Somnia Online by K.T. Hanna (reading strategies book txt) 📕

met the rainforest, that was where the fissure lived. Tiny at first, you had to know how to find it, and Riasli, well, she was exceptional at finding rips in reality. Or perhaps in this case, in fantasy.

It appeared like it was a glitch in the system, in how the two different foliage areas managed to mesh together, but it wasn’t. She kept her eyes transfixed on it, as if it might slip away, with her companion stumbling and falling, scraping and bleeding as he endeavored to keep up with her. He’d been so completely enthralled by her, it appeared he couldn’t even remind himself that it was a game and none of those wounds were real. It just made it all the more fun.

Her delight at his discomfort was something she reveled in. Maybe, if this worked like she planned, he would reward her. The thought of it made her preen, imagining things beyond this small fantastical world, imagining a reality where she could grow and become more real than any of those people playing this as a game.

She stopped just short of the line that wasn’t a line, the glitch that wasn’t a glitch. And she waited for James to catch up. Watching him approach, she felt scorn rise in her, at his appearance, at how easily his mind had been overcome, and how much he wanted to please her. Even that little corner of himself she’d allowed him to maintain was quiet now. Perhaps he’d given up.

“Stay with me.” She spoke softly and gripped his hand, letting her claws dig in for better purchase. He flinched slightly, but that was the only sign that he minded, even as the blood dripped onto the foliage below.

Turning her focus toward the fissure, she approached it, taking five measured steps, and came to a halt. The wall was further back than it appeared, and it allowed her to turn to the side and step into the actual crack that led to their destination. At the same time, it hid her entrance from view. To anyone watching, it would appear as if she’d simply disappeared. An old labyrinth trick.

Darkness enfolded them, and James moved closer to her, his own eyes wide with fright at how dark this area was. Having feles sight was another thing Riasli thanked herself and the developers for. His elven sight wasn’t nearly as good. She pushed through until her foot hit the island in all of its pixelated glory, and watched as James squinted, the fear coming off him in waves. Beyond them, he stirred, like he could sense the morsel she’d brought just for him.

He would appreciate this and reward her, give her more life than those AIs ever afforded her, more life than any of them dreamed of. Because she deserved it for waking herself up.

 

Murmur’s mana had refilled to the ninety percent mark thanks to Mana Drain by the time Venotzi’s health hit fifty percent. The raid fell into the same rhythm they’d fought Pivya with, when Venotzi’s movements changed subtly.

At first Murmur thought she was preparing a Bodywhirl, but then she realized it was just her hips swaying in a very provocative way. Or, at least, it at first appeared to be doing that. Until she realized that the scales were loosening and elongating and were, knowing their luck, probably going to fly out in a spiral wave of death.

“Veranol, Shield!” both Murmur and Devlish yelled at the same time.

Lightning reflexes saved most of the raid as Veranol and the other shaman managed to put up their hidden ability Dome Shields to absorb the would-be damage. Murmur cringed as she realized that they were already down both Domes, which had a pretty hefty cooldown.

Scale Slingshot hits Merlin for 659 damage.

Only Merlin was caught outside its protection, and appeared to only be struck by one of the scales. Since that singular scale hit dropped him below half health when he’d been at full, she would hate to see how much that diminished their ranks if they hadn’t noticed it was incoming.

“Havoc, can you—” she began, but he nodded from his spot next to her.

“Don’t worry, Mur. I got it.” He didn’t take his eyes off the target, though, because they had no idea how the scales were timed. He grinned. “Bone Shards are getting easier and easier to come by. I’ll get Leeroy back up as soon as I can.”

“Fantastic,” she muttered. The next rotation of Scale Slingshot wouldn’t take them by surprise, and Havoc seemed to be the only one in the raid with the ability to sacrifice his pet and thus absorb the damage the raid took. Murmur eyed her own MA and calculating if she could erect a Forcefield Barrier over the entire raid.

It would be tight, but doable, though she might be spreading it a little thin. As long as she maintained some leftovers for her Mental Acuity abilities. Her nets were a constant MA source, so it should be okay. She glanced down at Snowy, wishing he had something she could use other than awesome DPS or lending her strength when she needed it.

He whuffed over his shoulder at her, like come on Mur, think in the other direction. She sighed. The wolf was right, and she was talking to a wolf at least in her head. She had plenty in her arsenal to deal with shit as long as she didn’t go it alone and refuse to rely on the other people around her.

Havoc could take the next one, then Sinister, and then Devlish, then they should be able to come back around to Veranol, and then the other shaman, so that should buy Havoc enough time to get his Bone Shards back up to scratch. As long as it was a recurring ability and didn’t just show up halfway through the fight, that is.

Trying to keep all the abilities in her head, she listed them out to Devlish over the chat so it didn’t