Their camp was more than he had expected, and he smiled when he learned it was Patton who had packed a tent; which was a gazebo that could sleep four people. They had been using it between them but with the addition Sadé and himself they didn’t have enough.
“Don’t worry! Me and Sadé will share a bunk and one of you boys will have to share too.” Katie offered and the boys looked around and nobody wanted to offer.
“We will sleep in turns; someone should stand guard.” Jazmel offered and they all nodded, official and business like and then it went quiet before Katie giggled and then they all laughed.
“We will not be staying that long, but I honestly couldn’t find any chance of an exit.” She said, she had been scouting when she found Jazmel and Sadé.
DING!
YOUR PARTY HAVE REUNITED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE!
…
THE SWAMPS HAVE BEEN OVERRUN WITH SWAMP WITCHES AND BOG HAGS
…
BE RID OF THEM!
REWARDS WILL BE OFFERED ON COMPLETION!
The system notice popped up for all of them and Jazmel sighed, he knew what that meant. They would be hunting and that was going to be within the swamp. But the notice about rewards was interesting. Jazmel was going to do what was in front of him.
“Let’s go looking for the swamp witches and hags.” Jazmel offered and they all rose up, preparing and Patton taking the time to pack the tent back up and store it within one of his rings.
“Ready to go.” He motioned and they left, Jazmel leading them and Katie swinging above the ground on her chains and through the trees.
It was as if the labyrinth had summoned them, they hadn’t even looked for more than a few yards when they bumped into a group of swamp witches and bog hags.
The swamp witches were humanoid in looks, but their body was gnarled like the trees around them in the swamps. Their faces twisted and worn from the changes they had undergone. Something about them made Jazmel think they might have drowned but they were bent over and hissing and coughing nasty guttural words at the party.
DING!
TIER III SWAMP WITCHES FOUND!
Swamp witches that were able to channel the darkness found in the swamps. They are cannibalistic and will use poison be warned!
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The system shared this lore with him, and Jazmel could see that some of them carried staffs and staves from the swamp and others were carrying satchels and bags that they were carrying all sorts of things inside them
DING!
TIER III BOG HAGS FOUND!
Bog hags are conduits of the corruption of the bog; swamps make them hardy!
More lore for him, his eyes were picking up everything now and he was grateful.
“Sadé see if they burn. Katie follow up.” He said and they moved in to do his bidding, he was a little surprised that they were listening to him, but he didn’t show it.
Foxfire!
They did burn and they wailed under her flames. Paldane leapt from his ring and flew above to lend torrents of his own flame. They burned but they weren’t done yet. He pulled Nozarashi from his ring and unsheathing it he dived in. they killed the group quickly and after picking them free for loot they moved further into the labyrinth.
DING!
15X TIER III SWAMP WITCHES KILLED
…
EXP ACCRUED!
DING!
9X TIER III BOG HAGS KILLED
…
3 TIER III BOG HAG CORES GAINED
Jazmel nodded at the cores and Paldane who was flying in lazy circles above them, he took one out and flicked it up into the air; Paldane caught it deftly and crunched it up swallowing it and Jazmel flicked another one and he caught that too.
COMPANION PET!
LEVEL UP!
Jazmel was surprised by the notification, and he wondered what would happen when Paldane would reach level 5. But they kept moving forward and Jazmel was going towards the deeper part of the labyrinth, and it wasn’t something that they could rush. The deeper they entered the swamp Jazmel had to predict the path even more, it was something Jazmel was worried about. It was almost as if the swamp was trying to trick them, but his eyes saw through them all. Something that he was thankful for and now that he didn’t have to focus Mana into his eyes there were no seconds delay between what he was seeing at any time.
“More bog hags!” Bannerman growled and Jazmel pushed forward and watched as Bannerman jumped into the group and began to rip them apart.
Beast fang!
He roared and then ripped through the hags as they tried to swarm him. He was too strong; Jazmel was going to leap into action, but Katie was already rushing from the trees she was standing and leapt to the rescue of Bannerman.
Chain maiden!
She crashed into the swamp; the water erupting up around them and Jazmel watched all her power destroy all the bog hags which had bogged down Bannerman. She was stronger, he wondered if she had gone through another tier tribulation, but she was definitely stronger than him still. He could tell just by the way Mana wreathed her chains and her fists; she was stronger for it.
DING!
8X TIER III BOG HAGS KILLED
Just those two had killed eight tier III monsters and Jazmel was glad everyone had been getting stronger.
“You guys are stronger.” Jazmel complimented and Bannerman growled, nodding.
“I have been working hard on trying to upgrade my skills.” Bannerman answered.
“What are all of you? What tier??” Jazmel asked and the party answer.
“Ranker tier II.” Katie said and shrugged.
“I have been working on my stats and skills more than levelling up.”
“Ranker tier I.” Bannerman growled.
“Ranker tier I.” Gilmore said.
“Ranker tier I.” Patton said.
“Ranker tier I.” Sadé said.
“Ranker.” Jazmel added and everyone smiled.
“This just means that whatever we face in here, will be strong for even rankers. The system will always try to balance the floor and it might be doing that now.” Patton said and Jazmel smiled, remembering the poignant details he and Sadé always dropped on him when they were travelling together.