Monster Information:

Groll Lvl 10

An apex predator local to the planet Terminus. Its thick armor enhances its survivability against the planet’s local fauna. Aggressive and tough, attempts have been made to genetically engineer the creatures as a weapon but had been reportedly failed.

Marcus read the notification and looked at the first Groll dragged into the restaurant. Its inch thick scales explained the reason why Rex and Anna’s team had a hard time dealing with a pack of them. Stepping closer, he set his foot next to its paw, measuring almost as long and wide as his boot. The creature was massive, easily past three hundred pounds, and he thanked his lucky stars that his round had enough penetration to beat its scaly armor.

Looking at the wounds, the projectiles punched small holes in the Groll’s body and Marcus turned it around to inspect the other side. The rounds failed to punch through. Marcus wondered how much the armor slowed down the bullet and if he would need a bigger gun in case he runs into a bigger pack.

Marcus looked out the window and surveyed the carnage. Blood and bodies stained the concrete and still figures lay on the street. Anna and Rex were outside. Their matching gray digital camo pattern made them harder to make out against the grays of concrete. Rex was stepping towards the nearest dead beast to drag it back into the establishment when Marcus noticed something.

There were three bodies on the ground. Quickly, Marcus reached for his radio and pressed the transmit button. Synching radios was the first thing the three did the moment they agreed to travel together, and Marcus made sure to wipe their presets of other frequencies saved on their radios. “Both of you hold.” He said.

“What? Why?” Rex replied through the radio and turned around to look back at him inside the restaurant. That was bad. Rex turning in his direction would have to be corrected if they are to continue travelling together.

“I shot three Grolls, there are four bodies.”

That caused the two to look around and realize what it meant. Rex tried to step back, but a wave from Anna caused him to stop. “I don’t remember where the bodies fell.” Anna replied.

“So do I.”

“You don’t have to.” Marcus replied, pulling out his thermal scope and looked along the street. He panned the device along the road and found the one laying in wait. The body nearest Rex was much hotter compared to the already cooling bodies of its dead pack mates. Marcus even caught the creature’s warm breath against the cold morning air. “I got him.” He said and just caught another thermal signature in one of the buildings.

“Alright. I also saw one in one of the buildings to your left. Get ready to run my way in once I pop the one on the ground. Copy?”

“I got it.” Anna replied.

“Yeah.”

“Standby. Run on the signal.” Marcus said as grabbed his rifle and he secured his thermals. The device had done him so well in the short time he had run with it, he wondered if he could even want to part with such a useful gadget. ‘Would be a shame if I just happen to lose it,’ he smirked as he lined his sights on the distant Groll’s head.

Marcus judged the creature around fifty yards away, and so aimed low, going for a headshot. From his experience, headshots are never used on game, as it would get them into a lot of trouble. But for pests like boars and coyotes, everything goes. He loved going out at night and shooting the pests. Save for his closest circle, he wouldn’t admit that he loved the puff of dust and fur whenever he lands a clean shot.

Was it sadistic? No. It was quick and painless, better than using poison, traps, or explosives. The animals never knew what hit them. Once the hunt ends, Marcus and his friends would take the carcass, if they are hunting boar, to the butcher for personal consumption or to be donated to the nearest homeless shelter. As for the coyotes, they would leave corpses for other coyotes, feeding them for some time and preventing them from coming after livestock.

Now, he was hunting much more dangerous animals, not for their meat or the dangers they bring, but for their loot. Marcus thought, as he slowly breathed out and gently pulled the trigger.

The trigger broke, and Marcus felt the rifle buck against his shoulder. The rifled barked its muffled report as he watched the bullet trace a short line towards its target, hitting it in its lower jaw and jerking its head up like it was punched as the round failed to penetrate its skull.

A split second of silence passed, as if everyone held their breath, and everything started moving. Anna and Rex sprinted towards him. The Groll he spotted within the buildings sprinted out to the street just as another leapt out of a second-story window.

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The two mobs sprinted at the two retreating players. Marcus loosed another relaxing breath as he shifted his aim and started firing. Trading speed for accuracy, Marcus sent a flurry of fire towards the closest. It was going for Rex, likely his bloodied and weakened state made him the juicier target compared to Anna.

One fell, skidding to the ground. Marcus shifted his aim for the other one and sent another flurry of fire as the two reached the safety of the restaurant. An unnatural howl echoed through the buildings and more Grolls emerged from the buildings. Marcus immediately dropped his magazine and reached for another one, already thinking of his line of retreat through the kitchen backdoor, when he noticed they didn’t seem to be that much interested in them anymore. Figures darted into the street, but all headed westward and away from them.

“Okay, what the fuck?” Marcus asked as he lowered the gun. “If I’m a betting man, I’d put money on you and your group pissing them off somehow.” He looked over at the two quizzically, to which Anna replied.

“Our group attacked what looked to be a small nest of them. I, being the medic, stood back ways with Rex while the rest went to check. But they came back and claimed that it was abandoned. Now, it seems that they lied about that too.”

“What else did they lie about?” Marcus asked, curious.

“They said that they’ll meet us at one of our rally points, but its unlikely that they’ll be there now that they kicked us out of their group. Reasoning that we’re the one that abandoned them. Here, you can see it for yourself.”

Attention!

You have been removed from the group: Night Hunters. You are no longer eligible to quest rewards turned in by the group.

Reason:

Abandoning the team: You have spent a total of 60 minutes away from the group leader and is reported for abandonment.

“That proves it that all they’re all a bunch of assholes.” Anna said with a face of annoyance. If she was acting, then it was a convincing performance. Marcus looked to Rex, who also bore the pissed off face but more subdued.

Marcus sighed, with no way to confirm their claims. All he could do is to accept it.

The trio waited until they confirmed the coast was clear. Rex and Anna went back to dragging the corpses into the restaurant for looting while Marcus kept to his role as the watch.

Once all the beasts were taken into the restaurant, the two went on to loot them. Marcus watched as an interface popped out and a timer emerged. Marcus nodded. The mechanic bars from a player running up to a freshly killed copse, looting, then scooting. He could also see a situation where a firefight ignites between two parties fighting it for the loot in the middle.

Still, it was the convenient but more wasteful way of looting. The more efficient way was to take a knife and manually take apart the monster itself, tools if you’re talking about mechanical objects, and simply checking the pockets and bags if looting humanoids. The downside is that it requires preparations depending on the mob being taken apart and the loot you’re looking to take.

Meat would need a clean area as the meat placed on an unsterile surface would give the meat a dirty effect that significantly reduces its value and made it unlikely to be worth carrying.

The timer ticked down, and the body disappeared. A fresh pair of claws and a bloody part packed in shrink-wrapped plastic took its place. Rex looked at the haul. “So, how do we split the loot?” he asked, looking at Marcus.

“Make it simple, take all we have and split it three way once we get to the ship.”

“That works.”

The three finished looting their kills and came up with a significant haul. The Grolls being higher leveled had them yield better materials, meats and organs that could be sold on the ship for a respectable profit. Unfortunately, Marcus calculated the total value to barely break even with the cost of bullets Marcus spent on taking them out. Once again, he was lucky it wasn’t his money being burned in finishing the quest.

Their packs filled, they left the restaurant with Marcus on the rear. It allowed Marcus the best view of their teams’s situation and also gave the least risk of getting shot in the back.

The arrangement was fine with the other two. Anna took the middle while Rex took their only energy rifle and took the lead. He cleared the way as they made their way through the tight and cluttered alleyways between the buildings. Marcus had already cleared the path in his first approach, where he entered through the building’s kitchen and blindsided the two, but it wouldn’t hurt them to clear it once more. It also allowed him to observe his two new teammates.

They were making good time. Their pace was quicker compared when Marcus got out of the tunnels, all because of their familiarity with the location and what seemed to follow an already pre-planned route. Looked ahead, his suspicions were confirmed as he found a trail forming.

“Let’s go this way.” Marcus replied, the route may lead them back to the ship the fastest but it someone could easily lay in ambush, waiting for someone to use the trail.

The two looked at each other at his suggestion, but the two knew it was only a veiled order. Exchanging nods, Anna answered for the two, “That way takes us closer to a Malif nest but its nothing we can’t handle.”

“How about players?” Marcus asked.

“Can’t say that there won’t be any, but its unlikely. We might run into some scavs though.”

Scavengers. Marcus had spent some time and money the past night surfing through the forums looking for any information and found that in addition to bandits, scavs are hostile NPCs that are barely tolerated by all factions and are killed on sight by other players. There was no penalty for killing them as they are hostile and is known to loot the bodies of downed players and taking their gear for themselves. Finding a geared scav is like finding an instance boss.

“Then lets go that way.” Marcus replied, jerking his head in the direction. The two followed and led the way.

Looking towards the trail, Marcus pulled out his scope and scanned the area ahead. He didn’t know whether he should be relieved or worried as he caught a human silhouette peering out from one of the windows, around two hundred yards out.

Turning to follow the two’s lead, he watched them closely, trying to figure out if they knew about the men ahead but couldn’t get a positive confirmation. Hoping it’s just his paranoia, he kept it to himself. He knew that there would have to be a time where would start running with a dedicated team and the only way he would find them is for him to start taking risks.

He just hoped his instincts were correct.