NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11, Part 2 - Optimizing Your Isekai
The bleak wind blew flecks of white across our vision. Not snow and not even ash but something that felt void of life for eternity. It was disconcerting to say the least and the delving team, so boisterous and confident just seconds ago, seemed to shrink in on themselves.
Null essence really does make everything bleak. No wonder everyone hates it.
The rift didn't look that different from the most recent recording but it was still ominous. The wind, instead of whistling, whispered of our impending demise. The 'mist' wasn't water at all but the gently floating flakes of nothingness. The trees, once vibrant and beautiful, looked like they were on their last legs.
The rift exit shone brilliantly and shifted through the color spectrum. What would have been a gorgeous display in most circumstances felt more sinister against a mostly colorless backdrop.
Deciding to keep my voice memo brief, I only mentioned that it felt like there was more null. It resonated extremely well with my metaphysical body – my soul? – but made me feel ill at-ease. I decided I'd comment further once the tension left the group.
Milica walked over and took out a different measuring tool from her spatial bag. "We need to test the bracelets and make sure they are functioning well."
We had tested them a few times on the way to the rift – not much else to do but chat and keep ourselves busy if we could – but it was going to be crucial to continue to test them and take readings throughout the delve.
Most Tier 1 rifts weren't wide-open spaces like this one, they were either narrow strips of outdoor land or something like a series of rooms with enemies in them.
It was hard to feel where the rift boss could be, especially as this was only my second experience. Our initial instructions weren't to go for a full clear of the rift, eliminating all monsters, but we were instructed to kill at least 80% of the wolves to get enough readings and drain the rift of some of its essence.
"Okay, given the readings, we unfortunately have to go for a full clear. There is something strange going on here and we need to make sure it doesn't break. They took their watchers off this area as of first light this morning as they knew we were coming. A break could kill over a hundred people in the area, maybe far more. So, let's be efficient, patient, and calm." Milica looked in each of her teammates' eyes.
Walking over to me, she shook her head. She looked anxious and somewhat sick to her stomach. "We need to do this. I would love to have you retreat to safety but we can't absorb that much null essence without it doing significant damage, maybe killing us. And trying to shunt that much null is almost as bad. We need you here."
I shrugged. "There is always risk but I believe in you and trust you and your team to protect me to the best of your abilities."
She winced.
Huh, thought that was one of my better mini speeches.
I went to try again but stopped.
Consultant survival tip #98: You swung and missed on some kind of well-intentioned comment. Unless it is likely to fester, take the L. It is totally normal to not get every conversation perfect. No one reasonable is expecting that from you. Show with your actions what you tried to with your words.
Isekonsultant survival tip #17: In the super creepy rift that feels like it wants to eat us, don't do anything to make it more awkward or ominous. Just let the professionals do their job and you do yours.
We started exploring east – or at least what Jovan's compass called rift east – and quickly ran into two wolves. While they didn't attack together, it was still not a great situation. Both for the fight and the rift in general. If wolves were closer to each other than usual, that would make the rift potentially far more dangerous.
Milica quickly engaged one, bringing up her large circular shield on her right arm and clanging her war axe against it with her left. She also called out for maiming shots on the monster.
I was surprised to hear Milica call for two spells immediately but Stefan responded, first immobilizing it with a lightning bolt to its center mass and a fireball aimed at its front leg. The electric charge only staggered it so the fireball did glancing damage. Given the dry environment however, the leg caught on fire. I started to worry about a forest fire but it didn't spread in the slightest.
Did Stefan maintain control of the fire after casting?
The chaos of arrows, fire, and a large man attacking the other of the wolves made it hard to get a good look but the fight between the initial wolf and Milica was more of a battle of wills and strength. It made to pounce on her and she blocked it with her shield. It's teeth, longer than they had any right to be, were mere inches from her face slavering a disgusting, brackish liquid that slightly marred her skin, while she held it off and tried to get a good angle for a strike.
Eyes a burning blackish purple, the snarling white beast looked emaciated and crazed. It was trying to use force to win instead of protecting itself. The tail looked like most of its fur might fall off at any second. The claws were chipped if still sharp.
Despite all that, it still was incredibly dangerous and I was on the lookout for more.
A loud yelp followed but a splat came from where Jovan had engaged the first wolf. I glanced over and saw deep reddish purple blood staining the ground, leaking from the bisected beast. It was peppered with arrows that also added more blood to the blank white canvas of ash that coated the ground.
Once the first wolf was dispatched, Jovan swept in on the second, cutting cleanly through one of the back legs and most of the way into the second hind leg on the follow through. The wolf quickly unbalanced but Milica was surprised and lost her footing too. As it went to lunge despite two and a half working limbs at most, Milica raised her shield but it wasn't needed. An arrow pierced its eye and the beast fell.
Right on top of Milica.
"Really you <redacted> sodus for brains, <redacted> <redacted>, call your jebbie-ing shots! I obviously was happy for the help, only hit it three times with my axe, but I was counting on its weight… Good work on the fight, bad work on the teamwork."
As we gathered the bodies onto a makeshift sled – another duty draw Stefan somehow lost – my AAI interface winked out. No message, no nothing.
"Hey, my AAI just went down, what about you?" Turning to the others, they just gave me an odd look.
Suddenly it came back up and I repeated myself.
"Sodus, now that you say it, yup. I have it minimized for the rift to not distract me but… Yeah, that's weird. And not good. Milica, you were right. Something's wrong here. I say we retreat and call in the big guns." Vesna looked genuinely scared.
"But Vezzie, think of the rewards! If this thing is that on the fritz, they say that's when you get a free skill. Or a bond egg! Just imagine it!" Stefan had grabbed both her hands and was trying to get her to excitedly jump. And failing miserably.
"Milica, I have to agree." At a hurt look from Vesna, Jovan clarified. "With Vesna. This feels like too much so I say we leave."
"Team vote then?" Milica asked to grumbles. "Two to two, I assume since I say we owe it to those people who will die if we don't?"
"Where is this coming from Milica? You aren't usually this… let's just say selfless." Jovan looked at her, tilting his head. "It's an interesting new direction but at an exceptionally bad time."
"Thanks, that makes me feel great about myself. I am just seeing too many people die and I'm sick of it. And yes, the rewards should be nice. Unfortunately, I am using my once monthly extra vote as Captain to break the tie. We don't have time to discuss further." At mutinous grumbles from Jovan and Vesna and a happy squeal from Stefan, she looked to me.
"You got all your readings and did your little voice thing?" I shook my head and she motioned for me to get to it.
I stepped over to a tree to block some of the sound. "Not sure what is going on with the team… but the essence felt fantastic, even more pure than when Dahlia tinkered with the bracelets. It was like a rush throughout my whole body and nothing gave me the uncomfortable feeling from the first rift."
***
We methodically went through the rift over the next two and a half hours, eliminating wolves, mostly prowling on their own. Apparently the entire team could feel where the boss was so they were saving that direction for last. We were resting ahead of the final charge to the boss and the reward distortion.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"This was relatively easy as far as rifts go, even with that first fight. Hopefully you understand that fact if this was intimidating for you," Jovan said, wincing slightly as he had been bitten on the calf by one of the wolves when Milica missed her block. "I should be uninjured – Milica is not one to be sloppy – but that was a team error, not because the rift was tough. I want to tell you that so you don't go getting cocky."
I still think I could probably take these down pretty easily. They are predictable. Then again, without my AAI…
Still, I'd bet on myself. Even at a 1:2 payout.
…Is it messed up to bet on your own life?
"Yeah, it was unlucky the AAI went down in that fight, presumably distracting her," I said. "Weird that it was the only time it's happened during battle though. And right after I mentioned it wasn't happening in when we were in a fight. Are there any theories about rifts being sentient or something?"
"Heh, keep that down. Stefan loves his conspiracy theories. He will talk your ear off. Hopefully not literally. And that's what they are: theories but not good ones that have any basis in reality."
Milica laughed and punched Jovan on the shoulder. He pretended it hurt and continued, "That said, I have never heard of a rift blocking AAI like this. It's pretty bad."
I responded, trying to maintain a serious tone. "Yeah, I was surprised at how complete it is blocking too. I thought I'd still be able to understand you since I have a program with Verdantese language specifically loaded but nope! Whatever it is, I think it's probably something that interferes with how the chip itself communicates, either the technology or the magical communication. It's probably not targeted only at AAI but that's all we have that is impacted."
The AAI issue was happening more and more frequently with longer stretches of being down the more time we were in the rift.
We all got up to stretch.
This AAI thing is interesting but something for Ratmir to investigate. My job is to just record my thoughts and a few readings. Seems like we are just about done so I can finally eat.
Right on cue, it went down again. We used hand signals that we had quickly developed to mean 'we'll wait until it's done'.
The team were going over their tactics again for the final charge but my instructions were pretty simple: stay out of the way, let them do their job, protect myself as needed.
Three minutes later, they started the trek towards the boss. We estimated there were still probably about five regular wolves in the area and the boss usually had two larger variants directly with it as lieutenants.
"We've been careful thus far to not attract the boss but any fights this close can lead to a wolf calling the boss and its lieutenants. Be on your guard." Milica got a confirmation from each member and they started forwards.
She slipped something out of her storage bag quietly. At my glance, she sent an AAI message that it was wolf repellant to keep them from ganging up and to cover the scent of blood.
Wonder why we weren't using that the whole time. Must run out of scent?
The smell of something close to piss started to permeate the area so I moved farther away from the tank. Her teammates weren't so lucky and had sour faces as they moved forward.
The first wolf came charging out of the white swirls directly ahead, baying loudly. "Vesna, hit the throat! No attracting others!" Milica called and charged to engage.
Vesna's shot went wide, as she seemed to pull back at the last second, ensuring she avoided hitting the frontliner careening towards their lupine foe. Stefan tried to get into position but the crazed wolf was acting erratically – more erratically than the previous wolves – and he couldn't get a [Fireball] in with reasonable certainty he wouldn't hit the short woman.
Presumably the repellant is making it fight against its own instincts. Good note for future delves.
Then another wolf charged into the fray.
"Kid, get to a safe distance! Go that way!" Milica indicated the direction the second wolf had come from. "Jove, I can handle this one for a bit longer, you guys take the other!"
I moved farther away, not exactly towards the boss but I figured the vacated area a wolf had just left wasn't a terrible place. Also, the team could still see me.
Jovan had expertly intercepted the second wolf also charging for Milica, dealing a blow to its left foreleg. It turned sharply, snarled, then lunged at the man, opening it up to an arrow to the butt. Stefan threaded the needle with a weak lightning bolt in case he missed and hit Jovan. The shock distracted the pure white wolf – now streaked with red – for Jovan to land a strike on the other foreleg. It was now just an exercise in wearing it down so Vesna aimed her bow at the other wolf.
"Wait 'til I'm clear!" Milica swung her axe, getting a good strike in on the wolf, causing it to back off and howl in pain. Vesna's arrow struck midway down its body. Not quite a heart shot but still greatly wounding the beast.
Our AAI went down again. At least this fight seems to be wrapping up.
I heard a howl coming from my left. Of course I jinxed it.
The smell of piss increased in my area. Well, if that was me, I don't really care right now.
I prepared my morningstar and braced behind my shield. It was on an intercept course for Milica but suddenly turned towards me. Its slavering maw smelled like that container of takeout I'd forgotten for 3 months in the back of my fridge.
"Buddy, you need a breath mi-aaahh!" My quip was interrupted as it leapt higher than I had seen any go previously. I tried to roll with the momentum, using the shield to aid it continuing further. It mostly worked as I wasn't damaged but I lost my footing.
Seeing it up close, I realized it was bigger than any we'd fought thus far.
Popping back up, I got a weak but effective underhand swing off, hitting it directly in the shoulder. Good, that will make it harder to pounce.
My small victory was short lived as it backed up and started a charge.
I juked to the left and then dove to my right.
Success! Oh SODUS!
I dodged the charge but dropped my morningstar.
The good news was the wolf skittered into it, dealing itself damage.
The bad news was it was now stuck in its chest. Not deep enough for serious damage either.
I tried with all my mind to access the ring in a pouch around my neck for the warhammer. I felt the ring pulling at my spirit, at my core.
I can investigate that later.
The warhammer, light enough to be used one handed but long enough to be effective with two, popped into my hand just as the wolf started another charge, this time wobbling slightly. I managed the same move as before but, as I had more clearance, I simply jumped to the side.
As it passed, I swung my best baseball swing with the sharpened point on the back of the hammer. It impacted and cut a huge gash along the side of the wolf.
I heard yelling and more snarls behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Milica standing back up, looking like she had taken a bad blow.
Before I could process more, the wolf was back at my side, this time trying to swipe with its good remaining leg. It feebly struck my shield but still crashed heavily on me.
Summoning my footing lessons from Risto, I was able to deflect the blow, swing around it while it was recoiling from the block, and then land a crushing blow to its back left leg from my overextended swing. It let out a piteous moan.
I followed up with a strike to its other back leg.
It was an utterly debilitating if not mortal set of blows.
It can't move like this so move onto the fresher, more dangerous targets.
I turned to celebrate my victory but my comrades were nowhere to be found. Four presumably dead wolves and one grievously injured were all the signs of where they had been.
Milica's axe was embedded in the head of presumably the other lieutenant.
A truly massive wolf – presumably the rift boss – tilted its head at me and then snarled. I could see a boiling hatred in its purple-black eyes. Even the inside of the mouth on the boss had been sapped of color so the only thing standing out from the drab colors behind it were those terrible eyes.
Well, sodus. I guess bring it on.
Deciding to do my best warcry, I started to charge. And immediately stopped as the last remaining regular wolf charged on an intercept course.
I mostly managed to avoid it but it got a good swipe in on my leg. I felt my left femur buckle and an immense pain blossomed across the entire appendage.
I don't think it's actually broken but can't rely too heavily on that any more. Hard to swing a hammer on one leg. What do I have?
The aborted charge put me close to the discarded axe and I managed to do a dive and roll to get my hand on it.
It cost me dearly.
A slash from the wolf's claw had clipped my calf. Not quite severing my Achilles tendon but still further hampering my mobility. It turned to pounce and I used my shield to brace the axe just right.
A sane or even a cautious opponent wouldn't jump directly onto an axe. But these were crazed. All other than the rift boss, which seemed content to let its pack have their fun.
My AAI was still down and this was probably the longest period it had been blocked.
That predictive modeling would be nice about now.
I managed to shove the wolf off my shield but the axe was embedded too deep for me to pull it out in time for the charging rift boss.
Barely sweeping up my hammer, I danced out of the way as best as I could, a scream of pain ripping from my lips.
I swung with my the warhammer, making solid contact with the ugly beast's head, and creating a sickening crunch.
Praying that would be enough - but realizing it almost certainly wasn't - I stumbled back, trying to take a defensive stance.
***
Shield raised, voice bellowing a challenge, I braced for another charge from the alabaster abomination of a wolf.
I focused, preparing for one last strike against the rift boss.
Then, I felt it.
A tooth slicing into the back of my calf.
Briefly glancing down as I stumbled to one knee, I saw the lieutenant I'd left for dead.
It managed to drag itself over to me while I was otherwise occupied.
"Always finish the damn job Terry!" I bellowed.
I swung down, ending its life and almost decapitating it with my hammer in my anger and surging adrenaline.
But, it might be too little too late. Only way out, if I get out, is through.
The boss charged and I bounced out of the way, letting my shield arm take the brunt as best I could.
I recovered my morningstar from the chest of the now dead lieutenant and faced down my foe.
A minute later of a cat and mouse battle, the bleached beast, even its eyes turning white like the warm almost-snowflakes that fitfully floated around us, answered another of my screams of anger with a roar of its own and began to lope towards me from 15 feet (5m) away.
I'd gotten quite a few good hits in on its left hind leg so it was about as graceful as my usual 'run' trying to catch the tram to another terminal in the Dallas Fort Worth airport.
Why the hell are the terminals arranged as A-C-E-D-B?
Its fangs dripping a mixture of saliva and both of our blood, it approached my shield at a pace I couldn't fully block. I swung at the side of its head knowing I needed to end it here and now.
I can't survive another charge. My leg is done for.
One – or both – of us would not be making it out of this alive.
Would I rather be doing this or a PowerPoint?
There wasn't a question in my mind as I grimly smiled.
Time to finish the job.
The giant lupine had surprised me, ducking its head at the last moment to get under my shield. Adjusting my swing, I made solid contact with the side of its head and felt the bones crunch.
Unfortunately for me, momentum is a hell of a thing.
Newton, just once, I wish you were wrong…
The beast let out a piteous cry but still managed to launch me into the air with its snout, dislodging my shield and weapon both.
Flailing while flying with both of your legs essentially unusable was an odd experience. Extremely uncomfortable and scary but still oddly reminiscent of jumping off a swing at its apex as a child.
I landed in a heap, my leg finally shattering and piercing through, as I prepared for an attack to finish me off. With blood covering my eye, I flung a dagger at the direction of the rift boss and the sharp 'yarp' was the last thing I heard.