Open World Online (O.w.O)

• 1^st Person POV (MC)

-Present Time-

After buffing them with [Canto Candidus] an AoE Cardinal {Spell} designed to increase allies' movement speed plus AGI Status, I let Fragments A, B, and C wander off.

After they’re out of my sight, I set up a [Mirage Field] to mask my presence, several [Sigil] with explosive and warping magic etched, and [Alarm] to warn me of any intruders.

(“Okay... All check. Fragments D, E, F, and G huddle closer”)

They orbit around me like satellites to their planet as I close my eyes intending to focus on Fragments A, B, and C senses.

(“Huff... It is hard.”)

In my mind, I see 3 screens mimicking what drone view would look like, trying my hardest to keep myself focused on picking up any players passing by and quickly discern whether they’re the archer or not.

Thankfully, they fly high enough to avoid ground monsters and are camouflaged by [Unknowable] so the frost wyverns flying in the sky wouldn’t notice them too.

(“AH!!! Finally, found them!”)

Fragment A has a view of that archer with his unique weapon including the other members around him.

Still no rogue in sight, need to be wary of that.

Ah... They recently killed an orc-ish-looking player as their avatar still dispersing into blue cubes.

Immediately, I commanded Fragments B and C to converge into Fragment A's location while still focusing on A’s surroundings.

I want to see how many monsters are around them and patrolling frost wyverns in the skies.

I see... I see... I see... Yeah, this could work.

The closest monsters around them are Frost Salamanders on the ground and Ooohhhh? there’s a field spawner for Frost Wyverns too!

My grin widened turning insidious as I could picture it in my mind.

(“Nyehehehehehehehehehe...”)

Once Fragments A, B, and C have met up my drone view is in sync. I began to enact my plans by cancelling [Unknowable] effect from A and B making them visible but being high up in the sky makes them hard to spot.

First, Fragment A will lure Frost Salamanders to them and I will instantly dismiss it. Since all rebirthed Area monsters are ‘Aggressive’ they will likely target the closest players which is them and engage in battle.

Second, Fragment B will also do the same logic but use Frost Wyverns instead.

Third which is Fragment C still cloaked by [Unknowable], will hover near but not too near to the group acting as a lookout and of course cause a little bit of mischief but it would be later when A and B manage to lure them there.

Still closing my eyes, I ordered Fragments A and B to separate in different directions. Resulting in me, needing to devote my attention to managing two at the same time.

(“Okay... We’ve reached Salamanders and Wyverns. A and B... [Penta: Lightning Bolt]”)

It is like I’m there as I can hear crackling bolts of electricity jettison out, hitting Salamanders and Wyverns alike.

Even I can see the monsters' expressions as they glare at ‘Me’ or Fragments I guess...

Then it begins.

High-pitched noise came from the monsters as they immediately whipped their heads towards ‘Me’ and with rage, they gave chase.

(“Okay good! Now... [Accelerate]!!!”)

A quick burst of speed as the view of my ‘Drones’ shifted. I quickly ordered the fragments to dash straight towards the archer’s PK group while occasionally turning around to check if the aggroed monsters were still there...

...

...

...

Good! Good! I need to keep this up... It’s a game of cat and mouse. As the mouse, I need to maintain the aggro so that the mobs don’t get their attention lost somewhere plus adequate distance to not be too far away. This delicate balance is the key for this method to work...

With a glance, I check Fragment C and the group is currently looting the drops from PKed Orc Player.

(“Okay... So that’s not enough time, need to delay them! Fragment C cast [Link: Liquefaction, Gravitational Field, and Dimensional Lock]”)

(“D and E cast [World Teleportation] to Fragment C.”)

While I’m still closing my eyes and focusing on A & B I can hear the *Whoosh* sound effects assuming D and E have teleported...

C’s drone screen shows the group were surprised by the sudden land beneath liquefied into mush. It’s an AOE effect reducing their movement speed by half. However, I cannot feel the effects of the Gravitational Field and Dimensional Lock. I can see that the air changes colour for a quick second or two as the effects start.

The Sage immediately mutters something as I can read it being displayed on top of his head as [Land Protector].

(“Huh... Nope! Don’t you dare? D... [Counter Spell]!”)

With that, I can see an abrupt cancellation of his magic as the cast bar vanishes not filled up to full.  Knowing this, he whipped his head left and right. Probably wondering who’s doing this since after all, the monsters here cannot cast {Spell}.

I quickly changed my focus to A and B as they were closing in. From here, I recognised the path as I ordered Fragment C to follow up by casting [Double: Silentium] targeting the Sage and Cardinal.

I can see by the sudden closing in on their mouth and gritted teeth, they are [Silenced]. Though the Sage seems to be looking upward after rounds of warily checking his surroundings it’s too late to notice ‘me’.

I smiled ear to ear...

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” -Salamanders & Wyverns-

The party has arrived!!!

The drone’s view of A and B sees the group and C as I immediately dismiss them when they have reached somewhat proximity to the archer’s group.

Resulting in the loss of their screens... I remember the last sight of their face, the Sage stared above as if noticing something.

I quickly changed to C as the main focus while occasionally glancing at D and E’s screens.

(“Nyehehehehehehehehehehehehe...”)

They are surrounded by mobs as the tanker dashes in front, roaring at the top of his lungs causing the aggro to be directed at him instead of scattering away...

The Sage and Cardinal rummaged something and brought out a potion that I recognised the brand as they’re mine.

Once they dunked it down their throats. Their [Silenced] de-buff vanished in an instant...

Although I’m still closing my eyes, I squinted seeing that. I mean... I sold those potions openly, of course, PKers would have access to them too.

(“[Path of Ruination]”)

(“D cast [Double: Silentium]”)

As soon as I intently mean it in my mind, that tank’s upper torso to his lower body is covered by cracks seemingly leading to outer space. His expression soured in an instant as if holding out pain while gritting his teeth.

The Sage and Cardinal began to speak something but realised no sound coming from their mouth as they frowned at the realization of being [Silenced] again.

Then the monsters closed in on him as he still standing up even after being mowed down by multiple Salamander’s frost breath and Wyvern’s poisonous tail spike.

I see him dunking down several potions and I recognize that branding on the bottle again!

Hmmm... He recovered almost immediately, I see... my potion works wonders.

(“C... cast [Quadra: Putrefaction]”)

As it did cast and quickly finished, four of them were engulfed in a deep dark sickly green aura another de-buff that severely cripples healing received.

(“Oh?”)

The Sage tapped the archer several times on his shoulder as he glanced upward pointing directly to my fragments with eyes certain that something was there.

(“I see... He has something like mine too, either a {Skill} or maybe {Trait}? No...”)

I doubt it, the sage is the human race. Yet, he can see invisible things so most likely a {Skill} or equipment.

(“Hmm... Either way, they’ve found my fragments.”)

“<Meditation> [Primordial Form]!”

After activating that Class {Skill} and ability, a surge of cool and calmness courses through me as I super-enhanced my MP regeneration though <Meditation> made me unable to move.

*TINGGG* *CLANG*

My vision of fragments C, D, and E are all the same. They all are rained down by arrows as [Aegis] deflected them with ease. Unfortunately, my fragments did not get my {Skill} so no <Vancian>.

Still, this works wonders, they won’t crumble due to <Mana Siphon>, I’m providing these Fragments with my MP so they’ll be fine, I think...

The monsters continue their barrage onto the tanker, I sincerely hope that de-buff my potion won’t be so effective!

Oh? The de-buff vanished? Ah... He drank another potion that helps remove de-buff. While barking at the rest behind him, he’s getting mad! Ohohohoho I love it! Wish I had popcorn.

Okay... I immediately refreshed the de-buff by commanding Fragment D to cast [Quadra: Putrefaction].

(“How about adding more salamanders and wyverns? Oh! Ooohhh!! Mini bosses too, They can handle it right? Hehehehe... C use [Creation: Frost Salamanders], D use [Creation: Frost Wyverns], and E use [Creation: White Wyrm]”)

I giggled with sadistic glee as several monsters spawned around the group. As expected for a mini-boss, I can only spawn one meanwhile the others are normal mobs so several of them appear.

(“Let’s see if you can handle this...”)

I grinned, as I commanded Fragments E to [Double: Silentium] again to refresh the duration of [Silenced] to Sage and Cardinal after they dunk my potions to recover their de-buff.

Next will be Fragments C and then return to Fragment D since the {Spell} finished its cool down. Ensuring a continuous cycle, the fragments remained protected by [Aegis] with supplies of MP from me.

(“It is funny that the archer keeps on trying to destroy the fragments. What is he hoping for? You know the monsters are killing your tank, right? Why not focus on killing the monsters?”)

No matter...

(“E and D cast [Widen: Clementia]”)

The salamanders, wyverns, and wyrm suddenly light up in golden glimmers as their head is adorned with a laurel filigree providing that they have [Blessed] buff.

[Clementia] is already wide buff magic but widening meta magic allows for massive army-like buff. So I hope this minimizes the LV gap, of course, I’ll add more buffs later on but need to see their reaction.

My mind wandered a bit... While watching the carnage unfold.

(“If they’re high LV and properly equipped don’t they have quite a resistance against crippling de-buff like [Silence]? Or is one of my [Trait] doing something...?”)

!!!!

Ohohohohoho!?

The tank finally fell unable to handle the crushing might of the enhanced horde, the archer’s face is something to be remembered, as the group went into full-blown panic.

With the tanks fallen, the Aggro shifted towards them as they began rushing towards the group.

Each time the Sage and Cardinal dunked the de-buff clearing potion, my fragment was assigned to immediately reapply [Silenced] so they could not escape that!

The monsters began closing in on the others and the group began to drink so many potions giving them buffs, they’re all my potions based on the branding.

(“D and E cast [Mass: Empower]. Then C cast [Triple: Clearance]”)

Glimmering gold exudes from the archer and the rest before shattering and dispersing into granules blown by the wind alongside colourful visual effects them.

That {Spell} is an offensive version of [Dispel] affecting beneficial effects instead of harming ones.

So, all in all, their buffs simply *Poof* hahahahahahaha!!!

The other is a new meta-magic option, which changes a single target to AoE with the downside of reduced effectiveness, I believe... if I remember correctly...

...

...

...

Guess not? Fragments C {Status} panel shows that it has the same amount of strength in the buff not penalized by the meta magic.

You know? Those ‘Greatly, Significantly, Slightly, etc’ the {Spell} [Empower] provides Significantly increased damage output since it's upcasted due to my {Trait}.

Well... Safe to say, the monsters are surrounded by glimmering golden clustering on their mode of attack as [Empower] buffed them. I purposely aimed AoE away from the players' group as the battering of them got harder.

(“Hahahaha, I think I enjoy this...”)

The archer’s face is stricken sense of urgency and impending doom as he quickly changes his target to the incoming monsters trying to thin them out before being overwhelmed.

With no tanks to soak up the damage and their Spell casters continuously [Silenced] becoming dead weight. Not much he can do, to be honest...

(“I do wonder where the Rogue’s location... Ha, but let me enjoy this! A tiny revenge.”)

Heheheheh, I rubbed my hands together like a cartoon villain while grinning ear to ear. Time to add a little bit of *Spice* to the mix.

(“D and E [Mass: Highness Heal], then [Mass: Bastion], and then [Mass: Greater Regeneration].”)

The injured monsters' visual effects began to be healed as the multitude of buffs were added one by one.

The Sage and Cardinal seem to be in danger as they rummage through their inventory but do not find potions.

(“They finally ran out of de-buff clearing potions? Nice.”)

I guess it’s time to add even more *Spice*.

(“C... go lower and cast [Triple: Solar Presence]”)

While C’s casting that long cast-time high tier {Spell}, I shifted my focus to D and E seeing the carnage those monsters brought to the group. His party is overwhelmed and distracted by the enhanced monsters.

Hehehehehehe...

(“D and E cast [Link: Weaken and Vulnerability]”)

Both target the Sage and Cardinal as their body is covered by visual effects. In addition, C has gained that archer's attention back as the visual effects of [Solar Presence] are eye-catching.

Especially, if three suns are formed right on top of them while C shines as bright as the sun too.

Looking through D’s drone screen, hovering above the three players, there’s a radiating fiery orange globe mimicking that of a sun. It shines incredibly bright as...

I can hear and see in D’s view how the {Spell} works. As the conjured sun appears, the noise of sizzling and puffs of smoke emerge causing the snow to melt revealing solid ground before it too gets red hot.

The archer, Sage, and Cardinal shielded their eyes but also their body is littered with burn damage visual effects as it gets worse and worse.

(“Now, what are you going to do?”)

Slowed by liquefied ground, surrounded by monsters, and now injured continuously by burning suns...

(“I do not want to take any chances though... as they still chugging health potions as if there’s no tomorrow.”)

With a deep breath, I ordered my fragments. Judging by their wounded visual effects, they’ll probably have their HP lowered enough for me to burst them down so...

(“Fragments C and D use [Entropy] 100% on all three of them.”)

Upon commanding that, immediately the screen for C and D cuts off as I change my focus on E’s screen seeing Archer, Sage, and Cardinal lying on the ground.

Their bodies slowly dispersed into blue cubes as I ordered E to cast [Unknowable] right before the monsters noticed as the salamanders and wyverns moved out losing their aggro and then returning to their original post.

(“Good, Good, I can loot their bodies!!”)

--

Upon opening my eyes, I see Fragments F still orbits around me like a lonely moon as I chuckle... eagerly getting up to cast spatial displacement magic the only way to move around while <Meditation> is still ongoing.

(“Hm!!???”)

I felt a sudden tingling sensation in my head like a mysterious pull to a direction.

I’m well acquainted with this feeling, as it meant that [Alarm] detected that something has entered the field through that direction.

(“No monsters will wander here, so most likely a player.”)

I surmised the intruder would be that rogue as my eyes saw a silhouette between the trees expertly vanishing between shadows as I lost sight of him in an instant.

I am not worried though...

If his attack connects, I am confident my [Sigil] will trigger after all his <Execute> works right?

I am sure even if he has magic resistances, he cannot endure 35 explosions stacked into one besides [Contingency] will save my bum anyway.

“I know you’re out there... How did you find me here anyway? [Astral Vision].”

(“<Vancian> and that’s a rhetorical question, I mean I’m shining like a beacon from [Primordial Form].”)

Seeing the stacks light up, made my day even better as glimmering starlight exuded all around me engulfing entities including monsters highlighting all of them as I saw the silhouette of Executioner hiding behind a tree as if I had X-ray vision.

“[Earth Spike]!!!”

*BAMMMMM*

Jutting from beneath the ground and displacing all the snow, is a large sharp spike made from compacted dirt he jumped using that sudden spike as a jump pad.

“Tch!” -Executioner-

I heard his annoyed noise as he dashed forward at an incredible speed but also went left and right, avoiding all the [Sigil] I’d embedded while trying to get close as fast as possible. It is like a Deja Vu against the Rogue during the C.B.R event...

(“I guess every Rogue has {Skill} to detect traps.”)

[Mirage Field] doesn’t work on him obviously so I shouldn’t use illusion magic. At least the traps do make him take time to come close so I can do this!

“[Realignment: Meteor Shower]”

Upon saying that, my artefact’s numerous wheels spin abruptly fast before locking in place shining its silvery hue.

Then the day turns into night with abnormally clear skies rather than the usual snowstorms. In the distance, stars begin to drop like rain. They twinkle and glimmer ever so faintly creating a beautiful sight to see.

However, I have no time to appreciate it rather I’m looking for the passive buffs my weapon gave me. Meteor Shower celestial event gives reduced cast time and MP regeneration while it’s still up there.

Although I cannot see his face, I can tell he’s surprised by the sudden change after all he momentarily pauses.

Taking that chance I extend my left hand directly at him.

“[Combust]”

(“I suspect skillshots or should I say spellshots will be easily dodged for high mobility class like rogues so I need to use single-target guarantee to hit {Spell}.”)

Due to added buff, the {Spell} cast bar only flashes for a fraction of a second as he bursts into a column of flames.

“GAH!” -Executioner-

He quickly dashes to the trees intending to use them as cover so I ‘supposedly’ cannot have a view of him.

A mistake! I can still see you due to [Astral Vision].

“[Blight]!”

I heard a grunt of pain in that direction as his silhouette winced then began to drink a potion.

(“Unfortunately, guarantee to hit target {Spell} has lower scaling in damage compared to skillshots type so I need to spam them like there’s no tomorrow.”)

“[Cold Sna-]”

“<Godspeed>” -Executioner-

He dashed away then did a zig-zag move as my eyes darted equally fast yet to no avail. His silhouette simply blurs even with [Astral Vision] before he then spawned right in front of me.

Then a glint of his daggers flashed as he brandished it.

“<Execute>!” -Executioner-

*TIIIINGGGGGGGGGGG*

It's a high pitch noise echoing from the point of contact so much so that it rings in my ears as I smile...

It works splendidly!

I can see his eyes widen in shock as runes embedded in my body and skin light up in a chain reaction. Of course, the damage taken is nullified as <Vancian> has its stack reduced by 1.

Before he can leap away or register what’s happening... I urgently uttered a {Spell} to make sure he could not leave.

“[Challenge]”

It’s a Paladin class {Spell}, forcing a target to stay in melee and if possible, basic attacks as his hands holding the dagger continue to slash at me but it’s all in vain... As [Contingency] triggered when he made contact with <Execute>.

“Well played.” -Executioner-

He sounded like he was accepting his fate, his automated basic attacks simply passed through my body like a ghostly apparition still reducing my <Vancian> stacks though so that’s something...

Nevertheless, I will win and with a smile I said.

“Why thank you!”

Even my voice echoes like a ghost.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Explosions of many colours and smoke covered my view as it took time for them to disperse.

Once it did, I saw the rogue’s body fall to the ground slowly dispersing into blue cubes indicating he died.

(“Well, as expected with high Tier explosion {Spell} like [Death Cloud], [Inferno], and more. No one should’ve survived that especially if it’s a Rogue, just to make sure I meta magic them with [Piercing] and others with [Maximize]!”)

I clap my hands together with joy as I spam cast [Warp] to move since I’m immobile right now, to loot the rogue’s stuff. Then [World Teleportation] to the archer and his cronies to do the same