The Culling of Man: A litrpg adventure (Peril's Prodigy Book 1) by Craig Kobayashi (ereader android TXT) 📕

blessing was bestowed. He passed the trident to Athios, Sharon, and Warrion to do the same then gave a silent command to his summoned demons to stay back and out of sight until further notice.

“Let's do it,” he said in a whisper, motioning with one hand to move to the open cave mouth.

Athios moved ahead and poked her head around the opening in the stone wall into the cove to get a location on her targets. When the left-side patrolling pair of Naga popped out of the water in front of the cave mouth, Athios dual-cast two dimensional disks beneath their tails, transporting both Naga Pikemen - along with several gallons of water that slipped through the tear in space-time as well - onto the blue, stone floor of the cave. Before either of the muscular snake-people fully reoriented themselves to their new surroundings, Garath and Warrion swept up from behind to make their moves. The Assassin found no fault in his previous method of savagely stabbing the lower back of his target to bring down their Health before sliding a dagger between the its neck vertebra and twisting, and so he repeated that method. Garath decided to use a Skill he had only used once before, to kill Aldrasyl at the culmination of The Culling, Black Blood.

As his will focused into the casting, Garath felt his own blood emerge from his skin in tiny droplets, his Health and Mana bars each took a significant hit to pay the cost. Obsidian liquid formed a black mist around him, then solidified with a thought into a pointed lance that extended directly into the shocked face of the second Naga. Garath was able to retract the lance easily and the black blood forming it rejoined the mist surrounding his body. He scored a critical hit by skewering the unaware Naga's brain, the Pikeman's Health dropped precipitously from the unexpected crit - but it didn't die. Garth swore loudly and willed the blood-mist to form a lance a second time. This time, however, the obsidian liquid remained in a protective bubble around him and didn't respond at all to his will. Unlike the first time he used the Skill, when he had died just after casting it, he was able to sense the mist surrounding him and noticed a small black icon in the corner of his vision. Information was provided and he took it in quickly as Warrion moved to finish the Naga.

Black Blood - Your blood can act as a weapon (maximum: one use. 0/1 remaining) or shield.

Spell time remaining: 4 minutes, 52 seconds; Cooldown remaining: 9 minutes, 52 seconds.

The sensation of actually feeling his blood was odd enough. The fact that it was outside of his body, even weirder. Throw in the ability to manipulate it into acting as a shield or even a Naga-kabob and Garath was starting to wonder if it was even his blood at all - or just an interestingly named Necrologist Skill. He wasn't able to explore the sensation further as the mist slowly dissipated and evaporated completely. Garath just nodded in frustration, but relented that the Skill description had specified weapon OR shield.

After claiming two more tridents and collecting the Mana Crystals from their kills, the Party repeated the process on the second pair of patrolling Naga, filling the inside of the cave once again with a cascade of water that was followed by two confused snake-people - then were quickly replaced by a couple of corpses and a growing puddle of blue puss. Garath slid two more tridents into his Items panel, tapped the teal orbs to collect the Mana Crystals, and then prepared himself for the next attack.

"Just pull the Sentry," Garath instructed as Athios took a long pull from her Endless Potion of Mana and placed it back in her Items panel. Dual casting had drained her Mana significantly faster than sending out one disk at a time. Her available Mana increased by 10% in a flash and the blue bar below her nameplate continued to fill at an increased rate for the next 60 seconds. She removed the Naga trident from her inventory, struggling slightly with its weight, then nodded.

"Everyone ready?"

"Yessir," said Warrion. "I've got the horn blower."

"I'm ready," said Athios, holding her trident in one hand with the bottom of the shaft propped against the stone cave floor - her other hand held out at the ready to start the next pull.

"Let me do one thing," said Sharon. The Naturist folded her arms into her chest and a green light shot from her body in every direction, lighting the walls of the cobalt cave with an emerald flash. Each member of the Party received a new icon denoting the blessing she had bestowed.

Bark Skin - Your base Armor is increased by 10%.

Spell time remaining: 9 minutes, 59 seconds.

Between Sharon increasing his Armor and the Naga trident's spell increasing his HP, Garath felt like a legitimate tank. He was psyched, even if he was a bit sore that she just NOW used full Party buff - but better late than never, he figured.

"Okay, just like we discussed. If shit gets crazy, use the Party channel to call out what you're doing. Remember, communication is key,” Garath told them.

They started with the platform raised out of the flowing blue water on the right side of the cave mouth. Athios pulled the Sentry through a rip in space-time - visually denoted by a silver disk - to land inside the cave mouth with the waiting Party. Warrion made his move, rushing up from behind the Sentry and slashing at its neck with both daggers. Garath and Sharon each sent their respective bolts of magic into the creature as well as the Naga lifted its ornate horn to its lips.

Thankfully, the dungeon Party's ears only heard the wet schlap as the Sentry's body hit the floor instead of the sound of a horn alerting the entire dungeon of their presence. Unfortunately,