Pulling the spear down so as to maintain his grip, he made sure the spear remained embedded in the creature’s chest. He slid his shield into an upward angle, pushing the creature’s sword up with his shield and twisting the shield so it turned parallel to the ground even as he dropped his head and body down. He kept his shield arm raised high enough while pulling hard down on the embedded spear to allow the sword to slash across his shield and ultimately over his spear and spear hand, pushed over by his shield before pulling the shield down hard into his chest so he could dip the shield and left arm in under his spear and right arm.
Keeping the spear in hand, he twisted as he continued to drop while stepping closer to the creature before crouching and sweeping out with his left leg out and back and around away from the creature before it came back around at the creature from behind. Opening his grip on his spear so his hand slid up and down the spear shaft while twisting around it, he kept his hand on the spear shaft with an open palm the entire time. He spun entirely around in a leg sweep and brought the back of his knee hard against the creature’s feet. His leg swept in through the back of the tide master’s legs and its legs flew upwards as all its limbs spread eagled even as it fell towards its back.
With his rotation completing, Joe kept in contact with his spear and stood before grasping it firmly again when he could do so. Using the spear, he slammed the creature to the ground and impaled it, burying the spear into earth. Joe stepped forward to maintain grip on the spear, stepping around to the right of the creature where he rapidly stomped down with his left foot on the creature’s wrist, burying the hand and odd weapon into the earth. A split second after, his right foot slammed down on its left hand and Joe leaned heavily on the spear to maintain his balance. He was now standing over the creature, facing its feet and using the spear as a staff to keep balance. He grabbed the spear with two hands and began to stir the thing in the creature’s chest much like a massive spoon stirring a cup of water. Rip it open, force it to heal! Get rid of its HP! Joe felt his stomach gurgle and he struggled to keep his vomit down.
Joe couldn’t remove the spear as it kept the creature down, but Joe hoped he could widen the wound enough, causing it to heal where it could, so he did exactly that, ripping the spear in a wide circle through the creature’s chest that continually broke ribs and opened massive wounds that healed shortly after the passage of the spear. Joe felt his stomach convulse and bit his lips to hold it in. He turned away from the chest, staring down at the snarling face and clenching hands since he was unable to look at the repulsive mess he was making in its chest.
Suddenly, the thing bucked, which really didn’t do much to Joe, the arms poorly placed to leverage against how Joe stood, although its chest did slide up the spear a bit before shuddering and dropping back to the earth. It growled and struggled a few more times before kicking its legs up, instead. Joe couldn’t move his feet, but angled his shoulders so that his left arm brought the shield around to protect his spear hand.
The awkward angle proved to benefit Joe, as the legs struck against the shield with very little force. Joe spiraled the spear some more, struggling to maintain his balance, then rolled his eyes. Oh! That’s… Joe sighed and buried a mana point into his spear shaft before sending it streaking down through the spear towards the spear point. The creature shrieked, wildly thrashing under him as soon as the point entered the spear but then stiffened as soon as the mana point made it past where the spear was in the flesh of the creature. It spasmed, twisted, pulled its legs up as if in utter pain, then collapsed. That’s… is it dead? What is… Then the wash of experience flowed across him and Joe took two steps back and collapsed into the mud. The bloody watery mud instantly seeped into his pants and he grimaced, forestalling the desire to lay down. But his exhaustion was too great to actually get up so he remained seated.
Behind him, a massive roar shook the walls, and Joe smiled. Heh… He raised a fist to the sky without looking back, and the cry doubled, the sound a physical force that rolled across the field. Joe twisted his head left and right, listening carefully. Huh… guess my left ear drum healed! Man… gotta love HP. His hands went up to each ear individually, finding both dripping a bit of blood and he wiped it off, brushing away as much of the blood as possible before dropping his hands to the ground and leaning back in exhaustion. Yay… need sleep!
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
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Xylarnae sat at her table and studied, going over her current series of pictures depicting an act she’d never considered nor thought she would ever see. She was only grateful that she was still a virgin and considered a ‘higher tier’ product. Thus her innocence was considered valuable and protected, saved for the sale. She’d seen the girls ‘trained’ on the other floors and still found the situation deeply uncomfortable. She wouldn’t have even been involved if at all possible, but as her training could not be experienced herself, she was expected to learn vicariously through others.
The first time had left her shaken and physically sick, shivering in her room and struggling to sleep that night. The next few times were almost seen through a fog that left her numb. Thankfully, the ‘learning experiences’ had ended and her trainers satisfied with what she’d learned. Now, her training was relegated to series of rather vivid pictures showing how she was expected to perform.
Behind her, the fae, Kalia, cursed at her own table and took her studies more in the direction of vandalism than any effort to learn. Xylarnae glanced back at the fae and noticed the bright swirling gold. At one time, she would have considered such brilliance an amazing fate to seek out, but now found it mediocre, her latest fate showing her a path forwards that eclipsed even her wildest dreams. Xylarnae sighed and turned back to her guide but then paused, her gaze suddenly turning to the side and downwards.
Fate echoed as a gong, the feeling seemed almost as great as Kalia’s and Xylarnae frowned, surprised to find two such fates within her reach. The last time she’d seen any fate as great as what Kalia and this new person brought had been decades ago. To find two simultaneously left her pondering deeply. She frowned, considering. She could see nothing and yet the pull of fate was powerful. Huh… coming in from the rear… through the basement entrance? Another one bought to be sold? Should I look? Checking out… might be wise? It is another option.
The fate swirled, and an abstract feeling pulling her gaze towards it, but the walls of the building blocked any sight that might advise her or give her greater information. She frowned again before finally standing and walking towards the door. Her action actually roused Kalia and the fae turned to look at her, but asked nothing.
Fate grew, coalescing, as it came closer and Xylarnae finally decided to open the door to catch sight of the passing person who brought fate. As she did so, the individual came up the stairs trailing after one of the crueler guards, regularly invoking the obedience commands on the poor slave’s collar. Xylarnae cursed quietly and quickly tried to close the door when she saw who the guard was, not wishing to attract the cruel woman’s ire. It was too late, however.
“Ahh! I was just wondering where I would leave this idiot base! Excellent. Thank you for volunteering, Xyl. I’m sure you will enjoy it! Make sure you take care of her. Wouldn’t want her failures to reflect on you.
Xylarnae immediately wiped the bitter frustration from her face and bowed quickly to the guard before rising with a soft smile, “It would be my pleasure to guide her, great one.” Flattery never hurt, yes?
“Ooh… learning your place, are we? It will not change your fate.”
“Of course not.”
The guard grimaced before finally pushing the new woman at Xylarnae and turning away, “Here is your new roommate. Watch her well.”
Xylarnae caught the base as she stumbled into her and Xylarnae held her carefully before quickly backing into her room. The base followed her cautiously and stepped into the room. Kalia had stood by this point and stared at the new woman as she came into the room.
“A new roommate?”
Xylarnae sighed, too upset to really care to look at fate by this point and stepped back, returning to her desk to study once more. Or at least to fake it. She crossed the room and spoke out behind her, waving her hand to the third bed.
“You can take that bed, it’s free.”
An incomprehensible string of words and noise came from the base and Xylarnae turned around with surprise, staring at the base, taking her in for the first time. She was tall, incredibly so, and she was as perfect a specimen of a base as she’d ever seen. She wasn’t an extraordinary beauty like Kalia, but there was a perfection to her form, skin, and teeth that made her seem almost unreal. Only the wealthiest of clans could afford such extreme healing and body perfection and she found herself realizing why the woman was with them. She was beautiful and on par with herself, although the fae, as expected, greatly exceeded their beauty.
The second thing that caught her attention was the unknown language. The woman spoke rapidly but she could not understand her at all. Xylarnae glanced towards Kalia but the fae also shrugged, neither understanding the new base. After a few moments, the base slowed down and began speaking single words that Xylarnae finally was able to understand a few scattered words of common. Despite that, Xylarnae still failed to glean any understanding and soon dismissed the woman’s rapid speech, turning to stare at her fate.
It glowed, brilliantly, in tandem and reinforced by the fae’s, even greater than both alone. Xylarnae frowned, deep in thought as she turned away, leaving the woman to her own devices. A greater fate… even now? Is this the fate I am to seek? But… it is still… so… weak? Xylarnae pondered deeply that night, chewing impotently upon her thoughts seeking impossible answers.