The Games We Play

Chapter 198: Hard Mode

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattles publishment at threads/rwby-the-gamer-the-games-we-play-disk-five.341621/. Anyway on with the show...err read.

Hard Mode

In truth, it wasn't quite as bad as it sounded. Though my HP was, well, extremely low, I thankfully had my ways around that, the simplest of which was my Aura. Thanks to how it worked, I could use my MP in place of my HP if neededI just usually didn't bother. Generally speaking, I considered my MP to be a more valuable resource than my HP as there was so much more I could do with it and unless my HP got so low that I was in danger of dying, there wasn't any particular point in conserving it as I could restore great quantities of it in moments by simply healing myself.

But now that I was in danger of dying if anything happened to hit me and I couldn't heal myself without losing Etz Hayim's benefitswell, I appreciated the extra layer of defense. Needless to say, I kept the rest of my defenses on as well, though even with all of them, I knew I couldn't afford to take any serious hits. I had a lot of HP in total, but I was fighting things strong enough that they could tear away massive chunks of it if they connected. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue, thanks again to my healing ability, but as iswell, I couldn't take any chances. My MP bar was effectively my HP now, but it was also what I'd need to power my attacks, so I'd need to manage it carefully.

Thankfully, I was pretty goddamn good at stuff like that. With the Mathematician's Answer, it was easy to keep track of things, so all I needed to do was continue to play evasively and keep my wits about me. Since I usually made a point of not being hit in the first place, it should be okay, but if something slipped through I could still heal myself right before the hit connected; hopefully that'd be enough.

I took a breath and nodded to myself. I was keeping my HP around 1% instead of at 1even with the potential benefits, that was a risk I'd need a lot stronger before I even considered taking in a place like thisbut even without going that far I could feel Etz Hayim's effects. Resist Poison and Venenum had already begun to swiftly improve with my usual set of skills following suit. Though the gains made without actually focusing on them were minor, the same was true of my stats. If I add the improvement to my experience gains, then hopefully this should be enough.

"Let's move," I said, continuing to ignore the looks of concern Adam was throwing my way. There was no time to waste and I had to grind everything I reasonably could as much as possible, so I manifested my Elementals at once. Without even waiting for them to fully manifest, I crossed my arms and ignited my gauntlets with Karna, rendering my hands and forearms incandescent. Throwing my hands out to my sides, I released a stream of brilliant white fire from each, carving cleanly through the trunks of the nearby Lotus Eaters even before I felt Suryasta and Levant unite their efforts with mine. The streams twisted in midair, swirling around us in a searing ring of fire connected to me only by the torrents that leapt from my hands. With each passing moment, the ring continued to expand, causing the part of the Lotus Eaters to crack and burst just from the heat of the consuming circle's approach.

As I dropped my hands, I felt the ring follow suit, burning a massive circle into the ground around us. Even as withdrew my steady stream of power, the fires continued to rage, spreading as was their naturenot that I didn't continue to lend a helping hand, of course. Pulling back my power, I bound it into the shape of the Agneyastra and pitched it forward with all my strength, carving a burning path through the dark forest. A moment later, there was a detonation in the distance that sent a column of fire towards the sky, but I paid it no heed. I followed the spear quickly with a dozen more, pausing only for a second in between strikes to regain my needed strength. Each attack carved another blazing trail, but I didn't stop until there was nothing around me but a sea of flames. Suryasta and Levant were quick to leap forward and shape the fires, letting the MP hungry flames cling to their forms as they spread the flames wider and stoked them higher, ensuring the blaze didn't go out.

And yet, even the destruction of an army of trees wasn't enough to warrant a single level, despite the many experience boosters I possessed. I suppose that was the difference of nearly forty levels. I needed to hunt bigger prey.

Thankfully, it was only a moment later that I heard a resounding roar, seemingly calling out to me in the distanceand I answered it at once. Light gathered between my hands and in the pair of spheres I made around each wrist. The glowing orbs rotated quickly around my limbs, burning brighter by the moment until I thrust both of my hands forward and unleashed the power I'd gathered. Though my MP took a hit, the world went dark as the light of my attacks devoured everything, from the fires I'd created to each other, until the only thing left was their own glory. The blinding wave pierced through the sky and cut across the land, burning brighter and brighter by the moment, only to abruptly fade.

In its wake was a scar of white fire, devouring the remains of the Lotus Eaters in my path. I focused my gaze forward for a moment, confirming the state of my targetand then flicked my eyes towards my companions.

"Hydra," I belatedly informed. "Weaker than the one we fought last time, Adam, which is probably why it's this close to the coastline. I'm going to go on ahead to make sure it stays that way. Will you be okay here?"

Adam glanced around at the now obliterated Lotus Eaters and shrugged, while Raven slowly cast her gaze from one side to the other, lips slightly parted.

"I guess," Adam said. "Just to make sure, I'm not going to get mind-fucked here, am I?"

"I'll be leaving my Elementals with you," I replied seriously. "I'll signal you when it's dead."

"Got it," He answered before tilting his head to the side. "Gou, do you mind if I hitch a ride?"

"It's no problem, my friend," Gou replied, lying down to make the process easier.

I nodded at them both one last time and crouched down slightly before taking off. The ground shattered as if it had been struck by a giant's hammer, breaking under the force of my Lunge, but I was already long gone. I angled my jump to take me high into the air and then halted myself with Vimana, turning slightly to look around me. With the points I'd recently added to my INT, my flight speed with this technique had improved greatly, but it still lagged behind my physical mobilitystill, it had room to improve along with the rest of my powers.

Above it all, I took a better look around me, looking at the dark fields that seemed to extend in every direction, packed to the brim with monstrous beasts. As I'd suspected, the creatures of Grimm grew more powerful further inland, and by starting on the very edge we were near the relative weaklings. Granted, we were relative weaklings by the standards of this continents, a fact made obvious as I looked north, towards the titans that stalked the land. Some of them were monstrous creatures, twisted beyond recognition or easy comparisonthere were Hydras, of course, with varying sizes and numbers of heads, but also greater expressions of lesser Grimm, the few who'd grown old enough and strong enough to rise above their kid. There was a Beowolf that barely looked like one, with nothing but a vaguely wolfish shape showing through the heavy plates of armor and vicious white spikes. Though a member of what should have been one of the weakest species of Grimm, its power was as obvious as its size, which could have risen to the shoulders of a Goliath. In the same fashion, I could see the dark form of a Morrigan making its nest out of a small canyon and waiting quietly.

And more fearsome than them were the creatures even further in land, whose levels I couldn't even see. Some were massive while some were barely even human sized, but I could see themthe Humbaba, the Panoptes, and worse things besides.

But for now, best to stay focused on what was in front of me, instead of biting off more than I could chew. I needed to keep an eye on those creatures, simply because if they grew curious and approached I'd need to flee, but for now

I looked down at the beast I'd struck out at from a distance, which was struggling not to collapse with full half of its body destroyed.

The Mouths of Oblivion

LV 108

Hydra

Originally it had possessed seven heads, but I'd cut that down to fourstill, its core remained intact and the remaining heads were still functional. I knew from experience that it would be smart to end it quickly.

I considered it for a long moment before taking a breath. My MP had recovered greatly and though its progress was slow, my improving Poison Resistance was letting my HP make headway as well. I'd need to switch to a stronger poison soon, but I left it be for now, exhaling slowly.

"This was something I'd intended to wield against Cinder if things went awry," I mused aloud before sighing. "But they went significantly more awry then I'd expected, soI guess I'll test this out on you instead."

By raising White Tiger of the West to level 99, you have gained the skill 'Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West.'

Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West (Active) LV1 EXP: 0.00% HP: 10000 MP: 10000

The personification of the White Tiger's Legend, born from a lifetime of study, refinement, and struggle; the ultimate technique of Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West, shares his name for it was the product of his life as the King of Beasts. As its predecessor focused on the power of division, born from the separation and cooperation between body and soul, the power of this skill is one of reunificationof halves brought together to create a yet greater whole.

The skills 'Bai Hu's Tread,' 'Claws of the Bai Hu,' and 'Bai Hu's Five Hundred Years' are activated at no additional cost.

The skills 'Jaws of the Bai Hu,' 'Bai Hu's Lunge,' and 'Bai Hu's Roar' may freely enhance applicable actions at no additional cost.

Quadruple the effectiveness of all skills activated in such a fashion.

HP and MP may be spent interchangeably for all skills besides Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West.

Additional 10000 HP used per 10 seconds.

Additional 10000 MP used per 10 seconds.

At once, my restored HP dropped once more, falling in an instant to below one percent to fuel my new technique. My Aura raged around me, expanding quickly into Bai Hu's shape, my other self rising around me with vicious brilliance and overlapping my body. The light from its form continued to rise until it lost all transparency, hiding my body completely within itand then, began to shrink. The same energy I'd expelled seemed to compress, flowing back within me, but through a somehow different path. It didn't refill what had been emptied, but instead connected what had always been separate, forging new pathways through carefully guided power. Perhaps because of my altered nature, the effects stood out to me, but I felt my body, already an unusual amalgam of flesh and soul, alter and shift at the change in power. My Chakra's reacted, lighting up visibly on Bai Hu's receding form before fading along side it, until only I remained.

My body shook once, white light literally flowing through my veins and shining through my skin. I could feel it gathering around my eyes, burning outwards through the windows of the soul, but it settled in me at the same time, taking root. I could feel it with the beat of my heart, pulsing to a slightly different beat but very much there. I could feel myself changing with each passing moment, my mortal frame altering just to contain the power I'd gathered within it even as I finished what had been started long ago.

You've received the title 'Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West.'

Title 'Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West' has been equipped. This title may not be unequipped while the skill 'Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West' remains activated.

Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West

By following in his footsteps and reaching the pinnacle of his art, you have earned your crown and taken your place as the new king! By mastering his final technique, you have grasped the legend of the White Tiger and earned the right to carry it forward into the future! With this, your place has been decidedyou are the White Tiger of the West, king of all beasts!

200% increase the damage of White Tiger techniques.

200% increase to the defense granted by White Tiger techniques.

75% decrease in the cost of White Tiger techniques.

Status: White Tiger's Star [Max]

The changes to my body were relatively slight, perhaps because of how much had already changed. I'd come a long way since Tukson's office and I'd grown in more ways than one. After the relative years of training, taking on the White Tiger's titles hardly seemed to age me any longerand perhaps it was as the newest one had said; I'd followed this story through it it's end and all that was left for me to do now was to create a new one. Jian Bing stayed almost entirely the same.

What mattered wasn't the physical aspect. Not anymore.

I took a deep breath and silently gave my thanks to the one who'd left all of these things behind for me. As always, I'd be sure to put them to good use.

"Goodbye," I told the Hydra, feeling the glow in my veins recedeor rather, distribute. And then I moved.

Right, down, up, left, followed by a quick step forwardthat was how I tore the Hydra apart. I put all the speed I could afford at present, which was still a great deal. With Acceleration maxed, Bai Hu's skills enhanced, and everything else I had, I moved with blinding, merciless speed. With the Yellow Road, I traced a path that took me through the Hydra's body five times, tearing through its remaining heads as I went and then piercing straight through its chest like a bullet to carve my way through the central core. The sound of each head exploding trailed far, far behind me, flesh seeming to disintegrate in my wake even as it was boiled away. My still incandescent claws flashed five times and the Hydra's mangled body fell to the earth.

Even so, I didn't hesitate to turn, hand outstretched and glowing as I went. White light flooded back into my veins and flowed across my body to gather in my right handand I made sure it stayed down with a quick flash of light.

Your level has increased by one! Your level has increased by one! Your level has increased by one!

Only when the alerts appeared did I exhale and relax, letting the power I'd been holding onto go. I waited for a moment for space to swirl beside me, tearing open a hole that Raven walked out of a moment later.

"I told you I'd signal you," I said, absently destroying what few Lotus Eaters hadn't already been destroyed.

"You did," She acknowledged, allowing her eyes to linger on what little was left of the Hydra for a moment. "There seems to be little point to my arrival, however; all the fun has already gone."

"We're in Grimm now, Raven," I reminded before smiling slightly. "So we'll just have to make our own fun."

"Perhaps so," Raven mused as she slowly drew her blade from its complicated sheath, its edge now dark purple. Once it was fully drawn, the sword snapped open like a flick knife, growing to twice the length of its former container. "Shall we, then?"

I shot her a quick smile and flipped my hand over, conjuring an illusion of a hemisphere above it. It was a mapor rather, and exact duplicate of the surrounding areaand I quickly highlighted important targets. She glanced at it for a long moment and then nodded, swinging the massive blade with the flick of her wrist and creating another swirling vortex before her. Without a moment's hesitation, I flung myself through it at full speed, drawing my power back to me as I did.

To anyone else, suddenly finding themselves travelling in a wholly different direction in an entirely different place might have been disorienting, butwell, I was me and I could orient myself based on my sense of both sides of the portalthat is, I could see myself from several angles at once to better put together my new location. Raven's exit portal had been placed flat on the ground and I shot out of it like a rocket, flying high into the air. From there, I had a great view of what happened next.

With a flash, a massive wave of purple light rippled over the land. Where it passed, Gravity simply seemed to fade, casting countless creatures high into the air. If it couldn't fly and it was rooted to the ground, then it was upturned, filling the sky with abruptly struggling creatures and detritusand targets. Light briefly filled my veins again and I was off once more, using monsters as stepping stones as I traveled from one to the next, slaughtering as I went. The air twisted as I flew, a massive storm brewing at Levant's whim, and I was happy to step in and add some more chaos to it.

My HP was low, but my MP remained high, and this was my chance to put it to good use, devouring my returning hit points as the poisons in my veins were steadily overcoming, burning it to fuel my skills. I lashed out with my mind, turning the tornado into a blender of Psychokinetic force. I set the air ablaze with Karna and Suryasta, moving to stand in the clear center of a massive cyclone of burning power and I didn't stop there. I hurled Gungnir through the walls of flames, striking down Grimm near and far, and hurled restrains at anything that took to the air. Deposition and Bind were cast out freely, freezing things in their tracks of tying them up for a crucial moment, but it was Gossamer I got the most use out of.

As my Poison Resistance climbed, I began to spin my flesh into massive webs of spider silk, weaving and tying with Psychokinesis as I bound Grimm to the earth and to each other, crafting a winding labyrinth between land and sky before drawing back to the center and taking a breath. I let the storm fade. I released Bai Hu's final gift. I even undid the cloak of Accelerated time I kept around myself, waiting for a long minute as my MP returned.

When it was all but full, I closed my eyes, including the third one, drawing my senses back into myself. Even without them, I knew my Elementals were here by my side, in spirit if not meaningless flesh. I felt them waver and grow at the same time and let my uppermost Chakra open.

"Keter," I called, releasing him along with the breath.

And there was light.