Chapter 25: Quest Complete
<span style="font-weight:400">As soon as the mes died enough for the Commander Gnolls to get through, they both disappeared. Leaving their force of Gnolls behind. They appeared again on opposite sides of Drake.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Does everyone have a movement skill but me?! Heined.</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">After appearing, the Cowboy fired off two bullets in rapid session from its wastnd guns. Drake was barely able to respond in time even with his increased Dexterity. Pouring more mana into his tattoos and raising them to cover his head, the sounds of metal hitting the mana infused weapons rang in his ears.
<span style="font-weight:400">Without missing a beat the Spear Gnoll moved in closer behind Drake, heaving his halberd back with both hands in a thrusting motion, it began to shine in a red glow, the Spearman barking as it did.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake was unable to turn in time to fully dodge the thrust, and ced a ck d arm in between him and the spear point of the halberd. The two weapons shed in a shower of sparking red and blue fusion before Drake was flung to the side and pushed down the dirt road.
<span style="font-weight:400">He tumbled against the ground for a moment thennded on his feet gripping his hand. Looking down he saw a small hole and a stream of blooding from it.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Spear Gnoll’s skill just now had gotten through his Mana Infused Tattoo. As Drake had also infused a good amount of mana into the magic tattoos it didn’t bode well for him.
<span style="font-weight:400">He had made a mistake not thinking the Gnolls had more than just movement skills.
<span style="font-weight:400">After he had gotten up he was assailed with more sounds of gunshots forcing Drake to sprint to the side to dodge, running back and forth towards the Cowboy in wide lines, kicking up dust with every change in direction from his speed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Just as Drake was beginning to wonder if the gunman had an endless pit of bullets in its guns, it stopped firing to reload. In that moment Drake took hold of the opportunity and stopped his dodging to sprint forward at top speed straight for the gunman.
<span style="font-weight:400">Chanting his Mana Bolt as he charged the Cowboy, he fired it off with one hand and wound up his other, immediately chanting his Heavy Blow skill in session.
<span style="font-weight:400">But as soon as the Mana Bolt was about tond, the Spear Gnoll appeared in front of the Gunman, taking the Mana Bolt to its shoulder as it raised its halberd above its head a red glow again around it.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake was less than several feet away when the Spearman began bringing down his halberd on him. But with Drake''s increased speed, he quickly pivoted on his left foot as it hit the ground, and went a step further, pushing off it to dodge the swing. The red halberd finding nothing but the scorched ground below it.
<span style="font-weight:400">He continued his pivot to the right and brought his swing into the side of the unguarded Spearman. "<i><span style="font-weight:400">Power through force! Heavy Blow!"</i><span style="font-weight:400"> He roared, his fist connecting with the side of the Spearman, sending it flying directly into the forest, crashing through several trees on the way.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Gunman had reloaded by this time and brought a gun up with a green glow to face Drake. Firing point nk at his head.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake infused more mana into his tattoos to stave off the gunfire, turning with his hand pressed against his head, he both felt and saw the bullet scrape across his tattoos. The sparks of blue and green shing in his vision for a split second, a small splotch of blood trailing them.
<span style="font-weight:400">He survived the close range bullet barrage but he was quickly running through his reserves and was down to 60% mana after just a few exchanges with the Commander pair.
<span style="font-weight:400">With no option of retreating Drake surged forward to close the distance with the Gunman. Chanting again his Heavy Blow skill with one arm, and kept another raised to keep him from taking a shot to one of his vitals.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake took hits to his slightly exposed shoulder and body, but thanks to his Rare Quality gear the bullets only left mildly deep scrapes. In a single breath Drake was close enough to hit the Gunman, his Heavy Blow chantplete. He threw his fist forward with all his might.
<span style="font-weight:400">Only to be stopped by the t edge of a red hued halberd. Drake cursed as he looked from the halberd over to the Spear Gnoll, its face dirtied and blood ran from the corner of its grinning maw.
<span style="font-weight:400">In the next moment Drake looked back at the Gunman, a smile creeping up on its mouth behind the head of the halberd, as itself disappeared.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake quickly took hold of the shaft of the halberd and roared as he pulled it to turn around with the halberd and Spearman in tow.
<span style="font-weight:400">As he crested his shoulder able to see behind him, he saw the Cowboy holding his pistol up to his head, a greenish glow again forming around the weapon. But Drake’s split decision saved his life, as he was barely able to raise his shoulder with his swing of the halberd. Bringing the Spearman Gnoll mming into the Cowboy right as it barked and the gunshot went off, the bullet ricocheting off his shoulder guard and cutting his right eyebrow.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Gunman and Spearman collided with force attesting to Drake’s strength as they flew back into the mass that was the remaining legion of Gnolls that were scrambling to get through the opening of the fire.
<span style="font-weight:400">The two forces collided as the Squad Commander pair was pushed deep within the Gnoll ranks.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake didn’t wait for a repeat of before in his previous fight and sprinted forward as quickly as he could, chanting a Mana Bolt as he did. He arrived at the Spearman and Gunman pair fumbling over each other to get up, only to spot Drake as he moved in front of them so quickly it looked as if he used a skill himself. But they couldn’t get up quick enough as Drake leapt forward with his feet first, catching the Spearman in the chest with his steel boots sending them both flying a few meters until they collided with the ground. Drake managing to end standing on top of the unconscious Spearman.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake finished his cast of the Mana Bolt in the same moment and fired a watermelon sized hole into its chest.
<b>[You have subjugated Squad Commander Gnoll [F-Rank] Level 19] [Experience Earned 9,500 TP have been awarded]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">He couldn’t rx yet though, as he looked back to where the Gunman was supposed to be, only to see it disappear again. Drake turned around with his guard up in anticipation for the Gunman but nothing came. He blinked and looked around for the remaining Commander Gnoll but saw nothing. Until he heard a gunshot and turned to the direction of the sound. He saw the smoking barrel of a green colored pistol from behind a tree in the forest, for a split second before pain shot up his left arm.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake winced and tumbled backward from the force of the impact, but quickly got to his feet and rushed to the tree where he had seen the Gunmanst. But the Gnoll was nowhere to be found once he arrived a few secondster.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Damn it! It’s using the trees for cover!" Drake hissed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Another sound of a bullet being fired went off and Drake ducked behind the tree, a bullet going right through the trunk of the tree right next to his head.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked wide eyed at the smoking hole, surprised it could prate therge trunk.
<span style="font-weight:400">But it didn’t take long for Drake topose himself and start running through the forest, doing his best to keep moving and use the trees to at least obscure himself. He touched his right eyebrow and thankfully the bleeding had stopped but not before it crusted his eye close with blood. As he ran he also checked on the gunshot wound on his arm. He had torn some of his pants to wrap it to stem the bleeding but blood was still seeping through albeit far more slowly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake was forced to keep running and dodge behind trees as the gunshots rang out, a game of cat and mouse ensuing. Each bullet barely missed Drake or hit just urately enough to cause a cut through his armor.
<span style="font-weight:400">He desperately needed to end this game soon. There was no telling when the other Gnolls and the mystery monster would decide to show up. Then an idea popped into Drake’s head.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was a gamble but Drake was willing to give it a shot. He quickly took off his Martial Artist’s Garbs, losing its stats and breaking the set bonus. And ced them on a bush partially obscured.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then he dashed out from behind the bush as a gunshot rang out, kicking up a bead of dirt behind him. He stopped once he was a little bit away from his Garbs, and waited, peeking his head out and doing his best to listen.
<span style="font-weight:400">A momentter a gunshot rang out, and Drake saw the sh of a barrel. Then it disappeared but suddenly a Gnoll materialized in front of Drake.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake smiled at the Gunman, as it looked at him in sheer terror. "Hide and seek is over, mutt! <i><span style="font-weight:400">Power through force! Heavy Blow!"</i><span style="font-weight:400"> he howled, almostughing. As he brought his skill infused fist right into the side of the Gunman''s head, hooking it down into the floor of the forest.
<b>[You have subjugated Squad Commander Gnoll [F-Rank] Level 19] [Experience Earned, 9,500 TP have been awarded]</b>
<b>[Quest Complete! 5 of 5 Squad Commander Gnolls subjugated]</b>
<b>[ept Rewards?]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake huffed from exhaustion while he was still bent over in a position over the now crushed monster as he looked at the new notifications, but quickly put them on hold.
<span style="font-weight:400">While he took a moment to breathe, he spotted some familiar green reflections on the monster''s corpse. It had four of the same essories that the one from Outpost B had. Did that mean the other one may have them as well?
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake quickly scooped up the essories, and the stone and void pouch that appeared next to the body, after he ran to grab his Garbs seeing a new small hole in the back of it, he ran back out of the forest.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was greeted by the remnants of the Gnoll Legion about to bear down on him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked over his status, he was at 60% health and 20% mana and stamina. He needed to clear out the remaining Gnolls so he could recover before the mystery behind the wall noticed.
<span style="font-weight:400">But before that, he wanted to check on something. Drake dashed to where the body of the Spearman Gnollid, and just like he had hoped there was some sparkling loot waiting for him in the form of red earrings and rings.
<b>[Ruby Ring [F-Grade] [Umon]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>+10 to Strength</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Limited to one per hand.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A magically infused ring, with the power to increase one’s Strength by a small amount.</li>
</ul>
<b>[Ruby Earring [F-Grade] [Umon]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>+10 to Strength</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Limited to one per ear.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A magically infused earring, with the power to increase one’s Strength by a small amount.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake smiled as he read the descriptions, and ced them into his pant’s pocket instead of his inventory. He wasn’t out of his fight yet and if he wanted to switch out the essories he had on they would have to be outside of his inventory.
<span style="font-weight:400">As he looked around he saw many of the Gnolls still racing towards him in a wild rage. But some strays had started to run back to the Outpost.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake watched the fleeing Gnolls with a foreboding feeling starting to creep into the back of his mind, but had other problems at the moment.
<span style="font-weight:400">He raced with all his speed to meet with the remaining Gnolls charging towards him in an instant, and began to go to work.
<span style="font-weight:400">As he quickly rampaged in the leftover ranks of the Gnolls, he collected on the feeling he had before. As a loud howl reverberated over the field, the loudest and deepest one he had heard yet.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Gnolls around him suddenly had a look of abject fear, as they began to scramble, fleeing in all directions.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake held his gaze on the gate, ncing at his status that was now slowly ticking upwards, but not nearly fast enough to reach full before the sight of a truly monstrous dog lurched out of the outpost’s gate.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake was left wide eyed and mouthed as he only first saw the head of the beast, wearing a type of Miner’s cap. Next he saw the shoulders and arms as it had to crawl through the gate to fit.
<span style="font-weight:400">"You’re a big fe arntch… Oh God!?" Drake began to joke but quickly became even more surprised as the full body of the Monster came out of the gate, and stood up. It almost came up to the height of the Outpost’s walls, nearly reaching 15 feet high.
<span style="font-weight:400">Covering its body was dirt overtop itsrge blue overalls. In its hands was a pickaxe to end all pickaxes. On its side attached to its belt, an unlitntern. It looked down at the fleeing Gnolls and picked them up effortlessly. It growled in disappointment at them as it hurled some into the forest, all the way over the football field length opening. Stomped and crushed others. Killing a majority of the remaining Gnolls that had tried to flee into the Outpost.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then the beast glowered down at Drake. Its eyes fixed on him and Drake smiled, beginning to shake slightly.
<span style="font-weight:400">He didn’t smile at the fact that the beast had noticed him, or that he was about to have to fight this behemoth. But at the new window that had popped up in front of him without him opening it.
<b>[Urgent Quest! Defeat the Gnoll Foreman [F-Rank]</b>
<b>[Reward: Large amount of Experience and TP. ess to ‘The Gnoll Mines’]</b>