After finding a small waterfall, that falls from the entrance to the next level of the labyrinth. Ignis and Stella climb the small path in the rock face that leads up to it. They follow the winding tunnel, the slightly sloped tunnel winds up and around until they find the next level of the Labyrinth.
"As long as we continue heading upwards, then we should find and exit...Eventually." Ignis smiles as he looks out at yet another cavern filled by a forest like landscape. "The tree's seem further apart on this level, so there might be bigger enemies." He glances over his shoulder at Stella, as excitement pulses through his body.
"The trees being further apart will make it harder to move from tree to tree..." Stella say's chewing her lip, "Can we wait here while I try and make my Ice form into armor?"
"Mmmhm, Sure." Ignis smiles at her, "You wait here and practice, I'm going to see if I can find out what the monsters look like on this level."
Stella looks at him for a bit, before sighing, "Okay, Just be careful." She smiles and waves, "I'll be waiting for you here."
Ignis nod's, "I'll be back in a bit," He waves before moving towards the distant trees.
Stella watches him as he goes, his figure slowly shrinking as it moves in the distance, before he disappears into the trees. Sighing, she sit's down. Closing her eye's she focus's on the image of the armor she want's to form. Slowly a cool layer of ice forms on her skin, thickening in some spot's. She smiles as she looks at the Dark blue armor, laced with white and black lines. She allows it to fade away before starting the process again, aiming to decrease the time it takes to form.
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The tree's and brush around him rustles in the wind, as Ignis carefully moves through the forest. Noting the direction he had been going as to not get lost. Eventually he see's the trees part, a large clearing.
Slowly and silently as possible he creeps up keeping most of his body hidden behind a tree, he looks out over the clearing. In it he see's large beast's shaped similar to bulls, large horns protrude from their head's, and their tail, or tail's he should say. Drag on the ground behind them, three long tails come off the rear of each cow, tipped with sharp looking bones.
He narrow's his eyes, as he continues to observe. 'I'm glad she's trying to make armor, those thing's would probably shred our bodies.' He closes his eyes, willing mana into them, 'Inspect'
Level: 10
[STR 35////SPD: 24//STA40]
Race: Bone Bull
Active Skills:
Charge Rank B
Tail Whip Rank C
Hind Kick Rank B
Ignis's read's through the stat's, his eye twitching slightly. 'There's five, Rank B Monster's that have Rank A charge.' He slowly back's away moving closer to the cave, he starts to canvas the area. Searching for more monsters.
A slight rustling from the brush head of him alerts him, he crouches down, armor forming on his body. Another bull's head, followed by its body moves between the brush. This one, with slightly smaller horns than the ones in the clearing, allowing it to move easier between the trees. 'Inspect' He will's, and smiles slightly to himself at it's lower stats.
Level 7
[STR 30////SPD: 20//STA36]
Race: Bone Bull
Active Skills:
Charge Rank C
Tail Whip Rank D
Hind Kick Rank C
He moves to the right, rustling the brush, but making it behind a tree. The curious, young bull slowly approaches. "Mooo," it sounds in confusion, certain something was there.
Ignis forms his gauntlet's into scythe's, rounding the tree and coming out near the rear of the Bull, he lashes out, slicing the scythe's together. The sizzle of burnt flesh and fur fills his nose and lingers into the area, as the bull cries out in pain. It's feet lash out, faster than Ignis can avoid.
Slamming into his side, and sending him tumbling away, until he regains his footing. Ignis winch's as he get's to his feet, "Fiery Regeneration." He gasp's as he stumbles to the side, going behind a tree. The bull by now having spun around, charge's past the tree. Coming to a stop it spin's in place, it's hind leg's lashing out.
Ignis gasps as he tumbles to the side, barely avoiding the blow. The fiery regeneration slowly working at repairing the broken rib, and in turn, the torn flesh. He jog's through the tree's, weaving between them towards the cave entrance. The sounds of the bull crashing through the underbrush behind him echoing in the forest.
Once his breathing eases up, he look's over his shoulder. The bull stand's scraping it's hove on the ground between two trees, it's bloodshot, leering eyes focused on him. As the bull starts forward, Ignis face turns into a dark scowl, with a tree at his back and the bull charging, he dodges to the right once again.
Ignis look's up at the bull, it's horn buried in the tree trunk. A slow sigh escapes his lips just as the sound of creaking wood reaches his ears. The bull strain's against the ground, hove's skidding on the grass and dirt as it shakes itself. His eyes widen as he scrambles to his feet, a double sided blade growing from the tip of his gauntlet. Ignis lunges towards the bull, punching his fist out...and piercing the bull's throat.
As the bull's blood spurt's out like rain, Ignis's armor fades from his body, giving him a little bit of his mana back. With a weary look on his face he wills for his status, searching through it for his mana: 45/165.
After calming his breathing, he approaches the bull, whose eyes had long since grown dark. The blood that was pulsing from it's neck now stopped. "We can't eat all of this...but I should be able to bring back a leg, maybe two if Stella is able to preserve it with her ice?" He says to himself, as he set's about the task...
*System alert*
- Host has succeeded in slaying a monster of a higher level -
- Calculating additional rewards for completing a challenge -
Additional 10 Experience rewarded
*Note*
For each additional level the host will receive 10 additional experience points, in the case of killing a monster of double host level, or higher, double Experience will be rewarded.
- Natural experience gain : 40 Experience + 10 Challenge Experience
Host has received a total of 50 Experience
New tab has been added to the System log *Challenges*
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Stella flinches in the cave, as a massive impact echoes reaches her from the cavern outside. She rises to her feet, looking over the forest in search of the source. Finally she spots a few bird like creatures flying away from a wavering tree. Stella clutches a hand to her chest, standing petrified for a few seconds before shaking her head. She start's running towards the area of the disturbance with worry lining her face.
She run's through the wood's towards the commotion. The smaller branches from brush and tree's strike against her arms and legs, small cut's forming on her skin. A small pack of mana stones strapped to her hip, bumping against her as she goes.
Eventually, the tree's part, showing Ezekiel with blood dripping from his hand's, knelt in front of a large cow like creature. "Ignis!" Stella shout's as he turns to her in surprise, her body launch's at him, bowling him to the ground.
"Agh, Ouch," Ignis groans from beneath her, wincing as she slams him into the ground with her body.
"Oh my god, there's so much blood, are you okay?" Stella sit's up, her trembling hands pressing to his cheeks.
"I-I'm fine, Stella," Ignis groans underneath her, "T-The blood is the cow's, alright?!?" He says panicked as he look's at her siting on top of him. Her hand's causing goose-bumps to rise on his arms as they search for injuries.
"You're not hurt anywhere?" Stella asks in confusion, looking down at his face that is turned away from her. A slight flush on his cheek's, which only serves to deepen her confusion. "Ignis, what's wrong?"
"Y-You're on top of me?" He say's, his tone more of a question than a statement, "A-And you're clothes, their, they got torn?" He continues to look to the side, refusing to make eye contact.
Stella looks down at herself, the small tears building up into small tears, holes in her clothing revealing small peaks at her undergarments, and cleavage. "Ah," Stella's mouth drops, as she remains still, petrified at her positioning and clothing.
Ignis stay's still, not daring to move or touch her, eventually he peaks up at her face. Seeing her bright red expression, and closed eyes, he realizes she froze up. "S-Stella..." He mumbles, "You've got to move, please?" He asks softly, his finger tapping her on the forehead, as he looks up at her. Swallowing his own embarrassment to spare her any more.
"R-Right!" She exclaims, practically jumping to kneel beside him, her hands firmly planted on her thighs. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize..." She mumbles.
Ignis sigh's, sitting up, "It's alright," He smile's as she peaks up at him, then bites her lip. "You only came out here because you were worried, right?"
Her eyes widen, as she nod's her head, "Right! You said you were just exploring, I thought you were in trouble...so I came over as fast as I could."
Ignis runs a hand down his face with a sigh, "You should move around in your armor, it doesn't cost mana to keep it active, only to change it's form, or to repair it." He looks over at her wiping her tear of embarrassment off her face. "It'll keep you safer from getting snuck up on, at least a little, as well."
"R-Right," Stella nod's, the flush on her cheek's returning as she looks at him, startled by his action. "We should...go back to the cave."