World Tree Online- the Endless Savanna- 3rd Dive
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Quest Alert: Grootslang (Recommended Level 25-30) – Completed! Reward Updated!
The hunt is on. Grootslang are a known danger of the Endless Savanna. An expedition is being formed to hunt and kill one of these World Class monsters. Hunters and craftsmen are always eager to obtain the very valuable materials that can be harvested upon the death of one of these monsters. Hunt down this creature and reap your rewards.
Reward: 50,000-Experience, Trumpet of the Grootslang, 75% of Crafting Materials Harvested, +5-Random Status Points (+2-Dexterity, +3-Wisdom)
I blinked when I saw the quest alert pop back up again. It had never done that before. What’s more, the reward changed. I didn’t know such a thing was possible. Not just that, but the reward update was a huge increase to the crafting materials I would be awarded. And then there were the +5-Status points. Random or not, that was amazing.
“Twill, my quest reward just . . . updated?” I asked, feeling bewildered.
“As it should,” Twill stated, his own grin matching that of many of his Hunters. I noticed he also had the new title by his name.
“But why?” I asked. Maybe it was stupid to question my good fortune, but I needed to understand what happened.
“World Class Hunter is the rarest and highest title any Hunter in the World Tree can obtain. And because of you and your friends, there are now 21 more among the Hunter’s Union that can proudly display this title,” Twill answered.
It was good to know that it was the highest Hunter title available, but it still didn’t explain why it happened.
“The Hidden Quest was only completed after the original quest was completed. Sometimes, that will trigger a related quest to reward its maximum,” Twill continued to explain. “In this case, it was just timing.”
That made sense . . . I think.
“Anyway, the rest of the hunting party and the wagons are on the way,” Twill said.
“Wait, do they also get credit for the kills? I know they were in our party, but they didn’t help with the fight,” I said, worried that Sooty, the person with the best ‘Scavenging’ skill, didn’t get the new title.
“Do not worry. Every member of the party receives credit. Only the amount of experience will vary. Indirect participants, like our support members, will receive their appropriate share for their contribution. Your friend Sooty will receive experience based on his success in ‘Scavenging’ the corpses. His quest would be different from yours or even mine. But the Hidden Quest applies to everyone equally, thus, he will also receive the title,” Twill answered, reassuring me that my friend wouldn’t be cut out from the rewards.
“That’s good,” I said, sighing in relief.
“It is,” Twill said. “Now, we need to get the Hunters out of the way so our support staff can do their jobs. We will give you your share once we return to the Hunter’s Union camp.”
“Sounds good,” I said, looking for my friends who were chatting excitedly. I could see them being animated as they did so. I was pretty sure Rose was embellishing my spear stunt, though with the way my friends were laughing and enjoying themselves, I couldn’t bring myself to set her straight.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” I said just as Rose finished telling the story, earning laughs from my friends. “What do you all say we get out of here and get some food? I’m starving, I want to hear more about how all of you did during the fight.”
It took the better part of a day for the two grootslang corpses to be completely scavenged. And I mean completely scavenged. They didn’t leave a scrap of the bodies behind. They took the meat and the bones, all the organs and especially the skins. In the end, they needed to empty the contents of the food wagons just to be able to carry all of it. That meant all eight wagons were packed to bursting with the scavenged materials.
The food that could no longer be carried in a wagon was spread out between the Hunters packs. Everything left after that was eaten in a large feast to celebrate the victory. The feast lasted late into the night, which made waking up early the next morning to start the trip back to the Hunter’s Union camp an unwanted prospect.
We were back on the road the next morning, the Hunters and my friends all in high spirits. I felt great about the results of the hunt. Twill handed both of the Diamond Hearts to me for safe keeping, saying they were mine anyway as they made up a third of the value of everything collected. I knew where one was going, but I would definitely need to do some research into the other before I decided what to do with it.
We left early the morning after the grootslang were taken apart for material. It was a four-day trip back to the Bazaar and due to the overloaded wagons, Twill warned it might take as many as five.
“Bye-bye,” Wilcox called, running from the front of the caravan. It was our fourth day of travel back to the Bazaar and according to Twill we would arrive back at the Hunter’s Union camp a little after nightfall. “Twill needs you,” the young healer said, panting from the run. The boy really needed to invest some time training up his Stamina.
“Problem?” I asked.
Wilcox just shrugged. “I do not know. The Huntmaster just sent me to fetch you.”
“Alright,” I said, then looking to my friends I said, “Be back shortly I guess.”
“Want some company?” Rose asked.
“Sure, if you want,” I said, happy for the company. Especially this company.
Rose and I ran to the front of the caravan. Twill and one of the scouts were waiting for us, both walking alongside the lead wagon.
“Ah, Bye-bye, good,” Twill said, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Twill looked more uncomfortable, hesitating for a minute before speaking. “Lodanis here spotted a large party waiting ahead. At least 50 strong, maybe more.”
“Bandits?” I asked. Fifty was a lot of enemies to fight. And the Hunters weren’t exactly the best equipped to fight against armored people.
Twill shook his head though. “Not bandits, worse.”
“Slavers,” I hissed angrily.
Twill could only nod.
I really wanted to fight them and put an end to them now. But I wasn’t willing to risk so many people who wouldn’t respawn if they died. I asked, “Can we go around them or avoid them somehow?”
“No, they have already seen us. Spotted one of their scouts a little while ago. They know where we are and if we try to divert, they will chase us,” Twill answered.
“What do they want?” I asked.
“Slaves most likely,” Twill answered. “Beastkin.”
One thing I had taken note of early on in the expedition was that the Hunter’s Union’s party was entirely non-Beastkin. I didn’t question it at the time, but now I wondered if it was a safety measure due to the Slaver activity in the province.
“The only Beastkin is Harrison. I don’t know if Micaela and Olaf count but if they do, then that’s what? Three? They would attack a party as large as this for three slaves?” I asked.
“I do not know. But that is my fear. My people are good at hunting beasts and monsters. Hunting people . . . that is something completely different,” Twill said.
“Riders,” Lodanis said, his eyes looking ahead of us. “It is Khan,” he added, sounding absolutely spooked.
“Who is Khan?” I asked, following Lodanis’s line of sight and seeing a person riding slowly toward us. He appeared to be flanked on either side by another rider but at this distance I couldn’t make out any details.
“He is the leader of the Bandaka Slave Ring,” Twill said softly, looking somewhat resigned and making me feel very worried for my friends as well as the caravan. “If he is here, nothing good will come from this.”
I watched carefully as Khan and his companions slowed to a stop about a hundred yards away from the lead wagon of our caravan, which had also stopped by this point, halting the entire caravan.
“I will go talk to him,” Twill said, taking a nervous breath.
> “We’ll go with you,” Rose volunteered.
Twill looked hesitant again but eventually nodded.
We walked, flanking Twill the entire distance to meet the three riders.
“The one on the left is Marty, and on the right is Capion,” Twill whispered as we got close enough to start seeing details.
The other two were dressed similarly to Khan though they favored simple helmets and masks. What I could see of their faces looked mostly European.
“Twill,” Khan said with a businesslike nod.
“Khan, sir,” Twill replied nervously. I didn’t understand his nervousness. They were the same level. Twill had at least an equal chance against someone like Khan.
Khan reached behind his saddle and jerked on something hard. It was a chain. And at the other end of that chain was Chosi.
Oh, of anybody it could have been, why was it her?
Chosi looked bad, her nose had dried blood around it. One of her eyes was swollen shut. And based on the way she was limping forward, at least one of her legs was injured in some way.
“Is this them?” Khan asked, looking at Chosi and not Twill or the rest of us.
Chosi may have been beaten quite badly but I could clearly see the glee in her one good eye as she glared at me. “Yes, these are two of the adventurers that stole your slaves and captured or killed your men. The other three are no doubt somewhere in the caravan. It is just as I told you. You will pay me and let me go, yes?”
“You traitorous b-” Rose started but was cut off by Khan.
“You will give me the adventures and any Beastkin you have with you. If you do not, I will kill you all. I will give you an hour to decide,” Khan stated coldly. He then turned his horse and set to a run. Chosi tried to keep up, but with her injured leg, she was eventually dragged behind the horse. I had the distinct impression that Khan had no intention of letting her go.
“We are so going to kill them,” Rose said angrily, the look in her eyes promising violence. “And then I’m going to kill that evil witch of a woman, Chosi.”
I didn’t focus on Rose for long. I was watching Twill. Trying to see what he was going to do.
“Back to camp,” Twill said, his eyes still caught on the form of Chosi being dragged behind the horse.
As soon as Twill was close enough, the lead wagon driver asked’ “What happened? What does he want?”
Twill didn’t answer.
“What are you going to do, Twill?” I asked, putting my hands on his shoulders, trying to force him to look at me.
Twill looked up in surprise, then stepped back. “I do not know. I need . . . I need to think,” Twill said, brushing me aside and moving along the caravan.
“I don’t like this,” Rose said softly, her hand grasping mine.
“We need to talk to Olaf and the others, quickly,” I said, worried about what Twill was going to do.
Rose and I rushed back to where our friends were waiting for us.
“So what’s the stoppage about?” Olaf asked.
It didn’t take long for me to relay the story to Olaf.
Olaf cursed . . . repeatedly.
“What do you think Twill is going to do?” Micaela asked.
“I don’t know. I think we can fight them and win, but it won’t come without losses,” I said, rubbing my chin in thought. “I don’t know if Twill is going to be willing to risk his people for us.”
“I’m not,” Twill said, appearing silently behind me with his rifle aimed at my head. More Hunters appeared around us, weapons aimed and ready to fire. These were people I considered friends until that moment.
“What are you doing, Twill?” I asked, trying not to let anger into my voice.
“Saving my people,” Twill replied.
Across from me I saw Dougra appear, his chain net in hand, with two more Hunters equipped just like him. They were already moving, their nets suddenly opening in the air above Olaf, Micaela, and Harrison and enveloping them. My friends tried to fight and free themselves from the nets but six of the Hunters, including Dougra, tackled my friends to the ground.
“You really want us for an enemy?” I asked, finally letting some of the anger I was feeling into my voice.
“Do not resist,” Twill almost begged. “I do not want to do this. Not after everything you and your friends have done for us. But I cannot sacrifice my people. I am sorry. I am truly sorry for this.”
“And yet, you’re still doing it,” I said coldly.
“One day, you will understand,” Twill said.
Rose moved and all I heard was a gunshot.
Huntmaster B.T. Twill Lvl 30 does 6,732-damage to you with ‘Hunter’s Perfect Shot’ skill. Huntmaster B.T. Twill Lvl 30 has murdered you.
I was forced to watch through the greyscale of death as Rose was perforated repeatedly by crossbow bolts. She barely got off a charge before she was dead, the bolts from the heavy crossbows easily penetrated her chainmail armor.
Olaf, Micaela and Harrison all appeared to be captured. I looked to the wagon that Sooty and Nahid should have occupied only to find it empty. I hoped they escaped. I didn’t want to think that they might have been killed.
Then Baby tried to flee but bow wielding Hunters and Twill made short work of her and her ‘Nature’s Ward’. With her low health pool, it didn’t take much to kill her once her ward was down.
Combat has ended with no one in your party capable of reviving you. You will be automatically transported and revived at the nearest graveyard.
I sat bolt upright. I was alive again. I was in the graveyard. I was in the graveyard just outside of the Bazaar of Beastkin.
“Those backstabbing bastards!” Rose shouted in anger.
“Meanies,” Baby complained when she appeared next.
“Not again,” I said hotly. “This can’t have happened again,” I said, my voice getting louder.
“What are we going to do?” Baby asked.
“We’re going to save our friends. We’re going to kill those Slavers. And just maybe, we’re going to kill the Hunter’s Union,” I said.
“Great plan, Jack,” Rose said facetiously. “Just one question, you think we can do that with just the three of us?”
“We can if we recruit help,” I said. And I knew exactly where to start.
Quest Alert: Rescue Operation 1 (Recommended Level 25-30)
Your friends have been taken by the Bandaka Slavers. Unfortunately, there operation is much too large for just the three of you to take down. You’re going to need help if you want to have any chance at succeeding. Recruit any help you can find within the next 05:59:31.01. Meet up at the rally point northeast of the Bazaar before time runs out.
Reward: Experience, Allies to assist in the rescue of your friends
Do you accept this Quest?
Yes
No
Chapter 25
“Enter,” Zemira’s voice called through the door to her office following my knocking. “Ah, Mr. Jacko, what can I do for you?”
“Slavers attacked the Hunter’s Union expedition about a half a day’s travel from the Bazaar. I need any guards or fighters you can muster,” I said.
Zemira frowned. “I am sorry, but I cannot offer
you assistance. The Hunter’s Union is not an official part of the Bazaar.”
“Zemira, we have a chance to stop the Slavers once and for all. Khan was with them. He’s their leader, right? This is your chance to cut the head off the snake,” I stated.
Zemira looked like she was fighting an internal debate. “I am sorry, the Bazaar laws forbid it.”
“Please, they have taken Olaf, Micaela, and Harrison. We can save them from the same fate your husband suffered,” I pleaded with her.
Zemira frowned, then put a finger to her lips. She opened a drawer on her desk and pulled out something small and black. She held it up for me to see, it was a key, black and cast-iron. “Again, I am sorry, I cannot help you. To do so would be a criminal act. Only those with nothing to lose could help you now,” she answered again, silently setting the key on the desk in front of me, then asked, “Do you understand my position?”
I nodded slowly, understanding exactly what she meant. It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but sometimes you have no choice but to play the hand you are dealt. I would make it work. I had no other choice but to make it work. I needed all the help I could get.
“I trust you know where to go?” Zemira asked, giving me a knowing look.
I nodded again.
“Then I wish you luck,” Zemira said dismissively.
Part of me couldn’t believe Zemira just suggested what she did. Another part of me couldn’t believe I was going along with it. “I should have traded places with Rose,” I grumbled, closing Zemira’s office door behind me. I quickly moved out of the City Center building and toward the only place I would be able to use that key.
Rose was on her way to the Cheetahmen Tribe. For as much as we collectively hated Chosi for betraying us the way she did, her being held by the Slavers might have been the only way to convince Tikka and her tribe to help us. It might have been a small lie for Rose to tell them we were going to rescue Chosi, but at this point, I would have done almost anything to rescue my friends and put an end to the Bandaka Slavers.
Meanwhile, Baby went to rouse Titan. Her plan was to use Titan’s new friendship with the Meerkatmen Battle Riders and convince them to help us.