The sense of when one has pushed their body to the limit is not unlike the way that one feels when their mana is depleted. It is a lethargic feeling, like the normal speed and spring of the body is moving through mud and like your limbs are partially asleep so you lack the normal fullness of sensations. Potions can help with this, just as much as they can for physical fatigue, but even still, just as fatigue is just as much physical as mental, mana fatigue is just as much physical as spiritual.
In this I found my head pulsing with small little pains, not enough to hurt, but enough to call my attention. In this fight I had been burning through my supply of mana dropping from 70 to 5 in just the first few seconds of the fight as I used my new skill. It was a C rank skill, so a higher cost is expected, and yet the biggest problem is that I am using too many strings, mainly because the thing was so damn big.
The Energy potions helped, but now I had another problem. Aiden is on top of the damn crab. Nobody asked him to jump up there, but he did.
Is it effective, maybe. Does it keep the crab occupied, I guess. Does he now seem to have steam rising from his shirt, yes.
The Crab swung its claws to try to strike at Aiden as he ducked one of them before spinning around slamming the blunt end of his spear against the crabs claw to vault over it, and while it wasn't graceful, the extra weight made the crabs claw angle as it bounced off of its head leaving a small dent in its soft body.
"Hey, is it just me, or …. is something happening to Aiden up there."
Liora asked, pausing in the middle of her sentence as she fired another wind blast at the crab, causing its center of gravity to shift slightly away from us as it scuttled to regain balance.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has snapped out with its claw
The attack missed
Luminous Cobalt Crab has snapped out with its claw
The attack swung wide, Critical Failure
Party member Aiden has redirected the claw to strike the Luminous Cobalt Crab
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 21 damage
Party member Liora has used skill Wind Blast(D)
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 30 damage
Luminous Cobalt Crab has been pushed by Wind Blast(D)
"Damn, I thought I was the DPS of our plan."
Liora said in the air, mostly to herself over anyone else, but due to the strings everywhere, my Vibration Sense skill was refusing to let me not hear it. Then again, her sentiment wasn't unfounded. Aiden is an alchemist, a class that holds little general offensive power, and yet he has through training, effort, and well money, been able to achieve this. For Liora who while not a class known for its high damage, still must be a bit of a prod at her pride.
I turned my attention back to Aiden where the steam in his chest seemed to grow stronger as it changed from white to black in places as the smell of searing flesh drifted over to us. His chest that had been humming before let out a noise like those of vehicles pushing themselves as His speed increased further. He launched into a barrage of attacks, but to my surprise, the crab dipped its body down leaving Aiden airborne as his first attack missed. I managed to make a second one that carved at the crab as it shot back to its normal height, launching him into the air, his spear flying out of his hand as he quickly dragged it back to himself. I threw my strings out, grabbing him and bringing him to the ground with Liora helping slow his fall as he landed next to me, his chest smelled of charring as his breathing seemed labored and pained. The Reving noise only seeming to get louder as he grabbed what seemed to be a healing potion and jammed the opening of the bottle directly at his chest as his wounds began to heal.
Party member Aiden has shifted the Revolution Core V2 into High Gear
Party member Aiden's speed has increased by a moderate amount
Party member Aiden has used Item Spear of the Seven Hunts(D)
The attack has Missed
Party member Aiden has used Item Spear of the Seven Hunts(D)
Party member Aiden has done 41 damage
Party member Aiden has used Item Spear of the Seven Hunts(D)
The attack swung wide, Critical Fail
Luminous Cobalt Crab has launched Party member Aiden
You have used skill Marrionetting fingers(D)
Party member Aiden's Afterburn has dealt 11 damage to himself
Party member Aiden has used item Healing Healing Healing Potion(E)
Party member Aiden has healed for 26 HP
Party member Aiden has received the Healers Bane(D) Condition
I looked to Aiden with a look of confusion as he began to charge back at the crab
"Hold it down, we're almost there!"
He yelled as he spun his spear and charged forward with a surprising speed. I threw my hands out, gritting my teeth as I knew just how crappy this would feel as I drained myself to 3 mana. The feeling of throbbing numbness washed over me as the strings lashed forward, but the crab seemed aware of my tricks. It snapped at the first strings as it spun too late to catch the second set of strings as its legs were bound and it began to fall forward, unable to stick its legs out to catch itself. As it fell, its shell shimmered as it fired the beam attack once more.
Victor lunged and hip checked Aiden out of the way as due to the Crab falling, its attack couldn't aim at Liora or I. Now while it could have just been because of the tired feeling from mana exhaustion or just because I saw the color, but the crystals that made up Victor's back Legs seemed to be swirling with loads of Mana.
"That is save numberrrrrr 2, you all arrrrrre on yourrrrrr own."
Liora in the air seemed to pulse with Mana as her hair billowed up as the air became dark and heavy around her, like a building storm. Knowing we had no more Saves left, she seems to have pulled out her trump card. Despite this I saw as Liora winced in pain, blood running from her nose as she seemed to pale slightly.
"Just die already you stupid crustation!"
She roared through the pain as 3 silent arcs of air shot forward. The Crab turned and raised its claws to block its face. The attacks cleaved into the crab, the first blade cutting off the top of the left claw as the crab cried out in pain, the second it blocked with its other claw, but still leaved a large gash as the third made its way past the claws guarding its face and struck, severing one of the eyestalks. The crab let out a pained bubbling noise as Aiden yelled
"Don't let up, we're almost there!"
Aiden jumped over the claw that had been sliced in half as his spear became a whirl of speed, leaving cuts all over the crabs face and the front of its body as the sand around him danced. He spun with a final thrust and jammed his spear into the crabs throat as It gurgled, in pain. Its shell pulsed as energy consolidated in its mouth as Liora began to lunge, but I could feel it in my strings, the little structural integrity the crabs body still held after that last set of attacks was to weak.
I yanked my arms, all 6 of them as I felt the flesh give way as the crab who had been aiming up due to its legs forcing it to look into the sand suddenly was sitting upright as its legs were severed at the base. Its blast flying into the sky instead of Striking Aiden.
It let out one more disgruntled gurgle as the light left its eyes.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has used skill Photonic Beam(D)
The skill misses
You have used Skill Marrionetting Fingers(D) X 2
Luminous Cobalt Crab has resisted your strings
Luminous Cobalt Crab has mis-timed its movements, critical failure
Luminous Cobalt Crab is now restrained by mana strings
Party member Liora has used skill Child of Storms(C)
Party member Liora has spent 42 MP
Party member Liora has cannibalized her body to spend 8 more MP
Party member Liora has taken 16 damage
Party member Liora has unleashed 3 Wind Cutters
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 58 damage
Luminous Cobalt Crab has blocked one of the Wind cutters, reducing its damage
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 16 damage
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 47 damage
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts(D)
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 27 damage
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts(D)
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 20 damage
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts(D)
His attack strikes a Vital Point, CRITICAL HIT
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 72 damage
Item Spear of the Seven Hunts(D) chips slightly, the damage is minor
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts(D)
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 28 damage
Luminous Cobalt Crab has used skill Photonic Beam(D)
You have severed Luminous Cobalt Crabs legs
The skill has missed
You have slain Luminous Cobalt Crab(D->E+)
You have found an Item, Beamcore Pincer(D)