"I will go first," Terry traverses to the other side while walking on the wobbly hanging bridge. Terry gesturing them that its safe and they are ready to move on. Few meters from the edge of the bridge, there are stairs going down. Annael went ahead and the rest of the teammates follows.
"This is really weird, why is it there is no monster roaming around?" Annael is being cautious moving forward. Diane ordered several of her fireflies to move forward then Diane gasped, "Annael…. some of the fireflies is being dispelled." Jake realized that there something big ahead of them, condensed mana started to concentrate just several meters in front of them and he could feel that temperature is Increasing. Jake started to cast water ball five-times and place the ball just 2 meters in front of Annael. "What are you doing!?" Annael shouted. "Terry! Drag her and hide behind that stone!" Terry immediately knows what he meant and drag Diane behind the huge stone. Suddenly a gush of flame came out in front of them. The moment the flame hit the ball of water, it immediately causes steam and created a smoke screen. Annael was limping down and he drags him behind the stone.
"Shit! It hurts! Annael has superficial burn on the posterior surface of his left forearm. Diane was about to cast a healing spell," No! don't do it!" "But!" she was interrupted and felt like small tremors and footstep is getting stronger, something is coming their way "Just don't talk…." A 12 feet long and height of 4 feet, lizard with a red stripe that glows every time it breathes, it just walk past them. Its eyes are like flaming ruby. Jake gasped when he saw it, thinking, what the hell! Why is it here! Diane gasped and murmured, "What was that" while looking towards Terry. Terry seems terrified, he took a deep breath, " I don't know. It looks like a stone salamander."
"That was a Ruby salamander an Erudite realm. Erudite monster is able to cast magic specific to their species, such as that one. That is rank F monster, it still a child. The team widened their eye and speak in unison, " A child….." Terry knitted his eyebrow, " How did you know about this stuff? Any guild will not hand you this info not unless you are in Erudite realm + exorbitant amount of money." Jake calmly said, " I am a wide reader." Diane approached Annael, " Why did you stop me from healing him?" "You need to understand that healing magic only heal one's vitality, you know what vitality is right?" Diane nodded, " Vitality is a protective barrier from a person's life force, once the person lifeforce is in contact with the environment, they are now susceptible to any physical, spiritual or elemental damage." Jake smile, " you can try if you want." Diane nodded and heal the burnt arm and after a few seconds Annael almost scream due to pain, when he looks at the burnt arm it seems it got worst."
Jake doesn't have a spiritual eye yet; it is one of the support skills of an acolyte when they reach level 14 in the game. The usage of this is to gauge the vitality and heal that person accordingly "Can you see the shield of life force? Diane uses its spiritual eyes, unlike Jake who have a vitality bar, Diane can see a sort of energy shield protecting the entire body with the point of power in on the center of the forehead. "Why is it my healing is not working!" Jake explained," Basically when healing vitality effectively, the acolyte my concentrate its healing skill on the forehead or throw healing magic targeting the forehead or the healing effect is lessen or ineffective." Diane seems lost in thought, " are you really a warrior" Jake smile, " and a mage.
Remember that healing skills act like fire magic with holy property, that is why when you heal someone it burns several cells and stop the bleeding and forcefully close it ." Diane frowned, " cell?" "Anyway, the best thing to do here is to have a Chi balm," he looks towards Terry, "yes, I have that one but chi balm is used for its paralyzing effect." Andrew smile and remember, It indeed used to coat arrows and knives to temporary paralyze the enemy when they damage them but it only works if the enemy is mid-tier mortal and below and it only paralyzed a certain portion of which the coated weapon landed on. It only has a localizing effect, but when the gamers realized that the effect of the chi balm and healing skill, it became easy for gamers to use it to their advantage.
Jake applied the chi balm on the posterior aspect of the forearm and immediately took effect and stop the burning damage. Jake also saw a minor laceration and use the bandage on it and Annael realized that the bandage has such good effect. Jake asked Diane to cast the healing skill and immediately Annael realized the immediate good effect when Diane concentrated the ball of light on his forehead.
Jake cast the prayer skill within one meter and Diane and the rest sense the mana seem encircling them. "You are also an acolyte?" Diane smile and Jake nodded. "It will increase our mana regeneration at first cast and after 24 hours.
Annael manage to stand up, "I have to thank you for that. This balm really is helpful and its cheaper." Terry handed each of us a small circular container with a name written on it "chi balm." When Jake felt like the Ruby salamander is gone, they immediately walk towards the deeper part of the cave. They crossed the upper part of the waterfall and unto the spacious place. Immediately after they enter the saw and three 7 foot stone salamander. The three salamanders growl at them. Immediately Annael uses a charge skill that temporary increase its speed for a few seconds then uses cleave when he is about 0.5 meter from the salamanders. The two salamanders was knocked off which exposed its belly. Terry immediately uses sidestep, this skill allows dashing towards the enemy without using to much force. He landed in front of the belly and uses scissor cut which slices the stomach, the intestine was exposed and the salamander keeps on running around then died due to blood loss. Jake uses javelin band it pierces to its stomach and immediately rushes and using forcefully slash the stomach vertically, and the internal organ fell to the ground. Annael uses charge towards the remaining one then uses cleave and strike horizontally cutting the salamander in half, blood spurt almost everywhere and the body stops moving.
Terry and the others were dismantling the corpse for any useful part, when they are done, Jake inspect the three salamander and notice that the salamander's gallbladder are intact so he slowly cut and wrap it with a bandage. This gallbladder is one of the ingredients in making petrification resistance and cure.
Terry was roaming around and lighted one torch attached on the wall then a click sound was heard, opening a new entrance below with stairs. Annael stands up started to walk down. After a few minutes, they are now in the middle of another spacious room. Diane uses firefly, a soon as the firefly move around, hundreds of icteric eyes staring at them..
• Mana: 19.5/25
• MR: 1/hr + 4.5/24h
• Stamina: 10/12
• SR: 1/hr of rest