The next morning Aeth woke up groggy, sore, and tired.
That was awful, I miss my bed in the guild already.
He got up out of his tent and was greeted with the dark, grey sky of the early morning. He seemed to be the first to wake up, as Eirene was no were to be seen.
How can people sleep in these shitty tents? I should buy better ones next time.
He then climbed up on the rocks surrounding the camp, to check for any Grey that might have wandered towards the camp.
Aeth looked around the horizon for a few minutes, not seeing anything, before climbing back down to have breakfast.
He sat down near the firepit and started a fire with the kit and got a pot with water and set it down, as he did he checked his progress on his Task.
Atlas, Tasks please.
*Of course Aether Torn*
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Tasks:
Rank X: Defy The Gods
Rank: IX: Kill Ten Thousand Grey Creatures
Progress: 5/10,000
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Damn that number is always daunting, wait…. Why does it say five? I've only killed four.
Aeth thought for a few minutes before coming up with two possibilities.
Either the System counted the rabbit I killed before I completed my Task, or that the higher the Rank the more it counts.
The first one doesn't make a lot of sense really, the second one seems more likely.
If the second was true, it means I can complete my Task way faster then I first thought, but why would it work?
If an Abnormal counts as two kills, what does killing a Grey even mean, why does killing one creature count as two kills?
Aeth ponder for a few moments before putting two packets into the boiling water.
After dumping the boiling water and grabbing the packets, he opened his, eating the decent food that was nothing in comparison to Kara's cooking.
Then, emerging from one of the tents, Eirene got up and walked over to the fire.
"Goodmorning Eirene, I cooked breakfast"
"Oh thanks…. Good morning"
They ate in relative silence, not because they were tired or awkward, but because they had nothing to talk about and felt comfortable together.
After all, being in the Outer World was a ruff experience, but in that ruffess people grew closer, relying on each other to survive in this lifeless environment.
As they finished eating, Aeth asked Eirene to check their surroundings for any Greys.
She sat down, drawing a square with a diamond in the middle, as light drew from her fingers.
Then it dissipated into nothingness, as she sat up.
"There's an Abnormal Rank about four miles north…. And an Ordinary Rank around five miles south…. Just out of my range".
Oh an Abnormal huh, well this is a good opportunity to test out my theory, and for her to get some experience.
"Ok then, we'll kill the Abnormal first in a few hours, and make sure to stock your arrows".
"Ok…. Sure"
Aeth then climbs up on one of rocks surrounding the camp, then sits down in a Burmese position as he focuses on his soul, trying to open it further to unlock his dormant meditation ability.
Then after around an hour of meditating, he heard the familiar voice of Atlas in his ear.
*Ethereal gained: 6*
*Total: 14/20*
After meditating, he jumped down the rock, back to the camp as he summoned his Tools.
Light surrounds Aeth, enveloping him as he summons [Shadow's Curse] and [Starborn] he then sheaths the beautiful blade and readjusts this black coat.
Aeth then calls Eirene over as he hopped in the versan. Eirene then sits in the passenger seat, as they drive off north towards the Abnormal.
…..
It doesn't take them long to reach the Abnormal.
Aeth parks the versan just out of sight of the creature, as he hops out of the versan.
"Ok, so here the plan…. You just stay at a distance shooting your bow, as I keep it away from you, and if possible let me get the last hit".
"Ok…. I understand".
If she hits one shot, that's good enough.
The Abnormal was a three meter tall ogre, with one eye, light grey skin, and four arms, it had a bunch of scars, as if he had been in countless battles.
Aeth wanted to get the jump on the creature since it had yet to know them, so he slowly started making his way over.
Aeth had gotten behind it, just a couple meters away with his katana drawn.
Aeth then stopped as his expression darkened.
This was…. Too easy.
Aeth had noticed something about the ogre, why hadn't it moved much. It seemed to stay in the same place for a decent amount of time, which didn't make sense, as it wasn't here last night. Also Greys never tended to stay still, so why was it being still.
There was only one answer.
It knows.
Just as Aeth thought this the ogre turned quickly, as it tried to swat him.
He blocked with [Starborn] as its arm struck him in the side, sending him flying a couple of meters, and sending him to the floor.
Aeth, having figured out the ogre's trap before being hit, had not been hit with the full force of the swing.
But it still hurt, a few of his ribs were broken.
Aeth quickly recovered as he rushed towards the ogre as it prepared for his attack.
"Notus"
He screamed, using [Windbound] to slide underneath the ogre, as wind swirled around him.
The ogre plunged his fists into the ground, barely missing Aeth as he sliced its calf.
It screamed in pain as it recoiled, turning towards Aeth as it tried to punch him.
Aeth blocked the punch with his katana, barely holding on.
The ogre then immediately sent a second punch with one of his other four hands.
Aeth couldn't block it.
Just as the punch was about to connect, he heard a whistling sound.
A moment later a sharp, small projectile went straight into its shoulder, crippling his arm.
It was no other than Eirene, standing up top of a rock, thirty meters away.
Good going.
The ogre had recoiled, clutching its arm as it bled a blue liquid.
Aeth, not letting his opportunity go to waste, sliced down the ogre's chest.
"Notus"
He sliced through the ogre's chest, spewing large sums of blue liquid.
The ogre didn't seem fazed though, as it sent another punch.
It wasn't as strong as the others though as Aeth had blocked it with ease.
As Aeth blocked he switched to only one hand on his katana, then quickly summoned [Small Knife] then dug the blade into the wound on its chest.
The ogre screamed as it grabbed at Aeth with one of his spare arms and slammed him to the ground.
Aeth layed on the ground, coughing up some blood, as he tried to get up, but the shock of the hit was too much.
The ogre stared down at him, as another arrow went straight into its back.
It then looked towards the rock that Eirene was on, and started running at her.
It got to the rock fast, as it started climbing up.
Eirene then shot another arrow, but missed.
"No! Stay away" She screamed, terrified by the ogre.
It was about to grab her.
Then the ogre heard a loud scream.
"Notus"
The ogre looked down at his chest, which was now impaled by a white katana.
The ogre fell back, hitting the ground hard.
"You dare ignore me, don't think for a second id give up that easy"
Aeth then stood on the ogre, then plunged his blade into its eye, ending its life.
*Grey of higher Rank killed*
*Ethereal rewarded: 6*
"Bastard…. Eirene you ok?"
"Umm…. Yes I'm fine…. Thank you".
"Of course, thanks for the support, you saved me from another broken rib," Aeth said, as he clutched his side, with some blood on his mouth.
"Oh…. Well I appreciate your words…. I'll help load the ogre in the versan…. You get in the versan".
Aeth smiled, "Thanks Eirene".
She loaded the ogre corpse into the versan's trunk as Aeth went into the passenger seat.
Eirene then got into the car and started driving as Aeth clutched his slide.
Damn she's not great at driving.
They drove back to the camp, the versan rocking profusely, as Aeth tried not to puke from the driving and the pain.
Eirene, you are never driving again.
They get to the camp as Eirene gets out and gets the medical supplies, then gives Aeth some medicine and bandages his torso.
She was surprisingly calm, almost as if she was a trained professional.
After Aeth was bandaged and took his meds, he laid down in his tent, planning to rest after the difficult fight.
Well this was a decent catch, the ogre will definitely sell for a lot.
Atlas, Tasks please
*Of course Aether Torn*
————————-
Tasks:
Rank X: Defy The Gods
Rank: IX: Kill Ten Thousand Grey Creatures
Progress: 7/10,000
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So I was right, higher Ranked Greys count as multiple kills.
This makes it a tiny bit easier, I'll have to find more Abnormal Greys to kill.
Either way, my Task isn't impossible.