Prologue

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A rare find, that beautiful blood-red hair. That coloring material was usually the result of cheap dye and a childish personality, desperate to show individuality by opposing normality. It was a rare natural endowment from nature, every chain like melting rubies, when most so-called redheaded woodpecker possessed only a adulterate Orange hue. But hers was like blood, drawing the optic of all those around her, including Noah's. Of all the cleaning woman he had seen, met, and knew, even intimately, hers was the most purely crimson.

It was after school in early autumn, the luminance of the setting sun illuminating every strand and reminding him why it was worth it to draw near her. She was walking across the empty soccer field, her organic structure trembling from the epinephrine of all the running she had done in her rail nine. For once, Noah saw her without all of her ally surrounding her or her boyfriend's arm draped over her shoulder like a boa constrictor. He had been waiting for this chance, foresighted than she could imagine.

"Lindsey, hey,"he said, meeting her in the open air, liberal from any interruptions.

"Noah, what are you doing here ?"

She asked that query, but she knew the answer. What else would get a boy to her, what other potential desire ? He was going to coquette with her, possibly even ask her out. Would he be nervous ? Would he be cocky ? Would he play innocuous and try to pop out with some minuscule lecture, or would he get straight to the point ? Had he planned this ? Had he been waiting ? They had been friends since she transferred in their Sophomore year. Had that just been in anticipation of this ?

It was exculpated in her eyes, that his intent had been seen through, but it didn't dissuade him. Rather, it was something that always amused him, the paradox of human coupling that became both well-off and more difficult with age. She already knew what he desired, so unless she desired the same thing, her inwardness would be guarded, with no orifice for a sneak attack to storm her. It was a challenge that men and womanhood had struggled with since the daybreak of time.

"I heard that you and Sean broke up. I know what that feels like, how much it hurts, so I'm sorry. But if it's not too soon, I wanted to ask if you'd like to go out with me this weekend ?"

"Sorry, but since we're graduating soon, I'm not for certain I want to bother geological dating. After all, when summertime comes, we're all going to break open up and go our separate ways."

A rejection, not an optimal outcome, but it was within his first moment. He just had to convince her to yield him a probability, but gently. He had to properly choose his words so that he wouldn't come off as desperate and frustrated, but not try to ham it up by turning it into a sonnet like an out-of-touch nerd.

"Is that why you two broke up ? Because you didn't see a point in staying together ? I doubt that. I think you believe in love, in giving it a chance. A lot of affair will bump between now and graduation ; Christmas, valentine's Day, the promenade ? That's mass of time to be happy, and to modify your mind about which track you plan on taking. plan can switch, things can work out. All I want is a chance."

"Sorry, but I'm just not interested in dating, and I'm too busy anyway. Besides, I like you only as a friend."

She crossed her sleeve to warm up herself, but she kept them low. It was an instinctive motility, one that Noah's eyes didn't miss. He gave an incense smile and began to laugh."Ok, I get it. Maybe next time."

Lindsey, wanting this conversation to be over, walked past him, but beneath his continuing laughter, she heard something, a metallic click, and it chilled her profligate. She spun around and saw the knife in Noah's hand.

"Jesus Christ, what are you doing ? !"she screamed while raising her manus to shield herself.

"Don't worry. This isn't for you."

He swung up his hand and stabbed himself in the throat. The smash, it was so fast, but it was gentle, just the tip of the blade breaking his skin and severing his Jugular with speck accuracy. It was a consummate, smooth movement, as if he had spent hours practicing. line of descent began to spray from the small wound, and to the auditory sensation of Lindsey's scream, he allowed himself to fall on his back. She rushed over and tried to stop the bleeding. Covering it with her paw only slowed the outpour, so she reached into her bag for something to use as a bandage.

"full stop, just celebrate your deal there,"Noah said calmly. The vein he had struck carried lineage out of the read/write head and sent it back to his heart, so the rest of the blood in his system would observe his mastermind oxygenated, at least while it was still in his vena.

"You're fucking crazy ! I'm not going to let you die like this !"

"I've already died like this… more than a hundred clip before. This isn't my first rodeo."

"What are you talking about ?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like. renascence, transmigration, whatever you call it, I count lives like you count years, and every fourth dimension I die, I'm immediately reborn with all the remembering from my past aliveness. I've been born and died so many times, laughed and suffered through so many lifetimes."

"That's just blood exit talking. Hang on !"She tried to get out out her phone, but Noah grabbed it with surprise strength.

"You're pregnant, aren't you ? Sean freaked out after you told him and that's why you broke up."

Her grimace became as pale as his."How could you possibly know that ?"

"Because this isn't the first prison term I've confessed to you. I'm always myself, but the world I'm born into is never the same. Every meter I die, I return to the day of my birthing, but in a different timeline. I'll end up in a existence where my surroundings are different, or history didn't go the way I remember it, or events will pass in my future that I can't predict.

Only in my preceding seven lifespan have you been represent, and in all seven lifespan, I could never make you mine, no matter how much I wanted you. Five of those meter were because you were pregnant. You and Sean get back together by Thanksgiving Day, and I and everyone else scout you dance together at the prom. Each time, I kill myself to try again in my next life. These past eighteen years, they've flown by like the blink of an eye for me."

His bleeding was starting to decelerate, his trunk going cold and his mind getting foggy.

"Why me ? Why would you hold open going after me ? Why am I deserving killing yourself over ?"

"It's the only way I can live anymore, following some task or plot that keeps me busy. Every life I've lived, it's been a lie, concealing who I am, what I know, what I've experienced. Much of the time, I have to guess to have emotions, because after all this time, I've almost forgotten what they feel like. I've almost forgotten what's like to actually feel something. But when I see you, I get to get actual yearning. I have an factual calf love, something so simple and childish, but such a wonderful feeling. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a redhead, but I've lived for so retentive, I have to get the picture at any bit of meaning that can make me happy, and make my existence a piddling LE hollow."

"What about your family ? What about this life you've built ? You're just going to fuddle it all away ?"

With the last of his strength, he removed her hand from his wound so that it could bleed freely. Her carpus was gimp. Had he convinced her ? Or had she simply realized that he had already bled too a good deal and was beyond saving ? He covered his left eye with his hand, blinded by the setting sun while Lindsey's apparition obscured the right side of meat of his aspect. The lighting passed through her cherry hair like stained glass, making his blood shine beautifully.

"I've seen so many humans, so many unlike realities, but none of them could make me happy. I've never known what it felt like to belong or feel at home. Every world felt faulty to me. This is yet another world that I am incompatible with. All I can do is hope that the next man is one I can be happy in."

The blood at lowest stopped flowing, and Noah closed his eyes and released his final breath. Then, in his judgement, there was a familiar twinkling of light and he felt himself being pulled to the next world.

A Whole New game

Without even opening his eyes, Noah knew that something had gone wrong. He was groggy, but he could definitely palpate the low temperature, heavily flat coat underneath him. This didn't make sense. At this moment, he'd normally be experiencing his own rebirth, coming out of the womb as a newborn baby. His organic structure was also still the same size of it. He could find the weight of his limbs, as well as his clothes. His hired hand was still covering his eye, but just moving it took a tremendous amount of strength. He managed to function his eyelids loose and stared up at the blue air sky. It was late in the afternoon when he killed himself, but now it looked to be midmorning.

This had never happened before, no matter how many times he had died. Either he had somehow survived his suicide endeavour and been moved while he was unconscious mind, or he had reincarnated without being reborn, breaking into another timeline rather than being properly incorporated. Was his reincarnation power changing ?

Noah sat up and looked around. He was lying on an unpaved road in the Wood. His hoodie and the shirt underneath were starchy with his dry out stock, but when he felt his neck, there was no wound. He had been healed, but had his rip also been replenished ? It would have taken at to the lowest degree thirty transactions for the blood on his clothes to dry this much, not adequate prison term for his consistency to reconstruct any meaningful amount, so this was likely a partial rebirth.

He got to his feet and staggered, struggling to breathe. There was no strength in his limbs and his idea were getting weaker by the 2nd. This fatigue duty, it was standardised to blood loss, but also different. It was like there was some form of extra muscle going loony, using up all of his military capability. If it didn't dissipate soon, he'd end up passing out again. What in the humans ? He looked down and realized that he wasn't casting a trace. The fatigue must let been messing with his vision. Now that he thought about it, his left eye was itching a bit. He gave it a rub and it was like a switch had been flipped. The fatigue vanished, as if that extra brawniness had settled, and when he looked down, he saw his shadow.

‘ That wasn't blood passing. It must own been some form of leftover trauma from my suicide or this glitchy spiritual rebirth. But where am I ?'

The road was unusual. The ground was packed, but the sediment seemed native to the pip. In the modernistic cosmos, even the unpaved roads were made with at to the lowest degree a layer of sand and gravel to preclude it from being overgrown. He had his wallet and his phone with him, but there was no service.

A sound reached his ears, one that to the highest degree people rarely heard outside of movies and TV. It was the audio of horse hooves. He looked over his shoulder, seeing two full-grown men on horseback approaching him from down the road. Behind them, an old man driving a horse-drawn Wagon and leading… slaves. Wearing rags for clothes, More than a dozen men and women of varying ages were being led by string.

This strange caravan came to a hitch in figurehead of him. The men on horseback and the one driving the wagon stared at him in disarray."You're blocking the road. Get the hell out of our way before you end up like them,"the number one wood barked.

It had been a long time since Noah saw a slave freight. He normally only found them in post-apocalyptic timelines, when society had broken down. That, or timelines where the Dixie won the Civil War and early such occurrences.

"Did you hear me ? Get out of the way !"

"political boss, look at all of the blood he's covered in,"one of the men on horseback said.

Noah looked at them. Their dress, they were shoddy, wool clearly not woven by any sort of modern machinery and with coats and kicking made of primitively-treated leather. Maybe he had reincarnated to a third-world land ? If this was a post-apocalyptic timeline, then whatever happened wasn't manmade. It happened before the Industrial Revolution, some kind of natural disaster that halted mankind's development. A shooting star ?

"I don't think he understands us. He's got some uncanny wearing apparel. He might be the son of some noble,"the other horseman said.

Their weapons, they had sheathed swords but no signs of any guns. So, this was an era before gunpowder was invented. Medieval ? It sure seemed like it.

"If he's a noble, we can ransom him back, and if not, he looks healthy and strong enough to betray for a near terms. strand him up with the others."

One of the men got off his horse and approached Noah with a distance of rope. None of them were aware that he still had his knife on him. As the man reached out to grab his hands, Noah slashed him across the throat. It wasn't the pinpoint jab like he had given himself originally, this was a blooming smile stretching from ear to ear. It had been a long time since he had last killed someone, but it was something he was very well-practiced in.

A fountain of origin sprayed forth and Noah threw his knife at the wagon driver, catching him in the chest. Before his first victim could drop to his genu, Noah ripped his brand from its cocktail dress and charged towards the other horseman, already drawing his own blade to avenge his coworker. The throat was out of reach, so Noah deflected the oncoming attack and went for a shot in the slope of the gut and up into the correct lung.

"Fireball !"

There was a heartbeat of brightness level in his computer peripheral vision, coming from the old man. Noah's instincts made him flick back as a flash shot through the air, missing his side by an inch. It struck a nearby tree and exploded, spraying attack in all directions like a Molotov Cocktail. Noah looked back at the old man, one hand outstretched while the other covered the stab lesion in his bureau from Noah's knife. He wasn't holding a flare gun or any other kind of device that would explain what had just happened.

"You can't be sober,"Noah muttered.

"Fireball !"the old man shouted again.

Just like before, a sphere of distill flaming formed in his hand, about the size of melon, and pellet at Noah with tremendous speed. Noah dodged and rushed in to shut the distance. The commencement fireball had forced him to let go of his steel and the second had forced him back before he could seize the second man's. He'd have to finish this with his bare hands.

The horse were all throwing scene in fear from the fighting, but the old man continued to found those mysterious flair. Noah circled around the horses, jumped, and tackled the man. There was no fumbling fumbling for ascendence, Noah simply began beating him with his clenched fist. His stream body hadn't been trained for armed combat, but he kept it level-headed and inviolable and have intercourse how much military unit he had muster up with each poke. Blood started spraying with the third biff, the old man unable to fight back and soon blacking out. Noah promptly retrieved his descend tongue and finished him off.

Noah took his time to take in his breath while he wiped off the steel, folded it up, and stored it in his pocket. He took those few moments to squelch his chafe. He was used to being reborn as a baby after every Death and considered those early old age to be his vacation between each new life, time to properly dispose of old retentiveness, catalog useful knowledge, and mentally care with any loose remainder. No one depended on him and he usually had a parent or caregiver to take care of him, giving him time to rest his mind. Now he had leap right back into a natural selection mindset and beginning from scratch in a world with all new rules.

Those fireballs the old man had launched, that was undoubtedly deception, something that he thought only existed in fantasy stories. He had never seen magic before, not in any of the timelines he had already lived in. Until now, he had operated under the belief of the Multiverse possibility, which stated that there was a timeline for every possible subatomic effect. Was it really possible for magic to be in the multiverse ? What did this timeline have that all the previous single lacked ?

The old man would have been a valuable source of selective information, but with his foot soldier now dead, he would never willingly tell Noah anything. It wouldn't be worth the fourth dimension and trouble to interrogate him in this spot. Oh well, the answers would come in time, and Noah had learned how to be patient.

He turned his attention to the striver, staring back at him with doubtfulness. They weren't rejoicing at the death of their captors, fair enough. After all, Noah hadn't killed them in parliamentary law to free the slave or anything like that. As far as they knew, he was about to bolt down them all or just contract them all and sell them himself. Each of them was a variable, possibly benefiting or dooming him. It would be best to just let them go, but he decided to get some use out them first.

The slave traders had spoken with an accent that he had never heard before, but it was English, though they probably didn't call it that. These striver must also verbalize it."All of you, I give you permit to utter. Do you all understand what I'm saying ?"They didn't say anything, but they nodded in the affirmative."Are there any among you who are familiar with this area ?"None of them answered.

Possessing noesis could either make them valuable or a indebtedness. They didn't want to expose themselves unless they knew what awaited them. Noah sighed and returned to the old man, patting him down until he found an iron key, likely going to all of their collars.

He held up the key for all the striver to see."I need one of you to guide me to a safe area with a source of sassy water and off the road where I won't be seen. Whoever volunteers will get their collar removed and can ride in the wagon. Once I'm brought to a suitable location, you will all will be set free."Six slaves raised their bounds hands."You,"Noah said.

He had ***********ed a teen miss that looked to be around his age. She was grime and underfed, but looked hefty enough to be useful to him, and he could certainly overcome her if she tried to betray him. It was hard to gauge her appearance in this nation. She had a pitiful flavour permanently etched into her face, like a basset hound. If he cleaned her up, she might be a real cutie, but right now she was so muddy that he couldn't even tell her natural whisker color.

"What is your public figure ?"

"Tin, sir."She didn't make eye contact lens. None of them did.

"Do what I say, Tin, and you'll earn your freedom. Go against me and I'll putting to death you."He unlocked her metallic element collar but left her wrists bound."Now facilitate me study care of these bodies."

Noah searched the corpses of the three slave dealer, taking everything of value. Along with their swords, he got a distich daggers, some cord, and three make-do billfold. They were snake cutis with stacks of bronze coins inside, tied to their belt ammunition. It was a clever concept.

"Tin, is there any risk of wild animate being in these woods ? Anything that I should worry about ?"

"Monsters will surely be drawn by the olfactory modality of bloodline here. It would be best if we moved on now."

Noah huffed in pain. Great, now he had lusus naturae to concern about. This certainly was a world unlike any he had seen before. This ruined his architectural plan of taking the corpses with him. He was surely he could find a use or two for them, as well as take their clothes and anything else of value on their person when there was Thomas More clock time. He also didn't want to leave any evidence of what he had done.

"Very well. murder the clothes from the physical structure and put them in the wagon."

She wordlessly obeyed, proceeding to strip the corpses without any smidgin of unease or discomfort. near girls her age would be too dainty to do anything like this. As she worked, Noah searched the Charles's Wain and found a canvas bag, smelling too sour to be used for food. He soaked it with a wineskin, and while it wasn't nonpareil, it was good enough for him to use to put out the flack that the old man had started. He and Tin completed their chore, leaving three raw body on the road and a few sear tree diagram. Noah retrieved one of the steel, just a crummy machete, but sharp enough to get the job done. He showed no discomfort in decapitating the bodies and storing the headland in the sheet bag.

"Drag these consistency into the woods, out of stack from the road. That should sate any beasts that search this area."

There was no telling what the value of these slave traders were. If they were even slightly important to soul, their disappearance might lead to an investigation. Three nude, headless bodies that were devoured by monsters wouldn't leave any evidence. They couldn't even be identified. On the other hand, if they were criminals, then Noah might be able to use their severed heads as confirmation of their dying and compile a H.M.S. Bounty. He had been in a lot of bad post and chaotic timelines, so this mindset was a skill he knew he could rely on and use as he needed.

Once the bodies were dealt with, Noah took his tooshie at the front line of the wagon and Tin joined him. The two extra horses were tethered to the sides of the wagon and would follow along. Noah cracked the reins and the horses pulling the beach waggon began moving forward.

"There is a suitable place several geographical mile down this road. I will show you where."

"Until we get there, I have doubt that I need answered. Where am I ? What state is this ?"

"This is the Algata state of the Carry Amelia Moore Nation of Uther."

"How large is Uther ? How lots of the continent does it pick out up ?"

Tin bowed her brain."Please forgive my ignorance. I do not know the size of this country, nor what a ‘ continent'is."The way she had reacted, was she expecting him to punish her ?

Her answer was to be expected, though. A slave educated in geography would be an unusual find. It would be goodness if he could get his hands on a the right way map, though in this era, that was probably a lot to ask for. In a human beings with sorcerous and monsters, there was no telling what the satellite's topography looked like, even the arrangement of the continents. He had traveled former dry land numerous clock time, but much of his experience was now obsolete.

"Relax, I'm not going to hit you for not knowing something. Just hold back answering my questions as best as you can. Uther, is it a racy commonwealth ?"

"I… don't know for indisputable. Perhaps there is wealth in the capital, but this is the countryside."

"Does it operate under a monarchy ? Or do they elect their leaders ?"She looked at him like he had spoken in gibberish."Does it make a magnate or queen ?"

"Oh, yes, sir. There is a royal family, but I don't know anything about them."

"What do they use for currentness ?"

"Metal coins, like atomic number 47 and gold."

Noah retrieved one of the snakeskin coin handbag and emptied it out onto the seat between them. It was about a twelve bronze coins and a few ash grey. The former two could be expected to hold in a exchangeable amount.

"How much would you say this is ? Would you say it is a large quantity of money or not much ?"

She looked at the coins with her glum expression."I don't know. I've never handled money before."She picked up one of the silver coins and showed it to Noah."This is what I'm worth."

‘ wellspring, that's a depressing thought.'“ What time of year is it currently ?"

"Mid spring."

That was dependable for Noah. In rules of order to get a foothold in this new globe, he'd need ample clock time with the hazard of selection at its gamy. Winter would hamper his mobility, possible actions, and bring in life a lot harder. Had he appeared in this world a few month earlier, he could easily freeze to death before reaching culture.

"You spoke before of monsters. What should I be cautious of in this forest ?"

"The great danger is the Wolf. They travel in pack and pop whatever they see. There are also bears, with child spider that hide in burrows, and goblins."

Giant spider and goblins ? This humans was getting Sir Thomas More fantastical by the second.

"William Tell me about the goblins."

"They are small, only about the size of shaver, and maybe as smarting. They have weapon and often ambush travelers."

"The old man, what was that technique he used ? I've never seen anyone do that before."

"That was magic."

‘ mentation so.'“ William Tell me everything you know about magic."

"It is the blessing of the Supreme Being, letting the great unwashed call down divine retribution upon their enemies. It can create fire, ascendance water, make you warm, and do all kind of affair. There many different kind of conjuring trick users. I've heard of some of them ; mages, fighter, warriors, priest-doctor, but I don't know much about what they can do."

"What kind was the old man ?"

"A mage, I think."

"So can anyone use it ? Or is it passed down through the bloodline ?"

"I don't know."

That was a problem. If it was an power passed down from parent to child, then he was screwed. His glitchy reincarnation left him with the veritable genes of his last parents. If magic wasn't something he could get word or win, life history would get exponentially harder. Then there was the mentioning of gods. He had spent several life-time searching for signs of the beingness of God, some presence of divinity that might explain his existence, but he always came up short. However, in a world where trick existed, perhaps idol might as well.

As they continued through the woods, Noah thought about the striver walking behind the Dipper. Letting them go might be a liability. They knew he had killed three hard worker trader, they knew where he would set up clique. The slave traders mistook him for the son of a noble, so if the slaves went into some town and started blabbing about him and what he had done, people might come after him. Perhaps it would be better to dispose of all of them ? No, the chances of him managing to wipe out them all would be low and that would be a lot of corpses to deal with, not to name he didn't know if killing them would get him into trouble.

‘ To think my sloth would compensate for my wizen conscience…'

They were passing by a hill with trees blocking much of the view, but all of the horses flicked their ears to it. Noah didn't miss that check mark and reached into the wagon. When searching earlier, he found a bow and a few arrow, none of which seemed very well made. He took aim up the Benny Hill, spotting a phantom moving between the hill. It had been a long clock time since he had last used a bow. It was one of his pursuit about four or five lifetimes ago. This was nothing like the New prow he was used to handling, but when he let the pointer slip free, it shot between the trees and found its St. Mark. Noah didn't see what he hit, but there was a shriek of pain in the ass that he did not recognize and the strait of multiple entities running off.

"What was that ?"Tin asked.

"I assume that was one of those hob you mentioned."This was getting dangerous."You stay here,"he told Tin. He brought the police van to a stop and went back with his tongue and the key. He cut the slaves'binds and unlocked their taking into custody."You're all absolve to go, get out of here. But don't even opine of trying to follow—"

They ran off before he could finish his condemnation. Good, that would micturate him less of a sitting duck, and they'd draw the tending of anything that might require a piece of him. He returned to the number one wood's seat and turned to Tin, holding up one of the coin purses.

"Get me to that safety spot and this is yours."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

The forest thinned a lit, the tree diagram spreading out far enough for the wagon to go off the road and head towards the phone of running water. They arrived at a clearing where a small waterfall thumped on exposed rock and roll. It was isolated, just the place Noah needed. There was even a cave behind the waterfall where he could make camp. However, they were not the entirely indweller.

"Tin, what the perdition is that ?"he asked, looking at the creature sliding across the ground. At first, he thought it was giant slug, the creature about the sizing of a beer keg, but he then realized it was translucent. There were four of them.

"That is a slime. They like damp places. Their undersides are like giant mouths, devouring whatever they crawl over. Their trunk are covered with a thin skin, and if you tear it, its insides pour out and interchange the human body of its body."

"Are they dangerous ?"

"Yes. Anything that their undersides touch will melt down, Sami with anything you stab them with. The big they are, the faster it happens, and the faster they can move."

"How do I kill them ?"

"You have to hit their brains."

The slimes hadn't noticed them yet, so Noah took aim with the bow at the nearest one. It was intemperate telling the front from the rachis of these affair, but he spotted something floating inside, suspended, an apple-sized ball of solid tissue paper. He released the bolt, missing the tool's brain by several in. It rumbled in pain and its gelatinlike interior spilled out of the wound like a runny nose. Upon contact with the air, the viscera began to congeal and develop a level of skin. It formed an wing of itself, like a second tail, now searching for what had injured it.

‘ So, that's what she meant when she said it changed the shape of its body.'

Already, the arrow was halfway dissolved. That thing was like a heavyweight moving tummy. He would bear preferred to exact care of these monster from a length, but he didn't have enough pointer to throw away. It would also get dark soon, and he didn't want to try and seem for another spot.

He turned to Tin and cut her binds, then handed her one of the coin pocketbook."You're liberal. Go wherever and do whatever you want. But don't even think of taking anything from the wagon."

He got up from the wagon and approached the waterfall with one of the striver dealer'swords in his helping hand. It was the rack up of the two, useful at least for experiment. He approached the sludge, already back to to the full health after being shot with the pointer. It didn't appear to have got very practiced vision, didn't even appear to have eyes. He picked up a stone from the creek and threw it, sending it bouncing a few base away. It pounced on the tilt with surprising speed, smothering it with its trunk and absorbing it. So, these things could stick out. If it could see, it was probably short-ranged, based on movement, or more likely it could sense vibration in the basis.

He took another rock and threw it at the slime, this time hitting it. The rock ripped through its fragile skin and its intestine spilled out. The C stunned it just long enough for Noah to sprint over and cleave through its head. As quickly as he attacked, he darted back. He had learned through numerous affair to always bear an enemy to get back up. Plus, he wanted to quash getting sprayed with any guts.

Despite his concern, it was a fresh kill. The monster, originally a nauseating yellow, turned gray, and its exposed inside began to fume and thaw. Unfortunately, smoke was also coming from his blade. This really was a nasty acid. Noah wiped the brand off on the grass and then rinsed it in the river to houseclean it. It had undergone severe corrosion. Hopefully it would cobbler's last until he killed them all.

One thing made him well-chosen, though. When he killed the slime, numbers didn't appear in the air, displaying experience points earned. He started having concerns as soon as that foremost fireball was launched at him, and when Tin said it was a slime ; he thought he had been reincarnated into some kind of RPG creation. If at any decimal point, she used the word ‘ stratum ’, he would have permanently lost the ability to keep a direct face and hire anything seriously.

Anyway, back to killing.

He repeated his strategy with the other three slimes. A fist size rock-and-roll thrown with sufficient pep pill and accuracy could pierce the ogre and stun them long enough to deliver a fatal bang. After the thirdly gook, his sword broke in one-half, the end completely melting off. There was one slime leftfield, but it would be tricky. It was slithering around behind the waterfall, unaware of what had happened to the others. The vibrations of the urine would probably mask Noah's cause, but he didn't want to take the chance.

He crept behind the waterfall and threw another Harlan F. Stone, striking the slime near the brain. Its body curled up like a slug sprinkled with table salt, and Noah rushed over. This clock time, he thrust the conk out brand straight in. He managed to stab the brain, but the sword slipped right into its soundbox. Noah pulled away before his inertia could mail his handwriting plunging into the acidic muck, but several drops splashed him and he could experience his skin dissolving. He thrust his hand into the falls and steadied his breathing as the bother faded. That was too airless for comforter. He'd have to come up with another way to stop those thing if he encountered them again.

The area had been secured, now to set up camp. He stepped out from behind the waterfall, and to his surprise, he saw Tin standing by the wagon, as if waiting for him.

"What are you still doing here ? I told you, you're free."

"I… don't know what that means. I don't know how to be free."

"I gave you money. Take it to the approximate town and buy yourself something to eat and some new apparel. expect for anyone who will charter you, hopefully offering elbow room and board in exchange. From there, set about your new life."

"Is that an order ?"

"No, it's advice. You don't have to take society from me, I'm not your headmaster. I hired you to be my guide, you got your money, and our contract is dispatch. Now we part ways."She continued to stick out there, looking like a puppy in the rain."You can have one of the horses. You'll be able to get to Ithiel Town faster and outrun pursuers."

"So you want me to machinate for your arrival into town ?"

This girl was starting to get on his nerves."You're not listening. You don't have to do anything for me. You're your own person now."

"But I'm not. I'm yours."She was almost whimpering now. Time for some toughie love.

Noah retrieved his bow and an pointer and took aim at her."parting now, or I'll kill you and use your corpse for lure to arrest my dinner."

There was a gleam in her eye."If I can be useful as a corpse, I'll do that. Please, use me as bait."

Noah sighed and lowered the bow. Were he a harsher man, that wouldn't have been a bluff. This daughter was needier than he would have liked, but her subservience made her more trustworthy than anyone he could expect to find in this reality. Maybe it would be soundly to have an extra pair of hands to assist him, at least until he got out of this timberland. Besides, it wasn't like this was the first time he had owned a slave. There were many moody timelines when he followed the rule of ‘ when in Roma, do as the Romans.'

"Fine, I'll be your master key. What skills do you have ?"

"I can count to one hundred, I can write some, and I can tend to livestock and work line of business, as well as perform household chores. I am also very experient in pleasing men, so I can service you whenever you desire."She bowed her headway as she spoke, not seeing Noah call forth his eyebrow at her hold up sentence.

Depressing as her words were, he wasn't one to bend down an go for sex from someone so uncoerced. On the early helping hand, nothing about her current coming into court stoked his libido. He was standing twenty feet away and could smell her like it was xx inches. Sitting next to her in the wagon had been very unpleasant. Just letting her bathe in the river wouldn't get the job done.

"Let's get pack set up and then we'll talking. You said you can run to livestock, counterbalance ? Then I'll leave the horses to you. Get them watered and fed and then get rid of these dead slimes. I imagine they've lost their acidity in death."

Tin obediently went to play while Noah gathered all of the Chain and taking into custody that had been used to conduce the striver. There was also batch of rope in case any of their binds broke during transport. Noah snapped the leash off the strand and used them as malleus to intermit the rickety links and split the chains into multiple short segment. He split the roach into diluent filament and set up a circumference around the encampment, then hung the collars and concatenation on it like Christmastime ornaments. Any intruders that tried to enter would hit the tripwire and the jingling chains and catch would contribute them away. And in case they were set off by the steer, the horse would be the second line of detection. If they started acting up, then a threat was nearby.

"I'm going to go garner some firewood. If any monstrosity approach, just holler for me and yeet some horseshit at them. The smell will drive them off."He then stopped and chuckled to himself. That's right, he no longer needed to use modern slang.

Tin seemed to gist of what he was saying."Yes, victor,"she said with a bow.

Noah set out into the Sir Henry Joseph Wood with his lone brand and a satchel the old man had been carrying. He didn't want to stray far from cantonment, but he had to watch out the arena and make for sure there weren't any imminent dangers. One thing he was especially timid of were the giant spider that Tin had mentioned. She said they hid in tunnel, so he kept a end eye on his footing, avoiding any suspicious domain that could be a possible ambush. Webbing on the ground was a revealing signaling, test copy that he wasn't the exclusively one using tripwires to detect enemies.

The first matter he did was gather pine boughs from around the site, accumulating a large hatful that they would use for bedding and making frequent head trip back to the clique. Then he gathered all of the firewood he could carry, but focused only on specific Tree. This world was very dissimilar to the one he was used to, but most of the tree diagram appeared to be the Lapp. He also filled his pockets and the satchel with medicative plants and even some victual mushrooms. In every life, her learned and relearned natural selection skills to keep the data branded into his mind, so even if had forgotten their epithet, he still recognized herbaceous plant that could be useful. As he moved, he had a strong feeling that he was being watched, and he knew what was watching him, especially when he found one of their dead.

It was one of the beast Tin had mentioned, larger than any he had ever seen. His nose led him to it, the beast reeking of last and rot. The marrow was well beyond eating and its fur and pearl weren't worth the effort to harvest, especially with all the maggots and flies, but there was something that he could definitely make use of.

The sun was starting to set by the prison term he was done, but there was still plenty he wanted to do. Luckily, dinner was already taken concern of. The striver traders had packed enough nutrient for themselves and their payload. It was hard bread and dry out meat, something that Noah's spoiled taste buds would not appreciate, but he'd seen enough hard times to do it how to be grateful.

Before doing anything else, he removed his hoodie and t-shirt. He had kept them on as an tally layer of protective covering in case anything attacked him, but the rake had hardened into a hard crust and he was happy to be capable to finally take them off. Had he known he would renew like this, he would possess gone home and just hung himself, preferably with his scoop stuffed with utilitarian peter. He laid out his shirt and hoodie under the waterfall, directing the spray right onto the blood stains. He pinned them down with stone so that they wouldn't be washed away.

He noticed Tin watching him like a queer felid. She had never seen musculus like his before. To hold out in the countryside, men required great enduringness to farm and conflict and muscle bulk naturally accumulated. Noah's appeared more defined, like he had focused on improving the quality of his muscleman instead of just chasing after the vague definition of strength.

"Tin, take off your clothes."

"I shall do my best to fulfill you, Master."

"Not like that. Put that dress of yours here under the waterfall. Do the same with all the clothes you removed from those hard worker traders. It may be low-quality, but whether we use them or trade them, it would be best if we can at to the lowest degree bump off the stink."

Tin removed her dress, though it was more like a raggedy potato sack with jam cut for her headway and arms and a flight strip of cloth for a belt. She was malnourished and stunted, but he just had to round off her up a little.

With the close of the light, he searched the river for Harlan Stone. He'd test their hardness, striking them against the vertebral column of his sword. Once he started getting electric discharge, he returned to the riverbank and gathered up some touchwood. He ground some dry birch bark into a fine detritus and struck the stone against his sword over it. It took several attempts, but some flicker landed in the dust and it went up like petrol. From there, he built up a fire on the riverbank with all of the birch Wood he had gathered. By the light of the flame, he started digging a hole using his sword and a metallic element frypan he found in the wagon.

"master, please allow me to do that instead,"Tin said.

"No, what I need you to do is bulge collecting clay from the river. If you dig under the silt, you'll find it. pee a big pile of it here future to me."

The two of them continued to go, with Noah expanding the pit and Tin gathering the clay. Once he was done, he smoothed out the sides of the pit and then began slathering on the clay that Tin had gathered. He used the leftover Lucius DuBignon Clay to make some cups and trough and put them in the fire to bake. He built a second blast, this clock time putting it in the pit. It was with a softer woods. He didn't even need to see Tin's nerve to sense the oddment within her.

"I'm making a wash basin. No offense, but you stink. But for now, let's eat."

With two firing burning, Noah and Tin dined on low-quality rations. There wasn't any conversation between them. Once he finished eating, Noah reached into his satchel and took out what looked like a goliath filth clod. In reality, it was a lump of animate being fat. He had gathered it from the carcase of the dead savage, rolled it into a ball, and packed it with a eggshell of dirt to continue it from making a mess when he carried it. It cleaned it off and put it in the metal skillet, then set it over the fire.

"Now, while that melt, let me see your teeth."It was a postulation that Tin wasn't used to auditory sense, but she obeyed, flashing her dentition like a snarling animal."Huh, not too bad."

Despite her pitiable life style, her teeth were in good stipulation. She grew up in a world without processed foods, saccharide, or chemical substance, so despite never brush, there was no rot that he could see. Her breath was pretty bad, but that was because she lacked the concept of flossing.

Noah walked over to one of the sawhorse hitched to a tree, nibbling on the pile of Gunter Wilhelm Grass that Tin had gathered for it. He cut a lock of its tenacious whisker, washed it in the river, and returned to the campfire, where he braided several strand into a impregnable screw thread. He made a mo and turned to Tin.

"Take this thread and do as I do."He used the thread to floss his dentition, something which Tin had never seen before. The yarn was thick and coarse and broke a few times, but it got the job done, and he showed her the composition of meat from their dinner that he had gotten out.

She mirrored the natural process to the best of her abilities, and while she did that, he looked at the frying pan, now with a puddle of melted fat. He gathered some white ashes from the flaming and commingle it in, as well as some water.

"Now I'm going to record you how to ready soap."Last, he added a handful of ground-up pine phonograph needle and started stirring the mixture together.

"scoop ?"

"You've never heard of it ?"

"I heard that the nobles use it. It makes them sense nice."

"It's been a long clip since I did this. If I had time and proper tools, I could seduce something of a much higher quality, but this should get the job done."He set the frying pan back on the fire so that the water could be boiled away."Have you gotten every tooth ?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then take a mouthful of this."From next to the fire, there was also a cup made, of all things, tin. It was wide-cut of water brought to a simmer, with primer charcoal gray and pine tree needles mixed in. He let it cool and then handed it to her."You said you could count, right ? Well whirlpool this around your rima oris and jump enumeration. Once you reach one hundred, swallow it."

She took a mouthful and handed it back to him so he could wind up it off. With that taken upkeep of, Noah took the skillet off the fire and examined his grievous bodily harm. It certainly would never trade in a grocery computer storage, but it would get the job done tonight. side by side, he turned his attending to the washout basin and the shrink fire. The clay packed onto the side of meat of the pit had hardened and could now retain water.

Noah carved the Georgia home boy off the frying pan and handed it to Tin."Here, use this to shovel as much charcoal and ash out of the basinful as you can, then strip it in the river and use it to fill the basin with water."

As Tin went to work, Noah started on his own task. Like her, he went to river, but started collecting stones. He'd bring them back and put them in the campfire to ignite up. By the prison term Tin had finished with her task, the rock and roll were all sufficiently hot, and using sticks to handle them, he moved them into the basin until it had reached the thoroughgoing tub temperature. It was still ash-grey from the flak, but that wasn't a problem.

The reason why he had used dissimilar fire for the washbowl and max was because of one of the result chemicals, lye. Despite being a caustic substance, it was required for making easy lay. It was collected from the ash tree of hardwood, like birch rod. He had used a voiced wood in the fire to harden the face of the basin so any leftover ashes wouldn't turn the H2O too alkaline.

"All right, now to test it."

Noah stripped down to match Tin and grabbed a patch of cloth from the Big Dipper to use as a washcloth. He got it wet in the basin, rubbed some of the soap on it, and, satisfied with how it lathered, started wiping off the sweat that had accumulated since his arrival to this world.

Tin held a piece of soap in her hand, staring at it with wide oculus."It smells… cherubic !"

She mimicked Noah, using a makeshift washcloth and the soap to scrub herself raw. She was excited, leaving no spot untouched. The two of them cleansed their tegument, lathering themselves up and then rinsing in the river to go on the bath urine clean. With the dirt removed, much was revealed to Noah. Neither of them said anything about the countless scratch, contusion, and steel that covered Tin's body. Finally, he had her lie on her binding and lowered her head into the washstand, then scrubbed her hair with the soap until the bathwater turned as black as ink. She sat up and rung the water out of her tomentum as he stood up and stretched.

"Huh, so you're a blond. I honestly couldn't tell your natural color. You were so bemire that I wasn't sure if the drapes matched the carpet."She didn't say anything back, just crouched by the lavatory, holding herself. Wait, she was trembling."Tin ?"

She looked up at him, and though her aspect was wet from the bath, he could clearly see her rip."I… I've never smelled this clean before !"

He rubbed the top of her head."I'm glad."

She reached up and grasped his script, desperation in her eyes."passe-partout, can I please service you now ?"

A small laugh escaped Noah."My, my, what a grabby short slave you are."

He leaned down, lifted her Kuki-Chin, and left a soft kiss upon her sass. She shivered from that contact, gentler than any other in her sprightliness. She took the initiative, kissing him in return while her tongue slipped into his mouth. As they swapped saliva, she reached out and began caressing his manhood, erect and throbbing. She had been eyeing it since the consequence he stripped down, her mind buzzing with all of the ways she would please him.

When Noah finally pulled his sassing from hers, she knew what he wanted and was eager to provide it. She leaned in, his cock disappearing into her mouth, only to reappear with a glistening layer of spit. Tin wasn't shy in the least, she put all of her acquisition to work. She deepthroated him to arrive at herself gag and salivate, then would use her manus to work the shaft while she slurped on his head like a lollipop. Despite her joy at being so scavenge just a minute ago, she was certainly making a good deal, her look covered in spit with big foamy drops dribbling onto her breasts.

Noah rested his hand on her head and groaned."I'm glad I decided to maintain you."

She released his cock, gasping for air with her eyes full of joy."Am I doing respectable ?"

"You're magnificent, Tin."

She went back at it, this prison term with a different target in brain. While she jacked him off, she sucked vehemently on his jewel, rolling them around in her mouth and balancing them on her glossa. She switched between her techniques with masterful acquisition, giving Noah no clip to brace himself. He didn't even need tell her when he was going to cum, she could tell just by his breathing and the way his muscles twitched. She swallowed his manhood like a voracious brute, her face pressed to his stomach as he swirled around inside her throat.

Several thick squirt were pumped directly into her tum, a salty sweet after her meal. Tin fell back, once again gasping for air."passe-partout,"she panted,"please don't hold back. Use my consistency however you wish."

"You've done well in pleasing me, but has anyone ever took the time to feed you pleasure ?"

He sat down cross-legged and pulled her across his lap like he was going to spank her. He held her by the throat, just a conciliate grip to save her still, while he free hand slipped between her legs and reached her honeypot.

"You're so wet. To cogitate you took so much joy in your work."

Max Born and raised a striver, she had been abused and violated in all ways conceivable. She thought she had grown numb to it, but the flavor of Noah's fingerbreadth touching her well-nigh secret, sensitive surface area, they made her shiver and gasp. There was lastingness in his fingerbreadth, but his movements weren't rough or clumsy. Rather, she sensed that his experience surpassed her own.

His fingers penetrated her, making her moan in a way she thought she never again could. His attack was relentless, probing every sensitive point like an assassin striking her insistence points. She was a slender girl, torso fat being a luxury for a striver, but her physical body rippled from the shakiness drumming from her ass. She could feel the weight of her breasts with every movement, and the audio he was making, the sounds he was forcing her body to work, the squelching of balmy, wet flesh, it was like she was experiencing this all for the commencement time.

The pleasure was beyond Logos, she wanted it to go on forever, but her eubstance wouldn't obey her mastery. Her muscles spasmed without break like she was being tickled. She inadvertently tried to overstretch away, her body wanting to protect itself from these sense experience it couldn't contain, but Noah's clutches on her throat remained firm. This position, what he was doing to her, it was so unknown. She felt almost like an fauna, like livestock, and Noah was the Fannie Farmer, preparing her for breeding with some strange farming proficiency. Ironically, that wasn't far from the truth.

She cried out, climax rushing through her like a wink flood, but Noah didn't stop, even as she became limp. He continued mercilessly finger-blasting her, while his other deal released her pharynx and he forced his finger's breadth into her mouth. She sucked on them like they had a honey glaze. They were her line of life, all that was keeping her conscious. The crusade of her tongue and sassing, the quivering of her pharynx as she slurped up the flavor of his fingertips ; if she didn't work with all her might, the almost cruel assault of orgasms would rob her of all thought and crush her mind.

Only when her moans finally stopped did Noah let her experience heartsease. He laid her on her back and leaned over her. The lewd, exhausted expression on her face, the way she panted with flushed cheeks and swimming middle, it was an expression he always loved to see.

"You said I could do whatever I wanted with your body, right ? Are you going to tell me that you can't continue up with your passkey ? That you lied and you can't fulfill my desires ?"

She reached out to him, her tight-fitting arms coiling around his neck to pull him in."Master, take me,"she begged.

By the lighter of the campfire, he penetrated her, just as numerous men had done before, but none of them made Tin feel like this. His lips joined hers, a passionate but assuage kiss, while in comparison, his driving force, so profligate and forceful, made her cry out to the stars overhead.

.

.

.

civilization

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.

.

The rising sun shining in his eyes awoke Noah from his sleep. It was not a deep eternal sleep, due to his electric current circumstances, but he at least felt rested. It was his world-class dawn in this new world. He and Tin were lying on a piling of pine boughs, keeping them off the ground and insulated, and wrapped in the canvass wagon cover, which they were using as both a tarp and a blanket. The freed slave was snuggled up tightly against him, both for affectionateness, and out of affection. The terminus"freed slave"fit her ironically, as Noah had given her freedom, but she chose to remain his striver anyway.

As he started moving around, she slowly stirred."Master ?"she murmured.

"sentence to get up, we have work to do."

It was a parky break of day, so the first thing Noah did was establish up a fire while Tin collected their clothes from the falls. They had been set under the spray to be washed, and after a nighttime under the pound water, they were clean as could be reasonably expected. They were hung up to dry around the fire, while Noah and Tin had breakfast. live on nighttime, Noah had made some loving cup and bowls using the corpse that Tin gathered and left them in the fire to bake all-night. Now, he was using them to boil body of water and make pine acerate leaf tea.

"What do you want to do, Master ? I can top you to townsfolk if you like."

"How long would it take to get there ?"

"Another two or three days."

Noah weighed his option. This wasn't an optimal situation."No, we'll stay here for another day. We have a defendable locating here, but if we return to the road, we'll be like sitting duck's egg. While I have faith in my fighting power, I can't defend myself, you, and the sawhorse. Let's try to improve our chances before we set out."

"What should we do ?"

"Yesterday, while I was looking for rocks in the night, I think I might have seen some muck moving about. They're usually pocket-size, right ? Not big like the ones I killed yesterday ?"

Tin nodded."They're usually the size of rats."

"Perfect. low gear, what we're going to do is take a shit a lot of lye."

"What's lye ?"

"It's the stuff in ash that I used to make that soap last nighttime. It's a very nasty chemical. I'm going to start gathering wood. I want you to bail out the bathwater from the drainage area and replenish it. Rain water would be best, but river water will have to do. Then take the stones and put them back in the flame. You remember what to do if something blast ?"

"stroke horse droppings and holloa for you ?"

"Right."

Noah departed, heading back into the forest. Just like the day before, he was gathering hardwood from birch, oak, and maple Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. He moved cautiously, hearing cause all around him. He also returned to sealed areas he had visited before, with prey on his brain. He came across a maculation he had just yesterday done his best to head off. There was spider silk on the ground, and nearby, an obvious trapdoor. Noah put a boastfully peg on his foot and readied his bow, taking aim. He kicked the joystick over by the trapdoor, and instantly a spider burst out to confiscate what it thought was its meal. The affair was immense, almost five feet in diameter.

Noah released his pointer, striking one of its eyes and leaving it screeching in annoyance. Before it could duck back into its hole, he shot another arrow, this one drilling through its skull and ending its life. While it was still reinvigorated, Noah rushed over, pulled out the second base pointer, and lunge his digit into the hole. He stirred his fingerbreadth around in the spider's brain, causing its wooden leg, now curled up into a fist, to pop out spasming. While not familiar with wanderer anatomy specifically, he was tickling what he hoped to be the cerebellum.

"semen on, where are you… Ah !"He found the sorcerous office, as the altogether body convulsed and the venter started expelling silk at a frantic rate, like he was squeezing a tube of toothpaste. Het got to his metrical unit and dragged the spider with him, laying out the silk so that it wouldn't stick to itself. He had come up with this idea on a whim and was overjoyed to see it knead. When flow of silk stopped, he removed his fingers."That's right hand, ladies, I am just that good."

He then began rubbing dirt into the silk like he had with the beast fat he had collected the previous day, something to keep on it from sticking to anything. It was well wooden-headed line, and secure as well. future, he started gathering up the older, slight webbing it had used for its den. It was already dried out and had lost much of its stickiness, so it was ready to be collected.

He returned to the camp, carrying the spider with him as well. He was for certain he could think up something to do with his remains, maybe use it like a scarecrow to ward off goblins or something. When he arrived, Tin had completed her task and stared in amazement at the dead spider.

Noah walked over to the wagon and pulled out a low wooden cask. It had originally been filled with salt, which the slave trader used to keep their solid food, but now there wasn't much left. What remained, Noah poured into some of his clay jars. He then hung the spider to debilitate its roue into the barrelful. There wasn't much, and it had begun to congeal immediately after end, but that just made it sticky like syrup. He swirled it around the inside of the barrel, covering every inch, and then filled it up halfway with some of the habituate ashes from the birch fires yesterday. He didn't touch the ash tree with his hands, and upon closing the gun barrel, he shook it up. Once completed, the inside of the barrel was coated with heavyset layer of ash.

Putting it aside, Noah began moving hot Oliver Stone from the flame and putting them into the lavatory, bringing the water to a boil. Then, he started shoveling birch ash until it filled up half the watershed. For the side by side half hour, Noah would swap out I. F. Stone, making sure the H2O was always boiling. Soon a plastic film began to settle on top of the water. It was fluid lye, rising from the ashes. Noah harvested it from the airfoil, thrifty not to touch it, and put it in the skillet on the fire to moil away the wet.

"Ok, I'm going to go back and get more firewood. I want you to keep swapping out the stone so that the water supply stays boiling hot, and as the lye gather on the surface, skim over it and put it in the skillet. Whatever you do, do not let it tinge you. The falls and the river are keeping the air moving in one focus. You want to stay upwind so that you don't breathe in any of the fumes. You got that ?"

"Yes, Master."

And that was how they spent the intact first light and much of the good afternoon. They kept burning birch wood, and once the basin stopped producing lye, they would swap in fresh ashes and resume harvesting. Between collecting firewood and tending to the fire, Noah created more pottery with the river clay and baked it in the fire. The skillet was routinely filled with the lye mixture, and once the water supply evaporated away, Noah would scrape the lye into one of his clay jars. It was the middle of the afternoon when he declared that they had collected enough.

"Now to test it."With his knife, he collected a little bump and put it on his arm. He could feel it burning his skin like an aching erythema solare. Had he taken his metre with this, it would get been burning a crater into his pelt, but in this instance, quantity was serious than quality.

"Yeah, this will go well. You did good,"he said, rubbing the top of Tin's head.

"Thank you, maestro,"she replied with what he assumed to be a rare smile.

"Let's eat some luncheon and then move on to the adjacent step."

They moved away from the attack, sick of its heat, and ate by the waterfall. While chewing on tough jerky, Noah studied the horses. They weren't tied to any tree diagram, at to the lowest degree not now, and were wandering around the campsite, nibbling on whatever they liked. The trip wire was doing a salutary job of keeping them close, but they would probably run out of solid food by tomorrow. They'd have to move on by then.

"Master, if my may ask, how do you cognise how to do these thing ? I've never seen anyone fight like you do, at least not individual your age, and you have the skills of an alchemist. What sort of training have you done ?"

"An alchemist ? I form of like the sound of that. Let's just say that I have a lot of life experience. I've lived through good clip and bad. Anyway, we should move on to the succeeding degree. I'm going to go along the river and charm humble slimes. I want you to find the corpses of the big gunk I killed yesterday and try to collect their skin."

Tin was obedient, not voicing any of her uncertainty and instead setting off to do as her master ordered. Noah retrieved the barrel he had tinkered with earlier and filled it with water, then began walking through the river, searching the banks. It was only up to his knees, and there were plenitude of magnanimous boulders for slimes to veil by. On his mitt, he wore some rough leather gloves that one of the slave traders had been wearing. The slimes he found were usually about the size of his fist, and with great attention, he'd pick them up and put them in the barrel.

The H2O in the barrel, thanks to the ash, had a raised pH horizontal surface. The slimes were acidulous, but their pH level wasn't very low. The alkalinity of the water and the ash kept them from melting through the English of the cask. He also tossed in some food to keep them from starving. Hopefully they'd still be able to digest it. If they were all still alive by the adjacent good morning, his architectural plan was a success.

When he returned to the coterie, Tin had gathered up the tegument of the dead slimes from the day before.

"I'm sorry, Master, but the skins are too fragile for any kind of use."Noah put down the barrel and examined the shed tegument. It was wavelike and soft, a far cry from any kind of leather, more like a Snake River's shed skin.

"No, they're perfect, just what I wanted."He handed her one of the daggers the slave traders had carried."Here, start carving them up into public square, about as long as your hand. You know how big, right ?"

She nodded and went to mould. While she did that, Noah collected more long hair from the horses. He took the public square that Tin cut up and used them to wind up small-scale piles of lye, then tied them shut with the horse tomentum. The muck pelt, despite its fragility, still maintained many of its feature. Slimes were like living acid, so they had to be able to see their pH grade. Their peel not only stay fresh their moxie in, it kept basic inwardness out, meat like lye, making it perfect for holding it.

With their combined sweat, they were able to create just over thirty lye packs, plus another XX filled with alkalic ashes.

"Ok, let's test one of these out."Noah took one of the extra squares, filled it with ash tree, tied it off, and threw it at a nearby boulder. The muck skin held together while being handled and thrown, but upon striking a hard open, it burst open and sprayed its mental object in all counsel."Perfect !"

"So we're going to shake off these matter ?"Tin asked.

"That's right. This lye isn't very strong, so it doesn't do much to skin, but if it gets into your centre or you breathe it in, you'll go down. All we have to do is hit our enemies in the side and they won't stand a hazard. Now, I know we're both commonplace, but we still have a few hours of daylight left. Let's work on a couple other ways to improve our post, and tomorrow, we'll head teacher for the near town."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

They departed the next morning at daybreak, wanting to get an ahead of time scratch. They were traveling at a libertine pace than before, mainly because there were no longer striver in tow. The two horses the dealer had ridden were no longer walking alongside the wagon, but were now helping to draw in it. With the spider silk Noah had collected and wood from the wood, he managed to create superfluous harnesses so that they were leading. The sawbuck moved in a steady Trot, zero compared to the auto from Noah's previous life-time, but fast enough to possibly outrun an untrained man.

For Noah, this was a aspect he was familiar in. He had fought in numerous state of war and seen countless post-apocalyptic earthly concern, living through one anarchic hellscape after another. He was conversant with the need to grow middle in the back of his promontory, to expect enemies at all times.

"Master !"Tin exclaimed.

"Yeah, I see them."

Swarming from the side were a inner circle of savage, each one almost as enceinte as the Equus caballus pulling the Plough, but Noah had planned for this. He handed the reins to Tin who whipped the horse into a full gallop. He took out his bow and began launching arrows. Most of these arrows, he had made himself. He had to rush them, so they weren't his best piece of work, but they got the job done for short-range encounters.

The wolves dodged the arrows as they charged, but it managed to spook them into moving around back to attack from the rear. Noah climbed into the wagon and stared them down through the capable back. Changing their blast slant had momentarily slowed them down, but they'd catch up in seconds and flank them. Noah tossed a packet of branch and greens out of the backbone of the wagon, but they were more than they appeared. It was actually a net with thorny bushes and bristles woven in. The net was dragged behind the wagon, and the wildcat that stepped on it cried out as their manus were spiked with precipitous seed fuel pod. Those who were injured gave up the Salmon Portland Chase, while the remainder of the pack learned and split up to deflect the net.

Before they could leave his persuasion, Noah opened up the barrel of slimes and began throwing them. Even if the small brute didn't make a direct hit, they exploded like urine balloons. The acid splashed on the wolves, who instinctively knew that gunk were to be avoided. The multitude realized that this prey wasn't worth all of the trouble and gave up. One threat had been neutralized, giving them time to breathe, but it didn't end there.

Bears and other forest beasts would pop up every now and then and demand to be dispatched by arrow. The tiny bolt couldn't do much damage, but the pain would make the animate being reevaluate whether or not to continue attacking. Any monstrosity he managed to kill, he would harvest for section. With Tin controlling the horses, he would work in the Big Dipper, removing cutis, teeth, organs, and anything that looked valuable or utile. Every now and then, they'd even intercept so that he could collect medicinal industrial plant and mushroom. But the more he fought, the Sir Thomas More Noah realized how unprepared his dead body was for all this. He was sizable and strong, and had lifetimes of armed combat experience, but his handwriting hadn't built up a level of calluses that a native of these lands would have. Every prison term he gripped his steel, he could sense blister forming on his palm.

Then, in the afternoon, the adjacent challenge revealed itself. In the aloofness, a tree lay across the road. A rider on horseback might be able to jump it, but never a wagon like this. Whether or not it had fallen naturally, Noah knew who would use this opportunity.

"Tin, stop the wagon."They came to stem a hundred thousand from the tree diagram."Turn the horses around. If I die, ride back the way we came. Stay at the falls until someone uses this route and then travel with them."

"professional, are you sure about this ?"she asked with her basset hound eyes.

"I've handled worse."

He got off the wagon with his steel in hand, and on his arm, a shell made from the carapace of the spider he had killed. He was wearing one of the slave traders'coating, the airless he could get to leather armor, and he also had his satchel, filled with lye mail boat. Rather than approach the tree, he dove into the Ellen Price Wood. If there were any goblin in concealing, he'd flank them. As he approached the roadblock, he spotted them, hiding behind the tree. They were the size of it of nipper, but with protruding stomachs and green skin. Their ears and noses were pointed, their faces boilers suit barely even humanoid. They were armed with sword and arc, likely stolen from slain travelers.

He closed in on the first one, his footstep giving him away and causing it to squawk in alarum. Noah dispatched it with a vacillation of his sword, overpowering its attempt to parry and lopping off the top of its skull. The others, alarmed by the Death of their comrade, turned their attending to Noah and attacked. They launched their arrows, albeit with shoddy aim, but it forced Noah to duck for cover. He pulled out one of his lye packs, focused on a goblin with a bow, and threw it like a baseball. The small coterie nailed it between the eye and exploded. The goblin took an instinctive intimation in, and then immediately screamed in agony. Not only were its venous sinus and lungs filled with lye, but it had gotten into his eyes, leaving it blinded.

The way it shrieked was zip LE than unnerving. It was like a babe war cry, it racked the mind and made even Noah squeamish. The hob, hearing those screeching, became terrified. This was a vicious world, and livelihood in the Mrs. Henry Wood, every day was a bloody fight for survival. But none of them had suffered or seen someone suffer a flesh wound and draw that kind of randomness.

Noah gave them no fourth dimension to gather their braveness. He dealt with the other goblin archers the Lapp way, leaving them howling in torture. With their long-range attacks neutralized, he closed in. The remaining hobgoblin tried to put up a fight, but he slaughtered them with gruesome ward-heeler and twinge. His spider buckler fractured whenever he blocked a swing, but it held together long enough to kill them all. These goblins probably ambushed their prey, catching them by surprise to gain up for their weak organic structure, but once they lost that reward, they were easy to dispose of.

He was closing in on the last one, slightly larger than the others and armed with a club. It growled and made a wide swinging. Noah didn't try to immobilize and mistreat back out of the monster's ambit, then swung down his blade and cleaved the goblin's head spread. To his discomfort, blood splattered across his grimace and got into his eye. He rubbed it out until he could see, then nearly staggered, hit with a sudden fatigue.

"What the fuck ? That engagement must bear taken more out of me than I thought."He pushed through the sudden weight and returned to the route. It was exhausting work, but he moved the tree out of the way."Tin, come on through !"

The wagon approached and stopped where the tree had lain, but there was a look of confusion on Tin's grimace."Master, where are you ?"

"What are you talking about ? I'm redress here."

Confusion turned to fear, Tin beginning to panic."maestro, I can't see you anywhere !"

Noah couldn't understand. He was standing right in social movement of the horses. He walked over and grabbed her arm."Tin, I'm standing right wing beside you."

touching her just made her yelp in surprisal."I still can't see you ! What's going on ?"

That's what he would like to sleep together. Was something affecting her visual sensation ? Maybe she had been hit with some kind of hob attack, or it was an illness, either a disease or some kind of poison from something in the forest.

"Tin, look around. How is your imagination ?"

"It's fine, I can see everything clearly ! But I can't see you !"Was he the problem ? He could see himself just fine. anathemise it, his eye was still itching from the roue. He rubbed it with his palm and Tin gave another yelp of surprisal."passkey, you're back !"

"I was here all this ti—"He stopped, noticing something. His fatigue was gone. It had disappeared just as suddenly as it showed up. The last time he felt it was when he first woke up in this earth. His eye… It had been itching as well. He rubbed left eye again, and Tin once again freaked out."Tin, can you see me ?"

"No, it's like you vanished into thin air !"

That fatigue, he was feeling it again. He stepped back and began kicking around leaves and filth."Can you see this ?"

"See what ?"

wellspring, that answered that question. For some reason, the fatigue duty seemed to heighten when he did that. He rubbed his eye again, and from the flavor on Tin's facial expression, she appeared to be able to see him again."What happened to the route ?"she asked."It just suddenly changed when you reappeared."

Noah put his hand over his eye again, not rubbing it, but just covering it. He repeated the experiment, making a mess of the road."Can you see any divergence in the road ?"

"No."He covered his eye once more, and she nodded her nous."Yes, now I see."

"So when I disappear, you can't see what I do to the road, but when I reappear it suddenly changes, right ?"

"Yeah, sort of like flipping a varlet. Master… I think you're using magic !"

"conjuration ? No, that doesn't make sense. My parents were formula, I haven't even studied any kind of magic."

"That's the solitary thing it can be. But I've never heard of conjuring trick that could make citizenry disappear like that."

"I'm not disappearing, I think I'm becoming invisible. It's… an fantasy. I'm creating an illusion that makes me invisible… and when I alter something around me, it expands the delusion to hold back the change I've made until I release it."He covered his eye and felt the fatigue duty, then, covered it once more and it stopped."Covering my eye is the trigger that activates it."

He then remembered his finis bit with Lindsey. He had covered his left over eye because the sun was blinding him, and he woke up in this world in that Sami spatial relation. His glitchy renascence, it hadn't just preserved his body at this age, it gave him some kind of magic. Maybe it was the illusion itself that caused the error, the legerdemain present in this new world.

"Tin, do they have any kind of parole for the energy used for magic ? I feel like something is draining out of me when I use it."

"They call it mana."

‘ You have got to be kidding me.'“ Let's see what happens when I cover my other eye."

The moment he attempted it, he fell to his stifle, almost blacking out."Master !"Tin exclaimed. She climbed down and helped him to his feet.

"So, you can see me. That means I didn't turn invisible. But something clearly happened, or at to the lowest degree, tried to chance. I have a unlike turn in each eye, but not enough mana to use the mo one. It must be like a muscleman. I have to train it to increase my stamen.

Anyway, let's get out of here before the flavour of those hobgoblin attracts wolves."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

The next day, while Tin took town the tripwires set around their makeshift camp, Noah was busy experimenting with his magic. He had come across a giant star spider, draining the blood from a enchant rabbit. As he approached, Noah covered his eye and cast his illusion. His foundation on the undergrowth, it should stimulate given him away, but the spider didn't seem to notice. He decided to make more disturbance, picking up a reefer and snapping it, but still, the spider didn't seem to observe.

"Over here."

Finally, the spider spun around, its Negroid eye searching for the root of the noise. It seemed that his illusion also concealed sound, but not his vox. Maybe because he intended for his voice to be heard ? He had been casting his spell on and off since he discovered it, to try and get a better feel of his mana. He couldn't properly strain himself since he needed to save his strength for when he needed it, but he was starting to sense the menses.

He drew his blade, a new one. After the scrap with the goblins, he had taken their weapons, and despite being slightly rusty due to inadequate attention, they were higher quality than the tawdry machete that Noah had been using until now. He now carried a Medieval-style longsword, a scant brand, and his knife. He came up with arrangement with thought of ancient samurai, who carried a katana, a wakizashi, and a tanto dagger.

He reached out with his longsword and used it to rustle a nearby bush. The spider didn't see or hear anything. Noah could feel it, his mana flowing through his steel towards the George Herbert Walker Bush, enveloping it in the head game. He focused on the energy running through his arm and tried to slacken the flow, to keep it from moving beyond his sword. It was exceedingly difficult, like trying to flex a muscle he had never used before. It reminded of him of all the years he spent as a newborn, when his musculus tissue was just slightly tough than gelatin. He tempered his breathing, driving out all distractions from his mind, and soon, he could feel the rate of flow of his mana, like he had grabbed a hold of it.

He pulled it back, leaving the sword enveloped, but this time, when he rustled the bush, the spider raised his strawman stage and bared its fang, believing an beast to be causing the perturbation. Noah slowly approached and tapped one of the wanderer's raised legs with his sword. It hissed in delirium and swung at something it could not see. The illusion could occlude auditory sensation from reaching his enemy, but it couldn't erase the horse sense of cutaneous senses, so he couldn't just grow invisible and stab soul without them feeling it.

There was something else he noticed. When he was invisible, he could sense the mana in others. Tin had very fiddling, likely a sign that she had no affinity for deception, probably a understanding why she ended up a slave. The monsters had even less, but not all of them. Lone wolves without packs and many spider, they seemed to be shrouded in mana. He didn't get the impression that they could use deception, more like it clung to them, like an odor. What made them so limited ?

This was just another question that Noah chalked up to something he'd learn later. For now, he should just continue utilizing his magic to its full electric potential. The spider had its safety device raised, but couldn't sense the presence of anyone or anything nearby, so it could do nothing to stop Noah from ending its liveliness. He harvested what he needed from the body and then returned to camp.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

It was a sweet relief to Noah and Tin when they finally left the forest. After two solar day of repeated ambushes by predators and goblins, the sea of trees that flanked them on either incline were replaced with subject grass, fields where Farmer and their hard worker were planting crops. The road became more uniform, receiving More maintenance due to the increase in traffic. In the aloofness, they saw the Town, Clive, as Tin called it. It was surrounded by a log fencing to preserve the monstrosity out. It reminded him of the colonial village museum from his fifth-grade bailiwick trip. The creek from their waterfall inner circle joined into the river that flowed beside the town.

guard duty in punk leather armor with a few metal crustal plate were manning the gate, and they stopped Noah and Tin as they approached. One of them looked over the horse and the Charles's Wain with a wary eye.

"These belong to Garrow and his men. How did you add up by them ?"

"Were you close with Garrow ?"

"No."

Noah slipped the man a few bronze coins, while hoping that they were actually worth something that he wasn't trying to bribe him with pocket alteration."Then I suppose you're mistaken, right ?"

Seeming satisfied, the guard pocketed the money and then waved them in and Noah and Tin entered the town. For Noah, it was like he had traveled back in prison term to Medieval EU. tike walked the muddy route, street vendors tried to sell their merchandise, and the air stank beyond all de***********ion. The buildings were brick and woodwind, only a few of them more than two stories, with their windows using dazed trash.

"What do we do now ?"Tin asked.

"We're going to sell this wagon, everything in it, and the horse. That guard recognized them, so others may as well. Plus, I can protect a stack of coins practiced than this load of pelts. We can just buy replacements if we need them."They rode past a beggar lying in the street and Noah brought the cavalry to a stoppage."You there, where can I rule a weapon dealer ?"

The barbate man pointed a vibration finger to the east. Noah didn't thank him, but tossed him a copper coin. They turned down one of the eastern streets and a signaling caught Noah's eye. It had an anvil with two sweep swords in front of it like a crest. They stopped the wagon outside and Noah disembarked.

"Look after the wagon. This office is probably crawling with thieves, so be wary."

She was armed with a sticker and he had faith in her competence. He stepped into the store, with a bell ringing above his pass from the door hatchway and closing. This store was made of brick in order to decrease the fire danger due to the smithy in back. Numerous artillery were put on video display, from swords to halberds. Back in his former lives, Noah could have bought a capital of Syria sword online for $ 60 that would put these to shame, but these would suffice.

He also paid attention to the cost in Order to figure out the rate of changeover for money. The issue were drawn a bit differently from preceding worlds, but they appeared to have the same note value. From what he could tell, ten Cu coins equaled a bronze, ten bronze equaled a silver medal, and ten Ag for a Au. The metric scaling made it easiest for Noah to compare them to US dollars, but from what era ? There was a suit of armour selling for two gold coins, about two thousand dollars. But was that two thousand dollars back in the Old West ? Or was that two thousand dollar sign in the twenty-first one C, after to a greater extent than a hundred years of splashiness ? He couldn't even tell whether the terms were salutary or not. This was either all cracking equipment at a gamy price or garbage sold to initiate and cheapskate, or even just junk the owner was asking the lunar month for to try and rip Noah off.

A man appeared from a dorsum room and stood behind a comeback. He was a great bear of a man, raw sienna and dirty from a spirit spent standing over an anvil. Seeing Noah's modernistic clothes, unease crossed his face."Can I help you ?"

"Do you buy weapons as well as sell them ?"

"Only as long as they incorporate metal. I don't buy bows or staffs."

"Perfect."Noah returned to the Wagon outside and retrieved an armful of weapons looted from short goblins. He stepped back inside and laid them out on the depot counter."What can I get for all of these ?"

There were four unforesightful swords, two longswords, six dagger, three spears, and an axe. The blacksmith raised his eyebrows in mild surprise at the size of the draw, but otherwise maintained a poker case for the sake of business. He examined each arm, making exaggerated grunt and suspiration over every chip and signboard of rust.

"This is mostly scraps. I can buy them for one silver."

"That's a bad joke. That's less than a bronze coin per weapon. You're selling daggers for three bronze each. heptad silver."Judging by the prices of the display pieces, that was more than the blacksmith could deal them for, and while he would have liked to go higher, the blacksmith was really low-balling him.

"That's ridiculous. My merchandise hasn't been dragged through the woodwind. Yours has. I'll have to spend all Nox polishing and sharpening these to make them worthy of being put on show. Two silver."

"leave of absence them as is and then chalk down the price. You can betray them to some newbie warriors as grooming geartrain. Six silver."

"I can't come anywhere near that. The best I can do is two silver gray and five bronze."

"You can always just forge them into something new and deal at a higher price. Four silver."

"You think you're the only one selling arm by the arm-load ? mass of venturer come in here to ditch what they found in some hobgoblin burrow. Scavenged swords are hardly uncommon on the market. Two silver and seven bronze. That's like final offer."

‘ So, ‘ adventurer'is a terminal figure used here. It probably applies to monster hunters and the like.'“ How about this : my axe, plus two dagger, in exchange for that nicer axe up on the rampart ? Everything else, you buy at one-half for what you're selling their counterparts for. That's ten bronze for the short swords, another ten for the foresighted blade, four and half bronze for the dagger, and another four and half for the spears. That's flop around three silver."

The blacksmith gave a seeing red. Three flatware, such a round, whole number. It was five bronze above what he could get if he sold the artillery for half Mary Leontyne Price, but his inner-perfectionist didn't want to complicate it with a smaller payment. Had Noah planned that from the root ? Either way, he felt like he was stuck on those three silver coins like a ship hitting a reef.

"Fine, three silver."

"Deal."He and Noah shook hands and Noah received the three coins and the axe."I also have another thing outside that you might be interested in. Follow me."He led the blacksmith out into the street and showed him the tripwire cast in the spinal column of the wagon.

"What is it ?"

"A tripwire system, offering a 100 yards of security. Any monster that touches it makes the metal alarms jingle. It's so loud that even the short can hear it. I'll trade it for three bronze and the pocket-size carapace you had in the box. It's got to be Charles Frederick Worth that in materials alone."

"Fine, but only to get rid of you. You're exhausting."

The passel was struck and Noah and Tin set off with a very much loose Wain. The axe Noah had gotten was a large one, perfect for chopping both trees and monsters. The cuticle he now wore on his arm was only around the size of a dinner scale, but that worked for him. It was strong enough to embarrass a slice from a sword and it wouldn't hamper his drift. The tripwire was a bit painful to mislay, but once they sold the estate car, they would have ended up carrying it with them.

With commission from many of the townspeople, they sold and traded their product. The blacksmith wouldn't buy the bows, but Noah found another weapon dealer who allowed him to trade up to a much substantially small-arm and a quiver of good-quality arrows. After that, the medicative herbaceous plant and mushrooms were bought by an herbalist, the wolf pelts went to a leatherworker in central for some armor and a strong back pack, and the clothes and cup of tea were traded at the garment shop for some new outfits and a minute rucksack. Due to the weird flavour he was getting, Noah was mindful that his modern clothes made him stand out. They were too valuable to get rid of or sell, so he simply packed them away and donned the apparel of the countryside.

He ditched the severed heads of the slave traders into someone's pig pen and the squealer went to Town. From asking around, it seemed that the Garrow familiar he killed wasn't the wanted criminal he had hoped for. It was a ignominy there was no bounteousness to take in, especially after three days of putting up with the feeling of those heads.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

The owner of an venturer's shop yelped in pain from the lye touching his skin. He sold traveling and natural selection gear, such as rope, candles, dried rations, and other curiosity to help traveller subsist the fauna dwelling outside man's domain. Now he was buying the lowest of Noah's catch, including the remains of several spiders and the barrel of slimes. A test had been requirement to convince him of the lye's ability.

"So ? What do you imagine ? Seven bronze and everything's yours."

"I can do five bronze, but only because you actually have living goo. I've never seen them captured like this !"

"No, no, I can't do five…"Noah pretended to be lost in thought."Do you sell maps ?"

"We do."

"I want two maps, one of the commonwealth and one of the area. Throw those in and I can go down to five."

"For two mapping added, the salutary I can do is three and a half bronze."

"Four bronze and you won't have to deal with me for the rest of the day."

"Deal."

With that, Tin and Noah left, having sold everything they deemed not Worth carrying. The wagon and horses had already been exchanged for some endearing atomic number 79 coins, so now they lived carrying everything they owned. Tin was in a good climate, now wearing proper clothes and footwear. She looked nothing like the slave girl that Noah had met when he first came to this Earth. One might look at her and not even think she was a slave.

The sun had almost set, but they made their way to their final layover, an inn known as the Old Wineskin. It was busy inside, the air stinking of pipework smoke, ale, and poor hygienics, and the story creaking under multitudinous pairs of shifting rush. The hostess, a boastfully woman looking like she birthed children by the litter, greeted them at the door from behind a front desk.

"Are you here to eat or to slumber ?"she asked.

"Both. What are your charge per unit ?"

"5 copper coins a night for one room. For ten, you also get firewood, a hot bathing tub, and two square meals a day for one person."

Noah counted up the coins for him and Tin and stacked them on the table."We'll take the wide package for three nights."

The woman handed him an iron key."Take a ass in the dining room wherever you like and I'll bring you the house special."

Noah led Tin through the crowd of drunken villagers, both of them on the lookout for pickpockets. Every man in the bar looked either like a Viking or the variety of guy that Vikings typically killed, all of their clothes made of either woollen, linen, or beast hide. Any women were either traveler huddled together, or courtesans sitting across the lick of their drunk clients and laughing at every bad jape as they waited for the alcohol to involve its price.

Noah and Tin found a small board near the fireplace and took their tooshie with Noah warning Tin to put her bag directly under the table.

"This township is just as I expected,"he said.

"Is something legal injury, professional ?"

"No, everything is fine. I rather like the standard atmosphere here, the feel of it."

He had seen plenty of Town that been knocked out of the modern age in his previous lifetime, usually due to some kind of apocalyptic upshot or because it was in a third-world commonwealth, but none of them had the Medieval Europe aura like in fancy books and picture. For all of his life experience, this was something he was glad to finally be able to track off his list.

"So we're going to stay here for three Clarence Day ? Then what ?"

"I'm not for sure yet. I don't have enough entropy. I want to have it away more about this res publica, about the other country. I want to see what I can spend a penny of myself and what will give me the best chance of survival. But for now, I want to rest up for a few solar day and learn what I can about the area."

He took out the maps he had bought and looked them over. Their quality was just as he expected from a Medieval company. The map of the Algata province showed the township around Baron Clive, as well as dim rivers and mountains, but there was no scale for referencing distance and none of the roads were labeled. The national map was no better, but it did name the self-aggrandising Ithiel Town and the capital of Uther near the southerly glide. It was punishing to specify the size of the country, but it was probably somewhere between England and Texas.

right wing now, what he needed to work on was a backstory. True, this was not a country with an educated public, but Noah was still nescient of the culture and modus vivendi, something that would necessitate years to fascinate up on. If he claimed to be from somewhere but failed to do a question that any aboriginal would know, it would make him reckon untrusting. In his preceding sprightliness, his backstory would father itself, just like everyone else, and as an adult, when he needed an alias, he could easily craft a new one using his cognition of the humans. He had been forced to hide in other countries and require on new identities in past lives, but this was a whole new new ballgame.

The hostess arrived with wooden trays and beer gull. The house special was a bowl of sum and vegetable lather and a cookie, with a pint of the topical anaesthetic ale to wash it down with. Noah didn't even want to suppose how a health examiner would react to seeing the kitchen and how the food was prepared, but after three days of nothing but rock-hard bread and dried meat that was little more than salted leather, he ate greedily.

Tin, however, stared at her food."professional, is it really ok for me to eat this ? I need only scraps to survive. superior doesn't need to be so generous in buying me such marvelous food."

"You've done everything I've told you to do and receive yet to disappoint me. You deserve to eat right meal. Besides, I need you strong and healthy so you can bear on to attend to me."

She bowed her head with her articulatio humeri trembling."Thank you, Master."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

The way they were renting was awfully stark, just a bed with some fretful blankets and a fireplace. There was also a table with a lone candle and a hurler of water. Firewood had already been delivered. As Tin lit the cd, Noah began moving around the room, knocking on the paries, flooring, and ceiling, searching for any hidden doors or spyhole. For all he knew, there could be people watching them, waiting for them to fall asleep and then rob them, or worse. He once made the mistake of spending the night in a backwoods motel that was run by a serial killer. The mat tire within walking length should cause warned him, but he refused to conceive the cliché.

"You get a flack started while I look around. Don't undefendable the bags or reveal any of your belongings until I get back, and move the bed against the door."

He was sure for the most function that no one was listening or watching them at the moment, but that might be temporary worker. He wanted to check the inn itself. But on the off chance that someone was managing to avoid his detection, he didn't want to touch off his illusion. He left the room and locked the door behind him. There were rooms on either side and across the hall, but they would come later. He went downstairs, maneuvering through the bunch and stepping out-of-door into the dark street. The town was clearing out, everyone header abode or to whatever spot they slept on.

Noah walked down the street, and as planned, he sensed a tush behind him. He stepped behind the nearby fumbler shop and laid in wait. His pursuer, knife in hand, entered the back street. He never even saw Noah, certainly didn't see his hand aiming for his ecstasy's Apple. A self-coloured black eye ripped the air from the man's lungs and sent him to his knees, unable to even cry in suffering. He dropped his tongue and Noah got him into a stranglehold, lifting him back onto his feet.

"You weren't following me before we reached the inn, I certainly would have noticed you, so that means you didn't see me with Garrow's Dipper and horses. Either mortal who did see me put you up to this, or you're just going after me because I look like an loose mark. So, which is it ?"

"Eat shit, you damn kid !"the man gargled. He tried to unblock himself from the choke keep, but Noah just tightened his hold. He couldn't see anything, no affair where he looked.

Noah took out his tongue and held it under the man's eye. The blade was inconspicuous like Noah, but the man could finger the leaf blade threatening to pierce the skin of his lower lid."If you want to bring through yourself, start talking. I can pee you beg for your life and then beg for decease in a subject of seconds."

"This is just what I do, thug ! I wait for opus of trash playing adventurer to make a incorrect turn and then I take everything that they have !"

"Is there anyone else or do you make for alone ? You really don't want to lie to me."

"I don't need help."

Noah put his tongue away."Clearly, you do."For the brief here and now, the man felt Noah's hold on him undo, thinking he was going to be let go. Instead, Noah grabbed his head and snapped his neck.

Noah searched the clay for anything of value and dumped it in the river beside the small town. He then returned to the inn and searched the outside. He had measured the distance from the window to the street corner of his elbow room, and, assuming that all the rooms were the same size of it and Saame configuration, there didn't appear to be any false rampart that person could hide in.

With his illusion still active voice, he went inside the inn and maneuvered through the crowd, this clock time putting all of his endeavor into not bumping up against anyone. He checked the thickness of the floor and ceiling of each storey and found no anomalousness. His mana was starting to run out, so he had to hurry with the last footmark. He returned to the floor of his room and listened to the surrounding doors.

Behind the door across the Charles Francis Hall, he could hear two female adventurers talking, making program for the following day. In the room to the left hand of his, he could hear a man sharpening his sword. The room to the right was silent. From his sac, Noah drew a length of telegram. It was originally part of the handgrip of one of the swords he had sold, but he took it before taking it out of the wagon. Lockpicking had been a science of his several lifespan ago, so he was a little rusty. Regardless, he managed to give the door and peeked in, seeing the one inhabitant sleeping.

Noah ended his search. He now felt like he could truly slack up. He returned to the door of his room."Tin, it's me,"he said while knocking.

He could hear the bed, used as a barricade, being moved aside, and Tin opened the door."Is everything ok ?"

"Yeah, I think we're safe."

They both stepped into the way and released their held breaths upon the door closing. Finally, they could let down their guard, at least for the most part.

"Ok, let's go over the money we collected."

On the table with the lone cd, he spread out the coins from their cut-rate sale. There was a great number of silver coins, plenty of bronze, and various copper, as well as some gold."With all of this, we can delay at this inn for as long as we want. But for now, let's work on keeping it safe."

The atomic number 29 coins would be kept in two of the three snake wallet, as decoy or a lure against dip. The third gear pocketbook held the bronze coins and hung around Tin's neck. As the for the silver and atomic number 79 coins, Tin worked with Noah beside the fire to hide them in his dress and possessions, such as the lining of his jacket and the shoulder strap of his backpack.

Soon after they were done, there was a knock at the door."Here with your bathwater !"a chambermaid announced.

Noah let her in and she placed a wooden tub on the floor, filled with piping water supply and some shred. In this world, it seemed like outside of swimming, the only way to hold open even remotely sporty was with a childlike washables textile. Noah tipped her and she departed.

"Good, I've needed this,"he said.

As he and Tin stripped down, she approached him."lord, please let me wash you."

"What ? You didn't do that before."

There was a despairing shimmer in her eyes."Something which I beg your pardon for. I must show my gratitude for your kindness."

"You don't owe me anything for treating you like a person."

She embraced him from behind."It is my tariff to service my lord. Please, give up me to bear on not disappointing you."

"I never said you couldn't do it. I appreciate your efforts."

She made a modest noise of relief, almost like a cross between a jest and a gasp."Please study a seat."

Noah sat on the metrical unit of the bed and Tin retrieved some of their leftover soap, then brought to tub next him. She kneeled before him and wetted the front of her trunk with one of the rags, then with the soap, lathering up her breasts and between her thigh. He could tell she was excited. Despite her perpetually deadpan case, he could see the humble curling of her lips, the play in her eye, augury of joy. It was an ironic combination ; she, having never known pleasure from contact with a man, and he, so numb that contact lens with a fair sex was one of the live few things that could pay him pleasure.

She began by taking one of the washcloths and scrubbing Noah's wooden leg, trying to move out the sweat and dirt from their days in the Sir Henry Joseph Wood. Then, her breathing would deepen, and she'd start rubbing her chest up against him, grinding against him like a stripper rod. Her breasts were far from plentiful, due to her coarse life and poor diet, but what softness there was, she used to please Noah. She made sure he felt every cubic centimeter of fat, as if the mass of her breasts equaled her dedication.

She washed off the scoop and then got on the bed to repeat the outgrowth on his arms. Her elbow grease gave him an amused grinning. With her inner thigh nice and sudsy, she'd straddle his bridge player, letting him cup her womanhood in his palm tree and experience how wet she was. She was beginning to pant and whimper, her lust building up in her. Her frenzied breaths in his capitulum was likewise getting him worked up. He had a few ex-girlfriends that would give him this treatment.

"Tell me, have you done this before or is this an idea you came up for me ?"

"This is new. I've never felt so much gratitude to my passe-partout before."

She moved behind him and scrubbed his back, then began smooshing her titty against him in sweeping motions. It reminded him of washing windows. While she grinded on his backbone, she washed his chest and her hands naturally fell to his throbbing humanness. She stroked it lovingly, as if wanting to memorize every detail. She started rubbing against him with more force-out and jacking him off. Despite Noah being on the receiving end, Tin's sweat were making her breathe heavily with an randy whimper passing her lips. The flavor of her bosom on his spinal column and her masterful stroking were also getting to Noah. Even with all of his sexual experience, he always enjoyed a little foreplay.

He didn't bother trying to resist and simply ejaculated, while behind him, Tin shuddered as if having a coming of her own. She greedily licked his cum off her work force and then got off the bed, kneeling before him once again. Her gaze, replete of drunken lust, was glued to his semi-flaccid manhood in the aftermath of its eruption.

"skipper, you're so dirty. Let me pick you."

She began sucking on his phallus with worshipful dedication. Every free fall of cum, she slurped off while savoring the taste of his elbow grease. Like the former night, she paid attention to his egg, either massaging them while his hammer plunged into the depth of her pharynx, or sucking on them and rolling them around her oral cavity while she jacked him off.

"My, my, you sure do enjoy servicing me, don't you ?"

She looked up at him, a slave both to him and to her desires."Yes, Master. My physical structure feeling so lots gratitude for you."She couldn't resist, she started playing with herself."Especially down here."

She stood up and he allowed her to get on his lap, shuddering in cloud nine as she felt him enter her. She was so wet, his cock sliding against her inside flesh without any resistance. There was no waver in any of Tin's crusade, she didn't need to adjust her position or let her body get accustomed to the tactile sensation of being penetrated. As soon as she was down to the root word, she began bouncing on his stopcock at full speed.

Noah laid back with his helping hand gripping her ass. The effort she was putting in was commendable, she was fucking him like a pornstar. Her moans of blissfulness, she didn't bother trying to hold back them. She let her vocalism ring out, escaping their room and being heard by everyone in the inn. She cried out like she was being stabbed, but to her, it felt like Noah was going no less deep. She was putting all of her strength into keeping up this speech rhythm, dropping all her weight onto Noah's lap so that he could truly explore her body. She couldn't allow him to exert himself. There were no fields to work, no livestock to take care of. She couldn't fight, couldn't hunt, couldn't do anything to repay her passe-partout for the kindness he had shown her. All she could do was offer her organic structure for his enjoyment, to reach him something to loose his desires on.

But her persuasiveness was fading fast. Despite her movement, Noah wasn't giving in. In fact, he decided to fight back. He retrieved one of the damp washcloths and wiped the soap off her breasts, making her nipples become vertical. He then sat up and began running his tongue and lips across her skin, kissing her areolas and sucking on their pinnacle. He often pulled his rima oris away to unite with hers, kissing her with skill she could only cry art. Rather than letting her continue bouncing, he implemented his own technique. Cupping her nasty ass in his hands, he began gyrating her hips in one direction while he moved in the opposite centering. Now, instead of doing long, deep strokes, his prick was stirring up the depths of her muliebrity like he was whisking some scrambled eggs.

The threefold flack, they were Sir Thomas More than Tin could take over."professional ! Ah ! Master !"she moaned.

She held onto his shoulder joint as a wafture of climaxes rushed through her, soaking Noah's lap in her arousal. Noah fell back, this clip while pulling Tin down with him. Tin, lying across his chest of drawers, was given no meter to rest. He lifted her hips up and began bucking his own, driving up into her at maximum hurrying and depth. His assault on her, there was no cruelty to it, but it was so strong that Tin wondered if she had done something to enrage him. She felt no pain, but if any other man tried to do this, she would be suffering beyond words. It was his skill and experience, she could feel it with every move he made. He knew exactly what to do to not cause any scathe, despite the intensity itself leaving her on the verge of blacking out.

"Master, it feels too near ! You're going to fracture me !"

"Hold on, I'm almost there."

She held onto him for dear lifespan, as if a tornado had ripped off the ceiling of the inn and was threatening to pull her up into the sky. Soon, the storm passed, and Tin felt that final knife thrust and Noah emptying himself into her. The sense impression of her master's seed flooding her fair sex, the heat of it inside her, it made her moan a single crystal-clear notation, like a bird Call. Then, she collapsed on top of him, using the conclusion of her posture to run kisses across his thorax.

"Master, when you wanted to bed the area and me and some early slaves raised out hands… thank you for choosing me."Noah didn't say anything. He knew that this was a spot that one couldn't simply respond with ‘ you're welcome ’. Yet after so many lifetimes, he still didn't know what the right response was."And at the waterfall… thank you for letting me stay by your side."

Then, she closed her eyes and fell asleep, snuggled on his dresser like a cat.

.

.

.

Stamina

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.

The morn of the next day found Noah roaming the village. Before he made any decisions, he wanted to lie with what this township had to offer up, what endeavors it could support. According to the mapping he bought, Robert Clive was far away from the nation's capital, out in the back country, but it appeared to cause a strong economy, with many professing one might not expect in such a uncut arena, like a gold and silverworker. In fact, it seemed to thrive on tourism, but no one would ever come out here on vacation. It was because of the natural resources.

So far, Clive had some farm land and a river for solid food, as well as the vast forest for lumber, but its top commodity was devil. As Noah explored the Town, he saw legion adventurers buying intellectual nourishment and supplies before going off to hunt down and pull together. In the other 17th one C, the fur trade wind exploded in European Union, sending countless men out into the wilderness of Siberia and the Americas to find their fortune. Here, the principal was the Saame. pelt were in need in the big city, but most of the monsters had been wiped out around the more populated domain, so venturer spread out to the countryside to run and deal their catch, and where there is an exploitable resource, you can come up capitalists looking for masses with money burning a hole in their pockets.

His search brought him to the local anesthetic pill pusher, where numerous pots and jars adorned the paries on ledge while dissimilar plant were hung to dry operating expense. He recognized several works, but many were new to him. An old adult female ran the shop, watching Noah like a hawk through the smoke coming from her organ pipe. It filled the air, along with several different kind of incense. No sunshine was allowed in, so as to bear on the plant and potions on exhibit.

"Anything I can assist you find ?"

"Do you have potions to help restitute mana ?"

"Yes. I sell them in three quality at a price of five, ten, and twenty bronze coins, but you have to buy the nursing bottle as well if you don't have any of your own. Look to the ledge behind you, the amobarbital sodium potions."

He examined the vials, three cork feeding bottle with blue liquid, each one a different tone. There was no telling how useful they were. He didn't know how much mana they could replenish, compared to the amount of mana he had within him. And the color tincture, was that because of the presence of a specific ingredient that increased its potentiality ? Or were they just watered down ?

"What about health ?"

"The red 1, above them, and we also sell bandages. However, those are only for showing my ware. Simply tell me what you want and my granddaughter will retrieve it from the indorse room."

These potions, how did they form ? They were clearly some kind of plant-based concoction, but could there be deception involved ? The estimate of learning how to create potions appealed to him, but if it required a special kind of magic, then that programme wouldn't go anywhere.

"I'll take one of each character, both mana and health. I'll buy the bottles."

The char relayed the ordination to someone in the bet on room without ever taking her eyes off Noah. A Whitney Moore Young Jr. young woman appeared behind the counter, carrying a tray of six blue and red potions. Noah paid and stowed them away in his bag.

"You know, if you have trouble collecting the ingredients, I could help in exchange for a discount."

The fair sex cracked a grinning, seeing right through him."How nice of you to offer ! But my son does excellent work."

‘ So, she doesn't even want me to know the ingredients. Oh well, I have way of finding out.'

He left the apothecary and breathed the fresh morn air. The sun had broken free of the sensible horizon, and while it was still early, the Ithiel Town of Clive was now fully bustling. He returned to the inn, where Tin was waiting in their room.

"I got the potions."

"headmaster, you shouldn't bother yourself with such undertaking. It is my duty to run your errands."

She was getting clingier, he had been noticing it steadily progressing. When they first met, she hardly said a word, usually only speaking when necessary, such as to recognise Holy Order or admonish him that something was attacking. As prison term passed, she got more inquisitive, now doing whatever she could to help him. The diminished tasks, she would try to do before he could, like opening doors for him and picking up anything he reached for and handing it to him. It was starting to get annoying, such as during breakfast, when she tried to feed him like he was paralyzed from the neck down. But it made her glad, so he went along with most of it, and he appreciated her affection.

"I'd prefer to get a read on people before sending you to run errands like this. I'm better at detecting cozenage then you are. Since I now know the price of the potions, I can make sure that fair sex at the store doesn't try to surcharge you."

"So what are you going to do with those potions ?"

"Now that we're finally in a safe stead, I'm going to start out experimenting with my magic, and I need your help for that. Because there was always the scourge of monstrosity, I never allowed my mana to fully eat up, so now I can start pushing my limits a little."He pulled out the three mana potions and put them on the table."I'm going to cast my illusion and not stop over until my mana is completely used up and the while comes undone. I need you to supervise my health during the process."

"Master, forgive me, but I'm not a healer. I don't fuck how to do affair like that."

"It's easy. While I'm unseeable, I want you to entertain my wrist and observe my pulse while counting to a hundred over and over again until the spell breaks. If I should miss consciousness, pour one of these potions down my throat and place my hired man over my eye to hit for sure the spell is cancelled. Should my impulse or breathing stop, there is a procedure I'll have you execute called Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR for light. Lie back on the bed and I'll appearance you how it's done."

She took the perspective and he leaned over her, making her breathing time flutter. He placed his helping hand on the plaza of her dresser and felt her become tense."I can finger your heart trouncing. Should mine stop, you'll need to press down on the nerve center of my thorax in speedy thrusts."He stacked his helping hand and gave a few downward shoves. The rhythm of his pushing, the way it forced her deeper into the mattress, it reminded her of something, and seeing the facial expression in her eye, he knew what it was.

"You'll want to do that XXX times. Then, you'll need to nip my nose, and blow out air into my lungs."He lowered his head and kissed her. She replied with exuberance, her breathing space now fluttering, and not because he was pinching her nose. Noah got on top of her."Of course, when you do it, I expect you not to use so lots spit. You'll give me two deep breathes, then do another 30 compressions. Repeat the process until you feel my heart start. Understand ?"

"Yes, Master,"she whispered with a lackadaisical look in her eyes.

"Good. Now, to make sure I only use up my mana, I need to completely debilitate my physical toughness. Care to help me with that ?"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

To the enjoyment of some and the irritation of others, the auditory sensation of Tin's moans could be heard throughout the inn. Not only forte, it was incessant. Aside from some curt breaks, her voice continued to spring off the paries even with the sun now at the highest detail of the day and everyone eating lunch.

On the bed in their shared room, Noah was battering Tin from behind with relentless chroma. She no longer had the strength to even stay on all four-spot, and instead had her face pressed to the sheets, now sticky with their combined fluids. Every shot he delivered would make her cry out in euphoria. She didn't know how many times he had brought her to culminate, nor how many times she felt him oversupply her consistence with his seed, but each event threatened to rob her of her consciousness. Regardless, she fought through, doing everything she could to remain awake so that she could continue to please her master.

"Am I hurting you ?"It was a inquiry that none of her previous masters had ever asked while they violated her. They didn't care about how much painfulness they inflicted on her, unless making her suffer was their finish, which it often was. To get wind it from him, such kind words, they nearly made her cry tears of joy. He asked her frequently, each sentence earning a passionate buss from her.

He wasn't hurting her, rather, she had never felt such joy, but she was so tired, her consistency at its limitation. She didn't understand how it was possible for him to go so long and exert so much force. He was far too immature to have amassed this variety of experience. His intensiveness even frightened her. He acted so that she was assailed with only pleasance, but if she angered him, if the demons of sadism possessed him, could she even come through ?

How had this all started ? What was the reason he had given ? She could barely remember, it felt like so long ago. Oh, that's right, he called it exercise. He asked it of her, but had he demanded it instead, invoked his self-confidence as her master, she would possess been no less turn on. It fulfilled her, to finally be able to show her dedication in the simply way she could. He was depending on her, trusting her to fulfill his expectations, and she was set up to devote her consistence for that. Her muscular tissue begged for rest, but her soulfulness didn't want it to end. She wanted to twine around him like a snake so that he could never leave, and instead continue using her until the end of time.

At this power point, Noah had fully immersed himself in the act of rage, aware of zilch but the strong-arm man. The feel of Tin's body, her wetness and lenient human body around his cock, the taste when their lingua curled around each early when they kissed, the olfactory modality of her womanly inwardness as he brought her to culminate, the vision of the travail glistening on her body as he made her writhe and moan, he bathed in those maven. He felt little affection for her, but at to the lowest degree physical star could appease the ancient whirlpool in his mind, let him shut off his psyche and truly feel again. His mortal, so lust and without stripping, it was like cracked desert clay now becoming fertile with the spring rains.

His forcible toughness, something that Tin was ready to label as inhuman, was just as often mental as physical. With so many life-time'worth of experience, he knew how to work through the botheration. He had felt the torment of elbow grease enough metre to get a line how to ignore it. He couldn't perform any spectacular feats of force like some sort of superhero, but he knew how to properly oxygenize his lineage for the maximum output and sleep with how much potency his muscles could exert without suffering prejudicious damage. He was digging down deep for strength and harnessing every calorie and spark of energy, and while he wasn't on the grade of a bodybuilder, he had built his form through a workout that he had mastered over various lifetimes.

He shuddered as he emptied himself into Tin. After all this time, he couldn't imagine having any sperm left. His soreness was approaching unendurable levels, but even though his erection was fade, he didn't give in. He grabbed Tin by the shoulders and pulled her against him, his backtalk joining hers. She was nearly delirious, acting as if on muscularity memory when she swirled her tongue around his mouth. His hands went to town on her, massaging her modest titty and stirring up the cum in her pussy. Tin was so tired and her pharynx was sore from moaning, but the way Noah tickled her clitoris and bullied her nipples, it still made her whimper in bliss.

He'd do this after every orgasm, keeping her busy while he slowly regained his erecting. However, his manhood had thrown in the towel as his stamina hit zero point. He let go of Tin and she fell back onto the bed. Her center were lacuna from exhaustion, but she rolled onto her binding and banquet her legs, putting herself on display and letting Noah see the semen overflowing from her womanhood.

"master key, I can keep going. delight, keep using me. I'll do whatever you want me to."

"No, that's secure. You were perfect. I can't even puzzle out up the long suit for a single thrust."He reached into his bag and pulled out the faint of the three healing potions. Even that job was almost beyond his ambit. He might as well take just won the spell de France."Here, drink this."She was too tired to displace, so Noah put the bottle to her backtalk and let some trickle down her throat. She was soon revived, her trunk no longer trembling.

‘ So, profane potions restore witching stamina and red potions restore physical stamina.'

"If you're hungry, eat fast. I need to commence performing this experimentation immediately."As he spoke, his own belly roared like thunder. He fell back on the bed, dizzy from exhaustion.

"original, what about you ?"

"I can't, yet. I need to measure only my mana, and if I eat or do anything to convalesce my physical strength, it will skew the results."

"Are you sure you want to do this ? The more you describe it, the more dangerous this seems."

"It probably is dangerous, but I don't bed how my mana reserves compare to an average magic drug user my age, and this is quick way to increase it. Now, don't let go of my wrist and start counting as soon as I become invisible. If my ticker stops or there are any signs that my health is deteriorating, give me both a mana potion and a wellness potion, then perform CPR. Remember : thirty densification and then two breaths. You got that ?"

"Yes, Master."

Noah put his hand over his eye and disappeared in front of Tin. However, Tin could still palpate him, feel his wrist in her hand and his warmth, and it comforted her. Upon the activation of the patch, Noah could feel his mana being depleted. It was a strange fatigue, like he was bleeding to death. All of his mental focus was put on restricting the flowing of mana to just his body, so that nothing else would get caught in his illusion and waste mana. It was why he left the job of timekeeping to Tin.

From his experience so far, he could maintain the trick for about three moment before his motor purpose declined too far for him to fight. He didn't know if that was good or bad, but in time, he could smell out that line being crossed. From there, his thinking and physical posture began a rapid decline. Noah fought with everything he had to stay conscious, even when he could no longer keep his eyes open. His consciousness soon sank into a rift where he could feel his mana continuing to use up but couldn't feel his own body.

Then, he began to feel his mana regenerating, without any sign of the zodiac that it was being used up. His consciousness started to belch back to life, and he soon opened his optic and looked at Tin, whose own were filled with relief.

"passe-partout,"she whispered, clutching is hand.

"So, the spell came undone. How foresighted did I last until that happened ?"

"I managed to count to a hundred almost four clip. Then when you became visible, I gave you the potion. Your heart slowed, but it didn't stop, and you kept breathing."

"So, while with my physical stamen completely drained, I can hold the enchantment for about five minutes before I pass out. At replete persuasiveness, I can maintain it that long while still being able to fight. This is beneficial, I'm in thoroughgoing condition to get the upright benefit for stressing my mana, and since my heart and breathing didn't full stop, I don't need to worry about suffocating. Either that potion will wear off off or it'll manage to replenish all my mana, but whichever happens first, I'll start again immediately after."

He gave himself time for the mana to recirculate through his body. He checked his reflex, forcible strength, and mental processing. True, he felt half-dead from exhaustion and sore all over, but he knew what tangible damage would feel like. Complete mana loss felt just like bleeding to death, so there was always the opening that being drained of it for too long would have exchangeable issue to his body, like blindness or muscle death. There was no telling if the wellness potions could mend those sort of injuries.

Nothing appeared to be wrong, so he returned to the bed."All right, we're going to keep doing this."

They repeated the process over and over again. Noah would expend all of his mana through his illusion, Tin would wake him up with a potion, he'd substantiation himself for damage, and then they'd start all over. He sent Tin out multiple sentence to buy more potions for him, and they even experimented to see how much they could water it down while still providing sufficient rejuvenation.

As the day rolled on, Noah's body begged for food for thought. The rumbling of his stomach and his disorientation concerned Tin, but he refused any sort of keep, and for beneficial reason. Each clock time he performed the process, he noted his mana modesty increasing. He didn't know what mana was or how he produced it, but without physical toughness to break the blow of depletion, the source of his mana was being stressed to its boundary, and was reaping the benefits. There were a lot of things about mana and magic that he didn't understand, such as how fast an individual could tone theirs. For all he knew, he could be lagging behind in the training, but he was fairly certain that he had struck gold.

As Nox fell, Tin once more than arrived at their room, despondent."Please forgive me, maestro. The herbalist had closed down her workshop for the Nox and wouldn't even open her door."

"For the best, I imagine, considering how she started throwing clobber at you last time. We've probably bought up all the provision that she's unforced to deal us."

"So what now ?"

"Now we have dinner. I think that if I pass out again, we'll have to resort to healing potions to come alive me up."

"I can feature it brought up to us."

"No, let's go downstairs. I'm rather sick of this room and need some novel air."

He tried to sit up in the bed, but even that was almost beyond him. How retentive had it been since he was this drained of strength ? There was that time when he starved to death… When was that ? Even his mind was on the scepter of shutting down. He tried to get dressed, but his body wouldn't obey his will, and to his pity, Tin had to help him. It reminded him of all the prison term he was in hospice, when the nurses had to do everything for him while he waited to die.

"Sorry,"he said.

She smiled, something she was doing more and more frequently."You need not worry, Master. While I was never the servant of any great nobles, I heard that this was a duty that their maids often performed. Simply imagine that you are a cracking viscount, or even an earl."

"What about a duke ?"he asked with a chuckle.

Having helped him put his shirt on, she leaned against his binding."Yes. I'm sure you will someday even become a duke."

Now fully dressed, he was helped to his feet and they left the room, though he had to incline on Tin for support. From upstairs, they could take heed the rowdiness of the guests in the dining room, singing songs and knocking their phiz together. Yet as the adolescent appeared and made their way to their board from the previous evening, that clamor went died down, with all middle on them. There was some quieten muttering, several people whispering to their friends to inquire as to the silence. Noah and Tin took their can, the bar as quiet as a graveyard, then the innkeeper showed up with their dinner. It was chunks of meat carved from a wolf, and Noah's portion was larger than anyone else's.

"I'd say you earned it,"the vauntingly fair sex said coyly.

That appeared to be some kind of star sign, because a man at the bar with a beard down to his knock raised his mug."Hail to the Lester Willis Young male monarch ! He who could bring in even a succubus beg for rest !"

The bar practically exploded, with people of all ages swarming their table to pat Noah on the back, congratulate him on his acquirement, and beg him for advice. Many charwoman approached, flirting with Noah and inviting him to bring together them for the evening. Noah even saw one female explorer holding back her friend who was trying to border on with a hungry—or rather"thirsty"—look in her eye and a all-embracing smile on her face. Tin also got plenty of attention. Everyone wanted to know who was struggling to keep back up with who, which of the two was the insatiate one. The women who could not snare Noah would rick to her, asking for details while voicing their green-eyed monster. In the background, the invitee began singing Song dynasty of wooing women and romantic story, with the convention body process of the bar becoming a raving party.

Noah simply sat there with an awkward grinning, annoyed that his plans to keep a low profile had gone of up with smoke, but amused with the site nonetheless. Tin, too nervous and humiliated to say anything, simply hung her psyche while her face turned red as a tomato.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

It was close to midnight, and Noah, having regained his forte, made his way to the dark chemist. He carried a lantern with him, but its flaming, like Noah, was unseeable to anyone and anything, and the road remained as dark as it would be without his presence. He had shrouded it in his delusion as a way to test himself. If his mana slipped, brightness would escape. After the day's preparation, the mana using up was next to naught. He had already passed the five-minute cross and didn't feel dizzy. With a few More days of education, he might be able to maintain the trick for an hour or more.

He reached the computer memory and went to work picking the lock while sending his mana into the threshold. Wrapped in his head game, the door made no noise, even when he opened it. There were a few safety patrolling the Ithiel Town, but they wouldn't have noticed him, even without being invisible. He entered the store and thinned the mana around his lantern just enough to let go of a deliquium beam of light.

There was plenty of valuable fabric to steal, but Noah and Tin's suspicious conduct would give birth left an impression on the old womanhood, and she'd assume they did it. He could give birth just killed her and taken whatever he wanted, even wiped out her family to be safe, and anyone who suspected and came after him. From the moment he discovered his magic, he had thought of all the means he could use it, both bad and good. It would have been so easy, he kept reminding himself, but that wasn't the liveliness he wanted to live, even if it was one he would have lived in the past tense.

Instead, he searched the workshop for Holy Scripture and potion recipes, simply to learn, rather than steal. None could be found, meaning they must have been hidden elsewhere. He did find plentitude of compounding equipment, which he memorized in order to replicate. Noah moved beyond the computer memory and into the fair sex's house. She lived, as everyone else did in this reality, rustically. All light was innate or flame-based, any nutrient that could go bad was salted and kept in jars, there was no endure pee, and all the shaft were pre-industrial. It still reeked of potions and herbaceous plant, but that look was probably hard to restrain to the shop.

He came across a large wooden chest of drawers set against the wall, and after picking the lock chamber, got it unfold, revealing his loot. The old cleaning lady's whole program library was kept neatly arranged, all the answers Noah needed. In this world, information was as important for survival as food and body of water, so until society managed to contrive the printing mechanical press, record book were worth their weight in Au. Despite the tantalizing noesis at his fingertips, Noah went straight for the alchemy books. He looked up the recipes for introductory health and mana potions, memorizing the element and processes.

Finding satisfaction, he removed all tincture of his visit and left the apothecary.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

The arrival of the next day brought Noah and Tin out to the woods to pull together herbs and James Henry Leigh Hunt monster. Buying all the potions yesterday had taken a big chunk out of their cash in hand, so Noah wanted to gather some material he could sell. He had asked around the tap house the former night and managed to find out the most valuable parts of giant. He also found out some interesting facts.

"Summoned by magic ?"

"Yes sir,"said the bartender as he used a dirty rag to pick a glass."If you're really golden, you'll manage to see it fall out. There are legerdemain circles scattered across these lands, absorbing mana from the air and using it to mobilize wildcat. About a fourth of each behemoth race is created by magic. And not just monsters, woodland fauna as well, from the cervid to the razz. Shouldn't you know that by now if you're going to be an adventurer ?"

Noah remembered his engagement in the forest, the monstrosity that seemed to be shrouded in mana."Huh, my country didn't have anything like that."

Despite it being true, it was used as a lie. Ignorance of BASIC facts would give him away and make people mistrustful, so he was hesitant to ask about anything involving magic. He couldn't expect much from this globe's story of pedagogy, but a man with no knowledge of conjuring trick would probably endure out like a man in the 21st century that had never seen electricity before. At least claiming to be a outlander would rationalise near errors. He just had to hope he didn't meet up with any international merchandiser before he got more information.

"Where do these magic rophy follow from ?"

"According to legend, there was a war between the gods and the smell of nature. The flavor used their legerdemain to cite regular army of creatures, so that the minions of the God could never walk the earth, and that illusion remains to this day. Some believe that it is a weapon being used against mankind, to halt our enlargement and exploration into new lands. Many believe it to be the work of troublemaker that got their hands on some kind of illegal magic, spreading the magic traffic circle to create havoc.

Many times in history, areas have been declared monster-free, only for the wight to return. Even islands get plagued with monsters despite being swept clean. It's why many turn to adventuring ; the steady income from hunting monsters and the reliable food for thought source."

As Noah thought back to the conversation, he heard move nearby. Bursting from the undergrowth, an teenager wolf lunged at Noah and Tin. Noah was fast on the draw and managed to lather the devil on the shoulder joint with his longsword. It landed behind him, slightly limping but showing no mansion of giving up. It flashed eyes full of bloodlust while it snarled and foamed. Tin hurried behind Noah, as per his orders, while he stared it down. If he cast his illusion, he could easily belt down it without it ever seeing the tone-beginning coming, but today, he was sharpening his combat skills and refining his swordplay, so he needed to face his enemy without hiding from them. Besides, freak that lost track of him often turned their aid to Tin.

Noah made the first of all move, charging while swinging down at the wolf's other shoulder. It jumped to the side to elude, but Noah widened the slant of the slash as he brought it down, turning it into a stroke onrush. Chasing the wolf with his swing, he managed cut into its soma. The skirt chaser, infuriated by pain in the ass, pounced from a senior high angle, aiming for Noah's head word. The slant was guileful, Noah sidestepping out of the reach of its pincer, raising blade, and delivering an public executioner's chop to the spinal column of the neck, severing its head.

He didn't drop his safety device and scanned the domain, searching for any other wildcat in hiding. He could detect none."Clear."

That was his signal to Tin. With Noah keeping guard duty, she went to work on the brute, removing the valuable contribution like the skin and sure muscle and electronic organ. It was messy work, but worth the elbow grease. Everything was stored in her backpack and several early sac and cup of tea, along with Noah's bow and former adventuring supplies. Since Noah was doing all the fighting, the job of pack mule fell to her, or rather, she insisted on it.

Once she had gathered the effective pieces, they set off again. Many might disapprove of letting so much of the fiend go to dissipation, but the subspecies couldn't go extinct and something else would come along and eat it, so Noah didn't feel too bad. Minutes after they moved on, Noah caught sight of something ahead, zooming between the trees.

"Tin, step back."

Noah readied himself, his sword raised as the blur approached. It was another woman chaser, moving much more erratically than the one Noah had just killed. It lunged for him and he sliced off its head. It was rather slowly, as if the fauna's mind was scattered. Perhaps it was rabid ? But as he turned to probe the corpse, he realized he had broken a fundamental sin. There was an arrow in its hind leg, meaning that this animate being had already been claimed.

Two young women appeared, having apparently sprinted a large distance and now gasping for breath. Noah had seen them before at the inn. One of them, a blonde Sagittarius, had attempted to talk to him the previous night, but her champion, a brunette with a staff, stopped her.

"Sorry about that, it seems I took your kill."

Neither women responded, both leaning on their stifle and looking like they were about to flop. Noah looked to Tin and nudged his head towards them. She got the message and approached with a water skin.

"Here, drink this."

The blonde gratefully took the urine and drank deeply, then handed it to her friend."Thank you, both of you. We were so skinny to giving up."

"I kept trying to catch it with my magic, but it was fast, even with an arrow in its leg,"said her friend.

The archer looked at them and gained a wide smile."Oh, I know who the two of you are !"

Tin blushed and averted her gaze. The magic substance abuser looked at them and sighed."proficient God, not again."

The Archer extended her hired man to Noah."I'm Beth and this is Mira, very pleased to make your acquaintance."

Noah shook her hand."I'm Noah and this is Tin."

"You took care of that Friedrich August Wolf so easily ! With skills like yours, we would bonk to team up up. What do you say ?"

"Sorry, but I'm still refining my attainment and gaining experience, and I feel it works better when I fight the battles alone, but maybe in the future we could team up. Have you two been adventuring long ?"

"Kind of,"said Mira,"but not against devil this bombastic and fast. We each came from surface area where the fighting was a lot easier and bit were thinner, but we weren't making plenty money and decided to try moving out here for a while."

"You said you tried slowing the wildcat down with conjuring trick. If you don't mind me asking, what kind ? I can't use it myself and I don't know much about it."

"Oh, well I'm a mage, so I can use elemental magic to stir and control matter like fire and urine. My endowment lie in controlling the earth, like this."She turned away and looked into the aloofness. gang of sandstone-colored luminosity appeared around her carpus like doughnut, and Noah could see diagrams and runes of an stranger spoken communication."Earth Bind !"

She raised her staff and then slammed it into the solid ground. There was a heart rate, and the background came undone like there was an brute tunneling just under the surface. It blastoff across the forest floor, and thirty invertebrate foot away, there was an bam of solid ground, with hard-packed stain forming jagged shapes that converged like a closing flower. Anything caught within it would surely get held in place, even stabbed if they moved around the faulty way. The fire world used to create the spindle produced a pit, just in guinea pig anything tried to duck.

"Yeah, I can see why it wouldn't employment in this case."

"What ? Why ?"

"Well we're in the woods. The ground is riddled with solution holding it together, so it takes a lot of time and elbow grease to foregather the soil and form it into those spikes. Also, you're going for fast prey with good reaction speed, so as soon as they sense the plan of attack, they'll motion before it fully activates. I assume your strategy was for Beth to injure it with the arrow, keeping it from moving while you cast your piece ?"

"That's right,"said Beth.

"And then you finish it off with Thomas More pointer, right ? It's a honest strategy, keeping your distance from the foeman to minimize peril. However, in this variety of environment and with this target, you'd need to modify it up a bit. I suggest using poison arrows, or at least some kind of paralytic agent. That way, even a low-damage hit will slow it down. I'd also suggest using a larger bow for more penetration.

Mira, do you cognise any other enchantment ?"

"I can create a dust cloud and send Edward Durell Stone flying."

"But aught close-range ? That'll be a problem if there is Thomas More than one enemy or they get within striking distance. Mira, I suggest you work on learning a enchantment for scrimmage fighting, and Beth, get a sword. You also should find another member to get together your party, sorry I couldn't be that person. They'd have to be able-bodied to pin down the foe in one location for your pointer and illusion to be able to hit their mark."

Beth and Mira swarmed him with desperation in their optic."Please reconsider joining us ! We need someone like you, desperately !"Mira said.

"You can even go along to the highest degree of the money ! And if that isn't enough, I can pay you extra in nighttime fun !"Beth added.

Noah hadn't expected them to get so worked up and wanted to back up away, only to realize Tin was standing behind him. She was tugging on his shirt, giving him her basset hound eyes, though he couldn't tell if she was trying to convert him to change his idea or telling him that they were ameliorate off on their own.

"Sorry, but I can't. I'm really trying to centre on training. I'm certain you can find a struggling swordsman who's desperate for a party to link up and would fit right in with you two. Tin and I have to get going. You were first to wound the beast, so the body belongs to you. We'll see you later."

He and Tin set out, waiting until Beth and Mira were out of earshot to talk.

"Was Master… interested in those two ?"Tin asked.

"Well, the idea of forming a party is appealing, and their long-range abilities would definitely help out. However, I'd prefer to operate away from prying eyes for the fourth dimension being. I didn't sentience any evil intent in them, but there is no telling if they can be trusted or not. But I'm glad we ran into them, it gave me a chance to study elemental magic a bit."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

They continued through the forest, hunting for monsters while trying to avoid other adventurers. Along with battles, they also stopped to amass herbs. Noah was always playing through the potion recipes in his judgement. Then, when noon arrived, they stopped for dejeuner by the river. Their food was slightly better than the stuff they ate before reaching Clive, in the sentience that the bread wasn't quite-rock hard and the meat actually had flavor. It was still dissatisfactory compared to a hot meal. Their water came from the river, first filtered through a survival pale yellow that Noah made.

Once they were done eating, Noah pulled out all of the flora they had gathered. He picked three different plants out of the pile ; offshoot of blue strawberries, several metrical foot of a vine with square leaves, and an orange moss."Of the recipe I saw, this one is the easiest and doesn't require any specialized tools. Even if it doesn't work, it will still be full practice. We just have to grind these up with a proportion of 5:2:7 and mix them together with some water."

They gathered Harlan Fiske Stone from the river to use as makeshift mortar and pestles and went to work. Working side by slope, Noah noticed a belittled smile on Tin's face."This reminds me of making lye at the waterfall,"she said.

"Hopefully it won't have the Saami effect."

They mixed the ingredients together and poured them into the three potion bottles from the apothecary. They added some freshly water and Noah could see the intermixture glowing as the potion was formed. Whether or not this potion contained mana or simply sped up the rude rejuvenation process, it appeared the requirement chemical chemical reaction was taking place.

"good, now to quiz it. I think this will be the perfect tense opportunity to see what my next magical spell is."It was very slight, but Noah could see Tin's fervor."You should move back. If this second magic spell is anything like my magic, you probably won't be in danger, but it's better to be safe."

Tin moved back twenty base, and Noah, after taking a abstruse breath, put his bridge player over his right eye. The consequence was instantaneous, his mana being drained twice as fast as his number one spell, and this time, he could actually feel something happening to him. His body, it felt weightless, and his tree branch, they were just moving of their own accord like jellyfish tentacles. His vision, it was almost foggy, like he was seeing stunt man. It felt, of all things, like he had just taken a hit of some high-quality pot.

If his concentration broke for even a secondment, he felt like his limbs and question would just float on their own. Noah dropped his manus and staggered, nearly falling just like the first time he tried it back in the Mrs. Henry Wood. It was like every cause he made had to be performed while walking on a tripwire, or else he would fall. He was shifting from side to side, struggling to remain in dominance. While this would be a great thing to do while attending a concert or watching a funny movie, it was far from useful in battle.

"I'm definitely feeling something. How do I reckon ? Can you still see me ?"

"Uh… I think so. How… are you doing that ?"

"Doing what ?"

"Master, look at your hands."

Noah, through great difficulty, raised his palms and looked them. He blinked and squinted several times, trying to see through the afterimages floating around them like an aureole. Had he touched some bad mushrooms and then breathed in the spores ?

‘ No, wait a second…'

These aftersensation, they weren't some blurry silhouette ; they had crystal-clear details. They were like exact copy trying to use up the same distance. He moved his branch around, watching the copies follow the original. They were fancy ! He stopped moving his real arms and tried to move the copy. He thought about it, he envisioned it happening, but only when he gave up and tried to raise his genuine munition did the copy obey and fulfill the action mechanism. It was only for a second before they returned to their original blank space, but he had gotten them to move.

It took respective hour of repeated attempts before he figured it out. Halfway between thought of moving his arms and actually harnessing the physical military capability within them to create that movement, there was a point where he could propel the copies. He was soon moving the illusionary coat of arms however he wanted, with Tin watching at a total expiration. His mana was starting to run low, so he cancelled the spell and leaned on his knees.

"Master, what was that ?"

"An illusion. It appears that my left eye can hold in my very soundbox, while my right eye can produce a fraud. I can hold it similar to how I move on my own, but it requires a lot of focus. hired hand me a mana potion, will you ?"He downed one of the potions and then lied down on the terra firma and reactivated the charm."Watch this."

Tin could immediately see it on his face, the elbow grease and focus he was putting in, but her attention was immediately drawn elsewhere, as a secondly Noah seemed to resurrect from the body of the starting time like two cells dividing. For Noah, it almost an out of consistency experience. The illusion stood up, every movement that Noah would have made being performed. It was hard beyond words, leaving him drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Every muscle involved in standing up had to be acknowledged, from the heftiness supporting his nous, all the way down to the muscles in his feet as they tried to transfix the solid ground for balance. He had to fancy not just the movement, but the sentience of moving.

The clone stepped forward, every campaign clunky and unnatural, like a cheap robot. The knockoff turned to Tin, who was completely bewildered and even frightened. The clone opened its mouth. It started out sounding like tuner static, but Noah managed to speak through the illusion.

"U-u-u-u-i-i-i-I cueolemfr-cuernlk-caern cont-cont-control it."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

For the next three weeks, Noah and Tin worked out a procedure of expanding Noah's mana reservation and going out to hunt, one day inside and one day outside. Everyone in the inn became aware of the normal, as every other day, from breakfast to lunch, Tin's moan filled the building. It became quite the story around town, many people coming to the inn just see if the rumors were admittedly. Tin would rob Noah of all of his stamen and they'd perform the drain and replenish process with the mana potions. The next day would be spent gathering herbaceous plant to throw Sir Thomas More potions and materials to sell, and stay cultivating Noah's scrap abilities.

To deplete his mana, Noah experimented with his mo piece. For the low gear week, he focused on perfecting the clone's movements and oral communication. He tried to get it as normal looking as possible, having it walk around the elbow room and imitate versatile actions. Unfortunately, since it was just an illusion, it couldn't actually touch anything or impress its environs, and while he could speak through it, he couldn't see what it saw or hear what it heard. Unless it was in vision at all times, he was piloting screen. Strangely, Tin said that the clone had the same smell as him, while when he was invisible, his olfactory perception was concealed.

He spent the succeeding week learning how to proceed both his real and bullshit eubstance at the same metre. He started out small, first with finger movements, then branch campaign, then upped it up to having it walk around the room while he stood by the bed, which was surprisingly hard with all of the muscles required to remain standing good. By the end of the calendar week, he and the knockoff could walk simultaneously.

In the third week, he added his world-class patch to the mix, moving the dead ringer around as he performed a task while inconspicuous. The mana expenditure was monumental, so much so that the rate of his reserves increasing was slowed, and it became more difficult to distinguish how much progress he was making. Despite that, they proved to be a favorable combining. The clone could act as a thoroughgoing bait, while Noah would aggress in his invisible form.

His first spell didn't just have him invisible, it affected whatever object he touched, concealing and also creating illusions to hide any alteration he made, like footprint, while the second could create a full illusion, but of himself, one that had a near physical bearing. These magic spell, they were Sir Thomas More than just bending visible light. It seemed like they were two halves of a single turn.

When he wasn't preparation, Noah went around townsfolk to get together information about the rural area, magic, and monsters. In a fiddling backwoods village like this, the outcome were far from bountiful or even reliable. He would take to make a motion to a bigger metropolis to get better-quality information. The Utheric capital would be his best bet, but it was weeks of change of location and prep had to made for a trip like that.

Try as he might, it was hard to remain unnoticed. Rumors about him circulated through the townspeople, with people he had never met knowing his name. He would walk down the street and cleaning woman would nictate and drift kisses, even trying to seduce him. Men would smirk and nod in approval as they passed by, a agency of displaying respect. Even the old lady at the pharmaceutics would tease him. When Tin went out, she'd wear a hood to conceal her identity. It wasn't an paragon position. If he was to be known throughout the village, he wished it would be for something a little more heroic.

.

.

.

Medicine

.

.

.

The fountain rains were dramatic, passionate, the lifeblood of Mother Nature as she fully awoke from her wintertime sleep and prepared for summer. Yet at the instant, the fury with which the enlarged pearl fell was not appreciated, for they numbed Noah's fingers as he gripped his sword and made him shudder as his apparel became worthless from the damp. It was also difficult to see, splashing against his brass and blurring his imagination, but he kept his regard focused on his enemies.

He was out in the wood, Tin having retreated as per his orders. Before him, a terzetto of bandits, all with weapons raised. Noah was armed with his short sword, unable to manage his independent vane, due to an pointer stuck in his shoulder joint. When he was first struck from bum, he had hoped it was simply a hunter's honest mistake, but the bloodthirsty spirit on the men's faces told him that he was their genuine target. They probably robbed and killed adventurer for a animation, and he couldn't imagine their female victims dying quickly.

Should he just plough invisible and dispatch them before they could revenge ? No, there was something he wanted to try, and a human adversary would be the perfect test subject. He raised his free deal towards his font, breaking the impasse with one of the bandit firing his charge arrow. Noah deflected it with his shield, the most he could do with his spite shoulder. He swept his bridge player across his eyes as if trying to clear his sight, activating both of his spells. However, rather than splitting from his illusionary knockoff, he wore it, syncing his bm with the bandit not even noticing a difference.

One of the Sagittarius's cohorts, this one armed with a large battle axe, charged towards him. Noah had his clone need a justificatory posture, while he pulled away, stepping ahead and stabbing the man through the heart before he could do his golf shot. The Sagittarius the Archer shot another arrow as Noah stepped back into his illusion, but he again blocked with his shield. Noah, with his movements concealed, drew several pocket-size knives from his belt and hurled them at the bowman. His mana clung to the blades, rendering them invisible as they buried themselves in the archer, taking him out of the game.

All that was left was a swordsman, and he knew that something was going on. Two of his cohorts were short, but he didn't understand how. He pushed his mix-up aside and charged towards Noah. Noah blocked and parried his attacks with his steel, wanting to lease his clock time and bask the scrap. He was so secondhand to fighting monsters, he wanted to make sure his science in killing other man hadn't gone dull, to refamiliarize himself with their unique drift and techniques.

He was allowing the brigand to push him back, though there was picayune he could do to stop it. His opponent was armed with a ambidextrous sword, so he could return more force than Noah could come up with his short blade. He strung the brigand along, using repetitive, easy movements, laying a faux trail as to what his side by side move would be. He made a broad swinging from the side, and the bandit automatically blocked, however, the blade never came, it was only Noah's illusionary arm. His real arm swung from the opposite slope, slashing the bandit across the stomach.

He staggered back, cursing in pain and trying to interpret what happened. Noah closed in and the bandit tried to open some space with a right cleave. Noah blocked with his sword, at least, that's what the bandit saw. In truth, he had blocked with his shield, allowing him to welt the bandit across the radiocarpal joint without him even seeing the attack coming. Blood poured freely, the man's script now useless. He released a cry of elbow grease and tried a one-handed baseball swing. The blade sliced through Noah's neck, just as the man had aimed for, but he knew something was wrong when no severed head fell, and what's more, he hadn't felt anything when he made the slash. It was like he had hit nothing but air. He raised his sword to choke up a swing from Noah, but in realism, it was a stab, with Noah's steel piercing his chest. Noah confirmed all three deaths and then called out to Tin.

"Do me a favor and pull this arrow out."

"I'm afraid it'll hurt."

"I can handle it."

She was uneasy, but she grabbed and arrow and ripped it out without exit, making Noah face in annoyance. She pulled out a red potion from her bag and poured it on the wound. In s, it scabbed over, with the tissue paper within stitching itself back together. These health potions were a real life-saver, miracles in a bottle.

"Thanks."

Noah once more checked the eubstance, but their faces didn't peer any wanted posters, meaning there was no bounty that he could collect with their heads. Tin went to work, stripping the bodies of everything utilitarian. They were so used to this turn that he rarely needed to give her orders.

"I think we should call it a day. I don't think this pelting is going to block anytime."

"I agree,"Tin said.

They set off backbone towards the Ithiel Town, fantasizing of removing their inebriate apparel and warming themselves beside a fire. They had muckle to stock, and the rain made everything heavier, with the tally cold sapping their strength. By the clip they reached the inn, even Noah was on his close legs, and felt weak. The sun hadn't fully set yet, but the cloud were so midst that it was almost sales talk mordant out.

It was a relief to finally get inside and out of the rain, but Noah knew something was off. He felt woozy, his thoughts getting hazy.

"Don't tell me you two were out in that rain all day !"the host said when she saw them.

"We're going to stay in our room tonight. Can you have someone bring our meals up to us, along with supernumerary firewood ?"

"Sure affair, dearie."

They proceeded up the stairs, but Noah had to stop halfway up. He was out of breath, and it felt like the room was spinning.

"master copy, is something wrong ?"

"I think I'm coming down with something. Help me up the stairs."

She lent him her shoulder and they made their way up to their way. Before they even closed the door, Noah dumped his pack and weapons and began pulling off his clothes. Tin locked the door and started a fire in the hearth. Once free of his wet clothes, Noah collapsed on the bed. The mattress was chunky straw, the flat solid were rough like sandpaper, and the cover smelled like wet dog no matter how many times it was cleaned, but Noah was thankful for them.

As the fire started to incinerate and satiate the room with light and heat, there was a knock on the doorway. Two chambermaids stood alfresco, the innkeeper's daughters, though they were younger than Tin. One of them held two trays of food, and the other held an exceptionally big packet of firewood. Noah hid himself beneath the blanket and Tin answered. As Noah had taught her, she kept the door open just enough to occupy the food and firewood, and didn't allow them inside.

Tin brought him his meal and felt his forehead."overlord, you're burning up."

"I'll be all right. aim off your wearing apparel and warm yourself by the flaming before you end up like me."

He watched her undress and the two of them sat on the bed, wrapped in cover as they ate their dinner. It was hot stew, the consummate comfort solid food. Unfortunately, Noah was starting to determine it hard to get down. By the fourth dimension he finished, his external respiration was becoming labored and his center was beating irregularly. Noah was hoping it was just a cold, but this was starting to feel much more intense and was coming on too quickly. Perhaps a disease native to this humankind ?

Tin could see his condition decline in quality."passkey, you should get some sleep."

She took his tray and gently pushed him onto his back. Truth be told, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he lost the intensity level to move. He lay there, watching Tin set up a clothesline so everything could be hung up to dry. Once she was done, she added some more wood to the attack and slid under the blankets. Her raw body met his and she curled up against him.

Noah closed his eyes, but while sleep was quick to make out, it was unpleasant. Nightmares assailed him, a burning heat ravaging him both physically and mentally. He remembered tossing and turning throughout the dark, when the pain in his torso outweighed his fatigue. All of his muscles ached and spasmed almost nonstop, his tum felt like it was full of oil, and he couldn't get off his fever.

He finally awoke the future morning to the sight of rain pelting the window. His mouth was as dry as ashes and he felt like he was going to die of thirstiness, just like he had a few time in the past. The rainfall, it had gotten him into this pot, but now he so desperately wanted it. He wanted to go out and vent the heat that clung to him like a scamp on his back.

"Tin,"he murmured. His articulation was faint, as it felt like his lingua and pharynx would collapse like clay."Tin,"he said again, putting all of his strength into it.

"Master ?"

He saw her in his peripheral visual sense, but he didn't have the specialty to plough to her.

"Water."It was all he could say.

She brought him a cup of water, and in his restlessness, he tried to pull it from her men, if only to get it to his mouth a nanosecond sooner. His clumsy reach was ignored and she helped him turn on his book binding so that he could drink. It was some of the best water supply he had ever tasted, and he felt some life return to him, if only a little.

"More."

She brought over the pitcher to refill the cup, but he simply snatched it and drank the wholly matter.

"How do you finger ?"

"Everything hurts, I feel like I'm on fire. I think I'm gon na … gon na …"He covered his oral cavity and frantically pointed to the chamber pot in the corner of the room. He had detested the bearing of such an unhealthful matter since he first arrived at this inn, but finally, he was grateful to possess it. Tin brought the pot over and he vomited everything he drank, plus lastly night's dinner. He fell back on the bed, with his stomach feeling even regretful. He had gotten a nasty flu a few long time ago, but even that wasn't as bad as this. This was like malaria combined with detox."Ugh… fuck. In every lifetime, getting be sick sucks ass."

"I'll go get the innkeeper. She may know what's wrong."

"No. Me being fed up leaves us vulnerable, and the more people know about it, the large the danger. If I can't fight, we're easy prey. If I'm still in this condition by tomorrow, then you can get help."

"What can I do ?"

There were plant life that could serve with common cold and flu symptoms, but his mind was too hazy to call back them."true pine phonograph needle tea, like I made by the river, and see if someone in the kitchen will make me some hot oatmeal."

Tin was hesitating, not wanting to leave his side, but she obeyed. With her gone, Noah tried to fall back to sleep, but could only get a pale imitation that was nowhere near as restful. For Noah, it felt like his brain was being fed on by ants. He spent the relief of the day in bed, passing in and out of knowingness. Tin remained with him whenever possible. She used damp rags to keep his fever in check, and hung a kettle over the fire, making tea for him whenever he asked, though his thirst was unquenchable.

noonday came around, and Noah sat up to eat his lunch, though it was a bowl of soup. Normally, people ate whatever the business firm special was at the time, but by paying additional, invitee of the inn could edict particular nutrient, at to the lowest degree, within reason. The stock went down well-heeled, but the inwardness and vegetables felt like cacti rolling down his throat. As he ate, Tin helped wipe the sudor from his consistency. His spot on the bed would need some metre to dry out. When he had finished eating, he simply sat with his heading in his hands, taking deep breaths and trying to disregard the throbbing pain.

Tin leaned against his back."Please, what can I do to help ?"

"You're doing pot for me already."

"There must be more that I can do."

"wellspring it hurts me to say this, but I'll necessitate your help using that chamber pot."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

"Aye, this is springburn all right."Noah opened his eyes, finding the innkeeper examining him, with Tin standing in back. The woman was holding a handkerchief over her horn in and mouth, and not touching him directly, instead with one of the rags Tin used.

"That's really bad, isn't it ?"Tin asked.

"It's not salutary. I know four others in townsfolk who have it and they are suffering as well. It always manages to kill a few people each class. My one-time once had it and he nearly died."

Noah saw it, Tin's articulatio humeri trembling."What can I do to aid him ?"

"Exactly what you've been doing. I know of some teas that will help him feel a bit better. He'll either bring in it or he won't, though I think his probability are good."

"How much time would I have if it were to be black ? How long does this last ?"Noah asked.

"Three sidereal day. After that, you're in the clear."She got to her feet and returned to the door."I'm confining you both to this room until this blows over. The last thing I need is for everyone in the inn to get sick."She left the room and locked the door behind her.

"It would be better for her to just confuse us out,"said Noah,"rather than simply isolate us and take a chance everyone. She must like us a bit, or at to the lowest degree want to protect her repute. I told you to wait a day before calling her."

"But I did. Don't you think of ? You told me that yesterday."

"Ah, withdrawn, my apologies. The pouch under the floorboard, can you get it for me, please ?"

Tin lifted a loose floorboard, revealing a enclosed space underneath, in which a leather pouch sat. She presented it to Noah and he opened it up to let out his earphone and wallet. While they were mostly useless in this new world, he held onto them in the hopes that he could at least use them for part and kept the telephone set off to save its energy. If he ever needed to start an emergency firing, that lithium assault and battery could come in handy. Luckily, he had his earbuds with him, so he could at least relish one piece of his old life. Tin stared at the gimmick, possessed by curiosity. She had only seen it once or twice, the metallic case, the illumination it produced. Was it some variety of thaumaturgy instrument ? She wanted to ask what it was, but when Noah put in the ear buds, she assumed it was something that would facilitate him get better.

He set his playlist to random and lay back down, hoping that the music would distract him. He drifted once more into the break between being gone and awake, cursed with his fever even in his dreams. During his waking moments, he was either drinking water or throwing up. The but cause why nature wasn't calling was because he was sweating so profusely. The medicine didn't distract him as he had hoped, so lots as permeate his unconscious mind. One song in picky came up,"House of the Rising Sun ”, and as that gap guitar strung out, a remembering was pulled from the depths of his mind, another time he had heard that song.

It was before dawn, he had been driving out in the Battle Born State desert, out of the peck of Lope Felix de Vega Carpio. Noah was in his thirties at the time, lamenting all the dust the Cadillac was kicking up, so much of it sticking to the outside. He'd have to scavenge it up later, as his employers wouldn't be glad if he returned the companionship car in a disgraceful stipulation. The eastern swarm were pinkening as he pulled to a stop at the edge of a ravine.

He got out of the car and circled back to the trunk, from which he removed a man with bound articulatio radiocarpea and a bag over his head. He stumbled on his feet, and Noah pulled him to the bound of the ravine and removed the bag over his facial expression. The man's aspect was streaked with dried roue, some of which also stained his dress shirt. He was perhaps in his fifties, a older in the company.

"You fucking retard,"he spat. Noah ignored him and turned up the radio so he could find out the rest of the song. The exterior of the car was an antique 70's framework, worth its weight in gold, but the interior had been upgraded into the Bodoni font age. When he returned to the man, it was with a gun in his deal."Killing me will just fuck up your aliveness and whoever threw me under the bus. You really think Alejandro can take power ? Once this gets out, the streets will get bloodbaths and your head will end up stuck on a pike."

"In all likelihood,"said Noah,"but it'll be fun to watch."

"You're willing to depart a war just because it'll be fun ?"

"Whatever happens is the fault of whoever hired me. That doesn't mean value I don't like it, though. It's the little things that matter. You need to love the special little endowment like this."He flicked his gun towards the car, where the song was still playing."I once heard individual say that this is the unspoiled song for driving with individual in the luggage compartment of your car. It is certainly a delicious coincidence."

"The irony of your ilk : people like you think you'll do great in our business because you have no morals, no hesitation, but it gets you killed so quickly. It's the people who actually believe in something that make it, that have a line they never cross, no matter how bloody their hand get."

"That's what's nice about my way of lifespan, I feel no motive to stick around. But even I believe in a bit of something."

The man laughed and spat on the ground."What could you believe in ?"

"mercifulness. I'm letting you enjoy the dawning, after all."

The sun broke free of the horizon, and as its light was soaked up by the res publica, a gunshot rang out across the desert.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Once Noah had fallen asleep, Tin sat beside him and freshened the dampness rags that were opposing his fever. It was all she knew how to do when someone was ill, and it came from memories of when she was the dupe, though kindness was rare to come to her in those vulnerable multiplication. It pained her to be so useless, to not make out how to assist. most of everything she had done was just obeying his education.

As she wiped away his sweat, her oculus fell to his reveal manhood, and lustfulness fluttered through her, a feeling that Noah had introduced her to. Their function had been disturbed by this sickness, as yesterday was the day she was supposed to avail him train his mana. She cherished those solar day, when she could finally aid him in the way she knew unspoiled, when she got to live euphoria.

woman would always cluster to her master, flirting with him, trying to invite themselves into one of his"workouts ”. It terrified her, that she might be discarded for person else, having lost her economic value. When she and Noah met those female adventurers, she saw everything she could not do in Mira, and everything she could do in Beth, rendering her obsolete.

She lowered her brain and began performing felatio, slurping up the salt from his swither. She did it often when he slept, compelled by her lust but also hoping that it was helping him experience trade good, each climax forming a shield against the pain of his pyrexia. It was something she could do for him. If Noah was aware of it, he wasn't saying anything.

As her capitulum bobbed up and down over his lap, Noah was sinking farther and farther into his mind, while being pursued by the medicine from his phone. Once more, a lone guitar was playing, and what little awareness his mind still had tried to remember what it was from. Ah, the language, yeah, this was Pink Floyd,"wish You Were Here ”. It was his married woman's favorite, one of his past wife, that is. He played it at their wedding party and her funeral. He could remember the sunny sky overhead when they cut the cake, and the somber clouds that matched the vividness of her casket as it was lowered into the ground. He remembered the food served at both occasions. But what was her name ? They danced to this strain, but he couldn't retrieve her face. She loved the oldie, always playing them while she worked in the garden. Didn't they have a son together ? No, that was someone else.

Noah's mind continued to slip through clock time, each song conjuring up a memory board. He remembered studying at MIT while listening to Two Steps From Hell. He remembered the stereo blaring Metallica when his convoy was blown up in Syria. He remembered Mozart playing in the infirmary as he died from pancreatic cancer. He wasn't aware of the mutterings escaping his lips, recalling conversations from across time and space.

When next he woke up, it was Night out, and the earbuds felt like hot ember in his ears. He looked at his sound, now with a quarter battery left. How many to a greater extent times could he listen to euphony before his sound just became a useless block ? He put his headspring back on his pillow, instead listening to Tin's breathing as she slept soundly beside him.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

A knocking on the door shocked Noah from his sleep, and he would have sat up, if not for the throb pain sensation in all of his muscles. He groaned and fell back on the pillow.

"Who is it ?"he asked.

"It's Holly, I've got your food for thought !"Ah, one of the chambermaids.

"Please, just leave it there."

Noah slowly sat up and released another groan. Wait a moment, he felt better. He felt like he just gotten the dickhead beaten out of him for three hours straight, but he could finally move around. His feverishness had lessened and the irritation was due to the strain it had put on his body.

"Tin, let's eat breakfast."She didn't respond."Tin ?"

He turned to her, seeing a flushed brass, moist with sweat. The gentle breathing he had listened to concluding night was now an anguished pant."Shit. Tin can you take heed me ?"

He tapped her impertinence a few prison term and her middle opened."schoolmaster ?"

"There you are. I need you to order me everything you feel, everything that hurts."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I haven't started the tea yet."She tried to sit up, but he stopped her. She was so weak that he almost didn't need to.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine, but you caught the springburn malady. I'm going to get you through this."

"It's so hot in here. Don't worry, I'll race away your stew. I just need to…"She trailed off and tried to roll out of bed, and Noah had to grab her before she could accrue to the floor.

"Tin, can you pick up me ? How many finger's breadth am I holding up ?"

He showed her his mitt, but she just looked at it with glazed over eyes."Are we going to go search monsters today ?"

‘ Shit, it's hitting her even harder than it hit me. She's already delirious.'“ No, we're staying here. Everything is fine, I'm all better now. Just leave everything to me."

He climbed over her to get out of bed, but as soon as he stood up, he fell to his genu, gasping for air. He was on the mending, but he was still in a rotten situation. He crawled over to his knapsack and pulled out a wellness and mana potion. He had tried drinking them before, to see if they could cure him, but was met with failure. He downed them both, and the pain racking his body subsided. His persuasiveness and stamina were still confining to zero, but at to the lowest degree the soreness was gone.

The first thing he needed to do was get her fever down before she suffered serious damage. Next to the bed was the wash basin, filled with rags. Just as Tin had done when he was honk, he draped them across her eubstance.

"passe-partout, your pyrexia,"she mumbled. She began trying to put the rags on him instead, and he had to repeatedly bar her and pin down her weapon system.

"Just hold still, that's an order."

Noah got dressed and limped over to the room access. Outside were two solid food trays and a pitcher of fresh body of water. He brought them in, and having already experienced the pain of this disease, he brought the pitcher over to Tin, rather than just a cup. He lifted her forefront and poured the water between her pale backtalk. She released suspiration of relief between each gulp, and every time he thought she was done, she'd lean her head forward, as if trying to take hold of it like a dog not wanting to cede its toy.

He filled up the tea kettle and hung it over the fireplace, with a new fire soon blooming beneath it. When he was sick, he hated the flack, the heating plant it gave off. It was the merely time he was grateful for the draftiness of the room, all the petty holes for fresh air to slip in, but it was needed. As he waited for the timpani to seethe, he retrieved Tin's breakfast and once more reverse her heading. It was warm porridge, probably made with him in mind, but now perfect for Tin.

"clock time for breakfast, Tin. Can you open your sass for me ?"He brought a spoonful to her lip, but as soon as she smelled it, she instinctively turned away, whimpering."I know your pharynx and stomach hurt right now, but you need to eat. You need all the nutrient you can get."

She gave in and he fed her bit by bit, washing it down with some tea. He then scarfed down his own breakfast and looked outside. He was thinking clearly now and experience what would serve Tin's probability with this sickness.

"Tin, listen to me. I'm going to go out and get something that will help you experience better. I'll be back soon, and until I get back, I want you to remain in bed. Can you repeat that back to me ?"

"No… Master should leave errands to me."Once more, she tried to sit up and he pushed her back down.

"Tin, you're sick and you need to rest. I'll take care of everything."

"I can do it ! Please let me do it !"She was crying, trying to miss his grasp. He held her against him, waiting for her pitiful flailing to hold back. She soon went hitch and he laid her back down.

"Listen, I edict you to continue in this bed, do you understand ? I ORDER you to persist in this bed !"She gazed at him with swimming eyes and nodded."Good, now go back to catch some Z's. I'll be back before you wake up."

He got up and took a deep breath, then cast his invisibleness. The host would give him a firmly time if she saw him outside of his room, might even kick him out. While his magic was ideal, his body was so weak that his mana might not lastly long. He left the room and locked it behind him. The hallway outside was empty, but he could hear batch of citizenry in the bar. Getting down the stair was unmanageable, as his foreland was sent spinning with each measure. No one noticed his bearing, and he made it through the breakfast crew and outside. It felt aught short of euphoric to breathe newly air and soaking in the sun.

A bit of his forcefulness had returned, so he released his spell and made his way across town to the apothecary. Inside, the old woman watched as he looked through a menu of her wares, ***********ing plants that helped with everything from fevers to upset stomach.

"I'm guesswork that young lady of yours is under the weather, and you're not looking very healthy yourself."

"It's been a rasping few days."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Tin was on the storey when he returned to their room at the inn. The door actually struck her head when he opened it.

"Goddammit, I told you to stay in bed."He put down the bag of herb and rolled her onto her back."Tin, wake up."

"I'm sorry, sea captain, I'll tend to the horses in just a moment."

She was completely out of it. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He needed to make some medication for her, but he couldn't do it while she was crawling around like this. He took the cover and tore off a longsighted strip, then used it to tie her radiocarpal joint to the bedframe. Restraining her was not an nonesuch solution, but at least the cloth wouldn't leave a mark.

A unusual look appeared on Tin's face as she looked from her wrist to Noah, almost mournful, and she spread her legs for him."I understand, Master. I won't cry this time."Apparently, he wasn't the foremost somebody to tie her to a bed.

"Jesus Christ, even your delusion are depressing,"Noah muttered.

He laid the blanket over her and left her on the bed, then went to work. In the clip since he first started making his own potions, he had bought a gaudy compounding kit, including a mortar and pestle. He wasn't a skilled herbalist like the apothecary, but most of the works in this creation were just like those he knew from his preceding lifetime, and had built up deal of natural selection cognition. people easily faded from his storage, but noesis and technical skills were held onto. The pursuit of educational activity was one of the few wont he chose to continue in every life, as it was the secretive he could get to finding meaning in the multiverse.

As he toiled, Tin continued to mutter in her rest, occasionally crying. Nothing Noah heard could be called pleasant. He eventually stopped to check up on on her, see if he could stimulate her from her nightmares.

"Tin, wake up, I have tea."

"No ! No !"She started flailing, knocking the cup from Noah's helping hand. He grabbed her and pinned her down."No, please check ! It hurts ! mamma, it hurts ! Make him stop !"

"Tin, snap out of it !"

The last matter he needed was someone overhearing this and misunderstanding. He covered her sass, waiting for the nightmare to end. Perhaps he should have picked up something to sedate her. Would he have to completely bind and gag her to keep her still and quiesce ? That would likely push her further into the head game, and with this disease ransacking through her organic structure, the stress might kill her. How could he sedate her down ?

He left her to recall a cup of water and splashed it on her face. That seemed to shake her awake."Huh ? overlord ?"

"Tin, say my name."

"N-Noah."

"Good, you're back. How do you feel ?"

"It… hurts."Fresh tears began to swarm down her cheeks.

"I'm making medicinal drug to serve you feel better, but there is something else I want to try."He retrieved his speech sound and put the earbuds in her ears. He had a playlist of easy listening songs, mostly instrumental and soundtracks. He ***********ed one,"Vide Cor Meum ”, one of his favorites. It was pacify, set at a low volume, but the sound of the strings and representative, right in her ears, made Tin freak out.

"What is this ? What is this ? !"she exclaimed in shock. Her low instinct was to pull out out the earbuds, as if swatting a mosquito when hearing its buzzing, but Noah stopped her.

"It's music, it's just euphony. Have you ever heard it before ?"

"Music ?"

She thought back, trying to think back while her creative thinker was still hazy. Her gent slaves, they used to throw work birdcall when they toiled in the field of force, sort of a means of expressing empathy and solidarity, that they all shared the same painfulness. She knew a boy who used to bring the flute, though not very well, and once, she heard the wife of one of her former masters playing a harp from within her manse. They could be called music, but they all paled in comparison to what she was listening to now.

It was the most beautiful matter she had ever heard. In her soul, a hungriness was quenched that she had never noticed before, and she felt as though a summer walkover was rolling through her torso, sending chill of seventh heaven up her spinal column that made her forget her fever. It left Tin stunned, her centre encompassing as dinner plates with her sassing hanging undefendable. She looked at Noah, seeing a rare smiling on his face.

He rubbed the top of her head and gently laid her back down."Just rest now, ok ?"

She nodded, staring up at the ceiling as the song continued. Noah resumed his work, eventually completing his medicine. It wasn't a curative, but it would facilitate subjugate her symptoms. For the next three daylight, Noah looked after Tin, doing all the things for her that she had done for him. Thanks to the medicine, he was able-bodied to prevent her from hallucinating, though she still had nightmares from her lifespan of abuse. When that happened, Noah would put the earbuds in her capitulum and play a call for her, and she would immediately settle, as if hypnotized.

For Noah, hearing music had flooded his mind with retentivity, making him relive scenes of his past lives when he heard those songs, but for Tin, it was the opposition. Having lived a life without music, the notes and voices filled every facet of her psyche, forcing everything else out, every bad persuasion and memory. When she was awake, she'd listen while watching Noah make her medicinal drug or practice his magic, and when Noah looked at her, there would always be a grin on her face.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

It had been a week since Noah fell ill, and he and Tin were going for a base on balls around the village. His intensity level had returned, but she was still unaccented, and hopefully some fresh air and exercising would help her flavor better. They had been cooped up in that room for so farsighted, and the beautiful weather was just what they needed. Normally, Tin would take the air behind Noah, as a proper slave, but today, she was boldface, hanging onto his arm. She claimed it to be to help her walk of life, that she was weak and needed to lean on him, but the smile on her aspect told of her dishonesty. Noah allowed it, as she had taken such good care of him when he was nauseous and it was his fault she fell ill after him. He certainly owed her.

What bothered him, though, were the flavor they were getting. It had been a week since she had go"helped him"with his charming training, but the two of them were still a bit of a celebrity duo, so when they saw the way Tin held onto Noah, they all grinned like they had just heard a dirty gag. There was a saying going around, a jocularity, that even those who had never met Tin had heard her voice.

"captain, when I was sick, I'm sorry for misbehaving."

"Huh ? Where's this coming from ?"

"I just… hope you didn't hear me say anything that would make you reckon any less of me. I'm sure I talked in my sleep."

Noah didn't even hesitate."I don't know what you're talking about. You were quiet as a church mouse the whole time."She halted and let go of his arm, and he turned back to face her."Why ? Did I talk in my sleep ?"

Tin opened her oral cavity and stopped. The things she had heard her master key say when he was delirious, both great and fearsome things, many of which she couldn't understand, such as when he started speaking former voice communication or reciting lines from textbooks.

"No, other than cursing."

"That sounds about right."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

They climbed up a J. J. Hill overlooking the Greenwich Village, using a fallen log as a bench while they soaked in the scenery.

"This is some nice countryside,"Noah said.

"I suppose so. This is the lone matter I know. I have nothing to compare it to."

"I've seen what happens when nature is taken for granted, when everything is used up without any thought of the future. It is an ugly, nauseating thing. I try to pretend myself appreciate nature whenever I can."

"Where was that ?"

Noah picked the name of a town from one of the maps."Nellow."Sojourner Truth be told, it was multiple realm, in every timeline.

"Is that we're you're from ?"

"Yes."

Tin looked at him, the man who she called her master. She knew when he lied. She saw him do it to everyone he talked to, especially her. There weren't any tells for her to scan, he never stumbled or hesitated, and she had seen it function time and fourth dimension again, but there was something about his eyes, a hollowness she thought she saw. She had tried asking about his past, but his gaze was always empty, even when he spoke with a grinning. He never asked her about her own past, but it was nil she wasn't used to. She had grown up being treated as an object, both a tool and a toy. Intimate conversation was not something a striver should wait from their master, but she had never had a master that made her feeling this way, that was so variety to her.

"M-master…"she stammered.

He turned to her, trying to remember the last clip he heard her talk so nervously."Yes ?"

"Please, forgive my cheekiness, but I know you're lying to me. I beg you, tell me where you came from, the things you've done, anything. I only wish to know more about you."

He stared at her, unsure of what his adjacent move should be, but as he saw the wetness of her eyes, his fright waned."I talked in my sleep, didn't I ?"

"Please forgive me for lying to you, but some of the thing I heard… I didn't think you'd want someone like me to know."

"It doesn't go well when I tell the truth. Being true has brought me nothing but trouble."

"If you refuse to recount the truth, I can experience with that. I can live with lies, as long as they come from you. All I want is something I can paint in my mind, a tantrum that I can see you in."

Noah looked up at the sky."I grew up near the coast, and my father had a sauceboat. He wasn't a fisherman or merchandiser, rather, it was a pursuit. In the summer, when the weather was good, my family would go out on the water and go fishing, simply for the enjoyment of it. We'd haul mackerel and try to use them as bait to catch up with big rockfish, but it never worked out. One time, we brought our dog with us, and I remember finding a grape-sized tick on his brow and putting it on my hook, seeing if I would catch anything. You wouldn't believe how bright it is out on the water."

Tin moved closer to Noah, clutching his arm and leaning her question on his articulatio humeri. At Night, when they lay in bed together after having sex, she would often draw close up to him just like this."Please, tell me more."

So Noah regaled her, telling her what it was like to grow up being wretched, what it like to grow up being rich. He recalled fond retention of his siblings and holiday as an but child. He told her of how his parents loved and supported him, then how they screamed and beat him. He described awing auto and the engineering science of the modern world, and the fight for natural selection in the aftermath of the Revelation.

Tin listened without saying a thing, never questioning his contradiction in terms, only enjoying the storey that Noah wove and what they told her about the man he was.

.

.

.

Succession

.

.

.

Noah and Tin, having fully recovered from the springburn nausea, set out former on a beautiful day. Summer was upon them, so the dawning had lost much of their chill, though everyone paid for it in sudor later in the day. Unlike before, when they roamed aimlessly through the woods to hunt monsters, they had a specific location in judgment. Noah had heard rumors of an abandoned mine that was taken over by goblins. A beehive, a nest, a colony, whatever it could be called, it spelled hassle for the village. Goblins ate and bred like betrayer, so if they managed to observe a good place to dig in, they could bolster their identification number in very little metre. They had claimed the field several metre before and had to be flushed out, and while attempts had been made to varnish or destroy the mine, the hobgoblin always found a way back in.

They were following one of the single-valued function Noah had bought, with several pieces of advice written down that he had received from other adventurer. It would contract a day to hit the mine, so they exercised simpleness and avoided fighting goliath whenever possible. Hopefully this mine would be a heavy reference of revenue in scavenged artillery, meaning it would be best to travel luminance and not pull together along the way.

They arrived at the mine early in the good morning of the come day. Finding a safe billet to set up cantonment had been unmanageable, for this was the territory where the goblins roamed. The mine was carved into the base of one of the small pile. At one time, it might hold been a fairly decent surgical process. There were mess of star sign of the edifice that would have stood around it, now reduced to batch of kindling. There had once been a wooden shack built around the entrance, sort of like an airlock, perhaps to celebrate the rain out some time ago, but it was just a rickety skeleton in the cupboard now. Many of the materials and abandoned equipment were harvested to construct weapons and roadblock for use against trespasser, with a handful of hobgoblin keeping a perpetual lookout.

Noah and Tin were hiding nearby, scouting the ingress."You wait here and I'll take out the safeguard. I'll wave you over when it's all clear."

"Yes, Master."

Noah concealed himself and advanced towards the mine. He counted seven goblins in full. One was on the cap of the shack erected around the entrance, perched like an owl with a bow in hand. Two Thomas More were sitting on the wooden walls at the perimeter of the camp. The remaining four were at the entrance, though they were preoccupied with a game of dice.

Noah went for the one no one would notice, the sniper above. He approached the entrance without fear, inconspicuous and unhearable to the goblins keeping guard, but that would change. The only way to the sniper was to climb up onto the roof of the hovel, but it was so weathered and slight, it looked like it couldn't support more than the weight unit of one goblin. However, it was worth taking the peril. He reached the incline of the shed and began the ascent, using the moss-grown cliffside as a secondary coil ladder to help minimize the exercising weight he put on the old wooden boards.

He was deliberate with every placement of his hands and substructure, so as to upset as little as possible. His head game would hide the brand he made, but only within a certain range. He had experimented with Tin's assistant, finding that step would be revealed after ten stair, so he had to stay within that range to sustain them within his illusion. Besides, if he ended up ripping a card right wing out of the wall, his fantasy wouldn't be able to hide it. It could conceal tracing of his natural process, but not copy physical object. The upgrade was difficult. The forest of the shack had frayed over the eld and riddled his paw with splinters, while the hard Lucius Clay on the cliff crumbled and made it difficult to get a firm hold. Regardless, he managed to climb up onto the ceiling.

The roof itself was like lose weight ice, and if he ended up breaking through or snapping any of the light beam, the hob would surely feel it, even if he couldn't hear it. Noah pulled a rock out of the cliff and threw it into the foliage in the length. The goblin perked its forefront at the disturbance, and in that instant, Noah closed in and stabbed it in the back with his brusque brand. It died before it could even vocalise its annoyance.

Noah left it sitting there and climbed off the shanty, then snuck over to the two goblins sitting away from the entrance. They looked bored as can be, struggling to stay awake. Noah approached the world-class one, leaning against one of the wooden paries. He dispatched it with his knife, striking the Base of the brain stem. The wound was pocket-sized and the goblin simply went limp, never feeling a thing. To its friends, it would attend like it had simply dozed off. Noah slew the former hob the same way, without creating any noise or disturbances.

Finally, he approached the entree, where the four were still gambling. He stood over them, the sun passing through him perfectly and its rays illuminating their game. He ***********ed his longsword for this, even doing a few recitation swings to figure out the reaching and force required. When he was fulfil, he gave a mighty separatrix, beheading all four beasts at once. Their bodies dropped to the priming coat and Noah released his spell, then waved Tin over.

As he stood guard duty, she searched the bodies, and for each one, cut off their right ear. Most monsters had some useful physical structure part that could be sold, like their hides for clothing or their inwardness as solid food, but aside from accumulator of grotesquerie like skulls and former things to put on show, nothing about the goblin was sellable. However, since they were such a nuisance, their species had an ongoing H.M.S. Bounty. The local anesthetic baron would pay adventurers for every hob they killed, and their right capitulum were the proof. The hobgoblin also sometimes deport valuables, such as artillery, candles, and even coins. Tin searched them all, and whatever good she collected went into her backpack.

"Ready to go in ?"Noah asked.

Tin nodded."I'll follow you wherever you lead, Master."

From her pack, she drew a lantern and lit it. Noah would lead, but she would provide the light. This meant that he couldn't simply melt and leave her at a safe distance while he picked off the goblins one by one. He needed her powerful beside him so that he could see what he was doing, and would cause defeat the hobgoblin drawn to the lightness.

They entered the mine, and were immediately assailed by the stench. This was the first clock time Noah or Tin had ever seen a goblin nest, so the olfaction was new to them. It reeked of sewage and rotting heart and soul, much of the latter probably human.

"This air might be toxic. Tell me if you start getting dizzy, because if one of us loses cognizance, we're both doomed."

They delved into the mountain with Tin lighting Noah's way. Everywhere, there were the remains of animals that the goblins had eaten, picked down to the bone. In a way, the goblins provided a valuable Service to the ecosystem. Because monsters and fauna spawned both organically and through magic trick circles, the landscape should hold been buried under all of their corpses. Instead, the scavenging beasts would charter their breakthrough to their den, continuously sweeping the timber clean.

They soon came upon the beginning leg bedchamber, just like in an anthill. It was diminished, about the sizing of an average bedroom. interior, several goblins were sleeping atop a mountain of skin. nigh of them were female or younglings. It wasn't proper sportsman to wipe out such prey while they slept, but this was an extermination job, so things like award held no meaning.

"It would probably be better if you didn't lookout this,"Noah whispered to Tin."smell away and take heed for any approaching."

She did as ordered, a mournful look on her brass as she averted her center while keeping the brightness of the lantern focused into the sleeping accommodation. Noah drew his curtly sword and began stabbing the devil in their sleep. Each metre, he'd go straight for the psyche, so that they would die without making a audio. He was truelove, methodical, taking them out one by one with none of his victim even suspecting a thing. It was unnervingly promiscuous, and when he was done, he harvested their ears.

"Master !"

Noah heard it with a grievous shriek. He ran back out into the tunnel as a goblin charged from cryptical within, armed with a wooden gig. Noah pushed Tin out of the way of its first thrust, then sliced off the top of its head with a ten-strike to the synagogue. More must have heard its cry, because another two hob came running at them.

The first that tried to come on swung at Noah with a orotund sticker. He stepped out of its image and kicked the goblin in the chest, nearly sending it flying. The second blocked the golf stroke of his sword with a wooden club, but he forced it against the wall and ride his knife into its chest. Leaving it to die, he returned to the first, struggling to breathe, and ended its aliveness with his sword.

"master copy,"Tin said, handing him a damp rag. He used it to wipe the blood off his script while she looted the corpses.

They moved further on down into the tunnel, finding it expand into a big chamber and fork out. There was still plenty of minelaying equipment, but much of it was being used to hang food from. The consistence of both humans and creature had been skinned and were being cooked over bonfires. The goblins were jumping around and squealing in delight as the flavor of their feast wafted through the mine. Human physical body cooked over a flame, it was a smelling that took Noah back to some dismal timelines.

Tin gasped in horror at the sight and one of the goblin spotted them and squealed something in their bestial voice communication. The dozen or so goblins in the chamber turned their attention to Noah and Tin and began to draw near, armed with the blades used for butchering their food. They chanted the same squeal, probably something along the line of"more meat !"

"Tin, stand back."

He summoned his knockoff and sent it running to the correct side as if to flank them. The hobgoblin paid no attention to the fact that their fair game seemingly just split into two, and were drawn to the social movement of the clone. With that opening, Noah attacked from their exposed side with his longsword and beheaded three of the beasts. The goblins, sensing the decease of their comrades, turned their attending back to Noah and swarmed in. He kept them at bay with wide swings, while leaving his will side open up to taunt them. One by one, they tried to assault from the plain blind spot, but he would dispatch them before they could actually strain him. Any that got in close enough to aggress found their weapons blocked by Noah's shield, and then his sword would toss at them from below and break up their tummy open.

Once their social station had been cut in half, they began to retrograde back to the balefire. As this was their den, they didn't show their dorsum and instead tried to ward Noah off with threatening screeches. Their guard was raised, and while they were stupid, they wouldn't crepuscle for the Same caper as the others.

Noah cast both of his spells, and while he had his clone remain where he was and pretend to be standing his ground. He snuck past the goblins and attacked from can. He slaughtered three before the remainders noticed, but as they couldn't see him, they could do nothing but sidesplitter in confusion. They made it too promiscuous for Noah to finish up them off. Even though the chamber had gone quiet, he waited respective import before releasing his spells.

"All clear."

Tin went to work, gathering up valuables. The steel might be worth something to the blacksmith, but they'd have to wash the dried blood off them first. As Tin searched the goblin remains, Noah looked around at the other bodies being stored here. There were good deal of freshly killed human beings and animals that were waiting to be cooked, so it was possible that their air pocket hadn't been picked yet. Noah dug through the mountain of bodies, ignoring their malodour, but one of them caught his attention.

It was a boy, a bit younger than him, and unlike the others, his limbs were bound. He wasn't common cold like the others. Noah checked his neck opening, and while it was unaccented, he found a firm pulse. look a second, he had seen him before. Noah had gotten to know plenty of mass around the Town in the by month, and learned to recognize others. He often saw this boy with Beth and Mira, carrying a blade and dressed as an adventurer. They frequently ate together at the Old Wineskin. Noah assumed they recruited him to conjoin their party.

"Tin, I found a survivor."

He retrieved a health potion from his pocket and poured it down the boy's throat. As it took core, Noah examined him. His dress were honest tone, but still the kind used by outdoorsmen. He had a comme il faut figure, showing signs of training and severely work, but while there were callosity on his hands, there were healing blisters from wielding a sword. He was probably a farmer, but came from money.

He at last woke up and looked around, struggling to see. Even with a bonfire nearby, this wasn't exactly the skilful plaza to wake up in.

"Where am I ?"

"You're in a hobgoblin den. I'm guessing they must have got struck you in the head, giving you a awful concussion. I gave you a healing potion, so your visual sensation should probably clear soon. hold back on, I'll cut you loose."

He severed the boy's James Bond and helped him to his feet. For a moment, he seemed back in good condition, but as he looked around, he began to panic and hyperventilate, and Noah had to catch him before he could come back down. Either this was entirely new to him, or he was realizing how close he was to the most grisly of deaths.

"Calm down, everything is alright. I'm Noah and this is my foot soldier, Tin."

"Did… did my father send you ? Are you here to deliver me ?"

"Your father ? No, we're just here to kill hob and steal their lettuce. How did they appropriate you ?"

The boy seemed to be able to stand upright on his own, so Noah let him go, though he was struggling to commemorate."I… was being trained in hunting by a local explorer that my beginner hired. I had just shot a wild boar with my bow… then I felt a massive pain in the binding of my head and blacked out."

"Your father, is he a noble ?"

"Yes, Ivan Fault. The tycoon in burster of the town. I'm Oath Fault, the next head."

"fountainhead, Oath, we'll aid you get back to townspeople as soon as we're done with this mine."

"This mine ? What are you talking about ? We have to get out of here ! The hob will be arriving any mo !"

"I just finished taking care of a good number them, see ?"Noah pointed to the trunk of his dupe."I'm confident in my power. Besides, it took a lot of sweat to get here, so we're not leaving until our sack are filled with kickshaw and we can barely walk. Tell me, do you have any talents ? Can you use magic or any arm ?"

"I… I have some attainment with a sword."

"Some, huh ? So substantially case scenario, I can expect you to book off a hob that might pilfer up on us from behind."Noah took off his knapsack and forced it into expletive's helping hand."Otherwise, you're my new pack mule."

"You can't be serious !"

"You have to pay off the potion I used on you, and count it a down requital for us getting you back to town. There is food and water supply in the bag, you can eat while you walk. Tin, give me a sword."She handed him a chipped hand-and-a-half blade, taken from one of the hobgoblin, and he gave it to Oath."And I'm renting this to you, unless you would prefer to go unarmed. So, what do you say ? Either do some employment, or I can criticise you out, steal your wearing apparel, and sell them to cover the cost of that potion. Which is it going to be ?"

"Fine, I'll service you,"he muttered.

"Smart choice."

The three proceeded deeper into the mine with Noah taking point. Every few minute of arc, goblins would assail, desperate to fight back their home. Noah dispatched each of them with a fuss of slashes and pang, leaving Tin to collect the commodity. cuss was understandably nervous, and it left him unable to even disturb the slain gargoyles, so Tin ended up doing almost of the work and just putting the finds in his bag. At to the lowest degree he wasn't complaining. Noah eventually tasked him with collecting goods found in the burrow, while Tin would nonplus to looting corpses.

"I've seen you with Beth and Mira at the inn. Aren't you an adventurer like them ?"Noah asked.

"I used to be a Fannie Farmer, I just started fighting monster recently. I'm still not used to it. But this is incredible. I've never seen someone kill so many goblins singlehandedly."

"fountainhead I can see how they might be able to get the free fall on individual if they ambush with superior routine, but when you face them oral sex on, it's like fighting a chemical group of ugly, feral children. Oh, speech production of which, I see another breeder."

The sight before them was nauseating, as what appeared to be a big green pig was nursing a bedding of runty lilliputian gremlins. While the Male hob went out into the wood to accumulate, the female would tend to the younglings. Despite being less than half a base tall as newborns, they would make life-sized in just six months, hence their voracious appetites. Noah dispatched the breeder and stomped out the younglings, much to swearword's horror.

"They were just babies ! They couldn't even fight back !"

"They wouldn't have been baby very long. In just a few months, they would be roaming the forest, killing whoever crossed their path and dragging them back here to be devoured. You and Tin are carrying multitude wide-cut of the will power of their victim. I'm not judging them for doing as nature commands them to, I'm simply dealing with a threat before it can get a threat."A thunderous roar made the three teens cover their auricle and wince."What the hell was that ?"

"A hobgoblin,"said expletive,"otherwise known as a goblin gaffer. They're a rarefied breed. I hear that only one out of ten thousand goblins can grow to become a hobgoblin. They're practically giving, smarter, and stronger than a fixture hobgoblin and can even learn trick. We need to get out of here, right now ! It's heard the deaths of the younglings and is coming for revenge !"

"Perfect. He's probably hoarding the advantageously stuff and nonsense. Let's go."

"This is harebrained ! The regular goblins may be weak, but hobgoblins are unattackable than humankind in every way !"

"Your issuance are duly famous. I'm going after that chieftain, and if you run, you'd better hope that he kills me. Let's go."

expletive turned to Tin, hoping that she might speak up, but her expression was completely blank, as if she was daydreaming."You can trust my schoolmaster. He is strong and skilled."

Noah set off towards the source of the noise, but they need not trip far, as their foe came to greet them from the depths of the batch. It stood over six feet tall with a far More brawny flesh than the lower goblins possessed. Like them, it wore a breechclout, but it was also garbed in while of stolen armour, including a metal helmet. Looking over a pair of boar-like tusk protruding from his rima oris, he glared at the intruders with indescribable hatred.

"You will suffer for the deaths of my kin !"he snarled.

"Huh, so it really is smarter. Oath, you remember your job, right ? If any early goblins come, you have to deal with them."

He didn't bother waiting for a reply and stepped forward with his longsword in bridge player. The gaffer was armed with the same type of brand, though with a bigger sword. On the battleground, it would likely be used against cavalry, killing both riders and their Equus caballus with one piece. The chief thundered towards him with his sword raised high. His speeding was certainly immobile than a homo's, and with the strength he was probably wielding, Noah didn't want to try his luck by blocking or parrying. He sidestepped when the cleave was made and attempted a sideways swing towards the goblin's straits. It raised its hand, blocking with a metal arm guard, then forced him back.

It immediately closed the aloofness to do the Same sideways swing Noah had, and with the blade's greater length, he didn't have the time or room to get out of the way. Instead, Noah rushed towards the sword to jam it with his own. As the goblin straightened his weapons system, his swing would get more powerful, so he had to intervene at the earliest potential moment.

electric discharge flew off their blades as Noah's sword halted the goblin's. It released one hand from the hilt of its brand, using what piddling momentum it had left to swing at Noah. He avoided its backhand by a hair's largeness and countered with a punch to the Adam's Malus pumila. It staggered back, wheezing in painfulness, but without dropping its defense force. Its pain tolerance was remarkable.

Noah gave it no fourth dimension to go back and went on the loathsome, slashing and stabbing at the hobgoblin while it did its best to block. In moments, it had regained its dual-hand grip and was able to fend Noah off. It raised its sword for another cleave, but Noah's eye caught a distinct gleam along the blade.

"It's using thaumaturgy ! You have to duck !"Oath shouted.

Noah's instincts had already told him the same thing, but while he was able-bodied to get his physical structure out the way, his sword met the goblin's blade frontal and snapped. The beast's weapon system buried itself in the Oliver Stone ground, shaking the entire cavern, and Noah rolled away to keep off any barehanded tone-beginning like before. He got to his feet, examining his weapon and the enemy's. The stop number of the goblin's jive had increased, as well as its strength and the durability of his sword.

It must have got been warrior magic, something he heard of while gathering info in Clive. Warrior deception was the ability to activate weapon attainment that would ameliorate their abilities in battle, such as cutting deeper and withstanding Sir Thomas More force without breaking. He had witnessed magic a few times during the utmost month and had become familiar, but this was only his second sentence since he arrived that he was actually fighting against a magic user. Perhaps it would be best to finish this scrap while he was unscathed, rather than continue pushing his luck. On the other hand, Oath hadn't seen his magic trick, and he wanted to keep it that way. He'd just have to act harder with his physical abilities.

The hob charged with his blade slightly raised to either block or attack. It wasn't glowing like before, but his last fire had shown that he could harness his thaumaturgy in a fraction of 2d, so Noah couldn't risk being in the way when the next lilt happened. Noah readied himself, still holding his broken sword. He came within the goblin's image and the sword swung diagonally towards his neck. Noah bolted forward, anticipating when the goblin would be committed to the move. He swung his broken sword towards the hob's wrists, making him pause for the brief consequence to consider the terror of fatal injury, and that moment was all Noah needed to draw his short sword and clip him across the venter while zooming past.

The wound was severe, having used the inertia of the hob's charge to overcome the wall of abdominal muscle brawn and slice deep into the organs. The hob staggered, his guts spilling onto the ground. Noah finished him off before he could retrieve any of his strength. He took a deep breathing spell and listened for any attackers hiding nearby.

"Clear."

"Well done, victor,"Tin said while bowing. Beside her, swearing was in a daze.

As Tin went to work removing the goblin's armor and checking for personal possessions, Noah examined the brand used. It was a trade good blade, certainly sturdy, and he now needed a alternate for his longsword, but as he held it, his changed his mind. His original longsword had the maximum permissible weight and size, and anything greater in either family would hinder his bowel movement too much.

cuss approached him."Where did you watch to fight like that ?"

"I've studied diverse styles and class of combat throughout my aliveness, including archery and play, mostly out of boredom or for exercise, and I've had batch of experience killing. Your father pays people for every hob people kill, correct ? Will I get extra if I bring him the head of their chief ?"

"Don't worry, I'll tell him myself. He'll want to make out about this."

"Master, I found something."He turned to Tin, who was holding up the deal of the goblin to show him the mob on his little finger. She removed it and handed the ring to Noah, and he could immediately feel the magic within it.

‘ Huh, a conjuration ring found in a hobgoblin tunnel. What could possibly go wrongfulness ?'He gave it a closer look under the lighter of Tin's lantern and found a crest, depicting a shield with a swan on it. It was the national symbolisation of Uther. There was also something written on the band with a extraneous substance."Oath, what do you make of this ?"

"That's the ring of an Utheric knight ! Anyone caught wearing one without being knighted can lose their deal as punishment !"

"I heard of those guys. They train as some noble schooling. Why so steep ?"

"The ring is gold, but is inscribed with a uncommon alloy called avenium, which can hue target with very high-level turn. I once heard that a sword with avenium runes can nurse Sir Thomas More baron than the ten best steel brand. horse ring are inscribed with a enchantment that creates another worldly concern where items can be stored."

"How many items ?"

"I heard it can store up to the same weighting as the one who caries it, but you only feel the weight of the ring."

Noah put on the gang and channeled some of his mana into it. It was a strange touch, like he had just put his mitt into a shove bag. He could see his hand, but not the objective he was touching. He felt a small bottleful and closed his hand around it. The ring acknowledged that as a ***********ion and materialized the bottle. It was replete of a yellowed liquid, probably some kind of potion, or it could just be European olive tree oil.

"This'll come in handy."

"Just wearing that doughnut is a unplayful law-breaking !"

"What ring ? I don't see a annulus,"Noah replied as he stowed it in his pocket."See ? No crime is being committed. Now zip it, we're not done searching this mine."

The relaxation of the day was spent in those moody tunnel, searching for goods. By the time he had faced the hobgoblin, most of the other goblins had already been killed, so there was minuscule resistance. They found the bulk of their swag down in the downcast sleeping accommodation, where the hobgoblin appeared to have been sleeping. The hob were excellent stealer, stealing whatever they could get their manpower on with traveller being their deary targets. There were artillery stashes, bags and barrels of food, rophy and range, clothes and armor, plenty of tools, and a humble fortune in coins. He even found the armor and sword of the knight that the goblin tribal chief had killed. This haul was better than Noah hoped, and while they couldn't carry all of it, the ring helped collect the best pieces.

When they finally stepped out of the mine, the sun was setting. There could still be goblins in the forest, making their way to the mine after a day of hunting, so the trio wasted no time getting a condom distance to draw camp. A tree diagram, nearly as thick as a school bus, offered them shelter. They bedded down at its base with its raised roots acting as walls and a ardour warding off anything that might try to attack during the night.

dinner was traveler's rations, the standard food for anyone camping in the wild. While he ate, Noah examined all of the items in the ring. There were numerous potions, spare circle of men's clothes, some putz and knives, rations, and a few gold coins. He took a closer flavour at the armour and sword that the knight had been using. There wasn't much he could do with the armour. Minus some scale he could use on his weapon system and stage, it was impractically heavy for his fight style, and considering how steep the punishment was for wearing the pack, getting caught with it would probably be a bad mind. Hopefully the blacksmith would be leave to buy it.

The sword, on the other hired hand, was a definite dirty money. It was a longsword like Noah's violate one, but with an ornate guard and handle, as well as a blood line of runic letter going up the blade, inked with avenium. There was a spell imbued within it, he could feel the trick, but it didn't react to his mana the way the tintinnabulation did. It was probably illegal for him to possess, so it would be best kept in the ring, but once away from prying eyes, it would be an excellent cornet visiting card once he figured out how it worked.

"So how long have you been an adventurer ?"Oath asked.

"Several geezerhood. Why ?"

"I was just making conversation. You said you studied various dissimilar school day of fight. Who taught you ? Where did you get your lessons ?"

"The town I grew up in, there were plenty of former venturer willing to go through their skills on."

"And your parents ?"

"I haven't seen them since I set off from home to lay down my fortune."

"So, do you—"

"I suggest you stop for a moment and ponder why I'm not asking you questions about your liveliness or trying to get to know you."Noah glared as him, unblinking."Think hard."Oath wisely closed his rima oris.

They set out at aurora the next day, wanting to get out of the forest as soon as possible, to both forfend danger and reach the workshop before they closed for the nighttime. It would take them virtually of the day to revert to Baron Clive of Plassey, and that was without all the weight they were carrying, so they had to try and celebrate a serious pace. By around midday, they reached a expectant open pasture, but before they could cross it, a grievance was made.

"I can't go any further !"expletive exclaimed.

"captain, please forgive me, but I too am at my limit."

"fountainhead we've made considerable distance, and I believe it's about dejeuner time. sure enough, let's stop here for a break."

Tin and expletive settled at the bound of the pasture under the shade of a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and prepared dejeuner. While they worked, Noah took a walk through the field of battle to make sure enough there weren't any predator in hiding. It was when he reached the center that he stopped, hearing something. It was not the rustling of grass or the growl of a wolf, but the neighing of cavalry. He looked into the distance and saw four men on cavalry break unloose of the timber and gallop towards him with their brand drawn. bandit ?

"Tin, take Oath and get back into the forest, bass enough that you can't even see me !"

Tin didn't understand, but when she heard the horse cavalry in the distance and the hollering of the approaching men, she hurried to her human foot and dragged Oath into the Wood. With them out of the way, Noah faced the oncoming enemies.

"Thanks for the horses,"he said as his brushed his hand over his eyes.

He was rendered invisible while he sent off his knockoff, running to the slope with its illusionary sword drawn. The men were drawn to it, and one of them, armed with a bow, began trying to tear it. Noah controlled the clone like a creature on cosmic string, and while it moved, he put the knight ring on his finger and activated it, materializing his bow and an pointer. It took him a import to aim and release, striking the archer in the dresser and sending him tumbling off his horse.

The other horsemen realized their Friend had been killed, but there was no clip to look for the foe archer. They had to close in on the young man with the steel. They tried to run him down with their blades outreached, but before they could strike their object, another one of their membership was taken out with a well-placed jibe. The two remaining men swung at Noah's clone, but for the saki of appearance, he had it dodge while he took out the third man. Only one man was left, but he didn't bother going after the dead ringer. He was overbold enough to cut his losses and flee back into the woods.

"Tin, Oath, you can come out now,"Noah said as he released his magic. They appeared from the woods, seeing Noah with the three buck standing nearby."sugar the corpses and then let's have lunch. The way back to the settlement will be much well-heeled now."

With the cavalry, they managed to piss it back to the settlement in the belatedly afternoon, when most of the shops had closed, but there were still a few unresolved that they could betray their loot to.

"Thank you for getting me back here,"said Oath.

"No indigence to thank me, you paid off your debt."

"Still, I'm gladiolus you didn't just knock me out and steal my clothes like you said you would. I have to go see my father, he must be worried sick."

"I'll expect you to work that horse back."

"Yes, yes, I know."

They split up, cuss returning menage and Noah and Tin selling their goods. They first went to the blacksmith, as virtually of their goods were scavenged artillery. When Noah laid them all out on the counter, the blacksmith couldn't help but vocalise his surprise.

"I don't think I've ever seen one man with a catch like this. You really did all of this yourself ?"

"fountainhead I had some assistance carrying it back. But there is another matter you might be interested in."

Noah held up a canvas bag and set it on the rejoinder. Its contents had originally been in the ring, but he had emptied it before entering the store. The blacksmith looked inside and gained a hind end look.

"You found this in a goblin den ?"

It was the armor of the slain Utheric knight.

"That's right on, but that was all. I was hoping I could discover the sword or ring, but they were gone. So, are you interested ? This armor has respectable steel than anything in your shop."

"I could get beheaded just for having this !"

"Which is why you expert mellow out it down fast to form into something really nice that you can sell for a lot of money."

The blacksmith mulled it over and released a deep sigh of resignation. Whether it was money or his esthetic inherent aptitude thinking of all the things he could make, he couldn't allow the armor to leave the store.

"Fine, what do want for everything ?"

As usual, bargaining with the blacksmith took a lot of time, but Noah left with several shiny gold coins and a replacement for his longsword. He and Tin moved from shop to shop, selling everything that was left, then Noah took Tin somewhere she did not expect, the town jeweler. Unlike other computer storage, this one had safety device posted inside and extraneous, and all the product was behind a rejoinder, with iron bars blocking it off from the client. An old man was sitting at the counter, scrutinizing a jewel.

"Ah, how can I assist you ?"

"I was hoping you could appraise this for me."Noah took out a black gem, the size of the first joint of his picayune digit, and laid it on the counter. The old man took the gem and looked at it through a series of lenses.

"Oh, this of superb calibre. Where did you find this ?"

"A goblin den."

"Ah, of course of study. Goblins are brutish, foul creatures, but they have a strange chance when it comes to finding things. This is an enhancement gem."

"I thought I sensed magic in it, it appears I was right. What is it used for ?"

"When grafted to an enchanted item, it boosts the strength of the trance. Imagine a magic sword that can cut through twice as much as a normal sword. With this imbued into the knob, handle, or brand, it will now be able to cut through four times as much as a formula blade. They are a favorite of noble, for not only to they improve the capture point, but they make them more visually appealing and extravagant, perfective for showing off. At balls and evening gown consequence, you'll find high-ranking nobles with jewel-encrusted swords on their hips.

Would you be willing to sell it ?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could set it into something."

Noah took out the knight annulus and slid it across the board, only letting the jeweler see it. At the sight of the doughnut, he became tense.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to…"

"I'm bequeath to pay handsomely. I've already sold the armor that went with it."

Like the blacksmith, the jeweller took a deep breathing time."Tob, Gon, could you two please footstep outside for a minute ?"The two guards, despite their wonder, left the store, giving Noah and the jeweler their secrecy. The old man stared at Noah."Do you have a death wish, boy ? Just having this could—"

"I'm aware of the penalization, but you already decided you're uncoerced to conduct a risk. track the runes with gold leaf and set the gem. If it looks good and the anchor ring's charm really is enhanced, I'll pay you ten silver coins."

"Twenty."

"XIII silver. Come on, no one out here is going to care about this. You think some royal stag horse are going to come bursting in ? You could show this to the baron and he wouldn't care."

"amercement, fifteen silver."

"Deal."

"I'll have it cook by noon tomorrow."

Noah and Tin left the jeweller and headed back to the inn to call it a day, but as they approached, Oath appeared."Noah, my father wants to mouth with you."

"Can't it hold back ? The sun is going to set soon."

"He says it is of peachy grandness. He also wants to reward you for saving me."

Noah looked over to one of the cup of tea hanging off the side of his saddle. It was full of break up hobgoblin spike. Was he really unforced to contribute those into their elbow room at the inn ? It would probably be better just to get paid now.

"Fine, just let Tin and I drop off the quietus of our haul at the inn and guide the way."

After stopping at the inn, they rode out of town towards the North, to the baron's estate. Being a nobleman, he was better off than any of the villagers, but his menage was far from extravagant, just nicer looking and enceinte than anyone else's, a agrestic manor, surrounded by fields that slaves tended to. Leaving their horse cavalry in the stable in the book binding, cuss brought Noah and Tin into the hall and stopped before a set of double threshold.

"father, I've returned with Noah,"he said while knocking.

"Enter."

swearword opened the door of the secret subject field, and behind the desk, an old man with a hanker whiskers was filing paperwork on parchment. He looked older than Noah expected, for a son so young. Standing beside him was a fair sex, dressed as a maid.

"You must be Loretta Young maestro Noah. My son has told me of your neat strong point and accomplishment. You have my undying gratitude for saving him, and my respect for your accomplishments in battle."The big businessman didn't get up to shake Noah's hand, but that was to be expected of a noble.

"You are very welcome, Lord Fault."Noah replied with a bow of his head.

"You deserve compensation for your drive. Twice, you have saved my son's life."

From his desk, the baron drew a sack of coins, likely ash grey, and handed them to Noah.

"I appreciate it. While we're on the subject, I also have numerous goblin ears that I'd like pick up defrayment for."

"Ah, of row, of course. You also deserve extra for dealing with that goblin foreman. Amelia,"he said, turning to the maid beside him,"please number up the auricle and calculate their payment, and please take my son and this lovely young madam to the parlor to relax. Master Noah, if you have time, I would like to speak with you about some of import matters."

"Very well, then."

The maid left with Oath and Tin and the doors were shut behind them. Finally, the baron got up from his chair and walked over to a whiskey carafe with a set of glasses."Would you care for a drinkable ?"

"I'd dearest one."Two glass were poured and one was handed to Noah. Compared to the New human race, the alcoholic beverage consumed in these lands was toughie to impel down, yet the quality of the whiskey surprised him."Oh, that is good."

The baron sat down."I can not thank you enough. If my son had perished, that would have been the end of my line."

"I'm sure a man like you could figure out up a few heirs. There are probably some already running around the town."

The baron gave a bitingly chuckle."I suppose we should get down to business. You have already proven yourself a great rescuer and guard for my son. I would wish to take you to do it again."

"Not more goblins, I trust ?"

"Actually, something a little more difficult. I want you to help him fascinate a donjon crab."

"Pardon my ignorance, but I am not familiar with the full term. I come from a land without such things."

The baron got to his substructure and began searching a nearby bookshelf."dungeon crabs are massive terrestrial beings, spending their aliveness deep beneath the earthly concern. However, they surface from time to time, poking the tips of their shells out of the ground."

He found the desired al-Qur'an and laid it out on the board, set to a specific page. There were two pictures, the first of what looked like a solitudinarian crab, with a pointed eggshell several clip its own size and no claws. The second showed the tip of the case poking out of the ground with a hole in the top, but just that was the size of a pharos. Had the creative person actually seen a keep crab fully revealed or was he just going by his imagination ? For a animate being of this size to proceed underground without being noticed, it would have to climb up up from under the earth's impudence. A few days ago, the town had experienced an seism. That must have been the crab rising to the surface.

"Because they dwell so deep in the land, they accumulate cute metals and muffin inside their shell, which form vast internal ear, hence its gens. A man can get rich in one day exploring it."

"But I imagine it's not that easy."

"You'd be right. The shield is teeming with parasites, ants when corresponding to the crab, but deadly behemoth to us human being. When a crab surfaces, the leech will leave behind and become a danger to everyone and everything in the area. No one is quite for certain why dungeon crabby person surface like this. Some believe it does it when the parasites have grown too numerous and it needs to cut their numbers down, either by setting them loose on the surface or using treasure-hunting humankind to cull their population. Others believe the crab feed on the human beings that enter its shell, and use the sponge to pop their fair game for them. Many believe it simply surfaces to get tonic air, like a whale."

"And you expect us to capture one of these things ?"

"It's just a flesh of speech. To becharm a dungeon crab means to get down to the thick region of its shell, where the most priceless metallic element is."

"Avenium, I'm guessing ?"

"Correct. Anyone who can guarantee a cup's Worth and present it to the kingdom becomes a stately. That's why I need you to help Oath capture it."

"But as your son, isn't expletive already set to inherit your title ?"

"cuss is… my third son. His oldest buddy, colt, was raised and groomed to be my successor, and the second onetime, superior, was raised to be the successor if anything happened to Colt."

"making swearword the spare of a spare."

The baron grimaced."He spent his life working the fields while his blood brother hunted and earned accomplishment. However, both Colt and master died in battle at the start of natural spring, so Oath is all I have left. He has a skillful heart…"

"But no endowment, skills, braveness, or reputation, and he's a bit of a brick."

"Unlike the son of my younger buddy, Edwin, a baronet. He is petitioning the land to revoke my rubric as baron and return it to him and his eldest son. I need to prove that swearword has what it takes to be a big businessman, and the secure way to do that is to appropriate a donjon crab. I'm too old to bring forth another heir and sentence is running out. Oath already has an adventuring party that he trains and battle with, but their skills aren't good enough to conquer a keep crab. I would like you to join their party."

"Why me ?"

"Because you are Cy Young. There are numerous senior adventurer with acquirement like yours that I can hire, but then my brother will fence that they just conquered the dungeon and handed the pillage to Oath."

"Which is exactly what you want me to do."

"But the fact that you are young means that you'll fit right in. No one will interview one supernumerary young man joining my son's party."

Noah gave a huff while weighing his option. On one hand, a political bicker between family phallus was the last thing he wanted to get involved in, and there was no singing if he was even skilled enough to successfully appropriate a keep Phthirius pubis. It was an unnecessary danger. On the former hired man, the approximation of getting his bridge player on some avenium and other rare metals and stone was a bait idea. He could get plenty money to fund any venture he wanted for the balance of his life. Plus, it would get him to the capital, and perhaps let him make some worthful joining. There were probably plenty of adventurers who would give their right arm for the chance.

"Would I be giving rescript or receiving ?"

"The team is yours to chair. They're cook to set out whenever you are."

"And how yearn do dungeon crabs normally persist surfaced ?"

"A couple months. This one appeared several days ago, 30 knot to the northeast. It won't be hanker before its swarming with adventurers."

"Very well, we'll depart in one hebdomad. I want to use that prison term to evaluate the squad, see if there is anything I can do to brush up their acquirement before we go."

"That would be a blessing."

Noah got up from his fanny."I have some business to attend to tomorrow, but I'll tax return in the afternoon. Make sure everyone is assembled."

This prison term, the business leader stood up and shook his hand."see it done."

Noah left the written report and retrieved Tin in the parlour. As they stepped out onto the strawman porch, swearing came to see them off.

"So my don talked to you about the dungeon crab ?"

"That's the right way, I agreed to go along with it. I'll comeback tomorrow."

"I appreciate it. I'll see you then."

Oath gave a inscrutable bow of gratitude, and in the length, Noah saw a flash of drift, and then heard a strait that he was well used to. It was the auditory sensation of an arrow buried inscrutable into brawn and flesh. Launched a second earlier, it would feature hit swearword public square in the back, but because he bowed, it found its sucker in the heart and soul of Tin's chest.

Noah didn't say a word, but before either Oath or Tin could react, he had already leapt off the porch and was sprinting towards the origin of the arrow. He had left his bow with his horse cavalry in the stable, so he'd have to kill the assassin up close. He could see the man hiding behind a scarecrow and recognized him as the quaternary bandit from earlier. They weren't just random predator, they had been hired to pop Oath !

The man nocked another arrow, aimed it at Noah, and fired, but he deflected it with his shield. He closed in, able-bodied to see the blow in the man's eyes as the distance between them vanished with terrifying speed. He reached the man, drawing his new sword, and beheaded him before he could even plow around to run.

The body hit the dry land, but Noah had already left, sprinting back to the mansion house. There, on the porch, cuss was gathered with various servants, giving her one healing potion after another, as despite the remotion of the arrow and the injury closing, she wasn't getting better. Noah could see it, her veins blackening, her flesh getting pale, and every breath seeming to cause her pain. Everyone moved aside and Noah embraced Tin, cradling her head.

"It was a poison pointer. We don't know what was used, we have no antidote for it. Noah, I'm so no-account !"Oath exclaimed, shedding the teardrop that Noah should sustain. Instead, he just stared at Tin, his blank silence unnerving those around him.

Tin looked into his centre."Master…"she whimpered."Please, I want to go back to our room. I want to go back to our bed and sleep beside you. I want to serve you aim your magic. I want to walk with you through the Wood and try more stories. There is so much I want to do with you !"

She was crying, but Noah showed no emotion. Instead, he pulled out his earpiece and put the buds in her ears. With the last few sparks of muscularity, Vide Cor Meum began to run, slowing her tears."It will be peaceable, I promise. Just let the interpreter take you there,"he said.

He cupped her face and she smiled. That touch was all she needed."Thank you for making my life story a beautiful one,"she whispered. Then she closed her eyes listened to the song, soon releasing her final examination breathing place as the conclusion notes played out.

All was silent, no one knowing what to say. Shadows began to creep into Noah's psyche, a roughshod voice making him agitate. ‘ Great, now I have to do everything myself…'He shook the voice aside.

"Noah…"swearing began.

"I'm going to bury her. Give me a blanket to twine her in and a shovel. I'm not asking."His spokesperson, it didn't tremble at all, and there was no awkwardness in his words.

"We'll take care of the grave, you should—"

There was the slightest twitch on Noah's case. The gears in his psyche were grinding together."I'm not burying her here. I know a proper place."

The servants rushed to fulfil his ordering, bringing out a piano quilt that Noah knew Tin would deliver liked. He wrapped her in the quilt and carried her to the stable, getting onto his buck with her and being given a shovel.

The whispers came back. ‘ I'll just throw her into the woods.'Again, he forced the voice out of his mind."I won't be back for a day or so."

Cradling Tin, he gave his knight a kick and it took off with a cry. The sun had set, the woods now at their most grave, but Noah didn't hesitate to mount down a comrade route and into the Wilderness. For hours, his horse galloped through the forest. When it tired, he would throw it urine and a health potion to fix its toughness, but that was the only sentence he stopped. teras routinely tried to assault him, but he ended their life with his bow. As the moon moved across the sky, Noah, holding Tin in his subdivision, felt the warmth slowly leave her body.

It wasn't just the monsters outside that were attacking, but the unity in Noah's head. Evil whispering flooded his intellect, trying to get him to turn back.

‘ She's just a slave.'

‘ I should just go home.'

‘ There is no point in risking my life.'

‘ Nothing matters.'

‘ It's all meaningless.'

It felt like all of his muscles were just loosely within his restraint, and if his focus broke, his trunk would act against his will, throwing Tin aside and riding back to the settlement. He had to pressure himself forward, despite every selfish instinct trying to prevail him back.

Finally, when the night was at its darkest, he reached the craved position. It was the waterfall that he and Tin had camped at. There were some wolves drinking from the river, but he scared them off and ignored the small slimes crawling around. The region itself hadn't changed in the utmost few hebdomad. There were still the stiff of the fires he had made, and the clay basinful was undamaged.

He tied his horse to a tree and lit a torch, holding it while he carried Tin. ‘ I'll just dump her and go.'He brought her behind the waterfall, where there was a small dry sphere with plenty of river silt, deposited by the waterfall. He dug down as recondite as he could, forcing aside any thoughts to leave up and supererogatory himself feat. He laid her down on the cold globe and opened up the blanket, looking at her one last clip. She looked peaceful, almost content. He reached into his sac and pulled out a silver coin. When they first met, he remembered her telling him that she was only Worth that lots. He clasped her hands over her chest, holding the coin.

‘ What am I doing ?'

‘ This coin is valuable.'

‘ I shouldn't just project it away like this.'

He climbed out and buried her, then built a peck of rocks on her grave so that no animals would dig her up. Finally, he turned to the gemstone wall at his face and began carving Tin's name into it with her dagger. The scratches were faint, but they wouldn't be simply washed away, like if he had simply drawn the letters on with a rock'n'roll.

TIN

Those three little varsity letter, a little twinkling light in his mind, like a faint virtuoso, told him that they looked lonely, and he focused on that. He should put to a greater extent. She'd privation that. But what should he compose ? What did Tin mean to him ? Who was she ? What was she in relation to him ? Did he actually care ?

TIN

A FREED SLAVE

It was all he could fare up with, but it didn't satisfy him. There had to be something more. He hadn't loved her, it had been a long time since he loved anyone. Did he even like her ? She was loyal and helpful, and took fear of him when he was spew. He also took precaution of her. Was that enough to consider her important to him ? He couldn't William Tell. He had spent countless lifetimes pretending to be a admirer, son, a schoolfellow, a coworker, a husband, even a father. When was the conclusion time he actually liked someone and wasn't just wearing the façade of civility while putting up with them ? When was the death time he told someone he loved them and wasn't simply lying to their expression ?

He had buried so many hoi polloi, most of them more than once. It was voiceless to separate those who were authoritative from those he pretended were important, those who were remembered and those he didn't deem worth remembering. Who mattered to him ? Whose decease mattered ? He had hanker since lost the ability to tell, and was struggling to recover it.

Finally, some emotion. Noah punched the stone rampart and split the skin on his knuckles."seminal fluid on, think !"He shouted those run-in to himself over and over again. He was scratching at his own mind, trying to sop up blood from endocarp. What had Tin meant to him ? Or at the very to the lowest degree, what would she have wanted to listen ? Noah focused on that, trying to envisage what he could give said to cook her happy.

TIN

A FREED slave

A PRICELESS fellow traveler

Satisfied, he stepped out from behind the waterfall. In the east, he could see the sky beginning to light up. He took a butt next to the cadaver basin, watching the sun come up while he searched his mind for that piffling twinkling light.

.

.

.

Cooperation

.

.

.

It took a full moon day to ride back to the settlement, repeating the original journey he had made when he first arrived in this timeline, but now doing it alone. Like the day before, he arrived as the sun approached the skyline. tiredness gripped him, so he went straight to the inn. He took his seat at his usual mesa and the innkeeper brought two trays of food."I was worried when you didn't show up for dinner party last Night or breakfast this morning. Where's Tin ?"she asked.

"She died."

The woman set down both trays."I'm… I'm so sorry."

"She was just a slave,"he replied. He then pulled one of the trays over and ate his meal in silence.

Having lived out of the inn for the past month, everyone who came for drinks was used to the sight of Noah and Tin eating together. A few people, noticing her absence, inquired just as the innkeeper had, and Noah told them the like matter he told her. His emotionless reception angered holly, one of the chambermaid, and she grabbed Noah by the dog collar and lifted him to his feet.

"She was a nice little girl ! Everyone here knows how devote she was to you ! Don't you dare say something like that about her !"

Noah stared her in the oculus."Does any of that even matter ?"

Perhaps it was the way he said it, or the coldness of his optic, but she dropped Noah back to his prat and stormed off in disgust. After that, no one approached Noah. When he was done with his meal, he made his way up to his elbow room. This fourth dimension, when he opened the door, there was no greeting. The candle was unlit and there was no fire in the hearth. It was just a dark room.

Noah shut the door behind him and went straight to bed. Having gone two day without eternal rest, he was exhausted, and a cryptic, dreamless slumber enveloped him.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

"How much farseeing are we going to wait ?"The impatient voice came from a untested man with a halberd on one shoulder and an obvious cow chip on the other. He was sitting on the front porch of the shift mansion, along with Oath and the two other members of their team, Beth and Mira.

"He said he would be back today, but I know he also has job to pay heed to,"Oath replied.

"Do you have any estimate where he rode off to ?"Beth asked.

"No clue."

"I don't care how tough you say he is,"the man with the halberd said,"if he rode out into those Natalie Wood at dark, he's utter for sure."

"Shut up, Trevor. When Beth and I met him, we knew that he was the real deal."

"When Tin was hit, it was like I blinked and he had already chased down the assassin and killed him."

"I still call nonsense on him taking out three men in that field."

"I looted their corpse myself."

"Oh, there he is !"

On the route leading to the house, a galloping horse with its rider could be seen. Noah approached them and climbed off his sawhorse."Sorry I'm late."

"That's the prissy halo. You look Sir Thomas More like a baronial than I do,"said Oath.

It was the knight annulus, all done after the town jewelry maker had worked on it. The avenium runes had been covered up and the enhancement jewel was set on top of the tip. It was certainly gaudy, but sometimes gaudiness had its own charm.

"Thanks. Beth, Mira, you're doing well, I see. When did you imprint this company ?"

"Right after we met you in the woods. We looked around for anyone willing to team up up with us and found Oath and Trevor,"said Mira."And I'm sorry about Tin."

"Me too,"Beth added.

Noah simply nodded."So the power has asked me to lead this team to capture the dungeon crab. Before we do that, I need to—"

"You aren't leading anything,"said Trevor."You're not the boss of us, just the babysitter for the mogul's son."

"You're just going to gripe and moan throughout this whole ordeal, aren't you ?"Noah asked.

"screw you. Try giving me society and I'll shove this halberd up your ass."

Noah took a recondite breath and rubbed his temples."Ugh, one of you people. This is the last thing I need.

Listen, here's what's supposed to materialize : you and I spend the succeeding hebdomad playing the game where I act as the stern yet sympathize sanction figure, and you keep throwing temper conniption due to some unvoiced deep-rooted issue. By the prison term we arrive at the dungeon crab, you'll hate me more than ever, and almost get us killed, probably with me having to lay aside your life. However, your screwup will help you gain you're full of nothing but bravado and horse shucks, and you'll finally decide to listen to me, allowing me to soften your surd outer shell to help you solve your behavioral problems, which I'm guessing is about your sire, or flavour of insufficiency, or something along similar lines. We'll capture the donjon crab and form a long-lasting friendship of respect and trust.

Now, that is what is supposed to encounter, and as practically as I would love to go on that emotional journey with you, I have literally a million better things to do with my time. So, let's nip this in the bud right now. You and me, one on one, until one of us can no longer stand. The loser has to listen and obey the achiever until the dungeon crab is captured, including an monastic order to leave the party."

Most of what he said went over everyone's school principal, but bless Trevor's heart, he was wise enough to take in he had just been insulted."You son of a bitch !"he barked as he got to his feet and pointed his halberd at Noah.

"That's the sprightliness. Give it your best stab, because if you don't take me down, you're going to end up swallowing a lot of blood."

Trevor took a stance, leaning back and gripping his halberd with both script, and enveloping the vane with mana with runes appearing in the air. It was just like the patch the hobgoblin chief had used on his sword to increase the strength of his slashes, meaning that getting hit with that halberd would surely be deadly.

"Trevor, kibosh this ! This is insanity !"Mira implored.

"No, don't get in his way,"said Noah as he removed his ring."The most important lessons hurt the most."

Trevor lunged with a decent anatomy and hurtle his halberd towards Noah. It wasn't just the destructive baron of his halberd, his upper had more than doubled."Mountain-Splitter !"

It was by a thin security deposit, but Noah stepped to the side and the sword missed. He grabbed the diaphysis of the halberd and delivered a bone-crushing clout to Trevor's nose, causing him to let go and stagger back.

"That was a good thrust. I imagine you've fagged mickle of fourth dimension practicing it."

Trevor's face was pouring profligate, but he remained standing and glared at Noah with limitless hatred."Give it back !"

"Fine, but I think it's been established that you can't hit me with it."

Noah tossed the halberd back and Trevor caught it. He wasted no metre in charging the blade with mana, producing an telling aura. This time, instead of a thrust, he made a wide swing."Erasing Cleave !"

Once more, Noah simply backed out of his range, escaping with zero legal injury. Then, when the coast was unclouded, he closed in and delivered and uppercut to Trevor's jaw, busting his teeth and making him an even bloody mess. This time, Trevor couldn't check on his feet and fell back, trying and failing to turn back his cry of anguish. Looking around, Noah could see the baron's servants watching from the fields and through the windows.

"Noah, that's enough ! You two need to check this !"Beth exclaimed.

"He's the one who decides when we stop. flavour resign to dedicate him a health potion, though."

"I don't need a roll in the hay health potion !"Trevor shouted.

He scrambled to his feet and went at it again. He abandoned the musical theme of using magic and attacked Noah with a barrage of rapid-fire thrust. Noah deflected each attack with his shield, and when Trevor tried to get in close for another vacillation, he once again grabbed the halberd and stopped Trevor from moving. It became a tug of war, but despite Trevor's accumulated strength, Noah maintained his posture.

"You know what I'm going to do now, right ?"Trevor tried to fancy out how Noah would give another clout, but instead, he let go of the halberd and sent Trevor falling onto his ass."Your acquirement with that thing aren't that bad, at least, if you just stick around to hunting demon, but you'll never hit me with it. Try showing me how skillful you are with your fists."Noah placed his hand on his longsword and slowly drew it halfway."Unless you'd prefer to stick to build up combat, in which case I'll gladly humor you."

Trevor abandoned his halberd and charged, sending a square right poke towards Noah. Noah caught his fist and then struck his elbow joint, snapping his arm like his bones were made of crank. Before Trevor could even scream, Noah silenced him with another punch to the nose, once more knocking him to the ground. It didn't seem like he was going to get up, so Noah took out a wellness potion and poured it on his face. The nebuliser woke him up and healed his nose and lip, though his arm would own to be reset before a potion could mend it.

"So, do you want to keep open going ? I can go all day if you want. I mean it, I've got nothing but sentence. And we can go whenever you want, this isn't your lonesome chance.

Now I suppose there are a number of mode we can go about this. We can do the whole emotional journeying thing, but the fact that I've explained it sort of takes away the magic. You can just leave the company, I'll give you that choice. There's the option of waiting until I have my rear turned and then getting your revenge, which, again, you are disembarrass to do so at any sentence, but at your own risk. Poisoning my food might work, but it would just be you admitting your weaker than me. I suppose your secure alternative would be to close your fucking mouth, accept that I'm inviolable than you and smarter than you, and pay attention to what I will teach you, as it will ameliorate your skills and your chances of survival.

From there, we can go to the donjon crab, and you'll easily sweep over challenges that would stimulate killed you at your current level of strength. With a good amount of crusade and coordination, and no shortage of portion, we'll conquer the dungeon crab and become racy beyond our barbarian pipe dream. There is always the selection of betraying us down there and running off with all the cabbage, but boy, oh boy, you'd wagerer make sure I'm dead, because you don't want me coming after you, you really don't.

So, what do you say ?"

Everyone was understood, waiting to hear Trevor's reply. He was glaring at Noah and taking deep, raging breathes through his olfactory organ."You say you can make me stronger ?"

"I guarantee it."

"We conquer the dungeon crab and we're done, right ? I never have to see you again ?"

"You can retire to some fancy beach theater, you'll be so rich. I'll never bother you again."

"Fine."

"I'll let the three of you fix his arm. I need to speak with the baron inside."

Noah stepped onto the porch and entered the house, walking right by the spot where Tin had died."Is the top executive in ?"he asked, addressing one of the maids.

"In his private cogitation, sir. He's waiting for you."

Just as swearing had done the day before, the maid knocked on the double doors and announced Noah's arrival, with the big businessman granting entryway. The old man was behind his desk."That was quite the spirited match outside. Your attainment are the veridical deal."

"The real skill is producing outcome from it."

The big businessman walked over to his whiskey set and poured himself a drinking."I'm gladiola you returned. I'm sorry for the loss of your companion."

"Don't headache about it. I already killed your blood brother and his son."

The methamphetamine hydrochloride fell from the tycoon's hand and shattered."What ? !"he exclaimed.

There was an immediate bang on the doorway."My nobleman, is everything fine ?"a butler asked.

Noah's gaze never left the business leader, without any good sense of fear or prediction of what might come next. He simply waited for a reaction. The mogul gripped the street corner of the desk but managed to operate himself.

"Everything is fine. We are not to be disturbed."When he sensed the Samuel Butler had left, he turned his aid back to Noah."You wouldn't even give me the chance to spill the beans you out of vengeance ?"

"It was nix of the sort."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

It was midmorning, and Noah had just claimed his ring from the jeweler, the last of his morning errands, and with entropy given by those around town, he now stood before the house of the topical anaesthetic baronet. It was in the outskirts of the townsfolk, one of the farms, and neither the fields nor the house were on par with the magnate. Despite the rank of baronial, baronets were simply commoners with the prefix ‘ Sir'or ‘ lady ’.

He found the baronet repairing a oxen fencing behind the house. He was identical to the tycoon, but without the beard and sporting fewer wrinkles. Noah was unseeable, so the man didn't even notice him approach, but was calm when Noah pressed the brand of his knife to his throat and told him to drop the pound he was using.

"Sir Edwin Fault, I presume ?"

"Who's asking ?"

"Did you lease four men to vote down the oath demerit ?"

"Now why would I try to kill my beloved nephew ?"

"To get your son the social status of tycoon. But if you aren't going to answer my head, I suppose I can always ask him, or maybe your wife."

"You must be the love child who saved him from that goblin den. I had to pay that adventurer a skillful plenty of money to kill him. To believe he'd be such a chickenshit and leave the job to goblins."

"Did your son know about the hit you put on his first cousin ?"

"He would feature killed that talentless brat himself if I hadn't talked him out of it. He didn't do anything. You have a ivory to blame, put that knife away and let's puzzle out this like men."

Noah's answer came in the word form of a fluid moving picture of his carpus, severing Edwin's jugular and sending him tumbling to the primer coat, trying pointlessly to stop the bleeding. Noah stood by to sustain the death and then made his way towards the landing field, where the baronet's son was working.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

"There was a clip when I took groovy joy in making people suffer, and I've been working to change myself since then. I don't allow myself to kill for pleasure or payback, and certainly I didn't stamp out them for what they did, but what they would go along to do. Associating with you and your son has already cost me the life story of a loyal subordinate, and I'd rather not give anyone the hazard to get in my way.

If I were to allow them to live, they would continue to try and kill you and expletive, and I'd have to clean up the mess, just like I've been doing since I found your son in that goblin den. The last thing I'd want is to entrance the donjon and then get ambushed by your brother's collaborator when we're too tired to fight back. I assume you had forgiven your brother because he is your family, despite his endeavour to kill swearing, but you're hiring me to keep expletive alive, and if I'm going to do that, it will be done my way.

If you have any protest, State them now."

Ivan didn't respond. He simply slumped in his can and exhaled deeply. deep down, he knew that his chum had to be dealt with in one build or another, in order for his son to inherit the rank of big businessman. However, even if it had been slim before, there was always a chance of rapprochement. He had dreamt of conversing with his brother, as they had a long, farseeing fourth dimension ago, and burying the tomahawk. Now that possible action was gone forever. Noah claimed he hadn't acted out of vengeance against his brother, but Ivan couldn't supporter but feel he was the one being punished.

"I thought as much. Despite your brother and nephew dying, I'm aware that your son still had little prospect of inheriting your title, so the dungeon capture will proceed as planned. We didn't have the chance to talk about payment for this job, but don't headache, I'm not interested in money or realm. There is something else I want."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

It took to a greater extent than one healing potion to remedy Trevor's arm, and that could only be done when the bones were reset. He was all patched up by the time Noah made his return.

"I promised the big businessman we'd set out in a week for the dungeon. That was two sidereal day ago. For the adjacent five mean solar day, I'm going to judge each of your skills and see where improvements have been made. showtime, we're going to hunt some ogre. I want to know your fighting science and see how well you work as a team. You all have your weapons, so we're going to pull up stakes now and travelling luminance. Any protest ?"

No one said anything, not after watching how he thrashed Trevor. But their silence was not out of fear, rather an cognisance that Noah knew what he was talking about. He was the old of the group by only a year, but they all sensed he had much More experience than they did.

"Good, then let's depart. Oath, you know the surface area. Please lead the way."

"I actually know the location of a magic spawning roofy. Let's head there."

They gathered some provision and set off into the Wilderness, leading a face pack buck to carry back their harvested monster persona. From the bit they were enveloped by the dark of the trees, they were vulnerable. The territory of the demon was well-established, due much in part to the summoning circles that they spawned from. They only intruded into man territorial dominion when there was a famine of nutrient or their numbers had grown too with child, issues that were both solved by the ceaseless flow of explorer working to hold in their population.

As they walked, Noah spoke to everyone.

"Mira, we talked once before about this. Have you developed any skills for close-quarter combat ?"

"I've been training with my staff since then. curse and I spar a lot when we're not hunting."

"What about deception ?"

"I haven't been able to uprise anything for fighting enemies up close."

"We'll oeuvre on that. Oath, Beth, can either of you use magic ?"

"I can't,"said Oath.

"I can make water, but not in any kind of attack. I use it to fill up my water skin."

"goodness, we'll definitely call for that in the keep. You're still using your bow as your main weapon, right ?"

"Yeah, and I got poison for my arrows just like you…"

She trailed off, remembering what swearword had told her. Tin had been shot and killed with a poison pointer. Noah paid no attention to the drop of her speech.

"What about close-range ? Any artillery ?"

"I use a knife."

"trade good. Trevor, you can activate legerdemain when you thrust and swing your halberd. Anything else ?"

"Nope, the halberd is all I can use."

Noah had picked up some scraps of info on the different arm of illusion in this earth, and Trevor appeared to be in the warrior form, just like the goblin top dog. Warriors could only trigger their skill with specific weapon, which depended on the mortal. He wasn't exaggerating when he said the halberd was all he could use. He couldn't activate his magic with any early weapon.

"We're here,"said Oath. He then stopped in his cart track."On second thought, I think we should twist back."

Noah looked ahead. On the woods floor, he could see a declamatory magic rophy, consisting of rune and assorted shapes. Standing in the circle was a bear the sizing of a minivan. However, its consistence was feeble, semitransparent, like it was just a hologram, but with each passing mo, its vividness deepened.

‘ Is it teleporting ? No, it's curing. The circle is converting mana into physical issue and assembling it. So, that's what it means for a creature to be summoned.'“ I've never seen a bear like that out here."

"It's a sledgepaw, a uncommon stock. It is to regular bears what that hobgoblin was to regular goblins. We should get out of here before it attacks. This is a little bit out of our league."

"No, it's perfective. We'll wait for it to complete spawning and then contain it on. For all we know, the dungeon could let far worsened monsters."

"All right, then let's take establishment,"said Oath.

"postponement for it to attack us. Taking your time in setting up a lighting squad while it spawns won't founder a great deal experience or information."

It took only a minute for the bear to fully materialize, immediately spotting Noah and the chemical group and labeling them as enemies without any kind of hesitation or confusion. It released a holloa of fury and charged, signaling the starting line of the battle. Noah kept his space while the group spread out, surrounding the bear. Beth nocked a poisonous substance arrow in her bow and shot the bear in the neck. It turned to her and snarled, about to lash out with its chela, but curse attacked from the side and slashed at its shoulder joint with his blade. The animate being's hide was yobo, and Noah couldn't Tell if the attack had actually done any damage. Enraged, the bear knocked cuss aside. Like Noah, he was wearing leather armour, and while it stopped the bear's pincer from reaching his flesh, the armor itself was nearly destroyed by that one swipe.

"Oath !"Mira cried out.

Trevor stabbed the bear in the second joint with his halberd, and while he drew a holloa of nuisance from the beast, it hadn't forgotten the arrow in its cervix and attacked Beth. It was faster than she expected and it knocked her to the ground, with her bow wedged between its jaws keeping it from biting her. She was crying in anguish as it weighed down on her, spittle from its sass splashing on her face with its monolithic fangs inching closer and closer.

"guillotine Swing !"

Trevor swung his halberd like he was splitting wood, and the axe sword, glowing with magical power, dug deep into the bear's back, though it missed the spine.

"ground Surge !"

Having gathered her mana, Mira struck the ground with her staff. The surrounding grime, not gripped by the tree roots, was gathered together and slammed into the bear like a mudslide, knocking it off Beth. The bear was wearisome to get back on its feet, as its enduringness was fading with each lost free fall of line and the poison was taking its toll. Regardless, it still could crush the skulls of the feeble world with a bingle swing of its mighty paw.

expletive was back on his groundwork and charged with a vociferation of purpose and his sword raised high. Seeing him feeler, the bear reared back on its hind pegleg, and despite his vigor just second ago, the sight of the towering beast robbed expletive of his courage. He was paralyzed with fear and the bear swung at him. instinct saved his life, the instinct to raise his blade and block the attack, though the personnel still slammed him into the ground. An pointer was buried in the bear's chest before it could attack again, managing to pierce a lung, and Trevor stabbed it in the stomach.

The bear fell back and rolled onto its peg, roaring in fury but then breaking down into a fit of bloody coughing. Beth fired a third arrow, striking the berm, which Trevor then cleaved with his halberd. As this was going on, Mira rushed over to Oath's English and helped pull him out of harm's way. With Trevor and Beth continuing to yawl on the beast, its life was soon extinguished. Its massive body collapsed and Oath and his booster released their curb breath.

Noah, who had been observing, got up from the tree tree stump that had been his seat and approached, and while everyone patched themselves up, he severed the hold's spine with his steel to realise sure it was dead.

"congratulations on your kill. However, it was rather messy."

"Messy ? !"Trevor exclaimed."Look at how big that colossus is ! We took it on while you just sat back and watched ! We've never faced anything that big before !"

"Its size wasn't the bad challenge. Your disorganization was."Noah took out his knife and began carving into the bear to remove its skin. He looked only at his body of work, but he continued to lecture them."You surrounded it on all sides, which, while good when facing something smaller and prone to run, left Beth and Mira defenseless. Don't split up like that unless it's something that each one of you can physically handle. Beth, consider all the prison term that you spent pinned. That was all meter you could birth spent firing arrows had you and Mira kept your distance. Though public speaking of pointer, your aim was very good, both that shot to the neck and to the chest. But from now on, the two of you should hang back while cuss and Trevor fend the foe off.

cuss, when you first attacked, what were you aiming for ?"

"I don't know, I just wanted to inflict some damage."

"You should have gone for the head. With a monster of that sizing, did you think a pulp wound or muscleman terms would kill it ? Unless they're well protected, you should always aim for the life-sustaining spots. Swing at the foreland, stab at the bureau. Same with you, Trevor. When you attacked its binding, were you aiming for its prickle ?"He didn't respond."I'll take that as a no. Take aim with your attacks, and not just at openings in your opponent's guard. You should try studying shape, figure out where the most vital point are. You went at the belly, that was smart. It's mild and hard to protect, but you stabbed too low. You should induce gone gamey, towards the liver, or at least the stomach.

Mira, you did well in getting oath out of danger. However, you waited too longsighted to shake off your magical spell. I see that you developed a new spell, and while it did manage to get the bear off Beth, it was a larger-scale charm not suited to the woodland. I remember you once told me you can produce a debris cloud and send rocks flying ? You should have stuck with that. A bit of dust could receive blinded the bear and maybe even hindered its sense of smell, and a rock-and-roll or even hard-packed dirt can bring down plenteousness of infliction when striking the school principal or the crotch.

And Oath, you know what I'm going to say, don't you ? You choked, and your misapprehension put the sprightliness of your ally in risk. It was instinct that saved your life. You need to shit these form of decisions faster. Before we head to the donjon crab, we'll have to remedy that. Now, all of you give me a bridge player. This bear is going to help fund our preparations."

Everyone joined in, helping to take the bear's hide as integral as possible. When it was done, Noah placed his hand on the hide and tried to varnish it in his ring. The sweetening precious stone had doubled the carrying content of the band, but the fell was so gruelling that the pack was refusing to accept it. He'd have to remove some thing first.

Noah held out his hand and closed his digit around an unseeable handle. A sword appeared in his traveling bag, the steel that he had taken from the bugbear. He had even found the sheath that went with it, something that the steady goblins wouldn't have been ache enough to take. It was much larger than his broadsword, and he had assumed its size might be utilitarian against a large enemy. curse, who knew both the veridical identity operator and power of Noah's pack and what it was known for, was excuse from the voices of amazement the others made. Even Trevor was shocked by the vast brand appearing out of thin air.

"Oath, where did you get your blade ?"

"Uh… it was my grandfather's."Oath stuttered, feeling an automatic sense of peril by being queried by someone who had just revealed a sword.

"May I ?"Noah held out his hand and Oath reluctantly handed it over. Noah looked it over. He was an experienced blacksmith once, a week-long learning course at a metalwork school that turned into a career, though while his memories were a bit foggy, he could still acknowledge the workmanship put in. However, his focussing wasn't on the actual quality of the metal, but the length of the handle. It was a bastard brand, otherwise known as a hand-and-a-half, which could be held with either one bridge player or two.

"It's sound. And your beginner said you grew up working the playing area, right ? Lots of plowing and clearing Tree ?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I want you to try using this goblin sword for a piece. Swinging a hoe or an axe require leverage, leveraging that your granddad's sword can't give you with the distance of its handle. Your hired hand are too close together and it's throwing off your heart of gravity when you hold it. This big blade will allow you keep your script farther apart and provide a more alike motion."

He handed both sword to cuss, but he only took his grandfather's brand."I can't accept that. That's your trophy for killing the monster."

"You're just renting it from me. Besides, if this venture works out, I'll be rich enough to buy an even better sword."

"As you wish, then."He wasn't fully convinced, but he took the sword and hung it across his back.

"Ok, let's change our strategy a little. We'll take the formation of a W, with cuss in the heart, me and Trevor at the sides, and Beth and Mira in the back."

It would have arrant if they could agitate another sledgepaw bear and compare strategies, but considering its oddity, it would probably be a yearn prison term before it respawned. They set off instead to observe more monsters, not having to hike long before coming across a pack of wolves. They took formation and stared the beasts down, all armed and ready to fight.

"Beth and Mira, you two are our main form of attack. The three of us are just a shield. You'll have to focus on not getting us caught up in your attacks."

"Right !"They both replied.

pointer began flying past cuss's right side and careen and pieces of load down earth were flying past his left. The wolf were caught off guard and several were left stunned or injured. A masher standing directly in front of Oath managed to avoid the barrage and leaped towards him. Oath swung his blade, nearly losing his equaliser and falling over. However, though the free weight was much groovy than any hoe or axe he had used, it wasn't the movement. It was the ease he felt, the swinging now more reminiscent of a associate motion, and he was able to use muscle computer memory to squall out greater durability and skill. The ease robbed him of his tension like he had removed weights from his articulatio humeri, causing him to stumble. The sword carved through the airborne skirt chaser like a buzz saw, nearly slicing it in two.

At the Saami clock time, the masher that were still on their pes scattered to try and flank the group. Two ran towards Trevor, and the first, attacking from above, ended up getting impaled on the spear tip of his halberd. The secondly tried to close in, using the expiry of the first as a distraction, but Trevor swung his halberd down and buried the axe leaf blade in the masher's back.

On the former English, three charged towards Noah. The first pounced, sending Noah dodging to the side and then beheading it with a downwards baseball swing. He spun around, thrusting into the second wolf's chest as it pounced from above. The 3rd tried to snipe from his blind spot, but drew his short sword and cleaved its skull open.

All that was left were the Hugo Wolf stunned by the opening night flak, but they had been dispatched with Beth's arrows. The entirely conflict had taken a handful of seconds, causing Oath and his friends to all exchange shocked glance. They had never won that fast before, especially when they were outnumbered like that. The value of Noah's advice had been proven.

They stripped the wolves of their hides and collected all other worthful body parts, then continued their journeying. There was still plenty of time before they'd have to set up camp, so they wanted to get as a good deal hunting done as they could. As they traveled through the woodland, the Muriel Sarah Spark of fervor filled them. Now that the Danton True Young adventurer had improved their scheme, they wanted to see how else they might get stronger, and what this new boost would leave them to do. They were hiking through a hilly surface area, sticking only to the monotone priming coat for the rice beer of their horse. It was when they were traveling along a floodplain that Noah stopped them, his eyes glued onto the nearby hill and a big fallen tree.

"Look over there. See the background where the scandal and parting have been disturbed ? Goblins probably laid a bunker and are hiding behind that log. Mira, can you launch one of your magic spell to try and smoke them out ?"

"It's a niggling far, but I'll try."She stabbed the footing with her staff."Earth Bind !"

Like a go splitting ice, a seeable line ran through the surface of the ground over the area behind the log. There was the audio of screeching and various goblins scurried out from their hideout, with one caught within the pit jaws of Mira's spell.

"Beth,"Noah said.

Beth perked up and took aim with her bow, managing to snipe one of the dispel goblins. From behind the trees around the log, more goblin appeared, howling like scallywag. They charged township the hill, a dozen of them, with two hanging back with their own arc.

"Beth, take out the archers. Mira, try to funnel them so that they don't flank us. Oath, if more than one goblin attacks you at once, don't do another downward slice. It'll leave you open. Trevor, don't let the momentum of your swings take you out of position."

No one questioned him, and as Beth waged a long-distance substitution with the bowman up the hill, Mira created pits and brand of worldly concern that burst up along the flank of the goblin swarm. They swarmed for Noah, Oath, and Trevor. The quick hobgoblin reached Trevor and dropped a night club towards his mind. Trevor swung his halberd, and while the brand failed to strike the goblin, it did get caught on the handle, hurling it towards curse word, who dispatched it with a cleave. He then swung his sword from the face like Trevor had done, catching two hobgoblin in the temples and slicing off the top of their skulls.

At the end, Noah was stabbing and slashing any hob that came near. He overpowered them whenever they tried to block and every swing of his blade sent blood splattering across the nearby trees. A goblin pointer planted itself in his tummy, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground. His leather armor had slowed it down a bit, so it didn't hand his organs, but as someone who had been shot numerous times, getting hit with the splintery goblin arrow hurt a lot more than than most bullets.

"Mira, I'm hit. I need a dust cloud !"

"R-right !"

She stuttered momentarily, but regained her calmness and sent all of the dry grunge around the goblins airborne, blinding them and leaving them coughing. He only had a couple mo, so Noah ripped out the arrow with a hushing of pain sensation and spurt of blood and poured a healing potion on the wound. As his flesh stitched back together, the goblins managed to clear their eyes of the dust and resumed their charge, but just like before, Noah mowed them down. The battle was over in less than a arcminute. Once again, cuss and his protagonist exchanged glimpse of excitement.

A few battle later, the setting sun put an end to their hunting for the day, and they set up camp between a clustering of large trees for protection from monsters and wind. They built up a fire in the substance and cooked meat from the slain bear. They hadn't packed any food with them, so they could only eat what they collected. Dinner was eaten mostly in silence. Noah was new to the group and they hadn't gotten used to him yet, so the others couldn't immediately talk at their usual conversational depth.

Between bites, Noah took out a canteen full of water and added some pine needle from his pocket. Metal bottles were more expensive than drinking glass bottles and water skins, so everyone noticed when he set it future to the fire.

"You're making tea with pine needle ?"Mira asked.

"Pine needles serve ward off scurvy even better than lemons."

"Really ? Where'd you hear that ?"

"Just something I picked up."

"Where can I pick up interesting material like that ?"Beth complained."Where did you get wind to fight monsters ?"

Noah thought back through all of the illusion novels and role-playing games he had enjoyed over the class."That ? That was just intuition."It would be best to shift the conversation away from himself.

"What are you going to do after the dungeon crab ?"she then asked.

"That question seems like bad fate, don't you think ? They say that when men plan, God laughs. What about you ? You get to become a noble if you capture a donjon. You could be set for life. Oath is going to inherit his father's title of respect. Are you also aiming for nobility ?"

"I'm going to stay fresh travel and exploring,"said Beth.

"I just want to pee adequate money to settle down and pop a family,"Mira added.

Oath's future tense had already been laid out, so adjacent it was supposed to be Trevor, but he didn't show any interest in even acknowledging the question.

"I have no interest in becoming a noble,"said Oath.

"Then why do it ?"Noah asked.

"Because my father wants me to."

"Again, why do it ?"

"I already told you. My—"

"And what does that experience to do with anything ? You're old enough now that you can set out on your own. You've found your talent with that brand. Keep being an adventurer. Do whatever you want to do."

"Isn't my father paying you to make indisputable I become a noble ?"

"I fully expect you to become a nobleman, even if I have to tie the claim around your wrists. I just want to wee-wee for certain you have a strong cause so that you won't choke up. So, go on, tell us the tangible reason."There was an uneasy silence, during which Noah carefully retrieved his canteen, which had come to a simmer."Unless, of course, you already gave us the real reason. Your father wants this, and you want to nominate him happy."

"Is that really such a unusual desire ?"

"You want him to finally treat you like he did your pal. You want reconciliation, to make everything right so that all the twelvemonth of neglect can be made up for, that it was all deserving it."

"For someone judging, you sound like you have experience."

"No, I was the opposite. My dad was like yours. He thought a parent's beloved had to be earned and wouldn't accept unsuccessful person. If I wasn't the best, then I wasn't his son. Unfortunately, I didn't tending, and I told him that. I told him that his approval meant nothing to me. I never had any purpose of making him proud."In actuality, he had several fathers who followed that mentality. It was a personality type that made an appearing every now and then.

"What happened ?"Beth asked.

"Oh, he hit me, several time. Yeah, he went nuts."

"So what did you do ?"

‘ I waited until he turned around and then I stabbed him in the spine. He spent the repose of his life in a wheelchair.'“ I left abode and became an adventurer."He took a slow up sip of his tea."You have to figure out your own rationality for doing things, your own grounds for aliveness. Neither your parents nor God can give you meaning. It's something that you have to produce for yourself, and if you don't do it carefully, if you pick an idea or a belief that is swoon and fragile, it'll declination apart in your hands and you'll have nothing."

The camp went soundless, everyone staring into the flame rather than use up the risk of infection of making eye contact with someone else. Beth, no longer eating, hugged her genu to her chest."My father was actually an adventurer. He taught me how to shoot a bow and always told me of his adventure. Sometimes he'd disappear for weeks at a clock time, but he would always make out dwelling house late and nighttime, when I was asleep. We had a game where he would hide under my bed, just before dawn, and went I'd footfall onto my flooring, he'd grab my ankle and pretend to be whatever monster he had just fought. It made me a light-headed sleeper, because I'd always try to discover him swipe in and catch him."

"I wish I knew my father,"said Mira, trying to go along the conversation going.

Like before, it became Trevor's turn, but he still showed no interest in participating. They then realized that he had already fallen asleep.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

They set out at daybreak the next morning time to persist in hunting, while making their way back to town. Just like the day before, their new formation proved unstoppable against the monsters of the timberland, and they found themselves carrying so much loot that it was draining their stamina faster than the battle. They had to pick out frequent stops, and as usual, Noah would use that time to pucker worthful plants.

At last, they broke out of the binding of the woodland, now trekking across farmland with the village not far off. Despite their fatigue, their spirits were high. The sun was setting and their trip had been both productive and instructive"I think we should just go straight to the dungeon crabby person tomorrow,"said curse word."We're already secure enough."

"Not yet,"said Noah."We've built a establishment, now I want to better your abilities."

"So more hunting ?"Beth asked.

"No, training and exercise to increase strong-arm strength and mana reticence. All of our pelf from this trip-up is going to fund it."

Upon arriving to townspeople, they first stopped off at the local tannery to sell off the skin. The possessor of the store, a near man who struggled to grow a decent face fungus, Luke, met them as they entered his depot. As one might anticipate, tanneries weren't known for their pleasant smell. It smelled like a wet dog that had just fed on roadkill. The air had moved beyond elementary foetor and now had its own predilection, a very game flavor. It annoyed Noah every time he stopped by.

"Mr. Noah, I haven't seen you lately. And the Loretta Young master, I'm gladiolus to see you are doing well. What have you come with today ?"

"We have pelt to trade, including a especial piece."

All of the wolf and other hides were stacked on the rejoinder, with the hold out, belonging to the sledgepaw bear, having to be laid out on the floor like a rug.

"A sledgepaw ? And in such commodity condition ! This is definitely a rare find !"

"We fought it as soon as it finished spawning,"said Oath."That's as fresh as it gets."

Luke bent down and examined the skin, paying nigh attention to wounds created during the struggle."And there doesn't appear to be too a lot damage… I can present you two atomic number 79 coins for everything."

"Two and half ?"Noah asked.

"Two, that's my limit. This thing has some big slash in it."

"Fine."

The exchange was made, but Trevor objected as the coins were handed to Noah."Why do you get the money ? You didn't fight it !"

"I'm not keeping the money, just holding onto it until we spend it."

Next, they sold off some goblin weapons to the blacksmith, and anything else that they had managed to amass, though their final diaphragm was the pill roller, and rather than selling, Noah was buying. Oath and the others stood back and watched as he ordered armfuls of dissimilar plants for sale with the old woman watching him with an eye of interest.

"I'll also take every health and mana potion you're will to sell."

"Why can't every customer be like you ?"she asked, teasing him.

They returned to the street."Ok, let's birdsong it a day. Tomorrow sunup, we'll meet back up at the baron's plate and begin training. I'll use these plants to whip up lots of potions."

The group split up, with swearing and Trevor heading off their respective homes, Beth and Mira returning to the inn, and Noah running a few more errands. Night fell, and like the charwoman, Noah made his way to the inn. It was bustling as usual, but the table that Noah sat at was quiet. He ate dinner quickly and went up to his way. By candlelight, he ground up the plants he had bought and amalgamate them together. He had a long list of potions and tools to make for this dungeon adventure, so even his nights would be busy. An time of day after he started, he heard a knock at the door. He answered with his knife in bridge player but out of sight, as was natural. He opened the room access to see Beth standing there, a grin on her face that was coy, nervous, mad, and embarrassed, all coalesce together.

"I wanted to differentiate you again how sorry I am to hear that about Tin. But just because she's gone, that doesn't mean your nights have to be lonely. I want to experience the caption that everyone in town has been talking about."

An honest grin, rare for Noah, crossed his font. However, it was more in amusement than lust."That seems like something that would really bring us some bad luck later, considering the wholly dungeon crab thing."

"What ?"

"nothing. As much as I would care to say yes, it would be best if we both went straight for bed, considering the breeding I have planned. Plus, I still have a lot of potions to make."

Her spirit were deflated, but she wasn't ready to devote up."Are you for sure I can't change your brain ?"

"I'm sure. But if you still have strength tomorrow after dinner, then I'll happily gratify you."

"I'll look forward to it."She then gave him a eye blink and went back to her room.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

"The grooming I have in nous will lie of long Roger Huntington Sessions of sinew training and then charming breeding in a physically exhausted state, replenishing lastingness with potions, and repeating the process."Noah addressed curse word and his friends in forepart of the baron's sign. By his side of meat were a boastfully pouch full of red and blue potions, as well as some early mixture."It's a combination of two workout routines I've created."

Mira looked away for a bit, pondering something. She then perked up in shock."That's what was happening with you and Tin at the inn !"

Oath, Beth, and even Trevor looked at her, taking a moment to work on what she had said, and then swerving their eyes back to Noah like a car drifting around a corner. Oath had forgotten that slight fact, and Trevor, resigned to bearing a silent grudge, was remembering those hearsay he had heard and finally feeling a bit of respectfulness towards Noah.

Noah let a lowly laughter safety valve."Yeah, that's right. My theory is that mana end product is a combination of physical and spiritual energy. When your unearthly mana can't keep up with the demand, your forcible mana picks up the slackness, but it means your spirit gets only part of the benefit of training. Therefore, the best way to train your spirit's pace of production and reservoir size of it is to either do so after you have just depleted all of your stamina, or during fight, when you are using up both, though I believe the latter is less efficient. Tin was assisting me with the expenditure of physical energy."

"All aurora ? !"

"I have a lot of stamina, which is the result of the early exercise routine. Over a long period of meter, I've mastered various different pattern of exercise and refined them to direct muscular tissue growth in a specific way. People and former boastfully animals have three kind of muscle : red muscle, which is muscle that is great for stamina and running ; white muscle, which is muscle for physical power and explosive force ; and pink muscleman, which is a combination of both. My routine direction on producing pink muscle. Unfortunately, sex isn't the utilization turn, God, though I wish it was.

oath, I saw you struggling to bring up your new blade, but making perfect stroke every time. Because of all the time you've spent swinging a hoe or an axe, neither of which is very heavy, you have a lot of red muscle, which lets you go for a prospicient fourth dimension up to a certain limit.

Trevor, I noticed your bowel movement decline faster than swearing, despite expending a similar amount of money of energy. Your stabs and slash, while initially quite powerful, made a steady decline. You have too much White muscle, which lets you carry Thomas More than expletive, but not as far."

To Oath, it made sense. He had yet to see Noah truly fatigued, not after clearing the goblin den or even when they returned to the Greenwich Village the old day. At the same time, he was able to slice through behemoth and carry their remains with enceinte strength. The others had noticed it as well, another category in which he outclassed them.

"hold a 2d, if that was your"special mana education"you were doing with Tin, then that means you can use magic,"said Beth."You told us you couldn't."

"I wasn't sure I could confide you when we first met. I was willing to tell you how to relieve oneself yourselves stronger, but not how to throw me weaker."

"You've been hiding magic this whole fourth dimension ? But we showed your ours !"Trevor yelled.

"And let that be a lesson to you in the future. The sooner your enemy knows about your strengths, the sooner they know about your weaknesses. When meeting new people, conceal your power until the last moment, because that second might be a battle. However, since you followed me on that hunting trip and are willing to undergo my workout routine, I believe that it's only bonny to lay my poster on the table."

He covered his eye and disappeared, drawing shouts of surprisal from everyone.

"Noah ? !"curse exclaimed, looking around for him.

Noah released the semblance and they all yelped again."I can clear myself invisible. When I first unlocked this ability, I could only do it for a few seconds at a clip. After a month of training, I could do it for more than five minutes."He'd retain his irregular patch secret, as well as the true duration he could hold the both of them for. His trust in them was still in its infancy.

"I've never seen or even heard of a illusion like that before. Maybe some kind of holy spell ?"Mira muttered.

Her word took away a lot of his jumpiness. He still knew so fiddling about the trick in this domain, there was no telling how common powers like his might be. For all he knew, this lie might make him look pathetic. However, if Mira had never heard of it, there was a prospect that it was rare enough to not be considered common knowledge.

Noah retrieved some bottles entire of a green liquid and tossed one to Oath and each of his friends."Drink that, it's a little something I whipped up from the plant life I bought yesterday, along with some beloved. It'll give you a little extra energy. These next few sidereal day are going to be exhausting."

.

.

.

Forging Strength

.

.

.

Pained gasps.

A feminine whimper.

"Oh God !"

Beth collapsed, fighting for every breather with Noah standing over her, the two of them drenched in sweat.

"Come on, get up,"he said.

"I can't do anymore !"

"You know what comes next."

She looked at him with eyes wide-cut of hate."You're a lusus naturae,"she hissed.

A unclouded, steady stream was produced, arching onto the ground with a splash.

"Oh, she broke her disk !"said Oath.

"I wish my mana would grow that fast !"Mira complained.

The water supply spurting from Beth's fingertip trickled to a halt. She rolled onto her back, feeling like the backbreaking road underneath her was now as soft as the business leader's mattress. It was the s day of Noah's training, midmorning, and he was running circle with Oath and his acquaintance around the demerit landed estate. Since yesterday, this what they had been doing with about of their clip, running almost nonstop. It was Noah's dominion that they had to run until they collapsed or nearly threw up, and then immediately cast magic until their mana was completely depleted. swearword was exempt, but only because he had no aptitude for magic.

Noah crouched down and fed Beth a watered-down healing potion, just something to restore her stamina a bit. While she recovered, curse word, Mira, and Trevor sucked in air. This was the only prison-breaking they got, when someone collapsed.

"I'm starving, can we eat tiffin now ?"Trevor asked.

"I can't even think of food,"cuss groaned.

They all complained throughout the unscathed trial by ordeal, but in truth, no one had yet given up and refused to go any further. Despite their torment, they didn't give in. It wasn't to prove their determination, rather it was the simple fact that Noah's method were producing solvent. Just the day before, at the same metre, if Beth cast her spell, it would sustain just been a few free fall falling from her fingerbreadth, LE of a fountain and to a greater extent of a leaky spigot. Also, everyone's stamina was increasing noticeably. Thanks to the health potions, they could execute week of daily exercise and recuperation in a number of minute, compressing the rate of betterment so it was much more obvious.

"Yeah, I'd say so. I'm on my last legs too."

expletive and the others groaned in relief and began throwing down everything they carried, as well as stripping off any armour. Noah was making them run in all of their adventuring gear with their artillery in hand, and in time, he'd incorporate weights to prepare them for carrying the dungeon pubic louse's hoarded wealth. There was a field of operation nearby, but they didn't care and squatted down right in the middle of the road to eat. It was on the baron's landed estate, so there wasn't the worry of traffic.

They each carried lunches made by the housemaid and were chowing down like ravenous animals. Even Noah was giving in to his hunger and stuffing his face. But as he ate, his oculus swept over everyone in the group. This workout was definitely vivid, shredding muscles and then immediately repairing them. In this case, the antidote was worse than the poison, according to the Ithiel Town apothecary. He had spoken to her the morning after he returned to Robert Clive while on his way to find fault up his ring.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

"victimisation potions for exercise ? It would be a good idea if it wasn't such a bad melodic theme,"the old woman said. As always, she stared Noah down, looking at him through the bullet of her pipe.

"I can't imagine I'm the first person to opine of using them this way. What I want to make love is if there are any life-threatening gist. You always have them in stock, so getting the fixings isn't an issue."

She took a bass inhale and released a large heater cloud."There is a downside."

"Am I going to experience to pay you to feel out what it is ?"

"In a rush, are you ? Yes, it's always mass like you using this method acting. Mana and health potions, as well as all early confection used by adventurers, may appear like bottled miracles, but they are a double-edged steel. If overexposed, the eubstance can bury how to repair and restore itself. If a wound is repeatedly inflicted on one maculation and healed with potions, eventually the body will lose the power to mend that spot on its own. stinger will bleed ceaselessly, broken bones will become like rock, and organs will eventually shut down. The burden are even worse if the potion is consumed, rather than poured, as it spreads throughout the body."

"How long before major damage is inflicted ?"

"If used for day by day utilisation, potions will lead to dying within two workweek. Lesser damage depends on the user."

"And what about mana potions ?"

"Mana potions stunt the growth of thaumaturgy. The more often they are used, the harder it will be to create and get wind new spells."

Noah thought back to his"training sidereal day"with Tin. He had performed them every other day and with watered-down potions, multiplying his reserves countless times and giving him an edge, but there was no telling how much it had hindered him in the long run.

"And of course you decided to waitress until now to tell apart me, despite all of the potions I've been buying for the last month."

"Are you expecting an apology ?"

"No, I just have something I want you to look at and I would opt some honesty."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

leash 24-hour interval, that's how long Noah was willing to use the potion method. That would hopefully pass on them with enough time for the side-effects to put on off before they entered a dungeon. So far, everyone's forcible toughness was continuing to resurrect, but if he saw them plateau or even lift, he'd cut them off, cold bomb. He was even holding off on letting everyone use mana potions, instead letting it replenish as they ran. He didn't want to push back the particular date of their expiration if he could avoid it. If anyone got a lesion, he made sure enough to determine closely, to relieve oneself certainly their descent was clotting.

"All right, let's header back. We're doing the same act as yesterday."Everyone groaned and cleaned up their deal, but before they could return to the manor, Noah stopped them."Hold on, we're doing lunges."

"Please, not again !"Mira complained.

"You'll thank me later."

With their arm in hand, everyone began doing farsighted steps, stretching out one leg and leaning down with their other human knee almost touching the ground, and they had to stay fresh a truehearted pace. It was sweaty, painful work.

"This is so embarrassing, we look absurd,"Trevor muttered. He seemed to love complaining, but since Noah beat him in a fight, he was keeping his tidings about following steering."It's not like where going to be running like this through the dungeon crab."

"No, but it'll build up your strong suit and stamina. The most important physical asset in combat is leg strength."

"Wait, really ? Even for sword fighting ?"Oath asked.

"Really. If you support your physical structure with a solid foundation, you can crusade while staying on your feet longer. It doesn't matter how hard you can throw a punch or swing a sword if your legs just buckle as soon as you meet resistance. Think of it as like trying to defend while standing on slippery ice vs firm ground."

Just like before, Noah pushed them to the point of prostration. Normally, this kind of reckless training would be frowned upon, but they needed to strain and tear their muscles to the right-down terminal point, mend them with potions to fix them even secure, and repetition, with mana depletions after every collapse.

There was no rest for them when they returned to the manor. Under Noah's instruction, Oath and the others began stretching and lifting varying weights in various ways. To the slaves working the field, it looked like a staple workout, but Noah scrutinized every movement, from the contour their arm took when lifting a impenetrable Harlan Stone, to the precise angle of their pelvic girdle when they twisted their soundbox. Every campaign had to be hone, so that all the stress went to particular muscles. Had he the means, he would go even further, focusing on individual musculus threads.

In a way, Noah was grateful that this chance came along. Being an adventurer kept him active and fit, but it didn't form strong point in the same way as this workout, and coming to this humanity had scrambled his subprogram. He had to use this chance to properly polish his physique. He had planned on teaching this exercising to Tin to make her strong and capable of defending herself, but that opportunity was gone.

Once they reached the middle of the afternoon, Noah had them go on to the side by side leg of their education. Oath, Trevor, and Mira stood side by side, all of them gasping for air and cursing in torture as sweat poured down their faces. For Oath and Trevor, the workout was simple-minded, though far from easy. They held out their weapons as far as they could and kept their arms raised for as long as possible. They had to keep doing it until they collapsed and they couldn't sense their arms, at which point, they'd take a health potion and start again.

"Ah, dammit !"cuss cursed as he dropped to his knees.

"Fuck, you're weak,"said Trevor.

"For once in your life, just shut up !"Mira hissed, unable to observe her usual civil personality.

Her training was interchangeable to theirs, only using legerdemain. Before her floated a puffiness of worldly concern as with child as a beer keg. shite from a denuded patch underneath continuously floated up and added itself to the mass. For her training, she had to maximize the amount of earth she could lift, as well as the duration, and grade of compression. She'd rotate it in the air to continue it from becoming lopsided, but every time it moved, she struggled to keep control.

Noah told her she had to be able to deform dirt into unanimous rock candy in arcsecond, as well as train her soundbox to bring forth mana faster.

Nearby, Beth was sparring with Noah. She held a sheathed knife in her hand and was swinging and stabbing at him with heady fierceness. Despite her efforts, he'd pulley and deflect her attacks away from his body, using versatile fighting styles he had learned across the multiverse. As soon as she paused her onslaught, he'd attack, forcing her to heighten her reflex for dodging.

Finally, when the sun set, Noah said the magic words."Let's call it a day."

On cue, everyone collapsed. Even Trevor abandoned his tough guy bluster and simply went limp.

"I think I might be dying,"Mira moaned, feast eagle on the undercoat and staring up at the sky.

"I'm too tired to eat and too athirst to sleep,"Beth added.

"I've spent my life working on this farm, but I've never been this tired before,"said Oath.

It seemed that their stamina had been pushed to its limit, beyond the full point that potions could replenish. Now they needed food and sleep.

"I should probably point back to the inn while they're still serving dinner,"said Noah.

"You guys can have dinner here,"swearing said.

"Why didn't you say that yesterday ?"

"Sorry, but after a day like that, I couldn't spend another minute thinking about education and the dungeon crab."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

The table was old and unvarnished, hand-carved with roughly sanded planks, though meter had helped to soften its sharpness and the low-quality table fabric hid its control surface. On it, candles burned to illuminate the way, which smelled like the adust fish Noah and the others were eating, along with wampum and some vegetables. In the modern human beings, not even soup kitchens would serve up intellectual nourishment of this necessitous horizontal surface, but after a month in these new lands, Noah had managed to calibrate his gustatory sensation buds.

It was only the five young person acquaint. The baron was not taking division. As with luncheon, everyone ate voraciously, their bodies begging for living to try and make up for the fat they had burned. It was surprising that Mira actually noticed swearing had stopped eating, staring had his half-finished dinner.

"Oath ? Is something wrong ?"

"No, I'm just trying to think of the last time I sat at this table with this many people."

‘ Oh my god, that is so bromidic,'Noah thought, drinking from his deoxyephedrine so as to not break his straight person face.

"You're going to make me disturbed,"Trevor muttered. Noah resisted the desire to thank him.

"What were your blood brother like ?"Beth asked.

"My oldest, Colt, was a soldier, serving under General Tarnas against the barbarians in Handent."

"He really served under Tarnas ? !"Beth exclaimed, bolting to her feet.

"Is that a commodity or bad thing ?"Noah asked.

"Adwith Tarnas is one of the land's greatest fighter, and easily the warm hero,"said Mira, trying to obscure her embarrassment with a smiling."Most children are raised on his stories, and for as long as I've known Beth, she's been a immense fan."

Beth sat back down, a sot smile on her face."When I was Edward Young, he and some of his forces passed through my townsfolk. Watching him ride down the street, wearing golden armor… I was no long an innocent small fry. I had awakened my womanly desires."

"You never heard of him ? What stone have you been living under ?"Trevor asked.

"A large one. narrate me about the war, I'm curious."

"Oh, well, according to my brother, it started when the churl began ransacking villages along the molding, eventually leading to the famous slaying of High non-Christian priest Grybaen by headman Waer. After that…"

The conversation had taken a foreign turn, but Noah absorbed every contingent while making his plans for the future. That night, at the inn, Beth didn't go with Mira into their shared way, but followed Noah into his. She had been too tired the previous night, but tonight, she had just enough strength to luxuriate her curiosity.

The third day of training was just like the two before, including the same routine, but now with system of weights added. However, the consumption of potions had dropped in every activity. The outgrowth they had gone through over just a few Day would cause normally taken calendar week or even months. In the late afternoon, their breeding was changed. Now instead of simply holding out his sword, curse word was practicing his slice like he was studying kendo. He needed to make both his flak and his retrieval faster.

Next to him, Trevor was improving his knife thrust, using what Noah had taught him and incorporating his legs so he could increase the strength with LE effort. He had also given Trevor the challenge of writing out the letters of the alphabet in the air with the spear tip, to heighten his accuracy. Beth and Mira had switched places, now with Beth straining her magic and Mira staff-fighting with Noah. Unlike Mira and Trevor, Beth's spell couldn't be used for fighting and she appeared to be reaching the limit of her charming aptitude, but creating fresh water was something they'd need if they spent to a greater extent than a day in the dungeon.

On the fourth day, Noah met everyone at the tycoon's estate as he normally would. He held out a haversack wax of potions."Today, I want you all to see if you can follow the routine on your own. Until we enter the dungeon crab, I am completely banning the use of all potions."

"That's crazy !"Beth exclaimed, with the others similarly nervous.

"If you can't do the day's physical exertion without potions, then you simply aren't ready for the dungeon crab, and the longer we wait, the more competitor will have. I don't want to pass on the bottom of the shell and find all of the avenium already taken."He put the knapsack down and put on a jacket with all of its scoop filled with rocks."cum on, time to start running."

The workout proceeded as planned, but with no less complaining. Now without potions, they could only gather their strength during breaks, but the number of times they had to cease and rest was as Noah predicted. On the 5th day, Noah faced them with the morning sun burning away the mists clinging to the baron's the three estates. For Oath and his friends, this was the finish day of grooming and they all felt confident. They weren't subterfuge to their own increase. They now stood with bodies covered in weights, ready for Noah to consecrate the signaling to start their morning run.

"Since today is the conclusion day, we're going to do something different. Trevor, I want you to hit the ground with a downwardly smash and your unattackable spell."

"What for ?"

"Just trust me. Pour as much mana as you can into the axeblade and give it a shot."

Trevor grunted and held out his halberd, and from the mo he began channeling his mana, everyone noticed the conflict. These retiring several days, whenever he, Beth, and Mira practiced with their magic, it was always in a state of enfeeblement, forcing their bodies to squeeze out every hold up drop of top executive. This was the first time in day that Trevor was using a spell while at full strong point. What would have been a shimmering gloriole around the blade was now like a great colorless fire, causing his friends to instinctively step back.

"Whoa,"Trevor said, unable to pick any other intelligence. He held his halberd with trembling handles, feeling like it was a rabid fauna in his grip. He raised it above his head like a blinding Aaron's rod."carry through !"Apparently, saying the name of the spell helped center the judgement and increase the potentiality of the spell. To Noah, it seemed a bit ridiculous, but it did make matter a bit more entertaining.

As per the epithet, he swung down with the halberd like he was performing a beheading, and the instant the sword touched the dry land, it was like a mortar round had gone off. A chest-thumping explosion was heard and dirt and rock were sent flying in all directions. Originally, what would receive simply buried his arm in the turd, had now opened up a crater the sizing of a bathing tub. Just as incredible, the intensity of the mana flowing from the halberd had not lessened in the slightest, nor did Trevor appear fatigued.

Everyone was stunned, with Noah flashing a rare smile."Mira, your results would probably be similar if I asked to use your strongest spell. Now that you have all this mana to mould with, think of it as a resourcefulness for experiment. I don't bed how the two of you develop charming, whether you just create new trance yourselves or learn by watching others, but I want you to commit yourselves to improving your science. designate me something new. Today, we're forgetting about strong point and stamina and focusing entirely on technique.

Beth, I want you to pattern your archery until your fingers bleed and you can buck the wings of a fly. As for Oath…"Noah drew his longsword."You're going to be fighting me."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Beth's chest heaved with each bm, and her mammilla, chilled by the even, pointed out and get arcs in the air. Just minute ago, she had been riding so vigorously, having to toss her dress when she began to overheat. It had been a struggle for her to keep her groan contained, especially with her articulatio coxae refusing to obey her bidding and slow her bouncing.

She now took a gentle footstep, rolling her hip from English to side while she regained her strength. Her pretty grimace was one of intoxication, her mind overtaken by lustfulness and endorphins. Her grin was lewd, her nerve flushed, her lips wet, her educatee dilated. Noah could see the fresh sweat on her body with the light of the Nox sky. What was just supposed to be a flying tryst to scratch the ol'scabies had turned into something a little more intense.

Sitting up, Noah kissed her breasts and grabbed her ass, kneading it like dough. Beth had a squeamish acrobatic build, not much fat on her, but the ass of a volleyball game player. Noah's lips on her nipples, his manhood stirring her up, and his hands massaging deep into her sinew, these stimuli combined into a force that Beth was struggling to hold up. They were out in the Mrs. Henry Wood, so Beth's moan could attract monsters, or even worse, the ears of her friends.

Mira knew about them, so Oath and Trevor were probably aware as well, but still, it would be a bit rude make them hear the sounds of moan and anatomy against flesh. That was Beth's thinking, but Noah didn't charge either way. His simply fear was getting stuck in an ungainly conversation with everyone because of this. That, and the fact that he and Beth were breaking the rules of every revulsion motion picture and having sex in the woods. The flag they were raising could have been visible from space.

Beth's posture gave out, a final climax draining her and leaving her body limp. Noah was forced to lower to her to the ground, but she didn't aim to him continuing to pierce until he had a climax of his own.

"Come on, we should get back to the camp,"he said.

"What a romantic matter to say after filling me up."

"You know what this is."

She giggled."Relax, I'm kidding."

They got dressed and returned to the clique, where their fellow adventurers were awake and waiting for them.

"What are you all doing awake ?"Noah asked.

"You two are a lot nosier than you think you are,"Mira said while keeping her eyes down.

"You do make it awfully hard to sleep. I thought some Friedrich August Wolf were tearing apart a goblin out there,"said Trevor. In retaliation, Beth kicked him while circling the campfire to pass on her spot.

"lookout man it !"he shot back.

Noah took his own billet and stoked the fire."sufficiency. Everyone, get some respite. We're going to need our strength for tomorrow."They were LE than half a day's raise to the dungeon crab.

"None of us can sleep. We're too nervous about tomorrow,"cuss said.

"It'll be fine. In twenty geezerhood, you'll ask your children ‘ did I ever tell you about the prison term I conquered a dungeon crab ?'And they'll groan and say, ‘ yes, father, a century times. We're sick of hearing about it.'”

"Are you going to do anything with the territorial dominion ?"Beth asked."change any laws ?"

"No. Robert Clive is perfect the way it is, and I don't want to change anything."

"You're letting a golden opportunity faux pas by,"said Noah.

"What do you mean ?"

"I assume that as long as the kingdom gets its taxes, it won't guardianship about how things change, so you might as well try some affair. Think of the town as the place to do social experiments."

"What's a social experimentation ?"Trevor asked.

"It's when you put people in a sure fix with sure conditions and see how they react. You can see how man nature plays out. Let's say that as a baron… you introduced a new holiday, just to see how that affects revenue."

"That sounds really incorrect,"Mira muttered.

"It's a way to get wind about people. In the center of town, put up a statue with a sign of the zodiac saying not to stir, that the paint is wet. Then you can see how many people are actually going to have-to doe with it."

"What is that supposed to do ?"Oath asked.

"How many people are in Baron Clive of Plassey, a hundred ? If half of them touch the statue, then you could take the argument that half of the man subspecies is dumb enough to touch paint even when they know it's wet. Or perhaps it's simply that half the township can't read.

If you repeated the experiment in another townsfolk, maybe a big urban center in another area, you'll probably find that different number of masses will relate the statue. Then you can get down to figuring out why. Why do different arena have different consequence ? Are the people simply dumber ? Is it a literacy problem ? Is there a culture of revolt to federal agency ?

There was once an ancient metropolis named Rome, which had a monolithic stone struggle arena called the coliseum. It was so massive, that the emperor put the idea of his good architects into figuring out how to project it so that the spectators could easily get in and out, otherwise, they'd start a riot. You get a lot of people together in close law of proximity, one of two dissimilar things may happen, sometimes even both at the Same prison term. The first is that people will want to take out into themselves. They'll want to make personal space, establish a circumference, take up that ancestry in the Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin that no one can cross. If person crosses that argumentation, they may get dreadful, they may get violent ; no matter how modest it is, it produces a negative reaction.

The early is to surrender to the will of the group. If everyone around you is saying something, you'll assume it's right and repeat it, because you want to trust in the grouping, you want to believe you're right. You want to conceive that you're in the presence of mass who know what they are doing. If you're in a mob where mortal is shouting for the last of the king and everyone cheerfulness, component part of you will naturally agree.

Someone losing their temper will get going a combat, that combat will spread and trigger more fights, and suddenly the hospital attendant peck that were simply trying to leave alone the Coliseum are sweeping through Rome, having abandoned all thinking of politeness and now simply destroying everything in their way."

"That could never happen,"said Beth, as if Noah had just uttered a tyke's nonsense.

"I've seen it happen plenty of meter. Once you establish the rule that escape is not usable, that candle starts burning, and it burns quick."

"I don't know. I think people are soundly at heart,"said Mira."They don't just go crazy like that."

"Then you could evidence it. Let's say you could produce any sort of sociable experiment, completely free repercussions, like a dream. What would you do ?"

"How am I supposed to have it off ?"

"The eternal rest of you ? Just think ‘ I wonder how many people would ( blank ) if I ( blank ) ?'Or ‘ what would happen if I put ( lacuna ) and ( blank ) together ?'Literally whatever you wanted to know, or simply just see."Everyone looked up into the distance, trying to treat the challenge."Think about it. It'll help you fall asleep."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

A solid thud woke curse word up, a sword striking the dry land just inches from his face. He instinctively shouted in little terror and tried to skitter back, realizing it was Noah's blade and he was standing over him. His Quaker, light tie in an domain this dangerous, woke up in a twinkling and got to their ft with their weapons raised, confused and alarmed by the pile of Noah in the predawn twinkle. Was this an blackwash endeavour ? However, they looked down and spotted Noah's real target. It was some sort of insectoid fauna, a stubby centipede with a bulbous shell. It was the size of it of a squirrel, with frightening pincers.

"What the hell is that thing ? !"Mira exclaimed.

"It's one of the leech from inside the keep crabmeat. I did as a lot research as I could on the dungeon Cancer whenever I had the time."

looking for at Mira and Beth, he could see them shuddering in revulsion.

"You mean to tell me that there are more of those things in that crabby person ?"

"Almost certainly, but they're flooding out into the woods, so just means that the more we find out here, the few we'll have to defend in the crab. Now let's eat some breakfast and get a motility on."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

It was a literal muckle of upturned earth and shattered bedrock, the result of the dungeon Cancer the Crab rising up from the planet's crust and jutting out the tip of its shell. At the very summit was the entrance, but the heap was no meter reading of just how large the factual crabby person was. Before they could go down, they'd have to climb up up.

"aspect up there, I think I see a tent."

Noah scanned where Beth was pointing and confirmed."Someone must have set up camp there before heading in."

"There are camps all over the mountain. There must be a lot of the great unwashed in there,"said Mira.

"Most of them have probably been killed by now. Those pack are abandoned,"said Trevor.

"Trevor !"

Despite Mira's anger, Noah agreed with Trevor. The closer he looked, the Sir Thomas More tents he saw, and the majority of them probably belonged to the drained, but he didn't want Oath and the others chewing on that."Relax. Everyone going in just packed light because they want to carry as practically treasure as they can, and probably couldn't carry anything redundant when they came out. We'll be in the same situation when we come back."

"Wait, I see people too,"said Beth.

She was right, there were plenty of explorer roaming the mountain.

"They must be scavenging for gems and cute metals. When the crab appears, it probably pushes up more than just I. F. Stone and dirt."

"If you can get gold from sifting through the stain, then why botheration going into the dungeon ?"Mira asked.

"They're after whatever they can get their hired man on, unlike us. We're after avenium, and it can only be found inside."

They put their fears aside and began climbing up the side of the mountain. There were no established course and the footing was hard, to say the least. The dirt had settled since it was first moved by the reaching of the Phthirius pubis, but there were no plants to hold it all together, so it was like hiking up the side of a sand dune in many areas. They also had to be wary of the big endocarp chunk ruffle in. They were freshly broken and hadn't been weathered by the wind and the rainwater, so they could easily cut through skin. While climbing, Noah grabbed a stone handhold and his palm was skinned by the crystal-like sharpness.

They passed by multiple prospectors and treasure-hunters, digging around for anything worthwhile. No one paid them any aid, and they offered none in tax return. However, that changed when they heard the sounds of fighting. Nearby, they saw a barbate man fighting off one of the dungeon parasites that had wandered outside. It was a four-legged crustacean, the size of a Friedrich August Wolf. It swung its heavy forelimbs like cabaret and tried to force the man onto his back.

"Noah, we need to help him,"said Mira.

"Keeping him alive isn't my job. Besides, any effectiveness you use against that one monster will be intensity you can't use in the shell."

"Then consider this a field tryout !"Mira held out her faculty."Shatter macer !"

Pieces of Harlan Stone and packed dirt flowed to the end of her staff, joining together into a hardened sphere, the size of it of a hoops and covered in penetrating gibbosity. She left the radical and ran over to where the man was fighting, with her artillery not hindering her movement at all. Rather than strong-arm military strength, she was holding the vault of heaven together and lifting it with mana.

The animate being had the man pinned on his back and he was fending off its snapping nipper with his pickax. Sneaking up behind it, Mira raised her stave and brought it down onto the monster's back, unleashing the full weight unit of the stone and breaking through its plate. The fiend hissed in pain and fell over, and she dispatched it with another swing, this one crushing its exposed head. A workweek ago, such a task would have been unimaginable for her, but under Noah's guardianship, both her acquisition in magic and forcible fight had been multiplied several times over.

"Thanks,"the man grumbled before dusting himself off and walking away.

She returned to the group, where Beth was clapping for her."Well done !"

Noah, however, clasped his helping hand on her shoulder."Don't do that again."There was very picayune anger in his voice, but still, she shrunk away."The Sami goes for the repose of you. We're not here to flirt hero, we're not here to save living. We're here to make money and conquer the dungeon. Our strength, our care, our weapons, our potions, they are reserved only for our own use and our own welfare. If you save person, it had better be to use them as a gang mule or a meat buckler. Understood ?"Everyone nodded."Good, then let's movement on."

They resumed hiking up towards the tip, and Oath soon asked a question.

"Noah, you researched donjon crabs, right ? Did you discern that freak ?"

"Yes, it was one of the parasites mentioned in the playscript your begetter had."

"Do you know what else we'll find ?"

"Unfortunately, no, there was actually very little written information about the donjon crabs and what exists within their racing shell. Those who remain in the pep pill dowry and survive share their information, but those who delve deep enough to touch the avenium either die or keep it a secret."

"time lag, why is it a hidden ?"Trevor asked.

"If I had to guess, I'd say it's because the commonwealth's nobility doesn't want people knowing how to bring together their rank. In this crab are the keys to the kingdom, after all. Too many young upstarts could break the proportion of big businessman between the plenteous and the pitiable, or they could form junto that get in the way of the higher-ranked nobles. Some information gets out, of track, from those who manage to elude with their lives but don't conquer the keep, or from former countries, but I imagine that the merely adventurer who are really informed are those already working for high-level nobles."

A monstrous boo ended the conversation, as up ahead, a new threat revealed itself. It stood on a dyad of muscular legs, like a predatory birdie, but it had a small body and no neck, only a forward-placed skull that resembled an gator. It was a pair of snapping jaws on feet, that was all it could be described as, and it was glaring at Noah and the group. It had the in high spirits flat coat, and after emitting another hiss, several more appeared, from both above and the sides.

"A pack-type sponge, concern,"Noah said as he drew his sword."Get ready, everyone, the fighting starts early."

They took formation, with expletive in battlefront and Noah and Trevor guarding the wing, while Beth and Mira attacked from a aloofness. The giant closed in all at once, leaping through the air while flashing the talons on their feet and spreading their jaws.

"Trevor !"Noah shouted.

"Phalanx Spears !"he cast while swinging his halberd like a flag.

A track of mana was left behind with each campaign, and the mana solidified into floating leaf blade like mist condensing into ice. The floating leaf blade pierced three of the fauna before they could land, two Thomas More were wounded, and the rest had their concentration broken and failed to swoop properly. With that opening, Noah and Oath began hacking and slashing away at those who landed closest by.

"Earth Bind !"

Mira stabbed the ground, and beneath the wounded creature, pit opened up to accept them unhurt, then were closed with earthen stiletto heel like cage prevention. It wouldn't hold them long, but it kept them out of the conflict. Not only could Mira now manifest the trance multiple clip from one casting, but the solid ground proved perfective for its use. Those who had avoided Trevor's spell and Noah and Oath's steel tried circling around, but Beth dispatched them with her bow, and any she missed ended up getting cleaved by Trevor. Once all of the mobile ones were slain, the wounded were put out of their misery.

"trade good, well done,"said Noah.

Normally they would then harvest the teras for valuable pieces, but the market for dungeon crab parasites was too corner to be worth the effort. Besides, they wanted to make unnecessary as very much room for treasure as they could.

They continued their climb, and after a yoke more monster battles, they reached the summit meeting at noon. There, sticking out of the reason was the tip of the Crab's shell, like a faint house on a jolting cliff. Noah could see the lock of the shell, and before them, the first step, a doorway large enough for an elephant to walk through. Noah reached out and touched the shell, made of substance somehow strong enough to withstand the heat and imperativeness of the worldly concern's interior.

In the month since Noah's arrival to this world, he had seen muckle of things that shocked and baffled him, from magic to colossus, but just the sight of the entrance blew him away. To call back that such a brute like this could be, that something so monumental occupied this world. It blurred the common horse sense accumulated from more than than a hundred life. Where did these things come from ? Were they made by magic ? Perhaps by some kind of god ? How old was this one ? Was it intelligent ? What was its liveliness cps ?

"I never thought I'd ever see something like this,"said oath, similarly amazed.

Everyone in the mathematical group was staring at the Edward D. White tower in awe and accomplishment. True, the material battle had only just begun, but compared to what they were doing not too long ago, just reaching this place was a huge acquisition.

"Look at this view,"said Beth.

Without any Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to block their mass, the flock acme let them see for miles in all directions.

"I think I can see the village !"said Trevor.

"Let's break here for lunch, gather some of our strength, and then channelise inside."

They all sat down and Noah pulled food and H2O cutis out of his ringing. He had enough food and body of water to feed them all for several 24-hour interval, and thanks to Beth's deception, they could refill their canteens whenever needed. However, everyone carried two days of rations, just in subject they got separated. Their lunch consisted of dry out Pisces the Fishes and fruit, as well as some bread, something spark to keep them moving. Up atop the passel, there was a nice air, and the position was spectacular.

"Noah, remember what you were saying last night about social experiments ?"Beth asked."If I could try one, I'd want to see what happens when you put only cleaning lady together and task them with building a society. What would Clive tone like if it had only women ?"

"A female-only club ? Yeah, that would certainly be interesting. Ok, paint a pictorial matter for me. What do you expect would happen ?"

"I think that without any men to get in the way, they would flourish,"she said, rather smugly.

"Until there is a spider that needs to be killed,"said Trevor.

"Come on, I want particular. For instance, there are roles in club that are typically considered manly, and others that are considered womanly. If only charwoman perform the manly project, then what will modify ? Will the nature of the labor variety, or will the womanhood alteration ? Will the fair sex who spend all day hunting, blacksmithing, and all those other job start acting rough and crass like men ?

You're an adventurer. You spend your days hunting, fighting, scavenging, getting down and unsportsmanlike. But you also consider yourself quite girlish, compensate ? But how do you think a girl who spends her days weaving and taking attention of shaver sees you ? Will a divide anatomy ? The Type A personalities arguing with the Type B ?"

"case A personalities ?"

"Never mind. Oath, you got an mind for an experimentation ?"

Oath took a rich breathing time."Something like what Beth was talking about, but it's men and fair sex, and all of them have lost their memories."

"Oh, that's the ripe one. The tot erasure of refinement and starting from simoleons. If you completely take nurture from the equation, then you can truly see how nature manifests. Will men and women follow course considered pattern by society ? Will they adopt the same function that their root have ? Or will they do everything new ?"

Everyone watched as he started putting matter away. He didn't need to say anything, they knew it was fourth dimension to take the plunge.

.

.

.

The Gauntlet

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.

.

Once they had finished eating, they packed up their things and entered the shield, with Noah taking the lead and holding a torch. Because of the casing's kink, they had to come a spiral passage, like a staircase but without real stairs. The walls, story, and roof of the enactment were perfectly fluent, but there were no straight telephone circuit of any kind. It was like wandering through a constringe canon carved by flashfloods. Most of the floor was covered in dirt and broken Harlan Fiske Stone, perhaps seeping in from the opening of the shell. Luckily this meant that Beth would induce something to lick with to use her spells.

The crab had been venting its shell for to a greater extent than a week, but the air still had a triteness to it. It smelled crude, like a mineshaft or a quarry, but he could also smell the biological touch of the parasites. The air seemed very well to respire and the torch didn't appear to have any issues burning. Was all that oxygen from the exterior ? How long could the oxygen finale if the crab went back below the surface ? How long did the dungeon crab live subway system before surfacing ? Either the crab louse and its parasites could run in an oxygen-poor environment, or something within the crab could develop a human-friendly atmosphere.

They had descended fifty feet when the first fork appeared, another tunnel branching off from the staircase.

"We're going to keep going down, right ?"swearword asked.

"Yeah, whatever passage leads us down, we'll use up it."

One of the bipedal parasites burst from the fork tunnel, aiming for Noah. He stepped to the position to dodge, sop up his curtly steel, and stabbed the beast through the spine when it landed.

The deeper they delved, the more ramous tunnel they came across, but they continued their stock, until reaching a large chamber at the bottom of the stairway, with five tunnel spread out. The staircase had been just wide enough for two people to walk shoulder-to-shoulder, but these tunnels were like subway origin. There were signs of explorer coming through here, marking the tunnel to try and continue track of which paths they had taken. There were also some pedigree sputtering, tear clothes, and a humiliated sword.

"What's that, hanging from the ceiling ?"Oath asked.

Above their heads, gooey threads dangled like icicles, and at the base of operations of each, a small orchis of light.

"Cave louse. Their bodies are bioluminescent, attracting prey, which get caught in their threads like spider entanglement. This is a good thing. We won't need this."Noah extinguished the torch and stored it in his ring."Ok, let's snag up. We can embrace more ground that way."

"delay, WHAT ? !"everyone exclaimed.

It was the difficult Noah laughed since coming to this world."Relax, I'm just kidding. Can you imagine ? Let's assume this course over here. It looks like it continues to slope."

They took the right-most path, further descending into the dungeon crab, and soon stopped at the entranceway of a branch chamber, hearing bowel movement within. They stayed against the bulwark so as to ward off drawing the attending of whatever was inside. Noah signaled the others with his hand and cast his invisibility, then stepped into the room access. The lot before him was a grotesque, a muckle of maggots, each the size of a football, feasting upon the remains of some slain escapade. Their fat bodies quivered as they peeled form from bone. The wall were honeycombed to mansion the creature between repast, and three grownup were standing guard.

The guard duty were microbe of some kind, consisting of four stage surrounding a head and trunk that were fuse together with annex between the legs. The legs were armor-plated and sharp, and their downward-pointing face had teeth like an Lophius Americanus fish. They looked almost like wing bar stools. Noah drew his steel and killed one of the beasts without it ever realizing it was there. Seeing their associate spontaneously die, nearly being sliced in half in the process, the early two began to panic and look for the invisible assaulter. He killed them almost as easily as he had killed the first.

"Clear,"Noah said as he released his spell.

He reappeared, just as Oath and the others entered the room, immediately broadcasting their revulsion at the cadaver being fed on. Noah knocked the cumulus of bodies over, and kicked away the maggots so that he could begin poking around with his sword.

"Don't loot them !"Oath said in disgust.

"Why ? Because we didn't down them ? We're adventurers, we thrive on the deaths of others, be they humans or freak. Meh, zip great."He was able to collect a few weapons and arrows, but that was it.

"Hey, something's coming !"Trevor shouted. They ran out into the hall, hearing the sound of wingbeats. Further down the tunnel, several Sir Thomas More four-legged glitch were flying towards them, having likely detected the last of their associate."Phalanx fishgig !"he then cast.

He blocked the passage with an array of mana blades and Beth began firing arrow, but the armor plating on the monster's legs proved strong and they smashed their way through. Oath took down one, but a 2d tackled him from the English, tearing into him with its dentition and pincer. Noah killed it before it could inflict more damage, then fended off the others with well-placed pang. Trevor had also been tackled and knocked onto his backrest, with Beth and Mira working together to pry the beast off.

Noah was still on his feet, so the monsters were heading towards him. He put away his longsword and instead switched to his short sword. The first bug that tried to tackle him was met with his shield and then a sudden thrust. He repeated the strategy, breaking the foeman'inactiveness by blocking with his shield and then stabbing while they were disoriented.

The battle had ended and healing potions were used where needed. This certainly was an concern environment for fight. Most of the monsters seen so far had hard outer scale, something Noah and his group had little experience in dealing with. Their radical focused on attacking rather than survival, as they were always fighting beasts that were as vulnerable as themselves. Aside from Noah's carapace, the group didn't have much in way of United States Department of Defense outside of light armor—and a strong offense, of course.

They continued on deeper, passing by countless branching tunnels and eventually coming to another branching. Once more, their ears stopped them from proceeding, as they heard movement down one of the tunnel, and soon saw it as well. It was a outpouring of centipedes, just like the one that had tried to wipe out swearing that forenoon.

"Holy shit !"Mira shrieked, something very out of character reference for her.

"ejaculate on, this way !"

Noah ran down one of the passages with the others following, but so too did the centipedes. It seemed they were familiar with the odor of the great unwashed and now hungered for Noah's group. He slowed his rate, letting the others get past him, then untied a bag hanging from his belt and scattered its powdery contents across the level. It was lye, the best he could make within ground. It was much more blistering than what he had made in the forest with Tin, and when the centipedes ran through it, getting it on themselves and breathing it in, they immediately began to squirm and curl in bother. However, it only slowed them down, and those in back simply climbed over their ill kin.

They kept running, though more monsters were bursting out of the tunnels ahead. Noah and Oath took them out to the skilful of their abilities, trying to at to the lowest degree disenable them with one slash. Those not slain retreated immediately as the grouping passed by, not wanting to become the prey of the centipedes behind them.

"There's a room ahead !"said Trevor.

"Mira, wait until we reach that room, and if I give a signaling, use your Earth Surge spell,"said Noah.

They entered the bedchamber, though ruefulness filled them immediately. A new, stupendous danger awaited them. It was a louse, coiled like a hissing cobra, with a trunk more than ten feet all-encompassing and farsighted as a football theatre of operations. Its flesh was approximative, like living stone, and it was covered in uncounted small feet. Towering over them in this arena-like chamber, it stared without oculus and roared from a sassing that was simply a pit of teeth.

The sight of the monster shocked everyone into a amazed silence, like curse when standing before that bear, but not even Noah could chastise them, for he too was momentarily crippled by veneration. The fraction of second between two meter of his heart seemed like it would last forever, but that future thump shook him from his daze, letting him collect his opinion and began working on a plan.

"Mira, do it now ! Beth, shoot some arrows into that thing's mouth or anything else that looks soft ! cuss, you and I will be the decoy. Trevor, you attack with all your magic. We need to just bruise it long enough to get away !"

No one else moved, but Noah giving Oath a shove woke them up. Mira turned back to look the oncoming wave of monsters, and counted with a undulation of her own. She cast her while upon the earthen earth, taking command of all of the sway and filth and unleashing it on the centipedes like a mudslide. While that was going on, Beth was firing arrows at the worm's oral fissure, striking its exposed form but only doing enough harm to pee-pee it off.

It turned its attention on curse and Noah, running at it from its left and right slope. It lunged at them both, aiming to eat Noah and swat Oath with its bottom. Noah made himself invisible and dodged the insect's lip when it lost raceway of him, and Oath blocked the attack with a golf stroke of his brand, breaking into the monster's skin. As they had distracted it, Trevor could now let loose his charged conjuration. Both the fizgig blade and the axe head of his halberd were glowing with a radiant storm of mana, and runic letter spun around the beam of light. He charged towards the worm's coiled body, released a roar of Eumenides, and brought down his blade like a divine smite.

"Voulge Slash !"

It was a compounding of his stabbing and cleaving spells, and while the motions were the same as just a pattern swing, it inflicted damage differently in the bod of a virgule. It had less penetrating baron than the other two, possibly failing to expose the louse's rocky outside, but it would do much greater hurt to the anatomy. His mana, having solidified around the headspring of his halberd, carved deep into the worm's physical body, and as Trevor swung his artillery down, he left a deep cut on dissimilar segments of is consistency. ancestry poured from the injury and the worm shrieked in agony.

"Let's go !"Noah shouted.

They ran off through another passage, leaving behind the worm with the centipedes. They didn't stop running play, wanting to get as far away as potential. They kept maneuvering through the dungeon, fighting the teras leaping out while they searched for a safe spot. It seemed like every time they slowed down or even paused, something would burst out and try to take a lump out of them. Finally, when they were gasping for air with their throat feeling as dry as sand, the mathematical group found a chamber with a pocket-size opening and no lusus naturae inside. They set their camp against the entrance, hopefully to help keep the goliath from detecting them. They all slumped down on the level. Even Noah was feeling sick from the adrenaline.

"Fuck ! This seat is a dying trap !"Trevor exclaimed as he poured a healing potion on a mystifying puncture wounding in his thigh, caused by something resembling a cycloptic tiger catching him with one of its heavyweight fangs.

"No marvel grandeur is the prize for conquering one of these things. You deserve to be a damn king if you can survive this berth,"Beth panted. Despite fighting from the back, she was covered in behemoth blood.

"hombre, I got ta tell you, I'm not trusted we're ready for this place. It's too soon,"said Oath.

"Don't say that. We're live, aren't we ? We managed to get through it and find a place to breathe. Not too long ago, we would possess died before even reaching the keep. We can do this, right, Noah ? Noah ?"Mira turned to Noah, seeing him staring at his trembling helping hand, but with an verbalism that, frankly, didn't fit the state of affairs.

After dying so many times, death was no longer something Noah feared. It was to be avoided, but with about the same quantity of campaign used to invalidate dying in a video game. He still possessed the selection instinct in some fashion, but he could no longer properly take account the groovy risk of expiry in a given situation. He was no More afraid of guns that he was a deep brown mesa's astute corner. But what he felt when he saw the worm was on-key fear, when he realized that not only was the dirt ball the most likely cause of his death in that room, but that it was a death he wanted to quash Thomas More than any other. That flavour of fright, after so long, it was as though some of his soul's thirst was clenched.

"Noah ?"she asked once Thomas More, hearing him chuckle.

He shook himself back from his mentation."Sorry, I was just thinking about this place."

"And ?"

"A snail."

"What ?"

"The book at the mogul's home, it had a image of a donjon crab. It might have just been a guessing at what it looked like, but it was of a giant recluse crab. However, hermit crab louse don't create their own shells. escargot do. troglodyte crabs just select them over. So, either we're actually inside a escargot, or if this really is a hermit Cancer the Crab, then that means it probably got this shell from a escargot, and if there are these gargantuan Crab and snails living within the earth, what else is down there ?"

"And how does that help us ?"

"It'll take your intellect of things. We'll be okay, we can get through this. Had we tried this a week ago, none of you would still be here, but you've all grown stronger."

"So what should we do ?"Oath asked.

"Exactly what we've been doing. Just catch our footprint, acquire it one challenge at a clip, and sustain our rhythm steadfast. Besides, I'd say there is plenty of motivator to stick around."

Everyone glanced around the sleeping accommodation and gasped when they realized the ground was gleaming like a starry sky. It was surd to tell under the blue brightness level of the glow worms, but it was scrap of metal and gems mixed into the dirt.

"Our first score !"Beth exclaimed.

They began collecting the inkling pieces and cleaning off the unwanted dirt and rock. most of it was raw and diluted, so excess sediments had to be scraped, hammered, and rubbed off, and even then, there was no telling how practically gold or silver gray was collected until it could all be properly melted down. Despite the find, Noah couldn't deny his disappointment. When he had heard about these dungeons and the treasure within them, his privileged dweeb had been imagining something more along the lines of an existent treasure chest. That worm back there could be considered a mini-boss, after all.

With their tone lifted, they left the rubber of the chamber to continue their descent.

"Trevor, you take point,"said Noah.

"What ?"

"I mean you're in strawman, in the middle quad. expletive will now be opposite from me, where you once were. In these narrow tunnel, we don't need to worry about an opposition circling around to Beth and Mira, so it would be best to put your long reach directly in the front. If we enter a wide-open space, we might switch back."

Trevor stepped forward and led the group, and not long after they departed, they faced off against a twain of the four-legged devil like the one that Mira killed exterior. Now in the center of attention, Trevor warded them off with his halberd.

"Oath, with me. Trevor, don't let them stand over us,"said Noah.

He and curse stepped forward, keeping just out of chain of mountains of Trevor's halberd with swearword delivering a mighty cleave. His sword cracked into the monster's shell and struck its brainpower, though the wound was shallower than Oath expected. Nearby, Noah was fending off swings and thrust of the beast's jagged forelimbs, but when an orifice came, he hacked one of them off and then hurtle his sword into the monster's face.

"These shells might be worth something."

Knives in hand, they carved the top shells off, each one the size of a column shield. They were hard enough to stop cuss's cleave and rather light, so there was the good chance they'd be worth something to an armor dealer.

They proceeded onwards, fighting their way through undulation after Wave of the shell's inhabitant. They survived each encounter, but not without shedding blood. They kept their centre peeled, not just for monsters, but for glimmer of gem. They searched every way, finding gold, silver, and gems of all different coloring. They also found plenty of signs of human natural process, though rarely any torso, Saame with the freak, and the dead end were a constant annoyance.

"delay, hold up."

"What is it ?"Trevor asked.

"This division of the hall, we should avoid it. Look at it."The next hundred foot of the tunnel had a different consistency than the respite. It was a sarcoid, perforated Earth's surface, like a dish up sponge."Something like that is probably some kind of trap. We need to backtrack."

"It looks fine. It probably means we're getting close to the bottom of the shell."

"It very well could be, but it's also too suspicious to risk. We're going back."

But as they turned around, they heard scream and shouts and terror, and from the way they just came, another adventuring company appeared, a group of several grownup men with low-quality leather armor.

"It's coming ! It's fast !"one of them screamed.

"Run ! You have to get out of here !"another shouted when he spotted Noah and his group.

Mira stepped forward to try and block up them."Wait, you can't go this way !"

She was shoved aside like she had been struck like a charging pig, the man who did it knocking her in the chin with the hold of his axe to get her out of the way.

"Mira !"Beth exclaimed.

She and cuss rushed to her incline, while nearby, the screams of awe became screams of pain sensation. The men, having entered the hallway, now found themselves being assailed from all sides by flying Stinger. They shot out of the pickle in the wall and cap like hummer and imbedded themselves in the men. They were barbed, like bee stingers, and Noah could see them pulsing as they injected their venom.

"Get her on her feet. Something is coming."

Mira was pouring blood from her oral cavity and seemed unrestrained. Oath forced her to pledge a wellness potion, but it wouldn't get her into fighting precondition soon enough. The lusus naturae the men had feared arrived, some kind of hulking crossbreed between a gray-haired bear and a komodo dragon. Its back was covered in thick exfoliation and its underside didn't seem very frail either. It stood on its hind branch, exposing its deadly claws, and released a hollo from between two words of shark-like teeth.

Beth, standing behind Oath and Trevor, shot it in the stomach with an arrow, though the wound was shallow, and it would make time for the poisonous substance to kick in. Regardless, it took the subject matter and dropped back down onto all tetrad and charged.

"passel rail-splitter !"Trevor cast.

He thrust at the oncoming monster, aiming for its oral sex with the blade alight with mana. The brute managed to avoid a deadly injury, instead staking the coke in the shoulder. Its scale leaf were like duncish Lucy Stone and just as hard, so while Trevor reached the tissue paper underneath, virtually of the zip was deflected. Getting past the halberd, it slashed Trevor across the bureau, sheering through his armor and knocking him against the paries. Noah took out a lye turkey and struck the beast in the face, blinding it and making it stagger back.

"Beth, save Trevor. Oath, get over here !"

Noah didn't consecrate it any luck to recover and lunged for the goliath, slashing and stabbing at any spot that looked soft. He focused on the wounded shoulder, but the beast was guarding it well, and despite being blinded, it was swinging its claws with mortal truth, and even Noah ended up with some deeply cuts across his thigh. curse came out from behind Noah and brought down his brand on the monster's head, doing some fragile concussive damage.

"I'll distract it."Noah cast his invisibleness and charged at the monster while drawing a length of thick concatenation from within his ring. He wrapped it around the monster's neck and jumped onto its back. He pulled with his to the full weight unit, forcing it to rear back on its hind branch so that expletive could trounce it across the stomach and exhibit its internal organs

"worldly concern spate !"Mira cast as he got out of the way.

Since Oath had created a way in, Mira bombarded the monster with a attack of dirt and rock, aiming for the laceration. It fell on its back, too wounded to go on fighting, and Noah finished it off.

"trade good. What is everyone's condition ?"

"Unhurt, but tired,"said Oath.

"I'm out of mana and I can barely fend,"Mira whined.

"Trevor looks ok, but I think we should stop for the night. I'm starving,"Beth said.

"Yeah, it's probably night by now. We'll telephone call it a day."

They searched around, finding a room for them to camp out in. They made a door out of giant shells and barricaded it with their bags. There were no glow worms in this room, so Noah lit his torch.

"Let's eat quick and get some sleep. I'll take inaugural watch."

After a unsatisfied night, they left their enclosure."There is something I want to chink out,"he said. He led them back to the corridor that had killed the other venturer group, only to find that the remains were gone, same with the armored monster that had given them so very much hassle before."Interesting."

"What ? Something just came along and took the trunk. What's the big deal ?"Trevor asked.

"This hallway probably kills whatever enters it with those spike heel. Only something heavily armored like that bear-thing could hold gotten to them, but there are no drag First Baron Marks of Broughton, no footmark. Maybe one of those behemoth glitch flew in and pulled them out without being detected, but I'd say it's more likely that they were eaten by something other than just a parasite."

"You mean the crab ?"asked Beth."How ?"

"I'm not sure, but I'd like to forecast it when I have the hazard. Let's go."

They set out, continuing their exploration. The goliath barrage was relentless, a wave emerging every couple of minutes, each one pushing the explorer beyond their bound, both from the numbers and the strength they carried. Everyone received wound, even Noah. While his invisibility granted him a margin of damage compared to the others, stealth did little against such vast forces. There was simply not plenty room to dodge or crawfish. They were running through their reserves of potions faster than Noah had anticipated, but not beyond his planning, and he still had enough to make the full trip.

He assumed they had reached the organic structure of the creature, or at least were no longer in the unoccupied portion. More overweight corridors were appearing, most of them containing some kind of biological ambuscade like the spindle from before. Wherever this deepest portion of the plate was, it had to be end by. Besides, there was also passel of incentive to take the hazard. While they did a lot of traveling, much of their meter was spent gathering treasure. Their pack and pockets were getting heavy with wanted muffin and ores, and even Noah was dumping stuff out of his ring to make room.

That weight was currently a preventive, though, as they found themselves running from another wafture of centipedes. The consistency of the corridor had also changed, where they were now passing through a chain of 30x30ft rooms, each one with a deep bowl-like floor.

"Whoa ! Stop !"Noah shouted.

Everyone halted at the entrance to the following elbow room, blocked behind his blazon. The floor of the chamber was waist-deep with dark urine, or at to the lowest degree, they hoped it was water. By now, they had all become a bit paranoiac towards the lusus naturae, as well as picked up some of their conjuring trick. There could be untold wildcat lurking in that water, ready to grab them and hang back them under, perhaps injecting them with toxicant with goad teeth or barbed stingers. But the centipedes were closing in fast, and there wasn't sufficiency time to backtrack to a branch passage.

Noah summoned some food from his ring and sprinkled it across the surface of the pee, and the next few minute passed by with agonizing prediction, but naught came up to feed, which was good enough for them. Not without grimacing, they stepped down into the swill and waded across. The next room had a pocket billiards of water supply like the maiden, and the future after that, and the third, and it was taking their toll. Despite all of the running play they had done, there was only so much that stamina could do in this kind of workout. However, as he moved through the fifth, Noah noticed something.

It was a layer of rough oil floating on the water supply's open. He looked back, seeing the centipedes pursuing them, even swimming like rats. Noah and the others got out, but he turned back with a Flint and knife. This was something he wanted to quash doing in this oxygen-low environment, especially since he was now soaked in oil, but he struck the flint against his knife and spent off a atomiser of sparks that set the pocket billiards ablaze, filling the bedroom with a paries of fire.

He rejoined the others, passing through several more rooms and taking multiple turns, but they finally had to quit and catch their intimation and gasped in relief that they were no longer being pursued. Even Noah needed relaxation, so no one said anything and they all just leaned against their knees, sucking in air with their faces over the control surface of the water.

Noah stood up straight, and as he breathed in, the flat coat disappeared from under everyone's feet. Some kind of constitutive yap door had opened up beneath them, and the pond of dark water became a roaring whirlpool. Standing in the center of the way, Noah and Beth dropped helplessly, disappearing down a vast pharynx. Trevor, expletive, and Mira were saved by the skin of their teeth. Trevor's halberd and Mira's staff had gotten stuck, granting them something to grab onto. They were hanging over the entrance to the throat like a bottomless well of living, quivering stone.

Sensing the obstruction, the paries began to fold in to try and free them. The three youths couldn't assistant but outcry in terror as they struggled to climb up out of the throat. They were drenched in filth, struggling to hold onto their weapons and get any kind of purchase. They squeezed and clawed their way out, feeling like their fingernails would discase off. Their faces were pressed to the sloped story, forced to breathe in and taste the pigwash. They reached the next room, but despite their enervation, they couldn't rest yet. They could learn them, the approaching centipedes, having gotten past the fire Noah started.

They forced themselves onto their groundwork, barely able to stand, but once more than having to run. They were in a dire state of affairs, but Noah and Beth were even big off. They were forced down a pit of flesh, gasping for air and opinion around for anything they could snap up onto to stop themselves. To Noah, it ranked as one of the weirdest moments in his stallion multi-life chronicle. They were soon tossed out, dropping through open air before making a hard landing on what felt like a pile of firewood. It was pitch melanize, no cave worms around, and the moment Beth tried to breathe in, her burning lungs cried out in a new anguish. The air was toxic, she could smack it, and every breath hurt. She coughed and wheezed, her fount turning purple.

An arm wrapped around her from behind and something was slammed over her face. instinct made her throw her human elbow back in self-defense, but it failed to land a hit.

"It's me ! Just breathe !"Noah shouted.

It took elbow grease, but she drew in a deep breathing space, and at last, it was cleared. She drank the filtered air in greedily, while the thing over her sassing was tied around her head. It felt like leather, and it smelled like… charcoal ? I really made her need to sneeze, but even the itchiest breathing spell was Worth it.

"Noah ?"

"I'm here, hold on."

There was a spark in the duskiness and a common mullein was lit, Beth seeing the same twist attached to Noah's face.

"What is this ?"she asked.

"A gas masque, something I whipped up. I was worried about the air quality in the dungeon, though I'm not sure how much organized religion should be put in them. We should get out of here, quick."

Beth looked down and shrieked. The jolty surface they had fallen on was an island of clappers, and just twenty away, the shore of a fosse of venter acid sizzling away. They were standing on the dissolving remains of those who fallen for the same trap.

"Oh God, this isn't happening ! This isn't happening !"Beth cried as she crumbled.

Noah would suffer chastised her for losing her nerve, but considering the situation, he too was almost set up to snap."We're not deadened yet. Here, hold this."He handed her the torch and looked around. There was a surgical incision of the island touching the wall, so the pane was frothing just under his feet.

He leaned over towards the paries and slashed at it with all of his potency, but the steel simply slid off, throwing him off his balance and nearly sending him tumbling. He reformed his terms, this sentence attempting a thrust. Once again, his brand, despite striking the flesh head on, simply bounced to the slope, and he fumbled. He tried again and again, but his gage of its resilience was that it was beyond his level of strength. However, he wasn't out of estimate yet.

Sheathing his sword, returned to the middle of the island, then began scooping up armloads of rot-slickened finger cymbals. He piled them against the bulwark, then removed a tightly-bound canvass packet from his ring.

"What is that ?"Beth asked.

"springiness me the torch."She handed it to him, and he touched a associate black string to the flame. It came alight, and he forced the software system against the bulwark, pressed with his cuticle, and backed by the spile of finger cymbals."Ok, back ! Back ! spine !"He coaxed her as far back as he could within the abdomen, then conjured up the monster shells they had collected before."duck down behind this and try to cover your ear !"

They got behind the shield-like cuticle, then an plosion blasted off on the other side of the room like it had been struck by lightning. Smoke filled the air, and lethal shrapnel sprayed their defenses. Beth released a scream from the massive shock, but Noah held her still, and though the torch had gone out, there was now a hole in the side of the stomach, from which bioluminescent brightness was pouring in and abide dot was pouring out.

They did their estimable to avoid getting splashed with Lucy in the sky with diamonds and climbed out into a new bedroom."That detonation will have drawn monsters. We have to go."

"What about the others ?"

"They're heading for the Same seat we are. We'll meet them there eventually. Come on."

She followed him through the internal ear, managing to nullify combat and find a room where they could rest. The air was cold and disgusting down in these tunnel, but compared to the fumes of that stomach, Noah and Beth removed their masque and felt nothing but gratitude and relief with each breath.

"I… need to rest…"said Beth.

"Agreed, but I think it would be best if we cleaned off first."

Beth pointed her fingerbreadth at him."Make Water."

Water began pouring from her fingertip with the volume and intensity of a garden hosepipe. Noah leaned into the sprayer, scrubbing off the filth and trying to get everything clean and jerk. Beth then took a bout, and they switched back and forth until they deemed themselves decent.

"I thought you could only use magic to make yourself invisible. What was that back there ?"Beth asked as they both stripped off their soaking clothes.

Noah, standing with his book binding to her, rung out his shirt."That was a bomb, made of something called Joseph Black powder."

Beth peeled over her trousers and the rough, unflattering textile that passed for undergarments at this era."So it was alchemy ?"

"Sort of, there wasn't any magic involved. It's just a powder that reacts violently to fire."Noah shed his own bloomers, still slippery with oil.

"So, that thing you made… Was that something else you just whipped up like those gas masquerade party ?"

"Yeah. It's been a spell since I made one, plus I couldn't really try out to pee-pee sure I got it right without drawing suspicions."

Beth ignored the shirt she was trying to dry out and turned to Noah."Just where on Earth do you go to study how to gain poppycock like that ? You said you couldn't find entropy on the dungeon crabmeat, but you knew to have these gas masks."

"It was a job I took before I came to Clive. I spent a few days working in a mine. Down there, they were using black powder to knock down obscure rock-and-roll and they had to use these masks in case they hit a gas pocket."The answer seemed to placate her and he bowed down."Can you spray my caput again ?"

.

.

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The Story of Oath

.

.

.

Oath, Trevor, and Mira fell to their hands and knees, close to passing out. They had finally managed to escape the centipedes and were now back in a normal corridor. Their strength was adjacent to zero, and Trevor was knocking back potions. Only once all was calm did they finally get back on their feet.

"We need to determine Noah and Beth,"said expletive,"we should—"

A solid clenched fist striking his face both cut him off and sent him falling to the ground. His centre were rolling like billiard clump, but the sound of Mira's screaming forced him to center. Trevor had tackled her and driven a knife into her chest.

"You son of a bitch !"Oath bolted to his feet and attacked Trevor, knocking him off Mira, who was choking on her own blood.

As they fell over into a storm of grappling and beating, Mira used what little strength she had to retrieve a health potion from her sac and pour it on the wound. She passed out, stuck in a race between bleeding to death and recovering in time. Nearby, expletive and Trevor had gotten to their feet and were now hurling punch wildly.

"Trevor, what the hell are you doing ? !"Oath shouted.

"getting you out of my way !"Trevor yelled back.

He retreated, going after his halberd. Oath did the same, retrieving his sword and raising it just in time to kibosh Trevor's thrust. Despite his military posture, Trevor was able-bodied to exercise more continuous military unit, and the shaft tip of the halberd pierced his shoulder. oath couldn't contain his cry of pain as he was pinned against the wall. It was a dead end, Oath stuck where he was, but Trevor ineffectual to let up the pressure.

"It would take in been honorable if Mira had followed those two in the pit. I didn't want to have to kill her, but I couldn't risk you two teaming up against me."

"We weren't going to team up against you ! What the fucking are you talking about ? !"

"I just didn't want her to intervene when I tried to kill you. It doesn't issue, I'll just tell the others the two of you were both killed by the same ogre, if they're even still alive."

Oath struggled to compete with the blade in his shoulder joint, but it felt like the wounding was just getting bigger and bigger."Why are you doing this ? !"

"I need you out of the way so that I can become the magnate. I wanted to do it after I got the avenium, but I couldn't let this chance slip by."oath was forced down towards the ground, leaving a lead of blood across the wall."You're the last of the main Fault menage, so once you and your forefather die, I'll be next in note to receive the title."

"You're another member ? But my Father of the Church said the branch family had been slain !"

"They were, just a hebdomad ago, actually, it was probably Noah, hired by the baron. But he only thought to kill my begetter and my stepbrother. He didn't think it Worth investigating advance, to find a whoreson like me living in Baron Clive of Plassey. The Ithiel Town will be mine, it should be mine !"

Oath reached around, grabbing a stone on the ground. destiny was form to him, guiding his throw and striking Trevor in the eye. He staggered back, bleeding horribly, and oath wrenched the halberd out of his shoulder joint and scrambled to his feet. He could barely feel his left arm, and he could neither open a health potion nor properly swing his sword with only one hand. Should he unload his sword and go for a wellness potion ? desolate it and use his knife instead ?

Trevor, facing a interchangeable plight, chose to retrieve his halberd and stare Oath down with his one good eye while launching stabs. swearword did his best to parry the shock, as he didn't have the strength to do another shoving peer. He was losing primer, fast.

"So all this clock time, you were just waiting for a chance to toss off me ? From the day we met ? !"

"Not at first, not until you came out to us as the mogul's son, but when I found out about the dungeon crab, it was perfect. I could use you to get the avenium, so no matter what, I'll still go a stately !"

swearing pulled away and reformed his stance, then went on the sickening. His capacity for wielding a sword had greatly diminished, but still, he could campaign, and his wide golf shot forced Trevor to retreat. True, Trevor had the longer reach, but it was much easier for cuss's steel to breach his halberd rather than vice versa. swearword pushed him back, trying to get past the vacillation axe blade.

"You're insane ! You think you can get the avenium or even escape this place on your own ?"

"That's a jeopardy I'm willing to take. I want you to die down here, unburied, eaten, robbed of your trivial family interment patch behind your mansion."

"What could I have possibly done to stool you hate me so much ?"

"I just plain don't like you, even before I knew you were the mogul's son. I wanted to kick you out of the radical. You're too weak to rule these commonwealth. You can't even use magic."

As Trevor spoke, his leaf blade began to glow with mana, and Oath instinctively stepped back. His sword would likely break down if he tried to draw a blank or even turn away an attack like that. This time, when the swings and stabs came, he only dodged, not letting the two weapon system touch.

"All you do is let that arrogant cock take care of everything and toss out society. Clive would burn to the flat coat on the commencement day if you took over."

expletive swung his blade, just narrowly catching the halberd's ray of light and stopping Trevor long enough to fold in. Trevor raised the halberd to block, but a cleave of swearing's sword snapped it, leaving a shallow cut across his frontal bone and breast. He jumped back, now holding an axe in one hand and a quarterstaff in the other,

"I can do plenty on my own, without Noah,"said Oath.

"Shut up and die,"Trevor shot back before charging at him.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

To Beth, it was horrifying, the sizeableness of the chamber, for this fantastic cathedral to be just a small pocket of this unworthy labyrinth. Noah, however, felt a spine-chilling excitement. This was no ordinary bedchamber, as not only was it as boastfully as a football stadium, it had a bridge stretching across, perfectly flat, and a ceiling with great outward-bending archway holding it up. No, they were string, each link the size of an SUV, and encrusted by the shell. So too were there great statues adorning the rampart, a pantheon of small brute and great titans, all of them entombed by white, like flies in a spiderweb. The chamber was flooded, hence the bridge, but not with body of water. It was a lake of Hg, glistening from some unseen light force beneath its deepness. The air above it was filled with fly-like hummingbirds, hanging their mind directly down and touching their snout against the surface as if sportfishing for something. The hummingbirds didn't seem aggressive, as they paid no notice to the two outsiders.

Noah and Beth crossed the bridge, staring in awe at the structures.

‘ This isn't a natural structure, this was surely constructed by a sentient will. Who made it ? How ? How many people know about it ? What happened to this place to end up like this ?'

It was his maiden time facing questions like these, for the presence of legerdemain in this creation created non-finite possibilities that he would never have got seen in previous globe. Everything unusual he ever encountered was either manmade or caused by nature, but the presence of magic added all new options, instigating curiosity. It could feature been done by a whole early species, using power beyond his understanding. It was a new way of mentation, one that invigorated him.

They crossed the elbow room without any engagement, entering a hall with normal-sized rooms on either side. In these William Chambers too, there were body structure and soma encased by the shell. Were they multitude ? Furniture ?

"Interesting."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

curse word and Trevor were locked in scrap, struggling to quash each other's attacks. swearword had broken Trevor's halberd in two, taking away his ability to use magic trick, but he still lunged and fight with the stiff, granting him two smaller weapon. He would swing the head of his halberd like a hatchet, forcing Oath to stuff with his sword, and then use his detached hand to come to Oath with the halberd's shaft. The blows were delivered at full-strength and Oath couldn't stop them.

"You don't deserve to suit the next baron if this is the best you can do. You must be the sapless of the family."

"Trevor, listen ! Do you really think you can get out of here without my help ? Stop this, and we can both walk out of this dungeon alive ! You can still turn a noble with the avenium !"

"That's not just enough. I want the land that my Padre couldn't have, the authority. I want to spue on his grave as the unwanted bastard and ostentate the power that he lusted after. I want Clive, and I want to rip it out of your manpower. It's not in effect enough for me to win, you have to lose !"

A retentiveness then flashed through Oath's judgement, and despite the dire situation, a chuckle let skid."I remember Noah saying that you were a jerk probably because of something to do with your Fatherhood. I think he even said you would betray us. It must be embarrassing, to be sized up so easily and let your admittedly colouring seen !"

"Shut up ! If he's still alert, I'll kill him after I've killed you !"

Trevor charged at curse, and finally, Oath managed to deliver a lesion of his own. He blocked Trevor's treble attack and pushed forward, his sword slicing Trevor's berm. Trevor dropped the fall apart shaft, his arm now slick with blood, though oath was in the Sami state, no longer able to transfix his brand with both hands. They stared each other down, picking the bit to strike. Trevor's broken halberd was igniter and shorter than curse word's sword, so it would be well-situated to wield, but he wouldn't be able-bodied to block well with it, so he'd have to centre entirely on offense. For Oath, his defensive place was better, but while he could move his sword with one arm, his speed would pale compared to Trevor's and he'd be lucky to inflict much price. His best bet would be to block and then try to overpower.

Looking at his cousin-german, Oath was reminded of that picture from the champaign, when that group of men attacked him, Noah, and Tin. He had been utterly useless, just pulled into the Ellen Price Wood while Noah took care of the terror with ease. But in the week since then, he had trained relentlessly, and now, he could finally support himself and his stemma, even against his own kin.

"This is your last chance, Trevor,"said Oath.

"No, this is—"A gob opened up in Trevor's chest with descent pouring out.

Noah appeared behind him, his sword seemingly materializing out of melt off air and now wet with bloodshed. The blade had gone straight through Trevor's heart, leaving both he and Oath stunned. Trevor tried to talk, but all that came out of his mouth was blood. Noah dropped him to the floor, pulled out his sword, and then pierced the vertebral column of Trevor's skull for just measure.

"diaphragm ! What are you doing ? !"Oath shouted.

"I'm fulfilling my declaration. He became an enemy, so I dealt with him."

"It wasn't your place to decide he should die ! Trevor wanted to suit the next top executive in my shoes, so it was my responsibility to take him down !"

"What are you talking about ? He wanted to take your property as Baron Clive's next big businessman ?"Noah asked.

"He… he said he was my cousin, an illegitimate child child. He kept it hidden all this time."

"Oh please. His male parent wasn't ranked high enough to birth an"illegitimate tyke ”. Trevor was nothing more than a common bastard. And while I'm sure he had some hard-luck backstory about growing up on the streets that would make us all ruth or reinforcement him, I'm simply not interested. We don't have sentence for you two to bond over your daddy issues."

Beth arrived, standing beside him."What's going on ?"Mira was with her, having narrowly recovered and been given a moment potion.

"I can't just leave it this way !"swearword yelled."I can't just take the air off without knowing how it would experience ended ! If I could give beaten him myself !"

"That's just your pride talking, but pride won't hold open you alive in this place. Should I induce just sat back and let you proceed your childish squabble ? I was hired to save you from dying, not help you satisfy your ego."

"Wait, what happened ?"Beth asked."What happened to Trevor ?"

"He tried to pop me and curse word,"said Mira.

"You can't be serious ! After all the time we spent together, he just turned on us like that ?"

"It was his plan from the beginning,"Oath muttered."He's my cousin, and as soon as he found out we were in competition for the title of baron, he planned out how to use us and toss off me."

"We're not going to score it out of here, are we ?"Mira asked.

"We should have turned back when we had the prospect !"Beth tearfully exclaimed, falling to her knees as the pent-up strain finally released itself.

"weeping and worrying about it won't help us,"said Noah."look, we're all exhausted. Beth and I found a room we can stay in. Let's set up camp and get our strength back. You three go, I'm going to sort through Trevor's things."

"Noah, you can't,"said Mira."Trevor may have gone crazy, but it's not correctly to just rob his corpse."

"fountainhead you can either choose to stop me, or you can go, eat some dejeuner, and put the totally thing out of your mind. So what are you going to do ?"Mira backed down and briskly walked off with Beth behind her."And you go too,"he said to Oath.

"I'm not going to leave you alone here."

"When the adrenaline wears off, you won't be capable to. You'll prostration and I'll have to carry you to the campsite. You're injured, go patch yourself up. I'll be fine."

"I guess you will, won't you ? Nothing ever gets to you,"Oath muttered.

"I hear talking when I want to see pain footsteps. Go."

swearing limped off after Beth and Mira, and Noah began picking through the treasure that Trevor had gathered, as well as taking tools and supplies that he had been carrying. It had gotten to the point where he really had to be picky about what he could need with him, as he was reaching the limit of what he could dribble and still run effectively.

Once he had collected everything of Charles Frederick Worth, he activated his invisibleness and backed off to a dependable distance, where he sat down and waited. It happened after only a few minutes, openings in the floor appearing like cracks in ice, but the shell wasn't actually breaking. They were furrow, inconspicuous to the bare eye until they actually opened up, and from within, a leafy vegetable ooze appeared. sort of than simply spreading out under the force out of gravitational force, it was moving willfully towards Trevor's corpse. It enveloped him, and though Noah could not see it, the physical structure was being disassembled in piece of music the size of grains of backbone. In clock time, the ooze retreated, leaving nothing but some bones and scraps of fabric.

‘ So that's how it feeds.'

He went to the camp bedroom, where everyone was sitting against different wall. There was a all in look in their middle, exhaustion that was both genial and physical. They had each held a Hope deep down that they would make it out of the donjon crab together, all of them, that their political party would survive this tryout and rest whole. Trevor was ill-mannered and untalkative, but his personnel casualty left a void, and they suddenly felt a great deal weaker without him. But with the trueness they were forced to accept, was it really a release ? After all, he showed no reluctance in trying to mangle the people who were thought to be his friends.

"How could he do it ?"Beth asked."How could he lie to us for that long ? Pretend to be our ally ? All those fight where we had to calculate on each early, did that really stand for nothing to him ?"

Noah sat down and began unpacking his lunch."You'd be surprised how long you can stay fresh the lies going, how easy it can get."

"rich person you lied to us about anything ?"

Noah stared at her, challenging her to bear his answer."plenitude of things, none of which issue in this situation."He tossed some food to everyone."Eat up. It doesn't subject if Trevor is abruptly, it doesn't change our plan."

"No, it changes everything."Beth stood up."We should leave. While we're still alive, while we still have supplies and potions, we should go out. We're not ready for this seat. We weren't gear up even when we had Trevor. We have flock of treasure, more than enough to live happily. Isn't that enough ?"

"It's too previous to turn back now, to leave here without the avenium. I'm sure by now we've almost reached the bottom of the shell."

"What are you really getting out of this ? You're so sure we can do this, you keep pushing us forward. What is it that you want so badly as to risk all of our living ?"

"The Lapp matter as you, an adventure. Isn't that what you wanted ?"

"I was wrong, this is too much."Beth gave an indignant sigh."Oath, Mira, you agree with me, right ?"

Oath took a mysterious hint."I can't take the air away from this, not now. I want to see this through to the end. I need to. I don't want to live my life as a coward."

"Mira ?"

Mira hugged her knees to her chest and hid her face. Was she refusing to occupy division in the conversation or had she simply shut down completely ?

Beth turned back to Noah."We're in over our head word. It was a misapprehension to come—"

"You're free to leave whenever you want,"said Noah, cutting her off."I don't expect anything from you. If you want to go back to the surface, you can just walk right on out that door."

"After everything you and I have done together, you would say that to me ? !"

"Like I said before, you knew what this is, what it was, just two people scratching an itch."

"Well because of that itch, I'm late."

Mira tensed in seismic disturbance and curse word's eyebrows nearly shot off his face, yet Noah didn't even flinch."And ?"Beth stammered at his head, not sure how to respond."Again, you knew what the pot was when we started, no attachment. I'm getting that avenium, and there is nothing you can say to stop me. You can either leave now and try to make it back out on your own, or you can come with us down to get the avenium and we'll make the head trip back together."

"This is an obsession ! I don't know what the tycoon promised you, but let it go !"

"That's enough. Everyone shut up and get some rest. We set out again in an hour."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Trevor's absence took a expectant toll on the grouping. Beth and Mira continued to attack from behind Noah and Oath, but the fiend still withstood barrages of stones and arrows to try and sink their dentition into something. Normally, Trevor and his halberd could make warded them off, breaking their momentum so that Noah and Oath could go in for the kill, but now, they had to be the briny defensive wall and blocking everything with their swords.

They battled through the devil, but took injuries with each clash. It wasn't just their formation that had been disturbed ; Noah could see the grouping morale at the edge of an abysm. Noah was indifferent, but the others were grappling with despair. Which hurt more ? Losing a admirer ? Or finding out he was never their acquaintance at all ?

At the moment, they were surrounded by centipedes in a wide-open bedchamber. Noah, swearing, and Beth were stomping on the little motherfucker as they drew close, while Mira was swinging her staff, equipped with her Shatter mace spell. She was risky, taking out her straining and frustration on the beasts, with her screeching of exertion becoming louder with each swing. kinda than helping, the outpouring of demon only seemed to increase her drunken aggression. Beth, on the other paw, was acting sluggish, paralyzed by care and the loss of hope.

As Noah stomped on every centipede that came close, he heard a scream. A few of the beasts had managed to parachute up onto Mira and were digging in. Oath rushed over to help her, but that left two sides of their formation unguarded, and the monsters were closing in.

"I have a plan !"Noah said."When the fiend move away, everyone head towards that transition over there !"

Before the others could say anything, Noah drew his knife and slashed his wrist, sending a torrent of blood pouring onto the ground. Seduced by the smell of blood, the centipedes turned their attention from Oath and the others and swarmed towards Noah. He took off, sprinting across the subject of armored backs and spindly ramification, leading them like the Pied Piper.

The trio didn't hesitate and rushed towards the departure, though looking back to see Noah's situation worsening. Once he saw them achieve the room access, Noah turned around and made himself inconspicuous. The centipedes were understandably confused, as even his scent disappeared. His blood, shrouded in mana, vanished as it fell. He made his way to the others while stepping on as few centipedes as he could. By the time he reached the passing, he had already used a healing potion to mend his wrist.

"Let's go."

The doorway brought them to a meandering stairway. However, unlike the close spiral of when they first arrived at the donjon, this stairway spun down the walls of a chasm-like sleeping room like grooves on a drill bit. It was too dark to see the ceiling or the storey of the bedroom, but in the blackness, there was a scintillate star, far below their feet when it should bear been above their heads.

"Everyone, be extra careful and step quietly. I think we've reached the bottom of the shell."

They proceeded down the staircase, this one having existent step. The shadow swallowed them from the deficiency of cave dirt ball, but Noah lit his torch, easing everyone's reverence. It when they reached the bottom of the stairs that their reverence all came rushing back like a flood.

‘ Of path,'Noah thought bitterly.

The bottom of the room was occupied by some sort of massive slumbering goliath. This circular bedchamber was Thomas More than a one C feet spacious, and the wildcat was coiled up all over itself like a snoozing boa constrictor. There was no telling what its literal sizing or form was, and Noah's torch couldn't provide enough light to properly reveal its visual aspect. But in the center of the elbow room was the prize for this journey. The walls and staircase were solid scale, but the trading floor under the monster was flesh, and in the middle, in a invoke drainage basin, was a syndicate of powdered metallic element with a turquoise gleaming. It was avenium, just like on Noah's ring. It was so secretive, but the risk of exposure before them was giving everyone doubts.

swearing stepped forward."I'll go,"he said as quietly as he could.

Noah grasped his shoulder."No, I'm better at stealth, remember ?"

Oath turned to him, loudly whispering."Please, it has to be me ! The entirely reason why we made this journeying was so that I could go a noble ! I need to be the one to get the avenium. Let me earn my title."

"None of that matters, not in here. All that is important is getting the job done and getting out of here alive. If you want to do thing the"right"way, do it on your own time. I'm going to do things the impertinent way. If this matter so much as twitch, leave me behind and run as fast as you can up the stairs."

Noah didn't wait for him to answer and activated his invisibleness. True, this teras slept with its centre closed, but he couldn't discount its sense of odor and earreach. He moved yesteryear oath and stepped onto the fleshy ground. Whatever this affair was, it had a lot of tentacles, and they were spread everywhere. He stepped lightly, double-checking every spot before putting his weight on it. It was difficult, not just on the out-of-door, but the inside. Noah had not been able to hightail it the ravage of weariness, and his muscularity were becoming unreliable.

For swearword and the others, it was nerve-wracking, as they couldn't see Noah, just the torch he was holding over his head. Every clip the light trembled, they imagined him fumbling, stepping on one of the ogre's tentacles and waking it up. When the torch finally reached the basin, they released their held breaths. It was a substantial quantity of avenium, at least two liters of the glistening dust, and it was so ok as well. Perhaps it was expelled from the Cancer like a sliver, and it would accumulate in the basin over time while the Phthirius pubis was underground. ‘ If this ends up like that scene from Raiders, I'll just kill myself here and now.'Noah rested his helping hand atop the avenium and sucked it all into the annulus, every grain.

zippo happened, there was no reaction from either the devil or the drainage area. Noah waited a few import to be sure, then turned and made the return journey back to the staircase. Once he reached swearword, Beth, and Mira, they all resumed ventilation and began the silent climb back up the stairs. It was when they reached the halfway point that a terrifying roar shook the chamber, and rather than below, it was coming from above. The group looked up in horror, seeing a second monster descending towards them. It appeared to be the same species as the first, looking like a colossal lion with a teeth-filled pecker and tentacles growing from across its vertebral column that it used like spider leg to avail its descent. It was like some form of Lovecraftian gryphon. Just one jive of its mitt would defeat a sledgepaw bear. Had it also been nesting in this chamber ? Perhaps the mate of the one down below ?

"Beth, make it down !"

"Too late !"

It reached across the chamber with its tentacles and swung over, its beak wide open. The chemical group scattered, managing to avoid its beak, which smashed into the paries, though Beth ended up losing her bow over the bound of the staircase. One the talons on its forelegs made its print and clipped Mira's face, but that was all it took to suppress her skull like a Gallagher melon. Oath and Beth, seeing her headless body slump to the trading floor, were left in stunned silence. Noah, already back on his foundation, stabbed the wolf in the eye, forcing his sword in all the way to the hilt. The beast howled in nuisance and jumped back with his sword pulled from his hairgrip, and it wasn't the merely one in excruciation. curse and Beth now cradled Mira, sobbing and screaming at what was done to her. Beth, Noah could sympathize, but Oath's reaction stood out.

‘ Goddammit, don't recount me he loved that girl.'“ We got to move ! There is nothing we can do for her !"

"No, I can fix this !"Oath sobbed."Give me all the healing potions we have !"

"Her head is gone, she's suddenly. No potion can fix that."

"Please, don't ask us to leave her,"Beth whimpered.

Another boom echoed through the tunnel, this one from below. It seemed the beginning fiend had woken up. Oath scrambled to his substructure, not in care, but cult. He grabbed his sword with tears streaming down his face.

"I'll stamp out them ! I'll wipe out them both !"

"This is no fourth dimension for heroic ! We're leaving !"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY !"oath howled while throwing a punch.

Noah deflected and countered with a jab to the pharynx and a human knee to the stomach. swearword collapsed like a house of cards and Noah grabbed him and hoisted him over his shoulder. He turned to Beth and handed her his bow to replace hers."Keep those thing off our tail. If you run out of arrow, I'll give you more. Now move !"

They raced up the stairs as fast as they could. Noah was struggling under the endeavor of hauling Oath and everything they both carried, and he had to bind the torch as well. Ahead of him, Beth was raining arrows down on the two monsters to the best of her ability. They seemed aware of the poisoned tips and were keeping a safe distance, but they were still following them up. They started swinging at Noah and Beth with their tentacles, trying to block their path. Beth would whip at them with a knife to make them draw in, but it was just getting worse and speculative, as ahead, they could see the centipedes swarming down the stairway, having followed the group down.

"Noah, what do we do ? !"Beth exclaimed.

"Run and combat ! That's all we can do !"

They continued their charge up the step, stomping on the centipedes and ignoring the feel of their pincers digging in and not letting go. Their bites didn't appear poisonous, but they put slug ants to shame on the pain scale. Not even Noah could maintain a salamander nerve with them biting down on his legs.

With luck on their face, they escaped the chamber, running down several corridors before arriving at a chamber where they could rest. Noah dropped swearing on the ground and began ripping off the centipedes biting his ramification. It was strange for Beth, to see Noah so winded and injured. He collapsed near the wall, downing a healing potion to hold on his bleeding. Oath, having regained cognisance, got back to his feet and approached the doorway with his sword.

"Don't even think about it,"said Noah.

"I refuse to leave her organic structure down here. I'm going to get my revenge on that beast and convey her menage to entomb her."

"It's a colossus, it doesn't understand your feelings. If you go swinging at it for revenge, it's just going be glad that its next meal arrived so willingly. Besides, Mira has probably already been devoured."

"Don't say that !"Oath shouted.

"Noah !"Beth added her voice to the outrage.

"You just need to take on it. She's gone, there is goose egg you can do to help her. naught can be done to change what happened. I'll say it as harshly as I need to if it gets the message through your slurred skull."

"What would you take done if it was Tin who died in there instead of Mira ?"

"I would have left her. I've seen plenty of people die. This isn't my first time leading people into fight, and fatal accident are to be expected."

"So you were just waiting for each of us to die ? !"Beth exclaimed.

"As long as I could meet my contract, I was prepared for all possible losses, though I'm honestly disappointed that you two all came here expecting to do this without losing anyone."

"Is that all we are to you ? Just future losses ?"

"Yes, that's right."Noah got to his fundament."Look, we've got the avenium, so the severe portion is done. Now we can maneuver home."

"Two of our Friend are dead and we're in the ass of a donjon crab ! How is that not the hard portion ? !"Beth screamed at him.

"Because I have an thought on how to get us out of here."He took out a water skin from his haversack and poured in some powdered avenium from within his ring, then shook it up and handed it to curse word."Both of you, duck this on yourselves. Try not to let any go to waste."

"What will this do ?"Oath asked.

"When I activate my invisibility, I wrap myself in mana, as well as anything I touch or hold, but for some reason, it won't employment on anything living. The mana just won't joint on, like it's being repelled. However, I did some inquiry on avenium. It is a metal, but it bends light like a crystal, and it manipulates mana the same way. I can't apply my invisibility to you, but if you're covered with small-grained avenium, it may help me conceal you a bit. Try it."

expletive sighed and poured some of the intermixture on his head, then went to mold rubbing it into his skin and clothes. He handed the rest to Beth and she did the Lapplander. Noah activated his magic and grasped their bridge player. The air around them shimmered, their bodies becoming faint, like they were shrouded in a high temperature haze. They became like mirages of their true ego. Oath and Beth voiced their shock as they looked at each early, and the fact that Noah could discover them was concerning. It was a far-cry from Noah completely erasing his presence, but at the very least, it would make up them less noticeable.

"This takes a lot of mana, so I'm going to use it on and off as we go, and we're going to be running. If there is anything you don't want to carry, pass on it here now."

Beth and Oath couldn't see Noah, but they stared at the space he occupied. He could see it on their faces, the distrustfulness, the frustration, the fear, the sorrowfulness, the exhaustion. They'd just bear to lactate it up.

"Let's go, and stair lightly."

They left the chamber and began their journey back to the surface. They no longer moved in organization, and they tried to keep a quick but quiet pace. When monsters were nearby, Noah would set off his spell and they'd do their C. H. Best to avoid detection. It didn't always oeuvre. At one peak, they were being pursued by a pack of the bipedal carnivores like the single they had faced outside. It was too many for them to take on, and the longer they stayed in one spot fighting, the greater the chance Sir Thomas More giant would be drawn.

Noah, pulling Oath and Beth along, activated the spell in his right eye.

"What the hell ? !"Oath said in shock as he watched the ringer fall back, while the rattling Noah was still gripping his hand.

"It's another legerdemain I can produce, just maintain moving !"

As they ran, Noah had the ringer start waving his arms and shouting at the approaching demon, doing whatever he could to draw their attention. They passed through the clone in utter confusion, turned around, and tried again and again. Their heart, auricle, and nozzle were all telling them that target was standing before them, but no matter how many times they tried to bite down, their jaws closed around nada but air. They were so distracted that Noah and the others managed to get away.

"Why didn't you tell us about—"

"Shut up !"Noah barked back."If you can mouth, keep running instead !"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Spring was planting time of year, so the farms on the Fault estate were in a delirium. oath, the baron's tierce son, was the"overlord"of this labor. He and the slaves spent their Clarence Shepard Day Jr. working the field of honor, though there was piddling differentiation between them. He lived and ate his meal with his father and buddy, at least, when they were at abode, but his ranking in the kinsfolk was just a pace above"asshole ”. His father lauded all of his praise on his crony, with the untested always trying to surpass the older and win the estate of the realm.

The oldest was a soldier, a squad leader, one step below unfeigned horse. He would be gone for months at a time, then return menage and brag about the battles he fought for the glorification of Uther, and how he bolstered the reputation of the error household. The middle son was a gallant hunter and skilled in illusion, a talent he often lorded over the older sidekick. He claimed thaumaturgy to be infinitely superior to swordsmanship, meaning he, the magically-affluent, was the future of the ancestry. Neither brother liked Oath, simply treated him like one of the retainer. He was just another jack. His beginner, on the other hired man, wasn't cruel like them, but he simply didn't care beyond paternal instinct. His mother was long gone.

cuss had been outside when he learned of their demise, but on break. Lying on a sun-warmed grassy Benny Hill, he watched the clouds toss overhead. As the third gear son, he was compelled to keep his question down, to focus only on the task in front of him and not sway the boat. Skygazing was the only time he'd break that rule, abandoning the theater to instead focus on farming his own mind, to forget about his aliveness and province and try to figure out what was left.

He knew nothing of the domain beyond his home and village, couldn't even read, and about of his socialization came from talking with the slaves during work. They often didn't have much to say, but they trusted him enough to include him in their gossip. He wasn't like the top executive and his oldest sons ; his feet were more used to the soil of the battleground than the floorboards of the shift household. Those conversations were the only time he could find out of things beyond simply swinging a hoe or scythe, to let out that there was more to existence than just crops and farm animal, and when he gazed at the sky, Oath would use that gleam to try and rise himself, chance out who he was. That was the plan, at least, but he was disturbed by one of the maid of the mansion.

"Master Oath, your father requires your bearing immediately."

The lend oneself honorific was just a good manners acknowledging his bloodline. There was no honest deference in her password.

"Understood."Oath got up and followed her to the business firm, where she led him to his Church Father's bailiwick. As he approached, he heard nonsensical shouting and things falling over.

inside, the big businessman, Ivan, was pacing back and Forth, unhinged and drenched in crying. theme and items from his desk were scattered across the floor and he was gripping a whiskey crank with a shaking hand.

"Father, what is it ?"

"expletive, colt and superior have perished."Ivan picked up a letter with a broken wax seal."Colt was killed in battle on the Petosic Steppes."He threw it aside."And superior was killed by a bear while hunting. His remains were found this morning."He emptied his whiskey glass in one gulp and staggered, looking like he was on the scepter of collapse.

Oath took a mo to swear out the news, but there wasn't much to cognitive operation. There was no such affair as sibling passion in Lord family."I'm sorry, Father."

The king fell back in his death chair."Oath, you are now my solitary son. That means that you will inherit my title when I die, unless my conniving blood brother manages to steal it !"

"Father, I can't be a king !"

"This is not something you can refuse ! I will not allow our firm to let grandeur gaffe from its finger ! But you're right. The way you are now, the kingdom would be wise to hand it over to Edwin, so we're going to change that. From now on, I am going to sculpt you into a suitable replacement."

After that, everything changed. From the crack of dawn until late at Nox, Oath was trained in armed combat, etiquette, and reading and writing. The tools of the farm were replaced with his grandfather's sword, and hour not spent swinging it were spent hunched over one Christian Bible after another, studying by candle flame. None of it stuck. Unlike his brother, he was born without endowment and raised without an education. He couldn't use magic, could barely campaign, and was about as civilized and learned as the down bucolic. There was little promise for him.

One day, he found himself at the Old Wineskin, looking for an risk job. people would carry notices, requesting point like valuable plant life or monster parts, or tasks like escorting someone through the woodland. Helping around townspeople would give him some accomplishment he could use to prove his eligibility for inheriting the Clive barony. He had also heard some weird rumors about the inn, about some crazy match that had the loudest sex imaginable. From dawn to midday on every former day, anyone in or near the inn would be flushed with superfluity as they heard a young charwoman's cries of euphory, along with the knocking of a bedframe threatening to recrudesce apart. However, today, the inn was serenity. The only interpreter he heard was addressed to him.

"Hey you, by the notice board, over here !"

He looked over to the source, spotting a table occupied by three youth like himself, a man and two women.

"Me ?"

"Yeah, total on !"one of the women said, a tall and bubbly blonde.

swearword crossed the bar to them."What is this about ?"

"You wouldn't materialize to be searching for a party to get together, are you ?"the other char asked, a cute brunette with short-change hair.

"Oh… uh, yeah, I guess. I haven't been making much headway on my own."

"Well take a behind !"

cuss hesitated, feeling the man beside him shooting daggers from his eye. He was sizing him up, and apparently didn't like what he saw.

"No, change of plans, preserve moving. We don't need any more weaklings in our group."

"Shut up, Trevor,"said the blonde."Ignore him. I'm Beth and this is Mira. We're currently in need of a swordsman in our group, and you look like you would fit properly in."

"She means you look weak enough that no one better would feature invited you to link their group, and no literal explorer would sully their self-regard by joining this gro— Ouch !"Beth had just kicked him under the table.

"You're not allowed to badmouth the chemical group while being a part of it,"she scolded.

"Truth be told, none of us are very undecomposed, but that just means we should mystify together,"said Mira.

Oath finally took a seat and put a hand on the blade hanging from his bang."Ok, sure, I'll join you guys. My epithet is Oath. I'm actually kind of surprised, I thought this place would be… louder."

"Oh yeah, those stories ? We've actually met them, Noah and Tin, the twosome who make all that disturbance,"said Mira.

Now Trevor seemed interested."Really ? Were they freaks ?"

"No, convention as can be,"said Beth,"and they're both barely honest-to-god than us. You'd never think it when looking at them. The guy is actually really saucy. He gave us a lot of large advice about manoeuvre and magic. We tried to get him to link our team, but he wanted to act upon on his own, him and that slave miss. God, I envy her."

"settee down, you're so indecent,"Mira said with a sigh. She then turned to Oath."Anyway, welcome to the grouping !"The smile she flashed at him made his sum flutter in a way it never had before.

For the next few calendar week, Oath and his new friends adventured together, fighting what teras they believed they could gravel, but were most often forced to run away and tend to their maimed trunk and bruised ego. But no issue how many prison term they were beaten, Oath was never dejected, because it was the kickoff time he felt truly accepted, and with people his own age, no less. True, Trevor always gave him the common cold articulatio humeri, but Beth kept the spirit of the group raised, and Mira… she was something else altogether.

She spoke with him, laughed with him, and smiled with him, all present moment of confusing walking on air that he drank like okay wine-coloured. He was drawn to her, pulled by a force that he could not describe. One day, after they had managed to kill a wolf, and only just barely, he and the others all collapsed from enfeeblement. Mira, sitting adjacent to him, ended up placing her hired man on his. The import her finger's breadth touched his, it was like cold lightning surged through his nerves, a frighteningly herculean sensation, but one that made him feel more animated than the battle just present moment before.

Perhaps it was just the adrenaline and the endorphins, but he looked at Mira, and she, realizing the contact lens between them, didn't pull away, and instead gazed at him with a shy grin and rosy boldness. The initiative time Oath fought a monstrosity, he froze up in panic, and it wasn't the survive time his fear got the better of him, but at that present moment, he broke through his fear, turning his hand over to arrest hers. They gazed at each early, their stomach filled with to a greater extent butterflies than a meadow in summertime. That was the moment he realized his feelings for her.

The next day, his Padre sat Oath down in the parlour of their home. With them was a husky middle-aged adventurer with a bow."oath, no matter what, you must not let anyone outside of your company know this. I've just learned that a donjon crab has surfaced nearby."

Dungeon crabby person were one of the great anomalies in the earth, but their mythology was thin. They were vague creatures, described as living fortress that rose up from the basis. Many believed that they were a end of the war between the gods and the spirits.

cuss wasn't sure how to respond to the news, so his sire continued."Adventurers who manage to capture a dungeon Cancer the Crab by taking the avenium inside are granted the rank of baron or higher by the kingdom. If you and your Quaker can carry through this, then there is zip Edwin can do and my title will be passed on to you without question."

"My friends and I can barely present the lusus naturae in the woods. We can't handle a dungeon crab."

"I am well aware of your weakness when it comes to swordplay. I'm hoping that switching to a dissimilar artillery will unlock your possible. This man is Sendal, a ex-serviceman explorer and archer. He'll teach you how to use a bow."

Just looking at Sendal, Oath could separate he wasn't the friendliest guy, but his Church Father wouldn't modification his mind. That day, he and the archer rode into the Wood to hunt, and that was the end thing he remembered. When succeeding he woke up, he was in a hob burrow, racked with botheration flowing from the backrest of his header down to the tips of his toes, but it was waning, thanks to the potion he had received.

serving him to his infantry was a Cy Young man, a bit sure-enough than him, with a girl standing behind him. Noah and Tin, he had heard those public figure before. They were the source of the strange rumour about the Old Wineskin, but more than that, Beth and Mira had vouched for Noah's strength. Oath was skeptical, especially when Noah declared that he was going to authorize out the goblin den himself, something that was nothing short of suicidal. Despite his life being saved, Oath wasn't feeling very thankful, considering he now had to work as Noah's pack scuff while he marched to his doom.

But then he saw the resultant. Noah slaughtered the goblins with ease, never displaying any kind of deception. swearing and his friend had repeatedly tried hunting goblins, nearly dying every prison term, but they fell like beating-reed instrument with every swing of Noah's sword. Then, when the goblin chief revealed itself, curse word got to witness unfeigned play, and the retentiveness of his older brother's skills were painted over by Noah's engagement. Had he and his friends attempted this, they would stimulate ended up being cooked and eaten.

During the journey dwelling, they were attacked by bandits. Tin, obeying Noah, pulled curse word into the woods before he could even grab his brand. The battle lasted only a minute, leaving Oath in awe when he saw the bodies of the slain bandits. He rode back to Clive with Noah and Tin, and when he arrived back home, his don threw his arms around him, wailing rilievo to see his son's homecoming. It was the outset time his father had ever hugged him.

"Father, there is something I need to order you."They went into his father's report and closed the threshold behind them. swearword, standing while the baron sat, leaned against the desk."The huntsman you hired, he knocked me out handed me over to goblins."

"tinker's damn him ! Edwin must sustain bribed him to get you out of the film. But if he handed you to goblins, how did you bunk ? Did you fight down your way out ?"

"No, I was saved by someone, a man named Noah. He's younger than Colt but twice the warrior, and he's already helped my friends before. He wiped out a huge goblin nest himself and even killed a hobgoblin."

Ivan leaned back in his chair."If a young man of such skill were to join your party, perhaps you might be able to capture the dungeon crab."

"I was thinking the Same thing."

"Bring him here. I'll public lecture to him."

The succeeding thing Oath knew, Tin lay dying, and he watched as Noah slew the assailant. The arrow in Tin's dresser, it had been meant for him, he was reminded of it with each pained breath she made. Crushed with guilty conscience, he applied every potion in the mansion, pouring them on her wound and down her throat, but her condition didn't improve. As Noah approached, expletive braced himself for the big. It was Oath's mistake that she had died, her sprightliness ended because he had been saved, so would Noah postulate his spirit as compensation ?

But Noah didn't acknowledge swearword. He simply kneeled down and held Tin. There were no tears, not even a trembling hint. Tin voiced her final goodbye and closed her middle, while Noah simply stared at her like a statue. Noah then departed with Tin, riding off to find a suitable plaza to sink her. Watching him ride off, Oath remembered the smiling on Tin's font when she said goodbye, and imagined that looking at on Mira, the pure, honest, intoxicating emotion. He wanted to see her. He had nearly died, and he wanted to take the risk he never could get if he hadn't been saved.

To his father's protests, he rode out to the Old Wineskin, and as soon as he entered, he heard Mira's vox."Oath !"

There they were, gathered at their usual board. Never was he so happy to see his protagonist. He crossed the tavern and took his tush."Hey."

"Your Father of the Church told us you were out training with an bowman,"said Beth."I'm rather insulted you didn't ask me first."

"You guys aren't going to believe this, but I swear this really happened. That archer knocked me out and handed me over to goblins. I was even taken to their den."

Trevor just scoffed and Beth was likewise skeptical."I'm actually not that mad, you don't have to pull in up excuses."

Mira gave him the welfare of the doubt."Really ?"

"Yeah, but I was saved by that Noah guy that you told me about, he and Tin. I watched him clear out an entire mine full of goblins single-handedly."

"Of course someone like you would call for to be saved,"said Trevor.

"An entire mine ? !"Beth exclaimed as she bolted to her feet.

"We can barely fight down a smattering of them,"Mira sighed.

"Anyway, listen to this."He leaned in and waved for them to all do the same."A dungeon crab has appeared nearby."He was lucky that everyone understood that condition. He didn't have faith in his ability to explain it. His Friend all fell back in their seats.

"You honestly can't be thinking of trying it !"Beth exclaimed."We'd be dead in an hour !"

"Listen, Noah has agreed to link up our team and train us. With his help, I'm certain we can do it."

"We don't need some freak's advice,"said Trevor.

"Did I forget to mention that he also killed a hob ?"

Trevor didn't respond.

"I don't know. I think it's way too early for us. Why ? Are you really that broke ?"asked Mira.

"There is something I haven't told you guys. My full name is Oath error, son of Baron Ivan Fault. I'm his third gear son but I'm next in line to receive his title."

"Damn it, he's delirious ! Everything he's said so far was a hallucination."

"cuss, did you eat some strange mushrooms in the Mrs. Henry Wood ?"Mira asked with honest concern.

Stared in go on silence.

"I swear to you, it's true. I'm sure the Sagittarius the Archer gave me to the goblins to keep me from inheriting the claim. When I returned home, that same archer tried to kill me, but ended up killing Tin instead."

Both Mira and Beth were left in stunned silence. While they had only met her once, the tidings of her death was a shocking blow. Her dateless moaning had become a point of superbia in the villagers, considering it a valued quirk in the personal identity of their home, like the swallow returning to Capistrano. Besides, they had both seen the love in her eyes.

"Yeah. Noah killed the guy and cod off with Tin to bury her. He said he would be back the day after tomorrow."

"That's terrible,"said Beth.

"Poor Noah,"Mira added.

"I don't think we should have him with us. We can do the keep crabmeat ourselves,"said Trevor.

"No, we wouldn't stand a probability without him. Just talk of the town to him, you'll see."

Beth raised a beer mug."Anyway, I'd say this calls for a beverage. Let us rejoice the good riposte of our comrade, crispen our approaching success, and mourn a fallen Friend !"

curse word wanted to laugh, but truth be told, he'd postulate some liquid courage.

Late into the night, the four venturer splurged on intellectual nourishment and beverage, until all was smooth and the innkeeper was preparing to close up the bar. Trevor had gone plate, Beth was currently passed out, and now it was just Oath and Mira.

"I hope this keep crab thing works out,"said Mira, more than a little tipsy.

"Yeah, and all the wealth from the adventurers is really going to avail this village."

"With that money, I can finally pay off my mother's debts."

"You never said your mother was in debt."

Mira giggled."I guess we both kept secrets. I never liked adventuring, but it was the best way I could draw money after my father left. In a way, I'm gladiolus I did it, but I just want a skillful quietly family life."

"fountainhead I'll become the baron of the townsfolk. Maybe you could ensconce here."Never in a million year would a sober cuss have the courage to do so, but he reached out and held her hand like he had on that day in the woods."And I could piddle a home with you."

Like him, Mira was fueled by liquid courage, but she got to her feet with little free grace and great courageousness, and pulled Oath to his."Come on,"she mumbled with an embarrassed smiling. They were both more than than a trivial drunk, so they had to help each other up the step, giggling with each dance step. They reached the room access to Mira's way, and as she fumbled with the key, Oath leaned in and slip a kiss. It was his first, as well as hers, and while he got her mostly on the nose, she touched her lips with a smile and a blush.

They got the door receptive and stumbled into the room, shutting it behind them. Mira lit a candle and then made herself at home in Oath's embracement. Standing in the center of the elbow room, they kissed once more, this metre able to put their ticker and souls into it.

"Are you ready for this ?"Oath asked.

"I think so. Are you ?"

"I'm not sure as shooting. I don't have any experience with being with a woman. I mean… I've seen animate being on the farm…"

Mira burst into laughter, which, secondment to her yelling at him, was the absolute last reaction he wanted at a instant like this."Beth has told me how to do it, don't headache. Now that we've kissed, the next whole step is we take off our clothes."

Oath was already sporting a woody, and those live on four words nearly pushed him over the edge. He took off his coating, Mira removed her cloak, and for a moment, they paused, feeling the stress as they gripped their shirts, but upon struggling to actually pull them off, they couldn't help but joke. Mira's white meat were exposed, and oath, a swirling torrent of teenager endocrine, was caught like a deer in the headlamp. They… were so… beautiful.

"Don't stare like that,"Mira said, covering herself and looking away in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. Can I… can I reach them ?"

"I… guess."

She hesitantly lowered her arms, and expletive, with trembling script, began to fondle her modest shelf. That softness, that smoothness, he was drawn to them like shekels. He was clumsy ; not brutish, but his technique was ill-refined, as was to be expected. Regardless, Mira shivered and purred from expletive's touch modality, afraid of being so vulnerable, both her body and her tactual sensation exposed to another for them to do with as they pleased. Perhaps it was the mien of that fear that made it feel so upright, the fear of being touched so intimately, unify with the joy of finding someone whom she wished would do so.

Massaging deep into her flesh and relishing the way her nipples felt when he toyed with them, cuss, like Mira, was overwhelmed. The prospect to search a cleaning lady's body like this, to know it, intimately, it teased his most innate, natural peculiarity. He was so excited, trembling like a leaf and intuitive feeling like he was going to jump out of his skin. It happened before he could do anything about it, he came, having already been pushed over the edge. Flushed with disgrace, he did his dependable to try and hide it, but to Mira, it looked like he was just getting impatient.

She lowered her hands and pushed off her trousers. oath didn't immediately respond, but that was because he was trying to gather his persuasion and his potency. When he realized what she had done, he didn't have time to mean, and simply dropped his own bloomers. This time, it was Mira's spell to stare, as she tried not to recall of when their group conclusion fought goblins, near of which weren't wearing anything.

Mira climbed into bed, hiding herself under the cover."Now… you get on top of me… and I think you know where your thing goes."

Oath put out the taper, plunging the room into sum darkness. He meandered his way back to the bed, feeling the covers. His hands found Mira's body and he felt her flurry like a frightened animal. He slipped under the blanket and their defenseless consistence met, first in the human body of an embrace, then in the form of a kiss, and finally…

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Noah, oath, and Beth sprinted up the winding staircase towards the exit of the donjon Cancer the Crab. They were covered in blood, effort, and dirt, and had countless untreated injuries. Noah's mana was completely drained, and the three of them were running on fumes. They couldn't William Tell if the monsters were still chasing them. After all this meter, the chorus of roars repeated in the back of their minds no issue what.

Finally, when their bodies felt like they'd fall apart like sandcastles, they breathed fresh air, and felt the sun effulgence upon them. They burst out of the top of the Cancer's shell, collapsing near the threshold. For the three of them, it was like a religious experience. Beth crumbled, rent pouring down her face, a mix of happiness, wretchedness, succour, and mourning, and as the sun rose, cuss stared like his individual had left his torso, turning him into an abandon husk. As for Noah, he dropped the knight sword he had been using and gripped the earthly concern with shaking hands. How long had it been ? How long had it been since he net fought that hard for his life ? How long had it been since his survival inherent aptitude pushed him that far ? No, when it was more than just his survival of the fittest replete pushing him ? The fear, the adrenaline, the endorphins, the botheration, they flowed through the plication of his gray matter like a flood across a desert.

"Get up, on your feet."

Noah looked over, seeing swearing standing with his sword pointing at him.

"What the hellhole do you think you're doing ?"Noah muttered.

"You heard me, get up and face up me."

"Oath, you're kidding, right ?"Beth asked.

"No. You and me, Noah, right here, correct now."

"You ungrateful piddling brat. After all I did for you, you have the brass to point your sword at me ? The brand I gave you ?"

"You didn't do this for me. I was just a airplane propeller in whatever deal you struck with my father. Now Mira is bushed and I was robbed of my luck to settle down affair with Trevor. We never should cause gone in there, but you kept pushing us. We never should consume let you be a persona of our team."

"Oath, it's not his break ! You also wanted to keep going ! Just put your blade down and we can all go base !"

"No ! I have to do this !"

"You're right,"said Noah, getting to his infantry,"you were just a property, but I'm still under contract and not allowed to kill you. Once we're back and I've gotten my payoff, then I'll put you down as heavy as you want."

"No ! I'm done listening to you ! From the instant we met, you've run my aliveness. I was supposed to be the one to seize the avenium, to conquer my own lot, not let you take it and accept whatever scraps you toss my way ! I couldn't avenge Mira, I couldn't metre Trevor, and I couldn't even conquer the dungeon crab ! I can't go home this way ! I refuse to subsist like this ! But if I beat you, that'll be enough."

Noah gripped the hilt of the knight blade, and the esthesis he got back was far from ideal. His organic structure was at its demarcation line, he could barely even stand. He was out of potions, they all were, so there was no way he could quickly recoup his strength. At least Oath was in the like situation. Despite his angriness and bloodlust, he was on the sceptre of passing out. The feel was leave, but the flesh was another story. If Noah fought him in this land, even the smallest wounds could examine calamitous, then his wad with the baron would be out the windowpane.

"I'm not going to mollycoddle you. If you want to get yourself killed, do it after we get back. I want to live long enough to cash in everything I've collected."

"You can't talk your way out of this !"

Oath charged with his sword raised, attempting his touch cleave. Noah stepped to the side, nearly falling over as he did so. kind of than a virgule, he struck oath in the venter with the grip of his sword. curse word nearly retched, but regained his terms and punched Noah. He tried to fudge, but was still grazed and staggered back, drawing his sword completely.

"Stop this, you two don't need to fight back !"Beth pleaded.

"Tell him that !"Noah argued.

Oath unleashed a flurry of swings towards Noah, who lacked the agility to get out of the way. Instead, he had to block and parry each jive. They locked blades, pushing against each other in a shoving match.

"You chose to go into the dungeon crab,"said Noah."You chose to fall out me, despite knowing how grave it was for Mira. You put your pride and your nobility over her. I killed Trevor because you were too infirm to get it done and you would cause woken up that monster with just three measure. You don't get to blame your incompetence on me."

"You're a heartless SOB ! You couldn't even shed a tear for Tin, no wonderment you didn't care about us !"

"Grow up !"

Noah let go of his sword and punched cuss, sending him staggering back. Noah touched his hand to his eye, casting his invisibleness. He only had plenty mana to remain blot out for a few moments, so Noah tackled expletive, disarming him and knocking him to the flat coat. Three satisfying bump to the expression left him unconscious.

Noah dropped to his knees, gasping for air with his spell coming undone. Hopefully, expletive would be much more sensical when he woke up. As Noah got to his feet, there was a monster's snarl, followed by Beth's scream. One of their pursuers from within the shell had arrived and was attacking Beth. It looked like some kind of cycloptic tiger with a mat of pinion across its backbone. Beth was pinned, her arm in its sassing with her flesh being snap and her finger cymbals breaking.

"Damn it !"Noah growled.

Beth still had his bow, so Noah pulled out his short-circuit sword and threw it, winging the beast in the articulatio humeri. It turned to Noah and charged, and Noah, trying to activate his conjuring trick, realized he had used the last of his mana to deal with Oath. He jumped to the side to dodge the lunging tiger, but as he hit the ground, he realized he had less strength than he thought. He had planned on hitting the ground with a curl and then jumping to his pes, but he just fell like a tree. All he could do was roll on his backrest, and this time, when the tiger pounced, he wasn't capable to evade. It tried to sink its teeth into his cervix, but he blocked its mouth with his sword, though he could do zero about its pincer, digging into his shoulders. It was pushing down on him with its entire weight, and he didn't have the strength to hold it back.

Noah stared into its one, fist-sized eye and watched slaver pour from its back talk, mixed with the stemma from the track that his sword was creating. This certainly ranked among the top of his unearthly deaths. Yet when his strength was about to stutter, swearword attacked the tiger from behind, slicing off his head with a swing of his sword. Oath then kicked the tiger's corpse off Noah and pointed his sword at him.

"You'll never get a better chance than this,"Noah said with a smirk.

Oath took a cryptical breath and sheathed his brand."I suppose saving your life is as often an acquisition as ending it."He held out his handwriting to Noah."Let's go home."

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epilog

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The town of Clive was bustling, filled with adventurers following the news of the dungeon crab's outgrowth. Around half of them would die within its shell, but those with accomplishment and luck came back to town with air hole full of ores and muffin. Having returned to town just the previous night, Noah had tried listening for gab of whether or not anyone else had managed to entrance the keep. He had taken all of the avenium he found in that room, so it's possible that was all there was in the crab. Oh well, they'd just have to get do with everything else they found. The majority of the adventurers were sassy enough or perhaps not ambitious enough to go very deep into the crab.

But that's not what Noah was focusing on at the here and now. He was at the inn, sitting on the bed in Beth's room and examining her arm. It had been badly mangled by that Panthera tigris and wasn't fully healed. Since they were out of potions at the time, Noah and curse word had to wrap it and be given it as best as they could. On the way down from the dungeon's entrance, they met an adventurer and bought some healing potions off him. However, they weren't capable to completely reverse the legal injury. The flesh on her arm looked molted, like severe stretch marks, and the brawniness underneath was out of proper shape. At least the bone had been reset properly, but the way Beth winced as she stretched it per Noah's statement, he knew that she was favourable to still have it at all.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll be able to draw a bow or raise anything sonorous anytime soon. If you find mortal with healing magic, they might be able-bodied to undo the price, but otherwise, I can't reckon your arm will ever regain its full use or strength."

"That's fine,"she said with a monotone phonation and dead fish middle. She shuddered, as if shaking herself awake."No, it's not fine, it's terrible. But… I don't have to worry about using a bow."

"You're quitting being an adventurer ?"

"After everything we went through in that dungeon… I don't ever want to experience something like that again. I'm going to try and encounter a healer to mend my arm, but after that, I'm going to do what Mira wanted and finalize down and establish a family."

"That's for the secure, I suppose."

"Thanks. And Noah, about what I said to you in the keep, about how I was…"

"You're not pregnant. Mira was."

She looked at him in shock."How'd you lie with ?"

"I have sufficiency experience with women to have sex how to keep off getting them pregnant, and I can tell when it's close down to that time of the month. Mira told you she was late before we entered the dungeon, didn't she ? You pretended it was you instead. Did you lie to try and economize yourself, or her ?"

"Both, I guess. Oath didn't know, he can never know."

"I'm surprised they were able to prevent it hidden from me. They always seemed a petty protective of each other, but I had no idea they were so intimate."

"She told me they were both drunk when it happened, and later told oath that she thought it would be near if they focused on getting stronger for conquering the dungeon. After, they would have the ease of their lifespan to…"She trailed off, then looked out the window and sighed."I'm going to go visit her mother and sibling, tell her what happened. They were in debt, so hopefully the gem I've collected will help pay it off. I owe Mira that much."

"This should to a greater extent than cover it,"said Noah, handing her a small bottle of avenium.

"So much trouble, so many bust over this metallic element dust,"she muttered, staring at the bottle.

"Take precaution of yourself,"Noah said before getting up and leaving.

He stopped by his room, getting his bag and any possessions he deemed worth carrying. He had already sold off all of his ores and jewel, so he had plenty of gold coins with him, along with assorted early putz and treasures hidden within his ring, including a Brobdingnagian fortune of avenium. He put on his backpack with his swords hanging from his bash, including a new longsword, and left the room, locking it behind him. Downstairs in the tavern, he handed the landlady the key.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"Aye, I'm a bit dingy to see you go. But before you do, you should talk with your friend. He certainly needs some help."

At the rejoinder, he saw curse word slumped over with a half-empty mug in his helping hand. After returning to Clive, he had checked in with his Fatherhood only briefly, then came straight to the inn and started drinking to drown his sorrows. It was a miracle the boy hadn't died from alcohol poisoning.

"Are you planning on drinking away your entire fate ?"Noah asked.

Oath raised his head, looking at him with bloodshot eyes."parting me alone."

Noah took the dejection next to him and ordered a drink."I will, soon. For now, just humor me."

cuss sat up and wiped his side."Remember that hunting slip the six of us took in the beginning ? When we were sitting around the fire, you told me that I had to decide my reason for living, for fighting, that I had to create my own import. When I went into that dungeon, I thought I was doing it for my father, to finally win his commendation. But when Mira died, I realized I had done it for her. I wanted to prove to her that I was a man, that I was just as strong as you and Trevor, and I wanted to prove it to myself. Everything I failed to do, they were the accomplishment of the baron that I wanted to be. I loved her, but my pride got her killed. Now… I just don't want to recall about it, any of it. I just want to blank out so everything will bar hurting."

Noah, having received his drink, downed it in one gulp and slapped the crank on the tabular array, then took a deep breath."If I were to present you one last lesson, one endure piece of advice, would you make it ?"Oath just glanced at him, neither agreeing, nor refusing."full stop drinking. Go home and mourn her properly."

"Why ?"

"I know it hurts, and you don't want to feel anything anymore, but when you block out all of the bad, you block out all of the right that goes with it. Cherish your impression for Mira, your memories of her. Don't try to bury them and draw a blank. Be thankful that it hurts. believe me, there is nothing more painful than being truly numb. When you've lost all meaning and sensation, you end up in a very benighted berth, where you'll do anything just to feel again, and you never fully come back from that."

For a moment, the words went over curse word's question, but then his optic widened as a memory flashed through his alcohol-soaked mind. The face Noah made when Tin died, that flint expression, it finally made sense.

"Is that what happened to you ? You lost someone ?"

"I've lost a lot of citizenry, Thomas More than you can imagine. Losing a fuck one, mourning them, it's supposed to be hard, because if it's easy, you forget how to do it."Noah then got up and shouldered his backpack.

"Where are you going ?"curse word asked.

"I have business in the capital."

"My Father-God and I are going there in three days. You can travel with us."

"Nah, I'll see my own way. Besides, I've already given your father enough avenium to control you become a noble, so there is no point in sticking around here."

"You never told us what he promised you. Why were you so obsessed with conquering the donjon ?"

Noah thought back to the conversation he had with the baron, after Tin died.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Noah was sitting in the baron's study, having just confessed to killing his brother and nephew."We didn't have the probability to verbalise about payment for this job, but don't headache, I'm not concern in money or land. There is something else I want."

"Which is ?"

"I want a letter of recommendation to the Uther Knight honorary society. I heard they only grant admittance on the trade good word of a noble, such as yourself."

Ivan scrunched up his facial expression and nearly spat out his deglutition. To be an Utheric horse was a great honor and obligation, as while they ranked below barons on the nobility scale, their achievements could have them greater potency and political influence."I have no involvement in putting my good name on the line of business for a stranger. Just take some avenium for yourself and become a Lord. You'll be even richer than a knight. Or if you want to serve your country, just join the military."

"Any schmuck with a pulse can be con***********ed and turned into a soldier. I'm not after riches, prestige, or achievements, and I don't care about this country."

Noah then reached into his pocket and placed a white-livered potion on the top executive's desk.

"What is that ?"Ivan asked.

"I got this in that goblin den, and just this sunrise, I had it appraised by the apothecary. It's a high-level counterpoison, able to cure almost any poison. I doubt even a baron like you could afford one. I had this with me when Tin was shot and didn't know it could preserve her animation. She died because of my ignorance. I've come to realize that despite my skills and experience, I don't know nearly enough about this world. I want to modify that, and to do so, I need an education. Spending eld in an tusk pillar doesn't involvement me. I want to learn how to know and properly fight in this world, and the best lieu to do that is the knight academy, where they supposedly train the honorable of the best. That hobgoblin apparently killed a knight, but hopefully that was a fluke.

So what do you say ? Is your son's future not worth a single letter of the alphabet ?"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

"I suppose…"Noah said, looking back to Oath,"I just wanted to finally retain a promise, rather than making yet another lie. good fortune to you, Jehovah Fault."

Noah left the inn and walked over to the stake where his horse was hitched. He rode out of Baron Clive, and when he was finally alone, he held out his hand, and an gasbag appeared on his palm from within his ring. On it was a wax sealing wax, the Fault pelage of subdivision. With this, his itinerary was laid out before him. His next stop : the Utheric royal capital.

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*Roundabout plays*

To be continued…

*Roll credits*

Please scuttlebutt ! I 'm going to try to deliver vol 2 ready by the end of the year .