Chapter 107

Atlanta - 7:35 PM

The streets of Atlanta were calm as the sun broke past the horizon, plunging the city into darkness. The twilight marked a shift in the monsters; the group that preferred to hunt in the light were retiring to their dens while the creatures that were active at night started coming out of the wood works to earn their fill.

I wheeled into the neighborhood of Edgewood without bothering to hide my presence; anything that wanted to come after me would find me regardless of whether I was being stealthy or not. That didn’t mean I wheeled forward without being vigilant, though. Just like in Etson, any of the small fries hanging around would instinctively know not to mess with me.

Twilight quickly turned to full dark as the clouds obscured the sky and any illumination it would have brought. Even with near total darkness, I didn’t need torches or spells in order to see where I was going. The skill I combined with a Synthesis Page after the Amlex battle, Dungeon Sight, allowed me near perfect vision.

[[Skill]]

Dungeon Sight

You can always see through darkness as if it were daylight and you gain a sixth sense for danger. For a low Mental Point cost per minute, you may see through magical darkness, smoke, fire, and similar obscurement. In addition, items of distinction, traps, and hidden doors have a high chance of releasing a glow that only you can see.

That sixth sense manifested itself as a tingle in the back of my mind, a sense of dread that something bad was going to happen to me in mere moments. This feeling was something I wasn’t ignoring, but I was pushing it down. As time passed, it didn’t stop but intensified, and I knew it was because something was hunting me. I had a vague idea what it was, but I wasn’t going to do anything about it unless it approached.

Instead, I continued wheeling down the street, casually spinning my Writhing Belt Whip in circles at my side. My destination wasn’t too far away, not that my predator knew where I was going, and I had to make sure that I was there soon lest I miss my window of opportunity.

The sound of a roof creaking somewhere behind me caught my attention. I stopped and sighed. That sound meant it was no longer just stalking, but that it was getting ready to pounce. I would have to make this fast, and that meant dragging it out into the open. If it was what I suspected, then there was an easy way to do that.

I raised my whip and cracked it in front of me, eliciting a quiet growl from my stalker. That was a good sign, so I did it again. Then again, and again, the growl getting louder after every thunderous strike, and I heard the thing stalking me finally move.

I dove out of the way, easily clearing the sidewalk and landing in someone’s yard. A huge, lean creature pounced on the spot I had just vacated, and I rolled to my feet. I snapped open my inventory to pull out my Vague Stick as I gazed upon the creature.

“Okay, if the last one was a little buddy, this one is definitely a big buddy,” I stated as I gazed on the chaska that turned towards me, still hissing and growling.

The chaska Jeff had befriended in Etson National Forest had been the size of a fully grown jaguar with black fur and a tail that ended in a ball of bone that worked like the cracker of a whip. While it was wary of Kayla and myself, it showered Jeff with affection thanks to the boon Serranras had provided him.

That had been a little one.

What stood in the middle of the road was a Roaming Boss called the Thunder Chaska. Its coat was still black, though the monster wasn’t as lithe as the one we saw. Its musculature was closer to a tiger than a jaguar, but only if you scaled that tiger up to the size of a bus. It whipped its tail around erratically just like an angry cat would, causing the windows in the neighborhood to shake from the sound of its cracks, and its mouth and yellow eyes began to glow with a dazzlingly bright white light.

I immediately started running to the house behind me as the Thunder Chaska growled again. Even though I was faced away, I could see what was going on through the reflection in the windows ahead. It opened its mouth in my general direction and it was as if the whole area in front of me had been illuminated by a high powered flashlight.

Giving my Vague Stick a toss, I Pushed it through the window to shatter it. I didn’t bother retrieving the weapon, instead I jumped into the air, covering myself with a Shield as I attempted to get into the house before the boss had a chance to shoot me. It did not work.

The Thunder Chaska blasted me in the back with a bolt of lightning from its mouth, causing me to fly forward even faster. It melted through my Shield and I felt the electricity flow through my body. My teeth clenched as my muscles went stiff, but I landed inside on a worn recliner with my ability having absorbed nearly half of the damage it caused.

My high Constitution let me shake off the attack faster than most others, but I didn’t get up before the Thunder Chaska dove on the house and started trying to rip it apart from the roof. Shingles, cross beams, and insulation flew into the yard I had just escaped from as the giant cat attempted to get to me. Its tail still whipped about, but not at the same intensity of before; it wasn’t generating energy for another lightning strike.

Knowing I had less than a minute, I stood up and stretched in an attempt to get my muscles back in full working order. As I did, I Pulled my Vague Stick back into my hand and mentally shaped it into a sword. The Thunder Chaska’s 24 inch long claws started tearing through the ceiling, and I could hear the house creaking from the weight of the boss. It was a miracle that it was still standing.

I dove out of the window I had used to get in just as the weight of the creature shifted downwards. The house collapsed and the boss started digging through the rubble for any signs of me. Its back feet shifted in excitement, its claws tearing up the grass with every step. The tail whipped at the ground, filling the air with the sound of thunder and dirt that flew upwards in plumes from the force.

The first thing I had to do was get rid of that tail. Without it, the boss wouldn’t be able to use it as a weapon, recharge its lightning breath, or keep its balance as easily. The Monstersmith could also use it to make some good stuff, but that was for future Anthony to worry about.

Avoiding its shifting back feet as debris from the Thunder Chaska’s digging started threatening my back, I didn’t wait very long before I dove through the oversized cat’s legs. I lashed out with the Writhing Belt Whip and wrapped it around the boss’ tail. Teeth grew out of the motley green weapon and started biting into the feline, and I groaned.

A loud yowl of pain rang out across the streets of Edgewood as the Thunder Chaska raised its tail and spun around. I was dragged off of my feet, the whip holding on tight, and very nearly let go from the sudden force. Eldritch Chomp hadn’t been enough to sever the tail, just like I knew it wouldn’t. The 50% chance to activate had bit me in the ass this time.

Mostly, anyway. Just as the whip was starting to loosen, I let it go and I Lifted myself up by the Vague Sword to get a few extra feet on the creature before Dropping it back down, aiming for the tail. It was constantly shifting, and I had to Push away from myself in order to correct my course and slice through. I mentally made the blade as sharp as I could imagine during this short time to ensure that it worked.

The Vague Sword passed through and I slammed into the ground as the cat’s yowls became even louder. Before I had a chance to get to my feet, it threw itself onto the ground and grabbed me with its two front paws, pulling me close to its stomach. I could see that its stump of a tail was lashing at me, but without the full length it did nothing.

That wasn’t the same for its back feet and its teeth, or the claws that held me in place. With my Shield busted, I decided to keep my head safe with Force Field to prevent it from getting bitten off. My clothes started to become rags as the claws tore into me, the front paws squeezing while the back bunny kicked me.

I defended myself as best I could by hiding my legs behind the Vague Sword, but it wouldn’t be enough. Reaching into my inventory, I pulled out the still flaming Endless Smoker and aimed it towards the cat’s stomach. Fire spewed out, causing the Thunder Chaska to growl and spit as it let me go. It scrambled to its feet, nearly stepping on my legs, and began to flee.

“Like hell you are,” I shouted, ignoring the flames spewing inches away from me.

As I planted my Vague Sword into the ground, I commanded the Vambrace of Wires to shoot out towards the Thunder Chaska’s back legs. It did so, wrapping around the beast in the short amount of time it had to work with, and I pulled backwards.

I was nearly pulled away by the huge size of the creature, but I managed to hold onto the Vague Sword’s hilt and instead simply stretched between that and the rope. Using both my high Strength stat and Pull on the wire rope, I managed to keep it from fleeing into the neighborhood where it could live to terrorize other people. It was strong, but not nearly as much trouble as the Chainsawfish.

Splitting my focus, I Pushed the Endless Smoker towards it. The flames pulsed against its belly as it streaked forward, and the Thunder Chaska stopped pulling when the flames were in front of it. It was a sad pillar of fire as the last of its fuel was being burned, but it still scared the hell out of the tailless monster. In the split second between when the boss stopped and began turning around, I acted.

I shifted the Vague Stick in my hand. It turned into a spear with its head over the ground and I tossed it towards where the Thunder Chaska would be in just a second. The beast turned away, ready to flee in another direction, but became tangled in the Cable Conglomerate. My expectations were spot on, and I Pushed the weapon to give it some extra oomph. It pierced through the side of the boss’ skull and directly into its brain.

[[Victory!]]

You have defeated the Roaming Boss [Thunder Chaska]; +400 points.

The giant cat’s yowls and screeches stopped, leaving a ringing in my ears that marred an otherwise perfectly silent night. I sighed a breath of relief and winced as I got up. Without even looking, I could tell that my clothes were back to being rags even though I had just finished patching them back up. Glancing down at my Parachute Pants of Agility, I could see that the nylon had been ripped into strips and my legs were all torn up.

“The burst damage on cat monsters is insane,” I muttered to myself. The Thunder Chaska was a very difficult boss that wasn’t afraid of running away and trying again another time. It was a very opportunistic fighter, but I had experience on my side.

After I swapped the Belt of Overflowing Constitution for the Writhing Belt Whip to boost my regeneration speed, I retracted the length of rope back into the Vambrace of Wires and Pulled the Endless Smoker back into my inventory. While I wanted to head to my destination as quickly as I could, it would be dangerous to show up without being closer to full health.

“No, now is time for rest, loot, and harvesting,” I told myself. Pulling the Vague Stick back to me, I used it to help myself up to my feet. It was harder to stand than I thought it was going to be with my injuries, but I managed.

I found the loot near the Thunder Chaska’s face, and I Pulled them to me. The first was a black skill book with the picture of a a running cat on the cover. Whistling appreciatively at it, I opened the book and immediately learned the skill.

[[Skill]]

Cheetah Sprint

For up to 60 seconds, double the speed of all forms of movement that you have. This skill has a cooldown of 12 hours.

It wasn’t as good as the Doubled Movement passive that the Sneakers of the Charging Chaska gave me at the end of my last run which did the same thing as this skill without the time limit, but that’s why it was an endgame passive. I couldn’t hope for something like that now.

The next item that I Pulled towards me were a pair of black fingerless gloves. They were fuzzy and absurdly soft to the touch. I brought up the description.

[[Item]]

Hidden Claws

(+3 Strength, +8 Dexterity, Sharp Nails skill acquired, Kitty Cower skill acquired)

[[Skill]]

Sharp Nails

While wearing both Hidden Claws gloves, you can cause your nails to grow into sharp cat claws. These claws can be produced and retracted at will, and count as daggers for any effects that alter weapon attacks.

[[Skill]]

Kitty Cower

When confronted by an enemy larger than yourself, you can hold your hands up in front of you and cower. Foes may become hesitant when they attack you. The efficacy of this skill is based on the difference between your Willpower stat and their defensive mental stat. If they do not have a defensive mental stat, their resistance depends on their highest stat divided by 2.

WARNING! This skill may have the opposite effect on some enemies, depending on their personality.

“Oh, man,” I said, grinning. “This would be perfect for Kayla if it can replace Willpower with Credibility or Moxie. She’s already got Dagger Mastery, and she’s only just barely above five feet tall. I’ll have to make sure I get it to her sooner rather than later.”

Elated by my finds and knowing that I was only one boss away from upgrading my Gloves of the Warmongering Mystic and three away from upgrading my Heelies of Hermes, I started harvesting the parts of the Chaska I could use later.  In particular, I cut down the tail so that it was more manageable and put that into my inventory before cutting out all of its claws, which were as big as my arms.

By then, I was healed enough that I felt like I was ready, though I didn’t want to replace my belt until my hit points reached their maximum. My legs were working fine and that was good enough for me.

I started heading towards the series of townhouses running alongside the road. Only one of them had a light on inside, and it was a ghostly pale one at that. Walking onto the road, I took note of the mailbox with the name Ostwriter on it.

“… No, no no!” I heard a man yell as I got closer to the lit window. “Why would he do that!? Miscommunication is a terrible plot device! It’s wrong, it’s all wrong!”

I sighed as the man screamed in despair and walked to the front door. He continued to howl as if he were being tortured until I reached up and rang the doorbell. A pleasant chime rang through the house and all the noise inside stopped abruptly. I backed away from the door, back onto the lawn, and watched as the ethereal glow on the second floor started to dim as it appeared on the first.

The door opened inwards, revealing a glowing, mostly transparent man with a crazy look in his eyes that was not helped by the dark circles under them. He wore an open bathrobe with a tank top, boxers, and fuzzy slippers. His hair had been styled in a most unfortunate bowl cut, and he scratched at it angrily as he squinted at me.

“Can’t you see that I am in the middle of finishing my novel!” the ghost screamed at me, pointing a finger in an accusatory fashion. “I’ve got deadline after deadline blowing by and you think I need a distraction right now!? Are you nuts!?”

This was the ghost of Gerald Ostwriter, a man who, if he was to be believed, spent his entire life writing one story that was never published. He obsessed over that work, claiming it would be a masterpiece rivaling any of the literary greats and cementing his name in the annals of history and even winning him a Nobel Prize someday. That is, until he died.

Now that he was a ghost, he fell under the abstract laws that every one of them were bound to. In the house behind him, I could see paper flying around and pens writing on them in midair. Even without direct input from Ostwriter, they continued to write and defend this house, which was why it was better to get his attention rather than try to force my way through.

Just like Mathias was bound to his rope and his flames due to his circumstances in life, Ostwriter had his own set. His book was his rope, and literature was his flame. This boss fight was one of the hardest for its time for reasons I wasn’t even sure if I could adequately explain even if I tried. Something about rewriting the laws of the system and reality to his benefit. It was a harsh fight.

However, dealing with the ghost was necessary because he also gave up one of the most potent items in the game, one that I sorely needed if I was going to get around Seraphim’s tricks after the Administrator Black-out finally wore off.

I wasn’t here to fight him, however. He was a ghost, so all I had to do was appeal to his nature.

Instead of taking umbrage with his tone and words, I waved at him. “I heard your book is going to be the best book ever written,” I said. “Can I read it?”

All of the pens behind Ostwriter stopped writing and turned to face me as if shocked by my question. The rage and fury on the ghost’s face had changed to one of slack jawed surprise, and I smiled at him.

I had him hook, line, and sinker. Unfortunately, this was also going to be a long, long night.