It had been three years since the day his life had been irrevocably changed. Hell, it seemed almost funny that back then, his biggest concern had been figuring out which bus stop to get off at in that ridiculous city. He remembered the old days.. the buildings that reached high enough to scrape the sky. But more often than not they seemed more akin to a dream than reality. Funny how even the sharpest pictures blurred with time.
Here there were no buildings, aside from the humble abodes of the Orc folk. And as far as that was concerned only the King's 'palace' was any grander than a shopping mall by the old world standards. And for most other humanoid species like spriggins, werewolves, goblins and the like, they typically lived in whatever the planet provided such as caves in the case of the goblins or large trees for the spriggins.
There was the mountain. The expansive jungle beside it. The mostly-flat woodlands beyond the jungle, which is where most of the Orcs resided. And finally the endless sea encompassing it all. No people... Not his people anyway. He was the only human in all of Garkan.
This was the world he had come to know. To Vincent, the country seemed like the type of place that used to be an island akin to Pompeii only the system had massive blown up its scale so it was larger than the average country. This random, nonsensical place had become his home.
If one were to ask whether or not the long haired man harbored any wish to return to his friends and family from the days before the system, he would merely laugh.. 'What's the point? Am I even the same person I once was?.. Would they even recognize me?'
At least here in this new world he now found himself the man had something he'd never tasted before.. true power. The system had allowed his body to become a walking catastrophe. Vincent was certain if he'd wanted to he could have crushed the old world's army's with his newfound abilities. Within the Nexus he could go almost anywhere he wanted.
Beyond that he also had a family here that depended on him. Make no mistake he loved the family he had before but without his parents and with no children of his own.. the people in his life were great to have around but that's all they were. They didn't need him. Not like his pack did.
A large, blue wolf bounded up to the man who was standing underneath a pine tree that rested upon a massive Cliffside. The picnic-like area overlooked a majestic valley teeming with life. A massive river flowed far off in the distance and the sun lit up the sky like fire. The whole thing looked like a scene from a prehistoric movie or something.
The man's arms were crossed behind his back and he seemed to be watching the sun as it slowly set. He wore black, scaly armor with red trimming and had long messy black hair down his back. His eyes were a piercing blue that seemed far too vibrant to be natural.
The man looked down at the wolf who sat on its rear and patiently awaited acknowledgement from its leader. He bent down and gently rubbed the creature's head and it lightly growled, a clear sign of affection from the beast to the man.
"What is it, my pup? Have you found him?" The Lunar wolf cocked it's head sideways for a brief second before barking in affirmative. With his enhanced perception Vincent watched the edges of the wolf's moonlight blue fur sway gently in the wind. Though it was clear this wolf still wasn't quite full grown it had matured nicely since he had rescued it a year and a half ago. The shape of the crescent moon scar was still plainly visible on its side.
The man chuckled, "Well then.. let's not keep your brothers waiting.. shall we?" He gestured forward with one arm. The two bounded off back down the hill from which the wolf came and into the rapidly darkening jungle.
In a small clearing roughly three hundred yards away, a colossus of a man was stomping his way over to a stream bisecting the area. He had multiple minor cuts and bruises on his green skin, the source of which was clearly the piles of dead birds scattered throughout the clearing.
"Fucking Hellspawn… Weak."
Bending down to drink from the small stream the behemoth paused. He looked up and slightly to his left. Peering through the darkness of the forest he sensed, more than the man saw, a pack of at least 5 wolves eyeing him. They spread out and made to cut off any sort of exit he might attempt.
He chuckled and took his sweet time drinking the savory liquid that was recognized by the system as Gaia's blood. This particular stream was only level 37 quality but it would be more than enough to do the trick. He stood and stretched groaning happily as his vital energies were restored and the various cuts and bruises on his body began to heal.
He turned and grinned, a foxy malevolent grin. His 'Bloodlust' began to fill the air. It was the legendary ability he had gotten recently for reaching level 50.
Skill: Bloodlust (Legendary) A unique skill created by the fabled Gildarts; Messiah of the promised end. Your journey, less than halfway completed, has been filled with difficulties and struggle. All odds are stacked agsinst you.. Yet you heed the call of your destiny with an unwavering determination. Though you know your path leads to a tragic end, you shall see your duties fulfilled. Due to the 'Legendary' rarity gain a massive boost in strength, agilty and defense per level when fighting more than one opponent. Your Aura doubles in density and effect. Your regenerations are tripled for the duration of the battle. All attributes grant a moderate boost to this skill (Active skill) (Consumes all mana)
The wolves which were scattered throughout the tree line of the clearing hesitated. They sensed that in this particular situation Gildarts was the predator and they were prey. But their job was not to fight him. Merely keep track of the man..
Gildarts summoned his club and shield which had apparently evolved. His club was a mixture of gold and obsidian, with red spikes protruding from the ball at the end. His shield was just as massive and heavy as ever only now it was pure purple in color and had the face of some sort of devil on it. It's eyes glowed crimson. He hoisted his club across his shoulder and chuckled, "Now which of you foolish souls wishes to be my first victim? I'll Kill you swiftly-" He asked with wicked intent.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that." A new voice cut through the air. "My family was only doing as commanded and I shall let no harm befall them while I still draw breath. Please don't take this personally.. my old friend."
As the stranger finished speaking he seemed to materialize from the shadows themselves, a grinning Vincent coming into view. His hair was wild and unkempt down his back, his blue eyes shining like stars.
Gildarts's eyes widened before schooling his features. There was silemce for several seconds and then the Orc began to chuckle which turned into a full blown laugh. "Why if it isn't the pathetic Vincent! Bahahaha. Not quite so pathetic anymore it would seem." He mused, eyeing Vincent curiously before continuing. "You lead a large Pack of strong woodland beasts and even standing before you.. I barely sense your presence. I knew your journey would be difficult but for you to have attained this much power given your.. handicaps.. you must have truly felt pain. I am sorry."
Vincent shook his head and waved the larger man's worries away. "No you're right. I was pathetic before. I'm still not quite where I want to be but.. I've had no choice but to grow strong to survive here. If I would have followed you I would never have come this far. I'll catch you up on all the details later.. but for now, know this. Our rivalry still stands. I will have the heart of the Fang." He finished, eyeing the large man with determination. As he did so he couldn't help but notice the incredibly dense flows around his green friend.
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And though he didn't voice his thoughts outloud Vincent couldn't help but muse to himself 'I say I'll win and.. I may have gotten stronger but God damn Gil.. your energy is on a whole other level now.. it seems the evolution acquired at level 50 is truly fearsome.'
Gildarts seemed to swell with glee. "How marvelous! It seems you have found your fire at last! And if such a pathetic thing as this jungle would have killed you anyways then you would never be mighty! Hahaha! I graciously accept your challenge. May the best man win."
Vincent's smile widened as it was his turn to swell with pride and excitement. He noticed the complete lack of self declared victory or overbearing insults. It seemed that Gildarts was truly beginning to take him seriously and that spoke more of his growth than any showboating of abilities ever would.
Vincent continued with an uneasy smile, "listen.. I've been looking for you for a while Gil.. my pack has been tracking a specific group of depraved for the last six months and.. this particular group.. they don't just devour when they're hungry. They eat non-stop, all of the time. It's like there's something wrong with them. Ive never seen anything like it."
Gildarts scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm.. that is peculiar. Devouring another soul while the host is still alive is a very uncomfortable and hence process. The physical and mental discomfort is so grewt that most depraved only eat once or twice a month.. Often less. How troublesome." He deduced. "Any clue what level they are?" Gildarts inquired.
Vincent nodded. "I still can't read the name or levels of most creatures with the given system tools but.. by studying the density and output of their energy I have a pretty good idea of how strong they are. Someone like you could crush them.. but.." He said in deep thought.
He shifted his weight and continued. "But they typically attack in their full group of ten and if even one of them manages to paralyze you.. that's how they do it you know? The system gives almost every single one of those cock suckers a ridiculously powerful paralysis ability." He explained. "The bastards damn near got me a few times. They typically go for weaker prey but if they net something big they get drunk on power and attack anything in their path. I've had to save a few members of my pack and each time it was a close call. I've never managed to kill one amd I've never seen the lrader. He stays hidden. They amplify one another's power in close proximity and as a whole they heal even faster than I do. They probably average at least level 25."
The depraved weren't particularly powerful in Vincent's experience but their abilities and their regenerations were off the charts. They could drain a level 100 monster in an hour flat with their absorption, if they were strong enough to get one, that is. Thankfully They weren't… Yet. Another fortunate aspect was depraved only gained a small percentage of their victims' stats and the process, even when it wasn't done to a still living being, was excruciating. Thereby very few creatures became depraved.
It was typically only the infinitesimally weak or the irreparably broken souls that devoured others for power. At late stages they usually couldn't communicate, driven insane by their cannibalistic ways. "Anyways.. just be safe out there ok?"
Gildarts nodded and smirked at his friend. "And you as well Vincent. I am glad you seem to have found a reason to fight. You are truly becoming mighty." Vincent's features mirrored the large green man's. He shrugged. "I didn't have much of a choice. I'm the Alpha now."
The two shook hands and bid one another farewell, Vincent being the first to depart. A massive tribe of nearly 20 wolves followed in the shadows after him. Gildarts raised an eyebrow and shook his head. It was a rare sght to see so many wild beasts under one man's command.
When it came to animals that traveled in packs within the jungle, there was no limit to how large a particular group could be, so long as the leader could maintain dominance and provide for it's people. For Vincent and his ridiculous array of versatile skills that was no problem.
Any time another pack challenged his own he was the first to fight and almost always took in new members upon displaying his powers to the other packs. Within the system, monsters could give birth of course but typically they lived simple lives of fighting, killing and being killed in turn. Most of their population spawned naturally via system fuckery as he had come to discover.
After conquering another pack or tribe they would often partake in friendly skirmishes to communicate and socialize. Vincent never bought into the turf wars that most of the jungle's inhabitants participated in. It was a senseless life and death to him. In fact he never killed any of his defeated opponents unless they were detrimental to the life of his pack.
When they arrived back at the entrance to the jungle, or exit rather in this case, Vincent instructed his wolves to go through first which they swiftly did. On the other side they quickly ran over to what amounted tot heir homes…
Several meters further down the mountain from the mouth of his cave he had built what could only be described as a complex cluster of artificial dens interwoven together like a honry comb. The entirety of the structure took up quite a large bit of space, from the mountainside to the edge of the jungle. All of the grass had been cleared out as far as the eye could see (getting it not to grow back had been difficult…) and the structures stretched about 50 feet both left and right in either direction. His workspaces were even further down from the dens, almost out of even his view from the jungle entrance.
The dens primarily looked like a multitude of half circles made of some type of metal and stone which were hollowed out and intricately carved. Each den was nearly the size of a pre-system school bus. The wolves could freely move between each of them due to a series of long thin tunnels between the dens.
Vincent watched as several 9f the younger wolves began to wrestle. He shook his head and laughed before making his way back to his cave where the man began to meditate. First, he needed to stalk up on potions.. then he needed to improve his equipment as much as possible at the forge. Next came a specific trial which should inprove his equipment even further. And finally… the hunt for the Fang.
He summoned his cauldron and started a blazing fire to bring his ingredients to a raging boil. First he poured in Gaia's blood then he placed both equal parts red and blue crystals. Following that he placed in a plethora of carefully selected monster bones and various skin types. Monster muscle for consistency and.. his own toxic blood for potency.
The whole while he focused carefully on the energy comprising the substance. He used his Telekinesis, Absolute timing, Aerodynamics, Sixth sense, Ecology and lucky break to perfectly mix the flows to achieve maximum efficiency.
Honestly he wondered how the hell anyone ever did crafting or alchemy without the Ecology and sixth sense skills.. if he had been going based off when he thought the substance was ready on alchemy alone vs when the energies of the product indicated it actually was finished, he certainly would have lost a great deal of potency.
This particular potion would be special. He focused his considerable will and intent as he watched the flows of energy within the potion. They were mixed near perfectly minus just a teeny tiny, almost unnoticeable separation between a few of the colors. But Vincent noticed it… and that just wouldn't do.
His head throbbed as he exerted his Will upon the world but that just meant he was on the right path. He pushed harder, stirred faster, forcing the various energies to mix with a grinding unwillingness until finally he sighed.. Vincent eased up his mental grip a little. Perhaps what he needed was patience and finesse rather than force.. He pushed again, this time more steadily and gently rather than as hard as he could all at once. Layering his system interference over the concoction he continued gently massaging the flows and then, just like that, the two energies of all the ingredients began to merge.
Congratulations! New potion: Crimson essence. The liquid form of the philosopher's stone, it is the life long ambition of every master Alchemist to create even a drop of the precious life substance but you have mastered the art.
Crimson essence: fully restores all vital energies! 10 uses remaining.
He sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. "Yup. That'll do."
Feat achieved! Feat: Grandmaster Alchemist. You have mastered the art of alchemy in a way few others have. Although your skill level and knowledge have much room for growth, your efficiency is beyond comparison. Perk Grandmaster alchemist awarded! Perk living off the land awarded
Perk: Grandmaster alchemist. Obtain maximum potential of mixed concoctions with bare minimum effort. It is second nature to get the most of all things in life.
Perk: Living off the land +100% all resources harvested from all sources.
"And the icing on the cake to boot." He chuckled. He decided he would spend the next hour creating another batch so he'd have twenty potions total. This in turn would give him two hundred full heals. Evem spread amongst his pack that should last a while. Next he would need to get his gear up to snuff and then, a nice big feast. His pack was more than capable of staying stocked up on materials, even if he splurged tonight. Soon, the hunt for the Fang would begin.
After storing his new batch of potions and selling most of the older, Inferior ones, he made his way outside to make use of his massive handmade forge. Night had fallen by now and the moon was high overhead. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the refreshing night air. Once at the forge he spent several hours tinkering with various elements and monster parts. Most of his time was spent tampering his armor, weapons and shield.
Deciding he had made all the progress his current limits would allow, he stepped away and cracked his back earning a satisfying crunch up the length of his spine. He was almost ready. Before he would begin the hunt there was one more thing to do...
Vincent made his way back to his cave and over to the stream that he typically meditated beside. His companion waved dunbly at him from across the rather overgrown garden and he shook his head, smirking in response.
Closing his eyes, Vincent entered Complete Tranquility and brought up his trials. He whistled. The list had grown absolutely ridiculous in the time since he had decided to stop doing them altogether, but this would be a cheat day as he had something specific in mind tonight… He skimmed through them until he found one in particular.
Trial(s) available:
Spirit infusion+++ (smithing level 75)
He had never done a trial with a plus mark beside it unless it was a fusion between two trials. From what he knew a singular trial with a plus beside it could both be because it was exceedingly difficult due to one's feats and accomplishments or because they were evolved trials from a previously uncompleted one.
For example, his smithing had gone from advanced smithy+ (lvl 50) and now since he had neglected to do smith+ it had evolved to spirit infusion+++ (lvl 75). It seemed the more power a person amassed the more challenging the system made things, in order to spur even further growth. And it did not like when you did things out of order.
Vincent had a feeling that when an individual evolved, their feats, accomplishments and abilities would provide invaluable bonuses to that as well. He wished he could put his trial off until lvl 100 and see what it evolved into then but unfortunately he didn't have that kind of time. He needed an edge in the coming fight. Without further adieu he instigated the trial and shuddered at the weightless feeling of traveling between worlds.
End of chapter 21