Crafting Death: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 2)

by Nephilim Night

  “Vik, darling.” Rita chuckled. “Do you want anything to eat?”

  I looked back up and over my shoulder to stare at the slightly older woman. She looked years younger after having her first meridian opened, and so did Donald for that matter.

  “Yeah, sure. Can you roast some of the meat?”

  She nodded. “I can. How much do you want?”

  “I don’t know. A big steak?”

  She didn’t add anything and instead started cutting several pieces of meat, and then put it over all of the fires. It didn’t take long for the scent to start bewitching me as I sat there, staring at the flames licking the meat. It was a hard exercise, trying to keep myself from eating them before they were done.

  Melina got back quickly after and dropped the guandao next to Donald, scoffing and pursing her lips. “This thing is heavy!”

  “Why didn’t you put it in the pouch?” Lana asked.

  There was a smirk on her face, one barely visible, but it was there. Melina looked away indignantly and muttered something about getting back at her.

  “Donald? Can you do something with it?” I asked but followed Melina and then gave Lana a frown. She shrugged and looked away.

  “Sure can! Let me work my magic, and I’ll have it done for you in a flash!”

  “Want me to leave you some?” Mark yelled from across the field. “There are seven left!”

  “No, I’m fine!”

  I let out a sigh and lay back down as the meat sizzled atop the firepits. Lana pushed herself off and crawled over to the firepit that belonged to her and stared at the steak with hungry eyes. If I weren’t so tired, I would have done the same thing.

  “Hey, why don’t you take a short nap?” Melina asked. “You can put your head on my lap, and I’ll make sure to wake you up when it’s done.”

  I grinned up at her and nodded, not even needing much to go there. Several seconds after placing my head on her legs, I drifted off into a deep but short slumber.

  A gentle nudging awoke me what felt like moments later. I groaned and stretched; then I met Melina’s fixated eyes. She was watching me intently. It was almost creepy.

  “Feeling any better?” she whispered. Her lips came together and released a spicy and sweet aroma, the one I was already used to. “It’s been about half an hour.”

  I flashed her a smile. “The only thing that could make it better would be a cold beer and that piece of meat I saw earlier.”

  “And not me?” Melina asked as she held the two things out for me.

  “Especially you. I don’t think I can ever be complete without you.”

  I felt Lana struggle, but she didn’t snap or say anything stupid. She nodded and sat next to us, taking the paper plate and beer from Melina as I sat up.

  “How are you feeling? Still tired?” she asked.

  I shook my head. I had enough time to rest, and the Enma did the rest. “Nah, I’m fine. Just hungry and thirsty.”

  “Then you’ll be happy to see this beauty!” Donald laughed as he handed me the Bone Halberd.

  Notification:

  ITEM RECEIVED:

  Bone Halberd Rank 1

  PHYSICAL ATTACK: 100

  ENMA ATTACK: 80

  DEFENSE: 40

  BREAK: 100

  NOTE: Stat values only apply when the item is equipped and being used. The stats go up with every new enhancement and upgrade.

  “Damn! It has an even higher break rate than the sword!”

  “I have no idea, as I can’t see the stats. I can only see what they’re made of and their names.”

  I put up my hand to stop him from saying anything else, and he complied, then turned back to the heap of bones and continued working on them.

  “Thanks, Donald. I mean it.”

  I had two very similar yet very different weapons. One was apparently born for breaking shields, and that was beyond what I could have hoped for. Not just that, but everything was slowly starting to slide into place. We were getting our jobs done, getting our stats up, and starting to use the jobs to further ourselves. I loved every second of it.

  Minutes turned into hours, and then the firepits finally reached the twelve-hour mark. Two chimes rang out.

  Notification:

  QUEST COMPLETED:

  Survivalist Level 1

  REWARDS FOR QUEST COMPLETION:

  1. +50 Health, +10 Defense

  2. Trap-Making Skill

  Quest Received: Survivalist Level 2

  DESCRIPTION: Create 10 different traps.

  COMPLETION: 0/10

  Notification:

  SKILL NAME: << TRAP-MAKING >>

  DESCRIPTION: Make traps using items found within the Rift.

  A beartrap-like icon appeared in my periphery but to the right side this time. I activated the skill, and a new window opened before me.

  Trap-Making

  Monster Trap Rank 1 – Vine x 1, Smelted Iron x 2

  Monster Net Rank 1 – Vine x 3, Tree Sap x 1

  Pitfall Rank 1 – Shovel, Wooden Log x 5, Vine x 2

  Bomb Rank 1 – Flash Powder x 3, Femur Bone x 2.

  Optional ingredients: Iron, bone, and rock shards

  NOTE: Leveling up Trap-Making unlocks new as well as improved versions of trapper tools and traps.

  I wasn’t able to create any of the traps, but that didn’t matter right now. There were so many things I didn’t know about and had no idea how to do yet, but I still had several days left. I guessed it would have to be enough for us to get that small head start and help Melina rank up.

  “How far along is everyone with their jobs?” I asked, looking the group over.

  Mark and Sarah sat and played with Laney while Rita was still busy doing something with a piece of meat.

  “Everyone has done what we planned to do for now,” Melina replied. “Only two spawns left to take care of.”

  I nodded and thought of what next. We had so many jobs left to take care of and so many monsters to kill that I was starting to get a headache. Instead, I focused on the brew and the meat. I was famished and almost shaking from hunger.

  “Thirty minutes until the next spawn,” Mark called over.

  “Thanks, I’ll take care of that one.”

  “Be my guest,” he shot back. “I’m not really happy with how the lance works. It’s extremely tiring.”

  I got up and stretched my limbs, then looked around the place. Despite being sometime in the late afternoon, we would have to fight one spawn during the night. Strange thing, though, Scar wasn’t back yet. Veles had promised we’d have him first thing the next morning, but he was still gone. Not that it mattered now that we had some good gear.

  I grinned as I swung the halberd in a circle, feeling the weight glide with every swing. The greatsword’s weight was focused all along the blade, making for a strange weapon, but the halberd’s edge was much shorter. It just felt more natural to swing it around since the weight was focused on a singular spot, and I knew how the halberd would move before I even swung it.

  Melina and Lana came up to me and waited for the monsters to spawn. Neither of them said anything as we waited. They must probably still be mad at each other. Whatever. They could deal with it themselves, being big girls and all.

  I breezed through the grazlitaurs with ease using the Bone Halberd. Wherever the heavy blade struck, the shield groaned and then cracked. It was no overstatement to say I was done with the spawn in a mere fifteen minutes.

  I had no idea why Veles had told us to hunt them other than what we’d already gained, but I wasn’t going to protest.

  The strange thing was that my level didn’t go up no matter how many of these things I killed. There was no experience counter like in games; no, there was nothing but the level and rank. Progress didn’t matter, it seemed. Was it tied to quests and quest rewards? Maybe, but that meant that no one could get far ahead of the others when it came to leveling up.

  The group descended on the corpses and gathered the crystals; th
en we cut the meat and separated it from the bones and skin. We gathered around the one large firepit we still had running once we were done. Darkness had already set deep on this world, and it was somewhere around midnight, from what I could gather. We were getting wary, as this was the first time we’d be outside during the night. Who knew what kinds of dangers would jump out of nowhere?

  We worked deep into the morning and waited for the fourth spawn to appear, but it still hadn’t by the time the six hours had passed.

  “Should we go back?” Rita asked as we all sat around the fire and ate some more of the meat.

  No one was in the mood to stay there any longer after clearing three spawns and spending over twenty hours out in the wilderness. We were tired, dirty, and smelled horrible from all the blood and intestines.

  “I’m going to stay here until the last spawn is cleared,” I said, my voice showing just how tired I was. “I want to know what monster we’re pissing off.”

  Melina rolled her eyes. “Really? Can’t you phrase it differently?”

  “And you won’t be alone. We’ll stay with you,” Lana said. “I’m interested to see the beast as well when I think of all the mythical beasts we killed on the Karmag.”

  “Karmag?” Mark asked.

  Damn Lana. How the hell could she slip up so much? No, maybe it was a smart idea to come clean with them. What better time would there be than now?

  I took in a deep breath and then sighed before I told them part of the story. No one seemed bothered by our secret, at least not as much as I thought they would be. None of them spoke, though, at least not for several seconds after I shut up after explaining about Lana’s predicament and our remaining time.

  Donald and Rita shrugged. They didn’t say anything, but I could see something flash in their eyes. I didn’t think it would cause me trouble, but one never knew what was in someone’s mind. Sandro was the perfect example.

  “I don’t really care,” Mark said, finally breaking the silence. “I knew something was off with you, especially after burning our meridians, but another world? And another life? Damn.”

  “And it’s so creepy how the two of you looked so very much alike, and still do.” Sarah chuckled. “But yeah, I don’t care either. As long as it doesn’t interfere with our friendship.”

  “It never will,” I said, flashing her a sincere smile. “But since we’re all in this together, I thought it might be the best choice to come clean. You know everything now, and I can tell you that it feels much better than I thought it would.”

  “Bah, it’s not like I didn’t slip up earlier,” she muttered and looked away. “But yeah, you trust these people, and so do I, so I don’t regret it.”

  “These people?” Rita asked, her voice slightly higher in pitch. “We’re your people, Lady Lana. Not these people. Please think before you speak.”

  Lana sat there with her mouth wide open, not able to believe how Rita had just reprimanded her. But then a smile replaced the half-scowl as she nodded.

  “You’re right, Rita. I’m sorry. It’s hard to think of someone… they can’t really be your people until you’ve spent enough time with them.”

  “I can agree with that, but we’ve only known Viktor slightly longer than you.”

  “Enough, Rita,” Donald said calmly. “I think it’s time we retreated for the night and got some rest. We’ve still got a few hard days ahead of us.”

  She nodded and started gathering all the dishes, the leftover roast meat, and the cutlery. Sarah helped her as Mark watched over the sleeping baby.

  The grazlitaurs spawned suddenly, all at once, as I heard a rumbling come from the cavern in the distance. They all turned their heads around and stared in the same direction.

  “I think it’s time you guys left,” I said hurriedly and got up. “Lana, help me take care of the grazlitaurs before this thing comes. Whatever it is.”

  Chapter Nine

  A sense of urgency hit me like a brick in the face when I thought I spotted a dark shape leave the cavern. I looked back at the grazlitaurs and hacked even harder and faster, killing them with record speed. Lana had already killed six of them, while I was up to nine. Only several more.

  The ground started trembling beneath our feet with every step of the approaching monster. Four more to go. Three. The tip of the sun peeked from behind the faraway mountains, shredding darkness wherever rays of light struck. One of those rays shone down on the approaching beast, giving us a glimpse at what was about to come.

  My heart skipped a beat when I saw the hulking monstrosity. It looked like a dinosaur, one with great hind legs, a big and thick body. The arms were as thick as tree trunks and moved around frantically. Spikes ran along its back and ended at the tip of its tail in what resembled a morning star. It swung around like a fifth limb, flailing at the ground and its skin alike.

  The only reason I could see was how the creature moved, thrashing its body around, throwing itself to the ground, spinning around in circles, and stumbling to where we were. The tail end slammed right into its tough skin and bounced off as if it was nothing. Spikes at least a foot in length hadn’t managed to penetrate its skin. Great.

  “Shit, I don’t like this at all,” I cursed and turned to kill the last grazlitaur.

  The monster stopped in its tracks and skidded to a halt almost instantly. It stared at us from half a mile away. Its eyes roamed over the dead grazlitaurs, even from this far.

  I glanced over my shoulders and saw the others had already left. Good, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about them.

  “Melina? Give us your buffs and get the hell out of here. I can’t fight while worrying about you.”

  She ran up to us and pressed her hands to my back, then cast both buffs and planted a kiss on my cheek. Next was Lana, but she didn’t kiss the other woman. I had no idea why I thought she would, but whatever. Not that… no, why would I want her to? What if the two fell in love and pushed me aside?

  “Hey, why the hell are you staring blankly?” Lana hissed.

  “Sorry, I just had this strange thought. I’m good now.”

  I ran over to the last grazlitaur and killed it with three ordinary blows.

  Notification:

  QUEST COMPLETED:

  Hunter Level 2

  REWARDS FOR QUEST COMPLETION:

  1. +20 Physical Attack, +10 Defense

  Quest Received: Hunter Level 3

  DESCRIPTION: Hunt 50 Monsters.

  COMPLETION: 50/150

  NOTE: With every level, the blade will find the monsters’ critical points much easier to deal more damage.

  “How do we take it on?” she asked as I closed the notification. “I think Veles screwed us over when she pushed us to fight this thing.”

  “Yeah, she might have,” I muttered. “Did you see how that spike just bounced off its hide?”

  She nodded. “I did. It’s one scary beast in our current state.”

  “But still a beast, even if it’s a scary one.”

  “So how do we take it on?”

  “Easy. We wait for it to get over here, and we fight it. If we’re outmatched, we run into the dome.”

  She remained silent for several long seconds, just as the monster started running again. “Wait, you’re serious, aren’t you?”

  I nodded without even looking over. “Move to where the firepit was and hide there until I engage the beast. You back me up by trying to keep its tail busy, alright?”

  I couldn’t see her nod and didn’t hear a reply as I stared out into the distance, but I knew she’d follow the instruction.

  I climbed up onto the heap of grazlitaurs. Several of them had fallen atop each other, and that gave me some seven feet of height advantage. Even then, the monster towered over us by my full height. I cursed again and focused hard. Focus. Sure, why not? It was the perfect time to try the skill out on such a big brute.

  It was roughly a hundred steps out when I took up my stance. I let Enma flow through my body and envelop me.
Sure, I was nervous and almost shitting myself, but I was also excited by facing my first real problem in this rift.

  The halberd rested on top of the grazlitaur’s head as I stood with my feet planted on its back. The—what was it called? I had no idea, and I didn’t care, so I’d give it a name. Spikeback? Sharpback? Spiketail? No, I pulled some images and names from the previous owners’ memories and grinned. Behemoth. Fitting name for such a hulking giant.

  Damage Notification:

  You have used << FOCUS >>.

  You have used 100 Enma.

  The Bone Halberd started humming and vibrating as the tremors beneath my feet became worse and worse. The ground shook so hard it almost felt like a weaker earthquake and caused me to balance my weight around. Fifty steps. Twenty. I could almost feel its breath. It was putrid and stung my lungs as I inhaled the stench wafting from the beast.

  I launched myself off the grazlitaur and swung the Bone Halberd. It barely traveled half a circle as it collided with the behemoth’s face. A wild ethereal blast sent me flying backward as something exploded against the creature’s forehead.

  Damage Notification:

  You have inflicted 2,156 damage to Tyranitaur.

  It reared up on its legs and shook its body as my attack stopped it dead in its tracks. Scales flew in all directions, several striking my shield and draining some of my Enma Shield points.

  Damage Notification:

  You have received 19 damage from Tyranitaur.

  You have received 21 damage from Tyranitaur.

  You have received 16 damage from Tyranitaur.

  My shield held at 564 points as the monster let out an ear-shattering bellow. The very air vibrated and threatened to pop my eardrums as I stood there, trying to shake the feeling of helplessness off.