NOVEL NEXT Chapter 262 - A Trip to the Beach
Chapter 262 - A Trip to the Beach
“It’s almost done,” Max stated as he watched the fire essence be completely absorbed by the bow he was crafting.
Tanila and Everett were both in there, no longer concerned with the time and how late it really was.
The ore Everett had given him was perfect for the weapon he had envisioned and right where his hand would hold the bow, the grip had the gem set inside it, acting like a slight version of a Power Core, except filled with the magical power he had been infusing into the weapon for the last two days.
Each rune along the metal flared for a moment before going dark, vanishing into the metal, no longer visible.
“Incredible,” Tanila muttered as she watched the amount of magic power the weapon had absorbed.
“I know I’m missing something,” Everett whispered as he leaned closer to her. “What is it?”
“That bow is filled to the brim with magic. Compared to the other weapons we’ve watched him make, none come close.”
Neither said another word as Max tested one last thing, removing the bow from the table.
Cutting his hand, he rubbed the metal from end to end with his blood, watching as it was absorbed.
[ Bonded ]
[ 13 Experience ]
[ *Legendary Bow Created ]
Grinning like a fool, he grabbed the grip and watched as a string appeared, bending the bow automatically.
“Dear gods!” Everett exclaimed upon seeing the string appear from nowhere.
[ Inspect Weapon ]
*****
* Legendary Free Bow
+ 150 Dexterity
+ 50 Constitution
Magical Arrows - For five mana a magical arrow can be formed and used with no need to load one from a quiver. Arrows are enchanted.
* May Evolve
Bonded
*****
More teeth appeared as Max pulled back on the string and a glowing arrow appeared out of thin air.
“That’s not possible!”
Slowly, he released the tension and watched as the arrow vanished.
“How? How is this…” Everett stopped his outburst and shook his head.
“You realize that there are maybe three bows in the entire known history that can do what yours just did?”
“I didn’t until just now,” Max stated as he turned and rotated the weapon. “Perhaps I shouldn’t flaunt it too much.”
Both Tanila and Everett groaned and nodded.
“I’d ask to inspect it, but I know that’s not possible,” Tanila said. “Tell me how do you think Cordellia will handle seeing you with something like that?”
“Eventually, I’ll try to make her something like mine, but for now, I can’t do anything about it. You and I both know I don’t use a bow that much.”
A yawn escaped from Everett and the man apologized as Tanila couldn’t resist the urge after him.
“I’m headed to bed… probably dreaming about having a weapon like that in my days of adventuring. You two don’t stay up too late.”
Nodding, Max cleaned off his area, storing the bow and then the unique items as their Faction leader left them alone.
“So tell me, I’m dying to know.”
“One hundred and fifty to dexterity, fifty to constitution and only five mana per arrow.”
“Ogre tits, that’s beyond broken. I may need you to make me something the way you keep creating stuff like that.”
Laughing, he moved around the worktable and gently grabbed her waist, pulling her close.
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
“Don’t you think of kissing me until you shower and brush your teeth. You smell.”
Sighing, he let go and gave a slight bow, quickly grabbing the rest of the items on the surface and storing them.
“Well then, I better hurry back and get cleaned up!”
***
The portal hummed with its normal sound, and yet everyone seemed anxious at what was going to be on the other side of the portal.
As they waited, Max considered the changes with his new weapon last night.
[ Simple Stat Check ]
*****
Max Hoste
18-Year-old Human Male
Level 1
Exp 353/1000
Tower Experience: 36.32%
HP: 9675/9675
MP: 5490/5490
Stamina: 3225/3225
STR: 593
DEX: 640
CON: 645
INT: 549
WIS: 549
*****
“Why are you smiling?” Fowl asked as they waited for their turn to enter.
“Just thinking about what we’ll face today. Perhaps some rivers of ale that can be drank dry or fields of soft bread, tastier than anything I have ever eaten before.”
Grunting, the dwarf rolled his eyes.
“Remind me to never ask that question again.”
Smirking, Max considered the knowledge of what his potential was and yet the idea that somewhere inside the tower, harder things, were still waiting. Whatever or whoever was directing the things they faced, someone needed to be beaten. Six entire floors and not a single point of stats to be consumed.
“Warrior’s first,” Fowl said as he motioned to the portal.
Nodding, Max summoned his shield and weapon, touching the black portal and selecting the thirty-sixth floor.
Before his eyes worked, Max could smell the hint of salt and heard the sound of water crashing against something.
When his eyes finally focused, there before him was a vast amount of water fifty yards away. Under his feet was sand.
“A beach?”
Storing his weapons, Max bent down and picked up the white sand, feeling it run between his fingers, some of the tiny pieces sticking to his skin.
“A beach? Blast everything!” Fowl cursed. “Dwarves and beaches aren’t a good mix! Especially ones that wear plate armor!”
As the other three came into the tower floor, both elves squealed in delight while Batrire cursed as Fowl had.
“Seems not everyone is excited about a beach,” Max said as he winked at Tanila.
“They don’t swim that well. Big bones and all.”
Cordellia laughed, ignoring the finger Fowl held up toward her.
“Hopefully, we won’t have to swim much,” Max said, pointing at the tower floor before them. “There is a narrow sand path in the water that looks like it heads towards the other island.”
“Sure… because nothing bad ever comes out of an ocean when one walks along the tiny strip of sand,” Fowl replied. “Have you ever been to a beach?”
“Have you?”
His tanking partner scowled at that response.
“No, but it doesn’t matter. Mark my words, before this day is done, you’ll come to hate beaches also!”
Pulling out his weapon, Max nodded and motioned to the sandbar Tanila had just informed him they were called.
“I’ll lead then. Fowl has the back.”
***
The first thirty minutes were a mixture of laughter, some splashing and a lot of complaining as the group trudged through the sand, making sure to stay on the ten-foot section of sand that shifted under their weight.
In the water, tiny fishes and some slightly larger ones were within his sonar range, moving around the narrow strip of sand that quickly dropped off into the water.
It was clear for about twenty feet and then turned dark blue, obscuring their vision any deeper.
Overhead, clouds drifted over the tropical sun and a gentle breeze moved across them and the waves.
The calming effect and seemingly docile nature vanished when Max sensed eight targets suddenly coming straight at them as they moved around a bend on the sand bar.
“Incoming!”
Fish that were six feet long launched out of the water, giant spear-like swords on their noses. Four small legs were on the bottom of their body, but those didn’t seem to matter as they came like arrows at everyone in the group.
Shield out, Max blocked the fish on his left while swinging his weapon at the one on his right.
A wall of air appeared and then a wall of stone, providing protection for Tanila and Batrire.
Cordellia moved with a grace Max always admired, dodging her attacker and sending an arrow into its side as it passed by.
Fowl had three on him, blocking one with his shield, smashing the second fish with his weapon and taking the third one to his side.
A cry of pain came from the dwarven warrior as it struck.
Max saw the damage it had done to Fowl, but it made little sense at the moment and he had better things to worry about.
The first one he struck had lost a large section of its side, having fileted a two-foot section off. It struggled to move along the sand while the other one was darting back toward the water, those tiny legs moving so quickly as it ran.
Tanila had an ice spear forming, but the pair she had stopped were already almost to the water, moving safely away.
Cordellia already had a third arrow in the one she faced and it was limping back toward the water's edge, blood running from the wounds.
Fowl swung at the one that managed to land an attack, yet his swing seemed off.
“I’m slowed!”
Both of Fowl’s other opponents were back at the water's edge, diving in a moment later.
“Get closer!”
Moving to where the one was struggling to retreat, Max brought his weapon down at its head.
[ Power Strike ]
A wave of cold washed through him and Max grinned as he ran to where everyone was gathering.
[ 8 Dexterity Consumed ]
[ Consume has successfully Consumed a skill ]
[ Skill does not match beings body type ]
[ Consume is adjusting skill ]
[ Consume is unable to adjust skill ]
[ Power stored for future use ]
[ Stat Milestone 1 Reached ]
[ Dexterity of 250 acquired ]
[ Bonus speed and evasion granted - 20% speed increase]
[ Bonus attack speed granted - 20% increase to all attack speeds ]
Max almost didn’t stop in time, as the speed at which he now moved with took a moment to adjust to.
His Sonar was trying to read movements that were about to come and Max was trying to handle the rapid change in his body. As Fowl protected the rear and Batrire, Max swung his weapon a few times, sensing the changes as the weapon began to blur.
“Incoming!”
Six came this time, moving just as fast and again were airborne, three focused on Max while the other three went after Fowl.
Summoning a wall of earth, Max protected Fowl’s side where two were coming, allowing his friend to focus on the one.
Tanila’s Ice Spear raced forward, impaling one of his and pinning it to the sand as it pierced it.
Max swung, striking the first fish to reach him and hacking off another large section of its body while blocking the other.
Arrows flew as Cordellia pin cushioned the two that had run into the earth wall.
This time, before a single one could make it back to the water, they were struck down, the element of surprise gone and outdone by the teamwork.
Cold power flooded him again as Max cut down two more fish.
[ 8 Dexterity Consumed ]
[ Consume has successfully Consumed a skill ]
[ Skill does not match beings body type ]
[ Consume is adjusting skill ]
[ Consume is unable to adjust skill ]
[ Power stored for future use ]
[ 8 Dexterity Consumed ]
“Everyone okay?”
Fowl grunted and nodded, picking up the fish he bludgeoned to death and storing it.
“They have some weird attack that I guess if it strikes, casts a slow of some sort. For thirty seconds I felt like a slug.”
Max nodded and when nothing else came, they relaxed slightly.
“These are faster than so many of the other creatures we’ve faced lately,” Cordellia stated. “Even out of the water they were fast.”
“That they were. Much faster.”
Tanila gave Max a raised eyebrow, to which he grinned and nodded before moving to retrieve the fish they had just killed.
“Remember what I said!” Fowl shouted. “We’ll hate the beach before this is over!”