I knew it! The spell confirmed one of my sneaking suspicions that NPCs could also gain experience and level up. Kidu and Elwin had both gone up a level, and their basic parameters had improved significantly.
Furthermore, it confirmed to me why some of my previous kills had given me varying amounts of experience; it had been divided up among those who had credit for the kill. I also reckoned that my group, although smaller in number, had been significantly stronger in terms of raw attributes and levels than our vanquished enemies.
It was also pleasing to note that my investments in Constitution and Strength had meant that I was getting closer to Kidu in terms of raw Health and Stamina. Yet, despite this, I noted that I had seen little change to my actual physique, which I found most strange. Nor did it seem there were any other visible changes, like a growth of a beard or hair length. Shrugging these thoughts aside as extraneous, I simply attributed these quirks to part of the rules for me in this strange game-like world.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I hissed to my companions, gesturing for a retreat. We moved out of sight and well out of earshot of the camp.
Once we were at a safe distance, I began to tell them my plan. “We observe them for the rest of the day just to make sure there are no surprises. Once we’re sure of their numbers, we hit them at night, killing every single one of them,” I spoke in a cold voice.
“Not even going to talk to them? Just like that, kill a group of men minding their own business?” the Rogue asked, surprisingly shocked.
I hadn’t expected this level of empathy from him, an NPC.
“Where are we, Elwin? Think! We are slaves, on the run, wearing slave garments in a land whose culture is propped up by the institution of slavery. What do you honestly think would happen if we opened a line of dialogue with these savages? That they would welcome us with open arms and send us off on our way? Besides, we would lose the element of surprise,” I replied vehemently, before continuing my tirade, “Are you stupid, Elwin? These are the people who enslaved me, enslaved you. Enslaved us. They don’t see us as people. Are you so eager to face the kiss of the whip again? And you, Kidu. I thought the Three Bears were an honorable clan. Did you not promise vengeance on ALL of the Tides!?” I finished, my voice rising towards the end as I looked squarely at Kidu.
Elwin held up two hands placatingly as Kidu rose to my provocation and added almost too eagerly, “I promised vengeance on the honor of my ancestors and my friends, and it is vengeance I will have. I will never again feel the crack of the slaver's whip against my back, nor the iron collar about my throat. If you wish to stand in the way of that...” growled the massive wildman at Elwin.
“But they outnumber us! And those weapons are real sharp-looking...” murmured the Rogue, uncertainty in his eyes.
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“We have magic, and we are all proven fighters, much stronger than just these scum,” I responded confidently.
“How do you know?” he hissed.
I looked him carefully and evenly in the eye, “I know. Trust me, I just know. The gods have told me thus.”
Kidu seemed to accept the explanation categorically, but I could see the concern still etched in the Rogue’s features.
“We’re about to kill all of these people… for what!?” sputtered Elwin.
“Because we have to! Because I say so! I will kill these savages and many more if that is what it takes to stay free. Again, Elwin, these are the people who enslaved us!” I repeated, which drew a rumble of approval from the Hunter. “As I said, we have little choice in the matter if we want to return to civilization. It's either this small crime of survival now or a life forever on the run! Or, worse yet, to be a meal for some monstrous creature in these gods-forsaken lands. Better to be a bandit, thief, and criminal than a slave! Rest assured, Elwin, we will do this with or without you…”
Something in my last words must have struck deep within Elwin, for he was silent then. It was a stab at his past, and all the crueler for it. As I continued explaining the finer points of the plan, there were no further arguments from Elwin Tucker the Rogue.
I sent Elwin to scout out the rest of the encampment, and during that time, after a light snack with Kidu of stringy dry meat, I rested to regain my Mana. Kidu had made a pair of crude weapons from the scythe-blade arms that he had ripped from the Soldier Echo-Stalker in the tunnels.
The handles were made of Laur's bone, and attached to it was strong sinew to keep the ever so slightly curved blade in place. A link from one of the chains formed a simple guard just above the hilt on both daggers to stop the hand from slipping when thrusting with the weapons. They were vicious and crude-looking tools of violence, measuring about forty or fifty centimeters from their handles to deadly tips.
Kidu had also fashioned a simple hide sheath for each of them. I tested the edge of the natural blade with a finger, drawing blood and causing a single point of damage to my Health. Overall, it was impressive craftsmanship for the time given, and I wondered how this world would categorize these paired weapons in terms of Skill proficiency.
Just as I had finished examining my newly made weapons and replacing my trusty pickaxe, I felt a tap on my left shoulder. Knowing this to be some sort of trick, I turned to my right and there was Elwin, freshly returned from his reconnoiter just as the sun was beginning to set.
He gave us an unhappy grimace before delivering his report, “Eight men in total, I think split between a day shift and a night shift. These are all free men, no slaves for some reason. No slave brands from what I saw. Though come to think of it, it would be difficult to train slaves for this kind of finicky work...” the Rogue began to meander before we both looked at him, “...Overall though, they all seem to be lightly armed. Axes, daggers, and short sword notwithstanding.”
Settling in behind the cover of some thick bushes a good distance from the clearing, we waited for the night’s darkness to deepen. Each of us tried to ease a measure of calm into nerves fraught with tension. I gripped my twin weapons tightly in my hands, as my mind struggled with all sorts of variables and potential scenarios.
This was to be different from all my fights thus far, where I had simply reacted according to circumstance. Up until now, it had always been fate that had forced my hand. This time, it would be premeditated and cold, a sensation I found both sickening and strangely thrilling.