Chapter 70

  Eagle Eyed

  Exploration.

  Exploration and mud, those are the two words that I would use to describe the final process of clearing a rift. Or at least the final processes of clearing a marsh rift.

  Apparently, the process for clearing each type of rift, for yes there are types, is different. Mr. Yi our scout was the one who took us through the final stages of finding the apparent anchor point of the rift, and the guardian monster that overlooked that anchor point.

  What exactly an anchor point is, I didn’t quite know. I assumed I would get more information the closer we got, but instead we went into complete silence mode. Which was fine as it gave me time to get used to the environment. That said, having a Skald on silent mode was odd to say the least. Almost felt like we weren’t using her to her fullest potential, but I was assured that was because she would play a major role in the final battle, thus her saving her energy for that would be important.

  “Tactics are just as important as effort, why bash your weapons against a wall, when a bit of leverage can cause that same wall to fall on its own,” Markan explained. As he did, I realized something.

  “That was what your mentor taught you?” I asked.

  “Yes, how did you know?” Markan asked.

  With that I was about to answer truthfully but then felt that my words might come across as a bit mean. That was why I softened my words, slightly.

  “You just seem like the type of person who would prefer to shoot and wedge your way through a wall. Then shoot your way through whatever was on the other side of said wall,” I replied. Keeping my first thoughts of Markan being a bit of a fire first and look for a target second type of combatant. A mentality that is great for rift clearing, but not quite as needed outside of rifts.

  Chuckle.

  At my comments everyone laughed, even the stoic Mr. Yi let a faint smile crest his lips.

  “She’s got you there,” Mr. Karl exclaimed jovially, his voice and enthusiasm instantly clearing the air of any possible anger or misunderstandings. Then he began the final assessment of what would happen.

  “So, for this final event, we will go around the boss once, making sure to clear out any would be monsters that might be lurking nearby that could be summoned by the will of the boss. During this time Mr. Yi will lead, Madame Voyou will begin her preparations.”

  “Wait, we have found the boss?” I ask, confused as I apparently missed something.

  “Yes, it is the giant dark scaled monster right there,” Mr. Karl stated and then pointed off in the distance. At what I could only see was a giant mound of dark dirt on an little strip of land that seemed to appear at the center of the marsh. The mound itself was large, easily twenty feet long. Maybe more, it was hard to tell, but from what I could tell nothing was on that strip of land. Seeing my confusion, the others cut in.

  “It’s fortunately asleep for now. But any disturbance to the water will awaken in,” Markan interjected. Hearing Markan, I nodded, took one last look at the center and then focused back on Mr. Karl who continued his lesson.

  “So we will be quiet from here, not wanting our soundwaves to bounce off the water and alert the boss monster of this realm. Watch what Madame Voyou does, but don’t ask any questions. Instead, just save them for the end. After you see what we ultimately do to take down such a large monster.”

  I nodded, and that was it, the entire preparation for this final encounter. Since then we have been going around the giant marsh in what could only be described as a giant counterclockwise outer ring. Why counterclockwise? Well that answer was simple as it allowed Madame Voyou to be the person closest to the edge of the marsh, without actually stepping into any of the marsh waters. Instead, she would occasionally pull out a long clear glasslike rod that she would occasionally place on the ground. Pushing it into the wet soil easily, and proceeding to turn it towards the center. Towards the dark island. Once placed, Madame Voyou would nod, and that would be our sign to continue onto the next area.

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  The marsh’s boundaries as one might expect were not uniform and moved from time to time. Mr. Yi expertly led us around those points, making sure that he didn’t direct any of us into the actual waters of the marsh. Again, I wondered just what type of monster could exist within such a marsh that would cause everyone to be so quiet and concerned.

  Maybe it was a difference in my Perception Attribute compared to everyone else’s Attribute. I knew that I was on the lower end for this group. I kind of expected to be behind Mr. Yi our scout, and Markan a person who used modified firearms to strike monsters from a distance. But even Madame Voyou and Mr. Karl seemed to have much better eyesight than I did. Pausing for a moment, I glanced back and was happy that Mr. Karl had such good perception, as he was the one protecting our backsides. So his having a high Perception made sense.

  As for me, I knew I was getting close to maxing out my Eagle Eye Skill. I guarantee that if I looked I would likely see that I was now at level 99 of 100. Possibly the worst place to be, for it would feel like I was right there, but that is now how Skill Maxes work. It took me a while, but after four completed Skills that were successfully turned in for badges, I realized there was a knowledge aspect that had to be fulfilled to truly Max out a Skill. A sort of final test is needed to truly MAX out a Skill.

  For my Academic Skills, a final exam was needed to get me over the hump for my Numerals and Letters Skills. The irony of being thankful for year end tests was not lost on me when I finally met the quota for having my Skills finally max out. Similarly, I could work out as much as I wanted and get my Basic Strengthening and Running Skills up to level 69 of 70. (Those Skills were easier due to their being just Common grade Skills versus Uncommon like Eagle Eye). Still, it wasn’t until I attended and won a year end track and field competition last year that I finally maxed out both Basic Strengthening and Running. Actually, that was how I got my Numerals and Letters Skills to be MAXED out as well, as I had my scores broadcast to the rest of the school for my grade. The fact that I finished as the top student was almost expected, as I was effectively cheating. Using two lifetimes of learning to pass introductory classes, but I did note the accomplishment nonetheless.

  It was at this thought, of having felt an accomplishment, that I realized there had to be some sort of personal competition or feeling of accomplishment for the Skills to finally be maxed out. I didn’t get that much stronger by gaining that final level in the Skill. No wait, I did as all my related Attributes would increase by two, one for the final tier bonus, and one for the skill completion bonus, but that is aside from the point. The true reason why I was able to proceed was from that sense of accomplishment.

  In a way, I could almost see the need for registering for tournaments and battles. While it might seem somewhat barbaric to have violent fights and competitions, it is a relatively safe environment that can help people achieve Skill breakthroughs that they might not be able to experience normally. Also, just going to such events and being that close to the competition had a heck of an increase on my Skills. I almost wonder if that is residual energy being gathered, or if being that close to real combat has that effect on Skill growth? These are questions that I will likely have to have answered.

  While I am having these thoughts, we move like a group of silent assassins lurking and stalking unseen prey. Every so often I continue to look towards the center, trying to find where on the large island the monster we will be facing is. I still don’t see it.

  By now, I am almost certain that if I do see it, I will be able to break through with my Eagle Eye Skill and MAX it out, but for the life of me, all I see is a giant mound of dirt. I stare at the mound, just as everyone else does. They are all looking to make sure the final monster, the boss monster, I wonder why they named it that? But I didn’t ask, as we were in sort of a hurry and now we are quiet. Still, some of the words used are interesting and I really need to ask how the terms came to be used.

  That said, I still don’t see the monster. Worse, we have almost gone around the entire island. I know as up ahead I can see lines of light glimmering off of the first crystal rod that Madame Voyou placed. I can also see the spot where we first came to this marsh and began our giant and slow circle around. A mile, or what felt like a miles worth of traveling. At the very least a large distance that was even causing my legs to be somewhat tired, yet I could not see the monster that we were supposed to be fighting. The monster that we had to be quiet.

  Exhale.

  Beathing out forcefully, I tried to breathe out my frustrations. I knew that if I allowed my mind to get angry that I would likely miss the monster. But as I breathed out, something happened. The world moved.

  No wait, the world didn’t move. At least I don’t think it did. I did shrink a bit as I exhaled, meaning the world would naturally get bigger right? But there was something odd, as it seemed like the world moved too much?

  Just as I am having this thought, Madame Voyou holds up five fingers, then pointing to the rod she just placed in the ground, then back up ahead to the nearest rod, where she again wiggles her five fingers.

  The gesture is simple and Mr. Yi is already nodding, turning forward and about to go. Even I can understand this gesture, we are moving ahead by five of these poles in the ground. But my mind is already focusing back on the odd anomaly that I just witnessed. Holding my breath, I pause trying to understand what felt so odd about the world. Why did the world move that much.

  A hand waves, getting my attention. Seeing the gesture, I realize I need to keep moving. Fortunately, this is a path we have already walked before, as such I am able to focus on the center a bit more this time around. That’s when I see it, the giant island in the center moved. I could tell because of the ripples that went from the center outwards, towards us. Seeing the waves, I realize they are a form of natural sonar. Similarly if we entered, we would send our own ripples back. But what caused the ripples to be so uniform?

  It wasn’t until I saw a faint floating log that sat up at an almost impossible angle that I realized my mistake.

  The monster wasn’t on the island. The monster was the island. Everything about it, the long twenty foot mound of dirt, the odd log sticking up above the water, it was all one final monster. Worse, I finally knew what it was, a giant alligator.

  Just as I made this revelation, I felt something click in my mind. If I could pull up my status screen right now, I would almost be certain that I had just completed a milestone needed to MAX out my Eagle Eye Skill. Unfortunately, that was the least of my concerns, as I looked at our team of regular-sized people, well mostly regular-sized, and Mr. Karl. Looking at the giant monster that awaited us and realized we were not ready for this. Or at least I was not ready for this.

  I took an involuntary step forward, only to realize that everyone else stopped. Pausing to look, I saw Madame Voyou taking out her modified violin and bow. Then giving a look to Mr. Yi and Mr. Karl she nodded, an unspoken words of operation being stated as she prepared herself. Then before I had time to fully process what was happening, she began to play.

  Wild scratching but beautifully crisp sounds exploded from her violin, and before I knew it, the final battle of the rift had begun.