Beast realms 01, p.22
Beast Realms - 01, page 22
part #1 of Beast Realms Series
“Precognition is a useful tool,” the sage said, standing, his fur gray again. “But it won’t help you escape all attacks. Some are just unavoidable.”
“Like a large explosion?” Art asked.
“Exactly. But it can be incredibly useful when used appropriately. Next, we need to focus on improving your senses.”
The sage ruffled his nose, his ears pert. “Natural energy can help you to better understand what’s happening around you, if you are receptive enough. You must allow your senses to guide you, to trust in what you see, hear and smell. These senses can be enhanced beyond their natural limits.”
“What should I do?” Art asked, enthused. He’d noticed other players and NPCs sniffing the air like dogs, but hadn’t really considered that they might have heightened senses.
“You must draw in natural energy and focus it onto your body,” the sage said. “If you want to enhance smell, you draw the energy into your nose. If you want to see further, you draw the energy into your eyes.
“First, draw in the natural energy – it exists everywhere, even in Beasts, the rocks and air, but it is easiest to draw from the plants. Remain still and cross your wrists over your chest. This action helps to pull the energy in toward you.”
Art crossed his wrists over his chest in an X-shape. A thin veil of light green mist appeared all around him, circulating in the air. The lights were more vibrant and plentiful around the plants.
“Can you see the energy?”
“Yes, I see it.”
“Good, now imagine it drawing toward you, feel it coming closer like you’re taking a deep breath and it’s filling your lungs.”
Art pictured the green energy circulating toward him, and it began to shift in his direction. It touched his skin, and disappeared inside him, like liquid sucked through a straw.
His mana bar flashed green instead of its usual blue.
“Taking in natural energy, you will regenerate mana,” the sage said. “Now, focus the energy on your nose.”
Art imagined the green mist rising through his body and gathering on his nose. His snout glowed with a faint green light.
“This is weird,” Art said.
“Now, what can you smell to the east?” the sage asked.
Art faced east and sniffed. There was a strong floral scent. “I can smell flowers.”
“And west?”
Art sniffed west. Something rotten, like the time he left a tub of mayo in the sun. “Mold? No, it’s meatier. Is it rotting flesh?”
“A Beast carcass; I can smell it too,” the sage said. “And now focus on your ears. There is something deep beneath the ground, can you hear it?”
Art willed the energy to his ears and they glowed green.
“We’re the only people who can see this green energy, right? I won’t look bizarre doing this?”
The sage smiled warmly. “It’s only us; you will appear normal to others. Now, what do you hear?”
Art looked down at the ground. He could hear the small rumblings of a Beast digging in the dirt. He drew more energy to his ears, and listened harder, catching the noise of the Beast’s claws scraping against stone, and its heart beating in its chest.
“I can hear it digging, and its heartbeat!” Art said, barely able to contain his excitement. It was like a whole new world had been revealed to him; a world which had always been there, but he’d never noticed.
“Good. Good. But the energy won’t stay in you indefinitely. You’re just learning to harness it, so you can only maintain this for a short time.”
“This would be great for sneaking around undetected. You could hear if anyone was in the next room,” Art said.
“Yes, it has many… useful applications,” the sage said. “But you cannot continuously draw in natural energy. Your body cannot sustain it.”
Art received a notification:
New Gray Knight ability acquired!
Nature’s Gift (0 Mana) When standing still, regenerate 20% of your maximum Mana and heighten your senses beyond their natural limits
Draw natural energy into you when standing still. Enhance your sight, taste, smell, hearing and touch.
(Spell duration 1 minute, cooldown 15 minutes)
“This is amazing,” Art said, eager to show Nux what he’d learned. He didn’t doubt that these new abilities could completely change how he played Beast Realms. Whilst they may not be great for his offensive capabilities, they were well suited to players who preferred to use their mind to settle most matters.
“There is one final skill you must learn which will aid in your defense and attack, providing you with a balanced technique for battle. If you can master that, you will face a final test.”
Art gulped. “What kind of test?”
“You must fight me.”
22
A Balanced Test
Art followed the sage to a great oak at the edge of the Lake of Realms. The oak’s trunk was far wider and much taller than any other tree in the area, but its bark was stony gray, and it had no leaves or nests in its branches; its wood was cracked and rotten.
“This tree has watched over the lake for hundreds of years,” the sage said. “It is fed by the lake’s water, but over time it has decayed. Nature gives and takes; it does not judge.” The sage sat beside the tree. “In my Light Form, I can connect to the energies of creation.”
The sage closed his eyes and remained completely still, almost as though he had stopped breathing. Art watched in silence as the rabbit’s fur turned from gray to baby blue. The sage stood and placed a paw on the tree, his face at first peaceful but changing to a pained grimace as light seeped from him, into the great oak.
The gray bark around the sage’s paw turned brown, the color spreading like a virus around the huge trunk and through the branches, until the entire tree was nutbrown. Bright green leaves grew from its branches, unfurling and widening, and within a minute the once-dead tree was reborn. A small bird landed on one of its branches, its painted chest pulsing as it sang happily.
“You brought it back to life!” Art said, gasping. “Can you teach me that?”
Art imagined resurrecting Nux, Nails and Shadow Weaver in battle, saving them from losing their items and experience. A resurrection skill would be incredible. What he wouldn’t give to be able to perform it in the game, and in real life.
“No…” the sage panted, his voice airy, with a celestial echo lurking within it, as if two voices were speaking at once. The sage stumbled forward. “This technique, Give Life, takes something from its user. There is always a balance – you cannot have power without sacrifice. You do not want to learn this technique, trust me.”
Art wasn’t convinced, but the technique had clearly taken a toll on the sage. Just what had he sacrificed, and why?
“Will you be okay?” Art asked.
“Yes,” the sage said, straightening. A yellow light shone in his eyes and his voice thickened with the celestial echo. He leapt high into the air, snatching an acorn from a high branch.
He held the acorn out to Art. The nut’s shell was transparent, trapping a golden light inside.
“What is it?” Art asked.
“Swallow it.”
Art took the acorn. It was warm between his fingertips.
Down the hatch!
He opened his mouth wide and tossed the acorn inside, gulping. It slid down his throat with surprising ease.
“Now what?” Art asked.
“Now drink from the Lake of Realms. Water the seed.”
Art cupped his hands and dipped them into the lake, filling them with water. He drank from his hands.
“Good,” the sage said, his voice seeming to reverberate around Art. “Now concentrate on the seed, allow it to become a part of you.”
Art felt the warmth of the seed heavy in his stomach. The heat spread through him, and it felt as though needles were pricking under his skin.
Something’s not right…
The heat intensified. Sharp thorns pierced through Art’s skin and a thick vine ruptured his palm from the inside, growing out of his hand. The vine swelled, wrapping itself around his arm. Art’s heart boomed in his chest.
“What have you done to me?!” Art cried. The vine continued to stretch around his neck, its thorns blocking his vision as they crawled over his face.
“Do not panic,” the sage said. “I didn’t expect this manifestation, but you are safe.”
Art bent his arm. The vines were flexible enough not to hinder his normal movement.
“Stay calm,” the sage said. “Encourage another vine to grow around your hand. Form it into a shield.”
Art took a deep breath. The vines weren’t attacking him, but they had surprised him.
He focused on his fist. A vine grew from the palm of his hand, curving to form a handle. It continued to expand, spiraling repeatedly until it had formed a small round wooden shield with thorns on its front.
“Good. With practice, you can encourage the vines to grow as you please,” the sage said. “Try covering your weapon with them.”
Art drew his hammer and imagined the plant wrapping around it. The vines covered the hammer’s head in sharp thorns, with thick woody tendrils reaching over his hand, protecting it like the guard of a sword.
A notification appeared and Art opened it:
New Gray Knight ability acquired!
Vines (10 Mana) Create thorny vines
You feel nature coursing through your veins. Grow a thorny vine (up to 5 meters) from your hand, shaping it to your will. Weak against fire. Vines remain for 5 minutes or until they are destroyed
The sage nodded and his blue lips stretched into a smile. “These vines may not seem formidable yet, but they may grow stronger with you. Used wisely, they can aid your attack and defense.”
“They’re amazing!” Art said, finally calming down after the initial shock of giving birth to the quick-growing flora. The vines could have so many useful applications, inside and outside of battle, he realized. And if he were using his full mana pool, he could create around twenty-five meters of vines if needed. That was surely enough to cover his entire body!
“Then I think you’re ready for the final test. Rest and recover. You’ll need every bit of energy you can muster if you’re going to pass...”
Art watched his mana pool refill. When he had enough mana available, he created more vines, shaping them around his head, shoulders, chest and arms as best he could. It would take time to perfect this technique – although he’d crafted the armor carefully, there were gaps where he couldn’t twist the vines so that their spikes didn’t dig into his skin.
Even fully armored, he was nervous to face the sage. Some of his vines might disappear during the fight, since they existed for a limited time. He wasn’t entirely sure how resilient they were, either, or whether they could hinder him more than help him.
The sage was pink again and he paced impatiently as he waited for Art to finish his preparations. Art was pretty sure that the pink version of the sage was his Dark Form, the form he used to improve his attacks. Taking on the form also seemed to make the sage more curmudgeonly and short-tempered. From what Art had seen and been hit with, the Dark Form of the sage meant the sage was able to focus electricity into his attacks and gave him incredible strength, especially for a cute pink rabbit.
What tactic should he take against this little bullet of rage? He couldn’t get hit by the sage’s Savage Palm again, or the fight would be over. Art had been paralyzed for five seconds, which would likely be more than enough chance for the sage to finish him off. The sage had also said he was holding back when using Savage Palm, so the full force of the skill could potentially kill Art in a single hit.
The only other attack the sage had revealed was a leaping kick which felt like being rammed by a bull. Art would likely survive that kind of attack, but it might knock the wind out of him again.
“Look kid,” the sage said. “We can’t stand here all day. Are you ready?”
“What are the rules of this fight? Last man standing doesn’t seem fair. You’re a master and I’m just an apprentice.”
The sage’s nose ruffled. “Alright. You’ve got a point. How about this: if you can touch me, you win.”
Just how confident is he?! Well, I won’t argue.
“Deal,” Art said, approaching the sage. He held out his hand, inviting the sage to shake on the deal.
“I wasn’t born yesterday you know,” the sage said, backflipping away. “Now, get ready!”
The sage’s outline darkened, seeped in a blood-red shadow. His claws and teeth grew longer and sharper, his eyes turned black. His outline crackled briefly with a blue spark. He disappeared.
“Shit!” Art muttered, readying his tail and drawing his hammer. Art spun to guard his perimeter but he was too late. The sage’s outline flickered and he reappeared behind Art. The rabbit stood on its front paws and kicked Art with both feet, blasting Art twenty feet vertically into the air, shattering the vine armor which had covered his rear.
Damage absorbed by vines: 5
Damage taken: 10
HP: 40/50
Mana: 40/50
Art twisted as he reached the peak of his elevation. The sage waited directly beneath him, wreathed in black flames. He was clearly planning on finishing Art off with a single large attack from the ground as Art fell toward him.
Art closed his eyes and took a deep breath, initiating Precognition:
Dodge chance: 75%
Not bad! Three-out-of-four chance this could work.
Art fell toward the sage, still managing to cling onto his hammer, readying his tail for a quick strike. If he could dodge the sage’s attack with Precognition, he only needed to land a single successful counterattack to win.
Three black shadows, each shaped like a fist, flew out of the sage’s paw. The shadowy fists surrounded Art as he fell, homing in on him like missiles.
Precognition kicked in, automatically bending Art’s body out of the path of the first fist, which slammed into the ground and disappeared.
Art landed on his feet, whipping his tail at the sage, but the sage backflipped away to safety.
Art kept his attention on the second black fist as it flew toward him, but his back tingled with the pressure of the third black fist attacking from behind.
He leapt into the air and swung his hammer, smashing one black fist out of the air. He spun to face the final fist as it plunged into his chest armor.
Art staggered backward but remained on his feet. He scanned his surroundings – the sage was nowhere to be seen.
Why don’t I have a damage report?
He looked down at the final black fist as it clung onto the vine armor covering his chest. The shadowy paw sizzled on the vines, burning through them like acid.
Shit, it’s eating through the vines, toward my heart!
Acid damage: 2
Acid damage: 2
Acid damage: 2
Art pulled at the vines, snapping them and tearing them away from his chest. They dropped to the ground and continued to burn.
He checked his condition:
HP: 36/50
Mana: 17/50
The few seconds he’d used Precognition had really drained his mana, but he’d come out of the sage’s first assault relatively unharmed.
The sage was out of sight, but Art couldn’t relax. He crossed his arms over his chest to initiate Nature’s Gift. Green energy danced over the plants around him, and Art drew it closer, absorbing it.
20% Mana recovered.
Mana: 27/50
He didn’t know the sage’s smell, so he focused the natural energy onto his eyes. His vision sharpened until he could see further into the surrounding area, where each leaf looked vibrant with veins and folds. The dust on the ground had been disturbed where he’d fought, and there were paw prints leading toward the lake.
Art followed the prints, shifting the natural energy to his ears as he approached the water. A dull thump sounded from within the Lake of Realms, the heartbeat growing louder and faster as Art closed in on its source, as if someone were watching him and growing excited as he approached.
It has to be the sage. He’s too quick for me to land a strike. I have to slow him down, like I did with the huntsman’s bolts, but Nails’ Silk Spray isn’t an option this time…
Art felt the warmth of the acorn in his stomach and willed a vine to grow in his left palm, urging it into the shape of a net. He then created a second vine, extending the net’s size.
“Come get me!” Art shouted at the water, where the heartbeat had sounded.
The sage leapt from the lake, his eyes burning red, his claws crackling with the immense blue energy of Savage Palm.
Art took aim with his net as the sage flew forward, his tiny pink paws erupting with lightning.
He’s not holding back this time.
Art initiated Precognition just as the sage’s attack was about to make contact. He dodged to the side, casting his vine net over the sage and pulling it down to the ground with a heavy thud.
Art’s mana was completely drained, and his Precognition had ended.
The sage punched the ground angrily, gnawing at the vines to escape the net. He stared at Art through the netting and stopped struggling.
Art extended his index finger and poked it through one of the gaps in his netting, prodding the sage in the stomach.
Art grinned. “Got you.”
“You’re a tricky one, I’ll give you that,” the sage said as Art released him from the vines. “But a deal’s a deal. You win.”
