"ROAARRRRRR!"
2 Elderly warriors were sprinting through the forbidden forest.
They were chased by a ferocious level 60 midnight panther.
Injured and bleeding, the beast tracked their scent through the treacherous forest.
It's a living, breathing green fortress, unsuitable for civilisation to live in.
"Rush back to the city, I'll distract it and meet you back there", Sloane bellowed at his wife, Isolde, while launching a volley of fireballs at the panther closing the gap.
"You'd better not die on me, you stubborn old dog!"
Isolde turned as she split from her partner of 50 years, harnessing her wind affinity to glide through the dense vegetation.
She soared up into the canopy layer as she dashed back to request reinforcements in the nearby town.
Sloane, bleeding and exhausted, ran through the woods.
He was eventually cornered against a cliff formation.
He ran towards a cave opening he spotted and erected a wall of flames by the cave entrance.
As he made his way deeper into the cave, he saw a warm glow of light from within.
A ball of light, with an infant in its cradle, was floating atop a stone formation.
The ball of light detonated, blinding Sloane, as the wave of energy erupted from the cave.
The tier 6 midnight panther prowling by the entrance was caught unaware, severed into 3 bloody pieces.
Morbidly dismembered by the detonation of energy.
"What are you?" Sloane approached the infant, lying atop the stone formation.
He fumbled with his storage ring, withdrawing a High-Grade Rejuvenation Potion.
The glass emptied in his grip as he downed the green, glowing liquid.
As the potion began to work its way through his system, he glanced at his status panel.
----------------------------------------------------------
Name: Sloane Blackwell
Age: 73
Class: Fire Lord (Tier 6)
Affinities: Fire (S)
Level: 69
Health: 23000/36500
Mana: 200/8700 (300 mana/second)
Strength: 90
Agility: 67
Constitution: 105
Intelligence: 117
Available free attributes: 0
Active Skills:
Fireball
Flame Lance
Flame Wall
Flame Avatar
Fire tornado
Flame Domain
Passive Skills:
Imperial Sword Arts
Flicker Step
Void Step
Eagle Sight
Body Refinement (Stage 6)
Equipment:
Imperial Commander Set (Damaged)
Flame Dragon's Tongue (Longsword) Durability: 12/100
Flame Dragon's Cloak
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 2)
----------------------------------------------------------
"Waaaaa"
The young infant awoke, and his first cries resounded through the cave.
"Shit, let's head back to town right away. This part of the forest is full of predators," Sloane mumbled.
He unequipped his flame dragon's cloak, wrapping the enchanted fabric around the infant held tightly to his chest.
"Optimal route calculated: 4.9km to Oakhaven's Borough," His digital watch chimed.
With satellite technology, it highlighted the shortest and safest path back to town.
Sloane flicked his fingers as he stored the severed remains of the level 60 panther into his storage ring.
**
The rhythmic crunch of Sloane's flicker step technique finally transitioned from the damp forest ground to the solid pavement of the outer perimeter.
Oakhaven's Borough loomed with technological features. Its reinforced alloy gates are a stark contrast to the forest he had just escaped.
"SLOANE!" Isolde spotted him exiting the woods as she ran forward to embrace him.
The weight on her chest was dissipating as crystal tears streaked across her face.
The adventurers preparing for departure as Sloane's search party heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank god he survived, I would rather not venture into the forest if I had a choice, too many friends have been consumed by its inhabitants," the party leader murmured.
As the adrenaline faded, Oakhaven's automated sensors began to wail.
"BEAST HORDE DETECTED, CIVILIANS HEAD TO THE NEAREST SHELTER."
"BEAST HORDE DETECTED, CIVILIANS HEAD TO THE NEAREST SHELTER."
"BEAST HORDE DETECTED, CIVILIANS HEAD TO THE NEAREST SHELTER."
Commander Vance sprinted his way through town, a path of ice lay in his wake.
[Frost Avatar]
Alistair Vance, the stationed level 69 commander, unleashed his avatar form and arrived at the western gates of the city.
----------------------------------------------------------
Name: Alistair Vance
Age: 92
Class: Baron of Frost (Tier 6)
Affinities: Ice (S)
Level: 69
Health: 40000/40000
Mana: 12000/12000 (500 mana/second)
Strength: 100
Agility: 90
Constitution: 120
Intelligence: 155
Available free attributes: 0
Active Skills:
Frost Lance
Frost Wall
Frost Avatar
Frost King's Domain
oul Freeze
Passive Skills:
Imperial Sword Arts
Flicker Step
Far Sight
Body Refinement (Stage 7)
Equipment:
Imperial Commander Set
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 4)
Frost King's Spear
Frost King's Visor
----------------------------------------------------------
What is happening?
"A beast horde has been detected within 1 kilometre of the outer perimeter," the command room sent its reports to Vance's watch.
"Post a mission on the adventurer's quest board."
For every 20 tier 1 beasts killed, 1 Valerian Credit
For every 10 tier 2 beasts killed, 1 Valerian Credit
For every tier 3 beast killed, 1 Valerian Credit
For every tier 4 beast killed, 10 Valerian Credits
For every tier 5 beast killed, 100 Valerian Credits
Soon, adventurer squads gathered in the outer perimeter of the town gates.
The plasma cannons hummed in wait, ready to respond to any tier 5 and above threats.
Suddenly, a large wave of rabid beasts emerged from the tree line.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAARRRR"
A tier-suppressing roar blasted from the depths of the forest.
"FIREEEEEEEEEEEEE," Commander Vance bellowed, straining his throat as the walls trembled.
Casters who were lined up along the town walls released a barrage of spells, drowning the battlefield with a symphony of elements.
Their digital watch recording kill contributions as beasts exploded into meat paste, leaving behind mana stones.
"Damn, what a waste of perfectly delicious beast meat," an adventurer commented as he continued throwing earth spikes at the incoming horde.
"TANKS, BRACE YOURSELVES!" Vance shouted.
As the weaker beasts fell from the area of effect damage, the larger level 20-30 beasts slipped through.
"IRON WALL FORMATION!"
The synchronised wall of adventurers and soldiers channelled their mana and erected a defensive formation.
"DO NOT RELENT"
Melee fighters and archers sent their attacks through the gaps in the shield formation, slaying beasts as they piled up into a meat shield.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOARRRR"
The instigator of the beast horde emerged from the darkness.
A level 72 midnight panther fur glistening with yellow streaks.
**
Mutated Midnight Panther
Level: 72 | Type: Lightning
Health: 100,000/100,000
Mana: 30,000/30,000
**
"RETREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT"
"PRIME THE CANNONS"
The plasma cannons atop the town walls hummed with increasing intensity.
"FIREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
BOOOOOOOOOOOM
BOOOOOOOOOOOM
BOOOOOOOOOOOM
A series of thunderous beams streaked through the air, as 3 concentrated bolts of plasma converged on the horde leader with deadly precision.
The blasts tore through the panther's defences, taking an ear and an arm.
**
Midnight Panther
Level: 72 | Type: Lightning
Health: 8,000/100,000
Mana: 1,200/30,000
**
"I'll finish this mutt off, Colonel Vance leapt off the town walls, gliding with grace towards the weakened panther."
[Frost King's Domain]
[Soul Freeze]
[Frost Lance]
[Frost Lance]
[Frost Lance]
His spells, augmented by his domain, drained the panther's health entirely. He flicked his wrist and collected his spoils.
"MEOOOOW"
He heard cries from 3 panther cubs by the forest's edge.
[Ice Prison]
Frost crept over the cubs, locking them in shimmering cages of ice. These survivors would be far more valuable as tamed companions than as mere loot.