As we neared town I let them both out, Flora came out smiling while Jurea came out puking out her guts.
Patty, show me both of their statuses.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Name : Flora Dreyas
Level : 38 points available : N/A
Species : human
Strength : 40
Increases the ease to lift and damage objects and opponents
Intelligence : 3000
Makes resisting mind control, solving complex problems, reading people, learning magic and skills easier
Durability : 120
Resistance of disease, sleep deprivation, injury of body and soul, temperature, starvation
Energy : 1600
Increases pool of energy and energy rate
Health : 300
Increases pool of health and healing rate
Stamina : 160
Increases pool of stamina and stamina rate
Luck : 130
Odds play out in your favor
Speed : 100
Increases reaction time, sensory perception, rate of travel, time perception
Agility : 50
Allows for complex movement's
Special ability : Obliteration
Obliteration : all left over energy will be converted into unrefined mana and used to obliterate anything. Anyone or thing within ten levels will be instantly killed, no magic or defence will help.
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
Name : Jurea
Level : 82 points available : N/A
Species : human
Strength : 1500
Increases the ease to lift and damage objects and opponents
Intelligence : 67
Makes resisting mind control, solving complex problems, reading people, learning magic and skills easier
Durability : 700
Resistance of disease, sleep deprivation, injury of body and soul, temperature, starvation
Energy : 200
Increases pool of energy and energy rate
Health : 2000
Increases pool of health and healing rate
Stamina : 3000
Increases pool of stamina and stamina rate
Luck : 100
Odds play out in your favor
Speed : 85
Increases reaction time, sensory perception, rate of travel, time perception
Agility : 150
Allows for complex movement's
Special ability : Titan's Fury
Titan's Fury: the longer you stay in battle , the stronger you become. After reaching a full fight meter health will start to drain.
Meter increases with level.
Fight meter : 0/ 82.0
------------------------------------------------------------------
The only one who leveled in intelligence is Flora, why is that Patty?
"What kind of hellscape was that?!"
"Where did you take her?"
"The hundred-day offensive."
"....."
"It was one of the last battles in your World War one, and one of the bloodiest."
"Okay, even if you're able to go through my memories, you shouldn't have been able to go to the actual battle - I was never there."
"I don't understand it completely either. My best hypothesis is that your gem is a magical subspace designed not only to hold your party, but to increase their overall skill level, but seeing as you are .....well, you, it has to bend time, space, and the dimensional barrier to get the information needed."
"Thanks for that, that cleared everything up."
"You should avoid sarcasm, you don't do it well."
I shook my head at her and knelt down where Jurea was spitting out the last remnants of puke.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm used to death, but not like that. They were drowning on dry land, it was slow and agonizing. No one should die like that."
"I know it's not much, but we did end up outlawing those types of weapons."
"Yeah, they banned them alright, didn't stop many of them from still making and using them whenever they felt like it. I mean just a few years after they signed the tre....ouch! Why do you always hit my ass?"
I was steady glaring at her.
"If you don't want it to hurt as much, grow an ass, and a conscience while you're at it."
Flora started rubbing her butt.
"I got a conscience, it's just not in use very often."
Jurea wiped her mouth and stood up.
"Let's go. I don't want to be out in the dark longer than I have to. "
________
At the gate we were greeted by a familiar face.
"Sorry, gates are closed for the night."
(Geoff)
"Gregg if you don't let us pass, I will shove my fist so far up your ass you'll get to taste what your ass tastes like."
"First off it's Geoff, secondly how are you so sure I wouldn't enjoy that? And finally, it's after dark, I can only let in people that I know and trust inside."
"I live here Geoff, stop fucking with us before I kick your ass."
(Jurea)
"And exactly how do you think the other guards would take that?"
I'm tempted to try to dart him, but as soon as I raise my arm to aim he'll see me.
< You don't have to shoot from your wrists.>
Huh?
< Your darts are made of mana, they can be as big or little as you want and you can shoot them from anywhere on your body. The only reason you shot them from your wrists before is because you subconsciously wanted them shot from there. >
I thought back to all the comics I had read.
Okay then, I focused on a dart forming in my mouth.
Once I felt it and coated it with my mucus, I thought about making him fall asleep.
I blew it out of my mouth hard, it sailed past the girls and hit him in the neck.
He then slapped his neck.
"Damn bu...gs."
Thud!
Snorkk!
Snorkk!
He fell forward, hit the ground and started snoring.
"What the fuck was that?"
"Remember the darts I shot at the dragon?"
I pointed at Geoff smiling.
"No?"
I nodded.
"Haha, that's what you get for messing with Flora Dreyas Gregg."
Did she really just forget his name - again?
"How long will it last?"
(Jurea)
"I don't know, anywhere between five and twenty minutes - I think."
Jurea nodded, then went over to him and kicked him in the back of the head hard.
"Why'd you do that? I expect that from Flora not you."
"It's for his own good."
"How?"
"If he is found sleep on guard duty, he will be fired on the spot and maybe arrested. If he is injured, he can say they hit him from behind."
I was about to argue further about not bashing someone's head, but Flora had already stepped over him and went into the town.
I just shrugged and motioned for us to follow, as I was going past I whispered that I was sorry.
We went directly to Jurea's house.
Unlike cities, towns like this shut down after sunset, the amount of fuel needed to keep this large of an area lit just isn't worth the few extra hours.
Jurea's house is really just a four story house with every floor being a one bedroom and one bath house.
And when I say bath instead of bathroom that's what I mean, towards the far side of the house was a tub - that's it.
And the toilet is worse because yeah no privacy while you bathe is bad, but the toilet is just a bucket.
Sometimes I'm glad lizardmen shit only once a week.
The bed is a wooden pallet with a straw mattress with animal furs on top.
And people here actually think this is high-end.
The girls share the bed while I get the floor.
Not that it matters really, once you've slept on a rocky cave floor you can sleep anywhere!
Besides, being cold-blooded I get sluggish when night falls and the temperature drops.
I can resist falling asleep due to the mana running throughout my body, but I still get sleepy.
As soon as my head hits the ground I fall fast asleep.
_______
We woke up around noon - we fought a fucking dragon we deserved to sleep in - and left the house towards Jungo's place.
As we were walking down the main street I noticed a large group of people gathered around a make shift stand.
"I wonder what's going on?"
Both the girls stopped and looked at where I was glancing.
"Ignore it, they're just selling an animal."
(Flora)
I ran towards the crowd.
I wonder what animal it is? Maybe a Griffin or wyvern. All I know is I want to see what fantasy animal it is.
I stopped in my tracks when I got to the front of the crowd.
I found out what kind of 'animal' Flora was talking about, it was a wolf beastman.
These assholes were slave trading!
< This world has a thriving slave trading industry. Lesser spe....>
SHUT UP PATTY!
The woman selling the beastfolk pushed the wolf girl down on her knees.
"This beastman is in the prime of its life. It is trained in archery, close combat, and hunting. It's also a virgin, for those of you who like fresh goods."
She winked at the crowd.
"What's wrong with it?"
(Random adventurer 1)
"Sir, I can assure you no....."
"You wouldn't be selling something as good as you say it is here unless it's broken."
(Random adventurer 1)
"Yeah! Tell us what's wrong with it!"
(Crowd of assholes )
What is wrong with these people! She isn't an it!
"Yes, it is true it sometimes finds loopholes in its orders. ....."
"To maim and kill as many bastards who think they can own me, one time I got to bite a guy's dick off. That was the most fun I've had in a wh..."
(Wolf girl)
"Shut up! Pain!"
A crest on wolf girls chest lit up.
"Ahhh! ahhh! Fuck you!"
"As I was saying she might find loopholes, but the enslavement crest ensures she will be compliant. Besides, who doesn't like breaking in a wild animal?"
I clenched my fists so hard my claws started to dig into my skin.
I looked around wondering which of these asshat's throats would taste the best.
< Need I remind you it took three of you and more than a fair bit of dumb luck to kill one almost Mid-rank creature, and anyone of these adventurers could be Mid-rank or above? >
Shut up Patty.
I hated what she said, and I hated that she was right even more.
I uncurled my fingers, the holes my claws made immediately healed.
"Fuck it! I could use a dog to fetch my kills, I'll take it for ninety silver."
(Random adventurer 2)
"Not if I use it as monster bait first, a hundred silver."
(Random adventurer 1)
"Four hundred silver!"
(Random adventurer 3)
"My mistress wishes to buy that slave for eighty gold!"
I yelled over everyone else. They all turned and looked at me.
The amount of Dronga hearts we ended up with was sixty, so times that by two and we have a hundred and twenty to be gold.
That means after we pay Jurea's rent and buy that wolf girl we'd only have around ten gold left.
Adventurer housing was a complete rip-off, but that's a topic for another day.
"It talks!"
"What?! It's not even worth that much!"
"That's Jurea's new tame."
"The fucking nerve of her, sending a monster to bid for her."
"That's a lot of money. I think you misheard your master, she probably said eighty silver. It's all a Low-rank can afford."
(Slave trader)
Jurea - who heard that - came up and reached into my capacity bag and took out the Corrosive dragon's mana heart.
"Does this look like I can't afford it?"
"Look at the size and glow of that! It has to be a Mid-rank heart!"
(Random adventurer)
"How did a Low-rank beat a Mid-rank monster?! That's impossible!"
(Random Joe)
"Apparently not."
"Well, if no one else wishes to bid? The winner is ..."
(Slave trader)
"I'll bid one hundred gold."
(Random adventurer 3)
"Are you crazy?"
"If someone is willing to spend eighty gold on a slave, then it must be worth something. As for your show with that Mid-rank heart, I highly doubt you have more than one."
(Random Adventurer 3)
The adventurer was smiling his ass off.
"You're right, this is the only one I have, and if you want this slave so badly, you can have her."
What the fuck?!
I was about to give her a piece of my mind, when she put her hand on my shoulder silencing me.
"I'm glad you decided to give it to me."
He was staring down at Jurea with a smug look.
"Of course, I'll just wait until you die and get her at a discount."
"Did you just threaten me?!"
"I would never, that would go against the guidelines set up by the adventurers guild. I was just reminding you that we work in a dangerous field and accidents do happen, weirdly especially to those who go against me. Like, I don't know, a boulder falls from nowhere and crushes you flat, you're surrounded by monsters and your party is nowhere to be found - damn those potty breaks - and you get ripped to shreds, or you accidentally get covered in monster mating hormones and get fucked to death."
Shit! I almost forgot how much of a scary asshole Jurea could be, after all she's the one who hired Flora's guards to kill her - allegedly.
"I....I .....I ...cough ....seem to have forgotten that the money I had offered is earmarked for something else. If you would excuse me."
He beat a hasty retreat.
Jurea pointed at the slave trader.
"I'll take that slave for thirty gold."
"Your pet said you said eighty. I don't think it would be right to go b...."
"It was eighty, before I was angered. Now, it's thirty, unless you're able to find someone else to buy her."
The slaver looked across the crowd, who all where conveniently looking at something else at the time.
Knowing she had lost, she put on her biggest smile.
"My boss wanted her sold today anyway, so why don't I give you a discount - twenty gold. And maybe you'd come to Steelman slave house for any of your future needs."
"Deliver her to my house around three, I'll be there with your payment."
Jurea started walking away without waiting for a reply.
"Ma'am I don't know your address."
"Don't be lazy, ask around."
"Of course, ma'am."
As soon as we were a good distance away Flora elbowed Jurea.
"Why'd you do that?"
"What?"
"Help him buy that animal. It's one thing for him to waste his money, but not ours."
She's got me there, Jurea got more kills than me and Flora. I wasn't planning on selling the dragon heart because I want to wait till I rank up to absorb it - that corrosion field ability is awesome.
"If he wants a slave, he should have it. Also, it's his money."
"Say what?"
I stopped walking in surprise.
Flora also stopped walking.
"She doesn't mean anything by that."
"Yes I do, as party leader you get sixty percent of the take. A leader can adjust this amount, but they normally don't. Another thing, why do you let Flora keep the money from the hit quests?"
"The what?"
"Hit quests, after you kill a certain amount of certain monsters they pay you a fixed rate. I see her sneak out early in the mornings to collect the payments, and when I asked her about it she said you said she could have it."
Flora looked at the ground.
I thought back to our conversation about her ripping people off.
I hit her ass with my tail.
"Ouch!"
"You've been cheating me!"
"I like to think of it as a lesson in
economics."
I have to think of an appropriate punishment.
Then, it hit me.
"Jurea about how much does the common folk make a week?"
"Between ten coppers and fifteen silver, why?"
"Flora's gonna give one gold coin a week to Jungo's daughter."
"What! Why?"
"Boccon."
"He made his own life choices."
"And you made yours."
We walked the rest of the way to Jungo's in silence.
______________
At three, we - me and Jurea - where at Jurea's place waiting on the slave trader.
Knock!
Knock!
"Come in."
(Jurea)
The door opened and the slave trader came in leading the wolf girl by a chain.
"Unshackle her!"
"I don't think ..."
(Slaver)
"Do as he says."
"Of course."
The slaver produced a key and unlocked both her wrists and ankles.
"As for the payment?"
"Here."
Jurea threw a bag of coins at her.
The slaver caught and put the bag into a capacity ring.
Then, she held out her hand.
"If you would so kindly give me your hand, I'll transfer control of the slave crest to you."
Jurea shook her head and pointed at me.
"Transfer control to him."
"Ma'am! That is not a good idea. Without sufficient control of the slave it can plot against you."
Jurea crossed her arms and gave her a death stare.
"Are you questioning my taming ability?"
It takes years to become a monster tamer and even then you have to constantly hone your skill, least a monster breaks loose of your control and kills you.
So, if someone were to question your ability, that would be the height of insults, or as one great man once said 'Those are fighting words.'
Of course, this hardly applied to Jurea, her not being a beastmaster and all - but the slaver didn't need to know that.
"Of course not! I did not mean to offend."
"Good, then do as I said and transfer control to my tame."
She hesitantly held her left-hand out to me.
"If you would oblige me, monster?"
When I reached my left-hand forward, she flinched back.
What is it with people and thinking I'm going to hurt them.
< It could be the razor sharp teeth, claws, or the fact that lizardmen eat their prey while it's still alive and begging for mercy.>
Shut up Patty.
"Are you gonna take all day? I have got other things to do."
"I'm sorry ma'am, but are you sure it won't ....."
"Rip your arm off and beat you with it? Yes, I'm sure. Now hurry up."
"Yes, at once."
Without further disruptions she grasped my hand and garbled some words in a low voice.
At first, I felt nothing, then I felt like a line of fire surged through my arm and stopped above my heart.
I had to stop myself from crushing her hand due to the pain, instead I let out a meaty growl.
The slaver let go of my hand and jumped back.
"It is done ma'am. If you need anything else, you may find me at the Steelman house. Just ask for Ledina."
With that she basically ran out of the door.
I might not like her, but even I have to admit she's a good salesman.
Being that terrified, and still trying to get another sale.
"If you think you're the first to think of giving ownership to a second party, you're not.
This won't protect you, absolve you of guilt, or any other thing you've probably come up with.
I. Will. Kill. You."
The wolf girl was staring Jurea down.
"One problem with that, I'm not your master, he is."
"I already know he has the mark! So, that's what you thought, I'd be a stupid animal and go after him instead of you."
"No, she means I wanted to buy you, not her."
"What?"
"I'm in charge, I let everyone assume she's in charge because the towns folk are very bigoted here."
< I think she knows that already. You know cause she's a slave. >
Shut up Patty.
"Look, I don't believe in one person owning another, so just bought you to be freed.I do however have one command I will give you."
"So, you're just like everyone else! I'll make sure I kill you slowly."
"I command you to do whatever
you want."
"So, sex stuff? As exp....wait, what?!"
"Well, I asked Flora - she isn't here right now - and she told me the only way to free someone of a slave crest is to kill the original spell castor. She also told me no spell is a hundred percent effective, so I thought of a work around."
She had a seriously confused look on her face.
"Why are you doing this?"
Time spread some Earth wisdom.
"One does not need a reason to do something good, only a reason to do something bad."
"That sounded stupid."
"Shut up Patty."
"Who's Patty?"
Shit!
"The voice in his head."
(Flora)
Flora! Of course, she walks in right now.
"What are you doing back? I thought you said you needed to do some errands around town."
(Jurea )
"For your information I did have errands, but me being me, I finished them in record time. As for the reason I'm here, Jack told me she is done with our gear, and to meet her in our training spot outside of town."
"Jack?"
(Wolf girl)
"She means Emira, and she is our blacksmith."
"Oh."
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"
Jurea looked at the ground, Flora laughed, and wolf girl looked even more down trodden.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"I don't have a name."
"Your parents didn't give you one?"
"I was born into slavery, my parents were forbidden to give me one. It was to show me my place, things don't have names."
"Well, fuck that. What do you want to be called?"
"Really? You'll let me have a name?"
"You're free now, I'm not letting you do anything, it's your choice."
"Then, I choose the name my grandfather had when he was free, Eric."
"Bwahahahahaha!"
(Flora)
"Gerk!!"
(Jurea)
"E...Er.... Eric?"
"Is there something wrong with the name?"
I glared at Flora.
"No, nothing at all. Eric."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, it's your God given right."
"Which god?"
"Never mind, let's go meet up with Emira."
"Finally."
(Flora)
_________
When we got there Emira was leaning on a cart.
When she noticed Eric, she stopped leaning and pointed at her.
"Who's she? Did you knock someone else out?"
"No, he brought it out of sympathy."
(Flora)
"Her name is Eric, and she is a willing part of our party."
Emira looked at all of us, then shrugged her shoulders.
"Welcome aboard, Eric."
"Is that our gear?"
"Yes, but before any of you put it on, I've got to explain a few things.
Firstly, I used my ability to craft these faster then normal and this comes with some risk, namely your gear becoming insane and trying to kill you.
When a Dalian man forges gear it comes out already as strong as it's going to be, don't get me wrong that is God-like strength from the get-go.
When us women forge, it just comes out a bit stronger than usual gear, but it can grow and evolve.
To activate the magic you have name it something that resonates with your soul, or the gear will break apart.
The Dalian ability also guides our hands, the weapon best suited for you will be made - even though neither party is sure why.
And finally if any of you die I am not at fault, you all asked me to use my ability. Understood?"
We all nodded.
"Then, Flora is up first."
Emira pulled out a robe with long sleeves, a hood, and was covered in glass-like scales.
When Flora put it on it came down to her feet. It had mini hooks that closed it all the way down to the waist, making it look like one of those old westerners dustcoats.
"This robe won't restrict your movement while running. These scales are glass fish scales, if you stay still long enough, they will take on the coloration of your environment rendering you near invisible. These pockets in the inside hold mana hearts and automatically converts them into mana for your use."
Emira went back to the cart and pulled out a staff.
It was a long staff that ended in four blades pointing inwards, in the space between the blades was a crystal ball.
"And this will be your weapon, it will amplify your spells range and damage. And if an enemy gets too close, stick them with the pointy side. This is the one you name, the armor and weapon will be as one."
"This is incredible! I know what I'll name her, Fate Weaver. "
Both the weapon and robe glowed then went back to normal.
"That will be thirty gold."
"What?! This was supposed to be free!"
"No, I said I'll make Jay's and Jurea's free. You're the bitch who stiffed me on my bill before."
"That's water under the bridge."
Flora turned to me.
"What are you waiting for? Order her to give it to me for free, I don't have that kind of money right now."
"Why don't you have the money?"
"Because adventuring is a well paid job, so everyone stiffs us on supplies - which I brought today."
Jurea and Emira were nodding their heads in agreement.
"Yeah no, I won't be telling her to cut us a break. She bought the supplies to make our gear, so everyone will pay their fair share. She is running a business - one that you almost ruined - not a charity. Although, I will ask her to wait until we have the money. Hehehe."
Emira nodded at me.
"What's the point in having the power to command people if you never use it!"
(Flora)
Ignoring her, Emira got out a warhammer and Jurea's own armor.
The hammer was around three feet long, on the bottom was a rounded piece with spikes on it, the head was square, the back was a curved spike, and on the top was a straight spike.
"Your own armor was good enough, I just reinforced it and gave it a damage absorption ability. Any damage under the threshold will be converted into stamina."
She passed the armor to Jurea. Then, she grasped the hammer with both hands.
"This isn't your average warhammer, it has life-force stealing crystals embedded in the head, it will constantly heal you as you fight. And if you twist this ....."
She twisted a ring at the base of the head. The spike at the top shot out twenty feet, and connected a tree to the hammer via a sturdy chain.
"It releases the launching mechanism in the head, giving you much needed range. It has a self retracting mechanism at the base of the shaft, as soon as you want the spike back just twist the ring back."
She twisted it back and chain/spike flew back.
"And before you ask, it can safely hold two thousand pounds of.... "
Jurea snatched the hammer before she could finish.
"I love it!"
"Good, then hurry up and name it."
"Death Blight!"
Nothing happened.
"You have to use a name close to your
soul."
"Yes, okay. Doom Herald!"
Again, nothing happened.
"If you don't say a name that truly bonds it to your soul, the magic will fade."
Jurea's face became beet red.
"Fuck! Fine, but if any of you laugh, I don't care about that stupid order I will find a way to kill you."
She glared at all of us, then whispered to the warhammer.
"Unicorn's Love."
The warhammer glowed brightly, overshadowing Flora's by a long shot.
"Shit! I've never seen a weapon bond that closely to a soul before."
"Unicorn's Love?"
"They are majestic beasts, I've always loved them."
"Well, your love didn't stop them from from being basically wiped out."
(Flora)
"Flora!"
"What? I didn't laugh."
I was about hit her in her still unguarded ass, when Emira interjected.
"Jay, it's your turn."
Yes, she obviously saved the best for last.
"Let me guess, I get a sword that shoots a laser with every swing, or a bow with controllable arrows, or a shield that controls gravity!"
I looked down and saw a pair of gauntlets.
"Hahaha!"
(Flora)
"They look very .....um ..... sturdy."
(Jurea)
"I think your ability made a mistake. I'm the leader, so I get the cool awesome weapon. Not....not ....."
"Glorified gloves."
(Flora)
I gave Flora a side long glance, and she angled her butt away from me.
"Trust me, and just put them on."
I did as I was told, and put them on.
"Now, name them."
< Call them Patty. >
What!? You want me name my weapon after you, why?
< .....>
What, no witty comeback?
The last thing I want is to go into battle with a weapon - if you can even call these things a weapon - called Patty.
Then again, no matter how sarcastic she has been she hasn't lead me astray so far, and it might not even work - it has to be something close to my soul.
"I name you Patty."
"That's a .... peculiar choice."
(Emira)
"Haha! I knew you enjoyed how she treated you!"
"No, I don't! And it didn't even wor....ahhh!"
The gauntlets not only started to glow, but also melt into my skin.
"What the fuck is happening!?"
(Jurea)
"I don't know!"
(Emira)
"You can't die! We don't know what that will do to me!"
(Flora)
After a few more seconds the pain started to fade.
I looked at my hands, they looked normal except for that they were supposed to have gauntlets on them.
"Oh Mother! Are you okay?"
(Jurea)
She rushed over to me and helped me to my feet.
I looked over at Emira.
"What the fuck was that?"
"I think you bonded with your weapon, literally."
"So, what happens now?"
"I don't know, this hasn't happened before that I know of."
"So, what power would have come with them anyway?"
"I forged them from self-adapting metal, so whenever you transformed they would too, but I don't know what they'll do now - if they can do anything at all."
"Oh well, looks like I'll stick with what I've been doing. Flora can you cast a quick healing spell, my hands still hurt."
"Fine.{ Healing palms}."
< Spell learned : Healing palms. >
"Flora!"
"What?"
I slashed open the palm of her hand with my claws.
"Owww! Why the fuck would you do that?!"
I put my hand over hers.
"{Healing palms}."
I felt the tingle of electricity in my arms, then my hands glowed and Flora's wound healed.
"How did you do that!? I didn't teach you magic."
"I think it's the gauntlets, as soon as you did your spell Patty said I learned it."
Flora turned to Emira.
"How did you make those? I want a pair!"
"I think that power comes from him not the gauntlets, I used base materials because the only skill he has is his ability."
They all stared at me.
"Flora."
"Yeah?"
"How many spells do you know?"