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10 HOUR | The First Legendary Beast Master Part 7 | Audiobook (Sleep/Study/Gym) — Transcript

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0:00Carl led the group out of the dungeon
0:02and immediately wished that he had put
0:03earplugs in. There were now dozens of
0:06monsters surrounding the Orish tribe
0:08which had encircled the dungeon
0:10entrance. It was a good thing that they
0:12had parked the wagon well out of the way
0:14as it was still intact. But the others
0:16were trying to force their way in and
0:18Chieftain World Smasher wasn't going to
0:20let them do that. At least not before
0:23his team came back out and perhaps not
0:25before his whole clan had gone inside.
0:28Chieftain World Smasher smiled at Carl
0:30when he saw the team come out. Was it
0:33worth it? Carl nodded and moved to
0:36whisper to the orc. It will activate a
0:39system interface for everyone who
0:40completes the dungeon, but you need at
0:42least one or two powerful commanders and
0:44a healer to actually do it. The
0:47chieftain nodded, then began shouting
0:49something in Orish. Groups of 10 began
0:52to back away from the defensive lines,
0:54running into the dungeon entrance while
0:56the other forces howled in rage. Should
0:59I talk to them? I think we can arrange
1:02for everyone to get a shot. Carl offered
1:06after the yellow tusk clan. We earned
1:09this place. If it is going to close, we
1:12will be the ones to use it. Carl nodded
1:15and took his place beside the chieftain
1:17with the others who had finished their
1:18run, then stepped forward to be in
1:20between the orcs and the leaders of the
1:22other factions. The yellow tusk orcs
1:24received this anomaly as a divine
1:26blessing from the gods after an appeal
1:28for mercy. Once they have sent their
1:31warriors, the dungeon will be free for
1:33anyone else to enter. Chieftain World
1:36Breaker gives his word that he won't
1:37block access after all his people have
1:39entered. Carl announced. The three
1:43demons and an ogre that were standing
1:45closest to him gave Carl a skeptical
1:47look. But the orcs were already pouring
1:49into the dungeon portal 10 at a time,
1:51giving the portal only a short break
1:53between entries. That anomaly won't last
1:56forever. Why should a tribe full of
1:58stupid orcs get it? Let us in or we will
2:01let ourselves in, the ogre demanded. If
2:05you could do that, you wouldn't be here
2:07facing off with the chieftain.
2:091 hour is all that it will take and the
2:11orcs will be back out. Get out the way.
2:15We're going to kill anything between us
2:17and the dungeon. One of the demons
2:20insisted.
2:21Human, this is an orc fight. If they
2:24want to try, let them try. Chieftain
2:27world breaker insisted.
2:30All right, I will take my team back to
2:32our wagon and we will be out of the way.
2:35That was perfect. Carl could retreat
2:38without it looking like he was
2:39abandoning the orcs, and they had
2:41already sent most of their people
2:43inside. So, it was only the chieftain
2:45and a small group of warriors, including
2:47the ones that had just come out, that
2:49would be fighting. The battle would be
2:51long finished, one way or the other, by
2:54the time the others completed the
2:55dungeon run. The crowd parted to let
2:58Carl and his team out, and then began to
3:00form a circle around the chieftain and
3:02his challengers.
3:04Unfortunately for World Breaker, he had
3:06missed one vital detail. With his
3:09warriors in a circle around the contest,
3:11and most of his clan inside the dungeon,
3:13there was no longer anyone guarding the
3:15portal, and sneaky groups of 10 were
3:17beginning to make their way inside
3:19before the fight between champions had
3:20even started. Soon, the others would
3:23realize that the dungeon was not
3:25collapsing, as the device appeared to
3:27have worked to stabilize its existence,
3:29and the entrance looked nearly identical
3:31to the one in the Golden Dragon Nation.
3:34The only question was if there was some
3:35sort of limit on daily use or number of
3:37people inside, as this dungeon had no
3:40problem with multiple groups entering,
3:42it was distracting enough that nobody
3:44tried to stop Carl as they went to the
3:46wagon, and nobody said a word as he
3:48hitched Thor back up and prepared to
3:50leave.
3:51In fact, by the time that he was ready,
3:54there were so few people outside that
3:55Carl wasn't sure that anyone had even
3:57noticed. The few that were still outside
4:00were watching the duel between Chieftain
4:02World Smasher and one of the demons,
4:04which was still apparently in its early
4:06stages, as the two were close to evenly
4:08matched when fighting without weapons.
4:11That couldn't be a coincidence.
4:13If they had actually wanted to kill the
4:15orcs and take over the dungeon, they
4:17could have with the numbers they still
4:18had outside. But they were fighting an
4:20unarmed duel for the dungeon while both
4:22of their forces were already inside it.
4:25The whole thing was a bit ridiculous,
4:27Carl thought as he turned Thor south
4:29towards the city. Once they made it to
4:32House Seiring, it would be unlikely that
4:34anyone would associate them with
4:35whatever was going on with the anomaly,
4:37if anyone even cared to look now that it
4:39was stable. They had a few hours of
4:42travel by wagon to make it back to the
4:44city limits, but already Hawk was seeing
4:46groups of monsters headed their way. A
4:49group of trolls turned their way, led by
4:51a massive mountain troll for meters tall
4:54with skin that looked like cracked
4:56granite. They all looked like they were
4:58from the same clan, but some were much
5:00smaller, near human-sized, and some were
5:03hardly larger than Cara, but didn't seem
5:05to be children. Perhaps they were. Carl
5:08wasn't an expert on troll biology, but
5:10the size didn't scale with their
5:12strength. Some of the small ones were
5:15commanders. A roughly humansized troll
5:18with the granite skin of this tribe
5:20stopped in front of Thor as Carl brought
5:21the wagon to a stop. Everyone was on
5:24edge and they all had weapons out, but
5:27it was obvious that the trolls wanted to
5:29talk. "Did you see a dungeon?" the troll
5:32asked, struggling with the human words.
5:35"No, but there is a big fight behind us.
5:40Follow our tracks and you will see it.
5:42That might be the dungeon, if there is
5:44one in the area.
5:46Carl suggested.
5:48The troll nodded once, then the whole
5:50group started running. They even picked
5:53up the little ones so they could make
5:55better time. That was a signal for the
5:57groups behind them who took off running
5:59after the trolls and the ones behind
6:01them who thought those groups had
6:03discovered something. After an hour of
6:06follow the leader, another of the groups
6:08made up of violet skinned demons ran up
6:11to the wagon to talk to them. Did you
6:13pass by the dungeon? the demon asked. I
6:18assume so. There is a huge fight going
6:20on a couple of hours back. Everyone is
6:23going wild about whatever is there, and
6:26honestly, I want nothing to do with it.
6:29If it's still there next week, I might
6:31come back and take a look. The demon
6:34laughed. If it's still there next week,
6:36we can count ourselves fortunate, but I
6:39doubt that the situation will have
6:40gotten any better. Have you got anything
6:43to trade? Carl shook his head. The last
6:47we had was a bunch of dried salmon that
6:49we traded to the yellow tusk orcs. How
6:52much further to the city? With all this
6:55chaos, I don't want to be out here
6:56tonight. It's a half hour away, but the
7:00sun has already set. The gates are
7:02locked for the night. There is a
7:05campground outside the city, but I would
7:07stay here. It's safer. As they weren't
7:11following a trail, there was no reason
7:13to pull off or move anywhere except next
7:15to a stand of trees to block the wind
7:17and give them somewhere to hang
7:19hammocks. The weather was warm here in
7:21the afternoon, but it was getting cold
7:23quickly in the evening, and Carl
7:25realized that perhaps just setting up in
7:27the trees might not be the most
7:28comfortable option. He had flaming body
7:32to keep himself warm, but it was still
7:34better to create a tent and have a
7:36proper sleep. There was one in all the
7:38supplies that the elves had gathered for
7:40him, and Carl considered taking it out,
7:43but Rey was already on her way to the
7:44trees to make them something. She wasn't
7:47going all out today so that they could
7:49easily pack it up in the morning and not
7:51leave one of her glorious constructs for
7:53strangers she didn't even like. So, what
7:56she came up with was a ring of silk wall
7:58around a group of trees and a hanging
8:00sheet over the top with fresh hammocks
8:02hung inside around a fire pit. that
8:05would be more than enough and they could
8:06have roast meat in the morning. Cara was
8:09right. It really was the best way to
8:11have it and it wouldn't take long. The
8:14wagon was left beside the clearing and
8:16Thor returned to his space to nap in his
8:18pond and recharge for the high chance he
8:20would get to meet new people tomorrow.
8:23That left the others to gather firewood
8:25while Ry set up a perch in the trees to
8:27observe anything that might attempt to
8:29approach them. She could still see that
8:31there were groups headed towards the
8:33dungeon even now that the sun was down
8:35and it was almost fully dark. There
8:38weren't any more leaving the city as far
8:40as she could see, and the ones that were
8:42moving were already set on their path,
8:44so she had high hopes for a quiet night.
8:47There were a number of small creatures
8:48that she wasn't familiar with, so she
8:50had also set up weak webs through the
8:52stand of trees to catch some for
8:54examination.
8:56just a little something to help her pass
8:57the time as she waited for the sun to
8:59come back up and the clerics to make
9:01breakfast.
9:02However, impatience won out in the end,
9:05and when Carl woke up in the morning,
9:07there was a freshly stoked fire going
9:09with skewers full of meat arranged
9:10around it and an excited Cara running
9:12between them to rotate the sticks so
9:14none of the sides got overcooked.
9:17Lotus smiled at the scene. I guess
9:20that's our cue to make the breakfast
9:22side dishes.
9:23Thank you, Cara, and whoever else helped
9:26with breakfast.
9:28There are more trolls coming our way. I
9:31think that they see the wagon. Rey
9:33informed Carl as he stood to stretch his
9:35muscles. How long do we have? 10 minutes
9:39or so. The meat should be ready before
9:42then. Rey replied with an overtone of
9:45pleasure that nobody would be trying to
9:47steal her hard work. We've got incoming
9:50in 10 minutes. It shouldn't be any
9:52trouble, but be prepared. Carl warned
9:55the others. Thor, you might as well make
9:58your way out of the trees to your wagon.
10:01We will hook you up later. The Sarah had
10:04already eaten, but he grabbed the pile
10:06of magically created feed that Tessa had
10:08set aside for him and tossed it into the
10:10pile in his space as he went to wait by
10:12his wagon. He would have plenty of time
10:15to dump it on the ground and snack while
10:17he waited. And if he were right, it
10:19would help build the image of them being
10:20a normal merchant group who actually had
10:22to set camp, carry feed for their
10:24sorrow, and worry about night attacks.
10:27Carl had just finished his oatmeal and
10:29roasted tree lizard, courtesy of Ry,
10:32when Thor gave him the two-minute
10:33warning to make his way out to meet
10:35their guests. Most creatures would be
10:38able to see the incoming monsters now,
10:40so Carl didn't have to worry about
10:42giving away his abilities when he walked
10:44out to greet them. He noticed that the
10:46trolls carried their weapons openly.
10:48Perhaps because they didn't have any
10:50sort of access to the system to let the
10:52weapons bond. But like the others, the
10:55leader of the group drew his weapon even
10:56as he waved an otherwise friendly hello.
10:59It seemed that was some sort of
11:01tradition among the locals. So Carl took
11:03out his maul and slung it over his
11:05shoulder as he moved 20 m toward them
11:07and waited. That was far enough that
11:10they wouldn't easily be able to reach
11:11the others who were still finishing
11:13their morning meal. Greetings, merchant.
11:17Do you know the way to the dungeon? It
11:19should be in this direction. The leader
11:22of the group asked. Go straight north,
11:25following the trails. There were dozens
11:28of groups last night headed that way.
11:31When we went by, there was a huge fight
11:33at the three standing stones on a hill.
11:36That should be where the dungeon is. We
11:39kept moving, but when you get close, it
11:41should be impossible to miss that many
11:43people.
11:44Nobody has come back at all, so it has
11:47to still be active. If it wasn't, they
11:50would have given up by now. The trolls
11:53face twisted into a grim smile. Or them
11:56they all dead. Carl chuckled. At least
12:00one fastrunner should have come by last
12:02night if that was the case. One sneaky
12:05sword always gets away. The troll shook
12:08his head. Not like that. It could be
12:12that everyone goes in and nobody comes
12:14out. Carl nodded in understanding.
12:18That could be. But some groups had
12:20champions stronger than I am. If it's
12:23that dangerous, then isn't it a really
12:25good thing? The troll made a genuine
12:28laugh, as did his teammates. Good things
12:31only count if you live long enough to
12:33enjoy them. If whatever is in a dungeon
12:36is strong enough to kill a monarch
12:38ranked champion, the big bosses will
12:40tear everything apart fighting over it.
12:42All them overlords fighting over a
12:44dungeon. We won't have a city left. It's
12:48too close to the fight. It was nearly 40
12:51km away, but the troll had a point. If
12:55it was an overlord ranked dungeon, every
12:57nation on the continent would be here
12:59tearing the country apart to claim it
13:00for themselves.
13:02The opportunity to have even a few trips
13:04through and load up on overlord rank
13:06equipment was far too valuable. Even
13:09being low commander rank, like the one
13:11in the golden dragon nation, they would
13:13be going insane soon trying to get
13:14commander rank items and awaken system
13:16users. You're still going to go even
13:20knowing that everyone will be fighting
13:21over it? Carl asked. The group leader
13:25nodded and smiled. Trolls work together.
13:29If there are more trolls, we will join
13:31them. Oh, I should have thought of that.
13:35There was a large group of granite
13:37trolls. Maybe rock trolls of some sort.
13:40Anyhow, they passed us near dark last
13:43night. They should be there now,
13:46assuming nothing happened to them. The
13:48troll gave Carl a sloppy salute and then
13:51motioned for his team to get moving
13:52again. Tessa waited for them to leave,
13:55then came out of the camp. You know, I
13:58expected monsters to be more. I don't
14:01know. Monstrous? Maybe. Carl nodded. I
14:07know what you mean. Perhaps it's because
14:09we've been meeting orcs and trolls. The
14:12ogres and giants that we have such an
14:14issue with at home could just be that
14:16much more violent. Or perhaps there is
14:19something different here in their own
14:20territory.
14:21The others quickly packed the camp and
14:23piled it in the wagon to use later. If
14:26nothing else, they could use the cloth
14:28as a prop to make it look like they were
14:30an average traveling group. It was
14:32obvious now that being able to store
14:34items in a separate space was a rare
14:36ability, and traveling without large
14:38amounts of supplies made them stand out.
14:41That might change soon with the dungeon
14:43here, but for now, they would have to be
14:46careful. They also didn't know who could
14:49be awakened by the dungeon. They had
14:52heard from the beast clerics that the
14:53last time this happened, the continent
14:55was left behind because they only got
14:57common grade dungeons with the system
14:59active and that wouldn't awaken the
15:01system in anything powerful. This one
15:04could also come with caveats, even if it
15:06was commander rank. If it didn't want to
15:09awaken every species that went in, there
15:11could be unintended side effects and a
15:13massive power struggle. But Tessa also
15:16remembered that the ones awakened by the
15:18dungeons weren't able to advance past
15:20that point last time. There was a chance
15:22that species with higher potential might
15:24get very little out of it if it didn't
15:26give them anything more than an
15:28inventory and skills that were worse
15:29than what they had already. It would be
15:32insane to stick around and find out
15:34though. What are we going to do in
15:36houseing once we get there? Tessa asked
15:39Carl as they watched the trolls run off
15:41into the distance. I say that we pick up
15:44some trade goods and turn ourselves into
15:46proper merchants. We can claim any
15:49destination that we want for you and
15:50Lotus. And if the wagon is loaded with
15:52trade goods, we have an excuse to go to
15:55any city we want. Carl suggested.
15:59So, no hiding or elaborate schemes, just
16:02trading random goods until we get to a
16:04safe border. Carl nodded. I think it's
16:08going to work. See how everyone has
16:10reacted to us so far.
16:12As long as they thought that we were
16:14merchants, they didn't really care what
16:16we were doing. It would be better if we
16:18could actually disguise the rest of the
16:20team. Traveling with so many women in a
16:23nation that keeps slaves is a dangerous
16:25proposition,
16:27she sighed. Do you think that we should
16:29hire more guards? Like actual hired
16:32guards? Carl asked. And have to hide who
16:37we are and what we're doing all the
16:38time. No thanks.
16:42Hopefully Remy's bodyguards are enough.
16:45If yours had come out the same, it would
16:47have been better. But with you calling a
16:49pair of Lameias, that's just more
16:50females.
16:52There was laughter from behind them as
16:54Oilia came out of the camp with an
16:55armload of cloth. He's got that sort of
16:58luck. I'm surprised that the bodyguards
17:01didn't come out as smaller copies of
17:03Remy. To be honest, we've got most of
17:06the camp packed now, so we can leave
17:08whenever. Do we have a plan?
17:11Carl nodded. We're going to sell the
17:14gear we got from the orcs, then reload
17:16the wagon with trade goods and head out
17:18of town on one of the major roads. I
17:21don't think that it matters much. One
17:23runs east, one goes northeast, and they
17:25both head near a safe border. We just
17:28need to trade where we stop to keep up
17:30the appearances, and we're good to go."
17:33Oilia nodded, then loaded the supplies
17:35in the wagon. "All right, we will trust
17:38you. How long do you think that it will
17:41take to get out of the country that way?
17:43Carl thought of the map and the
17:45distances that they had managed to cover
17:47each day with Thor pulling the wagon. A
17:50full week of travel, so likely close to
17:522 weeks with trade and rest days. It
17:55looks suspicious for a merchant group to
17:57be in too big of a hurry if the town is
17:59safe. So, we will likely stop at a few
18:01of the towns along the way. If we go up
18:04to Bwickham, that's two or maybe 3 days.
18:08Then we can go east into North Asia,
18:10which is human controlled. Then east
18:12across their territory to take a short
18:14ship ride to the south coast of home,
18:17sailing past the wilds. Or we could take
18:20a bit of an overland detour and go
18:22through the Beastkin Nation headed for
18:23Whitten Temple. There are no roads for
18:26that route, but with the lake, it would
18:28be very hard to get lost. Oilia frowned,
18:32and Tessa took out a small map as Carl
18:34described the routes. The other option
18:37would be to head north after Bwickham
18:39and go cross country to the divine beast
18:41nation where we would have to circle
18:43around the mountain giants to go home.
18:45Or I suppose that we could go to
18:47Ludinade and try to pay off a captain to
18:49take us all the way home. But that is
18:51even more risky than walking across a
18:53nation of monsters. The look on everyone
18:56else's faces said that was the very last
18:58option that they were willing to try and
19:00only after every other option had failed
19:02to get them out of the country. The
19:04captains had already tried to capture
19:06them once, so just turning up at their
19:08home base didn't seem like a great plan.
19:11All right, then. We've got cash from the
19:14bandit clearing, so we at least have
19:16local currency and the items from the
19:18orcs to trade. Does anyone want to stay
19:21here a day, or do you want to get on the
19:23road as soon as we finished our
19:25business? Carl asked. I think that we
19:29should get on the road today. We can
19:31take a bit of time for lunch, but we
19:33should get out of town before more
19:35nations come for the festivities.
19:37Orthos warned us that they would be
19:39there not long after the event, and they
19:41are likely to be looking for us on the
19:42description of those who were there.
19:45They might not know that we stabilized
19:47the dungeon, but they are likely to
19:48guess that we gained a treasure from
19:50being the first group through,
19:51especially if the orcs are dead and no
19:53treasure was recovered. Tessa suggested.
19:57Dana frowned under her mask. She hadn't
20:00thought about that. Dungeons usually
20:03gave a big reward for the first
20:04clearance, but they hadn't seen anything
20:07notable. Or perhaps they had gotten it,
20:09but because it went straight into their
20:11inventory, they just hadn't paid enough
20:13attention. She could almost guarantee
20:16that Carl hadn't even looked at what was
20:18in his inventory after they left. Carl
20:21realized that everyone was looking at
20:22him, but he wasn't sure why. They were
20:25all on the same page with the plan, so
20:28why was he getting that look?
20:30It didn't matter much. They were all
20:32loaded up now and he just had to hook up
20:35Thor so that they could head out. All
20:37right, everyone on board and in
20:39position. Let's get this show on the
20:42road. The golems moved to the back and
20:45the pair of bodyguards took their place
20:46on the sideboards while everyone else
20:48entered from the back as Carl and Ray
20:50finished the work with Thor's harness.
20:53It was wagon time and Thor hardly let
20:55Carl get on the wagon, much less seated
20:58before he was on the move, headed for
21:00where Hawk said the road into the city
21:01was. The mood in house searing was clear
21:04even as they pulled up to the gates an
21:06hour later. It looked like the entire
21:09city was in the streets, and Carl's
21:11sensitive ears could hear the dozens of
21:13species of monsters talking about a new
21:15anomaly outside of town.
21:17Word was that the town's prophet has
21:19foreseen that the nomadic tribes would
21:21bring a war ban to the location, which
21:23had put the whole city into a panic,
21:25thinking that the nomadic tribes were
21:26going to go to war against the region in
21:28order to claim the dungeon for
21:29themselves.
21:31They might, but somehow Carl couldn't
21:33see the orc tribes working well
21:35together, much less with other species
21:37of nomads.
21:39If he had to guess, what they had seen
21:41was most likely just Chieftain World
21:43Smasher and his clan meeting with him at
21:45the dungeon. Carl pretended that the res
21:48were actually for controlling but
21:49actually used them to rub the Sarah's
21:51back as they pulled to a stop in front
21:53of the gate guards. Welcome to House
21:55Seiring. What is your business? The
21:59guard demanded. I have armor to trade
22:02purchased from the nomads.
22:04Then I need to supplies to take to Oak
22:06Camping. Carl replied, referring to a
22:10troll controlled city about a day up the
22:12main road headed northeast.
22:14All right. Be careful not to run anyone
22:17over. There are many children in the
22:20street today with all the chaos. What
22:23chaos?
22:24News of war or famine? Carl asked. That
22:29was a relatively normal question for a
22:31merchant. It would change what they
22:33wanted to buy here as the value of their
22:36trade goods would change based on where
22:38and when they sold them. Something is
22:40going on north of town in the
22:42wilderness. The big trolls office says
22:45that there might be a fight. So, this
22:48city was also troll controlled. That
22:50explained the number of them headed out
22:52toward the dungeon. They didn't appear
22:55to be the majority of the population.
22:57Though there were humans, demons, dozens
23:00of smaller species of monsters, and even
23:03a few beastkin visible in the crowd.
23:05Most of the misshapen bodies were
23:07impossible for Carl to identify as there
23:10was no listing of them in the books he
23:11had read.
23:13But at least some of them were familiar.
23:15The lizard species made up nearly half
23:17of the monsters in town. Naga, Lameia,
23:21lizard folk, crocalisks.
23:24Those were all species that were in his
23:26textbooks when he did his
23:27familiarization with monster and beast
23:29species. There were some that preferred
23:32to be on two feet, some on four or more,
23:34and a few human-headed chimeas that
23:36everyone was giving a wide birth. Carl
23:39led Thor through the street at a slow
23:41walk, giving everyone time to get out of
23:43the way. It wasn't working well. The
23:47kids kept running up to pat the Sero
23:49before being grabbed by parents to avoid
23:51being trampled, and the Naga warriors
23:53had been propositioned at least a dozen
23:54times in the first 2 minutes. Carl was
23:57not an expert in Naga physiology, and he
24:00didn't speak serpent. But apparently,
24:02the warriors were considered the peak of
24:04their species. In his mind, Remy was
24:07laughing hysterically.
24:09The bodyguards were intelligent and
24:11could answer back, but they were
24:12missiondriven just as much as the golems
24:14were. They wouldn't even consider
24:17leaving their post, and it was breaking
24:18hearts left and right. The four armed
24:21naga are the royals and the most
24:23powerful of warriors.
24:25Having a child with one of them would
24:27strengthen the bloodline of lesser
24:29lineages for a dozen generations.
24:32Remy explained after a few minutes of
24:34watching the locals hit on her guards.
24:36Carl eventually found an armor with a
24:39hot forge and mostly empty shelves. That
24:42seemed like a good spot to start trying
24:44to make a sale. "Wait here. I will go
24:47talk with the armor smmith," he
24:49explained as he moved Thor to the side
24:51of the road. Dana and Oilia moved to
24:54stand on the front corners of the wagon
24:56with their weapons at the ready hung
24:58from their hips.
24:59Only the occasional local gave them more
25:01than a single look. Guards protecting a
25:04merchant wagon was possibly the most
25:06normal thing that they had seen or heard
25:08today. It was a relief to everyone and
25:11almost made them forget that this was a
25:13city full of monsters that were far from
25:15being on friendly terms with their home.
25:17The armorer was a lizard man, and Carl
25:20realized that he might have made a
25:21mistake. He didn't know if that species
25:24could speak the common language. I have
25:27a number of armor items for sale traded
25:30by the yellow tusk orcs. Are you
25:32interested? Carl asked. The lizard man
25:36hissed in response. He says he doesn't
25:39give a damn where you got them. It won't
25:41improve the price. Fine. Do you want to
25:44buy armor? All awakened and ascended
25:47rank magic items. Carl replied. The
25:51armorer looked shocked that Carl had
25:53understood him and gestured for him to
25:55bring it in.
25:56Carl stepped back out and grabbed the
25:58loot, which he dropped on the counter.
26:01The lizardman's eyes lit up with
26:02excitement, a faint glow of magic as
26:05excess power flowed to them as the
26:07monster focused. He spoke and Remy
26:10translated.
26:11He wants to know what you want for them.
26:14I will take coins or trade items that
26:16the trolls of oak camping need. What do
26:19you have in stock? The armorer nodded,
26:22then vanished into a back room. He came
26:25back out with a bundle of tools and
26:27crystals that Ry was instantly
26:28interested in. He says they're the
26:31favorites of the trolls. The crystals
26:33help them use magic and the trolls
26:35aren't good at tool making. Three more
26:38of the earth type crystals and we have a
26:40deal. Carl offered. The lizard man
26:44frowned and held up two fingers.
26:47Fine, two more. He brought out two more
26:51and greedily scooped up the armor to
26:52take back to his forge to alter for use
26:55by other species.
26:57Carl scooped the gems into his
26:58inventory, then picked up the bundle of
27:00tools. It's been a pleasure doing
27:03business with you. The tools took up
27:06most of the center of the wagon, making
27:08them look like proper merchants again.
27:10Carl hopped up into the driver's seat,
27:12and Oilia returned to the wagon, taking
27:15a seat at the back, while Dana sat
27:17beside Carl in the morning sun.
27:19What do you think with all this chaos?
27:22Should we get lunch before we go or
27:25should we grab something to eat outside
27:26the city limits? Carl asked. There is a
27:30street market between us and the other
27:32exit from town. We should drive through
27:35there and pick up a few things. It might
27:38be a security risk to get out of the
27:40wagon, but it should be worth it to
27:41spend a bit of time shopping. Dana
27:44suggested.
27:46All right, let's head over. I will wait
27:49with the wagon. You all take the
27:50security with you. Hawk and I should be
27:53plenty to guard the goods. Carl called
27:56Hawk out, so the sudden appearance of
27:58the bird didn't startle people at the
28:00market. The addition of the royal rank
28:02dragon hawk should be enough to
28:04discourage all but the boldest of
28:05thieves. Even if they weren't afraid of
28:07Carl and Thor, the monsters should be
28:10able to sense general power level the
28:12way that Carl did, even if most of them
28:14discounted him as human and attributed
28:16the power they felt to one of the
28:17others. The entrance to the market was a
28:20wide street, enough for six wagons to
28:23pass, or four with two rows of them
28:25parked near the buildings. That was
28:27where Carl stopped Thor, at the edge of
28:29the market in a quieter section close to
28:32a small group of clothing vendors
28:33surrounded by baked goods.
28:36That would distract the ladies for a
28:37while and they wouldn't have to go too
28:39far from the wagon. So if either group
28:41got in trouble, they could send
28:43reinforcements.
28:45If Carl sent over Remy with her last
28:47bodyguard, the two Lameia and Ray's
28:49golems, they shouldn't have any trouble
28:51at all dealing with whatever was
28:52bothering the ladies. Thor was too
28:55nervous to let them out of his sight
28:56without a barrier. Anyhow, you say that
28:59like I'm being paranoid.
29:02But what if they get tired or sprain an
29:04ankle or the straps from the shopping
29:06bags dig into their hands? Thor
29:09countered. You have a point. It's better
29:12to be safe than sorry. Just keep the
29:15barrier at a low level so they don't
29:17alarm people with a powerful active
29:19skill while they're shopping. The Sarah
29:21needn't have worried about the shopping
29:23because only a few minutes later, one of
29:25the Naga warriors was headed back with a
29:27whole load of baked goods. It just
29:30silently dropped the goods on the seat
29:31beside Carl and rushed back to its
29:33position, clearly unhappy about having
29:35been made a messenger. It did relax the
29:38clothing vendors that were closest to
29:40Carl. Sending back loads of shopping
29:43before going on a long trip was
29:45expected. With a group like theirs, they
29:48would go through a lot of food, and a
29:49merchant had enough money not to have to
29:51survive on base travel rations and
29:53jerky. They had been gone half an hour
29:56when sudden movement caught Carl's
29:58attention and a plume of fire burst from
30:00the back of the wagon as a cursing
30:02homeless man went running down the
30:03street with singed gloves. He must have
30:06reached into the back of the wagon to
30:08steal the pies and earned hawks.
30:10Carl heard the laughter from the
30:12merchants closest to his wagon and the
30:14jeweler who had stepped out of his shop
30:16to have a smoke. A merchant wagon
30:18stopped on the street beside Carl and a
30:21small group of guards got off to do
30:22their shopping while the wagon blocked a
30:24bit more of the road as the curb was all
30:26full already. Morning. Carl greeted the
30:30wingless green demon. Morning. I don't
30:34suppose you have a buyer for an entire
30:36barrel of cooking oil. Decent quality
30:39but not premium. My buyer rejected it.
30:43he asked. I will trade you a barrel of
30:46low-quality rum for it. It was supposed
30:49to go to the coast, but they turned it
30:51down as well. Carl actually had a few
30:54barrels left, but nobody in his group
30:56really drank alcohol. I will make that
30:59deal. Barrel for barrel. Where are you
31:03headed next? To go see the trolls? The
31:07other merchant nodded in understanding
31:09and nodded at the barrel in his open
31:11wagon. Once the guards get back, they
31:14can give us a hand. Carl chuckled and
31:17grabbed the rum barrel. Here, I'll trade
31:21you. He handed it over and grabbed the
31:23oil to take its place. Who would need 50
31:26gallons of cooking oil? He didn't know,
31:29but it seemed like the sort of thing
31:31that he should be able to sell. The
31:34demon looked suspicious as he grabbed
31:36the barrel, then confused as he failed
31:38to lift it. Yeah, it's a bit hefty, but
31:42I'm stronger than I look. You can sample
31:45a bit if you'd like. The rum isn't
31:47terrible, but it's not fit for a sailor.
31:51Carl suggested. The demon smiled and
31:54pulled the top bung to dip a
31:56long-handled spoon inside and take a
31:58sip, then we a little as his eyes
32:00watered. Well, it's not too weak for a
32:03sailor. The flavor also isn't the worst
32:06I've tasted. I could likely sell that to
32:09the Naga. They aren't as picky about
32:12liquor as long as it's strong. Pleasure
32:14doing business with you. The scent that
32:17it gave off was harsh, and Carl wondered
32:19if it was actually intended to be paint
32:21stripper, not an ingested liquid. But if
32:24he had a buyer for it, that was fine.
32:27The ladies came back with full arms and
32:29two very annoyed looking naga warriors
32:32who were still attracting ladies from
32:33all the lizard species.
32:36One more stop to look at new clothes and
32:38we will be ready to go. We've got all
32:41the supplies we need for the week, Tessa
32:44explained as they unloaded.
32:46Why does it smell like burnt hair? Oilia
32:49asked as they moved goods to the back of
32:51the wagon. Hulk caught someone trying to
32:54steal the pie. The merchant ladies
32:57laughed at Carl's deadpan answer and
32:59relayed the story to the shoppers who
33:01were currently at their stalls with a
33:02much more entertaining plot than the
33:04original.
33:05In their version, it was nearly dragon
33:08fire erupting from the wagon, scaring
33:10away the other wagon animals and
33:11lighting the jeweler's pipe for him. The
33:14thief had also been an evil looking man
33:16with his hair on fire, not a middle-aged
33:18homeless guy with his gloves scorched.
33:21Tessa and Lotus both picked out a few
33:23items, and Oilia found a long coat that
33:26she could wear in war were warbear form.
33:28Staying in that form had to be annoying
33:30as she was hiding her true self, but it
33:32was safer. She looked good in the coat
33:35though, like a proper bodyguard. And the
33:37merchants were very impressed with the
33:39look. You are a long way from home. Why
33:42don't you try these as well? If you're
33:45going to be in the south, you should try
33:46everything the south has to offer,
33:48right? One of the clothing merchants
33:51suggested. They must think that she was
33:54from the north side of the country near
33:55the Divine Beast Nation, which would put
33:57her over a thousand km from home, which
34:00was a rare thing in a nation without
34:02motor vehicles. By the time that they
34:04made it back to the carriage, Tessa and
34:06Lotus both had multiple new outfits, and
34:09Oilia had a new coat, pants, and an
34:11ornately toled weapon belt with bears
34:13worked into the surface made of some
34:15sort of commander rank hide. She almost
34:18looked like one of the pirate captains,
34:20minus the hat, but it suited her, and
34:23she blended in with the locals much
34:25better now that she had most of her
34:27armor hidden under cloth. Carl just
34:29hoped that the items bonded or they
34:31would not last through the first battle.
34:34A berserker was hard on clothes at the
34:36best of times and she wouldn't always
34:38have time to strip her decorative
34:40clothes off before fighting. Rey was
34:43thinking the same thing and already
34:44making plans to decorate Oilia later.
34:48This outfit looked good and if it was
34:50made of her silk, it could be equipped
34:52over her armor so it would vanish into
34:54her storage with a thought. Regular
34:56clothes had to be taken off before they
34:58could be stored, and that was far too
35:00much of a hassle. Come to think of it,
35:03she could decorate Carl as well. Maybe
35:06everyone could have matching coats to
35:08show that they belonged to Ry. That
35:10would be good. Her Dana liked her
35:13outfit. Rey started to plan her next
35:16round of creations as the rest of the
35:18team got ready to move out. The wagon
35:20was nearly full now with just enough
35:22room to comfortably sit as Carl got Thor
35:25moving so the other wagon could take
35:27their spot along the curb. This is a
35:29different keg. "Did you buy something?"
35:33Dana asked as she settled in to watch
35:35the road ahead. "Yeah, I traded rum for
35:39cooking oil. Apparently, the Naga will
35:42drink what the beast sent us. The trolls
35:45should need cooking oil, and if not
35:47them, someone along the way will need
35:49cooking oil. Dana shrugged in
35:51acceptance.
35:53The deal was made, and it didn't
35:55actually matter what the goods were
35:56worth, as they were only trading as a
35:58cover to get across the country. The
36:01guards didn't even look at them as they
36:02left the city gates headed northeast.
36:05It would bring them rather close to the
36:07sight of the battle within 10 km.
36:10But they would be on a well-traveled
36:12main road, and at least this portion was
36:14an actual stone roadway. That shouldn't
36:17raise any suspicions.
36:19The clerics changed into new dresses,
36:22colorful ones in the local style, but
36:24still predominantly in their gods
36:26colors. Now, the rest of the team
36:28blended in, but Carl was wearing the
36:30armor from Best Raymond, which came
36:33complete with a dark light host tabard.
36:35That wasn't exactly subtle or
36:37nondescript.
36:39Everyone that they met would probably be
36:41able to describe him in Thor. So, if
36:43they didn't want anyone to be able to
36:44track them back to the incident, it
36:46would be much better if they could
36:47disguise him somehow. Hey, I have an
36:50idea. Why don't we disguise Thor and
36:53Carl? There should be a good way to make
36:56Thor less noticeable, and Carl is easy.
36:59Lotus suggested.
37:01Oh, how do you plan to disguise me? We
37:04will have Ry make you a coat and then
37:06you can keep brutality active to make
37:08you big. You're bigger with that skill
37:11active than Oilia is as a werebear
37:13without it. You have to be 2 and 1/2 m
37:16tall with it. Nobody would question you
37:19if you said you were half troll if you
37:20hid your face. Remy had just the thing
37:23for that. I can make you a mask and Hawk
37:26can cure the clay and melt metal over
37:28it. Then with one side of your face
37:31hidden and your beard growing, you
37:33should look more like a monster. Remy
37:36thinks that we can do something about
37:37hiding the face. If I have a coat to go
37:40over my armor, it should be enough to
37:42hide my identity from casual glances.
37:45But how will we disguise Thor? He's a
37:48lightning ser. Carl reminded them. I can
37:52do that, too. I have all the
37:55ingredients.
37:56Remy announced proudly.
37:59Never mind. Remy thinks she can disguise
38:02him as well somehow. Carl laughed. Dana
38:07giggled. I'm looking forward to finding
38:08out what she thinks will hide Thor. Carl
38:12thought about the abilities that he had,
38:14wondering what he could use to disguise
38:15his usual fighting style. He didn't want
38:18anyone linking their presence to the
38:20royal rank elite named Carl from the
38:22Golden Dragon Nation. even if he hadn't
38:24been thinking far enough ahead to make
38:26up a road name. Disintegration would
38:28only be well known to the pirates. So
38:30that should be fine. But he hadn't done
38:33much fighting here. So even the orcs
38:35wouldn't know much. As long as he
38:38avoided the chain lightning and blizzard
38:40combo that him and Remy were famous for,
38:42or made it look like it was all Remy,
38:44even most of the government sorts
38:45wouldn't put it together, as everyone
38:47had her recorded as a spirit snake, not
38:49a naga queen. Oh, we can make you look
38:53like our group's tank. I think I have a
38:55shield in here, and you can use that
38:57maul one-handed or a sword, Oilia added.
39:02You all seem to be enjoying this a lot.
39:05Carl chuckled. I have a coat for you. Ry
39:09agreed. It was black silk woven to be
39:12rough like leather and full length like
39:14a duster, but double- breasted like the
39:16pirate captain coats, split up the back
39:19for mobility, and she had even woven
39:21wind element shiny stones into it to
39:23emulate the silver buttons on the
39:24captain coats. Carl put the coat on and
39:28his armor immediately adjusted. It gave
39:31him a visage mask for his helmet that
39:33looked like a black demon face. And Carl
39:35found that he could remove the helmet
39:36and keep the mask.
39:38That skill is so handy. Always adjusting
39:41to the appearance it thinks I need. Now
39:44I don't get to make you a mask, though.
39:47That's fine. I will start on makeup for
39:49Thor. That was a disturbing thought, but
39:52Remy was really into it. Mixing ground
39:54plants, clay, some dirt, and crushed
39:57magical stones into a paste. It was
40:00turning into a consistency that looked
40:02like boot polish. But Remy kept
40:04referring back to one of her books, and
40:06she looked incredibly proud of herself.
40:09"Ha, I did it. This should work."
40:12"Shadow branch paste. Take some of that
40:16and draw war paint on Thor's face." Carl
40:19stopped the wagon and did as instructed,
40:21drawing wide-fingered stripes down
40:23Thor's ridge and across the side of his
40:25face. Then he stepped back to admire his
40:28handiwork, as Thor now had wore paint.
40:31Then the effect spread until Thor was
40:33completely black. Not glossy, but flat
40:36black and non-reflective.
40:38That's impressive.
40:40Where did that come from? Dana asked.
40:44Apparently, it's something that Remy can
40:46make. I can see the instructions when I
40:48examine shadow branch plants in her
40:50space. It should make him look like this
40:53until he washes it off or until he
40:55returns to his space as it is unlikely
40:58to go with him if he doesn't want it to.
41:00Carl explained.
41:02He had the identification skill, but
41:05there were so many plants that he had
41:07never bothered to go through them all,
41:08looking for possible combinations that
41:10might make something useful. Remy was
41:13better with his skill than Carl was. He
41:15was quite certain. But it was just a
41:18common grade disguise spell, not some
41:20powerful mixture to help them advance,
41:22which was what Carl had been trying to
41:24find every time that he had gone through
41:25their stuff before. It was possible that
41:28he had missed all sorts of little things
41:30because he simply didn't know to look
41:32for them. When they got back, he would
41:35leave Remy with Morgana for a while to
41:37see if she had a knack for alchemy. She
41:39did like making things, and it wasn't
41:42just sculptures for her totems.
41:44Rey wasn't particularly impressed with
41:46the versatility of the paste. Her
41:48adaptive silk could hide you much more
41:50effectively,
41:52but being able to just turn Thor black
41:53was a great disguise.
41:56Now, he didn't look like a lightning
41:57sero at all. Just some sort of regular
41:59serrow. All right, now we're mostly
42:02disguised.
42:04This should be good enough for now,
42:06though, I'm not certain that I can get
42:07the same mask back again after I
42:09dismissed the armor to wash. Carl
42:12informed the group. So, I do get to make
42:15a mask. Hawk, find some metal. I will
42:18make something out of clay for you to
42:20coat. Remy cheered. All right. You could
42:24likely just paint it though. Hulk
42:27reminded her. Maybe. We will see when
42:31I'm done. But I want you to bake it with
42:34fire. The road was becoming busier by
42:37the minute to the point that by noon it
42:39almost felt like they were back in the
42:41city with a wagon caravan passing every
42:43minute or two. There shouldn't be that
42:46many people in the cities nearby.
42:48According to the maps that Bruise Temple
42:50had shown them, they had seen hundreds
42:52of merchants just this morning, and
42:54there should have only been a few
42:55thousand people in the 50 km radius
42:57around the city. Certainly not enough to
43:00need this many merchants.
43:03In fact, there shouldn't be that many
43:05people with merchant as a trade in the
43:06entire region. Then suddenly, there were
43:10no more merchant wagons coming. Hawk,
43:13what is going on out there? Was it just
43:16a morning rush?
43:17Carl asked. If it was some sort of
43:20regional event, like a major market day,
43:23it might explain all the people on the
43:25road. There are more stopped in the
43:27distance. I don't know what they're up
43:30to. Oh, I see it now. There are orcs
43:34coming from the east. If you keep going,
43:37we should meet up with them. Hawk didn't
43:40see any reason to fear orcs. They had
43:43been quite pleasant every time he had
43:44seen them, and they didn't use water
43:46magic at all. Not even one little bit.
43:50Carl kept the wagon rolling. If they
43:53were going to get delayed, it might as
43:55well be chatting with the orcs, not
43:57waiting for an entire tribe to pass by.
44:00They were nearly in front of the Orish
44:02tribe when their scouts reached the
44:03road. "You're a merchant?" the young
44:06Orish man asked. Carl nodded. We have
44:11mostly tools for the trolls, farming
44:13tools. We've got a bit of cleric made
44:16food as well if your tribe wants a
44:18trade. Wait here. Chief Nantucket will
44:22speak with you. Carl nodded and behind
44:25him he felt the surge of power as the
44:27cleric started to make the promised
44:29food. They were creating dry rice and
44:32beans which would keep for a long time
44:34along with some fresh vegetables and a
44:36single pie. They had hidden the rest,
44:39but they left out one of the sweet
44:40potato pies from the market and even
44:42heated it so it would still seem fresh
44:44even after being in the wagon all
44:46morning. The chief and his group were
44:49already running their way as Carl
44:50stopped the wagon and climbed down to
44:52greet them. Chief Nantucket,
44:55I am Carl. He extended his hand and the
44:59chieftain shook it with a smile on his
45:01face. The scout says that you had a
45:03dragon cleric make you food to trade.
45:06How much do you have? The orc asked.
45:10Carl took out the rough burlap sack to
45:12set on the ground. Then carefully took
45:14the pie and handed it to Nantucket.
45:17That is a first meeting gift from me to
45:19you. Fresh from the markets in house
45:21searing. The chieftain smiled.
45:25Still warm. You know about orcs. His
45:29tone was approving and Carl chuckled
45:31softly. That's the same thing that
45:34Chieftain World Smasher said yesterday.
45:37His clan is just west of here. The gods
45:40granted them a dungeon trial for one of
45:42their boys who wasn't strong enough to
45:44claim his mate. Nantucket laughed. How
45:48can an orc be too weak to claim his
45:50mate? Carl smiled and leaned into stage
45:53whisper as if it was a secret. He had
45:56earned his spot as a warrior, but she
45:58very publicly called him out and then
45:59beat his ass in a wrestling trial.
46:02Quite the woman, he set his sights high.
46:05The orcs that came with the chieftain's
46:07group were roaring with laughter, and
46:09the big orc clapped Carl on the
46:10shoulder. I've got to see that. You say
46:14he's just west of here. Carl nodded.
46:18About 15 km, mostly west, maybe a bit
46:21southwest.
46:23I went south to the city after I traded
46:25him 100 kilos of salmon. There will be a
46:28lot of fighters there if the dungeon is
46:30still open.
46:31A big fight and an old friend. Now I do
46:35have to go. How much do you want for the
46:38food? Carl heard Tessa clear her throat
46:40in the wagon. The church didn't charge
46:43for their food. It's for you. You know
46:47how the clerics are. They share their
46:49food. The orcs laughed at the subtle
46:52reference to the similarity with their
46:53own customs. One of the warriors picked
46:56up the bag while another handed Carl a
46:58folded lump of burlap. presumably a
47:01replacement bag. It was a pleasure to
47:04meet you. May good weather and better
47:06fights be in your future." Carl added as
47:09the assistants ran back to the tribe.
47:12"Same to you, merchant Carl. If our
47:15tribes cross paths again, we will drink
47:18together." What sort of liquor the orcs
47:20made was a mystery to Carl, but he had
47:22visions of something almost toxic levels
47:24of potent. The Orish tribe altered their
47:27path to run behind Carl, and he got Thor
47:30moving again. "Don't you think that was
47:32too easy? The nomadic tribes are
47:35supposed to be feral and dangerous, but
47:37they're even easier to get along with
47:39than the cities," Oilia asked. "I think
47:43that the issue might be local, not
47:45generalized."
47:46The Orish tribes must have an issue with
47:48either the trolls or the other monster
47:50factions, he replied after a moment's
47:53thought. Could it be something about our
47:56group instead? Dana asked. It could be,
48:00but I don't think that we have a way to
48:02test that. Carl saw a wagon caravan in
48:05the distance and began to relax. They
48:08must be clear of the area that the
48:10locals had identified as dangerous. Thor
48:13moved to the side as he rolled past
48:15them, and Carl noticed that a few of the
48:17monsters guarding the wagon sniffed at
48:19the air. They tensed as if they were
48:21going to attack, but backed down when
48:23the Naga warrior glared at them. Carl
48:26remained silent until they were well
48:28past the stopped merchant group, then
48:30looked back at the others. I think I
48:33have an idea. We might be having better
48:35luck with the orcs because they don't
48:37consider us food or competition. Orcs
48:40view humans as weak, so we're not
48:42competitors, and they don't want to eat
48:44us. It's the ogres and a few others that
48:47are most likely to be an issue for us.
48:50he explained.
48:52There were more wagons parked a few
48:53hundred meters behind the first group,
48:55and the driver of the lead wagon flagged
48:57Carl down as they approached. "Did you
49:00see the nomads on your way through?" A
49:03blue skinned slender troll asked.
49:05"Yeah," an orc tribe. "They're west of
49:08the road now and headed west looking for
49:11the big fight that was the talk of the
49:12city this morning. What's with all the
49:15traffic today?" Carl replied, "Do
49:20messengers called for every farmer and
49:22merchant we know to bring everything to
49:24Hellering.
49:25It might be preparation for a siege. Are
49:28you trading with the trolls up north?"
49:31He asked. Carl nodded. "I've got tools
49:35for them. Quality ones." "Good call. If
49:39there is a siege, they'll need
49:41everything they can get to keep the
49:42armies fed. It doesn't take a genius to
49:45know that armies get hungry, and it's
49:47easier to feed them than to fight them.
49:50The next few groups of trollish farmers
49:52and merchants were similarly eager to
49:54get any news that they could. But when
49:56Carl got to a group of ogres using oxen
49:58to pull large carts, things began to
50:00take a turn for the worse. At first, it
50:03was just the same sort of posturing as
50:05the last hostile merchant group. But
50:07these ones didn't look like successful
50:09merchants.
50:11They were filthier than usual, even for
50:13ogres, and looked half starved. When the
50:16wind shifted and blew from Carl's wagon
50:18to theirs, bringing the scent of humans
50:20to them, they snapped and began to
50:22charge. "Ray, golems!"
50:26Carl called as he jumped down to meet
50:28the charge. Both bodyguards joined him
50:31as well as Dana's golems. That should be
50:34enough to deal with the threat, and that
50:36was their plan to not blow their cover
50:38as merchants. However, that plan was
50:41entirely too boring for Cara, and the
50:43void badger was headed for combat before
50:45Carl could even tell her off. "Meet!"
50:49The ogres roared as they charged toward
50:51Carl's wagon, not even focused on him.
50:54The other merchants nearby, groups that
50:57had been waiting for the signal that the
50:58danger had passed, began to scatter.
51:01They didn't want to be implicated in the
51:03fight between the ogres and Carl's
51:05group. Carl took out his blade and
51:07hacked the first ascended rank ogre
51:09clean in half from the shoulder across
51:11the chest. But even as the two halves
51:14fell to the ground, the others didn't
51:16stop. They were fully focused on the
51:19smell of humans and running blindly into
51:21the blades and forlims of the defenders.
51:24The battle was over in under 30 seconds,
51:27nothing more than a flurry of steel and
51:29blood. In fact, the last one fighting
51:32was Cara, who had taken offense to the
51:34existence of their cardoxin.
51:36They're dead. You can stop now. Carl
51:40reminded her. Cara paused and looked
51:43around. So, they are. I thought that we
51:46were going to fight. Carl patted the
51:49badger on the head after she landed on
51:51the ogre's wagon. Not a real fight, just
51:54defending the wagon against attack. You
51:57got too excited. Cara sighed, then
52:00vanished into her space to get clean
52:02before coming back out to sit with the
52:04ladies in the wagon. Disappointing.
52:07One out of 10. Do not recommend.
52:10Ry did grab one of the oxen, though.
52:14Just in case it tasted good. Carl got
52:17back on the wagon and started to move
52:18again, which startled the other
52:20merchants who could see him. His team
52:23only had a few members. The fight should
52:25not have been over that quickly, but his
52:27wagon was moving again, and nothing else
52:29was. Just to be safe, the next one in
52:32line continued to make their detour well
52:34around the incident as Carl rolled past
52:36them. The merchants who were parked
52:39behind them were unconcerned.
52:41Fights between groups of monsters were a
52:43common occurrence, and if you started a
52:45fight that you couldn't win, that was
52:47your own fault. Groups of ogres seemed
52:50to be rare in the region, but trolls of
52:52various sorts, as well as lizard men in
52:54something that looked like a featherless
52:56bird walking upright, were plentiful.
52:58The last one gave Hawk the creeps
53:00because they had grown weird fingers out
53:02of what used to be wing bones,
53:04unnaturally long for hands. Between that
53:07and the beaked heads with no feathers,
53:09Hawk was glad that no such thing existed
53:11at home. He might have to reconsider
53:14water as his greatest enemy if someone
53:16compared him to one of those things.
53:19Remy had a very different opinion. They
53:22looked like pre-plucked chickens, and
53:24she was pretty sure they didn't need any
53:25prep at all to eat. Thor walked past the
53:28line of merchant wagons, which were
53:30starting to move now, following the lead
53:32of those in front of them. Carl wondered
53:35how long they would have been sitting
53:36there if he hadn't been the first one to
53:38move through. Would they have sat there
53:41all day waiting to see who went first?
53:44Or was there some sort of estimate on
53:46how long it would take the orcs to move
53:47past? Carl didn't see any scouts, and
53:51neither did Hawk. But even with the
53:53delays, they were going to make it to
53:55the next town before dinner. They
53:58weren't anywhere near the city of Oak
53:59Camping, but this appeared to be the
54:01layover point as the town had large
54:03amounts of parking for merchant caravans
54:05as well as taverns, motel, and
54:07blacksmiths advertising wagon repairs.
54:11We will camp here for the evening. They
54:13have guards on patrol, and there are
54:15others around to help keep watch, so we
54:17won't have to worry as much about
54:19opportunistic thieves as we might
54:20alongside the road," Carl explained.
54:24That makes sense. We might be going the
54:27opposite way to everyone else, but there
54:29is safety in numbers. Dana agreed.
54:33That didn't actually make much sense
54:35when everything around you could be
54:36considered an enemy, but nothing
54:38recognized Carl as a human, and they had
54:40the Naga warriors on guard to blend in
54:42with the other monsters.
54:44Most of the wagons weren't setting up
54:46much of a camp. At best, it was a small
54:50fire for the guards to sleep around,
54:52while one of them kept watch. That was
54:54about what Carl's team would do as well,
54:56with most of the team sleeping in the
54:58wagon and the summons on guard. Lotus
55:01grew a small collection of firewood from
55:03the boards of the wagon using her magic
55:05and they prepared to heat dinner. The
55:08new arrivals and their fire caught some
55:10attention from the farmers in the next
55:12group who were sitting in the rapidly
55:13fading twilight leaned against their
55:15wagon. Would you like to join us? The
55:19heat is free, but the dinner needs a
55:21good story. Carl offered. The troll
55:25smiled and brought two boys over with
55:27him. I think that we can come up with a
55:29story or two. Good evening everyone.
55:33Might you ladies by dragon clerics? You
55:37don't smell like beast clerics and
55:39you're certainly not giants. The troll
55:41gave them a toothy smile as the fire
55:43light flickered off the silver band on
55:45his lone remaining lower tusk. The other
55:48had been broken at some point, leaving a
55:50jagged stump a quarter of its full
55:52length that hadn't regrown yet. Trolls
55:55normally regenerated quickly, but the
55:57tusks needed to be pulled to regrow,
55:59much like hair, which grew at a normal
56:01rate unless it was pulled out. That led
56:04to a strange phenomenon that Carl could
56:06see at another camp. One of the older
56:09trolls was actually growing a beard by
56:11shaving with a dull razor that pulled
56:12the hair out. Then he trimmed it to
56:15shape with a pair of scissors, except
56:17for a portion in the center which he
56:19braided. It was one of the strangest
56:21grooming routines that Carl had ever
56:23seen, and it made him think of the
56:25trollish regeneration skill in his skill
56:28tree. He could afford to get it now, or
56:31he could keep saving for some of the
56:32offensive abilities. He hadn't been able
56:35to see them until skill master evolved
56:37to rank two. It seemed to be an oddity
56:40of the skill tree. He had to finish a
56:42tier of his core abilities before he
56:44could use more advanced secondary
56:46skills. He might have done better in the
56:49short term by picking the offensive tree
56:51as he would have all those abilities by
56:53now. However, that would have left him
56:55without access to evolution and skill
56:58master. Those two skills were going to
57:00be essential to his team very soon. Tier
57:04four offensive skills only one may be
57:06chosen. 50 points devastate strikes
57:09dealing more than 10% of the targets
57:12health do double damage.
57:1450 points overwhelming presence causes a
57:17terror type debuff that causes affected
57:20targets to become paralyzed for 5
57:22seconds plus 10 seconds per rank
57:24difference between caster and target. 50
57:27points rampage. Every time an enemy is
57:30damaged by the beast master or a bonded
57:32beast, increase the damage done by the
57:34beast master or the bonded beast for 1
57:37minute. There were over a dozen grade
57:39out attack skills which were only
57:41available to an attack specialist beast
57:43master, but there were three core skills
57:45that Carl could use. Rampage. Cara and
57:49Remy demanded at the same time.
57:51Devastate, Ry insisted.
57:54She hit hard and double damage stabbing
57:57sounded better than slowly stacking
57:59damage. I want to see them pee
58:01themselves when they see us. Hulk
58:04recommended.
58:05That did have a certain appeal to it.
58:08Making them too terrified to even move
58:10as they were slaughtered could be
58:11interesting. The real problem was that
58:14they could only choose one and it was 50
58:16points. Carl probably didn't have that
58:19many. They could most likely get
58:22trollish regeneration from the defense
58:24skills tree, though. That would be a fun
58:27skill to have. Bodyguards and golems
58:30with trollish regeneration seemed like
58:32it would be a most excellent prank to
58:34play on people. Even after the barriers
58:37broke and the enemy hacked a limb off,
58:39they could just pick it up and let it
58:41reattach itself. It would be hilarious.
58:45Carl did his best not to laugh at their
58:47antics as they settled in for dinner
58:48with the trollish farmers telling
58:50stories of mundane events on the farm.
58:53It actually made the trolls feel much
58:55more relatable with the same concerns he
58:57had at home. Earth mice getting into the
59:00cupboards, stoves that didn't heat
59:01evenly, long hours, and insufficient
59:04pay. Even if you were a troll, a worker
59:07was a worker. They didn't have any of
59:09the technological items that Carl was
59:11used to, but it wasn't all that
59:13different in lived experience.
59:15The older man had his boys seated
59:17slightly behind him, a precaution in
59:19case Carl's group wasn't actually
59:21friendly, and the trio smiled as Lotus
59:23and Tessa began adding chunks of meat
59:25and cheese from their inventory into the
59:27rice and bean stew. The pot would
59:30normally be too much for just the eight
59:32of them, but trolls should have a big
59:33appetite after a long day of traveling.
59:36The plot that Tessa had chosen was a
59:38pressure cooker with a locking lid. And
59:40while the whistling was a bit annoying,
59:42to the trolls, it was the sound of good
59:44things to come. Cheesy rice and beans
59:47didn't sound all that great, Carl
59:49thought. But Lotus was happy to add
59:51spices to anything, and it came out much
59:54better than anticipated.
59:56It made a moderately spicy gumbo style
59:58stew, short on meat, but thick and
1:00:00filling. The church kitchen would never
1:00:03serve something like that, but it proved
1:00:05to be a huge hit with the trolls, and
1:00:07Carl could see the wistful looks that
1:00:09those further away were giving them.
1:00:11With the stone pile around the fire pit
1:00:14and the Naga warriors on guard, everyone
1:00:16settled in to sleep near the heat.
1:00:18Trolls were rather flammable, but they
1:00:21were also fond of being warm. It was a
1:00:23trade-off that had to be made for
1:00:25comfort.
1:00:26Carl's team paired up for warmth with
1:00:28Oilia and Tessa sharing while Lotus and
1:00:31Cara shared a sleeping bag. If anyone
1:00:34had noticed Cara leaving her space to
1:00:36join the little cleric, they hadn't said
1:00:38anything about it. It would solve their
1:00:41wandering lotus issues, as even if Lotus
1:00:43was eager to explore, Cara didn't like
1:00:46moving until morning, and she would keep
1:00:48the inquisitive one locked in place.
1:00:50There were dozens of merchant wagon
1:00:52caravans outside this small farming
1:00:54town, one of many along the main road.
1:00:57All with new cultures, stories, and
1:00:59experiences to share. But sleep was more
1:01:02important, and everyone was more
1:01:04interested in being well-rested for
1:01:05tomorrow's long day than staying up all
1:01:07night telling stories. A commotion just
1:01:11before dawn caused the Naga warriors to
1:01:13wake Carl and the others. They weren't
1:01:15at the edge of the camp, and it didn't
1:01:17sound like an imminent fight. But Carl
1:01:19got up and dressed anyhow, just to be
1:01:21safe. The commotion seemed to be a
1:01:24handful of humans with lizard men in
1:01:26tattered armor who had staggered into
1:01:28the camp covered in blood and fading
1:01:30fast. "Tessa, come lend a hand." "I
1:01:34think something attacked the merchants
1:01:35along the road." Carl whispered. By
1:01:39Tessa's estimation, attacked was an
1:01:41understatement.
1:01:43These few survivors were merchants
1:01:45guards, and they were all horribly
1:01:46maimed and barely hanging on to their
1:01:48lives when she began her healing work.
1:01:51It was more difficult than she was used
1:01:53to, as some were monsters out of favor
1:01:55with the dragon gods, but that was more
1:01:57in the nature of her not receiving the
1:01:59bonuses she was used to than the gods
1:02:01actively preventing her from healing
1:02:02them. The spells closed their wounds and
1:02:05stopped the internal bleeding, but most
1:02:07of these men would never work as caravan
1:02:09guards again.
1:02:11Some were missing limbs, one most of a
1:02:13hand in both eyes. But that didn't
1:02:16answer the question of what happened to
1:02:18them. They should be stable now. They
1:02:21might not be able to tell us much until
1:02:23they have calmed down, but there is a
1:02:25troll among them, and he will be fine in
1:02:27a few minutes. As long as his eyes heal
1:02:29properly, she explained. The half troll
1:02:33gave them a weak thumbs up and blinked
1:02:36his newly regenerated eyes. They will be
1:02:39fine now. I had to scoop them out so
1:02:42they would heal, right? And that takes
1:02:43time to grow back naturally. Everything
1:02:46was going well and we had cut around the
1:02:48city to bypass all the traffic and the
1:02:50road pirates exacting tolls to get to
1:02:52the gates. But there was some sort of
1:02:55massive battle going on in the middle of
1:02:56nowhere and they just attacked us
1:02:58without warning. Some massive orc
1:03:01calling himself Dora the destroyer
1:03:03annihilated our entire caravan. We fled
1:03:06and we were over 5 km from the main
1:03:09battle, but they still chased us down,
1:03:12he explained.
1:03:14So, it was the nomadic orc tribes
1:03:16fighting. One of the farmers asked. The
1:03:20merchant shook his head. They were
1:03:22there, but there are orcs, trolls,
1:03:24dragons, minotaur herds, and I swear I
1:03:27saw an entire Spellblade clan. It's
1:03:30hell. They're going to tear the whole
1:03:32region apart at that rate, and it's
1:03:34still spreading.
1:03:35I saw five more portals open as I
1:03:37crawled to safety. One of the humans
1:03:40laying near him laughed. You got lucky.
1:03:44We weren't even trying to get near the
1:03:46city. We were going cross country from
1:03:48the coast and got ambushed by a demon
1:03:50clan. Same thing. They just came out of
1:03:54nowhere and started killing everyone.
1:03:56Carl nodded. Whatever is going on there
1:03:59must have riled them up. I heard rumors
1:04:02in the city that it was a dungeon
1:04:04opening, but both orc tribes that I have
1:04:06met with this week were pretty
1:04:07reasonable. The survivors and the
1:04:10farmers all looked at Carl like he was
1:04:11insane. You met, as in stopped and spoke
1:04:15with the orc tribes, and you didn't get
1:04:17attacked. Carl nodded. Yeah, we traded
1:04:22fish with the yellow tusk orcs and then
1:04:24greeted the ones south of here as they
1:04:26passed by the highway. Neither one of
1:04:29those tribes was just randomly violent.
1:04:32Once I can see, but twice in a week and
1:04:36you're still here to tell us about it.
1:04:38Are you part orc or something? The troll
1:04:41asked, sniffing the air to try to
1:04:43determine what Carl was? They just
1:04:46admire his brand of insanity. He
1:04:49threatened to punch Chieftain World
1:04:50Smasher in the face if the orc didn't
1:04:52like his gift. Tessa joked. The farmers
1:04:56blinked slowly as they stared at Carl.
1:04:59You should have been the one telling the
1:05:01evening stories. It sounds like yours
1:05:03are far more wild than ours. How did you
1:05:06even find out his name in the first
1:05:07place? Carl shrugged. The scout told us.
1:05:13Then we had a chat and I explained that
1:05:15I had trade goods. It was all quite
1:05:18normal as far as trades with nomadic
1:05:20tribes goes. The farmers shook their
1:05:23heads in dismay. These few are what most
1:05:26villages look like when the nomadic
1:05:27tribes pass by. But then most of them
1:05:31don't have a good relationship with the
1:05:32trolls or the demon tribes. I just hope
1:05:36that nothing comes back this way
1:05:37tomorrow so that we can get our supplies
1:05:39to the city and go back home. The
1:05:42commotion had roused the closest few
1:05:43groups from their beds despite the early
1:05:46hour. and some of them were preparing to
1:05:48start on breakfast so they could eat a
1:05:49hot meal and still be among the first on
1:05:51the road when the sun was up enough for
1:05:53the oxen to see. "Do we have a big pot?"
1:05:57"I think that our two clerics might be
1:05:59able to help you out with some dragon
1:06:00cleric oatmeal for breakfast."
1:06:03Carl offered. "There is one in town for
1:06:06the poor. I will go get it." "You don't
1:06:09mind, do you, priestess?"
1:06:12one of the farmers asked. "Not at all.
1:06:16Feeding travelers is always good for the
1:06:18church, even if it's not the faithful.
1:06:21The troll chuckled. Well, we might not
1:06:24be the most faithful, but we're not
1:06:26giants to call the world dragon and his
1:06:28pantheon of allies our enemy. That made
1:06:31a number of the farmers laugh, and even
1:06:33the demons among the farmers smiled at
1:06:35his response. The lizard folk were
1:06:37somewhat torn between factions as they
1:06:40weren't quite dragon descended, but they
1:06:42also didn't consider themselves to be
1:06:43evolved from common beasts. Their
1:06:46history was somewhat murky, so they
1:06:48normally only followed the shamanistic
1:06:50gods. Either the shaman god of the
1:06:53titans and beasts or the green dragon,
1:06:55who wasn't actually a shaman god, but
1:06:57was in tune with the elements. It only
1:07:00took a few minutes before a troll was
1:07:02coming back with a pot nearly a meter
1:07:04around, as well as a number of friends
1:07:06carrying firewood. Corded muscles under
1:07:09blue trollish skin clashed with ivory
1:07:11tusks and silver accessories in the
1:07:13morning twilight as the trolls got to
1:07:14work setting up the breakfast pot. Cara
1:07:17had chased Lotus out of bed so that she
1:07:19could help Tessa with breakfast, and the
1:07:21little cleric was already hard at work
1:07:23rolling dough to make fresh flatbread to
1:07:25go with the oatmeal. The trolls had a
1:07:28wide variety of toppings for bread
1:07:30apparently as that was their usual
1:07:32morning travel ration on the road. So
1:07:35fresh baked instead of dried and then
1:07:37soaked in tea or oatmeal to make them
1:07:39edible would be more like home. Tessa
1:07:42casually filled the pot with oats and
1:07:44hot water as it had legs on the bottom
1:07:46so the fire could be built under it to
1:07:48bring everything to a boil. The bread
1:07:50was the hard part, but both Lotus and
1:07:52the farmers knew a great trick for
1:07:54breakfast. If you greased and heated a
1:07:57cast iron pan first, you could leave it
1:07:59sitting by the fire on the ring of fire
1:08:01pit rocks and just tossed the flattened
1:08:04dough on it to let it cook much faster
1:08:05than a regular loaf in an oven. With
1:08:08this many groups, they had a dozen
1:08:10suitable pans all around the pot by the
1:08:12time that Carl set fire to the first
1:08:14batch of wood and got the heat started.
1:08:17While they were happy to stack the
1:08:18firewood, everyone had been reluctant to
1:08:20actually light the fire, an instinctive
1:08:22aversion to the potential of a wound
1:08:24they couldn't properly regenerate.
1:08:27So Carl had taken care of it with
1:08:29flaming body, and the wood was crackling
1:08:31under the pot before an aging troll in a
1:08:33leather apron could even get in place to
1:08:35begin stirring the oatmeal. Carl was a
1:08:38bit concerned with what it would end up
1:08:40tasting like, as each farmer came by to
1:08:42add a small handful of berries or
1:08:44crushed nuts to the mix. There was no
1:08:47method to it other than they each added
1:08:49a bit of what they had. Then Lotus added
1:08:52ground cinnamon and nutmeg to the pot to
1:08:54give breakfast an inviting scent that
1:08:56drew all the remaining farmers and
1:08:57merchants out of bed to see who was
1:08:59torturing them so early in the morning.
1:09:02There is enough to go around and we've
1:09:04got flatbread cooking as well. Tessa
1:09:06informed the farmers who were giving the
1:09:08pot curious glances.
1:09:11From what Dana and the others could
1:09:12discern, this was their grand plan for
1:09:15making it safely out of the monster
1:09:16controlled territories.
1:09:18They were going to pretend to be
1:09:20merchants and make friends across the
1:09:22country, if possible. There would be no
1:09:25reason to hide if nobody was after them.
1:09:28There was a rapidly growing stack of
1:09:29flatbread on a small table by the pot,
1:09:32but with the magical assistance, and the
1:09:34water already hot when Tessa created it,
1:09:36the oatmeal wasn't going to take long,
1:09:38even in a cauldron that large.
1:09:40They were already developing a lineup
1:09:42and Tessa was becoming concerned that
1:09:44they might not have a big enough pot for
1:09:46everyone. But they would have to make do
1:09:48with what they had or boil another pot
1:09:50once this one ran low. They didn't have
1:09:53to hurry out this morning. They were
1:09:55going the opposite direction to everyone
1:09:56else. But if they did have to come back
1:09:59this way, a little goodwill would go a
1:10:01long way in ensuring that they could
1:10:03pass without trouble. If they were
1:10:05lucky, it might even start to build them
1:10:07a positive reputation if they did happen
1:10:09to come here again. They were still
1:10:12young and fast growing elites, so there
1:10:14was a chance that more official missions
1:10:16might send them outside the Golden
1:10:17Dragon Nation with the possibility that
1:10:19they might end up somewhere here in the
1:10:21New Bond Empire again. Carl was thinking
1:10:24that it might eventually be an official
1:10:26thing, as they did have good luck with
1:10:28foreign trips. But the others had a very
1:10:30different opinion on this particular
1:10:32side effect of hanging out with the man
1:10:34who had gathered too much attention from
1:10:36the gods. As a few of the monsters had
1:10:39mentioned, it was not only the world
1:10:41dragon that might have taken an interest
1:10:42in current events. There had been far
1:10:45too many strange coincidences, and the
1:10:47archbishop himself had said that the
1:10:49system stones they had encountered early
1:10:51in their travels might have been linked
1:10:52to the laughing god and not the world
1:10:54dragon. That ancient deity was a curious
1:10:58one. Nobody really knew what he was
1:11:00supposed to be the god of. But every
1:11:02ancient legend mentioned him as a
1:11:04trickster, a deity that granted your
1:11:06wildest desires in a way that you could
1:11:07never have anticipated.
1:11:09He was neither good nor evil. Unlike the
1:11:13world dragon, whose very existence
1:11:15brought stability and magic, the
1:11:16laughing god simply existed for his own
1:11:19amusement. That alone was enough to make
1:11:22his attention a dangerous thing. Even
1:11:24worse, there were rumors that the
1:11:26laughing god was not one of the dragon
1:11:28gods at all, but an ancient god
1:11:30lingering from the time of creation,
1:11:32even after the memory of most other
1:11:33primordial gods had faded. Something
1:11:36like the god of magic that Carl had been
1:11:38named after. The increase in traffic and
1:11:41resultant danger along the road caused
1:11:43the towns to send out their guards to
1:11:45patrol the main road that day. They were
1:11:48patrolling in groups of three, all
1:11:50heavily armed and armored. But compared
1:11:52to what the average merchant caravan had
1:11:54with them, it wasn't much security. For
1:11:57one, most of the merchants had strong
1:11:59commanders on guard. And for two, this
1:12:02was a nation full of monster species.
1:12:05Even the average farmer was ascended
1:12:06rank. The threat of bandit groups wasn't
1:12:09the only danger along the road. The
1:12:12merchants fought with the farmers. The
1:12:14farmers fought the merchants. The guards
1:12:16extorted the weak and everyone was on
1:12:18edge from the moment that Thor pulled
1:12:20the wagon out of town after breakfast.
1:12:23Compared to yesterday, this is a mess,
1:12:26Oilia muttered as they moved to avoid a
1:12:28fight between farmers who were both
1:12:30hauling the same root vegetables.
1:12:32I wonder what changed. Are they afraid
1:12:35that the price is going to go down and
1:12:37that they're being ordered to bring
1:12:38crops to the city at a massive discount?
1:12:41Carl pondered. That might be it. I think
1:12:45that some of it is just an excuse to air
1:12:47old grievances and take out their
1:12:49frustrations on people that they didn't
1:12:51like to begin with. They're not
1:12:53attacking everyone. It's targeted,"
1:12:56Oilia noted as she took a seat beside
1:12:58Carl on the front bench of the wagon.
1:13:01Dana was watching the back with her
1:13:02golems while the two clerics rested and
1:13:04played cards. There wasn't much else to
1:13:07do when you were in a wagon all day.
1:13:10With the traffic and the rough roads,
1:13:12they were unlikely to cover more than
1:13:14100 km a day. It was faster than
1:13:17walking, but not by as much as they had
1:13:19hoped. However, heading off into the
1:13:22wilderness would blow their cover, so
1:13:24they just had to bear with it until they
1:13:25got to the open roads. They could see
1:13:28the next village in sight when a group
1:13:30of locals in ill-fitting guard uniforms
1:13:32stepped out in front of them and
1:13:33motioned for Carl to pull off the road.
1:13:36There's a road tax to pay. 20% of cargo
1:13:40if you want to pass. The leader of the
1:13:42group demanded. Carl smiled back. How
1:13:47about you turn over the contents of your
1:13:48money pouch there and I let you live?
1:13:51The fake guards nervously gripped their
1:13:53weapons and Carl nudged the res. Thor
1:13:57earthquake, please. The ground trembled,
1:14:00causing the farmer who was closest to
1:14:02their group to pull his wagon to a stop
1:14:04as the guards lost their balance and
1:14:06fell to the ground. Keep it moving,
1:14:09Thor. I don't think that they're dumb
1:14:11enough to try anything. The farmer
1:14:14laughed as Thor simply trampled the fake
1:14:16guards and kept walking. Well, that's
1:14:20one way to deal with them. How did you
1:14:22know they weren't real town guards? The
1:14:25next wagon driver along the road asked.
1:14:28Mostly by the fact their uniforms didn't
1:14:30fit. Even a village should be able to
1:14:33come up with clothes that fit. But
1:14:35mostly I just wasn't going to give them
1:14:3720% of my cargo. This village is like 30
1:14:41people, including the children. I can
1:14:44give them a discount, but it would take
1:14:46Titans-sized brass coons to demand my
1:14:48freight. The merchant laughed, and his
1:14:51whip-like tail thumped the seat beside
1:14:53him in amusement. Have a safe trip
1:14:56north. There isn't much behind me, but
1:14:59more farmers. The number that they
1:15:01called to the city is insane. It's good
1:15:04that you got out when you did. If I
1:15:07didn't have a purchase contract for this
1:15:08load, I wouldn't even consider going
1:15:10there this week or perhaps for the rest
1:15:12of this year. Carl gave him a sloppy
1:15:15salute, fingers to forehead, not the
1:15:17fistto chest golden dragon nation
1:15:19military salute. The driver nodded and
1:15:22made a hand gesture meant to resemble
1:15:24the head of the fox god, one of the
1:15:26demon gods of trickery and merchants.
1:15:29They continued on past the village,
1:15:31after which the traffic began to slow.
1:15:34With a day of warning, most of those who
1:15:36were going to travel were already on the
1:15:38road, and those closer to Oakamping
1:15:40wouldn't have come south at all, as it
1:15:42was a major city and presumably also
1:15:44preparing for whatever was going on,
1:15:46including the dungeon opening. If the
1:15:48issue was the dungeon, or more
1:15:50correctly, all the new arrivals that
1:15:52were coming to check it out, they would
1:15:54also be in danger. Once there was no
1:15:57more traffic coming south, Thor picked
1:15:59up the pace a little. They would still
1:16:02not cover much more than a 100
1:16:03kilometers in a day, but the wagon ride
1:16:05was too bumpy to be traveling much
1:16:07faster. The only real advantage was that
1:16:10they didn't have to be worried about
1:16:12being bogged down in the mud if it
1:16:13started to rain. Even if they were
1:16:16dragging the belly of the wagon like a
1:16:17sled, Thor would still be able to keep
1:16:19up the same walking pace. Most of the
1:16:22farmers used oxen to pull the wagon, and
1:16:25while they were powerful beasts, they
1:16:27were a quarter of Thor's size. The Sarah
1:16:30was nearly as large as the wagon he was
1:16:32pulling, and that was without combat
1:16:34buffs. But the roads were dry, even if
1:16:37they were heavily rutdded from the
1:16:38traffic last time it had rained. The
1:16:41area around the road was slowly changing
1:16:43as they went north. Carl could feel it,
1:16:45even if it didn't look any different.
1:16:48There was a scent in the air, a feeling
1:16:50that wasn't the same as it was further
1:16:52south. It wasn't something that could
1:16:54easily be placed, but as they continued
1:16:56to travel, Carl began to understand what
1:16:58was happening. Monsters left a scent on
1:17:01their territory, a lingering something
1:17:03that marked the land as theirs. Beasts
1:17:06could sense another beast's territory by
1:17:08the scent of its patrol routes, but this
1:17:10was different. more of a lingering
1:17:12feeling of magic similar to what a
1:17:14temple or cathedral had, but primal and
1:17:16somewhat sinister. The lizard men became
1:17:19more scarce as the day wore on, replaced
1:17:21by an increase in the trolls and the
1:17:23presence of minotaurs, which had been
1:17:25nearly non-existent to the south. That
1:17:28change helped Carl understand the
1:17:30change. It was not so much a physical
1:17:33thing, but a change in the population.
1:17:36Even more than the territories of the
1:17:37beasts, the territories of the monsters
1:17:39had a feel to them, and Carl could tell
1:17:42that he wasn't the only one that had
1:17:43noticed so far. Dana and the clerics
1:17:46hadn't, but Thor had, and Oilia might
1:17:49have, as she looked a bit more uneasy
1:17:51than the situation called for. But as
1:17:54unwelcoming as the territory itself
1:17:56felt, the Minotaur locals that they
1:17:58passed were no more hostile than the
1:18:00trolls and mostly just watched the
1:18:02merchant caravan to ensure that Carl's
1:18:04team didn't intend to attack them or
1:18:05swerve in front of their carts. However,
1:18:08with the change in species, the power
1:18:10level of the region was growing as well,
1:18:12and it wasn't uncommon to see commanders
1:18:14among the common workers. That could
1:18:17turn out to be a problem later because
1:18:19commander rank farmers meant they would
1:18:21most likely have monarch rank guard
1:18:22captains and enforcers in the next city.
1:18:25The Minotaur tribes reminded Carl a lot
1:18:28of the orcs in a way. He was using
1:18:31brutality to increase his size and
1:18:33keeping his face covered with a bandana,
1:18:35which was mostly to keep the dust down.
1:18:38Between that and the hood of the coat
1:18:40that Ry had made him, it was good enough
1:18:42that he didn't need to wear a mask while
1:18:44traveling and he wouldn't risk being
1:18:46identified. He wasn't all that worried
1:18:48about being called a human. He had
1:18:50realized that was unlikely to be an
1:18:52issue with the group that they had. But
1:18:54being personally identified was still an
1:18:57issue if there was someone looking into
1:18:58the dungeon opening. The increased size
1:19:02actually seemed to set the monsters more
1:19:03at ease than his normal human size had.
1:19:07It was as if by being visibly inhuman in
1:19:09some way, he was more like them. Now, if
1:19:13he took the mask off and they mistook
1:19:15him for a giant or an ogre, there might
1:19:17be issues, as the giant clans did not
1:19:19get along well with the rest of the
1:19:21monsters.
1:19:22Unfortunately, they didn't have a
1:19:24disguise spell that could help him with
1:19:26that. If I had more materials, we could
1:19:29dye you a new color, too. I don't think
1:19:32that an ash black like Thor would work.
1:19:35I am pretty sure that both humans and
1:19:37giants come in that color, but if we
1:19:39could make you blue or green, that would
1:19:41work. The trolls and orcs are both good
1:19:44people, and it wouldn't be bad to look
1:19:46like them," Remy suggested. "Well, if
1:19:50you happen to come across the rest of
1:19:52the ingredients, I will consider it."
1:19:54"For now, I will just keep the bandana
1:19:57up." Remy had made him a halfozen mask
1:20:00prototypes so far. But she wasn't happy
1:20:02with any of them, so they had all been
1:20:04scrapped. And now she was trying to get
1:20:06inspiration for another while she looked
1:20:08for the ingredients to make a different
1:20:10colored version of the shadow branch
1:20:11paste. Evening still hadn't taken them
1:20:14to oak camping, but it did take them to
1:20:16another small farming village full of
1:20:18trolls and minotaur. Do you think that
1:20:21you can milk a minotaur?
1:20:23How far down are they bull? Do you think
1:20:25that you can polish their horns like
1:20:27troll tusks and make them shiny? I have
1:20:30so many questions. Cara was rambling in
1:20:33Carl's mind as they settled in for the
1:20:35evening. I don't know any of those
1:20:38questions and I don't want to know most
1:20:40of them, but I'm pretty sure that you
1:20:42could polish the horns to be shiny. See
1:20:45that one on the left of the gate? There
1:20:48is a bit of damage on the horn where it
1:20:49hit something and it's slightly shiny.
1:20:52So if you polish them, they should buff
1:20:54up. That was enough to sate her
1:20:57curiosity as the clerics got ready for
1:20:59the evening's public relations work.
1:21:02They had made an entire bulk bag full of
1:21:04rice and beans, and now it was up to
1:21:06Carl to find out if anyone wanted to
1:21:08join them. He parked Thor between the
1:21:10few other merchant wagons and the
1:21:12village's low stone wall. The guards
1:21:15watched him, but didn't really care as
1:21:17his group wasn't doing anything
1:21:19threatening. It was only when he
1:21:21approached that they were on alert.
1:21:24Gates are closed for the night. The
1:21:26guard informed him bruskly. That's all
1:21:29right. I have a dragon cleric with me
1:21:32who is making an evening stew. And it is
1:21:34their custom to invite anyone who is
1:21:36hungry to join them. So if there are
1:21:38other guards or someone else in town who
1:21:40could use a meal, let me know. I will
1:21:43leave you to it and go talk to the other
1:21:45merchants now. Carl replied with a
1:21:48shrug. He made a loop, quietly informing
1:21:51them that the dragon priestess would
1:21:53have dinner if they wanted some. The
1:21:55merchants had all eaten already, as Carl
1:21:58stopped later in the day than most, but
1:22:00they came over to socialize anyhow. It
1:22:03was good to hear the stories of the road
1:22:05from fellow merchants, and these were
1:22:06actual merchants far from home, not
1:22:09farmers, called in to supply the city.
1:22:12The road has been rough these last few
1:22:14days. All the big bosses are off to do
1:22:17something important, and the stupid ones
1:22:19are trying to test their luck while the
1:22:20overlords are away. One of the minotaur
1:22:23merchants began as his assistant poured
1:22:25a potent smelling cream liquor into a
1:22:27mug. A few of the others nodded. The
1:22:31entire town council in Oakamping is
1:22:33gone. They used the portal array in the
1:22:36city to go somewhere, but they didn't
1:22:38tell anyone where. They just grabbed a
1:22:41bunch of city guards and left right in
1:22:43the middle of market day.
1:22:44Are you all headed south? Carl asked.
1:22:49Yeah, you came from that way. Is it the
1:22:52same at Halering?
1:22:54Carl shook his head. It's much stranger.
1:22:58They've called for every farmer they can
1:23:00get in contact with to stock the city
1:23:01with food. But there was also a huge
1:23:04battle west of the highway and talk of a
1:23:07possible dungeon. I don't know how much
1:23:09of the rumors are true, but there is
1:23:11definitely a big fight going on. We saw
1:23:14that much ourselves and there are at
1:23:15least two orc tribes plus every combat
1:23:18capable troll from Halering.
1:23:20That doesn't sound good at all. It might
1:23:23be all over before we get there, but if
1:23:25they've called so many people to the
1:23:27city, how are we going to make a profit?
1:23:30We've had some of these goods too long
1:23:32already. It might not be food, but we
1:23:35can't just lug them around the country
1:23:36all spring without a plan. The minur
1:23:39with the strange liquor side. Tessa
1:23:42smiled as she looked at the city walls
1:23:44and saw a number of small faces hiding
1:23:46behind the stones. She added more of the
1:23:49mix to her largest pot and topped it off
1:23:51with hot water preparing for guests. The
1:23:54merchants chuckled. Every village is
1:23:57filled with urchins, the dregs who have
1:23:59lost their families in battle or to the
1:24:01wild. I suppose having a dragon cleric
1:24:05around might actually make things safer.
1:24:07Carl smiled as he realized what they
1:24:10meant. The street kids would steal food
1:24:12or coins if you weren't careful. But
1:24:14Tessa was going to feed them tonight, so
1:24:16they would be a bit less desperate and
1:24:18hungry. They might still try, but they
1:24:21wouldn't be driven by that life or death
1:24:23instinct when their belly was full. They
1:24:26just had to sneak past the guards, whose
1:24:28job it was to keep them from wandering
1:24:30out and causing trouble. That was easy
1:24:32enough. There were only two on guard at
1:24:35the gate, and they were pretending that
1:24:36they didn't see anything.
1:24:38So when the food was ready a half hour
1:24:41later, nearly a dozen kids and two
1:24:43offduty guards came out to join the
1:24:45circle of merchants around the campfire.
1:24:47They had all brought bowls and spoons
1:24:49with them, understanding the process.
1:24:52This pot wasn't as huge as the one that
1:24:54the last night stop had brought out, but
1:24:56for their travel group, it was already
1:24:58hugely oversized.
1:25:00There were a few servings left when the
1:25:02last of the bowls were filled. And Tessa
1:25:04smiled in satisfaction as she moved the
1:25:06pot off the heat. "Have there been many
1:25:09attacks north of here?" "We're near the
1:25:12edge of Minotaur territory here, and I
1:25:14haven't been this way recently?" Carl
1:25:17asked. The minur looked startled when
1:25:20Carl said that, but he just shrugged.
1:25:22"Nothing too close, but once you get
1:25:25past Oamping, things are never all that
1:25:27good. The towns are getting smaller
1:25:30every year with the people all moving to
1:25:32the city unless they're farming. But I
1:25:34hear that there have been strange
1:25:36appearances away from the highway.
1:25:38Monsters that don't belong, ones that
1:25:40attack anyone they see," the minur
1:25:43explained, taking on a storytelling
1:25:45tone. One of the others scoffed. "It's
1:25:49not just a tale. We ran into a group of
1:25:52hill giants. Damned hill giants 2,000 km
1:25:56from their territory just two weeks ago
1:25:59northwest of here. Something strange is
1:26:02going on. They didn't even answer when
1:26:04we tried to talk to them. They just
1:26:06attacked.
1:26:08That sounded familiar to Carl and the
1:26:10others, but apparently it wasn't a thing
1:26:12that normally happened here. Once
1:26:14everyone had returned to their homes or
1:26:16beds for the evening, Carl settled in to
1:26:18meditate and work on combining skills.
1:26:21If he could get skill master to rank
1:26:24three, he would be able to upgrade
1:26:26monster skills by a tier, making more
1:26:28powerful versions of the base skills.
1:26:31So, if he had combined skills that were
1:26:33already more powerful than what the
1:26:35monsters had begun with, the upgrade to
1:26:37skill master would become even more
1:26:39impressive. There was also hope that one
1:26:41of the others would get a skill to
1:26:43monarch rank soon as well.
1:26:45Cara had begun with disintegrate a rank
1:26:47above herself. But Ray and Hawk had
1:26:50skills advanced well before their body
1:26:51did. If they could do the same again, it
1:26:54would give everyone an extra level of
1:26:56safety against attacks.
1:26:58So dealing with stronger attackers
1:27:00became Carl's priority for the evening.
1:27:03An effective combat skill that would
1:27:05allow the beasts to eliminate threats at
1:27:07the monarch rank before they made it
1:27:09there themselves. The problem was that
1:27:12they all used different skills. Unless
1:27:14one of them advanced a skill on their
1:27:16own, he would have to choose who would
1:27:18be the one that got the attention. Cara
1:27:21understood that she was at the bottom of
1:27:22that list, as she was not only the
1:27:24youngest sister, but she was also the
1:27:26only one that already had a monarch rank
1:27:28skill, so she could somewhat take care
1:27:30of herself. Oldest to youngest would be
1:27:33the way that Carl tried this time. Hawk
1:27:36and Thor hadn't had new skills in a
1:27:38while, and Thor had gained most of his
1:27:40through hard work and not a deliberately
1:27:41concocted resource.
1:27:44But that was the easiest way to gain new
1:27:46skills, assuming that Carl could find
1:27:48the materials.
1:27:49Is there anything in particular that you
1:27:51want? Carl asked Hawk as he tried to
1:27:54uncover some secret to combining skills.
1:27:57We haven't seen cool new skills in a
1:27:59while. We need to look for new creatures
1:28:02to fight. Hawk side. That might not be
1:28:06an option for some time as they were
1:28:08trying to avoid fighting as they
1:28:09pretended to be merchants and they had
1:28:11already gone through the dungeon that
1:28:13they had come here to find. It hadn't
1:28:15given them any new ideas as the slimes
1:28:18were just mimicking their appearance.
1:28:20What if you learn trollish regeneration
1:28:22from your skill tree and combine that
1:28:24with eternal lightning? Hawk suggested
1:28:28for faster regeneration while the
1:28:30barrier is up. That's not a terrible
1:28:32idea. They'll both be skills that I can
1:28:35use, so I'll at least have the chance.
1:28:38Do that then. You have enough points,
1:28:41right? Carl checked his status.
1:28:45Skill points 31. He had enough. In fact,
1:28:50if he had to, he had enough to get
1:28:52barrier or refresh as well. He had
1:28:56skipped almost all of the defensive tree
1:28:58because he had Thor and the clerics with
1:29:00him. But at some point in the future,
1:29:02those core skills might become the basis
1:29:04for new abilities. He also wouldn't be
1:29:07able to see what the tier four defensive
1:29:09options were until he unlocked them. And
1:29:11following the logic that it would
1:29:12include a skill that was better than
1:29:14trollish regeneration, it would make
1:29:16Thor a very happy SEO. Trollish
1:29:19regeneration learned. He also wouldn't
1:29:22be able to see what the tier four
1:29:24defensive options were until he unlocked
1:29:26them. And following the logic that it
1:29:27would include a skill that was better
1:29:29than trollish regeneration, it would
1:29:31make Thor a very happy Sero. Trollish
1:29:34regeneration learned. Remaining skill
1:29:37points 11. Merger available. Success
1:29:41rate 100%.
1:29:43Carl stared at the information on his
1:29:45status screen. He hadn't expected that
1:29:48there would be something that was
1:29:49guaranteed to mix with trollish
1:29:51regeneration
1:29:53details.
1:29:54Carl tried unsure what the command was
1:29:57to look at the option before he chose
1:29:59yes or no. Merged skill void body
1:30:03limited invulnerability and trollish
1:30:05regeneration may be combined to create
1:30:07the epic ranked skill void body. Void
1:30:11body ignores all attacks under 10% of
1:30:14total health and regenerates 5% of total
1:30:16health per second. Severed body parts
1:30:19may be transformed to void energy that
1:30:21may be merged with the main body to
1:30:23speed regeneration.
1:30:25So it was basically the same effect as
1:30:27the two skills individually, but if he
1:30:29lost an arm again, it would just turn to
1:30:32energy and grow back. No need for Lotus
1:30:35to practice her embroidery skills on him
1:30:37again. Carl rubbed his forearm where it
1:30:40had been reattached.
1:30:42That arm still felt slightly different
1:30:44from the other one, even if the doctors
1:30:46had assured him that it was all in his
1:30:47head and the cleansing spells had purged
1:30:49the taint of frost giant blood from his
1:30:51body. Skill void body learned. Shared
1:30:56skill void body gained by Cara.
1:31:00Additional group members able to learn
1:31:02void body. Dana Oilia.
1:31:05Carl smiled as he read through the
1:31:07message.
1:31:08Perhaps tomorrow while they were
1:31:10driving, he would try to make them a
1:31:12book to learn the skill. That wouldn't
1:31:14be too hard. Materials needed. 1 milll
1:31:18totem rank void element blood. Three
1:31:20void stones over 6 g each ground onxic
1:31:23sand. 10 ml overlord rank troll blood.
1:31:27Or maybe it would. Why was that skill so
1:31:31much more ridiculously difficult to turn
1:31:33into a book than anything else that he
1:31:34had made? First off, a totem rank void
1:31:38element beast probably didn't exist on
1:31:40this continent. And secondly, void
1:31:42stones and most other elemental stones
1:31:44were normally tiny. Finding ones over 6
1:31:48g was ridiculous, like asking for a 30
1:31:51karat diamond. Hawk laughed. I guess
1:31:54that you won't be making that book for
1:31:56anyone else. But can you use it on us?
1:32:00Carl focused on spreading the passive
1:32:02skill and mentally frowned at the bird.
1:32:05No, it will only work for myself and
1:32:07Cara, at least for now. I can use the
1:32:11passive skill of trollish regeneration
1:32:13on you all, but not the new skill and
1:32:15not limited in vulnerability.
1:32:18Hawk shrugged and pulled a feather that
1:32:19was bothering him. It immediately grew
1:32:22back in its proper position, and he
1:32:24chirped happily. Trollish regeneration
1:32:27was going to be a true pleasure for
1:32:28Pining, as he could pluck any feather he
1:32:31was dissatisfied with and get a new one
1:32:33instantly. Can our clerics have trollish
1:32:36regeneration?
1:32:37Cara asked curiously.
1:32:40Carl quickly checked the requirements
1:32:42for the trollish regeneration skill.
1:32:44Nope, just the beasts. Two of them might
1:32:48be able to learn the new skill, but
1:32:50trollish regeneration is just for us so
1:32:52far. Like with refreshing lightning, I
1:32:55might have to learn how to share it with
1:32:56the whole group. Ooh. Ooh. When you
1:32:59learn to use it on them, will it make
1:33:01all their hair grow back? I know that
1:33:04they like to cut it off with a blade.
1:33:06Cara giggled. Carl didn't have the
1:33:09answer to that. If the trolls cut their
1:33:12hair short, it grew normally, but if
1:33:14they ripped it out, it returned at a
1:33:16much longer length. Applying it now
1:33:19shouldn't cause their hair to rapidly
1:33:20grow. It hadn't changed Carl's as far as
1:33:24he could tell. I think that they will be
1:33:26fine. If we do learn to share the skill,
1:33:29we might want to warn them before they
1:33:31shave, though.
1:33:33If they shave everything and it
1:33:35immediately grows to full length, they
1:33:37will not be happy. Carl replied, trying
1:33:40not to laugh out loud while everyone was
1:33:42in bed. Dana had just fallen asleep, and
1:33:45as eager as he was to tell everyone
1:33:47about the new skill, there was no need
1:33:49to do it right now. So, Carl doublech
1:33:52checked that the Naga warriors and the
1:33:54golems were on duty and let his mind go
1:33:56blank. Much to Cara's dismay, there were
1:33:59new developments, and she needed
1:34:01answers.
1:34:02But Carl was ignoring her, so she would
1:34:04have to wait. After they got up in the
1:34:07morning, the road began to take them
1:34:09northeast along the bank of a large
1:34:11river. Oak Camping, the next major city
1:34:14on the route, was built along the bank
1:34:16so that they could have plenty of fresh
1:34:18water, but Carl did wonder if they had
1:34:20problems with spring floods. The road
1:34:22itself was in rough shape, but it showed
1:34:25signs of having been groomed. There were
1:34:27drag marks where something large,
1:34:29perhaps a group of logs had been pulled
1:34:31along the muddy road surface to flatten
1:34:34it. The traffic was light and the fields
1:34:36were busier with more livestock and
1:34:38fewer pulse crops. It made the area feel
1:34:42more alive, even if the ambiencece still
1:34:44felt somewhat unwelcoming to Carl. There
1:34:47was no good reason for it that he could
1:34:49tell. The people were kind enough and
1:34:51happy to see him, but he got the feeling
1:34:53that the land itself was rejecting him.
1:34:56The city of Oamping was impossible to
1:34:58miss. Unlike Hal Seiring, it was a
1:35:01stonewalled fortress city designed as an
1:35:04eight-ointed star fort on a hill beside
1:35:06the river. Being 20 m over the
1:35:09riverbank, plus 10 m walls, Carl could
1:35:12see it from a dozen km away, and Hawk
1:35:14had been giving him updates all morning
1:35:16while avoiding getting too close, as the
1:35:19town had huge crossbows on the walls
1:35:20equipped with magical bolts. When they
1:35:23got a few kilometers away, Hawk returned
1:35:26to his space, and Carl led Thor into the
1:35:28lineup to get into the gates. There was
1:35:30a massive rock troll in an ornate guard
1:35:33uniform filling water skins for
1:35:34travelers and asking questions. "What
1:35:37are you importing?" he asked, ready to
1:35:40make a note on the sheet attached to his
1:35:42clipboard. "We've got an assortment of
1:35:44tools from House Searing." The troll
1:35:47nodded. "Anything else in the wagon?" a
1:35:51barrel of rum and one of cooking oil.
1:35:54That's also going to be up for sale if
1:35:56we find a buyer. The troll whistled and
1:35:58raised his hand, which brought over a
1:36:00smaller troll with deep red skin and
1:36:02highly polished tusks that had golden
1:36:04bells hung from them. Carl almost
1:36:07mistook him for a jester. Then he
1:36:09realized that it was the troll version
1:36:10of a nobleman's outfit. Yes, guard
1:36:14captain. The troll asked, "Check this
1:36:17wagon. They've got good stuff to sell.
1:36:20the big troll explained. The troll noble
1:36:24gave Carl an appraising glance,
1:36:26estimating his power level and wealth.
1:36:28His outfit was naturally mostly made
1:36:30with an epic grade skill, but the coat
1:36:33was royal rank silk. That caught the
1:36:36noble's attention. Then he noticed the
1:36:38inner lining of the wagon's cover, which
1:36:40had also been made by Ry. That was
1:36:42enough for his trained glance to know
1:36:44that Carl was no average merchant, no
1:36:46matter how cheap the good he was selling
1:36:48were. In fact, with the two royal rank
1:36:51Naga warriors guarding the clerics and
1:36:53their personal guards, it didn't take a
1:36:55genius to know that Carl was more likely
1:36:57to be a mercenary than a merchant. That
1:37:00didn't matter to him. What mattered was
1:37:02that they might have items that the city
1:37:04was short on, which could be sold at an
1:37:06unusual markup. Tessa pulled back the
1:37:09cover on the tools for the troll to
1:37:10check, and he smiled in satisfaction.
1:37:13The tools all appear to be good quality.
1:37:16How is the oil and liquor? he asked.
1:37:20Lotus grew a pair of sticks with a small
1:37:22scoop on the end and popped the bungs on
1:37:24the kegs to dip a small sample. The
1:37:27noble appraised the oil carefully by
1:37:30smell, taste, and then by shining a
1:37:33glowing stone through it. Carl wasn't
1:37:36sure what that tested, but he seemed
1:37:37satisfied. The sip of rum made him
1:37:40weeze, and the guard laughed. It must be
1:37:43the good stuff. He joked. The noble
1:37:47gasped and handed back the spoon, which
1:37:50Lotus dipped for him. The troll sipped
1:37:52the rum and smiled. "I don't think this
1:37:55is quite fit for the average nobleman's
1:37:57pallet, but I will buy the whole barrel
1:38:00from you right now. I can give you 12
1:38:03silver coins and a trusted merchant
1:38:05trade token for it." Carl saw at the
1:38:08edge of his vision that the merchants in
1:38:09line on either side of him looked
1:38:11envious, so the price was either above
1:38:13average or the trade token was worth the
1:38:15loss.
1:38:16All right, I will take that deal. Let me
1:38:19know when you've got someone to grab it.
1:38:22Carl agreed. The troll just smiled and
1:38:25handed Carl a fistful of coins and a
1:38:27wooden token on a leather necklace. The
1:38:30nobleman was wearing an identical token,
1:38:32so it wasn't something that was traded,
1:38:34but one that you kept with you to
1:38:36signify that you were trustworthy to
1:38:37trade with. The godily dressed noble
1:38:40finally caught his breath as the big
1:38:42guard grabbed the barrel of rum and
1:38:44slung it over his shoulder.
1:38:46The guard captain motioned for someone
1:38:47to come take over his water distribution
1:38:49and questioning duty before opening the
1:38:51bung and pouring himself a whole
1:38:53mouthful of rum directly from the
1:38:54barrel. He was a big troll, but it was
1:38:58still comical to see him drink directly
1:39:00from a barrel. The replacement just
1:39:02shook his head as the guard walked away
1:39:04and checked the notes that have been
1:39:06left behind. You have tools to sell and
1:39:09Mr. James is here to purchase them. All
1:39:12right. If you finish the sale, let me
1:39:15know. If you don't need a sales spot in
1:39:18the market, you can skip the line, he
1:39:21explained.
1:39:22The troll noble that had been identified
1:39:24as Mr. James took out a notepad and made
1:39:26marks as he counted the tools. I will
1:39:29give you four gold, six silver. That's
1:39:32as high as I can go, even with your new
1:39:35trusted trader token. That was more than
1:39:38they had paid. Carl was fairly certain.
1:39:41You have a deal. Did you want a ride
1:39:44back into town? We can drop these goods
1:39:46at your shop before I go looking to
1:39:48restock for the next leg of the trip.
1:39:51That would be excellent. My shop is near
1:39:54the gates, the James Morantile store.
1:39:57Carl pulled out of line and gestured to
1:39:59the guard that they were headed in. He
1:40:02just waved for them to go and Carl made
1:40:04his way to the front of the line with
1:40:06the merchant on the other side of the
1:40:07driver's bench at the front of the
1:40:09wagon. The Naga warriors were getting
1:40:11strange looks again. But at least it
1:40:13wasn't lustful lizard folk this time,
1:40:15just curious trolls wondering why they
1:40:17were so far from home. The interior of
1:40:20the star fort designed city was a direct
1:40:22contrast to the masterful stonework of
1:40:24the walls. Everything was dirt roads,
1:40:27crude wood, and thatch or field stone
1:40:30buildings with shale and slate roofs.
1:40:33Perhaps the trolls hadn't made this
1:40:34place, but had only taken it over at
1:40:36some point. They should have the
1:40:39technology to make it, though. The
1:40:41quality of the tools that Carl had
1:40:43brought to them was good, and it wasn't
1:40:45that hard to cut square blocks. They
1:40:48just hadn't, for whatever reason. This
1:40:51entire country was strange. But this
1:40:53mystery really made Carl wonder what
1:40:55sort of history the city had. They
1:40:57stopped at a decently built stone shop
1:40:59near the gates, and the noble called out
1:41:02a group of servants to collect his
1:41:03purchases. It was only one load for the
1:41:06burly troll, and the well-dressed man
1:41:08vanished inside with one last polite nod
1:41:11towards Carl. He seemed to be in a hurry
1:41:13to be out of sight, but that might have
1:41:15been because he was overdressed for this
1:41:17part of town, and he wasn't wearing
1:41:19armor. As strange and rundown as this
1:41:22city was, they did need some sort of
1:41:24trade goods to take along the road with
1:41:26them. They could keep just doing
1:41:28donations to the needy, but that was
1:41:30more of a church mission, and it would
1:41:32seem odd for a powerful merchant to go
1:41:34along with it. The options in the city
1:41:36weren't great, and most of the vendors
1:41:38goods made the ramshackle stalls look
1:41:40like they were decent quality. But as
1:41:43Carl led Thor through the street, they
1:41:45were encountering more of the original
1:41:46stone buildings, which were far too
1:41:48large for the trolls. It might have been
1:41:51Minotaurs, but Carl suspected that this
1:41:53was actually a giant built city. The
1:41:56doorways were close to 7 m in most of
1:41:58the buildings, and the trolls rarely got
1:42:01over 4 m. The minotaurs weren't any
1:42:04taller if you didn't count their horns,
1:42:06but they seemed to have much more of a
1:42:08fondness for grandeur. That might
1:42:10explain the state that the city was in.
1:42:13If the trolls had recently taken it
1:42:15over, they might have never had the
1:42:17building skills to maintain it, and the
1:42:19majority of the city might have been
1:42:20destroyed during the battle. It was a
1:42:23long way from the borders that the giant
1:42:24nations held. But the stone of the
1:42:26surviving buildings held signs of
1:42:28long-forgotten battles and showed
1:42:30centuries of wear to the point that the
1:42:32walls had a line worn in them from
1:42:33pedestrians shoulders rubbing against
1:42:35them. Once the city was looking more
1:42:38civilized, Carl led Thor towards one of
1:42:40the market areas. With some luck, they
1:42:43would be able to buy enough goods to
1:42:45keep up pretenses as merchants. None of
1:42:48them were eager to stay any longer than
1:42:50they had to in the city. So, they were
1:42:52all keeping their eyes open for anything
1:42:53promising.
1:42:55However, there was nothing worth buying,
1:42:57even if the price was low. "Why don't we
1:43:00leave and you can sell what me and Remy
1:43:02make instead?" Rey suggested. "Remy?
1:43:07What is Remy making?" Carl asked,
1:43:10checking her space where the Naga Queen
1:43:12was mixing plant products into various
1:43:14clay containers that Hawk was drying
1:43:16with his fire for her. She was trying to
1:43:19make new disguise pasts for you, but
1:43:21they're not working out right. She's got
1:43:24a number of moisturizing lotions, some
1:43:26makeup, an anti-aging cream of
1:43:28questionable ability, and a painkiller.
1:43:31Rey joked. I'm close to getting another
1:43:34color right. We're just short on plants
1:43:37because we picked them based on what was
1:43:39pretty or tasty, not on what had the
1:43:41best compatibility to make stuff. Remy
1:43:44complained.
1:43:46Carl turned to talk to the ladies in the
1:43:48wagon. How about we get out of here? Rey
1:43:52has agreed to help us with some trade
1:43:53goods for our next stop. I don't think
1:43:56that there will be much here that will
1:43:57be worth buying, he whispered. Oilia and
1:44:02Dana both nodded as they watched the
1:44:03crowd out of opposite ends of the wagon.
1:44:06Carl thought about the flow of traffic
1:44:08in the city and turned Thor north down a
1:44:10main street. That should take them to
1:44:13the north gates, assuming there were
1:44:14north gates. Leaving empty wasn't
1:44:17optimal, but they could claim that they
1:44:19had an arrangement to pick something up
1:44:21a few days down the road. It would also
1:44:23give them more room to sleep in the
1:44:25wagon. The trolls were busy at work,
1:44:28ignoring Carl and his team, except to
1:44:30move out of the way of the massive Sarah
1:44:32as Thor pushed through the crowds. The
1:44:35north gates were only partially open,
1:44:37just a man door, not large enough for
1:44:39Thor or the wagon. Pardon? Can we get
1:44:42the gate opened? I need to head north.
1:44:46Carl asked the guards. The pair of rock
1:44:49trolls turned to stare at him. Taxes are
1:44:52due on exports.
1:44:54The grayskinned creature insisted. We
1:44:57didn't buy anything today, just sold our
1:45:00tool shipment. The troll stared into the
1:45:03wagon, then smiled. We will take one of
1:45:06the women instead. Carl shifted so they
1:45:09could see his trusted merchant token in
1:45:11case it made a difference. They didn't
1:45:14seem to care, and Carl took a glance at
1:45:16the wooden gates, which had no visible
1:45:18enchantments on them. That's not going
1:45:21to happen. Now, are you opening the
1:45:24door, or is this going to get messy?
1:45:26They were starting to gather a crowd,
1:45:28and Dana prepared for an attack from
1:45:30behind. They hadn't been warned by any
1:45:33of the other merchants about this city,
1:45:35but perhaps everyone had assumed they
1:45:37knew the process. Perhaps they just
1:45:39needed to bribe the guards. But going by
1:45:42the angry looks on their faces, that
1:45:44wasn't going to be an option anymore.
1:45:46You're not even a troll, but you think
1:45:48that you get to leave here for free?"
1:45:51The guard laughed. Carl ignored the
1:45:53taunting and turned to the overdressed
1:45:55troll closest to the steps of his wagon.
1:45:58How mad would you be if I broke the door
1:46:00on my way out? He asked. The troll noble
1:46:04laughed. If you think that you can get
1:46:07past them, nobody will mind about the
1:46:09door. Loki, remember? Oilia whispered as
1:46:13Carl stood up on the front of the wagon.
1:46:16Carl hopped forward to walk down Thor's
1:46:18back before stepping to the ground in
1:46:20front of him and looking up at the
1:46:21guards. They were just smirking at him,
1:46:24confident that he would give up one of
1:46:26his passengers or crew for them to sell.
1:46:29Faster than the troll could follow.
1:46:31Carl's mall was out and swinging. Five
1:46:34stacks of bone crusher collided with the
1:46:36massive monster's chest, and the air was
1:46:39filled with the sound of shattering
1:46:40bones and splintering wood as he was
1:46:42sent through the closed gate. Carl
1:46:44turned to the other guard who had frozen
1:46:46in shock. Looks like the gate is open
1:46:49now. No need for a fee to open it. Thor,
1:46:54let's go. I have no more patience for
1:46:57stupidity today. Carl expected
1:47:00something. Some response, whether it was
1:47:03anger, fear, or outrage at his actions.
1:47:06But the trolls just stood there as Thor
1:47:08walked out the gate with the wagon and
1:47:10the puddle of troll in the wreckage of
1:47:11the gate began to heal and reform its
1:47:13bones. The gate guards were big, but
1:47:16only Commander Rank. However, Carl could
1:47:20sense that there were more powerful
1:47:21trolls all over the city that hadn't
1:47:23been alerted to the incident. He walked
1:47:26a few hundred meters as Thor followed
1:47:28behind with everyone tensely waiting for
1:47:30something to happen. Only when they made
1:47:32it to the first of the farmers who were
1:47:34leaving the road to detour around to the
1:47:36south gate of the city did Carl begin to
1:47:38relax. Did the stone guard gang lose
1:47:41control of the gate? The farmer asked
1:47:44hopefully. Carl shook his head. No, I
1:47:48just smashed one guard through the gate
1:47:50itself. What is going on in oaking? The
1:47:54farmer laughed at him. I guess nobody
1:47:57told you. The city guard disbanded last
1:48:00month. Now the gangs control the gates.
1:48:03The noble silks control the south gate
1:48:05and most of the old city. The stone
1:48:08guard controls the north gate and most
1:48:10of the northern wall while the slums
1:48:12change hands too fast to keep track of.
1:48:15Did you manage to sell your goods? I see
1:48:18that you have a token from the noble
1:48:20silks. Carl internally sighed. So that
1:48:24was why they were giving him a hard time
1:48:26at the gate. He thought that the city
1:48:29was more organized than it was, and he
1:48:31was actually wearing a rival gang's
1:48:33token. "Yeah, the noble silks bought my
1:48:37entire cargo. I'll have to pick
1:48:39something up along the way before I turn
1:48:41east." The farmer nodded. "There might
1:48:45be a bit left. Stay away from Burwickham
1:48:48entirely if you can, though. The trolls
1:48:51have been at war with the obsession
1:48:52demons all summer for control of the
1:48:54city. When the river branches, follow it
1:48:58east, and you will end up back at the
1:48:59road again in a bit over a 100 km.
1:49:02If you're lucky, there won't be too many
1:49:04wild tribes or bandits along the way.
1:49:08The best wishes for not too many bandits
1:49:10turned out to be a red flag much faster
1:49:12than any of them could have expected. By
1:49:14the time that the city was out of sight
1:49:16from the ground, Hawk had already
1:49:18spotted three groups of bandits waiting
1:49:20for travelers along the road. The first
1:49:23one, all the travelers were going around
1:49:25as they were set up at a bend in the
1:49:27river with two bridges, and it was
1:49:29simply faster to go through the field in
1:49:30a straight line to where the road came
1:49:32back to their side. But the second was
1:49:35going to be an issue. Carl could tell
1:49:37already. There were 20 buffalo type
1:49:40minotaur, much like the sort that Carl
1:49:42was familiar with, but Hawk said that
1:49:44they were much more heavily built and
1:49:46their heads were different with forward
1:49:47curled horns instead of their usual
1:49:49upright ones. There was a farmer
1:49:52following them who had his two boys as
1:49:54guards, and they all looked nervous. If
1:49:57they were ambushed on the way back to
1:49:58the farm, they wouldn't lose their
1:50:00crops. Instead, they would either lose
1:50:03the money they needed to keep the farm
1:50:05running or possibly their lives. Carl
1:50:09considered just going through the
1:50:10where the minotaurs were hiding, but
1:50:12there was a chance that they would
1:50:13ignore him to go after an easier target
1:50:15who was guaranteed to have cash on them.
1:50:18So he followed the flat lands further
1:50:20east as he was going to be turning that
1:50:22way when the river forked, which might
1:50:24not be for most of the day. He didn't
1:50:27have a precisely scaled map, only their
1:50:29reproduction of the one that the beast
1:50:31clerics had at the temple, and there was
1:50:33no telling exactly how accurate it was.
1:50:36If it was right, they should reach the
1:50:38split later that afternoon, but it might
1:50:40be near dark or even the next day. The
1:50:43farmers followed them for another hour,
1:50:45then turned off on a small track and
1:50:47pulled into a farmhouse.
1:50:49After that, family had separated from
1:50:51them. The number of bandits began to
1:50:53increase steadily. Whatever was going on
1:50:56in this area had created an influx of
1:50:58desperate bandits, and the situation was
1:51:00disgusting to Hawk. In his mind, bandits
1:51:04should be predators.
1:51:06Like Ry, they hid in the trees and set
1:51:08traps. They should be dangerous, not a
1:51:11bunch of hobos with rusted weapons or
1:51:14even just tattered clothes and their own
1:51:16claws. Their state was embarrassing.
1:51:19Even if they were just monsters, they
1:51:22should have some dignity. One of the
1:51:24groups of bandits, minotaurs, who had
1:51:26set up a checkpoint of down trees, was
1:51:28struggling to even make a proper
1:51:30campfire with the fresh green wood that
1:51:32they had collected. It was so pitiable
1:51:34that even Hawk was moved. moved enough
1:51:37that he bombarded their campsite a
1:51:39little and lit their cooking fire before
1:51:41flying away. Thor had decided that the
1:51:44best route wasn't on the road, so they
1:51:46were traveling nearly a kilometer to the
1:51:48east of it in between farmers fields.
1:51:51That meant that they were in no danger
1:51:52of bandits along the road, just anything
1:51:55that might be in the fields. If the
1:51:57farmers were alarmed to see his group
1:51:59traveling between their fields, they
1:52:01didn't say anything about it. And by
1:52:03dark, Hawk had found the split in the
1:52:05river, and they were prepared to set up
1:52:07on the edge of a stand of trees, where
1:52:09they could get firewood and set up camp
1:52:11for the evening. An empty wagon made a
1:52:13good tent substitute, and with a bit of
1:52:15reorganization, they had everything set
1:52:18so that the whole group would be
1:52:19comfortable and nobody was sleeping in
1:52:21the dirt. Dana joined Carl and his
1:52:23hammock slung under the wagon, while the
1:52:25other three made a nest of blankets in a
1:52:27net that Ry had created across the wagon
1:52:29bed. It looked like a cargo securement
1:52:32net or a fishing net, but it was made of
1:52:34the same stretchy silk that Ry used for
1:52:36hammocks. The blood bath spider had
1:52:39decided to join Thor on the outside
1:52:41today, so she could keep a proper watch.
1:52:44There was a better than zero chance that
1:52:46something would come looking for them at
1:52:48night, even if Carl had put the wagon
1:52:50and the trees on opposite sides of the
1:52:52small campfire.
1:52:54That meant there was a chance, however
1:52:55faint, that she might get to hunt
1:52:57tonight. Hulk was asleep, resting after
1:53:00having scouted all day, but she was
1:53:02ready to go and eager for someone to try
1:53:04her. Her dreams were doomed to be left
1:53:07unfulfilled.
1:53:09Nothing really moved around at night in
1:53:11this region. The dense population had
1:53:14run off the wild beasts, and the danger
1:53:16of the more intelligent monsters kept
1:53:18everyone else home at night. So, while
1:53:21Carl and Dana silently held each other
1:53:23in their hammock, Ry was left to focus
1:53:25on her skills.
1:53:27Nothing was as good as actual combat.
1:53:29But a little practice wouldn't do any
1:53:31harm. She wanted her golems to improve
1:53:34by a rank again. Even if they couldn't
1:53:36be as smart as the bodyguards, they
1:53:38could be stronger. Ry prided herself on
1:53:42the amount of damage that she could do.
1:53:44And while her golems still held the
1:53:45edge, thanks to offensive adaptation and
1:53:48lacerate, it was getting close. Carl had
1:53:51bodyguards now, too. And unlike Rey's
1:53:53limited arsenal, he had far too many
1:53:56skills to help them cheat. Only a few
1:53:59hours after everyone fell asleep,
1:54:01midnight by Ray's reckoning, something
1:54:03changed in the air around them. There
1:54:05was a surge of power, and suddenly the
1:54:07area was filled with monsters.
1:54:10Not a portal, but a monster spawning
1:54:12anomaly.
1:54:14Despite this being the best thing that
1:54:15Rey had seen in a month, she resisted
1:54:17the urge to run out and turn them into a
1:54:19new art installation.
1:54:22Instead, she woke Carl up to inform him
1:54:24of the good news. There are new
1:54:26monsters.
1:54:28The ones that just appear. I can see
1:54:31three drakes or maybe baby dragons and a
1:54:34dozen big minotaursized things. That
1:54:37didn't seem right to Carl. Did they just
1:54:40appear in the middle of the night?
1:54:42That's only supposed to be a problem at
1:54:44home because of the broken anomalies.
1:54:47The book said that doesn't happen in
1:54:48other places. Well, they're here. Maybe
1:54:52you can ask them. That was a novel
1:54:55concept. If they were not insane and
1:54:58pharaoh like the ones at home, they
1:55:00might be something that he could talk to
1:55:01and see what was going on. But with this
1:55:04feeling in the air, Carl suspected that
1:55:06it would not be that easy. He gently
1:55:09roused the others, spending a few extra
1:55:11seconds to kiss Dana until her eyes
1:55:13opened, then motioned for silence so she
1:55:16knew to be ready for danger. The group
1:55:19slowly gathered around the embers of a
1:55:21campfire, and Dana sleepily settled into
1:55:23Carl's lap. Cara, seeing an opportunity,
1:55:27came out to sit on Lotus, knocking her
1:55:29over for a moment before the cleric got
1:55:31herself adjusted.
1:55:33Sorry to wake everyone up in the middle
1:55:35of the night. Ry reports that there has
1:55:37been a monster spawn in the whole
1:55:39region. She has located at least three
1:55:42drakes or small dragons, as well as over
1:55:44a dozen minotaursized monsters in our
1:55:46vicinity.
1:55:48I didn't want you to be caught unaware
1:55:49if they gather to fight. They're not
1:55:52that close right now, but I am calling
1:55:54out the other bodyguards for the
1:55:55remainder of the evening so we can get a
1:55:57bit more sleep. But we should consider
1:56:00this to now be a hostile battleground,
1:56:02not just a hostile nation. Carl
1:56:05explained quietly.
1:56:07Everyone nodded quietly and Tessa shook
1:56:10her head as she realized that Lotus was
1:56:12already asleep under Cara. They could
1:56:14stay on the ground for the rest of the
1:56:16night. It was warm enough on the grass.
1:56:19Plus, Cara would defend her sleeping
1:56:21buddy, so if there was an attack on the
1:56:23camp, Lotus wouldn't be in much danger
1:56:25from the initial assault. Not that it
1:56:28was likely to get past their defenders,
1:56:30but you could never be too prepared. It
1:56:32was a good thing that none of them
1:56:34snored, though. The night air was so
1:56:37silent, as if every small creature had
1:56:39gone to ground, that Carl could hear the
1:56:41wind rustling the grass and the faint
1:56:43crackle of the fire's embers.
1:56:46None of them were sleeping deeply except
1:56:48for Lotus under the disintegration
1:56:50bubble that Cara had erected over them
1:56:52while they slept. At first, Carl thought
1:56:55that it must take a lot of energy to
1:56:57keep an attack spell active all night
1:56:59like that, but the void badger used it
1:57:01like a trip wire. There was almost no
1:57:04energy in it until something touched it
1:57:06and woke her up. Then she would lash out
1:57:08at them. with eternal lightning active.
1:57:12It was no burden at all and she could
1:57:14keep it active without interrupting her
1:57:15normal night's rest. So that was what
1:57:19she did and took full advantage of the
1:57:21fact that they had a small person for
1:57:22her to cuddle like a stuffed toy. The
1:57:25first few hours after their arrival, the
1:57:27monsters seemed just as confused to be
1:57:29here as Carl was to see them there. But
1:57:32once they got their bearings, they began
1:57:34to spread out and stake their claim on
1:57:36the surrounding areas.
1:57:38Nothing had claimed the areas that were
1:57:40dangerously close to their camp. But
1:57:42twice in the early morning hours, Carl
1:57:44heard the sounds of combat as they
1:57:46either attacked a distant farm or were
1:57:48attacked by the locals whose territory
1:57:50they had trespassed on. The farmers were
1:57:53mostly minotaurs and related species
1:57:55around here, and they did not take
1:57:56kindly to whatever these creatures were.
1:57:59Without light, Carl couldn't be certain,
1:58:01but to thermal vision, it still looked
1:58:04like Yeti and Drakes, as Rey had
1:58:06described them. The whole group was up
1:58:08with first light, too nervous about the
1:58:10situation to sleep. What are we going to
1:58:13do? Do we follow the river toward the
1:58:16road and continue with the plan to keep
1:58:18working as merchants? Or do we just
1:58:20assume that everything has gone to
1:58:22if they're getting random monster spawns
1:58:24in the monster nation? Dana asked,
1:58:27gesturing with a spoonful of oatmeal to
1:58:29emphasize her words. Tessa sighed and
1:58:32nodded. Some of the monsters are sure to
1:58:35settle in, while others will be killed
1:58:36in territory wars. But hanging around
1:58:40longer than necessary isn't a
1:58:41particularly smart call. Whether we go
1:58:44north to get out or east as planned to
1:58:46finish our loop, I think that we
1:58:48shouldn't delay. It might only be this
1:58:51area that is in trouble, but I have an
1:58:53idea of why. The Golden Dragon Nation
1:58:56has always had too many anomalies and
1:58:58some low-level dungeons.
1:59:00That's why nothing else really wanted
1:59:02the territory to begin with, leaving it
1:59:04to the humans. But now there is a stable
1:59:07dungeon here. A stable dungeon should
1:59:10also mean unstable anomalies that dump
1:59:12monsters on the area. That's how it
1:59:14works at home. Carl frowned.
1:59:18So that means the region around the
1:59:20dungeon is likely to have a never-ending
1:59:22supply of trouble just appearing. He
1:59:25asked. Tessa nodded. Not every day, but
1:59:29they are more common near known stable
1:59:31anomalies of all sorts.
1:59:33So, it's likely that there will be more
1:59:35anomalies in this nation now than there
1:59:37were before. I don't know all the
1:59:40details. That's more the specialty of
1:59:42the Blue Dragons and their research
1:59:43teams, but it's not a secret within the
1:59:46church that a new anomaly means more
1:59:48monster subjugation missions in the area
1:59:50over the next few years.
1:59:52There is one near the seminary academy
1:59:54and the monster appearances are reliable
1:59:56enough that they use the region to train
1:59:58church guards. That sneaky dragon. Lotus
2:00:02gasped as she realized the implications.
2:00:06Oilia was taking a moment to consider
2:00:08all the options while a smirk slowly
2:00:10grew on Dana's face. I just learned a
2:00:13valuable tidbit about the nature of the
2:00:15bronze dragons.
2:00:17They serve the dragon aspect of law and
2:00:19rules. But their actual attitude toward
2:00:22the law is much more. If there is no law
2:00:24directly saying you can't, then you can.
2:00:28The spirit of the law concerns their
2:00:30patron much less than the actual letter
2:00:31of the law. Many people go out of their
2:00:34way to obey the spirit of agreements so
2:00:36they don't upset the bronze dragon and
2:00:38bring misfortune on themselves.
2:00:41But if they just looked for a clear and
2:00:43legitimate loophole, I don't think he
2:00:45would mind. Lotus nodded. That's right.
2:00:49The bronze dragon clerics are sticklers
2:00:52for contracts.
2:00:53If you want moral rulings, look for one
2:00:56of the gold dragon or world dragon
2:00:58followers.
2:00:59Carl had begun to suspect that the world
2:01:01dragon was much more amusement driven
2:01:03and less moralistic than the church led
2:01:05on. But he wouldn't say that in front of
2:01:08a pair of clerics.
2:01:10At least not until he had definitive
2:01:11proof. That voice in his head laughing
2:01:15at him every time something strange
2:01:16happened in relation to the system was
2:01:18most likely the world dragon. But that
2:01:21was impossible to prove.
2:01:24So what way are we going? Where does
2:01:27Hawk say the easiest way through is?
2:01:29Oilia asked. There isn't one. No matter
2:01:34where we go, we're going to have a
2:01:35fight. They've just been avoiding us
2:01:38because they think we're a sleeping
2:01:39monster pack and they didn't want to
2:01:41fight at night.
2:01:43Now that the sun is coming up, they will
2:01:45realize that we're a merchant wagon with
2:01:47guards. Once that happens, they will get
2:01:50more aggressive, especially the drakes.
2:01:53I don't know what skills these sand
2:01:55colored ones have, but we can hope that
2:01:57it's not something hard to deal with.
2:01:59Carl explained. Tessa shrugged. The
2:02:03copper drake shouldn't be too bad. They
2:02:06are a type of sand dragon. They use a
2:02:09corrosive sand cloud attack. The problem
2:02:12will be if they're working with another
2:02:14monster. Drakes are smarter than people
2:02:17give them credit for. They can adapt to
2:02:20the weaknesses of their enemies and
2:02:22bolster the strength of their allies.
2:02:24They might not be as powerful as their
2:02:26draconic cousins, but the drakes are a
2:02:28higher order beast, and if they're
2:02:30working with an intelligent monster,
2:02:32they could be forming complex and deadly
2:02:34strategies.
2:02:35What does Hawk say about the power
2:02:37levels? Hawk did one more loop of the
2:02:40immediate area to check and found that
2:02:42it was mostly ascended rank, but there
2:02:44were two commander rank drakes in his
2:02:46scanning range. Mostly ascended at the
2:02:50same level as the dungeon, so it
2:02:52shouldn't be too bad for us this
2:02:53morning, but that could change at any
2:02:56time. Cara spread her wings and flew up
2:02:59to rest on top of the wagon's cover
2:03:01while Tessa packed up the netting,
2:03:02rolling it to the front so it could be
2:03:04quickly unrolled the next evening.
2:03:07Everyone be ready. In under a kilometer,
2:03:10we are going to meet up with a Drake
2:03:11leading a group of sand colored yeti
2:03:13things. They're all ascended rank, but
2:03:16there are over a dozen of them, and I
2:03:18don't know their powers, Carl explained.
2:03:22Their guards altered positions with the
2:03:24Lameia joining the Naga warriors on each
2:03:26side of the wagon, while Dana came to
2:03:28the front to sit with Carl and Oilia
2:03:30went to the back of the wagon to bother
2:03:32Lotus for snacks. Her supply was running
2:03:35low and the nature cleric could make an
2:03:37incredible trail mix. Incoming. The
2:03:41Drake is ignoring me, so the whole group
2:03:43is coming for you. Hawk reported. That's
2:03:47a good thing. Keep scouting. I think
2:03:50that Cara should be able to deal with a
2:03:52Drake. Cara thought that was a great
2:03:54idea. She had seen drakes before, but
2:03:58not for some time, and she hadn't been
2:04:00doing a lot of flying. If she could have
2:04:02a flying badger fight with the Drake, it
2:04:05would be a good way to keep her wings in
2:04:07shape and burn off some of the extra
2:04:08kilos that she had been gaining as she
2:04:10relaxed in her space. Once they had
2:04:13spotted the group, the commander ranked
2:04:15Drake led his group of what Carl was
2:04:17tentatively calling sand Yeti in a full
2:04:19frontal attack. They might have just
2:04:21arrived here, but they understood the
2:04:23essentials of dealing with a merchant
2:04:25wagon. They had fanned out to keep Carl
2:04:28from flanking them and making them chase
2:04:30Thor. We will send all the golems and
2:04:32bodyguards forward this time. I want to
2:04:35know what these sand yeti can do before
2:04:37we face ones that are closer to our
2:04:39level. If the incident is similar to the
2:04:42ones in the Golden Dragon Nation, it
2:04:44will be almost all similar groups of
2:04:46creatures at different power levels.
2:04:48Carl insisted
2:04:50it was good logic and nobody argued as
2:04:53he pulled the wagon to a stop and the
2:04:54summoned guards fanned out to defend the
2:04:56team. The others held back for a moment,
2:04:59preparing to go anywhere that needed
2:05:01assistance, but the bodyguards were all
2:05:03royal rank against ascended sand Yeti.
2:05:06The monsters all started with the same
2:05:08attack, a fast-moving arc of sand that
2:05:10reminded Carl of Rend, but in elemental
2:05:13form. The pair of Lameias
2:05:15counterattacked, nullifying the attacks
2:05:17with Rend as flaming body flickered over
2:05:21their scales. The Drake roared and took
2:05:24a deep breath to attack, but Cara was
2:05:26already in motion. Carl had expected the
2:05:29small badger to square off with the much
2:05:31larger scaled attacker, but at the last
2:05:33second, she barrel rolled and passed
2:05:35under the drake, which howled in pain.
2:05:38That's what you get for having bad
2:05:39breath, stupid. Oh, you don't like that?
2:05:43I'll punch you in the dick. Carl had to
2:05:45resist laughing as the Drake fell from
2:05:47the sky with a mournful howl of pain.
2:05:50First, Cara had rad the sensitive inner
2:05:53thighs with her claws. Then, she
2:05:54followed up with the promised nutshot,
2:05:56and the drake was out of the battle,
2:05:58though it was not severely injured. The
2:06:01drake hit the ground with a puff of
2:06:02dirt, and Cara landed on his back to
2:06:04pull his wings back, straining the
2:06:06tendons as she pulled upwards with her
2:06:08claws dug into the base of its wing
2:06:10bones. The scaled beast lurched to its
2:06:13feet, twisting and bucking in an attempt
2:06:15to shake the creature free, while Cara
2:06:17rode its back like a rodeo cowboy.
2:06:20The badger is insane, Dana noted. Carl
2:06:24wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
2:06:27She's just having fun. Don't forget, at
2:06:30least one of our team members can talk
2:06:32to the creature if it's willing to
2:06:34speak. We might actually learn something
2:06:36about where they came from if we don't
2:06:38kill it immediately. The copper drake
2:06:41sent a plume of corrosive breath in
2:06:42front of itself, then ran inside.
2:06:45Under normal circumstances, that would
2:06:47an attacker and force them to
2:06:49let go. But being attacked by Cara was
2:06:52no normal circumstance, and the
2:06:54corrosive breath only irritated her,
2:06:56encouraging her to pull harder on the
2:06:58wings until eventually the Drake gave up
2:07:00and lay still on the ground, defeated
2:07:02and prepared to face death. Someone
2:07:05asked our volunteer where they were
2:07:06before they came here. I want to know
2:07:09where they came from and why, Carl
2:07:12demanded. The Naga warrior closest to
2:07:15the Drake relayed the message in serpent
2:07:17which all dragon related species should
2:07:19speak. At first, the Drake didn't
2:07:22respond, and Carl realized that there
2:07:24was something more wrong with it than
2:07:26the claws in its wing bones. Like a
2:07:28cloud had come over its mind, the Drake
2:07:31had no problem leading its subordinates
2:07:32into combat, but it couldn't understand
2:07:35questions, though it obviously heard
2:07:37them. They tried for a few more minutes
2:07:40thinking it was just being stubborn
2:07:41before Cara decided to try nullify on
2:07:44it. That had some effect and the Drake
2:07:47began to swear at them. I rateate that
2:07:49it was being tortured.
2:07:51Oh, now you can hear us. Where were you
2:07:54before today and how did you get here?
2:07:57Carl demanded letting the Naga warrior
2:08:00translate. The Drake actually looked
2:08:02confused for a few seconds, trying to
2:08:04find an answer to that before madness
2:08:06descended over its eyes again, and it
2:08:08went back to roaring gibberish and
2:08:10trying to attack the Naga warriors.
2:08:12Nullifi didn't completely remove the
2:08:14madness on it. It's part of them. I
2:08:18think that they might be golems or
2:08:20something like it. Cara theorized right
2:08:23before the Naga warrior killed the Iate
2:08:25Drake by beheading. Cara claimed the
2:08:28body while Ray claimed the head as a
2:08:30decoration. Then they all came out to
2:08:32examine the other bodies. The tan fur of
2:08:35the yeti was coarse like sandstone and
2:08:37thick. They hadn't seemed to suffer from
2:08:40the heat unlike the regular variety, but
2:08:42they were similar in powers, but with
2:08:44their element changed. Hawk ordered them
2:08:47all brought into his space after
2:08:49examination.
2:08:50Sand magic was different, and the bird
2:08:53had a theory that one of them could
2:08:54learn new skills using the monster parts
2:08:56as part of a recipe. It was bothering
2:08:59him that they weren't getting cool new
2:09:01things. Carl had gotten new abilities,
2:09:04and they had advanced, but it didn't
2:09:06have a huge obvious effect on their
2:09:07combat power like Hawk would have
2:09:09preferred. The bodyguards are savage.
2:09:13The Yeti didn't even have a chance to
2:09:15defend themselves, and the bodyguards
2:09:17weren't using proper skills. It's like
2:09:19their power is higher than it should be,
2:09:21but not like it has gone up a rank. Like
2:09:25the base ability has increased.
2:09:27They're still limited in maximum power
2:09:29output, but they're on an entirely
2:09:31different level compared to most living
2:09:33things, Dana explained. Unsure how to
2:09:36explain what she was thinking. I think I
2:09:39get what you mean. Their skills are
2:09:42definitely royal rank skills, but their
2:09:44bodies are more like those group leaders
2:09:46in the dungeon. They're tougher and
2:09:48faster than they should be. A grade
2:09:51higher in quality than a regular living
2:09:53thing. Carl agreed. Dana nodded. Exactly
2:09:58like that. There should be some way to
2:10:01learn that ability to increase base
2:10:03stats, but I don't know how. The sound
2:10:06of their battle had alerted other groups
2:10:08of monsters in the vicinity that there
2:10:09was trouble, and the closest two drakes
2:10:11were leading their groups over. None of
2:10:14them was above the ascended rank, but it
2:10:16was two dozen more of the sand yeti
2:10:18things and perhaps a chance to learn a
2:10:20bit more about their combat abilities.
2:10:23The first ones had died too fast to use
2:10:25more than one skill. So, if these ones
2:10:27tried something other than their sandy
2:10:29version of Ren, Carl's group would know
2:10:31more about what to expect from future
2:10:32encounters.
2:10:34Cara seems to really enjoy fighting
2:10:36drakes. Oilia noted as the void badger
2:10:39flew in circles waiting for the enemy to
2:10:42get into ambush range. All those stupid
2:10:45divine species think they're better than
2:10:47us because void badgers don't have a
2:10:49deity. But neither do drakes. So who are
2:10:52they to act all arrogant?
2:10:54Not even their cooler cousins are as
2:10:56tough as a void badger, Cara declared.
2:11:00Cara is annoyed that the dragons are
2:11:02arrogant about having their own deities.
2:11:04The drakes act like they're a subspecies
2:11:06of dragon and she has an irresistible
2:11:09urge to put them in their place. Carl
2:11:11translated for the group. If you were
2:11:14bigger, you could give them a power
2:11:16bomb. Remy giggled. Her little sister
2:11:20had a flare for the dramatic that the
2:11:21Naga queen appreciated, even if Cara did
2:11:24usually act like the bigger sister. Not
2:11:27the same way that Rey loved dramatic
2:11:29effects.
2:11:30Not at all. Ry liked dramatic visuals,
2:11:34while Cara was emotionally volatile,
2:11:36like she had an onoff switch for combat
2:11:38mode. This pair of Drake seemed to be a
2:11:41bit smarter than the first one, and they
2:11:43teamed up on the void badger, ignoring
2:11:45the rest of the group. It wasn't going
2:11:47to save them, but it was a good idea.
2:11:50The battle was about to start with the
2:11:52summons moving to the front as Dana
2:11:54stepped up into the sky so she could
2:11:56rain magic missiles on the drakes
2:11:57harassing Cara. It would only last a few
2:12:00seconds, but a mighty roar distracted
2:12:03Dana for a half second. One of the
2:12:05buffalo type minotaurs from the nearby
2:12:07farmhouse was charging towards the
2:12:09battle, already bleeding and accompanied
2:12:11by four smaller minotaurs, all similarly
2:12:14injured. They had to be the local
2:12:16residents, and they were most likely
2:12:18under attack by one of these groups
2:12:20before the pained roars of the other
2:12:21Drake had drawn them away. Dana didn't
2:12:24hesitate for more than a second as Cara
2:12:27was already hurling disintegration
2:12:28enhanced rend attacks at the drakes. She
2:12:31wasn't even trying to fight them this
2:12:33time and Dana was pretty sure that she
2:12:35was actually preparing her favorite cuts
2:12:37to be roasted before the drakes were
2:12:40even dead. The farmer and his children
2:12:43stopped at the scene of the battle as
2:12:44the bodyguards toyed with the sand yeti
2:12:46for a few seconds to see if they would
2:12:48use a new skill. But they only used that
2:12:51one skill and then went for claw attacks
2:12:53when they were close. Even if you kicked
2:12:56them away, they still used the same
2:12:58skill. They used it in different ways,
2:13:00but it was still just the one skill.
2:13:03Merchant, thank the gods that you're
2:13:05here. Can we pay you to save our farm?
2:13:09My brothers and cousins are holding the
2:13:11farmyard, but there are more of these
2:13:13things coming, and they won't see sense.
2:13:16The minur pleaded. We could use some
2:13:19trade goods. You give us a discount and
2:13:22we will help. Now lead the way. Carl
2:13:26agreed. They could use the practice and
2:13:29the goods. Most of Carl's team took off
2:13:32running after the Minotaur family while
2:13:34Tessa and Lotus got back in the wagon.
2:13:37Thor was faster than they were over a
2:13:39kilometer or more. Even with the wagon,
2:13:42the others were at least fast enough to
2:13:44keep up with the Minotaur family, while
2:13:46Carl already knew where they were going
2:13:48because he could see the pair of drakes
2:13:49and the large group of sand yeti
2:13:51attacking a farm. There were other
2:13:53homesteads in the area that had been
2:13:55overrun with the houses demolished, but
2:13:57a large group of defenders had gathered
2:13:59at this one. There were commander rank
2:14:02minotaur among them, but there were
2:14:04commanders among the sand yeti here as
2:14:05well, and commander rank drakes, which
2:14:08were much more difficult for the
2:14:09minotaur warriors to deal with. Dana
2:14:12turned to Carl as they ran. Have Carl
2:14:15leave at least one of the drakes for me.
2:14:17I want to fight a flying target so that
2:14:19I have the experience before we meet
2:14:21stronger ones. Got it. I will leave hers
2:14:25alone. Or you can practice artillery
2:14:28work and just shoot at the others to
2:14:30improve your aim. Cara suggested.
2:14:34Do you think that my aim needs work?
2:14:37Carl asked, curious how she came to that
2:14:39conclusion.
2:14:41Of course it does. You're not even a
2:14:43badger. How could your aim be perfect?
2:14:46Even Sister Ray still works on her
2:14:48targeting. Ry laughed as she ran towards
2:14:51the farm, startling the Minotaur family
2:14:54who hadn't realized she was there.
2:14:57Yeah, even the mighty bloodbath spider
2:14:59needs to practice.
2:15:01Fine. Cara can attack things on the
2:15:03ground and I will take out the other
2:15:05drakes. Carl agreed. Cara raced ahead, a
2:15:09blur of black and white fur in the early
2:15:11morning light as the hurried to
2:15:13intercept the attackers before anyone
2:15:15else could kill more of them. You know,
2:15:17the rest of us aren't going to get much
2:15:19of a fight if you let Cara just go wild.
2:15:22Oilia laughed as the void badger
2:15:24approached the edge of the battle. Well,
2:15:27you do have a point. This is easier than
2:15:30arguing with her. And there will be more
2:15:32fights today. I can guarantee it. Once
2:15:35she has it out of her system, the rest
2:15:37of us can practice.
2:15:39Now, Dana can pick her drake and I will
2:15:42distract the others. Rey wasn't going to
2:15:44let Cara get all of the fun, but it
2:15:47would be even harder for the local
2:15:48farmers to identify her as the bloodbath
2:15:50spider was working on her stealth
2:15:52skills. She could blend with most things
2:15:55effortlessly, but her body wasn't easy
2:15:57to hide. So, she had found that if she
2:16:00moved in spurts and pretended to be
2:16:02another object, in this case, a hay
2:16:04pile, she might be able to trick her
2:16:06targets. She started out behind an
2:16:09actual hay pile. And then Shadow stepped
2:16:11closer with her body disguised to look
2:16:13as much as possible like loose straw,
2:16:16but then her patience ran out and she
2:16:18stepped into the group furthest from the
2:16:20farmers and went to work dismembering
2:16:21the sand yeti while her golems circled
2:16:23around to attack the sides. The golems
2:16:26were more obviously constructs, so they
2:16:28shouldn't be attacked by the defenders,
2:16:30while the presence of Ray would likely
2:16:32terrify them even more than the Sand
2:16:34Yeti force given the power difference.
2:16:37Cara was in no hurry this morning. She
2:16:40was playing superhero, rescuing the
2:16:42younger minotaurs from the yeti
2:16:43attackers and driving the monsters back
2:16:45while making a big show of it so that
2:16:47everyone knew that they had been rescued
2:16:49and not tag teamed. Carl joined the
2:16:52fight just before the farmers who had
2:16:54run after the retreating group, hoping
2:16:55that they might either rescue or recruit
2:16:57another group for their fight. The
2:17:00relief was visible on the faces of the
2:17:02defenders, and Carl called Remy out to
2:17:04toss a couple of healing splash spells
2:17:07onto the worst injured members of the
2:17:08Minotaur clan. None of them appeared to
2:17:11be dead, at least not here at this
2:17:13house. And a bit of healing was all it
2:17:15took to close their largest wounds.
2:17:18Unfortunately, healing splash wasn't an
2:17:20instant whole body heal unless Remy
2:17:22soaked them in it or got the spell
2:17:24inside them. Somehow it would leak in
2:17:27through the cuts and spread through the
2:17:28body when it stayed in contact, but that
2:17:31wasn't nearly as fast as a cleric's
2:17:33minor heal spell. She had been preparing
2:17:36for this situation with a number of
2:17:38vials of healing potion. Hawk had made
2:17:40the containers for her with flames and
2:17:42sand, and she was delighted with them.
2:17:45The bottles even had their logo on it, a
2:17:48naga with a hawk on her shoulder.
2:17:50Remy had made the logo out of clay, and
2:17:53Hawk had set the vials on it to cool,
2:17:55imprinting it on the bottom of the
2:17:56potion bottles. Open up. There you go.
2:18:00And one for you and for you. Remy took
2:18:03mental notes of how long it took for the
2:18:05potion to start working, as she had
2:18:07never made someone drink a diluted
2:18:09healing splash before. Her pleasure that
2:18:12she had found a way to run experiments
2:18:14that she couldn't get in trouble for was
2:18:15clear through the link with Carl, but he
2:18:17was busy with other tasks and didn't
2:18:19have the time to praise her ingenuity.
2:18:22He had hit both of the copper drakes
2:18:24with Ren already, and they had moved
2:18:26away from where Dana was fighting the
2:18:27third member of their flight, but they
2:18:30were retreating to hundreds of meters in
2:18:32the air, giving them plenty of time to
2:18:34dodge Carl's attacks. So, he had to
2:18:36chase them with the skills. It took far
2:18:38longer than it should have as they were
2:18:40incredibly agile flyers.
2:18:43But Carl had a lot of practice
2:18:44controlling his skills. And with dozens
2:18:46of deadly arcs of energy chasing them,
2:18:49the monsters were taking steady damage
2:18:51no matter how hard they fought to avoid
2:18:53his attacks.
2:18:55See, not as easy as you thought. Cara
2:18:58laughed as she sensed Carl's
2:18:59frustration.
2:19:01Change of tactics.
2:19:03Carl agreed. Arrows with disintegration
2:19:06on them were much easier to work with
2:19:08and the targeting enchantment on the bow
2:19:10did half the work for him. The first
2:19:13shot was a direct heart shot as the
2:19:15Drake was already trying to avoid the
2:19:16rend attacks and the second was not off
2:19:19by much, punching a clean hole through
2:19:21the Drake's rear hip and out its back.
2:19:23It held in pain, but the effect hadn't
2:19:26been set to spread on contact. So, it
2:19:28was a clean injury that the Drake would
2:19:30be able to heal with a few minutes of
2:19:31effort. However, when the next arrow
2:19:34came, the Drake caught it with a smug
2:19:36smile on its draconic face until the
2:19:39disintegration spell exploded and
2:19:42removed the front half of its body.
2:19:44That's cheating. You can't just trick
2:19:47them into holding a bomb to kill them.
2:19:50Cara complained.
2:19:52No, I think that he's on to something.
2:19:55Watching stupid monsters explode is kind
2:19:57of fun. Hawk countered. Carl let the
2:20:01beasts argue as he began to fire at the
2:20:03sand yeti, taking out the last few who
2:20:05had started to flee. If they were left
2:20:08alone, they were a threat to other farms
2:20:10and homesteads.
2:20:12That shouldn't actually concern Carl,
2:20:14but it was still the right thing to do.
2:20:16Dana finished her drake and landed next
2:20:18to Carl as Thor and the clerics finally
2:20:21arrived. They started right in on the
2:20:24healing process, helping the farmers
2:20:26recover. Thank you, priestess.
2:20:29One of the older minotaurs, a massively
2:20:31muscular woman, greeted them in a deep
2:20:33but somehow feminine voice. Are there
2:20:36other survivors or wounded? I see that
2:20:39there are many damaged farmhouses.
2:20:42Tessa asked. The largest minotaur shook
2:20:45her head. No, the we ones are in the
2:20:48house here. The only ones who didn't
2:20:51make it this far are unlikely to be
2:20:53making it anywhere else, she explained.
2:20:57That must mean that they had some sort
2:20:58of plan in place in case of attacks. If
2:21:02all of the children had made it here,
2:21:04where the adults had gathered to fight,
2:21:06it meant that the plan worked, but
2:21:08probably not well enough to prevent
2:21:10casualties among those who tried to slow
2:21:12the approach of the monsters or who were
2:21:14caught out unaware.
2:21:16At home, Carl knew that shepherds stayed
2:21:18out in the fields all night to watch
2:21:20over their flock, so the same might be
2:21:22true of some of the farmers here. Those
2:21:25would be the most likely casualties, as
2:21:27well as the ones to alert the others to
2:21:29flee to the meeting point. Remy passed
2:21:32over a few more potions with a smile on
2:21:34her face that Carl always thought looked
2:21:36like she wanted to eat someone. At least
2:21:38it was a mouth closed smile this time,
2:21:41so she wasn't showing fangs. Just in
2:21:44case there is another need for healing
2:21:45in the near future. These keep for a few
2:21:48months at the very least, so you don't
2:21:50need to have a dragon cleric around all
2:21:52the time, she explained in serpent. But
2:21:55at least a few of the minotaurs seem to
2:21:57know the language. The minur looked at
2:22:00the potions in shock. These are proper
2:22:03healing potions.
2:22:05I haven't seen one of these in ages.
2:22:08Not since that beast king came down from
2:22:10the north, selling them to the rich
2:22:12folks. One of the older men laughed.
2:22:16That's been nearly 80 years. I wonder
2:22:19what ever happened to him. But thank
2:22:21you, Queen Naga. Our herd is in your
2:22:24debt. Thor snorted happily. They were
2:22:28herd monsters.
2:22:30Carl hadn't considered that before. The
2:22:33bestial half of them was a herd animal,
2:22:35but they were classed as a monster
2:22:37species, not a beast species. He had
2:22:40previously assumed that meant they
2:22:42didn't take on bestial traits, only
2:22:44their appearance.
2:22:45The sun is up enough to travel now. We
2:22:48should get moving. Carl sighed, looking
2:22:51at the horizon and knowing that there
2:22:53would be a lot more encounters like this
2:22:55in the next week or two until the
2:22:56anomaly ended and the monsters stopped
2:22:59spawning at midnight. You should keep
2:23:01everyone close. These monsters are
2:23:04likely to appear again at midnight for
2:23:06some time. I don't know how long, but I
2:23:09don't think it's over. He added. The
2:23:12farmers nodded. At least they're not
2:23:15interested in destroying the crops.
2:23:17That's a good start. If we travel in
2:23:20groups, we should still be able to do
2:23:22our work. It will just be uncomfortable
2:23:25for a while until we can rebuild
2:23:27everyone's houses. There are more
2:23:29coming. Do you want to do something
2:23:31about them? Hawk asked as he continued
2:23:34his patrols.
2:23:36How close and what direction? 10 km from
2:23:40the south. They're passed the city and
2:23:43headed this way. There should be quite a
2:23:46few farms and a couple of bandit traps
2:23:48in that direction. If these farmers were
2:23:51lucky, the sand Yeti wouldn't make it
2:23:53this far. No, let the locals deal with
2:23:56it. We will get what trade goods we can
2:23:59and move on. The Minotaur group was
2:24:02already busy with that. They weren't
2:24:04gathering food or goods they would need,
2:24:07but they had quite a few tools made in
2:24:09identical copies. Carl looked at what
2:24:11they were laying out and realized that
2:24:13what he had taken as tools weren't
2:24:15actually tools. They were all combat
2:24:17weapons designed to look like farm
2:24:19implements. They could be used as farm
2:24:22tools, but they were designed to either
2:24:24do double duty or be partially
2:24:26disassembled to make them into proper
2:24:28combat weapons. That must be a Minotaur
2:24:31thing as they were all minur scaled. But
2:24:34the designs were brilliant. Some of
2:24:37these could become quite popular with
2:24:39farmers at home. They might not be as
2:24:41strong as minotaurs, but Carl had a
2:24:44suspicion that as the elites learned
2:24:45more, they would be able to help the
2:24:47rest of humanity, even the odds. Carl
2:24:50made a guess as to what those weapons
2:24:52would be worth at home, given that they
2:24:54were all common grade magical weapons,
2:24:56then put about half that much money on
2:24:58the bench in front of him. The minotaurs
2:25:00didn't look happy with the offer, but
2:25:02they didn't look insulted, so he was at
2:25:04least close to what they would accept
2:25:05after he helped him with the attack.
2:25:08Carl added six more gold coins and
2:25:10watched as the largest minotaur woman
2:25:12began to relax a little. Two more gold
2:25:16coins, and most of the others had lost
2:25:18their concerned looks. "Do we have a
2:25:20deal?" Carl asked her. She was the
2:25:24oldest, the largest, and the most
2:25:26powerful. By most standards, she should
2:25:29be in charge. She looked around the
2:25:32other farmers and nodded in
2:25:34satisfaction.
2:25:35"Yes, we can accept that, merchant. We
2:25:39appreciate your business. Going to the
2:25:42city has become a troublesome experience
2:25:44lately." Carl smiled. "If you see
2:25:48others, you might want to flag them
2:25:49down. They will appreciate a safe spot
2:25:52to stop for the evening with all the new
2:25:54troubles and many of them have been
2:25:56avoiding buying anything in the city.
2:25:59The higher quality items aren't going
2:26:01into oak camping, so there is nothing
2:26:02worth buying. The farmer nodded. That's
2:26:06why we had so many here. We were waiting
2:26:09until we had a full cart load to take
2:26:11them for sale. If we all leave at once,
2:26:14other than one family, they can watch
2:26:16our animals and we will have enough
2:26:18guards for the trip. But now we can put
2:26:21it off until next year. We've got enough
2:26:24to buy what we need, but the farms have
2:26:26been mostly self-sufficient for a while
2:26:28now. Best of luck to you. Then we will
2:26:32get on our way so that we can get to
2:26:34another safe spot before it gets dark.
2:26:37The minotaurs nodded and Carl picked up
2:26:39their purchase to load into the wagon.
2:26:42The beasts didn't immediately return to
2:26:44their spaces. Cara and Ray just wandered
2:26:46away from the farm as if the locals
2:26:48would forget that they existed if they
2:26:50were out of sight. Or perhaps they
2:26:53really did. Nobody seemed concerned
2:26:55about a missing pair of royal rank
2:26:57beasts as Carl led the team away with
2:26:59Remy curled up in the middle of the
2:27:01wagon on top of their new cargo. It
2:27:04would be more comfortable if they put
2:27:05the net in place, but that blocked the
2:27:07side benches where everyone else was
2:27:09sitting. So, it wasn't long after they
2:27:12were out of sight of the farms that the
2:27:14beasts, other than Thor, returned to
2:27:16their spaces to rest. Hawk had scouted
2:27:19everything within an hour's walk, so he
2:27:21returned for breakfast with the intent
2:27:23to head back out after, but for the
2:27:25moment, they were just an averagel
2:27:27looking merchant wagon. Carl had even
2:27:30dismissed the Lameia bodyguards after
2:27:31the battle, so they didn't have an
2:27:33excessive number of guards. Hawk came
2:27:36back out a half hour later to scout the
2:27:38area and directed them straight east
2:27:40away from the river. There are too many
2:27:43fights along the river. All the wagons
2:27:46have attracted the drakes which has
2:27:47attracted more monsters and others
2:27:49hoping to get loot or valuable Drake
2:27:51scales and body parts. He explained
2:27:55that was a good point. The Drake body
2:27:58parts were actually precious resources.
2:28:01The price might be dropping hard in this
2:28:03area, but if they had a number of bodies
2:28:05with them, they could sell them after
2:28:07they were out of the area where the
2:28:08monsters were spawning. Giant strength
2:28:11rings were some of the cheapest magical
2:28:13items you could get in the Golden Dragon
2:28:15Nation because of the spawns and now the
2:28:17wars. So, the same would apply to the
2:28:19Drake scales in this area for at least
2:28:21the next few months until the materials
2:28:23had cycled through the market. There are
2:28:26a lot of farms out here. Should we go to
2:28:29the ones that are being attacked so we
2:28:30can loot them? Hawk asked. He meant it
2:28:34the same way that they had traded with
2:28:36the last one, but that was just a form
2:28:38of looting to Hawk because coins had no
2:28:40value in his brain. You just got them
2:28:43from hunting things or getting rid of
2:28:44stuff you didn't want. How far off
2:28:47course are the battles? Carl asked. Not
2:28:51far. You'll be able to see them if we
2:28:53stay on the best course. Hawk has found
2:28:56more farmers fighting.
2:28:58Does anyone mind intervening? The
2:29:00materials are valuable and we can sell
2:29:03them later. Plus, it leaves fewer
2:29:06monsters to worry about at night. Carl
2:29:08offered the others. Oilia sighed as she
2:29:12turned to look out the front of the
2:29:13wagon. As much as I hate to say it,
2:29:16that's what a local merchant would do.
2:29:19All these farms are potential customers.
2:29:22If we're not going to follow the river
2:29:23to the road, we might as well trade with
2:29:26all the rural farms along the way. I
2:29:28just wish that we had gotten a reason
2:29:30that there are no towns along this
2:29:32entire savannah. She agreed. Tessa
2:29:36nodded. It's because of the nomadic
2:29:38tribes.
2:29:40Nobody dares to try to build a road and
2:29:42settle villages out here, but there
2:29:44should be random farms and nomadic
2:29:46villages.
2:29:47And because the nomadic villages move to
2:29:49where the food and water are, there are
2:29:51no permanent roads, only recently used
2:29:54trails. All right, that makes sense. I
2:29:58will follow Hawk's directions to the
2:29:59farms, and then we will trade with the
2:30:01nomads as we go. I suggest that we keep
2:30:04some bags or barrels of food for trade
2:30:06once we get to the nomads.
2:30:09That's all that the orcs will trade for,
2:30:11and I don't know what the demons will
2:30:12want, Carl suggested. Dana looked at
2:30:16Carl like he was crazy. And what makes
2:30:19you think that we can trade with the
2:30:21demons? It shouldn't be impossible.
2:30:24The ones we've seen so far have been
2:30:26intelligent and reasonable enough. If
2:30:29it's just a matter of being evil, I
2:30:31think we've all met a couple of humans
2:30:32who would qualify for the title. Dana
2:30:35huffed in annoyance.
2:30:37Carl was likely referring to the mine
2:30:39bosses, but she recalled that one year
2:30:41when she was a kid that her dad opened a
2:30:43general store. He had been absolutely
2:30:46terrible to his employees until word
2:30:48spread through town, and people stopped
2:30:50coming to buy from him. The last straw
2:30:53had been when another shopkeeper came in
2:30:55with his goons, beat her father
2:30:56unconscious, and looted the store empty.
2:30:59With all the store profit spent on
2:31:01liquor, he had nothing left to restock
2:31:03or repair, and that was the end of his
2:31:05attempt at self-employment.
2:31:08If that was the sort of evil that the
2:31:09demons were, it would be manageable.
2:31:12But she suspected that it was a more
2:31:14primal sort of immoral evil, like an
2:31:17aggressively cruel version of Rey that
2:31:20could be much harder to deal with, and
2:31:21there weren't enough of them to take on
2:31:23an entire nomadic tribe. If they were
2:31:26going to be passing through the nomadic
2:31:28areas, it would be better to just try to
2:31:30avoid them entirely.
2:31:32Tessa and Lotus were thinking nearly the
2:31:34same thing. Demons were unpredictable
2:31:37unless you were dealing with matters of
2:31:38their aspect. Obsession demons were
2:31:41actually the most predictable once you
2:31:43knew what they were obsessed with. Wrath
2:31:46and plague demons were far less
2:31:48predictable, and the unaligned ones
2:31:50nobody could predict. They seemed to
2:31:52enjoy pranks more than anything else.
2:31:55Carl turned Thor to meet up with the
2:31:57next farm that was being attacked by the
2:31:59sand yeti. This group didn't have a
2:32:01drake with it, which should make it
2:32:03easier for the locals to deal with. Not
2:32:06that it would be easy for the Minotaur
2:32:07farmers to deal with over a dozen of the
2:32:09creatures, assuming they appeared in the
2:32:11same size of group as his team had been
2:32:13fighting earlier. These ones are weaker.
2:32:17Lower ascended, Hawk noted as they got
2:32:20close. A full-grown minotaur was usually
2:32:23a commander, so there was a chance that
2:32:25even a married couple could deal with
2:32:27the group, though it would be incredibly
2:32:29dangerous. The farmers were holding
2:32:31their own, and Carl saw five adults in
2:32:34battle, all commanders.
2:32:36That would be enough to deal with the
2:32:38sand yeti on their own. But when they
2:32:40got close, he let Oilia, Dana, and the
2:32:42Naga warriors go fight while he
2:32:44pretended to drive the wagon. Thor
2:32:47didn't need directions like that, but it
2:32:49was easier to pretend than to explain.
2:32:51The four additions were able to quickly
2:32:53overcome the sand yeti warriors and Carl
2:32:56noticed that the Naga warriors were
2:32:57getting better with their use of
2:32:59tsunami. They had learned to create it
2:33:02with a downward strike of the sword,
2:33:04sending a narrow vertical arc of water
2:33:06racing toward the target for a much more
2:33:08concentrated and energyefficient strike
2:33:09than the wide version. The yeti were not
2:33:12particularly intelligent creatures, and
2:33:14they were mindlessly charging at the
2:33:16farmers without any sort of
2:33:17coordination, far from the level of
2:33:19threat that the groups led by drakes had
2:33:21managed. Oilia didn't transform. She
2:33:24just hacked into the sand yeti with her
2:33:26axes, while Dana attacked from above so
2:33:29she could see over the defenders.
2:33:32Compared to the others, she was tiny.
2:33:35Oilia could use Berserk terror when she
2:33:37was enraged to increase her size and
2:33:39power without Carl's assistance. That
2:33:42made her larger than the Minotaurs and
2:33:44the Sand Yeti. While the Naga warriors
2:33:46were not as thick, but their body length
2:33:48let them fight at an equal height to the
2:33:50others. Their combat style was much more
2:33:53three-dimensional than most. They had no
2:33:56problem stretching out to attack from
2:33:58below or raising to let their upper arms
2:34:00attack from above. Any target would have
2:34:03trouble dealing with four blades at
2:34:05once. And the more that they practiced,
2:34:07the more skilled that they were
2:34:09becoming. With their combined efforts,
2:34:11all the attackers were dead by the time
2:34:13that Carl pulled up to the farmhouse.
2:34:16Do you need any healing? I have dragon
2:34:19clerics with me. He called over to the
2:34:22farmers. The bullheaded grandfather of
2:34:25the family snorted in what sounded like
2:34:27annoyance, then gestured to the house.
2:34:30If they don't mind helping our kind, we
2:34:32do have injured. He agreed. Lotus hopped
2:34:36down from the wagon to take her turn at
2:34:38healing, and Cara poked at the mental
2:34:40link with Carl. Tell her to try to
2:34:42polish their horns. I want to know what
2:34:45they look like when they are shiny.
2:34:48Later, let us heal them and get them to
2:34:51calm down before we try to get them to
2:34:52agree to let Lotus groom them. The
2:34:55presence of the nature cleric seemed to
2:34:57set them at ease.
2:34:59Lotus was possibly the least threatening
2:35:01person that Carl had ever met. And when
2:35:03she came in with an area healing spell
2:35:05active, it gave everyone a warm,
2:35:07welcoming feeling. "What are you doing
2:35:10so far off the track, merchant?" The
2:35:13oldest of the farmers asked, "This
2:35:16nonsense is happening all over the
2:35:17region, and we got a report that the
2:35:19route along the river to bypass the
2:35:21battles at Burwick is even worse. The
2:35:24sand yeti are usually accompanied by
2:35:26copper drakes who give them
2:35:28organizational skills. Between that and
2:35:31the opportunistic ones looking to either
2:35:33kill the drakes or the merchants who
2:35:35might have valuables, this way is safer.
2:35:38It's not much of a trade route, but I'll
2:35:40try to make a go of it as I head east.
2:35:43Carl explained.
2:35:45Well, if you can trade with the remote
2:35:46farms all the way through, you might do
2:35:49all right. What do you have for trade
2:35:51items? We've got some minotaur tools,
2:35:54the sort that double as weapons for the
2:35:56farmers. Carl offered. The minur nodded.
2:36:01Do you want more of them to sell? We've
2:36:04got lots of steel here, but it's rare
2:36:06further into the savannah. Carl
2:36:09shrugged. I think that we have room for
2:36:11some extra gear. What do you have for
2:36:14sale? We get numerous requests for the
2:36:17sickle spear or quality shovels.
2:36:20Grain and grass crops are the majority
2:36:22of the roughage grown around here, but
2:36:24we also do root vegetables.
2:36:26Sickles are essential for cutting wheat
2:36:28and hay, so we're carrying them for most
2:36:30of the year. Shovels are just generally
2:36:33good weapons.
2:36:35So, we make some with serrated edges for
2:36:37dealing with thick hides and leather
2:36:39armor. That sounded like an innovative
2:36:42way to make a dualpurpose tool, even if
2:36:44you would have to sharpen the sides
2:36:45regularly with use. But Carl suspected
2:36:49that the sharpness was secondary when
2:36:50you were using the shovel as an axe.
2:36:53Minotaurs were strong and a shovel head
2:36:55had a decent bit of weight to it, so it
2:36:57would make an acceptable axe in an
2:36:59emergency. Carl turned to Tessa, who
2:37:02gave him a thumbs up from the wagon.
2:37:05They didn't have too many of either, so
2:37:07they could afford to buy more here. The
2:37:09Minotaurs also had a crafting method
2:37:11that made common grade magical items out
2:37:13of their weapons, and she wanted to
2:37:15study that. If it was something that the
2:37:18church could do, the red dragon clerics
2:37:20could make good use of it when a
2:37:21conscription happened on short notice.
2:37:24Teaching conscripts to use anything but
2:37:26a spear was difficult, and even their
2:37:28spear skills were questionable.
2:37:31However, handing them a shovel-shaped
2:37:33axe should be more familiar. It had
2:37:36surely been tried in the past, and she
2:37:38had seen more than one pitchfork used in
2:37:40combat before, but it might become more
2:37:42commonplace if they had better quality
2:37:43tools already in hand. The farmer sent
2:37:46one of the younger girls to go get their
2:37:48goods, and she came running back with a
2:37:50wheelbarrow full of them a minute later.
2:37:53This is what we have stockpiled.
2:37:56We haven't had a lot of spare time to
2:37:57make tools this year, but it should be
2:37:59enough. Carl did the quick math and set
2:38:02out the money. Minotaurs weren't hard
2:38:05negotiators from what he had seen. They
2:38:08had a more communal mentality and looked
2:38:10for the price that was best for
2:38:12everyone.
2:38:13So offering them a fair price at the
2:38:15start actually saved time and didn't
2:38:17cost you any extra. The farmer nodded as
2:38:20he did the same math Carl had. The
2:38:23little girl counted coins on her fingers
2:38:25and looked up at the elder minotaur. Is
2:38:28that a good price, Grandpa? She asked.
2:38:32It is 2/3 of the market price. That is a
2:38:36good price from a merchant who has to
2:38:38carry them and find a buyer. It will be
2:38:40enough to cover all the supplies we
2:38:42ordered this spring. The older man
2:38:45replied. The little girl smiled and
2:38:48carefully put the coins in a bag before
2:38:50running inside with the bag held proudly
2:38:52in front of her. Cute kid. Here I have a
2:38:56couple extra healing potions just in
2:38:58case you have more monster trouble. Remy
2:39:01passed Carl the potions from her space.
2:39:04She had been busy making these, and she
2:39:07was getting better at them. They still
2:39:09lost some effectiveness compared to
2:39:11directly using the skill, but she had
2:39:13mixed some medicinal herbs in them from
2:39:15her swamp, and it was getting closer to
2:39:17full power. The old minotaur smiled as
2:39:20he carefully put the potions in a straw
2:39:22lined wooden chest. If you're certain, I
2:39:25won't say no to your generosity.
2:39:28Emergency healing supplies are hard to
2:39:30buy, but not many merchants have clerics
2:39:32with them. Lotus giggled from inside the
2:39:35farmhouse, and Carl smiled. They're
2:39:38actually not made by the clerics.
2:39:41They're made by a Naga queen friend of
2:39:43mine. They're shaman healing magic. The
2:39:47Minotaur's smile got even larger. Oh,
2:39:50that is a shock. I don't think I've ever
2:39:53seen a Naga shaman, much less a shaman
2:39:55queen. Even those noble warriors are a
2:39:58rarity outside their southern swamps.
2:40:01But if you're headed east, there will be
2:40:03lizard men among the nomadic tribes.
2:40:06They are the closest thing to permanent
2:40:07residents that you'll find east of the
2:40:09minotaur farms. Arrogant bastards they
2:40:12are. Lizards and minur don't get along
2:40:15all that well. But with dragon clerics
2:40:17and naga, they should be easier for you
2:40:19to talk to. Remy wasn't sure why the
2:40:22minotaurs kept equating the lizard men
2:40:24with naga. They were entirely different
2:40:27species. The lizard men weren't even
2:40:30aquatic like the crocalisk species were.
2:40:33All they had in common was scales. Carl
2:40:36took note of the old man's attitude on
2:40:38the other species before asking more
2:40:40questions.
2:40:41Have there been any recent troubles with
2:40:43the nomadic orcs or demons? The farmer
2:40:46shook his head. The demons all went
2:40:49west, intending to claim a city for
2:40:51themselves. I haven't seen any sign of
2:40:54them in months. The orcs passed by here
2:40:57just a week or two ago, but they were in
2:40:59a good mood. We had a short fight and
2:41:02then they traded us some steel in
2:41:04exchange for food. Carl chuckled. Yeah,
2:41:08that sounds like them. As long as
2:41:11they're not on a war path, we should be
2:41:13all right then. Carl saw Lotus sneak the
2:41:16younger minotaurs inside the house a
2:41:18small bag of rice and beans along with a
2:41:20bag of seeds that he couldn't
2:41:22immediately identify. Then she came back
2:41:25out with her typical happy smile. We're
2:41:28all finished with the healing. Did you
2:41:30finish your trades?
2:41:32She asked.
2:41:34Yeah, we're all done. We can head out as
2:41:37soon as everyone is back in the wagon.
2:41:40Lotus held out her arms and Carl laughed
2:41:42as he grabbed her by the hips to put her
2:41:44back in the wagon. Oilia rolled her eyes
2:41:47as she climbed up the ladder into the
2:41:49wagon, but Dana mimicked Lotus, holding
2:41:51out her arms. Carl grabbed her behind
2:41:54the legs for a one-armed Princess Carry
2:41:56and hopped up onto his seat. The farmer
2:41:59laughed at her shocked expression, and
2:42:01Carl waved his free hand as he got Thor
2:42:04moving.
2:42:05Dana thumped him on the head as she
2:42:07wiggled out of his hold to sit beside
2:42:08him on the bench, cheeks flushed with
2:42:10embarrassment.
2:42:12There were a few other farms to the
2:42:14east, but Hawk didn't spot any more
2:42:16trouble. In fact, the rest of the
2:42:18morning was quiet as they traveled. Do
2:42:21you think that we reached the edge of
2:42:23the spawn area? When we went on
2:42:25missions, we would have reached a group
2:42:27at least twice an hour at this pace, but
2:42:29there isn't much of anything here. Oilia
2:42:32noted as they traveled across the open
2:42:34grassland.
2:42:36That is possible. We have no way to tell
2:42:39what the edge of the spawn was, so it is
2:42:41plausible that it was centered closer to
2:42:43the city, and that would have put us
2:42:44outside the range by now. We only have
2:42:47Hawks reports to go on, and he's focused
2:42:49on finding us the best route east. But I
2:42:53won't complain if we have a break
2:42:54between battles. Dealing with drakes and
2:42:57a nomadic tribe at the same time would
2:42:59just be confusing. Unless it was orcs.
2:43:02The others all stared at Carl, waiting
2:43:04for an explanation of that idea. Orcs
2:43:07like a good fight. If we ran into them
2:43:10and a group of sand yeti at the same
2:43:12time, we could send a champion out to
2:43:14fight and they would accept that as a
2:43:16show of pride. What are you, the orc
2:43:18whisperer? Tessa laughed. Just wait.
2:43:23There are nomadic orc tribes here and we
2:43:25will see them eventually. When I was
2:43:28sent back in time by Bishop Misty, I
2:43:30learned a lot about them. They used to
2:43:33be more civilized, but they have easy to
2:43:35follow rules of behavior that seem to
2:43:37have survived the years. Tessa gave him
2:43:40a suspicious look, but Thor was nodding
2:43:42in agreement. Orcs were good people.
2:43:45They like to smash stuff just as much as
2:43:47he did. Carl sighed as he realized that
2:43:50everyone trusted Thor's judgment more
2:43:52than his own. Hawk scouting didn't turn
2:43:55up much of anything for the rest of the
2:43:56day. They had left the spawn area for
2:43:59the drakes and even the farms had mostly
2:44:02ended. Hey, do you think that the
2:44:04populations are related? As soon as the
2:44:07farms ended, so did the spawn. There
2:44:10were larger and stronger groups in the
2:44:12morning than at lunch, and now there is
2:44:14nothing. It feels like the spawn is tied
2:44:17to the local population,
2:44:19Tessa noted as they prepared to set camp
2:44:21for the evening. I've never heard of it
2:44:24being like that before and they usually
2:44:26appear in the more rural areas. Or
2:44:28perhaps those areas are rural now
2:44:30because that's where the spawns happen,
2:44:33but it does track. Hawk agrees, too. The
2:44:37stronger groups were in the areas where
2:44:39the farm houses were clustered. If we
2:44:42add that to what you said earlier about
2:44:44them appearing near other anomalies,
2:44:46this might have been the smaller of the
2:44:47spawns as well. We're days away from the
2:44:50dungeon. So, if distance has any
2:44:52relation to strength, this should be the
2:44:54weakest that it gets. Carl offered.
2:44:58Tessa took out the map and looked at the
2:44:59area in front of them, which was
2:45:01basically one large blank spot on the
2:45:03map. Going by this, it's going to take
2:45:06us a week just to get back on the road
2:45:08and close to a month to get to the
2:45:10border with the Beast Kin Nation. When
2:45:12we set the schedule, we greatly
2:45:14overestimated how fast you can travel
2:45:16without breaking a wagon. It's faster
2:45:19than having us mere mortals on foot. But
2:45:21compared to having us ride Thor and the
2:45:23rest of you jogging, we're less than a
2:45:25quarter of our daily travel distance,
2:45:27maybe even an eighth. Tessa sighed.
2:45:30Oilia nodded. That is true, but it is
2:45:35what it is, and we're not under any sort
2:45:37of set deadline to get back. Dana
2:45:40nodded, then smiled as she made a
2:45:42realization.
2:45:43You know, this is as close as we've
2:45:45gotten to a vacation since we started at
2:45:47the academy. We can just travel at our
2:45:50own pace, and there is nobody to tell us
2:45:52otherwise.
2:45:54We might have to do something that
2:45:55pleases the Red Dragon eventually, but
2:45:57we can find a way, I'm certain. Oilia
2:46:01smiled. The gods have a way of making
2:46:03sure that we have the opportunity to
2:46:05make the right choices.
2:46:07That's probably a red flag, but maybe it
2:46:10will be cute orphans again. Lotus
2:46:12laughed. We do have good luck with
2:46:15orphans. It's like small creatures are
2:46:18attracted to us. Tessa smirked at Oilia
2:46:22and Lotus stuck her tongue out at them.
2:46:24That's not what I meant, and you know
2:46:26it. She could protest all she wanted,
2:46:29but she was one of the small creatures.
2:46:32Do we have any major landmarks along the
2:46:34way? Carl asked with a gesture at the
2:46:37map in Tessa's hands. Nothing. We're
2:46:41heading straight east and not following
2:46:43the river as it bends northeast, but
2:46:45we're only going to end up 100 km from
2:46:47where the ones following the road will
2:46:49end up. But if we go a bit south of true
2:46:52east, we would end up following the road
2:46:54for quite a while.
2:46:56That might be safer if there are more
2:46:58incidents along the way. But according
2:46:59to the dragon, the road route is the
2:47:01safer route. It's after we reach the
2:47:04road again that we will have to decide
2:47:06to follow it southeast or go cross
2:47:08country for a thousand km to get closer
2:47:10to the Beastkin Nation. Carl frowned at
2:47:13the huge gaps on the map with no marked
2:47:15population centers. It didn't make sense
2:47:18for there to be nobody living there. But
2:47:20if there were no established roads, the
2:47:22Divine Beast Nation might have not
2:47:24bothered to fill it all in. Without a
2:47:27monster spawn nearby, Ray's night watch
2:47:29was depressingly uneventful.
2:47:31But uneventful was good for Carl, as it
2:47:34gave him time to study his skills and
2:47:36theorize ways to combine them that might
2:47:38make a whole new ability. Trollish
2:47:40regeneration and limited invulnerability
2:47:42had combined to make void body. The
2:47:46skill basically combined the best of
2:47:48both with a bit more power while keeping
2:47:50them as a passive skill. That wasn't
2:47:53really what Carl was hoping for. It was
2:47:56an absolutely incredible skill, but he
2:47:58should be able to combine them into an
2:48:00ability that was better than just having
2:48:01both skills active, which he was doing
2:48:04anyhow. None of the other skills seemed
2:48:06all that compatible, though. Carl
2:48:09considered his options, and while it
2:48:11seemed like he might be able to combine
2:48:13some of his attack skills, his
2:48:15imagination was failing him on how to
2:48:16combine them to make them better than
2:48:18skill plus skill combined. There was no
2:48:21way that a skill so difficult to obtain
2:48:23could be limited to this degree. It
2:48:26wasn't available on the offensive or
2:48:27defensive skill trees, so there had to
2:48:29be more to it. Perhaps the point was to
2:48:32try to make incompatible skills work
2:48:34together to do something new and
2:48:36innovative.
2:48:37Maybe you just need to think about how
2:48:39to make something from each of us work
2:48:40together. You can visualize skills. So
2:48:44just imagine all of us working together
2:48:46on one spell. Remy offered. She was
2:48:50actually the one with the most talent
2:48:51and success creating new skills. She had
2:48:55made two different types of totems so
2:48:57far, and she had learned a wider variety
2:48:59of skills than anyone else. Just make
2:49:02the snake's magic less evil and go from
2:49:04there, Hawk suggested.
2:49:07Carl laughed at the bird's loyalty to
2:49:09his element and focused on the one
2:49:11shared skill from Remy's advancement
2:49:13that he hadn't tried yet. Cyclone
2:49:16created a vortex of water, similar to
2:49:18the defensive cyclone that that Naga
2:49:20shaman boss had used. Hawk would want
2:49:23that to be less evil. So Carl focused on
2:49:27converting the element to be fire. A
2:49:29flaming tornado was more acceptable to
2:49:32Hawk, even if it wasn't better than the
2:49:33base cyclone.
2:49:35Soup, Cara shouted, startling them all.
2:49:40What in the world are you talking about?
2:49:42Carl asked. It wasn't even close to
2:49:45lunchtime, and the Drake leg that Hawk
2:49:47was roasting her wasn't ready yet. You
2:49:50know, soup. Just keep putting stuff in
2:49:53the pot until it's good. You have a
2:49:56flaming cyclone, but if you added the
2:49:58earth barrier from Ray and a dash of
2:50:00nullify, the void badger trailed off to
2:50:03let Carl finish the thought. Carl
2:50:06thought about it, and that might be
2:50:07good, but not quite right. However, if
2:50:10he added shatter to cause physical hits
2:50:13to inflict additional vibration damage,
2:50:15then made the Earth shield swirl in the
2:50:17flaming cyclone with a touch of nullify
2:50:20to help it break defenses, they might be
2:50:22on to something. It was a great concept
2:50:25in theory, except for the fact that Carl
2:50:28couldn't use nullify.
2:50:30In practice, trying to add Earth Shield
2:50:32to the cyclone was a pain and he was
2:50:35unable to use rays boulder toss to just
2:50:38add small stones.
2:50:40However, if he added shred, the swirling
2:50:43vortex became positively hateful. In
2:50:46practice, trying to add Earth Shield to
2:50:48the cyclone was a pain, and he was
2:50:50unable to use rays boulder toss to just
2:50:53add small stones.
2:50:55However, if he added shred, the swirling
2:50:58vortex became positively hateful, but it
2:51:01still needed a bit more. And bone
2:51:04crusher did a fine job of replacing
2:51:06nullify in this situation as it bypassed
2:51:09armor. It wouldn't break their defenses,
2:51:12but having a portion of the damage
2:51:13bypass them was a great start.
2:51:16Carl spent most of the afternoon trying
2:51:18to make that work together. He could
2:51:20form it in his mind, but it was unstable
2:51:23and missing something. Chain lightning.
2:51:26That was what it was missing. The
2:51:28lightning would arc around it, carrying
2:51:30shred and bone crusher with it, while
2:51:32the repetitive nature of the spell would
2:51:34help stabilize the mess of magic
2:51:36elements. In his mind, it was a great
2:51:39spell.
2:51:40It only gained a fraction of each
2:51:42component, but Ry and Cara were unhappy
2:51:45with being left out of the new ultimate
2:51:46skill. Disintegration wasn't going to
2:51:49merge with this spell, though. There was
2:51:52already too much going on. We might have
2:51:55to make this one the Hawk and Remy
2:51:57combo. I've already added far too much
2:52:00to this soup, and I don't think that
2:52:02it's even going to stabilize.
2:52:04If I go any further, I'm just going to
2:52:06be making a mess of things." Carl sighed
2:52:09as they prepared to stop for the
2:52:10evening. At least try it once to see if
2:52:13you can make a less evil cyclone. Hawk
2:52:16pleaded. You've been lost in your head
2:52:19all day. Did you make some sort of
2:52:21discovery? Dana asked as she leaned
2:52:24against his shoulder. She had been there
2:52:27all day, and Carl had been so
2:52:29preoccupied that he had hardly noticed.
2:52:32I've been trying to use the skill merger
2:52:34ability that I got from Orthos to turn
2:52:36some of the shared skills into a higher
2:52:37grade skill. It's harder than it seems,
2:52:40and the skill doesn't seem to want to
2:52:42give me hints on what might work. Carl
2:52:45sighed. How far along are you? Dana
2:52:49replied.
2:52:50Well, I think I've got an upgraded
2:52:52cyclone, but fire element instead of
2:52:55water. In theory, it should be much more
2:52:58powerful, but I don't know if it's going
2:53:00to work at all.
2:53:01Lotus popped her head over his other
2:53:03shoulder. Are we going to get a show? I
2:53:07want to see you try to use a madeup
2:53:09skill. That is too cool. Does that mean
2:53:13if you learn enough different things,
2:53:14you can just make up a whole new set of
2:53:16attacks? I suppose that might be true.
2:53:20If I had the next stage of the skill
2:53:22master ability, the beasts would
2:53:24naturally be able to evolve their skills
2:53:26to new ones that are related to the
2:53:27base. like how shred is an evolved rend.
2:53:31Carl explained a singleuse version was
2:53:34how they had gotten eternal lightning
2:53:36and that one skill alone was enough to
2:53:38call Thor overpowered as a defensive
2:53:40support. Well, let's see what you have.
2:53:44Just cast it over there. We don't want
2:53:47to get caught up if it goes wrong. Lotus
2:53:50insisted as Thor pulled the wagon to a
2:53:52stop next to a large boulder that would
2:53:54be their windbreak tonight. Carl
2:53:56chuckled as he got to the ground. All
2:53:59right, this might need some extra space,
2:54:02so I'll go some distance away. Carl
2:54:05walked 50 m from the wagon just to be
2:54:07safe. That should be beyond the range of
2:54:10any accidental misfires, especially when
2:54:13he was casting it away from the wagon as
2:54:15well. Carl focused on the new cyclone,
2:54:18then activated all of the spells that
2:54:20would need to be combined to make it
2:54:21work.
2:54:22It was a massive energy use, but the
2:54:25spell was beginning to take effect as he
2:54:26had envisioned it. The cyclone was fire.
2:54:30It was energized with shred and chain
2:54:32lightning, but when he tried to add bone
2:54:34crusher, it vanished in a puff of
2:54:36unstable fire. All right, that might
2:54:39have been too much to ask. Let me try
2:54:42that again. Carl began to reform the 4 m
2:54:45tall cyclone with more focus on the base
2:54:47spell to keep the form and then
2:54:49activated shred for the tearing damage
2:54:51and then chain lightning. That was
2:54:54fairly stable, but nothing special had
2:54:56happened. So Carl began to tweak the
2:54:58balances.
2:55:00If he could get it right before he was
2:55:01exhausted, it would be a great victory.
2:55:04The spell began to settle, but the mana
2:55:07cost was still that of four spells at
2:55:09once. That wasn't really an improvement,
2:55:12but at least the effect looked right.
2:55:14Then suddenly, lightning arked off the
2:55:16vortex, hitting an Earth mouse 10 m from
2:55:19the main cyclone. A smaller version of
2:55:22the spell formed at the impact site,
2:55:24wandering off on its own without Carl's
2:55:26input or control. Then another chain
2:55:29lightning arc hit a hidden creature, and
2:55:31a second 2 m tall vortex formed,
2:55:33wandering through the grass.
2:55:36Carl nearly collapsed as a pulse of
2:55:37energy was pulled from him and a dozen
2:55:39more small vortexes formed. One meter
2:55:42tall and spreading from the secondary
2:55:43vortexes.
2:55:45Brother Hawk, it is glorious.
2:55:48Cara breathed barely loud enough for
2:55:50Carl to hear in his thoughts. Hawk
2:55:53blinked a tear from his eye. It is
2:55:55beautiful. New shared skill learned.
2:55:59Helltorm
2:56:00usable by Remy. Usable Hawk. There was
2:56:04only one problem with that new skill.
2:56:07They had started a grass fire. Remy,
2:56:10would you mind putting that out for us?
2:56:13Congratulations to you and Hawk on your
2:56:15new spell. Thunderstorm quickly put out
2:56:18the grass fire and Carl sighed in relief
2:56:20that the skill creation process had
2:56:22actually worked. That is absolutely
2:56:25ridiculous.
2:56:27Why was it splitting? Is it supposed to
2:56:30do that? Dana asked. There were earth
2:56:33mice. The spell used chain lightning to
2:56:37stabilize it, but that made it arc to
2:56:39nearby targets. I think that it's
2:56:41overall a success. The system didn't
2:56:44call it an epic grade skill or anything,
2:56:46but if the energy cost is reasonable, it
2:56:49should be one of the most powerful area
2:56:51attack spells that I have, Carl
2:56:53explained.
2:56:55Well, it will make Hawk happy anyhow.
2:56:58Wait, he can use it, right? Carl smiled
2:57:02at the panicked look on Dana's face.
2:57:05Yeah, he can use it. So can Remy. Oilia
2:57:10began to laugh and everyone turned to
2:57:12see what was so amusing. I can see it
2:57:14now. Just fire tornadoes all over the
2:57:17battlefield, randomly duplicating every
2:57:20time they get too close to something. It
2:57:23will be utter chaos.
2:57:25Nowhere will be safe and we won't even
2:57:27be able to work with allies without
2:57:28risking them getting a fire cyclone to
2:57:30the face. It's both the greatest and
2:57:33most horrific spell that I've ever seen.
2:57:36It doesn't even spare the grass. When
2:57:39you cast a normal fire magic spell, it
2:57:41doesn't target the ground unless it
2:57:43actually lights the target on fire, but
2:57:45those things leave a burnt path as they
2:57:47wander. She explained between giggles. I
2:57:51might need a bit of practice with the
2:57:52targeting, Carl admitted. But are you
2:57:56even in control of the additional ones?
2:57:59The first one that you created sat in
2:58:01one spot, but the rest didn't. Minor
2:58:04technical difficulty, but it's an
2:58:07effective group combat spell. Besides,
2:58:10if there are no extra targets, I can
2:58:12just create the vortex on top of the
2:58:14enemy and make them fight their way out.
2:58:17Tessa shook her head and began to hang a
2:58:19silk sheet between the wagon and the
2:58:20large boulder beside them so she could
2:58:22set up a fire pit underneath. It didn't
2:58:25seem like it was going to rain naturally
2:58:27tonight, but the tarp would keep the
2:58:29light contained in case something was
2:58:31watching. Lotus grew the firewood to
2:58:34warm the area while Oilia and Dana
2:58:36strung out the hammock nets for the
2:58:38evening. Has anyone else noticed that
2:58:40the air here smells funny? It's like
2:58:43there is something rotten, but I can't
2:58:45figure out where it's coming from. Lotus
2:58:48asked as she finished lighting the
2:58:49campfire.
2:58:51Carl sniffed the air. And yes, there was
2:58:53some smell of rotting vegetation, but
2:58:56that was normal for any wilderness area.
2:58:58Nothing out of the usual. Do you think
2:59:01it might be something like that weird
2:59:03feeling before the last monster spawn?
2:59:06Carl asked. Tessa frowned. It might. You
2:59:11were the one who felt the stranges last
2:59:13time. Or at least the one that felt it
2:59:15the most powerfully.
2:59:17Tonight it is Lotus.
2:59:19Perhaps we should sleep early and
2:59:20prepare to be awake at midnight in case
2:59:22of an attack. That's probably a good
2:59:25idea. If nothing appears in the middle
2:59:28of the night, it might happen at dawn or
2:59:30it might be the next night. The area
2:59:33around Oak Camping felt wrong for days
2:59:35before the monster spawn. Carl
2:59:38explained.
2:59:39That night, everyone slept armored, much
2:59:42to Carl's dismay. What was the point of
2:59:45sharing a hammock with a lumpy suit of
2:59:47chain mail? Even if it was covered in
2:59:49the soft silk of the outfit that Ry had
2:59:51made for Dana, armor still wasn't fun to
2:59:54cuddle with. Ry mentally nudged Carl
2:59:56just before midnight, so he would be the
2:59:58first awake if there was anything
3:00:00happening.
3:00:01Carl woke the others and they lay in the
3:00:04wagon waiting for news from Rey who
3:00:06would be able to see the enemy from the
3:00:08furthest distance. Carl waited watching
3:00:11the distance for heat signatures.
3:00:13They watched for a half hour and Carl
3:00:16was about to relax when movement in the
3:00:17distance caught his attention. However,
3:00:20it didn't give off a heat signature. It
3:00:22was the same temperature as the ground
3:00:24and the trees, but it was moving. And
3:00:27from over a slight rise, there were more
3:00:29moving objects. We have motion in the
3:00:32distance, but they seem to be
3:00:34cold-blooded.
3:00:35They're not giving off a heat signature.
3:00:38I am just seeing them with a
3:00:40collocation.
3:00:41The amount of noise that they are making
3:00:43while they move makes them fairly easy
3:00:45to spot. So, a reptile species or
3:00:49possibly something unexpected,
3:00:51Tessa whispered. Reptiles would be the
3:00:54best option. At least Carl had a good
3:00:57idea how to deal with them. But most of
3:01:00the reptiles that they had come across,
3:01:02the monster varieties at least, were
3:01:04warm-blooded.
3:01:06Even the Naga, who appeared to be
3:01:08snakes, were warm-blooded.
3:01:10With movement in the distance, everyone
3:01:12got out of bed to prepare for an attack.
3:01:15Even the low light vision that Carl had
3:01:17inherited from Hawk was no use at that
3:01:19distance. They were just vague shapes in
3:01:21the long grass as Hawk's night vision
3:01:23wasn't color vision. But they were
3:01:26bipedal and not much larger than humans.
3:01:29However, as they got a bit closer, the
3:01:32details were easier to pick out.
3:01:34However, that wasn't helping Carl in his
3:01:37attempts to determine what the threat
3:01:38level was. There were lizard folk, orcs,
3:01:42some demons, humans, and others just
3:01:44walking around aimlessly. "I don't know
3:01:47what is going on. They're all cold as
3:01:50the surrounding plants, but it looks
3:01:51like humans, orcs, and other monsters,"
3:01:55Carl whispered. "More slime monsters.
3:01:59They might be mimicking things that
3:02:00they've seen recently," Tessa suggested.
3:02:04"That is a possibility.
3:02:07Or it might be some sort of spectre.
3:02:09They don't have an internal temperature,
3:02:11but they're much more uncommon,
3:02:14Oilia added. Dana looked around in the
3:02:17dark, unable to see much of anything
3:02:19beyond the radius of the fire light.
3:02:22There is one more thing that they could
3:02:23be, she whispered. The undead.
3:02:28Carl looked out at the variety of
3:02:29species. the way they didn't seem to
3:02:31have any animosity for each other or any
3:02:34urge to gather. Combined with the fact
3:02:36that they had just appeared at midnight,
3:02:38but didn't take any proactive actions to
3:02:40do anything but slowly walk in random
3:02:42directions, and it did look like a setup
3:02:44from a horror movie set. It was too soon
3:02:47to say for certain, but if they were
3:02:49stuck in a zombie spawn, he would no
3:02:51longer be surprised. They had
3:02:54encountered enough abnormal activity
3:02:56since joining the academy that he wasn't
3:02:58putting anything outside the realm of
3:02:59possibility,
3:03:01even if they had been told by those in
3:03:03charge that it wouldn't happen. The fire
3:03:05had burned down to embers, but it
3:03:07wouldn't be easy for the creatures to
3:03:09sense anyhow being surrounded by the
3:03:11tarps to keep the light in. I need to
3:03:14check the other side of the rock and
3:03:15make certain that there isn't anything
3:03:17sneaking up on us. Then we can start
3:03:20planning for how to deal with whatever
3:03:21spawn we're stuck in. Carl whispered.
3:03:25Fighting in the dark is going to suck.
3:03:28Oilia sighed. If we need to, we can make
3:03:31light. It's better than risking a
3:03:34mistake in the dark. I'll be back in a
3:03:37few seconds. Carl moved around the
3:03:39boulder to scout the area. If there were
3:03:42monsters close enough to be a real
3:03:44threat, Ry would have sensed them by
3:03:46now. But Carl wanted to see with his own
3:03:48eyes, so he had a clear grasp of the
3:03:50situation. In the distance, there were
3:03:53hundreds of the same assorted monsters
3:03:55and humans with no heat signature, all
3:03:57wandering aimlessly in the dark. At
3:04:00least nothing had appeared right on top
3:04:01of their group this time. They weren't
3:04:04going to get much sleep tonight, but
3:04:06they weren't in immediate danger. Out of
3:04:09the darkness, the sound of combat
3:04:11carried to Carl's sensitive ears, as
3:04:13well as the Naga warriors.
3:04:15It was too faint for Thor to hear it,
3:04:17but Ray perked up trying to find the
3:04:20source of the disturbance.
3:04:22It was out of sight, and Carl quickly
3:04:24realized that someone had found a low
3:04:26spot to camp in where they wouldn't be
3:04:28spotted from a distance in the morning.
3:04:30That was a much better idea than just
3:04:32camping next to a big rock. But if their
3:04:34battle was intense enough that it could
3:04:36be heard from kilome away, they might
3:04:38need assistance.
3:04:40But more urgently, the sound of battle
3:04:42was drawing the attention of all the
3:04:44creatures in the area. Once they started
3:04:46to move with purpose, it got the
3:04:48attention of even more. And soon, every
3:04:50one of the creatures that Carl could
3:04:52detect was headed in the same direction.
3:04:55Some would be passing right through
3:04:56their camp if they didn't move. And
3:04:58there were hundreds of them. Okay,
3:05:00that's not good. Whoever is fighting in
3:05:03the distance has gotten the attention of
3:05:05every creature within 5 km, and they're
3:05:08all headed that way.
3:05:10Some of them will be passing right by us
3:05:12and that means a fight. But a fight
3:05:15means that there will be more of them
3:05:16turning our way. I think it might be
3:05:19best to go for a strength in numbers
3:05:21approach. Carl explained. Tessa frowned
3:05:25as she replied.
3:05:27So head towards the battle and hope that
3:05:29whoever is over there is more friendly
3:05:30than whatever spawned. Well, given our
3:05:34experience with the spawns, that
3:05:35shouldn't be hard to achieve. Do we know
3:05:38what the enemy is yet? Carl shook his
3:05:41head. Just our various theories, but we
3:05:44will find out when we get to them. We
3:05:47won't have to wait long. There are
3:05:49already monsters headed this way. Rey
3:05:52reminded him. All right, pack quickly
3:05:55and let's get going. I want to get as
3:05:58close as possible before the fight
3:06:00spreads. Carl insisted.
3:06:03They only had to pack up the two sheets
3:06:05that were hiding the campfire. Then they
3:06:07were ready to move as fast as Thor could
3:06:09go without risking the wagon. Carl joged
3:06:13alongside the wagon as Ry kept Thor
3:06:15updated on the best routes. The monsters
3:06:18weren't fast and they were actually
3:06:19catching up to the ones in front of
3:06:21them. So Carl ordered Thor to slow a
3:06:23little. They would get as close as
3:06:26possible before they had to actually
3:06:27join the fight. He could already hear
3:06:30the voices and they were speaking the
3:06:32common language, so at the very least
3:06:34the defenders weren't insane.
3:06:36shouldertosh shoulder. Keep your
3:06:38position circled and don't get so far
3:06:40from the ground that they can get under
3:06:41you and inside the ring. A male voice
3:06:44was shouting. The sound of blades and
3:06:47the flashing lights of spells were now
3:06:49visible. Whoever was there, they had
3:06:52magic users. That meant it wasn't a
3:06:55random group of farmers. As the minur
3:06:57didn't have any spellcasters that Carl
3:06:59knew of. They had extremely powerful
3:07:02warriors, but that was the extent of
3:07:04their combat power.
3:07:06Tamarind, watch your off-hand blade
3:07:08technique. You're slow on the left side.
3:07:12Helltorm.
3:07:14Remy cheered in Carl's mind, and a
3:07:16massive funnel of fire formed off to
3:07:18their right side, where a dense pack of
3:07:20the attackers had gathered. There was a
3:07:22short stone ledge there, but for some
3:07:24reason, they were not climbing it, just
3:07:26piling up against it or going around.
3:07:29But with the light illuminated their
3:07:31features, Carl knew that today was going
3:07:33to be a lousy one. Every face was
3:07:36rotted, eyes glazed in death as the
3:07:38zombie horde pressed towards the signs
3:07:40of life. The undead were relentless.
3:07:44The only option was to kill them all or
3:07:46run away. But they were all around both
3:07:49groups, so running wasn't an option.
3:07:52"What the is that?" the voice
3:07:54shouted. So they were close enough that
3:07:57they could see the fire.
3:07:59merchant team coming to your location.
3:08:02Carl shouted, drawing the attention of a
3:08:04number of zombies.
3:08:06He called out the Lameia to join the
3:08:08Naga warriors around the wagon, and Ry
3:08:10called out her golems to help her clear
3:08:12the path for Thor. Carl used Ren to cut
3:08:15down swaves of the creatures, then
3:08:17realized that the upper halves kept
3:08:19moving. crushing the heads or burning
3:08:22them was the best option.
3:08:24So he brought out his bow and began to
3:08:26fire chain lightning enhanced arrows
3:08:29into the horde. Most of them were
3:08:31awakened and ascended, but there were a
3:08:33few stronger ones in the crowd. Carl
3:08:36could feel them there, but it was
3:08:38impossible to tell which was which when
3:08:39they were packed so densely. The source
3:08:42of the spells came into sight as the
3:08:44ground dropped away into what looked
3:08:45like a dry dugout pond, the sort that
3:08:48farmers made for their cattle.
3:08:50It was an oval about 10 m by 20 and only
3:08:535 m deep. However, the defenders were
3:08:56all human, wearing the black cloth
3:08:58outfits of a spellblade clan. They were
3:09:01putting up a valiant defense, and the
3:09:03zombie bodies were beginning to stack
3:09:05up. Don't attack the spider. It's a
3:09:08friendly. Someone was shouting, and Carl
3:09:11breathed a sigh of relief. It was good
3:09:14to have intelligent allies.
3:09:16Carl started a second hell storm on his
3:09:19left, matching the one that Remy was
3:09:21still holding active on the right, along
3:09:23with over a dozen smaller flaming
3:09:25cyclones.
3:09:27They were wandering through the horde,
3:09:28lighting zombies on fire. The weaker
3:09:31ones burned to ash in seconds, but the
3:09:34smaller cyclones weren't royal rank.
3:09:37They stepped down by a rank as they
3:09:38shrunk, first to commander, then to
3:09:41ascended rank. Carl let his vortex
3:09:44wander, spreading the chain vortexes
3:09:46through the horde, but it was nowhere
3:09:48near enough. With Ray's assistance and
3:09:50Carl's arrows, they managed to push the
3:09:53wagon to dugout position where the spell
3:09:55blades parted to let them through. Oilia
3:09:58and Dana hopped down to join the
3:10:00defensive line while Tessa and Lotus
3:10:02worked to bring up holy spells for the
3:10:04defenders. Thor already had circle of
3:10:07protection active, and he quickly spread
3:10:10eternal lightning over the group as he
3:10:12settled in to focus on his magic. Carl
3:10:15nodded at the golden masked royal rank
3:10:17spellblade as he stopped at the edge of
3:10:19the circle to reposition his hellstorm
3:10:22vortex.
3:10:23Remy did the same, putting hers opposite
3:10:26Carl's at the top of the hill as she
3:10:27came out to join the fight. Hawk used
3:10:30the light from the spells as a guide to
3:10:32take flight and bombard the area while
3:10:34Carl wandered out into the horde looking
3:10:36for something worth fighting. She had a
3:10:39barrier up and she was virtually immune
3:10:41to low rank attacks anyhow. So Carl
3:10:44wasn't all that worried about her as
3:10:45long as she didn't get too far away.
3:10:48Most of the spellb blades were ascended
3:10:50rank with four commanders and one prince
3:10:52leading them. That was a pretty normal
3:10:55group composition for a 30 person team,
3:10:57but against this horde, they would
3:10:59eventually exhaust themselves.
3:11:01Having Thor here would help immensely
3:11:03with his barrier refreshing everyone's
3:11:05stamina, health, and mana. The blade
3:11:08skills looked familiar, and Carl quickly
3:11:11settled into his role killing zombies
3:11:12who made it to the Rgeline, using
3:11:14minimal power with his arrows so that he
3:11:16didn't have to take down Hellstorm,
3:11:18which was still mana inensive even after
3:11:20it was completed and learned as a skill.
3:11:23Prince Carl. What a sight for sore eyes.
3:11:26Of all the things that we expected to be
3:11:28coming our way, Thor and Ry were not
3:11:31even on the list. The prince next to
3:11:33Carl informed him. I take it that we
3:11:36have met before. How is your team?
3:11:40Skilled fighters or recruits on a
3:11:42training mission. Carl replied, "All
3:11:45skilled combatants now. We were
3:11:48reassigned from the mountain giant front
3:11:50to try to reach an anomaly that opened
3:11:52west of here. There is a rumor that it
3:11:54is stabilizing and it might be high
3:11:56ranked. As the man spoke, Carl realized
3:12:00where he knew that voice from. Prince
3:12:02Corbin, he asked.
3:12:06Write in one guess. Muffin is four or
3:12:09five spots down and Tamarind is on the
3:12:11other side somewhere. Carl didn't
3:12:14remember a tamarind, but he was more
3:12:16focused on the battle right now than
3:12:17people's names. And the others from the
3:12:20Yeti anomaly. He asked instead. "Larry
3:12:24and Daryl, the commanders, are here."
3:12:28The other youngsters had duties at home.
3:12:30Carl continued to casually fire arrows
3:12:33into the crowd while Remy stood with her
3:12:35arms outstretched, guiding her main
3:12:37vortex with her hands. While Carl let
3:12:39his roam freely, Corbin sent arcs of
3:12:42energy that were rather similar to Rend
3:12:44into the zombie horde, keeping them back
3:12:46of the defenders on their side. But some
3:12:48of the others were beginning to have
3:12:50trouble on the far end where there was
3:12:52no royal and no helltorm to slow the
3:12:54attack. I will move to support the
3:12:57others. Once this initial wave slows, we
3:13:00can talk again. Carlin formed the
3:13:03spellblade with a quick nod of his head.
3:13:06greatly appreciated.
3:13:08We will see you soon. Let me know if
3:13:11your team needs to take down that
3:13:12regenerating barrier. The mana it grants
3:13:15is likely all that is keeping our
3:13:17ascended blades going at this point. The
3:13:20fight had only just started. They hadn't
3:13:22been fighting for more than 15 minutes.
3:13:24But if they had been surrounded when
3:13:26they woke up, they might be working on 4
3:13:28hours of sleep and they would have burnt
3:13:30a lot at the start of the fight. They
3:13:33were doing their best, but most of the
3:13:34spellblades weren't specialized in
3:13:36multiple enemy fights, and these ones
3:13:38had most likely been fighting giants
3:13:40before being sent on this mission, the
3:13:42same as Carl and the others had. It
3:13:45limited the skills that they were
3:13:46familiar with, as large area attacks
3:13:48were less effective against widely
3:13:50spread, larger targets. But the zombies
3:13:53were shoulderto-shoulder and packed
3:13:55tight front to back, trying to claw
3:13:57their way to the living. Carl used ren
3:14:01at neck height and spread as wide as
3:14:03possible, decapitating dozens of weaker
3:14:05zombies in a single shot before
3:14:07returning to firing arrows along the new
3:14:09front. It was becoming clear that they
3:14:12were still on the losing side of the
3:14:13battle, just not soon. The group didn't
3:14:16have enough area attacks to keep the
3:14:18horde back forever, and minute by
3:14:20minute, the lines were advancing.
3:14:23Blizzard wouldn't effectively get rid of
3:14:24them. It took too long to get through to
3:14:27the brain, and the zombies didn't stop
3:14:29for mere flesh wounds. It might be worth
3:14:32a shot, though. Helltorm was killing at
3:14:35a steady pace, but didn't move between
3:14:37targets fast enough when it would only
3:14:39arc to a dozen or so targets at once,
3:14:41while pulling almost all the mana Carl
3:14:43was getting from Eternal Lightning and
3:14:44his own regeneration.
3:14:47So, Carl switched the spells with
3:14:49Blizzard spread as wide as he could make
3:14:51it. Unlike the flaming vortex, the
3:14:54zombies didn't see it as a threat, so
3:14:56they didn't try to go around. That
3:14:59caused a momentary increase in the
3:15:01number of them reaching the front of the
3:15:02lines, but with the help of the
3:15:04bodyguards, the perimeter was holding.
3:15:07Hawk's bombardment was burning the piles
3:15:09of bodies, preventing them from creating
3:15:11piles that could be pushed down the hill
3:15:13onto the defenders, while Remy had a
3:15:15thunderstorm on one side and was
3:15:18following Carl's lead in switching to
3:15:20blizzard on the other. The spellb blades
3:15:23were concerned, seeing more wounded
3:15:25zombies making it to the front. If the
3:15:27new arrivals couldn't sustain enough
3:15:29output to eliminate the zombies, they
3:15:31would soon be in hand-to-hand combat
3:15:33again. Prince Corbin understood the long
3:15:36game, though. Blizzard was low mana
3:15:39cost, so the casters could focus on
3:15:41other spells at the same time. Plus, it
3:15:44was a huge area with the two blizzards
3:15:46and a thunderstorm completely encircling
3:15:48their position, leaving no gaps. All
3:15:52they had to do now was to hold the
3:15:53zombies in place long enough for the
3:15:55damage over time to tear those stuck in
3:15:57the middle of the pack apart, and the
3:15:58defenders would get a respit while
3:16:00another wave of attackers made its way
3:16:02through the spells. Just keep holding
3:16:04them back. Let the area spells do their
3:16:07work. Corbin shouted to his weary sect
3:16:10members. That was all that they could do
3:16:13anyhow, but the prospect of getting a
3:16:15break when the area spells wiped out a
3:16:17whole region of the enemy was a welcome
3:16:19one. Rey was firing stone bullets at the
3:16:22zombies from her position beside the
3:16:24wagon. While her golems hunted the
3:16:26stronger zombies in the area, it was the
3:16:29closest that she could come to having
3:16:30fun in this fight when the zombies
3:16:32smelled so terrible. Their blood was
3:16:35rancid and corrupt. Even with a barrier
3:16:38over her, Ry did not want any of that
3:16:40getting on her.
3:16:41Just the thought of smelling like that
3:16:43for the entire battle grossed her out.
3:16:46It didn't help that the spellb blades
3:16:47didn't know about the spawns, so they
3:16:49had only put a minimal guard rotation on
3:16:51duty for the evening, thinking that if
3:16:53they did face anything, it was likely to
3:16:55be bandits or local monsters.
3:16:58So, when the spawn had happened, the
3:17:00undead were already on them by the time
3:17:01that they noticed. That meant close
3:17:04combat and zombie blood on the mages.
3:17:08zombie blood that smelled absolutely
3:17:09terrible and was all over the area
3:17:11around the camp. The area spells were
3:17:14working their magic on the zombies, and
3:17:16every wave that replaced one that had
3:17:18been destroyed was in a bit worse shape.
3:17:21Then, for a few glorious moments, there
3:17:23were no more zombies on the front line,
3:17:25only wounded ones shambling through the
3:17:27blizzard. Catch your breath and prepare
3:17:30for the next wave. After this, it will
3:17:33be a steady wave of wounded zombies, but
3:17:35the storms will help keep the battle
3:17:37from attracting more of the creatures.
3:17:40Prince Corbin shouted to his sect
3:17:41members. Carl's team, mostly the
3:17:44summoned creatures, could take care of
3:17:46the influx for a few minutes. With the
3:17:49area damage and the slow movement of the
3:17:51zombies, they were arriving already
3:17:53heavily damaged.
3:17:55Plus, with the initial wave dead, they
3:17:57were losing their guidance, and they
3:17:59weren't charging straight ahead anymore.
3:18:02They were lingering in the storm and
3:18:04many of the weak ones were dying without
3:18:05ever making it to the front. That was
3:18:08making it easier to deal with and Hawks
3:18:10reporting said that the worst of the
3:18:12influx was already here. They had drawn
3:18:15the majority of the spawned area to them
3:18:17already as the spellblade sect had been
3:18:19close to the center of the anomaly and
3:18:21there just weren't many left to arrive.
3:18:24Carl wasn't going to pass along that
3:18:26news yet. The others might get their
3:18:28hopes up, and Hawk's search range was
3:18:30much more limited in the middle of the
3:18:32night than it was in the daytime. If he
3:18:35could bring Ry up with him, he would be
3:18:36able to see much further. That seemed
3:18:39like a good idea to Hawk. If he could
3:18:42work on a skill like brutality to
3:18:44increase his size, but by a lot more, he
3:18:47could carry someone with him to do the
3:18:49actual work of scouting. Maybe he could
3:18:51do it with a skill that he already knew.
3:18:54If his flaming body didn't set everyone
3:18:56on fire when they sat on him, it would
3:18:58be able to do the job of making him big,
3:19:00but it couldn't emulate his wings well
3:19:02enough. So, he still wouldn't be able to
3:19:04fly with them. That meant that he
3:19:06actually needed to get big in order to
3:19:08fly with a passenger, and that would be
3:19:10much more difficult. "I'm going to hunt
3:19:13the ones that haven't made it to the
3:19:14storms yet," he announced, turning away
3:19:17from the battle. "All right, have fun.
3:19:21If you find a way to make yourself big
3:19:23enough to give rides, we will work out a
3:19:25method to teach you. Carl agreed. Or
3:19:29maybe we can do it backwards. If we
3:19:32could make Ry into a tiny bloodbath
3:19:34spider, she could ride on Thor at the
3:19:36size he is now. Ry laughed at the
3:19:38thought. If she was the size of a common
3:19:41house spider, she could get under armor
3:19:43and clothing to just carve her enemies
3:19:45apart. Or circle their neck with royal
3:19:48rank silk and give it a tug to
3:19:50decapitate them. The possibilities were
3:19:53endless.
3:19:54Carl lazily fired arrows into the few
3:19:56zombies that were still making it to the
3:19:58front of the swarm. Then he created a
3:20:01new helltorm to make a loop around the
3:20:04ridge line. The bodies had started to
3:20:06pile up and with Hawkoff hunting they
3:20:09needed some fire to destroy the corpses.
3:20:12Frying their brains with lightning
3:20:14killed them and decapitating them
3:20:15effectively immobilized them. But only
3:20:18fire got rid of the bodies entirely.
3:20:20That spell is just nasty. Where did you
3:20:23learn something like that? The spell
3:20:26blade on Carl's right asked as their
3:20:28eyes met. Carl was turning to guide the
3:20:31vortex in a circle, not trusting a route
3:20:33that he couldn't see, but he had to move
3:20:35somewhat slowly so the smaller secondary
3:20:37vortexes had time to kill the other
3:20:39zombies in the area and burn those
3:20:41corpses. It's an evolved version of the
3:20:44water spell, cyclone. I picked up the
3:20:47knowledge quite recently, and I'm still
3:20:49working on mastering it, but it's a
3:20:51pretty brutal spell. The spell blade
3:20:54frowned. Not from a monster in this
3:20:56region. I hope. I would hate to see that
3:20:59spell could do to a group of spell
3:21:01blades while the large vortex was set on
3:21:03top of the group leader. Carl nodded.
3:21:07The real drawback is the energy cost. By
3:21:10the time that I've got it all the way
3:21:12around the camp, I'll be nearly drained
3:21:14just keeping helltorm and one blizzard
3:21:17active. The young man laughed and
3:21:20gestured at himself as Carl continued to
3:21:22turn. I doubt that many of us could do
3:21:25more than that. Multiple spells are hard
3:21:27on anyone but a strong commander or a
3:21:30royal. As Carl turned, he saw one of the
3:21:33spellblades, a small girl who looked
3:21:35like she might not even be 10 years old
3:21:37yet, but an ascended ranked mage was
3:21:39giving him a curious look. Not like a
3:21:42curious child, but more like she knew
3:21:44who he was and wanted answers to
3:21:46something. Carl set the thought aside
3:21:49for a moment and finished the loop with
3:21:51hellstorm so he could return to only one
3:21:53active spell and his sporadic targeting
3:21:55of the stronger zombies. With the extra
3:21:58time between targets, the commander on
3:22:00Carl's left also began to chat. You must
3:22:04be that beast master that everyone at
3:22:05home has been talking about. I can't
3:22:08think of anyone else who has a team like
3:22:10yours, but I don't recall there being
3:22:12Naga and Lameia among your bonded
3:22:14monsters. Are they new? he asked. Carl
3:22:19shook his head as he cited another
3:22:21arrow. No, the Lameia pair is summoned.
3:22:25The Naga queen evolved from the spirit
3:22:27snake you were likely expecting to be
3:22:29with me and the Naga warriors come with
3:22:31her. All three Naga warriors were out
3:22:34around the perimeter using tsunami to
3:22:37crush the zombies while the Lameia
3:22:39happily sliced the zombies heads off
3:22:41with Ren. The spellblade nodded. Prince
3:22:45Corbin told us all about his battle
3:22:47alongside you as a motivational tale of
3:22:49what could happen if we worked hard and
3:22:51had a bit of luck with encounters.
3:22:53Now, I wouldn't say that we're having
3:22:55great luck so far, but we're having
3:22:57encounters."
3:22:59His joke brought laughter from their
3:23:00side of the line. They had certainly had
3:23:03an encounter. They had just arrived in
3:23:06this nation at a spot that had been
3:23:08determined to be too low on the priority
3:23:10scale for anyone to come see who had
3:23:12arrived by portal from the wilds.
3:23:14The clan had done a two-step transfer,
3:23:16moving into the region controlled by
3:23:18wild beasts first, then here. That way,
3:23:22there was a chance it could have been
3:23:23hunters harvesting resources and
3:23:25specialty meat, or even a border patrol
3:23:27team who had detected something out of
3:23:29the ordinary. There was a lot of that
3:23:32going around, enough that they could
3:23:34make up all sorts of stories about their
3:23:36travels if someone did come to check. It
3:23:39was the opposite of what the divine
3:23:41beasts had done by sending Carl to the
3:23:43coast where there was simply nobody
3:23:44monitoring for portals as it was too far
3:23:47from the major population centers to be
3:23:49worth the effort in extending the
3:23:50detection spells.
3:23:52As the zombies began to stop reaching
3:23:54the front of the storms, the mages began
3:23:56to relax.
3:23:58Carl's team had everything under control
3:24:00and they could finally catch their
3:24:02breath and begin to get their bearings.
3:24:04The sudden and intense attack had caught
3:24:06them by surprise, turning their
3:24:08seemingly genius camping spot into an
3:24:10inescapable trap. Prince Carl, High
3:24:13Priestess, do you think you could spare
3:24:15me a moment for a debriefing? What in
3:24:18the dragon's name is going on around
3:24:19here? Prince Corbin called as he
3:24:22retreated from the line. Tessa gestured
3:24:25for Lotus to continue cooking as she got
3:24:27to her feet, and Carl retreated from his
3:24:29spot on the far side of the line. You
3:24:32missed all the fun stuff, Spellblade.
3:24:35Carl laughed. There was a dungeon
3:24:38opening a few hundred km west of here,
3:24:40and it stabilized.
3:24:42First, it turned into an absolute shitow
3:24:44of a fight with every nomadic tribe in
3:24:46the region, as well as the combat
3:24:48capable residents of the nearest cities.
3:24:50And then, for the last few days, there
3:24:52have been anomaly level monster spawns
3:24:54in the wilderness. The first few were
3:24:56just insane monsters, but this one was a
3:24:59bit different.
3:25:00None of them seem to be related to the
3:25:02dungeon itself as the monsters there are
3:25:04slime monsters that mimic the appearance
3:25:06of the members attempting to clear it.
3:25:09Minimum 10 person entry with a low
3:25:11commander rank power level. He finished.
3:25:15And how pretel might you have discovered
3:25:18all this information in the last few
3:25:19days while under attack by monster
3:25:22spawns? Prince Corbin asked. Because the
3:25:26dungeon opened about 3 days before the
3:25:28monster spawns began, and I saw it
3:25:30stabilize with my own eyes. We were
3:25:33having a polite and gental parley with
3:25:35the yellow tusk orcs at the time, and
3:25:37they were vigorously enthused to see
3:25:39such a serendipitous happenstance.
3:25:41Tessa burst out laughing while Prince
3:25:43Corbin rubbed his temples. Setting aside
3:25:46the part about a polite and gentile chat
3:25:48with orcs, you do understand that using
3:25:51big words doesn't make it more likely I
3:25:53will believe that you're not lying to
3:25:54me, right? My guess is that whatever you
3:25:57were up to before it appeared is
3:25:58directly responsible for the appearance
3:26:00of a stabilized commander ranked dungeon
3:26:02here in the New Bond Empire. From what I
3:26:05hear, you've been missing from the lines
3:26:07for quite some time. You were on a
3:26:09mission and simply vanished.
3:26:12Now you're here with your whole group of
3:26:13lucky charms and a void badger. Corbin
3:26:16replied. Winged void badger to be
3:26:19precise. And she's part of our team. Her
3:26:23name is Cara and she enjoys holding
3:26:26small creatures and booping dragons on
3:26:28the nose. Carl agreed. Corbin determined
3:26:32that the only way forward was to simply
3:26:34pretend that Carl didn't exist and go to
3:26:36the dragon cleric for answers. Anything
3:26:39else was too hard on his sanity. The
3:26:42spellblade turned to Tessa with his
3:26:43polite business smile in place. Where
3:26:46might your next plan stop be? Your team
3:26:49is a long way behind enemy lines. Tessa
3:26:52gathered herself and stopped laughing so
3:26:54she could answer. We're headed for
3:26:57Cliffnull where we plan to get back on
3:26:59the road and then head east to the
3:27:01Beastkin Nation. It was either that or
3:27:03go back into the Divine Beast Nation and
3:27:06go through the wilderness to the border.
3:27:08Who sent you? The bureau and the prime
3:27:11minister himself said that we were the
3:27:13only team in the region. He asked, "We
3:27:16arrived with the assistance of the
3:27:18bronze dragon orthos from a negotiation
3:27:20location within the divine beast nation.
3:27:23The trip was authorized by the
3:27:25archbishop himself. I have the letter
3:27:27here," she explained.
3:27:30She handed him the paper and Corbin
3:27:32frowned as he read through it. "Well,
3:27:35that is unexpected.
3:27:37But if I might ask, what secret mission
3:27:39were you on in the Divine Beast Nation?
3:27:42Something to do with the Void Badger.
3:27:44Carl smirked as Tessa frowned, trying to
3:27:47decide where to start explaining.
3:27:49Not exactly.
3:27:51Carl was relocated by an anomaly, and
3:27:54when he exited, he was in the Divine
3:27:56Beast Nation and already had Cara. There
3:27:59was some concern that the beast gods
3:28:01would be unwilling to return him to the
3:28:02golden dragon nation. And the rest of us
3:28:04were sent to ensure that the contract we
3:28:06signed with the red dragon that demands
3:28:08we not leave a party member behind was
3:28:10not broken.
3:28:12So that's where we were when this
3:28:14anomaly was discovered and we enlisted
3:28:16their assistance to arrive on the west
3:28:18coast. We have been posing as merchants
3:28:21since then, making our way across the
3:28:23country at the speed of a merchant
3:28:24wagon. Prince Corbin sighed. That's
3:28:28actually brilliant. With the Naga, you
3:28:31can pretend to be a proper group of
3:28:33locals. Our plan was to pose as a
3:28:36nomadic spellblade clan while we
3:28:37investigated.
3:28:39Nobody expected us to get close enough
3:28:41to see the dungeon firsthand, so we
3:28:43would be reporting back whatever we
3:28:45heard. How many powerful dungeon
3:28:47champions were there when you arrived?
3:28:50Tessa shook her head. We were on
3:28:52location when the anomaly opened. It was
3:28:55just us and the orcs. And then we left
3:28:58as the first challengers arrived. We're
3:29:00on good terms with the nomadic orc
3:29:02tribes and we didn't want to fight them
3:29:04for control when our half of the job was
3:29:06already done. To see if the anomaly
3:29:09stabilized,
3:29:11Corbin asked to ensure that it
3:29:13stabilized,
3:29:15which we did from the inside before
3:29:17anyone realized what was going on. The
3:29:20beast gods have a theory that having the
3:29:22stabilized anomaly here will help keep
3:29:24trespassers out of their nation. It's
3:29:27close enough to the coast that every
3:29:28other nation can just sail into Ludenade
3:29:30and make it to the dungeon in a day.
3:29:33It's easier to sail into the port and go
3:29:35down the road than it is to try to sneak
3:29:37in across the divine beast nation or
3:29:39from the eastern border. Tessa explained
3:29:43the spellblade took out his map and
3:29:45looked at the various options. That
3:29:47seems like a logical option. Can you
3:29:50show me where the dungeon should be? He
3:29:53asked. It is right there. If you're
3:29:56going to continue that way, it was
3:29:58spawning copper drakes and sand yeti
3:30:00among the farms in this region. Oak
3:30:03camping is a disaster. Don't bother
3:30:05trying to enter as you'll probably have
3:30:07to fight your way out. South of there,
3:30:10House Seiring is preparing for a siege
3:30:12or massive traffic as it is within a
3:30:14half day's walk of the dungeon. The
3:30:17roads were crammed with farm traffic,
3:30:19but everyone is paranoid about running
3:30:21into the nomadic tribes. Tessa gestured
3:30:24at the map as she explained as his map
3:30:26was even worse than the one that they
3:30:28had handcopied.
3:30:30Corbin was adding details as Tessa
3:30:32explained them along with notes on what
3:30:34monsters to expect in the area. Both the
3:30:37spawn and the local farmers.
3:30:39This could be more difficult than I
3:30:41thought. Unlike your group with the
3:30:43monster man, we're going to be bringing
3:30:45a whole sect of young humans through.
3:30:48That will make it pretty obvious to
3:30:49anyone we see that we're headed for the
3:30:51dungeon. Tessa frowned. "Do you still
3:30:55need to get to the dungeon? If we go
3:30:57back with you, we can give them all the
3:30:59details that you would get." Corbin
3:31:02tapped the map as he considered it. "Let
3:31:04me think about that for a bit. Having
3:31:07you here is an unexpected twist that
3:31:09wasn't in the predicted scenarios."
3:31:12As the last of the zombies were
3:31:13eliminated, the storms were disabled,
3:31:15and silence fell over the depression
3:31:17where the spellblades were camped. With
3:31:20a mixture of relief and exhaustion, the
3:31:22mages collapsed to the ground while
3:31:24Oilia and Dana came over to join Carl
3:31:27and Tessa. Sleeping early was a good
3:31:29call. The other mages look horrible.
3:31:33Oilia joked. I'm not sure if you've
3:31:36noticed, but we have been in combat for
3:31:38nearly 2 hours. Miss, I don't have
3:31:40ranged attack skills. Dana replied. The
3:31:45berserker snorted in amusement. I'm not
3:31:48getting zombie blood in my fur if I can
3:31:50avoid it. Didn't I come around with
3:31:52water for everyone? Ry laughed in Carl's
3:31:56mind at that comment. She had been in
3:31:58the center of the camp firing stones at
3:32:00the zombies the entire time for the
3:32:02exact same reason. It wasn't easy to be
3:32:05a furry lady surrounded by zombies.
3:32:08She was just thankful that the area was
3:32:10full of mages who were happy to use fire
3:32:12to get rid of all of the leftover bodies
3:32:14and viscra. There are no more zombies
3:32:17around. Are the Donna's all recovered
3:32:20yet, or do we need to guard them? Hawk
3:32:23asked, distracting Carl. The spellb
3:32:26blades are recovering, but they have
3:32:28enough commanders who are fit to watch
3:32:29over the camp that you can return and
3:32:31sleep until the sun comes up at the very
3:32:33least. I'm on my way back. Tell Ry not
3:32:37to slack since she's the only one who
3:32:39can see anything coming in the dark if
3:32:41I'm asleep. Hulk was definitely cranky
3:32:44about being awakened in the middle of
3:32:45the night. The moon was half full in the
3:32:48sky and there were no clouds, so even
3:32:50the humans could see a little in this
3:32:52light. Carl paused there. He had
3:32:56forgotten that he was one of the humans
3:32:57again. Perhaps if he thought about them
3:33:00as their classes, it would help. Mages
3:33:03and clerics had more trouble seeing in
3:33:05the dark than he did. Yes, that was
3:33:08better. Prince Corbin took notes of the
3:33:11situation as the team began to relax and
3:33:13then got back to his original line of
3:33:15questions.
3:33:17You said that you had been in the
3:33:18dungeon. Did you complete it? What sort
3:33:22of rewards did it give? He asked. Carl
3:33:26realized that he had never even checked.
3:33:28And now he had to search through his
3:33:30inventory boxes to find what might have
3:33:31come from the dungeon and separate it
3:33:33from what had certainly been there
3:33:35already. There were some commander rank
3:33:37armor pieces. Nothing special. Some
3:33:40decent ascended rank armor, and then a
3:33:43small golden chest. That was unexpected.
3:33:47There were some coins, some armor, and a
3:33:49golden box. Carl replied with a shrug.
3:33:54Tessa turned to him. A golden box full
3:33:57of what? Did you even examine it, much
3:34:00less open it? Carl shrugged, and Tessa
3:34:03rolled her eyes at him. In the dim light
3:34:06of the camp, backlit only by the cooking
3:34:08fire that Lotus was tending, it was easy
3:34:10enough to ignore the fact that she was
3:34:12exasperated by his lack of interest in
3:34:14the rewards of the dungeon. Carl checked
3:34:17the box, a bit embarrassed that it had
3:34:19slipped his mind. "First dungeon
3:34:22completion, random reward. It's a random
3:34:25reward. I don't know what is in the
3:34:27box," he explained. Dana poked him on
3:34:31the side of the head. Those boxes are a
3:34:34group reward. Why don't you go ahead and
3:34:37open it so we can see if it's something
3:34:39useful. Corbin made a get on with it
3:34:42gesture. He was just as interested in
3:34:45what the dungeon had given as the ones
3:34:47who had actually been there. Carl took
3:34:49the small golden box out of his
3:34:51inventory and held it out for everyone
3:34:53to inspect.
3:34:55Well, it looks normal enough. I wonder
3:34:58what sort of reward fits in that box.
3:35:01Corbin noted. In the edge of Carl's
3:35:04vision, Lotus smirked. One of them had
3:35:07opened up into a full stage with a
3:35:09spinning wheel when she tried to open
3:35:10it. Carl flipped the lid to the golden
3:35:13chest and it immediately vanished,
3:35:15replaced with a message in his status
3:35:17overlay, appearing as words in his
3:35:19vision. Calculating first clear rewards.
3:35:23Group reward calculated. Epic grade
3:35:25items granted. Individual reward
3:35:28calculated overrank penalty applied.
3:35:32Carl sighed as he saw the message and
3:35:34then waited for the next message while
3:35:36he checked his inventory for the epic
3:35:37grade item that the group should have
3:35:39gotten. Ring of the Beast Lord increases
3:35:42luck by 150 points.
3:35:45Increases damage of skills used by
3:35:47bonded or summoned companions by 15%.
3:35:51Carl had no idea what the luck stat was
3:35:53supposed to be. It was nowhere in any of
3:35:56his interfaces, even when he checked
3:35:58them again. It must exist if he could
3:36:01get a bonus to it, but it was not a
3:36:03visible status line. However, 15% more
3:36:06damage from the skills of his beasts was
3:36:08a pretty good ring. Combined with the
3:36:11giant strength ring that he wore on his
3:36:13other hand, it would make a noticeable
3:36:15difference in their combat ability.
3:36:17Individual reward granted. Carl's vision
3:36:20went blank, and he found himself
3:36:22standing in an empty void with nothing
3:36:23but a spinning wheel with square spaces
3:36:25on it, like a paddle wheel on the grain
3:36:27mill. It was the same concept as the
3:36:30other spinning prize wheel, but this one
3:36:32had the prizes around the outer edge
3:36:34instead of on the face. That made room
3:36:36for many more options, and the wheel was
3:36:39dozens of meters tall. Carl looked at
3:36:42the skill in front of him. The actual
3:36:44square looked like tinted glass, but
3:36:46there was elegant script on the front
3:36:48that read skill book pimp slap. Now that
3:36:52was a skill. How useful it would be in
3:36:55common was questionable, but the name
3:36:57alone implied that it had great
3:36:58possibilities.
3:37:00The other slots couldn't be read from
3:37:02his position, as if the titles were
3:37:04blocked. So Carl knew what spot to watch
3:37:07as the wheel spun to get a guess at what
3:37:09might have been possible. There was no
3:37:11benefit to delaying any further. So Carl
3:37:14jumped up a few meters and grabbed the
3:37:16wheel to drag it down. It was huge and
3:37:19it would take some effort to get more
3:37:20than one full spin out of it. He assumed
3:37:24the slots began to blur by too fast for
3:37:26him to read as the wheel rapidly picked
3:37:28up speed from Carl's overly enthusiastic
3:37:30spin. It felt like an eternity before it
3:37:33began to slow and he could finally see
3:37:35the options. There were clothing items,
3:37:38an epic grade tent in a box, whatever
3:37:41that was, some oddly named skill books,
3:37:44and even experience bonuses.
3:37:46It wasn't on par with the last time that
3:37:48they had gotten a reward, but there were
3:37:50some good items interspersed with the
3:37:52cosmetic items. Perhaps if he didn't
3:37:55have Ray with him, a commander rank coat
3:37:57might have meant more. The wheel slowed
3:37:59to a stop, and Carl stared at the words
3:38:02on the reward slot in front of him.
3:38:04Congratulations.
3:38:06Random reward granted. Carl stared at
3:38:10the label on the spot in front of him.
3:38:12Skill advancement token. Advance one
3:38:15known skill by one tier. Carl smiled as
3:38:18he saw what he had gotten. Advance
3:38:21evolution by one rank. Invalid target.
3:38:25Advanced skill master rank two to skill
3:38:28master rank three. Carl got the
3:38:30impression that the system couldn't
3:38:32decide whether he was trolling it or
3:38:34not. It was obvious that the token was a
3:38:37single-use skill master rank three
3:38:38token. Using it to advance skill master
3:38:41to rank three seemed to have confused
3:38:43the system, but he waited patiently to
3:38:47see what would happen. The token could
3:38:49have just told him it was an invalid
3:38:51target and made him pick a different
3:38:52one. In fact, Carl expected that it
3:38:56would after a few more seconds.
3:38:58Skill master advanced to rank three.
3:39:01Skill master advanced to rank four. Max
3:39:04tier reached.
3:39:06Skill master 4 allows all skills to
3:39:08evolve to one rank and one tier higher
3:39:11than their current tier with practice.
3:39:13Additional functions locked until second
3:39:16advancement.
3:39:17Carl stared at the notification.
3:39:20Now he understood why everything had
3:39:22frozen. Skill master 3 allowed skills to
3:39:25evolve by a tier with practice. and he
3:39:28had a lot of practice with skill master.
3:39:30So, it had tried to evolve to rank four,
3:39:33the next logical tier of its own
3:39:35ability. However, he didn't meet all the
3:39:38requirements of skill master rank four.
3:39:41So, it had momentarily frozen as it
3:39:43attempted to advance. Are you back with
3:39:46us? Tessa asked as the scene faded from
3:39:49Carl's vision. Yeah, sorry. There was a
3:39:54random item thing and it's a bit
3:39:55distracting.
3:39:57She nodded.
3:39:59So, did they give you something good?
3:40:01Random rewards are usually pretty good.
3:40:04Carl shrugged. We will see. The reward
3:40:08it gave me is somewhat situational.
3:40:11It could be good or it could be no
3:40:13different from a skill I would have
3:40:15already gotten soon. A small girl came
3:40:18over and stared up at Carl. He wasn't
3:40:21sure what she wanted, but he put a hand
3:40:23on her head and patted her while he
3:40:24finished talking to Tessa and Corbin.
3:40:27"Damn it, stop with the hair. "Have you
3:40:30forgotten me so fast," she demanded. "Do
3:40:34you collect small women?" Cara asked
3:40:37curiously. "Definitely not. We're at two
3:40:41and two, tall versus short." Carl looked
3:40:45down and realized that he really didn't
3:40:47recognize that face. No, he did, but he
3:40:51had only seen it once before. Tori, he
3:40:55asked. I am Tamarind now. It's good to
3:40:59see you again. You've gotten stupidly
3:41:02powerful since I saw you last. She
3:41:05replied.
3:41:06So, you're a proper spellblade now, are
3:41:09you? The vicious smile she gave him
3:41:12looked wrong on such a cute child's
3:41:13face. Not yet. I am an ascended rank
3:41:17mage, but I haven't earned the right to
3:41:19call myself a spellblade yet. I am along
3:41:22as a trainee, working to expand my
3:41:25combat skills until I'm good enough that
3:41:26I can pass the exams,
3:41:29she explained.
3:41:31I'm glad you're doing well. After the
3:41:33resurrection, I wasn't certain that you
3:41:35would be able to adapt so easily. Tori,
3:41:39now Tamarind, laughed at Carl's concern.
3:41:42You don't need to worry that much about
3:41:44me. I have turned over a whole new leaf.
3:41:47I've got all this family to look out for
3:41:49me now, and they're happy to keep me
3:41:51away from any sort of misbehavior.
3:41:54Why don't we relax and have something to
3:41:56eat?" Tessa suggested a midnight snack.
3:42:01"I think that we've earned it. We will
3:42:03have to rearrange our night watch, but
3:42:05everyone should be able to get at least
3:42:07a few more hours of sleep tonight." Carl
3:42:10nodded in agreement.
3:42:12Your team was nearly in the center of
3:42:14the spawn. So even if we start moving
3:42:16later in the morning, we should still
3:42:17make it out of the area that is likely
3:42:19to be covered in zombies tomorrow night.
3:42:22Sleeping wouldn't be a problem for most
3:42:24of the spell blades, and the wagon was
3:42:26still set up for sleeping, other than
3:42:28the tarps that they had taken down. All
3:42:30the hammocks were still hung and only a
3:42:33little dirty from the race across the
3:42:34grasslands.
3:42:36Everyone ate quietly, and by the time
3:42:38that they were finished, and everyone
3:42:40except the commanders who were on guard
3:42:41from the Spellblade Clan had gotten back
3:42:43to bed, the horizon was already
3:42:45beginning to lighten. A couple of hours
3:42:48was all they were going to get to rest,
3:42:50and then they would have to discuss
3:42:51where they were going next. A soft
3:42:54whistle just after full dawn caught
3:42:55Carl's attention, and then someone
3:42:57knocked gently on the side of the wagon,
3:42:59alerting them that someone needed their
3:43:01attention.
3:43:02Carl rolled out of his hammock and
3:43:04Prince Corbin motioned for him to remain
3:43:06silent. There is motion in the distance.
3:43:10"I think that someone knows we are
3:43:12here," he whispered. "Should we split
3:43:15up?" Carl whispered back. "How certain
3:43:19are you that your cover story is good?"
3:43:22"It's solid. How sure are you that you
3:43:25can take whatever is coming?" Carl
3:43:27replied, "Not at all. I suspect that
3:43:31it's an army unit. They must have come
3:43:34from the capital to deal with the
3:43:35anomalies.
3:43:37Their seers will have known that there
3:43:38was going to be something happening here
3:43:40tonight. And if they dispatched an army
3:43:42unit to deal with it, they're not going
3:43:44to be weak. Carl nodded. What direction
3:43:48are they coming from? Southeast.
3:43:51Where are you going to go? Corbin asked.
3:43:55I am going to go straight east as
3:43:57planned. It's the logical route for me
3:44:00to take. Headed straight to the road.
3:44:03Where are you going? Southwest.
3:44:06I have disguised magic that will hide us
3:44:08from cursory detection. The army is
3:44:11charged with keeping nomads under
3:44:13control, so they're not going to be
3:44:15particularly kind to a nomadic
3:44:16spellblade clan. Corbin nodded, and Carl
3:44:20prepared to hop back on the wagon as
3:44:22Dana packed up the hammock. Good luck.
3:44:25We will see you soon. I'm not going to
3:44:28push for more information when things
3:44:30are this bad. The government might have
3:44:32been willing to sacrifice some lives for
3:44:34valuable information, but there is no
3:44:36need to waste my people when we already
3:44:38know the answers we came for. They shook
3:44:41hands, and Carl sent everyone but Thor
3:44:44and two of Remy's bodyguards back into
3:44:46the spaces. With Dana's golems walking
3:44:49behind them, they headed east through
3:44:51the ash piles left after their battle.
3:44:53Once they were up out of the depression,
3:44:55Prince Corbin activated an air spell
3:44:57that made a mirage over their group,
3:44:59effectively hiding them from simple
3:45:01visual detection. That should be good
3:45:04enough to prevent the army from finding
3:45:05them. And the whole clan was headed
3:45:07straight south on a course where they
3:45:09wouldn't be intercepted.
3:45:11But Carl and his team were in the open,
3:45:13and it wouldn't be long before the
3:45:14scouts changed course to intercept him
3:45:16and his team. There would certainly be
3:45:19questions,
3:45:21especially if they were expecting a
3:45:22massive horde of zombies right here.
3:45:25They were still close enough to see the
3:45:27remnants of the battle, so there wasn't
3:45:28going to be any way to hide that the
3:45:30zombies had been here. Carl raised a
3:45:33hand in greeting when the closest of the
3:45:35scouts, a torland warrior with a sturdy
3:45:37turtle shell around his torso, gestured
3:45:39in their direction. Everyone ready? It's
3:45:43time to play our parts. Codle pulled
3:45:46Thor to a stop as the warrior, who was
3:45:48carrying two narrow blades across his
3:45:50back, ran in their direction.
3:45:52"Mercherant,
3:45:54did you encounter the undead during the
3:45:56overnight hours? We were informed they
3:45:59should be near here." Carl nodded and
3:46:01gestured behind him. "They were drawn to
3:46:04a depression over there, and we fought
3:46:06them for most of the night. There are no
3:46:09more around, but I wouldn't hang around
3:46:11here for long. They're likely to come
3:46:13back at midnight. The Beast Nation told
3:46:16me about those phenomenons,
3:46:19Carl explained. The Turtle Man nodded in
3:46:22understanding, then gestured behind
3:46:24them. Were there others with you? Carl
3:46:27nodded. We were camped by that big stone
3:46:31over there. Then we heard the sound of
3:46:32battle over here. Once I realized we
3:46:35were both surrounded by the undead, we
3:46:38moved to help them defend their camp.
3:46:40strength in numbers and all. It was just
3:46:43a small nomadic tribe, demons and
3:46:46humans. They moved on at first light
3:46:49before full dawn. The tortoin made a
3:46:52note, then tapped his chin with his pen.
3:46:55How many in total? Keeping the numbers
3:46:58of nomads under control is part of our
3:47:00job. Carl shrugged. I didn't count them,
3:47:04but I would say about two dozen fighting
3:47:06age adults and an equal number of elders
3:47:08and children. That answer seemed to
3:47:11please the soldier.
3:47:13So roughly 50, perhaps a few less and
3:47:16mixed humans and demons. With that, he
3:47:20looked at the ladies in the wagon. Oilia
3:47:23nodded. That's right. I would say just
3:47:26under 50. Not much of a fighting force
3:47:29as they didn't have anyone stronger than
3:47:31a commander, but they had a couple of
3:47:32magic users that made the fight a lot
3:47:34easier. The Torellin made a note of that
3:47:37as well.
3:47:38That's normal for demonic nomads.
3:47:41I'm just glad that you didn't suffer any
3:47:43casualties from the undead or the
3:47:45demons. I will need to see the
3:47:47battleground.
3:47:49Can you tell me what sort of spells your
3:47:51team used? I am an elemental shaman, so
3:47:54there was a large blizzard and flaming
3:47:56cyclones as well as some lightning. The
3:47:59Naga warriors use water magic attacks,
3:48:01so there will be lots of that plus the
3:48:03attacks of our golems and the other
3:48:05guards, Carl explained.
3:48:08The torland frowned. Is there anything
3:48:11that you didn't use? Something that we
3:48:14can use to pick out how much of a threat
3:48:15the demons are and if there might have
3:48:17been advanced undead among the zombies.
3:48:20Oh, I forgot that there were throne
3:48:22boulders as well, a specialty of the
3:48:25golems.
3:48:26But there should be some fireballs and
3:48:28arcane attacks from the others. They'll
3:48:31look a fair bit like ours, though. If
3:48:34you can pick out the power difference,
3:48:36most of the attacks by arcane type
3:48:38commanders were from the other group. We
3:48:40just have one with us. Then a bunch of
3:48:43the fireballs were also theirs. I don't
3:48:46know if you'll be able to tell them
3:48:47apart from my fire spells, though. The
3:48:50flaming cyclones come in two varieties,
3:48:53both at my rank and one below that, Carl
3:48:56explained.
3:48:58Thank you, merchant.
3:49:00Please wait here while the unit
3:49:01commander comes to speak with you.
3:49:03If the army unit was going to come to
3:49:05them to talk to get more details, that
3:49:07would give Prince Corbin and his
3:49:09Spellblade clan plenty of time to
3:49:11escape. As long as they could make it
3:49:13past the patrol, they would be able to
3:49:15turn east and start heading for the
3:49:17border. They were not going to get there
3:49:19anytime soon, but it would be safer
3:49:21every day that they moved away from the
3:49:23dungeon. The whole military unit was
3:49:26coming towards the wagon, and Carl could
3:49:28sense the tension in the wagon behind
3:49:30them. The monsters didn't seem to
3:49:32suspect that Carl's team had been doing
3:49:34anything wrong so far, but they also
3:49:36hadn't gone looking for the battlefield
3:49:38yet. Once they saw the outcome of the
3:49:41battle, they would certainly have some
3:49:43serious questions about what sort of
3:49:45combat power Carl and his team had. The
3:49:48commander of the unit, a royal ranked
3:49:50demon with tattered black wings that
3:49:51clearly wouldn't be able to fly, stopped
3:49:54in front of Carl and took stock of the
3:49:55group. Merchant, I am told that your
3:49:58team has a surprising amount of combat
3:50:00power to be able to take out an entire
3:50:02undead horde with only the assistance of
3:50:04a small nomad tribe. He greeted them. We
3:50:08do all right. You know how it is for
3:50:11merchants. We have to be able to take
3:50:13care of ourselves when we're on the
3:50:14road. Carl agreed. The demon smiled. I
3:50:20would imagine that it's a lot easier to
3:50:21take care of yourself when you're
3:50:23actually a royal rank human elite with
3:50:25an active system and not a merchant at
3:50:27all. Tell me, what have you been telling
3:50:29everyone that you are to pass so easily
3:50:32through half a country? I think you
3:50:34might have misunderstood something in
3:50:36your dispatch.
3:50:38My father is a stone troll. As much as
3:50:41every kid loves stories of the system,
3:50:43that's all they are, stories,
3:50:47Carl countered. So, if I cut your hand
3:50:50off, it would just grow back with no
3:50:52help from your cleric friends, would it?
3:50:55Carl chuckled at the demon's attempt to
3:50:57call him out. I am only half troll, but
3:51:00I regenerate well enough. Carl took his
3:51:03sword out of his storage space and held
3:51:05out a pinky finger. With a grimace, he
3:51:08severed the digit and held it up to the
3:51:10shocked soldiers. Then he held his
3:51:13bleeding hand up and watched with what
3:51:14he hoped was hidden shock as the
3:51:16original finger seemed to melt into mist
3:51:18while a new one grew out of his hand. He
3:51:21had never tested void body before, but
3:51:24it worked exceptionally well. It did
3:51:26leave him hungry, though. There was just
3:51:29one odd thing about it. He didn't bleed
3:51:32red anymore. The blood that had poured
3:51:35from his severed finger and across his
3:51:37hand had been deep black, though most of
3:51:39it was already absorbed into his skin.
3:51:42The demon stared for a few more seconds,
3:51:44suspicious of Carl's honesty, then
3:51:46dragged a young minur forward. "Is this
3:51:49the man that you saw?" he demanded.
3:51:53"Yes, unit commander." "That is the
3:51:56dungeon champion from the Golden Dragon
3:51:58Nation. I am 100% sure of it now that I
3:52:00can smell him. Even if the trouble seer
3:52:03hadn't said we would find him here, I
3:52:05would be certain that he is the human's
3:52:07champion." The soldier insisted.
3:52:10He was a commander rank minotaur, likely
3:52:13still in his teens or whatever the
3:52:15minotaur age equivalent was. His horns
3:52:18were polished to a black sheen that
3:52:20greatly pleased Cara, who had been
3:52:22wondering for some time if he could
3:52:23polish them, and he did look vaguely
3:52:25familiar to Carl, though they had only
3:52:27seen each other once. Carl hopped down
3:52:30from the wagon, and the minur blinked up
3:52:32at him, then frowned. The last time they
3:52:35had met, Carl had been under 190 cm
3:52:38tall. But right now, he was well over 2
3:52:41and 1/2 m tall, towering over the young
3:52:43minur.
3:52:45Look, I'm sure this is an honest
3:52:47mistake.
3:52:48Perhaps it's because we have a human
3:52:50guard and the dragon clerics with us, he
3:52:53asked, gesturing to Dana and the others.
3:52:56The demon turned to the Naga warrior on
3:52:58his side of the wagon. Did this man hire
3:53:01you to pretend that you were his guards?
3:53:04he demanded. The naga gave him an
3:53:07unimpressed look. Are you We
3:53:11naga have our own dignity. We have been
3:53:13his guards as long as he has been a
3:53:15merchant. There is no pretending
3:53:17involved. He responded in serpent. The
3:53:21demon's eye twitched and Carl watched
3:53:24carefully as he barely resisted going
3:53:25for the blade on his hip at the insult.
3:53:28Carl looked through the soldiers, taking
3:53:30note of the ones in lighter armor, which
3:53:32wouldn't interfere with their mobility
3:53:34when casting spells. The soldiers
3:53:37noticed where he was looking and began
3:53:39to believe that Carl might be telling
3:53:40the truth. If he took out the mages
3:53:43before they could respond, the rest of
3:53:45the team would have a devil of a time
3:53:46trying to kill a royal ranked troll
3:53:48without fire magic. The demon frowned as
3:53:51he started to consider that they might
3:53:53have gotten the wrong target. But he
3:53:55couldn't just let it slide when they had
3:53:57been specifically sent here. I will need
3:54:00to ask you to come with us until this
3:54:02matter is settled. You will be free to
3:54:04make your sales when we get to the city.
3:54:07So, you're going back to the city of
3:54:09Clifnol. That's no trouble. We were
3:54:11headed there anyhow. Carl shrugged. No,
3:54:16the fortress city of Bhoke. You will be
3:54:19brought to the overlord's temple for
3:54:20questioning on suspicion of being a spy.
3:54:23Whatever, as long as they're interested
3:54:25in buying tools, it's fine by me. You
3:54:29don't mind if we make a few pit stops at
3:54:30the farms along the way, do you? Carl
3:54:34asked. What part of this are you not
3:54:36getting? The demon asked. The part where
3:54:40you think you're in charge here. If it
3:54:43wasn't likely to offend the delicate
3:54:44sensibilities of the war cleric, we
3:54:46would be having some harsh words about
3:54:48your assumption that you can just throw
3:54:49around accusations and detain merchants.
3:54:52I would think that you would be a bit
3:54:54more understanding when you're asking
3:54:56for a favor. There are countless nomadic
3:54:58tribes out here after all, and it would
3:55:01be a shame if we walked away the next
3:55:02time you met one. Carl could feel the
3:55:05glares that he was getting both from in
3:55:07front and behind.
3:55:09However, after a few seconds, the demon
3:55:12relented.
3:55:13All right, you have a point. Until we
3:55:16can prove that you're the spies from the
3:55:18Golden Dragon Nation, we will ask that
3:55:20you accompany us as honored guests.
3:55:22That's much better. Lead the way. But I
3:55:26was serious about stopping at the farms.
3:55:29They're the ones most likely to need the
3:55:31tools, and my wagon is nearly full. The
3:55:35demon side in motion for his unit of 100
3:55:37soldiers, mostly at the ascended and
3:55:39commander rank, to encircle the wagon.
3:55:42They had just started to move when
3:55:44something in the demon's pocket began to
3:55:46glow. The unit leader took out a flat
3:55:49stone object with runes all over one
3:55:51side, then stared at the other. It looks
3:55:54like our guest is a prophetic one. There
3:55:56is a nomadic orc tribe coming our way.
3:56:00We won't be able to avoid them with the
3:56:01slowmoving wagon, so everyone should
3:56:03prepare for a fight. Carl cleared his
3:56:06throat. If you don't mind, we've got
3:56:09dragon clerics with us. Do you mind if
3:56:12we trade some food to the orcs before
3:56:14things get messy? I swear to the vampire
3:56:17gods, you are the most annoying troll
3:56:19that I have ever met. Oilia poked Carl
3:56:22in the back. If you're trying to get him
3:56:25to kill us before we make it to the
3:56:26city, you're on the right path.
3:56:29But that's not the greatest idea I've
3:56:31heard to convince people that we're not
3:56:33spies. A few of the nearby soldiers
3:56:36chuckled while Carl smiled at her.
3:56:38They'll get used to my lovable
3:56:40personality soon enough. Besides, if the
3:56:43lovely ladies of the church have created
3:56:45some food supplies, the orcs will be
3:56:48happy to see them. 6:35.
3:56:51From high overhead, Hawk gave them an
3:56:54update. There are a lot of orcs and
3:56:56they've already got weapons out. I don't
3:56:59think that they're going to be willing
3:57:01to negotiate.
3:57:02That could be bad news, but the soldiers
3:57:05were surrounding their wagon, so it
3:57:07wasn't like he could drop back and stay
3:57:08out of the mess. All that Carl could do
3:57:11was wait to see how things turned out.
3:57:14Once they were 100 m apart, the orcs
3:57:17began shouting a war chant, a rhythmic
3:57:19battle cry in time with their advance.
3:57:22The demon at the head of the patrol
3:57:24reached into his coat and set off a
3:57:25marker flare of some sort that sent
3:57:27bright green smoke billowing into the
3:57:29sky. We will need your people to stay
3:57:31back. Not that we don't trust your
3:57:34capabilities, but it's safer not to mix
3:57:36our force. One of the soldiers informed
3:57:39Carl as he prepared to join the fight.
3:57:42No problem. We will wait right here.
3:57:46with the two groups moving towards each
3:57:48other that put Thor and the wagon well
3:57:50out of the way of the hostilities.
3:57:52As long as they weren't dragged into the
3:57:54fight by a retreat by the soldiers,
3:57:56there shouldn't be any issues. But as
3:57:59soon as Carl decided that this was a
3:58:01great opportunity to simply leave while
3:58:03the orcs butchered the patrol, more
3:58:05soldiers started to appear out of
3:58:06portals all around the smoking beacon.
3:58:09Now, it wasn't the soldiers who were
3:58:11outnumbered, but the orcs. The two sides
3:58:14current numbers were close. But it was
3:58:16unlikely that either side would fight to
3:58:18the bitter end out here in the middle of
3:58:20nowhere for no good reason. The orcs
3:58:23just wanted a good fight and they would
3:58:25calm down once they had won. Carl
3:58:27assumed that was how they had been every
3:58:30other time that he had met them. Carl
3:58:32dug through the items that the elves had
3:58:34loaded into his inventory and brought
3:58:36out a stack of paper and a fountain pen
3:58:38that he loaded with a bit of hill giant
3:58:40blood from Thor's space. What are you
3:58:42doing? Oilia asked as he began to write
3:58:46with a smile on his face. I want to make
3:58:49a spell book for Crushing Blows.
3:58:51None of you can use it, but the leader
3:58:53of the Orish Force can. He's an unarmed
3:58:57combat specialist, you see. Crushing
3:59:00Blows adds damage to blunt impacts based
3:59:02on rank. Once this fight is over, we can
3:59:05trade them some food as a show of
3:59:07goodwill from the church, and I will
3:59:09give him the book as a first meeting
3:59:10gift.
3:59:12That assumes that he's going to be alive
3:59:13at the end of the fight. Dana reminded
3:59:16him. The massive monarch rancor sent a
3:59:20soldier flying with a single blow from
3:59:21his fist, which was easily larger than
3:59:23the soldier's head. I think that he will
3:59:26do all right. They don't have a dual
3:59:29challenger here to fight him, and I'm
3:59:30not about to volunteer to get beat up
3:59:32for sport. One of the reinforcement
3:59:35group sent a runner over to see what
3:59:36Carl was doing. A nervousl looking
3:59:38sadder that was even shorter than Lotus.
3:59:40and barely ascended rank by Carl's
3:59:43estimation.
3:59:44You are not going to join? He asked as
3:59:47soon as he arrived. The clan looks like
3:59:50they're doing all right. I am just a
3:59:53merchant who sells wares through the
3:59:54nomadic areas and a few of the cities.
3:59:57The first group of soldiers asked me to
3:59:59stay out of the fight as they didn't
4:00:01trust my loyalty was to them and not to
4:00:03the nomads.
4:00:05Carl explained. The sadder nodded. Wait
4:00:09here. The leader will want to talk to
4:00:11you soon. Carl laughed. The other one
4:00:15said the same thing. Don't worry. I'm
4:00:18not going to run away while you're in
4:00:20the middle of a battle. Not that I would
4:00:22make it far with a loaded wagon. The
4:00:25sadder hesitated to return to his
4:00:27leader. And Carl saw that all of the
4:00:29unit leaders were fighting the Orc clan
4:00:31leader at the same time. They never
4:00:33learn, do they? He asked. What do you
4:00:37mean? the sadder asked. Well, it's
4:00:41insulting to gang up on a clan leader,
4:00:43isn't it? If you want to fight him, you
4:00:46should challenge him to a proper duel.
4:00:48For on one is just rude and makes them
4:00:51look weak and cowardly. The sadder
4:00:54looked confused.
4:00:55You understand the way of the orcs. Now
4:00:58everyone was confused.
4:01:01Even Oilia was baffled about what sort
4:01:03of policy they had regarding the orcs.
4:01:06Did you never consider talking to them?
4:01:08Just ask them for a trade or a
4:01:10challenge. It's not that hard. We
4:01:14figured it out the first time that we
4:01:15met them. Oilia insisted.
4:01:19The sadder was thoroughly baffled.
4:01:22You speak orish. They all stared at each
4:01:25other for a few seconds, unsure what
4:01:27part of the conversation the others
4:01:28weren't understanding. Then a large orc
4:01:31with a club in his hand pointed at
4:01:33Oilia.
4:01:34Hey, thick, sexy, and furry.
4:01:37How about you come over here and show me
4:01:39if you would make a good wife? He
4:01:42shouted. If you wanted a strong woman to
4:01:45spank you like your mother should have,
4:01:46you just had to ask. She shouted back.
4:01:50Carl laughed, but the sadder looked
4:01:52confused.
4:01:54Perhaps he just wasn't familiar with
4:01:56crude humor. Oilia sized up the orc and
4:01:59then nodded for Carl to buff her up.
4:02:02They were both commanders, but she
4:02:04wasn't taking any risks of ending up as
4:02:06some random orc's wife. Haste,
4:02:09terrorize, brutality, and trollish
4:02:11regeneration stacked with her own
4:02:13berserk terror skill, and she
4:02:15transformed into a 4 m tall dire bear
4:02:17before charging at the orc. Goddess, she
4:02:20is massive. What is she doing? I thought
4:02:24your team was sitting the battle out.
4:02:26The sadder asked, panicked. Weren't you
4:02:30listening? The orc challenged her to a
4:02:32bridal duel and she went to beat some
4:02:34sense into him. How am I supposed to
4:02:37know that when they're shouting in
4:02:38orish? The sadder was waving his hands
4:02:41in frustration as he screamed at them.
4:02:44Carl looked back at the others, but the
4:02:46ladies just shrugged. They had only
4:02:49heard one language, the common language.
4:02:52But Thor thought the whole situation was
4:02:54hilarious.
4:02:56What if the only reason we get along
4:02:57with them so well is because we're the
4:02:59only people who speak Orish other than
4:03:01the orcs? He chled, laughing out loud
4:03:04along with his thoughts. Oilia and the
4:03:07orc were going at it in a brutal battle
4:03:09that looked like they had a vendetta
4:03:11against each other, but Carl could see
4:03:12that they were both pulling their
4:03:14strikes so that they wouldn't seriously
4:03:15injure their opponent. It wasn't a war
4:03:18or a duel to the death. It was more like
4:03:21Orish flirting. And while Oilia was
4:03:24playing along, it was clear that the
4:03:26suitor was about to be rejected as her
4:03:28last strike had nearly put him on his
4:03:29back. Once he was on the ground, he was
4:03:32done for. In dire bare form, she was
4:03:36much larger than he was, and she could
4:03:38just pin him to the ground with one
4:03:40massive paw. They all watched for a few
4:03:43more minutes until Oilia got the final
4:03:45blow and got the orc in the back,
4:03:46pounding him face down into the dirt. A
4:03:50few other orcs hooped in celebration
4:03:51nearby, laughing at his misfortune as
4:03:53Oilia rubbed him in the dirt for a few
4:03:55seconds before backing away and
4:03:57transforming back into her werebear
4:03:59form. The orc got to his knees and made
4:04:02a show of bowing before Oilia before
4:04:04standing up to look for another
4:04:05challenger to improve his combat skills.
4:04:08The sat snapped his fingers.
4:04:11Wait, if you can speak orish, can you
4:04:13end this insanity?
4:04:15Ask them for a parley or something. At
4:04:18the start maybe, but it's a bit late for
4:04:21that now. There are a lot of dead on
4:04:24both sides already. Once there are
4:04:27deaths, it's generally too late for
4:04:29talking. Carl side. If he had known that
4:04:33for some reason he could understand the
4:04:34orcs when nobody else could, he would
4:04:37have insisted from the start. I need to
4:04:39tell my leadership. I will be back. The
4:04:43Saturn informed them before turning to
4:04:45run off. "Do you think that it's the
4:04:48system translating?" "The Orish tribe
4:04:51seem to have more memories of the past
4:04:52than others, so maybe they still have an
4:04:54affinity with the system." Dana
4:04:57whispered just loud enough for the
4:04:59others to hear. Tessa nodded. "That's as
4:05:02good of a guess as any other reason. We
4:05:05all understood them just fine, but we've
4:05:07all got active systems, while the
4:05:09monsters here didn't need one to be
4:05:11strong." Lotus looked excited as she
4:05:14realized something. Orcs have their own
4:05:17gods, but they include the world dragon
4:05:19in their pantheon. I think Tessa might
4:05:22be right. They still have some lingering
4:05:25affinity with the system. In fact, they
4:05:28might even have a limited version of the
4:05:30system still active like the other
4:05:32elites do, but they're orcs and they all
4:05:35pick the warrior class other than a few
4:05:37shamans.
4:05:38They are different from other species,
4:05:40but that makes me wonder what they were
4:05:42like in the past. You met them during
4:05:45that time Bishop Misty sent you to,
4:05:47right? Carl nodded. They were strangely
4:05:51civilized.
4:05:52They were smart and spoke with a very
4:05:54refined accent. There is still some of
4:05:57that, like the fancy pants that the
4:05:59messenger they sent us was wearing. It's
4:06:02all threadbear and faded, but they
4:06:04remember. They're just not willing to go
4:06:06to other species to get assistance to
4:06:08bring them back to the status they lost.
4:06:11They were interrupted by the sadder
4:06:13running back with a royal rank soldier
4:06:15in an ornate uniform. Carl couldn't pick
4:06:18out what sort of species it came from,
4:06:20but it had a bird's head and wings as
4:06:22well as arms with toneed fingers and
4:06:24triple-jointed legs. Joffrey says that
4:06:27you know something about orc culture and
4:06:29how to end this fight without it being a
4:06:31massacre. the officer demanded.
4:06:34Sure, just back away. Don't turn your
4:06:37back and run like cowards. They don't
4:06:39respect that. But stop fighting and just
4:06:42back away. They'll figure out what
4:06:45you're after in a few minutes. But if
4:06:47you just spoke, orc, it would be a lot
4:06:49easier. Carl agreed. Can you assist us?
4:06:55I see that your werebear friend managed
4:06:56to have a solo battle with one of them.
4:06:59Carl rolled his eyes and hopped down
4:07:01from the wagon. Make sure that your side
4:07:04doesn't attack me. I will explain the
4:07:07situation. The officer looked overjoyed,
4:07:10Carl guessed. It was nearly vibrating
4:07:13with excitement, but the bird head
4:07:15didn't show any emotions that Carl
4:07:17understood. The officer called for a
4:07:20guard to protect them, and Carl sighed.
4:07:22"What are you doing?" he asked. guarding
4:07:26you so you can make it to the leaders."
4:07:29Carl laughed and patted him on the
4:07:30shoulder. "You really don't know
4:07:33anything about the orcs at all, do you?"
4:07:36Carl stomped toward where the leaders
4:07:37were fighting while the soldiers did
4:07:39their best to keep up. A large royal
4:07:42rank orc blocked his way and Carl smiled
4:07:45at her. "I need to talk to the boss.
4:07:48These guys are too stupid to understand
4:07:50or even what a duel is." The woman
4:07:54laughed and motioned for him to follow
4:07:56her. That did not set the officer's
4:07:59nerves at ease. Not even a little. The
4:08:02three leaders and the boss were all
4:08:04bleeding heavily when Carl stepped in
4:08:06between them with a hand out toward both
4:08:08sides, signaling for them to pause their
4:08:10fight. Chieftain, these idiots asked me
4:08:13to translate because they don't speak
4:08:15Orish. They want to withdraw their force
4:08:18but don't understand courtesy.
4:08:21Carl explained.
4:08:23That part was obvious already. Why don't
4:08:26they just do it? The chieftain replied
4:08:28while glaring at the three Monarch rank
4:08:30unit leaders. Their custom is to just
4:08:33turn and run away. The orc paused for a
4:08:36second and then started to laugh as he
4:08:38realized what Carl was trying to say.
4:08:41Oi. Everyone back off and let the
4:08:43soldiers run away. The chieftain yelled.
4:08:47Over the next few seconds, the battle
4:08:49calmed and Carl sighed in relief. I have
4:08:53a welcoming gift for you once you're
4:08:54done with these soldiers, as well as
4:08:56some food to trade from the dragon
4:08:58clerics. Let me talk to the soldiers for
4:09:01a bit, and I will explain what they
4:09:02want. Carl informed the massive orc. No
4:09:07need to translate. I speak their
4:09:08language. The chieftain shrugged. The
4:09:12orcs might have a point about the
4:09:14soldiers of the Newborn Empire being
4:09:16idiots.
4:09:17The chieftains spoke their language, and
4:09:19the commanders hadn't even tried to keep
4:09:21this from turning into a huge mess. It
4:09:24might have been a political thing, but
4:09:25Carl got the impression that the
4:09:27soldiers thought there was no other way
4:09:29to deal with Orc clans. Carl turned to
4:09:32the unit leaders. The orcs have
4:09:34disengaged after I told them that you
4:09:36weren't intending to completely wipe
4:09:38them out. Carl informed them. Why do I
4:09:42get the feeling that you weren't that
4:09:43civil about it? I might not speak Orc,
4:09:46but I am fairly certain that I was just
4:09:48insulted to my face. One of the men, a
4:09:51tall and slender demon with violet skin,
4:09:54insisted. "Not as dumb as he looks." The
4:09:58chieftain laughed. "Damn it, he did it
4:10:01again, didn't he? That bastard speaks
4:10:04our language.
4:10:06What sort of welcome present did you
4:10:07bring for me? I'm willing to ignore
4:10:10their rudeness if you've got something
4:10:11good. The chieftain suggested
4:10:15first. I'm only with them because they
4:10:17suspect that I'm a spy from the Golden
4:10:19Dragon Nation and they're taking me into
4:10:21custody so they can interrogate me in
4:10:22the city. But I brought you this," Carl
4:10:26replied. He handed the orc the hastily
4:10:29scrolled skill book, and the chieftain
4:10:31took it with a curious look, then
4:10:33flipped it open. The book vanished and
4:10:36the air was filled with curses as
4:10:38weapons came back out. What the hell did
4:10:41you give him? Was that a skill book?
4:10:44Everyone on guard, the orcs might have a
4:10:46system user. The slender purple-haired
4:10:50monarch ranked demon officer shouted.
4:10:53"Relax. It's a skill for punching people
4:10:55in the face. It's orc specific. Not many
4:10:59others can use it." Carl explained with
4:11:02his hands up in surrender as dozens of
4:11:04blades were pointed his way. What was
4:11:07the skill? The demon demanded.
4:11:10Crushing blows. It's worthless to me but
4:11:14valuable to him. Gifts between group
4:11:16leaders are a common courtesy among
4:11:18nomad groups. Carl offered. The orc
4:11:22smiled and put his hand on Carl's
4:11:24shoulder, implying that his clan would
4:11:26defend the merchant if the soldiers
4:11:28turned on him. Even though they were
4:11:30outnumbered, the orcs had been on the
4:11:32winning side of the engagement, taking
4:11:34fewer than half the number of casualties
4:11:36that the soldiers had before the fight
4:11:37was halted. Carl saw that Lotus was
4:11:40running away from the wagon with an
4:11:42Orcish child and silently prayed that
4:11:44she was going to work as a cleric and
4:11:46not just running away on the whim of a
4:11:47small orc. She could resurrect, so that
4:11:50was most likely what she was up to. She
4:11:53had an area healing spell active as
4:11:55well. Carl could feel the holy magic in
4:11:58the air. Tessa got down from the wagon
4:12:00as well and began to move through the
4:12:02soldiers, healing them with a touch as
4:12:04she went. She couldn't bring the dead
4:12:07back to life. That wasn't the specialty
4:12:09of her goddess. Even Lotus wouldn't be
4:12:12able to bring many back before becoming
4:12:14exhausted, so she would likely focus on
4:12:16the ones with important skills or small
4:12:18children. Normally, a nature cleric
4:12:21would just pick some at random or do the
4:12:23closest ones, but she had been hanging
4:12:26around Tessa for a long time, so taking
4:12:28care of the orphans took precedence in
4:12:30her choices, especially if the choice
4:12:33was to make them no longer an orphan by
4:12:35bringing one of their parents back. The
4:12:37soldiers were regrouping as they pulled
4:12:39away from the orcs, leaving only their
4:12:41dead behind. Tessa nodded politely as
4:12:44she stepped up beside Carl with Dana
4:12:46beside her. Officers, healing of the
4:12:50severely wounded is finished. Your
4:12:52soldiers should be mobile again. There
4:12:55are a few who lost limbs, and that will
4:12:57take more healing to recover, but other
4:12:59than that, I've done the goddess will.
4:13:02Oilia had gone to join Lotus in case she
4:13:04needed anything. The orcs wouldn't
4:13:07bother her. She had already put one
4:13:10flirtatious orc in his place, and it
4:13:12would be harassment to continue flirting
4:13:14with her today unless she started it.
4:13:16Can someone explain to me why there is
4:13:18some random merchant and a pair of
4:13:20dragon clerics here in the first place?
4:13:22One of the assistants to the unit
4:13:24leaders asked. A junior officer nodded
4:13:27and referred to his notes. The trouble
4:13:30seers informed us that there was a spy
4:13:32from the Golden Dragon Nation at a
4:13:34specific location. When we arrived
4:13:36there, we found this merchant matching
4:13:38the general description of a suspicious
4:13:40person that we had recently been
4:13:42informed of. There is some doubt that
4:13:44he's the right person, though. We were
4:13:47informed that he should be a human
4:13:48elite, but when we pushed him, he
4:13:51confirmed that he is actually part of a
4:13:52stone troll clan. He can regenerate
4:13:55fingers like any other troll, and his
4:13:57blood is black. The others looked like
4:14:00they didn't believe, so Carl held out
4:14:02his hand to the Orcs chieftain, who
4:14:04handed him a blade. He deactivated void
4:14:08body but left trollish regenerations as
4:14:11he cut his hand and let the black blood
4:14:13drop onto the ground. Evidence enough.
4:14:16It takes a lot of energy to regenerate
4:14:19limbs. He asked. The two newly arrived
4:14:23unit leaders shrugged. "Looks like troll
4:14:26blood to me. I've certainly never seen a
4:14:29human bleed that color before. Perhaps
4:14:32the seers misunderstood what they were
4:14:33seeing. The presence of the clerics
4:14:36might have been the Golden Dragon Nation
4:14:38influence while he was the threat they
4:14:40were concerned about. The leader of the
4:14:42first group gave Carl an assessing look.
4:14:45I still think that if he was flagged as
4:14:47a threat and possible spy, we should
4:14:49bring him to the fortress. The Orish
4:14:52chieftain stood still, patiently waiting
4:14:54as the soldiers decided what they were
4:14:56going to do about Carl. Why don't we do
4:14:59our business first? The clerics made a
4:15:02bunch of food when we heard that you
4:15:03were coming.
4:15:04We can take care of the trade while they
4:15:06argue. And then you can do whatever else
4:15:08you had planned for the day, Carl
4:15:11suggested.
4:15:12The chieftain smiled and the two of them
4:15:14quietly moved to the wagon where Tessa
4:15:17and Lotus had left 20 bags of their
4:15:19creations split between rice and beans.
4:15:22Cleric food usually lacks variety, but
4:15:26Carl began. No worries, Carl. My people
4:15:30love the rice and beans. We aren't
4:15:33eating it every day, so it's a rare
4:15:35treat for them to get such a fine crop
4:15:37that they don't even have to sift
4:15:38weevils out of. I see that the minotaurs
4:15:41traded you a full load of tools as well.
4:15:44We don't need those, but you'll be able
4:15:46to sell them as soon as you get to a
4:15:48city. Most of the farmers are still
4:15:51minors in this region. As you go south,
4:15:54you'll find that more of them are Naga
4:15:56or lizard species.
4:15:58Naga farmers are good ones. They
4:16:00appreciate a proper fight.
4:16:02The chieftain laughed. Carl began to
4:16:05hand down bags so that the chieftain
4:16:07could have someone gather them. But when
4:16:09the orc picked them up, they vanished
4:16:11into a separate space. Carl activated
4:16:14his interface and looked over the orc's
4:16:16name. Kilgore, chieftain of the white
4:16:19fist orcs, was written in the
4:16:20traditional brown of a warrior.
4:16:23Everything was transferred in under a
4:16:25minute, and the chieftain turned to
4:16:26smirk at the soldiers. You know,
4:16:29eventually they will figure out that
4:16:30you're lying to them. They might not be
4:16:33able to see the name plate, but even the
4:16:35demons will eventually reach the point
4:16:37where they guess that your regeneration
4:16:38might be a skill and not proof that
4:16:40you're a troll. He quietly informed
4:16:43Carl. Carl chuckled. I'm hoping that
4:16:47they don't come to that conclusion until
4:16:49after we've already parted ways. If the
4:16:52world dragon favors me today, they might
4:16:54decide that I can go about my business.
4:16:57The orc snorted in laughter. One day we
4:17:00will find the lost scale and then we
4:17:02will see whether the world dragon still
4:17:04favors us or if he gave up on this
4:17:06world. The words startled Carl. That
4:17:10statement made it sound like there was a
4:17:12method to their travels. Are you
4:17:14searching for signs of an ancient temple
4:17:16or something where the scale might be?
4:17:19He asked. The orc shook his head. No, it
4:17:23should have been with a powerful titan
4:17:25when he died.
4:17:26Nobody knows where his grave is, and
4:17:29nobody has found it yet either. If we
4:17:32do, and we can recover the scale
4:17:34fragment intact, the clans should be
4:17:36linked back to the system in its fully
4:17:37active state. That was astounding news
4:17:41on a level that Carl couldn't fully
4:17:42appreciate.
4:17:44How much dedication did it take for an
4:17:46entire species to agree to search a
4:17:48continent, or perhaps the entire world,
4:17:50for millennia? That level of devotion
4:17:53would put the average cleric to shame.
4:17:56Not only did they say the words and
4:17:58preach their orish gospel of righteous
4:18:00battle, they lived every day on a holy
4:18:03quest. For that reason alone, Carl had
4:18:06the utmost of respect for Chieft
4:18:08Kilgore. But more than that, he would
4:18:10never look at the orcs the same way
4:18:12again. Just knowing that they were on
4:18:15the same path as he was. A path towards
4:18:17fully reactivating the system was enough
4:18:19to count them as potential allies and
4:18:21friends. Everyone needs a friend who
4:18:24knows when to punch someone in the face.
4:18:27Cara agreed. The unit leaders came over
4:18:30and glared at Carl and the chieftain. If
4:18:33you're done conversing in your own
4:18:34language, we have come to a consensus on
4:18:37the status of the suspected foreign spy.
4:18:40The demon leading the first team that
4:18:41had met Carl informed them. "All right,
4:18:44lay it on me. It had better not
4:18:47interfere with my work, though." Carl
4:18:50replied. The demon sighed and shook his
4:18:53head. "The risk that you really are the
4:18:55spy from the Golden Dragon Nation is too
4:18:58high. We can't let your team leave until
4:19:00we have brought you before the trouble
4:19:01seers for an assessment."
4:19:03Carl sighed. "So, it's going to be a
4:19:07huge pain in the ass then.
4:19:09I take it you're all planning a long
4:19:11walk back to your fortress and then an
4:19:13undefined duration of imprisonment on
4:19:14arrival. The orc chieftain gave a low
4:19:17chuckle and the three monarchs gave Carl
4:19:20a suspicious look. The council of
4:19:22overlords has the right. They will
4:19:25determine what will happen until you can
4:19:26be brought before an oracle. However, if
4:19:30you are truly innocent and concerned
4:19:31about your business, we can allow your
4:19:33guards to continue the business of
4:19:35escorting the dragon clerics on their
4:19:36pilgrimage along with a small escort
4:19:39from our wilderness forces." Carl looked
4:19:41at the wagon for an answer. "We will
4:19:44wait in the city for the decision. It is
4:19:47safer for us if we aren't traveling
4:19:49without one of our primary combat
4:19:50assets."
4:19:52Carl was chosen to escort us for his
4:19:54capabilities, not just because his wagon
4:19:56was in the right spot at the right time.
4:19:59Tessa insisted, "All right, we will
4:20:02bring you all back to the bet hoke
4:20:03fortress, and you can wait for the
4:20:05council representatives to make a
4:20:07determination on the situation with
4:20:08Merchant Carl. If he is determined to be
4:20:11a spy, there will be questions for the
4:20:13rest of you as well. After the incident
4:20:16is settled, we will assist you in
4:20:18finding a new escort if necessary."
4:20:20Tessa nodded. If things got that far, it
4:20:24was going to be a real mess. But there
4:20:26were nearly a thousand soldiers here
4:20:28right now, and they suspected Carl of
4:20:30being a spy, which meant that the dragon
4:20:32clerics were certainly under suspicion
4:20:34as well. The soldiers were just too
4:20:36polite to say it, as nobody wanted to
4:20:38insult the gods if Tessa and Lotus were
4:20:41really on a pilgrimage. Carl shook the
4:20:43Orish leader's hand. Chieft Kilgore, it
4:20:47was a pleasure meeting you. Enjoy the
4:20:50supplies and perhaps we will see you the
4:20:52next time that we are both in the same
4:20:54region. Kilgore patted him on the
4:20:56shoulder with a smile. Be careful as you
4:20:59leave. The overlords have a touchy
4:21:02temperament. They have a habit of
4:21:04ganging up to attack any orc that gets
4:21:06too powerful so that they don't have to
4:21:08admit that the clans have better
4:21:09potential than they do. Carl's laughter
4:21:12brought confused looks from the monarchs
4:21:14of the newborn army. He's just
4:21:17explaining that the orcs don't have the
4:21:18best opinion of the city dwellers. Carl
4:21:21relayed. The orcs close enough to have
4:21:24heard the whole conversation did their
4:21:26best not to laugh at the difference
4:21:27between Carl's version and what had
4:21:29actually been said. That's enough delay.
4:21:33The portals will be open in a few
4:21:35seconds, so please return to your wagon
4:21:37and prepare to travel to Bet Hope
4:21:38Fortress. The slender demon monarch
4:21:41insisted.
4:21:43True to his word, a set of portals
4:21:45opened and soldiers in fancy uniforms
4:21:47rushed out. The first six of them
4:21:50surrounded Carl's wagon. Then the
4:21:52soldier on his right gave a nod,
4:21:54indicating that he should start moving.
4:21:57Carl waved goodbye to the orcs, who
4:21:59laughed and waved back. The entire clan
4:22:02understood that he was being accused of
4:22:04being a spy, which could lead to his
4:22:06execution.
4:22:07But the fact that he wasn't showing any
4:22:09fear multiplied their respect for him.
4:22:12Thor passed through the portal and Carl
4:22:14felt them enter a barrier on the other
4:22:16side. It restricted something, but Carl
4:22:19couldn't immediately tell what. I think
4:22:22it's intended to limit the level of
4:22:23abilities used in the city so that
4:22:25nobody can challenge the leadership. If
4:22:28they can use royal and monarch rank
4:22:30skills, but you can only use awakened or
4:22:32ascended, what threat can you pose to
4:22:34them? Cara suggested.
4:22:37The soldiers visibly relaxed as they
4:22:39followed Carl's wagon through the portal
4:22:41into the open cobblestone courtyard that
4:22:43appeared to be the parking area for the
4:22:45stables.
4:22:46Sorry, Thor. They'll realize that we've
4:22:50been lying right away if you return to
4:22:52your space. Carl apologized as he
4:22:55realized his mistake.
4:22:57As long as they have good food, it's
4:22:59fine. I will just talk to the other
4:23:01mounts here. Carl looked into the
4:23:04stables and saw a large number of
4:23:06reptiles that walked on two legs with
4:23:08their tails extended behind them. They
4:23:10were a bit larger than an ostrich, but
4:23:12with powerful legs. The army units
4:23:16hadn't been using them, but there were
4:23:17dozens or even a hundred of them here in
4:23:19the stables. They greeted Thor with
4:23:22bugles and keening cries, which he
4:23:24replied to with happy Thor noises and a
4:23:27few snorts of amusement. They're
4:23:29friendly, and they're all part of one
4:23:31big hunting pack.
4:23:33That's weird for carnivores.
4:23:35They're not going to try to treat you
4:23:37like prey, are they? Thor laughed in
4:23:40Carl's mind. No, they're all awakened
4:23:43rank. They know that I'm not edible. But
4:23:46they've been trained to follow orders
4:23:48and not to hunt independently. They
4:23:50don't really behave like predators.
4:23:53Let me know if you have any troubles
4:23:54with them. I suspect that we're about to
4:23:57be escorted to a comfortable prison
4:23:59cell. That prediction was confirmed when
4:24:01a group of grooms came out of the
4:24:03stables to get Thor comfortable and put
4:24:05the wagon away. As they approached Thor,
4:24:08Carl noticed that someone was missing.
4:24:11Remy had recalled her bodyguards, or
4:24:13perhaps the barriers on the city had
4:24:15deactivated them, but they were
4:24:17definitely down by two Naga warriors.
4:24:20Carl didn't say anything about it and
4:24:23instead focused on more urgent problems.
4:24:26Remy, the disguise won't wash off when
4:24:28they polish his scales, will it? Carl
4:24:31asked. Nope. It's a magical effect. It
4:24:35won't wear off his scales unless Thor
4:24:37wants it to. It didn't change the
4:24:40surface or sensitivity of his scales,
4:24:42only the visible color, so Thor had no
4:24:45problem staying black instead of green
4:24:46and gold. If the grooms were going to
4:24:49polish his scales, he would happily let
4:24:51them. We've been on the road a while. He
4:24:54could use a full rub down and his scale
4:24:56scrubbed if you don't mind. Carl relayed
4:25:00to the grooms.
4:25:01Of course, sir. Your Sarah will be ready
4:25:05when you call for him. When Thor left
4:25:07with the grooms, the guards moved around
4:25:10Carl and the others. Please follow us.
4:25:14We have a suite prepared for you while
4:25:15we wait. I believe that the oracle will
4:25:18have time to meet with you today. The
4:25:21building they were led into was
4:25:22undoubtedly the most ornate and opulent
4:25:24building that Carl had ever been inside.
4:25:27There was gold everywhere, jewels
4:25:29studded into the frames of paintings,
4:25:31magical armor suits and aloves all down
4:25:33the walls, and the oppressive feeling of
4:25:35the spell that was restricting their
4:25:37magic the whole way. Please wait here.
4:25:40The maids will be along presently with
4:25:42appropriate attire and refreshments.
4:25:45The guard informed them. Carl nodded and
4:25:48the guard stepped outside to lock them
4:25:50in the suite. There was no sound of
4:25:53footsteps and Carl could see his heat
4:25:55signature through the great of the
4:25:56viewport in the door. So they were
4:25:59locked in and under guard, but the room
4:26:02was beautiful and Lotus had already
4:26:04changed to clean robes and slippers to
4:26:06stretch out on one of the dives.
4:26:09There should be bedrooms to the side if
4:26:11you want a proper nap. Tessa suggested,
4:26:14"I'm not sleepy. I just wanted to enjoy
4:26:17the sofa without getting it dirty. Lotus
4:26:20laughed as she shifted to get
4:26:21comfortable. Carl admired the rest of
4:26:24their holding area. It was certainly a
4:26:27guest room, even if the windows were
4:26:29barred and the walls were reinforced,
4:26:32but it was just as richly decorated as
4:26:34the rest of this palatial estate. There
4:26:36were gold fittings on the cabinet doors
4:26:38that kept dust off the bookshelves, fine
4:26:41crystal glasses on the bar with a small
4:26:43selection of liquors and juices, and the
4:26:45furniture had high quality padding, if
4:26:47lotus happy noises were anything to go
4:26:49by. Then again, after traveling on the
4:26:52wood bench of the wagon, everything
4:26:54might seem comfortable.
4:26:56The appropriate attire that the maids
4:26:58brought them looked like the sort of
4:27:00puffy and frilly noble attire that the
4:27:02trolls at the south gate of Oak Camping
4:27:03had been wearing, but in plain white. It
4:27:06was quality clothing, but unless they
4:27:08were at a church or a wedding, they
4:27:10would definitely stand out. They put a
4:27:13spell on it to track you. Cara reminded
4:27:16Carl as soon as she saw the clothes. Can
4:27:19you remove it without coming out of your
4:27:21space? There was a pulse of power over
4:27:24the clothing and Carl sensed her
4:27:25satisfaction.
4:27:27Done. I suppose that we should change to
4:27:30make them happy. The clothing should be
4:27:33safe. Carl informed the others. Dana
4:27:37looked at the clothes. I don't know what
4:27:40was cast on them, but there is still
4:27:42magic on these clothes. It should be
4:27:44safe, though. At least Carl assumed that
4:27:48Cara would have noticed if there was
4:27:49something harmful on them.
4:27:51Carl disabled his armor spell and slid
4:27:54the pants of the only not a dress type
4:27:55outfit up before pulling the coat over
4:27:57his shoulders. There was no shirt, but
4:28:00in his size enhanced form, he was more
4:28:03heavily muscled than he remembered his
4:28:04natural body being. Even with the coat
4:28:07only having two buttons at the bottom
4:28:09and the chest open, it wasn't a bad
4:28:11look. Then he put on a pair of the
4:28:14slippers and the whole outfit changed
4:28:15color. It was a deep blood red with
4:28:18black trim and a bit of gold embroidery.
4:28:21With his shaggy black hair in need of a
4:28:23trim, the rich fabric was a bit of a
4:28:25visual contrast, especially at the
4:28:27frilly collar and cuffs. Dana giggled as
4:28:31she slid one of the dresses over her
4:28:32head before removing her armor and
4:28:34outfit. It was a frilly sleeved princess
4:28:37dress with multiple layers of pett
4:28:39coats, and Carl couldn't help but smile
4:28:41at her frustration as she realized that
4:28:43there was no way to properly put it on
4:28:45yourself.
4:28:46It buttoned up the back all the way to
4:28:48the neck and then a ribbon was designed
4:28:50to be tied around the waist. It was a
4:28:53princess dress for certain, exclusively
4:28:56intended to be worn by a lady with
4:28:58maids. Oilia was staring at the clothing
4:29:01in intense disgust, but the four dresses
4:29:04were the same, just in different sizes.
4:29:07You could transform into a dire bear and
4:29:09just refuse to wear clothes. Carl
4:29:12offered, "Thanks, but no thanks.
4:29:16My mother used to force me to wear
4:29:17things like this when I was little.
4:29:20Well, right until the day of the serum
4:29:22ceremony, actually. It's personal, not a
4:29:26concern that it won't go with my fur.
4:29:28Carl turned away to let everyone get
4:29:30dressed, so he was the first to notice
4:29:32when the maid came in with food. "Oh,
4:29:35good. The clothing fit. Those are some
4:29:39interesting colors," she murmured,
4:29:42looking at the floor. Do you think that
4:29:45they don't suit us? I might be able to
4:29:47get them to change if I change outfits,
4:29:49then put it back on. Carl suggested.
4:29:53No, it will always be the same. The
4:29:56clothes reflect the color of your aura.
4:29:59Carl turned and looked back behind him.
4:30:02Tessa's dress was bright crimson, the
4:30:04same as her cleric robes. Dana's was a
4:30:07very princess powder blue, and Oilia was
4:30:09deep bronze with gold trim. Lotus, on
4:30:13the other hand, was wearing a shimmering
4:30:15mess of chaos that looked like someone
4:30:16had tried to do a pearl white paint job,
4:30:18then let their kids throw glitter all
4:30:20over everything. It was mostly green and
4:30:23gold sparkles, and Carl couldn't help
4:30:26but laughing. So, you're telling me that
4:30:29the little high priestess aura looks
4:30:30like that? I should likely be less
4:30:33shocked than I am. But that is glorious.
4:30:37I think it's broken. The maid whispered.
4:30:41No, I've known her a while now, and I
4:30:43think it's working just fine. See how
4:30:46happy she is with her new dress. I hope
4:30:49you don't expect to get that one back
4:30:51when we leave." The maid smiled a
4:30:54little, but Carl noticed that she was
4:30:55avoiding looking at him. "Did I say
4:30:58something weird?" Carl asked. She didn't
4:31:02have a problem looking at anyone else.
4:31:04"Perhaps she was just shy." A deep voice
4:31:08laughed from the door. It's not what you
4:31:11said, merchant. Or should we call you
4:31:13merchant of death? Your aura is blood
4:31:16red and void black with only the barest
4:31:19hint of honorable gold at the edges. I
4:31:22have met mass murderers and demon lords
4:31:24that didn't have an aura that dark and
4:31:25bloody. The man at the door, a sadder of
4:31:28some sort, but with antlers and not
4:31:30curled horns, informed them. I think
4:31:34it's glitched. Like the maid said, I'm
4:31:36not actually a bad guy. Even the nature
4:31:39priestess will vouch for me. The sadder
4:31:42laughed as Lotus did a twirl to show off
4:31:44her dress. I'm not sure that a nature
4:31:47priestess is the best judge of
4:31:49character, though it could just be a
4:31:52side effect of your lineage.
4:31:54Some of the more violent species always
4:31:56have a disturbingly dark aura base from
4:31:58their nature and then another color for
4:32:00their personality,
4:32:02the man suggested.
4:32:04I say that we pull his legs off and
4:32:06roast them. He looks like he would be
4:32:08less annoying on a rotisserie.
4:32:11Ry suggested.
4:32:13He's kind of fluffy and cute. Cara
4:32:16disagreed. The antlers would get stuck
4:32:18in my throat. We need to take them off,
4:32:21too. Remy sighed. Carl realized that he
4:32:25might have found the source of the aura
4:32:26issue. It was this bunch of hungry
4:32:29beasts messing with the colors. Perhaps
4:32:32the outfit would normalize once they had
4:32:34lunch. Why don't you all make yourselves
4:32:37something to eat? Thor should be able to
4:32:39pull food from his space as he needs it,
4:32:41but they promised to feed him properly.
4:32:44While Carl was distracted talking to the
4:32:46beasts, a group of overdressed guards
4:32:48came in, then stopped and did a double
4:32:51take before staring at him. Come on,
4:32:54it's not that big of a deal. Just a
4:32:56malfunctioning spell on the outfits.
4:32:59Carl insisted.
4:33:00If you say so, sir. Please follow us
4:33:04this way. We need to have a private talk
4:33:07with the ladies while you meet with the
4:33:09oracle. The leader of the guard
4:33:11detachment agreed.
4:33:13Summon more guards. He whispered to the
4:33:16man outside the door. He wasn't as quiet
4:33:19as he thought that he was. And all of
4:33:21the women, including the maid, were
4:33:23trying hard not to laugh as Carl
4:33:25followed him out into the hallway where
4:33:27an entire unit of 10 commander ranked
4:33:29minotaurs were waiting for him. All
4:33:32right, have fun, ladies.
4:33:34Holler if you need me, and I will be
4:33:36right back. Carl joked.
4:33:40Stop making the soldiers want to cry. We
4:33:43will be fine for a few minutes. Dana
4:33:45laughed as Carl waved and began to walk
4:33:48down the hallway. As soon as the guards
4:33:50thought that he was out of earshot, the
4:33:52questions began. Are you all right? Is
4:33:56he holding you against your will? We can
4:33:59help you escape his influence if you
4:34:00need. Give you a portal to the docks at
4:34:02Penbeck or Legor if you want to get on a
4:34:04boat and flee. Tessa laughed and shook
4:34:07her head. No, we are fine. I think that
4:34:11the oracolor really is some sort of
4:34:13glitch. He's not the sort of troll that
4:34:16takes anything in life all that
4:34:17seriously.
4:34:19Carl was led to a room where he was sat
4:34:21down across the table from a feathered
4:34:23demon with some sort of magical device
4:34:25between them. This is a lie detector. My
4:34:29species reacts subconsciously to lies.
4:34:32If you speak, one of the lights will
4:34:34glow. Do you understand how this works?
4:34:38The demon asked. "Yes."
4:34:41The green light glowed steadily as Carl
4:34:44spoke. "Good, it seems to be working.
4:34:48Now, we will start on the basic
4:34:49questions before you are sent before the
4:34:51oracle. This is just for his safety, and
4:34:54we would hope that you don't take it as
4:34:56a personal slight. That's why there are
4:34:59overlords at all three doors to this
4:35:01room. Rey laughed. Of course not. The
4:35:05oracle sounds like someone important.
4:35:08You can't just let random strangers see
4:35:10him in person without vetting them
4:35:11first. Carl agreed. The green light
4:35:15glowed and the demon nodded. You don't
4:35:18seem as surprised as most are to hear
4:35:20that the oracle here is male.
4:35:22But let's keep on track. Were you sent
4:35:25here to spy, gather information, or
4:35:27otherwise obtain information about the
4:35:29newborn empire for another nation? Nope.
4:35:33Carl replied, and the green light
4:35:35glowed. The demon looked confused, then
4:35:39continued his questions. Did you come
4:35:41here at the behest of someone outside
4:35:43the Newborn Empire?
4:35:45No. Both light glowed, and Carl tried to
4:35:49keep a straight face as the demon
4:35:50growled.
4:35:52If I rephrase that to did you arrive in
4:35:54Nubon at the behest of someone outside
4:35:56the nation, does it change the answer?
4:35:59Yes. The feathered demon made a happy
4:36:02chirping noise. I see the issue here.
4:36:06You arrived in the city of Bhoke because
4:36:08the local guards requested it, and that
4:36:10was not what I meant, but it was a valid
4:36:12answer.
4:36:14Carl nodded and the demon continued. Did
4:36:17the person who sent you here wish for
4:36:18you to harm anyone within the Newborn
4:36:20Empire? No. The green light glowed and
4:36:24the demon sighed. What did they send you
4:36:27here for? Carl considered how to answer
4:36:30that for half a second. I was sent here
4:36:33to deliver a present that would help the
4:36:35Newborn Empire for many decades to come.
4:36:38I have already done that. And when I met
4:36:40your guards, I was intending to take my
4:36:42group to Cliffnull to sell the tools
4:36:44that we are carrying and restock with
4:36:45whatever they had suitable for trade to
4:36:47the east down the road. The light
4:36:50remained a steady green. So, you haven't
4:36:53harmed anyone and you came here just to
4:36:55deliver a present. Is that what I am to
4:36:58believe? Carl chuckled. Don't get ahead
4:37:01of yourself. I've actually killed a fair
4:37:04number of people since we arrived here,
4:37:07but none that I would feel guilty about.
4:37:10Bandits mostly. The demon frowned.
4:37:14That's the job of the guard patrols.
4:37:17But it's more fun when I do it. Besides,
4:37:20we got a rather handsome payment for
4:37:22delivering a group of orphans to the
4:37:24driver from Hell Searing. The demon
4:37:27smiled and began to relax. But from the
4:37:29other side of the door, one of the
4:37:31overlords that Ry had detected asked the
4:37:33important question. Ask him how the
4:37:35children became orphans.
4:37:37The deep voice demanded.
4:37:40I killed their parents. Of course. They
4:37:43were bandits and there was a bounty on
4:37:45them. Dark gods. What sort of monster
4:37:48are you? The demon sitting across from
4:37:51Carl gasped. The sexy kind. The red
4:37:55light glowed so brightly that it drowned
4:37:57out the dim white backlight in the room.
4:38:00Well, that was rude. It didn't have to
4:38:03glow that bright, Carl mumbled, and the
4:38:06red light glowed again, though not as
4:38:08brightly. How many monsters have you
4:38:10killed in your life? The voice from
4:38:13outside the door demanded. I don't keep
4:38:16an exact count. A couple or 10? The red
4:38:19light began to flicker. Thousand.
4:38:23As Carl finished his sentence, the green
4:38:25light came on, faint but steady. Would
4:38:28it be closer to 2 or 10,000?
4:38:31The deep voice asked. In Carl's mind, Ry
4:38:35did a quick mental calculation of the
4:38:37bodies they had collected. Definitely
4:38:40closer to two than 10, but not for much
4:38:42longer. You guys are a bunch of glutton.
4:38:46Carl noticed that the red light
4:38:48flickered as he replied to Rey, though
4:38:50he hadn't spoken out loud. Closer to
4:38:53two, I would say. The green light glowed
4:38:56as the door opened, and a delicate-l
4:38:58looking Lameia slithered into the room
4:39:00with a terrifying look on her face,
4:39:02followed by a cream-shaled Naga warrior
4:39:04with four arms and overlord rank power.
4:39:07Oh, tall, pale, and sexy. Keep that one
4:39:11alive. I want him. Remy insisted.
4:39:15I think he's already taken. Carl
4:39:18reminded her. I am queen though. I'm
4:39:22sure he will see sense. His small snake
4:39:26was coming of age and Carl wasn't sure
4:39:28what to do about her newfound attraction
4:39:30to Naga warriors. The Lameia gave Carl a
4:39:33smile that conveyed no happiness at all.
4:39:36The Council of Overlords believes that
4:39:38you might be a direct threat to this
4:39:40fortress.
4:39:41I suggest that you take this seriously.
4:39:44If they thought I would be a danger to
4:39:46the fortress, wouldn't it have been
4:39:48smarter to just leave me in the
4:39:49wilderness instead of bringing me
4:39:50inside? The Lameia glared at the glowing
4:39:54green light, but the Naga overlord
4:39:55smirked. The other two doors opened, and
4:39:59an older troll came in on Carl's left,
4:40:01while a young-looking woman with bark on
4:40:03her skin entered on his right. His first
4:40:06thought was that she was a dry, but
4:40:08there was blood on her lips, and her
4:40:09body seemed to be filled with some sort
4:40:11of living smoke. The Naga overlord
4:40:14reached into his coat and took out a
4:40:16piece of paper. On it was a drawing, an
4:40:19excellent faximile of Carl. Is this you?
4:40:23The Naga overlord asked. It looks like
4:40:26me. But I have no clue who they had in
4:40:29mind when they drew it. Carl replied.
4:40:33The Lameia was about to translate, but
4:40:35Carl had received the live feed from
4:40:37Remy in real time as she understood him
4:40:39just fine. What other languages do you
4:40:42speak? The demon across the table from
4:40:45Carl asked? Carl shrugged. I'm not bad
4:40:49with troll and norish. The green light
4:40:52glowed and the overlords began to look
4:40:55impressed.
4:40:56So, the reason that you weren't
4:40:58concerned about going across the
4:40:59wilderness is because you speak orish.
4:41:02We read the report from our guards and
4:41:04they say that you broke up the fight and
4:41:06your clerics minimized casualties on
4:41:08both sides. the troll asked with a heavy
4:41:11accent. Carl made a non-committal
4:41:14gesture. The Orish tribes aren't bad
4:41:17guys if you act properly, but mostly
4:41:20it's just that the odds of running into
4:41:21a nomadic tribe in the middle of nowhere
4:41:23are actually pretty low. Compared to the
4:41:26chaos near the main travel routes with
4:41:28feral beast and monster spawns, plus the
4:41:31looters that are drawn to that sort of
4:41:32misfortune, it's just safer in general.
4:41:35What other spawns did you encounter?
4:41:38undead yesterday and copper drakes with
4:41:40sand yeti a few days earlier. The demon
4:41:44across the table from him was baffled by
4:41:46the answer. What is a sand yeti? They
4:41:49look like yeti but light tan and they
4:41:52use sand element attacks, not ice. Oh, I
4:41:56understand now. Desert howlers.
4:41:59That name sucks. The green light glowed
4:42:02with Carl's answer, and the naga warrior
4:42:05chuckled quietly. Can you guess where we
4:42:08got this picture of you? Naga asked,
4:42:10bringing them back on track. My guess is
4:42:13that the Oracle drew it for you. The
4:42:16quality is pretty good. It's a bit more
4:42:19slender than I am, but that could just
4:42:21be perspective. The light glowed green,
4:42:24and the Naga shook his head. Do you know
4:42:27a minotaur named Maurica? The trollish
4:42:30overlord asked. Carl thought for a
4:42:33second. That name sounds familiar. I'm
4:42:37sure I heard it not long ago. Was that
4:42:40the matriarch of the farm herd that I
4:42:42traded with outside O camping? The green
4:42:44light flickered faintly, reflecting
4:42:46Carl's confusion.
4:42:48No, she is an overlord. Does that ring a
4:42:52bell? Ry giggled in his mind. I bet she
4:42:56would murder someone if they suggested
4:42:58that she wear a bell like a common cow.
4:43:00That's the minur that wants to bang the
4:43:02catman.
4:43:04Carl snapped his fingers in realization
4:43:06and burst out laughing. "That's the one
4:43:09with the beastkin fetish." "The overlord
4:43:12who wants to marry the golem major mod,
4:43:14the one with the golden cat ears," he
4:43:17explained. The light glowed bright green
4:43:20and the room went silent. "For the good
4:43:23of your health, I suggest that you never
4:43:25say those words out loud again, and
4:43:27certainly not in her presence," the
4:43:30troll muttered. She's still mad, is she?
4:43:34I don't blame her. I heard he shut down
4:43:37her marriage proposal without even
4:43:39taking a night to consider it. The odd
4:43:41tree woman moved so fast that Carl
4:43:44almost lost track of her in the corner
4:43:45of his vision. But she didn't attack.
4:43:48She took a seat across from him and
4:43:50shuffled the demon interrogator over to
4:43:52the end of the table. Tell me all about
4:43:55it. How did you learn of it? Was he as
4:43:58cute as the oracle says he is?
4:44:01Are his ears fluffy? He's a very
4:44:04handsome man. When I first met him, I
4:44:07thought that he was a human, but when he
4:44:09came over to introduce himself, he was
4:44:12excited. His ears were lifting his hood,
4:44:15and eventually he just gave up and took
4:44:17it down. The nature clerics, who were
4:44:20with me at the time, had been baking
4:44:21cookies all morning. He's got a huge
4:44:24sweet tooth. So, if you want to shoot
4:44:26your shot, you should try bringing
4:44:28sweets with you, Carl explained. But the
4:44:32ears as fluffy as anyone could hope for.
4:44:36I think his cat's side is a rag doll or
4:44:39something similar. The fur is long and
4:44:41looks very soft. The sound of soft
4:44:44slippers coming down the hall caught
4:44:46Carl's attention. An older troll with
4:44:49pale blue skin and one broken tusk along
4:44:52with a scarred face and missing eye made
4:44:54his way into the room. The overlords
4:44:57bowed to him despite his power only
4:44:59being at the commander rank. The oracle,
4:45:02I presume. My name is Carl. It is a
4:45:06pleasure to meet you. The old troll
4:45:09smiled at Carl. I sensed that the
4:45:11interview was only going to go in
4:45:13circles and I have little time for
4:45:15questions today. I must watch the
4:45:17borders for attacks. The old troll
4:45:20wheezed. Would you like me to ask the
4:45:23dragon clerics to help you with your
4:45:25healing? Trollish regeneration is good,
4:45:28but it's not almighty, and the clerics
4:45:30can help with most wounds. Carl replied,
4:45:34"The Oracle waved off his concerns. It's
4:45:37a side effect of my ability. It will
4:45:40heal slowly, then return as I look out
4:45:42into the world for dangers.
4:45:45So, let's get right to business. I saw
4:45:48you in a vision yesterday morning. You
4:45:51used a skill, a most horrific skill.
4:45:54There was a Naga queen standing behind
4:45:56you, and you created a vortex of fire
4:45:58that arked with lightning and created
4:46:00smaller vortexes.
4:46:02So, after the trouble seers informed me
4:46:04of their findings, I cast a scrying on
4:46:06your location, and I found a sensation
4:46:09that could only be a spy from the Golden
4:46:10Dragon Nation. Who else could you be
4:46:13except for the spy? They wouldn't dare
4:46:16to send a nobody into our nation. And
4:46:18there is talk of an elite bearing your
4:46:19name. A dungeon champion of the golden
4:46:22dragon nation who challenged a torland
4:46:24monk to single combat and won. Overlord
4:46:27Maurica drew a picture of that champion
4:46:29for us. And what do you know? It looks
4:46:32just like the man in my vision of
4:46:34danger. It looks just like you. Carl
4:46:37nodded along. That's quite the
4:46:40convoluted story, but I follow what
4:46:42you're saying. Do you deny that you are
4:46:45a spy for the Golden Dragon Nation? The
4:46:48oracle asked. I do. I am not a spy for
4:46:52the Golden Dragon Nation. They had no
4:46:55part in my business ventures here. The
4:46:58Lameia whispered something to the Naga,
4:47:00who nodded in agreement. Oracle, perhaps
4:47:03you should look into his past and see
4:47:05what we're missing. We're obviously
4:47:07asking the wrong questions.
4:47:10The strange tree woman suggested.
4:47:12They're terrible interrogators.
4:47:15If they were a little smart, they would
4:47:17have asked you where you were born and
4:47:18where you grew up. Hawk scoffed. But
4:47:22it's good for us that they're not that
4:47:23creative. I'm not going to question our
4:47:26luck today. The oracle nodded, and Carl
4:47:29felt a strange magic surround him. The
4:47:32oracle held his cheeks and looked deep
4:47:34into his eyes while Remy giggled. "Do
4:47:37you think he's going to kiss you? Does
4:47:40this count as romance?" Carl did his
4:47:43best not to laugh at the situation and
4:47:45just waited for the spell to take
4:47:46effect. The oracle was staring into his
4:47:49eyes and chanting for a few minutes
4:47:51before he nodded and spoke in a
4:47:53demanding voice. "Show me the first
4:47:55memories you have as far back in time as
4:47:58your mind is capable of recalling." He
4:48:01in toned as his eyes faded to pale
4:48:03white, losing track of the present and
4:48:05immersing himself in Carl's past. An
4:48:08image quickly came to Carl's mind of
4:48:10landing in the lake when he was sent by
4:48:11Bishop Misty into the past. When is
4:48:14this? What is the date? The oracle
4:48:17demanded. The scene skipped to the
4:48:20battle at Bunga City where Carl first
4:48:22met Orthos.
4:48:23Dark light host champion Gold Tabard,
4:48:26Lord of Banga City. The last resurgence,
4:48:30the oracle muttered, then shook his
4:48:32head. That can't be right. Show me the
4:48:36earliest memory closest to the day of
4:48:38your birth. The scene changed, and Carl
4:48:41saw his parents, both in simple clothes,
4:48:43stained the light gray of the bentonite
4:48:45clay from the lithium mines. Where is
4:48:48this? What date? The oracle muttered. a
4:48:53village with no name next to the deepest
4:48:55mine on the continent under the light of
4:48:57the world dragon. He inoned. Then the
4:49:00color returned to his eyes and he
4:49:02stopped to stare at Carl. Have your
4:49:04parents ever even owned a calendar. Thor
4:49:07asked curiously in Carl's mind. Almost
4:49:11certainly not. They track everything by
4:49:13the work days. Only the church uses
4:49:16years and months for anything. The
4:49:19overlords waited patiently for the
4:49:21oracle to finish.
4:49:23He was born in a mining town with no
4:49:25name and at one point he was a dark
4:49:27light hostwar champion on the Nia
4:49:28continent. I saw him challenged for the
4:49:31ownership of Banga city. It doesn't make
4:49:34any sense unless he was thrown through
4:49:36time by an anomaly. But if he was moved
4:49:39through time by an anomaly, how long
4:49:41must he have been on this continent to
4:49:43regain his sanity? My visions are
4:49:46missing something. Were you a dark light
4:49:48host war champion? the strange tree
4:49:51woman asked. Yes, you can verify that as
4:49:56well. Grand Priest Orthos, the bronze
4:49:59dragon, is still alive and living in the
4:50:01divine beast nation. He was there that
4:50:04day, and he can confirm that I did win
4:50:06the challenge for the city in single
4:50:08combat. The green light glowed, and all
4:50:11of the overlords began to stare at Carl
4:50:13with the sort of curiosity that was
4:50:15normally reserved for rare items and new
4:50:17species.
4:50:18I'm honestly not that interesting. Not
4:50:21long after that incident, I was brought
4:50:23forward through time and didn't live all
4:50:25those years in between then and now. In
4:50:28fact, I've only been in this century for
4:50:3015 years or so. Carl offered the green
4:50:35light verified his words were the truth,
4:50:37but that only baffled the overlords even
4:50:39more. Do you have anything that could
4:50:41verify that? some item artifact from the
4:50:45past or other item that could be
4:50:46scanned. I have a spell that can verify
4:50:49the age of a non-living item. The tree
4:50:52woman asked, "Well, they went through
4:50:55time with me, so I'm not sure if they
4:50:57gained the age, but I still have some
4:50:59supplies in a storage bag. Here, try
4:51:02these. If not, I have other items from
4:51:06bandits I dealt with." Carl took a small
4:51:09bag of Elven Trail mix out of his
4:51:11inventory and placed the mix of nuts and
4:51:13fruits on the table. The overlord looked
4:51:16ecstatic to see them and almost reached
4:51:18into the bag to eat some before she
4:51:20could stop herself. "Those are elven
4:51:22trail rations.
4:51:24I haven't seen them in a century. Those
4:51:27plants don't grow on this continent,"
4:51:30she explained.
4:51:32She cast a spell that made the bag glow
4:51:34green. Then her eyes opened wide, and
4:51:36she stared at Carl. This bag was filled
4:51:40nearly 10,000 years ago. But the
4:51:42contents are fresh and juicy, and they
4:51:45smell so good. Smoke was leaking from
4:51:48her mouth as if she was drooling at the
4:51:50site. You can have them if you like.
4:51:54They might be irreplaceable, but it is
4:51:56still food and intended to be eaten. Her
4:51:59long, slender fingers darted out to grab
4:52:02the bag, pulling it to her chest.
4:52:04Then she delicately picked one of the
4:52:06nuts out and set it in her mouth where
4:52:08it slowly disintegrated in the mist. The
4:52:11overlord silently conversed with each
4:52:13other, either with a spell or just with
4:52:15body language that Carl was missing
4:52:17because he was fascinated with the happy
4:52:19way that the tree woman was snacking on
4:52:21the trail mix one piece at a time. But
4:52:23he also noticed that she didn't finish
4:52:25any of the options. She was putting one
4:52:28of each to the side so that she didn't
4:52:30eat them all. Whether it was for
4:52:32research, her garden, or some other
4:52:34purpose, he didn't know. But she was
4:52:37meticulous about it and even managed to
4:52:40make her bark covered face look sad when
4:52:42she found a lone nut that didn't have a
4:52:43partner for her to eat. Well, if he's
4:52:46not the spy and just a danger to the
4:52:48city for some unknown reason, what do we
4:52:51do with him? The Lenia that came in with
4:52:53the Naga asked the others in a low
4:52:55voice. The oracle made a frustrated
4:52:58gesture. Forget that. Why the hell are
4:53:01there two of him, one troll and one
4:53:03human? Or better yet, where in the seven
4:53:06hells did the actual spy that I detected
4:53:08go? Could he have been with the nomad
4:53:11group that was also fighting the undead?
4:53:14And for that matter, where is the human
4:53:15who looks like him? He went missing ages
4:53:18ago after the dungeon champion
4:53:20challenge, and Maurica is worried that
4:53:22he might have found another opportunity
4:53:24to advance his power. The oracle was
4:53:27whisper shouting at the others.
4:53:29Well, we can't just let him leave
4:53:31without knowing why he's a danger to the
4:53:33fortress, can we? Why would we keep him
4:53:36inside the walls knowing that he's a
4:53:38danger to the fortress? Those morons
4:53:41should have left him in the wilderness,
4:53:42and he wouldn't have come within a 100
4:53:44km of us. Carl and the tree woman both
4:53:47smirked at that part, which caught the
4:53:49attention of the others. "Something
4:53:52funny?" the troll overlord asked. It
4:53:56seemed to Carl that the troll had been
4:53:58nominated to communicate directly with
4:53:59him as they were supposedly the same
4:54:01species.
4:54:03What Carl didn't notice was that the
4:54:05massive overlord was speaking trollish
4:54:07and it was being automatically
4:54:08translated by the system. So when Carl
4:54:11replied directly to him, the others
4:54:13heard it as trollish and not common. You
4:54:16know that we can all hear you right? But
4:54:19on a serious note, are you familiar with
4:54:21the concept of self-fulfilling
4:54:23prophecies?
4:54:24The oracle had a vision and he told
4:54:27others about it. By telling others and
4:54:30having them take action on it, he made
4:54:32the prophecy happen. If nobody had come
4:54:35looking or they had only come for the
4:54:37undead who were already destroyed, I
4:54:39would have never been here. If I were
4:54:41never here, there would be no danger to
4:54:43your fortress.
4:54:45I don't even know what sort of danger
4:54:47I'm supposed to be. It's not like I care
4:54:50enough about your existence to make
4:54:51myself your enemy. No offense intended,
4:54:55but for all I know, there might have
4:54:57been zombie blood on my equipment or
4:54:59supplies, and my arrival here might have
4:55:01started an undead outbreak. That is the
4:55:04self-fulfilling prophecy part. In trying
4:55:07to avoid it, any action taken regarding
4:55:10the prophecy actually has a chance of
4:55:12causing it to happen. The troll stared
4:55:14at him for a few seconds. That's a deep
4:55:17thought for a troll. Who knew that the
4:55:20trolls still had philosophers among us?
4:55:23So, what do we do to make it not happen?
4:55:26Carl shrugged. At this point, I have no
4:55:30idea. Once the process starts, it
4:55:33continues whether we wanted to or not.
4:55:36That's why it's better to just leave
4:55:37well enough alone. I learned that from
4:55:40the bronze dragon orthos. Didn't he just
4:55:43swear at you and tell you to stop
4:55:45teaching the children strange skills?
4:55:47Same thing. Really? The green light
4:55:50glowed happily on the desk and the
4:55:52overlord side. What if we just put him
4:55:55in a room with his group members? If
4:55:58they're only interacting with the maids,
4:56:00it could be a small danger, the Naga
4:56:03suggested. The tree woman appeared to be
4:56:06ignoring the others until she suddenly
4:56:08stabbed a finger into Carl's hand. It
4:56:11punched right through his palm as he
4:56:13didn't have eternal lightning active,
4:56:15but he did have void body active as well
4:56:19as limited invulnerability and trollish
4:56:22regeneration.
4:56:24Her finger came back out of his hand
4:56:25cleanly without so much as a spot of
4:56:28blood on it, and she hummed curiously,
4:56:30much like Rey did when she found a new
4:56:32thing. "Might I ask what you're doing?"
4:56:35Carl asked. He didn't think that he had
4:56:38actually taken damage, but it appeared
4:56:40that it was possible for certain species
4:56:42or skills to puncture him anyhow, which
4:56:44meant there was a chance he could be
4:56:46crucified and stuck to something, which
4:56:48would be incredibly inconvenient.
4:56:50You're immortal.
4:56:52She informed him in a matterof fact
4:56:54voice. Far from it. I demonstrated that
4:56:58for the guards when they didn't believe
4:56:59that I was a troll. The green light came
4:57:02on, but the tree woman was ignoring
4:57:04everything except her finger and Carl's
4:57:06hand. She stabbed him again and smiled.
4:57:10I get it. You have to focus on stopping
4:57:13your regeneration so that you will
4:57:15bleed. It might be limited in
4:57:17vulnerability.
4:57:19Giving that skill to a troll is the sort
4:57:21of thing that the old gods would do. The
4:57:24Lameia cleared her throat and motioned
4:57:26for the tree woman to explain. Oh, I've
4:57:29been trying to figure out what was so
4:57:31strange about him. He doesn't smell like
4:57:34a troll, and his energy feels strange,
4:57:36almost bestial, not earthy like most
4:57:38trolls. I realized it when the oracle
4:57:41mentioned that he's from the last
4:57:43resurgence.
4:57:44He's a dark light host war champion, or
4:57:47at least he was. That means he has a
4:57:50system. He's not just a troll, he's
4:57:53blessed by the gods.
4:57:55What if the danger to the fortress is
4:57:56that his very presence is going to cause
4:57:58chaos? If he has enough of the system
4:58:01intact, he might be able to claim the
4:58:03fortress if he interacts with the city
4:58:05stones.
4:58:06She mused. And if he becomes lord of the
4:58:10city, he would automatically receive all
4:58:12the taxes that come to the fortress.
4:58:15Every single coin collected by the
4:58:16Newborn Empire, the troll realized.
4:58:20Carl nearly choked at the mention of
4:58:22that much money. Why would every bit of
4:58:25tax collected in the nation come here?
4:58:28Forgive my lack of knowledge. He finally
4:58:31managed to stammer. This is where the
4:58:33council is based and where the emperor
4:58:35is resting. Do you know nothing of the
4:58:38newborn empire at all? The troll asked.
4:58:42I never cared about politics, so I
4:58:44didn't ask. I thought that the oracle
4:58:47was the one in charge of the fortress.
4:58:50But if he's just in charge of defense
4:58:52and strategy, that makes sense as well.
4:58:55The tree woman chuckled. No, the newborn
4:58:58empire has two totem rank leaders. The
4:59:02emperor and the general. The emperor is
4:59:04resting here while the general lives
4:59:06near the border with the mountain
4:59:08giants. But if you've been trading
4:59:10without a home base, you must not have
4:59:12paid any taxes, have you? You never ran
4:59:15into a tax collector to get an annual
4:59:17token. I got one of these. Does this
4:59:21count? Carl asked, holding out the token
4:59:24he got from the pirates.
4:59:27No, that is not a tax payment token,
4:59:29though I do want to know how you got
4:59:31recognized by the pirate lords later. We
4:59:34will let it slide for now, but you
4:59:36should get that sorted out eventually.
4:59:38It is a serious crime to avoid your
4:59:40taxes.
4:59:42She informed him with a smirk.
4:59:44Perhaps this fortress was more dangerous
4:59:46to Carl than he was to it. Few things in
4:59:49the world were more terrifying than
4:59:51having to pay the tax man. The tree
4:59:54woman stood up from the table and
4:59:55extended her hand to Carl. I am Lea. You
4:59:59may call me Overlord or Princess Lea. I
5:00:02believe that it is better that you
5:00:04return to your friends for now. They
5:00:06should be finished with the counselors
5:00:08by now. And we haven't heard about any
5:00:10issues from that interview. You can wait
5:00:13in your suite for now, and I will come
5:00:15talk to you later." Carl smiled and
5:00:17kissed her knuckles, which were cold as
5:00:19ice. "It's been a pleasure to meet you,
5:00:22princess.
5:00:24But if I can request a maid who isn't as
5:00:26terrified by the color glitch of my
5:00:28outfit, I would appreciate it." The
5:00:30overlords all laughed at his comment.
5:00:33"What makes you think it's a glitch? Our
5:00:36base nature and our civilized thoughts
5:00:38are often in conflict with each other,
5:00:40but there is no doubt that your aura
5:00:41tells the truth. Carl shrugged.
5:00:45Well, I suppose I can't argue with that.
5:00:48I just hate seeing the staff so
5:00:50terrified.
5:00:51The troll overlord rumbled with
5:00:53laughter. Don't forget that we already
5:00:56know how many people you've killed. They
5:00:58have good cause to be terrified.
5:01:01Just be kind to them and they will calm
5:01:03down before you are ready to leave. Once
5:01:06the rest of the council is here, we will
5:01:08come to a decision and then you should
5:01:10be able to return to your merchant
5:01:11route. That sounded problematic to Carl.
5:01:15If the rest of the council was coming,
5:01:17it meant that overlord rank Minotaur was
5:01:19coming and possibly with the turtle that
5:01:21he beat up at the dungeon. One of them
5:01:24was likely to insist that he had found a
5:01:26way to lie to them.
5:01:28The guards came in to escort Carl back
5:01:30to the suite. And while they did give
5:01:32him a generous amount of personal space,
5:01:34they looked more relaxed than when they
5:01:36had led him to the meeting. As before,
5:01:38they closed and locked the door once
5:01:40Carl was back in. Then the ladies began
5:01:43laughing uncontrollably.
5:01:46You should have seen how concerned they
5:01:47were that you were keeping us prisoner.
5:01:50Dana giggled. It looks like you made it
5:01:53back here intact at the very least.
5:01:56Did you get any more hints about what
5:01:57the plan is? Tessa asked. They're
5:02:01calling the rest of the council here or
5:02:03the council was coming back anyhow.
5:02:06They're not going to make a final
5:02:07decision until they're all here. There
5:02:10is only one issue with that. Maurica,
5:02:13the overlord Minotaur that was hitting
5:02:14on Overlord Ahmad, is part of the
5:02:17council. She's the one who drew the
5:02:19picture the guards were going on.
5:02:22If she decides that I'm the one that
5:02:23they were looking for, it could be a
5:02:25real pain. All right, we will have to
5:02:28come up with a plan if they're going to
5:02:29make it difficult for us. Tess aside,
5:02:33the first thought through Carl's mind
5:02:35was that they couldn't just hack their
5:02:36way out of here with a whole group of
5:02:38overlords present. Then the realization
5:02:41that the clothing colors might not be
5:02:43wrong made him frown in annoyance. The
5:02:46maid came back with food to find them
5:02:48all laughing and lounging on the sofas.
5:02:50She kept her distance from Carl and kept
5:02:53her head down as she placed out cups of
5:02:55tea and bite-sized snacks. "Thank you."
5:02:59Carl offered as she finished. She bobbed
5:03:02a nervous curtsy, then rushed out of the
5:03:04room again. There wasn't much more
5:03:07detail that they could discuss here, as
5:03:09there was definitely someone spying on
5:03:10them and listening to everything that
5:03:12happened in the room. So, they just
5:03:15relaxed for a few minutes. Then, Carl
5:03:17got up to see what sort of books were on
5:03:19the shelves.
5:03:20If we're going to spend the day here, we
5:03:22might as well enjoy ourselves with some
5:03:24light reading, he suggested.
5:03:27It was all boring stuff. Poetry, travel
5:03:31journals, romance novels.
5:03:34No, that last one was fairly promising.
5:03:37Carl flipped open the cover and chuckled
5:03:40as he read the intro. The dramatic love
5:03:42story of a rejected succubus and her six
5:03:45alpha dragon mates. he read out loud.
5:03:49"What are you even looking at? And why
5:03:51is it even on the shelf?" Lotus demanded
5:03:54as she ran over to see if Carl was
5:03:56messing with her. He handed over the
5:03:58book and Lotus flipped a few pages. Then
5:04:01her cheeks blushed bright red. The body
5:04:04doesn't work like that. She was about to
5:04:07drop the book in horror, but Oilia was
5:04:09there to rescue it and then begin
5:04:11laughing as they read the page. Then she
5:04:14passed it to Dana who turned bright red
5:04:16as she read the passage and passed it to
5:04:18Tessa so that everyone could suffer the
5:04:20same horror. Tessa read the page with an
5:04:23intrigued look. I think part of the
5:04:26problem here is that they don't
5:04:27understand dragon biology.
5:04:29Or maybe we don't understand succubi
5:04:31biology.
5:04:33She mused.
5:04:35Carl knocked at the door and a guard
5:04:36opened at a crack to see what he needed.
5:04:39Is there a succubus on the guard team?
5:04:42We were reading a novel and we have
5:04:44questions.
5:04:45He explained. The guard smirked and
5:04:48shook his head. I know the book you
5:04:51mean. We use that suite as a break room
5:04:54when there are no guests. No, that's not
5:04:57physically possible, even if they
5:04:59weren't all ancient dragons who should
5:05:01be 50 m long. Thanks. I'm sure you just
5:05:05saved the maid a very horrifying
5:05:07question and answer session. The guard
5:05:10chuckled. She's a sadder, not a demon.
5:05:14Her legs are just hidden under the
5:05:15dress. Noted. Carl went looking for
5:05:19another book to read, one that wasn't as
5:05:21disturbing, and ended up with a book on
5:05:23demonic blacksmithing.
5:05:25He might have no skills with
5:05:27metalworking, but it was still more
5:05:29interesting than doing nothing, and he
5:05:30could lightly meditate to build the
5:05:32energy in his spaces as he waited. Remy
5:05:35had been hoping for something alchemy
5:05:37based, but there weren't really any
5:05:39technical manuals of any sort in the
5:05:40library. Even the one that Carl was
5:05:43reading was about the styles, not the
5:05:45details of how they were made. At the
5:05:48very least, it was interesting, and it
5:05:50kept his mind occupied for the next few
5:05:52hours until a knock at the door informed
5:05:54that they had visitors.
5:05:56Ladies and sir, you have been invited to
5:05:58dinner with the Council of Overlords.
5:06:01We have prepared suitable clothing for
5:06:03you. This set is not Oracoed. It is just
5:06:06a regular outfit suitable for dinner.
5:06:09Most guests do not arrive with such
5:06:11clothing, but if you have it, you are
5:06:13free to wear your own. She quietly
5:06:16greeted them. Carl stood back and let
5:06:18the others do the talking this time.
5:06:21Oilia took the pile of clothes with a
5:06:23smile. Thank you. We appreciate the
5:06:27concern, and we will happily wear what
5:06:29you have preferred. How long do we have?
5:06:33Is there time to properly bathe and
5:06:34groom? The maid bobbed a curtsy.
5:06:38Yes, Mississippi.
5:06:40There are 90 minutes. If you wish, I can
5:06:44have a team assembled to assist you all
5:06:46in bathing and preparing for dinner.
5:06:48Carl smirked and nodded his head. I
5:06:51think that the ladies would greatly
5:06:53enjoy that. I can take care of my own
5:06:55grooming, but they will appreciate a
5:06:57full team to get them ready for dinner.
5:07:00Maybe not all of them, but Lotus for
5:07:02certain, and probably Oilia, who had a
5:07:05lot of fur to shampoo and brush out. A
5:07:09guard led Carl to a room down the hall
5:07:11that had a large shower and bath, plus a
5:07:13dressing room and a few more options of
5:07:15clothing. We will knock 15 minutes
5:07:18before dinner. Let us know if you need
5:07:20anything before then. We will be outside
5:07:23the door, and there is a manservant
5:07:24available should you require assistance,
5:07:27the guard explained.
5:07:29Thank you. I will let you know if there
5:07:31is anything missing. The guard closed
5:07:34the door and Carl headed for the shower
5:07:36room. It was stocked with a dozen
5:07:38different body washes, shampoos,
5:07:41brushes, scrubbers, and even an
5:07:42assortment of trimmers. There wasn't
5:07:45much that he couldn't do to make himself
5:07:47presentable. So, Carl started right in
5:07:49on trimming his beard and cutting his
5:07:51hair. The sink area had adjustable
5:07:53mirrors so he could even see the back of
5:07:55his head in the reflection, and the
5:07:57process was going much more quickly than
5:07:59he had expected. He considered letting
5:08:02Remy out to see what his hair would look
5:08:03like after she had her way with it. But
5:08:05Carl suspected that he was still under
5:08:07surveillance, and having a random Naga
5:08:09Queen appear in his bath would be hard
5:08:11to explain. It didn't stop her from
5:08:14giving suggestions anyhow, and by the
5:08:16time that he was finished with the trim,
5:08:18she was delighted with his makeover. You
5:08:20just need tusks.
5:08:22I wonder if we could make trollish
5:08:24regeneration grow you a set of tusks.
5:08:27She pondered. That would be more
5:08:30trollish.
5:08:31But I don't think that we have time to
5:08:33experiment.
5:08:34I spent too much time getting my hair
5:08:36perfect. Now I need to get clean and
5:08:38dressed. Remy was sad, but she did have
5:08:42a few minutes to spare as Carl showered.
5:08:44And she could practice on her own claws
5:08:46in an attempt to shape them into a new
5:08:48design while making them grow out. If
5:08:50she could do it with nails, they should
5:08:52be able to do it with teeth as well.
5:08:55Unfortunately, it wasn't working as well
5:08:57as she had hoped. She had made a pretty
5:09:00design out of her claw, but it didn't
5:09:02grow out like they would need Carl's
5:09:04teeth to do in order to make tusks. It
5:09:07just returned to its default state if
5:09:08she damaged it too much. It didn't get
5:09:11longer than that. Carl finished his
5:09:14shower and quickly changed into the
5:09:16provided outfit, then looked at it in
5:09:19dismay. The color combination was
5:09:21horrible. Pale gold and green. There had
5:09:25to be something better in the racks. A
5:09:27short search turned up a white shirt,
5:09:29black pants, and a silver and blacktail
5:09:32jacket. You need the waistband.
5:09:35Rey reminded him. Right. There we go.
5:09:39How do I look? Like you're going to a
5:09:42meeting with nobles 10,000 years ago.
5:09:45Remy laughed. That's perfect. As long as
5:09:49I don't look too ridiculous. A little
5:09:51bit of oddity will help sell the story
5:09:53that I'm from the past. With any luck,
5:09:56this should be our last meeting with the
5:09:58council, and then we can grab Thor and
5:10:00the ladies to make our escape.
5:10:02Carl added a spritz of each of the three
5:10:04fancy perfumes that were on the counter,
5:10:06hoping to hide his natural scent, and
5:10:09then double-ch checked to make sure that
5:10:10he hadn't messed up anything on his
5:10:12outfit. The guard knocked at their door
5:10:14and gave Carl an approving look as he
5:10:16saw that everything was in order. The
5:10:19council will be ready soon, and it is
5:10:21considered polite to arrive before they
5:10:23do. He explained, "Lead the way. Are the
5:10:28ladies ready?" Carl asked fruina
5:10:32novel.com.
5:10:33Hopefully soon. The tiny one is a menace
5:10:37and the headmade had to rescue one of
5:10:39her staff, but they should have things
5:10:41sorted out by now. Carl chuckled. Nature
5:10:45priestesses are like that. They're a bit
5:10:48too wild and free for most social
5:10:50situations, and they love meeting new
5:10:52people. I wouldn't be shocked if she
5:10:55dragged a maid into the bath with her.
5:10:57The guard laughed.
5:10:59I hope that it wasn't that extreme, but
5:11:02such things are the lady's private
5:11:04business. Carl followed the guard to the
5:11:07dining room where the others were
5:11:08already gathered along with a group of
5:11:10maids who had brought them. They were
5:11:13all elegantly dressed with intricate
5:11:14hairstyles and immaculate makeup, except
5:11:17for Ailia, though Carl suspected that
5:11:19there were highlights in her fur that
5:11:21were not there before. Once he had
5:11:23arrived, the guards and maids backed
5:11:25away, except for a pair of maids who
5:11:27guided them to their spots at the table.
5:11:30They were all seated along one side, and
5:11:32the other side of the table was set with
5:11:34five spots, plus one at the head and one
5:11:37at the foot. That should mean seven
5:11:39overlord council members in total, or
5:11:41fewer than that, plus a few other
5:11:43guests. Carl had met three of them so
5:11:46far, the Naga, Tree Lady, and Troll. The
5:11:50others hadn't met any, and it was just
5:11:52the guards and staff that were showing
5:11:53concern for their safety while Carl was
5:11:55away. The trio that Carl had already met
5:11:58were the first ones to come out,
5:12:00followed by what Carl thought might be a
5:12:02pixie who transformed into a human-sized
5:12:05form as she reached her chair, a
5:12:06chimera, who did the same, smoothly
5:12:08shifting from 4 feet to two, and finally
5:12:11Maurica, the minur overlord. The last to
5:12:15arrive was the oracle who took a spot at
5:12:17the foot of the table across from the
5:12:19troll who took the seat at the head.
5:12:22Welcome everyone. I will do the
5:12:24introductions for the day. From my
5:12:27right, we have the Lady Oilia, Mage
5:12:29Dana, Priestess Lotus of the Green
5:12:31Dragon, Priestess Tessa of the Red
5:12:33Dragon, and Merchant Carl of the Stone
5:12:35Trolls. guests. I would like to
5:12:38introduce you to the oracle. Overlord
5:12:40Maurica of the Minotaurs, Overlord Thrax
5:12:42of the Chimera, Overlord Tink of the
5:12:44Fairies, Overlord SSLYTH of the Naga,
5:12:48Overlord Leafa Oak of the Hints, and I
5:12:50am Council Head Arnold of the Forest
5:12:52Trolls. Everyone nodded politely as the
5:12:55names were read. Then Maurica turned to
5:12:57Carl with narrowed eyes. You look
5:13:00familiar, a lot like a human I met not
5:13:02long ago. She insisted.
5:13:05I have heard that a lot lately. Tell me,
5:13:08did you find anything interesting in the
5:13:10humans territory? Once I make it past
5:13:13Whitten Temple, I might keep going and
5:13:15check out the lands to the north before
5:13:17coming back through the Divine Beast
5:13:18Nation. The minur scoffed. That would
5:13:22take most of a year to complete. Carl
5:13:25nodded. It will be a good opportunity,
5:13:29and I can find some new trade partners
5:13:31for the next trip. If I skirt the edge
5:13:34of the mountain giant territory just
5:13:36right, I should be able to bring some
5:13:38quality imports across the wilderness.
5:13:40The fairy Tink looked incredibly excited
5:13:43about that idea. That would be great.
5:13:47They have all sorts of new and shiny
5:13:49things, and you could almost pass as a
5:13:51human. Their sense of smell is terrible,
5:13:54so they would never know the difference.
5:13:57They might just think that you were big.
5:13:59That's the plan. As long as they don't
5:14:02mistake me for an ogre, I should be
5:14:04fine," Carl joked. Their discussion on
5:14:08trade routes was interrupted by the
5:14:10servants bringing out the food, and Carl
5:14:12made a note of the way that council head
5:14:14Arnold ate. If there was some odd way
5:14:16that trolls like to eat, it was best
5:14:18that he noticed it before he outed
5:14:20himself as human. Fortunately for Carl,
5:14:23the council head wasn't doing anything
5:14:25odd, just gnawing the smoked ribs clean
5:14:27of meat and popping the diced and deep
5:14:29fried potato bits into his mouth like
5:14:31everyone else. Having perfect peripheral
5:14:34vision saved Carl a lot of trouble at
5:14:36dinner. He didn't have to look to the
5:14:38side or turn his head to see what
5:14:40everyone was doing, only to let them
5:14:42know he was talking to them. Is that
5:14:44your goal? To bring the clerics to the
5:14:47temple at Whitten? Thrax the Chimera
5:14:50overlord asked.
5:14:52Yes, we're going to trade and let the
5:14:55clerics do their work all the way from
5:14:57here to Whitten. We've made it this far
5:14:59from the coast already, so we're doing
5:15:01pretty well. Carl agreed. A proper
5:15:05pilgrimage it is. Then not many choose
5:15:08to make the trek across the continent
5:15:10from west to east, but the combination
5:15:12of a war cleric and a nature priestess
5:15:14does make for an interesting balance.
5:15:17The Chimera added, "Good food, too. I'm
5:15:21not sure if you're aware, but as well as
5:15:23their combat duties, all the Red Dragon
5:15:25priestesses are trained in the basics of
5:15:27caring for war orphans, so they're
5:15:29excellent cooks." Carl informed him with
5:15:32a pleased look at his plate. perhaps as
5:15:35good as your fortress chefs. My
5:15:37compliments to them, by the way, this is
5:15:40spectacular."
5:15:41The chimera nodded, and the meal moved
5:15:44through the courses without
5:15:45interruption.
5:15:46Once they were finished eating, the
5:15:48overlords began to excuse themselves
5:15:50from the table, saying good night to the
5:15:52council head, and the oracle in turn
5:15:54before getting up to leave. Carl and the
5:15:57others rose when the oracle did, and the
5:15:59visionary nodded his head towards the
5:16:01door. Sleep well tonight and you may
5:16:04continue on your way in the morning. I
5:16:06will have the maids deliver you a token
5:16:08before you go. Lady Oak is quite
5:16:11intrigued by your past and she may wish
5:16:13to contact you again in the future. He
5:16:16explained, then turned and walked out.
5:16:19Council head. It was a pleasure to meet
5:16:22you. My apologies for any trouble we
5:16:24might have caused. Arnold simply nodded
5:16:27his head and walked away, leaving the
5:16:29door open for the maids to come in and
5:16:31escort Carl's team to their suite. Once
5:16:34they were back in the suite for the
5:16:36evening, Ry began to get excited and
5:16:38dropped a pile of cloth into Carl's
5:16:40hands. This is for everyone, she
5:16:44insisted.
5:16:45Presents from Rey, Carl explained, then
5:16:49wondered how to sort the silk. That
5:16:51proved to be much easier than expected,
5:16:53as she had stitched everyone's name
5:16:55inside what turned out to be a set of
5:16:57comfy flowing night gowns of the
5:16:58non-sexy sort that Carl associated with
5:17:01his grandmother. The only difference was
5:17:03that these were all soft silk, not cheap
5:17:06cotton repurposed from flower sacks.
5:17:08"Thank you, Ry. This looks even more
5:17:12comfortable than the last set of night
5:17:13clothes you made me." Dana giggled. She
5:17:17had only found a few chances to wear
5:17:19those ones since the first time, as they
5:17:21were rather skimpy for casual wear, but
5:17:24this one she could wear all the time,
5:17:26and she would never have to worry about
5:17:28it being dirty or frayed, as Ray's
5:17:30clothing options always bonded to the
5:17:32wearer. Carl went to the other room to
5:17:34change so that he wasn't accused of
5:17:36peeping on the clerics. But what he
5:17:39found was a whole room full of oversized
5:17:41bunk beds. They were 6 m long and 3 m
5:17:45wide, suitable for even the largest of
5:17:47trolls and minotaurs to get comfortable.
5:17:50Yet, even with his size buffed by
5:17:52brutality, Carl was only a third that
5:17:54size. One thing was certain, none of
5:17:57them would actually need to climb the
5:17:59ladder to the upper bunks tonight. They
5:18:01might do it anyhow, but it wouldn't be
5:18:03necessary.
5:18:05He changed quickly, leaving his dinner
5:18:07outfit carefully folded on one of the
5:18:09end tables. The staff could clean and
5:18:12store that for the next visitor after he
5:18:14left. The others came in only a minute
5:18:17later, and Lotus laughed as she pulled
5:18:19back one of the massive blankets. "Can
5:18:22we share? Just turn down the other side
5:18:24of the bed, and we can sleep sideways."
5:18:28She suggested.
5:18:30Carl and Oilia would only be a little
5:18:32shorter than the bed that way, but it
5:18:34should work just fine. Tessa got to work
5:18:37moving pillows and folding down the
5:18:39other side of the blanket. So, how are
5:18:42we going to work this? She asked as she
5:18:45finished the work. Lotus pointed at the
5:18:47pillows in order. Dana, Carl, Oilia, me,
5:18:52you. So, you're still next to me, but
5:18:55you get to cuddle the werebear. That
5:18:57makes sense. Lotus looked proud of
5:19:00herself. and she's close to the same
5:19:03size as Carl, so they're well matched.
5:19:06Oilia ran a hand down her night gown,
5:19:08then down Tessa's back. Can you ask Ry
5:19:12why mine is different? Anti-static for
5:19:14furry friends. She says that this
5:19:17version shouldn't generate static
5:19:19against your fur. That will make you
5:19:21less frizzy in the morning, though. The
5:19:24staff did a wonderful job of brushing
5:19:26you today, and I'm sure you wouldn't
5:19:28mind an excuse to do it again. Oilia
5:19:31laughed. I wonder if we can hire a
5:19:34sadder maid to come with us just for
5:19:36grooming purposes. They're better at it
5:19:38than anyone I've ever met. I can talk to
5:19:41them and see if there is a hiring
5:19:43location in town with maids who don't
5:19:45mind traveling. Carl suggested.
5:19:48Lotus smirked. Can you imagine the look
5:19:51on their faces when we tell them that we
5:19:53want to bring the maid outside the
5:19:54country and maybe bring her back next
5:19:56year on our way through? I don't think
5:19:59that we will be able to find one with
5:20:00that proposal. Perhaps a human or a half
5:20:04troll, but not a sadder, Oilia noted.
5:20:08Lotus pointed at Oilia and smirked. We
5:20:11should ask that bear working the portal
5:20:13at Bruce Temple if he wants to come
5:20:15along and groom you for a living. I bet
5:20:18he would say yes. Oilia thumped the
5:20:21weward cleric on the head and frowned. I
5:20:24don't need that sort of attention,
5:20:25especially not from a dire bear. They
5:20:28all settled into bed with Oilia turned
5:20:31away from Carl so she could make Lotus
5:20:33her little spoon. Carl did the same with
5:20:35Dana and that was how they were when the
5:20:37maids came in to wake them in the
5:20:39morning. Do you think that they that
5:20:42would have to cause internal damage,
5:20:44right? Forget that. The bear and her
5:20:47teddy are so cute. No, that's a cleric.
5:20:52adorable.
5:20:53Their whispers woke Carl, which startled
5:20:56the maids. They had a lot of experience
5:20:58speaking softly, so they didn't bother
5:21:01guests. They bowed politely, and one of
5:21:03them began to speak quietly. "Sir, your
5:21:07group has been cleared to leave at your
5:21:08leisure. Breakfast will be ready in 1
5:21:11hour if your group wishes to dine with
5:21:13the other guests," she informed him.
5:21:16"That sounds lovely. Can you send in
5:21:19some assistance to help the ladies get
5:21:21ready? We have somewhat suitable travel
5:21:24garp. Carl replied. The maid bowed and
5:21:28Oilia got up out of bed, still holding
5:21:31Lotus, whose arms were wrapped around
5:21:33the werebear's neck. Carl nodded to her
5:21:36and headed out for the men's shower room
5:21:38with a guard escorting him. They could
5:21:40sort out their sleepiest members while
5:21:42he got ready. Moving from the bed woke
5:21:45Dana up, and the disappearance of Lotus
5:21:47woke Tessa, so they were all mobile
5:21:49bright and early. Early enough that Carl
5:21:52even had time to carefully blend the
5:21:54perfumes to perfectly match the scent he
5:21:56had worn the day before. Then he
5:21:58pocketed a small sample of each so he
5:22:01could do it again if he needed. With his
5:22:03preparations finished, Carl returned to
5:22:05the suite to find the ladies getting
5:22:07their hair done. Don't wait outside. I
5:22:11want to see how that works. Remy
5:22:14insisted.
5:22:15I'll be on the sofa while you all finish
5:22:17up. Carl informed the maid, who was
5:22:20trying to tame Dana's curls. They
5:22:23eventually settled on a loose bun that
5:22:25let her curls hang out the bottom.
5:22:27Nothing else would stay, and random
5:22:29strands kept escaping as Dana refused
5:22:32the use of an army of bobby pins, as she
5:22:34put it. The maids looked very proud of
5:22:37their work and the way that they'd
5:22:39managed to make the ladies look elegant,
5:22:41even in their travel outfits.
5:22:43For the clerics, that was their fancy
5:22:45robes. Oilia was in her new coat and
5:22:47pants with a silk sash, and Dana had
5:22:50gone for the hoodie and cargo pants Ray
5:22:52made for her instead of her actual
5:22:54travel clothes, which were closer to the
5:22:56spellblade uniform, and covered her
5:22:58face. The guest dining hall held about
5:23:0130 overdressed monsters, mostly
5:23:03transformed into humanoid forms. One
5:23:06Chimera preferred to eat in his natural
5:23:08form, but Carl saw that many of the
5:23:10others were wearing amulets with the
5:23:12fortress insignia on them. Rey, those
5:23:15are the transformation spells, right?
5:23:18What are the chances we could get one of
5:23:19those to study? Carl asked as he took
5:23:22his seat. Rey considered it for a few
5:23:25seconds. I would say close to 100%.
5:23:30I've taken six of them so far. Well,
5:23:33that was one way to do things.
5:23:36Carl hadn't even noticed or taking them,
5:23:38so there was a good chance nobody else
5:23:40had either. There was also no way for
5:23:42anyone else to prove that Carl had them,
5:23:45even if they noticed them missing. The
5:23:47only issue was that they didn't actually
5:23:49have a team member who wanted to be
5:23:50human- shaped. There was no fancy
5:23:53sendoff after they finished breakfast,
5:23:55just a runner sent to the stables to get
5:23:57Thor hooked up to the wagon and staged
5:23:59for departure. Thor was happy to help
5:24:02them with their work, even if they had
5:24:04done a lackluster job of scrubbing his
5:24:05scales last night. They had at least
5:24:08scrubbed him down, but there was no
5:24:10enthusiasm and no extra attention to the
5:24:12itchy spots, even when he tried to point
5:24:14them out. So, he was hooked up and ready
5:24:17when Carl arrived with the team, while
5:24:19the grooms pretended that they weren't
5:24:21intensely curious about the fact that
5:24:23his entire harness rig was made of silk
5:24:25rope. Normally, the shoulder brace would
5:24:28be wooden with hemp ropes attaching it
5:24:30to the cart, but Thor's harness was
5:24:32entirely silk and included ties for a
5:24:34rider to be securely strapped in place.
5:24:37Carl checked the cargo and found that it
5:24:39appeared intact under the net as the
5:24:41others loaded themselves into the wagon.
5:24:44Guards on the bipedal lizard mounts
5:24:46escorted them through the city streets,
5:24:48clearly not intending to let Carl stop
5:24:50and do business inside the city limits.
5:24:53That actually worked for everyone as
5:24:55Carl had no intentions of staying in the
5:24:57area. With a whole group of overlords
5:25:00and seers here, Carl was looking forward
5:25:02to being out of their sphere of
5:25:04influence. The less likely they were to
5:25:06notice what he was doing, the safer he
5:25:08would be. Nobody challenged them as they
5:25:11made their way out the gates and into
5:25:13the open farmland that surrounded the
5:25:15city, where the others began to relax a
5:25:17little. They weren't going to say
5:25:19anything to blow their cover, but at
5:25:21least that feeling of being suppressed
5:25:22was gone, and so was the feeling of
5:25:24being watched. Inside the fortress, the
5:25:28Oracle was sitting with a group of 20
5:25:30trouble seers, staring at an image on
5:25:32the smooth surface of a pool of water in
5:25:34a silver pool. Are you sure that he's
5:25:37not going to be back, Oracle? One of the
5:25:40seers whispered.
5:25:42Yes, he is gone. I don't know what sort
5:25:45of threat he is. But my advice is that
5:25:47we don't follow his movements directly.
5:25:50If we interfere, it might encourage our
5:25:52soldiers to do something that triggers
5:25:54the danger. I believe that the one known
5:25:57as Carl said it himself, and it is
5:25:59something that we should have been more
5:26:00mindful of in the past. It is possible
5:26:03for a prophecy to be self-fulfilling.
5:26:06The more people who know about the
5:26:07monster hidden inside that body, the
5:26:10more likely they are to start a chain of
5:26:11events that lead to their destruction.
5:26:14The oracle side. Surely the danger isn't
5:26:17that high. I sense threat from his
5:26:20position, but not higher than a military
5:26:22unit. We sensed nearly as much when
5:26:25those mages from the wilds arrived. The
5:26:28trouble seer asked. That was 30 mages.
5:26:32This is one creature. I suspect that he
5:26:36isn't truly a troll, but it is unlikely
5:26:38that he's a human either. It might be a
5:26:41doppelg inger or worse an echo. The
5:26:44seers shuddered at the thought. Most of
5:26:47them had seen one of the echoes when
5:26:49they looked into the distant past during
5:26:50their training. They were constructs
5:26:53created by the gods to guide and shape
5:26:55societies, but they were terrifying on a
5:26:57level that no living being should be
5:26:59capable of. Their mere existence was
5:27:02enough to put terror into the minds of
5:27:03those who could see the past. Should we
5:27:06not have one person observe him to make
5:27:08sure he really is leaving? He might be
5:27:11posing as a merchant, but that is no
5:27:13guarantee that he's not scouting for an
5:27:15invasion, one of the seers suggested.
5:27:18The oracle began to cast another spell,
5:27:21watching Carl's progress as they left
5:27:23the city. At first, it all seemed
5:27:26normal, but then two Naga warriors
5:27:29appeared on the steps of his wagon
5:27:31without the oracle even sensing that
5:27:32anyone had cast a spell. The oracle
5:27:35didn't sense a portal, and he didn't
5:27:37detect the surge of magic for a
5:27:39summoning spell. His first thought was
5:27:41that the Naga warriors had simply
5:27:43released an invisibility spell that had
5:27:45been cast on them, but the wagon had
5:27:47been in the fortress for over a day.
5:27:49Someone should have sensed them if they
5:27:51were simply invisible. He made a note of
5:27:54it among his other visions and continued
5:27:56to watch for a few more minutes as the
5:27:58group simply traveled past the farms and
5:28:00called out to those that they passed.
5:28:03None of it was out of the ordinary, only
5:28:05a merchant trying to sell his minotaur
5:28:07made tools. But the oddities were enough
5:28:10to put the oracle on edge and convince
5:28:12him that he had made the right call in
5:28:13telling the others not to do anything to
5:28:15prevent him leaving. If his guess was
5:28:18right, and he really did have a massive
5:28:20wealth of hidden power, there might be
5:28:21others watching over him from the
5:28:23shadows. Others who would come to his
5:28:26rescue if he were actually in trouble.
5:28:29That dragon, Orthos, for example.
5:28:32Carl had mentioned him during their
5:28:34interview, and the oracle had seen them
5:28:36interact in his visions. He might not
5:28:38know their current relationship, but the
5:28:40anger of an ancient dragon was not
5:28:42something to tempt. But in the wagon,
5:28:45Carl and the others knew nothing of
5:28:47these concerns, and they were happy to
5:28:49have simply escaped the notice of the
5:28:51overlord council without anything major
5:28:53happening. They had just passed the
5:28:55first cluster of small vegetable farms
5:28:57that served the fortress and had passed
5:28:59into what Carl would consider a
5:29:01wilderness area headed east down the
5:29:03main road. Carl turned to talk to the
5:29:06others. You know, this shortcut is
5:29:09actually pretty nice. The road here is
5:29:12all gravel and well-maintained, much
5:29:14better than the deep ruts and soft dirt
5:29:16that we were getting on the other
5:29:17sections of the road. Maybe we can stick
5:29:20with it for a while before we move back
5:29:21to traveling through the wilderness to
5:29:23get to the underserved customers. Dana
5:29:26nodded. That's not a bad idea. We might
5:29:30be able to make a few good trades along
5:29:32the way and pick up more than farming
5:29:34tools. Tessa nodded. We might pick up a
5:29:38side quest or two as well. From what I
5:29:41understand, the further northeast we go
5:29:43from here, the more trouble they have
5:29:45with giants and wild beasts. If we go
5:29:48that way, we should be able to get some
5:29:50excellent customers. But if we follow
5:29:52the road to the southeast, we will get
5:29:54to the capital city of Newon. And from
5:29:56there, we can head east through human
5:29:57populated lands until we get to the
5:29:59wilds. Then we're into more dangerous
5:30:01territory.
5:30:03The wilds are almost completely
5:30:04controlled by beasts. But there are a
5:30:06number of towns and one major port there
5:30:08as well. A pirate port again, but that's
5:30:12to be expected.
5:30:14Only this one specializes in beast
5:30:16materials from what I understand and not
5:30:18slaves. And from there we can follow
5:30:21this huge river all the way up to
5:30:23Whitten Temple. There are major trade
5:30:26routes along the river and a road going
5:30:28from there into the Golden Dragon
5:30:29Nation. It's a pretty solid route and we
5:30:32should be able to make sales and
5:30:34purchases at nearly every stop. We might
5:30:37even find buyers for some of Ray's silk.
5:30:40Mitford was a city of 10,000 people only
5:30:43a day and a half down the road. So that
5:30:45was their goal. If they could make it
5:30:47there early, they could trade some goods
5:30:49at the market in town or to a local shop
5:30:52and have time to relax and eat before
5:30:54leaving town for the night. It was safer
5:30:57to be out of the cities to sleep, and
5:30:59that let Thor have a proper rest in his
5:31:01space instead of some filthy barn
5:31:03somewhere. The number of farms didn't
5:31:05decline much as they traveled. There was
5:31:07one every quarter kilometer for the
5:31:09entire day. But the quality of the road
5:31:12didn't decline either. It was a
5:31:14well-groomed gravel double track, wide
5:31:16enough for two fully loaded carriages
5:31:18with guards to pass each other. It made
5:31:21progress much more comfortable, though
5:31:23Thor didn't speed up much for the sake
5:31:25of everyone in the wagon. There was a
5:31:27conspicuous lack of pullouts, though.
5:31:30Normally, there would be parking areas
5:31:32along the side of a road for wagons and
5:31:34merchants to stop, but along this
5:31:36stretch, there weren't any at all. There
5:31:39weren't even any smaller villages, which
5:31:41seemed a bit odd. Farmers wouldn't want
5:31:44to travel all day to get supplies, so
5:31:46normally a small village would form
5:31:48every few hours of travel. Once it
5:31:51started to get close to dark, Carl
5:31:53noticed that there was a different
5:31:54practice here. The wagons pulled into
5:31:57one of the farm houses, and if he was
5:31:59seeing it right, they provided the
5:32:01evening meal, or at least a good portion
5:32:03of it, for their hosts. They were
5:32:05setting up tents in the yards, so Carl
5:32:08picked a decent-l lookinging carriage
5:32:09and pulled into the yard where it was
5:32:11parked. "Good evening. Do you mind if we
5:32:14join you?" he asked the farmer who came
5:32:17over to greet him. "Not at all." The
5:32:21general and his entourage were just
5:32:22about to start cooking. If you would
5:32:25like to let them know what you have for
5:32:26the pot, we can make adjustments.
5:32:29Carl smiled at the minur. We have dragon
5:32:32clerics with us, so we have rice and
5:32:34beans, and I have some meat stored in a
5:32:37storage item, so it's still fresh. That
5:32:40will make everyone happy. I will let
5:32:43them know while you get parked and set
5:32:44up for the evening. I don't know how
5:32:47much you have stored, but there are a
5:32:49total of 25 heads here tonight. The rice
5:32:52and beans are likely enough to go
5:32:54around, though. Carl frowned in
5:32:57confusion.
5:32:58Your family is that large. The farmer
5:33:01chuckled. My family is six in total.
5:33:04Then there are your seven and 12 with
5:33:06the other carriage. Their mounts are in
5:33:09the back pasture being tended right now.
5:33:12Tessa gave Carl a thumbs up as she
5:33:14already had enough ready, and Carl
5:33:16passed her a roast-sized piece of bore
5:33:19meat. I will let you go with our host to
5:33:21greet the other cook. Let me know if you
5:33:24need anything else or Lotus. Lotus was
5:33:27their resident spice expert after all.
5:33:30The small perks of being a nature
5:33:32cleric. While Tessa went to get dinner
5:33:35started, carrying a sack of rice on her
5:33:37shoulder, the others got the camp set
5:33:39up, hanging tarps over the ends of the
5:33:41wagon that reached the ground, and one
5:33:43stretched out from the back of the wagon
5:33:45so they could get down onto dry ground
5:33:47should it rain overnight.
5:33:49The process only took a few minutes.
5:33:51Then they were free to go join the other
5:33:53carriage to see who needed a whole
5:33:55entourage of mounted guards. The farmer
5:33:58had said it was a general, but Carl
5:34:00didn't sense anyone powerful in the
5:34:02area. It could be that the general was a
5:34:04strategic officer and not a combat
5:34:06officer. Though the Golden Dragon Nation
5:34:10had many such officers in their military
5:34:12ranks, the general turned out to be a
5:34:15very familiar face. He looked nearly
5:34:18identical to the Naga overlord, except
5:34:20that he had a scar over one eye that
5:34:21hadn't healed properly. And he was a
5:34:23commander, not an overlord.
5:34:26General, it's a pleasure to meet you. I
5:34:29am Carl, a traveling merchant. He
5:34:32greeted the Naga, who seemed more
5:34:34interested in the two silent Naga
5:34:35warriors who were waiting by the wagon.
5:34:38It's a pleasure to meet you. You seem to
5:34:41have developed quite the esoteric group
5:34:43on your travels. The general greeted
5:34:46him. Traveling with dragon clerics makes
5:34:49everything much better. If it were just
5:34:51the guys, we would have a rather dull
5:34:53and silent journey, Carl joked. The
5:34:57guards returned as they were talking,
5:34:59and Carl noticed that they were all
5:35:01nearly identical sats at the ascended
5:35:03rank. Pardon my curiosity, but isn't
5:35:06that a bit flimsy of a guard for a
5:35:08general? He asked quietly. The naga
5:35:12laughed and shook his head.
5:35:14They're an honor guard, not like the
5:35:16wagon guards to protect your trade
5:35:18goods. If I'm actually in trouble, I
5:35:21just summon a military unit to my
5:35:22location. 10 honor guards won't stop
5:35:25much, but a full regiment of mounted
5:35:27cavalry will. Carl nodded in
5:35:30understanding.
5:35:32I forget that it is so easy for some
5:35:34people to use portal magic to get others
5:35:36to their location. The general shook his
5:35:39head. The portal calls are expensive to
5:35:42make and the other side has to be at a
5:35:44designated portal array which only
5:35:46exists in the larger cities. It's
5:35:49impractical to have it for every
5:35:50mission. But in my case, the risk is low
5:35:54and I'm only going to the city. This
5:35:56route is pretty well traveled and there
5:35:58are multiple guard patrols along it
5:36:00every day. They had only seen one
5:36:03yesterday, but the first might have been
5:36:05by before they left the city, as the
5:36:07breakfast routine in the mornings at the
5:36:09palace didn't start too early. The
5:36:11general nodded towards the wagon. Where
5:36:14were you coming from that you got so
5:36:16many quality tools? You could likely
5:36:18make a killing off those in the city of
5:36:20Mittford. We picked them up outside Oak
5:36:23camping, but we've been going cross
5:36:25country to avoid the chaos on the roads.
5:36:28There have been some incidents in that
5:36:29region lately.
5:36:31Then we got picked up by a patrol and
5:36:33taken to bet hoke for questioning. So
5:36:35we're a good bit south of our original
5:36:37destination.
5:36:38Carl explained. The general nodded. That
5:36:43makes sense. Anyone who has a royal rank
5:36:46so for their wagon isn't the ordinary
5:36:48sort. He seems quite friendly though.
5:36:52Normally Sarah get territorial when you
5:36:54hook them to a wagon. Carl chuckled. He
5:36:58knows nobody is after his wagon or his
5:37:01passengers, but he loves people. If we
5:37:04get the farm kids to rub his scales, he
5:37:07will be in heaven." Thor nodded in
5:37:09agreement, and the general smirked. "I
5:37:12can do one better, as this farm has no
5:37:15small children anymore. They're all
5:37:17grown and unmarried, but I've got
5:37:20saddters who need to be distracted until
5:37:22the food is ready." He whistled and
5:37:24gestured to bring one of the guards over
5:37:26and explained that he had volunteered
5:37:28them to rub down the serrow for the
5:37:29evening as trade for the quality of
5:37:31dinner. They got to work and Thor gave a
5:37:34happy rumble as they began to rub his
5:37:36head and polish his scales just as they
5:37:38did for their own mounts. Maybe
5:37:41traveling on the road isn't all bad.
5:37:43Dinner ended with a huge pot of
5:37:45leftovers that were transferred to a
5:37:47container provided by the farmer's wife
5:37:49for them to enjoy later, and Carl
5:37:51settled in for the night. The beasts
5:37:53could watch from inside their spaces,
5:37:55other than Thor, who had positioned
5:37:57himself in the driveway to the farmyard
5:38:00between the entrance and the people.
5:38:02There was a sturdy fence all around the
5:38:04yard, so that was the only likely area
5:38:06for entrance by an unknown threat, and
5:38:08therefore the best spot for him. Oilia
5:38:11was with the first watch group, which
5:38:13was more than a little upsetting to
5:38:15Lotus, who wanted to cuddle, while Carl
5:38:17and Dana would take the dawn watch just
5:38:19before the sun came up. The guards had
5:38:22wanted five watches, each with two
5:38:24guards, which was a bit excessive in
5:38:26Carl's mind, but they also didn't have
5:38:28the beasts watching out for danger. If
5:38:31it was a single guard, an assassin could
5:38:33sneak in and eliminate them, then go for
5:38:36the general. It was odd that they hadn't
5:38:38insisted on someone from their team
5:38:40taking the morning watch, but they were
5:38:42likely planning to be up by then and
5:38:44starting on breakfast, so they didn't
5:38:45see the need to have one of theirs as
5:38:47the guard.
5:38:48Tessa would likely be awake for that
5:38:50watch as well, or at least halfway
5:38:52through it. She rarely slept past the
5:38:55dawn wakeup call after so many years on
5:38:57the church's schedule. So, Carl settled
5:39:00into sleep peacefully with Dana after
5:39:02their watch, only to be awakened by the
5:39:05sound of screaming far too soon after he
5:39:07closed his eyes. Report: What is going
5:39:11on? Carl asked. Another spawn. Hawk is
5:39:16already in the air.
5:39:18Remy replied, "It seems to be centered
5:39:21on us, and it extends all the way back
5:39:23to the fortress. A whole day's travel. I
5:39:26can see the torches as the fortress army
5:39:28units gathered to fight in the dark,"
5:39:31Hawk added. That was massive. If it was
5:39:35centered on them, and they had covered
5:39:37close to 80 km during the day, this
5:39:39newest spawn was absolutely massive.
5:39:42"What is attacking?" Carl asked as he
5:39:45equipped his armor and took out his
5:39:47mole. That's the best part. Food? We're
5:39:52under attack by food. Hawk cheered.
5:39:56Translator.
5:39:57Remy giggled before explaining.
5:40:00The attackers are some sort of boar
5:40:02monster the size of Oilia's dire bear
5:40:04form, and they're accompanied by some
5:40:06sort of cyclops.
5:40:08A giant with one eye. That's what has
5:40:11the sats on guard duty screaming. There
5:40:14was a group of the boores at the edge of
5:40:15the camp, just reaching the fire light,
5:40:17but momentarily stopped by the mounts of
5:40:20the guards, who also saw them as food.
5:40:23Unfortunately for the agile lizards,
5:40:25these bore monsters were not only
5:40:27massive, they were also commander rank
5:40:29beasts and wearing armor. They even had
5:40:32metal sheets on their tusks, so they
5:40:34could more effectively attack. Carl was
5:40:37just about to send everyone out to play
5:40:39when he realized that they were standing
5:40:40right next to a general and his
5:40:42entourage.
5:40:43a general who was very likely to call
5:40:45for an entire army unit from the
5:40:47fortress that they just left. Can we
5:40:50just kill him already? I want to come
5:40:52out and play. Rey complained.
5:40:56Not yet. Or at least not where he can
5:40:59see you. I give it like 2 minutes before
5:41:02he panics and calls the army. I don't
5:41:05know if they're going to show up while
5:41:06everything is under attack, but they
5:41:08might. Hawk was racing through the sky
5:41:11trying to determine the extent and
5:41:13density of the situation when he
5:41:15realized that they were about to have a
5:41:16not so minor problem. The next city is
5:41:19full of monsters from the spawn. It's
5:41:22within the radius by at least 10 km and
5:41:25it's not just surrounded, it's overrun.
5:41:28He informed them. Well, that will put a
5:41:31damper on our chances of making a mass
5:41:33sale. However, I bet we can do some
5:41:36charity work with the farmers if they're
5:41:38short on weapons. Carl jumped onto the
5:41:41roof of the house to take in more of the
5:41:43situation and realized that these ones
5:41:45weren't the only one who would need some
5:41:46assistance.
5:41:48He could see four other farms in the
5:41:50distance, and they were all fighting
5:41:51with makeshift weapons like the ones he
5:41:54was selling, but not adapted to be used
5:41:56as weapons.
5:41:57They were so close to two major cities
5:42:00and along a heavily populated route that
5:42:02was traveled by hundreds every day that
5:42:04they didn't really need weapons other
5:42:06than for defense against unscrupulous
5:42:07travelers. The farm family was coming
5:42:10out in hastily dawned coats over their
5:42:12pajamas, carrying whatever farm tools
5:42:14came to hand. "Hey, over here we have
5:42:19weapons."
5:42:20Carl called. The minotaurs rushed over
5:42:23to where Carl was, while the guards from
5:42:25the generals caravan harassed the giant
5:42:27boar who had made it closest to the
5:42:29farm. The ladies had taken the net from
5:42:32over the cargo, and the minurs smiled as
5:42:34they realized that the weapons were all
5:42:36modeled after things that they already
5:42:37know how to use. They each grabbed a
5:42:40tool and pulled the working heads off
5:42:42the convertible ones. We will stay near
5:42:45your charges. Would you guard the back
5:42:47side of the house? We should be all
5:42:49right even if you take both the Naga
5:42:51with you. I will have them watch the
5:42:54side of the house. The guards for the
5:42:56general have the other side, but we can
5:42:58send someone to help them if you need.
5:43:01The oldest of the minotaur farmers
5:43:03smiled and patted Carl on the shoulder.
5:43:06As long as they don't make it to the
5:43:07house, it's fine. We have no animals and
5:43:11they've already trampled the fields. We
5:43:14will see in the morning what can be
5:43:15salvaged.
5:43:17Carl nodded. I will do what I can to
5:43:19keep them out of the vegetable garden
5:43:21out back. I would appreciate that. Remy,
5:43:25have the bodyguards watch the two sides
5:43:27of the house and keep everyone mostly on
5:43:29this side so I can let everyone out to
5:43:31play. Once Remy and her bodyguards were
5:43:34in position with two on Carl's left
5:43:37guarding the side of the house and one
5:43:39on his right, making sure that the
5:43:40escorts for the general didn't get
5:43:42overrun by a single giant boar. Carl was
5:43:44ready to begin.
5:43:46All right, it's safe to come out now.
5:43:49Cara and Ray, I would like for you to
5:43:51stick together with Ray's golems. Clear
5:43:54the area beyond what the minotaurs and
5:43:56sats can see and loot as much food as
5:43:58you think we might need in the future.
5:44:01These all appear to be commander rank
5:44:03bores, and there should be royal rank
5:44:05cyclops with them. That means plenty of
5:44:08highquality blood for Rey. However, if
5:44:11you find a monarch, inform me before you
5:44:13start fighting it, and I will join you.
5:44:16I know that at least Ry needs the
5:44:18monarch rank blood for her personal
5:44:20grooming, and if it's an edible species,
5:44:22it could be good for everyone's
5:44:24development, Carl instructed.
5:44:27Monarch rank giant boar. Hawk was almost
5:44:30drooling at the thought. He was already
5:44:32looking for one, but the boores didn't
5:44:34appear to come in anything but commander
5:44:36rank. Being a spawn situation, there
5:44:39were no young ones with them. But it was
5:44:42also incredibly rare to find a monarch
5:44:44ranked Cyclops.
5:44:46Hawk had scouted most of the way to both
5:44:48cities down the road now, and he had
5:44:50only seen three of them, two of which
5:44:52were at the fortress. The overlords
5:44:55would take care of those in a few
5:44:56minutes, so there was only one that was
5:44:58an actual option, and even that one was
5:45:00over 20 km away. We might have to wait
5:45:03for tomorrow's spawn to get a good one.
5:45:06he informed the others. Carl chuckled at
5:45:09his depressed tone. "What makes you
5:45:12think that we're going to still be here?
5:45:14There are thousands of commander rank
5:45:16boores. They're overrunning farms almost
5:45:19as fast as the farmers can flee, and the
5:45:21city is full of them. We did all right
5:45:24walking through the hill giant lines,
5:45:26but these are stronger," he replied with
5:45:29pride. It was strange to have pride in
5:45:32what he viewed as a food supply that he
5:45:34didn't even raise himself. But Hawk's
5:45:36mind worked in its own special way. Carl
5:45:39could hear him mentally calculating the
5:45:41food supply from multiple days of
5:45:42harvesting the bores and how much space
5:45:45he had to store them in. If he processed
5:45:48them and got rid of the parts that
5:45:49weren't tasty, he should have enough for
5:45:51at least a week's harvest in the space
5:45:53he dedicated to boar type animals. Ry
5:45:56came out of her space and Cara appeared
5:45:58on her back as the bloodbath spider
5:46:00summoned her golems in the distance.
5:46:03Forward trusty steed. We shall clear a
5:46:06path of destruction through the boores.
5:46:09Delicious, delicious destruction,
5:46:12Cara insisted.
5:46:14Carl stared at the strange spectacle for
5:46:16a moment and then realized that Cara was
5:46:18much bigger than he remembered. She had
5:46:20gone from badger to large dogsized, and
5:46:22when she spread her wings for balance,
5:46:24she had a wingspan as wide as Ray's
5:46:26standing posture. "Are you getting close
5:46:29to advancing?"
5:46:31Carl asked her, curious about the
5:46:33change. Nope, I don't think I'm even
5:46:36halfway there. I'm just getting big. I'm
5:46:40working on a skill to adjust my size,
5:46:42but mostly I think I've just been eating
5:46:44too well. I need to start exercising.
5:46:48Why she wanted to adjust her size was a
5:46:50mystery, but Carl suspected that it had
5:46:52something to do with punching Drakes in
5:46:54the face. She kept facing big things
5:46:57that didn't respect her because she was
5:46:58small. They vanished off into the
5:47:01darkness with a barrage of
5:47:03disintegration and boulder toss attacks
5:47:06at the handful of nearby boores. Then
5:47:09they were on the surprised Cyclops whose
5:47:11night vision was apparently terrible
5:47:13because it hardly reacted until the
5:47:14golem was liberating its head from its
5:47:16body. Carl looked around the farm and
5:47:19realized that he might have
5:47:20miscalculated.
5:47:22With the dynamic duo going crazy on his
5:47:24side of the property, he didn't actually
5:47:26have anything to do. He could hear the
5:47:29others fighting and one of the Naga
5:47:31warriors had gone to assist the sats who
5:47:33were losing their fight with the giant
5:47:35boar. Carl heard huge rushing feet and
5:47:38saw one of the massive beasts coming for
5:47:40his left side where the other Naga
5:47:42warriors and Remy were stationed. Then
5:47:45Thor was on his feet and charging at the
5:47:47armored challenger. This was his yard
5:47:50and nobody was just running inside. The
5:47:53serrow hit the side of the boar, and his
5:47:55upper horns punched through the armor
5:47:57plating. As the beast was thrown from
5:47:58its feet, a shake of Thor's head freed
5:48:01his horns from the twisted metal, and a
5:48:03Naga warrior rushed over to wrap the
5:48:05beast's neck. It gave him a steady base
5:48:08to attack from, with the side benefit of
5:48:10cutting off the creature's breathing as
5:48:12the boar reared up to try to hit Thor
5:48:14with his tusks. Thor was quick on his
5:48:17feet, and the charge only reached open
5:48:19air as Thor rammed his nose horn up into
5:48:21the boar's belly. then slammed his tail
5:48:23into its head with earthquake charged.
5:48:26The boar's skull shattered and blood ran
5:48:29down its face as it staggered. It wasn't
5:48:32a lethal blow, but there was definitely
5:48:34brain damage behind that stunned effect.
5:48:37Then the Naga warriors blade slid
5:48:39between the broken skull bones and the
5:48:41boar collapsed. That one they would have
5:48:43to leave in the yard as everyone would
5:48:45notice it going missing. But they could
5:48:48use it for breakfast and lunch or leave
5:48:50it for the farmers whose crops had taken
5:48:52a lot of damage. Carl noticed that a
5:48:55cyclops was getting close to the
5:48:57outlying vegetable patch, so he moved to
5:48:59intercept. The farmers might have lost a
5:49:02lot of their crop, but he could save at
5:49:04least a bit of it. The two royal rank
5:49:07opponents met on the road, and Carl
5:49:09quickly realized that the cyclops was
5:49:11almost blind. It had no depth
5:49:14perception, nearly tripped in the
5:49:15drainage ditch, and couldn't see Carl
5:49:17standing 5 m away in the dark. That
5:49:21wasn't even a fair fight. Not that it
5:49:23was going to stop Carl, as five stacks
5:49:26of disintegration on the head of his
5:49:28mall removed most of its torso. He
5:49:31quickly dragged the body back into the
5:49:33pasture on the other side of the road
5:49:34and looked for another target. Ray and
5:49:37Cara were on a rampage and Cara had
5:49:40taken to the air so that she could dive
5:49:41bomb and maul the boores from the air.
5:49:44That was way more fun than just throwing
5:49:46orbs of death at them. Her
5:49:49disintegration was a monarch ranked
5:49:51skill and the damage that it did to
5:49:53commander rank boores and their
5:49:54makeshift armor was devastating.
5:49:57It was so much more satisfying to go for
5:50:00the terminal velocity dive bomb into
5:50:02their back.
5:50:03Carl saw a group of heat signatures
5:50:05racing his way and prepared for battle.
5:50:08But as they spread out a little, he
5:50:10realized that it wasn't more Cyclops,
5:50:12but a larger than average minotaur and
5:50:14his family. This way, everyone. We have
5:50:18a royal ranked team of guards to protect
5:50:20the farmyard. He shouted loud enough
5:50:23that everyone would hear him. Is the
5:50:26yard holding? The man yelled as he
5:50:28turned to approach Carl directly and not
5:50:31the house.
5:50:32Yeah, we're in no danger of being
5:50:34overrun. We've got a commander ranked
5:50:37Golem mage and royal rank Naga warriors
5:50:39among the other guards in the yard.
5:50:42There are clerics with us as well if you
5:50:44are injured. Thank you, Traveler. The
5:50:48big minotaur replied, then let out a
5:50:50deep rumbling bellow that would echo
5:50:52through the distance to the other farms.
5:50:54It should be a signal of some sort that
5:50:56it was safe to gather here. But it
5:50:58startled the farmers in the yard who
5:51:00definitely didn't feel safe. If you can
5:51:03fight, talk to the red dragon cleric
5:51:05after you are fed and healed. We were
5:51:08selling weapons made by for minotaurs.
5:51:11They will hook you up and you can trade
5:51:13them loot from your kills for the cost
5:51:14if you're short on cash. Carl informed
5:51:18them. The big minotaur smiled and patted
5:51:21him on the shoulder as he ran by. Thank
5:51:24you. I don't know what happened, but
5:51:26it's good to see that someone has the
5:51:28good sense to set proper defenses.
5:51:31With the route being so safe, most
5:51:33groups didn't set night guards. They
5:51:35just went to bed in the farmyards after
5:51:37dinner. After the bellow by the farmer,
5:51:40more groups began running in their
5:51:42direction. The farm houses were fairly
5:51:44well spaced, but each family could only
5:51:46farm a few hundred acres at the most.
5:51:49Even with Ray and Cara on the loose out
5:51:51in the dark somewhere, there were still
5:51:53hundreds of giant boores nearby,
5:51:55terrorizing the other farm houses. The
5:51:58pair had been prioritizing clearing the
5:52:00area around this farm so that they would
5:52:02have as much left as possible. But there
5:52:05were just so many creatures spawned this
5:52:07time that they couldn't eliminate them
5:52:08all. "Is it just me or does this not
5:52:11follow the pattern?" Remy asked. "What
5:52:15pattern?" Thor asked as he hadn't been
5:52:18paying attention the first time. It was
5:52:21supposed to get weaker and lower density
5:52:23as we moved away from the dungeon,
5:52:25right? Well, we're a long way from the
5:52:28dungeon now, and this is the strongest
5:52:30one so far with the most monsters,
5:52:33she explained. Hawk considered reasons,
5:52:36then came upon a good one. What if it's
5:52:39a present? We haven't had a good food
5:52:42influx for a while. So maybe we're being
5:52:44rewarded with thousands of bores. They
5:52:47appeared centered around us. That has to
5:52:49mean that they're ours. That was a
5:52:51somewhat horrifying thought. What if a
5:52:54thousand square kilm of land had been
5:52:56overrun by giant boores and cyclops
5:52:58because Hawk was feeling peckish and the
5:53:00gods wanted him to have a new flavor of
5:53:02snack? As much as Carl wanted to say
5:53:05that was ridiculous and impossible, he
5:53:07had a sneaking suspicion that it might
5:53:09actually be a plausible answer. But the
5:53:12fact that this one appeared to be
5:53:13centered on them, while the last was
5:53:15only a few kilometers away, did make it
5:53:18seem like they were somehow involved in
5:53:19the generation of these anomalies.
5:53:22If they were, wouldn't it be a disaster
5:53:24if they went home and brought the spawns
5:53:26with them? Carl had plenty of time to
5:53:28think, as it was only farmers headed
5:53:30their way at the moment. For a moment,
5:53:33he wondered where Prince Corbin and his
5:53:35Spellblade clan were. They should be
5:53:38well west of this incident and hopefully
5:53:40out of danger, but they were faster
5:53:43moving than the wagon and had a day's
5:53:44head start going in the same direction,
5:53:46so they might have already been close to
5:53:48the fortress. It would have been nice to
5:53:51know for sure where they were, but there
5:53:53was no way of verifying that in the
5:53:54middle of the night. During the day,
5:53:57Hawk might be able to scout them out if
5:53:59he could see through their disguise. But
5:54:01even that was questionable, as it was
5:54:03most likely being created by Prince
5:54:04Corbin, so Hawk wouldn't have a power
5:54:06advantage when trying to detect flaws in
5:54:08the spell. The influx of farmers from
5:54:11the surrounding homesteads didn't come
5:54:13without its own dangers, as the movement
5:54:15was drawing the attention of the giant
5:54:17boores, who were leading the Cyclops
5:54:19toward the gathering. The giant's
5:54:21eyesight was terrible, but their hearing
5:54:23was decent, and they seemed to realize
5:54:25what was going on, even if they were
5:54:27struggling to find their way with the
5:54:28fences constantly tripping them. If they
5:54:31followed the boores, it was better. The
5:54:34beasts smashed through the wooden fences
5:54:36without hesitation, and they had no
5:54:38issues finding the farmers in the dark.
5:54:41"You have more coming to your side,"
5:54:44Cara and Ray are over on the far side
5:54:46right now. Hawk informed Carl, who was
5:54:49distracted watching the farmers coming
5:54:51their way. Carl moved away from the
5:54:53farmhouse to intercept the boores, which
5:54:55were running towards a group of small
5:54:57minotaurs.
5:54:59The parents must have been at their home
5:55:00farm because these ones were all
5:55:02children. One solid swat of the hammer
5:55:05killed the beast, but Hawk was not
5:55:07impressed with the use of chain
5:55:09lightning, which internally cooked them
5:55:10and made them hard to prepare for later
5:55:12consumption.
5:55:14All right, I will use disintegration
5:55:16instead.
5:55:17That will only take away a small amount
5:55:19of them, and if I hit the head, it won't
5:55:22even be a tasty part. Carl conceded.
5:55:26Ry laughed at their argument. She was
5:55:29using lacerate, as were her golems.
5:55:32There was still plenty of blood left
5:55:33inside after they died, so a little mess
5:55:36wasn't a major loss. The clean cuts left
5:55:39the entire beast usable, but neither
5:55:41rend nor shred were as powerful as
5:55:43disintegrate.
5:55:45They were suitable options to stack five
5:55:47deep on the hammer. Though Carl could
5:55:50release them without contact, so he
5:55:52could just use it to build up a charge
5:55:53of concurrent casts. But he really
5:55:56didn't need to do that for the commander
5:55:58rank beasts. Even just attacking
5:56:01normally two or three times would be
5:56:02enough for most of them. Carl tried that
5:56:05on the next boar that was coming for the
5:56:07children. And the first strike with Ren
5:56:09cut into its skull, but didn't stop it.
5:56:12Carl had to hurry to intercept the beast
5:56:14before it could reach the minur
5:56:16children. Sir, is there a safe spot? Dad
5:56:20and uncle are fighting at the house. One
5:56:23of the children asked, gesturing behind
5:56:25them. Keep going straight towards that
5:56:28house with the fire in the yard. We lit
5:56:30it to help people find us. There are
5:56:33others there already. How far is it to
5:56:36your house? I might be able to help your
5:56:39family leave. Carl asked. I don't think
5:56:43that they will. Uncle Lou is a colonel
5:56:46in the army and a royal. They plan to
5:56:49hold the yard and keep the house safe so
5:56:51we can return in the morning. And they
5:56:53sent you away anyhow. Carl asked. The
5:56:57minur girl nodded. Yeah. They said that
5:57:01it's safer to be with a whole herd. We
5:57:04heard the bellow indicating a safe spot,
5:57:06so they sent the children. Good luck. I
5:57:09will make their lives easier for a few
5:57:11minutes. The kids started running and
5:57:14Carl headed for their house to clear the
5:57:16area. If there was a royal rank soldier
5:57:19there with someone to watch his back,
5:57:21they should be fine. There were still
5:57:23three boores in the area not attacking
5:57:26the house. The minotaurs were teamed up
5:57:28to deal with a cyclops and Carl could
5:57:31see that they both had proper weapons
5:57:32and armor. So, a few minutes to clear
5:57:36the bores should be enough to give them
5:57:37a rest. Ray, when you guys make your
5:57:40next loop this way, clear around the
5:57:42farmyards that still have someone
5:57:44fighting in them. We can start expanding
5:57:46our radius if the battle slows down. Got
5:57:50it. We're getting pretty well stocked
5:57:52already. These bores take up more space
5:57:55than expected. I don't know what we're
5:57:58going to do with 100 tons of bacon, but
5:58:00it's going to smell wonderful when we
5:58:02smoke it. Carl laughed as he finished
5:58:04the bores near where the minotaurs were
5:58:06still dealing with the cyclops.
5:58:09That didn't seem right. There were two
5:58:11of them and the Cyclops was only using
5:58:13skills on the lower side of royal rank.
5:58:16Carl turned to help them out. There
5:58:19might have been a reason other than
5:58:20safety in numbers that they had sent the
5:58:22children away while they defended the
5:58:24farm. The Cyclops never stood a chance
5:58:27as Carl leapt across the yard and
5:58:29smashed it in the back with
5:58:30disintegrate.
5:58:32It was already heavily injured and its
5:58:34armor was compromised.
5:58:36Thank you, merchant.
5:58:38Were you at one of the other farms? Are
5:58:41they all right? The older of the two
5:58:43minotaurs asked. They were both heavily
5:58:46bandaged, and one of them had only one
5:58:48arm, an old injury that had long since
5:58:51healed. No wonder they had sent the kids
5:58:53away to make their final stand. They
5:58:56were so heavily injured even before the
5:58:58fight started that they were in no shape
5:59:00to fight. But they didn't want to burden
5:59:02anyone else with more wounded to care
5:59:04for. That was a soldier's pride talking
5:59:07for them, Carl assumed.
5:59:09No soldier wanted to drag down others
5:59:11when they were likely to have to
5:59:12relocate in the middle of the night.
5:59:15Instead, they had sent away the ones
5:59:17that could run and remain behind. Remy,
5:59:20do you have healing stuff in your space?
5:59:23Carl asked the blue ones in the round
5:59:26bottles with the long neck. Those are
5:59:29the new healing potions.
5:59:31Carl took two of them out and handed
5:59:33them to the minotaurs.
5:59:35healing potions from my personal
5:59:37alchemist.
5:59:38This incident is huge, and if you're not
5:59:40too attached to the farm, we could use
5:59:42the extra fighters. They're holding out
5:59:45well for now, and we had a watch set,
5:59:47but they will get tired eventually. They
5:59:50nodded, understanding what Carl meant.
5:59:53Part of the reason for the Minotaurs
5:59:55welcoming Bellow was so that they had
5:59:56reserves when the frontline fighters got
5:59:58wounded or tired, allowing someone to
6:00:00switch them out. We have dragon clerics
6:00:03there who can do more healing for you as
6:00:06well. Did you want to come back that way
6:00:08with me or are you remaining here? The
6:00:11pair down the potions and Carl made a
6:00:14note of how their wounds closed and
6:00:15their stance improved.
6:00:17Remy would want that information later.
6:00:20We will join your group. I will just
6:00:23tell the kids that I wanted to get the
6:00:24last of my armor out before we join
6:00:26them. The older soldier chuckled with a
6:00:29gesture to a pile of supplies near the
6:00:31door. Carl picked it up and slung the
6:00:34oversized bag over his shoulder. Is that
6:00:37everything you need? With nobody here,
6:00:40the invaders are unlikely to smash apart
6:00:42the house as long as you don't have a
6:00:44large food supply inside.
6:00:46The farmer gestured to one side. The
6:00:49pantry is concrete with a steel door and
6:00:52underground to keep the temperature
6:00:53stable. It should be all right.
6:00:56Carl took off at a jog with the soldiers
6:00:59behind him. There was nothing in the
6:01:01area, but they were both on guard and
6:01:03hesitant to move so quickly. I can see
6:01:07heat signatures in the dark. There is
6:01:09nothing along this path. I killed it all
6:01:12on the way here after making sure your
6:01:13kids made it to the farm, he explained.
6:01:17They made it safely. Thanks be to the
6:01:20gods. All right, we will trust your
6:01:23eyes. Lead the way. Carl stopped 50 m
6:01:28from the house. It's right there. I'm on
6:01:32duty to protect this side, so I will let
6:01:34you go ahead. Tell them Carl sent you if
6:01:37they ask, but I doubt they will. Half
6:01:40the people there are your neighbors. The
6:01:42minotaurs laughed. If old man Davos
6:01:45can't recognize us by firelight, we have
6:01:48bigger issues than a few questions. They
6:01:51clapped Carl on the shoulder as they
6:01:52passed. And a few seconds later, happy
6:01:55voices greeted them as they passed the
6:01:56Naga warriors and came into the light of
6:01:58the bonfire.
6:02:00Lotus Voice joined the chaos as she
6:02:02explained that she would heal them and
6:02:04that everyone else here was still in
6:02:05fighting form, so they were the backup
6:02:07line. They had a bit of time to eat and
6:02:10catch their breath. Then they could
6:02:12change spots with Oilia, who was
6:02:14watching that side along with one of the
6:02:16other farmers. The battle near the farm
6:02:18began to fall silent as more farmers
6:02:20came to join their group. And as Ray
6:02:22teamed up with Cara to slaughter
6:02:24everything that moved and wasn't a
6:02:26farmer, that was a surprising level of
6:02:28restraint for that duo. But Carl didn't
6:02:31see any small creatures or minotaurs
6:02:33coming into the piles in their spaces. 2
6:02:36hours later, they were getting bored
6:02:37with the lack of powerful targets and
6:02:39variety. So Carl called them back. You
6:02:43can rest in your spaces. We've secured
6:02:46the area well enough. There should only
6:02:48be a few issues before dawn and the
6:02:51others can take care of that. How did
6:02:53your collection efforts go? He asked.
6:02:57Pretty good. I think we got all we need,
6:03:00but there are no monarch rank cyclops
6:03:02close enough to fight. If we could have
6:03:05gotten one of those for Ray's bath
6:03:06products, it would have been better,
6:03:09Cara replied.
6:03:11One of the sats came over with a bowl of
6:03:13oatmeal and some roast pork slices for
6:03:15Carl and then joined him for breakfast,
6:03:17taking a seat on the wood pile. You've
6:03:20done an outstanding job on this side. Do
6:03:23you need anything else? We can send
6:03:26someone to assist you or you can pull
6:03:28your Naga warriors back. They're
6:03:31covering two sides of the house already
6:03:33and they've taken a lot of the load off
6:03:35the rest of us. I don't think that our
6:03:37patrol would have made it through the
6:03:39first attack without his help. And it
6:03:41appears that the army isn't coming. The
6:03:43sadder side, this incident isn't just on
6:03:47us. It's at all the farms as far as the
6:03:50farmers can communicate with each other
6:03:51for three relays. By my guess, that's at
6:03:55least 15 km in every direction that is
6:03:57under attack and likely more. How many
6:04:01army units are in the area? Even if they
6:04:03sent them out right away, they could
6:04:05take a while to make their way here.
6:04:08Carl suggested
6:04:10he couldn't tell the guard that the
6:04:11issue extended past the next city or all
6:04:14the way to the fortress.
6:04:16At least not without explaining how he
6:04:18learned. They would find out soon
6:04:20enough, and it was going to be a nasty
6:04:22surprise.
6:04:24It was better not to spring it on them
6:04:25in the middle of the night when everyone
6:04:27was panicked and exhausted.
6:04:29I see that they went with raspberries
6:04:31today.
6:04:33That's a change from the usual," Carl
6:04:35noted as he started at the plain wooden
6:04:37bowl full of oatmeal. "Apparently, it's
6:04:40a specialty of the local farms. They
6:04:43have whole bags of dried berries here,
6:04:45and they go well in the oats." The
6:04:48Saturn guard agreed. "I will have to buy
6:04:51a few bags. Monster invasion, war, or
6:04:54emergency, goods still need to move."
6:04:58The Saturn nodded. That they do.
6:05:01Fortunately for us, it will be dawn
6:05:03soon, and then we will be able to see
6:05:05trouble signals and find out what is
6:05:07going on in the distance. But I've never
6:05:10heard of a surprise invasion this deep
6:05:12into the nation. It should have been
6:05:14stopped near the border, not allowed to
6:05:16get to the Overlord Council's doorstep.
6:05:19I am sure that the council will get it
6:05:21all sorted out. We just need to get
6:05:23enough rest that we don't get
6:05:24overwhelmed.
6:05:26They ate quietly for a few minutes until
6:05:28Carl saw minurhaped heat signatures in
6:05:31the distance. Go let someone know to
6:05:33bellow that this is a safe spot. There
6:05:36are more refugees in the distance and
6:05:38they look lost. He warned the sadder who
6:05:41informed one of his teammates with hand
6:05:43signals. They're on it. They'll likely
6:05:47call every hour or so just in case there
6:05:49are others in hiding.
6:05:51The hours until dawn passed quickly with
6:05:54sporadic attacks two or three times an
6:05:56hour as the farmers from the surrounding
6:05:58area and those who had been on the run
6:06:00in the area had all come to them after
6:06:02the second bellow by the royal rank
6:06:04minotaur. His effort seemed much more
6:06:07effective than the first attempt and
6:06:08Carl wondered if there was something
6:06:10about the voice of minotaurs that
6:06:11changed with their rank. Now they had
6:06:14nearly a 100 minotaurs in place and as
6:06:16the sun came up they were making plans
6:06:18to fortify this farm so they could fall
6:06:20back to it as an emergency resource in
6:06:22the future. A trench line with a rake
6:06:25fence of spiked poles would slow down
6:06:27even a giant boar for a few minutes
6:06:29before it smashed them all apart. One of
6:06:32the farmers was suggesting.
6:06:34And where would we get thousands of
6:06:36trees to make it from? We could do a low
6:06:39wall of dirt and stones with a trench on
6:06:41the other side, but that would still
6:06:42mess with the runoff for the fields, and
6:06:44we would risk drought on the farm. Or we
6:06:47could do just the yard. The matriarch of
6:06:50this farmyard insisted. That would be a
6:06:53pain for them going to and from the
6:06:55fields, but they could put bridges over
6:06:57the wall and pull them in if there was
6:06:59danger. The defensive fortification
6:07:01didn't need to stop an enemy forever,
6:07:03much less actually hurt it. It just had
6:07:06to slow it down enough to give the
6:07:08defenders the advantage. As the sun came
6:07:11up and everyone could see properly, the
6:07:13extent of the devastation became clear.
6:07:16Hundreds of house fires poured black
6:07:18smoke into the air, while Carl could see
6:07:2010 different red smoke streams, similar
6:07:22to the green ones that had been deployed
6:07:24when the patrol unit called for
6:07:26reinforcements against the orcs. But
6:07:28worse, there was a massive plume of
6:07:31black smoke to their east. A pillar of
6:07:34smoke that marked a freshly sacked city
6:07:36on fire. The size of the column made the
6:07:39source unmistakable.
6:07:41No matter where they looked, there were
6:07:43signs of destruction, and the further
6:07:44into the distance they looked, the worse
6:07:46it got. The Naga general gestured at
6:07:49Dana and a sadder guard. Mage, how
6:07:53strong are you? Can you use that air
6:07:55walking to carry a guard into the air
6:07:57where they can see further? We need to
6:07:59know how far this extends and if there
6:08:01are others we might need to help. Dana
6:08:04nodded. It's not a problem. At my rank,
6:08:08carrying a sadder with me as I windalk
6:08:11isn't a problem. I will take them a 100
6:08:14meters into the air to scout the area
6:08:16and we will report back in a minute. She
6:08:19picked up the smallest of the sadders
6:08:21and stepped up into the air running as
6:08:23if climbing stairs. That was the great
6:08:26drawback to her skill. She still had to
6:08:29walk, so climbing into the air took a
6:08:31lot of physical effort, like running up
6:08:33a flight of stairs or a hillside. But
6:08:36she had been practicing hard, and while
6:08:38she was slowing a lot at the end,
6:08:40eternal lightning gave her enough
6:08:42stamina regeneration that she made it to
6:08:44her chosen viewpoint with enough
6:08:45reserves to run in a circle and scout.
6:08:48The sadder looked shaken as they reached
6:08:50the ground. But Dana had already known
6:08:52what was going on. Not only had she been
6:08:55attacking from the air, but the fact
6:08:57that it was a monster spawn was much
6:08:58less unthinkable to her than to the
6:09:00farmers.
6:09:02General, I have your report. The Saturn
6:09:05informed them in a shaky voice. Go
6:09:08ahead, Sergeant. What did you see? The
6:09:12fortress is under siege, though the
6:09:14battle appears to be close to finished.
6:09:16There are more than 10 emergency calls
6:09:18for overrun units active. Everything in
6:09:20sight from 100 meters elevation was
6:09:22either destroyed farmland or hordes of
6:09:24cyclops and their giant boores. At least
6:09:2850 kilometers in every direction. The
6:09:31city of Mitford appears to be lost. The
6:09:34whole city is on fire and there are
6:09:36hundreds of groups of giants and boores
6:09:38moving away from it to attack nearby
6:09:40farms which appear to have already been
6:09:42attacked last night. At least twothirds
6:09:44of the force from the fortress is
6:09:46deployed in the area, but there is no
6:09:48sign of the guard force from Mitford.
6:09:51There are a few visible groups of
6:09:52farmers still fighting, but unlike our
6:09:54area, which has been fairly well cleared
6:09:57of threats, they are not fairing as
6:09:59well. His voice was as neutral as he
6:10:01could make it, clearly trying not to
6:10:03cry. Then it dawned on Carl. They were
6:10:07visiting the fortress and returning to
6:10:09Mittford. His family was likely from
6:10:12Mittford, and the city appeared to have
6:10:14been lost in a single night after the
6:10:15attackers appeared inside the walls.
6:10:18Lotus was faster to the important parts
6:10:20than Carl was, and by the time that he
6:10:23realized, she had already pulled the
6:10:25small man into a hug so he could hide
6:10:27his goat-like face. All the beasts were
6:10:30back in their spaces now, except Thor,
6:10:32who was napping near the gate. Only the
6:10:35two bodyguards were left outside so that
6:10:37the soldiers and farmers didn't notice
6:10:39anything was off when morning came.
6:10:42However, they were all rested now and
6:10:44ready to fight as soon as they were
6:10:45needed. The general looked stunned by
6:10:48the analysis of the situation.
6:10:51There was nothing in his training or
6:10:52protocols that covered this situation.
6:10:55He didn't have enough of a force to even
6:10:57try to make it to the city. and he
6:11:00certainly didn't have enough allies left
6:11:01to rally a force to take it back if it
6:11:03was being occupied. It might not be as
6:11:07the smoke cloud suggested that most of
6:11:09the city was on fire at the moment. But
6:11:11that didn't change the fact that he was
6:11:12half a day's travel away and had no
6:11:15resources.
6:11:16While the general was unsure what to do
6:11:19back in the fortress, the oracle had a
6:11:21much better idea of how to handle this
6:11:23situation.
6:11:24He was seated on a cushion in his
6:11:26scrying room with a stack of notes on
6:11:28one side and a nearly empty bottle of
6:11:30rum on the other. His arrival marks
6:11:33disaster and great danger for the
6:11:34fortress. "Gods damn it," he muttered,
6:11:38casting bler eyes up at Lea, the haint
6:11:41tree woman overlord. "Do you think that
6:11:44he's cursed? Could it be a side effect
6:11:46of pulling a system user through time?
6:11:49He has a powerful presence far beyond
6:11:52his royal rank. It is possible that
6:11:55these incidents are occurring near him
6:11:56simply because he exists, she suggested.
6:12:01So, we send a team to kill him, the
6:12:04drunken oracle asked hopefully and leave
6:12:07the focal point of the anomalies
6:12:08permanently located next to the
6:12:10fortress. I think not. If he is the
6:12:14focus of the instability, it's best that
6:12:16he takes them somewhere else. But there
6:12:19is another possibility.
6:12:21We have reports that he might have been
6:12:22with the yellow tusk orcs when the
6:12:24dungeon outside Halering first opened.
6:12:27We know that he speaks orish, so the
6:12:29reports are plausible. It might be a
6:12:32side effect of that anomaly, in which
6:12:34case we have to worry about the orcs and
6:12:36every other person who entered the
6:12:38dungeon that first day spreading the
6:12:39instability.
6:12:41Aren't you just a ray of
6:12:42sunshine? The oracle slurred. I do try,
6:12:47but I can confidently say that he does
6:12:49not know. He didn't have the aura of
6:12:52malice on him when he was here. If he
6:12:54had known that his presence could
6:12:56trigger this disaster, I would have seen
6:12:58it. The oracle finished the bottle of
6:13:00rum. Just be thankful that it happened
6:13:03after he left. If not, we could have
6:13:06been Mitford with our walls full of
6:13:08enemies and an army surrounding us at
6:13:10midnight shift change. Lea nodded. I
6:13:14will check the reports to see if there
6:13:16have been more incidents in the west
6:13:17that we have not had an opportunity to
6:13:19review yet. They normally only went over
6:13:22the important parts of the reviews, so
6:13:24small attacks or incidents in rural
6:13:26areas might not have been noticeable
6:13:28enough to form a pattern in the reports
6:13:29yet. The conversation between Overlord
6:13:32Lea and the Oracle quickly spread
6:13:34through the ranks of the council members
6:13:36who had been spread through the region
6:13:38all morning, frequently crossing paths.
6:13:41Many of them agreed with Lea's
6:13:42assessment.
6:13:44If they had been somehow marked by the
6:13:46opening of the dungeon, it was better
6:13:47that they just go away and take the
6:13:49troubles to someone else. The mountain
6:13:52giants, for example.
6:13:54However, there was another thought on
6:13:56the matter shared by SSLYTH of the Naga
6:13:59and Tink, the fairy overlord. What if we
6:14:02take him back to where he started? Tell
6:14:05him to stay next to the dungeon until
6:14:06the incidents come. then we would be
6:14:09able to prove if they were centered on
6:14:11him or just expanding in a shockwave
6:14:13pattern away from the dungeon. This last
6:14:15incident suggests that they are not all
6:14:17going to be milder aftershocks of the
6:14:19event, so controlling the location seems
6:14:21like the best option, Tink explained.
6:14:25And what would a bunch of rural farmers
6:14:27out in the western lands do about royal
6:14:29and monarch ranked monsters appearing in
6:14:31their area? Council head Arnold asked.
6:14:35His trolls were the predominant people
6:14:36in the region and he didn't want them
6:14:38obliterated.
6:14:40The same thing that my minotaurs did.
6:14:43They can call for help. Maurica
6:14:45grumbled. They had all been in the field
6:14:48for the morning going from hotspot to
6:14:50hotspot rescuing who they could. Now the
6:14:54magic users in the fortress were too
6:14:56exhausted to open another portal and
6:14:58they had all had to make their own way
6:14:59back to the fortress or to the city of
6:15:01Mitford. That was where overlord Thrax,
6:15:04the Chimera, and SSLYTH the Naga were
6:15:07right now. They had been too far off on
6:15:10their last deployment to return to the
6:15:12fortress. So, they went to get a start
6:15:14on clearing out the devastated city and
6:15:16helping get the fires put out. Both of
6:15:18them had water magic, though couldn't do
6:15:21much more than make it rain. In this
6:15:24case, that was precisely what they
6:15:26needed. A good rainfall would put out
6:15:28many of the lingering fires started when
6:15:31lamps and fireplaces were knocked over
6:15:33by giant boores rampaging in the city.
6:15:36Do we have any word on how much of
6:15:37Mitford is still standing? Arnold asked
6:15:40while slumping down into one of the
6:15:42padded chairs of the council room. The
6:15:45temple still stands. Mford had a
6:15:48combined temple, an ancient one, where
6:15:50our people could go to worship freely
6:15:52with statues of most known gods present.
6:15:55That served as a disaster shelter for
6:15:57the people, and the guard gathered there
6:15:59along with the clerics who use their
6:16:01magic to support the people willing to
6:16:03fight. So that building still stands,
6:16:06and most of the governor's mansion still
6:16:08stands, though the town's governor is
6:16:10dead. He was found beside the bodies of
6:16:13a pair of monarch ranked cyclops and
6:16:16apparent mutual destruction. The oracle
6:16:19explained. The troll sighed and shook
6:16:21his head. No wonder it went so poorly
6:16:24for them. With the governor under attack
6:16:27the moment the battle started, there was
6:16:29no time for him to relieve anywhere
6:16:31else. I will call the advisers to start
6:16:34on a plan to repair the farms, send out
6:16:36aid, and collect casualty numbers. Were
6:16:39there any areas in the fighting that
6:16:40took light enough damage that we might
6:16:42be able to stage soldiers there for the
6:16:44relief effort? I would like to set a
6:16:47temporary portal circle to be kept open
6:16:49to move supplies. The oracle's eyes went
6:16:52white and he frowned at the vision.
6:16:55There is an area roughly 5 km in radius
6:16:58where none of the farm houses were too
6:16:59heavily damaged. It appears that they
6:17:02mostly evacuated early in the battle.
6:17:04So, the monsters followed them to a
6:17:06well-defended position and left the
6:17:08houses alone. From what I can tell, the
6:17:11largest damage is to homes that had
6:17:12large food supplies inside or whose
6:17:15residents didn't get any warning. Those
6:17:17with underground pantries were largely
6:17:19undamaged, though there are still giant
6:17:21beasts foraging in their fields. Roughly
6:17:25one quarter of the number of Cyclops and
6:17:27giant boar teams are still active.
6:17:29The rest have been defeated or are
6:17:31missing," he informed the group. "You
6:17:35look much less happy than I had
6:17:36expected, given the news that such a
6:17:38large area was saved from devastation,"
6:17:41Arnold noted. "Right in the middle of
6:17:44that space, surrounded by farmers and
6:17:46their families, is a very familiar black
6:17:48serrow and a half troll holding a pig
6:17:50roast on an improvised spit." Overlord
6:17:53Leafa began to giggle, pale blue smoke
6:17:56puffing from her mouth and retracting as
6:17:58she drew breath. Of course, he would be
6:18:00fine and taunting them with a cookout.
6:18:03The Carl troll isn't wired right in the
6:18:05head. Everyone else might be terrified
6:18:08of them, but don't forget that he is a
6:18:10system enhanced war champion from the
6:18:12last resurgence.
6:18:14Nothing that a royal ranked Cyclops
6:18:16could do to him could even scratch his
6:18:17armor if he has the usual set of warrior
6:18:19skills and limited invulnerability along
6:18:21with trollish regeneration.
6:18:24For all we know, he might be fireproof
6:18:26as well. Arnold began to laugh at that.
6:18:30A troll that was fireproof really was
6:18:32immortal. Burning their body was the
6:18:35only way to stop them from regenerating.
6:18:38Even if you put them through a wood
6:18:39chipper, they would eventually come back
6:18:41to life. If he could keep himself from
6:18:44being burned in combat, he would be a
6:18:46juggernaut. If any of them knew that
6:18:48Carl could grant that level of
6:18:50regeneration to all of the beasts under
6:18:52his control, or even that he had such a
6:18:54team under his control, they would have
6:18:56been terrified.
6:18:57So, we send an army unit to his location
6:19:00to work on stabilizing the situation.
6:19:03He's 2/3 of the way to Mittford, so it's
6:19:05not a bad spot. When the others finish
6:19:08in the city, the portal there will be
6:19:10set up again, and then we can start
6:19:11bringing soldiers in to deal with the
6:19:13issue, Arnold asked. A wave of panic
6:19:17flowed over the oracle.
6:19:20No, he shouted, startling everyone. We
6:19:24must not bring anyone else in. I know
6:19:27what happened. I can see it. The shock
6:19:30waves of the anomaly are following the
6:19:32ancient lines of power. The fortress is
6:19:35built on one which explains why it
6:19:37happened near us. But the actual
6:19:39intersection of the lines is under that
6:19:41farmhouse.
6:19:43It is the number of powerful people in
6:19:45the area that is making the situation
6:19:46worse. If we call in reinforcements, we
6:19:50will trigger another incident even
6:19:52stronger than this one. The best thing
6:19:54that we can do is spread the council
6:19:56out. It is too dangerous to leave that
6:19:59bad omen group unattended. But we can't
6:20:01all be in the same spot until this
6:20:03anomaly settles. Arnold frowned.
6:20:07So it will happen again, or only if we
6:20:10call for more soldiers. It will happen
6:20:13again for the next two nights. But the
6:20:16strength will go down now that most of
6:20:18Mitford is dead. I can't see the exact
6:20:21location, only the aftermath. But if we
6:20:24spread the overlords out so we're not
6:20:26all in one spot at midnight, it will
6:20:28make the attack less intense.
6:20:31The oracle clarified.
6:20:33Arnold nodded. I will go to the source,
6:20:36to the dungeon. That will put me away
6:20:39from tonight's incident, but close
6:20:41enough to an existing portal that you
6:20:42can call for me if you need it. Tink
6:20:45flitted around the room. The two in
6:20:48Mitford can stay. They won't fully
6:20:49offset the casualties there, and the
6:20:51survivors need them. I will fly north
6:20:54past the edge of last night's incident.
6:20:57I can cross the whole journey from here
6:20:59to Mitford in under two hours on my
6:21:01wings, and I've already marked all the
6:21:03locations I was at this morning, so I
6:21:05will know if they're in trouble. Maurica
6:21:07nodded. I will stay here with the oracle
6:21:10and command the fortress guard. What are
6:21:13you doing, Lea? The haints wooden face
6:21:16twisted up in a gleeful grin. I am going
6:21:19to go visit our lucky visitor. I suspect
6:21:22that he has more surprises for me than
6:21:24ancient snacks. He's in the middle of
6:21:27the fight anyhow. She didn't wait for
6:21:30anyone to say anything. She simply
6:21:32turned to smoke and vanished. A species
6:21:34exclusive version of Shadow Step that
6:21:36could bring her anywhere she knew. And
6:21:38she knew every farm in the region after
6:21:40300 years living in the fortress. Carl
6:21:43instinctively drew his maul as a shiver
6:21:45of ice cold energy pulsed in the air
6:21:47behind him. Calm down, old man. It's
6:21:52just me. Leafa laughed as Carl spun to
6:21:55face her. Overlord Lea, I must say, I
6:21:59wasn't expecting company in the middle
6:22:01of the day. We were just about to have
6:22:04lunch. Would you care to join us? Carl
6:22:07asked. Oh, that sounds lovely. I have a
6:22:11small update for you all as this
6:22:13compound appears to hold the entire
6:22:15population of the area plus one of our
6:22:17generals. The overlords are going to
6:22:20spread out over the region, assisting
6:22:22with the cleanup, but also because of a
6:22:24vision the oracle had last night. There
6:22:27will be another appearance of the
6:22:28Cyclops and their minions tonight at
6:22:30midnight and possibly for the next few
6:22:32nights. The fewer powerful people in the
6:22:35region at midnight, the less dangerous
6:22:37the incident will be. So, I will remain
6:22:40here while two council members are in
6:22:42Mitford and the others are spreading
6:22:44across the country to take care of other
6:22:46duties.
6:22:47This isn't the only spot which is having
6:22:49similar issues, but the dates are
6:22:51sporadic and sending soldiers in advance
6:22:53only makes them worse, she explained.
6:22:57So, this is happening all over. One of
6:23:00the sats asked, "There have been
6:23:03incidents nearly every day somewhere in
6:23:05the country. Most of them are not major
6:23:08incidents, but they appear to be
6:23:09influenced by the strength of the
6:23:11residents, as if they were a test of
6:23:13some sort. This one was the strongest
6:23:16reported so far and a large part of the
6:23:18city of Miffford was damaged last night.
6:23:21However, the residents took shelter in a
6:23:23number of secure facilities, and the
6:23:25casualties were not as bad as we had
6:23:27feared. The unified temple still stands,
6:23:30and there was a shaman god high priest
6:23:32there to put a barrier over the building
6:23:34while the guards rallied to help
6:23:35survivors make it there. This spot was
6:23:38nearly the exact center of the battle
6:23:40last night, which makes it unlikely to
6:23:42be outside tomorrow's spawn, even if the
6:23:45boundaries do move a little. What do we
6:23:47have for barriers?
6:23:49Lea replied. Carl gestured as he
6:23:52answered. We have Tessa, the war cleric,
6:23:56with her weapon and armor buffs that can
6:23:58spread over the whole group. Dana, our
6:24:01battle mage, knows some barrier spells,
6:24:03and the best boy in the whole world
6:24:05knows how to spread his defensive
6:24:06barrier to his closest friends. He
6:24:09reached down to rub Thor's head, and the
6:24:11farmers laughed. Thor had saved many
6:24:14lives last night, and his massive bulk
6:24:17made him a formidable force. Even in the
6:24:20face of a charging giant boar, he could
6:24:22stand his ground.
6:24:24Nothing else here. Not even the royal
6:24:26rank minotaurs could take that charge
6:24:27and not be knocked over. They had a few
6:24:30suitable bore spears from Carl's
6:24:32supplies, but not nearly enough for all
6:24:34of the farmers who had come to them last
6:24:36night. None of the other farms had
6:24:39suitable weapons either, and most had
6:24:41shown up with at least some sort of tool
6:24:42in their hands that could be enhanced by
6:24:44Tessa's blessing. At the very least, she
6:24:47was a high priestess of the war god, and
6:24:50her blessing would put a commander rank
6:24:51edge on the tools.
6:24:53That was more than most of the others
6:24:55were going to get. After a moment of
6:24:58silence, Carl clapped his hands for
6:25:00attention.
6:25:01All right, it looks like we know what
6:25:03we've got to do for the evening. Get
6:25:05this pig roasted and carved. Make up
6:25:08plenty of rice and oatmeal so everyone
6:25:11has meals ready when they rotate off the
6:25:13line. Clean and mend weapons. Then
6:25:16everyone needs to get to sleep early
6:25:17except the watch so that we're all
6:25:19rested at midnight when the next group
6:25:21appears. That's when the last one did,
6:25:24so it will most likely be the same
6:25:25tonight. One or two more days and it
6:25:29should stop. Then everyone can start
6:25:31rebuilding their lives." The farmers
6:25:34nodded grimly and got to work on all the
6:25:36tasks that needed to be done before
6:25:38mid-afternoon if they were going to get
6:25:39any sleep before midnight. With so many
6:25:42children and not enough beds, they had
6:25:44to set up tents out in the yard with the
6:25:46help of the tarps that Ry had made for
6:25:48the wagon and a halfozen others. The
6:25:51beds were hay and the blankets were
6:25:53shared, grabbed from every spare that
6:25:55could be found in the nearby houses that
6:25:56were safe enough to go to alone, but it
6:25:59was enough to get all the kids somewhere
6:26:01they could sleep. Most of the adults
6:26:04would be sleeping anywhere they could
6:26:05find and then fighting all night.
6:26:08Keeping the kids asleep as long as
6:26:10possible was the goal of the evening, as
6:26:12a horde of terrified children would just
6:26:14make everything more difficult, and if
6:26:15they were exhausted, it would be even
6:26:17worse. Overlord Leafa just watched in
6:26:20amusement as everyone ignored her
6:26:22presence and got to work setting up for
6:26:23the night. Normally, everyone was so
6:26:26formal when a council member was present
6:26:28that they came to her for every little
6:26:30thing and didn't do anything without her
6:26:32approval. But with Carl barking orders
6:26:35at them and the war cleric marshalling
6:26:36people to balance the workload while the
6:26:38nature priestess looked after the kids,
6:26:40it was moving more smoothly than even
6:26:42the fortress staff managed on most days.
6:26:45She had been right in her assumption.
6:26:48There was something different about that
6:26:49Carl, and it became more obvious by the
6:26:52minute, but she couldn't see why. He
6:26:54wasn't using any sort of skill. He
6:26:56wasn't even more powerful than the
6:26:58strongest of the minotaurs here. But
6:27:01when he gave directions, everyone just
6:27:03followed them. There was something else
6:27:05to it, and she would figure it out soon.
6:27:08Her species was skilled with soul magic
6:27:11as a form of possessed trance and
6:27:13borderline undead.
6:27:15So, Overlord Leafa was confident that if
6:27:18he was directly manipulating their
6:27:19minds, she would have seen it. It would
6:27:22only be a matter of time until she
6:27:24learned what his secret to natural
6:27:25leadership was. That evening brought a
6:27:28surprise that Carl had never thought to
6:27:30see in this lifetime.
6:27:32Lotus had found a creature that she
6:27:34simply could not cuddle. Lea was made of
6:27:37hard and sharp bark, and without Carl's
6:27:39limited invulnerability, even touching
6:27:41her caused instant cold damage.
6:27:44The nature cleric learned that the hard
6:27:46way when she shook the overlord<unk>'s
6:27:47hand before the other woman could stop
6:27:49her. The haint didn't sleep, so the sat
6:27:52up with all the watches and seemed to
6:27:54take great joy in the fact that she
6:27:56could shake Carl awake. Normally, she
6:27:59wouldn't be able to touch anyone without
6:28:01a barrier in place, as her very nature
6:28:03drained body heat to a lethal extent.
6:28:06But it was a damage overtime effect, so
6:28:08it was never more than 10% of his health
6:28:10at once. The sadders were already
6:28:13getting ready and the farmers were
6:28:15waking up while trying to be quiet to
6:28:17keep the kids who were in the tent
6:28:18behind the house asleep. How are we
6:28:21going to arrange this? Lea asked
6:28:24quietly.
6:28:25Right. We didn't go over that. Last
6:28:28night I was on the side of the house
6:28:30where the kids are along with the Naga
6:28:32warriors and a pair of summoned Lameia
6:28:34bodyguards as well as two golems. The
6:28:37Saturns took this side along with the
6:28:39SEO and the two old royal rank soldiers.
6:28:42The two younger royal rank minotaurs
6:28:44took the right side of the house and the
6:28:46rest of the force filled the final side
6:28:48and sent reinforcements as needed. We
6:28:51did it that way based on who can see and
6:28:53fight best in the dark. I have thermal
6:28:56vision, so I can see nearly as well at
6:28:58night as in the daylight. How well do
6:29:01you see at night? Carl replied.
6:29:04The tree woman chuckled and patted him
6:29:06on the shoulder. Still not over the
6:29:08novelty. I can see souls and magic. I
6:29:13don't see light in the first place, so
6:29:14there is no difference between day and
6:29:16night to me. All right, then. You can be
6:29:20wherever you like. As the strongest of
6:29:23us, you will likely be moving around a
6:29:25lot. Well, either that or your presence
6:29:28will scare them away and you won't need
6:29:30to do anything at all. That was how the
6:29:33second half of last night went. We got a
6:29:36little bit stabby at the start and then
6:29:38they just stopped coming this way. One
6:29:40of the minotaurs standing behind Carl
6:29:42laughed. You will understand once he
6:29:45starts fighting. He's got a mall that
6:29:48lets him stack power on it and he can
6:29:50one hit a royal rank Cyclops.
6:29:52Lea stared at Carl for a few seconds.
6:29:55You can one hit kill a target of your
6:29:57own rank. Carl nodded. The mall was a
6:30:01dungeon reward and it lets you stack
6:30:03five copies of the same skill on it. I'm
6:30:07already a bit of a beast in combat, but
6:30:09that weapon is just unfair against less
6:30:11intelligent opponents like Boors. What
6:30:14about against smarter targets? Lea
6:30:17asked. Carl chuckled and took out his
6:30:20maul, then stacked five copies of
6:30:22disintegration on it. Lea smiled.
6:30:27Oh, I get it now. They have to be stupid
6:30:30to not do their very best not to get hit
6:30:32by that. So smarter targets go on the
6:30:35defensive and make you work for it.
6:30:38Exactly.
6:30:39Carl let the skill dissipate and put the
6:30:41weapon away. We don't have long to
6:30:44midnight. We should get something to eat
6:30:46and pick a position. He offered. Assata
6:30:50ran over with plates of food for them as
6:30:52soon as Carl mentioned it. And Leafa
6:30:54smiled. It looks like the honor guard
6:30:56has been nominated to be the message
6:30:58runners tonight. They are more of a
6:31:01fast-moving scout unit, not a frontline
6:31:03combat unit. With proper weapons, the
6:31:06farmers would do better. She whispered
6:31:09to Carl. Yeah, they've all grabbed what
6:31:12they could for my supplies, but it's not
6:31:14high-grade military weaponry.
6:31:17That's why we have Tessa, the red dragon
6:31:19cleric, working all night to keep them
6:31:21enchanted. With that sort of help, they
6:31:24can launch commander rank attacks. Not
6:31:27with full commander rank strength, but
6:31:29at least the weapons will cut through
6:31:30giant borehide.
6:31:32It wasn't hard to guess that particular
6:31:34moment was exactly midnight. Even if
6:31:37they hadn't sensed the pulse of power,
6:31:39it would have been impossible for Carl
6:31:41to miss the fact that there was a
6:31:42massive cyclops standing right in front
6:31:44of him. I don't suppose that this is a
6:31:47great time to point out that my species
6:31:48isn't well known for our combat
6:31:50abilities, is it?
6:31:52Lea joked as she looked up at the
6:31:54monarch ranked Cyclops, then into the
6:31:56distance where two dozen royal ranked
6:31:58giant boores had appeared. Are they
6:32:01known for discretion?
6:32:03Carl asked. Yes. When we give our word,
6:32:07we keep it. Lea replied in an offended
6:32:11tone. Will you promise not to tell the
6:32:13rest of the council what you see here
6:32:15tonight? Or at least not the parts that
6:32:18involve me? Carl asked. All right, but I
6:32:22don't see why you're so worried about
6:32:24the council. I'm only here to make sure
6:32:26that the spawn doesn't overrun this
6:32:28farm. Everyone, come collect the pigs
6:32:31for your pantry. I will work with the
6:32:34Lameia pair to deal with the Cyclops.
6:32:37The beasts appeared in behind the
6:32:38oneeyed giant as Carl hefted his maul
6:32:41and called the Lameia bodyguards.
6:32:43Lea began to laugh. You're him. Oh,
6:32:47goddess. Maurica will never let me live
6:32:49this one down if she finds out. You're
6:32:52the champion she has been searching the
6:32:54continent for. Only she didn't recognize
6:32:56you because she thinks that you're a
6:32:58human. That's why nobody figured it out.
6:33:01She gasped as she laughed.
6:33:045
6:33:054 3 Remy began to count. No, you're not
6:33:11a troll at all. You have trollish
6:33:13regeneration as a skill along with
6:33:15limited invulnerability and something
6:33:17that makes you big. Leafa realized.
6:33:21And there it is. The Cyclops seemed to
6:33:24think that they were plotting against it
6:33:26and preemptively lunged at Lea, going
6:33:28for the greatest threat first. But the
6:33:31bodyguards were faster and its attack
6:33:33was smoothly parried while Carl dropped
6:33:35a disintegrate loaded maul on the
6:33:37Cyclops back. That's one down. Watch the
6:33:42children. I will go help out with the
6:33:43boores and come back for the lecture.
6:33:46One royal rank cyclops was far from
6:33:48their only issue for the night, and
6:33:50there were more of the giants headed
6:33:51towards them everywhere that Carl
6:33:53looked. It was almost as if their
6:33:55location were a beacon to the attackers,
6:33:57and they were determined that they would
6:33:59take out the threat which had stopped
6:34:00the last wave so effectively. With dual
6:34:03blades, the Lameia bodyguards made great
6:34:06partners. They had flaming body to
6:34:09enhance their weapons and rend for
6:34:12ranged attacks so they could just follow
6:34:14Carl's lead as he turned to meet the
6:34:16strongest opponents that he could find.
6:34:19I think that there are more monarchs on
6:34:20their way to us right now than there
6:34:22were in the entire spawn last time. That
6:34:25doesn't seem right. The monsters show up
6:34:28in different spots, but the spawn is
6:34:30usually the exact same group every time
6:34:32that it activates.
6:34:34That's how it was when we fought it at
6:34:36home.
6:34:37Hawk noted. Is it possible that there
6:34:40are more powerful ones still hiding from
6:34:42last night or that they were at the
6:34:43fortress and they got eliminated before
6:34:45we could scout them? Carl suggested
6:34:49possible, but they're all coming for us
6:34:52today. Also, tree lady doesn't have to
6:34:55fight. She just needs someone in front
6:34:57of her. Carl turned back to see what he
6:35:00was talking about, only to find that
6:35:02Leafa's primary method of attack was to
6:35:04suck the life out of a target directly.
6:35:07It took about 5 seconds, but she could
6:35:09do it from at least 20 m away, and the
6:35:11royal rank boar that the farmers were
6:35:13fighting simply crumbled to dust after.
6:35:16That power was a nasty one, and it
6:35:18appeared that there was no easy defense
6:35:20against it except a full barrier. But
6:35:23she was an overlord, and her power would
6:35:25tear through even Thor's mighty barriers
6:35:27in the first few seconds. Only the fact
6:35:30that it took time to build up the effect
6:35:32prevented her species from being
6:35:33declared a menace to society. Unless
6:35:36they were known for their friendly
6:35:37demeanor or something similar, Carl
6:35:40spotted another monarch ranked Cyclops
6:35:42and turned to engage it. But Remy was
6:35:45faster. She was headed that way with her
6:35:48third bodyguard, the one she reserved
6:35:50for her personal protection. and Cara
6:35:52was flying overhead. That left Ry and
6:35:55her golems working with Hawk, and the
6:35:57two groups were circling the farm in
6:35:58opposite directions.
6:36:00After an hour or so, they should have
6:36:02finished a full sweep, and the farm
6:36:04would have a breather like they had the
6:36:06evening before. Carl knew that it was a
6:36:09tried and trueue plan used by fortresses
6:36:11everywhere, even if he had only studied
6:36:13base defense strategies for a few weeks
6:36:15while they were on the hill giant front.
6:36:18Hold up a minute, boss.
6:36:20I think that I have an idea, Remy
6:36:23insisted.
6:36:25All right, let's see what you have in
6:36:26mind. Remy started to charge a spell
6:36:30while Cara dodged in front of her and
6:36:31spread her wings wide as if she was
6:36:33aiming to stall her forward motion. Then
6:36:36the badger tucked into a ball holding a
6:36:39steel farm tool and chain lightning hit
6:36:41her in the backside, propelling the ball
6:36:44of fur and steel into the monarch rank
6:36:46Cyclops at Mach Void Badger. The thunder
6:36:49of the spell was nothing compared to the
6:36:51sound of Cara hitting the Cyclops armor
6:36:53after her disintegration wall broke and
6:36:55then she was in attack mode, all claws
6:36:58and teeth as she tore the hapless and
6:37:00winded creature to bits. At commander
6:37:02rank, chain lightning does less than 10%
6:37:05of my health. Cara announced proudly.
6:37:09Thor snorted in mental amusement. You're
6:37:12both idiots and that broke Car's eternal
6:37:14lightning barrier, so be careful. But
6:37:17I'm happy if you're happy. Oh, there are
6:37:20more. Do you think that we made someone
6:37:23mad last night? Cara asked as she
6:37:26flapped her wings to gain altitude and
6:37:28pick another target. Carl turned to face
6:37:31one of the new arrivals and gave his
6:37:33team a warning. Don't get too far from
6:37:36the farm. We don't want anyone sneaking
6:37:39past us while we're busy. There isn't a
6:37:41defensive force on our side other than
6:37:43the pair of minurs who are watching the
6:37:45kids. Stampede.
6:37:48Carl warned as she sent an image of what
6:37:50she was seeing to Carl. Her night vision
6:37:53was strange, grayscale, but extremely
6:37:56clear where something was moving. What
6:37:58she saw was hundreds of boores herded by
6:38:00a group of royal ranked cyclops to
6:38:02charge directly down the road in their
6:38:04direction. There was no way that would
6:38:06miss the farm, but there were monarch
6:38:08ranked threats on both sides that
6:38:10shouldn't be allowed to reach the yard
6:38:12either. You guys keep fighting. I will
6:38:16stall the stampede.
6:38:18Advance apologies for the wasted meat.
6:38:21Cara giggled. Even Hawk is running out
6:38:24of space for more boores. I don't think
6:38:27anyone will mind. Carl smiled at the
6:38:30thought his gluttonous bird could ever
6:38:31have enough of a food stockpile. The
6:38:33majority of the boores were on the weak
6:38:35side of commander, so they shouldn't be
6:38:37too hard to take out, but there were
6:38:39simply so many of them that trying to
6:38:40keep them from running around him would
6:38:42be a nightmare. Helltorm. Vortexes
6:38:45spread across the battlefield as Carl
6:38:47used the flaming tornadoes to herd the
6:38:49giant boores down the road, keeping them
6:38:51from scattering.
6:38:53Six, then eight, and finally 10 were
6:38:55active at the same time, and Carl began
6:38:58to pant with the effort of keeping all
6:38:59those royal rank skills active at once.
6:39:03Bodyguards forward. Hold the line while
6:39:06the smaller vortexes stop the stampede.
6:39:09He instructed as he took a knee. That
6:39:12way, even if the exertion was too much,
6:39:14he would only fall a little and not all
6:39:17the way down. Within seconds, there were
6:39:20over a hundred smaller vortexes active,
6:39:22and Carl was sitting to meditate in the
6:39:24pasture. That was the only way to keep
6:39:27his mana level high enough to keep the
6:39:28spells active until the fight ended. The
6:39:32battlefield glowed like a forest fire,
6:39:34and the wind howled with the conflicting
6:39:35air currents from so many vortexes in
6:39:38one spot. Thunder rumbled as the
6:39:40vortexes merged and split every time a
6:39:42target died. And two serpentine forms
6:39:45danced through the flames, slitting the
6:39:47throats of panicked beasts who saw no
6:39:49way out of the fire. Most animals were
6:39:52instinctively afraid of fire, and being
6:39:54surrounded by it with the smell of
6:39:55burning flesh was a living hell for the
6:39:57boars. But it was impossible to find a
6:39:59way out. Everywhere they turned,
6:40:02vortexes would appear, hurting them to
6:40:04the center of the road. But the Cyclops
6:40:07team was smarter. While Carl and the
6:40:10bodyguards were distracted with the
6:40:11boores, they had escaped the chaos and
6:40:14were moving around to the side of the
6:40:15house where Cara and Remy were already
6:40:18fighting a monarch ranked Cyclops.
6:40:20You can drop the vortexes now. There are
6:40:23not many. One of the Lameia bodyguards
6:40:26Carl had summoned informed him. The
6:40:29light faded as Carl released the spell.
6:40:31And then he caught the panic of Remy as
6:40:33she was ambushed by a whole group of
6:40:35royal rank cyclops. "Go to her," Carl
6:40:39ordered, then dismissed the Lameia
6:40:41bodyguards to summon them next to the
6:40:43Naga Queen. He was already exhausted 15
6:40:46minutes into the fight, but the
6:40:48bodyguards didn't require any ongoing
6:40:50effort to keep active.
6:40:52So, all that he had to do was handle a
6:40:54dozen scorched and panicked commander
6:40:56rank bores. That should be possible.
6:41:00Carl struggled to his feet and felt
6:41:02eternal lightning slowly refreshing the
6:41:04stamina that he had burned through to
6:41:06keep all those hellstorm spells active.
6:41:10As long as he didn't go overboard, he
6:41:12should be fine. But with that in mind,
6:41:15he switched to his two-handed blade,
6:41:17which was already humming with the
6:41:18stolen energy of hundreds of slain
6:41:20enemies. He didn't need to hold it for
6:41:23the sword to do its work, but he did
6:41:25need to use it for the ability to
6:41:26transfer energy back to him. The influx
6:41:29of power sent a pleasant tingle through
6:41:31his body, and Carl launched himself into
6:41:33the bores. Many were blinded by the
6:41:36fire, their vulnerable eyes scorched and
6:41:38destroyed.
6:41:40So what followed was not the sort of
6:41:42vicious battle that he should expect,
6:41:44but a one-sided slaughter, basically
6:41:46harvesting the boores. The blade seemed
6:41:49almost happy today, soaked in the blood
6:41:51of the giant boores. But when another of
6:41:54the monarch ranked Cyclops came for him,
6:41:56the blade was nearly thrming with
6:41:58excitement. The cyclops held out a hand
6:42:01and a massive blade appeared in its
6:42:03hand. It was beautifully crafted and
6:42:06covered in some sort of magical runes
6:42:08that Carl was unfamiliar with, but the
6:42:10blade in his hand seemed to take it as a
6:42:12personal challenge, a fight between
6:42:13champions.
6:42:15The giant was half again as tall as Carl
6:42:17was, even with his skills enhancing his
6:42:20size, and not as night blind as most of
6:42:22his kin. His first strike was remarkably
6:42:25swift and deadly accurate, aimed to take
6:42:27Carl's head off. Flaming body pulsed as
6:42:31the two blades met in a shower of
6:42:33sparks, and the Cyclops twirled his
6:42:35blade with a flick of his wrists as if
6:42:37the massive weapon weighed nothing.
6:42:39Three more strikes arrived in the next
6:42:41second, forcing Carl onto the defensive.
6:42:44Chain lightning forced the giant back,
6:42:47and it roared in pain. But its attacks
6:42:49didn't slow. The Cyclops blade began to
6:42:52glow with blue energy, creating a bubble
6:42:55where the giant could see clearly, and
6:42:57where Carl noticed that nothing cast a
6:42:59shadow. The light came from every
6:43:01direction, not just from the weapon,
6:43:03rendering shadow-based surprise attacks
6:43:05useless.
6:43:07Against Ry, that would be inconvenient,
6:43:10but against the average rogue, that
6:43:12would be lethal. An inability to hide
6:43:15and launch sneak attacks eliminated
6:43:17nearly all of their most dangerous
6:43:18skills. But that wasn't Carl's
6:43:21specialty. And after sending a
6:43:23disintegrate at the giant's face,
6:43:25forcing it to protect its lone eye, he
6:43:28went for the legs, cutting deep into the
6:43:30left knee and nearly toppling the
6:43:31stronger attacker. You're a tricky one.
6:43:35The cyclops grumbled, using the common
6:43:38language. Then his body surged with
6:43:40power and a suit of golden armor
6:43:42appeared on his body, replacing the
6:43:44crude leather armor that the giant had
6:43:46been wearing. Carl backed up a few steps
6:43:49to plan and the Cyclops smiled. "The
6:43:52Cyclops clan are the finest smiths in
6:43:54the world. You won't be making it
6:43:57through my defenses,"
6:43:59he boasted.
6:44:01Codle was certain that claim was highly
6:44:02disputed. But with Monarch rank armor on
6:44:05the giant, this battle had just gotten
6:44:07exponentially more difficult. The
6:44:09Cyclops moved forward and the two
6:44:11exchanged blows while the Lameia pair
6:44:13circled to look for an opening. But his
6:44:16back was covered in a chainlink cloak
6:44:18with a hood that was down but protected
6:44:20his neck. In short, the Cyclops had
6:44:23turned himself into a walking tank, one
6:44:26whose movement wasn't hindered by the
6:44:28mass of magical metal. Carl cast
6:44:31disintegrate over his blade as it was
6:44:34the only monarch rank skill he had and
6:44:36went for the lower stomach joint where
6:44:38hard plate met chain. The cyclops was
6:44:41slow to parry but twisted just enough
6:44:43that Carl's blade skated along the
6:44:45abdominal plate leaving a deep groove in
6:44:47the golden metal. Then Carl was forced
6:44:50to roll to the side as a massive blade
6:44:52came for the top of his shoulder glowing
6:44:54brightly with blue light. It glanced his
6:44:57left arm and eternal lightning shattered
6:45:00while flaming body was forced aside. But
6:45:04there wasn't enough power left to harm
6:45:06his armor and the barriers were
6:45:08recharged in the next second. Against a
6:45:11direct hit, Carl would not be so lucky.
6:45:14The Lameia pair hurled ren attacks to
6:45:17distract the Cyclops while Carl charged
6:45:19again going for the armpit joint which
6:45:21was always a vulnerable spot for
6:45:23practical reasons. The Cyclops got its
6:45:26arm down in time and disintegrate cut
6:45:29another deep score in the plates. It
6:45:32snarled in anger at the fact that Carl
6:45:34was destroying its hard work. But the
6:45:35cyclop species had poor peripheral
6:45:37vision and even worse depth perception,
6:45:39so dealing with three attackers at once
6:45:41was forcing it to constantly move to
6:45:43keep everyone in sight. Stupid snakes,
6:45:47it mumbled, and Carl smiled behind his
6:45:50visor. The creature was thinking out
6:45:52loud, and the Lameia pair had already
6:45:55realized it was about to turn on them,
6:45:56so they backed off a few more meters.
6:45:59Power surged in the giant's feet, and
6:46:01Carl recognized it as Earthquake.
6:46:05So, he jumped to avoid the incoming
6:46:07strike, but that wasn't something that
6:46:09Alamia could do. They could launch
6:46:11themselves in a direction with their
6:46:13long body, but it was not easy for them
6:46:15to get entirely off the ground.
6:46:18One of the two took a series of stone
6:46:20spikes to the belly which left it
6:46:21punctured and bleeding as it retreated.
6:46:24Trollish regeneration would fix that in
6:46:26under a minute, but the cyclops was
6:46:28pleased with the result. Normally, that
6:46:31would be a lethal blow to a Lameia
6:46:33spellcaster, and this giant seemed to
6:46:35have the experience to know it as it
6:46:37completely stopped paying attention to
6:46:39that side for a moment. Carl attacked,
6:46:42pulling energy from the blade to empower
6:46:44disintegration.
6:46:46He attacked high, aiming for the throat,
6:46:48and the giant lifted his blade to parry.
6:46:51Carl went for the knee kick, hoping to
6:46:53strike the blind spot, but the cyclops
6:46:56shifted its weight, and Carl's kick met
6:46:57a golden shin plate. I know that trick
6:47:00as well. The Cyclops chroled. It's
6:47:04always worth a shot. Carl agreed, and
6:47:07the giant smiled, just visible through
6:47:10the slats of its helmet's visor. They
6:47:12circled for a few seconds, trading
6:47:14testing blows. Carl was a rank lower but
6:47:18faster and disintegrate on his blade had
6:47:21no problem parrying the Cyclops attacks.
6:47:25After 5 minutes of testing each other,
6:47:27both sets of armor had taken multiple
6:47:29strikes and were showing their wear, but
6:47:30the Cyclops was beginning to slow while
6:47:33Carl was maintaining his energy with
6:47:35eternal lightning. If he couldn't take
6:47:37the enemy out with overwhelming power,
6:47:40he would rely on teamwork to grind it
6:47:41down until they could force it to make a
6:47:43mistake. Carl twisted a strike to go for
6:47:46the wrist while the Cyclops went for the
6:47:48base of his blade, sending both blades
6:47:50flying out of their wielder's hands.
6:47:53Neither hesitated, and disintegrate on
6:47:56Carl's fist was met with the glowing
6:47:58blue gauntlet of the Cyclops.
6:48:00Neither skill faltered, and the backlash
6:48:03of the strike sent both of both
6:48:04combatants flying backwards. They rolled
6:48:07to their feet in unison and called their
6:48:09weapons back to them, then summoned them
6:48:11to their hands. The Cyclops attacked to
6:48:14its left and sent a Lameia flying. The
6:48:17bodyguard was twisted and broken,
6:48:19clearly dead. But Carl just summoned
6:48:22them again to appear behind the Cyclops,
6:48:24where the enemy wouldn't be able to tell
6:48:26if they were healing or preparing to
6:48:28attack.
6:48:29Carl plotted his next move for a second.
6:48:31Then movement behind him and a surge of
6:48:33power in front of him made him
6:48:34momentarily forget that there was a
6:48:36cyclops present. Overlord Lea appeared
6:48:39at his shoulder, glowing with ethereal
6:48:41blue power. At the same instant that an
6:48:43enormous portal opened behind the
6:48:45cyclops.
6:48:47A forearmmed titan stepped through the
6:48:48portal and glared down at the haint,
6:48:50then sniffed and turned to face the
6:48:52cyclops.
6:48:54You are coming with me," he announced,
6:48:56then grabbed the startled Cyclops and
6:48:58pulled him through the portal, which
6:49:00immediately closed behind them. "What
6:49:03the hell was that?" Carl asked. "That
6:49:06was a Cyclops forgemaster.
6:49:09Or if you mean the other one, that was
6:49:11Overlord Kronos Maximus the 84th. He's a
6:49:15major pain in our ass. And now he's
6:49:17abducted a forgemaster to make weapons
6:49:19for the mountain giant armies. That was
6:49:22not good at all.
6:49:24Who knew how many of the forge masters
6:49:26were going to appear in this monster
6:49:27spawn, but the mountain giants would
6:49:29likely get a chance to claim another
6:49:31before it was all over. The Golden
6:49:33Dragon Nation was having enough issues
6:49:35with the mountain giants without giving
6:49:37them weapons armor at the quality that
6:49:38Cyclops had been using. I don't suppose
6:49:41that you saw another one of those last
6:49:43night, did you? The forge master that
6:49:46is? Carl asked Lea, who was still
6:49:50staring at the location of the now
6:49:51closed portal. The haint nodded. Yes, we
6:49:56killed one near the fortress last night.
6:49:59We also had the oracle and trouble seers
6:50:01search for more, but only one appeared
6:50:03according to their visions. I was
6:50:05confident that you would win the battle
6:50:07or I would have come earlier. I never
6:50:10expected that the giants would find out
6:50:12about the situation so fast and try to
6:50:14abduct him. Carl nodded. I think you
6:50:18should likely be more concerned with how
6:50:19they found out about that very specific
6:50:21Cyclops among the entire horde of
6:50:23Cyclops.
6:50:25That seems like a difficult thing for a
6:50:26foreign seer to pick up, but a much
6:50:28easier one for a spy to relay to the
6:50:30enemy. Lea tilted her head. You consider
6:50:34the giants as an enemy, doesn't
6:50:37everyone? They're just generally
6:50:39unpleasant to be around. Plus, they keep
6:50:43attacking me. Their conversation was
6:50:45interrupted by the giants that had come
6:50:47to support the forgemaster, and Carl's
6:50:50sword was suddenly thirsty for blood
6:50:51again. He used them all most of the
6:50:54time, and the blade seemed dissatisfied
6:50:56with receiving life force secondhand.
6:50:59"Are you good on this side?" "Your
6:51:01Lameia friends should be recovered by
6:51:03now, right?" "They're not dead, are
6:51:06they?" Lea asked. "No, they're all
6:51:10right. I am more concerned about the
6:51:13other beasts. They are circling the farm
6:51:16now, clearing the area so that the
6:51:18defenders get the occasional breather.
6:51:20Some of the fights have been intense,
6:51:22but they're managing. Carl explained.
6:51:26All right, I will return to the farm. My
6:51:29hearing is good. Just yell if you need
6:51:31assistance. The farmers take comfort in
6:51:34my presence. With that, she was gone.
6:51:38back to the side of the farmhouse where
6:51:40the children were beginning to make a
6:51:41fuss as the fear and noise kept them
6:51:43from sleeping. Carl was fighting well
6:51:46away from the farm, but the noise would
6:51:48carry and it was coming from every
6:51:49direction. The general spawn density
6:51:52tonight didn't look any worse than it
6:51:54was yesterday, or at least not
6:51:56significantly worse. But there were many
6:51:58more powerful beasts at their location
6:52:00than there were in the previous days.
6:52:03Rey was in heaven. She had gotten a
6:52:06literal bathtub full of monarch rank
6:52:08blood already drained from Cyclops
6:52:10bodies and her thoughts were already on
6:52:12how much she was going to enjoy her
6:52:14grooming routine now that she had such
6:52:15wonderful bath products. The current
6:52:18wave was mostly commander rank bors with
6:52:21high commander and low royal ranked
6:52:22cyclops leading their packs. That was an
6:52:26easy target for Ry who could just shadow
6:52:28step and assassinate the cyclops then
6:52:31deal with the boores while Hawk
6:52:33bombarded them in the darkness.
6:52:35The boores couldn't see or hear him. The
6:52:37only warning that they got was when the
6:52:39skills were coming at them, and by then
6:52:41it was already too late. It wasn't
6:52:44significantly harder for Remy and Cara.
6:52:47They were leaving the corpses in much
6:52:48less recognizable condition, but the
6:52:50intruders were dying just as quickly.
6:52:53Only Carl was left without much to do,
6:52:56as his job was to hold a side of the
6:52:58house and not scout out new targets.
6:53:00The two teams of beasts had just passed
6:53:02each other on the far side of the yard,
6:53:04and they were moving a bit further from
6:53:06the farmyard to ensure that they had
6:53:08something to fight. They were still
6:53:10letting a trickle of monsters make it to
6:53:12the defender station at the farm, but
6:53:14they picked out any of them that had a
6:53:15decent power level for themselves. The
6:53:18dispersion pattern of the monsters was
6:53:20much different today than it was last
6:53:22night. The farmers weren't at home
6:53:24anymore. They had all gathered with
6:53:26neighbors, rightly believing that the
6:53:28incident wasn't likely to be over, even
6:53:30if their houses were still standing.
6:53:33There were far fewer burning houses
6:53:34tonight, which was a good sign for the
6:53:36farmers. But from his vantage point,
6:53:39Carl couldn't tell if any of the fires
6:53:40were homes that had been guarded. He was
6:53:43waiting for something to come into range
6:53:45while the two groups of beasts came back
6:53:47to meet each other in front of him. Carl
6:53:49could feel that there was something
6:53:51unstable with Remy's bodyguards and
6:53:53through that the Lameia that he had
6:53:55summoned with the same skill. "Is your
6:53:58skill advancing?" Carl asked. Remy
6:54:01wiggled happily, shaking her shoulders
6:54:04in a little dance as she inspected her
6:54:05bodyguard. "I think so. Your new skill
6:54:10master is a good skill." Thor grumbled.
6:54:13He had good skills, but he couldn't get
6:54:15them to go over his rank. It might be a
6:54:18potential issue as even with his
6:54:20changes, the lightning serused that he
6:54:23was reaching the extent of his ability
6:54:25to grow. He was already stronger than
6:54:27any lightning sero known as they usually
6:54:30only made it to commander rank. But if
6:54:33he couldn't make it to monarch, he was
6:54:35going to run into trouble very soon.
6:54:37Don't worry, buddy. If you get stuck, we
6:54:41will use evolution on you and then find
6:54:43a new way to keep you going the next
6:54:44time that you reach your limits. Carl
6:54:47assured him. Thor had a point. He had
6:54:51reached equilibrium with his pool full
6:54:53of holy stones. It was comfortable, but
6:54:56it wasn't really helping him advance
6:54:58anymore, and he wasn't advancing on his
6:55:00own. They would have to find something
6:55:02to help him grow if he was even going to
6:55:04make it to peak royal rank. Constant
6:55:07practice and dedication had taken him
6:55:09this far, way beyond his species limits.
6:55:12But there were limits.
6:55:14Remy, on the other hand, had more
6:55:16potential. She had not been born as a
6:55:19low awakened ranked being, but a
6:55:21commander. As the process completed, the
6:55:24armor on the Naga warriors turned to a
6:55:26deep black that seemed to absorb light
6:55:28around them, and their size increased by
6:55:30a third, making even the largest of
6:55:32Minotaur men look mediocre.
6:55:34The Lameia, on the other hand, gained
6:55:37light red edges on their bone white
6:55:38scales, and the red dresses that they
6:55:40wore gained silver embroidery.
6:55:43Ry glared at them in annoyance.
6:55:46If anyone was going to be upgrading
6:55:47their summoned creatures, it should have
6:55:49been her golems.
6:55:51Spiders were clearly superior to Naga,
6:55:54they should be easier to upgrade.
6:55:56Carl could hear the chaos behind them as
6:55:58the Naga warriors suddenly grew in size
6:56:00while fighting a small group of boores.
6:56:02But most of the minotaurs were taking it
6:56:04as a skill they used as they didn't know
6:56:06the Naga were a summoned creature. Now
6:56:09they were at the same level of advantage
6:56:11that they had when Ry had royal rank
6:56:13golems at commander rank. With defenders
6:56:16a rank above them, Carl wouldn't have to
6:56:18worry much about facing stronger
6:56:20opponents for a while. And the skills
6:56:22advancement was a strong sign that Remy
6:56:24would be able to follow them once the
6:56:25spaces were maximized again. The two
6:56:28teams of beasts continued on their
6:56:30routes, but Carl noticed that Remy's
6:56:32side was much more smug, while Hawk and
6:56:35Ray were working double time, trying to
6:56:37grind hard enough to force an
6:56:38advancement.
6:56:40While the farmers didn't immediately
6:56:41notice that something was off, the same
6:56:44was not true of Lea. The instant that
6:56:46the skill advanced to monarch rank
6:56:49before the Naga warriors had even
6:56:50finished growing, she had realized what
6:56:52had happened. What she couldn't
6:56:55understand was how none of the
6:56:57biological group members were close to
6:56:59the boundary for monarch rank, much less
6:57:01past it. But the skill was very
6:57:04obviously advanced by a rank just as the
6:57:06void badgers disintegration was. The
6:57:10obvious answer was that Carl had done
6:57:12something, but she hadn't sensed him
6:57:14doing anything. If he had a skill that
6:57:17could bump up a skills power by a rank
6:57:19for the duration of a battle, the haint
6:57:21overlord wanted to know it. If she could
6:57:23make her soul steel advance to the totem
6:57:26rank, even for a short duration, she
6:57:28would become one of the peak powers on
6:57:30the continent. Carl nodded a greeting as
6:57:33she came over to speak to him, then
6:57:35shook his head in rejection of her
6:57:36pending question. I can't make your
6:57:39skill advance like that. I know that's
6:57:41what you're after. Even if I was
6:57:44stronger, it wouldn't work, he
6:57:47explained.
6:57:48You're certain. What are the
6:57:50limitations?
6:57:52Carl smirked. Only two things. A
6:57:56comprehensive and thorough understanding
6:57:58of how the skill should operate at the
6:58:00next rank. Then the restrictive part. It
6:58:04has to be a beast that is bonded to me
6:58:06and capable of retreating to a separate
6:58:08space I control. Leaf aside.
6:58:11So it's a trick just for your team
6:58:13members. Well, even if it's one skill at
6:58:16a time, it's still a huge advantage when
6:58:19you have summoned beasts on top of your
6:58:20bonded ones. Carl turned to face her,
6:58:24but stopped when he saw a very strange
6:58:26heat signature. Remy had transformed
6:58:28back into her small snake form, and Cara
6:58:31was flying around with her, so they
6:58:33could both attack from the sky. Cara
6:58:36looked like she had gotten bigger again,
6:58:37but Carl wasn't sure with the distance.
6:58:40The next time they came back around, he
6:58:43would have to stand beside her and
6:58:44measure. Lea stared into the distance.
6:58:48"Morning is going to be chaos. Are you
6:58:50ready for a whole army unit to show up
6:58:52here? They're going to expect you to be
6:58:55able to help them, but they will have a
6:58:56lot of questions if they see your
6:58:58beasts."
6:58:59Carl nodded. When they arrive, I will
6:59:03call everyone back to their spaces other
6:59:05than the two Naga warrior bodyguards
6:59:07that travel with us. If I push myself, I
6:59:10can do enough damage that most people
6:59:12won't have questions. That's how I did
6:59:15it in the past when I first met Orthos.
6:59:18It works well enough, but it burns
6:59:20stamina fast. And this is going to be a
6:59:22long night. The Haint Overlord laughed
6:59:25and seemed to turn to mist for a split
6:59:27second before reappearing in the
6:59:28distance to bisect a group of boores
6:59:30with smooth swings of her blade. Pale
6:59:33blue energy poured from their wounds to
6:59:35her body as she walked back to Carl, and
6:59:37she shrugged. "These boores aren't all
6:59:40that tough. I might not be a soldier,
6:59:43but I am an overlord." She had a point.
6:59:47Even if she only had a basic attack
6:59:49skill, as an overlord, it shouldn't be
6:59:51hard to one hit kill any of the
6:59:53commander rank beasts and any of the
6:59:55royal rank invaders without defensive
6:59:57measures. There is a whole swarm of
6:59:59bacon food coming our way. Hawk warned.
7:00:04Use helltorm all around the farm. We can
7:00:07create enough cyclones with the three of
7:00:09us that they won't want to approach.
7:00:11Carl insisted.
7:00:13Remy giggled as Hawk sideighed. That was
7:00:16going to take a lot of energy and he was
7:00:18the one doing the flying in his team
7:00:20where Remy was just transformed into a
7:00:22petite spirit snake form and wrapped
7:00:24around Cara like a necklace.
7:00:26So Hawk landed on Rey and began
7:00:28spreading flaming vortexes around the
7:00:30farm so they would cover a third of the
7:00:32circle. Carl took up his section and
7:00:35Remy did the rest as Lea stared at the
7:00:3830 pillars of fire surrounding their
7:00:40position. That's the spell that they
7:00:42were referring to. The terrifying fire
7:00:45vortex.
7:00:47It doesn't look that bad to me. It's
7:00:49just a royal rank flaming tornado with
7:00:52some extra damage. She noted. Just wait.
7:00:57They get spicy when someone stands too
7:00:59close. The boores naturally assumed that
7:01:02if they just didn't run into the fire,
7:01:04they would be fine. But that notion was
7:01:06proven false the moment that one of them
7:01:08got within 20 m of the initial vortex
7:01:11and a smaller flame storm spawned at his
7:01:13position. The unfortunate boar was
7:01:16immediately tossed from its feet by the
7:01:17force of the wind and the rend attacks
7:01:20embedded in the vortex.
7:01:22That was a good sign. If the spell could
7:01:25stop them trying to stampede past the
7:01:27main vortexes, they would be trapped on
7:01:29the other side of the line. A smaller
7:01:32creature would have been caught inside
7:01:34and buffeted to death, but the boores
7:01:36were too large for that, and instead the
7:01:38vortex was aggressively attacking it and
7:01:40spawning more vortexes every time
7:01:42something got too close. Leafa whistled
7:01:45a happy tune. Oh, I like it. Spicy
7:01:49tornado is an excellent spell. I vote
7:01:52that we rename the spell. Hawk demanded.
7:01:57Spicy tornado is a great name for a
7:01:59spell. Remy agreed. Make it upgrade with
7:02:03skill master to one rank or tier higher
7:02:05than it currently is, and you can pick
7:02:07the new name for it. Two skills in one
7:02:10day. Well, maybe I'm on a roll. Let's do
7:02:14this. Upgrade incoming. If it were that
7:02:19easy, it would have happened to someone
7:02:20before this. But on the other side of
7:02:23the battle, Hawk was having more luck.
7:02:26His affinity with fire was growing
7:02:28quickly as he practiced adapting his
7:02:30flaming body skill to allow him to more
7:02:33easily create hellstorm vortexes.
7:02:36Hulk was definitely going to be the
7:02:38first of them to improve a fire skill,
7:02:41but he was combining the two skills in a
7:02:43way that Carl wasn't capable of
7:02:44mimicking. Your beasts are strange. What
7:02:48species is that bird anyhow? Lea asked.
7:02:53That's a mighty fine question. I'm not
7:02:56even certain anymore.
7:02:58In fact, the way he's going, even if I
7:03:01give you an answer now, it might have
7:03:02changed by morning. His aptitude for
7:03:05fire magic is increasing by the day, and
7:03:08his body is changing as it adapts. The
7:03:11haint overlord stared at Hawk, who was
7:03:13only paying cursory attention to his
7:03:15vortexes as he adapted the casting
7:03:17method to minimize the amount of mana
7:03:19that they used. Carl could hear his
7:03:21thoughts, and Hawk had a grand plan. If
7:03:24he cut the mana cost in half, he could
7:03:27make twice as many as Remy did, and then
7:03:29he would have uncontested mastery of the
7:03:31fire element. Being a shaman was a
7:03:34cheat. She got to use evil magic and
7:03:37fire at the same time. But soon he would
7:03:40be so much better with fire that she
7:03:42would never catch up. After a few
7:03:45minutes of silently staring at the
7:03:46battle while Carl adjusted the position
7:03:48of his vortexes to ensure that nothing
7:03:50was making it into the farm, Overlord
7:03:52Lea took out a small blue stone from
7:03:54inside her arm. I have a proposition for
7:03:57you. I have an item that will help your
7:04:00friend Hawk advance his power beyond
7:04:02anything he could manage on his own. I
7:04:05will trade you for it. She offered. And
7:04:08what would you like in exchange for such
7:04:10a stone? Carl asked, suspicious of such
7:04:14altruism.
7:04:15Your sword. You have a blade that drinks
7:04:18souls to improve its own power. I want
7:04:21it. It also shared the power that it
7:04:24drank to improve the power and growth
7:04:26rate of the wielder. The extra energy
7:04:29that it gave him was a massive part of
7:04:30Carl's combat stamina. If I trade you
7:04:34the blade, will you teach Hawk how to
7:04:35use the stone to improve his power?
7:04:38Carl asked. A chance to help Hawk master
7:04:41a new level of flame skills was too good
7:04:44to pass up, and even Carl wasn't greedy
7:04:46enough to think that he could have it
7:04:47without any sacrifice.
7:04:50All he has to do is eat it, and he will
7:04:52gain a new level of fire mastery. Lea
7:04:55agreed. The sword is bonded to me. Would
7:04:58it even be possible to transfer it? The
7:05:01haint nodded. Just hand it to me and
7:05:04will the bond to transfer. You can't
7:05:07unbind such a weapon, but you should be
7:05:09able to transfer it without issue. Give
7:05:12the stone to Hawk and you will have the
7:05:13sword. Lea smirked and smoke poured from
7:05:17her mouth. So untrusting.
7:05:20I told you once already that I keep my
7:05:22word. Lea vanished and reappeared next
7:05:25to Hawk, who was focused on his work.
7:05:28When she held out her hand with an open
7:05:30palm facing up, Hawk was fairly sure
7:05:32that she had snacks for him. That
7:05:35gesture always meant snacks.
7:05:38So he ate what she offered without
7:05:40hesitation.
7:05:42The flames of both his body and his
7:05:44helltorm vortexes immediately turned the
7:05:46same pale blue as Overlord Leaf smoke
7:05:49and a massive surge of power flowed
7:05:51through Hawk's body as he turned
7:05:52incorporeal.
7:05:54Hawk got a new skill. Unfair advantage.
7:05:585-yard penalty. Repeat first down. Remy
7:06:03complained.
7:06:04Nobody else had any idea what she was
7:06:07talking about, but the sentiment
7:06:08translated well enough. A mighty keening
7:06:11scream echoed across the farm as Hawk
7:06:13launched into the sky, his incorporeal
7:06:16form surging with energy. Light blue
7:06:18flames burst from him, creating a small
7:06:21sun in the sky, bright enough that it
7:06:23lit the ground all the way to the
7:06:24horizon and sent a wave of heat across
7:06:26the farm so intense that the soup pot
7:06:28went from a simmer to a boil, and the
7:06:30thatch roof began to smolder.
7:06:32Then he began to reform into a massive
7:06:34bird the size of a rock, but flickering
7:06:37with blue flames in place of feathers,
7:06:39and with a slender body, elegant in a
7:06:41way Carl associated more with drawings
7:06:43of a phoenix than with the overgrown
7:06:45sparrow form of the rocks. Lea turned to
7:06:48Carl and held out her hand for her
7:06:50prize. She was obviously impatient to
7:06:53have the blade, but it was resisting
7:06:55Carl's attempt to take it out and hand
7:06:56it to her. I know, friend, but we made a
7:07:01deal. I'm sure she will be good to you."
7:07:04Carl felt the bond snap as the blade
7:07:07changed hands, and Overlord Leafa surged
7:07:09with power, sending a pillar of pale
7:07:11blue smoke into the sky over her for a
7:07:13moment before it retracted. "Oh, that is
7:07:17wonderful.
7:07:18Everything that I could have hoped for."
7:07:20Her words were eerie, not a threat, but
7:07:23they gave Carl a shiver of premonition
7:07:25that he might have just made a grave
7:07:26mistake of a sort far larger than simply
7:07:29needing a new weapon. Then Lea held out
7:07:32her hand and snapped one of her fingers
7:07:34off. A replacement for your weapon.
7:07:37Don't let anyone say that I'm not a fair
7:07:39bargain maker, she explained.
7:07:43Then she simply vanished, letting the
7:07:45branch drop toward the ground. Carl
7:07:48grabbed it as it fell and felt the twig
7:07:50bond with him. Hint claw obtained.
7:07:54Artifact grade weapon. Morphable weapon
7:07:58deals ghostfire damage in addition to
7:08:00skill damage. Haint claw may grow into a
7:08:04hint sapling with sufficient soul power.
7:08:07Carl was admiring the new weapon in his
7:08:09mental space when the familiar power of
7:08:11a portal opening caused him to turn. The
7:08:14oracle ran out of the portal with a
7:08:16massively powerful troll in rich purple
7:08:18robes trimmed in white fur behind him.
7:08:22What did you do? Where is she? Tell me
7:08:25you didn't unbind her. The oracle
7:08:28pleaded. I have no idea what you are
7:08:31talking about. Could you please give me
7:08:33another clue? Carl asked the haint the
7:08:38ghost weapon. Where did she go? The
7:08:45troll behind the oracle snarled with a
7:08:47heavy accent that sounded like he was
7:08:48talking with his mouth full. She
7:08:51vanished. She does that now and then.
7:08:54She's likely around here somewhere,
7:08:56fighting boores and cyclops.
7:08:59The emperor of Newborn roared, and Carl
7:09:01felt the helltorm vortex's shudder as
7:09:04the totem ranked trolls aura shook the
7:09:05energy flow in the area. You going to be
7:09:08telling me what you done or I going to
7:09:10rip your arms from your puny body. The
7:09:14emperor roared. His voice shook the
7:09:16ground like an earthquake spell and many
7:09:18of the defenders on the other side of
7:09:20the house stumbled. She offered a stone
7:09:23to Hawk and I traded her my sword for
7:09:25it. The stone helped Hawk master a
7:09:28higher level of flame skills. Then
7:09:30Overlord Leafa vanished. We're in the
7:09:33middle of a battle, but all the enemies
7:09:35are trapped on the other side of the
7:09:36vortexes.
7:09:38Carl tried to explain. The big troll
7:09:41looked like he wanted to strangle Carl,
7:09:43but the oracle had more questions.
7:09:46What sort of sword did you trade her? It
7:09:48was an item from a monster spawn. A
7:09:51blade of champions.
7:09:53It stored life force from enemies and
7:09:55transferred some to the wielder to help
7:09:57them grow. I don't know how much good it
7:10:00would be to her as I already absorbed as
7:10:02much of the energy as I could, but the
7:10:05sword's bond with me transferred to her.
7:10:08Carl informed him nervously.
7:10:10That big troll seemed quite intent on
7:10:12tearing him into little bits, and his
7:10:14power level made the overlord seem like
7:10:16children. Fortunately for Carl's life
7:10:19expectancy, the big man was swearing
7:10:21incomprehensibly and casting some sort
7:10:23of shamanistic spell that was making the
7:10:25clouds vanish from the sky.
7:10:27She is going west. Oracle, you will pay
7:10:31for your mistake. The troll growled,
7:10:34then stepped through the portal, which
7:10:36closed, leaving the Oracle behind. Care
7:10:39to explain? We could use our best
7:10:41fighter back, Carl asked. She's not
7:10:46coming back. You just gave a sensient
7:10:48weapon the soul power to gain full
7:10:50autonomy. A hint is a sensient energy
7:10:53being in a possessed body of some sort.
7:10:56almost an undead, but not really
7:10:59considering the nature of the energy
7:11:00that is inhabiting the body. In her
7:11:03case, the body of a deceased dry that
7:11:05was weaponized as a golem. They have no
7:11:08soul. They're a purely magical being.
7:11:11But they stripped the souls from their
7:11:13enemies to power their growth and
7:11:15sensience.
7:11:16Whatever you gave her allowed her to
7:11:18break free of the emperor<unk>'s bond,
7:11:20and now she's on the run. Carl blinked
7:11:23slowly and adjusted his vortexes to buy
7:11:25time as he tried to comprehend what was
7:11:27going on. You're saying that the haint
7:11:29overlord, the one who insisted on being
7:11:31called Princess Lea, is actually a
7:11:34weapon bonded to the totem rank leader
7:11:35of the nation and now she has what? Gone
7:11:39rogue and taken off. The oracle pald and
7:11:42nodded. Worse, I think that she might
7:11:46have broken through to the totem rank. A
7:11:48rogue totem rank threat loose in the
7:11:50nation and nobody knows what she wants
7:11:53other than snacks.
7:11:55Elven trail rations in particular, Carl
7:11:59added. I don't see how that is. No, you
7:12:02are right. She might be trying to get
7:12:05off the continent. There are far more
7:12:07overlord and totem ranked creatures on
7:12:09the other continents, and she needs to
7:12:11feed on highranked souls to stabilize
7:12:13her advancement. If she's really
7:12:16planning to remain on the run, she needs
7:12:18more souls to give her the power to
7:12:20resist being bonded again. It was
7:12:23probably better not to tell the oracle
7:12:24that he still had a piece of her. Lea
7:12:27had helped Hawk evolve, and to Carl that
7:12:29meant he owed her a favor larger than a
7:12:31simple sword and a few days on the run.
7:12:34Well, you might as well take a seat over
7:12:36by the fire. There are still hundreds of
7:12:39giant boores coming for us. And while
7:12:41Hawk's pretty blue flames are scaring
7:12:43some off, they're still trying to get
7:12:45through on the other sides. The oracle
7:12:48turned toward the house, then stopped
7:12:50when he saw Hawk circling in the sky.
7:12:52That's a ghost fire Thunderbird. That
7:12:55isn't possible. I would have seen it.
7:12:59No, it wasn't one before, was it? Lea
7:13:03must have done that with her power. He
7:13:05evolved, didn't he? Carl nodded at the
7:13:08wizen troll who was looking even more
7:13:10haggarded than he had two days ago.
7:13:13That's right. Maybe he needs an updated
7:13:16name. I can't keep calling him Hawk when
7:13:19he's no longer a hawk at all. Carl
7:13:22joked. The oracle side. Hawk is a less
7:13:26ridiculous name now that he isn't one. I
7:13:29have a cousin named Hawk. A troll named
7:13:32Hawk. Carl wondered about the naming
7:13:35sense behind that, but it might be a
7:13:37tribal name based on a personal
7:13:39attribute. The orcs did that and gave
7:13:42their warriors a second name based on
7:13:43their skills and reputation.
7:13:46It wasn't unthinkable that the trolls
7:13:48might do the same. Carl hadn't actually
7:13:51asked many of them their names now that
7:13:53he thought about it. Carl sighed and
7:13:55looked to the sky for answers.
7:13:58Far above the flames, the dragon's tail
7:14:00constellation shone dimly, barely
7:14:02visible over the light of the vortexes,
7:14:05even with every bit of cloud cover
7:14:06forced from the sky. The oracle quietly
7:14:09made his way to the house, leaving Carl
7:14:12to his thoughts. With the revered oracle
7:14:15gone, one of the royal rank farmers came
7:14:17over to where Carl was standing and
7:14:19patted him on the shoulder. "I get the
7:14:21feeling that you're going to be leaving
7:14:23here in somewhat of a hurry," he
7:14:25whispered. I get that feeling as well.
7:14:29Carl agreed. I won't ask what you did
7:14:32that angered the emperor to that level,
7:14:34but if it has something to do with your
7:14:35friend, the Thunderbird, or with
7:14:37whatever emergency called Overlord Leafa
7:14:39away, you should likely get a head start
7:14:41on your travels. I will look after your
7:14:44wagon until you can return if you need."
7:14:47Carl smiled and shook his hand. We will
7:14:50see once this influx of monsters slows
7:14:52down. If I leave too early and something
7:14:55happens to the oracle, they will hunt me
7:14:57to the ends of the continent. The
7:15:00emperor went looking for the overlord.
7:15:02Apparently, her mission was not
7:15:04approved, and he was not happy about the
7:15:06timing when the oracle foresaw it. I
7:15:09don't have all the details, but at the
7:15:11very least, the emperor is busy for the
7:15:13day. The minotaur nodded in
7:15:15understanding, then got to the topic
7:15:17that had actually brought him over. That
7:15:20fire spell you are using, is that
7:15:22something that can be learned somewhere?
7:15:24One of my nieces is a shaman apprentice,
7:15:27and that fire tornado spell is the sort
7:15:29of signature spell that could let her
7:15:30advance to high shaman and reach the
7:15:32royal rank. Carl shook his head. I don't
7:15:36know anyone else who can use it outside
7:15:38my group. It is possible to learn, but
7:15:41not quickly or easily, and she would
7:15:43need to know a number of spells as a
7:15:45prerequisite.
7:15:46The minur side. I feared that might be
7:15:50the case. If it were so easy, more
7:15:53people would know it. But I do need to
7:15:55tell her about those flame totems. Those
7:15:58are the sort of signature ability that
7:16:00should scale well with level and let her
7:16:02stand out from the others in her
7:16:04training group. There is only so much to
7:16:06go around and everyone competes for
7:16:09additional resources.
7:16:11Carl nodded. Resources are the great
7:16:14limiter for all of our growth. But at
7:16:16least after this, nutrition won't be a
7:16:19problem for your community for a year or
7:16:21so. The children will have plenty of
7:16:23energy dense meat to eat, and that will
7:16:25help their growth. That they will let me
7:16:29know what you decide, but if you're
7:16:31thinking of flying away on the massive
7:16:32bird, I wouldn't recommend it. A 20 m
7:16:36wingspan and the fact that he's
7:16:37literally on fire probably don't combine
7:16:39to create the greatest stealth skill.
7:16:42Carl chuckled. That might make Hawk's
7:16:45scouting duties difficult in the future,
7:16:47but they could work something out to dim
7:16:48his glow if he couldn't do it himself.
7:16:51But even if he could dim the light, he
7:16:53was still enormous.
7:16:55Not even Thor was as large as Hawk now,
7:16:58though Hawk was more slender than the
7:16:59Sero. I will have to make a harness for
7:17:02him later. Thor has his Tessa Knight
7:17:05mode, so Hawk will want a rider, too.
7:17:08Maybe Ardana. They both have good range
7:17:11with their skills. Ry suggested.
7:17:15What am I? Chopped liver. Carl asked.
7:17:19No. Bore liver probably tastes better.
7:17:22But you're a ground combatant like I am.
7:17:26Besides, Cara and Remy have a system
7:17:28worked out, so you're mine by default.
7:17:31Unless I'm wearing my lotus. Glad to
7:17:34know that I'm the option of last resort.
7:17:37Well, you don't do anything that the
7:17:38rest of us can't, do you? You're like
7:17:41picking all of the others when we only
7:17:43need one. You're a good choice, but not
7:17:46the most efficient one. Carl knew that
7:17:49Ry was trying to make him feel better,
7:17:51so he decided to tease her. That's fine.
7:17:54I have the Lameia bodyguards now.
7:17:57They'll hang out with me. Or you can
7:17:59hang out with Oilia.
7:18:01She doesn't have a partner yet. Rey
7:18:04offered. The bear and the Carl don't
7:18:07need partners. They just like to smash
7:18:10things. Hawk interjected with a mental
7:18:13shrug. There wasn't much smashing to do
7:18:15right now. The invaders were stuck on
7:18:17the other side of the wall of vortexes.
7:18:20That was what the Minotaur thought that
7:18:22Carl was focusing on when he was
7:18:24speaking with the beasts. How is the
7:18:26situation outside the spell? Can you
7:18:29tell? The Minotaur Royal asked. It's
7:18:33getting better by the minute. The
7:18:35spreading vortexes have eliminated most
7:18:37of the attackers. Now, if it keeps going
7:18:40at this rate, we should be able to let
7:18:42down the spell in the next half hour.
7:18:45There will be more attacks for the rest
7:18:46of the day, but the monsters near us are
7:18:49nearly under control. The three of us
7:18:51holding the vortexes will need a break
7:18:53after this, but it was the only viable
7:18:55way to deal with the flood of beasts
7:18:57coming our way, Carl explained. The
7:19:01minur nodded and turned to walk back to
7:19:03the front of the house. If you need more
7:19:06assistance than those two layers, let me
7:19:08know. We have rested fighters in the
7:19:10yard. Carl nodded. We should be all
7:19:14right. These two are excellent fighters,
7:19:17but I will let you know if we need more
7:19:19assistance on this side. The Minotaur
7:19:22returned to the other side of the fight,
7:19:24but they didn't wait for Carl to make a
7:19:25request before they sent over
7:19:27assistance.
7:19:28if you could call them that. What they
7:19:31sent were four of the generals guards,
7:19:33ascended rank sats who had a look of
7:19:35determination, and the glow of Tessa's
7:19:37holy blessing on their bodies and
7:19:38weapons. Welcome to the dark side of the
7:19:41house. The vortexes will be up for a
7:19:44while longer, then you can let the
7:19:46Lameias take the front lines while you
7:19:48harass and distract their targets. It
7:19:51will be the fastest way to get the
7:19:52giants down, Carl instructed.
7:19:56Yes, sir.
7:19:58We were sent to make up numbers so that
7:20:00nothing made it to the children. Fear
7:20:03not, we won't let you down. One of the
7:20:06sats replied grimly, "It's not that
7:20:09serious.
7:20:10There are no more high-ranking beasts
7:20:12anywhere that I can detect. It's just
7:20:15commander rank boores and low royal rank
7:20:17cyclops leading them. The three of us
7:20:20can handle those easily enough, but
7:20:22every distraction you cause gives us one
7:20:24more opportunity for a lethal strike."
7:20:27That was enough to assure the sats that
7:20:29Carl really wasn't messing with them or
7:20:31putting on a strong front to make them
7:20:32feel better. If he could view their
7:20:35assistance as nothing more than a
7:20:36distraction, even when they had the
7:20:38blessings of a high priestess of the war
7:20:40dragon on their weapons, he must be
7:20:42extremely confident in his abilities.
7:20:44They assumed a normal person would have
7:20:47been overjoyed just to find out that
7:20:49they had anyone with a commander rank
7:20:50blessing on their weapons that didn't
7:20:52burn the wielder's energy to attack.
7:20:54We will need to take down the cyclone
7:20:56soon. Remy noted. Her power was
7:21:00beginning to exhaust her while Hawk was
7:21:02unstable after his evolution.
7:21:05So, it was time for the others to begin
7:21:07to fight again and not rely on the three
7:21:09of them with the largest area effects.
7:21:12The vortexes are coming down now.
7:21:15Prepare to face whatever is alive on the
7:21:17other side. Carl warned. There was
7:21:21nothing. The vortexes had killed
7:21:23anything that had gotten within 40
7:21:25meters of them, but it kept the sadder
7:21:28soldiers on guard just in case something
7:21:30had escaped Carl's notice. For the first
7:21:33few minutes, there was nothing coming.
7:21:36Then Carl saw that a few groups of the
7:21:38armored giant boores had noticed the
7:21:40change in defensive strategy and were
7:21:42heading for the farm. It was only a
7:21:45halfozen boores and two cyclops on their
7:21:47side, but the sats were already looking
7:21:49nervous about the situation.
7:21:52Relax. I won't let anything happen to
7:21:54you. You have a defensive blessing from
7:21:56a high priestess of the red dragon, the
7:21:59goddess of war. As far as commander rank
7:22:02defensive magic, there isn't much that
7:22:04outclasses it. Plus, you have the three
7:22:07of us here, and none of us is going to
7:22:09lose a fight to some boore. You've seen
7:22:12my magic have some faith in our
7:22:14capability.
7:22:15That seemed to remind them of their
7:22:17earlier determination
7:22:19at least a little bit. Anyhow, and the
7:22:21Saturns raised their short spears and
7:22:23shields, ready to defend against attack.
7:22:26Are your mounts awake and healthy? It
7:22:29might be easier for you if you were
7:22:31mounted and more agile. Carl offered.
7:22:34The sats shook their heads. The mounts
7:22:38are terrified of the boores. The boores
7:22:40are food, but they are also a predator,
7:22:43and these ones view our mounts as a food
7:22:45product, which has made them too afraid
7:22:47to be reliable in combat.
7:22:49We're not a battleh hardardened combat
7:22:51unit. We're just the ones best trained
7:22:53to hold banners and move pedestrians out
7:22:55of the way of officers carriages.
7:22:57Carl chuckled at the description.
7:23:00However, they were soldiers, even if
7:23:02they weren't much to write home about,
7:23:05and that meant that he could use them as
7:23:06soldiers, and they should know at least
7:23:08basic tactics.
7:23:10All right, split up into pairs and
7:23:12accompany the Lameia. You attack the
7:23:15boores from the side and then retreat
7:23:17away from their counterattacks and the
7:23:19ladies will do the rest. I will take
7:23:22care of the giants. The sats weren't
7:23:25cowards and they moved into position as
7:23:27the Lameia each picked out a pair of
7:23:28giant boores to target while Carl
7:23:31charged forward before recalling that he
7:23:32had sold his sword. The mall was an
7:23:35option, but if he wasn't going to be
7:23:37getting the soul steel effect that both
7:23:39healed him and helped empower him, he
7:23:41might as well have used his bow.
7:23:43Instead, he equipped the haint claw,
7:23:45which appeared as long wooden claws over
7:23:47his fingers, which leaked pale blue
7:23:50smoke the same way that Overlord Lea
7:23:52did. Carl flexed his fingers, feeling
7:23:55the power of the weapon on his hands,
7:23:57then flicked a single finger at the
7:23:59commander ranked Cyclops on his right.
7:24:01An arc of rend coated in disintegrate
7:24:05and trailing blue smoke raced across the
7:24:07gap and the giant paused his advance
7:24:10confused as to what was happening. Then
7:24:12its knees buckled and the massive beast
7:24:14tumbled to the ground as its head rolled
7:24:16away cleanly severed at the neck. The
7:24:19claws pulsed with power as the attack
7:24:21faded and Carl sent another arc of power
7:24:24at the second cyclops.
7:24:26This one got its blade up in time to
7:24:28parry and the attack faded as the blade
7:24:30in the giant's hand shattered. Carl
7:24:33split Ren again coated with disintegrate
7:24:36into four arcs and the Cyclops panicked
7:24:39trying to dodge to the side. But Carl
7:24:42was too close and the unfortunate
7:24:44creature had no weapon left to protect
7:24:46itself.
7:24:47That was far more effective than Carl
7:24:49had expected.
7:24:51Status.
7:24:53Carl scrolled through the basic
7:24:54information about himself until he found
7:24:56the weapon description. Hint claw
7:24:59artifact grade deals 280% base weapon
7:25:03damage as psychic damage. That was
7:25:06helpful, but Carl already knew that it
7:25:08added the ghostly smoke to the attacks.
7:25:11What he didn't know was what sort of
7:25:13base damage it added to his attacks or
7:25:15what other status bonuses he might have
7:25:17gained. So, he checked his bow for
7:25:20reference. Unwavering bow rare grade aim
7:25:25assist level one increases skill damage
7:25:28by 10%.
7:25:30That was an entirely different
7:25:32description and there was no mention of
7:25:34base damage. So Carl was on to the mall
7:25:38crystal mall of resonance epic grade
7:25:41applies the effect of spells imbued into
7:25:43an attack up to five times when a strike
7:25:46lands. deals strength-based blunt impact
7:25:49damage on strike. Again, no mention of a
7:25:52base weapon damage and no numbers other
7:25:55than some percentage-based increases.
7:25:58He would have to dig into it later when
7:26:00he wasn't in combat and had more time to
7:26:02search through rows of numbers and
7:26:03possible hidden subcategories.
7:26:06Whatever the actual number was, the
7:26:08damage he was doing to the Cyclops
7:26:10warriors said that it was an impressive
7:26:11one. Carl crouched and leapt to the side
7:26:14to attack a giant boar whose throat was
7:26:17exposed, coating his new claws with
7:26:19rend. Hulk would be proud of him. The
7:26:22claws went smoothly through the thick
7:26:24hide of the boar and left deep gouges in
7:26:26the heavy plate armor, leaving the boar
7:26:28bleeding out with a single strike. Carl
7:26:31used flaming body to burn the blood off
7:26:34himself as the boar collapsed, and the
7:26:36sats stared at him in shock. If you
7:26:39could do that, why are you using all
7:26:40these fancy skills and weapons? One of
7:26:43them asked. One at a time is fine, but
7:26:47those skills deal with large numbers
7:26:48while they're at a safe distance from
7:26:50the house. We don't want to put the
7:26:52children in danger. Besides, this method
7:26:56is messy. Carl replied with a shrug.
7:27:00Then he got a great idea. Maybe the hint
7:27:03claw wasn't meant to be used as an
7:27:05actual weapon for attacking, but as a
7:27:07supplemental weapon. It said that it
7:27:10dealt a percentage of base weapon damage
7:27:12as a bonus. So, if he kept the claws on
7:27:14when he used another weapon, it might
7:27:16give an additional bonus based on the
7:27:18damage that the other weapon was doing.
7:27:20There were more bores in the distance,
7:27:22so Carl took out his bow and adjusted
7:27:24his grip to compensate for the length of
7:27:26his new claws. He made the drawing
7:27:29motion to activate the bow and charged
7:27:31it with chain lightning. He let the
7:27:34lightning charged arrow fly and found
7:27:36that it was also followed by a faint
7:27:38trail of ghostly smoke. The arrow sunk
7:27:41deep into the boar which twitched in
7:27:43pain or possibly electrical shock before
7:27:46collapsing with a puff of ghostly smoke
7:27:48coming from the arrow hole. That was
7:27:51definitely an improvement on the chain
7:27:53lightning alone and the haint claw
7:27:55seemed to pulse with power after the
7:27:56kill.
7:27:58Perhaps it was similar in function to
7:27:59the sword that he had traded, but it
7:28:01wasn't passing any of that stolen
7:28:03essence along to the wielder. According
7:28:05to the extended details of the
7:28:07description, it would gather soul
7:28:09essence with each kill and had a chance
7:28:11to become a hint sapling in the future.
7:28:14A sensient weapon like Lea could make
7:28:16for quite the addition to the team
7:28:18depending on the abilities that it
7:28:19developed. And Carl was looking forward
7:28:21to seeing what it could do.
7:28:23Carl released arrow after arrow,
7:28:25clearing the area of boores with ease,
7:28:27as he picked the closest targets first
7:28:29and worked his way into the distance.
7:28:32So, you could fight with a bow as well.
7:28:35That is wonderful. But where did all
7:28:38these powerful friends come from? I've
7:28:41never seen a group of intelligent beasts
7:28:43like this outside of their own nation.
7:28:45The sadder asked. They are with me. It's
7:28:49a bit hard to explain, but I can call on
7:28:52their assistance when I need it," Carl
7:28:54replied vaguely. After the wall of
7:28:57flaming vortexes and Hawk evolving right
7:29:00next to the farm, there was no way that
7:29:02they were going to be able to hide the
7:29:03fact that he had at least a few beasts
7:29:05with him. But Carl didn't want the
7:29:07locals to panic. Of course, the sadder
7:29:10likely wanted to know where the Lameia
7:29:12had come from as well, but that
7:29:13discussion could wait.
7:29:15Carl didn't know if he was going to have
7:29:17to grab his team and bolt in the next
7:29:19hour or two, especially now that the
7:29:21oracle had been dumped in their laps by
7:29:22a furious emperor whose pet haint had
7:29:24run away. The bow had a range of nearly
7:29:27200 m, but in a matter of only a few
7:29:30minutes, there were no more bores to be
7:29:32found anywhere within that range. The
7:29:35overnight fight was coming to an end as
7:29:37the sun rose fully into the sky, and the
7:29:39second day's damages were becoming
7:29:41visible in the distance.
7:29:43It wasn't as bad as the first morning.
7:29:46The invaders had mostly ignored the
7:29:48empty houses, and the ones that had
7:29:50smelled good enough to pillage had been
7:29:51attacked the first night. So, while
7:29:54there was extensive damage to the farms
7:29:56and crops, it wasn't as severe as many
7:29:58had feared. As the fighting died down,
7:30:01the Oracle made his way back to Carl,
7:30:04who had called everyone but Thor, Hawk,
7:30:06and the bodyguards back into his space.
7:30:09They could remain out for now as nobody
7:30:11was going to forget that Hawk existed.
7:30:14Plus, he was huge now, and flying was an
7:30:17entirely different experience when he
7:30:19could ride on much larger wind currents
7:30:21and updrafts.
7:30:22Before, he could soar on the wind, but
7:30:25now he could simply tweak his feathers
7:30:27and float in the sky. His new body
7:30:30weighed very little, and his ghostfire
7:30:32body skill allowed him to fly without
7:30:35using his feathers at all. Like so many
7:30:38magical beasts, he could now use his
7:30:40magic to keep himself aloft and not just
7:30:42his body. I may have to abandon mice as
7:30:46food. But now regular-sized boores are
7:30:49mouse-sized bites. Is this what they
7:30:52call an existential crisis? Hawk
7:30:55pondered as he lazily floated above the
7:30:57fields. Is it like growing up and
7:31:00finding out that your favorite little
7:31:01rodents that struggled so prettily in
7:31:03your web are no longer a satisfying
7:31:05meal? I completely understand.
7:31:08It's a tragic loss, but there will be
7:31:10others that put on as good of a show. Ry
7:31:13consoled him. That cheered Hawk up at
7:31:16least a little bit. Even the giant
7:31:19boores were now small enough to be valid
7:31:21hunting targets for the massive
7:31:22ghostfire Thunderbird body that Hawk had
7:31:24evolved into. But deep in his instincts,
7:31:27there was still that urge to go for the
7:31:28small and defenseless rodents. "Did you
7:31:31learn any new tricks along with your new
7:31:33flames?" Carl asked as Hawk surveyed the
7:31:36aftermath of the second spawn. I think
7:31:39so, but it feels like they're not ready
7:31:41yet. Maybe after I nap. Hawk wasn't
7:31:45concerned.
7:31:47Fire was the best element anyhow, and he
7:31:49was already big with better than ever
7:31:51flames. The rest could wait for later.
7:31:55Hawk's circling form was a beacon to
7:31:57other defending groups. He was large
7:31:59enough to be seen from many kilometers
7:32:01away and from a distance he looked like
7:32:04an ice phoenix with his blue flaming
7:32:06feathers. The phoenix was considered
7:32:09good luck and they were as intelligent
7:32:10as dragons even if they could only speak
7:32:13bird. So if their position was looking
7:32:16untenable or just not worth defending
7:32:18anymore, they started to make their way
7:32:20towards the farm that had a phoenix
7:32:22protecting it. Some hesitated when they
7:32:25were close enough to see that it was
7:32:26some form of Thunderbird, which was also
7:32:28an intelligent beast, but not nearly as
7:32:30auspicious as the Phoenix. But Hawk was
7:32:33obviously guarding an area, continually
7:32:35circling overhead while only
7:32:36sporadically diving to attack boars that
7:32:39got too close. Every time he rose back
7:32:42up with a snack, more of the minotaurs
7:32:44began to consider heading in his
7:32:45direction, as they could hear the force
7:32:47and see the campfire in the yard,
7:32:49showing that Hawk had not eaten the
7:32:51defenders.
7:32:53Not that a Thunderbird would hang around
7:32:54after destroying a farmyard. They
7:32:57weren't a scavenger bird. In the morning
7:33:00calm, Lotus had enlisted the help of the
7:33:02children from the farm families to scrub
7:33:04and polish Thor's scales. He needed a
7:33:07good rub down, and the Sarah was feeling
7:33:09depressed now that even Hawk had gotten
7:33:11a great opportunity to advance just
7:33:13handed to him. All the others got
7:33:16powerful so easily, but he was already
7:33:18struggling even with his holy pond. Carl
7:33:21knew that Rey was likely to run into the
7:33:23same issue soon, but likely not until
7:33:26after she either reached the bottleneck
7:33:27or advanced to monarch rank. She had a
7:33:30few skills that would scale well, and
7:33:32that would give her a better chance at
7:33:34breaking the bottleneck. Eternal
7:33:36Lightning probably had the potential to
7:33:38go higher, but Thor's body didn't. But
7:33:41that could be a project for him and
7:33:43Remy. If you go through the ingredients
7:33:45that we have and make a list of things
7:33:47that we still need to make resources
7:33:49that will help Thor, I can try to find
7:33:51them. I think that all he needs is just
7:33:54a bit higher quality snacks to advance.
7:33:57Carl offered. Thor perked up a little,
7:34:00both at the faint hope of advancement
7:34:02and at the gentle hands of the children
7:34:04scrubbing down his scales with coarse
7:34:06burlap cloths. Fortunately, his scales
7:34:09weren't as harsh as they had been at
7:34:11first. They were still rough, but they
7:34:14didn't tear through cloth anymore unless
7:34:16you put excessive pressure on them.
7:34:18Having something to focus on helped, and
7:34:20Carl knew the others wouldn't let their
7:34:22resident best boy remained sad for long.
7:34:25The oracle sighed as he waited for Carl
7:34:27to stop being distracted.
7:34:29It was clear that he was mentally
7:34:31communicating with someone, but the way
7:34:33that he looked around made the oracle
7:34:35certain that it was the bird. He turned
7:34:37to see what Carl was looking at, then
7:34:39realized it was likely out of sight to
7:34:41him. You know, out of all of this, I
7:34:44can't believe that I got dad joked by a
7:34:46teenager. The oracle began. Carl smiled
7:34:51and the old man shook his head and
7:34:53continued. Not that kind of troll
7:34:56indeed. You have no idea the sort of
7:34:59chaos that your presence has caused,
7:35:01even if you aren't somehow responsible
7:35:02for these incidents.
7:35:04There is a theory that your presence
7:35:06when the dungeon formed might be causing
7:35:08these incidents to follow you and
7:35:09whoever else was there on the first day.
7:35:12But more than that, the mere fact that
7:35:14you managed to make it almost all the
7:35:16way across the country without being
7:35:18detected while traveling with an entire
7:35:20wagon full of elites and clerics is like
7:35:22a slap to the face of the council.
7:35:25Carl chuckled.
7:35:27Well, that's graphic. I will say this
7:35:30much though. We're not here to cause
7:35:33trouble or spy for anyone. I did
7:35:36consider that the incidents might be
7:35:38following me, but only the last two, the
7:35:40undead and this one, have been even
7:35:42remotely close to centered on my
7:35:44position. The first ones that we
7:35:46encountered near oak camping put us on
7:35:48the very north edge, and one of them
7:35:50didn't even spawn with us in its radius.
7:35:52We traveled into it during the day. The
7:35:55oracle frowned, then made a note. The
7:35:58council isn't sure what to do with you.
7:36:00One thing is for certain, we're not
7:36:02going to allow you to die in our
7:36:04territory if there is any chance that
7:36:06these incidents are focused on you. Oh,
7:36:09I had thought that would be the go-to
7:36:11option. The old troll shook his head.
7:36:15No, eliminating the target doesn't stop
7:36:17the effect of an anomaly. It simply
7:36:19fixes the position of the anomaly. If
7:36:22something happened and one of your
7:36:24members died here today, it is possible
7:36:26that we would have a giant boar and
7:36:27cyclops spawn at this location every
7:36:29morning forever.
7:36:31See, that is valuable information to
7:36:34have. Do you know what the plan might
7:36:36be? Because I am considering making a
7:36:39run for it, Carl informed him, letting a
7:36:42bit of his curiosity leak into his
7:36:44voice. Well, my guess is that Maurica is
7:36:47going to suggest taking you somewhere to
7:36:49strangle you to death for making fun of
7:36:51her. But my visions say that it's more
7:36:53likely they will decide to send you back
7:36:55to the humans and make you stay there or
7:36:57to the mountain giant border where any
7:36:59more anomalies would be their problem.
7:37:02There has been no decision, and I have
7:37:04seen both possibilities,"
7:37:06the Oracle explained.
7:37:08Carl sighed as he scanned the horizon
7:37:10for threats. "That's not highly
7:37:13encouraging.
7:37:15I'm not sure what I should choose. It's
7:37:17encouraging that they don't intend to
7:37:19kill me or my friends, but I also have
7:37:21no intentions of being locked in jail.
7:37:24The oracle gave him a faint smile.
7:37:27Honestly, I'm not even sure how we would
7:37:29keep you in prison. Even with the
7:37:32suppression field on the fortress, we
7:37:34couldn't stop you from setting a royal
7:37:35rank bloodbath spider loose in the
7:37:37hallway behind the guards. Blocking
7:37:40magic and skills is all well and good
7:37:42until half a ton of razor limb arachnid
7:37:44is loose in the locker room. Oh, that's
7:37:47a great idea. Attacking them when
7:37:50they're naked on a slippery surface. It
7:37:52will be chaos even before the blood
7:37:54flows. Having the ability to see the
7:37:57future sounds like it's not a whole lot
7:37:59of fun. Carl noted, "You have no idea.
7:38:04Oracles of all sorts very rarely see
7:38:06anything but tragedy. Even if I want to
7:38:09look for good news, I have to look for
7:38:11the absence of bad instead. Only then
7:38:14can I see things going right. What a
7:38:17crap skill set. No offense.
7:38:21The oracle chuckled. Have you never
7:38:24interacted with someone who can see the
7:38:25future before? Carl made a non-committal
7:38:28gesture. I have, but I never really
7:38:31asked about how they saw things or about
7:38:34their visions.
7:38:36So, should I be expecting an overlord to
7:38:38show up here with very little notice or
7:38:40an army unit? The oracle's eyes went
7:38:43white, and he frowned, then took out a
7:38:45sword. Yes. Before Carl could ask what
7:38:49that meant, a portal opened 6 m tall,
7:38:52and an armored group of giants that
7:38:54looked like they were made of solid
7:38:55stone, only identifiable as living
7:38:57creatures by their eyes and teeth,
7:38:59rushed out. A second portal opened
7:39:02behind Carl and the Oracle, and Maurica
7:39:05stepped through with a snarl on her face
7:39:06and an axe in her hand. Once the
7:39:09mountain giants had arrived, one last
7:39:11giant, 2 m taller than the others,
7:39:14crouched and stepped through the portal.
7:39:16"You really do see only bad luck. "Have
7:39:20you considered the fact that oracles
7:39:21might be a jinx?" Carl whispered. "Has
7:39:25anyone ever told you that you're not
7:39:27funny?" the oracle whispered. more than
7:39:30once, actually, but you might want to
7:39:33step back before things get messy. The
7:39:36mountain giant overlord scoffed. Do you
7:39:39think that having him a few more meters
7:39:41away is going to make a difference?
7:39:43Maurica rumbled a warning, but Carl gave
7:39:46him his best smile. Do you think that
7:39:48your warriors can go through me without
7:39:50my permission? The Oracle poked Carl in
7:39:53the back, and Carl heard Tessa laugh on
7:39:55the other side of the farm. Oh, she's
7:39:58glowing red.
7:40:00Does that mean we're fighting? Hawk
7:40:02asked. Maybe, maybe not. We will see
7:40:06what they're planning. The war god's
7:40:09glow could be for protecting the
7:40:10children when things get spicy. Why are
7:40:13we even fighting? Remy asked. Because
7:40:17Rey needs more monarch ranked giant
7:40:19blood for her pond. Of course, Thor
7:40:23stated as if it was the most obvious
7:40:25thing in the world. Oh, that's a good
7:40:28point. I hope the overlords fight. We
7:40:31can scoop up some of the splatter to
7:40:32make leg cream for Rey. Remy agreed.
7:40:36What are you thinking? Stop it. I can
7:40:39see the shifting possibilities.
7:40:42The oracle whispered.
7:40:44Sorry, wandering mind. Carl replied
7:40:47without taking his eyes off the squad of
7:40:50royal and monarch ranked mountain
7:40:51giants.
7:40:53Is the Golden Dragon Nation going to get
7:40:55in the middle of this? the overlord
7:40:57ranked giant asked. That's really up to
7:41:00you now, isn't it? You came to me, not
7:41:04the other way around. Carl replied
7:41:06easily as the Naga warriors moved to
7:41:08flank the Lameia bodyguards.
7:41:11There are soldiers coming from every
7:41:13direction. Angry Remy and beef warriors
7:41:16and a few that look like Dana but
7:41:17aren't. Hawk warned. One day we will
7:41:21teach you all the words for other
7:41:23species.
7:41:24Remy laughed.
7:41:26Meh, they'll get names if they need
7:41:28them. The overlord ranked giant was
7:41:31staring at Carl, trying to determine
7:41:33what he was planning and what the best
7:41:35course of action was. Carl didn't
7:41:38actually know what drew them here yet,
7:41:39though. If they came to abduct the
7:41:42Oracle, that could be a huge diplomatic
7:41:44disaster.
7:41:46But Carl couldn't see what else they
7:41:47came for now that they said they weren't
7:41:49here for him or his team. Maurica
7:41:52stepped forward to face her overlord
7:41:54ranked counterpart who stood head and
7:41:56shoulders taller than the minotaur did.
7:41:58What are you doing here? You know that
7:42:01your soldiers are not welcome here.
7:42:04Speak your peace and go away. The giant
7:42:07snorted at her in derision. Our earth
7:42:10shaman sensed the appearance of an
7:42:11unfamiliar totem ranked creature here.
7:42:14If newborn empire thinks that they can
7:42:16hire foreign totems for the war, you are
7:42:18greatly mistaken.
7:42:20Carl hid his amusement as well as he
7:42:22could, but obviously not well enough as
7:42:25the soldiers from the mountain giant
7:42:26side were shifting to defensive foot
7:42:28positions in his direction. It was
7:42:31subtle, but his smile must have been the
7:42:33threatening one again. There is no
7:42:35foreign totem here in New
7:42:38idiot shamans that they don't need to
7:42:40send an emergency response unit every
7:42:42time the emperor comes out to greet
7:42:43visitors from the Golden Dragon Nation.
7:42:46Maurica informed him in a bored tone.
7:42:49The giant turned to Carl. The emperor
7:42:52himself came to see you. Why? I brought
7:42:56a rare species with me, and he was
7:42:58intrigued about its origin. The overlord
7:43:01looked up toward where Hawk was lazily
7:43:03floating in the sky and frowned. A ghost
7:43:06fire Thunderbird was indeed a rare
7:43:08species.
7:43:09Rare enough that the mountain giant
7:43:11didn't even know what species Hawk was.
7:43:14Like many others, his first thought was
7:43:16that he was a frost phoenix. But the
7:43:18body shape and tail plumage were wrong.
7:43:21One of the monarchs was casting a spell,
7:43:23but Marica showed no sign of trying to
7:43:26stop them. Maybe it was to avoid a fight
7:43:29between overlords so close to an
7:43:30inhabited farm. Or perhaps the spell
7:43:32wasn't a dangerous one. If they were
7:43:35just looking for Lea, they could take a
7:43:37number and wait their turn. The emperor
7:43:40was already chasing after her. The spell
7:43:43finished, and the group of giants waited
7:43:45anxiously as the shaman looked more and
7:43:47more confused.
7:43:49He was about to whisper to the overlord,
7:43:51but the larger giant stopped him and
7:43:53handed him a notepad to write it down.
7:43:56That was a good call, as Carl would hear
7:43:58even a whisper from this distance. But
7:44:00Hawk was directly overhead, and he could
7:44:02read the note as the giant wrote it. It
7:44:05says he only found a totem rank skill
7:44:07that was used by Overlord Leafa. He
7:44:10calls her by name, so he knows the
7:44:12council members.
7:44:14Well, that could make things more
7:44:15interesting. Once the overlord had read
7:44:18the message, he crumpled it and made the
7:44:20shaman eat the paper. Well, that's one
7:44:23way to prevent messages falling into the
7:44:25wrong hands. Carl Mock whispered in the
7:44:28oracle's direction. The giant overlord
7:44:31looked like he was going to respond.
7:44:33Then, he paused and took a glowing stone
7:44:35out of his pocket. Carl could only
7:44:37assume it was a communication device of
7:44:39some sort, but neither he nor Hawk could
7:44:41see any sort of writing on it. The
7:44:44overlord's smile slowly grew as the glow
7:44:46faded from the stone. Then a fresh
7:44:49portal opened behind him. Forget this
7:44:52waste of time. We're leaving. He
7:44:55announced, "That's not suspicious at
7:44:58all." Carl chuckled, which caused the
7:45:00mountain giant overlord to give him an
7:45:02evil smirk. Maurica frowned as the giant
7:45:06left, thinking the same thing that Carl
7:45:08was saying. And then alarms began to
7:45:10blare from her pockets. She took out a
7:45:13whole handful of glowing stones, all of
7:45:15which were giving off an alert tone. She
7:45:18turned to Carl. You I will deal with
7:45:21your insulence later, but I now have
7:45:24proof that the incidents aren't
7:45:25following you around. These are all
7:45:28regional alarms for anomalies that
7:45:30spawned at dawn today. all related to
7:45:32the dungeon. "That shouldn't be right."
7:45:36Carl mumbled. Maurica looked between
7:45:39Carl and the Oracle, then sighed and
7:45:41shook her head. "They aren't. They can't
7:45:45be. The pattern doesn't match. We
7:45:49suspect that the giants have found
7:45:50something that is letting them trigger
7:45:52them. We started to suspect it when we
7:45:54first heard of the advancement trial the
7:45:56hill giants triggered. Now anomalies are
7:46:00appearing all over the continent, but I
7:46:02have to go. Consider yourself warned to
7:46:05behave. I don't have time to come back
7:46:07and deal with your people. Do what you
7:46:10want. As long as you don't cause trouble
7:46:12on your way out of the country. A stone
7:46:15in her hand lit up red, and she stepped
7:46:17through a portal that closed immediately
7:46:19behind her. They left me behind again.
7:46:22The oracle sighed. I am not normally the
7:46:26one to play devil's advocate, but I
7:46:28suspect that wherever she was going, you
7:46:30probably didn't want to be anyhow. If
7:46:33nothing else, we will keep you safe for
7:46:34the day. Then we can arrange a team to
7:46:37get you home after tomorrow morning's
7:46:39spawn." The oracle gave him a faint
7:46:42smile. This will be the last one in this
7:46:45sequence.
7:46:46This spot won't be hit tomorrow morning,
7:46:48according to my visions.
7:46:50However, that doesn't mean you'll be
7:46:52safe for long. I don't understand what
7:46:55is happening. I can see it, but I can't
7:46:58decipher a pattern. Carl picked off a
7:47:01few more giant boores with his bow, then
7:47:03sent more instructions to Hawk. See if
7:47:06you can find the team of spellblades.
7:47:09They should be somewhere near here if
7:47:11they kept going in this direction. I
7:47:14don't know if they're going to be
7:47:15anywhere near us, but if they are, we
7:47:17should meet up with them. Got it. There
7:47:20are plenty of groups of minotaurs and
7:47:22some lizards.
7:47:24Oh, I see some goblins and big goblins,
7:47:27too. I don't remember seeing those
7:47:29before. I will keep looking. Hawk flew
7:47:33off into the distance, a streak of blue
7:47:36fire in the sky before he vanished into
7:47:38the clouds. Brother Hawk is fast. Cara
7:47:42gasped, shocked by the speed of his
7:47:44departure. Does that happen when you get
7:47:47big? I'm a little faster when I'm big,
7:47:50but I can't fly. Remy pondered. They
7:47:54were waiting in their spaces now that
7:47:56the sun was out and Rey was napping as
7:47:58was her tradition after the sun came up.
7:48:01Can we get a substitution on this side?
7:48:04I need to talk to my team for a minute.
7:48:07Carl called out to the farmers who had
7:48:09come over to support Maurica.
7:48:11No problem.
7:48:13We all heard the oracle say that this
7:48:15will be the last of the giant boar
7:48:16spawns. So, it's nearly time for us to
7:48:19get to work curing, salting, smoking,
7:48:21and drying what we can. We will have to
7:48:24sell a lot of it to the cities, but
7:48:26we've got a solid year's worth of stored
7:48:28meat now. That was about as long as a
7:48:30cured ham was normally kept without
7:48:32being eaten. But Carl didn't know how
7:48:34many survivors would be in the next city
7:48:36to trade with. The fire was out and it
7:48:39didn't start over this morning with the
7:48:41two overlords present. But that didn't
7:48:43mean that there was much of the city
7:48:45left to salvage. The piles of boar
7:48:48bodies looked like hills in the
7:48:49countryside with hundreds of bodies
7:48:51stacked for them to process and hundreds
7:48:53more in the fields nearby.
7:48:55Some wouldn't be salvageable, but most
7:48:57of them should still have edible bits.
7:49:00Oilia switched positions with another of
7:49:02the farmers so the whole group could
7:49:04gather for a short meeting when Carl
7:49:06came around the house. What's the plan?
7:49:09Are we going to try to fight our way
7:49:11through a whole spawn? She asked. That's
7:49:15pretty much the plan. I sent Hawk to go
7:49:18scout for a bit and we can pick a route
7:49:20once he's back. The wilderness will
7:49:23likely be the better choice again. If
7:49:25the monster spawns are being influenced
7:49:27by the population density and power
7:49:29level, they won't be as bad in the
7:49:31wilderness.
7:49:32However, the Oracle thinks that the
7:49:34giants have something that's triggering
7:49:36the anomalies.
7:49:38Starting with the first advancement
7:49:39trial along the hill giant border, and
7:49:41now all over the New Empire, the
7:49:44anomalies all appear to be linked to the
7:49:45giants, according to his visions, Carl
7:49:49explained.
7:49:50Dana frowned and gestured around them.
7:49:53So this all of this might be the result
7:49:55of the giant's interference.
7:49:58That might mean that the dungeon anomaly
7:50:00in the west might also be their doing.
7:50:02And now it's a stable dungeon. The
7:50:04Oracle's frustration made perfect sense
7:50:06to them all at that moment. How and why
7:50:09the giant clans were causing anomalies
7:50:11was a mystery. However, if the Oracle
7:50:15could see their interference, there had
7:50:16to be some reason. If they were trying
7:50:19to mess with other nations, it was one
7:50:21thing. But this was excessive and there
7:50:24was no way that they could control that
7:50:26much territory even if they had an
7:50:28invasion plan that actually worked. I
7:50:30found Prince Guy and the Dana herd. No,
7:50:34the Spellblades.
7:50:36They're all too large or too small to be
7:50:38Dana. They are north of the spawn by
7:50:41about 20 km and headed east. Hawk
7:50:44informed them. He was getting better at
7:50:47sorting people at least a little bit.
7:50:50All right, remember where they are. Or
7:50:53are they not hiding anymore? Carl asked.
7:50:57They're still hiding. But with these new
7:51:00flames, I can see them glowing anyhow.
7:51:03All right, I have a scouting report.
7:51:06North and then east appears to be the
7:51:08way for us. Now, we just need to make
7:51:11sure that everyone will be all right
7:51:12with what is left wandering the area,
7:51:15Carl relayed. However, the fact that
7:51:18Hawk had covered over a 100 km in the
7:51:21last 15 minutes was extremely
7:51:22impressive. Even the helicopters back
7:51:25home didn't fly that fast. Tessa
7:51:28referred to the map. That works. There
7:51:32aren't any major roads in that
7:51:33direction, but there are farms that were
7:51:35still fighting further from us. We can
7:51:38help them clear the area as we go and
7:51:40then head out of the spawn area to turn
7:51:42east. The farmers were doing well at
7:51:45taking care of this area. So Carl didn't
7:51:47feel too bad about leaving, but he did
7:51:50hope that someone came for the oracle
7:51:51before he ended up being blamed for
7:51:53something happening to him. The one
7:51:56armed royal rank minotaur soldier came
7:51:58over to join them and nodded to Lotus,
7:52:00who had been nearly constantly healing
7:52:02the whole farmyard with her area spells.
7:52:05If you're all headed out, I wanted to
7:52:07say thank you for the help. If you
7:52:09happen to be back this way, stop in at
7:52:12the farm and we will make you something.
7:52:14Lotus hugged his leg and the minur
7:52:17laughed. You made enough for us in the
7:52:19last two days that none of our families
7:52:21will be satisfied with the simple fair
7:52:23from the fields. We're going to have to
7:52:26start expanding our recipe lists. Lotus
7:52:29smiled up at him. It's not my fault that
7:52:32you prefer raw ruffage. I just hope that
7:52:35my cooking wasn't too hard on anyone's
7:52:37stomach. The old minotaur chuckled. Our
7:52:41stomachs aren't that sensitive. We will
7:52:43miss having your cooking around, though.
7:52:46One of the boys smirked at her. Fear
7:52:49not, little cleric. I will figure out
7:52:52what you did to make rice and beans so
7:52:54good, and then make them even better.
7:52:57Carl looked at the wagon that Thor had
7:52:59pulled this far across the wilderness.
7:53:02Then he turned to the oldest of the
7:53:03royal rank minotaurs who had come to the
7:53:05defense of the farm. Jacob, I bequeath
7:53:08my wagon to you. I know yours got
7:53:11destroyed. It was smashed when I got to
7:53:14your house. We are going to have to move
7:53:16faster than the wagon will allow. So,
7:53:18you may have mine as a replacement to
7:53:20help bring the supplies your neighbors
7:53:21will need. The minur patted him on the
7:53:24shoulder. Are you sure? Humans on foot
7:53:28are not faster than a wagon. Carl
7:53:31chuckled. I have a harness for them to
7:53:34ride on Thor. His might won't be
7:53:36challenged by a few dainty ladies. The
7:53:39minotaurs laughed while Dana stuck out
7:53:41her tongue at him and Tessa rolled her
7:53:43eyes. Carl and Oilia were both fast on
7:53:46foot, but Carl was planning to swap out
7:53:49after the first few hours once they
7:53:51weren't being as closely scrutinized.
7:53:53The other farmers wouldn't know or care
7:53:55about the beasts as long as they didn't
7:53:57approach the farms, and his secret was
7:53:59already out, so he didn't have to worry
7:54:01about the council finding out who he was
7:54:03anymore. I will take my Dana as an
7:54:06artillery accessory.
7:54:08Rey agreed. That would free up a seat
7:54:11for Oilia on Thor's back, so she was
7:54:13well rested when they ran into trouble.
7:54:16But she would likely want to remain on
7:54:18foot once they got into the more
7:54:19dangerous areas. But with the Lameia and
7:54:22Naga warriors flanking Thor, they had
7:54:24plenty of ground forces already. I will
7:54:28take Remy, Cara insisted. Having the
7:54:32Naga Queen in spirit snake form was a
7:54:34great compliment to her skills while
7:54:35flying. And if she wanted to fight on
7:54:37the ground, Remy could transform and
7:54:39bring out her final bodyguard. The
7:54:42bodyguards were monarch rank now, strong
7:54:44enough to defend against anything that
7:54:46they were likely to find out here. While
7:54:48Cara found a way to disassemble it, the
7:54:51beasts came out as soon as they were out
7:54:53of sight of the farm, so they didn't
7:54:54leave a strange impression with the
7:54:56farmers they had been secretly
7:54:57protecting for the last 2 days. For the
7:55:00first half hour, it was easy travels to
7:55:02head north toward the edge of the
7:55:04incident. All of the nearby farmers had
7:55:07gathered in one spot, and the monsters
7:55:09had followed or had been hunted by
7:55:11Carl's team. But no good thing lasts
7:55:14forever, and after that first half hour
7:55:16of cleared monsters, they were into the
7:55:18area that hadn't been cleared yet. Turn
7:55:21a bit east. That path will be faster.
7:55:25There are a few farms ahead on that
7:55:27route, but they've taken care of most of
7:55:29the monsters.
7:55:30That worked well enough for Carl, and
7:55:32the route between fields was either
7:55:34clear or the fences had been taken down
7:55:36by the giant boores. Many small farmers
7:55:39in that house. Ry informed them as they
7:55:42passed by a damaged farmhouse.
7:55:45Carl turned to see what Rey was looking
7:55:47at and found that the house had
7:55:49collapsed, but the floor seemed intact
7:55:51and there was a basement or a cellar
7:55:53under it. He ran over and wrapped his
7:55:56knuckles on the wood. We've cleared most
7:55:58of the attackers from the area. Do you
7:56:01need medical help? I have a cleric with
7:56:04me. He called. Dad said to stay until he
7:56:08came for us. A small voice called back
7:56:11up. He had to leave the farm. Do you
7:56:15want us to lead you to safety? Carl
7:56:17asked. There was a defended farm only
7:56:20half a kilometer away. If they knew
7:56:23about these kids, they should have come
7:56:25to get them already. So, it was likely
7:56:28that nobody told them the kids were
7:56:30here. A few meters from the rubble of
7:56:32the house, a small trap door pushed up a
7:56:35pile of straw, and a young minur and a
7:56:37sat stuck their heads up at the same
7:56:39time. The yard was completely destroyed.
7:56:42Very little could be salvaged. But when
7:56:45they saw Carl, they sighed in relief.
7:56:48You said you have a cleric.
7:56:51Some of the others are hurt. They came
7:56:53from the neighbors farms because we had
7:56:55the best seller. The sadder girl
7:56:58replied.
7:56:59Carl whistled and gestured for the
7:57:01others to come over, which brought Lotus
7:57:03running. Tessa wasn't far behind her,
7:57:06but Lotus was obviously the more
7:57:08enthusiastic of the pair, and she had
7:57:10area healing instead of just direct
7:57:12healing spells. There turned out to be
7:57:14far more children than Carl had seen
7:57:16through the rubble. Over 50 of them had
7:57:19gathered there, and Carl began to wonder
7:57:21what the farmers were doing. Perhaps
7:57:24they had chosen to defend the house with
7:57:26no basement. Hawk, go check that out.
7:57:30Hawk circled around to check the actual
7:57:32content of the farm. And not just that,
7:57:34there were people moving at it. No
7:57:36enemies right now, but only five
7:57:39commander ranked minotaurs and a
7:57:40juvenile troll. They all look like
7:57:43they're half dead. Thor snorted
7:57:45unhappily.
7:57:47So, they didn't come for the children
7:57:49because they don't expect to survive the
7:57:51day, and hiding is safer than out in the
7:57:53open. Carl pulled Tessa to the side. The
7:57:57last few adult survivors in the area are
7:57:59on their last legs. They're not going to
7:58:02last the day, or possibly even one more
7:58:04attack if there is a royal rank Cyclops.
7:58:08Did you want to search for a way to
7:58:09carry the kids and bring them with us?
7:58:12Or did you want to ask them to hide
7:58:14until a rescue team can come for them?
7:58:16I'm sure someone will be searching for
7:58:18survivors as they clear the area. Tessa
7:58:21sighed and looked at the rubble. I will
7:58:24have Lotus make a sled. There is no food
7:58:27in that pantry. It was empty when they
7:58:29got in. They're not going to last long
7:58:32hiding here with no food or water. There
7:58:35was a wagon in the yard, but it was
7:58:37smashed beyond repair. And they would do
7:58:39better to just have Lotus use her magic
7:58:41to make them a sled to have Thor pull
7:58:42across the grass. Tessa went to the
7:58:45basement and traded with Lotus, who came
7:58:47up to inspect the rubble, looking for
7:58:49something that could be repurposed to
7:58:51transport a large group of children. 50
7:58:54kids weren't going to be easy to move
7:58:55with any standard wagon. But if they
7:58:57strung a couple together, or made
7:58:59something like the sled Carl had in
7:59:01mind, they could at least have enough
7:59:03room for them all to sit. It would just
7:59:05be a very rough ride. Oh, this can work.
7:59:10Ray, darling, you sweet girl, could you
7:59:12please help me make a large cloth floor
7:59:14with side ropes? It would take forever
7:59:17to grow the wood for it, but we can make
7:59:19a really long wagon out of these two
7:59:21axle assemblies and that fallen tree.
7:59:24Then I will make hangers for the bench
7:59:26seats out of cloth, and everyone can
7:59:28just ride down the sides, Lotus
7:59:31suggested. She drew it out on a piece of
7:59:34paper, and Rey realized that all she
7:59:36needed was two long pieces of cloth.
7:59:39So instead of making anything, she just
7:59:41handed over the tarp they had been using
7:59:43to cover their camp. Oh yes, this works
7:59:46as well. Carl, can you bring me that
7:59:49tree? No way can I lift that. Lotus
7:59:53turned the wagon into an oversized or
7:59:55cart but cloth with high sides to keep
7:59:58the kids from falling out. The silk was
8:00:01stretched tight between the two ends of
8:00:02the long wagon while the back was open
8:00:04so they could climb in without being
8:00:06lifted over the sides.
8:00:0850 kids were a lot to put in one wagon,
8:00:11even when over half of them were sats,
8:00:13who weren't large even when they were
8:00:14fully grown. But after half an hour of
8:00:17construction and Tessa getting all the
8:00:19kids fed, they had them loaded and ready
8:00:21to move. Nothing else had attacked the
8:00:24survivors at the next farm, and Carl was
8:00:26fairly sure there was room in the wagon
8:00:28for them, even if they needed to lay
8:00:30down for a while. The kids had learned
8:00:32that they could dangle their arms over
8:00:34the sides to see out, and the cloth of
8:00:36the walls would support most of their
8:00:38weight. This method actually turned out
8:00:40to be smoother riding than the hard
8:00:42wooden wagon, as the silk had some
8:00:44stretch to it. So, the riders simply
8:00:46bounced and weren't harshly jostled as
8:00:48Thor joged through the fields. Thor took
8:00:51them straight to the halfozen survivors
8:00:53at the next farmhouse, and Tessa began
8:00:55healing even before the wagon stopped.
8:00:58"Sir, might I ask what you're doing? The
8:01:01children were safe underground.
8:01:04The juvenile troll asked as they
8:01:05approached. Carl could see that he had a
8:01:08soldier's uniform on, but the five
8:01:10commander rank minotaurs were all
8:01:12farmers. There was no food or water in
8:01:15there. We are relocating them to safety
8:01:18outside the incident or to a farm that
8:01:20has the capability to protect against
8:01:22the aftermath of this tragedy. There is
8:01:25one behind us with a general on site and
8:01:27multiple royal rank soldiers. We held
8:01:30the position with no losses, so there
8:01:32should be others who have gathered their
8:01:34neighbors. Carl replied, "That was what
8:01:38this group had tried, but none of them
8:01:39were royal rank. So when they faced a
8:01:42royal rank cyclops the first night, they
8:01:44had lost half of the nearby families
8:01:46before it had been stopped, and the
8:01:47second night was even worse." The
8:01:50minotaurs glared at Carl as he implied
8:01:52that they were less competent than their
8:01:53neighbors. They knew who he meant
8:01:56because there were only two royal rank
8:01:58minotaurs within 30 km of them. There
8:02:01were some strong commanders, but only
8:02:03the two old royals lived nearby. What
8:02:06they didn't know was that there were
8:02:08others who just didn't leave the house
8:02:09often anymore and one that had been
8:02:11traveling when the incident started. But
8:02:14they had all ended up at Carl's
8:02:15location. Carl addressed the survivors
8:02:18again when nobody had anything else to
8:02:20say about him collecting the children.
8:02:23The war cleric has healed the worst of
8:02:24your wounds. Are you going to come with
8:02:27us? We will take everyone to relative
8:02:30safety. Once the army or a local force
8:02:33clears the area, those of you with
8:02:35families can return home to rebuild.
8:02:38They turned to each other and nodded. We
8:02:41will come with you. The six of us aren't
8:02:43enough to handle what is out here, so we
8:02:45will need to find a larger group anyhow.
8:02:48Traveling with you to defend the
8:02:50children seems like the best course of
8:02:52action. Carl nodded while the kids
8:02:54seemed nervous.
8:02:56Most of them seemed to recognize these
8:02:58people. But after a few seconds, Carl
8:03:01realized what the issue was. They were
8:03:04all wondering where their families had
8:03:05gone. They had been safely locked in a
8:03:08cellar and didn't know that the
8:03:09defenders had taken such gruesome
8:03:11casualties as the bodies were not out in
8:03:13the open. Load up and we will get going.
8:03:17There isn't much room, but if you need
8:03:19to bring any essentials, you can hang
8:03:21bags from the corner posts. They just
8:03:24shook their heads and got in the wagon,
8:03:26swaying awkwardly until they realized
8:03:28only the edges were stable. Thor had
8:03:31just started moving again when a massive
8:03:33blast of power in the distance nearly
8:03:35knocked him off his feet. The power sent
8:03:37Hawk tumbling through the air for a
8:03:39dozen kilometers and knocked Oilia to
8:03:42the ground while Carl slid backwards 5
8:03:44m. The buildings to their northwest were
8:03:47entirely leveled, and there was a mist
8:03:49of blood in the air near the horizon.
8:03:52Whatever had gotten too close had been
8:03:53obliterated, but Carl had no idea what
8:03:56had happened. Cara and Dana both sensed
8:03:59the next blast coming and put up a
8:04:01barrier to defend against it. Cara's
8:04:03wall of obliterate failed a split second
8:04:05after Rey and Carl both built birth
8:04:08shield walls to protect the group. The
8:04:11first fell, but the second held and
8:04:13Dana's barrier shifted the remaining
8:04:15energy over their heads. What in the
8:04:17seven hells was that? Lotus complained.
8:04:21Totem. All of the beasts thought at the
8:04:23same time. There are totem rank leaders
8:04:26fighting in the distance. I can only
8:04:29imagine the damage that they have
8:04:30inflicted on their surroundings if we're
8:04:32being hit this hard from over 30 km
8:04:34away. Carl relayed. Other side. Tessa
8:04:39warned. Carl put the shield all around
8:04:42them, making a dome, while Ray focused
8:04:45on the direction she sensed the attack
8:04:46coming from. This blast was much closer,
8:04:50and Cara's barrier was the one that
8:04:51protected them after both stone walls
8:04:53failed. This time, they could see the
8:04:56cloud of blood and ghostly mist in the
8:04:58air than the shift in energy as the
8:05:00combatants moved dozens of kilometers
8:05:02between skills. The emperor caught the
8:05:05hint. Remy surmised.
8:05:08It felt like their energy, but the
8:05:10question was how anyone was expected to
8:05:12survive this. Then the sense of power
8:05:15faded as they made a larger move, taking
8:05:17the fight elsewhere. All civilians take
8:05:20shelter underground.
8:05:22A magical voice boomed over the area. A
8:05:26little late for that. They've been and
8:05:28gone. But on the bright side, most of
8:05:31the boars and cyclops are dead now, Carl
8:05:35joked, hoping to ease the tension in the
8:05:37air.
8:05:38What is gone? The young troll asked. The
8:05:42emperor is having a disagreement with
8:05:44Councilwoman Lea. Or at least that's
8:05:47what it feels like. Carl offered. How
8:05:51does that explain anything? Oilia asked,
8:05:54and Carl realized that the oracle hadn't
8:05:56explained anything to anyone else.
8:05:59Councilwoman Lea may have reached the
8:06:01totem rank, and she is somewhat of a
8:06:03free spirit. I don't have any real
8:06:06details, but when she left our location,
8:06:08it was assumed she was planning to go
8:06:10overseas on vacation. An unauthorized
8:06:13vacation, it seems.
8:06:16Hopefully, it doesn't get too out of
8:06:18hand. Overhead, Hawk warned as he ducked
8:06:21into his space. All barriers up. Thor,
8:06:25we're counting on you to protect the
8:06:27little ones. Hawk coated Ray's stone
8:06:30wall with ghostfire body while Carl used
8:06:33flaming body on his for extra safety.
8:06:36Then Cara put all her energy into
8:06:39nullify hoping to dissipate some of the
8:06:41energy that was coming at them from only
8:06:44a few thousand m overhead. The blast was
8:06:46overwhelming.
8:06:48Carl felt all the barriers shatter, even
8:06:50with his whole group pouring everything
8:06:52they had into them. Then a massive troll
8:06:55crashed into the ground with a
8:06:56victorious smile on his face and a
8:06:58branch in his hand. You I've got
8:07:02you now. He snarled as magical chains
8:07:05began to wrap around the haint. Leafa's
8:07:08face turned to face Carl and he could
8:07:10have sworn that she winked at him before
8:07:11she was engulfed in purple magical
8:07:13chains and her aura began to drop,
8:07:15returning to the overlord rank. Item
8:07:18gained. Sword of champions
8:07:21artifact grade item. The blade was
8:07:24beautiful, glowing a faint myithil blue
8:07:26and covered with runes that leaked
8:07:28power, but it felt hollow, completely
8:07:30drained of soul energy. Lea had used
8:07:33every drop of energy that it had trying
8:07:35to escape the emperor, but she hadn't
8:07:37managed to get away, and with her aura
8:07:39returned to overlord rank, the emperor
8:07:41seemed confident that she would no
8:07:42longer be a threat to him. The haint
8:07:45seemed unconcerned as he set her back on
8:07:47her feet while he sat in the grass,
8:07:49catching his breath and letting his
8:07:50regeneration regrow the missing chunks
8:07:52of his body. Oh, it's the merchant Carl
8:07:56and his band of merry makers. Good to
8:07:58see you again. She greeted them. It's a
8:08:02pleasure to see you as well,
8:08:04Councilwoman.
8:08:05Do either of you require healing? It
8:08:08might be a moment before our clerics
8:08:10recover, but we can help. She waved her
8:08:13hand dismissively.
8:08:15We will be fine by then. Did you see the
8:08:18oracle lately? He's at the farm we were
8:08:21at earlier. Lea nodded. Lovely. Where
8:08:26was that? Carl gestured in the right
8:08:28direction. About a halfhour jog that
8:08:31way. You'll find them easily enough with
8:08:34soul sight. They have a number of royal
8:08:36rank minotaurs with them. You know about
8:08:39soul sight? That makes life easier. We
8:08:43should take time to catch up one day.
8:08:46The emperor was glaring at Carl, who was
8:08:48baffled by the haint's strange behavior.
8:08:51She remembered him, but she appeared to
8:08:53have lost her short-term memory. Or
8:08:55perhaps it had been purged by the spell
8:08:57she was under. Certainly, I am sure that
8:09:01you have a wealth of knowledge to pass
8:09:03on. Carl agreed easily. She was one of
8:09:07the leaders of this nation and while she
8:09:09was openly fighting with the emperor
8:09:10only a few minutes ago, anyone could see
8:09:13that they had settled their issue. The
8:09:15emperor stared at the cloth wagon full
8:09:17of children. Is there a particular
8:09:20reason for the relocation?
8:09:22He asked delicately.
8:09:24The damage from the recent incidents
8:09:26left them homeless. We were going to
8:09:28bring them to a group that could protect
8:09:30them. Carl replied with a casual shrug.
8:09:34That could be a lot further now that the
8:09:36two totem rank monsters had leveled half
8:09:38of the countryside.
8:09:40But eventually they would find a safe
8:09:42spot to drop everyone off. I will bring
8:09:45them with me. Once we recover the
8:09:48oracle, I will bring everyone to the
8:09:49fortress. The emperor insisted.
8:09:53They might be all right at the location
8:09:55where the oracle is waiting. The
8:09:57defenders there are strong enough to
8:09:58deal with most of what is left. The
8:10:01emperor nodded. If they are strong
8:10:03enough to hold until the army clears the
8:10:06area without any additional losses, I
8:10:08should be able to trust them with a few
8:10:09more mouths to feed. Carl smiled. We
8:10:13left them over a hundred bores cleaned
8:10:15and dressed for butchering. They'll be
8:10:18at that all day and then salting and
8:10:20smoking it for ages. The fields that we
8:10:23could save won't be much supplemental
8:10:25feed, but they haven't taken any
8:10:27casualties since they arrived. The
8:10:29emperor looked startled. You and the
8:10:32local farmers held a location with zero
8:10:34casualties.
8:10:36How many people are there? Carl did a
8:10:39quick mental calculation.
8:10:41After the royal rank farmers called for
8:10:43their neighbors the morning after the
8:10:44first attack, there have been about 20
8:10:46proper fighters plus children and some
8:10:48crippled that our clerics couldn't fully
8:10:50heal. I don't know if you have any
8:10:52clerics in the area, but if you can get
8:10:54another dragon cleric to come to them,
8:10:56it should solve most of their issues.
8:10:59These ones have sworn an oath to remain
8:11:01with our group, and I presume you are
8:11:04also under a similar oath." Carl nodded.
8:11:08"Yes, not to abandon any of my people or
8:11:10go off without them." The emperor
8:11:13nodded, then turned toward the wagon
8:11:15where Tessa was working to free Thor
8:11:17from the harness. "It was all royal rank
8:11:20spider silk, so she couldn't just cut it
8:11:22without using a skill."
8:11:24The emperor nodded politely to her as
8:11:26Tessa got the hesitant Thor to move away
8:11:28from the wagon. He had just gotten it,
8:11:31and he was understandably reluctant to
8:11:33let his new wagon go, especially when it
8:11:35was full of small creatures that could
8:11:37scrub his scales when they stopped.
8:11:39"Lifa, let's go. Say goodbye to your new
8:11:43friends," the emperor demanded,
8:11:46returning to his borderline enraged
8:11:48state when he had to talk to the haint.
8:11:50Leafa waved to everyone but didn't say
8:11:53anything until she passed by. Carl. I
8:11:56feel like I'm supposed to come see you
8:11:58again one day. I will see you when I
8:12:00remember why. She whispered nearly too
8:12:03low for even his sensitive hearing to
8:12:05pick up. Then she was gone, stepping
8:12:08through a portal that led to the farm
8:12:10Carl had been at this morning. He hadn't
8:12:13realized that she could just open a
8:12:14portal instead of vanishing. That was
8:12:17quite the skill set, and it was a
8:12:19miracle that the emperor managed to
8:12:21catch her in the first place. But
8:12:23perhaps there was some limitation on it,
8:12:25or she couldn't do it after she broke
8:12:27their bond. The emperor took the leads
8:12:30to the pulling harness for the wagon and
8:12:32followed her without looking back,
8:12:33leaving Carl and his team alone in the
8:12:35middle of a zone of destruction. There
8:12:38were no intact structures in sight. Not
8:12:40even the small stone shed had survived
8:12:42the battle of the totems intact. Dana
8:12:45activated her movement skill to step up
8:12:47into the sky, then turned in a slow
8:12:49circle as she ascended. After only half
8:12:52a minute, she returned to the ground and
8:12:54shook her head. If there were other
8:12:57survivors near us, there aren't anymore.
8:13:00Everything is gone. The invaders, the
8:13:03buildings, the crops, any survivors that
8:13:05were above ground. Everything,
8:13:09she explained.
8:13:11I suppose everyone needs an explanation.
8:13:14I learned while speaking with her during
8:13:16the battle that Miss Lea is bonded to
8:13:18the emperor with a spell, but when she
8:13:19broke through the totem rank, she
8:13:21escaped the bond and went on the run.
8:13:24What we just saw was him recapturing
8:13:26her. The purple chains of that ability
8:13:28should be locking away some of her
8:13:30memories and restraining her powers.
8:13:33So, basically, she forgot everything
8:13:35after we left the fortress. If we run
8:13:38into her again, she probably won't
8:13:40remember fighting at the farm with us.
8:13:43However, she's there now and someone
8:13:45might say something that helps her
8:13:47remember. Carl explained.
8:13:50So, she's not part of the council of her
8:13:52own free will. Tessa asked. I can't say
8:13:57for certain. She seems to enjoy her time
8:14:00on the council, but she definitely wants
8:14:02to break her bond to the emperor and
8:14:04flee the continent as well. What next?
8:14:08Was there a reason other than the
8:14:10survivors that we were going this way?
8:14:12Dana asked. The spellb blades are
8:14:15northeast of us. I was taking us there
8:14:18by the easiest route. Once we have
8:14:21regrouped with them, we can make our way
8:14:23out of the country. We have more
8:14:25information to pass to them, and they
8:14:27should have a way to pass that
8:14:28information back to the people in
8:14:30charge. Tessa looked around at the
8:14:32situation, then sighed and rubbed Thor's
8:14:35head. On the plus side, even though we
8:14:37turned over the orphans without so much
8:14:39as a thank you, we can now get back to
8:14:41moving at a decent speed. Carl smiled
8:14:45and Ry called out a pair of golems.
8:14:48Yes, we can ride in style now. Oilia, do
8:14:52you think you can ride without a saddle?
8:14:54Carl asked. I think so. The golems move
8:14:59pretty smoothly, but can the bodyguards
8:15:02keep up with Thor? The Naga warriors
8:15:04gave her a thumbs up while the Lameia
8:15:06pair nodded. They might struggle to
8:15:09catch the golems or Ray in a straight
8:15:11line, but they were pretty quick, and
8:15:13Thor would only be at a casual jog that
8:15:15he could keep up all day. Carl mounted a
8:15:18golem and took the point position while
8:15:20Hawk soared overhead, scouting the area
8:15:22for surviving threats. Their chosen
8:15:25route out of the area had nothing, as
8:15:27the last attack had been nearly
8:15:29overhead, and that didn't give the giant
8:15:31boores much of a chance. if there was
8:15:33anyone alive and hiding underground,
8:15:36Hawk was determined to ignore it so that
8:15:37they could actually make progress today
8:15:39and not just keep stopping to pet babies
8:15:41and build wagons.
8:15:43Neither of those activities held any
8:15:45interest for him. But once they found
8:15:47the group of Dana mages, they were
8:15:49guaranteed to find action. Every time he
8:15:52had met them in the past, there was a
8:15:54fight of some sort, and most of them
8:15:55were with new species.
8:15:58That had to be a good sign of their
8:15:59interesting nature.
8:16:01So he flew to the edge of the
8:16:03destruction and searched for surviving
8:16:05Cyclops and bore teams. Dead was dead
8:16:08when the rest of the team arrived, and
8:16:10they wouldn't stop just because it was
8:16:11Hawk that killed some of them. Carl
8:16:14could hear his plotting, but it wasn't
8:16:16much different from what he would have
8:16:17ordered. Anyhow, even at the casual
8:16:20jogging pace, it wouldn't take them too
8:16:22much longer to make their way out of the
8:16:24affected area. There was a chance that
8:16:26some of the invaders had scattered, but
8:16:29a few groups wouldn't be a major issue,
8:16:31even if Hawk didn't find them first. The
8:16:34Dana mages are on the move again, but
8:16:36they're slow today. I think that
8:16:38something happened to them. Hawk
8:16:41updated. Can you tell what it is? I
8:16:44think that they have wounded members.
8:16:47They don't have the hiding spell up
8:16:48anymore, and some of them are being
8:16:50carried on a cloth between people. How
8:16:53far are they? about an hour if Thor
8:16:56runs. Hawk guessed. You up for it,
8:17:00buddy? Carl asked Thor, who started to
8:17:03run instead of answering? The startled
8:17:06passengers held on for dear life as the
8:17:08Sarah's swaying gate turned into a
8:17:10ramming speed sprint. But the saddle was
8:17:13made for this, and the golems had no
8:17:15problem keeping up, while their
8:17:16multi-legged body gave them a much
8:17:18smoother ride. After half an hour,
8:17:21Thor's stamina was fading, and his
8:17:23sprint had faded to a run and then to a
8:17:25fast jog. But the Spellblade Clan was
8:17:27now in sight, and they should have been
8:17:29able to recognized Carl and the others
8:17:31just as easily as he recognized them.
8:17:34They had even been sending scouts up
8:17:35every 10 minutes to get a better view.
8:17:37So, there was no way that they didn't
8:17:39know Carl's team was coming by now. Once
8:17:42they realized that Carl was coming to
8:17:44them, Prince Corbin turned his clan back
8:17:46towards the incoming elites and the
8:17:48promise of healing from the clerics they
8:17:50knew were with them. Carl didn't bother
8:17:52getting down from the golem when they
8:17:54met. He just nodded politely to the
8:17:56other royal rank elite and waited for an
8:17:58update. We were caught by surprise when
8:18:00the pair of fighting totems appeared
8:18:02overhead. We were far too close to their
8:18:05battle and they didn't appear to care
8:18:07that there were others in the area. Do
8:18:09you know who had the audacity to attack
8:18:11the emperor? Scratch that. Can I get
8:18:14your clerics to heal my people? We have
8:18:17some severe injuries that our potions
8:18:19couldn't handle. We can discuss the rest
8:18:22later. Corbin began. Of course. Tessa.
8:18:27Lotus. Would you look after the spell
8:18:29blades? Remy, you can help as well if
8:18:32you would like. Remy came out with a bag
8:18:35full of potions to test on the wounded.
8:18:37And Tessa did her best not to laugh at
8:18:39the aspiring alchemist.
8:18:41Even if she poisoned them with a bad
8:18:43concoction, there were still other
8:18:45healers around. Or Remy could just cast
8:18:47a healing spell on them to cure it. Most
8:18:50of the damages were internal aftermath
8:18:52of the blasts from the totem rank
8:18:54battle, and without intensive treatment,
8:18:56they might not make it. That sort of
8:18:59healing wasn't easy for most healing
8:19:01potions, and it was one of the reasons
8:19:03that the doctors had originally
8:19:04suggested to Remy that she work on using
8:19:06healing splash as an injectable healing
8:19:09spell. A regular healing spell worked
8:19:12from the skin inward. A potion worked
8:19:14from the stomach out and took a while to
8:19:16take effect. But injected into the
8:19:19blood, a healing spell would be much
8:19:21more evenly dispersed.
8:19:23That was what she tried first with one
8:19:25of the most severely injured ascended
8:19:27rank spellblades.
8:19:29Remy crouched over the casualty as if
8:19:31listening to their heartbeat, then
8:19:33suddenly bit the victim's arm and
8:19:34injected healing splash. Then she fed
8:19:38him a blue potion and hovered over him
8:19:40to watch the effect, using her long
8:19:42lower body as a base so she could remain
8:19:44close enough to see all the minute
8:19:45changes. That works better than
8:19:48expected. We should get someone to make
8:19:50us needles and then we can just stab
8:19:53people with healing. Rey laughed at the
8:19:55reaction people would have to a needle
8:19:57the size that Remy had in mind to inject
8:19:59them with a whole potion. Rey is right.
8:20:02I think it has to be concentrated for
8:20:04injectable use. Carl agreed. That's
8:20:08easily fixed. But most importantly, look
8:20:12how well biting people works for
8:20:13healing. I'm going to bite another one.
8:20:17Her body darted toward another wounded
8:20:19spellblade, a commander, who she bit on
8:20:21the neck like a vampire. The man
8:20:24squeaked in horror. Then the lacerations
8:20:26and bruising on his body began to
8:20:28visibly fade, starting at the bite mark.
8:20:31You're letting her do that because it's
8:20:33funny, aren't you? Healing splash
8:20:36doesn't have to be injected. Prince
8:20:38Corbin asked Carl quietly. It actually
8:20:41works faster when injected.
8:20:44But yes, she could just douse them with
8:20:46it or feed them the spell suspended in a
8:20:48potion. The spellblade prince shook his
8:20:51head and Carl noticed that Remy had
8:20:53picked up a heavily injured girl. Nobody
8:20:56else in the group was that small. It had
8:20:59to be Tamarind, formerly Tory the mage.
8:21:02As she was still ascended, she had taken
8:21:04heavy damage from the blast. And Remy
8:21:06had shown at the beast temple that she
8:21:08had a thing for grabbing and relocating
8:21:10small people.
8:21:12Don't run away with her after she is
8:21:13healed. Carl warned. No problem. She
8:21:18just needs more healing than my bite and
8:21:20a potion. So, I'm bringing her to Lotus.
8:21:24Carl and Prince Corbin went over
8:21:25everything that had happened to their
8:21:27group since they last met and found that
8:21:29the Spellblades had not had a much
8:21:30easier time than Carl's group had.
8:21:33Despite the fact that they had gotten
8:21:35stuck in a Cyclops spawn, the
8:21:37Spellblades had just had a terrible time
8:21:39getting out of the wilderness.
8:21:41First, they had chosen to double back on
8:21:43their route, so they would be further
8:21:45from the major population centers, but
8:21:48that put them only a few kilometers from
8:21:50the undead spawn. So, they had ended up
8:21:52moving camp in the middle of the night.
8:21:54Then, they had come across a group of
8:21:56nomadic demons who were not happy with
8:21:58the trespassers on their pastures. That
8:22:01had led to a small fight, but
8:22:02fortunately, no casualties.
8:22:05Then they had to divert again because
8:22:07there were soldiers everywhere working
8:22:09to contain the Cyclops spawn and the
8:22:11Spellblades weren't willing to try to
8:22:13pass themselves off as local as it would
8:22:15just lead to being conscripted for the
8:22:16cleanup effort. So while Carl had been
8:22:20fighting for multiple days, the
8:22:21Spellblades had been running constantly
8:22:23and spending mana to keep the barrier up
8:22:25and avoid detection. Prince Corbin
8:22:28finished his story and leaned against
8:22:29his staff as he watched the healer's
8:22:31work. What's your plan from here on? Are
8:22:35you going to travel with us or are you
8:22:37looking for something in particular to
8:22:38help your growth? He asked. I need
8:22:42either a holy item or a unique skill
8:22:44that will help Thor, the lightning
8:22:46sparrow, grow. He has hit the limits of
8:22:49his natural potential, and he needs a
8:22:51bit of a bump to get him past the
8:22:52bottleneck and on to higher heights. So,
8:22:56I was thinking that we might stop at the
8:22:58wooden temple on our way back. If there
8:23:00is anywhere on the continent that will
8:23:02help a beast with holy affinity overcome
8:23:04their limits, that should be the place.
8:23:07Corbin seemed to understand the concept
8:23:09of needing resources to surpass your
8:23:11natural limits quite well. This might
8:23:14seem like a wild goose chase, but I
8:23:16remember back when the elite program was
8:23:18first starting, my second year in
8:23:20school, I believe there was an incident
8:23:22near the three-way border between New
8:23:24Beasts and the mountain giants that
8:23:26involved a holy relic. A bunch of the
8:23:29teachers were gone for nearly 3 weeks
8:23:31investigating it. The incident was near
8:23:34Dunster, northeast of here. Well, almost
8:23:37north from here, but that's 1,000 km of
8:23:40wilderness away. If you go that way, you
8:23:43can follow the mountain giant border all
8:23:45the way to Chipri Lake. It's far from a
8:23:48safe route, and it will put you within a
8:23:50few kilometers of the front lines
8:23:52between New Bond and the Mountain
8:23:53Giants, but it was supposed to be
8:23:55incredibly powerful. Carl looked at the
8:23:58map inside. The area had four nations
8:24:01claiming territory within a 100
8:24:03kilometers of it, and all four of the
8:24:05nations were hostile to each other. As
8:24:08good as that opportunity sounds, it is
8:24:10probably smarter not to go anywhere near
8:24:12that spot right now. With the giants
8:24:15acting up and the fact that they're
8:24:17going to have better weapons soon,
8:24:18things are going to get dicey. Prince
8:24:21Corbin frowned at the reminder. That's
8:24:24another thing. I've never heard of a
8:24:26monster spawn monster having enough
8:24:28lucidity to talk to anyone, much less
8:24:30form battle strategies and remember
8:24:32trade skills. Even species that should
8:24:35have some level of civilization don't
8:24:37attempt to build anything when they come
8:24:39from a spawn. They're just crazed by the
8:24:41anomaly. But somehow that cyclops was
8:24:44not. Not just that, the mountain giants
8:24:47knew that it was not crazed and they
8:24:49came for it. That sounds to me like the
8:24:52Cyclops Forge masters have the blessings
8:24:54of a Titan god protecting them. It's the
8:24:57only thing that makes sense to protect
8:24:59their minds from the anomaly. Carl side.
8:25:03And if the Titan gods are protecting
8:25:05them, then they are also interfering to
8:25:07assist the giants in their war. With
8:25:09that sort of advantage, the giants might
8:25:12begin to rise again and not remain in
8:25:14the nations they've established.
8:25:16I wonder if they found something. The
8:25:19orcs mentioned that they're looking for
8:25:20fragments of the original dragon scale.
8:25:23It was supposed to have been buried on
8:25:25this continent along with the demagod
8:25:27who had taken it, but nobody knows where
8:25:29that is. That's why the orcs are
8:25:31nomadic. They are actually working a
8:25:33grid pattern to search the continent for
8:25:35signs of the ancient grave. Prince
8:25:38Corbin pald. I think that I know what
8:25:41they're looking for. It's not a grave at
8:25:44all, but a stable anomaly. It's in the
8:25:47southern end of the Beastkin Nation,
8:25:48deep within the jungle and hidden within
8:25:50one of their ancient step pyramid
8:25:52temples. I came across it on a mission a
8:25:55few years ago and reported it, but
8:25:57nothing came of it. According to the
8:25:59teams that came after me, there is
8:26:01nothing in the temple, but I clearly saw
8:26:03the tomb of a titan and felt the power
8:26:05of a demigod.
8:26:07Unfortunately, I could not enter. The
8:26:10anomaly was there. I know it was, but
8:26:13when I tried to enter, I simply stepped
8:26:15through the portal like a mirage. It's
8:26:17not that far off our route. We could
8:26:19stop in again on our way back and try to
8:26:21look into the anomaly to see what might
8:26:23be in there. Carl smiled. You don't seem
8:26:27enthusiastic about the idea. Corbin
8:26:30shook his head. Would you be all that
8:26:33eager if you knew the sort of traps that
8:26:34a demagod could set on their moselum?
8:26:37Carl's smile faded. You make an
8:26:40excellent point. Even if we can find it,
8:26:43getting to any treasure that it might
8:26:45contain is an entirely different matter.
8:26:48However, if we could at least prove that
8:26:50the anomaly was there and stable, we
8:26:52would be able to report back on its
8:26:53existence. That should earn us some
8:26:56rewards and perhaps even get a team of
8:26:58blue dragon clerics sent there to
8:27:00research the facility. If anyone can
8:27:03find a way in, it would be the clerics
8:27:05of the god of knowledge.
8:27:07So is that our route? Then we will head
8:27:10east, avoiding the roads and towns to
8:27:13head into the beastkin territories.
8:27:16If we pass south of Skipple, we should
8:27:18have a straight shot through the plains
8:27:19until we get near the border and into
8:27:21the jungle. It will be slowgoing until
8:27:24we get to the river, and from there it
8:27:26is easy enough to find the temple. They
8:27:28weren't trying to hide it when it was
8:27:30built. It was just that they built it so
8:27:32long ago that everything around it
8:27:33changed. Corbin explained.
8:27:37I will talk to the others, but I don't
8:27:39see it being a problem. We can follow
8:27:41the river back up to the lake so that we
8:27:43don't risk getting lost in the jungle. I
8:27:46don't know how much faster it will be,
8:27:48but at least we will know where we're
8:27:50going. Carl agreed.
8:27:53All right. As soon as my people are
8:27:55healed and fed, we will be ready to
8:27:57move. It's still a long walk out of the
8:28:00Newborn Empire borders. And I get the
8:28:02feeling that the emperor doesn't want
8:28:04you to linger any more than you have to.
8:28:06That might be an understatement,
8:28:09especially now that he suspected Carl
8:28:11had something to do with Lea breaking
8:28:13her bindings. If we see her again, I'm
8:28:16totally nullifying that spell. Cara
8:28:19agreed. The wounds weren't going to take
8:28:22long to repair as there were no missing
8:28:24limbs or organs.
8:28:26There was heavy internal damage from the
8:28:28blast, but for cleric healing, that was
8:28:30one of the easier forms of damage to
8:28:32heal, right behind simple cuts. Even
8:28:35broken bones were harder to mend than
8:28:37soft tissue damage. Tessa and Lotus
8:28:40already had everyone on their feet,
8:28:42though a few were still weak and
8:28:43exhausted, as healing used some of your
8:28:45own energy to do the mending. They had
8:28:48been pushing hard to get away from
8:28:49danger, so they didn't have a lot to
8:28:51spare. And now with the healing, they
8:28:53were going to need a proper meal and a
8:28:55short nap before they were back in top
8:28:57shape. That process was already started.
8:29:00And while it was a simple meal with no
8:29:02need for cooking, energy was energy. The
8:29:05part that really mattered was getting as
8:29:07far as possible from here by the time
8:29:08that it got too dark for the spellb
8:29:10blades to efficiently travel. They would
8:29:13be headed northeast in order to increase
8:29:15their distance from the incidents
8:29:16borders. And then they would start
8:29:18heading for the Beastkin Nation border.
8:29:21That was going to take them most of a
8:29:23week, and they would have to cross from
8:29:24the open grasslands through a large
8:29:26portion of marshland before entering the
8:29:28jungle. That was going to slow their
8:29:30progress even more than the fact that
8:29:32the spellblades didn't have superhuman
8:29:34strength on their side. So, their
8:29:36traveling speed was mediocre, even with
8:29:38magical assistance.
8:29:40Oilia could cover more ground than they
8:29:42did in a day, just relying on warbear
8:29:44form. Everyone, finish eating and then
8:29:47get some rest.
8:29:49You have 1 hour and then we're moving
8:29:51out again. Corbin warned his team. Hawk
8:29:55landed next to the camp and brought out
8:29:56chunks of boar to roast. Only Thor
8:29:59didn't enjoy a good chunk of ham, and
8:30:01with so much in his inventory, Hawk was
8:30:04even willing to share with the Not Dana
8:30:06mages. The fact that this one came fresh
8:30:09from the zone and not from his stockpile
8:30:11was mostly irrelevant. Even with all the
8:30:14extra people to feed, a whole boar was
8:30:16far too much food.
8:30:18But they only had an hour, according to
8:30:20Corbin. So they began picking the prime
8:30:22cuts and preparing to roast them for
8:30:24lunch. What do we even do with all this
8:30:27extra? Unlike you, we can't just store
8:30:30it indefinitely in raw form. Corbin
8:30:33sighed. Either leave it here or bring it
8:30:35to a farmer. Grab as much as we can cook
8:30:38quickly and I will have Hawk drop the
8:30:40rest off for a group of farmers. The
8:30:43ones outside the incident will still be
8:30:45short on meat. Hawk mentally laughed at
8:30:48the idea. Hurling half a boar at
8:30:51someone's porch sounded like a lot of
8:30:52fun. The spell blades made a 5 m long
8:30:56fire and then arranged the strips of
8:30:58meat on an extendable pole intended for
8:31:00their tent. Narrow strips draped over
8:31:03the top cooked quickly and were easy to
8:31:05flip. Then they just needed to cool the
8:31:07pole and clean it after they were done.
8:31:10If they had more time, that was how they
8:31:12would smoke and dry jerky. But nobody
8:31:15wanted to stay too close to a dangerous
8:31:17situation.
8:31:19Once the meal was done, the mages laid
8:31:21down for a short nap, and Hawk took off
8:31:24with the remainder of the boar, looking
8:31:25for a suitable target to donate it to.
8:31:28He was flying high in the clouds as the
8:31:30presence of a flaming blue aven monster
8:31:33with the wingspan of a full-grown rock
8:31:34or phoenix would panic the locals. He
8:31:38wasn't seeing many good targets at
8:31:39first. However, about 10 km north, a
8:31:43young boy was kneeling in the yard with
8:31:45his hands folded in prayer and his tusk
8:31:47trollish head facing the sky. He
8:31:50couldn't hear him, but he could read his
8:31:52lips well enough, even with the tusks.
8:31:55Gods, please forgive my family and end
8:31:57this famine. Grant us the food to make
8:32:00it through the winter and a strong
8:32:01harvest to send my sister to school. The
8:32:04boy was pleading with the sky. A sharp
8:32:07turn as Hawk released his claws sent the
8:32:09remains of the boar hurtling towards the
8:32:11farmhouse at well over a 100 km an hour
8:32:14and into the budding stalks of the corn
8:32:15plants in the field in front of the
8:32:17trollish child. The boy froze in shock
8:32:20as the animal flew over his head, then
8:32:22began to cheer and call for his parents
8:32:24to come outside as it crashed to the
8:32:26ground on the other side of the fence.
8:32:28Hawk was laughing uncontrollably in
8:32:30Carl's mind as the farmers tried to
8:32:32determine why a gift from the heavens
8:32:34would be a giant boar already gutted
8:32:36with the best cuts removed. It came from
8:32:39the sky. They had all seen that much.
8:32:42But why this boar in particular? Did
8:32:45they do something right to be gifted so
8:32:46much fresh meat? Or did they do
8:32:49something to anger the gods and make
8:32:50them take out the best cuts first? Was
8:32:53it as good as you hoped? Carl asked the
8:32:56happy bird.
8:32:58All that and more. You should see the
8:33:01looks on their faces. They're so
8:33:03confused.
8:33:05Hawk agreed. You're going to do it
8:33:08again, aren't you? As soon as I can find
8:33:10another boar. Forget throwing monkeys.
8:33:14Hurling food at people is much more fun.
8:33:17I saw in a book that the humans used to
8:33:20use it as a punishment, but the trolls
8:33:21are so happy. Remy giggled. That's
8:33:25because you threw the food to them and
8:33:27didn't hit them with it. The punishment
8:33:29was to hit them in the face with food
8:33:31while they couldn't run away. That
8:33:34wasn't quite how the stuckades worked.
8:33:36But they weren't entirely wrong either.
8:33:39As long as you're enjoying yourself and
8:33:41you don't hurt anyone. Just make sure
8:33:44that you don't drop a living boar in
8:33:46someone's yard. They might not be
8:33:48prepared for a fight. Carl warned. Got
8:33:52it. only dead food. Once everyone was
8:33:56rested and ready, the group got moving
8:33:58again, slower than Carl would have
8:34:00preferred, but moving steadily northeast
8:34:02out of the attack zone.
8:34:05Soon, they would be crossing the major
8:34:06road that ran east out of Cliffnull,
8:34:08where they were originally intending to
8:34:10sell their goods, but they couldn't
8:34:12follow that road east just yet, as it
8:34:14ran southeast down into the region that
8:34:16had been influenced by the Cyclops
8:34:17spawn. Hopefully, there hadn't been too
8:34:20many merchants going that way in the
8:34:22last few days. But Carl was certain that
8:34:24at least a few unfortunate groups had
8:34:26wandered into danger, unaware that
8:34:28anything had changed since they left the
8:34:30city. The road should be a good spot for
8:34:32the night. We can also pretend to be
8:34:35proper merchants again, despite our lack
8:34:37of wagon. Why don't we stop there for
8:34:40the evening and then if there is another
8:34:42incident, we might be able to gather
8:34:44more allies for the fight which we can
8:34:46leave in the morning under the guise of
8:34:47regular business. Carl suggested.
8:34:51Prince Corbin considered that for a
8:34:53moment and then nodded. That works for
8:34:56me. The less suspicion that our presence
8:34:59draws, the better. Even if we don't have
8:35:02any wagons, most of the groups that meet
8:35:04us at night won't know that until dawn,
8:35:06at which point we can make up an excuse.
8:35:09If there is no incident, we won't need
8:35:11to say anything. And if there is an
8:35:13incident, they'll be happy to have us
8:35:15and unlikely to look too deeply into our
8:35:17motivations.
8:35:19They made it to the road an hour before
8:35:20dark, a proper time for a traveling
8:35:22group to start setting up camp. Nobody
8:35:25within 10 km, and most of them are
8:35:28already set up for the night, Hawk
8:35:31reported.
8:35:32All right, you can come down and rest.
8:35:35Ry will take over the night watch duties
8:35:37in an hour or two. Hawk landed outside
8:35:40the camp and then smirked at Carl as he
8:35:43took out one of the many transformation
8:35:44tokens that Ry had stolen from the
8:35:46fortress. In his natural form, he was a
8:35:49massive flaming bird, blue at the
8:35:51feathers. But when he focused on toning
8:35:54down the fire, he turned back to red as
8:35:56the temperature dropped. But when he
8:35:58activated the transformation spell, he
8:36:00didn't turn into a human as Carl had
8:36:02expected. Instead, he appeared to be one
8:36:05of the feathered demons. His head looked
8:36:08the same, and while he had a mostly
8:36:10humanoid body and feathered arms, he
8:36:13still had pale blue and red wings on his
8:36:15back. "Ha, I am people now." Hawk
8:36:19chirped, then got the most confused look
8:36:21on his face. The spell is broken. I
8:36:25think that you need to focus more on
8:36:27looking like a human. You still look
8:36:29like yourself, but you're shaped a bit
8:36:31like a human. Carl explained while
8:36:34trying not to laugh. Hawk transformed
8:36:37back into his natural form, then focused
8:36:39hard on what humans looked like. He
8:36:42hadn't seen a lot of them without
8:36:43clothes on, but he at least understood
8:36:45the difference in male and female forms.
8:36:49So he focused on making himself into a
8:36:51Carl. He knew that form very well. Oh,
8:36:55that version is much better. You've
8:36:58still got a lot of feathers and wings,
8:37:00but you definitely look more human now.
8:37:03Carl congratulated Hawk as the
8:37:05transformation succeeded. He had pale
8:37:08blue skin and red feathers for hair and
8:37:10on the large wings on his back, but
8:37:12otherwise Hawk now looked human. He
8:37:16smiled and Carl noted that he didn't
8:37:18have teeth but a rim of shiny red beak
8:37:21that might cause some issues eating but
8:37:23it was a small thing. I am the Carl now.
8:37:27Hawk agreed. His voice was deep but
8:37:31musical and Corbin couldn't help but
8:37:33laugh. Is that the first time you use
8:37:36that ability? It's an incredible one. He
8:37:40congratulated the proud Thunderbird.
8:37:42It's a token. See, I got it from the
8:37:45Emperor Trolls fancy house. Bet Hoke
8:37:48Fortress,
8:37:50Carl explained.
8:37:52Oh, those are valuable items. They let
8:37:55you leave with them. Corbin asked. Both
8:37:59Hawk and Carl began to laugh, and the
8:38:01Spellblades did their best to hide their
8:38:03amusement as they realized what had
8:38:05happened. Oh, you borrowed them without
8:38:08telling anyone. I see how it is. Those
8:38:12spells are normally never allowed to
8:38:13leave the property. We have a few at the
8:38:16Spellblades sect as well, so that
8:38:18non-human visitors can take on forms
8:38:20that can speak a language we
8:38:21understand."
8:38:23Carl nodded. "Speaking of which, have
8:38:26you noticed that you can understand
8:38:27trolls and orcs much more easily than
8:38:29others? I noticed the other day that the
8:38:32system seemed to be translating orish
8:38:34and troll to common in my mind. I didn't
8:38:37notice at first, but when the guards
8:38:39came to investigate, I had to break up a
8:38:42fight because the demons couldn't speak.
8:38:43Orish. Prince Corbin froze in shock. You
8:38:48speak abyssal. Pardon? Corbin made a
8:38:51vague gesture, indicating that he was
8:38:53trying to determine how to explain the
8:38:55problem. The demonic guards of the
8:38:58newborn empire speak abyssal, not
8:39:00common. The orcs speak Orish, the trolls
8:39:03speak trollish, and they only switch to
8:39:05common for the benefit of humans or when
8:39:07they're speaking to someone who doesn't
8:39:09speak any of the other languages.
8:39:11Mostly, everyone speaks their own
8:39:13language, but they learn all the others
8:39:16so they can understand each other. Carl
8:39:18motioned for the others to come over.
8:39:21Did you have any problems understanding
8:39:23people after we arrived? Dana shrugged.
8:39:27The demons and sats have a brutal accent
8:39:29that is a pain to understand, but other
8:39:31than that, not really. The others all
8:39:34speak common pretty well, except the
8:39:36serpents. Corbin reached into his pocket
8:39:39and took out a pipe that he lit with a
8:39:41fire spell from his fingertip. So, the
8:39:44system doesn't translate serpent, but
8:39:46it's translating the rest for you all.
8:39:49Do the others hear heavy accents or
8:39:51unfamiliar words? He asked as he smoked.
8:39:55Oilia nodded. Trolls and orcs are easy
8:39:58to understand and the sats and minotaurs
8:40:01as well, but I have a terrible time
8:40:03understanding the demon's accent. They
8:40:05use a heavy slang, kind of like the
8:40:07mountain village farmers back home.
8:40:10Lotus looked confused.
8:40:12The demons sound funny. I thought that
8:40:15the orcs all sounded like they were
8:40:17drunk. One of the commander rank
8:40:20spellblades began to laugh. To think
8:40:22that I spent an entire year learning new
8:40:24languages when you five didn't even
8:40:26realize that you might need to. Lotus
8:40:29giggled.
8:40:31So you speak Minotaur? The man shook his
8:40:34head. The Minotaurs speak common, but
8:40:38the Sats don't. They speak a dialect of
8:40:41abyssal. The fact that you didn't even
8:40:44notice is just an unfair advantage.
8:40:47Tessa was making notes. So, this is the
8:40:50advantage of having more of the system
8:40:51functions unlocked.
8:40:54Personally, I can tell when their words
8:40:56are being translated.
8:40:58It has a distinctive inflection in my
8:40:59mind that's the same no matter the tone.
8:41:02Carl thought about that for a moment.
8:41:05That was not true for him. Everyone had
8:41:08a different way of speaking. It was only
8:41:11when they got mad like the emperor had
8:41:12that he began to hear their dialect.
8:41:15Maybe if he focused harder on what they
8:41:17were actually saying, he would get more
8:41:19detail from the translation.
8:41:21You could tell a lot about a human by
8:41:23how they spoke. So logically, he should
8:41:25be able to tell more about other species
8:41:27the same way. The novelty of being a
8:41:30Carl lasted about 10 minutes. Then Hawk
8:41:33returned to his space and his natural
8:41:34form. Talking to people was overrated.
8:41:38They just kept asking him strange
8:41:40questions about flying or wanted to
8:41:42touch his feathers.
8:41:44Ray smirked as Hawk retreated to safety.
8:41:47See, being here in the shadows is far
8:41:49superior to being out there where people
8:41:51who can bother you. We can't all be
8:41:54Thor, who people naturally want to love
8:41:56on and groom. Have you considered not
8:41:59trying to jump scare people? Cara asked.
8:42:03Considered it rejected the thought. Rey
8:42:06confirmed.
8:42:08Carl chuckled at their interactions and
8:42:10the way that they just accepted Hawk's
8:42:11decision that trying to be human was
8:42:13overrated.
8:42:14But now he knew how to do it. So if he
8:42:17wanted to come out in places where his
8:42:18natural body was too large to fit, he
8:42:21would be capable of it. No more forced
8:42:23sidelining. If they were fighting
8:42:25indoors, though, he would likely just
8:42:27remain in his space anyhow and cast out
8:42:29from there. The fact that they could use
8:42:31skills while in their spaces was the
8:42:33ultimate advantage for the beasts. If
8:42:36they didn't want to interact, they
8:42:38didn't have to, and nobody could bother
8:42:40them in there. She did come outside for
8:42:42the night watch, though. If there were
8:42:45any lost monsters or stragglers, she
8:42:47wanted the advantage of already being in
8:42:49the area when she detected them. It
8:42:52could save nearly a second in the
8:42:54process between finding them and eating
8:42:55them. She was the only one from Carl's
8:42:58group that was on watch that night. The
8:43:00rest of the work was being done by the
8:43:02Spellblades.
8:43:03The first light of dawn was Ray's signal
8:43:06to go to bed and Hawk's signal to start
8:43:08scouting. He could do it at night now as
8:43:11his vision had changed with his
8:43:12evolution and he no longer had any
8:43:15issues seeing at night. But that was
8:43:17Ray's turn to hunt and he didn't want to
8:43:19start family strife. There are merchants
8:43:22coming. They must have started moving
8:43:25very early from the south. Hawk informed
8:43:29them not long after taking off. That was
8:43:32not the expected direction as the road
8:43:34led through the area that had been
8:43:36affected by the spawn in that direction.
8:43:38But if they had come through that way,
8:43:40they should have additional information
8:43:42about the situation.
8:43:44Perhaps it had been mostly cleared and
8:43:46they wouldn't have to go east to get
8:43:47around the dangers. Prepare for
8:43:50visitors.
8:43:51They're coming from the south out of the
8:43:53danger zone, so they might be in rough
8:43:55shape. Carl warned the spellblades.
8:43:59The group was jogging down the road, and
8:44:01Carl noticed that they also didn't have
8:44:03a wagon with them. They had large
8:44:06backpacks full of supplies, but the
8:44:08packs looked like they were hastily
8:44:10assembled, and not the sort of pack that
8:44:12one would choose for a long journey.
8:44:14Carl stepped out to the edge of the road
8:44:16and raised a hand in greeting as they
8:44:18came into sight, hoping they would stop
8:44:20to give some answers.
8:44:22The group was entirely made of trolls,
8:44:24the slender blue skin variety, and they
8:44:27had a royal rank shaman leading them.
8:44:29Carl could feel the elemental magic
8:44:31lingering on him, like a scent of ozone,
8:44:34but not an actual smell. The shaman
8:44:37stopped in front of Carl and bowed
8:44:38slightly, panting hard from the run with
8:44:40a pack on. I take it that the road south
8:44:43of here isn't safe. We were coming
8:44:46across from the west and had to turn
8:44:48north to avoid trouble. Carl greeted
8:44:51him. You would be correct. We lost
8:44:54everything but what we could carry, plus
8:44:56two of our people. There is some sort of
8:44:59invasion of Cyclops and giant boores to
8:45:01the south. The army is out dealing with
8:45:04them, but there are so many that it will
8:45:06take them ages. Is it safe to go west
8:45:09from here? He replied, "Yes, you can go
8:45:13west overland from here. Just don't go
8:45:15much further south or you'll be into it
8:45:18again. It runs all the way to Bth Hoke
8:45:21Fortress. The troll cursed. So the city
8:45:25markets at Midford are inaccessible.
8:45:28Carl frowned. The city of Mitford was
8:45:31sacked. I don't know what has survived,
8:45:33but the whole city is in rebuilding
8:45:35mode, and I was told by overlord Lea
8:45:38that two of the council members are
8:45:39there overseeing it. The problem is that
8:45:42everything from here to there was
8:45:43invaded. You might make good money on
8:45:46what is left, but it would be safer to
8:45:48go west until you are past the fortress
8:45:50and then turn south if you want to trade
8:45:52there. The troll sighed and looked at
8:45:54his ragged group of companions.
8:45:57All of their clothes were tattered and
8:45:59their weapons were cracked and chipped
8:46:00from intense battle. The last thing that
8:46:03they wanted was another fight. If they
8:46:06hadn't been trolls and able to
8:46:07regenerate from the wounds that the
8:46:09boores and giants inflicted upon them,
8:46:11they would never have made it out. I
8:46:13don't suppose that you have any cloth
8:46:15for sale. We might not get through the
8:46:18fortress gates looking way that we do
8:46:19right now. Carl chuckled and nodded.
8:46:23Yeah, I've got a bit of cloth with me.
8:46:26Consider it a gift in hopes of good
8:46:28fortune. They still had the rough canvas
8:46:31that had been the cover for the wagon,
8:46:33and that would be enough to at least
8:46:34make a basic toga for each of the
8:46:36trolls, which they could hold closed
8:46:38with their sword belts. As he was
8:46:40handing over the plain gray cloth, one
8:46:42of the spellblades came over with an
8:46:44armload of cloth. "Here, take this as
8:46:47well." A simple kilt and clan mccaulay
8:46:50tartan looks good on everyone, and
8:46:52trolls usually go shirtless anyhow, he
8:46:55offered. The troll shaman turned to
8:46:58Carl. What did he say? I can't
8:47:01understand his accent at all. Carl
8:47:04chuckled. He is offering you a bolt of
8:47:07his clan signature tartan so that you
8:47:09look presentable and not like beggars in
8:47:11the rough canvas I have. The troll
8:47:14smiled and patted the confused man on
8:47:16the shoulder. Thank you. We will look
8:47:19glorious in your clan's colors. My
8:47:22people will wear it with pride. The
8:47:24trolls stepped to the side so they could
8:47:26change from their tattered clothes into
8:47:28kilts with crudely cut canvas tunics. I
8:47:31thought that my accent was fairly easy
8:47:33to understand.
8:47:35the spellblade whispered. It is for me,
8:47:38but apparently not for trolls who are
8:47:40used to the local common accents.
8:47:42They're happy to have the tartan,
8:47:44though. Is there a reason you had so
8:47:47much of it? The mage chuckled and shook
8:47:49his head. I have a spell to make it. I
8:47:53always carry one bolt of it in a spatial
8:47:55storage bag just in case. I will make
8:47:59another once we're on the road. You
8:48:01should speak to Lotus as we walk.
8:48:04She would be genuinely interested in a
8:48:06cloth creation spell that can make fancy
8:48:08cloth. Or perhaps Dana, as she's also a
8:48:11mage, Carl suggested. The mage shook his
8:48:16head. Clan secret, I'm afraid. We're not
8:48:20allowed to teach it to outsiders.
8:48:23I've tried to convince the elders to
8:48:24teach the whole spellblade clan as
8:48:27generations of my family have lived
8:48:28there. But this spell only makes my
8:48:30family's pattern and they said it wasn't
8:48:32appropriate. Carl shrugged.
8:48:36Still, if you change your mind, let one
8:48:38of them know. They might be able to
8:48:40modify the spell to make other patterns.
8:48:43The trollish merchants turned west and
8:48:45left as soon as they were presentable
8:48:47again. They weren't rushing, but they
8:48:50weren't waiting around for something
8:48:51else to find them.
8:48:53That left the surrounding area clear for
8:48:55the Spellblade clan to finish packing up
8:48:57and preparing to head east through the
8:48:59grasslands.
8:49:00First, they just needed to warn the
8:49:02groups coming south that there was
8:49:04danger ahead so that they didn't walk
8:49:05right into the incident unprepared.
8:49:08Carl jogged over when he saw a group
8:49:10coming, giving them plenty of time to
8:49:12slow down before reaching his team.
8:49:14There has been an incident south of
8:49:16here. There are cyclops and giant boores
8:49:19running rampant and the army is trying
8:49:21to clear them up. We met the remains of
8:49:24a trollish merchant group this morning
8:49:26and they lost everything including half
8:49:28their team. I wouldn't recommend that
8:49:31you go any further down the road. My
8:49:34people are going east instead. Carl
8:49:36warned the lead driver. Do you know how
8:49:38far east it goes? The driver asked. Carl
8:49:43shook his head. It goes west all the way
8:49:46to the fortress before it ends, but I
8:49:48don't know exactly how far east or
8:49:50south. Well, he did know yesterday, but
8:49:53it could have been partially cleared up
8:49:55by now. All right, we will wait here for
8:49:58the day then. Once we see someone coming
8:50:01north with news, we will know if we can
8:50:03move again. Thank you for the warning,
8:50:06traveler. Carl nodded. I lost my wagon
8:50:10as well. I was in the western end of it
8:50:13when the giants appeared. Be safe out
8:50:16there. The merchant wagon driver nodded
8:50:19and then gestured for his team to come
8:50:21forward as Carl returned to his group.
8:50:24All right, let's get a move on. The
8:50:26others know about the danger now, so we
8:50:29can let them tell anyone else who comes
8:50:30along, he explained. The spellb blades
8:50:34looked more than a little jealous as Ry
8:50:36called out her golems to take Carl and
8:50:38Oilia as riders while Hawk landed to
8:50:41take Dana for the day. His flames were
8:50:44ethereal, not hot in this form, and Ry
8:50:46had made a saddle just for this purpose.
8:50:49Dana, on the other hand, had not been
8:50:51informed of the change in plans. Wait,
8:50:54am I expected to ride on Hawk? She asked
8:50:58when he headbutted her to end her
8:50:59hesitation.
8:51:01That's the plan. You have ranged attack
8:51:04skills. He is the longestranged attacker
8:51:06on the team, so you're well paired.
8:51:10Besides, Ry just made him a fancy new
8:51:12saddle, and he hasn't gotten to try it
8:51:14out yet. Carl agreed. And why is it not
8:51:19you who is unlikely to suffer fall
8:51:21damage who is testing this theory?
8:51:24Because apparently I'm a ground
8:51:25attacker. I don't make the rules here. I
8:51:28just follow them. Do you need a hand up?
8:51:32Dana shook her head in dismay and used a
8:51:34movement skill to step up to Hawk's neck
8:51:36height, then settled into the saddle and
8:51:38began to tie herself into the harness.
8:51:41It was fairly intuitive, and it tied
8:51:43around her waist and thighs as well as
8:51:45over her shoulders so she could move her
8:51:47upper body freely, but not worry about
8:51:49being tossed too far back and forth.
8:51:52Well, I approve of the harness. It's
8:51:55solid and made of raised silk. I don't
8:51:58have to worry about it breaking. As soon
8:52:01as she had finished tying herself on,
8:52:03Hawk flapped his massive wings and
8:52:05rocketed into the air at a speed that
8:52:07folded Dana against his back. I need to
8:52:10warn her next time. It's not comfortable
8:52:12when it goes backward like that. Hawk
8:52:15noted as he used Ghostfire body to form
8:52:18a shield protecting her from the wind.
8:52:21Remember, she's not as strong as you or
8:52:23me. Her body isn't made for that sort of
8:52:26rapid maneuvering. You need to give her
8:52:28time to get a grip. Over the next few
8:52:30minutes, the new pair got used to each
8:52:33other, and Dana's narration let Hawk
8:52:35know what she was capable of enduring.
8:52:37Watching him dive, twirl, and swoop from
8:52:40side to side as Dana got used to flying
8:52:42was making Tessa laugh constantly.
8:52:45Oilia just looked happy that it wasn't
8:52:47her. The ride on the spider golems was
8:52:50smooth and comfortable, almost like
8:52:51riding on a sofa. If she had a proper
8:52:54cushion under her, it really would be.
8:52:57The pace was casual, just a brisk walk
8:53:00for Thor, even though the Spellblades
8:53:02were doing their best to cover ground
8:53:03before it started to get dark, and they
8:53:05had to stop again. That night, found
8:53:08them in open grasslands, mostly
8:53:10unpopulated now that Hawk's presence had
8:53:12scared off the smaller beasts and one
8:53:14nomadic tribe that only had six people.
8:53:17They had spotted the bird in the air and
8:53:19had simply changed directions to avoid
8:53:21coming into what it might consider its
8:53:23territory. The next morning, Dana wasn't
8:53:26nearly as reluctant to board her
8:53:28transport for the day, and the group was
8:53:30moving right at dawn. Their goal for the
8:53:32night was to make it to the river. They
8:53:35could either follow that southeast to
8:53:37the capital, or they could follow it as
8:53:39far as the road, then head northeast
8:53:41until they came to the trading route
8:53:42that led into the Beastkin Nation. That
8:53:45would take them close to their
8:53:46destination at the forgotten temple. It
8:53:49should take two to three more days to
8:53:51make it to the road along the river,
8:53:53then likely 10 more to the temple,
8:53:55depending on how slowmoving in the
8:53:56jungle was. Carl didn't have high hopes
8:53:59for the speed that the spellblades were
8:54:01going to manage once they were in dense
8:54:03trees or the marshes that they were
8:54:04going to get before the borders, but
8:54:06with their magic, they might be just as
8:54:08good in soft terrain as Thor was.
8:54:11However, Carl was thinking too far
8:54:13ahead. There wasn't much between them
8:54:16and the border but grasslands, marsh,
8:54:18and one town they would use as a
8:54:20waypoint. But getting that far was not
8:54:23going to be as easy as he had hoped. The
8:54:26first signs that all was not well in the
8:54:28land of Newon came just before dawn when
8:54:30Ray spotted a portal opening, but nobody
8:54:32came through. Instead, there were signs
8:54:35of spell casting on the other side, and
8:54:38then the magic in the area began to
8:54:39destabilize.
8:54:41Carl, get up. Something is happening. He
8:54:46opened his eyes and looked in the
8:54:47direction Ray's attention was focused.
8:54:50The spell was still ongoing, and it was
8:54:52doing something to the energy in the
8:54:54area. Carl couldn't tell what at first,
8:54:57but then something under the ground
8:54:58began to shake, and the ground itself
8:55:00began to glow. Carl felt one of the
8:55:03spellb blades coming over to see what
8:55:05had attracted his attention, so he
8:55:07motioned for silence as he pointed into
8:55:09the distance.
8:55:10I think that there is an ancient ruin
8:55:12there and someone is casting a spell to
8:55:14try to activate it. Ry spotted the
8:55:17portal when they opened it and I can
8:55:19sense the magic they're using, but I
8:55:21don't know what the goal is unless they
8:55:23are treasure hunters seeking an ancient
8:55:24artifact.
8:55:26Carl whispered. The spellblade nodded.
8:55:30That might be the case. We do the same
8:55:33thing from the sect compound at home. We
8:55:36have a portal array and we either send
8:55:38out teams or we check on known and
8:55:40likely opportunities.
8:55:42Seers can't tell when an anomaly or
8:55:44trial will appear until someone finds
8:55:46it. So, we search using historical
8:55:49references.
8:55:51Normally, we focus on things within the
8:55:53Golden Dragon Nation since those are the
8:55:55ones that might be a direct threat or an
8:55:57accessible opportunity.
8:55:59But there is no real reason that you
8:56:01couldn't focus on the historical sites
8:56:03of the other nations.
8:56:05If that is what someone is doing, there
8:56:07shouldn't be any effect on the area,
8:56:09though. It's just a scrying spell. If
8:56:13they are doing something to a ruin they
8:56:14found, that is an entirely different
8:56:16matter. They might have activated an
8:56:19ancient relic. Normally, we try not to
8:56:22do that as so many of them are unstable
8:56:24and could explode or cause other issues.
8:56:28Even the anomalies are some of the
8:56:29milder effects as they normally only
8:56:31last a day or two. Legend says that the
8:56:35old capital of Hitland, a human nation
8:56:37east of here, was completely obliterated
8:56:39when someone accidentally activated the
8:56:41ruins it was built over. 10 million dead
8:56:44within seconds. Carl frowned.
8:56:48Well, we can hope that whatever they're
8:56:50doing doesn't cause something like that.
8:56:52We're still far enough away that even if
8:56:54it would level a city, we should be
8:56:56safe. Besides, I can create stone walls
8:56:59for defense. A bomb outside the wall is
8:57:03much less scary. The spellblade nodded.
8:57:07About that wall. You might want to start
8:57:10thinking about making it. The power in
8:57:12the distance seems really unstable.
8:57:15Rey, want to give me a hand? Let's build
8:57:18a proper wall around the camp in case
8:57:20that thing blows up. I'm on it. Then
8:57:24Hawk can cover it in his ghost fire
8:57:26barrier. that should stop the rest of
8:57:29the damage. That turned out to be the
8:57:31worst possible answer. While they
8:57:34quickly managed to build the barrier,
8:57:36the power used to activate the skills
8:57:38was resonating with whatever was going
8:57:39on in the distance, and everything in
8:57:41between was beginning to shake. Trees
8:57:44were falling, the ground was trembling,
8:57:46and the portal snapped shut with a surge
8:57:48of power that Carl was certain had been
8:57:50the caster on the other side erecting
8:57:52their own barriers.
8:57:54What is going on? Why are we turtled
8:57:57into a stone castle? Prince Corbin
8:58:00called as he woke up. Someone opened a
8:58:02portal in the distance, and they were
8:58:04doing something that made the ground
8:58:06glow. It might be an ancient relic or
8:58:09trial. I didn't want the camp to take a
8:58:11direct hit if the ground exploded
8:58:13instead of just shaking, Carl explained.
8:58:17It was doing more than just shaking.
8:58:19Now, there was something coming up out
8:58:21of the ground, a simple stone construct
8:58:23that looked like the ruins of a city
8:58:25from Carl's vantage point. Hawk was
8:58:28resisting the urge to go out and inspect
8:58:30it for now. Until the mana stabilized,
8:58:33and he wasn't at risk of getting blown
8:58:35up, it was safer to just wait and keep
8:58:37his barrier up around the camp. Carl
8:58:40could see that there were crumbled
8:58:41granite walls, ruined buildings, and in
8:58:44the middle of the risen city, a faintly
8:58:46glowing purple sphere. Is it just me or
8:58:49does that look like a trial instance
8:58:51entrance to anyone else? Carl asked.
8:58:55None of us can see anything past the
8:58:57walls. Lotus reminded him. Carl
8:59:01shrugged. You can't see anything because
8:59:04Oilia is standing in front of you. But I
8:59:07get your point. I'm cheating with the
8:59:09relay from Ry. There is a ruined city
8:59:12that just came up out of the ground and
8:59:14a glowing something in the middle that
8:59:16might be a trial instance entrance.
8:59:18Now, someone triggered this, so it could
8:59:21get messy if they realize we're here.
8:59:23But I still think we should have a vote
8:59:25on whether to steal the instance from
8:59:27them if that's what it is. Corbin side.
8:59:30You're nuts. However, you're not wrong.
8:59:35Anyone who sees us in the area is likely
8:59:37to try to kill us. It might be safer to
8:59:40be inside the instance than outside of
8:59:42it. The rest of his clan prepared to
8:59:44move, trusting his judgment, and Carl's
8:59:47team waited for Thor and the golems to
8:59:49come prepare them for a trip. The city
8:59:52literally starts right outside this
8:59:53wall. It is less than a kilometer to the
8:59:56instance. We will do better moving on
8:59:59foot with a full retinue of guards, Carl
9:00:02explained.
9:00:04He also didn't want to damage the ground
9:00:06any more than it had been in case there
9:00:08were treasures there which were hiding
9:00:09in the dark. There was too much magic
9:00:12present for Rey and the others to tell
9:00:14if there might be treasures left behind,
9:00:16and that meant manually searching. The
9:00:19spell blades seemed to have the same
9:00:20idea as the moment that Carl and Hawk
9:00:23took down the defenses. They began to
9:00:25spread out, making a wide line to travel
9:00:27through the ruins instead of following
9:00:29the leader on a path that they knew had
9:00:31no traps.
9:00:32Rey did still call her golems, and Carl
9:00:35added the Lameia bodyguards to the
9:00:37group, but Dana left her golems in
9:00:39reserve. Unlike Rey, she didn't get much
9:00:42situational information from hers, only
9:00:44a vague sense of where they were and
9:00:46what happened around them. They couldn't
9:00:49be used to search for treasures in the
9:00:50ruins, but they might accidentally
9:00:52squish them into the soft dirt. The
9:00:55majority of the ruined city was still
9:00:57covered in the rich black top soil and
9:00:59long grass that had grown over it, but
9:01:01the magic which had caused it to rise
9:01:02was slowly dissipating the excess. The
9:01:06architecture was simple with fieldstone
9:01:08walls crumbled by time and piles of
9:01:10small round river rocks next to the
9:01:12remains of small houses. Many appeared
9:01:15to have been one room buildings, but
9:01:17there were signs of indoor plumbing, so
9:01:19they weren't completely primitive, just
9:01:21small homes. Do you think that these
9:01:24were the slums of town? All the small
9:01:26houses. And I see a lot of petrified
9:01:29wood piled up in the corners, but not
9:01:31split for firewood. I think they had
9:01:34bunk beds, so it might have been a
9:01:35military barracks as well. One of the
9:01:38spellblades noted quietly. The quality
9:01:41is good. Field stone with stone floors.
9:01:45Barracks or possibly traveler dorms
9:01:47would make sense. Corbin agreed. That
9:01:51reminded Carl of something he read in a
9:01:53history book. Back in the ancient past,
9:01:56when the system was fully active, most
9:01:58towns were built around a dungeon
9:02:00entrance. Both to keep the area secure
9:02:03and for the travelers and adventurers
9:02:05who came to visit supplied and fed.
9:02:07There was a whole industry around
9:02:09harvesting the resources from the
9:02:10dungeons. But it took skilled and
9:02:12powerful groups of warriors.
9:02:15But most dungeons were for groups of
9:02:16either five or 10 people. So, these
9:02:20small houses could be something like
9:02:22private hotels for them, rented to house
9:02:24the whole group, but not a lifelong or
9:02:26likely even a long-term residence. The
9:02:29slums would look empty in a place like
9:02:31this, as they would have been canvased
9:02:33tents or tin roofed shacks. Plus, there
9:02:36normally wasn't much left of them if the
9:02:38inhabitants had to evacuate.
9:02:41The magic that had raised the ruins from
9:02:43the ground was still too strong to
9:02:44detect much, even for Remy, who was very
9:02:47well attuned to mana flows as a shaman.
9:02:50But the Lenia bodyguards did find a few
9:02:52treasures in the dirt, which turned out
9:02:54to be silver chains with semi-precious
9:02:57stones in them. They handed them
9:02:59straight to Remy, though it was Tessa
9:03:01who actually knew how to identify
9:03:03magical items properly. However, it
9:03:06appeared that Remy could do it as well,
9:03:08though not in the same way.
9:03:10She had just learned to use the system
9:03:12to sort things that had some level of
9:03:13attunement.
9:03:15Inspect. Carl heard her think. Junk.
9:03:19Junk. Oh, shiny necklace of fireball.
9:03:23Damaged. Charges 050.
9:03:26Hawk. I got you a present. Hawk laughed
9:03:29when he saw what it was. Just put it in
9:03:32my space and I will see if I can make it
9:03:34not broken later. Neither of them
9:03:36actually knew how to fix the necklace,
9:03:38but it might be something obvious like a
9:03:41cracked stone or a broken link. They
9:03:43could fix the link, and they had lots of
9:03:45little stones from the giants. Giants
9:03:48always had stones in their pockets, and
9:03:50the beasts loved to collect them. Carl
9:03:53didn't even see them anymore. They were
9:03:55just pilered by the beasts as soon as
9:03:57they were detected. Along the line, one
9:04:00of the spellblades found a plain metal
9:04:02ring, and another found a broken amulet.
9:04:05There wasn't a lot of value to be found,
9:04:07but it was clear that whatever was in
9:04:09the center of this ruined city was
9:04:11powerful. I can see the thing. It's a
9:04:14purple sphere glowing and floating in
9:04:17the air. It doesn't look like a portal.
9:04:20Hawk noted. As they rounded the corner,
9:04:23everyone could see the orb and the
9:04:25platform that it was floating above.
9:04:28There were no stairs up to it, though.
9:04:30Perhaps it wasn't something that was
9:04:32meant to be touched like an instance
9:04:34entrance, but neither Carl nor anyone
9:04:37else present knew what else it could be.
9:04:39Prince Corbin made a gesture to his
9:04:41team. Everyone stay well back of the
9:04:44object until we know what it is. I need
9:04:47a volunteer to go forward and examine
9:04:49it. Carl nodded and patted him on the
9:04:52shoulder. You know, I'm going, but if
9:04:55you want to send one of your people as
9:04:57well, that's fine. Corbin raised an
9:05:00eyebrow in a curious gesture,
9:05:02questioning Carl's judgment. Are you
9:05:05certain? If there are dumb things to be
9:05:07done, that is my job. I have the best
9:05:10defenses and the highest chance of
9:05:12survival out of anyone present. In fact,
9:05:16I am invulnerable to many of the attacks
9:05:18that could others.
9:05:20So, I am going. Dana was glaring at him
9:05:23as Carl finished speaking, but he made
9:05:25an excellent point. If they needed an
9:05:28actual person to go forward and not a
9:05:30summoned creature, he was the best
9:05:32option. Next would be the Lameia
9:05:35bodyguards or the Naga warriors as they
9:05:38were intelligent and could explain what
9:05:39was going on. Carl motioned for them to
9:05:42join him as they could share barriers.
9:05:45Three layers was better than one,
9:05:47especially when two of the three barrier
9:05:49layers would be the monarch ranked
9:05:51flaming body barriers from the Lameia.
9:05:54One of the commanders from the
9:05:55Spellblade clan, an older man from
9:05:57Carl's perspective, but most likely only
9:06:00in his 40s with prematurely gray hair,
9:06:02joined him as he moved toward the orb.
9:06:05The trio extended their barriers to the
9:06:07spellblade as well, adding a level of
9:06:09safety as they cautiously approached the
9:06:11plinth beneath the purple orb. Carl
9:06:14stared at the runes for a moment, then
9:06:16gestured for the spellblade to come
9:06:17forward. The inscription was not in
9:06:20common or any language that Carl could
9:06:22read. Oh, I can read that. It's the
9:06:26language they use in shaman books. Let's
9:06:29see. Great power awaits those who dare
9:06:32to embrace the power of the world
9:06:34dragon. Take him into your heart and
9:06:37receive his blessing to know true power.
9:06:39Remy read. But the world dragon is in my
9:06:43heart. Are we not all faithful followers
9:06:45of the gods? He's in both the beast and
9:06:48dragon pantheons.
9:06:50Carl replied, not noticing that above
9:06:53his head, a faint purple copy of himself
9:06:55was forming. It took a moment for the
9:06:58beasts to notice it as well. So, the
9:07:00first warning that something was off
9:07:01came from the group behind them. Look
9:07:04up, Oilia called while the others froze,
9:07:08unsure what to do in this situation, as
9:07:10the apparition might be a good thing.
9:07:13Carl was wondering what to do when
9:07:14suddenly the mage behind him simply
9:07:16vanished. that brought everyone's guards
9:07:19up, but Carl held up a hand for them to
9:07:21stop. I don't think he's injured. There
9:07:25is an inscription to the world dragon on
9:07:27the stone, and I think that it might be
9:07:29system related. He warned them. The
9:07:32apparition over his head was becoming
9:07:34more solid, but he didn't sense any
9:07:36danger from it, as if it was just an
9:07:38illusion and not an actual spell effect.
9:07:41Then, words began to appear in Carl's
9:07:44vision. System active. Checking
9:07:48compatibility.
9:07:49Checking qualifications.
9:07:52Checking eligibility.
9:07:54First advancement trial completed.
9:07:57Upgrade compatible skills found. Then
9:08:00Carl's vision went dark and he heard Ry
9:08:02laughing in his mind. Now you're both
9:08:05gone. But don't worry, I'm calming down
9:08:08the others. She informed him in an
9:08:11amused tone. You are calming down the
9:08:14others. Oh, ye of little faith. I have a
9:08:18transformation toy, too, and I am much
9:08:20better at this than Hawk. Carl got a
9:08:23mental glimpse of her from Remy's point
9:08:25of view, looking very much like Morgana,
9:08:27the witch doctor in an elaborately
9:08:30decorated black gothic dress and cloak
9:08:32with a face veil and gloves. Except Ry
9:08:35appeared to be larger, as all of the
9:08:37humans present were shorter than the
9:08:38mental image Carl got before his
9:08:40attention was drawn back to the vision
9:08:42in front of him. Only Oilia's were bare
9:08:45form at well over 2 m was taller than
9:08:47she was. There were 10 copies of Carl
9:08:51standing in front of him, each wearing a
9:08:52slightly different set of armor. Some
9:08:55were carrying weapons, some were not,
9:08:57and one appeared to have on cleric robes
9:09:00over the armor while holding a staff
9:09:01with an ank. That one reminded him a
9:09:04little of Orthos, the bronze dragon. A
9:09:08floating message appeared over the
9:09:09clones and a stone room appeared so they
9:09:12no longer seem to be floating in the
9:09:13void. Class upgrade options. The message
9:09:17read. Carl turned to the one in the
9:09:19robes and activated the system overlay
9:09:22that he normally ignored for its lack of
9:09:24information on people and creatures
9:09:25without system access. Beast cleric, a
9:09:29disciple of the beast gods, gains access
9:09:32to advanced regeneration and holy magic.
9:09:36That wasn't bad at all. But Carl had an
9:09:39important question. Do I lose the skills
9:09:42that I already have if I change? He
9:09:44asked the void, hoping for a response.
9:09:48Class changes affect future advancement
9:09:50paths. Hopefully that was a no. Carl
9:09:54checked the other images to see what he
9:09:56could learn. Divine Hunter gains a bonus
9:09:59with bow skills. Adds holy damage to
9:10:03attacks. Ghost Ranger uses Ghost Fire to
9:10:06create smoke and mist based stealth
9:10:08skills. Gains a bonus on all surprise
9:10:11attacks. Beast avatar allows merger with
9:10:15a spirit animal to increase the effect
9:10:17of known skills. Those were all of the
9:10:20ranger looking options and none of them
9:10:22were particularly appealing to Carl.
9:10:25However, they were all supposed to be an
9:10:27upgrade to the beast master class that
9:10:29he already had. So perhaps they had some
9:10:31special skills that would make them
9:10:33worth it.
9:10:34Carl checked the ghost ranger class
9:10:36image closest to him and found that
9:10:37while the skill tree was hidden, he
9:10:39could at least see the class's core
9:10:41skills. Ghost fire mist appears as pale
9:10:45smoke in a cloud engulfing a 10 m radius
9:10:48from the caster. This mist enhances all
9:10:51other ghost fire skills and may be
9:10:53converted to ghost fire purgatory once
9:10:55the skill is known. Ghost body.
9:10:58Ghostfire stealth ability that allows
9:11:00the user to become incorporeal while
9:11:02within the ghost fire mist, passing
9:11:04through solid objects so long as the
9:11:06user's body touches the mist on both
9:11:08sides at once. Well, those skills were
9:11:12certainly better than what Carl had been
9:11:13expecting. But neither of them was
9:11:16really his style, and they didn't help
9:11:18his team much unless the emperor found
9:11:20out that he accidentally freed Lea. If
9:11:23that was the case, a good hiding spot
9:11:25and a way out of prison were going to be
9:11:26at the top of his priority list. There
9:11:29was a theme to these advanced classes.
9:11:31Carl noticed they all appeared to be
9:11:34related to a skill that he or his team
9:11:36knew. The beast cleric should be from
9:11:39eternal lightning. Ghost fire was a new
9:11:41innate skill to Hawk. And when he
9:11:43inspected the beast avatar, which could
9:11:45merge with a spirit beast, he found that
9:11:47its lone initial skill was beast space.
9:11:50the core of the beast master's ability
9:11:52to bond beasts. That one certainly
9:11:55wouldn't be much of an upgrade for Carl,
9:11:57but the ability to merge with one of the
9:11:59team members might be. Then there were
9:12:01whatever skills were still locked away
9:12:03in the skill tree. The next few were the
9:12:06same way. Not quite what he was looking
9:12:09for. Many of them seemed like classes
9:12:12that were meant for warriors, rogues, or
9:12:14mages who had an affinity for animals.
9:12:17Mostly they allowed the user to get the
9:12:19basic beast space along with a bonus
9:12:21that suited another class. That left
9:12:24only three options for him to check. The
9:12:27first was beast shaman, which Carl
9:12:30feared was going to be like the others,
9:12:32but actually added shaman magic to
9:12:34someone who could already use beast
9:12:35master type skills. The core skills of
9:12:38the class were simple. totems allows the
9:12:42beast shaman to create healing,
9:12:44regeneration, and earthquake versions of
9:12:46the totem. Maximum two totems effect
9:12:49doubles with every rank. Weather
9:12:52control. The beast shaman may create
9:12:55thunderstorm, blizzard, or sandstorm
9:12:58effects up to 10 m per rank in radius
9:13:00around the designated point. It was a
9:13:03good class, but he already had a remy.
9:13:06The second last class option was beast
9:13:08noble. The description for that one was
9:13:11just as simple. The beast noble gains
9:13:14the ability of mental domination to
9:13:17control beasts under their rank for the
9:13:18duration of their concentration.
9:13:21Up to two beasts per rank difference. It
9:13:24would let him simply order commander
9:13:26rank beasts to stop attacking or join
9:13:28his team as long as he focused on the
9:13:30skill. That could be useful, but it felt
9:13:34an awful lot like a sleazy cheat
9:13:35ability. So Carl turned to the final
9:13:39class option to see if there was
9:13:40anything at all which might be worth
9:13:42choosing. This was a once- ina-lifetime
9:13:45opportunity. That much was obvious. But
9:13:48if all the options were trash or simply
9:13:50not suited to his personality, it might
9:13:53be an opportunity that came when he was
9:13:55unable to grasp it properly. The
9:13:57description said that this would be his
9:13:59way forward, implying that whatever
9:14:01skills he hadn't taken from
9:14:02Beastmaster's skill tree would be
9:14:04unavailable.
9:14:05He had almost all the good ones, but
9:14:07there were still the tier four offensive
9:14:09skills to choose from. The final class
9:14:12option was beast commander. The class
9:14:16skill allowed him to bond one extra
9:14:17beast and to bond new beasts when one
9:14:20was killed or released. That also wasn't
9:14:23a bad class in theory. For a combat
9:14:26soldier, it would be an incredible class
9:14:29as they might lose combat beasts in
9:14:31battle and need to replace them. But
9:14:34Carl had no intentions of losing any
9:14:36friends, beast or otherwise.
9:14:39With a sigh of resignation, Carl sat
9:14:41down to consider his options. There had
9:14:44to be something to one of these classes
9:14:46that he was missing, something that
9:14:48would make it worth taking. As he
9:14:51considered his options, Carl scrolled
9:14:53through his system interface.
9:14:55Available skill points 51.
9:14:58Now, that was something that Carl could
9:15:00work with. Many of the class options
9:15:03were related to skills that he had. If
9:15:06he added another combat skill, there was
9:15:08a chance that he would get another
9:15:09option. 50 points rampage. Every time an
9:15:13enemy is damaged by the beast master or
9:15:16a bonded beast, increase the damage done
9:15:18by the beast master or the bonded beast
9:15:20for 1 minute. That was the best option
9:15:23that he had. And even if it didn't
9:15:25trigger a new class option, it was still
9:15:27a skill that he wanted to have. Plus, if
9:15:31he did pick a class skill, this would be
9:15:33his last chance to get it. Rampage
9:15:36learned. New advanced class option
9:15:39available. That was the best possible
9:15:42news. Carl turned to face the new image
9:15:45and smiled as he saw the name. Beast
9:15:48master pack.
9:15:50It was so similar in name that it had to
9:15:52be close to the path he wanted. The only
9:15:55question was whether it was a good class
9:15:57or not. The packmaster gains an
9:16:00increased percentage of base stats from
9:16:02bonded beasts. The description sounded
9:16:05great, but wasn't all that helpful. So,
9:16:07Carl moved on to the skills, pack
9:16:10tactics, damage, and healing done by
9:16:12bonded beasts, and the packmaster
9:16:14increased by 10% per rank. It was hard
9:16:17to argue with flat stat bonuses, but
9:16:20that wasn't the only class ability that
9:16:21the packmaster got. Bestial champion.
9:16:25The packmaster gains a bonus to speed,
9:16:27strength, and luck stats when his pack
9:16:29is threatened. Two passive skills for
9:16:32one class, and both of them were useful
9:16:34ones to Carl's mind. They suited the way
9:16:37that he fought and the role that he
9:16:39served within the group. Actually,
9:16:41choosing to change his class, even if
9:16:44there weren't many options left, was a
9:16:46strange thing to Carl.
9:16:48So, before he decided, he checked his
9:16:50skills. Attack skills. Tier four skill
9:16:54chosen, max. Core skills, none
9:16:57available. Defensive skills, available
9:17:01skills, barrier refresh.
9:17:04Carl knew there would be tier three
9:17:06versions of those defensive skills
9:17:07available after he bought them. But he
9:17:10had limited time to choose an option
9:17:12from this class menu. Like the trials,
9:17:15he might turn out to be this events
9:17:17lotus, ejected for just playing around
9:17:19instead of making a choice.
9:17:21He definitely did not want that to
9:17:23happen. Carl took a deep breath and
9:17:26placed his hand on the packmaster image.
9:17:28I choose beastmaster packmaster, he
9:17:31stated. Class change processing.
9:17:35Upgrade complete. Previous class skill
9:17:37upgrades locked. New skill tree
9:17:40unlocked. Hackmaster skill tree. 50
9:17:44points. Follow me, little one. Directly
9:17:47teach a known skill to a compatible
9:17:49target. 50 points pack first. Removes
9:17:53the usage and targeting limits on
9:17:55evolution, but adds an increasing
9:17:57materials cost every time it is used on
9:17:59a bonded beast. 50 points territorial.
9:18:03All attacks by the packmaster have a
9:18:05chance to cause intimidation.
9:18:07What sort of names were those? Carl was
9:18:10definitely making up new names to tell
9:18:12others when he used follow me little one
9:18:15in the future. If he was using it to
9:18:18teach a new skill to a juvenile beast he
9:18:20was recruiting, that was one thing. But
9:18:23if he was teaching a skill to one of the
9:18:25other elites, how embarrassing would it
9:18:27be to use that phrase out loud? However,
9:18:30there didn't seem to be many
9:18:31restrictions on the skill other than
9:18:33that the target had to be compatible.
9:18:35Maybe he could get around writing the
9:18:37spell books and just directly transfer
9:18:39knowledge to the target he wanted to
9:18:41have it. That would be incredibly
9:18:43useful. It also wouldn't lead to anyone
9:18:46wanting him to sit and write books for
9:18:48hours or days on end. He could just
9:18:51transfer the skill, say it took a lot of
9:18:53energy, and call it a day. Of course, it
9:18:56really might be draining to do. He
9:18:59wouldn't know until he tried. Exit in 5
9:19:02seconds.
9:19:04Carl found himself standing right back
9:19:06where he started, next to a stunned
9:19:08spellblade, who was staring silently at
9:19:10the purple orb. Carl whistled and
9:19:12motioned for everyone to come forward.
9:19:15This wasn't a thing that they could
9:19:17afford to waste. And once someone else
9:19:19realized that it was here, all hell was
9:19:21going to break loose. Forget the stable
9:19:24dungeon. This thing was as good an
9:19:26active set of system stones. Did you see
9:19:29that? The older spellblade whispered.
9:19:33Likely not quite the same as you did. I
9:19:36saw a class upgrade opportunity.
9:19:38Carl replied, "Class upgrade. I watched
9:19:43the end of the world, an a bridged
9:19:45version of the events that led to the
9:19:47destruction of the original system. Did
9:19:50you know that the world dragon scale
9:19:51actually created a system just for this
9:19:53world? Like a unique one, not the same
9:19:57as the one that was being used on other
9:19:58worlds. That's why the system collapsed
9:20:01when the world dragon scale was lost.
9:20:04The system stones are an attempt to
9:20:06recreate the original effect, not the
9:20:08source of the original system, he
9:20:11explained.
9:20:13So, it hadn't tried to awaken the system
9:20:15for him. It had just shown him a history
9:20:17lesson. Actually, that could be more
9:20:20valuable than anything else because if
9:20:22he knew the full and true history, there
9:20:24was a chance that he might be able to
9:20:25track down holy relics that would help
9:20:27them bring the system back to a fully
9:20:29online state. Carl, what is going on?
9:20:33Corbin asked. "No time for a chat.
9:20:37Everyone needs to focus on the power of
9:20:39the world dragon and their sense of
9:20:41piety." Carl replied, "Seriously,
9:20:46it's a religious artifact.
9:20:48That's not what the spider lady said."
9:20:51Carl shrugged. "It's a system artifact,
9:20:54but it's activated with loyalty to the
9:20:56world dragon, as far as I can tell. If
9:20:59you can read them, the words on the
9:21:01plaque will explain it.
9:21:03The first one to vanish was Lotus, and
9:21:05she wasn't even near the orb. She was
9:21:08still 20 m away and flying. That took
9:21:12Carl a moment to process. She had
9:21:15convinced Ry to toss her in the air and
9:21:17catch her while they waited, and she had
9:21:18been in midair when Carl finished his
9:21:20explanation.
9:21:22Tessa vanished a few seconds later,
9:21:24along with a couple of the spellblades,
9:21:26including Tamarind. From what I can
9:21:29tell, the most faithful or the ones who
9:21:31have had divine intervention in their
9:21:33lives have the easiest time. But with
9:21:36luck, we might all be able to get in and
9:21:38out before whoever raised this place
9:21:40returns.
9:21:42Carlin formed Corbin, who nodded and
9:21:44began to focus on the orb with his hands
9:21:46folded. Dana and Oilia vanished a few
9:21:49seconds later. Then the spellb blades
9:21:51began to vanish from existence, leaving
9:21:53Carl, one mage, and Ray standing around
9:21:56to guard the site. Are you having fun in
9:21:58human shape? Carl asked. It's better
9:22:02than expected.
9:22:04People don't ask me stupid questions
9:22:06like they do to Hawk. I wonder what
9:22:09species I seem like to other people. Can
9:22:12they tell that I'm a spider? I could
9:22:14usually tell with the ones in the
9:22:16fortress just by smell. We will have to
9:22:19test it out later. Those tokens can be
9:22:22used more than once, right? Carl
9:22:25replied.
9:22:26Yeah, not forever, but more than once.
9:22:30Rey inspected Carl for changes as she
9:22:33could feel that he had new skills active
9:22:35on the team. You know, you're getting
9:22:38wider instead of taller. She noted. I'm
9:22:42still not fully grown. Humans aren't
9:22:45fully grown until like 20 years old. The
9:22:48men get all their height early, then
9:22:50they fill out with muscle. Carl
9:22:52explained.
9:22:54Yeah, but look at you. And then the
9:22:56other human men. They're all so skinny.
9:23:00Hardly thicker than the women, just
9:23:02bigger. Male blood bath spiders are much
9:23:05smaller. They don't usually get much
9:23:07larger than Cara. But the more beard you
9:23:10get, the wider you are. Carl smiled. Are
9:23:13you suspecting that I'm not human? Ry
9:23:16shrugged, then admired the way her
9:23:18modified body moved and did it again for
9:23:20effect. Nobody would mistake you for one
9:23:23in the dark.
9:23:24You don't smell like a human. You just
9:23:27smell like Carl. Carl thought about it
9:23:30for a few seconds, then shrugged,
9:23:33mimicking Ray's movement. That's just
9:23:35how people from my town are shaped. I'm
9:23:38taller than almost all the men in my
9:23:40hometown, but most of them are almost as
9:23:42wide as they are tall. It's an advantage
9:23:45in the mines, so all the tall people
9:23:47must have moved away years ago. Ry gave
9:23:50a twirl, then turned back to Carl.
9:23:53Humans come in so many varieties, but I
9:23:56kind of like this body. I need to learn
9:23:58this skill before the token wears out.
9:24:01With ghost beast and these lovely black
9:24:04robes, I can sneak up and terrify people
9:24:07at will. They are much less likely to
9:24:09notice a small woman than a glorious
9:24:11bloodbath spider, no matter how good my
9:24:14hiding skills are." Carl chuckled as
9:24:17Ray's human form was 190 cm tall but
9:24:20incredibly slender with a nearly flat
9:24:22chest and just enough of a curve to the
9:24:24figure to make it undeniably feminine.
9:24:27Her skin was also as impossibly black as
9:24:29the shell of her kitan in spider form, a
9:24:32color he had never seen on a human
9:24:33before. But with the glowing red eyes
9:24:36that her human form had, it looked good
9:24:38on her. Well, I must say you had a much
9:24:42easier time with it than Hawk did. Ry
9:24:45smiled at him, a row of sharp teeth with
9:24:47serrated edges, and flexed her fingers,
9:24:50which looked to have polished nails,
9:24:52until you realized the red was the same
9:24:54metallic kitan as Ray's spider legs.
9:24:56When you added it all up, she was
9:24:58clearly not human, but a humanoid
9:25:01monster. Hulk came out to explore now
9:25:04that the magic was stabilized.
9:25:06He raced off into the distance with a
9:25:08streak of blue and red fire, toiling in
9:25:11joy at being able to spread his wings
9:25:13again. Since everyone else was coming
9:25:15out, Remy also came out to explore.
9:25:19There weren't much in the area except
9:25:20broken rocks, but there might be good
9:25:22rocks with them. Cara and Thor were
9:25:25resting in their spaces, waiting for a
9:25:27reason to be doing stuff. Unlike some of
9:25:30the others, Cara didn't really collect
9:25:32rocks, and she had already scanned the
9:25:34area for cool stuff, but found nothing.
9:25:38It shouldn't take long before the others
9:25:39started to come back out. And by then,
9:25:41Hawk should have a good scouting report
9:25:43for them so they could move on safely.
9:25:46The first one out was Corbin, who had a
9:25:48beaming smile on his face, which turned
9:25:50to confusion as he realized he was the
9:25:52first one to finish the process. The
9:25:55others are likely taking their time or
9:25:57they're incompatible with the system,
9:25:59and they are watching a historical
9:26:00video. I spent a lot of time choosing
9:26:03because I had many options, Carl
9:26:06explained.
9:26:08Ah, that makes sense. I had one option,
9:26:11ironically named the spellblade class. I
9:26:15took a while to examine it, then check
9:26:17myself for changes to the system
9:26:18afterwards.
9:26:20I have more features active now and even
9:26:22an inventory option. I don't suppose
9:26:25that you have access to that same
9:26:27function and simply never mentioned it.
9:26:30Corbin replied.
9:26:32Carl nodded. Mine is different from
9:26:34others as according to the bronze dragon
9:26:37orthos, I am actually more akin to a
9:26:39crafting class, so I get the option for
9:26:42bulk storage boxes.
9:26:45Most people get some sort of slot system
9:26:47to put their items in. Corbin smiled
9:26:49back at him, and Carl noticed that some
9:26:52of the hairs in his blonde beard were
9:26:53turning gray, not from age, but at a
9:26:56visible rate as his beard grew from
9:26:58carefully groomed to chest length. That
9:27:01was a new one. Carl hadn't heard of a
9:27:04class option having a physical effect on
9:27:06appearance before. But Prince Corbin,
9:27:09despite being in his mid20s, was well on
9:27:12his way to having a very scholarly long
9:27:14white beard. The next one out was Dana,
9:27:17who winked at Carl and then gently
9:27:19flipped into the air at a slow and
9:27:21elegant speed that defied gravity and
9:27:22physics before sending a kick at the sky
9:27:25that sent out an attack very similar to
9:27:27Ren. The system called the class A Murm
9:27:30Battlemitch. I gained a whole set of
9:27:33martial arts that combined with sword
9:27:35skills and a cool new ability, Dana
9:27:38explained.
9:27:39The sort of flexibility that it took for
9:27:41the move she had already shown was
9:27:43already impressive to Carl, but then she
9:27:45summoned a whole array of blades over
9:27:47her head that attacked a stone that she
9:27:48tossed to them. The rock was sliced and
9:27:51swatted in an intricate dance that had
9:27:53the stone suspended in the air, leaving
9:27:55even Corbin startled at the intricacy of
9:27:57the movements. That's a fantastic skill.
9:28:01With the combined skills of those
9:28:03blades, they should be able to
9:28:04completely control the movement of a
9:28:06target, but against large groups, they
9:28:09will be a deadly distraction as well,"
9:28:12Corbin noted. Then, Oilia came out
9:28:15looking somewhat disappointed. "No
9:28:18suitable options?"
9:28:20Carl asked. "Opportions?
9:28:23I was hoping for something awesome, but
9:28:26it only gave me two options. The first
9:28:29was a feral berserker, which looked like
9:28:31a slight upgrade to the bare totem
9:28:32berserker. The second was a titanic
9:28:35berserker, which seemed like just
9:28:37another berserker, but bigger. It had
9:28:40better base skills, so I went for that
9:28:42one. I probably shouldn't feel let down,
9:28:45but I guess I got my hopes too high. She
9:28:48sighed. Why not show us anyhow? Now that
9:28:52you have it, how is the skill tree? Carl
9:28:55suggested.
9:28:57It's very berserker.
9:28:59Lots of blunt weapon and sword attacks,
9:29:01defensive buffs, and strength buffs. The
9:29:04base skills are passive strength
9:29:06increase of 30% per rank and titanic
9:29:09growth that increases my size, strength,
9:29:12and durability by 20% per rank.
9:29:15Well, how about raging and getting all
9:29:17buffed up in war were warbear form, then
9:29:19test the new buff to see what you're
9:29:21working with. Carl requested, intrigued
9:29:24to see if the bonuses stacked or
9:29:25multiplied the growth. Oilia activated
9:29:29Berserk Terror, which brought her bear
9:29:31form to close to 4 m tall. Then she
9:29:34activated Titanic Growth, and suddenly
9:29:37Carl was looking at the knee armor of
9:29:39the single largest beast kin he had ever
9:29:41seen. That's definitely a multiplication
9:29:44effect, he noted. So that's what a 7 m
9:29:48tall were warbear looks like. Forget
9:29:51being hit on by the orcs. You'll have to
9:29:53fend off hill giant suitors at this
9:29:55rate. Ry laughed, startling everyone
9:29:58with the hauntingly musical tone of her
9:30:00human voice. Oilia's rumbling growl
9:30:03shook the air, and Ray's laugh turned
9:30:05hysterical.
9:30:07She hadn't expected such a great chance
9:30:09to pick on the others during her first
9:30:11attempt to interact as a human. I liked
9:30:14her better when she made jokes about my
9:30:15luck with romance in private. Oilia
9:30:18grumbled as she returned to her regular
9:30:20size. Don't feel bad, bear lady. Look at
9:30:25how many times Thor has struck out so
9:30:27far, and he's the most likable person
9:30:29that I know, Rey offered. That is
9:30:33surprisingly wholesome and helpful.
9:30:35Thank you, Ry. But when you find one
9:30:38that you like, I can help you tie him up
9:30:40so that he can't escape. And there's the
9:30:43Ray that we were all expecting. I will
9:30:46keep it in mind, though. Who knows?
9:30:49Maybe the secret to finding true love is
9:30:51just to make sure that they can't run
9:30:53away. Oilia winked at Dana as she
9:30:56finished the sentence, but Rey missed
9:30:58the gesture and thought that the
9:31:00werebear was only talking about the
9:31:01finer points of web crafting. The two
9:31:04clerics came out not long after looking
9:31:07very excited, but otherwise the same as
9:31:09when they went in. I got to learn all
9:31:12about trees and magic and my dragon and
9:31:14the goddess. Lotus began. Tessa nodded.
9:31:19I also got a vision of the past, but
9:31:21first it told me that there were no
9:31:23valid upgrade routes available. Lotus
9:31:26pointed at her childhood friend. That it
9:31:30told me that, too. Then it got to the
9:31:32important stuff. What were we supposed
9:31:35to be upgrading?
9:31:36Carl laughed and Ray bunkked the little
9:31:39cleric on the head. It was an
9:31:41opportunity for system users to upgrade
9:31:43their class and possibly for non-system
9:31:46users to gain one. We will see once more
9:31:50people come out. The rest of the spellb
9:31:52blades are really taking their time.
9:31:55Carl nodded in agreement with Ray's
9:31:57assessment that they are. They must be
9:32:01having difficulty deciding. Corbin only
9:32:04got one option and it was just what he
9:32:06wanted. But some of the others might
9:32:07have more options than just the one
9:32:09upgrade path. Or if some of them have no
9:32:12class but have the option, they might be
9:32:15able to awaken. How many of your
9:32:17spellblades were recruited before the
9:32:19divine injection was widespread?
9:32:22Corbin shrugged.
9:32:24Most of them. Not the four ascended
9:32:26ones. They're all younger. Tamarind and
9:32:29Muffin both have or had classes and
9:32:33chose to train with the spellblade clan.
9:32:36The other two had aptitude for magic,
9:32:38but not for the injection. The older
9:32:40ones are all classically trained mages
9:32:43and spent their lives in the clan
9:32:44working on their skills. Rey looked
9:32:47curious as she moved to stand in front
9:32:49of the spellblade.
9:32:51Do you think that the little one you
9:32:52call Muffin hates men because you
9:32:54refused to use her name? Or was she like
9:32:56that before? Corbin laughed. She was
9:33:00like that before. Being called Muffin
9:33:03instead of Rose is a punishment she had
9:33:04to accept for her bad behavior to remain
9:33:07as my disciple. She won't be free of it
9:33:10until she reaches the commander rank.
9:33:12That was our deal. Ry giggled, then
9:33:15pulled out a small white stone on a
9:33:17pendant. I think we can make her a
9:33:20commander. She is a wind creature, so we
9:33:23just have to feed her a wind pendant.
9:33:25And once she digests it, she should
9:33:27advance. The transformed spider
9:33:30insisted. It doesn't work like that for
9:33:33humans. Corbin began. Are you sure? I
9:33:38don't think that sticking it in any of
9:33:39the other holes would work better. Ry
9:33:42complained.
9:33:44No, that's not what I meant. Don't go
9:33:47sticking amulets in any of her holes. In
9:33:50fact, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear
9:33:52that. What I meant was that a human
9:33:54can't digest the stone directly. It
9:33:57needs to be made into a potion or
9:33:59tincture to be used on them in a way
9:34:01that they can absorb. Ry frowned. That's
9:34:05stupid. Why are humans so complex? If I
9:34:09gave this stone to a small windb bird or
9:34:11spider, it would directly evolve. The
9:34:14spellblade sighed and shrugged. I don't
9:34:17know why human bodies are the way that
9:34:19they are, but we can't really evolve.
9:34:22and we don't use resources the same way
9:34:24as beasts.
9:34:26Maybe it's just because we're too
9:34:27different. Rey handed the stone to Remy.
9:34:31Can you grind that to paste to feed to
9:34:33the mage? Remy laughed. There are other
9:34:37ingredients needed. I can see that it
9:34:40would be useful to the Dana mage, so it
9:34:42should be useful to the muffin mage the
9:34:44same way. Neither beast had noticed that
9:34:47the mage in question had left the trial
9:34:49and was now standing less than 10 m from
9:34:51them.
9:34:52What did the Naga say? Why is everyone
9:34:55laughing? I don't speak serpent, she
9:34:59asked. They were discussing various ways
9:35:02to make a wind elemental stone work to
9:35:04advance your rank to commander so you
9:35:05could get your name back. Carl
9:35:08explained. And how did that become
9:35:10amusing? I would certainly pay whatever
9:35:13I could to get that concoction, but how
9:35:15is it funny? She asked. It's a
9:35:19translation issue. It only makes sense
9:35:22if you speak serpent, Carl informed her
9:35:25with his best attempt at a straight
9:35:26face. Or hawk, Remy added. Then she got
9:35:31sidetracked and began to sing in Carl's
9:35:33mind. Do you know the muffin mage? The
9:35:36muffin mage. Yes, I know the muffin
9:35:39mage. Hawk sang along with her while Ry
9:35:42rolled her eyes at their antics. What
9:35:45did you get from the orb? Carl asked,
9:35:48distracting himself from the two singing
9:35:50beasts in his mind. I got an upgraded
9:35:53class.
9:35:54Spellb blade. Rose replied proudly.
9:35:58Lotus perked up at the promise of a
9:36:00gossip session. Oh, you match. I wonder
9:36:04how many more will get the advanced
9:36:06class just because they already had all
9:36:08the necessary skills. Does it give cool
9:36:11new abilities? I match with who? Corbin.
9:36:16That's unfortunate.
9:36:18But yes, it does give a number of new
9:36:20combat abilities. Did your Dana get the
9:36:23same class? She asked. Dana shook her
9:36:27head. No, it gave me mureim battlem
9:36:32similar in effect to the spellblade
9:36:33class, but more focused on martial arts.
9:36:37I don't know why it thought that I
9:36:38needed a more close combat fighting
9:36:40style as a mage, but the skills that
9:36:42come with the class are incredible.
9:36:45Rose was about to answer, but Corbin
9:36:47raised a hand to stop her. The others
9:36:50are coming out now. Take notes of what
9:36:52they have gained, and let's get out of
9:36:54here the moment that all of us have
9:36:55returned. The other ascended ranked
9:36:58spellblades came out excited about the
9:37:00official status upgrade and the class
9:37:02marking on their arms that came with the
9:37:04system designation of mage, but only a
9:37:06few of the older commanders could say
9:37:08the same thing. They were the ones who
9:37:10had already been exposed to the system
9:37:12during their travels and had some minor
9:37:14level of benefit from it, though not a
9:37:16whole class designation and marking.
9:37:19Nearly all of the ones who had been
9:37:20successful had gotten mage as a class.
9:37:23But unlike the members of Carl's group,
9:37:25they were not sent to an upgrade scene,
9:37:27but a class creation menu where they
9:37:29could have chosen other options.
9:37:31Just to be different, one of them chose
9:37:33warlock as his class, but the rest all
9:37:36chose mage so that it didn't affect
9:37:37their progression or standing within the
9:37:39spellblade clan. The clans had thousands
9:37:42of years of history, and if their choice
9:37:44prevented them from advancing within the
9:37:46clan or stuck at commander rank until
9:37:48their new class caught up to their
9:37:50existing skills, they would have a hard
9:37:52life. It wasn't the huge win that Corbin
9:37:55had been hoping for, but to the newly
9:37:57awakened mages, it was still incredible.
9:38:00They now had access to the inventory,
9:38:02the status sheet, and even to skill
9:38:04trees that would allow them to earn
9:38:05access to new spells that were
9:38:07incredibly difficult to learn on their
9:38:08own or in some cases completely
9:38:10forgotten before today. One of the
9:38:13higher level mage spells in the tree was
9:38:15portal. If they could make it to the
9:38:18peak of the mage skill tree, they would
9:38:20be able to simply open portals on their
9:38:22own and not rely on arrays. From the way
9:38:25they described it, Carl learned that
9:38:27some of the more powerful leaders of
9:38:29nations were permanently linked to
9:38:30arrays, and some skilled mages carried
9:38:32an array token with them, but under the
9:38:34monarch rank, it was extremely rare to
9:38:37have that sort of access.
9:38:39Leader Corbin, do we have time to go
9:38:41through the skill tree now, or should we
9:38:44move first? One of the stronger
9:38:46commanders asked. Move first and we can
9:38:50check your new spells later. What did
9:38:52you see that has you so excited? Corbin
9:38:55asked. I have 80 skill points. My past
9:39:00achievements appear to have been
9:39:01rewarded, and I will be able to choose a
9:39:03number of additional spells. Does anyone
9:39:06know how many points it takes to get
9:39:07them all? He replied. Corbin turned to
9:39:11Carl, who frowned as he did the math. I
9:39:14got some of the more expensive ones free
9:39:16from trials, but if I had to buy them
9:39:18all, it would have taken me nearly 300
9:39:21points. However, if I had taken the
9:39:24offensive skill tree option, it would
9:39:26have been a fifth of that, but I
9:39:27wouldn't have had access to the most
9:39:29powerful skills my class has to offer.
9:39:32The beast master can choose between
9:39:34offensive, defensive, and progression
9:39:36paths. It calls progression balance, but
9:39:39really the skills it grants are to core
9:39:41growth. Carl replied. The mage nodded.
9:39:46Mage class is the same way in that you
9:39:49can specialize in an element for a
9:39:50discount or an arcane to get access to
9:39:52everything, but without the discount. I
9:39:55refrained from choosing before asking
9:39:57anyone. The others laughed and nodded in
9:40:00agreement. They had all done the same
9:40:03thing, waiting for a second opinion
9:40:05before they chose. The last of the
9:40:08mages, an older commander, came out and
9:40:10gave Corbin a thumbs up. The last of the
9:40:13mages, an older commander, came out and
9:40:16gave Corbin a thumbs up. I have finished
9:40:19my history lesson. Are we moving out? He
9:40:23asked.
9:40:24Yes. Many have class skills to choose,
9:40:27and it's not safe to do that here. But
9:40:30first, I must send a message, Corbin
9:40:34explained.
9:40:35He took a small platinum strip out of
9:40:37his pocket and Carl noted the ornate
9:40:39golden inlay in the design of the world
9:40:41dragon on the front. It glowed with
9:40:44power as Corbin sent a message and then
9:40:46he nodded. The right people know what
9:40:49happened here now. Let's move. That was
9:40:52a one-time use token to contact the
9:40:54Archbishop, but the other totems will
9:40:56have sensed it. The ones here for
9:40:59certain, but possibly even the ones in
9:41:01the beast nation and the mountain giant
9:41:03territories.
9:41:05They monitor magical communications all
9:41:07the time, but they shouldn't know what I
9:41:09said. They will, however, likely know
9:41:12where the message started and finished.
9:41:15Before he had even finished his
9:41:16sentence, the air was beginning to
9:41:18shimmer with magic. Take your people and
9:41:21run. Put up the barrier to hide them.
9:41:25Ladies, you can go with them if you'd
9:41:27like. I will play the fool and distract
9:41:29whoever shows up first. Carl insisted.
9:41:34Corbin nodded and put the stealth
9:41:35barrier over his clan, who began to run
9:41:38out of the ruins to the east. Carl
9:41:40noticed that they seemed pale blue and
9:41:42ghostly when they were hidden, where
9:41:44before they were simply invisible. That
9:41:46had to be the effect of Hawk increasing
9:41:48his sensory abilities and sharing them
9:41:50with Carl. Soul sight, Lea had called
9:41:54it. It wasn't visible when you could see
9:41:56the person, but with their body hidden,
9:41:58the soul became visible. The Spellblades
9:42:01got a 30-se secondond head start before
9:42:03the first portal opened, quickly
9:42:05followed by a second, third, and fourth.
9:42:08"Wow, did we pick the wrong day to be
9:42:11standing right here?" Tessa muttered as
9:42:13the portals finished forming," Carl
9:42:16smiled at her. "Should we hide Lotus in
9:42:19a basement or something so she can
9:42:21resurrect the pieces of us later?" "Not
9:42:24funny. It's most likely a good idea, but
9:42:27not funny." Tessa agreed.
9:42:30Lotus giggled and patted her on the
9:42:32shoulder. There are no basements in
9:42:35these buildings. I can feel the roots of
9:42:38the plants. Just try not to get
9:42:40squished. And maybe ask Lady Ray and
9:42:42Cara to wait out of sight so they're not
9:42:44tempted to start a fight. Rey looked
9:42:47offended. And why would I do that? To
9:42:51get totem rank blood. Point taken. But
9:42:55if there is a chance, we will get you
9:42:58some. Ry smiled, then vanished back into
9:43:01her space, followed by Cara and Hawk,
9:43:04who was making preparations to grab as
9:43:06many people as possible and fly away. He
9:43:09was exceedingly fast in this new body,
9:43:11and they should be able to make it to
9:43:12safety if a fight broke out. Two ladies
9:43:16per claw, Carl on his back. That should
9:43:19be everyone, and he could still fly with
9:43:21that much weight. Even four friends were
9:43:24lighter than a giant boar. The first to
9:43:27step out of a portal was a massive black
9:43:29dragon at the totem rank. That wasn't
9:43:32the leader of the divine beast nation as
9:43:34they had the only mythic ranked creature
9:43:36on the continent, but this was likely
9:43:37the spokesperson for that dragon. Humans
9:43:42beast master, I thank you for your
9:43:44succinct communication style. It made it
9:43:47quite worthwhile to intercept. The
9:43:49dragon began speaking in serpent. Carl
9:43:53noticed that he no longer needed Remy to
9:43:55translate, he could just understand what
9:43:57the dragon was saying, even while it was
9:43:59speaking another language. While it
9:44:02wasn't directly our intention to make
9:44:03your life easier, I will accept your
9:44:05good intentions.
9:44:07I take it that you are aware of the
9:44:08nature of this place," he replied. The
9:44:12dragon nodded his head, then paused
9:44:14while three more totems stepped through
9:44:16their portals to form a semicircle in
9:44:18front of Carl, facing the orb with him
9:44:20between them and the prize.
9:44:22That was not the positioning that Carl
9:44:24had hoped for, but he hadn't had time to
9:44:27move. The Archbishop stood between the
9:44:29dragon and a totem ranked Naga in plate
9:44:32armor, while an enormous mountain giant
9:44:34stood at the far end of the group. That
9:44:36would be the general who was the other
9:44:38totem ranked leader of the newborn
9:44:40empire, Carl assumed, as well as the
9:44:42leader of the mountain giants, whose
9:44:44title Carl didn't know. The dragon
9:44:47turned to the others. Welcome to my new
9:44:50toy, everyone.
9:44:52The general hissed in annoyance.
9:44:54Your toy. This is clearly my relic. Not
9:44:58only is it in the middle of my
9:45:00territory, my people are here first. The
9:45:03archbishop chuckled at the combative
9:45:05pair. Your people. I believe you mean my
9:45:09people. There are two clerics of the
9:45:11dragon gods here already, as well as a
9:45:14pair of elites. That math didn't math,
9:45:17and Carl began to wonder which one of
9:45:19them was not being counted. Was it Oilia
9:45:22in war were warbear form or was it him?
9:45:25The dragon had greeted him separately.
9:45:28The mountain giant chuckled grimly. You
9:45:31have a lot of brave talk for a man whose
9:45:33army can't even hold its own borders.
9:45:36Carl could sense that things were about
9:45:38to go downhill very fast. None of these
9:45:41people liked each other, and he already
9:45:43knew the sort of damage that even a
9:45:45casual fight between totems could do.
9:45:48Lea and the emperor weren't actually
9:45:50trying to kill each other, but their
9:45:51strikes destroyed multiple square kilm
9:45:53with every blow. Of course, they likely
9:45:56wouldn't resort to that here. It would
9:45:59risk the relic, and that was what
9:46:01everyone had come for. The Naga general
9:46:04was the one that decided to go for
9:46:06answers first instead of bickering with
9:46:08his rivals.
9:46:09You, Carl, the emperor told me about
9:46:12you. Is it true what it says in the
9:46:15message? This place can awaken classes
9:46:18and advanced classes, he demanded. The
9:46:22Archbishop looked like he was ready to
9:46:24burst with excitement, as this could be
9:46:26just the sort of thing that the Golden
9:46:28Dragon Nation needed to push the elite
9:46:29program to a new level. Even a short
9:46:32period of study might bring huge gains.
9:46:36Carl nodded. It helped me, but not
9:46:40everyone. It shows the clerics a vision
9:46:42from their patron deity. It would be
9:46:45better if he didn't throw the others
9:46:46under the bus. If it was unclear what
9:46:49Dana and Oilia had gained, or if they
9:46:52had even had the chance to make an
9:46:53attempt before the leaders arrived, they
9:46:55might escape the attention of the
9:46:57totems. The totems seemed more concerned
9:47:00with defending against each other than
9:47:01anything that Carl was saying, and for a
9:47:03few seconds, it looked like they might
9:47:05be at a stalemate. Then the general
9:47:08opened another portal and brought
9:47:10through a whole group of soldiers.
9:47:12One of them was Colonel Louu, the
9:47:14wounded Royal Rank Minotaur Colonel that
9:47:16Carl had brought to the farm the first
9:47:18night. Carl waved to him and the old
9:47:21minur gave him a thin smile. It didn't
9:47:24take a genius to guess that everyone
9:47:26here under totem rank had a low chance
9:47:27of survival.
9:47:29Find out how to work that. The general
9:47:32demanded
9:47:34focus on your devotion and loyalty to
9:47:36the world dragon. Those are the
9:47:38instructions on the plinth. Carl added
9:47:41helpfully. The black dragon tilted its
9:47:44head a little to read the inscription,
9:47:46then nodded. He would let the soldiers
9:47:48try first, and then if it actually did
9:47:51something, he would take action for the
9:47:53divine beasts. If this was an active
9:47:56system activation point, it naturally
9:47:58belonged to the dragons, the heirs to
9:48:00the dragon gods. At least that was his
9:48:03opinion. The giant seemed to be thinking
9:48:06the same thing, and he opened a portal
9:48:08of his own to call through a handful of
9:48:10soldiers, fresh from battle and still
9:48:12treating their wounds. "Praise the gods
9:48:15and request access to the system. The
9:48:18inferior beings have found an access
9:48:20point," he demanded.
9:48:23That was odd phrasing. He made it sound
9:48:26like his people were not the ones who
9:48:27had found it. But who other than the
9:48:30giants was going around and
9:48:32destabilizing anomalies in search for
9:48:34relics and trials? Could it be that he
9:48:37simply hadn't received the update from
9:48:38his own people before he sensed Prince
9:48:40Corbin's message? It was taking a while
9:48:43as the monsters tried to understand the
9:48:45method. Then Colonel Louu seemed to have
9:48:48a flash of inspiration and as he closed
9:48:50his eyes, he smiled then vanished.
9:48:53Well, there is one success.
9:48:56Let's see how his luck is. Carl noted.
9:49:00Luck? The general asked. Carl shrugged.
9:49:05Aren't all things system related
9:49:07affected by luck? Only the lucky few
9:49:10could activate it, even 10,000 years
9:49:12ago. It was a large portion of the
9:49:15population, but not even close to
9:49:17everyone. Plus, everyone who has entered
9:49:20so far got a different opportunity or
9:49:22vision. The massive Naga general frowned
9:49:25as he considered the options. The giants
9:49:28weren't having any luck with the relic,
9:49:30and everyone was pretending that they
9:49:31hadn't noticed the small portal that led
9:49:33to the border between the Golden Dragon
9:49:35Nation and the Hill Giants. Nobody had
9:49:38come through that one, but it was close
9:49:40enough that Carl knew they didn't have
9:49:42to. They just had to focus on the orb
9:49:45and they might be able to activate it.
9:49:47What Carl really wanted to know was if
9:49:49the giants were going to be able to
9:49:51activate it, as they didn't follow the
9:49:53world dragon. This wasn't an anomaly
9:49:55that just anyone could enter, and the
9:49:57requirement might make it difficult for
9:49:59them. But if that portal to the border
9:50:02led to the location the students were
9:50:03fighting at, there might be dozens of
9:50:05advanced classes gained today. Then
9:50:08three more of the soldiers, two orcs,
9:50:11and a troll all vanished. That made it
9:50:14nearly half of the monsters and no
9:50:16giants. so far. Are you going to get in
9:50:19on this game? Carl asked the massive
9:50:22black dragon, whose casually stretched
9:50:24wing was shading his entire group. Young
9:50:27people are always in such a hurry. There
9:50:30will be time or I can make time. The
9:50:33dragon replied, "Then you should
9:50:35probably make sure that Misty doesn't
9:50:37wander away." Carl agreed. The dragon
9:50:41chuckled and puffed out a cloud of
9:50:43darkness that gave everyone present a
9:50:45chill down their spines. Black dragons
9:50:48breathed death, a literal cloud of
9:50:50underworld energy which made life
9:50:52impossible within its radius. It was a
9:50:55sign of favor from the goddess of death.
9:50:57And at totem rank, even the slightest of
9:50:59contact would put most targets beyond
9:51:01the reach of even Lotus Resurrection
9:51:03magic.
9:51:04The rest of the monsters managed to make
9:51:06it in over the next minute, but only one
9:51:08of the giants, a commander rank female,
9:51:11had vanished so far. That was not the
9:51:14success that their totem rank leader had
9:51:16expected. And the frustration was
9:51:18visible in both his expression and his
9:51:20posture. That was making the other
9:51:22giants nervous that they would be
9:51:24punished for failure. And the more
9:51:25nervous they were, the less likely they
9:51:27were to succeed. The one who had the
9:51:30easiest time of anyone was Lotus, as she
9:51:32fully and immediately embraced any
9:51:34opportunity that the gods granted
9:51:36without even taking a second to wonder
9:51:38what it was. It was an opportunity, and
9:51:41that meant it was something new. There
9:51:44were few things that nature clerics
9:51:45loved more than something new. Even
9:51:48Tessa had taken a few seconds to
9:51:50mentally prepare herself. That was when
9:51:53the first of the newborn Empire soldiers
9:51:55to enter came back out with a huge smile
9:51:57on his face.
9:51:58Colonel Louu report. The totem ranked
9:52:02general insisted. The orb brought me to
9:52:04a space controlled by the system. Then
9:52:07it insulted me for being so slow to
9:52:09awaken a class ability and sent repeated
9:52:12messages denigrating my level of
9:52:14motivation to better myself. Carl did
9:52:17his best not to laugh as the aging minur
9:52:19went through the list of grievances that
9:52:20the system had with a man well past his
9:52:23middle years, finally awakening a class
9:52:24ability.
9:52:26Then it awarded me the warrior class and
9:52:28said that was all I deserved. The
9:52:30colonel finished. So it did grant you
9:52:34access to the system. That is wonderful
9:52:37news. The general cheered. Yes, general.
9:52:42It appears that I now have access to the
9:52:44system. The giant growled and the
9:52:47general's hand went to his sword while
9:52:49the black dragon huffed in annoyance.
9:52:52Then the massive creature reached a
9:52:54forlum into a distorted area of space
9:52:56and pulled out a 5 m wide basket full of
9:52:58blankets and eggs. He whispered
9:53:01something that Carl couldn't make out
9:53:03and a few seconds later all of the eggs
9:53:05in the basket vanished. So that was his
9:53:08play. He wasn't trying to awaken a class
9:53:11for existing dragons, but for the next
9:53:13generation.
9:53:15That way, the dragons would have system
9:53:17users for thousands of years, even if
9:53:19the resurgence began to fade instead of
9:53:21growing stronger. The frustration of the
9:53:24giants was building as their group
9:53:26continued to fail to get any more
9:53:27members into the trial, right up to the
9:53:29moment that the lone female giant to
9:53:31enter returned. "What did you find?" the
9:53:35giant demanded as she came back out in
9:53:37shining silverplate armor. "It is a
9:53:39trial set by the world dragon. We must
9:53:43request his permission to enter.
9:53:45However, I have made great gains today.
9:53:48I was awarded the class of knight and
9:53:50access to a skill tree of new abilities.
9:53:54The leader of the giants nodded in
9:53:55satisfaction, then gestured to the
9:53:57remainder of his force. They had all
9:54:00been listening intently, and once they
9:54:02changed their strategy, it didn't take
9:54:04long before another giant managed to
9:54:06enter, then a third. But by then, most
9:54:09of the Newborn Empire group had started
9:54:11to emerge from the trial. Carl was
9:54:14listening to them giving their reports
9:54:16of being assigned the fighter class with
9:54:18only one shaman and a blood mage among
9:54:20them. That last one was a slender demon
9:54:23man with red skin. And Carl assumed that
9:54:25it was likely an exclusive only
9:54:27available to his species. Behind him, he
9:54:30felt a growth of power and saw that
9:54:32Lotus eyes were glowing green. She had
9:54:35moved behind Tessa and was facing away
9:54:38from the totems, likely hoping that they
9:54:40would mistake whatever she was doing for
9:54:42a healing spell. But when the power
9:54:44peaked, the black dragon turned to face
9:54:46her, focused directly on the nature
9:54:48priestess for a moment before looking
9:54:50back to the purple orb where his clutch
9:54:52of eggs should be finishing their
9:54:53trials. Carl suspected that Lotus had
9:54:57been letting her dragon patron see
9:54:58through her eyes. But the black dragon
9:55:00totem looked somehow smug as he waited
9:55:02now. And Carl suspected that there was
9:55:04more going on here than he was
9:55:06comprehending. If it was possible for
9:55:08the offspring of the divine dragons to
9:55:10use their link to their clerics to
9:55:12access a trial like this, they might be
9:55:14using it to grow their own powers. As
9:55:17Carl understood what Tessa had told him
9:55:19about the situation, the dragons they
9:55:21were paired with weren't necessarily
9:55:23dragons from this world, only adherence
9:55:25to the same god. So, they might have
9:55:28never seen a holy relic of the world
9:55:30dragon before. Given the personality of
9:55:33the green dragons, they wouldn't pass up
9:55:35the chance to go in and play, even if it
9:55:37meant just watching a historical movie.
9:55:40By the time that the second giant came
9:55:42out, all of the newborn army troops were
9:55:44out, and they were just waiting to see
9:55:46what happened with the dragons. They
9:55:48might get a class, or they might not.
9:55:51The black dragon had sent eggs into the
9:55:53trial. And while dragons were sentient
9:55:55for a while before they hatched, legend
9:55:57said that most species couldn't awaken a
9:55:59system until puberty. That was deemed to
9:56:02be a safety measure by the gods so that
9:56:05small children didn't wreak havoc in the
9:56:06cities. But whether it applied to
9:56:09dragons or not, nobody knew. The first
9:56:12one of the dragons out was Lotus Green
9:56:14Dragon Companion. If Carl's guess about
9:56:16what the glowing eyes meant was correct.
9:56:19Then a small white dragon hatchling
9:56:22emerged from the trial and landed in the
9:56:24basket all of the eggs had arrived in.
9:56:27It was adorable, no larger than a
9:56:29full-grown house cat. For a moment, even
9:56:32Carl was enraptured by its cuteness
9:56:34until Thor broke him from his
9:56:36distraction.
9:56:37Do you think that they would let us
9:56:38borrow one? Scaled creatures grow up
9:56:41very fast in your care. I'm sure the
9:56:44little ones wouldn't mind, he suggested.
9:56:48Oh, you need to learn the skill. If you
9:56:51already had the head pat for a skill
9:56:53ability, they would definitely give you
9:56:55a hatchling to raise. Remy added. Carl
9:56:59sideed. That's 50 skill points. I have
9:57:03one left. Boo this man. I joke. We know
9:57:08that you needed to get rampage before
9:57:10you changed classes.
9:57:12Remy amended. The dragon stared down at
9:57:15Carl. You look like you've got something
9:57:17on your mind. Carl shrugged. I was just
9:57:22thinking that I've gotten rather good at
9:57:23raising scaled friends and they grow up
9:57:25exceptionally strong and healthy in my
9:57:27care. You can't have a baby dragon. He
9:57:31can't have a baby dragon. Please don't
9:57:34give him a baby dragon. The black
9:57:37dragon, the general, and the archbishop
9:57:39all spoke at the same time, then paused
9:57:41as they realized that they were all on
9:57:43the same side of what they had expected
9:57:45to be an argument. "Are you certain?" "I
9:57:48swear I'm superb with scale rubs, and I
9:57:51have a supplemental nature cleric to
9:57:53assist," Carl joked. The black dragon
9:57:57huffed in amusement as another pair of
9:57:59hatchlings came out and began chattering
9:58:01with the white dragon welp to find out
9:58:03what was going on. It was an interesting
9:58:05offer, but they quickly realized that
9:58:07the big dragons wouldn't allow it before
9:58:09they were fully trained and grown enough
9:58:11to travel alone. The rest of the dragons
9:58:14came out over the next minute, all
9:58:16excited about their new class assignment
9:58:17and the opportunities that they would
9:58:19have in the future. A dozen baby dragons
9:58:22with class skills put the Divine Beast
9:58:24Nation way ahead of the others, even if
9:58:26half the academy had gotten a new class
9:58:28through the portal the Archbishop had
9:58:30opened.
9:58:31Hey, Amalgaristica, before you leave, do
9:58:34you think that you could demonstrate
9:58:35your druid lord class skill for us? Carl
9:58:39asked the baby green dragon by name. The
9:58:42system interface gave names that were
9:58:44color-coded by class, and most of them
9:58:47were destined to be clerics or warriors,
9:58:49but that one had been a deep emerald
9:58:51green that had intrigued Carl enough to
9:58:52check its status. The tiny green
9:58:55creature flew out of the nest, circled
9:58:57Carl twice, then landed on Lotus
9:58:59shoulder facing him. "How did you know
9:59:02that I'm a druid lord?" she asked. "It's
9:59:06visible to other system users." "I've
9:59:09never seen the class before, so I'm
9:59:11quite curious what the class skill for a
9:59:13green dragon who is also a druid lord
9:59:15will be." Carl explained. "Oh, that
9:59:19makes sense. Here." The black dragon
9:59:23began to laugh as a 10-me tall commander
9:59:25rank construct made entirely of vines
9:59:28appeared in the ruins. It had a few
9:59:30larger than usual leaves approximating
9:59:33modesty, but it was shaped so similarly
9:59:35to lotus that the dragon couldn't help
9:59:37but make comparisons.
9:59:39It even looked like it had the same
9:59:40undercut hairstyle.
9:59:42That is incredible.
9:59:44You are a natural artist, Lotus
9:59:47exclaimed as she gently petted the
9:59:49dragon's head. The black dragon glared
9:59:52at them. What did I just say? You cannot
9:59:56have a baby dragon. Carl raised his
9:59:59hands in surrender. I am not trying to
10:00:02steal a dragon. I just wanted to know
10:00:04what the class skill was. That construct
10:00:07is spectacular.
10:00:09It is giving off a healing aura, slowly
10:00:12repairing the buildings and regrowing
10:00:14the plants in the area all at once. For
10:00:17a commander rank class skill, it is
10:00:19incredibly overpowered.
10:00:21The massive dragon looked smug on the
10:00:23little one's behalf. Did you expect less
10:00:26of a disciple of the nature goddess? My
10:00:29apologies. My world was too small. I was
10:00:33judging a dragon's potential by human
10:00:35standards.
10:00:36Your words are polite, but you still
10:00:38have the baby dragon. Carl reached over
10:00:41to tickle the little dragon under its
10:00:43chin, which made it giggle as it took
10:00:45flight, returning to the mobile nest
10:00:47before it got in trouble for making new
10:00:49friends as well. Don't worry, Lotus. We
10:00:53will find another chance to interact
10:00:55with baby dragons.
10:00:57I am certain of it, Carl whispered. The
10:01:01basket of dragon welps vanished once the
10:01:03last one was back inside, and that
10:01:05seemed to be the trigger for tensions
10:01:07between the factions ramping up. Now
10:01:09that the little ones were gone, all of
10:01:11the totems seemed to be focused on
10:01:13taking the relic for themselves.
10:01:15Normally, they wouldn't directly fight
10:01:17with each other. There were political
10:01:20alliances to consider, and the wrath of
10:01:22the mythic rank black dragon that
10:01:24quietly ruled the continent, but that
10:01:26didn't mean that they weren't going to
10:01:28find a way to fight over it. "How should
10:01:30we settle this? Champions or a wager?"
10:01:34The black dragon asked his counterparts.
10:01:38like hell. There is no way I will gamble
10:01:41with you. The totem rank mountain giant
10:01:44complained. The archbishop shrugged.
10:01:48What sort of wager did you have in mind?
10:01:50Or we can do champions if you like.
10:01:53Three of us have a royal rank
10:01:55representative here. Colonel Louu
10:01:57snorted in annoyance.
10:01:59He already knew that no royal rank
10:02:01opponent would be able to take Carl out.
10:02:04Even if he didn't call out his beasts,
10:02:06he was a beast himself in combat. The
10:02:09mountain giant looked at Carl and the
10:02:11royal rank options in the newborn army
10:02:13team. He didn't know much about Carl,
10:02:16but he had heard rumors about an elite
10:02:18to be aware of on the hill giant lines
10:02:20not long ago. That could be him. But the
10:02:24leader didn't recall all the details. I
10:02:27suggest that we wager on which nation
10:02:29obtains the next totem. The dragon
10:02:31suggested with a sly smile.
10:02:34The archbishop shrugged. That was a
10:02:37reasonable sort of bet. It was hard to
10:02:40tell which overlord would actually grow
10:02:41enough to reach the bottleneck, and
10:02:43nearly impossible to guess which would
10:02:45break it first. The mountain giant
10:02:48smirked at the dragon. He had a
10:02:50successor who was very close to the
10:02:52bottleneck. He had a very good chance of
10:02:55winning. I would take that bet. The
10:02:58giant agreed.
10:03:00The general was about to say something
10:03:02when he noticed that Carl's entire team,
10:03:04except Carl and Dana, who had her mask
10:03:07up, had turned away to poorly hide their
10:03:09laughter. He glared at them for a
10:03:12moment, trying to understand what he was
10:03:14missing, then glanced at the dragon, who
10:03:16hadn't lost the smug smile. They knew
10:03:19what had happened with Overlord Lea.
10:03:22They had to or they wouldn't be so smug.
10:03:25Pick another wager. That one is no good.
10:03:29he insisted.
10:03:31The archbishop looked startled while the
10:03:33giant was confused.
10:03:35You didn't have to bet on your own
10:03:37nation. It could be one of the human
10:03:39nations you bet on as well, or even an
10:03:41enemy nation. Why would the bet be no
10:03:44good? The phrasing didn't make sense.
10:03:47The archbishop looked at the others.
10:03:50Then another wager. Something different
10:03:53from the usual, perhaps. The mountain
10:03:56giant smirked. How about we test it by
10:03:59preparedness?
10:04:01The word seemed to translate strangely
10:04:02in Carl's head, and the system hung up
10:04:05on the word for a moment, as if unsure
10:04:07what meaning to assign to it. How so?
10:04:11The general asked. The dragon tilted its
10:04:14head. Why not make it a best of three?
10:04:18Other than ourselves, we will wager on
10:04:20which warrior here has the best thing.
10:04:22The other totems considered that for a
10:04:24moment. The archbishop looked dubious
10:04:27about his chance of winning, while the
10:04:29general seemed indifferent. But the
10:04:31giant looked suspiciously at the dragon.
10:04:34Is this not just an excuse to have our
10:04:36subordinates take out their best items
10:04:38so you can have them killed and looted
10:04:40later? It had better be. Rey agreed.
10:04:45Right. We are short on good things, Cara
10:04:49added. The beast master thinks it is a
10:04:52good idea. The dragon laughed.
10:04:55Colonel Louu the Minotaur snorted a
10:04:58challenge. That's because he fully
10:05:00intends to kill everyone else for their
10:05:02loot the moment that you all leave. And
10:05:04he can probably do it too. Are you
10:05:07becoming a coward in your old age? The
10:05:10general asked. He can summon monarch
10:05:13ranked bodyguards and personally one hit
10:05:15kill a royal ranked cyclops.
10:05:18I am no coward, but I am telling you now
10:05:20that I can't win that fight. the minur
10:05:23complained.
10:05:25Really? The archbishop asked. That was
10:05:29not in the official records of Carl's
10:05:31abilities. The dragon held up a claw to
10:05:34stop Carl from answering. Why don't we
10:05:37wager on that? Bring us a monarch ranked
10:05:40giant and we will see if the beast
10:05:42master can one hit kill above his rank.
10:05:45I trust the soldier that he can do it to
10:05:47one of his rank. So, we can wager on one
10:05:50rank higher. If he succeeds, I will have
10:05:53one of my clerics bring the giant back
10:05:55to life. Then, if we have more than one
10:05:58correct wager, we will make another
10:06:00wager for the winners.

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