Marie stepped off the wall, her boots protecting her feet from the blood-soaked ground that flowed like a river. Leroy walked with her, everyone else still lingering around the wall, nursing their injuries heal. As she made her way across the battlefield, weaving through the piles of corpses, her heart ached. Derek would need a long time to recover from the mindset shift caused by this battle, even if it was one of the best outcomes.
She reached Derek. He lay collapsed on the ground, bloody and naked. His peaceful sleep wouldn’t last much longer. She wondered what kind of mood he would wake in. Would he be calm, angry, vengeful, or would he still be lustful for battle? Only time would tell. Marie waved her hand, sending water over him, washing the blood to the ground, leaving him mostly clean.
This entire situation could have been avoided if it wasn’t for the damn Collective. How dare they send all these monsters to earth? Why would they even do that? What was there to gain? Even with all her powers, the illusive group was a black spot in her vision. Any time the Collective was involved, her visions failed.
“Did you know this was going to happen?” Leroy asked. “I get the impression that this wasn’t simply him killing monsters.”
Marie nodded. “It was one of the possible outcomes. Not one that I thought would happen. I’m not sure if he will be okay. It will take some time and he still has work to do as soon as he wakes. But say nothing to him, please. Simply provide him any support he needs.”
“Of course.” Leroy said, concerned about Derek.
“Can you carry him over there?” Marie asked, pointing to a clean area in the yard of a neighborhood house.
Wordlessly, Leroy picked him up. He carried Derek to the yard and gently laid him down. Marie pulled a sheet from her storage ring and covered him with it.
“How are you?” Marie asked, looking at Leroy.
“Man, I wish I could’ve joined the action out there!” He exclaimed, eyes wide as he looked over the battlefield, seeing it an epic game rather than a scene of carnage. “It looked like the ultimate level-up challenge! But, you know, I kinda felt something was off with him. Like, if I jumped into that game, I might’ve ended up on the wrong side of a boss battle or something.”
Leroy had wanted to join the battle, but the fear of Derek in that moment had been unsettling. Watching someone he looked up to and admired descend into ‘that’ was terrifying. During the battle, Derek’s bloodlust covered everything. Nobody was excluded from the feeling of standing before an apex predator. Derek was someone so much more powerful than himself, and when that feeling fell over him, he only wanted to run. His mind told him he was safe, but his instincts told him he was about to die.
Leroy didn’t even care about how Derek brutalized his enemies. It was like watching a dragon obliterate a horde of weak, pitiful monsters. Leroy almost felt bad for the monsters toward the end of the fight. They didn’t even have a chance. Their weapons couldn’t even break his skin, and magic was just as useful.
He glanced at Marie, seeing the concern and regret on her face, not that he really understood those emotions. It was obvious that she was hurting. Taking off his gauntlet, he reached out and held her hand. She smiled at him and the emotions on her face smoothed.
A couple of minutes later, Derek stirred. He woke and opened his eyes to see Marie hovering over him. He felt a strange sense of calm. It was the first time in a long while. The catharsis of battle had left him with a rare moment of clarity. He no longer felt the rage that had driven his rampage. Instead, he had a rare clarity. The battlefield was silent. The quiet chatter of his comrades filled the air, replacing the chaotic sounds of battle.
Marie stepped back as he sat up. He grabbed the cool sheet over him and pulled it around himself to maintain the dregs of his dignity. The air was still thick with the awful smells of the battlefield, but there was a strange tranquility in the aftermath. He blinked up at the bright, sunny sky, the light blinding for a moment before his eyes adjusted. Such a beautiful day for a grim battle.
“Please tell me that was a dream,” he said, finally looking at Marie and Leroy.
Marie’s face was etched with concern. She shook her head. “Are you okay?”
Derek considered her question for a long moment, “No, I’m very much not okay, but I’ll manage.” Derek said, scanning the battlefield, taking in the piles of corpses and the exhausted faces of his comrades. Despite the carnage, there was a sense of relief. The battle was over, and for now, they were safe. “How many dead?”
“Them or us?”
“Us.”
“I’m not sure. Get dressed and you can see the damage for yourself.”
Derek sighed and stood, feeling the remnants of the filth being washed away by Marie’s magic. As he dressed, his mind shifted to the looming concerns: the betrayal they had faced and the monstrous larder that awaited them. The betrayal gnawed at him more than the battle ever could.
Marie led them back to the convoy. Derek’s gaze swept over the scene, noting the exhaustion and the efforts of the healers. The battle had been a release, a purging of the fury that had built up. He wasn’t sure if was the tranquility of the calm or if he had been able to release all the tension that had been building since birth. Recalling the events of the battle, anger swelled within him as he thought of the traitors who had abandoned them. Even amidst the anger, there was a strange calm.
The assault team was obviously wary of Derek, but tried to hide it as they clearly gave him a wide berth as they passed. Despite the fear, they knew he had saved them. The soldiers worked together, respectfully arranged bodies in body bags and moving them to the back of a personnel carrier. Derek approached the mission commander and Sarah, who was softly crying in her husband’s embrace.
“I’m sorry,” Derek said.
“It’s part of it,” the commander replied. “We all knew that not all of us would return from this mission, but thanks to you, more survived than we expected. With all due respect, sir, you are a scary bastard. I honestly started feeling bad for the horde about halfway through your… whatever that was.”
The commander cleared his throat to gather everyone’s attention. “Alright, listen up!” he shouted. “I know we’ve all been through hell, and we’ve lost good people today. But let’s not forget the man who saved our lives and give him our utmost respect.
Amidst their wariness, the team looked at Derek with both admiration and concern. The commander continued, “Derek here, or should I say, The Ravager, might look like a monster, but let me tell you something. It’s because of him that more of us are standing here today than we ever expected. He faced down that horde alone, and he sent those man-eating monsters to hell.”
The crowd murmured in agreement and whispered to themselves. “So, let’s give a cheer for Derek!” the commander bellowed. “For The Ravager who saved our sorry asses and taught those monsters the meaning of fear!”
At first, there was hesitation. But then, the soldiers started cheering and clapping, one by one. The sound grew louder, a chorus of voices filled with gratitude and respect.
As the cheers died down, the commander approached Derek, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “We’re grateful for what you did, Derek. We wouldn’t be here without you.”
Derek nodded. The tension in the entire assault team was gone. They didn’t fear him, only his strength. Derek didn’t blame them for their feelings. He looked like a demon and his body was becoming more dragon-like as he gained strength.
“You’re a fucking monster, sir.” One soldier said, approaching and reaching his hand out for a handshake, then added. “With all due respect, of course.”
“Yeah.” Derek said with a sigh and laugh. “I got that impression, too.”
“Has anyone checked their interface?” A soldier asked, staring in disbelief at an imaginary screen only he could see.
“164 thousand experience. Holy shit.” Someone else stated.
Derek opened his interface.
Congratulations:
you have killed 1,106 goblins, 99 goblin warriors, 170 goblin shamans, 155 goblin mages, 58 goblin leaders, 241 orcs, 22 orc warriors, 54 orc shamans, 57 orc mages, 29 orc leaders, 182 hobgoblins, 21 hobgoblin warriors, 25 hobgoblin shamans, 28 hobgoblin mages, 10 hobgoblin leaders, 288 trolls, 39 troll warriors, 38 troll shamans, 37 troll mages, 25 troll leaders, 175 ogres, 26 ogre warriors, 22 ogre shamans, 27 ogre mages, 15 ogre leaders, 121 minotaur, 16 minotaur warriors, 20 minotaur shamans, 19 minotaur mages, and 1 minotaur leader and have assisted in killing 2,402 goblins, 280 goblin warriors, 140 goblin shamans, 101 goblin mages, 1,225 hobgoblins, 48 hobgoblin warriors, 24 hobgoblin shamans, 25 hobgoblin mages, 1,179 orcs, 144 orc warriors, 72 orc shamans, 73 orc mages, 924 trolls, 16 troll warriors, 8 troll shamans, 8 troll mages, 812 ogres, 24 ogre warriors, 12 ogre shamans, 13 ogre mages, 521 minotaur, 15 minotaur warriors, 4 minotaur shamans, 4 minotaur mages.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Rewards:
359,655 experience
1,049,942 credits
Derek’s eyes widened at the staggering amount of experience and credits he had earned from the battle. The numbers represented the devastation he had wrought. His eyes glanced from his interface to the corpse-ridden battlefield, then to the assault team who was tending to their wounds and carrying the dead. He felt a strange mix of exhilaration and revulsion.
Marie, who had been watching him closely, raised an eyebrow in question. “That good?”
He had to swallow the bitterness that rose in his throat. “Over 350 thousand experience. Over a million credits.”
“Wow.” Marie muttered, as she pulled up her own interface.
Derek shook his head, his voice hollow. “You could say that.”
Congratulations:
You have gained 6 levels and reached level 36.
+6 stat point
+1 milestone point
Derek frowned as he read the titles. These titles only existed to show his willingness to slaughter countless monsters to get stronger, so that he could slaughter countless more monsters. He could practically see the layers and layers of blood on his hands.
Congratulations:
You have received the title: Goblin Slayer (Rank 6), Orc Slayer (rank 5), Troll Slayer (rank 4), Hobgoblin Slayer (rank 4), Ogre Slayer (rank 4) and Minotaur Slayer (rank 3)
For killing: 5000 goblins, 2000 orcs, 1000 trolls, 1000 hobgoblins, 1000 ogres, and 500 minotaur
Goblin Slayer: You are a known enemy of goblins everywhere. Warning: Your reputation precedes you. Nearby goblins will actively seek you out for revenge.
Orc Slayer: You are a known enemy of orcs everywhere. Warning: Your reputation precedes you. Nearby orcs will actively seek you out for revenge.
Hobgoblin Slayer: You are a known enemy of hobgoblins everywhere. Warning: Your reputation precedes you. Nearby hobgoblins will actively seek you out for revenge.
Ogre Slayer: You are a known enemy of ogres everywhere. Warning: Your reputation precedes you. Nearby ogres will actively seek you out for revenge.
Minotaur Slayer: You are a known enemy of minotaur everywhere. Warning: Your reputation precedes you.
Rewards:
+67 stat point
Derek Irisson
Level:
36
Titles:
Goblin Slayer (rank 6)
Hobgoblin Slayer (rank 4)
Orc Slayer (rank 5)
Troll Slayer (rank 4)
Minotaur Slayer (rank 3)
Ogre Slayer (rank 4)
Race:
Echo of the Divine Dragons
Classes:
Elemental Berserker
Physical Ability:
87
Mental Ability:
28
Emotional Capacity:
22
Magical Capacity:
60
Elemental Awareness
Elemental Awareness
Body of the Divine Dragon
Abilities:
Ravager’s Fury
Divine Dragon’s Celestial Mantle
Draconic Reflex
Elemental Rage
Aura: Bloodlust
Elemental Infusion
Elemental Impact
Experience:
66,850 / 72,982 XP
Stat Points
73
Milestone Points
1
Active Quests
Path of Evolution (Divine Dragon)
Prodigal Child of Legend
“Good god,” Derek muttered, waving away the window for now.
He was almost sick at the amount of death he caused and the benefits he received from it. What kind of human could kill that many lives in what, an hour? But he wasn’t human anymore. He was a dragon. A monster that feeds on the lives of other. A beast that slaughters and kills for profit. His credit account was stacked full simply because he slaughtered monsters. Why because it was fun, because he got levels from it, because he was a monster?
“Your not a monster.” Marie said, gently placing her hand on his forearm.
He shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “Yeah, sure I’m not.”
Though he was emotionally disconnected from whatever happened with the horde, he still wasn’t better. He remembered the events in excruciating detail. He could still feel the rage, but it seemed that the dragon within was sated for the moment. It wasn’t like that monster on the battlefield wasn’t him. The monster was him, the monster who took joy out of the slaughter was still here. And he didn’t feel guilty about it. He understood it.
Marie knelt beside him, her eyes full of empathy. “I never wanted this for you. I thought it would help, not… this.”
Derek looked at her, his expression softening. “I don’t believe any of this is your fault. The alternative to this…” Derek waved at the battlefield. “is being dead. You shouldn’t feel guilty for guiding us in the right direction.”
Derek stood and left the conversation. Walking off, he heading to sit on someone’s porch that survived the horde. He watched the convoy prepare to depart, but he couldn’t think about anything other than the stat points.
As Derek opened his interface, he considered where to allocate his points. He needed to be stronger, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. He hoped that by increasing his mental and emotional stats, he could regain some control over his life and his identity. 28 points into physical ability, 12 into mental ability, 8 into emotional capacity, and 25 into magical capacity. Hopefully that would help his brain and emotions by spending some points to round out his mentality. Then he dropped the milestone points into physical ability and confirmed the changes.
An error occurred when he was trying to add more than 100 points to his strength. Like what happened when he ran into the evolution limit at 30 points. Leaving his remaining points in the unused pool, he accepted the changes. A wave of intense sensations washed over him. Derek slid out of the chair as his body seemed to turn to liquid. He slid out of the chair. His body shifted, muscles ripped apart and bones warped as the changes reshaped him. His body writhed on the ground as the transformation took hold. His skin rippled as his muscles twitched and contorted, growing denser and more defined with each passing second. His skin, muscles, and bones were reforged, twisted and strengthened.
Swirling magic wrapped around him like a cocoon. He could feel the magic coursing through every fiber of his being, wrapping around him like a protective shell. Each breath he took was painful as he pulled mana from the air. The magic invigorated and empowered him as it joined with his body, increasing his internal mana density. It felt like he was breathing in pure energy.
As Derek regained his senses, he couldn’t help but feel like he had shed some of his weakness. His body felt powerful, amazingly powerful. His mind felt clearer than it ever had. He could understand why he felt the way he felt and empathized with his own emotions. Magic was easy to manipulate. He could shift and move the mana within his body as if it were a finger or toe. He moved back into the chair as another notification awaited him. Even before he saw the notification, he felt the new ability. It was like another part of his lineage became available. It felt natural, like a part of his body. He could feel the dragon within, eagerly awaiting to be released from this mortal shell.
Milestone Ability
Draconic Shift:
Channeling the ancient power of your dragon lineage, you can transform parts of your physical form to adopt divine dragon attributes. This might manifest as sprouting resilient scales for defense, morphing your nails into dragon claws, or transforming your eyes into a dragon’s, granting superior night vision. Once shifted, these changes remain in effect until you consciously decide to revert them. Only one body part can be transformed at a time. The choice to shift back to your base form can be done at any time, but a cooldown of 6 hours is required before another transformation can occur.
Alert:
You have reached your maximum limit for Physical Ability.
To reach beyond your current limits, you must go through an evolution.
2nd Evolution blocked until Quest ‘Path of Evolution (Divine Dragon)’ has been completed
His second evolution was so far away. He didn’t even have a single item from the list. Yet, he was locked at his current physical strength. He could use those points in other areas, but would that really help him? What happened when he finished his evolution and was stuck.
As he made his way back to the convoy, he was acutely aware of the changes. He was no longer just Derek. He was something more, something stronger. And with this new strength, he felt ready to decimate anything that dared to stand in his way. Derek had to shake off the feeling of supreme power and took a moment to center himself. He eventually made his way back to the convoy, noting the preparations to depart. There were still dozens of people with wounds, but nothing major.
A soldier approached, a mix of awe and fear in his eyes. “Thank you, sir. You saved us.”
Derek nodded, the gratitude feeling hollow. “I did what I had to.”
The soldier nodded and moved on, leaving Derek with his thoughts. Clusters of soldiers quietly discussed their additional levels and abilities with the thrill of victory. Near them, small groups stood in somber huddles, their heads bowed, voices low, as they remembered the fallen. Sarah, tears streaming down her face, huddled with her grim-faced husband in one of the personnel carriers, her emotions soaking his shirt. Meanwhile, the military and Marie’s household handled the remaining tasks.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s roll out.” The mission commander said, eager to return home.
“I have another obligation.” Derek started. “Leave without me.”
The commander paused, looking at Derek with a mixture of concern and respect. “Are you planning to investigate the larder?”
“Among other things, yes.”
The commander glanced at Marie, their eyes meeting in silent understanding. “Will you send a report to us and burn what you find?”
“You don’t want to identify the bodies?” Derek asked.
The commander glanced at Marie for a moment, and they shared a look. “No. Whatever is down there is too traumatic for anyone to see. Burn it all.”
Marie stepped closer to Derek, her presence a comforting anchor. “Be careful,” she whispered, her eyes filled with concern.
Derek gave her a reassuring nod. “I will.”
As the convoy prepared to depart, Derek stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching them go. The vehicles rumbled to life, carrying the wounded and the weary back to safety. The soldiers gave him one last look, a mix of relief and trepidation in their eyes.