“Hey, why the long face? I already made a promise, didn’t I?”
“You know, Melina, he’s a man of his word, unlike most men I’ve met in my long life,” Lana added as she inched toward us. “If he says he’ll do it, he’ll do so. I’m sure of it.”
She didn’t sound too happy about revealing the knowledge, but it went with what I’d done and felt so far. It didn’t feel right making promises I didn’t intend or thought I couldn’t keep.
I got up and dusted myself off, then kicked Scar’s side.
“What the hell?” he hissed. “Why did you kick me?”
He got to his feet and shot a bolt at me. It bounced off the tasset where it struck, and he winced.
“So you would get up. Come on, let’s scout the cavern. I’m damn curious to see if there are any treasures in there.”
He muttered something I couldn’t make out and snorted, acting like a spoiled brat. Both girls jumped atop him and waited for the wolf to carry them.
“You’re joking with me, right?” he snarled.
“We aren’t, Scar,” Lana replied cheerfully. “We’re tired.”
He snapped his head back and almost caught the hem of Lana’s yukata, but she pulled it back and slapped his cheek.
“Behave!”
He then looked over to me and shook his head. “Do you see what I have to deal with for you? The damn humiliation! You wretched creatures! Wolves would never insult me to such an extent!”
“Yeah, yeah, Scar, how about you move along, boy?”
I turned around and snickered. It was a damn comical sight to see him in such discomfort. Half of it was an act, though; he wanted to be begged and praised.
We walked in a straight line toward the center of the zone where the cavern was located. It took us about twenty minutes, and by the time we arrived, the sun was setting behind the mountains.
A sickly stench wafted from inside, one of rotten meat. I quickly walked back out and took a lungful of fresh air.
“Shit! What the hell is that thing keeping in there? Just the grazlitaurs?” I cursed.
Beads of sweat formed on my brow and neck as I tried to get all the bad smell out of my nostrils. I shook my head and turned back toward the cavern.
“Even I can smell it,” Scar muttered. “It’s that bad.”
“But you’re not throwing up,” Melina whispered. “Why don’t you do us a favor and go in first?”
He looked up at her and shrugged, then disappeared inside, his haunches swaying from side to side. Almost as if he was doing it on purpose.
“Did you see those hips move?” Melina chuckled. “As if he was doing it to impress us or something.”
Lana nodded and chuckled as well, but he came back out before she could reply.
“You can come in. There are some remains in here, mostly tyranitaur from what I can recognize. Several piles.”
“Is the stench worse in there?”
“No, but it’s just stuffy. The corpses are near the entrance, and that’s why it stinks so badly.”
I turned back to the girls and nodded at the inside.
“No way!” Melina hissed. “I can do many things, but not this! My nose is too weak for filth like that!”
“Me too,” Lana protested. “We’ll stay outside.”
“Then hit me with your buff, alright?”
Notification:
You have received Zero Gravity buff from Melina.
You have received Breaking Point buff from Melina.
I winked and walked in, finding Scar just beyond the entrance. He stood there grinning at me strangely.
“Come, I’ll show you the place.”
I followed Scar through the darkness, noticing several ore spots along the way. All the light in there came either from his body or from the shimmering deposits. The horrible smell was mostly gone by the time we were far enough into the cave. Bones were strewn about, but every single one was broken and missing parts. Unusable.
We entered what looked like the biggest part of the cave. It sloped downwards slightly. I could feel the ground beneath my feet shift slightly. Scar never stopped, he just kept a steady pace but stopped some twenty paces ahead of me where the sloping straightened out again.
“Huh? What is it?”
A single pile of bones sat just ahead of me. Many of them were usable, and there were even other things inside, though I couldn’t see what and how many of them. It was still worth coming for, though.
“Hey! We’re not alone!” he suddenly hissed.
“What?” I hissed back. My heart skipped a beat as my eyes roamed the darkness for whatever it was Scar might have seen. I couldn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. A sudden sliding sound came from the far corner, almost as if something was slithering around. Was it a snake perhaps?
“Scar? Where the hell is it?”
“Ahh, fuck it,” he cursed and discharged some of the stored electricity inside his body.
The enormous cavern suddenly lit up, but only for a brief instant. At that moment, our eyes met, and then his suddenly opened wide. A faint breeze caressed my neck, almost as if someone was breathing down my neck. I slid my hand into the pouch and then grabbed the hilt of my halberd as I tried to steady my breathing.
“It’s right behind me, isn’t it?”
“Sure fucking is.”
Chapter Eleven
I didn’t wait for the monster to attack first and instead swung my blade around. It deflected, and the sheer energy created from the blow sent me flying. I landed right next to the heap of rotting bones and skidded to a halt as I smashed into them.
“I’ll keep it busy, and you fucking run!” Scar growled as lightning bolts struck out in all directions.
“Damn it, how the hell did you miss that thing?” I yelled as I pushed myself up.
Slithering in the center of the cavern was a gigantic snake. Black scales hugged its eight-foot-thick body, but only from the back. The underside was smooth and almost looked as if it was made from pure steel, as it glistened wherever light touched. Three horns sat atop its head, but they didn’t seem nearly as dangerous as its maw, which was full of rending teeth, even where there shouldn’t be any.
“The hell do I know? I didn’t feel it earlier!”
I growled and tried to get out of the pile… but then stopped. There were dozens of tyranitaur bones lying around. I grinned as I thought back on the feeling the tasset had produced, and started stashing them into the pouch. Bones, skin, and fangs were there in abundance.
I looked around as more flashes lit up the pure darkness. Something shimmered to my right, and then I noticed three ore deposits, but they looked different than the others outside. I ran over quickly and mined the ore as fast as I could, all among the booms of thunder from behind me. Four times. Seven. Eleven. Fourteen. The damn things just kept on giving.
“What the hell are you doing?” Scar hissed and just then let out a yelp as the monster managed to hit him.
“Mining ore! Come on, give me just another minute!”
Scar ran to its other side and climbed up its back, discharging lightning wherever he touched, but the shield was holding steady and didn’t even look as if it was damaged in the least. He was only annoying the shit out of that thing, and nothing else, but that was all I needed.
“Minute’s over!”
“Done! Cover my retreat!”
I started running and slowing down every ten steps, having no idea where I was going in the pitch-black darkness.
“Just to your right! Go up the slope and keep on going straight!”
I didn’t wait for another word and started running. He was too far out now to light up the way, so I had to trust in his directions. The ground behind me started trembling as the monster did something. Scar’s presence disappeared a second later, and then there was just the abhorrent and deafening silence.
“Run! Keep on running! This thing is far stronger than the tyranitaur you fought!”
> “No shit! I’m doing my best!” I cursed at the wolf. “You sure know how to get me into trouble!”
“Hah!” Scar laughed. His high-pitched voice echoed in my mind. “I think this thing is at least a rank ten monster from the way its shield held.”
He suddenly sounded so calm. It almost annoyed the hell out of me. One moment he was panicking, and the next there was no hint of fear in his voice.
I hit a rock with my foot and almost stumbled, but then I felt the ground shake again, and I picked myself up, sprinting as fast as my feet would carry me. Ten seconds passed, twenty—and there it was. The exit.
“Start running!” I yelled as loud as I could. “Lana! Melina! Run!”
Melina appeared at the end of the tunnel and held a fan in her right hand.
“What are you yelling… about?” Her eyes went wide as she looked into the tunnel, and then I knew it was close behind me.
“Run! Now! Go!”
She grabbed something to the side. It was Lana’s hand. The two started running, but then it dawned on me. They weren’t going to make it, no way. I had higher speed, and that was the only reason why I was staying just ahead of the snake monster.
I shrugged inwardly and bolted to the right of the cavern and opposite the direction the girls had taken. They were running straight toward the inn as I veered off. My heart raced like mad as I deliberated if I should look back or not. Still, fear of the monster going after them prevailed, and I looked back, but it was nowhere to be seen. I stopped running and looked around.
“Where the hell is it?”
“Underground? Or back in the cavern? How the hell should I know? I’m not a detector.”
“Bah! Focus!”
My Enma output suddenly spiked, and I could feel Scar focusing it back toward the cavern. I had no idea how he was doing it, but I didn’t care even if he drained me. I needed to know where that thing was.
“Gone. It’s moving underground, and… yeah, it just passed into another zone.”
I dropped down on my ass and lay on my back, my legs hurting from the long sprint. If our bodies hadn’t changed as they did, then there was no way I would be drawing breath right now.
“Shit, did you see how big that thing was? Like a fucking bus! And the length of three!”
“Oh, I know. I fought that thing as you ransacked the bone and ore stockpile. Was it at least worth it?”
I looked down into my pouch and opened the inventory. A wicked grin crept up my face and I nodded.
Inventory:
Enma Crystal Rank 1 – 19
Enma Crystal Rank 2 – 154
Shilien Ore Rank 1 – 26
Shilien Ore Rank 2 – 19
Shilien Ore Rank 3 – 11
Red Gem Rank 1 – 3: Blue Gem Rank 1 – 4
Green Gem Rank 1 – 2
Tyranitaur Blueprint – 8
Tyranitaur Bone x 128
Tyranitaur Skin x 54
Tyranitaur Fang x 31
Tyranitaur Scale x 317
Tyranitaur Tail Spike x 9
Loaf of Bread – 39: Stamina Potion Rank 1 – 1
Strength Potion Rank 1 – 2
Agility Potion Rank 1 – 1
Bone Blade Rank 1 – 1
Bone Halberd Rank 1 – 1
Caesar’s Gladius – 1
Tyranitaur Tasset Rank 1 –
Kobold Breastplate – 1
Kobold Vambraces – 1
Kobold Gauntlets – 1
Kobold Sabatons – 1
Kobold Necklace – 1
Kobold Ring – 1
“There’s enough in the pouch for all of the blueprints, I think.”
I looked up in the direction of the inn and saw the girls just standing there and looking at me strangely. Their hands rested on their hips, and both were scowling.
“You’d better take care of the ladies first and then yourself.” Scar snickered in my mind.
Damn bastard. He really knew how to be an ass. I got up and dusted myself off the best I could before I jogged over to the girls, trying to look apologetic.
“What the hell was that thing? And where the hell is it?” Melina demanded. “Was that a damn dragon?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “No, it was some kind of snake. The damn thing was as wide as a bus.”
“Yeah, I could see that!”
I looked over to Lana, who didn’t seem to understand anything. “You didn’t see the monster?”
She shook her head, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “No, sorry, I was taking a nap when she pulled me up.”
I let out a deep sigh and pushed the two toward the barrier. “It chomped Scar up. Or flattened him. Or something.”
“Or something? You don’t know?”
I shook my head as my arms slid around her waist.
“It was pure darkness in there, so no, I didn’t see shit. One thing bothers me, though.”
“And what’s that?” Lana asked.
“He said it was rank ten and that it left the zone after it stopped chasing us.”
Both girls scowled and stared right at me, almost as if it was somehow my fault. Well, it was. If I hadn’t gone in, it wouldn’t have chased us.
“What did you just say?” Melina demanded. “A rank ten?”
I nodded. “That’s what he said.”
“Shit,” Lana muttered. “We barely managed to kill the rank eight tyranitaur. And only through luck.”
“When I hit it with my sword earlier, a wave of Enma sent me flying some twenty feet through the air, and Scar used all of his power and barely scratched the surface of its shield.”
Just then it dawned on me how close I’d been to death, and all that saved me was Scar. Shit, I owed the little bastard again!
“Didn’t Veles say there were no stronger monsters around?” Melina asked, narrowing her eyes on me.
“At that time she was probably speaking the truth. Seeing that snake burrowed in the ground and attacking us in there could have been totally random.”
“Random, huh?” Lana whispered. “I don’t like random stuff. True randomness doesn’t exist as far as I know.”
“Whatever.” I sighed and pushed them on toward the inn.
“Did you at least find anything in the cave?” Melina asked again as her hand moved across my back.
“I found a load of tyranitaur remains. Probably enough of it to make the other armors as well. Can’t wait to get my hands on them.”
“Oh? Was it a graveyard?”
I shrugged. “Could have been. Whatever it was, I doubt we’ll be as lucky any time soon.”
We found Donald and Rita sitting outside and working on… something. It looked like a grazlitaur skin, but what were they doing with it?
Donald looked up at me as if hearing my thoughts, but then he frowned. “What happened?”
“Huh? What do you mean?” I replied, feigning ignorance.
“I smell blood.”
I rolled my eyes and dropped down beside him. The girls sat on an improvised bench and crossed their legs as they watched the two work.
“We were attacked by something very strong, but managed to run.”
“Is there a danger to us in here?”
“No, as far as I know, there isn’t.”
“Good. I’m just getting used to making leather armor for us.” Rita laughed.
It was then I noticed the gloves and wristguards sitting next to her. Another pair sat next to Donald. Good, they were busy working on something productive.
“Where are Mark and Sarah? And the kid?” Melina asked.
“Up in their room. Think they’re asleep,” Rita replied, nodding toward the right building.
“Say, Donald, I need your help.”
He looked up at me with tired eyes, Despite the rejuvenation they’d gone through after opening their first meridian, the two looked worn out.
“Can it wait?”
I wanted to say yes, but then I’d be lying. “No, I’m sorry. I’ll do hal
f and you do the other half.”
He let out a sigh and stashed the skin away, then held his hands out. “Let’s start right away. Will be done sooner that way.”
“No, not right away. Why don’t we eat first? All of us? I’d like to have it as the one thing we do every day. All together.”
“When do you want food?” Rita asked, dropping her part of the skin as well.
“Whenever is fine. The girls can help you.”
She nodded and got up. The girls joined her and then disappeared into the kitchen.
We ate, we bathed in the river, and we went to sleep. I thought things over and wanted to have an early and fresh start.
Donald and I met at the anvil and sat there as comfortably as we could. I pulled all the blueprints out, gave him three, and I kept four for myself. Next were the ingredients. Even after pulling them all out and setting them next to us, I still had enough ingredients to make several spare items, but the weaker ones like gloves and boots, if I got any extra blueprints.
I pressed my hand against the anvil just like Donald did, and a window appeared. There were two boxes, one for the blueprint at the top, and eight small boxes within the second, larger box. I placed the chest blueprint inside, added the ingredients, and confirmed. A timer appeared in my periphery, right next to the buffs.
11:59:59
11:59:58
11:59:57
I groaned inwardly and cursed my life. That shit was going to take twelve hours. I sighed and shrugged inwardly. The strange part was that I couldn’t get up; no, I had to sit there and stare at the damn anvil. A strange, swirling image appeared before me. Hundreds of lines flowed from one side to the other and back again. The moment some of the lines floated over indentations across the tyranitaur armor, they glowed for a brief moment. Next, I noticed a small hammer that moved along with my eyes.
“What the hell is this?” I whispered to myself.
“What? The lines?” Donald asked.
“Yeah, what are they? Do I hammer the lines into the indentations?”
“Oh? You’re quick on the uptake.” Donald laughed. “It’s much faster if you ram those lines in. Every one of them subtracts a minute from the projected time.”
Crafting Death: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 2) Page 12
