"I see. Please, go on," I said not betraying my urge to scream at her and ask who it was that killed off the forest and almost offed her as well.
"You see, we were a peaceful community. Then one day, darkness invaded our lands. All the way from the north, past the forests and mountains. We tried to battle the death it brought to all kinds of life, but you’ve seen our last attempt. I think that only five others remain, but are in a very bad shape."
"And you want us to do what?" I asked and leaned back against the chair that was slightly too big for my taste.
"There’s two ways we can go at this, if you are willing. One is to save the other Dryads and battle whoever is at the source of this scourge, while the other is that you go and search them out."
I sat there stone-faced. There was nothing I could really do about this whole situation. We were trapped for now, without a way out. The home stones didn’t work either, I knew because I tried them earlier. But no one had to know that.
"What can we expect in turn?" I asked and crossed my arms. "Might as well get a deal out of this," I added in team chat. No one replied, but I knew what they were thinking. At least half of them.
The old Dryad turned toward Monica and waved for her to join us at the table. The young woman did so happily and scurried over like a happy puppy.
"I know what’s been going on between your big green guy and my daughter. You can take her with you, and if she lives until the end, she can be his. What’s more, I will bestow my gift to her, so that she can aid you in battle against the scourge."
"Hmm," I replied thoughtfully and looked up at the ceiling in mock thought. If I got to have his sister, it was more than fair. Having three girls around me at all times was something that made my heart beat faster.
"Say yes, please!" Dinethal said in party chat. I chuckled inwardly as I gave him a stern look.
"Very well. Now we’re even," I replied and got up. "Madam Dryad, I accept your proposal. Please, if you could give us a private room to rest in before we move out, I’d appreciate it."
"No, no, not so fast! Please, sit and eat with us. After all, you are our saviors!" the old crone replied. Her bark-like skin grated on my eyes, but there was nothing I could do about it. I only hoped Monica wouldn’t turn into a bloody plant.
The food was almost flavorless, but we were full. That was the important thing. It was time for some shut eye, so I lay there in a tangle of arms and legs. I was serene for once. Even though I had no idea what tomorrow would bring, and if the scourge would wipe us from existence, at least I had this, my three girls. No, it was exactly because of that I had to care. I had to offer them the world. I had no idea why they chose me to be theirs, but I was grateful for it nonetheless.
I looked at all three of them in turn, making sure I didn’t wake them up. Their serene faces were a blessing from whoever was watching over me. I closed my eyes and sighed. Within moments, I drifted off into dreamland.
8
After a lavish breakfast, we said our farewells to the naked villagers and their Dryad. Scarlet made Monica a modest outfit that consisted of a slightly longer tunic that came up to her knees, a belt and boots. We didn’t have any more material on us to make her anything better. At least I wouldn’t get caught staring every couple of seconds.
The area surrounding the palisade had changed. The grass and plants were a bright green, flowers had from the muddy soil and bloomed rainbow colors. It was sure a different sight than the day before. Even chirping insects and small birds had made the surrounding area their home.
"My mother is the village’s lifeline. In every way you can imagine," Monica said, seeing the wonder on my face.
"I can see that," I uttered, barely audible. She had said so much, the old Dryad, but I’d taken her for something much less. Maybe a nature magician or whatever they were, never a life catalyst. "Is that what would have become of you one day?"
Monica shrugged and swirled in a circle around the big Orc.
"I guess. I can tell you that I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Speaking of which, I should awaken within a couple of days. I’ll be changing physically, though not to the extent of my mother."
Dinethal’s worried expression amused me somewhat. It wasn’t like he’d been Human. So why the long face?
"How much are we talking about?" he asked.
"The important parts will stay like they are, don’t worry," she replied. He’d turned halfway into his attack form as he blushed crimson.
"N-never mind," he stuttered and pushed her along. The girls chuckled behind us, and I felt an urge to do so as well, but I was a guy after all. I’d be worried sick in his position.
"You’d never think of him as so timid when he was pounding the life out of her back there," Katya said as she took hold of Renee’s arm and intertwined it with hers. "I thought her eyes would have popped out after the fifth time or so."
"Katya!" Renee hissed, her own face pink with embarrassment. "He’s my brother! No need to talk like that about him in front of me!"
"Huh? You little skank, you have the audacity to talk back at me? You jumped our man’s cock without even asking for permission, and you act all innocent? I’ll show you innocent when I get my hands on you girl," Katya snapped back and grabbed her right breast.
"H-hey!"
"Hey what? It feels so good. You have great breasts. Unlike mine. I should have made them as big as Scarlet’s udders. Look at her, she’s barely afloat."
"Oh god, please stop," I said holding my hand up. "Can you take it to private? Otherwise I’ll have one of you bend over right here."
"Oh, oh, please choose me," Katya offered and jumped for joy.
"Danger up ahead," Dinethal said in chat and startled us. I’d forgotten to put on my claws from the inventory, so I rectified that mistake and donned the armor as well. Beside me, all three women did the same. We were battle ready in seconds.
"What do you see?" I asked and ran up to him.
"Beasts. I have no idea what they are. They’re just inside of the tree line. The rot has withdrawn from the grassland, so we need to get inside to take care of them."
I cursed and spat on the ground. I disliked fighting in places that didn’t allow for much room to dodge, after all, I was a dodge tank if you would. When I tanked anyway.
"Monica? Any idea what those are?" I asked of the young Dryadess.
"I think those are Lughtids. Lizards that breathe fire and poison. Some even spit ice."
"I need to see that," I replied and rushed headlong past the two. Some thirty feet from the forest’s edge, I stopped and cursed. They were lizards all right, but lizards that stood on two feet and were as tall as Dineth. They had two pairs of hands and a mean looking head with two rows of teeth that could bite through flesh with ease.
"Oh, you stopped?" Monica teased. "I thought you wanted to see them."
"I’d rather pass," I muttered. "They look like human dragons. If one of them spits fire, I’ll squeal."
"You can keep the fangirling for later. How do we do this? Monica, any idea?"
We both stared intently at the tall woman. She cringed under the onslaught of our combined gaze.
"They are attracted to women," she said weakly and swiped at her hair, then hid half of her face underneath the locks. "Naked women."
I coughed and almost choked on pure air as she said that. Why the hell would they be drawn to naked women? Sure, they looked humanlike of sorts, but that's as far as they went. Humanlike being the main word.
"Are they hostile?" Katya asked as the three woman ran up to us and saw the creatures. Monica shrugged and shook her head.
"I don’t know. Sometimes yes, other times no."
"Shit," I cursed and put both hands on my hips.
"Shit indeed. You’re not wanted by these creatures, but fine specimen as we are, it’s a wonder the universe isn’t after us," Katya joked.
I opened my mouth to make a joke, but she was right. All three, no, Monica was still more o
r less human, so all four looked stunning. Especially naked. Damn lizards, fawning over my women!
"Who's your leader?" I called out to the things. They stopped moving and stared at me angrily, gnashing their teeth over and over again.
"By god, is there any situation you can’t make worse?" Scarlet asked. I had to think very hard, but I was in agreement with her. There was nothing I couldn’t make worse.
Tree trunk after tree trunk flew our way from the forest, but fell a couple feet short. Dineth got in between us and the flying projectiles, but he had to deflect only two. Then, the gnashing of teeth stopped as a fifteen foot Lughtid appeared. He towered over the smaller creatures like an avenging god, massive claws pointed my way. I even had the audacity to point at myself questioningly. It nodded in affirmation.
"You had to ask?" Renee commented and hid behind her brother. I sighed and shrugged.
"Maybe it’s a chick. They dig me, you know?"
"Pfffft! Yeah right! Only reason why we dig you, is because you’re the only, well, were the only immortal man around here. Who wants to sleep with a stone cold corpse anyway?" Scarlet teased. I was about to protest, but the monstrous creature strode in my direction. Its face was distorted in a growl and scowl all at once.
"How about you guys buff us up?" I proposed and lifted my claws up, but then noticed how futile it looked. The thing towered over Dinethal, and he was almost two heads taller than me.
The familiar rush of overpowering magic flooding my veins and a lust for battle was almost too much. It was like a drug, at least for us permanent Hazard dwellers. At that moment, I felt like I could take on the world itself.
"You asked for Lopo?" the monstrous Lughtid asked in a rather high pitched voice. It was almost comical, and I wanted to laugh but I managed to hold it in. Though my face betrayed my amusement. The creature frowned and bared its teeth.
"Yes, Lopo, I asked for you. We need to pass through the forest to search for those who threaten to harm this world. In doing so, you will be directly helping us in preventing its destruction."
The gigantic lizard creature stood there with its eyes narrowed on me and puffed smoke from both nostrils. If I hadn’t thought of it as a miniature dragon before, I now sure did. It might have no wings, but the muscles were where it counted.
"I see. You want to trick my tribe and pass with no toll? Not possible. I want two of your women!" he barked angrily. I scowled with my mouth wide open. Just then, it moved aside its loincloth and revealed a gigantic member that hung down to its knees.
"K-Katya? Do you want to take one for the team?" Scarlet asked, stunned by the size of Lopo’s cock. The other woman slapped her arm and hid behind Dinethal.
"You insane? I don’t want that thing anywhere near me! Aiden! Go kill it!"
I stepped insecurely up as a contender, not for his club, but for his life. He didn’t seem to appreciate it and wrapped the cloth back around his thing and tucked it between his legs. It was an excruciatingly horrible sight, but things could have gone worse, him going for me as an example.
"From the way your women speak, they don’t want to go with us to tribe home?"
"No, they don’t, and what’s more, I wouldn’t even let them. I won their loyalty fair and square!"
"Then duel me for their hands! They are fair maidens, and I wish to add them to my ever expanding harem of different species!"
I scowled at the overgrown lizard and bared my fangs. I knew it was going to hurt, no matter how this battle went, but there was no way I would let him do anything to the three.
"You’re not touching them. And yes, a duel I will give you!"
"Very well! If I win, that green beauty is the first to join me tonight!"
I coughed violently and spat, then dared a glance at Dinethal’s direction. The man was pale as a corpse. How the hell had he gone from green to white?
"W-w-wait! You mean to tell me that I’m the one you want in your harem?" Dineth stuttered.
"Who else did you think I was talking about? Those thin toothpicks around you? Hah! Don’t even get me started! Now, prepare yourself, you tiny creature!"
9
I was unsure of what to do first. The flame Lopo spat at me was no joke. It burned like napalm, if not even hotter. The top layer of the soil burned up within seconds, leaving a scorched area in its wake.
I dove out of the way and hid behind a large boulder, but the damned thing heated up and exploded right at my back.
You have sustained 1.992 damage from Lopo: You have sustained Burn.
You have sustained 225 Burn damage.
"Fuck! You don’t start duels just like that!" I yelled and got some distance between the two of us. I needed to know what I was facing first and foremost, so I inspected the thing. Or at least I tried to.
"Damn this lizard has a lot of health," I cursed and changed into poison gear. My best bet was to close in on the creature, add some stacks of poison and attack and dodge constantly. What’s more, I needed to regain my health points.
"Lopo plays by his own rules! Come and get some!"
I managed to duck again just in time as a bolt of lightning struck where I stood seconds ago. The creature’s color had changed as well I noticed, and it was a blue-greyish tinge instead of the green and red hue it had been.
"Can you shit ice as well?" I asked and closed in from his left. His movements weren’t as sluggish as they seemed and he almost caught me with a meaty fist. My claws shot up, the right blocking the blow while the left struck his lower arm. Two stacks of poison appeared next to his name and health bar.
"You filthy creature!" he bellowed and struck out with his leg. That one caught me right on my shoulder and sent me flying.
You have sustained 742 damage from Lopo: You have sustained 2.258 damage from Lopo.
A second damage notification appeared as a lightning bolt struck me while I flew. My vision started to blur from the pain. If it went on like this for longer, I was a dead man and Dineth a harem dweller.
I struck out with my claws against the soil and caught myself just before the crash. Grinning, I looked at him and charged. Bolt after bolt flew my way from his mouth, but not a single one hit me. I’d seen through his movements, and the one flaw he had. The moment he would cast a magic spell or skill, he stayed still for a second, aimed and then fired whatever at me.
"No fair!" Lopo yelled and stomped his feet madly. "I can’t hit you!"
I grinned at the oversized lizard, or small dragon if you wished, and dashed in left, forcing him to look away from my group. His spells could hit anyone, not just me. As another bolt missed, I slid in between his legs and raised my claws. They met resistance for a slight moment before blood pooled down beneath him.
"Nooo!" Lopo screamed. "Not the hammer!"
I couldn’t help but burst out in laughter. The hammer? Shit, he sure had some weird sense of naming things. I could hear my friends snicker in party chat as well, while Dineth let out a high pitched noise as if imitating pain.
"That was nasty, brother! Not that I’m ungrateful, but shit!"
"Bah, don’t worry. I didn’t cut it up."
Lopo looked like he was about to faint as he rolled up his loincloth and inspected the hammer. Two deep gashes high up on his inner legs spurted blood as his hammer dangled just beneath his knees.
"You saved Lopo’s hammer! Enemy, I admit defeat!" the big brutish lizard yelled happily and jumped from foot to foot. The band of smaller lizards left the safety of the forest and scurried up to their king, or lord, or whatever he was.
I inspected the big guy, and he was barely down to 950.000. How the hell was I supposed to live long enough to kill the bastard? I sighed and got up. The look on the creature’s face, the sheer happiness, I couldn’t help but melt along with the crowd.
"Good. Now, who can you offer me for my harem?" I asked angrily, playing him to see the reaction I’d get.
"Harem, yes! You can have two for sparing the hammer! Come, follow us into the forest," h
e said and waved us over to follow him. Within seconds, the group of smaller lizards was hidden in the forest’s shade once more as Lopo walked beside me.
"Is it far?" I asked curiously. Just what was he saving up in his harem if he’d chosen Dineth over the women?
"No. Two hours walk or so, but we have secret way to get there much faster," Lopo replied and grinned strangely. "Say, can you be my big brother? You’re very strong for such a tiny creature!"
"I guess. As long as you don’t try to touch anyone from my group with that hammer of yours," I replied with a sour face. Luckily, he didn’t seem to understand sarcasm and nodded twice.
"No problem. Now, we all need to jump down that waterfall. I will create ice slide. It will bring us to my home fast."
I raised my right eyebrow. An ice slide? Both genius and ridiculous. The group of smaller lizards slid down first. They jumped on the ice slide and screamed bloody murder, as if they were children in a toy store. Lopo breathed more ice down the slide every minute or so until all of them were gone. He bowed slightly and nodded at the slide.
"Whatever," I murmured and dropped in a sitting position. The ice became slippery the next moment and pulled me down along its body. It felt perverted in a sense, but fun at the same time. At least I’d done something new I hadn’t when I was still alive. Alive. What did it feel like anyway? I was here for a while now, and the lines had blurred to the extent I mostly forgot about my previous life. There was always something to do, something to farm or kill, have crazy sex, go PvP and die.
With a thunk, I landed against the riverbank and broke a few ribs. I could feel and hear them crack from the force behind my body slamming against hard soil. Three pairs of small hands grabbed me before I could slide into the water and pulled me up. It were three of the lizards.
I coughed blood and spat it into the grass. The lizards recoiled, all but one who put his arm around me.
Hazard Online 2: Revenge Page 5
