A team game
1495 Words
The Cockatrice kept flying around in circles, waiting for the next opportunity to dive. Aaron’s group had abandoned all strategy and broken formation, leaving every member vulnerable to attacks.
Nashoba was lying in Kawasha’s arms, his pale blue lips barely moving in reply to his son’s desperate pleas. Seeing his chief struck down by the hybrid had utterly shattered Mawanko’s fighting spirit, and he too had given up all hope.
“f**k this game. It had to be the wrong scroll,” Zach cursed, clenching his fists.
Aaron knew they didn’t stand a chance against the flying hybrid, unless they found a way to band together and form a reliable team. He and Zach had faced worse odds and emerged victorious in many boss battles before, but it all boiled down to staying cool under pressure and coming up with a good strategy. That was, however, a lot easier with a controller in hand, than being thrust in the game world, with no pause button. Every second was crucial here.
“All of you get back up. We can still win,” Aaron spoke at last.
“That monster is easily level 15!” Zach remonstrated. “There’s no way—
“It’s just a damn bot! We are not gonna lose to an AI!” Aaron cried out. He looked Zach right in the eye and made his intentions clear. Aaron wasn’t ready to admit defeat without going all out.
“We’re already one down!”
“We still have a party of 4!” Aaron yelled back.
“It’s coming back!” Mawanko shouted.
“f**k it!” Aaron put his knives away and turned around. In a flash he snatched Mawanko’s spear. Just before the Cockatrice could dive at them, he hurled the weapon straight at its chest.
It was a narrow miss, as the spear grazed against the hybrid’s left wing. The Cockatrice was caught by surprise by this sudden attack and forced to fly back up. Though it wasn’t a deep wound, it was enough to make the creature a bit more wary of its prey. This gave Aaron and his team one last chance to regroup.
“We don’t have much time.” Aaron looked at his group and took on the role of party leader. “I need you all to follow my commands or we will never beat this thing.”
“Look at what it did to my father. We cannot—”
“Kawasha! Your father believed in you. That’s why he asked you to accompany us. If you don’t step up now, his sacrifice would have been in vain!”
Kawasha looked at his dying father and wiped away his tears. Steeling his nerves, he laid Nashoba on the ground and slowly got back up. “I want you to kill that monster. The chief shall be avenged.”
Aaron nodded and replied, “It’s either us or that damn hybrid.”
“I’m with you too,” Mawanko added.
Aaron ordered them all to get back into formation and took point once again. He didn’t take out his knives, but looked at Zach instead. “It’s time to use your ability. I need all the luck on my side, bro.”
Zach understood at once what he meant and raised his right arm over his head. “Activate ability: Trick or Treat!”
The special magic ability conjured a unique weapon from the game’s exclusive loot box. What dropped out of the sky this time was a glowing lasso.
“The Lasso of Hestia! That’s just what I needed!” Aaron jumped up and grabbed the rare artefact. The weapon he had just received wasn’t particularly effective at dealing damage, but it had two amazing perks. The Lasso of Hestia had 100% accuracy and it had a greater range than an iron-tipped spear. This made it the perfect weapon for incapacitating enemies who were far away.
As the Cockatrice prepared to launch another attack, Aaron equipped the lasso and began spinning the rope rapidly above his head to gather momentum. His accuracy had been reduced by the disoriented status effect, but that didn’t matter with the lasso. As soon as he threw the rope, the hoop flashed and latched onto the Cockatrice’s left leg. He wrapped the other end of the rope around his right arm and tried to pull back with all his strength.
The Cockatrice shrieked and flapped its wings even more rapidly. It struggled to break free, but the lasso held on to its leg.
“Activate ability: Indomitable Strength!” Aaron cried aloud.
A fresh burst of energy fuelled Aaron’s body. His muscle mass increased and he felt far more powerful than before. With his increased physical power, he pulled hard with both hands. “Come here, you damn chicken!”
The rope pulled back the flying Cockatrice as Aaron kept reeling it in. Then with one sudden yank, he pulled the Cockatrice right out of the sky and brought it crashing down onto the ground. It hit the ground hard, bruising its right wing and struggled to get back up.
“We have to keep it grounded this time.” Aaron turned to Zach. “Use your Frost Shards.”
“You got it!” Zach fished out a dozen of the freezing crystals from his satchel and tossed them at the Cockatrice. The icy blast froze the hybrid’s dragon legs solid.
Aaron pulled out his Deer Horn Knives and looked at Kawasha. “You’re a tracker. Can you detect the monster’s weak spot?”
“I...can. Just give me a second.” Kawasha pointed his open palm at the Cockatrice and made two concentric circles in the air. “I got it. This monster is well-protected by a thick hide, but there is a soft spot behind its neck.” He pointed his index finger at the creature’s feathered neck. “You see that area just under its earlobes? That is the weak spot!”
“That’s it then. I’m gonna go for the kill now!”
Aaron tilted his head forward and ran straight at the Cockatrice. The hybrid was quick to react and spat out a blob of poisonous saliva straight at him. Aaron barely managed to jump over it. He wanted to get in close to deal the killing blow, but the Cockatrice still had a lethal advantage. As another blob of poison came flying at him, he was forced to fall back.
“I can’t get close to it, dam it! I’m gonna need someone to distract it.” Aaron called out Mawanko without looking back and gave him his next command. “Get your slingshot ready and hit the Cockatrice as hard as you can.”
Mawanko quickly activated his Iron Shot skill again and fired multiple shots in quick succession. The hybrid crowed out in rage and instantly its feathers hardened into thick scaly plates which deflected all the projectiles.
“It’s using Harden! This is bad!” Aaron kept his eyes fixed on the Cockatrice’s every movement. The ice trapping its legs was slowly beginning to c***k. He had only a few precious seconds to seize the advantage and rush in for the final hit. “Mawanko, I want you to go for its eyes!”
Before the hunter could even reply, Aaron rushed forward at tilt. He dodged a couple of blobs of poison and jumped over the toxic spray. Just as the Cockatrice was getting ready to crow again, a sharp edged stone came flying from behind and took out the hybrid’s left eye. As it shrieked in pain, another stone pellet put out its right eye. Aaron rushed forward and jumped out as the blind Cockatrice pecked the ground with its iron beak.
“Activate Ability: Leaping Leopard!”
Having dodged the attack, Aaron closed the gap with a massive leap. Once he was in range, he rushed to the hybrid’s side and jumped in the air. As his agile body shot upward, he dug his Deer Horn Knives into the hybrid’s back. The creature tried to shake him off, but he clung on with all his strength. Using the knives as pegs, he climbed up on top of the massive monstrosity.
“Zach! I have only one shot! Buff me up!”
“You got it!” Zach pointed his palms at Aaron and exclaimed aloud, “Elemental Enhancement: Aqua Blades!”
The Deer Horn Knives flashed a bright blue as Aaron screamed like an enraged Orc and plunged the blades into the Cockatrice’s soft neck. It was a critical hit which dealt fatal damage to the hybrid! The monstrosity crowed out in pain and came crashing down on the ground.
[*Albino Cockatrice killed*]
[*Achievement Unlocked: Hybrid Slayer!*]
[+25000 Sky Gems Earned!
+ 50000 XP!
Level Up!
Current Level: 12
All Stats Increased
3 Skill Points available!]
[*Silver Loot Chest Obtained!*]
[*Hybrid DNA available for absorption!*]
- Writer
