Those present experienced an unpleasant chill. It was eerie and dark. Then came the booming sound of ocean waves, the gust of blowing wind and the glint of a starry sky.
A small group of people stood waist-deep in water in the middle of the endless dark ocean. They spent several seconds assessing the surroundings before a dim light shone from above.
“Battle positions!” Alex ordered, standing in the center. “Anna, report.”
With an authoritative calmness, Anna stated, “We are on a rock ledge. No, it’s Russian for… ‘flat top’. I don’t feel the ground or the bottom. There is only water. I feel neither large living objects nor small ones. I don’t sense any danger. The water temperature is seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, The wind is gusty and moderate. There is a slight low tide.”
“Low tide is good. It plays into our hands. Take my place.”
“Yes, commander.”
Alex wanted to kiss the cold-blooded American. He settled for hugging her for a moment, unable to deny himself this pleasure.
“Conditions are bad,” he continued. “No room to maneuver. We will defend ourselves. Work in the usual way – knock enemies back with your shields and attack from afar. Don’t fight hand-to-hand.”
“Yes, Your Wetness,” the white-toothed Talker answered with a crooked smile. “Did you want to swim? The Minstrel fulfilled your wish.”
“Attention!” Anna interrupted. “Enemy approaching from the east at a distance of three thousand yards. “Three creatures, narrow, about ten yards long. They’re coming in fast.”
Three glossy black creatures sprang from the water 500 yards away. They spread their transparent fins and flew toward them, masterly maneuvering. Alex, having no time to admire their aerodynamic forms, shouted, “Shield activated! Support me!”
A transparent honey-colored dome covered the group. The trio of creatures hit directly – the first in the center, the others from the sides. Just before the blow, they opened their terrifying jaws, revealing rows of sharp, curved teeth.
Bang! The impact was a deafening, like concrete slabs being blown to pieces. Alex’s shield withstood the attack, causing some clan members to draw in noisy breath. Three beasts slid off the dome, like toppled idols, hitting the rock with a splash. The crew leaned in for a closer look at the beasts. The power and natural beauty of these creatures were impressive.
Grasping the shield tightly, Alex said, “I don’t want to kill them, especially as they are beautiful and now defenseless.”
The group nodded in agreement.
They spent the next half hour pushing the winged beasts from their summit. Alex even patted one of them on the head, soothing, “Don’t attack us. We are the most dangerous predators in the universe. Swim in peace, deep-sea beauty.”
Further events developed stunningly swiftly, bloodily, and unexpectedly for all. Including the Minstrel…
Chapter 26. Hello, Life on the Line.
People stood waist-deep in dark water in the center of the endless ocean, a black sky above them and complete suspense ahead. All they had to do was inhale the humid, iodine-saturated air and listen to the measured breath of the ocean rolling in gentle waves.
“Mates, it’s scary here… so much adrenaline…” Sofia confessed.
Alex patted her shoulder. “I totally agree. The Minstrel surprised me. I guess he knows how to manage reality. But this,” he slapped the surface of the water, “doesn’t look like a simulated mission. Our flashing stats are also rather an illusion.”
Anna reported, her expression stoic, “Commander, multiple hostile objects are rising from the depths along the entire perimeter of the cliff.”
“Well, finally,” someone said.
“Can you describe them?” Alex asked.
“They are large, ten feet in length, and resemble a jellyfish-crab hybrid. The nearest will be here in one minute. Also, the first three creatures we encountered are here as well. They are circling nearby. What’s interesting is that I feel no hostility coming from them.”
“Thank you.” Alex barked, “Full alert! Ready your bows! Don’t let the monsters reach us. Rhombus, Talker, Rosk, remember, no hand-to-hand combat.”
“Yes, Commander,” the Homo-42s was uttered with noticeable regret.
“Unless the fight goes into blade distance,” he amended.
The warriors grinned predatorily. They clearly wanted to test their brainchild, their main weapon.
“I see the target,” Kate Mordor shouted, firing.
The shimmering arrow penetrated deep into the pale, luminous creature.
Bang-bang. More arrows dug into flesh. Then came splashing, bubbling, and a loud grinding sound. Long, flat tentacles the height of a human convulsed. The spectacle was frightening and disgusting.
“It looks like the creature either died or abandoned its attempt to climb the ledge. It’s sinking to the bottom. The bulk of these creatures are on the way,” Anna reported.
She has amazing self-awareness. I’ll have to reward this blonde goddess, Alex thought. “Look for their vulnerabilities!”
He used the Master of Defense and Assault skill. The space was lined with a myriad of interactive arrows, symbols, and other designations. The interface timer counted off ten seconds, and the group fired their bows. During those moments when his clan members were laying fire down, Alex learned much about the enemy.
Transparent Skrivgs were voracious bottom critters — as described, a hybrid of a crab and a jellyfish. They were around 4000 levels and possessed deadly stinging cnidocytes on their tentacles.
Alex, his analysis of the creatures’ stats complete, shouted over the noise, “Lads, attention! Shoot at their tops, where the nerve nodes are concentrated. Stay away from their tentacles. If possible, get to know our enemy. I will display their stats.”
.
Transparent Skrivg
Level — 3.789
Health — 378.900/378.900
Intelligence — 34
Perception — 3.100
Endurance — 2.980
Dexterity — 2.325
Strength — 3.856
Will — 3.028
Abilities:
Transparency — 3.456 (91% in water, 47% on land)
Penetrants — 4.120 (long threads for injecting a burning poisonous substance)
Glutinants — 4.098 (long threads covered with sticky substance meant to immobilize)
Volvents — 3.993 (multiple short strands for additional entanglement and immobilization)
.
Despite the
