44 Blighted Boar
'So when it said the curse was added to my stuff what did it mean?' I ask as Emi joined us to watch the newcomers during their fight with Slax.
"Your familiar will get more info once you unlock the proper facilities I believe but certain curses or magical afflictions are absorbed once activated in a dungeon. Once you have them you can have your researchers or bosses look into how to integrate them into your mobs and bosses to make them stronger or how to add them to drops. Sometimes you can even use those afflictions to create new mobs." Emi explains as she points towards the fight between Chunk and the blighted castyr, each of the combatants clashing against each other as blood flies from both.
Watching the fight, we witness Chunk grab the head of the blighted castyr mid charge and begin grappling with the venomous creature. To my astonishment the wereboar teenager actually lifts the large beast and slams it on the ground before large patches of his bristles and skin start to turn a purple color and drip with small bits of blight.
"Tiny! Heals! Poison!" yells out Chunk as Jenny nods her head nervously and tries to cleanse him before screaming out in pain. Slinking out from behind her is a heavily injured and incredibly bloody castyr, its coat of fur blending with the background as its sharpened claws drip with hints of poison.
As the ambusher castyr moves to finish the small girl off a dagger thuds into its side followed by another as it finally tips to the side and falls heavily to the ground while a limping Elrick stumbles from the wooded area, one arm hanging uselessly at his side while blood dribbles from his leg.
"Hilda get one of those antidotes we found into Jenny so the poison doesn't kill her. Then try to get her awake so that she can start healing. I'll try to help Chunk with the caster and the beast. Once she's up he needs curing, that things causing some form of disease on him and considering he's a boar he'll start lashing out once his health gets low enough." Elrick orders as he pulls a small crossbow out of his bag and half full quiver of bolts as he begins loading a nasty looking piece into it, the head of the bolt barbed and serrated with an ominous black liquid coating it.
Firing the bolt, the projectile whistles towards the blighted castyr before flashing and disappearing. Seconds after disappearing a curse is heard as the bolt thunks into Slax's shoulder causing the geckonian to fumble his spell and suffer backlash. Trying to recover Slax attempts to cast a spell before realizing his mana is frozen as he checks his condition.
"Ah you be a smart child but to waste such a thing on me is an honor. Magebane be a rare elixir and using it like this be unique. But I not be just a mage child, I also be a rider now." Slax says eerily before he whistles and a glowing rune appears on the ground in front of him, Banshee slowly rising from the ground and looking around excitedly.
"Yes you be a good spider and I be sorry for waiting so long. Now let us show these children how we be doing things in this dungeon!" Chuckles Slax as Banshee chitters happily and lowers herself so he can climb into her saddle. Elrick watches the pair as his face goes pale upon seeing the spider, the ghostly arachnid bringing back bad memories as the laughter of a night goblin echoes in his mind.
Suddenly Elrick feels a refreshing lift in his spirits as his body slowly repairs itself and he realizes he was just hit with an intimidation skill, his eyes hardening as he fires towards the spider.
"Shit! If the spider comes near you target the lizard! Spider has some kind of physical resistance!" Elrick yells out as he aims his crossbow at the blighted castyr that's still fighting Chunk in the hopes of freeing his comrade to face the boss together.
As the bolt slams into the blighted castyr's fur, Chunk's hand glows before bonelike protrusions appear on his knuckles and he slams both fists in the castyr's skull with a resounding crunch that sends the blighted castyr to the ground. Chunk kneels next to the downed beast and begins slamming his fists into the castyr's head until the poor beasts head resembles a puddle of mush with skull fragments in it. Elrick screams towards the still transformed Chunk as he dodges another lunge from Banshee while firing a bolt at her rider and missing. Watching Chunk look around in confusion, smoke rises from his body as more of it turns a sick purple grey color before his eyes lock onto the forms of Slax and Banshee dashing around. Smiling with rage in his eyes he charges towards the spider and its rider before jumping towards its head and laughing as it reared back trying to dislodge its new passenger.
"Chunk we need to separate the spider and rider! If your still in there try to take the spider while we take out the caster, once he's down the spider should disappear to!" yells Elrick as he fires another bolt towards the spider but this one has a small sack tied to the end. Upon getting close it begins smoking before a giant flash before a loud squeal is heard. As the light fades the party watches as Slax flies through the air and lands in a heap away from Banshee while hunk grapples with the horse sized spider, his arms shaking as he holds each of her front legs in his hands while pushing it as hard as he can.
"Go, kill boss, talk hurts with tusks, got this!" screams Chunk as he headbutts banshee's eye clusters, the spider screeching in pain as it staggers backwards in a daze. Elrick nods as he pulls out a stilleto coated in a tarlike substance while Hilda walks up beside him holding what remains of her stone sword, Jenny hovers in the back while casting healing spells on after another onto the group while randomly grabbing a purple liquid in glass bottles and repeatedly downing them with a look of sickness on her.
Charging forward Elrick stabs out with his thin knife towards the still wobbly Slax, the geckonian taking the blade in his chest while barely moving out of lethal harms way. Hilda is ready behind the stunned and wounded mage and slashes down with her broken sword, the blunted edge bashing against Slax's wounded shoulder before he lashes out with his own dagger and causes the tall girl to drop the remains of the sword and retreat. Stumbling forward Slax lunges again and grazes Hilda before falling to the ground with a squelch as the dagger planted in his chest pushes completely through and his body begins to fade into the floor. As the group looks around they see the spider also fading before Chunks body begins returning to normal and the pudgy boy collapses in a heap, venom and blight covering his body as the party runs towards him.
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'You did a good job Slax, don't let the death fool you. Their group is perfect to train you on so you can be a boss but until we get another like it why don't you head to the new research lab since it'll be done soon. Maybe you can find some new spells or a way to strengthen banshee.' I say as the geckonian smiles tiredly and nods while heading towards the room.
"He did well for only his second outing. Plus he isn't exactly a boss level creature so to give them that much challenge is a good sign. Hopefully after this they'll also grow considering they were barely able to stand against him, let alone being able to challenge Spooky as they are now." Tilly says as she watches the party roll over Chunk's body and begin force feeding him antidote herbs as well as a strange herb called henslock which helps dispel blight and disease.
'Well it looks like they plan to camp in that room so lets give them some peace. I actually like this group but they lack damage, I think it might be time for Sarah to explore the town and make friends that aren't monsters honestly so if they can at least challenge Spooky then I'll see if she wants to join them.' I mumble as I watch the small girl play with her summon Flippy and a castyr that's much thinner than the others.
"Definitely a good idea. Dungeons are no places for a child to grow up in. Oh new challengers! Wait...is that guy in the back wearing lady armor?! Oh this is gonna be funny!" Tilly says as a new instance starts and a strange group of three enters the dungeon.
