Sam tightened the laces on his boots as he prepared to put his plan into motion. Risky wouldn't begin to describe it, but nothing in the War had come easy. He didn't imagine this would be any different.
The sylvan stepped up beside him, still walking with a slight limp but looking dramatically better than she had a few minutes earlier.
“Here,” she said, holding out her hand. He took it, eyes going wide as a message appeared in his vision.
[Siel Ot’Oné Requests to Join your Party]
Accept / Decline
“This way we’ll be able to communicate.” She tapped her ear and her throat. “It only works over short distances, but it’ll be like I'm right beside you.”
He accepted the invitation, feeling a slight shiver as small icons appeared on his HUD. He’d be able to check on her status remotely, but that also meant she’d be able to observe him. Arther had urged him to keep the details of his skills a secret; clearly, that didn't extend to party members.
Party members! He wasn't sure how long this alliance would last, but he’d taken a key step forward. After weeks of fighting solo, he couldn't deny it was a weight off knowing he wasn't battling alone.
“Are you ready?” he asked, drawing himself up to his full height and performing a few small jumps, testing the fit of his armour.
“Ready as the sky is steel,” she replied, eyes focused intently on the colossal serpent.
“Uh, does that mean yes?”
She snorted, “Yes. I am ready, human. Let's hope you are faster than you look. Don't bring it back until I call.” She fixed him with her piercing gaze. “Until I call, and not a moment sooner.”
“Okay, I got it,” he replied, resisting the urge to remind her that it had been his plan.
Sam broke into a sprint, moving in a wide arc around the enraged monster. Stealth was abandoned in favour of speed as he put as much distance as he could between himself and the sylvan—Siel, he amended.
She leapt on top of her armoured boar and trotted off in the opposite direction, and he quickly lost her in the tangle of brush and fallen trees.
He pushed himself hard as trees flew by in a blur. His enhanced body thrummed with power, and he drew additional strength from the [Dawnheart Pendant] pressed into his chest beneath his armour. Each step fired like a piston as he cleared the distance to the far side of the ravine in under a minute. He wasn't even breathing heavily, despite the exertion.
He glanced back at the footprints embedded deep within the earth. It was the first time since the War began that he truly felt superhuman. The tangible representation of his gains was undeniable. He was becoming a Warrior in more than just name. Which was good, because he’d need to be to have any chance of taking down the beast he’d pitted himself against.
He stared ahead, eyes straining for sight of the snake’s tail. The trees groaned as its scaled mass pushed them aside, and he caught a glimpse of it a hundred yards ahead. Finding it was the easy part.
Next came the hard part.
Stalking forward, he summoned his [Runic Warhammer]. The weapon has been Arther’s suggestion after Sam recounted the story of him using a mace against the Draug. To no one’s shock, Arther had been for the idea, though—again, unsurprisingly—suggested a hammer instead.
This was no simple blacksmith’s tool. The one-handed warhammer was made entirely of metal and featured a large spike opposite a clawed head. Twisted runes were etched along its length, making it lighter and faster than it should have been.
Apparently, it was common for Warriors to specialize in a secondary weapon, though it often didn't happen until later in the War. Given Sam’s focus on [Martial Skills], it made sense that he’d move up the timeline. He’d taken a risk and purchased [Hammer Mastery], though he hadn’t gotten many opportunities to use it.
His new shield secured itself to his other arm, the now familiar weight a calming presence. It was the only item he’d purchased from Arther that the smith hadn’t crafted himself. It was Dungeon-salvaged and of exceptional quality.
The curved metal disk was completely unadorned, made entirely from waxy black metal. The [Ancient Dalith Greatshield] featured a unique passive ability. [Arcane Bulwark] allowed the user to channel mana into it in order to reflect incoming [Divine Skills]. Through some trial and error, Sam discovered that he could imbue it with [Apostate], boosting the shield's reflective properties exponentially.
What had started as his most significant handicap was quickly becoming his greatest strength. The ability for him to channel the title into weapons and armour unlocked countless possibilities. Given how the War was going, he was bound to encounter most of them.
The serpent’s barbed tail grew to fill his vision. Unlike common snakes, this one has a series of spikes protruding from between the scales. It made sense, given the size of the beast, that it had some natural defences covering its rear.
Sam took no time in dashing forward and striking the tip of one of the spikes with his hammer, driving the shard of bone deep into the flesh.
The effect was instantaneous.
The serpent's tail whipped around like a runaway firehose, and Sam only narrowly avoided getting impaled on one of the spikes. A grating hiss sounded through the trees, and he could feel the weight of it through the earth as it shifted its massive bulk in an attempt to discover who had the audacity to strike it.
He backed away, giving as much ground as he could before the wall of the ravine came into sight. The dry slither continued in his direction, but it was uncertain, aimless.
He needed to change that. He needed to ensure that Siel had time to complete her part of the plan, which meant the snake had to be fully occupied.
He took a deep breath and activated [Arcane Eyes], inspecting the serpent for the first time.
[Elder Cliff Adder - Iron - Epic - Boss - Acolyte of Hypnos]
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The most dangerous of the creatures to guard the Iron Ring of Elysium, Cliff Adders can grow up to 100 feet long. The most ancient of their race can form pacts with the gods, imbuing them with terrifying [Divine Skills].
The adder stiffened as it sensed his intrusion, but whatever defensive skills it had weren't enough to overcome the inspection. It turned, and soon its twitching, flapping head came into view.
Despite its blindness, its skill had a significant effect. Even at a distance, Sam felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. It was as though an invisible force was dragging down his eyelids. His arms and legs shook, and it took a concentrated effort of will to keep himself from keeling over.
How has Siel been dealing with this? he wondered, banging his hammer and shield together. The serpent’s snout snapped towards the sound, and it charged forward recklessly, splintering trees and pulverizing boulders.
As he’d said, getting it to chase him wasn't the hard part.
Surviving was.
He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, occasionally turning back to inspect it again, ensuring that it didn't lose his trail. Each time he did, it gained a little ground, but he couldn't risk it catching wind of what Siel was up to.
The plan required it to be so enraged that it chased without question. It needed to have no care whatsoever for its surroundings. He was pretty sure he was succeeding on that front.
His armour was put through its paces as he was peppered with shards of wood and stone. Over and over, he was forced to leap aside to dodge a poorly aimed strike. He knew without question that if he had tried to fight this creature alone, it would have killed him.
The sheer size of it made counter attacking almost impossible. It threw itself into the ground with no regard for its own safety, trusting in its scales to weather any rebuke. While Sam was confident he could hack through it given enough time, there was simply no chance to get close.
“How are we doing over there?” he asked aloud, willing the words to be carried by the tafla.
“Almost done, I just need a few more minutes to make the connections.”
Sam swore as a long hunk of wood found a gap between his armour, embedding itself in his thigh. “We might not have a few more minutes! This thing might be blind, but I can only dodge for so long.”
Siel’s response was terse, her concentration obvious through the connection. “We only get one shot at this, human. We do it right or not at all. Two minutes, then bring it around.”
“Roger that.”
“Roger who? Did you name the adder?”
Sam nearly tripped over an exposed root. “What?! No. Nevermind. Two minutes, I’ll be there.”
He continued running, staying as close to the bowl's wall as he could. The steep slope was a constant pressure beside him, but he couldn't risk disrupting the plan.
The seconds dragged, and he accrued a number of minor injuries, once again hearing the familiar sound of blood squelching in his boots.
After only ninety seconds, he got the call.
“I am ready. Bring the beast.”
Sam let out a fierce yell as he suddenly pivoted and dashed off through the center of the ravine. He made sure to absolutely inundate the serpent with a prolonged blast of [Arcane Eyes]. The challenge was obvious, and it chased him with renewed vigour.
He made his way directly to the corridor that the adder had made during the initial encounter. Broken branches and trunks littered the ground, and Sam was forced to leap over them, costing him precious seconds.
The sound of the snake was like a hurricane as it barreled through the debris. The sound grew steadily louder as he dared to turn his head to look for the marker they'd agreed upon.
There! Siel’s cloak hung by a branch near the edge of the bowl. Beyond, the entrance to the cave loomed, and he made a beeline towards it.
“Get ready!” he yelled, voice straining as he pushed all of his mana into his skills. [Apostate] thrummed as it kept the worst of the exhaustion at bay, but the adder’s skill was taking its toll. It was gaining ground, so much so that Sam could feel its warm breath on the back of his neck.
The distance slipped away, and he nearly tripped as he cleared the final few meters.
“NOW!” He roared, diving to the side as he passed the marker.
A deafening SNAP sounded through the ravine as cords of twisted vines were suddenly pulled taut. The adder let out a confused shriek as it was lifted from the ground, its body wrapped in loops of leafy rope.
From behind, an angry squeal joined the din, as Mjolna dashed from between the trees, a thick band of vines trailing behind her. The boar’s hooves ripped the ground as she put all her weight into the task.
The vines creaked precariously, but held. Sam could only stare up in amazement at the writhing serpent, now suspended a few feet off the ground.
The plan had been simple: there was no way they'd overcome the adder without immobilizing it. While Sam had been leading it on a merry chase, Siel had set up a series of vines tied to the zip line, which still hung over the center of the corridor.
Those vines had then been laid across the valley floor and wrapped around the sturdiest trees. Once the adder had slithered across all four of them, Mjolna had set off at a sprint, cinching the knots and catching the adder in a web of nearly unbreakable rope.
The more the snake struggled, the tighter the vines became, and Sam grinned as he saw the leafy tendrils dig deep into its flesh.
He climbed to his feet, shield at the ready. Siel appeared from inside the cave, face pale as she struggled to keep mana pouring into the vines, regrowing the plants even as they were shredded by the beast’s scales.
He stepped directly in front of the adder and channelled [Apostate] into his shield, activating [Arcane Bulwark]. The serpent shrieked as its own [Divine Skill] rebounded, the wave of fatigue pouring back towards it. After a few seconds, it slumped in its shackles, giving him his opportunity.
He ran forward and began raining blows down upon the adder’s exposed flank. The sound of the hammer reminded him of when his father would make him take out recycling, and he’d been forced to crush every empty can. The tinny aluminum crunch echoed through the ravine, and once again the snake began its ear-splitting chorus, hissing and spluttering like a broken fire hydrant.
Blood poured from the wounds as Sam plunged the spike of his hammer into the beast again and again, but it seemed that no matter how many times he struck—there was still more snake.
The creature was simply too big for him to do more than superficial damage, and he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck as the trees that bordered the corridor began to groan and creak. The vines, which had originally been a deep shade of green, started to yellow before his eyes.
They weren't designed to support this kind of load, and even with Siel feeding them with mana, they simply couldn't withstand the weight.
The first one to snap was holding up the adder’s midsection. The pile of flesh slammed to the ground in a heap, the contact giving just enough for the serpent to properly engage its muscles. It fought through the fatigue as it twisted and thrashed, and soon the only vine that remained was fastened directly behind its head.
Sam ran towards it, unsure what he could do but unwilling to just give up and die. The light caught the haft of his spear, the metal pole buried deep within the beast's brain.
An idea struck him the moment before the final vine snapped. Storing his shield, he leapt towards the vine, catching it just above the frayed strands. It broke, once again pulling him high into the air. He rode the rope up twenty feet, clearing the adder’s head before letting go, sending him plummeting towards its open maw.
Time slowed as his vision narrowed, his entire being condensing into two points in space. Every fibre of his spirit drove him to connect those points, as he twisted in the air to bring the hammer down on the base of the spear.
A crystal clear peal rang through the ravine as the two pieces of metal connected, the force driving the spear all the way through the skull. He bounced off the top of the adder’s head, only narrowly avoiding its sword-like fangs. The ground rose quickly to meet him as he slammed down to earth in a heap.
He lay there for a long moment, eyes shut, waiting for the beast’s crushing jaws to snuff the life out of him. Instead, he was met with blissful silence.
“Sam,” came a quiet voice beside him.
He turned to see Siel staring past him. He followed her gaze to the vacant eyes of the cliff adder, as the green glow winked, and went out.
A soft chime echoed in his ear.
They'd won.
