The slingshot was a four star item. It had a variable range based on a ??? skill. Rosa was in love with it's sleek metal design. She showed everyone how they were supposed to hold it.
Rosa turned and looked at Abigail with expectation. The slingshot was great, but the real prize was yet to come.
'Magical ammo is the best.' Rosa thought as six little leather pouches were taken out of the bag and lined up on a work table nearby.
"I hope you appreciate this kiddo, I had to enlist an alchemists help to create these." Abby said as she reached into one of the leather pouches. A little glass bead with a liquid inside was handled delicately.
"Is that?" Madame Mulberry asked. Abby grinned wickedly.
"A weak poison made from herbs. This one is an acid-" Abby said pointing to another pouch. - and this one is the anti-invisible potion. You have twenty of each."
Rosa eyed the last three pouches excited. As if teasing her, Abby drew out the last three ammo's introduction.
"The biggest one is your request. All of the little iron balls are imbued with magic to make them return to the pouch on command. You just touch this rune." Abby showed her the side of the pouch that had Return etched into the leather. "It runs on this-" Abby turned the pouch inside out to show a spirit stone sown there. "So you have about fifty uses before it needs a recharge."
'Unlimited ammo, or as good as unlimited. Just what I wanted.' Rosa's eyes sparkled.
"Now the last two I had made in mind as a combo but they can be used separately. This is a flammable oil-" Rosa smiled, she could see where this was going. "-and this is a fire shot. It will do a little bit of fire damage. You have twice the amount of oil as you do fire shots so use them sparringly." Abby's head went back in pride as she finished speaking.
The pride of a true artisan was something to behold.
"Auntie is a genius!" Rosa wanted to go over and grab the ammo, but was sidetracked. A cool mist washed over her. She shivered and looked down to see she was now glamored with the illusion stone. She appeared to be an a frilly green dress with cute white stockings.
"Aw!" It was too late to run. Madame Mulberry pinched her cheeks like she was a fruit being bought at market. Rosa suffered through the cuteness aggression like a pro. Meanwhile. A belt was grabbed and loaded up with the pouches.
"I'm trusting you to only use them on the monsters." Abigail said seriously as she handed the belt to her mother to put it on her. The three pouches sat atop each hip snuggly. Pulling on the drawstring tighted each pouch closed. Rosa nodded and looked at her auntie serious.
"I promise these will be used on the monsters." Rosa promised solemnly.
"Well now, I think you're just about ready to go." Hedi said as she checked her over. That was when Rosa realized something crucial.
"Um, not yet." Rosa squirmed in embarrassment. "I have to go potty." Everyone groaned, she was in full armor!
A children's bladder really was unreliable.
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Thankfully, it didn't take too long to get her undressed enough to use the watercloset. While alone, Rosa used Identify on all the pieces of armor. The only thing that was a surprise was a set bonus.
"You are wearing a complete set, 10% bonus to Endurance."
'Well, that's handy.' Her endurance was so low that the bonus didn't really apply. Rosa took one of the iron balls from her pouch and used Identify.
"Iron pellet." Rosa mused. "No attack damage or special skills associated with them. The damage must be based on the skill level and weapon delivery." Rosa put the black ball back in the pouch and closed it.
'Time to boost some moral. I may just be a cutesy little mascot like I am now-' Rosa gave a fanged grin to the air. '-but even kittens have teeth.'
Rosa walked out of the watercloset and straight into her mother. Eleanor crouched down and gave her a hug that was both warm and reassuring.
"Make sure you come back to me in one piece. I love you. Stay safe." Eleanor whispered. Rosa felt her eyes tear up.
"I love you too momma." A final pat on her back and she was on her way.
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The two guards that escorted her to the wall were name Jericho and Aaron. Jericho had a shield that was bigger than Rosa and a pike. Aaron had a staff foci and two short swords. They explained they were both defensive specialists hired to keep her safe at the wall. When they got to the gate, it was organized chaos.
"Get the healers-"
"There's an oak spirit-"
"Where did that-"
Many voices overlapped in a cacophony of noise that hurt Rosa's ears. People ran everywhere. In order not to be in the way, she was led off to the side as the main battlements were busy.
"This way little one." Aaron said leading her up a less used stairway. Rosa looked up and found she'd be at the top of one of two towers that made up the gate. There were magic users casting spells on one and healers on the other.
'They're putting me with the healers because it's the safer spot.' Rosa thought as she took the scene in before her.
There was a large artifact placed in the middle shaped like a spire that glowed an eerie green; it had a boosting effect on healing magic. The healers wore mostly white robes, but had an assortment of foci. The casting was quick and many spells flew into the air that rained down from above. There was a single person leaning over the side giving directions into a magical artifact.
'No need to see who they are healing? That's different.' Rosa looked at the artifact, questions bubbling up in her mind.
"Over here." Aaron said gently. They were going over to the side of the wall.
'Now is not the time to ask.' Steeling her resolve, Rosa walked over to the edge. Stopping a few feet away, she got out her slingshot.
"No need to be afraid little one. We're protected up here." Jericho said in a booming voice.The large man had grabbed a little blanket from somewhere and draped it on the stone parapet.
"Just sit up here." Aaron said patting the blanket. "Let everyone see you."
Rosa was sat on the wall and looked at the battlefield. The monsters were forced to fit into a narrow entry way. The city defenders were guarding the gate and only had to contend with three monsters at a time.
The problem was that there were so many monsters that it looked like something out of a horror movie. The main street in all directions was bursting with monsters of all types and were clustered a city block deep.
Sanguine Stompers, Hostile Reptiles, Ravvits, Tree Spirits, Rodentia, Septoculars. All monsters from the surrounding areas.
They were also incredibly strong.
'That's not right.' Rosa thought as a Sanguine Stomper nearly trampled the heavy shielder defending the gate. The heavy shield profession was a higher level tank job. 'That guy has to be at least level thirty. Why is he having problems with a lower level monster?'
Rosa careful studied the battlefield. The damage from spells were obviously being cut in half somehow. There also appeared to be empty spaces in odd spots.
'Those spots aren't empty.' Monsters usually don't have buffs. The rare occasion that they do is trouble for the adventurers that run into them.
There was a saying in gaming, kill the healers first.
"Do you guys see that?" Rosa asked out loud to her guards for the day. The two looked at each other.
"See what little one?" Aaron asked.
'They don't see the gaps.' Rosa gathered a Iron pellet and loaded it.
"You are trying to learn skill-" Rosa didn't let the system fully finish as she covertly hit the yes button.
"Watch where this lands." Rosa took aim and fired at the nearest open spot.
"You have hit goblin healer. -5 hp. You are now in combat."
Rosa didn't have time to celebrate before Aaron exclaimed.
"Where did he come from!?" Jericho was quick to yell over the pandemonium.
"Call this in! Enemy healer in section F4!"
The person looking over the side nearly stumbled over due to the booming voice. The person looked, paled and relayed the message.
A volley of arrows flew from atop the gate to the area.
"Ding! You are no longer in combat. +5 combat experience."
"They got him!" Rosa cheered. Aaron turned Rosa bodily to face him.
"Child, I need you to answer me truthfully. How did you know that mage was there?" Aaron was firm and it was obvious that he wasn't trying to frighten her. Good thing wasn't just a child.
"There was a gap in the monsters that didn't make sense." Rosa said clearly. At her answer, Aaron's posture slumped as if disappointed. Jericho put his hand on Aaron's shoulder and excited asked as he leaned down into her face.
"Do you think you can do it again?"
"Yeah!" Rosa pumped her fist in excitement.
The next few hours, Rosa learned two more skills: Detect and Eagle Eye. The other skill was Aim. What they did would have to be examined later. They leveled up with aim at an increasing fast pace.
Not every hole in the monster crowd had some mage hiding there. The return feature on her iron pellets had to be used multiple times. The monsters began to visibly thin out. making finding hidden mages more difficult.
"Look at you go!" Aaron was now the loud one of the two guards.
"Enemy Debuffer at section C8!" Jericho relayed to a scout Rosa now knew as Darryl.
"On it." Darryl crowed. Rosa scanned the crowd frowning.
The invisible monsters were now getting farther and farther away from the wall. The spells they cast no longer reached the front line. It was a slow slaughter now in the humans favor. Her experience points were slowing down.
"Mr Jericho? Can we go over to the other tower?" Rosa asked looking up at him with a wide eyed expression.
"Huh? Why?" He asked baffled.
"I can't see any more gaps in the monster raid. I need to change my angle. Besides-" Rosa grinned as she slipped on her leather gloves. "-I want to talk to a fire mage."
'It's just about time the boss shows up.'