Obsidian: Rock Eater

For some of those here, this isn't the first time they're meeting Wakai Senshi or Akumeiji. The blonde, Wakai Senshi, appears to be an Obsidian ranked Hunter from the Hunters Guild, tapping his sword on his shoulder for a bit as the rest of the party arrives.

The area in front of the cave is fairly plain looking. A bit of forest surrounding a plain area leading into a cave. Yet, this cave seems to have drawn the interest of the more mysterious Akumeiji. The blonde in sage's robes, a Lander as well by the Inspect status, and of orange level difficulty.

When enough people have arrived, the blonde and bespectacled woman of the Tower of Mages touches her hand to her chest and bows to those present. "I, Akumeiji, welcome you - Brave Hunters." She offers to them, while the young warrior next to her takes up a guarding position.

"I require an item that is kept within this particular cave. A recent Hunters Guild party discovered an item, but had to flee due to the presence of a Rock Eater. I will require your aid in defeating it, or to protect me while leading me to the item in question." She explains in simple terms.

And, before anyone can ask, she adds; "A Rock Eater is a large monster that can burrow through stone and earth with ease. It tends to be about fifty meters in length. And, according to the Monster Manual, their weak point has not yet been discovered."

She takes up what looks like a typical caster's staff from the ground, and then looks towards the entrance to the cave. "This young warrior will lead inside." She offers, motioning towards Wakai Senshi.

To which the young warrior steps forward and grins boldly, raising his sword. "Are you with me!?" Clearly far too bold for someone who is merely an Obsidian ranked Hunter amongst Landers. He then starts marching towards the entrance.

Whoosh! What was that?

Did you see that?

Is it a blur? Is it a glitch?

No, it's Kotono, the swift Spriggan with a pair of knives in either hand. She uses her swift speed to be like a ninja as she approaches the area until she finally arrives. Once she gets there, she listens intently to what is said before biting her lip a little. "A Rock Eater, huh? That sounds really tough."

After a moment, though, Kotono smiles a little. "But not to worry, we can take care of it!" She twirls her daggers while doing a brief spin as if performing a signature move of sorts.

When Wakai Senshi asks if they're with him, Kotono raises her right dagger and yells, "We're with you!"

When there's something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna ca--wait, wrong franchise, wrong kind of supernatural.

However, when it comes to uncommon and unusual monsters without known weaknesses, there is someone you can call, and that's the resident bardic summoner Nightmare Were Fang. Even if she wasn't directly called she tends to pick up on these little side ventures from the networks of info her Messenger gig snoops around. Especially when they're directed someplace well known like the Hunter's Guild.

Whatever the method, what matters is that she is here with her peculiar set of talents to help.

She does sidle up a bit closer to Akumeiji as the party starts to venture into the cave. "Oh pray tell me, is there any place one may view this 'Monster Manual'?"

Akumeiji answers rather readily to Kauchemar, "There is not. It is property of the Mages' Tower, and not available for public viewing."

    "Don't think I've ever fought a rock eater," the - for the moment - quieter Spriggan muses. At least she's among friends once again. When Wakai calls for a cheer, she produces a mariachi fanfare from her guitar, before sliding the instrument away.

    "Have you considered publishing copies of it? I'm sure the Hunter's Guild would be interested."

Goldenblade has joined this group, and stands in the cave, listening to Akumeiji explain our purpose here. "Sounds easy enough," she says blithely. She really doesn't understand monster dynamics or different methods or techniques of defeating monsters. She's still on 'hit them hard, and if that doesn't work, hit them hard some more' school of monster fighting. But she's willing to learn.

"Did the last group say what made the monster to difficult?" she wonders. Because a fifty meter monster that travels through rock doesn't send alarm bells by itself.

This isn't the first time that Mikage has encountered the mysterious Akumeiji, though it was under different circumstances. As a member of the Hunters Guild, though, Miki is prone to take on whatever odd jobs they throw out, if only for the chance to see unusual territories and new dungeons.

She opens her mouth as the Rock Eater is mentioned, but the explination quickly follows, leaving her to close her lips again and simply lsten. "Fifty meters." She murmurs under her breath, then looks down to Rama. "Stay close. Something that big could do a lot of damage." And Rama is a very, little lynx.

Her blue eyes shift to the young hunter, likely running an inspect if only to appraise his skill. The Ranger is a bit quiet, though, perhaps because there's quite a few people here. So, when he calls out, she just inclines her head, falling into step, her hand drawing out her sword. There is no sign of the bows she has carried recently, perhaps because they all have failed spectacularly...

    Amalthea is here. The old Odysseia Knight arrives with little fanfare; just a casual strolling pace to bring her to join he group banding together for this cave expidition.
    "Huh. What exactly are you looking for in there?" She asks, curiosity getting the better of her as she drums on the hilt of one of the blades at her waist.
    Nevertheless she starts following towards the cave entrance.
    "Mmmm. I'm getting too many Sandworm PTSD memories coming back to me." She does muse though.

    Merek looks to the whole of the place in front of the cave, with a nod along to the ones that greet them. He wears a light dark armor while he keeps the dark blade with him, Shadow Eclipse. That's put into a scabbard upon the back, while he takes the time to look at the potions which he brought with him. There's a nod to people he notices, "Let's try not to be killed, well. I don't need to say that, but please."
    The man looks to the cave, not minding any commentary on the Monster Manual. "If they considered publishing it, it wouldn't be 'not available for public viewing' and all," he muses then to people, while he takes a torch he keeps with him, then lights that with a flame, "I wonder."

"Oho, that means I'm obviously allowed in, aren't I?" There is a person here, such as he is. Really these days he's more of a shambling husk of medical know-how, magical research and fire. So much fire. Even now Prophylaxis, the Doctor of Tolbana, smells faintly of smoke, ash and sulfur, all buried under the scent of smoldering incense. "I am a Magus, after all. Thus, I should be allowed into the Mage Tower! It's only sensible."

This is not at all how it works. Probably.

"Do you happen to know anything more about this Rock Eater? Like maybe what it looks like, or what its flesh might be made of? This is important information." Prophylaxis adjusts his glasses. They shine ominously in the dim light. "For science."

"Though if it /is/ fifty meters or more in size, then we'll probably know it when we see it, won't we? Ah well." He shakes his head, then pats the Young Soldier across the shoulders. "And you take care now. Even the strongest warrior will only end up getting crushed by something fifty meters large. It might, in fact, be easier to enter into the creature's body and kill it from the inside, eh?"

    Setsuna cheers out with the others, though his may have been less enthused as others. "So a eater of rocks, maybe we can just feed it enough it will go to sleep." Setsuna muses to himself as he lf gravitate towards one of the few people he knows and ends up near GoldenBlade. He gives a brief nod and notices everyone else is asking question after question so he simply listens. First big hunter quest like this, best to just listen in and see how it goes for the now.

    Mizuki recognizes Akumeiji, at least!

    She's still blissfully unaware of the name's etymology.

    All of this sounds normal enough until-- "Fifty meters?? And we're gonna fight it /underground/? Is there some way we could lure it somewhere else...?" She's still going along, of course, just wondering if there's a smarter way to fight this thing.

    She also shows interest in the 'monster manual'. "Do they even have printing presses in this world?"

    Amalthea looks at Prophylaxis.
    "Do you not remember the sandworm?" She asks incredulously. "I'm not shield-surfing into something else's gullet today, thank you."

Gwen looks to Akumeiji as she arrives and smiles. "Good to see you are well Akumeiji. Right, time to get to business. So we get you alive and well to the target."

SHe pauses for a moment.

"Humm we got any mining charges?" She muses out loud it seems Gwen has an idea, she totally saw a movie about killer worms once. This has to work it's solid flawless logic right? As she sees Wakai head in and she'll move head to fall ins he's a tank it's her job right? Though if the thing they are dealing with eats through the Earth.

"This Rock Eater could hit us from any angle. Anyone who can sense vibrations in the earth you are our eyes for if one of these things shows up."

She looks to Akumeiji

"Anything else of note about their habits or methods of attack we should know?"

"I rather throw something like alchemist fire or explosives down it maw and BOOM."

"Also I do want to get a copy of this manual but that is for later."

She looks to Amalthea.

"We can do it like they did in Tremors..."

"That tactic worked out well for everyone involved," Prophylaxis sniffs. "We just need to be able to blow our way out, it'll be fine."

    Miyako remembers the sandworm. Fortunately she did /not/ end up trying to kill it from the inside, like certain others did. "Did you remember to bring the explosives, then?" she asks of Prophylaxis. "I'm sure you did, I'm fairly certain no one else would've thought of it."

Proteus has no idea who these people are. But it doesn't matter. She's taken quests from stranger. And strangers. Akumeiji gets a glance, her eyes narrowing under her hood as she notes the Lander. "Interesting. Usually Landers aren't so interested in sticking their necks into places like this."

There is a nod, however. "Hence why you are having us assist, hmm? Very well. So our job is to defeat the Rock Eater or protect you until you acquire the item? Fair enough."

    Her cloak ruffles in the last wind that passes before they enter the cavern. "So, pray tell, Sage of the Tower, what kind of item are we liberating for you today?" She steps forward to enter with the others. She can talk while they walk. She gestures idly to Kauchemar as she passes, and nods. There are other familiar faces too. She nods to each of them in turn. Sharing the field of battle does wonders to help create bonds.

Akumeji gives Prophylaxis a bit of a bemused look. She isn't insulted by his insinuations and simply touches her hand to her lips and laughs with him. "You are a funny man." She remarks in a well natured manner and proceeds to join amidst the Adventurers. "I am afraid the Mages' Tower approach is... how do you Adventurers say it... 'Don't call upon us, we'll call upon you?'."

"And yes, we have Printing Presses for simple lettered works. But paper is still relatively expensive." Akumeiji adds as the crew heads inwards. It doesn't seem that calling it out in the plains is an option at this time. Perhaps because it's called a Rock Eater, and not a Forest And Plains Eater.

"Their habit is to eat people." Akumeiji helpfully adds for Gwen's sake. "And they come out of the earth..." She tilts her head a bit to the side. "They're quite simple creatures, really. Just... also highly dangerous within their favored hunting grounds."

Turning to Proteus, the woman offers simply, "A particular kind of gem. I won't bore you with the details." She smiles warmly. "If you are so curious, you'll see it when we get to the back of the cave."

As the crew starts heading into the cave, Akumeiji raises her staff and causes it to start burning with a pale white light. It offers enough illumination out for a bit of distance, but isn't too bright on its own.

It isn't long before the Young Warrior raises his hand. Tilting his head, trying to listen to something. Right before a flock of Vampire Bats suddenly let out loud screetches and descend from the cave ceiling, and begin to attack the various people present!

"Eat people?" Kotono gulps a little before she remembers that this is just a game. Of course, she's never actually been 'eaten' in a game like this before, so who knows what might happen to her if she's unsuccessful?

"One thing at a time, Kotono," She whispers to herself before looking to Miyako and giving her a smile. "Hope you're ready for a bit of spelunking!" She says.

As they head into the caves, she's relieved to see that Akumeiji has the ability to light things up, which makes her feel a bit better...

Until the bats come out and Kotono lets out a cry of terror. Recovering quickly, she drops to the ground and rolls away. "Whew!" She says as she stands up. "That was too close!"

    Merek looks to the bats that swoop along to the party, then he takes a moment to begin swiveling upon the hip while he draws up the wind shield. An aero shield begins drawing away all the bats, while he swings between them and lifts up both hands to create sigils, while circles appear to blast flame into the bats.

    Mizuki ohs. "Right. What made paper stop being expensive in our world? Mechanized logging and pulping?" Curse the loss of the Library of Alexandria...

    She looks at Prophy. "Wait, so just to be clear: Are you talking about class features fluffed as explosives or do we actually have chemical explosives here as a thing we can use independently of any adventurer's skills and stats?"

    Regardless of revelations about technological developments, into the cave they go. And the first thing they run into is... her ears twitch at the sound, and then she looks up. "Bats!" She immediately breathes a plume of flame upward to keep them off her! Then she tries to think of some clever elemental attack to conserve firepower... but she's got nothing, and the longer the bats exist, the more MP she's spending keeping them away... so she adds some air to the fire, surrounding herself with a whirling airblast with Aero and spitting fire into it, before hurling the ball of whirling flame upward to fry bats and throw them into eachother! "Hyaaaa!"

    "But Gwen." Amalthea ventures. "Where are we going to get a high powered anti-materiel rifle to shoot through the graboid, the wall, AND the car?" She asks as the vampire bats descend.
    "Those aren't graboids." The old knight points out matter of factly as she draws her sword. Scraping the tip along the ground to kick up a spark, her blade suddenly catches on fire. And she puts this flaming sword to use against the bats as best she can.

That is probably not the answer Kauchemar wanted to hear, but she doesn't show it. At least not directly. "Oh, I do love someone that realizes information is a power worth keeping close to their own holdings~" She is certainly going to remark with a back-handed compliment or two. Because that's the way she is. "If anyone could see it for themselves, why, what purpose would your tower clubhouse have after all?" Followed by a flip of her hair and a dismissive wave as she uses her longer stride to make pace more towards the front of the group. "Oh that is quite alright though. I have no problem with getting... personal with creatures for research."

It seems to take a moment for that context to strike her, at which she turns and points a finger at Akumeji. "And not in that manner! I am not THAT kind of Bard!"

Of course that's when there's a timely distraction in the form of bats... Though part of the distraction is that since her back is turned several of the bats that were swooping towards Akumeiji... don't clear the over the top glamrock hairstyle that is her mane. With frantic flapping and screeching they quickly get entangled and start snapping at her hair and ears to try and get free!

"Gah! Not again!" The were fang yowls as one digs sharply into her ear. Don't ask how this is not the first occurance. With a pained snarl she grabs at bats to pull them free of her mane.

And then with the last one goes full Ozzie with her unhinging fanged jaws and just *CHOMPS* the head off!

"A particular kind of gem." Proteus replies. "I think you will find that I am difficult to bore with details. I will be looking forward to seeing it when we get there." Her expression grows contemplative as she ponders, clearly trying to remember what gems spawned in this cave system. Not that it really matters, the Black Wave seems to have wrought havoc on resource spawn locations across most of the world, leaving most people scrambling to reestablish supply lines.

Still, any further question and answer time is interrupted by the rudeness of Vampire Bats. "Annoying." Proteus says, her hands flicking across input bars... But even faster than her fingers, the bats scythe past her, leaving long red damage slashes across her body and making her stagger backwards. "Tch! I got sloppy!" She curses, and immediately rallies. ^ X O

Her hands slam together in a deafening clap, and the air suddenly ceases existing in a small area, causing the remaining pressure to slam down around the bats, compressing some of them in a small area in a damaging implosive strike. "Stupid bats. Worst creatures." In an even lower mutter, she adds, "... In any game." No need to antagonize the Landers. One of them is paying.

And there it is, the Rock Eater doesn't eat rocks. It eats people. "Yeah, definitely stay close to me." She commands Rama, making a hand motion that has him trailing just at her heels. The little creature wouldn't even make a decent mouthful to something that eats people.

In fact, Mikage just stares at the woman. Why is it that sometimes, NPCs talk about huge monsters that can easily kill large groups of people... as if they were a common pet. "Just a simple creatuer, my ass." Miki murmurs under her breath.

When the guide stops in his tracks, Mikage stops as well, crouching slightly to make herself lower to the ground. This gives her a bit of an advantage when the bats begin to make their way up the cave and towards the Adventurers. Raising an arm, Mikage blocks a few who try to swoop at her face, while Rama...

Well, Rama sees this as the best cat toys he's seen in a long time. The lynx darts forward, leaping into the air and swatting bats out of the sky. Then, he begins to pounce on them, bat them around, and eventually nabs one with his mouth, carrying back to Mikage as if this were the best present.

"Uh... thanks buddy."

Goldenblade peers at Amalthea, recalls the sandworms, and chopping her way out from inside. That worked pretty well, she thought. It was a bit gross, but she's been in construction since her youth and so odd environments - and inside a huge monster's gullet definitely counts as odd - don't disturb her per se.

Vampire bats certainly don't disturb her, she simply slides left when they come right, and right when they go left, and when they come straight in, she ducks. She'll swat at them with her swords, though the small creatures are tough to hit, small and fluttering around as they are. So she concentrates, and her swords burst into flames. Gasoline should burn so bright. And she swats at the bats now with burning brands, using both blades at once, so if a bat veers away from one, it flies into the other.

    "Pretty sure that was how it started, yeah," Miyako answers Mizuki's question. "Or at least water-mills for pounding rags and such. Cheap linen would help a lot too." She pauses, going silent for a minute to try to remember what she can about paper-making. Something about a special on marble paper she remembers watching, and fine metal screens... no, not enough detail to give a better answer.

    "They aren't shriekers either, thank Burt." Miyako just snaps her fingers, a quick shadow enveloping her hands as she swings them at the little flying nuisances, batting a few away but having little real effect on the creatures beyond maintaining her own HP bar.

    She grins to Kotono, and starts to say something to the girl, then has to add something else: "Honestly, Mimi, explosives underground without a professional mine engineer is just a /hugely/ effing bad idea."

    Setsuna chuckles at the mention of the movie with the horrible worm monsters, it wasn't the most terrible idea. At the cry of bats though Setsuna raises his staff and unleashes an arc of magic, a magical square appearing shielding Setsuna from the bats. " Perhaps a brief mention about the other creatures in this cave would have been in order. Besides these winged rats is there anything else before the rock eater we need to know about?" His question raised he continues to work his magic to block and deflect the bats away, maybe they would go away if they got bored enough.

"Ahhh they're /that/ kind of mage, are they?" Prophylaxis nods somberly. "That's fine, I can respect the cryptic magician thing. Oh well, I've got my own tower to live in anyway." It's a better tower. A cooler tower. A tower with blackjack and--

Well, no. It doesn't have those yet.

It does, however, have a very nice town that Prophylaxis lives in. There's a farm there now, and a clinic! Honestly the Tower of Aincrad is a pretty nice place as long as you ignore (or enjoy) the horrifying monsters lurking on every new floor.

...

Maybe they'll have to build their *own* mage tower *inside* Aincrad...?

"Huh, so they're fifty meters long *and* there's more than one of them?" Prophylaxis frowns, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "That'll make things interesting. I don't suppose they regenerate or duplicate when cut in half too? That's usually the way it goes with monsters like that."

But then! Bats! Prophylaxis gives the swarm of vampiric, winged rats a withering look and taps his staff against the ground. A wall of flame roars to life all around him, turning the bats to inert ash (and then red pixels) as they collide with the barrier. "Of course it's bats. We're probably due to run into spiders too, maybe skeletons."

The fact that paper is rare is... interesting, though. Maybe they should look into starting a cotton plantation and manufacturing textiles for profit...?

Gwen says "If we could cut down the cost of paper and I think there might be a few adventurers who'd know-how." She notes to Akumeiji as they go.

"Ambush predator from all angles and not very smart, but likely cunning when it comes to it's hunting. Got it."

Then comes the bat she calls out a warning to the Young Warrior for a moment. She's got her shield out and will fend them off for the moment more of them are coming in.

"God I hate bats just FREAKING BAT ENEMIES IN GENERAL!"

Gwen will turn about and will call out.
D" FIREBOLT!"

As she lets lose a spell to just set the damn infernal bats on fire.

She replies to Amalthea.

"The American Server! Which .. we can't get to..."

Akumeiji raises a brow at Kauchemar for their comments; "I'd expect that kind of behavior from a Lander Were Fang... but not from an Adventurer." She notes before she carries on, clearly holding Adventurers in some kind of higher regard. Or perhaps she meant something else.

She then lets out a sharp yelp as a bat tries to get at her, and she tries to bonk at it with her staff. Except, the yelp did not come because of the bats. But rather because Kauchemar literally bite-attacks one near her and eradicates it.

In the meantime, Proteus slams a few of the bats down to the ground. The young warrior that is with them uses this opportunity to cut a few of them apart. He is actually decently good at what he does. Which is swinging his sword, and using a small shield to rip them apart. The bold youth making nary a sound of exhaustion as he hacks through them.

Mikage's feline seems to be quite adept at eating the rather oversized sky-raisins, pouncing them and bringing them back to her.

More light is brought to the cave by Goldenblade, who hovers near the bats being brought down by Rama, carving the still alive ones to death, and setting others on fire - as they get batted to the side by Miyako. Another flame blasts over Miyako's head as Merek eradicates them.

"It's a cave. There's bound to be other lifeforms in it. I believe bats and giant insect monsters are all likely." The young warrior remarks to Setsuna, before turning to Prophylaxis in the midst of that wall of fire springing up - melting a few bats apart. "If there's more than one, we'd need more people. So if that happens... I recommend we ru~."

* RUMBLE *

* CRASH *

From the stones above, the enormous Rock Eater suddenly burrows out of the cave's ceiling and opens its massive many-teethed stone maw. Its enormous head staring down at Merek as it comes down, looking to rip him apart with its maw! There's enormous spikes all across his body that makes it so that even people just remotely /near/ might just get cut to pieces from its mere passing!

It also devours some of the bats while it is at it!

Hit or miss, it then burrows back into the ground, people having but a moment's chance to cut at the enormous, but rediculously fast Rock Eater! At the same time, as if summoned by the young warrior's predictions, enormous centipedes crawl out from the small holes in the cave - rushing at people with their pincers and attempting to bite them with their dangerous poisonous bites, and in general... swarm around them with creepy quick movements.

    "There's more than ONE of these 'rock eaters'?" Mizuki exclaims. She nods sadly after Gwen's reply. "Although, at least this way we don't have to deal with enemies with guns either..."

    But then the attack comes in. She dodges frantically, zipping between falling rocks and centipedes. "Why do we have to fight it underground?!" despite the complaint, she's taking the chance to attack the monster while she can, digging daggers and claws into it to rake as it goes past!

    "Ah yes. Good old 'Merrica." Amalthea muses about the American server, holding her blazing sword aloft like a torch as the group progresses. Though she makes a face at the mention of 'giant bugs' she says nothing until the ceiling starts to rumble... And then explodes downwards with a giant rock worm.
    "... Big graboid." She mutters, hoisting her shield aloft to deflect falling rocks and spikey spines.
    It gets worse when actual, literal, giant satan centipedes start rushing the group.
    "--Gwen, tank the Rock Eater, I'll deal with the adds!" She says, "Get behind the tanks, people!" She calls out before spamming her Taunts as she rushes a mass of horrorterror insects, flaming sword still blazing as she hacks into the lot of them.

Thinking she can evade that incoming monster, Kotono tries to somersault away... but can't quite make it in time.

"Ow!" She cries out being knocked back a little and feeling a little unsteady before regaining her balance. There's still the bats to deal with as well as the Rock Eater. Despite how big it looks, Kotono is a courageous young woman and wants to go after the Rock Eater!

"Gyaaaaaah!" She cries out as she slashes her knives at the giant monster.

Fortunately since the monsters just dematerialize when dead she doesn't have to actually eat the thing. "Always wanted to do that." Kauchemar even licks her lips for additional effect. Probably just because the reactions from Akumeiji amuses her.

But playtime is over when the monster appears, blasting out of rock and speeding towards Merek with it's jaggedly lined body. The Nightmare, when more aware of the danger, proves to be much more nimble in moving aside and out of the way, a brief whoosh of air punctuating her movements.

Not that the sidelines are so safe after it passes, since there's centipedes spilling into the cave as well. "I've got this!" Her eyes are already alight in the way they do when she is charging her magic. "Deal with the big stone bastard!" She focuses, and thrusts a hand out as runes appear on the ground around her, and start to flash like one of those dance rhythm games she loved so much. Which is exactly what she does, prancing her hooves on the runes as they light up.

Each time she does sparks crackle across the stone and then burst up in gouts of flame aimed at herding the centipedes away from the main fight with the Rock Eater and burning through their buggy hides.

Someone has to deal with the mob adds after all.

    "Nobody said anything about more than one!" Miyako yells as she leaps back from the creature, her fingers already moving through the rune-sequence to conjure a lance of water. "Get ready with ice!" she calls as she lashes out with the conjured water and... watches it drip to the floor as her rune-circle dissolves prematurely. "Ffffffffffff---"

It is one thing to watch Rama toy with the bats, but Mikage just happens to look over just in time to see Kauchemar bite the head off of one of them. Luckily, before she has time to address the nightmare's choice in diet, the Rock Eater makes itself known.

"Rama, behind me!" She calls out, the cat following by ducking behind her legs. Luckily, the creature seems to be targeting Merek. The sight of the Rock Eater is both impressive and frightening at the same time.

"Shit." She curses under her breath, looking as if she is staring down something that could easily turn most Adventurers into an ETO form of 'will it blend'. "Get back to the surface, Rama." The lynx seems reluctant, but another hand motion has him darting back up the way the group came. Miki, at least, doesn't want to see him eaten.

As the creature goes to dive back into the earth, Mikage presses a hand to the ground, sending a spiral of icy cracks through the rocky cave. The intention seems to be to try and interrupt whatever the creature's burrowing ability by causing it to run into frozen water in it's path, rather than just stone and rock.

    Setsuna hears the response to his question and shouts out a reply, "Could be like a bear or lion, nothing but them inside. Also how big of bugs are we talking?" As if his question summoned the beast itself and its insectoid friends Setsuna had his answer. As the rock monster moves around them and the centipedes come in to attack he once again throws a shield up this time invoking the wind to shield him. Taking stock of the party splitting into two forces Setsuna decides to provide his help to the centipedes.
    Stabbing his staff into the dirt beneath him Setsuna begins to activate the magic of system, "I call upon the earth it self to strike my foes." A magic circle appears under him as sharp rocks fly at one of the centipedes.

The fighting has got the Rock Eater's attention from the sounds of it. That what she assumes as it now jumps into the fray and Gwen is able to avoid getting hit by it, she'll twist about calling out.

"Amalthea I'll take the Eater!"

With that Gwen will chase after the massive worm lashing out with her blade hoping to find a weak spot as it goes by.

"Remember it can come from ANYWHERE EVEN THE GROUND UNDER YOUR FEET IS AN VECTOR FOR ITS ATTACK!"

Gwen is looking around trying to figure out where it might come from next, also a creature like this? which could borrow that fast is horrifying to her. Whatever god that made this thing needs to be /punched/. It's up there with the spider/wasp hybrids from a post-nuclear roleplaying game she played once.

Goldenblade looks around as strategy flows dynamically on the spur of the moment. The rock eater will need fire after being frozen? That sounds good to her. Everyone knows freezing and thawing cycles damage stonework. Hopefully, this monster isn't too well insulated or resilient. The flames along her blades flicker for a moment, and she waits until it's been wetted and frozen, then lays into it hard with the flaming swords, smashing it with heavy blows, defiantly battering it and temperature-stressing it also, it is hoped. As she whirls and strikes, her burning blades seem to strike sparks on it.

"You know, I expected most Adventurers to refrain from the whole 'going feral' thing too," Prophylaxis asides to Akumeiji as the bats are put through the proverbial grinder. Bats explode everywhere! Bat bits cover everything! (And then promptly disincorporate.) "But there's a surprising number of us who seem to be embracing the role eagerly. Weird, isn't it? It's a little concerning if you ask me, but--"

The ground rumbles. Prophylaxis' brow furrows. Judiciously, he takes a few dozen steps back, moments before an enormous worm, covered in a carapace like granite sheets, bursts through the rock wall and tears straight through the space he had previously occupied. The magus' expression drifts further toward relief (and also disgust) as the beast is pursued thereafter by a veritable deluge of giant centipedes. "You weren't kidding about the bugs. This is just awful."

A creature with a rock hide that thick is going to be hard to deal with. But there's always a way! It just takes some creative applications "We might be able to take advantage of a freeze-thaw cycle to chip away at its carapace, but given the monster's size, that might take more time than it's worth... But let's see if we can't at least clear the air a little bit."

There are far too many bugs here for Prophylaxis as is. And he may just have the best tool to deal with their ilk...!

It's not fireball. Fireball isn't his solution to *everything.* Just most things.

No, Prophylaxis just hurls a cloud of crackling electricity down overtop of the insect swarm and lets the targetable bugzapper do exactly what it's meant to do.

    Merek looks around a bit, then he notes what people are doing, "People, we need to organize an effective fight, focus on one thing while others focus upon another!" he calls, then he shifts while the hand begins drawing up the divine shield to keep Rock Eater from you know, eating him. Then he backflips while he shifts both hands forward. "Well, at least this time we're managing."
    The man begins to dash for the creature while he swings up both fists, "Ragnarok's Wisdom!" He then follows up on the back of Gwen's magic with what looks to be a swinging fist, managing to punch the entire Rock Eater with fists alone, and nodding a bit, "Alright, let's see what you can do, Rock Eater!"

"Bats." Proteus mutters as the flying rodents are communally dispatched. Still, there isn't much time to celebrate the removal of this wave of vermin as the main event is abruptly upon them. "Giant insects? Sounds like a barrel of fun." Proteus replies to the young warrior moments before the ceiling yawns open with hungry intend. "Well. That would be the Rock Eater." Proteus comments before the massive thing rushes past. There is a screeching ring as the deadly spikes nearly shred Proteur moments before she parries the incoming strike, being launched back out of the damage radius of the thing to send her skidding back. "Gggh! This thing is no joke." She mutters. "I wonder if it eats the gems."

The Adventurers pile onto the horrific thing only for the Archaeologist to notice the boiling wash of horrible giant centipedes as well. "First spiders, now centipedes. What next, rats?" She asks, her hands weaving another Ability activation: V S M

The ground abruptly rises. two Earth Pillars levering up to smash some of the centipedes between them. Much more efficient than using her bare hands.

Mizuki tries to get close to the Rock Eater in the midst of its initial descent. Just just as her claws are about to reach it, one of the bone-like rocky appendages carves past. Luckily, a nearby healer immediately heals her, but her attack fails to reach. Kotono however launches from Mizuki's shoulder in the midst of her stumbling back, allowing her to flip over one of the appendages, and a series of knives digs into the 'softer rock' of the Rock Eater and rips a small wound into it!

Miyako's splash of ice tries to reach the rock eater - but falling rocks from the ceiling intercept the blow. The ice shatters the rocks, causing them to pelt the Centipedes below - and slowing their approach on her allies. Mikage's ice sharps rip a few Centipedes apart on their way forward towards the Rock Eater, icing the rock where it is diving and carving sharp gashes across its softer rock body parts. Notably, blood appears on the ice before they shatter! Seems it's not /all rock/.

Gwen manages to get in, carving some of the stone armament apart, her blade cutting a full upward stroke along some of its claws right before Merek and Goldenblade have a chance to retaliate and use the weak point created by her. Goldenblade jumping into position and flashing heated blows against its body as it comes down - followed by her jumping out of the way just in time for Merek to PUNCH the enormous thing and causing it to momentarily ARCH before it manages to go down into the earth once more!

Amalthea spam-taunts at the Centipedes, causing a good amount of them to swarm her, rushing to her position and trying to gnaw on her ankles and wrest her shield from her with their large clawed pincers! Her flaming sword blazes through a few of their bodies, reducing their numbers, but they keep coming.

Further fire is added to the cave, slowly eating up the stale oxygen within the cave and causing this sense of 'rushing air' through the cave flowing towards their positions. Fire blasts from Kauchemar's motions - eradicating some of the centipedes and alieviating the pressure on Amalthea. Notably, the centipedes seem somewhat weak to fire.

Akumeiji steps in to support, lighting up the pale white of her staff for a moment and causing a radiance to surround her, searing the Centipedes that get near her, while simultaneously healing herself and the allies closest to her. It's a slow rate of healing, but it's significant enough to keep their health up for combat.

The woman then asides to Prophylaxis; "I suppose those who have the body of a monster end up believing they are one." Amidst the sound of him going sith lord on the insects, causing this disgusting smell of ozone to mix with the smell of fried bug. Some of them 'exploding' as their insides grow faster than their exoskeleton can bear. Green goop spilling into the air before they explode into the typical white light - drifting up until it fades.

"Akumeiji, let's proceed forward - I see a larger area towards our goal." The young warrior calls out towards her, getting her to move along towards a larger cave region just a bit further ahead. Senshi then takes out a few sticks, setting them each on fire, and starts throwing them through the large dark cave in order to create a brighter space to fight in.

"That's a new technique, where'd you learn that?" Akumeiji inquires.

"I picked it up from another Hunter recently." The young warrior answers.

Earth Pillars rip apart some of the Centipedes as the team move forwards with their Escort Quest target, and the Rock Eater adjusts its attack position. Some of the Centipedes follow, but the stone beneath their feet begins to wriggle and make these awful 'SCREE' 'SCREEE' sounds as enormous monster Silverfish suddenly speed around through the rocks at high speed, trying to get ONTO people in large swarms and bite their legs - aiming to chew /through/ their legs if they can!

Followed by the Rock Eater slightly peeking up from the walls for a moment as it swims through the rock... diving into the wall again... and then suddenly coming up from right beneath Prophylaxis, Mikage and Kauchemar with its enormous boring maw - opening it and trying to chomp them before they can get away!

    "Agh!" Mizuki exclaims as the glowing red scar appears from the bone slicing through her. At least she's healed... And after her attention is drawn to Akumeiji's bright light, she objects, "I'm not a monster!" She then surrounds herself with another fire whirlwind to ward off the... giant silverfish? "Ugh. After the worm, you're next..." she mutters, doing a martial arts kata in the space she's cleared to bend up some water... trying to hurl it in front of the worm next time it appears, the magic water clinging as she hopes to deal it suffocation damage! "Drown the worm and we get the spice, right?"

It's some measure of relief that the creature can, at least, be damaged somewhat. Mikage shifts to try to keep away from those fighting the centipedes and silver fish. Bugs are not her most favorite thing to deal with, even in the best of circumstances.

The Rock Eater offers far more of an immediate threat as the ground rumbles beneath Mikage, causing her to slightly stumble in her path. There isn't even time for her to curse as she dives out of the way, a burst of wind energy shoving her just out of the path of the monster's gaping maw.

Her pulse pounds in her ears, adrenaline shifting into high gear as she rolls to her feet, "Let's see if we can't slice past some of that outer armor..." Miki shifts her hand over the flat of her sword, channeling into it a combination of water and air magic. Then, the weapon is slashed through the air, creating two hovering discs of crackling energy, like small storms contained in a tiny space.

Then, she extends her palm outward, launching them both towards the ROCK EATER, the discs spinning around themselves in a dizzying pattern before slamming home into the massive creature.

Unfortunately, Kotono's attempts at evasion fail once again. She goes flying into a nearby rock wall and goes down for the count briefly.

She pushes herself up and groans a little, before looking at her HP and realizing that she's getting a bit on the critical side. "I'm sorry, but I have to pull out." She looks to Miyako and says, "Good luck!" Before retreating.

It just goes from bad to worse. Proteus just can't catch a break on this run, and it shows. No matter what she tries, her evasions just seem to put her into threat from another enemy. The fact that it's silverfish doesn't help matters at all. "Guh. I would have preferred rats." She mutters moments before the crawling wave hits.

There is a scream of pain as she is bitten over and over again, ripped into by claw and mandible as the writhing wave of creepy-crawlies pass over her, leaving her a mess of damage-marks and critical HP. "Tch... This is too much." She mutters. "My apologies. I am going to have to withdraw. Good luck, the rest of you." At that, Proteus leaps back and away from the melee, and quickly rushes back into the shadows towards the cave exit.

    "Cover their retreat!" Merek would mention to anyone that is able to do it, while he takes a moment to unsheath Shadow Eclipse. "I didn't want to use the sword," he notes, then he twirls the weapon while dark mists follow along, a red sheen that glows upon the weapon while he swivels upon the hip, then he swings that into Rock Eater, following up with Goldenblade, Miyako, and Mikage. He does take a look to make sure that Proteus as well as Kotono are safe while he draws up a rock shield along the formation to keep enemies away.

    Setsuna thought for a moment that this would be easy, the bugs would be squished and then they could all work on the rock worm wanna be thing together. Whoever invited the silverfish apparaently didn't know that this wasn't the plan. Focusing on the continue increasing adds Setsuna tries to jump out of the way but the fish were aiming for the legs and seem to at least scrape him as his hp drops. He hits the ground with a vocal, "Ugh" as he stands back up and looks for any of the silverfishes. "You know what bugs, I want you all to know. I really prefer fighting the undead." He slams his staff into the ground as a spire of rocks comes up under one of the silverfish smacking it into a wall.

It's hard to see in the chaos of the fight but Kauchemar is definitely smirking a bit at the exchange going on between the Country Doctor and the Mage Tower Maven. Just the reactions to her antics is half the reason she does them. Doesn't slow her down from following the eager warrior farther into the tunnel though.

What does slow her down is one of those split-second feelings of impending danger sending a tingle even down her spine. "Heads up!" she snaps, even as she pulls the shield off her back, and as she whips it in front of herself the Binder posessing it spreads out it's supernatural aura in a sort of hemisphere around itself and it's master.

Just seconds after the Protect power crackles into being the Rock Eater erupts out of the stone with it's maw open wide! .... Thankfully the Protect barrier is wider and it only impacts with that, still with enough force to send Kauchemar skidding in thankfully the opposite direction.

"Oh, before I was just annoyed, but now this overgrown pet rock has gotten on my nerves," she retorts with a flare of her nostrils, eyes glowing brightly and voice shifting to darker demonic tones "Proteus, get out of here!....Nightmare Sphere" as she jestures and sends a pulse of darkness after the monster to try and keep it from crunching her weakened Guildmate. But the collapsing shell of entropic magic can't crush down fast enough, and just implodes on itself as the Rock Eater plunges back into the depths of stone out of it's range.

"... Well, at least it didn't eat her..."

"I'm not sure how much of it is that, and how much of it is just people being weird and of a bestial bent from the get-go. The heart of man bends far too easily towards the monstrous when given an excuse to get away with it, you know? Though for at least some of us..." Prophylaxis' eyes drift meaningfully toward Known Catnip Fiend, Mizuki, "...It really is just a fault of the body. I think."

The ground rumbles again, then. The doctor's gaze twitches this way and that, scanning for the source of the sound, only to realize too late that it's coming from below. The ground breaks, the shock sending him briefly airborne. With a yelp, Prophylaxis hangs precariously within the worm's gaping maw...

There's a twinkle of firelight. Suddenly the air around the magus *blossoms* with heat and flame. "Gah!" Prophylaxis growls, hurtling into a three-point landing as the lingering aftermath of his emergency fireball dissolves around the Rock Eater's terrible maw. "Damn! I was saving that spell for a dramatic moment, and you had to make me waste it on *defense!* You'll pay for this insult, world-eater!"

Goldenblade acks, she's been so focused on the rock eater that she's swarmed by centipedes before she realized. When they start biting and chewing on her HP, she realizes though, and it's a frantic effort to swipe them off her. "Stupid bugs," she complains, shaking them out of her hair. She's not hugely bothered by bugs, she worked outdoors for 50 years, they're just a thing, and she's had ... well, maybe not worse than these things chewing her HP down before she could bat them away, but it's not her first encounter.

She considers beating them back away from her, but the rock eater is the big threat and she needs to contribute to that. The distraction nearly prevented that, but her flaming swords smash into the frozen stone again and again. "Die!" she screams, and the blows rain down like a fountain of fire on it, slamming into it's side. Things you say in a fight; top five answers are on the board. "Die!" Survey says....?

    Damn it, that's two down.
    "Just go, no one's going to hold it against you." She says toward Proteus, as she continues to taunt the happy fun time centipedes that rush her.
    And then. ... Then there are silverfish.
    "AUGH GOD WHAT THE ACTUAL F-"
    That's odd. Did Amalthea's sword swings turn into violent, uncontrolled, panic flailing with a deadly flaming weapon?
    Nah.
    At least she won't admit it anyway as she lays into the insects with extreme prejudiced violence.

    Miyako looks up at the party HP bar and eyes the red on Kotono's, and nods. "Get moving!" she yells to the other Spriggan. "Clear out, we've got this guy!" No need for her to see a friend's death, even if it's supposedly non-permanent. She's backing off herself a bit, keeping clear of the creature as it roars through the caverns, constantly ready to hop aside to dodge a strike through the walls. "This thing needs to learn better than to bother adventurers!"

    Bugs. Why'd it have to be bugs? She shudders as she sees the things crawling and skittering across the cavern, sprinting quickly to find a clear area even if it means running up one of the walls long enough to get out of the stream of silverfish. The moment she does have a safe, stable perch, she starts up with the runes again, scribing them on the air before her as she prepares her spell. "Time for the big red rock eater to be a big DEAD rock eater! ICE RAIN!"

Gwen gets a good hit in somehow getting past the things defences scoring a hit so far so good things keep coming to the fight keep going and then Akumeji lends her support and the young Hunter? He's still alive too good, Gwen keeps pushing.

"Nice work Akumeiji!"

The fight keeps going Gwen keeps popping taunt abilities as she brings up some sort of spell through her shield to protect herself from the attack. Finally, she will make another go.

"GALE OF SWORDS!"

Things don't go as well as the wind elemental sword strikes don't go as well as she had hope still she's up and others are still in the fight.

"Come on keep pushing!"

A silverfish? What the hell is that thing Gwen will have to hack a few away as she keeps engaging the Rock Eater.

Mizuki attempts to suffocate the Rock Eater. And while she does manage to hot the Drown, it doesn't seem to care much about the suffocation aspect of the Drown spell. However, it does slow it down for a moment during its rise from the ground, giving Mikage, Kauchemar and Prophylaxis precious moments to get out of the way. However, it does intercept the flaming blast that follows from Prophylaxis - causing some of the flame to sizzle - protecting the beast from a critical blow.

Mikage, having gotten out of the way, uses her unique Tempest Wind attack to start carving into its heavy stone armor! Ripping pieces of rock off of its body, and causing it to bleed a bit further. The small slicing tornadoes simultaneously cut a path across the bugs on the floor, giving Proteus and Kotono and easier way out.

Merek further aids in their retreat, bringing out his shadowy blade and into the Rock Eater's body form the other side, while carving a few bugs apart that get too close to him. Setsuna joining the call to eradicate some of the Silverfish which initially mobbed Proteus and keeping them away from her.

The Nightmare Sphere of Kauchemar's takes too long to pull to life, but when it is thrown forward, it blasts apart a large sum of the insects that were trying to flank Kotono on her retreat! Goldenblade however manages to make use of the large chunks that Mikage has carved out of its armor to jump up and plant her blows into frozen and wind-worn rock skin - cause a spray of red to erupt from that place and splash onto Goldenblade's garb.

Amalthea starts having at the Silverfish and Centipedes with extreme prejudice, and not at all freaking out at the giant insects. She actually gets some aid from the young warrior that backs up to her and protects her flank!

Opposing the constant fire theme going on, Miyako brings in more ice. Similarly using the exposed non-rocky skin as Goldenblade falls back to the ground, her Ice Rain rattles like machinegun fire across its body, carving holes into its skin - with Gwen managing to keep the bugs off of Miyako at the same time.

That's when the team spot a glow of green in the distance. Though it's interspersed with a flicker of strange white light. "That must be it." The young warrior calls to Akumeiji. "Right. I'll get it." She notes, and starts heading towards what looks...

To be an altar of sorts. It's a strange 'cube', standing on one of its pointed edges rather than on a side. The cube seems to be made out of bone. Floating above it, is a green gem which keeps flickering and... twitching.

Almost as if detecting that movement however, the Silverfish and the Rockeater suddenly turn towards the mage heading towards that item, and all turn to swarm her position! "Look out!" The young warrior calls out, starting to hack at the monsters...

While the creatures all just /rush/ over the Adventurers. Not quite 'ignoring them', but moving like one entity towards Akumeiji - biting and trying to devour anything in their path. The Rockeater partially remaining above-ground, partially burrowed!

    Merek draws back from the enemy while he takes a moment to lift up his shield of flame, then he tries to cast a fireball into Rock Eater. He manages a few strikes, though none of them seem to do a lot, as the mana meter of his notes that he's about free of mana. "I am low on mana, do you have any potions!" The man draws a potion from the belt while he tries to begin restoring the mana. Looks like he wouldn't be useful for a moment as well.

    The improv fireshield combination (based on how she dries herself off after going in the water...) seems to be working pretty well to keep insects off her! Seeing the onrushing horde, Mizuki barely gets the firey vortex up in time, letting the insects swarm around instead of over her...

    "Akumeiji!" she cries out. The Landers are the ones who could DIE here, after all! Mizuki may not be able to stop the worm, but the insects? Hopefully she can do something about the insects! She runs out into their midst, draining a large portion of her MP as she breathes out more and more fire into the vortex, then stops holding it together and lets it explode outwards in an uncontrolled burst, an expanding wave of flame to toast the insects before they reach the NPC!

Goldenblade is paying much better attention to her surroundings, thank you very much centipedes, and her main effort is to avoid getting dissolved by the spray of gore from the wound she helped open. She might've been faster jumping away, but she didn't understand that in monsters, blood is /always/ under high pressure. On the other hand, it's not actually dissolving her mail coat, so that's good. The fact she's wearing mail rather than cloth now seems to have been foresighted.

She's been doing good with fire, but now that it's been temperature cycled twice, she goes for a sharp blow, hoping to crack it, and burns her big cooldown, developing a massive attack with both blades, jarring, concussive impacts slamming into it as she's trying to finish the job before it can attack us again.

    "Thanks for the assist." Amalthea says, catching her breath as Wakai comes to her aid and she manages to calm herself against the horde of insects long enough to rally and gets back to work on stemming the tide of HORRORTERROR CRAWLING LEGS.
    Then Akumeiji goes for the Thing.
    All hell breaks loose when the Rock Eater AND insects turn on the Lander. It's eerie how fast it happens.
    "Oh hell." Amalthea says, gritting her teeth. Her taunts probably aren't going to hold water now.

    "ANCHOR HOWL!"

    Her declaration is clarion and defiant as she rushes to Akumeiji's aid, hacking with everything she has at every insect in her path.

    Setsuna was not prepared for all the monsters turning and running towards the altar and well he simply ends up being rushed over as he is ran over by the monsters. He now understands what it is like to go to a store on black friday. Standing up slowly Setsuna seems a bit annoyed, one thing to be hit while being focused on. Another to be the bystander and just accidently almost killed. He should run, it would be the smart thing. Instead he lets his magic do the talking, "I summon those who have fallen to this cave before, take your revenge."
    Out of the ground burst skeletons of landers who have been used for food by the rock eater and fellow friends,clicking their bones together as they charge the bugs that are supporting the rock eater. Perhaps Setsuna should have led with summoning the undead to help instead of holding back based on uncertainties.

Through the mess of insects and rocks, Mikage only just gets a glimpse of the strange glowing object through the mess. There's only enough time to spot the Landers heading in that direction before she tries to call out, "Wait!" But it's too late. They've already gotten aggro by heading for the prize.

That is when a horde of things start trampling in her directon. Her eyes go wide as the camera zooms in, and then she runs like hell. In the end, she launches herself upward, using a dagger to catch part of a rock outcropping and swing herself up onto it, watching a few bugs go charging by next ot her.

She raises her hand, summoning up the bow of light and taking aim at the Rock Eater, but just at the moment that she goes to release the arrow, a centipede wraps around her arm. If even possible, Miki goes more pale, then starts flailing her arm. "Get off, get off!" She shakes the thing around, eventually dislodging it down into the horde below.

    Miyako is once again encroached upon by STUPID BUGS. "That is IT," she mutters as she hops about to find a decent place to stand, one NOT infested with creepycrawlies. "Somebody take over hitting the big guy, I'mma gonna FRY some bugs!"

    Or, well, do SOMETHING to them. The runes she draws are more the kind normally associated with Darkness spells, and indeed, as she finishes it, a sphere of shadow forms in each hand.

    Then she hears the panicked screaming, and twists around. Is someone else wounded? She knows the group has already had two members retreat. Are they about to lose a third?

    She focuses in on Mikage, just in time to see the centipede hurled away, and retargets her spell. "Drown in the shadows and die, skittering nightmares!" she yells as she hurls it to explode in the middle of that horde. "DARK BALL!"

Prophylaxis promised vengeance, and vengeance is what Prophylaxis shall have! The worm might have turned to charge the altar and the NPC moving towards it (also wow that altar is ominous af, Prophylaxis is beginning to wonder if 'Akumeiji' is literally just 'evil mage' in more ways than one), but he's not about to let it get away from him. No sir! "Hey!" Prophylaxis yells, running after the thing as quickly as his legs can carry him (i.e. not very fast at all). Realizing that he's about to lose his quarry, the mage...

Jumps... onto its side.

"I'm not done with you yet!" He snarls, magic shaping the creature's stony hide into a makeshift bulwark against the hyper-lethal friction accompanying its charge. His work effectively turns him into a... an adventurer-sized, rock-flesh-shield boil on the creature's hide. In other words, it's exactly the position he wants to be in.

Because here, on the monster's side, he's in the perfect spot... to spam.

"You might be fine with fire, but I don't think you'll find that ice is nearly so nice!" Prophylaxis places his hands against the Rock Eater's body and focuses. "O' spirit of the eternal blizzard, ye who have shown me the terror of the lethal frost, I offer this tribute to you...!" Frigid power gathers in his palms-- and races outward as quickly as he can complete each cast! "Here we go! Quick Cast Frost Shock!"

Kauchemar lets out an exasperated sigh as the mage goes for the Item of their Pursuit. Because of course every creature possible turns to home in on her, including the Rock Eater, and start to charge.

Fortunately, Kauchemar is very quick on her hooves, the sound against stone ringing through the cavern as she dashes to get to a position she can intervene on the abruptly raging horde. Then thrusts out her hand after a quick gesture. "Warding Flame!" A barrier of fire erupts from the ground to help hold back the oncoming horde from both herself and the way too eager Akumeiji.

"Next time," Kauchemar remarks over her shoulder as she steps closer to the alter, "wait until -everything- is dead before grabbing the McGuffin. Sheesh." She winks, then turns her attention back to their very big problem. As per usual, even as she's drawing on her arcane powers, she starts to sing.

"o/~ Take me to your mountain... Tear down the waterfall
It's coming near... Listening to my call... o/~"

Foam and froth bubbles up around her, swelling and sloshing upon itself into a vagely anthromorphic form composed of water that's constantly rippling and rolling within itself. The water elemental shudders down it's arms to form almost sickle-like shapes out of its own liquid.

"o/~ So put a coin, in your mouth, and wade out to your knees... o/~"

The water elemental surges forward towards the Rock Eater, spreading out its form a bit to get the size and reach to lash those watery blades at the monster repeatedly and is crashes in like a tidal wave upon the other monster.

"o/~ You'll crumble down...And give yourself to the seas! o/~"

Gwen is able to keep the bugs off Miyako as she keeps fighting things dont' go as well as she'd like but she will keep fighting the beat hoping Akumeiji and Young Warrior are all right. If the Rock Eater goes down it might distract them. She will have to shift in and out of the monster's attacks, she paries and blocks the way through as she finally reaches the rock eater.

"SONIC LEAP!"

You think a big lady like Gwen wouldn't be that agile, this is proven to be false. For a second later she takes off with a super-powered leap right on to the Rock Eater to drive her blade through what she believes to be a weak point and then she'll as her dad taught her. You always twist and pull or you'll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.

Potions are expensive these days. Perhaps it's that moment of hesitation over using a potion that expensive, or perhaps it's something else, but Merek's flaming ball fails to hit the Rock Eater. Instead, it splashes across a series of bugs, detonating their little bug bodies! Mizuki joins this act - as she moves forward and keeps using fire on the various bugs. One might almost imagine her shouting 'Firebolt' at every attack.

Goldenblade manages to jump on the Rockeater's 'back', if any part of its segmented body is 'the back'. She plants her blade on the cracked rock and STABS her blade into it, carving a large gash into it while riding the thing!

In the background, Amalthea Anchor Howls on the insects... which have no real sense of threat it seems, because not a moment later, Amalthea is seen going at extreme speeds from bug to bug - as if some unseen force were pulling her, carving SWATHS of the bugs apart! One of the ones she'd taunted was the Centipede that manages to arc off Mikage's aim. And while she herself blasts some insects - there's suddenly a unicorn that flies by, her blade slicing right through the back of the centipede and leaving Mikage entirely in tact, before she rushes off to more insects!

Setsuna joins in with their undead summons - which quickly move amongst the insects, carving them apart and using their shields to protect the young warrior - who is trying to reach Akumeiji. Miyako manages to make use of the spot Mikage hurled her arrow towards, and the Skeletons being un-summoned by their typical timer, to dark-ball into the midst - causing a large arcane detonation that erases a series of the darned things!

Prophylaxis calls upon ice! With his chant, bringing forth the power of frost shock - which blasts into the body of the enormous worm. And with each frost shock he casts, he feels this chilled sensation around his neck. A biting sensation akin to a necklace feeling like it's causing frost burn against his skin. But at the same time, temporarily allowing his quick cast to go faster - laying into the Rock Eater over and over again!

The Rock Eater continues, its health quickly dropping, but it looks like it's not quite going to be in time! A water elemental surges into the icy patch being created by Prophylaxis, cutting into it, and each time letting its blades expand within its body as the ice empowers it! Faster and faster, blood flows from the creature!

As the water elemental fades is exactly when Gwen jumps into the enormous split that is already on its body, and carves into it. Its enormous head rears, about to touch Akumeiji...

And then suddenly, it halts. The blonde mage has grabbed hold of the strange gem and with a shriek of fear, is holding it out towards the enormous Rock Eater...

It freezes. Its health is no longer dropping, as multiple rings of light wrap around it! Each spinning around it for a moment... and the entire form of the creature seems to get strange. Its outer body seems to disappear, revealing this 'red' form, as if its entire body is taking damage at that moment! Then the red form explodes, revealing a strange series of lights within it... then a pale orb at its center...

Before it suddenly returns to its normal state of being. Those watching with Inspect however, will notice that its Orange danger level suddenly drops straight to... white. Not even Green, it's almost like it just got de-leveled. To the point that the moment it impacts against Akumeiji... it detonates into shards of light, as if the sheer impact had destroyed it just now.

Leaving Akumeiji standing there, confused, as the gem within her hand suddenly detonates, and strange black warping circles rise up into the air, and then seem to disappear into the ether. The woman is dumbfounded. So is the blonde warrior who is running to her to... well, there's nothing to assist. The bugs are defeated, and the Rock Eater is gone - though no doubt it would not have done lethal damage to her with how quickly its health was going down at the last second.

Kauchemar ... just points at the Rock Eater as the worm goes from terrifying threat to being obliterated from the inside-out by the gem's power for lack of a better word. How else do you describe it's very code and core being deleveled faster than the Adventurers were at the original Dark Wave of the Cataclysm... Wait a minute...

Unfortunately the gem seems to have been destroyed as well in the process, even if it saves poor Akumeiji with it's little bump destroying both of it and disposing of the gem that killed it instead of nearly killing the mage. That black rippling as it disperses is a little concerning though.

However, never one to miss the chance to give some sass, Kauchemar pats a hand on Akumeiji's shoulder. "See that is the OTHER reason you don't just pick up items without inspecting them first." She then jabs a thumb over her shoulder in Merek's general direction. "I hear that's usually his shtick, anyways."

Even if her own attack doesn't lend much to the final assault, Miki is still left standing on the ledge, giving her a good view of the final moments of the encounter. Thankfully, no more bugs come her way, thanks to the swarm being wiped out.

Moving to the edge of the platform, the Ranger hops down just in time to see the strange occurance that happens between Akumeiji and the Rock Eater. I's certainly the first time she has seen anything of the sort, so once again, her eyes go wide in surprise. It's a night for that, apparently.

"What the..." Drawing a bit closer, "Was that... what you expected from what you were looking for?" Somehow, Miki is assuming this was not exactly what the mage was expecting.

She can't help but smirk at Kauchemar's coment, though, then turns her attention back to Akumeiji. This is all a bit beyond her depth.

    Anchor Howl.
    It's a hell of a drug.
    For a brief beat, Amalthea sure as hell is surprised at her sudden, insane, boost of breakneck speed.
    "Wh--!?"
    But then? She decides to not question it as she hacks into the swarms in her path, sword flashing and gleaming as she hacks and slashes, dealing retributive justice to anything and everything attempting to enter and then leave her range of threat.
    This is kind of insane.
    Eventually she DOES slow, starting to skid, boots leaving dragging trails in the dirt as she screeches to a halt, body jerking with inertia as she finally comes to a full stop.
    "... What the hell."
    That is to both what just happened and -what just happened-, with Akumeiji touching things and making things happen and de-levels the worm.
    "Does someone want to explain to me what just happened?"
    Pause.
    "With the worm I mean."

    Setsuna doesn't quite know what to make of what he just saw, he was pretty sure the hunter guild lady was about to be reminded why it is best to stay with the group then poof. The worm beat it self? He dispels his summons as he sees little to no threat remaining. "So I guess we won?" He asks the group as he looks around, he wasn't sure what had happened to the worm and follows up with, "Or is the Rock Eater about to re-emerge as Obsidian eater or something?" He really hoped they had won.

    They get the bugs, but the rock eater... Mizuki reaches a hand out towards Akumeiji, "No!"

    And then something very strange happens. It... De-levels? Surely they could learn a lot from this fascinating item...

    ...which of course then disappears. "Oh, COME ON!" She approaches where the gem was, and looks around, as if it might have teleported nearby or something. "We finally find something in the game that acts uniquely, but it disappears just like that?!"

Goldenblade jumps clear of the worm before it gets that massive powerdown, tumbling and coming to her feet, rubbing her shoulder and wincing. "So, that didn't go -too- badly, I think?" she says. "Is everyone OK?" she checks, and then looks around, and asks, "And can anyone explain what just happened in small words?" She's no gamer, she doesn't understand the vernacular or any of the tropes everyone seems so familiar with.

She'll walk over and peer at what seems to have been the target of our mission, and she wonders, "So, did we win?" She points at where the gem was a moment ago, "Or was that thing that vanished what we came in after?"

    Merek looks to the ability that takes on the creature, while he would nod a little bit. "Alright," he notes, then he takes a look to the party, while he sheaths that weapon, "Another mission complete." he states while he makes a way to find any loot, maybe souveneir.

Maybe the red strand of fate has eternally tied Prophylaxis and his poor decision making processes to a certain snow-spirit in a far-off land... Or maybe it's just the lingering aftereffects of being temporarily endowed with a horribly cursed magical artifact. Either way, Prophylaxis' HP ticks down slightly as his ice spam continues, until finally a blast of water knocks him clear. He gasps as he hits the ground, reaching for the subtle ring of frostbite wrapped around his neck like the world's most ominous magical collar. It wasn't enough, the worm is still going--

And then something *weird* happens.

It just so happens that Prophylaxis was Inspecting the worm to scan its current HP total when Akumeiji hits it with... Whatever that was. The power sealed within that gem. Suddenly the creature's stats change and trend *abruptly* downward. The effect reminds him of... Some kind of weird glitch, except it was very clearly the result of using whatever artifact Akumeiji came down here to find.

...Which disappears shortly after the massively de-leveled worm is vanquished.

"...What just happened?" Prophylaxis asks, mystified by whatever it is he just saw. "What was that gem? Was that magic stored inside it? Akumeiji, what the heck?"

Akumeiji seems distraught at the fact that the item seems to be destroyed in her hands. "It wasn't supposed to go off." She mumbles, "At least, according to my research. It must have reacted to something." The blonde bespectacled lady gives her now empty hands a bit of a disappointed look. "I suppose I will have to find a different of the Enigma pieces." She wryly laments, before looking to the others present.

She doesn't comment to Kauchemar, but the Nightmare Were Fang can see that grimace of 'yeah, you are right, but I am not going to admit that out loud'. It's a very telling look.

"Are you okay?" The young warrior asks. "I am." The Mages' Tower mage answers him, and nods her head. "I'll tell the Hunters Guild this mission was succesful, even though we didn't get the item. As that was my fault." Akumeiji admits.

"It was at least proof that these items are... very powerful." She decides. "The Tower of Mages pays good money for Enigma pieces." She adds to that.

Akumeiji doesn't really answer 'what happened to the worm'. Perhaps partially because she doesn't truly know. Instead, she offers; "It was destroyed. The light of death clearly was there."

    "Whatever that was..." Amalthea muses, frowning. "It wasn't right." She says, sheathing her blade.

Gwen sees her attack worked and she helped finish the Rock Eater off. Or at least maul it then Akumeiji makes it to the time. Good they got it now to get our of, wait what the hell just happens, she watches as the challenge rating of the monster goes into the basement and it basically dies but then the relic explodes after whatever it was, it just did.

"Are you both all right?"

She asks the landers and she looks to Akumeiji for a moment.

"What happened to the gem? That was something...maybe it was like a scroll which stored a powerful spell but it was only one shot?"

She pauses for a moment she looks concerned.

"Something wasn't right...Something just broke one of the laws of the world..."

    Miyako continues smashing bugs with ball after ball of darkness, until no more are in her sight. She seems to be having the time of her life at it. She even has a song in her heart.

        We're all here, to drinkn your beer
        To steal your rum at the point of a gun
        Your alky-hol, to us will fall,
        'Cuz we're all here to drink your beer

    Eventually she looks up from her bug-smashing spree, having run out of targets, and turns back to face the rest of the group. "Hey... where'd the big guy go?" She stares around at the various bits of rubble, as if looking for part of the corpse, or evidence that it might be coming in for another attack run. Then she looks at Gwen and says, with stentorial eloquence,

    "Whut?"

    Merek looks around a bit while he notes the conversation in thought, then he takes a moment to pick up what looks like a simple icon from his pack, "... Are you telling me that broke the Laws of Alba?" he asks Gwen, "Then that's... Could it be related to the Power Path Bond?" he asks.

Kauchemar doesn't need a vocal response. The expression is enough for her.

A brow does raise a bit though. "Enigma pieces, huh?" She assumes that wasn't named in the missive for the quest because, frankly, some people are afraid of those things.

"Shame it destroyed itself saving your life. But all the more reason to look for the next one, am I right?" Because of course the Mages are more likely to hunt for another intact one than mourn long over what was lost. Nerds don't work that way.

She folds her hands behind her head and starts to meander away from the alter. "We probably don't want to stick around too long. Who knows what else will crawl out of the stonework now that the monsterous thing preying on them is gone."

"Enigma?" Mikage catches that word and it seems to have her immediately swiping through her menu, as if looking for something. Eventually, a strange orb that has flickering green colors within it appears in her hand. "Are you looking for something like this?" She asks.

"We found a few of these when dealing with the infection from the Soul Eater in Eastal." She approaches, offering it out, just incase it might actually be something of use.

Goldenblade looks around at all the conversations, and is overwhelmed. It's a bit too much to follow, for her. She vaguely understands that the thing that vanished after making the rock eater go away was what we were after, but past that, she's having trouble understanding what went on. "What even -is- an enigma piece?" Well, not likely to be a problem for her. She's just here to hit things.

"Enigma--" Prophylaxis' brow creeps toward his hairline as the name resonates in his brain. It came up during his research, as he was scouring resources for ancient legends. 'Enigma' is a meaningful name indeed. "The same one that appears in the stories? Is that what we're talking about? The thing that monsters idolize and worship? I knew they were weird, but I had no idea they had power like *that.*"

Gwen Says "Something broke one of the laws of Alba, I just know it." Merek just gets a blank stare from Gwen as he mentions power path bond. "What are you babbling about?" She looks back to Akumeiji "You have always been a good employer Akumeiji still this is getting strange I didn't think most monsters had enough brain cells to rub together to do that."

Akumeiji seems to roll her eyes as Gwen mentions breaking the laws of Alba. "You must have been talking to those loons in the Fourland Dukedom." She mumbles almost quietly enough that it's hard to overhear.

She carries forward suddenly however, as Mikage reveals something. The mage is almost supernaturally fast to approach. Or just, really excited. As was on Kauchemar's mind - a bit of a nerd. She doesn't touch it, but she does reach her hands out in a 'palming manner' a few inches from Mikage's hands.

"You found a piece!" She remarks excitedly. "How much for it? I can give you this much for it." She immediately pulls out a baggy with extremely expensive coins from the Ninetails Dominion.

Literally everyone is being ignored in favor of the one showing her the shiny at the moment.

    Merek seems to think about it, "There's powers of the world which Goddesses grant, that seem to break the Law of Alba. I was just wondering if that was related," he would note while he nods a bit to Gwen. He then notes a codex, while he begins to adjust that, then he looks to Akumeiji, "I have one of those as well, are you saying that this was one of the Enigma pieces?" the man lifts up what, well what was probably the same piece from the Soul Eater thing. Then he considers, "Are you talking about the Temple of Law folk when you say loons?"

    Setsuna listens to the group as they all go back and forth on the good and bad of what happened and what it all meant and Setsuna actually has a goofy smile on his face as he listens and watches. Walking over to GoldenBlade he simply answers the question , "From the sounds of it, its one of those mistakes we were discussing the other day." Looking back over as Akumeiji mentions another piece and suddenly how everyone here seems to being pulling them out of their inventory. This was worth sticking around for , and is glad he didn't retreat.

"I think she is." The young warrior answers Merek, while giving a bit of a hesitant look. It seems he... probably cares about the idea of the Temple of Law.

Mikage blinks at the sudden shift of Akumeiji's attention, causing her to tense at the quick approach. There isn't any immediate threat, so her shoulders relax after a moment and she looks briefly pensive. The bag of money being waved around only has her shaking her head.

"I appreciate the offer, but if it's something important, I'm not going to ask you for money." Surely, the item has quite a bit of value, but sometimes there is a greater value in helping someone else. "Take it." She offers. "I do you a solid, you do me a solid. Fair?"

It seems likely that she might someday need information that the mage might be able to offer, and it seems better to forge that kind of connection than brief riches.

    "Enigma pieces?" Mizuki echoes. "Why haven't we ever heard of them? And wait, this thing's a piece of the god of monsters? Also: There's a god of monsters? Okay, I REALLY need to find a library and read all the encyclopedias. Does this world have anything like that?"

Akumeiji is quick to take that trade. "Deal!" And takes the enigma piece and quickly stuffs it into a neatly prepared box that she'd clearly intended to use on the previous piece. "Your name is...?" She then asks, wanting to make sure she records who she owes a favor to now.

There's something frantic about the way she acts until that piece is secured in that box, and put into a travelbag she has on her. A small magical sigil quickly seals that bag - showing a series of small lettered runes around the closing clasp.

Gwen pauses at Merek, "That's good to know, and I see that would make sense if the Deities of this world could give Champions things that went past the normal limits. This is the first I have heard of Engima pirces I admit. Thanks for the information Merek."

    Miyako listens attentively as she takes in the information, putting together the bits she missed. "Enigma pieces," she murmurs, eyeing the item as it's handed over to the mage. It sounds vaguely familiar, but she can't place it. "Sorry, I sort of missed everything, what happened to the monster?"

"Mikage Yurei." Miki offers out her name, inclining her head politely. "We've met before, but I don't expect I made much of an impression." Afterall, she hadn't been part of the first wave fight against the orcs, and had mostly tracked the strange woman that was spotted instead.

"Hopefully it comes to be of use to you and your research." She looks to the others then, "If other people are interested, there was a strange ritual chamber we found underneath the roots of the trees near where the Soul Eater was killed. It's possible there could be more out there." Other groups might want to look into the Goblin problem in Eastal, it seems.

    Merek looks to the exchange, and for whatever reason it looks like he won't offer his own. The man places that into the pack he keeps with him, while he nods a bit to the warrior as well while watching Akumeiji. "I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss things. The information is important." He then taps at his nose, "The woman I work for when I'm not with the Alliance would know a lot more. All I know is that we need to be careful, rumors of people being forgotten after being killed, it's all... Crazy, still this seems way beyond anything I could imagine CC coming up with."
    The man nods a bit to Gwen, "You're welcome. Information needs to be free. There's no point in trying to keep everything to ourselves. We're all in it together."

Akumeiji takes note of the name, repeating it once to herself, and then nods, taking a look at the tattoo on Mikage's neck. "Alright." It seems she recognizes the sigil, and notes it down. "I'll see if I can gather some people to gather more of these - if you found multiple there. They may be weaker ones than the one I just used." She points out.

That said, she ends up leaving soon there-after along with the young warrior. Her task here is done.

    Miyako takes frantic mental notes as she listens to the byplay. She's clearly missed something major. Time to learn as much as she can about it. She glances between Mikage and Merek and bites her lip, keeping quiet while a million questions dance in her head.