As I consider the possibilities of both options I’m interrupted by Rignaths voice in my head.
“Please excuse the interruption Jon but upon seeing your indecision I decided to conduct a survey on whether or not you should kill her.”
“Okay that’s nice and all but I think I already know what I want to do.”[me]
“But don’t you want to know what they think?”[Rignath]
*sigh* “fine, what were the results?”[me]
“Well it was close but most of the gods want you to spare her life in hopes that she will be useful in the future.”[Rignath]
I glance down at the fallen dragoness and shrug my shoulders.(Man I really wanted that power, but If I kill her now the gods might get pissed.)I kneel next to Krowola speak in my most intimidating voice.
“ Okay, I have decided to spare you this one time but from this point onward your life is mine and I expect total servitude”[me]
“And here I thought you wanted to be partners and adventure together as friends”[Krowola]
“And here I thought that you wouldn’t lower yourself to the level of a quote, dirty, inbred, monkey descended, low level, peasant, shit excuse of a human being, now shut up and get me the fuck out of here, we can discuss how our relationship will progress later”[me]
Without another word my eyes are suddenly struck blind by beams of sunlight.(Shit that’s bright)
As my eyes adjust to the light a couple big blue screens pop up in front of me
New title: Dragon Tamer
you have managed to not only defeat but also soul bond with the mighty Krowola. And thanks to your connection to her have gained a slight bonus to your abilities.
Bonus:
+2 strength, vitality, & endurance
acidic breath obtained
acid Immunity
New skill: acidic breath
Passive: Your body now contains the ability to naturally produce a potent acid in your saliva. You can control your acid production by toggling it on or off.
This skill can only be upgraded with stat points
the higher the skill level the more corrosive your acid becomes.
activation cost: 3 stamina
acid Immunity
You can no longer sustain damage from anything with a corrosive effect.
this skill is maxed out
Huh, neat... I toggle acidic breath on so that I can see its effects and then spit on the dirt which proceeds to sizzle, pop and create a tiny amount of smoke in response to my green emerald phlegm. After that, I look around and soon realize I’m back next to the dead captain who is now naked…(Kinda weird that he wouldn’t wear ANY clothes under his armor.)
...Speaking of armor why am I feeling molested? I look down and discover my new sword attached via sheath strap to the waist of a new void black armor that is an exact copy of what I was wearing before except for the two steel gauntlets that reach my elbows and a half plate set of armor that covers my chest. The chest piece is odd however due to the large insignia in the shape of a green sword surrounded by a circle of purple flames. (Holy shit if this symbolism were any more obvious a preschooler could figure it out.)
{Well I'm sorry you don’t like it master, but I thought it looked nice.}[Krowola]
“Okay and that's fine but I kinda need to stay inconspicuous at the moment so could you please remove it?”[me]
{Sir if you don’t mind me asking… Why do you care? No one knows that you come from another world or that you caused the crater, so why not just take up the masked hero persona with no backstory. That way as your legend builds the easier it will eventually become to meet the human king and see if he’s actually worth killing.}[Krowola]
“I care because I’m new to this world and enemies are the last thing I need right now. But while we’re on the topic, how did you know about my coming from another world and all that other stuff I never told you?...and did you just read my mind?!”[me]
{Actually I only heard your thoughts, and I can do that because when I ate your soul you became apart of me allowing me access into your unguarded mind}[Krowola]
“So does that mean I can see into your mind to?”[me]
{Sure if I let you, after all, I’ve been alive for centuries there's no way a greenhorn like you could ever master mind magic to the point where you could penetrate my mind}[Krowola]
“So you know everything about me?”There’s a grunt of approval “In that case why haven’t you told me where the former captain put his potions?”[me]
{Sorry sir, they should be in a brown leather satchel located near here.}[Krowola]
I look around, scanning the ruins of the former battlefield until I spy with my little eye, something brown lying on the ground about 5 meters from the dead captain's body. I jog over to it and look inside. Oddly enough, however, there’s nothing inside but a dark, seemingly bottomless pit.
“The fuck is this?”[me]
{Oh this is just bag of holding. There is a runic enchantment on it that creates a pocket dimension in which the owner can store an infinite number of goods.}
“Oh, thanks, player's guide. But how do I use it”
{*scoffs* Just stick your hand in and imagine the object you want, if it’s in there it should come out.}
Following her instructions, I place my hand inside and my hand is immediately met with the feeling of a smooth glass cylinder. Pulling out my hand I stare a clear glass jar filled with a thick red liquid.
Smiling I place the potion back into the jar. (This is so cool I can’t wait to see what kind of things I can stuff inside here… maybe if I can trap a small monster inside here I can shoot it back out at my enemies, that would be awesome) I heft the bag over my shoulder and make my way back towards Renise.
----------------------------------------
As I get close I see Renise Sitting with knees to her chest and her head down, so I decide to make my presence known. “Hey Renise, I got something for you!”I yell and she looks up in surprise.(By the gods is she pale)
“Oh, you're back, did you find everythi-….Jon, how did you get that armor?”
I give her a smug look and shrug nonchalantly. “What, this old thing? Yeah, I just found it on some old man and beat the spirit of an ancient dragon king in single combat in order to wear it without meeting the level requirements… No big deal really”
She gives me a skeptical look, scoffs, and rolls her eyes in clear disbelief. “Okay, Jon, whatever you say. Now how about those potions?”(I don’t get it, does she really think you would just let herself be worn by someone like me?){She better not.} I take the bag and withdraw the potion from before. “Will this work?” I hand her the jar. After a quick inspection she nods, “Yes this should be fine.”
After taking a swig she immediately begins to look better, as color returns to her face.
“Okay, let's give it a few minutes to really set in, then I can help you loot some more bodies.” [Renise]
“Okay, in that case, let's talk about our plan of action for now.”[me]
“Alright, what do you want to know?” [Renise]
“You said earlier that you need my help to get back to your kingdom right? So tell me where you're from, the direction, and maybe tell me a bit about why you decided that teaming up with a scavenger like me sounded like a good idea in the first place.”[me]
She scoffs at that last part gives me all the details about how she hails from a kingdom to the south called Orbine.(According to Renise the capital would be a three-day trek from here.) A beautiful and large kingdom that is under the rule of Queen Margaret. (Apparently her husband had died several years ago but she remained in power due to her eldest son being too young to take the throne for himself.) We also happened to be in the country of Virmise, a large country ran by the Cromine kingdom that has been under siege by the human king and his forces.
Unfortunately, after finishing her explanation she tries to ask about my history. “So Jon, tell me a bit more about yourself.”[Renise]
“What do you want to know?”[me]
“Tell me how a mercenary has medical knowledge.”[Renise] (She Knows!!)
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“Well...{tell her that such a dangerous profession demands some medical skill.} Don't you think that such a profession requires at least some medical knowledge?”(Thanks, Krowola){Well I did promise to keep you safe}
Renise narrows her eyes suspiciously “Yes well, be that as it may, it doesn’t explain how you're totally unharmed from the explosion earlier.”(Geez, you’ed think she would be more grateful for me helping her.) “Oh, that? I just have crazy high stats due to my insane awesomeness” Now she’s straight up glaring at me. “Show. Me. Them. Now”(I can show others my states?){Yes, and there are two ways to do this. The first is to simply register at an adventurer's guild. The second is to pull up your stat screen and click your name to bring up the option to show it publicly, but this fact isn’t known to many people other than the upper class}” Ok I’d love to but I don’t know where the nearest adventurer's guild is.”
Suddenly her face shifts into a look of embarrassed surprise “Oh, sorry I was so caught up in the moment that I forgot that most commoners don’t know about sharing their stat screens.(Did this bitch just call me a commoner?) {Well you are.}(So what? It’s still rude as hell.)Renise cuts our argument short by quickly continuing. “Any way just pull up your state screen, select your name and then select the make public option so that I can see it using analysis.”
I do as she says, and I can’t help but grin as I see for the first time my new level eight stats.
Name
Jon Sizlash
Age
20
level
8
Health
360/360 regen .01/sec
Class
None
Manna
360/360 regen .1/sec
Title(s)
The Chosen, dragon tamer
Stamina
376/376 regen .1/sec
Stats
Strength
47
intelligence
45
Agility
45
wisdom
45
Dexterity
45
Endurance
47
vitality
47
Stat points
39
Skills
Super Hero Landing
Level 3 0%
magic reinforcement
Level 2 0%
magic missile
Level 1 0%
sprint lariat
Level 2 0%
soul manipulation
Level 1 30%
Acid immunity
Max
Acidic breath
level 1 0/10 ON
Equip
Level 2 0%
Identify
Level 1 0%
Equipment
Black Dragon Armor set
Fang of the Black Dragon Sword
Her jaw drops and her eyes become impossibly wide. Her face outlined by her halo of blond hair is one of pure shock. She shakily stands up, points at me and starts to stutter,“But...How… And you!...Just...WHAT ARE YOU?!?!” (I think I may have broken her)
I put my hand on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. “Renise, listen I know it’s a lot to take in right now but I suppose the cats out of the bag now so calm down and I will try to explain.”
Renise gives a worried look, takes a deep breath, and does a 180 with her personality as she becomes serious again. “Fine but you better not leave anything out” she sits back down and motions for me to begin.
----------------------------------------
Throughout my story she is a typhoon of emotion, she cries when I tell her of my death and gives me a hug. (Somehow despite still being covered in dirt from my fall, she still smells like peaches) She shows incredible interest when I recite my meeting with the god of entertainment and is stoic when I mention my landing. But she returns to an excited demeanor when I mention my fight with Krowola.
“So you were telling the truth when you said you beat up the guardian of that armor?” She exclaims while pointing at my armor.
I’m about to reply when an old bearded man in a purple cloak climbs out of a particularly high mountain of corpses and coughs loudly to grab our attention.(How did I not notice that?) Renise and I both jump to our feet on guard, ready for whatever this creep has to offer.
“Oof, well young man, that certainly was an impressive story but I’m afraid that if it’s true I can’t let you live.” [Beard Guy]
The old man raises his hands and suddenly I feel a tugging at my soul as the shadows of all the corpses around us are dragged into a rather large sphere between his outstretched hands. “I really am sorry young man but in the name of ultimate equality, I cannot let you live” Suddenly the ball of shadow explodes into a million little arrows. I turn to Renise and tackle her to the ground as arrows whiz by, but I still feel several arrows bounce off my armor.
After the brief hail of arrows I look down at a very embarrassed and angry Renise. “Remove your hand before I do.”I look down to find my right hand cupping her breast. Out of instinct, I squeeze gently before realizing that I like my hand and jump back to my feet in surprise. (B cup? no… more like C cup)
Before I could apologize the magic man starts to monologue. “Alright boy, now it’s time to meet your doom at the hands of my undead army."
With that, all the bodies that were struck with the arrows start to shudder as the arrows sink into the body's and surround them with an ominous aura. “Now my pets, kill him but leave the girl, we can question her at our leisure later, at that Renise takes a nervous step back.
I withdraw my blade and grip the hilt with both hands. (Hey Krowola, what's going on?) {Well it looks like the man in front of us is a necromancer and he has resurrected many of the men you have killed} (Care to explain how I beat him then?) {There are two ways to do that; either kill/disable every corpse he sends your way until he tires to the point that he can no longer produce any more soldiers, or you could use you soul manipulation to drag him inside the astral plane where I can kill him. Unfortunately, you have neither the time or the skill for the later. So I do not like your odds, because even with your stats and my armor you are but a man facing an unending undead army that cannot tire.}
I shift into a wild grin. And start running towards the nearest zombies. “Hah, You idiot, do you even know what I am?! I’m a goddamn doctor, I’ve spent most of my life studying the human body and how many ways it can be destroyed, so do you really think a couple dozen deadites beat me?!?!”
I swing my blade in a wide unpracticed ark and decapitate two at once.(It may be a tad bigger than a scalpel but it’s so light and well balanced I think I can do this) {indeed he has quite the tasty soul} I kick one of the zombies in the chest and it rockets into the rest behind itself toppling them like dominoes.(so what's that supposed to mean?){It means that unlike most necromancers who simply infuse magic into the bones of the deceased. This man bonds a sliver of his own soul which not only helps control the speed of decomposition but also makes them stronger, faster, and easier to control. However my soul runs through both this armor and the blade, and that gives me just enough power to not only sever the fragile connection between soul and zombie but also to absorb that piece of his soul and eat it.} I stab another three walkers through the through and sever their vertebrae. (So does that mean that I can just stab them instead of constantly destroying the brain?) {Yup}(Cool) I start slashing randomly and get an idea from an old looney toons character.
I take my blade and hold it out in front of me as the undead stumble forward hungrily with milky eyes and grey peeling skin. "RAAAAAGH!!!! (magical reinforcement!) I take my sword and start spinning myself like a helicopter blade (WEEEEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEEE!!!!!!) heads start rolling as I get faster and faster to the point where dust blood and guts begin to be swept into my whirlwind of death.
The wind whips up small stones around me as my vision blurs and I have to close my eyes lest I get dizzy. Soon I hear screaming from the senior citizen "Wha-what the is this?"
My feet start to lose grip on the ground I feel the air slash my face with small amounts of dirt and I hear my sword whistle through the wind.
(hey Krowola, can you tell me whats going on?) {well you are currently reaching several meters into the air while devastating all the monsters near you...also your girlfriend is freaking out and trying to run away} (She's not my girlfriend and her reaction is expected, but what about the old geezer?) {Well right now he is suffering the usual physical effects of having your soul being torn apart bit by bit in a swirling tornado of hate and pain.} (So it's safe to say i'm winning?) {yes sir but I have one question} (And what would that be?)
{How do we stop spinning?}.... shit
(um...Turn of magical reinforcement... shit, still spinning........Ummm what if I sheath my sword.. okay, aaaaaaand there!) slowly I begin my descent. until I realize my spinning kept me in the so-called "eye of the storm" and now I've been thrown headfirst towards the not so friendly neighborhood necromancer (Okay I can look super cool if I can land kick on- wait is he having a stroke or a seizure?) With that thought in mind I slam into the old farts stomach with my head.
“OOF!!”[The man that reminds me of a raisin]
We are both thrown to the ground and I soon pin him down on his back. My hands pin his arms down and my leg straddle his chest. “So are you going to tell me something you old curmudgeon, what is the human kings' goal?”
“To bring equality to all races by making them all king. His goal is to rid the taboos of so-called black magic and the hunting of all sentient life be they a goblin or an orc.” He responds with a visible look of pride.
“Okay that sounds great and all but how will he enforce these laws? How does he plan to upheave centuries of status quo? Do you seriously expect centuries of prejudice to disappear just like that? Especially after provoking war for his so-called peace? ” The bag of wrinkles shrugs his shoulders.
“Why should I care? I just want to practice my craft in peace without being thrown out of every town that discovers my secret. So what if I need the occasional sacrifice for one of my experiments? That's what criminals are for.”
“What?” I can’t comprehend what I was hearing, does this guy really think any crime deserves that kind of punishment? Now don’t get me wrong I can vaguely see the reasoning behind the equality for all sentients, but it seems childish to assume that the creatures that actually consume humans and similar species for nutrients would be able to adapt to a peaceful life of cohabitation.
(Hey Krowola what do you think?) {I think it’s a good cause but trying to preach of peace while providing war is simply idiotic.} (good answer)
“I’m sorry sir but I simply can’t lose my chance to see my family again, and if that means I have to end this war, so be it” The aged necromancer sighs dejectedly and closes his eyes. “Well that’s too bad son, I really thought you could have been a potential sympathizer, but nonetheless I understand your position.” He opens his eyes sadly and starts to cry as he coughs up a small amount of blood and spits it into my eye.(Fuck!) I let go of his wrists and wipe my eyes. “So let me give you a small parting gift, Donum mortuorum!!!”
I feel his hand press against the right side of my face as a numbing sensation spreads from his hand. Before I can react it my makes my eye goes completely dark and loses all feeling…. But my eye is still open.
----------------------------------------
It is at this moment his hand falls to the ground and he releases his death rattle.
His body has already rotted to the point where I could mistake him for a corpse several decades old
I stand staring sadly at a poor oppressed old man who had genuinely earned my sympathy to a certain extent.
I stare with my one good eye until hearing the sound of steps behind me.
“Hey Jon, are you okay, is it over?”
I turn around crying as Renise covers her mouth with her hands.
She sharply sucks air in an audible gasp.
Her expression is one of pure unadulterated terror.
“Hey Renise, tell me honestly, how bad is it?”
Her shoulder sink as she releases a shaky breath that destroys my heart “Oh Jon.”