The Newt and Demon
Chapter 2.49: Wild Card

Theo and Tresk spent more time than they should have playing with the children in Xam’s tavern. The fart machine was everything it was cracked up to be, playing a series of 10 sounds that Throk had clearly recorded himself. Zan’kir and Zan’sal, who were stationed in the tavern for protection duty, weren’t as amused by the Marshling’s recorded raspberries. The small play area established for the kids was on the first floor, in the center of the room. Sledge had reinforced the walls with her [Fabricator’s Core], infusing them with marble. While the appearance of the wood slats hadn’t changed, if the alchemist knocked his knuckles against the wood, it was hard as stone.

Xol’sa had also laced the exterior of the building with invisible runes, or so Theo was told. When a monster struck the outside of the tavern, they would be sent to another dimension for a short time, reappearing randomly within the swamp.

Theo took time to notice the aesthetic beauty of the tavern, marveling at the strange construction of the building seed cores. The alchemist’s impression of Half-Ogre construction was one of thick stone blocks hastily shoved together. When he arrived in Broken Tusk, almost every building was made of wood. It was the most plentiful resource back then, giving way to rot and decay. The entire neighborhood north of the tavern had taken on the stone block aesthetic, but of the other buildings in town, only half decided on stone.

That thought implied some decision-making by the seeds, which was strange. These thoughts were a distraction, though. Something to whittle away the time as they prepared for the siege. Tresk departed as noon drew closer, off to meet with her squad of stealth specialists. The alchemist didn’t know what she was assigned to do, but there was no better person to lead a squad of sneaky people. A message popped up shortly after.

[Aarok]: Xol’sa is preparing to instigate the monster wave. Please stand by for more information.

Theo rose from the floor, making his way to the exit of the tavern. A series of fart sounds followed him, and he couldn’t help but laugh. The giggles of the children were too much. A system message obscured the center of his view as he set foot on the hard cobbles outside.

[Pincer Attack!]

Monster Wave

Duration: Infinite

Pincer Attack!

The [Swamp Dungeon] and [River Dungeon] have joined forces, creating a pincer attack.

Broken Tusk is besieged on both sides by the Troll Forces to the west, and the Fald forces to the east, resulting in 2 bosses spawning at the same time!

Defeating this wave will result in a greater reward, but the difficulty is increased significantly.

Effects:

2 boss monsters have been spawned simultaneously.

2 distinct armies, operating under the control of their boss monster, have spawned.

Increased reward for completing the monster wave.

Gain an additional effect for completing the wave within a time limit (24 hours).

The moment he dismissed that message, another came up.

[Empowered Monsters]

Monster Wave Modifier

Duration: Until Completion

Empowered Monsters!

The buildup of power within the dungeons has become too great, resulting in an empowered wave. The monsters are stronger and less forgiving. Good luck.

Every monster in the monster wave receives +5 to their level.

Effects:

Level +5 for every monster in the wave.

Increased reward for completing the monster wave.

Both messages seemed horrific, but exciting. The monster wave itself was modified, essentially doubling the amount of monsters Broken Tusk would need to defeat. Then, the [Empowered Monsters] effect made them all stronger. Theo now realized that the amount of towers they bought was likely too few.

[Aarok]: This is as expected. Stick with your teams and prepare to receive Zarali’s blessing.

Aarok’s town-wide message rolled through Theo’s mind. He felt his muscles surge with power as the next message popped up.

You have received [Blessing of Drogramath] from [Zarali].

[Blessing of Drogramath]

Spiritual Effect

Duration: 24 hours

A priest or priestess of Drogramath has blessed you with power. You will receive a series of buffs based on the caster’s willpower.

Effect:

Increased effectiveness of combat (increased Strength, Dexterity, Vigor by +10).

Double the effectiveness of all potions used while under this effect.

This was an absurd buff. The increase to combat attributes was crazy enough, but the doubled potion effectiveness would be amazing. Combined with the [Troll Slaying] effect the town had, and the bombs would deal a ton of damage. As the alchemist stepped over the road, he felt his feet fall silently. He pivoted on the spot, noting no sensation of dizziness as he whipped around. The increase to [Dexterity] was the most notable thing about the buff. The alchemist inspected his character sheet before reporting to his team.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 12

Alchemist

Core Slots: 3

Stats:

Health: 115

Mana: 100

Stamina: 125

Strength: 26 (+20)

Dexterity: 18 (+13)

Vigor: 22 (+14)

Intelligence: 17 (+4)

Wisdom: 25 (+6)

Points: 0

Theo couldn’t imagine how high the adventurer’s stats were, and had to wonder what the cost of this buff was. Only the deafening sound of explosions to the west was enough to break him out of the stupor, sending him running to the western gate. He spotted the team of porters waiting for him, laborers and crafters of the city ready to move supplies around as needed. Aarok stood at the top of the battlements, but Luras was the person who caught his eye.

Luras Trinner, now a worshiper of Baelthar, Ogre Patron of the Hunt, was wreathed in ribbons of red energy. When he let an arrow loose, it sounded like a gunshot. With the enhancement of Zarali’s buff, he was releasing arrows faster than Theo could see, peppering the swamp with deadly projectiles. The Half-Ogre didn’t even have a quiver on his back, the arrows simply appeared in his hand after he fired.

“That’s scary,” Theo said, ascending the battlements.

“No kidding,” Aarok said, laughing.

Another explosion shook the dust loose from the stone wall. A plume of flames rose deep in the swamp, rising into the air like a mushroom cloud. Theo couldn’t even see the targets that Luras targeted, but shrugged the ordeal off. The Half-Ogre was level 12 when the alchemist arrived, and would have been even higher. Tresk overtook him as the best adventurer in town, but that gap seemed to narrow. He didn’t want to interrupt the focus of the man by inspecting him, and resolved to do it later.

The siege proceeded in an orderly fashion for a while. Theo met with his team and split the workload up. Azrug was among the porters, as were others with either dimensional bags or inventory powers. The alchemist’s first assignment was to run supplies to the eastern gate. He darted down the street, his feet landing solid on each stone as he went. It differed completely from the way he normally operated, and when he arrived at the eastern gate, he wasn’t out of breath.

The sight that greeted him was not as kind. An adventurer was being pulled through the open gate, blood soaking through his clothes. Zarali swooped in like an angel out of nowhere. Motes of purple energy flowed off her like a river, soaking the air with the power of Drogramath. In moments, the blood soaked back into the adventurer’s body. Their eyes snapped open, and they took a deep breath. The priestess rested her hand on their forehead, whispering in Drogramathi. It was over in a moment.

“I didn’t know you could heal,” Theo said, approaching the woman. He assumed her healing powers had to do with potions.

“I’m a priestess, little brother,” Zarali said, flashing a grin. “Now, do your job.”

Theo nodded, dumbstruck by the difference in the organization of this siege. He realized, as people ran across the walls, that Aarok was sending messages to squads individually. He was standing on the western gate, observing his tactical map and dispatching orders in a flash. Xol’sa was atop the eastern gate, waving his hands in the air and muttering something. The alchemist dropped off his supplies and waited for his next order, watching as the strange Fald came out from the river.

They were vile-looking creatures, the Fald. The monsters were mostly bi-pedal, wearing suits of armor made from rocks and shells. They were hunched over, wearing turtle shells or other debris on their backs as shields with skin the hue of dried seaweed. The face of a Fald was the worst part, a mocking cross between a pig and a fish, with red gills that flared from the sides of their necks.

The boss monster for the Fald wave hadn’t shown itself yet, but something radiated power from within the river. Theo’s concentration on the approaching force was broken when Aarok’s voice entered his mind.

Theo’s team. Run the wall, make sure the towers are full.

As though responding to the message, the [Chain Lightning Tower] let out a stream of lightning that tore through the Fald. It impacted one unfortunate creature in the chest before jumping between their ranks. Then, the monsters drew close enough for the [Frost Cone Tower] to activate. The tower itself was a pillar of ice with a mote port on the side, reaching to the sky and defying the heat of the day. When it fired, a tight cone of ice issued across the rocky landscape. Each Fald that was caught in the blast froze on the spot, rooted firmly to the ground. The peppering fire from the [Firebolt Towers] let out a series of bark-like blasts, setting a staccato rhythm to the constant fire.

Theo and his team worked their way north along the battlements. None of them slipped on the steep incline of the wall thanks to their increased [Dexterity]. They all felt sure-footed over the stones as if they found hidden footholds among the mortared stones. There was a peace in performing their simple task, even when Tresk’s health dropped below half several times. The alchemist transferred all his healing potions into their shared inventory and informed the Marshling she could drink them, or spread them around to her squad. He did this several times when they got low, using the unique power to resupply the secluded squad.

Tresk’s account of the battle, something she relayed as they went, was one of stalking the swamp boss. As expected, it was another powerful Troll. Theo couldn’t help feeling regretful toward his lack of experimentation with their blood, and even more guilty about requesting that the adventurers harvest more of it this siege. The Marshling and her squad made several unsuccessful attempts on the Troll boss, but had to improvise a new plan under Aarok’s direction. They led the boss to the wall, where a bulk of the adventurers were waiting. When it approached, they unleashed a combination of skills, spells, tower fire, and bombs to bring the boss down.

A message flashed the moment Tresk screamed into Theo’s ear, claiming that she got the last hit. Even without his new poisons done brewing, she was having a great time.

[Boss Monster] defeated! Foul Lord Broglog has been slain. Defeat the remaining monsters to complete the siege.

This was an especially difficult thing, since they had two waves going on at the same time. The monsters attacking the western side of the city wouldn’t relent until they were all killed, and the eastern boss hadn’t appeared yet. Aarok’s expert tactics saw no holes in Broken Tusk’s defenses. When a section of the wave got too close to the wall, he issued a rapid series of orders that saw the hole plugged. When the time was right, he ordered a sortie out of the eastern gate, meeting the Fald on the field and testing the mettle of the adventurers.

Under the watchful gaze of the towers, the adventurers lured the monsters into traps. The friendly identification feature of the towers saw no citizens harmed during the counter-attack, and the decimation of the monster wave was absolute.

Theo watched from the eastern gate as the Fald fell in scores. Xol’sa’s magic was strange.The alchemist expected to see fireballs and lightning bolts coming from a wizard, but it was a confusing array of dimensional mirrors. He would summon a large mirror-like object in front of monsters. When they stepped inside, they’d vanish. Minutes later, the monsters would appear in the center of the field with a confused look on their vile faces.

A spout of water shot from the river, reaching high into the sky and catching the light of the sun. The system provided a message for the appearance of the boss monster, dampening the excitement for seeing such a perfect rainbow over the river.

[Boss Monster] spotted! River Lady Razal has been sighted. This monster is stronger than regular monsters, use caution.

The boss monster was a giant Fald made of water. Its form wasn’t defined enough to say it had arms, or legs, but the general shape of a creature was there. It seethed over the edge of the river, creeping along the ground and sending jets of water to anyone who got too close. The adventurers retreated to a safe distance and let the boss get in range of the towers. A skeleton crew of fighters was left to defend the other walls as others rushed toward the eastern gate, laying down a constant field of fire at the monster.

Razal was resistant, though. Arrows had little effect on her ever-shifting form, and the towers were the only thing that seemed to stop her. Tresk joined Theo on the battlements, giving him a hug as they watched the monster’s plodding path. When it came in range of the [Frost Cone Tower], it started taking more damage. With parts of the monster’s body frozen, the adventurers chipped away at its form. It was a slow death that saw sections of the boss chipped off, falling to the ground and reducing the size of it.

When Razal finally approached the gate, a single blast from a nearby [Fireball Tower] saw her removed from existence. Theo eyed the water she left behind with hungry eyes. His cores were telling him it was worth collecting. The system produced a message that confirmed the bosses were dead, joined by more bad news.

[Boss Monster] defeated! River Lady Razal has been slain. Bonus Wave!

[Bonus Wave!] Broken Tusk defeated the monster wave in 6 hours! Bonus wave: [Wild Card].

[Wild Card]

Monster Wave

Duration: 1 Hour

Wild Card!

Every remaining creature has been removed from the field and shuffled into nearby dungeons. One monster from each dungeon has been promoted to a sub-boss. They will assault immediately.

Experience gained from killing these monsters is increased.

[Monster Wave] gold is increased for each sub-boss defeated.

Sub-bosses guaranteed to drop addition, increased rarity loot.

Aarok was quick to redistribute the adventurers, spreading them across each gate but reinforcing the eastern gate. He was clever enough to understand that if each wave would attack the town, 2 waves would come from the east. One from the [River Dungeon] and one from the [Ocean Dungeon]. The monsters always targeted the gates, which were the weakest part of the defensive structure.

Dusk loomed on the horizon as the defense of Broken Tusk continued. 5 waves of monsters descended on the town, but their strength was diminished. The system redistributed the monsters, splitting individuals into multiple, smaller monsters to field a sea of weak enemies. Most fell to the powerful towers dotting the walls, while others fell to the hands of adventurers. Theo simply marveled at the efficiency of Aarok’s command, running between checkpoints and delivering motes and potions. He was exhausted and tempted to pop a [Stamina Potion] when the final sub-boss fell. Night had blanketed the town when the system message appeared.

[Monster Wave] complete!

925 Monsters Destroyed!

20 gold bonus (paid to the Mayor of Broken Tusk).

Bonus for defeat of 2 bosses, 5 sub-bosses:

Obtained: [Plume of Defiance].

Obtained: 8 gold, 1 silver, 92 copper.

[Broken Tusk] gained new effect: [Coordinated Fire].

Theo felt the hat fall into his inventory. When he removed it, he scowled. It was a fancy cloth hat, fitted perfectly for his head with a band. It was puffed on the top, like dough that had risen irregularly. Sticking out from the center of the hat was a feather that swooped in a wide arc. He inspected it.

[Plume of Defiance]

[Cloth Hat]

Epic

Scaling

Hat granted to the alchemist with the determination to defend his home.

Effect:

During a siege, all potions used by defenders will be 1.25 times more effective.

+1 Vigor

Tresk burst into laughter when she spotted him. She pointed, rolled on the ground, then came up to smack at the feather like a cat.

“It’s too good not to wear,” he said, scowling.

“You look like Fenian,” Tresk said. Her face went a pale shade of pink, eyes going wide. “Oh no…”

She slowly withdrew something from her inventory. It was a smaller version of the hat Theo wore, tailored to fit her head.

“Oh, no!” she shouted. “The stats are too good not to wear!”

Adventurers were gathering together near the center of town in celebration. The jumped high into the air, showing off their enhanced stats. Several of their number performed feats of strength that would be impossible without Zarali’s buffs. Theo inspected the new effect on the town, keeping his eyes on his flagging stamina.

[Coordinated Fire]

Anything targeted by multiple towers gains bonus damage based on the amount of towers. Each tower adds 0.1 to the damage multiplier.

It was another effect that was incredibly useful. Especially so since they placed more towers on the walls.

The impromptu party didn’t last long. The monsters that lay dead outside of the walls could be taken care of the next day, and everyone that participated in the fight was exhausted. Theo and Tresk returned to the Newt and Demon shortly after the celebration started. They pressed their foreheads together and received 20% of their level in the [Tara’hek Core]. It almost pushed them over the edge into level 14, coming shy by a few percentages. Theo also received a massive amount of experience in his [Governance Core], pushing him from level 4 to level 6. The core evolved to have +3 [Intelligence], but the alchemist didn’t have a free point to buy any new skills.

The pair settled down to bed and fell asleep immediately. The battle might have been difficult, but the cleanup that presented itself was worse. Theo felt content in that fact, since they made such an absurd amount of money. The party went on for some time outside before it calmed down. Both companions were well asleep before that happened.