Avalon Rebirth (2 page)

Leah might be right. Their team might have been stagnating at the top, content to just hold their position instead of pushing the envelope. Now, though, with Silver Star gone, the landscape in the A-rank division would change drastically. Now dozens of teams would be jockeying for position, unopposed by the insurmountable obstacle they had once faced.

Even if they reached the A division again, there was no guarantee that their old bag of tricks would work when they got there. Innovation might be their only way forward.

“So, we head out into the field, pick a location and then start searching for prospects?”

Leah nodded. “That's what I'd do. How about the Crystal Pillar?”

“Sounds fine with me.”

“Then there's no use waiting around all day. Let's go.”

* * *

D
arin swung
his halberd and caught the crystaling with a punishing blow. The creature, a magically animated golem with a humanoid shape, shattered on impact.

He whipped his weapon around in an arc and took out three more with a single sweep, their bodies exploding into a hail of crystal shards. The ground around him was already littered with the remains of several more.

A brilliant flash lit up the area, taking more crystalings with it. Darin didn't need to look to know that Leah had fired another shot from her bow, charge with a destruction spell. He cut down their last adversary and checked to make sure the area was clear.

“Well, looks like our skills haven't diminished too much,” Leah commented as she walked up. “Or at least it doesn't feel that way.”

“We're kind of over-leveled for this place,” Darin replied.

“Sticking with the same build?”

“Yeah. So are you.”

“I wanted to get a proper feel for it now that we got demoted,” she explained. “Now that I know it feels natural I might try to change my skill sets. Come up with something new.”

They had plenty of options. Unlike most RPGs, players in Avalon Online weren't restricted to a specific class. Instead, they chose a weapon type to wield, an armor class to wear and a magic class to cast. Players could come up with any number of combinations to suit their tastes.

In Darin's case he wielded a polearm, wore medium armor and used support magic. Leah wore light armor and used a bow, combining it with destruction magic to devastating effect. She could charge her arrows with spells, making them act almost like artillery shells when they landed.

Her choice was a popular one, and almost every major team had someone with the those abilities. Everyone had a player with defender magic as well, to mitigate some of the damage from a powerful enemy like that.

But it might be time for a change. Players could alter any of their types at the central hub, using a device called the Book of Fates. That way they could train themselves in multiple skills, using them whenever the situation called for it.

The only restriction was that they had to declare their character build a week before any tournament, and couldn't change it until after the tournament was over. That meant they needed to know how it would function, what strengths and weaknesses it might have, and how it worked in the context of a team.

Most players who were seriously invested in the tournament scene spent their time between events tinkering with their character builds, trying to find some sort of advantage. A team that could arrive on the scene with a workable new build put themselves in place to have a significant advantage, even if it was only one player. The changes could influence the entire course of a battle, and even slight deviations could have far-reaching consequences.

It was like real world sports, in a way. Everyone was in an arms race to gain a new competitive advantage, and the innovators were often the ones that took the top. It was why Silver Star had risen so far.

But they weren't going to get very far if they didn't have four players, and so far they hadn't run into anyone on the way to the Crystal Spire. A few groups had show up here and there, but they gave Darin and Leah a wide berth. The NPC enemies here weren't terribly tough either, at least not for their levels, and the experience they gained was minimal. There weren't any good loot drops either, and neither of them wanted to take the time to carry it all back to the hub and sell it. They already had enough in-game currency.

“What gives?” he said. “I'd have thought there would be more people out here.”

“Well, a lot of them are probably watching the tournament.”

“Right,” Darin said, and winced. Normally he would have never noticed, because they be busy trying to win.

“Sorry.”

“Well, it's true.” Something else occurred to him. “That probably means anyone out here isn't interested in the tournament scene.”

“Probably. But there still might be a few that might want to join, so I thought it might be worth a shot. But I guess not.”

Darin sighed. “So do we head back?”

“Let's keep going,” Leah suggested. “I know it's not going to get us a ton of experience, but we can test out our builds a little more. You never know when something odd is going to come up.”

“That hasn't been a problem before.”

“That's when we were at the A-level. Things might be different now that we're at D.”

He sighed again. Alway the same problem coming up. “I'll follow your lead.”

That was all he could do at this point. After a long period at the top with the path laid before him, Darin felt directionless.

L
eah drew back
her bow and sighted in on her target, aiming for the creature's weak point on the neck. The monstrous bear would probably be too much to handle by herself, at least on even terms, but she didn't plan on allowing a fight like that to happen. If she could spring an ambush on the creature she'd be able to inflict a critical hit, probably enough to kill it in one shot. Even if it didn't, the bear would be weakened enough for her to finish off in short order.

She let the arrow fly…

And a noise suddenly startled the creature, making it turn and spoiling her shot. Leah watched in frustration as the arrow went into the bear's flank, enough to damage it, but not to kill or severely hurt it.

And now it knew right where she was.

It charged toward her, fangs barred and roaring. Leah stood up and nocked another arrow, hoping she could score a good shot and stop it in its tracks. If not, she stood to lose quite a few experience points when it killed her. So much for her going out on her own.

She didn't have time to cast a destruction spell on her weapon either. The shot had to be perfect, in the eye or the mouth, somewhere that would kill the beast instantly. Leah let the arrow fly…

And it hit the bear in the shoulder, causing it to falter for a second, but it wasn't nearly enough. Not even close. And now, she didn't have time to let loose another arrow. Leah drew the long dagger off her belt, though that would do precious little good against a tough opponent like this. The only thing she could do was to hurt the creature badly before it mauled her to death. She braced herself for the inevitable impact.

It never came. One moment the beast was charging toward her, and the next it had stopped in its tracks, roaring in pain. A second later it toppled over dead.

Someone had charged and stabbed the bear through the eye, killing it instantly. From their speed she guessed they had a light build, probably with some sort of light weapon, light or no armor, and manipulation magic. She was almost certain that they had used Flash Step to close the distance.

“Are you OK?”

Leah looked at the newcomer, a woman with long, deep purple hair, a thin build and tanned skin. As suspected, she wore light armor and held a long, thin sword in her hand, probably a rapier.

The weapon in particular caught her interest. Most light weapons user preferred to use them in matched pairs. Dual-wielded daggers were used by the majority of top-ranked players going for a light build, since in theory they'd be able to deal more damage.

“I'm fine,” Leah finally answered. “Wasted a shot that I thought I had, but at least he didn't crunch me.”

Her counterpart shifted awkwardly. “Um, yeah, sorry about that. I might have distracted it.”

“Well, you pulled me out of the fire, so I can't really complain about that.” She offered her hand. “I'm Leah.”

“Erika,” the other replied, shaking the proffered hand. “Good to meet you. Are you alone?”

“I am right now.”

“Um, pardon me for saying so, but have I seen you before? You look familiar.”

“Ever watch the Avalon Online tournaments?”

“Some, yes.”

“Heard of a team called Silver Star?”

“Weren't they the ones that got sanctioned for cheating, or something?” Erika asked. Leah saw the realization spread across her face. “Oh. Um, well, I-”

“It's fine,” she said, waving a hand. “You're not privy to all the dirty details.”

“Are… are they true?”

“Not exactly. Two of our teammates decided to throw the match, and we all got punished for it. Severely. All of us were busted down to D-rank.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, the other member of our team was really unhappy about it. I am too, but what can you do?”

“I see. Well, I'll leave you be, if you want. Sorry about messing with your kill.”

“Hold on a second,” Leah said. “Where are you headed? The top of the falls?”

“Yeah, I was going to try to get some icewind flowers up there.”

“For alchemy?”

“Yes, for that.”

“Do you mind if I tag along? I was headed up there too, and it's probably going to be easier as a pair.”

“Sure, come on.”

Leah followed behind her new companion, wondering how to start up the conversation. She was still interested in the build that Erika had chosen. Was it just something she decided on a whim, or was that her regular build? And from the look of things she had some combat skills, possibly enough to consider for inclusion in the new team.

Of course, that depended on a number of things falling into place, none of which were guaranteed. The incident with the bear could have just been a fluke, or she might only have a limited number of ways to fight. That was always the trouble in the lower ranks. Many players were capable of fighting and fighting well, but only with one style. A skilled enemy team could adapt and exploit that weakness. Versatility was king in the A- and B-ranks, and it became more pronounced the higher they went.

It could be taught, but in Leah's experience players capable of doing it showed at least some signs of being able to improvise and adapt, even if they were only rudimentary at best. They needed something to build off from, and some just didn't have the instincts. It was one thing to come up with a plan while sitting around a lounge, but it was another to invent one when someone was swinging a sword at their face.

She wanted to see if Erika was capable of that before talking to her about joining a new team. It would also be nice to at least have someone to talk to on the way up the falls, and she seemed pleasant enough. At the very least she wasn't as down as Darin had been lately, though she could hardly blame him for that. The betrayal had hit him hard.

“So,” Leah said, trying to start up the conversation, “I noticed that you're carrying a rapier instead of a pair of daggers. Is there a reason for that?”

“I just like it,” Erika answered.

“But a lot of others use two daggers because it lets them do more damage. Yet you only have one weapon,”

“Well, I guess I have my reasons. It gives me better reach. Using daggers means I have to get really close, and that gives things the chance to maul me. Standing off at a distance means I'm safer.”

“But you used Flash Step like most of the others do. That should get you in close before an enemy has a chance to fight back.”

“Right, but if I have a rapier it makes things happen faster.”

“I'm sorry?”

“Because of the reach,” Erika explained. “Sure I can get in close pretty quickly because of flash step, but with the rapier I can hit them at a longer range because I have two or three times the reach. I know it's only maybe a fraction of a second, but...”

Leah nodded. “Oh no, I totally get what you mean. Sounds like you've thought it out a lot.”

Erika shrugged. “Well, I guess it was just a bunch of trial and error. I found out how I liked to fight through experienced and designed a style around it.”

“Like the system is designed for,” Leah nodded. “So this is your normal build?”

“Yeah. There's a few more of them that I'll run sometimes, but this is my normal option. It just feels comfortable.”

“Do you normally work alone, or do you have a team?”

“It all depends. I've run with temporary raid teams before, but I usually end up exploring along. My build just doesn't always fit with what they're looking for in a team.”

Leah nodded. “Because they want you to be a close-range damage dealer, but the rapier doesn't allow you to do that as well as someone wielding two daggers or a wakizashi can.”

“Yeah, that was normally the reason. I can do other things, but they don't always fit with the kind of team that people one. So eventually I just got used to going it alone most of the time.”

Leah was about to ask another question, but a blur of movement caught her attention. She nocked and arrow and drew her bow back, expecting trouble at any moment. Bears weren't the only danger out here at Badrock Falls.

The first wolf came charging out of the brush, snarling with fangs barred. It fell with a yelp as Leah shot off her arrow and hit it square in the chest, killing it with one hit. She nocked another and searched around for more. They always traveled in packs around Badrock Falls.

She wasn't terribly concerned about the wolves. All locations in Avalon Online had weak enemies known as grunts, which were weak and usually could be killed in a hit or two. They only posed trouble to players in huge numbers, but it was what came with them that gave her pause. Where there were grunts there were always elites, and those enemies could pose a serious challenge.

Another pair of wolves charged out of the undergrowth. Leah shot the one on the left, hoping that Erika would be quick enough to take out the other one. She wouldn't have time to get another arrow off before the creature reached them.

She didn't have to worry. Erika moved forward, putting herself in between Leah and the creature. As it sprang toward her she skillfully sidestepped its pounce and stabbed it through the throat. The wolf crumpled to the ground and lay still, killed almost instantly by the blade.

“Good strike.”

“Thanks.”

Leah looked around, searching for any more signs of danger. It looked like that was the last of the wolves, but…

“Where there's wolves there's goblins,” she said.

“Yeah. Might be a good idea for us to move quickly. Otherwise we might get caught out here dueling with them,” Erika said. “Unless that's what you want?”

“Well, that's not the worst thing in the world. Though I'm not really one for dueling with this build. It's a lot harder if I can't hide behind someone or spring ambushes.”

“I'll see what I can do to keep them off your back.”

That was always the problem with going solo or in pairs. The grunts never posed much of a challenge, but the elites in an area could be very troublesome, even to seasoned players. Ranged attackers like Leah would have problems if the enemy was able to close the distance, since her close-combat skills were basic at best. The most she could hope for was to hold off an elite long enough to either get away or have her partner kill it.

But she did have her own advantages. Even with Flash Step Erika couldn't close the distance on an enemy like an arrow could. And if that arrow was charged up with a destruction spell the results would be devastating.

Leah didn't want to use too many spells, though, not against elites. There was always the chance that a boss-class monster would appear, and if she was stuck firing regular arrows at it they were in serious trouble. It might be better for them to save them for later and rely on Erika's abilities for now.

“Sounds fine with me,” Erika said after she explained. “I really don't like the idea of fighting an ogre up close and personal with a rapier.”

“Have you done it?”

“Of course. And I've done it by myself too.”

“Did you live through it?”

She laughed. “Yeah, I did. Managed to kill it too, but it took forever and it was a real pain. I kept having to run away and wait for Flash Step to recharge, then run back in and get as many hits as I could.”

“You just used flash step?”

“I wasn't going to wait around and let it hit me. Using my wraiths is way too chancy. If it picked the right one I'm in trouble.”

The manipulation school of magic had another ability called Wraith, where the user would create copies of themselves. On their own the wraiths were harmless, but they would attack the targeted enemy and force them to focus their energy on determining which one was the real threat. A skilled player could use the opportunity to distract their opponent and then land a critical blow.

There were plenty of counters for it, of course. Destruction spells like the one Leah used on her arrows could take out several closely grouped targets at once, and two-handed weapon users could sweep their weapons in wide arcs to fend off attacks from large groups. But it would provide a distraction, at least, and even a second's difference could prove decisive.

That was in player-to-player combat, though. Wraith still had its uses out in the wild, but it was less pronounced against NPC opponents. In that case a manipulation user was better off adapting Erika's strategy, using Flash Step to charge in and out of the battle and keep their distance.

They continued up the pathway to the top of the falls, dealing with a few packs of wolves on the way up. None of them posed any challenge, but where were the goblins? They should be here somewhere, lurking and ready to strike.

Leah was about to say something to Erika when a roar interrupted her thoughts. The ground beneath them shook, and for a moment the sun was blocked out by a shadow.

“Well, that explains it,” she said to no one in particular.

The ogre towered over them, at least ten feet tall with massive legs like tree trunks and bulging arms to match. Its mouth was filled with vicious pointed teeth, enough to rip through even heavy armor if it clamped down on it. And with tough, rock-hard skin covering its chest and back, the monster could take plenty of damage and keep fighting.

“How important are those icewind flowers?” Leah asked.

“Pretty important, actually.”

She sighed. “So there's no running away, huh?”

“I'd prefer not to.”

Leah drew an arrow and nocked it, keeping her eye on the ogre the entire time. “I'm going to try to stun it with a Force Arrow. Can you get in and land a good hit?”

“Yeah.”

“You know where to aim?”

“Throat, mouth and eyes,” she said. “Or the feet if we want to cripple it.”

“Go for the feet first so it can't chase us if we need to get away.”

“Got it.”

The monster roared at them again, then thundered toward them. Leah charged her arrow with a Force spell and let it fly. A brilliant flash lit up the area, and the ogre stumbled backward for a moment, stunned by the shockwave. It wouldn't do much damage, but at least it would throw it off balance.

And that gave Erika the opportunity to close the distance and attack the ogre at close range. She struck out at the huge monster, catching it in the bottom of one of its feet with a stab. The ogre roared in rage and pain, then swiped at its assailant, but she was long gone by then.