Project Seraphina [LitRPG, Magitech, GL]

“Dammit, Sera!” Chloe says. “I told you not to be reckless, and now look at yourself! You knew you were still feeling the strain from the last however many times you’ve used that technique.”

“I didn’t realize it was still this bad…” I groan from the strain. Even with Chloe’s healing, I’m still struggling. Maybe if she had some sort of [Restoration] spell that could actually cure these more esoteric status abnormalities.

“Also, why did you not use your damn [Dimensional Seal]?”

“[Dimensional Lock] requires I get my hand on the target, which is not possible here. As for [Dimensional Seal], it wouldn’t have worked in the long run.” I clench my fist in pain. “It only has a limited range, and the creature would have been able to simply wait just outside that radius. Useful against targets that are trying to flee into subspace, not for something–”

“And you didn’t at least try?” Chloe gives me an exasperated look. “Like, I get not assuming that our enemies are stupid, but couldn’t you have at least tried before you brought yourself right up to death’s door again?”

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” I say. “But–”

“You better not finish that sentence, Seraphina Mortensen! I have just about had it with you constantly putting your body on the line like this!” She puts away the [Swords of Repose] and summons forth [Lumen] and [Aria] once more. “Weren’t we just talking not twelve hours ago about not letting Dad do something harebrained like try to sacrifice himself to save us all, or whatever bullshit? And yet, here you are, doing exactly the same goddess-damned thing!”

I open my mouth, but am cut off.

“We are going to find another plan, and if that doesn’t work, then we will run and try to lose this thing somewhere in the next five hundred miles. And if that doesn’t work, then I’ll turn off the wings and you can carry me. And even if we need to go by foot and don’t get home until tomorrow afternoon, then that is what we will do! And don’t give me that shit about ‘but your class’, because if you go and get yourself killed for real, then there won’t very damn well be a ‘but your class’ to worry about, now will they?”

I can only relent, knowing that she’s once again right, as she so often is. “Then, we need some way of attacking this creature in a way that tricks it and whatever ability it uses.”

“And just what do you have in mind?” Chloe asks.

I know there are some attacks out there that can pierce through elemental resistances. I don’t have any such techniques myself. Nor does Chloe, based on the way she scowls and spits toward the ground. And frustratingly, the [Piercing] glyph as I know it doesn’t apply that property to an ability, only the ability to focus the attack to break through defenses, not resistances or immunities. Because glyphs are hyper-precise like that, and synonyms or homonyms in English will only be similar in the glyph language by sheer dumb luck.

“I wish I knew. I don’t know how to fight this thing!” I shout, still lightheaded, with a throbbing headache, though not in imminent risk of death as long as I stay on this plane.

“Then we fly away, Sera!”

As expected, though, the shimmering orbs— now plural, with their mitosis complete— whose true name I don’t know give chase. They don’t make more than cursory attacks toward us, content to siphon the light off Chloe’s wings which are slowly but steadily losing their sheen. We don’t bother to attack or do more than dodge the rather meek attacks they make. My guess is that they might be able to eat our [Ether] as well, something I’d like to avoid if at all possible.

Five minutes pass and we still have made no progress losing them. Deciding that it’s now worth the risk of attracting the attention of creatures from below, the two of us descend, pulling our wings inward and entering a partial freefall. The wind whips at our faces; Chloe’s [Flameheart Helm] protects her eyes from the shear pressure, while I close mine and rely on my [Valkyrion’s Perception] to keep pace with her and avoid any obstacles encroaching.

Even rushing through the trees, we fail to lose our pursuers. Thirty seconds later, we pull back up; these creatures aren’t hobbled in the slightest by the foliage, able to phase through the woods as easily as they do our attacks. And even without direct line-of-sight to Chloe’s swords and golden wings, they can still presumably sense the [Ether] her body exudes.

“Any other plans?” I ask.

“Why are you asking me?”

“We’re following your plan of running so far, and it hasn’t done us any good. If only–” Then another idea hits me, although I’m not sure if Chloe can pull it off.

“The dragon from before,” I say. “Its breath had some combination of [Fire] and [Light] magic that was particularly effective against Hank’s cloak. And you said you felt like you were going to get some sort of [Fire] Skill in the near future. So maybe, if you channel [Scouring Light] through your helmet, perhaps that will help you develop such an ability?”

“It’s worth a shot, I guess. But I’m not going to be able to dodge, fly, and work on that all at once; I don’t have the same level of skill with [Ether Manipulation].”

[Rebellious Surge] helps to an extent, but it’s not as powerful of a Skill as Chloe’s [Saintess’s Blessing]. It’s also not going to make up the gap in all the ranks in [Intermediate Ether Manipulation], which I really should be working more on when I have time. So I do the only thing I can, grabbing her into my arms and letting her disengage her failing wings.

Now I’m receiving all the fun that Chloe previously got to enjoy for herself. Both of these orbs are launching themselves at me like bowling balls, but I have no intention of turning into their pin. Fortunately, I don’t shine as brightly, nor do I require more than a trickle of [Ether] to maintain my flight, even at this speed and over protracted distances.

The bigger problem is going to be maintaining my orientation when we finally do lose or hopefully obliterate these damnable creatures. I’ve tried to maintain a mental compass, but again, small errors compound over long distances. That’s a later problem, and right now, I’ve got to weave in and out of the attacks just to make it to later.

It’s here that I get to truly appreciate the passive effect of [Valkyrion’s Perception]: a boost to my [Agility] that scales with both my Level and my Skill rank. It’s often unexpected how the effect manifests in a given situation. Sometimes it’s a preternatural warning of an incoming attack, coupled with instructions on how best to dodge. Sometimes it’s an errant twitch of my muscles to cause an attack to glide off my armor rather than pierce through it. And sometimes it’s the new effect of [Shadowshell Armor] triggering, which I didn’t quite understand during my first glance reading the description.]

[[Shadowshell Armor]: A finely-crafted, nearly cuirass made of [Shadow Tortoise Shell] crafted by a renowned journeyman blacksmith. [Defense] +145, [Agility] +5, [Magic Defense] +30. Due to the addition of [Tenebrous Steel] used in the construction, it also provides 33% resistance to [Light] and [Dark] attacks. Finally, all attacks dealt to the wearer have a 5% chance to be absorbed by the armor. When this happens, a distortion field is created, further increasing the wearer’s [Agility] until expiring.]

I’m guessing this is related to how the hard shell from that tortoise was able to so beat back my attacks as though they were nothing. No amount of trying was going to break through those defenses, and those that had even a chance to, could always be randomly absorbed not unlike my [Saintess’s Cloister], and then the energy used to make it harder to hit it in the future.

Unfortunately, the power of my Skills and armors is only to help me dodge. It does not make me invincible, as an errant strike to my right arm makes perfectly clear. [Saintess’s Cloister] only partially works; these phasing attacks seem to have some ability to avoid it. But the [Ring of Regenerative Recoil] works like a charm, absorbing my blood and restoring my [Ether]. [Ether] which I immediately use to throw off some weak [Light] attacks.

“What are you doing?” Chloe asks.

“Buying you time, love.”

I’m not aiming for the creatures. Instead, I intentionally aim my attacks not to hit them, but just close enough such that the creatures will rush in to intercept the tasty snacks I throw at them. And this actually works, distracting them and keeping them from striking at us with more intent. If anything, they seem to be deliberately backing off, and I reward their kindness of a sort with more food for them to enjoy. Go get the treats, boys!

Unfortunately, firing off so many attacks, even if they are individually weak, proves too much of a drain on my [Ether] to be sustainable. I’m able to intentionally take small bits of damage to restore my core, but that’s just a stopgap measure, and as my [Health] starts falling toward 5,000, I’m forced to instead rely just on my pittance of natural regeneration to keep up.

This seems to be the cue for my adversaries; I was so wrong before. These creatures aren’t just ambush predators. They are persistence hunters as well, using their nearly-complete invulnerability and no less bounded stamina to wear down their foes before moving in for a swift and brutal kill.

But I won’t be the one dying here. Chloe’s body is growing hot; thanks to the [Crimson Heart] within me, I feel only a pleasant warmth entering myself .

Then the roles reverse, and I feel my own heat entering Chloe. I think she’s figured something out and is using my [Crimson Heart] as some sort of catalyst, or maybe the enchanted ruby is resonating with whatever she’s doing. In either case, she grows hotter and hotter to the point where even my newfound heat resistance cannot fully shield me from minor burns that form and then heal just as quickly.

“I’m ready,” Chloe says.

Her wings glow with a fiery intensity and her [Flameheart Helm] glistens with the heat of the sun itself. With her radiant intensity doubling and then redoubling, she carries with her all the weight of an angel sent down from heaven to serve as an instrument of divine retribution. Her swords glow with a heat far beyond any she’s ever before manifested. Her gaze is imposing, locked square upon these otherworldly creatures.

Then her golden aura surges with such force that even I’m pushed back from the sudden weight. The creatures look at my girlfriend with all the reverence she deserves, falling low as they devour her flames. I don’t know what sort of concoction Chloe has cooked up just now, but from the smirk on her face, whatever it is, is working.

The creatures grow bigger and bigger as they continue their feast, but Chloe doesn’t relent. I don’t have to wonder what sort of technique it is for long. She smirks as she speaks.

“[Celestial Fire] burns hotter.”

After watching for two seconds, I realize what she means. Her fire begins burning its way out of these orbs’ gullets. Small expansion fissures form on the creatures’ exteriors and I notice a twinge of fear building in their psyches. The only suitable outcome for those who hurt my Chloe follows. First they struggle, then the enormity of their appetites leads to their undoing.

Chloe herself is winded, allowing herself to collapse into my arms as I carry her off back home. “Rest well, love,” I say to her resting, semiconscious form before planting a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll take this from here.”

[You have slain two [Ethereal Orbs (Level 75, 76)]. You have gained a boosted 400,000 Experience.]

[You have gained enough Experience to reach Level 77 (From 75). [Strength] +2, [Vitality] +2. Please assign free stat points. (Remaining: 22)]

[Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x 2 + Current Level + Rand[1,3] = (441, 445)]

[Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0,2] = (303, 304)]

[Level: 77; Experience: 9,597,069; To Next: 411,026]

[Current Stats: [Health]: 4,683 / 17,034; [Ether]: 11,845 / 12,536]

[Current Stats: [Strength]: 377 (Base: 152); [Speed]: 372 (Base: 150); [Vitality]: 454 (Base: 183); [Mind]: 563 (Base: 227)]