He had sent Liy to go with Nora and the Sentinel. Nora protested, but Ruvick insisted he also task Liy to go hunt down Monster. This way, Ruvick will earn pure essence two times faster.
A scurry of footsteps tapped against the stone. Making a light sound, the footsteps shuffled as if it were the shadow’s giggle.
In a burst of motion, a kobold lunges from the shadow, stone spear thrust toward Ruvick's eyes. Ruvick skidded back, slamming Nil against the kobold’s spear, knocking it back. The Kobold flashed a toothy grin, then from the shadow, two blurs of movement rushed toward Ruvick, wielding a short dagger.
Yuu barreled forward, bright sword rending through both Kobolds in a flash. Yuu’s sword slices one Kobold in two through its stomach. The other one managed to jump back, rejoining the spear wielder.
(Kobold. Lvl 48)
(Kobold. Lvl 43)
The creature has a pointy face with sharp teeth. Their body is half the size of Ruvick and Yuu’s. With the light from Yuu’s sword, he can see their colour. Their bodies are dark blue, with yellow eyes.
Both Kobolds look at each other, a silent communication through eyesight only. Without any other cue. They step back, letting the shadow swallow their bodies.
“Rise”
Black tendril burst from the dead Kobold bodies, catching their lifelight like a whip. Vine connects the separated body, snapping it together as wood coalesces through. The wooden Kobold stood, kneeling in front of Rubick with bright white eyes.
“I will name you Kol.”
(Wooden Necromancer)
Glossary (3/20):
- Liyu X2
- Kobold
(Kol. Lvl 35)
“No essence?” This means the Kobold develops its sight in darkness naturally. Ruvick hopes humans have developed some way to counter the Kobold’s ambush. He should’ve asked Nora for more information on them. The young human seems very knowledgeable.
(Fire Enforcement)
Green flame coils around Nil and extends to envelop Ruvick. The green took over the white light from Yuu’s sword, bordering the darkness.
STR: 152 [+15] [+30] = 113
DEX: 145 [+25] [+50] = 113
INT: 95
Power thrummed inside of him, and his tingling senses came alive. His wooden skin feels lighter, stronger.
A flicker of shadow steps against the green light on the cave floor.
(Vine Whip)
A tendril of gleaming green Vine shot out of Ruvick's arm. They connected to something. Ruvick pulled, and a cry echoed against the cave. A Kobold crashed against the floor right in front of Ruvick. Its leg was scorched by his Vine. The Kobold gives him a teary gaze, fear brimming in those yellow eyes. Ruvick thrust Nil down. The green flame drowned out the Kobold's last cry.
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 43)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
RUVICK LVL 27.
“Rise”
Another wooden kobold stood, this one also held a short sword like Kol.
“Your name will be Lorn.” Lorn nodded. Raising his sword in acknowledgment.
Ruvick scans his skill.
Skill =
- Wooden Necromancer. (Grade E)
- Root Extension. (Grade D)
- Fire Enforcement. (Grade D)
- Vine Whip. (Grade E)
His Fire Enforcement has gone from E to D, but his Wooden necromancer still stays in E. He wondered what exactly the requirement was to level up a Skill. Leveling up his normal stat doesn’t seem to have any correlation.
It might be skill usage.. Ruvick decided.
He has used Fire Enforcement the most out of his other skills.
Ruvick, along with his three undead, moves deeper into the cave. He could make out the sound of light footsteps following them. Slowly surround them as times go on. How many were there? His core thrummed full of anxiety. He did not dare to turn off his Fire Enforcement. Not with those sounds of footsteps stalking them.
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“Stop” Ruvick mutter. Three of them did, surrounding him in a triangle formation. With Yuu in front of him.
Ruvick closed his eyes. The sound of Yuu’s flame is a calm sizzle. A footstep thud. Then another.. They cannot stay like this. Ruvick mana is plenty but not limitless.
Without a word, Ruvick orders Kol and Lorn to switch positions. They did, following his order exactly. This will be very useful.
He ordered Kol to charge ahead, testing how the Kobolds will react. Kol rush in, passing through Yuu. He jumped into the darkness.
A moment passed.
Steel clank.
Ruvick's vision blurred.
He opened his eyes to find himself holding a blade. He has his blade locked with a Kobold. The Kobold somehow has the same height as him. The cave is bright, he almost misses the green flame of Nil. Then.. He looks at the center of the flame. Wooden slim body, green flame dances around its wood. He can make out its core green light between its shoulders. Ruvick's real body fell to the ground.
He occupied Kol's consciousness by wishing to see from his point of view.
Ruvick pushed his blade forward, overpowering the Kobold in front of him. The Kobold fell back. He slashed down his blade right into the Kobold’s neck. Drawing blood ends its life.
(Kol Slain Kobold)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Kol. Lvl 37)
A whoosh of wind whispered against his ear. Ruvick spun, and he brought up his blade. Catching a sword that would have split his head in two, a spark glinted as their steel met. The Kobold’s momentum pushes his sword against his shoulder. Then a blazing pain made him scream. He looked down, a spear jutted through his stomach. Ruvick heard wood crackling, his life fading.. In his last defiance inside this body. He grasped the spear tightly with his right hand, and his whole body screamed in protest. With his left hand, he choked the sword-wielding Kobold in front of him.
His consciousness faded.
Ruvick jolted up. Bright white light moves erratically across the dark cave. If not for his green light, his vision would be blinking out. Yuu’s battling against three kobolds, one of which lay dead near his feet. Ruvick's hand moves toward his stomach, and he clenches his wooden stomach. Still alive.
“Charge!” Ruvick shouted. Lorn, who had been guarding him, nodded. Both of them bolted toward the area where Kol had taken down.
The green light rushed in, the darkness dissipated, revealing a wooden kobold holding a spear and choking another kobold with that wooden hand, clamp tight across its throat.
The spear-wielding Kobold redoubles its effort to pull its spear. Ruvick lunges, Nil thrusts right into the Kobold's stomach. It cried, and green flame flared brightly. Its body thumped down, burning.
Ruvick slowly turned, and Lorn just observed, not taking the easy kill. The other Kobolds were still struggling, gripping Kol’s wooden hand, which did not even budge. Horror is apparent in its eyes. Ruvick drove Nil straight to its head.
Its head burns, still held by Kol's hands.
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 45)
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 48)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
RUVICK LVL 37.
The flash of white still swung across the darkness. Ruvick made out the white light blinking out as the clash of steel rings.
“Rise!”
Ruvick runs forward with Kol, not bothering to watch his skill to shape.
White light, join in by Green.
Yuu has his back against the cave wall. Parrying away three sword-wielding Kobolds.
Ruvick rushes in. One Kobold noticed him, it turned to face him. but Ruvick is much faster. Nil snaked inside its neck just as the Kobold brought up its sword. He pulled Nil back, letting the Kobold fall.
Lorn swung, scoring a deep gash separating an arm. The Kobold cries, it stumbles back, falling. Lorn finished it with a blade to its throat.
With one opponent remaining. Yuu makes quick work of the last Kobold. He swung his sword in a downward arc. White flame sears the Kobold into two.
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 53)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
(Level Up!)
RUVICK LVL 42.
Ruvick calmed his ragged breath down. His core thumped with great exhalation. He turned off his Fire Enforcement.
Two wooden kobolds joined them. Bowing their head, they knelt in front of Ruvick. This he did not hate for some reason. Something about this feels.. earned. What is this quicken jolt his core is experiencing? Is it Joy?
“Rise”
Black tendrils explode from the three death kobolds. The life light caught and forced down right back into the Kobold's body. Three more wooden Kobolds are risen.
Five Kobolds kneel.
RUVICK LVL 42
RACE: TREANT
CLASS: Verdant Sapling
HP: 4200/4200
MP: 1215/2300
STR: 315
DEX: 315
INT: 195
Pure Essence: 5000.
Skill =
- Wooden Necromancer. (Grade D)
- Root Extension. (Grade D)
- Fire Enforcement. (Grade D)
- Vine Whip. (Grade E)
(Wooden Necromancer)
Glossary (8/100):
- Liyu X2
- Kobold X6
A hundred.. Excitement bloomed inside Ruvick, and a sense of relief overwhelmed him. This will help heavily toward the forest defense. How many undead will he be able to raise if he levels up his Wooden necromancer skill again?
Also, 5000 pure essence. Is this Liy doing? It must be. None of these Kobolds has essence. They had encountered at least five monsters with magic capability. That is worrying. But he was sure Liy is alive and well.
Ruvick closed his eyes. His vision blurred..
He woke up to a bustling forest with strong wind blowing away leaves. “We’re very close to the first village, you two! Let's pick up the pace,” Nora said, full of enthusiasm. The young human runs, racing with the Sentinel, who seems to enjoy his company.
Ruvick smiles. Nora has probably been talking to both Liy and the Sentinel even when both cannot talk back.
“Let's keep going.. I need to get stronger,” Ruvick whispered. Waking up from Liy's consciousness.
Ruvick walks deeper into the darkness, and Yuu rushes ahead of him to light the way. He had given the rest of the Kobolds random names he had thought of. “From now on, Lorn, you will lead this five.”
Lorn knelt in response; he dipped his head down.
Three Wooden Kobolds watch the rear. The other three, including Lorn, bring up the front.
Confidence surged inside Ruvick. Yet, a gnawing thought tumbled inside his mind. How come there are so many kobolds attacking them? Shouldn’t the Humans have taken care of them? This cave is huge, stretching inside the entire hill. But he was not far from the entrance. With 200 humans, there should be a human party tasked with guarding their retreat path.
He did not know how the human system works. Ruvick again could only hope they’re working together. Not separated like Nora had said.
They walked further in. Nora did not memorise the map created for this dungeon. Ruvick could only go, hoping to stumble on the second depth. His initial plan was to just find any human and ask for information. But that proved to be difficult, since he met none yet.
Yuu stops on his track. He crouch down examining something.
Ruvick peered across Yuu’s shoulder to find a dead body sprawled. The body wore a simple chainmail that had been ripped apart by claw marks. Red blood turns dark as it seeps into the cave floor. The corpse's cheek has been bitten off, mouth gaping in terror. A dead human.
Ruvick orders Yuu to go forward. It doesn’t make sense for humans to be alone.. As the white light blared. It illuminates ten dead human bodies sprawled. Each is a horror of itself. Their guts churned out, as if the kobold decided they had their fill and left them to rot.
“Ri-“
Ruvick's core clenched, cutting his words short.
He staggered to his knees. What is he just about to do? Making humans undead?
Ruvick shook his head. His wooden hand moved toward his core.
“Thank you for stopping me.”