Chapter 29: Man vs Market

Chapter 29: Man vs Market

The flute song echoed across the river like a slow lullaby.

The group heard the campsite long before they actually saw it. First Bugsy noticed notes playing in the air as they walked up the stream, and Basils newly enhanced senses soon picked them up afterwards. The cold wind carried the song through the autumn leaves under the evening sun. The music was relaxing, almost soothing.

Reminds me of that time I tried yoga, Basil said as he walked along the river, a bag on his back and his halberd in hand. Shellgirl swam beneath the surface by snapping open her carapace back and forth.

How did it end? Vasi asked, following him with Bugsy. Basil had left the rest of the team at the house to protect it from attacks.

In great frustration.

I expected as much.

Whats yoga, Boss? Bugsy asked.

A waste of time. Basil couldnt sit still for more than five minutes without going mad. Whats that smell?

There was a foul stench in the air, similar to a pigs pen. Even the sweet scent of autumn flowers carried by the wind couldnt cover it up.

Oh, thats the orcs! Shellgirl said before jumping out of the water and onto the shore. Were close, Partner.

As she predicted, the group reached a small camp at the spot where the marshs streams merged with the greater river of LAdour. A tarp of clothes stretched across many large trees and cast a large shadow over a clearing. Piles of stones were set up around the site and a warm campfire.

Basil readied his halberd to strike. Shellgirl had vouched for her fellow monsters peacefulness, but it didnt cost anything to stay on his guard.

A musician was sitting on a fallen tree and playing a flute song to a small audience of monsters; and to Basils surprise, he looked very much human. The man was of Indian descent and quite handsome, with light brown skin and curled raven hair falling on his shoulders. He wore exotic Indian golden pants and some kind of shirt leaving most of his chest exposed. More importantly, he went barefoot and looked no older than twenty.

Basil immediately recognized the man for what he was.

Oh, God. Basil shuddered in fear. A hippie.

If the musician greeted Basil with namaste, the jokes would flow.

Whoever the man was, he had gathered a strange audience. The monsters closest to him were a white-feathered bird the size of a horse that combined the body of a hawk with a lions crimson mane, and a magnificent, three-headed golden cobra. The rest were a trio of gray-skinned humanoids who Basil assumed were orcs, a walking skeleton in tattered clothes and goblins.

Basil immediately saw red when he noticed two of them in the small crowd. The first was normal-sized, with pallid white skin and pitch-black eyes. A blue scrub-covered his mouth and a hooded robe the rest of its tiny body. He kept scalpels and a bonesaw attached to a belt, and a bag full of ice within arms reach. The other goblin was almost as tall as Basil himself, with boar tusks and hooves for feet. War paint covered his brownish skin.

Cafaimal (Autopsy Gremlin)Level 10 [Humanoid/Fairy]Party: Cut & DeepBenoit (Hobgoblin)Level 10 [Giant/Humanoid]Party: Cut & Deep

Wild goblins could undergo metamorphosis? If so, Basil was glad to have slaughtered every member of Ogremoches band. One of them might have come back for vengeance later as a far more powerful entity.

Wait, could these two be survivors from the water station dungeon?

The two evolved goblins tensed up upon sensing his suspicious gaze on their back and froze like rabbits finding themselves cornered by a fox. The autopsy gremlin, Cafaimal, raised a trembling hand at Basils face.

T-thats him, Benoit! he shouted at his terrified teammate. The Ogre of the Barthes! Goblin-Eater!

Basils jaw clenched. Shellgirl, didnt you correct them about my species?

Correct them about what? she replied in confusion. You tried to feed me goblins the night we met.

And they tasted good too, Boss! Bugsy said with enthusiasm.

His response only terrified the two walking dishes further. What, Basil ate goblins a few dozen times and that was all people remembered about him? Couldnt they tell tales of his epic dragonslaying deed instead?

The musician sensed the tension in the air and ended his song. He lowered his silver flute and opened his deep black eyes at Basil. They felt both full of wisdom and innocence all at once, as if the man was older than his outside appearance would suggest.

Im sorry, I didnt hear you coming. The musician offered Basils group a sharp nod. His attitude contrasted with the snake and bird close to him, who observed the newcomers with wariness. It has been many moons since I last saw a fellow human. Namaste, friends.

He dared, Basil thought. Sorry, namaste home tonight.

Namastawhat, Boss? Bugsy asked.

It means hello in the ancient New Age Yoga society, Basil joked. If you want to sound spiritual, Bugsy, say namaste.

The musician laughed heartily; a sound so pure Basil almost felt ashamed for his terrible answer. Well-played, the stranger said with a polite bow. My name is Kalki. A pleasure to meet a fellow Tamer.

A Tamer? Well, that explained his comfort with monsters. It felt so odd to Basil to meet another one like him.

Goblin-Eater? one of the orcs, a teenage girl from her facial features, whistled at Basil. Hes almost as brawny as you are, Ma!

The System-summoned orcs both matched and differed from the fantasy stereotypes of their species. They were muscular humanoids taller than a human with wolfish ears, pelts for clothes, and ashen-gray skin. Their broad shoulders, brawny hips, pale red eyes, and protruding canines made them look like barbarian savages.

The group of three present at the gathering was almost certainly a family unit. The adults were both two heads taller than Basil. The male was bald and wielded a stone tower shield nearly two meters in length; the female orcs long white hair flowed out of a horned metal helmet, and she wielded a hammer. Both were covered in scars, although the woman was the most muscular of the two by far.

The girl that whistled at Basil was clearly the couples daughter and nearly as tall as he was. She looked around sixteen, an oversized hat threatening to fall off her long white hair. Her weapon was a rusty iron mace, and unlike the rest of her family, she favored tattered black jeans, a shirt, and leather boots over pelts. If not for her appearance, Basil could have mistaken her for a human delinquant.

As for their smell The stench coming from the orcs was almost unbearable. Vasi took steps back to stay away from the orcs in disgust, and even Basil, who wasnt the cleanest person in the world, thought a garbage fill smelled nicer than these three. No wonder they were so fond of soap.

OrcdadLevel 16 [Giant/Humanoid]Faction: Clan Orclan.OrcmomLevel 18 [Giant/Humanoid]Faction: Clan Orclan.OrcineLevel 13 [Humanoid]Faction: Clan Orclan.

Basil wondered if they hid an Orcgrandpa and Orcgrandma in their genealogical tree. From their partys name, they took the laziest approach possible for names. Orcdaddy would have sounded far better too.

A pity they didnt join my party, Basil thought. I would have given inspired names. Like Raphal Andreas Corpus, or Danielle Francine von Levinksi. Names with history and power!

Another human? Vasi whispered to Shellgirl, her gaze set on Kalki. I didnt know you brought one to this gathering.

I didnt. Ive no idea who this is. The merchant pouted with crossed arms. I wanted to show off my human partner for bragging rights, but that stranger stole my thunder!

My apologies, Kalki replied with a sheepish smile. I walked upon your camp by chance. I didnt mean to intrude.

No harm done, Vasi reassured him with a bright, flirty smile. Your song was lovely, by the way.

It was crap, said the youngest orc, Orcine, before spitting on the grass. War drums rule!

Orcine! Her mother slapped her on the back of head with enough force to knock her daughter face-first on the ground. Learn respect, or Ill teach it to you!

Ma! The young orc protested. Not in public!

Her mothers face might as well have been made of stone. You shame a stranger in public, you get shamed in public.

Its alright, Kalki said, clearly embarrassed by the strong reaction. Everyone is entitled to their own musical tastes.

Personally, I prefer Japanese rock, Basil said.

My daughters right though, good drums would make it better, the male orc, Orcdad, added with a grunt. You should teach your bird to sing too.

My troupe has food, but I would gladly rest in a dwelling. Kalki joined his hands and gave Basil a deep bow. I will return your kindness.

You could start by telling me which Tamer Perks you unlocked, Basil said, half as a test and half to feed his curiosity. He would give Kalki the wide berth if he lied about his abilities. Not knowing what Perks levels will bring causes me many headaches. I can never tell what's the best class to invest in.

I face the same problem, Kalki replied with a grin. I will not pretend I know everything about the class, but I will gladly share what I learned.

As it turned out, Kalki had taken thirteen levels in Tamer. He did not lie about the Perks that they shared, which reassured Basil. According to Kalki, level 9 unlocked a unique technique healing all monsters in the Tamers party; level 13 strengthened it further by granting them temporary immunity to Ailments. But it was level 11 that interested Basil the most.

You can teleport back to your Lair at will? Basil asked, his eyes wide open.

I could if I kept one, Kalki replied with a warm grin. We stay on the road all the time. I mostly use the Perks secondary feature, which lets me summon my friends to my position.

His bird chuckled. Like that time with the bugs. Almost got him before Shesha and I arrived.

Yes, well Kalki coughed. I do seem to attract trouble.

The level 11 Tamer Perk wasnt all that useful for a nomad, but for a sedentary man like Basil? It was potentially invaluable. He never dared to forage beyond the marsh for fear of leaving his house abandoned for days. With that power, Basil could potentially drive away to a distant region at dawn, scavenge supplies all day long, and teleport back home for the night.

Honestly, I was half-expecting a Perk forcing two Tamers into a monster battle for money, Basil mused. Like Pokemon.

A battle? The joke proposal horrified Kalki. Why? Friends dont fight each other, and certainly not for money. Gold brings neither happiness nor peace.

Basil heard Shellgirl choke at his words, but they made him appreciate Kalki more. Now I remember why I was so interested in New Age stuff once. Though he looks like the real deal rather than a closet marketer. His Charisma must be through the roof too.

Hey, Dragonslayer. The orc family approached Basil, with the matriarch taking the lead. Shellgirl says youre looking to buy food for the winter?

Dragonslayer. It sounded better than Goblin-Eater.

Got some to trade? Basil asked.

Weve got extra fireboar ham, thunderbird legs, and unicorn steak. From Orcmoms offer, Basil could reasonably assess that her family were dedicated carnivores. Well exchange them for healing potions and brawny powder.

Brawny powder? Basil asked. Shellgirl, what did you tell them? You mean protein powder?

Yeah, brawny powder, Orcmom pointed at her daughter. The runt is too scrawny to hunt well.

Im not, her daughter mumbled. I wanna go home and regain my classes!

Do you have access to classes? Basil asked with a frown. Their behavior and family dynamics made more sense now. The orc family had crossed over into Earth the same way Megabug and Vasi did. But as far as he knew, monsters couldnt take Player classes.

We did! Orcine gritted her teeth. When we crossed over, we lost em all! All my busted Mercenary Perks vanished! This place is junk!

No swearing in public! Orcmom slapped her daughter in the back of the head, although not hard enough to throw her to the ground again. Kalki winced at the sight, though Basil shrugged. Hed seen worse parental discipline. Our class levels transformed into monster ones. Lost some Perks, and gained new ones. It was a trade-off.

Robbery, her daughter mumbled. For me, it was robbery.

Yeah, and the pointy-ear that attacked me used an Archer-only Perk, her husband grumbled. Damn double standards.

Does it mean I could gain classes like the Boss if I crossed into another world? Bugsy asked. I want to cast spells too!

The System immediately tried to limit a wizard centipedes limitless potential.

Compatible Systems may have small but important differences. Conversions happen on a case to case basis, but it is unlikely for a giant centipede to become a Player species.

Bug racist, Basil said.

Dismaker Labs wishes you a happy (humanocentrist) apocalypse!

Humanocentrist? Wait, did Dismaker Labs intentionally exclude all non-humans from becoming Players? How could that fit with the orcs tale of elves with classes?

Can you tell me more about these elves? Basil asked the orcs. I might hunt them down myself.

To eat them? Orcdad asked. You should. Elves eat so much grass and fruits, their flesh is full of vitamins.

Iron too, Orcmom added. They kinda taste like spinach too.

Basil almost asked for elf-cooking tips, before realizing it leaned in a bit too close to cannibalism. He had to draw a line somewhere.

Bugsy, who didnt share his moral quandaries, salivated at the thought of eating elves. Great, we could cook them with the rooster Mr. Plato strangled. It would cheer him up.

By the way, gotta ask. Orcmom leaned in to whisper in Basils ear. How do they taste? Goblins?

Good, but better with potatoes and pepper sauce, Basil replied with a conspiratorial tone. I suggest stuffing them with apples before sending them to the oven.

Nice tip. Never dared to eat a goblin, but I dont wanna die without trying. Not that I would eat a neighbor The orc matriarch glanced at Cafaimal and Benoit with barely restrained hunger. Such a shame

In the end, no goblin was sacrificed on the altar of culinary curiosity. Basil traded the unicorn steaks for a few healing potions, exchanged non-questionable cooking tips with the orcs, and refused an expensive offer for his kidney from the autopsy gremlin.

According to Orcdad, the elves attacked him while he was hunting thunderbirds in the west. From his description, he had walked a good four hours west, all the way to the marshes of Orx and beyond. The area where the ambush took place sounded a lot like an old reptilarium Basil once visited.

He wondered what happened to its scaled inhabitants after the apocalypse. Did they escape, die, or mutate into monsters? Whatever the case, Orcdad indicated many bird monsters nested in the Orx marshes. Basil could both investigate his new neighbors and potentially tame an Avian monster to breed with the hens all at once.

As the meeting came to an end, only a small matter remained to settle.

Basil, this is Le Vendu, Shellgirl introduced Basil to the skeleton merchant. Le Vendu, this is Basil. He was super-duper interested in your Boss multiversal business.

Our master below created us with the unique ability to travel between our assigned universe and his shop, the skeleton explained. Ghostly candle lights appeared in his empty eye-sockets. Basil wondered if he could snuff them out with his breath. Were low-level enough that few level barriers trouble us.

Which implied most worlds had one. Im looking for information about Incursions and how worlds fit together, Basil explained. Perhaps I could exchange letters with your superior?

You could do better than that, the skeleton replied. Anyone with a voucher also counts as a possession when I use my Perk.

So he can transport us directly to his Boss, Shellgirl summed up. Neat, huh? That way you can ask your questions directly at the top!

With potentially no way to come back, Basil pointed out. He wasnt enthusiastic about the proposal at all. No offense to your patron, but he could welcome us with an ambush for all I know.

Understandable, the skeleton replied, taking it in stride.

Ill take him up on his offer of a temporary world transfer, Vasi said. I need specific grimoires for Samhain and this Walter Tye apparently has them in stock. Ill test the waters for you, handsome. If I return, its a safe proposal.

And if you dont? Basil asked with a smile. Ill avenge your death?

Nothing so dramatic, though youre welcome to try, she replied with a smile. I would be thankful if you could burn the books under my bed though. Some pages would make a priest go blind.

Deal.