LIGHTNOVELONLINE 1.5 - Flying Knives
Finn arrived at the causeway and found giant boulders on either side of it, which barely contained the spray of the waves crashing against it.
It looked a little like a pier, he had to admit, just one made of rock and packed, black earth that led to a small island out in the bay.
Elsport has a bay, too, Finn thought as he took a step onto the causeway itself.
The island ahead appeared to be little more than a bunch of rocks rising from the water with a ruined stone temple on top. It was lit by a glimmering purple-white glow from inside.
My phone! Finn suddenly thought as he remembered that he had a phone on him. He reached into his pocket, finding his old apartment keys, the stub of his bus ticket, and the dark slate of his phone.
“Aha!” he exclaimed, holding it up in triumph. Finn excitedly mashed the power button.
The phone’s display remained stubbornly black, not doing anything at all.
The battery was dead, Finn realized after pressing the power button several more times.
Dammit, of course it isn’t going to be easy, Finn growled, shoving the phone back into his pocket as he strode forward.
Something flashed out of the dark in latest crashing sea spray.
“Huh?!”
“Ahhh!” Finn let out a scream as something struck his cheek, and, rather horrifically, latched on.
You have been wounded by the Level 3 Batfish.
“What the—”
Finn panicked, tearing at his cheek. He grabbed the foul little thing that had attacked him and flung it to the ground then stomped on it with his knock-off sneakers.
The creature with a silvery underside and dark leathery wings, crunched underfoot.
You have slain the Level 3 Batfish. Experience awarded.
It was an ugly thing. Very ugly, even compared to trolls.
The dead creature was bigger than his hand and had leather wings and a scrunched-up face with a horrible set of teeth. It had two emaciated, curled-in legs that ended in barbed claws but no arms.
The Batfish was a hideous little monster, and as Finn looked up at the long causeway ahead of him, he realized there were probably a lot more than just this one.
Finn‘s stomached churned with apprehension.
Loot the Level 3 Batfish? Y/N
What the hell, Finn selected Yes, and he was rewarded with not very much at all.
You have looted a fishy smell.
“Wonderful, just wonderful.” Finn muttered as he reached up to touch his cheek. It was bleeding, but not very much.
“This place just keeps on giving, doesn’t it?” he groaned.
Finn pushed down his growing anxiety and stepped forward. Another dark shape flashed over the rocks in a spray from the waves.
“Ahhh!”
This time, Finn was struck in the shoulder, and he felt teeth bite through his GameShop shirt and into the soft flesh beneath.
You have been wounded by the Batfish.
He yelped, tearing the thing off and stomping it like the first one. Then, the waves hit the other side of the causeway, and he caught a glimpse of two more flying monsters bursting out of the glistening white foam. They darted unerringly for him.
They were silent, moving as fast a flung dart, and Finn was struck on the thigh as he jumped forward. With a horrified snarl, he flung the thing to the ground as he saw the other hit the stone and start hopping obscenely on its wings toward his foot.
“Oh no you don’t!” He crushed the first with his foot and smacked the other with his axe.
You have slain the Level 3 Batfish. Experience awarded.
You have slain the Level 3 Batfish. Experience awarded.
You have slain the Level 3 Batfish. Experience awarded.
His vision was momentarily filled with more of the strange notifications as he stumbled back, now realizing that he was bleeding from several places. If anything, he felt worse than when he’d been stuck by the spear.
There was still more of them, Finn realized, flying out ahead of the waves every time they crashed against the top of the rocks that bordered the causeway.
Finn swung the axe, catching one midflight as he turned to stomp on the hopping form of another. His vision filled with more notifications about slain Batfish as he inched forward attacking and being attacked. He didn’t know how many he had killed already, but it could have been dozens.
The ones that were managing to latch onto him were starting to take a toll, though.
He jumped to one side and avoided an attack, seeing that a horde of the terrible little creatures was now gathering between him and the mainland behind him.
“Fire-Spark!” Finn shouted, thrusting a hand forward. He imagined a good conflagration would sort them all out.
But nothing happened, apart from a wave of exhaustion shuddering through him.
Where’s my magic? My amazing Ascension Path of Fire skills?! Finn felt no power, just tiredness. Had he used it all up already? Did he only get to use it once before running out of whatever powered it? He slammed his axe into more of the swooping things as he jumped back from the advancing wave of malevolence.
Finn stumbled back, smacking more out of the air as he backed away, then turned and ran down the causeway as more flashed out of the night.
You have been wounded by the Batfish.
No kidding, he thought derisively as he ran.
His Agility was good, but not good enough to avoid another strike as he raced as fast as he could up the causeway.
You have been wounded by the Batfish.
Finn tore the last one from his body as he reached the wide stone steps that led up to the glowing, ruined temple.
Come on! He forced his legs to move faster as he lengthened his stride. His feet hit and skidded along the first of the stone steps before jumping to the second, out of the way of the wave-spray that appeared to be what the horrible little creatures were using to launch their bodies at him.
He was safe by the third step, with the causeway now behind and below him.
Above, the steps started to turn, leading straight up to a double line of pillars that led to the tall, open arch of the temple itself.
Finn pushed on until he reached the top then collapsed, panting. He leaned against a stone pillar and wondered what would be thrown at him next.