Chapter Two-Hundred Fifty-Two

Chapter Two-Hundred Fifty-Two

Vnarl

The troll reflects on the events of the last couple months, and not for the first time, has to admit getting captured by Thedeim was probably the best thing thats ever happened to him and his party. In the moment, it was painful and humiliating, but looking back, it really helped recenter them all.

They started out so idealistic, wanting to help people. It didnt take long for the politics of a large guild to grind that notion away. It was all just for the money, and power was all that really mattered. Even Mlynda and Hark were growing colder, more callous. Much as hed like to throw the blame at the feet of the old guild, he has to shoulder at least some of the blame, as the leader.

Going through the punitive gauntlet was a reforging, coming back to basics, gaining perspective, all of the things that make people take a step back and examine what theyve been doing, and realize how far theyve fallen.

His party his friends are still cocky, confident, and rough, but theres a happiness and satisfaction in doing guild jobs now. And right now, all three of them are looking forward to this particular quest. Thedeim has been an amazing place to delve, but he still doesnt have any areas really designed for the really strong to let loose. This fight with the Maw, though they can go nuts. Well, within reason.

The dungeon is smart to not try to order the adventurers what to do, and instead give points of interest and set them free. Vnarls group is staying well away from the town, at least for the moment. Theyll need to come back to hit the temple complex, but that can come after they spring a couple of the ambush sites. He and his friends might not be as bad around civilians as they used to be, but none of them are stupid enough to think theyre good with PR. Better to leave the Crystal Shield to that, while he and his companions have some fun getting messy.

And oh, do they intend to make a mess. While most of the adventurers had to refit quickly to not be vulnerable to the metal affinity monsters and foes, Vnarls group doesnt use much in the way of metal. The most significant metal was his swords, but a pair of unique wooden clubs from Thedeims dwellers solved that easily. He heard the Voice call them cricket bats, though he doesnt see anything about crickets or bats about them. Just another one of the weird things about Thedeim.

Whatever the reason for the names, they feel good in his hands, enough that he might keep them around as a backup.

How close are we? whispers Hark, drawing Vnarl from his reflections.

Close, answers Mlynda, her eyes on the map.

Vnarl smiles and shifts his grip on the bats. Well go hard on this one. Thedeim wasnt sure just how tough things would be in here. Id rather have this first target be boring than have to test out those weird ant healers.

Hark shrugs. Theyre probably really good.

Mlynda nods and puts away the map. Probably, but time spent healing is time not spent fighting. If the clergy is as tough as theyre expecting, we wont want to miss any of that.New n0vel chapters are published on

Vnarl nods at that as they near what should be the last corner. Keep an eye out. Those least are supposed to be pretty nasty, and theres rumors of stronger versions. I bet if we can kill one without too much damage, the guild and the dungeon both will reward us for the body.

Mlynda nods and acts casual, but uses hand signs to convey what she senses.

*Danger in walls, ambush around corner. Hark focus on foes in open down the tunnel, Vnarl on the ones that burst out.*

Vnarl grins again. Sounds like a plan to me. Who doesnt love getting credit for a quest twice?

No matter how weird it feels, hes not going to pretend like its not a very potent enhancement, especially right now. Disarm! he shouts, as the tendrils dart forward and wrap around the forelegs of the next least, his bats crashing down on edge to neatly sever the limbs. He wanted something sharp, and now he has it. He uses the bats more like shields as he lays into the least with their own sharp limbs, and he even smiles in triumph as he severs a tentacle that tries to slip through in the chaos.

Speaking of chaos, this battle is the epitome of it, just how Vnarl and his team like it. You keep an enemy guessing, and they wont know what to react to! Ricochet! shouts Hark, and Vnarl hardly has to think as he follows up.

Guard Slip! His bats and blades feint and slip past the raised weapons of the least, the bats smashing into carapace as the blades fly towards the lesser behind them.

Fluorescing Burst! finishes Mlynda, the glowing spores suddenly strobing brightly as the three easily flow into the team attack.

Blink and Youll Miss It!

Harks boomerangs swerve and bounce around the entire tunnel, striking the dwellers from impossible angles. The thinlinks are overwhelmed by a surge of fungal growth, immobilizing the tricky monsters. The forgemaster is pummeled to dented scrap under the assault, sounding like someone threw a suit of armor down a tall flight of stairs.

Vnarls tendrils, armed with least scythes, strike where the segments meet on the lesser, slicing through repeatedly and spilling ichor in the ambush space. He would have expected more of a mess from dicing apart a monster like that, and he'd also expect the segments to simply collapse. Instead, they stay upright, though the coordination is severely lacking now. His bats crack the carapace of the least still nearby, the sheer force sending them barreling back into their hiding place.

Mlyndas spores settle on the foes, growing quickly and incapacitating them. Whatever makes the lesser somehow able to handle being severed like that, it doesn't help it against the invasive spores. The strobing stops and the trio takes a few moments to take in the aftermath of the fight. Vnarl shakes off the tendrils, though he slips the least blades into his belt for use later.

Anyone hurt? asks Mlynda, with both of the other two shaking their heads.

I got cut up a bit, but Ill be fine, says the troll.

I dont think theyre used to throwers. They didnt manage to land a hit. Might have gone worse if I didnt get lucky and hit what Im pretty sure was their mage first.

Survivors? follows up the halfling, going down the quick checklist for after every battle.

None on my end, looks like. The least and lesser are hard to put down without outright killing them.

Hard to say. Hits to the head can be a bit weird, admits Hark as he looks over the fallen dwellers. Looks like theyre all breathing, at least.

Check for loot and leave them. We dont have room for prisoners. If Thedeim wants them, he can send the ant healers for them, says Vnarl, and gets no argument. Theyre not going to feel bad if any of the ambushers die before getting medical help, but they also dont want to go executing people after the fact. As long as theyre not getting back up any time soon, thats fine by them.

Besides, they have more important things to do than worry about the health of people who attacked them. For example: hitting as many ambushes before its time to converge on the temple. Not only is this a chance to really let loose, but theyll also be helping out. It looks like Vnarls group can handle the ambushes without too much problem, so taking more of them means less danger for their guildmates. And removing more danger here and now means less things to come and try to get them at the temple.

As fun as the ambush was, things will only get more difficult as they close in on the Maw.