Chapter 40: When The Boss Has Friends
Max came through the portal to find the other three standing a few feet behind the yellow line. The boss room was a giant grassy open area, easily one hundred feet wide, matching the same time of day as the first level.
Two swords, thats not good, Max stated as he took in the sight before him.
Two magic users and two massive lizardmen surrounded the boss on all four sides. Even with their massive four foot clubs, they looked small as the boss stood two feet taller than they were.
Makes me feel kind of short, Fowl joked after Max came up next to them.
It does indeed, Max replied as he saw Batrire start casting her buff and started planning out what might work.
Thoughts?
Fowl looked at Tanila and then pointed at the large lizardman on the left. Root that one first. Well need Seth to attack a mage and then take out the other. If he can manage that before the ensnare breaks, we might have a chance.
Turning to face Max, Fowl scratched his beard for a moment. Youll have to run fast and strike the one on me as you always do. That will give us hopefully enough time to take out the fourth one before the boss activates. Did your book tell you the boss will engage the moment all four are dead?
No, it did not. Thats good to know though, Max replied. If thats the case, perhaps we dont kill one and just immobilize it. That would give us just a few more seconds to get into position and figure this out.
Nodding, Fowl looked around the dungeon again, considering the fact there was no choke point. Even if both of them stood in this opening, there was still enough room for the boss to push past them to get to one of the women if they drew aggro.
We need to decide now how to handle the aggro. If it charges you two and we are away, we may not be able to regain it.
Id rather stand here by the portal then, Tanila said as she took a step back from the line. Better to not succeed on this boss and live than the alternative.
Grunting, Fowl nodded and gave his shoulders their usual rotation before the fight would start.
We ready?
Batrire and Tanila nodded as Max considered the distance. Once Max activated the guards, it would take him a bit to get to the mages if he stealthed.
I cant stealth. It would take too long, he muttered.
Fowl looked at him and sighed. Ogre nuts. Youre right. I guess we will see how well your spear heals you once those mages get you in their sights.
We need to hurry. Times ticking and the portal is active.
Max moved to the line on Fowls right side.
He gave a nod and Fowl roared, stepping over the yellow line and watching the four guards immediately turn their attention to him.
Max sprinted, focusing on the mage on the right. It was beginning to move its hands and ice started to form on its hand.
The mage in the back shifted toward the right of the boss, its vision partially blocked by the brute on the left and the boss.
Roots sprang up, wrapping the feet of the lizardman on the left as it shrieked and hissed in Tanilas direction.
The first large lizardman collided with Fowl, who had run toward it. The massive club it had swung toward their warrior bounced off Fowls shield as he defended against the attack.
A shard of ice came at Max, the mage who had started casting, having to switch targets when its fellow guard blocked its line of sight to Fowl.
Raising his shield, Max felt the force of the strike, shards of ice exploding in every direction from the impact.
Twenty feet.
Max only took his eyes off the mage for a moment to cover his chest and face as the ice shard approached him. As he lowered it to find his target again, he noticed a flame bolt coming at him now and had to raise his shield again, feeling the heat as fire washed over his shield and scorched his legs and arm.
He never stopped his charge, even when he barely had time to block another ice shard that struck his shield again.
The mage realized too late that Max was not going to stop as Max thrust his spear out, catching it in the stomach. He had wanted to go for its chest but another flame bolt came at him, requiring him to raise his shield to lessen the damage he took from it.
A hiss and shriek came from the mage as he drove the spear through it. The blue light that had started to form on its hands vanished, its spell interrupted by the spear piercing its body.
Moving to the right, Max used the mage to block the lizardman, preparing to send another fire bolt his way. With a moment to think, Max jerked his spear free, thrusting again and this time piercing the mage through its heart.
When he pulled the spear free, Max watched it fall to the ground.
As it fell a firebolt came at him, striking him right in the chest.
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His body erupted in pain as flames burnt his face and everywhere else.
A scream came from his mouth and a moment later, it was gone, replaced by a rush of cold.
[ 38 Hit Points Consumed ]
[ 3 Stamina Consumed ]
Three seconds!
Tanilas shout spurred Max on, leaping over the dead mage and dashing toward the last one.
Its hands began to glow red, and Max knew it would cast before he covered the last four steps he needed to be in range.
A fire bolt slammed into the mage a moment later, coming from behind him, causing the creature to lose its concentration and its spell to stop as fire ignited its skin.
Those last few steps gave Max time to level his spear and thrust it into the burning mages heart.
It fell dead, fire still dancing on its scales.
[ 23 Hit Points Consumed ]
[ 10 Mana Consumed ]
Look out!
Max twisted his head to the left, seeing the swing coming from the massive lizardman that had been ensnared this entire time. His shield barely got up in time as he ducked, the blow glancing off and causing the lizardman to continue its swing.
A small shift in its weight made it take a step so it could try and stop the swing.
Being faster by a lot, Max pivoted on his feet, bringing his spear around and driving it into the lizardmans thigh.
A crack sounded, and Max knew he had hit a bone and managed to break it somehow.
The ice enchantment! Thirty percent more damage!
The lizardman fell forward, unable to support itself and began to tumble from the momentum of its swing.
Ignoring the injured creature, Max turned and ran toward Fowl, seeing him deftly handling the blows of his lizardman.
With a well-practiced strike, Max drove the spear a little higher into the creature's back, feeling it pierce deeper than usual.
The added Strength and that bonus!
The lizardman crumbled to the ground, dropping its club as its body found itself not working.
Fifteen or less!
Fowl pointed his hammer at the one Max had injured near the boss.
Kill it! I got this one!
Max nodded, running back to where the lizardman was beginning to rise, using its club as a crutch.
As Max ran toward it, he felt the eyes of the boss on him. A chill ran down his back as Max focused on the lizardman, who realized he was coming at it.
It hopped on one leg, lifting its club and trying to prepare for Max but it was about as graceful as a drunk dwarf on a tightrope.
It fell over, the weight of the club being too great, and as it fell, Max delivered two quick thrusts that finished it off.
Seven!
Max spun, seeing Fowl standing near the boss and looking at him.
Fowl nodded, pulled back his hammer, swinging it at the boss.
Instead of a free shot on its leg, the two five-foot-long curved swords that had been resting against its massive shoulders swung down, blocking the attack with ease while delivering a massive blow to Fowls shield.
Max came over, preparing to strike from behind, when he saw the sword in the creature's left hand coming at him. It had twisted, turning itself sideways and using one sword on him and the other at Fowl.
Maxs new swordsmanship skill read the movement of the sword. Even though he had not used one in years, his new sword skill told him the best angle to deflect the incoming attack with his shield.
He sent the sword up and over his head, the massive reach limiting his ability to get close and deliver a strike.
The next thing that took place boggled Maxs mind.
As if the boss was some dancer, it began to rotate again, the right hand bringing the sword toward Max, while the sword in its left hand came in low at Fowl. They deflected the blades again, only for the boss to repeat the performance.
Three more times the boss spun around, each time its swords coming at different heights and speeds. The speed of the swords was so fast its reach created a deadly tornado of steel.
Max read the movements each time it happened, and his brain began to see a pattern.
The boss had reach but those swords in close were going to be its weakness. As it spun the next time, there was a moment coming when its back was to Max and he had a split second to make an attack.
He lunged forward, coming in so close that he could have almost kissed the massive muscular legs of the boss, driving his spear up into the bosss lower back.
The tip of his spear pierced the rotating torso, almost getting three inches deep before the creature shifted and swung its blade downward at Max.
For most of his life, being short had left him the butt of jokes and teasing. Now, the fact that he was basically eye level with the boss's crotch let Max dart between its moving legs, using his height as an advantage and maximizing the slight difference in their speed.
The sword tore through the grass and dirt, creating a divot as it missed its swing at him.
Not wasting another moment, Max tried to sweep the legs of the boss out from under it, twisting the opposite way than it was and using his shaft against its knees.
It stumbled, not falling down, yet the force of Maxs blow sent it pitching forward, the bosss right hand dropping its sword as it reached out to catch itself.
Both warriors didnt hesitate, Max thrusting his spear into the calf on its right leg while Fowl came close and swung his hammer at its left knee.
Each of them got in two attacks, drawing blood and a roar from the boss as it rolled to the side.
As it rolled, its tail whipped at Fowl, catching him in his legs and sending him crashing to the ground.
It hopped to its feet as Max pressed the attack, not giving it a chance to recover if he could help it.
He prepared to thrust at its left leg again but Max saw a red flash on the boss and stopped the attack, jerking his shield in place as he saw the sword coming at him with such speed it was a blur.
The force of the blow sent him staggering, taking over five steps backward as the boss began to move toward him.
Vines and roots appeared at its feet, slowing it down for only a second as it tore free of the spell that Tanila had cast, hoping to buy both Fowl and Max time.
Are we making a dent? Max shouted as he got to his feet, preparing to block the next incoming strike as the boss only had eyes for him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fowl was back up and Max knew Batrire had healed him. That tail strike most likely broke one of the dwarfs legs.
The boss and Max danced together, its massive sword keeping him from closing the distance and the rare attack that Fowl managed to land on its leg doing almost no damage.
Somehow his shield was surviving the constant assault the boss rained down on it.
For over a minute, neither of them landed a blow, and now even Fowl was being kept at bay by the swinging tail that threatened to send him flying.
Tanila, we need your help! Fowl shouted, giving up his attempt to land a blow and repositioning himself between Batrire and Tanila.
Max wanted to see what Tanila was going to do and ten seconds later he got his wish.
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