ACT V
THE GLORY WARS
They continued their relentless hunt, responding swiftly to Hans's precise commands. Cassady couldn't help but admire his leadership. “Oh, boy. He is so good at this, don't you think?” she remarked, addressing no one in particular.
Garen, who shared the same house as Cassady, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he hardly talks to us, so we never really knew him, except for those two,” he gestured toward the two attackers who were leading their group. “It's only been three days, and we already have a hideout, collected a total of 48 hearts, and haven't encountered any other teams. Most importantly, we aren't even tired.”
“Yeah, this fruit is sour as it gets, but it never lets our stamina down,” Cassady remarked, taking a bite of it.
“I wonder, though,” Garen mused, “how did he acquire that fruit? He hasn't even fought yet, just ordered us around... Not that I'm complaining or anything…”
“Well, then don’t,” came Hans's voice from behind them. “Don't chat, hurry up.”His words spurred them into action, and they quickened their pace.
They maintained their formation while running. Delimira, Chris, and Garen led at the front, Hans, Cassady, Thedas, and Lux were in the middle, and Nicolas, Cherrina, and Ricter brought up the rear.
They had been following this formation for quite a while, and it had yielded them 48 precious fruits. As the third day faded into darkness, the night took over, and they reached their hidden base, securely camouflaged at the bottom of a small hill. Thanks to Hans's expertise, their team thrived in this deadly competition, riding his coattails.
"Since they were in a beast zone around an active volcano, there was no need for fire to keep warm. However, they still needed it to cook their game. Food drops were scarce, as they could lead to unnecessary fights, so they followed Delimira's approach—hunting for meat and foraging for berries during their hunts
Hans had made it clear that they wouldn't hunt at night unless they were truly desperate. So, they worked hard during the day and slept peacefully at night after satisfying their hunger. Each person took a turn keeping watch for about forty minutes, ensuring everyone woke up refreshed the next morning
However, this was their fourth night in the wilderness and it was Hans's turn to guard, after Chris. However, Chris was eager to strike up a conversation with his somewhat estranged friend and wasn't planning to sleep. “Do you think we can finish this in six days?” he asked.
Hans, taking a big bite of the stamina-recovery fruit, replied with a mouthful, “No, we have to finish it even sooner. We need a total of 400 kills for all four teams to pass. Our chances of encountering second-class mana beasts are decreasing every moment, even now. The others won't be resting like us.' He pointed at the fruit. 'This thing boosts our stamina but makes us tired and in need of deep sleep for recovery as a trade-off.”
“So, sooner or later, we're bound to run into another team, right?" Chris sought confirmation.
Hans nodded, stating, "Yeah, the beast population is dwindling, so others will stumble upon us during their search.”
Chris let out a sigh and expressed his hope, "I just hope that if we do meet others, we won't have to fight—”
"Like that's going to happen," Hans interrupted. "We need to avoid it at all costs. Killing beasts is different from targeting fellow mages or knights. Our team may have gotten stronger during individual training this past month, but experience is something that can't be compensated for. I know that firsthand.”
"But what if we can't avoid encountering others—”
"In that case, we strike first. Getting ambushed could turn ugly in an instant.”
Chris stood up, dusting off his butt, and advised Hans, "Then, don't stay awake if you don't need to. You're the only one with scouting experience. We need you to be in top shape—”
"I haven't even taken down a single beast, Chris. You guys have done it all.”
"You're doing a great job as a captain, buddy. Don't sell yourself short." Chris left Hans, leaving him pondering those words. "So, I'm doing well now, but for how long?" The night passed, and Hans woke the others up a bit earlier than usual. They all got up without complaint, and Hans explained, "Starting today, we need to hunt more aggressively, so get yourselves ready."
Cassady, who had been engaging in more conversations with Hans, chimed in, "Didn't you mention that the hot region is more dangerous right before dawn?" She peered outside, noticing that the sun still had some time to grace them. "So, why are we taking risks... not that I'm complaining or anything."
Hans explained, "Because I believe we can avoid a clash with others if we collect the hearts earlier." He had spent the whole night thinking, and the most obvious strategy that came to mind was to be quick in gathering hearts and then make a run for the safe point to submit them. To accomplish this, they needed something close to a miracle – either a large group of second-class beasts and a smart strategy to take them down swiftly.
After a few hours of walking, their wish was granted. They stumbled upon a nest – the dwelling of fire roaches, a type of insect known for their fiery temperament. Their poison replicated the sensation of burning alive, and they cornered their enemy with a hit-and-hide strategy.
“Ha, this is good, but also not good," Hans commented, causing confusion among the group. Sensing their puzzled looks, he elaborated, "The irony is, the only weakness these creatures have is fire. But we need to ensure that none of them survive; otherwise, they might alert neighbouring creatures. However, there's another problem—"
“Yes,” Ricter, their main defender, who was usually silent, finally spoke up, interjected, “If we raise a fire big enough to kill them, we’ll be announcing our location, scaring the beast away and inviting our competition in.”
“Well put.” Hans commended Ricter, his explanation was to the point. He then added, "And if we encounter a swarm of these creatures, collectively they could rival a third-class beast in combat.
Chris joined in on the conversation, asking the group, "We need a solution without using fire. Any ideas?" But the confident princess turned to Hans and remarked, "Aren't you the one who killed a few third-class beasts before?" She made this observation, but Hans immediately rejected the idea, saying, "That was during a hunt; this is... different. My hands are tied here."
He remembered his lack of contribution to the team when they were all individually preparing themselves after the survival mock practice. He had realized that using Golems was a viable option, albeit an expensive one. Moreover, most of his spells either posed a risk to his team or created a burden for them. Consequently, he delved into studying strategies, the art of war, and everything he could find. His excellent leadership and critical thinking were proof of his efforts.
As Hans pondered, the others shared their basic knowledge about Fire Roaches and estimated their count at eighty. Hans, growing impatient, felt a burning desire to contribute this time. Lux suggested using traps, which ignited an idea in Hans's mind. "Ambush!" he exclaimed suddenly, his thoughts racing to formulate a plan.
After a quick thinking session, He selected Delimira, the quickest and the only person in the group with stealth techniques, to swiftly kill one roach and then lead the rest into their traps. He chose an ashen grassland as the battleground and began manipulating it to his advantage. Some of his creations struggled to survive in the scorching environment, but the Carnivorous plants showed unwavering resilience. They concealed themselves, and Delimira carefully noted where to step and where to avoid. Hans proceeded to explain the strategy to the group. His traps were not potent enough to kill second-class creatures outright, so he assigned others to deliver the finishing blows while the roaches struggled with the trap plants. Everyone nodded in agreement, and Delimira prepared to move, only to be halted by Hans.
“Don’t underestimate those insects,” Hans said with a hint of concern, adding, “Run if it's not possible —”
"If I can't even do that, then there's no meaning in my training," she retorted. This marked the first direct conversation between them since the fight, but there was no warmth in Delimira's eyes. Her response was formal, addressing Hans solely as her captain. This left Hans perplexed and uneasy; his intuition warned him that something regrettable might occur soon. He raised his hand to halt her, but she swiftly disappeared, activating her Krosh art of mirage.
"Damn it," he exclaimed, then ordered, "Get into your positions and be ready."
The plan began to unfold a few minutes later when Delimira returned, with the Fire Roaches hot on her heels. She skillfully evaded the traps and crossed to the other side, where the team lay in wait. The Fire Roaches, however, remained unaware of the impending danger, and they fell victim to the modified carnivorous plants with sounds like "snap, Kurt, chop."
Some of the roaches realised the trap and attempted to dig into the ground to escape, but Hans, being well-versed in their behaviour, had already seeded the earth with deadly trap plants. Those who thought themselves clever soon discovered the extent of his cunning.
The trap plants showed no mercy to the Fire Roaches, biting at them relentlessly, both above and below ground. While they weren't powerful enough to kill the roaches outright, many of their prey lost limbs, lower sections, or heads. It resembled a gruesome scene from a horror opera, complete with chilling sound effects.
After observing for a while, Hans issued the command, "Dig their hearts out." The team moved with swift precision, delivering finishing blows to the injured Roaches, extracting their mana hearts, and tossing them to Cassady. Her role was to catch and collect the hearts, and she performed her task admirably. Meanwhile, Hans remained on high alert, praying earnestly, "Please, please, no surprises.”
However, the carnivorous plants, creations of Hans himself, displayed a degree of intelligence. They realized that what they were consuming were mere empty vessels, as the most nutritious part, the mana heart, had already been extracted. Consequently, they intensified their feeding frenzy. Soon, it became a race against time for Hans's team, pitted against his own trap plants, which seemed to have forgotten their master's commands.
***
AnnouncementNEXT : NARROWING THE COMPETITION (2)
ACT V
THE GLORY WARS
They continued their relentless hunt, responding swiftly to Hans's precise commands. Cassady couldn't help but admire his leadership. “Oh, boy. He is so good at this, don't you think?” she remarked, addressing no one in particular.
Garen, who shared the same house as Cassady, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he hardly talks to us, so we never really knew him, except for those two,” he gestured toward the two attackers who were leading their group. “It's only been three days, and we already have a hideout, collected a total of 48 hearts, and haven't encountered any other teams. Most importantly, we aren't even tired.”
“Yeah, this fruit is sour as it gets, but it never lets our stamina down,” Cassady remarked, taking a bite of it.
“I wonder, though,” Garen mused, “how did he acquire that fruit? He hasn't even fought yet, just ordered us around... Not that I'm complaining or anything…”
“Well, then don’t,” came Hans's voice from behind them. “Don't chat, hurry up.”His words spurred them into action, and they quickened their pace.
They maintained their formation while running. Delimira, Chris, and Garen led at the front, Hans, Cassady, Thedas, and Lux were in the middle, and Nicolas, Cherrina, and Ricter brought up the rear.
They had been following this formation for quite a while, and it had yielded them 48 precious fruits. As the third day faded into darkness, the night took over, and they reached their hidden base, securely camouflaged at the bottom of a small hill. Thanks to Hans's expertise, their team thrived in this deadly competition, riding his coattails.
"Since they were in a beast zone around an active volcano, there was no need for fire to keep warm. However, they still needed it to cook their game. Food drops were scarce, as they could lead to unnecessary fights, so they followed Delimira's approach—hunting for meat and foraging for berries during their hunts
Hans had made it clear that they wouldn't hunt at night unless they were truly desperate. So, they worked hard during the day and slept peacefully at night after satisfying their hunger. Each person took a turn keeping watch for about forty minutes, ensuring everyone woke up refreshed the next morning
However, this was their fourth night in the wilderness and it was Hans's turn to guard, after Chris. However, Chris was eager to strike up a conversation with his somewhat estranged friend and wasn't planning to sleep. “Do you think we can finish this in six days?” he asked.
Hans, taking a big bite of the stamina-recovery fruit, replied with a mouthful, “No, we have to finish it even sooner. We need a total of 400 kills for all four teams to pass. Our chances of encountering second-class mana beasts are decreasing every moment, even now. The others won't be resting like us.' He pointed at the fruit. 'This thing boosts our stamina but makes us tired and in need of deep sleep for recovery as a trade-off.”
“So, sooner or later, we're bound to run into another team, right?" Chris sought confirmation.
Hans nodded, stating, "Yeah, the beast population is dwindling, so others will stumble upon us during their search.”
Chris let out a sigh and expressed his hope, "I just hope that if we do meet others, we won't have to fight—”
"Like that's going to happen," Hans interrupted. "We need to avoid it at all costs. Killing beasts is different from targeting fellow mages or knights. Our team may have gotten stronger during individual training this past month, but experience is something that can't be compensated for. I know that firsthand.”
"But what if we can't avoid encountering others—”
"In that case, we strike first. Getting ambushed could turn ugly in an instant.”
Chris stood up, dusting off his butt, and advised Hans, "Then, don't stay awake if you don't need to. You're the only one with scouting experience. We need you to be in top shape—”
"I haven't even taken down a single beast, Chris. You guys have done it all.”
"You're doing a great job as a captain, buddy. Don't sell yourself short." Chris left Hans, leaving him pondering those words. "So, I'm doing well now, but for how long?" The night passed, and Hans woke the others up a bit earlier than usual. They all got up without complaint, and Hans explained, "Starting today, we need to hunt more aggressively, so get yourselves ready."
Cassady, who had been engaging in more conversations with Hans, chimed in, "Didn't you mention that the hot region is more dangerous right before dawn?" She peered outside, noticing that the sun still had some time to grace them. "So, why are we taking risks... not that I'm complaining or anything."
Hans explained, "Because I believe we can avoid a clash with others if we collect the hearts earlier." He had spent the whole night thinking, and the most obvious strategy that came to mind was to be quick in gathering hearts and then make a run for the safe point to submit them. To accomplish this, they needed something close to a miracle – either a large group of second-class beasts and a smart strategy to take them down swiftly.
After a few hours of walking, their wish was granted. They stumbled upon a nest – the dwelling of fire roaches, a type of insect known for their fiery temperament. Their poison replicated the sensation of burning alive, and they cornered their enemy with a hit-and-hide strategy.
“Ha, this is good, but also not good," Hans commented, causing confusion among the group. Sensing their puzzled looks, he elaborated, "The irony is, the only weakness these creatures have is fire. But we need to ensure that none of them survive; otherwise, they might alert neighbouring creatures. However, there's another problem—"
“Yes,” Ricter, their main defender, who was usually silent, finally spoke up, interjected, “If we raise a fire big enough to kill them, we’ll be announcing our location, scaring the beast away and inviting our competition in.”
“Well put.” Hans commended Ricter, his explanation was to the point. He then added, "And if we encounter a swarm of these creatures, collectively they could rival a third-class beast in combat.
Chris joined in on the conversation, asking the group, "We need a solution without using fire. Any ideas?" But the confident princess turned to Hans and remarked, "Aren't you the one who killed a few third-class beasts before?" She made this observation, but Hans immediately rejected the idea, saying, "That was during a hunt; this is... different. My hands are tied here."
He remembered his lack of contribution to the team when they were all individually preparing themselves after the survival mock practice. He had realized that using Golems was a viable option, albeit an expensive one. Moreover, most of his spells either posed a risk to his team or created a burden for them. Consequently, he delved into studying strategies, the art of war, and everything he could find. His excellent leadership and critical thinking were proof of his efforts.
As Hans pondered, the others shared their basic knowledge about Fire Roaches and estimated their count at eighty. Hans, growing impatient, felt a burning desire to contribute this time. Lux suggested using traps, which ignited an idea in Hans's mind. "Ambush!" he exclaimed suddenly, his thoughts racing to formulate a plan.
After a quick thinking session, He selected Delimira, the quickest and the only person in the group with stealth techniques, to swiftly kill one roach and then lead the rest into their traps. He chose an ashen grassland as the battleground and began manipulating it to his advantage. Some of his creations struggled to survive in the scorching environment, but the Carnivorous plants showed unwavering resilience. They concealed themselves, and Delimira carefully noted where to step and where to avoid. Hans proceeded to explain the strategy to the group. His traps were not potent enough to kill second-class creatures outright, so he assigned others to deliver the finishing blows while the roaches struggled with the trap plants. Everyone nodded in agreement, and Delimira prepared to move, only to be halted by Hans.
“Don’t underestimate those insects,” Hans said with a hint of concern, adding, “Run if it's not possible —”
"If I can't even do that, then there's no meaning in my training," she retorted. This marked the first direct conversation between them since the fight, but there was no warmth in Delimira's eyes. Her response was formal, addressing Hans solely as her captain. This left Hans perplexed and uneasy; his intuition warned him that something regrettable might occur soon. He raised his hand to halt her, but she swiftly disappeared, activating her Krosh art of mirage.
"Damn it," he exclaimed, then ordered, "Get into your positions and be ready."
The plan began to unfold a few minutes later when Delimira returned, with the Fire Roaches hot on her heels. She skillfully evaded the traps and crossed to the other side, where the team lay in wait. The Fire Roaches, however, remained unaware of the impending danger, and they fell victim to the modified carnivorous plants with sounds like "snap, Kurt, chop."
Some of the roaches realised the trap and attempted to dig into the ground to escape, but Hans, being well-versed in their behaviour, had already seeded the earth with deadly trap plants. Those who thought themselves clever soon discovered the extent of his cunning.
The trap plants showed no mercy to the Fire Roaches, biting at them relentlessly, both above and below ground. While they weren't powerful enough to kill the roaches outright, many of their prey lost limbs, lower sections, or heads. It resembled a gruesome scene from a horror opera, complete with chilling sound effects.
After observing for a while, Hans issued the command, "Dig their hearts out." The team moved with swift precision, delivering finishing blows to the injured Roaches, extracting their mana hearts, and tossing them to Cassady. Her role was to catch and collect the hearts, and she performed her task admirably. Meanwhile, Hans remained on high alert, praying earnestly, "Please, please, no surprises.”
However, the carnivorous plants, creations of Hans himself, displayed a degree of intelligence. They realized that what they were consuming were mere empty vessels, as the most nutritious part, the mana heart, had already been extracted. Consequently, they intensified their feeding frenzy. Soon, it became a race against time for Hans's team, pitted against his own trap plants, which seemed to have forgotten their master's commands.
***
AnnouncementNEXT : NARROWING THE COMPETITION (2)
