End Online: Volume 5 (13 page)

We take a long break to rest and restore our health, mana and
satiety before randomly choosing one of the four exits leading out of the room.
Leaving through a large tunnel in the center of the far wall of the cavern, we
find ourselves in an incredibly damp corridor.

The ceiling, walls and floor are still made from jutting rock,
but multitudes of deadly stalactites along the ceiling drip water constantly. A
single drop of freezing water lands on my head and causes me to jump back in
surprise. Much to the amusement of the party, I collide into Mason who is
directly behind me and we both tumble into a large puddle of water with a
grunt.

“Damn it, Lost!” Mason cries out in indignation.

I hastily apologize before we continue down the stone corridor.
The pathway splits off into three directions, and by choosing the right hand
one and ascending some stairs, we come across a room that could be some man’s
fantasy.

The room is formed from a dazzling combination of azurite and
stone slabs overlapping one another. On the far side is a large pool that
probably leads elsewhere if the swimmer could hold their breath underwater long
enough, but the most eye-attracting feature is the monsters: the mermaids
perched on jutting rocks.

The mermaids are the size of a standard adult female, with
slender fish tales and exposed upper bodies. A few of the males in the party
awkwardly look elsewhere as the females glare at them. I am a little late to
notice Verde glaring at me and realize she is irritated with me, again. Sir
Laurence is the worst, openly gaping at them with a posture as if he is about
to dash toward them at a moment’s notice.

“Creature Analysis,” I breathe out quietly, while inspecting one
of the mermaids.

‘That’s strange. So little health and high mana. Are they pure
spell casters or what?’
I wonder to myself
curiously.

There are also dozens of towering mermen among the fragile
looking mermaids. The exposed chests of the mermen cause me to feel highly
intimidated, while the mermaids attract my eyes and fan the flames of forbidden
desire.

The mermaids’ faces are the very definition of beauty. Before I
can look at them for more than two breaths worth of time, their eyes flash with
a pink light. I take one final glance at the mermaids and mermen, noticing they
are not approaching us, before my body starts to feel strange and I lose
control of it. As this is a game, I don’t have my consciousness altered in this
state, but am forced to follow as my body is controlled by someone else.

I unwillingly turn toward the nearest person, who just happens
to be Verde. She looks at me in confusion for a moment before opening her eyes
wide in surprise. My body vanishes from where I am standing and dashes toward
her at maximum speed. The acceleration is no joke, leaving a ghostly afterimage
behind and appearing in front of Verde before she can react.  My arms wrap
around her and pull her close so that my lips can lock onto hers.

My body seems to return under my control mid kiss and I quickly
withdraw my face. Both of our expressions are cherry red in embarrassment. As
if by some form of delayed reaction, Verde brings her hand to her mouth in
utter shock and even her pupils dilate. I glance around, looking for an escape,
when I see a truly terrifying scene.

I am not the only one affected by the mermaids’ charm effect.
Mason and Lockon are just entering each other’s embrace and are about to
exchange a kiss which will never be forgotten. Matrix is off to the side,
swinging his sword at Mason and trying to force himself on his own brother
after being rejected.

Sir Laurence lunges at Verde full of lust, only to receive a
dagger and a kick. He then draws his sword and attacks Verde before attempting
to force himself on her again. I give her aid in capturing and restraining him
until the charm wears off. I recall my charm effect had a sixty second
countdown on it.

SomaHealer and Moonkite were an equal distance from Mikhail and
end up fighting each other in an attempt to get to him first. Worst of all is
that Mikhail doesn’t do anything to stop it, merely looking away. CaptainGordon
is closest to Moonkite and approaches her aggressively, only to receive a
beating that makes me cringe.

Verde and Mikhail are luckily the only people unaffected by the
charm. The damage we dealt to each other whilst under the charm effects is no
small amount.

Just as everyone’s charm status wears off the mermaids start
spitting water bubbles at us. The bubbles are slow moving, much like the mermen
who are also now approaching us. Unwilling to take the risk, we deftly avoid
the bubbles as we move closer to the enemy.

Looking at the mermaids again, Mason, Lockon, and Sir Laurence
are caught under the charm effect once again. Verde and I pause to restrain
Prince Charming again while no one prevents the two archers from resealing
their bond.

We are at a disadvantage while fighting as we have to avoid
looking into the mermaid’s eyes to avoid falling under the dreadful charm
effect. Halfway through the battle, Sir Laurence and my eyes happen to meet
those of a mermaid’s, which instantly flash pink. By a horrible coincidence, we
are currently closer to each other than Verde.

The girl, who was usually the target of our forced infatuation,
suddenly looks at us with great amusement as we embrace each other under the
control of a master puppeteer. Once the moment passes and the effect wears off,
we both hurriedly move away from each other as fast as possible and ignore each
other’s presence.

The bubbles in the air are quite deadly, not because they have a
strong attack power, but because having one pop on you will cause you to fall
under the same charmed status effect as looking the mermaids in the eye. More
than one person commits an unforgettable act by coming into contact with one of
these bubbles.

We eventually win the fight against the mermaids and mermen at
the expense of losing Matrix. Including the monster drops from this room, we
have all acquired a few mermaid’s tears, mermen scales, some pleasant
jewellery, a few tridents, and an assortment of other minor materials that
could be used in crafting, cooking, or may turn out to be simply rubbish.

Having experienced the techniques of both the mermen and
mermaids, we successfully pass through several more minor rooms with minimal
scandals. Several of us consider simply killing each other to escape this
dungeon, but we eventually find a boss room which causes us all to press on.

The boss is the ‘Merman King’, at level 330 and standing a
massive five meters tall. The entire room is flooded with ankle deep water that
slows our movement by thirty percent. His trident is also a menacing blood red
and twice the size of the usual tridents.

He uses the shallow water to propel himself at high speeds over
short distances and to attack us with a powerful spray from a swish of his
tail. His massive trident is sometimes used as a spear, other times like a
club.

It takes half an hour to kill him, and this time SomaHealer
dies. The boss drops loot for each of us, which is incredibly useful and highly
valuable. I receive the ‘Radiant Sun Chausses’, leg armor with high defense, a
five percent boost to movement speed, and a ten percent boost to a player’s
ability to block.

Afraid of losing too many people before finding another boss to
fight, we press on, trying to move along the outer caverns. Sometimes this
means we have to swim through deep pools. One of the pools was full of mermen
and cost Mason his life as he couldn’t defend himself.

Blood sucking bats that drain our health to replenish their own
appear after the first boss. Unlike the Mer species, they are quick and
evasive. By the time we reach what appears to be a second boss area, we are all
exhausted and low on mana, stamina, and satiety. We are forced to clear the
room so we can rest and recover before challenging the second boss.

The second boss is called ‘Flame Elemental Guardian of the
Deep’, a level 360 boss that is strongly resilient to physical damage. It is a
four meter tall golem-like creature with small volcanos covering its hulking
body. The entire boss room is scorching hot like a sauna and filled with steam,
impeding our sight.

This battle costs us Verde, Mikhail and Moonkite. I trade the
golden leg armor I got from the first boss with Sir Laurence for his reward of
the ‘Inflamation Axe of Carnage’. There is no doubt the weapon is valued much
higher than the armor, but he needs the chausses more desperately than a
weapon. He also doesn’t sell his items for cash either. By the looks of all of
his equipment, I wonder if he didn’t buy it all himself.

There are only four of us left alive: Lockon, Sir Laurence,
CaptainGordon, and myself. The pirate, CaptainGordon, is only still alive
because he barely participated in any of the battles before. He claims that he
is a supporting character and shouldn’t be thrown on the frontline. I call him
a cowardly pirate from time to time, but eventually get tired of it after his
nonchalance.

With no possibility of even making it to the next boss with four
people, we decide to go out with guns blazing. We all fight on the front lines
against mermen, mermaids, blood sucking bats, and the new water striders that
shoot water bullets the size of cannonballs.

Lockon is the first to fall, followed by Sir Laurence. I would have
preferred for my death to be valiant like the last two, but I foolishly run
into one of the mermaid’s bubbles. Under the effects of the charm, I can’t even
cry as I assault CaptainGordon’s face with my lips while under attack from
several mermen. CaptainGordon’s defense is nearly as pitiable as mine and we
both quickly die by impalement while I am forcing myself on him. As he had more
health remaining before the attack, his death comes a little after mine.

In the time between when I died and revived outside the raid, I
shed an uncountable amount of tears. I vow to myself never to speak of my final
moments to anyone and take them to my grave. If CaptainGordon even speaks a
syllable of the incident, I will use all my speed and strength to silence him
before the second vowel comes out of his mouth.

-Lost-

As soon as I step off the boat and onto the sand, a notification
appears.

Considering that my previous title became invalid when my
identity was revealed, I immediately accept the new title.

I notice everyone else stopping momentarily as they step off the
boat as well. Some people consider the message, while others are overjoyed at
their fortune.

Fen remains on the ship as everyone else departs. I turn around
to face her from the shore and see her crouching down. Every muscle on her body
quivers momentarily before she launches herself off the ship with all her
might. The ‘Bastion’ sinks several meters into the water from the counterforce
as she leaps toward the shore, landing safely several tens of meters from the
water.

The great white wolf trots over to kneel down next to me in a
resting position. She looks at me with affection, resting her head on her two
front paws. I place one hand against her shoulder, entrusting my weight to her.

While I am lost in a world containing only Fen and I, everyone
else groups together in their parties. Sir Laurence, Verde, Mason, Matrix and
CaptainGordon look at me with indecision. They are unable to decide whether
they should approach, or leave us two together. They eventually decide to
approach.

“Lost,” Mason gently interrupts the mood between Fen and I, “We
had best head off soon. We need to find a water source where we can set up a
base to explore from.”

“Can’t we just use the ship? Here we have both food and water,
right?” I ask curiously.

Sir Laurence speaks up with disapproval, “The food and water on
the ship have dwindled from the long journey. Besides, I have been on that ship
long enough. I want to explore the land.”

“Got it. We had best be off then,” I look at my companion and
see her not moving. “Fen?”

The wolf grumbles softly before standing up, and I can tell she
doesn’t want to move too much.

‘Is she still recovering from the sickness? No, that can’t be
it. Perhaps the heat?’
  I wonder
to myself silently.

Walking away from the coast, we use the position of the sun to
help us travel south. The sand is soft beneath our feet and our boots sink into
it with each step, greatly slowing our travelling speed.

Near the coast the sand dunes are small, forming short ridges
that are easy to pass over. This changes as we get further inland. The sand
dunes are easily five or six meters high and so steep at points that we are
forced to find a different approach to ascend them.

The heat and humidity begin to affect everyone, causing us to
breathe deeply through our mouths and sweat to bead on our foreheads. My cloak
prevents most of the heat from affecting me, but it does nothing to mitigate
the humidity. While the air feels slightly warmer, it has a sticky texture and
an unpleasantness similar to drinking warm water on a hot day.

“Enemy!” Matrix calls out in a panic as we are half way up on of
the dunes.

I hastily turn my head to look down near the base of the dune
and see five scorpions the size of cars rushing at us. Their legs click with
each movement and sand is kicked behind them as they move forward.

“SomaHealer, Lockon, behind me! MoonKite, you take the lead!”
Mikhail calls out and organizes his party members, who immediately spring into
action.

Faster than Mikhail prepares for combat, our party gathers
without the need for words. Being familiar with each others’ roles, Matrix and
I take the forefront positions. Sir Laurence protects Verde as the vanguard
while Mason fights from the rear. Fen uses her high speed to move around and
magic to attack the enemy.

CaptainGordon, on the other hand, stands in place stupidly while
not knowing what to do. I can’t blame him though, as he isn’t overly familiar
with how we fight. When I take a closer look at him, I notice that he hasn’t
even drawn the sword just visible beneath his cloak.

‘Is this guy not planning to help us fight?’
 I muse.

Mason’s arrows connect first, drawing the attention of three
scorpions away from the others as we move off to the side. The remaining two
attack Mikhail’s party who remain in position on the dune. Due to having a
higher position, they don’t seem to have any trouble fending off the scorpions’
attacks.

“Creature Analysis,” I speak quietly, inspecting the scorpions.

‘Hmm, that’s strange. Why are they called ‘Blue’?’
 I wonder to myself, with a note of caution edging into my
awareness.

As the scorpions attack our front line, Matrix uses fire magic
on his sword to launch flame blades while maintaining a safe distance from
their tail attacks. I attempt to use my throwing knives, but they simply
rebound off hard carapaces. Mason’s attacks also seem to be relatively
ineffective. I suspect the scorpions have a strong resistance to or are immune
to fire.

A barrage of ice spears several times the usual size pierce the
scorpions but fail to go all the way through. Regardless, Fen moves sideways as
more oversized ice spears form around her body.

Sir Laurence and Verde attack one of the scorpions from their
flank, but their attacks do little damage.

The shining knight adopts a defensive stance and begins to
chant. I am surprised to discover that he is in fact using two chants, one
after another, for a single spell.

“Group Target, Stone Resonance!” He finally calls out,
completing his spell.

A soft golden glow shines down on everyone in the party,
applying a boost to endurance and health. As the spell falls on me, I somehow
feel like I have become increasingly sturdy.

“Careful!” Mason calls out in warning.

The car-sized scorpions are incredibly cunning, waiting for our
attention to waver just the slightest bit before activating their sacred arts.
Their tails begin to glow with a poisonous green aura. Sensing a formidable danger
in those tails I use ‘Backstab’ to avoid the attack.

The scorpions suddenly strike like lightning, leaving
afterimages behind them. One of their stingers pierce directly through the
center of my afterimage from using backstab and cause an explosion of sand in
its place.

Another stinger attacks Matrix, who desperately attempts to
dodge. The attack is simply too fast and the sand has slowed his movement too
well. The venomous stinger passes through his hip. The attack doesn’t finish
there, as he is raised up while skewered and flung away. Matrix lands about
thirty meters away, creating a small crater in the sand around him. In the
party window in my peripheral vision, I see he has already lost more than half
of his health and is poisoned!

“Sir Laurence!” I call out as he uses his shield to partially
block the third stinger and is knocked back several meters, “Matrix needs
healing! That poison will probably kill him.”

The prince nods, dragging Verde with him to keep protecting her
as he moves toward Matrix’s location.

The scorpion I am fighting dies as I use my ‘Triple Stab’ sacred
art, and I immediately move to cover Sir Laurence and Verde from the scorpion
chasing them. The enemy ignores me initially and relentlessly pursues the two,
but as my damage accumulates, it eventually targets me.

I hear a strange crackling sound from behind me and turn my head
to see a frightening scene. The dead scorpion corpse has spontaneously
combusted, producing a cobalt fireball ten meters in diameter. I finally
understand why the scorpion is called ‘Blue Scorching Scorpions’.

In front of me, a few unexpected swings of the scorpion’s claws
catch me off guard and rapidly take me down to a quarter health. Fen’s ice
bolts increase in number and press the scorpion as I withdraw in a panic to
consume a few healing herbs.

An arrow seemingly enchanted with strong air pressure and
gravitational fluctuation cuts through the scorpion while I am trying to keep
my distance. I am surprised at first, but then notice that the scorpion Mason
was fighting has also turned into a large fireball on the sand.

This scorpion’s health was already low from the combination of
Sir Laurence and Verde’s attacks and then Fen’s and mine after, so Mason’s
assistance easily finishes it off.

“Get back away from the corpse!” Mason shouts as it dies.

“I know, I know,” I call out, amused, while retreating beyond
the range of the flames.

With the battle over, I finally realize just how strong those
scorpions were. Not only were their attacks lightning fast, but their defense
was incredible and the sand didn’t affect their manoeuvrability in the
slightest.

Sir Laurence and Verde return with Matrix who is now in much
better shape, and my health is slowly rising above the halfway point. I look to
Mikhail’s party to see if they need any backup, but am shocked instead.

Mikhail and his three teammates are casually sitting a little
away from the flames left by the death of their two scorpions. What is
surprising is that those flames have already dwindled down to a small ball of a
single meter in diameter.

It is a given that they won’t burn forever and will slowly
extinguish, but the first scorpion of ours that was killed is still fuelling a
blaze of about five meters in diameter.

‘What could it be that helped them defeat the scorpions so
quickly? It wasn’t equipment or level. So was it tactics?’
 I try to figure it out, but unfortunately I could not
inspect the bodies as they had already been enveloped and burned away by the
flames

As the blue fireballs from the corpses become smaller, a
reflection of light catches my eye. Waiting for the flames to completely
vanish, I walk over to the area and inspect the ground. I notice several
fingernail-sized shards of glass, each colored with a light blue tint.

The blue flames emitted from the corpses of the scorpions must
be hot beyond imagination to be able to melt the sand. While my dire flame is
practically unstoppable and could be described as ‘Immortal’, this blue flame
would come under the description of ‘Almighty’.

I attempt to pick one of them up but end up causing it to sink
into the sand and vanish. Sifting my fingers through the sand also turns out to
be pointless. Taking more care with the next shard, I gingerly pick it up.

As it turns out, the shards are called ‘Cobalt Glass Shard’ by
the system. It is a slow process of picking them up due to the possibility of
losing them in the sand, but from each fireball between twenty and thirty are
formed.

“They’re useless,” I raise my head to see Mikhail the Stalwart
looking down on me picking up the shards. “They have no value and are
considered a rubbish item. I recommend ignoring them only because I don’t want
you to waste your time.”

I can’t see his facial expression through the helmet, and his
voice is calm, but something about the way he speaks makes annoys me.

I stubbornly clench my jaw before forcing myself to speak
politely, “Perhaps, but I think this is an item local to this place and can’t
be gotten elsewhere. How could we know so much about it without investigating
its uses properly?”

Mikhail seems to pause in surprise, but quickly recovers, “I
just looked at the item description earlier. It has no uses for crafting and is
only a cosmetic item. Perhaps you could glue them to something to create a
mosaic or some fake jewellery, but that’s about it.”

What he says is true, there is no information in regard to using
the glass in crafting. Perhaps this doesn’t appear until the crafting skill is
high enough to use it, but to dismiss it immediately is a bit much.

I continue picking up the glass shards until there are none
left. I also offer to share them among everyone. MoonKite takes five simply
because she thinks they are incredibly pretty and Mason takes ten to test
creating glass arrowheads. The leftover amount of just over a hundred shards
goes directly into my inventory.

Both of our parties head off as soon as I am done, once again
climbing over monstrous sand dunes as our water supply steadily depletes. My
cloak also has an effect that prevents the heat from increasing the drain on my
satiety level, leaving me with more water than everyone else. I share some with
the others in my team so we can keep an equal amount per person.