Stooping low over Narek’s corpse, I placed a pair of fingers on a relatively clean section of his red-banded leather to open an inventory window. I had no intention of trying to peal the armor off his grotesque body, something which appeared would normally have been needed. Slowly, bloody strip by bloody strip. Hence, I was even more grateful the System allowed a looting mechanism. Tearing off pieces of armor from a deceased body, wasn’t something I ever wanted to experience. Loot was great and all, but going to such a degree… It felt too callous.
While I wasn’t expecting much, considering the horrendous state of the body and a significant portion of the red-leather, this was a boss after all. Regardless of Stella’s comment, I was hopeful, especially for the red leather strappings that spiraled along every inch of the Minotaur’s massive body. The damage-resistant armor had done a fantastic job keeping Narek safe from the most serious physical attacks.
His war hammer, to my disappointment, had long since vanished. While fighting against Narek, Stella had called out it was a summoned weapon and probably came from some short-lived ability the war leader had. I certainly wouldn’t have complained if it could be looted, though I had no idea if any of us could have wielded the weighty maul.
Keeping my gaze sequestered to only the lower half of the headless corpse, I willed an inventory window to appear. This close to the body, the stench was revolting, nearly overwhelming. My best guess was the boss didn't bathed a day in his life, and I had no intention of guessing how he had used a restroom in the form-fitting garb. Based on the pungent odor… No, I thought, shutting down this particular line of consideration.
My tenacity was rewarded, though not as much as I hoped. As I reviewed the item description, my eyes immediately noticed the ‘destroyed’ status under the armor’s durability.
{Choranaptyxic Leather Wrapping of Extreme Defense}. Made from the hide of a Major Choranaptyxic, the countless leather wrappings of this armor are considered by the Minotaur race to be at the zenith when it comes to physical defense. The most interesting and widely celebrated aspect of Choranaptyxic-hide, which has been retained during the crafting of this item, is that the leather will grow and shrink with the wearer to maintain maximum efficiency. Note - During the crafting process, this full-body armor has been supplemented by reinforced titanium plates to protect vital areas. Quality: Masterwork. Rarity: Epic. Type: Armor. Slot: Multiple. Durability: DESTROYED. Armor: N/A. Properties: N/A.
Notice! This is a destroyed magical item and may not be used.
Notice! This item will no longer self-repair, however it may be used as a crafting material by an appropriately skilled individual.
As I looted the armor, knowing it would instantly vanish from the body, I closed my eyes before turning around to face my patiently waiting companions waiting. While the impressive armor was no longer functional, I had hopes to one day find someone capable of turning into something equally magnificent. Considering the hundreds of long strips of leather, it could be possible two man-sized versions may one day be crafted.
“Good idea to close your eyes,” Stella said as I turned around. Almost casually, as if unconsciously, Stella’s eyes flicked down to the body. “Oh crap, I’m going to be sick…”
Rubbing her arched back, Stella’s stomach relieved itself of its contents. I did my best to ignore the nauseating gagging noises she emitted as I reassured her, “There, there. It’s alright. Just let it all out.”
I made the mistake of trying to bring some levity to the situation as I turned my gaze away from her heaving, eyeing up open plains and serene grassland surrounding us. “No one’s going to be upset at the loss of our precious barbeque dinner,” I said cheekily. “We have more than enough to let this go to waste.”
When the non-stop retching abruptly went deathly silent, I knew my fate had been sealed. Ever so cautiously, as if in slow motion to delay the inevitable as much as possible, I turned my head toward the suddenly tense ball of muscle under my hand.
I didn’t know how she did it, but I would swear on my life my friend’s irises flashed a vibrant crimson for a split second. Fierce canine eyes, brimming with the promise of pain, stared up at me. “Sorry,” I said with a rictus grin, stretching out the word.
I nearly flinched at the expected rebuke, both physical and verbal. Stella, however, knowing she couldn’t physically harm me, only glared. Finally, at long last she spoke, her words slow and deliberate. “You don’t get to comment again, ever, about how much of the luxurious barbeque sauce I eat. Never again.”
Willing to capitulate to just about anything, I enthusiastically agreed with a firm shake of my head. “Yes, yes, yes. Of course, whatever you say.”
Tallos, who had been watching our amusing interplay, came to my rescue. “Shall we get on it?” he asked.
Stella held her head high as she answered, “Yes, let’s.”
As we approached the vacated fortification, I allowed my blinking notifications to appear in front of me. Stella, for her part, didn’t turn around. Nor did she move to sit on my shoulder. She effortlessly trotted in the air, between Tallos and me, as if I no longer existed.
Experience Awarded: Vagabond Minotaurs x 25 (level 15-19) – 8,150 experience
Notice! Experience has been split among party members.
Experience Awarded: ‘Narek the Indominable’, Gestalt Legionnaire Minotaur (Level 20 - Elite Boss) – 6,000 experience
Notice! Experience has been split among party members.
Quest Update – “Vengeance of the Waylaid.”
Objective One: Locate the unknown enemy encampment, ‘Advanced Outpost, Reinforced Palisade,' COMPLETED.
Objective Two: Slay all monsters. Vagabond Minotaurs, 0 of 25 remaining. Defeat ‘Narek the Indominable’, 0 of 1 remaining. COMPLETED.
Objective Three: Locate the missing supply shipment from Raines.
Objective Four: Report back to Guard Captain, Baracus.
Rewards: Experience, a level-appropriate spell or skill, and a possible clue as to the whereabouts of Hunter Duke.
The experience gains brought me incredibly close to my next level. I was a few hundred points shy of reaching level twenty. Though, I had been hoping all of these monster kills would have pushed me over the edge. Sadly, it appeared I would need to wait until we turned in our quest back in Allerton. At my next level, I’d be able to choose my next tier three Hunter class which I was very much looking forward to.
I had to tamp down my anticipation, lest my impatience cause me to do something foolhardy. Although… Perhaps I could have us look around for a few more monsters to slay, I wondered to myself.
“I see your eyes darting around, Xaz,” Stella said beside me. She had flown over to me to rest on my shoulder as we approached the unlocked gate, apparently forgiving me for my earlier impertinence. “You have a look about you as if you want to do something reckless.”
Remaining silent, I wasn’t about to confirm her suspicion.
“I can tell from your shocked expression, that I’m on the mark,” Stella continued with a knowing look, something in my face had obviously given me away. “I know you took a peek at your experience, Mr. Hunter. Yes, you’re close to level twenty and the impressive tier three upgrade but, if you learned anything from the last battle, you need to be more considerate about your actions.”
Bunching my eyebrows, I looked at her, not quite sure where Stella was going with this. Our small party passed by the wood gates and it was almost as if we walked through an invisible threshold from lush emerald grasslands to a barren desert. Every stalk of grass had been trampled so completely, that the interior space reminded me of an outdoor horse stable. Caked mud piles, withered unfertile sludge, and russet clay topsoil gave a stark contrast to the rich savanna at our backs.
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“What are you talking about, Stell?” I asked, my eyes roaming around the confines of the stronghold. Dozens of sizable tents, each large enough to accommodate three to four men, were pressed against the interior wall. A large fire pit burned in the center of camp giving off enough firelight our party no longer needed to rely on our darkvision.
“I know I already said you could have backed off from the boss, there at the end of the fight,” Stella replied. “There were other options available to you that could have potentially ended the fight.”
I was about to ask what those options could be when Stella eyed my waist. Unsure of her meaning, I patted my hands on my sides as if looking for a lost set of keys. When I felt the unyielding handle of my flintlock pistol, I bowed my head in shame.
“Yeah, that,” Stella continued, her gaze locked on the firearm. “It would have torn a large chunk of his health there at the end. Damn, you could have used your pistol two or three times throughout the entire fight. You also forgot about your new execute skill when Narek's health redlined. Those two things would have left you in a far safer position that wouldn’t have relied on sheer dumb luck to pull out a victory.”
When she noticed my face flush, she softened her voice. “I don’t say this to make you feel bad, Xaz,” she said. “I know you understand how important it is to learn from each encounter. We learn the most from our mistakes and, while you didn’t technically fail here, you were balanced on a razor’s edge.”
“You’re right,” I replied as I clasped her shoulder. “I’ll do better, I will learn from this.” I knew her concern was rooted deeply with how scared she had been for my well-being. She was my friend, and I owed it to her to heed her words. This was not given with malice or ill intent. Stella wanted nothing but the best for me. I trusted her.
Before she could fly away at the sudden movement, I pulled her close and pressed my lips lightly against the top of her head. Her hair was silky smooth and smelled of lavender. At first, Stella didn’t know what I was doing so initially shrank away before settling. I think she appreciated the show of affection.
“Look there, to the right of the bonfire,” Tallos was pointing a hand to a high stack of crates and wooden boxes. “Is that what you’re looking for?”
Sure, enough, the firelight had partially obstructed our view what our main objective. Stacked high were dozens of supply chests and trunks of all sizes. Underneath it all appeared to be a deteriorating wagon. One of its wheels was missing so the whole cart tilted at an odd angle, spilling contents around it. As we got closer, it looked as if the Minotaurs had been slowly pulling off large pieces of lumber before tossing them into the fire. Thankfully, not many of the strewn crates were opened and, for the most part, looked largely intact.
Quest Update – “Vengeance of the Waylaid.”
Objective Three: Locate the missing supply shipment from Raines, 13 of 15.
“Looks like we need to find two more crates,” I said after reading the notification. “I’m sure they're around here somewhere.”
Our party separated as we ransacked through the many giant-sized tents ringing the camp. As we searched, I finished reviewing my last set of notifications. Next, was a list of my skill and spell increases which, as it appeared in front of me, astounded me with how many rose in levels. Over the course of the day, and several intense battles, I was pretty sure I used nearly single one.
Notice! Skill and Spell increase messages have been condensed.
Skill: [Axes] has increased to level 16. Skill: [Stealth] has increased to level 13. Skill: [Throwing] has increased to level 13. Spell: [Lesser Soul Leech] has increased to level 12. Skill: [Dual Casting] has increased to level 10. Spell: [Lesser Arrested Affliction] has increased to level 10. Spell: [Minor Flamethrower] has increased to level 9. Skill: [Tracking] has increased to level 9. Spell: [Lesser Necrotic Aura (Pet)] has increased to level 8. Spell: [Lesser Poison Breath] has increased to level 7. Spell: [Lesser Ignite Bones] has increased to level 7. Spell: [Lesser Chained Lightning] has increased to level 6. Skill: [Firearms] has increased to level 5. Spell: [Lesser Undeath] has increased to level 4.
What had me excited was my lightning spell would now fork an additional time, striking out at a fifth enemy if there was one close enough. While not a usual part of a necromancer’s skillset, it was fast becoming a favorite. The last System notification was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
Congratulations! New Skill Unlocked: Quick Cast.
You have gained the ability to quickly cast spells. Mana cost will be 200% of the usual mana cost of the spell minus 1% per every ten points of Intelligence. Cast time is decreased by 50% plus 1% for every twenty points of Intelligence. Note – Channeled spells or spells with an instant cast time, cannot benefit from quick cast.
Quick cast was a welcome addition to my collection of skills. While the increase in mana cost could be prohibitive, I typically had a surplus of mana. In situations like those faced against the Minotaur’s leader, using this new skill would allow me to layer my DOTs and spell on him that much quicker. This skill was more for situations of urgent and dire need, so I wasn’t planning on using it regularly.
Approaching a tall marble throne I found one of the last remaining supply crates. Who I assumed had been Narek, had been pounding back a dozen or so bottles of wine before shattering them against the side of his impressive seat. Several mugs of what may have contained ale was mixed in the shattered pile of glass. My question notification was updated to show only a single chest was remaining to be found.
In a cloud of darkness, Ripley reappeared a few feet from me. Since my tier two transformation, any time she was outright destroyed would cause her to be automatically resummoned after fifteen minutes. She looked no worse for wear, with her great sword and shield slung across her back, a curved blade resting comfortably at her hip.
“Good to see you, Ripley,” my hand went to my skeletal friend's shoulder. “We’re looking for the missing supplies, so if you could guard the main gate, I would appreciate it.”
Ripley acknowledged me with a nod of her head before she trotted off. Glad for her return, I met up with Stella who was flagging me down. From the look of it, she was in a tent close to twice the size of any other. It was probably Narek’s. Tallos jogged up, his quivers once more brimming with arrows.
“I found a stockpile of arrows among one of the broken crates, I don’t think the capital will mind,” he said unconcerned. I doubted anyone would care. “Other than that, I haven’t found anything worthwhile.
Nodding along, we approached Stella. “I think I found the last one, though it’s in a lockbox so I can’t be sure,” she said as we came close. She was hovering over an iron chest the size of a shoe box. It looked well made, complete with thick rivets and reinforced hinges. A marred lock hung across its front. “I think Narek was trying to pry it open but, even with his considerable strength, couldn’t get within.”
When I reached out a hand, my quest objective was completed confirming Stella’s suspicion.
Quest Update – “Vengeance of the Waylaid.”
Objective Three: Locate the missing supply shipment from Raines, 15 of 15. COMPLETED.
Objective Four: Report back to Guard Captain, Baracus.
As I knelt low to inspect the strongbox, I caught a whiff of something horrible. Not desiring to figure out what it could be, I picked up the chest and moved it atop the marble throne. Before leaving, I glazed around the inside of Narek’s tent, finding nothing but empty mugs, a few crushed kegs of what may have been mead, and a soiled bedroll. I had no intention of looting any of it.
I could not pick a lock, nor had any of us found a key to my knowledge, so I turned to Tallos who was inspecting the side of the reinforced chest. “I don’t suppose you have any skill in picking locks,” I asked my tall friend. He moved his hands gently across the metal as if looking for something noteworthy. It reminded me of trying to detect a hidden trap. I had forgotten about that possibility so pulled my hands back as if I was touching a hot stovetop.
“No,” he replied easily, no sense of urgency in his voice. He looked up and met my eyes, nodding towards my hands which had flinched back. “And, I doubt the chest is still trapped, if it ever was. You have nothing to worry about since it looks like the Minotaur chief did everything from slamming a heavy weapon against the lock to smashing it against a boulder in his attempt to open it. Any trap which might have been present would long ago have been sprung.”
Well, that explained his casual and carefree attitude. The chest indeed looked battered, though nothing indicated it would split apart any time soon. It was solidly built. Though, my eyes lingered on the padlock when an idea struck. “What if…” I mumbled. “I get some acid in there?”
My acidic bolt came to mind, though I wasn’t entirely sure I could use the spell as my mind worked the problem. When Stella and Tallos looked at me curiously, I pressed forward with my idea. Tallos had an optimistic look, while Stella looked doubtful. “Look, none of us can pick the lock, and who knows where the key is. It could be anywhere,” I said, motioning around us. “It was probably dropped and smashed into oblivion in some random pile of mud, with how torn up everything is. For all we know, we’ll never find it.”
“That doesn’t mean we need to try forcing it open,” Stella said. “We could simply return it to Baracus as our quest objective indicates. I don’t think we need to risk destroying the lock, or maybe even what’s inside.”
As my mind was working through her words, Stella continued. “It’s a well-made lockbox. My guess is the chest was probably for one of the deceased merchants. It’s probably full of gold and silver. I doubt we’d want to keep any of it, even if you managed to destroy just the lock. So, unless you want to take a hit on the quest from Baracus, I’d recommend we get ready to head back.”
“I agree with Stella,” Tallos added, mirroring Stella. “If this is part of the supplies you were tasked to return, it wouldn’t be right to take possession of resources that didn’t belong to us or weren’t rightly earned from a slain enemy.”
Nodding at their words, I didn’t immediately respond. While I would love to know what was inside, my mind was picturing grape-sized emeralds, princess-cut diamonds, and dozens of other gems matching the color of a rainbow, we wouldn’t be able to keep it. Mentally, I shook my greedy thoughts away. “You’re both right,” I finally said. “It wouldn’t feel right, and it’s not who we are.”
Sighing the rest of the feeling out of my chest, already feeling better with the decision, I looked to each of my companions. “Let’s get out of this pigsty. All ready to go?”
With no dissenting opinion among us, we collected a steadfast Ripley at the gates and left the bleak enemy encampment without a single glance back. We’d break to set our own camp, no doubt, but we all wordlessly agreed we’d feel better doing so among the lush rolling fields that stretched across the calm night’s horizon.