CHAPTER 328 MEDUSA
<span style="font-weight:400">Inside the trial after the ck door was another long hall. This one was far wider than thest though. About 100 feet across there was arge blue pool ahead of us.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m assuming we must move past this water?” Hancock asked. As I moved to the side wall she walked to the water’s edge. Kicking a small rock into the pool she noted, “I know I can swim, but I don’t trust this water. It feels like there are monsters deep down.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We won’t be swimming,” I said. Feeling the wall I felt the trick brick. I decided to wait to push it in as I moved to the water’s edge. “Care for a stroll?” Instead of stepping out onto the water though I stepped onto the wall. Using chakra to stick myself to it I stood horizontal with the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course,” Hancock said. Moving next to me she and I held hands as we walked over the water.
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<b>New Skill Developed - Wall Climbing:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">You are able to stick to any surface.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Proficiency: 99%
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<b>Congrattions:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">You have created a new skill never seen in the tutorial before.
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<td></td>
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<b>Reward:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">500 Karma
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<span style="font-weight:400">“You get the skill too?” I asked. She nodded, her long ck hair nearly touching the water as we walked at a leisurely pace in case there were traps. I could see the end of the pool far ahead so I wasn’t too concerned.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I must admit, this is proving ratherckluster,” Hancock mumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I…agree,” I said. “I used to love these stories because they were always a weak to impossible strong tale. But we are mildly strong already. I’m sure it will prove difficultter.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I hope so,” she admitted with a yawn. She eyed me as we walked. “I am d you appear more yourself.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Do I?” I asked with a smile. “I sure as hell feel better with most of that weight off. But I’m not perfect.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh no, you need to stay like this,” she said. “I would prefer to be the skinny one in our rtionship.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What? You get to be the skinny and beautiful one?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, they don’t call me the most beautiful woman in the world for nothing?” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I assumed you killed all the prettier women?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ha! I did not give myself that name,” she said. “But yes, I would have. I nearly killed your Robin and Nami when I met them.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“They are gorgeous,” I said, missing them. The conversation lulled and we passed over thest of the water.
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<span style="font-weight:400">3+ Strength
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<span style="font-weight:400">3+ Stamina
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<span style="font-weight:400">3+ Agility
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<td></td>
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Perfect,” I said. “Time to turn around.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What? Why?” She asked. <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“We have to use one of the many cheats of the protagonist,” I said. Walking us back, she didn’t seem to care much. Mostly happy to be together as we walked.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is this MP on our status screens?” She eventually asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That is rted to the power system of Second Life Ranker. I don’t remember what it is exactly. But it should be magic. So the MP is short for Mana Points.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What could the protagonist do?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What couldn’t he do?” I asked, struggling to remember what his power entailed. “He got all these cheat items, but I don’t think mana bes important for a while. Let’s ignore it for now. Focus on our physical.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know, old me in this world was obsessed with magic.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Like Harry Potter?” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh yes. In between model jobs she would spend her time reading since my mother was so domineering,” Hancock said. “Oh my god, could we go there? To Harry Potter?” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe? Past me might have picked that as a world.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I would love that,” she whispered as we jumped off the wall andnded back where we started near the ck door. “Now why are we here?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, each trap gives stats. I wanted to at least pass this easy test.” I pointed at the pool. “But something I remembered was the protagonist skipped that water entirely.” I moved to the wall and pushed in the trick brick. Bricks sliding into the floor a new path appeared. “I figure we might as well get all the cool stuff before he does.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Hancock pped excitedly as we headed in.
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<b>Hidden Area:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">Room of Fire and Ice - Dungeon
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<b>Rewards:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">250 Karma
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Dungeons are those ces you spoke of?” Hancock asked as we began to descend a set of stairs. “Why are they special?” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m guessing more than one group can find and participate in it. Kind of like an area where everything is reset when someone else tries to challenge it,” I said. I guessed I wasn’t ruining the protagonist''s luck. It sucked I still couldn’t remember his name, but he would be easy to recognize when I did meet him.
<span style="font-weight:400">As the stairs ended we came into arge cavern. I was surprised to see the walls sparkling golden light though. “Do you see that?” I asked, moving to the wall.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?” Hancock asked as I stopped by the rocky wall.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s sparkling,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“The white mold?” Hancock asked. I frowned and used Identification on the glittering wall.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Item: White Moss
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<span style="font-weight:400">Uses: Alchemy
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<span style="font-weight:400">Rarity: Rare
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<span style="font-weight:400">Description: A moss that finds its way into caves. It holds the spirit of the moon.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“It appears white to you?” I asked. Hancock nodded. I remembered my nature description.
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<b>Nature Detected: All Seeing</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">You are impossible to sneak up on. Your understanding
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<span style="font-weight:400">of what is going on around you makes you immune
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<span style="font-weight:400">to Fear and Shock. Items of interest will be
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<span style="font-weight:400">easier to spot.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Cool,” I said. I guessed easier to spot meant they would sparkle like stars. Taking my pack off I began scraping as much of the White Moss as I could into a small bottle I had brought.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No idea, but this is probably importantter,” I said. We continued forward, the area dark. Neither of us missed therge centipede as it moved from it’s hole in the ground. Both of us stiffening, Hancock drew a long knife from her side as I pulled out both of my daggers.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">The red centipede moved silently toward us. Climbing on the wall it was easy enough to see with our Spiritual Energy. When it was above us I hit the air, making the cave shake as spiderweb fractures appeared against my fist. The rock the centipede was holding onto broke off and Hancock coated her weapon in Haki. Slicing up she practically bisected therge centipede down the middle.
<span style="font-weight:400">The monster’s legs twitching it dropped to the ground and we began to move on, but then it began to sparkle to me. Moving closer I noticed a bright spot in its chest. Bending down I carved out the beast’s heart. Lit up to my All Seeing Nature, the ID said the heart was used in Alchemy as well. It had a Rare rarity rating. I couldn’t help but wrap both hearts of the centipede in the nket and throw into my pack.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not the nket,” Hancock whined.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t worry. I have plenty,” I assured.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where?” She asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Around. It’s a surprise,” I said. She grumbled but we were on our way.
<span style="font-weight:400">Running into bats, lizards, smaller centipedes, and a few other minor monsters, we killed all until we came to a cave filled with blue ants. All of them about a foot or 2 tall there wererge white ant eggs littering the walls around them.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“This is going to be messy,” Hancock noted, but drew her de.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kill them all,” I said and we started. The ants weren’t overly strong and a stab into the eggs made them burst. We got credit for every kill and continued on. As the blue ant bloodbath continued on, I received a new notification.
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<b>Skill Finished Analyzing</b>
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<b>New Skill Developed - Physical Mirror Image:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">You can make additional bodies to act under yourmands.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Proficiency: 99%
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<b>Congrattions:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">You have created a new skill beyond most Rankers.
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<b>Reward:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">5,000 Karma
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<span style="font-weight:400">Your skills have caught the eye of someone.
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<td></td>
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<span style="font-weight:400">I guessed this was from when I made shadow clones to help those injured in Block A. Thest notification was the most worrying, I didn’t like being watched while I was still weak. I pushed it out of my mind as we continued to kill. Eventually we got to the big bad boss Queen Ant.
<span style="font-weight:400">Over 9 feet tall the winged queen attacked us, but with me on one side and Hancock on the other we cut away her legs and made short work of the giant ant.
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<b>You have in the Boss Monster:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">Queen Blue Army Ant
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<b>Reward:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">300 Karma
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I am starting to get tired, husband,” Hancock said, annoyed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Let’s push through, babe,” I said. “I would like to get to the open worlds before we stop.” Hancock sighed but nodded. Nothing too sparkly on the ant queen we moved past only to see a door built into the cave wall. A path leading further into the cave beside it, Hancock and I shared a look but headed for the out of ce door in the wall.
<span style="font-weight:400">Taking the lead I opened the old wood door and stepped in. Inside was arge room. 2 braziers lit with green mes spewing out, behind them against the wall was a stone statue that glowed red.
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<b>Special Room:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">Shrine of the Vampire Monarch
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<span style="font-weight:400">“What is this?” Hancock asked as she walked between the braziers toward the statue.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m guessing the Shrine of the Vampire Monarch,” I said.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You are so helpful, husband,” she mumbled, but her eyes were focused on the statue. “Why is this statue familiar?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It looks like Medusa,” I said, and the statue did. The stone figure was carved into a beautiful woman. She had slitted snake eyes, but vampire fangs sticking out of her mouth. Her hair was a mass of dozens of stone snakes all hissing at us soundlessly. In her fist was a red handled dagger with a blue glowing curved de.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Medusa?” Hancock asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Probably more of a Western myth,” I noted. “Medusa was…Greek? Anyway she had snakes for hair and if you look into her eyes-”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You turn to stone, right,” Hancock finished, mesmerized by the statue. “That sounds an awful lot like me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uh yeah, true,” I said. I tried to use Identification but nothing showed up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Can I try for the weapon?” Hancock asked, stopping herself from reaching out.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure,” I said. “This feels a little familiar. Maybe it’s important.” The protagonist didn’t die in Second Life Ranker so I didn’t think it was too dangerous.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hancock reached out for the dagger and took it. No traps clicked. My mind was focused on the Spiritual Energy, just in case. Pulling the dagger back the statue didn’t move, but the dagger pulsed Spiritual Energy as Hancock’s arm became coated in a ck aura.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What’s happening?” I asked, feeling her fear.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">She gritted her teeth in pain, but hissed, “notification.” I brought up her notifications.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Batori''s Vampiric Dagger is testing you...
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<span style="font-weight:400">Long seconds passed as the ck aura moved from the dagger to her arm. Hancock yelled out in pain. About ready to step in she received another message.
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<span style="font-weight:400">You have done something thought impossible.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Batori has evaluated you worthy of her weapon.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Integrating...
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<b>Congrattions:</b>
</td>
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<span style="font-weight:400">Batori''s Vampiric Dagger has been transformed into a new skill.
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<b>Blood Mark:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">When dealt a lethal blow, the target will be inflicted with Bleed.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Bleed will drain a portion of the target''s stamina and mana, giving it to you.
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<span style="font-weight:400">A portion of the target''s ability will be leeched off as well.
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<span style="font-weight:400">There is a chance that the target''s ability may be stolenpletely.
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<b>Reward:</b>
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<span style="font-weight:400">5,000 Karma
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</table>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Woah,” I said, watching as the dagger turned ck and disintegrated. The Spiritual Energy of it slowly moved into Hancock as the de disappeared into her right arm. “That’s amazing, babe.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Hancock wasn’t listening though. Turning away the ck aura disappeared from her arm. It took her a moment of stunned silence to somehow understand the skill. As she yelled in glee arge ck jaw appeared from her arm. The jaw made of the ck aura that was coating her arm before, I could feel the same Spiritual Energy from her arm as the dagger had.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“This is amazing,” Hancock said as the jaw disappeared from her arm. Like some summonable weapon the jaw disappeared and reappeared, mping down on empty air.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is,” I noted. A little jealous. I was upset I couldn’t remember if the protagonist had the same skill. I assumed he did, but I could not recall how he passed this test. The test felt like it was made for Hancock.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Look,” she said, showing me the back of her right hand there was a ck tattoo of the dagger imprinted on her.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s awesome. Shall we test it out?”
<span style="font-weight:400">She nodded happily and we made our way out of the room. More blue ants appearing it wasn’t long until Hancock was calling the ck maw. The jaw bit down on the ants and the beasts turned from blue to gray as they were sucked dry.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I feel so much more awake now,” Hancock said as we continued down the hall.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good. Let’s kick some ass,” I said as we continued on.