Victory!

Duabears

XP Gained: 750

XP: 12 350 -> 13 100

The second wave of duabears had been much easier to deal with than the first, partly due to the fact it was almost half the size of the first wave.

Adam stared at the walls of the fort, which had protected them from two outbreaks. So far, they had managed to deal with hundreds of creatures from the protection of these wooden and earthly walls.

Adam rubbed his hand along the wood and the earth. ‘You know what? You ain’t so bad.’

“Adam?” Jurot called.

“Yes?”

Jurot glanced between Adam and the wall. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Adam blinked in response. “Just, you know, thinking about how…”

Jurot waited.

“Nothing,” Adam whispered. ‘I can’t raise death flags after poking fun at Jaygak.’ “The fort’s walls are amazing.”

“Yes,” Jurot said. The walls had been built over days, and though most of it had been completed within the first two days, they had slowly added a little to the fort, refining it as time passed. They had reshaped parts of the fort in order to create more space for the giant elks in the corner.

Sir Vonda and Dunes returned from the other outpost, having spent some time tending to their wounds.

“How was it?” Adam asked.

“Terrible,” Vonda replied. “If it wasn’t for Jurot, Kitool, and Lucy, some of them would have died.”

“Which ones?” Adam asked, far too eagerly.

“Adam.” Vonda raised her brows at him.

Adam cleared his throat. “Just asking.”

Vonda sighed. “Adam.”

“Sorry.” Adam smiled. “I’m glad no one’s dead.”

“You know a lot of magic,” Twobones said to Adam during dinner.

“Yeah,” Adam replied. He noted how Twobones and Ironblade had been almost entirely unharmed during the fight. “A decent amount.”

“How strong are you?” Twobones asked.

Adam looked around. “I’d say I’m in the top two if you consider every single person within about a thousand steps.”

“Top two?”

“I’m being nice.” Adam smiled. “That’s with my magic and magical weapon.” Adam brushed his finger over his ring.

“Think you can beat me?”

“Jurot, what say you?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Jurot replied, almost instantly.

Twobones stared at Jurot for a moment, the pair sharing a knowing look. “If the Iyrman says so, then it must be true.”

“You take the word of the Iyrmen seriously?” Adam asked.

Twobones smiled. “Only fools don’t.”

“You know what, Twobones? You’re one of the smartest people I’ve met.”

“That so?”

“Wise might be more appropriate.”

Twobones chuckled. “After all this, when you head back to Red Oak, how about we fight?”

“No thanks,” Adam said. “I’m all tired on fighting.”

“Iyrman, isn’t he your brother?”

“He is.”

“Your brother gets tired of fighting?”

“No,” Jurot said. “He gets tired of winning.”

Adam coughed into his arm, winking at Jurot. Jurot replied with a nod. ‘That’s my brother,’ Adam thought.

Twobones smiled, going back to his meal. Without Adam’s magical weapon, he was fairly certain he’d be able to beat the Half Elf. Though, he supposed Jurot had taken that into consideration. He shared a look with Ironblade, who shook his head.

They probably shouldn’t start a fight when they were surrounded by three Iyrmen.

The group spent the next few days butchering the duabears, dealing with the rest of the remains by burying them nearby when it felt safe.

Creatures appeared more frequently over the next few days, though they appeared in smaller numbers. A handful of wolves, bears, boars, and even snakes, had come to bother them, though they had been dealt with by the bloodthirsty few.

“I just realised,” Adam said, looking to Rick. “We should have sent you and your party to the other group when Lady Shamia appeared.”

Rick stared at Adam, before nodding his head. “That would have been best.”

“I love your company and all, but I think that would have been best. They would have dealt with the Outbreak much better with you nearby.”

Rick stared at the other outpost, before looking back to the tower. “Would have missed the daily baths.”

Adam smiled. “You’re a man after my own heart, Rick.”

Rick had started off quite apprehensive of the Half Elf, but after spending the last few weeks with him, he understood that Adam wasn’t so bad after all.

The baths were a plus.

Omen: 4, 11

A whistle shrieked.

“What the hell is that?” Adam asked, squinting his eyes.

“It is exactly what it looks like,” Jurot said.

It was a giant snake, Adam gathered, however, it was also furry.

“It is a giant wolf snake,” Jurot said.

“Oh,” Adam said, nodding his head. “Yeah, I can see that.”

He could not see that.

“Just the one?” Adam asked.

“It seems the Outbreak is over.”

Adam frowned. Though he was glad, and quite relieved, he had expected the creatures to be more… fantastical. ‘This world really needs to be more original. I mean, come on, you send wolves at me three times?’

“Adam?” Jurot called.

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m just annoyed,” Adam said, staring at the giant wolf snake, which slithered towards them. “I guess I’ll have to just take it out on that thing. How hard is it to beat?”

“For us? It is no issue. It’s bite is terrible.”

Adam nodded. “Then I guess let’s kill it.”

“Adam!” Lucy shouted. “You can’t attack it!”

“Why not?”

“If you attack it, the fight will be too boring. We already outnumber it.”

“We shouldn’t underestimate it.”

“You just want to steal all my fun.”

Adam closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine, but I want to claim its fangs for myself.”

“You won’t attack it?”

“I get the fangs, you get the fun.”

Lucy thought deeply about the matter, all the while it continued to slither towards them. ‘If I can give the fangs to Lanarot, wouldn’t he be mad?’ Lucy thought between fighting a good fight and annoying Adam.

Jaygak could sense the thoughts from the Demon, and she nodded.

However, Lucy was far more bloodthirsty than she was mischievous.

“Deal.”

“Ah, but let me Hex it at least.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes at Adam.

“Please.”

“Fine…”

Adam watched as the group gathered together. The Iyrmen, Lucy, Jonn, Dunes, Twobones, and Ironblade made up the group which was going to leave the outpost to fight it on even ground. The others remained behind, readying their ranged weapons, just in case.

The fight began when Jaygak darted forward, wanting to take first blood. She struck across the side of the giant wolf snake, before Lucy and Jurot both pounced on the creature. Their weapons struck the creature’s scales, piercing quite deep into it, spilling blood across the land.

It shrieked, clamping its mighty jaws around Lucy, causing her to shudder in pain as its fangs tore through her side. Lucy had realised that it was far more powerful than even she had assumed. She tried to fend off the poison, but her side turned purple.

Mana: 18 -> 17

Spell: Hex

Kitool struck the creature deep with her Seekerstaff, trying to paralyse it, but it was too tough. Her fist and knee bounced off its tough scales, but as she kept it busy, Dunes tore through its side with Dunes’ Sword.

It shrieked louder as they continued to batter it, and though it slammed against Lucy again, it turned to try and flee from the heavy blows. However, the Iyrmen were resolute in hunting it, and they descended upon it like vultures to the dead, hacking and slashing it to bits.

‘Damn. Fighting with so many against a single creature is a little cheesy…’

Victory!

Giant Wolf Snake

XP Gained: +100

XP: 13 200 -> 13 300

Adam sighed. ‘It wasn’t even a good fight.’

Lucy collapsed on the ground, forcing the poison out using sheer will, before she dressed her wound.

“Did you have fun?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” she replied, sighing with a smile. “Finally a fight that I could really feel it.”

“It?”

“The chance of dying.”

“You want that?”

“I want to feel it, but I don’t want to actually die,” Lucy remarked.

“Why?”

Lucy smiled, but it was a sad smile. “Just so I can feel, Adam.”

Adam squinted at her. “Are you okay?”

Lucy nodded her head slowly, before closing her eyes to sleep.

Jurot butchered the creature with Kitool’s help. They began to roast the snake meat and cook it within the stew.

Adam stayed near Lucy, keeping an eye on her just in case the poison did something to her. He sighed. ‘We’ll get stronger soon, Lucy. Then we can go slay a Dragon and save Mara.’

Sir Vonda returned, having offered some of the meat of the giant wolf snake to the other group.

“How are they?” Adam asked.

“They are well.”

“Cool, cool.”

The snake meat was a pleasant meal that evening. The meat was chewy, and thanks to Shamia’s spices, delicious.

They spent the evening packing all the various hides, taking whatever was most valuable. They had far too much loot to pack up, though thanks to the second giant elk, they could take much more.

“I can’t wait to return back to the Iyr,” Adam said, stretching. “It’s getting way too hot to be out in the middle of nowhere.”

This had been the last day they spent in the fort. Tomorrow they’d be able to make their way back to Red Oak, which was only a few days away from home.

Rick lay in his tent, staring up at the ceiling. He remained awake due to his thoughts. He was certain that this request would have been ridiculously difficult due to its danger. Yet, he had only been wounded once, on the way to the eventual outpost.

In the last month he had seen some seriously awe inspiring things. From the rage of the Iyrmen, to the roaring flames of the Half Elf’s spells.

‘Were they really outnumbered four to one?’