At the gate, the same tiefling children who had pleaded for his help were waiting. Mirkon stood among them, his eyes wide and filled with a mix of awe and unease.
"Thanks for saving Mirkon. Here's your reward," the tiefling girl said, holding out a small pouch to Alex, her voice a mix of gratitude and reluctance.
"I don't need it," Alex replied, his tone firm but gentle as he waved off the offer. His gaze shifted to Mirkon, who seemed to shrink under the attention, flinching ever so slightly. "How are you feeling?" Alex asked, his voice softening as he tried to put the boy at ease.
"I'm good… Thanks for saving me," Mirkon muttered, his eyes downcast. There was a weight to his words, an unspoken fear that clung to his every syllable. This was why Alex kept his true strength hidden. He knew that if they saw the full extent of his power, they would either fear him or worship him as some kind of savior. He wanted neither. The last thing he desired was to be placed on a pedestal or cast into the shadows of their fear. Even now, the other children were trying to appear brave, but every now and then, their facade slipped, and they betrayed the nervous glances they exchanged.
"Take care," Alex said softly before turning to leave.
The children visibly relaxed the moment he was out of sight, their tension melting away as if a storm had passed.
"Are you really sure about what you saw? He doesn’t look that strong to me," the girl with the covered eye whispered, casting one last glance at the gate before turning her skeptical gaze on Mirkon.
"Did you see his palms? Smooth as a baby’s. No way he could kill a harpy with one punch," another boy added, doubt dripping from his words.
"I'm telling the truth!" Mirkon protested, his voice rising in frustration. But his words were met with dubious looks.
The girl with the covered eye sighed, her skepticism deepening. They hadn’t wanted to give Alex anything, planning to plead poverty if he ever asked for a reward. But after what Mirkon had told them about how Alex dealt with the harpies, an unease had settled over them. Who was this stranger, really?
...
The path beyond the gate was marked with the remnants of violence—patches of blood stained the ground, though the bodies had been cleared away. Alex turned right, his footsteps purposeful as he continued on his way. As he walked, something caught his eye—a body lying in a pool of blood. Squatting down, he saw that it was an old man, his abdomen torn open by a massive claw. The man’s face was twisted in a final, silent scream.
Without hesitation, Alex placed his hand on the corpse, his fingers curling as he began to consume the body. The rush of memories was almost overwhelming, but he sifted through them with practiced ease, gleaning the details he needed. The man, Edowin, had been a true soul of the Absolute, one of the cult's devoted followers. Like others in the cult, a strange tadpole had burrowed into his brain, binding him to the will of the Absolute. But the memories revealed something more—Edowin had been killed by an owlbear that resided in a nearby cave. Yet, the tadpole had been removed from his head before Alex arrived.
This revelation troubled Alex. The Absolute cult was more dangerous than he had anticipated. Its army was vast, numbering at least 500 goblins, not counting the beasts, drow, and ogres they commanded. The tieflings and druids in the grove were strong, but their numbers were too few. They were no match for the overwhelming force of the Absolute. The area to the east was already under the cult's control, leaving the grove residents with no escape. Clearing a path through the goblins would be a monumental task—one that only someone of Alex’s abilities could accomplish.
"Do I really want to go against an army backed by a mysterious god?" Alex asked himself, the weight of the decision pressing down on him.
But the answer came swiftly and with certainty. Yes. He knew too much about the biology of the tadpoles, the way they warped and controlled the minds of those they infected. If he didn’t act, he wouldn’t just be facing a small army. The entire continent could fall to the mind flayers’ influence. And that was a future he could not allow.
...
High above the ground, Alex soared through the sky, his wings spread wide, blending with the clouds. From below, anyone who chanced to look up would see nothing more than a distant bird. But Alex’s eyes were fixed on the village below, where a group of ogres, goblins, gnolls, worgs, and hyenas had gathered. His eyes narrowed, and with a powerful beat of his wings, he began his descent.
...
Lump, a large and brutish ogre, was lounging in the broken remains of a house, talking to his more dim-witted comrades.
"Such a delectable fresh meal, gentlemen," Lump said with a toothy grin, his eyes gleaming with savage delight.
The other two ogres grunted in agreement, their simple minds consumed by thoughts of their next feast.
"I hope we get to eat more soon. I'm still not satiated," Lump added, licking his lips in anticipation.
But just as the words left his mouth, a deafening roar filled the air, followed by a violent tremor that shook the ground beneath them.
Lump’s eyes darted around in confusion, his instincts telling him something was terribly wrong. His comrades, equally bewildered, stood up, their heavy clubs at the ready. Lump lumbered out of the broken house, his massive frame casting a long shadow over the village square. What he saw next made his blood run cold.
A crater had appeared in the middle of the square, and at its center stood a man—a man who seemed far too small to have caused such destruction. The man was holding a goblin by the neck, his grip unyielding as the goblin thrashed and stabbed at him, its dagger barely piercing the man’s skin. With a sickening crunch, the man snapped the goblin’s neck, and then, as if the horror of the moment wasn’t enough, a pair of tendrils—fleshy and grotesque—emerged from the man’s back, wrapping around the goblin’s corpse and consuming it whole.
Lump blinked, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed. Before he could react, his comrades charged at the man, their clubs raised high, intent on crushing this intruder.
But the man was faster than they could have anticipated. With a fluid, almost graceful movement, he flipped over the ogres, landing behind them with cat-like agility. His arms shifted, morphing into a pair of deadly steel claws. He swung them with precision, slicing through the ogres’ hamstrings, bringing the massive brutes to their knees. Before they could even cry out, the man’s right arm transformed into a long, gleaming blade. With one swift motion, he beheaded the kneeling ogres, their heads rolling to the ground with a dull thud.
Lump stood there, paralyzed with fear. In the span of a few heartbeats, this man—this impossible force—had killed his comrades without breaking a sweat. Lump’s mind raced, but no thoughts of escape or retaliation came to him. All he could do was stare in stunned silence as the man turned to face him, the cold, merciless eyes of a predator locking onto his own.
...
Alex couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. From the memories he'd absorbed until now, he knew that ogres were supposed to be formidable creatures—deadly, with tough hides that could withstand the fiercest of blows, even if they were a bit lacking in intelligence. But these ogres… they were no challenge at all. For a human, they might have been terrifying foes, but for him? They were nothing more than pests.
Turning around, Alex’s sharp eyes caught sight of another ogre—this one just standing there, frozen, staring at him with wide, terrified eyes. But before Alex could make a move, he heard shouts and howls coming from his right. He turned his head slightly and saw a swarm of goblins, gnolls, worgs, and hyenas charging toward him, their eyes filled with savage intent. A sudden sharp pain stung the back of his head—a goblin archer's arrow, but the force behind it was so weak it barely nicked his skin.
With a calm, almost casual motion, Alex placed his hands on the decapitated ogres at his feet. His fingers seemed to sink into the flesh as he consumed them, drawing in their biomass, their genetic material, adding it to his own. He could feel the rush of power surging through him, but it still wasn’t enough. With a powerful leap, he launched himself high into the air. As he soared, his hands morphed, growing larger and bulkier until they resembled a pair of wrecking balls.
He plummeted back down, landing with a devastating force that crushed the goblins beneath him into a bloody pulp. The impact sent a massive shockwave rippling outwards, but Alex wasn't finished. Raising his hammer-like fists high above his head, he slammed them into the ground with all his might. The earth quaked from the impact, and a heartbeat later, black spikes—sharp and deadly—erupted from the ground around him, impaling anything that had dared to approach. When the spikes receded, all that remained were bodies riddled with holes, lifeless and still.
As the battlefield fell silent, Alex shifted his hands back to their normal form and placed them on the ground. Tendrils of flesh sprouted from his arms, spreading across the ground like creeping vines, hungrily consuming the remains of his fallen enemies. The tendrils then retracted back into his body, leaving nothing but bare earth behind.
He glanced at his hand, flexing his fingers as he assessed the situation.
Even after consuming so much biomass, I’m barely half full, Alex mused. The ability he had absorbed from the intellect devourers—to compress and expand his mass—was impressive. It allowed him to change his density at will, far beyond what he could do before. He suspected that at full capacity, his strength would be nearly double what it once was. Even his dive bomb had been more powerful than he'd expected.
Lump, the last ogre, was paralyzed with terror. He had never seen anything like this… thing that stood before him. Lump knew it wasn’t human, nor was it an elf or any other race he’d encountered. The way it moved, the way it shifted and changed form, and the raw, overwhelming power it displayed—it was beyond anything Lump could comprehend. And it was clear to Lump that there was no way to defeat it.
But why wasn’t Lump running away? His feet felt like they were rooted to the spot, and his heart pounded in his chest, hammering out a rhythm of pure fear. Then, as if to answer the unspoken question, the creature shifted its arm once more, transforming it into a long, spine-like whip made of steel, with a sharp blade at its tip. As he waved his arm, the whip lashed out, impaling a goblin perched on a nearby roof. The goblin didn’t even have time to scream before the blade punched through its chest, killing it instantly. The whip retracted, pulling the goblin's corpse back to the creature, where it was swiftly consumed by those terrifying flesh tendrils.
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Now, the creature’s gaze turned back to Lump. Panic surged through Lump’s mind, and he did the only thing he could think of to save his own skin.
...
Alex paused, his gaze narrowing as he observed the strange behavior of the ogre before him.
Lump, had dropped to the ground on all fours, his face pressed into the dirt. Then, to Alex's surprise, Lump began to speak.
"O great powerful one, please spare this lowly ogre’s life. In turn, I will serve you faithfully until the end of my days," Lump pleaded, his voice trembling with fear and desperation.
Intrigued, Alex delved into the memories of the two ogres he had just consumed, searching for any useful information about Lump. The memories were simple, more animalistic than human, but one detail caught Alex's attention.
"You’re smarter than an ogre should be," Alex remarked, his interest piqued by Lump’s unexpected eloquence.
"O yes, your greatness must be intrigued by my show of higher intelligence than my kind," Lump responded quickly, sensing a sliver of hope. "And the answer is rather simple: I possess a magic item that makes me smarter than I should ever be."
Alex tilted his head slightly, considering this. "Do you have more items like the one that makes you smarter?"
"I'm afraid not, great one," Lump answered, his voice quivering.
Silence hung in the air as Alex contemplated Lump’s fate.
"So, you’re asking me to spare your life," Alex said, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the trembling ogre.
Lump could feel the ground shaking ever so slightly with each step. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst. Sweat poured down his brow, and he struggled to catch his breath.
"But you didn’t spare the lives of the people from this village," Alex continued, his voice cold and unyielding. "No matter how they pleaded, no matter if they were young or old, you still ripped them apart with a smile on your face."
"Please, great one," Lump begged, his voice breaking. "I was led astray by those fanatics. I swear I will change my ways. Just please, spare this lowly ogre’s life."
Alex considered Lump's desperate plea. A smart ogre could prove useful, especially in the defense of the grove. And if Lump turned out to be untrustworthy, Alex could easily dispose of him. Besides, Lump presented an interesting opportunity—one that Alex intended to explore further.
Alex made his decision. "Fine, but if you don’t keep your word..." Alex warned, lifting Lump by the head and staring deep into his eyes. The ogre’s thick skull felt like it was being crushed in a vice, the creature’s grip was so strong. No matter how much Lump tried to move, he was utterly powerless.
Lump gulped, nodding frantically. "Thank you, great one," he stammered as Alex released him, and he staggered back, putting as much distance between himself and Alex as possible.
"Hm, don’t make me regret it, Lump," Alex said, his voice carrying a chilling finality.
Lump froze, his breath catching in his throat. He hadn’t told this creature his name—not once. Yet somehow, Alex knew it.
Scanning the area, Alex's eyes fell on a dark gnome tied to a windmill, its blades spinning slowly. The goblins had clearly tied him up there, for their twisted amusement, watching him go around and around.
"Goblins are dumb," Alex thought, his gaze lingering on the gnome for a moment before making a decision.
"Hey! Stop the mill!" the gnome shouted, his voice hoarse and desperate.
"Lump, stay here. I’m going inside the mill to stop it," Alex ordered, not bothering to wait for a response.
Lump, too terrified to disobey, nodded and sat on a nearby rock, his mind still reeling from the encounter.
Inside what remained of the mill, Alex surveyed the scene, his eyes locking onto the mill’s main mechanism. Two levers jutted out from the contraption, and he instinctively reached for the one labeled "brake." With a firm tug, the creaking gears groaned to a halt, and the whirring of the mill ceased. The silence that followed felt almost eerie, amplified by the muffled curses coming from the gnome still tied up on the floor.
"Untie me now!" the gnome barked, writhing against his restraints, his voice tinged with a mixture of anger and desperation.
Ignoring the gnome’s outburst, Alex called out, "Lump, get me a knife!" The command was sharp, cutting through the stillness. The obedient ogre nodded, lumbering off towards a nearby house. Alex turned back to the gnome, who was glaring at him with eyes narrowed into slits.
"What are you staring at?" the gnome snapped, clearly displeased with his continued captivity.
Alex chuckled, leaning in slightly. "You know, for someone who got caught by goblins because he slipped on shit, you’re awfully feisty."
The gnome’s face flushed a lighter shade of blue, his eyes widening in shock. "What!? How did you know!?" he sputtered, the embarrassment evident in his voice.
Alex shrugged nonchalantly, turning away just as Lump came barreling back, a dagger cradled in his massive hands.
"Here, O great one," Lump said, bowing his head and offering the dagger with reverence, his palms open as if presenting a sacred relic.
Alex took the dagger with a swift motion and slashed through the ropes, setting the gnome free. The dark-skinned creature dropped to the ground, rubbing his sore wrists before dusting off his pants.
"Well? Go on, ask me for a reward," the gnome said, his tone tired as he stood up straighter.
Alex raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled. "And why would I do that?" he asked, the corners of his mouth twitching as he fought back a smirk. The centrifugal force of the mill must’ve done more than just jolt his body—it seemed to have shaken up the gnome’s wits as well.
"Isn’t that what you surface dwellers do?" the gnome retorted, sounding almost disappointed. "You help out my kind, and then you expect something in return."
Alex’s mind drifted back to the flayer he’d found nailed to a well, the memories of tieflings and dark gnomes suffering just because of their origins. "No, I don’t need any reward. But maybe you can tell me what you’re doing here."
The gnome blinked, caught off guard by Alex’s response. "Hmm, that’s unexpected. You’re not gonna come after me later for this, are you?"
Alex shook his head. "No tricks. Just tell me."
"Fine," the gnome relented, his shoulders relaxing. "I’m looking for my friend. We got separated when those goblins attacked us." He walked over to a nearby wall and disappeared into a narrow hole. His voice echoed as he called back, "They took my backpack. If you find it, it’s yours!"
"Funny little guy," Alex muttered under his breath, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Do you know where his friend might be?" Alex asked Lump, turning to the ogre.
"Uh, no. I was… preoccupied with other things," Lump admitted, shuffling awkwardly.
"And stop calling me ‘great one.’ My name’s Alex."
"Of course, great… I mean, Alex, sir," Lump stammered, clearly flustered.
Alex rolled his eyes, and walked at the back of the wind mill where a cellar door was . He made his way down into the dank space. There, among the cobwebs and dust, he found the gnome’s backpack. Inside was a strange, volatile powder, but what really caught his eye was a small chest beside it. Smashing the lock open with a satisfying crunch, Alex uncovered a pair of silvery boots, shimmering faintly as if alive with energy.
He climbed back up, clutching his prize, only to find Lump devouring a dead sheep. "Lump, come here!"
The ogre reluctantly tore himself away from his meal, shuffling over to Alex’s side.
"I found these boots," Alex said, holding them up. "They generate electricity when I move. Know anything about them?"
Lump shook his head. "No, only an artificer can truly decipher the properties of magical items."
"And I suppose there isn’t one nearby?" Alex asked, already knowing the answer.
"No, not that I know of."
"Guess I’ll have to figure it out myself," Alex said with a grin.
Slipping on the boots, he began to shuffle his feet experimentally. Each movement sent sparks flying, the intensity growing with his speed. Curious, he reached out and touched Lump. The ogre’s arm spasmed violently as electricity surged through him.
Testing the boots to their limit, Alex began to shuffle his feet faster and faster, his movements blurring with speed. The boots struggled to contain the surging electricity, crackling with energy as if they were on the verge of bursting. Lump watched with a mix of curiosity and fear, his eyes wide as he anticipated what Alex would do next.
Finally, Alex reached out and touched the remains of the sheep carcass. The moment his hand made contact, a bolt of electricity shot out, and the part of the carcass he touched was instantly charred to a crisp. The smell of burnt meat filled the air as the flesh crackled and blackened under the intense heat.
"Now that’s something," Alex said, admiring the boots with newfound appreciation.
Lump swallowed nervously, relieved to be out of the line of fire.
But Alex’s hand had paid the price, burnt from the experiment. Yet, as always, his regenerative powers kicked in, healing the burn almost instantly.
As they continued to explore the village, Alex’s senses prickled. Footsteps echoed in the distance, growing louder. He pressed himself against the remnants of a wall, focusing on the approaching minds. Another one of those intellect devourer perks—a kind of mental radar.
The voices reached his ears before the figures came into view. "What the fuck made that?" a female voice demanded, no doubt referring to the crater Alex had inadvertently created.
"It looks like something massive fell from the sky, but where’s the thing?" another voice chimed in.
Recognition sparked in Alex’s mind. It was Gale.
Cautiously, he stepped out from his hiding spot, waving a hand in greeting.
Weapons shot up in reflex, only to lower just as quickly when they saw it was him.
"You really need to stop doing that," Astarion said, clutching his chest as if his heart had nearly leapt out.
"Hey, Alex," Tav greeted, stepping forward with a warm smile. "What are you doing here?"
Alex shrugged casually. "Heard a big boom in this direction, so I came to check it out. I’ve only been here for about five minutes."
Tav nodded. "Yeah, we heard it all the way from the grove. Any idea what caused it?"
Alex feigned ignorance, shaking his head. "No clue. But whoever—or whatever—did it might be behind the disappearance of all the goblins."
Tav frowned. "That’s been bugging us too. We were ready for a fight, but… nothing."
Alex’s eyes drifted past Tav, landing on a striking figure standing behind him. A tall, muscular tiefling woman, her vermilion skin marred by scars and burns. Tattoos snaked along her left arm and down her abdomen, while small metallic-rimmed holes dotted her shoulders. A fiery glow emanated from her chest, and her entire body seemed to be wreathed in subtle flames.
Despite her formidable appearance, her face was surprisingly gentle, with a soft, almost kind expression. Her pointed ears peeked through her dark-brown hair, which was streaked with reddish accents and adorned with simple braids held in place by metal discs. Her left horn curved backward and out, while the right one was broken off, giving her a rugged, battle-hardened look. Her dark yellow eyes, with their distinctive slit pupils, seemed to glow with an inner fire, while light moles and freckles dotted her nose and upper cheeks.
Tav noticed Alex’s gaze and turned to introduce her. "This is Karlach. Karlach, meet Alex. He was with us on the ship but, by some stroke of luck, avoided getting a tadpole."
"Lucky bastard," Karlach said with a grin, extending her hand. Alex took it, only to jerk back as he felt the searing heat of her touch.
"Sorry about that," Karlach said, glancing at his hand with concern.
"Why are you so hot?" Alex asked, genuinely curious. He had seen plenty of tieflings at the grove, but none of them were literally on fire like her.
Karlach thumped her chest proudly, the sound of metal ringing out. "Infernal engine, baby," she replied with a playful wink.
Alex wanted to ask more, but Tav cut in, bringing the focus back to the matter at hand. "Now that we’re all here, what do you think we should do? We’ve got a few hours until sunset."
Alex cleared his throat, about to speak when he remembered something. "Lump, come out."
The ogre lumbered out from behind the wall, bowing slightly to the group. Weapons were immediately drawn again, the tension palpable.
"This is Lump," Alex began. "He’s a smart ogre who wants to fight against the Absolute."
Lae'zel scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Do you take us for fools? He’s an ogre. They only care about gold and meat."
Lump nodded solemnly. "It’s true, I do have a fondness for both gold and meat. But I assure you, I can prove my worth in battle."
Gale studied the ogre with a curious expression. "This one does seem… different. Most ogres can barely form a coherent sentence, and that’s being generous."
Tav remained cautious. "Let’s say we let you join us. What’s to stop you from turning on us when we’re vulnerable?"
Astarion jumped in, his voice laced with skepticism. "Wait, you’re seriously considering this? He’s an ogre! They’re not exactly known for their loyalty."
Lump raised a hand, his expression earnest. "I understand your hesitation. As a gesture of good faith, I offer you this." He pulled out a horn, intricately carved and polished. "Blow this, and I will come to your aid, no matter where you are. I will remain in this village, should you require my services."
The group exchanged glances, the decision hanging in the air. The ogre’s offer was more than unexpected—it was intriguing.