《Shrubley, the Monster Adventurer: A Progression Fantasy LitRPG (Book 2 is stubbed)》
Chapter 1 - Please Romaine Calm
An adventurer clad in intricate silvery plate mail walked out of the town¡¯s one pathetic tavern, leaving behind the hearth¡¯s warmth and the din of voices singing along to a Bard¡¯s strumming instrument.
Jerric sighed at the rising mists swirling around the cobbles of the small village of Taamra. In the lull between one song and the next, he could hear Fio inside griping about the lack of ¡°accommodations¡±. Which meant she couldn¡¯t fleece multiple men from various taverns and inns to buy her free drinks.
Any moment now, the Wizard would sweep out of the doors behind him and complain about the mist. As if the capital, Sormwynn, didn¡¯t have mist in the early autumn like this too.
Remember, the Guild sent you out here for a reason, Jerric reminded himself. He eased his sword in its scabbard and stepped out onto the street, white mist eddying in his footsteps.
Yeah, I remember, he thought bitterly. Fio and Henry kept running their mouths to that Silver Ranker, saying they didn¡¯t need to be babysat on contracts.
It wasn¡¯t as if Jerric had said anything, but as the de facto leader of their party, he was roped in as well.
What Fio and Henry had meant was that they wanted to go on expeditions and contracts solo. They were Steel Ranked for crying out loud! They were only one rank below Silver.
Jerric never did get the name of that Silver adventurer, but she clearly had enough pull to see to it that his group got their wish. Only, they were stationed out in the middle of nowhere at the edges of civilization.
Nothing ever happened out here.
And if it did, the most you could hope for was a Copper or Bronze monster incursion. They were able to do all the contracts they wanted solo sure enough.
Though his group had only just advanced to Steel, the low mana density out here meant the strongest monsters were Bronze¨Ctwo ranks below Steel¨Cwhich made them effectively worthless to hunt.
Even if they took every notice on the board at the Adventurers Guild, they¡¯d not only prolong their stay by breaking decorum, but it would hardly take more than a few days to clear the board of contracts.
Something was off about this mist crawling across rooftops and pooling around the base of the squat buildings.
Jerric¡¯s eyes seemed to play tricks on him. Tendril-like feelers seeped across the cobblestones and clawed towards him.
From within the mists, Jerric could sense the power of a Copper essence. The weakest rank, but odd all the same. Not many of the adventurers here had essences.
He squared up to meet the newcomer. Perhaps he could ingratiate himself to the guild branch here and take a few novice adventurers under his wing.
Jerric was a capable Paladin, and despite the poor assignment, he might be able to turn it around into something laudable.
The pale clammy mists parted as a shadow broke through. Jerric found himself staring at nothing. Then his eyes dropped several feet until he found the most peculiar thing he¡¯d seen out here.
A monster emerged from the mist, its shrub-like body sparkling with dew.
The creature paused, blinked yellow lamplight eyes, and looked up at the adventurer while clutching a most unusual item.
Figures the guards in this backwater village would let a monster slip past, Jerric thought with a disdainful shake of his head. The light from the tavern to his right shone on the piece of black glass in the creature¡¯s root-like limbs.
The monster held an [Adventurers Guild Invitation]. The sight chilled Jerric¡¯s blood worse than a Frostwyrm¡¯s Barrow. No monster should ever be in possession of that card, not unless they killed an aspiring adventurer for it.
The Paladin adventurer raised his longsword skyward, readying the killing blow to defend the village and avenge that nameless novice.
Glowing Red magic swirled around his blade from pommel to point, enhancing the weapon with the [Enflame] spell.
This must be a much stronger and far more sinister monster than I would have thought possible! Jerric thought to himself. There¡¯s no way any normal monster would be that cunning and devious to steal an invitation and use it to enter a town undetected.
A scarlet mote shot through the swirling mists, colliding with Jerric¡¯s longsword. Ah, Fio, you always did have a knack for the dramatic entrance.
From the back line, his Wizard cast [Scarlet Weapon], further amplifying the potency of his [Enflame] spell. The effect was so strong that the Red magic spell morphed into [Enflame II].
The small shrub monster tilted its¡ head, for lack of a better word, watching the adventurer with its yellow glowing eyes, clutching the invitation as if it was the most powerful weapon in all of Almora.
Jerric didn¡¯t spare a thought for the monster¡¯s strange curiosity. In the face of overwhelming and impending defeat, the Paladin hardly noticed the monster¡¯s odd fixation with the card. He would slay the monster, take back the card, and see to the wounded or dead adventurer that it was stolen from.
It must be much stronger than Bronze to have gained enough sentience to enact this plan. The creature might even be Iron, though curiously he couldn¡¯t read its aura beyond feeling a Copper essence.
Strange.
Fighting monsters was the way of this world. Defeating dragons, beasts, goblins, and demons of all kinds granted adventurers power. And slaying this shrub monster would be an easy source of advancement indeed.
Perhaps its nefarious plan would have worked, but it was bad luck for the monster that Jerric and his group were stationed here. An Iron was strong, but they were stronger.
Bringing all of his Strength to bear, the adventurer crashed his burning blade down into the monster.
It hadn¡¯t even tried to fight back. On some instinctual level, it must have known it didn¡¯t stand a chance.
Jerric¡¯s weapon bounced off harmlessly with a strange pearlescent flash of light.
¡°Kill it!¡± Henry, their Archer, cried. He fired countless burning arrows into the monster, all to no effect.
¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Jerric snapped.
Up close, the Paladin could see the symbol of the Adventurers Guild plain on the black glass invitation, even if he couldn¡¯t make out the tiny golden letters. The golden anvil with a shiny silver hammer poised above it was known throughout the world of Almora as a symbol of peace and protection.
No monster should have been able to touch it without extreme pain, but this creature was cradling it as if it were the most delicate thing in the world.
Screaming with rage, Jerric took a two-handed grip on his blade and swiped at the small ambulatory shrub. His blade hit some invisible shell of force and only managed to ruffle the damned thing¡¯s leaves.
Sparkling drops of dew flew into the air, and the shrub walked on up the street.
¡°After it!¡± Jerric bellowed, pleased to see that several other adventurers were coming out onto the street to investigate the early morning disturbance.
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¡°I bet it has some amazing loot to make it this far!¡± called another adventurer, swiping a silvery axe at the monster.
***
Meanwhile, at the center of this latest conflict, the ambulatory shrub sauntered toward its goal, unperturbed by the raucous cries and sudden acts of playful aggression. This scene had played out more than once already, to no ill effect.
Its round puffball-shaped body rustled from the sudden breeze that tickled its glossy green leaves as another greatsword swept inches from its delicate three-and-a-half-foot frame.
Knotted roots shaped like spindly legs propelled it forward. These tall humans are always so friendly! thought the creature.
But he had no time to play. His journey was one of great urgency. Reverently clutched in his tiny rooty hands at the end of wiry arms was a stained-glass card. At four inches by six inches, it was a decent sized item to a human.
To the diminutive bush strolling down the rough cobbled streets of Taamra, it was massive.
The card depicted a shield picked out in gold against the black glass, emblazoned with a golden anvil and a bright silver hammer poised above it. In small shining letters, nearly dancing on the glassy plate, were the words, ¡°Adventurers Guild Invitation.¡±
The shrub knew the words by heart. He had fallen to sleep more nights than he could remember, tracing the beautiful imagery with his delicate fingers.
Finding this place was hard, and the journey had been arduous. But he was so close! The shrub had a map stuffed away inside its leafy exterior and had read many books the kind Druid had in his possession, but nothing compared to seeing and meeting such curious city-dwellers!
The rough and tumble river of stones the humans called a ¡°street¡± led the creature straight to the base of a wide building at the center of the town. It towered high into the sky and the shrub leaned back, its bright yellow eyes tucked into the hollow of its body, taking in the sight. They shimmered with unshed tears.
It was beautiful how humans built things that stood taller than the mightiest oak. And yet, they never seemed to marvel at their own ingenuity. From the pictures of some of the Druid¡¯s books, this wasn¡¯t even a tall structure by human standards.
Taamra was a village. The word meant nothing to the creature, but as he strolled along the street, he began to associate the red-tiled roofed structures with the word.
By this point, the humans, in their infinite playfulness, had given up their attempts to engage the creature and instead followed it. The bushy creature didn¡¯t mind. Humans, it was quickly beginning to understand, were a curious lot.
And curiosity should never be stifled.
Steps of cut stone met the bushy creature, but they were steps made for a human, not a bush that didn¡¯t even clear four feet.
Undaunted, the shrub climbed up the steps. He always kept one of its hands on the card at all times. I must not lose it.
Tired but pleased with himself, the shrub finally pulled his short, round body over the last stair. A scantily clad man in furs and shiny buckles set his stance wide and crossed his arms, staring down at the bushy creature.
How kind! thought the shrub. The morning sun was riding high in the autumn sky and with the large human standing where he was, the shade was a welcome relief from the bright early morning sun now that he was out of the protective dewy mists below.
The shrub was used to a much cooler climate up in the mountains.
After a moment¡¯s rest, the shrub ambled straight through the graciously offered path between the human¡¯s legs.
If he thought the shade of the man outside was nice, the cool interior of the Adventurers Guild was divine. Drawing more than a few stares, the shrub made his way through many more pairs of legs as he hurried along to the counter at the far end of the tavern-like room.
Somewhere the sound of running water made the shrub a little homesick, but it pressed on. His goal was closer than ever, and Almora appeared to agree. Floating gold script wrote itself beautifully across the air, originating from the magical core of the world itself.
Quest Updated: Become an Adventurer
You traveled far and wide, venturing alone into a village territory few monsterfolk would ever brave, taking the first steps of your dream to become the strongest S-Grade Adventurer.
Objectives complete:
Survive the journey across the Riven Weald 1/1
Enter Taamra¡¯s Adventurers Guild 1/1
Objectives remaining:
Join the Adventurers Guild 0/1
Rewards:
[Curiosity Essence Gem]
50 [Copper Coins]
Monster Accolades (Rare)
A sheer thrill of joy filled the leafy puffball body of the shrub. There was only one objective remaining!
Once the shrub reached the wide desk of dark polished wood, the creature was unsure how to proceed. With such a short stature, the smartly dressed woman with pointed ears behind the counter couldn¡¯t see the newest applicant to the Adventurers Guild.
Fortunately for the shrub, there was a small stepping stool for just such an occasion, cunningly set to the side where he didn¡¯t notice it at first. Clutching the guild invitation hard to his leafy chest, the shrub hopped up the steps.
The woman seemed to already know it was there, and she was in the process of leaning over the deep counter when the shrub popped up and startled her. She let out a shrill cry and fell over backward just as the shrub put the black glass card on the desk.
Recovering quickly, the woman got to her feet. She straightened her guild uniform, a deep gray suit with edgings of gold and silver. She smoothed the stray auburn flyaways to her head. ¡°Can I¡ help you?¡±
The shrub had practiced this moment a hundred times. This was it, the moment the little thing had been waiting for. Unable to rein in his enthusiasm anymore, the shrub squealed with delight, ¡°I would like to be a Hero, ma¡¯am!¡±
¡°A-a hero?¡± she asked.
The shrub nodded.
¡°May I?¡± The woman motioned to the card. With the shrub¡¯s permission, she picked it up and examined it. She mumbled to herself, ¡°It¡¯s real¡. How in the¨C¡± She turned to the side and raised her voice. ¡°Royl, come here a sec!¡±
Despite his nature, the shrub was not very good at being patient. His mentor, the Druid, had told him trees operate on ¡°tree time¡± and that as a small tree himself, he should learn to be patient.
The magical shrub, however, thought that the world was too vast to be patient. Too fascinating for waiting. Too beautiful to be rooted to one spot. Perhaps, he had thought to himself, I should operate on ¡°shrub time¡±.
He tapped his branch-fingers on the tabletop and watched the woman nervously. He could feel hundreds of eyes on his leafy back. She had to let the creature in. It was a rule. Humans were very particular about their rules.
¡°What¡¯s up Sel?¡± asked a sandy-haired man in a similar outfit to the woman¡¯s.
¡°What do you make of this?¡± She offered the glass card. The shrub¡¯s most precious item.
A few tense moments passed. The man shrugged, passing it back. ¡°Well, it¡¯s legit if that¡¯s¨C¡± Only then did he seem to notice the shrub. His blue eyes went wide with shock as he stared into the glowing eyes inside the creature¡¯s bushy exterior. ¡°Sel. There¡¯s a monster bush at the counter.¡±
¡°Not a monster!¡± the shrub cried, taking great offense to the title. ¡°Hero.¡±
The man slowly turned back to the elf, Sel. They shared a look, then Sel turned back to the shrub. She leaned on the counter with her elbows to get on eye level with the creature. ¡°You said you want to be a hero. Do you mean an¡ adventurer?¡± she asked, waving the glass card in her hand.
Immediately, the shrub realized its mistake. ¡°Yes, I want to be a Hero Adventurer!¡± To him, they were one and the same. But humans, and elves it seemed, set great importance on proper names. He should have remembered!
Sel looked over her shoulder at Royl. They both shrugged, and the man left in a hurry. Sel cleared her throat and stood up, placing the card of glass back on the counter.
She reached down into a cubby out of sight and began to pull out several huge panes of glass edged in bright silver metal. Out came a pointed silver instrument next. A [Stele].
¡°Okay¡.¡± Sel looked around at the growing hushed audience around the shrub. She swallowed hard. This was most unusual. There was no precedent in the guild¡¯s rulebook. She knew every chapter, subsection, and subclause by heart.
If there was no precedent¡ then it must never have happened. She was nearly giddy with fear and excitement. A monster wanted to be an adventurer!
Though it would not be up to her if the guild accepted his invitation. The guild had a mind of its own.
The shrub looked around and was so proud, so happy, so impossibly joyous that a tiny pale blue berry popped into existence right where its nose might have been.
If it had one.
So many people have come to cheer me on. To accept me as an Adventurer! A family. I have always wanted one of those.
Several official-looking people came from the back. They wore elaborate capes and tall hats that humans were so fond of. I should like to get a hat, thought the shrub. A tall hat, with many adornments.
As the woman nervously set the invitation atop the first pane of glass, a shower of light lit up her stunned face. The blank glassy surface shone with golden light and all the gathered people both behind the counter and in front of it gasped aloud.
The only person who didn¡¯t know what it meant was the would-be monster adventurer.
¡°It¡ accepted the invitation,¡± an older man with a well-trimmed frost-white beard said. ¡°It is¡ valid.¡± He looked at Sel and added, ¡°Continue with the registration process. We cannot deny any valid entry. The Guild has made its will known.¡±
While they were busy, the shrub plucked the berry off its leafy exterior and gingerly placed it into a hollow within its branches, where it kept the map. His [Verdant Inventory] ability created a small place for him to store all of his most precious items far from prying eyes.
Sel did her best to smile at the shrub, despite the sweat prickling her pale brow. She handed the glass card back to the creature. ¡°I suspect you will want to keep hold of this. It has three invites left.¡± After the shrub took it, she cleared her throat, her [Stele] poised to write. ¡°Name?¡±
The shrub looked at her curiously.
¡°What is your name?¡± she asked again.
For all of his dreams and fantasies, the shrub never considered the question of his own name. He had only started calling himself ¡°he¡± two days ago! Language was hard.
He was who he was, wasn¡¯t that enough? But he remembered that people were strange and had many names for the same thing.
They even invented whole languages so they could make names all over again! Yes, to live in the human world, he would need a name too.
A good name.
¡°My name is¡ Shrubley.¡±
The best name.
Chapter 2 - Intreeduction
The guild hall erupted in shouts that slowly faded into a background susurration. A few voices rose above it.
¡°Did you hear that? The guild accepted a monster.¡±
¡°What did he say his name was?¡±
¡°Shronk Lee?¡±
¡°Scrumble, I heard.¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s a drink you daft ninny! Ye can¡¯t be namin¡¯ yerself after a drink.¡±
¡°Say that to Vodka Carter over in Sleit and you¡¯ll get a face full o¡¯ knuckles.¡±
¡°How can a monster become an adventurer?!¡± a burly Barbarian demanded, slamming his empty tankard upon the round table.
¡°Shrubley, the monster adventurer?¡± a Mage whispered in awe.
Sel hid her face in her hands. Shrubley was too full of mounting pride at his wondrous new name to hear the whispering behind him.
¡°Your name is¡ Shrubley?¡± Sel asked. She had to make sure.
Then her thoughts caught up to the reality of her situation. You¡¯re registering a monster, Sel. And yet this thing just radiates pure sugary sweetness. It¡¯s not stupid, but it¡¯s not too bright either. A fair bit brighter than a lot of people we get signing up nowadays, that¡¯s for sure. So what if it wants to call itself Shrubley? There was that Wainrite family over in Sleit that had kids with names like Brutality Wainrite, Tonka Wainrite, Septic Wainrite, and so on, just because they liked the sounds of the words!
The bush¨Cno, Shrubley¨Cnodded emphatically, rustling his many glossy leaves. Drops of dew fell like glittering diamonds and splashed on the polished countertop.
Sel bit her lip and wrote down the name on the pane of glass used to register every new member. ¡°And what are you, Shrubley?¡±
That question was easy. ¡°Shrub.¡±
Sel looked around to her superiors for some help, but none of them would move closer. A great many of them were going red in the face. Their mouths twisting to hold back their laughter.
¡°Dear?¡± Sel asked, leaning once more onto the counter. ¡°Perhaps you misunderstood me.¡±
¡°But I am a shrub,¡± Shrubley said. It was very obvious. The shrub motioned with his long wiry arms at his round leafy body.
A snort of laughter came out from somewhere behind Shrubley, but the little shrub ignored it.
Shrubley was a shrub. There were many books that the Druid possessed, and he had read all of them many times. It clearly stated that he was a shrub. Not a flower. Not a tree, most certainly not common grass.
¡°You are a shrub,¡± she agreed. ¡°But that is your race.¡± Sel paused for a moment, an unsure look in her amber eyes. Then she nodded, gaining confidence, and placed a hand on her chest. ¡°I am an elf. Do you know what that is?¡±
Shrubley did. Elves were popular within the books the Druid carried. They, among all the core races, cared most for the natural order of things. But Shrubley never saw one before and would not have known one if they introduced themselves.
Even as Sel proclaimed herself one, the little shrub was unsure what she was getting at. ¡°You are an elf?¡±
The woman nodded. Despite her earlier trepidation, she smiled. Seeing it made Shrubley feel good. Like soaking up fresh rain with his roots and clear spring sunlight with his leaves.
¡°Can I be an elf?¡± Shrubley asked. Being an elf would be fun.
Seeing where the little bush was going with this, Sel shook her head. ¡°No, dear.¡± She quickly held up a hand, seeing the widening of Shrubley¡¯s glowing eyes set deep in a dark hollow of its leafy body. ¡°You cannot change your race. That is what you were born as. Do you understand?¡±
Now Shrubley understood. The shrub¡¯s opinion of this elf rose considerably. She had taken the time to teach him like the Druid did. ¡°So I am a shrub¡ but I am not a shrub?¡±
After a moment of processing the sentence, the woman shook her head. ¡°Do you use any magic or have any powers?¡± she asked helpfully. ¡°Fighters are usually pretty good with weapons. Knights and Paladins wear heavy armor¡ no offense, but I don¡¯t see you going down that road. My guess is you¡¯re a scrappy little guy, that about right? Maybe a Rogue?¡±
Shrubley thought very hard on his answer. And then it came. The most obvious answer ever. Shrubley wanted to be like the man that had given him the Adventurers Guild invite. He was kind and gentle.
Sel had no idea if a monster could have a Class. But clearly this was uncharted territory, and she wasn¡¯t about to skip an important question just because she was unsure of how a monster progressed.
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Aside from growing in ranks, Sel didn¡¯t know that much more. Monsters didn¡¯t gain levels. That was a people thing. The core races leveled, but the monsters only had rough ranks to assign power.
That made them easy to deal with as they tended to only gain power when they advanced and otherwise were rather static.
They also didn¡¯t have Classes, since you could only acquire a Class when you maxed out your essence sockets. And no monster had essences. Of that, she was sure.
She would later find out how wrong she was.
But Sel was nothing if not thorough. She expected the cute little bush man to ask her what a Class was.
It came as quite a shock when Shrubley made a motion with his thin branch-like arm and dexterous little twiggy fingers.
He¡¯s manipulating Shardscript! Sel¡¯s thoughts screamed at her. She¡¯d recognize that motion anywhere.
Shrubley wanted to be a Druid, but he vaguely recalled seeing the word ¡°Class¡± before, so he pulled up his status.
Golden lettering etched across the space in front of him, visible only to his eyes. His little leafy body bristled with joy every time he saw Shardscript. It meant he was on the path to being a Hero.
Monsters didn¡¯t have Shardscript. Only Heroes.
[Shrubley]
Race: Soul Shrub
Class: Insufficient Essences
Rank: Mundane
Level: 1
[Attributes]
Strength: 5
Skill: 8
Hardiness: 11
Willpower: 17
Arcane: 13
Restoration: 15
[Essences]
[Curiosity (Black)] (Copper II Rank)
[Empty]
[Empty]
[Racial Abilities]
[Solar Synthesis]
[Verdant Inventory]
[Leyline Roots]
[Awakened Intellect]
[Garden Cultivation]
[Shardic Creature]
[Monsterfolk]
Shrubley combed his glowing eyes over the script from top to bottom, then back up to the top to the word ¡°Class¡±. He nodded to himself.
¡°My Class is, Insufficient Essences,¡± Shrubley said proudly.
The laughter her superiors and fellow guildmates were holding back broke like a dam. The shock of a monster potentially having a Class was too much.
¡°Dear?¡± Sel asked, leaning once more onto the counter. ¡°That is not a Class.¡±
¡°But it says ¡®Insufficient Essences¡¯,¡± Shrubley said.
Sel cupped her chin in her palm and drummed her fingers thoughtfully. Oh, by Wisdom¡¯s Grace, surely not? ¡°Do you have any essences?¡±
¡°Just one,¡± Shrubley said proudly. He looked like a big leafy balloon.
The laughter was immediately cut off. It rippled across the room like a blanket of black velvet.
The elf swallowed nervously. She slid the [Registration Tablet] toward Shrubley. ¡°Please place your¡ er, hand on the tablet, please.¡± And then, because she felt an odd sense of affection for this little guy, added, ¡°It won¡¯t hurt. It¡¯s just to record your essences. Every adventurer does it.¡±
She didn¡¯t know how it was possible, but Shrubley seemed to swell up with even more pride. He gingerly set his knotty hand onto the glass. The transparent pane turned black as night.
Sel¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of her face. Black?!
There was a series of creaks as countless necks craned to see the hue of the tablet, which would tell what color of essence Shrubley had, if any.
Furious whispers picked up as the news got around.
¡°I thought only hot shot adventurers up in the Inner Ring had black essences?¡± one man said.
¡°Must be broken. No way anybody from ¡®round here has a Black essence, much less him.¡±
Sel should have been trying to pick her jaw up off the floor, but she found herself smiling. Not only were people impressed, more than a few had stopped referring to Shrubley as a monster.
After all, monsters can¡¯t use essences. Everybody knows that.
Her eyes drifted back to the tablet. ¡°Thank you, Shrubley, that is all.¡±
Black essences were unique. They were absent of color to signify that very thing. In her decade of being an adventurer, she¡¯d only seen 2 Black essences. And never one like this.
Curiosity Essence, huh? For some reason, she couldn¡¯t help but think that it suited the little guy.
Despite the strangeness of the whole thing, it put Shrubley ahead of many newcomers to the guild. Most people lacked the money, connections, or suicidal tendencies to get their hands on even one essence.
Fuming with fury, Lurl, the Barbarian, had had enough. What were they playing at, letting in a bleeding monster of all things? Why wasn¡¯t anybody stopping this foolishness?
Lurl had defeated all comers to gain his first Green Essence at the tender young age of 13, and he would feel the Boot of War on his backside before he let a monster equal him.
He had been legendary for joining the Taamra Adventurers Guild branch with his own essence. The Barbarian could see his legacy going up in smoke before his eyes.
Nobody would talk about Lurl, the Barbarian. Not after today. They¡¯d talk about this little pipsqueak who had come into town not only as a hideous little shrub barely big enough to take a leak behind, but that it also had an essence. And a Black one at that!
Monsters didn¡¯t have essences! It wasn¡¯t right. It wasn¡¯t nat¡¯rul.
He was a Bronze Rank adventurer, and one of the people in this pathetic backwater village that had a Class. He¡¯d show that little upstart.
Roaring an ancient battle cry, spittle spraying from his lips, the huge man flipped the table, toppling his group¡¯s lean Mage with it.
She cried out in pain and surprise, but the Barbarian didn¡¯t care. He was far past caring for the weak and worthless. He would take care of this monster that had cast a spell on everybody else and he¡¯d be lauded as the hero he truly was.
Lurl, if it wasn¡¯t obvious, was a Barbarian. And Barbarians were notoriously thick-skulled. Mind magic tended to bounce right off or go through one ear and out the other without finding much brain to impact.
If Almora had modern age doctors, Lurl would be diagnosed with severe CTE. As it was, they did have a name for his affliction.
They were called Barbarians.
Green smoky Rage essence billowed from his furs, bulking his already oversized muscles. The energy visibly channeled into his limbs, concentrating into an ability.
The Barbarian charged at Shrubley with murderous intent, unslinging a wicked greataxe from his back. Whirlwind essence gathered on the greataxe¡¯s cutting edge, turning it blood-red as it built up for a deadly blow.
It was time to chop some wood.
Chapter 3 - Unbeleafable Friendship
Spinning with Rage and Whirlwind essence empowering Lurl, the savage man unleashed a mighty swing of his blood-red greataxe at Shrubley, who simply did not understand the act of aggression.
The blow pinged off of Jerric¡¯s raised kite shield. The Paladin grimaced behind his visor. ¡°He¡¯s a monster, sure, but we are bound by our lawful rules. Shrubley is accepted as an adventurer now.¡±
Undeterred and far too furious to see sense, Lurl readied another mighty blow. If it was not already established that Lurl was last in line when they were giving out brains, it should be stated that a Bronze Ranker attacking a Steel was tantamount to suicide.
In fact, in many nations, attacking another person of a much higher Rank than you was put down as ¡°suicide¡± on the death certificate.
Jerric remained in the way, protecting Shrubley, even if he didn¡¯t like it. Laws were there for a reason. You cannot pick and choose which ones you wish to uphold, and the Guild had made its will known.
Guildmates of all sorts piled onto the Barbarian. Surprisingly, quite a few adventurers and attendants intervened.
The strongest among them was still no match for Jerric. He could have taken out most of the adventurers in the room alone if he chose to press his attack on the Barbarian.
And yet, Lurl would not relent. The two men struggled, with additional attendants and adventurers restraining the Barbarian. Jerric did not want to kill the man, but while he could kill every adventurer here aside from his group, it was another thing entirely to restrain a berserking Barbarian.
Even if he was two ranks below Jerric.
Eventually, however, the Barbarian was restrained. Jerric, doing most of the work, dragged the senseless Barbarian out of the Guild.
No matter that Shrubley was a monster, acting against a fellow adventurer within the guildhall was strictly against the rules.
Shrubley looked around at the destruction and chaos. Boy, adventurers are a rough and rowdy lot! He turned back all bright and happy to the shocked and stunned expression of Sel.
The elf looked at the shrub, then at the devastation of the room. Chairs were shattered into flinders, though the mages were quickly repairing them with simple spells. She even caught the glint of Blue essences being used by non-mages to restore order and reapply hardening charms to the furniture and walls.
Sel smiled tentatively at Shrubley and cleared her throat. Now that the Guild hall was largely emptied, things should be a little easier. She never did like having an audience.
The rest of the process was painlessly simple. Sel asked Shrubley questions, and the shrub answered to the best of its abilities. As much as Sel thought she could get through the rest in relative peace, the spectacle of Lurl being dragged out into the streets wasn¡¯t enough to sate the appetites of the terminally curious adventurers.
Judging by the crowds of people piling into the guildhall to watch the historic event, the only reason the hall had emptied was so people could run home and spread the news.
Whispers of, ¡°monster adventurer,¡± echoed out into the packed space of the hall, but Shrubley was quick to correct them with a shout of, ¡°Hero Adventurer!¡±
Like the Adventurers Guild invite card that Shrubley slipped into his inventory where the map and his precious items were stashed, the panes of glass were special. Silver lettering appeared on each one after Sel had touched Shrubley¡¯s invitation to it. Then after each answer, the woman wrote on the pane with a silver [Stele].
Finally, Sel flipped the last pane around and held out the silver utensil to the shrub. ¡°Sign on the dotted line at the bottom, confirming your willful entry into the Adventurers Guild and that everything you¡¯ve said has been true.¡±
Shrubley reached a twiggy hand out and grasped the heavy silver tool. Writing, like speaking and reading, was something he knew, though Shrubley could not remember how.
Once Shrubley signed his name, Sel took the stylus and the pane back. She stacked them with an audible clink and placed them somewhere behind the counter.
¡°Now,¡± Sel said, ¡°there is only the matter of your first contract. To be fully inducted into the Adventurers Guild, it is required that you successfully complete a single contract from the wanted board over there.¡± She pointed a slender finger toward a bulletin board filled with nailed-on sheets of parchment depicting various monsters and imagery.
It was only visible because the main area of the guildhall was a recessed seating area. If it hadn¡¯t been, Shrubley would never have been able to see over the countless faces watching him.
My first day, and I am already so very popular! I will make many friends, I am sure.
¡°Everything from helping out local villagers to completing hunts where you take out dangerous monsters is on that board.¡± Sel paused for a moment. Looking at all the faces of the adventurers, both new and grizzled, gathered around, she suddenly felt protective of the strange little creature. ¡°May I make a suggestion?¡±
Always eager to hear the advice of others, Shrubley nodded enthusiastically.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Sel leaned in closer and cupped a hand to the side of her mouth, dropping her voice so only the shrub could hear. ¡°On the board at the bottom left is a contract calling for aid in dealing with some troublesome undead skeletons that are bothering a nearby farm. Beneath that is an old contract that asks for a courier. Take that one and bring it here.¡±
Shrubley hopped down from his perch. If he had been paying attention, he might have been shocked at how many people were gathered around in tight knots, many standing shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the bizarre creature.
But, ever single-minded, Shrubley only noticed that the people parted to allow him access to the board without a word. He reached one spindly arm up over his bushy body and reached out to the dozens of contracts available, his little mind spinning with all his eventual adventurous exploits.
They fluttered on an errant breeze, just like leaves on a bush.
When he ambled back to the counter, Sel stared blankly at the contract he set down. According to the bylaws of the Guild, she could not directly refuse his choice unless he had a contract open already or was not of the required rank, Star-rating or Grade.
Neither of which applied to the diminutive shrub.
¡°Are you sure you want to take this one?¡± she asked, fearing his answer.
Shrubley nodded enthusiastically.
Sel nodded and looked down at the contract. At least the shrub had partly listened to her. He found the skeleton poster she spoke about, but instead of taking the one beneath that, he took the skeleton contract.
¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked. It was as far as she could press the issue with her superiors right behind her.
¡°Very. I will defeat the bone boys!¡± he cried with a clenched and raised fist of wood.
Suppressing a sigh, Sel placed the necessary sigils in the air and the contract shifted form. It folded over itself until it was just large enough to fit into Sel¡¯s palm. The paper hardened and glistened with milky moonlight, doubling in weight a few times until it had a nice heft to it.
The enchantment faded, leaving behind the Guild¡¯s iconic quest card. Black obsidian glass with a polished copper border, designating the rank of the quest. No stars decorated the top of the card. If it had, she could have refused him on the grounds that he lacked the proper Star-rating. The quest¡¯s specifics were written in golden script on the card itself.
Technically speaking, she could have tried to stop him on the grounds that the quest was Copper Ranked instead of Mundane. However, of the nearly 60 quests on the board, only 2 were Mundane. If the Guild didn¡¯t have a special rule about Mundane and Copper overlapping, nobody would ever become a full member.
If she had tried that, she would have had to explain to the upper management and given good reason. That would only draw more attention to the little guy. Not to mention, once an adventurer¡¯s file has a mark on it like that, it makes the bureaucrats¡¯ job that much easier to add further restrictions down the line.
Sel handed the card over to Shrubley. The little thing¡¯s branches shook with reverence for this latest gift. ¡°That quest card will keep track of your contract and as you complete it, the card will update. Come see me again when it changes from black of night to pure moonlight. You¡¯ll get your reward and be inducted as a full member of the Adventurers Guild.¡±
¡°Thank you!¡± Shrubley cried. He put the card, much larger in his hands than Sel¡¯s, into the hollow in his middle and hopped down from the step stool once more.
Sel watched him go, along with dozens of other adventurers. For a long while, nobody said anything.
It was Royl, of all people, who broke the silence. ¡°That little shrub is going to friggin¡¯ die.¡±
The crowd parted readily before Shrubley and he was so excited for his first quest that he didn¡¯t hear Royl¡¯s words or the rolling snickers at his back.
He had some boney boys to bring to justice.
Outside of the Adventurers Guild with the morning sunlight warming his leaves, Shrubley brought up the contract¡¯s specifics. Something that he forgot to do in his excitement and haste to prove himself.
New Contract: Run off the Rattle Rousers
An undead menace has been terrorizing the Haalften farms to the west of Taamra, stealing milk from all the growing boys and girls. Stop them and save Taamra¡¯s milk supply!
Objectives:
Stop the Rattle Rouser gang 0/1
Rewards:
50 [Copper Coins]
Induction as an official member of the Adventurer¡¯s
Difficulty:
Copper Rank
50 copper pieces! Shrubley thought, who had absolutely zero understanding of economics. I¡¯ll be rich!
He didn¡¯t even pause to consider that his ongoing quest, Become an Adventurer, also awarded 50 [Copper Coins].
Not until it was completed and more Shardscript appeared before his eyes, filling him with overwhelming joy and pride.
Quest Complete: Become an Adventurer
You traveled far and wide, venturing alone into a village territory few monsterfolk would ever brave, taking the first steps of your dream to become the strongest S-Grade Adventurer.
Against all odds, you have been accepted as a Junior Adventurer.
Objectives complete:
Survive the journey across the Riven Weald 1/1
Enter Taamra¡¯s Adventurers Guild 1/1
Join the Adventurers Guild 1/1
Rewards:
[Curiosity Essence Gem]
50 [Copper Coins]
Monster Accolades (Rare)
The quest rewards materialized from the thin air into his outstretched stick-like hands. Quests like these were one of the world¡¯s many wonders.
Shrubley¡¯s glowing yellow eyes lit up at the [Curiosity Essence Gem]. The Druid had explained that essences were remarkably rare and that they were the key to becoming a powerful Hero.
[Curiosity Essence Gem]
(Essence Gem)
(Copper Rank) (¡ï¡î Uncommon)
A multi-faceted, spherical black jewel shimmering with the golden inner light of Curiosity essence.
Imprint: Upon use, grants greater Curiosity Essence Experience.
He added the 50 coins to his [Verdant Inventory], a racial ability that granted him a safe space to store items. Shrubley could hear them land on the soft velvety grass within his magical subspace.
[Verdant Inventory (Racial)]: A grassy subspace and personal pocket dimension for Inventory that is the birthright of a proper Soul Shrub like you. Overabundant with Life mana, no items spoil or reduce in quality while within your pocket dimension. Additionally, this subspace is capable of growing larger if cultivated.
He found it quite satisfying to collect new things.
Shrubley didn¡¯t know what monster accolades were, and he was still so in awe of the Shardscript that he was afraid to ask it any questions. Perhaps later.
He didn¡¯t want to be rude.
As eager as he was to smash some do-bad skeletons, he would need some equipment first.
Chapter 4 - Shopping Thyme
Now that Shrubley had a small fortune in which to deck himself out with all the amazing weapons that were the hallmark of a true Hero, he could finally look like the Hero he always dreamed he was.
Shrubley could see himself in gleaming plate mail like that Paladin who had so kindly welcomed him to the city. I should like to get a flaming sword, and maybe some darksteel armor. Then with the rest I could get a flying mount, something regal. Like a hippogryph.
The little shrub nodded to himself. Yes, that will do nicely. And with the remainder of my vast riches, I will treat myself to a spa day. Root soaks, bark treatment, and some light hedge trimming into all sorts of whimsical shapes!
Many shops lined the street, containing fantastical new things he lacked proper names for. People watched him as he ambled down the street, looking from one opening shop to the other.
Adventurers were early risers and even the shops in a village at the edge of civilization like Taamra carried a wide assortment of equipment and goods that many adventurers would need.
After all, without their goods, adventurers couldn¡¯t do their jobs and it was in the best interest of all people to make sure adventurers could take care of the sundry monsters, Dungeons, Towers, and evil Lairs that popped up from time to time.
His leaves trembled with excitement as Shrubley wondered where he would go first, and what his first adventuring equipment would turn out to be.
He stopped to watch an alchemy shop open for the day, its windows lighting up with multicolored displays of fancy glass bottles containing elixirs and potions.
Shrubley could only vaguely recognize what they were from the Druid¡¯s teachings, and yet he instantly yearned to learn more.
What sort of magical effects do those potions have? What do the different colors mean? Oh, how are they made?
He had so many questions for the old witch and wizard stirring the big bubbling cauldrons within the shop.
But when he went into the shop, he found it suddenly empty. The witch and wizard were nowhere to be seen.
Faint voices behind a beaded curtain at the back of the curiously smelling shop reached him.
¡°Is it gone?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s looking at the [Shriving Potions]! Can¡¯t we call the Guild to come deal with it?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? That thing is supposed to be a junior adventurer!¡± the voice hissed. ¡°It¡¯ll eventually give up and go away. Maybe it¡¯ll try to steal something and we can get it kicked out of the Guild.¡±
Shrubley did not understand, but there were a great many things he did not understand. He figured that perhaps there was a new adventurer around these parts that the owners did not like.
Perhaps the poor adventurer smelled funny. Not that he expected people working in a shop like this to be able to tell.
With a shrug of his shrubby body, the would-be adventurer left to go find another shop. There were more than he would have thought. One of them had to be open.
It was still early in the day as well. That was one thing he liked about humanfolk. They enjoyed the sun too, and so tended to be out and about during the day.
At least, that¡¯s what Shrubley observed so far. Perhaps there were other humanfolk who preferred to go about their lives during the darkness of night, and he just hadn¡¯t met them yet.
I should like to, I think!
Something that Shrubley did not notice was that the townspeople went out of their way to avoid him. Humans and elves going about their day kept a wide berth.
People would cross the river of stones¨Cno, Shrubley thought to himself, it is a street¨Cwhenever he appeared. The shops he entered were deserted by the time the little bell that told the shopkeeper there was a customer to serve stopped ringing.
Time and time again, Shrubley wasn¡¯t exactly turned away, but he failed to be greeted at every shop in town. He even made sure to loop back around from the main thoroughfare where the buildings pressed and leaned against one another for support, just in case he had missed them when they went out for their morning tea.
Maybe¡ that adventurer that smells is me. What else could it be?
He had gone through that alchemy shop first. Maybe something from the shop clung to him. Humans and elves were both sensitive. Shrubley had the same senses, they were just a little different.
Though he had no ears and no nose, he could still smell and hear just fine. The Druid explained it in terms of morpho-something and Genesis Fields.
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He did not comprehend the particulars, but he did not need to in order for those things to affect him.
What was important, however, was that he possessed all the same five senses as the core races. Just to be sure, Shrubley lifted the twisted set of branches that made up his spindly arm and tried to sniff his underarm.
He¡¯d seen many men do it in the morning, especially after being rejected by a female. He did not know why they did it, but the faces they made suggested that they detected something unpleasant.
Shrubley could only smell clean leaves and fresh growth. He did not have a hint of the alchemy shop¡¯s scent lingering on him.
Taamra wasn¡¯t a large town, but it had the wild organic stretches of streets and buildings of old towns everywhere that had grown in spurts over the decades. With a handful of cobblestone streets that rose to the flat-topped hill where the majority of the important-looking buildings resided, Shrubley could explore the town quite quickly.
The buildings on the hill were important government things that did not interest him aside from the Adventurers Guild. But he went up there in case there was a shop he missed.
There was not.
He turned around and went back the way he had come. More friendly people were filling the streets. Perhaps the shops were open now?
Small animals made threatening noises nearby, and a trio of cats chased an even smaller one.
The scared creature darted by, then huddled within the shelter of an alley, watching the others slowly approach it.
Shrubley felt a sort of kinship with this animal, though he did not know why. He went over to the cornered black cat and turned towards the angry calico trio.
He adopted as serious a look as he could manage, narrowing his lamplight eyes into tilted triangular shapes. Shrubley shook his leaves, making himself look bigger and more threatening than he truly was.
Surprisingly, they backed away and then ran off.
Returning to his friendly demeanor, Shrubley turned his attention back to the lone cat and gently rustled his leaves in greeting.
The cat quite liked this and proceeded to bat at his branches, then brush against him in what felt like a friendly way. That made Shrubley feel good. Accepted, even.
¡°You are a nice cat,¡± he decided.
The black cat meowed affectionately in response, and then sauntered off, going deeper into the alley. Wondering where it was going, Shrubley followed, going down alley after alley.
Whenever the cat got too far, it sat and washed itself, waiting for Shrubley to catch up.
Toward the outskirts of Taamra, keeping his little lamplight yellow eyes peeled for the cat, Shrubley found a shop. Or rather, the shop found him.
¡°Pssst! Hey, bush boy! Yeah, you. C¡¯mere!¡±
Shrubley looked around until he found the speaker. He bristled with excitement. The old man with wild hair and more creases in his face than a year-old-apple was waving at him.
The black cat curled up contently beside him. Apparently the two of them were friends, which instantly made Shrubley trust the old man.
The little shrub thought that the old man looked a bit like a Druid, albeit malnourished and thin. He had the rolled-in-dirt look that his Druid was fond of, but his body was small and emaciated. He wore drab clothes that looked like old bedsheets, and now that Shrubley was closer to the man, he smelled quite bad.
However, he had a small grubby sheet spread out before him with several little knick knacks. Tiny half-crumpled cards identified the items and their prices.
The shrub looked from them up to the man who grinned with fewer teeth than he had fingers. ¡°Your mane of hair is very wild and impressive,¡± Shrubley said kindly. ¡°You look like a dandelion.¡±
The shopkeeper, which he couldn¡¯t legally be called owing to this-and-that, stared at him. With his dirty palms pressed to his knobbly knees, Winmore peered into the shrub¡¯s glowing yellow eyes. If there was any cruelty or mirth there at his expense, Winmore couldn¡¯t tell.
He put on his most brilliant smile. Which wasn¡¯t much given his lack of teeth, but he made up for beauty and presentation with sheer grit. ¡°What could old Winmore get the fine young sir?¡±
It was clear to the permanently down-on-his-luck Winmore that the shrub was new, not just to the area, but to all things. With a name like Winmore, and his pitiful performance throughout life, the old man was used to the casual cruelty of others for the sin of being different.
He didn¡¯t have much to sell, and what he did have was marked up for foolish adventurers coming from the Inner Ring, who thought they were too good for country folk.
¡°Ho, boy, would you look at that?¡± Winmore said excitedly, pointing a gnarled finger at the stained brick wall behind the shrub.
Shrubley looked around.
Faster than lightning, the old man switched out the items on display and the cards for something more useful and better priced. Enough people had kicked him down the stairs of life that he had a perpetual gutter-view. He couldn¡¯t be a party to this little darling¡¯s ostracization.
Shrubley looked back and furrowed his leafy brow. He was sure that the cards and items both had been different. What had looked like beautiful gems, cards, shining tools, and glowing bottles of wondrous potions were now something very different.
In case the man had some disorder that made his shop rearrange itself, Shrubley kept his thoughts to himself. It would not do to insult such a kind person.
With supple wooden fingers, he picked up a carved wooden sword. It was worn and well-used, but it was beautiful all the same.
[Practice Sword]
(Weapon, Magic Focus)
(Mundane Rank) (¡ï¡ï¡ï Rare)
A simple wooden practice sword that has uncountable notches and chips, but has somehow managed to survive largely intact. A small portion of each wielder¡¯s mana has been imparted to this weapon, making it suitable as a magic focus. An incredible rarity among Mundane Ranked items.
Imprint: Serves as a focus for spellcasting, enhancing magic potency and range. Deals mixed physical slashing and magical neutral damage. Gives a minuscule boost to the Willpower attribute when using this item.
¡°For you, young sir,¡± the man said, ¡°I¡¯ll knock 10 coppers off the price. It¡¯s a steal at 25 copper, but for 15 copper I¡¯m robbin¡¯ meself blind!¡±
Shrubley could feel a core of magic within the weapon. It was weak, but so was Shrubley, so that made it okay.
Carefully, he counted out the coins and handed them over. Things were far more expensive than he thought. With only 35 coppers left, Shrubley¡¯s vast wealth was shrinking like morning dew on a leaf under the summer sun.
The next item that caught his eye, however, was too good to pass up. Shrubley would rather go without a root soak or a hedge trim if he could have it. Besides, he was going to get another 50 [Copper Coins] when he finished his quest.
If you really thought about it, buying equipment was an investment. Or so the old man told him, and Shrubley had no reason to doubt his toothless grin.
Chapter 5 - Lettuce Begin
Shrubley found himself twirling his [Practice Sword] through the air as a chilly autumn breeze drifted through the turning leaves of the forests at the edge of the path.
He had stayed for a few hours talking to the old man and petting his small cat, who was named Lucky. The man was strange, but then to Shrubley, all people were strange. And besides, he liked strange.
Strange was interesting.
And so Shrubley found himself alone along the dirt road outside of town that would lead him to the Haalften farms a few miles to the west. West was a good direction. It was where the sun set and allowed him to bask in its warm golden rays as his rooty feet trundled over the packed dirt.
Golden leaves fluttered on the forest trees to his left, while the town of Taamra faded into the background behind him. Shrubley enjoyed the outdoors as much as you could for being a plant creature, but he truly loved his conversation with Winmore.
The old man was once a great and prominent merchant, and Shrubley had no reason to doubt his boastful claims. He was, in fact, very good at a large amount of things, but a turn of bad luck had spoiled everything when he was a young man.
Shrubley did not know much about love or relationships, but Winmore seemed to be an expert. He said it was the love of a fine young girl that had turned his life upside down and left him, as he put it, ¡°falling down the stairs of life¡±.
Winmore, however, was as undaunted as a mighty oak and would not bend nor yield to fate, and so he was starting from the bottom. He managed to make it sound as if it was his choice, that he could have done things differently if he desired it.
Shrubley respected him. He talked more than the Druid. In fact, he talked more to Shrubley than just about any other creature in existence ever had in one sitting.
It was not that the Druid was unkind, but he was a man of few words. Doling each one out as if it was a precious thing. And to Shrubley, his words were.
Swinging his wooden sword and the [Wooden Pot Lid] he was using as a shield in his other arm, Shrubley was more than halfway to the Haalften farms by the time the sun was sinking toward the far hills to the west.
The verdant countryside had gone from clear cut lawn around the town to dense forests to parcels of land segmented by low stone walls.
Shrubley instantly recognized the farmers. There was something in them that he intrinsically respected and liked. They understood the earth and the soil, the plants and animals.
Several of the farmers stopped their late day chores to watch him. Propped up on upturned rakes, shovels, and hoes, or perched on fences, the farmers watched the strange creature amble down the country road.
Shrubley, who had been practicing this bit for the last few hours, threw up his sword into the sky and caught it again, much to the amusement of the various children running about the fields.
Their parents watched nervously, but seeing as the monster wasn¡¯t attacking or going toward their farms, they saw no reason to invite trouble. They were pragmatic folk, but still they watched the creature intently until it was far out of view.
Arthur Aking spat on the ground as he watched the creature pass the farm that had been in his family for generations. It had only been rebuilt twice, and he was incredibly proud of that fact. ¡°You think we should tell the guild?¡± he asked his brother.
Roger, leaning against the low stone wall, kept his eyes glued on the shrub creature¡¯s back. ¡°It don¡¯t look that fearsome. I reckon we can take it. Maybe even get some loot, eh?¡±
His older brother shook his head. ¡°Nah, that¡¯s not for us. You never know what a creature like that might do. Could be trouble, and you aren¡¯t about to get out of chorin¡¯ just because you broke an arm, Roger. Ain¡¯t no Aking brother o¡¯ mine is going to sneak out of chores just because of something like that!¡±
¡°Fine, fine,¡± Roger said, turning and surveying the field. He hated farming, but his brother was right. It was in the Aking blood. They had been farmers for as long as their family could remember. What else could he do? Even the weakest type of essence was more than they earned in a year.
And every year they needed something else done. Lumber and materials for upkeep for one. The damned tri-headed rams kept breaking the old, rotted fences, and then there was the fertilizer, seeds, patchwork for the roof, and the list went on until they were somehow barely scraping by.
Arthur recognized that morose look in his brother¡¯s eyes and looped a thick arm around the younger Aking¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Listen, how about we go up to Tossle¡¯s place and check on the latest batch of [Scrumble]?¡±
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That did the trick. Roger¡¯s eyes lit up, and he licked his lips hungrily.
¡°Just a drop, mind,¡± Arthur added. ¡°We don¡¯t want to start seeing the pink hippos and flying otters again, do we?¡±
Roger shook his head. Once had been enough.
The brothers watched as Shrubley shrank to a small green dot and vanished out of sight. Perhaps they should have called on the Taamra branch of the Adventurers Guild, but they had chores to do, and it was just one monster. A rather dull one at that.
***
The sun was a half-shell of molten gold when Shrubley heard the pathetic mewling cries of a [Slime] crying for help. He didn¡¯t know how he knew that. Perhaps it was his nature. He understood a lot of things that he shouldn¡¯t, especially anything to do with another monster.
Perhaps it had to do with his [Monsterfolk] racial ability? While hurrying, he checked it, wondering if the beautiful Shardscript might unveil a little bit more about himself and his place in the world.
[Monsterfolk]: Classifies you as one of the many kinds of monsters, altering your social standing with monsterfolk and humanfolk. Certain monsters are more willing to trade, parlay, communicate, train and even fight with you, whereas certain humanfolk are more likely to be aggressive or fearful.
Shrubley still wasn¡¯t sure. Perhaps his connection to monsters had more to do with [Awakened Intellect] and [Shardic Creature], but now wasn¡¯t the time to dig deeper.
Here, the path bent and twisted around various hills and hollows as it climbed into the autumnal hillside. Shrubley picked up the pace, worried about the suddenly cut off cry.
He came upon a trio of adventurers who were all bullying the tiniest [Slime] that Shrubley had ever seen. It was small enough to fit into a teacup.
¡°Let¡¯s cut off pieces of it to see how long it¡¯ll stay alive,¡± one of the adventurers said with a snigger.
¡°We can put it in a cauldron and boil it,¡± said another sneering voice.
¡°Yeah!¡± said a young girl, ¡°I¡¯d love to see what happens when all its water is gone.¡±
The little pink [Slime] cowered and cried, but Shrubley could not see any other [Slimes] coming to its aid, nor any other creatures for that matter.
The golden hills were dominated with small hollows and tiny mossy cliffs that could hold any number of caves where the little creature must have wandered off from.
Even Shrubley, who often gave fourth and fifth chances, and always assumed the best of people, knew that this was wrong. The [Slime] was a monster, yes, but it wasn¡¯t hurting anybody.
And even then, why bully and torment it?
Shrubley hurried up the winding path just as one of the adventurers took out a small, rusted cauldron and put the quivering, crying, and distraught [Slime] into it.
New Quest: Slime Savior Wanted
A fellow monsterfolk is in danger from a group of adventurers. Rescue the young slime, before he gets turned into potions!
Objectives:
Rescue the slime 0/1
Don¡¯t die 0/1
Rewards:
Class Experience
[Essence Vessel]
10 [Copper Coins]
Monster Accolades (Common)
The new quest urged Shrubley on, filling him with even more determination.
¡°Hurry and light the fire, Konko.¡±
¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± complained the girl. She was furiously striking a flint and steel, but the wood beneath the cauldron wasn¡¯t catching.
Shrubley set himself into a wide stance, sword and shield at the ready. ¡°Stop that!¡± he cried out in his most fearsome voice, full of authority and strength.
A thin, reedy voice brought the adventurers around. Konko looked up from the cauldron and spotted the creature. It looked like a common [Soul Shrub], the sort of thing you saw in high mana fields, not somewhere like Haalften.
So what was it then, a rogue wizard in the area dumping off its refuse? She tilted her head to the side, enraptured at the thought of blackmailing a wizard. It was very bad news to dump magical waste, and wizards were great sources of potions and ingredients.
As a junior Alchemist, Konko could only smile.
Her companions, however, were less entrepreneurial. They took out daggers and a large club, respectively.
¡°Looks like we got a talking monster,¡± said Fredrick. ¡°Go on Jorn, bash the shrub into paste, then we can toss it into the cauldron and see how the creatures mix together!¡±
Jorn lifted his club, and because he was always getting bullied for being thick, he decided to show off to his friends. A Red swirl of essence wound its way over his club. He grinned at Shrubley as his [Bash] ability triggered, and his club came screaming down in a crimson haze.
Shrubley had hoped it would not come to fighting, but the adventurers needed to be stopped. He hopped to the side, something that the big man they called Jorn did not seem to think a small shrub like him capable of doing anything other than standing still.
The club crashed into the dirt road and threw up clods of earth and dust, momentarily hiding the small three-and-a-half-foot shrub.
Something sparked in Shrubley¡¯s thoughts. A golden light surrounded by darkness. Shrubley¡¯s thoughts seized on that crimson Red essence, and he felt a faint draining sensation as his thoughts rearranged themselves around the foreign essence.
When he brought his [Practice Sword] up into the air, a ruby haze gathered across it, though it was a pale imitation.
He remembered how Jorn had used his Red essence, and when Shrubley brought his blade down on the man¡¯s club, it left a trail of Red light in its wake that amplified its impact damage considerably.
[Lifelong Student (Curiosity Essence)]
Cost: Low mana per second
Cooldown: 5 seconds
The Druid instilled within you the potential for life, but it was you that acquired an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
Imprint: After witnessing an ability, you can augment your body or abilities to incorporate facets of the knowledge you have gained. Repeated viewings increase this effect.
Though his sword was smaller, Shrubley understood wood perhaps better than any other living soul. He struck at the weakest knot he could find in the club and brought down the Red streaking wooden blade with all of his might.
The crack of wood splintering echoed off the hills and drained out into the darkening hollows of the countryside as Konko and Frederick turned their full attention to this latest threat.
Continue reading Book 1 on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited!
Hey everyone, you won''t find the rest of book 1 here. Shrubley, the Monster Adventurer Book 1 has finished its run on Royal Road. I hope everyone enjoyed the story and its wholesome conclusion!
And if you''re new, you can continue reading Shrubley, the Monster Adventurer Book 1 on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited here: https://mybook.to/Shrubley1
Due to the rules of Kindle Unlimited, chapters must be removed from Royal Road when books release on Amazon. Unfortunately, this is necessary so James and I can pay our bills. Sadly, the support and growth wasn''t enough for this fiction to continue as a serial with a regular schedule, as much as I would have liked to. We love these characters, so we want to continue writing this in our spare time.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
If you wish to support this book, K.H. Sohmer (that''s me!) and James T. Callum, one of the best ways is to buy the ebook here:
(Direct Link) https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CW1L7SP4
(Auto-Region Link) https://mybook.to/Shrubley1
You don''t have to do this, as it is entirely your choice, of course! Obviously, if you did, we would both be incredibly grateful. Rating and reviewing is an immense help as well.
As always, thanks for reading! It''s because of readers like you that creating these stories is even possible.
Shrubley Series Update
Hey Shrubley readers!
I wanted to give you an update on the series, as it''s been a little while since book 2 finished. I''m here to reassure you that Shrubley''s story isn''t dropped. His story will very much continue, and probably for a long time.
It''s just that there will be breaks between books because¡well, for a number of reasons. Primarily being that neither of us wish to rush Shrubley''s tale. It takes a lot of time, energy and care to craft each novel. The second book was particularly challenging for me. Despite that, I do feel that it turned out quite well and I''m excited to see where book 3 takes us.
In the meantime, James T. Callum and I (K.H. Sohmer) are writing a new LitRPG serial that actually has some connections to Shrubley and his fellow monster adventurers. It''s quite new, so don''t expect to notice anything just yet!
The system has certain progression elements you might find familiar as well, although the attributes are entirely different.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Check out Omen of the Witchblade here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/100617/omen-of-the-witchblade
I hope you like the new story!
Here''s the blurb too:
Mel wakes up buried alive at the bottom of a dungeon when the multiverse competition begins.
Two opposing worlds joined a realm of deadly monsters and runic magic. A multiverse where the Convocation trials offer endless challenges for power and growth for those daring enough to climb the Leagues.
Alone, yet fiercely determined to find answers about her mysterious arrival, Mel must survive the wilderness where formidable monsters roam the elemental plateaus and ordinary people from Earth contend with bloodthirsty warriors from a dark world.
While others hide and conspire, Mel embraces the chaos. Fighting people and hunting monsters becomes second nature. She was born for this life. Only, Mel discovers something far more dangerous than challengers and beasts in this savage reality.