action pve tayo hehe

-chapter fifty-seven-

THIRD PERSON

Finn gripped both throwdaggers in hand, waiting patiently for the giant machine to make its move.

It gave a deep, guttural sound and stomped on the ground. An electric wave bursted out of him. Hindi agad nakaiwas si Finley doon kaya naman medyo natamaan siya ng isang shockwave. She stayed frozen for a minute because of the electricity and that's when the Giant Mecha charged in!

Agad na tumalon si Finn sa gilid, making the monster hit the wall behind her. Tumakbo siya papunta sa likod nito at nagsummon ng limang throwdaggers. A dark aura covered the weapons and it created an array of explosions once they hit the giant's body. Finn was thrown aback by the explosive impact, pero agad niyang idiniin ang paa upang mabalanse ang katawan.

Finn did not wait for the giant to recover from the small stun her attack made. She ran to the side, flicking her hand and creating a shadow-chain of daggers. Umakto ang mga anino na kadena at kumakapit ang pitong dagger dito. Finn used that as her makeshift weapon, spinning it once before throwing it over the giant's body. Naipit sa loob ng shadow chain ang higante, and Finn pulled the giant down.

The whole nest quaked at the force.

Sa isang iglap ay tumayo na ang giant. An electric laser went out of its mouth, shooting in a forward direction, kaya naman napahakbang si Finn sa tabi. The giant then turned towards her and unleashed four electric lasers in the cardinal directions at the same time. A surprised gasp left Finn as she had no choice but to dodge again.

Finn quickly transformed into a shadow form, vanishing and appearing around the giant. Kapag lalabas siya ay gagamitin niya ang kunai upang umatake, pagkatapos ay mawawala naman bago pa matamaan ng shockwave na pinapalabas ng higante.

There is no time limit for defeating the monster, ngunit nag-iba ang visual interface ni Finn. Now, she can see the monster's HP level at the top left in an orange color. Sa ilalim nito ay isang yellow bar na unti-unting tumataas.

That must be the armory level, Finn thought.

In the top right corner, Finn can see the upgrades and downgrades. May lumalabas na up arrow kapag may nagagawa siyang magagandang combos. Kapag nangyayari ito, Finn's speed, attack, and critical strikes increases. When a down arrow appears naman, the giant has decreased her attributes. Kagaya noong natamaan siya ng isang shock wave kaya nagdecrease ang speed niya ng ilang sandali.

Now, Finn can't help but think that it almost looks like a game.

Isang daing ang napakawalan niya nang tumama ang kaniyang likod sa pader. Kahit na sobrang sakit nang pagkakatama, Finn had to get up and roll to the side because the giant was charging again.

Planting both palms on the ground, Finn flipped herself up, delivering two flying kunais to cancel the giant's incoming electric ball. Pagkatapos ay ginamit niya ang shadow para makateleport sa likuran ng higante.

Finn processed the giant's attributes inside her head. It was heavy and she felt it when she pulled it down. Sapat na rin ang bawat lindol na nangyayari sa nest para malaman ang bigat nito. Even with that weight, the giant reacts quick. Since Finn was the only player inside the nest, kaagad nalalaman ng higante kung nasaan siya - even though she has no presence, the attacks and sounds she makes takes the giant's attention. The giant's skills are also made in only seconds of successions, so Finn have to dedicate herself into reading attacks and timely dodging.

Mabuti na lang at walang cooldown ang mga skills niya.

Moreover, there is no defined or limited skill set. Kung anong maisipang gawin ni Finn gamit ang weapon at shadow, at kung alam niya kung paano ito i-execute, she can create and improve skills whilst in the middle of a fight.

The confirmation for that happened next, when the giant unleashed four electric lasers around the nest. Finley positioned herself in the laser-free area, placing her palm on the ground and staring at the giant's head.

"Crown of Daggers." mahinang sambit niya.

Twenty daggers appeared just above the giant's head - the tip pointing towards the monster. It only hovered above the giant, circling and waiting for the time to attack. Then Finn, who assumed the giant's skill is about to stop, twisted her hand to the side.

"Activate Shadow Rain."

Sa mismong pagkawala ng apat na electric lasers ay siyang paghulog ng mga daggers sa ulo ng higante. Shadows then covered the giant's body, dancing around and stabbing the daggers, as well as exploding with dark magic.

The giant's HP fell down to x7. Napakagat ng labi si Finn. Isang HP level lang ang nabawas sa gano'n katagal na laban.

Just as Finn was about to walk away from the giant, in order to prepare for its next attack, a screen popped out, temporarily pausing the battle.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Two players have joined the nest! Work together to defeat the giant monster, rogues!

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Two... players?

Finn glanced at the side and around, hoping to see who just arrived. Hindi naman natagalan ang paghahanap niya dahil agad niyang nakita si Caspian at Theo sa likod ng higante. They looked surprised at seeing the giant, but their eyes grew wider when it landed on her.

Finn could understand the curiosity and worry in their eyes, but she was slightly taken aback by the wonder they also had.

Plano sanang magtanong ng dalawa ngunit kaagad na tumalon-talon ang higante kaya bumalik dito ang atensiyon nila. Nahagip ng tingin ni Finn ang napupunong armory level nito. In the corner of her eye, she also noticed a rune lighting up.

Mabilis siyang tumakbo doon at inactivate ito. Finn only needs to twist the stone in the pillar to the side for the whole rectangular area to glow in blue.

"Hurry!" sigaw ni Finn sa dalawang lalaking nakatulala sa higanteng patalon-talon.

Since it was probably the first time they ever heard Finn shout, kaagad na sumunod si Caspian at Theo sa utos nito. They all entered the activated rune area. Tamang-tama lang ang pagpasok nila sa paglapag ng higante sa lupa.

Hindi lang pagyanig ang nangyari sa buong nest. Isang napakalakas na shockwave ang pinakawalan ng higante - the buzzing electricity heavy and thick in their eyes. Sumama ang apoy sa kuryenteng sumakop sa buong nest.

Finn looked at it horrified. Were they expecting her to finish this boss herself? Mabuti na lang at may nakapasok pang dalawa dito dahil siguradong tosta siya nito.

She is known for posting game guides, but she's not that amazing to quickly find out a monster pattern and defeat it in one try. Ilang beses ding natatalo at namamatay si Finn sa mga laro niya, para lang matapos ito at mapakita sa ibang players ang effective way para makompleto ang quests at dungeons.

But those were harmless games where respawn items even exists, o 'di kaya ay may resurrecting time sila. In this game, kapag namatay sila dito, talagang patay na sila.

So, Finn can't just execute her trial and error method. She needs to be patient and spend hours inside the nest.

"Is that a monster boss?" kunot-noong tanong ni Caspian. "I only got a glimpse of the description but the yellow bar seems to be the so-called armory level."

Tumango si Finn do'n, confirming Caspian's assumptions.

"At ito ang sinasabing maa-activate kapag napuno ang armory level niya." Theo added. "An ultimate skill that can burn you to shreds. Ano ba klaseng luck ang mayro'n tayo at dito tayo nahulog?"

Finn blinked at that. Does that mean her luck is the absolute worst dahil siya ang naunang nahulog dito? Are there other nests too?

"May ibang nest ba na mas madali?" tanong ni Caspian.

Sumimangot si Theo doon. "Sapphire only had to collect fifty crabs to earn fifty thousand gold. Si Eura din na kailangan lang umakyat ng coconut at kuhanin ang gintong niyog."

Finn understood it right away. Kaya naman pala tinawag itong Treasure Hunt. Hindi lang gold ang kailangan nilang iponin dahil required din ang luck nila para magkaroon ng madaling tasks. Although, their easy tasks are only compensated with fewer golds.

Hindi tuloy alam ni Finn kung swerte siya dito dahil five hundred thousand ang bigay na reward, o malas dahil parang kapalit ng halagang 'yon ang buhay niya.

"The HP's down to 7." Caspian glanced at me. "Kanina ka pa dito."

"Mm. About twenty minutes."

"Do you know any of its weakness, Finn?" Theo asked next.

Umiling si Finn. "Not sure. Ultimates deal high damage. High magic attacks too."

"Ano 'tong lumalabas sa kanang gilid?"

"Buffs in good combos. Decrease attri. when boss attacks."

Hindi na nakapagtanong pa si Theo dahil nadeactivate na ang rune na kinaroroonan nila. He was a bit disappointed because he was trying to come up with more questions. Kahit na konti lang ang sagot ni Finn, okay na 'yon.

"Why don't we combine all of our ultimate attacks?" Caspian suggested. "That would deal excessive damage."

Finn nodded. "When boss reaches HPx2. Need to kill quickly."

"Oo, nakita ko nga 'yon sa description." pagsang-ayon ni Theo. "That means we should normally attack it for now and bring it down to that HP level then simultaneously attack."

The other two agreed at the plan they set before placing in positions. Finn, as the one who mastered and spent time with the giant the longest, served as their tank. Siya ang hinahabol ng higante sa laban nila. Now that there are two additional players, mas hindi na papansinin ng higante ang presensiya ni Finn. Kaya naman kailangan niya itong atakehin palagi.

Caspian was the one in charge of dealing damage, although Finn helps sometimes. Si Theo naman ay tumutulong din sa pag-atake at pagsuporta. Inoobserba niya ang dalawang kasama at gumagawa ng ice walls sa harapan nila, whenever they don't notice an incoming shockwave.

Finn made a circle of daggers that surrounded the giant. Hindi na ito lumilipad sa taas ng ulo nito, pero nakatusok sa lupa sa paligid nito. The shadows that appeared from the daggers, crawled towards the giant's ankles and chaining it down.

Caspian saw it and added his own circle of needles, hovering just above Finn's daggers. Kumonekta ang apoy na nasa needle sa isa't-isa, bago ito dumugtong sa mga anino na kumakabit sa paa ng higante. It was a combination of fire and shadows - a mixture of darkness and flame.

The giant made another loud, incomprehensible sound. Binuksan nito ang laser mouth at mukhang aatakehin ang dalawang rogues na naglilimita ng galaw niya, ngunit kaagad na nalagyan ng ice ang mouth nito.

Theo, who was standing behind the two, offered a small smile before creating an incredibly huge ice nail. Malaking amount din ng energy ang kinukuha nito sa kaniya, but he has a lot of those because of his frequent sleep. Kaya nga nakaya niyang i-maintain ang limang traps sa last city. Theo has a deep well of energy and his magic doesn't vanish too quickly.

It's safe to say that all three of them were experts in the field of magic - having huge amounts of energies so spending hours in the nest wasn't really a concern for their magic.

The giant gave a loud cry when the nail fell down and impaled its chest. Theo gritted his teeth as he tried to maintain the nail's shape, amidst the giant's quick electric defense in its stomach area. Tinitigan niya ang HP level ng higante na unti-unti nang bumababa sa 6.

But then, the nail ice exploded along the mouthguard Theo made. Kasabay noon ay ang pagkawala din ng higante sa kadenang nasa paa niya at ang electric balls na ipinalabas ng higante. It moved around the nest with the threat of electrifying the players once hit.

"Shit." Caspian couldn't help but curse as he pulled Finn away from a bouncing electric ball. "We need to dodge them."

"No shit." Theo sarcastically replied, stepping aside to let the electric ball pass by. "Pero paano na tayo makakagalaw ng maayos nito? Aside from dodging the attacks, we also need to avoid being hit by these... things."

Caspian nodded. He's thinking the same thing. If they become too focused with attacking the giant, hindi nila mapapansin ang pagdating ng electric ball sa likuran.

"Three pair of eyes."

Napatingin ang dalawang lalaki kay Finn sa sinabi nito. The female rogue pointed at his eyes then at theirs. Kahit na alam nilang iba ang ibig sabihin nito, they can't help but think of the famous phrase 'I can see you' that accompanies that gesture.

"Teamwork."

Hindi mapigilan ng dalawa na mapangiti. Finn says the littlest of words, but they can understand every single thing. She doesn't like to talk very long and instead picks the most necessary words.

For the next fifteen minutes, all they did was observe each other and read the monster's attacks. Finn and Caspian has introduced a new skill combination - kung saan umiikot ang apat na needles sa isang kunai, wherein it explodes into a huge flame once hit then vanishes into a life-absorbing shadow.

Theo, who had better defensive abilities, decided to replace Finn as the tank. This caused the damage they dealt to increase even more, dahil freely nang nakaka-atake si Finn. Since Theo was only running away or dodging from the giant's skills, may mga pagkakataon siya para idepensa ang dalawang kasama sa papadating na mga electric balls. Theo creates an ice wall in the direction where the ball will hit.

When an electric laser attack hit Finn, making her stumble backwards, nagkatinginan silang tatlo. Caspian nodded, initiating the plan, while Theo sighed and stopped in his tracks, creating ice chains around the giant's feet.

"Three... two..."

Finn shifted her weight to her front, flicking two daggers out of her hands. Nang maayos niya ang tayo ay taimtim siyang nakatitig sa ulo ng higante. She took a deep breath, whispering her final count,

"... One." she whispered before quickly jumping towards the giant.

Finn delivered a strong kick on the giant's head, making it snap to the other side because of the force. Nang akma niya nang isasaksak ang dagger sa bawat side ng ulo nito, ay nahawakan ng higante ang paa niya, at itinapon pailalim.

But Caspian was there.

Caspian caught Finn by the arms, spinning her to the other side and the female rogue once again jumped towards the giant. Nawala lang siya bigla at napalitan ng itim na usok. Then, she appeared just beside the giant's head, her daggers now pierced into the machine. Sandaling natigilan ang higante sa stun na nangyari sa kaniya, bago sumabog ang kuryente sa kaniyang katawan, throwing Finn off.

But Theo was ready on the other side.

Mabilis niyang sinalo si Finn at gumawa ng ice wall para mapigilan ang ultimate ng higante. Finn helped by making a shadow cocoon around them. Caspian also made his own fire shield on the other side, successfully redirecting the electric currents to other directions.

"Finn!" sigaw ni Theo nang biglang tumakbo ang babae palabas nang mawala ang mga kuryente sa paligid.

Hindi siya pinansin ni Finn at nagpatuloy sa pagtakbo. Caspian, who just took off his wall of fire, also frowned at her actions. Ngunit wala na silang nagawang reklamo nang mabalot sa itim na aura ang katawan ni Finn.

"Dance of Shadows." she whispered before letting herself be absorbed by her magic.

They watched as the giant stumble around, losing its sense of balance because of the shadows that attacked its body from all sides. They couldn't see Finn through it at parang talagang anino lang ang umaatake sa higante, but they could see the small daggers that impales the machine.

Then, the giant's armory level froze as it reached HP x3.

"Ready your ultimate after this." Caspian announced. "Are your energies still high- Finn!"

"Finn!"

Theo and Caspian both exclaimed the girl's name, worry and concern visible in their voices, when Finn appeared behind the giant and then falling into a kneel. Lalapit na sana sila sa dalaga nang itaas ni Finn ang kamay, halting them.

Sandaling bumigay ang lakas ng paa niya nang makalabas doon. Kanina kasi ay hindi niya napansin na natamaan pala siya ng isang electric ball. She ignored the stinging pain that came with it, at dala na rin ng adrenaline ay hindi niya ito naramdaman nang atakehin ang higante. The giant's ultimate has hit her, however, before Theo managed to pull her.

At nang gawin niya ang shadow skill na 'yon, all the pain she got probably transferred in her left leg causing it to temporarily weaken.

Mas matindi ang sakit dito dahil ito rin ang nasunog ni Marcella noong nakaraan. The electricity must have been attracted to the already-weakened leg, causing the damage to multiply and max out.

Sinubukan niyang tumayo, although she struggled for a bit. Napakagat siya ng labi nang maramdamang mahirap ang pagtayo.

"Do not push yourself, Finn." she heard Caspian's warning voice.

Umiling si Finn. "'m alright. Just a shock."

Theo narrowed his eyes at the girl. Hindi siya naniniwalang shock lang ito. Gano'n din si Caspian, but they decided to keep silent for now. Oobserbahan na lang nila ang babae at mags-stay malapit dito, in case it happens again.

They decided not to argue because Finn is very stubborn. Both of them has experienced it first hand - when Caspian treated her after Marcella's fight and when Theo had an argument with her in the armory.

Finn also knows what they're planning. While they did not pry further, napakaobvious sa mga action nila na pinaiiwas nila ang higante sa babae.

Finn appreciates their concern, but it's not like that small pain would hinder her battle performance. Hindi lang naman siya ang may sugat sa kanilang tatlo. Caspian has a large wound in his chest, while Theo has one eye missing.

So they should just stop treating Finn like a fragile girl already.

Mabilis na lang nilang napababa sa 2 ang HP ng giant, ngunit doon din biglang lumobo ang armory level nito. The three of them did not waste any time, preparing for their ultimate.

Nauna si Theo na inilagay ang palad sa lupa. He replaced the stoned ground with thick ice, tip of spikes peeking out of it and ready to strike.

"Ice Dragon's Domain."

Sunod ay si Caspian na ni-summon ang mga needles na nilagay niya sa buong nest while they were fighting. It hovered above Theo's iced floor, before flame bursted out and started to dance above the ice.

"Ocean of Flame Needles."

Huli ay ang skill ni Finn, kung saan ang pulang langit ay napalitan ng itim na usok - a color the shadows made by circling around the top of the nest, swallowing the whole place in darkness.

"Sky of Dancing Shadows."

Nagkatinginan muli ang tatlo bago tuluyang inactivate ang bawat ultimate nila.

"Thousand Ice Spears!"

"Heaven's Lava Circle!"

"Underworld of Reaping Shadows!"

The attacks happened simultaneously. From the iced floor, the spikes instantly rose up, piercing through the giant's feet and keeping it there. Kasabay noon ay ang paglapit ng mga needles sa katawan ng giant, the flame turning ito a lava-like magic circle, creating three tiered circle in the giant's body. Sumama din dito ang pagbagsak ng langit - or the shadow sky falling towards the giant, letting the reaping souls cry out their anguish. Isa iyong combination of attacks from fire, water, and dark arts.

It was chaos, so to say.

Mabilis na bumaba ang HP ng higante. Lalo na nang gumawa si Caspian ng malaking flaming needle. It was almost the size of the giant and it pierced through the chest, breaking the circuits inside. The giant stumbled and fell into Theo's platform of ice spikes.

Finn's vision was already swimming after that. Nawawalan na ng lakas ang tuhod niya, at napansin naman iyon ng dalawang kasama. Ngunit hindi na agad sila nakalapit sa babae dahil biglang lumabas ang congratulatory message sa harap nila.

When they clicked it close, they were then transported back to the beach where they stumbled upon the nest's switch.

Natumba si Finn sa lupa. Mahigpit niyang ipinikit ang mata sa pagsakit ng ulo. Her knees were thoroughly exhausted. Ang kaniyang kaliwang paa ay humahapdi pa dahil sa mga natamong sugat. And even if they won, they still suffered some small damages. Those small wounds still hurts like hell.

Finn briefly heard a person stepping into a twig. Ramdam niyang nasa likod niya lang ito at nakatayo. Ilang sandali lang ay nagsalita din ito,

"Well, hello there, Finley. Nice to see you again~"

-chapter end-