Instakill!
More EXP, fifty-five more points of damage to his HP. A healing potion appears in his hand and he takes a swig from it.
Hiccup’s eyes light up. “Finally he gets out the good stuff! How about a little snort for your old goblin pal?”
Ambivalent about FeeTwix using firearms, Zaena turns away from the shooting.
“We have to conserve healing potions,” FeeTwix reminds the goblin as he scans the forest.
“Ah, come on, just a taste!”
“Later. Damn there are a lot of trees. I don’t think I’ll be able to get them all.”
“Those are their ancestors,” Zaena finally says. “We should respect them.”
Hiccup snorts. “Huh – I respect the living fick out of them, as long as they don’t try to nosh on my ass. But this – this is a bad idea and just makes them focus on us. What we should focus on is sharing our healing potions.”
“Don’t worry,” FeeTwix tells her, “this will save us time later on.”
“Not if it attracts other enemies.”
Ryuk keeps his eyes on the forest, and has two knife marbles staged and ready to go. Having been a Ninja Warrior before he became a Ballistics Mage, he is keenly aware of the creeping abilities of the subclass.
Suddenly, his field of vision constricts and he sees a pair of shadowy silhouettes in the middle distance. His focus is so intense that the guildmates’ bantering has receded to a distant buzz.
He receives the notification of a new skill.
New skill learned!
Skilclass="underline" Extreme Focus
Level One: Can detect approach of camouflaged/concealed/stealthed enemies and objects.
Mage bonus: Higher levels allow sleuthing and increased accuracy. Also increases magic detection range when used in tandem with Magic Eye.
Requirements: LUCK > 3
I was never able to sense magic when I was a ninja, Ryuk thinks. Before he reset, his skill was up to level fifty and he could sense enemies from nearly a kilometer away. He could also instantly detect residual traces of enemies, even if the enemy hadn’t been there for some time.
There they are.
Ryuk drops down next to FeeTwix and whispers in his ear, “There’s two of them, about three hundred meters out, just to the left of that big tree that’s bent at the top like a crescent moon.”
“I see the big tree. Where to the left of it?”
“One, two, three trees over. About half way up, crouched on a branch.”
“Roger.”
Instakill!
The ultra-high velocity depleted pelosium slug blasts the first ninja to rags and tatters; his buddy beats a strategic retreat and disappears ninja style.
“If they didn’t before, the forest ninjas definitely know we’re here now,” Ryuk observes.
“I could have told you that.” Hiccup cleans his blades with a rag he’s produced from somewhere, inspects the results and sends the knives back to inventory.
“Let’s wrap this up.” Ryuk makes the lassoing gesture with his hand. “They’ll be back in force.”
FeeTwix is up to his feet again and his weapon is gone. His eyes flash black. “Hey everyone! Sorry for the bailing there for a moment, but we were discussing some important guild matters. And hey! Good news for our compadres in Bee-yoo-tee-ful May-hee-co City! This week only, P.F. Chang’s has an exclusive dinner special for fans of this feed. Mention FeeTwix es mi amigo to your waiter to receive half off on selected chicken and seafood entrees!”
Zaena gives him an uncertain smile. “You will need to explain to me what it is you do in your world some time.” She takes the lead, her two main swords are sheathed on either side of her body.
As they walk, FeeTwix equips his slice bang and places it in a sheath that has formed across his back. A Glock 31 appears in his hand and he holsters it at his side.
“Where did you get the idea of using alien weapons?” Zaena asks.
“The same place as anyone who is going around with a big inventory list got the idea – Quantum Hughes.”
The Thulean stops dead in her tracks and whirls to face him. “Did you say Quantum Hughes?”
“No he said Phantom Poos.” Hiccup chuckles at his own jocular wordplay. “Or Ransom Screws.”
“Taktach dola genkha moornikh duchaka.”
Hiccup scoffs. “Jokes are a good way to die, huh? No, you got that wrong, Lizzy – death is easy, comedy is hard. Chokes are a good way to die!” He laughs at his own bad joke until Ryuk shushes him.
“To return to the topic at hand – we Thuleans despise Quantum Hughes.” Zaena uses her ghost limbs to prevent some over-leaning tree branches from scraping the tops of their heads. Well, FeeTwix and Ryuk’s heads; Hiccup is too short.
“Really?” FeeTwix looks to her. “Why’s that?”
“Hughes cheated and slew Queen Renata in the Saiduka Giant’s tournament almost twenty years ago. He used forbidden weapons, alien weapons, weapons like yours.”
“Didn’t the firearm penalty get him?” FeeTwix asks.
“He had some bright orange tabard decorated with a terrible bird of prey that negated the damage penalty, the moonae rushikhcha bastard cheater.”
“A kitten strangler?” Hiccup snorts. “I’ll have to use that one!”
A mirror appears in FeeTwix’s hand and he gives it his most endearing smile. “Shout-out to all Fans o’ FeeTwix and all of you Tritania players and Tritanian historians: if you can get me one of these orange vests, I’ll make it well worth your while, in game and in the RW. One of these vests would keep me from constantly having to chug healing potions.”
“Nothing wrong with constantly chugging healing potions. Speaking of which … ” Hiccup holds out his grubby, befouled fingers.
“Later,” FeeTwix assures him.
“That’s what you take from this story, that you need one of those cheating cheater’s cheat vests and not that he cheated?” Zaena’s face hardens.
FeeTwix shrugs and his eyes flash blue. “Really, babe, I’m just being practical here. I deliberately chose this class just so I can use the weapons I’ve gathered from other places. One of those vests would be really helpful.”
“You won’t get one,” Ryuk tells him. “There are only two in existence and one of them is at the Knights’ guild headquarters in Valhalla.”
“Then we’ll go there.”
“It’s not that simple – you have to be a member to get in.”
“You were a member,” FeeTwix reminds him.
“But now I’m not; now I’m a resetter. The Knights have strict rules about this.”
A tomahawk with a leather tassel hanging from its handle appears in Hiccup’s hand. “Enemies nearby,” he inhales deeply, “and treasure – lots and lots of treasure!”
Zaena draws her swords; FeeTwix draws his double-bladed sword.
Ryuk takes a step back, takes a deep breath and Extreme Focus constricts his viewing pane into tunnel vision mode.
Off to his left, he sees a few nearly invisible wavelengths radiating off one of the trampled branches. His tunnel vision zooms forward until it is as if he’s now examining things at the molecular level. His tunnel vision snaps back into normal viewing; a targeting reticle appears over shadowy silhouette outlined in flashing red.
He reaches into the pouch containing the knife marbles and the targeting reticle adjusts for hold-over. He loads the marble, draws, aims …
The flying knife takes the forest ninja right in the eye.
Instakill!