《Greenskin》 Chapter 0 - The Spawning Pool Steal felt his body crash into the stone as he fell. The creature felt around in the darkness, blinking his eyes as they acclimated to the light. Where was he? His clawed hands scraped on the stone, he slammed his other palm down. SPLASH A spray of cold liquid struck the side of his face, droplets hitting his eyes and forcing him to blink again as the darkness around him came into focus. Mere shadows of darker blacks in the distance became clearer to him the longer he looked around. Black blurs became stones that jutted from the ground or hung from the ceiling above him, the endless darkness ahead of him shrank until he found himself in a narrow cave, devoid of any light. Something shifted at the corner of his sight, then something else. The unfocused blurs moved slowly in front of him, they were vaguely humanoid, short and stumpy, two legs, two arms and a large head, all attached to a somewhat pot-bellied but spindly body. Some crawled, others stumbled awkwardly. Steal had the same sensation as he tried to mimic the others actions. His hands pressed against the cold stone below him as he brought himself to his knees, he steadily hoisted himself up, knees buckling as he stood to his full height, the rough soles of his feet finding grip on the floor. He grumbled as he took a step forward, intent to bring himself closer to the shifting silhouettes before him. Another step. His foot met a warm, slimy ichor, not expecting this, he slipped back, unceremoniously crashing against the ground, bareback striking the jagged floor.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
You Have Suffered 1 Damage.
With a snarling outburst, Steal forced himself back to his feet, steps lighter, strides smaller this time. The world lightened to hues of dull grey around him as Steal stepped forwards, finding himself ever closer to the figures ahead as they came into more detail. Suddenly, the greyness was stabbed with flashes of colour, the roaring of a flame reaching his ears as he caught a glint of wavering orange light ahead of him. It brought the silhouttes ahead of him into greater focus, he saw them in colour now, tinted by the dim orange flame that brightened ever so slightly with every few seconds. Mottled green skin, reflected slightly by thick globs of snot-coloured slime that slopped from their bodies, rolling down their shoulder and falling through the cold air, slapping dully into the cold stone. Steal moved closer to one of them, looking down into the pool of thick sludge at their feet, in it, he saw his wavering reflection. He was the same, the same green skin, the same pointed ears, bald head, coal-black eyes. He was a goblin, that, he knew, but what a goblin was? That was something he couldn''t quite wrap his head around. The wavering light brightened even further as a new silhoutte rounded a corner, it stood far taller than Steal and the other goblin''s, it''s height double that of Steal''s. It''s body slimmer. One of the goblin''s wandered haplessly to the torch-bearing figure, something thin and sharp glinted in the figure''s free hand. The colour of the taller creatures skin became clearer, pale and pinkish. Human The human advanced on the approaching goblin, a thin blade glinting in it''s hand. SHIK A thin glint of steel erupted from the back of the goblin''s neck as the human''s blade lunged forwards. Danger. Chapter 1 - Gobbo The human pulled his blood-slicked blade from the goblin corpse¡¯s throat, before turning their eye on the handful of goblins that weren¡¯t attentive enough to have already have bolted from the scene. Unfortunately, Steal was among this mob, and, as any good goblin would; he responded the only way he could, screaming ¡°Reeeeeeeeeeeee!¡± and bolting like the rest, assuring himself that his momentary shock wouldn¡¯t end up killing him. He¡¯d never experienced death before. He¡¯d sort of died before, he¡¯d starve and be absorbed back into the dungeon; being plopped out again with renewed vigour a few minutes later. But he was instinctually certain that death by that boy¡¯s blade wouldn¡¯t be quite as reversible. The fragile little being kicked off running after the other escapees, thick-skinned soles springing from jagged rocks and wet stone with an odd combination of agility and the blundering clumsiness you¡¯d expect from a being with nothing in its minuscule brain at that moment besides panic. SHIK Another goblin howled in pain behind him. Then stopped.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The sound of heavy boots slamming into the cold stone floor seemed to hasten and increase in volume. That¡­ Person was nearing. Steal kept running; spindly legs carrying his bloated belly as fast as he could manage. SLIP In his haste, Steal had tried to leap over a rock in its path, instead of clearing the obstacle his foot slammed against the jagged tip of the rock and sent him stumbling, head slamming against the slippery stone.
You have suffered trivial blunt damage. You have lost 7 HP
The sound of another heavy footstep echoed through the cave as the disoriented goblin tried to raise itself up and carry on running from his pursuer. THWACK Too late. That same heavy boot that had been following him was slammed into his ribcage, sending Steal backwards a few metres as he crashed into the ground again. The terrified goblin coughed into its hand, staining his palm with blood. As he turned his head upwards, dazed and confused he saw the violent man above him, leaning over the weak creature with an overjoyed almost sadistic grin. The human spoke in a tongue he couldn¡¯t understand, before slamming his foot down, towards Steal¡¯s bleeding head. ¡°Goodbye, Gobbo shit¡± THWACK A sickening crunch assaulted the whimpering goblin¡¯s ears. No pain. Chapter 2 - First Blud THUD The cowering goblin was perfectly fine, besides a few cuts and bruises he had taken on his rather ill-performed escape. The source of the horrible crunching sound was not, as Steal had though, his own skull. It was the skull of that dastardly human; who¡¯s once arrogant smile was now little more than a somewhat startled, dumbfounded expression. The man¡¯s pale white skin was stained red in places, a thick crimson liquid gushing from his shattered scalp. Above him stood another goblin, one Steal didn¡¯t recognise, though to be perfectly fair, all the goblins here looked almost identical, and they never really talked amongst each other. The bloodied, snarling goblin simply scowled at Steal; seemingly looking down on him for running away, though from Steal¡¯s perspective, it was hardly like the goblin that saved him was particularly brave, the one that looked down on him held a bloodied rock, jagged on the end that was smeared scarlet. From the looks of the human¡¯s bashed in skull, the goblin had caught him unawares from, behind. Steal could admit that the other goblin was braver than him, but hardly brave enough to fight the human one-on-one. ¡°Me Blud, you follow me. Move.¡± The goblin, Blud spoke in a raspy, grating voice, commanding and aggressive. Blud bent down to take the corpse¡¯s short sword, although the man could wield it one-handed, the goblin had to grip both of his bony hands around its hilt. To pick up the sword properly, he had to drop the rock he was holding, kicking it towards Steal, he continued in his raspy voice ¡°Take that too, bash stuff, come on¡± Steal gave himself a moment to think. He could go with the goblin that proved himself to be relatively capable or go it alone and probably get murdered, it was clear he had no chance of running away considering how easily that man had caught up to him. His decision was made; the wiry little goblin grasped that bloodied rock and followed along. Steal wasn''t sure where he was being led, but he was certain it would at least be better than hanging around here. Probably. The pair of goblins were padding along, passing slowly under the dim lanterns that very slightly illuminated the gloomy caves. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Every so often, the sound of screams or howls of pain or rage would echo around the walls; though it seemed like something had changed in the past few minutes. Although it was still the majority, the high-pitched yelps of pain and terror from defenceless greenskins had died down, and now it was humans that howled. Not much though. It seemed that the scrawny little goblins were putting up a fight. Just not much of one. Steal¡¯s coal-black eyes widened as the relatively fresh-born creature became more accustomed to the dim-lighting. He wasn¡¯t particularly aware of this, but goblins, like most monsters were much more equipped for seeing in the dark than their more civilised foes; it was one of the few advantages that they had against the adventurers and heroes that were currently raiding their birthplace. Another howl from ahead. A goblin. The pair continued their advance, Blud and Steal gripping onto their weapons tightly. A human had it¡¯s back to them, clothed in thin, black robes. The human was clobbering one of the supposedly wretched creatures with a long, gnarled wooden staff. The two approaching goblins figured they were just sneaking up on a brutal attacker, lost in his own world whilst bludgeoning one of their kin; they were correct, but they didn¡¯t realise or think about why he was using the wooden staff rather than the bladed weapons that their previous attacker had wielded. The man was, in fact, a low-ranking mage, after having gotten too much into the combat, he¡¯d ran out of mana and had simply changed to bludgeoning the puny creatures whilst his mana steadily replenished. In a low-level dungeon like this, newbie adventurers would enter without simple items like health and mana potions. Some adventurers were so new they simply couldn¡¯t afford them, whilst others didn¡¯t see the point. Nevertheless, the pair of wide-eyed goblins snuck up on the man, promptly raising their respective weapons and bring them down in the man¡¯s back, they were much too short to strike at his neck or head, but as the iron blade slashed a long crimson line down his back, Steal threw his rugged and sharp stone at the shocked and wounded man, the rock cracked against his face as the mage span around to face his attacker. The throw was rather weak, but enough to knock the already injured foe onto his back. The mage stumbled for a moment, and the goblins were upon him, viciously and desperately tearing at his flesh as the shocked wizard howled in terror. Then the screams stopped. Entirely. A simple blue box full of text blasted into both Blud and Steal¡¯s minds; they couldn¡¯t read the plain text, but nevertheless understood it.
Your Racial Job ¡®Goblin¡¯ has advanced to Level 2 STR +1 ,DEX +2 ,AGI +1, FRT +1 ,INT +1 ,WIS +1
Chapter 3 - Watchful Eyes Steal lent over his battered foe. Pink chunks of brain spilt out from a brutal-looking hole in his head; thick blood gushed from his brutalised skull, matting in the young looking man''s scraggly auburn hair. The now empowered goblin''s throat rumbled as he hawked up a tremendous quantity of phlegm and snot, spitting it into the fresh corpse''s pale face. Blud grimaced a little at his action but did the same anyways. Disrespecting their first kill might seem rather unceremonious, but they were killing their kin without any reason that the two goblins could understand. Blud slung his recently acquired, now even bloodier sword over his shoulder. it was a little lighter in his hand and felt better to carry. Only a little mind you. Steal came upon the rather simple idea that he should probably steal the dead mage''s weapon; so he crouched down to get the object that the mage had let fall when he took his last breaths. As the monster''s gnarled-looking hands latched around the wooden staff, he felt a slight breeze send a chill through his body, it was gentle, but still cold. The icy chill faded after a moment and the goblin continued to grip the staff, it was so large that Steal had to hold it in both hands for it to even be remotely wieldy. As the short goblin held the staff firmly in its hand, another window blasted into his mind.
Your equipment bestows you with +2 INT Spell MP Consumption decreased by 5%
Yet again, Steal didn''t quite understand what the words themselves meant, but even without being able to read, he seemed to instinctively understand the gist of it. The goblin kicked the corpse and followed after Blud, who had already begun moving on, although a goblin-like Steal couldn''t understand written language, the goblins'' had a spoken language, it was primitive but functional. Steal took this chance to finally speak up, earlier he''d simply let Blud talk and boss him around. "Blud, where are we going, who are these enemies?" the younger goblin''s query was quickly answered. "Adventurers. Kill for fun and power. Bad people. They try kill us. We kill them. We go to them, we kill. These ones are weak." Steal paused for a moment as the gruff goblin responded to him, he didn''t see a reason that they should actively go hunting for the sort of people that gleefully tried to butcher him.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As if Blud could already guess what Steal was thinking, he glanced back to Steal, ensuring he was keeping low and sticking to the shadows before speaking to him again, to anyone else, this exchange would likely sound like the spastic jabbering of a human infant, if the infant had rows of sharp yellow teeth lining a disproportionality large mouth and a voice that was almost identical to someone scratching a steel plate with a billion tiny knives. "Your name, tell me. They come from the way out and in, we go out, get away. Means we have to go past them, we see them, we make them dead." "Steal" The small goblin hefted his wooden staff and nodded in response. Blud''s plan seemed reasonable. The issue was, that if Steal was wiser than he truly was, he would have realised that they only managed to kill an adventurer because he was surprised and exhausted of mana in the first place. Another minor issue was that their exchange was being observed. And although the human rogue known as Richard Stroker couldn''t understand the creatures'' neanderthalic tongue, he did understand that they were easy prey for even the most incompetent of adventurers. Steal wasn''t aware of the rogue''s watchful eyes, but kept talking nonetheless, the small goblin had taken note of another one of Blud''s suggestions. ''Status'' Another blue window popped into the creature''s mind the second it finished uttering those words; though the rogue heard it as "Gyak!".
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Steal STR 4 Goblin 2 72/150 XP
Race Goblin DEX 7
Age 19 Minutes AGI 7
HP 15/22 (+0.6/s) FRT 6
MP 12/12 (+0.0/s) INT 4[+2]
Affiliation N/A WIS 3
Chapter 4 - Pride Goeth The rogue moved silently as the goblins kept sneaking along; just because the green little shits were light, it didn''t mean that they were silent. The creatures moved far too clumsily to sneak up on anyone with even the slightest modicum of awareness. Richard, although he weighed more than both of the snot-skinned neanderthals moved with an almost eerie silence, the black-leather clothed man drew a short, thin dagger from one of the many rather pointless bandoliers and belts that made his already shifty looking get-up look like bondage gear. A second, lighter dagger was drawn from a belt that wrapped around his thigh, Richard grabbed the dagger by the tip of its blade, held delicately in his fingers. Steal was following after Blud, the path was still gloomy as ever, but as they advanced, the air turned chilly and dry; a far cry from the warm, humid air from the depths of their birthplace. SCHWING Blud screeched in pain as a dagger sliced into his back, the leading goblin stumbled forwards as he reeled away, searching for what had attacked him. Steal peeled his eyes away from his injured kin after a brief moment, screeching at Blud "You okay? Adventurer? Find him, get him!" The goblin span around as his foe quickly closed in; Steal swung his wooden staff like a bludgeon at the approaching human; wood hit iron as the rogue parried the goblin''s wild swing. The frail goblin tried to let out a surprised growl but was cut short as his opponent''s free hand wrapped around his skinny throat, squeezing as the creature instinctively tried to breathe in, to no avail.
You are suffocating Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.-2% HP/s
As Steal gasped for air, the rogue was forced to let go, his wounded brother came running, bloodied muscles on his shoulder rippling as he swung his blade desperately overhead, trying to bring the iron sword down into the rogue''s midsection. A tried and true attack. Against a frail, surprised buffoon. The dexterous rogue stepped backwards, letting only the tip of the relatively short blade stroke gently against his leather cuirass, the sword caught on the thick leather of one of the rogue''s many belts and sliced it in two, a number of odd-looking flasks and trinkets clattered to the ground. As Richard was moving to dodge Blud''s swing, Steal caught his breath, coughing viciously before dropping his looted staff and leaping at the pre-occupied rogue. With the rogue already moving, the goblin''s light and gnarled body were just enough to make him stumble back further. Due to an incredible stroke of luck, the rogue caught his foot on one of the many small recesses in the cave floor, tripping backwards and landing on his ass. Blud took advantage of the slight opportunity that Steal had given him, he raised his shortsword again, dashed forwards and brought it down towards his somewhat immobilised foe. A flash of steel and blood was drawn. The goblin''s blade clattered to the ground and Blud looked wide-eyed at his downed foe, the man''s arm was extended, and for some reason, the knife he had been holding was no longer in his hand. It took the relatively moronic creature a moment to realise what had happened, and another moment for its body to process the deep slash that sliced a bloodied gash across the goblin''s now-torn jugular. Steal watched his companion let out a defiant, wretched gurgle as a spurt of crimson erupted from his neck; then silence, interrupted by the rogue''s chuckle. "Dun Dun Dun, and another one bites the dust." Chapter 5 - The Fall Steal howled in anger and terror. The goblin that he had relied on and thought to be much stronger than him had fallen so easily. For a moment, the pot-bellied little creature considered running, fleeing as quickly and swiftly as he could manage. If it were not for his previous failed attempt, he most certainly would have ran for his life; but he was smart enough to notice the leather-clad man was far faster than his previous pursuer and if he ran, he would most certainly die like the rest of his kin. With his mind made up, the desperate goblin dived for Blud''s blade as it clattered on the stone floor, just as his crooked fingers latched around the sword''s hilt, he was swept off his feet, a muscular, strong hand had wrapped around his ankle and dragged him down in a swift, jerky movement. Steal swung his weapon in a wide arc down at his attacker''s arm; as luck would have it, the rogue was slightly dizzy from having crashed against the ground and was slower in his movements than before. His foe used his other arm to try and parry with yet another of his many daggers and knives, metal clashed and the goblin''s shortsword pushed the dagger back a bit, slipping down the small blade and barely cutting into the rogue''s forearm.
You have dealt 7 Slashing damage
Blood spilt onto the grey stone. The strong fingers that so firmly grasped his ankle weakened for a moment and Steal jerked himself free, it was a shame that the rogue acted just as fast as the goblin. The leather-clad killer leapt from his feet and dove for Steal, another dagger had been drawn from his belt and he lunged, both daggers arced downwards towards the exposed flesh of the creatures stomach. Another howl, a thin ''X'' was carved into the goblin''s chest and it fell to the ground, limp, still grasping it''s ill-used blade. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Richard looked down at his most recent kills. The little buggers had put up more of a fight than the rest, but they were still easy pickings nonetheless. The human stood up straight and murmured a single word under his breath. "Status"
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Richard Stroker STR 16 Human (Bruman) 6 317/760 XP
Race Human DEX 18 Rogue 4 21/338 XP
Age 22 Years Old AGI 14
HP 57/64 (+1.6/m) FRT 16
MP 44/44 (+1.0/m) INT 16
Affiliation Adventurer Guild (Veera) WIS 14
The victorious rogue looked quizzically at his XP for a moment, it seemed like he should have gotten a little bit more experience for killing the two goblins, nevertheless, there was nothing he could do about it now. Richard took a step or two away from the goblin as he went to pick up the flasks that were holstered in his sliced off belt, it wouldn''t be wise to leave his health potions behind. SHIK
You have been Wounded in a Vital Spot. Damage Taken x10. You have suffered 130 Damage. You have Died.
Chapter 6 - The Bit With All The Numbers The wiry and now seemingly tricksy goblin pulled his sword from the rogue''s chest, the odd man had fallen for Steal''s bluff. Well... Admittedly the bluff wasn''t intentional, the tiny green-skinned creature had pretty much passed out in terror and blacked out from the pain of having his stomach slashed. It was true that monsters didn''t feel pain as badly as the more civilised races, but it still hurt. A LOT. Luckily Steal had come to as the rogue turned his back to him and knelt down to pick up his dropped gear, he had moved down low enough that the goblin had a clear shot at his chest, and the monster had seen it as a great opportunity. Steal had driven his blade down into the rogue''s back and (accidentally) pierced the man''s heart. The little goblin hefted the bloody blade over his shoulder as his mind was blasted with another screen.
Level Up! Level Up! Your Racial Job ''Goblin'' has advanced to Level 4! STR +2 ,DEX +4 ,AGI +2 ,FRT +2 ,INT +2 ,WIS +2 Due to Your actions, you have gained the ''Sword Expertise'' Skill! Your Skill ''Sword Expertise'' has advanced to Level 1! Due to Your actions, you have gained the ''David Of Gath'' Trait for slaying a foe more than twice your Level! Your Trait ''David Of Gath'' has advanced to Level 1! ''David Of Gath'' grants You +5 to all Attributes!
The victorious goblin smiled to itself a little, as it''s intelligence and wisdom grew it felt like it could perhaps understand the images that popped into its mind in a more detailed manner, the little green creature muttered to itself in its garbled tongue "Gyak!"
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Steal STR 11 Goblin 4 11/506 XP
Race Goblin DEX 16
Age 37 Minutes AGI 14
HP 32/50 (1.3/m) FRT 13
MP 31/31 (1.0/s) INT 11
Affiliation N/A WIS 10
Steal scanned through the information that seemed to pop into his mind, then remembered something about a ''Skill'' and a ''Trait'' being mentioned... Another word seemed to pop into the goblin''s mind, and he tried to repeat it in his grating voice "Advak", which was Steal''s horrendous attempt at saying the word ''Advanced''.
ADVANCED STATUS
Traits Advanced Attributes Skills Spells/Martial Arts
Trait Level Attribute Value Skill Level Spell/Art School
David 1 Debuff Resist 13 Sword Expertise 1
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The small-statured and small-minded creature found this screen to be a bit more complicated, and it came to realise it didn''t truly understand what all the abbreviations and skills meant, so it took a moment and looked through its mind; trying to picture the words that it didn''t quite understand. Another word popped into the goblin''s mind again ''Library'' Once more, the short and pot-bellied little monster tried to copy the phrases that appeared in its mind "Likra". A flood of information poured into the dimwitted creatures mind at once, like a barrage of data. Darkness. Steal came to after a few seconds, fainted twice in a day, although he didn''t understand why he figured that was probably not a good thing. The goblin took a moment to think, this time, the goblin would search its mind for one term at a time, rather than flood its mind with everything at once. "Likra... Attriiib"
Strength (STR) +1 Melee Damage, +1 HP for each attribute point Strength determines a character''s raw physical power. The higher the strength of a creature, the more easily it can handle heavy weaponry and exert more force with its body.
Dexterity (DEX) +1 Melee Damage (Light-Weapons), +1 Ranged Physical Damage Dexterity refers how dexterous and traditionally nimble a character is; as well as the straight statistic bonuses, high dexterity allows a character to use many forms of throwing weapons more effectively and increases their eyesight ever-so-slightly.
Agility (AGI) +1% Attack Speed, +1% Movement Speed for each attribute point A character''s agility determines how flexible and nimble their movements are, the attribute provides an increased armour rating as many more agile creatures can deflect and dodge blows someone (this armour bonus is only active when a character is actively attempting to stop an attack).
Fortitude (FRT) +1 Debuff Resist, +3 HP, + 0.1 HP/per minute for each attribute point Fortitude is about a character''s natural durability and endurance, as well as it''s notable increases to health, characters with high fortitude can better resist poisons and are less affected by many environmental conditions like heat (to a degree)
Intelligence (INT) +1 Magic Damage, +1 MP for each attribute point Intelligent creatures can better understand complex and abstract concepts, such as magic and philosophy, this complex understanding also translates to more efficient incantations and spellcasting.
Wisdom (WIS) +1 MP/per minute (For every 10 points in WIS), +2 MP for each attribute point Wisdom affects a character''s decision-making skills, as well as their logical and analytical skills. A wider depth of understanding of logical principles allows a character to make use of more a higher capacity for mana, and a more in-depth understanding of many items''s and skill''s practical uses.
Chapter 7 - And Some More Numbers The goblin growled gently as it pondered. It understood the basics now, but it still didn''t quite get what its skills meant. So, like before, the goblin tried to search its mind for ''Sword Expertise'' and ''David Of Gath''
Skill Sword Expertise Grants a 5% increase to Melee Damage with Swords as well as %5 Attack Speed with Swords for each Level of Sword Expertise Live by the sword, Die by the sword
Trait David Of Gath Grants +5 to all attributes for each Level of David Of Gath Each new Level of David requires the Level of the Foe to be doubled again, for example, Level 2 of David Of Gathrequires a Character to slay a Foe that is 4x their Level, Level 3 requires 8x and so on. There once was a young man, who slew a great foe with little more than a pebble. Perhaps you may follow in his footsteps.
Steal nodded slowly to himself as the information passed through him. The wiry, black-eyed creature shuffled on its feet for a moment, the sword resting on his shoulder was uncomfortable and hefty. The man he''d killed seemed to move much quicker with the smaller blades he had, so Steal decided it would perhaps be a wise idea for him to discard the sword in lieu of a weapon he could more deftly handle. The crimson-splattered blade clattered to the ground as the goblin let the heavy sword slip from atop his shoulder. As the little creature''s pointed ears rang with the sound of metal hitting stone, echoing through the caves, the goblin came to realise that perhaps he could have set the sword down a little more gently.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Too late now anyway. "There''s a sound from over there? guys let''s check it out!" Shit. The green-skinned, and frankly foolish goblin scurried over to Richard''s body and started frantically rooting through his many pockets, belts and bandoliers. "REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" The goblin sprung from his feet quickly with two belts slung across his shoulders. One was adorned with a number of steels studs that ran along it in neat rows, an assortment of knives and daggers of varying weights and designs were strapped along its length, hilts nestling gently and neatly between the studs. The other bandolier wasn''t studded, instead, it was ordained with a multitude of flasks and vials, sloshing with a number of thick liquids. The glass flasks clanked against one another as the panicked monster hurtled blindly through the caves. Steal kept sprinting as fast as he could, calloused and clawed feet clicking against the stone floor as the humans that were now behind him called out again "Oh shit, is that Richard? One of those little gits must''ve got him!" The terrified goblin''s heart pounded violently in his chest; if these humans chased after him he had no chance whatsoever of surviving. "Eh fuck it, he was a prick anyway, take his potions and let''s get moving again. Bloody interns" The footsteps slowly faded after a few seconds. Steal took a while to breathe, resting his bare back against the jagged rock walls. Bony chest heaving with each raspy breath. He took another few moments to catch his breath, in a matter of seconds of sprinting the goblin''s spindly legs felt like they might give out. That was an issue that probably should be resolved. Chapter 8 - SNAP, CRACKLE and POP Filthy, dull claws tapped against the stone as the goblin ran. The damp air became chillier as he kept moving, every so often, the bloat-bellied creature would have to stop and slink away to the shadows, he was lucky he was born in such a low-level dungeon; the adventurers he would be hiding from weren''t particularly worried about the low-level and cowardly inhabitants of their new hunting grounds. Albeit still a coward, Steal was aware he was stronger than his other ilk at the time, yet was wise enough to realise that waging war on these invaders would be an absolutely horrific idea; so he simply continued to head the way that Blud had been going. Although the cave system that functioned as a dungeon was winding and long, it wasn''t particularly mazelike. The goblin had come across a number of forks and alternate paths along the way, but he simply followed the chill dry breeze. Now here was a complication... He''d made it to the surface. Almost. Admittedly Steal wasn''t aware that the borderline blinding light beyond the heavy metal grating at the entrance to the cave was sunlight, simply that it was where Blud seemed to be headed. The complication was, luckily not the metal grate it''s wrought iron door was wide open, the complication was the two adventurers chatting idly beside that same open door. The goblin grinned a little, these two were robed, like his first, extremely easy kill. Steal''s grin widened, yellowed and sharp teeth bared in the slowly brightening light. "Tika Reeeeeeeeee!" The little monster howled out as he charged towards his frail foes; he drew one of the daggers from the bandolier that was slung loosely over his shoulder. His prey had turned to face him when he called out, one of them seemed to be nursing a coal-black orb, whilst the other pointed what was essentially a large branch at the goblin. Steal flung his first dagger at the black-hooded man nursing his orb; the projectile whizzed past his head and clattered harmlessly against metal grate behind him. Steal called out again, howling with thick spittle dribbling from his mouth "Raka Doo-" CRACK The wiry little goblin was knocked flat on his ass as the air seemed to explode in front of him into a brief bolt of lightning.
You have suffered 21 Magic Damage You have suffered Minor Shock
Steal screamed as pain flooded through his body and made his muscles spasm for a brief second. He couldn''t stop though, if he didn''t get up they''d kill him. The goblin pushed himself up quickly, but he''d barely started running before an abyssal ball of... something smashed into his shoulder.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. CRACK This time, it wasn''t the spell that made the shattering sound, but one of the many flasks that adorned the other belt he wore on his shoulder. The viscous liquid splattered across the goblin''s exposed torso and rather than drip down his skin, it seemed to seep into his skin.
You have absorbed a Lesser Vitality Potion HP +50
He felt oddly invigorated as the tonic ran through his blood, and he kept on running, this time ducking low as the next bolt of lightning cracked over his head harmlessly. "Kekeke!" The monster screamed out as he grabbed another dagger from the belt, finally, this throw connected, the slim blade sank into the black hooded mage''s chest. Another mass of darkness skimmed against Steal''s stomach, it seemed to hum for the moment it touched his flesh.
You have suffered 9 Magic Damage (Graze)
The goblin had closed in on his target now, another blade flashed from the bandolier as the wounded mage made an effort to dodge out of the way of the goblin''s slash. Sadly this mage, although lightly-armoured, wasn''t particularly agile or limber. And met his fate as the leaping goblin slashed a deep fissure into the frail human''s throat CRACK
You have suffered 25 Magic Damage You have suffered Minor Shock
Pain arced through his side as he toppled into the fatally wounded mage. His companion had managed to get a good strike on the goblin when he was otherwise distracted, arcs of electricity had sprung from his staff in the same moment that Steal had ended the life of the black-hood. Steal screeched in pain again, that damnable lightning hurt. His health was too low and he didn''t know if any of the vials that were strapped along his shoulder would invigorate him like the one that had smashed along his skin. So, as any coward would, he ran from the lightning-casting fiend. Another flash of electricity cracked past him as the bloodied creature sprinted for the grate, he clambered through the door as another bolt flew beside him and connected with the grate that Steal was leaping through "Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaak" It felt like his nerves might fry, his muscles spasmed again as shocks of pain wracked his body. The goblin tumbled forwards and crashed into the grass, the creature was so focused on its escape that it didn''t bother to read or pay attention to the window that splashed into its mind.
You are now Exiting: Dungeon L0921V ''Green-Blood Chasm''
Chapter 9 - Got Wood? Steal dashed off into the woods as fast as his nobbly legs would allow him, if not for his desperation to escape the person who kept electrocuting him, he might have been taken in by the scenery. With every step, the coarse soles of the goblin''s feet sank a little into the damp grass, each stride carrying him further and further away from his birthplace. But more importantly, further away from the mage. He didn''t know how far or how long he ran for, but by the time he stopped running, he was so short on breath he thought he might die. The exhausted creature stumbled his way into a clearing, before collapsing onto the ground, heaving and gasping for breath. His eyes seemed to close, vision fading and coming back as it felt like his chest was aflame, each raspy inhalation was like a strip of sandpaper sliding down his throat and around his heart. It took a few minutes, but the pain in his chest began to fade, but his muscles ached just as bad. The aching little monster dragged himself up off his feet and carried on stumbling. THUD It seemed like he hit into something, the goblin stared at the shadow on the ground that was ahead of him, then his neck slowly tilted back to look at whatever he''d walked straight into. The beast before him was humanoid, with the over-sized mouth and pointy ears associated with the orkoid and goblinoid races. Steal didn''t know the name of the species, but what stood, towering over him was a hobgoblin, the monster stood at around 5 feet in height, and could be differentiated from a goblin such as Steal by the creatures more tan skin, and the thick tufts of hair that grew along their muscular forearms and spines. Steal didn''t have the energy to fight back as the muscular beast latched it''s oversized first around the goblin''s bald scalp. The hobgoblin spoke in a language just as garbled and primitive as the goblin, but it could understand snippets. "You, name, what?" The goblin paused for a moment, unlike every other previous experience the creature had had so far, something that wasn''t a goblin didn''t try and kill Steal at first sight. It was a strange and new occurrence. More importantly, however, the goblin realised that answering would give him the best chance of survival. "Me is Steal, come from there, ran lots." the goblin stretched a bony finger behind him, towards the cave that was no longer in sight. The hobgoblin glanced over the scrawny creature that it grasped so easily, before loosening his grip and letting the creature drop to the ground. "Me is Grak, hunter, you are kin, give me weapons and Grak let you come with to home" as the larger creature spoke in longer sentences, Steal began to miss words and hear words and pronunciation he''d never heard before. Although he didn''t want to give over his hard-earned possessions, it seemed like it would grant the creature his best odds of survival, so he slipped both belts from his shoulders and handed them to Grak. Grak seemed to offer him a toothy smile before turning around and pointing somewhere off into the woods. "Come with, follow behind" Steal nodded in agreement.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The duo trekked through the woodlands for maybe an hour before they came across another clearing, this one was dotted with a number of odd looking huts and other structures, perhaps a few dozen monsters just like Grak were patrolling the clearing or attending to a variety of jobs and duties. Grak gave each of his kin a friendly nod as they noticed him, but they all looked displeased. The hunter had cut his work short when he found the goblin and had only brought back enough meat for a few of his brethren, they had reserves for a reason, but nevertheless, fresh meat was far better than the smoked strips of meat that they had in their storehouse. Grak marched Steal after him as they approached a somewhat more ornate hut, a sheet of leather covered the doorway and left the inside in total darkness. The hobgoblin raised the leather curtain a little bit and ushered Steal inside. Within the dank hut sat a beast much like Grak, but exceptionally more muscular. Grak spoke up before Steal had a chance to say something idiotic. "Chief, this little one kill much before" the hobgoblin pointed to the streaks and splodges of human blood that decorated Steal''s skin. The chief nodded in response, his voice was deeper and even more coarse than Grak''s "Yes, I see... Grak, we not have many hunters, you take charge, he will be your help, yes?" Grak''s mood shifted to a more sour note, he was under the impression he could bring the goblin back to do some menial work. Instead, he was going to have to look after the scrawny creature and take him on hunts. Nevertheless, it was the chief''s order and Grak had no intention of defying him, the chief was as strong as he was wise. The chief ushered them away, offering them another few words as the mismatched duo began to leave "Drekai will give little one tools for a hunt, go ask. You did not bring back much, make little one hunt his own meal, then you must work harder tomorrow." The hunter nodded in response as they left the chieftain''s dank hovel. This time, Grak led the ''little one'' to a hobgoblin woman, the quartermaster and one of the craftsmen in their camp. Most hobgoblins did not understand concepts like metallurgy or smithing and Drekai was no exception, it didn''t mean she wasn''t good at her work though. The hobgoblins of Veera Forest hunted with handcrafted tribal weapons such as spears, bows and axes, and they traded human goods like weaponry and most armour for food and other resources they cared for. It should, however, be noted that they were wise enough to keep ahold of any shields and alchemical tinctures they obtained, since Drekai and her fellow craftsmen were yet to come up with an effective shield on their own, and none of the hobgoblins were capable of producing potions, besides Arsten, an exceptionally young tribesman that did not produce healing potions, but instead produced a number of poisons whilst serving as the tribes impromptu doctor. Drekai greeted Grak with the same toothy grin that all the hobgoblins seemed to possess "Hey big boy, came to take some stock or stock me full of your-" Drekai was cut off as Grak quickly interrupted her before she could finish her depraved sentence "This little one, new hunter, give him little one weapons... Sling, no bow, he too weak" Drekai furrowed her brow "I''ll get your stuff, but you better stuff me later on" Grak grimaced as she spoke, but nodded, it seemed his answer was a yes. The female craftsmen rummaged through what looked more like a somewhat neat garbage heap than an armoury and produced a long wooden spear, as well as a cut square of leather, with two strands of thick cordage coming from either side. Finally, she handed a small, rawhide satchel to the goblin, full of stones, ammunition for his sling. The hunter smiled again as he glanced over Steal''s newly acquired loadout "Only the best of the best from you, Drekai" she smiled in response "You better bring me back a Gray Wolf tonight" with that, she ushered them away, urging them to begin the hunt. Steal chuckled as he played with the spear, he understood about stabbing things with pointy things, the sling and the rocks were something he didn''t quite understand though, so he decided he''d stick with his newly acquired stabbing stick for now. His muscular and seasoned new companion prodded the goblin roughly in the shoulder. "Come, now we hunt" Chapter 10 - Huntsman
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Grak O''Taak STR 29 Hobgoblin 7 530/1139 XP
Race Hobgoblin DEX 25 Hunter 6 320/759 XP
Age 11 Months AGI 24
HP 116/116 (2.9/s) FRT 29
MP 50/50 (1.0/s) INT 18
Affiliation Hobgoblin''s Of Veera WIS 16
ADVANCED STATUS
Traits Advanced Attributes Skills Spells/Martial Arts
Trait Level Attribute Value Skill Level Spell/Art School
Lesser Night-Sight MAX Armor Rating 5 Trapping 2
Tough Hide 2 Debuff Resist 29 Deadeye 1
Critter Crusher 2 Spear Expertise 1
Bow Expertise 2
The hobgoblin checked over his status as he led his newly acquired partner along one of his more reliable hunting trails. The little one was both inexperienced and clumsy, so Grak had decided that it was unlikely the both of them could sneak up on a creature. Instead he was just going to check the traps he had set the previous day, having Steal kill some of the smaller prey he may have caught was an excellent and easy way to give the goblin experience, as well as make sure that the two of them could have a meal for the night. The sun had already begun to fall below the horizon as the two hunters stumbled upon the first trap that had caught anything. It''s a shame really, rather than a beefy beast, Steal''s first kill as a hunter would be a wild-eyed little raccoon. It squawked up a storm as the goblin bashed it''s tiny skull in with a rock. Grak told him not to use the spear, if he missed the head he could ruin the meat by piercing the small critter''s stomach. Since they were yet to encounter any real complications besides a ''meh'' catch, Grak decided to carry on, another hour and they would be done with the trail, barring any odd occurrences. The second successful trap was much like the other, though at least this catch was meatier than the last, a rather plump looking Spiny Rabbit received the same treatment as the raccoon, another fresh corpse was hanging from Grak''s rawhide belt.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Then there was the third and final trap of the night. Another Spiny Rabbit had its leg caught in a rather primitive, but well-built snare. The little creature squealed violently as it tried to free itself, the keratin spikes that ran along its spine dug into the dirt when it flipped on its back and continued to roll around. The two hunters advanced slowly, though Steal moved a bit ahead, eager to use the rock again. The nasty little creature found an odd satisfaction in hearing the crunch of bone as he struck it. As the greenskinned wannabe hunter was about to bring his rock down upon the critter''s head; a deep guttural and feral snarl erupted from above. A flash of red and black fur dropped from a thick branch that stretched a dozen feet overhead. Within a second it was upon him, a snarling mass of muscle and fangs crashed into the bloated goblin, Steal''s mind seemed to run wild as his thoughts were quickly filled with nothing but the idea of running away. The beast''s jaws opened, yellow, blood-stained teeth began to move closer, as if to close around Steal''s throat. With a surprised yelp, the foul-breathed beast leapt backwards, jaws snapping closed at nothing. Grak''s spear sprang forward from his hands as he charged the beast off of his more fragile colleague. With the creature no longer atop him, Steal managed to get a good look at it. A wolf, with midnight black fur and a number of dim, crimson chitin plates dotted around it''s vital spots like natural armor. Steal didn''t recognise the wolf, but the more experienced hobgoblin recognised it as a Crimson Wolf, these wolves were far more cunning, agile and deadly than their more mundane counterparts, however due to a low birth rate and longer maturity time, they were a rare breed, as well as solitary hunters. It wasn''t unheard of for Crimson Wolves to hunt in packs, and if this was one of those rare cases, the hunters were certainly dead. A clawed paw lashed out at the wooden shaft of Grak''s spear, the powerful swing splintered the weapon in half, but not before the hobgoblin managed to bury the front half between an armor plate in the monster''s side. Steal had gotten up by the time Grak''s spear was shattered, he was certain he had the element of surprise, and lunged forwards with his own spear. Admittedly his weapon was shorter, to make it manageable for the rather small goblin. Nevertheless, Steal followed through on his attack, the goblin managed to lodge his spear between two of the thicker chitin plates, sadly, the wolf span around to face his most recent attacker, it''s powerful body tore the spear from the goblin''s grasp. The wolf moved to pounce again, snout curling into a feral snarl as it sprung forewards, Steal stumbled to one side, unable to avoid the wolf completely. A jagged claw tore through through the frail goblin''s bulbous stomach.
You have been Grazed. You have suffered 37 Damage.
It was nothing more than a graze, yet Steal felt as if his life was ebbing away. The goblin scrambled away from the menacing beast, making an effort to keep distance from the creature. THWIP A slim arrow shot besides Steal''s head and sank into the soft flesh of the wolf''s neck. And another, slicing a shallow cut through the thick muscles of the beast''s calf. The beast snarled again, dull red plates now flowing with streaks of a brighter red. The mortally wounded creature looked between the hobgoblin and goblin before pouncing towards Steal again; the wiry little green monster took the charge head-on as the two of them tumbled into the overgrown grass, a ball of green flesh and matted black fur slashed at one another desperately until they broke apart. Both green and black was now nothing but blood-red. The two desperate monsters snarled and spat at one another, saliva mixing with blood as it ran down each of their mouths. Another manic howl erupted from the wolf as it gave in to one last desperate charge, muscular legs carried the beast towards the borderline dead goblin, the wolf sprang at Steal again. THWIP This arrow pierced through the beast''s eye, popping it as the flint arrowhead lodged into the wolf''s brain. At last, the barbaric beast collapsed, dead. Chapter 11 - A Moments Respite
Level Up! Your Racial Job ''Goblin'' has advanced to Level 5! STR +1,DEX +2,AGI +1,FRT +1,INT +1,WIS +1
As Your Racial Job ''Goblin'' is now Level 5 you can Unlock one Trait or Skill from the Goblin Unlock List: Tough Hide Unnerving Malice Fleet-Of-Foot
The victorious hunters gave themselves a moment''s rest, Steal needed time to recover his health and Grak quickly got to work recovering his arrows, including the arrow he had to wipe clean, smothered in chunks of greymatter and eyeball goo. It took a minute or so for the small green creature to recover and begin staring at his shattered spear in dissapointment, it was a shame he lost it, albeit this was less an emotional attachment and more just that goblins by their very nature adored all their possessions, no matter how worthless or valuable. Even now, Steal felt his rotten little heart tug when he though of the daggers and potions that he had given away in hopes he wouldn''t be killed. The burly hobogblin tossed the Crimson Wolf''s corpse at the goblin''s feet, red-splattered fur slapping against the mud, dirt wet with thick blood. Grak looked down at the ''little one'' with his typical toothy grin. "You take this wolf, drag back with you, is heavy but make you strong, you come back with big body, you look strong" Steal nodded in response to the hunter''s words, before struggling to haul the wolf''s body over his shoulder. The sun was set and the night had gone dark by the time the two returned to the Veera Hobgoblin Camp, it had taken a lot of effort and hours of work for the spindly creature to drag the Crimson Wolf back, he was fully aware that Grak could take it back far faster than him, yet insisted on making Steal exhaust himself taking it back with him. As the hunters reached the edge of the hobgoblin tribe''s clearing Grak lifted the wolf from the goblin''s shoulder, proudly displaying it high to the few hobgoblins that were yet to retreat to their hovels from the cold night. One of those few that were still outside in the night was someone the goblin recognised, their powerful and brutish features were illuminated in the wavering and flickering light cast by a large, roaring fire pit in the center of the camp. Yet again, Grak spoke before Steal. "Hello Drekai, I did not bring back a Gray Wolf" Steal could almost sense the smugness in his voice "Instead, I brought a Crimson Wolf" as the hobgoblin''s grin returned to his more common stalwart and plain expression Drekai threw herself at him, her admirable bulk caused the two hobgoblins to fall to the ground, Grak''s muscled back crashing against the earth, the woman''s rather brutish face nuzzled into the hulking hunter''s hairy chest whilst the goblin simpl stood there, bewildered by what was going on. Drekai seemed to compose herself for a moment when she realised the goblin was watching, leaping off of Grak as quickly as she had leaped onto him before. She dusted her fur-covered chest slightly before turning to the two, waiting for Grak to pull himself up before she spoke. "A Crimson Wolf is an excellent haul" Drekai glanced at the greenskinned goblin that''s skin could barely be seen through the dried blood that caked it''s entire naked body "Must have been a hard fight" she noticed the absence of the goblin''s spear as she leant over to closer inspect him. then glanced at the corpse slung over Grak wide shoulders, a deep wound that certainly wasn''t from an arrow could be seen between two armoured plates in the dim firelight.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Lost your spear huh?... I''ll get you something better for tomorrow" She smiled wide as Steal looked up at her, this oddly well-spoken hobgoblin was going to give him stuff... for free? It was an odd notion to the greedy little creature, albeit it was still upset that Grak had taken his other stuff, it liked this female hobgoblin. Grak sighed as he watched Drekai move to poke and prod the small-statured monster, after a while she looked at Grak with that almost infuriatingly common grin, simply stating "I want him" The burly hunter nodded, it was his job to look after and train Steal, but he didn''t want to have to, having Drekai, who was one of the more caring tribemembers would be a good idea, and would let Grak sleep in solitude, just how he liked. Steal was quickly ushered away with Drekai, though Grak handed the crafstwoman Steal''s old belongings, shiny daggers reflecting moonlight as they clinked together gently. Steal followed Drekai back to her hut, past her ramshackle tool shed and behind the storehouse. Her hovel was as simple as the others, though it was a little bigger and had a decoration atop the entrance; some sort of sigil or written language. Although the goblin did not understand this, the wooden decor signalled that she was a craftswomen of the tribe and the decor was to one of the hobgoblin gods, Evon, God of Woodlands. This very same god existed in human religion, but went by the name of Gaila, Goddess of Forests, the same god took on different forms for their respective worshippers, and was worshipped as a different entity in two seperate cultures. The female hobgoblin pointed to a small, cramped and dark wooden crate, seemingly salvaged or scavenged from a caravan or other civilized source, judging by the odd stamps and markings that none of the monsters recognised. One side of the crate had been pried off and was hastily repurposed as a door, thick vines wrapped through holes punctured into the top of the box, essentially putting the doorway on a hinge that swung open from the top. Drekai either had a rather large dog, or had intended to have Steal under her cage since she first met the goblin. Judging by her next words, the answer was the latter. "Go in their, sleep up and I will have food for you when you wake up" Obediently, the blood-soaked little creature crawled into the box, it was large enough him to lie in, but didn''t have enough space for him to sit up or stretch out. the door swung closed as he entered and Steal was left in the dark. His new shelter was dark, cold and claustrophobic. It was wonderful. The poor creature had been born in a cave, and despised the open woodlands, even though it spent most of it''s life outside now, it still felt uncomfortable and unfamiliar. These conditions, like the dungeon it was born from felt wonderfully homely and safe. The monster thought on the message it had gotten after it killed the wolf, remembering it should probably check it''s status and see if anything important had changed.
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Steal STR 12 Goblin 5 13/506 XP
Race Goblin DEX 18
Age 6 Hours 32 Minutes AGI 15
HP 54/54 (1.4/s) FRT 14
MP 34/34 (1.0/s) INT 12
Affiliation N/A WIS 11
Steal remembered the mention of an ''Unlock'' but he decided he would deal with that tomorrow, both his body and mind had been driven to their limits today, and Steal would safely sleep for the first time in his entire life. Chapter 12 - Not A Meaty Chapter Steal groggily arose in it''s box to the powerful, aromatic smell of meat. The little goblin kicked it''s feet at the door, the rather light wood flung open and bright sunlight beamed into the front half of Steal''s box. A distinct pain washed through the goblin''s brain and hurt his eyes as the brightness smothered him. The little creature pulled himself back into the box, closed his eyes and began to open them slowly, easing himself into the light. His black, over-sized and beady eyes narrowed as the goblin wriggled free of the box, clambering to his feet and searching rather desperately for the source of that DELICIOUS aroma. The fire was roaring again in the center of the camp. above it a long spit, skewered with dozens of hunks of fresh, red flesh. The goblin plodded his way towards the fire, where five hobgoblins sat, yelling loudly and chomping on juicy meat. Each violent bite sent sprays of juice and fat bursting from their fanged mouths. "Food?" The goblin simply asked when it made it to the gathering of feasting hobgoblins, it''s answer was as simple as it was silent, a hunk of meat the size of the little goblin''s head was tossed into it''s open hands. Aromatic juices leaking from the hot meat. The starving creature wolfed down the first meal it had ever had in it''s short life, making disgusting, ugly noises as it chomped and slurped on it''s food. It was a mere few seconds until all that remained of the massive chunk of flesh was nothing but a thick, stringy length of fat that was stuck between it''s teeth. Even that was dragged down to his swelling, grumbling stomach as his calloused, sharp tongue freed the fat from it''s crooked teeth. Delighted, the creature yipped with joy, doing a little, clumsy dance. Steal sat down with the others, listening in on the chattering hobgoblins as it thought to itself, on occassion it noticed the odd glance, but he was a foreigner, a new member of their tribe. It was expected. Nevertheless, the little goblin kept thinking to itself, remembering the previous night and the mention of an ''Unlock List''. Steal murmured to itself, so as not to disturb the rest "Unlock" though yet again it sounded more along the lines of "Ulak" to any listening to his words.
Unlock List Unlock Points Available: 1
Goblin Unlocks Available: 3 Tough Hide Unnerving Malice Fleet-Of-Foot
Steal nodded in confirmation as it began to understand how this ''unlock'' system worked, it wasn''t just the list but an understanding of how unlocks worked that came into it''s mind. It would seem that every five levels in any job or class it had, it would gain a new unlock point and another few traits and skills it could choose from. Now the little goblin went through the unlocks he had, digging for more detailed information other than just his available unlocks names.Stolen novel; please report.
Tough Hide (Trait) Many creatures of the world have tough hides, far bettter than the paperthin skin of humanity. Each level of Tough Hide grants +3 Armor Rating.
Unnerving Malice (Trait) There are old tales and superstitions that ''killing intent'' and malice can be felt, perhaps it is not merely superstition Unnerving Malice causes all creatures within ten feet to feel unnerved by the user. Decreases all other creatures Defuff Resist by 10% against Fear caused by the user.
Fleet-Of-Foot (Trait) Some creatures are capable of being as fast on their feet as they are nimble. Increases user''s movement speed by 5% per Level of Fleet-Of-Foot. Grants +1 DEX, +1 AGI for each Level of Fleet-Of-Foot.
Steal continued to nod along to himself as he read through his choices. Perhaps it would be a good idea for him to focus on survival, just as he always had so far. But he wasn''t sure what the best choice was, making others uncomfortable around him didn''t seem like a great idea, and he had no idea how he could inflict ''Fear'' either. Tough Hide seemed like a good choice, making him more durable in combat, but then Steal thought of all the times he had wanted to run and realised he likely wasn''t fast enough, the desperation he felt when he was forced to fight rather than run like he wished he could...
New Trait Gained: Fleet-Of-Foot
The goblin grinned a little, happy that it had acquired it''s first trai- "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Steal cried out in pain as shocks ran up his body, his bones ached and his flesh felt like it was alight, blazing. The hobgoblins merely sat there, watching him, they had been through this before and were aware of what was happening. The pain ebbed away after one last burst of suffering. "What did you pick?" Drekai had been watching him from among the group, moving forward with an extended hand to pick the little one up. Steal took her hand when the pain had finally gone, making an effort to put on the same toothy grin he''d been shown nearly a dozen times by the hobgoblin tribe. "Fleet-Of-Foot, makes me go quick" Another voice, this one manly and gruff, Grak''s spoke up from behind Steal "Thank Evon, you couldn''t keep up last time... Speaking of hunting, it''s time you learn a better way to help, come with me. Steal tagged along, he was happy enough now that he''d ate. Already he felt like he was much lighter on his feet, which made the hour long trek that Grak forced the goblin to go on a little bit easier. Chapter 13 - Keeping It Classy The goblin grumbled along, heaving a little as the creature followed behind Grak, the hunter was striding up a treacherous mountainside whilst Steal nervously trailed after him. The path they''d taken was long and although not dangerous, it was certainly difficult to traverse. Many of the ledges and outcroppings were far too large for the small creature to scale alone, forcing Grak to fall back and lift Steal upwards. The climb was exhausting for the goblin, but he was allowed a minutes rest when they reached the top... Well, not the top of the mountain, but they had at the very least reached their destination. Steal took a seat on a mossy stone slab, the thick brush tickled him as he sat, but it was comfortable, albeit damp. Grak pointed deep into a patch of undergrowth that seemed to burrow into the mountain, a long-forgotten cave perhaps. The hunter watched his exhausted goblin companion, waiting for him to regain his breath before marching on. He lifted the thick vines and brush that covered the cave''s mouth, making Steal go ahead of him, before moving in himself and letting the vines fall behind him. Surprisingly, the cave was dimly lit as well. Rough rock walls and ceilings were embedded with a number of gently growing crystals, some sat smoothly within the rock, whilst others stuck out. Grak kept moving on whilst the goblin continued to follow behind, the damp air and cold stone reminded him of his birthplace, yet also reminded him of the humans that attacked him, a mixture of dread and joy seemed to wash over the monster as they advanced deeper. Even as the thin beams of sunlight that peaked through the cave''s entrance faded away, the glowing crystals gave off their dim light, a pure white glow illuminating the cavern. The duo advanced further into the cave until they came across a small, ornate looking marble structure, decorating with engravings of vines and seeds, as well as covered in real vines. The stone floor gave way too some sort of foliage, alot like the soft moss that Steal had sat on.
You are now in Holy Land Undead, Unholyand Demonic creatures have all stats reduced by 20%
Grak urged Steal to press onwards, taking a knee in front of the dilapitated holy ruin, an ill-kept and forgottenshrine. A gentle hum seemed to pierce into the goblin''s mind, it was unnerving, but his hobgoblin companion merely stayed on his knee, his lips didn''t move, but Steal could distinctly hear Grak''s gravelly voice inside his head. "This little on hear is new to our tribe oh great lady" Grak was greeted with what sounded like an affirming grunt as he carried on "We want him to hunt with me, but I cannot teach him my class. Can you aide us dear lady?" Another screen popped into Steal''s head as he listened tothe hobgoblin converse with some unseen creature.
Youcan now learn the ''Hunter'' Job Do you accept? The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.[YES] [NO]
The goblin hastily accepted the class, he didn''t know why, but from what he''d seen and had explained to him, the Hunter job would help him attack from afar, which he figured was far safer than fighting in melee, and much less exhausting. Another flood of information passed through his little mind, a number of windows popping up, including his Status, which forcefully opened itself the moment he accepted the new job.
You have gained the ''Hunter'' Job STR +1,DEX +2,AGI +2,FRT +1,INT +1,WIS +1 You have gained the ''Trapping'' Skill Trapping has reached Level 1
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Steal STR 13 Goblin 5 13/250 XP
Race Goblin DEX 21 Hunter 1 0/100 XP
Age 15 Hours 12 Minutes AGI 18
HP 58/58 (1.5/s) FRT 15
MP 37/37 (1.0/s) INT 13
Affiliation N/A WIS 12
ADVANCED STATUS
Traits Advanced Attributes Skills Spells/Martial Arts
Trait Level Attribute Value Skill Level Spell/Art School
David 1 Armor Rating 0 Sword Expertise 1
Fleet-Of-Foot 1 Debuff Resist 15 Trapping 1
Steal giggled a little in that high-pitched, grating voice of his. He felt stronger yet again, small fragments of knowledge about hunting sinking into his mind as if they had always been there. It wasn''t like gaining a trait, his body felt rejuvenated, not tortured and enflamed. Grak grinned at the little creature "stronger now, yes? It is time we hunt again. The lady will speak to you another time..." The burly hobgoblin bowed at the ruined excuse for a shrine before turning away, urging that Steal follow him once more. Rather than descending down, back into the thick woodlands, the hobgoblin hunter led Steal higher and higher up the rather treacherous mountainside. Chapter 14 - Hoof n Nail The Satyr''s hooves smacked against the stone, his powerful hairy legs carried him deftly along the many small ledges that dotted the steep mountain, even now the memory was still fresh in his mind. The memory of the raging fires that engulfed his village felt like it had happened a mere hour ago. Which it had. A human caravan was passing through the village, trading with the friendly satyr inhabitants when it came. The monster''s leathery, bat-like wings could be heard before they could see it, the dense canopy made by the trees was good to protect the satyr villagers from the rain, but it meant they only saw the creature when it was too late. O''Kay The Satyr could still remember it vividly. The dense canopy was swathed in an inferno as a massive creature fell from the sky, its armoured body and sharp talons crushed the human''s wagon underfoot, along with a number of traders, human and satyr alike. The beast. No. The Wyvern opened it''s gargantuan, fanged maw as it made a faint hissing noise. O''Kay remembered that smell, like sulfur mixed with farts. A small spark seemed to glint within the Wyvern''s mouth. FWOOM An inferno swathed across the village, the wood homes sprang into plumes of flame like kindling as the fire spread rapidly, within an instant the satyr village was nothing but a scorching hellscape, the tortured and terrified screams of the dying could almost be heard over the scaly behemoth''s roar. The sound was horrifying, O''Kay''s sensitive ears felt like they would burst. He remembered the fighters of the village moving to stop the fierce monster, a combinations of warriors, rangers and numerous spellcasters attempted to intercept the creature to little avail. Their blades and clubs bounced off the monster''s thick scales, their armor crumpled or was torn apart as they were batted aside by it''s bladed tail or slashed in two by it''s razor sharp claws.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Arrows snapped and ricocheted off the living tank of a creature whilst every spell the caster''s slung simply dispersed along it''s plated hide. Whilst the frontline was crushed beneath it''s powerful body, the backline was reduced to nought more than ashes and charred flesh by it''s raging, hellish breath attack. O''Kay was no fighter, he couldn''t help at all. He simply watched on as his loved ones. His friends. His people were massacred, innocents killed by a ruthless monster without reason. Without cause. The satyr couldn''t fight the beast, but he could help others, his people were doomed, but he could warn any other innocents of the monsters precense. There was a sizable town not very far away, they welcomed the Satyr''s since his village often helped with training adventurers as well as trading medical supplies for the mining town''s most common commodity, iron. If O''Kay came to that town telling them of a wyvern, they would surely put together a hunting party to eliminate the creature. The only real issue was that although it would usually take no more than a few hours for O''Kay to reach the village when he was sprinting at full speed, he would also have to cross a mountain range, home to a number of other monsters, none as dangerous as the Wyvern, but still deadly. That was when O''Kay had made up his mind to find help others. To run away. O''Kay was gone from the smouldering wreckage of his village and clambering up the nearest mountain within the hour. He was in such a rush in fact, that he didn''t notice the rather ill-crafted and badly hidden tripwire that was set up along one of the many narrow mountain paths. He did notice that his hoof had snagged on the wire a moment later however, since an arrow came hurtling down from above him and sunk into his shoulder. The next thing he noticed were two figures clambering down from above towards him, a muscular looking humanoid monster, thick patches of hair and fur covering his body and growing around his head into an admittedly glurious mane. Behind that monster was a much smaller creature, one he recognised from a manual he''d been gifted by a human trader a while ago, it''s ugly, green little frame matched the illustrations he''d seen in Valon''s Guide To Killing Garbage Mobs. A goblin. Chapter 15 - A Bahahahahahd Day Grak and Steal were upon their new prey in mere moments, the fur-legged goatman managed to break free of ramshackle trap. Sadly, it was too little, too late. Another arrow had been loosed, arcing over the goblin''s head; the arrow bounced off of O''kay''s horns, cracking one in the process; O''Kay would have been okay with an insignifcant break like that, and it would regrow eventually. What would not heal however, was the spear that was rammed upwards towards the Satyr, the sharpened flint head pierced the soft skin of his neck. The kind but cowardly Satyr could barely force out a lastBLEETbefore Steal''s spear punctured through the other end of his throat.
Level Up! Your Job ''Hunter'' Has Reached Level 2! STR +1,DEX +2,AGI +2,FRT +1,INT +1,WIS +1 Due To Your Actions, You Have Gained The ''Polearm Expertise'' Skill! Your Skill ''Polearm Expertise'' Has Reached Level 1!
The goblin cackled, staring at his wide-eyed prey until his fresh kill was utterly still, Grak moved up from behind him, slinging his well-worn bow onto his muscular back before lifting the lifeless goatman''s body off of Steal''s blood-slicked spear. Steal''s current favourite tool-of-murdering (his spear) felt lighter and more wieldy in his bony little hands; the slowly-but-surely developing monster had realised that it was likely related to the new skill he had just got. Albeit the creature didn''t know what a ''polearm'' was, but he figured that his spear was one. Just like before, Steal backed off as his much larger companion hauled their latest kill over his shoulder, fastening it tight around his torso with a length of twisted vine cordage. Admittedly, Steal cared less about the cooked meal he was sure he had just secured for himself for later; instead he was concerned about his soon-to-be meal''s appearance. It looked remarkably like the humans he had fought before, but the horns that grew from the Satyr''s forehead made him look different. Steal had never seen a human''s bare legs, so he didn''t think that the hooves or furry goat legs set them apart from humans, though he did understand that humans tended to wear clothing, which the Satyr showed none of, much like the hobogblin''s and Steal himself.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Grak, is this a strange human?" The blood-caked goblin looked up towards Grak, who was currently knelt over, retrieving the arrow that had ricocheted off the Satyr''s horn. "No, they are human and they are beast. Children of The Great Lady..." "Great Lady make them? Will Great Lady be angry that you break what she make?" "No... The Great Lady made many creatures, Great Lady is kind but also cruel... She make many creatures that kill each other, we only do what we do to live, like all of The Great Lady''s creatures." The muscular hobgoblin nodded to himself affirmedly, finally having retrieved his arrow, he smelled the faint smell of smoke, coming from the soot-splattered calves of the corpse on his shoulder. The hobgoblin spoke again "Little one, keep following, we go back later" With those simple words, he darted off, following the ill-trodden path that the Satyr had emerged from. Weighed down by the surprisingly heavy Satyr, Grak was a little slow and clumsy, lumbering forwards, having to stop every few dozen metres to unsnag the corpse''s remaining horn from vegetation. Eventually, the hunter slung the monster off of his shoulder, resting the dead goatman''s head on his knee, before gripping one of his muscled hands around the creature''s bloodied throat, his other hand gripped it''s curled horn. With all his might, Grak pulled his arms away from one another, griping with his hands so tight that they almost curled into fists. CRUNCH O''Kay''s spinal cord snapped in half. CRACK The remaining horn tore off, leaving a bloody, bald hole in the dead Satyr''s otherwise scraggly and overgrown head of hair. Grak grinned to himself before pressing on, Steal followed. The two had begun making better time, with the now mutilated corpse being a lot more unintrustive, no longer snagging on the overgrown vegetation. It wasn''t until the hunting duo had came to a rocky overhang that the treeline finally parted, allowing them a better view of what was below. And that was when they saw it, a thick plume of black smoke that rose from the forest canopy far below. Chapter 16 - The Djè°©lik "Mr Gale... perhaps it would be wise you choose a slightly easier quest... an Urgent Quest is far more difficult than normal quests of it''s ranking..." A wide-eyed receptionist spoke softly as she looked up from her counter, glancing between two sheets of paper on her desk then glancing up to the burly, chiselled frame of a dark-skinned hulk of a man. His voice like the roll of thunder, he booms out his reply "There is no task too challenging, as long as the coin is enough." The gargantuan man slipped his coarse palm over a tag that hang loosely around his neck, it bore his name and rank within the adventuring guilds.
Kor''Ak Gale - Iron
The tag was simple, but would nevertheless identify him if something... bad were to happen. As much as he despised boring paperwork, he managed to work through some administrative work, signing his name over and over again without so much as reading the contracts and forms that were slipped infront of him. He''d been through all this before, and had spent an hour going through these contracts the very first time he was given them. Some of the documents to were ensure that he get paid, whilst the majority tended to focus around the guild or quest giver not being responsible for any injuries, collateral damage or death caused by adventurers when completing a quest, of course this also included the death of the adventurer, where it would hold the deceased completely at fault. "By Krist, do I really have to write all this every single time?" Kor''Ak grumbled in that deep voice of his; the receptionist was silent, eyes focusing not on him, but at his the table in front of her, still glancing through the papers that he signed; her eyes were rather downcast, far too dark and sunken for someone so young.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Th-That should be all Mr Gale..." for the first time, the guild receptionist properly looked at the adventurer "Mr Gale... Take care, this quest is far more difficult than you seem to believe, at the very least make sure you wait for some more people to take the que-" Kor''Ak interrupted her, seemingly not wanting her admittedly sensible advice, built from years of second-hand experience, from both wondrous, and heart-shattering stories. "Young lady, a man as I does not desire the aid of others..." The man looked at his rough hand, one of the few sections of naked skin that could be seen beyond his battered full-plate "Besides, many seem like they wish not to assist me in any matter, nevermind in combat" The young girl glanced at his skin, before having her lax smile straighten into a pondering frown. "I understand that you''re of Dj¨¢lik descent... alot of people will give you odd glances, it is not that they dislike you, but your people are rare in Bruma, an unusual sight... At the very least, adventurers are a strange and rare bunch as well, there are people far more..." The receptionist seems to purr a little as she puts emphasis on a single word "exotic... than yourself, even in this country." Kor''Ak merely nodded, not too pleased with being reminded of his homeland. The giant warrior turned away from her, saying a single thing before he left "My thanks for your words, If Krist is on my side, I will be seeing you again soon" It was a short walk from the guild hall to the dingy little room he''d rented out above one of the few taverns that would serve him. Chapter 17 - The Nomad The cracked, rusty bell chimed its dull jingle as Kor''Ak slid the door to the tavern open, the old door groaned and moaned as it swung open on it''s long-decrepit hinges. The tavern was more or less empty, the wooden floors stained brown and red in small splotches from long spilt drinks. The Dj¨¢lik warrior was given the same nonchalant greeting he''d become all-too familiar with. "Ah Mr Gale, another mug of my..." the raggedy old, gnomish barkeep seemed to spit out the latter half of his words in mild anger "vile swill?" "Apologies, I did not know you made it yourself... nevertheless, it is still rancid, Ranpa" The gnome looked up at the Dj¨¢l, eyes questioning and lips parted into their permanent sour grimace "You''re fully aware my name is not Ranpa, it is Fo-Shizzle Fizzle; I''d rather you remember that name, considering you''ve been living, drinking and eating here for over a month now!" A badly-cleaned ceramic tankard was pulled from behind the bar by Fo-Shizzle, the empty object was hurled across the tavern towards Kor''Ak as he was busy closing the heavy wooden door behind him. The mug soared just above the steel collar of Kor''Ak''s armor. Ceramic shattered into pieces as it crashed against the Dark-skinned, iron hulk''s skull.
You have suffered 1 damage
The hulk turned around slowly, seemingly unfazed. "Fuckin ''el lad, what''s your skin made of?" the elderly gnome chuckled on; ever since he''d watched a rowdy patron shatter their own arm when they struck his new lodger, the barkeep had made it his quest to see what it would take to get any real reaction out of Kor''Ak. So far everything short of a dagger was something the dark beast had merely shrugged off. Kor''Ak groaned, he hung around in the empty bar, handing over a Silver Krown for each mug of ''vile swill'' that he forced down his throat. It took an hour and a dozen drinks of what tasted like a mixture of feces and blood for Kor''Ak to start feeling that gentle, warm buzz that ran through his body. A loud belch signified to Fo-Shizzle that his primary, and only customer was ready to crash for the night. The gnome slid over a rusty key, a heavy wooden tag with a faded room number was looped through a hole in the key. Stumbling, Kor''Ak managed to find his way to his room. A simple bed, small handfuls of hay sticking out from within the rough mattress. The one source of light, a small window in the room let in shafts of filthy, almost eerie light. Thick grime clung to the cracked circular window. The last object in the room was little more than a wooden lockbox, unlike his room key, Kor''Ak kept the key to that chest to himself, but would return it when he eventually left.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Admittedly, it would take very little effort to bypass the shitty, non-magical lock. Kor''Ak collapsed onto the makeshift bed, it''s oaken legs groaning beneath the weight of his full-plate armour and gear. And, both peacefully and loudly, Kor''Ak drifted off to sleep. The memories were vivid. Not hazy, as solid as if they were happening now. As if they were Kor''Ak''s present, not his past.
"Captain, what are we supposed to do!" Gru''Haka called out to Kor''Ak, the young man was a recent addition to his squad, it was not his first fight, but it was most certainly his first battle. They''d spent months drilling their formations and tactics into the boy''s head, but when the arrows starting falling and blood was first drawn, all that training seemed to just vanish, wiped from his mind in panic. Nevertheless, the tried and tested Dj¨¢lik Shield Wall didn''t require much complex thinking, atleast for now. Gru''Haka was sweating profusely, he could tell the boy was straining, unable to raise his heavy tower shield and withstand the endless barrage, Kor''Ak ached too. His entire squad ached; some of the endless arrows had managed to slip through the tiniest of gaps, most projectiles merely bounced off their armor, but others pierced through gaps in their armor, slicing at the back of their legs and sinking deep into the small weaknesses on the inside of their arms. It wasn''t far, a combination of mages, alchemists and siege weaponry had broken a hole in the fortresses wall. Just a dozen more feet and they''d be within the walls, unable to be hit by this unending barrage. Kor''Ak could barely see ahead of him, but he did notice as the sky seemed to lighten from it''s dull orange at sunset, to a bright, blazing yellow. He managed a glance at Gru''Haka, who looked just as bewildered as his captain. Then he looked terrified. His fear was warranted after all, a blazing ball of flame battered the young boy to the ground, the sheer force of the blast crashed his shield down on top of him. "Ah Krist..." The memory still burned, the boy''s screaming as his shield began to glow red, flesh cooked in his own armor. That stench. Burning, charred flesh, something he was yet to forget, but wished he could clear his mind completely of.
Chapter 18 - The Wall Kor''Ak spent the next morning in a rage. By the time the sun had begun to rise, the remnants of a dozen scaly kobolds were plastered along his shield, staining the dull, hardy steel a deep scarlet. Within the hour, he''d returned to the guild hall, a burlap bag, dripping with blood was unceremoniously plopped down on the counter; the sack made a gentle squelch, as a thin spray of crimson painted the receptionist''s cheek. The Dj¨¢lik man had to admit, he felt bad as he watched the young girl pull two dozen still-bleeding, pointed ears from the sack; though the weight on his soul lightened as she slided over another stack of paperwork, along with a small stack of Gold Krowns. Kor''Ak pocketed the money, apologised and quickly moved on; simple Bounty quests didn''t have a great payoff, but they were reliable work; the extra change ensured that Kor''Ak would be able to finally make a purchase he was looking forward to as well. His commission should have been completed by now. The Dj¨¢lik ex-soldier had been dissapointed when he found that the item he was looking to use for his impending hunt wasn''t available in Bruma, commercially or otherwise. Instead Kor''Ak had had to make personal requests for the items that he desired; the raw materials were available, but not the finished product. It had taken no more than a few days for him to find both a willing crafstmen and the ingredients he would require. His first stop was simple, he''d requested that a blacksmith provide him with a number of steel canisters, screw-topped metal lids that would hold under high pressure; the dark giant had also requested that the blacksmith sell him any old fragments of metal, useless scraps, bent nails and small, rusted rivets. The blacksmith had told him it would take a day for him to complete the canisters he had requested, and that he could pick up any scraps at the time as well.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Kor''Ak''s next stop was the easiest and simplest of them all, he''d purchased a few gallons of water, cheap, but heavy to lug around; before his final stop he''d made sure to drop off the water at his room. Finally, he had made a request from a mage; a Cryomancer to be exact. He knew how to make these canisters, the Dj¨¢lik military had often used them when raiding enemy structures, but was not capable of creating the most vital ingredient on his own. A cooling agent made of thin air, the material was not naturally occuring, and had only been discovered a decade ago. The Cryomancer he had spoke to had referred to it as ''Winter''s Breath'' when he had described the material, but he knew it by a different name, with less poetry and more practicality. ''Dry Ice''. Nevertheless, a few hours and the promise of a dozen Gold Krowns was all the Cryomancer had asked for. Admittedly, Kor''Ak''s currently dwindling coffers seemed like they would have preferred the Cryomancer ask for a little less. Kor''Ak had finally collected his commissions and returned to his room just after noon. The dry ice he had requested was neatly wrapped in thick leather; it was a light slab of the stuff, a few inches thick and half a foot long. The cannisters were heavier than expected; and would become heavier after Kor''Ak poured half a litre of water (around two thirds of the volume of the cannisters) into each individual cannister. The last step was to spread the scrap he had purchased evenly between the cannisters and seal the containers. The dry ice was for later. At long last, Kor''Ak showed a wide smile, a feeling of pride welling up inside him as he looked at his seven makeshift bombs. They would be a worthwhile investment. Kor''Ak checked in at the guild once more, asking the now cleaned-up receptionist for any more information on his quest. He was in luck, other people weren''t. His target had been seen no more than an hour ago; leaving a satyr village in flames. The Dj¨¢l set off immediately, supplies packed, ready for a war, not just a hunt. This wyvern was a fucking dead beast walking. Chapter 19 - Guess Whos Back The hunting duo came hurtling down the mountain side, Grak had moved away from the cliffside mere moments after seeing the fire rising from the forest. The forest was alight. The Lady''s forest, the bark of the trees were her skin, the leaves her hair. If the forest was aflame, then so was The Lady. Grak could not allow her to burn, to suffer. No matter what, this hobgoblin hunter would protect The Lady and punish whatever would have the gall to burn her hair and scorch her skin. Steal followed along of course, he could barely understand any of the multitude of seething words and curses that his much larger companion angrily spat from his borderline frothing fanged mouth. The goblin figured there was very little he could gain from going off into the forest alone and he had to admit, the goblin had no idea where he was or how to even get back to the village, nevermind his birthplace... Though that was a place he did not wish to return to. The two stumbled, dashed and slipped down the rocky hillside; every few meters Steal would lose his footing, even the thick soles of his feet and his new trait didn''t nullify the damage he was taking; sharp stones and jagged rocks cut into his flesh as he tumbled downwards, the last thing he noticed as he tumbled into a thorny rose bush was how agile Grak was; although he''d seen hobgoblin move quickly, his hulking, muscular body certainly didn''t seem appropriate for how dexterous and agile he was. Whilst Steal had been tumbling down the mountainside, practically in freefall, Grak had been deftly sprinting, barely so much as losing his footing down the unstable footing.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
You Have Suffered 4 Damage
Before Steal could come to his senses, he felt that ever-so-familiar muscular arm grab him; Grak wouldn''t stop, and simply dragged the little goblin along with him as he tore through the forest. Steal managed to struggle free from the uncomfortable, tight grip of the powerful hobgoblin. As the goblin squeezed out of his arms and dropped to the dampforest floor, the hunter just kept on sprinting, Steal quickly scrambled to his feet and tried to follow behind, not intending to get left alone in a place he didn''t know... which was essentially everywhere at the moment. The two pushed through the forest, Steal barely managing to keep pace thanks to his smaller stature, his legs may have been shorter, and his sprint slower; but he could more easily avoid the overhanging branches and knarled tree roots that so densely populated this overgrown, ancient forest. The air turned dry, black smoke continued to billow into the sky, visible through small gaps in the thick canopy. Steal could feel the raging flames as they approached, as if it could already burn him. Waves of fire licked the bases of trees far older than the very first of the creature that had set it aflame. There it was; it''s hundreds of red scales and clawed wings came into view as the two monsters pushed forwards. Chapter 20 - Ashes To Ashes Steal was fully prepared to watch his companion sprint at the beast, screaming ever-increasingly offensive slurs at the scaly monster. The hunter, seething with hatred was not blind or foolish, instead he crouched low, keeping his distance from the flames as his wide, sharp eyes cast his gaze over the hellish scene before him. Not pained and angry, but cold and analytical. It truly was a horrible sight, a town set aflame, wooden structures burnt down to nothing but ash. All that remianed were a circle of blackened stone slabs that must have once made up the floor of a town square. Grak was murmuring something under his breath, over and over again. "water... water... water..." He stopped as his gaze fixed on a single point amidst the flames; a ring of stone rose up from the center of the courtyard, a well. Water. Grak watched the wyvern pace through the square, occasionally throwing out a spray of flame and picking through the smoldering wreckage around it, the hunting pair kept watching it until they found out why it was searching through what it had set aflame. Their answer was met when a battered, broken and charred corspe was dragged from beneath a charcoal pillar, wyvern gripping it tightly in it tooth-filled beak before flinging the body into the air and swallowing it whole. The fire continued to spread through the forest, setting more and more of the Lady''s body ablaze. Grak would not stand for it. He waited for the beast to turn around and begin clawing it''s way through another pile of charred wreckage before he moved. "Go!" the hobgoblin roared, whether his furious shout was aimed at Steal or the wyvern was unknown, but either way it had little effect. The wyvern simply roared back, deafening and horrible. Steal wished he could have just left, but that roar froze him in place, his legs went numb, his mind felt hazy and dazed. He simply stayed where he was, crouched low with nothing but the top of his head and pointy ears sticking out from behind the blackened trunk of a scarred and scorched tree. The goblin could do nothing but watch as his hunting companion charged, spear raised over his head. The infernal beast roared back as it dropped lower to meet the hobgoblin''s charge. The wyvern''s mouth opened wide, jagged, blood-stained teeth sticking out from the roof of it''s blood-splattered beak. A slow but sharp hissing noise seemed to escape from the monster''s open maw; then a click, a spark came to life within the wyvern''s beak. Grak roared, and so did the fire that burst from the scaled monster''s open mouth. Grak dove low to the ground as the scorching fire licked across his back, the crude bow slung along his back was quickly set alight and he tossed it to the side as the wyvern systematically moved it''s head from left to right, spraying a cone of flame across the town square. It took a few moments for the barrage of hellfire to stop, the wyvern took a deep, rough breath as streams of steam and smog flared out it''s nostrils, other pillars of smoke spewed like exhaust from some vent-like openings along it''s mouth and chest.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Grak dragged himself upwards again, his back was raw, hair burnt down to it''s roots. Steal was still stood there, watching as his companion held his spear back up, covering the distance between him and the wyvern quickly as he thrust forwards with his ramshackle wooden spear. The sharp tip pierced the creatures right-eye, it''s yellow, narrow eye seemed to pop as the spear sunk a few inches into the wyvern''s head; the monster screamed, and so did Grak, it was a defiant, powerful scream. It put across a multitude of emotions that ran through the hobgoblin''s heart at that very moment: victory, anger, bloodlust. Both of the combatant''s screams died down quickly, the wyvern snarled, letting out another raw as Grak tried to pull his spear free of the monster. The wyvern had other ideas; for such a massive beast it moved swiftly, one clawed, reptillian foot stepped forwards whilst the wyvern swung it''s weight to one side. It''s barbed, armoured tail whipped around as it turned it''s body, and within an instant, it collided with the burly, once-victorious hunter. Still, Steal stood, watching as his makeshift-mentor was thrown a few feet into the air, he looked weightless for a moment, neither rising nor falling, and then he fell, a once powerful body merely lay in a motionless heap on the floor. The wyvern let out a snort, more like a chuckle than from exasperation. It''s remaining eye searched through the flames that blanketed the woods around it. It''s eye stopped searching as it turned again. It''s maw opened wide, that same hissing from before began again. It''s singular eye was locked on Steal''s head, his green body and pointed ears making him easy to see in the blackened and dead woodland. "Fuck..." Chapter 21 - Dust To Dust Steal looked back into the smirking, fanged smile of the scaly beast. Blood still poured in thick streams, a crimson waterfall that ran down the monsters face, splattering on the stoney ground, it''s life pooling up in tiny, scarlet ponds. CLICK A spark resonated from within the wyvern''s maw. And like that, Steal''s frail body sprang back into action. His head dropped low, chest thudding against the cracked, dead soil as a jet of orange flames turned the smoldering treeline behind him into a veritable inferno. The goblin glanced at the creature once more, powerful legs tipped with ebony claws that seemed to tear gashes in even the stone the wyvern was lumbering towards him upon. Bat-like wings folded tidily along it''s ridged, armored back. Steal couldn''t run. Taking his eyes off the monster for a moment would likely end up in the tiny little goblin becoming a barbequed snack. Steal would much rather taking a chance of almost certain death over just death. And that''s why his small, clawed hands gripped into the dry dirt. It was why his shaking knees steadied, and it was why he screamed. A violent, yet somehow insiginifcant roar. Defiance against death from a frame no smaller than a childs. Steal''s eyes narrowed, his stance low he sprang across the ground towards the wyvern. Another spray of flame licked at the goblin''s back. Bony hands found the shaft of a spear, clawed feet found footing on scorching stone. A small green creature found something between courage and stupidity, desperation fueling the fire in his blood that forced him forwards. Another howl, this time it carried more weight, sharp like glass cracking on steel. "Draaaaaaaaaaa!" The shaft flew from the tiny creatures hand, cutting threw the air and soaring forth towards the cocky, content and vicious wyvern. Wood struck on scales. A heavy tail swung forwards, the projectiles haft cracking and splintering as it was tossed wildly off into the burning brush. Still steal charged forwards, the tiny creatures claws found holds between scales, digging into the softer flesh on it''s underside and the narrow gaps between it''s armor. The wyvern roared in anger, it roared in pain, Steal returned that same roar as he clambered up the beast, it spun and shook, trying to throw the little goblin from it''s back, but he held tight, held close and held firm.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. A sharp pain shook through his body as he felt his ankle strain and snap. The goblin had just enough time to look at the tail that had whipped upwards and crushed his shattered appendage before he was tossed violently to the ground.
You''ve Suffered Severe Damage. You Have Suffered 49 Damage. New Ailment/Injury: Broken Ankle. -4 FRT, -6 AGI.
His leg burned, body and mind wracked in pain. His limp body flew and crashed against the cobbles.
You''ve Suffered Blunt Force Damage. You Have Suffered 8 Damage. Status Effect Applied: Stunned (5 Seconds)
Steal looked on as the massive lizard stalked towards him, wings flapping as it''s jaws snapped together in a mimicry of laughter. Yet his eyes did not focus on the snapping jaws. His eyes instead watched as a small, metal cylinder seemed to fly above the wyvern''s armoured headcrest. Tiny flakes of frost seemed to cascade from the canister, as if it wished to defy the inferno with it''s meek chill. Steal scoffed as he watched the cylinder crack. What use was such a small lump of metal. The goblin was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. The raging fires seemed to darken, Steal''s heartbeat almost as loud as the heavy thud of the wyvern''s talons scraping against the stones as it advanced. But no sounds could match that of the canister as it cracked and ruptured besides the wyvern''s head. KRAKOOM Chapter 22 - The Foreigner and the Firebreather Kor''Ak burst from the treeline, a heavy steel blade lashing forwards as he drew it, thick tower shield raised over so slightly as the dry-ice bomb''s shrapnel rained down in fragments, like a hundred tiny arrowheads. The Djaalik simply moved forward as he listened to the gentle sound of the metal bouncing off of his heavy shield, the wyvern however was not so privileged to have shielded itself from the blast. Iron nails and steel shards cut into it''s flesh, bounced off scales and tore holes in it''s wings leathery wings. The beast howled and swivelled towards the iron giant of a man. "Innefective..." the armoured adventurer muttered to himself as he lowed his shield to cover his body. Southern wyverns would have been stunned and deafened, rather than just merely wounded. It took Kor''Ak sometime to realise his mistake as he looked over the creature. It''s ears seemed invisible, the holes barely visible beneath sheets of armour, too different from the sensitive, fan-like ears of the wyverns from his homeland. Nevertheless, the blood that trickled from the creature''s face and body proved evidence that his bombs weren''t completely ineffectual, and to that end, he ducked low as he sheathed his sword, iron boots still pounding against the cracked earth as he broke into his charge. He could feel his body tense before he crashed into the roaring behemoth. An all-too familiar feeling as he felt his skills kick into gear.
Martial Art: Activated. -20 MP. x2 Damage On FIrst Strike, +30% Movement Speed. Skill: . -35 MP. x1.6 Damage On First Strike, 25% Damage Reduction Whilst Charging, +30% Movement Speed. Martial Art: Activated. -1 MP/s. +2 HP/s.
The fight would have to be over quickly, Kor''Ak knew he''d spent most of his MP already, and that keeping his health regeneration up would be essential to weathering through the dragonic creatures flames. The first true blow was struck as the warriors heavy tower shield crashed into the northern wyvern''s head, accompanied by a sickening crunch as the beast''s head jerked and snapped away from him.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Martial Art: Activated. -15 MP. Target Stunned for 3 Secs.
Kor''Ak stomped on forwards, his free hand uscewing one of the canisters at his side and dropping a chunk of dry-ice into the water before closing it shut. With another swift movement, he pulled the canister from the belt at his waist and rammed it down the creatures gaping maw, the stunned wyvern''s forked tongue simply lolling off to one side in it''s daze. Kor''Ak took the time to slam his shield against the wyvern''s head once more before planting it into the ashen stone slabs, pulling it tight to him as he listened to the fizz and hiss of the canister now lodged inside of the beast''s gullet. Once again he listened to that sharp, splittingKRAKOOM. No more than a few shards of tiny scrap seemed to have escaped the beast''s mouth, the previous hail of shrapnel from the first bomb seemed like a rainstorm compared to the few tiny ''tinking'' noises that could be heard as shrapnel bounced weakly off his shield. The djaalic peaked over his shield towards the wyvern, the beast lay on the ground, rivers of blood pouring from it''s mouth like a dam had broken. It lay still, but any seasoned adventurer knew to ensure that such a dangerous creature was dead. The victorious giant strolled forwards, pulling his simple, worn blade from it''s sheath once again. He moved towards the creature''s back, looking for a place between it''s scales around where it''s chest was. Satisfied he''d found a suitable place, he grinned, plunging the blade to it''s crossguard into the monster''s back. Not so much as a groan escaped the hulking corpse. Only now did he notice the small green creature scurrying along the cobbles towards a spear, clutched in the hands of a charred satyr corpse. Goblins... Killing it would hardly be worth the extra time he''d have to take cleaning off his weaponry. He turned to face the creature, brandishing his sword and yelling "Leave creature!" he may not actively go out of his way to kill it, but he certainly didn''t want the little scavenger taking anything valuable from the dead. That was an adventurer''s privilege after all. A hiss from behind him. Just the ice. A click, a spark lit within a wyvern''s bloodied maw. Maybe not just the ice. Chapter 23 - Mean n Green He felt it before he heard it. A roaring inferno cascading along his back, licking the hair along the back of his neck and setting it aflame. He could feel the heat through his armor and padding, roaring and burning the flesh of his back. The heat spread along his entire body as he grunted and groaned, raising his shield as Kor''Ak tried to escape the flames that came bursting in waves from the wyvern''s maw.
You Have Suffered 86 Fire Damage Status Effect Applied: Burning 4 (30 Seconds)
Kor''Ak scowled as he managed to make his way out of the sweeping inferno. Odds are he wouldn''t be standing if not for his Djaalic descent. His skin still burned like hell as he threw himself to the stones, rolling as his plate armour almost glowed with heat. Kor''Ak had just began to go for one of the healing potions at his side until he was cut off. The lumbering draconic monster charged itself forward, concussed, injured and confused, it was a creature that likely wanted to run as much as the goblin did, but unlike the goblin, who fought from an assumed will to live, the wyvern kept on moving because of pride. The wyvern would rather accept it''s death than it''s defeat from a human, and two glorified mongrels. And so it charged, intent on rending Kor''Ak''s armor apart with it''s talons, gutting the man and dragging his entrails along the scorched earth. The warrior scrambled out of the way, narrowly dodging the beast''s body and talons, instead being battered back onto the ground by it''s hefty wings, flapping about hastily in panic, fright and (literally) burning rage. The wyvern passed him, charging onwards, perhaps unable to stop itself, perhaps so desperate in it''s death throws that it wished to kill anything before it fell. Including a small, filthy green creature, caked in blood and ash that waved a spear in front of itself, knees bent low, eyes narrowed, mouth twisted into a snarl. The tiny creature howled something unitelligible, whether they were primitive words meant for the Djaalic, or the Wyvern, Kor''Ak didn''t know, but with the intensity they were screamed, and the spittle that erupted frim the goblin''s mouth as it spoke those words, it was safe to assume it certainly wasn''t a compliment. "Krakka Roka Ya Ya Yi!!"
Steal screamed out at the charging wyvern, his legs shook, his brain hurt, and his heart pumped to the point he felt like his chest was vibrating. The rather crude spear (albeit forged with iron and bolts rather than twine and flint) was held tight in his hands. The goblin levelled the spear holding it just over his shoulder as his arm pulled back, then jerked forwards as the wyvern''s gaping jaws were about to snap around the stout little creature. He felt the wooden shaft slip from his hand as the wyvern''s head snapped away from him, the spear seemingly lodged deep within the roof of it''s massive mouth. The wyvern charged over the creature splintering an shattering the charred husk of a tree that it crashed into as it came to a halt. Steal took this as an excellent opportunity to run away. There was no way in hell the diminutive monster wanted to be around this firebreathing behemoth longer than it had to. His padded feet tapped along the stones as he darted his way across the courtyard, keeping his distance from the iron-clad human that was now slowly picking himself up. His armour wasn''t particularly shiny or dazzling. Something that he found himself valuing a little more than he healthy should. Tiny feet kept padding away on the cobbles, and just before Steal could reach what remained of the treeline, a roar that had become upsettingly familiar screamed out in defiance. A heavy thud, and then another, and another. Then a sound unfamiliar to the goblin. The beating of wings. Steal span around to see the 14-foot long creature begin to drop from the sky above him. In the few moments the goblin had to act, he realised there was now way he could escape the creature''s entire plumetting wingspan and body. Instead, Steal found an answer in an object that was yet to fail him; prised from the hands of yet another satyr.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. A pointy stick. The monster''s bulk cast a shadow over Steal as it dove towards him, he raised the spear, cowered behind it, and tried to stammer out a prayer to the odd being that Grak had introduced him to that very same day. The Lady. The wyvern crashed into the ground, howling as Steal''s upraised spear punctured it''s soft belly. A gentle hissing sound escaped the wyvern, this time not from it''s mouth. It came from the deep wound that Steal had made, accompanied by the occasional fountain of blood and gore. The goblin struggled to pull it''s ankle free. It could barely stand the pain of just trying to run, nevermind get his broken ankle out from under the beast''s monstrous mass. His leg came free and he sprinted away from the wyvern. It''s reptillian head snapped towards him, mouth opening wide yet again. CLICK KRAKOOOOM There was no jet of flame, just a flaming inferno that engulfed the wyvern. The dancing flames quickly spread across the monster''s wings, singing away the slender leather. For a moment, the wyvern''s torso seemed to swell two-fold, before collapsing back to it''s original size. It was unclear whether it was it''s multiple wounds, ruptured organs, blood loss or inceneration that led to it''s demise. But Steal''s hopes came true as a window seemed to burst into his mind.
Level Up! Your Racial Job ''Goblin'' has advanced to Level 6! STR +1 ,DEX +2 ,AGI +1 ,FRT +1 ,INT +1 ,WIS +1 Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Your Job ''Hunter'' Has Reached Level 5! STR +3,DEX +6,AGI +6,FRT +3,INT +3,WIS +3 Your Skill ''Polearm Expertise'' has advanced to Level 2! Due to Your actions, you have gained the ''Wyrmslayer'' Trait for slaying a foe more than twice your Level! Your Trait ''Wyrmslayer'' has advanced to Level 1! ''Wyrmslayer'' Grants you +5% Bonus Damage to Draconic Enemies. ''Wyrmslayer'' Grants you 10% Fire Resistance [Does Not Stack]. Your Trait ''David of Gath'' has advanced to Level 2!
Instinctually, he snapped open the main status window in his mind with a simple "Gyak!"
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Steal STR 23 Goblin 6 137/759 XP
Race Goblin DEX 35 Hunter 5 205/506 XP
Age 18 Hours 05 Minutes AGI 30[-6]
HP 76/101 (2.6/s) [76/89 (2.2/s)] FRT 26[-4]
MP 64/64 (2.0/s) INT 22
Affiliation N/A WIS 21
ADVANCED STATUS
Traits Advanced Attributes Skills Spells/Martial Arts
Trait Level Attribute Value Skill Level Spell/Art School
David 2 Armor Rating 0 Sword Expertise 1
Fleet-Of-Foot 1 Debuff Resist 26 Trapping 1
Wyrmslayer 1 Polearm Expertise 2
Steal would have enjoyed some time to look over his new stats. Though sadly, he was interrupted by the dark-skinned, wounded adventurer. POLL RESULT POLL RESULT The Magic System got lucky with a coin toss against a more detailed view on the generic systems of Greenskin, and, the very first Author''s Note chapter (Coming to a cinema near you) will be Magic 101, a (relatively) comprehensive breakdown of everything from types of spells, to the different types of magical lores, as well as a short few paragraphs that may have something to do with the upcoming second arc.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Chapter 24 - Little Green Git Kor''Ak had watched on as the goblin slew the wyvern, there was no clashing steel, courageous roars or heroic challenges, just a lucky strike with a weapon that was luckily at hand. Luck had always been an interesting concept to the warrior. Perhaps it was an omni-present force, the will of gods, or perhaps merely chance. Nevertheless, in the past few years, it felt like good fortune no longer smiled upon him; he''d relied on his skill, strength and fortitude both in and out of combat for his entire life. No room for hoping on the benevolence of an intangible force. Yet luck it must have been that this diminutive, pathetic creature still stood. It would be hard to describe the tiny monster as ''green-skinned'' anymore, it was hard to tell the difference between the dried blood and gore that clung to it''s flesh, and the small patches of skin that seemed to be fighting a losing battle against the streams of fresh wyvern-blood that streaked from the goblin''s shoulders and head, dripping down in front of it''s bulbous eyes and painting the last few patches of skin a thick scarlet. Still, the goblin was even luckier that the adventurer that had shown up was Kor''Ak, and not one of the more bloodthirsty or hateful people that followed the ever-dangerous trade that was adventuring. After all, if it were another man, the exhausted monster would be receiving a blade to the jugular, and not the jovial chortles of a man that had narrowly escaped death. "Little green one! Come here, come here!" The dark-skinned adventurer moved his hands in a beckoning motion to the creature. It''s head cocked to one side, spear raised defensively as it slowly shuffled towards the man that called it. The goblin''s cautious nature and fearful demeanor forced another chuckle from the djaalic''s lips. To a man that had slain both monster and men, this little creature was comical, if not cute. Admittedly, if Kor''Ak wasn''t determined that the flimsy spear, shakily held up by the goblin''s spindly arms couldn''t pierce his armour, he would have been far more cautious with the creature. It was then that something unexpected happened, as the creature hobbled towards Kor''Ak, it stumbled and crashed to the ground, it''s over-large skull smashing against the stone with a rather worrying crunch as the spear left its grip, rattling and bouncing slightly off the stone. Kor''Ak hurried forwards, kneeling down besides the goblin and lifting it''s head slightly, carefully, he parted the monster''s lips, revealing the jagged rows of yellowed teeth within. He let one hand rummage through a satchel on his left hip until they clasped around a small glass vial. A lesser healing potion, although it likely wouldn''t magically bring the goblin back to consciousness, it might aid in it''s recoveru, the thick, syrupy tonic seeped and dribbled down onto the goblin''s rough tongue as Kor''Ak uncorked it and began to pour.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. A small retching noise escaped the goblin''s mouth as the liquid touched it''s tongue. It would appear even goblin''s could appreciate the taste of the healing potions that the Adventurer''s Guild provided its members. That is, if goblin''s appreciated a drink that tasted like it wasmade of shit, piss and bile. Looking at the creature now in it''s sleeping state, Kor''Ak couldn''t help but smile. Goblin''s were known as vile creatures, tipping primitive weapons with feces and any poisons they could find in an attempt to wound their victim, killing the cattle of innocent farmers at night, leaving nothing but bones, that carrion birds soon picked even cleaner. Yet here this creature was, caked in blood, both it''s own and others, but it slept so soundly, so gently for a creature considered to be crude and vicious. It''s tiny frame seemed even frailer in it''s sleep. Like a child. I love you daddy Kor''Ak simply stared down at the goblin, nursing an arm under it''s head as it gulped down the last of the glass bottle, that he then tossed aside. Gently, Kor''Ak set the gobin down onto the stones, removing the burnt remnants of his cloak to wrap the creature tightly in as he left it; beginning to pick through the soot-smeared corpses and burned out buildings. A good adventurer understood that they would likely make the largest amount of their money from the dead bodies they picked clean. It wasn''t an iron will, a special skill or the power of love and companionship that made an adventurer, those were traits that made a hero. Kor''Ak was an adventurer, and even now, he struggled to master the most important skill a man of his profession could possess. The ability to fight off his gag reflex. Looting corpses, tombs and shit-smeared troll caves was not a heroic affair, it was disgusting, vile and absolutely essential to making a good profit margin. After almost a half-hour of searching cadavers and ruins, Kor''Ak had pocketed himself a number of gold, silver and copper Krowns. Sadly, there was little he could carry with him, so he instead opted to grab a number of the finer-looking weapons that he could find on the bodies of dead satyrs, tossing as many as he could easily carry into a rather small wooden barrel that he''d secure to his back. By the time Kor''Ak left the ruined village, he was carrying a dozen or so shortswords and daggers, along with the fallen wyvern''s remaining eye, a trophy he had scooped from it''s socket somewhat crudely, and very bloodily, as well as a single, finely wrapped, unconscious goblin. Chapter 25 - Still No Magic It took a while for Steal to stir, so long in fact, that when his bulbous, sunken eyes opened, he saw no forest, no wyvern, no dirt or earth. He merely saw the man standing over him; skin darker than the humans that he had killed, build more muscular than those frail wizards or the wiry rogue. Dressed in rather plain attire; a beige tunic with a slight blackish stain on it just above his left breast, whilst his lower half was covered by black trousers that bulged slightly outwards at there legs, as if they were just slightly too large for the man wearing them. Which was one hell of a feat, considering the man''s gargantuan build. Steal blinked. Then blinked again, though he did not screech or scowl, he merely watched the man in relative silence; jet black eyes merely observing his moving mouth, muttering words he did not understand. It wasn''t until the goblin shifted to one side that it properly looked at where it was. A room, wooden door, wooden floor, the same with the walls and ceiling. It was small, The man above him was slightly hunched over so his head didn''t smack against the thick, damp-looking wooden beams slightly above him. Even still, he didn''t recognise this man until he saw the sword dangling from a belt by his side. Absent of his gargantuan shield and battered armor, the man seemed smaller. But he was clearly larger than even Grak. Grak... Steal wondered what happened to him. It was possible he was alive, though thinking about the hulking hobgoblin being tossed aside like an insect, he thought himself tremendously lucky to not have been on the receiving end of an armored tail swing. The goblin''s face contorted to a slight grimace, it could taste something at the back of his throat, it burned and tasted horrendous, like rotted meat and vomit, as the goblin started retching, the man that looked down on him kneeled low, producing a leather canteen as large as Steal''s head. It''s cap was popped of by the flick of his thumb, and he offered it to Steal, first pouring a slight bit the of the liquid out onto the wooden floor to show him it was water. Happily and greedily, the goblin snatched the canteen from the mans hands, emptying half of it in a mere few seconds before the human snatched it back from him, having to pry the goblin''s clawed, bony fingers from the leather. The man began muttering again "Do you understand me?" Steal merely lunged for the canteen again, the man consigning himself to the answer that Steal most certainly did not understand him after he said it a few more times; even when he slowed his words and spoke louder, like a tourist trying to ask for directions.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Passing the canteen back to Steal, Kor''Ak merely sighed. He had atleast hoped this dumbass creature might be able to talk in a language that wasn''t guttural throat noises and animalistic yips. Perhaps he had set his hopes too high; Kor''Ak was aware that he certainly wasn''t qualified to teach anything besides how to swing a blade; though he had come up with a short term solution for communicating with the goblin, there wasn''t a chance in hell he could teach the goblin his native Djaalic tongue, nevermind the ''common'' language that was spoken by the many races of people that inhabitated Bayle, the country they were currently in. However, Kor''Ak''s short term solution demanded a hefty sum of Krowns, and was likely far more expensive than hiring a tutor for the goblin, if any tutor would teach such a supposedly depraved creature. It would seem the adventurer would have to take up another job if he wanted to further the goblin''s communication skills, and there was no way he could find the item he was looking for in Veera, as nice as the city was, and as defensible as it was; it''s magical item trade was depressingly lacking, from what he''d heard, there were maybe a dozen or so low-ranking wizards in Veera, there ranks occasionally bolstered by adventurers, but never numbering over fifty. First, he was still yet to collect his reward from the adventurers guild for his hunt, and still had the bloody eye of the wyvern in one of his satchels. On the off-chance it was the young girl from before that would be at the desk this time, he made a note that he''d have to clean it off first, the eye was disgusting enough, he could atleast wash off the blood and remove the more disgusting tendrils of flesh and nerves at the back of the eye before handing it over to such a young girl. Of course, there was no chance in hell that he could leave the goblin here, as fond as he was of the creature already, Krist couldn''t even forgive him if he left it to it''s own devices in this inn and it hurt or killed the owner of the establishment, Fo''Shizzle. It would appear that meant he better bring the creature with him.. though parading a goblin around town with would likely lead to little monsters death. Kor''Ak lifted the goblin from the bed he''d lay him on, planting his ugly, filthy feet on the wooden floorboards as it emptied the last, cool vestiges of the canteen into it''s maw. He began to rewrap the goblin in the cloak he''d brought him here in, though rather than bundling him up in it, he managed to tie and fashion it into a very simple robe of sorts, concealing everything but the goblin''s face from view, and even then, the overhanging hood darkened and hid some of the gobin''s more discernible features with shadow. Kor''Ak beckoned the monster forth as he made his way out of the the rooms. It would seem he could understand simple hand signals, though he also copied Kor''Ak''s beckoning motion as he came forward. It would appear the creature wanted to learn, and likely learned through doing. Something Kor''Ak himself enjoyed far more than learning through theory. Perhaps there were some things he COULD teach the goblin after all. Chapter 26 - Meet MaBizzle Dizzle, Stabbing Extraordinaire Speaking of the owner of this inn, Kor''Ak had completely forgot about him. "Ah Mr Gale, heading out already?" The gnome took some time to notice Steal stood beside Kor''Ak, too busy scrubbing a stain of blood out of his wooden floor. "And you friend? I may be old Mr Gale, but I''m certain I never saw such a person ever even enter my establishment. Care to explain Mr Gale?" The gnome grinned a little, a smile similar to the uncontained look on Steal''s face when his greed overtook him, though far, far more mischevious and mellow. "You understand I have a strict, one person, one room policy correct? I trust that if they are to be staying here, you will be paying for two rooms" Another odd look plastered the gnome barkeep''s face as he looked over the two of them "Even if you are only using the one" Kor''Ak was visibly irritated, but smiled nonetheless. "No no, ranpa, this here is a new associate of mine, Ma''Bizzle Dizzle, a gnomish rogue. I''d call him the strong silent type, if the concept of youranpa being strong wasn''t almost as comical to me as a scholarly troll!" The two chortled to themselves a little as Steal stood there in silence, listening to Kor''Ak carry on, not understanding a word. "But yes, no wonder you didn''t catch him sneaking in, most wouldn''t. He''ll be staying a night here, would you mind if we paid the room fees when we come back? I''m afraid I''ll have little to pay you with until I collect my reward from the guild." "Ah yes, the wyvern wasn''t it? Damn beast had been taking a lot of cattle and damaging crops all over the place, raised food prices quite a bit, not great for business y''know" The gnome paused for a moment, face making an ugly expression before he spoke again, as if fighting against his very instinct "tell ya what, you can both stay the night for free if the two of you killed that shitty fucker," Kor''Ak nodded back as he began to walk Steal out of the inn "My thanks.. Fo''Shizzle, I feel like giving your vile swill another try when I get back, until then, goodbye.." Kor''Ak smirked just before he was about to step through the inn''s front door "ranpa." The door closed behind him as the two stepped out into a rather grimy cobbled road on the outskirts of Veera. Steal froze in place, so many men and women, people of different races mingled together, some like the gnome he''d met before, others displayed features that reminded him of the wolf he''d killed on his first proper hunt with Grak. Some were as short as him, some wiry, some muscular, others wrapped in thick clothing, others walking almost bare, with nothing but a cloth adorning their genitalia to offer a slight semblance of decency as they walked the streets. Outnumbering all of these people ten to one however, were the humans, masses of them converged together, spilled out across the cobbled paths and crowded dingy market stalls and shops.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Yet, with all these odd people, it was Steal''s new companion that stood out the most. This myriad of races had one thing in common, there skin was quite light, not pale, but tan; nothing alike the deep brown hue of Kor''Ak. Kor''Ak didn''t only stand out in Steal''s eyes as well, as the adventurer began to pull Steal gently along, trying to navigate him through the busy streets wthout the goblin getting knocked down or trampled on, the goblin could see head''s turn, not to look at the figure wrapped in clothing from head-to-toe, but their eyes lockled on the plainly-dressed, burly man, muttering words like "filthy fuckin Djaalics" "foreigner" and the one that made Kor''Ak''s head lower, the single word that made his giant frame feel like a lie, a shell for a frail and meek man was "monster." Kor''Ak pressed on for a few minutes, not once losing sight of Steal as he urged the goblin along with him. But something had certainly changed, confident strides forward now just tentative steps ahead. They eventually made it to a building that stood out from the others, it was surrounding by stores, ranging from alchemy to weaponry and even what appeared to be a high-class restuarant. It wasn''t the fact that it wasn''t a shop that made the building stand out however, it was that, unlike the stores around it, it wasn''t packed to the brim with bodies, buyers and browsers. No, only a handful of people wandered in and out through the doors, almost always with a blade at their side, and they all wore tags around their necks, small metal pendants with words engraved on them. Name and rank it would seem. The two made their way into the building, a few clerks sat around a counter at the back of the room, whilst a handful of adventurers sat at a wooden table to one side, chatting, laughing and drinking from their canteens. The laughing began to quiten as Kor''Ak and Steal made their way into the Adventurer''s Guild, a few of the adventurers sat at the table turned to look at them, whilst one scowled, glared and then spoke "Get the fuck outta here ya fuckin Djaal, we know what your kind are like, fuck off before I run ya through!" The voice came from a short-looking woman, perhaps barely even an adult from her small stature. Her body was covered in a simple layer of cloth, with thick, cured leather covering her torso. That same leather made up a apir of bracers that stretched from her wrists to just before her elbows, metal studs set into the material. Steal looked at the fine bow along her back, though inside, it was likely useless, which was why her hand instead lay on the hilt of a shortsword, still sheathed at her side. A bronze tag dangled from her neck, the same went for her three companions sat around the table. One of which glared at Kor''Ak as well, a simple, but clean skull-cap topped his head, and a chainmail shirt covered the gambeson beneath. Another of the companions seemed to be trying to make the seething girl sit down, perhaps wanting to stay out of trouble, and keep her out of trouble. His relatively dark-coloured robes and hood, which he did not have pulled up, marked this man as a caster, atleast in Kor''Ak''s eyes, though he couldn''t see anykind of arcane focus in his hands or on his clothes. The final of the adventurers looked at the iron tag that dangled around Kor''Ak''s neck, before sighing, closing his hand tight around a small sculpture of Lira, the god of life. He returned to slowly drinking from a bowl of some unknown stew, eyes flitting up to glance at Kor''Ak as he leisurely made his way towards the adventuring group. Authors Note 01 - Magic 101 The Components Of A Spell As I think I''m pretty much yet to touch on traditional magic within Greenskin, I believe it''s time that I at the very least talked about it, as I don''t see Steal or Kor''Ak using magic for a while atleast. This section will focus on the basic ''Wizard'' Caster Job, though there are parallels in other classes, Caster Jobs are often the more complex of the job-types with their rules, for clear reason. First of all, to talk about spells in Greenskin, I must first talk about the components that make up the description of a spell. I''ll be using a classic of RPGs through the ages as an example here:
Magic Missile(*) Arcana(**)
Prerequisites: INT 15, Spellcaster (Trait), Lore Of Minor Arcana (School) (***) MP Cost 10 Range (Feet): INTx(1/4) WIS
Magic Missile does Arcane damage, equivalent to the half of the Caster''s INT + Any Modifiers (****)
Possibly one of the most iconic spells of a classic wizard, outside of slinging fireballs, Magic Missile stands to be a necessity in many mages spellbooks. A robust and felexible spell, Magic Missile is also known to be remarkably versatile, combining different spells can enhance Magic Missile and help it adapt to any situation. (*****)
Spoiler: Appendix * * - The name of a spell in it''s entry ** - the ''school'' of magic the spell is derived from *** - the prerequisites for a spell, these must be met before being able to cast it, there may also be unlisted prerequisites that are too specific to be displayed by the System (or are supposed to be secretive) ***B - ''Lore'' is a trait that wizards unlock by levelling, as well as learning a spell from a tutor, book or discovery through experimentation, this trait is required for the spell to be used. **** - This includes both the casters raw INT stat and the +1 bonus from INT Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.***** - An attentive scholar can often discover more than just stats in a spell entry, and a description can sometimes provide clues to it''s application or properties. Lores Of Magic In general use, there are 5 basic Lores of magic, Arcana, Geomancy, Pryomancy, Hydromancer and Electromancy. Arcana serves as the mist robust of these schools, providing a solid mix of offensive, defensive and support spells, whilst Arcana-attacks are generally considered to beelementlessand thus act like physical attacks rather than amgical attacks. Geomancy relates to the manipulation of the earth and plants, often used for more defensive spells, much like Arcana, most Geomancy attack spells act like physical attacks. Pyromancy relates to fire, although most people think of it''s devastating fire, some pyromancers also focus on powerful support spells, like creating clouds of billowing smog or blocking off exits and entrances with barriers of flame. Hydromancy utlises water, more well known for it''s utility in putting out fires, Hydromancers are often the least feared of all casters. Which isn''t wise, Steel armour can be shredded to pieces by a high-pressure burst of water as fast as it can be reduced to molten slag by unending flames, or crushed underneath a boulder. Electromancy is often the most feared of all the basic Lores of magic, not because it''s users can make lighting crackle from their hands or electrocute a man to death by touching them, no. Some advanced Electromancers can gain access to mind-controlling magics, interferring with impulses in the brain. The one thing a common man fears more than an enraged mage killing his family, is an enraged mage making him kill his own family. Forbidden and Advanced Lores As with any activity, magic has it''s own taboos, the most spoken of and known being the lore of Necromancy. It is extremely frowned upon by most peoples to raise the dead, and although not hunted, necromancers are not welcome in most towns, cities and countries. Even adventurers, people who pick through corpses frown upon a mage who might make those same corpses move again. Advanced lores are often too complex to be taught by a single tutor, or require a combination of different Lores of magic, for example, Metalmancy, a lore of magic that can shape, enhance and control metals requires a fair bit of knowledge in both the Geomancy and Pyromancy Lores. Whilst Cryomancy is difficult to learn, it is it''s own Lore Of Magic that is loosely derived from Hydromancy. Becoming A Wizard Unlike most Jobs, a Wizard cannot simply be taught, a certain degree of magical aptitude is required for even a Level 1 Wizard. Generally, after there aptitude and capabilities are tested, a Wizard can gain their Job through teaching, though other times, they might gain the Job of their own accord, accidentally casting a spell for their first time, or discovering an arcane item or spellbook that grants them the knowledge. Tutor-taught wizards will be able to choose between the lowest forms of the basic Lores Of Magic when they gain their first wizard level, and will subsequently gain access to either other traits, or other Lores each 5 levels. Whilst people who gain the job through other means may not get this choice, and may in fact be assigned a Lore or certain traits due to the spell they cast or item they found. It is estimated that approximately 15% of the population have some degree of magical aptitude, but only around 0.2% can manifest it in meaningful or tangible ways. Chapter 27 - Greenhorns and Gold Steal wasn''t sure what he was expecting, a bloodbath perhaps? it might certainly have been a fun show if Kor''Ak had ran through the girl on the spot. Dissapointedly to the goblin, he did not, instead, he went to walk past her, merely trying to make his way to one of the Adventer Guild Clerk''s desks on the other end of the room. The staff were visibly tense, watching the events in front of them unfold, some of them ready to duck down behind their desks, a few ready to burst forwards and interrupt any fight that may occur. Steal''s head turned for a second as a bell behind him dinged gently, indicating that someone had entered after them, the goblin looked at the man take in the scene before him, then very slowly edge back out of the building. ding The front door closed again. Kor''Ak continued to walk towards the counter, only now about to pass by the most confrontational adventurer. Steal hurried his pace along to keep close enough to Kor''Ak that he could dive behinf him if things got bad, even though the goblin couldn''t understand their words, he still felt threatened, perhaps it was their angry tones, scowling faces or maybe just Kor''Ak''s dreary silence as he took another step. The girls''s hand shot out, not sliding the blade fom it''s sheath, but instead grabbing the walking-fortress of a man by the shoulder. Admittedly she could just barely manage to reach his shoulder. If there was one thing this adventurer was, it was brave. Probably also stupid. "Didn''t ya hear me Djaal? I said get the fuck outta here. Now!" The braver of the clerks in the back looked about ready to intervene. The adventurers around the table moved as well, the stew-sipping holy man looked upwards, sullen eyes and a gaunt face observing the confrontation carefully. The chainmail wearing warrior moved by the girl''s side, and the caster simply sighed before speaking. His voice was light, playful. Perhaps he was younger than even the girl. "Ryder, Sam, sit down, look at the tag on his neck, I don''t care if you''ve got a problem with a Djaalic, plenty of people do, but I do care if the iron-ranker fucking beheads our parties warrior and ranger" The young girl tried to snap back "But!-" She was cut off as a maelstrom of electricity seemed to erupt from the young boy''s hands, arcing and darting between the tags on each adventurer''s necks. "Sam. Sit down. Please". It would seem the literal shock of the young casters actions made the girl''s iron temper somewhat more malleable, she sat down, the warrior, Ryder following her actions. Admittedly, the girl, Sam still seemed determined to have the last say "Just get outta here Djaal..."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. With her hands off him, and the adventurers now back to bickering, still shooting him wary glances, Kor''Ak made his way to the back of the room; where a familiar face to the man sat. Steal kept close to his massive companion, looking back once more to see of one the Guild staff scolding the group. He remembered those same sunken eyes, contrasting with her cheery voice. Those eyes had been fixed on him since he entered. Kor''Ak didn''t know why, assuming it was because he''d actually returned from his quest, rather than ending up as that wyvern''s chargrilled snack. That cheery voice from before seemed to lighten even Kor''Ak''s heart "Ah Mr Gale... Apologies for what just happened, I assure you they will be appropriately reprimanded for the things they said to you.." In truth, Kor''Ak was aware nothing would happen, but still he spoke "Thank you for that... So, I''m here to turn in the Wyvern quest I took up" The man opened the satchel at his side, pulling the wyvern''s freshly-cleaned eye from it. The reaction he expected from the girl was not what he got. She simply nodded, indicating that he put the eye away. A few murmurs could be heard from the table of adventurers just a dozen feet away "Wait, wyvern? Fuckin hell" the young womans voice was cut off yet again by the caster "Imagine what would have happened if he''d responded violently, now you know why are told you to sit down." The clerk ignored it and carried on to Kor''Ak "Your reward will be..." She fulled open a cabinet, rummaging through stacks of contracts and forms before turning to Kor''Ak again, a look of confusion on her face "Is that really all you asked for?" The Djaal grunted and nodded as an answer as the girl carried on "Okay.. that''ll be one hundred and eighty gold krowns..." The clerk unlocked a lockbox at her feet, pulling out a rather large cloth sack filled to the brim with coins. Kor''Ak merely nodded again as she pused the sack towards him along the desk, he pocketed the bag quickly and smiled "I apologise for the trouble I''ve caused here, hopefully they shouldn''t cause any troubles... who put up money for this wyvern quest anyways? I doubt a concerned citizen or farmer could have offered up all this money to hire some adventurers..." The clerk sighed "As you know Mr Gale, unless the quest poster wishes for their name to be disclosed, it is strictly confidential." Another grunt from Kor''Ak "If those are the rules, guess there''s nothing I can do about it is there... Say, do you have any other quests for me? Nothing for the bronze-rankers and below, I need some decent pay." The clerk''s eyes began rummaging through another stack of paper, which both Steal and Kor''Ak though looked the same as the other dozen or so stacks of files and papers around her desk. "Ah... a bodyguarding job? A wizard called Kelvin needs to head to the capital and wants a small, competent guard group, fifty golden krowns, and if there are any unforeseen circumstances on the road, he''ll pay seventy-five." Kor''Ak seemed to grin widely as she spoke. He could buy the goblin the item he wanted in the capital, going with this job would make him profit from his travels as well, there wasn''t any reason to not take this job. "I''ll take it" He pointed to Steal now, his wretched form hidden under layers of cloth "He''ll be coming with me, not a registered adventurer, but we''ll split the pay, anything in the request that says I can''t do that?" The clerk stammered a little with the man''s sudden enthusiasm "N-n-no?" Kor''Ak''s smile beamed wide "Alright young miss, we''ll be taking the job, tell the requester to meet us here tonight at sunset!" He smiled, passed her a few golden krowns from his newly acquired, veritable hoard and span on his feet, seemingly not even noticing that the Adventurer''s Guild was now empty, besides the few clerks still signing endless mountains of contracts. "C''mon Ma''Bizzle, we have preperations to make" He knew the goblin wouldn''t understand, but he knew he''d follow him anyways. And so the duo stepped back out to the busy streets of Veera. Chapter27b - In Another World As A Ronin Necromancer Magician Robot Mech Pilot After Steal made his way out of the guild, he tripped on something on the floor, the small goblin clattered to the pavement before scrambling back up and looking at what tripped him. His black, beady eyes gazed upon something beautiful. Pristine in it''s splendor, a curved, black-bladed katana lay on the ground. The goblin''s green hands clasped around it''s hilt as power seemed to surge through his body, the little green goblin''s skin dyed purple, black flames erupting from the blade and wreathing his body in an oddly cold inferno.
You Have Acquired: ???????????? Dai yami no taiyo o korosu ankoku no ha - Dark blade to kill the sun of the great darkness STR + 999999999999, DEX + 999999999999, AGI + 999999999999, FRT + 999999999999, INT + 999999999999, WIS + 999999999999 SWAG +999999999999
Steal''s mind seemed to burst, instantly he knew all that there was to know about the universe, and thus his body shaped itself to the ultimate form. His skin turned to a pallored white, he grew a long head of silken black hair as his body morphed to that of a human, his genital changed with it. His unaturally black hair seemed to shift again, streaks of blue, green and red forming around it''s tips. His chest swelled to the size of two watermelons and his hips narrowed. He could feel his nose be pierced by something, and watched as a number of metal rings formed, two on his lips, two on his nose, and one somewhere considered a little more private. His ascension was almost complete, but not quite. his ragged clothes shredded and seemed to vanish into the air in a cloud of dust, replaced instead by leather gloves, black skinny jeans and a low-cut shirt that referenced a band that was far older than he himself. Thick layers of shadowy make-up settled around his eyes and lips, making them look far more sunken than was needed. The great blade had completed his transformation. At long last, he had become perfect. He had become flawless and ideal. He had become a big tiddy goth GF.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Steal saw a young girl in the road, a van about to strike her down and he jumped ahead of it, pushing her out of the way as it''s bumper struck him, crushing his skull underneath it''s rear wheels as he fell. "Hello there Steal...I''m god, perhaps you''ve heard of me, no, not one of your world''s insolent upstarts, I rule over all, and for no real reason, I have taken an interest in you. I shall return you to life, in another world. are you ready for your own isekai light no-.... shitty anime adapta-... death mar-... fuck... umm, are you ready to forge your own path in a new world Steal?" The magnitude of this offer was too great, the possbilities endless. There was only one way Steal could reply to this strange voice, speaking to him in an otherwise empty and silent black void. "GRAKAKAKAKA" It would appear that God took that as a yes, as Steal felt an odd sereness wash over him. He felt his body crumble, his mind fade. He felt an odd warmth, listened to panicked sounds that beat against him dully. For months this was all he could experience, a warmth that became more familiar, it felt like he couldn''t live without this warmth And then he was taken from that warmth, loud voices, screams, liquid splashed to the ground and ever so slowly, he was dragged with it. This was the birth of Hiro Takanaka. a young japanese boy, with no memory of his previous life as a goblin in a fantasy world. August 6th, 1945. The now thirteen year old Hiro looked to the sky one last time, a dot in the sky plummeted from the clouds. One second. The boy ducked behind a wall as the sirens blared in his ear. Two seconds. A heavy thud, a sound that ruptured the boy''s ears and made him burst into tears. Even the blaring sirens couldn''t be heard. Three seconds. Krakoooom. A sound incomparable to a bomb, incomparable to a rolling storm or gunshot. The first thing that went was Hiro''s sense of vision, the next his smell, the next after that his sight, and finally, his touch, his body was wreathed in incomparable pain. It hurt. It hurt. It... Darkness again. Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, they were gone. So was Hiro. A voice spoke out to him He''d forgotten all about it. It hadn''t forgot about him, a voice in the darkness. "Well, should have expected that, tell ya what, how about I said you to a fantasy world? yeah? sound good? you can be a goblin and shit." Hiro responded with a viscious snarl, there was an odd serenity to the darkness, he could cower and cry later. But this fucker had no right to make ill of his death or joke. "Fakku ofu!" The unknown voice replied to the angry child''s snarl "not like you have a choice, seeya Takanaka... ah, it''s Steal now, you little green fucker." Chapter 28 - Juicy Meats and Meaty Stats Steal was already becoming sick of following Kor''Ak through the winding, bustling and busy streets of Veera, although Kor''Ak seemed intent on looking at odd bottles of strangely coloured liquid at a market stall, Steal couldn''t care less. A smell, just a smell was what took all of his attention away from Kor''Ak. pungent, powerful, aromatic, and meaty. It wasn''t the drinks that interested the gluttnous goblin, it was the food. Roasting on spits, boiling in pots and cooking on grills, people were handing over these strange glinting circles, and taking away the delicious, juciy looking meats and stews. Kor''Ak had just gotten a lot of those glinting circles. Except his were a different colour, more yellow than the brownish, copper circles the other people handed over. Nevertheless, it was worth a try. Steal hobbled closer to Kor''Ak, narrowly missing getting stood on by some odd, scaly-skinned woman that stood taller than even Kor''Ak, curved horns adorning her head and sprouting outwards like the branches of a tree. Steal reached up and tapped Kor''Ak''s waist, the bony, clawed finger hidden underneath an over-sized sleeve. He''d been learning from how this man seemed to interact with him, and made an attempt at trying to display his desires. Looking down at the creature from the two vials of blood-red liquid he was comparing, the Djaal watched on as Steal tapped Kor''Ak''s satchel, the pointed off towards a vendor a few stalls down the road, massive hunks of mutton and lamp spinning around on spits over open, stone firepits. The towering man followed the goblin''s finger, then sighed, nodded and handed him a Silver Krown, not the money he''d gotten as a reward, but it seemed rude to pay for something worth a few Coppers with a Gold Krown. He watched on as the goblin nodded, looked directly up at Kor''Ak, revealing the lower half of his otherwise obscured face and showed him a wide, toothy grin. Steal promptly hobbled off towards the meat vendor, dodging and weaving it''s way through the crowds. It would have been safer to take the goblin out later in the night or far earlier, foot-traffic in the markets was always rather high around noon in Veera. Atleast in the short while that Kor''Ak had stayed in this town. The Djaal adventurer followed after Steal, giving the creature enough space to act on his own, but he was close enough to help him out. Or stop him from doing something... monstrous. Instead, the goblin merely waved the Krown at the vendor, some sort of odd humanoid insect species that Kor''Ak had seen a rare few times, but never interacted with. It was primarily the clicking mandibles that convinced Kor''Ak to keep his distance, but their dispraportionate arms, with the lower set being rather small and fine, and the higher set being longer and often more muscular looked odd to the human. After a brief clicking of mandibles and excited finger-pointing and squeals from the hooded little green creature, the insect took the Krown from his outstretched hand, chitin-armoured fingers on it''s lower arms deftly opening and closing a lockbox of Silver Krowns. The insectoid grabbed the knife that lay by it''s side as it produced a wooden stick from a small, wooden box that sat to one side of it''s stall. Gently and smoothly, the knife began to slice through a thick layer of meat on one of the larger, juicer looking hunks of cooking mutton that Steal was practically slobbering over, jumping up and down in excitement and pointing towards it. As the layer of meat began to dip as he cut along it''s length, the insect used one if it''s other small arms to pierce the meat, continuing to do this as he folded the mutton over itself on the stick. The end product was a solid, dozen-times folded length of mutton speared through it''s center, making a mutton kebab, still slick and dripping with it''s juices. As the insectoid shop vendor was doing his craft and Steal was almost completely absorbed in the frankly mundane spectical, Kor''Ak muttered "Status.." gently to himself.
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Kor''Ak Gale STR 84 Human (Djaalic) 17 42,315/65,684 XP
Race Human (Djaalic) DEX 78 Warrior 20 205,531/221,683 XP
Age 32 Years 5 Months AGI 57 Guardian 7 762/1,139 XP
HP 378/378 (9.8/s) FRT 98 Tinkerer 4 163/337 XP
MP 135/135 (4.0/s) INT 45
Affiliation Djaal/Adventurer''s Guild WIS 45
ADVANCED STATUS
Traits Skills Spells/Martial Arts
Trait Level Skill Level Spell/Art Level School
Manbutcher 1 Sword Expertise MAX Shield Bash 3 Warrior
Wyrmslayer 2 Sword Mastery 1 Furious Charge 2 Warrior
Soldier Of Djaal MAX Shield Expertise 4 Unstopabble Force 2 Warrior
Djaalic Heat Resist MAX Medium Armor Expertise 1 Adrenaline Boost 2 Warrior
Headhunter 1 Heavy Armor Expertise 3 Iron Will 2 Warrior
Captain INACTIVE Shield Toss 1 Warrior
Daemon-Touched 1 Bulwark 3 Guardian
Unbreakable Guard 2 Guardian
Bloody Harvest ERROR ERROR
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He''d been expecting a level up from hunting a wyvern, admittedly it''s wounded eye, the dead hobgoblin and his newly acquired companion made it clear he hadn''t done all of the work. experience from jobs was always divided between those that fought a creature, although the system is oddly arbitrary, it seemed to award experience depending on controbution in a fight, not just damage. It was likely to ensure that adventurer healing jobs and supporters could gain as much experience as their warrior and offensive caster counterparts when adventuring. Although Kor''Ak was certain he had done the majority of the work on the creature, especially with plunging his blade through a spot that contained the largest amount of the creature''s vital organs, he hadn''t gained quite enough experience to level up any of his jobs. It was certainly a little dissapointing, but the jingling bag of gold at his side certainly made him feel better about it. Minor Announcement - The Pledge As of 2:37 AM, GMT, I Onyx2K have signed Greenskin to the WriTEr''s Pledge. This pledge, for those of you that don''t know about it, is a pledge to finish what I started. It''s a pledge to ensure that I keep on posting, and eventually finish Greenskin. Although I believe there may be a chance I won''t be officially accepted (due to a month-and-a-half long break I took from writing in the winter) I hope that Greenskin will become an official member of the WriTEr''s Pledge, and hope that you, my readers will be with me until the very end.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. That being said, recently I have been posting around 1-2 chapters a day, I understand that by Royal Road chapters, they are relatively short, but I''ll admit now, I''m a slow as hell writer. This means, that due to some upcoming personal changes in my life, these very frequent posts will be cut down to a chapter every few days instead. This change should take place in around two weeks from the time this chapter is posted, and may continue indefinitely. On some brighter news, to all my wonderful readers who have gotten this far, and read my story up to this point, I hope you''ve enjoyed what you have read, and will continue to enjoy this story with me until it''s finale. Chapter 29 - Kelvin the Great and Powerful The two had been walking besides one another for nearly two hours now, Steal having devoured the kebab almost the very second the insectoid vendor passed the stick of meat over to him. The voracity and speed at which the tiny creature tore through flesh was somewhat worrying, though what was more worying was that the goblin had eaten half of the wooden skewer with it, before realising such a thing was inedible; which led to it''s current condition, sat on Kor''Ak''s shoulder, huddled into a ball groaning to itself in mild pain and discomfort. The past two hours had been nothing but an over-extended shopping trip, Kor''Ak had made a point of purchasing a fair amount of dried, smoked and salted meats, along with a small supply of ambrosia; an odd, honey-like food that was once coveted by elven peoples. Although ambrosia is now seen across Kyros, it''s method of production and the (assumed) creature it comes from is still a mystery to those that don''t produce it; with a number of rumours of where it comes from, from giant bees to it being aged troll snot. Other than food, Kor''Ak made sure to get a enough water for the few days they would be travelling. Although the roads that their employer should take ran over a number of rivers and went through plenty of small towns and villages, the Djaalic man was still accustomed to the overbearing heat of the Djaal sun as it bounced off the sand; and long military marches, with oxen dragging a massive wooden barrel of water along the dunes for every few dozen soldiers. Captain, what are we supposed to do! That memory. That voice. Another few hours of walking, shopping and haggling as the night began to become darker. Kor''Ak had managed to find a small bag for the goblin, he was to learn how to pack his own supplies, and needed to get used to carrying everything he owned with him if he was to become a suitable adventuring companion and partner. Along with the bag, Kor''Ak managed to buy some relatively cheap robes that should fit a skinny gnome, and would (he hoped) be a fine fit for a goblin, along with a a pair of wrought iron bracers and a dirk. The dirk was a thrusting dagger, sometimes called a long-knife that was just under a foot in tortal length, although it wouldn''t grant his companion a lot of reach, however, the blade should be relatively easy to handle and lightweight for the creature, with longer weapons likely being nearly impossible for the goblin to carry or wield normally. Besides, Steal had picked it out himself. Well, sort of, the goblin had pointed to the shiniest, most decorated knife it could see in the blacksmith''s storefront, and Kor''Ak had cheaped out, which may be an additional reason for the greenskinned monsters current constant grumbling. He may not truly understand the concept of currency, but one thing he does understand is how much he likes things that glint and shine.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The not-so-dynamic duo made their way back to Fo''Shizzle''s tavern, the gnome didn''t seem to care all that much after Kor''Ak handed him twenty-three silver krowns, more than enough to pay for their night''s stay, even though they''d likely not be staying the night if thheir meeting with the ever-mysterious Kelvin went well. Kor''Ak took Steal to his room, insisting he get changed as he handed him the clothing and the dirk. Whilst the goblin was trying, and failing to strap the metal braces to it''s head, Kor''Ak was neatly packing everything he needed into an over-sized backpack. By the time he was done, Steal had managed to change into the other set of robes that Kor''Ak had given him, and had managed to put a belt around it''s waist. Kor''Ak began packing Steal''s bag as well, it was exceedingly smaller than him, about the size of the goblin''s head, but it had plenty of the necessitiies, a few meals worth of salted meats, along with a canteen of water, bandages and a bottle of alcohol. If it weren''t for some height restrictions, he would have given the goblin a ten-foot pole. A classic of adventurers since the earliest days of dungeon traps and pitfalls. With some help, Steal maaged to fix the sheathed dirk to his belt, and Kor''Ak helped the little monster strap his iron bracers on, the dull grey glint wasn''t all that appealing to the goblin, but it was better than the completely unshiny cloth beneath it. Kor''Ak took a good half an hour putting on his full-plate of armour, towering shield on his back and a sword at his side. For the sake of being polite, the visored sallet helm was left in his bag. Ready to go, the two made their way off into the night again, Kor''Ak offering a last fairwell to Fo''Shizzle. It was dark in the streets by the time the pair had marched over to the adventurer''s guild, no lights besides those that still wavered dimly in windows. The earlier, excited stampedes of people had stopped, and all but the bravest stalls had closed up. The night was cold, only the whisper of icy wind could be heard over the sound of Kor''Ak''s armour clinking together, chainmail rings scraping togeher again the metal plate on top, and thick cloth padding beneath. The adventurer''s guild door creaked open as Kor''Ak led forward, Steal hanging close behind. A few swaying braziers lit the hall, a singular clerk sitting at the back, idly flicking through a dusty-looking book. And Kor''Ak would have been perfectly content with a dull, boring and empty hall. What he could not be content with was the singular man sitting at one of the tables, staring directly at them. This man was an abomination; Kor''Ak would have preferred a blue-robed, pointy hatted old wizard with a flowing grey beard over this bullshit. An excessively large tophat, jet black with a white ribbon just above it''s brim was sat atop a head of clean, blonde hair that went just below the man''s cheeks. Bright blue eyes looked at him, and just bellow those, just below this man''s nose was a moustache, so waxed and well kept that it looked hardened to a point, curving up for a few inches at the sides, giving this blonde piece of facial hair the impression of a bull''s horns. Kor''Ak sighed, this was too much, what a ridiculous looking man. But wait, there''s more! He wasn''t sure if it got better below his neck. A black bowtie sat ontop of a white dress shirt, with sleeves a little too young for the gentleman. A dark waistcoat gave the man the impression of a rather ill-mannered butler, after all, his boots were resting on the table. Showing off his flared out, somehow sparkling black pants. His leather shoes were as black as the rest of his clothing, with a slight heel to them, and golden spurs sticking out from the back. A deep sigh seemed to drag out of the djaalic warrior as he walked forwards "Kelvin Sescenti I presume?" A voice so bright and cheery that it caused Kor''Ak physical pain responded "Indeedly doodly, I sure am" Chapter 30 - Scumbag Kor''Ak was fuming. He knew wizards were an eccentric lot, ranging from idiots who shot spells at random without having any self-control, to men that would sign a legal waiver everytime they cast a spell outof some odd belief that it meant that them roasting a group of bandits alive was a perfectly fine thing to do. But in all of his travels, he had never seen a wizard so horrifically dressed. Another heavy sigh from the adventurer. "You''re looking for an escort to Teneir, the capital, yes?" "I sure am my man" "Alright then, Mr. Sescenti, will we be travelling on foot? It''s something like three weeks travel if we do that, I believe it would be best that you hire a wagon or carriage." "Already got one all lined up, a wagon that is. ''orses seem pretty well aswell, rentals of course" The spirited voice continued to grate on the man, seemed like a fool, he could atleast hope the wizard would be useful if they got into a fight. He could hope. "I understand that you may want rest, but I believe it is best we begin our travels immediately" "Of course, of course, why, I was going to say the very same thing, I certainly was Mr..." "Just... call me Kor''Ak" the adventurer pointed to his smaller companion "and this is Ma''Bizzle. He''s not very high level, or an official adventurer, but I can personally vouch that he can hold his own in a fight." "Kor''Ak it is then... an odd name it certainly is... ah, you must be from Djaal aren''t you? You just have travelled a long way to get here, guess that means I can most certainly trust you on the roads, indeed I can be." Kor''Ak was mentally cringing, this odd man spoke in such a strange way, it was horrible, Bruman Common wasn''t even the Djaal''s first language and he was certain that he could speak it far better than this top-hatted fool. "I trust that you can pay the fifty gold you offered in your request?" "Of course, I certainly can..." A pause in his speech as Kelvin went to scratch the back of his head "... When we arrive in Teneir" He couldn''t pay upfront, a massive red flag that often came up when people attempted to trick adventurer''s into doing difficult work for nothing. Kevlin was lucky that Kor''Ak cared more for the free trip to Teneir than the job. "And why can you only pay when we arrive in Teneir?"Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Well, like I said, the wagon and horses are rentals, they said I would get my deposit back when I showed up at the company''s stables outside the city... I''m about ten gold short right now... hehe" Kor''Ak nodded along, if he was lying, he''d just take everything the man owned at sword-point. The adventurer was no bandit or robber, but a man should pay what he owes. "And what about the seventy-five you were offering if we run into trouble?" "I...I.. I was going to sell my belongings to make sure I could pay, I most certainly indeed was gonna" Another heavy sign from Kor''Ak, thus man was going to be saying goodbye to even the clothes on his back in a few days if he didn''t have a small fortunes worth of rare coins or some shit. "Let''s get moving Mr Sescenti. We''ll follow you to the wagon." The walk to the edge of Veera was a dull one, their employer ranting about how he was an amazing wizard and needed to get to Teneir soon because he had been comissioned by a nobleman to help them design and test anti-magic intrustion and detection systems. The wizard repeatedly referred to himself as a ''white-hat magician'' and continued to droll on and on about a bunch of technical, magical crap that Kor''Ak didn''t care for. His manner of speaking was annoying enough without having to guess the meanings behind his jargon. Steal seemed particularly interested in Kelvin, albeit, only because the spurs on his boots looked rather shiny. The wagon was just outside Veera''s walls, in the outer-town, where the stone walls stopped and the buildings were protected only by a hastily-constructed wooden palisade. After a brief exchange of papers and words with a man standing besides the wagon, a pair of horses were brought forwards and connected up to the wagon. Kelvin smiled, giggled and spoke "You guys hop on in the wagon and I''ll sit up front, I will. Kor''Ak nodded, parting the tarp at the back of the wagon to look inside, it would appear that Kelvin''s belongings had already been thrown in, with a number of black-leatered cases and bags tossed to one side, with a large trunk, that looked like it was made of metal resting ontop of all these bags. The adventuer sighed, letting the tarp drape back and rest whilst he led Steal around the side, climbing ontop of the front of the carriage, taking the reins whilst Kelvin was still talking to the horsehandler. He''d made sure to lift Steal up first, who now sat besides him on the left edge of the bench. The goblin yawned wide, a glint of teeth and green skin showing before he rested his massive head on Kor''Ak''s lap. He smiled, the little creature had been on his feet most of the day, perhaps he deserved a rest. Kelvin turned to look at the two "I said you could get in the ba-" "We''ll take the reigns during the night, and rest in the day. It''s safer that way, if we travel with just enough time for the horses to rest, we should be able to make our way to Teneir in just over a week." "A-ah... okay, I think that sounds fine, I certainly do." The young wizard clambered up into the back of the wagon and called out "Alrighty gentlemen! We ride! Mush!" Kor''Ak cracked the reigns lightly, and the horses began to trot forwards, pulling the wagon along down the well-maintained cobble roads, the icy wind still nipping at his skin. The leftmost horse let out a long, wheezing stream of rancid air from it''s ass. This wasn''t going to be a good day. Authors Note 02- Its A Map I mean, in all fairness, this whole thing is pretty self-explanatory and I''m pretty much only writing this right now because RRL has a 500 character requirement for chapter posts. Though, there''s no reason to not take advantage of this whole thing to detail the locations a little, but only a little, no spoilers.
Djaal - A land that most attribute with endless sands and barbarism, the empire of Djaal is a land that has went through many hardships since it''s founding, it''s people along with it. Djaal is actually one of the most diverse and cultural places in all of Kyros, second only to it''s much larger and prosperous neighbour, Bruma. The people of Djaal rely on The Blue Mother, a giant river that cut''s a path through the center of Djaalic territory, with around 95% of it''s population living around it''s banks. Isala - A once powerful and beloved nation, Isala is now nothing but sand. An old ally of Bruma, the country segregated itself from the rest of the world a few months into the Djaal-Bruma wars, another year after, with the war still raging, the entire population was gone, once green fields and sprawling tropics became nothing but ash and sand over a night.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Bruma - More atypical of a real-world european kingdom, the kingdom of Bruma is a vast one, and is a home to many peoples from all races and walks of life; though their used to be a dozen different kingdoms and countries in this region of Kyros, Bruma managed to ''unite'' all of them, only occasionally at sword-point. That''s it for now, I''m curious about what you guys think about it all so far, revealing the stories of some of the other locations might spoil a little too much "> Chapter 31 - A Long Road To Teneir It had been almost nine hours of riding now, the horses were tired, though they''d gotten a few short breaks, the walk had been a long one, and there progress was only hampered by the ever-wavering light of the wagon''s lantern. The goblin had long fell asleep ontop of him, and hadn''t woken once in the past hours. It was still somewhat dark, but the warrior knew the sun would soon begin to rise. More importantly however, he knew that his eyes would soon shut. For rather clear reasons, he could hardly wake up the goblin and tell him to keep the horses on the road, so he instead lifted the creature''s head from his lap, pulling the horses to a slow stop. He carried the goblin in his arms as he made his way towards the back of the wagon; the drape parted as Kor''Ak pushed it aside, first putting the greenskinned little monster down onto the wooden boards that made up the wagon''s floor, before pressing on into the wagon. Laying spread out in a star-formation on the floor was the ''well-dressed'' wizard, who was rudely awoken when a steel-covered boot gently kicked into his side. Well, the first kick didn''t wake him, around the third strike, when Kor''Ak had become worried he might injure his employer, the comical mage sprang up onto his feet, his top-hat striking one of the willow-wood beams above him and falling off his still-moving head. Kor''Ak quickly began to realise why the wizard wore such a hat in the first place.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Amongst all the messy blonde hair at the side of his head, a shining, bald line seemed to cut itself through his hair in the shape of an X. A scar, some of the scarred skin was covered by strings of thick yellow hair, but it''s shape could be seen clearly. It wasn''t a wound that Kor''Ak had ever seen before, it wasn''t a burn, the tissue was far too smooth; nor was it from a deep cut, the tissue wasn''t raised in comparison to the rest of the skin, and seemed to say on the same height, but it was merely a bit paler than Kelvin''s already waifish appearance. The adventurer stayed silent as Kevlin bent down to retrieve his hat. Scars often meant wounds that were more than just physical, and with the baggage he himself carried, he thought it best to leave the matter be. That being said, it was the wizard''s turn to keep watch and keep them on the road. "Mr Sescenti, give the horses ahalf-hours rest and feed them,then get us moving, the sun will rise soon; be sure to wake us if there''s trouble." The wizard nodded, still rubbing sleep from his eyes as he started on his way to the front of the wagon. Though his voice was noticeably different in his more exhausted state; clearly a little deeper, and not over-flowing with pep and positivity. "Y-yeah, alright, yeah, I''ll be right on it" It would seem even his odd manner of speaking was gone. If Kor''Ak hadn''t felt his eyes already shutting to a close, he would''ve spent some time to think on the ever-odd wizard''s change in manners and actions, but, as he lay on the wooden floor besides Steal, head rested on Kelvin''s endless luggage, it didn''t see, to matter all that much. After all, he''d... had a... long... night... The exhausted adventurer''s eyes finally snapped shut. Kor''Ak wasn''t expecting to wake up to the feeling of cold steel pressing against his throat however. Chapter 32 - Crime Does Pay... Wait... "Oh for fu-" a fist cracked into Kor''Ak''s jaw as his eyes darted open, teeth cutting into his tongue as blood began to fill his mouth. It was hard to tell what was going on, his vision was blurry and his mind felt slow, he pulled his neck away from the blade that was pressed to his throat, and another meaty strike cracked against the side of his head. He was forced to the ground, deft hands and strong arms quickly pulling his arms behind him as he felt a rope tighten and fasten them together. A thin blade slipped past Kor''Ak''s steel collar and pressed gently against the nape of his neck, urging him to go forwards. He complied, slowly bringing himself to his feet and stumbling out of the wagon, unable to keep himself well balanced or to even get himself up onto his feet properly without his hands. The first thing he saw was Steal, dangling upside down and screeching up a storm, his tiny leg clutched in a brutish looking man''s hand; his hood had been pulled away, and it was clear as day to anyone that could see that the wiry little creature was a goblin. Which otherwise would have been cause for alarm for their employer, if the wizard didn''t currently have his hands bound behind his back and a knife to his neck just like Kor''Ak. The wizard must have been caught by surprise before he could cast a spell, otherwise Kor''Ak was astonished that he hadn''t been awoken by the crackling of lightning or roar of an inferno. The idiot wizard probably wasn''t looking out properly, and with his hands bound, there was no way he could cast most offensive spells that could get the party out of this situation. In other words, they were fucked. This thought was only consolidated when his brain finally registered the sixteen men stood around them; the largest of them stood taller than Kor''Ak at about eight-foot. The thick scales that covered his skin did not shine or glisten, no, they were a dull grey, like stone. Massive muscles rippled beneath his scales, a body far more developed than Kor''Ak''s. His head elongated into something similar to a short, scaly snout. The creature didn''t wield a weapon, but instead, thick, sturdy claws sprang from his thick fingertips. Slitted, yellow eyes looking down on his captives. He was a Drauga. He was a Dragonman. Kor''Ak quietly concluded that they were, in fact, super-fucked. All of them, including the Drauga wore a variety of mismatched armour, ranging from common clothes to old, battered helmets and chestplaces. Some clutched tightly to spears, others awkwardly gripped shields, brandishing axes, sickles and hammers at them in a pitiable attempt at intimidation. A few of them had swords, though even those looked well-worn and ill-maintained. Two of those few currently had those very same blades pressed into Kor''Ak and Kelvin''s backs.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! They looked like peasants, farmers and craftsmen. Men not cut out for the whole ''banditing'' business. The majority of these bandits likely wouldn''t cause any real trouble for even Steal, less adept than even novice adventurers. It was the Drauga that was the real issue. The last time he''d saw one of those Dragonmen in action, he''d saw them headbutt a man to death. Admittedly, being bound was also a humungous problem. One of the less-armoured men made his way past Kor''Ak, after a few seconds, he could hear the sound of cloth drapes parting and then the noise of hasty rummaging, bags being tossed out from the wagon and hitting the stone road. A loud clatter as the metal box bounced off the stone and hit the ground hard, Kelvin glanced over at the box, his face drained to a porcelain white, and his eyes wide with concern, or possibly, probably terror from their current situation. The young wizard voice seemingly couldn''t help himself. "N-n-no! be careful with that, it''s valuable!" Kor''Ak glared at the young man, they were going to take everything anyways, probably even their lives, so why even waste the time singling out an item, at the very least, he could have let them think it was worthless, damaging whatevers inside would decrease it''s value; he could atleast spite these bandits profiteering from the afterlife. The Drauga took a step forward and called out, a voice that seemed to constantly be snarling with every syllable. "Bring it here!" the snarl was directed to the robber that was currently pilfering Kelvin''s wagon, as the boy picked up the case and started shambling towards the Drauga, the giant of a man looked to Kor''Ak and Kelvin "If it''s valuable enough, we might let you live. After taking everything of value of course. You can keep your underwear and enough food to make it back to Veera, I''m an honourable man after all." Kor''Ak roared back "Go fuck yourself" The boy let the metal case down by the Drauga''s feet, but he merely pushed it behind him with his scaly, clawed feet. "Ah, a brave one? Djaalic man, like I said, I am a man of honor. I am Groka, proud Drauga, I will let you challenge me, if you win, you and the other''s can leave." The Drauga snout curled into a smug grin "When you lose, I will execute you, this weedy blonde man, and your annoying goblin pet." It should be noted, that this entire time, Steal had been constantly screaming, attempting to bite and lunge at the rather large man that was holding him at arm''s length by the ankle. Kor''Ak grinned back at the Dragonman "Cut me free, and I''ll beat you to a pulp you scaly fucker" The Drauga, Groka nodded, Kor''Ak felt a blade saw through rope, the gentle vibrations as the rope was cut travelled up his arms until he finally felt his hands come free. The bandit behind him backed off a few feet, and a dozen men formed a circle around the Drauga and Kor''Ak, weapons brandished to create a makeshift barrier, forcing the two combatants into an arena no wider than twenty feet, it was possible that either of the fighters could try and break out from the arena, but they''d probably be wounded, and if Kor''Ak ran, both Kelvin and Steal would be promptly killed. Speaking of which, Kelvin had been brought to the floor, head poking out from beneath one of the bandit''s legs, forced to watch the fight with a blade still held to his throat. Steal was treated rather insultingly, two of the robbers had managed to hook his clothing onto a spear, and held him aloft, overlooking the duel about seven feet in the air, still squirming and howling. Groka took a step forward, the Dragonman''s scaly fist sprang forward, Kor''Ak brough his arms up to guard against the blow. That was when the Djaal felt every bone in his forearm shatter simultaneously. Chapter 33 - D&D: Djaals & Drauga Pain shot through his left arm as he felt the limb go limp and lifeless, his hand spasmed for a few moments as he winced in pain. Those few seconds were enough time for Groka to step in closer, jerking his knee upwards into Kor''Ak''s chest. He felt his armour bend under the force of his strikes. This beast wasn''t a man, any of his strikes could leave Kor''Ak dead in a single, clean blow. The Djaal coughed, another splatter of blood erupting from his lips, Kor''Ak backed away, his back pressed against the shield of one of Groka''s bandits. The robber weakly shoved Kor''Ak back towards the Drauga, it was a pathetic push, but enough to send the blood-vomiting Kor''Ak hurtling at the Dragonman. A grey fist sprang forward again, Kor''Ak''s body went low, he tumbled across the stone, but under the punch. Scrambling to his feet, he managed to secure himself a bit of distance from the scaly murder machine. Enough time to trigger every passive skill and martial art he could manage. Iron Will could keep his HP up, and his Adrenaline Boost gave him about fifteen seconds until he emptied his entire MP pool. Fifteen seconds to shrug off his wounds and fight through the pain without feeling it, fifteen seconds of enhanced physical abilties. With hope, it would be enough. He lost most of his hope when Kor''Ak threw his first punch, a straight shot aimed at the Drauga''s chest. This was when Kor''Ak felt every bone in his right-hand break, Adrenaline Boost could keep him going through the pain, but it was hardly going to mend his shattered skeleton. His strike was met with a headbutt, Groka''s muscled hands gripped around Kor''Ak''s wrist. They tightened. Something snapped. The Djaal''s strength gave way as Groka''s battering ram like skull smashed into his jaw, sending Kor''Ak clattering to the stone again. The Dragonman grinned wide as Kor''Ak''s vision blurred and spinned, the Drauga turned to his audience, arms raised. He was met with applause, laughter and cheers. "KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" The Drauga chuckled. "Luke, your sword and shield, pass it to me" A young boy pushed slightly past the others, an old-looking shield and slightly rusted blade was handed over to the Dragonman as the boy scurried away. Groka chuckled to himself again "Perhaps we make this fight a little more fair?" he turned to Kor''Ak as even more applause rose around him, the sword and shield left his hands, leisurely tossed to the beaten and broken warrior. The metal bounced against the stone, and Kor''Ak scrambled to grab the equipment. The Dragonman was kind enough to give Kor''Ak the three seconds it took for him to slide his arm into the shields straps and grip the blade in his left hand. There wasn''t a chance in hell he could grip the hilt with his dominant hand, with most of it''s bones being shattered, and instead opted to fight in a way he wasn''t used to.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The blade was old, and felt unusually unwieldly and heavy in a hand that he''d rarely held a sword in, whilst the shield was small, an embossed steel round shield, probably looted; the thing looks like it was once someone''s prized possession. It was a shame it didn''t protect them from these guys. Groka''s nostrils flared, charging towards Kor''Ak again, this time, the Djaal did not charge back, for a split second, he turned off Adrenaline Boost, instead activating Bulwark and Unbreakable Guard. The shield on his arm hummed, and he felt his body become heavier, sturdier and solid. The stony fist crashed against Kor''Ak''s shield, a brilliant blue light burst forth at the point of impact and the Drauga recoiled, batting his hands wildly. Blinded. This was his chance, Kor''Ak tightened his grip on the sword in his hand, and he brought it down towards Groka''s shoulder in a wild, desperate slash. The blade bounced off of his grey shoulder, like it had bounced off of the stone road. A flailing fist caught Kor''Ak in the stomach, the Dragonman''s hand opened as he made contact, his claws caught on Kor''Ak''s breastplate, with a little resistance, the Djaal was tossed a few feet to one side, taken off his feet. He raised his shield to protect his face as Groka leaped forward, a fist that could be more accurately described as a sledgehammer struck the shield, he felt the steel bend, groaning against the stress, Kor''Ak could hold out. Another furious blow, he felt his arms weaken as vibrations shook him to the bone. Another. Maybe he couldn''t. The rim of his shield was smacked against Kor''Ak''s skull. Vision blurred, narrowed, and darkened. His heart kept on beating in desperation, and another fountain of blood was vomited from his mouth. Too weak to resist, the blade was taken from his hand, his mana was empty, his body flooded with pain as his bones screamed and his heart beat violently in protest, trying to keep him conscious, trying to stave off death. "You fought well Djaal. But no mere man can defeat Drauga!" Another barrage of cheers and applause as the bandits watched on. Kor''Ak was lifted by the throat, gargantuan hands easily seizing him and lifting him upwards and off his feet. He was tossed backwards, by the time his vision and senses returned to him, a blade was pressed against his throat, Groka was still circling around him, arms raised to be greeted by applause. "I am a man of my word, for your failure, you shall all die." Kor''Ak tried to retort, but his mouth quickly trickled more blood from it, his jaw felt numb and weak, his tongue with it. "Wait!" It wasn''t Kor''Ak that spoke, but Kelvin, still pressed to the floor. "B-b-before you kill me... Please... Let me see it one last time, the thing in the box, the valuable thing... P-p-please... It... It was my mother''s..." Groka laughed "Yes, Yes! What sort of honourable man would I be if I did not grant someone their dying wish!" The Drauga laughed, picking up the box and sitting on the other end of the circle the bandits formed. Kor''Ak had been dragged over besides Kelvin, and put in the same position, chin pressed against the ground. Groka turned the case so that when it opened, Kelvin could look easily at it''s contents. The Dragonman was about fifteen feet from them, a victorious grin still plastered on his scaly face. He unfasted the iron latches on the case, and opened the container wide. Kelvin chuckled. The sound of metal scraping against metal, a spark shining beneath the shadow of the case''s lid as it swung open. Click The air rippled for the briefest of moments, Groka''s face contorted into a frown as the very air around him became a scorching inferno. Then his face was gone. His scales were hidden under roaring flames and black smoke as a shockwave shook the ground. Chapter 34 - I Cast Fireball! The charred corpse of the Drauga was tossed into the sky, along with three of his companions. A grey-scaled rocket went a dozen feet in the air, black trails following him up, and then plummeting downwards. Kelvin and Kor''Ak managed to bear the shockwave, with their bodies pressed against the ground, they weren''t thrown back, and Kor''Ak''s heavy armour kept him weighed down the floor even more; Steal however, was not so lucky, his little green body was lifted off of the spear and sent flying a few feet backwards. A number of the bandits that remained, including the ones with blades to the party''s throats were blown away with him, four managed to brace themselves and keep their footing. It took all of five seconds for the robbers to realise what was going on, and it took another two for them to react. However, it took Kor''Ak all of three seconds to scramble onto his feet, ears ringing, vision still dizzy; the bandit''s hadn''t managed to tie him up again, but his arms hung almost uselessly at his sides anyways. "Spatial Swap!" The roar left Kelvin''s mouth the second his bomb went off. When Kor''AK turned to look at his employer, he saw one of the bandits, an axe still in hand, though with his hand bound together by rope, it wouldn''t do much. The blonde wizard was blown backwards, having swapped with one of the bandits affected by the blast; his body went limp as he hit the dirt off one side of the road, four bandits lay on the ground beside him, though one''s skull was seeping blood, head cracked awakwardly against the trunk of a tree. Steal was a hell of a lot luckier than that bandit, the leaves of a roadside tree rustled as he was catapulted into them, snapping branches as he went, deafened by the hail of stone that hit the ground after the Dragonman''s fall, all that was left of the metal box was a few shards of shrapnel, nestled nicely in a three-foot wide crater in the road. A bandit had managed to keep his footing and charged at Kor''Ak, his spear stabbed at Kor''Ak. but the warrior, even in his condition managed to batter the spear away with his battered and crushed gauntlet. A weighty kick to the stomach got the robber away from him, knocked on his ass by Kor''Ak''s kick. He felt an axe batter into his side from behind, steel bent, but kept him safe; he could feel the world going dark, struggling to keep his footing steady, he couldn''t keep fighting like thi-. "Turn Back The Clock!" The wizard was up, left-palm extended towards Kor''Ak as his free arm dove into a pocket on his waistcoat. The Djaal could feel bones knit together. Well, actually, he was lucky he couldn''t feel it; his body was drowned in surreal numbness, like anesthesia pouring through his veins. His blood felt icy, but he could feel it, something similar to Adrenaline Boost, which he didn''t have enough mana for.
Buff Bestowed: Turn Back The Clock Status Effect Applied: -25% Max HP (23H 59M 59S) All Status Conditions, Damage, Illnesses and Injuries within the last 20 seconds have been removed. All HP damage suffered in the last 20 seconds has been removed.
The warrior felt a little dizzy, his eyes still drowsy, but he flexed his hand, no pain, just an odd, sort of fuzzy numbness. Kor''Ak wield on his previous assailant, fist crashing against the man''s nose, the strike was met by a howl of pain and a fountain of blood, Kor''Ak struck the man again, this time gripping his wrist and twisting it roughly until the bandit''s grip on his weapon loosened; another heavy fist crunched into the man''s chest as Kor''Ak catched the falling axe, promptly lodging it''s head in the wounded robber''s skull. "Mr Gale, Catch!" The warrior wheeled around to see Kelvin throwing a shield like a discus towards him, it would seem he''d just finished executing the three bandits sprawled across the roadside, his once ''stylish'' black waistcoat now painted a somewhat less-fashonable scarlet.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The warrior took hold of the shield before wheeling back on the dead bandit, roughly yanking the axe back out of his skull, it''s bladed edge was smeared both with sticky lifeblood, and a pinkish mush. Nine down. Seven Left. C''mon man, you''ve got this. four of the bandits looked at the bloody carnage that lay around them, their brothers in crime and arms lay dead, dispatched with concerning ease, the sound of boots hitting stone met Kor''Ak''s ears as they turned heel and sprinted off into the woods, one crying, another screaming in fear, whilst the last two merely muttered to themselves. Well, three left then. Kor''Ak watched one of the remaining bandits run towards another for protection, the man he was running to swung an empty hand a few inches away from his more fearful compatriots next. The bandit collapsed to the ground, gargling on crimson ichor as a sticky red river poured from his throat. The image wavered, first, a dagger appeared in the bandit''s hand where nothing had previously been, his shaved head grew out into thick blonde hair, a top-hat slowly materialising atop it; a dirty tunic shimmered in the air, morphing into a bloodied red waistcoat, filth-covered brown pants became sequined, shiny and black. Two? The final bandit still standing, with the other bound on the ground, still struggling, looked between Kor''Ak and Kelvin. "M-m-monsters!" like the others before him, he turned and ran. Sadly interrupted when a thin blade flew in a neat arc from Kelvin''s outstretched hand, lodging itself rather neatly between the fleeing man''s spine. The wizard began stepping towards the man, who''d toppled to the cobblestones, trying to pull the dagger out of his spine as he clambered desperately to his feet. "I wouldn''t pull it out if I were you, it''s probably all that''s keeping you together now" a dark chuckle erupted from the once jovial and bright wizard; his thin, delicate fingers locked themselves around the bandit''s throat. "Besides, who are you to call us the monsters? Are we the one''s that attacked you? captured you, tried to rob you and made an unfair bet so we could take your lives?" "A-a-a" The man''s head made a sickening crunch as it was mercilessly dashed against the cobbles, over and over again. Apparently satisfied of his work when the bandit''s body went limp and lifeless, Kelvin turned on Kor''Ak "So.... where''s the witch?" "The witch?" The sound of something fragile and frail smashing, like glass rang through the surrounding area, punctuated by a gurgling "Gra O'' Ga Gi Grakata" A voice that echoed and vibrated like a metal sheet being beaten with a hammer burst into being the very moment the sound of something-glassy hitting stone stopped, it was a distinctly female voice, though each syllable rolled and slurred as it pronounced it''s words. "Slothful Miasma!" A purple fog rolled over the ground, tiny, grasping, gaseous hands grabbed at Kor''Ak, trying to snake up to his mouth, the same went for Kelvin, though he was a little later on covering his mouth and holding his breath, the blonde was already coughing and spluttering, he keeled over in pain, face nearly dipping down into the fog as more hands splashed against his skin, misty tendrils slithering into his nostrils. The wizard fell below the fog. Something cracked against Kor''Ak''s stomach, as he buckled over and gasped for air, he saw a tiny, green creature within the mist, wearing some kind of respiratory headgear. A goblin, though not like Steal. It''s skin had a paler hue, postules of pus sprouted on it''s skin and odd growths of cartilage erupted at random from it''s flesh. Purple tendrils pushed their way into Kor''Ak''s lungs, he felt his vision fade, his lungs, full of this magical smog felt empty. He coughed and gasped, it only made it worse. The Djaal''s hands clenched to fists as he tried to raise himself above the miasma. His arm''s faltered, and he collapsed to the stone again. "Fu..." Kor''Ak''s mind finally rested, his eyes with it.
Steal finally managed to untangle himself from a branch, his cloth robe tearing and dropping him onto one of the thicker branches of the tree. He watched on a purple fog seeped into the earth. a dozen, pale green creatures just like him grabbed at the clothes of his unconscious companionsm, as well as the still-living, bound bandit, dragging them off into the woods. Steal watched intently, fingers slipping to the dagger at his side. He had to save the dark one, it was the one that gave him many shiny things, many stabby things, and many delicious things... It was an odd occurence, for a goblin to feel something such as gratitude, even odder for a creature with such a greedy and selfish nature to feel indebted. Nevertheless, Steal silently worked his way down the tree trunk, clawed fingers giving him grip. One of the gross, diseased looking goblins howled to the rest of it''s kin in it''s goblinoid tongue, finally, something Steal could understand. "Poxmother shall want them, yes she will, we take them back for caring mother, yes, yes we do" Chapter 35 - Mission Implausible The goblin followed carefully after his blighted brethren, watching on as they dragged the humans on and on through the woods, occasionally, a piece of armour would snag on a root or rock, or perhaps a lock of blonde hair would get tangled over a stone, or in a particularly low, barbed plant. Naturally, their great goblin intellect gave the filthy goblins (which Steal quietly decided to call The Wretched) a wonderful solution to freeing their prey from getting snagged. They merely pulled and pulled until something came free, if they cared about the chunk of blonde hair they tore from Kelvin''s scalp in a bloodied clump whilst utilising their amazing method, they certainly didn''t show it. Steal would have lost them long ago, their pale, green skin and naked bodies seemed to blend in with the undergrowth, though the trail of blood left behind by Kor''Ak''s bloodied armor and Kelvin''s crimson-stained scalp on the forest floor made certain that whenever he lost sight of the the Wretched, he could soon find his way back. Steal looked over their camouflaged, nude bodies, then looked back at himself. Sure, his skin was a little darker, but his cloth and gauntlet stuck out from the foliage far too much, he snapped the leather straps of his bracer off with his teeth, then dropped his clothes, deciding to only keep the dagger strapped to his side. His hard soles pressed into the dirt as he bent low, the Wretched seemed to chatter amongst themselves on a number of things, often speaking of their poxmother and how their humans would make her happy. They''d often stumble on the ground and pop one of their puss-filled postules; they were rather clumsy, and didn''t seem to care about being sneaky in the slightest, nor did they seem wary of anyone following them. Lucky for Steal. As Steal followed along after the Wretched, he felt something in his mind, it wasn''t visible, but he could picture it with ease.
Hunter Job LvL 5: 1 Unlock Point is still unspent and pending
Oh... He''d completely forgotten all about that notification in the heat of battle after finishing off that big scary scaly creature that kept spitting fire everywhere. Gently, well, as gently as a goblin could whisper, Steal let "Urak" leave his lips.
Unlock List Unlock Points Available: 1 (Hunter)
Hunter Unlocks Available: 3 Target Locked Deadeye Woodcraft
Target Locked (Skill) Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.A good hunter never let''s his prey leave his sight. Target Locked allows the user to select a target within 200ft, whilst that target is within 500ft of the user, they can see it''s outline, even when behind solid objects and out of direct sight. As this skill is used, it can improve, allowing more targets to be selected with longer distances.
Deadeye (Skill) Often, a hunter has to strike their prey down quickly, even when out of their chosen ranged weapons effective range. Increases effective ranged weapon range by 350% on the next ranged attack. Crit bonus 500% on next ranged attack. Damage 200% on next ranged attack
Woodcraft (Trait) A good hunter can live off the land, stalking their prey and surviving in the wilds indefinitely. Grants the Trapping, Herbalism, Tracking skills. Trapping, Herbalism and Tracking have 150% XP gain.
With Steal trying to stalk along and keep track of the Wretched, he knew what would help him in the short-term, with long-term benefits being something that the goblin didn''t consider, or ever think would matter.
New Skill Gained: Target Locked
His eyes narrowed as he focused on Kor''Ak. Target Locked A thin, white outline covered Kor''Ak''s body, fitting neatly between the grooves in his armour and contours of his face. It would seem that the Wretched couldn''t see it, as they didn''t react to one of their captives being smothered in white. Steal crept after them, as they rounded an excessively thick tree he saw his newly acquired skill in action, as Kor''Ak''s body passed behind the tree, his thin, white outline could be seen clearly though the wood by Steal. The skill already seemed certainly useful, though admittedly not as impactful as the spells that had been thrown at him in his early hours, or th sentient battering ram that Kor''Ak had became whilst fighting the fire-spitting scaly thing from earlier. Still, useful nonetheless. Nearly half an hour of constant tracking and stalking passed as the goblin creeped along through the woods after his bumbling brothers. He''d pondered the idea of attacking them, but Steal wasn''t a good fighter, and he was far too outnumbered, besides, each of them carried masks that hid the majority of their faces, he didn''t know if that served as some sort of armor to protect their heads either, and the shit-painted knives and spears they carried looked brutal and deadly. The only thing he had over them was his swift movements, slightly smaller build, and, possibly, his intelligence. They finally came to a slow at the mouth of a cave, hidden by long lengths of moss and creeping vines. For the briefest of moments, Steal though he saw a blood-shot eye form within the vines, and then meld away. A trick of the slowly diminishing light perhaps, a goblin like Steal could see well in the dark, though there was certainly a notable difference as the leafy canopy thickened the deeper they had pressed into the woods. The Wretched split slightly. a few moved forwards and pulled the vines apart, whilst the rest began to drag their captives down into the shadowy cave entrance, he watched on as their bodies vanished into the darkness and rounded a corner in the cave. In that darkness, even Steal couldn''t see well, barely able to make out the filthy warts and sacks of pus that decorated the Wretched. He honestly couldn''t tell the difference between them and a regular goblin when they were shrouded in the darkness. Steal paused. He had an idea. Though it was almost certainly going to end in red tears. Chapter 36 - Mission Inconceivable Steal made his way forwards, soft grass giving way to coarse dirt, then solid, cold stone as he pressed onwards. It was an odd feeling as he pushed on into the dark cave, the feeling was oddly familiar, homely in fact. But still alien, the creature had spent very little of it''s excessively active life within tunnels, caves and caverns, but it was still the place it was born. Cave goblins were always at home beneath the ground, in the dark, beneath a ceiling of stone and stalactites. The entrance was empty, save for a streak of blood across the rough ground; it would''ve been silent to, besides the gentle whistling of the wind if he couldn''t have heard cackles and jests echoiing through the tunnels. It would seem the wretched were laughing amongst themselves, the sound of sloshing liquid splashing to the stone bounced along the cave walls, hitting the goblin''s ears. It sounded thick, heavy. Another step on the stone, not Steal''s, something elses. Another, the sound quickened, the sound of stepping overlapped, not just ''something'' but mutiple ''somethings'' approaching. A voice like metal grating against stone "Brother Rai, Mother will soon be happy, she will?" "Yes, Brother, happy I am though, we have many drink, a good night for all of our Brothers." He saw their bodies round a turn in the stone cave, short blades dangling loosely and lazily at their size, rather than slink away, Steal marched on forwards, though his hand lowered slightly, hovering above the dagger around his waist. The goblin gave a leisurely wave to the wretched. "Hello my brothers, we got some humans, where are they?" The leftmost one, the one that had a spattering of pus-filled sacs rather than a right cheek gargled out at him "You speak strange Brother, I know not you Brother, what your name be?" Steal frowned a little, he''d already ran out of ideas for improvisation, and had spent the past minute thinking up just how to introduce himself. "Ah... I be Brother Ste-... Brother Steenk" "Brother Steenk? Yes, hello Brother Steenk!" Poxey, the left-most wretched replied, practically gargling as one of the pus sacs that lined his inner mouth was popped by one of his more jagged teeth, a glob of green, creamy filth spat from his lips onto the stone floor as he kept speaking "humans are down and down, far far, given to mother, they will be." A slight giggle from the wretched on the right, his face seemed unmarked, though his naked body was spattered and marred with blisters, his hands painted a slight-red with blood, the space beneath his claws was noticeably filthy, dark brown spatterings stained themselves beneath sharpened, yellowed nails. "Yes, yes they are Brother, not fun, the humans aren''t." The right wretched flashed the back of his most-bloodied hand to Steal, flesh was ripped from the back of his hand in a long gouge.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Steal nodded along, slowly trying to make his way past the Wretched. "Still, it will be fun if it makes Mother happy, she makes it all good, happy, yes yes yes." Poxey chortled to himself as they split up, backs scraping against the stone walls with a dozen sickening pops to let Steal pass between them. The goblin passed by them, pitch-black eyes glancing at the green pus that painted the jagged walls. He dared a glance behind him to see the wretched making their way to the mouth of their cave, blood from their scraped backs mixing with green and yellow discharge. Shrugging off the disgusting sight, Steal made his way further down, most of the cave was on a slight decline, nothing too steep, and the rock wasn''t particularly slippery, nor was it jagged enough to cut through the thick soles of his feet. Occasionally, there were small offshoots, or dugouts in the walls, often full of sleeping wretched, though one particularly large dugout, about twelve-feet across and seven feet high was occupied by the noise he had heard earlier, seventeen of the wretched were playing amongst one another, popping postules and wrestling, some stood to one side, drinking a thick, black substance from carved out skulls, or cracked wooden bowls; occasionally, the wrestling wretched would crash into the drinkers, often causing them to drop the gooey liquid to the floor, or atleast lose some of it as it splashed outof the bowl in great clumps. The clump wriggled a little, and began worming it''s way towards the door, sadly, it''s escape was halted as a wretched stooped down and slurped it up off of the cave floor. Steal ignored them, sneaking his way past, but making a note of how many of these wretched there were, so far, he''d counted atleast thirty, on an open field, he doubted it would be a problem for the humans and him to kill them all, but in these cramped tunnels, the humans would probably have to be on all fours, or atleast bent low, leaving Steal as the only remotely effective fighter. Sadly, there was no way he could fight his way through all of these... monsters... Wait... Steal paused on his way down, he was the same as them, besides all the horrid growths, he was practically identical. He was a monster, so why did he look at creatures that were basically his own kind with such disdain. He didn''t know, atleast, he couldn''t think of a clear reason. He kept moving down and down, passing by a few more wretched, they didn''t really pay him much attention, instead just shifting out of his way or greeting him as a ''brother''. He would have admittedly lost his way through these tunnels long ago, if he didn''t have his lock-on skill, the trail of blood he''d previously been using to follow the captives was now little more than a few small smecks and dry smears. It was still a hell of a lot of blood, and he was astonished whoever had bled this much wasn''t dead. "Ah Brother, you came to meet Mother?" Steal nodded, the wretched that blocked his path in the narrow tunnel let him pass, entering a relatively large cavern, the cave opened up into an unnatural dome shape, twenty feet across, and fifteen feet tall at it''s center. It wasn''t Kor''Ak of Kelvin that Steal saw first. No. It was the most vile thing the creature had ever experienced, he could only hope that anything worse than this abomination simply was forbidden from existing. Chapter 37 - A Mothers Gift Folds of mottled green skin, grotequesly decorated and painted with bleeding, pimples and dangling sacks of puss; red and yellow waterfalls and rivers carved there path between folds of pallored skin, pooling onto the ground beside this abominable creature. The stack of green flesh rose upwards to nearly eight-feet high, but was considerably wider than that, taking up close to a third of the great stone chamber. Clean-picked bones lay in a pile beside the monster, rising to almost half the grotesque beast''s height, smeared with the same blood and gross filth that poured from the monsters body. A gurgling erupted from the creature, words billowing and belching from a mouth Steal couldn''t see. "Child, you are without my gifts... come to this beautiful body of mine, and I shall bestow upon you my wonderful gifts" It was odd, the creature that referred to him as ''child'' spoke the same tongue as Steal, it was goblinoid, but structured differently, it gave a different air than every conversation he''d had with his own kind, it was more formal... Almost regal, though the goblin had little understanding of concepts such as social hierarchies or nobility. Steal took a step forwards, the voice was uncomfortably alluring, though it belched and gurgled with each syllable, he felt himself attracted to it, he must go to Mother... A voice crashed against his ears "Little green one, mind helping out?" It was familiar, that of the dark one, the human. His head turned, feet staying firm on the stone, no longer moving forwards. The two humans were hanging upside down, their weapons and gear splayed out on the ground, hands bound to stop any of them from casting spells or making use of any tricks at their disposal. Kor''Ak''s mouth was pouring blood, he gave a small smirk to the goblin, showing off his red-stained teeth, a few were chipped slightly, small cracks and imperfections along once white and (almost) straight teeth. The blood wasn''t Kor''Ak''s though,the small spatters of yellow and green goo mixed in with the crimson meant even though some of it might be the human''s, a fair portion of the lifeblood pouring from his mouth was that of a Wretched. Steal smirked, he stepped backwards, eyes locked on the amorphous blob of flesh that towered above him, his hand gripped the hilt of his knife; he saw the Wretched guard begin to turn around, to check on the goblin. Perhaps there was usually a certain noise or occurence that happened when a goblin took this grotesque mother''sgifts.Which clearly wasn''t happening at this very moment.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. There was no way he could fight his way out of this cave, too many Wretched for him to deal with. He turned on his heels, feet slapping on the stone as he made his way to the humans, deftly springing over the bloody corpse of the bandit he hadn''t paid any attention to, the body was half-bound, as if he''d died whilst they were still working. Nevermind, that was a life the goblin didn''t care for in the slightest. The dirk cut it''s way through the rope that bound Kor''Ak''s legs. Or maybe it didn''t. "Shit!" The goblin snarled in it''s rugged tongue, footsteps from behind, the sound of slapping flesh and popping blisters. He didn''t have much time. Steal''s blade began to saw through the rope, thick strands splitting from the main, taught rope. More footsteps, a gurgling voice erupted from behind him, he could hear something viscuous slap against the stone with each sordid syllable "You are no child of mineeeee! Children, get the little one!" The voice bounced between the walls, echoing through the entire cave system. It was met by the sound of scrambling, scratching nails and screams that drowned out the booming gargle. He didn''t have much time, the creature''s heart was pounding, he saw Kor''Ak''s eyes widen, something looming behind them. His blade cut it''s path through the last few strands.The rope snapped, the humans legs parted as he clambered up to his feet, footsteps behind him, the Steal watched Kor''Ak''s armored foot lash out the second he could stand, a squeal and scream from behind him, then bones crunched and caved inwards. Kor''Ak was howling now, roaring. Steal darted sideways, dirk cutting and sawing away at the rope that bound Kelvin.
You Have Suffered 36 Damage
The goblin felt a blade pierce his side, a chunk of flesh was torn from his waist by a jagged, feces splattered spearhead. He grit his teeth and kept on sawing as the blade pulled it''s way back through his waist, it was a horrid feeling, jagged metal catching and tearing away strips of muscle and fat with it. Whatever was behind him was quickly battered away by an iron boot. At long last, his thin blade cut it''s way through Kelvin''s rope, as the wizard clattered to the ground, he rounded on Steal, offering up his bound wrists to the creature. Steal nodded, then obliged, these ropes were thinner, but still tough, he could hear the sound of Kor''Ak fighting, slamming his shoulders and lashing out with kicks. Finally, these ropes gave, Kelvin dropped low, grabbing a series of daggers, and a dark ochre orb. Kor''Ak stepped back as Kelvin took his place, daggers whirling as the thin man dashed into combat, Kor''Ak made his way besides Steal, kneeling low and offering the goblin his bound wrists. Like before, Steal obliged, sawing through the thinner ropes. Finally, with his human companions freed, the goblin whirled around again to see what they faced. It looked endless, out of the one entrance, they barreled in single-file, quickly setting up defensively around the bulbous behemoth. A gurgling sound, then a light, it was sickly, green, pulsing from a crystal that formed above the meaty ''mother''s'' mass. Kelvin fell back to Steal, Kor''Ak following him. The wizard howled out as the dim green light burst into an almost blinding brightness. "Arcane Barrier!" Chapter 38 - A Spurned Mother Steal heard the sound of cracking glass as the light erupted around them, the goblin brought up his arm to shield his face from the borderline blinding light, and after a few seconds, when he felt confident enough to see what was going on, he saw a torrent of green mist and gas crashing against the wavering, almost transparent purple bubble that surrounded them. Kelvin''s face was contorted into a pained grimace, growling out through gritted teeth. "That''s what took us out earlier, I can hold this barrier for a few minutes, though after that I''m outta mana, got any ideas?" Kor''Ak looked over the scene, he could barely see their outlines through the gas that coated the stone floor, the vague, wavering silhouttes slowly grew in number as they slowly advanced forwards, a just over a dozen of the wretched goblins now, the slapping of flesh booming through the stone as a much larger figure towered behind them, waddling along with some unknown mechanism. A violent, gross gurgling came from the towering slab of putrid flesh, more thick blobs of pus and vile phlegm erupted from it''s unseen mouth, crashing down into the green haze like miniature meteors, the sound was dulled by the barrier, but they could hear the sound of it slapping against the stone ground in a thick blob, the mist parting around it for a mere second, before swallowing it up in it''s haze again. It wasn''t the globs of vile excretion that were worrying though, they were merely just gross. What was worrying were the tiny silhouettes that crawled forth from the splattered blobs, thirteen of them darted towards Kelvin''s barrier, a dozen spindly legs that ended in spiny feet tapped against the floor, they sprang forwards, showing of their porcerlain white fleshy bodies, they looked similar to spiders, if you swapped it''s body with a rather chubby eel, though rather than a more traditional mouth, it kept a pair of creepy, insectoid mandibles that chittered happily as they pressed forwards, tiny, slimy tails wagging behind them. They pushed ahead of the slowly advancing Wretched, crashing against Kevlin''s barrier as they stabbed at the shield with their spiny legs, mandibles trying to get a grip on the almost glassy magical shield.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Okay, maybe it''ll hold for about a minute" Two dozen Wretched were now within five feet of the party, brandishing daggers, clubs, spears and one of them, for some unknown reason, was waving a miniscule Wretched, who was also holding a filth-crusted knife. With their razored mandibles crashing and clawing against Kelvin''s shield, Steal could only think of one thing as he looked at the angry little abominations. They were sorta cute. Visible cracks formed like spiderwebs along the barrier as Kelvin growled to himself. "Less. Just get a plan, I''m already running out of fuel" The goblin had an idea, but there was no way he could explain it to his humans. If it came to it, he could make his way out, maybe, but it would mean the entire point of him coming down into this horrid den of pus would be null. Kor''Ak grinned to himself, perhaps he had an idea. His hand went to a metal canister at his side, his other reaching into a leather bag, breaking off a chunk of dry ice. It wasn''t much of a plan, but the human knew what he was doing. The Djaal called out to his companions "Hold your breath and drop the barrier!" Kelvin nodded. Steal made a self-satisfied growl, he didn''t really understand what was going on, but as he saw Kor''Ak and Kelvin inhale deeply, he mirrored them. The purple bubble expanded for a brief second, pushing the tiny eel-spiders off of it, before it vanished into a gently dust. The vile miasma poured forwards over them, completely swallowing Steal beneath it, and flowing against the thighs of Kor''Ak and Kelvin. The wretched growled and charged forwards. Kor''Ak''s blade cut through the first to approach them, whilst a crystalline dart erupted from Kelvin''s palm, a jagged crystal sprouted from the neck of the Wretched that Kelvin''s palm pointed vaguely towards. Steal ducked under one of the slimy creatures pounces, mandibles clicking together above his head, he felt sharp legs claw a thin red line in his scalp as the creature soared overhead. Steal darted forwards, he could see the entrance that ascended upwards, they just had to make it their, the Wretched could be dealt with one at a time, the heavy mist couldn''t rise upwards towards them, and if that odd, sapient stack of flesh had a bone structure, it couldn''t follow them through the tunnels. Just a few feet. Just a few seconds of uninterrupted sprinting was all they needed. It was a simple plan, there wasn''t much that could go wrong. It didn''t mean that nothing could go wrong. Chapter 39 - Better Run, Better Run His bare feet slapped on the floor, one hand desperately clutching the bleeding wound at his side, whilst his right gripped tight around his dagger. A Wretched''s wretched blade flashed out towards him as Steal swerved left and ducked low, a sudden breeze of cold air tickled his head as the blade swung too high. Steal''s dagger was the next to spring forth, lodging itself firmly between two of the Wretched''s wribs, iron blade puncturing and parting pallored and thick skin, met with a gentle shik as it grated against bone; the final noise was something similar to a pop, accompanied by a gentle pop as he dragged the blade sideways, cutting a deep gash in a seeping, gross pimple, the yellowing pus mixed with blood as Steal''s blade dragged it''s way out of the Wretched''s body, dagger once more grating against yellowed bone and cutting against putrid flesh. The Wretched collapsed to stone, still gripping it''s ugly blade as it''s body slapped against the ground; Steal pushed past him, allowing himself a quick moment to glance towards his companions, Kor''Ak was bringing his heavy boots down on a weird spider creature, which Steal was somewhat unhappy about, grey armour painted in splatters of green, yellow, red and brown. Kelvin seemed to be getting along just fine as well, Steal managed to track his slender silhoutte through the fog, as a Wretched charged him, the silhouette wavered and split into two; as the Wretched looked between the two, both impaled it through either shoulder, though only one blade pierced flesh, another geyser of crimson blood erupting over the mist and splashing into the stone. More bare feet slapping against the cold floor, as humans and goblin charged together against a common foe, the trio were running along one side of the circular room, with Steal closest to the wall, then Kelvin and finally Kor''Ak, with the most heavily armoured of the group dealing with any attempts at flanking them as they skirted around the rooms edge, making sure to keep there distance from the slowly advancing slab of putrid meat that the Wretched called Mother. Steal shouldn''t have spared the time to look towards his companions though, in the half-second it took for him to focus on what lay ahead, one of the Mother''s slimy abominations sprang of the stone walls above him, the goblin tried to pull himself back from the plumetting creature, yet again, it''s mandibles narrowly minced his scalp, long, spindly legs cut into his cheek, and the creature found gripping again as it rammed it''s needle-like feet into the goblin''s torso, mandibles clicking together manically as if to laugh at it''s victory, Steal''s left hand abandoned the wound at his side, desperately trying to bat away the little, vicious creature.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
You Have Suffered 21 Damage Trait Applied
He was succesful, though a little too late as a pair of jagged mandibles scythed through his stomach, the cut was shallow, but painful nonetheless as it tore apart flesh in a jagged line. The goblin howled in pain, taking in a deep breath as the gross, blood-smeared creature squished against the ground. Though the creature didn''t inhale clean air, instead, his lungs were flooded by the invading green mist, coughing and sputtering as it poured into his mouth, faint whispers reaching him as the fog tickled and rolled inside his body. Then it burnt, his brain flared up in pain and anger, body jerking awkwardly as his throat felt like it had been filled with broiling flame. His sight became fuzzy, breaths became lazy and shallow, every step he took felt slower, weaker. His eyes began to slowly droop shut as he tried desperately to howl and scream through the pain, trying to keep himself awake, instead the goblin merely tired himself further. His last sight was that of a shit-crusted spear driving it''s way through his magical companion''s foot.
When the goblin next opened his eyes, he was outside. A thick green canopy towered above him as he felt his chest throb, bare belly smacking against something hard. Metal, Kor''Ak''s back. He was being carried by the Djaal, who was sprinting as fast as he could manage, barely managing to hurdle himself over a tangled, thick root that came over the foliage like a pipe. Steal glanced around desperately for the other one, Kelvin, and he spotted him. Dragging a little behind ever so slightly, crimson liquid pooling and spilling from the wound in the wizard''s foot. The man followed after in a desperate limp, barely keeping up with Kor''Ak as he stumbled over a tangle of roots that made a rather well-shaped knot in the dirt. The wizard''s fantastic clothes were smeared with both blood and pus, though a thick layer of soot and ash seemed to cling to his face and the wrinkles in his damaged apparel. Upon closer inpection, small, singed holes in the wizard''s sleeves and pants still smoldered, the faintest of embers still glowing in the fabric. Steal glanced forwards again to Kor''Ak, he couldn''t see much of the man, but his eyes were drawn to the Djaal''s hands. They were pale, almost white in fact, the skin was raised and even whiter on his palms, some sort of liquid beneath them. Blisters. Finally, he heard them, over the crunching of twigs and foliage beneath steel boots and the whines of a wounded mage, he heard them. Calling. Howling. Screaming in anger and seething rage. The screaming and roars were interspersed with the occasional gurgle. The angry howls made a rather animalistic, jagged symphony. It was rather wretched. Chapter 40 - Desperation Seven Minutes Earlier
Kor''Ak''s hand clasped the metal capsule in his free hand as a Wretched''s skull crunched and cracked beneath his boot, he was met with a gentle, gross squelch. Another vile creature''s skull was caved in as the Djaal brought the canister down on the sickly goblinoid''s skull, a second smack made the creature fall to the stone, and gave Kor''Ak enough time to drop his chunk of dry ice into the canister, quickly screwing it''s lid shut again. Already the metal cylinder gave off a sharp hiss as the pressure in the container built rapidly. Kor''Ak''s eyes drifted to the tower of horrid flesh that rose above everything else in the cavernous room, it had been worryingly inactive since it spat out those odd, spider-like creatures. The experienced soldier and adventurer knew it must be some form of caster, but it was offering it''s minions essentially no support or assistance. There must be a reason behind that. His eyes darted off again as he heard a pained howl, Kelvin was knelt down, trying to pull a short, twisted spear out of his foot, as the wizard''s right hand sprouted it''s own spear, made of crystalline needles that erupted forth from his palm, piercing through the goblinoid''s belly and lodging it''s gleaming, purple blade into the stomach of one it''s pus-plastered companions. The wizard shot a desperate glance over to Kor''Ak, eyes wild and worried. Kelvin didn''t need to say a word for Kor''Ak to guess at why he was worried, in his pain, he''d went overboard on his attack and blasted through his mana. This point was further made to Kor''Ak when, instead of firing another Arcane Dart at one of the bloated goblins, the wizard instead roared and howled as both of his hands finally found a proper grip on the primitive spear lodged in his foot, the weapon tore itself out with a savageSLICK, the wizard lifted the spear just over his head, quickly levelling the weapon, ready to throw it at another of the charging creatures, two of it''s companions were just behind it, brandishing their brutish tools and knives as they cackled and howled within the toxic fog. The spear flew from the injured wizard''s grip, unfortunately, his arm wavered as he felt himself losing his strength and focus, the pain still wracking his body. Nevertheless, the spear struck it''s target, though rather than piercing it''s hole in the goblin''s chest, it knocked the monster down, striking it''s shoulder and sending it toppling to the ground from the sudden shift in it''s body''s weight. Kor''Ak was quickly made aware that he''d been paying too much attention to his companions when he felt something jagged sink into a gap in his armour, cutting a shallow, but nevertheless painful slice through the flesh at the back of his knee. Something snapped. jagged mandibles cut their way through strings of muscle in his leg and the warrior fell to a knee, crushing something squishy and fleshy between his armored thigh and plated calf.
You Have Suffered 17 Damage Trait Applied
He saw something collapse to the ground out of the corner of his eye, Steal''s body hit the stone floor as the goblin''s body shook and writhed. His gaze snapped back to Kelvin, the two gross goblins that were charging him earlier had closed the distance, the first was reeling back, a thin dagger lodged in it''s palm, but the other had just brought it;s own blade down, sinking deep as it tore it''s way through Kelvin''s ragged clothing, then his flesh. The wizard screamed.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Then everything stopped. No more footsteps, Kelvin''s mouth was parted in a scream, but it wasn''t making any sound, the blood that should have been seeping from the wizard''s wound''s merely stayed still, unmoving. The same went for the attacking goblin''s, frozen in place. The rolls of flesh that made up their ''Mother'' no longer slapped together, and no wretched gurgling erupted from the creature''s unseen maw. Kor''Ak felt himself frozen as well, everything but his head was immovable, he shifted his neck side-to-side, surveying the room, the pain that should be running through his body from his sliced muscles was non-existent, and he could feel his mind focus and sharpen. Perhaps it was merely because there was no other sound besides it, but the sudden sound of bare soles hitting the stone seemed alarmingly loud, echoing and bouncing through the underground chamber. A slender, white-robed figure emerged from behind the immovable tower of green fat and puss. His body was heavily wrapped, not a single speck of skin could be seen beneath his clothes. As the slender figure turned to face Kor''Ak, gently stepping over the frozen body of one of the felled goblin''s, Kor''Ak could see his mask, it would''ve been similar to a human face, if it wasn''t borderline featureless, it was alike to a sheet of gold, with a simple, straight mouth embossed into the metal. It''s was male, but smooth, it continued to slowly approach Kor''Ak as it began to speak. "It''s been a year my dear Kor''Ak, and doesn''t it look like I''ve came at just the right time?" The figure span around three-hundred and sixty degrees, palms outstretched towards the dozens of goblin''s that were stood like statues, all clutching their brutish weapons and each of them showing some degree of malice in the vicious snarls and smiles that plastered their faces. The figure paused, before pointing towards Kor''Ak''s wounded, struggling companions, but didn''t comment on their conditions. Kor''Ak''s response came in the form of an angry snarl, then a roar. "MAAL! How dare you show yourself to m-" Kor''Ak''s vocal chords seemed to snap shut, he couldn''t breathe, his throat felt hot and dry, scorching and tight. "Oh Kor''Ak sweetie, don''t be like that, you knew I was going to return, that was the deal after all" Maal was closer now, likely close enough to hear Kor''Ak''s rasping, failing attempts at breathing, and certainly close enough to see the Djaal''s face begin to dye red, the man would be clutching desperately at his throat if he was capable of moving his arms. The white-robed figure merely stood there, watching Kor''Ak as he struggled for air. A minute had almost passed, with Maal merely watching, observing. Kor''Ak couldn''t carry on, his muscles felt numb and his mind felt number. Maal nodded, then waved his arm idly. The Djaal''s throat loosened and he managed a few ragged, sharp breaths whilst the man carried on with his words. "Well, technically it''s not been a year. It''s been... three-hundred and forty-one days, though I figured I could always do you a little favour and show up a little early, I do owe you one after all." The Djaal merely looked on at Maal in silence. "Y''know, honestly, I think we''re actually even, you''d be dead a long time ago if not for me~" Maal finished his words on a cheerful note, as if preparing to break into song. "You killed my husband you demonic, manipulative piece of sh-" the Djaal''s throat snapped shut again. "So, I''ll just pretend you''re begging for the great and mighty Maal to lend you his aid... Anyways, I don''t know what you''re ranting about, we both know that I didn''t kill him." The figure''s cloth-wrapped hand gently caressed Kor''Ak''s sweat-glistening cheek, then his form seemed to shift and fade, leaving only a faint whisper as Kor''Ak felt his blood boil and watched his hands burst aflame. Time unfroze, and Kelvin''s screams continued. Kor''Ak didn''t care. Only one word came to mind, fueling the flames that still burned around Kor''Ak''s fists. The same word that Maal still whispered into his ear from somewhere unknown. "Kill" Authors Note 03 - Civilised Races of Kyros There are a variety of races that inhabit Kyros, some of them terrifying, some of them adorable. The species documented here are the ones that have built settlements, empires and kingdoms, developing societies, or integrating into others. This list is certainly not comprehensive, but it might better highlight the different peoples and their cultures that may be found throughout Greenskin.
Human (Humans)
Average Lifespan: 70 Years Humanity are perhaps one of the most varying, and thriving races that inhabit all of Kyros, their peoples have found dozens upon dozens of nations, kingdoms and empires, they are most certainly the most numerous civilised species on Kyros, although this is often attributed to their relatively quick breeding and high fertility rates, it could also be argued that their frankly insane resilience and adaptibility is what has allowed them to colonise and inhabit almost every piece of land (and sea) in Kyros, to some degree.
Dwarf (Dwarves)
Average Lifespan: 95 Years A once vast and great people, the kingdoms of the dwarves have long fell into disrepair, even now, many of their fabled underground halls and vast troves of treasure lie empty, filled with cobwebs and corpses instead of gold. The reason they had to leave their ancestral homes almost a millenia go was because of the Kitt, or ''elves'', a particularly large horde of them waged a hundred year war against the dwarven people, employing underhanded tactics to infiltrate their stone fortresses, poisoning their water and burning their food. When the dwarves fled, many of their people died on their long journey, with some dying on the long march from The Leviathan''s Jaw to Bruma, though many more fell under the poisoned arrows and brutish beasts employed by the elves that harassed them the entire way. As of today, most dwarves live and have integrated well with the people of Bruma and Djaal, though some have migrated east, either back to the Leviathan''s Jaw, or to lands far further away.
Kitt/Elf (Kitta/Elves)
Average Lifespan: 60 Years To many, the Elves are not considered ''civilised'' and only the most daring of scholars would dare to make such a claim. The Kitta (Their own name for the collective tribes and societies of their species) are a band of different tribal civilisations that inhabit the wilds of Kyros, much like humanity, elves are known for inhabiting almost every environment in Kyros, and although they are smaller in number than their human counterparts (due to a slightly shorter life expectancy and lower fertility rates) they live in rather large communities. The general dislike and hatred of elves from the rest of the races of Kyros comes from their constant attacks on small towns and villages, though most Kittan raiding parties have little more than bows and furs. their proficiency with poisons, toxins and hunting, along with there naturally more resilient and stronger bodies allow them to overwhelm most militia and small military forces, though any city with large, non-flammable fortifications is generally considered safe from Kitt attack. Due to their swift, brutal and efficient raids, as well as their general hostility to any non-Kitt in their lands, little is known about the Kitt besides their methods of murder, and they are seen more as demons, beasts and bad bedtime stories to most civilians. There are of course some Kitt that have fled, or left their tribes and become part of the population in Bruma and Djaal, but they are generally shunned and hated, with most intentionally hiding their pointed ears underneath hoods for the sakes of hiding their ancestry. With so many rumors surrounding the Kitt, many are hard to believe, though perhaps the oddest is the idea that they are able to innately communicate telepathically between one anotherThis tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Gnome (Gnomes)
Average Lifespan: 85 Years The Gnomes of Bruma have lived alongside humans for aslong as either species remembers, it is rather simply theorised that the gnomes and humans were part of an evolutionary split from one another, and (much to the dwarvish species distaste) that gnomes and dwarves are so similar that they are likely just slight variations of the same species. Compared to Dwarves, Gnomes are slightly smaller, generally thinner and they take more time to develop natural muscle mass, as well as this, gnomes possess smaller eyes with narrower fields of vision, though they have naturally enhanced eyesight, with a standard specimen of the race possessing 20/10 vision. With slightly larger heads and these other differences in features, someone who has only read about either race might not know the difference, but most of the worlds population can differentiate between the two races rather easily, though it can be more difficult at longer distances. There is one large and very significant difference between gnomes and dwarves however. In comparison to other races, gnomes have almost four times as many mages and other wizards, with almost all gnomes possessing some kind of magical capability that allows the species to almost universally utilise magic items.
Drauga/Dragonkin (Drauga/Dragonkin)
Average Lifespan: 120 Years The Drauga are known by many as the ''Impossible Species'' though they are also feared as warriors, mercenaries and soldiers. Although none of the Drauga species are naturally born with magical ability, they possess naturally immense strength and durability, as well as exceptional durability, with an adult Drauga (30+) having scales and hide that are more effective than non-magical steel armour. The Drauga live alongside the other races of Kyros generally well, most other citizens get along with this race well, and there is very little prejudice against them, though it has risen slightly in the past century, due to a military revolt of an entire regiment of Drauga, which ended up banning the race from the military after that regiment almost completely destroyed a large section of the Bruman military, the same does not apply in Djaal however, with the Djaalic military employing and recruting as many Drauga as they can. The term ''Dragonkin'' comes from their lizard-like, bulky appearance and terrifying strength, though they are not (atleast directly) related to dragons. Many theorise that the Drauga would be the dominant species of Kyros if it weren''t for a number of extremely odd, believed to be artifical factors. A Drauga female can not have more than two children, the first is female, and the second is male. This has caused the Drauga population to do nothing besides continually dwindle; with their formerly vast population now reduced to one of the rarest non-mythical species in Kyros. Naturally, most researchers and scholars have came to the conclusion that the Drauga species was the result of genetic modification or some unknown magic, as there is no way any species would develop in such an odd manner.
Aaraki/Bugman (Aarakoa/Bugmen)
Average Lifespan: 30 Years Short-lived and vast, the Bugmen of Djaal founded the first civilisations, spreading out across the vast desert from their original cities around The Water Mother. Although they ceded their control of Djaal when humanity came in droves to Djaal, the pacifistic people still control most of the Djaalic economy and political operations. Though they are seen as a rare, almost alien sight in Bruma and any other nation at that matter, roughly 40% of the Djaalic population is Aaraki, though a far fewer number of them are soldiers, with 95% of Djaal''s military force being of other races. The Aaraki still have an elective monarch, without a true kingdom. The Aaraki royal family is seen as secondary to the Human royals, though they have just as much authority and legal power, with the human king being the face of Djaal. The Aaraki people generally have an exceptional adoration of valuable metals and gemstones, it is generally rather easy to guess an Aaraki''s social status by their assorted gewelry, with the richer folk being adorned in dozens of golden bangles and diamond necklaces.
Chapter 41 - Burning Maal-ice Yet, much to Kor''Ak''s delight, when a torrent of fire erupted around his armour and engulfed his body in a wavering and roaring inferno, his foes didn''t run, they merely paused, looking over the once-fallen warrior as he rose to his feet, bleeding wounds cauterised by the flames that licked against his exposed flesh. The warrior glanced at his sword and shield briefly, before shrugging and tossing them aside, steel clattering and bouncing off of the cold ground.
Status Set Trait Gained STR + 450% Pain Tolerance + 95% Poison/Toxin/Curse/Fire Immunity Status Set -15HP/s MP/s = 0 Trait Gained Every time the user of Hellish Bloodthirst kills a living being, they gain +3 HP per Job/Race level of the slain creature.
Kor''Ak''s normally stern face curved to a wicked, joyous smile as the first three goblins stepped tentatively towards him, worried and scared by the human''s sudden shift in actions. For good reason. The Djaal was upon them in less than a second, crossing the three foot distance faster than the goblin''s could react, his right arm shot forward, gripping the right-most monster''s bulbous and malformed head with his blazing palm. The creature writhed and struggled to free itself as the scorching flames seared it''s eyes and roasted it''s flesh. With the still-squirming goblin in his right arm still clutched in his searing grip; Kor''Ak brought his boot up, a sharp crack erupted from one of the goblins jaw, along with a spray of blood from it''s toothy maw as it''s fangs tore a jagged chunk out of the goblin''s own tongue. The wounded creature reeled back, trying to make some distance between itself and the infernal Djaal, it managed less than a step backwards before Kor''Ak was upon him, left-hand gripping the creatures shoulder and pulling it towards the raging warrior. He could feel the sound of cracking bone as he brought his knee into the goblin''s face, plated knee demolising the creatures skull. A slight chuckle escaped the warrior as he took a deep, relaxed breath. The sickly miasma clambered up his body, taking the chance to try and force it''s way down his throat. Green fog curled it''s way into the Djaal''s mouth, then was expelled when he finally breathed out. The last of the three that attacked him let out a surprised yelp as it tried to scramble away like it''s former kin, though it didn''t make it very far, as Kor''Ak stepped forwards, swinging the still-writhing goblin down in a wide arc and slamming his fleeing foe to the ground. The goblin struggled and tried to get up, but Kor''Ak slammed the body down again, then again, then again, until both bodies went still and silent.
Nearly two dozen smouldering, blackened, broken and brutalised little green corpses lay at his feet now. The slab of pestulent meat had stopped gurgling, it''s fleshy mass no longer slapping eagerly towards him, and the vile, diseased goblins had stopped pouring in droves through the single entrance to the cave, a black smog hung in the air, slowly, slowly rising up in snaking trails, through the winding passage that crawled it''s way upwards to the surface.
HP Below 5% Status Lost Trait Lost Status Lost Trait Lost
He felt his rage, his anger, his brutality just... go. As quickly as they''d swallowed him. Kor''Ak felt him, like a worm in his mind that was slowly, laboriously wiggling it''s way out. A gentle whisper, smooth, silken and all too sweet for such a horrible creature. "Kor''Ak sweetie, I''ve went ahead and done a few little negotiations and talks whilst you''ve been... raging out..." The Djaal managed to struggle for a reply through ragged breaths, eyes still focused on the boil-speckled goblins that were huddled around the door, and the noxious mountain of flesh that had went still, only the occasional ripple in it''s flesh and rising of what could only be assumed to be a chest beneath endless rolls of squishy fat and postules.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "It''s.... your fault... that happened." "It is also my fault that you''re alive, much to one of my less-friendly associates dismay." "Demon... Warlock..." "Kor''Ak my dear, what are you muttering to yourself now?" "Your associates... One of those, maybe both..." "It''s none of your concern my cute little soldier, now, scurry off with your little friends, like I said, my associate isn''t happy, but he''s agreed to let you leave." Kor''Ak''s eyes quckly narrowed at the living pile of flesh in the center of the room. "Is... that thing your associate?" "... I have standards, naturally that... garish mountain of disease isn''t the sort of thing I''d dare to be in direct contact with." "... Direct..." The djaal could feel Maal quickly becoming irritated with his constant comments and assumptions, and his voice quickly faded as a sharp pain burst through Kor''Ak''s mind, though it faded swiftly. Kor''Ak would have stared down the stack of putrid, putty-like flesh, if he had any idea if it had eyes, or where they might be. Instead, he had to merely keep his eyes on it as he scrambled over to grab Steal''s unconscious body. It took almost a minute to find the goblin, the odd, toxic miasma had begun to fade by now, though it was still thick enough that it was difficult to discern features from within, only by luck did he come across Steal, barely managing to make out the slightly darker pigmentation of Steal''s skin that was one of the few ways Kor''Ak could differentiate him from the other, far more aggressive goblins. After slinging Steal over his back, his eyes searched for Kelvin, the wizard was slumped to one side, back pressed against the caverns walls. He was clutching a wound on his shoulder that was still flowing blood, whilst his wounded arm weakly held a dead goblin''s body infront of him. The creature''s pale green back was scorched, melted and scarred; whilst the wizard looked relatively unburnt, his clothes were riddled with small, smoldering holes, but otherwise, he wasn''t burnt. Kor''Ak moved forwards, searching through the satchel at his side for a bandage to wrap the wizards shoulder in. Kor''Ak quickly got to work, wrapping the wound tight, perhaps a little too tight, but it would keep the wizard alive, the djaalic veteran figured Kelvin shouldn''t complain, and the wizard didn''t. Instead, he merely gazed into Kor''Ak''s face blankly, speaking with a definite shakiness "What... what was that..." The warrior responded roughly as he tightened the wound a little more. "Doesn''t matter, walk, talk later." Kor''Ak pulled a mirky red liquid filled bottle from his satchel, popping off the wooden cork and passing it to the wounded wizard "Drink up, don''t attack unless they attack." "B-" Kelvin was cut off as Kor''Ak practically rammed the vial down the young blonde''s throat, forcing him to swallow the foul tasting liquid before discarding the practically empty bottle. Of course, the blonde kept talking after spluttering and coughing, though this time with a little more anger than fear and confusion. "But they attacked us, why the hell would they stop?" "Just because. Get moving." Kelvin stared down Kor''Ak, only finally standing up and following after him when the wizard felt a wave of nausea and dizziness take him. The party made there way towards the exit slowly, the goblin''s didn''t attack, instead, they scuttled away further down the tunnel, letting them through. Both Kor''Ak and Kelvin followed the three goblin''s that seemed to be making their way upwards; after a few dozen metres, the humans had to crouch low, after another dozen metres, they were crawling forwards on all fours. It wasn''t long until they were at the surface, scrambling desperately into the dim light that still peeked through the canopy. Kor''Ak took a chance to stretch the moment he made it onto the grass, whilst Kelvin merely whined and grabbed the hilt of a dagger at his side. The three goblin''s that had led them to the surface were stood ahead, though they now took grip on their spears, smiled, then loosed them at Kor''Ak and Kelvin. The javelins flew, though Kor''Ak managed to batter two away from him, whilst the final one flew too high and merely pierced a hole in Kelvin''s tophat, the hat flew off his head as it dragged along the spears trajectory. Then screams, roars and howls echoed through the cave as the human''s looked to each other, aching muscles already uneagerly anticipating what was almost certainly going to be one hell of a sprint. Kor''Ak felt him again, that smooth, soft-spoken leech in his mind. "In all fairness, he never said he''d leave you alone, just let you leave the cave." Kor''Ak wasn''t listening, the warrior was focused on sprinting ahead, crashing into one of the scrambling, wretched goblins whilst he broke back into the treeline from the small clearing, Kelvin following close behind, though struggling far more than the Djaal. More roars, the sound of footsteps and eager, angry and joyous cackles. Chapter 42- The Knife-Ear And now, Steal was desperately gripping onto Kor''Ak''s shoulders, utterly unaware of the events that had transpired no more than a few minutes ago, and most certainly, completely confused by how any of the three managed their way out; and not knowing the dark, malignant implications of how they had escaped. Every time Kor''Ak''s plated boots hit the ground, Steal could feel his body reverberate and vibrate, bones rattling with each heavy impact on the dirt. He could hear there screams become louder and louder, more fervent and manic with every passing second. The young goblin was certain they were gaining on the party, the goblin''s frantic footsteps were louder and closer, the sound of claws scratching on treebark and tiny, misshapen bodies crashing through bushes loudened along with it. "Mother unhappy, bad below-thing make her not kill, but we kill for mother, we do, we do!" The Wretched screeched in a grating choir as their pursuit hurried. Steal managed to peak over the Warrior''s shoulder as he went low, head narrowly scraping underneath an overhanging branch that was as thick as the goblin''s thigh. Even Steal could understand time was running short, there was only so much farther the humans could run, and the goblin knew he wasn''t any faster than the creatures that were fervently chasing them, perhaps even slower. They moved so quickly on there short, gnarled legs that they seemed tireless. Perhaps they were. Another minute past and Kor''Ak''s breaths slowed into dry heaves, the warrior stumbled, face and chest crashing against the ground, bringing Steal down with him. The goblin bounced off his back as the Djaal hit the dirt, tumbling and turning in the air until he sank into a soft patch of moss. Steal clambered his way out of the damp vegetation, crooked, clawed right-hand drawing the blade at his side from its scabbard. Kelvin weakly struggled his way out of a thorned bush that he''d snagged his foot on, the wizard snarled, then wrenched his leg free, dozens of long, thin lines of crimson formed along his calf as expensive, glittering fabric tore and shred. Still snarling, the wizard tumbled to the ground beside Kor''Ak, short, ragged breaths quickly turned to deep, weighty coughs and groans. Nevertheless, the wizard pulled himself up, resting his exhausted body against the gnarled and twisted trunk of a tree. Desperate breaths paused for a second "Oi... Goblin, just run for it, we can take ''em, ain''t that right Kor''Ak?". The human''s words were brave, but the tears that now trickled in thin waterfalls from his sunken, almost blank eyes betrayed his attempt at hiding his terror. Groaning, voice muffled by the dirt that his face was planted in, the walking corpse of a man managed a chuckle "Run little one, we shall crush the ones that chase us, and find you again". Perhaps, if Steal could understand what they were saying, he''d have listened, he''d have been persuaded, he''d have run. But no, he did not hear their words, but he saw they''re torn, battered, beaten and broken bodies, he saw the frail wizards tears, his quivering lips, the life that poured from him in streams from wounds that the goblin couldn''t protect them from. He saw them, once strong, now weak, wavering, dying. He didn''t know if he could save the pair from their wounds, but he could at least try and save the people that fought with him. And that was why he stood, it was why he howled and screamed in anger, defiance, and something that wasn''t quite hatred. But, as he''d heard before, his own cries were deafened beneath the chaotic choir of the Wretched. Their choir became deafening as he could hear footsteps, scratching wood and grating teeth. The first of them burst through around a tree trunk with an angry, shrill shriek.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Then the second. Then the third. Then the fourth. Then the fifth... ... It wasn''t until the seventeenth sprung into the mass of sickly green skin and brown, rusted blades that they stopped screaming. Steal was alone. He couldn''t win against all of these cackling, giggling, vile creatures. His grip weakened, his heart pounded, his brain felt numb and empty. Then they came, rushing forwards in unison, brandishing their bloodied, chipped blades, mottled clubs and twisted spears. "Crystal Spray" Then they stopped. Well, the front four of them did, torsos riddled with thin, four-inch long shards of light purple crystal that only sank even deeper as they stumbled, staggered and dropped to the damp grass, made all the wetter and slicker with their blood. Perhaps he wasn''t completely alone. Steal''s dirk drove itself into the next one that wildly rushed him, popping an already bursting blister as it slid through flesh, scraped along bone and tore through organs. The next was pushed to the ground as Steal slammed the dead Wretched''s body into it''s charging brethren, pushing the dead Wretched down onto the one that had fallen, and thrusting downwards, skewering both of them on his blade as he buried it down to the guard in sickly flesh.
Level Up! Your Racial Job ''Goblin'' Has Reached Level 7! STR +1 ,DEX +2 ,AGI +1 ,FRT +1 ,INT +1 ,WIS +1 Level Up! Your Job ''Hunter'' Has Reached Level 6! STR +1,DEX +2,AGI +2,FRT +1,INT +1,WIS +1
The goblin was busy trying to pull his blade from his fresh kills when three other''s rushed towards him with wicked cackles, cut short as three arrows suddenly seemed to appear in their throats. Perhaps they weren''t completely alone. Another arrow whizzed past him, jagged head burying itself into another wretched''s throat. Steal had seen Grak use a bow and arrow, but the hobgoblin hunter was nowhere near as accurate as this, it seemed impossible in fact, but still, the next arrow that tore through the air found its targets gullet again just the same. With a great fountain of blood that almost bathed the goblin, he finally pulled his dagger free, just in time to parry a blow that was aimed towards his head, the goblin''s grip remained firm, and he ran the Wretched through as it dropped it''s weapon, both of the goblin''s arms shaking from the heavy impact of their blades, though Steal was stronger and faster, the sole reason that the young goblin wasn''t currently the one with the tip of a thin blade buried in his lungs. The rest of the wretched were dispatched rather quickly, though they fought to the last, with the unseen archer''s aid, they barely managed to get into range with Steal, and the few that did fell beneath his blade, dripping with the life of those that had (deservingly) lost theirs. Kor''Ak was worryingly silent during all of this, not having moved since he dropped to the ground earlier. A young man''s shaking, raspy voice called out "Sorry, ran out of magic... Why am I even talking... You can''t understand me..." Kelvin coughed weakly, unfocused eyes now narrowing onto the bodies that had thin shafts of wood sprouting from their throats. "Thanks... Whoever that was..." The voice that came in response would have been young and feminine if it weren''t spoken through a guttural snarl. "It''s too early to be thanking me, Dungol" The young woman, no older than twenty was gripping a curved, two-foot long blade that was fastened into a hide belt at her side, with a bow strung across her back and a beautifully woven quiver besides it. Other than the belts that ran along her body, the girl''s skin was bare, proudly displaying the intricate symbols that ran from her shoulderblades to between her modest chest, stopping at her bellybutton. The symbols looked like nothing more than straight, green-painted lines, though closer inspection would reveal a number of intricate runes and miniature paintings that were tightly packed together, the same such markings were painted across her cheeks, as well as her palms. The canvas of her body wasn''t much different to the color of Kelvin''s skin, though it bore a slight yellow hue to it, most prominent in the folds of her eyelids and bridge of her nose. Long, knife-like ears sprouted upwards from a head of messy, dirty-blonde hair that curled back down to her shoulders. She was a- "Fucking... Elf-" the weary wizard was cut short as the young girl slammed her fist into his nose, then again, then again, until his eyes drooped shut and he stopped struggling. Chapter 43- A Good Hunter Aera''s day had started like any other, at least, any day that the young elf managed a chance to get away from her father. The girl was always sick of being cooped up in their tribe''s village, they called her ''Kuun'', a word not dissimilar from ''child'', except it referred to the soul, not the body. Her tribes Kuun were never allowed to go far away from Kitt territory, no raiding, no big-game hunting, nothing fun. Nevertheless, here she was, body stooped low, hand on her bow as she followed eagerly after an unaware deer near the outskirts of her home-forest. Father would be angry when she came back, though perhaps proof that she was a capable hunter and an amazing shot might lessen the blows she was going to receive, and perhaps, if she brought back something massive, they''d make an exception for her, letting a Kuun raid with the rest of the tribe. It wasn''t a hatred or desire to kill that drove the girl to want this, instead, she was merely curious. She''d never met a human, not a living one at least, on occasion, the raiders would bring back a few bodies to decorate the camp perimeters with, though usually, they left them behind in human water sources, poisoning them with rotting, bloated bodies and refuse. When the raiders filled the wells and dammed up the rivers with bodies, they merely left whatever corpses still remained. TheNuka, the ''elders'' always argued that humans were no more than monsters, so they never took prisoners, which meant that those that stayed within Kitt territory never met a human, yet theNukawould always speak of them, tell theKuuntales of the humans savagery, how they took Kitt lands, placed stone walls on grass fields and decided the land to be their own. How they bred like rabbits and hid behind walls, feeling safer against theKitt merely because they could outnumber them. Aera knew the tales were conflicting, they were odd, they called the humans a savage threat that had to be killed, but the elves were the ones that torched their homes and stole their food, they were taught that the humans were weak and pathetic, but also taught that the savage humans had killed and butchered their people for time immemorial. Her train of thought was halted as her ears twitched, picking up a faint choir of cackles and screams that wound their way through the damp forest air. She''d heard such a cacophony a few times in the past two months, the sickly goblinoids were new to the forest, and on a number of occasions, had gotten over-confident and attacked a few of her tribe''s people; hunters, raiders and gatherers alike. One goblin''s head would hardly be much of a trophy, Twenty might be nice though. Bare, dirty feet sprang off the grass, carrying Aera swiftly towards the source of the sound, her previous quarry now forgotten. She could hear enraged howls and angry roars as she closed in on the howls, next came a different type of roar, human words, angry and boiling with desperation and hatred.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "CRYSTAL SPRAY!" Those words were followed by a different noise, not words, but something unnatural that brought a brief moment of silence after it''s passing, like glass shards scraping and scratching against one another. Though that break in the howling cacophony was certainly just brief; it only took a few seconds after the sound of scraping glass faded for the silence to be broken by goblinoid shrieks. The hunter was close now, Aera''s breath slowed as her eyes ran over the tree beside her, divets, imperfections and knobs of twisted wood could make suitable footholds, and she was sure to make use of them. After sliding her bow back onto her back, she began her climb. Her first leap was straight upwards, left-hand wrapping around a small tree burl, solid arms pulled herself up whilst she dragged her legs up, feet finding firm grip and holds on other small burls and holes that dotted the dark bark. A few seconds of climbing was all it took for her to find a good position, a thick branch that was high enough for her to see clearly down on the ensuing fight. A small goblin was trying to stand defiant, two wounded humans lay slumped to the ground behind it. The goblin was roaring and swinging his blade with a remarkable deftness, slaying one of the more disgusting, paler goblins with a swift strike. Though the creature was clearly outnumbered, it would certainly die, the humans along with it. The humans. They''d make far better trophies than a bunch of goblins. Father was certain to let her out on raids with the Nuka if she could prove herself by bringing back two human heads. She drew her bow, knocked an arrow, and whispered to herself. It always irritated her that most skills had to be spoken. "Zone In, Deadeye, Multi-Shot" The arrow hummed and glowed for a brief second as she pulled the bowstring back. He grip loosened and the taught string snapped forwards, the arrow flew, then flashed as it split into three, the original stayed on its course, whilst the other two split off in either direction, all three found their target, halting the ugly goblin''s as over a foot of wood sprouted from their necks. She knocked another arrow, loosed in, slew a goblin. A few more arrows, and less than a minute later, nothing remained alive, at least, nothing that would live much longer, spitting out their last dying gurgles and globs of blood. Aera dropped down, yanking her blade from the tree trunk as she hit the ground and holding it at the ready as she pushed into the small, blood-drowned clearing. The goblin froze as it saw her, unmoving, but wary. One glance over its frail body would show it was exhausted, the single creature wouldn''t pose her much threat, and as she cast her eyes over the savage humans, all she saw was weakness, what little energy they had left was wasted by the pink-human, lay against a tree trunk. "Fucking elf-" Though she cut him off with a barrage of fists. The goblin snarled and started to shuffle, wearily forwards, almost stumbling as it looked like its legs might give way. Still, Aera gave the creature little mind as her blade pressed against the oddly-dressed human''s throat. She felt skin part under the blade, then paused. The humans could hardly fight back, and the goblin had no chance of besting her. Dead humans were certainly an impressive trophy. Although her father would likely argue with her over what she planned to do, Aera reasoned that alive humans would be even more impressive. Sadly, she couldn''t haul them back alone. Something deep in her mind rumbled like an avalanche as her ears twitched. Images of the humans flashed through her mind, flickering sporadically. Her calling hadn''t developed fully yet; she could only hope that the other Kitt of her tribe understood that she wanted people to be sent out to collect them. Chapter 44- Im Running Out Of Punny Chapter Titles Steal sprang forward as the elf''s blade moved away from Kelvin''s throat, though, by the time the weary goblin managed to bring his blade forwards, the elven blade had settled against Kelvin''s throat again. Halting the goblin''s headlong charge as he forced himself to a sudden stop, the pointy-eared woman''s face was contorted into a snarl, sharp eyes narrowed at Steal as she moved the blade from Kelvin''s neck once again, now levelled towards the goblin. The elf snarled again then spoke in a language Steal didn''t understand, though the sounds that came from her fanged mouth resembled the same, more dulcet tones and phrases that had come from Kor''Ak''s lips "Drop it! Now!". Naturally, Steal didn''t understand the woman''s words, though he could understand and interpret the clear aggression in her voice and commanding tone. Though he had no idea what the elf was commanding him to do. Instead, he merely stood there, small, scarlet-stainedblade still pointedly pointed towards the elf. "I said drop it!" The girl snarled again, waving her curved sword angrily and wildly in the air at him. Her spare hand darted out, index finger pointing to the filth-caked dirk that he gripped tight, green knuckles whitening. The elf snarled again, her finger now darting from Steal''s dagger to the grass beneath him. "Down!" Steal shrugged. Aera sighed, then slowly slid her sword back into its scabbard at her side, still gripping its hilt, ready to draw. Slowly, her free hand wrestled the bow from her back, eyes still fixed on the goblin as her sword-hand let go of her blade and knocked an arrow before Steal could react. The goblin screamed, and the arrow whistled a sharp tune as it tore through the air. CLANG The flint arrowhead struck Steal''s blade, loosening the weary goblins grip. More whistling. A second collision knocked the dagger from his hands, the filthy blade hit the dirt, and the goblin''s eyes snapped upwards, narrowing on the elf as he prepared to charge her. Sadly, she took the initiative, Aera dropped the bow and dashed forwards, her first swing flew wide, letting the goblin press forwards and lunge, jagged, dirty claws ready to tear through bare flesh. Something hard flew upwards and crunched into his nose, the girl''s knee forced him back, staggering as blood poured from his nose and his brain felt numb, vision blurring and swaying. Made only worse by the fist that cracked against his temple, then the second fist. And the third. She quickly brought the goblin to the floor, finally stopping her assault as Steal''s previous snarls shifted to pained whimpers. Nothing would save him. The goblin knew this. His companions still lay there, barely so much as twitching in the dirt, and there was no one else, nothing else that would help him. Another punch crashed up into his jaw, teeth clenching around his own tongue. "G-g-g... Gyik..." Another strike. He couldn''t see. His assailant was but a blurry haze, the stinging tears that ran from his eyes doing nothing to help the creature''s already failing vision.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Another strike. His ears were ringing, twitching as a blow smashed into the side of his head. The light started to fade as yet another blow cracked against his skull, the elf easily brushing aside his desperate attempts to defend himself with his arms. Darkness. No sound, no light, no senses at all. It felt like an eternity, alone in this darkness, the goblin was bereft of even dreams. Then the darkness broke, a single pillar of light cut through the darkness, a white-robed figure stood at the very centre, a featureless golden mask stared eyelessly towards the goblin. Steal felt himself be tugged, dragged through the darkness towards the pillar of light and the robed figure. A smooth voice rolled from behind the mask "Hello my dear little one". Steal could understand his words, they weren''t goblinoid, he was sure of that, yet he understood him perfectly. A slight chuckle echoed through the darkness as the figure kept speaking "You don''t appear to be in a very good state, do you? I''d be willing to help you out if you just ask y''know" "I... Would like help" This tongue was his own, it felt natural in his mind, and the robed figure merely nodded. "My name is Maal, it''s nice to meet you young one." "You too..." "Your name?" "Agh... errr... Steal... Why?" The robed man, Maal, pulled a thin, skin-coloured roll of parchment from somewhere deep within his robe, another slender, wrapped hand dove into his clothing and produced a black, plucked raven feather, a viscous red liquid coating it''s sharpened nib. He turned to the parchment around towards Steal, ornate runes and characters scrolled across it, drawn in blackened soot, smouldering embers still glowing faintly in the odd writing. Maal pressed the quill into Steal''s right-hand, the little goblin''s hand clenching around it. "Just write your name here little one, and all the strength I can offer will be yours to wield." Another chuckle echoed through the unending dark. To a more intelligent, more civilised creature, this skin-coloured parchment would be recognised as a contract, with the more knowledgeable recognising it''s soul-binding, demonic nature. Steal was none of these things. Nor was he literate. "I... Don''t know how to write." The gold-masked man sighed a little, before a voice, overflowing with mirth rang out from unseen lips. "It doesn''t matter, just scrawl anything-" the figure pointed to a miniscule, empty space on the parchment with one cloth-shrouded finger "-here, it''s more the intent than anything, as long as you want this power, It''ll work" "Ah.. Umm... I can definitely get stronger right?" "Why would I lie?" The naive goblin nodded along, the creature had yet to show him anything but happiness and kindness, and the young creature only had a very vague understanding of the concept of lying, he didn''t take the man''s completely obscured body, or the fact that he appeared to just appear out of nowhere to be something that would raise suspicion. So, with only the smallest bit of hesitation, Steal held the crimson-coated quill in his hands, pressing it against the parchment, scarlet ink marked his quill''s path to make a meaningless scribble, a singular line that curved in on itself a half dozen times. The sooten runes suddenly lit up, the parchment igniting as the ash reignited in a blazing flame, that quickly turned to the contract to dust. Maal nodded. "Good, good. This will do" Delicately, the robed man began to undress the wrapping around his right-hand, with each layer, another patch of dark, burnt, coal-like skin could be seen beneath. When the last bandage dropped to the floor, the pitch-dark hand moved leisurely forwards, middle finger uncurling and pressing gently against the centre of the goblin''s chest. A patch of green skin above his heart turned as dark as Maal''s skin, then it erupted into a raging flame for a brief moment, scorching the goblin''s flesh to his very core, he felt his heart burning, literally, fire licking and charring his insides. As the goblin collapsed and writhed in pain, the pillar of light that engulfed Maal flashed and flickered, before completely dying out. Steal was left in the darkness again as he felt his body engulf itself in a raging flame that emitted no light. "It''s time to wake up, little one" the smooth voice faded as well, it no longer echoed, falling flat at the very last syllable. Perhaps he shouldn''t have trusted the random dream man.
New Trait Gained: Daemon-Touched New Trait Gained: Unholy Mark (Maali-Kious-Asz-Hool)
Chapter 45- There Is Literally No Foreshadowing In This Chapter At All. The goblin woke screaming, howling as the flesh of his chest seared and burned; he''d be struggling and flailing if his legs and arms weren''t bound with thick vines. Steal was lay on his back, being dragged across the grass by his ankles by the elf that had beaten him bloody. Small rocks cut thin lines in his skin as the goblin was yanked roughly every time one of his limbs caught on a root or snagged on a thorny bush. He could hear something up ahead, the creature certainly wasn''t in the clearing that he''d fought in, the trees had closed in, and the grass was green here, not scarlet. The little goblin''s neck ached as he tried to move it, muscles groaning as thin lines of blood cast a number of winding red trails behind him. To his left, trees. To his right, some more trees. No Kor''Ak. No Kelvin. Just him and his captor. He struggled and shrieked until his throat turned raw and his bound wrists bled. He''d have been happier hearing nothing but his own howls than hear the voice of his most recent acquaintance bounce around in his skull. Hey there, I know you''re likely extremely angry or scared. Well, here''s the deal. I understand that you''re in pain, so, how about I help you out? I did promise to make you stronger after all. Steal merely spat onto the dirt and continued to bumble and growl unintelligible, goblinoid gibberish. Oh... yeah you can''t actually reply to me. It didn''t matter that the goblin couldn''t, he didn''t want to reply to this strange man. He''d done nothing but hurt the goblin, he hadn''t gotten any stronger. Steal didn''t understand the concept of help in the long-term, the man from his dream had done nothing to help him yet, even though he had promised. The dream man was just a liar in Steal''s eyes. Let''s see... Okay I have an idea. One second.
You can now learn the ''Warlock (Unholy)'' Job Do you accept? [YES] [NO]
Steal stopped struggling for a moment. As he tried to wrap his head around the message in his head. Though Maal seemed determined to not give him enough time to think. You should say yes. Do it. Yes. Yes. YES! Steal howled out again, his captor looked behind her as the goblin started struggling again, and yanked harder, speeding up as she moved from a leisurely walk to a jog along the forest floor, shaking Steal''s small body about as her bare, filthy feet carried her forwards, the still-struggling goblin in tow. "Gyaka!" The goblin was furious, angry and hurt. He wouldn''t listen to the dream man, he wouldn''t do what he wanted. I''ll take that as a yes then? "Gyaka!!!!" Steal was screaming now, the taste of copper filled his throat as his raw throat bled in protest to the goblin''s howls and shrieks. He would not accept. Okay, guess that really does mean a yes, understood. No problem little guy.
You have gained the ''Warlock (Unholy)'' Job STR +1,DEX +2,AGI +1,FRT +1,INT +2,WIS +3 You have gained the ''Magical Aptitude (Minor)'' Trait You have gained the ''Unholy Communion'' Skill Unholy Communion Is Level 1 You have gained the ''Daemon Bolt'' Spell Daemon Bolt Is Level 1 You have gained the ''Summon Familiar'' Spell Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.Summon Familiar Is Level 1 You have gained the ''Daemon-Tongue'' Trait Daemon-Tongue Is Level 1 You have gained the ''Bloodfuel'' Skill Bloodfuel Is Level 1
Ah, and here''s a little extra, just as an apology.
You have gained the ''Aptitude (Warlock)'' Trait Aptitude (Warlock) Is Level 1
If it wasn''t for the fact that Steal could smell and see the flesh of his chest searing and boiling, the goblin might actually have believed that something good was coming to him from Maal. Naturally, the screaming didn''t stop. The elf turned again, eyes locking on the centre of Steal''s chest as she saw a crimson brand she''d previously not notice glow red and burst into flame along the goblins skin. Steal noticed her through his blurry, tear-eyed vision. She let go of his ankles and kneeled beside him as he writhed and squirmed. He could barely hear her muttering to herself about ''saving the bargaining chip'' as she pulled a leather waterskin from her side and dumped the clear contents onto the goblin''s chest. The second the water touched the flame it turned to steam, the small flame still roaring. Then, in an instant, the flame was gone, the pain that had previously coursed through every part of Steal was simply gone. Like it had never hurt at all. The only evidence that anything had happened to the goblin was the brand on his chest, more clear, deeper and larger than before. Maal wasn''t speaking to him anymore. The man had gone silent in his head. Though Steal could feel him, watching, smiling. The silence broke. Now the man in his head was laughing. Wow. Just wow, I am honestly, suprised you''re still conscious. Okay. So, I get your''re pretty angry, that must have hurt alot, sorta the point, it''s sorta funny, probably not for you, is for me. Here''s the thing, I said I would make you stronger, and I have no intention of lying to you, see, you''re already stronger. Aren''t you gonna thank me? Steal continued to spout and growl out profanities until Maal''s smooth voice bounced around in his head again. Why do I always contract the stupid ones. Alright, alright... Use Unholy Communion, you don''t have to say it, just think it. Trust me. Steal screeched out a little as the elf had begun to hold him down, she was far stronger than Steal and wasn''t finding much difficulty keeping him pinned as she inspected the mark on his chest. Unknown to her, it wasn''t her that the goblin was screaming and struggling against. Seriously, just do it, you''re starting to annoy me. The voice in his head was met with more angry howls. Alright, do it or I''m just gonna set you on fire and leave you to turn into a giant green brisket. The screaming stopped. Steal didn''t want to die.
Greenie-Boi-23 Umm, what is this?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 The Unholy Communion Skill, the thing I gave you? The skill I told you to think about? It lets us communicate mentally from anywhere. Well, I can do that anyways, with pretty much anyone. You can pretty much only talk to me with this, since I''m your Patron.
Greenie-Boi-23 I don''t think I''ll use this thing a lot if I have to talk to you.
Greenie-Boi-23 What is a Patron?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Basically it''s a being that gives you special powers, gods, demons, spirits, that sorta stuff. I gave you powers, so I''m your patron.
Greenie-Boi-23 So how will you make me stronger?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Little bits of my power when I feel like giving it, I''m not really in yhe giving mood right now.
Greenie-Boi-23 I want all your power, why won''t you give me a lot?
Greenie-Boi-23 Oh, also, ''the''*
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 1. If I gave you a lot of power, you would literally explode. Do you want to explode into tiny little chunks of meat? Want this forest to look like someone threw a can of ''Goblin-Brand Canned Dog Food'' all over it?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 2. I''m having a literally infinite number of conversations right now in infinite dimensions with an infinite number of people. Of course there are going to be typos!!!!!
Greenie-Boi-23 No need to yell... Hey why does it say ''Greenie-Boi-23'' whenever I think of talking to you?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 It''s your username, I picked it for you, doesn''t really matter for the time being.
Greenie-Boi-23 Umm... Okay... Can you tell me where the humans I was with are?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Nope.
Greenie-Boi-23 Why not?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Well I can tell you, I''m just not going to... Tell you what, if you reach Level 5 as a Warlock, I''ll do it, ask me again before then, and there''s not a chance.
Greenie-Boi-23 Okay... Guess I''ll have to reach Level 5 then...
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Yeah, yes you will, I gave you Aptitude as a little gift so it will go a bit faster though, do what I tell you, when I tell you and you''ll reach it in record time.
Greenie-Boi-23 So, since you''re my Patron, you get to decide when I get stronger and level up, seems unfair.
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Yup, completely unfair.
Greenie-Boi-23 You said that some Patrons are gods, demons and spirits, are you a Demon? Because I got skills with Daemon in their name.
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Oof, I''m suddenly reeeeeeeeeeeally super tired, guess I''m just gonna go.
Greenie-Boi-23 You''re a Demon then?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Loaded question little green dude, you should really try out that Summon Familiar Skill BTW
Greenie-Boi-23 Why won''t you say you''re a Demon?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 It''s a matter of perspective.
USER: Maal_The_Magnificent_69 Has Disconnected.
"GYAK!" Chapter 46- Homecoming The entire conversation must have taken less than a second; the words faded from his mind and the world came back into focus for the goblin as he continued to struggle and fight against the elf that held him down. His mind felt a little fuzzy, movements slow and sluggish as if waking up from a dream. He struggled and fought harder against the elf as he screamed again. He felt stronger. But as a slender fist collided with his throat, he knew he wasn''t strong enough. His muscles lost their strength as he coughed, gasped and sputtered, his struggling was quickly reduced to a wriggle as his fingers twitched, scraping the ground as they tried to find purchase on the vines that bound him. The elf stepped back, her foot swinging forwards and cracking against Steal''s ribs. And with that, what little fight was left in him faded into a wisp, an ember. Then nothing. His blood stopped boiling, his scowls turned to whimpers. He stopped struggling, stopped wriggling, stopped growling and screaming. He just groaned.
Satisfied with her work, the elf began dragging her captive along again, still wary of the mark that had burned on his chest. It was something she was unfamiliar with, and something she''d have to ask her father about. With the goblin no longer struggling, she moved swiftly through the woods; with the goblin only occasionally snagging on something on the forest floor. Still, Aera thought herself lucky. The Veera Forest was a dangerous place, even if it was her home, and the mere fact that on her rather loud travels through the forest she was yet to encounter any threats or be attacked by the more disgusting of her captive''s kind was something she found to be a minor miracle. Though the Kitt did not believe in miracles. If something turned out well, then it merely turned out well. Much like her father, and her tribe, Aera strongly believed that the most important factor in success was one''s own actions. Hoping for divine influence or relying on luck was a waste; it showed weakness. She mused for a moment that it was likely this goblin had prayed to a god whilst she was beating it senseless. Considering his current state, hogtied and physically broken, Aera thought that it was a pretty good confirmation of her beliefs. A grunt escaped her lips as she stomped forwards. Grass began to give way to dirty cobbles as a stone path wound it''s way upwards ahead of her. She heard the sound of wood gently scraping against wood; a string creaking as it was pulled back. An arrow being knocked. "Cut it out Headr, you know it''s me!" Aera''s foot struck the goblin again as she called out "Have the guys I asked to come out brought back the two humans yet?" A man, slimmer than Aera seemed to form from a bush off to one side of the stone path. Though as he stood to his full height, and the twigs and brush plastered to his back and other parts of his body with mud separated; it was clear that he was always the bush. Much like Aera, he was absent of all clothing, though unlike her, his body was unpainted, at least, not in the same way that she was painted. Instead; Headr had always had an odd affinity for camouflage and didn''t take up their tribals patterns (with a lot of protest from the rest of the tribe) as he said they made his disguises more difficult. Headr was always an odd Kitt in Aera''s mind. His endless patience didn''t suit her people. Whilst most Kitt of her tribe couldn''t stay still for more than a few minutes, and often broke into a sprint after their prey when they got bored stalking them, Headr was most famously known for spending excessive amounts of time in absolute stillness when hunting. "Yeah, Hagra and Baldr brought a human through a while ago... Haven''t seen the second one though... If something went wrong or they couldn''t find them, we should have heard them call out through the calling right? I''m sure that whoever got sent out for the other human is just taking their time getting back." Although he spoke with confidence, the waver of his brow and sudden flick of his eyes told Aera that the Kitt was worried. Though he was probably right, if something had gone wrong, they''d know already. "Just, keep a watch out, tell me if you see them come back okay?" Headr nodded, his eyes now locked on the blacked, bruised and beaten goblin that she was dragging behind her. "That creature looks pretty beaten-" "I needed the practice, are you sure you wouldn''t rather spar with me later?" Aera tried to offer Headr a wry wink; though instead, the elf gulped and nearly took a step backwards, more threatened than romanced. "Hehe... yeah, m-maybe later Aera" Headr made his way back to the edge of the road, frame shrinking as he knelt over and balled up slightly, now just a bush on the road, with two deep amber eyes barely showing beneath vibrant green leaves and branches. "You''re a strange one Headr, you really are" The girl was met with an acknowledging grunt, then she started to head off again; Two humans and a goblin that strangely allied with them. It should be enough to impress father. Should.
Steal''s wounds had only multiplied as the elf dragged him further and further into the forest. He was barely listening as she spoke to some strange bushman, and still he held no protest as his little green head dragged on the stones.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Instead, he went limp, the restraints no longer hurt, his wrists and legs had long gone numb, even if they still bled in crimson trickles. The goblin merely let her drag him along, took weak to put up any resistance even if Steal felt like there was a point. He didn''t even notice he was falling until he struck the stones a few feet below him. He didn''t bother to turn his face away from the stone, eyes watching each cobbleas it passed below him, the elf was yet to stop dragging him along. He listened though, to the sound of metal striking metal, wood scraping wood. He was surrounded by so many, chattering away in a language he couldn''t understand. Light left him as he heard something heavy be parted above him and he was dragged inside a building. Cobblestone became filthy tiles. Steal squirmed angrily as he felt the vines that bound him release, cut. He kicked frantically, though something hard smashed against the back of his skull and made him go limp again. The goblin was lifted upwards, looking into the sharp, narrowed eyes of his captor. The soft green of her eyes betrayed the hardness of her glare. His hands were raised above his head, and his wrists were quickly bound around a thin metal beam with another thick vine. The elf let him go, and the goblin merely dangled in the air, a foot off the ground as his legs kicked to no avail. Shouting erupted outside. A voice with as much weight as Kor''Ak''s, and as fierce as the wyverns. "AERA!!!" His captor grimaced before turning and leaving the dark, dreary stone cell. "Coming!" Steal was left alone. Finally, he had a chance to collect himself, although his body screamed and his muscles ached; he had a chance to think. Left in relative silence and no longer suffering constant wounds and beatings. It was a chance he should capitalise on. But first, he had to figure out what sort of strength Maal had given him.
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Steal STR 26 Goblin 7 326/1139 XP
Race Goblin DEX 41 Hunter 6 102/759 XP
Age 3 Days AGI 34 Warlock 1 0/100 XP
HP 82/113 (2.9/m) FRT 29
MP 78/78 (2.0/m) INT 26
Affiliation N/A WIS 26
ADVANCED STATUS
Traits Skills Spells/Martial Arts
Trait Level Skill Level Spell/Art Level School
David 2 Sword Expertise 1 Daemon Bolt 1 Undermagic
Fleet-Of-Foot 1 Trapping 1 Summon Familiar 1 Undermagic
Wyrmslayer 1 Polearm Expertise 2
Magical Aptitude (Minor) MAX Target Locked 1
Daemon-Tongue 1 Unholy Communion 1
Aptitude (Warlock) 1 Bloodfuel 1
Daemon-Touched
Unholy Mark (Maal)
Daemon Bolt Undermagic
Prerequisites: INT 20, Unholy Mark (Trait) MP Cost: 15 Range: (1/3)INT x WIS
Daemon Bolt does Unholy damage, equivalent to 1/3rd of the Caster''s WIS + Any Modifiers. Unholy Mark (Maal): Daemon Bolt Deals Unholy Damage to The Caster Equal To Their Warlock Level. Daemon Bolt Deals An Extra 10% Of It''s Damage as Fire Damage.
Many dark contracts allow a being to manifest a patrons powers; this spell is both a fierce and fleeting example of this.
Summon Familiar Undermagic
Prerequisites: INT 25, Unholy Mark (Trait) MP Cost: 25% Of Max MP Range: 5 Feet Maximum Active Summons: 1
Summon Familiar will summon the caster''s bound familiar within 5 Feet of them. Summoned familiars appearances, abilties and attributes depend on their species and casters Warlock Level. If the caster does not already have a bound familiar, casting this spell will instead begin the process of binding a familiar. If a summoned familiar is slain or dies, they are instead desummoned and can be resummoned again when their HP is at maximum. A non-active familiar''s HP/m is derived from their own fortitude and any traits plus their summoner''s warlock level.
Perhaps the most defining thing about a Warlock is not their bolts of dark energy or daemonic patrons, but it is instead their infernal pets, that assist them in their often deemed as nefarious tasks.
These abilities were what caught Steal''s attention the most, and, with some sense of lingering resentment, he begrudgingly followed Maal''s advice. "Somka Vamilka!" And the demon spoke again, giggling to himself wildly. Summoning a familiar? This will be entertaining. Chapter 47 - Dark Safari The stone lost it''s colour, green moss dyed grey along with the rest of the world around him. A warm breeze turned to a frosty wind that made Steal''s blood run cold; the wind traced across his body like an invisible hand; building to a torrent before fading away. Invisible appendages clasped around his too-large skull, after a sudden, violent spike of pain, his body felt numb. The goblin''s eyes snapped to a close, gritting through the violent pain, and when they opened again; the room was gone. He felt his raw, bound hands come loose as his feet hit dirt, not stone. The stone walls were gone, the wooden beam above him had faded away into nothingness; the sound of elves working, chatting and patrolling left his ears. Just the sound of nature, crickets chirping and distant trees rustling. The peaceful ambience was broken by a raucious, unnervingly jolly voice from behind him. "Hello there!" Steal span on his heels, turning around and leaping backwards to stare down the creature that spoke behind him. His gaze met with a portly dwarf, sitting idly behind an almost pitch-black stone desk; the dwarf''s clothing looked ragged,with a slightly-oversized pith helmet atop his heavily wrinkled head. His eyes widened a little as his vision focused on Steal''s green skin, coal-black eyes and scrawny body. "Aye..a goblin? Warlocks of your kind are a little odd... So you cast the Summon Familiar spell right?" Steal didn''t quite understand what to be the most surprised by, the fact this strange man and the dark, gloomy forest he was now in seemed to appear from nowhere, or the fact that the words the goblin spoke in response were in a language that wasn''t his own, both alien and natural on his lips.
Daemon-Tongue Level 1 Is Now (Active)
"Yeah, I got captured by some people with pointy ears but after I cast it I ended up here... Who are you? Why are you here?" "My name is..." The dwarves portly face seemed to distort for a moment, pale skin was covered in thick fur, his mouth elongated to a snout and his pith helmet rose from his head as black, curled horns pushed it off his head. The odd dwarves head had become the spitting image of a goat''s head; and as fast as it had distorted into this freakish image, it returned to his previously jolly, pale-skinned and robust face; the horns pulled back into his skin and his hat unceremoniously fell back onto his head, albeit now a little lopsided.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Baphomet... Just call me B." Steal recoiled as Baphomet''s face morphed and shifted; hand reaching wildly for a blade in a scabbard that wasn''t there; fingers grasping uselessly at thin air; trying to find purchase of a weapon that wasn''t at his side. The goblin scanned over his ownbody; the belts that once held his dagger in place were gone as well; along with the clothes and metal bracers that Kor''Ak had given him. The little goblin was back to being as naked as when he was spawned. Unable to draw a weapon, Steal elected instead to simply bare his teeth. "What are you?" "Me? I''m a demon, naturally, and you''re in my world. My realm." The dwarf-goat-demon''s words were less jolly, rasping metalically from his tongue coldly, calmly and simply. "So I advise you don''t show me so much hostility, even if-" His face morphed and swelled back to the guise of a goat again. "-You find this unnerving." An odd warmth seemed to seep back into Baphomet''s words; though the smile he now forcefully wore on his goat-like mouth was disturbing and unnatural; sharp angles mashed together to make a fake, flimsy lie of a grin. "Well, anyways, let''s get on with this little contract thing; basically, here''s the gist of it, your stats don''t really do anything; all you have to do is persuade or capture a demonic being in this forest, you do that and boom you get a familiar. That''s it, simple as anything." "And?" The goblin spoke back, fangs nervously striking against his teeth as he forced his gaze to wander from the grotesque animal-headed demon. "There is no ''and''... Actually, I said your stats didn''t matter, that isn''t actually true. Since you''re not actually here, you''re physical body is still unconscious in that dismal makeshift prison you cast this spell in, which mean''s you''ll be using your Mana and Mana regeneration for your health as well, if you die here, you''ll just wake up where your physical body is; remember, you can always come back by casting the spell-". A distant rumbling in the distance, a towering, warped oak toppled and fell down back below the rest of the treeline as some unknown creature let loose a titanic, booming howl. Baphomet patiently waited for the violent, deafening echoes to finally fade "-And I think you''ll be coming back a few times before you''re done here." Steal''s body dropped, hands clutching at his ears when the roar struck him; something in his body screamed, something popped and tore as his hearing seemed to leave him, replaced with a neverending ringing that bounced through his skull. The goblin''s eyes turned salty as pained tears rolled down his cheeks; he blinked once, his eyes catching the blurry image of Baphomet waving his hand idly, muttering something that the goblin couldn''t hear. He blinked a second time; water beginning to leave his eyes as his vision focused on the hazy visage of Baphomet, long, barbed vines sprang from the ground in a perfect circle around the demon, closing around him. Steal blinked a third and final time, and Steal was alone, with nothing but a perfect circle of disturbed earth where Baphomet once was as the only evidence there was anyone other than him around in the first place. Slowly, and with great trepidation, the goblin picked himself up, let out a resigned, weary sigh and began on his way through this warped mess of trees and somehow malicious-looking brambles. Chapter 48 - The Realm Of Baphomet His initial feeling that the brambles that gathered in clumpsatop thegreying dead grass were somehow malicious was further proved when he felt a jaggedrow oftiny bladesslice through his flesh; a branch from one of the thorny shrubs to his sidehad suddenly sprang forwards, curling and tightening around his leg.
You Have Suffered 12 Damage.
The animated branch snaked upwards to Steal''s thigh, it''s lines of wooden fangs seeped with blood and stained red; drawing thin and rough crimson ravines across Steal''s flesh, green skin parting,as ifa scalpel was pressed against it. Steal grit his teeth, biting back a scream as he desperately tried to pry the bloodthirsty plant from his leg; the plant tensed like muscle as his palms gripped around it, the harder the goblin tried to pry the attacker from his leg, the tighter it curled itself, cutting deeper into his thigh with Steal finding no progress or success on his attempts to pull it off of him.
You Have Suffered8 Damage.
This time, the goblin couldn''t hold back his scream; he pulled his blood-slicked hands away from the branch that clamped harder around his leg, Steal had to try something, another way to get this thing off of him. He felt a sudden warmth in his right palm. His body felt more alive than ever before as an unfamiliar warmth seeped through every muscle and nerve; the warmth intensified to a burning heat as it fled from the rest of his body into his palm; a flash of light erupted from his hand, a mix of purples, reds and yellows as the Daemon Bolt burst forth like an arrow.
You Have Suffered 1 Unholy Damage. You Have Suffered 15 Damage.
The shot struck it''s target; the bloodied branch tightened wildly, then spasmed and pullled away as a myriad of purple and red flames writhed across it''s length, crawling forwards to whatever or wherever the goblin''s attacker came from. Steal darted after it, his body weary already, the spell had drained him and both his leg and hands seared and howled with pain. With every hasty step that Steal made forwards, a sharp pain ran up his body from the deep wounds that clustered around his leg, but the goblin pressed on. He sprang forwards into action as the flailing, flaming branch fled upwards along the bark of a tree and into the canopy overhead, the goblin''s claws dug into the rotted barkof the tree trunkas he clambered upwards after his new prey, intent on his revenge. Stealmade his way up quickly,broken branches and grainy, bulging deformities in the wood proved to be excellent footholds. Pulling himself upwards, Steal made it to the foot-thick treebranch where he could still see the dim glow of his flames, accompanied by a panicked screech. A small figure, only slightly larger than Steal himself was frantically beating the flames with one of it''s arms; the other arm being the branch that attacked him itself. The silhoutte of the creatures body against the darkness of the night and the light of his flames was vaguely that of a woman, though the smooth skin of most humanoids was forgone, instead having a distinctly browned, thorny and bark-like texture. As well as this, the creature didn''t show eyes similar to that of Steal''s companions, or even his sharp-eared captors; her eyes were more similar to Steal''s, one solid colour. Though unlike his, this bark-woman''s eyes were not large black coals, they gave off a sickly green light of their own, crystals that shone in their two sockets like gentle flames.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Though as her eyes narrowed and, their thin, unflickering green beamshaving settledon him, he felt no warmth or comfort. And as she screamed, flaming, tentacle-like arm lashing out towards him, Steal felt the cold fire that burned in those eyes. Just as much as hefelt the scorching fire form in his palm.
You Have Suffered 1 Unholy Damage. You Have Suffered 15 Damage.
The blast of writhing eldritch flame left his body, part of the bolt was taken by the bark-skinned creatures whip-like arm; though the rest crashed into her torso; and without a word, without any resistance, she was shrouded in his dark fire; like flickering, purple and red serpents swallowing her body whole. Her thorny arm spasmed and twitched as the flame took it too; the entire creature set alight like a pyre. Then the flames spread to the impossibly dry and barren tree they fought upon. The branch was alight as Steal hurried back to the treetrunk, claws raking their way down the dead bark as he swiftly clambered down; the goblin sprang to his feet and charged away from the tree as it was slowly engulfed in his self-made inferno; and until his breath was ragged and his muscles ached, he continued to run; eventually his green body collapsed against a large rock, the dirt around it was glassy, burned and scorched for several feet in a circle. After considering his previous encounter, having some distance from the flora in this dark place was something he''dfind comforting. It was only now that Steal found time to think about anything other than being attacked by shrubbery. The power still hummed in his body, he felt that warmth in his blood now, less alien, more natural as it flowed with every rapid beat of his heart. seeping into every muscle and ounce of flesh. Perhaps Maal hadn''t lied about him making him much stronger. The image of the burning wood-creature still played in his mind over and over. It was a moment he felt powerful. He knew he was powerful. Though everytime he thought of the energy that flowed in him, he thought on the pain that had wracked his body as he was branded, he though of that strange demon that had given it to him, and finally, he thought of the messages everytime he cast that spell. He knew that casting Daemon Bolt would cost him a tiny amount of HP, but everytime he cast it he took another fifteen damage without being struck by his assailant-turned-firewood. He certainly didn''t remember reading that in the description of the spell. Perhaps he should check again.
Summon Familiar Undermagic
Prerequisites: INT 25, Unholy Mark (Trait) MP Cost: 25% Of Max MP Range: 5 Feet Maximum Active Summons: 1
Summon Familiar will summon the caster''s bound familiar within 5 Feet of them. Summoned familiars appearances, abilties and attributes depend on their species and casters Warlock Level. If the caster does not already have a bound familiar, casting this spell will instead begin the process of binding a familiar. If a summoned familiar is slain or dies, they are instead desummoned and can be resummoned again when their HP is at maximum. A non-active familiar''s HP/m is derived from their own fortitude and any traits plus their summoner''s warlock level.
Perhaps the most defining thing about a Warlock is not their bolts of dark energy or daemonic patrons, but it is instead their infernal pets, that assist them in their often deemed as nefarious tasks.
His brain scanned across the text; then scanned again, this time, he looked for where the fifteen damage each time might have come from. The spell cost fifteen mana. What had Baphomet said earlier? that mana was his health... Steal''s eyes dropped to the glassy floor below him, ears drooping ever so slightly. He probably couldn''t use his power that much here. He felt the rock shift behind him, a great shadow rose infront of him, then he felt something crunch. Well, he both felt and heard alot, ALOT of things crunch.
You Have Suffered 572 Damage. You Are Dead.
Apparently, what he''d heard was every bone in his body being crushed into dust. Chapter 49 - Minor Complications "-You know that you can''t just go wandering off out there! You are no Nuka! The outskirts of ourforestare a dangerous place; what if the humans you claim to have captured had caught you instead!? WHAT THEN!?" The girl should have expected this, her father was protective, more so than any of the other parents in her tribe, and now that she was sat here, legs crossed on the earthen floor of the chief''s tent, she knew he wasright, atleast partly. If one of the men wasn''t unconscious and the other hadn''t been so wounded and exhausted, they probably could have killed her. But she''d made a good decision, she knew it, they were weak, so she took advantage of that situation. So she didn''t merely nod in reply, her response came through after a low growl on a sharp tongue. "Well I wasn''t going to get captured was I? They were weak, easy prey. I took advantage of them being weak and got them all!" "What if there were more? What if the unconscious one had woken up? What if they had a way of healing themselves?" "-I" Aera caught herself before she spoke. She knew she was in the right, she did the right thing; she did well. "Well they didn''t did they!? Or else I wouldn''t be here right now would I! Why are you giving me shit for a great hunt!" Her father sighed, the mixture of white and black feathers in his messy black mane swayed with the chilly breeze that drifted into the tent. His chest rose as he took a deep breath, ready to bellow out again. Her ears twitched, so did her father''s. A stream of images ran rampant through her mind. Though the two that brought her the most worry were image of pale, green-painted hands bound in vines and the blurry image of a blonde-haired human in a black waistcoat darting off through the forest, a spray of purple crystal erupting from behind him. The pale one that she had beaten to a pulp. She felt a pain that burned in her chest, like a blade had been lodged in it, then the images cut away, leaving her with an empty, hazy feeling in her brain that made her feel numb and dizzy. Her father sighed again. His large, green eyes meeting hers. His voice was softer now, though she could feel the flashes of rage, seething red in his calling. "We have lost a Nuka today. At the hands of your... trophy. I hope you feel happy." Her father was both a chief and Nuka, and although many of her tribes Nuka were young in body and old in soul, he was old in body too. Yet his frame still towered over her as he groaned, bones creaked as he rose. The earth felt like it might shake beneath his first, weighty step. Aera looked up at him as he moved towards her, her mouth opened to speak, to apologise, to beg for forgiveness.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He spoke first. "Do not waste your breath Kuun" His body moved past her, more of his bones creaked and his legs shook now, yet he pressed forwards, lifting the leather drape that covered the entrance to the tent open and moving out into the square. She should follow, go with him, talk to him. She tried to lift her body up, to stand up, but her legs felt weak, frail and numb, she rose, she fell, then she sat. Ears twitching as sad blues painted her mind, mournful cries erupted from outside the tent, she pressed her hands to her ears, to deafen the sound. It didn''t matter, those same sad blues and cries bounced through her mind. Images she couldn''t blind herself from. Cries she couldn''t deafen herself to.
Steal woke screaming, his bodyburned with pain and he shook violently, if his arms weren''t bound above him and his feet weren''t dangling a foot off the ground, he might have collapsed to the floor.
MP Depleted.
The goblin was silenced by screams that weren''t his own, cries caused by a pain not physical. Each new voice added to the other, each howl a new part of a shrill, violent chorus. He could hear them scream amongst each other outside. Though one voice rose above them all. The powerful, booming roar that had made the pointy-eared female to cringe and leave him. "Kitt of Veera! Grab your bows, knives and spears! One of our own has been slain; they shall be avenged!" The cries slowed, silenced, then they morphed, transformed into angry, raging, defiant roars. "Kill the human!" "End him!" "Find him!" Countless footsteps, the sound of bare feet hurriedly slapping on stone, metal scraped metal, more footsteps, the creak of a bowstring being pulled backwards, then the sound of a thin wood shaft clattering against the stone. More footsteps, more angry roars. They seemed to fade away, footsteps getting further and further away. It was silent for a good few minutes, nothing but the sound of birds chirping away and the wind rustling the leaves of trees, andSteal just hung there, he could feel the muscles in his arms scream in protest, he wasn''t sure how long he had been dangling here, but he knew he hated it, and so did his body. The goblin ached all over, pain fading to an uncomforting numbness that seemed to seep into his body. Slowly, ever so slowly the goblin''s eyes began to droop; until a familiar voice startled him awake. It was deep, gruff, hard and comforting. It brought memories of battling with giant flame-breathing lizards and pus-covered goblins. "Little green one! Are you okay?" Of course, he couldn''t understand a word of what the voice was saying, it was comforting nonetheless, to know he was here with him. Kor''Ak. But his voice was faint, it felt so distant, far away. Another voice, still familiar. Just a lot less comforting. Smoother, colder, more shrill. The drape that covered the stone doorway into the goblin''s room parted, vibrant green eyes looked at him, narrowing as she hissed through fanged teeth. "He won''t be okay if I don''t find out where the other shit-eating human is!" A thin grey blade pressed against thick green skin, parting like it was beneath a scalpel, trickles of blood rand down along his chest, dripping onto the grimy tiles below him. Naturally, Steal shrieked and flailed, kicking in a desperate, and ultimately pointless attempt at getting away from her blade; the goblin swung back, and if the elf hadn''t pulled her blade back away from him, he likely would have skewered himself on it accidentally. His deep voice felt a little less soothing now, alot sharper, angry. "What are doing to him!" "Like I said, if I don''t find out where your friend is, I''m going to make him not okay!" The blade pressed a little deeper against his flesh. Steal screamed. Kor''Ak roared. And yet, the rather dull sound of a wooden club striking hard against the head of a pale-skinned, pointy-eared woman seemed so much louder. Another familiar voice. "Ello greenie!" Chapter 50 - Reunion Steal''s toothy smile sprang from a pained, worried grimace as his own grin met with the practically blinding white one that shone from the face of a certain blonde magician. Kelvin dropped his club and bent down, undoing the belt that held a long, curved blade at the elves side; pulling the blade from its scabbard he took a few short steps forward and roughly began to saw the vines that bound Steal''s arms. SNAP The goblin dropped, knees buckling as his rump hit the cold stone. He let out a slight yelp, but more surprised, not his previous pained shrieks and cries. Kor''Ak''s voice seemed to roar out after Steal yelped again. "Little green one, are you alright?!" Steal yelped out excitedly as Kelvin finished with freeing him "Yaka gra ya ya!" The blonde rose up as Steal clambered upright, this time he was the one to call out "He''s fine Kor''Ak, just bleeding a bit and looks like he could do with a good rest..." His eyes wandered along the dark blue and black splotches, and the many thin red lines that crossed his green skin like crimson rivers. "A very good rest." Kelvin turned around and parted the hide tarp that covered the stone entrance, holding it up for Steal to pass under; the goblin promptly moved past him and took in the area around him. A great stone plaza, ill-kept grey cobblestone went on in a hundred foot wide circle, with small, square stone buildings encircling it; they really were small, more like hovels than homes; no more than fifteen feet in either dimension; at least that was the size of the room that Steal had been strung up in, and they all looked rather uniform. Atop of the first row of stone hovels there was another, the roof of the first floor of buildings being a stone pavement for the second floor, and past that, the trees rose high around it. Finally, Steal''s eyes glanced across the two great carved stone pillars that rose above him. He squinted, his neck craned backwards to take in the full-size of the great columns of rock. The columns joined together into one, a smaller, sculpted ball of rock, Steal could make out the sight of stone ears, empty, cold eyes, a robust nose and a plain, uncaring frown. He paused. What stood before him was a gargantuan stone man, a human; features impeccable and body chiselled to what some might consider perfection; though there were noticeable imperfections, chips in the stone, worn and weathered features, now dull when they were once sharp; with perhaps the most noticeable of the differences between the statue and a normal human being the loss of an arm; the colossal statue''s left shoulder ended abruptly, jagged and broken. The missing feature could be seen lying a little ways away from the statues boulder-like feet; a disembodied arm had left great cracks in the stone it must have fallen on; and in that arm''s stony fist, it gripped a great blade, maybe thirty feet along, carved with faded ruins and unintelligible marks. The blade would be impressive, if it''s tilted sword hadn''t been used as a roof. Thick leathers, hides and grassed had been nailed into the blade, dangling over the side; with a number of bedrolls, and even a fire beneath its shadow. Yet Steal was in awe. And Kelvin was something else entirely. His mouth was not agape, his eyes weren''t wide, he simply murmured lightly to himself in the language that all the human''s he''d seen had spoken in. "An Engine of Jaggart... Damaged, but it''s here... Young William would love to hear of this" He shook his head. Resigned himself to take note later and spun around. "Kor''Ak! Gimme a yell fella!" That ever familiar, stalwart voice boomed out. "Over here! Now get me down, you moustache-twirling magician!" Steal yipped excitedly as he sprang towards the sound of Kor''Ak''s voice, Kelvin just behind, spurs clicking against the stones at his feet. The blonde parted another hide cover over a different stone doorway; and as the light seeped into the room, Steal saw him. He looked a little frailer without his armour; a little less robust without his massive shield, and a little less dangerous without a sword in his hand. Yet there was a fierceness in his eyes that Steal could see, a fire that seemed like it might burn away the grime and blood that painted his flesh. The lines of lifeblood that flowed in great falls from his body made Steal''s injuries look trivial, deep lines that carved through his muscle; and just like with Steal, these rivers flowed and dripped from his body onto the mossy, filthy tiles below him. But unlike the goblin''s few drops and splatters of blood; the tiles below him were covered in a thick, deep red pool; and still he dripped, bloody teardrops falling from his stomach.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The man''s dark skin was a few shades paler, and now so was Kelvin''s as he looked at the Djaal''s scarred and mutilated body. The blonde brought the curved blade up again, sharp edge sawing its way through the vines that bound him. Heavy feet stained themselves red as they splashed down into a crimson puddle, and the bloodied Djaal spoke. "Well. Let''s get moving." He took a weighty step, his legs shook, then his knees buckled and he fell to them, a trickle of scarlet flowing across his lips as he coughed and sputtered; Kor''Ak grimaced, placing his hand on the tiles and he struggled to bring himself back onto his feet; legs shook as they straightened, his chest rose and fell with every ragged breath. He stood tall, coughed another spray of blood and fell once more. Steal darted to him, but Kelvin was the one to speak. "You can''t go on like this, you need to rest." "Not enough time" "Those elves are all out looking for me, I lost the ones that caught me." "How long ago did you lose them?" "I umm... Maybe five... ten minutes ago?" "They are Kitt, if they''re anything like the Nakitt of Djaal, they''ll have found your trail by now. You have to get moving." Kelvin''s wiped a long streak of sweat from his brow "Well... They gotta have some healing potions or something..." Kor''Ak took a ragged breath, stifling another cough "G-Get-" He dropped to the tiles again, choking and striking his red-fist into his chest "-Some healing and mana potions, I can keep myself together with that for a little, then we gotta arm up and move out." Kelvin gave a curt nod and dashed off out of the tent, Steal looked at Kor''Ak intently for a moment, large, coals-for-eyes trying to take in all of the wounded man. Kor''Ak nodded, and a shaky hand pointed out the doorway and into the plaza. "Go help." Steal nodded, sighed, and spun around, hurrying after Kelvin. He pushed the leather out of his way and let it swing back behind him; Kor''Ak let out a much more violent cough this time as he was left in darkness again. He could see Kelvin already picking through the wooden crates and decrepit, warped barrel that were strewn about the plaza. Steal wasn''t sure what he was supposed to be looking for, all he knew was that Kor''Ak was hurt badly. The goblin''s eyes rose above the stone plaza and focused on the woods that encircled it. It was only then that he noticed the tents, dozens upon dozens of them in various sizes lined the woodland above them, some hiding between the trees, others in plain view. Naturally, Steal found the largest to be the most interesting, and thus he scurried forwards, there was a stairway to his left, worn stone steps slick with moss and a little blood. The stairs were small, slightly too large to feel natural to Steal, but they were much smaller than the steps he had seen in the town Kor''Ak had brought him to. Another staircase led to the top of the second floor, he strode up that as well. He stumbled his way forwards, feeling the softness of wet grass on the soles of his feet as stone rooves turned to a grassy, natural floor. He brushed past the hide covering of the largest tent, green grass gave way to dead earth below the tent; three bedrolls lay on the left of the tent, and a heavy, iron-bound chest lay haphazardly open on the right side of the room; there was a firepit in the centre, still smouldering. Steal passed by the burnt out fire and peered into the chest; blades, thick, thin, short and long were piled along the bottom of the chest; with an array of glass vials, full of a variety of odd-looking liquids sat on top; there were other things, jewellery, clothes, red stains long-seeped into them that Steal ignored. His mind went back to the first time he had met Kor''Ak, when he had collapsed, and the man had poured something sickeningly sweet down his throat. Thick and vile. But it had made him feel better, a lot better. The goblin brought his hand down into the chest and pulled out a dagger, it wasn''t a dainty thing like what Kor''Ak had gotten him, it was crude, unclean, covered in something brown. Blood or rust, Steal didn''t know. He placed the blade in his mouth, teeth tightening around it and holding it as he dove into the chest again, filling his arms with the glass vials; he spun on his heels and sprang off hurriedly again. By the time Steal had gotten back to Kor''Ak, Kelvin was still digging through barrels and boxes; he smiled when he caught sight of the goblin, overloaded with a number of tinctures. Kelvin seemingly gave up on his search then, instead, starting towards the racks of weapons and other gear that were strewn around outside the second-floor hovels. Kor''Ak smiled a little as Steal bent low, the glass vials gently clinking against the stone floor as he rolled them along to Kor''Ak, who was picking through them all and talking to himself as he analysed them. "Cure for Diarrhoea, a bunch of generic antidotes" He grimaced a little, reading out the label on one of the vials to himself "Levi''s Vigor Brew - For when you need to rise to the occasion in the bedroom" Eventually, he settled on fourteen vials, the liquid inside them was a dirty brown colour, like sewage. He poured the first down his throat. His open wounds slowly began to seal themselves shut. Another, he looked like he might wretch, but he gulped it down to the last drop, then he rose to his feet, just in time to see Kelvin dart back into the stone hovel, A small bag on his back and a bundle of blades in his arms, a blade hung from a belt by his side, not the curved one from them elf, it looked a little cleaner. A little. Kor''Ak gestured for Kelvin to spin around, he opened his bag and let Kor''Ak drop the remaining vials into it, they clinked together as they dropped. Kelvin dropped the blades to the floor, letting Kor''Ak choose between them all; he settled on a longsword, thick as Steal''s arm; he hefted it over his shoulder. "Let''s get moving" The trio marched back out into the plaza; to be met by a pale elf, wide green eyes narrowing on them, focusing intently on Kelvin''s jugular, she bore her fangs and roared out "Killer!" Steal saw her long ears twitch for a moment. Kor''Ak''s grip tightened around his hefty blade before speaking to Kelvin "She''s calling, we have to go. Now!" Chapter 51 - A Call For Help Aera felt the knot in her stomach as she stood there, bow levelled at the trio in front of her. She''d captured them before. She was a strong hunter. She could beat them again. But still, she called out in her mind, sending images of the three in bursts to whoever could hear her calling. A string of words, a menagerie of voices, yet one rose above the rest. Father. Aera! Run, We''re on our way! Part of her knew she was right, part of her whispered that word, run, in her mind. Though it was a weak voice that was quelled by the rage and confidence that filled her. "Die humans!" She pulled the bowstring back, the nock of her arrow between her fingers. She loosed it and it soared, screaming towards the chest of the large, dark-skinned human in the centre of the three. "Multi-Shot!" The arrow hummed and split, too high to strike the goblin, but the other two found their prey. The wizard let out a pained scream as his palm stretched towards her; though the arrow that sank into the dark-ones skin found it''s target and buried deep into his shoulder, too slow to avoid it completely, but fast enough that he likely stopped his heart being pierced. That man didn''t yell. His eyes burned as they narrowed on her, and her own eyes fixed on the thick, heavy blade in his hand. She was a good hunter. She could do this. She reached for another arrow as the goblin and dark-human advanced on her. She could see them charging, she could see them coming. "Spatial Swap!" Now all she could see was a stone wall, she span on her heels and turned around to see the blonde human stood where she was. She was so shocked she almost didn''t notice when a fist the size of her head rammed her in the stomach. Her breath left her after that, her thoughts lost focus. She grabbed her bow in both hands, trying to swing it down like a club on her assailant.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The wood splintered on the man''s dark body, cracked and bent as it slammed against his back. Another fist. Another pain that brought her to the ground. She coughed, cried, desperate for breath. She was strong. She had already caught them. Why- Her thoughts were cut short as something heavy slammed into the back of her head and brought her face to the stones.
The elven woman lay at his feet, dashed against the cobblestone of the plaza. Kelvin was behind him and the goblin was cackling as his green legs shuffled himself towards the girl, clawed fingers gripping the crude beaten-iron dagger in his hand. Kor''Ak spoke. "Get me some rope or something!" Kelvin spoke back. "Why? She tried to kill us, just finish her off, you said we were in a hurry!" The Djaal growled, he''d killed the bandits that attacked them earlier, and it still weighed on him. Especially the ones that ran. He was scared, taken lives he didn''t need to. The warrior wouldn''t blame himself for the lives of those he had taken that never stopped attacking him until he killed them. But he would blame himself for killing those that didn''t wish to fight him anymore, and he wouldn''t kill what couldn''t fight him. "Just do it!" His hand shot out as he heard something whip through the air, a long vine had been tossed towards him and he caught it in a bundle, kneeling down and gripping her arms, using his knee to keep them together as he tied them behind her. He pulled the vine tight and knelt down next to her, mouth beside her ear. "We''re going west, back to Veera. Tell your people not to follow us." His voice took on a colder tone, sharp and heavy, like a battering ram finally tearing down a gate. "Or they will die." He stood up, left her there, to wallow in the blood that spilt from her nose and the pained tears that fell from her eyes. "Kelvin, let''s get going, we have to head west back to Veera, get another caravan or something." Naturally, the blonde protested "No no, We can''t do that, I need to get to the capital as soon as possible!" Kor''Ak moved towards him, rose a hand to shush him pulled him close, his voice quiet, but still sharp as a dagger. "Be quiet and follow me." The Djaal stomped off, his fingers found purchase on the arrow lodged in his shoulder. Then he pulled. Hard. He could stop his yell, but he couldn''t hold back the scowl across his face as the barbed arrow took strips of his flesh with it as it left his body, he dropped the bloodied projectile and let it clatter against the stones, hitting the floor as hard as it''s shooter had. "And take that damned arrow out Kelvin, knowing Kitt it''s smeared in shit." A shrill feminine cry hit his ears. Kelvin had pulled the arrow out. The trio scurried off, making their way up the stone stairways as fast as they dared. The magician and the monster filed in behind Kor''Ak, following along without complaint; though he could tell they were exhausted, none of them had slept or eaten, and they''d been doing nothing but fighting, running and getting hurt for too long. Ragged breaths, stumbling footsteps and the occasional trip or fall. None of them could outpace a band of Kitt that were in hot pursuit. Which is why he was marching them east. Chapter 52 - Oh Gee Rick, Theres A Lot Of POVs Now. She was expecting to have her neck sliced off at any moment as she was brought to the floor, but it never came, just footsteps as the human''s talked amongst each other. She could understand them, but she wasn''t listening, her hearing felt fuzzy, her body was numb. Her arms were roughly pulled out from under her and held behind her. They''re gonna execute me. Chop my head off, slit my throat, run me through and leave my corpse here for my family to come across. Something heavy pressed on her hands, then she felt them get lashed together, a long vine pulled taught around her wrists. Making it so I can''t struggle when they kill me. Maybe they want to make a show of it. She felt the warmth of something press against her, an exhale beside her ear. They''re gonna taunt me before killing me. Fucking monsters. The warmth of someone''s breath ran across her ears as someone spoke in a deep, weighty and hollow voice. "We''re going west, back to Veera. Tell your people not to follow us. Or they will die." Her thunderous heartbeat slowed as the warmth pulled away. Maybe they were giving her false hope, a cruel act of giving her hope before they disembowelled her. She lay there, waiting for the sharp song of steel cutting through the air, then through her neck, or even the sound of her neck crunching as a great weight was brought down on it. Or even a heavy boot splitting her skull like a nut. None of it ever came. Just the sound of metal spurs clicking against the stones, of clawed feed tapping on cobbles, and of heavy, bare feet thudding against the ground. All of these sounds heading to the east.
MP Depleted. Is No Longer Active.
She lay there, waiting for something to end her. Nothing. She wasn''t sure how long she spent there, face pressed into a mixture of her tears, snot and blood; but she knew to stay still, too scared of what might happen if she moved. She thought she was strong. She was Kuun. Her father was right, she was young, arrogant and quick-tempered. Then she heard them uncountable footsteps, quick, light and with purpose. Though one moved with more purpose, with more quickness and a lot more weight than the rest. "Aera! Daughter, are you okay?" Large, hairy arms wrapped around her, pulled her up, span her around to face him. Large green eyes, wide with the worry that danced across his normally hard and stony face as he took in her injuries. Aera brought a hand up, wiping a fresh stream of blood from her nose before she spoke; though she could feel the copper-tasting liquid on her tongue and down her throat. "I''m okay. They said they''d kill everyone that followed them..." A voice of one of the younger elves, a boy only a little older than Aera rose through the worried murmurs of the crowd around them. "Kill us? The pitiable humans couldn''t lay a scratch on us!"The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Her father silenced him with an outstretched finger before speaking to her again, a rough hand wiping a stream of tears from her cheek. "Where did they go, dear girl? We''ll find them..." He pulled her into a tight embrace, the feeling of arms, strong as rock wrapping around her back brought her some comfort. But she still shook. "T-they said they''d kill everyone, didn''t you hear me? Don''t go after them, there''s no point, they must already be far away..." "I''ll get them back for what they''ve done to you dear daughter, if you tell us where they''ve gone, we can find them." Aera looked into her father''s eyes, so wide, such a vibrant green reflected by her own eyes. She was here. She wasn''t dead. She wanted to know why that was. And she didn''t want to chance losing the last of her family. "They... They went west, I heard them talking about going to that human town near the forest... Veera." Her father nodded, gestured to the west, through the forest; she felt his lips press against her blood-smeared forehead. "Kitt of Veera, look upon what they have done to my beloved daughter. They killed one of us and nearly killed the other. They have gone to the west, trying to scurry behind their walls, hide in their homes amongst each other. We will not allow that! My fellow Kitt, we shall find them!" More roars, more angry, more furious, fires in their hearts and in there bodies stoked by the sight of the broken, pale elf held in her father''s arms. "KILL THEM. KILL THEM. KILL THEM." And they broke off into the woods once more. "I will go find them, daughter, they''ll suffer for what they''ve done for you." "Yes, chie-... Father... Be careful." She felt the floor below her vanish as he lifted her up, set her to rest on a bed of straws and hides beneath the great stone sword in the middle of the plaza. "I will..." He turned away from her, rising tall, ready to follow after his other hunters. "Headr, get her some water and take care of her, anything bad happens to her, you''re responsible!" The boy was one of the slowest Kitt in her tribe, it made sense that her father had managed to catch him to play nurse before he scurried off after the others. And so, he called back to her father "Yes chief! I will care for her as best I can!" Her father responded with nothing more than a gruff grunt of acknowledgement; he turned, one last glance at Aera before he started running; she couldn''t hear him, but she saw his lips move. I love you. And with that, he was gone, his green-painted pale frame vanishing amongst the trees. Headr moved towards her and she sprang to her feet as she addressed him. "Headr, get some food and water for the both of us, enough for a few days." "A few days? You can''t be thinking of leaving, your hurt, and your father said you were my responsi-" She pressed her blood-caked hand to his mouth. "Promise me you won''t use your calling and rat me out. The humans didn''t kill me, they could have, I want to know why. I''m going after them." "Everyone else is faster than us and they''re already moving, there''s not a chance we can catch up to them, nevermind get to the human''s first" Aera grabbed one of the sections of hide used for the bed she lay on, wiping another flow of blood from her nose before smirking. "I said don''t you dare use your calling, you better not, because I''m gonna tell you something you can''t tell anyone else, got that?" Headr paused for a moment, his eyes locking on hers, wide and curious. She asked again. "Got that?" He nodded. "They went east." His eyes went wider now. "You lied to your father?" "I do it all the time, why stop now?" She grinned at the long, weighty sigh that hissed from his mouth slowly. He took another breath, she watched his chest rise as he spoke. "Let me guess, you''re going, either way, I can''t stop you, and your father will kill me if I stay here and let you go alone?" Aera nodded, a coy smile that she''d often used on Headr to get her own way when they were younger painted on her face. Another sigh poured from his mouth. "Okay, okay, you get yourself cleaned up and I''ll get some packs together." Headr wandered off, his steps quick, she could tell he was nervous; he''d seen the same calling she had, perhaps he was worried about his death; though he also knew he''d be more likely to die if Aera snuck off before the chief got back and Headr was still here. Aera sluggishly stomped off to one of the stone washbasins around the stone plaza. The dwarves that built this place seemed to care about keeping clean; the Kitt that killed them and took this place as a new site for their tribe only ever used these to get rid of their Kuun body paints before they had their Nuka one''s painted on. Her hands dipped into the water, she raised them up, cupped together and splashed the water in her hands across her face a few times until she was satisfied; she''d dry herself off with someone''s bed later. Aera started rummaging through bows as Headr was off rummaging for supplies; eventually, she found one tuned how she liked, and she slung it over her back, along with grabbing a few more arrows for her quiver. That part of her that wanted her to stay here, safe spoke again; and again, she squelched it out. They hadn''t killed her. She was going to find out why. Chapter 53 - Not A Death March, Just a... Tiring March? I Guess. Two hours. Two hours of trudging through this forest were all they could endure; Kelvin''s already porcelain skin had turned ghostly white as he stumbled and fell forwards, whilst the goblin''s tiny feet seemed unable to carry him on any further as he occasionally collapsed, breath ragged and cheeks flushed. Even he could feel it, Kor''Ak''s body ached, his wounds had closed into new scars; but they still sent shocks of pain, followed by numbness across his body. The djaal knew for a fact that he could press on when the other two couldn''t; he could fight through the feeling of his body shutting down as his muscles threatened to snap. But he was a soldier. Was. Not anymore. He shook that thought from his mind as he let his hand rise, taking a ragged breath of his own. "We rest here; five minutes." They weren''t soldiers, they had never been. They needed rest. His bare ass hit the dirt the second he stopped and told them to rest; his head lay back as his body screamed and roared for food and water, any sustenance that would keep it going. Of course, they had no food, no water. They had rushed off the second they tied up the elven girl. Their only hope of survival was her telling the other''s they had gone west; Kor''Ak had seen the tents and the buildings, all the food, weapons and beds strewn about the place haphazardly. They were far too many to fight. and the Kitt certainly knew that; if he and the other two were spotted by even one of them, they''d all come, and the exhausted trio would die in a second. All these thoughts and worries passed through Kor''Ak''s head as he lay there, the back of his head resting on a damp, mossy log. If it came to it, he''d start sucking on the moss for moisture. He took in another breath, sharp pain cutting itself down his bone-dry throat. Screw it. The Djaal span around, lips pressed against the moss now as he sucked thirstily on it; just a few drops, just a little. He felt the wetness roll down his throat and he traced his mouth across the moss, sucking out more of the moisture.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Now it was his stomach that roared in protest. He pulled his head back, brought his calloused fingers to grip on the bark of this tree; found a grip, pulled hard. With a too-satisfying crunch, the bark peeled away; countless beetles and other insects scurried below along the wood, worms writhed and something chittered and clicked. He picked one of the worms out carefully, pressed the thumb and his forefinger against its body and dragged his hand across its length; pushing a thick black sludge out one end. He opened his mouth wide, eyes shut as he grimaced at the idea of what he was doing. He let the worm drop, felt it writhe on his tongue, then felt its blood fill his mouth as his teeth closed around it. CHOMP CHOMP GNASH GNASH Kor''Ak turned to see Kelvin and Steal tearing through chunks of smoked meats; leather water canteens at their feet. Kelvin''s bag lay open beside the wizard, and the blonde-moustached man spoke, eyes a little wide in shock and confusion as he looked at Kor''Ak. "What the fuck are you doing?" He spat the worm out on the floor, it''s body was split in half, but it still wriggled away along the grass amongst his saliva and spit, Kor''Ak turned on Kelvin with a scowl "Didn''t think to tell me you had food and water on you?" "You never asked" "Why would I ask for something I didn''t know you had?" "I thought you knew, really. I''ve taken the water out a few times for me and the goblin a bunch of times." Kor''Ak sat back, wiped the sweat off of his brow, and then wiped away the droplets of rancid water on his lips. He didn''t offer Kelvin a response as he continued to spit onto the floor, trying to get the taste of dirt and worm out of his mouth. "Would you like some meat?" Kor''Ak scowled, then nodded, catching the hunk of red flesh that Kelvin threw towards him. And the wizard didn''t stop speaking, pausing only once to take a deep drink from the canteen and his feet before he carried on. "Sorry, I know it doesn''t taste of dirt and isn''t wriggling, I know you''d prefer something that did." Kor''Ak''s eyes narrowed on the rows of white teeth that filled the wizard''s wide smile, and wondered how many he could knock loose with a headbutt. The food was unbearably dry, even his rations were leagues above this meat in taste. But he wolfed it down nonetheless, his stomach still unsatisfied, even as he picked the last strings of meat from his teeth and swallowed them. He opened his mouth, tried to speak, but his breath was too hoarse to say anything without causing him pain. Instead, Kelvin kept on speaking as he pulled the canteen away from his green companion, who had nearly drunk the entire thing at once. "Water?" Kor''Ak nodded and caught the nearly empty canteen that the blonde man tossed towards him. He let the lukewarm water gush down his throat as he swallowed hard, and he didn''t stop till the canteen was as dry as the deserts of Djaal. He tossed the canteen back to Kelvin, they might find a chance to refill it somewhere later. Another deep breath, Kor''Ak rose to his feet "We gotta go now." The wizard wined, of course. "My legs hurt though" "Your leg''s will stop hurting when a hundred elves come, slit your throat and use your desiccated corpse as decoration." Kelvin swallowed hard, looked at the ground below him and stood up; he seemed disheartened by Kor''Ak''s words for a moment, but when he looked up, Kor''Ak saw that same too-wide smile. In truth, Kor''Ak wanted to rest more as well, though the shadows he caught in the corner of his eye meant they had to get moving. They were being followed. They had to hurry. Chapter 54 - A Cold Night Sturdy fingers ran their way along her stomach; fingertips ever-so-gently pressing on her bare skin as she felt a warmth take her, felt the press of his body behind her. She purred lightly, and the fingers sprung away from her, darting back to the sides of their owner. Headr grumbled from behind her, just like he''d been grumbling the other ten times he''d done this for her. "You really make all this very... very uncomfortable." "Well, you do have magic fingers" "Yeah... I know I do? I''m a druid, it is y''know... the point?" And again, Headr pulled out the same response, his words weren''t cold, harsh or cruel; but there was something annoying about the way he spoke. At least, that was how Aera saw it. Her elbow dug slightly into his stomach and Headr pulled away, though his voice didn''t stop "Are you feeling okay? I can see the bruises on your skin; you shouldn''t be running after them, if you don''t let your injuries rest they''ll just get worse." Aera span on him and smirked, "Well that''s what you''re for, making sure I keep together and all that." She knew that she shouldn''t be considering this man as annoying, without him, she''d have keeled over from the pain a long time ago, every hour or so of travel she had to pause while he worked his magic, she wasn''t sure what magic that even was, but it made her feel a hell of a lot better. Headr''s reply came off somewhat resigned, it was possible he wasn''t too happy about her just using him for his magic. "I know I know... I''ll take first watch" His eyes rose tentatively to the few shafts of a starry night sky that dotted the tree canopy above "If the others were here, they''d demand we kill them..." Now his eyes dropped, looking down on the trio below the twokitt."We''ve been following them all day, they must be exhausted" His breath seemed to leave him as he lay back against the great trunk of the tree they were sat in. "TheNukatold us all these stories, how they were monsters, that did nothing but kill and breed, but-" Aera cut him off with a finger; he hadn''t noticed, but she had. Two of the people below them were fast asleep, but the darker one, naked and bloody seemed to be looking straight up at them, eyes staring blankly into the tree the kitt were resting in. Headr went still, so did Aera; she felt her heart rise in her chest. If he saw them now, he''d wake the other human and the goblin.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Her mind flashed back to what had happened only recently, the origin of the pain that roared in her stomach every so often. What even happened. I was standing there, looking at the humans, and then I wasn''t... The human below looked away as he shuffled awkwardly on the fallen tree he was resting his back on, eyes settling on someplace far, far away. Aera motioned down to Headr, and the two dropped to the branch below them. For anything that wasn''t kitt, the three claw marks on the bark of the tree here would mean nothing, but to a kitt- Headr ran his finger along the trunk, his nails found grip on something. KACHUNK And he pulled a thin layer of bark off of the tree in a near-perfect circle; revealing a hole a half-metre in diameter that led into a hollow in the wood; the greatest of the trees in this forest could grow to five metres in width, and even though this one was one of the smaller Greatwoods, the three metre hollow would be a good place to rest. He gestured for Aera to enter, and as she clambered through, he pushed the thick bark cover back into its place. "I''ll wake you up when they start moving" "... Thanks, Headr." Aera hit the rough wood floor beneath her, left in darkness with nothing but the sound of her own body, and the occasional chitter of a bug as it crawled beside her. The kitt''s hand shot out, gripping some unknown, many-legged creature as it struggled. She felt around as it wriggled in her hands, fingers latching around its head and she pulled, the head of the bug, a centipede, popped of rather satisfyingly. Her mouth opened wide. CRUNCH Her fangs tore through a bitter-tasting carapace. She had some supplies on her, so did Headr; but there was always a slight bit of thrill eating raw, especially when her food still struggled. CRUNCH The last of the insect sank down her throat. She heaved herself off the floor, instead, sitting up and resting her head on the rough-carved wood walls around her. Her eyes ever-so-slowly fluttered to a close, and she let her calling out once before she fell asleep. "Goodnight" "Goodnight"
He knew he saw... something above them, he heard it too, murmurs carried through the night winds. But Kor''Ak just lay there; whoever it was that had been following them was yet to attack, and if the Kitt tribe knew where they were, they would already be dead. Perhaps they weren''t out to kill him and the other two, but whilst he was being watched, followed and stalked, he wouldn''t sleep. So he just lay there, eyes looking off into the night, the few shafts of moonlight that managed to pierce through the canopy illuminated the grass and woods around them dimly; though one shaft of light struck Steal''s sleeping body and only now, when the adrenaline was long gone and his body screamed a little less in protest did he see it. The mark, bright and red burned onto the goblin''s green chest. His fingers ran across his own, coarse digits rubbing against the raised red skin on the back of his neck. He''d sold far too much for that demon''s assistance. It wasn''t worth it. It was too late to stop the little goblin, all he could do was hope the green creature''s deal was far better than his own. Author AMA (Closed) An AMA (Ask Me Anything) is basically the best way for me to cop out on writing more for the day. I kid, I kid. I''d love to interact with my readers (my discord server isn''t doing too well) a little more, and since I have the day free (Though I''m still gonna work on the next chapter) I figured, why not do an AMA.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. So if you have any questions, whether they''re about me, Greenskin or literally anything else you''d like an answer to, just leave a comment below, and aslong as you don''t ask for my Credit Card Number, Card Expiration Date and the CVC Code on the back of my card; I''ll answer basically anything. Chapter 55 - A Brighter Day The bright yellow ball in the sky had gone up two times, and then fell, replaced by the big white disc that the pale human called ''The Moon'' It was the third time that the yellow ball had risen now, the third time since they attacked the pointy-eared woman and fled through the forest. And still, Steal could feel the pain, not in his body anymore, but in his mind. When he slept, he heard whispers, and his every waking moment somehow made him think of the forest that was so, so different from the one he was in. The one with the goat-headed demon, evil plants and moving rocks. He had to go back, he knew how to go back. Part of him felt like he had to go back again. But there was part of him he couldn''t squelch out, a different voice that whispered different things. It warned him, told him that he shouldn''t go to a place so dark and dangerous. Try as he might, he couldn''t squelch that fear. It stuck in him like a row of jagged thorns, weighed on his shoulders like a boulder pressing down on his bones. "Hey Kor''Ak-" Steal watched the blonde man in front of him tip his head high to sip out the last, cooling contents of a canteen, Kelvin let out a happy sigh before continuing on "-It appears we''re out of water" Kor''Ak just kept on marching ahead of them all, letting out no indication of anger or annoyance besides a lightly dissatisfied growl, and some murmuring about how Kelvin "Isn''t paying me enough" Naturally, the goblin didn''t understand his words, but he could understand his emotions, when Kor''Ak turned to check on Kelvin and Steal, the goblin took note of the slight twitch in his eyebrow when his line of sight centred on Kelvin. Steal also took note of the frightened ''gulp'' that Kelvin took when those eyes lined up on him. Steal shrugged and kept following along, though his straightened and tingled as he heard something that the others seemed to not take notice of. Water rushing and crashing, striking and cascading over rock. Water. The goblin didn''t know that they were out of water, he didn''t know how many canteens were in Kelvin''s bag, didn''t know they were all empty. He did know he was thirsty.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Very thirsty. Steal cackled wildly and sprang off towards the sound of rushing water, barely listening to Kor''Ak as he called out "Where are you going little green one?" The sound of two sets of footsteps hitting the dirt, picking up their pace came from behind him. At least they were following him. It only took a few minutes of scrambling over twisted roots and darting around long walls of foliage until Steal reached the riverbank. The rushing, rapid water was white at the top, and the river was almost twenty feet in width. The heaviest set of footsteps was the first to stop beside him "Fuck, we need to get across this." A lighter set of footsteps. "Kor''Ak, why do we need to get across this? Can''t we just go around?" "It runs down to the ocean and must come from the mountains..." Kor''Ak bent low, using both hands to snap off a rather thick branch from a bush nearby, before tossing it towards the centre of the river. Steal watched the branch hit the water, sink below, then pop up again as it promptly zipped out of view in a matter of a few seconds. Kor''Ak kept speaking, his voice seemed to be losing its energy, words seemed to slur out slowly now, rather than with any form of energy or vigor. "So we have to get across, and there''s no chance we''re going to swim or boat across..." his eyes swung to the rows of rocks that sprang from the water like a mouth full of jagged grey teeth. "unless you want to see yourself have every bone in your body pulverised against those" The blonde stammered back "We could head up north and follow the river then right, I think I know what river this is. There''ll be an outpost at the base of the mountains beside the river, we''ll be safe there and can rest." "And how do you know of such a place" "I... Uh, I did work there, helped to fix up the place after an attack and enchant their walls" "An outpost?... It might be a good idea, but it means more time in this forest, we need to get out of these woods as quickly as possible to avoid the kitt" Kelvin crossed his arms at that "Well there''s no chance we''re gonna get across that river, if you''re so desperate to cross it, why don''t we just head towards the mountains, and if we see a good place to cross, we''ll take that, sound fair?" Kor''Ak nodded, voice still gruff and a little hoarse "That sounds okay... You said we were out of water, pass the canteens around and we''ll fill them up. Steal caught the canteen that was tossed at him, and he copied Kelvin''s actions of popping off the cap and lowering the canteen below the river, Kor''Ak kneeled beside Steal and did the same. The three pulled away and stood up in near-synchronicity. Though Kelvin and Steal were the only ones to start drinking instantly, Kor''Ak just watched them Steal gulped down the sweet, cold liquid thirstily, whilst Kelvin swilled it in his mouth. The rotted carcass of a deer shot past them down the river, Kelvin''s eyes went wide, spitting the water onto the dirt below him as he retched and coughed. Steal kept drinking. And Kor''Ak just spoke "...Drink sparingly" Chapter 56 - Sadly I Couldnt Get Rowan Atkinson To Do Some Voices Another day''s march. Another day where they could have been caught; surrounded on all sides, filled with arrows and torn to shreds. But it hadn''t happened. Here they marched. They''d made much more progress today, keeping to the riverbed meant that they had less foliage to clear or get around, less tripping hazards and a hell of a lot fewer injuries. Kor''Ak''s eyes lazily watched the goblin as it drove it''s dagger through fur, flesh and sinew, cackling to itself wildly as slatters of red painted its yellow fangs. The deer screamed, tried to buck him off. He drove the dagger deeper. The screaming stopped. It would also seem that there wasn''t any reason to worry about food anymore. This great river seemed to be one of the most common watering ''holes'' for the critters and animals around here and for some reason, they didn''t seem to consider the goblin much of a threat. His blood-soaked dagger was a testament against that. And so was the corpse of another deer that Kor''Ak was lugging over his shoulder. It was a pain, and it made the sleep-deprived warrior even wearier as they walked, but Kelvin had argued that they could get some money for the animal''s body, and considering only one of them was lucky enough to even have the clothes on his back, Kor''Ak couldn''t really argue. As much as he wanted a rest, he was willing to work a bit harder with the hopes of having a rest inside an actual house, with a bed of feathers or straw rather than moss and grass. Something rustled a short ways off to his left; he gestured to Kelvin and Steal, the goblin was too enthralled in sinking its teeth into the dead deer''s throat, but Kelvin was paying attention, and he followed Kor''Ak''s next gesture towards the woods to their left. Kor''Ak dropped the deer corpse. The two men drew their blades, pressed together and prepared themselves as the sound of metal scraping against metal amplified. The figure burst through the treeline, Kor''Ak charged with his heavy blade in hand, and Kelvin''s free hand hummed with arcane energy. "Stand ho mine own valorous men, putteth down thy blades and halcyon yourselves!" the figure''s voice rang out, strong and tinny as it erupted from unseen lips hidden behind his silver bucket helm. Kor''Ak froze. Utterly bewildered. Kelvin didn''t. "Why the fuck do I always come across you!" A bolt of purple energy erupted from the blonde man''s hand. Kor''Ak cringed and yelled out "Stop!" Too late, the needle of magic crashed against the strange man''s blue surcoat, then it struck the mail below.Stolen novel; please report. The bolt hung there for a moment as it''s colour drained from it, after a second, it lost all colour, now nothing more than a shard of glass as it broke and crumbled into dust, which was swiftly carried away on the light forest breeze. The odd, armoured fellow seemed rather unfazed as he continued to bellow. "Thee cannot did hurt me with such pitiable charm, t might not but beest thee Ambrose, is dram William well?" There was no evidence that Kelvin had ever attacked this strange man, besides the jagged hole in his cloth surcoat. "Kelvin, what is this guy going on about?" Steal had taken notice now, blood dripping from his teeth as he rushed towards the armoured gentleman, though the goblin skidded to a swift halt as Kor''Ak extended his hand to stop him. "I... I don''t know who this is" "You just said you Always come across him" "Well... I..." "Doth thee not knoweth me? tis I, Lord Angus Reginald Pennysworth Of The Holy Solarian Church! p''rhaps thee knoweth me by mine own oth''r titles, Slayeth''r of Beasts? Dragonslay''r, Chosen Knight of Solaria! Dram Ambrose, I s''rv''d as counseleth to young William f''r many a decade, how couldst thee not knoweth me?" The man, Lord Angus Reginald Pennysworth spoke with great bombast, casting his hands out dramatically as his armor scraped together, the sound of thousands of mail rings were nothing compared to his joyous, exaggerated voice. "What is wrong with you? What are you saying? Please speak normally" Kor''Ak had had enough, perhaps it was the sleep deprivation, or the fact he''d been dealing with Kelvin''s odd way of speaking, but this broke him. "I doth speaketh liketh any commonfolk" Lord Angus Reginald Pennysworth cross his arms, steel-plate shrieked as it scraped together again. "Doth thee very much not rememb''r me Ambrose?" Kelvin''s normally pale skin was red, his teeth gritted as spittle flew from his mouth with every word "Who is Ambrose? My name is Kelvin, Kelvin Sescenti, and I have no idea who Angus-" "LORD ANGUS" "-Lord Angus-" "REGINALD PENNYSWORTH!" "Lord fucking Angus fucking Reginald fucking Pennysworth" The normally rather uneasy and smiling wizard spat onto the ground. "P''rhaps I wast mistaken then, nev''rmind, followeth me, thee behold not restful and wounded, m''re of mine own men art just up this riv''r" Kor''Ak could feel the self-proclaimed lord''s eyes scan over his body, taking in his every scar, bruise and cut. "We has''t a doct''r too, a fine one forsooth" It was Kor''Ak that spoke now, his anger somewhat calmed, his mind a little less broken. "Up the river?" His eyes glanced over to Kelvin, the wizard had hypocritically denied ever knowing this... lord. The warrior had always suspected he was hiding something, this only further confirmed his assumptions. "By any chance are your men part of an outpost at the foot of the mountains this river comes from?" "We most c''rtainly art, I am only one of the many valorous men of The Holy Solarian Church" The knight''s helmet turned to face the goblin that was now stood beside Kor''Ak, blade still in hand. "Is the green one also thy ally?" "Yeah, he is. Friendlier than he looks as well." Angus merely chortled and drew his blade. Steal hissed, and Kor''Ak gripped the hilt of his great lump of iron tighter. Angus'' gauntleted hand pulled the bottom of his surcoat up as he cut two rectangles out of the cloth, quickly stowing his silver sword again moving slowly, and loudly towards Steal and Kor''Ak. He handed the largest of the sections of fabric to Kor''Ak, and the smallest to the goblin. "Cov''r thy privates, and followeth behind me, I wanteth to beest backeth f''r supp''r" And with that, the knight sprung forwards gayly down the river; moving with an astonishing amount of grace for a man covered in so much metal. Perhaps the only thing he could appreciate about the oddball. Kor''Ak grabbed the deer and tossed it over his shoulder again, before he tied the scrap of fabric around his waist. He appreciated that as well. Chapter 57 - All Good Things "Why are we following this man?" Kor''Ak''s voice rasped through an irritated snarl; they hadn''t stopped walking for just under eight hours, and somehow, the jangling, metal-plated clown was yet to tire, still chortling along to himself and chatting away in his borderline unintelligible prattle. Angus and the goblin didn''t make for particularly good conversation, so of course, it was the grimy, sweat-drenched wizard that replied, heaving heavily as he spoke "I... He said... Outpost... Weird... Didn''t think that... Church... There..." Kelvin staggered forwards, hitting the ground as his legs buckled below him "Fuck... Ow..." His hand shout out towards the sky with an exaggerated, ragged whine following it "My... Luuuuuuuungs..." A rough cough erupted from his throat "Helppppp" Kor''Ak watched him reach his arm out as if to call him over to carry the wizard. "Drink some water. We''re not resting, and there''s not a chance I''m gonna carry you." "But... there was a body in the water!" "Drink from the river then? The water this far up won''t be contaminated." Kelvin''s face practically dove under the water as he gulped furiously and thirstily. "Well it probably isn''t contaminated, could always be a bigger, more bloated and rotten body further up." The wizard started retching again. If they hadn''t been so far off course and so wounded, Kor''Ak thought he might not take so much pleasure in torturing his employer. And if he hadn''t suffered through four sleepless nights, he''d be putting more effort into it. The goblin wasn''t having the same issues as Kelvin and was just now refilling his canteen for the fourth time. "Kelvin, I saw your magic basically fizzle away when you shot at him, care to explain?" "I-" the blonde spat some more on the floor, trying to clear his throat still, at least he''d stopped wretching. "I think if he''s telling the truth, and he''s from the Solarian Church-" That tinny voice rang out again. "HOLY Solarian Church" "-then he''s probably a paladin with magical armour; I didn''t get a good look at what he was wearing beneath the cloth, but the rest of his armour and even his sword look like their silvered" "So these Solarian''s are mage hunters?" "Sort of, they follow the goddess of the sun-"Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "-Diana?" "No, the Bruman goddess, Solaria... sorta in the name, well basically their supposed to be a bunch of goody-two-shoes types that hunt down monsters and" Kelvin seemed to have gained the breath back to throw his arms out in an imitation of Angus'' exaggerated, pompous movements, he even put some effort into copying the jolly, irritable tone of his voice "Daaaaaastardly villains" Kor''Ak looked at the man ahead of him a little mournfully; the warrior had always wanted the armour he wore to be silvered, the djaalic military never saw the point, and scraping the money to get the work done for a set of full-plate armour and a tower shield was a difficult task, even for an adventurer. It annoyed the Djaal to no end that this strange, queer man was prancing about through the mud in such a valuable suit of armour. The party finally rounded a bend in the river, and he saw it, previously blocked by the thick clusters of trees. A wooden palisade that rose twenty feet into the air. Kor''Ak could see the glint of metal helmets in the sunlight, bobbing along the top of the palisade as they patrolled along it. The wooden stake wall was in a man-made clearing, with the source of the building materials used for the wall being clear from the field of tree stumps that surrounded it. The wooden wall made a semi-circle, the two ends stopping as they connected to the sheer cliff face on the other side of the palisade from Kor''Ak. Civilisation. A bed. A good night''s rest. Maybe even a meal that tasted of something other than charcoal. He could only hope. Kelvin yelled out excitedly, the goblin tried to copy him, jumping into the air with an excited "Yip!" It took the group a moment to notice the massive blue banners that dangled from the wooden walls, emblazoned with the icon of a giant, golden sun, with yellow beams of light erupting from it in every direction. "Kor''Ak, I don''t remember that, this place was just a mining settlement no more than maybe a month or two ago..." "What do you suppose changed?" "I... I don''t know, if more than a few Solarian Paladin''s are here, it means bad news." "For us?" "Probably not" Kor''Ak responded with no more than a grunt as they closed in on the wooden gate that towered over them, flanked on both sides at the top of the palisade by two men in the same garb as Angus, crossbows in hand. The one on the left spoke first, letting his crossbow fall down to his side, the other one still pointed his at the goblin''s big green head. "Stand ho, broth''r Angus, is''t thee?" "Aye t is, ope this gate, these weary travell''rs needeth rest!" The poncy paladin called out to his brothers from below. Now it was the one on the right that spoke. "Yeah yeah, just give me a minute" his helmet turned to the brother across from him on the other side of the gate "Ryan, stop indulging Larp, it get''s annoying." Now it was the one on the left that spoke, letting out an exhausted, metallic sigh. "I know, I know, it''s just so funny, it''s been a long watch, gotta brighten up my day a little y''know." The sound of metal scraping against metal as the two watchmen''s heads sank out of view. Then the violent groan as the gate pulled open, ill-kept hinges screeching as it opened up before them. A mix of blues and silvers as the two dozen paladins beyond tyhe gate marched through the streets, talking amongst each other, holding their flat-top helmets under their arms; though every single one was armoured, every single one was armed. "Looks like more than a few, Kelvin" "... Crusade?" The wizard looked quizzically at Kor''Ak now. Then every paladin around them roared in unison. "CRUSADE!!!" Chapter 58 - Usually Have A Catch "Men! Brothers! Followers of Solaria and protectors of the people of Bruma! Today, we ready ourselves, we shall spend this night in merry and mirth, for this night, and this night alone, each one of you will get double food rations! and triple drinks! Tomorrow, we march and purify this place of its darkness!" The speaker roared out to the crowd around him, stood atop a circular stone dais in what would once have been this places plaza or square. His gold-winged helm matched the obnoxiousness of his voice. It wasn''t the additional annoying paladin that made Kor''Ak speak to the one they already had, it was his curiosity. "Hey, Angus-" "LORD ANGUS REGINALD PENNYSWORTH" "Mhmm... What is he talking about?" "Oh, well, we art h''re to cleanse a dungeon and slayeth the foul creature whom turned it to evil" "Understood. Well, we''d hate to impose, so could you show us to the nearest place we can rest and we''ll be off in the morning." Angus scratched the back of his helmet with a gauntleted hand. "Ah. only The Church still remains, and we has''t nay lodging to rest oth''r than the barracks, if thee wisheth to leaveth, we cannot giveth thee one of our wagons. If we art victorious tomorrow, we shall leaveth back to Teneir, and thou art free to cometh with us." The Djaal was clearly annoyed, he''d been looking forward to a private room and a silent night, though It was convenient to him that they were heading to the capital. "Well... that''s okay" "Indeed... Thou art free to cometh with us... If thee proveth thou art a valorous sir that solaria might bless... Such a thing couldst easily beest proven... By taking parteth in our crusade tom''rrow" The ''Lord'' spoke coyly, taking a pause everytime a logical person would have thought they were asking too much of some strangers they met in the woods. "There''s always a catch..." "A catch? Nay! Tis but your divine service to the blessed lady of light" Angus flew his arms out wide as if it would make his conditions any less conniving. Though he quickly drew towards Kor''Ak and gestured for Kelvin to come closer and listen as he spoke in the closest he could manage to a hushed whisper "To tell thee the truth, we art low on men, the Speaker dallied too much with our assault, many of our Paladin''s art wounded..." For once, Angus spoke as if he wasn''t preaching, he spoke seriously, practically begging as his words rasped out of his helmet. "I beg for thou aid, I wish not to lose any of thy brothers." Kelvin cut in now "The thing is, if you''re not going to do something out of the goodness of your heart, why would we? A caravan ride isn''t worth risking our lives in a dungeon." The paladin''s helmet creaked as he tilted it to take in the groups appearance, with two of them basically naked, and Kelvin''s bag noticeably light, he nodded to himself and kept pleading. "I can off''r thee supplies and equipment as well..." "Kelvin... We could do with the supplies." Kor''Ak''s voice had brightened a little at the idea of covering himself with metal rather than cloth; even when fully dressed he never quite felt covered without a sheet of metal between his heart and anything that might go through it. "I... Screw it... Fine." Kelvin grumbled as he pulled the last strip of salted meat from his bag and stuffed it lazily into his mouth, tearing off a little and tossing it to Steal, who leapt into the air and caught it in his teeth.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Praise the Sun goddess, truly I am joyous for thy aid." And with that, the paladin''s seriousness faded away, back to his booming, exaggerated manner of speaking. One of the other paladins called out to their more much more annoying brother. "Oi! Larp, stop bothering the sods and come help up front, you buggered off for a prance in the woods again so you''re on duty whilst we get a drink!" "Forsooth, tis only fair I aid mine brothers in the fight against darkness!" Angus span on Kor''Ak, the rings of his mail jangling together as he offered them a final word "I shall speaketh to the Speaker of our pact good sirs! Maketh sure thee rest well." With that final farewell, the jovial, strange-mannered knight sprang off towards the gold-helmeted speaker. They just stood there for a few moments, taking in the sights and people around them. Not a single farmer, woodsman, no one that wasn''t wearing armour, or otherwise dressed in the Solarian Churches blue robes and other garments. And yet, there were still nowhere near enough of them to be the people that built this outpost, or to even be maintaining it. He couldn''t see the eyes of those that wandered past beneath their bucket helms, but he was certain they at least gave a cursory glance over Kor''Ak''s current attire and condition. Some stopped for a second as if they''d offer him their clothes or help him out, though, after that moment''s pause, they stomped away along the stone paths again, as if they were in too much of a hurry to wait around. A wooden sign dangled and swung in the breeze over the doorway of what must have once been a tavern. Though rather than a pun and a painting of a rooster or jug of ale, the sign was instead painted a bright blue, with ''Barracks'' sloppily painted over it with white. Kor''Ak beckoned Kelvin and Steal to follow him as he walked across the cobbled road; his hand gripped the old wooden door, pushing as it creaked open on old hinges. As to be expected, there was no gathering of drunkards sat around a table, drowning themselves in mead; no surly barkeep, hairy arms crossed as they looked at a clumsy barmaid that had dropped a jug disapprovingly. Just another ten paladins, sat and praying around a wooden shrine that looked like it had been constructed rather haphazardly out of the tables and chairs that must have once decorated the building. Kelvin murmured to himself again "They really will do anything to have a shrine to Solaria on the march... huh... weirdos." A flash of blue out of the corner of his eye; a stocky dwarf draped in blue robes with emblems of the sun on his shoulders and chest seemed to have come from nowhere; looking up at Kor''Ak and his companions; the dwarf narrowed his eyes on Kor''Ak, crossed his arms, then spoke in a hushed whisper. "Djaal huh... ya ain''t one of us are ye..." His hand darted forward and pulled up the cloth wrapped around Kor''Ak''s waist, eyes fixing themselves on the hand-drawn nametag attached to the section of blue surcoat. "aye... did Larp find ya in the woods? Poor sods." Kor''Ak pulled back, yanking the cloth out of the dwarf''s grip and patting it down "Don''t just do that to people. What is wrong with you?" "We men of Solaria do not see the body of any man or woman as a perverted thing. It is a gift from the light, a physical form that lets our souls act as tools for the great goddess..." The dwarf snorted "Or some shit like that, gives me an excuse to see some crackin'' tits and not get attacked, so who am I to argue?" He put out his hand for Kor''Ak to shake. "The name is Sergeant Hard, good to meet ya" Kor''Ak bent slightly to give the dwarf a firm handshake, and Hard quickly offered his hand to Kelvin, and finally Steal, who copied the actions of his human companions and shook the dwarves hand with his bony green fingers. Sergeant Hard smiled as the goblin took his hand "Aye, he''s a friendly fella" "I figure Larp... sorry" Hard tried to force his deep and surly voice to be as light and shrill as Angus'' "Looooooord Angus Reginald Pennysworth" His voice quickly returned to it''s gruff and more hearty tone. "Let''s get you fellas cleaned up and get some clothes on ye. After that, I figure I''ll take ya to the storeroom to get some gear, then a hearty meal and a rest?" Kelvin stammered out as he looked over his filthy waistcoat, pants and boots. "Y-Yeah... I could do with washing up... thanks, that all sounds nice." Hard''s grin grew wide "Aye, we''re fightin'' undead in the morning, you''ll want your rest" Chapter 59 - These Titles Mean Nothing The dwarf led the group out of the converted tavern and into a building just across from it; the crooked sign that hung from a chain made it clear the building used to be a clothiers; and as they pulled open the stained wooden door, someone might have still mistook it for one. Rows upon rows of tunics, pants, jackets, cloaks, hoods and all forms of apparel filled the racks that were strewn around the room. Hard marched ahead of them, each of his steps kicking up a cloud of dust that rose up in dusty clouds from the wooden floorboards that groaned beneath the impact of his boots. "Eh... this stuff was what was left when we arrived..." The sergeant seemed to take a deep, almost mournful sigh as he continued on. "From what we''ve seen, I don''t think anyone else is ever gonna come back and make use of this, so take as you like; I''ll take you to the bathhouse once you all pick out an outfit... We''ll get to the good old forged steel later." Kor''Ak held a wavering, exhausted smile as he looked over the rows of clothes in the abandoned building "Yeah... There should be something I can throw on. Sergeant Hard was it?" Kor''Ak performed an awkward, somewhat stiff Djaaic salute, with his left fist pressed to his stomach, and his right fist against his chest. "We never introduced ourselves. My name is Kor''Ak Gale, and my companions are Kelvin Sescenti and... well, I don''t know the goblin''s name." "Well met Sir Gale, Sir Sescenti... and... Sir Green." Hard gave the three a smile "Just incase the dungeon has changed it''s creatures, we can hardly be calling your little friend here goblin." He waved towards the clothing that practically filled the shop. "Go on then, pick out some clothes, get changed after we go to the bathhouse, I''ll wait outside, we have a lot to talk about today!" The sergeant stomped his way back out of the clothiers, slamming the door shut behind him as he stepped into the plaze, rusted hinges still screeching. "Kor''Ak... you''d think that someone would take their stock with them if they left right?" The wizard ran his hand along a bright red, silken robe, enladen with what looked like gold lining. "You could fetch a good penny for this y''know, even if they left in a hurry, you''d think they''d take some of their most valuable stuff, right?" Kelvin took the robe off it''s hanger and slapped the garb against the wall to beat some of the dust off of it. He beat a lot of the dust off it. A great grey cloud consumed the wizard as he started choking, dropping the robe and charging out of the cloud, coughing and choking as he lay against the shopkeep''s abandoned desk. "You should probably be doing that outside, or a place with better air." The Djaal reached to tug on a collar that wasn''t there. "It''s stuffy in here" Kor''Ak''s caught the glimpse of a rack of small clothes, perhaps for children, maybe for gnomes. They might fit the goblin. "Little green one, come here!" He beckoned the goblin towards him as Kor''Ak picked through a line of children''s tunics. By the time the little green creature was besides him, yipping excitedly, Kor''Ak had made a decision, pulling a drab, grass-green tunic off of the rack, with a thick blue hem around every edge of the tunic. For now, he figured it best that the goblin have some blue in his clothing, to ensure that the paladins they''d be going with could use their signature colour to identify him as a friendly. With that same principle in mind, Kor''Ak grabbed himself a baby-blue tunic, a pair of dark brown leggings and a hooded brown mantle. It was hardly a fashionable ensemble, but it would serve it''s purpose. He looked across Kelvin''s tattered, torn, dirty and singed clothing "Why don''t you grab a change of clothes?"Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "I... I''m fine how I am, my tailor in Teneir will get all of this fixed up for me." Kor''Ak just shrugged, if Kelvin didn''t want to put on clothes that didn''t have gaping holes in them, it was his problem. The Djaal through the clothes for both him and Steal over his shoulder, the action being met with a billowing cloud of dust as he opened the door and stepped back out into the street, Kelvin and Steal close behind.
Steal was enjoying himself, listening to the clanking of metal on metal as people walked past them; although the goblin had somewhat of an appreciation for nature, his almost week long trip had made him grow quite tired of the lush green scenery; and all the things that kept attempting to murder him. A break was nice. It was also a nice change of feeling for his feet, so much time moving through soft grass and mud made the goblin feel strange, the feeling of stone below his feet felt almost homely in fact. He was admittedly a little confused when Kor''Ak pressed some green scraps of fabric against Steal''s body, it seemed a little odd to him. The goblin had begun to feel a little lonely; he had the company of the two humans, and now a lot more humans, as well as a man only a bit taller than him, but a lot wider. He had these people around him, but his growing mind felt untested, he couldn''t talk to them. Part of him missed the hobgoblins that had taken him in, an even smaller part of him wanted to be among them again, sleeping under the roof of a tent and hunting with Grak. An even smaller part of him wanted to speak to them. The intangible creatures that spoke to him in his mind. Maal and Baphomet. No matter how small that part was, it had grown, little by little, day by day. He just wanted to talk to someone. To something.
Greenie-Boi-23 Maal, I want to ask you something.
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Hmm? You really took your time to try and contact me again. You should be grateful I bother to even respond to you. Unlike some peoples'' "gods"
Greenie-Boi-23 There is something I would like to know.
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Right, right, what is it?
Greenie-Boi-23 Why am I so scared of going back to that black forest?
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Baphomet''s realm? Well, from what I hear, you ran out of mana pretty quick didn''t you?
Greenie-Boi-23 Yeah, I died very quickly
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 That''s the issue, you didn''t die, you just ran out of mana.
Greenie-Boi-23 I could feel it though, all the pain.
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 It''s all fake, you''re scared of death, weird how you mortals are always so terrified of that. It really isn''t that bad. You''ll be fine as long as you realise you can''t die in Baphomet''s realm.
Greenie-Boi-23 You seem a lot nicer than before... Thanks, I guess.
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 You better be thankful, three days and you haven''t even levelled up in Warlock, seriously pathetic, go shoot some stuff or sort your summoning out. Got anything else bothering you?
Greenie-Boi-23 Yes actually.
Maal_The_Magnificient_69 Too bad, cya.
USER: Maal_The_Magnificent_69 Has Disconnected.
Steal snarled as he kept close to Kor''Ak, the demon never seemed to indulge him. But he was right, Steal couldn''t die in that odd realm of evil bushes and moving rocks. Tonight, he was going to get a familiar. Chapter 60 - There Is No Rubber Duckie, Only Bath His angry, furious, terrified howls bellowed and screeched through the bathhouse. Kor''Ak had dropped him into a large wooden tub filled with oddly warm water and started to scrub his skin. Steal very much did not appreciate this feeling. He couldn''t touch the floor beneath him, and the feeling of the sponge dragging across his skin was just as discomforting as his feeling of almost weightlessness. "GYAKA RA NA NA NI REEEEEEEEE!!!" He kicked and howled as Kor''Ak and Kelvin struggled to hold him in place as they finished rubbing his body up and down with the wet sponge, scrubbing the filth, blood and dirt that caked him off and into the water, which had went from a clean, almost-blue appearance to the murky, rusty-brown it now was. The two human''s lifted him out of the tub, flows of water falling across his body and dripping onto the stone floor, though it was as muddy as the water from the tub, they had managed to scrub most of the gore that caked Steal off. The bits of flesh and splashes of blood that stained Steal''s skin earlier were something he was proud of, similar to trophies, proof that he had killed. Now they were gone. He did not appreciate this. Atleast the dirty water that flowed across his body might leave some lasting mark. Kor''Ak lifted a wooden bucket over Steal''s head. His arms wavered a little, and the clean water sloshed from the bucket and hit the floor in front of Steal. Steal tried to run. Not fast enough; Kor''Ak dumped the water ontop of Steal, the miniature waterfall removed the last of the filth and muddy water that clung to him as it scattered across the stone floor at their feet. He did not appreciate this. He struggled again as Kor''Ak wrapped a square of linen around the goblin''s body, it seemed to absorb the water off his body. It was warm, cosy in fact. He appreciated this. The goblin looked around to see the eyes of the paladin''s on him, only three though. All sat, languishing in the tubs of warm water, thin vapours of steam rising to the wooden ceiling above. Two of them were blonde humans, like Kelvin, with the other being a brown-haired dwarf; though all of them had very short-cut hair and lacked the extravegant facial features of the wizard. There faces were also very different too. Whilst Kelvin was relatively fresh and smooth-faced, the paladin''s bore the scars that lined their cheeks and bodies with something akin to pride; one of the humans and the dwarf were pointing to the various lines that cross across their torsos and arms, telling wild tales of battling devils and werewolves. Naturally, Steal didn''t understand what they were talking about, but the constant gesturing to their long-healed wounds atleast told him they were likely talking about those.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Kor''Ak and Kelvin finished washing themselves, wrapping larger versions of the towel hat Steal had around him on themselves as they took a seat on a wooden bench off to one side of the steaming tubs. Steal had already resigned himself to never enter such a bath again. A terrifying experience that he didn''t want to relive again. Thinking on reliving terrifying experiences, the thought of going back to that forest drove itself into his mind like a dagger. Maybe he wouldn''t bother... He''d reconsidered his decision, and opted for a peaceful night''s sleep, and would have followed through on such things if the too-jolly voice of his patron didn''t start tearing though his mind. YOU WILL TRY AGAIN ... Steal offered a resigned nod, he''d talk to Maal later. The goblin''s finger traced gently along the red mark across his stomach. It felt like a brand. Like he was owned. For now atleast, he knew he couldn''t deny the demon''s wishes. Though Maal didn''t say he had to try again tonight. Steal struggled again a little as Kor''Ak moved towards him, rubbing the goblin''s towel across his green skin before fighting against Steal to get him into the tiny green clothing Kor''Ak had picked out for him. Yet again, Steal very much didn''t appreciate this, but had learned from previous experiences that he couldn''t overpower or even escape the grasp of the darker human. He let the man clothe him, still yipping angrily at him as he did so; though Kor''Ak showed little worry, instead chuckling happily to himself, seemingly finding Steal''s act of distaste to be cute. He did not appreciate this. The humans clothed themselves as well and led the goblin out of the bathhouse, something he was extremely glad about. Hard was stood waiting for them outside, chunky, calloused fingers twirling his long, scraggy red beard between his fingers idly. Although this dwarf wasn''t as armoured than the other paladins, opting for a blue robe and jewelled silver bracelets around his arms instead of his companion''s jangling chainmail and helmets, he still had a broad, short blade hanging in it''s scabbard from his belt. If the dwarf wasn''t continously gripping the sword''s handle and releasing it, Steal wouldn''t have ever paid much attention to the fact Hard had a weapon. "Had a nice bath lads? Aye, well follow on, we''ll get you some gear, then get some food in ya!" The dwarf chortled at them and started plodding off along the streets again, waving for the group to follow behind. They did. After a number of sharp turns and shuffling around processions of helmeted crusaders, the dwarf led them to another dusty storefront. And much like the clothiers before, the shop was full to the brim with various arms and armour, of which Kor''Ak took great interest in. Steal though it strange then, that the first thing that Kor''Ak did was grab a hammer, not a blade. Every minute or so, the man would pick a blade or piece of armor from a shelf or rack, then strike it roughly with the hammer, he''d wait a few moments, and most of the time, he''d quickly discard the gear; though with the few pieces that he approved of, he laid them out on a cleared wooden desk. By the time he was finished digging through the equipment, he''d picked out a padded gambeson that hung around him a little loosely, as well as a chainmail hauberk and coif; along with a pair of iron gauntlets and a sallet helm that he managed to fit to his head with a little extra padding. Whilst Kor''Ak was bundling all the gear into a bag he''d dug out from a pile of other containers, Kelvin had picked out a few more daggers, securing six of them around his belt. Steal was wiping the dust off a shining breastplate when he felt a rough hand tap his shoulder from behind, a little startled, Steal whirled around with a snarl, only too see Kor''Ak with a small, flanged mace in one hand, and a dagger in the other. He pushed the two weapons towards Steal "Take these little one" Steal accepted the weapons, along with the belt that Kor''Ak passed to him, though the goblin quickly realised that the mace was too large for him to have at his belt, so he simply slung it over his shoulder, keeping the dagger sheathed at his side. "Aye fellas, looks like ya done, now let''s get a hearty meal and get ya some rest!" Chapter 61 - Full Bellies Under An Empty Sky It was highly likely that this was the high-point of Steal''s day. A roastchicken was slowly picked apart before the goblin''s very eye''s, flanked by... flanks of beef, juices and blood dripping and spilling from the meat as one of the older-looking paladin''s dragged a serrated knife through the thick meat. This was definitely the favourite part of Steal''s day. The mood was different here, just next door was the makeshift sleeping quarters that had been contructed out of an abandoned inn, full of the sleeping, praying and wounded. It was rather solemn there, the air felt cold and the silence was as chilling as ice. Steal doubted it was still silent there. The night outside had gone cold, but the raging firepit at the center of the room kept this mishmash of adventurers and holy men warm and cosy. The hot tea, warm ale, wines and food helped with that as well. The paladins here were cheering, dancing and singing songs that Steal couldn''t interpret. Though they seemed a lot jollier and happier than the few that still patrolled the streets in their armour, or the six that were stood watching the entrance to a mine carved into the cliff face. Those ones, the ones guarding the mine were behind a wall of wooden stakes that had been driven into the ground, broken crossbow bolts littered pavements outside of the mine, splotches and stains of dried blood marked the rode in great arcs and long-gone pools. Steal didn''t want to think about the blood and the guards. He preferred this far, far more. Hard slid a plate piled with juicy steaming meats, myriads of tough whites and tender browns formed a small hill atop the wooden dish. Steal grabbed a thin slice of brown atop the hill of meat, trickled of sweet, fatty juices ran down the back of his hand as he rammed the meat into his mouth. Another slice. A chunk of succulent chicken slid down his through. Another. Another. By the time Steal looked up from his plate, now licked clean of every last scrap, morsel and drop, the singing had only became louder, the dancing a little less steady, and the night a lot darker. His gaze drifted to Kor''Ak, who was sat down beside him, Kelvin on his other side. Both of his companions, and most of the paladin''s that weren''t running in circles, arms entwined as they sung a jolly chorus, were eating slowly, using a strange, three-pronged metal tool that they would pierce the meat with before putting it in their mouths. It was strange to the goblin, they had hands, it seemed unecessary to ever use what looked like 3 tiny dagger blades on a stick. Steal was busy shrugging his head at Kor''Ak and Kelvin when two of the paladin''s hopped on top of one of the wooden tables around the hall, they wobbled for a second, arms wrapped around one another''s shoulders, offering one last cheer before a surprised yelp, as one of the table legs have in to the weight and the table toppled down. Their fall was met by the sound of crashing metal, wooden plates hitting the stone and a barrel of wine sloshing across the ground. There was nothing but silence for a moment as everyone looked at the table. Two hand''s rose from behind with their thumbs up. They were met by rautious laughter and a crowd of smiles. "HUZZAH!"The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Sergeant Hard just sighed, though the faintest hints of a smile could be seen in the twitch of his mouth. A long yawn came slowly from Steal''s wide maw. With his belly full, he felt sluggish and slow. Kor''Ak set his fork down, pushed the platter of food away from him and stood, taking the goblin into his arms and making his way out of the food hall, Kelvin didn''t look like he''d follow along this time. Steal''s eyes slowly drooped to a close as they settled upon the bottom of Kor''Ak''s head. He felt safer now, happier now. His eyes slowly came to a close, but he had just enough time to realise what was happening, enough time to mumble "Summon Familiar" in his garbled goblinoid tongue. The world vanished from beneath him; Kor''Ak form faded away and he felt the arms that wrapped beneath him vanish. His back struck the dirt below. The same clearing he''d first appeared in, though Baphomet wasn''t here, not even the sight of the displaced mound of dirt and darkened grass was left. More roaring erupted through the treeline. Of course, the one thing Steal would have liked to change didn''t. Just his luck. Quickly, the goblin made sure to check his mana by slurring that word out in his sharp and primitive manner of speaking. "Myanka"
MP: 59/78 (2.0/m)
Steal would have to keep track of this, he understood that his MP, atleast for now, was an essential resource to both his life and magic. He''d have to manage it well enough that he''d always be able to fire off a bolt if he needed to, and not kill himself. The goblin shook his head at the thought. He couldn''t die here, he could only be beaten. His hand clenched into a fist around a jagged palm-sized rock. Just because he couldn''t die, it didn''t mean he wouldn''t fight for his life. Slowly, Steal made his way into the graveyard of dead wood, keeping his gaze on the trees above and the floor below, periodically switching his focus to one of the two incase another thorny-vine-thing launched itself at him again. Much to his great luck, it didn''t. For now, his next fifteen minutes of treeking through these dead woodlands was eerily lonely; not an animal, enemy or potential ally in sight. Just the groaning of wood, and the occasional skittering sound that made Steal jump and search for something in the trees overhead that never seemed to be in sight. He was so anxious and distracted by the skittering, that he almost didn''t notice the towering creature that rose above. In all honesty, he likely wouldn''t have noticed it if he hadn''t walked straight into the monster''s side. He yelped and darted backwards, expecting the great creature to rise and devour him. It didn''t move, not a single muscle on it''s massive, hairy body twitched, it didn''t groan or roar. All he could hear was the sound of flesh being torn away in strips. Steal took another step back to take in the true size of the gargantuan beast that rose above him. It was ten-feet tall, two-legged with gigantic, muscular forearms. A thick coat of black fur covered a much thicker, grey hide that could only be seen in a few bare, bald patches on the creature''s elbows , knees and back. The creature would likely have been aptly described as a guerilla or ape by one of Steal''s companions, though that wouldn''t be correct either. A long, ebony horn protruded from the beast''s forehead, just above it''s singular, gigantic eye. Steal would have been terrified if such a massive creature moved or roared, just by a single glance he could tell that the muscles that once rippled beneath the hide of it''s arms were strong enough to practically catapult the goblin into the sky, and it''s bony spike could ruin him through with ease. He would have been terrified. If the creature wasn''t lying still, body slowly going cold. Something skittered atop the giant and Steal jumped back again, only to see a large, black and blue, eight-legged creature picking through strips of flesh on the gargantuan simian''s back. A tarantula. The creature turned to face Steal as it caught sight of him, it''s cluster of black eyes seemingly focusing upon him. It tapped it''s forelegs together then shuffled a little awkwardly, before beginning to peel away another strip of tough muscle from the beast''s back.
Daemon-Tongue Level 1 Is Now (Active)
A voice came to him in his mind, it didn''t seem aggressive, though it came with a rough, gruff tone, whilst still distinctly that of a woman. Sup green freakshow, you one of those warlock assholes? Steal''s eyes fell back to the creature that the tarantula was seemingly proudly standing atop of. Oh, that guy? Yeah he was on my turf, told him to go away and he didn''t... So... Y''know... Not my fault She slurped up another long strand of sinew. The name is Adolfus... Steal swore he could here the spider cackle as she clacked her mandibles together. And you''re on my turf. Chapter 62 - Friendly Neighbourhood Spider(Wo)man Steal''s coal-black eyes widened as he took another step back. Calm down, calm down. If you''re a warlock you''ll sorta just dissapear if you get banged up, nothing to eat if that happened, it''s a waste. If their was one thing Steal could respect just as much as kindness and feeding him, it was the act of not attempting to kill or beat him to death on sight, a trait that was lacking in the vast majority of the creatures and people that Steal had encountered in his past week of life. Which is why, rather than try and blast the telepathic spider with a bolt of eldritch magic, bash it with his rock or just sprint away, he spoke too. It felt alien on his tongue, like his mouth spome words he was never meant to speak, whilst simultaneously being something he understood completely. Something that came naturally to him. "What did you kill?" Umm... I think his name was Gary or something, he was a... Umm... He was a Tasty "A Tasty?" Yeah, named after what they''re meat is like. Here, have a taste. The spider clicked and clacked it''s mandibles as it tore a thin clump of red muscle from the creature''s back, she held the flesh in her mandibles, swinging her head towards Steal and letting go to toss it towards him, though it fell a little early and hit the ground ahead of him. "I... Is this okay?" The spider seemed to nod as it bobbed it''s body up and down on it''s eight spindly legs, though it was hard to tell, the creature had an anatomy that Steal wasn''t familiar with at all. He picked the stringy meat up off the dead grass and cracked dirt, batting away a few bits of twigs and leaves that had already sunk into the wet, warm meat. Quickly, he pressed the first of the meat to his tongue, licked it, tasted the delicious, coppery taste of blood, then smiled. He tore into the flesh eagerly, though it didn''t feel real or filling, he could taste it, but as he swallowed, he couldn''t feel it sliding down his throat or plopping into his stomach. It was an odd feeling. "Tasty... Yes" It looked like the spider nodded again. You still haven''t introduced yourself, Gary wasn''t polite either y''know Adolfus tapped one of her legs on the dead Tasty''s hairy back. "I... My name is Steal. Goblin... Do you know what a familiar is?" Technically I''m one, well, not really because I''ve not been bound. There''s actually a whole thing around this, did da-... Baphomet not tell you anything? "Not really... Just told me to capture a familiar. And you don''t even know what a familiar is? "Mhmm..." Okay... Let me think, well, a familiar is a demon, but generally a... The spider shivered a little, though the sudden sharper tone to her voice implied it was from her anger rather than the eerie, icy breeze that never stopped winding it''s way through the woods around them. LESSER demon is what you''ll find around here, like me... A familiar is sort of like a friend or a companion- "Friend... like Kor''Ak" Not really sure what a Kor''Ak is, but sure. "I would like another friend" ... I''m sure you would... Something heavy shook the ground beneath them the sound of long-dead and dry trees snapping and being splintered rose above anything else. Steal ear''s flattened and drooped besides his head in worry as he pressed against the dead Tasty''s body, Adolfus scurried down besides him.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Dammit I didn''t know Roland was in this area... Guess I''m finding a new territory to keep... "Roland?" He''s this big ro- A boulder smashed into the ground besides them, followed by a new voice, a lot more janky, and a lot less friendly. waRLOcK, gO AwaY, BAd oNE WaNT tO CaPTUrE uS! Fuck off Roland you stone-cold prick, some of us wanna get outta here! Another colossal boulder struck besides them, then they both rose above them and slinked back behind the Tasty''s body. AdOLFus, YoU KiLlED GaRY aNd bE NiCE To WARLocK! Steal let out a heavy sigh as he gripped the stone in his right-hand, at the very least, the giant body of the beast behind him provided a little cover from whatever was bouncing it''s voice around in his mind. Sorry Steal but I gotta go, unlike you, if I die here, I''m dead. The spider bunched her legs, then sprang forwards to the nearest tree as she hurriedly scurried up the trunk, liekly trying to escape by darting through the treetops and out of vision. It was a good plan. Ruined by the colossal pillar of jagged black, glassy stone that swung outwards in a sweeping arc, crunching the tree she was climbing into splinters and throwing her to the ground. Within the sounds of jagged wooden splinters raining down on the dirt around him, he swore he heard something crunch. Argh! Roland you dick His knees shook for the briefest of moments. He knew he couldn''t die. Apparently she.. it... whatever Adolfus was could. But still, the feeling of his bones being crushed, his lungs deflating, heart popping. All of it stuck with him now. Every single pain, every possibility to suffer ran through his mind and tugged at his muscles to make him run. Just a moment to collect himself, a moment to think. Adolfus screamed louder. The shadow of the dead Tasty grew taller, larger, he felt it''s hair stroke upwards along his back. Not enough time to think. He spun around to see a towering mass of stone dotted with flaming, orange dots that spewed some sort of thick, bright yellow liquid. Gargantuan, boulder-like fists unfolded into colossal, stony hands. He had a moment to note that this looked like a darker, unfinished version of the statue he''d seen in the place the elves had held him in. There were no smooth lines, defined, carved muscles or even facial features, just an ever brighter orange crater where the... thing''s face should have been. In it''s rough hands, it held the Tasty, lifting it without a single sign of strain or effort. Then the tasty came crashing down. Steal darted out of the way as the colossal mass of flesh and muscle smashed into the dirt where he''d just stood. He didn''t know if it was himself or Adolfus that''s voice was running through his mind, the sounds began to blur together as a great cloud of dust rolled over him. RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN And he did run. He dashed forwards through the great, billowing cloud of kicked up dirt and loose, simian hair. Rock... Orange... Back... Weak... Her voice slurred it''s way through his mind, weaker, less intimidating, less confident, just desperate. The goblin jumped to the ground as the black column of stones curved a lower arc than before, searching the dust for him. To good success, as the cloud made by the rocky creature was blown away with it''s arcing sweep. The bright orange crater seemed to lock onto the goblin. Running again, he flung himself beneath the colossus'' body and span as he picked himself up. The creature''s back was dotted with dozens upon dozens of those same craters, though unlike the other glowing pores, they didn''t drip that strange yellow liquid, they spewed it in great geysers from the creature''s back. Steal had enough time for his eyes to follow one of the great geysers of liquid as a glob of it burned it''s way through one of the dead trees around the, boring a clean hole through the wood and setting the tree alight. Then it turned, the swing of it''s great, gargantuan arms carrying the rest of it''s body with it. Not enough time to dodge. Steal''s clawed feet kicked up a torrent of dust as he sprinted directly towards the creature''s back, leaping forwards as he felt something cold and hard strike his side.
You Have Suffered 47 Damage (Glancing Blow)
CRUNCH Something that felt very important broke and shattered as he was battered to the floor, his vision blurred and his body screamed again as every breath brought blood to his mouth. Another hail of wooden splinters rained down around him as the half-dozen trees at the end of the monster''s swing were shattered.
MP: 31/78 (2.0/m)
He had enough MP in him for one bolt. That was it. The column of black stone smashed down besides him as he launched himself forwards to one side, jumping back towards it and trying to find grip on the lumpy rock. Steal was brought up into the air as the creature rose it''s arm to try and shake him off. It was somewhat succesful as Steal tumbled down it''s raised arm towards it''s body. A glob of lava spewed from the giant orange crater on the rocky creature''s face, narrowly missing Steal as he tumbled more erratically down it''s arm, managing to stop his descent by swinging the weight of his body around the monster''s neck. Then he dropped down along it''s back, feet and hands finding holds in the orange pores on it''s back. The stone around the pores was more than just warm, it was scorching, he could feel his flesh cooking as he held on.
You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage. You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage. You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage. You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage. You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage.
He didn''t have any time to waste. He felt the power well in his body, pulled to his palm. "Daemon Bolt!" A flash of brilliant purple and blues erupted from his hand and blasted into one of the largest pores on the creatures back. It stopped moving. The brillaint orange around the craters on it''s body dimmed and dulled until they were black, and the creature just hung still. For a moment, then it fell. And Steal fell with it. Chapter 63 - The Pact An avalanche of stone clattered to the dirt as whatever ''Roland'' was seemed to fall apart and crumble, great obsidian boulders crunching, cracking and crushing the rotten-wooden trees around it''s disintegrating, rocky corpse. Steal''s body went limp as he slammed into the dry, scorched earth beneath him, the goblin let out a wild gasp for air as he felt his spine go numb, and a much more ragged and wild scream as he felt one of the heavy, half-molten rocks the size of his bulbous head slam down into his arm.
You Have Suffered 5 damage
Bones snapped and flesh seared, sizzled and cooked as a wave of violent pain tore it''s way up Steal''s spindly arm. The goblin had always liked the smell of cooking flesh. But he didn''t like it if it was the smell of his own flesh.
You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage
"REEEEE!!!" The goblin frantically kicked and screeched at the smouldering rock, feeling it roll further down his arm, searing more of his moss-green skin until, after one last, desperate push, the rock rolled off of his arm, searing his dirty fingertips as it hit the earth, setting the dry grass and dirt below it alight. The earth beneath him smouldered as the goblin scratched frantically and violently at his reddened, scalded flesh. Eventually, after a minute or so of writing and retching, the pain numbed somewhat, and Steal could finally hear the faint ''tak'' or slender, pointed legs striking into wood. H-Holy- Steal looked up, vision blurry and unfocused, eyes somehow both dry and watery, but he still saw her shape, eight legs around a hairy, slender body. He watched her slowly creep towards him, pushing a weighty, hairy leg into his side You actually... killed Roland... I mean... Steal could swear he heard a faint hint of smugness sink into the shock that rattled her voice. You obviously couldn''t have done this without my advice. Steal''s voice came out rough, raspy, exhausted. "You... be dead without me." Well... Yes... "I could have... let... you die... but no... Adolfus... is friend of Steal? Steal protect Adolfus..." I... The spider-demon let out a deep, resigned sigh. I guess you''re right, we''re friends. "Adolfus... friend" The goblin slowly pulled himself to his clawed feet, extending a hand to the spider. He was merely imitating the way that Kor''Ak greeted people, the goblin''s brain didn''t consider the fact that Adolfus didn''t have hands. Still, she awkwardly lifted one of her forelegs upwards tentatively, pressing it against Steal''s palm as he gripped and shook it. Steal smiled in response, his row of yellowed, crooked fangs rising their way up from his gums and pointing down from above, like his mouth was a cavern of bony stalactites and stalagmites.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The goblin released Adolfus'' leg, looking at her quizically, coal-black eyes looking into hers. "So... Adolfus is my friend, and Adolfus said that a familiar was a demon-friend... Adolfus is also a demon... So demon-friend... Adolfus is familiar?" Another heavy, resigned sigh whispered it''s way through Steal''s mind, like a gentle breeze. Physically however, the spider was merely clicking her mandibles with a degree of agitation, and a little bit of hope. I... You want me to be your familiar? "Adolfus is demon-friend! Adolfus is familiar." The spider awkwardly tapped it''s forelegs together and chittered to itself. If the spider could, she''d cry. Steal''s offer was something she''d been looking to get her entire existence. Baphomet, hear me. I, Arxcatiof Draidrean Opulak Larry Fryndohildyr Ureseskalenra Solamein agree to be pact-bound to Steal, the goblin. A sudden, violent gale tore through the woods around them, screeching through the trees and tearing what few leaves there were from their branches. You are heard. Okay, Steal, just say "I accept" The goblin said the words withou pause, trepidation, worry or anything besides a combination of curiosity and enthusiam. "I accept!"
Familiar Bound: A.D.O.L.F.U.S (Lesser Bloodhound Tarantula
The spider chittered again, mandibles clicking together excitedly to make a sharp ''tik'' sound, repeated in swift succession. Hey, Steal- The spider raised one of its forelegs again to motion towards a glowing, molten ball of glassy rock, it burned a bright yellow, and was already bathing itself in a small pool of molten earth below it; unlike the other, dull black rocks that littered the earthy clearing, this one was perfectly smooth and spherical, like a perfect, glowing orb. Steal certainly considered the glowing golden pen to be a thing of beauty; though the puddle of boiling, melted dirt that was continuously growing around it made him aware he probably shouldn''t touch it. You have enough left in you for another spell? Break that. Steal mumbled quietly to himself as a line of information sprung into his mind.
MP 3/78 (2.0/m)
"No, no power for bolt left..." Damn... We gotta break this... The spider scuttled forwards again, tapping one of her hairy legs against a small and jagged black stone, smaller than her, but certainly not lighter. Steal, quickly, grab this and smash the core "The core?" The incredibly hot ball of death that will put Roland back together if you give it enough time. I''m your friend right? Smash it. Steal nodded, burned and battered legs carrying him forwards in an awkward waddle; his long, filthy fingers found purchase around the jagged stone, still warm to the touch but not scorching. The goblin started walking again, warm stone pressed to his chest as he strained to carry it, the creatures muscles seemed to protest, legs shaking and arms numbing. He still made it to his new target though, rock held high as he looked down at the glowing ball. If this truly was what held that towering mountain of malicious stone together, its true form, its heart, seemed frail, pathetic. Disappointing. Steal drove his pointed rock down with a screech, pain mixed with after, mixed with delight. He was met by a violent sound as his stone punctured the core, pained howling and the overpowering sound of cracking, scraping glass as an uncountable number of crooked, sharp lines carved there way around the core. Steal was ready to slam the stone back down again into the cracked, fractured ball. That was until a flood of myriad messages found their way into his mind.
Level Up! Level Up! Your Job ''Warlock'' Has Reached Level 3! STR +2,DEX +4,AGI +2,FRT +2,INT +4,WIS +6
A wide smirk brought itself wide across Steal''s jagged grin. Though it quickly melted away under the small fountain of scorching liquid that spurt forwards out of one of the molten core''s cracks; a dying, spiteful action of a dying demon.
You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage. You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage. You Have Suffered 1 Fire Damage. You Are Dead.
Chapter 64 - A Whisper And A Roar Steal woke with a start, his stomach rumbled and his mind felt fuzzy as he looked around the dim room. No fires were roaring, just a large number of paladins lay around on raised beds or on furs spread across the wooden floor, snoring happily to themselves. Kor''Ak was amongst them, just across from Steal. Steal, you alright? The familiar, somehow intelligible chitter of Adolfus'' voice crept its way into his mind. Steal opened his mouth to reply, but felt his throat tighten as his eyes met those of one of the paladins, sprawled across the ground with the rest of his silver-and-white armoured companions. Steal''s eyes crawled across the mass of bodies that cluttered the floor, expecting to find nothing but shut eyes and heavy snoring. Instead, he saw a dozen more pairs of eyes, following coldly over him in the dark night. He could see better in the dark than they could, they probably didn''t even realise he knew he was being watched with such cold intent. Perhaps it wasn''t wise for him to start chattering to a friend that wasn''t there when he was surrounded by so many stares. The cold night air flooded in as Steal awkwardly pushed open the door that led onto the cold, dark streets. The others had made it seem so effortless when they entered all these buildings, but Steal had to exert himself as the wooden door creaked it''s way open and he moved out into the night. A deep breath, then another. Steal rubbed the sleet from his coal-black eyes as the gentle, icy wind flowed over him. Another breath. The icy breeze washed over him again and the goblin shivered in reaction. He paused again as the gears in his head turned, even now, he figured it might not be a good idea to start chattering aloud. Maybe he could use Unholy Communion. His thoughts were cut off by afamiliar voice. Lighter than Kor''Ak''s, but one he was still quite familiar with. "I know I''m a little late William, I''m holed up with the adventurer''s I hired. Turns out one was a goblin, but that doesn''t matter." Steal peeked around the corner of one of the buildings to see a figure that his eyes could make out in the darkness, mainly because of his abnormal silhouette, caused by his groomed-to-a-point moustache. He was huddled down one of the alleys, seemingly talking to a dimly lit crystal that he had lay carefully on a stack of warped wooden boxes. "Oh, So that''s why they''re here..." He nodded "It will be done, If all goes well, I''ll be with you soon William." The crystal hummed a little brighter for a moment before it''s light went out, and the human stowed it back into his waistcoat. Steal''s stomach rumbled again, he felt something burning as it rose up his throat. But he swallowed it back down. Making a violent choking noise as he forced acidic bile down into his throat. The shadowy figure''s head seemed to snap around and centre on the goblin''s chest, rising with each dry, stinging breath.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! His feet sprang from the stone as he spun around on his heels, intent on getting back inside and lying back with Kor''Ak, the goblin had never seen Kelvin as scary, but the eyes he just saw felt odd to the monster, cold, angry. Steal''s claws dug into the re-purposed tavern''s wooden floor as he hurriedly leaped over the unmoving bodies of the paladins that littered the ground; he made Kor''Ak out quite easily, even though the building was barely lit by a few dying torches bound to the walls, and what few slivers of silver moonlight found their way through; though Steal''s companions darker skin stood out amongst the silvered armours that the paladin''s still wore, even when resting. Quickly, as he heard the door behind him creak open again, he nestled himself inside of a gap between Kor''Ak''s back and the glimmering chestplate of one of the few paladin''s that actually slept. The goblin''s eyes snapped shut, green skin closing over his coal-black orbs as he heard the light sound of footsteps, felt them become louder, closer. His heart slammed agains this chest as it thumped wildly, he felt something lodge it''s way in his throat again. The footsteps quietened. His claws found purhase on Kor''Ak''s back, and he pulled himself a little closer, held on a little tighter. Steal couldn''t quite put his feelings to thoughts and words, but it was the way that Kelvin had looked at him, the sharp, searching anger in his eyes didn''t feel right, it didn''t feel like the Kelvin he''d spent his past few days with. So, when Steal found comfort in sleep again, he was holding tight to Kor''Ak, unwilling to let go of the only person that was yet to show him some sort of disdain.
He was woken in the morning by a massive, dark hand shaking his shoulder. As could be expected, the goblin lept to his feet and snarled at whoever had awoken him, his expression softening a little as he looked up to see Kor''Ak towering over him, wearing the armour he''d picked out the day prior, sword at his side and a shield on his back. He looked a lot better today; his sunken eyes had begun to return to normal, dark rings lightening a little. Though there was something in those same eyes, some unknown, solemn and sad worry as he looked over the goblin. He blinked, the worry still wasn''t gone from his eyes, no joyous spark. His eyes turned to the door, and Steal followed his gaze, not paying attention to the fact the sleeping quarters had emptied. "Little green one... It is dangerous, you do not need to come with me. If you stay, I will come back with the Knights of Solaria, and we''ll head to the capital together." Steal yipped excitedly, much to Kor''Ak''s despair. And as expected, Steal followed along as his much larger companion easily pushed the ever-creaking door wide open and stepped out onto the street. The streets and square weren''t quite ''teeming'' with the Knights of Solaria, but the two dozen knights. clerics and other fighters that stood, side-by-side in the plaza were enough to be an intimidating sight. Kelvin was nowhere to be found amongst the crowd of silver-armoured warriors, so it was merely Kor''Ak and Steal that shuffled their way forwards, awkwardly standing side-by-side at the back of the block of holy men. The golden-wing-helmed ''speaker'' that stood ahead of the knights raised his ornate sword to the sky, the blade was decorated with jewels, gems and inricate carvings; and the golden marks that danced across it''s blade reflected the rising, morning sun''s rays across the plaza. A vigorous, excited roar burst from the mouths of the paladins as they finally put their helmets on, raising their own blades, maces and bashing their shields in response to the speaker. Like a flood of mercury, the silver armoured warriors rushed forwards, through the streets, past the plaza, and finally, they stood two-by-two, marching forwards with shields raised and weapons ready. Kor''Ak and Steal followed along behind, Steal was taken up in the heat and excitement of it all, but Kor''Ak was still weary, cautious. Still, the Djaal feigned a sigh "Guess we missed the speech, what a shame." Chapter 65 - The Righteous The paladins filed slowly, two-by-two into the mineshaft; the tunnel was maybe five-feet across, and it meant there was very little room to swing a heavy blade or even a proper sword, so instead, the paladin''s held small steel cudgels and maces in their right hands, shields held up in their left. Standing side-by-side meant they had just enough room to maneuver, but they were able to effectively block off the corridor as they advanced ever further. They were only a few feet into the mineshaft before the last beams of morning sunlight tapered off into nothingness, the paladin''s were left in the dark for a brief moment, until the golden-helmed figure in the center of the procession rose his shining blade high again, till the tip clashed against the rocky ceiling. "May Solaria''s Light Bless Us!" His swift, but zealous chant rung out and echoed through the dark passage. Followed by a dim orb of light that seemed to burst from his chest and dance in the air for a few moments, before brightening, casting it''s golden light over the paladins like a miniature sun. The speaker hummed a gentle tune to himself, the orb hummed back and drifted forwards to the front pair of paladins. Still, the light didn''t stretch very far, it lit maybe twenty-feet ahead into darkness, the light shone along the rocky walls, old wooden supports and old, discarded mining gear that disrupted the paladins'' march, making them shift their formation to get past upturned mining carts and bundles of pickaxes. They made their way further down the mine for almost five minutes before Kor''Ak spoke up, tapping his hand gently against the shoulder of one of the paladin''s infront of them. "Hey, Knight, I thought this place was infested with undead, doesn''t seem it to me." Shining metal scraped and shuffled as the paladin infront of them swung his arms upwards with great bombast, clumsily hitting part of his shield into the side of the dwarven paladin beside him. Kor''Ak paused as the paladin craned his neck, managing to mutter "Oh... No-" before the silver-armoured figure ahead of him craned his neck. "HARK! Thou shall call me Lord Angus Reginald Pennysworth! Not ''Knight'' like some-" Another voice, rough and stoic roared out from the stout figure at the over-bearing paladin''s side. "Oi ya limp-legged, loud-mouthed git; another word outta yee and I''ll smack ya silly n'' send you up front!" Just like before, Larp seemed to lose his pretentious vigour, speaking back meekly, in an almost wavering voice "B-But Sergeant-" "I said shut yer trap lad, ya older than me and yer still act like a spoilt brat." The dwarves stern voice came out almost tinny and sharp from within his helmet, making him seem, atleast to Steal, a lot less intimidating than when the dwarf wasn''t wearing a helm. Larp''s sudden silence made it clear that perhaps it was only Steal that thought that way.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "What were yer sayin Djaal?..." The dwarf seemed to reach up to stroke his chin with his shield-arm, but his gauntlet smacked sharply into his metal helmet. "Aye... Well we ain''t in the dungeon just yet, quite a ways down" The Djaal let out an affirming grunt "So they dug too deep?" His questioning words were met with an agitated grunt from the dwarf now "Gek... Don''t say that phrase aroud my people lad, we don''t take too kindly to it." "Ah... Apologies Sergeant, I never served with a dwarf, never really met many at all." "Served? Yee were a soldier?" "I was, I fought in the first, and the last battle. And everything inbetween." "You were under At''Uo''Aka''s orders when-" "..." "Aye... Sorry fer askin... The Knights of Solaria have never fought for a country, never been in a war." "Besides the war on evil?" "...Aye" Kor''Ak frowned a little, paused, as if he was about to say something, then shook his head and tried to change the subject. "You were talking about the dungeon?" Steal could barely make out the hint of uneasiness that displayed itself with the twitch of Hard''s lips and shifting of his eyes. "Aye, it''s still a ways forward, looks like it''s an archetypal dungeon as well, just a lotta undead and narrow corridors" Kor''Ak nodded along without offering his input, letting Hard go on uninterrupted. "-Atleast that''s what our latest scouts from last night said, they encountered a handful of Tier Two''s as well, looks like a few ghast and ghouls will be the worst we have to deal with." Kor''Ak let himself give another affirming nod. The heavy clatter of bone against stone sang out through the tunnel, echoing down from somewhere far off into the dark. Another clatter. Another. The clattering noises became louder, echoed less, and rose in number with each step the Knight''s took forwards. Kor''Ak''s frame stood taller than most of the other men, so he saw them come, in flashes of porcelain white bone and rusted, crude weapons. Empty, black sockets staying just that, dark and empty, even as they pushed into the rays of the ball of light that floated above them. Seven skeletons clambered over each other, sprinting forwards towards the paladin''s with unnatural movements, possible only by creatures that weren''t restricted by simple things, like physics and musculature. The Djaal expected the paladin''s to flinch, many of the men at the front were more boys than men, youthful, fresh and unscarred faces that couldn''t have seen that many battles. Hard''s booming voice rose above the sound of bone striking bone, and it echoed far further "Shields!" Every paladin''s shield sprung up with practiced fervor, raised and ready. Any knight that wasn''t in the first row pressed their shield into the back of the man infront of them, bracing the entire party for the charge. The first of the skeleton''s rusted, jagged blades clattered against the frontline''s shields. Hard''s commands now rose above the sound of steel slamming against steel. "Counter, 2 Rows!" The first row crouched low as they pushed back against the barrage of bones, whilst the pair behind them pointed their cudgels forwards. "Solaria Forgives You!". Twin beams of light shot forwards, like sunbeams through a dusty window. The skeletons that were caught in the rays were set alight, their bones blackened in seconds, then crumbled to dust. Only one straggler had manged to avoid the thin beams of light, the skeleton had collapsed to the ground in a pile of bones, it didn''t have chance to reform itself before a heavy boot crunched down on it''s skull. The sight was an interesting one to Kor''Ak, there tactics brought back memories of his time in the army, and he''d never expected a band of merry witch hunters to move in such a practiced manner. The Djaal couldn''t help but murmur as the paladin''s began to press forwards again, stomping the bones and ash into a fine powder with each pair of boots that crunched forawrds. "That was uneventful" Hard quipped backwards, barely containing a smile that threatened to tear it''s way across his stony face. "Aye, it''s better that than being dramatic." Chapter 66 - The Just The same scene repeated itself a few times as the paladin''s pressed forwards, the mineshaft had long begun to branch out into a twisting maze of tunnels that rose upwards, spiralled downwards and sprawled there way through the dirt to make something resembling an ant hive. Atleast, that''s what Kor''Ak understood from the map that he regularly saw Sergeant Hard checking, everytime there was a fork in their path, the dwarf would bark a direction to the front of the march and they''d take the path he told them. Sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes forwards. Always down.
Steal followed on behind the men that marched ahead of him, listening to the occasional burst of noise as a cacaphony and dry scratching sounds and light, dull footsteps flooded the tunnels. The shorter man, that the other men called a ''dwarf'' would bark a few orders, the sounds of cracking bone and clashing steel would rise for a moment, before returning to an eerie almost-silence. The goblin felt a gentle caress, someone, like a soft finger running it''s from his skull to his spine, the somewhat-chittery voice of his new, eight-legged familiar sung it''s way through his brain. Hey, Steaaaaaal, what''s the deal with this, I''m your familiar, and you haven''t even summoned me, I figured I''d get to spend some time in the mundane-ahem-material world, summon me already! Steal grumbled back as the arachnid''s rapid chitter carried on. Adolfus was rather reserved with him previously, but after she was bound, she didn''t seem to stop talking. It was annoying. Extremely annoying. It felt like he had two completely seperate minds within his own, he could feel a throbbing, the beginning of a sudden, understandable headache. Grumbling, he conceded. He felt the energy, the heat well again up in his chest, felt words he didn''t know, but somehow understood find their way to his tongue as it twisted and flicked in ways he never thought it could. It was a worrying feeling, to feel something so... unnaturally odd come from him as if it was instinct. Adolfus chittered happily for a moment, before she cut the gleeful noise she was making off. Actually, this is sort of an extremely... nghhh... uncomfortable feeling? Feels like getting stung by a dozen venomwasps... or getting raked by a few hundred deathweeds.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. A smile, one that some might describe as sick found it''s way to Steal''s maw as he heard the spider groan. She didn''t appear to be suffering, so he wasn''t worried for her condition, though he certainly felt it was something she perhaps deserved for insistent nagging to be summoned. Something flashed on the ground just infront of him as he fell behind the rest of the group. Small purple and red images that seemed to merge and mingle in patterns and shapes he couldn''t quite understand. They span and merged, lifting from the ground and forming a small, glowing ball, that slowly squished itself and reformed into an eight-legged, purple shape around the size of Steal''s bulbous head. The red and purple hues dimmed and darkened until they became Adolfus'' dark black body and hair, then shifting again to form the blue stripes of hair that decorated her legs, abdomen and thorax. There she was, eight legs tapping on the cold stone floor as her dozens of eyes shifted, looking far off behind them into the dark, and slightly ahead where the knights, and Kor''Ak marched on. Finally, her eyes found Steal. You look a lot uglier in the dark. The goblin''s smile shifted to a sneer, he was ready to retort, until he noticed that Kor''Ak''s back was getting smaller and smaller ahead of him as they kept walking. "Follow Steal, we follow... men." Why? "Why?" His feet were already slapping against the ground as he hurried ever so slightly to keep up to the group of steadier, longer-legged individuals. Adolfus skittered after him, though she didn''t move with anything close to the sense of urgency that Steal felt. You''re clearly different, you''re a goblin, they''re humans... She seemed to note the smaller, much louder figure at the back of the procession. And a dwarf. "Kor''Ak... good to me, help me." Mhmm, if he''s so good to you, why are you covered in fresh wounds and marching after a bunch of men down a tunnel. "Because..." He probably sees you as expendable, the cost of feeding you properly doesn''t outweigh the value of an additional sword-arm and a potential meat shield. The men ahead seemed to be entering a much more structured tunnel that went downwards at a steady angle, although still rocky, the walls ahead looked much smoother, more uniform. -Why aren''t you responding? Seems to me like you''re just following after someone because you don''t really have a purpose. She was annoying the goblin now, she rattled on at him as he walked, pounding him under a barrage of words. His mouth changed again, this time into a snarl, he couldn''t think, couldn''t- Hmm? Seems like I''m ri- His voice came out in a sharp hiss. "Quiet. Quiet. Now." All he heard was a soft chitter, Adolfus pulled back a little, standing a bit further behind him as Steal pressed on, he was still a distance behind the group as they filed out into a large, cavernous dome, it felt vaguely familiar to the cavern of the Wretched, though instead of reeking of feces, rot and blood, the air was dusty, stale, stagnant. The paladin''s were filing out into a circle as Steal reached the border between the sloping tunnel and the cavern. Just fast enough to hear one of the younger paladins lower his shield, wipe his brow and mutter "I thought the scouts said the whole place was just tunnels." before watching the man turn into a fleshy pincushion as six arrows howled through the stagnant air, finding their mark as an arrowhead slipped between a slit in the boy''s armour and burrowing itself into his neck. The boy screamed, his voice buried beneath the screams of many, many more arrows. Chapter 67 - The Stalwart The first volley of arrows found the most flesh, the paladin''s were already raising their shields when the hail of arrows, flying through the darkness on all sides found them. Many of the projectiles shattered, wooden shafts crunching against metal shields. But not all of them. Some burrowed into flesh, other scraping and screaming on steel and silver. The paladin''s previous, synchronous and ordered movements fell somewhat into disarray. The howls, screams and whistles of arrows in flight went silent, instead replaced by the sound of wood scraping on wood, echoing its way through the cavern. More arrows being knocked and drawn. The knights, along with Kor''Ak fell in close together, locking their shields tight and raising their weapons. A storm of sharp whistles and screeches flooded the cavern again, though now, very few arrows found flesh to bite, weakpoints to slip through. Instead, the torrent of wood and iron began to pile up at the feet of the paladin''s, a circle of splinters and shattered shafts forming around them. Steal was still hiding in the tunnel, darting his head out to survey the situation for a brief moment. He could see the creatures, bleach-white skeletons of various sizes, peeking their heads, and bows from small openings in the walls, it was hard to tell there number, but it seemed like they outnumbered the knights four-fold. There advantage would only increase with each subsequent volley. Though very few arrows felled the paladin''s now, the occasional shot found muscle to tear and flesh to rend. The scrape of arrows being knocked hissed through the cavern again. As the arrows howled, searching for their targets, their sound threatened to almost rise above the thunderous chant that now bellowed from The Speaker''s lips, warped by his helmet. A violent flash of light blinded Steal, forcing his eyes to snap shut and his face to look away from the miniature sun that had sprung to life in the room, replacing the meager light the Speaker had once commanded. The goblin craned his neck back to look back to the group of knights, only to see them levelling their blades forwards towards the skeletal archers. Each man within the circle, besides Kor''Ak let out a simultaneous chant, bolts of bright sunlight erupting forth in narrow, pulsating beams of sunlight. The beams scolded and burned into the earthen walls as they raked across them, flowing forwards as they pushed through the gaps in the walls that the skeleton''s were firing from, the whitened bones that were caught by the light quickly darkended and crumbled, some of the skeletons dropped to the floor, bones dissasembling and clattering into piles, others lost arms, ribs and shoulder to the light. However, the faster ones had pulled to the side, evading the thin beams. The beams crackled in the air for another few moments before their light faded, another volley of crooked arrows sprung forth from the skeletal archers that remained, though these found nothing to bite, shattering and reflecting off heavy shields and heavier armour. With far fewer arrows being fired, and so many of the skeletons incapacitated or injured, Steal''s eyes settled onto the gaps in the earthen walls, the closest one to him had been opened slightly by a glancing beam, enough for both he and Adolfus to push through. His feet were moving, pattering quickly against the hard earth beneath him as he heard the scraping of wood again. There was an outburst from behind him, a deep, weighty voice called out from the circle of shields, it was Kor''Ak''s.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Goblin! Get Down!" Steal shrugged his words off, hurling himself through one of the earthen holes into the dimness beyond, Adolfus in tow. She did not bother to voice them, but he felt her protests in his head, nevertheless, she followed on behind him through the gap in the wall. His eyes quickly scanned through the dimly lit environment, the only light he was given being from the still-floating ball of light in the center of the room behind him. He glanced left, then right. Either side of him he saw a small corridor, narrow, the ceiling just higher than the height of a human, the wall''s spaced apart only so much that single-file movement wouldn''t be constricted. The corridor appeared to encircle the room, on his right he could see a slight incline in the corridor, likely raising high enough that it was directly above the entrance he had came from. Steal figured it would likely be the same on the other doorway in the room. His eyes snapped left again as he heard the dull scrape of bone against bone. A skeleton charged towards him, holding it''s bow two-handed and brandishing it like a club. Without pause, the goblin brought himself forwards, ducking under a wide swing as the bow bounced of the earthen wall, his hand flashed down to his dagger, bringing it up just as fast and stabbing into the creature''s chest, blade between it''s ribs. The skeleton twisted it''s body upwards, yanking Steal from the floor and forcing him to release his dagger as a sharp burst of pain shot down from his wrist. Steal pushed off from the skeleton, hand reaching down for the other weapon Kor''Ak gave him. He pulled the mace from his shoulder, feeling the weight of the thing, it was different to various daggers and knives he''d been using, heavier even than the spear he''d had when he was alongside the hobgoblins. He brought the mace up, held tight in both of his hands as he was met with the sound of metal grating on bone as the skeleton wrenched the dagger from it''s ribs, tossing the bow at Steal as it brought it''s new blade to ready. Steal''s swing was wide as his batted the bow against the wall, wooden riser splintering as his mace crashed against it. His swing was too wide, too much strength, his eyes caught a flash of white as the skeleton took the opportunity to charge towards him, the goblin barely bringing the mace to bare as a dagger flashed down towards him, held firm in the skeleton''s bony hands. The thin blade wailed against the metal haft of the mace, scraping down it''s length as Steal howled and desperately pushed the undead''s arms back, calling for his companion through gritted fangs. "Adolfus!" No flesh, my venom isn''t of use. He swore he could hear the demon sigh. His charcoal-black eyes caught a glimpse of movement, a furry ball of black and blue flitting across the wall and launching forwards. Adolfus'' body smashed against the skeleton''s chest, sending it stumbling backwards. No longer having to worry about pushing his opponent''s blade back, Steal charged forward, he''d take advantage of the opening his familiar had granted without fail. His mace swung wide again, it''s head smashing into the skeleton''s right leg, it''s femur smashing into white shards. The skeleton toppled, swinging the dagger wildly upwards, cutting through nothing but air. Adolfus'' furry frame peeled from the skeleton, allowing Steal a clear blow as the goblin brought the mace up, then swung it down. Smashing through the skeleton''s skull. The creature dropped, it''s bones no longer held together by whatever force kept it animated as it clattered against the ground. Steal bent to his knee to wipe his dagger from the ground, but was cut off by a sharp word from Adolfus. More. She was indeed right, he could see them, piling in behind each other, seemingly forgetting about the paladin''s in the centre of the room, instead focusing on the new, green-skinned invader within their wall. Chapter 68 - The Warlock Steal''s wide mouth morphed to a wider snarl as he bent himself low, clawed hand tightening on the haft of his mace. He hefted the weight of his weapon over his shoulder, black eyes darting to look for Adolfus in the darkness, he caught a glimpse of her at his side, slowly moving behind him. He was about to question her actions before her voice crawled into his mind. Don''t handle undead well, will help when I can. Not one to complain, Steal let his eyes focus back on his approaching foes. They were not scrabbling and hurrying towards him like he had expected, instead they followed each other, single file, he readied himself as they pressed forward, every time one of the skeleton''s passed one of the holes in the earthen walls, they would let loose an arrow at the Knights of Solaria, moving forwards again after firing a single shot, until they came to another hole in wall. The first of them to cross Steal''s path bore a jawless skull, holding it''s bow like a club, the same way the previous one did. It swung down, putting it''s weight behind the strike, only to find it''s weapon clattering harmlessly against the stone. Steal darted forwards again, making up the distance between them and creating a satisfying pop as his mace struck the monster''s spine, smashing the creature into the wall and sending it raining down to the floor in pieces. His most recent victim''s skull was still bouncing off the earth as a new opponent brought themselves to bare. It''s movements mimicked the actions of the last with an almost worrying uniformity, the same downwards swing, bow smacking against stone as the weighty strike was easily evaded, Steal capitalised on his opening the same way as previously, closing the distance, swinging below the skeleton''s ribs and above the pelvis to shatter the spine. The mace bit nothing, cutting through the empty air as the skeleton arched back, raising it''s bow slightly off the ground and springing forwards with unexpected agility, ramming the bow into steal''s stomach like a spear.
You Have Suffered 7 Damage.
For all the minor ingenuity and trick behind the attack, a bow was a bow, not meant for striking in melee, it opened no wound, tasted no blood, instead, it made Steal grimace, leaving a dull pain in his gut as he pressed forwards, stepping to one side and swinging his mace overhead, splintering the undead''s ribcage and smashing further downwards, shattering it''s dry pelvis and bringing it to the ground in another pile of inanimate bone. However, the dead were fearless and tireless, rather than back away from their fallen comrades, they merely continued onwards, crunching bone beneath their feet as another archer moved to engage Steal. Behind! Adolfus'' word of warning came too late, as Steal was busy dismembering the skeleton in front of him, others had circled around, something he became fully aware of as he spun to heed Adolfus'' warning, only for a curved lump of wood to crack against his nose.
You Have Suffered 9 Damage. You Are Dazed (1s)
His vision blurred for a moment, his balance lost as his foot caught on an uneven patch of ground and he barely stopped himself from stumbling. He raised his mace defensively against his new attacker, only to be struck in the side from behind.
You Have Suffered 6 Damage.
Adolfus'' voice rang in his mind once more. You''re a warlock! Start warlocking! His left-hand stopped gripping his mace, leaving his right to rest it on his shoulder as he thrust forwards his free hand, fire sizzling in his palm as it burst forwards from him.
You Have Suffered 3 Unholy Damage
The mix of reds, yellows, oranges and purples blasted through the skeleton infront of him, blackening the bones it touched and bringing the attacker to the floor, his bolt continued on however, blasting a hole in it''s scapula and sending it tumbling back, crashing and clattering against the skeleton behind it in a flurry of bones.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Right! Steal darted right, pressing against the wall as the skeleton behind him swung it''s bow down, smacking against the section of floor he had just been standing on. He whirled on the attacker behind him now, letting lose another violent blast of daemonic fire that rendered two more skeleton''s innert.
You Have Suffered 3 Unholy Damage.
Level Up! Your Job ''Warlock'' Has Reached Level 4! STR +1,DEX +2,AGI +1,FRT +1,INT +2,WIS +3
Your Spell ''Daemon Bolt'' Has Reached Level 2! MP Cost 15 > 14
Steal didn''t have the opportunity to take pleasure in the new swell in his power as he spun around again, scorching a new target with a bolt of daemonic energy.
You Have Suffered 3 Unholy Damage.
Hey! I know I said you should start warlocking, but don''t burn every drop of mana you''ve got when you don''t need to! You''ve got even less than normal since I''m summoned as well! Glumly, Steal took heed of Adolfus'' words again, both hands fixing firmly on the haft of his mace once more. Though the skeleton''s didn''t seem to show an end, and he couldn''t protect himself from both sides if Adolfus couldn''t contribute. As if to punctuate his thoughts, Steal knocked a heavy strike away from his head, sending everything below his attacker''s humerus crashing against the wall, only to be struck in the shoulder from behind.
You Have Suffered 5 Damage.
Heavy footsteps rose above the crunching of bone as an iron-clad figure, no more than a head taller than Steal flew through a hole in the wall a few feet into the skeletal procession, crushing one of the undead archer''s in the process. The figure uncurled and stood straight, armour bloodied and dirtied, but to Steal it was almost shining. A white tabard covering his new allies chest bearing the sign of Solaria, partially obscured by a heavy shield held in his left hand, a silver-inlaid mace held in his right. Steal felt the dwarf grin beneath his helmet, booming voice forcing the undead to turn their heads to him. "We can ''ardly have a goblin do all the undead slayin'' now can we?!" And with that, Sergeant Hard quickly carved his path to Steal, strikes from his shield crushing ribs and blows from his mace splitting skulls. Within a few seconds, the sergeant had forced his way through to Steal, motioning for the goblin to turn around and face the skeleton''s behind Steal, as Steal spun, Hard''s back pressed against his. "I''ll guard yer back if yer be watchin mine goblin" His words were innane to the goblin, but the press of his back and sight of his raised shield offered Steal some insight into his intention. The whistle of wood cutting through the air brought Steal back to attention, batting away at the flimsy strike with his mace, he let his left hand leave the grip of his mace again, bringing it forwards and clenching around the skeleton''s pelvis, with a heavy tug, he pulled the monster towards him, bony feet scrabbling on the stone. Without flesh, muscle fat or a scrap of armour, the skeleton was surprisingly light, Steal stumbled back slightly, not having expected the skeleton''s footing to give way so easily. His back pressed into Hard''s, the weight of the dwarf letting him keep his footing. He heard the clattering of bone behind him as Hard took a sharp step forwards, his own weapon obliterating an attacker''s tibia, a swifter strike smashing the falling archer to the stones beneath it. Steal brought his own mace down on the still-staggering target before him. Sending it sprawling in a burst of breaking bone. The fighting continued, undead numbers thinning with every strike of a shield or crunch of a mace. On occassion, if she saw the opportunity, Adolfus would throw her weight into a jump against a skeleton, giving Steal an opening, or deflecting attacks that would have otherwise struck him. After a few minutes of brawling, bashing and breaking, the skeleton''s were left as nothing more than innert masses of bone that littered the floor, dully cracking under Steal''s soles and Hard''s boots.
Level Up! Your Racial Job ''Goblin'' has advanced to Level 8! STR +1 ,DEX +2 ,AGI +1 ,FRT +1 ,INT +1 ,WIS +1
Level Up! Your Job ''Hunter'' Has Reached Level 7! STR +1,DEX +2,AGI +2,FRT +1,INT +1,WIS +1
Due to Your actions, you have gained the ''Mace Expertise'' Skill! Your Skill ''Mace Expertise'' has advanced to Level 1!
Chapter 69 - The Magic Number The two warriors pulled themselves upwards, crawling out of the holes in the walls, back into the centre of the cavernous room. They were offered no cheers, instead, a dull silence fell upon the cavern, the knight''s wall had widened, the only sounds now being that of a shifting step or gauntlet clanking as one of the paladin''s would re-adjust their shield. In the centre of them, a great empty patch of floor was left, occupied only by The Speaker, and the two unmoving men, lay side-by-side on the floor, wooden shafts being pulled with surprising dexterity from their bodies with gauntleted hands. Hard''s small stature seemed to grow smaller as he and Steal closed in on the group. His voice as gruff as ever, but not as commanding, wavering slightly as he spoke to one of the paladin''s as the duo passed through the circle of them. "Who... who did we lose?" "Damien and Myron... sir." Hard moved forwards to The Speaker, Steal followed behind, though he gave the man a few feet of space, Adolfus now clung to his back, peering out over his shoulder as they moved. The crest-helmed figure rose to his feet as he set the last of the arrows aside gently. He turned and spoke, his voice soft, warm and melodic. "Jackson, Korda, I ask that you take Damien and Myron back, out of this dungeon, we cannot allow this place to take their bodies. Their family will want their bodies, it''s the least we could do for them. Prepare the gratuities as well, we''ll deliver them home after we-" the melodic voice paused for a moment, body tensing slightly and metal scraping as one of his gauntlet''s clenched tight "-purge this place." With that, the paladin''s filed out again, preparing to press further onwards. Though still, they moved a little slower, a little tenser. As the group marched forward, Kor''Ak and The Speaker hung behind, whilst Hard went to rejoin his men, barking out instruction with less fervour than before. Steal stayed with Kor''Ak, watching as the two paladins, Jackson and Korda hefted the bodies of their fallen over there backs and began trudging back off towards the surface. The two were stopped for a brief moment, metal hands resting on their free shoulders, the hands of The Speaker, his voice even softer as he spoke again. "Take care of yourselves, Solaria bless you." The two replied in unison "We will, Solaria bless you" Slowly, the metal hands of The Speaker released them and they began there march anew. Kor''Ak turned to Steal, the goblin looked up to meet his eyes, the Djaalic man''s face showed a conflict in its expressions, the twitch of his lips and the slight glisten of his eyes as he looked down on the goblin showed that he was certainly relieved, but that same twitch showed Steal that with the two fallen, Kor''Ak dare not offer the goblin a smile or clear sign of happiness in Steal''s safe return and display of strength. Instead, his arm reached down, tightening slightly on the goblin''s shoulder. "You did well." Steal met the slight praise with a fanged smile, hefting his weapon back onto his shoulder as Kor''Ak motioned for them to follow on behind the rest of the Paladin''s as they pressed down deeper into the dungeon. The Speaker had left ahead of them, already following up behind his men as Kor''Ak and Steal hurriedly moved to join them. The wide, circular room had quickly narrowed at its exit, returning to the same design as the tunnels before it, narrow, rocky and dark. Much the same, the Knights Of Solaria returned to their previous formation, two men stood side by side to make two long columns that covered the entirety of the dark tunnel''s width, light provided by the warm ball of sunlight that The Speaker guided ahead of them. This formation was now two rows thinner. Excluding, Steal, Kor''Ak and The Speaker, only twenty knights remained. Still, they continued on, cutting down the few skeletons''s that guarded the ever-winding rocky tunnels that seemed to only go deeper into the earth. Slowly, the decline of the path''s settled until it became a flat surface, with only one, long, straight hallway ahead that stretched into the darkness. As they pressed on further, Steal felt something settle on his tongue, fill his nose and run through his blood. The air was thick with something here, but he couldn''t tell what, and considering the lack of reaction from the men ahead of him, it seemed like they didn''t sense anything at all. Steal only realised what permeated the air and filled his body when a previously unseen status box flashed through his mind.
Area Effect: MP/m +5% Cause: High Mana Concentration
Quickly, to confirm the change, Steal mumbled for his status in his garbled, goblin-tongue.
STATUS
General Attributes Jobs/Classes
Name Steal STR 31 Goblin 8 25/1709 XP
Race Goblin DEX 51 Hunter 7 203/1139 XP
Age 5 Days AGI 40 Warlock 4 71/506 XP
HP 107/133 (3.4/m) FRT 34
MP 41/103 (3.15/m) INT 34
Affiliation N/A WIS 37
ADVANCED STATUS
Traits Skills Spells/Martial Arts
Trait Level Skill Level Spell/Art Level School
David 2 Sword Expertise 1 Daemon Bolt 2 Undermagic
Fleet-Of-Foot 1 Trapping 1 Summon Familiar 1 Undermagic
Wyrmslayer 1 Polearm Expertise 2
Magical Aptitude If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.(Minor) MAX Target Locked 1
Daemon-Tongue 1 Unholy Communion 1
Aptitude (Warlock) 1 Bloodfuel 1
Daemon-Touched Mace Expertise 1
Unholy Mark (Maal)
The colouration of his mana regeneration caught his attention for a moment, perhaps it was because of the mana in the air causing it to be higher than it should be. Without pause, the paladin''s continued to press forward, the mana in the air only seemed to stop growing as the knights came to a slightly wider room, marking a sudden change in the aesthetic of the area surrounding them. Warm, wooden flooring covered the ground ahead of them, torches fixed to the walls burned brightly, their light dancing across the room, illumination the long table that took possession of the centre of the room, platters of food, from still-steaming slices of turkey to roasted potatoes, heaped upon a ceramic platter. Two velvet-cushioned chairs were at either head of the table, though the space between them was more than enough to seat a family or three with room to spare, and the amount of fresh food that littered the table was enough to generously feed far more than that. Walls of smooth, stone brick penned the room in, and on the other side of the room, breaking up the stone was a simple wooden door, a lion-headed door knocker was affixed at head height, the rest of the door was reinforced with iron, though the most notable thing about the door was the complete lack of a doorknob, lock or handle. Steal''s eyes looked over the door, though they quickly returned to what interested him the most, the still-steaming food that piled upon the table. The goblin sloppily wiped a trickle of drool from his lips, moving to climb onto the table and feast with great ferocity. A cold hand grabbed the scruff off his neck and heaved him up as Kor''Ak lifted him from the ground, turning Steal to look at him, eye''s at equal heights now as the Djaal simply shook his head and set him back down. Steal was still. Kor''Ak moved forwards, standing beside The Speaker as the Knights filed out into the room, each casting wary glances at the food upon the table, and warier ones upon the door before them. The Djaal was the first to speak. "Knocking seems... inadvisable." Hard moved back beside Kor''Ak, gesturing for a number of the knights to move the table to one side of the room, out of the way of the door. "Aye, that''s right" The dwarf hefted his mace "We won''t be knockin." The sergeant rose his shield ahead of him, his legs tensed and charged forwards with seemingly impossible speed, his shield crunched against the wood, the door splintered and shook under the impact, but it did not break, it did not give way, nor did it break from its hinges. The sergeant clattered to the floor after the impact, he merely shook his head, picked himself up, and struck his mace into the wood instead. A number of other paladins moved in to do the same, the collective group hacking away at the door blowing away at chunks of the door, blasting strips of wood with each strike. Though before their strikes made much progress, a dull click came from the door, and slowly, it swung open. Quickly, the paladin''s filed into the room ahead, Hard taking the lead as The Speaker moved in, Steal and Kor''Ak following behind. They found themselves in a gargantuan bedroom, perhaps a hundred feet to either side. Much of the wooden floor was empty space, though a few things caught Steal''s attention. First, a square pillar rose from the centre of the room constructed from uncountable numbers of black, charred bones. Ashen skulls looking out in every direction from the jagged tower of bone, with a glowing crystal orb sitting atop it, glowing with the various arcane runes that danced along its pearlescent surface. Just beyond that, a king-sized bed lay, two suits of armour standingto either side of it''s elaborate, flower-engraved wooden headboard. Silken sheets wrapped hastily around the young woman that sat open it, pale-white flesh visible where the scarlet sheets didn''t cover. She seemed to peer cluelessly at the men as they took up positions in the room. When she spoke, her voice seemed dainty, yet it echoed throughout the room, voice bouncing off the walls and ceiling twenty feet above their heads. "You sure took your time getting here, and you didn''t even knock properly" her face made an expression somewhere between insulted and pouting "Rude." Chapter 70 - An Old Flame Steal stood still, his eyes flitting upwards to meet Kor''Ak''s. A sudden coldness swallowed the room. Steal exhaled, a trail of thin mist coming from his throat and dispersing into the air before him. He and the Djaal stayed motionless as the woman before them unfolded her legs beneath the silk sheets, crossing them again after a few moments, smooth feet swaying hypnotically over the end of the bed. Something else rustled beneath the sheets, rising to sit beside the woman. The first Steal saw of it was its head, a human''s, mottled and grey, dry skin cracking, bloated and transuclent over rotted flesh. The sheets fell off it as it sat up completely, revealing a chest with a similar condition to its face. Ribs guarding a seemingly hollow chest that did not rise or fall with breath. A long suture was clear in the thing''s belly, running a jagged horizontal line across its torso. The woman''s slender arm rose, her soft palms caressing the zombie''s cheek. She pulled it''s head closer, soft red lips pressing against the undead''s cracked, paled lips. Her undead companion''s own hand rose, pushing shining silver hair back behind her round ears to reveal the full extent of her face. It was smooth, not angular, soft, not hard, yet there was something in the deep crimson eyes of hers that Steal felt as her eyes glanced across him, something that made the cold air feel only colder. The paladin''s gripped their weapons tighter, though they didn''t recoil. Kor''Ak took a step backwards, averting his gaze and gagging slightly at the ghastly sight. Steal''s eyes merely wandering focused on the action, that of sharing lips, something he''d never seen. It seemed intimate, but the reactions of his companions told him there must be something wrong with such an action. The goblin shrugged his shoulders and tightened his grip on his own weapon. With a heavy, ecstatic breath, the pale woman pulled herself back, lips parting with the zombies. Her chest rose, she opened her mouth as if to speak again, but was cut silence by a rough, dwarven voice, Hard''s words seemed even heavier as they rung and echoed through the hall-sized bedroom. "You''ve killed far too many, taken too much life, acted upon too much sin for us to dare worry about being rude!" His voice seemed to lose its strength again as he uttered a name, yet it carried itself through the room for all to hear "... Melissa.." The woman before them seemed to take offence at such a comment, her demeanour nearly crumbling as she forced herself to suppress the wavering beginning of a snarl. Her composure quickly returned as she let out a haughty laugh "Dundrim? Is that you? Oh my, I could barely tell it was you under all that armour. I must say, if I had known I''d be meeting you on this job, I would have taken it even without the reward. It really is good to see you again, I''d been hoping I would be adding you to my collection some day" Hard clenched his weapon tighter "It''s been twenty years Melissa, you haven''t aged a day. I have. I''ve fought since then, my body is hardened by scars, resolve hardened by faith. Things will not be the same, today I will-"Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "Kill me and finish what we started all those years ago?" Melissa''s eyes rolled as she slipped from beneath the sheets, exposing a bare body as she pulled a gold-inlaid wooden case from beneath the bed, producing a set of frilly black and red clothes from it and setting them atop the ruffled sheets. The zombie that had laid with her did the same, slipping off the opposite side of the bed and pulling an iron box from beneath it, quickly pulling a thin blade from it and moving to its master, who was currently affixing her skirt as her eyes narrowed on Hard. "You always were predictable, and boorish. Not even telling your men to avert there gaze as your wife is dressing before them." Her head craned back, looking down the soft ridge of her nose at him. "Pathetic" "You are my wife no longer Melissa, you''re no more than a monster" "Tch, if you held no sentiment, then why haven''t you already demanded my head be severed and put on a spike? I''m sure you wouldn''t waste time on a conversation with one of my darlings would you?" Her hand went over her shoulder to pat the head of the zombie behind her, as it awkwardly fumbled in attempts to fasten her corset. "Well, I can tell you have no intent to let me live." She fiddled with the corset, pulling it up slightly to cover her chest. She took a seat at the edge of the bed, raising her left leg up as her undead partner moved to pull a long, thin sock over her leg. With the first done, he moved to pull up the other. The pillar at the centre of the room began to rattle, piles of black bone pouring to the floor like a waterfall as the bones continued to spill forth and rattle along the floor, they continued to rattle as they pulled together, breaking away and dividing to form more humanoid figures, snapping to each other to build themselves into skeletal frames, black skulls staring back through empty eye sockets Following that, the two suits of armor that stood upright around Melissa''s bed creaked and moved. Shields and swords at the ready as they pressed forwards to guard Melissa, whilst still giving the woman enough space to cast her gaze over the paladin''s as she stood, the zombie she lay with bending low, pulling a metallic, skull-topped staff from beneath her bed and passing it to her. She seized the staff in her right-hand, tapping it''s metal bottom against the wooden floor at her feet. As the staff struck the ground, it made no discernible sound of striking, instead, the strike rang like a bell, echoing and bouncing off the walls. The air was silent for a moment. The paladin''s readied themselves. A wave of thin green flame erupted from the skull atop her staff. Emeraldine embers grasping onto black bone and black armor, quickly skittering upwards and crawling into the skulls of the skeleton''s and helms of Melissa''s vanguard. The light of the fickle embers dimmed for a brief moment before bursting to life, roaring into bright flames amidst empty eyesockets. Melissa''s grin grew wider "Don''t worry my old dear, once I''m done with you, I''ll be sure to raise you up to serve at my side." The blackened skeleton''s charged forth like a tidal wave, there hands suddenly alight with eerie green flame as they surged forwards. Steal pulled back as the wall of shields fell into place in front of the goblin, paladin''s readying for the oncoming surge of bodies. It didn''t quite come as they expected. Chapter 71 - Hatred Burns Bright The rushing undead skidded to a halt in their charge, feet skittering and clacking against the varnished wood floor. Steal followed their movement in the slightest flashes and glimmers of sight he could manage between the paladin''s shields in front of him. Their blackened appendages lowered, flickering green flames in their hands sweltering as their heat intensified for the briefest of moments, before spilling forth in angry waves across the wooden floor, tongues of green fire licked upwards, the flame spreading with a frightening pace as it spread hungrily across the floor, clambering beneath the paladins'' shields and kissing their feet. Still, the fire pushed across the ground, spreading from the first rank of men to the second, then the third. Its flickering flame rose higher, yet the Paladin''s only reacted when the roaring flame-kissed their tabards, their cloth quickly alight, the emblem of their god quickly swallowed by hungry flame. They shifted uncomfortably as the flame-kissed their helmets, their steadiness wavering under the heat, but they did not break ranks. A melodious voice rose above the crackle of flame. "Break formation, engage the heathen and her abominations!" They would not break ranks without orders to do so. Shields snapped forwards, weapons were raised, metal boots struck like hammers into the flaming wood as the Knights of Solaria surged forwards, the din of their charging feet and roar of flame felt muffled, distant compared to the ferocity and fervour in their cries of battle. Kor''Ak pressed forwards with them, a wall of iron and silver smashing into the horde of ashen undead. Unable to weather the heat, Steal, with Adolfus clung tight to his back pressed to the wall of the room, quickly clambering around the ever-spreading flames. After he had managed some distance from the pool of fire, his eyes flitted quickly back to Kor''Ak, his shield crunching into the first blackened skull he encountered. Steal''s eyes flashed quickly along the most eminent of their foes, the first rank of skeletons was made short work of in the Paladins'' charge, though the undead had begun to spread, moving to encircle the men that they outnumbered threefold; their bones untouched and unharmed by the jade-tinted inferno. His eyes snapped to a different being entirely as the vilest of chills settled in his skin. The white woman was looking out over the battle with a hint of boredom, yet the skull-topped staff in her grasp seemed alive with more green flame, though this looked darker than that which spilt across the floor. It grew darker still until the dancing flame slowed to a standstill, its tongues did not waver, it''s light did not flicker, it merely stood atop the staff, glassy obsidian coloured fire that seemed frozen in time. The flame pulsed once then dispersed, droplets of a gooey, glassy substance erupted forth from it as the flame convulsed, then vanished. The substance plopped against the ground, pulsated once, then began racing across the floorboards towards the paladins. Like a pack of wolves moving to pounce on prey. One of the gooey droplets broke from the pack, then another. A duo of pulsating black blobs rushed towards Steal, behind the goblin, there was nothing but flame, to his side, a wall. Running forwards would lead him into the clutches of the woman and her three guardians. Steal''s feet carried him forwards to escape from the blob, but as he lost sight of the two rushing droplets, a sharp pain erupted in his shoulder, a similar cry coming from Adolfus as she fell from Steal''s back.
HP/m Decreased By 1. STR -10% DEX -10% AGI - 10% FRT -10%
Quickly, the goblin snapped around, his body reacting slower then he had wanted, only to see a thin black line leading from Adolfus'' abdomen to the floor. He arched back to look over his shoulder at the source of his pain, only to see the same, a glassy black tether stuck fast into his back. Steal''s eyes narrowed on a glint of reflected torchlight, a thin, almost invisible trail of slime led from the woman''s feet to the dark tether stuck into his skin. He saw a similar trail, leading from Adolfus'' black tether to the pale woman''s feet as well. Steal''s eyes caught another similar site, a dozen similar trails and tethers were stuck fast into the paladins.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The blackened skeleton''s displayed a sudden surge in energy, their movements quickened as the last of their forces encircled the paladins, who had formed their own circle, with The Speaker in their centre. With a ferocity in their flame-filled eyes, the skeleton''s grabbed angrily at their opponent''s shields, putting their free hands over the shields or between gaps in the paladins'' formation, blasting further gouts of angry emerald flame into their circle, keeping the floor at their feet alight. Steal caught a glimpse of a black bony hand fasten onto a man''s helm, the palm of the skeleton''s hand clasped over his visor. The inside of the helmet flared alive with flame, the man''s composure seeming to break as flame filled his flame and kissed his face, bringing him to the ground, writhing, screaming. Ignoring the fallen man, Steal dropped his mace, using the now free hand to clasp at the black tether in his shoulder to wrench it free. To some surprise, the black substance came free from his skin with surprising ease, quickly reforming into a ball of glassy goo, yet it no longer moved, and instead lay inert. As Steal knelt down to pull the same tether from Adolfus'' squirming form, he felt something different wash over him, a radiant warmth that seemed to overpower the chill and edge of battle.
Solaria''s Blessing (Boon) Gained Duration: 4 Minutes 59 Seconds
STR +30% FRT +20% WIS +25% +1 HP/s
Steal felt his muscles flare with a comforting warmth that flooded through his body. The tether broke free in Steal''s hands again as he helped the spider off of her back. She offered Steal no verbal response as she skittered to her feet, just an agitated click of her fangs, her myriad eyes seeming remarkably focused on the pale female figure ahead of her. One of her legs tapped Steal''s foot. I want to kill her. Not one to argue, Steal readied his weapon and felt a deeper warmth well in his stomach, flowing to his palm. His hand outstretched, ready to fire, the heat rose to a crescendo, cut short just before it was to spill from his palm by the ever-soothing voice of the speaker. "I will be protected no longer, Sergeant, do as you must, allow me to take your place." The Dwarf''s reply was simple as he pressed forwards, breaking through the encircling undead as his weapon roared to life with a divine golden light, sundering his skeletal foes with each blow, carving a path through flame and bone until he broke free from the horde, his wing-helmed leader taking his place in the defence. With a speed that betrayed the man''s short legs, and diminutive, yet stocky stature, Hard carried himself through the flames, though not untouched. A blackened bony hand took grip beneath the rim of his helm, green fire brightening in the creature''s palm. Without pause, the dwarf wrenched the helm from his head, the grasping hand not scorching flesh, merely heating metal. The faintest of emeraldine embers singed into the short crop of grey hair that sat atop the dwarves head as he finally broke clear of the pack. Eyes narrowed, focused on the woman ahead of him, paying seemingly little attention to the black-armoured figures that stepped forwards, shields raised and weapons clenched in jagged, gauntleted hands. Melissa struck the ground again with her staff, black, smoky vines crawled forwards across the ground, snatching hungrily at the charging dwarf, smoky thorns solidifying, tendrils curling and writhing in search of flesh to pierce, trying to bring the dwarf down. The shadowy vines snapped and tore as Hard kept pushing forwards, his dazzling mace disintegrating those in front of him in wide arcs. "Melissa! It ends now!". Author AMA Returns and Mini-Hiatus There will be a minimum of a 1-week gap until the next Greenskin chapter as I will be spending this time reforming the earlier chapters into somethibg that my current self is happy with. In the meantime, I would like to thank everyone that has read up to this point, I''m quite a fickle man and you''re continued interest in my story is what makes me want to keep on going.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
As well as all this, considering the positive response last time and the fact it was something I enjoyed previously, I would also like to use this post as another AMA thread. I will answer any question asked of me until the release of Chapter 72. Chapter 72 - A Kiss Too Sweet The black vines faded as Hard pushed ever further onwards, he didn''t waver as a shadowy, ephemeral dart erupted from Melissa''s staff and struck him squarely in the shoulder. Instead, he pushed forwards, teeth gritted and eyes narrowed on his target. It stood before him, still daring to throw a haughty smirk his way between its dark incantation''s. Once a woman, once his wife. It was neither no longer. A necromancer. An undead. It was the Knight''s of Solaria''s goal to eradicate them. He would not falter in his goal. A bright beam of sunlight erupted from his weapon as he pointed it towards Melissa, though instead of striking it''s intended topic, his beam dissipated into a black metal shield, one of her guards had moved to protect her. Hard closed the distance as the other armoured undead moved to intercept him. The silvered ram of fury that was the dwarf crunched recklessly into the knight, their shields collided with a violent explosion of sound that bounced throughout the cavernous bedroom. Hard swung his mace quickly, the metal still shimmering and glowing with yellow sunlight. It cut a trace of light in the air, but struck nothing, the knight having quickly circled left to catch Hard from behind with agility that betrayed the dark plate that covered it''s body completely. With a swift thrust, the undead knight brought the blade forwards, tip biting into the mail beneath Hard''s arm, but it did not find flesh, instead, it pushed into the chain as Hard slammed his shield into the knight''s again, forcing the fighter backwards. A close call. Both of Melissa''s armoured guards moved in a very different manner to the simple undead that had populated the mine up until now. Definitely not first-tier trash. Death Knights. A disquieting flash of thought reached Hard''s mind as he pulled back and surveyed the situation, both of the death knights now advancing in unison on him. Even without Melissa, he might be outclassed by the two undead. That is until he saw the blur of green linger at his vision or the flash of purple and red that howled through the air in front of the green figure.
His bolt burst forward in frontof Steal, the goblin letting the energy blast forwards as it crashed into the closest of the death knights, his target stumbled and reeled backwards as Steal took the opportunity to launch himself onto his staggered opponet, he quickly clambered onto the undead''s shoulder, his mace cutting through the air as it crunched down into his opponent''s helm. The mace made no indentation, and Steal''s strike was not responded to with the victorious sound of crunching bone. Just metal against metal. Regaining it''s composure, the figures gauntleted hand rose up and gripped Steal''s throat, tightening around the goblin''s neck and wrenching him from the knight''s shoulder, tossing the green figure to the ground. Steal crashed and bounced on the wooden floor, finding his footing besides Hard, the dwarf offering him a re-affirming grin beneath his helmet. "Goblin, this is my fight. Not yours." The dwarf allowed himself a quick, hearty laugh as the death knights continued to enroach, and a shimmer of green could be seen beyond them, atop Melissa''s staff."But I would be grateful for you assistance." Still, these weren''t words that Steal knew, not a language he understood. But the goblin had decided that he would help Hard from the start. The heat in his muscles rose ever higher, the rush of his blood pounding like drums in his skull. The fiery bolt roared louder than even Hard as it leaped from his palm, it''s purple orange light crashing into the undead''s armour. Hard lunged forward with the attack, slamming another oncoming strike out of his way with his shield, metal striking on metal like a bell as the sound of the clash died out by the sound of more intense battle behind them. Steal caught the barest hint of bone beneath the knight''s black armour, the slightest flash of clean white, an opening underneath the knight''s shoulder. His claws tightened on the haft of his mace. Something cut through the air beside him, a jagged blade that rent green flesh, drawing blood as the goblin recoiled, gritting his fangs together as he felt the red ichor fall from his shoulder down his chest.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. He offered this one no retaliation, even through the gritted teeth. The dwarf lunged forward, swinging his weapon down to his own opponent''s skull, the skeleton brought it''s blade up in response, catching his weapon with it''s blade and stepping to one side. Steal made use of the opportunity presented to him. With it''s blade raised, the goblin could still see that hint of white bone. His mace swung upwards, and he knew his strike hit true as the sharp snap of bone sung louder for but a moment than the clashing steel beside him. Seemingly losing all strength in it''s sword arm, the undead buckled as Hard pushed forwards, smashing the blade out of his way and slamming his sheld upwards into the skeletons helm. Metal screamed, bone crunched. A fleshless body hit the ground in a clatter of metal, the skeleton''s head falling after the rest of it''s body, bouncing off the wood beneath it and rolling off into the distance. Another blade sung through the air, Steal was ready for this one, darting to one side as the blade bit the wood beneath it. He glanced to his side, Hard was gone, feet crunching the metal body beneath him as he rushed towards the woman. The vampire brought her staff up to defend herself, catching the dwarves mace mid-swin, sidestepping as she thrust the staff forwards, it''s skull-topped end crunching into Hard''s chest, a blast of purple energy sending him sprawling backwards several feet. The dwarf''s heavy armor strook the ground with a dull thud, hastily picking himself back up. Steal lost the luxury of checking how Hard was doing when a rugged blade roared through the air beside him, he brought his own weapon up quickly to block the swing, but he was nevertheless sent stumbling back by the impact. Steal''s attention was stolen again as he saw the pale woman slam her staff into the ground again, a ball of black smog erupting from the ground and rushing forwards, flowing it''s way through the visor of Steal''s opponent, the black smog seemed to solidify, atleast somewhat, shrouding the skeleton in an eerie darkness, wisps of black smoke seeping from holes in it''s armour and flowing to the floor from the creature''s visor, glowing ruby red pinpricks piercing through the darkness where it''s empty eyesockets had previously been. "Finish the damn thing and protect me!" the woman howled as she thrust her staff towards the charging hard, it''s skeletal head pouring forth a wave of crackling black energy towards the oncoming dwarf. A blade bit once more at the air ahead of Steal, the goblin narrowly parrying a swift thrust from his foe, the creature moved into it''s thrust, slamming it''s shield into the head of Steal''s mace and smashing it against the goblin''s nose. Something cracked as the sickly taste of blood poured along Steal''s lips. The blade rushed forwards again, Steal brought his mace up pre-emptively to block the strike, the blade left his opponents hand, clattering harmlessly against Steal''s hasty defense, now with it''s hand free, the skeleton gripped the haft of Steal''s mace, the goblin desperately held on as he was hurled skyward, he hung in the air for a moment, coal-black eyes darting around as the oncoming rush of air bit as his eyes as he descended, watching the undead quickly snatch it''s blade from the floor and raise it skyward, shining tip pointed directly up, towards the plummeting goblin. With no weapon at hand, the goblin flung his right palm forwards, clenching his arm steady with his other hand. The energy welled inside him, a familiar feeling of power and heat that was above even that of the gentle warmth that the Speaker had filled him with. The purple and red inferno erupted from the goblin, striking the undead in it''s outstretched arm, flames hungrily engulfing the black smog that flowed over the skeleton.
MP = 0 Bloodfuel has been automatically enabled.
But till, although it stumbled, it endured enough to keep it''s blade raised. A figure broke from the torrent of emerladine flames and black bone that surrounded the paladin''s. Dark skin turned darker by soot, lungs coughing up black smoke as he charged, shield raised. Kor''ak''s shield struck the skeleton with enough force as to lift it from the ground, the both of them hurtling into a nearby wall, wisps of black smog turning into slender claws and raking at the man''s exposed flesh as he pinned the creature to the wall. "Help the dwarf!" At that very moment, Hard had slammed the vampire''s staff from her hand, the arcane implement went spinning through he air, landing sofly upon her bed. Devoid of her weapon, Hard surged forwards, bringing his mace down in a heavy swing. Only for his arm to be caught mid-swing, a slender hand tightened it''s grip on a metal gauntlet, the metal beneath bending and howling, Hard tried to slam the shield towards her, she grapped it by it''s edge and wrenched hard, the dwarf bit back a howl of pain as his grip on the shield went limp. She held the dwarf there for a moment, her eyes narrowed and alight with pure contempt. "I sure do hope your blade tastes better than the other stuff that came out of you." Her smile was wide as he voraciously licked her lips, exposing glistening white fangs, that quickly sunk themselves into Hard''s throat. Chapter 73 - Killers Bite Hurriedly, the ground rushed towards him as Steal strook the ground, keeping his grip on his mace as he sluggishly pulled himself to his feet, eyes searching for the dwarf and vampire. He found them quickly, the girl feeding on the dwarf. The veins at Hard''s throat pulsed as his skin grew paler with each passing second, he was struggling against her now, though his movements were weak for such a brawny man, without a weapon to strike with, he went to headbutt her, only to have her fangs rend deeper into his flesh, blood flowing down along his breastplate, carving crimson streams along his surcoat, or what remained of it''s flame-kissed and blade-rent cloth. Steal watched on as Hard was dropped from her grip, slumping on the floor, gasping and clutching at his throat. The pale girl''s skin was smeared with red around his mouth, a macabre lipstick that parted as she smiled wide again "Turns out it does taste better..." Her smile contorted to a frown as she stared down at the dwarf "Oh, don''t worry, I''ll let you live, atleast long enough for you to see your... men fall like you." Melissa knelt at the dwarf''s side, pressing a slender finger to his lips and shushing him as he gasped, Hard took the opportunity to snap forwards, trying to sink his teeth into her bony finger, though she quickly pulled it away as his teeth snapped shut around nothing. His feet struck the wood, propelling him forwards as Steal brought his mace up and over his head, hurtling towards Melissa as fast as his legs could carry him. The distance between them was closed in a few seconds, long enough for her to see the goblin coming, long enough for her to snatch his mace from his hands and strike him squarely in the nose, dainty arms and slender fists slamming him into the ground, the wood splintering beneath him. He rolled to one side as a heeled boot pierced through the wood where his head had previously been. Steal threw himself backwards as a sharp-nailed hand rent at his flesh, flaying his back in thin green strips. The pain was coursing through him now, his brain has pounding in his skull, survival instincts screaming at him to flee, his body felt tired, the warmth he was filled with dimming with each passing moment. His thoughts were jumbled, trying to think of what he could do. All thought left him as another hand thrust towards him like a spear, he brought his gauntleted arm to bear insinctually, the metal punctured by her strike, but nevertheless having slowed it as it sheered through his flesh. Blood came pouring again as he reeled everbackwards, retreating and backing away, barely able to fight back other than to mitigate what damage her strikes could cause him. Steel on wood. The vampire was rearing to strike Steal again one moment, then gone the next, a dark figure charging through the goblin''s line of sight once again as Kor''Ak slammed into her, knocking her from her feet and sending the figure rolling back on the wooden floor in a tangle of cloth and flesh. Kor''Ak pulled a blade that was embedded in his side from him, handing it''s hilt to Steal, blade still dripping with blood. Steal took up the blade quickly, re-emboldened by the return of his ally. Adolfus clicked at Steal''s side, all 8 legs tapping eagerly on the ground as the three of them stood against the slender, soot-covered and indescribably dangerous woman. Crimson eyes seemed to widen as Melissa picked herself from the ground, taking in the three that stood before her. She glanced to her side, her skeletal horde was slowly being taken apart, bone by bone as the paladin''s struck whenever they found opportunity. Emeraldine flames slowly dying down as her warriors had seemingly ran out of magic.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Her sneer was wide as she faced them down. "Looks like I''ll have to finish you off and save my darling Hard for a snack later." Her response came in the rush of Steal, 6 pairs of leg skittering, stomping and striking against the ground as the trio began to close the distance. Kor''Ak launched his weapon towards her, sending it spinning through the air as he ruffled through a bag at his side mid-sprint, she snatched the spinning weapon and launched it back, sending it clattering against his shield. Steal lunged upwards with the blade, intent on piercing upwards through her throat, her back arched and her head snapped back, the blade snatching at empty air as she span backwards, her heel lunging out and slamming into Steal''s chest. Adolfus was already hurtling through the air, mandibles clicking together, only for a pale hand to snatch her from the air by the abdomen and send her slamming into the ground. Steal''s blade cut a wide swathe of air, through it''s tip scratched a long line through the woman''s corset. A metal object flew just over Steal''s head, Melissa caught the cylinder as it violently hissed. Something Steal had seen before, he turned on his heels and sprinted backwards, moving to dart behind Kor''Ak, the man''s shield raised defensively. Adolfus was copying her master, her legs carrying her as fast as they could. The hissing grew louder, then the room echoed with a violent howl as the cylinder erupted, painting the vampire red as shrapnel carved rugged red lines across her body, slicing through her skirt and corset with ease. What didn''t pierce her went hurtling off in differenty directions, shrapnel striking like a hail against Kor''Ak''s shield. Hurriedly, the three of them burst forwards, Kor''Ak was ahead of them again, a wall of steel that barrelled onwards, Melissa left the ground just before Kor''Ak would strike her, gripping onto his shield as she vaulted over him, her free hand gripped at his throat, needle-like nails sliding into the flesh under his chin and bringing him down in a spasm of pain. Her heels sent splinters up into the air as they struck the ground, her hand lashed out and met Steal mid-charge, knitting around his throat and bringing him to the ground. She knelt down, slammig the goblin''s head into the floor. The world span as he looked up to the snarling woman, her fangs wide and becoming more fuzzy and indistinct as he felt the rush of air as his skull was slammed into the ground again. Steal swallowed red ichor as he was slammed into the ground again, she was stammering something between her snarls, his head was swimming, his ears rang with dulcet tones, her words were indistuigishable. Her focus was on him though, her eyes were narrowed, a glistening tear mixing with the crimson that was splashed upon her face. Her eye''s finally widened as Adolfus'' head peered over her should and her mandibles sank at long last into the vampire''s flesh. The pale skin of her exposed shoulder instantly turned a sickly green as venom pumped from Adolfus'' mandibles into her flesh. The flesh cracked and rotted in a split second, racing down the length of her arm in but a moment as her entire left shoulder was quickly blackening, the rot slowly seeped upwards towards her torso, only stopped when she prised the spider from her shoulder and sent her crashing into a nearby wall. Her snarl grew wider as she stumbled away, her un-corrupted arm gripped her infect should and twisted, bone popped and she screamed, louder than Steal had fought imaginable. Her nails dug at her rotted flesh, rending it away in sloughs of blackened meat and yellow pus, she tore desperately and crumbling sinew until what was left of her arm hit the ground with a dull thud. Her eyes were wide, she was biting back any further screams, coppery crimson and salty tears mixing into an ocean that rolled down her face. She snarled something against through quivering lips. "DETONATE DEAD!" The blackened skeletons that remained went still, shuddering quickly for a moment before erupting into a cloud of black smog, highlighted by swathes of emerladine flame that flooded the room. When the smog settled and the flames died, she was absent. Those that remained were sputtering out gouts of black smoke and clutching their wounds, several paladin''s collapsing now that the fighting had finally ended. She was gone, but they were alive.