538. Questing I

538. Questing I

Omen: 5, 9

Adam sighed, staring out into the distance. The ground rumbled as they charged towards the group, who had begun to prepare themselves to accept the charge.

Korin held out his shield, and Sara’s fingers crackled with magical energy, ready to blast out magic. Fred peeked over his shield, his magical blade in hand, at the ready.

Jurot, Jonn, Lucy, and Mara all waited, far too relaxed for the trio’s liking, their weapons in hand, their bodies ready to spring forward to attack.

“Jurot, do you think they’re having fun without us?” Adam asked, frowning. “They’re growing up way too fast. They’re probably already walking and talking, worrying about their taxes.”

“They do not pay taxes in the Iyr,” Jurot said.

Adam slowly nodded his head. “I suppose you’re right.” He clutched his shield tighter in his left hand, waving it slowly, and raised up Wraith with his right hand. The magical energy flowed through his veins, with a comfortable heat, before the magic dissipated into the air.

“Fireball,” Adam chanted.

Mana 18 -> 15

Spell: Fireball

8D6 = 22 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 6)

Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

Mana 15 -> 12

Spell: Fireball

8D6 = 22 (1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4)

A tiny bead of light shot from his axe, towards the approaching mass of beasts. They were as tall as Adam while on all fours, bullish creatures, with large horns which curled out from their skulls. Their fur was thick, hiding their muscular form. A dozen aurochs charged towards them, snorting angrily.

The tiny bead of light passed the first few aurochs, and Adam forced his body to act once more, forcing the magic through him again, chanting the words to the spell. Yet, the aurochs did not hear the words, for an explosion of fire engulfed them, causing them to cry out. Auroch slammed against auroch as another ball of flame engulfed them, causing four of the mighty beasts to fall, and three others to cry out in pain, almost dead from the fire.

The beasts looked around, confused by the flames, some toppling over, while others tried to veer away. Unfortunately for them, Adam’s group fell upon them, like ravenous beasts themselves, as they leapt into the fray.

Jurot leapt towards a wounded auroch, cutting into it with Phantom, expending a charge to kill the beast instantly, its body shuddering for only an instant as it snorted blood, before he spun and struck another wounded auroch through its skull, expending another charge. He pulled his axe out, before a shadow engulfed him. Jurot managed to flip over an auroch, only for another to skewer his side, punting him away. He grunted as he tumbled against the earth.

Korin inhaled deeply, striking the auroch which struck Jurot, his blade narrowly grazing its side, but as he cut across a shoulder, his holy magics flashed white hot, causing the auroch to squeal.

Lucy cut the last wounded auroch clean in half with her Great Destroyer. Destroyer, Mara’s greataxe, struck an auroch deep through its side, almost cleaving it in half, as dark magic engulfed the creature, Sara’s magic causing the skin of the creature to flake. Mara turned, quickly, seeing Lucy wrestling with an auroch as it tried to slam her down.

Jonn and Fred stepped forward to slay another auroch, their blades piercing through the chests of the mighty beast, causing it to screech in pain, before it dropped.

‘Oh my Gods,’ Adam thought, shuddering. He held Wraith in hand, hesitating as the aurochs cried out in pain.

Jurot leapt up onto his feet, inhaling deeply, before looking at the auroch which had managed to force him onto the ground. He roared and cut its head clean off with a single swipe, expending his last charge. Lucy bisected another auroch, while Korin, Jonn, and Fred, killed that last auroch, blades sticking through the muscular form.

“This didn’t feel that great,” Adam admitted. “Killing aurochs.”

Victory!

Aurochs

XP Gained: 700

XP: 11 300 -> 12 000

“We will butcher them,” Jurot assured. “They will not go to waste.”

Adam nodded. Jurot began to butcher the creatures, while Korin began to cook. Lucy and Sara kept an eye out, while Adam began to summon a tower for them. It was late in the day by the time they had found the aurochs, and the journey back would have taken them deep into the night, and would have been exhausting. Fred, Jonn, and Mara cut the nearby trees to form a fence around, while Adam summoned a tower.

Mana: 12 -> 9

Spell: Adam’s Tower

He wiped his brow, before beginning to strip out of his clothes, and going off to take a quick dip. Once he was out, wearing his breast plate over his chain, he went about assisting his companions in creating a small fort.

Korin raised his brows at the slur, glancing awkwardly towards Sara, before looking back to Adam. “Okay. Thank you.”

“Good stuff.”

The pair were still unsure of Adam, but considering he was casually nice to them, they didn’t think too deeply about the topic.

“Mind if I have some of the food with the pero pepper?” Adam asked.

Korin handed him some meat which had been cooked with the pero pepper. Adam bit into it, feeling a familiar heat strike his lips. “Oh! Oh?” Adam tilted his head, blowing through his lips to cool them. “Have we had this before, Jurot?”

“Dunes cooked food using pero,” Jurot said. “Lanarot did not like it.”

“Ah!” Adam slowly nodded his head. “Makes sense.”

“Dried pero lasts for years,” Korin said. “I still have some from when we left.”

“Unfortunately, gree does not last quite so long,” Sara said. “Only a year at most.”

“Yes, but gree is not as good as pero.”

“Gree is much better than pero,” Sara retorted.

“Not even Lady Arya thinks so, otherwise why would she not make it last as long?”

“It is because gree is too wonderful to last so long, otherwise it would be perfect, and nothing is perfect.”

Adam chuckled. “What’s gree like?”

“It is wonderful. It is flavourful, and hot, and brings a wonderful sensation to the lips,” Sara said.

“Jaygak enjoys gree,” Jurot said. “It is very hot.”

“Ah,” Adam said, his eyes falling over the Devilkin. “Fair.”

“It is just that Korin cannot handle heat.”

“I can handle heat!” Korin replied.

Sara said something in the Aswadian tongue, but Adam swore he could hear the word Aldishman. Korin opened his mouth wide in shock for a moment, before closing it quickly. He replied with a whisper, and Sara raised her brows.

“Hey,” Adam said. “If you’re poking fun at Aldishmen, you’re not allowed to. That’s my thing, isn’t it, Fred?”

“Yes?” Fred replied, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Adam chuckled. “Alright, well, make sure you all use the baths, if you want to. I’ll clean it between people. Since there are eight of us, we’ll also take one hour shifts. Zeus and Hades will keep an eye out too, so we don’t have to worry about being alone. I would prefer it if I can have seven hours of uninterrupted sleep, so the last shift or the first shift, if it’s not a problem.”

“Fred will take first watch,” Jurot said. “Korin will take second, and I will take third.”

“Alright,” Adam said, not needing his brother to explain anything. Adam glanced between the members of the group. ‘Oh. More than half of us have darkvision?’

Thus begins XP farming!