[Exterminate: Duo Hounds]
Objective:
Eliminate 50 Duo Hounds (0/50 slain)
Rewards:
50 points
Duo Hounds? So two dogs? Axel wondered.
Axel, too lazy to fight any more Dig Rats, became like electricity, opting for the path of least resistance. He bolted towards the portal, ducking, dodging, darting, diving, past any attacks. The Dig Rats were persistent, Axel had to at least admit that. They chased after him, tunneling underground, erupting above ground only to miss yet another swipe at Axel, and the tunneling began again. They were like the dolphins Axel always heard stories about, but instead of leaping above water for air, they leaped above ground for a chance at his life. Dodging a final, desperate swipe from the rats, he leaped into the portal, emerging on the other side in a tumble, panting.
Surrounded by swirling blue portals and a few curious onlookers, he remained sprawled on the floor, still struggling to catch his breath. Axel stared up into the sky, mind stuck above clouds that floated by.
Here he was, finally inside the barrier, and life inside here was not quite what he expected. Axel doubted that anyone could have expected this. Sure, he had heard the rumors surrounding Pavhorn, but had casted it away as mere hogwash, rumors that had mutated as it traveled down the grapevine. Still, he had his goal, and even if he wanted to turn back it was too late now, like his big sis he was imprisoned in this death trap.
Taking a deep breath, Axel released all his worries into the air. He stood back up on his feet and found the portal for his next target: Duo Hound.
The surroundings mirrored the first zone, towering trees, a soft breeze that carried a hint of ferocity in it, and a small clearing in front of the portal that housed a wooden platform. On it sat another knight, equipped with the same armor which exposed his head for all to see. He was cross-legged with his back facing the portal
A sign was plastered right behind him saying, "Do Not Disturb. If you are on your first quest, head next door for a proper introduction, If you are on your second quest head to the crystal and don't disturb me. If you are on your third quest, head to the crystal and remember to gather at the 'Exit Hall' when you're done."
The knight let loose a few arrows from his bow, before finally letting out a heavy sigh. What the knight was shooting at was a mystery. The arrows flew deep into the forest, beyond his sight. Whether the shots hit their target was another question that was raised in his mind. There wasn't anyone around other than the two of them. Axel scratched his head, bewildered at the sight before ultimately making his way to the crystal.
Like the previous interaction, a pop-up appeared after he made contact with the crystal.
[World Browser]
Current World:
Main World (Sparse)
Filtering by user's default selection (Least crowded)
World Options:
Sub-World 02 (Sparse)
Sub-World 19 (Sparse)
Sub-World 03 (Lightly Crowded)
Sub-World 13 (Lightly Crowded)
Sub-World 08 (Lightly Crowded)
Once again, Axel's surroundings shifted as he found himself standing in a different spot, but still within the vicinity of the crystal.
Axel opened his [Inventory] repeating the phrase he had been taught and pulled out the [Wooden Training Sword]. The [Trusty Iron Sword] remained snug in his scabbard, hanging at his waist.
Axel proceeded towards the edge of the forest, pondering what sort of monster was a Duo Hound. It was probably some kind of dog, but what did the duo have to do with a dog? Maybe the duo was just the name of the dog? The weirdness of the barrier knew no bounds as far as he could tell.
Soon enough, Axel's questions were answered by the familiar snarl of a dog. Or perhaps snarls would be more accurate. Emerging from a shrub opposite him was indeed a dog. Black fur with brown splotches around its four legs, four-pointed ears, and four sets of beady eyes glaring at him. The two mouths of the dog revealed two sets of gleaming sharp canines in a menacing snarl, saliva dripped onto the ground as it inched forward ever so slowly. Deep, gut-wrenching growls accompanied the saliva escaping its mouth.
First a giant frozen snake, then a huge tunnel rat, and now a dog with two heads? Something tells me these aren't gonna be cuddly puppies.
The monster didn't give him much time to think, the two-headed dog lunged at him, brandishing the daggers in its mouth. Axel barely had enough time to shield his face from the impending doom. One sword for each of the mouths threatening to give him the world’s worst love bite. Both heads snapped away, ever insistent on giving him his first and last kiss.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
The Duo Hound’s strength was overwhelming, its menacing jaws looming ever so closer as Axel struggled to push back. Saliva coated his swords, and tiny droplets marked his hands. The last barrier that marked the point between life and death was going to be breached whether he liked it or not. Thoughts raced through his mind, running laps around his brain. Axel’s arms were already beginning to show signs of fatigue, exhaustion creeping into his limbs, as they trembled like stalks in the wind. His body was slowly moving downwards until he was forced onto one knee. This relationship was going too fast for Axel’s standards, and marriage was definitely the last thing that penetrated his mind.
Fighting off wolves was easier than this.
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In a final, desperate act, Axel made a decision he had sworn never to resort to—a forbidden move, one that went against his principles as a man of honor. This was his only option, his last resort, his only hope. He found himself pleading for forgiveness from whatever deity that might hear his pleas.
A sudden kick aimed upwards was all it took, connecting squarely with the Duo Hound's sensitive nethers. The beast recoiled in agony, its howls echoed through the air, providing Axel a much-needed opportunity to regain his footing. Axel let out a mighty battle cry, he charged forward, and let out a multitude of slashes against the beast. Rendered stunned from the pain, the monster took Axel’s tough love with an open embrace, until its limit was reached. The Duo Hound collapsed, finally slain.
[Duo Hound was slain. Gained 5 points]
A gold coin and a lone canine remained in its place, which Axel begrudgingly added to his [Inventory].
"5 points? You're telling me that this dog was worth as many points as a rat. That is so not true." Axel ranted, his breath still coming in ragged gasps, his heart beating as fast as his beatings on the beast.
Every inch of Axel's body throbbed with exhaustion, and while there weren't any visible injuries on his body, the fight left him drained.
He had to find a better way to deal with the Duo Hound rather than dancing toe-to-toe with it. Praying they weren't adept climbers, he sought refuge in the trees. He climbed up the closest tree, and perched himself on a sturdy branch, his back leaning against the trunk. It was comfortable and quiet, miles better than the chaos down below. Still, he could not rest easy, the worry about creating a suitable plan plagued his thoughts.
Axel panicked when a Duo Hound spotted him, scrambling to pull out his weapons, but a wave of relief washed over him as all it did was bark at him from below. Eventually, it lost interest in Axel and wandered off elsewhere, presumably to find easier prey. He resumed his temporary reprieve from battle, this time more assured about the safety the mighty creation of nature provided, ruminating about the best course of action to fight off the Duo Hound.
An idea had sprouted in his mind, but it was possibly the dumbest idea he had come up with in his 18 years of existence. With nothing more but a little prayer, he snapped a small branch from the tree and cautiously descended to the ground
It didn't take long to find a lone Duo Hound, he was thankful they didn't hunt in packs. They had spotted each other at the same time. He whispered another prayer and hoped his plan worked. Axel was prepared, anticipating the monster's ravenous charge. The beast let out a howl, before racing at him, clearly hungry for his flesh.
Axel stood his ground and hurled the branch with all his might. The projectile whizzed through the air missing the Duo Hound and sailed right above it. Both swords in hand, confident that his idea was a bust, he was prepared for the inevitable tussle that approached.
One of the heads, to his surprise, tracked the flying stick, its jaw open and ready to claim its new prize. The other head remained fixed, locked onto Axel. The moment the branch flew behind the Duo Hound, it came to a sudden stop. Both heads barked at each other, debating over which target was of greater importance. Axel just stood there dumbfounded. The plan technically worked, but he expected the Duo Hound to chase after the branch and bring it back to him, then when its guard was down he would strike without mercy.
Instead, he was met with the monster arguing with itself. His arms slumped down to his sides, watching the most bizarre scene play out before him. Every now and then, their heads would collide with each other, before their barking match resumed. It was an opportune moment to strike, with its guard lower than a Dig Rat tunneling. Deep down Axel knew that, but still, he continued to watch the spectacle unfolding before him.
It was only when the Duo Hound stopped arguing with itself, that Axel snapped back into reality, the Duo Hound resuming its pursuit. He managed to dodge out of the way at the last moment, but unlike the Dig Rat the Duo Hound was able to recover faster, wheeling around and diving straight for Axel.
It was the same scene playing out again, Axel barely holding on as the monster pressed down on his first and last line of defense, his swords. Their horrid breath made him gag, while saliva dripped down onto his very soul. With a whispered apology, Axel casted aside his honor once more, kicking the foul beast in the nethers. A pained howl echoed throughout the forest as it stumbled back in agony.
The stunned beast was rendered defenseless as a rain of blows landed on its heads, ensuring that each head had an equal opportunity to experience pain.
[Duo Hound was slain. Gained 5 points]
With the beast slain, in its wake lay a golden coin and a canine. After adding them to his [Inventory], he took to the trees for another brief break, silently cursing himself for squandering away a golden opportunity by being an imbecile.
At least the idea worked. A sheer stroke of genius or maybe pure stupidity, something his older sister would definitely tease him about. Despite his success, the concern that it was irreproducible dumb luck lingered in the recesses of his mind. He opened up his [Inventory] taking stock of what he had collected thus far—a reassuring distraction from dwelling on the uncertainty.
[Inventory]
[Gold Coins - 52x]
[Rat Fur (White) - 13x]
[Rat Fur (Brown) - 9x]
[Rat Fur (Gray) - 11x]
[Duo Hound Canine - 2x]
I have no idea what all of these are for, but I do like it when the numbers go up. Still don't get why sometimes the monsters drop things but sometimes they don't. Then again, I don't get anything that has been happening inside the barrier so far.
After a sufficient rest, Axel closed the [Inventory]. Snapping off another branch from the tree, he dropped down to the ground and began hunting for his prey. It did not take long before he found the target. A Duo Hound was caught in the act of relieving itself in front of a tree.
Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, Axel dashed up towards the monster, taking a swipe at it mid-business The startled monster couldn't defend itself, stuck in a loop of receiving an attack and then recoiling from the impact, spraying undesirable fluids everywhere. After ensuring the monster was relieved of its life, Axel begrudgingly picked up the soaked items, grateful he only needed to make the tiniest of contact before they were automatically added to his [Inventory].
The battle had gone much smoother and definitely faster than the previous. Still, that wasn't enough to alleviate his lingering worries.
Another Duo Hound crossed his path. Their eyes met, and with a mighty howl, it came barreling straight at him. Reacting quickly, Axel chucked the branch overhead while whispering another prayer.
Thankfully, one of the heads became distracted by the flying piece of wood, causing the two heads to bicker again, effectively immobilizing them. A sigh of relief escaped his lips, as his worries were dispelled.
Not wasting another chance, Axel sprinted towards them, hoping that they would remain too preoccupied to pay him any worry. Only when his [Wooden Training Sword] was mere inches away from their faces did the heads finally notice his presence, but by then, it was too late.
Multiple slashes dealing blunt force trauma rained upon both heads before they succumbed to their injuries, becoming points for Axel.
[Duo Hound was slain. Gained 5 points]
A laugh bubbled out of him, feeling awfully proud of himself. He knew that dealing with the remaining Duo Hounds was going to be a cinch. After gathering more ammunition, he set out to find more Duo Hounds.
Each encounter played out exactly the same. One of the pairs would always fixate on the branch, leading to an inevitable squabble. Axel would then take advantage of the opening and grant them peace, followed by collecting his well-deserved loot. Loot that he was thankful was clean.
[Exterminate: Duo Hounds - Completed]
[Gained 50 points]
[New Quest revealed in Quest - Starting Out]
Guess I'll check out the next quest, but maybe in a safer place. He scrambled up the nearest tree, settled down in a comfortable position, and reviewed the next quest.