It was an arduous, limping journey from the forests towards the camp. The hideous flag that poked through the trees served as my North Star to guide me back. My body slowly stitched itself back together. Gaping slashes and weeping punctures slowly filled in with new flesh and scale. Bones popped back into place and torn muscles reattached to their joints to allow me to walk normally again.
As much as I would have loved to pick up Yoshitsune’s scattered corpse and limp as far away from Capitaine as possible, we had purchased [Resurrection Waystones] for safer and easier revivals. The luxury intended to keep us from returning to life lost and scattered in a hostile forest now forced me to endure the presence of others when I was in no mood to.
Everything, in my eyes, was shit. This fight was shit, the party was shit, and the demons that watched over me were shit. Each pained step reminded me, in sharp detail, everything that I endured up to this point and filled my mind with renewed dissatisfaction. There was not a single thing that I found satisfying about these results. Something needed to change.
After a few minutes, a notification appeared that would help me determine how worthwhile this entire endeavor was.
image [https://i.imgur.com/Pc1ynPu.jpeg]
Notification
Congratulations! You are the first to slay the Corpse-Watcher. The denizens of the Desolate Plains and above have been made aware of your conquests!
There are now only (4) unconquered dungeons left in the region.
Contributions are done calculating. Rewards will be distributed based on overall contribution.
Tip: Contribution is determined by multiple factors including: damage inflicted, damage absorbed, and crowd control. Party members that contributed nothing may receive a penalty instead.
Corpse-Watcher Conquest Leaderboard:
1. Capitaine
2. Yoshitsune
3. Ishmael
4. Bonnie
5. Culuur
I scowled at the results. Of course the person who did the lion’s share of the damage and gave the orders climbed the summit of the rankings. I should have been more wary of their plans to position us in ways to ensure they would reap the greatest rewards.
It only bothered me because I found them so annoying, like the skin of a corn kernel stuck in between your teeth or when someone left a terrible shit right before you got to the toilet. But, in reality, it was my own hair-melting odor that steamed out of the pot. My lack of focus allowed me to get taken advantage of in that manner. It just would have been nicer if that lesson didn’t come courtesy of the juiciest target before Level 20.
A moment later, another red message emerged in my eyes to take my attention away. Like a pensioner mindlessly pulling the lever of a slot machine, my eyes lit up with the possibility of receiving the winning message that would change my mood.
image [https://i.imgur.com/NUtdxUL.jpeg]
Notice
Survival Bonus. Congratulations! You are the sole survivor of the encounter.
For your achievement, you have been awarded a bonus reward.
image [https://i.imgur.com/RxxdInj.jpeg]
Skills
Aura of Fear. Passive:
This apex predator prowled the night both in life and in death. Any that were unfortunate enough to be on the other end of its dominating gaze understand the terror that gripped your soul when you faced it in battle. The piercing eyes of a predator can leave even the most elusive prey frozen in place.
+20 to all Stats.
Unlocks Aura of Fear: Enemies that you face will be subjected to your overwhelming presence and will be inflicted with a debuff to all abilities. (Debuff determined by the difference in total stats)
All Things Must End. Passive (Unique):
Each being that has risen to stand at the pinnacle of glorious creation have, at some point, believed that their fortress would be the one to stand indomitable and their legacies indelible marks on the tapestry of time. Yet, why do we remember so few of their names? We are not immune to the conspiring of nature and time. The townsfolk that this beast ripped apart reminded the civilized world that they were not immortal and that a single slip could leave them out in the cold.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
+50 Magic (Redistributed to other stats).
Unlocks Active Ability: The Great Decay (Disabled by a conflicting Passive Ability)
The Great Decay. Active (Unique) (Inactive):
This ability is disabled by a conflicting passive ability!
“I’m getting real fucking sick of these lockouts,” I spat.
How many more times will these doors be slammed in my face? I could not tell if this was just a run of bad luck for rewards or if this was a damning trend that would constantly keep me on the back foot.
As hard as I thought about it, I only had two options left available to me. The first was to sell any abilities that I could not use and replace them with abilities that fit what I already had. The second was to cast aside the abilities that suited my own strengths in the pursuit of unknown, potentially higher, power.
If the spells I watched the others in my group use were of any indication, the spells were stronger than tooth and claw. But, it was still no guarantee.
image [https://i.imgur.com/ABJJzTY.jpeg]
Quest!
From Under the Thumb:
Little lizard. We watch you scurry around this maze and stumble against invisible dead ends crafted by the hands of those that give you treats. Sink your teeth into the flesh of the hand that adorned your body with gold-plated iron chains.
Reward: Nothing.
I laughed at the quest’s wording and the brazen lack of reward. The fingers who drafted this message were obvious and the intention was even more so. Even if I found myself agreeing with the sentiment, I would not allow myself to be so easily taken in by them. I would have to ignore their wishes for as long as possible.
Eventually, I made my way back up the hill and into the camp. I could hear the sounds of conversation from inside the tent that made me hurry inside.
The other four members of the party sat around the table, drinking and sharing their perspectives on the fight that they failed to survive. They wore accomplished smiles on their faces and had pristine health in their bodies. It would have been impossible to know, by looking at them, that they were horrifically turned to mincemeat by the Corpse-Watcher and their own party members.
“Ah, there he is, the man of the hour,” Capitaine said with a mirthful grin towards me, making my stomach turn in disgust. “Sit, join us. We were just talking about how we finished off the Corpse-Watcher together.”
“Is that so?” I asked with a tightened jaw like I had tetanus. “And how has that story gone?”
I tried to put my soul on ice like magma into the Arctic seas. Snapping at Capitaine in their own territory and without knowing what they have gained might end in a vicious surprise. Like talking to a Great-Aunt at a holiday party, I just had to grit my teeth and nod along so I could get out of here as quickly as possible.
“Capitaine told us it was very close at the end,” Yoshitsune responded matter-of-factly. “If you had not played such a pivotal role in keeping the Corpse-Watcher away from Capitaine for as long as you did, we would all be sitting here empty-handed.”
“Yes, it was dreadfully close,” Capitaine spoke up. “After losing Bonnie, we had to get extremely aggressive to take it down before it could do the same to us. Though I may rest at the top of the leaderboard, it was unfortunate that my killing shot ended in my own death as well. And, somehow, the beast managed to break my rifle in the process. Forced me to use one of my [Repair Kits]. It must have been quite vindictive towards me over our many encounters.”
“I think that, after all you did to it, it was probably deserved,” I replied with a grin as I watched their smile fade at the mention of their damaged rifle.
“As it stands, a repair kit will only help me so much. I will need to go and have it repaired by an expert’s hand,” Capitaine replied. “Actually, everyone was mentioning that their equipment has seen better days. If you’d like, I can introduce you to a smith that I like to use. They are quite famous in the Desolate Plains.”
I blew air out of my nostrils and turned my back to the group. Any more time I had to spend with this dog and I would turn violent again.
“I appreciate the offer, but we should be leaving,” I dismissed as I began to walk towards the exit. “Let’s go, Yoshitsune.”
Even after saying that, I did not hear movement from Yoshitsune. Instead, I heard the clicking sounds of a sword being unsheathed. However, it did not possess the clean and swift sounds that it usually did. Instead, it sounded like a heap of scrap metal being pulled out of a barrel. Steel scraped against steel to make an unpleasant note to resonate in my ears.
I looked over my shoulder to see that Yoshitsune’s weapon was in a dreadful state. Several large cracks nearly shattered the weapon like a frozen lake. The sharp edge of the blade was chipped and the tip of the weapon and snapped clean off.
“Actually, Ishmael-san, I would like to meet this smith,” Yoshitsune said with a bow. “I worry that another opportunity will be difficult and I do not want to become a burden.”
My instincts and values still outright opposed continuing a journey with Capitaine. Something inside me told me that there was something hidden they were using to manipulate the situation. For the sake of Yoshitsune getting back on track, I was willing to stomach their presence for just a short while longer.
“What is the difficulty, Ishmael?” Capitaine asked as if he was goading me to tell everyone what happened at the end of the fight. “Just because you have natural weapons does not mean you should neglect the needs of your allies.”
“Fine,” I answered like I was being held at gunpoint. “We will go as far as this blacksmith. Then, we will be going our separate ways.”
“We’re going as well,” Culuur announced. “I would like to purchase some upgrades for my spear.”
“Excellent,” Capitaine clapped their hands together in joy. The tent disappeared around us and the cushions slid from under everyone’s asses to drop them with a small thud onto the grass. “We will depart at once. Do not worry, it is not an overly far walk to reach it. Besides, it allows you all to meet my newest friend.”