RACE: HUMAN
CLASS: Rogue
HP: 520/520
MP: 420/420
STR: 135
DEX: 398
INT: 155
Pure Essence:
Divine Blessing:
Essence (0/1):
Skill =
“All of them are dead, no survivors.” Sarel scrunched her nose. The sight of ten human bodies sprawled against each other, half-eaten, bloodied, sickened her. The stench alone would have made her gag. But the sound of Mort doing just that somehow made her push her rising bile down her throat.
“Ugh,” Mort grunted, wiping his mouth. “What should we do, boss? It looks like the Treant told the truth. Are we going to join him?”
Guvikor offer no response. He stared intently at the corpses. The man did not show anything on his face. He merely stared blankly. Like he seeing something else.. something more invoking than what Sarel was seeing.
He did it again.
“Uncle?” Sarel called. Snapping Guvikor out of whatever his mind wanders to.
Guvikor moved his gaze toward Sarel. His face softened. “It’s nothing, I was just thinking.”
“It’s not nothing. Gwen kept reminding me to snap you out of it every time your mind wandered.”
He smiles, and it's fascinating. Like seeing a stone smile. Talking about his daughter and wife seems always to have that effect.
“The guardian..” Sarel started. “Well, he’s not a guardian. What should we do about the Treant offer?” She repeated Mort's question.
“What do you two think about him? We will decide only if all of us are in favour.” Guvikor said.
“You sure about this, boss? I thought you volunteered to check out the supply group so you could sneak out and evacuate the forest with Gwen and Marta?” Mort asked.
“Had the supply group alive and well. I would have done that, Mort. But now there’s no more supply coming. More than a hundred people will fight on borrowed time. At least, I will let them know their option is either a full-scale retreat or rush the expedition.”
“Boss.. You're the best.” Mort clutched his heart.
Sarel rolled her eyes. He will say that no matter what Guvikor did. And as for what Guvikor said..
She knows the reason he is here is because of her. Gwen must have asked him to watch over her, and somehow, he agrees. This dungeon has been brutal; Sarel has seen twenty people die. The mere thought that it could happen to Guvikor and by extension Mort.. It terrified her. Yet, the plan to retrieve the Kobold’s gold will be necessary for the forest.
The truth is, she doesn’t care about the forest.. But her friends did, along with her mother, who took her in along with ten other orphans. She also wanted to stay. She tried to hide it and convince them to evacuate, but it was obvious like the moon.
Maybe I should let her fool us.
“The Treant, why not just leave the message with the Treant? We give him the Dungeon map just like he wanted.” Mort asked.
“Uncle, you should go,” Sarel said.
Guvikor shook his head at her.
She gritted her teeth. “Gwen asks you to watch over me, isn’t she?”
He shot her a startled look. The man is bad at keeping secrets, at least.
“I will be fine.. Well, I can’t promise that,” Sarel admitted. “But, you know why I want to get the golds.”
“If.” Mort cut her off. “If there’s any golds.. Room full of them,” He pointed out.
Sarel nods. She knows the chances are slim. “I will go with the Treant. He seems strong. Have you seen that, Liyu? That bright white flame of his sword? I think that was a skill combination of Fire essence and Light Essence.”
“Which means..”
“An Overlapper,” Sarel finished for Mort. An Old Tongue Overlapper. They are supposed to be a figure from the storybook only. “Somehow they existed, huh?” She chuckles. “But! Look at the bright side. The chance of us reaching the Kobold’s king room increased tenfold!” That's probably an overstatement. But Sarel wants Guvikor to just go and evacuate.
“And there’s that green flame too,” Mort said, reminding her of the green flame that danced along the white flame. “That Treant, I think also an Overlapper.”
“All of us are going with the Treant together,” Guvikor said. He turned and started to walk toward where they had left the Treant.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Guvikor's step echoed in the hollow cave. Leaving further and further.
Sarel stared at Mort, who in turn just shrugged.
“Wait! Uncle!” Sarel called, chasing over Guvikor.
Each step he took was a very long stride. Sarel had to jog beside him just to catch up.
“Go home, uncle! And relocate somewhere with Gwen and aunt,” Sarel shouted. But it comes off as a beg.
“Good luck convincing him,” Mort muttered, catching up to them.
Sarel threw him a side glare.
The rest of their short walk, Sarel tried to convince Guvikor. But, she might as well convince a stone. As they’re nearing where the treant is, Sarel plans to bring out his wife's name to guilt him into coming back. She will make up a story that will convince him. If it means Guvikor coming back alive and well, then it’s worth the lie.
“Uncl-“
“Rise”
----------------
Twenty black tendrils explode from the Kobold’s corpses. Like a hungry kraken, they lurch, entrapping life bubbles, denying life to rebirth. Green vein thrummed inside the Kobolds' bodies. Wooden skin encases their blue skin.
The twenty undead Kobolds stood. They turn toward Ruvick. In one crack of the woods, they knelt to him.
Glossary (25/100):
- Liyu X2
- Kobold X23
A gasp drew his attention from his kneeling kobolds. Ruvick looks upon the three humans.. Two of the younger human had their mouth gaping open. The girl clutched her knife, more in a nervous signal than a fighting one. Even the big man has his eyes widen.
“We decided to follow you deep into the dungeon, Master Treant,” The big man said. “We have a map and know the fastest path to the third depth.”
“I see.”
Ruvick’s eyes scan over them. Both of the young humans took a step back as he did that.
“I will gladly accept your help. But I would like to ask for a long break before we go. I need to recover”
“With this many undead under your control. I believe we can pass the second depth safely, Master Treant. The human below us has a limited supply. It's our imperative to move as quickly as possible.”
The two other human might as well have their jaw dropped. They each grab Guvikor by the arms, desperately whispering something.
Guvikor smiled, he put an arm on both of their back, earning a confused stare from them. “In fact. I volunteer these two to guard you, walking right beside you if you would have them.” He smacked both of them, they stumbled forward.
“What? Boss?”
“Uncle!”
Both of them protested.
“I accept your offer, Guvikor,” Ruvick said, and did a bow. Getting rid of their fear of Ruvick will be a sound idea. Well, if that's what Guvikor intended
“You do?” The long-haired one called Sarel spluttered.
“Very well!” Guvikor said, raising his voice. “If you don’t mind, master Ruvick, please put me in vanguard with that Liyu,” He pointed to Yuu.
Ruvick sees no reason to deny his request. “Of course”
“Let’s depart then.” Guvikor started to walk into the darkness, holding his torch and a short sword out of its sheath. Yuu shot Ruvick a look, asking what he should do. Ruvick nods, ordering Yuu to follow.
“He's doing it again,” Sarel scowled. Her voice was full of frustration.
“All right..” Mort said. Eyeing Ruvick and his undead. “They’re going to follow, right? Uhh.. What should I call you? Master Treant?”
“Yes, they will follow my order,” Ruvick orders them into square formation, five on each line. Eight on the front line. The undead move with silent precision. "My name is Ruvick"
“This is impressive, Master Ruvick,” Sarel muttered. She made her nervousness obvious with her face, trying to force a smile.
They begin to walk. Their source of light is Yuu’s light and Guvikor’s torch.
MP: 232/2900.
His MP is a big worry to him. Guvikor did convince him to start going deeper despite it. But his main reason for keeping going was that he did not feel like the first depth was much of a threat. He almost did not lose any HP here. Guvikor only adds to his confidence.
Something does raise suspicion with Ruvick. Why are there only three of them? In a dark cave full of ambush potential. It did not seem they had anyone else with them.
Was it Guvikor's strength? But, the man level is still close to normal, Kobolds they find here. Mort's reaction replay in Ruvick's mind. He might reveal it to him.
“So that man slays a Toothed Kobold,” Ruvick started. Drawing both of the humans' gaze. “Can you tell me more about it? The Kobold and how Guvikor slayed it?”
Mort's eyes light up, he quickens his step, and turns to face Ruvick while walking backward. “Toothed Kobold is a third-class Kobold evolution! They existed on the fourth floor as the gatewatcher for the fifth depth.”
“Gate watcher?”
“Yes, they're tasked to make sure these Kobolds hand off the treasure they found, and to guard the Kobold King's treasured floor. We found five of them when we came face to face with the huge gate.”
“I see, all of the Humans have made it to the fourth depth?”
“Well.. More like we scurry around like a rat there,” Sarel said this time. “Only those with sneaking class are allowed to enter. Because it’s too dangerous. But, when I’m there with three other various rogues and thieves.. Someone messed up. They kicked a rock. One of those wingless dragon attack us. Only two of us survive,” She recalled the memory.
“Sarel and the other boy refuse to run toward the party. They judged that the Toothed Kobold is too much to handle. So, they plan to lose it.” Mort said.
“And then he comes,” Sarel said, glancing at Guvikor's back. “It took us the entire day to run within the fourth depth. We were trapped within a deep gorge. The Toothed Kobold possesses two essences, you see. Fire and Dark.” She shuddered. “They can shoot out a black spectral flame from their mouth.”
“An ovelapper” Morth muttered.
“No! They’re not an overlapper,” She sighed at him. “Fire’s old tongue is Roh. Dark is Liyadiyt”
“Huh..” Morth muttered. “I didn’t know that. Wait, this means the boss gets both of the essences right? That's a shame.”
“Why is it a shame?” Ruvick asked.
“You don’t know Ruvick? We humans only have a limit of one essence.”
“I didn’t know that,” Ruvick admitted. “Do you know the reason?”
“Were we just born this way?” Morth said. He looked at Sarel, who in turn just shrugged. “Imagine boss with two coexisting essences. How powerful he will be.”
Sarel nods in agreement. The girl admires Guvikor just as much as Mort does, it seems. But, did not show it.
“How high-level is this Toothed Kobold?”
“200,” Morth answered quickly.
“Does Guvikor slay it alone?”
“We chase after him. but by the time we arrive, he has already killed it alone.”
“It must be an easy battle if he had already slain it by the time the others arrived. Very impressive. Did you catch the fight, Mort?”
Sarel's eyes glinted with horror. Her face lurched in panic. She grabbed Mort's sleeve, who, in turn, just shrugged her off. He is eager to continue the story.
“ Why of course! I'm there as he delivers the final blow, separating its neck!”
“Impressive. If only he had drawn combat ability instead of his level modification ability.”
“Yes, Ruvick! That's what I had been saying. He is level 315! Used to possess the earth essence. He switched it out for the dark essence, losing all of his skill. But his first draw is a skill to hide his true capability! That is not fair! Well.. To be fair, it's only 1000 pure essence draw.”
“Idiot,” Sarel muttered. She covered her face in frustration.
A booming laugh echoed from the front. It's Gavikor, the man can actually laugh. That surprised Ruvick; his demeanor earlier was anything but that.
“Well done, Master Treant! Although considering its Mort. It's not too hard.”
“It's reassuring to have you fighting with us, Guvikor. If we had time to rest, I would like to hear about your past. And the outside world,” Ruvick said.
“Of course! I would love to hear about yours as well. If you would reveal it.”
“I will,” Ruvick promised.
“Forward to the second depth, then,” Guvikor said. He thrust his torch, revealing a deep downward slope.
“Did you just trick me, Ruvick?” Mort's mouth gaped.
“It's more you blabbering everything,” Sarel said. Hitting him across his shoulder.