by Aaron Oster
At least now he’d be able to control when he used it and not have it randomly pop up in the middle of a fight. He closed his status, turning to Hopps, who’d leveled up twice and was now at 19. He hadn’t grown much, perhaps just a couple of inches, but his skin had darkened a bit, the tone now more of a leaf green than the lime green it had been before.
He then turned his attention to Talia, who was, surprisingly, getting back to her feet and clutching at her head.
“Well, that’s convenient timing,” he muttered to himself.
Both he and Hopps made their way over to the ant-girl, who was still a bit wobbly on her feet.
“Woah, there, take it easy,” Arthur said, reaching out to place a steadying arm on her shoulder.
He had to reach up to do so, so it was a bit of an awkward angle, but she gave him a tight smile all the same.
“I see you managed to kill the bastard, even though I did something so stupid. It looks like I even got a level because of it.”
Arthur tactfully decided not to say anything about that and instead turned back to look at the glowing sword, as well as the small bag sitting next to the Baron’s corpse. He assumed the bag contained the gold he’d been promised, and although he wouldn’t have any use for the sword, he was still curious about its properties.
A loud crashing sound from below decided him against checking it out just yet, and he instead turned his attention to the open door.
“What do you think that was?” Talia asked, still clutching at her head.
“No idea, but I think we’d better check,” Arthur replied, heading swiftly for the door. “Grab the sword if you can. I doubt I have the Strength to lift it anyway.”
Talia nodded as he walked through the doorway. He didn’t really know where he should be going but headed down the stairs and hoped the door on the next level down would lead somewhere.
After pulling the door open, he was surprised to find a study, complete with rows of bookcases, a massive mahogany desk, and a plush chair, as well as a balcony open to the outside. He noted that the desk was covered in official-looking documents and decided he would root around a bit later. For now, he needed to get outside.
Maneuvering around the plush chair, Arthur headed out onto the open balcony and was treated to the sight of utter chaos. From his vantage point, he could see across the entire city as it sprawled before him.
He could clearly make out where the border was, separating the other Races from the Felines. He could also see where the walls had been breached and the swarms of ani-humans and Intelligents that were pouring through in waves.
Felines were slaughtered in the streets, houses were set on fire, and shops were being pillaged.
Why do mobs always feel the need to set things on fire? Arthur wondered.
He was then snapped from his thoughts as he noticed the last line of defense to the palace was being tested. Thousands of angry people swarmed around the walls, hurtling stones and insults, while the remaining guards stood at their posts, looking decidedly afraid.
Arthur wasn’t sure what he should do. The quest had told him that he should somehow take charge. But how did one go about calming down an angry mob?
“Um, hello?” Arthur tried.
But, as expected, his voice didn’t really have the strength to carry.
“Arthur?” Talia’s voice floated to him from outside the room.
“In here,” he called back.
A moment later, Talia poked her head in. Her face was no longer covered in blood, though it still matted her hair. Her HP was fully restored, and she looked to be a lot more cognitive than she had been just moments before. She was followed a moment later by Hopps, who dragged the massive sword behind him with his tongue.
“He insisted on carrying it,” she said, in response to Arthur’s raised eyebrow. “Oh, wow. They’re really tearing this place up.”
“Yeah,” Arthur replied, turning his attention back to the city. “Any idea on how to stop them?”
Talia shrugged, scratching at her head and dislodging flakes of dried blood. Hopps, however, seemed to have it covered.
“Oy, you bunch of bloody wankers! The Baron is dead, so the lot of you can stop breaking everything now!”
Hopps’ voice boomed out at such volume that both he and Talia were forced to cover their ears. And even that didn’t help completely muffle him.
But it accomplished what neither of them could do: it got the crowd’s attention.
“Hopps? Is that you?”
Arthur looked down, trying to single out the one who’d called back to them and recognized Greg, the sheep with the eyepatch from the seedy bar.
“You got that right! Now call your boys off. The wanker’s kicked the bucket, so you’re all free to do as you like! Just stop breaking shit!”
Greg cocked his head to the side, squinting up at the three of them. Then he shrugged and turned away.
“Well, you heard him, boys. Fun’s over. Let’s go drink!”
There was a rousing cheer from the gathered crowd as they all turned away from the wall and began streaming to the nearest bars. It didn’t escape Arthur’s attention that none of them vacated the inner ring to do so. They instead appropriated the Feline’s bars and, presumably, helped themselves to the booze within.
“Well, that was surprisingly easy,” Arthur said, giving Hopps an admiring look. “Where’d you learn to shout like that?”
“Oh, picked it up when I was young. Mom and dad taught me well.”
Arthur noted the sadness in his friend’s eyes and dropped the subject. He was sure that the rioting had caused more than a little damage to the city at large and that cleanup, as well as the capture of any Felines still in the city, would take months. Now all he had to do was find some sucker to do all the work for him.
In the meantime, the three of them had a study to investigate. Perhaps they could find more information on the Empire at large, as well as what had happened to Hopps’s mother. Turning his back on the burning city, Arthur went back inside, content that, at least for the time being, that everything was under control. Sort of.
42
The search of the study turned up a veritable treasure trove of information, more than any of them could have imagined. A stack of letters bearing several seals was at the forefront of these discoveries, and they generated a new difficult quest.
Quest Available: Drive to Extinction
After reading several letters sent between the various noble and royal factions of the Feline Empire, you have discovered a terrifying truth. The Felines have held themselves above the other Races for quite some time and are now planning on a total takeover of the Southern Continent. They are no longer satisfied with merely ruling the other Races and have decided that the time has come to wipe them from existence.
Objectives: Kill the perpetrators behind the extinction plan (1/8 Killed)
Failure: Fail to kill the leaders behind the extinction plan, Die
Difficulty: Monstrous
Rewards: 450,000 XP, 450,000 Gold, Blessing of the gods, Variable
Will you accept?
Yes/No
Arthur didn’t hesitate to accept this quest. The rewards were massive. Not to mention, this was the second Monstrous difficulty quest he’d come across so far. That wasn’t the only quest that was generated here, however, as Talia found a letter in one of the bottom drawers of the desk.
“Hopps, Arthur, you’ll want to listen to this,” she said, holding up the letter with a wax seal near the bottom. Then, she began reading its contents.
Dearest Countess,
I have recently discovered a plot to undermine the great Feline Empire by a group of lesser beings. Rest assured that I took swift action to crush this rebellion. But in the process, I came across quite an interesting specimen. I believe she may be of some use to you. Though she is a lesser being, one doesn’t come across a Poisonmaster too often.
I’ll be sending her your way before shipping her off to t
he capital. I hope you remember this favor and put in a good word for me with the King.
~ Baron Clive Von Felidae
Talia put down the letter, and she and Arthur shared a look. Though her name wasn’t written outright, they both knew who the letter had to be referring to. And Hopps seemed to be of the same opinion.
“My mom is still alive! We have to go after her. Right now!”
The frog half turned to bolt for the door, but Arthur stopped him.
“Hopps, we don’t know how old this letter is. Or who this Countess is. I will help you find your mother, but we need to gather more information first.”
Hopps turned, and Arthur could see the struggle clearly written on his face. Then he took a deep breath, and his expression firmed.
“Do you promise to find and free my mother?” he asked, just to make sure.
“Yes,” Arthur replied, nodding solemnly.
Quest Available: Frog-Scue Part II
After snooping through the dead Baron’s office, you have discovered that Flora Croaksalot has been sent to a Countess. You don’t yet know of her plans for Hopps’s mother, but you have promised to save her.
Objective: Rescue Flora Croaksalot
Failure: Fail to save Flora Croaksalot before she dies
Penalty for Failure: Jeremy Hopps Croaksalot will leave your group
Difficulty: B+
Rewards: 15,000 XP, Jeremy Hopps Croaksalot will be eternally grateful
Note: This quest has been automatically accepted.
This was the first quest that Arthur had seen that came with a penalty for failing. In truth, he was a bit annoyed that he might lose Hopps if he failed the quest. He’d thought that saving him the first time would have cemented the frog’s loyalty. But it seemed that nothing lasted forever in this world, not even loyalty.
One of the rewards for completing the quest was Hopps’s eternal gratitude. But gratitude didn’t translate over to loyalty.
With a sigh, he closed the quest window and looked out over the city once again. The fires still raged, and there was some looting, but it looked like the fighting was mostly over. He could see the remaining Felines being rounded up and gathered at the center of the city. He honestly still had no idea who was leading this rebellion, only that the mob seemed to be a lot more organized than he’d first thought.
He’d have to find the person in charge. Perhaps they could take over the leadership role so he could go out and continue searching.
A yawn escaped his mouth then, and he suddenly realized just how tired he was. He hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in weeks. And now that all the excitement was over, it was finally catching up to him.
“I think I’m gonna go get some rest,” he said, turning to his two friends.
They both looked as tired and battle-worn as he was and nodded in agreement.
“I’m gonna do a sweep of the manor before I turn in,” Talia said as he headed to the door. “Never know what we might find.”
Arthur nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. The Baron could have been hiding untold riches and money, which was something they were in short supply of. Though he’d gotten 50 gold coins as a quest reward, it still wouldn’t be nearly enough for what they had planned. They could probably get a decent amount for the Legendary sword, but they would have to find a buyer with the funds to purchase said sword first.
“Alright, let me know if anything happens. I’ll be in a bed somewhere below, as soon as I find one.”
Talia cracked a smile at that, and Arthur headed out of the room. He found the Baron’s room two floors below, noting the opulent decoration and massive bed.
Arthur didn’t even bother removing his clothes before he flopped down on the bed, face first. He was that tired. He could hardly believe that everything had worked out so far, but he still had a lot to do before all his quests were completed. Not to mention, he still had to figure out how he got here and how to get out. But he had to push that away for another time.
He’d just started formulating a strategy for the following days, when he finally fell asleep.
He was awoken sometime later by a small chime sounding in his head. He opened groggy eyes and looked around confusedly, not understanding where he was or what had woken him up. His status had somehow opened itself as well and was flashing a bright golden color. It took him a few moments to orient himself and for his eyes to focus, but as soon as they did, his heart jumped in excitement.
Quest Completed: Survival of the Fittest - I
Rewards: 50,000 XP, Map Fragment
Level Up!
Congratulations, you have reached level 20. You now have 5 new Attribute Points to allocate.
Level Up!
Congratulations, you have reached level 21. You now have 5 new Attribute Points to allocate.
Quest Available: Survival of the Fittest - II
You’ve survived your first thirty days in the Animal Kingdom. Congratulations! Only 37% of those brought here are still alive. You should be proud of yourself. Do you have what it takes to not only stay alive but to thrive?
Objective: Stay alive for 45 days, Reach Level 35
Failure: Die, Fail to reach level 35
Difficulty: S
Rewards: 100,000 XP, Map Fragment
Note: This quest has been automatically accepted.
Arthur felt excitement, sadness, and fear all in equal measure. Excitement at finally reaching level 21, sadness that so many had died, and fear that one of those deaths had been Nate, his little brother.
He forced his mind away from that line of thinking, reminding himself once again that it would do him no good. The status screen vanished, leaving in its place a small scrap of yellowed parchment. He was confused for a moment but quickly remembered that one of the rewards for completing the quest had been a Map Fragment. Arthur lifted the paper and inspected it, seeing that it was covered in layers of black lines.
Item Found!
Name: Map Fragment
Durability: Unbreakable
Rarity: Ancient
Type: Locator
A fragment of the Map of the Progenitor
Arthur didn’t know what to make of it. The Map Fragment was undoubtedly the rarest and probably most valuable item he’d acquired so far. He had no idea what its purpose was or who this Progenitor could be, but he knew that he would need to hold on to this. It was a reward from the survival quest, and another piece would be awarded if he completed the next one. Perhaps this map would lead to a treasure, or perhaps it led to a way out. Either way, he would be keeping this item close.
Tucking the fragment into his shirt, Arthur made sure it was secure before opening his Class Options. He had now reached level 21, so the final – and best – Classes should now be available to him.
Class Options
Tier 1: Thief, Tank, Fighter
Tier 2: Rogue, Boxer, Kicker, Poisoner
Tier 3: Poisonmaster, Daggermaster, Stealthmaster, Monk
Tier 4: Assassin, Martial Sage, Stealth Sage, Sensemaster
Tier 5: Master Sage, Conqueror
Just two options. Arthur had to admit he was somewhat disappointed, but he decided that he should save his disappointment, after he’d read over the Class descriptions.
Master Sage (T5)
The Master Sage relies on daggers and the martial arts to wreak havoc. Not much is known of these legendary figures, only that they have been known to topple countries without ever being seen.
Bonuses: +4 Agility & Endurance per level
Detriments: -200% to Constitution & Strength growth, +100% Increased affinity with Daggers and Unarmed Combat-related skills and abilities
Requirements Met: Agility +50, Level 11 Unarmed Combat Ability, Level 11 Dagger Wielding Skill
Arthur let out a low whistle as he read over the Class description. It was perfect! It was everything he’d wanted in a Class. Not only would it give him a massive boost to Agility and Endurance, but it would also boost his affinity with all t
he skills and abilities he used. He was tempted to accept the Class right away, but he decided to look over the second one, just in case, though his mind was already made up about the Master Sage Class.
Conqueror (T5)
The Conqueror is more myth than reality, whose like has not been seen in millennia. The Conqueror has an insatiable hunger to rule and, obviously, to conquer all in his path. While the bonuses might not seem like much at first, they grow as he grows. The more powerful beings/items he gathers, the more he conquers, the more he will grow.
Bonuses: +1 to all attributes
Detriments: None
Requirement Met: Racial Bonus - Predator
Arthur sat back, his mind racing. At first glance, the Conqueror Class might not seem like much, perhaps one that would be a Tier 3 Class. But it was stated clearly that the Class would grow and evolve as he did. Meaning that it might not be much now, but when he reached, say level 50 or 60, he’d be a real monster.
Then again, he could be reading it all wrong, and the Class would only gain power if he conquered a city. Either way, that seemed to be the direction he was going. He now had a dilemma. Did he take the surefire Class that would give him all he’d wanted, or did he go for the one that could hold future power far beyond what he could fathom?
Whichever way he looked at it, the choice was not easy, but it was one that he would have to make now. He was already at a severe disadvantage when it came to fighting those of the same level, or even lower level than him if they’d already chosen a Class.
Classes offered bonuses, as well as extra attribute points, making them more powerful. He’d decided to wait until level 21, hoping for the chance to obtain an amazing Class. And now he was faced with two equally amazing Classes. He thought for a little while more.
The safe route is amazing, and, well, it’s safe. I know the premise and the attacks. The Conquerer one also sounds amazing. But I don’t even know what types of things I’d be able to do with it... More risk equals more rewards, right? And it does seem that there will be pretty epic rewards…