Chapter Four - What's Feeding Frenzy?_Lore - Underworld

My reminiscing end abruptly and my danger sense went crazy and I instantly dove to the right to avoid a dive bombing attack from an aerial soulbeast. As I roll back to my feet crouched near a tree, I scan the sky for my attacker. It's fast, and using the trees to avoid line of sight. Eventually I see it's a winged snake thing with an over sized maw filled with large teeth. It's aura tells me it's a rank two soulbeast, and it's speed and intelligence while hunting me tells me that I have my hands full.

As it darts effortless through the trees aiming to catch me at an disadvantage, I keep the tree near me encase I need to duck behind it. I easily lose track at the darting beast, until the sixth sense warned me of danger and I instantly dove to my left this time. Barely able to dodge a tail strike that left a small smoking crater where I was just standing. The sudden release of a thunderclap nearly landed on my head as it's lightning infuse tail swooshed past my diving form to strike the ground.

Again I roll back to my feet and slash for the sake of taking some action to miss so miserably as I see the snake beast has already flown well out of range and sight. The damn thing had flown up and behind me to avoid my sight and down through tree branches to make that last attack on me. What a crafty bastard, and I immediately take off running the opposite direction. As I run I tilt my head back and forth hoping to catch sight of my new prey.

I catch glimpse of it as it gives chase as it zips between trees as it does it's best of avoid line of sight. I prepare a simple spell called flash, all it does is create bright flash of light that will blind the intended target for one exchange. Trusting in my sixth sense, I wait until just before I need to dodge to spin around and cut loose with the flash spell.

I am greeted with a sudden hiss of alarm and I see the soulbeast's instincts to cut it's forward momentum away from the blinding light. I took that window of opportunity to slash it in half. The squeal of pain fill my ears as it sudden beat it's wings to rise out of reach. I watch the bisected soulbeast reconnect it's two halves in an instant and smile as it continue to hiss in pain.

I see it's rage filled eye glare at me in hatred and proceed to dive once again to challenge me. I happily exchange blows and smile as the hiss of pain fill my ears once again. I quickly drink a cure poison potion to alleviate the growing burning sensation in my soul. We clash a couple more time before it finally fled in anger. That's the problem dealing with aerial prey, they have a tendency to flee when the going get a little to rough for them. I lean on a tree and drink another cure poison potion followed by a refining a few rank one souls to to recover my health

I glance around me wondering if it's truly gone, after a bit I sighed and started hunting again, that would have been a good soul to have. I found myself smiling as I march, with a bit of thought realize I am happy because just traveling a day further out from my home I can already meet such interesting prey. As I explore I annihilate rank one soulbeasts and occasionally reduce my stash of cure poison potions.

As I the days past, the number of rank two soulbeast escaping before I can finish them off is depressing me. I deal with my depression by hacking apart any vermin that dare to covet my soul. I also realize why my seniors have pets and follower, they are needed to keep corral their prey. I really needed to get home and work on that, and was sorely tempted to let myself get killed so I could go soulmist and return to my shrine instantly. But after all the hard work I put in to hunt them, losing some by going soulmist just wasn't an option to me. So I trudge through the mire as I headed home, just another day of exploring this unchanging landscape to deal with.

With that in mind, I decide a change of scenery was in order, so I move closer to the border of my home to see the grassy plains filled with herds of spiritbeasts. I watch a Hellion Wyrm emerge from the ground, it's about the size of eighteen wheeler. Four extra heads extend from it's back to rise up nearly twenty feet into the air to scan the surrounding area before diving back into the ground.

Packs of Iron Wolves frolic as they race helter skelter through the grasslands. Flights of Sky Mantas patrol the skies. It's a strange sight, but it makes my stress fade away as the feeling of home infiltrate my very soul.

My prayers makes the connection to my master stronger and empowers my faith to unbelievable heights, but seeing this fortress that I call my home just calms my soul like nothing else could. Tired of trudging though muck that seem like an eternity, I enter the sun lit grasslands and simply enjoy the fresh earthly air.

A pack of Iron wolves instantly veers to intercept me. I simply raise my right palm and my living tattoo of Lord Death's symbol creep over the skin of my arm to finally stop on my palm. The Iron Wolf alpha growls a "welcome home two legged brother!" before dashing away with his pack. I return "thank you brother wolf, good to be home, may your race with the wind prove fruitful!" I receive a howl of gratitude. So it's true, since soulbodies don't tire, Iron wolves never stop racing for the fun of it.

Perhaps I should learn the Changeling Magical field of study as I watch the frolicking Iron wolves as they dash and leap while on patrol. My quest to the border would have taken only half a day at most if I could change into a body of an Iron Wolf, then I looked up at the Sky Mantas and realize flying would be also an option.

As time passes, I eventually make it to the north gate and made my way to the training grounds to report in. It's was a bit of a hassle since I took so long, but when I said I took a quest to the border and handed my quest token. My instructor suddenly laugh in surprise and said the quest was suppose to come after the hunt. He clapped shoulder and said well done and told me to report back in two days for a new quest.

So I headed to my shrine for prayers and sacrifice ten of the rank two souls to my master before allowing my true soul absorb me into his soul. In my personal shrine is where my true soul resides, I inhabit a soul avatar when I go out adventuring. I can create an avatar by using a part of my own soul. However I can use any soul copy of the same rank as fuel for it's creation. In this way I can make a complete copy of myself to use as an avatar rather than a weak ass shadow clone.

I'm glad to see I still have six rank two soul left to make into avatars or followers. With a thought to my upgrades screen appear on the inside my cornea. I see I have been granted forty upgrade points, gaining twenty for sacrificing ten rank two souls, ten for the hunt and ten more for the quest.

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So I take forty rank one souls and refine the into my soul to improve my own strength. I decide to purchase Enchanting to level two that cost me five points for level one and another five points to get it to level two for the total cost of ten points. Then I increase Construct to level two as well leaving me twenty upgrade points left. Since I'm going the magic route, I then purchase Magic Talent to level two in the same way.

Magic Talent is useful, each level increases the maximum potential for critical damage or effect with any magical spells. An added benefit each level also grants critical magical resistance against hostile spells. Magic Talent is what makes the difference between true wizards to hedge mages. The mentality would be 'no better than those idiot warriors with a bit a magic skill, utter distain, and publicly labeled trash.'

I spend the last ten points to improve my overall combat abilities, I purchase level one might for five points which allows me to cause critical physical damage. Then bought level one resilient to help resist that kind of damage. Once the purchases are complete I feel my soul evolve to the upgraded levels. The knowledge of the new four level of magic knowledge percolate into my mind as I meditate. From my initial training, my level one Evocation and level one Divination racial magical fields now seem inadequate.

First thing I did after my upgrades is to examine the remaining rank two souls and picked out the strongest. The soul copy of a Gnoll race, it's two short horns and large downward pointing ears with short straggly hair growing only at the base of the skull. He stands nine feet tall and covered with fur and is classified as a large race. Which basically means racial points lean more to the melee build, which is what I want right now a front line grunt.

With summoning magic I revive the soul into a faithful follower. My level two summoning combine with my level two magic talent gives my four free upgrades or I can spend one upgrade to switch any two skills within the same category for my new meat shield. This soul's was raised as warrior archer build with a class as a ranger called Rymon Kraigor. What catches my eye is that he has level two in Elementalist, Evocation and Illusion. A grunt that can summon elementals for more shields, nice.

Illusion is a damn good bonus, seriously hiding behind a wall of invisibility to ambush prey is just too sick. It can even create fighting monstrosities that can last for a few exchanges. Illusion magical field really got a nice boost in the Underworld for dealing damage.

A quick scan through his stats, I find nothing important enough to switch places with so I went with the four free upgrades. I increase Rymon Kraigor toughness to level four, increase might to level two, resilient to level two and will power to level four. This will give him some serious staying power and can even cause critical damaging attacks. Then I summoned him to my side and with telepathy I command the him to make his own avatar, as a follower their avatars are granted for free.

The next strongest soul is a creature called a Mangler, this is a large class creature raised as a damage dealer. It's also a glass cannon as it has four strength but three toughness. But five in melee skill? Nice if he hits he can cause some serious damage. This soul has level two in Conjuration, Elementalist and Evocation magical fields of study. More elemental shields I guess is a good thing.

Conjuration peaks my interest here, the Mangler can create physical objects with magic and can even make animated puppets. I remembering a puppet team competing in yesterday's tournament, they actually did quite well winning three battles before losing in the semi finals. I have to rank up to champion and purchase level three for magic talent before I can join with my own creations.

I revive the Mangler Bully? That what they call their devotee, Bully? Seriously! Then I look at it's body, I see prehistoric lizardman with smooth human pale green skin. Scanning their creature history they still use heavy thigh bones as clubs. I immediately spend two upgrade points to improve both mental and will power to level three. With some thought I buy level two levels of magic talent to give his elementals a little extra power. Then I mentally order Bully to form an avatar.

I grab clubfoot's soul, because I have no desire to afflict my avatar or followers with the clubfoot flaw, and burn it's essence to create my new avatar from a sliver of my own soul. I watch energy of the refining stream into my sliver which act like a balloon that eventually take the size and shape that I am used too. I watch myself equip my spare gear and examines his new follower and oversize humanoid pet with interest. Then he says his daily prayers before leaving, I can hear my fading voice interrogating our first follower, which is a good idea and follow suit.

"What's this racial advantage Heat Stroke" my master asks.

"Master! This skill allows me to choose one target in my line of sight to suffer one level of aggravated damage as I ignite a pillar of soulfire directly inside the target's soul. This wound can not be healed until the pillar is dispelled permanently. If an avatar is killed in battle it will transfer this soulfire pillar to the true soul" I replied to crisp enthusiasm, making sure each word is clear.

Nice, kill their avatar and give them a present too. I order Rymon to use this skill on any heavily wounded opponents in the future and higher ranking souls take priority. Which he quickly salute with right fist thumping his chest.

I look at up my pet Bully and ask "What's your racial skill?" I figure keeping it short will make it understand me better.

"Master! Feeding Frenzy allows me to ignore all health penalties and makes me immune to fear for several exchanges. Regurgitate allows me to throw acid to cover up to three melee opponents." I laugh at that one and watch him do his best to copy the fist to heart salute. Then I wave the two to follow me as I remember increasing it's mental capacity so it's not as stupid as I thought. My bad.

As I leave my personal shrine I make my way to training hall supply room. I let my follower and pet equip themselves with basic gear of their choice while I stock up on everything again. When I see them again, they are wearing basic enchanted heavy armor that souls can wear in this underworld. Since souls can't touch physical matter unless it's enchanted.

"What's this racial advantage Heat Stroke" my master asks.

I look at up my pet Bully and ask "What's Feeding Frenzy?" I figure keeping it short will make it understand me better.

"Master! Feeding Frenzy allows me to ignore all health penalties and makes me immune to fear for several exchanges. Regurgitate allows me to throw acid to cover up to three melee opponents." I laugh at that one and wave the two to follow me as I remember increasing it's mental capacity so it's not as stupid as I thought. My bad.

Chapter Four - What's Feeding Frenzy?

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