Tier them a new one! (1/2) [Beginning of "The Dark Under" Ark]

* Beneath the Great Elgolar Plateau *

The Vorska crammed their small violently in every crack of the stony barrier ahead of them. Teeth bit, claws scratched and ultimately broke against the hard earth but they didn't even flinch. When one failed, another took its place and then another.. and another.. until finally the earth would give way, allowing them to creep a few meters closer to the surface. A form, similar but larger to their own, loomed over a Vorska which had destroyed its fingers entirely while trying to fulfill its duty. The larger creature brought down its two clawed foot onto the poor cripple's head, crushing it against the hard stone beneath. "Weak.." it exhaled like a corpse trying to speak through punctured lungs.

His height was about 1,4 to 1,5 meters. Hunched, bald headed, deathly pale, slim and yet unnaturally muscular for its "decaying" nature. Its eyes were black as night, a contrast to its ghostly white skin. It licked its lips and the edges of its sharp, crooked fangs with a tongue that extended almost 30 cm, dripping with saliva. It was naked other that a small loin cloth around its crotch that seemed to be covering.. nothing, as the creature appeared to not have genitalia.

"Dig.. Dig you vermin!! I smell power.. True power! You have given me sustenance over the years but you've outlived your usefulness! It's time to ascend! Time to claim a true army and spread my power! MY DISEASE!!" he howled in the tunnels as a hoard of Vorska ran past him, assaulting the collapsed tunnels ahead. "I smell you sweet Core.. Soon your power will be mine.. You will bear my monsters and we will cover the surface world in a veil of nightmares!!".

The deranged being laughed maniacally, extending its hands, filled with black taloned fingers.

* * *

The sensation of flying through the sky was inspiring to say the least but much more dizzying than you'd expect. Experience flight through the senses of a shaky "Imp" creature. The ape sized bat flapped its wings erratically, making itself bob up and down mid-flight. I got a headache just trying to figure out what was up and what down while peering through its eyes via "Kindred Sight". But what could I do? It was the only flying scout I had. No birds had flown into my cave since I created my first summons and I really wanted some eyes in the sky. I peeked from behind the corner of my entrance, waving to Fiona and a Great Amber Ooze to follow. Once my Imp confirmed that the nest was void of any giant birds we made our move.

"We're following you Master! Following now!! Are we going to hunt!? Hunting with Master for the first time!! I AM SO HAPPY!!!" Fiona's teenage girl voiced pierced my ears like an arrow. I shushed her and ruffled the hair on her head with a ruff pet, avoiding the sharp, blade-like horns I had given her. The Blood Wolf accepted my affection with glee and tried her best to remain quiet.

[ Fiona the Blood Wolf: Rank 3 Lv.6 ]

[ Great Amber Ooze B: Rank 2 Lv.7 ]

My personal Jelly, having now evolved into a Great Ooze was going to be a great help against our enemy. A Tank, a speedy damage dealer and mid to short range attacker. I was tempted to bring Fisher along just for the raw power boost but thought better of it. Direct sunlight, a slow moving arachnid with an exposed back against a flying behemoth? No.. We had to go about this smart. I was more prepared this time around both skill wise and with new equipment. I had also strengthened myself to the next level.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Race: Superior Dungeon Core Lv.7

Avatar: Arsani (Hermaphrodite)

Age: 29

HP: 144/144

MP: 121/61

XP: 90/600

Aether: 21

Gold: 62

Physical - 10 (Peak Mortal Condition)

Mental - 3 (Average)

Social - 5 (Above Average)

Magic - 8 (Well Above Average)

Skills

1) Monster Summoning (Rank 2)

2) Dungeon Manipulation (Rank 2)

3) Aether Cultivation (Rank 3)

Passive Skills

1) Fire Resistance (Rank 2)

2) Natural Allure (Rank 1)

3) Minor Regeneration (Rank 1)

4) Fire Manipulation Magic (Rank 2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We steadily began our assent, stopping every few minutes to check in with our Imp. I had instructed it to fly in circles and screech if it saw the bird coming back to roost. It was annoying that I could not use "Kindred Sight" outside my domain yet. I needed more Aether to level up my Traits and more time to gather Aether.. Time I wasn't being afforded. Maybe this was Trishda's deft hand, pushing me into the path of Chaos. Resting was for the orderly and peace was for the soft of heart right? A champion of chaos needed to lead a life of leaping over giant birds and giving birth to terrible monsters.

As we neared the top I heard my flying critter screech powerfully, circle the sky above us twice and then dive in the direction of our cave entrance. I squinted my eyes to get a better look only to see my summon get caught it giant talons and ripped apart by a starving beak! I clenched my jaw in rage, staring intently at the creature as it flew away. The giant bird of prey was back. My summons and I huddled together behind some jagged rocks. Fiona whimpered like a puppy. I couldn't hear her thoughts anymore and for the first time ever this actually saddened me. I raised her head, supporting it with both my hands and smiled at her. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you! We are going to hunt that thing down!". The wolf pepped up a bit after that and started panting lively again.

After picking up a fist sized rock, I chucked it with accuracy towards the entrance of my Dungeon, letting gravity do most of the work. The stone impacted the earth just outside the entrance, raising up a cloud of sand and dust. Satisfied, I gave my critters the signal to continue climbing stealthily. It took us an additional 20 minutes to reach the top with that pace. The sky seemed clear at the top of the Plateau. I assumed the creature had roosted to enjoy its "meal" and so we quietly took positions while there was still time. With my two summons on standby, I approached the edge of the Plateau, almost tip toeing in order to make eye contact with the nest, from as far away as possible. A few more steps later and I could see the monstrous predator resting in its nest. It looked exhausted and hungry. It had lost many feathers, creating bald spots all over its body. It had probably tired itself to this state in order to provide for the young I had ultimately killed. I felt sorry for the great beast but it was eat or be eaten. I was going to conquer this whole Plateau sooner or later and a predator such as this would never give up its territory without a fight. No point in delaying the inevitable..

I pointed my fingers at the bird monster, aiming them like a gun. My Rank 2 "Fire Manipulation Magic" had given me an added bonus effect called Overchannel. I could sacrifice double the amount of Mana needed for a spell to increase its potency by 2,5. That meant 2,5 times the damage in this instance. Unfortunately it also required double the casting time, so it was still unusable in live combat situations. My "Finger Gun" needed about 2 seconds to get a shot off, so 4 seconds was not viable, especially against a stronger opponent. For an enemy that was almost asleep however.. I grinned and focused my intent on the target ahead. One perk of my high magic stat is being able to gauge my opponent's health. The more I invest in that attribute the more things I can know about another creature simply by looking at them. I was quite excited to see what damage my little new trick could do.

My Finger Gun fired off with a dull *FWOOOP* that sounded more like a flaming arrow traveling through the air. The impact on the other hand was a bit underwhelming, as a small burst of fire and concussive force, pushed the bird's head forward and it squaked, surprised by the sudden pain no doubt! I almost cheered in satisfaction.. that was until I saw its HP and the fact that its bar had gone down by 5% tops.. I froze the moment the monster turned back, searching for its attacker, only to see me! The same little shit that caused it pain just a couple of days ago. It roared in anger, letting out a screech that felt as if someone had punched my eardrums. I ran back, drawing my scimitar at it took flight. The moment it reached a good height, it immediately dove at me, taloned feet extended. It was so enraged in fact, it didn't even register my team! Even better than planned..