Denizens of the Labyrinth

Jazmel appeared on a sandy beach, the sea lapped at the edges of the beach, and he could smell the salt in the brittle sand at his feet. Patton and the others were a little ahead of him but as he walked towards them, he felt their tension.

Patton noticed him and with a finger at his lips he pointed above, Jazmel looked up and saw nothing for a moment, but he could hear something coming. Patton led a run towards a rock face, broken slabs that had fallen off from the cliff face and appeared in a lose formation for them to hide behind.

Wings; Jazmel had heard wings and as something flew over them, the sun was blotted as whatever was above them blocked it with its body. The thing landed further down the beach but scrabbled up it towards the cliff where a cave opening had been hidden. Peeking round the rocks they hid behind; Jazmel saw the monster. The behemoth, it was a Wyvern a black Wyvern of generous size. Tango had taught Jazmel the difference about these creatures in his childhood and he had always remembered this lesson.

Dragons were the greatest threat to humanity; they are wrath and destruction. If you ever see a dragon, you either hide or run. Never fight. Wyverns were like dragons except they are craftier and nastier too, a dragon is all power. While a wyvern is insidious. They will trick Seekers and bring on doom, not as strong as a dragon but strong enough to kill those who are unprepared. Tango had also told him about Wyrms too.

A Wyrm has neither wing nor legs but are no less lethal. They tend to be poisonous and can exude large clouds of toxins. Be careful of those too.

To this, Jazmel had listened quietly and intently. Not knowing he would one day face one.

“That is a black Wyvern.” Katie hissed to them all.

DING!

DEN OF THE TIER III BLACK WYVERN

DEFEAT THE BEHEMOTH!

The system notification popped up and Jazmel skimmed it but, noticed everyone else had also seen the notification. The system was forcing their hand here. “They are dangerous, we should sneak off.” She said and for the first time, Jazmel could tell Katie was truly worried.

“We cannot leave it. We have a shared plot!” Patton countered and then Jazmel realised they probably had all heard the same thing. “I do not have a strong enough skill to deal with a creature of that size.” Bannerman told them all. Jazmel nodded, neither did he and he was sure none of them did.

“Wyverns are weak to thunder.” Sadé pointed out and Jazmel remembered she did have some skill that allowed her to use thunder. “I have a skill that allows me to change my Mana to thunder, but it is costly. I can only do it twice, to a level that would wound the Wyvern.” Patton thought.

“Might I interject?” Baek said and Jazmel realised he had almost forgotten that he had retained the services of the Master Seeker.

“The Wyvern is injured, so you will not have a great deal of fight left to do. But also, a wounded monster is worse than others, it will be in a state of frenzy and rage. You will have to attack and to make it count.” Baek told them all and this drew silence again.

“I say we attack.” Jazmel said finally and they all looked at him.

“We all need to get stronger; I can only imagine the exp we could gain. Not only that, but if Wyvern’s are like dragons. Then should not that cave hold treasure?” Jazmel said to nods of agreement from them all.

“I can draw it out of the cave for you all if you wish.” Baek said and they all looked at him. “Could you beat it?” Patton asked him.

“If I did, would you all gain any experience?” he answered, and Jazmel noticed he did not say he could not, but he told them all he would not get in the way of their climb. “Fine, please Baek can you draw it out.” Patton asked.

“Bannerman you are going to draw its attention, Katie, I want you to get on top of it. Keep it from flying, get above its head or incapacitate its wings.” Bannerman and Katie split from the rock and rushed out into the open to get into position.

“You can use thunder? How much?” Patton asked Sadé. “I can probably draw a thunder bolt down, but it is going to take me some time.” Sadé theorised, Patton turned to Jazmel and was quiet for a moment.

“I have seen how well versed you are with your sword, when it comes to behemoth’s I am not sure how to place you.” He admitted and Jazmel felt crushed. He did not have a skill that could attack a large area and that was something that bothered him.

“Help where you can!” Patton said and then darted to the side and Jazmel felt the Mana around him begin to lurch towards Patton as he readied a skill or spell.

“While he isn’t wrong, a sword can cut anything its Master wants.” Baek said beside Jazmel, and he looked at him wondering about his words.

“Let me draw this Wyvern out and then you can act how you want to.” Jazmel watched as Baek waved a hand lazily at the cave and a white flash of Mana crashed into the roof of the entrance and a challenge was roared in return.

“Think about your strike and make it count.” Baek told Jazmel before stepping into the air and leaping forward.

The others had begun their attack. Bannerman was running to draw the attention of the Wyvern and as it appeared from the cavern Jazmel felt its pressure. He had not felt anything like this before, it felt like gravity was pressing down on him. He could tell the others were also feeling it but as soon as it came. It was removed, he looked up and above them. standing in the sky, Baek had drawn the attention and as the Wyvern shambled out. Jazmel could tell it was injured. Its wing was torn a little in some places, it had clearly fought something else before.

It roared and glaring at Baek it hissed in wrath. But he was unfazed. It spat a gooey wad of purple mess at him, he slashed it in half with a hand and the wad flew off in an angle. It hit the ground and the cliff face sizzled in distress.

Bannerman launched himself into the sky and landed on the neck of the creature, using his claws for purchase. He scrambled for ground and when he dug in, the Wyvern screeched. It tried to turn its head to face him but could not, as Katie unleased her chain at it. It whipped it and wrapped around its throat like a leash. It screamed this time and Jazmel could hear the pain in its bellow.

STORM OF SWORDS!

Patton roared and from the clouds above, lightning struck the Wyvern multiple times each time ending in a sword made of lightning Mana piercing its back and shoulders. “It is going to try and fly away.” Baek warned and it started to run but Katie whipped her chain around a wing, hindering it and causing it to crash into the ground, another scream came out.

“Look out!” Sadé called and Katie was too late, the tail of the Wyvern, thick and enamelled with scales. Struck her and sent her flying, Bannerman leapt off the neck to run to her aid and the Jazmel could see the Wyvern was preparing to leap into the sky again.

“Jazmel, you have to stop it!” Sadé shouted and he noticed she was preparing for her own skill. He ran forward, unsheathing his sword.

I can cut anything I believe I can cut. He thought to himself, putting his all into it. He held Hajime in his left hand and gripped his wrist with his right. He had seen this move before, only in theory. The force he was holding in his wrist would be doubled when she let go and the slash would be devastating.

The Mana he was fusing into his blow was so great that the Wyvern noticed him finally and spat at him, but Baek reacted first. Knocking it aside again. Jazmel was still running towards the Wyvern and in a moment, he would be on it.

“Give me a boost!” He shouted and immediately Baek sent some of the cliff rock in his path, he bounded from it and using it to leap into the air. He jumped just to eye level of the Wyvern. It inhaled to attack him, but Patton struck first.

STORM OF SWORDS!

Lightning arched across its back, and it cried out, its attention drawn away from Jazmel.

SLASH!!

He shouted and releasing all the Mana he had been building he struck. In truth, though he used a specific skill, it felt different. As if the skill name hadn’t truly fit what he had yelled but he struck true, and the Wyvern was agile enough to avert its head. But its right wing was not so lucky Jazmel cut off its wing, its tail, and a large part of the cliff face behind it.

The wail of agony this time was more of a wail and Jazmel fell from his leap, crashing into the ground past the Wyvern. His vision began to blur, and the system was covering his field of vision with many notifications. The Wyvern recovered faster than him and as it made its way over to finish Jazmel. He watched as a single bolt, more a pillar of thunder struck its skull. The blinding light drove him unconscious, and everything went blank. After some time, he awoke. Sore all over and his body suffering from it.

DANGER!

STATUS, HEAVILY WOUNDED

BROKEN ARM

THREE BROKEN RIBS

BROKEN SHOULDER

WARNING!!

“Don’t move so quickly, you are in bad shape.” He heard a voice and opening a dry eye, he noticed Sadé kneeling next to him. He was laying where he had fallen but a makeshift camp had been erected around him.

“Drink this.” She gave him a healing potion and he swilled it down. His head was swimming and though he felt the potion working, it was not enough. He had to drink three in total before his body began to mend and he checked the notifications of the system.

CONGRATULATIONS

THE SHARED PLOT TASKS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED!!

ALL MEMBERS OF THE PARTY SHALL LEVEL UP

+5 LVL!!

Jazmel smiled and then groaned at the pain he felt. His level had risen by five levels, the Wyvern was an incredible source of experience for all members, but they had also all done a great deal together also.

“I am level 30 now.” Sadé told him and he smiled at her, she was ready to tier up.

“Congratulations. Where are the others?” Jazmel asked.

“Bannerman is tiering up; Patton and Katie are dissecting the Wyvern to sell it off for parts.” She explained to him.

"You need to tier up!" he told her, and she nodded but smiled, still sitting beside him.

“I did not want you to wake up and not be with anyone, I can wait a little longer.” But he waved her away.

“Tier up, the stronger you are, the better for us all.” He told her and she rose, thinking for a moment she leant down, her hair cascading all around them both. She kissed him on his forehead and then rushed away before he could speak. He was so warm with feelings he did not have names for he almost passed out again. He opened the system to look over his stats.

Name: Jazmel

Level: 28

Species: Human

Rank: Seeker tier I

Health: 400/475

Stamina: 325/400

Mana: 340/425

STR:28 PER:22

VIT:26 END:34

INT:26 WIL:34

AGL:27 DEX:28

Skills:

Sword sense (tier I)

Slash (tier II)

Flight of the Blue kite (tier I)

Whirlwind (tier I)

Title(s):

FIEND SLAYER

SERPENT SLAYER

Unused Stat points: 25 STATS

16X WHITE GOLD COINS

867X GOLD COINS

Item(s):

100X GIANT SERPENT KILLED

34X GREAT SERPENT SKINS COLLECTED

25X GREAT SERPENT CORPSES COLLECTED

42X GREAT SERPENT FANGS COLLECTED

17X GREAT SERPENT GLANDS COLLECTED

RUSTED HELM COLLECTED

X3 RUSTED GREAVES COLLECTED

NEMEAN LION BONE

4X COLD IRON ORE

1/3 PIECES OF THE PLAQUE

TWILIGHT CROWN

BRANCH OF A TREE

5X HEALTH POTIONS

5X STAMINA POTIONS

1X ANTIDOTE POTION

SHADOW WRAITH

LEVEL 8

PARTY:

5/5

His stats were amazing, the only lacking one was perception. But due to the Mana eyes, he had been getting away with the low stat. he now poured all the remaining stat points in and after he sighed at the keenness of his senses. The Mana eyes seemed to affect his eyes the most, but in turn all his senses seemed to sharpen. His stats now looked like;

STR:28 PER:32

VIT:26 END:34

INT:26 WIL:34

AGL:27 DEX:28

He felt his body galvanise as he locked his new stats in, he looked over his stats and found himself overly attached to his levelling up. He felt almost addicted, he was worried about it a little, but kept it to himself for now.

“You did a dangerous thing, in that attack of yours.” Baek scolded him and Jazmel lowered his gaze.

“You used more of your skill before it had evolved, and it almost caused you to sunder the skill before you have become a ranker.” Baek explained and Jazmel listened, this wasn’t something he knew of yet.

“What do you mean sunder?” Jazmel asked and Baek settled down to explain this to him.

“When you become a ranker, the system allows you a new skill ability. Rather than an extra skill slot; it allows you to merge skills with one another, making them stronger and harder to tier up. But also, more individualised for the ranker.” Baek explained.

“So why do you think I almost sundered this one?” Jazmel quizzed him more.

“Because the Mana you used in that skill was more than you have used before. It was dangerous, you need to be careful with your Mana usage. Sometimes people experience a white out when you use all your Mana, you need to be always conscious of your limits.” Baek tutored him and Jazmel listened intently.

“I did use my skill; I just willed all my Mana into the strike.” Jazmel said and Baek studied him for a long time before saying.

“I have only known of one man who has done something like this.” Baek said and Jazmel looked at him confused.

“A Master of great renown in the labyrinth, one day. I am sure you and his paths shall cross.” Baek said and Jazmel knew he would say no more.

“That was a great blow to the Wyvern, that attack was the difference between you all losing something precious. Remember that the cost of taking down a monster like that. Though it was only tier III that was still beyond all of you currently. You must remember that monsters are stronger and more powerful than us by default. You must be stronger than it by at least a tier for you to manage something like that on your own.” Baek scolded him and Jazmel listened, knowing just how lucky they were.

“How strong would I have to be to face a Wyvern like that on my own?” Jazmel asked him and a crafty smile on Baek’s face formed.

“At least a high tier II Ranker.” Baek pointed out. Jazmel nodded, suddenly thinking how far that was from him.

“Just the odd fifty levels to go.” Jazmel mumbled to himself.

“Do not discredit yourself, a few months ago you were not even a Seeker. Now look, you are nearly tier III, the labyrinth provides for all those who are diligent. Keep going as you are, it will plot out your path for you.” Baek motivated him and he nodded thankfully.

“Get some rest, we will not be moving on until your friends have tiered up. But I imagine they will want to look inside the nest of the Wyvern tomorrow too.” Baek said and rose to walk off, leaving Jazmel to recover, but also alone to his own thoughts, Jazmel closed his eyes and focused on healing.