Tess was on a rampage. It had been two weeks since the disaster at the palace, and many various monsters felt Tess’s anger at the situation. She had made such progress only by sticking to the major cities connected via teleportation, which was still risky given that they were connected to the capital. However, her quick progress made it difficult for those below Purple to track her down quickly.
“Inferno,” she said out of frustration.
The giant creature was engulfed in flames, causing it to let out roars of pain. As the flames died down, the leathery hide quickly began to heal. It was that prized hide that had Tess out here, slogging through the swamplands. The three remaining serpentine-like heads of the hydra came in from different directions as each tried to snap up Tess for the next meal. Leaping forward to dodge, her speed brought her in close and she struck at the neck, chopping one of the three heads off. A quick follow up blast of fire from a spell cauterized the stump that had already tried to regrow a new head, preventing the regrowth from completing. The now severed head flopped around for a number of seconds before finally laying still alongside the other decapitated heads.
The process repeated for the remaining two heads, until only a blindly stumbling body remained of the hydra. It was interesting how despite having no brains left to control the body it continued to move, yet Tess was too tired to give it any real thought. She finished off the suffering monster with a direct jab through the ribs, piercing the heart. She held firm through the death throes to ensure the finality of the kill, not wanting its natural regeneration to give it any further life. With a final stretch that likely would have had an accompanying roar if it had a mouth remaining to do so, the corpse fell to the ground and moved no more. Unfortunately, the final move was so sharp that the blade of Tess’s sword snapped.
“Damn it. That’s the third blade this week.”
She had gotten a number of relatively cheap equipment pieces that had bolstered her strength through her rampage, but she still did not enjoy needing to replace them every time. It was the reason for her outburst of monster slaughter. She intended to finally craft what it was that she needed. As such, after taking the hydra’s leathery hide off the corpse, as well as a handful of other profitable materials from it, she slogged her way out of the swamplands and back to the city.
The guard at the gate waved Tess through as she approached, clearly not wanting to leave the stench of the slain monster and the swamp lingering in the area any longer than necessary. Frankly, Tess agreed. While she could easily use her shower magic, there was something to be said for a proper bath. Exhausted as she was, she went to one of the many public baths in this particular city.
After stripping, Tess threw the shower magic at her gear and clothes to remove the stains and smells before entering into the bathing area. She tediously scrubbed with soap at the muck, slime, blood, and who knew what else off under the spray of hot water. The sensation of the steamy air that seeped through her nose and the hot water running over her skin was soothing, and she realized that she had not really taken any sort of bath like this since departing the Tutorial. She had mostly resorted to using her shower magic on herself due to it being quick and because she had been on the move.
Once she was clean, Tess wrapped herself in a towel as she walked to the natural pools. This particular bath allegedly drew mountain spring water from the nearby mountains, which they split into a warm pool and cold pool. As she slipped into the warm pool, she loosely pulled her hair up and tied it together. The warm water was a bit cooler than her shower had just been, which was the right combination at the moment for her. Finding a comfy spot, she allowed herself to relax and soak in the water. Her meditative atmosphere lasted only for a few minutes as a group of women joined her in the pool. Tess activated Stealth and stayed, only because she was interested to hear what the latest gossip news was among the townsfolk. They prattled about various little things before one finally said something worth hearing.
“I got a letter from Sven.”
“What did it say?”
“He said they are going to be home soon. Apparently the expedition isn’t happening anymore, so the army is coming back.”
“But what about the monsters attacking? Wasn’t the expedition going to get rid of them?”
“That's what he said when he left. But now he said that he isn’t going to be out of the army when he gets back. Something about finding a criminal.”
“A criminal? What kind?”
“He didn’t say much. Only that they were an adventurer and very dangerous.”
“I had heard there was something that happened at a party at the royal palace.”
“The palace?”
“Yeah. Someone attacked the Champion of the Goddess!”
Gasps echoed around the group as they contributed their thoughts on the matter. Tess sighed in resignation and made her way out, unwilling to listen to the disparaging remarks any further. She dressed lightly, as to blend in with the common folk as she made her way back to her temporary hideout.
The abandoned workshop was at the edge of the city slums. Whatever prominence it may have had at one point was long gone, as when she had stumbled upon it the place had been looted of everything capable of being removed by hand. After a couple days, and some visits among the less reputable elements of the city, Tess had converted the interior into a semi-functional workspace once again. She had even put up magical protections to secure this place as she worked.
Tonight, she pulled out the hydra hide and set to work tanning it for usage. The entire process moved much quicker with her magic, but the steps she remembered overhearing from her father as he had explained the process to her brothers. By tomorrow the hide would be finished and ready. She glanced at the series of tailor’s mannequins which she had set up, each with a pieces of her final gear set on for fitting and such.
Each piece she had worked on for the last two weeks was infused with, combined with, or made of rare materials that she had scavenged from high ranked monsters, like the hydra, or had bought from the black markets. That did not include the enchantments that she had also crafted specifically for the pieces that enhanced her stats, skills, or flat out gave her other abilities. Each one was now a one of a kind pieces that, should she ever lose them in some manner, would undoubtedly have gold and blood flowing to be obtained by people. The hide that she was preparing now would be the base of a cloak piece she still had yet to complete. Only one other piece she was still unsatisfied with, as she was still looking for a rare, powerful creature which had a particular material she wanted to incorporate.
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The front door creaked open slightly, which Tess heard but ignored as her warding spells had not triggered. She heard the patter of feet as they ran towards her, causing her to brace herself. The impact was light, but she pretending otherwise.
“Oof,” she said, dramatically waving her hands, “You got me!”
She glanced down with a smile at the two children who now were latched onto her legs. They were young, with the boy being five and the girl four. Far too young to be as Tess had found them here: cold, starving, and alone. Despite the danger of staying in one place right now, she risked it for them.
“Ms. Tess! What did you do today?” the girl demanded.
Tess crouched low so she could speak to the kids.
“Let's see. I had to fight a big scary monster today.”
“You do that everyday!” the girl said with a pout.
“But this monster had this many heads.”
Tess held up all of her fingers. The two kids looked at her in astonishment.
“That's cool!” said the boy.
“It's scary!” retorted the girl.
Tess gently patted her on the head.
“It was scary. But you don't have to worry about it anymore.”
The girl perked up at that.
“Now, did the two of you wash your hands?”
They looked at each other sheepishly.
“No,” they said together.
“Favi. Gwen. Go do so right now. We'll have dinner when you get back.”
The pair shouted with excitement and rushed out. Tess watched them go, thinking how they were so much like her own siblings were at that age. It did not matter the world, children needed someone to watch over them.
When they returned, the three ate a simple meal of stew and bread that Tess had whipped together. She wished they could come with her when she left here, but it just was not going to be possible. She was trying to find a suitable caretaker for that moment, but no place satisfied her criteria.
“I will come back for you, if nothing else,” she vowed as the two drifted off to sleep.
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Tess smiled in satisfaction, grabbing the quest from the job board at the guild. She slapped it down in front of one of the receptionists.
“This is a Purple quest.”
“Yeah.”
“You're a Red rank.”
Tess had re-registered under a false name.
“Yup.”
“You understand what will happen should you back out? Or what is more likely to happen?”
“I do.”
“And you're going solo.”
“Naturally. Can't get the good stuff if I don't.”
The receptionist sighed, but processed that Tess, or rather ‘Hannah,’ was taking this particular quest.
“Thanks.”
“Good luck. You'll need it.”
Tess darted out, excited that one of these creatures was finally close to the city and that a quest for its extermination came up. This was what she needed to complete her armor.
After making sure that Favi and Gwen would be safe and fed for the day, she outfitted herself in the best remaining bits of her temporary gear. This fight was going to be tough, but she needed to challenge herself. She did not want to break out the new stuff just yet.
Once outside the city, she looked towards the mountains and, with the need for a quick journey, turned into a bird. She flew high as she traveled, as she wanted to get the drop on her target if she happened to see it in flight. Unfortunately she saw no sign of the creature in the air, but the giant clearing of destruction it had left in its wake was a fine replacement. Swooping down, she perched in one of the only remaining trees in the area and stared at her prey.
A huge white scaled dragon lay under a rocky overhang in front of a cave. Its wings were tucked against its body and its head rested upon its forelimbs. The tail was wrapped around like it had curled up to sleep in this position. She could see the slightly blood-tinged teeth and claws from whatever had been unfortunate enough to be its meals.
Tess dropped down to the ground, transforming back into her normal form. The impact against the gravel and dirt was enough to wake the slumbering beast across the clearing. Its eye opened, revealing an icy blue orb that bored into her with intensity.
“Can we come to some sort of arrangement?” Tess called out, just to see.
The dragon lifted its head, turning to stare with both eyes.
“Only a fool would challenge me. And even less than that would bargain with me,” the dragon rumbled.
“What if I beat you?”
“Impossible.”
“Well, I'm here for a lot of your scales. Plus you're hurting the city. So either we make a deal, I get my scales, you get to live and leave, or we fight and I still get my side of the deal.”
The dragon inhaled, then opened its maw and belched out a torrent of icy shards that sailed across the gap at Tess. Slamming a hand to ground, she threw up a wall of magical force which deflected the shards, sending them back at the dragon. The shards pinged harmlessly off its scales. With a proper roar, the dragon charged at her, intending to overwhelm her with its size.
Tess dodged swipes from the dragon's claws and tail, ducking or leaping as appropriate. She used magical shields to deflect the icy breath it threw repeatedly at her. As she awaited for something else to happen, she grew rather bored.
Dragons were supposed to be these great beings of both strength and wisdom. Warriors and mages. Yet this creature seemed to have no magical aptitude at all. It was resistant to magic, as her spells seemed ineffective, and its breath was a magical thing, but everything else was… lacking. Even her physical efforts were not strenuous after all that she had done recently.
“Is that it?” she even said aloud.
This only angered the dragon, who continued its rampage against her. Yet as it attacked faster, to Tess it seemed to move slower.
“Hold still.”
Her favored magical chains of light sprung into existence, wrapping themselves around the dragon before tightening. The sudden helplessness brought the creature to the ground, unable to move much.
“Dragons have a lot of valuable parts, it would be a shame if I destroyed them all.”
She saw the fear in its blue eyes. For a moment, she hesitated.
“If I let you go…”
She loosened the chains around its mouth.
“I will ensure that little city of yours is destroyed.”
Tess nodded. It was clear that this dragon would never see a reasonable stance. It was worth the effort to try though.
She walked behind the head, climbing up onto its neck. She placed her blade in between several scales, then pushed. With a jerk to both sides, she waited as the dragon breathed its last.
“Thank you for your contribution. You will help me to save the world.”
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Tess returned that evening, having spent practically all day harvesting the scales and other valuable materials from the dragon. She was in a good mood, until she saw the door had been broken through.
Rushing in, she found the workshop empty of any persons. Her works-in-progress were still present, having been hidden before her departure.
“Favi? Gwen?” she called out in the hopes that they would answer.
Silence echoed through the workshop. As she scanned the room, she finally noticed the scroll on the table. She unrolled it to read what was inside.
Bring all of the goods you took from us tonight to the Blood Sucker, or we start taking the cost out of these brats.
Tess stared at the words for too long, unwilling to admit that her actions had threatened the kids despite the evidence before her. Rage began to boil over. If they wanted their product, she would give it to them.
Tess pulled a single dragon scale from her bag and began to shape it with magic. It was still highly resistant, which forced her to pour more and more mana into the process. Finally it began to flex, allowing her to manipulate it. In a flurry, she brought forth more scales and began to charge them with her mana for reshaping too. Taking the first scale, she grafted it into her unfinished armor, followed by another and another.
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The Blood Sucker was a run down tavern that likewise existed in the border between the city and the slums. Unlike the workshop, this tavern remained operational, though only as a front for the criminal underworld here. Two thugs were keeping watch when they saw her approach.
Tess stopped a distance away. She was decked out completely in her finished gearset. Dragon scale reinforced ringmail sat beneath a black robe with green accents. An oversized, floppy hat with a silver cord and feathers sat atop her head. Sturdy boots and gloves were ready for action. The hydra leather cape was completed with golden thread to create its patterns and trim. She drew a wide, yet relatively short, blade from its sheath, revealing that the blade was only on one side. The flat of the blade on both sides had intricate etchings of runic symbols and had three gemstones embedded that radiated power.
“I'm here,” she said.
Tess stepped forward, seeming to teleport to the front door of the tavern. The thugs turned their heads, only to suddenly catch up with reality as their heads separated from their necks. Tess pushed open the door.
“I said I'm here.”