"W-w-what is that asshole's problem!" Chelsea shouted as she hurried back to the outside of her tent, "That guy couldn't even hear me out! Sure, I didn't pick the best time but… We need to hurry! I don't know what Chris might be doing to the rest of the group, to Megan!"
Chelsea wrapped her arms around herself as she stammered on, thinking of how she could rectify the situation. Then her eyes found Jacqueline, hope blooming in her core until she saw the woman screaming to herself angrily.
"Jacky?" Chelsea asked as she closed in still mumbling something.
"Fuck that idiot! I'm not even 25…! Bloody fucking asshole, how dare he even think I came over to get at him! Bastards probably a right virgin! Rubbernecking every girl that passes him! Fuck! I'm not even 25!!!!" Jacqueline roared as she sat down next to Chelsea in a huff, her arms crossed.
"No luck then?" Chelsea asked.
"Fuck that prick, wouldn't go back there if you paid me!" she answered.
Chelsea sighed.
No luck for her then either… Chelsea thought as she looked back at the few people that were still hovering around Drake.
They were slowly dispersing leaving only a small handful of people now, before the sound of another horn blew in the distance.
----------------------------------------
Drake turned his attention from the woman in front of him to the sound of the horn.
"Looks like that's my que. Everyone who I've talked to please stay together and familiarize yourselves. Once I've beaten back this group I will come right back and we will get started on some things," Drake shouted.
Once he got a few nods, and hesitant 'Yes Sires' that forced him to shudder slightly and wince at the title, he moved past the crowd. Taking a light step forward he launched himself to the earthen rampart.
Once he had a better view he slightly frowned at the field in front of him.
"I really have to do something about this. It's a literal mess and it's going to be a problem for sanitation soon," Drake said, his eyes moving from Goblin corpse to Goblin corpse that was strewn about the field.
Drake pushed his Aura out slightly and noticed someone next to him, who he assumed was Theodore. Then a bit more he felt some invisible figures below him on the other side of the wall drawing his gaze.
"Little rats…" Drake grumbled as he pointed a finger in their direction, forming a yellow magic circle that crackled to life. The lightning from the spell shot forward and arched between the two, a sizzle and shimmer later two Goblin Red-Caps slumped against the Outpost wall, charred to black.
[Subjugation Quest. 12 of 50 Red-Cap Goblin Assassin [F Rank]
[Reward Experience. Communication Crystal [Common][F Rank]
Drake looked back up and out to the forest treeline, but only saw sparse unconcealed Goblins here and there through the brush.
"Seems like they are changing strategies again, they aren't rushing in after the horn? Theodore," Drake said.
"Yes, my liege?" Theodore answered, his head already in a half bow.
"Why didn't you tell me there were Red-Caps below us? Do you not have an identification skill yet?" Drake asked curiously.
"This one regrets to inform my Lord that he was unable to acquire such a skill or spell in the initial rounds of stones thou bestowed upon me. Truly this one was hopeful to gain such skills when we returned but hath not a spare moment to do so with the new occupants," Theodore explained.
"Ah. Yeah, it has been a bit hectic. Alright, go get it done, I'll take it from here. It will be hard for anyone to be a lookout if they don't even have a detection skill.." Drake mused aloud trailing off.
"Might this one suggest my eternally bound. She is a ranger after all, and hast the ability of farsight," Theodore offered.
"Oh! Wait, are you sure she's alright with being up here? She could get fired at," Drake said pensively.
Theodore brought his hand to his mustache and twirled it thoughtfully for a moment.
"This one has a perfect solution, please wait a moment my Lord I will be but a moment," Theodore said, a small grin beginning to form under his facial hair.
----------------------------------------------------
"Why am I doing this again?" Tom asked worriedly as he held a shield in both his hands.
"That is. For the greater goodeth of the camp my young patron! My Lord must strike fear into the foul beasts remaining in thitherward forests, so thy must fortify our positions henceforth, and for that thou are most needed!" Theodore stated in a booming voice, Harley standing next to him with her bow, a face of disbelief.
Drake snickered, as he listened in, keeping his gaze towards the forest.
"I'm not sure I agree with this… I may be a tank specialty but I don't think I can stop anything the Goblins throw at us…" Tom complained.
"Hogwash! Should thou not be able to stop their said attacks through thou's skills. You must merely use your body to protect my eternal bound!" Theodore said matter of factly.
"I am beginning to believe you are rubbing off on poor dear Theo.." Natto murmured.
Tis for the best, dare I say! Drake thought another chuckle forming in his throat.
"I don't like this! I'm leaving!" Tom said as he began to scramble off the rampart.
Drake finally had to step in.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just a moment Mr. Scaredy Cat, I mean Tom. Here," Drake said, pulling an enormous tower shield out of his inventory, it forming a crack in the ground below them as it thudded to the rampart.
"This is something I got from one of the Lieutenants, it should stop anything in its tracks short of an attack from a General, and I'll be the only thing a General will want to hit because I'll be forcing them to deal with me, 'kay?" Drake said in confidence, checking the shield.
[Mana Steel Tower Shield] [Uncommon]
315 to 354 Physical Reduction
420 to 440 Magical Reduction
10% Critical Reduction
A Large Tower Shield made from Mana Steel. Has unusual durability.
"Nothing will get through this I promise man!" Drake said again, slapping the shield with a gong, before leaning it towards Tom who nearly fell off the rampart trying to hold it up.
Okay maybe it won't be okay.. This guy is a tank right? Drake thought, looking at Tom worriedly.
"That is what Theodore and the man himself said.. He should have skills pertaining to shields or durability if that is true," Natto said just as worried.
Hmmm….
Drake looked at Tom holding the shield and thought to do a little test, conjuring a small ice shard in his hand and pointing it at the shield Tom was holding.
Letting it lose the shard collided with the shield and it was easily deflected upwards as it ricochet off the Mana Steel.
"Oh! Would you look at that!" Drake snickered in surprise, "Okay, we're good," Drake smiled.
All three of the other people present looked at Drake aghast.
"What? I needed to make sure," he said his hands up in the air in a shrug.
"I used to think you were cool… Now you tried to kill me! This is why they say never meet your heroes.." Tom said, shrinking away.
"Hey. I'm no hero, never pretended to be. I just hit thinks that I think are bad and shoot magic at stuff," Drake guffawed.
Tom moved behind Harley.
"Mr. Shot I think you are scaring the poor man," Harley finally said, a bit of exacerbation on her face as she looked out into the forest.
Drake waved his hands dismissively, "It is what it is. But hold that thought, I think I hear something? Or feel.. Something..?"
Drake paused as he felt the ground rumble slightly under his feet, the small pieces of dirt on the rampart began vibrating.
All four of them looked outward to the forest now, as large contraptions began protruding the treeline.
"You are shitting me. Are we in LotR?" Drake shouted in amazement.
Out of the forest began a horizontal line of medieval catapults counting well over twenty, all manned by teams of Goblins, at the head of each a familiar outfitted Goblin marking them as Squad Commanders.
"Are we in t-trouble?" Tom asked.
Another sound of a horn blew and the line of catapults fired in succession. The large boulders of earth flying through the sky hurtling through the air.
"Shit. Like I said, hold that thought!" Drake cursed as he saw the number of projectiles in the air.
He only had a maximum of five spells currently and his arm was constantly taking up one of them.
He quickly snapped his hand, his arm disintegrating to dust in the wind as he formed a ball of water, crushing it to change to his Water Endowment for his next spell.
Snapping again, Drake summoned five yellow magic circles in front of him and everyone on the rampart. Each one aimed into the air as they snapped and crackled, balls of lightning condensing on top of the circles.
"I've been wanting to try this one for a minute, everyone cover your ears, it's going to get loud!" Drake shouted gleefully, as he snapped his mask into place on his face.
"Sagitta Magica," Drake began, the boulders in the air hurling closer by the moment, "Convergentia Fulguralis," he continued to chant as the magic circles trained to follow the boulders, "Infinitus!" Drake roared as the sound of thunder filled the surrounding as all five of the circles fired off a booming shockwave of lightning crackling through the air.
Each lightning ball launched through the air finding its mark with a boulder of earth each. The boulders shattering into dust in the air as they collided.
But Drake's magic circles didn't fade after the initial gatling. Each one continued to form balls of lighting that fired. Every launch of cascading lightning sounded. Almost as if Thor had struck his hammer on the rampart with each bolt as an endless number of them flew forward crushing the boulders in the air.
After the boulders were exhausted from the initial firing and the catapults had to scramble to reload, they were met with a bombardment of Lighting strikes from above.
The sound of the bombardment took the attention of the entire camp inside the Outpost as they heard the ear shattering sounds from the rampart then the impacts like distant thunder.
Drake looked on, satisfied as he saw the strikes land on each of the Goblin's constructions. The entire line in shambles and the Goblins manning them scrambling to run away.
But before he could fully decimate the lines, he doubled over in a coughing fit.
"My liege?!" Theodore asked, coming to his side.
"It's alright, I just ran out of stamina… Damn I've been neglecting it haven't I…" Drake mumbled.
Drake looked over his status and saw that it had hit rock bottom well before any of his other resources from the extended spell.
Well that's no good… He thought as he brought up his stats, putting an even 70 into his Endurance bringing it to an even 200.
[Drake Wallen]
[Race: Human] [F Rank]
[Profession: Miner P2(7%) [F Rank], Empty]
Tutorial Alias [Shot]
[Elemental Miller] [Unique] Level 15
[Vitality] 264 (15%)
[Strength] 306 (20 +10%)
[Dexterity] 200 (40 + 20%) +(40)
[Intelligence] 530 (15+15%)
[Wisdom] 262 (15%)
[Endurance] 200 (20 + 15%)
[Free Points] 10
Much better! Now Time to clean up! Drake mused, as he ignored the feeling of Natto shaking her head.