Trigger-Happy Potioneer

Gayettse Appears!

"I'm really sorry about all that. Leota cursed me to forget everyone I meet except her. She called it a test or something."

We were running once more to the grove after the fifth re-introduction. I've made peace with her issue, but I could see that Loeta really likes making it hard for people to save her.

"It's okay, I'm cool with it. I know someone who has a similar condition."

"Oh really? How cool!" Eoin did a loop-de-loop and put on a burst of speed. I didn't mention that I was talking about an animated fish.

"We're almost there!" Eoin stopped again. "Hi, I'm Loeta's familiar, Eoin!" she said, waving.

"Eoin, this is the sixth time you've forgotten. I really need to talk to Loeta about this." I still feel irritated every time this happens.

"Oh, I'm sorry, mister..."

"Nio. Just Nio."

"I'm sorry, Nio. What was I saying?"

"How we're almost at the grove, and how we should save Loeta."

"Right! You need to save her! Follow me, it's just a little bit further." She flew towards a wall of trees and passed right through. I slowed and stopped at the border.

"Uh, Eoin, I know you're a fairy and all, but I can't go through wood." I called, hoping it'll reach her.

Her head poked through the bark. "My bad." She fluttered past me and landed on my head. "You'll be able to pass through now. Though you won't like what on the other side. Hey, your hair's comfy!" I felt her stretch out and curl up in my ponytail. I found something like a scrunchie plant on the way here, and Eoin said it was safe, so I used it. It really helps.

I pushed my hand onto the trees and watched it disappear into the wood. "Wow." I murmured. "Is the cause of all this past here?" I asked.

"Yep." Eoin sounded sad, almost tired. "Loeta isn't holding up well."

I quickly checked my stats.

Nio (Unidentified Class Build)

HP 114/114

MP 411/411

Stats

STR 26 VIT 21

DEX 72 EVA 99

INT 38 LUK 27

Titles

Hope of Ilidas Forest: You have been chosen by Loeta's familiar. All traits receive bonus in rank experience, and purifications refill both health and mana. Increase to strongest attributes, and natural regeneration while in Ilidas Forest.

Current Traits (+6)

[Alchemy 16] [Throw 12] [Eagle Eye 22] [Enchant 1] [Archery 11] [Crafting 3] [Mixing 5] [Mana Control 18] [Discovery 22] [Combining 3]

My title changed. That's strange; I've never seen a title evolution system. It's amazing though. The class build hasn't defined itself yet, too.

What's important is that I'm ready to rumble. I've got a new set of Venom arrows, my potions and experiments, and my bow. What could go wrong? I pressed through the boundary and found myself in a gigantic clearing.

An enormous tree stood tall in the center of the space. A clear pool of water surrounded the tree like a moat. It would have been beautiful if the miasma wasn't destroying the tree. Parts of the tree were withering as I walked towards the center. Leaves turned gray and scattered into dust. It was heartbreaking to watch the tree fall into such disrepair.

"Loeta!" Eoin yelped, and she flew off my head and darted towards the tree. My skin began to prickle dangerously.

"Eoin! Watch out!" I sprinted forward and grabbed her just as a gigantic thing landed with a boom in front of the tree. A mass of black goo flew towards me but I rolled to the side and jumped out of the way. "Holy-"

"Lord Gayettse! Why are you attacking Loeta?!" Eoin cried.

"Lord Gayettse" was a twelve-foot tall spider with legs that looked as long as flagpoles, though bent. His body was completely white save a black skull print decorating his abdomen, and his pincers were dripping basketball-sized droplets of dark green venom. He shot another black ball at us, which I dodged again. The moment it touched the ground, the miasma thickened and boiled through whatever it touched. His sixteen eyes swiveled as he focused on me.

"I don't think he's keen on speaking to us." A sudden message appeared in front of me.

"Destroy the root cause of the miasma."

Eoin supplemented. "Lord Gayettse must be the cause of the curse! Please stop him!"

I accepted the quest and readied my bow. "I'll try, but it won't be easy."

. . .

This is freaking impossible! Arrows don't pierce his exoskeleton thing, poison just rolls off him like water, and the repellent turns into vapor when it touches him. He's always protecting his face, which must be his weak point, but he covers his bases way too well. Eoin doesn't help much either.

"Watch out! That black stuff will poison if you even get near it! Eep, don't touch the web! It'll suck away your life! He's going to ram us! Dodge, dodge, dodge!"

Tell me something useful, like how to beat him!

No, wait. I need to calm down. Losing it in battle won't help me. I need to calmly assess the situation and locate blind spots. As if a normal person would do that, but then again, I'm not too ordinary seeing that I'm friends with the mobs in the forest, and occasionally poison myself in real life drinking random creations. I'm still dodging, but I'm noticing little things, like how there's a five-second pause after each miasma ball where all defenses are down, and how the miasma loses shape when wind blows past it.

I took aim at an eye. The boss shot another black blob, but this time I didn't dodge.

"Nio-" Eoin called, but I cut her off.

"<Bow Skill - Windmill Shot><Follow Arrow - Precise Shot>" I fire one spinning arrow to dissolve the blob, clearing a hole in the middle, then a precise shot right behind the destroyed arrow. The second one pierced the leftmost eye and stabbed into Lord Gayettse's head. It let out a sound that seemed to be a cross between a screech and a hiss.

"You got him!" Eoin squealed.

"Now to repeat the process fifteen more times." I muttered.