Quest received: Keeper of the Cabochon Spire!


    Gilgamesh the Turbulent, a type of giant known as a behemoth Ogre usually only seen in Ascended worlds, has been summoned by the Hunter, Cicero the Blaspheme, to defend the entrance of his Emerald Cabochon Spire. While intensive summons such as this dictate the subject remain within the relatively small confines of its summoning circle, Cicero has somehow enhanced the effect to allow his guardian free range throughout the area surrounding the spire known as the Emaciated Desert. So, what does this all mean? It means you’re about to be in a world of pain and if Gilgamesh is able to see you, you have a nil chance of escaping this terrible fate.


    This monster has been bound to defend his master’s spire and does so with a brutal intensity that could rival that of some demigods. Only the strongest contender from a Prime World has any hope of standing against such a barbarous creature. With the strength of a Titan and the nimbleness of a Cerberus, this is a foe without many peers. Good luck, Hunter! This may become the last foe you ever see.


    Objective: Slay Gilgamesh the Turbulent.


    Rewards: Experience, a random spell or skill upgrade, and access to the Cabochon’s foundation obelisk.


    Notice! This quest has been automatically accepted and cannot be refused.


    The billowing debris kicked up in the wake of whatever raced toward us, which grew more prominent as the seconds passed. The source of the turbulence was moving at astonishing speed and had to be massive if the size of the dust plum was any indicator. It did not seem fair any monster, let alone this Gilgamesh the Turbulent, was approaching a sprinting cheetah’s speed. Something so vast should not be able to move that fast. Additionally, the fact we were about to face a monster usually only seen in an Ascended world threatened to chill the blood in my veins.


    Another System notification blinked into my awareness and was automatically minimized, considering combat was so close at hand. Instead of allowing the message to momentarily distract me, considering we had a titanic boss hurtling toward us, I allowed the information to flow into my subconscious, where it could be instantly absorbed.


    Quest Update – Heart of the Forest.


    Objective One: Location Cicero the Blaspheme’s Emerald Spire, COMPLETED.


    Objective Two: Slay as many monstrosities created through the Heart of the Forest as possible, 18 of ???. (3x Miscreant Arachne Marauder, 2x Invidious Naga Burrower, 3x Deranged Glissade Centaur, and 10x Putrid Nightmares.) (Optional Objective).


    It was curious the Heart of the Forest quest only updated now considering we defeated over a dozen of Cicero’s twisted creations to this point. However, the change was likely owed to the fact our party had only just spotted the emerald tower, and it was the first chain in the quest’s objectives. Still, I had more pressing matters to consider, so I pushed my curious musings to the background of my mind. Peering closely at the center of the surging dust cloud, I focused my gaze and mentally probed the System to identify the half-concealed creature blazing a trail of rolling dust.


    Gilgamesh the Turbulent, Celeritous Behemoth Ogre (Level 35 - Ascended Boss)


    Usually only considered a monster with an above-average difficulty rating when encountered on an Ascended world, a Celeritous Behemoth Ogre’s rating on a Prime World skyrockets even if it is a summoned creature. Worse for any intrepid Hunter facing down such a foe, the Ogre you now face has been deemed to possess boss-level power, meaning any standard threat assessment is partially worthless.


    Celeritous Behemoth Ogres are known for their surprising alacrity, as well as exhibiting levels of intelligence far beyond what giant-kin usually possess. As a result, it is not too uncommon to find these creatures frequently donning impressive suits of armor, magnifying their already impressive defensive capabilities, as well as wielding enchanted weapons capable of felling smaller races in a single blow.


    Unlike a typical determent of being bound within the confines of a summoning circle to remain on this plane of existence, this boss has been empowered to roam far beyond those restrictions. Perhaps if you could disrupt the circle of power, you may be able to send it screaming back to the world he was forcibly plucked from. Though, you may never get such an opportunity with such a meteoric creature on your heels.


    My mind screamed, ‘Oh, shit!’ as the boss’s description flowed into me. All the while my eyes tried to make sense of what was devouring more than a dozen yards with each passing second. The boss was built like an everyday, well-muscled man with a few stark differences. First and foremost was his oversized head. It looked far too large atop his sinewy body, though it didn’t approach the atrocity of a Naga. The burly goliath’s hair was a Bjorn-style French braid, reminding me of ancient Vikings and giving him a distinctive warrior aesthetic. The brute’s beefy neck was so massive it would put fighting bulls to shame.


    Gilgamesh’s legs were a blur of motion and nearly lost from sight behind the massive swirl of dust and sand kicked up in his frantic sprint. Those legs were moving so fast it reminded me of a cartoon roadrunner. It shouldn’t be possible, and it was disturbing to witness just how swiftly those legs pumped. Even at this distance, the Ogre would certainly tower above Ripley’s uncommonly lofty height. He would probably be two and a half times taller! She was going to be dwarfed when she stood before this colossus.


    Close enough to make finer details of the boss, we found he wore a matching gray leather tunic and pants. Both were adorned with palm-sized hunks of metal stitched expertly into the fabric. His splint mail armor contrasted against his forest green, wart-covered skin, which, on its own, appeared solid enough to deflect most sword strikes. A gleaming broadsword was held tightly in his clenched fist and it would probably dwarf Ripley’s greatsword had she opted to brandish it for this boss battle. Complimenting his choice of weaponry, Gilgamesh had what was probably defined by the System as a round buckler strapped over his other hand, which, again, would look more like a kite shield if held beside my heroic minion.


    Perhaps most staggering of all, as the boss bore down on us, were his eyes. Cold, calculating eyes spoke of hidden reservoirs of intelligence. Though bloodshot, those orbs belied he was nothing more than a berserking giant. As the System indicated in his description, I was inclined to believe Gilgamesh the Turbulent was superbly intelligent. Perhaps his inflamed eyes were a result of him being continuously on guard by the will of his disagreeable summoner, but it was impossible for me to know. His scheming gaze was not something to take lightly. Those eyes held a quality as if he was working through multiple scenarios in a matter of seconds, all to ascertain the best approach to turn every one of our team into mashed pulp.


    Even without the System’s description, this formidable adversary and it was apparent we needed to weaken this behemoth as quickly as possible, lest we be slain in the first few seconds once engaged. We had no hope of outrunning him. We would have to make our stand exactly where we stood. I would need to swiftly begin the battle with my Lesser Scent of Decay, a paramount spell that should always be cast against boss-level mobs.


    We would also need to slow it down, I mused to myself.


    Ripley stepped forward clutching her sword and dwarven shield held tightly in her bony grasp. She intended to meet his charge head-on. With combat inevitable at this point, Ripley’s permanent auras flared to life around her. As I watched, a palpable wave of force emanated out from her chest like a miniature shock wave. As it passed over us, a buff icon appeared beside each of our names in the party interface. Once again, the System uploaded the beneficial effects directly into my consciousness.


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    It was Ripley’s Stalwart Aura. The buff, called Invigorated Firmament, provided a beneficial fifteen percent physical damage mitigation, ten percent increased physical attributes, a similar increase to our resource pools, and a small melee haste. Against the might of the Ogre closing in on us, we would definitely need every extra percentage point to see us through the next several minutes. Beyond her Stalwart Aura, tiny motes of energy like minuscule drops of some alien pitch-black goo phased into existence around her only to disappear and then reappear at random. Any hostile within the broad area of effect around her would find themselves infected with those inky splotches as they spread across their abruptly desiccating flesh.


    Tallos and I dismounted only seconds after first spotting the charging creature. Tallos heeded a wordless command from me, slapping our two horse''s rumps to get them away from the battle as fast as possible. While the rest of the party might be able to survive a blow or two from this monster, neither of our horses could hope to survive, even a glancing one. Dutch and Jax galloped away, snorting in displeasure. Neither looked back until far afield. We’d need to collect the pair after the fight was won.


    “If the fight is won,” I amended myself.


    With only moments to spare, I began issuing battle commands to my friends as we spread out in a loose semi-circle. Lowki was hunched low to the ground, a few feet from Ripley’s side, and sprouted a pair of displacer images that sprung away in opposite directions. My mind recalled one of his abilities that could make a world of difference in this boss battle, “Lowki, we’re going to need you to get your Solidifying Strike on him as quickly as possible. Please keep it on him. We must slow him down, or we don’t stand a chance.”


    Solidifying Strike – After making physical contact with a target, a surge of magical energy spreads out for the impact site causing all the victim’s nearby muscles to partially petrify, taking on the aspects of rock and stone. This effectively slows the target’s movements, attacks, and spell-casting ability by 30%. Note – The duration of the slowed state varies on the strength of the impact (minimum of 30 seconds duration).


    Solidifying Strike was an ability the panther had thanks to his previous incarnation as a Rockhopper Leopard. After evolving into his current form, a Displacer Beast, he was able to retain the powerful ability. As long as Lowki could make physical contact with his target, the ability to cause a swell of petrifying magic to ripple outward from the impact site to slow both movement and attack speed by thirty percent. It would also decrease casting time on any spells, but I seriously hoped the boss was incapable of such a feat. We were in enough trouble already to have more piled on. His ability lasted at least thirty seconds, depending on how hard of a hit she made, so as long as she was careful we should be able to rely on it staying up for the entire fight.


    Changing the spell I was initially going to cast with another that would stack with Lowki’s slow, I turned my attention to my steadfast minion, “Ripley, go entirely defensive and keep yourself alive. If that thing gets past you, none of us will survive for long,” I called out, a bit of worry leaking into my voice. Ripley was strong, there was no doubt about it, but it hardly seemed fair to expect her to be able to manage the goliath closing in on us. To give her the best odds, I swiftly dual cast a Lesser Regen on her even though she hadn’t taken a lick of damage yet. It lasted thirty seconds and would stack with another spell I planned to throw out early in the fight.


    Seeing Gilgamesh thundering far too close for my liking, I decided a different spell was in order. My first thought was to toss a Gnawing Blizzard in front of him, thereby slowing the Ogre, but it would do little to halt the veritable avalanche of momentum his blitzing body carried. With a calm that belittled what fluttered in my chest, I quickly intoned the words to Lightning Bolt. To put as much power behind the already potent spell, I dumped more mana into the spell weave by dual casting it. Even as the cracking words escaped my lips, I recalled one of my least used magical items: my Magian Tiara of Twin Cast.


    If the first bolt of dazzling electricity failed to stun this monstrosity, the second surely would. Or, at least, I hoped as much.


    My spell completed moments after it crossed into range. A gigantic bolt sizzled into existence, cutting over Ripley’s resolute shoulders and instantly traversing the paltry distance to the Ogre. Not bothering to confirm if the stun was successfully imparted or not, I mentally triggered my tiara’s effect with a brief exercise of will. My hands never left their splayed position, and in an instant, another bolt cleaved through the air with another bout of burnt ozone. Either spell would inflict several thousand health points worth of damage, but it was the high probability of stunning the enemy needed at this precise moment. If it didn’t trigger, Ripley would be bowled over like wheat standing before a volcanic eruption.


    “Stunned for five seconds!” Stella bellowed the good news, though she was barely audible over the jackhammer the boss’s legs had been thundering across the open desert.


    I had been hoping for longer, but it was enough to get us past the first few seconds of what was likely to become one of the most perilous fights we had yet to encounter in this world. “Lowki, now!” I screamed.


    Tallos backpedaled out of my field of view even as I similarly retreated away from the stunned opponent. I intended to keep the boss Ogre at the maximum range most of my DoTs were capable of overcoming. However, slightly more than a hundred feet of separation seemed far too short a distance, considering how quickly the boss was moving. As the pair of us drew back, our entire party watched in amazement as the behemoth’s body, and previously furiously pumping legs, froze mid-stride as every muscle in Gilgamesh’s body locked rigid at the exact same moment. With the momentum he had built, not even the hard-packed dirt and sand seemed to slow his forward motion much as he toppled face-first into the ground.


    Ripley, previously in the direct path of the boss’s objective, dove into a roll to the side to avoid being crushed. Even as the massive Ogre slid across the dirt, Lowki used the opportunity to leap squarely on the boss’s back. All six legs slammed hard onto his back, generating waves of overlapping petrifying magic that rippled outwards like multiple pebbles thrown into a pond. Anywhere the energy of the special attack touched, semi-petrified tendons solidified as entire muscle strands turned to stone. Lowki’s barbed tentacles likewise capitalized on the force generated from his high-dive plunge, slamming both poisoned quills side by side next to the monster’s spinal column.


    The words to my Lesser Scent of Decay were fast uttered the moment the Ogre began his nose-dive. To put extra oomph behind the resistance corrupting spell, my hands twinned in mirror images of the other as I dual cast the incantation. As the last of the guttural words resounded across the field, suddenly bereft of the calamitous rancor of earlier, Tallos similarly spewed Arcanum-infused syllables to one of his spells. My spell completed a blink of an eye before he did. A smile widened across my face as the anticipated notification appeared in my mind.


    Notice! Gilgamesh the Turbulent has been affected by Lesser Scent of Decay! All resistances to fire, poison, acid, and disease have been reduced by 40% (MAX).


    With Tallos’ conjuration finished, vines as thick as my forearm burst from the barren dirt and twisted like sentient beings over and around the felled boss. It was only a minor-tiered spell, I knew, but every bit helped even if the binding roots only bought us a few seconds before the giant regained its feet. The damn thing couldn’t hurt us prone as he was.


    Not taking a moment longer to contemplate the efficacy of Tallos’ spell against the fearsome foe, I immediately transitioned into the cryptic phrases necessary to cast my Gnawing Blizzard. I centered the spell directly over the prostrate boss. Gilgamesh stirred as Ripley bound forward, her sword slicing shallow furrows against the Ogre’s thick skull. Still holding his sword and shield tightly, he planted his fists beneath him and shoved off the ground with tremendous force. Vines audibly snapped with the move, seeming not to trouble the boss in the slightest as he popped a few feet off the ground like he was doing a plyometric push-up.


    My latest dual and quick cast spell completed, summoning a specter of semi-transparent swirling icicles in the air over the Ogre’s back. It slowly spun like a hurricane seen from orbit. Biting shards crashed into his armored body, inflicting both damage and slowing his movement further as the cruel area-of-effect spell tore furrows across the boss’s warty hide. Awareness of a majority of the spell’s debilitating effect successfully bypassing a healthy portion of the boss’s magical defenses flooded into me, largely thanks to my Scent of Darkness spell.


    We had stolen the advantage away from Gilgamesh the Turbulent within the opening seconds of the battle. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep the raging tide on our side. As the boss twisted in the air to land gracefully on one knee, the thought it wouldn’t be enough crashed through my consciousness like the foretelling of doom. With deliberate care from his half-kneeling position, Gilgamesh lifted his head before grinning wickedly.


    This was not over yet, not by a long shot.