NOVEL NEXT Chapter 71 - Family Reunion [Book 1 END]
Sprinting along the cliff's edge, I skipped past the first large white root nearby and moved to the second one. Syriaca stopped at that one and held onto the bomb, staying still. I risked climbing down the cliff a bit to get close enough to the next root. From where I stood, I couldn't see the kids, Syriaca, or anyone. Just the goddess stomping at the army on the other side.
"Come on, where is it?" I noticed the shield slowly dropping. Did Darrell and the group forget to send the signal? Something must've happened to their mage. Where I stood, I couldn't see it.
[System Message private message from:
[Darrell: Any second. Start doing minor damage to it.]]
Thanks to my skill in throwing, I had excellent accuracy as I launched two regular Jingle Bombs at once at the root near me. I reveled in the jingling sound and the explosions that happened after just were the cherry on top. I smiled as they echoed off each other. The yellow shield bar dropped as we hit them. A flaming arrow followed up Syriaca's root. I tossed my shield at the root and called it back to keep up with their damage. I wanted to save my other bombs for once the shield fell.
[Guild Chat]
[Boulder: Great work with the arrows and bombs]
[Triangle: I LOVE COCONUTS!!!]
Up in the sky above, Branchelot flew the letters "GO!"
Obeying the command, I called my shield back and threw the Advance Jingle bomb at the root.
"Devs around, let this work," I prayed.
I saw the root across in the valley fall down before my explosion went off. Syriaca used her bombs and ice attacks, throwing hail at the root and Branchelot. Anything else I missed as the soft root meat exploded everywhere, blocking my vision. The advance bomb worked. As I ran back to the kids, I threw my burning shield at Branchelot's nearest arm a few times. She barely noticed me with the large amount of damage happening from the army below. Players summoned golems or waves of rock, ice, and fire were all thrown at her. Multiple weapons stabbed into her and parts of her body looked fuzzy, with all the arrows sticking out of her.
"Dad," Naiad ran up to me and hug me. "We are slaying the boss! Look, they're dropping her health."
I chuckled, "Yes! Should we join them?"
"Yup!" She bobbed her head and was ready to leap off the cliff.
"Hold it. What about your brother?" I looked in the forest for looking for his little red hat.
"He's making more bombs. Kerry's with him. He'll be fine in the fire ring."
"But what about those walking trees?" I started to make my way over there, but Naiad grabbed my wrist.
"Not one tree showed up and got us. He will be fine. Kerry will pull him up if need to and come to us. I want that class! Please."
I bit my cheek, debating. "He'll join us?"
"Yes, when he's done," she said while tugging on my arm. "We haven't found where the legendary class prize is yet, so we need to get down there now."
I caved in to trusting her, but on one condition. "The moment Triangle is done, we team up."
"Of course!" She said as she jumped off the cliff, threatening to drag me down with her. "Hurry! I think it's going to be another seed or something in her heart or brain."
"It's rarely hiding in the toes." I joked. "Let's get you that class."
"I can't wait to see what damage I can do after this. I wonder if Kerry will get the buff, too?"
Naiad fired arrows at Branchelot as we ran across, laughing. She was ready to run further down the hill to get closer when I called to her. "Hey, wait here in case the final third enters another phase."
She grumbled but listened and we slowly moved around the white grass field closer to the boss. Where we were, I barely could throw my shield at the main body of Branchelot, but I could hit her arm.
Branchelot screamed in pain. Swung her arms at the army in front of her to toss players away. Stomped her feet to crush the opposition. Screamed as she wasn't getting her way. The S.S.S. letters of a tantrum of a child never getting their way. The thought that a goddess was no different than a child put me at ease, even as she screamed out.
"No! Stop!"
Darrell's holy halberd lit up as he received a blessing to empower his attacks. Other paladins were around him using the gifts of the heaven. With their aggressive attacks, they were putting a dent in the health bar.
"Am for the arms!" Naiad instructed. "We can make it fall off."
I added more oil to my shield and lit it again. Throw the shield, step, call it back, Naiad shoots. We made a fire circle around her left bicep. The longer Branchelot ignored it, the more the fire spread and did more damage. After a few minutes, she paused her attacks on the soldier below and swatted at her arm, trying to save it.
That gave time for the foot soldiers to dive in and hack at her feet. To keep her distracted, Naiad and I aimed for her face. The arrows could hit, but I couldn't throw my shield that far. I continued to focus on her arm.
"I see you!" She threatened as she reached out to grab us.
Naiad and I jumped out of the way, running to the back toward the main army group for support. A shadow grew over us as her arm rose again and smacked down in front of us.
"Get to the cliffs," I ordered.
"She'll pin us," Naiad stated the obvious.
Raising my voice, I said, "She wouldn't be that stupid to turn her back to a full army!"
Another one of her hands smacked down right in front of us.
"Becoming a god doesn't make someone smart!" Naiad mocked.
I threw the last Jingle Bombs at her. The goddess held up her gnarly hands and screamed at the pain. Her large frame stumbled as her foot faltered from the army damage. The smoke and debris from the explosion having cleared, I could see her eyes sinking further into her skull and her body shriveling. She was down at the last health bar.
Branchelot swung her head about, enraged she wasn't getting her way, screaming random sounds. She ripped a tree out and threw at the people in front, sending multiple players flying into the air. One by one, she smacked the ground, and it shook beneath our feet.
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"Get to the cliffs," I grabbed Naiad as we rain as fast as we could around the goddess' hand next to us.
The fingers dug into the soil, around the wrists and up the arms, the bark crumbled off in pieces, exposing the smaller fleshy white skin beneath. By the time Naiad and I reached the top, each of Branchelot's arms turned into roots, with white tendrils reaching into the ground.
"I WILL HAVE STRENGTH!" She roared in the face of those attacking her.
A few players launched spells and even an explosion right into her mouth, but as she swallowed them, the brilliant light of the magical energy pulsed and traveled out to her arms. A pulse went out and white tendrils shot up, snagging into players. I hacked at the two reaching up on the cliff after Naiad, I easily hit one, but the other slithered too fast up my leg.
Then I couldn't see as my vision became a solid bright white and all the noise vanished.
[You're in an abyss of energy.]
"Naiad!" I floated there, my scream for Naiad answered with not even an echo. I tried pulling up the guild chat.
[In the state of energy, you can not talk. You are energy.]
My body didn't even respond as I wiggled about. I tried reaching up for the edge of the cliff, where I had last seen it in the world, but it missed.
[GUILD NOTICE: A LEGEND HAS BEEN BORN.]
I tried rotating around to see anything. A sign of a divine being talking to me.
"I don't want this reward. Give me my kids."
Nothing replied.
"This was supposed to be theirs! They worked hard for it, each in their own way. Not mine," I gritted my teeth, feeling defeated at the thought I got the Legend reward because I wanted one of my kids to shine in the light. "My time has passed," I grumbled.
"Not on my watch," the sweet sound of Naiad's voice replied.
As sudden the abyss of energy came, it vanished, and I slid down the Cliffside. "Dad, hold on!" My daughter instructed me.
I shook my head to clear the fog that I felt as I caught up with what happened. I barely left the spot I was on the cliff earlier.
"I got you," she told me before nodding at the ground beneath me. "I cut the roots and climbed up here before more show up."
A quick look down showed more roots trying to chase after us. Branchelot was struggling on her last section of health, but because of her roots nearby, was still regenerating enough to stay barely alive. I must've been out for a while for the army to drop her health like that. I didn't regret missing the finale.
I pulled myself up on the edge and looked Naiad in the eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to take the reward."
"You didn't get it?" She answered, confused, a pout stretching across her face.
After a quick confirmation, I noticed the list of my titles and classes were still the same. "No, did you?"
She shook her head, and as she opened her mouth but her brother screamed over her.
"COCONUTS ARE THE BEST!"
He ran up to us, bouncing up higher than I ever seen him jump. "Its so good! Got to go!"
He lept off the cliff with no concern for his safety.
"Triangle!" Naiad and I screamed.
One moment we were on top of the cliff edge, the next we got down as fast as we could to protect the chaotic and reckless kid.
"I'm out of fire scrolls," her voice shook with fear, "and torches."
She didn't stop as we hit the bottom of the ground, chasing after her younger brother, who bounded ahead to the unstable Branchelot like he was kangaroo. The white tendrils dangling from the major root swung about, searching for a prey, trying to nab my kids.
I picked up a thick branch lying on the ground and smaller ones, tying them quickly together before lighting the small ones on my shield and taking off after my guild.
"Naiad, catch!" I tossed her the makeshift torch.
Naiad nabbed the torch in mid air and sprinted faster after her brother as she swung the flames about to chase roots away from her feet.
"Triangle, slow down!" I yelled, worried the goddess would hear us, but she was screaming at the other fighters, oblivious to the three of us coming at her.
I've never had to tell Triangle to slow down. Naiad and I normally could catch him. It made little sense why he was so fast now and looking down as he hopped about the roots couldn't hinder him like they did to us.
[System Message private message from:
[Darrell: We can't seem to lower this last bit of health. Go all out now before that shield grows more!]]
Running after my child, I hadn't even noticed the sliver of yellow shield bar appearing again and around the base of the roots were bits of bark growing back, signaling that Branchelot was getting her strength back. The outer layer gathered in spots, growing thicker and longer in spots as if she wanted more arms or roots.
With a grunt, I ran as fast as I could to catch up to Triangle. I had to focus on my family first, then help the army in the game. The little guy finally stopped, pausing as he held a coconut in his hand and looked up at Branchelot. In that second, I noticed the shiny green and blue title above his head.
[Title: Jaguar of Chiliam]
Relief and happiness overfilled me, and I had to laugh at the situation. My wish came true that someone in my family got the reward. Triangle, the mighty warrior, stopped aiming the coconut at the goddess.
Triangle tapped his foot in frustration. "I can't throw that. Goldy!" He summoned his fish in his other hand.
Naiad shoved her brother aside and took the growing thorn coming out of Branchelot's nearby arm. Goldy joined in blasting the thorn, knocking its trajectory path just enough to save Naiad from getting seriously hurt by it. It still grazed her, an injury that a greater potion could easily heal.
"Are you alright?" I asked as I finally got in front, ready to block another incoming thorn attack.
"Yeah," she gasped as she chugged the potion. "Hurts, but yeah."
Each thick spot of bark I saw earlier grew into deadly thorns, and three more were pointing at us. We were trapped on this side of the cliff and her, easy targets for her to shoot at. I put the kids behind me and my shield in front and told them, "Do as much damage as you can. Let's finish this."
"Shrimp Guild!" Naiad cheered.
"Coconut bomb!" Triangle roared as he stepped to the side of me.
Goldy the archerfish held a large coconut in its mouth; a six-inch fuse protruded from the coconut's holes. The whole fish and coconut vibrated with energy.
"FIRE!" He patted Goldy's stripes, a magical light passing from his hand and into the fish.
*PUNT*
The coconut blasted out of the fish's mouth, flying up and at Branchelot's head.
Naiad and I followed his example. She launched arrows, and I threw my axe. I kept the shield as a thorn blasted at us. Triangle ducked behind me as his bomb hit the goddess. The explosion was the loudest noise I had ever heard in the game. Root flesh went flying faster than the last thorn coming at us.
The bombs exploded, and a refreshing smell of coconut filled the air among all the flying bits of a goddess. Fireworks went off in every direction, zipping by my ankles and over my head. It was still daylight, and I couldn't see the colors, but I heard the familiar zing sound as one streamed by us. I put my shield down in front of me calmy as my family giggled behind the defense. We were used to blocking out Triangle's bombs by now.
[A god has fallen. The balance of the world has shifted.]
[The gods of heaven and Earth smile upon you.]
[Chiliam has given you a blessing of life. All plants you grow will have a 200% higher yield.]
[New Achievement! You have…]
I told the notifications to go away, focused more on my family with me and making sure the fight was over.
Branchelot's health bar was zero and the roots that were once connected to her snapped and fell to decay instantly. The white grass whitered on the ground before taking off into the air on a breeze. Down in the valley, healers ran about looking for players hurt the most.
[Darrell: You guys okay?]
[Boulder: Better than that, you?]
[Darrell: Would've been dead if we didn't have these potions.]
[Guild Chat]
[CheezWiz: Hahahaha, no way, Triangle got it! The herbalist got the legendary warrior class. Hahaha.]
[Naiad: A herbalist and pet class user too. A worthless class.]
[Triangle: :P]
Even though Naiad messaged that in chat, she was smiling and hugging her brother. I ran over and grouped them up in the biggest hug. Everyone was at full health, Naiad and I were up three levels, but nothing compared to Triangle going up five with a new class title.
"Dad! You're right. Drinking coconut milk gives abilities!" The boy yelled in my ear with excitement.
I smiled back. "Does that mean you drank the coconut?"
He nodded, his little red hat bobbing, even Goldy seemed to smile. "I drained the milk to fill it up with my explosion solution. It worked great! Then I used a super power move I got from the class and powered up my weapon, Goldy!"
"Great job figuring it out before that thorny fight," she picked up her brother and put him on my back. "I need to drink coconut water more."
"We could've grabbed the reward and ran away," I told Triangle.
"I wasn't leaving you guys to all the fun. I can't wait to see what potions and bombs I can make with god-tier parts! Better than the dragon tier. Put me down," he asked on my back.
Before I complied, Naiad put a hand up and instructed, "Quick, Dad, a photo! I want one for my phone."
With a big grin, I pulled her in closer and smiled at where she pointed.
"Shrimp Guild!"
It was a photo of family and adventure that I wanted to print out for the fridge.
THE END