Punching Above Your Weight Class

The beast was absolutely hulking. Its large head, likely equipped with a set of very powerful jaws, looked tiny compared to its massive body of rolling muscle. Protruding from and wrapping around the beast were a number of viciously thorny vines. They seemed to move of their own accord and snap in the air, not seeming to bother the bear in the slightest. Still, there was no telling how creatures in this world might compare to their real world counterparts. Some animals were not aggressive unless you were perceived as a threat. Ember was much smaller than this creature, perhaps he could pass in that regard. Then again, bears in games tended to be hostile no matter what. Ultimately, Ember had a decision to make. Engage this beast in combat or attempt to flee. Unfortunately, the beast made that decision for him as it reared up onto its hind legs and let out a roar before a tangle of vines suddenly shot up from beneath Ember. Turns out, this was gonna be a fight! This bear was out for blood and apparently Imp flesh was on the menu.

Ember tugged at the vines as he attempted to break free of their grasp. Unfortunately, they held on tight as the bear returned to all fours and began to gallop towards him. Yep, this was bad. It only really occurred to Ember now that he had no idea how combat actually worked for him here, but he would certainly need to figure it out fast. His mind rushed for answers. Swinging a weapon around was pretty self-explanatory. In fact, it almost felt second nature to him for some reason. What he was concerned about were his abilities. He didn’t have buttons to press anymore to just activate them. Was there some other way? His flustered mind ran through the abilities he recalled unlocking, focusing on the Fire Spit that he had become so fond of using.

Suddenly, as that thought crossed his mind, he felt a tingle in his chest. It was hard to put a finger on it, but it was as if his nature as an Imp knew on an instinctual level how to use the ability. Realizing that, Ember tapped into one of his greatest talents, turning his brain off and following what felt right. Unfortunately, he regretted it immediately as he felt his mouth fill with a viscous fluid that tasted like a mix of gasoline and various other chemicals. Mouth filled to its limits, Ember then spat out a glob of napalm that splattered upon, and immediately ignited the massive bear in front of him. Thinking of it now, Ember considered that maybe he should have tried to aim it at the vines still holding him in place. However, perhaps due to the plant-like nature of the creature he was fighting, the bear seemed to possess a particularly extreme reaction to flame. The beast reared back and roared in agony, though it didn’t do much to stop the brambles that were now flailing wildly upon the creature’s back. Just before the vines holding him in place timed out, one of those tendrils lashed out and absolutely clobbered Ember.

The Imp was sent soaring through the air and smashed head first into one of the many towering trees in the area. Ember held his head, slowly rising to his feet in a daze. Unfortunately, along with everything else, pain was also a very real thing in this world, and Ember was in absolute agony. His hit points immediately dropped to nearly half of their maximum value as Ember checked for damages. Never before had he been hit that hard in his life. Had this been the real world, there was no doubt he’d be going straight to the hospital for broken bones,lacerations, and a concussion after that. Fortunately, the game didn’t seem so interested in creating such realistic effects. Still, the very real pain was enough to serve as a status effect in and of itself as he staggered in place. There was no doubt about it, this area was intended for characters at higher levels than himself. He needed to run, but then again, what good would it do if it had an ability that could root him in place. Running would be a death sentence here. Ember would need to come to grips with how to truly fight, and fast as the creature recovered from its flinch and charged after him. With only a few exceptions, Ember found that mobs always had a bit of a cooldown where flinching would prove less effective. Until that time, his fire spit would lack some of its utility. All that was left for him now was to square up and prepare himself.

As the bear bore down on him, Ember thought back to his abilities once more, which was easier said than done as his mind was still scrambled in a desperate frenzy. He thought next of his Rage ability, but the time it took to activate was a factor of concern and even triggering it might not be possible at the moment. Then came his Charge ability. Yes, more promising for sure. If he could figure out how to activate it, it would at least give him a big hit to wallop the beast with. Marcus drew back his weapon as his mind raced for how he would go about activating it. He was able to trigger his Fire Spit, so it stood to reason that he could potentially use his other abilities just by thinking about them. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, Ember only stood there as the beast finished closing the distance. Unable to figure out how to activate his ability in time, Ember took a desperate swing at the beast, which hit it in the shoulder, but the beast showed no reaction to it. Instead, it proceeded to dash over him, practically running him over as it sent him tumbling in its wake.

In its rush, the beast took a few moments to slow down as Ember groaned in agony. Though his ribs were not actually broken, they certainly felt as though they were. With some distance between himself and the bear once more, Ember reached out, clutching onto a nearby tree to drag himself up to his feet. That last hit nearly did him in, dropping his hit points to almost nothing. Ember thought then of the healing potions in his pack. It wouldn’t exactly be easy to dig around in that thing while this monster was trying to rip him to pieces. He then realized that he forgot to actually make use of the utility belt he had been rewarded with all the way back at the tutorial. Propping himself up against the tree, he readied his weapon. He knew of course that one more hit would absolutely do him in and he needed healing immediately. Perhaps if he were careful, he could use these trees to put some distance between himself and the bear when it inevitably attacked once more.

No attack came however as it reared up onto its hind legs once more. Ember’s pupils shrank and ears drooped when he realized what was about to happen and made a desperate dive out of the way, just in time to avoid another tangle of roots shooting up out of the ground. Ember panted loudly as he once more laid prone. He barely avoided being immobilized, but he had also distanced himself from the tree he planned to scamper around if the bear charged him again. No, this was not good. As he slowly rose to his feet once more, he realized he was now completely in the open in the center of the forest path. Getting out of the way of another charge would be a challenge given that the Imp could hardly move due to the pain coursing through him. The bear meanwhile seemed to grow frustrated that its attempts to ensnare Ember this time had failed. Letting out a furious roar, the beast began charging towards him once more.

Eager to gain some distance, Ember looked to the trees closest to him to his left. He might be able to swing around the thing and evade the next charge if he hurried. However, a glint of metal soaring through the trees told him that he might not have to, as a bronze shield suddenly flew in through the air and crashed into the side of the bear’s head with a loud clang.

The bear’s head reeled sideways, stumbling as it lost momentum before digging its feet into the ground to turn its attention to the new threat. What it didn't seem prepared for though was that very threat charging in with a level of aggression akin to its own. As the shield bounced back in the direction it was thrown from, it was snatched mid air by the hand of a man holding a gleaming longsword aloft. Using a rotten stump to propel himself into the air, the man shouted aloud “Smite of Alanesta!”

Suddenly, the longsword he held was bathed in a radiant light before it came crashing down upon the beast. With a crack of thunder, the bear was struck by a burst of holy energy, sending it staggering before it collapsed to its side. Though it was far from dead, the impact was enough to temporarily incapacitate it. Ember looked in awe at the man who just stormed in and practically saved him, before being approached by him. Stowing his shield on his back, they extended their now free hand out to Ember which now glowed with a gentle light. Unsure what this was all about, Ember let him continue, hoping his Imp body would not have some sort of adverse reaction to this seemingly holy magic. Fortunately, it did not as Ember’s hit points were restored nearly to their maximum. Just like that, the majority of the pain Ember had been feeling simply vanished and whatever wounds he had sustained had gone with it. He steadied himself immediately and looked over his body with renewed vigor.

“There we go, you okay man?” the Paladin asked.

“Y-yea, I think so. Damn that was clutch.” Ember replied, looking himself over.

“Good, now don’t go wasting it.” He told Ember with a smile.

Ember looked up to him and smirked. “Heh, I see. No promises but thanks, I really needed that.”

The Paladin nodded as he took hold of his shield once more and brandished it in front of him, putting himself between the beast and Ember. Ember meanwhile squared his shoulders and readied his maul. Though even the Paladin didn’t match the beast in level, and its health bar had not even been depleted by a full quarter, Ember was confident in the odds now. The creature’s eyes meanwhile seemed focused on the Paladin, exactly the sort of opportunity he was looking for as his mind wandered back to the attacks he thought he was supposed to know.

The beast dashed forward and swung as the Paladin raised his shield to intercept the incoming blow. With a resounding clang, the massive paw crashed into the large plate of bronze with enough force to shove the Paladin backward. Despite the overwhelming force however, his feet remained firmly planted, kicking up a small ditch where his heels dug across the earth.

Ember took a step back, evading a flailing tendril that snapped haphazardly of its own volition, regardless of where the bear seemed to be focusing. Ember needed to help, if only so he wouldn’t just be dead weight in this fight. He thought of his Charge ability, Fire Spit, Throw, then Rage all over again. He knew he needed to get his Rage buff ready first. The sooner it was active, the more damage he could inflict. He focused on it, racking his brain to think about how he was supposed to trigger it. He couldn’t just feel it within him like Fire Spit, something else must be needed instead.

He watched as the bear swiped once more with its other paw, forcing the Paladin to dodge out of the way to narrowly avoid its claws. Though the thought did manifest in his mind that he may have lost access to some abilities, he quickly recalled the Paladin’s use of his powers. If this Paladin was who he suspected it was, then that would mean he too should have no such restrictions… God he hoped that was true. That concern melting away in an instant, Ember was confident that the power must somehow yet remain within him, he had to believe that it did. He gritted his teeth, wishing he could just press a button and not have to think about it, and it was at that moment that it hit him. That slightest bit of frustration in his heart seemed to be reacting to something, something deep within, vicious, and ready to be released. Had he been overthinking this thing the whole time? Surely he couldn’t just make himself that angry on a whim, could he?

With no better ideas, ember focused on that rage, it was in there somewhere. He was a warrior after all, a barbarian whose job was to overwhelm his foes with a frenzy of blows and an untamed bloodlust. That was what his class description outlined anyway. Still, even if he had to hype himself up with such a grandiose way of thinking he could feel it working, a surge of anger welling up inside of him that he had never experienced before in his life. It was a fury fueled by nothing more than wanting to see his enemies laid low before him. It was almost overwhelming, his head felt like it was about to burst, and before he knew it, a primal and violet, if still relatively unintimidating war cry erupted from his lungs. In an instant, he felt his entire body harden, his muscles tensing up for the sole purpose of putting every ounce of their power into obliterating whatever might stand before Ember. He looked up, practically seeing red as the Paladin ducked beneath another hefty blow from the bear before thrusting his blade into its foreleg. That bear was not making it out of this encounter in one piece, and would be lucky to make it out at all!

Ember braced himself and drew back his maul. Charge? How could he have not seen it before, how could he have not understood how to use such a simple ability. All he needed to do was focus on his foe, prepare his strike, then charge forward with the sole purpose of seeing whatever dared to oppose him flattened into the ground. Ember did all that, with a bloodthirsty war cry, he sprinted forward, covering the distance in a matter of moments. Though his little form was anything but intimidating, the embers of his rage were nearly palpable to anything nearby. With a thunderous wallop that sent a tremor through the ground, Ember’s maul shimmered as it struck the beast. Reeling from the impact, the bear was forced backwards by several feet. Though it stumbled, it did not completely lose its footing, but it didn’t need to as the Paladin lunged towards it delivering a hefty strike with his shield to its jaw.

“Haha, good one!” The Paladin praised, taking a moment before he drove his blade into the monster’s neck.

Ember meanwhile currently lacked the head for receiving praise. All that mattered to him was seeing this monster’s health drop to nothing. He took a quick glance at the bar. The sturdy creature’s health was at half. Tough though it may have been, there was no doubt as to their progress. Ember ducked and evaded as a tendril lashed out at him before swinging his maul once more and landing another powerful blow. Unfortunately, he failed to notice as another tendril took a swing at him, lashing him right across the face. He was sent spiraling backwards, barely keeping on his feet. The pain burned on his cheek and neck, but he was very much still in the game. Meanwhile, another smiting cry roared from the Paladin’s lungs before another thunderous crash was heard. Despite the crushing blow Ember had dealt against the beast moments ago, it still seemed intent on keeping its focus on the Paladin, leaving Ember to evade its flailing tendrils.

With two players now on the offense, it was now the beast who was left with nowhere to turn as Ember and the Paladin delivered attack after attack into it. Ember blasted it with another fire Spit while the Paladin struck and slashed at every opportunity. In a last ditch effort to protect itself in this fight who’s odds had been so drastically changed throughout, the bear rose up on its hind legs and attempted once more to ensnare its opponents. The Paladin swiftly dodged it but Ember would feel his left leg become ensnared. He looked back in surprise, not only not expecting this ability to be able to target multiple people, but also because he had assumed it would have only been targeting the Paladin. It would all be in vain however as the Paladin used the momentum he had gained from dodging the attack to leap up and redirect himself by kicking off of the tree beside him. Using the height he had gained from the leap, he extended his blade out once more, driving it deep into the creature’s neck before it let out a roar of agony. Staggering backward on two legs, the creature, like a falling tree, slowly tilted backwards before crashing lifelessly to the ground. With his leg only just starting to break free from the loosening roots, Ember was forced to dive out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed as he face planted into the dirt.