Rebirth: Rise of the Slave Master

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Skullsplitter

Although the mercenaries were skilled and valiant, it didn’t take long before the casualties began to pile up. They were outnumbered and the Black Mountain Clan were mounted bandits by trade. They were vicious warriors and extremely skilled at engaging these types of guards. If it hadn’t been for the sordid affair with Old Man Snake Eyes, Theo probably would have traveled to Black Mountain and cleared them out eventually. Killing human warriors gave less experience than monsters, but there were always more of them around.

You have slain an Evil NPC! Alignment: Good +20…

You have slain an Evil NPC! Alignment: Good +20…

After the loss of their leader, Captain Quinn, the Splitskulls were outmatched by their opponents and understandably demoralized. More than anything, they were fighting just to protect their lives at this point, and it hampered their ability to cause any serious damage. Without help to turn the odds in their favor, it was inevitable they would lose if things continued as they were.

This all changed when Theo entered the fray.

The battlefield was where he shined most, especially when the opponents weren’t able to properly focus on him as he weaved in and out of the melee with a spear flashing in all directions. The whirlwind of grim steel was like a breath of new life in the mercenaries’ lungs. Rallying behind the the adventurer’s sudden appearance, the bandits were quickly pushed back.

Since it wasn’t easy to recruit reliable new men into their fold, the Black Mountain Clan didn’t hang around once they lost their momentum, and quickly retreated. In total, they had lost only thirty men, and a third of those kills went to Theo alone. The mercs were less fortunate, with only two dozen or so left standing after all was said and done. Lozan was covered in cuts and bruises, but remained alive all the same. He didn’t have a good opinion of Theo, but wasn’t ungrateful either.

While the Scalekin weren’t official members of the Beastman Clan, and thus far removed from their usual customs, they still knew how to respect a proper warrior.

“We actually survived,” he huffed, “You managed to kill the assassin?”

Theo could only shake his head, more in disappointment over the lost experience than the failed revenge. An enemy of that calibre would probably be enough to get him an entire level, though most of that would have gone to Gobthnora for doing all of the damage. As it was, the system just didn’t allow for it. If not for the fact that the woman was so mentally fragile, he would have been dead once Meatshield’s skill ended.

He would have died long before that if she wasn’t equipped with Tom’s sub-par level 10 Runes.

“She got away,” he said with a pained expression, “but I doubt it’s the last we’ll see of her, or the Black Mountain Clan.”

Lozan cursed in the language of the beasts, letting out a raspy hiss in the process, “Damn it all! I can’t believe we let a traitor into our ranks!”

Theo had dealt enough psychological damage for one evening, and didn’t rub in the beastman’s failure, “Don’t beat yourself up,” he comforted the Scalekin, “Shapeshifters are masters of infiltration, and Tom was most likely replaced just before we left.”

Lozan turned to look at Theo with disbelief as the rest of mercenaries got to work sorting through the carnage of the aftermath, “A Shapeshifter? Such things truly exist? But what was their goal?”

Of course Theo wasn’t going to tell the mercenary that he was the cause of all of this. The Shapeshifter was after his head on orders from Old Man Snake Eyes, and the bandits were just an inevitability of the quest. Some manipulation might have taken place to properly align the assassination with the attack, but the imposter Tom’s ultimate goal was to get the Splitskulls to do his dirty work for him and kill Theo.

“The Shapeshifter seemed to be working for the bandits, though I have no idea how they managed to get one on their side. By killing Quinn and turning you against me, they hoped to break our two sharpest blades before the battle even began,” Theo came up with a convenient lie to explain the situation.

Lozan spat on the ground, “Those filthy cowards! And to think we played right into their hands. If you hadn’t caught onto it beforehand…”

“Don’t thank me,” Theo denied the credit with a distressed humility, “This all could have been avoided if I had been more decisive.”

The atmosphere was heavy when the dust finally settled. Roland was aghast at the number of casualties, though it could have been more for the fee he would have to pay out to every deceased mercenary’s family. Theo had a fairly high opinion of the man, but a merchant would always be a merchant. Very few of them could be considered truly good people.

“We need to gather the caravan and move,” Theo told him, “If we hurry and avoid the road, we can reach Aleside late tomorrow, but it’s better than suffering another attack.”

“That…” Roland was clearly worried about the risks of rushing their journey, but he couldn’t afford to lose his cargo or the whole mission would be forfeit. He would be ruined.

“I will inform the others,” the merchant leader eventually relented.

“I will take up the vanguard and clear away any monsters in our path,” Theo reassured him, “You only need to worry about keeping everyone together. Lozan!”

The Scalekin jumped, not expecting Theo to call on him, “W-what is it?”

“Take the rest of the men and bring up the rear, do everything you can to keep the people moving. We can’t afford to rest now,” Theo stopped, as if considering something, “How many scouts are left?”

Lozan thought to protest Theo’s sudden bossiness, but couldn’t refute his authority. Theo was the strongest fighter left, and everyone there, including himself, was relying on the adventurer’s aid. It wouldn’t pay to offend him now, so he reluctantly gave up the right of command.

“Three,” he said with a newfound resolve.

Theo nodded, it was half of the original number, “Round up any uninjured horses from the bandits, we’ll need the extras. Give one to a scout and have him ride ahead of us to warn Aleside of our arrival.”

Lozan nodded and did as he was told.

If only to keep up appearances, Theo visited the location of the terrified civilians and merchant families to check on his ‘charges.’ The two had little trouble blending in with the others, and Meatshield was resting there with the same ever present blank look on her face. Under the effects of [Lesser Regeneration] and her scary vitality, if not for her clothing, no one would be able to tell she was even injured. The cloak had been completely burned up in the battle, and her clothes were in absolute tatters, showing off large portions of her pristine skin.

“Don’t know why I was worried,” Theo lamented his fleeting distress.

“Mr. Theo, are we safe?” one of the women, who Theo had been introduced to as Roland’s wife Lydia, spoke up for the group.

It seemed like she had served as the moral backbone of this group during the crisis, and everyone consciously gave her room to talk.

“For now,” Theo said with a nod, “but we’re not out of trouble yet. Roland is getting us ready for a forced march to Aleside. It’s going to be hard on you all, but I implore you to put up with it for the sake of your own lives.”

Even with his NPC management experience, compassion didn’t really suit his character. All he could do was force everyone to keep moving with the harsh reality of the situation. Lydia had a briefly pained look for a moment, but quickly recovered her spirits and turned to the rest of the noncombatants. She was a strong woman and a good wife. With her help, Theo wouldn’t have to worry about the morale, it appeared.

As he turned around to see to the preparations, the merchant’s wife called to him again, “Mr. Theo, the girl Rasa, she seems to have suffered some injuries in the chaos.”

Theo looked at the unaffected Meatshield and wondered what part of her looked injured, “I gave the silly girl a weapon, and she wanted to put it to use. You should all thank her for the sacrifice.”

Several of the civilians turned to Meatshield with looks of gratitude; although, a few of the men found it hard to establish eye contact with either her or Theo. They seemed be nursing their own shame at the mention of a young girl finding the courage to fight when they hadn’t dared to risk their own lives.

“We’ll make sure she’s taken care of,” Lydia said with a grateful bow.

Theo nodded. It would be good if they could find some free clothing for the girl too. Her old clothes wouldn’t hold up for much longer. Having slaves really was more work than he had expected.

“Leave the younger girl, Nora, alone though. She’s not ready to interact with people just yet, and all of the fire has her on edge,” Theo warned the woman with a stern glance.

Although she was a bit startled at first, Lydia nodded.

Taking into account the amount of manpower they had lost, the frightened caravaneers still managed to get the carts into traveling condition in half the usual time. It was a relief that Roland and Lydia were charismatic enough to keep the people on task. The greatest enemy at this point wasn’t danger, but anxiety.

Since Theo didn’t have the [Ride] skill yet, he would be thrown off any horse he tried to mount. He was forced to run ahead and forge a new path with the help of the scouts. Since they couldn’t afford to take the safe, slow road any more, Theo had to pull the aggression of any monster they passed. It was a grueling task that would be impossible for any regular player, and even Theo was feeling the mental, if not physical, toll of fighting all night, dealing with the Shapeshifter, and repelling the bandits. He pushed his tired mind to the brink while he carved a bloody trail through the craggy wilderness.

Water grew scarce, the horses slowed, and tension mounted. The wilds weren’t caring, and people often tripped over the dangerous terrain. Small injuries and stress began to build in the travelers and one of the carts snapped an axle. Without the time to repair it, they were forced to abandon whatever wasn’t of value. A fight almost broke out at that point, but Lozan kept to his word and interceded on behalf of Roland. When the rule of martial law made itself clear, the conflict was quickly extinguished.

Theo was covered in wounds almost constantly, having to rush down every pack of enemies and dispatch them as quickly as possible. Not even he could avoid so many attacks coming from all directions and still clear the road in a timely manner. It was good for his [Conditioning] and [Meditation] skills, but after about six hours of constant battle, his [Steel-Edged Partizan] finally gave out. The durability was never good to begin with, and it had taken quite a bit of damage over the past few days.

“Adventurer, although I may never forgive you for the death of the Captain, by all accounts I also owe you my life,” shockingly, it was Lozan out of all the mercenaries who stepped forward to commend his efforts, “This is the finest gear we Splitskulls have, and it will be best served in your hands. Take it, and consider us even.”

He was by all appearances outwardly grateful, but Theo scoffed internally, “One weapon is worth all of your lives? You stingy bastards!”

He had to take the words back, however, when he saw the statistics on the jagged, brutal-looking polearm.

[Skullsplitter] - A heavy Poleaxe that once belonged to the chief of the Skullsplitter Orcs. After growing sick of the confusion between the two groups, a conflict arose between the Orc clan and the Splitskull mercenaries. True to its name, this weapon almost split the mercenary captain’s skull when the chief was slain in single combat. It then became a symbol of Splitskull pride. What it lacks in flexibility, it makes up for with raw damage and durability.

Quality: Lesser; Durability 140/140

Damage: 33~76

Theo was a bit surprised when he saw the weapon’s description, “So that was the story behind Quinn’s scar… what a ridiculous reason…”

All the same...

Good weapon! This was like gaining an extra 30 points of Strength! Theo’s weapon of choice as the War God was the Heroic-tier glaive, [Autumn’s Reach], which was crafted especially for him by the greatest NPC craftsman in the game, the Dwarven King Dejas Rhyson IV. It was one of the strongest weapons in the game, and the second heaviest in terms of weight, only losing out to another top-tier player’s [Black Meteor Fullblade].

Although [Skullsplitter] couldn’t compare to either of those weapons, it was safe to say Theo welcomed the familiarity of the increased weight. Until now it felt like he was wielding a pointy toothpick. He swung the ferocious axehead around expectantly, startling even the large-bodied Lozan with his brute strength. At least for a little while, it seemed like Theo’s damage concerns had been taken care of.

With the new equipment, the monsters that stood in his way fell one after the other. The elation of the fresh loot was enough to restore Theo’s spirit and rejuvenate his mind. Any ill feelings he had towards the Splitskulls were gone, and he had even forgotten the embarrassment he almost suffered at the hands of the Shapeshifter. This was the power of a gamer’s obsession!

Stars were twinkling overhead, but the beautiful view did little to soothe the members of the caravan. Without the ability to see the horizon, and with no road to follow, it was impossible to tell how far or close they were to their goal. It was this uncertainty that fueled their anxiety and caused them travel in a terrified silence. Every foreign sound from skittering vermin or falling rocks seemed to transform into a potential bandit ambush to the ears of the weary travelers. The only relief was the smell of salt in the air, indicating they were growing closer to the shore.

“We made it!” a parched throat shouted heartily.

It was one of the scouts, a lithe half-elf half-human named Craig, who was usually given the night shift thanks to his Elven-improved night vision. Although half-elves couldn’t see as well in the darkness as full-blooded elves, or their cousins the dark-elves who had perfect darkvision, the starlight overhead was more than enough for him to work with.

Though everyone heard the good news, not one of them was feeling at-ease enough to convey their excitement. The group remained eerily quiet, but everyone took a collective sigh of relief as the information was fed down the train of carts. Even Theo, who had delighted in monster slaying after receiving his new armament, was glad to hear it. He desperately needed to take care of his needs in the real world and get some actual rest.

After crossing the sloping terrain for a short while longer, the glowing lights of Aleside were finally visible in the distance. As a port city near Oasis, trade was understandably the staple of commerce, though it was far from the largest port under the control of the Merchant Prince. Aleside was a smaller city of ill-repute, known as a haven for smugglers and other unsavory kinds of merchants. Of course, anyone seeking to keep a low profile could find what they needed here, and Theo didn’t bother questioning what kind of goods brought Roland and his family here instead of one of the larger ports.

The caravan made their way into the city, and the forward scout had made sure to ready aid for them upon his earlier arrival. The guards allowed the merchants and mercenaries inside even at the late hour, quickly shutting the gates with a loud clang. The walls of Aleside were paltry in comparison to Oasis, but civilization was impossible in this world without at least some defenses. Monsters were just that persistence of a problem for all the denizens of Orpheum.

Several medics for hire and those selling food and provisions were standing around idly, as if someone had tipped them off that willing customers would be arriving soon. This was typical of places like Aleside, where the government was loose at best and coin ruled everything. Roland and his ilk would do the same thing if they were in the other shoe, after all! It wasn’t as if they were high priority travelers, and it was already enough that they hadn’t been forced to wait outside the walls until morning.

“Mr. Theo, it was a harrowing journey, but we made it. I owe you my everything…” Roland didn’t hesitate to improve his relationship with the talented adventure.

Merchant Roland is truly grateful for your assistance! Merchant Roland’s affinity for Slave Master Theo increases greatly!

Theo wasn’t one to turn aside goodwill, and humbly accepted the thanks, “I was just doing my job, no… I brought more troubles on you from the beginning. Thank you for looking after me.”

The conversation concluded shortly after that, and Theo accepted the small windfall of coin that was customary for this kind of mission. His completion rating had long since reached the maximum after single-handedly guiding the caravan for the day, so he received the maximum possible reward for his efforts. It was no small sum of money at this early point in the game, if you left out the big spenders at the currency exchange.

Lozan also gave him a brief thanks, but their relationship was considered over as soon as Theo took the [Skullsplitter]. The new captain of the Splitskull Mercenaries would have a long road ahead of him trying to rebuild the group’s military might.

“Alright you two,” Theo called to his slaves, “You’ve earned a night of rest just this once, but we have a lot of work starting tomorrow.”

Even though he had arrived safely, Theo wasn’t far enough away from Old Man Snake Eyes to sleep soundly. Every second he stayed would be more time for his pursuers to gather their strength. His first priority was to procure a ship and flee the territories around Oasis, but to do that would be no easy task.

Something else came before all that… his bladder felt like it was about to explode!