If the previous day he had woken exhausted, today, Levi felt like he had consumed every piece of energy that he had. Even with his body reaching the peak of what anyone on Earth could reach, the tiredness ran bone deep.
Levi really struggled to get up, but he knew that his life was on the line–that this was what he had to do to live. More greenkins would come, stronger ones. The chieftain, too. It wasn’t difficult to figure out that they had one. When he used Incite, whenever he used ‘chieftain’ in his scathing remarks, the greenkins would show such hatred… Which meant that one, they had a leader. And two, the feeling towards him wasn’t good.
I can use that information to my advantage, thought Levi.
And 3 days later, he stood in front of an army of greenkins, trying not to shit himself in fear.
***
Gronek stalked hunched behind a cluster of his brothers and sisters–despite him being one of the tallest amongst the greenkins. The others often called him a coward, but bah, he didn’t care. The words of dead brethren didn’t raise one scale off the back of his neck. He knew he wasn’t the strongest amongst the fighters, but he was amongst the oldest. And when death was always round the corner of an elderwood tree, that was an achievement.
But today, Gronek didn’t fancy his chances of seeing the sun for much longer. L’orek–the chieftain–had summoned the warband. Spurred on by the actions of forces in the west murdering their brothers and sisters, he had to do something as a show of force.
Gronek didn’t agree with it. Not one bit. L’orek had left their home undefended from the other tribes. And for what? The chieftain didn’t know who, or what, was responsible. This wasn’t the first time he had so hastily made a decision.
That big body will only take you so far before you fall, Gronek thought, clicking his tongue.
Those around him often sent hidden glances of ire at L’orek.
It was then that they stopped. Standing in front of a human village… was a little thing? Its small, pale limbs were covered in cuts, bruises, and abrasions.
He could smell the fear rising from his brittle flesh. If he was so scared, what in the graveyard was he doing standing there? Although Gronek felt the fear from his bones–he wasn’t so scared that he couldn’t run away.
So why? Gronek looked around, trying to spot an ambush. But there was none. Nor were there any traps, not that he could see any on the floor, anyway.
“Gronek, forward,” commanded the chieftain in a tone that was not to be ignored.
But Gronek shirked his head, as if trying to retreat amongst his brethren. When L’orek snarled, there was only one thing he could do–walk forwards, unless he wanted a mace to the skull.
Nudging passed the others, he found himself out in the open. He felt naked. He gazed at the small human child, fear ridden, but not shaking like others in his place would have been. His green eyes were bright, sparking with intelligence, as much as Gronek could see them hiding behind his long, chestnut hair, that was.
“Go then,” L’orek said, “kill him, or I'll slaughter you in front of everyone present.”
The chieftain pushed Gronek violently forwards. It took everything he had not to stumble.
Gronek bit his tongue. If only I had bravery… You would be my target. Not a mere child, He tightened his grasp around his machete. There is no-one here to protect him. We caught him out in the open–
Gronek stopped thinking, and instead, took a few cautious steps forwards. The chief snarled at his slow movement, but he didn’t care. It was then that the little human spoke words. Powerful words. Words that forced the muscles in his legs to halt, and his mind to turn numb.
“I can see it in all your eyes,” The child said, his voice booming down the path, through the trees. “The fear of your leader.”
Hands pressed against his skull, Gronek focused. He didn’t know what the boy was saying, but he could feel it.
The chieftain roared and swung his mace into a greenkin that was looking at him with rage. Solid metal striking bone, the greenkin’s skull splattered, blood spraying onto those nearby.
The little human continued, “A leader should inspire from the front, yet he sends an old hunter forwards to his death–kills his own. Is that a leader? You are all mighty, and yet you bend your head to someone who would wish you harm. Rise up, point your weapons not at me, but the person who has failed you for so long! Fight–
Kill the chieftain. Kill!
“–Kill!”
Eyes shrouded over in red, with no control of his own body, Gronek whirled around, weapon brandishing at his chief. He wasn’t the only one. Those who were closest were already attacking L’orek. Sharp weapons scored into his flesh, blunt tools chipped the scales of his mighty body. Blood sprayed everywhere and screams echoed throughout the land into a crazed crescendo.
The chieftain moved like a storm, battering those in his path. The sound of bones cracking tugged at Gronek’s neck. As he peered into those red eyes, he shivered. This was the strength of a chieftain. This was why no-one had dared bare their fangs before.
But now it was different. Over 20 greenkins assaulted the towering L’orek in droves.
It wasn’t long before Gronek stood above his chieftain as the last greenkin alive. He raised his machete and cleaved it into his leader’s skull.
***
Levi watched the bloodbath unfold as he sat on the floor, back resting against a tree. His mind spun and felt like it was being pierced by a thousand knives. Not only that, but he had puked all down his shirt. He couldn’t move, not even a twitch of his fingers.
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He had thought that might happen, but he was banking on the hopes that it wouldn’t paralyse him. Levi had underestimated how much mana it had taken to Incite them. At first, Levi was going to use it on all of them. But he only managed to rouse 8 out of the 20-or so monsters standing.
Thankfully, when 8 attacked, the others also found their courage. Like a wildfire in a blazing summer's day, bloodthirst engulfed all of those present.
Achievements and System notifications flashed in his vision like a wall of text. Ignoring them, Levi forced himself to stand. There was one last remaining greenkin. Rise, Levi persuaded his legs as he grit his teeth. It took everything Levi had to will his body to listen to his commands. Trembling, spittle ejecting out of his mouth, Levi rose with the help of the tree as support.
Grabbing his spear, Levi hobbled forward a step.
The last remaining greenkin whirled around, breaking free from its stupor. It, too, was breathing hard. Wounds marred its body, red seeped from every crack.
Human and monster stood still, peering into eachothers eyes, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
“Come then,” Levi spat, almost snarling like the beast before him. An intense, festering sense of self preservation reverberated through his entire being. He wasn’t well enough to run, so all that remained was a fight to the death.
He thought fear would grip him, forcing his mind into surrender. But he found himself pointing his spear forwards with both hands instead.
Images of the past flashed within his thoughts. A loner through school, with hardly a friend to his name. He had never accomplished anything in his life. Anything that he had ever tried, he had given up at the first sign of a struggle. He slaved all the way through school, barely achieving the grades needed to enter University–only to repeat it all again in higher education.
All for what? To become a slave to work, instead of education? To listen to his bosses berate him day in, day out. He was sick of it. And now, he was given another chance, a chance of rebirth.
“Come then!” Levi screamed, eyes piercing forwards, his hands trembling, tightening around the shaft of his spear.
The greenkin hesitated for a moment, then swiftly pivoted on its heels and vanished into the dense forest, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Levi’s body felt like it was a taut piece of string that was suddenly cut. He fell down and felt the cool earth on his back. Chest violently rising up and down, he gazed up at the tree canopy high above. Only a shimmer of light peered through the foliage, casting rays of sunshine against the ancient bark.
You have defeated: Greenkin Chieftain! (Level 22)
| …
| You have Levelled up: 12 → 18
| You have 12 unspent Stat points.
You have earned a greater Achievement – Kill a Level 20 (E Grade) enemy as an adolescent.
| Reward: +5 to any stat.
Quest complete – Defeat 20 greenkins as an adolescent.
| Reward: +5 to any stat, a Birthright Seed.
You have earned the Title – Golden Tongue: Your words are irresistible.
| Reward: Your words are 5% stronger.
Your skill has Levelled up → Incite (★★★)
| Your words are 30% more effective.
| Progress to next Level-up → 1,432/50,000xp
Levi smiled. The moment he saw that small brown seed appear in front of him by magic, he realised that the pain and struggle was worth it in the end.
He grabbed it, and in a flash of blinding light, a new notification popped up.
You have acquired your second Birthright. It will only be ready to be fed two Ingredients once you reach Level 20.
Just a little bit of levelling to go, and I can reach the next stage, Levi thought in elation.
Spurred on by his excitement, Levi placed all of his points straight into Magic–or at least that’s what he tried to do–but it stopped the moment his stat reached 30.
You have reached the limit of Magic because of your adolescent body…
| Talent of the ArchMagus activating…
| Limit bypassed, you now have 45 Magic.
Oh shit, awesome, Levi thought in amazement. He was too tired to test how powerful his words had gotten, but he imagined they were pretty damned strong right now. He’d get his Magic to 50 before allocating some more points into Mana.
There was also this limitation to worry about. Was 10 the limit to body stats for him right now? He’d have to do some more exercise in order to test that out. But right now, he needed rest.
On his way back, he couldn’t help but reorganise his thoughts in an attempt to figure out how he would have done all of this differently. There was no doubt that what he did was extremely risky. But the more he agonised over it, the more he was left with no choice but to do what he did.
He didn’t have time, or the energy, to create enough traps to kill 20 or so greenkins. If he had another arm that worked, maybe, but he didn’t.
In the end, he got lucky.
I can’t rely on luck in the future, Levi thought grimly.
He just hoped that the monster that had left wouldn’t come back. If it did, he wouldn’t mind forcing the greenkin to kneel for its life.
***
The day passed by in the blink of an eye–mostly because he slept through it all. He made sure to wake up before midnight for one very special reason.
Time until Round Table summoning: 12 minutes.
Shrouded in his blankets for warmth, Levi was lost in his thoughts. The Lord of the Round Table was about to summon him to make a single wish. Kale had wished to become the strongest mage in existence, but what did Levi wish for? A new beginning? He had already been granted that. So then what–more strength?
Levi shook his head. He could earn power by working hard and defeating monsters. He didn’t need to make a wish for that–it would be a waste.
Think, Levi, what do you really need?
His thoughts a storm, the time had arrived.
You have received the summons of the Round Table.
| Your consciousness is being transported…
Levi’s mind was sucked from his body. It was like he was looking through a camera, his mind shot up through the roof, beyond the clouds, beyond the space above. Everything turned black, and before he knew it, he was sitting at a huge round table made from one solid slab of rock.
At the centre, sitting atop a grand throne made from clouds, was a black figure with a crown made of the same fabric of space as his throne. Around him, and Levi, sat 10 others. Like the crowned figure, they were all shrouded in black. Levi could only see the outline of what they were wearing, and it was the same for their face.
Some frowned, some smiled, others only revealed blank expressions.
Like him, some of them had hid their body and face, blanketing them with long robes.
An ancient voice with a godly grandeur billowed toward him.
“You have asked. I have answered,” He said, pausing. And then, his voice changed. It came from within Levi's mind. “Kale’s wish has already been granted. But, the wish still lingers on in a new soul." Then the voice returned to normal. "What is your wish–Traveller?”
Everyone looked at him.