“I think you’re in the wrong place, sir.” The woman said politely, Mark turning. The bundle that was Amy shifted on his chest, gurgling at the motion.
The woman blinked, then blinked again. Mark cleared his throat. “I sure hope I got the address right. Newborn and you?”
She nodded before she caught herself, trying to look around discreetly and failing. “Just me.”
“Ah. Uh, name?”
“Mark Dallton.”
Her finger went down the list. “And there you are. Apologies, mister Dallton. Please, come in.”
The looks she sent him were even less subtle than before, especially at Amy. He explained without being asked, annoyed at himself for caving to the social pressure. “I work with my hands, not used to not having them available, if you know what I mean. A baby sling seemed handy, and she seems to enjoy it.”
“It’s not often we see a male partner employing one.” She swallowed. “I think it's great!”
‘I’m sure you do.’
“Thank you.”
“May I ask?” She trailed off, opening the door for them both. Mark suppressed another sigh and let his polite smile slip. He found this went smoother as a widower. “It’s just me.”
Her face went white. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn't have asked.”
‘No, but you did anyway.’
“It’s alright.”
----------------------------------------
He rolled as the giant made to grab him, a stream of blue fire going over his head. It recoiled, shielding its face and letting him finish eating his boost.
Power surged as he stepped around, heavy punches impacting the things knee. Boar meat used to make him a little stronger, give him thick skin. Now his muscles seemed to surge with strength, his knuckles not splitting as the cestus rained down on flesh. It didn’t collapse, he hadn’t expected it to, and he threw himself back as it tried to kick him.
‘More strength, even thicker skin. Good, if boring.’
Lust sliced along flesh as he got to his feet, seeming to carve more than cut. He got what she was doing as a piece of skin flew his way, catching it out of the air and swallowing it whole.
Giant consumed. Strength has been improved with Greater Strength Boost.
Greater Strength Boost will be active for fifty seconds.
Panic clawed at his mind as sound muted, grunts of pain or crackling fire dissapaiting to near nothing. His eyes itched, luckily not interrupting his vision, and he snapped his head around as he felt the giant take a step.
Mark stepped to the side, surprised at the surety of the motion, and the fist crashed against stone. His hand shot out, landing a punch before the thing could pull back entirely, and he felt bone crack. It stepped back as Lust cut along the heel, not penetrating deep enough to separate the hamstring, and cradled its hand.
“Why the fuck do you make me deaf?”
It bellowed, not hurting him despite the volume, and slipped past its leg. The kick was sidestepped, flying less than ten inches from his face, and he lashed out again.
And again, twisting as it tried to grab him and feeling his knuckles strain under the pressure. The giant stepped away from him, clearing a dozen feet a step, and Mark grinned. A tap interrupted him, Lust scowling. Her lips moved.
He shook his head, pointing to his ear. She nodded, making a few quick hand gestures, but he shrugged. “Never learned sign language.”
Not being able to hear himself talk was strange. More dangerously, it was distracting. Lust pushed him, Mark rolling with it but unable to look around fast enough. The fist clipped his shoulder, horrid pain stabbing at his mind as it shattered, and he grabbed the thing's thumb.
Both Mark and the giant froze, as if disbelieving he’d just done that, and it tugged. It was stronger, he knew that after a split moment of contesting its strength, so he twisted it down. It snapped as he did, feeling the vibrations as it forcefully yanked its arm away, but he was already rolling forwards.
‘Strange, how a good roll can clear so much distance.’ His jaw closed around flesh, a moment of panic passing as he feared his teeth would snap rather than bite, and he was chewing a mouth full of skin and fat. ‘Fucking disgusting.’
The grin that spread over his face seemed to disturb the giant more than breaking its thumb, trying to back away. Mark clung to it, digging his armoured fingers into flesh and scaling the giant. A knife embedded itself in the hand that tried to grab him, buying him precious seconds, and then he was clinging to the things back.
Two punches, quick but targeted, and it was trying to shake him loose. Another punch against its spine and something important snapped, his cestus reverberating bone, and Mark kicked off as it dropped.
Not dead, he saw, rolling to his feet and twisting around. It was rolling to its knees, slower and face drawn in pain. ‘Trying to crush me, then. Rude.’
The euphoria drowned any guilt he might have been feeling, advancing as Lust did the same. Her dagger found its eye as his fist found the hip, and the giant was too distracted with Lust to deal with him. Four heavy punches, where he took a second to gather momentum, and it broke.
It collapsed, waving its arms widely to ward them off. Mark ignored or twisted around them, climbing on its back and thanking his past self for picking footwork. He finished shattering the spine, breaking and tearing at the skull next. Lust was making a ruin of its face, blinding it before anything and trying to slit its throat.
He couldn't see too well, not from his angle, but she didn’t seem to be having much luck. A punch and his shoulder broke again, his regeneration only barely keeping it together. A hiss escaped his lips, ignoring the pain but letting the arm rest.
Stomping did less, it was bone he needed to break and his cestus did most of that, so a single fist would have to do.
For killing a Giant you have been granted sixteen experience. One third experience rewarded.
General Skills have gained two hundred experience.
Punch has increased to level two.
“That was fun.” Lust shouted, inches from his ear. Mark flinched away, and when he looked at her she whisked away a look of guilt. “Guess you’re not deaf anymore?”
“No. Ran out with seconds to spare, as seems to be the usual. Spare your mana.”
The last part was directed at Sloth, who’d come up and whose hands were glowing. He hadn’t noticed that before. ‘Enhanced?’
“Very well. I hope that was worth it.”
Mark shrugged. “I didn’t attack him. But yes, it was.”
“You ignored him when he warned you to leave.” Sloth argued, her face strained. “And he felt the pain, tried to run.”
“It.” Lust corrected, a second before he would have. “Don’t go mistaking enemies with people, get your moral compass in a tangle. Did Glut ignore a warning? Yes. Does that mean it can just try and kill us without consequences?”
“I tried to bargain for a guide.” Mark said, Sloth closing her mouth with a click. “It didn’t seem interested. I would have left. It attacked before we could.”
Sloth looked between him and Lust, putting her hands up. “I see I’m outnumbered. Fine, I won’t argue against self defence.”
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
He sighed. “I get it. I made that mistake once, at the start. Humanoid opponent, hesitated. Nearly died, so not doing that again.”
“Let’s get cooking!” Lust said after a moment, pushing the corpse with her foot and breaking the awkward silence that had descended. “Wait, you didn’t bring your kitchen.”
“Yes, thank you for reminding me. Some strips will have to do.”
He nodded at her when he was done, handing her knife back. ‘Much better than my own. Should get a new one one of these days.’ “Buffs.”
Cured meats:
Boar meat: 2
Giant meat: 3
“First buff with a drawback. Great.” He muttered, Lust looking his way curiously. He waved, making her huff and go back to pestering Sloth. “And it's being deaf of all things. Lust!”
The look she sent him was dangerously cold, a guilty smile on his face. “Sorry. You know sign language?”
“Some.” She glared, relaxing as he offered his surrender. “Not enough to teach.”
“Try? Being deaf sucks, more so if I can’t communicate at all.”
Sloth made a face, an expression he couldn't quite catch, and that in turn made him miss Lust’s expression. “Fine. Don’t come complaining to me if no one else wants to learn.”
The walk back to camp was a long one, stretching well into the night, but none of them found it bothersome. Mark couldn't quite be sure his eyes were better, or his hearing picked up more, because they’d become more sensitive or because everything was so quiet here. That the star shone more brightly for the lack of pollution, and the moon washed everything with just enough light he didn’t have to squint.
Wrath half waved as they came back to camp, the one on watch, and he actually felt a little bad. Approaching her earned him a raised eyebrow, some slight tension in her frame. ‘Neutral isn’t friendly.’
“Should have warned we could be gone till late. I can take over?”
She grunted, moving away and over to her bedroll. Mark climbed a tree, a feat that briefly brought glee to his frame, and leaned against the trunk. Even this, both legs folded under his body, would have earned him cramps and tingles within minutes. Now his body did as he wanted, be that fight a giant or climb a tree. ‘Not that we have much opportunity for that, eh?’
He patted the bark, glad they’d dragged themselves to a small grove to make camp. It made firewood collecting much easier, for one, and provided some cover against the wind. ‘Do groves exist on mountains like this?’
“Not that you’ll have an answer for me.” He patted the bark again, looking around. Looking up was something he forced himself to do, every now and then, and it found Lust dangling silently from a branch, staring.
“Why are you talking to a tree?”
Mark got his heart rate under control, forcing himself not to react. It’d become twice as bad if he did. “I’m going to drown you in a river.
“You wish. I can swim.” She scaled down, moving with an ease that made his earlier climbing look brutish, and sat down next to him. Or in front, her back leaning against his torso. “Not a lot of room, don’t go thinking I’m the cuddly type.”
He smirked, dropping it just fast enough she didn’t see when she tilted her head around. “Of course not. You’re a deadly assassin, not someone that would ever feel the need for physical contact.”
She narrowed her eyes, finding no sarcasm in his tone. “Good.”
Lust didn’t protest when he draped his arm over her shoulder, Mark ready with the same excuse, but when she spoke it wasn’t a complaint. “You were reckless with the giant.”
“I heal.” He said, mentally switching gears. “Have been since the start. I suppose I got used to it, the pain and maimings, and I’m fine with it if it brings me victory.”
She didn’t answer. He twisted his knee so it wouldn't dig into her back. “I’ll try to be more careful. Doesn’t help I get high when I fight. Wrath and me are similar in that, I suppose, if for different reasons.”
“Hmmn.”
“Watya thinking about?”
“That you need to keep levelling. Another ten and you might have that six pack you’ve always wanted.”
Mark accepted the change of subject with a light frown, adjusting the way he sat again. Tree’s weren’t that comfortable. “Who says I’ve always wanted a six pack?”
He could almost feel her rolling her eyes. “The great Gluttony is above such vain things, please excuse my ignorance.”
“You’re excused.”
The elbow found his ribs, even when he actively guarded against it. “Fine, yes. I won’t complain if I can get shredded without any work, who would, but it's really not that important to me. Never has been, or I’ve learned for it not to be. Either way.”
“You’ve had a pretty good life, haven’t you?”
Silence was her answer. “I don’t mean the end. Overall, in general. Happy parents, a normal youth. Stable job, friends and family.”
“Better than most.” He admitted, glad she wasn’t looking. “Had its problems, of course, and my parents weren’t as happy as could be, but yes. No abuse or addiction beside the obvious, no life changing injuries. By twenty five I was content with my choices, by twenty eight I died. A life lived by millions, I’d imagine.”
She didn’t speak, didn’t pressure him. It allowed him to put pressure on himself, worse than anything she could have done. “She was my daughter.”
“I’m sorry.”
His arm pulled her closer, Mark not noticing as he looked over the camp. “Niemann-Pick disease. Died before she could live. I suppose I joined her, hoping for some miracle and seeing her again. Instead I get a cave, a means to supplant suicidal depression. Is it suicide if you don’t really die?”
“Yes.” Her tone was hard, hardening further as he huffed a dark laugh. “So don’t go trying that again, hear?”
“Wouldn't dream of it.”
Minutes passed in silence, Mark alternating between keeping watch and staring at the stars. It was so quiet he would be able to hear anything approaching anyway, broken when Lust shifted. “You’re really not going to ask?”
He smiled sadly at her wondering tone. “When you’re fat, ugly or otherwise, you have to learn this stuff called social skills. Don’t get away with being rude, for example, and people don’t go out of their way to help you.”
“Pretty privilege isn’t really that strong, or desirable.”
“Grass is always greener.” He shrugged. “I learned the skills. How it makes life easier, having some people you can rely on. Favours and debts, sometimes tiring but always useful. So no, Lust, I’m not going to presume you wish to share because I did. It's a choice, one you might make in a week, a year or never at all.”
“And you’re alright with that? If I never share?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
They settled into a more comfortable silence, Mark snapping his head to the ground half an hour later. Pride looked up at them, smirking. “Seems cosy. Forgive me for not joining, but some of us have watch duty.”
“I took over for Wrath.” Mark explained, his voice soft. “But I won’t say no if you want to take it?”
The man nodded, Mark climbing down the three with stiff limbs. Despite moving first Lust was waiting on him as he touched the ground, her body tilted to keep Pride in her sight.
Falling asleep took time, more so for the fact his mind seemed fond of replaying old memories, but morning came sooner rather than later. They’d already discussed what needed to be done, so after packing up they moved without delay.
The river became boring to watch around half a day in, Mark pulling up his status. He’d gained a number of new skills during their time in the realm, and looking them over was better than yet another stream joining the growing river.
Counter. The flow of battle lies in attack and defence, when to strike and when to guard. This skill helps spot and take advantage of the enemies weakness after a successful block.
Redirect. Move like water, stand like stone. Redirection is better than absorption, and this skill will help with just that.
Fire Tolerance. Fire burns. This skill will help reduce the damage taken.
‘Decent stuff.’ He moved his foot an inch to the side, stepping on solid stone instead of a loose rock. ‘But I’m still taking kick next. God I hope it combines with pulgelist.’
“Uhhm, Glut?”
He looked over, Lust pointing down the river. A valley had opened up, large and isolated, and they’d have to move through it to follow the river. “What?”
“You don’t see the village?”
Mark looked closer, shaking his head. “Not really? I see some tree’s, I think. That’s a village?”
“Envy, Lust, check it out.” Pride ordered, earning him both a nod and glare. He added, “Please.”
Lust did disappear, though Mark doubted it was because Pride said so, and as they walked closer he saw that she’d been right. It was rather rickety, wood and mud houses built in a grove of trees, but very much civilization.
When they got closer still small green shapes started moving between the huts, activity increasing until a small party left it all together. Coming their way, Mark saw, and he finally noticed what they were.
‘Goblins?’
Smaller, maybe three to four feet tall, and looking like typical fantasy creatures more than any other he’d seen. They were armed, though none had drawn weapons, and he nodded at Lust when she reappeared.
Envy was glaring at her, not so unusual. The bright red handprint on her face was. Mark raised an eyebrow, Lust explaining. “She didn’t like the whole non interference policy, wanted to get to the cutting. Impatient. That’s clearly a delegation, and killing children is a bit far even for me.”
“Wasn’t gonna kill the children.” Envy muttered, Greed snorting. “I wasn’t!”
They came to a halt and stayed there, letting the goblins close the distance, and Mark spotted they were carrying things. Was that a pig?”
“Hello. Greetings.” The frontrunner shouted, hesitant despite the volume. “We bring tribute, so that your party may continue its journey in peace.”
The goblin had made that sound more like a question than a statement, Mark exchanging glances with Lust. “And. And we offer shelter, food. Guides, should you need them?”
The goblins' friends looked a little less friendly, warriors if he had to guess, though he didn’t get the feeling they were all that strong. Still, being polite didn’t cost him much. “Nice to meet you. I’m Gluttony, and we’re somewhat lost in these mountains. I don’t suppose you know the way down, if you’re offering guides?”
Mark blinked as the goblins froze, the warriors dropping to their knees as their spokesperson bleached white. Then he dropped to his knees too, mumbling something Mark had no hope of hearing.
He looked at Lust. “What did I say?”