Chapter 4 Fusion
Jake spent hours working. He cut down tree after tree, chipped trunk after trunk and made gallons of pulp. Laying it all down he made sheet after sheet of paper. Of course there was a method to his madness. He would make a few hundred sheets of paper then start folding cranes. That way the first one made would use the growth property to increase in size and the rest would be smaller but still have the Iron Bark property. This way from a single tree he made a giant crane holding a few hundred cranes on its back.
Using this method he made a flying army. But this wouldn’t be enough; no it was far from enough. From what he had seen the cult was as powerful as the royal family. He would need more troops to take them all down. They would burn in the flames of his paper.
Oddly enough the AI never asked for a name. It appears that only the first of each kind gets to be named. Rather unfortunate but now Jake doesn't need to come up with so many names or remember them all.
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The cultists were in full blown protest. They were all yelling, chanting, screaming for the guards to let them into the palace. The royal family and nobles had done nothing but bleed the land dry.
Ryall had never seen the people so angry. He had recently been knighted as one of the knights of Askhan but he never expected they would be this close to overthrowing the nobles. If they did succeed he would get a lot of gold. He would even gain fame as a knight of the church. With the fame he could do anything he wanted. Ryall could bully all the players that came through this kingdom. This was truly the way to play Royal Road.
All of a sudden, from the far side of the crowd there were screams. Everyone’s attention was diverted towards the back. They expected palace guards to attack them but they were wrong. They could not have been more wrong. Viscous wolves were attacking the rioters they were clawing and tearing apart anyone in their path. Never had the citizens seen anything resembling this kind of slaughter. They had silver skin that shined like metal and was impossible to penetrate. Their teeth were long enough to rip right through someone’s neck. The one at the forefront of the wolf attack was larger than the others and had long intricate red stripes running all over its body. The worst part was their glowing red eyes, seething with hatred. The people were nothing compared to animals in a slaughterhouse.
Walking behind the wolves was a familiar face. It was that guy that he and his men had just robbed the other day. The woodsman who they had left barely alive. There was no way someone like that could get an army like this in that quick of a time. He was dead wrong. But he didn't have time to think anymore as the jaws of a wolf clamped around his neck and he died.
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Jake spent hours agonizing on how to go about this. There was definitely a way to make this work. The secret of Origami, Inheritance, allowed an origami figure to inherit a property of the life essence it absorbed. The only properties he had successfully made so far were the Growth and Iron Bark properties. There had to be a way to get a property of something that wasn’t a tree. After much debate, Jake decided to experiment.
There were many ways to go about this. One such option was to feed the origami figures. He tried to feed wolf meat to one of his smaller cranes. The crane attempted to take a bite out of the meat but its beak got stuck in the meat. Jake laughed a bit at his idea. Of course the crane could not eat the meat. It had no mouth. The beak doesn’t open, what was he thinking.
The next method Jake tried was using precious wolf pelt like armor for his cranes. He took strips of leather and tied pelt to their main bodies and exposed week points. This did absolutely nothing. Jake did not have the tailoring skill nor did he have the necessary supplies to do so.
Jake tried many different methods on his cranes. In the end he just ended up with an army of exhausted birds. He let them rest and regain their sanity. He even contemplated stabbing them with a wolf bone to see what would happen. Jake took one long look at his cranes and a look at the bone in his hands and decided against it. There was no way he could bring himself to harm his creations.
Jake concluded it was impossible to change the properties of something living and changed his perspective. He decided he would experiment on the paper making skill. The last time he experimented with his recipe for paper was when he made the perfect sheet of paper. Ever since then the recipe did not change.
Jake thought for a little and started making paper. He crushed some wolf bones into fine powder and mixed it in with the paper. In the end he got something like sandpaper. It was completely inadequate. Jake went around the forest to pick up some more herbs. Along the way his herbalism leveled up to level 4 and he could see the nature of the plants he collected. They were mostly potion and poison effects which were useless to him but some of the effects were perfect for him.
One particular herb had the effect of breaking down bone marrow so and fusing it to tree fibers. This herb was useless to most people but it was just what Jake needed. Oddly enough it was like the game put it there because Jake needed it.
Moving back to camp, Jake added the herb to the pot. This time after carefully watching the fire, Jake got the paper to have a smooth surface. Unfortunately the paper was too brittle. It crumbled with the lightest touch. Jake spent the day hunting for herbs and eventually found the right combination of otherwise useless herbs and finally made the paper fit for folding.
Paper Making leveled up to [5]
Jake had finally made a piece of paper fit for folding and also gained a level as well. Also now that he had the identification skill he looked at the description.
Wolf Bone Paper
Made by a skilled artisan, this paper was made from the fiber of the Iron Bark Tree and bones of Grey Wolves. It is slightly more durable than normal paper even though it is extremely thin. Also the surface is surprisingly smooth. This paper appears to have no particular purpose.
Jake finally had a good piece of paper for folding. He took the paper and experimented with a new design. The design he wanted was a carnivore. He wanted to destroy the people that had dared attack him and defile his craft. He would see them ripped apart.
For his new design, Jake implemented slender legs for running swiftly. He also included a jaw this time because from prior experience he new that the mouth had to open for it to have any effect. Lastly he included a tail so that it would be able to make sharp turns and balance itself while running. When Jake finished he was holding an somewhat crooked depiction of a grey wolf.
Paper Grey Wolf
An armature depiction of the lands taxonomy. It would have been easier to kill one rather than making this.
Art Value: 2
Continuing with his craft, Jake made lots of paper and his paper making level rose again along with his herbalism. The wood cutting skill was slow in rising because Jake only cut done trees when he needed it. Although he wanted it higher for secret purpose.
Some time into his folding Jake remembered that last time he made something come alive he had observed it carefully. Jake mobilized his crane army and had them scout for a stray wolf. They flew away and a few minutes later he had a wolf cornered. The larger cranes where holding it down while the rest were scattering the other wolves. The poor wolf was all alone, abandoned by his comrades. Now in front of it was its worst nightmare. Jake slowly approached the wolf what was shivering in fear.
Jake took the blunt end of his axe and struck the back of the wolves neck. It instantly crumbled under the blow. The wolf''s neck had cracked, rendering it paralyzed. Jake ordered the other cranes to disperse and monitor the area for any wolves. They did so instantly. It was nice to have such loyal followers that actually do what you tell them.
Jake looked at the wolf. If it could move it would be shivering in fear. It growled slightly when he came closer. Jake observed every inch of the wolf. He looked at the jaws, the paws and the claws, but couldn't feel what he needed. Taking out his rusty knife, he began dissecting the live wolf. Howls could be heard throughout the forest that day and from that day forth, any player who was remotely close to those woods would hear the ghostly howls. To this day it is not confirmed whether or not the vengeful spirit of that wolf haunts the woods.
Jake quickly finished his work and killed the wolf swiftly. He was not aware of the pairs of gleaming eyes looking at him from the forest. Unfortunate as it is the cranes themselves had missed them. Jake returned to his camp but was no wiser than before. Dissecting the wolves didn't help. He just got blood and wolf guts all over him.
Returning to his folding practice Jake finally got the paper to look just like to wolf from before but it still did not come alive. There was no glow or aura like before with the cranes. Just as Jake put the final touches on the wolf, the sun set beyond the horizon. Unknown to Jake the wolves from before returned to his campsite. It had been a while since he was ambushed and Jake was not prepared. Unfortunately for the wolves Jake was a lot stronger than before and a attack to his throat did not kill him instantly.
Jake was surprised but he acted quickly. He blocked the attack with his fore arm and rolled to his axe. Picking it up he took a bite to his leg. Shrugging it off Jake started his Tornado Swing but before he could swing the a wolf approached from behind and bit the axe, stopping it in its path. Now open to incoming attacks Jake saw all the wolves leap at once. He defeated the guardian of the forest but it appears as though the wolves were not just sitting around.
The grey wolves of Iron Bark Forest were a highly evolved species and the guardian was just slowing them down but now they could act freely and they were avenging their fallen comrade. Right as the wolves were about to snap at his neck Jake kicked off the ground and batted them away with his axe. No matter how strong they are, Jake was more than twice their level. There was no way he would lose. At this point Jake stopped caring and started to slash away at the wolves. They had originally thought they won but the blood lust displayed by Jake was so strong they faltered under his gaze.
Jake swung his axe randomly, in contrast to his controlled mathematics combat. Eventually at the cost of most of his life, he defeated all the wolves. The cranes were nowhere in sight. Jake would have to have a word with them when they returned from wherever they are. Then Jake saw a flicker from the corner of his eye. A piece of paper that had been lying around had been stained by the blood of the wolves which had flown freely.
The light flickered and grew until it had a steady golden aura that faded away. Jake went to the paper and identified it.
Wolf Paper
This paper was made from the blood and bones of a wolf. It had a strange aura about it.
Jake had finally discovered the secret, although accidentally. The secret of blood and bones, the second secret of Origami.
You have discovered the second secret of Origami
Fusion
Combine the blood and bones of multiple beings to make paper. The properties of both beings will now reside in the figure.
Origami skill has increased
Paper Making skill has increased
The second secret Jake had found would greatly help him on his journey. Jake took the blood splattered paper and started to fold it but remembered what happened when he first started origami. He didn't want another crumpled paper accident. So Jake took some of his remaining regular paper and practiced his new design before attempting to use the high level paper.
After a few attempts the design was perfect and it was engraved in Jake's muscle memory. Jake took the blood spattered paper and folded it into the shape of a wolf. The paper grew and a new by tree trunk disintegrated into flakes of light which filtered into the small wolf which grew in proportion to the stream.
Jake watched as the light dimmed and the wolf finally stood.
Please name your creation
Jake was still shocked at his discovery so his creative department was currently not functioning
“Umm... you name it.”
...
“...”
Your creation has been named Grey
“Well couldn't have done it better myself.”
Grey – Fine Piece
The blood splattered wolf created from the base of an Iron Bark Tree and the blood and bones of a grey wolf. It has the following properties:
Growth
Iron Bark
Blood Lust
Armament: Wolf
Art Value: 150
As its creator it is loyal to you.
Number of Fine Pieces: 2
Fame rises by 50 points
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Art rises by 15 points
Endurance rises by 5 points
“Oh stat boosts how nice. I guess making new designs are the only fine pieces that count.
“Check properties, Blood Lust and Armament: Wolf”
Blood Lust
The more blood the creature sheds the more powerful it becomes
Side effects include: Extreme Violence, Red glowing eyes
Armament: Wolf
The creature respects its roots and grows armament similar to its origin. Wolf claws and teeth
“Well, that’s rather convenient”
Now the wolves could attack and get stronger as he fought with them. The cult was in for a world of pain. Jake started cutting down trees left and right. He chipped them away to little pieces and smashed them into pulp along with a few herbs and wolf bones. But when he made the paper he realized he had no wolf blood. He got carried away in his paper making he never bothered to find wolves.
Jake was going to have the cranes look for wolves but he couldn't find them. Little did Jake know, they were flying around in an extremely large radius at high altitudes looking for anything threatening and making sure it never entered the forest.
After a little shouting the cranes returned to their master.
Jake ordered the cranes to herd the wolves to his direction and they were off. Jake quickly fashioned a pouch out of wolf pelts. It was an ugly thing but it held together and would only leak a little.
When the cranes finally returned with wolves following them, Jake took his axe and slashed away. He made the cuts as small as possible and aimed to maim rather than kill. When all of the wolves where no longer able to fight Jake collected blood and splashed it all over the paper that had yet to dry. The blood on the wet paper spread and covered the paper evenly. As the color thinned, the paper took a light scarlet tint.
These wolves wouldn't have the bloody streak that Grey has but they would look cool none the less. They would have a reddish color to them which may serve to hide some of the blood.
Jake spent the next few hours folding and creating his army of wolves. When he had finished he looked back and saw that a large chunk of the forest had been turned into a field. That was probably his fault but he wouldn't dwell on it. Jake didn't know but in the history of Iron Bark Forest he was probably the greatest evil.
Jake looked at his army of wolves and cranes and was about to mobilize them when his leather armor broke. The leather armor he had since the beginning of the game lost all of its durability and finally fell into tattered pieces of grimy leather. His armor had lasted a long time without repair. That was partially because wolves aim for unprotected vitals and Jake's armor was completely obsolete.
However after all the wearing Jake had done it finally fell apart, leaving Jake naked from waist up. Jake wasn't ashamed of his body but leaving it open would be a bad move when conducting an assault.
Jake thought for a moment and took out some spare wolf pelt. He started cutting it and trying to make clothes. Jake had all the necessary agility but none of it seemed to matter considering he had no idea how to make clothes.
In the end Jake got something that looked like a rough potato sack. Discarding the item and the idea, Jake decided on a different approach. Jake cut down another tree and made a small piece of paper. He folded it into a simple traditional shirt and watched as it inherited the Growth and Iron Bark property.
The end result was an enormous artistic rendition of a shirt but since it was folded in a special way, it could not be warn. As said before it was an artistic rendition not a practical one.
Although it was light, Jake quickly discarded it and started on a new design. He would make this one practical and aesthetically pleasing. Also since the tree was big he would need to make something that took advantage of this. The solution he came up with was a armored overcoat.
Jake had never folded complicated clothes. After all he never new it could be used in this occasion. However Jake had lots of knowledge on Origami so he was able to make a design that was both comfortable and effective in a limited amount of time.
The end result was an over coat that had been refolded many times so that the Iron Bark property is amplified. The layers added warmth as well as protection and the coat covered his legs as well. It was open in the front and had wide sleeves as to not hinder his movement. He pointed at the coat and said “Identify”.
Iron Bark Overcoat
A long overcoat that looks as if its been made from the bark of the Iron Bark Tree. It had many layers that provide warmth and protection. It was made by a secret technique that has not been seen in this world before.
Defense: 30
Durability:100/100
Now fully equipped he was ready for the invasion. He mobilized the wolves that had been resting and called down the cranes that were on guard duty. The cranes where called down but they were then sent back up into the clouds to wait for the signal. Jake did not want to reveal his trump card until later.
Afterwords Jake and his wolf army marched. They left the sanctuary that the forest provided them and walked the beginners fields for the first time. Jake had been in the forest so long he almost forgot which way the city was but there was a clear path engraved into the grass.
Oddly enough the beginner fields where mostly empty except for the bunnies. There was one beginner but he went running to the city after one look at the wolves. At that point Jake suspected something was happening.
Walking through the city he saw only empty stalls and shops. Even in the city center, where there were usually crowds searching for a party, was eerily void of people. So much so that Jake thought a tumbleweed might pass through. Continuing on his path he saw a lone shopkeeper sitting by his stall. Jake went up to the shopkeeper to ask.
“Where is everyone?”
“There all out rioting by the palace. The Church of Askhan got the peasants into quite the frenzy”, said the shopkeeper pointing north.
“You mean those thieves have this much power here?”
“Yes. They took all my goods and all I have now is this little stall.”
“Damn, those thieves. They took my goods too. I'm going to kill them all”, Jake replied as he headed in the direction the shopkeeper pointed.
“Make sure you give them all a good thrashing for me.”
Jake started going in the direction the shopkeeper had pointed and heard noises of a riot as he got closer to the upper class district. Then he saw it.
On the main road leading up to the royal palace were rioters. All wearing the red bear print that the thieves had.
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Jake saw all that carnage caused by the wolves and hoped that it wouldn't end. But as he thought this saw a glint of light with the corner of his eye. Jake ducked quickly and dodged the blade of a double edged sword just in time.
He was actually a little bit slow because his hair was cut just a little. But Jake didn't care. The one who attacked him was one of the fake knights that had attacked him a few days ago. Jake quickly drew his axe and countered the next strike. The heavy longsword went straight into the ground and the knight holding it was stunned from the impact. Jake brought his axe up and swiftly beheaded his attacker.
Of course for the player his misery was not over. The wolves came over and ripped his body apart. When he logs in a gain he'll find a lot of his stuff missing and broken.
The rioters ran in every direction possible. They went left, right and even towards the palace. The guards in the palace, although corrupt would definitely better than savage wolves. Or so they thought. The guards pushed against the wave of people and pushed them back. Caught between the hammer and anvil, the rioters were massacred.
Somewhere in the confusion the new high priest and his lackeys had ducked into an alleyway and gone back to the newly build church. They even had a cathedral in construction. The process was halted by the royals because they wanted to construct something else.
The people had been furious at this decision and rioted. However this was only the spark that lit the powder keg.
Jake was standing looking at the devastation. There were piles of loot and body parts scattered on the once beautiful road that lead up to the royal palace. Then a guard came up to Jake.
“Hail adventurer! I'm Captain Isaac of the royal guard. Thank you for your assistance. What is your name?”
“I am called Jake. I was only doing what is right.”
Jake had learned from his experience with the training hall instructor. He had to be friendly and nice to the NPCs or they wouldn't like him. He remembered the look of disdain on the training hall instructor. Jake did not want a repeat of that.
“Come inside the palace, Jake. They may have scattered but the rioters will surely return. We have also collected all the craftsman and residents of this area inside the gates.”
Jake and his wolves followed the captain inside the elaborate golden gates marked with extravagant mythical creatures. The gates themselves were more for decoration.
The grounds of the palace were littered with people. They were resting on blankets placed irregularly along the grass fields. No matter how much Jake tried he could not see how the area could be aesthetically pleasing even without the refugees. There were statues all over the place, with water fountains that spewed golden water. The sheer amount of gaudiness had to be something only a little kid could make.
Finally they crossed the lawns and made it to the main castle. The front entrance had around twenty steps and two flights. There were massive golden dragons decorating the sides. Jake tried looking from one perspective and another but the dragons looked nothing like he imagined. They had ridiculously large scales that would probably shatter upon impact and their legs were too small. Under the weight of the body it would collapse. Good thing Jake would not use this as a model when folding.
By the time they finally entered the palace the sun had set. The captain said he had to leave the wolves here so Jake ordered Grey to take the wolves and patrol the grounds for suspicious behavior. They raced off at their first chance at freedom to explore the grounds. The upper class people were a little unnerved at the sight of large red wolves but they seemed to bite back their panic for their savior.
After an hour of walking and another of waiting Jake was finally able to meat the king of this kingdom.
Walking past the massive double doors, Jake found excessive, he finally arrived in the throne room. This room was covered in gold. Whether it was real or not Jake had no clue. The massive room had walls twenty feet tall and probably lined with solid gold foil.
However the most eye catching sight was the throne that sat in the end of the room. It was by far the largest chair Jake had ever seen. He didn't even think anyone could be so large as to need such a chair.
And sitting on the throne was a child around seven or eight.
“Welcome adventurer. Thank you for your services. You are dismissed.”
“What...” Jake said in a low, dumb-found voice. The king was a child. The king of this massive city was just a child. Jake was too stunned for words.
“Now now your majesty we must properly great the adventurer and offer a reward. After all he did scatter those annoying pests.” said the person immediately behind the king.
Behind the king was a man large in girth with luxurious clothing. He had in one hand a chicken wing and in the other what appeared to be a scroll containing who knows what.
“Oh that right! Thank you for your help prime minister.” said the boy on the throne in a voice of genuine gratitude.
'So, that’s the prime minister. I suppose hes the one who's actually pulling all the strings in the dark.'
The “king” prepared himself and spoke.
“Adventurer, what is your name?”
“I am Jake.”
“The kingdom appreciates your contributions in our time of need. Thank you for taking care of the cult rebellion. I will allow you to take one item from the treasury.”
“Thank you, your majesty. I hate the cult of Askhan as much as anyone.”
“You are dismissed.”
Again the Prime Minister interrupted. “Your Highness lets not be hasty. I know this is uncomfortable but please for the sake of the kingdom lets not rush this.”
“Oh right! Adventurer since you have served the kingdom so well, Ill let you have a quest. Defeat the cult and their followers. Ill even let you take another item from the treasury if you finish it.”
The King of Jhen-Aírik has offered you a quest.
Cult Retribution
The Church of Askhan has taken hold of a large amount of power in the capitol. Rid the city of the cult and their followers. Free the kingdom of the cult influence. The King however is naive and too young to understand such matters. Feel free to use whatever means you desire.
Rank: D
Reward: Another item from the treasury
“I accept.”
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Author's Note
So here's another chapter. Thanks for all the support. I'm ranked thirty something on the list. I decided on releasing a chapter every week or less. Also I'm filling up some plot holes. I have neglected the skills and stats for a while and am finally stopping. Anyway I hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave a comment. And if you would like I could make you a character.