Civilization

"Are you sure about this, Kingston?" - Gibing

"About as sure as I can be. Why you don't like this idea? I remember you being the most excited. What changed from the morning to now?" - Kingston

"I think he is getting cold feet, especially as the sun is slowly getting closer to the ground and the moon is slowly rising above the clouds." - Frank

"Gibing used to be so brave. I missed that Gibing. What happened to him?" - Gopopo

"I guess fighting against so many undead monsters changed him. However, looking at the plan, I do have some slight concerns." - Yor

"Yor, trust in us. Keade and I will protect you no matter what happens." - Ken

"That is one of my concerns, Ken. I know you have received some new equipment from Kingston, but that doesn't mean you are invincible, and neither is Kaede." - Yor

"I trust Kingston's plan. Celine and Stellar will do a great job in the back. We just need to focus on the front." - Kaede

"Can you run through the plan again, Kingston?" - David

"David… I told you like 3 times already. What more do you want to know?" - Kingston

"I just want to make sure I am going to be doing everything exactly as how I should be doing things. I don't want to ruin this plan of yours." - David

"Alright, alright, I'll explain it to you once more since we have a little more time." - Kingston

A slight breeze blows through my hair as I look up at the sky. An orange ocean above me, slowly blending into a deep dark blue, whilst the emerald sea surrounds me on the ground. Not too far away, a Pillar of Light illuminates the creeping darkness, and as everyone else huddles closer for the debrief once more. I lean close to David, placing a hand on his new weapon, a battle hammer called Bone Warden.

[ Bone Warden

Required: 40 Strength

Attack: 50

Agility: -10

Skill: Splinters (Passive)

With a long handle, reminisce of a monster's spine, topped off with an amalgamation of bones shaped into a cylinder, this battle hammer screams terror. Its yellowish white appearance with spots of dried blood only adds to the fear and despite its appearance it weights quite a lot, making it so only the strong can wield this weapon. ]

Splinters (Passive) - With every attack, a small barrage of bone fragments will eject out of the head of the weapon, doing damage in a small area around the zone of impact. (20-30 Damage)

"The plan for tonight is we will attack the closest Pillar of Light right as the monsters spawn out of it. I have already asked Gopopo to find a couple of goblins to scout the area of the 3 Pillars of Lights that are close to us. From their findings,  2 Pillars of Light come from underground, and are in open ground, while this one we are close to is coming from a valley in between two hills.

If we continue down, we will be able to enter a small tunnel which has been dug out by the monsters living in this area. According to the goblin, the monsters most likely take advantage of the tunnel to travel closer to us. Instead of allowing this the chance to come close to us, we will be going to them, and we are going to fight them as they come from the Pillar of Light.

The tunnel itself is quite big and is able to fit 4 of us side by side with enough room so that we are not squished together, which makes it a pretty big tunnel. Furthermore, as we go deeper, the tunnel expands into a small cavern, giving us more room to work with. Now, we don't know exactly what will appear from the Pillar of Light, but we can assume it will be monsters which have high enough intelligence to use weapons efficiently.

You, Frank, Gibing and myself will be in the front while Gopopo, Ken, Kaede and Yor are in the back. Frank and I will provide mid-range support with our spears while, you and Gibing will charge into the enemies. After giving you the Bone Warden as well as giving both you and Gibing the skill, Blood Boil, I am almost certain the both of you are able to tank for a while without our help.

If it every get too much for you to handle, both Frank and I will come in and activate our new skill, Hurricane Thrust,  to give the both of you some space. Don't forget, Gopopo will always be on the lookout for you, and he will pick off any monsters that you might not see.

While this is all happening, Yor, Ken and Kaede will be in the very far back defending our rear. Yor will be our tactician for the battle and Ken and Kaede will protect him if any monsters come from behind our slip through the front line. Yor also has a new skill which gives all of us a small boost of speed for a couple of minutes, Breezy Footsteps.

That's the formation, the more detailed part of the plan comes when we are in front of the Pillar of Light. We need to be able to find a way to eliminate the Pillar of Light, and it will most likely have to do with the white door itself. Whether it is breaking it, or blocking it or just repeated beating down anything that comes out of it, we need to find out any information on it as soon as possible. Is that better for you, David?" - Kingston

"Perfect, Kingston. I hear you loud and clear." - David

Blood Boil (Active) 20%HP + %50MP( minimum 10HP and 10MP) - Heightening the user's senses as well as dulling the pain, this skill allows the user to survive long beatings. +10% Strength +10% Agility and reduces damage taken by 20%. Duration 10 minutes. Cooldown 30 minutes.

Hurricane Thrust (Active) 5MP - Thrusting rapidly 9 times dealing 15 (+50% strength) damage, with the last 10th thrust applying an additional 10 (+100% Strength)  wind-element damage. Cooldown 10 minutes

Breezy Footsteps (Active) 5MP - The user claps their hands together, creating a small gust of wind which wraps around nearby allies' feet, giving them a boost in speed. +25% Agility. Duration 1 minute. Cooldown 30 minutes.

"Shall we head into the cave now, then? Before it gets too dark and we end up arriving too late. I don't think we should be fighting them after a significant portion has walked through the white door" - Frank

"I agree with Frank, the more monsters that have already passed through the door, the worse it is for us since we don't know their abilities." - Yor

"Alright then, David, Gibing, lead the way for us. Be prepared for anything." - Kingston

"Got it." - David, Gibing

Picking up his axe, Gibing takes the lead with David right behind him, grasping his weapon with both his hands. I held my spear tight, following behind him with Frank next to me. Compared to the last couple of days of fighting, I felt surprisingly calm. Maybe it was because I had experienced worse days, with the first time I fully demonized, or even the night where I was fighting against that black skeleton. Now that I have reliable people next to me, I feel more calm and ready to take on any challenges that come my way.

At the bottom of the slope was the entrance to the tunnel. It was hidden, covered by the long blades of grass that grow around it. If anyone was to glance around this area, they would have missed the fact that there was a cave here. Stepping into the cave, a wave of musky wooden scent enters our noses.

"Strange… Why does it smell like a forest here?" - Yor

"Did the goblin go inside the tunnel, Gopopo?" - Kingston

"Yes, but he didn't mention the smell. I find it quite pleasant. What about you Gibing?" - Gopopo

"Hmm… It smells like home, but not HavenFall. Like the place we were in before coming out of the hut, but I can't seem to know where it was…" - Gibing

"I have the same thought. I think it is getting stronger with each step we make." - Gopopot

"It smells weird to me and Kaede, though." - Ken

"It is like a pack of wolves has been here and left after spending the night." - Kaede

"Funny thing is, I don't smell anything." - Frank

"Neither do I." - David

"I was going to mention that, I don't smell anything relating to the things you have all said." - Kingston

"Is it something only demi-humans or monsters can smell due to our heightened senses?" - Yor

"Maybe? But then why is it different between races." - Frank

"Wait. I hear something." - Gibing

After walking a fair distance into the tunnel, with the only light being a burning piece of wood which Yor had prepared for us, we heard a low moaning sound coming from the depths of the cave. It was quiet and low, yet it seemed to penetrate through the conversation we were just having, drawing everyone attention. Stopping, we ready our weapons as the sound draws closer.

Were monsters spawning already? Disagreeing with the thought, I shake my head since we should still have time judging by the position of the sun before we started walking into the tunnel. Instead, I wait and listen. The sound draws near, a slight foreboding shadow creeps in…