Chimera King Box Set Books 1-3

by Atlas Kane

  A sack of spider silk was drawn before them and set to rest. Cade was happy enough to leave as it was. They’d all gained significant XP, enough for each of them to gain another level, and Gemma two. When Pablo defeated Yotri, a wave of XP had washed over them. Apparently, as a party, they’d all shared in Pablo’s victory. Or else perhaps the demon had some part in it. Then another wave of XP hit after the spider queen completed the quest. Cade was at 73% till the next level, Ketzal at 91%, but Gemma had hit her level 5 already. The system that ran Antinium only allowed for a single level of progress no matter how big an XP dump someone received. Gemma was uncommonly lucky, her XP gains had been well paced to ensure rapid leveling. It was insanely quick progression for her, but Cade couldn’t have been more pleased. The woman needed to be strong as quickly as possible.

  He was waiting on his upgrades, knowing they were important decisions to make, but they would have plenty of time on the ride back.

  The queen tapped the ground near the sack and spoke once more. “Please, accept your gifts. I had my children wrap them for you. I hope you can find some use for them. We’ve held them in our vaults for many years.”

  Cade bowed in gratitude and pulled out his dagger. Opening the sack with a single swipe, he gasped. Within was a small pile of soul weapons.

  Another shield, like the buckler but larger, rested near a finely crafted dagger. A pair of silvery bracers gleamed beside a belt made of interlocking plates. And resting within the curve of the shield, a single, silver ring.

  “Thank you. We will use these weapons to bring balance to Antinium. I can promise you that,” Cade said, dumbfounded but feeling the need for ceremonial words.

  “Excellent. Now depart, young ones. And know my kin will never harm you or those in your clan. The blessing we’ve given you will also make you immune to most venoms and will give you the Dexterity of the spiders.”

  They each thanked the great queen once more and left the cavern, both still a little terrified of the hairy creatures who bowed to them as they left as well as touched by their kindness and obvious show of deference. The spiders allowed them to walk from the chamber on their own strength, then hoisted them up and carried them out of the caves in a handful of frantic minutes. Riding atop the spiders would have been impossible, but they wove a saddle of webs to ensure their passengers wouldn’t be injured by their characteristic spines.

  Outside of the caves once more, they noticed Bellows gorging himself on a heap of animal carcasses, gifts of the spiders as well.

  The moon had risen, and reflecting off of the broad lake, they rode easily. Gamlum thanked them again, as did the lockmen. When invited to feast with the fish men, Cade refused but said when peace had been restored, that his entire village would visit. They made another exchange of fish for leftover turtle meat, and departed on good terms.

  “Ketzal, let’s ride as far as we can while the moon is still good. If we can get into the hills once more, at least we’ll have shelter from the winds,” Cade said, and she urged Bellows into a gallop.

  The lake passed, silver and immense, and Cade felt truly proud. He also decided to take a moment to upgrade his weapon, Attributes, and choose a new trait.

  Remembering his argument with Minda, and feeling the blessing of the spiders still fading from his limbs, he chose Hale as the Horde. He gained an additional point in Dexterity, stacking on top of the two points the spider’s blessing granted them all. His enemies would have a hard time pinning him down in the future, that much was certain.

  The description of the trait mentioned “restoring the use and function of grievous injuries to the extremities.” Cade took that to mean he indeed could regrow a limb should he lose one in battle. Yet he was most excited to see what new trait skill he might learn. He reviewed the two options.

  Spider’s Insight: Adopting the uncanny senses of the spiderkin, this skill will allow a short period of time in which attacks may be predicted and avoided. All incoming attacks have a significantly reduced chance of landing. The effectiveness of the skill is dependent upon Dexterity score and level of attacking foe. 30-second Duration. 30-minute Cooldown.

  Spider’s Kiss: Imbuing a single attack with the potency of the spiderkin, this skill greatly increases chance of landing a successful hit. Only the most dexterous opponent can avoid the attack or one using a counter skill. Additionally, the attack infects enemy with venom, slowing target movement speed. Extent of paralytic response dependent upon enemy’s level and resistance to venom. 30-minute Cooldown.

  He knew his girls would love to talk to him about the choice, and he could hear Minda insisting to select the defensive option. Yet Satemi was in his mind as well, winking at him and nodding toward the Spider’s Kiss. Paralyzing an enemy had an offensive and defensive effect, so he chose the new skill, excited to try it in combat soon.

  Next he brought up his weapon menu, and found, to his great delight, something unexpected. There was no new option for modifying his axe nor the mana bullets he used. Rather, he suspected he had hit some kind of a threshold in his leveling, an important one. He was confronted with choosing one of three elemental augmentations.

  Icebound: Embracing the cold of deepest winter, choosing this augmentation allows you to enhance any attack with cold damage. Adds 15% additional base damage as cold damage. Has a 20% chance to impart Frigid effect. Frigid slows a target’s movement speed by 15%.

  Flameborn: Harnessing the destructive force of flame, choosing this augmentation allows you to enhance any attack with fire damage. Adds 20% additional base damage as fire damage. Has a 10% chance to impart Scorched effect. Scorched adds 50% base damage over a period of ten seconds.

  Windtorn: Riding on the vaulted wings of the wind itself, choosing this augmentation allows you to enhance any attack with wind damage. Adds 10% additional base damage as wind damage. Attack speed is permanently increased by 15%.

  By the grubby backseat of the short bus, this is sweet. Cade had thought of some cool new bullet to fire, not a way to enhance every one of his attacks. The lack of a Cooldown was the best part. It meant he could use the elemental augmentation repeatedly.

  He went through the list in his mind. Max damage output would be Flameborn, all day every day. But Gemma had such an ability already and he knew she would be getting more such abilities. This was about forging a strong team, not just maxing himself out like some solo hero. He thought hard about Windtorn and Icebound. Both were quite distinct. Damage again went to Icebound, and the Frigid effect would be awesome. Yet he hesitated. The paralytic effect of his most recent ability, not to mention the chance of landing Stun or Daze from his Herculean Hammer or Slug Shot gave him plenty of options.

  Windtorn, however, would make every swing of his axe faster than it had been. How unstoppable would he be now when using Wyrm’s Wrath. The stacked attack speed would make him move… well, like the wind.

  Cade was pleased with his improvements, and only had to update his Attributes. He looked around them, seeing the landscape was beginning to slope upwards again. They were entering the hilly country, and soon, they would find a place to rest. He whispered to Ketzal, asking her to keep an eye out for an overhanging cliff or even embankment that might serve as a wind block.

  Then again, he brought up his UVS and assigned his Attributes. He dropped another in Intelligence, already coming to depend more heavily on his blast axe’s ranged ability. He saw that the recharge rate of his magical gun dropped from 19 seconds to 16 seconds. Almost four times a minute, Cade could count on another Explosive Shot or Double Tap. That was something he could live with.

  He viewed his weapon’s stats, relishing in their improvements.

  Mr. McGregor Blast-Axe Level 6

  Primary Weapon System - Battle Axe

  Base Damage - 90% of Max Damage

  Damage Type - Slashing

  Attack Speed - Medium

  Mods: Razor’s Edge, Herculean Hammer, Mana Spear, Ratcheting Reach

  Elemental Augmentation: Wi
ndtorn

  Secondary Weapon System - Blast Staff

  Base Damage - 90% of Max Damage

  Damage Type - Ether Blast

  Attack Speed - Instant

  Recharge Rate: 16 seconds (Intelligence score 18)

  Mods: Slug Shot, Double Tap, Explosive Shot, Armor Piercing

  Elemental Augmentation: Windtorn

  Not only was Mr. McGregor at 90% of its full damage score, but seeing Windtorn at the bottom of each of the two weapon systems confirmed his greatest hope. The bonus would apply not only to his use with the axe but also when he shot his enemies.

  Strength was a fun Attribute, and he was sure his score was behind Satemi’s. But she was not their leader. So he added one point to Constitution and three more to Charisma. Finalizing his choices, Cade leaned into Ketzal’s back and groaned as the pleasure of transformation rocked his body.

  She threw a hand back and squeezed his shoulder. “I must admit, though it did not feel so nice when I first gained power in this world, I too am enjoying the sensation. I look forward to hearing about your choices, Cade.”

  He gave her a squeeze, then greedily looked up his Character Sheet. His stats were becoming something he could truly be proud of.

  Name: Cade

  Level: 6

  Strength: 15

  Constitution: 16

  Dexterity: 20

  Intelligence: 18

  Wisdom: 12

  Charisma: 21

  Traits: Lycan Metabolism, Nilgathi Fervor, Alpha’s Fitness, Eel’s Bite, Ape’s Aptitude, Hale as the Horde

  Skills: Culling the Pack, Wyrm’s Wrath, Alpha’s Call, Electric Touch, Earthen Assault, Spider’s Kiss

  The first thing he wanted to ask Gemma and Ketzal was how his Chimera Lord status was affecting them now that he had a significantly boosted Charisma Attribute.

  And shortly after, they spotted a suitable place to camp, Bellows slowing gratefully from his quick pace. They’d traveled three hours by moonlight, and all were thankful not only for the sure-footedness of their mount, but for the brightness of Antinium’s huge moon.

  Setting up the tent as quickly as possible, Cade’s stomach rumbled audibly. Gemma teased him, but suggested they make a fire to cook their meal this night. Not wanting to give away their location, Cade argued. But Ketzal insisted. “Cade, I think we will be fine. We have faced the deadliest foe in this region already and lived to tell of it. If it makes you feel any better, I will ask Pablo if he can warn us if danger approaches.”

  This last pushed the scales for Cade, and he relented. Sure enough, the demon agreed to act as their scout, if, and only if, they agreed to hear his rendition of the great battle he’d fought earlier that day.

  The smell of roast turtle made Cade’s mouth water, and the party sat around a modest fire and listened to the little demon tell his own tale.

  “It’s called Heaven Fire, you know. That attack he used on me. If not for that ability, there’s no way even Yotri would have been able to flush out the Spider Queen. He could have killed maybe thirty or forty of them, but their poison would slow him down and eventually defeat him. But calling that down from the skies is enough to make him one of the most powerful creatures in all of Antinium,” Pablo said, his eyes sparking with enthusiasm.

  “One of the most powerful?” Cade asked skeptically.

  “Yes, but of course there is the Stone Titan deep in the desert, and the dragons that live in the Borman Mountains. Their leader is no weakling, I will tell you that. But they have a bit of wisdom to keep to their own territory. Yotri was being selfish, trying to live off of the spiders’ industry and wealth.”

  Ketzal smiled politely and urged the demon on. “Tell us, Pablo, what it was that allowed you to finally bring the monster down?”

  Pablo blew out a big breath, his eyes staring wistfully into the fire. “Let me tell you! A creature like Yotri has but few weaknesses. You all saw the rate at which he could heal. In that, he is still my equal,” the demon began before pouring his efforts into a long-winded rendition of the battle’s finale.

  Ketzal winked at Cade, and he chuckled. What a sweet woman. And to think, just a couple weeks ago she was stuck under Vormer’s golden thumb. I’ll have to break it off for him someday soon.

  But he didn’t mention it, rather, he enjoyed the food and the entertainment. Pablo told them all it had been five centuries or more since he’d had a good battle. He seemed alive and ecstatic, and then, when the fire began burning low, he bowed to them all and announced that he had a great deal of boasting to do. He vanished after, the image of the smiling dragon-formed demon fresh in Cade’s mind.

  As Cade washed up, making sure to rid himself of the juicy turtle meat before he crawled into their furs, he noticed that Ketzal and Gemma were in the middle of a long conversation. Not wanting to disturb the women, he took off his boots and armor and crawled into the tent.

  A part of him wanted nothing more than to inspect each of the soul weapons they’d found. Yet there was little chance of them going into battle before getting home the following day, and Cade wanted to “open their present” collectively. True, the contents would only be a surprise to Sholl, Minda, and Satemi, but the secret of the skills they possessed was quite another.

  It would be an exciting reunion, and to make it better, they could all have a say in the new skill Bellows had unlocked. He too had gained a level as well as another few hundred pounds in boar flesh. Not only feasting but leveling up seemed to encourage the boar to grow, and for the hundredth time, Cade wondered at how big Bellows would become.

  He crawled into bed, feeling tired and excited all at once. The day’s events played in his mind as he listened to the immensity of Bellows’ lungs and the two women speaking quietly. What are they talking about anyhow? he mused. I suppose it is a good thing they are finally becoming friends. Although, Ketzal could befriend an ox if he gave her the time of day.

  The way the quest had turned out was most fortunate. A hundred different things could have gone wrong, and yet, they’d made it. He remembered standing with Gemma when the lockmen ambushed them. Her surprise mirroring his, and the battle that nearly followed. She was such an interesting woman, always thinking of the hunt ahead. He had to respect such a person. Gemma wasn’t witty and full of flint like Minda. She wasn’t brazen and sarcastic like Satemi. And she most definitely wasn’t the kind and ever-loving Ketzal. Yet there were qualities about her, just beginning to surface in their time together, that Cade was growing fond of.

  He imagined her face when he’d thanked her for ridding him of some of the bugs that attacked them in the caves. She’d only seen it as an act of loyalty, something she would do for any of them. Yet to Cade, it was her singling him out and helping him when his own characteristics were lacking. That was the kind of woman he wanted in his life.

  Considering Gemma as a “woman in his life” made him chuckle. Selfish, bro. How many girls does one Chimera Lord need? Then, after considering the question, he laughed again. Four would just about do it.

  The women laughed, just twenty feet away, and the sound of their shared amusement warmed his heart. Yes, they are becoming friends. Something we all need in a world this harsh and unforgiving.

  Shortly after, Gemma opened the tent and crawled inside. Naked as always, he realized how used to her body he’d become. Yet someone who burst into flames constantly couldn’t be wearing leather or furs just to make the rest of them comfortable, so it was good he was growing accustomed to it.

  Her smell though, like a forest of burning pines, was not something he was at all used to. She lay atop the furs beside him, not at all needing warmth. He listened to her breathe for a few moments and somehow knew she was staring up at the tent’s ceiling along with him. Should I ask her how she is? he thought. Knowing what Gemma did and did not want was a challenging sport.

  Cade had almost decided to ask something random of the woman, anything to break the building tension of having a nude beauty with ash-black ski
n and flame-colored eyes lying next to him, when she spoke up. “I have thought on the matter much lately. As I have said, in my world, I would be married soon, and several other husbands would have joined in an effort to rear a child. Things are different here. Ketzal told me there will be no children. For that… I am disappointed. But I would like to have a husband. And perhaps a group of wives is as good as a group of husbands. Don’t you think?”

  Well if there was ever a more awkward question, I would pay to hear it spoken aloud. Shaking his head, clueless what to answer with, he took a shot in the dark. “A group of wives… sure, probably just as good as a group of husbands. I guess it depends on which way you swing though.”

  “Swing?”

  “Never mind. What was your point, Gemma?”

  “I am confused. How do you mean swing, Cade?”

  He coughed and turned to face her. “It was a bad joke. Please, continue.”

  Her solemn face nodded slowly, and then he realized that she was as nervous as he was. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet. “I wish to choose you, Cade. But my father is not here to do so, and your father is not here to agree. So I ask you. May I choose you?”

  “Choose me?”

  “For a husband. I know there is not a baby to be had, and you have already been chosen by the others, but I wish to have you as well.” Gemma sat up on her elbow and peered into his eyes. Their faces were only a hand’s breadth apart, and he could smell her breath, and the burning fragrance of her skin. “I wish to choose you, Cade.”

  His heart fought to escape the feeble cage of his ribs, and his ears pounded with the sound of it. When he answered, his voice was as soft as hers. “Yes, Gemma. I do not know exactly what you mean. But I want to choose you as well.”