Sakaya and I spend the rest of the day planning things with Myra. "It will take a week or so before we can begin. We'll need to set aside funding, plan out and localize the needed materials, and recruit workers." Myra informs once we've agreed on the location and design of the Church/Temple we're going to build.
We'll have to relocate some of the hillies the Gyger and Jotun live in to make room, but I'm confident they won't object too much, seeing as they probably would like to make some distance between their nests and the influx of humanoids that will no doubt be coming once the project is completed.
We all rise and shake on the agreement. The Grand Priestess blushes as I take her hand, but I've become numb to her behavior at this point. I'll just go with the flow and bear it as best I'm able to. From what World Knowledge tells me, that seems to be the method that has the highest rehabilitation rate.
Acting stand-offish or rude would just upset her as the schism in her mind that the Eros Delusion creates grows. So long as I don't initiate anything, I should be fine.
"I think I'll be staying here tonight, though I worry for my retainer. Will they be all right spending the night with your Servants?" She fidgets with the sleeve of her dress as we stand outside the threshold of the Church.
"I'm sure they'll be fine." I try to seem unphased about it, but secretly I worry for the mental well-being of the Trusted after all these events. I bow farewell to Sakaya before leaving the village.
Setting my course towards the desert biome, my goal is to find a Flintermatch. They're nocturnal, so if there are any in my Domain, I'll find them more easily now that they're out and about.
The temperature doesn't change all that much as I reach the border between the sand and the savanna, but the air is much drier here. It's not extremely cold yet as the sun's just set, but it will get colder as the night progresses.
*Target found.*
Ah, there it is, that was fast. It's... kind of cute. It looks like a cross between a pine-cone and a bearded lizard, though it's the size of an alligator. Its tail is oddly shaped, looking like a flexible rod of metal covered in ridges. It pays no attention to me as it eagerly stalks a beetle the size of its head.
The beetle notices its stalker, and makes a threat display, gnashing its mandibles in an attempt to frighten off the Flintermatch. In response, the Flintermatch makes a swiping motion with its left front limb, scattering its scales all around the beetle as a result.
'Fritch-pssh'
The oddly familiar sound of lighting a match accompanies the Flintermatchs' next move, as it quickly moves its odd tail across its back, lighting up the area with the sparks it creates. The sparks land on the scattered scales, and the light display seems to daze the beetle, as it doesn't even try to run away.
Several small explosions rock the unfortunate beetle as its legs are blown apart, leaving it utterly defenseless. Seems the Flintermatch has perfected the use of the Blaze Coat Skill. I discreetly cast Doom on the Flintermatch as it moves in for the kill.
As much fun that it would be to go all out on this monster, I feel that it would be terribly one-sided. I don't think I like the feeling of desiring a proper fight. Even a sparring match with one of the Dragons could turn ugly fast if I was careless. Let's have a look at its info whilst I wait.
*Flintermatch
An Uncommon Reptileoid monster widely known for its unique fighting style. The scales on its front limbs detach easily, and the battlefield is quickly covered with them as a fight progresses. Once the trap has been set, the Flintermatch reveals its trump-card: Its tail. Using the iron stored in the ridged tail as a fire-starter, it quickly rubs it across its back, producing numerous high-temperature sparks. As these sparks connect with its scattered scales, the Blaze Coat enhanced scales violently explode, causing a cascade effect as the explosions might set of nearby scales.
Its leg-scales are unsafe to handle, as even the smallest spark might cause them to explode, but the tail and back-scales are highly valued by smiths, who swear that the fires started with a Flintermatch tail and back burn hotter than normal fires.*
*Ranking: 4 Stars*
The Flintermatch keels over, its face covered in beetle guts, dead on the spot as the Doom Status does its job. Accompanying the warmth of Osmosis is the question of Dominion. I decide yes. I deactivate Blaze Coat, as it causes my mane to become stiff, and I'd much prefer not to accidentally explode myself.
Let's see what you become, shall we?
I cast True Raise on the dead Flintermatch, reinstating its Will into its former body. Seems it's a Reptileoid, so I'm unsure if it will become something similar to the Water Deimos that Lizardmen turn into.
I watch curiously as the body convulses. Its rust-colored scales pale and seem to melt as they take on a new shape and function. As the changes subside, they look more like scaled-up sharkskin, and the overall physique of the newly born undead looks quite piscine, though it's still obvious it's a reptile of some sort.
Pale blue flames flicker to light within the now hollow skull of the monster as its jaw hangs agape. A long tongue composed of the same ethereal fire flicks in and out, seeming to taste the air. I inspect my newly made undead.
*Pale-Flame Naoko
A Rare Undead monster sometimes created when there is a high compatibility between a Will and the body of a desert dwelling Reptileoid. Normally, a Flame Naoko would be created instead. The differences are slight between the rarer version and the common one, but the main one is the increased temperature of its internal flame, causing it to glow a whitish blue instead of the normal reddish orange of the normal Flame Naoko. It is subsequently rated higher than its common counterpart.
The Pale-Flame Naoko spends the day disguised as a pile of bleached bones, drawing energy from the glaring desert sun. At night it rises and patrols the sands, seeking the bones of those that have succumbed to the desert and devouring them.
The Pale-Flame Naoko is seen as a sacred monster by desert dwelling Pyreans, despite its undead nature; and it is a common practice among these communities to leave their dead exposed in the desert instead of burying them, believing that the Pale-Flame Naoko would bless the deceased's family with reprieve from the desert heat in return for the meal.
It's for this reason that the hunting of Pale-Flame Naoko is forbidden, and the use of its parts seen as equal taboo to using the parts of a humanoid-originating undead.*
*Rating: 5 Stars*
Oh, you're a special one, aren't you? I suppose letting you roam as you please wouldn't be too dangerous, then. The Pale-Flame Naoko gives me a thorough inspection, mostly consisting of rubbing its bony nose all over my legs and then licking itself with its flaming tongue.
Seemingly contented with this, it meanders off into the desert, leaving the half-gutted beetle behind. What a weird monster. I shake my head and shrug at it before setting course for the grove.
Just as the grove comes into view, something small and incredibly fast zips past me. I wouldn't have noticed it at all if it wasn't for the odd concentration of Air Element around it. What in the hell was that? I'm not noticing a wake turbulence, and it moved faster than I'm able to.
*Entity identified. Sky-Fish.*
Oh- OH! Track it!
I glance at my minimap, and... Well, I'm tracking it, but the number denoting distance to the target can just barely keep up as they speed towards the floating island hovering near Yggdrasil.
Hm, does it have a nest there? I head towards the floating island, eager to net another Skill I need for my Evolution. Am I able to inspect it with just that small glimpse, though? I need to formulate a plan for taking it down.
*Sky-Fish
A Rare Itchyo-oid monster that is famously known as the fastest monster in existence. Makes its home near and on floating islands, preying on smaller Avianoid and Insectoid monsters. Incredibly hard to hunt or study due to its relatively inaccessible habitat and the breakneck speeds it moves at, precious little is known of its ecology, life-cycle or Evolutionary relations to other species. What is known, however, is that it is fast, and not much else, being easily bodied by anything with high defense even if it is using its speed to amplify the power of its attacks. Once it runs out of patience, or SP, it usually just flees.
Little is known of the uses of its parts, but it would stand to reason that they'd somehow amplify speed.*
*Rating: 7 Stars (Due to the near impossibility of actually successfully hunting one)*
Unnamed
Species: Sky-Fish (Itchyo-oid) (EXRare)
Gender: Male
HP: 100/100
MP: 60/70
SP: 390/500
Attack: 10
Defense: 20
M.Attack: 5
M.Defense: 15
Speed: 9999?
Str: 10
Con: 20
Int: 5
Will: 10
Dex: 500
Skills:
Sky King (Grand) - Flight (Grand)
Aerial Ace (Great) - Predict Movements (Normal)
Presence Sense (Great) - Damage Immunity: Air (Grand)
Condition Resistance: Doom (Grand) - Recoil Resistance (Great)
Social Titles
Speedster - Devoted Father
Father of Many - Long Lived
Underdog - Fierce
Hm, seems I won't be able to take it out with a simple Doom Spell... And what's with the Speed Stat? I wonder this as I touch down on the floating island. The Sky-Fish zips past me again, no doubt intending to scare me off.
You're not under the Minion Status even if you're this weak? Is the rating system for humanoids really that integral to the System as a whole? I merely keep an eye on where the Sky-Fish is likely to re-appear from as I look around for whatever it is guarding.
Ah, there. Glued to the underside of a broad-leafed bush are small glowing eggs, each the size of a marble. Just as I reach out to try to lift one of the leaves for a closer look, a searing pain whips across my wrist. I didn't even register the Sky-Fish hitting me, only the after-effect of it lashing its body across my hand.
I turn my head, looking to see where the Sky-Fish went. There, hovering at an odd angle, is the Sky-Fish. Its segmented body is roughly the length of my arm, with two rows of translucent, glimmering fins running from the tip of its tail to just behind its odd head, one row on top and one row on the bottom. A multitude of tentacles surround its hagfish-like mouth, and disproportionately large eyes take up most of the rest of the head. Its entire body moves in a strange undulating way as it beats its many fins.
It seems dazed, and its bottom set of fins are tattered, no doubt from the impact with my hand. If it realizes that it will die, it might decide to flee in order to save itself, and I'd have no way to keep up with it if it came down to a chase.
Unless I used that Spell, Soul Chaser. I steel my resolve, summoning as much killing intent as I'm able to before casting the Spell with the Sky-Fish as my target. It's almost invisible in the dark, but it registers to me as a spot of complete Dark. It lingers for just a second, a shapeless, ameboid blob. Then it shoots forward with startling speed.
Seems the Sky-Fish noticed what's happening, as it speeds off. I come to wonder how it is even able to withstand the frictional forces exerted on its body as it blitzes through the sky like that. Perhaps it has something to do with that concentration of Air Element gathered around it when it moves?
Torn between wanting to live and the desire to protect its eggs, the Sky-Fish flies erratic loops around the floating island. The distance between it and the Soul Chaser doesn't seem to shorten, but at least it's not getting longer either. I try to predict where its path takes it, and use Create: Water to try to force it to slow down.
It nimbly dodges the floating orbs of water, not paying any attention to the fact that the Soul Chaser seems to be travelling at such speeds that it's vaporizing the water as it follows the exact path of the Sky-Fish. The now purply-gray steam obfuscates my view of the Sky-Fish, but I'm able to track it by the Air Element surrounding it.
Suddenly, the Sky-Fish whips around, heading straight for me. Is- is it trying to make the Soul Chaser collide with me? Not taking any chances, I quickly slip into the shadows cast by the moonlight. What a turd! Trying to turn my own Spell against me!
My annoyance seems to resonate with the Soul Chaser, and it almost roars as it builds in size and speed. The Sky-Fish seems taken aback by my sudden disappearance, though it soon locates me again, no doubt due to its Sense Presence Skill. It's too late though.
I put myself between the Sky-Fish and the bush containing its eggs, casting Barrier on myself. Even if their father has to die for me, I don't intend to let the eggs come to harm. A deafening boom announces that the Soul Chaser has broken through the sound barrier.
Although it happens as if in slow motion, I know that logically, this happens in the blink of an eye. The Sky-Fish is hit by the Soul Chaser, and it is dragged with it, the force of the impact severing most of its fins from its body, leaving them to carelessly flutter to the ground.
'Shhhhhh wuop'
An explosion of Dark rocks the floating island, the corrosive nature of the Element singing the leaves of nearby trees. I'm thankful for my relative immunity to Dark, but even I feel the force of my own Spell on my body.
All of a sudden, my mind is flooded by worried messages from my Servants. No doubt most of the forest heard the two explosions. I allay their fears, I was just careless and got too carried away hunting, which is the honest truth.
"But what would Master hunt that would make her lose her cool?" The Cold Dragon asks, their voice akin to cracking ice atop a frozen lake. Seems they're convinced I'm always cool and collected.
"I, uh, used my Soul Chaser Spell to kill a Sky-Fish, that first explosion was the Spell going faster than sound, the second was the impact with the Sky-Fish." I sheepishly relay to the Servants currently listening in. I sense a stunned silence over the interconnected web our minds have become with the Boons I have applied to my Domain.
The silence lasts all of five seconds before my mind is rattled with wild cheers. I guess it's a real big deal that I've been able to kill the fastest monster in the World.
However, in the midst of the rampant cheer, I hear two worried voices. Seems the two Harmekian soldiers are in trouble.