NOVEL WEB Chapter 5
Name: Primal Harpy
Type: Magic Creature - Humanoid
Level: 50
Disposition: Aggressive
HP: 1421/1421
Physical Attack: 421
Magic Attack: 286
Speed: 1170
Attack Range: 700ft.
XP: 11435
Description: Primal Harpies are the genetic parents of the intelligent harpy race. However, these monsters possess no more sense of self than any other predator does. These winged humanoids have the face of a human, while their talons are made from a metal that darkens and hardens exponentially with the passage of time, eventually becoming harder than diamond as it reaches its darkest forms. Harpies prefer attacking their victims by launching their metal-tipped feathers at them before moving in for the kill with their talons.
* * *
My father had kept hundreds of harpies caged, breeding them for interplanar competitions of exotic monsters even though most realms had banned their use since the harpy race was recognized by the Dark Energy. His stubborn head, however, would not change and he’d even started training them as fighting beasts and scouts, which seemed to be exactly what these were.
I had no doubt I could fight several primal harpies myself but there were more than twenty of them and I was in a vulnerable position. I could take many hits, but the humans running this ship couldn’t. And even if I could somehow operate the vessel myself, the ranged attacks of the harpies could shred the sails or even destroy the hull and send us all to our death.
As the monsters continued to approach, I gathered the clouds around them, creating the perfect storm that every flying creature was afraid of. The beasts, understanding the precarious position they were in, flew up and into the clouds, trying to get above the storm.
However, not all of them were fast enough. As soon as the clouds were ready, I send a bolt of lightning at one of the harpies, striking a critical hit and chaining across to the one next to it. It didn’t even matter that they were at full health. No beast of that level could ever survive a critical hit from the Greek god of thunder.
I smiled and turned around to shout at the crew.
“Everyone, take cover,” I commanded. “We are being attacked by harpies.”
To my astonishment, the foolish mortals did not perceive my command as one they should follow to the letter, but rather as a battle cry. Instead of hiding on the ship’s lower deck, they all roared at the monsters defiantly and took out their swords and spears, waving them at the sky.
I shook my head in frustration. If their captain was only level thirteen, what could the rest of them hope to do to level-fifty monsters? A bunch of seafarers and fisherman would be nothing but a snack to these beasts.
As expected, a volley of projectiles appeared from inside the clouds. The harpies were turning their feathers into short spears that impaled the men before they even had the chance to react. The bodies hit the deck of the ship and the few that remained alive ran to the trapdoor leading to the level below.
Knowing that the harpies would soon reappear, I took the sword of one of the fallen sailors in my hand and prepared for them.
* * *
Name: Short Sword
Type: One-Handed Sword
Rarity: E Grade
Physical Attack: 8
Magic Attack: 6
Special Ability: -
Attack Speed: Fast
Durability: 43/60
Weight: 1600
Description: A smaller version of the most commonly used sword. It has a very basic design, but is able to deal damage fast.
* * *
The weapon was extremely weak and off-balance since it was only E grade, but it wasn’t like there was a wide selection for me to choose from right now. Anything would be better than fighting with bare hands.
The moment the beasts came flying down through the clouds, talons first, I released three more bolts at them. Two of them died instantly while the third fell onto the deck of the ship next to me, its body charred and twitching. I put it out of its misery by plunging my sword into its torso. There were now less than twenty of the beasts left but it seemed like the clouds had no more thunder or lightning to offer. I would have to fight them off myself while the storm regained its power.
One of the harpies darted across the cloudy threshold, flying fast in an unpredictable pattern, presumably to avoid my lightning attacks. However, once it realized that no attack was forthcoming, it wrapped its wings around its body and fell toward me, talons first.
Having met intelligent harpies before that weren’t monsters, I was grateful these beasts had no greater intelligence than the average predator, and even more grateful that they weren’t wearing armor or carrying weapons. Not that their sharp, pincer-like talons couldn’t be considered weapons in themselves. The harpy crashed onto the blade of my sword and I shifted my body to the side, pinning it to the ground and quickly pulling my sword back out of it. I pressed the beast’s neck to the ground with one hand while it tried to kick and cut me with its legs.
Avoiding its strikes was quite difficult but I didn’t have to do it for long. The harpy wasn’t able to escape my grasp and didn’t manage to put a single scratch on me as I pressed the blade into its neck. A slither of blood colored the metal just before I put my whole weight on it, severing its head and putting an end to its incessant kicking—though it continued twitching like a headless chicken long after it expired.
A smashing sound had me turning on my heels as another harpy crashed to the deck behind me, splintering the wood and landing directly on the lower level. The rest of the flock, now aware that they weren’t going to get fried on sight, emerged from the cloud canopy and started crashing onto the ship in much the same fashion. The men were attacking the beasts that landed near them but it made little difference. Most of them were only around level ten and it barely took a swipe of the monster’s wings or talons to deal enough damage to kill them. They stood absolutely no chance against such powerful foes.
I jumped from one hole to another, trying to kill the monster that was closest to me each time but it seemed like they weren’t targeting me specifically. They weren’t even trying to rip the sails apart, which would have taken them only a few seconds and trapped us out on the ocean. Instead, they fell onto the ship’s deck with force, as if they were trying to pass through it in one go. They were trying to destroy the ship so I would die in the water.
Harpies were known as ferocious predators but their nature was that of carrion birds. They could hold their own and even launch devastating attacks, but they much preferred a dying victim to one that would attack them back. This way, they minimized the risks of getting hurt and a drowning—or even better for them, freshly-drowned—god, would be the best kind of snack. I wasn’t sure if this was in line with the orders that Cronus had given them, but I guessed there was no way he could control them over such a long distance.
Seeing that I wouldn’t be able to kill them fast enough and that the ship’s hull was taking massive damage, I triggered my Provocative Defiance skill.
* * *
Name: Provocative Defiance
Level: 2
Type: Debuff
HP Consumed: 0
MP Consumed: 55
Power: 65
Range: 700 inches
Precondition: None
Description: A sudden burst of mana reaches all enemies around the user and forces them to consider the caster as the biggest threat at that time. This false perception fogs their ability to react defensively against the caster and thus they suffer a penalty from their attacks. Provokes nearby enemies and reduces their resistance to melee attacks by 11 for 20 seconds.
* * *
As soon as the mana left my body, all of the surrounding harpies turned and flapped their wings to reach me as fast as possible. I wasn’t about to let them overrun me though. I may have been attacked while unprepared and unbuffed, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have my own buffs ready to use. First, I triggered the Vandalier aura.
* * *
Name: Vandalier
Level: 11
Type: Aura
HP Consumed: 0
MP Consumed: 10
Power: 0
Range: Self
Precondition: None
Description: This offensive stance continuously funnels mana, making the user more vicious in their attacks, especially those targeting the vital organs of their enemies. Critical Damage is increased by 306 and MP is consumed continuously while this skill is in use.
* * *
Having a short sword with such a low Physical Attack attribute meant that I would need to attack on my own modifiers above all. For this reason, the Vandalier aura would be very useful in this battle, especially if I could take out the harpies in a single blow. Coupled with the next buff I was already casting, the combo might prove to be just what I needed to turn the situation around.
* * *
Name: The Thrill of the Fight
Level: 2
Type: Buff
HP Consumed: 0
MP Consumed: 25
Power: 0
Range: Self
Precondition: None
Description: Battle is something that defines people, and some savor it more than others. It’s those individuals who live for the absolute thrill of escaping death and serving it to others that can reach the pinnacle of battle prowess. The user sacrifices some of the mana flow from their feet to increase the circulation in their hands and torso. Decreases Speed by 10% and increases Attack Speed by 10% for 20 minutes.