Chapter 14: First Boss

Chapter 14: First Boss

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryugii. This has been pulled from his Spacebattle publishment. Anyway on with the show...errr read.

First Boss

I had no delusions about where I stood.

But I wasn't scared, either.

I knew that with the power difference between the Nevermore and I, there was a limit to how much I could do to it. Even with all my skills, I wasn't going to survive if that thing managed to get a solid hit on me and I had severe doubts about being able to even delay it long-term. I knew I wouldn't be able to kill it the normal way by myselfI probably wouldn't be able to wound its hide that badly even with my best attacks.

And yet, here it was. I'd dragged it out of the sky, sent it crashing painfully to the earth, and bit off a good-sized chunk of its HPway more than my Aura Crash or bullets had done and probably more than I would be able to do now. I'd done far more damage then I should have been able to, given my level and stats. How?

Simple. My life was a gamebut it was also real life. For instance, there was more to hitting the enemy then some formula hidden in the background, even if my power could make me better at hitting things. There were a lot of factors that wouldn't normally have applied in a game unless specifically designed to, including a lot of really basic stuff.

Like standing up, for instance.

I took a deep breath, gathering my Aura as I did and settling it in my lungs, the air within them, and in my vocal chords. It was a lot like the way Aura was used to enhance anything Hunters did, but getting it precisely right to create what I needed required a lot of practice and fine controlor else a bullshit power that let you bypass all that. In the time it took to inhale completely, it was ready and I met the Nevermore's eyes as it struggled to rise.

And then I roared.

Exceptsaying it like that doesn't really convey what happened, however accurate it was. The sound that came from my mouth was something that even I had a hard time believe came from a human. It didn't sound like anything the size of a person could produce and it was far, far too loudloud enough to shake the branches of trees slightly, loud enough that you could feel it as well as hear it. It echoed out from me, stretching God only knows how far in a wave of painful sound that gave even a Nevermore pause, if only for a moment.

But a moment was enough.

While it was stunned, I hit the ground and rushed over with all the speed I had, moving faster than I ever had beforea result of my Air Aura, most likely. I was inside its guard before it could respond, blurring under its massive body until I was standing between massive black legs, and then I put Bai Hu's ancient art to use. On each of its enormous feet were four massive claws that it had sunk deep into the ground to help support its weight.

I pried them out of the earth one by one, ricocheting between them and the creatures body with Tiger's Lunge and tearing them out of the earth one by one with a combination of the Tiger's Claws and Jaws, Power Strike, Crush, and Rip. With the speed of the Tiger's Tread boosted even further by my Air Aura, I flickered between my targets faster than I would have believed I could move before todayand once all its claws were free of the earth, I toppled the Nevermore with what must have been half a hundred flickering attacks between its ankles, knees, and shins, rebounding back and forth again and again until its awkward footing and the weight upon it causing it to finally give out.

Each of my strikes removed only a tiny sliver of health. Even nearly a hundred strikes had stripped away what amounted to only a small portion, its hide standing up against my crushing blows. But gravity wasn't level specific and being over level fifty didn't make it weigh any more or less. When I knocked its feet out from under it, it fell.

You've received the title 'The Tiger's Child.'

The screen appeared before my eyes but I barely paid it attention. The Nevermore tried to catch itself as it fell using the fingers that extended from its outermost wing jointbut it was slow here on the ground and its size made it seem all the more so, even while falling. I lowered myself closer to the ground and the world shifted again as I hammered into the slowly falling limb with my whole body before bouncing back to the ground and up again, smashing into the other wing.

And the giant fell, seeming to shake the earth as it collapsed, already broken wood cracking underneath it as it settled. I bounded away, out from underneath it before I could be crushed, and looked at the fallen beast as my heart hammered in my chest.

The Giant Nevermore, for all its durability and terrifying power, had only two means of attack. It could launch its razor sharp feathers with great force and it could hit its target with its massive body; simple attacks made exceedingly deadly by its sheer size and power. But the former required aerial superiority and the latter required the ability to move effectivelywhich meant that it couldn't do either while prone on the ground.

It was nearly forty levels above me and had to power to kill me in one hitand none of it meant a damn thing if it couldn't attack. I'd grounded it and as long as I kept it that way, there was nothing it could do.

Now it was just a matter of giving it bigger things to worry about.

I touched the ground just out of reach of the Nevermore and bounced backwards to land with my feet on the truck of the closest standing tree before kicking off towards the fallen Grimm's masked face, left hand outstretch, right reared back. My left hand touched the white of the Grimm's mask first, holding fast as I leveraged my body forwardand then sank my right hand deep into one of the monster's eyes.

Immediately, the Nevermore began to thrash, throwing its head back and forth as it struggled with frantic motions. I barely managed to keep myself from being flung away as it snapped it's head to the side, but I knew I wouldn't keep hold for long so I grasped what I could with the wicked claws of my right hand and completed the Jaws of the Tiger by tearing it free, pushing away with my left hand as I did and flipping backwards away from the still struggling monster.

As I landed, I danced a step back and waited, casting my glance at the creature's HP bar. If the crash had taken twenty percent of its health away, then everything I'd just done, including the critical hit to its weak point, had causedabout five percent more, despite all it had taken out of me. Now that I had stopped for a moment, I could feel my actions taking their toll on my stamina, worsened by my armor and the Aura Crashes I'd used beforehand. But

It wasn't focused on rising at the moment. I crouched again, ready to spring into action again the moment it calmedthough I had to wonder how long I'd lastbut ever moment I could save counted. I acted only when it tried to rise, gripping massive fingers and pulling with all the power in my body before diving away. It kept its head trashing to make attacking its eyes harder, but its motions were slower that way, clumsier, but then so were mine. I couldn't keep this up for very long, even if I was stretching my time as much as I could.

Just as I was wondering how long thirty seconds could last, though, I heard it.

"Move," Adam said and though the words were not loud, there was a power in them that made them carry. I danced back several more steps and jumped back, flipping over Adam as he drew his sword, and I couldn't deny I felt relieved. For a moment, the sky went red and the world turned black as the Nevermore felland just as quickly, it was over with Adam sheathing his sword and nearly stumbling. I landed and dashed to his side, steadying him with one hand without looking at him.

My attention was still on the Nevermoreon its health bar. With a single attack, Adam had forced most of it to highlight and quickly drain away.

Most of it.

But not all.

The relief I'd felt withered and die, leaving a sinking hole behind. If the crash had taken twenty and nearly a hundred hits from me had done five more, Adam's attack had wiped away more than sixty percent. What was left was probably less than a tenth of its original HPbut it was still alive and both Adam and I had drained away a lot of our power just to get this far.

For a moment, the both of us were breathing hard as we watched the Nevermore twitch and then start to move.

"I don't suppose you can do another one of those?" I asked. "It doesn't have to be a big one; it's down to about ten percent now."

"Even assuming I could, could you distract it like you did before?" Adam retorted, taking slow steady breaths that made me think he was holding himself back from panting.

I chuckled a little at that and shook my head.

"Think we can run away?" Adam mused.

"Well maybe if you'd taken off a wing or something instead of just giving it a booboo," I speculated. "As is, I think it would catch up. I figure it's kind of pissed at us nowand I'm pretty sure that's your fault."

"I must be more tired than I thought because all I'm hearing is whining," He cut me off, one hand going to an ear as if to check it. "Think you can crash it again if it does?"

"Maybe," I muttered. "My luck's not doing so great today, though, and I doubt it'll fall for the same trick twice and if it gets us"

I shook my head.

"I'm running out of MP fast and Aura Crash is a bitch. It's risky," I said. "So let's call that plan C."

"You got a plan B?" Adam asked and though I couldn't see it, I was sure an eyebrow was raised beneath his mask.

"What kind of question is that?" I replied, faking hurt. "Of course I have a plan B. You think I'd risk everything on one insane scheme?"

Adam snorted once before turning to look at me.

"Is it a good plan?" He asked again.

I winked at him.

"I don't know yet," I said honestly. "But it's your turn to play distraction, anyway."

I started running before he could ask what that meant, rushing towards the Nevermore. It had already struggled up enough to lift its head and it focused on me with its three red eyes. I knew it recognized me because it shifted its head so I could reach its eyes and then opened its beak wide and let out a shriek filled with pain and ragebut that was my chance.

I jumped as hard as I could, boosting it with one more Tiger's Lunge. I straightened my body as I all but flew through the air, hands stretched out before me, and with both hands I grabbed the very tip of its beak, using the force of the force of the impact to curl my body.

For an instant, I met its eyes.

Then I shoved myself down its abyss of a throat, feet first.

I picked up the pile of goods, still staring at them in wonder before shaking myself and using Observe.

50000 Lien

Fifty thousand lien, obviously. Do you need an explanation on how money works?

Dreary MidnightRank: Rare

A cloak made of Nevermore feathers and infused with their power. While worn, greatly improves the user's Air Element Affinity, giving the power to better control the air and potentially to even to glide upon wind currents. Try not to run into any trees.

Passive Skill: Air+.

Skill Book: Far StrikeRank: Rare

A skill that enables the user to strike opponents at a distance with a wave of cutting power. Though relatively weak at first, both power and range can be improved by raising the abilities level.

LenoreRank: Mythic

The Grimm Mask of the Nevermore, infused with their dark power. The Mask of Loss.

?

Frowning slightly, I relayed the information to Adam, who tilted his head with a frown and nodded.

"Seems like a pretty amazing haul, butI just don't know what to make of your ability," He said, reaching out to flip through the skill book. "I meanI suppose I can understand the mask and maybe the coat, butthis book for example. Did it steal it from somewhere or create it and fill it with knowledge? Because I know this technique and what's written here is accurate. And is this counterfeit Lien? And if not, how?"

"I have no idea," I shook my head. "I keep telling myself not to be surprised by my power anymore, but"

I just shook my head some more.

"Well, whatever," I said, sighing in resigned acceptance. "How do you want to split it? The books useless to you and we don't know if the money works yet, so I'll take the former and check the later."

I hesitated for a moment, greed rising up in me again. This was the part where I should offer to give Adam the mask and keep the cloak for myselfhe had, after all, done most of the damage to the Nevermore, so it was only fair he get the most valuable item and he wouldn't benefit from the book or cloak besidesbutI wanted both. Well, I mean, I was more than a little nervous about the Mask, because, one, it was a Grimm Mask and, two, I didn't know anything about it, but at the same timeit was a Mythic item. Sure, I hadn't know I could get items like this until a minute ago, but it was a level above rare.

Even if I was half-convinced it was probably cursed, I wanted it.

I took a moment to try and suck it up but Adam raised a hand, stopping me.

"Keep it all," He said.

"What?" I asked, starting slightly.

"I can see you salivating you want it so bad," Adam said, smirking. "The book and cloak are useless to me anyway and you can think of the mask as a gift; you might as well have one of your own instead of using a hand-me-down. Besides, if it decides to eat the face of whoever puts it on, better your face than mine, right?"

"Gee, thanks," I said, but I was smiling. That didn't keep me from looking down at it nervously, though. "I do want it, really. Buteven beyond what it might do to me, wearing a Grimm Mask might send the wrong impression"

"You're wearing one right now, idiot," Adam said and I was pretty sure he rolled his eyes again.

"What?" I asked, blinking at him. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think these are?" He replied, tapping his mask. "They're Grimm masksor designed to look like them, at least."

I reached up to touch my own mask, the one Blake had given me.

"I thought they were for hiding our identities?"

"Most of us can't hide, even with masks," Adam said before pausing. "Us being Faunus, that is. Most of us have features that are too recognizable if anyone truly looks. If you're born with horns or a tail and someone sees them, they can generally trace it back to you, given time. Because Faunus can vary greatly in what animals they take afterand even in how a specific animals traits manifestmost of the time we can't even blend in around each other. The masks aren't about hiding, they're about showing; Humanity made us out to be monsters, hunted us, tried to cage us in. So we became monsters."

"Huh" I said after a moment. I looked down at Lenore, toying with it in my hands. It was a beautifully crafted mask, if odd looking. Four eyeholes, the pair on each side connected by a smooth, red design with a short spear arcing out of the lower set of holes; the ones designed for a person's eyes. The other set would rest higher, near the temples, useless. Two more curved lines near the nose completed the mask, trailing down just enough to draw attention to the slight beak. "Still, I probably shouldn't wear it. Like you said, it might eat my face."

"I was joking about that; what kind of item would kill the wearer? It's more likely it'll just turn you into some kind of horrible monster," He said easily.

"Probably," I agreed. "I'll put it away for now."

I opened up my Status screen and put the Lien in my Money section, increasing it to fifty thousand one hundred. A push of an arrow took me to my Inventory and I stored the cloak and mask, before devouring the Far Strike book.

You've obtained the skill 'Far Strike.'

Smiling slightly as the knowledge flowed through me, I was about to close the window when I remembered the titles I'd gained earlier and pressed the arrow again. The next page was a list of my skills; I figured it'd be in here, I just didn't have much use for it since I could call up the abilities I wanted to look at directly. Why bother going through the menu when you could use shortcuts? And it's not like I ever forgot about any of the skills I learned. I obsessed over the things.

Exceptthere were two I didn't recognize.

"Hey, Adam, listen to this," I said, staring. "I was looking for my title page and I found something."

Gamer's Body (Passive) LV Max

Grants a body that allows the user to live life like a Game.

Gamer's Mind (Passive) LV Max

Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows a peaceful state of mind. Grants Immunity to psychological status effects.

"I knew about the former and I've been noticing the latter, too," I said after I finished reciting what I saw. "I was always calm, even when I probably should have been terrified. I guess that explains why, but"

"I know," Adam said, apparently thinking the same thing. "If you're immune to status effects that touch your mind and you said you healed everything else every time you slept"

I pressed the arrows again and found the title listing, made a mental note to come back to it, and then went on back to the Inventory, withdrawing the cloak and mask.

"Think I should try it?" I asked. "Doesn't really fit the martial arts look I've been working on, but what the hell."

"Actually" Adam mused. "I have an idea about that. Blake told me once that the best disguises come in layers."

I furrowed my eyebrows for a moment before understanding dawned and I had to sigh.

"Man," I complained. "At this rate, even I'm not gonna know who I am when this is over."

"Actually" Adam said, and there was something like vengeance in his smile. "What was that 'title' you mentioned earlier?"

"Grimm Slayer," I replied, absently flipping back towards the title section.

"No," He shook his head. "The other one."