While he wasn’t exactly smart, Arthur wasn’t stupid either. He knew that diplomacy had absolutely no chance, at least right now. The best he could do right now was to fight, and if given the opportunity, spare the opponent later. Another obstacle to his first instinct to talk was his mourning rage upon seeing the scene that he’d returned to. Much of that was channeled into the first strike he’d dealt the Bull.
The Bull himself also made it clear that any intention aside from violence wasn’t an option. Slamming his fist against the ground with a roar, his intent for battle couldn’t be clearer. After telling his friends to help the people surrounding them, the two warriors clashed.
From their first collision, it was clear that the Bull was stronger. His Ceaseless Wrath passive enhanced all of his physical stats the longer a battle continued as well as whenever he took damage, and he’d already been fighting before Arthur arrived. Although his boost from Heart of Devotion was greater than the Bull’s current boost through Ceaseless Wrath, the Bull’s strength stat was still higher than Arthur’s vitality, resulting in him being pushed back during their first clash.
The strength stat normally held both the force application and weight tolerance properties. Since Arthur moved the weight tolerance property to vitality, that facet now scaled off of that stat. The Bull, on the other hand, did no such thing. Moving that property out of the strength stat would be worse for him, because his strength stat was far greater than any other stat he had.
Stats
STR: 505 (606)
VIT: 267 (320)
DEF: 85 (102)
DEX: 85 (102)
INT: 0
While moving a property out of the strength stat would make the remaining properties stronger, it wasn’t worth the loss of one of those properties to do so. Since his strength was almost double that of his next highest stat, it was better for both weight tolerance and force application to scale off of that.
As stated before, Arthur had moved his weight tolerance to his vitality stat, and therefore, made his force application and heavy weapon damage properties count for more. Since his strength stat was considered high for his level, these properties were enhanced rather than reduced unlike his intelligence stat. He’d done the same for his mana recovery property, moving that to his vitality stat as well. Since his intelligence stat was so dismally low, the remaining properties of the stat were lowered even further, making his magical damage and mana count even worse than it already was. Doing this was very much on purpose; as Arthur had theorized he could create a sort of synergy between an extreme mana recovery contrasted with a low mana count. He felt that if he had a low mana count and high mana recovery, he could refill his mana bar almost immediately upon using a skill, making mana cost management a non-factor. So far, his hypothesis had been correct.
Although the properties of his strength stat currently counted for double again what the Heart of Devotion currently granted, it was still nowhere close to the Bull’s massive strength stat.
Stats:
STR: 217 (325)
VIT: 342 (513)
DEF: 283 (424)
DEX: 164 (246)
INT: 60 (90)
While his current strength stat was in the 300s because of the Heart of Devotion, the properties within the stat counted as though it were in the 400s. Such a boost, while grand, was nowhere near the Bull’s, which was over 600. Even his vitality stat wasn’t close, and this was why the Bull had begun the fight immediately overpowering Arthur.
He made swing after empowered swing, fire dancing across Arthur’s shield as he struggled to block. His expertise with a shield was the only reason he hadn’t been overwhelmed right away, as well as being noticeably faster than the Bull. He was often, if not always, able to move his shield fast enough to be in the right place at the right time, leading to deflections that minimized the weight of each blow. He would spam You and Me whenever it allowed, dealing retaliatory damage each time though failing to inflict Enraged. Each time he was wrong about the exact placement of his shield, his stamina took a huge blow as he was forced to block the full brunt of the attack.
While Arthur’s weight tolerance and force application was not the equal of the Tuskborne Bull’s, he was as much faster than the Bull as it was stronger than him. He was quick to learn that his speed was his greatest strength, and was as quick to utilize it to the best of his ability. This is where he made a fatal mistake.
One of Arthur’s greatest weaknesses was a lack of skill with his weapon. With the shield, he was good, great even, because of his level 50 Martial Skill. The blade was a complete other story, however, and this lack of ability led Arthur to flounder during opportunities his shield skills gave him. Attempting to make good on a particularly masterful parry he’d made, he lunged a stab at the back of the Bull he’d just pirouetted behind. If he had been better with a sword, he would’ve known the folly of his actions.
The blade made a screaming blast of a noise as it sank deep into the Bull’s back. Roaring in pain, the Bull turned quickly, yanking the sword from Arthur’s hand. He was disarmed.
Having little choice in the matter, he blocked a fist shimmering with fire as it backhanded him, much like the first attack he’d taken from the beast.
[Crushing Slam]: Unarmed attacks deal greater damage for 1 attack. Multiplies force application by 1.5 for the duration of the skill. Deals greater damage commensurate to current [Wrath]. Cooldown and amount of attacks allowed is commensurate to current [Wrath].
He was sent sliding back with the force, sending dirt billowing out to either side. Upon the end of his travel, he looked up from behind his shield, only to see a giant mass of fur descending upon him. He lifted his shield up, attempting to block the oncoming attack.
Skill
[Crushing Slam]
Activated
Arthur was crushed into the ground as the Bull landed upon him and kept raining blows onto his shield.
Skill
[Crushing Slam]
Activated
Skill
[Crushing Slam]
Activated
Skill
[Crushing Slam]
Activated
The Bull swung over and over again, pounding on Arthur’s shield like a drummer with a grudge. The indent in the ground turned into a full on crater, with Arthur in the middle, imbedded in the rock and concrete like the roots of his shield’s tree. As each attack was a direct hit on his shield, You and Me turned from an unreliable source of damage to a solid workhorse, drinking up Audacity stacks and dealing damage for each attack. The Tuskborne Bull didn’t care.
Skill
[Ceaseless Wrath]
Activated
Stats:
STR: (606 ? 656)
VIT: (320 ? 347)
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DEF: (102 ? 110)
DEX: (102 ? 110)
Finally, the Bull grabbed the Wooden Bulwark with one hand, pulling Arthur up and out of the ground with it. Preparing his other fist to land a blow on the knight’s actual body, that knight’s hand flashed out for the Bull’s face. Getting a hold of one of the Bull’s horns, he used the leverage to land a vicious headbutt to his snout.
Staggering back more out of surprise than pain, the Bull’s legs were open, begging Arthur to land a 5th Method shield crunch against its joints. Arthur obliged.
Method 5: Swing at an enemy with the edge of your shield. Does greater or lesser bludgeoning damage depending on the spot struck.
The edge of his shield slammed against the Bull’s knee, and though it failed to completely buckle, it caused a decent amount of damage. The Bull kneeled, losing his balance. Arthur swung with his shield again, but this time, with a vanilla 1st Method shield swing aimed directly for his face.
Method 1: A wide swing of the shield to slam the enemy. Deals moderate to high blunt damage but results in a moderate cooldown.
It connected, a punishing crash of flesh meeting wood as the Bull fell down completely, his face meeting dirt. About to reach for his blade in the beast’s back, it looked up at him with a blazing fury in his eyes that Arthur had never seen before or since. The Bull’s arms ignited with fire and darkness, as he swung both at Arthur in an upward jackhammer.
[Retaliation]: Deal extra damage proportional to how much damage you have taken. Deals greater damage commensurate to current [Wrath].
[Wrath Strike]: Deals massively greater damage commensurate to current [Wrath]. Partly bypasses shielding abilities.
Skill
[Crushing Slam]
Activated
Arthur had no choice, he was too close. He didn’t have time to deflect or dodge, so he did the only things he could. He braced himself behind his shield and activated a skill.
[Not Today]: Expend a stack of [Audacity] to conjure a shield around an ally. Allies under the effects of [Not Today] have increased stamina regeneration and mana regeneration. Upon taking damage, the damage is absorbed, and the buff expires.
A shield snapped into place around him, only to shatter when the rising jackhammer arrived. It struck his shield, sending him flying once again, but this time… much further.
Arthur sailed backwards through the air, shield still held in both arms and in front as though continuing to block. Finally slowing down, he crashed into a building, his flight coming to an abrupt stop against the opposite wall inside. The sound of falling glass was soft in his ears as they rang, and he struggled to get up. He stumbled forward, immediately falling onto his hands and knees as blood exploded from his mouth. It slowly leaked from his faceplate, like a rank, dark red syrup.
His arms were shaking. He couldn’t feel his legs. He’d never been more tired in his life. His stamina was nearly empty after a single blow, and his health took an extreme blow as well. Through everything he’d put up, the Tuskborne Bull ripped through all his defenses like a chainsaw through wet tissue paper.
Half lidded eye’s that shined with verdant mysticism shakily looked back up towards his opponent in the distance.
[Headlong Charge]: Charge at the enemy and attempt to impale them, crush them or run them over. Massively increased DEX and STR. Force application multiplied by 1.5 for the duration of the skill. You are harder to stop during this skill. Deals greater damage commensurate to current [Wrath].
All Arthur could see through his tired and pained eyes was a giant fireball streaked with darkness blasting right toward him. It tore up the ground on its way, concrete and rock flying about as it grew closer and closer by the moment.
He tried to get up. He stumbled again, falling forward and onto his hands and knees for a second time. He was so tired, and everything hurt like never before. Even the time he’d been impaled couldn’t compare, almost as though the strike he’d been hit with earlier landed on his very soul. But he had to move, out of the way or… something.
Or… he could just… let it hit him.
He’d never much been attached to his life. Sure he’d held on since the System came; in his eyes, it’d been an opportunity to help people. He hadn’t known back in the dungeon that he’d essentially have to find and kill people to protect the humans on Earth. Even when he’d learned about the Raiders, he’d thought that maybe he could talk them down and no one would have to die. Now that he’d met one, it was obvious that would never work.
Ever since that dungeon, he hadn’t even been sure if he could die. He hadn’t particularly wanted it, but he was never averse to it either. Before the System, the only thing that really made him happy were the smiles on the faces of others. Helping people was what gave him purpose, and he thought the System would allow him to do that more than ever. Instead, he’d been enlisted to kill people as if he’d been sent to war.
Though he’d known it from the start, this new world was not a game. Even so, he’d treated it as such, killing monsters merrily as though there wasn’t anything to worry about. Not thinking about the fact that the Raiders were murdering people around the globe because it wasn’t happening right in front of him. Now, he was paying the price for his hubris.
All he would have to do was simply… give up. The pain would end. The choice of ending someone’s life would no longer be his to make.
It felt cowardly. Hypocritical and pathetic. Such was fitting for him, he thought, but when he closed his aching eyes, something else in the back of his mind nagged at him.
Once the Bull finished him off, he would be free to kill everyone around him. He had no doubt that he would, as the Raiders gained rewards from the System for however many kills they got.
He would kill everyone. Innocent people, who’s only crime was being alive during the System’s conquer. He thought about his fiery arms stained in red, ripping the survivors apart one by one. He thought about them being impaled on his horns, lauded about like they were trophies. His hands balled into fists.
He didn’t think much of himself, but that didn’t change the situation. Out of everyone on Earth, he had the strength to put an end to the slaughter. The people outside couldn’t defend themselves, and if he abandoned them, it would mean their certain death.
He was a coward; he knew this. He was more afraid than he’d ever been in his life, arms and legs shaking like jello. But… part of him knew it didn’t matter.
The green glow surrounding him grew more intense.
Nothing he thought mattered. His feelings didn’t matter, his fear didn’t matter, his pain didn’t matter. What mattered were those peoples’ lives. They didn’t care about his “feelings”, because how would what he thought mattered if they died? How would his inhibitions help them? What would his hesitation do? Get them all killed.
The green glow turned into an outward shine, like a verdant sun setting on his figure, still on his hands and knees. The entire room began glowing violently green.
He knew he wasn’t a hero, but he was all they had. They didn’t need him to think about morality, or if it’s right to kill someone who may deserve it. They needed him to fight back, to protect them from the slaughter that was certain to be on its way if he failed. They needed him to GET UP. NOW.
Stats:
STR: (325 ? 434)
VIT: (513 ? 684)
DEF: (424 ? 566)
DEX: (246 ? 328)
INT: (90 ? 120)
The verdant glow now completely enveloped the room, bathing the destroyed and dusty furniture green. Arthur wasn’t sure what happened or why, but while he instinctively knew there was a reason for this boost, he didn’t care. He slammed a fist against the floor, cracking it wide open. He looked up at the approaching fireball and, getting onto his feet into an immediate sprint, let a guttural roar rip from his throat that might’ve left him unable to speak before the System.
The pain was still there; he just no longer cared. As if a switch had been flipped in his mind, nothing mattered to him but stopping the evil monsters in front of him. Evil may not have a face or true definition, but to the current Arthur, Raiders and their ilk were the closest one could get to it right now.
He crashed out of the building at blistering speed. Not stopping despite his collision with the pile of rubble in his way, he ran directly towards the fireball of muscle and fur. Every step left indents in the solid rock, sometimes cracking the very earth with his reckless and determined sprint.
Against the backdrop of a war zone, a fireball streaked with darkness and a verdant green sunset rushed towards each other on a direct and disastrous collision course.
The man and woman tried not to awaken the building’s other denizens, but were both loud regardless; especially the woman. The man had always known she was loud, but he’d specifically told her to keep it down tonight, as they weren’t alone in the building this time. Of course, he didn’t even think of the fact that he was being just as… vocal. Hypocrisy was one of the things he did best, after all.
During one of their downtimes, they’d begun talking about the state of the city. He’d previously been a politician before the System, and quite enjoyed his job. The woman he was with today had previously been an escort; one of his favorites. Now, however, he was one of the many leaders of the Social faction, or just “Socials”.
During the city’s inception, three main factions had been born. The Eradication faction, the Restoration faction, and the Social faction. The ‘Rads wanted to kill all the monsters that had invaded, the “builders” wanted to rebuild what’d been destroyed, and the Socials wanted the same, but for the societal structure. It was necessary that there was some kind of organization for when things went back to normal, and that was what the man worked for. He wasn’t sure what the woman did now, nor did he particularly care in that moment.
“So… the ‘Rads’ve been releasing missions without tellin’ you guys?” She chuckled. “Not very smart of them.”
“I can see why they did it,” He replied, leaning back. “With the way the social climate is right now, they think the most important work right now is theirs.”
“Is it?”
“Honey, everyone thinks their work is the most important.” He said, his condescending tone almost like a second nature. “What matters is that they got caught, and now they owe us.”
“What about the builders? Did they know?” She put her hand on his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. It was unclear of whether she hadn’t heard the condescension in his words or if she was simply too well trained to let it show on her face.
“They’re claiming ignorance right now, but I have a feeling that’ll change once we shake them hard enough. Either way, concessions aplenty abound.” He smiled at the woman. “Camille never had the heart for politics, especially after her encounter with her ex-captain.”
The woman let out a hum, before sliding her hand up and around the man’s neck. “It’s too bad there’s so many other people here tonight. I might’ve charged you less for round two.”
“You never charge less.” The man laughed, following with a kiss on the woman’s jaw. She moved to make sure the next one was on her lips.
It really was too bad they weren’t alone tonight, or that kiss might’ve been his last. The poison she used for her lips hardly had any taste, which was why it was so effective. Once she learned they weren’t alone today, she’d had to leave it in her purse.
She loved the System. Before its arrival, people might’ve questioned why someone had poison on their person. Now, though, people carried weapons around like it was the medieval age. No one suspected one more person with dangerous goods on them.
The System rewarded her for killing now, too. It’d been so hard to scratch that itch before, but now, she could kill as much as she wanted.
And hey, who could blame her? The System always rewarded her so well, so she couldn’t be doing something wrong, after all.