Chapter 26:
Moderate chance of monsters
I awoke early the next morning and made my way quietly down the stairs, careful not to disturb the rest of the house as I prepared to leave. As I moved into the living room, I had to stifle a laugh at the sight of Hershel once again curled up on the couch.
“Better luck next time old timer,” I said quietly, as I began to turn the handle to the front door.
Before I could take another step, a motherly voice broke the silence of the morning.
“You weren’t planning on leaving without eating breakfast were you?”
I froze and slowly turned toward the kitchen. Granny Claybrook stood at the counter, her apron dusted with flour as she kneaded a lump of dough.
Her eyes flicked past me to Hershel’s curled form on the couch, and she let out a sigh, equal parts exasperation and fondness. “Suppose I should forgive my fool of a husband while I’m at it. Sam, go give him a kick and have him join us, will you?”
After a hearty breakfast in the quiet morning, Hershel and I leaned back in our chairs and sighed. Granny Claybrook’s cooking settled comfortably in my stomach, and I could already feel its revitalizing properties taking hold. Her cooking really was extraordinary.
“That should be enough to get me through the day, thank you, Granny.”
“Not a problem dear, now get yourself down the road and on to your business,” Granny Claybrook replied, as she went about preparing breakfast for the rest of the family. “I expect to see you back here in the next day or so for supper.”
Hershel grunted his agreement before giving his wife a kiss on the cheek as we headed out the door. The two of us walked out to the barn where Blue began to bray loudly as he demanded his morning oats.
I prepared Blue’s bags and brushed his coat while he ate greedily from a nearby bucket. The travel pack on his back was fixed in place, and was filled with enough provisions to last us several days if necessary. After confirming everything had been packed away properly, I turned and reached out my hand to Hershel.
“Thank you for everything” I said, as the old man rolled his eyes at me.
“Oh hush lad, you’re just a few miles down the road. I’ll stop by to check on you in a few days. I want to come along today, but I know you need your space.”
Hershel spat onto the dirt floor as he ushered us out of the barn. “We’re serious, though… you best make sure you come by for dinner. The missus will hold it against you if you don’t show, and so will the rest of the family. They… we get attached quick.”
“Alright then,” I said with a smile. “I’ll be sure to see you in a few days. Do me a favor and say goodbye to everyone for me.”
Hershel nodded and waved goodbye to Blue and I as we began to make our way down the coastal road towards our new home.
The next hour of walking was surprisingly pleasant. The roads were well maintained, and the salty breeze of the ocean air cooled us as the sun steadily rose into the morning sky. Before long, we reached a fork in the road where a sign post pointed in two different directions.
The arrow on the left side of the sign read Garner’s Valley, while the right side read Crystal Hearth Dungeon. Below the dungeon sign, a smaller sign was tacked in place beneath, with yellow letters sticking out against the wood. Warning: Monster Activity Moderate --Travel with Caution.
“Moderate? I wonder how that compares to a regular day.”
Blue snorted, which I took as the equivalent of a shrug. I dismissed the thought and began leading him in towards the valley on our left. The trail veered away from the coast and headed straight for the forest that stretched from the base of the surrounding mountains.
We had been fortunate to avoid any beasts so far on our journey, but it felt as if our luck was about to run out. Monster Activity: Moderate, the words echoed in my mind as we pressed deeper into the forest. I knew every traveler eventually faced such dangers, yet my nerves only grew with each step as I imagined the threats that might appear.
As I mulled over my lack of preparation, I felt a sudden tug on my sleeve as Blue nipped at me.
“Blue, stop. I’ll give you carrots later.”
Blue nipped at me again, harder this time, as he grabbed hold of my shirt, and pulled me to a stop. I turned to berate the stubborn ass only to find myself staring into his wide fearful eyes. He was clearly picking up on something that I hadn’t yet noticed, which caused a spike of fear to rush through my body.
My hands trembled as I drew my sickle from my belt, forcing myself to steady my breath. It was an exhilarating rush, a potent mix of fight or flight that simmered just beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed.
For several moments, I stood in silence, every nerve straining to catch whatever it was Blue had sensed. Then, at last, I heard it.
The sound was something between a dog's bark and demented laugh, the type of laugh that belonged to the witches in the stories my mother used to tell me when I was young. The noise drew closer with each passing second, and my body tightened in anticipation. Sweat prickled my skin as my grip clenched painfully around the wooden handle of my sickle.
Suddenly, a roar split the air and a massive figure crashed through the undergrowth beside me. My heart jumped into my throat, and I swung the sickle on instinct, only to falter mid strike. Confusion swept through me as I beheld the creature that stood before me. This wasn’t one of the beasts I had imagined or prepared for.
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In fact… it wasn’t a beast at all.
It was a young man with brown hair, clad in partial plate armor. A large shield was slung across his back, and he gripped a war hammer fiercely in his right hand. Streaks of blood ran from cuts above his eye, and his labored breaths shook his chest as he stumbled onto the road. It was clear he had been running for some time, pursued through the forest by whatever cackling monsters had chased him.
Upon seeing me, a look of relief and disappointment crossed his features simultaneously.
“Quickly! Ready yourself,” he gasped, as he ran towards Blue and me. “We don’t have much time before they arrive.” He then donned his shield and assumed a defensive stance in front of our sudden gathering.
“Stay close to me, and don’t die, alright? No offense, but you don’t look like someone prepared to fight Gnoll spawn.”
Gnoll spawn? I hadn’t heard the term before, and it didn’t sound promising. I turned to Blue and released the strap holding his pack in place. It fell heavily to the ground, freeing him of his burden.
“Blue, if things go badly, run back to Hershel’s home. Alright?”
He snorted irritably, staring at me with quiet indignation. Realizing I’d slighted my loyal companion, I patted his neck and whispered an apology. Blue wasn’t the type to abandon his family.
Foul odor and barking laughter announced the arrival of several dog like creatures as they padded out onto the road in front of us. They prowled on four legs, staying just out of reach as they nipped the air in front of their faces. A feral excitement glimmered in their eyes as they surveyed our small group, realizing they had stumbled upon a far larger source of food than expected.
Elongated muzzles pulled back to reveal rows of misshapen teeth, from which cackling laughter perpetually spilled from their mouths. Their fur was matted with blood, and it was patchy in places as if they all had a severe case of mange. I counted five in total and each was comparable to a large sized farm hound.
“Alright, I’ll draw their attention. Be ready to follow my lead,” the warrior called out, as a wave of potential burst forth from his body. The aura swept over me, harmless, yet it was charged with raw aggression. It felt like the presence of a man daring the world to strike him down, and for a moment, I had to fight the urge to lash out myself.
The gnolls reacted instantly as their heads snapped toward him, lips curling to bare their jagged fangs. The air filled with their snarls as the warrior became the sole focus of their rage. With a chorus of guttural cries, they lunged at him in unison, driven mad by the fury his aura ignited.
“COME AT ME” the man yelled defiantly, as he thrust his shield out to rebuff two of the beasts at once. Two more gnolls flanked his shield, and nipped at his left side only to bite down harmlessly onto his iron grieves.
Taking advantage of the brief distraction, the last gnoll on his right lunged, and managed to latch onto the wrist that was holding his hammer. Its jaws crunched down on his armored forearm, and though failing to spill blood, its vice like grip greatly reduced the mobility of the defender.
“Now!” The man growled, as he gritted his teeth against the pain.
At his command, I shoved my fear aside and lunged, driving my sickle into the gnoll clinging onto his arm. The blade bit deep, tearing into flesh, but not enough to fell it in one strike. The beast shrieked and thrashed, desperately holding onto the man’s wrist. Snarling, I wrenched the weapon free and swung again. This time, it had the desired effect: the gnoll yelped and staggered back, finally releasing its grip.
The warrior bellowed and slammed his shield forward, sending a shockwave that knocked the four gnolls before him off their feet. He then charged beside me and brought his hammer down on the one I had wounded moments before. It’s bones shattered with a sickening crack, as the blow struck with such force that it seemed to make the creature’s body explode beneath the weight of the swing.
The warrior’s chest heaved with exhaustion as he steadied himself on his feet. His strength was immense, but it was clear that it was draining fast. Each powerful attack he performed seemed to come with some cost that drained away his stamina.
The man glanced at me for only a heartbeat, but it was enough, I knew we shared the same grim thought. If nothing changed, neither of us would leave this forest alive.
“You should run while you can,” he said, his voice shaking with exhaustion. “I’ll hold them off and buy you some time.”
I didn’t consider his words for even a moment. There was no way in hell I was going to leave him to be torn apart while I ran to safety. Then, as if in response to my resolve, I watched in awe as salvation sprang forth from the corpse of the fallen gnoll.
I stepped beside my armored ally and ignored his desperate pleas for me to run away, as I knelt to sweep my sickle through that beautiful stalk of potential.
The essence flowed into me eagerly and burned through my veins as I absorbed its power. It was more potential than I had ever gathered at one time, and the excess power visibly seeped from my skin like steam.
“Get ready to swing that hammer,” I said, stepping to the warrior’s side and resting a hand on his shoulder.
I willed the potential inside me to transfer into him, as I activated my skill Power Boost . I pictured his strength returning, his power surging, and his stamina replenishing. My application was inexperienced, but as I had done before, I compensated for my lack of finesse with sheer abundance of potential
As the amplified potential flowed into the man, his muscles bulged with power and his grip tightened upon his hammer.
A look of unbridled joy spread across his face as the last of my potential infused into his body.
In a sudden burst of movement, he moved with incredible speed towards the remaining group of gnolls. His hammer whistled through the air with terrifying force, smashing one skull and, with the follow through, obliterating a second in a single devastating swing. The gnolls remains arced across the road as they drenched the last two cackling fiends in blood and gore.
The remaining pair of gnolls yipped and fled into the trees before the hammer could swing a second time. Their frantic, howling laughter, gradually faded as they vanished into the depths of the forest surrounding us.
"That's right! Run, you bleeding cowards!" The warrior bellowed, as his voice roared with triumph. He pumped his hammer into the air, and continued to taunt his attackers as they ran deeper into the trees.
As he turned from where the gnolls had fled, I watched with growing concern as he stumbled and sank to one knee. Ragged breaths shook his chest and sweat streaked across his blood stained face.
“Oh, salted hells… give me a moment,” he panted, forcing a grin. “I can’t remember the last time I felt this tired.”
“Take your time… I think we are in the clear now,” I said, as I crossed the bloodstained path to stand beside the two newly slain gnolls. I knelt and swept my sickle through the ethereal stalks that now sprouted out of their bodies.
The harvested potential surged through me, filling my reservoir to the brim. As before, the excess poured from my body like water through a sieve.
Notice:
Spirit Harvest is now Rank 1: Level 2.
Power Boost is now Rank 1: Level 2
As the awareness of my skills progression settled into the depts of my being, I couldn’t help but smell the faint scent of mint as it lingered in the air.
Path Ability: [Reap] (Domain:Divine)
Path Ability: [Sow] (Domain:Divine)
Spirit Harvest: (Rank 1: level 2) - Harvest spiritual potential from an available source. Potential harvested in this way will automatically be placed in a users internal reservoir. Excess potential will be lost.
Power Boost (Rank 1: level 2) - Amplifies the muscular output of a target, increasing the force and effectiveness of their physical movements. Their actions become stronger and more forceful, allowing them to strike harder, lift more, and perform physical labor with greater intensity for a short duration. When the effect ends, accumulated strain may leave the target fatigued. This skill scales with the target’s Strength attribute.
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