Raethor’s targets were always the same: beautiful young women, the pride of the small towns he haunted. Their charm and grace were what drew him, an allure he found impossible to resist. In each town, he studied his potential victims with the calculated eye of a predator. Observing them from the shadows, he learned their routines, their fears, and their desires. To Raethor, this was an intimate dance, a courting of death.
The town of Lirensdale, bathed in the golden hues of an everlasting summer, was his latest canvas. Unbeknownst to the joyful community, Raethor’s cold eyes were set on Lira, the mayor's daughter, known for her radiant beauty and kind heart. She had an ethereal grace, one that Raethor, in all his darkness, found irresistibly enchanting.
In the world of rogues, Raethor was an anomaly. His level, 86, was an echo of his skill and the many years he had spent honing his craft. He was virtually undetectable, moving like a wraith through the darkness. But what truly set him apart was his ability as a Soulthief. With a mere touch, he could drain the life essence of his victims, leaving them as hollow as his own tormented soul. This dark gift nourished him, granting him unnatural longevity and powers beyond comprehension.
Raethor, however, was not entirely devoid of humanity. Twisted though he was, he left behind a single white lily at each crime scene—a symbol, a message, and a signature. It was his twisted tribute, a perverse admiration for the lives he ended. To him, each victim was a beloved, a partner in a grim dance that ended only when their soul was his.
Tonight, as the moon reached its zenith and bathed Lirensdale in a silver glow, Raethor moved with purpose. He navigated through the shadows seamlessly, avoiding patrols and night watchmen who were, by now, alert to the rumors of his presence. His objective was clear: the charming stone cottage at the edge of the town, where Lira slept, oblivious to the fate that crept ever closer.
As he neared the window of Lira's room, he found himself hesitating, an emotion he had long thought himself immune to. It was her innocence, he realized, her pure and untainted soul, that gave him pause. In that fleeting moment, Raethor was haunted by a ghost of his own past—a time when he too had known love and light.
But the dark thirst within him was relentless. It drowned his momentary weakness with insatiable urgency. With a silent, fluid motion, he slipped through the window into her room. There she lay, her chest rising and falling softly in peaceful slumber, her face the very picture of serenity that he had destroyed in himself so many years ago. Seeing her lie there completely unaware of his presence Raethors earlier hesitation was replaced with an urgent anticipation. He slowly crept towards Lira shuddering in exhilaration basking in the moment before the act that he had performed hundreds of times before.
Name: Raethor
Level: 86
Class:
Race: Human
Attributes:
Vitality 312
Strength 86
Stamina 156
Agility 212
Intellect 86
Wisdom 86
Spells and Abilities:
Soul Steal
Ambush
Back Stab
Shadowstep
Garrote
Lockpicking
Soul Siphon
Soul Sense
Stealth
Vanish
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Raethor slipped from the window a short while later feeling satiated but he knew it wouldn’t last. It was time for him to find his next partner. Making his way towards the inn he had been staying at for the last few nights called the Drunken Pig he decided he would choose one more before moving on to the next town. It wasn’t that he was afraid of anyone in this place as nobody was going to be high enough level in a backwater like Lirensdale but if he didn’t move on soon they would send for the a high level adventurer and that could be annoying.
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Name: Monkmcfatty
Level: 200
Class: Brawler Monk
Race: Human
Attributes:
Vitality 775
Strength 1125
Stamina 654
Agility 1123
Intellect 723
Wisdom 684
Spells and Abilities:
We spent most of the day traveling on the road, heading toward the next town where we planned to stop before we set out to train Emma and Jacob. Although we no longer needed to visit the Adventurers' Guild, we still needed to find a listing of dungeons and locations with monsters that were appropriate for the kids' skill levels, so they could gain experience and level up. Fortunately, every town has adventuring notice boards, and most general stores sell maps and guides that provide the locations and level ranges of dungeons in the local areas.
Around midday, we stopped along the road to have a meal and take a break. "What do you have in that magic storage space of yours for our lunch?" Stella asked playfully. "Anything that can speed up our travel? Maybe a magic carpet, a couple of speed potions, or some teleportation scrolls?"
As we continued our journey, Stella had become progressively more relaxed and less stern.
"Hmm, let me have a look," I responded. "For now, here is some food." I pulled out four plates of Roddy’s Rustic Ribs, a special dish I had prepared that provided a boost to Strength and Agility. As everyone eagerly began to savor the delicious food, I started to skim through my inventory, but I couldn't find anything that would expedite our travel. I had various personal mounts, but they could only be summoned one at a time, and only for my use. Or so I thought.
"When we are done eating," I said, "I am going to try something. You all might be a bit surprised, but just know that you will be perfectly safe."
A short while later, as we were finishing our meal, I was contemplating which of my mounts would be the least conspicuous. I scanned through the multitude of exotic beasts stored in the pocket dimension that served as my inventory. Unfortunately, I had a penchant for exotic mounts, and nearly all of them were some sort of predatory animal. Finally, I decided to just ask Stella.
"Stella, what types of animals do people ride in this world?" I inquired.
"Mostly horses, and occasionally beast tamers have exotic mounts, but that is exceedingly rare. Why do you ask?" Stella replied, clearly puzzled by my question.
"Because I believe I can summon mounts for us," I explained. "The problem is that they are all rather rare and distinctive creatures. I don't think summoning dragons for us all to ride would be the most inconspicuous approach," I added, somewhat skeptically.
"DRAGONS?!" Stella exclaimed. "Summoning dragons for us to ride? Absolutely not! How could you even do that? Dragons are massive, intelligent, and independent creatures; they would never stoop to allowing someone to ride them. Just summon the four least insane options you have, and we can decide from there," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
Deciding to start simply, I focused my will on the purple Saber Tiger mount first, and pushed with my willpower to summon it under my outstretched hand. In a puff of purple and black smoke, the enormous 800-pound shape of a Saber Tiger materialized. It stood easily 4 feet tall at the shoulders, with black stripes running along its sleek, muscular body, and two enormous fangs protruding from its massive maw. Opening its mouth to yawn, it finished with an earth-shaking roar that caused the other three to stumble back and land heavily on their behinds.
Noticing me standing beside it, the tiger leaned its head over and rubbed against me like a housecat begging for affection. I scratched behind its ears, and it bumped the rest of its body up against me affectionately, but firmly. Despite the force of the tiger’s gesture, with my impressive stats, I didn't so much as flinch. “So who wants to ride the pretty girl?” I said and patted the ornate sadly already strapped to her back awaiting a rider.
Next, I summoned three more mounts for us. Stella chose the Hartstag, a massive deer that reminded me of a reindeer, albeit one that seemed to have been living on steroids and following Joey Swoll training montages. Emma rode the Saber Tiger, while Jacob mounted the Dire Bear, a massive brown bear roughly the size of a minivan.
As for my mount, rather than opting for the most inconspicuous option, I went with something I had always wanted to ride after seeing my in-game character do so. The Flametongue Salamander resembled a Chinese Giant Salamander, but it appeared as if it were made out of lava and stretched to a length of 15 feet.
"Real inconspicuous, Blake," Stella said sarcastically. "We won't be able to ride these into the town when we arrive."
"That's fine," I replied. "We can just dismount and I can recall them when we get close. This should make our trip a lot shorter, though. Everyone ready to go?"
With a round of nods, we headed down the road at a much faster pace than previously.
A few short hours later, after receiving a lot of terrified looks from travelers along our route, we could see the city of Lirensdale. Dismounting, I motioned for everyone else to do the same. I put my hand on my Salamander mount and focused my will on returning it to my inventory. In a burst of smoke and flame, my Salamander mount vanished. After checking my inventory, I sighed in relief; it was back where it belonged. I did the same with the rest of the mounts before we headed into the town and towards the Drunken Pig, an inn that Emma and Jacob mentioned they had stayed at when they passed through here before.
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In the common room of the Drunken Pig, Raethor watched as four travelers entered and approached the bar. As they negotiated for a room, his focus was fixed on one thing: who was this absolutely gorgeous young elf? It had been years since he had spent quality time with an elven partner, and he felt that it was about time he did so again.