly how long this’ll take. Especially since I’m not going to sleep tonight. She may try something if I were to fall asleep.”

Skye nodded, “I hear you. I wouldn’t put it past her, to be honest. That’s why I can’t sleep tonight, either, as I’m too edgy with her around. So… I’ll stay up and keep you company, honeybun.”

Celtic gave her an odd look, “Now we’re into pet names, Skye? That’s not like you.”

The Light Elf gave a coy smile, “Perhaps… but we are pretty much going steady, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt. After all…” her expression changed to a more loving one, “Ever since the heart transplant you’ve finally be showing more emotion than you used to. For the longest time you showed pretty much nothing but anger and hatred. Granted, you had legitimate reasons for it, but now you smile more and you’re quite a bit more at peace. Not at all like the sourpuss you were for the longest time. Like I said, you did have legitimate reasons for that mental and emotional state, but it’s rather nice to see you a bit more friendly and relaxed. You’re even tolerating the other Heroes, at the very least, like inviting them to eat with us, something you wouldn’t normally do. Seeing it makes me believe that this is the real you deep down, not the bitter, hate-filled, antisocial person most people know you as. Am I wrong?”

Celtic turned his head away, gaining a depressed expression, “I don’t even remember what the ‘real’ me was. I’ve lived a life full of hate, anger, and distrust to the point I don’t even remember what I once was before all of it started. I see only the raging hybrid that I’ve become in recent years. It’s like the memories of before that fateful barbeque have all been corrupted by my hatred, preventing me from seeing what they were before then. It’s gotten to the point that the more I hate the more powerful I become. I guess it’s no surprise demons as a whole have wrath as their defining trait, and I’m no exception. To be honest, I’m not even sure what I once was before hatred consumed me and turned me into a borderline berserker. That’s the power of hatred for you. Makes me wonder if I’m even capable of love anymore.”

Skye wrapped her arm around his metal one, saying, “You are, Cel, you are most definitely capable of love. Look at all you’ve done for us… and for me. You’re not just a hate-filled hybrid, there is plenty of good in you. I should know, as I’ve seen just what kindness and compassion you’re capable of. Sure, you’re guarded and defensive, and you don’t trust easily unless someone either does something major for you or someone is also a victim like you’ve been, but that doesn’t mean that hate is all there is to you. As time goes on that hatred will wane, I know it. It won’t happen overnight but it will as the years go by. I’m the dagger to your cloak. I will follow you until the end.”

Celtic replied softly, “You’re taking a huge risk there, Skye.”

“No, I’m not, as I know it’ll work out. Time is the unknown element right now, but I know that everything will finally fall into place. And I’ll make sure that you get what you truly deserve. Mark my words, I’ll bring back the real Celtic and quell your fires of hatred and wrath.”

Celtic said nothing in response as he continued the night watch. Skye remained by his side throughout the night, determined to do whatever she needed to save his soul from the hatred that now consumed it.

Morning came and everyone was back on the hunt. After a hearty breakfast the two parties continued their quest to find the Karma Cobra. Celtic had removed the Silence spell from Wench before she awoke, making her and everyone else none the wiser. As they walked, fighting monsters along the way, they were wondering what the Karma Cobra would be like.

After slaying some more monsters, Rupert said, “The Stealth Cobras are getting bolder. It must mean we’re getting closer to the Karma Cobra, as they’re most likely protecting it from intruders.”

Tyroe turned to Lucas’ party, “Speaking of which, what exactly happened that got your party ejected from the mission and sent back to Delgunner?”

Jodi replied, “We got lost and ended up being attacked by a colony of Wood Trolls. We didn’t last long, to put it simply. We killed a couple but the rest pretty much flattened us like it was no one’s business. Literally in Lucas’ and Wench’s case, as the Wood Trolls belly flopped them into the dirt.”

As she said this Wench started to mutter under her breath, clearly not happy at being reminded of that.

Zuzu quirked an eyebrow, “Trolls? You too? The same thing happened to Ryan and his party, only it was a colony of regular Trolls with a Colossus Troll as the leader. I wonder if the same thing happened to Eric and Jerry, too, seeing how two Hero parties got squashed by at least one variant of the Troll family.”

Celtic shrugged, “It’s possible. Here’s a pro tip for dealing with Trolls. Aim for the head. That’s their weak point. Don’t bother with the torso, as all that blubber makes for natural armor. Their legs are also good targets, since those stubby nobs have to hold up all that body weight, so by damaging their legs it’ll make it harder for them to fight back, especially since they already have bad balance. Just FYI in case you run into more Trolls sometime later.”

Lucas gave his Spear a spin, “Yeah, well, I’ll show you the best way to kill Trolls properly, Celtic, as I know more than you do!”

Celtic and his party looked stunned before they burst out laughing, much to Lucas’ fury. Even the other three women in his party looked like they were going to laugh, as they were trying desperately to keep straight faces. After a minute Celtic and his party recovered.

Viola wiped a tear from one of her eyes, “Sorry, Pointy Stick Boy, but you claiming to know more than Celtic is downright hilarious. Considering he’s an actual super genius you really don’t have room to talk about showing him how to do things ‘properly’. If that were the case you wouldn’t need us to escort you through this jungle to get the Karma Diamond, as you would’ve succeeded before now.”

Lucas spat defiantly, “Celtic isn’t a super genius!”

Celtic took something out of his Tek-Pak and showed it to Lucas. It was a certificate to Mensa along with an IQ rating of 500.

“Read it and weep, Spear Hero,” he said smugly. “I’m a member of Mensa and have a certified IQ rating of 500. So, yeah, I am a super genius, as I’ve got official documents regarding it hung on my walls back home, not just this one. And you’d be surprised what I’ve come up with over the years. Granted, not all of them have been successful, but ones, like my own robotic arm, are some of my more noteworthy successes.”

Lucas’ jaw dropped, “Y-Y-You’re actually part of Mensa!? What the hell!? That’s gotta be a joke!”

“Heheh, no joke, Pointy Stick Boy. I joined Mensa when I was 12, as by that point I already had an IQ of 300 and had designed Gelitonium. After I graduated middle school I had obtained my now 500 IQ rating. I’ve been tested many times since then, with this one being the most recent before I got summoned to this world. So, yeah, I’ve actually got the official documents to prove my IQ and Mensa membership, which means I am a super genius. Tough luck, but facts are facts, and I’ve got plenty of documents to prove it.”

He then put it away, leaving Lucas in shock.

“What is ‘Mensa’?” Diantha asked.

Skye explained, “It’s a special group on Earth that only the brightest of minds can join. Basically, it’s an organization for all the geniuses of the world to unite their intelligence together, and Celtic, along with his father, are proud members of that group. Before you ask, Celtic told me about it, that’s why I know what it is. But, yeah, Cel is a member of one of the most prestige organizations on Earth.”

The other three women in Lucas’ party looked impressed by this, making Wench annoyed.

Celtic then said, “Enough of this, we have work to do. But make no mistake, Lucas, I’ve got quite the brain in my head. You, on the other hand, probably have a sign that says ‘Space for rent. Cheap!’ in it.”

This made the rest of his party snicker, much to Lucas’ annoyance. Even the other three women in his party tried to keep straight faces at that remark, which didn’t go unnoticed by Wench, making her growl at them.

“Bah!” Lucas spat. “So what? Let’s just keep moving.”

Viola replied, still snickering a bit, “Fine. Now then… let’s see… Given our current location and judging by the position of the sun, we should reach the fruit tree grove by lunchtime. After that it’s a straight shot to the Karma Cobra’s domain. We should probably discuss a strategy for dealing with the Karma Cobra when we settle down for lunch. After all, it governs Stealth Cobras, so I’d be willing to bet that it too can use stealth tactics like illusions and invisibility.”

Leon nodded, “I hear you. As a gambler I’d be willing to bet that, too, as that’d be a pretty safe bet if you ask me. But, enough chat, lead on, Viola.”

Viola nodded and led the two parties forward, with Lucas and Wench still sulking from the conversation. After about an hour and a half they reached the fruit tree grove. There were many trees loaded with fruit, mostly Brain Bananas, Gold Peaches, Soul Mangos, and Gold Berries. There was also a patch of Narspicious flowers nestled nearby.

Celtic turned to his party, “Skye, you, Zuzu and Tyroe gather up some of that fruit. Get a lot so we can share it with Lucas and his party, since they could use them for snacks or boosting stats. Plus, I want to use the Gold Peaches for today’s lunch, as I have a recipe I want to try out. Viola, gather up a few more Narspicious flowers so we can make extra potions, especially since they’re pretty hard to find. Everyone else can just rest while I make lunch.”

The groups split up while Celtic started to make lunch using a Silver Boar and some of the previously acquired Gold Peaches. The three other women in Lucas’ party were waiting eagerly for it to be finished while Wench tried to remain indifferent. Even Lucas, who was still sore at the previous conversation, couldn’t help but salivate at the smell of the food. Skye, Zuzu, and Tyroe finished gathering up as much fruit as they could and put it down next to Celtic’s Tek-Pak, while Viola returned with some more Narspicious flowers. It wasn’t long before the food looked done. Celtic took a sample from it, ate it, and took a moment to mentally debate it.

“Yeah, we’re good. The Sautéed Ginger Boar with Peach Sauce is ready. Gather up.”

“No need to tell us twice,” Rupert said cheerfully.

Everyone gathered up as Celtic handed out plates of food to each of them. His party and the three other women in Lucas’ party eagerly dug in while Lucas and Wench ate with restrained pleasure. After at least another serving the food was finally eaten. Leon and Rupert washed the dishes before everyone gathered around to discuss a possible strategy for the Karma Cobra. However, just as they were about to begin they heard hissing noise. They all got into a defensive position, weapons drawn, trying to detect the source of the hissing. Leon started to focus, trying to get a read on their hidden enemy with his aura-reading ability.

His eyes snapped open, stating, “We’re dealing with Camo Stealth Cobras. Like regular Stealth Cobras, they can use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. Unlike Stealth Cobras, however, they also have access to Quick Hiding, an Illusion-type spell, which allows them to ambush prey easier. I can sense them using Quick Hiding, as Quick Hiding doesn’t camouflage aura energy. There’s several of them and they’re trying to surround us.”

As he said this Wench immediately screamed, dropped her sword and hid behind Lucas, using him as a shield, too terrified to do anything. Skye groaned as she saw this.

“Hiding behind your meat shield again, Wench?” she sassed. “You’re an even bigger coward than our brother, and that’s saying something!”

Wench was too terrified to give Skye a glare, as she trembled like a leaf behind Lucas. Celtic got an idea.

“Skye! Leon!” he stated. “Use your patented Hydro Tower/Typhoon combo to flush them out. Even though they’re using Quick Hiding they’re still solid, thus they’re NOT immune to damage in that state. Hurry, before they make a move.”

Skye and Leon exchanged nods and began channeling energy.

“Typhoon!” Skye stated.

“Hydro Tower!” Leon roared.

The two attacks combined into a massive waterspout, much to Lucas’ surprise. The combo spell swirled around the area, sucking up anything that wasn’t attached to the ground. This move caused the Camo Stealth Cobras to be seen before getting swept up in the attack. After the attack waned the Camo Stealth Cobras dropped to the ground like rocks, now completely visible. Camo Stealth Cobras looked like regular Stealth Cobra, only they were somewhat larger and thicker: camouflage-colored skin, purple hoods with blood red hood patterns, glowing green eyes with slit pupils, and two sharp fangs. Despite the power of the combo attack the Camo Stealth Cobras were still alive, but clearly heavily damaged. Rupert began charging energy.

“Bamboo Spears!”

The Camo Stealth Cobras were impaled by spears of bamboo, killing them, causing both parties to gain a large amount of EXP.

Wench gingerly looked out from behind Lucas, “Are they dead?”

Zuzu replied sarcastically, “No, they’re not dead. We just got EXP for knocking them out, just like how EXP always works on this world.”

Wench gave Zuzu a sour look but remained behind Lucas, still unsure. Celtic rolled his eyes.

“Typical,” he said. “Leon, use your aura senses to see if there are any more left.”

Leon nodded, “On it.” He closed his eyes and focused before replying, “No, we got them all. I’m not sensing any more of them. But I know we’ll run into more as we get closer to the temple where the Karma Cobra resides. We best be prepared for that, as I’d be willing to bet the Karma Cobra will do the same as its fellow Karma Beasts and summon Stealth Cobras as minions in the battle.”

This made Wench terrified, “W-W-Wait! Y-You’re saying that the Karma Cobra may summon MORE snakes to fight us!? P-Please tell me you’re kidding! Please?”

Skye replied dryly, “Afraid not, Wench. Both the Karma Boar and Karma Ox summoned monster minions to assist them in the past battles. So it’s a safe assumption that the Karma Cobra will do the very same thing, since monsters have no sense of fair play or honor, even more intelligent ones. Besides, you should feel right at home with all those snakes, you snake-in-the-grass.”

Wench was too terrified at the thought to even respond to Skye’s remark. Celtic merely sighed before walking over to one of the Camo Stealth Cobras and had his Shroud absorb it, creating a new Shroud form. He then took another and tossed it to Lucas.

“You know the drill, Lucas, absorb that to gain a new form and let’s be on our way. The sooner we get this done the better.”

Lucas complied and absorbed the monster into his Spear. The parties packed up and continued their mission to the Karma Cobra’s domain.

Next Chapter: The Karma Cobra

And that's all for now. Next time it's the big battle with the Karma Cobra. Tune in to check it out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter in Chaos Rising. Enjoy. (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language, blood)

Spoiler: Chapter 10) The Karma Cobra

The Karma Cobra

​

The Shroud and Spear Hero parties were continuing their path to the Karma Cobra. They could see the temple ruins up ahead, knowing that’s where the battle will take place. Wench was not looking forward to it as she continued to hide behind Lucas. They noticed several Stealth Cobras and Camo Stealth Cobras but none of them attacked the two groups. Instead they let them pass, as they knew what the two parties were after, and allowed them to continue on without a fight. It wasn’t long before they reached the temple and walked out onto the arena.

A female voice could be heard, “Sssso… you are here for the Karma Diamond. Am I wrong?”

They looked up onto the temple to see something suddenly appear. It was a massive cobra, mainly white in color with a red underbelly, a purple hood with a gold trim, venomous green hood patterns on both the front and back of it, a blade-like structure at the end of its tail, horn-like structures on its head, copper-colored eyes with slit pupils, and a large mouth with two enormous fangs. Wench quickly retreated behind Lucas as she saw this behemoth snake. This amused the Karma Cobra.

“Not the bravessssst of sssssortsss, isss ssshe,” the Karma Cobra snickered. “I can ssssssmell it on her. The sssscent of treachery, desssception, and the blood of innocentssss on her handssss. And you mortalssss think we monssssterssss are vile. Ssshe’sss a bigger ssssnake than me, I can tell. And yet it’ssss obviousss ssshe usessss othersss to ssshield herssself from her enemiessss and thossse ssshe hassss wronged. I can tell.”

Lucas spat, “Shut up, you overgrown garden hose! She’s an innocent maiden who can do no wrong!”

The Karma Cobra couldn’t help but chuckle, “It isss clear you are blindly loyal to her. You think you’re sssuch a ladiesssss’ man, and yet you cannot sssee her deceptive nature and evil actsss right in front of you. Sssome Hero you are, Ssspear Hero. Even a child can sssee her for what ssshe truly isss. It doesssn’t take a monssster like me to sssee that. It isss asss clear asss day. You will pay a dear price by being ssso blindly loyal to sssuch a toxic and desssstructive woman. Asss a female myssself, I can sssee ssshe’sss the bigger sssnake here. And yet ssshe can only cower when ssshe’sss in a sssituation where ssshe will die. But, enough of that. Time to get ssseriousss. I’m aware the Ssshroud Hero ssslayed my brothersss, the Karma Boar and Karma Ox, ssso I’ll grant their wisssh and take revenge on you.”

The Karma Cobra jumped from her spot on the temple and landed in front of both parties. She gave a vicious hiss, eyes gleaming, indicating the battle had begun.

The Karma Cobra snickered, “Can you hit what you cannot sssee? Quick Hiding!”

She vanished, making everyone tense. However, Leon was already focusing.

“Celtic!” he stated. “She’s off to your left by 45 degrees!”

Celtic nodded and slammed his palm on the ground, stating, “Ice Tower!”

Sharp pillars of ice erupted from the ground, striking something, making the invisible object hiss in pain. The Karma Cobra became visible again, having been stabbed by the ice pillars, making her bleed. She was also shivering a bit.

“Brrrr!” she hissed. “That’sss cold! I wasssn’t expecting you to know Ice magic, Ssshroud Hero. And it appearsss your finely dressssed teammate can sssensse aurasss. That’sss a ussseful ability to have. But it won’t matter, asss I’ll win anyway! My fellow ssserpents, come forth!”

Several Stealth Cobras and Camo Stealth Cobras jumped onto the battlefield, hissing threateningly. Wench instantly started to scream in terror. Her scream was so loud that everyone, even the monsters, flinched.

“Oh SHUT UP, Wench!!!” Celtic bellowed.

The Karma Cobra cringed as she heard Wench scream, stating, “You’re not only vile and wicked, but alssso extremely annoying! And I thought Ssshade Wingsss were loud! SSSSILENCE!”

She cast a spell that struck Wench, causing her to instantly go silent. She tried talking but no sounds came out of her mouth. This made her freak out even more. Everyone seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

“That’sss better, not like ssshe wasss any ussse in-battle anyway. And ssshe’sss lesssss annoying thisss way. The pleasssant sssound of sssilence. I have half a mind to eat you right now becaussse of that ssscreaming, long earsss!”

Wench looked terrified as the giant snake said this, her eyes widening, her pupils shrinking, and she froze to the spot.

Celtic turned to the Karma Cobra with a sly grin, “Bon Appetit, help yourself. You’ll be doing everyone a favor.”

“CELTIC!!!” Lucas roared. “How dare you! That’s a dirty stunt!”

The Karma Cobra couldn’t help but chuckle, “You are an amusssing one, Ssshroud Hero. It’sss sssafe to sssay ssshe’sss been a thorn in your ssside for quite ssssome time. Am I wrong?”

Celtic replied, “I’ve got nearly a laundry list of what vile schemes she’s done to me and my party. But business before pleasure. Wood Tower!”

He slammed his palm down on the ground again, causing the pillars of wood to suddenly emerge. They impaled many of the Stealth Cobras and Camo Stealth Cobras, killing most of them in one shot, along with striking the Karma Cobra herself, catching her off-guard. Viola took note of how much damage the attacks did.

“It appears our serpent friend is a glass cannon-type being!” she stated. “She’s got great offensives and speed but lower defenses! That means most attacks will do more damage to her then with the Karma Boar and Karma Ox!”

The Karma Cobra shook her head to clear it before replying, “Very accurate obssservation, Arachne. Yesss, I am what you would call a glassss cannon, assss I prefer to quickly overpower and devour my prey. My Illusssion magic isss what gives me defensssive power. Which my remaining minionssss and I will ussse right now! Everyone! Quick Hiding!”

All the cobra monsters vanished, making Wench retreat to Lucas for protection. Lucas lashed out his Spear, trying to make contact with anything. Celtic rolled his eyes.

“Like that’ll do anything!” he stated. “Leon, Skye, combo magic time! Use your tried-and-true Hydro Tower/Typhoon to flush them all out! Quickly, before they bite us!”

The two nodded before channeling energy.

“Typhoon!” Skye stated.

“Hydro Tower!” Leon shouted.

The two spells combined, creating another massive waterspout in the middle of the battlefield. The vicious wind and whipping water managed to forcefully reveal the various remaining Stealth Cobras before sucking them up into the vortex. The Karma Cobra was also revealed in the process, causing her to also be swept up in the attack. When the attack ended the various cobras fell to the ground, with the Karma Cobra making the battlefield shake as she did. She was clearly dazed from the attack while the rest of her minions were now dead. She came to her senses before glaring at the two parties.

“Talk about going for a ssspin…” she hissed. “I can sssee how you defeated my brothersss. It’sss no sssurprissse that you had to act assss an esssscort for the Ssspear Hero and hisss harem. You’re alsssso doing all the work while he flailsss about like a fisssh out of the water.”

“I’ll show YOU who flails about!” Lucas spat. “Meteor Thrust!”

He launched the Holy energy attack. The Karma Cobra merely raised up her tail and fanned out the blade-like structure at the tip, creating what looked like a bladed hand fan. The attack slammed into the blade fan and instantly fizzled out, dealing no damage, much to Lucas’ shock.

“I’ve had insssectsss bite me harder than that,” she said, clearly unimpressed. “It isss clear you and your party are the weak linksss in thisss fight, essspecially sssince your harem haven’t launched a sssingle attack. Meanwhile, the Ssshroud Hero’sss party hasss done more damage to me than anyone in the passst 1,000 yearsss.”

Zuzu took the opportunity to attack while the Karma Cobra was lecturing Lucas, channeling energy.

“Dark Meteors!” she shouted.

The Dark energy meteors rained down, pummeling the Karma Cobra, much to her surprise, redirecting her attention to Celtic’s party.

“That’ssss a sssneaky move, Sssuccuryn. …I like that. It’sss clear that the Ssshroud Hero party fightsss more for sssurvival than jussstice and honor. Unbefitting of a hero, yet perfect for the Ssshroud. …I really like that. Now… it’ssss MY TURN!” Her hood started to glow and a sphere of energy formed in her mouth before stating, “Venom Trident!”

She closed her mouth before opening it again, firing multiple tridents coated with highly poisonous energy at everyone from it. Lucas and his party scattered while Celtic’s bunched together.

“Scrap Iron Fortress Defense!” Celtic stated.

He and his party were encased in the scrap iron barrier. This tactic caused the Karma Cobra to focus her attacks on it. She continued to hammer away at the barrier but it remained strong, being completely impervious to both the tridents and the poison, making the Karma Cobra’s eyes widen in surprise. She eventually stopped the attack, as it was clear it wasn’t going to penetrate the defensive barrier. She then tried biting it but only hurt her mouth.

“Ouch!” she hissed. “That barrier isss harder that the Karma Diamondsss itssself. A very sssturdy defenssse, to sssay the leassst. Fine, I’ll eat Ssspear Hero inssstead.”

Lucas and his party went pale as the Karma Cobra said this, causing them all to back up a bit as she focused her attention on them. Celtic had lowered the barrier and noticed that she was about to strike them. As she lashed out, mouth opened wide, Celtic sprang into action.

“Shield Wall!” he stated.

The shields for Shield Wall appeared before clustering together, getting in-between the Karma Cobra and Lucas’ party. The Karma Cobra slammed headlong into the shields, hurting herself, becoming dazed, while the shields remained unharmed, making Celtic smirk.

“It’s a good thing King Alvin gave us those chunks of rare ore as our last payment,” he said. “That Mirrorstone Ore I used really strengthened the Shield Wall’s durability, as it didn’t get even a small dent in it. Now, time to go on the offensive! Sword Missiles!”

The shields transformed into swords. Just as the Karma Cobra was regaining her senses the swords rocketed toward her. When they struck her they exploded, dealing her a fair amount of damage, making her hiss in pain. Lucas took this opportunity to attack.

“Lightning Spear!” he roared.

He launched an electrically charged energy attack at the Karma Cobra while she was stunned. It struck her in the throat but to his surprise it did little, if any, damage. In fact, all it seemed to do was help her regain her senses.

“That felt tingly…” she said, shaking her head. “Like I sssaid before, your attacksss are pitiful, Ssspear Hero. I’ve been hurt worssse by hornetsss than you. Sssome Hero you are. You ssshould take a page from the Ssshroud Hero’sss book and actually learn real battle tacticsss and ssskillsss. Not all battlesss can be won with Levelsss and flassshy techniquesss alone. It’sss clear the Ssshroud Hero party knowsss that, which isss why they’ve been able to defeat my brothersss.”

Tyroe sighed, “It says a lot when a legendary monster and our team can agree on something.”

“Sad but true,” Zuzu stated. “At least Ryan may have finally gotten the message about how to become truly strong and be a real Hero. Hopefully. Too bad Pointy Stick Boy refuses to do anything except goof off with women.”

The Karma Cobra couldn’t help but snicker, “They call you ‘Pointy Sssstick Boy’? I love it. And how fitting for sssomeone whossse weapon isss no better than a pointy ssstick dessspite itsss legendary ssstatusss. A chimpanzee would be able to ussse your Ssspear better than you can. Truly sssad.”

Lucas primed his Spear again, “I’ll make you eat those words! Air Strike Javelin!”

He hurled his Spear, now charged with energy, at the Karma Cobra. Looking very unimpressed she merely fanned out her tail blades again and blocked the attack with ease, making Lucas’ eyes widen in shock.

“How many timesss isss it necessssary to ssspell it out for you?” she asked, completely deadpan. “You and your flassshy techniquesss are unimpressssive. Maybe if you actually trained they might have sssome bite to their bark, but it’sss obviousss you do only the bare minimum when it comesss to being a Hero. The passst Ssspear Heroessss would be turning in their gravesss if they knew what a dissssgrace you are to your Legendary Gear and their legacy. You’re not worth my time.”

She turned around and started to focus on Celtic. Lucas tried to attack but she merely swatted him and his party away with her tail, causing them to crash in a heap off to the side. This display made Celtic and his party sigh defeatedly.

“Some things never change…” Skye grumbled.

Celtic stated, “Time for that later! We’ve got a snake to turn into a new pair of boots!”

The Karma Cobra snickered, “We’ll sssee about that! Eat thissss! Typhoon!”

She casted a spell, causing a massive windstorm to form on the field.

“Two can play at that game!” Skye stated. “Airstream!”

She launched a massive windstorm that easily cut through the Typhoon and struck the Karma Cobra. It was clear she was on her last legs. Celtic and Rupert both exchanged nods.

“Wood Tower!” Celtic and Rupert stated together.

They both slammed their palms down on the ground, causing a double set of wood pillars to erupt underneath the Karma Cobra, viciously impaling her, but she was still not dead yet.

Viola channeled energy into her scythe, stating, “This should finish her off! Scythe Wind Cutter!”

She launched her attack, engulfing the Karma Beast and viciously slashing away at her. This did the trick, as the Karma Cobra crashed to the ground, defeated and dying.

“Ssso… you have beaten me…” she said. “Clearly you are in another league compared to that Ssspear Hero…. Take the Karma Diamond… But my death… won’t be in vain… assss my remaining brothersss… will avenge me… You will… sssee that sssoon enough…”

She then finally went silent and stopped breathing, indicating she was dead. Everyone went into a relaxed pose. Lucas marched up to the dead Karma Beast.

“Hahaha!” he laughed. “She was no match for me!”

He was met with venomous glares from both Celtic’s party and his own, with the exception of Wench, making him flinch.

“You barely dented her you twit!” Zuzu spat. “You don’t deserve any credit, especially if you’re trying to steal it all. It was our party that did all the work! Again! King Alvin will make you sorry if you try to steal all the credit, as he did warn you that it would cost you your reward if you did. So, don’t try it or you’ll have a world of hurt coming your way.”

Celtic nodded, “Zuzu’s right. And King Alvin trusts my word over yours, so if I tell him that you’re trying to steal the credit after everything we did for you he’ll make you pay. So, don’t, unless you want to spend some time in a jail cell again.” He then turned to Skye, “Skye, please slice that Karma Cobra in two, since we need to remove the body before the Karma Diamond will appear.”

Skye nodded, walked over to the Karma Cobra, and started to channel energy into her naginata. This caused the blade to glow and become much longer. She then slashed it downward, creating an air slash that effortlessly sliced the Karma Cobra in half.

“There, it’s done,” she said. “I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Celtic walked over, grabbed one half of the Karma Cobra and had the Shroud’s core absorb her, creating a new Shroud form. Lucas followed suit with his Spear. This caused a platform to appear and revealed the blue-colored Karma Diamond. Celtic grabbed it before Lucas could, much to his protests. He then noticed that Wench still couldn’t talk.

“Hey!” the Spear Hero sputtered. “Why can’t Wench talk now? The Karma Cobra is dead. Shouldn’t the effects of Silence now be over with?”

Celtic explained, “Silence lasts until it is cast on the target again. And it’s not like more conventional status ailments, as it’s not a ‘true’ status ailment. You’ll need someone to cast Silence on her again in order to lift it. And none of us know how to use Silence, so you’ll have to take her back to Delgunner and hope a medic or someone can do it.”

His party knew that he was lying about not knowing Silence but they didn’t say anything, as it was clear they were fine with that. Lucas was completely unaware of this and could only sigh defeatedly.

Celtic turned to Skye, “If you’d be so kind, Skye?”

She nodded, “On it. Warp!”

Both parties vanished from the jungle before reappearing at Delgunner’s gates. The soldiers there saluted as they passed, with the same one giving Zuzu another flirtatious wave, making her quirk an eyebrow again. They crossed the city and made it to the castle, where the guards let them in, and eventually they made it to the throne room. King Alvin was there with King Duskbane, discussing various topics when they noticed the two Heroes and their parties.

“Oh, Prince Avalar and Lucas!” King Alvin stated. “Were you successful?”

Celtic presented the Karma Diamond, “Mission accomplished.”

King Duskbane smiled, “Excellent, Avalar! I knew we could count on you.”

King Alvin then asked, “And what was the Spear Hero’s performance in this mission?”

“Passing grade,” the redhead merely said. “Still needs work, though, but he at least contributed to the fights.”

King Alvin nodded, “Very well then. I’ll give you both your rewards tomorrow, as it’s starting to get late. King Duskbane will take that Karma Diamond from you now, Avalar.”

Celtic held out the Karma Diamond to King Duskbane, who took it graciously.

“Thank you, my dear nephew,” he said with a smile. “Reliable as always. I’ll take my leave now. Shadow Warp.”

He vanished in a black portal.

King Alvin then said, “Good work. That’s another Karma Diamond in our possession. You have earned a rest.”

Lucas then said, “Wench was hit with a Silence spell and now she can’t speak. Can’t you cure it?”

“Frankly, she’s better this way,” Leon said matter-of-factly.

Wench glared daggers at Leon who merely smirked in response.

“I, myself, don’t know Silence, but I do know that some of the hospital staff do,” King Alvin said. “You’ll have to take her to them to get it lifted.”

Lucas nodded, “Okay, let’s go, girls, so we can cure Wench.”

Sighing defeatedly the other women followed Lucas and Wench out of the throne room to cure her, though it was clear they’d rather not, though this remained unnoticed by Lucas. After they left, Queen Amelia started to chuckle behind her hand fan.

“Avalar…” she said smoothly. “You know Silence, don’t you? Yet you lied and didn’t cure her yourself. I wonder… why?”

Celtic replied slyly, “Hey, I was told to escort them bring them all back alive. I wasn’t told to heal them or bring them back in mint condition.”

King Alvin and his family started to laugh, with Celtic’s own party laughing alongside them.

“That is so typical of you,” King Alvin chortled. “Just like a true demon to do something like that. You remind me of your father, who was very much the same way when I knew him. You clearly are your father’s son.” He managed to calm down, “Anyway, you and your party should go and rest, as you deserve it. I’ll give you your promised reward tomorrow morning. While I can tell that the Spear Hero clearly tried to claim all the credit, it’s obvious that you managed to keep him from doing so, since he didn’t say much when you told me what happened out there.”

Celtic nodded, “Thank you. Let’s go, team, and give ourselves a break.”

The party nodded and left the throne room, eager to get some much-needed rest, knowing that their next mission was very soon.

Next Chapter: Bug Off

That's all for today, folks. Tune in next time to see what happens to our Heroes.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter in Chaos Rising. (EDIT: Forgot to put warning labels. Contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 11) Bug Off

Bug Off

​

It was the following morning. Celtic, Lucas, and their respective parties were gathered in the throne room, awaiting their reward from King Alvin. Wench had since been cured of the Silence spell, much to the restrained displeasure of the other three women in her party. After taking a moment to observe if everyone was present, King Alvin cleared this throat.

“To the Shroud and Spear Heroes I present to you your rewards for fighting the Karma Cobra and obtaining its Karma Diamond.”

Two servants walked up and presented a pouch of coins to each Hero, to which they eagerly took.

“Here’s 200 gold coins for your valiant efforts. Now that makes three Karma Diamonds in our possession. We still need the other two, but at least Infinator has been pretty quiet lately, although that does worry me. But, in any case, good work. You’re free to go. Avalar, you and your party better get ready to be deployed again, as Eric and his party will be discharged from the hospital very soon. Thus, you need to be ready for your next big mission against the Karma Beetle.”

Celtic nodded, “We know. Come on, gang, let’s start making preparations for when we have to lead Mr. Axe-to-Grind to his Karma Beast. I also want to look up other recipes for some of the food we’ve obtained from edible monsters. So, let’s get going.”

Nodding, the Shroud Hero party left the throne room to begin preparations for the next mission. After a few days of prep work the day was upon them. Eric and his party had recovered and were waiting in the throne room; all of them were a bit humiliated at failing their mission.

King Alvin stated, “Eric and company, we have arranged an escort for you in order to track down the Karma Beetle and obtain its Karma Diamond. I will also let you know that you Legendary Heroes now have an official leader. His word is law while on the battlefield, so I expect you to listen and obey his command. Otherwise you’ll be punished. Is that clear?”

Eric nodded, “Yes, Your Majesty. But who is it?”

“Someone you know very well by now. Please, come in.”

The doors opened, revealing Celtic and his party, much to Eric’s surprise.

“Wait!” he sputtered. “Celtic’s the new official leader of the Legendry Heroes!?”

Skye replied, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s nothing new, Eric. Every generation of Shroud Hero has been the leader dating back to the Great Demon War itself. Celtic is merely following in their footsteps. And considering his track record, it only makes sense. So buck up and deal with it.”

King Alvin nodded, “Indeed, Lady Skye is correct. It is just as she said. Every generation of Shroud Hero has been the official leader of each batch of Legendary Heroes, so this isn’t anything abnormal. And, just like she said, his track record makes him the most qualified to lead. After all he not only obtained his Karma Beast’s Karma Diamond, but also escorted Ryan and Lucas to their Karma Beasts and their Karma Diamonds. So, considering the fact that he’s been this reliable means he’s naturally the best choice for being the leader of the Legendary Heroes. You’re going to have to accept this, Eric, otherwise it’ll cost you.”

Celtic turned to Eric, “I know how you feel, Eric. I’m not happy about this arrangement either, as I’m working overtime just to give us an advantage. However, I’m willing to give it a chance if it means we can win this war. Let’s at least try to make this work. It worked well enough with Ryan and Lucas, though there were a few moments with the latter. But like I said to them I won’t be a drill-sergeant nasty or anything. I’ll only give an order if needed so you don’t have to worry about me abusing my new authority. So, let’s try to make this work, okay?”

Eric bit his lip before replying, “Fine. As long as you don’t bark endless orders I’ll give it a shot. I just can’t believe I have to take orders from you. But if it gets the job done, so be it.”

King Alvin then said, “Now that that’s settled, you must begin the operation immediately, as we’ve lost enough time as it is.”

A Shadow Sentinel appeared, stating, “I’ll take you to the starting point. From there it’s up to you. If you are ready I will take you to your designated location.”

Celtic and Eric exchanged nods before the former stated, “Yes, we’re as ready as we’ll ever be. Work your magic.”

“Shadow Warp!”

Celtic, Eric, their parties, and the Shadow Sentinel vanished from the throne room in black portals. They reappeared in a new location. This one was a mountainous forest. The Shadow Sentinel bowed.

“This is as far as I can take you,” he said. “The rest is up to you. Good luck.”

He then vanished in a black portal.

Celtic turned to Eric’s group, “Okay, which one of you has the map?”

One party member, who looked like a magician, stated, “Eric’s got it. Not that it mattered as we got lost anyway.”

“Please give it to Viola. She’s got the best sense of direction and has been our navigator since she joined the party. She’ll guide us through this.”

Eric reluctantly gave the map to Viola. She looked it over, observed the surrounding area, noticed the position of the sun, and did a quick calculation.

“Okay, here’s the gist of our path,” she said. “We go northwest until we reach a marsh with some ruins. From there we head east until we run into some more ruins, this time near a river. After that we go north until we reach a grove of fruit trees with a large pond. After that we go northwest to reach our Karma Beast. It should take us roughly two days to get there, give or take a few hours, depending on weather and monster attacks.”

Eric and his party were stunned at how easily Viola figured out their path, making the Shroud Hero party chuckle.

“Good ol’ Viola,” Leon said with a smile. “Give her a map and she’ll figure out the rest.”

Celtic nodded, “Indeed. Now that we know our path, let’s take it. Viola, if you’d be so kind to lead the way?”

The Arachne smiled, “No problem. Let’s roll out.”

Viola led the way, with both parties following her. It wasn’t long before they were attacked by monsters. A flock of Glidolers suddenly swooped down, but there were a few new ones mixed in the flock.

“We’ve got Glidolers and Quack Glidolers!” Rupert stated.

Skye started to channel energy before saying, “Not for long. Lightning!”

She fired her attack, causing several lightning bolts to zap the demonic ducks, killing most of them instantly, leaving the few that survived in a weak state. Eric’s party quickly jumped in and finished them off, causing them all to gain EXP.

Eric looked at the ring on his left hand, “Looks like the rings the Druids made for us work well. Now gaining EXP won’t be an issue.”

Celtic turned to Rupert and Tyroe, “Okay you two, you know the drill. Clean these two sets of monsters so we can have a nice meal later.”

Eric looked surprised, “Wait. You’re saying that these monsters are edible? Just like the Clobbsters?”

Zuzu nodded, “Believe it or not, yes. They’re basically a monster version of ducks so they’re edible. And quite tasty, especially fried.”

Celtic could only chuckle, “It’s been bit of a theme that I’ve noticed lately, as we’ve frequently run into edible monsters. Also, you should collect a sample of them for your Axe. You might get something good.”

Celtic then picked up a feather and had his Shroud absorb it, creating a new Shroud power, while Eric did the same from both types of monsters with his Axe, gaining two new Axe powers. After about 10 minutes Rupert and Tyroe were done, allowing Celtic to scan and digitize the monsters into his Tek-Pak. They resumed their trek. It wasn’t long before another pack of monsters appeared. They were suddenly ambushed by a swarm of insect monsters. Most of them looked like Sword Wasps, but there were some rough-looking Hercules Beetle-like monsters intertwined with them. The two parties got defensive.

“Those are Vicious Sword Wasps and Beater Beetles!” Leon stated.

Skye turned to him, “Let’s use our patented Hydro Tower/Typhoon combo on them, as they won’t last long against that type of power.”

Leon nodded and both started to channel energy.

“Typhoon!” Skye stated.

“Hydro Tower!” Leon shouted.

Both attacks combined into one massive waterspout, much to Eric’s surprise. The combo move effortlessly swallowed up the Insect monsters, viciously tearing them apart. When the combo ended the various insect monsters were dead, making everyone relax.

Eric turned to Skye and Leon, “How did you do that? That combo spell, I mean.”

Skye quirked an eyebrow, “You mean you didn’t know that spells and skills could combine together until now? You’re behind on the times. It’s very simple. Just have two or more people cast a spell or use certain skills together and that’ll create a combo. It’s a very simple process. Doing so not only promotes teamwork, but the resulting combo can do considerably more damage than each technique on their own.”

Celtic walked over and took a sample from both monsters, creating new Shroud powers.

He said, “Unless you’ve already obtained some samples from monsters like these, I suggest you do so. Also, let’s gather up the Vicious Sword Wasps’ stingers, as they fetch a decent profit at armories and blacksmiths.”

Eric nodded and took a sample from each type of monster, gaining new Axe powers. Both parties then collected the dagger-shaped stingers from the Vicious Sword Wasps, dividing them up between them. Eric looked a little annoyed.

“What’s wrong now?” Zuzu asked bluntly.

“We’ve been killing monsters left and right and we still haven’t gotten any good drops,” Eric replied.

Celtic merely said, “Just check your Axe’s inventory section and you’ll see that you’ve actually gathered quite a bit of drops.”

The Axe Hero quirked an eyebrow, “Inventory? What inventory?”

“Pull up you Axe’s main menu and look for an icon that looks like a pouch or a sack near the bottom left. You’ll see what I mean soon enough.”

Curious, Eric opened up his Axe’s menu and searched for the icon. He found it and tapped it, causing a new screen with a list of multiple items on it, making his eyes widen.

“Wait, wait, wait!” he sputtered. “You mean to say I’ve had all these item drops in my Axe the whole time?! How?”

Celtic replied, “That’s the beauty of the Legendary Gear. Every time you fight and defeat a monster you gain one of their drops automatically, which is stored in the inventory. You’ll also gain another item if you feed the Legendary Gear a monster part. And it doesn’t matter if it was you or a registered party member that killed the monster, as it’ll still collect the item drop regardless. All that matters is that the person who killed it needs to be registered with the Legendary Gear as a party member. That way you’ll always gain something instead of leaving it up to chance like most adventurers have to deal with. As for getting the items out, you just tap the item you want, select how many of them you want if there are multiples, and boom, you’ll have a new item ready to use. Mine’s at least double yours, and I’m still cleaning it out, but that’s the gist of how the inventory function works.”

Eric looked stunned as he looked his list of items over, “I didn’t know that the Legendary Gear had this function. A lot of this stuff looks valuable. So all this time I’ve been collecting drops and wasn’t even aware of it? Wait, how did you know about this?”

“I learned about it pretty much by accident while I was in the Demon Realm. However, I forgot about it because I was too focused on learning how to control my Assault Mode form. I remembered it after a fairly recent incident with that Four Stars Church goon, Robert, as using a certain Shroud caused me to gain both extra functions and item drops. That’s why I didn’t mention it back at that meeting before the Myria Archipelago, as I had forgotten about that function at the time. Now I’m passing on this info to you, as Ryan and Lucas also know about it now, too. But, yes, you’ve been walking around with a treasure trove of items this whole time. Now, enough of this, let’s keep moving.”

Eric reluctantly closed the screen before continuing the mission. After a while the two groups reached the first checkpoint. Viola did a quick calculation before turning to them.

“I suggest we stop here for lunch,” she said. “It’ll give us a chance to take a break and fill ourselves up with good food.”

Celtic nodded, “Yeah, sounds good. Take a load off, everyone. I’ll make lunch. You and your party are welcome to join us, Eric.”

Eric shook his head, “No thanks, we’ve brought food for ourselves.”

“Suit yourself.”

Eric and his party sat down on some rocks and logs and pulled out sandwiches. However, just as they were about to eat they noticed the tantalizing smell coming from Celtic’s camp, making their mouths water. They saw him cook what looked like some of the Glidoler from earlier with some fruit, creating an absolutely delicious smell. Eric and his party looked at their sandwiches dejectedly before they started eating them. However, the smell from Celtic’s cooking was getting too tempting. Finally, one of his party members, who looked like a female martial artist, mustered up the courage.

“Is the offer to join you still available?” she asked Celtic.

Celtic replied, “Yep. And I highly recommend you do. My cooking grants various bonuses and other nice effects that’ll make this mission even easier.”

This piece of information got Eric’s attention, “Wait, what? You mean your cooking can actually grant bonuses and such? How?”

“Easy. Various passive effects from multiple Shroud forms I have grant those bonuses, such as stat boosts, both temporary and permanent, self-recovery abilities, and even boosted EXP for a short time.”

Eric and his party exchanged looks, looked at their sandwiches, then nodded, promptly abandoning the sandwiches to join Celtic’s group. Celtic merely chuckled as he continued to cook. After a bit he took a sample from the skillet, ate it, mentally debated if it was ready before turning to the two hungry parties.

“Yeah, we’re good. The Fried Apple Glidoler with Mango Sauce is ready. Gather up.”

Everyone eagerly gathered up as Celtic handed out servings of food. Eric and his party were practically drooling as they looked at the food. They took one bite and gained expressions of bliss before quickly shoveling the food down. Celtic noticed out of the corner of his eye that a Bite Porcupine had showed up, ate the discarded sandwiches, and scampered off, not bothering anyone. After another serving the food was gone. Skye and Viola washed the dishes before they packed up and moved on, feeling energized from the good food.

Next Chapter: The Bug Stops Here

That's all for now, folks. What will happen to our Heroes next? Tune in to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter in Chaos Rising. (Warning: contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 12) The Bug Stops Here

The Bug Stops Here

​

The Shroud and Axe Hero parties were continuing their trek to find the Karma Beetle. Eric and his party were still discussing how delicious Celtic’s cooking was, much to the Shroud Hero’s amusement. Suddenly, Eric noticed something.

“Hey, wait a minute,” he said. “Why are there stars next to my name and the names of my party members on my stat vision? And what’s with the timer?”

Celtic replied in a rather bored tone, “The stars and timer are connected. The stars represent the now-active bonuses from my cooking while the timer tells you how long the bonuses will remain active. The only exception are the permanent stat gains from the various foods and certain passive effects from my Shroud, which you obviously get to keep even when the timer runs out. So, yeah, that’s the power of my cooking.”

“How long do the bonuses last?” one party member, who looked like a knight, asked.

“Three hours after eating. Which means for the next few hours you’ll gain sizable bonus EXP gains, temporary stat buffs, and even some HP and MP self-restoration, alongside the permanent stat buffs. Cool, right?”

Eric nodded, “Very cool. Who would’ve guessed that just eating your food would do something like this.”

Leon chuckled, “That’s one of the many powers of the Shroud of Shadows, aka the Legendary Shroud. You shouldn’t be so quick to dismissing it, as it’s got multiple functions stashed away inside it. Now… huh?”

He then stopped and looked into a section of the forest, narrowing his eyes. This didn’t go unnoticed by everyone else.

“Do you sense something, Leon?” Viola asked.

Leon nodded, “Yeah, my aura-sensing abilities just picked up something coming our way. Or, rather, a fair few things coming our way. We should get into a battle-ready stance to greet our unwelcome guests.”

Celtic nodded, turning his arm into Fighter Sword, “Agreed, Leon. Everyone, keep your wits about you, as we’ve got hostiles coming our way.”

Everyone got into a battle-ready pose, waiting for their targets. Suddenly, several objects shot out of the underbrush. Some were more porcupine monsters, though these were larger, had blood red quills, large, sharp fangs, tails ending in small maces, and glowing red eyes. The second set were Two-Headed Bite Fangs. The last set were basically huge cockroaches with clawed limbs and sharp mandibles.

Rupert stated, “Those are Two-Headed Bite Fangs, Blood Porcupines, and Cockroaches!”

When Skye saw the giant cockroaches she immediately went pale, something that didn’t go unnoticed by her party.

“Oh, boy, I guess Skye doesn’t like cockroaches… not that I blame her for that,” Celtic said silently. He then said aloud, “We need to take them out quickly, especially the Two-Headed Bite Fangs, as they can use the skill Command to boss the other monsters around!”

Zuzu was already channeling energy, “I’ve got this! Dark Chains!”

Dark energy chains appeared and ensnared the various monsters, preventing them from moving or attacking. This gave everyone the opening needed to attack. After a few short minutes the battle was over. Skye fell to one knee, clearly shaken. Celtic walked over to her and knelt down next to her.

“You okay, Skye?” he said in a gentle tone.

Skye shakily nodded, “Yeah… yeah, I’ll be okay. Dammit, I hate cockroaches. They’re the one thing that will rattle me without trouble. I guess I should’ve known that we’d find some of those nasty brutes out here, especially since our target is an Insect-type monster.”

Eric looked surprised, “I didn’t know Skye was afraid of cockroaches. Then again, they are rather nasty creatures to begin with, so I can’t say I blame her for it. Though I’ve never seen her this shaken.”

“Nether have we,” Tyroe said. “But, unlike her sister, Wench, who refused to fight against the Karma Cobra and her Stealth Cobra minions, Skye at least fought them head-on without complaint. That proves she won’t let her fear keep her from fighting the good fight.”

Skye nodded, “Yeah, I may be afraid of cockroaches but that won’t stop me from fighting them. Just like when Celtic fought his fear of clowns when Lucas and Wench used that Fun Box to sic some Harlikills and Killjoys on him. After all, I know the best way to conquer a fear is to face it, so I’m willing to fight the Cockroach family of monsters. Just don’t expect me to be happy about it. But, I’ll be fine, so don’t worry about me. The only good cockroach is a dead one.”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, and you did well considering you were facing your most hated creature. Now… let’s see what I get from these creatures. You should do the same, Eric.”

Nodding, Eric joined Celtic in taking samples from the monsters, creating new Gear powers. Afterward they continued on their trek. After a while they arrived at the river with some ruins near it. Viola did a quick calculation before turning to the two groups.

“We should set camp here,” she said. “It’ll get dark soon and the monsters will be more active at night. At least here we’re in a clearing so we can spot hostiles before they’re on top of us. We’re also near a fresh water supply so it would be smart to refill any canteens and such while we can.”

Celtic nodded, “Good idea. Everyone, take it easy for the rest of the day. I’ll make dinner soon. Hmm?” He then noticed a tree with Mind Apples in it, “Ah, excellent, Mind Apples. Skye, Tyroe, you two go harvest some. Get a lot so we can share them with Eric’s party, as it wouldn’t hurt for them to have some stat boosting items on-hand.”

Eric looked puzzled, “Stat boosting? You mean those Mind Apples boost stats?”

One of his party members, a male swordsman, nodded, “Yes, they boost Magical Attack by 10%. Plus, they’re quite tasty and highly nutritious. It wouldn’t hurt to have some on-hand, not just for eating but also for increasing our stats.” He then turned to Celtic, “You’ll really share some with us?”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, as every boost helps. Besides, they make for good snacks and cooking ingredients, so help yourselves to as many as you want. Now, let’s see… what should I make tonight?”

Celtic started to flip through his recipe book while Skye and Tyroe gathered up several dozen Mind Apples, allowing Eric’s party to help themselves to the stat boosting fruit. After the Shroud Hero had decided on a recipe he began cooking, using a Battle Ox as the main ingredient, much to Eric’s surprise. It wasn’t long before the food started to smell good. After a bit longer Celtic took a sample from the pot, ate it, mentally debated if the food was ready before turning to the two parties.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” he said. “The Roasted Ox in Gold Berry Sauce is good to go. Time to eat.”

Everyone eagerly gathered around as Celtic handed out plates of food. They all quickly tucked in, clearly happy at the delicious meal. It wasn’t long before all the food was gone. Zuzu and Tyroe washed the dishes and everyone started to prepare for bed. However, they all suddenly heard a buzzing noise. Out of the woods emerged a swarm of Hercules Beetles similar to the Beater Beetles, only they were somewhat larger, had shiny green bodies, and had drill-like horns. Everyone got into a defensive position.

“Watch out!” Viola stated. “Those are Battle Beetles, which are much tougher than the Beater Beetle! They can pierce iron armor like it’s nothing!”

Skye started to channel energy, “They won’t be for long. Kaboom!”

She launched a spell. Suddenly, multiple explosions erupted underneath the Battle Beetles, blasting them with Fire and Wind damage. Many of them were killed but some still remained, though clearly in terrible shape. Eric started to channel energy into his Axe, which had transformed into a somewhat sinister form shaped like demonic bat wings.

“I’ll get the rest,” he said. “Evil Axe Slash!”

He slashed his axe, sending a Dark energy shockwave toward the remaining Battle Beetles. The attack hit them, causing the rest of the Battle Beetles to be killed, allowing all of them to gain a large amount of EXP. Celtic and Eric walked over and collected a sample from the Battle Beetles, gaining new Gear powers in the process.

One of Eric’s party members asked, “Why did those Battle Beetles attack us?”

Zuzu replied nonchalantly, “They were probably sniffing out our food, as monsters seem to be always hungry. The Gold Berries are probably what attracted them, as Gold Berries are part of the Beater Beetle monster family’s diet. So, that’s probably why they suddenly attacked us. Not like it was a big deal, though, as we dealt with them easily enough.”

“Still, I guess I better stop making dishes with Gold Berries while we’re here,” Celtic said. “That way we don’t attract monsters to us while we’re eating.”

Rupert nodded, “That’s probably a smart idea, Cel, especially since these Battle Beetles did just attack us.”

“Either way, we’ll be fine,” Leon said. “Now I suggest we hit the sack, as we have more work to do tomorrow.”

Everyone nodded in agreement before settling in for the night, with Celtic taking the first part of the night watch. As he sat near the fire, occasionally feeding it a log, he wondered what other monsters awaited them.

Morning came soon enough. After a hearty breakfast the two parties continued their quest. Viola was in the lead, guiding the two parties toward their next checkpoint. Along the way more monsters attacked them but were easily dispatched by the two Hero parties. As they walked Celtic observed his Shroud’s various forms and abilities.

“I’ve acquired a lot of Shrouds lately,” he said silently. “Not just the ones I’ve gotten on this mission such as the Battle Beetle Shroud and Blood Porcupine Shroud. I’ve also gotten ones like the Mirrorstone Ore Shroud, the Zolu Ore Shroud, the Dark Matter Ore Shroud, the Toad Oil Shroud, the Poison Barb Shroud, the Platinum Ore Shroud, the Electric Bubble Shroud, and the Leaf Bubble Shroud. Many of those were from the materials King Alvin gave me for a previous Karma Beast hunt. All of those will be handy for future battles. Hmm… maybe I should consider using the Leaf Bubble Shroud during the fight with the Karma Beetle, as the Leaf Bubble Shroud creates protective auras that are immune to the Nature element, and I’d bet the Karma Beetle is of the Nature element. Might be a good idea. We’ll see.”

Suddenly, Leon stated, “Hate to interrupt your thoughts, Cel, but I sense more monsters coming our way. Better be ready for battle, pal.”

Celtic nodded and transformed his arm into Fighter Sword again. They all started to hear a buzzing noise. Before long a swarm of new beetle monsters appeared. They were larger than the Battle Beetles, with more sinister-looking bodies, glowing red eyes, and vicious-looking horns.

“Those are Buster Beetles!” Tyroe stated. “They’re a lot nastier than the last batch of beetle monsters we faced.”

Celtic then stated, “Let’s try something interesting! Leaf Bubble Shroud!”

The Shroud transformed, this time becoming a large wall of leaf-shaped bubbles on a dark blue back.

“Wood Aura!”

The leaves glowed before creating flowing auras with swirling leaves around everyone. As the Buster Beetles attacked the two parties, they bounced off the auras harmlessly. They repeatedly struck the auras only to get repelled instantly despite their best efforts. Viola started to channel energy in her scythe while Rupert channeled magical energy.

“Scythe Wind Cutter!” Viola shouted.

“Crescent Leaf!” Rupert roared.

The two attacks combined, creating a storm of sharp leaves. The attack slashed and hacked at the Buster Beetles, killing several while leaving the rest badly injured.

Eric turned to one of his party members, “Samantha! Let’s try a combo of our own. You use Crescent Leaf and I’ll use Hydro Tower!”

Samantha, who was the magician, nodded, before both she and Eric started to channel energy.

“Hydro Tower!” Eric stated.

“Crescent Leaf!” Samantha shouted.

The two attacks combined into a vicious whirlpool of water and sharp leaves. The attack swept up the remaining Buster Beetles and killed them instantly, causing both parties to gain a large amount of EXP, even causing Zuzu to go up a Level.

Skye smirked, “Congratulations, you made your first combo skill. Not bad for your first try. Just be warned that not all spells or skills are compatible with each other, as they could end up canceling each other out. For example, don’t combine Hydro Tower and Flame Tower, otherwise they’ll just destroy each other. But now that you’ve gotten a taste of combo powers, I suggest you experiment with them to see what other combinations you can make.”

Eric nodded, “Right, sounds good. Good work, Samantha. Now, time to get a sample of one of these Buster Beetles for my Axe.”

Celtic was already doing the same thing as Eric approached one of the dead Buster Beetles for himself, both creating new Gear powers. They continued onward. A little while later they arrived at the grove of fruit trees. There were several kinds of fruit, such as Mind Apples, Gold Berries, Gold Peaches, Pink Plums, and what looked like blue cherries.

Skye observed, “Yet another treasure trove of fruit. We’ve got Mind Apples, Gold Berries, Gold Peaches, Pink Plums, and even the semi-rare Misty Cherries. I suggest we grab as much as we can, especially since this is the first time we’ve found Misty Cherries.”

Celtic nodded, “Sure, and this’ll be a good place to start making lunch. Gather up a lot so Eric and his party can have some. And speaking of Misty Cherries, I have a good recipe that uses them, so bring a lot of those over so I can make it for today’s lunch.”

Nodding, Skye, Tyroe, and Zuzu went to collect as much fruit as they could. After gathering up plenty they placed it near Celtic’s Tek-Pak, allowing Eric and his party to help themselves to some. Celtic then went to work making lunch, using the Glidoler meat again, this time with Misty Cherries and Pink Plums. It wasn’t long before the food smelled good, making the mouths of both parties salivate. After a bit more time Celtic took a sample of the dish, ate it, mentally debated it before turning to both parties.

“Yeah, everything’s ready,” he said. “The Fried Glidoler with Cherry and Plum Sauce is finished. Gather around, it’s chow time.”

Tyroe smiled, “No need to tell us twice.”

Everyone gathered around as Celtic handed out plates of food. The two groups eagerly dug into the food, expressions of bliss on their faces. After another serving of food the meal was done. Rupert and Leon washed the dishes and everyone started to discuss a battle strategy for dealing with the Karma Beetle. After seemingly settling on a strategy they packed up and continued onward, knowing that their next fight was with the Karma Beetle.

Next Chapter: The Karma Beetle

That's all for now, folks. Boy, they could really use an exterminator right now with all these insect monsters. Tune in next time to see how the big battle goes.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Time for the big battle against the Karma Beetle. Will our Heroes prevail? (Warning: contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 13) The Karma Beetle

The Karma Beetle

​

The Shroud and Axe Hero parties were continuing on their trek. They could see an old temple ruins not far ahead, knowing that was their destination. As they approached, there were several variants of the Beater Beetles hovering around but they didn’t attack. Instead, they let the two parties pass without a fight, knowing what they wanted. It wasn’t long before the two Legendary Hero parties arrived at the ruins and walked out onto the large arena.

“So, you have come at last,” a voice could be heard.

They all looked up to see a massive Hercules Beetle emerge from the temple. It look like a very advanced version of the Beater Beetle, with a spike-covered body, large, jagged horns with sword-sized points, clawed legs, and glowing yellow eyes. Everyone took a battle-ready pose.

“I’m aware of what has happened lately,” the Karma Beetle said via telepathy. “I’m aware that you Legendary Heroes are after the Karma Diamonds so you can throw a wrench in Infinator’s plans. I’m also aware that you’ve killed three of my siblings: the Karma Boar, the Karma Ox, and the Karma Cobra. I’ll make good on their request for vengeance by ending you Heroes and your parties.”

He opened his back, revealing large wings, took flight, and hovered above the ground before the two Hero parties. He gave a roar to signal the battle had begun.

“Have a taste of this, you failure of an Axe Hero! Quake!”

The ground violently shook underneath Eric and his party, hitting them with Earth power, making them all stumble. As this happened Leon loaded up an energy arrow and pointed it toward the sky.

“Arrow Storm!” he stated.

He fired the arrow into the air, causing it to vanish, before a barrage of arrows rained down upon the Karma Beetle, striking him and causing him to stumble in midair.

The Karma Beetle shook his head before stating, “Not bad, that attack stung quite sharply. You’re a pretty good shot, Templar.”

Skye then stated, “You’ll see just how our party is like a well-oiled machine! Flame Tower!”

She slammed her palm down on the ground, causing the flaming pillar to erupt and strike the Karma Beetle, making him roar in pain.

“That smarts!” the massive monster roared. “Now you’ve done it! Minions, come forth!”

Several types of Beater Beetles, including an unknown variant, suddenly swarmed the field. Celtic was ready.

“We knew you’d try that, so here’s a surprise for you!” he stated. “Leaf Bubble Shroud! Wood Aura activate!”

The Shroud transformed into the Leaf Bubble Shroud, followed by the protective auras forming around both the Shroud Hero and Axe Hero parties. The Beater Beetles tried to harm them but they instead bounced off the auras harmlessly.

Tyroe slammed his palm down, stating, “Earth Tower!”

Several pillars of rock suddenly erupted from underneath, striking several of the various Beater Beetles and hitting the Karma Beetle on his underbelly, causing him to stagger in midair. This attack killed several Beater Beetles and Battle Beetles, leaving the last two variants alive but hurt.

Eric turned to Samantha again, “Let’s try a different combo this time! Let’s mimic Skye and Leon and use a Hydro Tower/Typhoon combo!”

Samantha nodded before she and Eric started to channel energy.

“Typhoon!” Samantha shouted.

“Hydro Tower!” Eric stated.

Both attacks combined into a massive waterspout that swirled viciously around the battlefield. The Karma Beetle quickly flew high above it but the remaining Beater Beetle monsters were not so lucky, getting torn to shreds by the combo attack.

Viola said, “That attack took care of the Buster Beetles and Bruiser Beetles, but the Karma Beetle managed to dodge the attack.”

Celtic growled, “We need to ground him if we want to get clean hits on him.”

Zuzu gained a devious smirk, “Leave that to me.”

She quickly flew up to the Karma Beetle and started to move quickly to disorient him. It worked as the Karma Beetle hovered in one place, dizzy and confused. Zuzu took the opportunity to fly behind him and viciously tore off one of his wings. When the Karma Beetle registered this action he was already plummeting to the ground. Everyone scattered to avoid getting squashed underneath him as he crashed onto the arena, shaking it as he did. Zuzu floated above him, holding his wing with a sneer.

“Looks like you’ve been grounded, bug breath!” she cackled.

The Karma Beetle looked up at her with hateful eyes, “You damn demon! That’s a dirty trick befitting of a demon! You’ll pay dearly for that!”

While he was distracted Celtic and Rupert both exchanged nods before channeling energy.

“Wood Tower!” both shouted.

Just when the Karma Beetle realized this his underside was impaled by double the amount of wood pillars, making him screech in agony. The knight-like member of Eric’s party started to channel energy.

“Thunder!” he roared.

A massive bolt of lightning struck the Karma Beetle while he was still impaled by the Wood Tower, hitting him hard, making him screech in pain. He managed to dislodge himself from the Wood Towers and jumped back down to ground level, now livid.

“I’m starting to see how you beat my brothers and sister!” he snarled. “Especially you, Shroud Hero, as I’m aware you had to escort both the Sword AND Spear Heroes to their designated target! I’m also aware that you did most of the work against my sister, the Karma Cobra, while the Spear Hero floundered pathetically against her. Fine, I’ll take you down first. Have a taste of my Beetle Bomber!”

He started to channel energy, which was the signal Celtic needed.

“Team, get behind me!” he shouted.

His party complied, quickly getting behind him.

“Scrap Iron Fortress Defense!”

He and his party were encased in the Scrap Iron Fortress Defense, just moments before the Karma Beetle launched his attack. Several explosions erupted around the scrap iron barrier, but to the Karma Beetle’s surprise the barrier weathered the attack without so much of a scratch. Celtic then lowered the barrier, showing that his party was unscathed.

“That’s… quite the defense,” the Karma Beetle said, clearly stunned. “Nothing has ever been able to weather my Beetle Bomber before, much less do so effortlessly. Not to mention that Wood Aura thing completely protected you from my minions. It appears I have to rethink my strategy when it comes to you.”

While he was distracted Zuzu was channeling energy.

“Dark Meteors!” she shouted.

Dark energy meteors rained down upon the Karma Beetle, taking him by surprise as he was hammered by the attack. Before he had a chance to recover Eric had transformed his axe into a form that looked like it was made from sharp bones.

“Eat this!” he roared. “Bone-Breaking Axe!”

He charged in and struck the Karma Beetle on the side, dealing some decent damage, making the Karma Beetle angry. However, they all saw his stats drop after the attack ended, surprising him.

Eric smirked, “Hah! I just lowered your Attack and Defense by 25%. Now squashing you will be even easier!”

The Karma Beetle’s eyes flared, “You annoying pest!”

He then slammed the side of his horns against Eric, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. However, this didn’t break the Wood Aura barrier around him, preventing Eric from taking any damage, much to his surprise.

“Wow, this Wood Aura is tougher than it looks!” the Axe Hero stated, surprised.

“That’s why you can’t underestimate a good defense, Eric,” Celtic said matter-of-factly. “There’s the old saying, ‘The best offense is a good defense’, which exists for a damn good reason. You can’t dismiss defense so readily, after all, just blitzing your target won’t always work. But enough of this, it’s my turn! Ice Tower!”

He slammed his palm down on the ground again, causing ice pillars to erupt underneath the Karma Beetle, further impaling him, making him cry out in pain. It was clear he was on his last legs. Skye and Zuzu exchanged nods before channeling energy.

“Napalm!” Skye stated.

“Dark Meteors!” Zuzu roared.

The Dark energy meteors fused with the bomb-like energies from Skye’s attack, creating a massive barrage of meteors and explosions that repeatedly hammered at the Karma Beetle. After a few moments of this the Karma Beetle crumpled to the ground, clearly defeated and dying.

“So… you have… beaten me…” he grunted. “Then I… have failed my fallen… siblings… in avenging them… Take the Karma Diamond… There is still… my brother the Karma Crab left… But considering you… beat me, the strongest of the Karma Beasts… I have a feeling… he’ll be joining me… and our siblings in the void… But… I still have faith in him… Your fight isn’t… over yet Shroud Hero… Be prepared, as the worst… is yet to come…” he then went silent and stopped breathing, indicating he was dead.

Celtic turned to Skye, “Skye, you’ll have to slice him in half, as the Karma Diamond won’t show itself until his body is gone. That’ll probably include the wing Zuzu ripped off, too. So, let’s take care of his corpse, get the Karma Diamond, and get back home to rest.”

Skye nodded, walked over to the front of the Karma Beetle, and started to channel energy in it, causing the blade to increase in size significantly. After channeling enough energy she slammed her naginata down, releasing the energy and bisecting the Karma Beetle. Celtic and Eric each walked over to one half and absorbed it into their respective Gear, creating a new form, followed by Celtic absorbing the torn wing. A pillar emerged from underneath the arena, presenting the gold-colored Karma Diamond. Celtic took it and put it in his Tek-Pak for safekeeping. He and Eric then each absorbed one of the Bruiser Beetles to unlock a new Gear power.

Skye then said, “If we’re all ready I can take us back to Delgunner to report our success. Shall I?”

Everyone exchanged nods before Celtic said, “Work your magic, Skye.”

“On it. Warp!”

The two Heroes and their parties vanished from the forest and reappeared at Delgunner capital’s gates, where the guards awaited them.

“Did everything go as planned?” one asked.

Celtic nodded, “Yes, we completed our task. Now we need to report back to King Alvin.”

The other guard smiled, “Excellent, he’ll be most pleased. Please go right on through.”

As they passed the same guard gave Zuzu yet another flirtatious wave, making her quirk an eyebrow again before returning her attention to her party. After traveling through the large city they arrived at the castle gates, where the two guards stationed there allowed them in. After a short walk they arrived in the throne room, where King Alvin was discussing things with his family. Their eyes widened as they saw the two Heroes and their parties approach them.

“Avalar and Eric!” King Alvin said. “I take it you completed the mission?”

Celtic presented the gold-colored Karma Diamond, “Yes, here’s the Karma Beetle’s Karma Diamond. That just leaves the Karma Crab. And that means Jerry and his party are next on the list.”

“Excellent! And how was Eric and his party’s performance? Any disobeyed orders?”

“No complaints. Their best performance to date, to be honest. They most certainly deserve a reward for it. And they were much better organized and competent compared to Lucas and his harem. They’ve definitely earned this victory.”

King Alvin smiled, “Excellent, just what I was hoping to hear. I will present your rewards to you tomorrow, as it’s getting late. I’ll also contact King Duskbane to let him know you’ve returned with the Karma Diamond. Apparently he’s learned that in order to decode all their secrets we need to have all of them together. While we’re still missing the Karma Crab’s Karma Diamond, the fact that we have four out of the five is very promising. Now, you all go put your feet up and get some well-deserved rest. And I will tell you that Jerry and his party have finally come to their senses, though they still need some time before they can be discharged from the hospital.”

Leon turned to Eric’s party, “Speaking of which, what exactly happened that got you all ejected from the mission and right into Delgunner’s hospital?”

The martial artist replied glumly, “Not only did we get lost but we ran into a trio of Rok-Ko monsters. We killed one of them and managed to put the other two asleep, which allowed Eric to grab a sample from the dead one. We were going to attack the other two but one of them woke up and used Kamikaze, taking it, the other Rok-Ko, and the rest of us out. The emergency bracelet saved our skins, as we were pretty much on death’s doorstep. Gotta thank the Shadokor for that bracelet, as they knew we were heading into virtually uncharted territory, thus we didn’t know what dangers we might face. But we almost went out with a bang.”

Zuzu put her hands behind her head, “Well, at least it wasn’t a type of Troll again, like what happened to Ryan and Lucas. Adds some variety.”

King Alvin then said, “Either way those emergency bracelets were the reason the Sword, Spear, Axe, and Bow Heroes survived their ordeals. It was good that the Shadokor decided to take that precaution, otherwise we’d have four total party wipeouts and four dead Heroes. Now, anyway, go back to your guest rooms and take it easy. I’ll give you your rewards in the morning. Dismissed.”

Celtic, Eric, and their respective parties left the throne room and returned to their guest rooms to rest. Celtic and his crew knew that they still had one last mission to attend to. And they knew that their target would be waiting for them.

Next Chapter: Getting Pretty Shellfish

And that's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to see what happens to Celtic and Jerry.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter of Chaos Rising. (Warning: contains mild violence, mild language, and light racism)

Spoiler: Chapter 14) Getting Pretty Shellfish

Getting Pretty Shellfish

​

It was the following day after the defeat of the Karma Beetle. Celtic, Eric, and their parties were in the throne room awaiting their rewards. King Duskbane was also present in the throne room, looking quite pleased at the results. After verifying that everyone was present King Alvin cleared his throat.

“The Shroud and Axe Heroes and their party members are all present and accounted for,” he said. “Now, to give you your rewards. For the Axe Hero I present to you 200 gold coins.”

A servant walked up and presented a pouch of coins to Eric, who eagerly took them.

“And for the Shroud Hero I present to you the reward we had discussed previously. King Duskbane if you’d be so kind?”

King Duskbane nodded, “Of course, Your Majesty.” He turned to face Celtic, “Avalar, I present to you the reward that my people and I have gathered for you. It’ll be here momentarily, so just hang tight for a few minutes.”

No more than a minute later did two ShadoKnights appear lugging a large chest, much to Eric’s surprise. They put it down in front of Celtic and opened it, revealing a large amount of materials, ore, and even some monster drops.

“The promised materials, ore, and other items we agreed on, all from the Demon Realm,” King Duskbane said with a smile. “I’ll also take the Karma Diamond from you now, as we need all of them in order to decode all of their secrets.”

Celtic nodded, took out the Karma Diamond, and presented it to King Duskbane, who graciously took it. Celtic then scanned and digitized the items from the chest into his Tek-Pak before putting it back on.

“Woah, woah, woah!” Eric sputtered. “Celtic gets all those materials and ore?! And they’re from the Demon Realm?! Isn’t that a bit unfair?”

King Alvin replied, “No, it’s not, as Avalar and his party have been working the hardest. Plus, we did have to grease his palms a bit in order to get him to escort each Hero to their respective Karma Beast and obtain the Karma Diamonds after the lot of you failed to even make it to your Karma Beast alone. Prince Avalar is working overtime in order to help give us an advantage. If the situation were reversed then you’d be getting the chest of ores and such. As a result he gets rewarded with either items or gold for his hard work in granting us a possible advantage over Infinator and his Generals. As such, he’s being rewarded the way he should be for putting in extra work in overcoming our enemies. Now, enough of that. Avalar…” he turned to Celtic. “You know the drill. You’d better get prepared for your next outing with the Bow Hero, as he and his party will be discharged from the hospital soon. We need that last Karma Diamond so you better get prepared and rested up for the hopefully final mission in this Karma Beast hunt. Go, while you still have a chance to prepare, as I know the Bow Hero’s pride and ego will be quite an issue.”

Celtic nodded, “Yeah, I’m aware of that. Not like his party is any better. Come on, gang, let’s get prepared for Bow Boy.”

King Duskbane then said, “One more thing I need to mention. Lady Skye, your new armor will be ready when you get back, as we finally managed to get enough of the material needed to craft it. It’s annoying that the material we needed grows near Black Lava flows and pools, as that stuff is even more deadly than regular lava, thus getting it wasn’t easy.”

Leon quirked an eyebrow, “Then why didn’t you use something else?”

“The material we wanted was not only part of the armor’s original design, but it has special properties that would better protect Lady Skye. After all, she’s already died once, and Avalar won’t be able to repeat the heart transplant ritual on her a second time, thus we choose this material in order to protect her better. While the armor itself doesn’t look like it would protect her by much, it’ll have special effects that’ll keep her from getting damaged, or at least lessen any damage she’ll take, while still retaining her mobility and agility, along with her ‘style’. Thus, we felt it was a necessary precaution to take.”

Skye gave a warm smile, “I don’t really mind much, and I’m very grateful you went to all that trouble to give me a very special armor. Thank you, King Duskbane.”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, thank you for putting Skye’s life into your equations, Uncle Duskbane. Now, enough of this, let’s get going, team, and start making preparations.”

“Right,” the rest of the party said in unison.

Celtic and his party left the throne room in order to prepare for the upcoming mission. After a few days Jerry and his party had been discharged from the hospital and were standing in the throne room. King Duskbane was also present to ensure everything went accordingly.

“Now, Jerry,” King Alvin stated. “Because of your less-than-stellar performance on your Karma Beast quest, I have arranged for bodyguards and an escort for you. Also, I’ve officially declared a leader for you Legendary Heroes, and don’t think it’s you. His word will be law to you and your party, so you better not disobey him or you’ll be punished accordingly. Is that clear?”

Jerry nodded, “Yes, Your Majesty. So… who is it?”

“Bring him in, please.”

The throne room doors opened, revealing Celtic and his party, much to Jerry’s surprise. Celtic walked up and stood at his designated spot.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Jerry sputtered. “Celtic is both my escort AND the leader!? Are you kidding me?!”

King Alvin gave Jerry an icy look, “No, I’m not. Avalar and his party have an impeccable track record. They also retrieved not only their designated Karma Diamond, but also escorted Ryan, Lucas, and Eric to their Karma Beasts and obtained their Karma Diamonds as well. Not to mention that Avalar has done nothing that would cause long-term damage to the people, unlike you and the other Heroes. Thus, given all those elements, he’s naturally the best candidate for the leader position.”

Skye then said, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s nothing new, Bow Boy. Every generation of Shroud Hero has been the leader of the Legendary Heroes, so Celtic is merely following their footsteps. So, buck up and deal with it, as Celtic is now your commanding officer.”

Marvin huffed, “Like we’re gonna take orders from the Shroud—”

Only to stop midsentence as he saw the piercing glares from the Delgunner royal family and King Duskbane.

“You better choose that last word carefully…” King Duskbane growled threateningly. “Otherwise that alone will cost you your possible reward… and maybe even your life. Remember, King Alvin has a zero tolerance policy on the ‘alternative’ name for the Shroud Hero that people like the Light Elves and Four Stars Church call him. So, you better not say the D word at the end of that sentence or you will face the consequences. The deadly consequences.”

It was clear that Marvin wanted to say what he wanted but reluctantly said, “…Hero.”

King Alvin replied sternly, “That’s more like it. Marvin, I wasn’t going to say this but I’m aware that it was you who started the brawl at the banquet in celebration for the defeat of the Four Stars Church. I’m aware of your racism and distain for the Shroud Hero but you need to know that, like what King Duskbane said, I also have a zero tolerance policy to racism in my kingdom. Thus, you’d better hold your tongue and keep your racism to yourself, otherwise it’ll cost you, and your party for that matter, big time. Avalar is now your leader and boss, that is final. If you disobey his commands it’ll put you in a very dangerous spot with not just me but pretty much every other nation that worships the Shroud. And they’ll tear you limb from limb if you give the Shroud Hero grief… assuming King Duskbane doesn’t do that to you first. Plus, you’re forgetting that Avalar’s part of two higher nobilities: the Shadokor and Druids, thus he also has royal authority that is vastly superior to yours. His word is law to you now, so you better behave and not give him problems or things might get messy. Is that clear, Marvin?”

Marvin reluctantly said, “Yes, Your Majesty…”

“Good. Now, we’ve wasted enough time on this argument. Jerry, I expect you to comply to Avalar’s orders, otherwise it’ll cost you your reward. No ego trips or causing problems for him, got that? And if he tells me you and/or your party caused him and his party problems, you will be punished accordingly, as I trust his word over yours.”

Jerry gave a defeated sigh, “As long as he doesn’t give endless orders, fine.”

Celtic turned to him, “As I’ve said to Ryan, Lucas, and Eric, I’ll only give an order if needed. I won’t be a drill-sergeant nasty or anything, but I will enforce my authority if needed. I’m not happy about this either but I’m going to at least try to make this work, so I suggest you do the same. It’ll make this easier on all of us.”

The Bow Hero sighed again, “Fine, just don’t jeopardize the mission.”

“Says the guy who failed to even find his Karma Beast, much less defeat it!” Zuzu sassed.

King Duskbane then cleared his throat, “You can talk about that later, it’s time to start the mission.”

He snapped his fingers, causing a female Shadow Sentinel to appear. She walked up to Celtic and Jerry.

“If you are ready to begin, I will take you to your designated starting point,” she said.

Celtic nodded, “Yes, let’s get this over with, as the sooner we do the better. Work your magic.”

“Shadow Warp!”

Celtic, Jerry, their respective parties, and the Shadow Sentinel vanished from the throne room in black portals. They reappeared on a large beach with multiple islands and sandbars.

“This is as far as I can take you, the rest is up to you,” the Shadow Sentinel said.

She then vanished in a black portal.

Celtic turned to Jerry’s party, “Okay, which one of you has the map?”

One of Jerry’s party members, who looked like another archer, replied, “Jerry has it.”

“Give it to Viola if you please. She’s been our navigator pretty much ever since she joined the party and she’s managed to get us to each and every Karma Beast thus far. Plus, she’s got the best sense of direction. So, please give her the map.”

Marvin was about to say something when Jerry stated, “Hold it, Marvin, don’t say anything. Let’s just get this over with.” He handed the map over, “Here it is. I hope Viola’s as good as you say she is.”

Viola took the map, smirking, “You’d be surprised, Bow Boy. Now then…” She looked the map over, checked the surrounding area, observed the position of the sun, and did a quick calculation. “Okay, easy enough. First we head north from here until we reach a three-way fork of sandbars. We have to take the rightmost one. From there we head to the first island where there are some ruins. After that we find another two sandbars and take the northwestern one to the next island where there is a large fresh water spring. From there we head southeast via another sandbar until we reach an island with another set of ruins. And finally we head north from there until we reach the largest island where the Karma Crab resides.”

Jerry and his party looked stunned at how easily she figured out their path, making the Shroud Hero party chuckle.

“That’s Viola’s talent with a map for you,” Leon smiled. “She’s a genius when it comes to maps and navigation. We’re in good hands.”

Celtic nodded, “Indeed. Now, lead the way, Viola.”

Viola nodded and led the way, though Marvin followed rather reluctantly. It wasn’t long before they ran into some monsters. Three giant and rather menacing-looking crabs emerged from the nearby ocean, snapping their pincers with the intent to kill.

“We’ve got Crushtaceans!” Rupert stated.

Skye started to channel energy, “Not for long. Lightning!”

She launched her spell which caused lightning bolts to strike the crab monsters, seriously hurting them. Zuzu then jumped in and slammed her fist down on all three of them, shattering their shells and killing them instantly, allowing everyone to gain some EXP.

Jerry looked at the ring on his finger, “Well, at least this ring the Druids made is working properly. Gotta give them props for it, as it allows us to gain EXP just fine even when two or more Legendary Gear are near each other.”

Celtic tore off a chunk of the Crushtacean and had his Shroud absorb it, creating a new Shroud power, stating, “Unless you’ve already encountered a Crushtacean, I suggest you absorb a chunk of this monster yourself, Jerry. Might be something useful.”

The Bow Hero replied, “Already did so the last time we were here, as the first monsters we faced were also Crushtaceans.”

“Good, that keeps things simple. Now, let’s move on.”

Viola continued to lead the way, the two parties following her. They eventually came to a trio of sandbars that spread out in different directions.

“Okay, here’s our first checkpoint, so to speak,” she said. “We have to take the rightmost sandbar, as the other two will lead to dead ends. We better get moving before the tide comes in and causes the sandbars to vanish underwater.”

Nodding, the two parties started to make their way across the sandbar. However, they noticed what looked like sets of dorsal fins moving nearby, making them stop.

“Looks like we’ve got Twin Fin Sharks,” Tyroe said.

As he said that four Twin Fin Sharks emerged from the water, eyeing the two parties. They looked like Great White Sharks with dark blue upper halves, two sets of twin dorsal fins, gleaming red eyes, a mouth full of layered teeth, sharp fins with what looked like fish-shaped torpedoes attached, and a bladed tailfin. Suddenly, they fired the fish-shaped torpedoes toward the two parties.

“We got fish in the water!” Celtic stated.

Marvin laughed, “Of course there’s fish in the water! Where else would they be?”

Celtic turned to him, “That’s a naval term, you tin head twit! It means incoming torpedoes. Now dodge!”

The fish-shaped torpedoes flew out of the water and charged toward the two parties, forcing them to scatter. The fish-shaped torpedoes detonated upon contact with the sandbar, giving off decent-sized explosions.

“Tyroe!” Celtic instructed. “Use Earth Tower to force them out of the water where they’ll be easier to hit!”

Tyroe nodded and slammed his palm down on the ground, “Earth Tower!”

Four pillars of rock erupted underneath the four Twin Fin Sharks, sending them flying into the air. Both Leon and Jerry loaded up an arrow.

“Thunder Arrow!” both stated.

They fired their attack, creating a storm of lightning that struck the Twin Fin Sharks. However, it didn’t kill them. The Twin Fin Sharks then lunged at the two parties while in the air, jaws open.

“Time for some fish on a stick!” Celtic stated. “Wood Tower!”

He slammed his palm on the ground, causing the wood pillars to erupt from the sand and impale the four Twin Fin Sharks, killing them, causing everyone to gain a fair amount of EXP. Everyone got into a more relaxed pose as the Wood Towers lowered the Twin Fin Sharks to ground level. Celtic and Jerry tore off a chunk from them and fed it to their respective Gear, creating new powers.

Skye then said, “We best not stick around for long, as Twin Fin Sharks are one of the favorite prey of Sky Rays. And before you ask, Cel, Sky Rays are giant flying monster stingrays that originate from the Demon Realm. They’re highly territorial and aggressive hunters. Two of their favorite foods can be found in or near cold-water oceans like here: Twin Fin Sharks and Cloud Krill, thus they tend to stake their claim to areas like this. Despite being monster stingrays, they’re actually closer to Winged Beasts than Aquatic monsters. They’re also decently tough. I’ve also heard that the Shadokor have domesticated Sky Rays to act as aerial transportation and for aerial combat. But time for that later, let’s get moving before these dead Twin Fin Sharks attract any Sky Rays.”

Jerry nodded, “I’m all for that, as Sky Rays are the reason why we ended up getting ejected from the mission last time. I’d rather not have to deal with them again.”

Leon turned to him, “So, you were beaten by Sky Rays? What exactly happened?”

One party member, who looked like an assassin crossed with a mage, replied, “We got lost and ended up trapped on a small island. Then a pack of Sky Rays appeared and pretty much beat us to a pulp before knocking us into the water. That emergency bracelet the Shadokor made kept us from sleeping with the fishes. That’s how we got defeated, as even Jerry’s accuracy wasn’t enough to even slow down the Sky Rays, much less defeat them. So, we’d rather not deal with Sky Rays, seeing how they nearly turned us into fish food.”

“Fine with me,” Celtic said. “Let’s keep moving before those Sky Rays appear. However, I doubt we’ll be able to completely dodge them, as this whole area may be their territory. But time for that later, let’s keep moving to the next island before either the tide comes in or the Sky Rays appear.”

Nodding, they two parties quickly scampered across the sandbar in order to reach the next island. After about seven minutes they arrived on the island. It was dense and full of plant life, with tall trees and many orchids. Leon’s eyes narrowed as they approached a large cluster of orchids. This didn’t go unnoticed by the party.

“Do you sense something, Leon?” Viola asked.

“Yeah, I do,” he replied. “Those orchids just up ahead… they’re not regular orchids. They’re monsters. Watch.”

He loaded up an energy arrow, took aim, and fired it at one of the orchids. As the arrow struck it, it gave a pained screech before slumping over, which caused the other orchids to suddenly spring to life, revealing themselves to be monsters.

“Bio Orchids!” Rupert stated.

The Bio Orchids looked like large orchids with claw-like leaves, a single eye on a stalk, tentacle-like legs, and a large fang-filled mouth in the center of the flower that seemed to be leaking a purplish liquid. They spat out the liquid in globs at the parties. Celtic got in front of everyone to protect them.

“Wood Aura activate!” he stated.

The Shroud glowed, causing the Nature energy auras to appear around him and everyone else. The globs of purple liquid struck the auras but didn’t damage them. Celtic then moved over to the said.

“Taunt Pulse!”

He released an energy wave that caused the Bio Orchids to focus their attention on him. This gave the other party members their opening.

“Ice Tower!” both Skye and the assassin-like party member shouted.

Both slammed their palms on the ground, causing sharp ice pillars to erupt underneath the Bio Orchids, stabbing multiple and killing them, leaving a few left. Rupert and Marvin then charged in and slashed up the rest, ending the battle, causing them to gain a bit of EXP. Celtic deactivated the Wood Auras and walked over to one of the Bio Orchids, having his Shroud absorb it, gaining a new power. Jerry did the same with another one, creating a new Bow power. Just then they all saw shadows above them. They looked up to see a pack of giant monstrous stingrays fly over them. They were big enough to easily carry several people, with black and grey striped upper halves, pure white underbellies, a long whip-like tail with three stingers, massive wings, glowing black eyes, and a round mouth full of layered fangs.

“I take it those are Sky Rays, right?” Celtic asked.

Skye nodded, “Yep. I’m guessing they sniffed out the dead Twin Fin Sharks, as they’re heading in that direction. Fortunately they didn’t notice us, as it’s obvious lunch was on their minds and not guarding their territory. We best keep moving before they realize we’re here. They’ll spot us eventually, but, for now, let’s move on until we find an open space to have our own lunch. Hopefully our lunch doesn’t attract them in the process.”

“Right. Let’s keep moving and find a spot to settle down and eat. Then we’ll resume our quest.”

Nodding, the two groups continued their trek deeper into the island, hoping to find a spot to rest and eat soon.

Next Chapter: Shellshocked

That's all for now. Tune in next time to see what our Heroes face.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter of Chaos Rising. (Warning: contains mild violence, mild language, mild racism)

Spoiler: Chapter 15) Shellshocked

Shellshocked

​

It had been a few minutes since the Shroud and Bow Hero parties had fought off the Bio Orchids. They had found a nice large spot on the island with a fresh water spring and decided to settle down for lunch.

Celtic turned to Jerry’s party, “You’re welcome to join us for lunch, Jerry.”

Marvin laughed, “Hah! Like we’re gonna share lunch with you! Besides, we brought our own lunches, so there!”

“Suit yourself.”

Jerry and his party sat down separate from Celtic’s party. They took out a box from one of their bags and opened up, revealing sandwiches and fruit. However, just as they were about to take a bite they noticed the delicious smells coming from Celtic’s cooking. He was cooking what looked like a large roast with vegetables and fruit sauce, which was making their mouths water. Marvin, however, remained adamant and started eating his lunch. Jerry and the rest of his party sighed and started to eat, though the smell of Celtic’s cooking was getting overwhelming. Finally, the second archer mustered up the courage and turned to Celtic.

“Would we still be allowed to join you?” he asked.

Marvin spat, “Harrold, don’t you dare give into the accursed Shroud!”

Skye snarled, “Watch your mouth, Marvin, or that’ll cost you big time! Don’t forget what King Alvin and King Duskbane said or you’ll be sorry.”

Celtic merely ignored Marvin and replied, “Yep, the offer is still on the table. You really should, as my cooking will grant you various bonuses and other benefits.”

This piece of information got Jerry’s attention, “Wait, eating your cooking can grant us bonuses and other benefits? How? And like what?”

“The passive effects of many Shroud forms I have grant various bonuses to my cooking ability. Eating my cooking will grant you things like automatic self-recovery, permanent and temporary stat buffs, and best of all, boosted EXP gains for a little while.”

Jerry’s eyes widened, “Wait, wait, wait. You’re saying that I’ll gain various types of stat buffs, automatic self-recovery, AND boosted EXP gains!? Screw these sandwiches, I’m getting a piece of those bonuses.”

Jerry quickly ran over to join Celtic’s group, the rest of his party, sans Marvin, following suit. Marvin remained rooted to the spot, giving Celtic a sour look as he continued eating his own lunch.

“Suit yourself,” Celtic said to him.

Marvin countered, “At least I don’t have to worry about my food getting poisoned or something!”

The redhead chuckled, “Marvin, I’m not going to poison anyone with my cooking. And, for the record, I wouldn’t waste my time spiking food if I wanted to poison someone. I prefer a more direct and to-the-point method. In other words, if I wanted to poison you, I’d just do it directly with something like the Cobra Hydra Shroud or my own venom and not waste time and food on such a method as using spiked food or water. I prefer to get right to the point and not beat about the bush if I wanted to do something like poison you. So, yeah, I’m not going to bother poisoning food when I vastly prefer getting right to the point with a direct method instead. That’s just how I roll.”

He then resumed cooking, leaving a fuming Marvin to himself. The brutish soldier resumed eating his own lunch defiantly while Jerry and the rest of the party were practically drooling over Celtic’s food. After a bit Celtic took a sample from the skillet, ate it, and mentally debated it before turning to the hungry warriors.

“Yeah, we’re good to go. One Sliced Flank Steak with Mixed Veggies and Mango Sauce is ready. Gather up.”

Everyone eagerly gathered around as Celtic handed out plates of food to each of them. Jerry and most of his party looked at the food with hungry eyes before taking a bite of it, gaining expressions of bliss, much to Marvin’s disbelief. They all happily shoveled the food down, clearly enjoying themselves, while Marvin sulked over his lunch. Finally, the food was gone, Skye and Viola washed the dishes, and started to pack up. However, they all heard what sounded like a buzzing mixed with a clinking sound. Suddenly, out of nowhere, flying krill appeared and started to swarm the parties.

“Cloud Krill!” Viola stated.

Tyroe looked at them eagerly, “Mmm! Cloud Krill!”

He then lashed out his tongue, which was actually very long and ended in a fork, snatched one of the Cloud Krill like a chameleon and reeled it into his mouth, eating it in one bite. The Cloud Krill were obviously trying to hurt the two parties but their feeble attacks weren’t affecting them. Celtic transformed his arm into Mag-Bolt.

“I’ve got an idea!” he said. “Mag-Bolt, activate!”

He released the magnetic energy that caused the whole swarm of Cloud Krill to suddenly latch onto the magnet, keeping them in one place. He then raised his arm up into the air.

“Skye! Zap them with a weak Lightning attack! Just be careful.”

Skye nodded and started to channel energy.

“Jolt!” she stated.

Weak lightning bolts struck the Mag-Bolt loaded with Cloud Krill, killing them instantly while Celtic remained unharmed, much to his relief. He and everyone else gained a decent amount of EXP for the swarm, to which Jerry noticed was higher than it should be.

“I noticed that we gained more EXP than we should’ve,” he said. “I take it that’s the power of your cooking, Celtic?”

Celtic nodded as he lowered his metal arm down, still loaded with Cloud Krill, “Yes. You’ll notice a star next to the names of each party member who ate my food, along with a timer, in your stat vision. The timer indicates how long the bonuses, sans the permanent stat buffs, will last. It’ll last for three hours after eating. So, for the next three hours you’ll have temporary stat buffs, automatic self-healing ability, and boosted EXP gains. Now… seeing how Tyroe ate one of the Cloud Krill, I’m guessing that these are edible monsters, right?”

Skye nodded, “Yep, they are. They’re quite good, especially breaded and fried, and they go great with malt vinegar or sesame sauce. Like Clobbster they’re also good for people with shellfish allergies, as being monsters means they aren’t the same as regular shellfish. I suggest we take them with us for a later meal, as they’re surprisingly filling.”

“Sure, but first, Jerry and I will absorb one into our Gear to get a new Gear power. Might come in handy.”

Nodding, Jerry plucked one off the Mag-Bolt and had his Bow absorb it, creating a new power, while Celtic did the same with his Shroud, creating a new form. He then scanned and digitized the Cloud Krill into his Tek-Pak before both parties resumed their mission. They eventually came to a set of sandbars. Viola did a quick calculation before turning to the group.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” she said. “The tide will be coming in soon so we have to reach our next checkpoint before then. After that we’ll have to wait out the tide for a bit until we can progress onward. We have to take the sandbar on the left to get to the next island where our checkpoint resides. From there we’ll just have to wait until the tide goes out again before progressing onward. We may have to spend the night at our next checkpoint due to the tide, so be ready for that. Now, let’s move before the tide comes in and strands us.”

Nodding, the group quickly scurried across the sandbar to get to their next destination, as the water was already starting to rise. After about 15 minutes they made it to the next island. By the time they did the sandbar was starting to disappear, meaning the tide was coming in quickly. They all breathed a sigh of relief upon reaching solid land.

“Well, we made it before the tide could strand us out in the middle of the sandbar,” Rupert stated. “That’s a good thing otherwise we might get in trouble with more Twin Fin Sharks and such.”

Harrold nodded, “Yeah, that’s the last thing we’d need. We still need to worry about those Sky Rays we saw earlier, as we’re probably deep into their territory by now.”

Zuzu nodded, “Yeah, we are very deep into their territory. They’ll be back soon enough, as Sky Rays patrol their territory for any intruders or fresh food constantly. Only at night do they not bother as they go underwater to sleep. So we’ll be safe at night. It’s the other monsters like the variants of Crushtaceans and such we’d have to be concerned about then. But, for now, let’s keep moving.”

Suddenly, they all heard a high-pitched screech. They all looked to the sky to see the pack of Sky Rays appear and head toward them.

“Speak of the devil!” the archer party member stated.

Celtic then stated, “We’re too close to the water’s edge to fight! We need more room! Taunt Pulse!”

He released the energy waves that struck the Sky Rays. The pack of monsters started to make a beeline for him. Celtic then started running deeper into the island, luring the Sky Rays away from the rest of the parties.

Skye stated, “We have to hurry after them, as Celtic is giving us a chance to fight on a more favorable setting. Let’s move!”

Marvin spat, “Bah! Why should I help the Shroud—”

However, Skye kicked him in the face, cutting off his sentence, leaving him injured.

“Get moving or I’ll throw you to the sharks!” Skye snapped. “And I mean that quite literally!”

She, the rest of her party, Jerry, and the rest of his party followed after Celtic and the Sky Rays. Marvin fumed for a minute before following after them. They came to a clearing where Celtic had lured the Sky Rays to. They were divebombing him, trying to latch their round mouths onto him but he kept dodging their attacks. Skye started to channel energy as she saw Celtic in danger.

“Giga Volt!” she shouted.

Massive lightning bolts rained down upon the Sky Rays, striking them hard, making them screech in pain. While they were stunned Leon loaded up an arrow and pointed to the sky.

“Arrow Rain!” he stated.

He fired the arrow into the sky, causing it to vanish, before a squall of arrows rained down upon the Sky Rays, making them screech in pain again. Jerry’s Bow transformed as he loaded up an arrow and took aim at one of the Sky Rays.

“Wind Arrow!” he stated.

He fired the arrow, causing swirling wind to surround the arrow as it barreled toward one of the Sky Rays. However, the targeted Sky Ray managed to recover in time to dodge the attack, much to Jerry’s shock. Leon loaded up another arrow and started to channel energy into it.

“Shooting Star Arrow!” he shouted.

He fired the energy arrow at one of the Sky Rays. To Jerry’s surprise Leon nailed the Sky Ray, piercing right through its body and tearing off one of its wings, causing it to crash to the ground. This alarmed the other Sky Rays, realizing their targets were not easy prey.

Jerry loaded up another arrow and took aim again, “Meteor Shot!”

He fired his attack only for it to miss again due to the panicking Sky Rays’ frantic movements. Leon, however, loaded up another arrow and started to channel energy into it.

“Sacred Arrow!” he shouted.

He fired another shot, and managed to pierce right through another Sky Ray, killing it, much to Jerry’s shock. As the Sky Rays panicked even more Viola summoned energy into her scythe.

“Scythe Wind Cutter!” she shouted.

She launched the cyclone at the Sky Rays. It managed to catch two of them, tearing them apart, killing them. This was the final display needed for the remaining Sky Rays to turn tail and flee. Everyone gained a large amount of EXP from the four defeated Sky Rays. Skye ran over to Celtic, clearly concerned.

“Cel!” she cried. “Are you okay?”

Celtic nodded, “Yeah, I’m okay… just a bit winded. But good job in shutting those Sky Rays down. But why’d they flee?”

“Sky Rays are smart. They know when they’re outmatched. If their ‘prey’ is proving to be too dangerous they’ll turn tail and run, as they won’t fight a losing battle. Only the ones raised by the Shadokor will fight to the end regardless of the foe’s strength. That’s why they’re useful when domesticated, as they’ll be basically fearless aerial beasts. But I’m glad you’re safe. That was quite brave of you, Cel, to lead the Sky Rays away from us. You’re quite the man, you know. Glad I get dibs on you.”

Celtic rolled his eyes before walking over to one of the Sky Rays and taking a sample from it, gaining a new Shroud power. Jerry did the same, gaining a new Bow power. He looked at the Sky Rays with annoyed eyes.

“Something on your mind, Jerry?” Celtic asked.

“I keep killing monster but I rarely find good drops and that’s getting a bit annoying,” Jerry replied.

“Then it’s safe to say you don’t know about the inventory function of your Bow.”

Jerry looked at Celtic with curious eyes, “Inventory function? What’s that?”

“Simple. Open up your Bow’s main menu and look for a sack or pouch icon near the bottom left. That’s the inventory function. You’ll see what I mean soon enough.”

Curious, Jerry opened up his Bow’s main menu and searched for the icon Celtic mentioned. He found it at tapped it, revealing a list of various items categorized by type, making his eyes widen.

“What?!” he sputtered. “I’ve had all these items in my Bow this whole time!? How? And why?”

Celtic explained, “That’s one of the perks of the Legendary Gear. Every time you kill a monster you gain one drop from it. You’ll gain a second drop, even if it’s a duplicate, when you absorb a piece of the monster into your Bow. And it doesn’t matter if it was you or a party member that dealt the killing blow, as it’ll still count because they’re registered with the Bow and you’ll get an item. As for getting any item out, you just tap the item you want, select the number you want if there are multiples, and boom, a new item will appear from your Bow’s core. It’ll also categorize the items by type so you don’t have to sift through all of it to find straggler items from a certain type. Mine’s at least double yours and I’m still cleaning it out but that’s the gist of the inventory function. Your Legendary Gear holds more power and abilities than you know, Jerry. You’d be surprised what it can do.”

Jerry looked at the items in his Bow’s inventory with wide eyes, “All this time I had all these drops and didn’t even know it? Some of this stuff looks really valuable. Wow.”

Viola then said, “Sorry to interrupt but we’ve almost reached our next checkpoint. We should keep going until we reach that point before stopping, as we don’t know when the tide will go out, since the waters here follow their own pattern that we don’t know yet. Let’s try to cover as much ground as possible so when the tide goes out we’ll have more time to cross to our next island.”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, good idea, Viola. Keep it moving, people, as we still have some ground to cover.”

Tyroe then said, “First, we’ve got company again.”

Everyone turned to see six crab monsters appear, three of two different types. One looked more like a monstrous fiddler crab while the other looked like an even more monstrous snow crab.

“We’ve got Crunchtaceans and Cracktaceans!” Rupert stated.

Jerry’s Bow transformed into a more aquatic-version as loaded up another arrow, saying, “I’ve got this! Shark Tooth Arrow!”

He fired the shot, turning it into the shape of a large shark tooth. It struck one of the Crunchtaceans, dealing some damage, making it mad in the process. Jerry gritted his teeth.

“Dammit! I was trying to lower its Defense with that shot!”

Leon started to channel energy, stating, “Leave that to me! Mega Guard Crush!”

He cast a spell, causing the stats of all the crab monsters to decrease.

“There, their Defense and Magical Defense has been reduced by 25%,” Leon said. “Now they’ll be easier to deal with.”

Jerry gave Leon a sour look, clearly jealous of Leon’s skill. However, he transformed his bow again, this time turning it into a bow made from bones.

“I’ll show you!” he stated. “Bone Arrow!”

He fired the shot, with the arrow taking the form of a sharp bone. It struck the same Crunchtacean, dealing it heavy damage and flipping it onto its back. Zuzu zipped in and channeled energy into her fist.

“Eat Dark Strike!” she stated.

She slammed her Darkness-enhanced fist down on the Crunchtacean’s underbelly, smashing right through it, killing it. She then zipped back to her party before the other Crunchtaceans could retaliate. Marvin looked angry.

“How DARE you steal Master Jerry’s kill, demon!” he bellowed.

Zuzu gave him a bored look, “Hey, you think I care? News flash: no, I don’t. All’s fair in love and war, after all, and as a demon who has lived by the survival of the fittest mantra, I’ll take any opportunity for an easy kill. My advice is this: Deal with it! Besides, I heard that your precious ‘Master Jerry’ performed kill steals from other adventurers back at the Myria Archipelago, even when that mayor guy said that you’re not allowed to do that during the event. Heheh, it earned him the ire of everyone on the islands from what I’ve heard. So, from where I stand, you have no right to be critical when your precious ‘Hero’ performed the exact same thing back at the Myria Archipelago, and in that case there were actual rules put in that he deliberately broke by performing those kill steals. Here, there are no rules like that, so it’s fair game. Tough break, but you’re nothing but a big hypocrite by giving me grief for killing a monster when you and your ‘Bow Hero’ did the exact same thing back at the Myria Archipelago.”

Before Marvin could protest Skye kicked him in the face again, dazing and hurting him, preventing him from talking back.

“Stow it, Marvin!” she spat. “Zuzu’s right; you don’t have room to be critical if you pulled the exact same thing back at the Myria Archipelago, especially when there were actual rules about not doing that during the event. Now stop your Jerry worshiping and actually throw your weight around, especially if you want that reward!”

Celtic rolled his eyes, muttering, “I knew he’d be a problem. Nevertheless, we’ve got work to do.” He then said in a strong voice, “Wood Tower!”

He slammed his palm on the ground, causing the wooden pillars to erupt underneath the two types of crab monsters, piercing through their shells and damaging them considerably. Tyroe then jumped up, showing off his surprisingly good spryness to Jerry’s party, raised his hammer up and slammed it down upon two Cracktaceans, shattering their shells and killing them instantly. Leon then took aim at another one, channeling more energy into his arrow.

“Falcon Shot!” he shouted.

He fired the arrow, which moved at blinding speed and struck the third Cracktacean, the arrow going clean through it, killing it, much to Jerry’s shock and jealousy. One of Jerry’s party members, who looked like an axe-wielding rouge, started to channel energy.

“Zap Bolt!” he shouted.

Lightning struck the remaining two Crunchtaceans, causing them to go limp, clearly dead, which allowed both parties to gain a sizable chunk of EXP. The pillars of wood lowered the dead monsters to the ground, allowing Celtic and Jerry to each take some samples from them, gaining new Gear powers.

“Come on, let’s keep moving before it gets dark,” Celtic stated. “Viola, lead the way, please.”

Viola nodded and led the way, everyone else following her, though Marvin did with great reluctance. They knew that the tide would go out eventually, they just needed to wait until it did at the next checkpoint. Then they could continue their mission.

Next Chapter: The Karma Crab

And that's it for today. Marvin certainly isn't making this easy to forge trust between Celtic and Jerry. And it looks like the seeds of a rivalry have been planted in Jerry's head between him and Leon. What does that mean for the future? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the final battle with the final Karma Beast. Who will prevail?

Spoiler: Chapter 16) the Karma Crab

The Karma Crab

​

Night had fallen over the land. The Shroud and Bow Hero parties had all gathered at their next checkpoint. The tide was still in, thus they couldn’t continue, so they settled down for the night, with Celtic taking the night watch. As he sat by the fire, keeping his eyes and ears open for any signs of danger, he was alone with his thoughts.

“The tide hasn’t gone out yet,” he said silently. “It looks like it’ll be a while before it does go out. Considering this world has two moons compared to Earth’s one, I guess it makes sense that things like the tide function a bit differently to what I’m used to. Hopefully it’ll go out by morning. And at least we haven’t seen those Sky Rays since that last battle. If what Skye said is true, then they may be smart enough to avoid us, since we can take them out with relative ease. Well, at least my party can, anyway, as Jerry and his party aren’t exactly coordinated. And I was hoping that introducing Jerry to the inventory function would pique his interest in other possible abilities his Bow has. But, like Lucas and Eric before him, that doesn’t seem to be the case. I’d flat-out tell him but he never listens due to his own narrative that he cooked up about being a Hero. At least Ryan was willing to take a shot in the dark about it. Guess only time will tell.”

He took out a book from his Tek-Pak and began reading, keeping his eyes and ears open for any possible threats. As the night hours ticked away, he could only hope that the tide would go out soon.

Dawn soon broke, causing every sleeping being to stir. After a hearty breakfast the two groups continued their quest. They came to some sandbars, indicating that the tide had gone out. Viola took out the map again and made some quick observations.

“Okay, we should reach the Karma Crab’s domain sometime today,” she said. “We have to take the leftmost sandbar to get to the next island. From there we take one more sandbar to reach the area where the Karma Crab dwells. If we keep it up we should get there before mid-afternoon. We’ll take a lunch break at the next checkpoint so we’ll be in good form to take on the Karma Crab.”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, sounds like a plan. Let’s get going, as we may not have a lot of time before the tide comes back in again.”

Nodding, the two parties started to travel across the sandbar. However, not long after did something attack. Giant pufferfish-like monsters emerged from the water. Their bodies were a round and as large as a basketball, with several large quills all over them, a tail split into two paddle-shaped fins, pectoral fins lined with large needles, bright green eyes, and a mouth full of teeth. To Celtic’s and Jerry’s surprise they were somehow able to float in midair, blocking the path in the process.

“Those are Quill Fish!” Skye stated. “Be careful of them, as they’re highly poisonous! And they can fire their quills as projectiles!”

“But how are they able to float in midair!?” Jerry sputtered.

Leon replied, “They can inflate their bodies with a gas sac that grants them the limited ability to float out of the water. They can’t do it indefinitely but it’s often enough time for them to catch prey like Cloud Krill before returning to the ocean. Now, here they come!”

The Quill Fish puffed up some more before firing a burst of water at the parties. Celtic got in front and used himself to block the attack, taking no damage, though he did get a bit wet.

Rupert clutched his fist triumphantly, “Yeah! Cel’s defenses are so high that those Aqua Shot attacks did zilch to him! Now’s our chance!”

Skye charged in and lashed out her naginata, bisecting one with ease. Jerry transformed his bow as he loaded up an arrow and started to channel energy into it.

“Wind Arrow!” he shouted.

He fired the attack but to his surprise the Quill Fish he was aiming at managed to dodge the attack at the last second. Leon loaded up an energy arrow and took aim at it before firing, which managed to easily hit and kill the second Quill Fish in one shot, much to Jerry’s shock and envy. The axe-wielding party member charged in and slammed his axe down on the third Quill Fish, cutting it in two easily. Tyroe raised his hammer up and slammed it down on the last Quill Fish, flattening it easily. They all gained some EXP from their victory while Celtic and Jerry each took a sample from the Quill Fishes for their Legendary Gear, unlocking new powers.

“Let’s keep moving, before something else attacks us and wears us down,” the redhead stated. “We’ll need to be in top form if we’re to take on the Karma Crab, as he’ll most definitely summon minions to fight alongside him, just like the other Karma Beasts. Expect to see a lot of the Crushtacean monster family when we fight him, as each Karma Beast seems to favor, or is possibly related, to a particular breed of monster. If you’re wondering what I mean, the Karma Boar was associated with Metal Boars, the Karma Ox used Battle Oxen, the Karma Cobra commanded Stealth Cobras, and the Karma Beetle summoned Beater Beetles. So, it’s not just a battle with a single opponent, but rather one with an army led by a general. So, we can’t risk getting worn down too early, otherwise it’ll put us at a disadvantage. So, stay alert and let’s try to avoid too many battles. Lunch should get us back up to speed but we still have more ground to cover. Let’s go before anything else takes a shot at us.”

Jerry looked puzzled, “How do you know this?”

Zuzu replied with snark, “Gee, let me think. Maybe it’s because you’re not our first Hero that we had to escort to a Karma Beast and its Karma Diamond? We’ve already done this song and dance with Ryan, Lucas, and Eric, so we’ve seen what ‘tactics’ the Karma Beasts can and will use. Considering that each previous Karma Beast summoned a particular type of monster to join the fight it’s very logical that the Karma Crab will do the same. That’s why Celtic said we need to keep ourselves energized and not get into too many battles beforehand, as we won’t be just fighting a single opponent when we face off with the Karma Crab. This isn’t a game, after all, we don’t have unlimited stamina, thus we need more pragmatism if we’re to reach the Karma Crab without getting tired. But enough of this, let’s just get going.”

Marvin laughed, “Hah! Says a cowardly, slimy, worthless demon nudist!”

Zuzu then punched him hard in the face, dazing him and denting his helmet. She then gave him a rather cold look.

“Better to be a nudist than a racist,” she replied in a cold tone. “At least we demons have something that you clearly lack: respect for all races. We demons may have racial pride, but we don’t discriminate against other races like you clearly do, you tin tyrant. I heard about your little banquet brawl with Celtic’s party before I joined up. You put your full racist display out for everyone to see by mocking Rupert, Viola, and Tyroe because they weren’t human or elven. And it’s clear your distain for Celtic is not just because he’s the Shroud Hero, but also half-demon. We demons, on the other hand, respect what other races are capable of, thus we don’t feel the need to discriminate against them. You fail to realize that even Infinator himself isn’t racist. Look at his current Generals. Only two are actual members of the Demon Clan: Sylph and Alastor. Adelram is a Mountain Roc, Akuji is a Dullahan, and former Queen Jade is a Light Elf. In fact, Infinator was all for ‘recruiting’ other races, via brainwashing, to his ‘cause’ back during the Great Demon War. It not only bolstered his forces but also because he knew that each race had something different that they could ‘contribute’ to his army. Demons despise racism, as it causes needless strife and unnecessary tensions between perfectly capable people. So, to put it bluntly, you’re a more despicable being because you’re a racist than someone like Celtic or me, who clearly have moral values that are superior to you. So watch what you say and keep your racism to yourself unless you want King Duskbane to literally tear you apart for discriminating against his nephew..”

Jerry gave Marvin a cold look, “I hate to say it, but she’s right. I may not like Celtic but it’s not because of his race. It’s because he’s cheating somehow. How else could he get so strong? But, anyway, that racist attitude could cost you AND us in the long-run, so I suggest you stop before you bring the wrath of King Alvin and King Duskbane upon us.”

Celtic gained an annoyed look, replying completely deadpan, “Cheating, huh? You still believe that, even after all this time? By the Gods, you’re completely hopeless. Let’s just end this conversation and—” He then stopped, his eye twitching as he realized something, “Oh, sweet lord, I’ve been on this rock for too long. I’m now using phrases that the people of this world use?! I’m starting to really question my mental health now if that’s the case.”

Skye giggled, “Well, Celtic, you are technically a native to this world, as you were born here. And, as an Earth saying you once told me said, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’, is something you’ve been following in order to adapt to all these situations. Don’t worry about it, as it’s only natural. But, in any case, let’s just move on before something else attacks us, as we are surrounded by water where more Twin Fin Sharks could reside. Let’s just go and complete our mission.”

Celtic gained a look of dread but nodded, giving Viola the signal to continue leading them. Marvin was muttering to himself at the rear, clearly not happy at any of this, but pressed onward regardless. They eventually made it to the next island. After a short hike they stopped for lunch. Celtic started to prepare lunch while Jerry and his party, sans Marvin, looked on eagerly. Skye, Tyroe, and Zuzu also collected some of the nearby fruit, most of which was Gold Berries but there were some others such a blue papayas and black oranges. After a bit Celtic took a sample from the skillet, ate it, and took a moment to debate if it was ready.

“Yeah, we’re good,” he said. “One Chopped Greasy Roast in Gold Berry Sauce is ready to eat. Chow time.”

Everyone except Marvin gathered around as Celtic started to hand out plates of food. Marvin huffed and ate his packed lunch separate, clearly not wanting to associate himself with Celtic. It wasn’t long before the food was gone. Zuzu and Viola washed the dishes before they continued onward. They eventually came across another sandbar, this one leading toward the largest island in the area. They could also tell that the tide was starting to come in, so they quickly dashed over the sandbar while they could in order to reach the other side. They took a moment to catch their breath after they made it to the island just as the sandbar was starting to disappear.

Leon wiped his brow, “Whew, that was a close call. We made it just in time before the tide could start coming in.”

Tyroe pointed ahead, “And I can see those temple-like ruins up ahead. Most likely the Karma Crab’s domain, as every Karma Beast has resided in similar-looking temples. Let’s get moving and turn that Karma Crab into crab cakes.”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, but we need to be alert, as, like I said before, we won’t be fighting the Karma Crab by itself. So, let’s get this over with and get that last Karma Diamond.”

The two parties moved onward. As they approached the temple ruins, they noticed many variants of the Crushtacean monster breed nearby. However, like in the past, they didn’t attack, instead letting the two parties pass without a fight. They eventually made it to the temple and stepped onto the arena.

A voice could be heard, “So, the slayer of my siblings has arrived. You think you can obtain the last Karma Diamond? I’ll make sure that’s not the case.”

They all looked up to see a massive crab appear. It looked like a monstrous version of a coconut crab, with huge club-like pincers, a heavily armored body, long, thick legs, glowing black eyes on stalks, and a mouth with sharp teeth-like structures. Everyone got into a battle-ready pose as they saw this massive monster.

“I’m aware of why you’re here, Shroud Hero,” the Karma Crab stated through telepathy. “I’m also aware that you’re the one who has killed my siblings. I will grant their wish and avenge them today, preventing you from obtaining the last Karma Diamond. I, the Karma Crab, will crush you!”

Marvin protested, “Hey, you overgrown crab cake! How dare you ignore Master Jerry in favor of the accursed Shroud!”

The Karma Crab replied, “I’m aware that you and your ‘Master Jerry’ failed to even make it to me. You are hardly worth my time, much less worth acknowledging as a threat. Only the Shroud Hero I deem a real threat, as he and his party slayed my comrades, the other Karma Beasts. While, yes, the other Heroes contributed to a degree, they didn’t do the bulk of the damage, nor the killing blows, to my brethren like the Shroud Hero party did. But you might as well amuse me. Let the battle begin!”

The Karma Crab jumped from the ruins and landed in front of both parties. He snapped his pincers to indicate the battle had started. He immediately slammed his right pincer down upon the Shroud Hero party, causing them to scatter. Leon quickly started to channel energy.

“Guard Crush!” he shouted.

The debuffing spell struck the Karma Crab, causing his defenses to drop, much to his fury.

“Hydro Blast!” he shouted.

The Karma Crab fired a massive sphere of water toward Leon. Celtic immediately sprang into action, jumping in front of Leon.

“Soulavore Shroud!” he stated. “Soul Energy Syphoning!”

The Shroud transformed into the Soulavore Shroud before he closed it up around him, causing the Soulavore head to extend out. It opened its mouth and started to inhale energy like a vacuum, causing the Hydro Blast to get “eaten” by it, increasing Celtic’s MP energy, much to the Karma Crab’s surprise. While he was distracted, Jerry loaded up an arrow and took aim at the Karma Crab.

“Meteor Shot!” he roared.

He fired the Meteor attack at the Karma Crab. It struck the massive monster on the side of his claw but did nothing, much to Jerry’s surprise. The Karma Crab looked unimpressed.

“You call that an attack?” he snickered. “I’ve had barnacles do more damage to me than that flimsy attack. But if you want attention so badly then I’ll give it to you. Hydro Tower!”

He slammed his pincer on the ground, causing pillars of water to erupt from underneath Jerry and his party, sending them flying before they crashed to the ground.

“Now, just to keep things interesting, I have some friends who want to play with you. Minions, come forth!”

Several variants of Crushtaceans, including the last variant that looked like a monstrous version of a king crab, jumped into the arena, ready to fight. Celtic and Rupert exchanged nods before they started to channel energy.

“Wood Tower!” both said in unison.

The wooden pillars erupted from underneath multiple monsters, including the Karma Crab himself, impaling them and lifting them off the ground. Skye and Zuzu nodded before channeling energy.

“Napalm!” Skye shouted.

“Dark Meteors!” Zuzu stated.

The two attacks combined and became a maelstrom of meteor strikes and explosions, blasting every single enemy in the area with tremendous power. This combo killed most of the Crustaceans and their variants, though the final variant remained standing, albeit badly damaged. The Karma Crab was also damaged quite heavily, much to his surprise.

Marvin raised his sword up, stating, “I won’t let the Shroud claim Master Jerry’s victory! Take this!”

He charged in and slashed the Karma Crab’s leg, but it barely did any damage at all. The Karma Crab gained another disappointed look.

“Is that the best you’ve got, you tin tyrant?” he asked in a bored tone. “I’ve had Cloud Krill do more damage to me than that, and they’re part of my menu. Buzz off, as you and your ‘Master Jerry’ are just being a nuisance.”

He swatted Marvin away, causing him to crash into his party and send everyone flying like bowling pins. Celtic and his party couldn’t help but snicker at that sad display. Tyroe then raised up his hammer and slammed it down upon the Karma Crab’s right pincer, severely damaging it, making the massive monster screech in pain.

“You little worm!” he hissed. “That hurt! I’ll gut you for that!”

Rupert was channeling energy, stating, “Not happening! Vine Trap!”

Before the Karma Crab could respond it was ensnared by thorny vines that sprouted from underneath it. These vines also ensnared the remaining Crushtacean minions, preventing them from moving. Celtic, Skye, and Viola both exchanged nods before channeling more energy.

“Ice Tower!” all three said in unison.

Multiple sharp pillars of ice erupted from the ground, impaling every remaining enemy present, including the Karma Crab. This attack killed the rest of the Crushtacean minions while severely damaging the Karma Crab. It was clear that the Karma Crab was on his last legs. However, his eyes gleamed, much to the concern of Celtic and his party.

“I can still take you all out and avenge my siblings!” he roared. “Time for Kamikaze!”

He started to glow as he prepared the final attack.

Celtic instructed, “Zuzu! Gather up Jerry and his party and get them over here! Quickly!”

Zuzu nodded, transformed her hands into massive energy claws, grabbed Jerry and his party, and deposited them rather roughly behind Celtic. The rest of the Shroud Hero party followed suit.

“Scrap Iron Fortress Defense!”

Everyone was encased in the scrap iron barrier just as the Karma Crab detonated, releasing a massive explosion in the arena. However, the barrier weathered the attack, protecting everyone inside it. After a moment everything went silent. Celtic lowered the barrier, revealing everyone was unharmed, while the Karma Crab had crashed to the ground, dying.

“So… the same barrier… that endured my siblings’ attacks… weathered my Kamikaze spell as well?” the Karma Crab panted. “I failed… to grant my siblings’ wishes… and take you out… Very well… the Karma Diamond is yours… Take it… as we Karma Beasts… are finished… You have beaten… all of us… The story… of our legend… has come to an end… Farewell… Shroud Hero…”

He then went completely limp and stopped breathing, now dead. Everyone got into a more relaxed state, knowing that the battle was over.

Celtic turned to Skye, “Skye, slice him in half so Jerry and I can absorb him into our Gear. After all, we need to remove the body in order for the Karma Diamond to appear.”

Skye nodded and walked over to the dead Karma Beast. She raised her naginata up and started to channel energy into the blade, causing it to become longer and larger. She then slammed it downward, creating a massive air slash that bisected the Karma Crab in half. Celtic walked over and absorbed one half of the Karma Crab into his Shroud, creating a new form, while Jerry did the same with his Bow. Suddenly a platform appeared with the purple-colored Karma Diamond on it. Celtic grabbed it and put it into his Tek-Pak, much to Marvin’s protests. Celtic and Jerry also took a sample from the last variant of the Crushtacean family, creating another new power for their respective Gear.

“Okay, we’re finally done with this Karma Diamond hunt,” Celtic said. “We’ve obtained all five Karma Diamonds. Now, it’s time to head back to Delgunner and report our success to King Alvin. Skye, if you’d be so kind?”

Skye smiled, “On it. Warp!”

Everyone vanished from the island. They reappeared at Delgunner’s front gates. The soldiers saluted them.

“Welcome back, Heroes!” one said.

“Did you get the last Karma Diamond?” the other asked.

Celtic nodded, “Yes, mission accomplished. We need to report to King Alvin.”

“Then go right ahead. He’ll be most pleased.”

As they passed the same guard gave Zuzu another flirtatious wave, making her quirk an eyebrow again before moving on. After crossing the city they made it to the castle, where the guards let them in. They eventually made it to the throne room where King Alvin and his family were seated. They looked up the moment Celtic and the others arrived.

“Prince Avalar and Jerry!” King Alvin said. “Did you get the Karma Diamond?”

Celtic presented it to King Alvin, “As you can see, yes we did.”

King Alvin gained a large smile, “Excellent! We now have all five Karma Diamonds! This is most wonderful news. Now we may have the means to finally put a stop to Infinator’s latest plan. Hold onto that, Avalar, as King Duskbane will collect it in the morning. Now then…” he gained a serious expression. “Did the Bow Hero party do a good job? Did they cause you any trouble? Do they deserve a reward?”

Celtic replied, “They did do a pretty solid job, all things considering, though the final battle wasn’t one of their better performances. As for trouble, Jerry and most of his party didn’t cause any problems. Marvin, on the other hand… well…”

King Alvin glared at Marvin, “Marvin! Did you cause Avalar and his party problems? If so that may cost you your reward.”

Zuzu replied bluntly, “His racist attitude and complete refusal to associate himself with us did cause some issues. He even needed extra ‘motivation’ in the form of kicks to comply to certain instructions. While Bow Boy and the rest of his party didn’t kick up a fuss, Marvin tended to be a bit problematic at times. It’s pretty clear he’s a Four Stars Church lover since his actions reeked of it.”

Marvin snarled, “Why you little demon slime!”

King Alvin’s eyes flared dangerously, “Marvin! I am most displeased with this! That’ll cost you! Racism is something I have a zero tolerance policy toward! Especially after that brawl at the banquet you started! I am absolutely disgusted to hear this! Avalar, what do you say the final verdict is for the Bow Hero’s reward?”

Celtic pondered for a moment before replying, “Well, Jerry and the majority of his party do deserve a reward, as they did throw their weight around quite well. The only real problem they ran into was the Karma Crab itself, but outside of that they actually did pretty well. So, I say they still deserve a reward, but I suggest Marvin gets some humble pie as his ‘reward’ for his ‘efforts’.”

“Why you spineless Shroud D—” Marvin growled.

“DON’T YOU FINISH THAT SENTENCE!!!” King Alvin bellowed, stunning everyone. “If you so much as complete that last word I’ll throw you into the dungeon! We here in Delgunner have a zero tolerance policy for that accursed phrase, as we worship the Shroud equally to the other Legendary Gear! So don’t say another word or it’ll cost you big time! IS THAT CLEAR!?”

Marvin grit his teeth before replying, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Just be thankful King Duskbane isn’t here or he’d have your head for attempting to say something so distasteful toward his nephew. I wouldn’t be surprised if a Shadow Sentinel is reporting to him right now.”

As if on cue a black portal opened up, with King Duskbane in his Assault Mode form emerging from it. His eyes flared dangerously as they locked onto Marvin. Zuzu quickly shot up into the air and hovered by the celling, clearly not wanting to be around an enraged Shadokor.

“Right on cue,” Viola chuckled darkly.

“Marvin… you vile piece of slime…” King Duskbane growled threateningly. “YOU HAVE SOME NERVE!!!”

He grabbed Marvin with his massive claw and held him close to his face, where a poisonous mist was leaking out of his mouth. He then increased the pressure of his grip, crushing Marvin in his claw, making the knight-like man struggle in pain.

“Yes… keep struggling like the worm you are…” King Duskbane hissed. “You have a lot of nerve for causing trouble for my nephew, who is your superior in every shape and form. The fact that you even required extra ‘motivation’ in the form of kicks to obey instructions makes your situation even worse. And your racism is something I won’t tolerate. I should kill you right here and now. However… I don’t want to dirty my hands, nor make a mess on King Alvin’s throne room floor… so, instead, I’m taking you back to Shadoria for punishment. Let’s see how you like shoveling Sky Ray droppings for a while, since that’s exactly what you are! King Alvin, may I?”

King Alvin replied, “Normally, I’d say no, but this time I’m going to allow it. Put him to work. Let’s see his attitude after he’s done doing demeaning tasks at the hands of the species he’s so racist toward. And, just to pile it on, Marvin, you are hereby banned from all future banquets, as I will NOT allow someone like you to be rewarded for your despicable tendencies. Wench will be next on my list if she pulls anything, so don’t think you’ll be the only one spending any banquets in the dungeons. I’ll leave the rest to you, King Duskbane.”

King Duskbane nodded, “Thank you, King Alvin.” He then turned to Celtic, “Avalar, since I’m already here, please give me the Karma Diamond. We need all five together in order to find out their secrets. Oh, and Lady Skye, your new armor is now complete. We’re just putting the final touches on it, so you’ll get it tomorrow when receiving your rewards. I hope you’ll like it.”

Skye smiled, “Oh, I’m sure I will, Your Majesty, don’t worry about that.”

Celtic handed over the Karma Diamond to King Duskbane, who took it in his other claw.

“Thank you, my dear nephew,” the demon king smiled. His smile quickly turned to a hateful snarl as he looked at Marvin, “You’re coming with me, Marvin. Time for your punishment for causing my nephew problems, along with nearly uttering that hateful phrase. When you’ve completed your punishment I’ll return you to your precious Bow Hero… alive or not all depends on if you do the tasks you’ll be assigned. I’ll take my leave now. See you tomorrow.”

King Duskbane and Marvin vanished in a black portal.

King Alvin stated in a calmer tone, “Now that that’s settled, the rest of you go and take a break, as you’ve earned it. I will prepare your rewards tomorrow. And I think we deserve a little celebration for finding and obtaining all five Karma Diamonds. I say a banquet is in order. And with one of the more problematic individuals shoveling Sky Ray droppings we won’t have to worry about another brawl. Wench is still a possible issue but we’ll just have to wait and see, since she’s been quiet lately. Now, you’re all dismissed. Take some time to relax and put up your feet, as you deserve it.”

Jerry asked, “Will King Duskbane return Marvin to our party eventually?”

“He will eventually. But given the Shadokor have even less tolerance to things like racism than I do, especially if it’s against one of their own, don’t expect him back right away. But since the Infinity Hourglass still hasn’t moved a single grain of sand we have time before he would be needed. But at least this means we don’t have to worry about another brawl happening, as I was quite livid when I learned of that. Now, as I said before, you’re all dismissed. Your rewards will be ready tomorrow.”

Celtic turned to his party, “Let’s go, gang, and get some well-deserved rest. While I’m not looking forward to the banquet, as I know something annoying will happen, at least we can take solace that we may have finally found the advantage we’ve been looking for in the form of the Karma Diamonds. Let’s go.”

The rest of his party nodded and left the throne room to head for their guest bedroom to rest. They all felt tired but proud that they got all the Karma Diamonds, hoping they will bring the advantage over Infinator they all wanted.

Next Chapter: The Dance at Dusk

And that's is for the Karma Beast arc. Tune in next time to see what happens to our Heroes.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Time for a more relaxed episode of Chaos Rising today.

Spoiler: Chapter 17) The Dance at Dusk

The Dance at Dusk

​

It was the follow day after Celtic, Jerry, and their respective parties had defeated the Karma Crab and obtained the final Karma Diamond. The two Heroes and their parties were present in the throne room, awaiting their rewards. Marvin had not yet returned from Shadoria as he was still attending to his punishment. When the two parties were present King Alvin cleared his throat.

“The Shroud and Bow Hero parties are present and accounted for, with the exception of Marvin,” King Alvin stated. “I present to you your reward of 200 gold for your efforts in obtaining the fifth and final Karma Diamond.”

Two servant walked up to them and gave them pouches of coins, which the two Heroes took eagerly.

“As a further reward, we will be holding a banquet in celebration of obtaining the legendary Karma Diamonds. The other Heroes have been informed of this as well. We will have it tomorrow evening at 6 o’clock sharp, so today is a free day for you. I do expect all of you to be at your best behavior while at this banquet, as I won’t tolerate any problems like another brawl. Is that clear?”

Everyone nodded, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Good, I’ll hold you to that.”

Jerry asked, “King Alvin, when will Marvin be returned to my party?”

King Alvin replied, “It may be a while, as the Shadokor have even less tolerance for racism than I do. Considering that they’re also quite protective of their long-lost prince, Avalar, and they’re such a tight-knit species I wouldn’t expect him back soon. But, like I said, we don’t have to worry too much about any attacks, as Infinator has been very quiet lately, along with the fact that the Infinity Hourglass still hasn’t moved a single grain of sand in quite some time. You will get your party member back before any major problems arise, but hopefully this’ll show you that Avalar’s word is now law to you and your party. That also applies to the other Heroes and their parties. Disobeying your new leader is a punishable offense, so let Marvin’s plight be an example of what happens when you disobey, or at least cause problems, for Avalar. Now, with that out of the way, you’re dismissed. You’ll have to stay in the capital city but you’re free to do as you please for now. Just don’t cause trouble.”

Celtic turned to his party, “Come on, team, let’s take some well-deserved time off.”

Suddenly, a voice said, “Not so fast, Avalar. I’ve got something for you.”

A black portal opened up, revealing King Duskbane along with a ShadoKnight. The ShadoKnight was carrying a new set of armor. Skye’s eyes instantly lit up.

“Is that my new armor?” Skye asked.

King Duskbane nodded, “Yes it is, Lady Skye. It’s called the Shadow Star Armor. This armor design is the one that ancient Shadokor warrior women used to wear. Since we know of your particular ‘style’ and the fact that despite being a bit skimpy it boasts several defensive measures will make it a good replacement for the one the Chaos Candevil destroyed. It’s primarily made from a material known as Crystafibon; a type of metal ore found in the Demon Realm. Crystafibon boosts all your stats by nearly 50%, along with generates a protective invisible barrier around you that reduces damage by a good 33% and has a solid chance of reflecting magical attacks back at the user, meaning you’ll take no damage whatsoever when that happens. It, unfortunately, grows near Black Lava flows, which is why it’s hard to obtain, as Black Lava is even more deadly than regular lava. It’s also made from Umbranyte and Shadow Coral, both of which further boost those parameters by a sizable amount and capped off with Star Pieces for an extra magical buff. This should serve you well, Lady Skye.”

Skye graciously took the armor, “Thank you, King Duskbane. I know it’ll do the job. I’ll go get changed right now. Be right back.”

She dashed out of the room to return to her party’s guest room to change. After a few minutes she returned. She was now wearing the new Shadow Star Armor. It was similar to her original armor, being a rather skimpy bikini armor, mostly black in color and had a rather demonic design. The breastplate looked like a pair of dark purple sinister bat or dragon wings that didn’t meet at the middle, instead having metal straps that connected from the bottom at an angle and around her sternum, looping up her back and wrapping around her neck with a single spiked shoulder guard on her right shoulder. The lower half was composed of three large loin and hip guards, black with a silver trim, made with layered plates of metal, and attached to a thick belt with plenty of room for pouches and her dagger. She had metal sleeves on her lower arms, mostly black with some purple in them, with what appeared to be concealed sinister-looking blades in them. Her calf-high high-heeled boots looked vaguely like a cross between an adventurer’s boot and a witch’s boot, dark purple in color with gold trim, with a pointed tip and a rather sinister spike for a heel. Skye did a small twirl to show it off, looking quite pleased with it, while also carrying her Bunny Girl outfit.

“King Duskbane, if this is what ancient Shadokor warrior women wore, then they’re my kind of babes!” she said cheerfully. “This totally matches my style. And it fits perfectly. Normally, it takes a couple of attempts to get something to fit me, as my measurements are rather awkward due to being a top hourglass-frame, but the fact you got it right in one go is quite impressive. I know this’ll serve me well. Thank you very much for this, I love it.”

King Duskbane chuckled, “I’m glad you like it. We did modernize it a bit to better reflect the times, but we kept it close to the original design for your sake. As you can probably feel, the armor is very lightweight, thus it won’t hinder your acrobatics and agility. Now, I’ve got one last gift for you. It might come in handy.”

He presented a dagger in a special sheath. Curious, Skye took it and removed the dagger hilt, revealing that there was no blade, much to her confusion.

“If you’re wondering what that is, it’s a Shadow Mana Dagger. You channel your magical energy into the hilt and it’ll produce an ethereal blade that’ll not only do mental-based damage, but it’ll also cut the target off from their magical energy for a little while. It can also be used to negate magical attacks thrown at you and will disable that particular spell for the battle. So, for example, say your sister, Wench, launched a Fireball at you. Just slash it with the Shadow Mana Dagger and it’ll not only completely destroy the Fireball, but she’ll be forbidden to use that spell again until the battle’s over. And best of all you’re not just limited to disabling one spell. This blade can disable pretty much any spell it strikes, even if the user’s already had a spell disabled. You can pretty much turn a certain enemy into a sitting duck by constantly cutting them off from their magic. In short, the blade produces as similar energy to the Shadow Negation technique we Shadokor can use, making it very useful.”

Skye gained another smile, “Thank you, King Duskbane, I love it. This’ll certainly be helpful.”

She strapped the Shadow Mana Dagger on her belt with her other dagger, securing it in place. She then gave Celtic the Bunny Girl outfit.

“Here, Cel, hold on to this. It’ll be safer in your Tek-Pak and I may decide to pull it out again later. But, for now, hold on to it, please.”

Celtic put the Bunny Girl outfit into his Tek-Pak for safekeeping.

“All right then, I’m glad you like your new stuff, Lady Skye,” King Duskbane said with a smile. “I know you’ll make good use of it. Now, I’m off, as today is my son’s 13th birthday, so I want to be ready to celebrate it with my wife and daughter. Take care.”

With a final bow King Duskbane and the ShadoKnight vanished in a black portal.

Celtic said, “Okay, gang, let’s take this opportunity to get some much-needed rest. I also want to continue working on my Shroud with the various materials we’ve gotten, along with clean out some more of the Shroud’s inventory. Let’s go and take the chance to unwind for a bit.”

Nodding, the party left the throne room so they could get some well-deserved rest for their efforts. As they took it easy in their guest room, Celtic continued to experiment with his Shroud and the various materials he had, along with ejecting some items from the inventory function for later use. This allowed everyone to just relax and find a moment of peace after their long trips into unknown territory for the Karma Diamonds.

The next day had arrived. The day of the celebration banquet. All the Heroes and their party members, with the exception of Marvin, were present at the banquet. The castle chefs had placed out quite the spread of different foods and drinks for the guests to enjoy. Celtic merely sat by a window, keeping his distance, as it was obvious he wasn’t too eager to be at the banquet.

“Parties…” he huffed silently. “They’re never good experiences for me. As much as I’d rather not be here, my party deserves this for all the extra effort we put into the Karma Diamond hunt, so I have to consider their feelings more than mine. Besides, at least King Alvin and his knights are keeping an eye on everyone to prevent any problems. And Marvin isn’t around either so he can’t cause a brawl like last time. Now, hopefully this banquet stays this way until the end, as I’d rather not have any issues crop up.”

Skye walked over to him, smiling, “Cel, don’t be such a sourpuss. I know you’d rather not be here because of past experiences but try to loosen up a bit and have some fun. I dare say you deserve this banquet more than anyone, as you’ve put in the most work out of everyone. Just try to have some fun, as you could use it. Just make sure no other babes try to get your attention, as I’ve heard some of the women here whispering about wanting to date you. But, given how handsome and talented you are I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“I’m not handsome!” Celtic retorted. “Talented, yeah, maybe. Handsome, not by a long-shot.”

Skye rolled her eyes, giggling, “Same old Celtic. Do you even look in a mirror, Cel? You’d be surprised at how good-looking you are. And if what King Duskbane has said is true, then you’re the spitting image of your father, sans a few traits you inherited from your mother. Looks like good looks run in the family, since King Duskbane himself isn’t far off the handsome mark either. Now, come on, Cel, join the rest of us and have some good food, as you deserve a nice treat.”

She gently tugged at Celtic’s normal arm, trying to get him to move away from the window. Celtic reluctantly complied and was led by the Light Elf over to one of the tables where the rest of his party was gathered. She made him sit down with the rest of them before joining them herself and they waited for King Alvin to perform the toast to signify the official start of the banquet. After a few moments King Alvin stood up and raised his glass up.

“Friends, let us raise a glass in toast to the success of the five Legendary Heroes in completing their task to recover the legendary Karma Diamonds from the equally legendary Karma Beasts,” he said. “Those Karma Diamonds may finally grant us the advantage we need against Infinator’s forces. So, let us celebrate our future success thanks to the work of the Legendary Heroes. The Shroud Hero in particular deserves extra praise, as he and his party ventured into all five of the Karma Beasts’ domains to ensure the acquisition of the Karma Diamonds and the safety of his fellow Heroes. We give thanks to their valiant efforts as securing the Karma Diamonds may have also secured our future. To the Legendary Heroes!”

Everyone raised a glass up in cheer, though Celtic did so with great reluctance, as he was unaccustomed to such high praise. This was the official start to the banquet, allowing everyone to start helping themselves to the massive spread of food. Lucas was busy flirting with many of the women present, though they were rather turned off by his lustful perversion, while Ryan continued to maintain his cool image in front of the various nobles and women present. Eric and Jerry were busy helping themselves to the food, eager to have such luxurious delicacies, while Celtic and his party ate the food they had already gotten shortly before them. Some of the nobles present would approach Celtic’s party every now and then to praise them for their hard work in the Karma Diamond quests, though Celtic acted rather aloof because of his distrustful nature. After eating all the food the dessert carts were brought out, consisting of various cakes, pastries, and pies, alongside lots of different fruit. Skye and Tyroe eagerly filled their plates with the sweet treats while Celtic did so with restraint. After a while the desserts were finished and the food tables were moved aside so patrons could dance to the nice music.

Skye turned to Celtic, eyes gleaming, “Cel, shall we?”

Celtic went pale, “Wait. Me? Dance? Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Oh, I’m not, Celtic,” she purred in response. “Let’s teach them how to twist.”

She held out her hand, gesturing him to take it. Celtic looked at it, then at her face, then back to her outstretched hand. He reluctantly reached out and took it, to which Skye walked him out onto the dancefloor and started to do a slow waltz with him. As they watched Leon turned to Viola.

“Hey, Viola, wanna dance with me on the ballroom floor?” he asked.

Viola gained a blush, replying, “I’m not a good dancer. I’ve got four left feet, after all. And I’m not exactly small, either, as my large thorax will probably bump at least one set of dancers. So… as much as I’d like to, I’m gonna have to decline as I’m just not built for it. Sorry, Leon, but my body structure doesn’t exactly lend itself to be graceful on the dancefloor.”

Leon smiled, “As you wish, Viola. Maybe some other time, perhaps?”

The Arachne’s blush got brighter, “M-Maybe. We’ll see.”

Leon gently clutched Viola’s carapace-covered claw, making her blush get even brighter, while the rest of the party watched on with smiles. On the dancefloor Celtic and Skye continued their waltz, with Celtic being extremely nervous. Skye smiled as she noticed this.

“Just relax, Celtic,” she said soothingly. “You’re doing great. No need to be so nervous. Just go with the flow and everything will be fine. I know you don’t like parties but you’re doing really well tonight. Keep it up and everything will go smoothly.”

“I wish I could be so certain…” Celtic replied gloomily.

“Don’t sweat about the small stuff, Cel, as you deserve this more than anyone. Just relax and enjoy the evening.”

Celtic gained a weak smile as he continued dancing with Skye. After a while it was time for the banquet to end. The various nobles and the Heroes all left the banquet hall and headed home to rest. Celtic and his party returned to their guest room in the castle. Celtic laid down in his bed, still thinking about what had just happened. Skye gave him a warm, loving smile as she turned in for the night, with the rest of the party following suit. As he lay in bed, staring up at the celling, Celtic couldn’t help but feel a bit more relaxed.

“I can’t believe I did a waltz with Skye,” he said silently. “Considering I’m a poor dancer and even worse at enjoying parties, I’m surprised I didn’t blunder and make a fool of myself on the dancefloor. I was dead nervous as I danced with Skye. And yet… I wouldn’t trade that moment for the world. Love is a strange thing, that’s for sure, as it makes you do equally strange things. And yet those strange things can be wondrous at the same time. But Skye’s right, we needed this little celebration, as it was a reward for our hard work. I just hope this isn’t the calm before the storm. Enough of this, time for sleep.”

As he drifted off, the memory of him and Skye waltzing kept playing in his head, making him smile in his sleep.

Next Chapter: Laverna Rises

That's all for today. Tune in next time to find out what horrors our Heroes face.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here's the next chapter of Chaos Rising. (Warning: contains mild violence and female nudity that isn't related to Zuzu for a change)

Spoiler: Chapter 18) Laverna Rises

Laverna Rises

​

Deep within Infinator’s prison Sylph was kneeling before an energy vent. The energy vent flared up and showed Infinator’s four eyes. He looked at Sylph, who seemed quite pleased.

“So, Sylph…” he said. “I take it our lab rat is ready?”

Sylph nodded, “Yes, Master Infinator. Laverna is ready to be deployed. I wonder how the Heroes will react to this Demon General. Will they have the resolve and courage to put her down? I can’t wait to find out. Shall I begin preparations to deploy Laverna right into the heart of Delgunner?”

“Yes, begin immediately, Sylph,” Infinator replied. “It’s time to put my newest Demon General to the test. Begin the preparations, as it’s time for my latest General to spread her wings and take down those pesky Heroes and their allies.”

“Right away, Master,” Sylph bowed.

Lurking in the back was a shadowy creature. Its breathing was raspy and heavy. Sylph approached it after talking to Infinator.

“It’s time, Laverna,” she said with a smirk. “Time for you to be deployed and see if all that time incubating was worth it. Let’s see how those Heroes react to you.”

Laverna, still concealed by shadows, could only nod. Sylph gained a twisted grin as she began the preparations for what was about to happen.

It had been a few days since the banquet. The Heroes and their parties were awaiting the results of the Karma Diamond research. Marvin had since been returned to Jerry’s party, clearly unhappy at what he had to go through and seemingly hating Celtic even more now. Everyone was out and about on the clear, sunny day. However, that was about to change.

Suddenly, without warning, storm clouds rolled in. Thunder boomed, lightning flashed, and the sky went dark. Then, everyone could hear a cackle among the storm clouds. This disturbance alerted the Heroes and their parties, quickly making their way to the front of Delgunner’s gates. As they prepared for battle something started to descend from the storm clouds.

It was a large creature. The main body was that of a woman’s, with her bare breasts concealed by long hair, her arms were massive bird wings, her body from the hips downward was that of a large serpent, giant red horns were protruding from her head, long ears, and her face was concealed by a mask.

“What is that thing?!” Lucas sputtered.

“I’m guessing this is another Demon General,” Ryan replied.

The creature nodded, “Yes… I am… Laverna… one of Master Infinator’s… Demon Generals… I was sent… to kill you all… Prepare to die…” She then started to channel energy in front of her before stating, “Airstream.”

She fired the massive vortex of wind at the Heroes and their parties. Celtic sprang into action.

“Shield Wall!” he shouted.

The Shroud glowed and summoned the Shield Wall’s shields. He then gave a gesture to cluster them all together into one large shield and quickly positioned it in front of everyone. The Airstream struck the Shield Wall, causing it to buckle a bit but it remained unharmed, dispersing the attack. This defense made Celtic smile.

“Excellent,” he said. “Adding that Mirrorstone Ore to the Shield Wall was a good idea, as it can now weather more powerful moves more easily. Now, Sword Missiles!”

The Shield Wall’s shields transformed into scimitar swords, took aim, and fired themselves at Laverna. They struck her dead-on, as she didn’t bother to dodge, detonating as they did, making her screech in pain. The other Heroes started to prime their Legendary Gear to attack, transforming them in the process.

“Sword Storm!” Ryan shouted.

“Wind Arrow!” Jerry yelled.

“Bruiser Axe-merang” Eric stated.

“Shining Spear!” Lucas bellowed.

Their respective Gear attacks were launched at Laverna. Laverna wrapped her wings around herself to weather the attacks. The four different attacks struck her, making her recoil in pain but she remained standing. She unfurled her wings and gave a screech.

“My turn…” she said. “Icicle Missiles…”

Icicles started to rain down on the battlefield, ready to impale everyone.

Celtic shouted, “Not happening! Magic Chess Shroud!”

The Shroud transformed, gaining a chess board-style pattern with extra symbols representing chess pieces.

“Rook Defense!”

The Shroud glowed and suddenly two massive Rook chess pieces, each roughly the size of a two-story house, appeared, firmly planting themselves in front of everyone. The Icicle Missiles started to hammer away at the giant Rook pieces but they effortlessly weathered the attack without a scratch.

“I’m not done yet!” Celtic stated. “Pawn Attack!”

The Shroud glowed again, this time summoning a trio of huge sword-wielding Pawn chess pieces, which were slightly shorter than the Rooks. Celtic gave a command with his hand and the trio of Pawns charged in to attack. They slashed at Laverna, making her screech in pain. She then produced a barrier around herself, causing the Pawn’s attacks to be completely nullified. Celtic smirked.

“That won’t be enough to stop this next attack!” he stated. “Knight Charge!”

The Shroud glowed again, this time summoning two giant Knight chess pieces, which were equal height to the Rooks. He gave the command and the Knights charged in. They rammed the barrier, causing it to instantly be shattered, before slamming into Laverna, sending her flying. The other Heroes and their parties were stunned to see this powerful Shroud form.

“H-How can that Shroud be that powerful!?” Eric sputtered.

Lucas choked, “Yeah, there’s no way the loser Shroud could do all that!”

Jerry gritted his teeth, “It’s a cheat, I know it is. It’s gotta be.”

Ryan remained silent, thinking, “No, it’s not a cheat. Celtic just put that much time and effort into his Legendary Gear that it’s able to perform such feats. He taught me what my Gear is really capable of, so I now know that his Shroud is no different. It was our narrowmindedness that hampered our abilities, though it appears that Lucas, Eric, and Jerry didn’t get the memo. Celtic is truly strong… but I intend to surpass him.” He then transformed his Sword into another form before saying aloud, “We need to take this opportunity to attack! Mountain Storm!”

He swung his Sword down, causing a massive windstorm laced with rocks to start beating down at Laverna, making her screech in pain. After the attack waned Skye charged in and slashed at Laverna with her naginata, slicing off the mask. She then froze in shock as she saw Laverna’s face.

“N-No!” she sputtered. “M-Mother?!”

Everyone gasped as they saw Laverna’s face, revealing her to be former Queen Jade of the Light Elves. Skye started to tremble in shock as she looked at her trans-mutated mother.

“N-No! It can’t be!”

Jade shook her head to clear it before looking at Skye. She then tried to say something.

“S… S… Skye…?” she said.

Skye looked stunned, “Y-You recognized me!? How?”

Jade replied weakly, “You… beautiful face… and large melons gave… you away… I often wonder… where you got… those knockers… But… your attack managed to… help me regain… my sense of self… Please, Skye… please kill me… I can’t stand… living like this… Please… before the trans-mutation… takes control again… and I attack you…”

Skye hesitated, “N-No… I-I can’t…”

Celtic walked up, “No, you can’t. Because I may have a solution.”

Jade turned to him, “S… Shroud Hero…? What do… you mean…?”

“I’ve had a theory in mind for quite some time but have been unable to test it. I hate to say it but you’re about to be my lab rat to see if I can reverse the trans-mutation process and bring you back alive.”

Skye looked hopeful, “R-Really, Cel!? You may be able to reverse the trans-mutation?!”

“Possibly, but I’ve been unable to test it. But now may be the only chance I’ll get. So… let’s hope this works.”

He touched the Shroud’s gem and concentrated, causing the gem to glow, which made his hand glow. He then touched Jade’s body with the glowing hand. This contact caused the Shroud to release two streams of energy from it, one black and one white, which struck Jade. The energy swirled around her before encasing her in a black and white sphere. A third energy beam came from the sphere and entered the Shroud’s core, as if syphoning out the negative energy. This process continued, causing the energy sphere to become smaller and smaller. Skye watched with hopeful eyes as this process continued. Eventually, the white and black energy beams ended, with the remaining one still feeding itself into the Shroud. After a little bit longer the energy sphere had become much smaller and the final energy beam vanished. The sphere floated off the ground for a bit before landing, taking the shape of a woman. The energy vanished, revealing Jade in her original elven state, albeit naked. Jade’s purification caused the storm clouds to vanish instantly, returning everything to normal. Jade slowly opened her eyes and looked at Celtic and Skye.

Skye was overjoyed, “You did it, Celtic!”

Jade looked surprised, “You… managed to reverse the trans-mutation? How?”

Celtic replied as he looked through his Tek-Pak for something, “The Shroud is made from a material known as Chaos Magnite, the Demon Realm’s most valuable material. It’s known to have purification properties. Granted, I wasn’t sure if this would work or not, but given the fact that Chaos Magnite is so powerful it was worth a shot. Now, here…” he held out a cloak, keeping his head turned away, which revealed he was blushing. “Put this on. You should retain what little dignity you have left. And I’ve seen enough naked elf bodies already… all from the same elf. I don’t need another example of a nude elf.”

Skye gave him a playful smirk as she took the cloak, “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing, Cel.”

She then wrapped Jade in the cloak, concealing her body, making her a bit more relaxed. Everyone else walked over to see Jade. However, as Wench approached, Jade’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Keep your distance, Wench!” she hissed. “I’m aware of what you did. Because of you we Light Elves no longer have a kingdom and our family, with the exception of Skye, have been utterly disgraced. All because you and your father conspired against the Shroud while trying to hog all the Heroes for yourselves in a bid for more power!”

Leon looked stunned, “How do you know that?”

“I was still conscious as I was incubating from the trans-mutation process, thus I heard all of Sylph’s reports to Infinator. I heard the whole story from her, and let’s just say I’m far from pleased about it. It’s no surprise your father and I agreed that Skye would be the Crown Princess.”

Wench looked shocked, “W-Wait! You mean I was never going to be the heir to the throne?! Skye was going to be the heir!? Why?!”

Jade replied acidly, “Your father and I realized just how badly he spoiled you. We both realized that you’d drive our kingdom right into the ground if we let you become the heir. Also, you were not a virgin anymore when we came to that decision, and being a virgin is a requirement for an elf to take the throne. We then decided on Skye as the heir as she proved to be skilled, cunning, resourceful, and intelligent. After all, she kept uprooting all our get-more-power-quick schemes with ease, proving her intelligence and talent. Plus, she was always such a skilled fighter and a very studious learner. Those are considered good traits to have. Thus, your father and I agreed that Skye would be the heir. However, before we could tell the kingdom I was taken by Sylph, and it’s obvious that my husband went off the deep end and ultimately betrayed Skye, thus not telling you all the truth. And considering your scheme against the Shroud Hero ended up costing us our entire kingdom I was right to think that you’d ruin the Light Elves. And don’t you dare deny it, as I know you’re a pathological liar. You got what you deserved for betraying the Shroud Hero. Some daughter you turned out to be. At least there’s still hope for Skye.”

Skye gained a smirk, “Well, well, well, looks like I have one more reason to be considered the better sibling, as I was actually going to be the Crown Princess over you, Wench. And considering your actions ran Lumestia right into the ground, it’s obvious that you would’ve been a terrible Queen. That’s what you get for conspiring against Celtic.”

Wench protested, “I did nothing—”

The spellbinding circle crest activated, giving her a powerful shock, making her yelp in pain, revealing her statement to be a lie. Jade’s disappointed look got even worse.

“You earned that spellbinding circle crest, you vile fiendess,” she hissed. “It fits you like a dirty, wet glove. Also, I’m aware of what happened to the Four Stars Church, and how YOU conspired with them, only for them to attempt a hostile takeover of the world’s leaders. I’m glad they’re gone, as while I was incubating I made a promise to myself. If I got out of that situation alive I’d pledge my allegiance to the Shroud, especially once I heard that the Shroud Hero was the only competent Hero via Sylph’s reports. I would also give up my racist ways if I did survive this ordeal. And it appears that I’ll get to live to see another day thanks to the Shroud Hero, thus I’ll keep my word about abandoning my old ways and reforming for the better.”

She then started to cough heavily, making Skye worried. Viola scuttled up and placed a claw on her head.

“You’ll have to put that on the back burner for now, Jade,” she said. “You’re in terrible health. It’ll be a while before you can get up and about again. But, considering you’ve been incubating in the trans-mutation energies for so long it’s no surprise. I suggest we get her back to Sludge and Wimp so they can tend to her, as she’ll need a lot of attention to get back on her feet and into better health parameters.”

Celtic nodded, “Yes, let’s do that. I’ll carry her. Hopefully Sludge will appreciate this.”

He gently scooped Jade up into his arms bridal-style and started to carry her back to the city, the rest of his party following. This action also caused the giant chess pieces to vanish. Wench had a livid expression on her face due to learning what she just heard, clearly now wanting Skye dead even more as she glared at her younger sister. The Heroes and their parties eventually followed. The people of Delgunner’s capital cheered happily, praising the Heroes for their success. Eventually, after a long walk through the city the Shroud Hero party reached an apartment building. They entered and went up a flight of stairs before reaching a certain apartment. Skye knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing Sludge.

“Yes? How can…” he started to say until his eyes went wide. “J-Jade?! Y-You’re alive!? How?!”

Jade replied, “The Shroud Hero saved me. The power of the Shroud is amazing, as it was able to purify the trans-mutations that I was inflicted with and return me to normal. I don’t know exactly how he did it, but from what he said the Shroud’s material, Chaos Magnite, has such properties that it was able to reverse and remove the trans-mutation process, restoring me to my original self.”

Sludge looked at Celtic, “S-Shroud Hero… No, Celtic Pulsar… you… you really managed to save my wife from Infinator’s clutches? Just like you promised?”

Celtic replied, “I didn’t promise anything. I wasn’t sure if the trans-mutation process were reversible or not, thus I couldn’t promise anything. However, I wanted to at least try to save her, more for Skye’s sake than yours. But, in any case, here’s your beloved wife, alive and purified, though she’s in a very weak state. It’ll be a while before she’s able to get around by herself, so you and Wimp will have to nurse her back to health yourselves. Viola can give you proper instructions on the best course of action.”

Sludge looked overjoyed as he saw his wife, tears leaking out of his eyes, saying, “T-Thank you! Thank you so much! You saved Jade from Infinator! O-Oh, yes, certainly. Please, bring her in and rest her on my bed.”

Celtic and Skye entered the rather modest apartment and placed Jade on a bed in the next room, gently laying her down to ensure she was comfortable. Viola then handed Sludge a piece of paper.

“Here, Sludge, these are instructions I wrote down on how to nurse her back to health,” she said. “It’ll be a lengthy process, but if you follow these instructions she’ll make a full recovery.”

Sludge took the paper and read everything over, nodding.

“Yes, yes, this is simple enough to follow,” he said. “I’ll do anything to get Jade back on her feet, so I’ll follow these instructions to the letter.”

“Good,” Celtic replied. “Now, we’re off to report to King Alvin.”

As he turned Sludge stated, “W-Wait!” As Celtic turned around Sludge went on his hands and knees, prostrating himself, “Noble Shroud Hero… I’m so terribly sorry for everything I did to you. Framing you for an atrocious crime, siccing my men after you, letting my eldest daughter get away with so much against you, and treating you like a monster. I’ve done terrible things to you. I don’t deserve forgiveness but please, forgive me for my crimes against you. Because you brought my wife back to me alive and in her original state, I promise to reform alongside her and my son. I promise I’ll become your ally and not your enemy. Please, find it in you hearts to give me one last chance.”

Everyone was surprised at this display of respect toward Celtic from one of his bigger enemies. Celtic’s expression softened before turning away.

“I’ll think about it,” he said. “If you do follow your wife’s lead and make good on reforming, I suppose I could give you one more chance. But I’ll think about it. Let’s go, everyone and report back to King Alvin. Hopefully Infinator can’t just simply clone Jade to replace her as a Demon General. But, then again, according to Alastor, the original needs to be dead to do that, so hopefully that’s the last we’ve seen of Laverna. Let’s go.”

Sludge looked up hopefully as Celtic left, asking, “D-Does that mean he’ll give me one last chance?”

Skye replied with a small smile, “It’s quite possible, as whenever Celtic says he’ll ‘think about it’, usually it means he will, but only if certain conditions are met. You’d better follow through or it might get worse for you. Now, we’re off. Make sure you take care of mother well, Sludge, as she’ll need a lot of attention.”

With that the Shroud Hero party left the apartment, leaving Sludge with newfound hope. He then got up and started to tend to Jade to help her recover from her ordeal.

The Shroud Hero party returned to the castle where King Alvin was waiting for them. He smiled as he saw the party enter.

“I have to hand it to you, Avalar,” he said. “You found a way to save former Queen Jade from her fate without needing to kill her. That’s quite commendable. As a result of yours and the other Heroes’ efforts and success in stopping another one of Infinator’s Generals, I will be presenting you all with reward tomorrow. Once again you have done us a great service in stopping Infinator’s forces. Go and put your feet up, as you deserve it. Hopefully Jade will make a full recovery. But, for now, take a load off.”

Celtic and his party nodded before leaving the throne room. They felt good about what had happened today, knowing that they had made a major difference in the lives of several.

Next Chapter: Diamond Storm

That's all for now, folks. Looks like things might turn around for the disgraced Light Elves. We shall see.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Time for the next episode of Chaos Rising.

Spoiler: Chapter 19) Diamond Storm

Diamond Storm

​

It had been a few days since former Queen Jade had been purified from the trans-mutation process, freeing her from Infinator’s clutches. The Heroes and their parties were on alert after the last attack, as Jade informed everyone that Infinator no longer needs his wave generators, as he now has the information necessary to start the next phase of his plans. Thus, the Infinity Hourglasses had become useless in predicting Infinator’s next move. This got everyone on-edge, as it meant they could no longer predict if and when Infinator will attack again, thus necessitating that everyone be prepared at all times.

All the Heroes and their parties had been gathered up in King Alvin’s throne room. King Duskbane and Queen Rease were also present, with the former carrying all five Karma Diamonds. King Alvin did a quick scan of the room before clearing his throat.

“Heroes, we’ve reached a critical phase in the war,” he said. “As you’re now aware, Infinator no longer needs his wave generators. He now has the information to start the next part of his plans. That plan is to open up a gateway to the Demon Realm. Former Queen Jade was fortunate enough to learn this information, and thus we now know where he’s going to strike. One of the power spots in the northern mountains, far from civilization, is the location he’s selected to open up a gateway to the Demon Realm. While, fortunately, it is far from any town, village, or city, that doesn’t excuse the fact that he’ll be able to gain more powerful resources and allies by ripping open that gateway to the Demon Realm. Thus, we have to act now. King Duskbane and Queen Rease have brought the Karma Diamonds and the necessary instructions on how to use them in order for us to launch a pre-emptive strike before Infinator makes his next move. I’ll allow them to explain what we’re going to do.”

Queen Rease stepped up, “Thank you, King Alvin.” She turned to the Heroes and their parties, “Our plan is this. We’re going to use the Karma Diamonds’ magic to strengthen the dimensional walls between Zakota and the Demon Realm significantly. That way Infinator’s plan will be effectively reset right back to the beginning, forcing him to reattempt to weaken the walls between Zakota and the Demon Realm. This will prevent the catastrophe that was the Great Demon War from repeating itself. It’s not a fool-proof plan but given that we may not have a lot of time, it’ll at least buy us an interval to better plan a counterattack.”

Ryan then asked, “Wouldn’t it be better to use the Karma Diamonds to just break down Infinator’s prison and go at him while he’s still a disembodied spirit?”

King Duskbane replied, “That’s an excellent question, Ryan. Unfortunately, that’s not possible. All thanks to the damn Light Elves. You see, the barrier they erected around Infinator’s prison is immune to outside magic. Thus, we can’t use the Karma Diamonds, or even Shadow Negation, to get to him. Otherwise we would’ve done it by now. No, in order to remove the barrier we need to cast the exact same spell. However, the damn Light Elf King at the time had the spell purged from the minds of his Light Elves, thus the spell was lost on purpose so they could attempt to whitewash the fact they caused the war to begin with. As a result there are no more records of the spell, meaning it’s impossible to lower the barrier before Infinator is restored. Consequentially, this is the next best thing. By strengthening the dimensional walls between Zakota and the Demon Realm it’ll force Infinator to start his plans all over again. This will also allow the Infinity Hourglasses to start working again, thus giving us more power and control over facing his forces. It’s not ideal, but, unfortunately, thanks to the fact that barrier is immune to even Shadow Negation, we can’t use the Karma Diamonds to perform such a feat. That outcome would be the most ideal, but we can’t do that, so we’re doing the next best thing.”

Celtic said silently, “I was wondering why the Shadokor couldn’t just use Shadow Negation to erase that barrier from the equation. Now I know why, thanks to the damn ancient Light Elves making a bigger mess of things in order to make themselves look like the heroes.”

Queen Rease continued, “Since using the Karma Diamonds to tear down that barrier is out of the question, we’re going with this strategy instead, as it’ll force Infinator’s hand into our favor. It’s not the most ideal, but it will, at the very least, buy us more time until we can actually get past that barrier. Now, in order to perform such a feat in strengthening the dimensional walls, we need the five Karma Diamonds together, as despite their power they can’t do much of anything individually. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of the Heroes, we have all five Karma Diamonds, which will make our task doable. Now, let us begin. King Duskbane, please place all five Karma Diamonds around my feet. I’ll perform the necessary magic to activate them and execute our wish, as they require a large amount of spiritual energy, something that we Druids have an abundance of. Everyone, be ready for anything, as we don’t know how the Karma Diamonds will react after performing the ritual.”

King Duskbane placed the five Karma Diamonds in a circle around Queen Rease. He stepped back and gave her the signal. She nodded and began channeling massive amounts of spiritual energy. This energy caused the Karma Diamonds to glow, then float around her, and start to orbit her. First slowly, then a bit quicker, then much faster, until they were a multicolored blur swirling around the Druid Queen. Everyone watched with tense eyes as Queen Rease channeled even more energy into the Karma Diamonds. This act made the Karma Diamonds glow brightly before they released a massive wave of energy. The energy wave washed over everything, seemingly coating it in a protective barrier. It quickly spread out of the city and into the world. Within minutes the entire world was encased in a powerful barrier that seemed to fuse with the planet. After a moment the barrier vanished but the task was complete.

Queen Rease opened her eyes and said, “The Karma Diamonds have granted us our wish. The dimensional walls between Zakota and the Demon Realm have been enhanced significantly. This will severely derail Infinator’s plans, effectively forcing him to start all over again. Now…”

However, the orbiting Karma Diamonds started to shake, much to everyone’s surprise. They then turned into energy spheres and ricocheted all over the throne room. This action alarmed everyone.

“Oh no!” King Duskbane stated. “The Karma Diamonds are about to scatter to the wind! We need to catch them before they do!”

Skye already lunged at the red Karma Diamond. She managed to grab the sphere of light and clutch it by her navel. This placement caused the Karma Diamond to release a massive energy burst that sent the Light Elf flying. She crashed into a display of various armors, though what appeared to be a barrier suddenly formed around her, protecting her from the impact. It still knocked the armor display over, causing it to semi-bury her underneath the armor. Before anyone else could react, the spheres of energy shot out of the castle and vanished. Everyone looked shocked as things settled down.

“D-Don’t tell me we have to do the Karma Diamond hunt all over again!?” Eric sputtered.

Queen Amelia gained a look of dread, stating, “That’s a distinct possibility, Eric.”

Celtic and the rest of his party ran over to Skye and managed to dig her out from under the armor.

“Skye!” Celtic said franticly, “Are you okay?”

Skye gingerly sat up, “Yeah, don’t worry, I’m okay. I’m not hurt or anything. I think I saw a barrier form around me that shielded me from the impact and any damage I would’ve received. I’m guessing that’s one of the properties of my new Shadow Star Armor. But, yeah, I’m alright, no need to worry.”

However, as she stood up, she gained a look of confusion. She started to move her hands around her lower body, as if tying to feel something. This didn’t go unnoticed by the others.

“Is something wrong, Lady Skye?” King Duskbane asked.

Skye kept feeling around her lower body, saying, “I dunno. I feel like there’s this… lump somewhere inside of me. I feel… something inside of me.”

Queen Rease immediately walked over and used magic to scan Skye’s body. Her eyes widened as she discovered something.

“By the Gods, Lady Skye may have just kept our situation from getting worse!” she exclaimed. “Not all the Karma Diamonds are gone. When Lady Skye grabbed one of them it ended up fusing with her and is now inside her womb!”

Skye looked shocked, “W-Wait! Are you telling me that the Karma Diamond is in my womb!? That can’t be! The first thing I wanted in my womb is Celtic’s child.”

Celtic gained an incredulous look, “Skye, really?! This is not the time to be thinking about that!”

Queen Rease turned to everyone, “That is indeed the case. Lady Skye ultimately, and unwittingly, prevented us from losing all the Karma Diamonds in one swoop. This means that even if Infinator’s faction gathers up the other four, the fifth one is safely stashed away inside Lady Skye’s womb. I suggest we keep that quiet, as Infinator will have put two and two together and figured out that we used the Karma Diamonds to derail his plan. He’ll try to seek them out when he does, as they could not only reverse our plan, but he could even use them to erase all of the Heroes from existence. The fact of the matter is that thanks to Lady Skye’s bravery we managed to keep one Karma Diamond, thus it prevents Infinator from duplicating what we did and turning things back into his favor. Remember, the Karma Diamonds may be powerful, but they’re useless on their own. They all need to be gathered together in order to use their power. Thus, even if he gathers the other four, he can’t do anything with them, as the fifth is in a safe location. While we’ll have to remove it eventually, that’ll take some special magic, so it would be better to just keep it in there for good measures until further notice.”

Skye gained a look of disbelief. “You mean I have to carry this Karma Diamond in my womb until we gather the other four up?! You’re turning me into a royal treasure vault! Besides, it’s a bit uncomfortable in there.”

Viola scratched the back of her head, “Sorry, Skye, but that’s how it’s going to be. At least for a little while. You’d better get used to it, as we don’t have many other options right now. Besides, Queen Rease is correct: in order to extract it from your womb we would need special magic. Otherwise it could cause permanent damage to you if we tried other methods. So, for now, you’ll just have to get used to lugging that thing around in your womb. Consider it training for when you bear Celtic’s child.”

“Don’t you start with that, too!” Celtic protested.

Skye sighed defeatedly, “Okay, okay… dammit. This won’t be easy, as it feels really awkward in there, but if it keeps Infinator from getting all the Karma Diamonds and screwing up all our progress… so be it. I’ll just try to ignore it… though that won’t be an easy thing to do. Let’s just hope we can find the other four again before Infinator does, as I don’t want to lug this thing around in my womb forever.”

Queen Rease gave her a warm smile, “We’ll remove it eventually, Lady Skye, even if we don’t get all the Karma Diamonds back. Just, for now, keep it in there until we get some of the Karma Diamonds back in our possession. Or at least know where they are. Either way, we’ll get it out before you bear my nephew’s child.”

“Not you too!” Celtic sputtered in complete disbelief.

King Alvin sat back down on his throne, saying, “Well, the situation isn’t ideal, but we accomplished what we wanted, and that was to prevent Infinator from opening any dimensional gateways to the Demon Realm. And at least Lady Skye kept one of the Karma Diamonds from falling into his clutches. I can only image what Infinator’s reaction will be when he learns of this.”

Meanwhile, back in Infinator’s prison, his bellowing roar of frustration echoed throughout the entire cavern, frightening Sylph and the other Demon Generals. With great reluctance Sylph approached the energy vent and bowed before it, clearly terrified. Infinator’s eyes appeared from the vent, looking quite furious as he looked at a clearly frightened Sylph.

“That damn Chaos breed Shroud Hero!” he bellowed. “And those damn Shadokor and Druids! I can’t believe they managed to do this! They forcefully reset all my plans thanks to the infernal Karma Diamonds! As soon as that energy wave washed over the planet I KNEW it was them and the Karma Diamonds! THAT’S what they’ve been up to lately! I thought they were being unusually quiet! HOW DARE THEY DO THIS TO THE GREAT INFINATOR!!!”

Sylph was visibly trembling as she said, “I-It’s not all bad new, Master. T-The Karma Diamonds have scattered to the wind, meaning that we can find them and use them ourselves. A-After all, once they grant a wish they scatter again, so t-that means they’re no longer in the possession of the H-Heroes.”

Infinator’s raging eyes seemed to calm down as he heard this, “Yes, yes, that’s right. Once those Karma Diamonds grant the wish they’re assigned to, they go flying and relocate elsewhere. That means we can track them down and use them for ourselves. Since those damn Karma Diamonds are no longer in the possession of the Heroes and their allies, this gives us an opportunity to collect them ourselves and turn their tactic against them. Normally I’d restart my wave generators so we can resume our original plan but hunting those Karma Diamonds down first would be the better course of action. My Generals, come forth!”

The other Demon Generals appeared and bowed before Infinator alongside Sylph.

“Despite the loss of Laverna, we still have the fortunate result of having all of you back on your feet. Your mission is this: find the Karma Diamonds and bring them to me! And if you encounter any of the Heroes along the way… terminate them with extreme prejudice.”

“Your wish is our command, Master Infinator!” the Demon Generals all said in unison.

“Good. Now go! We mustn’t delay and find those Karma Diamonds! I’ll show those vile insects what happens when you mess with Infinator.”

Next Chapter: Crossing the Rubicon

That's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to see what happens to our Heroes.

 

[CynthiaLover]

The next chapter is live. (Warning: contains mild violence, mild language)

Spoiler: Chapter 20) Crossing the Rubicon

Crossing the Rubicon

​

It had been a few days since the Heroes and their allies had used the Karma Diamonds to strengthen the dimensional walls between Zakota and the Demon Realm, thereby preventing Infinator from proceeding with the next stage of his plan. The Heroes were awaiting any news on the location of the other Karma Diamonds. Skye had managed to get used to carrying the Karma Diamond that now resided in her womb, though she still found it somewhat uncomfortable. Things were quiet at the moment.

Celtic was in his party’s guest bedroom. He was crafting accessories with his tools using various materials he had on-hand. He had already made several accessories, which sat in a small box next to him. As he worked on them, his thoughts were on the Karma Diamonds and Infinator.

“I’m surprised Infinator is so quiet lately…” he said silently. “…Too quiet, actually. I would think he’d kick up a bigger fuss over his plans getting essentially reset back to the beginning. Unless he’s got a new plan cooked up to retaliate to our pre-emptive maneuver on him, he’s been a bit too quiet for my liking. I just hope this isn’t the calm before the storm.”

Suddenly, Skye embraced him from behind, “Hey, Cel! Working on more accessories?” She took one out from the box and looked at it, “Top quality, as always, loverboy. Do you plan on selling these? Or are they for us?”

“Depends,” the redhead replied. “I might sell at least a few for spending cash, but I haven’t fully decided. I just figured I’d make use of the time we have until we get some clue about either Infinator or the Karma Diamonds. Until then I want to at least do something productive, unlike the other Heroes. Time will tell.”

Skye nodded, “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. But even if you don’t sell them, we have other good items to sell like the various edible monsters we collected. And, who knows? Maybe you’ll find another use for those accessories.”

Celtic nodded and resumed his work while Skye sat down on her bed and watched. A little while later, after having made a satisfying amount of accessories, Celtic put them and all his tools away before he and Skye rejoined their party for lunch. Afterward he and his party returned to their room and he started making more accessories again. By the time he was finished night had fallen and everyone decided to call it a day.

The next morning after breakfast King Alvin had summoned Celtic and his party into the throne room. Once the Shroud Hero party was gathered he cleared his throat.

“Prince Avalar, we have news for you,” he said. “A Shadow Sentinel may have tracked down one of the Karma Diamonds. However, monsters infest the area where it is, so you have to go and retrieve it. It’s reported to be found somewhere in the Champa Marsh near the city called Goldora in the Flugel Kingdom’s territory. I’ve already gotten permission from King Saix to have you enter that location, as Goldora is one of the Flugel Kingdom’s biggest trader towns, thus it’s guarded to protect it from intruders like bandits. I was also informed that you got a Merchant Pass from Glimmer Rose Village. That’ll give you permission to enter that area without a fuss, along with give you discounts on any items in that you can purchase from the merchants. Make sure to use that if need be, as even though the guards will be aware that you have permission, that Merchant Pass might be needed in case some get a bit… problematic, to put it simply. While they’re not racist or anything, they might be a bit leery of your party’s diversity, so keep that Merchant Pass on-hand in case someone questions you. Do you still have it?”

Celtic pulled it out of his Tek-Pak, “As you can see, yes, I’ve kept it safe in my Tek-Pak in case it was needed.”

“Good. Now, a Shadow Sentinel will take you to Goldora, which is near the heart of the Champa Marsh. Start your search and retrieve the Karma Diamond before Sylph or another Demon General, or even just a bandit, does.”

A female Shadow Sentinel appeared, stating, “I will take you to your starting point. I can’t hang around, as I’ll draw suspicion from the locals, so Lady Skye will have to use Warp to get you back to Delgunner.”

Celtic nodded, “Okay. Work your magic and get us to that Champa Marsh.”

“Shadow Warp!”

The Shroud Hero party and the Shadow Sentinel vanished in black portals. They reappeared in the outskirts of a large city, near the entrance to an even larger marsh. The Shadow Sentinel bowed.

“This is where I take my leave. The rest is up to you. Be safe, sire.”

She then vanished in a black portal.

Celtic turned to his party, “Okay, let’s get to this. Let’s find that Karma Diamond before someone else does. Hopefully we have some way to detect it. But let’s get a move on and see if we can find it.”

Nodding the party ventured into the Champa Marsh. There were plenty of monsters roaming around, mostly ones the party faced before such as Silver Boars, Hydras, Jack Rabbicorns, Toxi-Slimes, and Blood Porcupines. However, there were some new monsters in the area such as pterodactyl-like ones with flaming beaks, giant blue and white jellyfish that looked like they were made from glass with yellow “eyes”, what looked like an aquatic version of a Two-Headed Bite Fang, and slime-like monsters with what looked like a megaphone for a mouth. Skye took note of these new monsters.

“Okay, looks like we’ve got a few new faces in this marsh,” she said. “We’ve got Fire Beaks, Jellyfish, Aqua Two-Headed Bite Fangs, and Gengar Slimes. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we found a few more new breeds of monsters here as well. But, enough of that, let’s find the Karma Diamond before one of the Demon Generals shows up.”

Celtic nodded, “Yeah. Let’s just hope we can detect it somehow, as it could very well be in the water under the muck. Come on, let’s get going.”

The party nodded and started to search for the missing Karma Diamond. Along the way they had to fight several monsters, who seemed pretty keen on keep the Shroud Hero party from getting too much done. This, however, did give Celtic ample opportunity to collect new Shroud powers and extra item drops. After a good hour and a half of searching they came to one of the largest marshes in the area. Suddenly, as they approached, Skye felt a jolt and clutched her lower body. This action alarmed the others.

“Skye!” Leon sputtered. “Are you okay?!”

Skye replied, “The Karma Diamond in my womb is reacting to something, giving me jolts of energy. That might mean we’re close to the Karma Diamond.”

Everyone looked around while Celtic tried to ease Skye’s pain. Suddenly, Rupert spotted something.

“Hey!” he stated. “I see a glow coming from the marsh! It might be the Karma Diamond!”

They all turned to see where Rupert was pointing to. Indeed there was a faint blue glow emitting from the water. Celtic transformed his arm into Mag-Bolt.

“This should fish it out,” he said. “Mag-Bolt!”

He activated the cyber magnet and pointed it toward the glow. At first it seemed like nothing happened. But then the light got brighter and something shot out of the marsh and latched itself to the Mag-Bolt. It was the blue Karma Diamond, covering in marsh muck and sopping wet, but nonetheless intact. This caused the Karma Diamond in Skye’s womb to stop reacting, making her breathe a sigh of relief.

“Woo… that’s better…” she sighed. “That wasn’t a pleasant experience, to say the least.”

Celtic removed the Karma Diamond from his Mag-Bolt, transformed his hand back to normal, took out a rag, and wiped the blue gemstone clean. He took a moment to examine it for any other possible problem.

Tyroe asked, “Does it look okay, pal?”

Celtic nodded, “Yeah, the Karma Diamond is completely intact. No scratches, chips, or any other such damage. Smells a bit like the marsh but other than that it’s pretty much perfectly fine.”

He then placed it in his Tek-Pak for safekeeping.

Zuzu placed her hands behind her head, “So… what now? Do we head back to Delgunner? Or should we check out Goldora a bit?”

Viola stated, “I suggest we take advantage of our outing and check out Goldora. Remember, it’s a market city, so there is a good chance we can find something rare or interesting. Plus, I’ve heard that there’s a shop here that sells rare herbs like Narspicious flowers, Swamp Lilies, and even Star Leaves. Those would make for some very useful potions. And maybe Celtic could sell a few of his accessories for some extra cash. Plus, I hear that the local restaurants have good food. And don’t forget we have the Merchant Pass, which will give us 15% discounts at all the shops here in the Flugel Kingdom.”

Celtic nodded, “Yeah, let’s do that. We might as well check it out, as we might not come back here, or at least not for a while, so we should take advantage of the fact that we have access to a new marketplace. We might find something pretty rare or useful. Besides, I’ve got a feeling that it might be wise to stick around for the night. I’ve got a gut feeling that something might happen tonight, so it might be a good idea to stay just in case.”

Leon asked, “What do you suspect will happen, Cel?”

“Hard to say, but I’ve got this sense of dread that something bad will happen near here. I can’t explain it exactly but I’d be willing to bet our next paycheck on it, as this gut feeling I’m having is pretty strong.”

Zuzu nodded, “To be honest, I agree with you. I’m also getting this instinctive feeling that something might happen. As someone who has lived off of my instincts for nearly 400 years, I know not to doubt them when they start reacting to something. Yeah, let’s stick around, just in case, as I can also sense something might happen tonight.”

Skye replied, “Okay, then, let’s stick around for the night and see if anything crops up. I’m willing to trust those instinctive feelings you two demons have, as they’ve been helpful in the past. Besides, might as well sample the local cuisine and shops while we’re at it since we may not get another chance to come here again for some time.”

Nodding, the party headed back to Goldora to check out the marketplace and keep an eye out for any problems. Celtic, Skye, and Zuzu started to barter with the various merchants and travelers, selling the accessories that Celtic made for a tidy profit, while Viola, Leon, Tyroe, and Rupert checked the other shops out, having borrowed Celtic’s Merchant Pass in order to get the discounts. After a while the party went to one of the local restaurants and had dinner before they headed to the inn to rest for the night. It was then a familiar figure appeared in the area.

In the cover of night a winged individual soared over the Champa Marsh. Landing in a tree it was revealed to be Sylph. She seemed to be holding some sort of magical device that she was using to track something. She grit her teeth in frustration as she checked the device.

“Dammit!” she spat. “Someone beat me to the Karma Diamond! The device Master Infinator gave me can detect the Karma Diamonds, but it appears that someone beat me to the punch, as all I’m getting on the scanner is residual energy. It was probably that damn Chaos breed Shroud Hero and his party. Now what?”

Suddenly, the device started to activate and detect something, alerting Sylph to it. She took flight again and went deeper into the marsh. She came to some old ruins that were partly sinking into the muck. As she landed on the top step, the device was beeping. She checked it out before walking inside.

“This device is detecting an energy within these old ruins,” she observed. “Since this device also detects dimensional gateways, there must be some kind of gateway in here for it to start reacting.”

She came to the back of the ruins. The device was beeping pretty fast now. Sylph felt the back wall of the ruins and detected something.

“Hang on, I can sense a small pocket dimension here. Maybe it’ll have something good.”

She activated a strange claw-like gizmo on her left arm and slashed the wall with it, revealing a dimensional gateway. She jumped through it and emerged in a strange space. There were massive thorny vines everywhere. After taking a few steps her eyes widened in shock as she saw something. Ensnared in the vines was a large monster, easily twice the height of Alastor. Its upper half was that of a female porcelain doll with wild black hair, a large, elegant yet tattered dress, and a crown. Its lower body was that of a rusty iron maiden lined with blood-stained spikes. Sylph nearly dropped the device she was holding.

“N-No way! Bronwen!?”

Sylph flew up to the face of the monster and tried to get it to respond. After a bit the monster slowly started to come to. It opened its eyes, revealing them to be pink pools of energy. It slowly began to speak.

“Huh…? …Mistress Sylph? Is… that you?” it said.

Sylph was amazed, “Bronwen! So this is what happened to you! How did you end up like this?”

Bronwen replied weakly, “The Sword, Spear, Axe, and Bow Heroes locked me up in this pocket dimension… I don’t know how long I’ve been here… Tell me, Mistress Sylph… Did we win?”

Sylph shook her head, “No, we didn’t. Master Infinator was destroyed, though his soul remained, and was imprisoned by the Light Elves in an attempt to whitewash their involvement in the war. That didn’t go over well. And we have Delgunner to thank for that, as they summoned the Shadokor to turn the tide. I was the only survivor of the war on our side, and I’ve been busy helping Master Infinator in his revival. It’s been 2500 years since that fateful battle, and we’ve managed to start the war up again in a bid to speed up Master Infinator’s revival. However, the current generation of Heroes are an absolute laughingstock. All except the Shroud, however, as he’s proven to be the biggest thorn in our side since the Shadow Prince himself. Considering he's a direct descendent of the Shadow Prince, it’s not hard to see why.”

Bronwen replied, “So, the current Shroud Hero is a descendent of the Shadow Prince? That’s not good. No wonder you’ve been having trouble with him. But why are you here? And how’d you find me after all this time?”

“To be honest I was looking for a Karma Diamond. The Heroes and their allies managed to collect the Karma Diamonds and use them to effectively reset Master Infinator’s progress and plans. He… didn’t take it too well. However, because the Karma Diamonds scattered to the wind, I and the current generation of Demon Generals are now on the hunt to retrieve them and turn the tables on the Heroes with their own tactic. One was supposed to be in this area but it appears someone, most likely the Shroud Hero, got it first. However, the device I have can also detect dimensional gateways and it ultimately led me to you. This is actually good timing. We recently lost a Demon General permanently, but if we can get you back up to speed then we’ll have bolstered our forces back to a more desirable level. Plus, since you’re a veteran like me, it’ll improve your rank with Master Infinator. What do you say, Bronwen?”

The monster nodded, “Yes, please take me to my Master. And because I’ll finally be free I can also release the Wrath Iron Maiden monsters from their prisons back into the world.”

Sylph smirked, “Yeah, that’ll be good. And because the world hasn’t seen the Wrath Iron Maidens in 2500 years they won’t be ready for them. Now, let’s get you out of here.”

Sylph slashed at the vines, tearing them apart, allowing Bronwen to be freed. She clanged to the ground after the last vine was cut, took a deep breath, and started to float. Sylph led her back to the dimensional gateway that led back to Zakota. As they emerged from the ruins, little did they know that a Shadow Sentinel was watching.

Bronwen then said, “Just a moment, Mistress Sylph, I have one last thing to do before we head back.”

She started to channel energy before releasing a massive energy wave. She then slumped down in exhaustion.

“There, it’s done. I’ve released the seal on my fellow Wrath Iron Maidens and their variants. The world won’t know what hit them.”

Sylph gained a toothy grin, “Good. And I’m looking forward to that. Now, let’s get you back to Master Infinator and restore to your original power level, if not better than before. Teleport Crystal activate!”

She used a Teleport Crystal that she was holding in her tail to cause both Demon Generals to vanish. The Shadow Sentinel then vanished as well before reappearing in the room where the Shroud Hero party was sleeping in the inn. She gently shook Celtic awake.

“What’s going on?” he asked groggily.

“Apologies, Prince Avalar, but a major problem has just occurred.”

Zuzu gave a big yawn as she said, “We thought something bad would happen so we stuck around. What happened?”

“Sylph was in the area searching for the Karma Diamond you acquired. However, after learning it was already taken, she found a pocket dimension where a previous Demon General, General Bronwen, had been sealed away. She is one of Infinator’s original Demon Generals like Sylph and is a more evolved version of a breed of monsters called Wrath Iron Maidens, which originate from the Demon Realm. She’s effectively the species’ ‘boss’ due to Infinator enhancing her. She was sealed away by the first generation of Legendary Heroes, sans the Shroud as we Shadokor had not been summoned yet and has remained in a state of suspended animation until Sylph rescued her. She also took the time to release the Wrath Iron Maidens from their seals. This means a monster breed that hasn’t been seen since the Great Demon War will be returned to an unprepared world, and Wrath Iron Maidens are no pushovers. Sylph is taking Bronwen back to Infinator to recover, but upon her return she has released a powerful breed of monster into the world.”

Leon replied, “That’s not good. I’ve heard of Wrath Iron Maidens. They’re nasty and quite tough, especially since they have impressive defenses, making them hard to take down. Their defenses are said to be greater than even a Platinum Golem, who are considered the monster breed with one of the highest defenses out there. And they say they’re not too shabby on offense either.”

Zuzu added, “There’s more than just that, Leon. They’re also more intelligent than most monsters. They’re capable of higher reasoning, can use at least basic strategy, and can even talk, making them very dangerous. The world is woefully prepared to face them, especially now with the current crisis at hand. This means not only does Infinator have a new Demon General, but a breed of very powerful monsters has been released into the world again. This isn’t a good thing.”

Celtic turned to the Shadow Sentinel, “Go back to Shadoria and alert King Duskbane about this new problem. Quickly, while we have a chance to prepare before the Wrath Iron Maidens swarm the planet.”

The Shadow Sentinel bowed, “At once, Your Highness.”

She then vanished in a black portal.

Skye turned to Celtic, “Cel, what should we do?”

He replied, “Let’s hang around until morning to see if a Wrath Iron Maiden or two appears. That way we can get some data on them to bring back to King Alvin.”

Viola nodded, “Good idea. It’ll also allow us to gauge our strength against one to see if we can tackle them effectively.”

“Yes. Now, let’s get back to bed so we can be at our best in the morning in case a Wrath Iron Maiden or two appears.”

Nodding, the party returned to their slumber, knowing that they had a new threat to deal with.

Morning came soon enough. The party had a quick but filling breakfast before heading out into the Champa Marsh again. Zuzu flew up into the sky to get a good look of the swamp while the rest of the party awaited her report. Suddenly, she spotted something.

“Hey!” she called down to her party. “I see some traveling merchants! And it looks like they’ve been cornered by Wrath Iron Maidens! They’re just north of us!”

Celtic then said, “We must act fast, before those Wrath Iron Maidens make those merchants hole-ier than thou.”

The party nodded and quickly made their way north, with Zuzu flying ahead to try to intercept the Wrath Iron Maidens. At the spot a group of traveling merchants were cowering in terror as the new monsters had cornered them. There were three Wrath Iron Maiden. They looked like smaller versions of Bronwen, only with red hair, blue glowing eyes, green dresses, and darker colored iron maidens for lower bodies. They were at least one and half the size of a normal person, with the iron maidens taking up most of their body size. They cackled as they cornered the merchants.

“It’s been a long time since we got to terrorize pitiful humans!” one laughed.

“Y-You can talk!?” one of the merchants sputtered.

“Oh, we can do more than talk,” another Wrath Iron Maiden cackled. “And now it’s time for breakfast.”

A voice shouted, “Not on my watch!”

They turned to see Zuzu rocket toward them and punch one of them, sending it flying into the other two. She floated off the ground in a battle-ready pose. Celtic and the rest of the party ran up to join her, much to the relief of the merchants. The Wrath Iron Maidens managed to get themselves untangled and back upright.

“Whoever you are you just made a very big mistake,” the third Wrath Iron Maiden said.

“We’ll see about that!” Celtic stated. “Battle Formation: Gamma 12!”

The party took a set battle formation and began their assault on the Wrath Iron Maidens. The new monsters retaliated with everything they had but were clearly surprised at the power and coordination of the Shroud Hero party. The merchants were cheering as the Shroud Hero party fought off the Wrath Iron Maidens. After a few tense minutes the last one was killed, leaving behind shattered bodies and battered iron maidens. The party took a moment to catch their breath.

“They were a lot tougher than they looked,” Tyroe admitted.

Celtic nodded, “Yes, but we still proved victorious. And at least we now have a general idea of how strong they are. If the basic model, so to speak, is this tough and durable, then I can only imagine what the other Wrath Iron Maidens will be like.”

He walked over and absorbed one of them into his Shroud, creating the “Wrath Iron Maiden Shroud”. He then turned to the merchants.

“You lot alright?” he asked. “Nothing broken or injured?”

One of the merchants replied, “No, thanks to your timely arrival. We got out of that with scratches at worst. Thank you very much. Judging by how your strange shroud absorbed the monster, I’m guessing you’re the Legendary Shroud Hero, right?”

Skye nodded, “Yes, we are the Shroud Hero party. We were in the area looking for something when we learned of the Wrath Iron Maidens returning. We’re just glad you lot are okay and didn’t get skewered.”

Another merchant replied, “Yes, though it was a close call. But you said those were Wrath Iron Maidens? I thought they went extinct during the Great Demon War.”

“They didn’t go extinct,” Leon explained. “They just got sealed away when their ‘boss’ was sealed away. However, Sylph recently freed their ‘boss’ and she, in turn, freed her fellow Wrath Iron Maidens back into the world. We stuck around for a bit to ensure that no one got caught in the crossfire and it turns out we were on the money, as you all nearly got devoured by those Wrath Iron Maidens. Zuzu deserves the most thanks, as her flying ability allowed her to spot you all being attacked and got here the fastest to save your skins.”

Zuzu turned her head away, trying to hide her blush, “Yeah, well, whatever. I’m just doing my job as your party member, that’s all.”

One of the merchants said, “We must thank you for saving us. How about you take an item from our cart for free? Take your pick, as we’ve got lots of good stuff.”

Celtic nodded, “We’ll take you up on that offer, as anything could be helpful.”

The party sifted through some of the stuff in the carts. They eventually settled on a Cobra Grappling Hook, which the merchants graciously gave to them. They then escorted the merchants to Goldora for good measure while keeping an eye out for any more Wrath Iron Maidens. After they finished escorting the merchants they spread the news about a new species of monster having recently been released, with the merchants supporting their claims, much to the populous’ concern.

Celtic turned to his party, “Let’s get back to Delgunner and report to King Alvin. By now Uncle Duskbane had probably informed him about the current situation, so let’s report back and tell him and the other Heroes what we’ve learned. Skye, work your magic.”

Skye nodded, “On it. Warp!”

The Shroud Hero party vanished from Goldora to report back to King Alvin with the new data they had. They knew that the war just went up a notch with the return of a veteran Demon General now in Infinator’s ranks.

Next Chapter: Akuji Rides Again

And that's all for today. What does this old-new Demon General mean for Infinator? And what does it mean for the Heroes? Tune in next time to find out.