#The Last of Them
"Yaaaaawn!" as we were looking for the last bandit, a loud yawn could be heard from one of the tents.
And out came the biggest gods-be-damned Grounian bandit I've seen so far (or any bandit, for that matter).
Remember Two-Sword Mantis?
This guy was even taller than him, and had muscles that bulged like the Hulk.
He still had a sleepy look as he walked past us.
"Morning fellas..." he muttered at us.
...
...
...
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS!!! WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE ELSE?!!?!?"
*Ah, it's awake.*
"WAIT A MINUTE! IT'S YOU AGAIN!"
"Hello.... Again...." replied Takamiya.
*And Takamiya's back to normal.*
"TRAINING HALL INSTRUCTER OF GROUN CHALLENGES O-"
"Declined..."
"WHY THE HELL!!!"
"I already... beat... you before..."
*He beat such an amazing person?*
"Instead... Notrem... Will fight you."
"... Come again?"
"HAH HAH! You think this small man can defeat a level 100 warrior!"
"Weren't you... Level 200?"
"MY LEVEL DROPPED BY A HUNDRED BECAUSE I LOST TO YOU!"
"Wait wait wait..." I interupted, "First off, I'm almost out of arrows..."
:They're supposed to be your quest rewards, but you can use these if you want.:
Long Arm of the Law:
Durability: 67/67
Damage: 15-17
A crossbow issued to Soldiers & Guards who have completed certain military courses.
Equip:
+10 DEX
+10 STR
+30% Damage vs Criminals
+30% Damage vs Quest Targets
Limits:
Level 30
DEX 40+
STR 60+
Steel Arrow:
Durability: 1/1
Regular bolts fitted with steel heads
Equip:
+20% Damage
Limits:
Must have a crossbow equiped.
...
...
...
*You need to learn better timing..*
"So... Now that you have those, you think you can defeat me?"
A dark shadow loomed from behind me.
"Eh-heh....... LUNGE!" I leaped away as quickly as I could, just in time to avoid what would have been a nasty Bear Hug.
"You're not getting away!" growled the bandit as he chased me.
I fumbled with my unfamiliar weapon momentarily before I realized there was a slider at the front (like a pump-action shotgun) that will draw the crossbow when pulled.
*THIS IS TERRIBLY SLOW!*
*Thwop!
The fired bolt hit him in the center of his forehead, but did nothing to slow him down.
"Stop running!"
"How 'bout "NO"!"
Reloading.... (Damn, this thing is slow)
Fire!
"Snap Shot!"
Using Snap Shot, I fired two bolts in rapid succession, both of which hit him in the throat.
"Stop tickling me!" even with a total of 80% bonus damage from the crossbow and the bolt, the damage I'm doing is still minimal.
"I'm not trying to!" I yelled at him, "HEY! Help me out here!"
"No..." Takamiya replied.
"FUCK YOU!"
*Alright, think! This isn't the first time you've fought an unreasonably strong opponent! And this one's even slower than the Wolf-Queen!*
In truth, with his speed, there was no way he could possibly catch up to me, but chased me out of typical Grounian stubbornness.
Pausing for a moment to get a better aim, I fired a single shot at one of his feet, pinning it to the ground.
The strength of a level 100 warrior is not to be messed with, as the bolt snapped in an instant, but the short moment that his foot stuck to the ground was enough to cause him to trip and fall face first into the dirt.
And you know what they say, the bigger they are...
*CRASH!!
The harder they fall.
Not hard enough, as it seems, since he got up almost immediately.
"I will get you for that!" he yelled as he resumed chasing me.
"Lunge!" I quickly leaped behind one of the many tents in the camp.
"Stop jumping around like a kangaroo!" he complained, "BODY SLAM!"
After triggering the skill, he charged at full speed towards the tent I was hiding behind of.
*A skill like that is probably similar to "Lunge", in the way that you can't change direction after using it.*
I immediately leapt out of the way as the bandit crashed into the tent. When I looked back, I realized that he had somehow managed to get covered by the thick canvas of the tent, and currently looked like someone wearing a bad ghost costume.
"Snap shot!"
Using my skill, I bypassed the time needed to reload and fired instantly at the bandit's face, successfully pining the canvas to his face.
"GAAAAH!" screamed the instructer, "WHERE ARE YOU!"
The canvas ghost spun around and tried to find me.
*Is he too dumb to even remove the canvas...?*
"... Over he-"
"BODY SLAM!"
"Woah!" I sidestepped just in time to dodge the sudden attack, and his attack carried him almost to the entrance before he stopped.
*His senses are sharp, at least, and he's quick to react.*
Seeing him near the entrance gave me an idea.
While he was still busy spinning around and trying to find me, I quietly placed myself at my desired position and shot a bolt at him.
*Thud!
"THERE YOU ARE!" he derived my position from the direction the bolt came from, "BODY SLAM!"
But I was already out of the way long before the skill triggered, and as before, his skill carried him much further than his intended target.
Causing him to crash into the watchtower.
And the watchtower to topple and crash onto him.
*CRASH!!
Buried under what seemed to be several tons of wood, the huge figure of the boss couold no longer be seen, but he could still barely be heard.
"YOU THINK YOU HAVE TRAPPED ME!" a voice shouted from within the rubble, "I'LL BE OUT IN NO TIME!"
I retrieved my block of flint from my inventory and tossed it high into the air.
"You won't be out fast enough," I said as I took aim with my crossbow, "SHOWER!"
As I fired the steel bolt upwards, it glowed for a moment and split into three bolts (as the skill leveled up once while I was fighting the horde) and each one struck against the flint block, creating a shower of sparks. Of the three, two of them managed to get set on fire and, when they landed on the rubble pile, set it on fire as well.
I calmly turned around and walked towards the closest tent.
"What... are... you doing...?" asked Takamiya.
...
...
"Adding fuel to the fire."
(ba-dum-tish)
Countless tents and one more watchtower later, I finally recieved the "Quest Completed" notification.
Quest Complete!
Beyond the grave
You have cleared the bandit camp and helped a restless spirit rest in peace.
Rewards:
Long Arm of the Law x 1 (Recieved during Quest)
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Steel Bolts x 100 (Recieved during Quest)
Fame +50
Fame within Undead faction +100
Your "Fighting Spirit" stat has improved!
Your "Stubbornness" skill has improved!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
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"So what 'ye plan to do now?" Taylor asked Takamiya after we recounted what happened back at the camp.
"Groun.... Head back... to finish what... I started..."
"That bad, huh? Well, thanks for the pelt anyways."
"And thanks for helping me take care of the bandits," I said to him.
"No... problem... Bandits are my... fault anyway..."
After a short farewell, Taylor and I continued our journey towards Rhesta, while Takamiya headed in the opposite direction, towards Groun.
"Now that I think about it, I never asked him what happened back in Groun."
"Hn... More importantly, about that thing you asked me to do yesterday..."
"OH! Is it done already???"
"Ta-dah!"
Wolf-Queen's Virtuosity:
Durability: 70/70
Defense: 15
A pair of gloves made from the skin and fur of the Wolf-Queen. It's striking white color is hard to miss, and the material seems impossible to stain.
It's softness makes it easier to move in and the black pads on the palm and fingers improve the wearer's grip.
Equip:
+23 STR
+31 DEX
+10 CHA
+10% Attack Speed
-10% Stamina Drain from attacking
Harder to get disarmed
Limits:
Level 35
DEX 70+
STR 60+
Wolf-Queen's Dance:
Durability: 75/75
Defense: 15
A pair of moccasins made from the skin and fur of the Wolf-Queen. It's striking white color is hard to miss, and the material seems impossible to stain.
It's softness makes it easier to move in and the black pads on it's sole improve traction without sacrificing mobility.
Equip:
+25 STR
+29 DEX
+5 CHA
+10% Move Speed
-10% Stamina Drain from moving
Limits:
Level 36
DEX 70+
STR 60+
Wolf-Queen's Heart:
Durability: 80/80
Defense: 35
A tunic made from the skin and fur of the Wolf-Queen. It's striking white color is hard to miss, and the material seems impossible to stain.
Made with a soft fur inner lining, this garment helps protect from the cold and is comfortable to the touch. The black straps that run diagonally down the front lend it a more sophisticated look.
Equip:
+30 STR
+10 DEX
+10 CON
+15 CHA
+10% Cold resist
Limits:
Level 38
DEX 70+
STR 60+
Wolf-Queen's Devotion:
Durability: 80/80
Defense: 34
A pair of pants made from the skin and fur of the Wolf-Queen. It's striking white color is hard to miss, and the material seems impossible to stain.
Made with a soft fur inner lining, this garment helps protect from the cold and is comfortable to the touch.
Equip:
+20 STR
+20 DEX
+5 CON
+10 CHA
+10% Cold resist
Limits:
Level 38
DEX 70+
STR 60+
Wolf-Queen's Acuity:
Durability: 75/75
Defense: 24
A mantle made from the skin and fur of the Wolf-Queen. It's striking white color is hard to miss, and the material seems impossible to stain.
Made from a single large piece of pelt, this matle can easily cover the wearer and protect him from the elements. The hood was designed to keep out sand, dust and glare so that the wearer has perfect vision
Equip:
+10 INT
+50 MP
+20% Cold resist
Accuracy is increased
"Vision" skill is increased by +2
Slightly increased critical damage
Increased arrow/bolt traveling speed
Not affected by certain weather conditions if hood is up
Limits:
Level 40
DEX 70+
STR 60+
You have completed the "Wolf-Queen's Mercy" set!
As long as this set is equiped, you gain:
50% Light Affinity
50% Dark Affinity
40% Fire resist
*Oh... MY..... GOD!*
THESE ARE AMAZING!
Even though I'll outlevel the defense rating eventually (and I'm one to believe that a high defense rating isn't needed for archer classes), the other stats can easily last me way past level hundred!
If that blacksmith back in Serabourg made armor of this quality with the bones, I can see why he managed to get famous overnight!
I guess these are S-class materials for you.
Although some of these stats don't really make sense.
Why would it give me Light and Dark affinity at the same time? And how could a fur suit protect me from fire?
Well, it's just an added bonus I guess.
"OOooH! It turned out great! Thanks Taylor!" I said as I equiped the items, "How much do I owe you?"
"They look great on you! As for the price, it's gonna cost you [CENSORED] gold."
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*That's expensive....*
"Well, it's worth the money I guess," I sighed and handed him the fee.
"Pleasure doing bussi- ... Eh..?" Taylor halted mid-sentence as he suddenly looked towards the sky.
"What's wrong?"
"No, I thought I just saw the sky darken for a moment, but it doesn't look like it's going to rain again."
"Probably your imagination guess."
"... Yeah... I guess."
Only it wasn't.
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Author's Notes:
Hello everybody!
This weeks chapter is finally complete. A few hours later than usual, but still on time.
Managed to think of a boss fight at the last moment, I guess I couldn't avoid putting one in after all. Even though I had to cut short the second part, I guess it turned out alright.
As usual, all comments and criticisms are welcome.
Thanks for reading!