The Game: Aether and Mind

"Oh starry pooh, breakfast is ready~." A sickeningly sweet voice called out, covered in so much frosting my stomach churned like liquid lead. I pried my eyes open while attempting to fight off the sickness that made my body weak and slow. My head leaned towards the origin of the voice but it felt like the smallest movement was akin to craning my neck to its limit. "Well, kind of, I mean, my cooking has been called unreal before, but right now it's pretty fitting, heh."

Though my eyelids initially opened slowly, they cracked apart when they saw a tiny fairy. A chaos fairy. It was Discord in a fracking pink dress with tiny wings stapled to the back. "What are you..." I said slowly, minding very well the PG -13 law around Ditzy.

"Funny, I was gonna ask you this very question. Oh, where's the hesitation?" He chuckled, crossing his forearms while holding a wand with a star stuck to the tip, before rushing forward into my face and holding onto my eyelashes. "Most certainly not here. What are you doing Here! What are you doing in the- Chaos be hated, Shaded Woods! Creatures get lost and die here like Dayflies at midnight!"

This was a previously completely unknown side to Discord, it was such an intense mixture of concern, anger, and a hint of fear.

Discord let go of my hair, distancing himself off me and holding his hand to his muzzle. "Okay, first things first, maybe this isn't so bad." He quickly turned around and forced a smile. "Okay, I need you to listen very carefully to what I am about to say." I leaned in closer, still mute and sore from the rude awakening. "Oh, this is pretty cozy, did you build this? My congratulations on your craftsmanship."

"Thank you?"

"Oh right, back to the topic. These are the Shaded Woods, and you probably already noticed that it’s pretty dense, right?" I nodded slowly. "Okay, you see, this place has a sort of history with me, but don't go on throwing shade on me now. Pff, shade, that's a pun." He shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to stay on the topic at hand, though it seemed as if his concentration slipped faster than usual. "Anyways, this forest is actually the shadow of countless little patches of woodland spread across the world, and doesn't actually reside in Equestria, but rather a tiny bubble somewhere in the planet's core, so don't try to ladder up, even if you came here by falling from a tree." He stopped for a moment. "Wait, how did you end up here anyway? the nearest portal is in the Everfree!" It was quite disturbing seeing Discord jumping between hurling as much information as one strand of text he could at me and interrupting himself, possibly not bearing to stay focused for an extended time.

My muzzle tightened and so did my jaw. I... I forced my mouth open like a cook with a stubborn clam. "I didn't go, I was taken." There was an odd silence, though Discord didn't say anything, he waited for me to continue. I sighed and leaned my head into the warm, wooly tuff of the hideout. "Three Griffons broke in and, well, the rest's history."

Discord opened his mouth to say something, before closing it with a click. "Ohh, them featherheads truly do nothing but cause ruckus’ since they lost that damn goblet. Hrgh, when I get my hand on the foul bunch laying their dirty claws on my companion I'll cut them into teeny tiny living pieces and hide them in every nook and cranny of this world, even behind that one toilet in las pegasus that no one has visited in over twenty years."

I snorted, feeling rather touched by the words of Discord, as disturbing as they were to picture before this smile melted into a frown. "Thanks but-" Discord was momentarily taken aback by my words.

"They're dead."

I have known Discord for half a decade so far, and have heavily looked into Equestrian history, his past only passively not to raise concerns. He was described as a tyrant, a monster to dwarf all beasts. He twisted and morphed Equestria into a fantasy of his own mind, no kingdom was there where he reigned, no law where he ruled, just endless madness. But one thing was certain, something no one could stick to him: He never murdered. Of course, ponies died under his reign, but never intentionally, some drowned in a pudding lake, others fell through the floor of their house as it had turned into a cracker, and were destabilized by hungry rats, but never did he strike anyone down. Although some may argue that his biggest adversaries, if I even dare to call minor annoyances to Discord as such, suffered fates worse than death.

He stared at me for a moment, it wasn't hurt, just shock that I of all ponies would murder anyone, especially three adults at once. "They slit my throat, and when I felt one's claws at my flank and something sharp poke-"

"Hush-hush-hush, everything is going to be fine ol' buddy chum pal amigo friend, I'm not blaming you for anything, just a bit shocked." He flew to my face and hugged my left cheek with his full body. "Oh, and sorry for cussing you out, juuust, surprised, that's all." The smile he wore was false, the very thought of killing someone made him sick, death was the ultimate sign of order, after all, it couldn't be changed unless through necromancy, but I'd doubt the lord of chaos fancied the idea of the living dead wandering his turf, above and below. Still, he seemed to vaguely know how to act with a child that just confessed to having 'colonel-ed' three griffons.

I smiled, not induced by the blasted perk, but a little droplet of comfort actually formed in my heart. "None taken."

"Alright, no more interruptions." He snapped, not his voice but his whole buddy turned stiff and pointed his finger in the air. "I don't have enough power to scotty you back home, but I can spare you some magic to guide you to someone who can."

"You, the lord of chairs, connoisseur of chocolate milk, and general of pastries can't do something?" I said with a cocked eyebrow and a sharp smile.

"You forgot carpenter of chaos, captain of the lemonade seas, and Emmentaler of monkeykind. But, well, in my state even contacting you is quite taxing, after all a fish is quite limited on the other side of the aquarium. However, in this very woods lies an creature who still owes me a big favour, find him and he will help you, but be careful, he's the worst kind of chaotic."

"But, you just said the Shaded Woods are dangerous, how am I going to find him in this woodland maze?" I asked, leaning forward and titled my head.

He smiled, though with a delay, and tapped on my snout with his lion paw. "All in order, eww, cause after that step I'll be out of breath. When you meet the old sock, tell him the following, and be sure to repeat exactly after me, because he'll not recognise you as anything but food if you do not, and I mean it, say this." Discord emphasized, holding both of his hands to his mouth and beckoned me to pay attention. I saw his lips move but hadn’t heard his voice, but another voice spoke in my skull, his words becoming translated.

Entity Discord spoke in the language of my makers.

"Did you get that right, one-hundred percent, down to the dot, perfectly mirrored right?" He asked with a very tense tone. "I can't speak with you again after giving you the Amber Waylight until you touch my statue. And this forest harbors many dangers, but Caldura is the greatest threat if you get this wrong."

"Repay the debt to the Chimera of Change." I blurted out, before quickly following it up by repeating it the exact same way Discord said it to me, though even speaking this tongue twisted mine and my jaw and throat hurt replicating these noises.

"You... actually... understood that..." He held his claw out with confusion, before slapping himself in the face when he noticed that his body took a transparent shade. "Not now, take the flame and when the false sun rises, make haste." He said before opening his arms wide. His form started to glow and formed into a single glimmer of amber, flickering motionlessly in the air. Discord's voice, as the flame was completed, rang out once more like a quiet echo. "Seven days..."

The Chaos advocate knows something. The Game said bluntly, lacking his otherwise informal, dry, and computer-code-like choice of words.

"That's a growing trend lately, no?" I said, before leaning my head back into my covers, though my eyes were lighter than helium now.

Do you wish to return to your slumber? The Game asked, noticing my restlessness.

I took a deep breath and groaned with discomfort. "No." A short, but simple answer rang out quietly. "I need to do something, increase my survivability, and until I find some clay it's limited to bonking buckets." I crossed my hooves and lowered my head so that my chin touched my chest. "Game, send me back to the flying city."

As you wish, my host. And as the din of the Game’s words fell, so did the façade of the world surrounding me.

A land of clouds and metal-

I jumped forward with my club in my hooves the second I was in the dungeon, pinning and crushing a knight to the ground, before pulling out my shield and halberd. I turned around and charged into another, impaling it and lifting the metallic body into the air with the use of magic, and swiped at a third knight who attempted to ambush me. It jumped away, but the body previously stuck to my polearm was separated and collided with the evading nightmare. A fourth one attempted to decapitate me from above, but I summoned forth Tesla, who shot lightning and pushed the angelic monster into a pillar. I threw my weapon and shield into my inventory and rushed forward where I saw that the dented knight rose up and tried to take into the air. I clenched my teeth and summoned forth the warping power of [Transit] moving forward directly in front of the artificial nightmare who, just one meter above the ground, was impaled and cut in half with [Mana Blade]. By the time my last adversary had fallen, so did the machine Tesla fended off.

"I'll not be fooled twice." I hissed, before straining my muscles and absorbing more of the coins into my inventory. I didn't know what these would do, but I didn't need a reason either, after all my ~~kleptomaniac’s~~ mind is constantly thinking of how to make something useful. My best guess, or rather hope, is that somewhere there is a vending machine for potions or snacks. Looking forward, far, far away, it was like a kilometer away, I saw something broad and golden, something shining near its base, beaming ever stronger.

"Motherfucker's just camping all the way on the ass end of this world." I grumbled, before unequipping my clothes and hurling them into my inventory: Papa got an upgrade.

I leaned back and felt the armor of the Lion slip over me, and my face was adorned with his mask. The sensation was intoxicatingly sweet and musky, not like cake or unwashed soaks, more akin to heartless, enduring murder. In place of the leather armor and the knight helmet now hung the assassin’s set alongside his mask, the golden belt, the skull shoulder guard, and the apprentice ring off my body. I leaned my head back and shivered, unlike my previous garments this one writhed with ideas, ideals, and ideologies that heavily clashed with those of mine, but on the battlefield molded to my favor. Dexterity was boosted by this armament, in other words my speed and quickness; and while not exactly my forte, the armor value was increased across the board, even the mask was sturdier than the helmet. In addition to its effects, however, the changes were too numerous to just speak out plainly.

I walked to the side, the far-off shining light grew bigger, and while only an educated guess, was about 40 percent charged before the next shot would be fired. I turned my head away and looked down and saw the armor that clung to my hide. It was a tight leather set fixed with a thin layer of chainmail sewed between the inner, cottonous tuft and the outer leather, though to call it a novelty would be an insult given how surprisingly hard it was. Metal plates littered the armor, protecting places such as my underbelly, neck, and joints, the chest was especially well protected with a metallic chest plate. My hooves were guarded by thick metal that silently tipped against the metallic floor. However, ultimately what I spoke of would be useless for an outside watcher, as a cloak, which was partially fixated onto my body, and partially free-flowing- covered my suit and the ammunition belt loaded with blue metal knives.

I lowered my hoof and traced the reflection of the mask and the twisted lion that was embedded in it. Three quick-moving silhouettes danced around the corners of my shadow. The Mask, it... heightened my senses, much less than [Spirit Senses] but it was noticeable alongside its other properties.

"Enough with the picture show." I jumped onto my hindlegs and rolled to the side, just barely evading three Sanctum Guardians who struck down from above and impaled the space I stood a second ago.

With a grunt, I pulled out a small Nitorium chunk from my inventory, before hurling it alongside a blue metal dagger. I heard barely a crack before an overwhelming explosion rang out, and a surge of force and heat washed over me like a wave. I grunted and turned around, blocking an incoming strike from the side with [Mana Blade], the two magic and heat-based forces clashed against one another, but I quickly gained the upper hand, though this victory was not easily achieved as another of the rotten pack emerged from the smoke and with barred spear charged at my back, though the advance was halted by an ear-ringing sound as the tip was stopped by the Ram Crest Shield being held up behind me by [Magic Claws]. Although the night took a toll on my mentality, it did not mean I was oblivious to the things I garnered through the bloodshed.

I grit my teeth and ripped the sword out of the Sanctum Guardian's hand, before impaling it and lifting it just barely off the floor as the heavy metal was too much to raise. I quickly let the deteriorating corpse fall to the ground and with [Transit] appeared behind the spear wielder. It took a second for me to come to my senses, as anything but the tower-like movement was nauseating, and crushed its leg with [Power Strike] and destroyed the head with [Kinetic Blast].

As the last body fell to the floor, I overviewed the battlefield and absorbed five more coins into my inventory, adding up to a total of eight. I sighed and turned forward, and saw the charge had increased a bit more. With a grunt, I summoned both my spirits to my side in hope of dispatching my foes quicker as now mana was far less of a limiting factor. With a jump, I landed on all fours and charged forward with my shield on my back, spirits to my side, and both my halbert and club in either [Magic Claw].

The sound of softened, but nonetheless banging metal clashing, my partially oxygen-deprived heart pounding, and the wind cutting past my ears dominated my ears as with the added dexterity I reached seventy-five kilometers an hour, speeds a mortal man can never dream of achieving. With a jump I ambushed a patrol of five Guardians, pinning one under me and swiftly taking care of it with [Mana Blade]. Tesla and Wadjeta overwhelmed one Guardian each with their power, leaving but two left. With a grin hidden behind my mask, I ripped my halbert out of the magic clutches and infused it with water, further heightening its speed and sharpness.

I sidestepped with a forward stab and shattered an overzealous arm by ramming the butt of my club through it and in the same motion pushing myself forward at the metal man still bearing four limbs, minus the wings at least. The Sanctum Guardian hopped back to evade it, and number one took the chance to slash at me, singing my beard stubs in my process of evasion. With a heavy heave and a horizontal strike to its side, I launched number one to tumble across the floor but was not given a chance to finish it off as number two ran forward while quickly and mercilessly slashed his blade in the pattern of an eight, constantly switching back to a blocking position on either side. I quickly power walked, also known as strutting in this pony land, backward while reiterating with slashes from above, each and every blow caused its knees to buckle and it sank with every parry, but the way it moved in perfect motion disallowed me to take care of it quickly.

From the reflection of its armor, I noticed that the Sanctum Guardian bearing one arm slowly rose up and was already on its knees. I grinned and pulled my halbert back, and when I struck without looking, I destroyed the crippled machine's head and launched the body at the remaining one's feet. It didn't wish to be pummelled and jumped up, but I was far faster than it, and lodged my halbert into its weakly armored abdomen. Crashing the rest of it into the ground by slamming my polearm into the ground and finishing it off with [Power Strike].

"Witty bastards; gotta give it to ‘em." I mumbled while slowly walking forward and collecting more coins, but was still disappointed seeing no weapon drops. While the assassins were armored, their choice of equipment was suited for targets that could bleed out, such as serrated daggers, a short, curved sword, and crossbows (One that required far too much dexterity in my opinion), hell, there even was a stiletto in the mix, but it was just not suited for nightmares. It would break far too easily and did not do enough damage to sway my judgment away from the shortened range. The short sword, despite its fragility, was a suitable option with a nice 20 damage, being almost on par with my halbert and definitely way above most short swords out there, but the reduced range and the fact that I had no experience with it made me choose against it.

The thing about the damage was that it had a different meaning between a nightmare and a living creature. Damage for a mortal creature determined how easily it could cut through their bodies and armor, but a nightmare played by different rules since they easily could survive having their throats slit, just like me. Damage to a nightmare determines how easily I can damage its hull, destabilize it, pull it out of service, or turn it off for the Game to absorb it, although I did get a nice damage boost when targeting certain areas. On another note, If I were to merely scratch a hair of a nightmare possessing one hundred points of life while wielding a weapon with equal damage, it would die instantly just by a touch.

While on the topic of choice. The reason I fought the pair was that I wished to level up my proficiency, since these guys were now half my level, but held skill in their movement, they were perfect training partners.

Polearm Proficiency 3 -->6

I stopped and looked forward, seeing the source of the glowing, and the sight made me feel quite inferior. It was another living armor, but this one towered over the others by at least half their heights and even more shoulder lengths, despite its comically thin waist. Its wide and large chest plate hummed as it held back magic strings of a gigantic heavy greatbow that bore the thickness of an anvil. Though what fascinated me most was the round helmet, unlike those decorated art pieces it bore a more 'efficiently over style' approach.

Gate Guardian
Level - 35
Class - Divine Warden- level 20
Race - Construct/Artificial ?
HP (Health Points) - 10000[--- per minute]
MP (Mana Points) - 3000 [--- per minute]
SP (Stamina Points) - unlimited [--- per minute]
STR (Strength) - 325
END (Endurance) - 500
DEX (Dexterity) - 100
INT (Intelligence) - 210
WIS (Wisdom) - 115
CHA (Charisma) -0
LCK (Luck) - 0

Construct
This creature does not require any substance to exist, however, cannot regenerate without the use of skill or repairs. This creature is immune to mortal status effects and those affecting the mind. It cannot grow.

Empowered
This creature is strengthened by an outside source to exceed normally present limits

Shackled: Range & ???
This creature is bound under one of several conditions. This being cannot distance itself from something too far. Another condition is what restrains this being.

"Armor's a bit too thick for the stick..." I mumbled and put my weapons in the hands of my [Magic Claws] and infused them both with the chaos elements in hopes of breaking this mountain down piece by piece. If I were to get a hit off, that was. Honestly it was more so of a 'just in case' were I to run out of mana rather than my main choice of fighting. And although my shield rested in my left hoof, and the right was open to using [Mana Blade], it still wouldn't be enough.

I smiled, somberly knowing that I finally found an opponent worthy of using the gobo bomb on, all the while rubbing my tongue against the roof of my mouth to push away the awful taste of seeing 10k life points. A hollowed-out goblin skull-turned-bomb appeared in my hooves. It was filled with nitorium crystals and sticky goblin blood, so unstable that it was a blessing in itself that the sharpness of the winds didn't cause my pieces to smother the pavement. I let out a deep breath, halting my advance, there were still things to do, acts to increase my chances.

I pulled out my little violin, and although it would give me the smallest boost of the batch, it was nonetheless a free boon. I puffed my chest while standing on two hooves, and leaned my head back, letting the strings kiss one another, some were short, others longer and passionate, and while it began as a soothing, sweet melody. A tune that devolved into bitter, somber tragedy. The same line, deeper and slower until ending and dying out like an ember.

Touched by sorrow
A song of heartfelt emotions lingering deeply was unearthed and granted strength to overcome one more burden.
*Grants five points in every category
*Effect lasts 15 Minutes

I clenched my teeth and quickly hurled my instrument into the inventory, I couldn't afford to get sad and sappy, I needed strength now and could wail later. Taking another deep breath and sucking down my moment of weakness, I pulled out my greatest culinary achievement, years in the making led to this dish. It was a great pot of a cream-based, heavily spiced pigeon stew. It took me three years to catch enough suckers without being noticed to create this, but here it was. My mouth was seemingly unhinged and my throat widened like a snake, and stew fell into my stomach like a waterfall, so much so that I could feel my belly just barely not being able to catch up with digestion. I drank and ate at the same time, so long and tedious that I felt the need for air becoming dire, but ultimately was able to eat it all in one go.

Pigeon Stew
Meal: Heavy, hearty.
A great dish intended to feed a family for two meals. This meal contains a great variety of fats and root vegetables, perfect for a long and hard day of work ahead.
* Increase Strength, Endurance by 15 Points
* Stamina and Health regeneration enhanced by 20%
* Regenerate 40 hp per second
* Effect lasts for 2 hours.

The pot collided with the floor with a heavy thunk as I stumbled slightly, losing several kilos of weight in seconds as my body adjusted, the effects being absorbed, and the illusory image of Gerb giving me a look of disgust with his pigeon-like face vanishing. I coughed between breaths of air. I definitely should've boiled those potatoes longer and let the beets soften up a bit more. Ugh...

"Last-" I burped loudly at the Gate Guardian who was done with about three-quarters of the charging time. "-ly, the Bell."

I pulled the aforementioned bell- my bell, out of the inventory and held it in front of my face, almost like the guard of a sword. The Faith I had accumulated would now be greatly reduced, by using [Minor Stat Boost]. With a ring of the bell, I could see a light bearing no definable source wash over me. And it did so three more times, to strengthen my dexterity, intelligence, and Endurance, each by five more points. Strength would not aid me in this battle of speed and magic, but although I previously put little attention towards speed, it now was my best companion. It didn't just increase my speed, but also how quick and flexible I could react while improving my perception. So long as the flaw [Weak] chained me down, I had no chance, and while I could invest some measures to boost my health, doing so with my physical strength as of right now was too expensive. I'd rather have to heal more than less, even were I not to use it at all in the following battle.

There are no more preparations to be done. I will support you subconsciously. The Game fell into silence, and our souls inched closer, tighter than before, still two entities, still intertwined, but overlapping even more now. Yes, let us advance the hunt. I thought dryly, and mentally readied myself for a fight akin to the story of David and Goliath.

The gobo bomb levitated tightly in my magical grasp as I gathered my mana, increasing the velocity, while simultaneously, mentally mapping up the move to follow a split second later: Fireball, one the size of a basketball. This skill had come a long way from the tiny little flame it once was, but for the road further on, I just hoped it would be enough. The bomb shot forward and the fireball followed its trail of soon to come destruction. The Gate Guardian stood still, still pointing the tip of his great arrow at my face until it shifted It ripped its weapon apart, now becoming a great ornamented staff bearing a vaguely humanoid, hunched-over creature bearing a goat skull for a head with six horns. The artificial nightmare swiped its staff forward, redirecting my projectile to the right pillar. The fireball arrived just a second too late, the flames collided with its metal form, yes, but not causing any actual damage. The bomb, however, was not done yet and the impact alone was enough to crack the crystals inside and ignite the contraption.

A blast force broke in all directions, cracking and peeling layers of the metallic floor below away like sped up drying lead paint in the desert sun, and covering the entire base and surrounding area in a thick, black fog. I took a step back when the pressure wave crashed into me, ripping hairs from my scalp and piercing my eardrums for a second. I heard a chain of several quick stomps from behind the fog, indicating that the Gate Guardian was nearly knocked over even though it was several meters away. Lowering my gaze and sinking into my knees, I knew deep in my bones what was to come.

"Now." I whispered, and ducked down, evaded a bullet-like punch that went over my head, and reiterated by squeezing two stabs with [Mana Blade] into his abdomen, before jumping back as the staff slammed down into the ground, denting the thick floor. My [Magic Claws] whacked the Gate Guardian with my weapons, though they weren't able to use skills this way, they were enough for the Guardian to momentarily turn its attention away from me and swipe after the disembodied hands. I quickly pushed mana into my horn and cast [Ice Bolt] twice, as fire was ineffective.

Every hundred points in intelligence allowed me to cast one more spell simultaneously. That was not a fact I knew, just an assessment. I was actually in the process of mentally picturing the chain of spell matrixes to cast as quickly and efficiently as possible, not casting the spells. But, I had to admit, taking the fact my eyeb- just eyes, nearly bulged out of my skull at the equation, I deemed the mental toil a shallow price to pay for this result.

The spells collided with the metal giant and the frost spread across his body rapidly, but it was not fully seizing the titan, who in response stomped with his foot and staff onto the ground, shattering the vine-like ice, and pointed his staff at me. The mouth of the fabled goat creature glowed sharply before a heavy, holy projectile shot forth with nearly incomprehensible speed as if it was made of pure light. The projectile impacted, but not with me, but rather collided with a quickly shattering barrier around me, a shield which vaporized, sounding like cracking glass. The magic armor of my ring blocked one shot, but two more followed. I grunted and frothed as the burning, purifying sensation dug deep into my organs. Holy attacks were the only skills that could actually make me feel pain, one of the reasons I had yet to develop a resistance against it, unlike [Fire Resistance] and [Physical Damage Resistance] which I earned in the past years.

I grunted, spitting under my mask, and dashed to the left, despite the sore and almost foreign sensation that pain had devolved towards me, the weakness was a slope I couldn't afford to treat without risking tumbling. I evaded an upward swipe from the golden giant, but despite my newfound speed, the attack nonetheless somewhat connected, scraping my mask, ripping chunks of it off. With a breathless grunt, I stabbed the giant three more times with [Mana Blade] each time but barely evaded the incoming attacks, each strafing me with such speed and strength and ferocity that my armor, at times without being touched, was shredded and ripped apart. I couldn't even begin to wonder how many humans or ponies it would take to destroy this juggernaut.

-120

I gasped loudly, all air leaving my lungs and a hissing screech of pain escaping my lips, as my right hoof was caught in the palm of the Gate Guardian before he clenched his fist. My hoof shattered, and flesh, blood, tissue, and bones splattered across the floor like a burst melon, but a bloody, soft lump of skin was left to be gazed at. From gritted teeth, I let out a pained scream, before perhaps using a skill in the most unorthodox way yet. From my crushed, upper limb grew vilethorne vines with wild speed, encasing my flesh and binding itself around the nightmare's hand, till it crept upwards to its shoulder. The vines tightened, and the sound of fibers stretching to their fullest brought vibrations into the air before a scratching crunch howled in all directions. The plant crushed the arm, and bits of metal cracked and crumbled, but this victory lasted but a second, as I felt myself being lifted into the air, and with the staff risen and pointed at myself, I saw no other choice but to-

-150

-cut my own hoof off, and I fell, but it wasn't fast enough, for the staff collided with my horn, shattering the bone, throwing me several meters away, and for a second stunning me as my every sense was numbed momentarily. When I came to senses, the tingling, tearing sensation still gnawing at my core, I saw the vine-gripped hand glowing and pointing at me. I didn't need further insight, and turned tail, using [Transit] twice, and charged away as a second passed, or perhaps it was three before a wave of heat and golden light sizzled every hair of my body. I rammed my hooves into the floor, slithering across the metal until finally coming to a halt with quickened breath, and witnessed the Gate Guardian, with golden dust falling out of its great wound, as where there once was a shoulder, now was a stump.

I breathed heavily though no dread filled me, when I looked at the Gate Guardian as it rose to its full height, its remaining limbs strained under metal and letting out a metallic screeching equal to a rusted wind instrument. The odds were heavily in my favor, I had already regenerated back to 550 health points, my mana was still in good condition and even my horn had regrown. It made sense, I was one and a half times its level, but one thing was always certain, no matter how strong I became, any nightmare standing in my path could kill me in just a second of arrogance, just like this one. One blow to crush my head, one strike to destroy my chest cavity, one horizontal swipe I could survive, but what followed could spell my doom.

And then -then- a crack echoed through this very world. So loud that it even stunned the Gate Guardian itself. It taught both of us to fear our frail forms.

Both of us looked to the source, near the gate where the boss once stood, a heavy gust of wind soared past the pillar, pushing away the smoke, and revealing a cavity so large that a cottage might've fitted inside. With a quick snap, I looked upwards, to the tip of this pillar, and saw that the blue crystal atop moved rapidly towards us, and the very air around me began to compress as untold amounts of weight rushed downwards to smite us, as ants in its wake. Despite the looming danger, my adversary was the first to take its retreat, with me following, or rather, leading pursuit of an un-crushed state.

I pushed everything I had into my legs, even going so far as using my just shortly-regained magic and [Magic Claws] to push me to 80 Kpm, but even with this speed, further increased by the periodic use of [Transit] I learned in an unfortunate way, that a golden giant running in a straight line was nonetheless faster than I was. I yelped with a pained gasp when a golden bolt rushed past my face and destroyed my ear, the searing pain much more haunting than the hp loss, but less than the accuracy of the Gate Guardian. I jumped to the right, evading a second and third bolt, before erecting a knee-high barrier, and although the mere touch of the Gate Guardian was enough to obliterate it, it was slowed down by the tiniest of bits. With a frown between heavy breaths, feeling a fog form in my sight and blackness crawl from the sides of my vision, I pressed the oxygen deprivation away to create more and more destined-to-be-destroyed [Mana Constructs], before jumping over a rushing wave of holy fire. On a different note, fetlocks are apparently very sensitive, especially to fire.

Suddenly, the distance was crossed as made apparent by the Gate Guardian's fist breaking through my armor, through my ribs, and his fingers gasping my left lung. I grit my teeth with tears of pain forming, before pulling all my hoofs together and with the use of [Power Strike] slamming my entire strength into the helmet of the Gate Guardian, catapulting myself away from the nightmare and the falling pillar at the cost of my flesh. I stumbled across the floor, seeing in only flickering pictures as the Gate Guardian rushed towards me, but just as the hand was about to grasp my head, I used [Transit] even quicker, I picked up a new kind of momentum, speed so quick it was literally back-breaking.

My back collided with the broken pillar near the start of the dungeon, and I coughed, spitting out teeth and blood, but I knew now was not the time to relax, and pushed 250 points of stamina into [Quick Recovery]. Three seconds. In three seconds I regenerated a lung, parts of my heart, half of my ribcage, bone damage, and lost blood, not just rivaling the likes of certain superheroes, but even surpassing them. -However-. The stamina drain was intense, I felt like I ran kilometers within seconds and although there was no muscle to pinpoint the exhaustion, I felt drained. I let out a heavy breath, the cloud blocking my sight for a second as the heat generated dissipated through the air, and I was made to see the state of my foe. The golden giant was half-crushed under the pillar, but it was a miracle in itself that there was more left than a flattened soda can, for my adversary had been stuck between the dented floor and stone pillar.

I walked forwards, the sound of metal against metal accompanying me before I stopped a few meters away.

I summoned my [Magic Claws] which rushed forward towards the boss, however in an act that surprised even the Game, the limbs attached themselves to the stone, and with the strength of the guardian the combined lifting strength of my claws, the stone rose and stood there, until the artificial nightmare would free itself. It crawled out with its shattered and crumbling armor, destroyed arm, and crushed leg, and the remaining limbs, not looking much better, were barely able to stand. And even bits that stood fell off, piece for piece.

I put the shield and claws away, and only ignited two [Mana Blades], before slowly, but cautiously walking forward. Despite the state, the Gate Guardian attacked nonetheless with a slow and weak horizontal slash. I remained stoic until the very last second, in which I dodged under the strike, and rushed forward, ramming my sizzling blades into its abdomen, deep into the enemy, and letting the spell be lodged there for a second or two. Then I felt the weight of the giant shift, retracted my blades, and took a few steps back. The Gate Guardian fell to its knees, crumbling away and as its body was about to lean against me, it turned to dust which bathed me momentarily. I ignored the implications, and just leaned my head back, feeling the new kinds of strength form and bubble within me, knowing full well I'd need every last scrap I could get.

I blinked with tired eyes, feeling so much information flood my mind and engrave themselves into my soul, seeing new abilities arise, evolve, and grant me new strength was a repeatable, yet always unique and memorable experience. A loud sound echoed from far away. I fluttered my eyes and a slowly curling smile saw the great gate slowly opening and a new space reveal itself. A bridge leading towards a tower of ivory.

You have fulfilled one of the requirements for the hidden quest: Path of the Strong.
Path of the Strong
Although you are weak and frail, it does not mean you are bound to this puny existence 'till death.
* Defeat a strong foe
* Kill 50 enemies above level 25 with strength being their most dominant stat.
* Reward: Removal of the flaw [Weak].

My lips remained tightly shut, but my jaw fell nonetheless as saliva began to form in extensive amounts. My heartbeat thrummed with newfound strength and goosebumps made up the entirety of my skin's surface. It was, I couldn't quite put it in words, a sense of hope and determination, like a boulder soon to be lifted from the back. I quivered and my knees buckled, feeling myself relax as the previously fierce wind now seemed almost soothing.

I licked my lips slowly, both in anticipation and because of the arid air. "I’ve still got a bit of time, why not risk a little peek, a little look from a safe distance, and- now look at that, what do you do you beauty?" I was walking with a quickened pace towards the next stage of the dungeon when my eyes fell onto the blue crystal which was partially responsible for the squashing of my former adversary and chuckled to myself when I took in the delicious words.

Great Mana Crystal
Structure Rare
A giant mana crystal carved and enchanted to store and absorb native mana.
*Absorbs 30 Mana per second
*Storage: 1.000.000 units of mana

"Ohh~ Ideas are already swelling up in my skull, and the things we're going to do together." I mumbled and mused while rubbing the crystal with my hooves. My vision turned towards the second crystal, still high up, and the journey still waiting for me. "Hmmm, oh sard it. No need to let the greed out... okay, maybe a teeny tiny bit of greed, but, hngh, it's so tempting!" I grumbled loudly to myself while joy and an ever-thinning sense of patience became the foundation of my thoughts. "Alright, I made up my mind, return, for now, come back later. What do you say, partner."

Supplies and rest are fundamentals for warfare, furthermore scavenging the surrounding wilds may yield resources and items of interest to further advance our quest, oh mighty angel slayer.

"Pff, of course, snide as ever." I sighed with crossed hooves, looking down onto the crystal, and wondering just one thing: Will this thing explode if I remove it from the pedestal? It didn't matter; well yes, it actually did as this could become a cornerstone for my workshop, but it was little of a hindrance to the sheer joy that befell me.

Star Touch - Nightmare Slayer 1(John Weaver)
Level - 52
Class - Arcanist - level 15 (The Gamer)
Race - Unicorn
HP (Health Points) - 675 [68 per minute]
MP (Mana Points) - 2063 [112 per minute]
SP (Stamina Points) - 675 [68 per minute]
STR (Strength) - 65 [130]
END (Endurance) - 68 [135]
DEX (Dexterity) - (109) 82
INT (Intelligence) - 206 [75]
WIS (Wisdom) - 168 [112]
CHA (Charisma) - 108 [120]
LCK (Luck) - (59) 52

Twisted Lion Mask
Level 45 Item
Epic
A mask given to exiles of the once glorious, but now disbanded, Lion Guild. It represents the fall of its esteemed members to crimes the likes of murder, theft, or even creature trafficking.
* 40 Physical head armor
* Assassin set 4/4 - Reduces visibility and sounds made. Stealth and critical attacks damage increase by 50%
* Increased perception
* + 12 dexterity

Lion Assassin Chestplate
Level 50 Item
Epic
Chestplate of a member of the once glorious, but now disbanded, Lion Guild. Although the Lion Guild used to prefer more direct approaches and publicly spread its achievements, after the loss of the Empire's great treasure the guild fell into a spiral of decay. Its failure in Pridestone was the group's death sentence, for some, this was more true than others.
* 50 Physical chest armor
* Assassin set 4/4 - Reduces visibility and sounds made. Stealth and critical attacks damage increase by 50%
* Increased perception
* Generate 1 wrath metal knife every thirty seconds with a capacity of six knives. Knives have a high chance to disrupt the magic of a target.
* +5 dexterity

Lion Assassin Trousers
Level 50 Item
Epic
Trousers of a member of the once glorious, but now disbanded, Lion Guild. Although the Lion Guild used to prefer more direct approaches and publicly spread its achievements, after the loss of the Empire's great treasure the guild fell into a spiral of decay. Its failure in Pridestone was the group's death sentence, for some, this was more true than others.
* 50 Physical leg armor
* Assassin set 4/4 - Reduces visibility and sounds made. Stealth and critical attacks damage increase by 50%
* Increased perception
* +5 dexterity

Lion Assassin gloves
Level 50 Item
Epic
Coarse and serrated, clawed gloves used by a member of the once glorious, but now disbanded, Lion Guild. There are marks of corrosion. Although the Lion Guild used to prefer more direct approaches and publicly spread its achievements, after the loss of the Empire's great treasure the guild fell into a spiral of decay. Its failure in Pridestone was the group's death sentence, for some, this was more true than others.
* 50 Physical arm armor
* Assassin set 4/4 - Reduces visibility and sounds made. Stealth and critical attacks damage increase by 50%
* Increased perception
* +5 dexterity

Observe lv.25 --> lv.26
Physical Damage Resistance 28-->29
New Skill: Holy Damage resistance
Transit lv.1 --> lv.6
Mana Blade lv.1--> lv.9
Magic Claws lv.1 --> lv.4
Polearm Proficiency lv.6 --> lv.8
Mana Construct lv.23 --> lv.25
Ice Bolt lv.26 --> lv.30
Ice Bolt --> Ice Spear
New Ability: Sprint
New Proficiency: Hoof Combat Proficiency
Spiritualist lv.13 --> lv.15
New Ability: Summon Guardian Spirit
Arcanist lv.11 -->15
New Ability: Mana Shield
New Perk: Professional Hunter

Holy Damage Resistance [Passive]
Protection against the Ancient, Divine, and Eternals. None of us may strike you down, for the Eternals are no more anachronic for this world.
-Osmodulac
*Holy damage is reduced by points equal to the skill's level. If the amount of resistance outweighs that of the damage, no damage is dealt to the user.

Ice Spear [Active]
[Ice Spear] is the direct evolution of [Ice Bolt] and despite its creation being the desire to push cryomancy further, it's often associated with the stigma of unneeded brutality or a symbol of power. This is inherently untrue as it does possess the ability to kill a target with much greater efficiency than the previous stage, thus decreasing unnecessary suffering, and it doesn’t fit the role of a trophy or milestone as it's a spell used by mages of medium caliber. But, and I have to emphasize this, if it has come to the spell usage being a requirement for a certain situation, then in my lacking eyes, I'd deem it a scenario worth classifying as an 'exception' of the norm.
- Eldritch Lich King Quefestos
*Cost: 250 Mana
*Maximum Damage: Int * 5
* Great Chance to slow target: Int * 1
*Chance to freeze the enemy, possibility depends on enemy health.

Sprint [Active]
Run, Run, Run, 'till the end of the line, to the end of the quest and never stopping until the day's end. People say the best defense is a good offense and vice versa, but I say outrunning danger is much better! What can I say, call me a coward if you will, but I live well, get paid, and go a long way, but most importantly I'm alive, what matters more than that?
- Caras, the cowardly courier.
*While active, increase movement speed by 50%.
*Stamina is consumed appropriately.

Hoof Combat Proficiency [Active]
You are able to damage your opponent more than yourself in hoof combat.
*Increase damage of empty hooves by (level)
*Increase efficiency of fighting while using empty hooves by (level)

Summon Guardian Spirit [Active]
Offer two sacrifices to the spirit well and answer the call of a spirit willing to step into your ranks. "Guardian Spirits are the near opposite of regular spirits in the sense that they are their own beings who are not dependent on, nor under the control of a spiritualist. They can act and think on their own, favor certain things over others, and can even leave if left unsatisfied, however, they possess power and abilities unique to them. Just ensure their favorability towards you, as although they can't slay you, they are able to 'fail' you.
Miercalac - The researcher of spirits.

Mana Shield[Passive]
They say a magician's power is only limited by their mind's limitations, my master however believed that a mage is only limited in their lifespan and that it can only ever be overcome by precise and consistent planning. I, however, say that you cannot actively account for things, thus I created not only a new spell but an entirely new kind of magic, spells cast in advance which activate themselves. It's all based on the runes, oh how I cannot wait for my master to see it, or rather not, after all, runes are an art of blasphemy.
Phulphack - The Mother of passive spells and the rebirth of runes.
*Creates a Mana Shield possessing durability equal to intelligence

Professional Hunter [Perk]
Though savage and brutal in execution, your noble intentions, stalwart mind, and hardened soul keep your abilities as sharp as your blades, and mind as thoroughly well kept as your armor in times of both bloodshed and peace.
*Increase proficiency growth by 50%