Feral Beast Master: A Gamelit Adventure, page 14
“Then you’ll remember. And I don’t see a mana dart in your hands, do I? Now, where were we? Oh, right. If you’d been an actual summoner, you’d have started with something weak, like a little milk spider.” Mr. Dervish summoned one, a regular one the size of his palm, and tossed it onto Kaden’s chest. It sank its fangs in, and Kaden backhanded it, killing it in a single blow. Mr. Dervish tossed another. And another. Every time it died, he sent another. “Now, where did I get a whole flock of them?”
“Mika. She lays eggs.”
“There’s only one, I just keep sending it at you. You’re killing it, but if you hadn’t decided to party with Verdant Vipers, it would have worn you down. The point is, summoners learn early their summons can’t be destroyed. And they understand that sometimes, you have to sacrifice them.” He pulled out another spider and set it down so it could run in circles around him. “That dog of yours saved Evelyn.”
“Eve.” Kaden said through gritted teeth.
“And she saved you. The dog ain’t gone, she’s just reforming. From being obliterated like that, it takes a bit. You need to tune the way you think. You can’t afford to lose your focus every time one of your Beasts falls.”
That hurt.
His beasts weren’t just tools, they were friends.
But deep in his soul, he still felt the connection. “I won’t thrown their lives away.”
“Then you need to make sure situations like that don’t happen. Bryce taught you to fight as a Unclassed commoner. You need real fighting lessons, the kind that can only happen when a love tap won’t kill you. And you need to develop your resistances. Go to the guild. Sign up for any Resistance class you want. And be here tomorrow at seven.” Mr. Dervish held up the mallet. “Trinity stays here while you train, she needs surgery on her left foot. Alternately, we can find out how long she’ll take to reform.”
“Don’t you dare.” Kaden handed him a Mana Dart. This was going to hurt.
Pain was a constant in Kaden’s life. Every morning at seven, he went to Dervish’s Summoning Services, or Beast Control, or jogged out to Veela’s shrine, always with a mana dart forming, or formed, or being crushed.
“You need to work on being able to summon that hammer in the right position. All you ever do is act like you’re pulling it out of a bag. Be ready to block me,” Mr. Dervish said, as he sat atop Mika, drinking a cup of tea.
“I’m ready.” Kaden stepped back, holding Remembrance in both hands.
“Not now. I’ll surprise you with a tap to the chest unless you draw that hammer and block. If I see you carrying the hammer, you’ll regret it.” He stood and stretched. “It’s been long enough. Summon that dog of yours.”
“You’re just going to smash her.” Kaden wanted to call her.
“I give you my word I won’t. I wouldn’t hesitate to break your bones, beat you bloody, or leave you a wreck, but I ain’t a monster.”
Kaden reached down pulled on the cord in his soul—and wept as she dashed from behind a column, crackling with lighting. *Love!*
“Sacrificing yourself is a bad thing. You shouldn’t have done that,” Kaden said, clutching her to his chest. She only lay limp a moment, then wriggled and fought to get down, sprinting around the shrine and drinking from the holy fountain until her chin was slicked down.
Then splashed in the holy fountain, then lay down in the holy fountain and barked at the priestesses who shooed her away. Whatever Veela’s holy rites were, they didn’t involve dog slobber in her fountain.
Dripping with water, she chased Mana Darts, giving off bursts of electricity every time one popped in her mouth.
“You chose acid resistance this afternoon?” Mr. Dervish asked. “That one hurts.
“Flame resistance was worse. Cold resistance was worse than Flame resistance.” Each involved being strapped to ice and hit by an ice mage, or slowly baked for hours over a fire.
Then he checked Vip’s status.
[Vip - Summoned Beast]
Level: 7
HP: 110/110
Mana: 45
Class: Lightning Chevalier
Skills: Triple Nip (4), Mighty Bite (7), Crackling Charge (5), Resist Poison (4), Leap of Love (1)
Talents: Swift-footed, Acrobatic
Few would choose a Lightning Chevalier, but this Lightning Chevalier chose you. Loyal to the death, faster than the wind, she trusts you implicitly. Do not betray that trust.
[Leap of Destiny Love]
Some would call it destiny, but you know better. It isn’t fate that drives you, it’s a choice. Once a day, swap places with the target of your choice. You will bear the consequences, good or bad.
“She gained another level.” He shared the information with Mr. Dervish.
“Beast don’t gain…” Mr. Dervish fell silent. “And skills? If she was a monster, she’d be near enlightened. And don’t kid yourself, they have all the stats we do, the System just hides them. She may be more intelligent than half the people in the city. Probably a side effect of your Class.”
The comment jarred another thought. “Trella’s Deception gained a level. And [Shadow Walk], on its own, though it pulls from her mana. And Sara’s Horror…” His mouth went dry. “Do you think I’m the reason she didn’t get another summon? Instead, her Horror leveled and got a skill.”
“Can’t say, and you shouldn’t. You don’t know anything for certain. Could be there’s a [System Patch] in the works, and all Beasts will level now. We [Summoners] have lobbied for that for ages. How’s the Healer working out?”
“Eve? She’s ok. She’ll be as happy to see Vip as I am.” That would be tonight.
“You’re free for the day. I’ll let you get back to the city, check on Trinity, and take your dog around town. But the moment that clock strikes two? Be ready. You practicing darts?”
“I gained another level in Mana Dart. And two more mana capacity back.” He reflexively hurled another dart for Vip.
“Good. This afternoon, pay for a class and put more levels on your Axe skill. The sooner you can merge Battle Hammer and Axe into War Hammer, the better. If you hit ten, take Mana Spike and get back to making darts.” Mr. Dervish stood and opened a portal to his office. “You’re walking.”
He was running, not using [Beast Heart] to take Vip’s speed, just sprinting with her all the way back to Beast Control. “We’re going to meet Trinity. She’s got great potential but can be kind of grouchy.”
*Slow*, Vip said, pushing her nose into Kaden’s hand.
In this case, “Slow” was best interpreted as “We can’t all be small gray rays of sunshine.”
Trinity’s front legs were wrapped in bandages from the damage she’d done digging through the floor in a panic. As long as she was fed and taken for walks by [Shields] who wanted to develop their acid resistance, work on their bleeding, or practice growing fingers back, Trinity enjoyed her time at Beast Control.
She stood as Kaden approached and let down the barrier.
A tail strike whipped past him.
*So fast*. Vip almost teleported, landing on Trinity’s back and barking at the blind head. Beast Speech struggled to make sense of it, but the general feeling was “Hello, Friend. I can’t help but notice that you are lacking in the eye department, but what fine teeth those are. Your neighbor with the snake head is unpleasant and reminds me of a Verdant Viper, have you ever met one? I do not care for them.”
That was a loose translation.
Trinity’s snake head appraised Vip and went back to stretching out toward Kaden to have her scales scratched. The razor edges remained flat unless she was truly angry. Or bored. Or in the mood to play, or if she was sleeping wrong.
“I have to go to the Guild. Can I see your claws?” Kaden kneeled down, ignoring the center head with its six inch dagger teeth.
Sure enough, the fragments of stone had been removed, and now Trinity was healing. Fresh claw nubs showed as white ovals that would one day burst through the skin to form dangerous weapons. Guardian of Life would help her heal, but that would require taking her into his soul space.
Seventeen Mana was not enough.
He instinctively flexed another mana dart and threw it down the hall for Vip. “What kind of soul world would you want?”
A memory hit him. Or an imagination? Trinity crawled through a forest, creeping up on unsuspecting prey. Prey that looked a lot like the man who fell on the hook. “That’s dark. How about you kill some deer?”
The world memory shifted, and now, as she slunk through the heavy brush, deer grazed all around. Deer with human heads, and the face of the man who had fallen.
“We’ll work on it. I have to go find Eve.” Kaden stepped back. “Vip, get off her.”
Vip ran down Trinity’s tail, then leaped to the side, dodging one strike, bounded off a wall and sailed over as Trinity’s Bone Head snapped at her. *Slow slow slow*.
Kaden shook his head. “You didn’t have to be rude, Vip. She was experimented on, she can’t help what she looks like. You wouldn’t talk about Sara that way, would you?”
Vip barked an answer.
“Didn’t think so. We’ll check the Guild first.”
Sara was not at the Guild, and neither was Eve or Trella. Kaden borrowed a plain brown Messenger Bird and dispatched it. It returned a few minutes later, chirping angrily. The birds had limited range, and there were places without tubes for them to enter.
He couldn’t help worrying, worry he channeled into an Axe session that cost him a handful of silver, since it was mostly chopping on a Monster that resembled a living stump.
[Bog Walker]
The remains of mighty tree spirits, these bog walkers are stronger than you, tougher than you, and the only reason you’re still alive is that they lack hands, arms, feet, and any way to attack.
*Insanity*
Kaden shook off the whirl of color and continued to slam Remembrance’s axe head into the stump, which healed back every time. After what felt like hours, he got a new notification.
Your skill with Axe-work has improved.
You have compatible skills. Combine Axe-work and Battle Hammer to form War Hammer (1) [Y/N]?
Yes! He felt the skills merge and combine. And though the resulting skill was lower, now Remembrance felt more natural in his hands. Before, swapping to the axe always felt like a shift. Now, he easily twisted through swings, smashing the [Bog Walker] with the hammer and then using the momentum for an axe strike that actually drew bubbly yellow sap-blood.
The instructor came over to watch him. “You actually got two skill points in one session? Should have been one, but congratulations on combining the skill. You’ll have to pay again if you want time with the [Bog Walker] to get the first few levels of War Hammer.”
Kaden handed him coins without regret. “I want the easy levels now.”
“Those will come quick, but after that? It’s a dual skill, so it’ll grow half as fast. Most dual skills repay that in flexibility,” said the Instructor.
By the time the class was done, Kaden had War Hammer at level 3. The feeling the System gave when a skill grew now felt stretched thin. He’d need to fight actual monsters to grow. But what a difference it made. Next time he ran a dungeon, it would be different.
Next time, he’d take down a [Bone Giant] without someone else maiming it. And one day, not even a [Tomb Champion] would be beyond him. Kaden left the Guild’s training area by the portal back to the Guild and summoned Vip so she could bask in the chaos that was the Guild at night. He’d spent most of the day in the class, and the evening rush as Adventurers worked on their Resist Alcohol skill, paid for emergency crafting, or generally relaxed, was like a party where everyone was armed and dangerous.
He headed for his room at the Guild, but when he reached the room, Trella’s laughter drifted out. Odd. She hadn’t mentioned finding anyone she fancied, or asked for the room alone, which meant she wouldn’t mind him dropping by. He threw the door open.
Mr. Dervish lurked just inside, his mallet already wound up.
Kaden had only a moment to panic. To reach for Remembrance, and too late he realized he should already have it. Already be sinking into a stance, stepping forward, pressing out—
The mallet struck him, throwing him back into the wall.
The world went black.
When he opened his eyes, Trella kneeled over him, dribbling a Healing potion into his lips. Vip sat on his chest, nosing his chin. *Too Slow.*
And Mr. Dervish watched, still holding his mallet. “Got War Hammer, I see. Good. Plan on Mana Spike by the end of the week, work your resistances, I’ll see you tomorrow morning, if I don’t surprise you sooner.” He reached into his Inventory and drew out a bag of coins and tossed them to Trella. “Thanks for helping with the ambush. Kaden, she knows how to fight and bargain. You should learn from her.”
17
SEVENTEEN - TERRA-PAIN
In the wild white woods beyond the City, Kaden fought for his life. The War Hammer was a weapon where maximum damage required committing to the attack. The key was to chain attacks together, letting a quicker, less costly blow open up the target for a better attack.
His attacker was a turtle where every section of the shell fired spikes, every edge, threw off razor sharp scales, and the Beast possessed a skill that caused Remembrance to bounce off without even ringing. Small black mushrooms sprouted from the turtle’s eyes and covered its skin.
[Thousand Year Terapin]
This Beast cannot hide in its shell to escape your attacks, so it has learned to strike back with deadly accuracy. After all, if you are dead, you can’t possibly be a threat. This one has been poisoned by [Psyloshrooms] but escaped with its life. Its mind did not survive.
Skills: Shell Shot, Edge Strike, Kinetic Disruption
Talents: Living Earthquake.
Special: Mindless - This Beast cannot be affected by [Fear] or other mental attacks.
The turtle alone would have been a challenge, but the spores which drifted off of the mushrooms enslaved other, lesser Beasts, and now a small army surrounded it made up of similarly infected beasts, though none as fearsome as the Terrapin.
A Hydro-Boar rushed toward him, trailing mud like its mana core had ruptured and it leaked water mana everywhere. Close behind, a set of firebirds pulsed in ragged intervals. The spores that came across him sparked where they collided with his mana.
Kaden jumped left, using a short swing to knock down a Firebird, and leaped over the Hydro Boar. Instead of swinging at the FireBird, he stomped it, letting his boot take the guttering flame damage. He kept his momentum going and used a side swing to strike the Hydro Boar’s hind quarters. The second Firebird dove straight at his face.
In the blink of an eye, Remembrance was gone. Kaden rolled under it, came up with Remembrance held close and finally delivered a downward smash on the back of the Hydro Boar. His gloves burned as the Firebird spun, weeping flames, but now was not the time to run.
Now was the time to rely on his armor and swing back with Remembrance’s Axe head, killing the Firebird in one swing. Before it hit the ground, a [Storm Ape] leaped off the Terrapin’s shell, fists raised for a smash.
Kaden held Remembrance sideways to block, and let most of the blow pass through him. He accepted the shocks that burst through his body and the way it threw him back toward the copse of brush at the edge of the forest. One Mana-Dart hit the ape and brought it sprinting at him.
He held his ground, mostly, stepping further and further into the woods, where the Terrapin couldn’t go. In its unthinking state, it ignored that, ramming the trees.
Its entourage poured into the forest—and screams rose up around Kaden as the brush thrashed. It was time for the second stage of his attack. Kaden scrambled on top of the Terrapin just as it began to blast spikes from the edge of its shell.
Though the Terrapin’s mind was gone, the parasitic fungus that had attacked it knew where he was, and lurched side to side as it attempted to throw him off. Remembrance would no more crack that shell than it would the base of the world. A small explosion under the Terrapin sent Kaden flying into the tall grass before the Terrapin.
It didn’t charge, it rotated, firing spikes.
So Kaden fought back, striking the turtle with his new skill, Mana Spike.
[Mana Spike]
Use your mana to disrupt your enemies. Your constant manipulation of mana has made you less efficient at actual spells and more efficient at manipulating it in harmful ways. For every point of Mana you put into a spike, your enemy will lose two. As this skill grows, so will this effect. This is a foundation spell for [Mana Drain].
He formed a mana spike, a short blue dagger of pure mana. It took far longer than Mana Dart, but his skill was only level 1, and Mana Dart had been difficult, too. Over and over, he dodged the turtle shots or twisted so they hit armored parts, and drove Mana Spikes into it over and over, until the shots abruptly ended.
Beasts didn’t suffer Mana Shock the way humans did, but this was Kaden’s cue. “Trinity!”
The TriTerror charged in from the woods where she’d been hiding. With her bone head, she dipped low, levering the Beast up. Kaden jumped in, using his strength to push with Trinity as the turtle flailed.
“Here it comes!” Kaden said, pushing as hard as he could.
Boom!
The terrapin’s talent, Living Earthquake, shook the ground so it rolled in waves. But this time, Kaden knew it was coming. This time, he held on through the waves. “Now!”
As the ground rose under him, the TriTerror pushed with Kaden. The monster turtle balanced on its shell for a moment—then tipped over, spinning slightly.
“Don’t bite it, the mushrooms will poison you, too.” Kaden hated everything about what had to happen now. He’d read the reports. Visited the village it had plowed through, and the spoken to the farmer’s family. Their grief had become his.
