Bab 89: Beware the woods and sky
When I crash down from the treetops with my sixth elf I see Guy shout at a bunch of wannabe goblins while waving his dagger around in the air.
Well he seems to be having fun slacking off while I work. I try to snort but as a snake that kind of doesn't work like I'm used to.
A tiny voice in my head is telling me that I should go pick up a weapon. What an absurd notion, a snake with a weapon. Where would I even hold it?
<Interesting. So you were affected despite the distance and inability to hear his words. Just seeing his gesture gave you a subconscious suggestion to go pick up a weapon. Truly impressive.>
Wait, you're telling me that Guy's instructing skill is affecting me even when I only looked at him for a moment? How overpowered is that skill?
<It isn't that strong yet. You were focusing on his instruction and have no mental reservation of him so the effect was very potent in this case. And still, you only felt a slight suggestion to follow his instruction.>
But his skill is only at level two!
<It is impressive. But not yet in the category of being overpowered.>
Does that mean that there are other skills that are considered overpowered by your standards?
<Indeed. Though they are mostly unique skill evolutions, bloodline skills, or self-created skills.>
Hmm, I know self-created skills, my master got famous for his, but what are unique skill evolutions?
<Let's leave that for later, shall we? You should not split your attention between me and your task.>
As much as I want to pursue the topic, I have to admit that Navi is right. I slither from branch to branch to locate the next unsuspecting victims I can pull down into the chaos below. Just that the victims aren't as unsuspecting as before.
The elves have clearly noticed that someone is coming for them. Some of them are patrolling the treetops in order to find me and I have to take some detours to avoid them. Thanks to the dungeon map I can track their movements even if they try to move erratically.
Still, despite my ability to evade the scouts that are looking for me I need to put in more effort to bring down the next target. While some elves are looking for me the others are still shooting the wannabe goblins but they are very vigilant of their surrounding.
Taking one of them by surprise will be hard and I have to rethink my strategy. I can't brute force this since they are capable of ending me with a single strike if it is well placed.
I need a diversion and I already have an idea of how to create it. Using my blood manipulation I gather all the blood that has cakes on my scales and start to pool it together.
"Body of the sanguine serpent, condense from this blood in my image. Deceive my enemies and let their blades strike you in my place. Blood clone!"
I try to whisper the spell as quietly as possible in order to go unnoticed by the elf I'm about to assault. The blood moves according to my wishes and takes a shape that has a certain likeness to myself.
However, the blood snake is lacking in both size as well as the liveliness of an actual living being. Not to mention that I can only move it in a straight line.
I just hope that this thing will be enough to catch the attention of the elf. With a deep breath to steel my determination, I let the blood snake fly straight for the elf. Once I see him turn to attack it I immediately propel myself forward and sail through the air too.
His short sword whistles as it cuts through the air and the blood. The sanguine liquid immediately parts and splashes down as my spell reaches its end. Before the elf can recover from the confusion and shock evident on his face I'm on him and he too falls.
I repeat the same method three more times but two major problems become apparent.
Firstly, every time I fall I need to make sure to collect enough blood to create a new snake. Secondly, the elves are onto me and all of them are now grouped with at least another elf. I doubt if I can get past two elves and pull one of them down with me.
<That won't be necessary. Reinforcements have arrived!>
As if to confirm Navi's words a series of loud wing beats can be heard and the treetops are slashed by a barrage of wind blades. With a ton of branches cut off the view of the sky is cleared and I can see a swarm of harpies flying in place.
The elves immediately return fire with their bows but that forces them to stop supporting the ground troops. Since the elves are all distracted I nab myself one of them and use her as a cushion to descend into the melee below. Unlike before I don't rush up into the treetops again but keep biting the elf lady until she succumbs to either my bites or the sharp root that has pierced through her cheat from below.
Yeah, it was probably the root. I notice that all around us the trees move a little and naked green ladies are jumping through the trees. Are those the dryads?
Whatever they are they are doing one hell of a job. The soldiers all become paranoid of any plant near them and form up into their combat formations for protection. In that way, they are indeed more powerful but they can't kill the wannabe goblins as fast as before. And that is really important since I'd say that less than a third of those green idiots are still alive.
Before I throw myself back into the melee I also notice a little something. My purpose for coming here has finally been fulfilled. My blood magic has reached level three.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone