33. Big Game
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Gryphon
Level: 182
Strength: Speed, Power
Weakness: Wings
Condition: Healthy, Agitated
Tribe: -
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It's an adult to boot!
Gryphons have four forms of attack: claws, beaks, wings, and lastly an energy beam.
It notices me and dives down.
First, a gryphon always pounces on its prey, with its beak sharp preparing to pierce into the ground.
*BOOM!*
I somersault away and barely avoided the attack. It follows up with a rapid leap and slashes my body with its claws.
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-20 hp
Status Ailment "Bleeding" is applied.
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Three shallow stripes of blood drip from my chest, ripping chainmail like paper.
The gryphon grips the ground firmly and dashes at me. I manage to jump aside and use my knife to slash its body. Albeit not deep enough, some blood appears.
Momentum forces the gryphon to ram the colosseum's wall.
My musket shoots at the gryphon but misses when it flits back into the sky, the shockwave pushed me back.
It's too fast...
"Hah...I cannot win if I don't get rid of those wings..." I mumble.
Although the wings are not resistant to blunt attacks like its body, the gryphon is too fast. I cannot keep up.
If I want to use Full Focus, I need to end it quickly...
Balls of blue energy gather around its beak. From above, it attempts to rain a hell of beams attack.
Used to "Bullet Hell" games, I predict the trajectory and step through the tiny little gaps between the beams.
"KRA!"
*BAM!*
I miss the wings. I then take debris of rock off the ground and throw it into the muzzle of the musket. Swinging my musket up, I once again attempt a shot at the gryphon.
*BAM!*
The rocks splatter into many pieces pushed by the ejection of accelerated air. It hits the gryphon's wing but simply only bashes it, not pierce.
The gryphon takes the chance and dives at me again. This time, I take out a vial of potion and throw it at the gryphon before rolling away.
The vial breaks when it hits the beak and the contents splash the gryphon's face, especially its eyes. The mysterious acidic substance burns its skin and blinds the eyes.
"KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" It screams in pain.
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Status Ailment "Blindness" applied to gryphon.
Status Ailment "Corrosion" applied to gryphon.
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*BOOM!*
The gryphon crashes into the floor, damaging its beak.
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Full Focus activated.
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I leap forward and slash its tendons of muscles lifting the wings. The gryphon squeals in pain and swirls its torso, attempting to kick me away.
However, I duck and go in for a pierce to the torso.
Pulling my dagger out creates a rainbow of blood that splatters on my coat.
Yet, the gryphon manages to counterattack and slams its wings against my body, throwing me to the other end of the arena and into the wall, which cracks haphazardly.
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-200 hp
"Ribcage Fracture" Body status has been applied.
-50% Dex
-20% Atk
"Bruise on Back" Body status has been applied.
-10% Dex
-5% Atk
"Ligament Tear on right arm." Body status has been applied.
-20% Atk
Due to physical trauma, "Full Focus" is cancelled.
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"Ack..ack..." I cough as I fall to the ground, grasping my chest.
Fucking hell...that hurts...
I can see its attack but my body couldn't keep up.
*BAM! BOOM!*
For now, the gryphon goes on a rampage and destroys everything around it in fright.
I gulp a healing potion and wait.
The frightened gryphon stumbles and stops to catch its breath.
Trying to stand, it hurts excruciatingly to move slightly.
With trembling arms, I throw another vial of strong acid and shoot it. The splattered contents melt parts of the wings as well as burns on the torso, sending the gryphon into another era of screech.
I gulp another vial of potion.
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"Pain Elimination" Consumed.
The player will not feel pain for 5 minutes.
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Full Focus activated.
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I sprint at the crying gryphon. The gryphon hears my footsteps and throws its wing at my head, I duck and leap at its torso. Gripping onto the back, I stab the head with my dagger.
"KARRRRRR!!!"
The gryphon rolls and crushes my left arm. However, the muzzle is already in its open wound.
*BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!*
With a Bullet Hell, its head blasts into a bloody mess, and my dagger flies out and lands far away.
"Huff Huff Huff..."
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The "Pain Elimination" period ended.
Corresponding consequences will be sent.
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!!!
"ARGHH!!!" I shout, grasping my left bruised purple and crushed arm.
All the molten lava of pain pours into my body at once sending me rolling around and squealing.
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You have successfully conquered the trial of strength. Any enemy is never impossible to defeat.
All injuries will be revoked.
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The pain abruptly disappears. When I look at my arm, it's back to normal. Standing up yields no pain and my health bar is back to full.
All the injuries in this pocket dimension are illusions so...not surprising.
I lie down on the ground to rest.
"I really need to learn dagger or sword arts soon..." I mumble.
Unfortunately, this is the reality of muskets. Muskets are incredibly useful in taking down low beasts and humans but stronger monsters and demons usually develop a high resistance against blunt attacks, excluding golems and reptiles.
In addition, firearms are brain-dead straightforward, pulling the trigger and aiming while handling the recoil. Thus leading to the minuscule firearms technique styles, which are called "Arts" in this world. Should I just create my own?
Lastly, firearms take too long...to master. For an ordinary person in this world, it takes understanding, constant practice, and a good physique to properly use firearms; It requires years of hard work. But for players, the hard work comes in terms of "Mastery". Players still need to practise like normal people but our skill accumulates rapidly and never drops. Maybe my quick adaptation is because of my past, I did use guns...a lot.
That doesn't mean muskets are useless though...If I can combine firearms with a sword, daggers, and magic. It becomes a deadly cover.