Spike of All Trades

by Ariamaki

Zero Hour: Part 7

Author's Note:

Chapter 88
Zero Hour: Part 7
- OR -
Man It's Kinda Sad Chapter 88 and Part 8 Didn't Line Up, Huh?

Spike decided to get his bearings after the drop, returning to his original size as his HP and MP recovered. First he checked his Map in order to confirm the way they'd come from so he wouldn't double back. Then he began to investigate the new environment, which was... Dark. The space was so large that his light didn't even stretch from one wall to the other.

That actually gave him a bit of an idea! After giving his Sense Danger and Detect Bloodthirst time to detect if any falling rocks were oncoming, or any creatures drawn by the noise of his fall, he took a deep breath. Then he reared back and let loose the biggest gout of fire he'd ever expelled in his life, even larger than his own body. The giant fireball hung in the air and began to disperse-

"External Mana Control."

-before being suspended in the sky like a miniature green sun, wrangled by his powers. His MP was dropping like, well, the way he had just dropped. But the process was absolutely worth the costs as EMC gained one level after another, all while Spike experimented with the results.

Slowly he let the cloud of magical fire drift and expand across the cavern, eventually providing distinct light to every single corner. The heat coming off of it was nothing to him, but he still noticed that it wasn't cooling even slightly over time: If he had to guess, the mana being consumed was keeping the fire in peak condition.

While the cavern initially appeared to be mostly natural, Spike quickly realized it had been expanded. The floor was messy and covered in churned bits of stone. It seemed like Diamond Dogs might have come across this cavern and tried to dig it out, but then decided it was more trouble than it was worth. That was fine by him: Their quitting made for his way forward! He could just find the tunnel by which they came in and follow that out to get to the bottom of this situation.

In the distance he heard a rock fall and crack against the ground... But neither Sense Danger nor Bloodlust pinged in reply. That probably meant that it wasn't from a hostile creature moving, or an impending cave-in. More likely it was just loose stone from, oh say, a hastily-dug Diamond Dog tunnel? He let the majority of the floating fire disperse until he was left with just enough to carry around near his body, slowly approaching the source of the sound.

His light shone into the darkness and the fire brushed against the walls as he approached. It was definitely a tunnel, and likely a Diamond Dog tunnel at that: It didn't have the workmanlike efficiency and little piles of coprolitic remains from the bermite tunnels, or the acrid stink and glassy surfaces of the mountain crawler's digs. But even then... Spike noticed that these tunnels were significantly worse compared to his memories.

For all that the Diamond Dogs seemed to be crude and rude scavengers who couldn't hold up under one pony's verbal assaults, their original warrens had been well-made. Lamps and prison gates on smooth worked-stone walls, places that had been cared for and built out over time. This tunnel was a crumbling ugly wreck compared to that, uneven and lumpy and totally unlit. There was no sign of care or attention, and the Dogs had clearly changed their minds and rerouted after reaching the vast and unfriendly cavern behind him.

Spike was fairly sure that they hadn't come all this way out for nothing. Had they been digging to search for something of value? No, likely not: The tunnel wouldn't be so haphazard if so. If they were escaping a threat, the tunnels should have kept going smoothly...

Unless they were fighting back, and only had some fraction of their people cutting new tunnels as backups when the pressure got too high. In that case they'd abhor trying to escape through a cave, since it would leave them open to potential attacks on all sides.

He was starting to assemble a working theory, which he communicated up to Piercing through their sub-vocal party chat. The Night Guard didn't have any trouble keeping track of his position and following from above, so it was increasingly likely that they'd meet back up if Spike followed the tunnels from here.

Things continued in this way for another half-hour or so, with both of them agreeing to take a slow pace to avoid disturbing anything or risking another spill. Spike took the time to investigate the walls and other features of the earth around him, using Observe and his new Dragon's Eye sense boosts to learn the literal lay of the actual land. Thus, it didn't even vaguely catch him by surprise when a particular message box opened up...

[Danger from above!]

Spike had seen this coming: He didn't want to go so far as to have Piercing actually jump around or attack the rocks above, but with how slipshod the tunnels were? He knew that falling rocks were more of an inevitability than a mere risk. It helped serve multiple functions, between testing his Sense Danger, exercising his perceptive and predictive abilities... And giving him a chance to test his claws in the heat of the moment.

"Earthshaper."

Concentrating on the random debris was taxing, but he still caught each stone in his vision. When they got close? One claw would sweep out and then the other, rapid slices ripping through the air to turn them first into pieces and then into fragments. In the end he still had to dodge about half of the stones, and took one to the tail, but the results were satisfactory (for a first time). It helped that it led to another message box popping up, overlapping the earlier warning.

A skill has been created through a special action! By refining the sweeping claw strikes of your race against flesh and stone alike, the power to [Slice] is born!

At first Spike was going to throw out a celebratory fist-pump or fireball. Then a second box came.

Your newly-created skill is held in abeyance due to lacking an appropriate [Combat Discipline]
The skill may be used at reduced effectiveness, increased cost, and increased risk of counters.

"...Huh. Well, better to learn that's a thing now than in the middle of a fight, I suppose."

When he got back to Ponyville it would probably be in his best interest to take Lyra up on her offer to discuss fighting. Fighting in whatever context she had meant it: Since it could change her title in his system, it had to be more than just casual brawling or hobbyist martial arts. And since she could tell that he could tell there was a difference... Well, there was a lot going on there. But that was for later!

Minutes passed as they made their way forward, and both he and Piercing recognized it at around the same time: There was artificial light ahead. If it was visible to both of them, there was likely not just a thin spot in the ceiling above but an outright hole. And if the lights were this far out... Spike extinguished what remained of his own light before moving forward.

"Keep pushing! Stone too much to move alone."

A second voice, high and reedy and obviously annoyed.
"Push yourself."

Then a third, rougher and lower than the other two.
"Work."

Every voice stopped in response to that, replaced with the sound of scraping stones. This was the moment, the reason they were here: Diamond Dogs. In a perfect world Spike would approach, be received peaceably, then hash out their problems before offering help if it was possible. Because this wasn't always a perfect world? Spike was ready to take care of things however it went down. From the darkness, he peeked out and took in the situation.

The small... clearing? Cavern? Crossroads? Whatever it was, the area he entered looked much closer to the tunnels he remembered from his last trip here.Stone walls chipped away in clean sheets and broken into reasonably-sized passages for average bipeds: Not the crawlspaces of worms or irregular natural caverns. They still weren't identical however. The workmanship was rushed and poor, the lights were clearly broken cast-offs from other areas. But there were lights at all, and any sign of meaningful aesthetic work.

Complementing the familiar structural style were the tunnel's inhabitants: Three Diamond Dogs. Two of them worked hard to shift an enormous boulder from the center of the cavern, each clearly haggard from a long period of pressure and work without chances for good rest. Off to one side, a much larger specimen watched over them from under the brim of a rusty second-or-third-hand iron helmet. Most concerningly, all three were armed and obviously on edge. One of the shorter dogs had a sickle at his waist, the other a sharpened trowel. The literal guard dog had a proper spear, tip glinting in the lamplight.

Going to break party shortly: I've spotted the quarry.

Quarry as in a dig site, or like the targets?

You know it's funny you mention that: Twilight was just telling me the other day about how the two words are completely unrelated! Apparently the word for prey derives from an old Prench tradition... Uh, regardless, I meant the targets.

...Noted. I'll leave the party, and 'drop in' once you either talk them down or have the fight well in-hand.

It meant a lot to Spike that Mr. Ammo didn't even bother bringing up the alternative situation: The one where he would be forced to drop in to bail Spike out after a failure in combat or conversation. It showed confidence in his performance, and he promised not to betray that idea. Earlier had just been a test (albeit one that made him concerned about the system’s intentions for him), while this was going to be his first real combat. He’d aim to subdue, taking advantage of his doubly-unnatural endurance as a dragon and The Gamer if he had to... They had questions for these Dogs.

Comments

[Black--Soul]

Swim or sink... Just remember to drink it all in

Great chapter. I predict them to be hostile, getting a attitude change after Spike defeat em in battle.

Until next update
Take care and stay healthy

[Moonlit_Stardust]

.....Why do I get the feeling that Spike is about to gain himself either a Diamond Dog Pack or a Hive Queen or both?

Also has anyone considered if these to fighting Insect hives might just in fact be Disguised Changelings? I say this as even in canon we don’t know what happens to a disguised Ling when it does, for all we know the species has a biological “Scram” that prevents them from changing back on death as a way to protect the hive as a whole!

[Booster Spice]

I wonder why the Dogs are working on a single boulder, given that any tunnel entrance they block, they and the enemy can dig round almost as quickly? No point having Vault doors if the walls are pastry?

Slice is an intresting skill, given how often its used in Hunting, Logging, Masonary, Cooking, Tailoring etc, not just Combat? and Spike already has Dragons Kitchen? If it actually takes Combat Effectiveness to fully activate, just how much effort will have gone into it as side effects from otherwise normal work, grind non combat wise?

He couldnt get crushed by a rockfall, because a short drop like that would first lock him in because he is less crushable than a rock, then he can get himself moving space by breathing fire enough to melt the rocks around his head or even body, giving him moving space? But that would be far better for training, emergancy occurance, not while tracking and intercept?

Then again, I wonder if the floor there is the top of a layer of hard rock and the boulders plugging a drop tunnel or fault they want to get down?

[HB_DS2013]

Good thing Spike has everything he needs before initiating that battle. Here's hoping he can use the new [Slice] ability and earth affinity to good use.

[Black--Soul]

I wonder if Spike can learn to dig like a D-Dog... He has earth affinity and he can scan other using magic...

[Black--Soul]

10729463
Damn fine theory!

[Black--Soul]

Undertale Combat vibes, fight talk and find a accord to peace.