Again, it almost feels like time stops right before the punch connects with the minotaur's club as it swung at me. With the number of skills I used consecutively, it was near blinding to look at. What made me act like this again? I only remember jumping up at the minotaur, ready to hit it with all I've got without thinking beforehand.
Yeah. That's what being a Venator is about. Putting yourself in danger to help others. Furthermore... This is what being a support is about!
An immense shockwave rolled out from the center of our impact. I've seen the aftermath of Health Strike, but for some reason, I never imagined this kind of force.
The club shattered in an instant, the weight of the punch tearing right through it and crushing the minotaur's chest past it. Roaring from the hit, the Exile was sent flying into a wall, then past that wall and into another building.
I land on my hands and knees, huffing and feeling my chest push out repeatedly. Despite all of that, the minotaur began to stand up. It shook its head, snuffing once more before tossing the remnants of its club aside and rushing towards me with its horns.
Dang it... Why can't I move? I try to get my legs to get myself out of the way, but to no avail.
Inches before the minotaur hits me, Micaiah intercepts, holding onto its horns with two enlarged hands clad in gold. He plants his feet into the ground, the chains on his head following suit to help stabilize him.
"Weren't you ever taught how to manage your mana?!" Micaiah grunts as he struggles to hold the monster back. "First lesson! Don't put more mana into your skills than needed!"
Right. I forgot about that. Again, not the greatest when it comes to being taught things, but in times like these, it'd probably do me some good to start studying.
Mana is used for just about every single skill out there. Activate-type skills all have their own mana requirement to use them at a base capacity without any sort of drawbacks. Use too little mana, and the skill can either end up having lesser effects or, worse, end up as a dud. Use too much mana and... you end up like me. It's all about finding the right amount of mana you need to exert, which is a skill that's learned through trial-and-error, something I haven't been subjected to.
Passive-type skills, however, draw out mana in your surroundings. I found it easy to think about it like breathing. You're doing it subconsciously, and it also doesn't have any drawbacks at all. The only thing you need to worry about is if there's no mana in the air, which means either your passive skills won't be in play or that you'll have to draw mana from yourself to power them.
The floor under Micaiah's feet and chains begin to crumble. Now's not the time to remember these kinds of things! What is crucial to remember in this situation is something more important. After overcharging a skill, you're able to draw mana from your surroundings to replenish yourself.
I take in a deep breath of air, as I open up my mana veins to soak it all in.
"Anytime now!" Micaiah yells. I'm not sure how much longer he can hold it off. Additionally, Max is currently dealing with the chimeras, and Isaac is just now getting healed back up because of [Battle Invigoration].
"Just a little longer!" My body strains itself as larger waves of mana begin to integrate themselves inside my body. Bits and pieces of rock get pushed by the waves, and more of Micaiah's chains detach from the ground.
"Come on, man!" He screams, the minotaur picking up its pace to push against his strength.
"I'm trying!" I squint, my entire being feeling like it's sloppily tearing itself up like stacks of paper being forced into a shredder.
Suddenly, I hear the system chime.
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The Goddess of Alleviation would like to assist you in the form of a new passive skill. However, this will have negative side effects. Will you accept?
[Yes] [No]
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What is this? I've never had any sort of direct help from her other than the skills I've been given by the golden system.
Each of Micaiah's chains snaps off the ground as he begins to get pushed back. I can think about this later. Right now, I have a bigger problem at hand, a problem that doesn't give me the luxury to worry about any side effects. Of course I'll accept!
My shaky hand shoots itself forward and clicks on the [Yes] button. A golden system window replaces the previous one.
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Skill Name: Passage 1
Skill Rank: Null
Skill Type: Passive
Skill Description: "The Goddess's light refuses to be contained, even when it endangers its bearer."
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A quote? I have no idea what the meaning is, but I can definitely feel something! My mana seems to be overflowing somehow, almost like my mana regeneration has been doubled! A smile quickly spreads across my face.
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Activating [Interference].
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The minotaur, who was pushing Micaiah intensely enough to cause him to collapse, gets forced back by my skill. Micaiah falls to his knees, fists on the floor as he catches his breath. He looks over his shoulder as I step forward, his weariness seeming to come to an end as I close in. Exhaling and looking completely refreshed, he stands up and rolls his shoulder.
"I was expecting something. But this much? Nah. Never in a million years." The man cracks his neck and looks down at me. "Not complaining though."
"I'll take that as a compliment." My grin persists even through our side conversation. I remember how hopeless I felt when I received my support badge, but over time, I began to come to terms with it. Now, all I can do is feel hopeful.
"But something tells me you're not just here to give us buffs and heal our wounds." He resumes a fighting stance, a large shiny blade replacing one of his hands as his other fist remains covered in gold.
"You'd be right. I'm here to do that and more, sir!" I also assume an offensive position, taking in a deep inhale of the air to regain my footing.
"Keep your word then." Micaiah flicks his wrist from left to right, causing a status window of the minotaur to appear.
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Exile Name: Minotaur
Exile Rank: B
Exile Type: Monstrosity, Aggressive, Weapon-Wielding
Exile Description: A large, humanoid creature with features of a bull, most commonly found in its head and legs. Minotaurs can either be seen as boss Exiles in B or lower-ranked Fissures and Dungeons, or as minion Exiles in A or higher-ranked Fissures and Dungeons. While heavily injured, a minotaur will enter a "Rage" state, which significantly lowers its damage taken and increases its stats by 50%.
Statuses:
-Taunted due to [Heart Mark].
<{??? due to Passage 1}>
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I raise an eyebrow. Underneath the statuses section of the window appeared a golden window that said something about the passive skill I just got. Hopefully, I'll be able to find more info on the skill later on.
"So you got [Heart Mark]? Nice. That'll keep the thing's attention. I've got your back with flanking it. Based on whatever you did just a bit ago..."
The minotaur begins to stand up again, brings its head back, and lets out an ear-deafening roar. The ground shakes as the Exile's muscles grow.
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B-rank Boss Exile, Minotaur, has entered "Rage"!
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"That Exile isn't living for another damn minute!"