The first elite boss door opened similar to last time however rather than a new platform, the horrid metallic platform was the same fr last time that brought a frown to Lyssara's face beneath the mask. 'Looks like the game is aware enough to know that this is the most difficult means for the player to face.'
She sighed in her mind as she clutched hard to her estoc. Her figure was bathed in black flames and making her way to the middle of the room, the elite had yet to come out of it's hiding. With a wave of her sword,the flames dissipated revealing he figure and her masked face.
*Thud*
[{Elite – Vermin Scourge, Gnaw-back}]
[{Description - A hulking rat swollen from swimming in the radiated waters. Patches of fur have turned gray-white and coarse, while the rest sloughs off in clumps. Its eyes are blood-clouded, yet it moves with startling precision}]
[{Behavior: Doesn't charge directly but rather it circles the prey, chewing through walls and flooring to cut off escape routes}]
[{Drop: Rancid Fang Charm – increases attack speed slightly when health is low.}]
The flow of information inwardly pleased Lyssara however she didn't have time to thank the mask as she clashed with the beast. Her estoc made the elite let out an ear piercing shriek that forced her to jump back, it's body now bleeding crimson with a green hue.
She didn't give the Gnaw-back time to process the first counter as she reached for her glaive and made quick short bursts, her grunts mixing with the screeches of the beast. With her alone in the room, she had all the attention thus her time to find a window to exploit was reduced.
'I should end this fight quick!' She sung in her mind, her pants slowly getting more audible with each passing second. Quick on her feet, she made a leap into the air and with a jab scarred the beast on it's pulsating gray back.
*Splosh*
Muddy sloshes could be heard graze the metallic platform followed with high pitched cries. Making a landing, she nearly threw up with what she saw. 'Just what is that?!' She couldn't help but wonder and the lack of information from the mask only made her wariness grow even more.
The small patches of critters that were birthed from the Gnaw-back looked liked sickly malformed rats, their small figures constantly twitching as they barred their teeth, green maw dripping from their mouths. Their jade eyes were another factor that made Lyssara pause and throw up as well as they would twitch erratically.
With her glaive in her hands, she prepared for the wave to come as the Gnaw-back kept on birthing more and more of it's hell spawns. She closed the distance and as expected the little critters launched themselves at her. "Hah!" A swift arc brought them to their demise as they exploded into green mists that unlike the other rats prior persisted.
'I can't kill them so haphazardly!' Looking at the metallic platform that was slowly being covered with green mist, she knew that she needed another way of dealing with the damned beasts. Glancing at the Gnaw-back that was busy creating ungodly abominations, she made her move going for the source.
As expected her path was flooded with the critters forcing her to bring them to their demise however this further served as a detriment to her later on.
[{Echo Step}]
In a flash, her figure covered the entire platform and was right next to the Gnaw-back. With a grunt, she plunged the glaive deep into the sac of which the abominations spawned from causing the Gnaw-back to let out a shrill that only drove her to go for another attack.
Taking out her estoc, she drove it deep into the Gnaw-back's eye driving it all the way into it's skull.
*Roar*
*Boom*
With a whip of it's tail, it sent Lyssara back however with her heightened speed and reaction, she used her glaive as a counter and managed to stay on the platform. The smaller beasts now seemed in a state of panic as the Gnaw-back was locked in it's wailing state.
With another grunt, she threw the glaive at the Gnaw-back claiming the lives of some of the smaller rats and with a flash, the Gnaw-back was bathed in flames that further drove it into a state of rage. Foam dripped from it's maw, it's bloodshot eyes now turning green as it stiffly rolled it's body off the platform and into the pool below.
Her glaive flashed back into her hands however she knew that it was far from over.
*Roar*
Another deafening roar followed with gushes of acidic pillars meant to knock her off however by now she had managed to predict the attacks greatly advantaging herself unlike before. The Gnaw-back seeing that it's attack was pointless shifted it's angle and with scutters filling Lyssara's ears, she could tell what was next.
'Not this attack!' She cursed gritting her teeth as her glaive gleamed in the streams of acid flowing like waterfall to the sides.
*Gush*
A stream of acid was shot from one of the manholes to which she barely managed to dodged. The elite realizing that it had a higher chance of knocking Lyssara off, it persisted as it kept on with this attack. Lyssara's figure graced the platform, dodging each attack with far more grace and elegance unlike before.
'Is it still me controlling my body?' She asked herself as she easily dodged the streams of acid aimed at her. Of course she did more than just dodge as she took the initiative and launch her glaive at the manholes with the hopes of drawing the Gnaw-back out of it's hiding.
*Whoosh*
Her throw was accompanied with another shriek that affirmed her suspicion as the Gnaw-back landed back on the platform. Unlike before this time it's brown fur was completely gone, streaks of jade could be seen course it's body with green veins bulging beneath.
It's breathing grew more erratic as if it was on the verge of an attack however Lyssara didn't give it the chance for an attack as she utilized her estoc and with fiery slashes made the Gnaw-back weaker with each attack. The limp attacks from the Gnaw-back wasn't something that she couldn't deal with and with a final strike, she managed to bring the brats down.
With a final cry, the Gnaw-back collapsed onto the platform and the doors opened as scripted. She didn't bother with the carcass as it dissolved into digital bits that faded away. 'Looks like I didn't get a skill from the elite.' She sighed inwardly as she made her way deeper into the floor.
'But then again I doubt that the elite had any skills that I would like to inherit.' She reassured herself recalling the nightmarish scene of the smaller rats being birthed that made her skin crawl. A few more steps and the foes changed as she had expected this time being bats.
With her flames, her vision had been greatly increased allowing her to see far better in the darkness in comparison to before. Her estoc was more than enough to deal with the smaller bats, what concerned her was the Brood-mother at the end of the bat section.
'If I do manage to clear it, I wonder what lays past the second elite.' With bats and rats as her fodder, she wondered what the third and final elite of the floor would be. 'With the odd mutations going on, I wouldn't be fazed to see a combination of the both.' The thought dissipating as quickly as it came to be.
'That would be too much for Jarren however.' She mused to herself as the door to the second elite opened. As expected all the torches in the room were snuffed out however her vision remained mostly the same, with her range barely reduced.
[{Elite – Vrynala, the Brood-mother }]
[{Description: A pale bat large enough to blot the ceiling light, with translucent wings webbed by scar tissue. When she screeches, the lesser bats hiding in the ceiling swarm like smoke}]
[{Behavior: Uses echolocation bursts that scramble sensory perception; light magic and sound manipulation become key counters}]
[{Drop: Echo-Touched Charm – A minor perception buff in darkness or while blind}]
Looking at the in-depth description laid out for her, she gripped her tuck harder as the two lesser bats that flanked the Brood-mother at the back made their move with her.
*Screech*
Their screeches meant to stun the players barely fazed her that once again made her grateful of Jarren for gifting her the mask but the price for it still lurker in her mind. Switching to her glaive, the two lesser bats aware kept their distance trying to get her stunned however the mask managed to block the effect and as for Lyssara, even though her movement was greatly enhanced, the damage she did to the bats was barely noticeable.
'These pests move way too much! I need a means to keep them still!' A plan started to formulate in her mind as to deal with the issue before it clicked. 'I don't have to make them stay still, I just have to make them come to me.' Her crimson eyes flashing in the darkness as she eyed the Brood-mother in the back.
With her Echo Step, she managed to get past the two lesser bats and be free with the Brood-mother that seemed occupied with resting. Leaping into the air, the Brood-mother as of on instinct noticed her move as it's obsidian eyes shot wide open that made Lyssara's skin crawl.
*Shriek*
It's shriek was far high-pitched in comparison to the Gnaw-back she had slain and a cloud of bats appearing seemingly out of nowhere filled the space between the two. With her vision momentarily obstructed, the Brood-mother took this chance and made it's attack on her.
[{[{You have received blood-loss vampirism debuff}]
A message she wasn't hoping to see with her increased agility however rather than moan, she was quick on her feet as she withdrew making her way back to the entrance of the room. With a pause, her crimson eyes scoped the entire room. The Brood-mother had fallen back to it's slumber as if not perceiving her as a substantial threat while the two lesser bats were charging at her.
'Looks like I'll have to deal with these two before I face the Brood-mother thanks to this debuff.' With the debuff, she didn't have the luxury of blindly making her advances with the Brood-mother with two bats constantly attacking her. Her chest faintly heaved, readying for an attack as the glaive in her hands began to glow with an odd jet black flame with white edges.
Within a blink of an eye, her movement seemed to have doubled and with an arc aimed at one of the lesser bats, she manage to coat in flames that elicited a shriek gracing her ears. Still this didn't faze her as she followed this with another swipe that managed to end the life of one of the lesser bats.
Her short moment of victory however didn't last long as the Brood-mother now troubled with this outcome shot wide awake once more, this time enraged as it let out a cry, as if declaring to avenge one of it's offspring. Beneath the porcelain mask, no trace elf worry could be seen on Lyssara's face as she twisted the glaive as she landed on the floor.
The lesser bat refrained from engaging with her as the Brood-mother now took the initiative with her. It's frame far bigger than the two lesser bats. It's leathery translucent wings forcing Lyssara to jerk backwards and it's unsightly face making her hair stand on ends. And yet despite the fear that threatened to claim her, she remained resolute with her goal as she prepared herself for the dance to come.
'Let's see if you are any of a challenge than the last elite.' She scoffed in her head, her tuck and glaive bathing in black undying flames that wished to burn everything they touched.