System Hunt: Regalia

Sam barely dodged, feeling the rush of wind as the Ogre’s massive form lumbered past. Before he could catch his breath, Yoko’s clones fired mercilessly, peppering the Ogre’s back with Holy Bullets. The bullets hit with a crack, chipping away at its bone armour, but none managed to fully pierce through. We’ve got to break through that hide, Sam thought, his pulse quickening.

The Ogre roared, reached behind and plucked the lances but just as it was about to shatter them, Sam yanked them back. The Ogre stood at an intimidating four metres and everything about it followed those massive proportions. Its hands were large enough to swallow Sam’s entire torso in them and it had been trying to swipe him up.

The Ogre growled and looked where the lances flew toward, one of his tusks was blown off when Yoko shot at his face but it only served to make him more intimidating. Sam accessed his Regalia within him, doing so was odd and required a fair bit of concentration especially while he was fighting but he summoned the screen anyway as the clones pelted the Ogre with bullets.

Available RGP— 2794

The Ogre swung the rusted broadsword wildly at them, levelling trees unfortunate to be in the way but also tripping up the clones. There was only so much space in the clearing and even though the Ogre was certainly making more with those deadly swipes it was difficult to stay clear of its lethal zone.

One wrong move, one wrong step and... Sam glanced at the corpse of the human woman they’d been too late to save. Somewhere along the fight her body was further trampled by the Ogre’s charges and was now little more than a pasty pool of bone and blood.

Sam swallowed the rising wave of fear, forcing it down into the back of his mind. Now wasn’t the time for panic. His thoughts turned to his Regalia, eyes flicking to the familiar screen hovering before him. He was hesitant to spend RGP on abilities even with the thousands in his possession as none of the Kobold corpses revealed a Nuclei— and they’d torn apart their bodies enough to have seen one.

Domus was evidently a different playground from back home and he didn’t know what rules applied. I can't waste more RGP—but I can’t let that thing delay me either.

Without a second thought Sam weathered the cost—

Spend 900RGP to Fortify Fractured Glass?

Fractured Glass Fortified!

Spend 100RGP to Bolster All Abilities?

All Abilities Bolstered— Five Minutes Left!

Available RGP— 1794

Sam winced at the cost, his plans to increase his Assimilation Level were draining away the longer the fight went on. But the bolstering energy of his Regalia reassured him that there would be more to reap.

It was just in time too as the Ogre swept up a clone in its bone covered clutches. Sam retaliated instantly and impaled the Belua’s wrist with a fortified lance. He sent three more towards its exposed sides and watch with moderate satisfaction as two broke through the armour with enough force to deepen the injury.

The last lance unfortunately got smacked away as the Ogre turned and set its sights on Sam. It stepped forward to charge but still hadn’t let go of Yoko’s clone and so the second clone continued pelting the Ogres head with Holy Bullets that chipped away at its bone armour.

To solve this, Sam waved his arms and directed three more of his fortified lances at the offending arm. The Ogre expected this and dashed away his flying lances, its broadsword smacking them off their trajectories much to Sam’s annoyance.

The beast hurled the clone aside, its massive broadsword raised to cleave her in two as she fell. Sam’s heart leapt—there was no time to think. He charged forward, barely managing to catch her before the blade could strike. Behind him, his lances circled back and soared towards the Ogre’s exposed head. A quick strike—he had to make it count.

Each of his lances struck at its head, distracting it momentarily while the clone got on her feet immediately and let loose a round of bullets, chipping more and more of the Ogre’s bone armour as Sam’s lances delivered stabs and penetrations through shattered spots.

The Ogre raged, letting out a deafening roar that chilled Sam and triggered every survival instinct he’d inherited. He scrambled to his feet as the Ogre continued to rage, its huffed and puffed hot breaths out of its mouth and before Sam and the clones the chipped spots in its armour began fixing themselves. More than that the Ogre’s armour seemed to be toughening as it grew.

“Sam, you can’t let it heal!”

“I know that!”

Sam called his lances back. They hovered in the air—nine spears of fortified glass, ready for another strike. But even fortified, they struggled to break through the Ogre’s thick armour. The beast’s focus shifted from the sky to him, and its rage became a deadly glare. He cursed underneath his breath and quickly snatched the clone closest to him close as he brought six fortified lances to defend against the incoming attack.

The Ogre dragged its broadsword through the forest floor, snapping roots and shattering rocks in the way with ease as it charged towards Sam. With a pull of his arm Sam brought down three of the fortified lances he’d snuck behind the Ogre. All three struck blind but true causing the monster to wail. It winced as its shoulder was run through by two glass lances lodged in its back.

Yet still, the Ogre was enraged. Earlier than it would have the Ogre ripped the ground apart as it swung its broadsword upwards at Sam. A wave of bone spikes erupted from the ground and despite Sam’s anticipations, lances were a worse defence than shields.

Bone spikes erupted from the ground. One shot through Sam’s chest, another pierced his thigh. He screamed in shock. Beside him, a spike impaled Yoko’s clone, lifting her off the ground like a rag doll. Sam’s mind exploded with pain and the fear he’d sent to the recesses of his mind returned with full force as he commanded his lances to spear through the bone spikes that awkwardly hoisted him two feet off the ground.

The Ogre wasn’t finished. Even with its shoulder torn through it eyed the last clone and Sam with hatred, an emotion Sam happily reflected as he landed with a guttural scream, the bone spear lodged in his thigh effectively crippled him.

The Ogre roared and heaved its sword down at Sam who desperately defended with all the lances he had to give. He heard a crack and it brought further terror to his heart as the Ogres rusted blade grinded against his defence a mere foot away from his head.

Furious, the Ogre kicked underneath Sam’s defences and its giant foot caught him in the face, sending him sprawling away. Sam wiped the blood from his broken nose, the taste of blood was abundant in his mouth. The head trauma caused his glass sense to weaken and his grip on the lances to fail.

Yoko’s clone fired more Holy bullets that did little to help but distract. She screamed for Sam to stand and he began to. He breathed blood and scolded himself. Enough, stop acting like an amateur!

Spend 50RGP to heal all wounds?

Sam let out a scream of his own as his wounds closed up the instant he affirmed. He spat out the blood in his mouth and pulled all nine of his lances together, forming a thick, spear that would function as a bullet rather than a lance once he—

Spend 900RGP to Fortify Fractured Glass?

Fractured Glass Fortified!

The Ogre seemed to sense trouble because once it was done crushing the Yoko’s foot, it sneered at Sam and the bullet of lances he’d formed. Doubly fortified and pressed together the lances increased their striking surface area and toughness. The force multiplied growth made them four times thicker than they had been when he started.

Sam fired his creation before the Ogre had a chance to move. The lances, energized by Bolster, soared faster than they had before as Sam roared, his rage pushing them forth just as much.

The doubly fortified lances perforated the Ogre’s armour and bore a hole through which few managed to exit its tautened, thick flesh. Sam didn’t hesitate—he focused his glass sense and commanded the free lances into the Ogre’s skull. Its yellow eyes popped free, rolling lifelessly into the blood-soaked dirt.

Congratulations you have earned a share of Regalia Points for this Engagement!

1892RGP awarded!

Available RGP— 2736

Panting at the forest surroundings now painted in blood and bone, Sam leaned against a tree and slid until he sat. His Regalia bleared the notification in his face and he sighed, “So…this is how we get RGP now?”

Brought me back to square one. Sam thought, annoyed at the RGP won from the battle. Might have gotten more if Yoko didn’t help but if she didn’t then… He doubted he’d be alive to see the notification at all. In the end it was a worthwhile lesson, it was best not to hesitate with Belua, brute force execution was the answer.

“Don’t just sit there, go help Yoko! Help me!” Her last clone cried, her ankle looked shattered or twisted— useless— while the other clone had disappeared once it died. It’s blood stain against the bone spike that impaled it was the only thing remaining.

Sam groaned, after that fight he wanted breakfast and a nap but alas… “Alright, I’m coming Yoko. I’m coming.”