Rebirth: Rise of the Slave Master

Chapter Twenty-Four: Before the Storm

At the time, Tom had no concept of how much he would come to regret following Theo that night. The next day, he was practically falling asleep while trying to accomplish all of his duties and chores, and dreading the brutal pace of hunting with the adventurer in the evening. Even though he was only one person, the man was like a monster killing machine. It didn’t matter if it was the clever and powerful [Rock Wolf] or the indomitable [Thunder Tusk], there was only one outcome once Theo had them in his sights.

Tom’s job was to take apart the bodies and make sure all of the good parts were harvested. It was an unforgiving and arduous task that he had always hated, especially when it came to the monster called [Thunder Tusk]. The two meter tall pig-like creature was covered in rough scales that were painful to the touch, and generated electricity from the ridge of spines that grew along its back. What’s more, that electricity didn’t totally disperse after the huge creature’s death. If he wasn’t exceptionally careful in how they were dismantled, Tom was sure to suffer a shocking penalty.

By the time he finished carving one of the monsters, Theo had usually attracted the attention of another and was stabbing at it with his spear.

At least the show was always interesting during the rare moments when he had the luxury to watch the spearman’s battles. Tom hadn’t known it was even possible to fight monsters like this. There were no flashy movements or special techniques outside of the usual [Fend] and [Lunge]. The adventurer wouldn’t even waste time adapting to his opponent’s combat style, as if he already knew every move they were going to make. He only occasionally took a hit from the monsters, and even when he did, it was a grazing blow that didn’t seem to do any real damage.

Although he had experienced it himself, Tom still had to say the most unusual thing about Theo was his overwhelming aura of confidence. It was like nothing in this world would be worthy enough for him to consider it a threat, no matter how dangerous the subject. Rather than inspiring, it was terrifying. The man acted like a suicidal maniac who was incapable of death, and even if his spear blows were only simple and accurate jabs, they all carried that soul-crushing confidence.

Ramming his spear once more into the side of the [Thunder Tusk], the porcine monster’s heavy body finally collapsed under the weight of its many wounds. No matter how many times it tried to discharge the electric shocks, Theo always happened to be standing in a spot where they wouldn’t hit him. Rather than dodging, it seemed more accurate to say that the man was just incredibly lucky.

“Alright, one more for the pile,” Theo called, nonchalantly wiping the monster’s splattered gore from his face.

Of course, Theo had no idea that he was covered in blood and viscera. That was something only visible to Tom’s NPC eyes.

“These guys really are the best kind for grinding,” Theo mused about the fight to himself.

Monsters who traveled alone and acted like kings were usually the easiest to pick off, even more so if they were like the [Thunder Tusk], which was overly reliant on its special electric ability. To a player fighting it for the first time, the bolts of hot plasma it shot out seemed to come completely at random and strike just as unpredictably. Theo knew from experience that nothing in this world was completely random though, and everything would always have a pattern to it. Once he knew when the monster would activate its ability and where the bolts would land, he just had to make sure he wasn’t standing there to take it.

Enemies tended to grow in intelligence as they increased in level, though there were always exceptions. The [Rock Wolves] for instance were rather annoying for Theo to deal with, since they were calm and confident, and not stupid enough to let him easily take advantage of them. They would try to stay just out of the reach of his attacks and then dive in for a feint while another one of the pack flanked him from behind. If they got injured, they would even try to run for safety or call for help. It was an awful target in terms of efficiency.

Theo much preferred the level 15 pig.

As his thoughts wandered, he found himself thinking of Meatshield and how she would cry if she discovered that she was missing out on such a succulent ham buffet. Well, he didn’t think she could cry even if she wanted to. After watching her closely for a while, he was starting to piece together a clearer picture of what exactly happened back in the Goblin’s Cave, and all he needed now was a bit of proof to confirm his suspicions.

“Hey,” Tom called out to him after the most recent kill was sprawled out and bleeding on the dirt, “how did you do that thing earlier?”

Theo didn’t bother wasting his hunting time trying to puzzle out what the mercenary was referring to, and said, “Did what? Be specific or I’m taking away your talking privileges.”

Tom recoiled from the answer, realizing that the adventurer valued time over life, and promptly responded so that his meaning was clear, “Earlier when the [Thunder Tusk] tried to side-swipe you, you somehow avoided it even though you weren’t looking.”

Although the deal was for Tom to try and pick up some skills or strategies by watching Theo fight, the man didn’t use anything but the most basic maneuvers. As far as he could tell, rather than being incredibly skilled or powerful, this malefic adventurer was just inhumanly slippery. Not even attacks in his blind spot could hit him!

Theo wasn’t sure how to answer this question with anything resembling honesty. How was he supposed to explain to an NPC that the D-rank adventurer in front of him had been baptized in thousands of battles against similar monsters? That he had fought against the Gods of this world, that he HAD been a God of this world?

How did Theo manage to dodge a monster’s attacks in his blind spot? The answer was that he didn’t have a blind spot!

If one took away the system help that he gained from his [Perception] skill, Theo was still totally aware of every movement that took place within the reach of his weapon. You would have to be on the level of Elizabeth, the incarnation of the invisible hand of Death, if you wanted to sneak up close to him! Even she would have a problem if his guard against her wasn’t lowered to the minimum. Of course, this was one of the reasons why Theo didn’t enjoy fighting ranged attackers. There were ways to manage them, if he could predict the trajectory of their projectiles and dodge early, but he couldn’t do that if there were too many archers, or if they were hidden from him.

“I would be dead by now if I didn’t keep my secrets just that,” Theo decided to just ignore the kid’s expectant face and feed him some bullshit, “The [Thunder Tusk] has an electric field around it that makes my hair stand on end. I can feel it from a few feet away.”

“Ah,” Tom’s reply couldn’t be anything but short when he received such an answer.

Theo smirked and said sagely, “If you want to improve, you need to learn how to take advantage of not just your enemy’s weaknesses, but their strengths as well.” He paused just long enough to confuse the young man and then continued, “Alright, let’s go, the night’s still young, after all.”

The words were punctuated by a cold laughter.

This was the second night of hunting, and the caravan would be reaching the halfway mark tomorrow. That was when it would be at the highest risk of getting attacked, if only because of the commonalities of the system’s quests. Theo wouldn’t go so far as to call these habits or quirks, but more like programmed opinions on what made for a good or dramatic storyline. If Theo’s predictions were correct, tomorrow would be the day when the true mission started.

Finally, after killing off dozens of monsters that evening, Theo was washed in golden light. Two levels in only two days, this wouldn’t be possible if not for the huge boost he had received from dispatching three level 20 enemies previously. The amount of experience gained from killing an enemy twice your level was exceptional, even if they were weak to begin with.

Theo pulled up his character profile, ignoring the beleaguered Tom.

Character Information Name: Theo (13) HP: 530/530 Race: Human MP: 500/500 Class: Slave Master Attack: 96~122 Alignment: Neutral Defense: 12 (10%) Attributes and Runes Strength: 65 (+0) Head Rune: Empty Agility: 8 (+3) Heart Rune: Desert Heart Rune Intelligence: 5 (+0) Core Rune: Serpent Prince's Core Rune Constitution: 34 (+5) Arm Rune: Serpent Queen's Wrath Rune Willpower: 30 (+0) Leg Rune: Empty Charisma: 45 (+3) Rune Locked Empty Luck: 5 (+0) Rune Locked Empty Skill List Skill Name Level Exp. to Next Lv. Tag Appraise Humanoid Lv. 5 6%/100% Beginner Conditioning Lv. 3 8%/100% Beginner Meditation Lv. 6 37%/100% Dodge Lv. 9 98%/100% Fend Lv. 2 24%/100% Inflict Pain Lv. 2 13%/100% * Lesser Persuasion Lv. 3 21%/100% * Lesser Polearm Mastery Lv. 7 58%/100% * Lesser Rune Mastery Lv. 3 19%/100% * Lunge Lv. 3 15%/100% Perception Lv. 7 42%/100% Slave Master's Brand Lv. 2 37%/100% Stealth Lv. 1 0%/100%

His character was coming along splendidly, though he was starting to feel the loss of the Warrior class bonuses that gave a boost to his Strength and Constitution. He could make up for the weaker build by meticulously grinding up his combat skill proficiencies, but that was only going to last him so long. He had considered increasing his Strength more over the Charisma attribute, but that would be wasting one blade to sharpen another. Slave Masters specialized in manipulation, and many of his later abilities would no doubt require a good Charisma to take advantage of.

Theo sighed and closed the information screen. He wasn’t looking forward to the attention that would come from the forums once they realized his level had shot up after only a couple of days. This was the benefit of fighting by himself instead of with his slaves, though he had to admit that the loot wasn’t nearly as good as when they could take on a boss every day. Rather than become disillusioned by his class choice, Theo could only resolve to work his slaves twice as hard in the future.

Checking the time and realizing how late it had gotten, the Slave Master turned to the man who was finishing up his work on the deceased [Thunder Tusk].

“We’ll wrap it up here for now, Tom,” he said with a hint of reluctance, “This will be the last night I’ll need your help.”

There was a finality to Theo’s tone that startled the young man, “The last night? Don’t we have two more days until we get to Aleside?”

Theo couldn’t help but chuckle, though his smile was one devoid of any joy, “It won’t be necessary, don’t worry,” he patted Tom on the shoulder for the last time and made certain to collect all of the monster’s loot, “You’ll see soon enough.”

Tom only looked at him with a confused expression and shrugged his slender shoulders. There wasn’t any point in arguing with Theo when his mind was made up, this was something Tom had learned all too well after traveling with him only briefly.

The caravan wasn’t very far away from the hunting spot the pair had chosen, and the return trip was one filled with silence. The night air in the deserts around Oasis were always shockingly cold, and it was impossible to separate oneself from the ever present buzzing of insects and the occasional howl of a [Rock Wolf] or [Desert Coyote]. A large nocturnal scorpion with a luminescent carapace skittered away from their heavy steps and took shelter in a nearby crevice. The crescent moon was like a sharp blade which hung in the sky, giving the sands a silvery coat of light.

The picturesque scene was ruined; however, when the two spearmen reached the top of a steep hill and caught sight of a dull orange glow in the distance. At this hour, the campsite was usually lit by a few scattered torches for the benefit of the night watch, and nothing else.

Something had happened.

Their approached revealed a caravan that had been mobilized into a circular formation, with the mercenaries running around like diligent little ants. Merchants and their families huddled together near the center of the camp, where a massive bonfire had been constructed. A few of the men had armed themselves with whatever weapons they could find.

Panicked shouts could be heard over the distance.

“This is…” Tom’s voice was hushed as he looked down at the chaotic sight.

“It’s just the start,” Theo said.

Looking at the other man, the mercenary couldn’t get over the excited gleam in those deep, dark eyes. It was the look of one who was expecting… no, looking forward to... a slaughter.

Tom picked up his pace as he rushed towards the caravan, and Theo leisurely followed after him. They quickly descended the face of the cliff and came out just a few hundred meters away from the hastily constructed defensive line. The guards keeping watch immediately ran forward from every direction, but it seemed like they recognized one of their own as soon as Tom was illuminated by the fire light.

“Tom! By the Gods, you scared me. We thought you might have been dead!” one of the men, a hulking reptilian beastman wielding a notched fauchard said.

The beastman didn’t forget to cast a cautious glance at Theo’s relaxed expression. Although he didn’t say anything to the adventurer, he was clearly suspicious of him.

“Rizzack! What the hell is happening around here?” Tom shouted.

The beastman shook his head, closing his bizarre vertical eyelids with a pained expression, “It’s something you’ll need to see for yourself,” he moved out of the way, motioning to the other guard to let the pair through, “Go on in.”

Tom didn’t wait for Theo as he charged off towards the center where the flames were still crackling loudly, while the Slave Master sauntered on by. As he passed the Scalekin, Rizzack, he heard a hushed voice in his ear.

“You better have a good explanation for this, adventurer.”

Theo smirked and shook his head. Almost as soon as he was visible, a couple of robed figures ran up to him. One was short while the other was child sized. Meatshield was looking at him with her usual vacant appearance, though Theo could feel a hint of anxiety there. Gobthnora was equally silent, but stood quite a bit closer to her master than usual, as if expecting something. In a rare show of affection, Theo patted the Goblin on the head, her oversized robes shuffling between his fingers.

“Everything alright?” he asked simply.

The Goblin nodded, though if one listened closely, they could hear a characteristically high chuckling noise muffled under the pile of linen cloth.

“Good, you know what to do, then,” Theo turned to Meatshield and sized her up for a moment, “You come with me.”

The woman peacefully complied and followed a step behind him as Theo entered the wild scene. Gobthnora stood back for a few minutes before wandering off at a slow pace. Her tiny body easily disappeared into the shadows of a nearby tent.

The tent that Roland the caravan leader used had been slightly more fortified than the others, and looked like a hastily slapped together command center. Several of the merchants and a couple of the higher ranking mercenaries were gathered around inside. Their voices were low, but flushed and anxious faces clearly showed that they were arguing about something. Tom was also standing with the group of men, his small profile softly shaking.

When Theo arrived on the scene, the discussion stopped and a number of heads turned in his direction. One of the mercenaries Theo recognized as the vice-captain of the Splitskulls, another Scalekin called Lozan. He was glaring as though he wanted to show Theo personally how the mercenary group got their name. It failed to phase the adventurer in the slightest.

“Don’t greet me all at once,” Theo said, flashing the party a curious glance.

Roland was the first to speak up, “Adventurer Theo… are you aware of what’s happening here?” he started off with a rather leading question.

“From the looks of it…” Theo turned and glanced back at the campsite with an expression of mock contemplation, “I would guess we’re expecting a siege. Is that correct?”

“You wretched ad-,” Lozan took an intimidating step forward and brandished his heavy blade, but was forced to retreat when a chilling spear blow crossed the space between them in a split second.

“Take another step, lizard, and we’ll be one man short on defense tonight,” Theo’s voice was calm, but there wasn’t any need to clarify the threat.

[Lesser Persuasion] was used successfully! Mercenary Lozan’s fear of Slave Master Theo increases slightly!

“Theo! Stop it!” Tom said quickly, moving between the two.

Theo eyed the man with a slight smirk and then turned back to Roland, “So why all the hostility?” Theo asked.

Roland looked back and forth between the other men in the tent, exchanging glances of confirmation among the group. After getting their non-verbal agreement, he grimaced and took a step to the side, revealing the inside of the tent.

He said, “If this was just a matter of a bandit attack, we wouldn’t be nearly as panicked, but…”

Lying in the back of the tent was something that Theo would never fail to recognize. The merchant leader’s bed had been occupied by another body. It was covered from head to toe in a sheet as a show of respect, and a pale, calloused hand was clearly visible as it drooped over the side. Upon seeing the corpse, Tom bounded across the length of the tent and dropped to his knees in front of the cover. He was still shaking as he pulled up the top of the sheet, but dropped it just as quickly.

“Q-Quinn!” Tom could barely suppress the agony in his voice.

Rather than paying any attention to Tom’s grieving, the others were all looking at Theo with cold, fearful eyes. They seemed to see something in that all too placid face that confirmed their previous suspicions. The only thing that kept them rooted to the spot was the threat of the one man in camp who could have possibly been a match for the mercenary captain.

Meatshield instinctively moved in front of her master, reaching for the shield on her back before Theo stopped her.

He wasn't smiling anymore.