Rune Seeker

With a few seconds already passed since they entered, Hiral didn’t waste any more, immediately activating Double Trouble+.

Double Trouble+: Double the cooldown on any ability to increase the effects by 100%.

Note: Abilities with no cooldown are unaffected.

Note (2): Abilities can transcend traditional limits through the use of Double Trouble+.

As soon as he felt the buff wash through him, he moved on to the so-called arena of fun and death – now with twice as much death.

Domain of the Sun+: Set the stage to claim the advantage.

Grants the following bonuses to user while within the bounds of the domain:

Cooldowns and damage taken reduced by 24%

Attributes, movement speed, energy efficiency, and damage increased by 24%

Critical hit damage increased by 36%

Note: Diameter of domain is 300 feet from central point at time of creation.

Note (2): Domain does not move once created.

Note (3): Domain restricts entry and exit of anybody other than the creator and their party, though sufficient strength can bypass this.

Note (4): Domain can take on aspects of other lasting area-of-effect abilities with a fixed range and duration.

Note (5): Duration—2 minutes per Rank

Note (6): Cooldown—60 minutes

Note (7): Bonuses for user are doubled when dueling an opponent one on one.

The domain easily encompassed the entire plateau, with massive, spectator-filled stands emerging like they grew out of the side of the out-of-sight-mountain below. Forged of solid, solar energy, the spectral arena rose almost a hundred feet above the party. Cheers and applause rained down from all sides, empowering the group as the buff took hold.

“We’re up,” Seena said. “Going all out right from the beginning. Auras. Domains. Buffs. Do it. Everything except Eloquently Enraged+.”

Hiral nodded at the one buff held in reserve – the downsides of that ability fading before the dungeon was finished were too severe – while solar energy poured off the others. With the efficiency bonus from Domain of the Sun+ – and what else was about to come – they had the energy to burn.

As if on cue, Left shaped the Banner of Courage from his upper arm, the golden dome appearing for only a second before the Banner vanished in a puff of solar smoke. Smoke which shot off in dozens of different directions to snake into the audience stands of the arena. Flags rolled down the walls, unfurling to reveal replicas of Left’s Banner, while the familiar buff took hold, stacked on top of the Domain’s normal effects.

It didn’t end there.

Next came Seena and Yanily’s domains, and while they didn’t add buffs, their effects were obvious. As soon as solar energy pulsed off Seena, large, semi-transparent plants emerged in regular intervals from the ground within the arena. Just looking at them made it clear they wouldn’t restrict or hinder the party – they didn’t even really block Hiral’s sight – but the same wouldn’t be said for any enemies that entered. Standing over thirty-feet tall each, the flowers at the tops of the thick stems bloomed – lilies with petals that looked to be shaped like licks of flame – while ropes of thick, spiked vines crawled from the base. Each with a reach as long as the flower was tall, the plants didn’t leave any safe spaces within the arena.

A second look – this wasn’t exactly the same domain Seena had used during the Siege of the Hanging Garden in front of the wall. Or, at least, it was manifesting differently. Before, it had been a briar patch of lashing vines, and while the vines were still there, the flowers were new. Some kind of interaction with his own domain? Or, an evolution of her ability? A question that would have to wait for later, with more solar energy pouring out of the party.

With the flowers now fully formed, Yanily’s influence was the next to take hold. Unlike Seena’s domain, Yanily’s didn’t physically resolve into anything within floor of the arena itself. Instead, what looked like metal poles grew from the tops of the stands. Only as thick as a forearm extending to the sky, each post was topped with a watermelon-sized sphere, lightning arcing along the entire thing. Any – mistaken – assumption the change was just for looks was quickly dismissed, with the air all around taking on a charge like a lightning strike was inevitable.

While that was it for the domains the party had – Seeyela, Gran, and Romin didn’t have one – it wasn’t the end of the buffs. As far as group-wide abilities, the party was already benefitting from his Vanguard’s Presence, which would automatically give them all access to Aim High and Allied Killing Spree. The first wouldn’t do much in a lower-Rank dungeon, but the second should very quickly prove its worth in a wave-type battle. On top of that, he added his newest party-buff.

Class Ability (Active): Resonance of Heroes

Worry not on the darkness of the road ahead, for new heroes stand with you.

Resonance of Heroes: Grants a party-wide buff that echoes abilities of the new generation of heroes.

Grants Ability (Passive): Resonance to user and members of user’s party within range.

Resonance: Chance on ability usage to repeat as a Resonance Echo.

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Note: Abilities generated by Resonance have a chance to manifest as a Building Resonance, charging for up to 3 seconds before releasing.

Note (2): Building Resonance attacks do up to 45% increased damage, while Building Resonance support effects see 45% increased proficiency.

Note (3): Chance to manifest as a Building Resonance increases against enemies of higher Rank than user, or of Unknown Rank.

Note (4): Range of Resonance of Heroes is 200 feet from user at time of usage.

Note (5): Duration of Resonance—2 minutes per Rank

Note (6): Cooldown—60 minutes

Note (7): Cooldown between Resonance Echoes – 10 seconds.

He didn’t bother activating Double Trouble+ for it, as testing had shown the combination didn’t seem to do anything. Besides, at its base level, it already more than covered the area needed, and would last just as long as his domain. Following that, he activated Vanguard’s Shield on Wallop, and Vanguard’s Sword on Yanily.

Vanguard’s Shield (Buff) – Gain 15% End, -10% chance to be critically hit, -25% critical hit damage suffered, all defensive abilities have solar energy costs reduced by 20% and benefit from 20% increased potency, and every time the Shield prevents damage from being taken, a portion of that potential damage is converted into a barrier protecting all allies.

Note: Vanguard’s Shield cannot be used on the Vanguard.

Note (2): Vanguard’s Shield persists until cancelled by the Vanguard, or the buff is granted to another.

Vanguard’s Sword (Buff) – Gain 15% Str, 10% critical hit chance, 25% critical hit damage, all offensive abilities have solar energy costs reduced by 20% and benefit from 20% increased potency, and every time an opponent is defeated by the Sword, both the Vanguard and the Sword see all cooldowns reduced by 2.5% of original cooldown value.

Note: Vanguard’s Sword cannot be used on the Vanguard.

Note (2): Vanguard’s Sword persists until cancelled by the Vanguard, or the buff is granted to another.

While Left and Right would be good choices for the buffs as well, the solar energy and cooldown reductions would really show their worth with Yanily. Likewise for Wallop, allowing the party’s new tank to use his abilities more often.

As if the mental thought were a cue, a new buff Hiral hadn’t seen before popped up in front of his eyes.

You have been buffed by: Don’t Look At Me!

Attacks you make have a 20% chance to be attributed to an ally determined when Don’t Look At Me! is applied.

Note: Current recipient of Don’t Look At Me! threat: Wallop

Nice! A one-in-five chance to use something similar to a targeted Infuriate.

And, if all that wasn’t enough to roll over the dungeon, three large portals opened on Seeyela’s side, a trio of nightmares walking through. Though they came out of the portals with their heads only around Seeyela’s waist, the more that emerged, the bigger they got. Legs shorter at the front than the back, the strange setup had the spider angled forward, and it wasn’t until it fully left the portal that the reason why became clear.

Back where their abdomen should’ve been, these spiders instead had a heavy, plated… cannon. That was the only way to describe it. Made of the same red-and-black chitin as what covered the rest of the spider’s body, the weapon even looked like it had a range of limited motion beyond just the direction the spider aimed it.

These had to be the artillery-type summons Seeyela had said she could call on.

Finally, with all those buffs out, three final things popped up notifications in front of Hiral – the auras from Yanily, Seeyela, and Seena.

You have been buffed by (Lesser) Aura of Heaven’s Punishment.

All those benefitting from the Aura gain moderately improved speed and reflexes, minor stacking damage bonuses for consecutive hits, and attacks inflict additional Lightning damage.

Note: Damage increases by 0.5% per consecutive successful hit within 3 seconds of the previous hit.

Note (2): Damage bonus caps at 10%.

You have been buffed by (Lesser) Aura of the Void-Venom Empress.

All attacks made by those benefitting from the Aura inflict additional Void damage, gain an additional +5% chance to critically hit, do +15% additional critical hit damage, and can score critical hits on entities or objects normally immune to critical damage.

Note: Void damage ignores resistances and some defenses, while leaving behind a destructive energy.

You have been buffed by (Lesser) Aura of The Mother of Flame.

All those benefitting from the Aura gain moderate regeneration, minor damage reduction, and attacks inflict additional Fire damage.

Hiral looked down at his hands as the final buffs settled into place, where electricity, fire, and liquid-purple traced along his fingers. Oh yeah, when those insects arrived, they were going to be in for a very bad time. He hadn’t even really finished that thought, when a droning buzz reached his ears, vibrating around the plateau from all sides.

Time to get started, and Hiral drew his RHCs, fingers going to the triggers to start charging Dual Power Attack+.

“Here comes the first wave,” Romin said, pulling his new Runic Blunderbuss out of the Shared Storage, and putting his finger over the trigger.

A second later, hundreds of fist-sized insects burst from below the horizon of the plateau – like they swarmed up the side of the mountain – then proceeded to get absolutely annihilatedby the overlapping domains. The instant they crossed the boundary of the Domain of the Sun+ - or even touched the wall – lightning arced from the metallic spheres at the tops of the poles. Dozens of bolts that acted like Chain Lightning ripped into the bugs, frying wings, exploding bodies, and raining broken insect-bits around the periphery of the arena. What few hornets made it more than two feet inside the domain got slapped clean out of existence by flaming, thorn-lined vines.

Just like that, the last insect blew apart, and stunned silence reigned over the plateau until a new buzz grew from below. Barely a second later, a new wave of beasts rose from the sides – completely oblivious to the fate of those that came before – though they were significantly larger, now the size of a cat. Thicker plates of armor covered their bodies, making them move significantly slower… which only also made them easier targets.

Despite the heavier armor in play, this wave lasted exactly as long as the first wave did, with not a single monster getting anywhere even close to the party standing in the middle.

“This is…” Seena started, only for a new, rumbling buzz to shake the plateau as the third wave emerged. Now, as big as a good-sized dog, these hornets numbered less than half of the previous wave, their lower bodies hanging from the weight of the plated abdomens and sword-like stinger. Mandibles with serrated inner-edges clacked threateningly, and the swarm charged in.

Only to get blasted to nothingness before they even crossed the threshold.

“… overpowered,” Seena finished her thought.

She wasn’t wrong, though it wasn’t just the domains and overlapping buffs that were showing their worth. A number of the party’s passive abilities were also triggering, with things like Allied Killing Spree already being capped out, while Bully and Racial Growth added flat damage bonuses.

“Do we even need to do anything?” Yanily asked, and a single, great buzz answered.

“That’s the Mid-Boss,” Romin said, though he was shaking his head. “It’s significantly stronger than the first three waves. We should watch…”

… as the Mid-Boss got slammed by half-a-dozen, arm-thick bolts of lightning. Wings fried in an instant, the person-sized insect hit the ground like a flaming meteor. Where – unfortunately for it – the four nearby flaming flowers began sequentially pounding on it like a stubborn nail with their vines. Thick armor or not – Mid-Boss status or not – the thing was reduced to a gunky paste on the floor within seconds.

Just like that, the first four waves were all dead, without the party lifting a finger.