'Errr why does my body feel like it's burning... Oh, yea the Ice Shrieker is this what being dead is like because I quit if that's the case.' As I slowly dragged myself back to awareness, I could hear people talking.
"I told you that I'm not a healer." The voice sounded a lot like the beast kin 'what was his name again?'
"He's been out of it for a day now and you fixed me up fine." Now that sounded like Freya.
"That's because most of your injuries were skin deep and you were exhausted." It sounded like they have had this argument before as the beast kin sounded like he's said this before.
"Then let-"
"Hay Alex, he is waking up." A man I think shouted next to me as two sets of footsteps started moving to me.
Finally opening my eyes, I could see that we made it into the cave. It was bigger than I thought that it would have been. The stone had a bluish tint as well as what looked like scratch on the walks. Then came the bite of the cold. It wasn't as cold in the open but with my injury it made it that much worse like a dog biting on my rigs. As I pushed myself up with the help of who I guess was the one that noticed I was awake I got a better look at Freya. What I had to guess was Alex.
"About time you got up you lazy human" Freya says not too unkindly. "They wouldn't do anything with you out of action."
"Yes, that's because he is the only one who seems to have a plan." As Alex looks away from Freya and to me seems to be waiting for something.
'Wait he thinks I have a good plan?'
"Okay, do we know the dungeon quest?" To buy myself some time to think of a plan but the looks on the faces of the people around me made me regret asking.
"It's not good." Beast kin said as a blue screen flicked into existence.
Dungeon Scenario - Hailstone Castle
The great Hailstone Castle eternal storm has weakened. You have been given the mission to kill and claim King Halfcleever crown. Well, you are trying to kill King Halfcleever there is another trying to protect the King with only one main leave. Be warned even well the storm has stopped it will not stay like that for long.
Challenge Rating: High
Side-Quest: Have no one left on the enemy team.
Timer: 29 days, 18 hours, 11 minutes, 54 seconds
Rewards: Title: Frosthearted Warrior, 4000 XP, Ice based Item, ???? based on performance
It looked at the quest for a minute and I was lost for words. 'Did the quest just put us against each other? But this isn't the time to think about why the quest was like that and I should think on how to complete it.'
I slowly started to get out of my makeshift bed and to my feet with only a little bit of help from the person next to me. "Listen up!" I shouted over the cave that we made home as heads turned to me in the muted slices of the place. "I know how you feel, I know this looks bad, I know chances are slim. But I know that we have a chance, and that chance will allow us to claim victory!"
"Will you sit here and wait for death or will you help me claim life." I looked over the group and saw their heads rise as I spoke. "Now if you are all done moping around, I just kill a monster and I think it's time you all did!" I shouted.
"YEA!" The group shouted with hope in their voices.
"I understand what you are doing but there is a tiny problem." Alex lends to whisper.
"And what is that?"
"I'm not a healer and you and the elf nearly die."
I kept smiling but it gained a strained feel to it but luckily it did seem like anyone noticed. 'How did you heal me then?'
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Alex
'I know we need levels but we are still the weakest group sent in her and the weakest creature I see is a Frost Thumper, a damn Frost Thumper!' As I look around with my group. The group was made up of two elf's, two humans and me, a beast kin.
"Hey look over there, is that the Frost Thumper? It looks cute." One of the humans said I think they were called Jake?
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Frost Thumpers did look cute as oversize rabbit with blue furred legs and about the size of an ox. But that cute look hid the murderess creature that it was. They lived mostly by themselves but often attacked anything that wasn't a lot smaller than themselves. As we moved closer to the Frost Thumper, I gave my final warning to them.
"Alright remember that Frost Thumpers will open up with a punch and use an ice base skill, if you get hit by that you are dead." All of them noted in understanding but I still didn't believe that they were taking the creature as the threat it was.
"Alright ready... And go!" I said as we charged at it.
Now you would think that charging a large creature like this would be bad and you are right but as I and only one elf have the hunter class it really is any way to sneak up on it as well none of us have ever hunted in the snow.
As we charged at the creature it saw us coming with ease and let out a high pitched cry that hurt the ears to hear as it charged us in return. The human that had a spear and shield took the lead and as the Frost Thumper got close enough he slammed his spear into the ground and braced it. Sadly it didn’t rush headlong into the spear and with grace a creature that size shouldn’t have smashed the ground with one of its large paws and used it to pivot around the woman and slammed the other paws into her.
Even with the shock of the large creature doing something like that she was able to bring up her shield in time. As the paw made contact with the shield it sent the woman fly and left a massive amount of ice on the shield. An elf with a mace and the other human moved up holding a short-sword and his tower shield ready. The Frost Thumper leaped at the mace weirder but a blast of fire from the elven mage was able to move it of course and sent the creature into a rage.
Now that it was raging the tower shield guy rushed forward to keep its attention away from us. Well the Frost Thumper slammed it paws at the shield causing ice to spread over the shield. The mace elf and spear wielder moved to either of it and lashed out as the weapons hit the Frost Thumper it let out a loud screech with an even higher pitch than before.
As it till its head back I let loose an arrow I have been holding for this moment.
Avers Shoot (Ability): Well hunting you will get the feeling when’s the best time to strike.
As the arrow struck the Ice Thumper straight in the eye, cutting the screech short as it landed on the ground with a loud thump. My group stood there in slices for a moment before cheering. I also let out a slime before reminding them that we need to harvest the corpse before something deadlier comes. As we got to work I wondered what the other group there up to.
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Freya
As I slammed my axe into the over sized rabbit skull splitting it in two with some of the blood landing on my shoe. I had a proper look at my team as to what little use they were… ‘Okey they weren’t that unless they did tank the hits from that rabbit and I can omit that it would have hurt if they didn’t.’
“Alright, lazy asses start carving up the rabbit.” I ordered my group.
”Aren’t you going to help us?” One of the elven men asked and I thought of not answering but in the end I did reply.
“I don’t have a class that would help.”
”Yea but I don’t ever and I’m still doing it.”
‘Okey this guy is starting to piss me off.’ As I looked at him he made me think of the other human and him taking charge pissed me off more but at least he had the sense to put me in charge of a group.
”Because I’m keeping a watch to start working or I might not be keeping too close of a watch.” I stared down at the eleven man before he turned his gaze away for me. ‘Wimp.’
As they worked over the body I didn’t have much to do but as I was nearly done I saw a group of what looked like reindeer. They looked just like I remember with their sharp antlers that had ice veins running through them. The light, white and drown fury with there blue ice blue ice. But they seemed to be a bit more muscular than normal but the one in the lord's stables might have been a bit weaker than wild ones but still.
As I kept watching I was something that was definitely not meant to be in the herd. It was a Snow Hunter. It looked like the rest of the rain, but its antlers were made of some type of ice crystal and what looked like a light snow storm around its hooves. Now that’s a creature I would love to fight but I wasn’t stupid enough to fight it right now at least maybe if that human was around.
“alright we are packing up let’s go.” I said to the group.
”But there is still some left, we can't just leave it.” That same bitch elf started speaking again.
”I said leave it and in least you want to fight the herd of reindeer we are leaving now.” I even said that he was slower for him, so kind of me.
As we started moving away for the fight I looked back at the rain dear and wondered if I could get the human to help kill the Snow Hunter. Well that is a thought for later.
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Tenab
“Captain, do you think it was wise to put the final group in that scenario?” I looked to my side to see one of the new officers at my camp.
“Why do you think it was unwise?” Ask him as it was alway an interest to hear their point of view even if it would be pointless.
“We’ll captain, we are to train shock troops to send to the front lines. So putting them in a specialist scenario is not just a waste of time but also a waste of their lives.”
’Ah so he’s one of those people.’ As I gave him a proper look. He had the red brown uniform of this training camp. He was about 5’7 in height and was a half orc.
“You might see it as a waste but unlike the other training camps I want my trainees to survive when they leave. Do you know why and want to stay alive?”
“No captain.”
”Well the reason is quite simple and that's because they want to leave the army and if they want to leave they need to rise up the ranks and to do that they need to achieve great things.” Looked at him again but he still didn’t understand.
“They will work harder than almost any other person in the army if they think they have a chance at freedom. So I want them strong, skilled and capable so the army can win its battles.” But on the look of his face he didn’t believe me well he will come to understand like they all do.
’Also there was one more thing but that isn’t for him to know yet.’ As I look over at a hooded figure stand by the exercise course,
“This will be one interesting month I think.” I said under my breath and only got a side look from the officers.