Well, that doesn’t bode well. I better get some backup before checking this out.
Lanek mentally recalled his companions and waited. He had hoped that it would be an instant recall, but they were apparently too far away for that. After waiting roughly ten minutes, he heard the wolf and cat padding softly up behind him. Upon reaching the doorway, the wolf bristled, his hackles raised, and he growled softly. Oddly enough, Kazuma merely cocked his head at the door before turning to regard Lanek.
Bracing himself for whatever monstrosity waited on the other side, he cracked the door open, infinitely grateful that the door did not creak or squeal. Peering inside, he found that the door opened into a walled courtyard. The courtyard would be the of the same dimensions as the floors below from what Lanek could tell, with the wall extending six or seven meters up.
Lining the walls on either side of the courtyard were stalls, much as you would see in a stable, just quite a bit larger. At the far end of the courtyard was a large, ornate pavilion-like structure from which the breathing originated. Now that he could hear it clearly, it was a rhythmic breathing, as if whatever was making the noise was sleeping. Considering the sheer size of the courtyard, the fact that he was able to hear the breathing to this degree was more than a little concerning.
Knowing that he didn’t have to tell his companions to be stealthy, Lanek eased into the courtyard, approaching the nearest stall. Inspecting the interior, he could see food and water troughs as well as what must have been a sleeping area at some point. It was indeed a stable.
No fucking way… Lanek’s breathing picked up in pace as his mind connected the dots between a rooftop stable and the heraldry he had seen below. Gryphon riders?! Lanek’s eyes shot to the large pavilion and the source of the breathing. Whatever thoughts he had of sneaking off were now gone, his curiosity getting the better of him. It didn’t help that gryphons had been among his favorite fantasy creatures, right up there alongside dragons. If that breathing was from a surviving gryphon, he had to see it.
While approaching the pavilion, he tried using [Etheric Presence] to see if any spirits lingered here. Unfortunately, there were none. Considering how the city fell, the gryphons had likely died alongside their riders out in the city.
Nearing the pavilion, Lanek could just barely make out a massive shape sprawled on its side, sleeping peacefully. While the interior of the pavilion was shrouded in shadows, he could still make out the general form of a huge winged beast, clearly a gryphon of some kind. He took a step forward, enthralled by the majestic sight before him when he walked into an invisible barrier. No matter how hard he tried or what angle he attempted to use to enter the pavilion, the barrier stopped him. Swearing to himself, he used [Identity] on the gryphon.
[Identify] failed.
That’s new. Is the barrier interfering with the skill? Can I identify the barrier?
[Identify] failed.
What the hell… Not even the barrier, huh? Guess whoever set the barrier up wanted to make damn sure that the gryphon was left alone. To protect it from the fall of the city? Or something else? Either way, I’m going to get through that barrier eventually, no matter how long it takes.
He laughed loudly at the thought of getting through the barrier only to be a light meal for the gryphon. Abruptly, he shut his mouth, fearing that his laughter had alerted the beast. However, the gryphon slept on as if the noise did not reach it.
Sighing regretfully, Lanek returned to climbing the tower. As he climbed the remaining flights of stairs, he wonder if the gryphon was the reason the monastery had been left alone. Was its mere presence and aura enough to scare off the majority of the monsters from approach the structure?
If that’s the case, maybe I can use that.
Lanek finally made it to the top of the bell tower, climbing through the hatch and standing alongside the massive bell. From this height, he could make out most of the city, even so far as to see the adventurer’s guild and a large castle. That must be where the lord lived. Good lord, it even has its own curtain wall protecting it. Or it used to, there’s a pretty big hole in it.
He paced around the railing of the tower, trying to see as much as possible. Lanek spied large creatures lumbering through the city, although they seemed to focus predominantly to the east of the monastery. Following that path with his eyes, he could see a circle of devastation.
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No buildings remained in a massive swath surrounding a large pit in the ground. In addition, the remains of towers and walls encircled the pit. For the first time, Lanek beheld the Ashen Depths and was terrified. The grounds surrounding the entrance to the Depths writhed with movement, creatures scuttling around the knees of the massive creatures. The creatures were too far away to hear or to make out what they were doing, but that suited Lanek just fine. He knew that he would have to scout that area out eventually, but it would have to wait until he was stronger.
Lanek turned away from the sight and squinted at the city, looking for a merchant’s district. At his point he had all the tools he needed, but his arsenal was pretty sad. More specifically, he could use more armor. The gauntlets he had were nice and all, but something to protect his legs or chest would be very welcome. As for clothes, considering the size of the monastery, he was likely to find everything he needed in here.
To the north of the monastery, he finally spotted a suitable space. It appeared to be another plaza, but circular in nature and surrounded by tightly packed buildings. If he were a betting man, he would have put money on that being a merchant’s quarter. Beckoning to Kazuma and Sanguineus, he pointed at the buildings.
“Can you guys take me there?” he asked. The two looked at him oddly for a moment before nodding in assent. Lanek was pretty sure he could have found the place eventually, but his sense of direction was no match for those of his companions.
They traveled swiftly, one of the two animals always leading him while the other would occasionally veer off on their own. It didn’t take long for Lanek to discover they were still leveling, especially as both of them were now closing in on level 10. I wonder what will happen when they hit it? I mean, the goblins evolve into new creatures at 10. Do all monsters evolve for the first time at level 10? I guess we’ll see soon.
When they neared their destination, Kazuma misted and flowed to a nearby rooftop overlooking the plaza. Not missing the hint, Lanek recalled Sanguineus and climbed to the rooftop himself. He could feel the blood wolf’s frustration at not being able to reach the rooftops on his own.
Seeing Kazuma crouched at the edge of the roof, Lanek dropped and crawled to join the mist cat. Looking down on the plaza, he saw a group of monsters ambling about the plaza, the smell of rotting flesh wafting up to him.
Ash Ghoul
lvl 14
Ash ghouls are cunning undead creatures that consume the flesh of the living to sustain their existence. Unlike their mindless counterparts, the zombies and skeletons, these creatures are capable of thought and have been known to set ambushes, lure their prey into traps, and even call for reinforcements if needed. Ash ghouls never travel alone and become much more dangerous if they have an evolution leading their pack.
Lanek scanned the pack with his new skill, finding that the ghouls ranged from level 10 to 16. Alarm bells started to go off in his mind when he beheld one creature staring off into the distance, monstrously long claws twitching as its attention was drawn to something.
Ash Ghast
lvl 25
Ash ghasts evolve from ash ghouls at level 20. Once evolved, the ash ghast will seize control of its pack as ash ghouls will naturally follow a higher evolution or higher level ghoul. However, if a ghast is already leading the pack, the newly evolved ghast will leave to form its own pack, often followed by the weaker ghouls from its original pack. There is rarely any conflict when this occurs, the higher leveled ghast seemingly content to allow the weakest of its followers to go.
Ash ghasts are known for their paralyzing touch, life draining ability, and stench. Ghasts also have the ability to create ghouls through their bite. Once bitten by a ghast, an often fatal illness will seize the victim, resulting in the victim becoming a ghoul. To ensure that the victim is raised as a ghoul, the ghast and its pack will leave the victim to die from the illness rather than finish them on the spot.
A ghast can be recognized by their claws. These fearsome weapons can reach a meter in length and cleave through metal armor.
Before he could decide on his next course of action, the ghast raised a clawed hand and pointed to the east. As one, every single ghoul in the plaza turned their heads and began growling. Suddenly, they burst into motion. Lanek was confused for a moment before shrieks erupted from the streets to the east.
In seconds, a tide of gaunts came crashing into the plaza, throwing themselves at the ghouls. As with the gaunts in the forest, these too came in many different forms. However, Lanek’s eyes were drawn to one hulking specimen in particular. It towered over its lesser brethren and had far more bulk to it. It didn’t look muscular so much as heavily armored. Lanek tried identifying it even as it batted ghouls away with huge club-like fists. As always, he only received a name.
Gaunt Bulwark
lvl ???
???