I woke up with a major headache, and a dry throat.
Shit!
I've been drugged.
I looked around.
I am in a damp area standing in about four or five inches of water, wooden beams are holding up a wooden roof, which I am conveniently hanging from by a rope.
Jurea is hanging across from me snoring like the sow she is.
I tried to feel the heat of my mana, but felt nothing.
I barely got to cast any spells when we fought that bloody eagle, so that must mean...
I looked around the room we are in.
By the edges I saw groups of blue mushrooms with black and purple spots.
Yup, Taluim mushrooms.
Their spores will prevent me from using my mana.
But Jurea can probably still use her ability, it doesn't use mana after all.
Now, just to wake her up, ugh... I'm missing the quiet already.
"Hey! Sow wake up!"
"Snerk! Hehehe."
She lifted her head, then dropped it again.
"Wake up you dumb bitch!"
I used my feet to kick water onto her face.
"Ha...haahahaha I....di...di....did need...a...a...a... I forget, what....were we talking about?"
What, the what?
"You know.....hup....what?"
"No, what?"
"I .....yup.....don't know."
Oh my fucking gods, she's been drugged.
And not with just sleep agents either.
They probably gave me the same drugs, but due to my high intelligence I'm unaffected.
Too bad I can't say the same thing for her.
Looks like I'm on my own, stupid bitch couldn't be useful even once.
I started to jerk my arms, trying to get free.
"Hey.....hup....what .....ar...are yu doing?"
I looked at her like the daft idiot she is.
"What does it look like? I'm getting free."
"Why?"
"Because I don't think they kept us just to liven the place up with my supernatural beauty."
"But whyyyyy?"
"I just told you."
"Nooooo, dumb dumb...why botheeeer... hip.... Jay'll save us, I like im he...s nice."
"You somehow sound... even dumber than you usually do.
Even if he survived - which I assume he did considering how much like a cockroach he is, and the fact that we've felt no reaction - why would he try to rescue us?
TWith us gone, he'll just get others to join his party, and he'll move the fuck on."
"E...woo...ver do that!"
"Yes, he would.
Because when it comes down to it, he's just like everyone else, and everyone just looks out for themselves.
If the roles were reversed, we'd do the same."
The wood beam creaked as she pulled forward.
"NO I WOULDN'T!!!!!!!"
At least her sentences are becoming more understandable.
"Damn, there's no reason to scream. So, all of this time you weren't faking it? You actually care about us? Even me?"
She went back limp.
"I still don't like you. But you're with us, so I'm with you."
"Hahaha! You're making no sense.
You hate me, why would proximity to others have any bearing on whether you help me?"
"The reason I don't like you so much is because you make me feel in...in..fe..infer...not so good about myself."
"Hahaha! That's the reason? How fucking cliché."
"Why don't you like me? Is it because I tried to kill you fifteen times?"
"Fifteen? I thought it was only fourteen."
"That time you puked up your guts was me, I poisoned your ale, but I fucked up the amount."
"You fucking bitch, ha! I just thought the bartender pissed in it, after I didn't pay my tab."
She gave me a lopsided look.
"You still... drink there though."
"What other tavern would I drink from? They all hate me worse than he does."
I said shrugging.
"Did you ever wonder if you should try not making people hate you?"
"Not really, nope. If people can't handle being used, they should get smarter."
"Oh, okay.... wait! You still didn't say why you hate me! Is it because I tried to kill you?"
Wow, these drugs are really doing a number on her.
"Pfft, please, why would I be angry at that?
That's part of the game.
If you don't have people trying to kill you, then you're doing something wrong."
"Then, why?"
"Sigh. Fine, if you really must know why, it's because of your fat cow udders."
She looked down at her breasts, then back at me.
"You don't like my breasts?"
"They're bigger than mine, and I don't like anyone having an advantage over me. You probably don't remember this, but when that adventurer - I don't remember his name - was giving away his items - for reasons - he choose you over me just because you had better tits."
"I don't think that was the reason."
"He couldn't keep his eyes off of them! That was the first time I sabotaged your equipment."
Her eyes widened at that.
"That reminds me! You don't fuck with a person's ropes! That fall was really far down and it hu.... I'm... sleepy. Good... yaaawn... night."
Her eyes started to lose focus again, and her head started wobbling all over the place.
"Don't you dare...."
Her head fell down.
"Snerk!"
"Fuck me!"
"Don't worry, there are plenty of men up there willing to lower themselves by ramming you."
The mage whore that attacked us had come down from a hatch, and she brought the others with her too.
"To think she'd be up and talking after the dose you gave her, good call on giving them those other drugs Wert."
The bitch with the spear strapped to her back said to the man in an alchemist's cloak.
"Of course, Tia, I saw her physical prowess. She not only withstood the eagle's attacks, but defeated it as well. You can never be too careful with people like that. What really worries me is the fact that this one is so coherent."
He was pointing at me.
"Yeah, what's with that? You said it would incapacitate anyone, no exceptions."
(Tia)
"It should've worked! Maybe the ingredients were off with this one, potions that affect the mind are tricky."
Try I'm better than anyone you've ever tried this on before.
"Latia, Wert, it does not matter. We have them and that's all that matters, she isn't going anywhere."
(Mage)
"Of course, Rebecca."
(Tia)
I looked the cunt straight in her eyes.
"I'd say fuck you, but I'm not that desperate to slum it and fuck a filthy animal."
The mage Rebecca backhanded me, then grasped my face.
"It isn't wise to insult your captors.
You never know what they're capable of."
She let go of me, and backed up a couple of feet.
"I know you ain't going to kill us."
I can see my speculation is correct, from her facial cues.
"Oh...?"
"You could've killed us at anytime, instead you've imprisoned us.
My guess is, you want us to be your slaves.
It's just too bad enslavement spells don't work on the higher races you dumb bitch."
I kicked some water at her.
She jumped back further, but some of the water still landed on her.
I grinned at her.
The glare she gave me was hilarious.
"It's true that enslavement spells would've made this easier, but....."
She walked closer to grab my chin again.
"There are other ways to break a bitch.
When we are done with you two, y'all be begging for the opportunity to serve us.
Either by fighting, or... sexually pleasing us. You have a lovely tongue by the way."
This is obviously an intimidation act, trying to cow me into obedience.
"I'm the great Flora Dreyas! There's no way some pathetic scum will enslave me!"
She stared into my eyes.
"I can see the fear in your eyes, you will submit."
She balled up her fist and gut punched me hard.
I hadn't relieved myself in gods only know how long, so when she hit me, my bladder emptied itself.
"Great huh? It won't be long now, till you're on your knees lapping at my....."
Haroooooo!!!!
"Becs, we have to go! Something has breached our defenses!"
(Tia)
Rebecca looked at me, then nodded, and she and her goons vacated the basement we are being held in.
That fucking idiot, is he actually going to try to rescue us? From gods only know how many dungeon bandits.
Even though I am thinking just how stupid he is, I couldn't help but notice that I am smiling.
...............
"Guh!!"
I woke up with a start.
Where am I?! And why does it feel like there are a ton of rocks on me?
Oh, right, because there are a ton of rocks on me, literally!
When the cave-in happened I dove over the other two to hold the rocks up off of them, and used my crafting stat merge the rocks together.
It worked half-way, they are alive, but we're trapped.
I start trying to come up with solutions.
...
...
...
I could use my acid to melt the rocks, but then the fumes - or drops of acid - would kill them.
...
...
...
I could use my crafting make a tunnel, but I'm not that proficient, and I could destabilize the rocks, and crush us all.
I think of dozens of other plans, only to find a loose thread that when pulled will end up in their death.
First things first I guess, I willed Eric into my gem.
With that out of the way, that only leaves Lyra.
Even if she allowed me to add her to my party, I couldn't because she is knocked out cold!
Come on Jay, think!
...
...
...
Wait,
Patty, if I use 'Transcendental Traversal', could I take Lyra with me?
Well, I can't stay here forever.
Mini status.
------------------
Health:1,000/1,000
Energy:954/1,087
Stamina:0/706
Excess energy : 1,099
------------------
My excess energy is about to run out, it's now or never.
I held her tight, and prayed to God to let this work.
After all, he owes me for letting Anovotis cross my path.
Yeah, but a rational goddess would've realized it was just a mistake.
Shut up Patty.
Don't listen to her God, she's an idiot.
I took a deep breath in and started my ability.
I felt bone wrenching agony right away from including her.
I stood up carrying Lyra towards the exit.
Each step felt like an oil tanker was trying to crush my flat.
There is no way I am making it.
...
...
...
Fuck that!
Just imagine a big fat double cheese burger with extra bacon is waiting for me on the other side!
I activated 'Dash'.
Finally after what felt like an eternity - but was probably only a few seconds - I saw sunlight - dungeon light? - and I collapsed, my ability stopping, and both me and Lyra hitting the ground.
_______________________________
After what I can only assume was a good long nap I woke up again, feeling like a truck had rolled over me - a couple of times.
Mini status.
------------------
Health:1,156/1,200
Energy:233/1,087
Stamina:706/706
Excess energy : 0
------------------
Looks like my health went up, and of course I'm out of excess energy, and basically out of energy.
Not the best start to a rescue mission.
You don't know that, besides I thought you liked Flora?
Fuck the odds, you in or not?
That reminds me.
I willed Eric out.
Her eyes were already open.
"When do we leave?"
"We have to ask Lyra if she wants to go when she wakes up, after all we promised to protect her. This isn't her fight."
"No, you don't, I'm ready to go when y'all are. We're a party, no matter how temporary it may be."
Lyra was getting up while holding her head.
"Okay then, we'll need a plan."
________________________________
Luckily for us, they thought we were dead, so they didn't bother to cover their tracks.
So, when we set out it was ridiculously easy to track them back to their base.
Lyra was on the other side of the base leading a horde of monsters to their front door, how she was going to get inside - she said she got it.
In front of us are seven heavily armored bandits guarding the route to the back of their base.
They're not even playing cards or slacking off like bad guys are supposed to do.
They're actually doing their job, and being alert with weapons at the ready.
I raised my hand ready to cast spells, when Eric put her hand on mine stopping me.
"I got them, save your mana for inside the fort."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, grandpa showed me a couple of things on how to handle situations like this."
Before I could disagree, she was already in motion.
I realized just how quiet she moves in the forest just then.
The rest of us make noise crunching fallen leaves and branches, but she sounds like a ghost of the forest.
While running she drew her bow, and shot an arrow.
It hit one of them square in her exposed throat, as she fell down gurgling on her blood the others drew their weapons and ran at Eric.
She threw her bow up in the air and drew her dagger.
The first one she met she side-stepped his downward axe swing, and thrust her blade up into his lung from his side.
Instead of wasting time pulling out her blade, she let it go and unsheathed her claws.
As the second one was coming at her she slid, slashed his thigh, pounced back-up, stabbed her claws into his neck, and ripped his throat out.
Next up was two at the same time.
She upper-cutted one, neck chopped the other, then she disemboweled them both.
The fifth one she spun around and stabbed her claws into the back of his neck, severing his spine.
The last one standing, seeing all of this, turned on his heels and ran while fumbling with a horn.
As she kept running she caught her bow and let off two arrows almost simultaneously.
The first arrow hit his shoulder armor throwing him of balance and causing him to spin, and the second arrow went straight through the eye-hole of his helmet and straight into his brain.
All of this happened in less than a few seconds.
If she wasn't on my team, I'd be terrified of her!
After collecting her arrows and dagger I caught up to her.
Passing them to her, I then commended her.
"This is nothing, we should hurry, Lyra should be at their gates any moment now."
She ran off and I followed.
........
As I finished my lunch I headed back up to the wall to finish my guard duty.
Isaac was already up there when I got there.
"Hey Kyte, took your sweet time didn't you? Was Japheth's dick that tasty?"
"Up yours Isaac."
"Hahaha! Did you see the two the others dragged in?"
I went up to him and leaned on the railing.
"No, how are they?"
"Let me put it this way, when they break them, I can't wait to get my dick up in those guts."
I sighed.
"You know the boss ain't gonna let you see - nevermind fuck - anything. They're just going to be used to expand our ranks again."
"Yeah, you're right.
At the very fucking least I'd like something to fucking happen! I'm bored out of my fucking mind!"
"Ha! Tell me abo.... what the fuckity fuck. Look over there."
He followed my gaze towards a lone woman leading a hoard of ravenous monsters to the gate.
Isaac raised his horn to his lips.
"Hold on a second."
I held him arm.
"We have to sound the alarm."
"Why call the rest of them up here? That gate is reinforced with magic, no one is getting through.
Besides, it will be interesting seeing her ripped to shreds."
"Yeah, you're right, wanna bet if she screams or not?"
"You're on! She looks more like a crier
to me."
As she was running she pulled out a weird hand blade weapon.
"Does she really think that will break through the gate? Dumb bitch. Hahaha!"
As she drew ever nearer I felt the buzz of mana.
Her face held not an once of fear, something that should be evident when you're being chased by monsters trying to kill you.
"She's up to something, blow the horn!"
She jumped and as soon as the blade touched the gate, the gate blew inwards in a huge explosion.
Monsters flooded into the base.
Isaac blew his horn, a little too late.
I heard the first screams as the monsters found their prey.
When I turned towards the screams I saw claws headed for my face.
But it must have missed because next thing I know I'm staring at a headless idiot who didn't dodge in time.
Wait, isn't that... what I was wearing?
Oh shi....
..........
As we neared the wall I grabbed Eric and threw her up the wall, she latched on with her claws and started to climb.
I ran straight through it with
'Transcendental Traversal', and as I came out the other side I noticed a single bandit.
I raised my hand right next to his head.
"{Fireball}."
Fireball might be weak and slow, but it can still get the job done.
The fireball exploded against the side of his head flinging him to the left, as a dead corpse.
I couldn't stop and admire my work because more bandits were streaming out of huts with weapons raised.
"A lizard this far down?"
(Bandit)
"Doesn't matter, just kill it, and head to the front!"
The bandit raised his axe and ran at me.
Before he even got ten-feet, I was already at him slashing open his chest.
Arterial spray washed over me.
"What the fuck!"
"Roooooar!"
(Me)
Yeah, I'm angry.
"Kill i... guh!!"
(Bandit)
Before she could finish, an arrow was firmly planted in her skull.
Looks like Eric is up over the wall.
Another one came up at me, I back-handed him into a building.
He landed with an audible crash.
Yeah, he's not getting up anytime soon.
Eric is picking off the ones I missed.
I didn't actively hunt them, but those who stepped up got laid down.
One idiot was screaming his head off.
"Latia help! It's killing us!"
Oh, shut up, if I were killing you, you'd be dead.
I flung him to the side.
Down the alley came the man called Vern, and the chick I called Teal.
"How the fuck did that thing survive?! Becs dropped a mountain on it!"
(Teal)
"Apparently it's a lot tougher than we assumed. I will enjoyed making it my
tame."
Vern was giving me the patented creep smile.
"Fuck that! You were right the first time around. It's too dangerous to let live."
She started to charge at me when she stopped, and used her spear to deflect an arrow that was headed for her head.
Eric landed beside me and strung another arrow.
I held up my hand.
"No, I got this. Go find the others."
Eric looked me, nodded and took off up the buildings.
"It speaks!"
(Teal)
"Yes, and that's a secret that you'll be taking to the grave."
I activated 'Dash' and arrived at the spot Teal was in, slashing a hole in nothing.
Just as I had arrived, she activated a skill of some kind and sped backwards out of harm's way.
"Careful Tia! It looks like it has more tricks up its sleeves than we thought."
Tia huh? Still looks like a Teal to me.
"Don't worry, it was dead the moment it set foot in our base. Now!"
Two bandits appeared on opposite sides of the street atop buildings with arrows drawn.
They fired at the same time at me, I hardened my scales letting them deflect off of me.
Then I shot webs onto both off them and yanked real hard.
They banged into each other mid-air, then hit the ground.
Teal threw her spear at me, not even concerning herself about the two bandits on the ground in front of me.
I caught her spear out of the air.
"What the...? Get it!"
More bandits flowed out of nowhere armed to the teeth.
I'm no good with spears, so I used my crafting stat to change it into a sword.
I can't transmute wood into metal and the only metal on it was the spearhead, so I turned it into a wooden sword with a razor-sharp metal edge.
"That's... impossible!"
(Vern)
The first bandit had a hatchet, one slash and the hatchet was broken, and he had a huge gash where his chest should be.
The next one up I spun around and hit with my tail, I felt her bones break.
Next, I slashed the eyes of another with my claws.
I disabled dozens of bandits like this.
"{Boulder}!"
(Random bandit)
While we were coming here I asked Patty to tell me if newly learned spells were usable.
"{Force bubble}{boulder}."
I used a force bubble to break the boulder headed my way, and shot a boulder at the mage that shot at me.
"It knows magic?! What kind of monster is it?! "
(Vern)
That Vern weirdo was giving me the creeps, with the looks he is still giving me.
He's definitely next on the to be dead list.
"A dead one! Weapon!"
Another bandit tossed Teal a mace.
She sped towards me, mace raised high.
When that mace crashed down on my sword it felt like a ton of bricks, but when compared to when Jurea and I practiced this was nothing.
I easily parried the mace and slashed with my claws.
My claws were aimed at her throat, but before I could touch it a force field appeared and repelled us apart.
We both flew backwards.
"It's only a Low-rank!"
She said getting back up.
"That's impossible! No monster that powerful could only be a Low-rank."
"If it were any stronger, it would've broken my mana barrier."
That Vern weirdo was giving me another weird grin!
Shit, I'm not powerful at all, I get my ass handed to me on a daily basis!
"I want it even more now."
"No Vern, stop messing around and kill it!"
"Fine, but its corpse and heart are mine. Kill it!"
I was making my way to him, when I felt an attack coming from above.
I side-jumped out of the way as that bloody eagle dive bombed at me from the sky.
It must've been wary of me because of Jurea because it immediately released its mist.
Too bad for it, I'm not protecting anyone at the moment, and I can see it just fine due to heat detection.
I didn't even rush at it, I just slowly walked towards it as invisible blades made cuts in my skin and were immediately healed.
When I got to it I shot a stream of acid in its face.
Then, another blast to its already weakened body - thanks Jurea, and then I ripped out its mana heart.
Screeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!
It let out blood curdling screech, then killed over.
"No!!!! That's impossible!!!"
Absorb its heart Patty.
Just absorb it Patty.
Wait, what?
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!
What the hell is happening Patty?!
What?!
"What the fuck is happening?!"
(Teal)
"I don't know, but that thing killed my tame!"
"I don't care! We have to go, now!"
She pulled him along as she ran away.
My cells were being ripped apart, and then would heal immediately.
Oh, my fucking God! It feels like I'm going to explode!
WAIT, WHA....
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!