Blake left Atlas Tower and checked the notification that awaited him.
Congratulations! You’re now a Rank 3 Challenger, with all the bonuses that brings!
You now have 8 anima to use each day, not including any you choose to recover through your Monster Summoner’s Lair over and above this limit. But you can still only have 8 total anima at any given time.
Your deck can now hold a total of 9 cards in total. Ranks 2, 3, and 4 provide 2 extra cards per rank, and once you reach Rank 5, your full 15 card deck can be utilized.
You also survived a brush with the City Lord himself. You got off to a bit of a rocky start, but you came good in the end!
Blake smiled to himself. He’d done it. He’d become a Rank 3 Challenger and proven his strength to the City Lord. Now it was time to check his word orders, because there was another notification waiting for him saying that he’d been assigned a new work order. Even though he’d completed one already today, another had been added to his list. Blake was now scheduled to fight in the central dueling arena of the city at 7:00pm the next night.
Well, there was no turning back now. He had a day to strengthen his cards as much as he could after Harry passed his exam. After about a half hour or so, Blake received a message from Harry.
“I’m Rank 3 now! On my way to the City Hub! Talk soon.”
Blake headed to the City Hub and waited for Harry to arrive. Harry gave Blake a high five when he arrived, and they swapped stories about their ranking exams.
They’d both faced the same challenges, and Harry had been forced to use his Gargoyle’s Fury in the last fight too. Neither of them managed to keep their most powerful cards a secret, but they were both excited to take on their new mission.
Harry briefed Blake on the task at hand.
“Alright, Blake,” Harry began, glancing at the mission details in his interface. “We’ve got a rare monster causing havoc at one of the farms to the east. The farmers are terrified, and they don’t have anyone else strong enough to fight back against it. That’s where we come in.”
Blake’s curiosity was piqued. “What kind of monster are we dealing with?”
Harry grinned, excited about the challenge. “It’s called a Pyrestalker. It’s a massive, mountain lion-like creature with a fiery mane. It sets everything on fire, and that’s not really optimal when you’re trying to grow crops.”
“Can you share the quest with me?” Blake asked.
“It’s a work order, so I can’t unfortunately. But we’ll find another City Hub quest that will take us to the same vicinity, okay?” Harry said.
“Sounds good.”
They went to one of the quest kiosks and Harry shared all the information he had about his work order.
“Okay, we have a couple of options for you. There’s an orchard just before the Pyrestalker’s hunting grounds that needs some help with axebeaks,” said the clerk, a young man in his mid-twenties with bright blue eyes and a neatly-trimmed brown beard.
“What’s an axebeak?” Blake asked.
“It’s a type of bird empowered by an earth element effect. Their beaks are powerful and make quick work of the fruit that the people at the orchard grow. They want someone to go and wipe them out,” the clerk said.
“What else have you got?” Harry asked.
“There’s an old campground near Anthracite Ridge on the edge of a lake. The lake has been totally taken over by Rock Crabs. You can go and kill lots of them and bring what meat you can back to New Meridia. It’s worth quite a bit, but the trip will likely take overnight,” the clerk said.
Blake and Harry shared a look, then shrugged at the same time. “Camping sounds fun,” Harry said.
“I’m down for that,” Blake agreed.
They agreed to kill twenty Rock Crabs each, but this quest did not calculate its rewards based on the number of monsters killed.
The rewards were calculated based on the weight of meat they could bring back to town. They would need to find a way to bring all the meat back, but Blake already had some ideas about that.
After they accepted the quest, they headed back toward the city gates, and back out into the wilds. This time they left by the eastern gate and passed by the old construction site Blake had started working at. He recognized some familiar faces that stared at him as he walked by.
Blake thought he heard some of them saying something about him being Rank 3 in hushed whispers.
As they reached the outskirts of the city, they headed out through the gates.
Clay Atlas’s soldiers still inspected them, but something was different this time. The soldiers treated them with more respect than before.
Was that just because they’d reached Rank 3 status as well?
“I kind of like being Rank 3, I’m not going to lie,” Harry said.
“It’s better than being treated like a piece of garbage, that’s for sure.”
Blake followed Harry toward the farm that was under attack from the Pyrestalker. It was a picturesque piece of land nestled amid rolling hills.
The vast property sprawled across acres of fertile soil, with neatly tilled rows of crops stretching into the distance. A variety of produce thrived here, from golden wheat to vibrant green leafy vegetables, testifying to the farmer’s hard work and expertise, even after the whole world went to hell.
A charming, weathered farmhouse stood at the heart of the property, its once-vibrant red paint now faded from years of sun and wind exposure. Nearby, a rustic, wooden barn housed some of the farm’s livestock. The sounds of nervous cows, sheep, and chickens echoed from within.
Scattered around the farm were several smaller structures, including a toolshed, a chicken coop, and a stable for the farmer’s trusty horses. A well-trodden dirt path wound its way through the property, connecting each structure and leading to the fields.
There was an old windmill off in the distance, but it was charred black. The Pyrestalker must have attacked it at some point, because two of the windmill’s blades were gone.
Charred ground and blackened crops bore witness to the Pyrestalker’s devastating fire attacks, while splintered fences and panicked, flighty animals attested to the still present terror of its presence. The once-thriving farm had been transformed into a battle-scarred landscape, a place where fear and uncertainty reigned.
The farmer, Tom Wilkerson, was a rugged middle-aged man with a look of desperation in his eyes. With a weathered face that told the story of years of hard labor and an impressive build, Tom looked like he could stand up against any challenge.
“You two are the ones who’ve come to help?” he asked, hope flickering in his gaze.
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Blake nodded, determined. “Yes, we’re here to take care of the Pyrestalker. Where is it?”
The farmer sighed with relief, pointing toward the eastern edge of his property. “It usually shows up near the old windmill when it gets dark. Be careful, though. That thing’s more dangerous than anything I’ve ever seen.”
“How far is it from here to the camp at Anthracite Ridge?” Blake asked.
“About an hour by horseback,” Tom replied.
Blake looked to Harry. “An hour there, a few hours for killing Rock Crabs, and an hour back? We’ll get back here by nightfall, right?”
“Sounds like it,” Harry agreed.
“Do you have a cart we can borrow? New Meridia wants us to bring back a bunch of Rock Crab meat for the people of the city. I’d be happy to cut you a deal for some of it if we can use one of your carts,” Blake asked.
“That’ll be fine,” Tom said, and led Blake into the barn to get one of the carts. “You don’t have horses with you, though.”
“Don’t need them,” Blake said and played Berserker Wolf. He commanded the wolf to put its ax in the back of the cart and take up the reins. “Do we just follow that eastbound path?”
“That’s r-right,” Tom stammered, visibly terrified at the sight of Blake’s wolf.
“Don’t worry about him,” Blake reassured the farmer, trying to put him at ease. “He’ll help us take down the Pyrestalker later, won’t you?”
The Berserker Wolf emitted a low growl, its eyes locked onto Tom’s in understanding. The leather straps in its mouth seemed to not bother it.
Blake climbed into the back of the cart, taking the reins. Harry followed suit, hopping up into the cart as well.
Tom hesitated for a moment, still eyeing the Berserker Wolf warily before joining them.
“We’ll be back before the sun sets!” Blake called out, and Tom gave him a wave of acknowledgment.
Blake and Harry sat comfortably in the front of the cart, the gentle rocking motion calming their nerves as they traversed the breathtaking landscape of the Rocky Mountains.
The sun cast a warm, golden glow on the towering peaks, their jagged edges cutting through the sky like a serrated blade. Below, lush valleys and meandering rivers stretched out like a patchwork quilt of greens and blues. Blake thought he could just barely make out the wide open blue surface of their destination in the distance.
As they wound their way along the mountain path, Harry and Blake couldn’t help but marvel at the changed landscape.
Once a seemingly impenetrable fortress of stone, the mountains had been transformed by the coming of the system and the elements, now bearing the marks of destruction from the power cards which had changed everything.
The cart continued to rumble along the dirt road. The rhythmic clattering of the wheels against the uneven ground provided a constant soundtrack to their journey.
Small animals, most of which looked unaltered by the System’s power, occasionally darted across their path, skittish in the presence of humans but unafraid of the untamed wilderness that was their home.
Just under an hour passed as they reached their destination: a charming little campground nestled in a serene valley at the side of a lake, aptly named Whispering Pines.
The campground was a small oasis in the vast expanse of the wilderness, a collection of cozy wooden cabins and well-tended campsites surrounded by tall pine trees that swayed gently in the breeze. The air was filled with the scent of pine needles and the sound of a nearby babbling brook, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
Blake and Harry dismounted the cart, stretching their limbs after the long journey. Just on time, the Berserker Wolf’s timer ran out. Now that it had evolved and leveled up a few times, it could remain summoned for 50 minutes every time it was summoned.
The sun still hung in the sky, casting long shadows across the Whispering Pines campground. Blake and Harry sat around the extinguished campfire, quietly discussing their plans.
Their conversation was interrupted by a strange sound coming from the nearby lake. It was a faint clicking noise, rhythmic and repetitive, like the tapping of a hundred tiny claws against stone.
Curious, they moved closer to the water’s edge, the sunlight glinting off the surface of the lake as they strained to see the source of the sound.
At first, all they could see were the gentle ripples of the water, but as they focused, they noticed the silhouettes of an absolute buttload of Rock Crabs emerging from the depths.
The creatures varied from the size of large dogs to others almost the size of men. Their bodies encased in thick, stony shells that provided them with formidable natural armor.
They were clearly aligned to the earth element, so their shells would be hard to crack. Their beady eyes glinted in the sunlight, and powerful pincers clicked menacingly as they advanced toward the campground.
Realizing the danger, Blake and Harry sprang into action. With a flourish, Blake summoned his Stone Slasher Golem, the ground shaking as the stone creature materialized before them.
Harry activated his Gargoyle’s Fury card. In an instant, his skin hardened into a stone-like substance as he took on the form of a gargoyle. He flexed his new wings, ready to take on the Rock Crab horde.
As the Rock Crabs surged forward, the Stone Slasher Golem met them head-on, its swords swinging in a deadly dance of sharpened stone.
Crabs were sent flying, their armor no match for the incredible strength and skill of the golem. The experience racked up quickly, and soon the Stone Slasher reached Level 8.
Meanwhile, Harry took to the air, swooping down on the enemy with the agility of a seasoned predator. His stone claws tore through the crabs’ defenses, each strike precise and devastating, scattering the creatures like leaves in the wind.
Despite their ferocity, the Rock Crabs were no match for the combined might of Blake and Harry.
As the last of the crabs died, a hush fell over Whispering Pines, the only sound the whistling of the wind through the trees, and the gentle lapping of the water against the shore.
A message appeared as they fulfilled their ‘Kill 20 Rock Crabs’ quest requirement.
Warning: Anima anomaly detected in this area.
As Blake and Harry caught their breath, still basking in the afterglow of their recent victory, a deep rumble echoed across the lake. The ground beneath them trembled as the water’s surface began to churn violently, frothing and roiling as if some immense force were stirring it from below.
They watched in horror as a gargantuan Rock Crab emerged from the depths, its body dwarfing even the Stone Slasher Golem. Its massive pincers clacked together like thunder, and its beady eyes gleamed with malice as it locked onto its prey.
The System labeled it an Ultra Rock Crab, and again it was labeled as a ‘Level ??’ Boss Monster enemy.
Technically they shouldn’t have been strong enough to fight against it. They were going to try anyway.
The gargantuan crab skittered toward the Stone Slasher Golem with frightening speed. The golem met the attack head-on, its swords slashing furiously against the crab’s shell. Despite its best efforts, however, the golem’s attacks had little effect on the behemoth.
Seeing that the golem was struggling, Harry dove from the sky, his gargoyle form striking at the massive Rock Crab’s joints. Yet, even his blows barely slowed the monstrous crab down.
With a swipe of one of its pincers, the Ultra Rock Crab shattered the Stone Slasher Golem into pieces, sending shards of stone flying in all directions.
Blake’s heart sank as his trusted companion had been destroyed, but he couldn’t let the crab’s rampage continue unchecked.
Desperate and out of options, Blake knew he needed the Meteor Colossus. As he activated the card, a brilliant light filled the sky, and a massive meteor crashed down from the heavens, shattering upon impact to reveal the towering form of the Meteor Colossus.
The colossus’ molten body radiated such intense heat that it forced both Harry and the Ultra Rock Crab to take a step back. With a lazy rumble, the Meteor Colossus walked toward the crab, its flaming fists pummeling it down a barrage of blows that finally cracked the shell.
The Ultra Rock Crab, for the first time, showed signs of fear. It tried to retreat, but the Meteor Colossus was relentless.
With each earth-shattering punch, the crab’s armor cracked and splintered, until finally, the colossus delivered a crushing blow that shattered the beast’s carapace completely.
The Ultra Rock Crab collapsed, defeated and lifeless, as the Meteor Colossus stood triumphant above it. Already at Level 8, the Meteor Colossus didn’t level up immediately, but it did gain a significant amount of experience.
As the adrenaline from the battle subsided, Blake and Harry surveyed the scene before them. The remains of the Ultra Rock Crab and its smaller brethren lay scattered across the lakeside, their shattered carapaces glinting in the fading sunlight.
“We should get started on harvesting,” said Blake.
Harry’s eyes lit up. “You’re right! Let’s get to work before the sun sets completely. We don’t want to have to drive the cart back in the dark.”
The pair set to work, carving out chunks of the rock crab meat from the shattered shells. They found the task to be surprisingly challenging, as the meat was encased in a layer of tough, mineral-like material that had to be carefully chiseled away.
Despite the difficulties, they persevered, fueled by their promise to Tom and the rewards they would get when they arrived back in New Meridia.
As they worked, the sun continued its slow descent toward the horizon, casting a warm, golden light across the landscape.
By the time they had finished, Blake and Harry had managed to harvest a substantial amount of rock crab meat. They loaded their bounty onto the cart, taking care to ensure that the meat was properly secured for the journey back to the farm. Blake resummoned his wolf, who did get a little bit of experience from pulling the cart.
Blake’s muscles ached. They were both covered in dirt, sweat, and viscous crab blood.
Despite being coated in grime, Blake couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment as they guided the cart through the rapidly darkening landscape.
As they finally arrived at the farm, the last light of day fading from the sky, Tom headed out to greet them.
“Hoo boy, would you look at that!” Tom said. “Come on, Marlene! I told you they were bringing back some crab meat for dinner!”
Blake and Harry hopped down from the cart, and Blake grabbed a juicy piece of crab meat.
His Berserker Wolf licked its lips and sat for him. Blake threw the crab meat into the air, and the wolf snapped it up as it arced toward it. Blake ruffled the fur on his wolf’s neck as it munched on the treat.
“Good boy. You’ve been amazing today.”
The wolf let out a little howl in acknowledgment as Tom and his wife Marlene unloaded some of the rock crab meat for dinner.