---
I casually entered the tavern and walked to my usual spot at the bar only to find it already occupied by someone else.
this was normal at times like these after being away for weeks at a time but I'd never seen this person before.
I'd been called away to investigate the red storm event a few days ago but not many traces were left, had to leave with the job unfinished, I was only able to get half pay.
I figured I'd sit next to the man I'd never seen before, he looked roughed up.
he was missing shoes and shirt and has nasty bruises all over him, his eyes held a glazed over stare void of all emotion as he ordered drink after drink.
the bar keep wanted to atop but the man had plopped down a sack of gold coins large enough to keep this place running for months and so he just kept giving the man drinks.
"ya know you'll drink yourself to death friend."(Jace)
"how long will that take?"(mysterious man)
"not long at your pace."(Jace)
"ok change of plans I need 3 drinks at once."(mysterious man) called out to the barkeep Devin.
"slow down friend."(Jace)
"got no reason to."(mysterious man)
"sure ya do."(Jace)
---
2 weeks later
the mysterious man now solely sleeps outside the tavern, he wasn't able to afford a room but evey night he manages to come in eith enough gold to buy the place if he wanted, drinking until the sun came up and then drunkenly stumbling outside and passing out.
the barkeep tried to chase him off but the tavern owner told him that he pays so well and for so long that they can actually afford to only serve the one man, the regulars don't mind him and have even started talking to him but he seldom says anything and mostly stays passed out or so drunk that no one could bother him.
he's trying to escape something with all that drinking.
---
1 week later
it's officially been 3 weeks since the man came to town and he's starting to look emaciated, people are now able to see the outlines of his bones under his skin, no one has seen him eat and day in day out he continues the drinking, always managing to bring enough gold to ensure he could.
he looked like he would die to a feather being poked his direction.
u fortunately for the spectacle he was currently making by going after his record, something the regulars have been tracking for him and something he's never paid any mind, once he passed it he simply drunkenly stumbled back out and resumed his unconciousness that he had only stirred from to drink.
because I was so focused on him I completely missed the girl that had claimed the seat next to me, long black hair, dressed in authoritative looking robes lined with metals, and amazing body proportions complimenting an almost angel level of Beauty her face shone that I nearly passed out like the man did, well not like the man did.
"seems we've got another out of towner visiting, anything at all I can help you with?"(Jace) I almost hit myself with hoe threatening that question would sound but that's just how we talk around here, I really do hope she doesn't find it threatening.
"I'm here looking to conserve a species!"(girl)
exclaimed all excited.
"what species?"(Jace)
"you haven't heard?!"(gir)
"can't say I have."(Jace)
"they just showed up out of the blue one day before presumably all died almost immediately, all except for the one who started the species, rumors say he's somewhere around here."(gir)
"well there's another out of towner here, been here a while, he might know more."(Jace)
"where can I find him?"(girl)
"did you see the man sleeping on that bench on the tavern porch?"(Jace)
"that wasn't a dead body?!"(girl)
"no Ma'am, he's been drinking the whole three weeks he's been here, all he does really, doesn't eat either, just comes in with lots of money and drinks till he can barely walk."(Jace)
"why does he do that?"(girl)
"couldn't tell you miss."(Jace)
"I'll go talk to him real quick, thanks."(girl)
"no problem friend."(Jace)
---
I walked out to where the nice local had pointed me and to my absolute surprise the man really was alive.
his sun burned and peeling skin coupled with the bruises all over really didn't help.
he looked like a partially decomposing body that had been beaten to death.
I tapped his shoulder, nothing happened.
I started shaking him and once again nothing happened.
so I used half of my force and punched him in the back of the head, and only then did he groan and turn over before going back to sleep.
I will not be defeated by a drunk who's asleep and half dead!
so I mustered even more of my strength and once again punched him in the back of the head and only then did he pop up with rage in his dark blood red eyes.
---
"WHAT!?!"(Syn)
"sorry to bother you sir but I just had some questions."(girl)
"now you wanna be nice? Fuck off."(Syn)
"hey! you don't have to be rude."(girl)
"you don't have to punch sleeping people."(Syn)
"you don't even look alive."(girl)
damn I'm starting to sober better get back in there.
---
he just ignored me ad he stood up and walked directly past me and into the tavern.
claiming a seat now labeled VIP he began drinking.
after an hour of watching this man out of curiosity I was truly impressed and horrified.
he had drunk over 300 alcoholic beverages just one after another and apparently this was his slow day the barkeep had said.
A SLOW DAY?!
the man is an impressive specimen of humanity and he's choosing to slowly kill himself?
(ability catalogue used)
the man flicked a glare my way the second I did so but gave up on that emotion and continued drinking like his life depended on it.
[name: Syn Ev
race: elder progenic blood evole
lvl: 41
status: depressed, severe internal damage, starved]
I can't belive it, the specimen I'd been looking for all this time, for 6 entire years since hearing about its sighting in forests.
and not only did it actually exist its broken the level cap entirely, nothing has ever been this incredibly amazing before.
I need this specimen, I need more of them.