Scripted Encounters 3.2 was authored by Faria Lyton as a part of Co-Op Mode. This chapter is reposted as part of A Bug in the Game with permission.
This is the James PoV of events in Boss Fights 3.2.
Scripted Encounters 3.2
Charging a crowd of something like thirty people, many of whom have firearms, is idiotic. Especially if you don't let your partner know what you're doing. Thankfully, Taylor's [Combat Mapping] lets her know the moment I lunge forward and act accordingly. Still stupid, though. I should think more before I go for the XP when losing doesn't just involve reloading.
Several guns are aimed at me almost immediately, even as a swarm of insects floods the alley. Shit. I was kinda hoping the yell would at least startle a few. Oh, look, that one isn't lined up right. Yay for screaming like a moron. A whispered [Zombie's Hide] probably does significantly more to keep me alive.
Many, maybe even most, of the guns misfire. Taylor most have done something with her bugs. I know my LUK stat isn't good enough to have caused that. One gun practically explodes in one thug's hands. Given the way he screams, clutching his ruined hand, I don't think he'll be a threat. But for all the misfires and a decent number of misses due to insect-based 'smoke' screen, I can't help but take some hits.
[-87 HP] A burning pain shoots through my side, just past the edge of my half-assed chestplate.
[Danger!]
[-17 HP] My tin vambrace deflects a glancing blow, but takes a nasty gouge in the process.
[-72 HP] [-71 HP] [-71 HP] Three shots to the chest are barely slowed by the thin metal sheet strapped to my torso.
[-86 HP] Bone grates against red-hot metal for a moment in my right shoulder, locking it in place before [Gamer's Body] erases the bullet and seals the wound.
[-16 HP] ...that was right between the eyes. Oh God, that was right between my fucking eyes! If it weren't for my helmet…
Lung blasts twin torrents of flames into the air, roasting thousands of Taylor's insects right over his troops' heads as I reach my first foe. Two quick kicks to his knees and one to his left shin set him up for a punch, he collapses, his knee reversed. Well. That was… something. I really thought it'd take more than that. Oddly enough, I earn a level of [Chinese] from hearing his moaned cursing.
[18 XP]
[You've gained 1 level.]
[Fickle fortune has favored you, your LUK has increased by 1.]
[Your reputation with the Azn Bad Boys has decreased!] is displayed on dozens of windows that flash into existence and fade quickly. As I swipe away the last few windows to hurry it up, a screaming Asian soars through the air and falls bonelessly at Lung's feet. Probably Taylor's [Rising Strike]. That may be a little overpowered against normal humans...
[38 XP]
[Reputation with the Azn Bad Boys has changed from 'Unfriendly' to 'Hostile'.]
...It's not like I was expecting them to not hate us after this, but it's a little disheartening to see it stated so bluntly. At least they stopped shooting once I got into melee range.
The lower level gangsters between Lung and I thin out as he begins striding towards me. He started out taller than me, but I think he's grown a little. And he's got spirals of fire orbiting each arm. Why did I think this was a good idea? I'm not sure if the few punks I punch out of the way are just trying to clear the way for their boss, or if they're really not that tough, but even the more stubborn thugs only take two or three hits. A number are attempting to escape the swarming insects by rolling on the ground to crush them. They just get kicked out from underfoot.
A particularly skinny ABBer with a jian, a Chinese straight sword, seems like the last man between me and the growing dragon-man. A series of rapid thrusts has me backpedalling to avoid getting skewered. [-43 HP] is lost as he stabs through my left bicep. But he over-extended to make that strike. The rapid impact of my fist on his face doesn't do much to alleviate the pain in my arm, but the unnecessary stomp to his groin as I yank the sword back out [-16 HP] makes me feel better about the whole mess. As does the [38 XP].
"I'm going to fucking kill you!" As two bursts of flame race towards me, I catch a glimpse of Lung's mask, the dancing light lending an aspect of rage to the fixed metal face. [Danger!] I barely manage to jump backwards as they slam into my chest. [-450 HP] [-450 HP] flashes across my vision as I sailed back from the burning Asian man-giant. To add insult to injury (and more injury, because why not?), I spin wildly through the air and can't adjust to soften my landing much. [-35 HP]. If at all. I immediately try to bleed off any extra momentum, get some distance, and kill the flames licking at my tattered shirt by rolling away.
"No!" Taylor's horrified scream sounds through the alley, followed by the rush and buzz of thousands of insects.
[202/1190 HP] flashes red in the upper corner of my vision as I try to focus through the pain. A weak wave of flames washes over me, mitigated by how close to the ground I am. [-9 HP] I need more health. Now. "[Inventory]" comes out as less of a command, more a harsh whisper as my throat refuses to cooperate with me. I grab a [Low Grade Recovery Potion] and…
... I realize I'm wearing a full-coverage helmet. Crap. How can I- Ah. I slide the potion icon onto the picture of me.
[+200 HP] My stomach suddenly feels like I just chugged a bottle of chilled fruit juice. Not full, but not empty. And cold. I'm at almost 400 HP. It's not enough, but I'm leery of using up my potions too quickly. Also, I don't relish 'chugging' another potion so quickly. Instead, I pull up my character screen and dump all 20 stat points into VIT, boosting my HP by 100 immediately.
...my VIT and INT are tied now… grr… Still, more is better for now, so I swap to the tri-horned [Atlas Beetle Augment] for that last tiny boost to my health.
"[Rising Strike!]" My attention is drawn back to the battle by Taylor's call. While I've been otherwise occupied, Lady Bug has picked up some soot and scratches, but mostly looks unharmed. The field of battle has also mostly emptied by now. There are two unconscious gang-bangers near Lung, but everyone else is gone. Taylor swings her dented bat up between his legs, only for him to catch it in one oversized, clawed hand.
He's clearly changed over the course of our battle. The pants he'd worn at the beginning of the battle have burned down to mere rags and his previously bare torso is breaking out in silver scales. The scorched remnants of the swarm clung to his skin at every point not covered by the scales. Flames danced along his body, forming a barrier against further insect attackers. A twist of his hand disarmed Taylor. "My turn."
No eight-foot tall hulking dragonman should move so fast. Taylor barely manages to avoid a punch, only for that to have been a feint. Instead, his knee powerfully slams into her stomach, launching her a dozen or so feet before she lands and rolls unsteadily to her feet. I'm back on my feet as well and taking a more measured approach as I move to join her.
"Is the best you can do?" Taylor taunts the dragon, gesturing for him to approach. 'Come-at-me-bro' isn't the usual approach to facing a world-famous pyrokinetic Brute, but she's making a good showing of it.
Lung takes the bait. "Kill you!" 400 or so pounds of screaming rage dragon charging us is an experience I don't care to repeat, and he's not even aiming for me. At first. Taylor ducks his enraged strike and spins with her back to him as she grabs his flaming arm. Somehow, this skinny girl throws Lung at me. Great. The 400 pound screaming rage dragon is flying at me now.
Well, it's not like he's in control, so… "[Grounding Strike!]" I put all my strength and weight into a powerful punch that catches him in the base of the spine. The pavement doesn't crack or anything, but his flame cloak flickers away.
Taylor immediately capitalizes on the opening by dumping every remaining insect in range on him. I take a moment too long to back away and Lung catches me with a gigantic backhand.
[-85 HP]
If that's how you want to play… I snap a kick into his knee. "[Power Strike!]" Even at 60 MP per strike and with [Zombie's Hide] draining 28 more per minute, I can afford to put everything I've got into every attack I launch. 2765 MP maximum means I can go all out for a few minutes when I have to. Like now. The frequent [Critical Hits!] impact hard enough that pebbles on the ground jump from each meaty thunk, but Lung seems unharmed. To make things worse, when he hits me… [-85 HP]. I can't afford that kind of damage, so I focus on dodging, only hitting when I'm fairly sure I can get back out in time. Taylor joins in, bat in hand again. With her drawing some of his attention, it's a little easier to get a safe opening. It doesn't help that the tattered remains of my shirt/armor keep flopping around. [-85 HP] Apparently I could use some more practice judging when to strike. Ow. Careful, cautious, don't get hit again. It does seem like he's slowing down, making wilder swings, but maybe it's just wishful thinking. At this rate, two more hits… Maybe if I can get clear for a moment, one more potion could hold me over. [-85 HP] This clearly isn't the time to be thinking about it. I lay one more [Power Strike] into his ribs and jump back to buy a few precious seconds.
Before I can make use of them, Lung roars and explodes. The wall of fire [-73 HP] throws me back and into the wall [-9 HP]. Taylor is launched further, collapsing to the ground a good dozen or more feet away. As I stare in dismay at the leering monster who has taken everything I can throw at him without so much as a flinch, I watch my HP tick up from 4 to 5. Fuck. I'm by myself until Taylor can get back up, facing the fucking [Dragon of Kyushu] alone. And I can't afford to take a single hit. While I can [Dodge] a few swings, how can I avoid something like that blast?
As I steel myself to at least sell my life for the highest price I can claw out of him, Lung sways. Oh God, please let him… And he falls. Flat on his face. The ground shakes, but not as hard as I do. Holy…
[61,557 XP]
[Quest Completed!]
[You have gained 5000 XP]
[Bonus Goal Completed!]
[You have gained 5000 XP]
[Your reputation with the Asian Bad Boys has decreased!]
[Reputation with the Asian Bad Boys has changed from 'Hostile' to 'Hated'.]
As all the alerts that had piled up over the course of the fight crowd my vision, the increasingly familiar feel of leveling up (several times) washes away my pains and refills my HP and MP. While I don't really need to, I indulge in a few deep, shaky breaths to calm myself as I begin dismissing windows. Looks like going balls-out increased my STR by 1 at some point. Level ups… 9 plus that 1 at the beginning of the fight… Every skill I used in the fight has gone up by at least 1, which makes sense. It seems that more danger means more experience. There are a few surprises in the clutter, though.
[A skill has been created through a special action.]
[By acting in a bewilderingly strange manner, [Fool's Act], has been created.]
[Fool's Act (Active) Lvl 1 Exp 0.0% / MP 5]
[Words or actions that make the enemy doubt the mental state of the user. It could possibly confuse the target.]
[Has a small chance to confuse the target for 2 seconds. Willpower negates.]
[Now you have a skill for it.]
Well, that's insulting. But fair.
[A skill has been created through a special action.]
[By surviving significant flame damage, [Elemental Endurance], has been created.]
[Physical Endurance (Passive) Lvl 2 Exp 1.37%]
[The body's durability increases and you take less damage. 4% decrease in damage from fire, ice, acid, and electrical attacks.]
[If you can't stand the heat, don't tickle the dragon.]
...that probably saved my life from that last explosion...
[By defeating a Boss-Rank enemy, a new Illusion Barrier has been unlocked.]
[[Dragon Dungeon] has been unlocked.]
[Defeat dragon-type foes for fun and profit!]
[You've defeated The Dragon of Kyushu.]
[You've received the title [Dragon Slayer]]
The new title looks to be just about the same as its Zombie equivalent, with the obvious substitutions. And implications. We just beat LUNG.
Taylor is up and checking on the shrinking supervillain now. I walk around the still-large man to work off my nerves a little.
"If you ever do anything that crazy again, I'll kill you myself!" She softens the words with a solid hug before stepping back.
I don't need to see her face to know she's pissed at me. Fair enough, that was downright stupid. There's no reloading in real life, not even with my powers. I can't help remembering seeing my HP at 4. A desperate sincerity fills my voice as I reply, "If I ever do something like that again, you probably won't get the chance!"
"Beetle Knight." Her voice carries a take-charge note. "Check out the two downed gang members. Use [Observe]. If they're bleeding out you might have to use those red bottles." She waves towards some nearby windows. The lights are on, and I think I see silhouettes in a few. "Be discreet. We've got an audience." Right. No obvious [Inventory] use. Got to have some secrets. "I'll secure Lung."
We beat Lung. ...what do you use to 'secure' a fucking dragon?! "Right. I'll go do that."
I see her start unwinding the makeshift rope from her waist as I turn to the injured thugs. They're both lightly charred, and one will probably lose an eye, but neither is in immediate danger. A brief check shows that both will also need to replace their cellphones. Damn. We should probably call this in with the Protectorate. Eh, at least one of the rubberneckers must have called someone by now. Protectorate, PRT, BBPD, as long as someone secures Lung before he wakes up.
With nothing else to do for the moment, I start tearing off the broken metal remnants of my chestplate and scorched tatters of my shirt. It's more trouble than it's worth at this point to keep them on, just flapping around.
"Beetle Knight, keep your guard up. We're not alone." I freeze, fistfuls of fabric stretched between my hands.
An unfamiliar, teasing voice comes from the nearest fire escape. "Oh, don't stop on my account."
Game Mechanics: stealth 2, grounding strike 1, physical resistance 3, light armor mastery 3, jeet kune do 5, zombie's hide 2, dodge 2, power strike 2, elemental resistance 2, str 1, luk 1, 20 stat points spent (on VIT)