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Grendel led the orcs back to the Death Willow Meadow. There he tried to train the orcs to acquire poison resistance, but around a hundred of them died from the willow poisoning. Still, three out of every four meant he had almost three hundred orcs. Added to the hundred monkeys, he could even conquer a town. He wanted to move north but he had to make a safe place for the monsters that were going to stay behind, and more important, he had to make sure the orcs understand his rules.

That consumed a lot of time. Orcs are savage, brutish and dumb by nature, even more in all these three than the ones called 'devil monkeys'. Worse yet they had a great libido and most female orcs were unavailable for mating. Grendel resigned himself to cull the orcs that weren't going to submit. Another eighty orcs became food for the monsters. And then something clicked in the heads of the other orcs. They were not cannibals and they made ends meet by hunting wolves, boars and geckos in the woods and hills around the meadow.

But after feasting on the flesh of their greenskin brethren for so long, the monkeys were seeing orcs as a delicacy. With the most aggressive members gone and being seen as food by the other monsters of their community made something click in the head of the surviving orcs. They were a step below in the food chain. They felt like prey and little by little their instincts changed to match their self-perception. Even their leader ate with great delight orc meat. The orcs became a little more docile and meek. They accepted a place below the monkeys in their community hierarchy.

Almost a third of autumn was already spent and Grendel selected the ones that were going to travel north with him. Shraaizar, Helen's familiar, two dozen young monkeys and thirty orcs. The others received orders to build hovels on the east side of the forest leading to the meadow and wait for their leader's return.

Grendel also had used the guild crystal. He issued cards for all the members of his away team and was able to use the crystal to form parties. Actually, the guild crystal also allowed him to change jobs and even unlocked one new job.

Job History Info [1] Villager: 1 [4] Knight: 1 [4] Wizard: 1 [4] Magic Swordsmen: 43 [5] Guild Master: 1

That was a completely stupid and useless job. He was able to change to the other jobs, but his stats took a dive. Leave it as is. Using the job crystal also fulfilled the second requirement to unlock the last skill and left him burdened with a choice because of the third one.

*@$%! / #%& Management: [ 1 / 3 ]

1. Unlock the 'Human Consumption' skill.

2. Change jobs at a guild crystal.

3. Eat a guild crystal.

He had to eat the guild crystal. This meant losing the ability to form parties, issuing cards and the boost from the guildmaster skills. It would actually render all of his guildmaster skills unusable. He had to raid another guild branch and obtain that guild crystal. And if he ate the one attuned to him, he would have to kill another guildmaster to steal the crystal.

"To be honest, this thing is rather bulky and fragile. During a serious fight, it could break. I'd rather get this skill unlocked now and look to obtain another crystal later." He thought.

And down the gullet, the crystal went. Another guild branch was doomed, they just hadn't been warned of the fact yet.

21,574 core points added. Available Points: 34,091 - Lifetime Points: [64,895 / 100,000]

Party / Job Management (rank: A) Level: 5

Grants access to the party and job management windows. Can freely set the party parameters and job parameters for party members.

Party Setup: Can create, invite, kick and disband a party if in the leader position. Job Change: Can set the current job for any party member. Restricted to self if not in a party. Title Setting (available at level 4): Can set the title for any party member. Restricted to self if not in a party. A set title has all effects doubled. Some titles cannot be set. Level 6 required. Level 8 required. Level 10 required.

WARNING: This skill cannot be leveled using skill points.

Grendel felt as if he had just traded a hare for a rabbit. He had lost the guild field buffs but at least his MP pool was his again. He had to keep his MP capped to feed the guild crystal.

He had not invested any skill points in the other Loot Crate skills yet. He went for another two Lord Crates and then sift through the lists and see what he would put points into. There would be fighting ahead of him and he wanted as broad a toolbox as he could get. This time there were only nine crystals. Dual Job (A), Detachable Limbs (A), Ultra-Acute smell (A), King’s Weaponsmithing (A), King’s Armorsmithing (A), Twin Fang Style (B), Duke’s Architecture ( C ), Woodworking (F), Create Snowflake (H).

He consumed the crystals and the skills took effect. He had Villager set as a second job and would need to get the skill to level six if he wanted to swap for another of his jobs. He had not the SP to do that and left it as it was. What he didn't expect was an H-rank skill.

Skill Create Snowflake (H) level 1 awakened.

Spend 1 MP to create a unique, beautiful, and chilly snowflake. ❄ It won't melt for minutes. Instantaneous, no casting time, no chant, no cooldown.

You rolled on the "special" category but we hadn't one at that rank. So have a special snowflake for a special snowflake.

"It is confirmed, I was sent to this world to be someone's entertainment. I'm sure I am being watched by that guy," Grendel mumbled with his head low. "Are you laughing now? Laugh hard because if I find you..." He threatened the skies. There were no gods in there. All of them had died millennia ago. But he was indeed being watched. By more than one party.

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King Hrothgar reached his castle in Heorot in a hurry. What should've been an easy hunting trip in places where the threat was low, a B-rank monster appeared and slaughtered almost two dozen of his personal knights. That was preposterous. And not by coincidence he received a report from the guild master stationed in Mirfield, a backwater frontier town that was founded a few centuries ago. It was a new town, considering Heorot itself was over three thousand years old. The report was of a troll sighting. Probably the same troll, or he would have to rebuild that town from scratch after burning it to the ground to eliminate a troll infestation. He couldn't even think of the headache.

It would be a real bother, as he was facing the literal flames of a rebellion in the western towns. He had no intention to see his country crumble on two sides. If only he had some hero to send against that troll. But the kingdom's champion, Helmholtz had been dispatched to deal with the troll by the guild before the equinox and he had obviously failed.

Hrothgar then ordered the minister of finance to set apart the bounty for hiring the S-rank party. They hailed from the northern Ascot kingdom, but their guild affiliation and rank meant they belonged to no one. As long as one had the gold. Two thousand gold coins for each one in their party. Usually five. It was still cheaper than rebuilding the town and drafting people to live there.

Mirfield had an strategic value. It worked as a shield for the more valuable towns of Strawford and Whiteridge and was a watch over the dreaded dragon valley. A stretch of treacherous land squeezed between the dragonspine mountains to the north and the dragonclaw mountains to the south. His main concern was what lied beyond that valley. Something that if set loose would mean the doom of humanity.

With all that in mind, there he stood on his throne, a chest with ten thousand gold coins at his side. The bloody thing weighed over two hundred pounds.

"The S-rank champion party, Gilgamesh's braves!" His herald announced. The doors to the royal audience chamber opened and five haughty humans entered.

Gilgamesh the Brave, an S-rank adventurer whose weapon skill could kill any monster in a single blow.

Enkidu the Wildling, a savage man raised by beasts. His berserk rages were unstoppable. In their earlier careers, he and Gilgamesh were rivals and their fights reshaped the northern landscape. Once they settled their differences and acknowledged their stalemate, they became inseparable friends.

Shamhat the Seductress Witch. Her magic and charm drove hundreds of men mad. She was a companion and lover of Enkidu since ever and was the one that found him in the wild. Her clothing reveals more of her chocolate skin than a maiden in a bath.

Innana the untouched. She was an archmage without peer and never talked to a man. It is said that Enkidu was only able to resist Shamhat's charms because of his pure love for Innana. She is one of the handful of mages that can use light magic on the continent. She contrasts with Shamhat because only her face is not covered by clothes, only by a thin veil.

Kareena the Heartseeker. She is Gilgamesh twin sister and rumors tell of a cruel and cold woman that earned the title 'The Heartseeker' because of her unavoidable technique that can pierce the heart with perfect accuracy. A few years ago she retired from adventuring and became a guildmaster in the north-eastern town of Colchester.

"My braves! A new threat rose from the east. The dragon valley spewed once again a terrible beast. My seers tell me the name of this beast is Grendel the Troll. He attacked my camp during the night and aimed at my life. Only by the brave sacrifice of a score of my bravest men I could escape with my life. Thus this is the quest I beseech you to undertake. Travel east to the frontier town of Colchester. From there, hunt that beast and end that threat to humanity. Beware as the monster surely took a liking to men's flesh and women's pleasures. He already took one of the town girls as his bride. Go now and may luck favor you."

The adventurers rose and two guards handed them the heavy chest. Gilgamesh just glanced at it and picked it up with two fingers. "We accept your noble quest, Your Majesty. Rest assured that this troll is as good as dead."

Gilgamesh was laughing inside. A troll? Trolls were B-rank dumb beasts that feared fire and ran for their lives. It was Hrothgar's fault for not bringing magicians with him. Shamhat could slaughter ten trolls with a single burst fireball spell. Those would be the easiest two thousand gold coins he would earn. And it would be a good exercise to shake the rust on his sister. A desk job was not fitting for her. He knew the true reason Kareena had retired from adventuring. Her skill had several limitations and did not work on several types of monsters. She fell behind him and Enkidu on martial prowess and were feeling like she was being carried in the party. Dead weight. Of course, that never crossed the minds of him or Enkidu. They really enjoyed having her with them and another skilled sword wielder in a fight was always welcome.

The true reason was that she had fallen for the honeyed words of the Mirfield Guild Master. That seductive and crooked man had put his fingers and other body parts in over half the female employees of the guild and the recently-promoted guildmaster was no exception. He was not a man to tie the bonds with a single woman, however. He thrived in the conquest and the hardest the woman resisted the strongest he would push forward.

His position in the guild was enviable. He was bound to become the next Grand Master in a few years, as he was the only guild master in the continent to be able to use the elusive Soul Magic School. There were a couple other spellcasters that were able to master that, but they were not affiliated with the guild. With that card on his sleeve, he had free reign over any other guild employee. Of course, none of the people present knew that he was no longer among the living.

The S-rank champions left the audience hall and made their way to the guild branch. From there they could teleport straight to the Mirfield guild branch using a secret device only trusted guildmasters had access to. Even to Kareena that was the first time seeing the item in use. They entered the chamber in the guild complex and turned on the device. Nothing happened. It could mean only one thing. The Mirfield guild branch was no more. The Guild Master was dead or the guild crystal was destroyed. Or both, as it was the case.

They hurriedly recharged the device and teleported to the Strawford branch. The town was two days away from Mirfield. Using Hrothgar's authority, they commandeered horses from the local Count and rode south without a care for the animals' wellbeing. It took less than a day to reach Mirfield thanks to Enkidu's beastmaster skills.

What they saw was a devastated town. Orc corpses and some human ones littered the fields and in several places, the crops were destroyed or pillaged. Wolves and other scavenger monsters roamed the fields feeding on the corpses. The north wall had a huge gap, proof that something big and strong had broken through. They spurred the horses and entered through the gates. They went straight to the guild branch.

They found the place abandoned, a single receptionist sitting at the counter.

"What transpired here?" Gilgamesh yelled from the door. He was not a man of manners.

"Champion Gilgamesh! What a sight for sore eyes you are. The guild has not forsaken us! I am Alisha a humble receptionist. Unfortunately, the Guild Master has passed away fighting a dread monster. Grendel the troll invaded this town and drove the townsfolk insane! Can you imagine, people were talking about friendship with monsters!"

The receptionist threw herself at the champion's feet. After Grendel, every adventurer shunned the guild. Almost all of them skipped town to try their luck in the dwarven mines of Whiteridge or on the hunting grounds north of the dragonspine mountains. The guild was deserted. Even a wolf pack now was a threat to the farmers, and that was the reason there was no farming being done.

"This is worse than we thought. Where is the guild crystal?"

"Stolen! The damn troll stole the guild crystal! I can only think it was a monster tamed by them!"

Alisha knew the truth. She was a lover of the Guild Master, but she knew the threat Mirfield was created to watch over. The dreaded enemies of mankind that lived on the other side of the dragon valley. Something so terrible no person dared speak of them.

Kareena hugged Alisha to calm her down. "Speak more. What that troll did?"

"It talked language. It was wearing clothes, it wielded weapons. It used terrible skills and feared no fire. Our resident wizard hit him with a nova blast and he just smiled! It is a dread beast. He even converted several town girls into monster brides! He murdered the Baron and several guards. And in their insanity, the town folk were gifting the monster flowers! He even took over command of the orc horde! It purposely stole the guild crystal and worse..." She paused to catch her breath. "It was able to use the crystal. The monster registered himself using a slab and a fresh card!"

Being a guild master herself, Kareena knew what it meant. The guild most guarded secrets were leaked to a monster of all creatures. It was the second worst thing that could happen. One that they had to stop at all costs. It could mean the doom of everyone.

"Did he walked in town without any discomfort?"

Strong monsters naturally avoided human towns. A B-rank troll should become lethargic. The only two explanations were it being a tame monster being supplied magic by its tamer or a hybrid.

"No. It laughed and talked normally. He was even feeling at ease among the townsfolk. It is a tragedy." The receptionist's mental state was not very good.

"Brother, we should depart immediately. Alisha, my dear, is there anything else we should know?"

"Yes. The Baron's son succeeded the house name and he ordered the guards to arrest the insane townsfolk. Several of them fled east into the woods. They took many girls with them, those branded as monster brides. It is as if they want to breed an army of hybrids."

The receptionist looked at the five of the S-rank party. They were the finest warriors and mages the guild could field. These men and women held the hopes of the dwindling human race. It is a good time to make a note that Heorot and Ascot too to a certain degree were human supremacists. They really cared little for the fare of the other races called collectively the 'people races'.

"Yes, we will undertake this quest. Don't worry, Alisha. Your brave deeds will surely be rewarded."

The girl looked up at Gilgamesh with dreamy eyes. Her hopes would give them strength, she thought.

"Please, champions! Save our town. No, save the world!"

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World Map:

Grendel has gained 3 + 3 levels ([3]Racial 50 > 53, [4] Magic Swordsman 34 > 37). 45 SP earned.

Skill Dual Job (A) level 1 awakened.

User can set a second job as active job. The job tier cannot be higher than 1 + ( / 2).

Skill Detachable Limbs (A) level 1 awakened.

Allows the user to detach and reattach limbs. Limbs can be remote controlled at a distance of x 5 feet. Limbs perish if detached for more than minutes.

SkillUltra-Acute smell (innate) (A)level 1 awakened.

The user can detect and recognize familiar scents up to x 20 feet away. User can also smell blood up to x 200 feet away. Inside the smaller range, reduces penalties for fighting without sight by x 10%.

Skill Lord’s Weaponsmithing (A) level 3 awakened.

Allows the user to create weapons of excellent quality. Damage, precision bonus, and durability of created weapons increase with level.

Crude weaponsmithing fused into King's Weaponsmithing.

Skill Lord’s Armorsmithing (A) level 1 awakened.

Allows the user to create armor of excellent quality. Defense and durability of created armor increase with level.

Skill Twin Fang Style (B) level 1 awakened.

Dual dagger-wielding fighting style. Learns one technique per level. {Twin Stab} learned.

Skill Duke’s Architecture ( C ) level 1 awakened.

Allows one to plan and oversee architechtural work. Aesthetic value and functionality of designs increase with level.

Skill Woodworking (F) level 1 awakened.

Allows one to craft wooden furniture and tools or to make planks out of logs. Resilience and durability of created items increase with level.