Aries Floor 1, The Emperor’s Ascent - 8:31 AM
The moment I opened the door, our surroundings changed in a flash of light. Above us, the constellation of Aries was smack dab in the middle of the sky, bright and apparent. We were no longer on the mountain, though, but a hill.
It was about ten feet higher than the plains around it. A square, wooden fence boxed us in roughly a hundred feet away, and had closed gates in each of the cardinal directions. There was plenty of room around us but it was still within my awareness aura. Given the arena we found ourselves in, I figured we were exactly where we were supposed to be.
The hill we were standing on had a depression at the top that made it look like something large had impacted it from above at exactly the perfect angle. It was nearly three feet deep, giving us some cover from the outside as well as a place to hunker down. Once I got a good look around the area, I produced three chairs from my inventory and offered two of them to Ash and Bethany while I sat in the last.
“Might as well get comfortable while our minions do all of the work,” I said and signed.
“So long as we don’t get hit, that’s fine by me,” Ash agreed as she sat.
“Minions?” Kayla asked, arching an eyebrow. She helped Bethany get down from Corwin, and the young girl joined us.
“I said what I said,” I answered with a grin.
<<<>>>
[[Emperor’s Ascent: Aries Monster Room]]
Players: 7
Waves: 4
This room has been tailor made to fit your group. Defend the top of the hill from each wave of enemies assailing it. If any of the creatures make it to your makeshift bunker, more will spawn from the gates it had come from.
This challenge will begin shortly. Good luck.
Objective: Defend the hill.
Reward: 1,000 points.
<<<>>>
“Do you think that includes the boss?” Jeff asked, scratching the back of his head as he looked over the side of the hill. His hand was on Killer Queen, but he hesitated on drawing it.
“There should be one on the last wave,” I said before looking at those still standing. “The four of you should split up, each taking a gate. Figure out what we’re dealing with early on so we can plan out the later ones easier.”
“And you’re just going to sit here while we do all the work?” Jamie asked, checking her harpoon even though it was already in perfect condition. “Wouldn’t it be better if Kayla was here buffing the four of us?”
“I’m going to hold down the fort because I can see every corner of this place from here,” I replied. “If you want me to work, I can, but honestly my involvement would just be taking points that you guys will probably earn easily enough on your own. I’ll step in if I have to, and I’ll take a slice of the boss, but that’s about it.”
The Weapon Master’s eyes narrowed at me while I smiled back before she jumped backwards onto the lip of the crater. “I’m going to take this gate,” she said before stalking off.
“I’ll take this one!” Mercury said before he moved so quickly it was as if his body flashed, and he was squatting on the edge. “Good luck, call if you need help.”
Kayla and Jeff looked at each other before he gave an order. “Corwin, watch momma.”
The Evolution Hound perked up for a moment, ears raised high, before moving to the Double Agent’s side. He leaned against her with his tail wagging. “Yes, I suppose that’s fair,” she conceded with a sigh. “I’ll take the one closest to Mercury.”
“Sounds good,” Jeff said, pulling his rapier.
<<<>>>
[[Notice]]
Wave 1, begin!
<<<>>>
There was a small moment of panic as the two scrambled out of the crater and down the hill as the gates opened. They got over the risk of stumbling by simply jumping down the slope, reaching flat ground without a problem. It wasn’t a short leap by any means, but even the one with the lowest stats here could have done that.
“Could we please have some tea, Bethany?” I asked and signed as a quintet of animals entered from each gate.
The Tea Witch nodded and stood up in order to set up her space. She pulled out the same table we had seen back in the Patron’s car as well as everything she needed to brew fresh tea here. I wasn’t expecting many injuries from the first wave, but you never really knew.
“I should have brought a damn book or something,” Ash mumbled, staring at the sky.
“It won’t take too long,” I promised.
By the time she turned to look at me, it was already over.
<<<>>>
[[Notice]]
Wave 1, complete!
Preparing for wave 2.
<<<>>>
“Shit,” she said, blinking in surprise. “Did they make it too easy or are they just too damn strong?”
“Little of column A, little of column B,” I replied with a grin.
“Was that it for anyone else!?” Jeff yelled, putting his hands around his mouth to project his voice farther.
<<<>>>
[[Guild Chat]]
Jamie: Use guild chat so you don’t have to yell. Also, I had five sheep.
Mercury: Same here.
Jeff: Okay, cool.
Kayla: We did as well, but they’re flammable. Corwin lit one on fire with his Incineration Breath. It didn’t look like it was taking any damage, but I started losing hit points just getting close to it. They may have some kind of special attack in that state. If there’s something that makes fire later on, be careful. The bodies aren’t disappearing so I’m moving them as close to the gate as possible so they don’t become obstacles.
Jamie: Good call out.
<<<>>>
“Nice,” I said as I watched the chat play out.
It was only the first wave, but it had gone by quick enough. Five black sheep had come in from each gate. In comparison to the base creature, they would be considered incredibly mighty. In comparison to Sol Ligatus, they were found sorely lacking. They had their tricks, like all monsters did, but it wasn’t enough alone.
“Those were Charcoal Sheep,” I told Ash and Bethany. “They’re immune to fire damage, but their wool catches very easily and burns at a high temperature. Despite how hot they can get, they’ll last a while. Those are more fodder than anything, though. What I described is really all they have going for them.”
“And the rules say we can’t loot them, right? I could think of so many ways to use that wool. Shit,” Ash swore. Standing up, she looked over the edge of the hill to eye the dead animals, greed clear in her expression.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get to them later,” I reassured her. “You’ll like the next one, too. If they’re throwing Charcoal Sheep at us, there’s another type that’s sure to come.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“What?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
<<<>>>
[[Notice]]
Wave 2, begin!
<<<>>>
The gates reopened, and this time I paid more attention to Kayla specifically. While she was the smartest one in the group, she was the weakest member in straight combat. If given the time to build up her rapport with the enemy, however, she could one shot even bosses. That was the trade off of her chosen class, the Double Agent.
That didn’t matter much here. The sheep enemies couldn’t be talked to or reasoned with, and she certainly wasn’t going to pretend to join their side. Here, the only thing she could do was try to kill them like the rest.
When eight more black sheep came through the gates, she told Corwin to back up. The Evolution Hound did as commanded. He sat down, but I could tell he was waiting for the right moment to strike. Kayla watched as the slow creatures shuffled towards her. I smiled as I saw the realization in her aura. She was about to open her mouth when three explosions rocked the field, one after another from the other gates.
Kayla grimaced, but didn’t waver. Backing away, she lined up a shot and threw her Drakefang Dagger at the black sheep on the right side of the group. The weapon didn’t have any magical properties other than being incredibly tough and sharp but, when it skimmed across the creature’s wool, a large amount of sparks flew towards the others.
The other Charcoal Sheep easily lit on fire. They burned hotter and brighter than they did before as if supercharged by the sparks. Their advance slowed almost to a halt before the bodies exploded. A crater was all that was left of the area the creatures once stood, and the Steel Merino, the one with the steel wool, was tossed into a tree. It fell to the ground, its neck at an unnatural angle, and the next notification came up.
<<<>>>
[[Notice]]
Wave 2, complete!
Preparing for wave 3.
[[Guild Chat]]
Mercury: Alright, I’m guessing that everyone noticed how the sheep were different that time given that there were explosions everywhere.
Jeff: Yup. I was too close and had to use my Pocket Bacon to heal back up and I’m still not at full.
Jamie: A steel sheep came flying at my head. Barely raised my arm in time. Scuffed my armor pretty badly. Think my arm might have broke, but Bethany’s tea helped.
Ashley: You better be careful, I can’t fix the **** thing until we’re back on the train. That goes for all of you.
Kayla: We’ll be careful. The steel ones are a little glossier than the flammable ones. You can figure out which ones are which if you know what to look for.
<<<>>>
Bethany poured me a cup of tea and handed it to me while I watched Kayla go and retrieve her dagger. With a smile, I took it and sipped, relishing in the taste. “Is that peach?” I asked and signed, Lifting the cup so I had both hands free. She gave me a small nod. “It’s delicious. Thank you. While we have the time to talk, how are you enjoying life on the train?”
The Tea Witch watched me for a few moments before hurrying to provide Ash with a cup. She took it gingerly before sniffing it and taking a sip. Like me, the Monstersmith wasn’t worried about the temperature. We could both handle high heat without much trouble.
I watched as the girl took care of her table. She wasn’t avoiding the question, just trying to figure out how best to answer it. That and working up the courage to respond. I may have gotten this crew together, but I had been away so long that she didn’t have time to get used to me. I didn’t mind waiting, at least.
<<<>>>
[[Notice]]
Wave 3, begin!
<<<>>>
More enemies started pouring out of the gates, fifteen in each. There was a mix of Charcoal Sheep and Steel Merinos this time, but there was a new type bringing up the rear. Something already on fire.
Its body was covered in thick, coarse red hair and its eyes burned with intense light. Their most noticeable feature were their twin horns. They spiraled around the side of their heads before coming to a sharp point, aiming forward. Each of them ended in a small flame.
A Combustion Ram was what happened when you took a male bighorn sheep and mixed it with a flamethrower. The four of them, one in each direction, bleated loudly. They stood on their back feet as they screamed into the sky, and two streams of fire shot upwards from their horns.
It threw an entirely new wrench into the guild’s plans as they froze for a moment before deciding how to deal with the extra enemy. Their indecision didn’t last long as they all decided that the Combustion Ram was the priority target, especially when they returned to four feet and their flamethrower horns continued to shoot fire.
“I want several,” Ash said in awe, a grin on her face as she watched the battles.
“I like it on the train, Mr. Franklin,” Bethany finally shyly signed after she filled up cups for the others. An explosion rocked the ground, causing her to pause to make sure the tea didn’t spill before continuing. “I haven’t said it yet, but thank you for taking Leonard and I with you. He gets beat up a lot, but I can tell he likes it here a lot more than he did back at home. And Jeff leaves Corwin with me a lot, so I don’t feel alone.”
Smiling at the Tea Witch, I took another sip of tea without touching it. “I’m glad. It’s always a pleasure to be out on an adventure with Leonard, so I wanted to make sure you felt safe on the Angel Express. Are you enjoying making tea?”
Bethany thought about it for a moment, looking at her table, before nodding. “Yeah. I didn’t think I would, but I wanted to be helpful so I took the job. What I make helps the team, and that’s good.”
“I completely understand,” I signed, nodding and ignoring the explosions to the north. “We’re going to be dealing with people pretty soon. Both in the co-op and the PvP room. How do you want to deal with those?”
She gave me a confused look. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you make so much tea that I know you have a large surplus, and your class should allow you to keep more liquids in your inventory than normal. If you want to help more people, you could,” I told her. “Potions can be hard to come by without someone like you to make them, so I’m sure you could do a lot of good for the other teams.”
“But aren’t they the enemies?” she asked, furrowing her brow.
I shook my head, steadying the table as another explosion rocked the hill. This one was closer, but nothing to worry about yet. “They may be against us, but they don’t want to hurt us. There are very few people who I would call our enemies, and everyone here just wants to try their best and get stronger. Just like we do. They’re rivals, but not really bad guys. You know?”
“I do. Then…” Her hands stopped signing for a moment as she thought things over. She looked up at me, uncertainty in her eyes. “Then everyone should get tea, right? So they can do the best they can and live longer?”
“That’s what I think, but it’s your tea,” I signed, being completely honest with her. “I won’t make you give anything up, but if you want to sell to the people then that’s fine. We can help you out there, too. After all, I gave you a very important gift when I sent your brother with that medallion, and I want you to decide how to use it.”
“How I want to use it,” Bethany repeated. The look on her face as she thought it through was adorable, though I could tell she had reservations. She was very shy, and this would crack her out of her shell. She glanced back up at me. “Could I open up a maid cafe? Like in an anime?”
My smile got a little bigger at the unexpected question. In other runs, Bethany had asked to open up her wares to the public, but they were mostly done through automated processes. If she was asking if she could do it herself, then the addition of Kayla, Jeff, and Corwin were doing wonders for her. Honestly, I was here for it.
“Sure, I think that’s a really fun idea. I’ll do my best to find you something that fits what you’re looking for once we’re in a safe zone, is that okay?”
Bethany nodded. “Yes. I do have a request, though, if that’s okay.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Everyone says you have some other form, but I haven’t seen it yet,” she signed slowly, as if she was hesitating on whether or not to continue.
“You want to see it?” I asked. It wasn’t hard to guess where she was going with this, and she nodded to confirm. “Okay. Maybe not against these monsters because I’m letting the team handle them, but I’ll make sure I transform for you before we finish the Aries floors, okay?”
Smiling, Bethany nodded again.
<<<>>>
[[Notice]]
Wave 3, complete!
Preparing for the final wave.
<<<>>>
“These sheep are atrocious. Jeez,” Mercury complained as he appeared beside us.
“What’s atrocious is not being able to get any loot from them,” Ash muttered, looking down at the corpse-littered battlefield below with wistful eyes.
Although it was hard to tell, Mercury’s black outfit was covered in scorch marks. He set a hand on Bethany’s head as he grabbed a tea cup, pulled his mask down, and drank. I watched as his wounds healed, and he stood up straighter when it no longer hurt less to slouch. The ninja immediately thanked her.
The rest of the guild’s fighters weren’t far behind, all going straight for the tea and drinking it down in one go.
“Will there be more than one boss, Anthony?” Kayla asked.
“No, just one. It’s random which gate it’ll come out of, but converge on its location when it does and you guys shouldn’t have much trouble.”
“Got it. Then take out the small fries as quickly as possible. Once you’re done, head straight for the boss. If you take too long you can’t complain about missing out on the boss kill. Any complaints?” she asked, looking around. No one had any. “Alright, then get back out there.”
I smiled at Bethany as everyone returned to their gates. “Like I said, you have a very important job just like Ashley does. You get to help take care of everyone,” I signed. “So, as a reward, I’ll take you with me when I go boss hunting on the Gathering Floor. Pay attention to this last wave, because I’ll probably be fighting a few of them.”
Bethany flashed me a brilliant smile before she refilled the cups and peeked over the edge of the hill to watch her brother’s side.
