Chapter 78

Dave crashed into the chimera, stunning it for two seconds.

[-16,000]

He lit off his [Aura] Skill and started pummeling the stunned chimera.

As soon as the Stun ended the chimera swiped with its tail. Dave sidestepped the attack, and used [Infernal Tornado].

[-12,555]

[-10,555]

[-8,555]

Lone joined the fight with a [Piercing Arrow] aimed at the chimera's snake head. It penetrated through one eye, causing a [Blind] effect.

The tinkle of trolls kept beating the monster with their clubs and used their [Ice Pillar] Skill to shoot frozen spikes up from the ground, piercing through the belly of the creature.

Despite all the attacks from the others, [Infernal Tornado] easily made Dave the chimeras top threat priority, forcing it to focus its attacks on him.

Dave dodged an incoming neck grab with [Immortal Apparition]. When he landed, the Fear effect caused the chimera to hiss and back away in terror. Dave stomped down to cast [Death Surge] and black energy shot out from under his foot towards the chimera, staggering it and dealing massive amounts of damage.

Lone hit the monster with a [Binding Arrow], rooting the chimera in place. While the chimera was stunned and helpless Dave attacked with [Sword Lunge]. A blade of radiant energy flickered out and pierced through the chimera's body, further decreasing its HP.

The chimera's was HP quickly reaching critically low levels. It tried to retaliate by lunging at Dave, but he sidestepped and struck at it with [Decimating Smash]. The tinkle of trolls surrounded the snake and attacked it, quickly bringing it the end of its HP.

Level up!

Dave had only needed a bit of EXP to hit level 290, the death of the chimera was enough to push him over.

After the victory, the trolls rejoiced, doing one of their tribal dances complete with hoots, hollers and howls.

Your Gauntlets of the Stalwart had Leveled Up.

A new ability is unlocked.

"Nice!" Dave inspected the new ability of the gauntlet.

Rising Dragon.

The next melee attack after activating the skill is a rising uppercut that sends enemies into the air.

Deals 200% base Damage in fire element.

Rising Dragon has a 30% chance to immediately cause Overheating.

"Excellent skill!"

Dave removed the notification from his screen and went over to the body to loot it.

1 XLab Key.

10 X Gold.

1 X [Poison potion]

"What is up with these drops?" Dave was disgruntled.

"What did you get?" Lone asked.

"See for yourself," Dave showed her the loot.

"That's normal. This isn't the Underworld, y'know. The chimera wasn't a high-level monster."

He picked up the key and inspected it

A steel key that opens the Lab's gate.

"Well, I guess we don't need this, Drahma already opened the door for us," Dave said as he looked at the shattered door of the laboratory.

"We should get going," Dave said, looking at the still celebrating trolls.

"What the poor trolls that were poisoned," Lone said, looking at two trolls still lying unconscious on the ground.

Before anyone could answer, the red-maned troll knuckle-walked over to the two unconscious members of his tinkle and smacked them both on the head with his club. Lone gasped at the callous behavior, but surprisingly the two trolls stirred and sat up as if they had been napping. They just grinned and rubbed their heads, pointing at each other and laughing like insane hyenas.

Soon the trolls were huddled together again, hooting and howling raucously. After what seemed to be a short but tumultuous conference they charged through the gate in their usual chaotic non-formation and disappeared from view.

Beyond the gate was a spiral stone stair with large foot shaped indentations in the middle of each step. Drahma had taken the stairs down to the next level.

They followed in the giant's footsteps, literally, circling down the spiral stairs. The stairway ended in a room literally covered in green, thorn covered vines. The tangled and intertwined plants completely concealed the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling.

The vines ended in thorn lined clam-shapes with pink interiors. They looked just like venus fly traps, the carnivorous plants that eat house flies and other small insects, but these were big enough to chomp down on dogs or cats.

"Let's be careful from here on. I can't see the trolls anymore, they must be up ahead, but I have a feeling that these plants will suddenly jump on us if we are not careful," Dave said.

Jura twisted the shaft of his trident changing it to its spear form, with the spear on fire.

"Those are Ice Consuming plants, fire is the best way to kill them, but if you don't step on their trigger-roots, they won't attack." Jura moved slowly and carefully not touching specific parts of the plants. Lone and Dave followed behind Jura's every step.

The three soon heard the sounds of battle. The trolls were engaged in battle against the plants. Some of the trolls were wrapped up in the vines like mummies and the rest were trying to free them, swinging at the vines with their clubs or trying to bite through them. The trolls were not really making any progress, the plants consumed the Ice Pillars they cast, just growing tougher.

"Let's help them out," Lone said in a worried tone.

Dave moved to the closest troll and grabbed one of the growing veins. His gauntlets immediately set the plant on fire, wilting it rapidly. The plants, sensing danger, converged on Dave, slithering and writhing toward him like snakes. A dozen carnivorous plant opened their mouth wide, fluids and fang-thorns all trying to snap at Dave and rip him to shreds.

Dave activated [Aura] and the plants recoiled from the burning effects of the Skill, hissing and retreating rapidly to the grooves and cracks they grew from.

"That was easy," Dave said, disabling [Aura].

Just as he finished speaking, the ground trembled then cracked wide open and a green vine the size of a tree pushed up from underneath. It had a wide round mouth like a leech, filled with circles of sharp teeth.

The plant oozed fluid all over. It looked at Dave, the 'torch' that had caused it pain, with hostility.

Some of the giant plant's limbs were charred, they were the vines that Dave had burnt with his [Aura] Skill.

Ice-Borne Plant

Level: 280

Damage 15,000-20,000

Rank: Epic

HP:250,000

MA:1,000

DN:15,000

Skills:

[Toxic Smoke] Spits a toxic gas cloud that does poison damage over time, lasts for 20 seconds doing 2,000 Poison Damage per second.

[Meat Grinder] Engulfs a prey in its maw and chews with all its might, dealing full base damage and 200% of the base damage as Bleeding damage over 10 seconds.

[Earthly Embrace] coils around a target dealing 200% of base damage until they are suffocated. Suffocated targets remain dazed for 10 seconds.

Bestiary:

The Ice Borne plants are mutated plants that were genetically modified to consume ice to make themselves stronger. They are extremely resilient against all water and earth related attacks, but as they are still plants, they are inherently weak against fire

"Alright, another easy bag of EXP! YOU! Trolls! Back away! The poison will get you!" Dave said as he dashed toward the plant while activating [Aura].

Dave initiated his attack with a classic [Stampede], [Twin Strike], [Immortal apparition] and [Death Surge] this combo took a quarter of the monster's HP.

"Nice combo!" Lone yelled as she shot an arrow at the worm.

Dave dodged the plant's lunge and retaliated with his new skill [Rising Dragon].

The draugr avatar bent at the knees, his right arm chambered under his ribs and then cannoned up into the plant's lower jaw with a spiral of fire accompanying in the shape of an eastern dragon.

Monster too massive to be sent airborne!

Dave's avatar came down and he saw the monster squirming in pain, its face on fire.

Dave ignored the notification and threw two punches.

The trolls joined the fight and attacked with their clubs. But instead of Damage, the worm started healing up. Dave noticed that whenever the troll's club met the plant, it would absorb some of it.

"Trolls, stop attacking!" Dave ordered. Surprisingly the trolls complied and backed away. "Lone, hit it with fire!"

"Alright!"

Lone used [Bombarda]. Nocking a fiery arrow to her bow, she shot at the plant. The arrow penetrated through the monster's open gullet and exploded inside. Though no damage registered, the arrow still Staggered the plant.

Dave used [Infernal Tornado] , every fist ruptured a part of the plant, causing fire to seep into it.

You successfully applied Overheating.

The plant caught fire and started losing 500 HP per second. The plant spat out a purple gas cloud toward Dave. Lone was too close to the AOE spell.

"Poison! Live-meat back away!" Dave said.

The plant lunged at Dave again, but this time he didn't react quickly enough and was eaten whole. The plant latched its fangs into Dave's avatar with a bone-crunching sound.

As a member of an undead race that does not bleed

Bleed effect failed to apply.

"Bastard plant, I'll show you why you should never eat a draugr!" Dave cursed from inside the plant and selected [Dragon Ball].

Dave's torso was caught in the rows of fang, but his hands were free to make the Ninja Hand seals used to activate the Skill. Conjured flames appeared and gathered, adding to Dave's [Aura]. A fireball the size of a wrecking ball coalesced inside the stomach of the plant.

The plant bloated up like a balloon and ejected Dave along with a blast of flame, sending the draugr rolling across the floor.

[-180,778]

Dave was lying spreadeagled on the floor. When he raised his head to look, the plant was wilting and dying. Dave didn't expect the damage value to be so high.

"What was that?!" Lone was surprised too.

"Probably a critical hit," Dave answered as he got up.

All over the room the vines started wilting and for the first time the the entirety of the hall they were in was revealed.

"Look," Lone pointed.

Life sized ice sculptures lined the walls of the room. The figures depicted armored warriors wielding swords, lances and glaives.

"Those statues look very life-like," Dave said. He tried to inspect one. The inspection failed.

Jura moved closer. "These are ice warriors who served the queen with loyalty until the Black Skull Order captured them and tried to enslave them. To protect them the queen blessed them, transforming them into Eternal Ice. Only her majesty, the queen, can undo this enchantment."

Dave nodded as he went over to loot the plant.

"We still have a lot of levels to fight through before we get to this queen of yours. We better hurry up, Drahma is far ahead of us by now."