Chapter 72

  Murphy’s Law, and the Odds of Fighting Alone

  BANG! BANG! BANG!

  Shots echoed, as smoke and dust rose up from the pistols that Markan was firing his enhanced earth infused bullets from. Bullets that I know for a fact can pack a punch and penetrate the hardest of materials with wedging effects. That was why I was so confused by the fact that he now used these same pistols to fire towards Mr. Karl and Mr. Yi.

  However there was a method to the madness, as the shots that were fired, while close ended up falling well away from Mr. Karl and Mr. Yi both.

  Watching Markan work, I saw that his first shot was ahead of Mr. Karl by about two feet, and to the right. The moment the blast impacted the solid ice, it had a wedging effect as expected of his earth bullets. But rather than destroying the ice, it instead wedged itself inside a small crease, before erupting dirt shot out wards. The earth used in this case was akin to sand, not dense enough to provide more impact, meaning that instead the excess energy had to go backwards, towards the top of the frozen marsh. The minute the first shot landed, I saw the genius of the attack.

  Well the full genius of the attack wasn’t fully shown until a few moments later, when Markan fired more and more shots with his left pistol, all carving a path forward for Mr. Karl. Two feet forward and slightly to the left of the first impact site was where the second earth infused bullet landed. Then the third was two more feet forward and once again to the right.

  In a matter of seconds like this, Markan had done the impossible. He had given Mr. Karl and Mr. Yi a tactical advantage over the frozen pond by giving them a series of disjointed but loosely connected foot paths that could be taken to gain both speed and get closer to the lurking monster. A monster who was even now having a hard time clawing its way on the flash frozen marsh.

  “Phew!” Markan eventually let out a sigh as sweat beaded on his forehead letting me know that he was done with his part. Mentally I tracked it all and realized that Markan had fired ten shots for Mr. Karl and twelve for Mr. Yi, a total of twenty-two earth infused shots. I assume less energy had to be expended due to the fact that this was sand being created and not something complex like the explosive shots he had fired earlier at the spiders.

  Glancing over to Mr. Yi, I realized that he had roughly the same distance to cover, but Markan had seemingly made his foot paths just a little bit closer together. Going at roughly one and a half feet apart, versus the two that were used for Mr. Karl. My mind saw this and analyzed for a moment, and then saw how much team work really paid off. For had Markan not known the strides of both individuals, he might have made them both roughly the same length apart, assuming the stride length for each would be similar, thereby wasting two more shots than necessary for Mr. Karl’s massive size and stride length. Also, it would have made Mr. Karl have to take shorter choppier steps.

  Instead, what I saw was Mr. Yi and Mr. Karl both seem to count in their minds. Then once they both got to the same number they turned, locked gazes, nodded. Then it was go time.

  Without any words or need to coordinate, they understood each other and just started charging forward. Mr. Karl’s longer legs easily able to charge forward and get to full speed on the expanded steps moving forward. Similarly, Mr. Yi was also able to get to full stride in a matter of seconds, his feet easily finding the steps and charging forward, while occasionally looking up to find the still struggling monster.

  However the monster seemed to feel the threat of danger coming right at it, as it lowered its body to the ground and began to pull and radiate power. The act of lowering its body did give it more surface space and thereby tension to work with, to keep it from sliding, but it also forced the giant creature to lose some of its energy due to the cold that was now seeping into its reptilian fame.

  Still despite, the fact that we had done everything right, even going so far as to give our two fighters the tactical advantage, I couldn’t help but feel slightly tense at the situation. Especially as a wave of blue water energy began to well up in the beast’s body. Perhaps seeing my tension, or just as a means to calm herself, Madame Voyou chose this moment to expand more knowledge about combat.

  “Ice, as the more powerful progression of water, will drain all water-based Skills by half,” Madame Voyou commented, her voice still tired, but she was now apparently good enough to work her way back up to her feet. Well, to her one foot and planting her prosthetic hard into the ground.

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  Markan, not to be left out, also chose this moment to also add in his own exhausted tone, “magma does the same for flame and fire-based Skills.”

  Hearing their words I nodded, it made sense in a way. Water would naturally have its energy drained by ice and no doubt be less potent when trying to attack into or through solid ice type structures. Similarly, flames would only add to magma. I assumed there were more examples of these counters, maybe metal lightning rods for lightning and the like. I could see this being something I needed to explore further in the future. But for right now, I decided to focus.

  Looking at the attack, I can’t help but feel that this was mostly wasted. We effectively lost half the team for favorable setting and mitigating the rift’s anchor monster’s main form of attack, water.

  Yet, looking at the two charging warriors, I could only feel that this would end poorly. Call it the pessimist in me, or the realist, but it seemed all too easy. I dared not state this, but I instinctively found myself moving further towards me right, towards the area where Mr. Yi first entered the battlefield. Towards the area with the smaller spaces between each footpath used.

  “YAAAHHH!” As I began moving closer, Mr. Karl’s unmistakable voice erupted with a loud scream. Ten steps, a few seconds to run. I even saw how they both seemed to slow down midway through, making eye contact before nodding in agreement. Both letting the other know that they were ready to strike out.

  It came down to this, the two warriors, one a large battleaxe wielding brute that took the monster head on, while the other was a more speed type striker. Even the composition of the team seemed to be varied just enough to help sure up any weaknesses.

  Which just left me, the lone one out. While I did help with the creation of the marsh freezing effect, I was still fine, despite Madame Voyou clearly being a little too tired to add much more to this battle. Markan appeared to be too tired to do much more. Not that I assumed he could be overly accurate with his shots at the distance he would now have to fire at. Particularly with Mr. Karl and Mr. Yi being potentially in the way.

  “LAWRAWWLLL” the might beast erupted, hearing Mr. Karl’s war cry and with a flashing of its eyes, it let out a breath and did something I didn’t think was possible. It used a water attuned Skill to attack. Not that I didn’t’ expect the monster to be able water attributed Skills, but I didn’t think this skill was possible or seemingly advised. Particularly as I was certain it was one that required the monster to be underwater to be particularly effective. Still, it used the Skill like it was its only chance of succeeding, which might have very well been the case.

  SNAP!

  Lunging forward, the beast opened its massive u-shaped maw and tried to snap onto Mr. Karl. Mr. Karl, not to be outdone, used his own flame infused Skill and half fell, half melted his way free of the snapping jaws of the giant beast. Yet the beast’s skill wasn’t done with just a simple snap, for in true alligator form, once the mouth was shut, the beast began to twist and roll. It’s massive head slamming into Mr. Karl and pushing his burning body deeper into the melting ice, while rolling over and past him.

  Unfortunately, Mr. Yi was a split second late with his own attack at the back section of the beast. Leaping high into the air, he held his glowing blade in a clear stabbing position, one that would have met with force and power. Unfortunately, he managed to land, just as the beast began to rotate. The spinning motion of the beast being more than enough to deflect the incoming attack and send Mr. Yi sliding off into the unpathed portion of ice. A portion where he could only stop his backward momentum by digging his blade deep into the ice to halt his momentum.

  “RWLAWRUM!” The beast now having fully separated the two fighters, stopped its Skill based attack and half squirmed, half shimmied its way back down the ice. All while a glowing red axe slashed and sliced its way up from the ice.

  While Mr. Karl managed to deliver a quick wounding strike to the underside of the beast before it went away, the monster barely let out any cry of pain. Instead, it just curled itself inward, pinning Mr. Karl with its body, leaving its flank wide open for Mr. Yi. There was of course just one problem, Mr. Yi was in smooth flash frozen ice. Ice that caused even his high balance and Dexterity to be rendered mostly useless due to lack of friction.

  Meanwhile the battle was far from over. Smack, hiss. With the beast’s body now covering Mr. Karl’s entire body, all I could see were the after effects. I could see the giant beast’s glowing blue tail winding up to strike at Mr. Karl, only to be rebuffed and create a sort of sizzling effect from the war glowing war axe that still shown brightly on the other side of the monster. The only sign that Mr. Karl was up and safe during this whole ordeal.

  I turned to my left to see the still hunched over form of Madame Voyou, who while now up on her feet, was far from being able to help. Though a clear look of concern coarsed her face as she could only look on in fear and panic at what waited her other half. Meanwhile Markan too looked more than exhausted, though he could only hold up his pistol and after a second shake his head, as if realizing that he was too far away.

  That’s how it was, and how our team got to the point that it was now one man versus a massive beast. Mr. Yi began using half stumbling, half sliding his way towards the sand steps. Jabbing his sword into the ice every once in a while, to regain his balance, but it was clear he would be a bit before being able to get here and provide more assistance.

  Seeing the battle unfolding around me, I felt something snap deep inside, as I realized I needed to do more, to do my part.

  Before I even realized it, I began cycling Life infused energy into my body, filling me with grace, speed, and power. I didn’t even realize I had taken the first step forward along the same sand coated path that Mr. Yi had taken until I was about halfway through. My eyes down as I looked for each spot, having to half run, half leap into each spot.

  Then before I even realized it, I was there, my last step more than a two good paces away from the beast, the battle and subsequent movements taking them further away from the secure settings. But it didn’t matter, I was full of speed, and my body and mind were already used to the idea of sliding without skates. Having had to make many similar movements in my past life, trying to get to the hospital after a particularly bad cold front went through just long enough to leave a sheet of ice in the driveway as I headed to my car.

  I didn’t panic, when first one and then my second foot landed on the ice. Instead, I did what any northerner would do in such a situation. I bent my knees a bit, set my balance, and aimed for where I wanted to go. Fortunately, there was a lot of open beast side to aim at.

  With my glowing practice sword ready, I extended it fully and braced for impact.