Melisandra drew a map of the world in the dirt with Odd's boot knife between her toes and pointed to a spot.
"This whole area used to be called Canada and this body of water was known as the Hudson Bay. Long ago, a mermaid called Morcant started a kingdom he calls New Atlantis at its center. Its one of the three major aquatic cities in the world, and definitely the longest. Back then they set up a ritual that made the entire bay have a warmer temperature."
She continued after pointing the knife and drawing a very tiny circle to the southwest of New Atlantis. "This here, is where we are. In the middle of bum-fuck no where. No major powers control all the land from here to the mountains to the west. Its all just groups of Gobs lead by tier fours. Where we are, the locals call Cripclaw Valley. At its center lives the Hobgoblin leader that carries a big ax, a necromancer, a lizardman, and a rock golem who waste away their lives ordering savages to bring them tributes from Gobs that evolved on their own or were fished out of the river that runs straight to New Atlantis."
-a mother educating her child as he falls asleep, Melisandra Meirvere, Dark Lady of The Myriad Storms, 2109 FE
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It was the third camp that Odd had reached in the first morning of his mission when the Living Ghoul was beginning to question the nature of Gobs again. This time, he thought back to all of the experiences he had with them as he taunted them.
"I just wanted to talk and ask you a few questions and this is how you react. I mean, what's the point? Why?"
All he received was a loud growl before the Black Hobgoblin dissipated from his sight.
Odd flared his yin lighting to absorbed his presence and dashed around the tree. It didn't take long for his foe to retreat from the shadows. The skill was obviously too mana intensive for the panting monster.
[Eyes of Providence] activated
Name: Glurk
Race: Black Hobgoblin, T3
Race details: The automatic, forced evolution of a Black Goblin following the 'wild,' evolutionary path. They spend most of their time underground and usually have shadow or earth affinities and strong bodies. They can be identified by their common Hobgoblin characteristics and dark, black skin.
[Stats]
Body: Low T3
Mind: Low T2
Soul: High T1
Shadow Affinity: Low T2
The panting Hobgoblin had hair and was a foot taller than the average 3-foot Goblin. All Hobgoblins had rounder heads than their younger counterparts, but their jagged, usually slobber covered, teeth and Neanderthal-like brow made them appear to be the monsters they were.
It would die like the rest though, like Melisandra had once told the young Living Ghoul, affinities are what truly mattered. Who cares if Glurk, Odd's current prey, had a body that could take a bunch of extra hits before he died? Odd's yin lightning could block all of his attacks and kill him in the end, but he didn't want to waste mana when other fights may be around the corner.
Plus, the battle experience was getting Odd's blood pumping. He was having a blast.
Odd had learned today that his camp was the odd one, tier 3's were everywhere, and they should be! Its forced and automatic for any Proto-Gob to reach that level as long as they lived for a year. Odd had only drawn breath for four days so far, but he would die from embarrassment if he never made it to tier 3! Humans and Enlightened creatures are born that way, but they have to actually grow up, the Living Ghoul would take a higher difficulty over waiting 20 years before he was old enough to kill any day of the week!
Also, none of the other camps even have breeding vessels with them, they were all sent to a place called the Pitts, where hundreds of slaves are held. Odd figured that his little group was sent breeding vessels that were already spent, like all of the ones with dead eyes that he gave mercy to.
Isonei was stolen from another group that was bringing her to the Pitts.
Melisandra on the other hand, was probably given to them because she could blast their dicks with lightning and they didn't want to deal with her. Odd just couldn't figure out how they didn't notice her glowing eyes, signifying her as a tier 4 powerhouse, or the fact that she's apparently world famous.
Were the Cripclaw leaders arrogant, stupid, or did his mother just trick them somehow.
Odd would have put money on the later guess.
And its not because he had an Oedipus Complex!
The low light conditions of the tunnel downwards would have been difficult to navigate before, but Odd's new eyes were able to see enough to function from the light that spilled through the entrance, even if he didn't have perfect night vision. Melisandra had once told him that most people just use goggles if they ever visited the lawless Underworld that exists deep within the crust of the planet.
Kicking off the wall, Odd landed on the Hobgoblin's shoulder before he sliced deep into his spine and rode the body as it fell to the floor. Odd finished his casual murder with a roll when he hit the ground.
The echoing sounds through the tunnel and the light of crude torches arrived as Odd was wiping his treasured blades clean on the legs of the dead Hobgoblin.
"Look, he started it. So can we just parlay or something. I'm kind of a badass and you'd all die if you rushed me."