Returning to the grove, I go straight to sleep. I'm unaware of how long I managed to sleep before an earthquake rocks the area. My step shaky from the aftershocks, I make my way outside and into the sky, looking towards the south. Even though it's a large distance away, I can make out a massive cloud of dust.
"That didn't take long."
No it didn't. I'm still not entirely recovered from dealing with the Dungeon Heart, but I can't let the Ancient Lindorm get close. The damage it'll do is too great. I make haste towards the location of the dust cloud.
By the time I get there, it's settled down a little, coating the surroundings in a layer of browns and grays. I can make out movements within the remnants of the cloud, and I get an intense feeling of foreboding.
'Byowowowowo'
"Get out of the way!"
'PCHEEEW'
The ground I'd been standing on moments earlier is reduced to a blackened, glass-like, crater. The power of the beam that hit it caused the very soil to crystallize. The beam also punched a hole in the cloud, revealing a steaming maw. Seems there's some end lag to that attack.
It's massive. I clear the remaining cloud away with my wings, revealing a long, writhing body like that of a snake, except there's a pair of feet at the front supporting the neck and head of the monster. Its color is black, with translucent bands of color appearing depending on the light, not unlike the feathers of a magpie.
Its head looks like that of a crocodile, its scarlet eyes aglow with malevolent intelligence.
*Ancient Lindorm*
*As the name implies, a Lindorm that has lived for several hundred years. Its power is on par with a Low-tier Dragon, and even though it possesses True Raise and Death Lord, it prefers fighting on its own; the fragile scales of its younger form having hardened over time. Rarely seen as they much prefer simply sleeping beneath the ground in areas with high concentrations of ambient Death Magic, such as old graveyards, feeding off the Magic and growing bigger and stronger still. Among the largest Pseudo Dragonoids, it can easily reach lengths of fifty meters (~164 feet~) or more. Anyone who manages to fell an Ancient Lindorm is rewarded with parts that grant protection against the Death Spell as well as providing strong Resistance to Death elemental damage.*
*Rank: 7 Stars*
Unnamed
Species: Ancient Lindorm (Pseudo Dragonoid - EXRare)
Gender: Female
HP: 4000
MP: 5000
SP: 3500
Attack: 700
Armor: 750 (-100 Vs Light)
M.Attack: 900
M.Armor: 600 (-100 Vs Light)
Speed: 450
STR: 600
CON: 700
INT: 900
WIL: 600
DEX: 500
Skills:
Death Lord (Great) - Elemental Expertise: Death (Normal)
Damage Immunity: Death (Normal) - Damage Resistance: Dark (Great)
Damage Resistance: Earth (Normal) - Damage Resistance: Physical (Great)
Condition Resistance: Doom (Grand) - Condition Resistance: Withering (Normal)
Condition Resistance: Curse (Great) - Language Comprehension: Low Dragon (Normal)
Excavator (Grand) - Manaphagy (Normal)
Beam Breath: Death (Normal) - Regeneration: HP (Normal)
Megalodon Jaw (Normal) - Terrible Talons (Normal)
Tail Action (Great)
Spells:
Death (Great) - True Raise (Normal)
Necrosis (Normal) - Gangrene (Normal)
Withering (Normal) - Curse (Normal)
Reapers Strike (Normal)
Social Titles:
Long Lived - Patient
Ruthless
I swallow heavily. This is, statistics wise, the toughest opponent I've had so far. Although my Stats are over twice that of the Lindorm, I can't be too careful. Relaxing just because I have an advantage is what gets one killed.
We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity. Each of us waiting for the other to make their move. It hisses, sounding like an alligator, squinting its eyes at me before opening its jaws once more. This time I can observe as a blackish purple energy gathers at the back of its throat with a distinct sound.
'Byowowowowo'
I leap into the air, and the Lindorm tries to correct its aim as I fly behind it.
'PCHEEEW'
The beam fires off into the sky. It winces as the movements it made left it unable to properly compensate for the recoil, though any damage it inflicted is already healing from its Regeneration. It lifts its tail to try to hit me, bringing it down with all of its several ton weight.
I'm too fast for it though, and besides, I have Predict Movements. I activate Vitaephagy and Frigid Presence. With this, I should negate any Regeneration, and slowly wear it down as the battle progresses. I clear the air of debris. It's almost sad, how we're tearing up this lovely meadow.
A purplish aura surrounds the Lindorm, as it cries out. From beneath the flowers, skeletons rise.
*Spell Learnt: Raise (Lesser) - User calls upon a Will to inhabit the target. Has a high rate of failure. Target must be at 0 HP, and the head must be intact for it to be eligible. The Undead created varies depending on condition and species of target.*
I see, even if it is the higher version of a Spell I observe, I still only learn the basic version this way. The Skeletons are wielding bows. Judging by the magic emanating off them, they're created via Magic, though not via a Spell. A Skill of sorts?
Seems it intends to overwhelm me with numbers, though the arrows that do hit just explode into fragments due to Jagged Scales. My turn then. I aim at its shoulders, releasing several Wind Blades through Wide-Casting. Although they hit their mark, the sheer size of the Lindorm makes it hard to cut deep.
Seeing that I'm just ignoring the Skeletons, it roars with anger. I get close to its midsection, near where its chest rises from the ground, and strike with my tail. It has no recovery options against negative statuses, so the more I can pile on, the better.
I hop backwards as it brings one of its hands down upon me in an attempt to squash me. The hand itself is bigger than me, and I'm blown further back by the wind-pressure generated merely by it bringing it down upon the earth.
I'm pushed into a clustering of Skeletons. Using Refracting Beam, I take them all out. Even though they're of little threat to me, I'm interested in that Skill they seem to have. As the warmth subsides, I'm hit by several purplish black orbs. Taking my attention off the Lindorm let it line up its shots.
Although it stings where they hit, my resistance to Death is on par with its own, as long as I'm without open wounds, it's not much it can do against me with its Spells. I equip my Paired Fell Chelicerae and retreat out of the way of another tail-swipe.
It is obvious that the Ancient Lindorm has never had to fight something faster than itself, as it is completely unable to lead its hits or predict where I'll be going to avoid its clumsy flailing. It tries to coil itself around me, blocking off escape routes so it can either bite me or fire a beam, but since I can fly, it's no use.
Eventually, the Lindorm starts moving actively, instead of sitting still to swat at me, all the while I've been working on peeling off scales to access the flesh underneath. Trying to get at the softer stomach scales just puts me in danger, so aiming for its back and sides where it risks hitting itself if it swats at me with its tail is safer.
Each scale of the Ancient Lindorm is easily the size of a dinner plate, and harder than anything else. Persistently aiming for the tiny gaps between them, I finally get a lucky hit in. The effect is delayed by a few seconds, as its own blood carry the toxins around its massive body, but eventually the Toxic sets in.
I hurriedly get out of the way, as the Lindorm falls over, its own convulsions crushing and shattering the Skeletons still alive. Hovering in the air, I check to see if I got lucky with the Skills.
*Animate Will: Bow (Normal) - An Other Will made physical and taking the from of a bow, the type is chosen by the User at its summoning. Fires arrows made of the Users MP. The true nature of this Skill is unknown.*
*Animate Will: Spear (Normal) - An Other Will made physical and taking the form of a spear, the type is chosen by the User at its summoning. Each attack performed with this weapon drains the users MP. The true nature of this Skill is unknown.*
Eh? What's with those Skills?
"I have no clue. Try one of them!"
No- no, I'm leaving them well alone.
"The Skeletons seemed fine when using them though. If it's part of the World, it should be safe for us to use?"
Well, I'm not exactly a Skeleton though. Let's gather some information on them before we use them.
"You're the boss..."
Shadow sounds upset. I return my attention to the Ancient Lindorm. The Toxic is overcome it seems, though its violent convulsions seems to have hurt it badly. Let's finish this then. It's breathing heavily, and blood and mucous drips from its mouth. Laying on its side, it seems its will to fight me is lost.
Its one visible eye is looking at me like 'finish me'. I oblige. A warmth fills my chest as the Ancient Lindorm breathes its last, the ground turning a reddish black from taking on the blood that issues from the gaping wound in its neck.
*Power Osmosis Activated! Displaying Results:*
*+658 STR, +782 CON, +930 INT, 624 WIL, 549 DEX*
*Skills Obtained:
- Animate Will: Bow (Normal) -Â An Other Will made physical and taking the from of a bow, the type is chosen by the User at its summoning. Fires arrows made of the Users MP. The true nature of this Skill is unknown.
- Animate Will: Spear (Normal) -Â An Other Will made physical and taking the form of a spear, the type is chosen by the User at its summoning. Each attack performed with this weapon drains the users MP. The true nature of this Skill is unknown.
- Anaerobic (Grand) Replaces Condition Resistance: Suffocating (Normal) and Gills (Grand), as the old Skills become redundant. Old Skills converted to 3 Tier Tokens. - The User does not require oxygen to live.
- Weapon Affinity: Bow (Normal) - Increases the Atc and M.Atc bonus of Bow type Weapons by 25%.
- Weapon Affinity: Spear (Normal) - Increases the Atc and M.Atc bonus of Spear type Weapons by 25%
- Language Comprehension: Beastfolk (Great) - Lets the User read and speak the language of the Beastfolk.
- 5x Language Comprehension Skills was converted to Tier Tokens to prevent Skill Expertise overflow.
Current Tier Tokens: 18
- Death Lord (Great)Â - User gains a 100% success rate on Spells: Raise and True Raise. Additionally, allows for the subjugation of the Will of the Dead.
-Â Elemental Expertise: Death (Normal) converted to Skill Expertise.
-Â Damage Immunity: Death (Normal) converted to Skill Expertise. Damage Immunity: Death (Normal) becomes D.I: Death (Great).
-Â Damage Resistance: Dark (Great) becomes Skill Expertise.
-Â Damage Resistance: Earth (Normal) replaces Damage Resistance: Earth (Lesser), replaced Skill converted to Skill Expertise.
-Â Damage Resistance: Physical (Great) converted to Skill Expertise.
-Â Condition Resistance: Doom (Grand) - The User is immune to the Doom Status caused by the Death Spell.
-Â Condition Resistance: Withering (Normal) - Negates Withering of Normal tier or less, reduces higher tier Withering by two tiers.
-Â Condition Resistance: Curse (Great) - Negates Curse of Great tier or less, reduces higher tier Curse by three tiers.
-Â Language Comprehension: Low Dragon (Normal) - Lets the User speak the tongue of Pseudo-Dragonoids.
-Â Excavator (Grand) - User is able to dig through any material at great speed.
-Â Manaphagy (Normal) - User is able to either use ambient magic to refill their SP, or drain a targets MP to fill the Users SP at a 2:1 ratio.
-Â Beam Breath: Death (Normal) - Gathering Death Magic in their throat for a short time, the User then fires a beam of concentrated Physical Death energy. There's severe recoil to this attack, and it costs both SP and MP to use.
-Â Regeneration: HP (Normal) converted to Skill Expertise.
-Â Megalodon Jaw (Normal) replaces Megalodon Jaw (Lesser), replaced Skill converted to Skill Expertise.
-Â Terrible Talons (Normal) replaces Terrible Talons (Lesser), replaced Skill converted to Skill Expertise.
-Â Tail Action (Great) converted to Skill Expertise. Tail Action (Great) becomes Tail Action (Grand). - Iron Tail (Lesser) learnt! - Increases the Attack power of attacks made with a tail by 7.5% before Attack Vs Armor calculation.*
*Spells Obtained:
- Death (Great)Â - Inflicts Doom (Great) upon the target. After a period of time, the length of which is reduced the higher the tier of Doom, the target is instantly reduced to 0 HP, ignoring the effect of Memento Mori. If the target also has the Marked for Death Status, Doom takes immediate effect regardless of tier and instantly slays the target.
- True Raise (Normal) replaces Raise (Lesser), replaced Spell converted to Spell Expertise. - Summons an Other Will to re-animate an eligible corpse. Has a much higher success rate than Raise (Note: Effect of Death Lord makes the chance of success 100%).
- Necrosis (Normal) - An orb of Death Magic is launched at the target, dealing damage and reducing the effect of any healing Spells or Regeneration Skills for ten minutes.
- Gangrene (Normal) - Afflicts the target with Gangrene (Normal) if the target has any open wounds. Otherwise deals a small amount of Death type damage. Gangrene causes high damage over time as the open wounds fester and rot in seconds, making this a highly detested Spell among humanoids for the cruelty it inflicts.
- Withering (Normal) converted to Spell Expertise. Withering (Normal) becomes Withering (Great)
- Curse (Normal) converted to Spell Expertise. Curse (Normal) becomes Curse (Great), number of Skills disabled is now four per cast.
- Reapers Strike (Normal) - The first physical attack that lands in the next 30 seconds also deals the full damage in magical Death damage.*
*Updating Stats... Successful*
I quickly store the body. Let's bring it to the Guild for them to process. Now, I'm incredibly curious as to the meaning of 'subjugating the Will of the Dead' means...
*From now on, it is possible to claim the mind and Soul of an entity slain by you. This converts it into an Other Will connected to you through the Death Lord Skill. This Other Will will then be used when using True Raise, thus ensuring the 100% success rate. Other Wills produced this way are tethered to your Soul, kept in a sleep-like state until you call upon them.*
Oh... But where does the Other Will go if the thing I Raised dies?
*Until the death of the Death Lord, the subjugated Other Will return to the passive state at the destruction of the vessel it is animating.*
... I'm not sure I like this.
*Additionally, certain Other Wills born of powerful Souls might be used in conjunction with the Animate Will Skills to create Greater weapons.*
Too bad I can't retroactively claim the Will of the Ancient Lindorm. I wonder what kind of weapon it might have made. Welp, I've just acquired a set of terrifying Skills and Spells.
"Somehow, I think fighting will be easier from here on out."
Well, I do have an instant kill Spell. Cheesus, why do I feel such foreboding from this...