Huxley made a quick stop to retrieve his bow, but only two of his arrows were still intact. The troglodytes must have trampled the rest of them during the fighting. Making do with what you have is an old military tradition though, so Huxley packed up his remaining supplies and followed the sounds of frightened fishers. He didn’t walk on the trail, but he made his own way through the trees. From what he saw so far, these troglodytes didn’t have the discipline to quietly wait in ambush, but there was no sense marching down the obvious route. It’s generally considered poor tactics to be where an enemy expects.
His precautions made the hike to the center of the island take a little longer, but that also gave him more time to eat his basil and tea leaves. With his normal regeneration factored in, he ended up with 79 HP and 161 SP by the time the monsters’ lair came into view.
The squealing, panicked mass of troglodyte fishers was too big to fit inside the shallow, wide cave where one side of a hill had been washed out, leaving a lip of exposed rock jutting out enough to provide shelter. Trees grew from the hillside above the cave, but the land in front of it was cleared down to the black soil. Not a single blade of grass sprouted within 20 feet of their shelter.
Four fighters stood guard at roughly equal intervals and the fishers cowered behind them, but there were two troglodytes that stood out from the rest. One in the middle of the camp wore a feathered mask and held a gnarled old stick that it waved overhead as it tried to get the fishers under control. Another sat near the back of the cave on a throne that looked like a piece of driftwood that was naturally shaped more or less like a chair, if you squinted at it hard enough. The seated Troglodyte was wearing actual armor though, and it held a sword in its clawed little hand like a scepter. The equipment was a strange shade of pale green, not too different from the statue of liberty. Old bronze most likely.
These Troglodytes had different designations from the others too, not to mention higher levels, and Huxley marked them as the biggest threats remaining.
Lv6 Troglodyte Shaman
(??/?? HP)
Increase the level of your Woodcraft skill for more information
Lv7 Elite
(???/??? HP)
Increase the level of your Woodcraft skill for more information
He couldn’t count on hitting the elite troglodyte from his position at the treeline, but it didn’t seem like any of them had noticed him yet so Huxley took his time applying deathbell puss to one of his arrows before aiming at the shaman. It was too far to try for a headshot, but the shaman wasn’t wearing any armor.
You strike Troglodyte Shaman for 6 damage
Archery: +5% damage
Sneak attack: +70% damage!
Troglodyte Shaman is poisoned: +1-2 damage per second for 10 seconds
Total damage: 11 (+10-20)
The shaman screeched and the fighters locked their eyes on Huxley. He nocked his last arrow and took aim at the closest charging fighter, waiting for a headshot that he couldn’t miss. Then another notification popped up.
Troglodyte Shaman casts: Malignant Fog
-1 HP or durability per second for everything the fog touches
Green smoke gathered around Huxley from out of nowhere, stretching about five feet in every direction. All the undergrowth that fog touched shriveled, blackened, and died while he watched. Another notification flashed by and his arrow crumbled in his hands, turning to ash.
His eyes started to sting and water while his throat went sore. The bastard was using chemical weapons! Exhaling steadily, Huxley dropped his bow and dashed for the edge of the mist, but the green fog followed him easily, seeping over the ground and leaving a trail of dead plants in its wake.
Despite the horror for gas attacks instilled in him by his training the fog did very little actual damage to Huxley, but after only a few more seconds his belt pouches crumbled away just like his arrow. He didn’t have long before the rest of his gear would follow suit but he had no defense against the persistent fog. No defense except for offense.
Huxley barreled into the oncoming fighters, meeting their war cries with deathly silence. A low sweep of his axe with just one hand gripping the very end of the handle took the first fighter’s legs out from under it before the troglodyte could get close enough for an attack of its own, but the swipe sent the axe wide, leaving Huxley open to a counterattack. Seeing the opportunity, or just being generally aggressive, the next fighter leapt forward. Hux met its creepy face with his boot, driving forward with all of his momentum until he was standing on top of the troglodyte. His free hand wrapped around the handle of his knife while he brought his axe around and up behind him. He never stopped moving forward. In a flash of steel, Hux buried his knife in the next fighter’s eye, killing it instantly. His heavy axe finally got into position for another one-handed swing and Huxley brought it down hard on the head of the final Troglodyte, killing it as well.
Hux took some hits breaking through the fighters, but the shaman was the real threat and now there was nothing left between them. His threat assessment was confirmed a moment later when thick green smoke burst from the mouths, ears, and eyes of the dead fighters, joining with and strengthening the Shaman’s malignant fog.
Troglodyte Shaman uses Communion
Troglodyte Shaman is empowered by the spirit of a fallen ally
Troglodyte Shaman is empowered by the spirit of a fallen ally
Malignant Fog now does 3 HP or durability damage per second
Troglodyte Shaman gains +2 MP per second for the next minute
Huxley grabbed the arrowseeds in his quiver and threw them forward, getting them out of the green fog before they turned into ash while the two surviving fighters regained their feet and gave chase. They would have been better off staying put. The fog ate away at their health just like everything else it touched, and one of them fell dead before Hux even got to the shaman.
Troglodyte Shaman uses Communion
Troglodyte Shaman is empowered by the spirit of a fallen ally
Malignant Fog now does 4 HP or durability damage per second.
+1 MP per second for the next minute
The shaman might have been dangerous, but it clearly wasn’t a fighter. It held its staff out in front of itself in a rigid grip with locked elbows as if it was trying to ward off an evil spirit instead of an axeman with more than twice its weight and reach. The green fog didn’t disperse when Hux got close to the shaman like he hoped. It didn’t even seem to hurt the shaman by the way it visibly parted around the troglodyte, leaving it untouched. Huxley was winding up to decapitate the shaman and hopefully put an end to the spell when a blue flash blasted out of the end of the staff and slammed into his chest, stopping his momentum dead and even knocking him back a step.
You take 10 magical damage from Lv6 Troglodyte Shaman
(Magical damage ignores armor)
HP: 56/90
The last fighter caught up and stabbed Hux in the back, worsening his infection while Huxley was still reeling from the unexpected blast. Pivoting, he pulled the fighter off balance by yanking on its stick before he grabbed its flimsy armor, then completed his spin, coming all the way back around and throwing the last fighter bodily into the shaman. Both of them went down in a heap and Huxley finished them off before they could untangle themselves.
You strike Troglodyte Shaman for 20 damage
Troglodyte Shaman is prone: x2 damage!
Total Damage: 40
You have slain: Troglodyte Shaman Lv6
(0/50 HP, 50% magical resistance)
+45 exp
(480/500 to level 5)
The Troglodyte on the throne began to cackle. Its perpetual grin was unnerving enough already, but the sound of its laughter made his skin crawl. It hopped down from its throne and started toward Huxley, sword propped lightly against its shoulder. It was significantly taller and better muscled than any of the fighters, almost coming up to Hux’s chest. It looked like some kind of nightmare-version of a chimpanzee. Not those cute, baby chimps, but the full-grown brutes known for ripping peoples’ faces off when they’re having a bad day.
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All of his holy basil was destroyed along with his belt pouches. He was down to roughly half of his maximum health. His infection now slowed his stamina recovery by 80% and he had less than a hundred left. So he grinned right back at the gremlin and hefted his axe.
“You ready to surrender?”
It only cackled louder.
“Fan-freaking-tastic.”
The thrill pulsed through Huxley’s veins. He felt alive, fully awake and present for the first time since… Guilt threatened to overwhelm him but Huxley shook his head, sinking back into the focused clarity of a life-or-death struggle, even if it was a simulated one.
The troglodyte threw its head back and gabbled into the air. All the fishers stopped cringing as their eyes flared with red light.
Lv7 Elite uses Rallying Cry
Nearby Troglodytes are immune to fear for the next 10 minutes
The fishers began to advance while the elite continued leering and laughing. Huxley’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh, that’s how it is? You’re so scared of me that you’ll send civilians to fight your battles for you? Why don’t we handle this like men? I challenge you to a duel!”
The elite stopped laughing abruptly, and its ugly face got even uglier when its leering grin twisted into a scowl. It screamed in rage, and a golden dueling arena expanded to surround them.
Challenge accepted
Duel commencing in 10 seconds
Giant Slayer: +3 Strength for the duration of the duel
The elite turned and raised its bronze short sword, screeching at the fishers. They cheered back, crowding around the arena. Huxley didn’t really expect that to work, he was just caught up in the moment, but he wasn’t about to complain either. It still might be hard to escape after this, but if he could draw this fight out for ten minutes, the fishers might just go back to cowering in fear.
Huxley shook his head and refocused on the problem at hand while the ten second timer counted down to the start of the duel. His axe was well-made and held up fine to the shaman’s fog but his knife was in worse shape and his bow was still back by the trees where he dropped it. His quiver was empty so he couldn’t have used his bow anyways but in the last few seconds before the duel started, Huxley noticed that one of the arrowseeds he threw earlier was inside the dueling arena, a spot of green standing out from the surrounding black soil.
When the timer ran down, the elite stopped working the crowd and charged straight in with a lunging thrust. Huxley swung his axe, and missed as the elite drew up short. It stepped in for a slash against Huxley’s thigh before leaping back to avoid his axe as Hux swung it back in the other direction.
You take 16 damage from Lv 7 Elite
(-3 from armor)
HP: 37/100
It took a victory lap around the edge of the arena, holding its sword up and prompting something like “the wave” in the watching fishers as he passed. The next time the elite charged in, Huxley took another big swing and a miss, but let go of his axe when his opponent came in for its real strike.
Stab-wounds weren’t deadly enough that he needed to avoid them in this game. All he had to do was keep his HP above zero, so he grabbed the elite’s sword-arm while taking the next hit on purpose.
You take 18 damage from ????? Lv 7 Elite
(-3 from armor)
HP: 22/100
Before the elite could slip away, Huxley got hold of its wrist, lifted it high, pivoted, and brought it down again. The elite went sprawling, disarmed. Huxley fell on top of it and pulled its arm behind its back. He reached for his knife but had to stop when the Elite nearly broke free.
Its muscles were dense and strong, stronger than anything its size had a right to be. The elite pushed itself back up to its knees with a single arm even with Huxley riding on its back. Huxley chopped at the inside its elbow with his free hand, but the limb didn’t buckle and the Elite stood a second later. Huxley pushed it away to make some space and drew his knife in a reverse grip.
There was no mirth left in the elite’s expression. Just rage. It was wary of Huxley now, and it eyed the sword between Huxley’s feet as it circled him. He might have been able to take this elite in a fair fight, but starting out tired and wounded, he would need an edge.
As quickly as he could, he opened up his game-menus and put all of his free attribute points into Strength. While he was doing that, the elite lunged forward to retrieve his sword. Huxley kicked it behind him and drove his knife forward, but he reacted too late. The elite ducked the knife, rolling forward and grabbing its sword before springing back to its feet behind Huxley.
Hux took a couple steps to the side and the elite moved to cut him off from his axe. A couple more steps, and he was able to position the elite just where he wanted him. When it came in for the next attack. Huxley deflected the blade up with his left forearm and brought his hand down on the Elite’s right bicep while he grabbed its breastplate’s left shoulder strap with his other hand.
You take 15 damage from ????? Lv 7 Elite
HP: 7/100
Before the elite could stab him again, Huxley dropped his hips to the ground, pulling down on its arm and shoulder while planting a foot in the monster’s stomach. As strong as it was, the elite was still lighter than Hux and was lifted off of its feet and sent head over heels. Hux hooked his other leg around its neck while the elite monster was still airborne, pulling it into a snug armbar by the time it landed hard on its back.
Huxley controlled its sword arm and he was strong enough to resist the monster’s flailing this time. It could only kick helplessly, gnashing its needle teeth and reaching for Hux with its free hand while he snatched up the arrowseed in the dirt next to them. He stabbed it into the elite’s side, where it couldn’t reach with its free hand to pull it out. Then he turned all his attention to keeping the hateful critter from breaking free.
For a few seconds, nothing happened, and Huxley worried that the arrowseed actually did break from the fog. Its leafy fletching was wilted and black veins of corruption ran down its length. Then it flashed green, looking just a bit healthier as a notification popped into view.
Arrowseed drains 1 HP from Lv7 Elite
Arrowseed HP: 3/10
Five seconds later the arrowseed drained two HP from the elite, and every five seconds after that the damage got a little bit worse. The elite continued to struggle, but they were much more closely matched now, and Hux had all the leverage. Not even one and a half minutes later, the fight was over.
Arrowseed drains 17 HP from Lv7 Elite
(-3, not enough HP remaining in target)
Arrowseed HP: 152/10
You have slain Lv7 Troglodyte Chieftain (Elite)
(0/150 HP, 6 armor)
+100 exp
You have leveled up!
You have 5 free attribute points to spend
(80/600 exp to level 6)
After fighting his way through all the guards and wrestling with the elite, Huxley was exhausted and his stamina bar was hardly replenishing itself at all. Looking around at the fishers surrounding him, he guessed that this was as far as he could go on his own. When he respawned back at the Ancient Harbor, he would have to look up Pauline and her group.
Then, at about the same time that the dueling arena disappeared, the red glow faded from the monsters’ eyes and their nameplates turned green. Then they just stood there, staring. It almost seemed like they were expecting something from him. Well, if they weren’t going to attack, Huxley didn’t mind. He let his head flop back into the dirt and he checked his minimized notifications.
You have discovered the traits of Troglodyte Shamans
(50 HP, 50% magical resistance)
Strength: Resistant to magic
Weakness: Physically frail
+15% progress towards Novice Woodcraft Lv7
(36%)
Troglodyte Shaman has dropped items!
Loot the shaman’s corpse to claim your prize
You have discovered the traits of Troglodyte Chieftains (Elite)
(150 HP, 8 armor)
Strength: Rallying Cry
Weakness: Proud
+18% progress towards Novice Woodcraft Lv 7
(54%)
Troglodyte Chieftain has dropped items!
Loot the Chieftain's corpse to claim your prize
Your arrowseed has taken root with 152/10 HP
Growth accelerated by 15.2 hours
8.8 hours remaining until it becomes a Lv1 Sentree
You have defeated a chieftain in a duel before their tribe!
You have earned the title: Chieftain
Monsters loyal to the previous chieftain will follow your commands
You may now use the Rallying Cry ability
Rallying Cry
Allies in range gain immunity to fear for 10 minutes
Cooldown: 24 hours
Huxley grinned, then he turned to the group of monsters.
“Would you mind getting me something to eat?”
The fishers ran to comply, Leaving huxley lying in the shade of his sapling.