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Limitless Path Chapter One Hundred Forty-One
🕑 Added 2023-11-20 18:00:04 +0000 UTCThe elite didn't emit random frost or ice the way other kobolds had, nor did it explode into a massive cloud of ice. It was instead far more focused in its tapping into magic, enhancing its attacks with ice and frost, causing even missed or deflected swings to freeze Beth as she continued the long battle. Beth waited for her time, wearing the kobold down ever further until it was injured and exhausted, reeling from her constant attacks, before she activated the power enchanted into her blade. The enemy reacted in the typical way, screaming and going into a full rage, attacking her as quickly and powerfully as it could.
As Beth had suspected, level fifty was really a new milestone, as the rage of the beast was far greater than anything they had previously faced. The beast was also able to channel far more ice into its attacks now that it had flown off the handle, fist-sized chunks of ice being generated and tossed around with massive force. Beth was forced to keep herself moving far more than during other fights, but she did gradually adapt to the extra danger.
She began weaving her sword in more complex attacks, deflecting every bit of ice that came her way with the flat or edge of her blade. As Beth adapted, her attacks against the beast not only renewed, but they began to increase in frequency and power. The fire was dealing some actual damage to the massive beast, causing its wounds to be more critical than they otherwise might be. It seemed that in the same way as beasts at and above level fifty grew greatly in power, their weakness also grew. Beth was observing what her slashes and attacks were doing, and she began forming the opinion that the same way the kobold's ice had been strengthened, its resistance to the opposing element, fire, had been far further weakened.
The kobold swung again and Beth met its weapon with her own, diverting the blow before swinging back up and to the left, deflecting the chunks of ice in the air. She twisted her wrists with a small movement, re-aligning the blade to point the tip right into the beast's throat before taking a large step forward. The kobold's backswing hit Beth in the torso, but she was partially inside its guard, meaning only the haft of the weapon impacted her. Even though it was the haft and low on the weapon, she could still feel a crunching in her right side as she shoved forward, slamming her blade through the base of the kobold's jaw and into the center of its skull. The beast was, unsurprisingly, unable to continue to function, or live, without its brain still being in one piece.
Beth walked away and sat, Blood moving to watch over her without either having to speak anything through their bond. She used her high-tiered regeneration skill to fix her cracked ribs, happy that her armor and increased toughness had taken what could have been a shattered rib cage and turned it into a few small fractures. She was able to heal her ribs within less than thirty minutes, grinning as she came out of her meditation and saw that she had done enough to push that last tiny gap and get her Swords to Journeyman[3]. That was all she really needed for now, but she decided to poke around a little and see what else they could find.
What else turned out to be very little, Beth pretty sure that somebody had picked through the tunnels at some point. She suspected Sabs and her sisters, considering they three had been quite steadily leveling and improving their skills. She'd ask Sabs about it that evening, but for now, she led Blood back to the ramp down before spending a little time checking through the lefthand tunnel to see if there was anything interesting or out of place. They eventually gave up on it after finding only a few rather pissed off kobolds, returning to the surface to make their way back to the CRA Hall.
They followed along the gouge Baelvyr had dug out, making their way through the wooded areas and fields with ease. It was winter at this point, and no brush or grass or young trees would be attempting to grow in the cleared land for some time yet. It took them only a handful of minutes using Swift to return to the Hall, where they meandered down to their room. They didn't really have anything else to do, as the one thing Baelvyr had told them about the upcoming trial was that everything they needed would be provided for them while they were there. As long as they had their armor and weapons, they wouldn't have to worry about food or camping supplies or any such thing.
Sabs returned to the room in the evening, and Beth spent some time snuggled together with her before retiring to the bedroom for the night. Despite having a big day tomorrow, or maybe because of it, Beth was all over Sabs, kissing every part of her body from head to toe. She then spent a considerable amount of time kissing much more sensitive places, including a long time spent in-between Sabs's legs making full use of her dexterous tongue. Sabs didn't hesitate to return the favor, seeming already to have developed a preference for nibbling on the most sensitive parts of Beth, particularly her chest area.
The two eventually tired, with Sabs passing out while sprawled on top of Beth. The taller woman didn't mind in the least, wrapping her arms around her cute girlfriend and holding her close as she also slipped into slumber. It was rather late, but the two didn't really need very much sleep to be fully refreshed, waking only a handful of hours later.
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Very early the next morning, Beth and Sabs were up and about, waking Blood as they started getting ready. Beth pulled Sabs into the shower with her, cranking up the heat and enjoying washing both of them off quite thoroughly. They hopped out and dried off with the large, fluffy towels that were provided with the room before finishing their morning routine. Beth reluctantly dressed and got her equipment ready, Sabs helping with Blood's harness and plates in the meantime.
"You extended the room?" Beth asked as she was finishing up.
"Yeah, we've got, like, sixty plus days on it now. You should be back by then, right?" Sabs responded.
"Yeah, it shouldn't take more than two months at the very outside. I guess it really depends on how well, or how badly, Blood and I do," Beth replied.
"I'm sure you'll do amazing," Sabs responded, kissing Beth on the cheek warmly.
"I'll be back before you know it," Beth chuckled as they headed out the door.
They made their way up to the lounge, finding only a few of the enforcers present this early in the day. Beth moved over to Baelvyr's table, the ogre getting up as she approached.
"C'mon, we ain't usin' the arena for nothin' for a while," he said, gesturing for them to follow him.
They moved out into the main floor of the area, moving to the far end where Beth used one of the smaller segments for her training duels. They moved just beyond the segment, standing near the bench Beth used to rest between fights. She supposed this was to avoid her being on the floor if anyone was actually using the arena for something.
"Yer gonna get teleported when ya use the token. When yer done with the trial, ya'll pop back up at the exact spot you vanished from to start. Go ahead and use that token from over here; I'll keep an eye out for when the two o' ya pop back in," Baelvyr explained.
"Alright," Beth affirmed, pulling the token out of her belt pouch. Sabs stepped forward and scratched Blood's neck before giving Beth a warm, firm kiss on the lips. Beth returned it quite enthusiastically until a grunt from Baelvyr made them break apart, Beth grinning at Sabs's blush.
"Later," Beth said as Sabs took a step back, injecting mana into the token. A brilliant box of gold and red energy surrounded Beth, with a second one forming instantly around Blood. In the blink of an eye the boxes, and their occupants, were gone.
Beth and Blood felt a strange sense of twisting in their guts, followed by a few seconds of an odd weightless feeling combined with a feeling like sliding down a slick ramp on their feet while trying to maintain their balance. After no more than five seconds, the sensation ended with a strange snap, leaving Beth and Blood standing in a large, very well-furnished room. Everything around them oozed tasteful luxury; marble floors of exceptional quality were covered in plush, gorgeously embroidered carpets, while the walls were paneled in a light, beautiful wood with warm, golden lamps providing a most pleasant light.
The furniture was just as ornate and tasteful, with everything made of very fine, expensive-looking wood that was intricately carved in a subtle manner; the feet of the chairs carved into ornate paws, for instance. The padding for the furniture was extremely comfortable looking, with a very nice light blue and gold coloration. The whole place oozed great luxury, but in such a highly refined manner that it didn’t come off as an overbearing flaunting of wealth.
The area they were standing in was a large living room, with several doorways along what Beth thought of as the 'back' wall and a single doorway on the wall opposite. She peeked into the right door on the back wall and saw a large, incredibly luxurious bedroom, with another door that clearly led to a lavish bath in the far wall. The lefthand door along the back wall led to a dining room with a large table in the middle. A door to the left led into what appeared to be a study, while a door on the rear wall led into a full kitchen.
After poking her head around for a moment, Beth returned to the main room when there was a knock on the door. Glancing at Blood, Beth moved to the only door she hadn't looked through yet and opened it. Standing on the other side was a woman that Beth could only describe as an angel, and not just in terms of beauty. She had two pairs of white-feathered wings and a faint halo hovered above her head. Strangely, she did have a pair of antlers that resembled that of an elk protruding from the top of her head, but she was still certainly quite angelic.
"Greetings," the woman said in Universal Standard, her voice like warm, flowing honey to Beth's ears. "I am Aytasha, and I will be your guide during your time here in the Trial of Celestial Awakening."
"Ah, hello," Beth replied a little lamely. "I didn't realize we would be getting a guide."
"That is quite understandable," Aytasha said. "I am here to answer any questions you might have, facilitate fulfilling any needs, and procuring any request, within reason, of course."
"Sorry, but I don't really know much about this trial," Beth explained, scratching the back of her head. "My trainer at the CRA just told me it was an awesome opportunity and to do my best."
"Not a problem. Allow me to explain some of the basics," Aytasha replied, her small grin turning into a brilliant smile as Beth stepped out of the doorway, waving the angel inside. They sat on two of the armchairs facing each other while Blood sat on the floor in-between them.
"Let me explain," Aytasha continued. "The Trial is divided into thirty stages. You will have up to two days to complete each stage; failure to complete a stage means you will be stopped at that stage of the trial. Rewards are based on how many stages you manage to clear, with each stage improving your overall rewards. Each stage is progressively more difficult, with the first stage something relatively easy for most warriors to clear, while stage thirty will present an almost impossible challenge. All of the stages are simulated fights; they will appear to be as if they are real, but you will not die or be permanently injured from a stage failure.
"The area you are in now is your suite for the duration of the trial. There are several suites here, with a large common area that includes many different facilities, all of which are free for your use at any time. It is likely you will clear the early stages quickly, especially with a companion, and you are allowed up to an extra day of rest between stages, though this is limited to a week total of extra rest time. You are free to interact with the other guests here for the Trial as well as any staff, but there is a strict no fighting policy outside of the stages. Any kind of harassment or other untoward actions are not tolerated in any way, and can and will result in an immediate, permanent ban from the Celestial Awakening roster for life. Any questions?"
"Just to make sure I have it clear," Beth said after taking a moment to digest the explanation, "I have two days to clear a stage, and if I do it faster than that, all the remaining time is rest time? Plus I have an additional seven days I can use one day at a time for further rest?"
"Precisely," the angel responded with a warm smile, nodding. "There are facilities to prepare food, where you can train, swim, get a massage, undergo coaching, and many more. As a holder of the Celestial Awakening Token, these facilities are all for you to use as you see fit, at no cost. You may spend time with any other Trial Taker as you see fit as long as, as I said before, everything is consensual and above-board. Any kind of harassment or inappropriate conduct will be punished immediately and forcefully."
"I understand," Beth nodded in reply, happy in having the rules clearly laid out. "Can you tell me how many other people are here to take the Trial currently, or is that private information?"
"It is not hidden in any way, though I am not at liberty to reveal details of other participants without their consent. There are currently just under two hundred Trial Takers present at the moment, though I believe only twenty-five, including yourself, are not presently within a stage," Aytasha replied calmly.
Comments
Quendolayne
Thx for the chapter - and what a bad timing for a parental visit. Meh, poor Beth - I guess her helicopter mom will try to ground her again.
