The beetle's trail led Lucian and Annabelle deeper into the forest, and eventually to a hill with a rocky cave entrance on its side. Two more Ironwrought Beetle Soldiers stood watch outside the cave, and Lucian spotted a group of several more Workers returning, escorted by another Soldier.
Annabelle tapped his shoulder, gesturing to herself then the approaching group, then to him and the two Soldiers by the cave. She was the more cautious between them, and if she was ready then so was he.
Lucian nodded and summoned his sword, immediately activating [Heightened Manifestation] as well. He launched himself towards the pair of Soldiers. They quickly noticed his less than subtle approach and postured at him, clicking their mouthparts threateningly.
Behind him, Annabelle looked at the group of approaching beetles with a grin, raising her hand up at them and gesturing downwards, “[Great Mire]...” Her hand flashed with a violet light as a wave of the same shimmering energy erupted in the middle of the group, racing outwards to encompass most of the group. Their movements immediately slowed, as if the air had gotten thicker around them. She immediately followed up with a scattering gesture, “And [Banecloud]!” The green fog burst from a point in the air towards one side of [Great Mire]’s sphere of influence, flooding outwards into the spell’s area. The initial area of [Banecloud] was definitely smaller than that of [Great Mire], but [Banecloud] did expand a bit over time and more importantly - unlike [Great Mire] - it wasn’t a channeled spell. She cast it a second time, in the other half of the area, watching as the toxic fog spread out, even catching the members of the group outside of [Great Mire]. She knew the Workers wouldn’t last long, but the Soldier she wasn’t so sure about…
Leaving Annabelle to work, Lucian reached the two Soldiers. They lunged for him, attempting to grapple him or his weapon with their reinforced pincers. He repositioned with [Quickstep], veering around to the side before activating the skill a second time and accelerating towards them from the side. He caught the Soldier mid lunge, bringing his blade down in a guillotining strike empowered by both [Slash] and [Penetrating Strike]. The blue protective aura of [Spirit Barrier] flared as he expended so much Spirit in short order, and his blade met the beetle’s head. The increased level of [Penetrating Stike] cut through its armor notably more easily than before, and his blade cut through chitin and muscle. The Soldier went limp, and the leftover momentum of its lunge carried Lucian along with it, his blade stuck in its head.
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The second soldier lunged for Lucian again, its pincers flashing red with a skill. Lucian opted to simply let go of his sword, allowing the weapon to demanifest instead of trying to yank it free. He [Quickstep]ped backwards, the Soldier’s empowered blow digging into the ground as it clambered over its fallen comrade to strike at him again. Lucian came to a stop and [Quickstepped] again, leaping over the Soldier as it swiped its head sideways at him. He turned in the air and swiped his hand at the monster, “[Cleaving Wind]!” He launched the blade of air downwards, which did little but scratch its armor. As he landed on the ground behind the beetle he reactivated [Manifest Weapon].
The beetle wheeled around with a loud threatening screech and he parried another sideways swipe of its pincers as his blade fully formed, the residual force making his arm shake. He ducked under the pincers and slashed upwards at the head, again empowering the strike with [Slash] and [Penetrating Strike]. His blade, lacking the increased force of [Heightened Manifestation], cut deep but not lethally so, and so he vaulted onto its head and wrenched his sword upwards, cutting further into its head at the same time as pulling the weapon free, before stabbing downwards with [Penetrating Strike]. The Soldier fell still, collapsing underneath him as he took a deep breath.
He looked around for Annabelle, and found her watching him as she stood beside a group of dead beetles, traces of [Banecloud] still lingering near the ground. The Soldier she had fought had one of its limbs bound by [Tanglethorns], and torn roots around it marked where it had torn free of other casts of the same spell.
Lucian dismissed his weapon and stepped onto the ground, “That was a workout…” He chuckled, “I don't know if I’m ready to take on a full nest of those guys.” He admitted. Even having felt several skills level from the fight, as well as himself, he wasn’t sure it was a good idea to go into the nest itself.
“That’s fair! I think they’re weak to poison.” Annabelle grinned smugly, “Let’s report this location as a point of interest and then review our gains?”
Lucian nodded, and walked over to her, leaning against a tree to further catch his breath as she pulled out her radio. As he rested, he examined what the fight had gotten him. It was certainly fruitful…
