First mission as an Adventurer and what am I doing? Cleaning a sewer of rats and now cleaning grey water and other… disgusting things. Equh, shivers.
I’m slowly turning the ice back into water and moving it back into the pipes with the help of Numbers 6 and 7. As we’re slowly emptying the tunnel of water trying our damnedest to not get wet, Lock speaks up as he’s leaning against the tunnel arms crossed.
“I barely did anything then, you're very good at what you do.”
“Yea well I did a lot of training when I arrived slash crossed over, but you did well. Why do you think that?”
Listing them off with his fingers he says “You got chased by the coblousceene, trapped them all and destroyed the nests. All I did was just shoot Lightning. No telling what the other clones are up too”
“Well yea, but you're a different build compared to me, I’m more versatile while your Powers are mostly Lightning based, DPS, you did do a lot of damage to those rats.”
“That raises several questions.” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Build, DPS or Rats?” I ask kicking some scorched rats into a corner.
“Rats?”
“Animal that looks like those Coblousceene. Next?”
“Build.”
“Video game terminology, which explains nothing uhh. In a game you can have characters that are made to be played a certain way. You are a DPS build or a Damage Per Second build. You focus on doing massive amounts of damage to targets.”
“Now me, I’m more of a generalist, more versatile, and due to my Power I can take a lot of damage so for today I filled a Tank role.”
“An apt description I suppose, you’ll have to show me what a video game is.”
“Yeah that’s gonna be… interesting. Actually now that I think about it I wonder if Number 2 could recreate a video game using Crystals?”
Lock only responds with a shrug and I stand nearby as 6 and 7 finish up, entering into the tunnel past the massive pile of rats I can see large cracks in the tunnel walls, frozen over with icy grey water.
“Random question, why not just shoot Lightning through the water? That ought to kill off any rats in the nets.” I ask going down the tunnel.
“Problem with these nests is that sometimes their tunnels exit above ground, peoples houses, street gutters, and more. Water and Ice won't cause any trouble, Lightning…”
Nodding my head side to side in agreement 6 and 7 finish up getting the grey water from the nests and chuck the rats to the now quite large pile in the main tunnel. Turning to Lock I ask,
“Would you do the honours? Need to make sure they're all dead.”
“Sure.” With a quick Lightning bolt that arcs through all the rats in a pile, some squirm while others stay dead, probably residual energy. Like frog legs?
Alrighty then, let's get this started. I walk over toward the pile of now very dead rats and stand over them. I've been thinking all day if I should say anything special but I’ve kinda given up on that so here goes.
“Arise”
I say in English, at once some rats are coated in a massive amount of black smoke, their bodies slowly shrinking while the black smoke becomes more and more solid and starts to form the rat-like body. Once it completes the smoke enters my shadow and disappears followed by a System window appearing.
Mana Beast Uprising (Rank CC)
Mana Beast Uprising Successful!
Creatures: x3 “Coblousceene” out of x56 have agreed to the Uprising contract.
“Coblousceene” are between F and E rank creatures without Powers.
Current Mana Beast Abilities:
Limited understanding of languages and requests.
(Increases with Mana Expenditure and Rank)
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Slight recollection of original memory
Able to be retracted into Well for storage
Disguise
(Kage are able to stay hidden in any shadow and match their mana signature with their surroundings, dependent on Kage Rank)
Independent Power usability
(Kage will have access to any Powers they had during life, may be a lower rank)
Unconscious activity
(When Host is unconscious Kage will still be active)
Kage have the ability to refuse Uprising or leave after Uprising
OK I was certain there were more than just 56 but when they are the side of small dogs I suppose that makes sense. “Strange, only 3 out of 56 became Kage. I wonder why?”
“Maybe they feel grieved that you just came in and killed off their whole nest.”
“Ah rats. Six, Seven we done here?”
“Found a massive one here, might be the boss, boss.”
“It’s so weird that your clones call you boss.” Says Lock puzzled. “Yea it’s just a habit of mine, and most of my country…”
Dragging over a large rat, easily the size of a larger dog is dumped at my feet. Like a german shepard but not one you want to play around with. Standing over it I place out my hand again.
“Leader of the vanquished, Arise and become a Leader of your People once again.”
Surprised, I see the smoke rise out of its body after a definite pause, the body dissolving and entering into my shadow.
Mana Beast Uprising (Rank CC)
Mana Beast Uprising Successful!
Creatures: “Queen Coblousceene” agreed to the Uprising contract.
“Queen Coblousceene” is a D rank creature without Powers.
Current Mana Beast Abilities: (Minimised)
A Queen huh, interesting… I wonder. After standing still a moment I turn back toward the pile of rats and again,
“Arise, join your Queen and Brethren under the rule of the Just, as Friends.”
Mana Beast Uprising (Rank CC)
Mana Beast Uprising Successful!
Creatures: x10 “Coblousceene” out of x53 have agreed to the Uprising contract.
“Coblousceene” are between F and E rank creatures without Powers.
Current Mana Beast Abilities: (Minimised)
Ten more Rats join the gang, 14 out of 57 is not too bad actually considering the circumstances but I will need to practise with them.
“Alright, anything else we need to do?” I ask as I turn to Lock.
“Nothing, I’ve already marked on the map where the breach is, we’ll meet up with your clones at the exit and then head back. Personally I want a shower after going through all this, and watching what you just did was creepy.”
“Really?” I replied confused, “I was told it’s not considered necromancy here?”
“Well yeah but… It's still creepy, how do you sleep at night with them in your shadow?”
“I don’t, I let them sleep anywhere in my room, so long as they are in a shadow I can't see them. Also, they're friendly!”
“Are those Coblousceene awake right now?”
“Nope, they’ll be out of it for a few. Let's boogie.” I say as I turn to walk back to the entrance.
“Boogie?” Lock asks 6 and 7.
“Ah don’t worry about him, he gets a kick out of saying stupid stuff when no one understands him.” replies 6.
A very confused Lock asks “Why?!”
“It’s an Australian thing, I promise, the entire country is like Mike, or worse…” says 7 as he and 6 walk’s ahead of him.
“How could he be worse?” Thinks Lock aloud.
---
Soon enough we arrive back at the main entrance and see Teams 1 and 2 already waiting at the entrance sitting around. As we approach the clones stand up and turn towards us.
“Hiya boss, how’d it go?” asks Number 1.
“Oh you know, giant rats, lightning, bad smells.”
“Nice, Teams 1 and 2 reporting in: Three nests found and destroyed, 10 total Kage created and minimal damage caused. We’ll create a Memory Recollection Report later, there will be a lot to discuss.”
“Understood, well whenever you're ready feel free to poof. I promise you’ll awake after a long overdue shower.”
“Roger Roger” replies Number 1 and then the seven clones poof back into smoke with the 10 Kage transfering over into my shadow.
“Now I want to grab a shower, food?”
“Food” replies a tired Lock nodding. “I’ll take care of the listing. Whatever money we make from this will be kept for you at the Society.”
We make our way back up to the surface via Hoist and agree to meet up at the restaurant Master Carson took us after our exams. I quickly get a hot shower and clean up my gear at Dr Raths place before making four more clones and transferring the Kage to Number 4, our combat guy.
“Right, I'll leave things up to you guys. You’ll be good?”
“Yea no worries, dinner in kitchen. Have fun.” Replies Number 1.
“Will do, I'll grab takeaway.”
“Wooo!” Cheers Numbers 2 and 3.
I make my way outside, it's getting late. Almost dinner time.