The Wastes

by Alexey Osadchuk

  As we supposed, the smell of blood distracted the scolopendra from the frozen golem and it came running at the troll.

  Erg gave another roar and, swinging his club, went out to meet the running monster. Seeing that its new opponent was of flesh and blood and not planning to run, the millipede quickened its pace. All that time it never once forgot about the traps.

  “Stop,” I said with my lips alone. “Move a bit to the right. Like that.”

  Of course, Erg couldn’t hear me. But we had a plan and the warrior was following it to a “T.”

  The beast played the same trick as it did with the golem, using Erg to block the rock throwers. But that put it right where I wanted it. It was only a few yards from Erg when I began the activation.

  — Would you like to summon Snow Ghoul Spirit?

  After I agreed, the system drained the crystal of five hundred mana points. With a slight buzz on my bite mark, a familiar pale silhouette appeared at my side. Obeying my order, he dashed toward the running scolopendra.

  Unthinkable! Sensing the threat, it sharply dove right. But fortunately for us, the ghoul was much faster! Slamming full speed into its fidgety muddy-brown body, it instantly took thirty-five percent of the beast’s life force.

  The unexpected attack disoriented the elusive insect for a few seconds, which the trolls took immediate advantage of. The stones they threw with Fury easily penetrated its thin armor, depriving the creature of its mobility. Meanwhile, a few Ticks hit their mark, draining the beast’s magic supply in the blink of an eye.

  Gorgie was already at my side. His whole body crouched to the ground, he was preparing to attack.

  “Well? Wanna give it another shot?” I asked and activated lightning.

  This time, to my relief, it all worked properly — the electricity paralyzed my opponent for twenty seconds.

  As not to lose valuable time, the harn used Thorntail’s Jump to get behind the beast and land a few lightning-fast blows.

  Erg wasn’t asleep at the wheel either. It was his club that smashed the monster’s head in, finally bringing our fight to a close.

  — You have killed Red Scolopendra (50).

  — Congratulations! You receive:

  — Experience essence (10000).

  — Diamond tablet of Intellect.

  — Silver tablet (20).

  — Monster Hunter Token (100).

  — Attention! The Higher Powers smile upon you! You have replicated the legendary feat of Dalia the Magnificent! You defeated a creature more than 50 levels higher than you using a magic spirit!

  — Congratulations! You receive:

  — Experience essence (5000).

  — Iridescent Tablet “Red Scolopendra” (1).

  Chapter 21

  WHEN FARHAS WALKED UP to me, I was sitting on a rock, head down and eyes closed. I still couldn’t believe we managed to take down the vile jittery beast. Beyond that, I was enjoying the calm. My headache had finally retreated.

  “What do you feel?” the elder asked with a weary voice.

  I raised my head and we met eyes.

  “The portal has closed.”

  For the first time since we met, I saw an open smile on the old man’s face. I still wouldn’t call it kind. Although if you overlook the fangs and animalistic eyes — anything is possible...

  It’s a shame, but I have to disappoint him.

  “We don’t have much time.”

  “Why?” Farhas instantly went bleak.

  “I can still sense it. It’s amassing power. I think there’s another outbreak coming.”

  “When?” Erg asked. He and the other soldiers had us surrounded, hanging on our every word.

  I closed my eyes and listened to my feelings.

  “Based on how I feel, we have a few hours. Although I could be wrong.”

  The trolls reacted with a joint sigh of disappointment.

  I could have said the orcs had been desecrating the portal with blood sacrifices for so long they’d entirely destabilized it. But I decided to keep tactfully silent. After all, it was clear as day that it all happened with the tacit agreement of these very trolls or, to be more accurate, their chieftains.

  The warriors are mad and afraid right now. Saying something like that might provoke a conflict and we have no need for that. I’ll try a different path.

  “I know a way to forestall the portal’s opening,” my words made the trolls shut their mouths.

  Under their silent gazes, I took one of the ghostly crystals out of my backpack. Based on the way the trolls reacted, my guesses must have been right. They were also getting crystals and tokens for killing the armorbugs and crushers. But how to explain to them that without induction into the order and plenty of reputation, these objects would be absolutely useless to them?

  Choosing my words carefully, I started:

  “These crystals are the only thing that should be sacrificed to the Tree of Spirits. They alone can mollify and calm it.”

  As I spoke, I walked up to a flat stone and started placing all my crystals on it. The higher the pile grew, the more the trolls’ faces stretched out. And that wasn’t the half of it! All told we had two hundred seventy large crystals.

  “This is everything I have,” I said. “And this is my contribution to keeping the peace in these lands. This is my sacrifice. Aid to you and your families.”

  “Are you certain you’ll be able to win the Tree of Spirits’ favor?” Farhas asked.

  I saw and understood that the old man had long been willing to place his crystals on the pile and order the others to do the same. But seemingly, he wanted to get his tribesmen to make the sacrifice voluntarily.

  “Absolutely,” I nodded back.

  “Then take mine as well!” Erg announced, taking a step forward and running a proud gaze over his tribesmen.

  “And mine!”

  “Mine too!”

  The cries of the other soldiers rained down. The mountain of crystals grew by another thirty stones of various size. To be frank I was expecting more but, considering the rarity of this loot and the levels of the trolls, I figured a small amount was better than nothing.

  “And mine,” Farhas said calmly, placing a large crystal on the pile. “But there’s more...”

  Everyone looked at him in incomprehension. Honestly, I quickly figured out what the old troll was driving at. He wants to gather all the dead trolls’ crystals and give them to me as well. That might be a problem. The loot of fallen warriors belongs to their families. I wonder what he’ll say to his warriors about that.

  “Today is an important day!” he proclaimed. “We have prevailed! But we paid a high price for our victory! Our brothers died fighting for our families, for our tribe! So let’s not deprive them of the honor of making a sacrifice of their own! Even if it is in death.”

  While the old troll continued his fiery speech, I looked to see how his subjects were reacting. Well, what could I say...? One glance at the attentively listening warriors made it clear — they were prepared at that very instant to follow him through fire and water. A wise and far-reaching move. I could learn a thing or two from this geezer. The backbone of a powerful tribe was being born before my very eyes. They had great things ahead of them. Now, Erg would hardly allow himself to treat Farhas with the kind of impertinence I saw on our first encounter. Doubtlessly, it was the battle that brought them together, but the proper words were only strengthening that bond.

  While the trolls dug through the heaps of wreckage and took the bodies of their fallen tribesmen from under the stones, I took advantage of the short breather and decided to look through my loot.

  The Great System awarded me a hundred tokens and ten large crystals for defeating the two crushers. Beyond that, Random generously granted me one small vial containing the spirit of an overgrown beetle.

  Hm... No matter how much I wanted to solve the portal issue and get as far from this cursed location as possible, I’d have to stick around. It was gonna take a long ti
me to recover from absorbing two spirits.

  By the way, I’ll still have fifteen of the vials I knocked out of the armorbugs. I hope someone will recognize their value in Orchus...

  I was distracted by shrieks of joy with renewed vigor from the direction of the rubble. As it turned out, the young Dago, one of Farhas’ assistants, had gotten a Gold Tablet of Intellect for killing the scolopendra, which he immediately activated without a second thought. And now his friends were sincerely delighted for him.

  The newly-minted mage was smiling stupidly while the other trolls patted him amicably on the shoulder. Farhas even went so far as to give him a firm embrace. By the way, only then did I notice the physical resemblance between them — by all appearances they were relatives. Heh... And to imagine I used to think all trolls looked alike.

  Seeing the other giants’ delight I realized that, despite the loss of a large number of trolls, their tribe had become an order of magnitude stronger today. Sure Dago had merely unlocked Intellect and received a magic supply of fifty points, but that was just the beginning. Based on Farhas’ expression of delight, he would have plenty of support.

  By the way, speaking of Intellect. Today I managed to drum up something I’d never seen before.

  — Diamond tablet of Intellect.

  — Level: 1.

  — Category: Characteristic.

  — Effect: + 5 to current progress in the Intellect characteristic.

  — Weight: None. Takes no space.

  While reading the new tablet’s description, I was for some reason reminded of Master Chi and his Hive. I wonder how many high-level monsters I’d have had to kill for him. Ten? Two? Or maybe a hundred? If so, based on the quality of the most recent loot, it was hard not to think his plan was genius. Chi really could have become one of the most powerful mages in our kingdom.

  Every schoolkid knows that diamond tablets are the most valuable. Because they are the only way of getting more powerful at high levels. Well, with the obvious exception of iridescents, which most teachers considered legendary, if they mentioned them at all.

  I opened my backpack and got out the nacreous sheet with a depiction of a small scolopendra on its backside and flowing with all colors of the rainbow. I gave a chuckle. I’d like to see my teachers’ faces now.

  — Iridescent Tablet “Red Scolopendra.”

  — Effect:

  — Unlocks 1 characteristic of your choice from Red Scolopendra.

  — Unlocks one skill or ability of your choice from Red Scolopendra.

  —

  — Unlocks 1 spell of your choice from Red Scolopendra.

  — +10 to any characteristic/skill/profession/spell.

  — Weight: None. Takes no space.

  After carefully studying the entire list, I breathed a sigh of disappointment. It wasn’t enough that the majority of skills, characteristics and abilities were marked “anatomically incompatible.” This giant millipede also didn’t have a single spell to speak of.

  Honestly, it did at least have one magical ability. And it was what was allowing the scolopendra to dodge all the Blots so masterfully, as well as to sense the golem’s magic supply.

  — Red Scolopendra’s Sixth Sense.

  — Level: 0 (0/20).

  — Type: Active ability.

  — Rarity: Epic.

  — Description:

  — Using magic, the Red Scolopendra is able to sense active/passive magical emanations, see the magic supply of an item/living creature/entity and determine the capacity and total quantity of mana in its supply.

  — Requirements:

  — Intellect — 15.

  — Expends 160 mana points.

  — Note:

  — Duration: 5 minutes.

  — Radius: 50 feet.

  Now I see how the beast was able to dodge all my traps. This ability multiplied by high Agility and Speed figures made it practically invulnerable. Honestly, the scolopendra had no real defenses to speak of. Its thin chitin armor excepted — that couldn’t even save it from the trolls’ stones. But it did have Regeneration, which I had been looking for, and there were no “anatomical” issues whatsoever.

  — Attention! You have unlocked the Regeneration characteristic!

  — Present value: 10.

  The new characteristic got straight to work. I could sense the exhaustion gradually leaving my body as the last shreds of the headache retreated. I glanced at my seriously flagging energy and mana supplies. They were restoring noticeably faster. Great!

  The fact I was feeling physically better logically also made for a better mood. The grim thoughts and uneasiness were gradually moving to the background — I wanted to act.

  But what if?

  — Attention! You have activated the magical ability Red Scolopendra’s Sixth Sense!

  I have to know how this thing works.

  The ability worked approximately the same way as the maps of Stonetown and Fort Stout. However, those showed only the traps I was allowed to use based on my reputation with the order. I immediately realized that after activating the sixth sense and being pointed to two magical spots directly beneath the pedestal where the towering Bronze Gunnar recently stood.

  The two light blue nearly gray little spots were so close to one another that they seemed like just one at first.

  I slowly came nearer the huge slab as not to draw attention. I opened my map. I checked again. No, it definitely shows that one as a gray dot.

  Maybe the issue is that I drained the fort’s supply? And that’s why I can’t see anything?

  Either that or, more plausibly, the weak magical emanations coming from under the pedestal were not part of the tower’s energy system. And that was why the map didn’t recognize them.

  I took a look around. No more surprises. Wait a second! Actually there was one more!

  I had just over a minute left and decided to take a closer look at all our allies. Dago was first to catch my eye. He was helping Mee tend to the wounded. Exactly right. The young troll’s weak little fifty-point magic supply was gradually accumulating mana.

  I took a fleeting glance at the gremlin. The kid probably got some good loot. I saw the stones from his sling pelting the scolopendra’s open wounds. He still hadn’t said anything. And rightly so. No reason to draw attention. The trolls were still buzzing from the fight, but soon they’d all remember how our encounter began.

  When I thought about the potential threat, my eyes found Gorgie all on their own. And I shouldn’t have had any doubts — he’s always on alert. Vigilant. Intelligent. What would I do without him?! Looking deceptively lazily, the cat was splayed out on some wall debris, having chosen his position carefully so all of Farhas’ soldiers could see him.

  By the way, speaking of Farhas — as I supposed, beyond the fact the old man was himself a mage, his staff had a magic supply of its own. In fact, it was quite large and quickly replenished itself. Surprising that the old mage was using spells so infrequently. I didn’t want to believe that he was just tritely saving mana while his warriors died. Maybe it was all because of cooldown times? They really were powerful spells, so it would make sense if they required some waiting.

  Obviously having sensed my stubborn gaze, the old troll turned but I averted my eyes and looked over at Erg. That little sneak! Oh yeah! Big Erg was what I meant when I mentioned surprises! His fifty-point mana supply clearly spoke to the fact that Dago wasn’t the only one to become a mage today! For sooth, everything they say about the god Random is true!

  Erg was resolutely clearing wreckage, trying to extract the bodies of his fallen tribesmen. I wondered why he didn’t make an announcement about his trophy for all to hear like Dago. Will he do it later? I guess he’ll keep it close to his chest until he gets stronger... I may have spoken too soon when I gave my estimation of the future of Farhas’ tribe’s. They still have internal upheaval and an attempted coup ahead of them. Apparently like Erg’s impertinence toward the elder mage was somewhat more significant than
a young warrior simply acting out.

  I wondered what would happen if I told Farhas what I saw. I was sure he wouldn’t be happy to have competition. He’d probably want to get rid of him. Not right away. The tribe had just lost half of its best warriors. Three of the survivors were seriously wounded too, so they wouldn’t be back in formation any time soon. Not counting Farhas, the duty of defending the tribe would fall on the shoulders of just six warriors. But the old man was sure to want to get rid of a competitor nonetheless.