Chapter 166: Dueling Duos

Chapter 166: Dueling Duos

Mai looked vaguely panicked, but Seamus just grinned. "Easy on our end. Mai and me got this in the bag, don't we darling?"

She nodded but the movement was too fast, her skin a little pale.

"We'll be alright," Mason said, trying to calm her. He winced, not sure if he should offer to break them up, maybe putting Phuong with Mai and Seamus with him. But then he might get both Streak and Alex killed...

They didn't know what the 'event' really was, of course, but in his experience these things rarely proved easy. He knew time was ticking and almost suggested the pair turn and run. But that wasn't his call. They weren't his responsibility, and they were players just like him.

"You two good?" he said to Phuong and Alex, and the men glanced at each other with a determined nod.

"Alright then. I don't know what's about to happen, but protect yourselves first. Then if there's some way to help each other, try. Get yourselves ready. And good luck."

He put a hand to Streak's head and used the last minute to go over his profile, especially the new 'Companion' tab.

Looking at 'Shared Pain' gave him a great deal of comfort, however exactly it worked. He just wished he could use the power on other people and not just his wolf. He wondered if maybe there was something similar he could take in the future...

[Players, please prepare. Thirty seconds until event Dueling Duos. Player duo selections detected. Thank you, and good luck.]

The son of a bitch system counted it down, and it was a very long thirty seconds.

"You've got this," Mason said quietly to Mai, then give her a smile. "And I'll help you guys as soon as I can." She smiled back and looked at least a little more confident. Then the timer reached zero, and the cavern went almost pitch black like someone had cut the lights on a movie set.

They flickered and came back to the dull blue glow, and Mason looked around to see an almost translucent silhouette of the other players.

"Can you hear me?" he shouted, but they looked at him strangely, and their slightly blurry mouths moved in silence. They looked like ghosts, and when he stepped forward he was able to put his hand straight through Phuong as if he wasn't there.

"Great," Mason muttered, looking around the cavern for any threat. "Just great."

A spherical patch of darkness grew out of the floor ahead. It expanded and expanded, then popped with an arcane hiss.

Two dark cloaked figures stood in the center, one kneeling, the other standing with its hand raised. The stander pulled back its hood to reveal a slightly taller goblin, face covered in tattoos and piercings. It looked around the cavern.

"You've interfered with Guild business, human." He looked at Streak and frowned. "Who we'd kill is usually random. But since one of you can't very well go tell anyone what happens when you mess with us, I guess this time it's the wolf. Maybe I'll make a pelt out of it." The creature smiled with sharp, yellow teeth.

Whatever Mason was feeling before got replaced by rage.

"I was just going to kill you," he said, slinging his bow and summoning his Claws. "But now I think I'll let Streak eat you alive."

The goblin snorted and raised his hand, cunning eyes narrowing.

"We'll see," he said without an ounce of concern. Then both figures vanished.

* * *

Mason knew they weren't gone. He could still smell them.

"With me," he called, then turned and ran, touching the floor to camouflage before racing towards one of the many supports that held up the huge goblin apparatus above. He sat Streak with his back to the pillar, then dropped traps all around him before climbing up a pillar and re-readying his bow.

He kept still and camouflaged, senses tuned for the slightest change in sound or smell, eyes moving back and forth for any sign of movement.

The air shimmered just slightly near the center of the room, and Mason loosed a Power Shot.

It hadn't hurt him, but it had also been so quick and well executed Mason had hardly even perceived it. So that was bad.

Again they circled, and struck.

This time the goblin threw his dagger as he pulled away, the blade slicing across Mason's cheek as he withdrew.

[Title activated: Poison Schmoison.]

[Poison resisted: Nature affinity.]

[Power activated: Duality of Strength.]

The goblin grinned and ran a hand across his own cheek. Mason glanced at the text but didn’t have the time or attention to spare to give it thought. He just waited until he felt the wound closing, then matched the goblin’s grin and charged again.

He tried moving side to side, using his slightly longer reach to jab with his long blade. But the goblin parried easily and withdrew, seemingly in no hurry.

Mason felt the attack above him without seeing it, throwing himself to the side as a piece of the goblin platform fell and crashed loudly into the ground, the wizard cackling above.

Before Mason had recovered the rogue was on him, slashing and jabbing as Mason scrambled to recover his feet. He was stabbed shallowly twice before he got his smaller blade inside the rogue's reach, then pulled back and cut off at least one of the goblin's fingers.

[Title activated: Poison Schmoison.]

[Poison resisted: Nature affinity.]

Mason grinned, then held up and wiggled his five fingers as the goblin backed away, staring with pure malevolence. Streak was whining in the corner, which sounded like fear but Mason knew was really incredible impatience and desire to attack. But he did what he'd been told.

"Enough playing with him," hissed the rogue. "Use all your magic. We kill both of these ones."

The wizard made a tut tutting sound. "You know the rules," he chastised from above. "Only one. But don’t worry, I shall save you."

Mason saw the wizard's hands sticking out from his cover above as he began drawing energy like Blake. He was ‘channeling’.

"Now!" Mason called, then unsummoned his Claws and activated Aspect of the Cheetah as he ran for the support pillar. With all his might he leapt as high as he could, then scrambled up towards the wizard at full speed.

A knife sunk into his back but he didn't care. The rogue called out to the wizard in warning. Then Streak growled and leapt on him.

Mason knew he only had a second or two before whatever that spell was got off. It was enough.

He hurled himself up to the wizard's platform, grinning at the utter shock on the creature's face, its hands still glowing and held out with growing power.

Mason re-summoned his Claws, activated Predator's Strike, and severed the confused face of the wizard in a single blow.

More pain lanced into his side and shoulder, and he practically fell off the platform. He knew he could turn off Shared Pain, but this thing was too fast and too dangerous and better him than the wolf. He had to get to Streak.

He slid down the pillar like a fireman's pole, another jab of pain seeming to bounce off his skull. Then he was on the ground, about to yell to Streak he was almost there when he heard the goblin scream.

The sound of cracking bone and chewed flesh cut them off, and Mason found Streak pinning the goblin face first to the floor with his massive paws, chewing chunks of flesh off his back.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you," Mason said, coming forward and waiting a good few seconds to let the goblin scream.

He wasn't sure if it was mercy or just distaste, but he soon used his sword to finish the poor bastard off. Streak gave him a quizzical look, then went right back to chewing.

"I'm fine by the way," Mason said, slumping to the ground with a groan. "Maybe next time try and dodge a couple."