Although dark clouds lingered above the village of Wolvendale, the downpour had mostly ceased. Thorian sniffed at his damp fur and realized that he couldn't meet his men reeking as he did. Placing a hand on his head, he called upon his magic to remedy the situation.
Waterball.
The spell struck Thorian with great force, but he managed to power through. As the jet of water washed over him, it deeply cleaned the skin and fur on his head and shoulders. Although this helped, the stench still reeked from the other parts of his body. Determined to rid himself of the odor, he extended his arm as far away as possible from his torso and aimed a waterball at his own chest.
The force of the spell sent him tumbling a couple of steps backward, but Thorian quickly regained his balance. Resolute, he continued using his magical ability to cleanse every spot on his body. Reaching his back proved to be a challenge, but he twisted his arm and launched the spell at it, nearly dislocating his shoulder in the process. Despite the discomfort, Thorian's efforts paid off, leaving him feeling refreshed and free of the unpleasant odor.
Finally, the smell is gone. Every cultivation session feels like eating a marrow cleansing pill, but with just the smell and none of the benefits.
Now that he was presentable, Thorian set his sights on the forest. He made haste, traversing the muddy terrain with purpose as he moved toward the orcs. Upon entering the forest, the sound of powerful axes striking tree trunks echoed from every direction. Each orc was singularly focused on their task, their well-developed muscles tirelessly working to chop down trees with impressive speed.
If they could use Power Strike, their speed would be even higher.
Excited by the possibilities, he eagerly anticipated the day when the orcs would obtain their warrior classes. They were destined to become the most formidable tree-cutters in the entire kingdom. Alas, for now, Thorian would have to be patient and wait for that day to come.
Seeing that the orcs were performing their tasks flawlessly, Thorian continued his journey without uttering a word. In no time, he reached the wall, where he observed magi hurling spell after spell from their watchtower at an enemy beyond.
With a single, powerful leap, Thorian landed on the wall's ledge, gaining a full view of the battlefield. The kobloids were engaged in combat with a pack of chaskas, while the kobold facing off against their enemy's evolved form: the formidable Tailmasher. This giant beast stood at six feet tall, almost towering over the kobold even while on all fours. Its muscular body was cloaked in thick, dark fur adorned with faint, glowing stripes.
While regular chaskas had a single boulder at the end of their tails, the Tailmasher was an even more fearsome creature. Its tail was split into three sections, each resembling a smaller, more agile boulder connected by sinewy, flexible tissue. The sight of this terrifying opponent only heightened the intensity of the battle.
The Tailmasher clenched its three tail sections into one massive boulder before swiftly whipping it at the kobold. Despite barely managing to block the attack using Power Strike to parry, the kobold was sent tumbling backward several steps, its arms bruised from the impact.
As the beast lowered its head, poised to pounce once more, it was met with a barrage of magical spells. Like a volley of arrows, the combined forces of all four elements struck the Tailmasher's face, halting its advance for a moment. The display of raw power and cooperation from the defenders was truly a sight to behold.
Good combo.
Silently commending the four magi, Thorian charged toward the evolved chaska with an open palm. As he struck the beast, a fiery cone-shaped blast erupted from its back.
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The Tailmasher roared in pain, but this only provided an opportunity for the kobold. "Catch this!" the kobold cried out, as a blue light enveloped its axe. Gripping the weapon with both hands, it struck the beast, effortlessly slicing through the Tailmasher's skin and flesh. This impressive display was made possible by the kobold's exceptional skill and the increased stats gained from leveling up its class. Indeed, the kobold's strength was in a league of its own.
Wasting no time, Thorian launched a fireball at the Tailmasher and charged in once more with an open palm. As the initial spell exploded, he followed up with a Combustion Touch, propelling the flaming beast into the air.
"Good throw!" the kobold laughed, sprinting after the airborne Tailmasher. With a single leap, the kobold reached the creature and delivered an overhead slash, cleaving its chest open.
As the beast plummeted to the ground, the magi in the watchtower unleashed their skills once more, bombarding it with a powerful four-element barrage. Thorian also joined the fray, hurling an additional fireball of his own to ensure the Tailmasher's defeat.
As the dust settled, the kobold shouted triumphantly, a wide smile across its face. "It's dead! I just leveled up."
Thorian's expression remained unchanged, his focus shifting to the rest of the battlefield where the kobloids continued to battle the chaskas. The four warriors were giving it their all to hold their ground against the relentless onslaught, but the powerful boulder strikes from the overgrown cats proved too formidable for them to handle.
Thorian hurried toward the chaskas, closely followed by the kobold, who clicked his tongue in anticipation. With his allies in such close proximity to the enemies, Thorian couldn't risk using his Combustion Touch skill. Instead, he relied on his brute strength and agility, pummeling the chaskas with relentless punches before slashing them open with his claws.
The kobold proved to be even more effective, employing his Power Strike skill and superior combat abilities to quickly overwhelm the chaskas, felling them with his axe.
The arrival of Thorian and the kobold quickly turned the tide of battle. The beleaguered warrior kobloids, who had been steadily losing ground, found renewed strength and began pushing back their foes. In a matter of minutes, the pack of chaskas lay defeated, thanks to the combined efforts of Thorian and his allies.
With the monsters defeated, Thorian surveyed the battlefield before assessing the condition of the wall. It was battered, having sustained damage from sharp blades and blunt objects alike. Thorian wouldn't be surprised if it were breached again in the near future.
"Let's head back inside," Thorian instructed. "I need a report on what transpired during these past two hours."
"A report?" The kobold asked, a puzzled expression on his face. "What's that?"
Once more confronted with the ignorance of his new allies, Thorian took a deep breath and replied, "Let's return to the village first, and then we can discuss it."
As the group of white-furred creatures and Thorian climbed the wall and re-entered the village, Thorian clarified, "A report is an update on important information. Tell me who leveled up, how many times, if anyone was injured, or if there's anything significant that I should be aware of."
"All of us leveled up, boss," one of the kobloid warriors reported with a chuckle. "I've already leveled up three times in both my species and class. I'm getting so close to an evolution!"
"Same here," another kobloid chimed in. Thorian recognized him as the one who placed second in the wood-cutting competition. "We're all getting stronger. Just a few more levels and we'll become a true army."
"Like they said," the kobold grinned. "Everyone leveled up, even me. My warrior level is 15, and my species is now level 3."
"That's excellent progress on all fronts," Thorian nodded in approval. Then, turning his attention to the magi descending the watchtower stairs, he asked, "What about you? What's your level?"
"We're now level 13 in both," the wind magus replied with a chuckle. "Choosing this class was the best decision; we level up so quickly."
The fire magus nodded in agreement, “We just have to hit the monster from far and we get all the experience. It’s so good.”
"You guys have it too easy," one of the warriors commented. "If I were a magus like you, I would've already evolved."
"Is that jealousy I'm hearing?" the wind magus retorted as the other magi laughed.
While the kobloids chatted and bantered with one another, a thought that Thorian had pushed to the back of his mind since his reincarnation resurfaced.
“All of you need names.”