Your Party has slain sixteen Dire Kobolds and has gained 2191 EXP. You now have 502,091/501,785 until Level 25.
Level Up! You are now level 25 and have 5 new Attribute Points to spend. You now have 306/627,232 until level 26.
System Reminder! You have ten Attribute Points from previous Level gains to spend. Your actual total of points to spend is fifteen.
Colin sheathed his Ravenous Mythic Ziphos, the length of its toothed maw sliding into the scabbard smoothly. He looked around and found that Rielle had been the one to land the killing blow on the last Dire Kobald, its body falling to the tunnel floor in a heap burning green and gold.
They were well off the beaten path, in a side tunnel the Goblin traders used to get to and from Grimhold and the other City-states. But this one had been infested with beasts above the merchant’s ability to deter or slay, so they had been asked to come instead. These beasts seemed to like the lines of glowing moss that grew outwards from Grimhold through the tunnels, and they made it easy to see in the tunnels.
Colin looked at the quest that Commander Rulfinch’s Superior had given them. He was a reasonable Goblin but seemed slightly annoyed when he found out an entire regiment had been left in the tunnels while Colin and his team took a shortcut. But he just gave them the assignment to free up a Regiment for other tasks.
Quest: Kill Dire Threats. Objective: High Commander Greant is not pleased with your willingness to not assist a Goblin Regiment to return safely and timely. But he understands the situation and is not too upset. Just assist with a sweep of a tunnel and kill some non-standard pests to wipe the slate clean. Kill 50 creatures with the words’ Dire,’ ‘Giant,’ ‘Mega,’ ‘Maddened,’ or ‘Ogre’ in their name. Reward: Full ‘forgiveness’ of the Goblin Army. 50 Copper Coins for each party member. 1 Copper Plate for each piece of Ogre Clan skin.
Colin did not care about the quest; in fact, it was nice to have an excuse to be in the tunnels for themselves, without an escort. The annoying thing was that they had not seen a single Ogre in the tunnel, and he was honestly hoping to see them. Copper Plates were the next denomination of currency in Rosengard from a Copper Coin, and it took a hundred Coins to equal one Plate. And it was not just the monetary value that mattered; Copper Plates were rare to find, so they became signs of status and bargaining chips.
“Everyone okay?” he asked.
“All good, Bossman!” Larry called out, freezing the pieces of Dire Kobald on him and then scratching them off his skin. The Demon had decided to fight these things with a halberd, a heavy spear with an ax head near the head.
“We’re good over here as well,” Milma announced, waving while gesturing to McKenna near her.
Rielle did not respond for a minute, hurrying over to retrieve what arrows she could first. And when she did answer, she said, “Oh, uh, I took a few hits, but I’ll be fine.”
“To be fair, they ganged up on you. For some reason,” Milma pointed out, then shrugged. “Was that our second or third group today?”
“Third,” Colin answered. “That was the third Dire Kobald hunting party we have fought today. I know because that is what it took for me to level up. Speaking of,” Colin trailed off and opened his Attribute screen to distribute his new points. He would not admit this, but he did forget to spend his points from the level-ups he had gained after defeating ALAN.
But he would forgive himself, given that he had quickly been reunited with McKenna. It was distracting.
Strength: 22 Dexterity: 23 Speed: 28 Build: 22 Intellect: 25 Wisdom: 31 Charisma:18 Luck: 16.
The first thing he did, as he did with every level, was he put three points into Wisdom to assist with his Hubris Ability. While he had not gotten a lot of use out of it yet, that was entirely him being cautious. If he went around killing Players to maybe unlock their Abilities for himself, he would make a name for himself. Better to remain unknown and prepare for future gains.
Next, he put three points into Intellect to increase his Mana points and the effectiveness of his spells. And with nine points left, he put three into Strength, Dexterity, and Build. With his physicality being his main point for offensive action, He felt that increasing those Attributes would be beneficial.
Strength: 25 Dexterity: 26 Speed: 28 Build: 25 Intellect: 25 Wisdom: 34 Charisma:18 Luck: 16.
The only apparent gain from the increase in his Attribute was his Health Points and Mana Points. Each took a jump at each level anyway, and each now amplified retroactively with the addition of his Attribute distributions.
Health: 875/875. Mana: 722/722.
“Oh, you leveled up, nice!” Milma cheered. “What level are you?”
“Twenty-five,” Colin answered. “And you, if you don’t mind telling?”
“Oh, I’m Level forty-three,” she said, cleaning the blade before sheathing it. “It will be a while before I can level up down here, especially if we keep fighting enemies at this level. These things were pretty weak.”
Nodding, Colin could not help but agree. These creatures were feral versions of a more intelligent race. Kobolds were only one of many species that liked to inhabit the underground tunnels, but this Dire variation was not one he knew.
“Yes, but we are helping the Goblins,” Rielle said, encouraging them. “And- And I am only one level from being able to choose my Career.”
“I’m a little further off, but.. Me too,” McKenna told them. Then she admitted, “Level 14, almost 15.”
Milma blinked, “really? I honestly thought you were a higher level than that. You punch hard for your level, so to speak. What about you?” she asked Larry, inclining her head at the Demon.
The Demon smirked, “Oh, I don’t have Official Levels.”
At everyone’s confused look, except Colin, who knew this, Larry decided to continue. “Right now, I am just a Familiar Contracted to DevilWalker. The higher his Summon Familiar Skill, the more of my power I can use. But also, the more I am used to a medium that my Skills are good for, like a battle, the more potential I gain for my actual advancement. If I had to put an actual number to my level-” Larry paused. “In the Inferno, I am around level sixty to sixty-three. Here, maybe nineteen or twenty,” he shrugged.
“Sixty-one,” Milma breathed with surprise. “That is pretty powerful.”
“Here… maybe. But in hell, not really. I mean, you really are not considered out of training until at least fifty. I believe the ArchDemons are all above level one hundred, so I am pretty weak by the Inferno’s standards.”
“Wow,” Milma breathed, smiling widely. “I cannot wait to see one of them in action.”
“You likely won’t,” Larry said, shaking his head. “ArchDemons cannot just come to this world; the chances are slim you will ever see one, let alone one in combat. And if you do go to the Inferno, try not to get caught; they do not like intruders.”
Colin knew what Larry was talking about and withdrew the dagger he had almost used yesterday on the Limbocyte. In design alone, It was not a special Dagger by any means, except for the enchantments upon it. The symbols Colin had etched into it combined his Enchanting Skill and Demonology Skill, producing a third and synergistic effect with another.
He only wished he had a cause to unleash it, if only to test its effects, but it could only be used once. Steel was not a suitable medium for powerful and intricate Infernal Magic to operate and survive. He would have to see about getting more Lucinate, the reddish-black metal found near Lucifer’s prison. It was the same thing his Lesser Infernal Edge was made out of before Colin had Enchanted it.
He resheathed the dagger; the only people that had any idea what this item was and had the potential to do, were McKenna and himself. He quickly amended his thoughts and added Nox to that list; the Goblin had forgotten more Magic than Colin currently knew; he was sure of that.
“How many more do we have to kill before the Goblin Commanders will like us more?” Larry moaned. “I like killing but prefer doing it when there is more sport. More of a challenge. Not just… this.”
Colin agreed and pulled out his Information Tablet; Colin looked at a new message that he had received the night before, checked the time, and nodded.
“Only a few more, one more group should do it. But we have one more thing to do before we leave anyway, and it is about time,” Colin informed them. He walked to the cleanest part of the tunnel they were in and looked at a picture that came with the instructions.
“Is this about that message you got last night during our meeting with the High Commander?” Rielle asked, curious. “I saw you got the message but not who it came from.”
Colin reached into a pocket and produced a piece of paper he had prepared beforehand. It wasn’t his most intricate magic circle, but it had a particular glyph in the center of the diagram, one representing a specific Demon. “Do you guys remember how I mentioned that I would be getting in contact with a few demons who were good with information? Well, one of them did last night.”
Larry grimaced, “please tell me it isn’t Asfried?”
“It is,” Colin said, smiling sympathetically at him. “Would you like to be unsummoned while he is here?”
“No, just don’t mention me. At all,” Larry told him, shapeshifting to look like a human. This human had slate gray skin, defined muscles, and spiraling tattoos, but as usual, no shirt.
Colin nodded and used his Heretic Scribe Ability on the paper with the circle on it. Infernal Magic engulfed the page, and a larger representation of the design burned itself into the cavern floor. It was rather incredible how much detail he could transfer over using the ability, the text of the ability even stated that if Infernal Magic were used, it would be even more potent.
The symbol flashed red four times, and a sound suspiciously like a knock came through the unactivated circle. Everyone stepped away from the circle in sudden surprise, especially Colin, who had been mentally readying himself to summon the Demon.
“Yup, that’s him,” Larry said, walking to a cavern wall and sitting with his back against the circle.
Sighing, Colin leaned down, placed a finger on the circle’s outermost edge, and began putting mana into it. Using his Infernal Mana Manipulation, he made the magic demonic and poured it in, careful not to overflow that magic. While he filled it with magic, Colin said, “I hear your knock and bid you enter, Asfried of the Marching Horde!”
As soon as Colin finished the words, more Infernal Magic rushed into the circle he was charging, and the entire thing glowed scarlet. The whole thing looked ominous, but Colin was sure that many summonings were tailored for the creature summoned.
When the Demon appeared, he was a transparent projection whose image flickers a little here and there. The Demon was a little shorter than Colin, but almost every inch of the being was covered in tattered bandages and an old worn-out cloak, the hood pulled over his head. The little of him could be seen was the patches of skin that were yellowed and withered like old vellum.
But its voice was a sharp baritone, a contract to the crumbling rasp Colin had expected. The Demon, Asfried, said, “Can I assume you are DevilWalker? Hautley said you wished to speak about some books you need to find regarding your Class?”
Colin nodded and stood from his crouch, “I did; I got a Career Quest that said I need five books that pertain to my Class, and I would prefer them to be of the highest quality possible.”
The Demon lifted his hooded head and gazed at them through the veil of shadows that obscured their view of him. “Well, well, well, I think I can help you. But know it will cost you; nothing in this world is free. Especially nothing worth having,” the Demon chuckled.
“What will it cost me?” Colin asked.
“Do you know what an Aspect of Violence is?” Asfried inquired, then continued as Colin shook his head. “Aspects are the condensed and solidified psychic remnants of the emotions caused by mortals. Aspects cannot be created naturally; they need a catalyst to be formed and used by any entity.”
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“And… what, you want me to help you get one?” Colin asked.
“Yes and no,” Asfried shook his head. “Mostly, it depends on what I can get for you. Aspects, like many things in our world, have several quality levels. The lowest is Broken, then Weak, Normal, Potent, and Greater Aspects. Depending on how much work I have to put in to get the items in question, I may ask for more and higher tier Aspects of Violence.”
“So, what? That makes you a Demonic gumshoe?” McKenna said, jumping into the conversation. She walked up next to Colin and spoke to Asfried directly. “You’ll charge more for a task depending on how long or hard it was for you to accomplish.”
Nodding, Asfried said, “Yes, that is correct. But this whole arrangement hinges on whether or not you can deliver the payment at all. Do you know how to create an Aspect? Never mind; I can assume you do not know how; if you did not know what an Aspect was, you would not know how to create one. I will send you a primer on the subject, free of charge.” He produced a small book inside the tattered robe and dropped it.
“There are a few methods of creating Aspects, such as Rituals or Alchemy, but I listed all the ways in that book and have them detailed for any skill level. Please look and prepare some when I next call upon you. Will there be anything else, DevilWalker?” the Demon inquired.
There were, and Colin considered asking the Demon for help on several of his other tasks. Like his Quest for Hel, how to free a Monstrous snake, wolf, and horse. Then there was everything with Limbo, maybe they knew something, or there was something Asfried could find. And there was his new Chimerology Skill and the Miniaturize Ritual that Baal recommended; he needed to know more, and there was so much to do.
But one thing at a time, he would if he had the time to search and do the work. But he would have to make the time. Until then…
“For now, no,” Colin told him.
“Then our business is concluded. Now onto a more personal matter; where is Larrimortias Lagrelle,” he asked suddenly. “Your contracted Familiar is an old friend, and I haven’t spoken to him since my wedding, where he blew up the Father of the Bride.”
For his part, Colin was surprised when Larry did not respond, but he did get a sense that Larry wanted to retort. But he would not rat out Larry to this thing; he did not want to see him, and Colin would not push it. Instead of answering, the Antagonist glared at Asfried.
“Okay, I see. I will have to do this the other way. I can offer you one quick favor if you can get him to come to talk to me for a moment. At least long enough that I can say my piece,” Asfried said, bowing his head a little.
This was tempting, but still, he was sure what the best choice was here. But he was sure Larry would like to know why this thing wanted to see him, So Colin decided to probe the Demon for information. “Why would you want to see him if he did that at your wedding? I would try to kill him if he ruined my wedding.”
The answer took a moment, and it was an expectant one as well. The Demon reached underneath his hood and pulled off some bandages around his face. He now bore his jaw and teeth to Colin, specifically in a manic grin with mismatched teeth that belonged to no one beast. “My Mate is the one who wishes to see him dead, not me. And why wouldn’t I want to see him again? Larrimortias was a brother to me before I chose the Marching Horde, and he chose the HellRime Knights. So to see the Knights training flee in the face of unadulterated rage, it was glorious.”
A forked tongue escaped his lips, and blood caused by his sharp teeth wetted his lips. He let out a satisfied breath at the memory that he seemed to be reliving. “He critically wounded a Lord of the Inferno and forced a response from the Steward. It is the kind of power I want to fight alongside as a Demon of Wrath and Gluttony. I want to wreak havoc upon the realm with him at my side, So-” Asfried said, reapplying the cloth covering his face and ensuring it was on correctly before continuing. “Would you order Larrimortias LaGrelle to speak to me so that we may reignite our old friendship?”
Colin considered that favor appealing, likely saving him time and effort. He gave it an honest thought, then dismissed it, shaking his head. “No, we are done here. Contact me again when you have the books,” he told the Demon, cutting off the mana and watching as he faded away. “I will talk to him; if he wishes to speak to you, he will when you’ve done the job.”
Asfried laughed as his image dissolved, and the circle’s red light faded. Its image turned to look right at Larry; it spoke a single phrase as even its voice faded away, “I see you, Larrimortias.” And then it was gone; the only evidence of the Demon’s appearance was the faded remnants of the circle and the book that Asfried had dropped.
McKenna walked over, picked up the book, and started looking through the pages as she walked it to Colin. She nodded before closing it and handing it over, “It does look like what he said means to create those Aspects of Violence… things,” McKenna gestured, waving her hands vaguely.
First, he appraised it.
A Journeyman’s Guide to Creating Aspects. Item weight: 318 Grams. Durability: 30/30. Item Quality: 7. Item Type: Magical Crafting.
A guidebook written by many different craftsmen from across the Planes to educate those of middling skill on the creation of Aspects. This Book is not a complete volume on the many paths of the subject, and it does not contain the most efficient methods in known creation. Those techniques and procedures can be intricate, difficult, and dangerous. All the methods listed here can be done at skill levels as low as ten in any of the listed skills.
This book details the methods for creating Aspects using the following skills: Rituals, Alchemy, Enchanting, Resonance, Cultivation, Aetheric Botany, and Astrological Manifestation.
It also creates methods describing how to generate specific Aspects using Sacrifices, Curses and manifesting them as Loot Drops.
Colin took a few moments to look through the book, skimming the procedures and only focusing on the big picture. “Well, this is interesting,” Colin spoke out loud. “The only thing this seems to leave out is what Aspects can be used for outside of our deal with Asfried.” He snarled in frustration. He then turned to his Demon and asked, “Larry, do you know anything about this?”
Larry stood from his seat, took a deep breath, and smiled his usual cocky grin. “No Idea, Master. I know they can be used for stuff; I have no idea what.” The Demon shrugged, went to the circle’s remains, and began kicking some of the ground, breaking the circle further.
“Well, it lists alchemy, so I’ll have to ask Nox later when he is not talking to Hel,” Colin told himself. He then slipped the book into his dimensional bag and smiled. “Ready for the next round?”
“Why aren’t you adding that book to your Library?” Rielle asked, gesturing to the bag strapped to his belt where he had placed the book.
Nodding, Colin explained, “I got that from a demon; no offense to Larry here, but I have no idea what he could have done to the thing. So, until I talk to Nox, it’s for the best that I don’t add it to my Mindscape.”
Rielle nodded, and Milma looked confused, “what Mindscape?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Colin lied and changed the subject. “So, ready?”
“For what?” Milma asked curiously. “These monsters aren’t anything super dangerous.”
Colin smiled and withdrew a trio of vials containing a sludgy brown liquid. “Courtesy of my favorite Goblin of all time. Supposedly, Ogres love the smell of this stuff so much that if there are any within a few miles, they will smell it and run themselves to death to get at it. Seriously, This stuff is literally called Ogre Lure.”
“Wait, so you are going to bring us some Ogres? Why?” Milma asked. “Your wife is not at a high enough level to handle one properly, and your teammate is not much better. You, Me, and your Demon could be fine, in theory, but everyone else could-”
McKenna walked up to Colin and smiled as she took one of the vials from him and threw it against a distant wall. “Oops, my bad,” she said with a false apology.
Sighing, Colin put the other two in his bag before McKenna grabbed another, “you said she couldn’t handle one; now she wants to prove you wrong. Didn’t you think she’d do this? You did travel with her to BrairThorn, right?”
A bestial roar echoed through the tunnels; it was loud and angry and definitely came from multiple throats.
“You know,” he told Milma and McKenna directly. “I was going to suggest that we prepare a little first. Maybe lay an ambush, a few traps; I know how to create a ritual that should temporarily trap a few. But thanks for skipping ahead a few steps,” Colin reprimanded but was smiling all the same. “But McKenna?”
“Yeah?” she asked, looking a little sheepish.
“I missed you,” he told her, smiling fondly.
“Awww,” Milma squealed. “That’s adorable, and now we are going to die if there are more than four.”
Several footsteps could be heard getting louder and echoing through the tunnels. The creature’s weight made the sound loud, and their grunts and growls made their coming presence more intense.
With one deafening scream, Rielle finched down, holding her bow defensively.
Colin looked back at her and said, “No, we aren’t going to die. Right, Rielle?” When she looked at him, he continued, “This cannot be any worse than ALAN, right?”
He could almost see the memory flash behind her eyes and the gears turn in her brain. She quickly shook her head in the negative and readied herself, “No way,” she answered, determination in her gaze and stance.
“Good,” Colin said, drawing his Ravenous Mythic Xiphos and the Lesser Infernal Edge. “Larry, you work with Rielle. Like before, you die before she does,” Colin ordered.
“Gotcha, Master!” Larry said with enthusiasm. “And… thank you for Asfried.”
Nodding, Colin wasn’t a hundred percent prepared for the seven creatures that barreled into their tunnel.
They were three and a half meters tall, had pale slate skin, and had angry expressions not helped by their only other shared feature. They all looked like they could have been molded from the stone walls around them by student craftsmen to be ugly, and each exceeded those expectations. Each seemed remarkably similar, except the men wore loincloths, and the women also wore breastbands. And lastly, each ran at Colin’s Party carrying improvised weapons, from roots fashioned into clubs to iron poles from a random Goblin ruin.
If ugly could be weaponized, Colin was sure these things would have done it with their glares. Upon seeing Colin and the Party, they changed their advance from a run to a charge, weapons raised and swinging.
Colin took on two of the Ogres, one swinging a piece of heavy rebar and the other a piece of heavy stone. He ran towards them and started buffing himself. Kinetic Vigor increased his physical attributes, his Inspire Mental Spell refined his movements, and then he applied his Aligned Strike Skill to both swords.
A slight vibrating field manifested near Colin’s skin, and his weapons glowed an evil-looking scarlet. His Lesser Infernal Edge, in particular, had a more dramatic change; it’s normally dull-looking solid-light-based edge became more distinctly sharp. He raised the Ravenous Mythic Ziphos and blocked an attack from the rebar. It was a heavy hit, but he turned with the attack to lessen the blow. Then, Colin sheared through the old metal bar with the Aligned Strike strengthened Infernal Edge. The Ogre lost his balance, and Colin used his Fire Magic Subskill, Ignition, to light its loincloth on fire.
While that one tried to put itself out, Colin swung with his still powered-up Ziphos at his other opponent. He did not need to worry about taking a hit as it swung its heavy rock; the Ogre was slow, and just by stepping between its legs while he struck, the blow missed him entirely. The stone instead slammed into the ground behind him.
His Aligned Strike was a powerful skill before, allowing him to deal extra damage based on the Skills level and Colin’s own alignment rating. And after Torturing AidenBrand, ALAN’s maker, before killing him, his Evil 1 rating increased to Evil 2. While not a dramatic power-up, it was still enough to make the skill more potent, his attack cleaving almost entirely through the Ogre’s knee.
It fell to the floor, and Colin quickly climbed up the Ogre’s body, scaling it instantly. Then, upon standing on its shoulders, he reversed his grip, used Aligned Strike on both weapons again, and brought both swords down at the base of the Ogre’s skull. Colin was surprised at how easily the thing’s neck was severed, and the head plopped to the floor.
The other died just as quickly, the Antagonist dismembering an arm that tried to grab him before throwing his Lesser Infernal Edge at its shin. It fell to the floor, its chin slamming hard into the ground, stunned. Then it only took a set of stabs to the face to kill the second.
Milma had decided to slay three of the Ogres, showing off her speed and dexterity. Two were already on the floor, dead and oozing pale yellow blood, while she sliced up the third.
While Colin had tasked Larry with helping Rielle, she did not need it. Her entire body was engulfed with orange flames edged with red-black embers, a bright rosy light collecting around her sword’s edge. Colin recognized the effect of her Spirits Plea Skill and her Rose Astral Spirit; he just watched as she used one skill to replicate what took Colin several. She stabbed the Ogre with the flaming sword, spun around to open the wound, then stepped past its ridiculous excuse for a swing. Her follow-up attacks hamstrung the monster, and then she let it burn with the Green-Gold flames of the Heavenly Blight Skill.
“You go, girl!” Larry and McKenna cheered as both clapped at Rielle’s kill. Both were watching from a distance as the Death Fey killed her Ogre. Larry’s foe stood frozen in a pillar of red-tinted HellRime, bleeding wounds frozen and both eyes torn out. Likely from the HellRime molded clawed gauntlets that he was wearing.
McKenna’s, however, was a bit of a mystery. While its corpse had various injuries from large hacking cuts and twisted limbs, there was no apparent cause of death. It was very likely that she had just run its health down to zero through sheer damage, And the more he watched its body, the more he believed it. This thing wasn’t just killed; McKenna had butchered her Ogre.
Whole sections of its calves were gone, its liver and intestines were sliced away, and its ears were gone. Its nose was broken, and its back was cut open with an upwards slash, cleaving through bone and flesh. Her every attack looked like it was done with great strength and determination. If it wasn’t for the lack of other effects around the wounds, Colin would have assumed she had used her item, Void Edict.
Your Party has slain seven Deep Ogres and has gained 5164 EXP each. You now have 5,470/627,232 until level 26.
Your Short Blades Skill is now Level 16. Your damage, attack speed, and reaction time with short blades have increased by a small margin.
Your Aligned Strike Skill is now level 11. Damage per Alignment Rank has increased. Aligned Strike Damage now also deals a point of Corruption Damage per Evil Alignment Rank. Corruption Damage reduces the Maximum Health of those dealt it for twenty-four hours unless more Corruption damage is done. This resets the countdown.
Colin had to reread that new bonus to his Aligned Strike. Corruption Damage sounded dangerous and particularly useful, but this low damage amount would only be helpful in long, drawn-out fights where he could keep hitting something with Aligned Strikes. And it was not as if he could keep using those indefinitely; his Mana Pool was not infinite. It was yet another thing he would have to talk to Nox about later.
“Sweet! I leveled up!” McKenna cheered. “Level fifteen, and now I get a new Class Upgrade!”
“Oh, nice! What will you take?” Milma asked, cleaning her sword and sheathing it with a satisfying hiss and click.
“Well, let’s see,” McKenna said, reviewing her new choices. It only took her a moment before she smiled and looked at the group. “Oh, yeah, I think I will be taking this!” she announced dramatically.
But there was a definite lack of effect that made her words fall flatter than they would have if there was some kind of visual aid. She looked around at the group’s unimpressed expressions and realized they had no reason to get excited. “Aw, you are not even going to pretend to look excited?”
“Soooo, what did you get?” Colin is acting excited but doing it badly.
“I got a new Skill, Motivating Rage Level one. When I am in a Party, and I activate my Enrage Skill, my Party gets a Motivation Buff while I am raging. Granting you bonuses to your Strength and Build Attributes,” McKenna told them, smiling proudly again.
Now they all gave her what she wanted. Everyone oohed and aahed her new skill choice and happily congratulated her.
“Oh, stop it, you are embarrassing me,” McKenna grinned at the Party, who stopped immediately after. Apparently, too quickly after, she frowned and said, “Well, don’t overact on my account.”
“Alright, now that we have cleared out some Ogres and completed the quest, let’s get the evidence we need and head back; we have things to do now that we can explore the city,” Colin said, sheathing his weapons and drawing a knife. “Hopefully, skinning a piece of Ogre Clan Skin isn’t as gross as it sounds.”
Milma looked sick at the mention of the deed ahead. The Gnomish Woman got sick when Colin and Rielle started cutting.