Congratulations!

You have magickally created a x2!

Grade C

Durability: 50/50

Congratulations!

You have magickally created a pair of x2!

Grade C

Durability: 50/50

Congratulations!

You have magickally created a pair of x2!

Grade C

Durability: 50/50

Eleven minutes. That's how long it took to make each piece of clothing meant for the girls, but it was only three pieces which will form over their bodies. All of which were based on his sight alone, and though they would need small clothes, he was not willing to ask them to strip for this. Therefore, they would go without until a female clothier was found for them.

Sighing and leaning back against a stump of a tree which had broken away due to some unknown mystery or natural phenomena. Either way, it allowed him to enjoy a small reprieve as he tapped the air above the clothes. Which then revealed another placard, but with a wheeled colour pallet. One where he could immediately change the colours of anything he made without the need of dyes, and it was what he used to create the faded blue colour of his own robe.

As such, he turned his attention to the sleeping children, and opted to wait for them to awaken before changing their colour. Perhaps it'll cause them to rejoice, admiring the new clothing and magicks he employed, or they'll view him as an unknown monster. It didn't matter, only that they were properly clothed before it was time to leave.

However, leaving or even preparing to do so was going to have to wait. His Minimap pinged a dozen hostile blips roaming around in the thicket on the opposite side, whereas three other faster moving blips coming closer. They were a few dozen metres away, but it didn't bother him.

“Hmm,” he hummed as the echoing howls of some sort of canine flew through the air, causing the children to awaken with a panic. Both of whom stared about in wide eyed horror as they huddled up against the tree whilst the robe kept them warm.

“No,” sobbed the wolf-eared girl, who then clutched the dark haired one as they shivered.

Karastak, on the other hand, stood up slowly with a frown and grabbed his staff. After which he mumbled something, and a white bat crawled from his hair, released a tiny squeak, and fluttered up to one of the branches. A pair of beady, crimson eyes stared upon the pair, who shivered under its gaze.

“Don't worry,” he smiled, turning towards the children who shrank underneath the robe for a time before popping their gazes out from underneath, “Everything will be alright.” Upon so saying he turned towards the direction of the howling, and stepped back onto the road in order to greet those who supposedly tormented the children.

*****

“Stupid kids,” grumbled a torch bearing Slave Master as he stumbled through the thicket, “Just before they were to be branded, they had ta run off.” With a falchion in his other hand, he hacked at everything in front of himself out of frustration, whereas others of the same vocation grumbled their own curses towards the pair who had run off.

These would have continued more if not for the dogs they had released began their long howl. “Seems they found them, Gregor,” grinned a young Slave Master as he exited the brush to Gregor's right.

“Right,” he nodded once, “Best find them afore the dogs tear 'em apart.” Twelve torches converged on one another, each being held by either a Slave Master or a Driver carrying a falchion or a whip as per their vocation.

However, just as they were to exit the forest, Gregor paused in order to stare wide eyed at a grey placard which popped up in front of his eyes.

Warning!

Dogs 1-3 have been slain!

1000 Experience Points deducted for loss of pets!

“WHAT?!” he howled, fuming more at the loss of his experience than anything else, “I'm gonna flay the bastard alive!” Upon so saying, he dashed towards the end of the forest, only to meet a horrific sight.

The bodies of the dogs appeared to have been eviscerated, and their heads removed by something unknown. This caused the Slave master to fume, as his eyes could not see who it was that killed his dogs. That is, until three heads flew through the air with two striking the ground next to him, whilst the third struck a Slave Driver in the chest where he lost his breath from the impact.

Before them, covered in the blood of the dogs, was an Elf with a crazed look about his features. He was grinning, eyes burning with insane hatred, as he giggled aloud, “Are you the ones who harmed the girls?”

“You have them?” growled another Driver to Gregor's left, “If you do, then give 'em back or die!”

“Wait, Resh,” a third voice floated towards them, “That's an Elf. Do you know how much we'd get for one of those?” The Elf's eyes focused upon the speaker, a slow grin spreading up to his temples.

“That ain't no Elf,” growled Gregor, “It's dead meat!” Upon so saying, he leapt forward, drawing his sword back with the intent of of attacking the person before him.

Unfortunately, just as he was about to step onto the hard packed road, a blade whipped out from the darkness, slicing into his abdomen. Whereupon the man paused, blinking, the screamed as he fell onto his knees whilst trying to push the innards back inside as they had started falling out just as another grey placard appeared before his eyes.

WARNING!

You have been disemboweled!

-200hp deducted from total health pool!

“Eh?” he paused, blinking, then noted the world had fallen onto its side.

WARNING!

You have been beheaded!

You have died!

This was the last thing Slave Master Gregor had seen as the world around him erupted into chaos, before darkness finally took him.

*****

You have slain Level 14 Slave Master Gregor!

2000 Experience Points have been added!

You have slain Level 8 Slave Driver Resh!

800 Experience Points have been added!

You have-

On and on came the placards, until he dismissed them all as he shook off his robe. It's durability had dropped to a paltry 8/125, thus he needed to make another one for himself, but his mana was only five minutes away from being full again. Therefore, he had to wait.

However, on top of everything that had happened, his had shattered to reveal his Foxman self. Whereupon the children had noticed this, as his Minimap had revealed, and he could see them peaking out from behind a bush.

Next to himself, besides the bodies which littered the ground, was his staff which was planted into the ground. The diamond spike on top was glowing enough to reveal the world around him, but also held specks of crimson upon its flawless surface. Therefore, the world was bathed in a few pools of the same colour.

Floating around him and the staff, on the other hand, were a pair of scimitars which were busy poking and stabbing the fallen bodies in order to make sure they were dead. One of which was coated in a thick sheen of blood, whereas the second was only dirtied with it. This was due to him summoning and animating them at different intervals of the slaughter, but they were appreciated nonetheless.

“Is everything dead?” he asked slowly towards the dancing weapons, and upon watching the weapons dip and bob, his hand dismissed them. Of which they took the weapons with them to whichever plane of existence they had been summoned from.

After which he slowly made his way back towards the children, who released an, “Eep,” and scurried back towards the extra robe which had served as their blanket for a short time.

“I'll be needing that robe,” he said, pointing at the garment to which the pair hid underneath, “I have made clothing for you here,” and pointed at the children-ware laid out by a smoldering fire.

The pair just stared as they relinquished the robe to himself, watching as he slipped it over his head before ruffling his neck fur with some irritation. After which the small, white bat fluttered from her perch and settled atop his head with a small squeak. “Y-you're no-not an Elf-f?” stuttered Lupa as she and Puella continued to stare at him.

“No,” was his reply in a neutral tone, “I'm a Foxman.” He then moved back to the road, staring up at the endarkened sky with a frown as he retrieved his staff. With a flick of his wrist, blood splattered upon the earth, and he returned to the campsite.

“D-did you kill them all?” squeaked Puella as she stared from around the back of her friend.

“With the help of some animated swords, yes.” The pair stared at him, unsure of how to proceed. For he had giggled and laughed as the slaughter took place, but now he was devoid of any emotion, thus confusing the children.

“Um... What are you?”

“A tortured Illusionist,” he decided to answer honestly, as he handed the pair their clothing, and directed them to change behind one of the trees. The Foxman was not about to watch the children expose themselves to his eyes, “And if you want the colour of your clothing to change, just let me know. It's easy to do, and takes only seconds.”

Whilst they were busy changing, Karastak turned his back to their chosen tree, and decided to check his Status Menu. Whereupon he frowned as he noted that his level hadn't changed. “Hmm,” came his hum as he tapped his finger upon the digit. What appeared next was something he did not expect, and caused a vein to pop and throb in his forehead.

Experience Points needed to advance to Level 2:

14,000/1mil

“Command,” he growled with thunder.

“{Awaiting Command,}” the monotonous voice spoke inside his head, and immediately regretted answering Karastak's summons.

The Foxman held out his paw as he demanded, “You are to materialise yourself as a rat in my outstretched hand. Now.” He felt the unknown entity shiver wherever it resided, and knew what was to come next. For just as a grey furred rat appeared, it was squashed betwixt the claws presented.

“Again,” he commanded, and it was forced to materialise as a rat again before being squished once more, “Again.” Blood, innards, eyes, and chunks of hair fell to the earth whilst staining his own fur as he forced Command to continue the session.

“You need to be disciplined,” he had said several days prior, a maddening light in his eyes, “This is for your own good, as it will establish who is the true Master of the System.”

“Again,” he growled for the tenth time, just as the children reappeared with widened eyes as they witnessed the animal cruelty presented before them.

Whereupon Puella dashed forward, clinging to his robes whilst tugging them as she cried out, “No! Please leave Mr. Rat alone!”

Karastak paused, a death grip upon the eleventh time the rat appeared, and glanced down upon the child's tear streaked face. This led to his mind calming down, his eyes regaining their light, as he turned his gaze back towards the rat in his grip. “Rejoice, Command, for this child is your saviour.

“Do you know why I had to discipline you?”

“{...No...}”

“I've found out how much Experience is needed to advance to Level 2. Now do you understand?”

“{...Yes...}”

“Good, because we're going to change that. Only then will you be allowed a reprieve until summoned again. Understand?”

“{Acknowledged...}”

“Good,” he nodded just as the rat vanished, and Puella looked about for it with frightful wonder, “Then this is how we're going to set it up. So listen closely.”

“{...}”