On the second day of our trip I had the chance to speak with many merchants, villagers, and children. Who’d have thought all we needed to ease our company’s worries was a night of drink and stories? Seriously, by how some of the hungover men and Oni were helping each other recover you’d think them old drinking buddies...
Of particular interest is what I learned from the children moving to Centrilliam and a dwarven merchant named Hulgran Leadfoot. Hulgran is the very first nonhuman sapient I’ve met in this world and, being quite proud of his culture, was more than happy to answer my many questions. Meanwhile the children explained some of this world’s common sense and filled in the gaps in my understanding of human skills.
Apparently Dwarves are just one of several different non-human races that can be found in this world. Humans are absolutely the most common of the races though making up over 85% of the known world’s population. This dominance is due to several factors such as short gestation periods, relatively strong immune systems, and wars between other races keeping populations low. None of these are humanities strongest boon though. Put simply, humans are the strongest.
According to this world’s religious teachings all the sapient races were at one point on the brink of extinction. Compared to the powerful monsters and magics around them they simply couldn’t fight back. In their desperation they called upon the god’s to grant them strength. As the sapient races had always been their favorite to observe the god’s convened and created a system by which the people could earn strength. Of course this gift is what the modern people refer to as “The God’s Voice”. By fighting and winning against greater and greater threats the races of the world banded together, learned powerful techniques called Skills, and eventually reclaimed enough of the world to live peacefully.
Once the world was reclaimed the long term consequences of the god’s voice began to show. During its creation they had instructed the voice to treat the races differently from one another. The different races all held advantages and disadvantages over one another already and the god’s ironically didn’t want any to view the others as lesser. Their solution was to have longer lived races require more achievements before dreaming. Elves or dwarves with their centuries long lifespans would require much more experience than a humans precious few decades.
To put it in Earth terms, the god’s gave all humans an inherent exp boost. To their credit Elves, Dwarves, and any other long lived race can eventually surpass human limits should they live long enough. From how Hulgran described it they get access to all sorts of unique magics and skills completely inaccessible to humans. However when only one in every few thousand dwarves will survive long enough to gain such strength.
A good measurement Hulgran gave is imagining a 10 year old human child and a 60 year old dwarf. Both are incredibly young for their respective people, despite the dwarves’ older appearance, but are equal in strength. So to stand a chance at becoming strong a dwarf must live several decades in a monster ridden world with the skills of a child. Not impossible as some do manage to survive but compared to how many humans can be born in raised in that same time period it’s no wonder they’ve overshadowed the other races.
Taking Hulgran’s explanation I then applied his words to my monsters. Even next to humans my monsters have a ridiculously short maturation period. My lamias and oni are only 3 weeks old but could easily face off against several mature adventurers themselves. Logically I can assume my monsters must have a skill limit even lower than humans in exchange for such fast growth. I have noticed many of my monsters stagnate after evolving several times or living to a certain age in the past. My Piranha Queen for instance hasn’t expanded her kingdom anymore or evolved into something like a Piranha Empress. It’s quite possible my creature’s “limit” is expanded every subsequent evolution until they reach the end of their predetermined evolution chart. At that point they simply reach the limit and stop growing stronger.
‘I wonder how close Mary is to reaching her limit then since she’s my oldest creature? Or maybe [Named] work differently... Wait a second. It’s been months and she’s yet to even slow down her progress. Could it be that... The [Named] skill breaks their limit? If that’s the case and monsters have a growth rate even greater than a humans... Holy shit.’
Ignoring the potential ramifications of that little theory, which I’ll be locking away in the deep recesses of my mind, I hope to eventually meet members of the other races and establish friendly relations. I mean what’s the point in being in another world if all I ever see are humans? Sure beast people apparently went extinct but elves, dwarves, dragon people called Drakes, and some race I don’t recognize called Oracles do! And those are just the races Hulgran knew of!
What I learned from the children about acquiring skills may not be as important as the historical reasons behind racial tension but I found it no less interesting. Apparently all races can begin interacting with the god’s voice soon as they are born. Obviously babies can’t learn sword skills or magic but they can still have dreams where the voice is present. What skills they attempt to learn or how the child attempts to earn experience, which according to locals can be from killing monsters, manufacturing something successfully, or basically any other accomplishments, is largely determined by their parents. Upon entering lower level education all children are taught/trained in the hope most take a few life skills such as [Calculate] or [Lifestyle Magic], while they’re still young and their path has been decided. Children start out with dreams not as personalized as my [Named] or Everest have described to me before. Once a child decides to learn a particular skill set or adopt a certain lifestyle their dreams will reveal skills tailored to them. Aurora the ice mage for instance saw several different pathways she could go down in life including that of a tailor, scholar, and mage. She obviously chose the path of a mage and now hardly ever sees skills unrelated to her ice magic or adventuring profession.
How young children choose a pathway, or sometimes called a profession depending on the region, reminds me of apprenticeships on Earth. In fact it’s not uncommon for parents to have their children shadow several different masters before deciding on a pathway. Once several skills in the same field are chosen the child is pretty much locked in so it made sense to me a parent would want their child to be happy with their choice.
Other than how people choose an occupation I also asked how schooling works. As expected of a fantasy setting most children get either only a few years when their young or no formal education at all. Higher levels of education do exist but are either for the wealthy or profession specific. Magic schools in particular sounded interesting. There all students learn about magic theory from professors while also being taught school specific spells by practitioners. The reason mages divide up into schools is only so they can attain higher levels of power in their level up dreams. Some mages can combine schools and learn skills belonging to multiple elements but the average spellcaster only uses one.
After hearing about using specialized elements I asked Noire “I know you’re unique but have you considered focusing on some core magics?”
Glancing down at her reflective scales for a moment she answered “It’s certainly an option but I find the freedom of the primary elements pleasing personally. Although Poison Magic is a favorite of mine as well.”
“I was just wondering. At the end of the day it’s up to you. Personally I think I’d choose lightning-!”
Suddenly cutting me off Almar, Noire, and Mulan all quickly stood. Just from their expressions I knew it was something serious. Almar and Noire blocked either side of the carriage while Mulan stood in front of me ready to defend me against any sort of threat.
“Scales how far and how many you getting?” a dead serious Almar asked.
“At least 300 hiding in the fields around us in about 2,000 feet. Must be a well organized group as opposed to just some thugs with those numbers.”
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I asked from behind my bodyguard “People? How can you tell they’re looking to harm us?”
“[Danger Sense] Boss. Wouldn’t do anything if they were just looking for a ride. What do you want to do?”
Letting out a tension filled sigh I looked around at the confused children sitting on the bench and the hungover people riding behind us “Protect the humans first and foremost. How strong do you think they are?”
Noire’s scales briefly flashed green before she answered “Strangely weak for a force this big. Strongest is around a B rank’s level. We can dispose of them easily should you wish or stand by. Though the humans may struggle so outnumbered without us.”
“And how would that look in the papers? “Envoy of Monsters Slays 300 Alone on Route to Capitol” or “Dungeon Monsters Ignore Plight of Illian Innocents”. We can’t just kill them even if we can.”
Getting up into the carriage while trying to appear casual Simmons said “You sensed them as well I see. Eli and the royal knights are going around to let everyone know what’s coming. Lucky us they have low enough [Stealth] skills to be noticed.”
“Noire doesn’t think they’re very strong Mayor. What would you have us do? Wait for them to make a move?”
“Absolutely not. Brigands like these often take a few lives on the onset to make an example. We’ll need to act first to minimize risk. Although I understand why acting may be tough in your situation. You’re not wrong that this could be poor publicity during the ceremonies. The scribes could have this out to the public in less than a day.”
‘Okay so either we leave this to the humans, which would likely mean a few die in our company, or kill the bandits ourselves and be called blood thirsty monsters. Could we take them alive? Maybe... but that will be rather difficult with so many fighting at once. How do we spin this?’
“Noire if Almar boosted you could you take them alone? Mulan, Almar, same to you but for defending all the carriages with just our forces.”
Adjusting her glasses Noire answered absolutely “I’m sure of it Chairman. Alive if I don’t need to worry about defense.”
Mulan turned to Almar “If I can get a speed boost that should be doable. The Elk can likely snipe down any arrows.”
Arching an eyebrow Simmons asked, “What are you thinking Sol?”
“The headline “Dungeon Monsters Defend Caravan of Innocents” would look pretty good. I’m not quite sure what we’ll do with our captives but we’ll cross that road when we come to it. Do I have your permission to handle this?”
Simmons nodded “Feel free to try. Everyone under my and Eli’s command will be on the defensive team as well. You’re free to take the credit should we emerge victorious.”
Giving Noire a thumbs up I gave the order “Take them alive if possible. Good luck.”
Noire’s scales flashed a mix of green and bright yellow as her feet left the carriage floor. Once outside she released her [Persona] form allowing her long black tail to replace her legs. As she flew off ahead she left with only a few words.
“I’ll be back in a moment.”
---
“Boss [Somniferous] ammunition has been distributed and primed. Ready to fire on the beasts on your command.”
Cracking his neck Bruno, the head of this operation, said “Good. Tell them to fire when the first cart passes that solitary oak. We’ll make good money for every one of those things we take alive. That big wolf bat one is worth a fortune I bet.”
“Yes sir.”
As the second in command scurried off to relay orders Bruno removed an arrow from his own quiver. It wouldn’t do for his men to see him slacking. In their line of work loyalty was either earned or bought out. This job could well be his last given the price tag but he would go out the feared lead he’d always been.
“[Hunter’s Form].” Bruno whispered as his shoulder’s relaxed, his hearing heightened, and his vision grew clearer. It was while doing so he saw what looked to be a female mage fly out from one of the target carriage’s interior. A mage was never a good sign but she looked to be alone.
Suddenly the mage’s body extended and what looked to be a serpent’s tail flew in the air behind her as she flew high into the open air. Lamia had been one of the target species Bruno had been briefed on but seeing one in person was certainly interesting.
“Drip.”
To the left of the field in front of him Bruno heard a raindrop splatter.
‘Strange?’ he thought ‘Skies were clear a moment ago. No matter’
Watching the lamia ascend Bruno followed her with his arrowhead. Monster she may be an arrow to the chest would injure her enough to drop the concentration required for flight spells. Just a few more seconds until the caravan hit the signal position...
“Drip. Drip. Drip.”
‘Man it’s really coming down now isn’t it?’ he thought as the first of his men began firing their various skills onto the caravan masters and mounts.
Just before an arrow could strike through the neck of the leading carriage driver though a woman dressed in a strange red and white dress appeared beside him. The woman’s form was surrounded by a faint magical light as her form blurred and every arrow was knocked out of the sky.
‘N-no matter. She can’t defend them all at once- ‘
Bruno then watched as the large elk mounts pulling the carriages raised their heads as one and released several dozen beams of various magic elements. Fire, Earth, Water, Wind and even what looked to be Acid flew through the air knocking down every single arrow his men fired before they could land.
“What the fuck?” he said aloud before getting to his feet and yelling “Frontlines move in now! We’ll keep them distracted for you! They’ll stop once we’ve got hostages!”
All around him his men stood up in the pouring rain, through down their bows, and removed martial weapons from their waists. Bruno knew from his scouts a handful of royal knights were hiding amongst the passengers but was willing to trade a few men for their defeat. Little could he have known he’d never see them.
Covered by a storm of arrows his men ran below a stormy sky filled with magic ammunition. Soon as they were within 50 feet of the carriages the woman in red stopped knocking down arrows herself and disappeared in a burst of speed. No sooner had her form vanished than the entire first wave of martial fighters had their Achilles tendons slashed open and fallen to the ground.
A chill want down Bruno’s spine when he realized the woman could have simply beheaded them with such speed and accuracy. Meaning she meant to take them alive.
‘Unexpected but manageable. Whatever skill that is must take an absurd amount of mana to keep up. See! The light’s already fading. This bitch looks strong but we’ve got the numbers to wear her down. Hell, maybe we could take her too. She’s certainly a look- ‘
That was when the rain froze.
All around him rain droplets simply hung still. It was as if someone had simply paused the world around him and his men. Brushing a gloved hand in the air in front of him Bruno watched in absentminded fascination as the rain droplets kept their form. When his hand fell away the water stayed floating where he’d disturbed them.
“Ignore it men! Get moving and take out that swordswoman!”
A few seconds after his order the ground began to shake lightly. Not enough for alarm or even enough to be considered an earthquake. In fact if Bruno hadn’t been using [Hunter’s Form] he’d not have noticed the vibrations or the small white crystals emerging from below. Regardless his men charged.
Catching some of the white crystals in his hand Bruno eyed them before giving them a taste ‘Salt? First the rain then this? What the fuck is going on in Illia? First the weird client requests and now all this?’
As his men were disabled one after another by the swordswoman, albeit at a much slower rate now, Bruno observed the salt fly from his hand into the still rain. Nothing happened when they entered from what he could tell. If someone was behind the phenomenon he couldn’t see their aim.
Releasing another shot towards the irritating magic Elk Bruno almost fell over in surprise when the rain drops moved again. Similar to how they’d instantly frozen midair every last raindrop positioned itself around the nearest one of his men. Grouping together the raindrops formed small barriers around each and every underling including himself. He tried to walk out of the barrier but it simply moved with him. That was when he noticed that some of the water had formed long tubes attached to their bubbles rising into the blackened sky.
Bruno had just breathed in to yell a temporary retreat order when he saw her again. In the sky above the caravan with both her arms outstretched was the black scaled lamia. Her tail slowly formed circles beneath her in perfect rhythm with the swirling thunderclouds. The monster’s eyes crackled with lightning as stray static traveled down her form. He was speechless.
‘What sort of monster can create a localized thunderstorm and control individual drops of rain? And why would she bother-?’ he thought before every single cell in his body pulsed with electricity in tandem with a boom so loud his ears began to ring.
As his muscles spasmed and he fell to the ground Bruno absentmindedly watched the rainwater return to the clouds above as the salt burrowed back into the earth. From what he briefly saw every single one of his men had been hit by a similar blast and been knocked instantly unconscious. Unlike them however Bruno lay on the dry ground, smoke rising from his body, as the sky returned to normal.
Seconds later the black lamia from the sky landed next to him speaking to herself. He couldn’t even beg for his life as his consciousness slipped away.
“I must say the Chairman was right. Lightning magic is quite dependable. Bit of a pain to set up though to make something reliably conductive. Maybe he meant lower voltage shocks in quick bursts like [Discharge] or...”