I darted around the side of the shattered building, my lungs burning as I pushed myself harder. Behind me, the orc's heavy footfalls thundered, each step a reminder of the massive beast closing in. I rounded the corner, scanning frantically for any sign of Bram. Where the hell is he?
Then I spotted it: a broken window leading into a dimly lit house. I dove through without hesitation, landing hard on the creaking wooden floor. As I scrambled to my feet, the smell hit me—rotting flesh.
Slumped against the far wall was a grotesque, decayed corpse clutching a small vial in its bony fingers. I froze, recognition washing over me.
"Bram?" I whispered, horrified.
His spectral voice came from nowhere and everywhere at once. "Surprised? I had to improvise. Grab the potion and keep moving, genius!"
I snatched the vial, my heart racing as the sound of splintering wood came from the window behind me. The orc was already breaking through. Without a second thought, I sprinted to the front door and flung it open, practically falling into the street.
The orc roared behind me, smashing through the window like a battering ram. I stumbled, catching myself just in time to grab my spear. My hands worked frantically, uncorking the potion and splashing some onto the tip. The acrid scent stung my nose, but I didn’t have time to think.
As the orc charged, I made a split-second decision. With a desperate yell, I hurled the rest of the vial at him. The glass shattered against his chest, the liquid spraying across his fur armor and exposed skin.
A sizzling sound filled the air, followed by an inhuman scream. The orc’s skin bubbled and peeled as the corrosive potion did its work. He staggered, his wild swings becoming erratic. His blade flew from his hand, clattering uselessly to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, I lunged forward, driving my spear into his thigh. He bellowed in agony, collapsing to his knees.
"He's done for," Bram said, materializing behind the writhing orc. "That concoction will finish him off in a few minutes."
I stood there panting, watching the orc's hands claw at his burning flesh.
"Not bad, huh?" Bram continued, clearly proud of himself. "Found an alchemist's hut, possessed a body, and whipped that up in no time. Widow maker bark, snakeweed pulp, and manchineel sap, rare stuff around here."
I glanced down at the twitching corpse of the orc, its skin now peeling away in sheets.
"Explains a lot," I muttered, gripping my spear tighter.
Not wanting to drag out the process any further, I walked up to the orc and thrusted the spear at him. It took several hits for the body to finally lay still, but I knew it was over from the screen that appeared.
Congrats you have slain your first Orc, wherever there's one, there's more.... Usually.
Experience gained: 26,000
Loot gained:
Orc ears x2
Iron scraps x2
Leather x 5
Knowing I had enough to level, but deciding against it for now, I closed out of the menus and bent down to loot the body.
Orcs weren’t exactly known for their riches, but I wasn’t about to leave anything valuable behind. As expected, most of what I found was crude mostly destroyed shoddy armor, and a bone necklace, but then a notification lit up my vision.
New Quest: Shadows Over Larksbury
Objective: Uncover the fate of Larksbury, rescue any survivors, and eliminate the orc raiding party.
Reward: 50,000 system credits, unique item drop, 30,000 experience and Increased Renown.
Bram whistled low beside me. "Well, looks like we're not done here. Hope you're ready to play hero, Liam."
I wasn’t sure if it was the promise of the amazing rewards or the weight of responsibility, but something in me clicked. "Let’s start with the town," I said.
We spent the next hour scouring Larksbury, moving through the eerie, abandoned streets. Most of the houses were ransacked, their doors smashed in, and furniture overturned. Bram kept his usual banter going, but even he couldn’t hide the growing unease.
“This place is like a ghost town,” I muttered, kicking aside a broken dagger.
“Ghosts would be more pleasant company,” Bram quipped, his voice uncharacteristically subdued.
Just as we were about to give up, a faint sound broke the heavy silence, a muffled whimpering. Bram and I froze, exchanging a glance before following the noise. It led us to a partially hidden cellar door behind one of the larger houses. I carefully pried it open, and inside we found her... a young girl, emaciated and trembling.
She flinched at the sudden light, her big brown eyes wide with fear. Her dark skin looked pale, almost ashen, from too many days without sunlight.
“It’s okay,” I said softly, crouching down to her level. “We’re not here to hurt you.”
It took some coaxing, but she finally whispered her name: Emilia. Through halting, tearful words, she explained what had happened.
“There... there weren’t many orcs,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But they were strong. Too strong. They took the villagers, all of them. My aunt hid me in the cellar before they came. She said… she said not to come out, no matter what.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Bram, ever the pragmatist, spoke up. “We can’t leave her here. The first stray orc that wanders back will finish what the others started.”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
I nodded. “We’ll take her back to Hillgrove.”
Our first stop was the town hall to see if the passage glyph was intact. No luck, the Pedestal was smashed beyond repair. Bram cursed under his breath while I tried to think.
“System shop?” I suggested.
It took some digging, but under the miscellaneous tab, we found a solution: a Portable Waystone that could teleport a party to any nearby settlement within a 100-mile radius. The catch? It cost a whopping 8,000 system credits.
“Steep,” Bram muttered. “But better than trekking through the wild with her.”
Reluctantly, I confirmed the purchase. The credits drained from my balance, and the waystone materialized in my inventory.
“Ready?” I asked Emilia, holding out my hand. She nodded hesitantly, clutching a small, tattered doll she’d been hiding.
Activating the waystone, I felt the familiar pull of system magic as the world around us blurred. A moment later, we were standing just outside Hillgrove’s gates. Emilia clung to me, her tiny frame trembling.
“Welcome to Hillgrove,” I said softly. “You’re safe now.”
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Taking the young Emilia in tow, I headed straight for the town hall. The moment we entered, Maribel’s gaze locked onto us, her eyes widening with shock and recognition. She shot to her feet, her usual composure giving way to genuine alarm.
“Emilia?” she gasped, rushing over to us. “What happened? Where did you find her?”
Emilia shrank behind me, clutching at my tunic with trembling hands. I knelt down beside her, keeping my voice gentle. “It’s okay, you’re safe now,” I said before looking up at Maribel.
“She was hiding in a cellar in Larksbury,” I explained. “The orcs raided the town. She said her aunt hid her away before...” I hesitated, unwilling to finish the grim thought in front of the child.
Maribel’s expression hardened, her hands balling into fists. “Those monsters,” she spat under her breath. Then, softening, she crouched down to Emilia’s level. “Sweetheart, it’s Maribel. Do you remember me? I used to visit Larksbury to trade with your aunt.”
Emilia peeked out from behind me, her wide eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Slowly, she nodded.
“That’s right,” Maribel said, her voice warm and soothing. “You’re so brave, Emilia. I’m so sorry about your aunt, but I promise you, you’re safe here now.”
Turning back to me, Maribel straightened. “Thank you for bringing her here, Liam. We’ll make sure she’s cared for. But... what of the rest of Larksbury? Were there any other survivors?”
I shook my head grimly. “We didn’t find anyone else. The orcs took the villagers, those they didn’t kill outright, anyway. There’s a quest tied to it. I’m supposed to uncover what happened to them, but I needed to get Emilia to safety first.”
Maribel nodded, her face a mixture of sorrow and determination. “Do what you have to. If you can save them, Liam, do it.”
“I will,” I said firmly. “But first, Emilia needs a place to stay and someone to look after her.”
Maribel’s lips curved into a small, reassuring smile. “Leave her to me. I’ll make sure she’s safe and cared for.”
Bram’s voice echoed in my head as he observed the scene. “Touching, really. But we’ve got work to do. Don’t get too soft on me, hero.”
Ignoring him, I turned back to Emilia one last time. “Stay strong, Emilia. I’ll make sure those orcs pay for what they did.”
Her tiny voice barely reached my ears, but her words stuck with me: “Thank you.”
As Maribel took her by the hand and led her away, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. There was still so much to do, but for now, I had a lead and a promise to keep.
I stopped by the shop and sold what little I got from the orc which brought me back up to 10,000 system credits, not really wanting anything we exited the town hall, stopping by the tavern for a quick bite. Telling myself that the meat in the stew was venison, I quickly garbled it down.
After the quick break I still had something in my arsenal I had yet to try, so we went back out the town gate and down by the creek where I had first met Bram... Well, in his incorporeal form anyways.
We made it out just in time to see the evening sky to start changing colors indicating sunset was in full swing.
"What are we doing out here?" Bram said annoyed per usual. "I thought it was hero montage time?" as he mock boxed an invisible enemy
"It will be, I just thought we needed an upper hand on the upcoming fight."
Activating the herbalism skill felt like flipping a switch in my brain—and my vision. Suddenly, the world around me lit up with vibrant hues emanating from the plants. Each color seemed to radiate meaning, though I’d need time to decipher them all.
Curious, I approached a rather plain-looking bush, its leaves glowing a soft green. It was about hip height, unassuming in every way except for the strange ripple effect my touch caused as I ran my fingers along its surface.
“Ah, someone’s finally decided to be useful and pick up a worthwhile subclass,” Bram chimed in, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I almost feel proud. Almost.”
I rolled my eyes but kept examining the bush.
“Though,” he added with a sudden sharpness, “if you enjoy keeping your blood inside your body, I’d suggest you stop fondling that particular shrub. It’s called Snakesbane for a reason.”
Pausing mid-stroke, I glanced at him. “Snakesbane?”
“Yes,” he said, voice rising like a pompous professor mid-lecture. “Its leaves are used in potent toxins. Fun fact: even a trace amount on your skin could make you wish for a swift end. You’re welcome.”
Jerking my hand away like I’d been burned, I sprinted to the nearby creek and scrubbed furiously at my palm, the cold water biting against my skin. “You couldn’t have said that sooner?” I growled, glaring in Bram’s direction.
“Where would the fun be in that?” he replied, smirking as he floated lazily nearby.
Shaking off my irritation, I returned to the bush with a more careful approach. I opened my satchel, unclasped its cover, and gently guided a small branch into the opening. With a quick snap, I broke it off and let the poisonous piece tumble into the spatial storage.
“See? Progress,” Bram said approvingly, though I could hear the grin in his voice. “Now, let’s hope you don’t accidentally poison yourself before learning how to make an antidote. That’s where the real entertainment starts.”
I ignored him, already scanning for the next plant. If this skill was going to help me survive, I needed to master it, and quickly.
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Over the next hour, I went through the forest collecting anything within reach. The colors didn't sway my choice in the matter as I harvested away like a mad man, it was like having a manic episode and the only way to kill the mania was harvesting everything in the vicinity. My herbalism level had reached level six which made my senses even better, or at least it felt like it.
I was jogging to the last one before heading back to the town, it was dark outside under the canopy of trees. This plant was projecting a yellow aura, and I found it quite pleasant. It was the first one I had seen with that color, the plant itself reminding of dragon's breath from back home.
I knelt over and gently began to remove the soil from around the flowers base down to the root system. Slightly tugging on the base to remove the plant, it broke free, and I put the plant in the satchel and wiped my hands off on each other.
Quest Received:
"You have stumbled upon a relic of the old world. Protect it from those who would exploit it. Optional: Find a way to restore its power to its original purpose.
Rewards: Contingent on quest completion."
"Bram, do you know what that was?" I asked curiously and explained the quest to him.
"Broken gears Liam, we have to get back to town now and transplant that! It's native to this planet and could hold world-changing effects."
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Speeding through the forest we made it back to town and went behind the town hall. We dug a hole wide enough and loosened the soil to help the root system spread. Slowly removing the plant out of the satchel, I gingerly put the plant in the hole and filled it back in slowly. Patting the topsoil down, I pulled out my waterskin and poured a little on it.
"It's crooked." Bram guffawed
I just rolled my eyes ignoring him. I grabbed the base and repositioned it when a bright light pushed out and encompassed us both. After a few seconds it dimmed but never went out.
We walked back into the hall and told Maribel to schedule a council meeting for the late morning and we went off to bed. Tomorrow we would be hunting orcs.