“The vials! Maybe try throwing them at the creature?” Atlas called over.
“Great idea unless they emit poisonous fumes or decide to explode. Then we all die.” Shade said.
“The black stuff in the kegs! It was pumped into the machine. Is it flammable?” Stomper asked.
Shade dashed to the side and slid under the table to stop near a keg.
“Smells like an oil. It should definitely be flammable.”
“Carhein, with me,” Stomper said, and they both raced for a barrel.
Atlas turned to see the guardian rip free and continue its warpath directly for him. Instead of casting another spell, Atlas did the next most reasonable thing. He ran. The major downfall of the machine seemed to be it couldn’t run, only walk.
It adjusted course and followed Atlas as he ran around the room. Kiting the boss around the space definitely sounded more appealing than trying to fight it face to face, at least until they had a plan on what to do. Stomper and Carhein ran in from the side as Atlas watched, carrying a barrel between them hoisted up on their shoulders.
When within range, they both heaved with a throw that would’ve made a shot-put coach weep and the barrel spun end over end until it shattered against the guardian. Black liquid ran down the exterior of the machine like syrup.
“Now what?” Atlas yelled to the guys.
“One step at a time! Haven’t figured that out yet!” Stomper yelled back.
“Let us show the metallic monster the might of the future!” Carhein said as he ran over and grabbed a small empty vial. He ran back over to the barrels of the thick fluid and filled the tiny glass up. With a quick jerk, he ripped a small piece of cloth from his sleeve and stuffed the end into the liquid.
“How are we going to light it?” Stomper asked the fighter.
“My fire burns bright with the strength of my arm. Carhein the Mighty can handle this task.”
“Shut the hell up and quit being stupid. You don’t have any way to light it!” Shade yelled at Carhein.
“Give… it… to me,” Atlas said through gasps as he tried to catch his breath from constantly running.
Carhein looked at him and nodded. Atlas pointed the direction he was headed and Carhein took a path to intercept. The fighter handed him the vial and kept running to get away from the machine. Atlas looked at the item.
Item - Vial of Volatile Fury
Requirements: Level 10
Rarity: Uncommon
Quality: Fair
Durability: 5/5
Weight: 1.0 lbs.
Slot: Chemical
Traits: A small vial filled with volatile liquid. Adding fire will create a disastrous effect.
Looks like it doesn’t register as a weapon or anything since I’m sure it’s new in the game.
Atlas activated his Basic Firestarter spell and lit the end of the cloth on fire. Praying this would work, he turned toward the guardian and launched the vial. It tumbled end over end until breaking against the leg of the machine. Fire instantly consumed the thing and black smoke billowed up to the ceiling before slowly filtering up the stairs.
The party coughed and did their best to stay low to the ground and away from the smoke. They looked at each other and smiled in relief.
“Something like that shouldn’t exist in a game like this,” Stomper grumbled.
“Completely agree but we still took care of it,” Shade said with a sigh.
The group huddled on the ground as Atlas continued to suck in deep breaths. Metallic screeching filled the room, and the group turned toward the center of the flames. Their eyes widened as the monster emerged, its armor now stained black with soot. He looked to his notifications.
You dealt 160 damage to OH SHIT with Vial of Volatile Fury.
The heat of the attack has inflicted Brittle Armor on OH SHIT. His armor rating has decreased by 75%.
The Brittle Armor effect on OH SHIT has caused more flexibility in his frame. He gains a 30% increase to speed.
“Oh shit,” Atlas breathed.
Atlas jumped to his feet and ran. The machine was still focused only on him and resumed its pursuit. Unfortunately, it no longer moved at a fast walk. Instead, it ran.
“Could use some help guys! You should be able to damage it now. Its armor dropped seventy-five percent from the fire.”
The other three party members were already on their feet watching the machine chase Atlas around the room. With his statement, they all ran forward to engage the guardian.
Stomper swung his sword in a wide arc and it sunk into the shoulder plate of the machine. It didn’t go in more than an inch, but any damage was better than what they achieved before.
Carhein connected with the thigh of the contraption, and his axe bit deeper than Stomper’s sword. A large rent opened in the thigh plate. The axe wedged deep in the metal, preventing Carhein from pulling it free.
Shade didn’t have as much luck. His blades slashed in quick succession across the armor, but only left scratches. They couldn’t completely break through the metal.
A wild swing from the guardian hit Stomper and sent him tumbling to the ground. Its arms never stopped their flailing attacks while it chased Atlas. Carhein was the next to take a hit from another flailing arm. Both men fell to the ground, their health bars quickly hitting yellow.
“Its attacks do far too much damage. We can’t take more than one hit without dying,” Stomper moaned as he tried to roll back to his feet.
“Fire seems to be the only thing that works. Can we try the same thing again? Do you two think you can grab another barrel?” Atlas asked.
“It might, but it only seems to make it faster. I don’t think another bonfire will kill it, and if it survives, I’m worried its speed boost will let it wipe us out in seconds,” Shade told him.
Atlas sucked in air as he ran. His legs were burning from the constant action. Shifting into cat form was an option, but he badly needed to heal his party members. He also
