8:00

Ocean Mob

War Beast

Level 55

At some point, Owin had started to realize his first instincts were, maybe, not always the best. The war beast didn’t move past the edge of the arena, but it stood there menacingly, watching with its massive silver eyes.

Upon thinking about the upcoming battle, Owin thought about how the fight had ended with the dragon turtle. Ending up inside the enemy’s skull normally wasn’t a great plan, but if he was inside a cathkabel’s skull, he could raise his intelligence rapidly.

A normal size cathkabel made that difficult because they weren’t that much bigger than a normal human, so he had instead ripped the meat from their bones. But now, this war beast was standing in front of him, asking him to crawl into its oversized eye.

Shade remained hidden behind the rock, ushering Owin forward anytime he glanced back.

Were his instincts bad or was it actually a good idea?

“Goblin demon,” the war beast said again.

How did it know who he was? Was it Graliel? Was it Temikiel? Was it . . . Did he know any other cathkabel? It really didn’t matter.

The war beast growled and used its whole body to swing its long arms up. They still looked limp as they swung above the beast’s head. As soon as they reached the top of its bald, white head, the long, webbed hands froze in place. A silver and gold ball of energy immediately formed in the space between its hands.

“You might want to run from that one!”

Owin looked over his shoulder. Shade was waving dramatically.

“Run!”

By the time Owin turned back to the war beast, the ball had grown to fill the entire space between its hands. Half silver, half gold energy spiraled. The gold looked like luminous magic, but Owin had no guess to what the silver half was.

The war beast swung its arms forward, launching the ball straight at Owin. Shade didn’t often recommend running, so Owin immediately sprinted to the side. Water boiled around the attack as it moved through the water. Luminous light flashed the moment it struck. A new current slammed Owin into the rocks he had seen the sea star disappear over earlier.

A crater had formed in the spot Owin had been standing, causing the rock Shade hid behind to tumble down. The skeleton squealed and fell after the rock into the crater.

The war beast made some deep noises as its arms fell back to the ground. It was clearly an effort to move, which meant it should be easy with Owin’s speed to get around it. Its silver eyes watched him closely.

“Does it have other attacks?”

“Probably!” Shade’s head flew from the crater, landing near Owin. “Anything is possible.”

“Uh.”

“Put me in your bag.”

Owin picked up the skull and dropped it inside his bag. The head moved a little until the top of his head, including his eyes, poked out the top.

“Now we’re ready.”

“If you’re scared, why would you give me your head?”

The skeleton’s body climbed out of the crater, wobbling like it had just taken a heavy hit. “Distraction!” Shade yelled.

“I thought you were scared.”

The war beast growled and started the process of swinging its arms above its head again.

“What’s luminous damage going to do against me? Also, yes, I am. But I do enjoy watching you do your absolutely nonsensical fighting.”

Owin stayed beside the rocks, jogging toward the arena. By the time it was ready to attack, he would be able to dash in between its legs to avoid the attack. That was the plan, at least. He probably had worse plans in the past.

“Why didn’t you always do this for distractions?”

The skeleton’s body tripped and fell onto the rocky ground. It flailed, sending bubbles and dust all over.

“I don’t have much control when I’m not attached. It’s like watching a distant, drunk version of myself, and I have to say, it isn’t pleasant.” The body stood up and immediately tripped again. “I know I’m clumsy, but this is just embarrassing.”

Owin couldn’t keep his attention on the useless skeleton at the moment. The war beast had started to form the luminous attack once again with its attention fully trained on Owin. If Shade was actually trying to be a distraction, he was doing an especially bad job.

The strategy made sense, even if it was a little simple. Myrsvai had looked shocked when Owin started eating cathkabel back on the first floor. Most people would probably look at him like he was a mindless mob if they saw him ripping chunks of meat from cathkabel bones.

That would have bothered him before. Knowing people still thought of him as a mob or a monster after everything he had been through was a little heartbreaking, but it didn’t matter anymore.

The only thing that mattered was power. Power to protect those who needed it. Power to stop people like the hero company that hunted Myrsvai. Power to kill.

Owin shot across the surface, moving faster than he did during his last dodge. He slashed with the Incandescent Blade as he ran between the war beast’s legs, but the unique weapon bounced off the thick white skin.

The war beast stepped backward, slamming its wide, webbed foot on the stone surface directly beside Owin as the light flashed from the luminous death ball.

A weapon always seemed like a better idea than going in unarmed, but the Incandescent Blade’s main utility was its fire, which was useless for now. Owin let the sword drop from his hand. It would survive, even if it was stepped on by the giant. He could grab it after he ate the beast’s brain.

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A quick hop brought him on the rocks at the back of the arena just as the war beast turned. Its limp arms swung around like flail, forcing Owin to leap again before the massive white hand caught him.

He led with his shoulder, crashing the chitin pauldron into the war beast’s chest. The giant didn’t move at all. Owin grasped for a hold, trying to drive his sharp nails into the cathkabel’s skin, but it was too hard. It felt like trying to grab onto a metal wall.

Luminous energy flashed off the cathkabel, sending Owin flying through the water. He crashed into the boundary wall, feeling the back of his breastplate crack. It took a few points of health, but the armor had managed to lessen the blow. He dropped back to the rocks.

“Are you alive?” Owin asked.

“Is that a joke question or a real question?” Shade asked.

“Okay. I’m going in.”

“In?”

The war beast twisted its body to swing its arm back at Owin, but the creature’s movements were easy to predict. Two steps over the rocks was all Owin needed to get a full jump, one that would bring him high enough. By the time the war beast swung its arm, Owin was already in the air. The war beast had so little control of its own body that it couldn’t stop its arm as it passed over the rocks.

Despite the new confidence, Owin’s jump didn’t carry him exactly where he had planned. His eyes widened as he sailed straight at the war beast’s flat nose. Owin lowered his head just in time to smash the top of his helmet into the creature’s face.

He brought his hands up, trying to scramble to find a hold. His nails slid right over its cheeks as he started to drop. Crab legs shot over Owin’s shoulders, stabbing into the cathkabel’s eyes.

“Yes!”

The armor dragged him toward the right eye as the war beast released a deafening scream. Silver blood was already leaking into the water as Owin reached the giant silver eye. The crab legs were stuck around the eye, partially embedded into the eyeball, but the cathkabel could still see.

Luminous energy flashed from its body once again. The magic battered Owin, taking a chunk of health, but the crab legs pulled him close to the eye and held tight.

“What are we doing?” Shade asked, slightly panicked.

If he had a non magical knife, he could tear into the eye, but with only wands on him at the moment, his hands were the best option. Luckily, he also had whatever his armor was doing. Crab claws reached over his shoulders and snapped at the eye at the same time as Owin scratched the eyeball. His nails ripped into it.

He grinned and started digging.

***

Cixilo had been busy.

Even with all of her training, she still stood no chance against Potilia. An umbra losing to a berserker was reasonable in most settings. Umbras weren’t meant to take on opponents in a traditional manner.

Hopefully, after the adventure she had had around the Fortress Dungeon, she would be ready to assist the Nimble Hogs a little better. With all the new attention from the goblin, she needed to be ready for just about anything. Anything other than fighting Shard Heroes, obviously. That was beyond anything she could do.

Nagyati was a beautiful city on the water with a lot of buildings that ended in points. Each of the big government buildings had towers that ended with points. If there was any significance behind it, she was sure Chorsay or Potilia would know. To her, it just looked like a lot of work for something that didn’t have much use other than to act as a landmark.

She had only been to Nagyati a few times, and without using the capitol as a landmark, she would wander until she found the river, which led past the Golden Bulls to the portal circle.

Atrevaar wasn’t a perfect city, but it was a lot less confusing. She had found herself missing the Nimble Hog’s headquarters. When Chorsay first recruited her, she had turned her nose up at the idea. It was, and still is, a shitty little company.

Somehow, that’s the charm. The smallest hero company holds some of the most odd, unique people she had ever met, and after her past, she loved the anonymity.

Cixilo walked along the river, running her hand over the ornate metal railing keeping normal citizens from tumbling over the ledge and into the dark, rushing river. Most heroes, hopefully, would be coordinated enough not to do something so foolish, but normal people were almost always clumsy.

Heavy footsteps followed her. The person had been following her for a few minutes. She had tried to get a glance, but somehow failed. Whoever it was had some type of protection in place. That could mean an assassin, umbra, wizard, magus, or hunter. There were a lot of ways to conceal your presence. Whoever it was had the heaviest footsteps she had ever heard, and that even included Chorsay, who couldn’t walk quietly if he wanted.

“Hog,” the person said.

She could just teleport and vanish, but curiosity was a strong thing. To follow her from the Fortress side of the city, someone had to have been watching for her, likely someone who knew who she was.

She drew both daggers, concealing them in her hand before turning. “Oh.”

A monster of a man stood a dozen feet away. He wasn’t nearly as huge as Chorsay, but he was still well over six feet tall and built like a boulder. Literally.

“Andres Orben. Leader of the Golden Bulls,” Cixilo said.

Orben was a Shard Hero, but Cixilo had no idea how many he had at this point. Enough to be fused, at least. His exposed arms were entirely made of dark rocks. Sharp rocks protruded from his back as well, making Cixilo wonder how he got his golden breastplate on and off. Or did he just keep it on forever after his fusion?

Just like the rest of the Bulls, he wore ornate golden armor that made it impossible to not recognize him as a member of the company. His emerald bow and all the rocks are what really made it obvious it was the famous Andres Orben.

“Do you know me?” Cixilo asked.

“No.” His index flashed in front of his eyes. “You gained multiple levels in a few short weeks. I am impressed. My scouts reported your departure to the Fortress, and they informed me of your arrival. I was curious to meet you after hearing about the goblin in your company.”

“I don’t know him well. I’ve been away.”

“I know.” Andres walked closer. His bow was slung over a shoulder and his sword was sheathed at his hip. There was little a hunter could do without a weapon, so why did Cixilo feel so on edge?

“What do you want from me?”

“An alliance, in a sense. I had heard the legendary Chorsay Eoghet had formed a company years ago, but I had forgotten. These Hogs have done nothing of note. It is difficult to remember something so insignificant.”

Cixilo clenched her jaw.

“I don’t mean to insult. Apologies. I would like to travel back to Atrevaar with you to meet with Chorsay. I haven’t seen him in maybe twenty years.”

“Why?”

“You can introduce me.”

Why would the fourth biggest hero company’s leader need an introduction? His armor alone screamed ‘Golden Bull.’

“I don’t know you.”

Andres smiled. His facial hair hardly moved, as if it was also made from rocks. “If I intended harm to you or the Hogs, I wouldn’t have let you go train. I could have stopped you at any time in Nagyati. I recently met with some significant figures, and all they spoke about was your company and the mob. I wish to meet with Chorsay before anything happens.”

“I just don’t see why you need me involved.”

Andres gestured over her shoulder, in the direction she had been walking. “We will travel together. Get to know one another. Before I meet with Chorsay, I wish to know more about your organization. I will tell you things in turn. Information for information. Then, you can introduce me. Allies, see?”

There wasn’t anything about the situation that felt normal, but information on the Golden Bulls and what was going on in Vekuborg would be invaluable. They were lacking information on the Bulls and the Three Heads, and Cixilo was certain Andres would know about the Strobrukhan hero company too.

“You will share two for every one of mine,” Cixilo said. She slid her concealed weapons into sheaths. Andres didn’t flinch at the movement. When she extended her hand, she was surprised how quickly the hunter moved, shaking her hand in a firm, rocky grip.

“I am glad we can be friends,” Andres said, gesturing for her to continue along the river.

What other choice did she have? Four umbras were waiting right up the road, five hunters were on rooftops with arrows drawn, and an assassin had reached her back before she even could detect them.

As soon as their hands shook, the assassin stepped aside, becoming fully visible. Andres nodded to the hero clad in golden armor as if it was perfectly normal to threaten people while forming an alliance.

Chorsay would know what to do. She just had to survive.