Athena throws a few punches like a boxer. She is judging her range and stretching. The sensation is so realistic that she feels it is best to treat this like a real fight. The boys chuckle even more to them it just looks like a brown blue-winged girl is pretending to fight. The players are not worried about the usual penalty in-game for player killing. This is because Cardinal uses real-world laws. The main difference is that the risk is direct to the player account as opposed to the losing levels.
Jordan goes first being the de facto leader of his little crew of boys. Not, that he knows them really they all meet up at the beginning of the game. Using a referral code for the organisation they are all a part of. He pulls out his steel sword he is a level four while the rest of his team is level three. Athena is level one like she had to purge her experience to earn Pure Durinium wings. She could have slowly purified them over time. But Athena is not one for half measures.
"Don't worry honey I will make this quick," says Jordan. He rubs his hand through his long hair. Athena moves the tapping of her feet on the ground produce little to no sound. Her breathing is audible thou deep and slow. Jordan swings his sword in a stretch and Athena throws a straight punch into his face. Jordan sees the fists instead of swinging his sword he tries to step back. A deep breath later Athena has stepped forward and delivered a body blow.
Jordan is about to ask for help. He only has sixty health. to less than ten from her punches has him worried. As he opens his mouth. Athena hits him in the solar plex, then follows with another body blow to the body and finally a short jab to the jaw. The combo knocks the words out of Jordan. Steals his breath and makes him feel a pain he is not used to.
Jordan swings his sword from side to side trying to create distance between him and Athena. Athena follows his first swing to the right. Since Jordan is panicking and swinging with reckless abandon. She stays by his right side. Her light footwork takes her to his back. Athena unloads four painful, well-placed fists to the kidneys of the boy. Since she is in a game and low level she knows that striking at vitals will be effective than trying to replicate real-world killing blows.
Prichard now seeing how dominant Athena is moves forward. Coming from behind of Athena, which triggers her defence mechanisms. As a trained fighter she always has an eye out trying to place her opponents. When Richard moved to her back which is the most defenceless area. Her training kicks in she goes through her mental steps. There are too many opponents to move forward. She isn't fast enough to this one in front of down and defends from what must be a heavy blow to the back. Her weapon is sheathed. She thinks about tanking the shot but that is not the best she has no idea if their weapons have any effects.
At low levels, even additional damage buff can make a huge difference. She feels her wings, at a split second she swings with her wing. The right blue wing spreads out. A swoosh of the wind and Richard is cut in half. NoobainK¥NG chuckles. To him, she should have figured it out the moment the fight started. Her wings span is four meters across. As a steel wing, Aziza close combat is a must.
The others are stunned not Athena who is a veteran of many battles. A battle instinct takes over, every race in Cardinal has things they know instinctively. For Aziza using their wings is one. Athena swoops to Clive cleaving his head off. A sprinkler of blood shoot from Clive's neck onto Johan and Athena. Johan stumbles off his feet, he has never seen anything so horrific. He knew VR games were realistic but this is over the top for him. Athena spins at Johan with a flatter of her wings she is in front of him. Then he isn't his body drops dead lifeless.
NoobianK¥NG has a wicked smile, "Magnificent!" He even starts to clap. Athena knows what he is doing and she will get him back.
"Won't this be a problem?" Athena says to NoobainK¥NG. He shakes his head.
"This is Cardinal power makes you right plus no one cares about unknowns like us[humans in general] for now...Do me a favour and try using the book." Asks NoobainK¥NG
"It is blinking weirdly...hold on a sec honey." Athena starts to motion at the air. NoobainK¥NG thinks 'this is how TyphoidTerri was never caught. One doesn't need to actually have the book in hand to use it.' He wonders what else he hasn't thought about besides the Cardinal classes what other mysteries is this game hiding. Athenas' hands start to glow with the same blue runes on her wings and books of the souls.
"Interesting," says Athena NoobainK¥NG knowing his wife. Puts on his best puppy dog eyes.
"What is honey?" Asks NoobainK¥NG.
"The book always me to use their souls for something..." Says Athena, NoobainK¥NG has his eyes wide open he wants to know more about the book of course.
"Like what?" He says a little too eager.
"Tell me what you know first?" She says. Athena isn't stupid she knows that people have ways of gaining an advantage from the outside. However, she is suspicious because it is not like Samuel to not discuss his plans with her. Even if they are on opposing sides they would still discuss with one another and ask for advice. NoobainK¥NG smiles at her thinking she wants to know how much he knows about the book of souls.
"That book belongs to the Sky Goddes, her chosen champions are said to be like Valkyries, steering souls to heaven and such. The book was stolen by a human. I'm not sure about the rest. But steel wings have a close connection to the champions of old." Says NoobainK¥NG.
"Still thick I see." Says Athena. She changes into a full robe. Her bloody clothes must be cleaned before she can use them. She looks like a reaper especially with the robe covering her face too. Her massive wings on full display.
It is at this point her 'fans' arrive seeing the bodies of the fallen humans and a bloody angel of death. The fans attack at once. NoobainK¥NG was to join her in the slaughter of these fools when he got a message from Athena.
"You should go my love. I can handle these pests. Thank you for the book it's really amazing. We will talk later..." She also has to perform a ritual afterwards according to the book souls. The first few times it will take a lot of time but after the third full ritual, it will become a short prayer.
NoobainK¥NG continues to the dragon lake. it would have been easier with the help of Athena but he is also confident in being able to trigger Ralph. He moves about the trees picking up each example of the ten herbs. The lake seems rather peaceful today. The sky shining brilliantly and NoobainK¥NG is enjoying the walk. Trying to get flustered about the goblin event. He knows he can clear it on his own. It would be better with a party.
The lake waters are a lovely inviting crystal blue. That reminds him of his holiday to Mongolia. There the blue sky doesn't end. He fell in love with the country on that trip and plans to take his family one day. At the lake, he weaves a fishing basket. He could have made a fishing pole but Ralph is particular. The fish have to be uninjured. NoobainK¥NG removes rock from the lake bed and builds a small enclosed space. The woven fish basket is the only way into the enclosed space. He then grabs Dunga root one of the ten herbs. Besides its incredible healing properties, it is a decent bait. He crushes it in his hand depositing the crums into the enclosed space.
NoobainK¥NG then continues to gather herbs. he will need them later. With the midday sun high in the sky. He has been at it for at least four hours. He goes to his enclosed fish trap. To find a dishevelled human with blue and great big eyes that are as big as ruby and a wonderful orange in this light. More than the fish he is looking at the trap.
NoobainK¥NG says in his deepest voice, "can I help you with something."
Ralph says without looking up, " Something, Yes! Indeed of course you could. The fish in the trap. The trap is good, could be better. No, it is better, better than mine. Better than his. What you want?"
NoobainK¥NG can't help but smile. It seems adding something not found in Cardinal yet. Has done the trick with Ralph to NoobainK¥NG there was fifty per cent chance of success. Of course, NoobainK¥NG abused the system. Cardinal is in the nascent stage. It is still consolidating the breath of human advancement. So until then, he can use real-world things to game the system. Ralph is triggered by interesting things. The trick being that the interesting thing has to make the activity easier but the method has to be complicated. This is why instead of only building the fish basket he also added the small enclosed space.