My secret weapon was a Bluetooth speaker. In the past, players with abilities that made loud noises used their skills to drive Terror Sprites away from our territories. No one had a working phone by day three of the first season, so this kind of strategy wasn't ever an option. Thanks to my knowledge of the future, there won't be a single advantage I will ever miss out on.
Punisher and I were undeniably the most well-equipped people for this first season, all because we had gone shopping for camping gear. Punisher having a gun meant that I didn't have to worry about him at all, especially since he wasn't going to run out of ammunition anytime soon thanks to the achievement he was going to pick up. I had an assortment of knives and three machetes that should last me the duration of the first season.
I pulled on a Velcro strap that fixed one of my machetes in place with its sheath and pulled it free. It was garbage compared to the sword I used in the final season, but it should do for the meantime. The machete was an awkward blade for me, so I had to swing it around a few times to get used to the weight and balance. After feeling comfortable with the weapon, I pressed the power button on my Bluetooth speaker and waited for it to turn on.
The speaker pinged and shortly after played an artificial voice. "Pairing. Bluetooth connected. Battery at 100%."
I tapped on the Files application on my phone and navigated to my music folder. I opened it up and selected Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N' Roses. I cranked the volume up to its maximum and dropped all my equipment except for the machete in my hand. The opening guitar rift started to play, and I watched as the Terror Sprites started to disperse.
I stepped towards the still pool of water in the midst of the glade, and the ground began to shake as the first verse of the song finished playing. Once the chorus began, ripples began to form in the water that slowly turned into small waves. I watched as the water began to bubble and surge upwards as the boss monster for the Verdant Abyss made its appearance.
A colossal, serpentine creature with scales the color of ancient emeralds violently broke out of the water. It had two huge, massive arms that were each the length and size of a city bus. Vines and moss draped from its massive form, intertwined with a weird seaweed-like plant that grew naturally in the glade within the pool. The Verdant Leviathan opened its mouth and let out a bone-rattling roar, revealing rows of large, razor-sharp, translucent teeth. The sound of its roar was loud enough to stun most players, but I was able to resist the status effect thanks to my inflated stats. As the first chorus ended, I relaxed my muscles and prepared myself for a fight with the Verdant Abyss' apex predator.
"Let's dance."
The second verse of Welcome to the Jungle began to play, and I darted forward towards the Verdant Leviathan. I leaped onto its sinuous form and ran swiftly up its body, careful to maintain my balance. Its body was covered in scales that gleamed like obsidian and were as hard as steel. This fight was going to be hard because there wasn't a type of material in this season that could naturally cut through them. The only way I could get through was to use sword energy, but that would still be hard to accomplish even with my inflated stats.
My first objective was to get to its head and aim for its eyes, the only identifiable soft spot on the monster's body. As I climbed higher, a massive, clawed hand the size of a minivan swiped at me. I shifted my bodyweight to the right, pivoted my body, and brought my machete up to meet its most extended claw. I focused my energy and let it take form around the blade, forming a thin, dark red protective aura. A notification popped up in my vision.
Notification
Your proficiency with sword energy is being measured.
Notification
Congratulations! The skill, Advanced Sword Energy, has been added to the user's list of skills.
Passive Ability: Advanced Sword Energy
You are capable of infusing energy, also known as aura, into your attacks using swords. The damage and shape of the aura is determined by the user's understanding and experience. Advanced Sword Energy consumes anywhere from a small amount of energy to a huge amount of energy.
View Advanced Sword Energy Skills? [Yes/No]
I mentally dismissed the notifications; I didn't have time to view anything right now. The claw met my machete, and I allowed my body to ride the force. I gritted my teeth and kicked upwards as the force of the claw caused my body to spin. I rocketed upwards, slashing viciously at the Verdant Leviathan's arm as I ascended like a rising tornado. Dozens of my cuts bounced off the scales that protected the monster, but only one cut connected, perfectly sliding into a gap in between two poorly aligned scales.
I felt the machete dig into flesh and surged as much sword energy as I could into the strike. Several scales flew off the arm as I tore into it, and I began to feel as though the fight was going in my favor. I couldn't have been more wrong. It was likely that this creature had never been injured over the course of its reign here in the Verdant Abyss. It wasn't like I was fighting a goblin or a bandit in some fantasy world. On this world, this was a primal force, a creature of raw, unchecked power.
I completed the last rotation of my spin, and my upward momentum came to a stop. It was as if time stood still for a moment as I was almost at eye level with the Verdant Leviathan. With one swift, powerful strike with its free arm, I was sent barreling backwards. The strike was so quick that I could hardly register that I was even hit. The impact sent shockwaves into my body, which left me with the feeling of pins and needles poking deep within my bones.
I flipped several times, spinning wildly as I crashed through several trees. The only thing I could do was surge all the energy I could manage to form a protective shield around my body to reduce the damage. As my body finally decided to stop cascading through the forest, an unwelcome notification screen popped up.
"Ah fuck. This isn't good."