Lillian starts walking down the mountain trail at a quick pace. I follow behind as she walks past the old man and heads straight into the forest at the bottom of the mountain trail. She completely ignores the blobs and Goombies, and those monsters seem to sense how much more powerful she is than them and they run when she approaches. The Goblins, however, aren’t that smart. They rush to attack her in large groups, and I’m worried at first since that tactic has killed me before. However, Lillian pulls the giant two-handed sword off her back and cuts down three or four Goblins with every swing of her blade. Within moments only the Goblin archers in the distance are left. Lillian must activate some ability or skill because she bends her knees and leaps through the air towards the archers. She lands with such force that a small crater is created and the Goblin archers fall. Before they can rise, Lillian is already swinging the blade killing them with quick, efficient strikes. I want to pause and pick up the dropped loot, but Lillian is already moving forward towards the castle.
Lillian dispatches three more large groups of Goblins with little trouble before we reach the large castle from which the red fog that blankets the land springs. Unfortunately, according to Lillian, we’re not getting any experience points since she’s more than five levels above the monsters.
I equip the throwing hammers before entering the castle, but Lillian doesn’t wait for me. I have to run to catch up with her, and by the time I’ve entered the front gates, there’s already a trail of Goblin corpses in the hallways. She leaps through the second level of the castle, scaling the platforms. She takes a few hits from the hammer throwing turtles before she can leap to their platforms and slices them in half giving the phrase ‘turtle on a half-shell’ new meaning for me.
We’ve reached the boss’s room in record time, and Lillian takes a moment to Inspect King Kanon while he gives his speech about how much he loved Princess Plum. I do the same to see what level the boss is now.
King Kanon
Level 9
Health 450/450
Mana 350/350
King Kanon is the dungeon boss that kidnapped Princess Plum. While he did so out of love, it doesn’t make it any less creepy.
Abilities: Fireball, Turtle Defense
Weaknesses: Cold, The Love of a Good Woman
While he’s finishing off his speech, I move off to the side so that I’m ready to use Hammer Time. However, Lillian switches equipment. She trades in her two-handed sword for a one-handed axe and shield. The axe has a thin layer of frost on it, and the shield has glowing red runes.
When King Kanon finally finishes his speech, I launch my first hammer through the air towards the boss. Before it can even land, Lillian is rushing forward, lashing out with her frost axe. She’s cracked King Kanon’s turtle armor and is using her axe like a lever to widen the opening when my hammer hits the bosses back. He barely notices my attack and turns as he inhales and blows a stream of fire at Lillian. She doesn’t dodge like I would. Instead, she raises the shield on her left forearm and takes the attack head-on. I watch in fascination as the blast of flame that would have sent me for respawn barely reduces her health bar.
I continue to use Hammer Time on the boss, but my attacks do minuscule damage compared to the chunks of life each one of Lillian’s axe chops does to King Kanon’s health. After a few minutes, the boss falls to the ground dead, the weight of his body shaking the castle.
Your party has defeated the boss monster King Kanon, level 9. You receive 90 XP.
I do a little happy dance at finally getting some experience points from this dungeon run. Then I remember that this will likely be the last time I’m in this dungeon and move to the body of the fallen King Kanon. I touch the shelled back of the boss with one hand and cross the fingers of the other as I activate Absorb. The body of the boss disappears, and I get a notification from the System.
Absorb has successfully captured the essence of the defeated foe. You’ve learned the ability Fireball.
I scream with joy as I read the notification. After all the times I used Absorb on this boss, I finally got an ability from him. I pull up the ability’s description.
Fireball - Level 1
E
Active
Some people just want to watch the world burn. Now you too can become one of them. You’re now able to harness the raw power of fire and shoot a ball of red-hot fire from your palm. Be careful where you aim, because you’re not immune to your power. To activate, think or say ‘Fireball’ with the intent to use the power.
I can’t wait to use my new ability. I stretch out my right arm like I’m getting ready to catch a baseball and yell, “Fireball!”
A red ball of flame the size of a baseball shoots from my hand and corkscrews through the air until it hits the castle wall where it burst apart. The flames cling to the stone wall for a moment before burning out.
I do another happy dance, and this time it turns into a full-blown happy jig. The best part of the ability is that uses mana and not TP. I finally have a use for my mana.
“How the hell did you do that?”
Lillian’s voice cuts through my merriment. I turn towards the sound of her voice and see her standing with her mailed hands on her hips, her helmet in the crook of one arm. She’s looking at me with an expression of mirth at my crazy dance moves and curiosity at how I just shot a fireball.
I run up and hug her. Too happy to realize she probably can’t feel the hug through her metal armor. I tell her that I finally got the boss’s ability to throw fireballs after trying for weeks. From her confused expression, I can tell she doesn’t understand so I explain about my ability Absorb and how I get a chance to absorb a monster’s essence and get their abilities. I emphasize that it’s only a chance and that it’s much harder to get a boss’s ability or any creature with a higher level.
Lillian’s eyes widen as I describe the ability and her mailed hand grabs my arm as she asks me to show her the ability description. I do so and wonder at the happy expression on her face.
Absorb - Level 1
SSS
Active
The User has the chance to absorb the essence of a defeated foe from their corpse. The chance of absorption is based on the difference in level between the User and the foe. If the User has a higher level than the foe, then the chances of absorption being successful upon activation are increased. If the foe has a higher level than the User, the chances of absorption being successful are decreased.
To activate, touch the body of a defeated enemy and think or say ‘Absorb’ with the intent of activating the ability.
“Do you know what this means?” She shakes her head and continues, “No, of course, you don’t. Well, I’ll tell you.” She points to a line in the ability description. “You see that part that says SSS? That is the rarity level of ability or magical power.”
I frown at it, vaguely recalling something like that from some old video games.
Lillian continues to explain, “The System starts the rarity scale at the most common abilities G, then F, then it continues up all the way to A.”
“Wait, since S is below G, doesn’t that mean my ability is like super stupid or something?”