Chapter Fourteen: Threigar
“Fuck me!” I shouted as I darted around another tree, increasing my speed as I saw a large fallen branch ahead of me. I hurdled over it easily, but the jump cost me some momentum as the sounds of a thunderous charge behind me drew closer. I landed nimbly and kept running but the large level 18 monstrosity charged right through the timber blasting it apart without even bothering to slow down. Arm-sized splinters rocketed towards me forcing me to activate Spectral Phase to avoid getting punctured to death.
Above me, Talon was flapping wildly through the trees keeping an eye out for any upcoming dangers.
“Fly!” My eagle screamed into my head as it released a haunting screech. I pushed off the soft earthen floor leaping once more just in time to avoid a ravine that was hidden by the large verdant foliage of the jungle. Of course, this was all part of the plan though. At the bottom of the ravine were six-foot-tall spikes I had carved out hours earlier for this very purpose. I sailed over the trap I had laid with relative ease at first, but then I began to descend too soon. SHIT! I swore internally. I must have miscalculated my jump. Without hesitating I raised an arm and the chains that I had barely used up to this point uncoiled from around my hand latching onto a nearby tree. The chain managed to wrap around one of the limbs allowing me to swing across the chasm.
A bestial roar echoed behind me sending shivers up my spine as the creature that had been chasing me launched itself in my direction. I pulled hard on the chain snapping it taught and propelling myself away from the vicious maw of the monster. However, the beast turned its head and a wicked tusk almost the size of my body was thrust toward me. I stared in dread as the massive spike approached my chest. I started to once again turn my body incorporeal, but there was no need. With his haunting roar, Wuzzy barreled off the side of the ravine I had been approaching and performed a flying tackle that halted the momentum of the monster. As both bear and beast began to plummet into their doom I activated one of my newer skills.
Skill: Deathsworn Redeployment
Skill Rank: E
Investment: 10 / 45
Skill Description: Target any number of deathsworn within line of sight to swap places. This costs 90% of the mana value needed to summon one minion per exchange. You can resummon a deathsworn already in existence at 10% of the mana cost to summon them per 2 miles.
Rank Up Effect: Decreases the mana cost of the exchange by 10%, and increases the distance you can resummon a deathsworn by an additional mile.
In less than a heartbeat Wuzzy had been replaced by Talon who had dove in to perch on a nearby tree before being redeployed. This left both of my minions disgruntled as they were suddenly occupying the other’s space. The branch beneath Wuzzy gave way under the increased weight of the large bear as he fell towards the soft, but safe, earth below. Talon released an annoyed cry, but his powerful wings halted his descent and he rose swiftly into the sky, leaving only the enormous creature to be impaled by the spikes below.
The beasts infuriated howling ceased immediately as a loud visceral squelching sound punctuated its death. I stood panting for a brief moment as my stamina recovered. I sighed though as a blue box appeared revealing the pittance of experience I gained. Mentally dismissing the screen I straightened and walked to the ledge to stare down at the monstrosity that had been chasing me. This was my first time seeing the animal in its entirety and it was both incredible and frightening.
It was as large as an elephant with the deadly tusks to match and its body looked to be some cross between a boar and a tiger. It had an enormous head that was feline in nature apart from a wide bony forehead that created a ridge running to its nose. Perfect for charging through the jungle headfirst without sustaining serious injury, Its body had the bulky frame of a boar, except that it was longer with more powerful and versatile legs. The hide was covered in thick ragged bristles with a coloration of striped browns and greens that allowed it to remain camouflaged by its surroundings.
Alpha Onscro: Level 18
Creature Type: Beast
Description: An animal found deep within the jungle. They can grow to immense sizes. Their bodies allow them to dig deep into the ground to create dens for themselves. Their course hide is prized for making protective waterproof garments. Their tusks are sought after by weaponsmiths for their durability and flexibility.
“Dinner?” Wuzzy asked me as I took in the onscro. I nodded to my bear and began the trek along the ravine to where the drop wasn’t as steep and climbed down before returning to the corpse. I climbed atop the body and with a few powerful tugs I pulled stakes out of the onscro. After the barbs were no longer impaling my prey I once again activated my Fetters of Manipulation. The chains slithered off of my arm and attached to the beast's body. With an unnatural shudder, the creature rose to its feet and began walking awkwardly as I mentally compelled it toward my destination.
As we approached my campsite I smiled with morbid satisfaction at what would be a vegan's worst nightmare. After spending two weeks in the jungle I had built an elaborate camp out of both the plentiful resources of the forestation mixed in with the remains of what I had hunted during my stay here. The rib cages of large beasts were erected around the perimeter like some sort of grotesque fence using sinew from muscles to tie together additional bones and branches to form a formidable defense. Animal skins were erected overtop to give me a shelter against the rain, while everything was labeled liberally with mud and other greenery to help it blend in. There was a cobbled-together abode that wasn’t much bigger than a two-man tent, only big enough for me to lie down inside comfortably.
When I had left Shangrior I had fully intended to find the nearest town and start going on adventures but once I was inside of the forest I was overtaken by a desperate need to just exist for a while. I knew it couldn’t last long, but my previous life had been a constant string of agony, heartache, and disappointment. All leading up to a death I still couldn’t recall. In the interim, there was the disgusting need to work, pay bills, and just be a responsible adult. Vacation was a luxury for the rich, which I most definitely had not been.
That wasn’t to say that I had no enjoyment, but I felt justified in a long overdue camping trip. And while I had a deep love for animals that caused me to loathe hunting for sport, I completely understood the fundamental necessity of hunting for survival. Approaching the obscured gate of my temporary base I retracted the chain connecting me to my kill and leaped off as the onscro slumped to the ground. Then placing a hand on the body and pushed mana into it. Within a few moments, worms began slithering out of my flesh and burrowing into the dead beast. They delicately ate their way through the hypodermis allowing me to skin the creature flawlessly.
As soon as I had skinned the beast I allowed my allies to feast. Talon and Wuzzy attacked the meat with relish, while Bandit and Nuts slowly picked their way to the body, finding the meat they liked the most. While some could find the sight of a carnivorous tree rat disturbing I had gotten quite used to it. Especially since I unlocked the skill that gave my deathsworn a buff to their stats.
Skill: Ravenous Appetite (Regulator)
Skill Rank: E
Investment: 10 / 45
Skill Description: Gain an increase in physical attributes after feeding. Bonus and Duration are based on rank. Current Bonus: 30% Bonus for 48 hours.
Rank Up Effect: Increases bonus by 15% and extends the duration by 24 hours.
“Thank you.” My zombie menagerie all said in unison as they feasted bringing a smile to my lips. Another skill I had increased was Cataclysm Awakening. I had brought it up to rank C and now my deathsworn received 20% of my attributes. With the bonus to attributes and the sentience the skill had granted, my minions were getting smart. In their current state, they were probably on par with a young child. And while I had not managed to level myself, they had each managed to level up to 3.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the meal. Tomorrow we set out.” I replied as I tore off a few chunks of the creature for myself and entered the enclosed campsite. At the center was a mound of bone, clay, and the tanned leather of a large serpent beast. Grabbing one of the bones protruding from the mound I slid it aside to reveal a narrow hole dug into the ground. While my racial effects could allow me to survive in harsh environments, and eat just about anything, a man needed comfort. Inside the hole was a specialized fire pit meant for reducing the amount of smoke emitted when burning. I knelt and dropped some leaves into the still smoldering pit along with some kindling I had set aside and the fire instantly began to flare up. Setting in a few pieces of wood I began to cook the onscro meat. While the flesh browned I pulled out my grimoire and contacted Veipos.
“Well, I’ll be damned. If it isn’t our glorious king. What can I help you oh lord of the domain? Are you enjoying your holiday while your slaves labor away on your behalf?” The man’s sarcasm was palpable, but he couldn’t disguise the amusement in his voice.
“Stuff it, asshole.” I snapped, causing Veipos to laugh. “I am enjoying my holiday as a matter of fact. However, it’s over starting tomorrow, and I need your input on the best direction to go in.” I hadn’t completely been ignoring my duties while having fun. I had gone to where the nearest town was supposed to be according to the maps, and it had long been deserted. That made sense though. The history of the village described it as more of a trading outpost that eventually became more. However, if trade to Shangrior was no longer possible it would make sense for the people to relocate to a more prosperous area.
“You could always go to Zelastin’s capital.”
“No. I thought we agreed that might be too risky until we understand the new political atmosphere.”
“I know. It’s a shame Seavine was abandoned. If I had to propose a new destination, I would suggest Mrekkit. If you check your maps it is 40 miles north-east of Seavine. It’s still on the outskirts of what’s considered Zelastin civilization, but it runs along a different trading route. It shouldn’t have been abandoned. It was never a prosperous town, but it was consistent enough to be a noteworthy trading hub.”
“Thanks, I’ll do that. How is the rebuilding going from my force of laboring slaves?” I joked.
“Honestly, pretty good. We have expanded the plots the priests had cultivated to be four times the size. It will take a while before we have enough crops to sustain our people from them, but that shouldn’t matter. Between the game your minions hunt along the jungle border, and our fishing capabilities we can sustain ourselves. We have also begun building ships. A few of our people swam out to one of the nearby islands and discovered a few farmlands that have harvestable goods.”
“That’s great to hear. Any troubles along the frontlines?”
“Not technically.” He answered, emphasizing his sentence. My stomach tightened at his response.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Explain,” I commanded.
“Well. Since the construction projects were going so well, Railnia organized scouting parties out of the more combat proficient. Quite a few had served with us in the army.” Veipos began explaining. Just bringing Railnia into it told me this was going to be problematic. “While she was scouting she stumbled across a few interested parties who had been living along the misty borders. You know, the typical sort that likes to avoid polite civilization.”
“You mean bandits, misfits, and outcasts. Criminals on the run.”
“Precisely. So when Railnia encountered them she of course assailed them. After all, as you said, we don’t want the whole world to know that we have rejoined them yet.”
“So, I take it she managed to kill them all then?” I inquired feeling a mix of relief and trepidation. While it was true that I wanted our kingdom’s return to be public knowledge, I wasn’t sure I was ready to have people killed to keep that secret. Even if they were criminals it still felt more like murder than self-defense. Particularly if they hadn’t done anything to harm my kingdom yet. If they had I could at least somewhat justify it as righteous vengeance like I had with the priests. Moral dilemmas tore through my mind as I felt the weight of the system’s quest bearing down on me.
“Actually, only one died. It was entirely their fault, and completely by accident. A fool tried sneaking up on Railnia during the battle but underestimated her prowess. She sent him sprawling and he impaled himself on his own weapon.”
“I thought you said it wasn’t technically a problem. If they all lived-”
“Oh, none got away, Your Majesty. She took them all captive. Some decided to turn their allegiance to you, vowing to swear fealty upon your return. The more belligerent ones are now laboring as prisoners of war. Quite literally your slaves.” Veipos explained cheerfully. My general might have thought the news would be a relief, but I could feel a headache forming inside my skull.
I could picture it now. A kingdom filled with rebels, outlaws, and slaves. On the outskirts of the central kingdoms, A red beach with black waves. Potentially allied with a kingdom of demons. God, I am not a ‘Dark Lord’ at all. I thought sarcastically, before clearing my mind and returning to the conversation.
“How many were captured?”
“Ah. About that…” Veipos muttered sheepishly, his sarcastic voice sounding more embarrassed.
“How many, Veipos?”
“Only about 300. The last few weeks have been busy, and it turns out that there were a lot of camps of the sort along the far reaches of our lands. Don’t worry, none of our people have died. Isn’t this great? We have now increased our numbers by almost half. Within the next month, a good portion of the city will be habitable, and then we can start building more effective defenses in case of other intruders.” Veipos said, trying to put a more positive spin on the situation. I rubbed my now aching head and took a long deep breath.
“I am just going to leave the details to you. I don’t want to deal with this, and you seem to be handling things just fine. Keep up the good work.” I grumbled before ending the contact. I turned my gaze up to the heavens then. I don’t know how, but I will not let you dictate my life. I control my destiny, you don’t. I don’t know if the system could actually understand my thoughts on a cognizant level, but the few stars I could see through the canopy twinkled brightly as if I was being laughed at by the celestial gases. Yea, fuck you. I took a large bite out of my now properly cooked onscro meat.
“Oh, nice. Tastes like chicken.
***
“Stay,” I commanded my deathsworn minions as we approached Mrekkit. It doesn't matter how much intelligence and wisdom you have if you don’t use it, I scolded myself. It should have been expected that things would change over the centuries. With one trading hub abandoned it would make sense that other trading hubs would grow and expand in compensation. The ‘not prosperous’ trading village was now a well-established town. There was a street leading through a thirty-foot tall iron gate surrounded by forty-foot walls. This was a town that had built itself up with pride and wouldn’t be brought down by a casual monster attack or any other raids or border skirmishes.
While I now had a skill that could make my deathsworn seem lifelike, I wasn’t comfortable using it here. I hadn’t invested too heavily into the skill and if someone had a higher perception than my skill it could cause a lot of trouble. Added to my concerns was that I didn’t think bringing in a large bear, even if it was lifelike, would help smooth things over with the people inside the walls.
There was currently a large line outside of the gates being checked in by the few guards on duty. I watched carefully as I prepared to make my move. The plan was simple: wait for the right opportunity and casually stroll to the back of the line. I brought a few of my animal skins with me, in hopes I could pass myself as a hunter looking to trade. I had even removed my Abyssal Cloak and reshaped my raiment to match some of the other abstract clothing I saw of the people in line.
It had been my first time seeing demons in person and I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of anxiety. Of course, my original world had its own religious teachings. In almost every single one of them, demons were usually the epitome of “you’re fucked” when it came to dealing with them. Of course that had been on earth, and things ran differently here. Mostly.
After discovering demons were a part of this world I looked through the information my grimoire had scanned and found plenty of information. While they were varied, and sometimes quite brutal, in general, their personalities were no different than the normal sort. Controlled by similar emotions, and desires. One of the similarities with my world was that plenty of the churches hated the demons, and it caused a lot of strife throughout the realms. Even though The Watchmen had hated them, the demons were deemed an outsider's problem and had instead focused their malice on their own group of impurities.
Throughout the line were all sorts of quasi-humanoid beings with horns, talons, bone protrusions, and more. Yet despite their differences, I could see that most of them were getting along which helped to settle some of my nerves. In one area I could see a small imp riding on the shoulder of what looked like one of my own deathsworn, except instead of the familiar blue eyes that my minions' eyes had, this one had a red fire burning throughout its body, and smoldering into molten orbs where the eyes were. The biggest thing I did note was the distinct lack of humans or even fel-humans. Groaning, I began to activate one of the skills I had invested heavily in for this very purpose.
Skill: Predatory Camouflage (Dark Monarch)
Skill Rank: C
Investment: 20 / 45
Skill Description: Create a false identity. This includes name, level, class, titles, and attributes. When analyzed only your false identity will be revealed. This skill only works on those with a perception rank matching the skill rank or lower.
Rank Up Effect: Increases the effective rank required to see through the skill.
It didn't affect my appearance, but at least if anyone inspects me they need to have an exceptionally high perception to see my real classes and titles. I had spent a lot of time trying to craft the perfect identity for myself and I pulled up my status screen. As I did I now had two boxes, one blue, and one red. The red one revealed my false identity that would be shown to others. I took time to compare the two screens and double-check the details, starting with my real screen.
Name: Leodon Xavier Walvin
Race: Fel-Human [C]
Level: 12
Class: Dark Monarch
Title: Apocalypse King
Attributes
Strength: 55
Vitality: 55
Agility: 65
Perception: 55
Intelligence: 65
Charisma: 55
Wisdom: 70
Luck: 70
My stats had come a long way, but already I could see that my physical attributes were starting to flag a bit, but I didn’t mind. I was more than capable of taking care of most threats on my own if I needed to. The way my stats were distributed now, I could stay on the move and cast potent spells, and use my magic more frequently. Not that I had a lot of spells yet. I had picked up a few from various spell books inside one of my castle’s libraries, and I had Veipos teach me some of his spells. Which is how I arrived at my “disguise”.
(Camouflage) Name: Leo
Race: Fel-Human
Level: 12
Class: Frontier Physicker
Attributes
Strength: 20
Vitality: 24
Agility: 75
Perception: 50
Intelligence: 45
Charisma: 30
Wisdom: 85
Luck: 36
After the battle with the Sect of the Watcher and the system’s subsequent forced progression of my global dominance, I decided I wanted to try to avoid killing as much as possible. With my generalized attributes as they stood, they told me I could disguise myself as either a ranger or a spellcaster. Since most people by level 10 had either evolved their class or fused a class, we had decided that a fused class should fit perfectly without raising too much suspension.
“Big,” Talon whispered into my mind. I turned my head to see a large retinue of demons gliding their way through the throngs of people in line. Everyone turned to gape and whisper as the one leading them was breathtaking. The demon was roughly 8 feet tall and was the most obese creature I had seen outside of a George Lucas film. As it drew near I felt myself being drawn into the demon. Despite its stature, it moved with a grace and poise that was mesmerizing. Something settled in my mind drawing me out of the trance, but even then my eyes lingered on the individual. It was too far away for my analysis ability to register, so I forced myself to turn away. This was the perfect opportunity.
While everyone was taken in by the large demon I rushed out of the woods and made my way to the back of the line. By the time the influence of the large demon began to wane in the demons around me I had safely blended in.
“Excuse me. Who was that?” I asked a nearby demon. Its entire body was that of a snake apart from two large arachnid-like legs and a humanoid face with horns protruding from its forehead.
“That was the mayor. He is a merchant.” The creature answered before turning to face the line and ignoring me. I shrugged and decided to let it be. It took over an hour for the line to work its way through for me to stand in front of the guards, but when I had made their way through, I swore. While it’s true that I could change how my classes appeared, I couldn’t change the effects of my actual classes. Including my Anti-Trust perk. As I approached the two guards their posture changed, instantly becoming defensive.
“Who might you be? Haven’t seen you ‘round these parts before.” The larger of the two demons asked. They were both of the same species. Resembling humanoid bearded dragons if their skin was made of gravel instead of scales.
“Sorry, you can’t enter without a pass.” The smaller of the two men followed up.
“Look, I am just a traveling adventurer. I was in the area, and I wanted to trade in some goods for supplies.” I answered placatingly. I analyzed them and saw that they belonged to a race called Shoavari, and each one was level 20. Too strong for me to lightly take both of them without preparation. I also noted that while my perk had made them hostile they hadn’t yet attacked, for which I was grateful.
“Rirriti, when was the last time someone claimed to be an adventurer in these parts?” The taller demon asked his companion.
“You mean who were below level 15? None at all Kurruki.”
“Which leaves me to wonder, what a hatchling like you is doing wandering these parts with any wares to trade at all. Especially without anyone to watch your back?” I stared back and forth between them and decided to try my luck with a skill I had invested in, but haven’t used yet for multiple reasons. I channeled mana to my throat as I activated my puppetmaster’s decree skill. Once I could feel the power activate I answered them.
“I am far outside of where I wanted to be. My guards and I were traveling and bandits assailed us, slaying my escorts and kidnapping me for ransom. They took me back to their lair only to find an onscro had taken it over in their absence. Neither the bandits nor the beast survived. I managed to collect a few of the pelts, and now I am just trying to gather enough resources to make my way back to the central kingdom.”
As I spoke Kurruki and Rirriti relaxed slightly, and their reptilian eyes seemed to glaze over. I hadn’t wanted to use this skill much because taking over someone’s free will felt wrong, but I never knew when I was going to have to talk my way out of a situation. I would rather survive and feel guilty than be dead.
“Well, I guess we can overlook you not having a pass this time. But you better get registered and get your paperwork in order before leaving. I don’t know how things are done in Ystherial, but here in Zelastin, we follow procedure.” Kurruki snapped, before waving me on. I had never said where I was from, but I supposed if he thought I was from the hidden regions where the fel-humans resided it couldn’t hurt. That was easier than I thought. I began shuffling through the gates when a very large hand grabbed my shoulder. I stiffened instantly. My perception was no joke. If I was on earth I could have smelled a fart from four rooms away, I had forgotten the sensation of being startled. However, at that moment I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Oh, my adorable little tadpole. That was simply marvelous. I have to say you have quite the gift of gab. Not many people can so easily talk their way past my guards. Please, you must join me for dinner darling.” A loud voice declared from behind me. Slowly, I turned trying to remain nonchalant as I looked up at the face of the large demon I had seen earlier. The mayor.
“Sorry, I am just here to trade.” I apologized as I tried to kindly extricate myself from his grip. Unfortunately, the demons’ hand was a vice and held me firm.
“Oh, but my delicious little morsel, I am a merchant. If you are looking to trade there is nobody in this town more suited to assist you in your every need. Please, I insist, no, I demand your presence.” With a sinking sensation, I only nodded my assent. This was not the time nor the place to make a scene. “Very good. Allow me to introduce myself. You can call me Threigar.”