Alex, using Unleash Spores, he gained from his newest conjuration ability skillfully blasts the pirates with a burst of toxic-looking spores.
The spores settle over them in an instant. The drunken men, already unstable on their feet, begin spinning in place, their eyes rolling back. Within seconds, they collapse, lying flat on their backs, blankly staring up at the sky as if in a trance.
"What?!"
"My head is spinning..."
"I need to... sleep."
One of them even rolls off the pier, dropping into the water below. Alex quickly uses Zetsu again and waits for Benezia to press forward. Feeling extremely uncomfortable and smelling weirdly, because of the spores, Alex stops his conjuration, causing the organic-looking helmet to disappear.
Benezia, meanwhile, doesn't even spare them a second glance as she walks on, using the opportunity to keep moving forward without hesitation, quickly approaching the ships.
They finally reach one of the larger ships and slip behind a pile of cargo crates stacked up at the edge of the pier.
Just as Alex relaxes, simply following after her, he senses sudden movement behind him.
He desperately tries to move—but it's too late, he only manages to take a single step before an object, travelling at blinding speeds, hits him.
A sharp, blinding pain explodes through his right shoulder as a powerful force drags him backward, slamming him off his feet and sending him crashing into the water.
You have received 167 damage
You have received bleeding (right shoulder)
You have been injured (right shoulder)
Soulmate!
Motherfucker... ambushers! I used Zetsu, so my defenses were even lower than without any Nen ability. Fuck!
Sputtering in the cold water, Alex tries to stay afloat, the sting in his shoulder searing through his nerves. He scans the area around him—but there's no one in sight.
He then looks at his shoulders, seeing a huge gaping wound with blood streaming out, coloring the water red, his [Armor of Pluto] damaged, but thankfully just punctured in a single spot.
I need to stay calm!
Above him, on the pier, he can hear the distinct sounds of combat. Loud shouting by angry pirates, footsteps, crates falling onto the pier and crashing into the water, and finally the sound of metal clashing against metal.
En!
Despite his wounds and panic, Alex briefly uses En to sense what's going on around him. He senses Benezia engaged in battle with a person, while Tereza is flying through the air, wand in hand, with multiple pirates firing guns and rifles at her.
Benezia is fighting someone strong.
Jewel! Help them! I'll take care of my wound and then climb back up and help you.
Understood, Soulmate! Princess Jewel will make them pay for ambushing her Soulmate!
Fuck fuck fuck...
Alex curses as he feels his blood slowly draining, causing him to lose HP and strength.
You have taken 1 damage (bleeding)
...
You have taken 1 damage (bleeding)
...
Alex Kerber: Lvl 7
HP: 175/424,MP: 414/414, AURA: 275/304, BP: 123/123
Alex swims beneath the waterline, heading toward the underside of the pier for cover—and just as he gets close, he senses danger again.
I need to use Barrier... no time... Ken!
You have received 71 damage
Barely able to activate Ken, Alex gets hit again—this time the bullet rips through his armor with slightly less force, doing less damage than before, but still enough to shake him.
That fucker shot me from land! He must be somewhere in the damn cove.... There are cliffs all around, he could be anywhere.
Jewel, tell them to keep moving—there's a damn sniper around!
Jewel?!?!
I hope she heard me...
NO! I need to take care of that fucking sniper myself.
Finally, Alex dives again and thankfully emerges beneath the wooden pier, completely out of view of his enemies.
Shit... my armor...
[Armor of Pluto]
World: Final Fantasy 9
Quality: Purple
Type: Armor (Light plate armor)
Required Stats: STR - 9, PHY - 9 AGI - 9
Durability: 61/99
Effect 1: Sturdy - Increased Durability and decreased durability loss
Effect 2: Increases Max HP by 30 (Flat boost, not increased by skills)
Effect 3: Decreases Physical damage by 10%
Set: True Spirit of Pluto
Set Bonus 5/5: Increases SPR, CHA, and LUK by 5
He quickly pulls out a dose of [Medigel-modified], dumping it over his wounds, then applies [Omnigel-modified] to repair the damaged armor.
You will recover 25 HP over 30 seconds
Armor of Pluto Durability +10
Next, he gulps down one of his strongest healing items—[Infused Exceptional Dish (Dragon Skewer)], followed by a [Wiggenweld Potion V2].
You have recovered 50 HP
Wounds have been partially healed
You will recover 50 HP over 1 minute
You will recover 50 HP over 10 minutes
You have recovered 50 HP
Wounds have been healed
Alex activates his orbment—[Destiny Watch (Orbment) R2]—and casts the art Tear, struggling as he's still in the water, but succeeds in the end, restoring even more HP as his body is enveloped by a blue-watery glow.
You have recovered 131 HP
Good, I'm healed up! With all these recovery effects stacked, I need to strike now—the others are in danger!
Climbing quickly up the wooden beams, he pulls himself onto the pier, ducking behind a nearby wooden post.
In the distance, he sees Benezia, Tereza, and Jewel battling a large group of pirates—at least ten bodies already lie motionless on the ground.
Why are they struggling?? Could it be...?
Also—I got shot, but it couldn't have been a damn rifle from this world... there must be players mixed in with them... yes it's obvious. I need to be careful.
Scanning the battlefield, he spots a few strong-looking individuals. One of them is holding off Benezia's attacks, even managing to react to her Blink, though clearly struggling to keep up.
At the same moment, Alex hears another gunshot—and watches as Benezia's biotic barrier shatters, her body thrown backward by the sheer force.
Motherfucker!
But now I know where that bastard is shooting from—I saw the direction she got blown back to. Whatever that bastard's using must be insanely powerful... A sniper rifle that works in this world? Seriously?! Or is it some sort of skill that enhances it?
There are weird firearms in this universe, sure... but are they really this strong? To punch through my high-quality armor and still deal that kind of damage?
Doesn't matter. I'll catch this fucker—the others just need to hold out. If I help them, the sniper will kill us all. I can't risk it.
Should I use Zetsu and sneak up on him?
...No. I want to tear this fucker apart... I can feel the range inside myself. I need to kill that bastard now! I also can't allow the others to keep taking hits. You know what? Might as well commit and rush straight in.
He casts a basic Fire spell onto the surface of the water, the blue-red fire quickly dissipating, yet still triggering the effect of his [Nimbus Cloak]. He then immediately activates [Uzin's Rage].
Nimbus Cloak effect activated - Increasing Evasion by 5%, and Movement speed by 40%
Release Rage activated
You have lost 100 HP
STR and AGI + 20 for 10 seconds
Alex bolts forward, using Barrier on himself mid-sprint as he tears across the ground toward the shore, the combined surge of his AGI and the speed boost from his cloak propelling him forward like a cannonball, as the wooden planks creak and tear apart under him.
Barely in control... he steadies himself just enough to activate Gyo, his eyes flaring with Aura as he stares into the distance. Immediately, he spots three Auras in the distance—perched on a small, grassy outcrop on the cliff that surrounds the cove.
Just as his temporary boosts begin to fade, he unleashes the second ability of [Uzin's Rage], timing it perfectly.
Avatar of Vengeance activated
Unstoppable for 30 seconds
STR and AGI doubled for 30 seconds
Finally, another bullet hits him, making Alex feel a heavy impact directly on his forehead, but his barrier barely holds up, protecting him, before quickly dissipating.
You have received no damage (blocked by Barrier)
Not wasting even a heartbeat, he activates Ren, focuses his Aura onto his feet, and leaps skyward with explosive power, crashing down onto a protruding rock on the cliff with violent force. He repeats the process once more, reaching the top, landing directly in front of his three targets.
As he sprints forward, constantly changing his course to move unpredictably, he hears another shot and feels one more bullet grazing his arm, creating sparks as it slides against his armor, barely missing him.
You have received 3 damage.
His eyes blaze with fury as he locks onto the three enemies.
You will pay!
One is a young female sniper wielding a modern, high-caliber sniper rifle—realistic looking and obviously highly effective and deadly.
Alex decides to hold back for just a second, analyzing his opponents as his mind races fast, ready to react to any movement.
How can she use that rifle?! That looks real. Is it a special Item? Another one that allows her to use a modern weapon? Maybe an innate skill? She is also damn effective with it—she probably has related skills. She needs to die, or she could kill us later down the road.
The second is a man in a green-and-yellow Changshan, appearing Chinese in design, looking like a traditional martial artist, with a large Kanji symbol embedded at the front.
Weird?! What is that symbol?
The third player is a middle-aged man, wearing a long brown robe, holding a massive wooden staff in both hands, his face filled with surprise.
A mage? Maybe a druid? Really? I need to get that one first! I am still unstoppable—I should be able to do it. I still have a few seconds left!
Sniper. Druid. Martial artist, damn, a good combination... Wait—now that I look at that guy, is he wearing a Crane School uniform? Master Shen's disciple? He is strong, and so are the others—I can't underestimate them. Let's go for the druid first.
"Kill that fucker now!" The sniper screams, obviously not used to enemies appearing directly in front of her.
"Just our luck! There weren't supposed to be other guilds around." The martial artist complains.
The druid stomps onto the ground, "I told you to avoid them! Obviously, anyone with a Supporter like Benezia is dangerous!"
"KILL HIM NOW AND SHUT UP!" The sniper yells, causing Alex's eyes to ring in pain.
"Fucking die yourselves!" Alex angrily screams, ready to make a move.
Time for payback!
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