The howls and screeches that had been rapidly closing in on us suddenly resolved into a seething horde of twisted and mutated bodies that surged towards us from the surrounding forest. It was almost impossible to discern any individual forms amid the rapidly charging mass of bodies as flashes of orc, elf, and other sentient body parts alternated with innumerable pieces from virtually every animal type I’d ever seen. Antlers and horns stuck out above the throng, while hooves, claws, and paws relentlessly powered their corrupted bodies forward.
The instant they appeared, I began targeting their leading edge with Shockwave enhanced arrows. I aimed my bolts slightly behind the advancing line of malformed creatures, disrupting not only those they disabled, but also many in the rushing throng behind them as they stumbled over the slew of stunned creatures lying in their path.
Arrows, flashes of fire, and bolts of lightning rained down among the horde as well, but the hideous throng still surged forward relentlessly, heedless of the grievous losses they were suffering under our withering attack.
The lead beastkin seemed to almost willingly impale themselves on the points of our spears just to allow the ones that followed to slam into the heavy armor of our front line. We held them off, barely, but just as fast as the spear-wielders could dislodge their weapons from the bodies of the fallen beastkin and slice through another, and our armored soldiers cut down the ones who got past them, the horde continued rushing forward.
With the battle fully engaged, I could no longer send Shockwave arrows into the beastkin, so I climbed atop one of the carriages, and sent fire, ice, and earth arrows into the tightly-packed throng of bodies. There was almost no need to aim at that point, and for the most part, I didn’t even bother. Picking out an individual target was nearly impossible among the roiling mass of indistinct body parts, and even if I took the time to do so, the beastkin probably would have already spent his life against our spears or swords. So, all I did was aim vaguely at the horde as it pressed forward and let my arrows strike whatever target they managed to find there.
On a whim, I fired an air-enhanced shaft, and was startled by its effects. I’d only hit lone individuals with one before, and never a tightly-packed mass like the beastkin presented. I thought its effects would be limited to the single individual it struck, but that was not the case. Every beastkin in direct contact with the one it struck, and there were many, also received the same devastating jolt of electricity as the actual target. Not only that, but the next layer of foes, those who were touching the secondary victims, were shocked as well, although they were not quite as badly damaged as the others. These tertiary victims only seemed to be disabled by the jolt, not killed like the others. But amid the beastkin horde, the end result was the same, as those who fell to the ground were quickly trampled to death by their brethren.
Once I recognized the full effect of these arrows, I used them exclusively, firing them into the compressed throng of bodies as rapidly as I could. The bodies of the dead and dying began piling up in front of us, just as they had during the battle at The Citadel, and we were forced to yield ground to avoid being overrun. Luckily, Evans had set our lines in anticipation of that eventuality, and we had ample clear ground behind us to back away slowly as we continued the slaughter.
But even then, the horde did not relent, and although they had come at us straight on, surging into the line we’d formed in anticipation of their assault, their numbers were so vast that they began pressing against our flanks, engaging the more lightly-armored skirmishers we’d placed there. There was nothing we could do but hope that those troops could hold the line; we had no reinforcements to send them. Every single one of us was already engaged with the enemy.
In front of me I saw Stel fighting along the front lines, a position he’d insisted on occupying, while behind him, Venna healed the injured who fell back to recover. Ella’s spear darted out time and again, taking beastkin in the throat or chest as she relentlessly slaughtered the creatures, and I did my best to watch over the three of them. Broda, Khorim, and Saibra were elsewhere, having chosen to fight alongside the skirmishers instead. For her part, Tási had also taken up a spot atop one of the carriages and joined her fellow Evokers as they charred and otherwise dispatched the beastkin with abandon.
I lost track of how many arrows I’d shot—truthfully, I never even bothered to count them, knowing beforehand that it would be a fruitless effort. But the air-enhanced shafts were having an effect; they provided a brief respite for our troops while the surging mass filled in the gaps the electric bolts created in their midst.
Shrieks of our wounded, and undoubtedly our dead as well, mixed with urgent howls of burning hate as the battle raged on. The front lines of both sides were painted in crimson red, and as we gave ground, the pursuing beastkins’ attack faltered slightly as they stumbled over the fallen bodies and slipped on the blood-soaked earth we left behind in our wake.
There came a point where, from my vantage point above the fray, I could see the approaching throng begin to thin out as the horde’s trailing elements finally emerged from the trees. My arms ached from the effort of drawing Retribution so many times, and I knew that my soldiers were even more exhausted from their exertions, but with the end in sight, my strength returned, and I began firing as rapidly as I could. We’d lost many lives in this battle, most of whom we’d had to abandon as we made our slow and steady withdrawal. Those bodies, if we could even find them, would be beyond saving. But now, with the end so close, if we could only hold fast, I might yet spare a few from sharing that awful fate.
Despite the inevitable end of their attack, the last press of beastkin bodies seemed to go on forever until finally, the few remaining monstrosities recognized the futility of their assault and vanished back into the forest. Nearly everyone simply collapsed right where they were, overcome with exhaustion and careless of what might be soaking the ground beneath them. None save a few Curates and other non-combatants had been spared the rigors of combat that day, and those were the only ones among us who began tending the wounded and searching for the dead who might still be saved.
The losses we suffered were grim, and most of our dead couldn’t even be properly identified. For them, the best we could do was search among the innumerable beastkin corpses for the scattered sections of armor we could find and give the remains that were left inside them a proper burial. Only a full roll call told us their names, and we honored them as best we could, with a proper funeral pyre several miles down the road, far away from the festering heap of monstrosities we left burning in a haphazard pile by the roadside.
That single fight cost us more than twice the number of dead as the entire battle for Ondale. Despite our valiant defense, well over 300 had fallen, and we’d only been able to restore a bare handful of them. The loses were tragic, and seemingly unnecessary—the beastkins’ only motivation was slaughter and reckless procreation. There was no higher purpose or even some evil design behind their attacks, only the burning desire to cause pain and suffering it seemed. It was all just so depressing and did nothing but add to the troubles that plagued my mind.
I found no solace at the prospect, but I thought at least it would provide a diversion for my mind when I was able to check my notifications that night.
Valued User: Due to the large volume of your pending notifications, level-up options have been delayed until after you’ve cleared them. We hope this slight modification improves your gaming experience.
Experience gained – You have gained 385 XP.
…
Experience gained – You have gained 385 XP.
Commander’s bonus – You have earned party credit for every kill made under your command or the direct command of one of your party members.
Experience gained – You have gained 49 XP.
…
Experience gained – You have gained 49 XP.
Boon, Saibra’s Oath – Saibra’s kills belong to you now, and you will receive full credit for every life she takes
in your name. In addition to XP credit, you have also received a 1% bonus you may apply to any weapon or armor skill that you currently possess. However, this bonus may not be used to raise any skill above 60%.
Experience gained – You have gained 385 XP.
…
Experience gained – You have gained 385 XP.
You have 19 percentage points to distribute amongst your armor and weapons skills.
Quest completed – You have completed the hidden quest Weapon Master. By reaching 60% proficiency, you’ve become a true Master with a specific weapon. This is typically a difficult task, one that your Deathless status has made easier for you to achieve, but your skill cannot be denied. You have been rewarded with a 5% bonus that you may apply to any single bow Skill. This Quest is not repeatable.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 39.
You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to DEX and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.
I’d done an awful lot of killing that day, so the only message that surprised me was the Weapon Master quest. While the level of proficiency I’d reached was impressive, achieving it hadn’t just fulfilled a quest requirement. I’d passed the threshold that would allow me to teach the skill as well, beyond the normal 20% training limit.
Weapon instruction had been on my mind for a while, and as with many things at the time, the reason for that centered around Líann. She alone among my Tári was essentially defenseless. While she had her own personal guards to protect her, Líann lacked even the most basic self-defense abilities. As my Táriel, and companion for life, that was a vulnerability I simply couldn’t afford her to have.
I’d thought to ask Saibra to train Líann when we got back, but her lessons were a bit too harsh a starting point for the pampered Queen. My intent was to begin instructing her myself, even though I’d only be able to teach her the most basic techniques. But now that I knew the goal I had to reach in order to instruct her more completely, I set my sights on achieving my second weapon mastery so that I could do the job myself. At least, I hoped to be able to do that if my prolonged absence hadn’t caused her any permanent harm.
The image ruined the positive train of thought I’d had for a moment, and I put my point in Strength, as usual, and my malaise returned once more.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 40.
You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to CON and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.
Yeah. Whatever. Strength again, I thought. But then I got a surprise. Several of them, to be precise.
You can now choose a new Ability. You must choose one of the following:
Rapid Fire – After firing an arrow, your follow-up shot takes half as long as normal to be fired. Cost – 10 Endurance.
Seeker – Your next single shot has an increased chance to hit. Cost – 10 Endurance.
Body Blow – Your next dagger attack, if it lands, will cause your opponent to suffer an Endurance penalty. Cost – 20 Aura.
Impale – Your dagger inflicts a damage-over-time bleed effect. Cost – 20 Endurance.
Focused Fire – Your next arrow causes increased damage if it hits. Cost – 20 Endurance.
Long Range Shot – Increase the effective range of your bow. Cost – 30 Aura.
Siphon – Advanced Ability – On a successful hit, your arrow bleeds health from its target, transferring a portion of the damage back to you in the form of restored Health. Damage and restoration rates are dependent on proficiency. Modifier – Constitution. Cost – 100 Aura.
Disarm – Advanced Ability – On a successful hit and a failed Dexterity check by your opponent, your arrow causes your enemy to fumble and drop their weapon(s). Chance of success improves with increased proficiency. Modifier – Dexterity. Cost – 100 Aura.
Master’s Defense – Master Level Ability – While wielding your bow, your armor rating is increased. The selection of this Ability provides a permanent effect when its conditions are met.
Your choice is final and must be made now. Choose wisely, as you will now only gain a new Ability every five levels.
Well, that was almost perfect for me. Not even almost, it was perfect for me. While I was getting more and more comfortable with my blades, I was truly in my element when I could sit back just a bit and rain destruction down on my enemies. Master’s Defense it was. Then came my first surprise.
Having reached level 40, you can now choose a new Spell. You must choose one of the following:
Muffle – May be cast on self or ally. Dampens sound in a radius around target. Cost – 20 Aura.
Detect Life – Casting this spell allows you to detect the essence of nearby living creatures. Cost – 20 Aura.
Restore Health – May be cast on self or ally. Heals a small amount of damage. Cost – 30 Aura.
Silence – Surround target with an aura that cancels all sounds. Cost – 40 Aura.
Stone Skin – May be cast on self or ally. Hardens skin, increasing effective armor against attack or certain effects. Cost – 30 Aura
Flare – Throw a ball of fire at your enemy, which may set combustible items ablaze. Cost – 40 Aura.
Shard – Hurl Shard(s) of rock against your foes. Cost – 40 Aura.
Summon Creature – Summons a creature to aid you or fight by your side. The type of creature summoned depends on the environment. Modifier – Charisma. Cost – 100 Aura.
Charm – Beguile your target into doing your bidding. The strength of your hold over them will depend on just how powerfully you can dominate their will. Modifier – Charisma. Cost – 200 Aura.
Entangle – Create an area of entangling vines that will hold any foes caught within its radius. Area of effect, the distance you may cast the Spell, and the power of your vines will all vary based on your Abilities and proficiency. Modifiers – Strength and Dexterity. Cost – 150 Aura.
Your choice is final and must be made now. Choose wisely, as you will now only gain a new Spell every 10 levels.
I’d forgotten where I was, level-wise, and the Spell menu genuinely caught me off guard—pleasantly so. I loved my magic, even if I didn’t get to use it as much as I liked, so I looked over my choices carefully. For about a split second.
Entangle sounded like a beefed-up version of my trap Spell, but with the added bonus of being able to cast it directly at my enemies rather than having to wait for them to hopefully stumble upon it. While some of the other choices had their own particular appeal, I simply had to have Entangle.
With that decision made, I was expecting the next level-up menu to appear when surprise number two arrived instead.
You have reached level 40. It is now time for you to choose your Mastery. As a Warden, you may decide to become either a Warlock or Guardian. Your choice is permanent and must be made now.
The notification was as ominous as it was surprising, but it was also incredibly uninformative… typical, but that was quickly remedied when I focused on my choices.
Warlock – As a Warlock, in addition to receiving a bonus to the power of your Spells, you will unlock the paths of magic outside the normal scope of the Warden’s domain, gaining the ability to learn spells that would not otherwise be available to you.
Guardian – The Guardian’s focus is on the martial skills, and they receive a bonus to all armor and weapon Skills and Abilities. While some of the Warden class restrictions still remain in place, Guardians can wear even heavier armor, so long as it is still predominantly made of leather, and may wield any weapons they choose.
Had my situation been different, that might have been a difficult choice. But I already wore God-forged armor, and no Guardian bonus was going to offer me any improvement over that, or Retribution, my weapon of choice for that matter. Quite simply, due to circum
stances, the Guardian option had almost nothing to offer me.
Warlock, on the other hand, was intriguing. The benefits would be subtle at first, but over the long run, and that was how I was learning to perceive things, it could be incredible. I had centuries ahead of me to learn as many Spells as I could. Casting powerful magic while protected by Melía’s Armor, possibly enhanced even further by Master’s Defense that I’d just picked up, would make me extraordinarily powerful. So, in the blink of an eye, I became a Warlock as well.
The choice of Specialization grants a one-time bonus. As a Warlock, you have been granted a Spell, chosen for you based on your previous actions and decisions. You now know: Compel.
That was a rather ominous name for a Spell, and I wanted to know more, but things weren’t quite over just yet.
Having reached level 40, you have earned your second Sintári Bonus.
Nearly all the knowledge you need has been lost, and even the Gods cannot tell you everything you should know. Yet despite the challenges and your many stumbles along the way, you have done well rediscovering the ways of the Sintári. Continue to listen to the voices inside you—your heart has yet to steer you wrong, you have only failed to listen at times. For your efforts, you have been granted three bonus Attribute points to distribute however you see fit.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 41.
You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to WIS and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 89
