Chapter 48: Back to Basics (Patreon)

*DING!* Quest completed – You have communed with the gods!

You have received a loot box

I opened the box while thinking of all the amazing weapons and items that it might be.

*Item identified* [Basic Riding Saddle (common)] – A personal gift from me to you since you’ll be needing it to ride that high horse of yours. Look at you turning down Rare gifts and snubbing gods. We’ll make a fine lone wolf warrior out of you yet, well that, or a pink smear when one of them gets too angry with you.

Hugo thought it was hilarious when he saw it and demanded that I put it on so that he could ride me into battle. I shoved it into my inventory and muttered something about having to find out what crow tasted like at some point as we left the church.

“So which gods did you meet?” Hugo asked.

I grimaced. “I’d rather not say. You never know who’s watching.”

Hugo groaned. “Come on. I already told you that I met Roan, or at least I met his voice.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t say what you talked about either,” I pointed out.

“Okay fair. So we’re really not going to talk about it?”

“Maybe I’ll think of something to say later. Right now, I want to get back to basics and go hunt some beasts for experience points.”

“Woo! Yes! Norris is back to full health now, so I can use him to cut some fools.”

Interesting. This morning his Norris spirit summon was almost at death’s death’s door. Roan must have healed him for Hugo or given the crow the power to do it himself. It looks like he’s ingratiated himself further with the god, which was troubling. My own experience of meeting with some of them had been unsettling in different ways. Still, if there was a way to keep getting gifts from them in loot boxes and advice without making a firm commitment, then I would continue to do so.

My mind then drifted to Samara and for a moment, I could have sworn I smelled her scent.

“Uh, are you sure that you’re okay?” Hugo asked, snapping me out of it.

I told him that I was.

“It’s just that you were frowning and staring off into space…”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go hunting.”

We walked out of the town and reached the stone perimeter that Martin’s people had finished setting up. It was barely above ankle height and when I stepped over it, a man called out to me. “Hey you can’t go out there!”

“Who says?” I asked.

“Martin’s orders. It’s too dangerous out there. We already lost over a dozen people last night when curfew hit and we don’t want to lose anyone else.”

I was about to give a sarcastic retort when I realized that he actually looked concerned for my wellbeing.

“What level are you?” I asked him.

He seemed bewildered by the question. “I managed to make it to level 2 before I got to town, but I know others who weren’t so lucky.”

“I’m at level 13. If you want to survive, then you have to get stronger. I can help you. We could go into the forest and find you some level 1 beasts to kill.”

The man’s eyes widened. Then, as he looked me up and down, recognition took hold. “Wait? You’re the black swordsman!”

I frowned as the man turned and ran back to town. Anders and the others at the bar must have already spread the story about the men I’d killed.

“That’s kind of a lame nickname,” I complained to Hugo as we continued into the forest.

“Plus, you barely used your sword in that fight, so the black knifeman would be a more accurate name,” Hugo helpfully added.

“I guess I should count my blessings.”

Once we’d gone in deep enough, I had Hugo summon his Corvus Commando squad of six crows. There was a lot of forest to cover and things would be a lot easier with some eyes in the sky. Hugo commanded them to fly in different directions and then used his Phantom Possession ability to see through their eyes. Together, the birds scanned the forest inch by inch.

“I’ve got another boar beast south west of here,” said Hugo with eyes still white.

“What level is it?

“Hang on… it’s level 8,” he replied after having his spirit bird attack it so that the identification message would appear.

“Seems kind of low for us. Keep looking.”

A few minutes later, Hugo announced that he’d spotted something he called a big, scary tree monster. I asked about its level, but Hugo says that as soon as his crow got close, the tree monster attacked it and instantly took it out of the fight.

“Which direction?” I asked.

“East.”

“Alright, stay high and out of reach of this thing. If it’s a high enough level, bring out Archer and we’ll take it down together.”

Hugo nodded, and we set off in search of our prey. Hugo took the lead, and I followed with my cloak flapping in the wind. It felt good to move this fast again, like I was finally stretching my legs.

I wasn’t tired by the time that Hugo stopped in a particular patch of forest, but I was confused. There was no sign of any monster. Hugo frowned and looked around uncertain.

“I think it was around here somewhere,” he said.

“Call back the other birds. Maybe they can help narrow it down.”

Suddenly, something large and heavy slammed into me from behind. It knocked me down and as I rolled over, tree roots shot out of the ground and started wrapping themselves around me. The roots tightened and held me in place.

Loud footsteps thudded closer. I looked up and saw what had attacked me.

*Beast Identified* [Malevolent Trean (uncommon)] Level 15 – Usually a somewhat peaceful species unless attacked first. However, this one’s mind has been altered, and it is filled with murderous rage. For what reason? Who knows, maybe somebody made a set of deck chairs out of their saplings? The important thing is that these creatures are tough, strong, and have a connection to nature that gives them control over the surrounding trees.

The Trean was a little over twenty feet tall. It resembled a thick tree with humanoid features, including a face, two arms, and two legs. It opened its mouth and bellowed down at me in an incoherent anger.

“Hugo, I need a distraction!” I yelled, hoping this thing wouldn’t eat me first.

“On it,” he replied before summoning Archer.

She rose out of the ground behind the beast and immediately started firing arrows. Most of them bounced harmlessly off of the Trean but a couple became embedded into its bark. The Trean turned away from me to face Archer. It seemed like she was annoying him more than hurting him, but it was an effective diversion none the less.

I unsheathed the knife at my hip and sliced through the roots to free myself, and took stock of the situation. Archer’s arrows weren’t penetrating, but she was fast and nimble enough to stay out of the creature’s reach. Every time it would reach out to grab her, she would dance away from it.

I drew my katana and activated Silent Step. The creature never heard me approach from behind. I then used Heart Strike and stabbed through the center of its chest. The Trean howled in pain but didn’t die. Instead, it backhanded me and sent me flying until I collided with another tree.

The beast grasped the blade to try and pull out the sword, but the handguard prevented it from doing so. It then attempted to stretch behind its back, but was unable to reach the hilt. Archer resumed firing and managed to score a hit into one of its eyes. The Trean forgot about the sword and charged at the spirit summon while I struggled to get back onto my feet.

I pulled out my Viper Fang Kunai. Time for plan B.

I dashed towards the creature as it was pulling the arrow out of its eye. A stream of black liquid sprayed out onto its hand as it did so. My Blood Reaver Class told me that was its blood and I wanted it.

I leapt up onto the creature's back and clambered up to its head, where I plunged my knife into its eyes socket. The Trean wailed and violently shook its body to try and knock me loose. I held on until I got the message that I’d been waiting for.

*Poison activated*

Now it was about waiting it out. The Trean gave up on chasing Archer and grabbed me off of its neck. It held me up and then slammed me against the trunk of a larger tree. I gasped as the air rushed out of my body. The beast held me up against the tree and I couldn’t move or breathe as the thing started to crush me. My vision swam, and I vaguely saw Norris, the crows, and Archer all throw themselves at the creature, to no avail. It continued to increase the pressure and I could feel my face turning red.

“What do I do?” asked Hugo, sounding desperate.

I couldn’t talk or breathe. The poison was taking too long. I was going to die before the Trean did. In a futile last ditch effort, Hugo began pecking at the creature’s face, hoping to draw its attention away. But the creature was relentlessly determined to finish me off with its black stained hand. The same hand that pulled out the arrow.

There was only one part of me that could reach it and I would die a second time of embarrassment if anyone except Hugo saw what I was about to do. I opened my mouth and stretched my tongue out to taste its blood. A trickle of vitality returned to me. Not enough to fight back or even move, but enough to stay alive.

The Trean coughed and loosened its grip a little in confusion. It felt strange and didn’t understand what was happening to it. I was still trapped, but it wasn’t actively crushing me to death. The creature continued coughing until it froze in place and the notification popped up.

*DING!* You have slain [Malevolent Trean (uncommon)] Level 15 – Experience Points and Currency Acquired

*DING!* [Sword Work Skill] Increased to level 6

*DING!* [Knife Work Skill] Increased to level 6

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 14 – Experience Acquired.

That was great to hear, only there was one problem. I was still stuck between two trees, unable to move.

“Hey, I think somebody's coming,” hissed Hugo.

Okay, make that two problems.