Chapter 56: How A Scribe Fights (1) (1/2)
Katrin gritted her teeth as she realized that the battle had now begun in earnest. She resolved herself for the battle after finally deciding on the tactics she would use. She recalled her Mag-gun and instead decided to proceed empty handed, taking up an open handed martial stance.
”Oh? Are you sure? You might not last longer than a few seconds.” Fargo said, he disapproved of her choice yet he couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of the fight. Normally he hated his job as a snatcher. It was something wholly beneath him as a Striker. Preying on the weak or helpless frustrated him to no end and lately Gaines had only requested new adventurers.
*I'll be happy when this all dies down and I can enjoy some free time. I hate that fat fuck, with all of my soul.* Fargo's eyes flashed dangerously of mana as an explosion of energy washed over his body.
Katrin felt a sense of pressure overcome her as the mood suddenly changed. Not only was mana a conduit for magic, but it also allowed emotion and intent to be transferred. Sometimes it could even alter the effects of spells used for free-form magic users. Katrin had read as much but it was her first time experiencing it firsthand. The impression she got was like facing a massive wall and it bared down upon her causing an uncomfortable feeling of oppression to cling to her.
She couldn't help but feel pressured, her body reacting on reflex to force a hard gulp. It lasted for only a moment as she clenched her fist before the battle continued in full. Fargo walked towards her confidently until he reached a distance sufficient enough to bridge the distance in a single move.
Meanwhile Agni had her hands full with two highly skilled opponents. With her 'Whisper' ability sealed she couldn't help but stay on the defensive. She'd been trying to compel her opponents from the beginning but one of them would always interrupt her command. Glint particularly was fond of sticking close to her to take advantage of the fact that she was unable to use her halberd effectively at such a close distance. His experience in combat had already exposed weaknesses that Agni never thought about. She was now learning the hard way that all of her abilities were suited to mid and long range combat. When it came to melee she was woefully unprepared. At this point the only thing keeping her afloat was her Agility score.
Agility was different from speed in the sense that it allowed for quick evasive motions, whether full or partial in nature. Ducking, weaving, side steps -- these were abilities that Agni practiced constantly during the past week and a half of her new life in Adventia. The problem was that due to the experience of her attackers any edge she had was minimal at best. She was barely avoiding the tip of Glint's blades while Ashe's ambush attacks forced her to take the brunt of a blow from one or the other.
In the event that Agni was able to activate her Whisper ability, it would only take hold for a second, and that time seemed to decrease in duration each time she used it on one of her attackers. Furthermore compelling them to fight one another or simply kill themselves seemed to be impossible altogether. She was forced to dance between attacks while watching for Ashe's irregular strikes. It was only a matter of time before she slipped up and with that in mind she decided to abandon the use of her halberd altogether.
*You're going to get captured like this! I know a better way!* Shula mind-shouted as an alert suddenly appeared before Agni.
[Acquire the ability 'Iron Fangs, Iron Claws'? This will cost 10 PP. Y/N]
*What?* Agni's slight moment of distraction was enough for Glint to catch her with a gash along the exposed flesh on her thigh. Agni gritted her teeth and ignored the pain which was now setting in as she focused on Shula's words.
*You can fight hand to hand with this ability. It will turn your fingers and teeth to sharp instruments of death at just a thought. It's the only way you're going to break the stalemate.* Shula explained.
Agni had been saving her Potential Points, not because of her desire to obtain wings, she would manage that with her next rank up. Instead she simply planned on acquiring the most useful general skills to suit her. Realizing now that Shula was right, she had no choice but to acquiesce.
*Yes!* She confirmed mentally, and the prompt disappeared, subtracting ten of her remaining 30 Potential Points and learning the 'Iron Fangs, Iron Claws' ability.
[Acquire 'Extend'? This will cost 5 PP. Y/N]
*UGH! You're making me use all of my PP.* Agni mentally grunted as she focused on dancing between Glint's blades and moving to avoid Ashe taking a place behind her.
*Shut up and do it. I have a bad feeling about these goons, and Katrin's fighting all by herself.* Shula commanded, defiantly. Agni ignored it because she felt the same. Ever since she acquired a new passive, Devilish Intuition, it had been helping her in many ways. In fact, it was due to this ability that she was able to avoid being checkmated by her two aggressors. She could ”feel” Ashe's attacks more than sense them. His technique made him invisible unless she was using Succubus Vision, only at the moment of striking would he be revealed and by then it would be much too late.
Devilish Intuition allowed her to avoid his strikes regardless of whether she had eyes on him and the ability was being forged in fire with each attempt. The more her opponents attacked her, the more she could feel the harm being directed her way. It was as if their intent to injure her became perceivable and she used this to augment her natural Agility. If not for this ability, she would no doubt have been defeated within seconds.
Agni quickly accepted the second suggestion of Shula. She already knew what the abilities were, but to her they both seemed lame at the time -- thus she never even bothered to obtain or experiment with them. There would be no harm in acquiring either as long as her mastery with both failed to exceed 5% by the time the battle ended. It was a risk she was willing to take though. Agni was quickly learning that class related abilities were the bread and butter of an adventurer and they were almost always superior to general skills.