Chapter 56 – Mythical Challenge

  The space around them began to distort as a creature started to take shape nearby. Everyone ready their weapons. The creature stepped out of the distortion, revealing itself to the group. It stood eight feet tall with glossy-black chitin armor covering its body. Its head had several large purple eyes that twitched constantly as though each were looking at something different. Its jaw was wide with several rows of shark-like teeth. It stood on four powerful legs with two arms that ended in sharp clawed hands.

  Jack immediately tried to Analyze the creature.

  *Ushi: Level 46 (Apex)*

  Affinities: Darkness, Fire, Water

  Apex predator from the planet URBLS.

  It must have noticed Jack’s skill, because several of its eyes looked directly at him. Jack leveled his spear, preparing for it to come charging at him. Instead, the creature let out a piercing screech that hit them like a physical wall. They were all reeling from the impact as the creature took off running into the jungle.

  “What was that?” Bryant asked.

  “Did anyone manage to get a inspect skill on it?” Victor asked. “Mine failed.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t get much though,” Jack said. “Apex creature, from a different planet called URBLS. It’s level forty-six.”

  “Something strange must have happened,” Savgar said. “This is more than I ever seen from a camp challenge.”

  “The System said that because we are using a Mythical Foundation Crystal, that the challenges will be Mythical level,” Jack said.

  “That’s going to be a problem,” Daniel said. “If this is what a camp challenge is, the other challenges will only get more difficult.”

  “But check out that rewards list,” Bryant said, pulling up the quest on his System window. “That has to be worth it.”

  “Mythical challenge does mean Mythical rewards,” Zajowle said. “It might not be all bad. The quest only says we need to defend for twenty-four hours. Killing it is only for the bonus.”

  “That is the best-case scenario,” Jack said. “But I don’t think it will leave us alone for that long.”

  “But why did it run away?” Teresa asked. “Is it scared?”

  “No,” Reynard said. “You need to do more than just look at its Stats. Completely black, hard chitinous armor, multiple eyes with no eyelids. It appeared out in the open. This is not the environment it is used to. It has gone to find a more familiar environment, where it can have the advantage. I expect if you don’t take care of it by nightfall, it will begin hunting us.”

  “So, it doesn’t like the light?” Daniel asked. “We might be able to work with that.”

  “Is there any chance the illusions in the area will take care of it?” Reuf asked. “Make it get lost in the jungle?”

  “It is possible,” Reynard said. “But I wouldn’t count on it. I don’t think it relies on only its sight to see.”

  “Then we should go after it,” Savgar said. “Divide into two groups. One to hunt and one to defend the crystal.”

  They formed two different parties. Savgar, Teresa, Rayne, Sia, Jack, and Elaine made up the hunting party. They had the most advantage for fighting in the jungle and could track the creature without falling to Reynard’s illusions. Everyone else stayed back to defend the crystal. The open area was better for the others to see anything coming and take advantage of.

  The hunting group followed after the path the creature ran through, moving slowly. They traveled in a formation to watch for any possible ambushes. Savgar used his earth sense to try and locate the creature, while Sia and Rayne looked from the trees, but none had any luck with locating the Ushi.

  “Don’t forget your True Sight,” Jack called out. “Not sure what this creature will be able to do.”

  “Aye,” Savgar grunted. “Good call on that. Don’t waste your time either. If that armor is as strong as I think it is, you won’t be able to break through it with normal attacks. Focus on where the plates in its armor meet if you can find them, and make sure to use skills that break armor if you have them.”

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  They crept through the jungle. The tracks the creature left were easy to follow. It left a trail of destruction as it passed. Broken and trampled vegetation, dead animals, and long scratches in the dirt. It led them deep into the jungle. Eventually Rayne called a halt to their trek.

  “You see it?” Teresa whispered.

  “I’m not sure,” Rayne replied. “I see something, but it’s distorted, difficult to focus on.”

  “Where is it?” Savgar asked.

  “It’s positioned itself above, about fifty feet ahead,” Rayne said. “Might be our creature, might be something else.”

  “The path leads to it,” Sia confirmed.

  “Just be prepare for anything,” Elaine said.

  “I could try shooting it,” Rayne offered.

  “Might just make it run away again,” Teresa said. “We need it to engage us. Surround it so it can’t escape. You and Sia should position yourselves to take advantage of the height once we go in.”

  “Let’s spring this trap then,” Savgar said taking point. “Watch it with your peripherals, don’t look at it directly. We want it to think we don’t know what it is up to but be prepared. If it doesn’t make the first move, then we will.”

  They continued forward until they could see the distortion that Rayne had mentioned. From a distance, it would have been difficult to spot, but this close, Jack was certain it was the Ushi waiting for them. It sat high up on the trunk of a tree watching them approach.

  It wasn’t until they were directly underneath the creature that it acted. It leaped off the tree high into the air above them.

  “We have incoming,” Savgar called. “Scatter, don’t let it land on you.”

  They immediately separated as several green blobs came crashing down where they had just been standing. The green blobs broke apart upon hitting the ground hissing and melting the area they touched. The Ushi landed a moment later, taking up most of the space that they were just occupying.

  “It can throw acid,” Jack called to them.

  “Can see that,” Savgar called back.

  Jack activated his defensive spells and immediately felt his Mana drain as his Barrier, Spinning Blaze Ward, and Elemental Attunement spells came to life. His spear lit on fire, and Jack swung it into the creature’s legs hoping to cripple it. His spear strike bounced off the creature’s chitin leaving a small scratch in the armor but otherwise having done no real damage. Jack had to jump back right afterwards to dodge the creature’s claw.

  “Don’t hold back,” Savgar said. “And stay on the move.” He swung his Warhammer at one of the creature’s knees while it was distracted, but it met the strike canceling it and knocking Savgar a few feet away.

  Arrows began to pelt the creature back and head. The arrows had as much of an effect as Jack’s spear had, but they didn’t stop. They worked together to keep the attention of the creature constantly changing. Elaine and Jack Shadow Shifted around the beast’s body, striking whenever they found an opening. Both of their attacks continued to do next to no damage, but it did serve to anger the Ushi keeping it focused on them as Savgar and Teresa worked at breaking its armor. Elaine had it worse, her daggers not even leaving scratches in the armor, but Jack knew that she was more focused on building stacks for her taser ability.

  For Jack’s part, he focused on staying as close as possible and letting his spells do most of the work. His blaze ward was constantly spinning and impacting the creature as he used his Piercing Strikes to slowly break through the creature’s armor. Both abilities had a small effect on it, but every little bit helped.

  Zyne had already left Jack and was in the process of wrapping around the Ushi, trying to hold it down or bind its limbs. The Ushi ignored the Familiar. Zyne was just not strong enough to do more than slow it down a little. Even Zyne’s thorns scraped harmlessly across the beast’s exoskeleton.

  Teresa and Savgar took turns, switching between each other. Savgar’s Warhammer strike was putting cracks in the creature’s armor when he was able to land them, and Teresa was constantly parrying its claw attacks whenever it tried to retaliate with her own.

  There was a level of unspoken coordination that developed during the fight, and everyone took part. No one held the creature’s attention for long. The moment someone became the focus; the others would take that opportunity to hit it with their own attacks and draw its attention away. The Ushi was quickly getting frustrated from the constant barrage of attacks that were quickly starting to overwhelm it.

  The Ushi spat another round of acid blobs in every direction and Jack barely had time to summon his Stone Shield to block the spray, but others were not as fortunate. Elaine was able to escape the worst of it, but Savgar and Teresa got hit with the acid.

  The dwarf’s armor took most of the damage, pieces of it melting off, but otherwise he appeared to be okay. Teresa tried to dodge the spray but took a hit on her side from the acid and the part drenched in acid started to melt.

  Jack shifted over to her. With another shift, he managed to pull her out of the combat as the others continued to keep the creature engaged. Working quickly, he cast his Mend spell on Teresa several times, until her body started to knit back together.

  “I’ll be okay,” Teresa said, putting her sword into her Storage and pulling out a bow. “I’ll switch to range now, but the regenerate skill should be enough to help me recover the rest of the way. Don’t waste your Mana. Go help the others.”

  “Alright, but you’re drinking this as well,” Jack said pulling out one of the health potions he made.

  “Take this,” Zephyr called from somewhere in the middle of the fight. A bright flash of light filled the area, and the Ushi reeled in pain. “Reynard was right, no eyelids. It can’t handle the bright light.”

  The creature was still recovering from the flash-bang as two arrows pierced its eyes. It let out a scream of pain that knocked everyone to the ground, before running off once again into the jungle.

  “Where is it going?” Rayne asked.

  “Don’t know,” Savgar said. “To set up another ambush or try and recover? It probably has some amazing recovery abilities.”

  “Then we can’t let it get the chance,” Elaine said. “Teresa are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Teresa said. “Going to need a new set of armor after this though.”

  “Can you still fight?” Savgar asked.

  “Yeah, I’m still good,” Teresa said. “Let’s go after this thing.”