[Satar' Fuv Jeric Level 24]
Drake clenched his left fist, his right creaking as the earth began to crack between his fingers.
"Th-they're using human shields...?" Harley muttered in disbelief.
Claire leaned forward over the wooden rail of the guard post, her eyes pointed as she bared her teeth, her fingers wrenching the wood below them.
Drake met eyes with the Goblin, its disgusting yellowed teeth grinning from green pointed ear to pointed ear, it walking forward ahead of the line of human shields as it locked and kept the glare Drake was giving it.
The Goblin then unsheathed one, then another medieval-looking short sword, placing it on the struggling human on the block of woods neck.
Drake's aura flared, but he was unable to move fear of retaliation for the rest of the human shields.
The Goblin noticed Drake's hesitation and threw its head back in a cackle as it gently pulled the sword across the person's neck, a river of red pouring out as they struggled more until they limped covered in their own blood.
"That bastard! Aren't you going to do something?!" Claire shouted, turning her head to Drake.
"If I do anything I could make a mistake and kill any one of those people on those shields," Drake said through gritted teeth.
"If you do nothing then they will all die! Are you just going to abandon all of them?" she pleaded, "Don't let them be used by those sick bastards like this! Save them like you saved me!"
Drake felt his body heat up, a feeling he hadn't encountered since he was fired, a feeling he could only vaguely remember although it was so present in his mind only a few days ago when he was told the truth by Stewart.
Hatred.
Drake saw the Monster move to another woman, tears in her eyes as she looked at the blade slowly encroaching on her throat. The tears in her eyes turned to rivers as she vehemently struggled to get away, screaming and kicking the board below her.
Natto.. He thought, the reluctance but pure determination coming through.
"Drake, I am against it. We don't know what it will do to your psyche!" she warned.
The Goblin took its time slicing the woman's throat, licking the blade as it snickered. Raising one arm and shouting, the line of Goblins moving forward as it moved behind the line and walked in turn a smile on its face as it looked directly into Drake's eyes.
The damn that held Drake's emotions began to rattle, began to crack. He could feel it. But the only emotion leaking through was one of unadulterated seething hate.
No.
No more. No more watching as people who I can help, suffer in front of me as I sit and debate the possible consequences. I will go above and beyond. I'll go beyond what's needed, what's expected. Drake promised.
Pulling out two stones from his inventory holding them in his left hand, he turned to Claire.
"Claire, chant," he said tersely
Claire's eyes turned soft, relief painting her face as she nodded, moving to the rampart as she began chanting.
"The heavens shine brightly down upon the land," she started, closing her eyes, as Drake moved next to her, making sure no monster attacked while she was casting, the bright magic circle forming below her.
Drake looked down at the stones again.
If I have to break myself, force myself to rebuild from the ground up to do what needs to be done. Drake thought, gripping the stones.
[You wish to consume Skill Stone: Lightning [Rare]
[Confirm?]
[Yes] [No]
[You have learned Skill: Magic Exposure [F Rank]
Drake felt the potent pulse of power as he consumed the stone. His body rippling in it as he forced the process to stay stable within him, his eyes now up and fixated on the Goblin that lurked behind the line of human shields.
[You wish to consume, Skill Stone: Oppression [Rare]
[Confirm?]
[Yes] [No]
[You have learned Skill: Tyrant's Indomitability [F Rank]
The power of the stone pushed and wormed its way through Drake's body, the heat merging with the heat of his emotions, the wall not able to withhold as he imagined how he would kill and make the monster suffer with his bare hands.
Then it will be done! Drake shouted internally, the damn inside of him breaking, the rapid flooding of his backed-up hatred coming full to bear.
His eyes flashed yellow, his mouth wording a phrase, "Marked."
Claire continued to cast next to him, as Drake began rapidly going through his own defensive spells.
"But the world will not be protected from the rumbling of my heart!" Claire shouted, the deep timber of thunder sounding.
Drake cast his own Guardians Reprieve, Unbreakable, and Bulwark in quick succession. His body flashed in three successive green-hued lights.
"I call down the rain, I call down the thunder! Be blessed in your fury my people!" she chanted.
Drake did not snap his hands this time, but instead clapped them, his earthen arm then disintegrating as a light yellow magic circle formed in front of himself a javelin of lightning forming.
"I'm going to save them all. Even if my body breaks. First is you then I will kill that sac of shit King of yours!" Drake shouted, holding the javelin in his left hand.
"We are the wind of change! We are the storm that crashes upon the world! Storm Caller's Rising!" Claire howled as the spell finished, and a bolt of lightning crashing to her, as she fell to one knee barely able to stay conscious this time from the exhaustion of the spell.
[You have been affected by beneficial magic from a party member.]
Storm Caller's Rising is in effect for 30 seconds.
Drake instantly chanted his spell, dropping all of his free points into his Dexterity. Bringing it to 250 and over 300 with his accessories.
"Endowment of Lightning, twofold, Flash Step!" Drake shouted for the first time pushing his Heretical Mind to change his Endowment skill. The javelin in his hand shrank as he felt his status plummet down to half, his body creaking from the intense increase of his stats combined with the new spell, a bead of red falling from the side of his mask, but Drake was not finished.
"Water Trifold, Asura!" Drake screamed, as three magic circles formed on his shoulders, two to his right and one behind his left.
Three shimmering light blue arms formed and swirled at the base of his shoulders. And moved to his command, the moment they materialized the fingers sharpened to thin water blades.
The Goblin Satar' looked on unperturbed until he saw Drake cast his last spell, his eyes widening in fear, as he scrambled to get to the nearest human shield.
But Drake gave him no time.
From the Rampart Drake shot forward with such speed it looked nearly impossible. He moved from the wall to Satar' in an instant, the boom of his movement sounding seconds after he had arrived next to the monster.
"Fear is binding, Cower," Drake chanted, his hand on the chest of the monster, the dark inky like smoke moving quickly to its head from Drake's hand.
Satar's eyes glazed over as it began running around wildly, the rest of the Goblins on the front suddenly turning noticing Drake's appearance.
"Five seconds is plenty to kill every last one of you… Then, I will deal with him," Drake said coldly, as he flexed his aura, freezing the nearby Goblins for a moment.
But that was all it took for Drake to move in a flash through the ranks of their line, bisecting and beheading any monster in his wake. The blocks holding the people fell to the ground gently, their bonds cut by Drake's multiple water arms.
In less than 5 seconds he removed every Goblin besides Satar' from the plains.
Satar' came out of its stupor with a shake of its head, looking around to a wasteland of his former battalion, its eyes quaking in fear. Quickly turning to the forest, ready to run, but standing there in his way was Drake.
"I'm going to, for the first time in my life. Enjoy watching you suffer as you get what you deserve," Drake said.
With a flash of blue his arm moved, cutting off Satar' left arm.
The monster took a moment to notice the lack of his appendage, as it gasped and looked to its left. It pulled in a ragged breath as it tried to use a movement skill teleporting to cover within the forest.
But Drake had already marked the monster and immediately moved to it at the same moment.
"You will not find a place I can not reach you," Drake muttered frigidly, then chanted another spell, "Atrophy of the Mind," Drake chanted, shortening the spell.
One of Drake's arm's moved again, and the Goblin Satar' lost his right arm, it moving its head to look at the stump of a shoulder, flabbergasted.
Drake's two right arms moved. And Satar' became half his height as he lost his legs. Then stabbing the monster in its chest with his three water arms. It struggled as blood leaked from its mouth.
[Beneficial magic: The Stormcaller's Rising, has expired]
Finally canceling his Endowment, feeling the ache and pain of the spell going beyond what his body could handle catching up to him.
But he ignored it, as his arms turned to ice, slowly freezing over stopping the blood from puncture wounds from running out of the Monster.
Drake then moved to the middle of the plains casually, Satar' struggling despite having no arms nor legs.
The people Drake had rescued had gathered, their eyes finding the Goblin quickly, scowls painting their expressions.
"All of you, go to the outpost," Drake said his expression emotionless, but his eyes fierce.
No one argued this time with Drake, as they felt the aura surrounding him pressing down on them ever so slightly, warning them that it was not a suggestion but an order.
Quickly all of the people moved to the gates of the Outpost, as it slowly opened and welcomed them in. Drake's party still on the wall of the rampart.
"Drake, what are you doing? Kill that monster and move on! This is not like you!" Natto shouted.
"No," Drake said, throwing the monster as high as he could into the air, its body spinning wildly as it flew upward, "I'm going to send another message, wherever that King is. That this is what's coming for him," Drake scowled, his three arms melting away as his endowment changed to Ice, his hair glimmering to pure white.
"Operation X. Soft Flame," Drake whispered, a crimson circle formed at his shoulder, an arm of fire molding to pulse lightly towards the ground as Drake turned making himself perpendicular to the ground, the fire propelling him above it.
"Hard Flame," Drake said softly, a pulsing flame forming in his left hand pointed right at the spinning half-dead corpse of the Monster, the glow of the spells highlighting his hair and tattoo with a reddish tinge.
Drake dumped everything into the spell in his left hand, the flame shimmering to a bright blue, then his new skill changed it further as it was bleached of all color to a bright white flame that heat threatened to consume him.
Throwing his hand open and forward, Drake aimed right at the sky behind the Monster.
"X-Burner!" Drake roared.
The white pillar of fire exploded forward into the sky, engulfing Satar' as it lit up the entire sky. The spell shone so brightly that the entire area was illuminated in a beautiful horrifying white hue like a nuclear explosion had erupted from the ground and funneled into the sky.
[You have defeated Goblin General: Satar' Fuv Jeric Level 24 [F Rank] [Experience Earned and 350,000 TP rewarded]
[Congratulations, you have increased to Elemental Miller level 17] [40 Free Points have been awarded]
Tyrant's Indomibility P1(0%) [F Rank]
Your will can not be undone and not be denied. Nothing will impede your rule.
Passive Effect: Any and all External and Internal debuffs will be reduced by 150% effectiveness. (Increased based on Proficiency)
Reduction will only bring effects down to 0 and will not convert said effects to beneficial ones.
Magic Exposure P1(0%) [F Rank]
Lay bare the rules of magic. Strip your enemies of their right to protection through the expertise of your magic.
Passive Effect: Spells and Skills now strip targets of 150% of their Defensive effectiveness. (Increased based on Proficiency)
Effects will bring Defensive effectiveness of those affected into the negative if there is a remaining amount after reaching 0.
Effects can not stack on the same target.
Spells now cost 50% more. (Reduced based on Proficiency)
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you for reading as always. If you are enjoying the fiction please consider following, rating and throwing it a favorite! It is always appreciated! See you Friday. Cheers.
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If you would like to also become a patron and read some of the advanced chapters, which are released once or twice daily or to the end of Volume 1, you can find the link at the bottom of the chapter or at Arthur_Inverse where you can read ahead from 1 chapter up to 30+ chapters as Draft Edits.
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"So, did I tell you about that time when I was 22 and got involved with the Russian Mafia?"
"The only thing you got involved with at 22, was that girlfriend of yours in college, who was nothing but a major ball hog!" laughed the other man.
"Relaxed as ever I see," Shigure said, walking up behind the two guards on the reconstructed rampart outside the main outpost's walls.
"Lord Shigure! W-we're sorry we didn't mean to-" the man said, fumbling over his words until Shigure held his hand up.
"It's quite fine. That just goes to show what a good job Sir Bear is doing holding off the mountains of Monsters that seem to keep finding their way here. Is he still out?" he asked.
Before the man could answer a loud crash sounded in the forest beyond their vision, a large black cut the only thing visible above the treeline.
"That answers that…" Shigure laughed wearily.
"Yes, Sir Bear has been out there non-stop since the change in the quest, he's even managed to kill two Generals and many more Lieutenants," the other man replied a smile on his face as he looked out into the forest.
"That is very reassuring but I don't want him overdoing it. We only have a few more days until the King of these beasts comes out. I'll go fetch him, we have a wall for a reason and I wish he would realize that…" Shigure sighed, hopping off the wall and onto the ground, walking out in the direction of the crash they heard earlier.
A few minutes of brisk walking Shigure came upon a scene of carnage, the ground split in two, a great chasm in front of a daunting man holding a large Claymore in his one hand, Goblins covering the ground around him.
"Bear… working hard as ever," he voiced, taking in the scene his eyes stopping on a large Goblin bisected down the center a little further down the scar on the ground.
"Oh! Shigure! Good that you finally decided to come out, going to stay for a bit this time? The monsters are only getting stronger and we need to keep up if we want to protect the camp bro," Bjorn said smiling, the claymore moving to rest on his shoulder.
Shigure's face turned to a glower as he crossed his arms.
"You know very well I can't do that… If you are out here that means I have to be in there in case anything gets past you! That's why I'm here! You've been hogging all the monsters!"
Bjorn smiled knowingly, "Ah that's what this is about? So I take it you've seen the ladder then and you're getting worried then?"
Shigure fell back on one foot, "What? Of course not! I just don't wish to fall behind any more than I already have, and with this invasion it is the perfect time to level up," he said, fixing his obi.
"Lord Shigure," a female voice from behind him suddenly said, "You need not worry about someone so below you, even if he has risen through the levels, that is only because he was so low at the start. Remember, giving birth to a baby is easier than worrying about it."
Shigure sighed but the strange saying calmed him slightly.
"I suppose you are right Uta, I am putting the cart before the horse as they say. He may have begun catching up, but the levels are not the only difference between us I'm sure…"
[Top Level Leaderboard]
[Rank 1: Bear Level 26]
[Rank 2: Shigure Kenzo Level 23]
[Rank 3: Joker Level 20]
[Rank 4: Chris Springs Level 20]
[Rank 5: Super Megan Level 18]
[Rank 6: Ladden Hampert Level 18]
[Rank 7: Big Willy Level 18]
[Rank 8: VitaminD Level 18]
[Rank 9: xXxGunLover69xXx Level 17]
[Rank 10: Shot Level 17]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Miss Chelsea, this one must advise that we go hence from this place. Whether thy comrade dwells thitherward tis irrelevant. This place is filled to the gullet with Goblins, and…"
Theodore and Chelsea both looked down from their perch in a tree, both still concealed by Theodore's magic, but close enough to converse in whispers.
Theodore looked down at the disfigured gnarled Goblin bound in chains that stood at the front of a cave that had been boarded up and had a soft glow to it.
[Gruubrik Fuv Jeric Level 23]
Chelsea bit her bottom lip seeing the named Goblin standing in front of where they had tracked her group to. Her frustration built when she thought on how she was not strong enough to kill it herself, and her anger for being helpless, only able to watch as the army circled around the cave.
"But…They're waiting…" Chelsea murmured.
"What would the foul beasts be pausing their assault for? Shouldeth they not hast the strength to penetrate such a blockade?" Theodore whispered in confusion.
Chelsea shook her head although Theodore could not see it.
"No, we have. Had, four healer-based classes in our group including Megan, and Jacky. One of the other two, Julia turned into a protection specialist," Chelsea pointed out of habit to the white-hued glow the barricade gave, "That is one of her reinforcement spells. It's very powerful but only lasts so long… I don't know how long they've been at it but she will without a doubt run out of mana even with potions to help her regeneration. We need to do something soon."
Chelsea gripped her bow, the wood creaking ever so slightly under her grip.
"We mustn't do anything drastic. We are only meant to find the location and leave the rest to our Lord. We canst help them if thou is but a stiff body on the ground or worse," Theodore implored.
"I! I-i can't just sit here and watch or go back and wait though..! Are you asking me to abandon my friends when they are right there in front of us?" Chelsea said, her voice shaky.
"This one is only asking thou to take the best course of action, there art hundreds of those beasts thitherward. And General, of which we knoweth. What lurks in the shadows we hast not the faintest. My Lord would not forgive me, Harley would not forgive me if this one allowed you to put thouself in danger knowing it could have been avoided," Theodore entreated.
Both fell silent for a moment, the sound of the clatter of armor and weapons below them from the army of Goblins below, their armor clanking as they bumped into each other clamoring to get closer to the cave in which they had cornered their prey.
"I-..." Chelsea's lip quivered before she gripped her bow tightly once more, using the fine and familiar weapon to calm herself, "Let us hurry. There isn't a second to lose."
Both jumped from tree to tree, only the slightest of shakes to the branches as they moved past the army of goblins and the noise they made, both running at full speed back to the outpost.
Chelsea looked over her shoulder once more as the army faded from view.
Please stay safe. I'll return with help, I promise!
------------------------------------------------------
"Know your fucking place, Turner!" Chris shouted, his breath ragged as he used his gauntleted hand to smack the man to the floor, "This is your fucking fault! If only you had listened and not fallen back we could have made it to that outpost!" he screamed, looking to the makeshift barricade with unsteady eyes.
"But.. I would have died if we stayed any longer! Chris you can-" the man tried to reason with him, but was silenced again by the backhand of a gauntlet.
"Just shut the fuck up! We are in this mess because of you!" Chis shouted back, his eyes wildly moving from person to person in the cave.
Each one looked at him with fear and disgust.
"What are you looking at?! Keep that goddamn wall solid if you don't want to die! Those monsters can break in at any moment if Julia runs out of mana!" Chris commanded.
How did this happen..! Why! Why did this invasion have to get worse! It was going so well! I got rid of that pathetic annoying bitch Chelsea and her little posse, but then it all went to shit when the invasion came and we didn't have enough people! Fuck, fuck, fuck! He thought anxiously.
"Chris…" a voice said behind him.
"What?!" He roared turning around to see Megan, their most valuable healer.
Megan stood up to Chris's chest at around 5 feet, her blonde hair shimmering with the dim lighting of the torches in the cave.
"M-Megan… I'm sorry I'm just stressed.." he said quickly, fixing his tone and putting back on his facade.
"It's alright…I think everyone is stressed, but we'll get through it I'm sure. We've fallen on hard times before but we've always gotten through it. It's just, I'm just worried about Chels and the others, they never came back from their scouting before this all happened. Do you think they're alright?" Megan asked concerned.
Chris cringed internally, although his outward demeanor stayed soft.
This fucking dumb bitch is still on about those useless idiots? Maybe I should have made them die in view of her, at least then she wouldn't be bugging me about them every other hour.
"I'm sure they are fine. You know Chelsea, Megan. She's too strong to die to things like Goblins," Chris lied, giving her a starlight smile, "I'm sure she's coming back to us right now and going to come to our rescue like she always does yeah?"
God, it's like speaking to a child… Well, I suppose she might as well be after the state she was in when I found her. She was essentially broken as soon as the tutorial started, now she follows me around like a helpless puppy. She doesn't even question anything I do, no matter how obvious it is that I am in the wrong. Chris thought.
Megan took a moment, her gaze moving from Chris to the rest of the group behind him struggling to keep the barrier intact and functioning. Her eyes falling on the one struggling the most, Julia.
After a long moment of silence between the two, Megan broke it, speaking up as she moved to the front with everyone else.
"I'm going to see what I can do to help Julia, I can't have her doing everything on her own!"
Chris waved, a picturesque smile on his face as he did.
I swear if I survive this, I'm going to kill every last one of them, one way or another, and then make it out of this infernal tutorial. Damn it, why did everything have to change in the first place! The company was doing so well, and my father just handed me the coziest position I could have asked for! Fuck! Fuck this place, Fuck this tutorial! And fuck that stupid old man for taking so long to give it to me! If only he had croaked a few years sooner I could have just inherited the company and lived the good life like in college!
Chris ranted in his head as he looked at the struggling members of his 'party'. His only thought on self-preservation. Seeing them all as no more than ants, tools for him to use and discard when he pleased. That was how life always was. No one said no to him.
No one.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you for reading as always. Exciting stuff coming next week! Have a great weekend everyone. Cheers.
I would like to thank all the wonderful people that have become patrons.
I would like to give an extra thank you to my T1 Patrons :
BelligerentGnu, Scott F. Fletcher D. Yang A. Aaron R., Liam B., Wolfram K., Naoggeddon, Matthew G., Abdulaziz A., Pratish S.
A bigger thanks to my T2 Patrons: Shadowpulse, Fallacha, Gavin T. Mike, Melanie S. Sphinxes, Shaunna H., Gabriel, Benji, Isaac H., M. R., Tyler, M van D., Nic, Blacklark57, Aksam, Benji, M.R., Braincase, Shakekiller, Regan B., Jonathan G. Jr., George M., Brother Grey, Jakub T.
And a massive thanks to my T3 Patrons: Jesse M. C Alex G. Bum Bumbo, Paul F. Liam B., Eb, dmf, Richard M., Richard R., Pergamon, Gavin T, Carolyne, Zane, Thomas B W., Zachary G., Michael W., skeri123, Leon O. Alfredo S., BobpleTheGreat, Richard B., DontLook@Me, Sye, Talen D., Radion, Coco-Jin, Zu'ul, eroth, Logan M., Adrian D., Chris M., Rd Zg, Jan T., Nathan V.M., Olivier M., Ugly Bastard Tag da Best, al, David E., Green S., Greenboy676, Mark T, Nathan V. M., Jame I., Adrian B., Firinen, Raymond N., UnknownS0n, Romain V., Guppy, Daniel R., xerxes, Aran K., Mr. Book-Stash, Jetforce, Quietfuzzball 8, tirily19, Tanner, CHoobler, Swampfox, SupremeTempest, Bryan R-B, Slanty, Josh, Mason G., Christian T, Navarre C H., Connor B., Pratish S., Jacob F. BobTheLost, Adam G., TheGreenKraken, SirDeP, Banroth, deadmo, Happy Pixie, jaycehunter, Jake T., James N.
An overwhelming thanks to my T4 Patron:
Cameron M.
And a special thanks to my very first two patreons:
Mark M., and Mr. Redd.
If you would like to also become a patron and read some of the advanced chapters, which are released once or twice daily or to the end of Volume 1, you can find the link at the bottom of the chapter or at Arthur_Inverse where you can read ahead from 1 chapter up to 30+ chapters as Draft Edits.
P.S. If I ever miss you in the shoutouts please just send me a message on patreon.
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