Unfortunately, it was very real.
The two opposing parties were at a standstill. The volunteers were frozen in place out of pure fear. Artie glared at the mutant with a scowl. Luna's legs trembled. Ein was no different.
The mutant stood still, observing the group of humans, its fangs of stone bared for them to see. "Everybody run!" Artie's words were followed immediately, the volunteers dropping their weapons and running for their lives. The mutant took action immediately, running straight past the aura wielders and straight towards the vulnerable soldiers.
Ein reacted immediately, blocking the mutant's bite with (Galepierce).
[WARNING: (GALEPIERCE) IS TAKING HEAVY DAMAGE.]
[DURABILITY: 190/250]
[WARNING: (GALEPIERCE) IS TAKING HEAVY DAMAGE.]
[DURABILITY: 176/250]
[WARNING: (GALEPIERCE) IS TAKING HEAVY DAMAGE.]
[DURABILITY: 155/250]
A flashing warning sign warned him of the amount of durability damage Galepierce was taking. As if it wasn't clear enough, the polearm's shaft was chipping underneath sheer crushing force of the bite.
"I've got you!" The mutant was pelted with three firebolts one after the other, each impact loosening its maw's grip on his spear before the fourth bolt finally knocked it away from Ein.
"The horde's coming back!" Artie warned. Normally, he'd take the Mutant Beowolf on himself and leave the small fry to Luna and Ein. However, he took in the factor of the civilian's safety... and the potential the two new-gen hosts had.
Besides, the drops would be good for them.
"I'll protect the civilians! Deal with the mutant!" Artie commanded He wants us to deal with this thing?! Ein thinks before Artie shifts his minigun into a gigantic wooden greatsword. With a single, big, horizontal swing—
SHING!
The Grimm blocking their route were annihilated. "Go go go!" Artie rushed the evacuees.
Ein scowled before turning his attention back to the Mutant Beowolf. "I have the subtle feeling that we may be getting the short end of the stick here..." Ein whispered to Luna, who ran to his side, spellbook ready. "I'll have to let you know, those firebolts did jack." Luna said. "How reassuring." He sarcastically replied. "I dumped all my XP into Firebolt so it could level up to three. Make up for my lost XP by letting us beat this thing." Luna says. Despite the fact that it was weak to fire, and therefore should've taken a lot of damage, it wasn't so much as even a little tired. Ein uses his Grimm Encyclopedia on the Mutant again, just to check its HP.
[THROUGH THOROUGH OBSERVATION, A MUTANT BEOWOLF PASSIVE SKILL HAS BEEN REGISTERED: EARTHEN ARMOR.]
[GRIMM PASSIVE SKILL: EARTHEN ARMOR]
-WHEN THIS PASSIVE IS ACTIVE, CONVERT ALL DAMAGE TYPES INTO A 0.5x RESISTANCE
-CAN BE BROKEN]
[HP: 194/200]
"They can have skills now—?!" His complaints were interrupted by a rock the size of his head coming straight for him. He gasps before holding Galepierce up to block the attack. Thank god I have aura! All that shrapnel would've fucked me over! Thankfully, the system didn't count them as hits. Ein thinks. "Don't block! Just dodge!" Luna exclaims, sidestepping. Ein looks forward just in time to see the Mutant Beowolf standing on its hind legs with sediment floating up to its front paws, forming into more of those rock projectiles. "It's gonna throw that, isn't it?"
The answer was yes.
Ein quickly got the hell out of dodge. Thankfully, running was enough. The thing may have gotten smarter, but it's still a Grimm. It can't do predictive aiming. He speculated as the mutant began to barrage the two fighters with rocks. "Luna!" He exclaims. "Hold off on attacking! I'll try to break the armor!"
"Alright! I'll play tank then!" Luna exclaims before dashing in front of the Mutant Beowolf. "Hey, ugly! Brown and green's not a good look for ya!" She taunted. "You look like something I'd fish out of a clogged toilet!" That did the trick. The mutant Grimm became—
[M. BEOWOLF: ENRAGED (LUNA CIEL)]
[TARGETS THE ONE THAT INFLICTED ENRAGED.]
"Alright, it's on me! Do your thing!" Luna casted an unknown spell as the wind began to wrap around her body. Her speed tripled. Now she could properly evade the enraged Grimm instead of being a sitting duck. "I won't be able to keep this up for long, so think fast!"
Ein did exactly that. He downed the last of his buffing potions as thought of his options. What could he do? Should he kill himself and hope the he can just stat check his way out of the situation? No, I shouldn't. He grit his teeth. Frankly, he was still terrified of death. So that was our of the running. Galepierce wouldn't work either, it wouldn't do any damage. All his skills would do an effective equivalent of nothing. But... There had to be something...
"H-Hurry up!" She exclaimed as a scratching paw grazed her Aura. Please, Ein! Think! Think, you worthless little— Finally... it hit him. Right! There's that! "Luna, I have an idea! Keep it still for a sec!" Luna got to it on his mark. "Fine, but if you want a stun, it'll have to be a long cast! Buy me five seconds! It won't be guaranteed either, so you better hope we get lucky!"
---
Meanwhile, with Artie and the evacuees.
The Grimm horde had stopped their chase by the time they got to the tree line. They all made it out alive, and frankly, they didn't think much more before running back to their homes to their family. After than near death experience, all of them wanted to see the faces of their family.
However, one Jaune Arc felt himself filled with worry for the two huntsmen who stalled the advance of the thing. Jaune didn't know what to call it, really. It was definitely a Grimm for sure... But it wasn't like any Grimm he's ever seen before.
A Beowolf, armored with rock and root, armed with power even greater than an Alpha's. Could they even match that thing? Jaune came to one conclusion.
No. They could not.
"Mister Arthur..." Jaune says meekly to Artie, real name Arthur Howard, owner of Artie's Carvery, and former huntsman and host. "I keep tellin' ya' to call me Artie, kid." He chuckles at the blonde.
"Are you sure that those two can handle that..." Arthur understood what the nervous Jaune wanted to say. "Kid." Jaune looks up at him, eyebrow raised. "What sort of battles do you think huntsmen fight?" The former huntsman asked.
"What?" Jaune answered back with a question. What battles does a huntsman fight? Jaune already had his answer. The idealized answer of what battles they fight. "They fight against Grimm for the sake of humanity. And... um—they could fight hundreds of Grimm and the fight would be in their favor." In Jaune's mind, how could they not be that? His great great grandfather was one such warrior, fighting back against the Grimm no matter how many there were. In his mind, they were all heroes.
"A flattering answer." Arthur chuckles. "But... mostly incorrect. In almost all situations, huntsmen are always, at the very least, evenly matched, and at worst, completely outclassed." It rang true, even for hosts. His own mentor, despite her strength, eventually fell to the sheer number of grimm. Even him, despite being a former host, was still entirely outclassed by anything stronger than a King Taijutu.
Of course, in his prime, he was confident he could take on even a Sea Feilong by himself, but he wasn't a host anymore, thanks to one of his generation dying. Claire... No, she's gone now. He shook his head of the thought. There was no point thinking about her anymore.
Jaune was disheartened. "Then... Those two... Luna and the stranger—" Arthur interrupts him, saying, "Hey, I wasn't finished." Jaune laughed awkwardly. "Oops." "Huntsmen will be outclassed, they will be outnumbered... But they will still fight. I assume you know why that is? I heard your argument with ol' Jacques."
It was embarrassing for Jaune, the fact that such a huntsman saw a family dispute like that. But what does he mean? Jaune thought. How would he know what that is? What would cause a huntsman to fight despite the odds? "Family?" "Good guess, but that's only part of it." Indeed, family was a part of why someone would be so willing to risk themselves to fight the creatures, but it wasn't all there was.
"Why do you want to be a huntsman?" Why do I...? Jaune knew the answer. "Because... It's my dream." Arthur smirked. "My ambition."
"Yep. Ambition. Every huntsman, whether they know it or not, have some sort of ambition for why they do what they do." Jaune listened intently. "My ambition was of... Admittedly, impressing a girl." A half truth. Your ambition is...?"
"...To live up to the legacy of my great great grandpa."
"And those two's ambition, well, I have no clue, but they have something they're fighting for. And if that ambition is strong enough..." The leaves behind them rustle as two figures, heavily injured, but living, came out. "They'll survive."
Cough! Cough!
"Arthur..." Luna's voice growled, glaring at him. "You are dead."
"You see?" Arthur said to Jaune with a smirk. "Luna! Ein!" The blonde exclaimed, walking past Arthur in favor of helping Luna carry the almost unconscious Ein. "...A story for... Later—! Ow! Watch it, dickhead!" He exclaimed with a hiss. "You deserve it for that stunt, you madman."
"What stunt?" Jaune asked as they walked him to Arthur's shop so they could treat his wounds. Luna felt herself well with exasperation from the simple memory of the fight, but she recalled it anyways. "This dumbass had the bright idea to—"
---
Three Lightning Spears.
Three entire long cast Lightning Spears that, statistically, should've stunned by now, have been casted to no effect.
"I swear, Luna! This one better stun or I swear to god—!" Ein complained as he smacked the side of the mutant's jaw with the butt of his spear. "Shut up! The chance is not on me! Now, hold it still again!" Once again, he wrapped the ribbons around the mutant—
[WARNING: (GALEPIERCE) IS TAKING HEAVY DAMAGE.]
[DURABILITY: 62/250]
The mutant began to rip the ribbons apart as they tried desperately to keep it in place.
[WARNING: (GALEPIERCE) IS TAKING HEAVY DAMAGE.]
[DURABILITY: 43/250]
BZZT—! FLASH!
The spell flew through the air. Just as the Beowolf broke out, the thundering spear connected. And finally, the moment they've been waiting for. "It's stunned! Whatever you have planned, do it now!" Ein grinned. "Porter!" He shouted out as he rushed towards the Grimm. And in his hand appeared—
"Is that a pickaxe?" Luna muttered in confusion.
Indeed, it was a pickaxe. It was a part of the tin tool set he crafted from earlier in the day, though he didn't think he'd be using it like this, but if it works, it works. "Start casting Firebolts!" Luna did so, as a number of Firebolts began to circle around her waist.
His pickaxe crashes against the earth armor of the mutant, and like glass—
It shattered.
[M. BEOWOLF: EARTHEN ARMOR HAS BROKEN]
[M. BEOWOLF'S RESISTANCES HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL]
"Kill this thing!" He commanded as the mutant staggered with a loud, pained howl. Both of them began to barrage the Mutant Beowolf with attack after attack, skill after skill—
But it had one last thing up its sleeve.
[HP: 21/200]
[M. BEOWOLF: DESPERATION]
[RECEIVE SPECIAL EFFECTS]
[THE SLOTHFUL EARTH HAS RESPONDED TO THE CALL OF THE M. BEOWOLF]
Before they could even comprehend what it meant, it suddenly leaped forwards, its fangs bared towards Ein, and bit down hard. "Ein—! Khk!" Luna shouted before her mana completely ran out, the gale underneath her vanishing as she collapsed onto her knees. Ein manages to block the bite with his arm—
[DAMAGE CALCULATION (GRIMM BITE TYPES):]
[HIDDEN]
[(20 + 20) x 1 - 10]
[30 EARTH DAMAGE HAS BEEN RECIEVED]
[AP: -17/66]
—and his aura broke immediately. Not only that,
[AURA HAS BROKEN. -50% CURRENT STP]
[STP: 1/30]
[AURA TOOK DAMAGE PAST ITS CAPACITY. DAMAGE HAS CARRIED OVER TO HP]
[HP: 33/50]
"Grk!" Ein grunted in pain as the mutant's rocky teeth dug into his arm. His bones crushed underneath the pressure, cracking intensely. "You damn dog!" Ein took the chance to grab a hold of the Beowolf's tongue. Though his arm was in complete pain, he felt pleasure, all in due part of the inevitable victory. "Just die!"
SHIK!
[M. BEOWOLF HAS BEEN STRUCK AT A WEAKPOINT]
[((18 + 10 + 8 + 0 + 5) x 1.5) x 10%]
[68 WIND DAMAGE HAS BEEN DEALT]
[M. BEOWOLF: DEAD]
[SADISM HAS TAKEN EFFECT]
[+3 HP]
[HP: 36/50]
Ein took deep breaths, before just like Luna, he collapsed onto his knees tiredly, letting the mutant disintegrate into black ash. We did it... He thought, still having a hard time believing it. We actually did it... Finally, he collapses back first onto the ground. "Oooow..." He groaned in pain.
[MUTANT TYPE MINI-BOSS DEFEATED]
[COMBAT SEQUENCE CONCLUDED.]
[SKILLS DEACTIVATED.]
[CALCULATING RESULTS. PLEASE WAIT.]
"You... Are insane, damn edgelord..." Luna panted, getting up on her feet with tired breaths. "How did you even come up with that?" She took his arm and slung it over his shoulder as she limped back towards Domremy with Ein. "I wasn't... even sure it'd work... Thankfully, game logic's on our side. Heh—Ow." Ein tried to chuckle, but felt his ribs dig into his chest. No more laughing for him for a while. "Nice one, idiot. I hope you lost HP from that." Ein simply grumbles at her comment.
[CALCULATION COMPLETE]
[RECEIVING REWARDS...]
[M. BEOWOLF x1: +6 M. BEOWOLF FUR, +14 M. BEOWOLF CLAWS, +3 M. BEOWOLF BONE PLATES, +6 M. BEOWOLF BONES, +1 M. BEOWOLF EYE, +7 M. BEOWOLF MEAT.]
[A. BEOWOLF x3: +20 A. BEOWOLF FUR, +44 A. BEOWOLF CLAWS, +15 A. BEOWOLF BONE PLATES, +20 A. BEOWOLF BONES, +4 A. BEOWOLF EYE, +23 A. BEOWOLF MEAT—]
"Skip the basic rewards... Just show me the rare stuff."
[CONFIRMED]
[BEOWOLF x9: DUE TO HIGH LUCK (OVERKILL x3): +2 BEOWOLF SOUL]
[RAZORWING x5: DUE TO HIGH LUCK (SUPER OVERKILL x3): +3 RAZORWING SOULS]
[A. CREEP x4: DUE TO HIGH LUCK (SUPER OVERKILL x1): +1 A. CREEP SOUL]
[CREEP x18: DUE TO HIGH LUCK (SUPER OVERKILL x4) (OVERKILL x8): +11 CREEP SOULS]
---
"That's awesome..." Jaune commented. Of course, she omitted a few details, being their systems, but even then, she felt a slight brush of pride. "I'm awesome." Ein elbows her side. "We." Luna snickers. "Right, we."
Luna and Jaune laid Ein down onto Luna's bed. She was given a room in Arthur's shop when she first arrived thanks to her capability as a doctor. In her life back in earth, she'd been an aspiring botanist, studying herbs and plants. Somehow, that knowledge translated into her receiving the Apothecary system when she transmigrated to Remnant. Which got her thinking, What sort of life did Ein have to live to have his system be related to Rebirthing? Luna shook her head. ...I shouldn't ask. "Thanks for helping, Jaune." Luna says. Jaune nods his head. "Right. No problem." The blonde says before leaving the two alone.
"Here." Luna says as she took out a ruby red potion from a table, that to Ein, looked obviously system made. "That your Alchemy Table?" Ein asked. "Yeah, why?" She responded. Huh... It looks so much less... Cult-y than mine. Ein thought before checking the potion's description.
[MINOR REGENERATION POTION {LVL 3}]
[QUALITY: COMMON (TIER 3)]
[STATS: INFLICTS STATUS: MINOR REGENERATION III]
[COOLDOWN: 1 WEEK]
[DESCRIPTION: A RUBY RED POTION EXCLUSIVELY MADE BY THE (HOST OF APOTHECARY). A MYSTERIOUS LIQUID THAT HEALS THE BODY OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.]
"Down it goes, I suppose."
[STATUS: MINOR REGENERATION III]
[+1 (+1) HP PER 14.5 MINUTES]
[DURATION: 24 HOURS]
[COOLDOWN: 1 WEEK]
"No health potion?" Ein smirked. "Doesn't exist, I don't know what to tell you. Or, well, if it does, it's not available at this level." Luna retorted, flicking him on the forehead. Then, an awkward silence blankets the room.
"Hey." Ein got her attention. "Thanks for the save earlier." He said genuinely. "I think I'd have Rebirthed again if you weren't there." His weapon certainly agreed, being that it was so close to breaking. Luna stayed silent for a moment. Her expression, deep in thought. "Sure. No problem." Before she eventually responded.
[SLEEP DETECTED. SAVING GAME.]
[CONGRATULATIONS ON SURVIVING THIS DAY.]