Mystery Rewards: I Hope They're Useful

"If we kill it, it'll what?!" Terrence exclaimed. "How are we supposed to defeat that thing?"

I don't know," Loki sighed. His screen changed once again.

[Combat Quest: Kill the Chimera: +2 Mystery Rewards]

"Mystery rewards?" Daphne wondered after he told them. "Maybe it'll heal us?"

"I doubt that the system can bring back the dead, Daphne," Loki said with a small humorless laugh.

"Then what do we do?" Saltavore hissed. "If we kill it, everyone dies. If we don't kill it, we'll die anyways, because we can't outrun it forever, unless one of the cities let us in, which they won't?"

"Actually, why wouldn't they?" Seraphine wondered. "We were only kicked out of Aranea."

"The rulers will let each other know when something big happens," Loki said. "And finding out about the Amnesia Stones is definitely something big."

"I say we kill the beast," Nishan said. "It's the best way. Loki's mystery rewards might save us, and if it doesn't, at least we'll bring down the entire of Arachne with us."

"I mean, why the hell not?" Daphne shrugged. "Nishan is right. If Loki's mystery reward doesn't save us, we'll die either way. We might as well go out fighting and bring down all those daemon bastards with us."

"Okay," Terrence said. "Let's start of with the important things, then. First things first, we need to blind the Basilisk. There's no way we are going to risk fighting that thing if it can still kill us with its eyes. But once we blind it, then its eyes doesn't hurt us anymore, right?"

"Yup," Daphne said. "We also need to cut of the snake-head tail, and find a way to make it drink its own poison."

"So, when you blind the Basilisk, it normally means that the eyes can't do anything anymore," Seraphine started.

"But..." Nishan sighed.

"But there's a new evolved species of Basilisk where even after you blind them, if you look straight in their eyes, you'll be paralyzed, and looking at a reflection of its eyes will also paralyze you, but only for half an hour or so. You have to completely gouge out their eyes for the effect to stop."

"I have an idea," Loki said. "What if I used Knife Throw on its eyes? That way, it'll blind it, right?"

"We have to completely gouge out its eye for the paralysis to stop working, remember?" Daphne pointed out.

"Yes, but we need the paralysis to still be working. Here, let me tell you my plan. We need to..."

"Everyone ready?" Loki asked.

"Yup," Daphne said. "Seraphine, you have the most important part."

"I know what I have to do," Seraphine nodded. "I'm just hoping that we can pull this of."

Loki crept closer, pulling out his dagger.

[Basiliscus has been taken out of Inventory]

[Vindex has been taken out of Inventory]

[17 spaces remaining]

"Use Knife Throw on the Chimera's eyes," Loki whispered as he threw the blades at the direction of the Chimera's eyes.

[Knife Throw has been activated -3 Speed]

[Knife Throw has been activated -3 Speed]

[Chimera is within 20 meters]

[6/12 Speed]

The blades hit the Chimera's eyes, effectively blinding it as the Chimera let out a loud shriek of pain, the snake head looking for the culprit.

['Poison' has been activated]

[Enemy's resistance was to high]

[The effect 'Poison' has been cancelled]

"Now!" Daphne, Saltavore and Nishan charged out from where they were hiding, using their swords to hack at the Chimera.

The Chimera let out a stream of fire, Daphne and Saltavore diving away in time. Nishan snuck up behind the Chimera, raising his sword and slicing of the snake tail that was spitting out acid balls, but not before the snake grazed his right arm with its fangs.

"Ugh," Nishan grunted. He switched his sword to his left hand and continued at slashing at the body of the Chimera. The Chimera's head kept them at bay with its fire, but Daphne and Nishan used their Abilities to keep them from being overwhelmed.

"Seraphine! Do it!" Terrence said just as he used his Earth Ability to unbalance the Chimera, making it stumble to the ground. Seraphine used her Ability to knock out some water from the stream not to far away, managing to splash it near the Chimera.

"Hey over here!" Loki used his sword to give the Chimera a quick jab, careful to avoid its eyes.

As the Chimera blindly turned its head towards where Loki just was, it unknowingly stared at its own reflection, and froze up, paralyzed by its own paralysis.

"Okay," Terrence let out a small sigh. "How do we force it to drink its own poison?"

"No pressure or anything, but please make it quick," Nishan cradled his right arm. "That snake bite was poisonous, and I'd really like to see if your mystery rewards can help me avoid death by poison."

[80 strips of musk ox meat taken out of Inventory]

[18 spaces remaining]

"See all the acid on the ground?" Loki gestured to the acid slowly melting the ground away. "We're going to take some strips of meat, dip it in the poison and throw it into the Chimera's mouth. We should do it as fast as possible because that thing is only going to stay still for half an hour."

All of them quickly got to work, throwing the food into the Chimera's mouth. After about half an hour, the Chimera started to move. It let out a angry growl as it unconsciously swallowed the poisoned meat.

"I hope this works," Daphne muttered as the Chimera barreled towards them, breathing out huge streams of fire.

Despite being blind, the Chimera managed to burn Seraphine's leg and Saltavore's arm, as well as leave long, deep scratch marks on Daphne's back.

"When is the poison going to kick in?" Nishan stumbled away from the claws of the Chimera.

"It should be any second now!" Loki yelled back.

Just as he said those words, the Chimera froze up, seeming to choke for a moment, before collapsing onto the ground.

"Is it over?" Seraphine asked, limping over with Terrence supporting her.

"I think so," Loki nudged the body with his foot. It didn't move.

[Combat Quest Completed: +2 Mystery Rewards]

[Total Recovery has been awarded]

[Total Recovery will heal all those that are alive within 50 meters of you]

[Mystery Key has been awarded]

[Mystery Box can now be opened]

"Use Total Recovery now, please," Loki said, ignoring the mystery key for the moment.

[Total Recovery has been activated]

Daphne gave a small, relieved sigh as the deep gashes on her back healed. The poison left Nishan, and Saltavore's burnt arm and Seraphine's burnt leg instantly healed, healing the minor scratched on Terrence as well.

"What's that?" Terrence gestured at the key in Loki's hands.

"Oh! It's to open this Mystery Box I got from leveling up. Let me see what's in it."

[Mystery Box has been taken out of Inventory]

[19 spaces remaining]

Loki fitted the Mystery Key into the keyhole of the Mystery Box. There was a bright light, then the box and key disappeared, leaving a portal.

[Mystery Box has been opened]

[Received: A portal to Earth]

"No way!" Loki exclaimed. "Guys! This portal leads to Earth!"

"Really?" Saltavore stood up immediately. "Let's go then! Before the Chimera blows up!"

The six friends hurried into the portal to go back to Earth. A few minutes after the portal had closed, the Chimera blew up, destroying the whole of Aranea.