Chapter 24- Evolved

It was six in the morning when Morpheus woke up, he stared at the tent ceiling for a while, thinking about what happened yesterday. He was scared to face Tali, the young war orc was seventy levels higher than him. He would need to train his hardest to win.

He could hear Nu’s footsteps coming up to his tent.

“Chimera, eat, we train soon.” Nu said, placing something next to his tent flap.

Morpheus opened the tent, and there was a plate full of fruits and vegetables. He stuffed it all in his mouth and washed it down with water.

He put on just his trousers and boots, ready for his next training session.

Nu was standing there, emotionless as always.

“The day is young Morpheus, it will be harder from now.”

He groaned, yesterday was hard enough for him.

The two sparred with a greater intensity than the day before. The young chimera concentrated on Taste of Talaria, his other skills gradually increased.

On the third day he finally reached level ten in unarmed combat, and Morpheus could finally level up his battle axe skill. Nu was even more terrifying with a giant long sword than his fists, he chopped off Morpheus’s leg a few times when he was slowing down. He knew that Morpheus could regrow it from all his other injuries.

On the fifth day he had finally levelled Taste of Talaria and Arcane Rebirth to Level twenty. He checked all his notifications.

…

You have levelled up Pain Resistance Level (17)

You have levelled up Arcane Step Level (18)

You have levelled up Flow of the Valkyrie Level (18)

You have levelled up Full Body Combat Level (10)

You have levelled up Taste of Talaria Level (20) (Evolve Possible)

You have levelled up Arcane Hardening Level (18)

You have levelled up Battle-Axe Arts Level (18)

You have levelled up Spartans Essence Level (18)

You have levelled up Arcane Pulse Level (17)

+6 Endurance

+9 Constitution

+1 Strength

+5 Vitality

+10 Agility

Would you like to evolve Passive Skill- Taste of Talaria? Y/N

Would you like to evolve Active Skill- Arcane Restoration? Y/N

Without hesitation he clicked on Taste of Talaria to evolve.

Skill evolution in progress. Stats and achievements have been analysed.

Skill evolved to Passive and Active Skill.

Archaic Wings Passive- Permanently control the space in a 1m radius around you.

Archaic Wings Active- Grow wings of ancient archaic beasts. Mana cost decreases with level increase. Increased control of movement with level increase.

“Nu I just got wings!” Morpheus exclaimed.

“Well done, my knowledge is good.” Nu said. “Space abilities can lead to wings. Now show me.”

Morpheus willed the wings to sprout out from his back. The wings did not grow from his back, but were formed by mana.

The wings were a dark shade of grey feathers lined with pulsating red lines. The wings stretched out two metres in either direction.

“Careful chimera, they’re hard to control.”

He willed the wings to flap and his feet lifted off the ground slowly. His mana rapidly depleted, with around ten minutes of hovering all his mana was gone.

“I can really fly!” Morpheus exclaimed.

“Indeed, flying is one of the greatest skills to acquire.” Nu said.

“Don’t you have one?” Morpheus asked.

“No, but I have a faster skill.” Nu said.

The alpha war orc stretched, as if the training wasn’t even a warmup.

Nu disappeared, and a cloud of dust replaced him.

“You see, faster than your wings.” Nu said, behind Morpheus.

“Wow, there’s so many skills I don’t know about.” Morpheus said.

“Your healing skill is level twenty, evolve it.” Nu ordered.

Morpheus nodded.

Skill evolution in progress. Stats and achievements have been analysed.

Skill remained active.

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Absolute Heal - You heal with an absolute form of Arcane. Mana cost decreases with level increase. Healing increases with level of skill.

“Absolute Heal.” Morpheus said. “I thought arcane magic is the best?”

“Wrong, arcane is pure, absolute reforms it more.” Nu said.

“That’s nice to know.”

“You are ready now, training has ended. You will fight Tali two days early.” Nu said.

A shiver ran down his spine.

“Come, we will see elder.”

Nu and Morpheus got cleaned up and headed to see Ela, she was speaking to a group of women around the well who were washing clothes.

“The training has finished.” Ela said, glancing towards the two.

“Yes Ela, he will fight Tali.” Nu responded.

“Good, feast will be ready soon. You will fight now.”

“Now?” Morpheus asked.

“Yes chimera, it is only a fight. It is not a ceremony.” Nu said.

Morpheus sighed, he was expecting a bit more of an audience. He but on his new vambraces, a good time to test them out.

Ela shouted a few orders to the others and soon around fifty orcs came to watch the fight.

The fight was held in the centre of the village, a circular group has already formed around Morpheus.

The crowd parted and Tali walked into the circle and his heart began to race.

Morpheus was very intimated, Tali had curved bone blades coming out his elbows and he held two swords, which looked like short swords compared to him.

Nu walked up proudly into the centre of the circle.

“Show of strength, between Tali and Morpheus.” Nu said. “Death counts as defeat.”

‘Death!’ He thought it was only a fight.

Nu motioned for the fighters the two to come close and perform a war orc greeting. They then backed off four metres apart from each. The atmosphere was tense, tense enough you could hear a pin drop.

Morpheus tightened the grip on his axe and gritted his teeth, while Spartans Essence flared up. His heart began to beat like an engine, calming him.

“Begin!”

Tali launched forward with his swords pointed towards Morpheus, he used Arcane Step to get behind him and swung his axe, which was deflected aside by Tali’s bone blades. Grunts could be heard by the crowd.

He jumped back, Tali was fast, he couldn’t match the same speed with his axe.Morpheus would need to think of something different, or catch him off guard.

Morpheus dodged and defended, sometimes getting a small nick on Tali’s skin. Even though Tali couldn’t heal, it did not slow him in the slightest.

Deep cuts began to appear on Morpheus’s body, Absolute Heal instantly closed them faster than it had done before but it was draining his mana.

Dodging a bone blade closing in on his neck, he quickly looked to his status.

Status

Health:6300/8600

Stamina:11455/15340

Mana:1746/3530

The young chimera knew something had to change.

He dropped his axe to the side, many shocked grunts could be heard.

“C’mon!” Morpheus shouted, holding his hands in front of him.

A little smirk grew on Tali’s face, the victory bells rang in his head. He launched forward, sticking both his swords into the young chimera's stomach. Morpheus winced but wrapped his arms around Tali and pulled him in close. He repeatedly began to head butt the war orc, it clearly hurt Morpheus more but he could heal up the breaking skin.

Tali eventually looked like he was taking some damage. Morpheus pulled away, the swords coming out covered in his blood. He threw an elbow into Tali’s face, dazing him again.

The young chimera quickly dropped down and spin-kicked the war orc’s legs out beneath him, he fell with a thud dropping his swords, and his bone blades retracted.

Morpheus didn’t hesitate, he jumped on top, his knees pinning down Tali’s arms as and hammered away at his face. Left hook, right hook, elbow, head butt. Morpheus threw everything at him.

“Finish.” Nu said.

Morpheus looked at Tali’s face, he was out cold, plenty of blood covered his face. He had won.

He climbed off of Tali, but knelt down next to him to check if he was alive.

“He is alive, you have won Morpheus.” Nu’s calm voice said. “Let him heal his own wounds, it will make him stronger.”

Nu then lifted up Morpheus’s hand in the air and the crowd let off a roar. A euphoric sense of accomplishment encased him.

He looked down at Tali who was still unconscious. The young chimera felt awful, but he remembered Tali tried to kill him. ‘Karma’s a bitch’ he thought.

The young chimera plopped down on a log and lit a cigarette.

Soon the feast came and the whole village sat down to a rotating mountain lion. He saw Tali sitting across from him, his face all swollen. He let off a little internal chuckle.

Ela walked out of the main house and the chatter went to silence.

“Welcome all to the feast.” She said.

“Young Morpheus has proved himself in a show of strength against Tali.”

A round a small grunts followed.

“Nu has spoken to me, and would like Morpheus to be a part of our village.”

‘What!’ Morpheus thought, still keeping silent.

“He will move on from this village soon, but we would like to offer a place he can call home.”

"He has been marked by two gods, I believe it is what Apollo wants.”

“We will vote with a show of hands.” Ela finished.

Hands shot up, a majority in favour of him joining. Tali did not raise his hand.

“The decision has been made, any questions?”

An old orc in the back spoke up. “He is not an orc.”

“Yes that is clear, but Morpheus does not show us hostility. He accepts us as sentient and not savage because of our history.”

This time Morpheus spoke up. “I understand I am not an orc, but I respect you and the home you have given me these past days. In the future I would like to ask the King of Evos or Citite to trade with you if you’ll allow it.”

Loud grunts followed, Ela raised her hand to silence them.

“We know the people of the Independant do not take kindly to monsters, what would you have to say.”

“I will tell them you are peaceful and sentient. I will not tell them the location of the village until they’ve agreed to trade. Your protection comes first.”

The old orc and Ela both nodded and Morpheus sat down.

“So it is final.” Ela said.

Due to befriending a War Orc village you have been given Title ‘Friend of the War Orc’. +10 Charisma.

‘Not bad’ he thought.

The feast was larger than usual that night and the war orcs grew increasingly comfortable with Morpheus. He meant no harm and they only want peace.

He could see Ela walk over to him between the others.

“Thank you Ela, it is very kind of you.” Morpheus’s said.

“You have shown me and Nu your worth. We are humbled to offer you a place here.”

She carried on. “ I have been experimenting on this ancient dagger, I believe I have changed its properties.”

“How do you mean?” He asked.

“I believe I can mark you with it.” Ela said.

“But it’s only for orcs?”

“Yes it is,but it appears the grey orcs who forged this didn’t know it can be used on others. I have been experimenting on the animals of the Bording.”

“You want me to be the first human subject?” He meekly asked.

“Yes.”

“Ok, if I die please offer me to Loki.” Morpheus proposed.

She looked confused but nodded and brought out the bone dagger.

“Bite down on this. The beasts showed great pain.” Ela said, handing him a rag.

He nodded and placed it in his mouth, his teeth sank into it.

Ela placed a hand on his shoulder and cut his left arm.

Nothing happened.

“Well that was…”

The young chimera began to violently spasm, Loki’s tattoo poured out shadow magic and encased him.