Azure: Gunner

Regardless of whether ‘mnemonic lamination’ accurately describes the System’s processes, the theory does effectively describe every known dungeon race as a whole. There are many academics who object to this, rightfully pointing out that every sapient species – whether native or dungeon-born – is composed of individuals. Certainly, any given individual of any species uniquely expresses their own characteristics.

The tale of any individual, however, neither outweighs nor invalidates measurable characteristic tendencies of a race as a whole. Scientific studies utilizing objective and blind personality evaluations have repeatedly confirmed these observations. It is unfortunate that the common person typically expresses their opinions around such tendencies through the application of stereotypes.

To pick an example completely at random, it is both reductive and hurtful to assert that all elves are arrogant and enjoy provoking other species by highlighting their ‘superior’ culture.

- Rufus Veres, Level 29 Prolix Historian, Oddities of the System

The next day we didn’t move from the cave, just spent the whole day in exhausting training that pushed us to our new limits. When I asked Mason at lunch if he was worried about anyone following us, he casually mentioned that Breaker had collapsed the ravine behind us.

“What!?” I asked, almost dropping my precious Jet Cola in surprise. “How… when… you mean when they got the meat? Why didn’t we hear anything?”

I figured out the answer on my own when Rhyme smirked at me.

Dead gods, they can silence something that loud? Also, Breaker is strong enough to just… knock down the canyon walls and make a giant rockslide like that? And then Rhyme uses that power to fuck with poor little Tier 1s and make us eat monster hearts?! Jerk!

I worked with my cutlass again, both with Mason and Haldred. The Skirmisher fought with a targe and longsword, though he didn’t exactly need the shield considering the disparity in skill and my continuing adjustments to my new body. At least I was doing a bit better than the last couple of days.

That evening, Mason handed us each a large sack of quadrosaur jerky. Apparently Phyx had done some kind of air magic that had dried out the meat, and it would be a tasty supplement to our travel rations. The only issue was that my Inventory was stuffed.

I had my whole suit of Level 5 armor in there, plus waterskins, my dungeon kit – Wolf had never asked for it back – waterskins, potions, and the rest of my meager belongings. Including my old combat helmet, which was still my favorite. When I told him that I didn’t think I could fit the meat once I stored my pack and bedroll, he demanded to see what I was carrying.

“Toss the armor, Azure, it’s a waste of space,” he ordered me, and I blinked.

“But… it was expensive! I mean, Tara’s family paid for it, but still! It cost twenty-five eagles!”

“Would you rather have food you might actually need or an old set of armor you can’t use anymore?” he asked bluntly.

I was surprised at the sadness I felt as I tossed the finely-made armor deep into the back of the cave. I had never felt that comfortable wearing it – I liked my new armor’s look much better – but it had taken good care of me.

The fact that Tara gave it to me has nothing to do with it!

Still, I regretted throwing away the helm, after I’d gone to all the effort with the shaping stone. My new open-faced one was easier to see out of, but obviously didn’t provide as much coverage. At least I’d gotten another Level in Inventory hauling everything around.

We left the cave the next morning, leaving no trace behind. Except for my discarded armor, fallen out of sight into the darkness. We resumed the same formation we’d used before, with G’hala and Raylan scouting ahead. We’d progressed a few miles further into the hills when Raylan called out over the Comms for us to stop.

<Contact!> he reported. <We’ve got another cave, and we can see at least one quadrosaur in there. Level 13. Looks like it’s asleep.>

This time I dutifully relayed the information to Mason, who ordered us to ‘deal with it’, then dropped us out of the Squad again so we’d get all the Essence. I brought the rest of the team forward, moving as quietly as possible. When we were close enough to spot the others ahead, I left the rest of the team where they were and crept – stealthily – forward to see the situation for myself.

There was a short, steeper section of the ravine floor, which then dropped away in a downward slope about a hundred yards long. The valley turned to the left, out of sight, but there was an obvious cave opening at the turn, and inside I could see the monster. It was definitely asleep, just lying sprawled out on the ground. I Identified it – just to train my Skill, not because I doubted the others – and contemplated the situation.

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<OK,> I decided after a few moments, <here’s what we’re going to do…>

It took a few minutes for the team to get in position, all of us trying to be as quiet as possible even though the monster was pretty far away. There was a gentle breeze blowing down the canyon towards us, so hopefully it couldn’t smell us either. Once we were ready, I signaled to Zaire. The manaborn nodded, and started casting.

Stone Wall wasn’t a loud Spell at all, but it still made sort of a quiet grinding sound. The monster twitched as Zaire used two walls to block off the side of the entrance, then another two to reinforce them. We could still see the monster’s head, but I was pretty sure it was going to have trouble getting out of the cave.

<On three! One, two, three!>

boom!WHOMP!BRRZZZT!

Mayhem erupted as we rained fire down the slope at the monster’s head and shoulders. I’d quietly swapped the shell in the chamber out for another slug, so I had seven of the powerful, accurate projectiles ready. I’d also infused Slow, definitely not doing it to spite Mason. The quadrosaur’s barrier flickered and shattered under our bombardment as it surged to its feet.

The monster shoved its small, ugly head out of the opening, but its much broader shoulders rammed into Zaire’s barrier. Without any momentum behind it, and a double-thick wall, the conjured stone held up to the monster’s initial surge. I grinned in triumph as I carefully aimed my third and fourth shots. I was firing from one knee, partially in cover behind a small boulder.

H’ruk and G’hala were raining down Bolts from their wands, and the moment a firebolt splashed off some weeds growing in the rocks at the monster’s feet, Zaire pounced. His Fire Wall erupted right under the monster, and its roar of pain bellowed out. The breeze carried the stench of burned flesh to us as the beast, finally having had enough, ducked back into the cave out of sight.

I immediately started collecting my expended slugs. Three of them were already converted to conjured, when I’d recovered them after the first quadrosaur fight. Those cost me four mana each to replenish as I shoved them into my bandolier one at a time, then immediately back into my gun’s loading port. The fourth and fifth cost a full eight mana each, and I was glad my focus had gone up so I didn’t have to worry about bottoming out.

We waited for the monster to emerge for a full ten minutes, which was when Zaire’s walls collapsed away into nothingness. Frustrated, I had Tara Roar, but still no monster emerged. We hadn’t gotten any Essence either, so it was alive still in there somewhere.

We advanced slowly towards the cave, moving in a skirmish line through the ravine, which was much wider here – at least fifteen yards across. Another Roar, from fifty yards away this time, echoed off the cliff walls without any obvious effect. The closer we got, the more clearly we could see the scorch marks, blood, and other signs of battle. But no quadrosaur. Tara tried her taunt one last time, from just outside the cave. Still nothing.

<Shit. OK, one of us is going to have to go in and take a look around. Let’s set up outside like this…>

A few minutes later – after a short argument over the Comms – Raylan crept into the cave, moving quietly. Practically everyone had wanted to make the argument why they should go in first – well, except for Jayce and Zaire. The Mages were obviously the smart ones, I decided as the Knife Fighter vanished into the dark.

I’d started to insist on me being the one to go in, only for G’hala to point out that the team leader was responsible for leading the team. That wasn’t the same thing as scouting, which was better left to someone else. She’d also claimed it wasn’t right for me to hog the fun all the time, which was unfair. I’d suggested myself because I had both Quick Step and dash, so I could escape faster than anyone else.

<CONTACT!>

Raylan suddenly screamed into the Comms, and I braced myself, raising my blunderbuss to sight on the cave opening and starting to feed mana into the heavy weapon. Raylan burst out of the cave and dove out of the way to the side as the monster followed. Tara was right there, Roaring into its face.

As planned, the counter-ambush by our front-liners just outside the cave brought it to a halt. It was shrugging off blows from H’ruk’s staff, trying to get at the Defender. She Braced, taking a huge blow to her shield that crumpled the sturdy metal, but her Skill kept her on her feet. Without it, she’d have been flung against the rock face.

Sonic Bolts flashed out, and Stone Spikes thrust up from the ground, forcing the monster back for a moment. A contemptuous slash of a massive, clawed hand shattered the rocks, and I cursed. My blunderbuss wasn’t quite fully charged yet, but I couldn’t wait. I activated Pierce and squeezed the trigger.

BOOM!

The quadrosaur lunged forward as I fired, and instead of striking the base of the neck where I’d been aiming, my solid shot struck just behind the shoulder. The massive impact punched into the creature and actually staggered it, as blood fountained from the wound.

G’hala seized the opening and darted in from behind it, driving her spear into one of the powerful thighs. The fragmentation effect triggered, and the monster’s leg collapsed.

<FALL BACK!>

Tara, Raylan and the orcs started backpedaling away from the wounded monster at my shouted order. The battered monster collapsed, unable to support its weight with two legs crippled. It took a couple of minutes for it to slowly bleed out.

Part of me was tempted to put it out of its misery, even though it was a monster. On the other hand, I was sure Mason wouldn’t approve of us using more mana than was necessary. We couldn’t be sure if there were other threats nearby.

Finally, H’ruk let out a shout of triumph as the Essence hit us and he reached Level 9, catching up to his sister.

[An exciting battle, CQS Ashley! You have increased your Level in Leadership! Well done!]

I grunted an acknowledgement, annoyed by both the obnoxious name of my new Class as well as the System’s insistence on calling me ‘Ashley’.

“PAST, from now on I want you to call me Azure! Or Az!”

[I would be happy to change your registered name for the mere fee of–]

“YES! Just fucking do it!”