The small settlement within the island was tucked into a cove of sorts. A large stone grotto covered the back of the small space the settlement had been erected in and so they could only be attacked from the front. But they had suffered nonstop from these relentless attacks, as they grew stronger each day, they had lost many of their people.
DING!
THE FIRST DAY WILL NOW BEGIN!
STAND FIRM!!
…
As the system, chimed into activity, Jazmel and Baek stood. Swords drawn and prepared for bloodshed, first the area had grown silent and nothing but the sounds of wind moving through the trees about them could be heard.
But then the sound of something approaching could be heard, the sound of hundreds of feet approaching at the same time. A group, a large group was coming and Jazmel could hear them all approaching at a quickened pace.
The first one he saw was a giant crab, it was his height, their eyes level, its black beady eyes held a sentient gaze. It simply hungered for the flesh in front of it. there was nothing specially about the crab beside its size, one of its claws was much larger than the other, it was almost like a shield and the way it ran towards him. it used its bigger claw like a shield to guard itself, but before Jazmel that meant nothing, especially with a sword’s keen edge,
The first crab to reach him, slammed down its bigger claw and tried to bash him into the ground. He was faster of course, leaping to the side and cleaving through its three legs on the right and dodging its smaller claw which it used like a pair of scissors, snipping at him. he cut through that; blue blood pooled from the wound, but its nasty mouth just chittered some more.
Shadowing Wraith!
He paid the cost in Mana to activate his skill, disappearing into the shadow of the crab and stabbing down into the space where he assumed the brain existed. It chittered one last time before crumbling before him, the bulk of its body hitting the ground with a dull thud.
DING!
TIER III SHIELD CLAW CRAB KILLED!
EXP ACCRUED!
…
He gained a trickle of exp, and he nodded, it was getting harder to level up. He needed tougher fights, tougher opponents to garner the stats and exp he would need to advance.
“Stay back and let me handle this.” He said over his shoulder, Baek didn’t respond but Jazmel knew he had heard him.
“Yes young master.”
Jazmel rushed forward, diving into the Melee and letting his swords skim through the weak chitin of the crabs. He was untouchable before them, they were slow while he was swift, they were weak where he was strong. Soon the ground was bloody with blue ichor and Jazmel was covered in it, unhappily so.
DING!
X56 TIER III SHIELD CLAW CRAB KILLED!
EXP ACCRUED
EXP ACCRUED
+4 AGL
+2 DEX
…
He felt the system energy creep in, first to his exp which was little more than a trickle. Then to his stats, which went to his speed and balance. It was true, when he danced in amongst the crabs, it had been like he was moving on the wind, he was too fast for them and they were beneath him, objectively he could handle a tier III on his own and easily.
DING!
YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE CRABS, BUT THEIR LEADER COMES!
TASK BOSS TIER IV GUNNER SHRIMP!
…
Jazmel scanned the screen but didn’t need to read anymore, the shrimp burst from the trees and skittered towards him on tens of limbs. The shrimp was coral blue with markings of red splotches covering its chitin.
It was bigger than the crabs, dwarfing Jazmel in size. Eight legs; four on either side. It had thick chitin covering its entire body, it was curved to cover its body and just the top of its legs. It could curl in on itself, to protect itself from harm. The biggest surprise where the two front claws, they had been changed, they were no longer claws and instead. They were like two waterspouts that had evolved to look like canons.
THUM!
THUM!
The waterspouts shot water at Jazmel, he evaded one and ducked behind the corpse of a crab to survive the blast of the other. The first one shot awry and hit a tree, breaking it through the trunk. The second one hit the crabs and blew up the corpses, shelling the area in corpse debris.
So the waterspouts were gun like and could shoot water. That was good to know, but Jazmel hurried forward, hoping the shrimp would need time to reload.
Great rumbling dragon!
He swung his Mana dragon maw about and sent it sailing through the air at the shrimp. It did something Jazmel was shocked to see, it curled up and let the Mana dragon crash into its coral bule chitin armour. A few scratches but no true damage, it unfurled itself and rose up again, one of its canon claws ready to fire again.
Aeonic blast!
Paldane appeared from above just as the task boss was about to fire on Jazmel again. Scorched earth, it chittered; which to Jazmel. Sounded like a scream, but it shot its canon at Paldane instead who swooped down low and let it miss its mark.
Sundering Raven!
Where it had stretched upward to strike Paldane, it had left its body open, a chance Jazmel would never miss. He slashed his most aggressive skill into its underbody and legs flew where the skill literally blew up against its underside.
DING!
YOU HAVE INJURED THE TIER IV GUNNER SHRIMP GRAVELY!
IT IS NOW ENRAGED!!
BEWARE!!
…
TIER IV GUNNER SHRIMP USES MEER KRIEG!!!
…
Jazmel saw the words flash on his system screen whilst he watched in real time. Water began to pool from out of nowhere, it pooled all around the giant gunner shrimp and soon the ground was filled with pools of water. Jazmel could taste the sea salt and brine in the air.
The gunner shrimp had conjured all this water and was using it to continuously reload after shooting cannonballs of water all around. One hit Jazmel square in the chest and he yelped in pain.
DING!
STATUS CONDITION WARNING!
SEARED SKIN (minor)
HEALTH NOW BELOW 80%
The water had been shot with such ferocity, that it had burned his skin. He grit his teeth as he crawled to his feet that one shot had taken a little more than twenty percent of his life. He needed to get in close and kill this shrimp now.
Can you give me some cover? He sent to Paldane.
Yeah let me just not get shot out of the sky first. Paldane grumbled back and Jazmel bit back a grin. He pushed forward and rising up, he ducked and dodged between the corpses of the crabs to reach the shrimp which was now shooting at everything.
Langdrin’s lark!
The roar/wail that Paldane could use, seemed to stymie anyone under the effects of it. the shrimp faltered for a second, a half a second. But during this time, Jazmel had hurried forward, pushing from cover to catch it while it was aiming at Paldane.
Shadowing Wraith!
Sundering Raven!
Jazmel lurched through the shadows, the dark paths he was now travelling during battle. He appeared underside of the shrimp and running towards the front of it. he let his skill burst free. Stabbing into its underside and dragging the blade up, towards its antennae and chittering whiskers.
The chittering became a warble of agony, and it fell to the ground, leaking blue ichor into the pools of sea water of its own making. Jazmel stabbed his sword into its head; twisting and wrenching the blade to make sure it was dead. He breathed free and looking around at the grounds he sighed, he had defeated a task boss on his own. that made him smile a little, only a little.
DING!
TASK BOSS DEFEATED
TIER IV GUNNER SHRIMP KILLED!
…
…
EXP GREATLY ACCRUED!
…
+3 INT
+2 AGL
+2 END
“You can come out now!” he yelled, and the people of the settlement came out from their hiding, with his friends entail. It had been agreed that his friends would stay and support the survivors. If Jazmel needed it, he would call for them and they would rush out to his aid. It was only the first day, but he was sure it would be nothing short of this sort of thing.
DING!
CONGRATULATIONS ON SURVIVING THE FIRST DAY!
YOU MANAGED TO DEFEAT ALL THE CREATURES ON YOUR OWN!
THAT SHOWS GREAT VALOUR!
YOUR REWARDS AFTER THE QUEST WILL SHOW THIS!
BE WARNED, THE SECOND DAY’S DIFFICULTY HAS INCREASED DUE TO YOUR ABILITIES!
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
…
Well that’s not scary at all. Jazmel said to himself.
“Settlers take what you can from the corpses, pick what you need first for your recovery and anyone close to a tribulation should prepare too. I know eating from fresh corpses can add stats or exp. So I would advise you do that now.” Jazmel summarised to them all and they hurried in between the crabs corpses. Trying to pick and pull the chitin away to get to the meat.
“We will help.” Myn said, pulling Katie away as she began to move forward.
“Did you see the second day warning?” Jazmel asked Bannerman who had stayed behind.
“We just need to face whatever the labyrinth has in store for us.” Bannerman said and he really meant it, Jazmel could tell from his cool expression that Bannerman was ready for whatever came.
At first light, the black wing faction were already in the throes of battle. Fighting off the attacks from the shield claw crabs as they burst from the woods and obviously the seas. Hurtling across the ground towards the settlement.
Savage!
Myn yelled as her sword scarred the heavy chitin of a shield claw crab. Their numbers had tripled and now Jazmel and all his friends were fighting to keep the crabs out of the settlement. Baek had stayed behind, as the last line of defence. Ensuring that Jazmel and his friends could defend the survivors in their settlement.
Chain fang!
Katie had ridden atop Paldane and from above she was raining down chain strikes atop the crabs relentlessly. They chittered and skittered before her onslaught but could do nothing to defend from her attacks.
Aeonic blast!
Blackened flames, tinged with blue, charred the crabs burning them up and covering the ground in flames that burnt everything it touched.
DING!
COMPANION HAS LEVELLED UP!
…
Wolf hunt!
Bannerman was burst through, rushing between the crabs. Crushing with his claws and also slashing legs and spaces between the chitin. They suffered before him, he was just too nimble, they couldn’t handle him or his skills.
Jazmel himself was dancing between the crabs and letting his sword carve through them, he hadn't used skills yet. He was preserving his Mana for the next boss that might appear.
“We got company!” Jazmel heard from above, as Katie swooped past him as she flew around.
Following her notice, she beckoned to behind the crabs which had appeared in the hundreds. By three gunner shrimps that appeared behind them. Jazmel quirked a little at this, they hadn't even been announced which meant they weren’t even the task boss for today.
“Each of you take a shrimp. Myn I will support you if you need it!” he yelled over the fights, but there was no need.
Paldane had landed atop one of the shrimp, crashing into it and crumpling the chin as he bit down on its throat and savagely tore its head off. Bannerman and Katie had already split off to handle the shrimp that was left.
“Never mind that, the crabs are yours.” Jazmel ordered, currently Myn was the weakest of them, and she needed to catch up, quickly.
Savage!
Smash!
She swung her sword cutting through the crabs near her, using that same momentum, she crashed her sword into a singular crab, the chitin burst from the weight of her skill and blade. bursting apart like shrapnel. Pieces shot afar hitting other crabs.
Slice!
Her skills were sword inclined, nothing spectacular but all prepared for close combat. She would never be able to handle a long-range enemy. She would need to sunder and merge her skills soon.
“You need to merge your skills; do you have any skill tokens on you?” Jazmel said as he danced around the strikes of a really slow crab as it tried to get to him.
“I have a few, but I haven’t really had a need to use them just yet!” she exclaimed in the middle of her battle. She wasn’t being overwhelmed but he could tell her Mana wasn’t able to keep up with all the battles she was currently facing.
But he could see her stats were going up, they were trickling in, and her body was jumping with system energy every moment. He could literally see her Mana core surging with inflections.
DING!
THE TASK BOSS APPROACHES!
TIER V SEA KING GARDIGOL APPROACHES!
…
finally. Jazmel thought.
Myn cried out and Jazmel looked to see her Mana core almost jumping in her stomach. She was shuddering and jerking, Jazmel peered into her and saw that her Mana core was broiling as it spun in her centre! Jazmel was happy to see it for her, she was going through a tier tribulation. but it couldn’t have come at a more terrible time, but he couldn’t leave her there.
In truth it was a little strange to him, sometimes the system forced a tier tribulation onto them. but then at other times it would allow you to undergo it when you had time to do it. it seemed to vary and today just happened to be one of those moments where too much Mana and system energy was thrumming within Myn.
Sundering Raven!
He leapt high, bounding above the battle and raising his sword he stabbed it into the ground causing all those in a wide radius about them to erupt with his aggression.
DING!
22X TIER III SHIELD CLAW CRABS KILLED!
EXP ACCRUED!
…
the trickle of system energy grew a little, just twenty-two crabs had created a small flow. He needed bigger and more dangerous prey to really get his rewards.
He landed beside her, and she was shuddering, jerking from the pain of her body needing to undergo a tier tribulation. She was going through it, and he knew what that pain felt like himself. He scooped her up, gently holding her up and leaping from the ground he rushed towards the settlement and to where Baek was.
“Look after her while she tempers and if she is up for it. she can join back in after.” He said handing her over to Baek, who took the young girl from the arms of Jazmel.
He turned and sprinted back into the fray, his sword floating as he killed and culled any crabs that were working their way towards him.
The Gardigol sea king was large, huge even and Jazmel could tell it was strong. It looked like a gargantuan Komodo dragon that had evolved to thrive in the sea. Where Gardigols were usually thick and scaled over muscles. This one was slimmer, streamlined for the sea and yet big enough to overshadow the shrimps that they had fought.
The Gardigol looked around, shaking its head and the frilled spines that ran along its spine. It let loose a cry, a guttural rumble in its chest as if a challenge. As to which, Paldane responded. Roaring from above and challenging the would-be draconic thing.
Langdrin’s lark!
The Gardigol stunted, its limbs stopped moving for a moment. But then it shook its lumbering head and screeched. Jazmel moved forward, towards it just as Katie had wrenched free one of the canon claws of her gunner shrimp.
Howl!
He heard and looking over he saw Bannerman standing with his head back and his chest bared. Roaring his victory, when he had finished, he looked over and Jazmel waved him away.
“Clean up the crabs, they are yours. Get your levels up if you can.” He said and Bannerman departed, tearing through the remaining crabs.
“Katie when you are done, help Bannerman! leave this boss to me!!” he yelled, he wasn’t even sure if she heard him. but now wasn’t the time to be considerate.
He drew his sword, Furyu comfortable and cool in his grip. As he moved towards the Gardigol, it peered down at him and studied him; cocking its head to get a good look at him. Jazmel could see the man within and so he dodged easily as the bristled tongue shot out of its mouth like a chameleon and tried to latch onto him.
It crashed into the ground and shattered the chitin of an already dead crab. It shot out another one and Jazmel parried it with his blade edge. The sound that came was as if metal met metal, he glanced at the sword and noticed something at the tip of the tongue, it looked like a dirk, a dagger of sorts. But the tongue retracted quicker than he could look properly.
It was about to shoot it again when Paldane crashed into it from above. Roaring as he used all his claws to attack; clawing and slashing at the Gardigol sea king. Jazmel leapt into support, stabbing, and slashing with his sword. the Gardigol screeched, wailed in pain but out of annoyance and not actual pain. Jazmel could tell, he barely found any purchase into the scales.
Sundering Raven!
He struck with his skill, using the weight of his blade and the strength of his skill to smash the snout and face into the ground. The Gardigol seemed jarred by that, it opened its mouth to try and cry out. But Paldane grappled at its head and rammed it back down into the ground with enough strength to crack the ground.
DING!
THE TIER V GARDIGOL SEA KING UNLEASHES ITS WRATH!
…
Jazmel saw the system notice before it happened. The Gardigol lurched up, shirking off Paldane from its back and crashing him to the ground and beneath a taloned paw. It threw its head back and roared, Jazmel watched as the Mana bubbling in its throat burst free; enhancing the roar and making it reverberate all around.
DING!
TIER III SHIELD CRABS ARE NOW IN A STATE OF FRENZY!
THEIR STRENGTH HAS BEEN INCREASED SLIGHTLY!
…
Jazmel watched as the system screen flashed with new updates. But he was locked in this fight regardless.
Sundering Raven!
Sundering Raven!
He smashed his sword into the Gardigol again and again. it suffered; the skill was strong after all. It tried to bite down on him, but then cried out and yelped. Looking down, Jazmel saw that Paldane had freed himself by breaking the finger of the claw holding him down. He then wrenched it as he moved from beneath the Gardigol.
Flaming Evisceration!
His flaming skill burst from his blade and slashed the face of the Gardigol. It was shocked by just how bright the fire beside its face was. Jazmel stabbed into its face, scarring across the eye. It popped and the goo splashed onto him and nearly into its mouth.
The Gardigol cried out and then snapped at him, catching him in its mouth and crunching down on him. but before it could even fully get him in its mouth. He crashed his vambraces together, his armour forming around him quickly. It crunched down and though its teeth didn’t pierce his skin; it cracked his armour in many places.
Then he smelt himself; cooking. The enzymes inside the Gardigol’s mouth were trying to break him down and as it snapped down on him again he cried out.
DING!
STATUS CONDITION WARNING!
TOXIC INUNDATIONS (major)
BROKEN BONES, MULTIPLE (minor)
HEALTH BELOW 50%
HEAL NOW!
…
“I know!” he shouted at the skill more than at anything else. But how was he going to get out of the mouth, he almost didn’t even have to do anything, the Gardigol spat him out after a moment. He dropped to the ground and rolled for a moment. But when he forced himself up, he looked up to see Paldane digging both of his front legs, limbs into the eyes of the Gardigol blinding it permanently.
Aeonic blast!
DING!
AEONIC BLAST HAS RISEN A TIER!!
As the system announced its upgrade, the blast became an even stronger torrent and Jazmel couldn’t help but witness just how strong the skill had become and he stepped forward, his body riddled with pain and aching from his bones.
Sundering Raven!
Flaming Evisceration!
He struck up slashing towards the sky with his first skill, his second skill slit the throat of the Gardigol and caused it to try and back off from him.
DING!
SUNDERING RAVEN HAS RISEN A TIER!
…
…
FLAMING EVISCERATION HAS RISEN A TIER!
…
Flaming Evisceration!
Sundering Raven!
He crashed his sword into the side of its head, the Gardigol was wavering, it tried to nip at him; snap him up into its mouth again. But his flaming sword scarred its mouth burning its tongue as it cut through it. he spun around, using the momentum of his previous sword skill and using sundering raven, he smashed into a downward chop and broke the Gardigol’s skull and killed it instantly.
DING!
TASK BOSS TIER V GARDIGOL SEA KING KILLED!
YOU HAVE DEFEATED ANOTHER TASK BOSS!!
TIER V GARDIGOL SEA KING BEAST CORE GAINED!
YOUR REWARDS WILL BE ENHANCED AT THE END!
…
EXP GREATLY ACCRUED!
…
…
LEVEL UP!
+3 STR
+2 INT
+2 DEX
CONGRATULATIONS!
Jazmel took the moment to breathe, his body was paining him, and he could feel his wounds tingling under the sweat from his own pores. He drank a health potion and then another, the system grabbed at the potent potions quickly and forced it about his body, healing him. he then drank a Mana potion and used it to repair his clothes and armour. He knocked his vambrace together again and let the armour disappear into his ring.
Jazmel crumpled to the ground, sitting with his head between his knees as he breathed slowly and let his body heal. He could chug more potions, but he didn’t want to rely on them so much, he only took them in dire situations. Right now he was focusing on repairing his clothes and armour with his own as well as ambient Mana.
He took the moment to look at his stats, it had been a while after all.
Name: Jazmel
Level: 101
Species: Tyrant*
Rank: Master tier I
Class: Sword Scion
Trait: HEART OF THE SWORD (BORN TRAIT)
Tempered body; Domineering tyrant
Health: 7010/7010
Stamina: 4792/4792
Mana: 4480/4480
Soul 3950/3950
STR:204(+5) PER:205
VIT:197 END:204(+3)
INT:194 WIL:201(+7)
AGL:182 DEX:187
Skills:
- Sundering Raven (tier II)
- Great Rumbling Dragon (tier II)
- Flaming Evisceration (tier II)
- Shadowing Wraith (tier III)
- NONE
Title(s):
THE ARDUOUS PATH (PERMANENT)
FIEND BANE (ACTIVE)
BEASTIAL BYAKKO SENSES (PASSIVE)
TYRANNY OF THE TYRANT DRAGON (PASSIVE)
SERPENT SLAYER (UNACTIVE)
DEMON SLAYER (UNACTIVE)
AWAKENER (PASSIVE)
BASTION OF THE TYRANT (PASSIVE)
Unused Stat points: 0
442X PLATINUM COINS
782X WHITE GOLD COINS
4X GOLD COINS
Item(s):
TIER I GREATER GRAVE IRON ORE
TIER I MAGELLANIC MEMORY MOULD
TIER I 10 YEAR MANA GINSENG
2/3 PIECES OF THE PLAQUE
TIER II 2X COLD IRON ORE
TIER II ARMOUR OF THE STEADFAST
X5 TIER II ROCK SALAMANDER FANGS
X9 TIER II ROCK SALAMANDER SKIN
X10 TIER II BRUTE BOAR TUSKS
X10 TIER II GREATER MANA POTIONS
X7 TIER II GREATER HEALTH POTIONS
X10 TIER II GREATER STAMINA POTIONS
TIER II KEY TO THE GARDEN OF THE AESIR
TIER III TUNIC OF TUMERIN
X8 TIER III GORGON SCALES
TIER III GORGON HEART
TIER III MOON LOTUS FLOWER
TIER III BOG HAG MUCUS SAC
TIER III SWAMP WITCH MIASMA POTION
X4 TIER III ACIDIC SCORPION CARAPACE PIECE
TIER III REAPING GRIM BEAST CORE
TIER III RED MASK
TIER III LAMP OF LELUTHIAN
TIER III ARMOUR SET OF THE NIGHT WING
TIER III SKILL EVOLVE TOKEN
TIER III ALCOLI THE GHOUL CORE
TIER III GARGAUNTUAN SABRE OF CULLING
TIER III LION HELM OF ADVERSITY
TIER III RUNE OF THE ART OF THE SWORDPLAY
TIER III LEVEL UP TOKEN
X2 TIER III SWORDS OF THE SHIELDMAIDEN
TIER III DOUBLE CORE SCHEMA
TIER IV DREAD HERETIC CORE
TIER IV CAVE BEAR BONE
TIER IV SHADOW ADVENT CORE
TIER IV SWORD SCHEMA
TIER V ANGELLUM SPEAR
TIER V GARDIGOL SEA KING BEAST CORE
RANKER TIER SCOURGING SCARAB
RANKER TIER TITLE OF THE DRAGON SONG
MASTER TIER ASHES OF THE FALLEN
MASTER TIER SONG OF THE SUNDERING
MASTER TIER BLOOD CORE
MASTER TIER ARMOUR SCHEMA
MASTER TIER RUKH SONG
MASTER TIER SKILL TOKEN
MASTER TIER SWORD TOKEN
SIX WINGS OF THE FALLEN VALKRYIE
COMPANION: NIGHT DRAGON
LEVEL 10
PARTY:
5/5
BAEK LVL 115
His species still had that asterisk next to it. he also had an empty space for a skill, he would need to rectify that soon. His stats had grown substantially, he was getting close to 200 in all stats too. He didn’t know what would happen then, reaching 100 had tempered his body. He was curious to see what would come next if anything would.