“Combine four into a bigger one, and then two into a real anvil, not these small piss-poor things. Come on, even the baby managed to finish the quest. Just pull this vine into this stick and you have a fishing rod.”
I took both the vine and the stick, then did as he instructed. An immediate chime rang out and was followed by a pop-up.
Notification:
QUEST COMPLETED:
Smith Level 1
REWARDS FOR QUEST COMPLETION:
1. +25 Physical Attack, +10 Defense
2. Smithing Skill
3. Minor Anvil
Quest Received: Smith Level 2
DESCRIPTION: Make 15 Tools.
COMPLETION: 1/15
NOTE: Smithing is used near an anvil along with a blueprint and ingredients to create tools, weapons, and armors. The higher the grade, the quicker the process is finished.
“Shit, some of these are really easy,” I muttered as I handed him the anvil.
Donald took the minor anvil and did something with it and the others. They started glowing and slammed into one another, almost as if attracted to each other through a massive magnetic force. They merged into a bigger anvil, easily three times the size of the minors, and then he repeated it with the new one and the two anvils that already sat there, waiting.
I stepped back as a huge chunk of steel dropped onto the ground, easily some thirty inches in height and forty in width. It looked easily over five hundred pounds in weight and was going to be a bitch to carry around. We’d have to make him a smithy where we’d keep the thing.
His eyes grew wide and he motioned for my nodachi hurriedly. I handed him the sword and watched as he grabbed hold of six of the femur bones. He placed them on the anvil, and one by one, they merged similarly with the nodachi. My eyes grew wide as the sword grew rapidly, both in size and in weight.
A dull white glow enveloped the sword, which was now at least a head taller than I was. The blade was twenty inches deep, if I could even call it that. The blade was two fingers thick at the center and steadily narrowed down to an extremely sharp edge.
“What the hell is that thing?” I whispered as everyone gathered around.
Lana had been digging a hole for her firepit, but she stopped to stand near me and gawk at the blade.
“Here, take it,” Donald groaned as he tried to hold it up with both hands.
I took the weapon from him and almost dropped it as the weight caught me off guard. The weapon was at least three times as heavy as it used to be, and there was no way I could carry it around with only one hand, at least not for now.
Two pop-ups appeared before me.
Notification:
HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETED:
Equip a weapon crafted inside the Rift
CRAFTED WEAPON SYSTEM ACTIVATED
Usable Types Of Weapons: Two-Handed Sword, Axe, Hammer, Spear, One-Handed Sword, Axe, Hammer, Spear. Bow, Arbalest, Lance, Halberd
NOTE 1: Weapons can be ranked up using ore and ingredients found inside the rift.
Notification:
ITEM RECEIVED:
Bone Blade Rank 1
PHYSICAL ATTACK: 120
ENMA ATTACK: 60
DEFENSE: 80
BREAK: 60
NOTE: Stat values only apply when the item is equipped and being used. The stats go up with every new enhancement and upgrade.
The stats that floated in front of my face as I held the Bone Blade were insane. I was itching to try it out and get my hands on some more grazlitaur bones now that I had a real means to fight the bastards. First, though, I needed to show them all my new toy and gloat a bit. Life sure was becoming much more interesting.
Chapter Eight
I stood near the grazlitaurs with a pebble in one hand and the Bone Blade in the other. Most of its weight was held up by the ground beneath my feet, where the tip stood on a large piece of rock. Melina waited nearby, anxiously staring at the grazlitaur closest to us. She still hadn’t told me which buffs she’d gained and wanted them to be a surprise, so I let her.
“I’m ready, babe. You can cast them now.”
“Alright, here you go,” she replied. Her voice sounded like honey as she said it, and I couldn’t help but look forward to the buffs that were about to hit me.
Two waves of pleasure washed over me as the buffs were applied to my body. I hurriedly peeked over to the corner of my vision and studied the two buffs. One was called Zero Gravity, and the other Breaking Point.
Zero Gravity gave a whopping 0.3 points to speed, while Breaking Point added fifty points of break value. I had no idea how she knew they were good, but she’d hit it out of the park. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, then opened them as I pulled my hand back and hurled the pebble.
The closest grazlitaur reared up on its hind legs and shook its head as the pebble struck, almost as if unable to believe what just happened. Its head snapped around and then it saw me, but it didn’t move. I picked up another pebble and hurled it at the same grazlitaur. It struck again, but this time the monster charged.
“Here goes,” I whispered as I stepped to the left of the Bone Blade and held it with both hands.
I leaned on my left foot, which was at the front, then pulled the blade back as far as I could and swung. The grazlitaur came rushing at full speed and met my Bone Blade headfirst. The heavy weight of the sword almost acted like a wall and stopped the grazlitaur in its tracks. It just stood there for a moment, but then it reared back and toppled over to its side.
Damage Notification:
You have inflicted 365 damage to Grazlitaur.
The sword bounced off the shield and went up into the air, but not before the shield shimmered several times and cracked where the blade had struck. I waited for it to stop and then pulled it back down again. The shield shattered, and the sword hit just behind its ears, sending tiny scales flying in all directions as the edge sheared them off cleanly.
I pulled the sword free but needed to create momentum. Shit, this wasn’t the way I fought. What the hell did I think would happen if you added two hundred pounds of bone to the nodachi, which already had been quite large?
I sighed and stopped the blade right over my shoulder, then brought it down against the grazlitaur’s neck. It still lay there on its side, stunned and out of its mind. The edge cut into its neck and stopped halfway at the spine, but it wasn’t moving anymore. Viktor 1, grazlitaur 0.
The now familiar chime announced the job-quest completion.
Notification:
QUEST COMPLETED:
Hunter Level 1
REWARDS FOR QUEST COMPLETION:
1. +0.2 Speed, +10 Defense
2. Random Skill Scroll
Quest Received:: Hunter Level 2
DESCRIPTION: Hunt 50 Monsters.
COMPLETION: 1/50
NOTE: With every level, the blade will find the monsters’ critical points much easier to deal more damage.
The best stat a quest could have given me was speed. Especially with a sword as heavy as the new blade, I would need to get my speed up. Just imagine if it hadn’t been over two times the speed of an ordinary man, I would only be able to hit a standing wall. Aside from that, I got a skill scroll. Now that was interesting.
I hurriedly activated the skill scroll and grinned as I saw the skill name.
Notification:
SKILL NAME: << BASH >>, Lv: 1, 0.0%
DESCRIPTION: Use 60 Enma to add 400% to Enma Attack on a successful hit and inflict Defense Debuff with a 40% chance.
CHARGE TIME: Instant
COOLDOWN: 30 Seconds
“Might as well go all the way,” I muttered as I opened the skills and removed both of my other skills. A new pop-up appeared just like moments ago.
Notification:
SKILL NAME: << X-SLASH >>, Lv: 1, 0.0%
DESCRIPTION: Use 70 Enma to add 300% to Enma Attack on a successful hit and inflict Bleed Debuff with a 30% chance.
CHARGE TIME: Instant
COOLDOWN: 45 Seconds
SKILL NAME: << FOCUS >>, Lv: 1, 0.0%
DESCRIPTION: Use 100 Enma to add 1,000% to Enma Attack on a successful hit and inflict Defense Debuff with a 40% chance.
CHARGE TIME: 5 Seconds
COOLDOWN: 60 Seconds
I stopped and thought for a moment just as Melina stepped up to me and tapped me on the shoulder.
“What is it? Why are you talking to yourself?”
“Oh, sorry.” I laughed. “I was just checking my new skills. See, I did what you did and removed the skills I used with the nodachi, and now I have three tailored for the Bone Blade.”
“Are they good?”
I nodded excitedly. “Sure are! One of them has a 1,000% attack, but it needs to charge for five seconds.”
Her eyebrows rose slightly. “You’re joking, right?”
“No, I’m not. This is insane. We all need these bone weapons. I swear, that thing went down as easy as an elite.”
“Yeah, I could see that,” she muttered.
I looked over my shoulder at the rest. They were busy stoking fires and doing stuff. I pulled the grazlitaur over toward them and dropped it next to Rita.
“I’ll get a few more until everyone has the job skill; then we’ll just do them at the spawn.”
“Sure thing, brother,” Mark replied but didn’t turn my way.
“What are you guys doing?”
“Making a lance for Mark,” Donald replied. “It will be quite heavy, but not even near that sword of yours.”
I nodded, then looked for Lana and Sarah. They were busy digging a hole. Probably for Laney or Sarah herself.
“Donald, how many bones do you need to make everyone a weapon?”
He shrugged. “Maybe five of those things?”
“In that case, I’ll be right back.”
It took me five whole minutes to kill five more grazlitaurs, leaving them at fourteen in the herd. I dragged them all off and waited for the others to skin them. Another hour passed before they were done, so I went back to killing.
Mark’s lance was done by the time only a few of them were left, and so was Lana’s sword. They had both turned into monstrosities like my Bone Blade, but I could feel the power radiate off them. I killed two more and left the two others to them.
Mark went first. He stood there, holding the oversized spear in his hands. The lance was long and ended in a shield-like growth that covered half of his body. Shit, that could come in handy if he missed and the monster swiped or rushed at him.
His lance shot back and then slammed five times in quick succession into the grazlitaur’s side. He pulled it back again and slammed the tip home, piercing the grazlitaur’s left side and coming out through the right.
“Hey, that’s not fair!” I protested. “You only used two skills!”
He looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Fuck that! I can’t do shit with this thing other than stabby-stab!”
“At least it works! You’ll be supporting most of the time anyway. This is for when I need you to break the shield or mop up shit.”
He shrugged and put the lance away. It disappeared into his pouch before he knelt and started butchering the animal. It was Lana’s turn next.
“Melina? Can you buff me?” she asked.
“Sure thing,” the other woman replied with a weak smile. “Done.”
I was sure there was a hint of jealousy in her. After all, the three of us were fighters, and she was a supporter. No one wanted to be a support, but then again, I might be wrong, like with so many other things before. Stranger things had happened since I had been reborn here.
Lana stood next to the last remaining grazlitaur, which looked at her warily. For some reason, they felt no fear and didn’t run. They only charged or stood around. I could see the Enma gather around Lana’s body and rushing into her sword arm. She lunged for the grazlitaur and stabbed the shield, again, and again. Her sword slashed from right to left, all in a brief instant. She was fast. Very fast.
The shield groaned and cracked lightly in multiple places, but when she pulled the blade back and held her left arm out, with the blade over her right shoulder, I got goosebumps. Enma formed at the tip, and then she lunged, piercing what remained of the shield and hitting the grazlitaur’s temple. It reared back and snapped its teeth at her, but two more blows, and the monster was dead.
“Shit.” I laughed. “You two had me worried for nothing.”
Lana shrugged as she walked over to me, then stashed her sword away. It was only then that I realized something surrounded her body.
“What? Why are you staring at me like that?” She stopped in front of me and frowned.
“You have a pouch and a full set of armor, don’t you?”
“Hah, took you long enough to figure it out.”
“Got spares?”
She shook her head. “A pouch, but nothing else.”
“Oh? Can you give it to Melina?”
“What for?”
“What do you mean what for? So she has an easier time doing stuff. What else?”
“It’s alright, Vik,” Melina said as she put her hand on my shoulder and the other around my arm. “I don’t need it. You’ll always be around anyway.”
Lana shook her head and slammed the pouch into my hand. “Really? You two are going to play this game that way?”
I frowned. She was acting like an ass again, and I didn’t like it at all after having such a wonderful last night.
“Lana? Don’t you think two dozen rank two crystals are worth a pouch? Or that sword? Or this place here?”
“So I can carve some of the crystals up?”
I nodded. “You can. Why wouldn’t you?”
“Just making sure I know my place.”
“Whatever. If you want to act like a bitch, then do so. I’m not going to beg you to be nice.”
I pulled free from Melina and walked over to the nearest grazlitaur, pulled my gladius out, and started cutting deep into the chest where the crystals lay. Melina and Mark did the same with the next few grazlitaurs. We finished in about ten minutes, washed our hands and faces in the stream, and then put some more logs on the flames. Everything needed to go according to plan so we could get stronger faster.
“Melina, sit with me. I need to open your next meridian.”
“No, I don’t want to! That shit hurts!”
“Really?”
She nodded hurriedly. “I’ll go last, alright?”
“Hey, that’s up to you. Mark? Want to be next?”
He didn’t even reply as he sat down in front of me on his knees. He held his arms out in front of me, and I started the process of opening the third meridian for the guy.
I spent the next hour on opening his third, Sarah’s second, Donald’s first, and Rita’s first. We decided against doing anything like that to the baby since it was far too inhumane. We would wait until she was three or four years old and then try to explain it to her once she was a bit bigger.
Lana finally sat in front of me, not meeting my gaze. It was her fourth, so this was going to be much harder. Still, I was willing to give it a shot since I had more than enough Enma inside my body to push the breakthrough. What’s more, this place was so rich with ether that I had no idea how cultivation hadn’t been forced on us. The crystals themselves were also incredibly powerful in comparison to the rank one, and we had them in abundance.
Lana’s breakthrough had me sweating for two straight hours, and we still weren’t done. She just couldn’t push through no matter how hard we tried. It was as if she’d hit a bottleneck, which she obviously had.
Melina used the skill << BANDAGE >> on both Lana and me while holding several rank two crystals against the back of my hands as I sat there and focused on purging a way through her meridians.
“Do you want me to take care of the next group?” Mark asked.
I barely heard his voice but nodded. If I spoke, I was afraid I’d lose concentration, so I didn’t.
&nb
sp; “Alright, consider them dead.”
The inside of her elbow burst open, spilling blood and a gush of black mucus that had gathered in her left arm. She cried out and pulled away, but I held her steady and pushed on, finishing the purge and burning the wound closed.
Lana let herself fall to her side. I caught her and put her down slowly, then let go of her hands and lay back down as well. Shit, that sure drained every ounce of my power. A thought passed through my mind of how much of a bitch she had been earlier when Melina was the opposite of her and did everything she could to help us.
I could hear Mark start killing the grazlitaurs somewhere off to my right. The spawn must have appeared again. A realization dawned on me. Had it already been six hours since we got here? That made it roughly two or three in the afternoon.
I pushed myself up quickly and looked over at my fire. There were only several embers remaining.
“Lana, get up. You too, Melina. Put more logs on the fire. You can’t have anyone else do it for you, or it won’t count.”
I did as I’d just instructed and then fell over again, not even trying to catch myself. I landed next to Donald, who was busy doing… something. There was a giant heap of bones near him, and he seemed very happy as he worked on them.
“You good, Vik?” he asked questioningly. He stopped wrapping some vine around two of the bones and just stared at me as if I’d just said something stupid.
“Yeah, I think so,” I whispered and turned to look at Melina. “Can you get me the guandao or the dragon saber from the armory?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I need a weapon with a better center of balance that has a similar use to the Bone Blade. It has a greater reach and I think will have a higher breaking power than the sword.”
She pushed herself up slowly and stumbled into the dome that protected our inn. I looked back over to Mark. He had already killed a couple of those things, taking his time. The grazlitaurs weren’t hard to kill, but his skills had a sixty-second cooldown, slightly longer than mine had.
Crafting Death: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 2) Page 8