章 8: Chapter 8: Aces
I scoffed down at the corpse before spitting at it. Wiping my dagger clean on the grass, I plugged my nose. The smell is like rotten bananas and rust. As I was done cleaning the dagger, I looked around to find the sheath.
The velvet sheath was at the side, cozied in a patch of grass. My body was aching, I could barely move from my spot. The burning still lingers, but now, the worst pain I feel is the soreness in my muscles.
Just as I was about to move to pick up the sheath, the cuff on my wrist beeped, startling me. "Subject has eliminated two D Class Creatures. Reward from 'Aces on High' will be administered."
"Reward?" I murmured, a bit curious and confused.
Before I could fully process it, the cuff spoke again. "Activating AA serum."
"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed, feeling the familiar prick on my wrist. The serum coursed through my veins, burning like liquid fire. I thought I got used to it, but, it seems like I'm not.
I grit my teeth, fighting through the pain as I fell to my knees. However, after a small while, the pain began to subside. It felt weird at this point, but oddly calming.
"Status update," the cuff interrupted my thoughts, "Effect gained: Stat increase: Strength +2, Agility +2, Stamina +2, Charm +2."
In response, as if on instinct, I flexed my fingers, feeling a noticeable difference. Even after all that... It feels weird that I don't need to catch my breath.
"I wonder...", I mumbled before running over to the stealth. I quickly pick it up as I turn to run to the backpack.
"Huh!...", I took a sharp breath, "I would've sworn after fighting a huge bah- ... mutt ... and after running like that, I would've been exhausted."
I took a deep breath, picking up the backpack while placing the sheathed dagger in the side pocket. I also grab the compass. For a moment, I tilted and rotated around the compass checking it. Though my fear was right, the glass of the compass was cracked, fortunately, it still works.
Shaking my head, I point the compass before heading southeast. As I resumed walking, I held up my arm, looking at the cuff.
"Aces on High, huh...," I whispered, seeing the notification on the screen, "What does that mean?"
Then suddenly, a thought hit me, "If this says it can make me stronger...", I stopped walking, even before leaving the clearing.
"Maybe.... Maybe I should take a look at this before... Moving forward...", I said, turning around.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Sitting down on a nearby rock, I raised my arm and tapped the screen on the cuff. I exited all of the notifications before entering the home screen. Then, I noticed a new icon. It has a pixel art-style trophy with a diamond in the middle. The icon was labeled "Achievements and Rewards."
Tapping on it, a list of achievements appeared. Most were grayed out, but the one I had just completed was highlighted:
Achievement Unlocked: D Class Hunter
Reward: Stat Increase
I selected it, and more details appeared:
Congratulations! By eliminating two D Class Creatures, you have earned a reward from the Aces on High. Your stats have been increased by 2 points each (except mana).
I stared at the screen, processing the information. So... If I complete these achievements, do I get rewards? This sounds so much more like a game. I don't know if I like it... And who or what is "Aces on High"
I closed the menu and scrolled down to see the rest of the achievements. All of these are the ones greyed out.
Next Achievements:
Quantity over Quality
Progress 2/10
C Class Slayer
progress 0/2
Slayer for Slaughter
Progress: 0/5
"Great... more monsters to deal with...", I thought, sighing. But at least now there is an actual benefit to fighting these things.
The rest of the achievements are all question marks. I even tried to tap them, though, it didn't end up working. I sighed again before exiting back to the home screen.
I checked on all the other icons and it seems like the only thing that changed was the stats. It seems like all went up two like the achievement said.
Standing up, I kinda felt a bit of determination. If I was going to survive this place, I needed every advantage I could get.
Though I'm not a fan of risking my life, this seems to be the best solution. I decided to move on and head southeast since I couldn't forget I had a job to do.
.
.
.
After a while, the trees began to thin out. I looked up to see the sky as the sun was beginning to lower below its peak. I also found myself approaching the edge of the forest. Beyond the trees, I could see water scattered around. Beside all the puddles are strange flowers that look to have tiny berries on them.
I noticed the air was thick with humidity, and the sound of buzzing insects filled the air. I could even feel myself start to sweat. Also, another thing I noticed was that the gem on my necklace turned a cloudy turquoise. This must've been from the air too.
"Lovely," I muttered sarcastically, taking a deep breath and stepping forward. The ground was soft and squishy, and the smell of damp earth and decaying vegetation was overwhelming.
Elara and Kaigara said that the Chimera Serpent was somewhere in this swamp... Finding it won't be easy, but... that doesn't matter. This is for Z'zatira...
As I walked deeper into the swamp, the water level rose, and soon I was wading through a knee-deep muck. With every step, I scoped around cautiously and alerted.
I don't know what the Chimera Serpent looks like, but, from that name alone, I can only assume it's a big snake.
Suddenly, a ripple in the water caught my eye. I froze, heart pounding, and slowly reached for my dagger. The ripple grew larger, and I could see the outline of a massive shape moving beneath the surface.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, there sits a humanoid shape. They seem to have a black hooded robe that is trimmed with red and gold. On the upper back of the robe, however, two white angel wings are embroidered to it.
This figure is tending to a dying fire, occasionally poking it with a stick.
After a moment, suddenly something rustles through the bushes.
The figure turns its head towards the sound as it drops the stick. Though, the figure doesn't seem to stand up from their position.
The leaf's rustling only grows louder as the sound gets closer. And after a moment something shows out of the bushes. Black hair pushed through the shrubs and now the figure could know who was making the noise.
"K'shaar'kilvva!", the figure said happily in a deep, masculine voice.
The man then lowered their hood to reveal an older man with a peppery beard and dark grey, short hair. He had blue-ish eyes that met with Kay's deep violet eyes as she approached him with a smile.
She, however, had a simple pink dress with a white corset. Kay ran over to the man, her smile widening. He slightly stood up just in time to catch her in a warm embrace. She buried her face in his chest as he rubbed the top of her head affectionately.
"Papa, you won't believe what happened the last few days!" Kay exclaimed, her voice muffled against his robe.
He chuckled softly, looking down at her with gentle eyes. "Tell me all about it, K'shaar'kilvva."
Kay pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him while still clinging to his robe. "I met a new friend! His name is Win—well, Winston, but I call him Win. He's different, PaPa. No horns, just like you said to look out for."
The man raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "No horns, you say? And he's an adult?"
Kay nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! He's nice. He was so hungry, so I took him to the tavern! The one with apple juice, PaPa!"
She looked away for a moment before realizing she was trailing off, "Oh! You always told me to talk to anyone who didn't have horns and was an adult..., just like you!"
PaPa's expression softened, "You did well, K'shaar'kilvva."
Kay smiled up at him, her eyes shining with admiration. "And guess what PaPa! He's looking for the Angel too!"
The man's face was shocked for a moment before growing serious. He took a deep breath as if weighing his words. "The Angel... Yes, we need to find the Angel. It's the only way to make things right."
The man's eyes squinted as he held back tears, "I was the sole survivor of the summoning...."
His face seemed to tense further, "We were so close to finishing the ritual... but then the guardian... Everyone else..."
Kay's expression turned somber as she listened. "I know, PaPa... But you'll find the Angel, I believe in you!"
He hugged her tightly, "And with your help, my brave little girl, I know we will."
Kay smiled, feeling a surge of determination. "So, what do we do now, PaPa?"
The man looked into the distance, his eyes filled with resolve. "Now, we continue our search. We'll find the Angel, and when we do, everything will change."
Kay nodded, her eyes filled with hope and excitement. "We'll do it together."
The man nodded, looking down at her with a determined smile. "Yes, K'shaar'kilvva. Together."
She giggled before yawning.
The man chuckled in response, "Looks like someone needs a small nap!"
"Yeah...", She said, barely above a whisper while yawning again.
The man picked up Kay with his arm supporting her head and brought her into a large tent. Inside, it was the size of a nice bedroom, with two beds made of blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags. One was twin-sized with flowers around the bottom, and the other was slightly smaller than a queen-sized bed.
He tucked Kay into the twin bed, making sure she was comfortable. Though, he didn't forget her favorite quilt on top. Then, As he walked slightly away, he watched Kay's body pulsate.
However, he didn't look shocked, scared, or anything. He just watched as her form shifted. Now, what lays cuddled in the heap of blankets, looks to be a white kitten the size of a lion's cub. The kitten had ribbons for whiskers and tiny fluffy wings on her back. Her ribbons and tail faded into black.
He smiled softly, taking one last moment to watch Kay pur as she drifted into deep sleep, before walking to his bed. Next to his bed, he took off his shoes and robe, revealing a simple commoner's white shirt and dark brown pants. The man placed them beside a backpack as he took something tiny out of it.
Then, he went to throw a blue marble outside. The man watched it as it expanded, creating a forcefield around the whole campsite.
Finally, he went to his bed, grabbed a book from his backpack, and took out a WAMUNCH Bar. Lying on his bed, he casually read and ate the bar.
The man took a bite of the Wamuch bar, savoring its familiar taste as he read. The evening was peaceful, Kay purred softly, and the blue glow of the forcefield gave a sense of security.
Suddenly, the tranquil silence was broken by a faint, eerie whisper carried by the wind. The man's eyes snapped up from his book. He quickly ran, leaving the book and WAMUNCH Bar behind. He then opened the tent before scanning outside. He strained to listen, but the whisper had already faded.
His heart began to race. However, he paused before taking a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he focused on what he could hear.
Another whisper echoed, this time louder and clearer, sending a chill down his spine. It was unmistakable, a voice calling his name. "Vardin..."
He backed up before running to grab a small dagger hidden within his backpack. He stepped out of the tent, eyes darting through the shadows.
"Who's there?" Vardin called out, his voice aggressive and firm.
Then, a pair of glowing, red eyes appeared just beyond the forcefield, in the shadows of the brush, staring directly at him. The voice spoke again, this time with a menacing tone. "Vardin... The Angel has arrived... Though, it brings unexpected guests..."
Vardin tightened his grip on the dagger, feeling a cold sweat break out. The forcefield flickered for a moment, the blue glow flashing red before returning to the transparent blue.
"Be aware... And find them...", the voice fades into the dark.
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