C9: Challenge Mode Option
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"Huh? What challenge"
[System is willing to offer a reward via an optional questline for fighting a more difficult version of the creature that would appear before you in this time and place.]
"Ok thats cool, how does it scale?"
[Imagine in your own terms regarding new game plus versions of the monster]
"Makes sense, nice and simple. Higher health and more damage, now tell me the bad points" I nod along but I don't believe that this is completely done out of the goodness of the systems heart.
[Should the host accept the challenge and grade for this boss, it would be stuck like this until it is killed with the original 'weak' version forever gone and mutated.]
I take a moment to rest against the carriage I killed the carrion crows and huntsman minion by. I do so to think over my options as well as the systems options.
[Boss: Cleric Beast (default state)
Challenge mode options -+
Options: NG+1, NG+2, NG+3, NG+4…. NG+100. [1]
The host may simply pass forward to fight the default state, otherwise to accept the challenge mode, please select a version of your choosing. Rewards scale with each increase]
I'm at a loss for words and I wouldn't even know where to begin to express my confusion. I already knew that in these games, the health grows rapidly with each cycle to ensure that players don't get too complacent.
'BUT HOW MUCH HEALTH DOES AN NG100 BOSS EVEN HAVE. THAT MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE.' My thoughts nearly spill out of my mouth that I'm sure all of Yharnam would have heard me and my insane babbling.
After some puzzling thoughts, I finally calm down and simply look over my own knowledge of the cleric beast and what I know.
This information is primarily from my memories from playing the game, the Cleric beast was the first official boss even though it was technically optional. It's sizable but a slow moving beast. Simply getting around to its ass would more likely than not ensure you can just wail on it, only having to look out for its swipe attacks as it turns around. Either its arms or legs can be broken from persistent attacks.
"System, can you tell me what the rewards would be if I won any of these levels?"
[Negative, that would spoil the surprise.] it responds and I sigh again, I do that a lot as a form of token disappointment in all things in life.
"Alright system. Set me down for ng+10. Time to get back to my no hit run." I choose my path as even if I lose, I am not required to actually kill it. So I might as well see what it's like since I am sure I could beat default, especially if I chose to farm a few more blood shards from the bridge wolves to upgrade my weapon a few times.
[Challenge mode terms accepted. Influencing World to new standards]
The system responds and I see a fog gate open up in the archway area before me. Hoping off the the carriages wheel which I made my seat. I move to the fog gate. I shove myself into it as I soon find myself waving the fog away to see the other side.
"It's darker" I switch my gun for my torch to light up the previously open end area.
THUD
I stumbled down to a crouch as something landed up ahead, rocking the entire bridge. I can still barely see more than a few feet in front of me thanks to my torch and my confusion over this situation is soon satisfied by the system.
[Ding: Challenge mode post ng+6 introduces variant features which can range from arena changes to mutations in the boss itself.]
[As the host selected a Tier 2 option between 10 and 19, two variations in the boss or arena are introduced. Variation One: Lightless Night. Variation two: Tempered monster]
"Why are you telling me this now and not earlier? Also what the hell is a tempered monster?"
[It would be a spoiler if the system told you. As for the Tempered status, it's the difference between a low rank and high rank version of the same beast in another game Host has played before.]
'Fuck' I realize it's talking about Monster Hunter but Im not aware of any sort of strange title like Tempered, it's always just been low and high or just star ranks. Granted I've never really gone all that far in playing the original nor World as I always lost passion fairly quickly due to the repetitive taxing fights for little reward. [2]
'Oh fuck' I originally curse my luck at getting this type of sassy system but then my mood plummets even more as just a few feet away from me, I spot a pair of bloodthirsty blue eyes in the darkness. They tower high above me as I am still cautiously walking forward, examining my arena to make sure I can move around with ease. At the same time, a wisp flows into my mind.
[1 insight gained upon finding a Greater Beast. Nugget Man passive activates, doubling gained insight. Current Insight-77.
With the exception of another overturned carriage near the entrance, as well as a few boxes, it is primarily corpses scattered around. The beast's prey.
ROAR
I can physically feel the shockwave of it's roar as I suddenly hear stomping coming in my direction as the beast charges at me. I make a quick judgment to roll out of the way behind some of the moldy barrels as the beast crashes into the carriage that was previously behind me. This leads to the entire carriage falling off the bridge as it breaks a chunk off of the bridge itself from the sheer force of that slam.
With my torch, I get a small look at it. Black and covered in fur, the shining blue eyes rest upon a head with bull-like horns. Though it might just be its fur stuck up in its own special style.
I circle around the beast only for it to turn around much faster than I can even move before it swipes it's claws at me with both hands.
The claws sink into my flesh, I see my left arm turn to shredded noodles before the same is done to the right arm. I collapse from the shock of losing both arms before the beast bites into me, tearing through my clothes and reaching my 'soft' belly and ripping me apart for it to consume. I feel every sensation magnified by the curse and even get a few system messages but I am utterly miserable over my own choices.
[You Died]
"Ah" I wake up back at the central Yharnam lamp as I again feel myself up and down to check my condition.
My clothes are back to normal with no apparent injury, as such there is only the lack of my 2.3k echoes from my account, leaving me with zero until I go back to that arena and pick them up again.
"Ok let's break it down. It's faster than me, any one of it's claws can directly bisect me. It's likely even harder to kill if it's going for a monster hunter reference. Wait, I got a few notifications"
[Pain Resistance has reached the necessary exp, level 2 obtained. Bonus: -20% Pain Sensation.]
[Reminder: Main Quest 2 available for completion]
"The main quest, wasnt that for the pale blood?" I open the interface to find that there was in fact two quests, technically now 3 as the challenge mode quest for Cleric Beast is now active.
[Main Quest 2: explore Hunter's Dream 1/1
Reward-System Shop]
I click to complete the mission and I get…
[Quest Complete, System shop now available for access]
'Right, a system shop. I forgot I had this quest as I got sidetracked into that nightmare realm where I got decapitated then returned to Yharnam only to die again.'
"Open Shop"
[Please select a category: Consumable Items, Crafting Materials, Primary Weapons, Secondary Weapons, Clothing/Armor, Skills, Key items]
I begin to look through each option. In Consumable I find a few items similar to the messengers but the prices are much much higher than the messengers.
'Scam'
I then turn to crafting, find normal stuff like alcohol bottles and rags which could help me make some more molotov cocktails but im not in a rush to get those, especially since I have no echoes right now to buy anything.
Yes the shop uses blood echoes for purchasing power too, just like the messengers.
Weapons only shows a copy of my current gear while clothing has the Yharnam Hunter Set which is a default copy of my own 'cursed' hunter set. Key Items has a set of badges: Sword Hunter, Saw Hunter, Chief Hunter emblem (same one from messengers) as well as a collection of others.
From looking at their description, I learn that each of these badges unlocks new items in both the system store as well as messengers too.
[Sword Hunter Badge]
[Obtained from Cleric Beast]
[Unlocks a variety of hunter weapons and tools: Kirkhammer, repeating pistol, antidote, bold hunters mark, hand lantern] [2]
[Price: 15k B.E.] (blood echoes)
I facepalm as I look through the list. "I screwed myself out of the hunters mark. Also Why is it so much more expensive than the emblem from the messengers?"
[User has boosted the power of the beast that drops the mark, to gain the badge without beating the beast, user must accumulate less than 1% of its dropped echoes]
"15k is less than 1% of its dropped echoes!! What the f. Cough cough" I cough as a bit of saliva flows through the wrong pipe when I swallowed some of it from the shock of it all. (diff of ng and ng+1 is 15x blood echoes for cleric beast. Aka 4k -> 61.8k. It's reasonable for ng+10)
"It's not possible for me to get it now. I have at most 3.6k in my reserves from the two blood dews and the Frenzy coldblood in my storage. And I still have to buy the chieftain emblem. " I mutter to myself as the system directly tells me how much each of the dew and blood is actually worth since I don't wish to 'pop' them early, especially since I have barely any of them.
I finally finished looking at the shop by checking out the skills menu and I was utterly shocked.
[Darkvision level 1, cost 3k B.E.]
[Tough body level 1, Cost 10k B.E.]
[lesser agility level 1, Cost 4k B.E.]
[Lesser stamina level 1, Cost 7k B.E.]
[....]
I see so many options that I actually start to drool as each and every sub-description informs me that some of them outright increase my hp while others add bonuses to stats that scale up with each level.
The most important feature of this skill store is that I can substitute the blood echo cost for insight. Specifically 3 insight for 1k echoes. That means even the cheapest skill, dark vision, would cost me 9 insight. 30 for tough body and so on and so forth. Currently I am at 77.
This means I can get the vast majority of these skills except for one or two currently available skills. There is quite a few, some increase my defense like tough body while others multiply my fire arm damage like [Experienced Marksman level 1].
I Immediately get to work on buying some of them.
[user has gained Darkvision level 1, Tough Body, Lesser Agility, lesser Endurance, Lesser stamina, 77 Insight -> 0]
"Ahhh" I moan as my body begins to overflow with energy. I feel my muscles expand and then contract to retain my lean physique. My organs burn but it's the good type of burn like lying on the beach with warm sand covering my body, keeping me toasty. The only strange sensation was my eyes.
I quickly learn that dark vision is an active skill as compared to the others which are passive and increase in level based on how I use my body that is linked with said skills. Tough body gets tougher the more damage I take, lesser stamina gets xp the more I run around and fight. Lesser endurance for any strenuous activity that would typically give me muscles.
Seeing that I have zero insight. I get a strange idea. I substitute my current title Young Hunter for Nugget man and I see my insight returns to 2 points due to my nugget man doubling feature. Then switch the title back to Young Hunter.
"Heehee" I giggle and rub my hands together like a gremlin as I firmly accept my brain damaged self as it essentially gives me infinite insight from its dual abilities.
[Warning: Tempered Cleric Beast has undergone Evolution due to consuming Cursed Blood. Challenge Quest Difficulty automatically increases to level 20 and a new ability is provided: Free Roam. Careful Host, you are the Prey now]
"Escuse the fuck me?" I lean forward to stare at the new notification as I hear a roar in the distance
BOOM ROAARRRR
I feel a very close tremor that knocks me over on my belly. Seeing pieces of the fence up here shatter around me, I hesitantly look behind me and spot the Cleric Beast, Maw covered in fresh blood as it's blue eyes now contain a hint of red.
It lunges at me with incredible speed as I reach for the lantern and get sucked into the hunters dream before I am torn apart again.
Waking up before the gravestone 'shrine', I fall into a depression as I truly understand now that the hunter has become the hunted.
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Word count is mid average this time around. Whether you like the chapter or not, drop a comment. I can't be letting myself get complacent in my writing. I still have plenty of growth in all forms.
Usual reminder (take out hyphen): patr-eon.com/Xanok
discord channel still has the next chapter preview like usual: https://discord.gg/rE6gtg28XH
[1] The scaling assumes that unlike the game, it doesnt stop making the beast stronger after ng+6 (aka the 7th playthrough). For more context, the game does not get harder after ng+6, it simply repeats that difficulty but instead here the formula is instead repeated until ng+100 and beyond but the system currently limits it to 100. So no it is not simply ng6 again over and over again for 94 variations.
[2] to clarify, my experience with MH is limited to the og game: Monster Hunter, the remake of that first game, Freedom Unite and then World. I only recently bought Rise but haven't played yet since I also got dlc for World which unlocked master rank but Ive barely touched that since I suck and only recently found out hidden techniques for my preferred weapon (no I will not change to range. if you have to do that to beat any boss then the game is limiting you for no reason).