Dire Den

The den of the even location turned out to be a large hollowed hillside that stretched tens of yards deep into darkness. Originally there had only been three young wolves only a little bigger than Lana's wolfhound resting about the entrance to the den. However, once everybody with a bow and matching skill unleashed a mass volley on them, that changed.

Just the sounds of a little over two dozen bows twanging with the release of their arrows alerted the sentries. Instead of making evasive maneuvers or outright attacking, though, they simply sat up and howled while becoming pincushions. Because only Ivana's bow was a top quality craft from current materials, only one of the wolves actually died because the rest of us were using the last series of alchemy bows we crafted.

As soon as Stonewall and the rest of us on the reorganized front line that approached the event location came out on our mounts, the remaining two wolves in critical condition rushed forward only a little sluggishly.

Before they even made it halfway, three noticeably larger bodies dashed out of the darkness. Just as Stonewall swung his macabre mace through the smaller wolves, they were outside and crossing the twenty yards of open ground between us and the den. In response, Stonewall hopped up and forward from his elite mount and rammed his quickly equipped mobile fortress shield into the air ahead of their swift bodies.

The ensuing explosion rocked the three adult wolves back as they were caught within its mid-range, being thrown back and along the ground after pouncing to greet the landing behemoth in armor. Their appearing health bars emptied out by a third as numerous echoing howls rose up from the depths of the den.

In response, Stonewall simply rushed forward passed the dazed beasts toward the Dire Den. Following close behind, his mount snatched one stunned wolf up in its enormous reptilian mouth up from the ground before whipping the others to either side with two flicks of its tail.

The now critical wolves were briefly dispatched with a few small clusters of arrows.

Numerous wolves in small clusters were now running out of the den and approaching Stonewall, the first four of whom simply leaped high into the air once they exited the den. Planting his enormous wall shield into the ground with a skill that makes the air around it dense and shimmery with heat, our valiant main tanker simply thrusts out with open palms.

The first wolf to make it around his shield was not only singed and smoking from the skill amplified affects of his enchanted shield but was also sent flying back from the heel of Stonewall's palm striking its chest. The next palm met the next smoking wolf as it came down from around the side of its shield and sent it flying away. The third wolf, though, managed to land before a third open hand slapped down on its head to smash it into the ground.

It was rendered critical on impact. Landing the furthest away, the fourth wolf proves to be the smartest by simply bypassing Stonewall and his mount who was occupied with finishing the closest two wolves. However, Stonewall's imp wielding a hardened bow had no troubles sending it skidding along the ground with an arrow worth more than ten percent of its health.

By the time its aggro and attention turned toward the female imp, the next wolves were already approaching the shield while Papi's ice lizard started frosting the distracted wolf before it with its breath.

We casually reached the den while Stonewall was focusing on using the high knockback passive of his class's blunt and unarmed attacks to destroy the grouping of the next wolves. Our mounts and general familiars were having an easy time of grouping up and bullying the wolves that get soloed out with ranged attacks. Few of the second or even third wave of wolves were capable of getting back to their feet before dying.

Retrieving his shield from the ground and using a charging skill, Stonewall maintains the point position with his mount and familiars in tow while sprinting into the den behind his shield. With his almost impenetrable defense ratings both from the shield and heavy plate armor that augmented the simple Shield Guardian skill, the ensuing groups of wolves were easily cast aside. And just as easily cleaned up by his 'tail'.

For those that his mount and familiars did not manage to kill with ease, the rest of us following behind in rows of three into the large den tunnel picked them off with poisonous attacks. After his charge skill finally ran out, Stonewall spent a large portion of his magic casting out a large fireball that streaked down the tunnel before hunkering down behind his shield.

Casting its light through the den as it traveled forth along the ceiling, the rest of us behind and to the sides of Stonewall could easily see the next thirty yards of tunnel containing several more running groups of wolves. Then the large cavernous area in the middle of the event's temporary landscape. There we found the bigger betas and finally the biggest alpha.

The alpha was so big that Stonewall's fireball struck the ten-foot elite behemoth in its face. Even though much of its facial fur and whiskers were burned away, it had easily closed its eyes and took only a few percent of damage. In response to this, the giant wolf loosed a roaring howl that shuddered the tunnels and sent its betas charging forward.

"Papi, Lil, dismount and support Stonewall," I say quickly as I dismount as well. "Go, Skooma, Agnes, start trailblazing with your alchemy swords and keep the smaller groups knocked aside while they follow up. Everybody else, pile up around Stonewall's mount and get ready to greet the betas with a non-explosive fuckening. I'll see you all on the other side."

Running ahead of the others while winding easily through their mounts and persons, I breeze passed Stonewall who paved the way through the darkness with an explosive shield bash after having struck the event's boss. Not even using a sword, I cast out a few simple burning cutters to light the way ahead of me and blind the wolves up until they extinguished themselves into their bodies.

Leaping up once my lights went out, I roll upside down in midair and kick one foot up into the frozen earth of the tunnel's ceiling before kicking away. Speeding through the air like an arrow along the tunnel ceiling, I pass swiftly over the compiling groups of lesser and beta wolves as they approached my team rushing forward. Then, I was in the cavern.

Ignoring the elite wolf that leaped to its feet as soon as I was in, I cast and detonate and Air Cannon ahead of me to stop my flight and slam backward into the wall above the tunnel. Intentionally.

Once the frozen earth was shaken from my impact, I cast Quick Quake into the cavern wall above the tunnel and then poured forth Frostbite the refreeze the rocks and soil together. Closing up the tunnel with only a foot or so of ice and earth. This was certainly not much even though it cost about a hundred MP, but with my magic it was enough to keep the betas in the tunnel for a while.

With my friends at the opposite end, the betas should be just smart enough to be tricked into thinking they needed to stall the larger numbers. Because they were probably just smart enough to know that numbers were naturally a bigger threat

Add to this that they had very little awareness of me thanks to my minimal participation and swift exit, they had no idea that I was the bigger threat. The alpha wolf that was already closing its jaws around where I had just fallen from the wall probably knew that it I was the bigger threat. I wondered if it knew what I was planning.

Leaping up with an open-handed palm strike using Stonewall for inspiration, I smash the heel of my hand into the center of the wolf's sternum that was bigger than my head and use Force Strike on contact. The wolf was rocked back on its hind legs and staggered two steps away.

I simply pressed my advantage with a quick combo of three cycling palms as I closed the created distance, though that quick combo did not have the same knockback or damage as the Force Strike.

After having taken four unarmed strikes worth almost fifteen percent of its health, the alpha quickly abandoned its straight-forward attack and position by dropping and rolling twice to one side with incredible speed. It was obviously some kind of maneuverability skill but it was honestly pretty decent after it managed to evade my refreshed Force Strike.

Once it was out of the way and back on its feet, the wolf starting sprinting around me while making quick feints of snapping its jaws at me or sweeping its six-foot long fluffy tail in my direction. I simply maintained a simply boxing stance while facing straight ahead. Despite the length of its tail, snout, and neck, it never fully came within reach of me.

Seeing that it was just trying to buy time, I cast Quick Step forward to pass through its encirclement with relative ease. Then, as soon as it stopped in an attempt to leap after me, I started running in circles around them. A few seconds later after ducking and dodging around its tail and swiping paws trying to throw off my movements, I turned to face it directly.

Casting Quick Step once again, I head-on tackle the wolf with Force Strike by shouldering into its chest at a speed comparable to a bullet to crunch into its flesh and fracture bones. Twenty percent of the wolf's health was gone as it was thrown backward and up into the air. Less than a second later, six percent of its health drained as it crashed into the earth wall.

Downed close to half of its health, the wolf staggers up to its feet and drew it head back before unleashing another roaring howl. However, this once contained an immense pressure of icy mana that not only pushed me back along the ground but began draining my health by a little over two percent per second.

That might not sound like a lot, but two percent of a thousand was around twenty points and I had more than a thousand health. And this giant fluffy white bastard just kept howling and freezing the cavern. After losing a hundred health and being pushed back ten feet, a frost aversion was triggered from my cordyceps and I started taking double damage.

I had to end the attack as the damage rose to losing almost ten percent of health in every three seconds. So, I cheated and swept my hand through the air while casting Spirit Slash. Instead, though, I created a broad wave of spiritual energy that swept through the howling icy gale.

[Learned Skill: Spirit Wave]

[50XP]

[Spirit Wave: Unleash a wave of unstoppable spiritual pressure to shove aside those who stand in your way with a blunt impact worth 50% of your True Damage. Can cancel casting and knock enemies back 10ft +.1 for every 5 Strength. Cannot be cast with an edged weapon]

Upon being struck with this slow moving wave of ghostly energy, the wolf was once again shoved into the wall of the cavern and then planted deeper into the broken frozen earth than its own body size. It was rendered down to thirty percent of its health which was still less than the forty-plus percent of health that I still had. I probably had about five hundred health overall right now.

The broken cavern wall continued cracking and crumbling as the alpha forced its way out of its own impression. Until several thick ropes of adhesive silk struck down about its head, neck, chest, and front legs. Then I simply snatched it free from the wall and five percent of its health while steadily reeling it in.

[Captured: Elite Frozen Dire Alpha]

[Acquired Unique Title: Expert Elite Catcher]

[+250XP]

[Leveled up]

[All stats raised by 1]

[Expert Elite Catcher: Passive. Epic. After capturing several Elite grade beasts, you have been recognized as an elite among beast tamers with the title Expert Elite Catcher. +1 Familiar Slot and permanent +5 to all familiars' stats and parameters. +30 Imperial Reputation]

[Plagued Demigod Cweeper cannot receive stat bonus]

[Plagued Demigod Hermes cannot receive stat bonus]

[CordAniCol cannot receive stat or parameter bonus]

[CordAniCol's bonuses are rendered to the host]

Once again, the insanely unique makeup of my familiars and their own skills cheated the system that restricted Cweeper and Hermes from receiving stats that were not my own.

[Tamed: Elite Frozen Dire Alpha]

[+500XP]

[Taming/Capturing/Craftiest Titles Upgraded Skill: Beast Mastery]

[Beast Mastery Upgraded to: Elite Beast Mastery]

[Elite Beast Mastery LVMAX: After capturing and taming innumerable amounts of beasts of varying grades and types, your Beast Mastery has been upgraded to Elite Beast Mastery. Your new advanced mastery skill allows you full access to the general advanced Beast Master class benefits. +10% boost to stats/PATK/PDEF/MATK/MDEF/MVSPD as well as +100 HP/MP to all APPLICABLE pets. Pets: 7/14]

[Would you like to name: Elite Frozen Dire Alpha?]

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