551. Questing Again III

551. Questing Again III

Omen: 10, 15

Four boars charged their way towards the outpost. Each was larger than the boars they had seen previously, slightly larger than even giant boars. Their fur was partly ablaze, smoke trailing behind them.

“Noonval boars or flameboars?” Adam asked.

“Noonval boars,” Jurot replied.

Adam nodded, following Jurot, Jaygak, Lucy, and Mara out. The teen Iyrmen, as well as Nobby and Remy, stepped after them, remaining slightly behind the group. It didn’t take long for the group to deal with the boars, along with the support of the two archers from the walls.

Victory!

Noonval Boars

XP Gained: +250

XP: 9650 -> 9900

Jaygak sheathed Stormdrake and approached the noonval boars. She squatted down beside the creatures, running a hand along their fur, which was hot to the touch. ‘Four noonval boars?’

Jurot kept an eye on Jaygak, wondering what she was thinking.

“Beast Wave?” Bavin asked.

Nirot slowly nodded her head, narrowing her eyes. She, too, thought about what these creatures meant.

“It’s rare to see only four noonval boars,” Jaygak confirmed. “If they are not with a group of smaller boars, then it’s likely a Beast Wave will appear soon.”

“We should return back to the city, or we will find ourselves in great danger,” Jurot said, looking to Adam.

Adam looked up towards the sky, the sun having already passed high noon. If they were to leave now, they’d get the city around night, if they marched quickly with few breaks. “Yeah.”

The group chose against dismantling the fort, in case the time spent would set them too far behind, or in case they needed to retreat to it for some reason. The group moved with great efficiency, with Lucy and Mara keeping an eye out, while Remy and Jurot confirmed whether everything was strapped correctly. Adam looked at the towers he had summoned, tapping them gently for their hard work in keeping them protected, and clean.

“Jaygak,” Lucy called, motioning her head. The Demon remained staring at the distance as Jaygak approached, the Devilkin looking out to the landscape, wondering why she had been called. The Demon whispered. “Are you okay?”

“I’m...” Jaygak remained staring out to the landscape, wondering what she was really asking. “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Lucy replied, saying no more.

After a few moments, Jaygak pulled away. She glanced back towards Lucy as she stepped away, but she said no more. Jaygak wondered why Lucy had been so quiet during the days they had been here, even allowing them to fight the Fire Elementals without her.

The group began their journey back to the capital of East Aldland, marching along the wide road quickly. Zeus pulled the cart along at their pace, while Hades circled around them, keeping an eye out.

Adam had cast the tower spell once in the morning, rested to regain his Mana, and waited until the evening to cast the second tower spell, that way they would always have one up if something were to happen. He had all of his Mana thanks to his routine, but even though he could still fight at his peak, his nerves ate away at his gut.

Quest Complete: Experts Rising

XP Gained: +200

XP: 10 600 -> 10 800

Adam whistled, smiling. “I suppose I’m wrong. It appears to be the case he’s already an Expert.”

“I will train with him in the mornings to assist him,” Jurot said.

“Careful he doesn’t accidentally beat you like he almost did to me,” Adam said, before his eyes fell to Brittany, who was sitting in the corner with Jaygak. The young woman was looking at her mug of ale, staring at her reflection, a frown on her face. ‘She’s probably an Expert too, then?’

“I will see to it that Brittany is training,” Kitool said, causing the young woman to perk up.

“Good stuff!” Adam grinned wide. “It’s a little late, but if you consider it hasn’t even been half a year, I suppose we were right about making them Experts quick, eh?”

“It’s because you do not know how to rest properly,” Jaygak accused, doing her best not to think about how ridiculous it all was.

“I know how to rest properly!” Adam retorted, crossing his arms. “Just you wait until we head back the Iyr, I’m going to rest like nobodies business. Anyway, let’s drink and eat our fill.”

Omen: 9, 15

“Nobby is close,” Jurot confirmed. “He will need to train with me to stabilise his strength.”

“I’ll leave it to you,” Adam said, patting his brother’s shoulder. “Since you’re both Experts, I’ll need to pay you more too. We’ll figure it out soon, but why don’t you take the day off and enjoy yourselves? Ah, right, I should probably congratulate you properly.”

Nobby and Brittany stared down at the strings of gold coins before them. There were five for each of them, and each string held ten gold coins.

“This is for us?” Brittany asked, staring at the fifty gold.

“Yeah,” Adam replied simply. “If I were you, I’d spend it on a new set of weapons. Since you’re working for the Enchanter, I’m sure they might be able to do something for you...” Adam winked. “Take Jurot or Kitool with you, since they’re the ones that probably know you best, and as Iyrmen, they probably know what a good weapon feels like.”

The pair left with Jurot, doing as Adam had advised, since the weapons would keep them alive. They didn’t have to worry about payment much, even without knowing that Adam was giving them each an additional fifty gold, since he would be paying them while taking care of their needs.

Jurot thought about how quickly he had become an Expert, and how quickly Nobby had become an Expert soon after. At first he had thought it was a fluke since he had assisted in killing a Dragon, but Nobby?

Nobby hadn’t really reached such a great height in terms of feats, and yet he was already so strong. Jurot wasn’t sure if, at his strength, he could face Nobby. Yes, he was slightly more experienced, but Nobby’s raw, natural abilities were even greater than his own. He felt the tingling sensation, his hair standing on end, as excitement overwhelmed him for a moment.

Kitool stepped beside Jurot, her shadow casting over him to cool him down, before they continued to find their trainees weapons.

‘I should put some more coins in their accounts too. Ah, right, I need to do that too. Should I do it today?’ Adam looked towards the farmers. He spent his day at the guild, relaxing as he chatted with his companions, eating and drinking. He didn’t want to spend the day on his feet, so decided against doing much.

No! How can they do this to us? Bloodthirsty Iyrmen retreating from a fight?