I cautiously descended the familiar colossal tree, navigating the twisted branches and crumbling platforms of the lab. My brain was a hamster on a wheel, frantically planning my escape from the crazy, enraged Beholder sweeping the forest outside. I finally dropped onto the top floor, landing with a soft thud, and turned around, ready for my next brilliant move.
Out of nowhere, a hulking figure materialized. Before I could even register "Oh, hey, that's a person!" he grabbed me by the neck. One massive hand lifted me clean off the ground, and he slammed me against the tree trunk with the force of a runaway freight train. "Oof!" I squealed, my vision doing a dizzying swirl as cartoon birds with tiny halos circled my head. I tried to wriggle free, but his arm was wrapped around my throat like an enchanted python, cutting off my air supply faster than a bad internet connection.
General Awareness:
Name: ???
Class: Imperial Paladin
Race: ???
Level: 47
Title: ???
"Look what the cat brought in," he rumbled, his voice deep and surprisingly playful, considering he was actively choking me. It was the Paladin from earlier today, the one who got jumped by the Labyrinth's critters—probably one of Adelaide's party members she'd complained about. His armor was blindingly shiny, stainless steel gleaming. The full plate made him look less like a valiant warrior and more like a walking, very aggressive teapot. His tower shield and Warhammer, probably weighing a ton, rested casually on his back.
Then, from about five to seven meters away, another voice chimed in. "Eyy, bro, let's cut 'em half, kekekeke!" he cackled. He sounded curious and unsettlingly crazy in a way I couldn't quite pinpoint, like a clown who just discovered sharp objects. He had short, spiky hair that shot straight up, and a happy-faced theater mask was plastered over his face. His armor was… minimalistic. A wide leather strap, ornated with spiked studs that proudly spelled out "Smiley," was all he wore on his torso. His two plated bracers had two wicked claws arching outwards, smeared with suspicious red stains. And yes, you heard me right: he had a huge 'X' belt buckle on top of a leather brief. A leather brief! Then, plated boots with metal wings on each side completed the look. He wielded a black gladius and a mace topped with a lion's head. Yep, unsettling was definitely the word.
General Awareness:
Name: ???
Class: Gladiator/Bandit
Race: ???
Level: 49
Title: ???
"That sounds fun!" the Paladin (or "Tinman," as I'd mentally dubbed him) said in glee, tightening his grip on my neck. I made pathetic gurgling sounds, trying desperately to convey, "Stop! You're killing me, you oversized tin can!"
"Cut it out, you two," a new voice drawled from near the wall. "He looks like a low-level adventurer. If you kill him, you'll get tagged 'hero killer,' and bounty hunters will hunt your sorry asses." This was a man in a dark red outfit—the Red Wizzard. Up close, he didn't look like your typical robed magic-slinger. Instead of robes, he was sporting a dark red butler's suit, embroidered with gold flames on the collar and sleeves. His hair was a blue gyaruo style, sculpted like a punk rock ocean wave. He looked utterly drained, resting heavily on his staff—a long, wooden stick with a circular ring up top, like a giant bubble blower.
General Awareness:
Name: ???
Class: Red Wizzard
Race: ???
Level: 51
Title: ???
"Party pooper!" the Gladiator/Bandit griped, clearly annoyed.
"Totally," the Tinman agreed, his voice echoing in my ears.
With a dismissive "Pff," Tinman tossed me aside like yesterday's trash. I skidded across the ground, coughing and gasping for air, my throat feeling like I'd swallowed a cheese grater. My neck throbbed a painful protest. What an unlucky day, my mind whined, a true master of understatement.
"Come on, Fireboy, appraise him! My gut tells me he's the Fallen One. Let me cut him real good!" the maniacal Gladiator said impatiently, tapping his gladius rhythmically against his, erm, butt cheek. A cold panic began to build in my chest. This dude has a good instinct, I thought, which was not reassuring in the slightest.
"Yeah! Come on, Fireboy!" the Tinman cheered, striking a sumo wrestler pose, clearly enjoying the impending violence.
I was beginning to understand why Adelaide was so utterly pissed off with these people. I would be too. A maniac, a giant yes-man, and... well, at least one level-headed Wizzard.
"How many times do I need to tell you numbskulls, I used all my mana potions saving your asses and blinking you to safety!" the butler-Wizzard snapped, nearly stumbling from exhaustion.
"What did you say, smart mouth? You wanna have it too?" the Bandit menaced, his happy mask doing nothing to hide the sudden, bloodthirsty shift in his aura.
"Yeah, smart mouth, you wanna have it?" Tinman added, always the enthusiastic echo.
"Monster... Outside..." I managed to gurgle, my throat still strained and protesting every word.
"Shut up, dead man, you'll have your turn," the Bandit sneered, glaring at me with murderous intent.
"What monster?" asked the butler, finally noticing me again.
"Floating eye," I managed, minimizing my words because speaking still felt like swallowing razor blades. I pushed myself up to a sitting position, supporting myself with my hands while gently rubbing my agonizing neck.
"Hey! What did I just tell you?" the Bandit snarled, pointing his blade directly at me.
"Fight, fight, fight, fight!" Tinman happily chanted, rhythmically tapping his hands to his knees in the background, a true connoisseur of chaos.
"A Labyrinth Beholder!" the butler gasped, his drained face going even paler. "Hide! Let's hide, fast!" he commanded frantically, looking around for cover.
"Ancient!" I added, clarifying the level of impending doom.
"Crap!" the butler exclaimed, grabbing his perfectly coiffed blue hair in despair.
"You're really asking for it, dead man!" the Bandit declared, taking a menacing step towards me. Then, he broke into a dance, sashaying closer. "Awww, it's killing time!" he sang, continuing his Michael Jackson moves as he advanced.
"Stop, SmileyX! Get serious, an ancient Labyrinth Beholder, Smiley! We need to move!" the butler protested, barely managing to stand upright.
General Awareness:
Name: ??? ---> SmileyX
"Woohoo!" Tinman laughed, clapping his hands, clearly enjoying the show. "Go, Smiley!"
"Oh, what a load of crap. Ooh, after him, it's you. Aww, it's cutting time!" SmileyX crooned, performing a moonwalk with surprisingly fluid grace.
Oh no, you don't. Nobody's going to kill Kiko, not now, not ever, I told myself, a surge of defiant energy pushing aside the throbbing pain. I scrambled to my feet and unfastened my knife-sword, channeling my inner action hero. "Your dance sucks!" I rasped, my voice still raw.
"Ooh, a feisty one. I like that, aww, I like that," he cheerfully sang, executing a dazzling spin and dashing forward with unbelievable speed.
Heightened Awareness:
Floating Eye:
Attack: Laser beam
Attack Area: Marked with light red dot.
Attack Time: Around 1.5 second.
A light red dot began to widen underneath my feet. 1 second? My eyes shot upward. Hovering above us was a massive eyeball, riddled with tentacles, its single, malevolent eye glowing an eerie yellow.
General Awareness:
Floating Eye:
Definition: Tentacled eyes, Beholder minions, used by the Beholder to scan and can partially use Beholder powers.
I leaped as fast as my battered body would allow. A searing laser beam shot down from its glowing yellow eye, hitting the ground where I'd just been, splashing debris and cracking the ancient lab floor with a thunderous roar.
SmileyX, mid-dash, stopped with a light skid. "Now what!?" he said, utterly annoyed, and finally looked up.
The floating eye hovered menacingly above us, casting long, grotesque shadows across the lab floor, clearly unimpressed by our internal squabbles.