A wolf appeared beside her as we walked. I saw the green lock picking creature on the shoulder of Zoey and Barq eyed me intently as we traveled.
“So, what color are your orbs Gryff. Let us start there,” Barq asked while frowning with concern. “We have a full day of walking before our fork in the road so there is time to come to a decision. Who knows maybe you will convince me to indeed kill boars instead of a leisurely trip. I have done nothing but traded the safe routes without bother for centuries stuck in my meager profiting ways.”
I peered inside my core and studied the orbs.
“A blue lightning spell, a green tree growing, a grey rock tool, yellow hydra, and my physical superiority orb from the Prox universe is red,” I told him.
Barq stopped walking. The shock evident as his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. I kept walking and he fell behind. A few moments later he ran to catch up. The gnome already had to jog on occasion to keep pace with the long steps I was taking.
“Consider me convinced. Boar hunting will be profitable. Very profitable if we get an alpha mount drop. Boars are great at tilling soil and most farmers have a shelf full of orbs of them. I wish I had bought…” He stopped again and then waved at me to halt. You could tell he was getting excited. “You okay with gaining some flooring?”
I grinned and rubbed my hands together.
“Does a man like to plow his cock into hot women? Yes, I am okay with gaining levels.”
“Give me shit for swearing,” Zoey muttered from behind me.
“You do drop a lot of F-bombs unnecessarily. I know I would like to level. I only have a dozen arrows,” Mysti said and then inspected her quiver. “Actually only ten arrows are in here.”
“Give me an hour. See those woods over there. Filled with bunnies. Do some hunting with your pet Mysti. You use your lightning spell. You throw daggers I guess. We need to get you a dagger orb. Better yet a snare spell. I will buy one…” The gnome was pacing while thinking out his plans for farming. “No both, you need both, and I will need some silver. Say a hundred. We will make that amount back no problem. I should have known to ask when you said you killed the werewolves. This is your chance to change your mind, have a boring six or seven days fast walking and then buy all this stuff for half the cost in Aeva. Your call. The hunting areas around Aeva are level fifteen monsters and such.”
“How many levels are there?”
“Rumor says a million, no one knows. Even ascended don’t disclose how high they are.”
I frowned and considered what he said as well as my option.
“Okay, I’m walking to these trees first and then parking this cart. Then we will tally our coins into one bag and make a decision,” I said as I pulled the cart off the road and headed for the bunny killing area.
Barq followed and Mysti removed the other bags from the back of the cart. She stood awkwardly over Nicole and sorted coins while I walked us. The clang of metal was only interrupted by Mysti cursing and Zoey digging through the grass to find dropped coins. By the time I shifted the cart to park she was mostly done.
“We should have converted more of this gold to silver. There is over four hundred gold here. So much easier to carry four silver coins. Anyway, we have four hundred gold, two hundred silver and I found two ducra coins. Nicole handled this stuff for us normally. Want me to bag him a hundred silver?” Mysti asked while glancing over her shoulder at me.
“Yes please, and send him back with all the gold. We won’t need it until the next city so we have no use for converting or buying cheap things,” I said and Barq went to argue but realized a direct path was only twenty minutes back to Bonwe. “There is a hundred and four silver in there. Have fun with it. Three elvath died to acquire some of that…”
The basics of my statement were understood and he grabbed the bag.
“I would prefer not to take the wagon off the road. The next wagon with two horses and a yellow flag up high will be me. Head back to the road when you see it. I will get some ropes to drag the cart. Back in an hour or two. ”
“Ha! That is fine, but the road in Bonwe is worse than the rough dirt out here. See you in an hour Barq.” I said and the gnome left in a jog on his way to the town.
“Can we have a quickie in the woods?” Zoey asked once Barq was gone.
I raised an eyebrow and smirked. She darted into the trees and dropped her pants to the ground. Zoey spun her black hair and ensure I watched as she spanked her ass a few times while I undid my belt. My cock was hard and she was wet.
“Fuck me master.”
I slid my girthy dick into her dripping slit and dominated her. I jerked her hair back so she arched while I pounded her tight little pussy.
“Choke me, Master.”
I pulled hair with my right hand and lightly choked her with my left. She orgasmed so hard I felt her body quake. When she was on her second round of cumming I released into her and slowed my thrusts until I stopped. I smacked her tight ass twice in a ‘thank you’ and put my kilt down while sliding undershorts back on. When I neared Mysti who had watched over Nicole; I saw her biting her lip while eyeing me.
“I had a decent view from over here. Was a great show and your ass is divine. How do you want to hunt rabbits?” Mysti asked and I thought about it.
“Well Barq said to use my lightning. I am still recovering from summoning Kor. My cheek is swelling. This no healing in a magical universe is a tad shit. How about I watch her while you girls hunt?”
“Works for me. We will be back with some rabbits to stew or roast later and some trash orbs. Unless you don't want us digging for the orbs.” Mysti said while thinking on it. “Actually we can chop heads and dig out hearts while we ride. It just so happens we have some spare bags now since we consolidated the gold. Back in a half hour so.”
Mysti left for Zoey who was already hurling daggers at the bunnies. Now that they knew they were getting levels and improving you could see their evident determination. A wolf materialized and was off for the hunt. Five minutes later and they were out of view.
I glanced down to Nicole who whimpered weakly. She was fighting to wake up and when I saw her eyes open she smiled. I heard her body repair a tiny bit and she passed out again. Nicole’s magic seemed different. I grabbed her wrist and willed to see her level. Sure enough it worked. She was an eleven. I let out a soft whistle at this. Her weapon was a bow like Mysti but maybe she was landing the kill shots. She was the leader of the group after all. That would explain it nicely too.
My head bobbed at that conclusion and I hummed to Nicole while stroking her hair. A half hour passed while I waited for Mysti and Zoey. When they returned, it was with bags overflowing with rabbits and a fox over Zoey’s shoulder.
“Sharky is level five now and we are both sevens. We must have been close. Poor Nicole is going to be furious when she finds out we out leveled her,” Mysti said with concern.
“While touching that you are concerned for your friend, you should not worry about Nicole. I see a yellow flagged wagon already on the road. Toss the dead animals in the back and let’s meet up with Barq.”
“Why should we not worry about Nicole?” Zoey asked and I pointed to Nicole’s wrist. Zoey check her score and scoffed at seeing eleven. “Wait… How?”
“My guess is the kill shot or final blow matters, or she was farming every time even when some stayed back. You would know more than I would,” I mentioned with raised eyebrows and a nod.
“Hmm… That does make sense. She got all three kills on the bandit dwarfs and would hunt nonstop while others took a break. That one is a warrior through and through.” Mysti said with praise. “Look at that wagon. Well, I have to admit riding sounds better than running, and leveling sounds fantastic.”
“I am excited too. Hopefully, there will be plenty of boars to kill,” Zoey said from my side.
“Ah another question to pester our gnome with when we see him. We have a few minutes. Hobbies. I like to fish a
nd swim. If I have a good book I will read it, and I like to jot down notes. I enjoy rocking in a comfy chair and watching the stars or the clouds pass by.”
Zoey thought about what to say for a moment and then raised a finger signaling she was ready. “I am still young. There is so much I do not know that I find I am avid about learning. If we had time, I would have studied the werewolves. The fact that I know so little was enough to be teased by the other elvath at the Chatty Box. You may not notice from my tight frame but I love cooking and tasting food. I should probably put on weight but I have been so focused on training with Nicole. And I agree about the reading, a historical or autobiography on a rainy day is my taste. Though I guess that ties into my learning, there were fiction novels on Entria, but I did not read any. Always told myself when I got old. Hell, better to live it I say.”
“Oh, I love a good mystery, even if I can piece together the result myself. The adventure novels were a favorite too because we were confined for so long. Yariw is the most open-world place I have been to. I play the flute. We saw a few shoddy ones in Bonwe and there were talks of arranging for a trade for a quality one from up north that Nicole rejected to ensure we had money on hand for when you arrived. I will let Nicole speak for herself later but we both liked to do coordinated dance.”
“Well, I think we can buy you a flute and visit a bookstore later. A how-to level guide has to exist I would think. Is that a prison wagon?” I asked while looking at the wagon we were nearing. There were four wheels under a large wagon bed. The shutters were open and the cutouts had bars on them. The door must have been on the back. As the big contraption bounded closer I saw two big stallions pulling the wagon. I let out a muttering. “What in the world?”
“Hey Gryff, went much quicker than I thought. They actually paid me to take this north. Since I happen to be a man of repute and expertise on the journey. Ten silver. Here love,” the gnome tossed a ball to Mysti. Mysti looked at the orb and frowned. She coughed to get Zoey’s attention who caught the orb thrown her way. “Oh, no offense you elvath look alike.”
“That one had big tits and wide hips. Mysti. Looks young but is old and wise. Plays the flute and can dance a jig. She kills with a bow and is now level seven.” I said while pointing at Mysti. I then shifted to point at Zoey. “That one has a tight ass and perky breasts. Zoey. She is young and impatient to learn more. She can cook like a pro and loves food as much as training. She is stealthy with her daggers and not afraid to kill. Neither of them is called love by you. Lass, lady, madam, or their names please.”
“Aye fair enough. I listened and learned. That was the only orb I bought. The selection was shit in there. Now, we got three days of riding. How about we secure the pretty one in the back and then tie up your cart?”
“Zoey toss all our bags in the wagon bed. I will deposit Nicole in the back. Mysti, since you are the archer, you ride on top. Every few hours we wake Nicole and make her use her mana,” I said and the back door creaked open when Zoey’s lock picker unlatched it. She sauntered my way and I eyed her as if I wanted round two. “Move those hips girl.”
“You know it, I am going to call this little guy Jeb,” Zoey said while the little green cyclops did a jig before vanishing. Zoey turned to the gnome as she snatched the bags. “Hey Barq, thanks for the snare orb I appreciate it.”
I hefted Nicole from the cart and Mysti sat on a stool on the roof of the wagon. Nicole was laid down on some fresh hay inside the two cell wagon and I ensured she as cozy in a nest. A few minutes of organization and the hand cart was firmly attached to the back of the wagon.
“You level your lightning up?” Barq asked and I shook my head no. “We have three days decent ride until the Aspen Woods. I see there is plenty of rabbits to cook. Told ya not buying food was a good idea.”
“Where I come from starvation was prevalent if not rampant. How does that work here? Will those rabbits that they killed be back tomorrow?”
“We are in the realm of the creator. This is not called the master verse for nothing. The creator made everything the way, he, she, or they, wanted to. As you have seen a slouch of a guard can attain success and live a happy life. An over-achieving gnome can try to ascend and even reach an ascended status with enough effort. Or take me, I love the open-air trade runs with minimal risk. I love the road and being on the move while safe. Starvation is something I do not think the creator wanted for any of the species here to deal with. I could only imagine. It would also make for a really shitty leveling experience if you had to hunt for four days to kill a single bugle elk. So take those rabbits for example, in a few hours new ones will poof into existence and any bodies left on the ground vanish. As you can imagine rabbit meat and rabbit fur are worthless. So are pet rabbit orbs.”
“Poof into existence?” I asked while taking a swig of water from my water bladder.
“Again this is the master universe; if there is one place in all existence that is closely monitored and maintained, then it is here. There are rules inside of rules and allowances for exceptions. I am also a level nine trading gnome and have barely ever killed anything ever in hundreds of years. Not a level one hundred thousand ascended...”
I paused him by choking on my water. That statement rocked my rationale for this universe. Zoey patted my back before we climbed up to the driver’s seat. There was hay over the hard boards and you could see the seat lifted for storage. I sat comfortably on the far left side while Zoey snuggled into me. Barq snapped the reins sitting on the right and the stallions rolled us forward with clomping feet. I watched the tall grass in the fields sway with the wind.
“Hmm… I think I am starting to understand a few things and your knowledge is helpful Barq. If a man had nice orbs and determination. A level one hundred would not be too hard?” I asked while rubbing Zoey’s outside arm. “A few months maybe?”
“Ah, it depends. I hate giving that answer but I must. At least I can clarify why. You seem familiar with the system of the master verse.”
“We had something similar in the Prox universe but it was for enjoyment and make believe.”
“Fuck me…” The gnome cursed and went pale white. “The Prox verse was closed. Even a shitty level nine gnome on a backwater planet has heard of you. Don’t eat me.”
“Do gnomes taste good?” I asked Zoey while he cowered beside us.
I almost thought he would jump off the rolling wagon.
“Stop it... Barq you are fine. Do not believe everything the Justicars and Inquisitors put out as facts,” Mysti said from behind us while perched up high. “Those in power always try to put out a narrative that supports them more than actually sticking to the truth.”
“Oh speaking of them what should our faction be called?” I asked the girls.
“Ask Nicole,” They both started together saying and stopped.
Barq recovered and then tilted his little gnome head my way. I had never shifted from my comfy spot and stayed snuggling Zoey.
“Your faction?”
“Yeah, I was sent to establish a third faction to bring balance here. If it becomes equal or larger than the other two I get to go home,” I said with a smile. “And hopefully take those who wish to come with me.”
“Okay, I freaked out there and my heart wanted to burst through my chest. To be clear you are not the harbinger sent to eat all the children. You are here to create a third faction. You will probably fight your way to victory in order to achieve success. But not kill everyone and everything?”
I shook my head no. “I have kids I miss that I try to not think about, while still trying to remember them. The process is painful. No, I do not wish to obliterate the master universe into dust. Parts of me maybe. But Drovka, Barry, Varusa, and now a gnome named Barq tell me there is immense good even if the leaders are bad. I can do good Barq. I may have to perform some bad things to make it happen, but I can do well. I have to believe that. I also want to have fun while I am here. Being a bitter asshole helps no o
ne. Now tell me why it depends on reaching level one hundred.”
“If you had killed three hundred bunnies you might be level three. Instead, you killed some werewolves,” Barq said with a shrug letting me connect the dots. What he said made sense. Killing bigger mobs meant quicker leveling. “Next question?”
“How does leveling work for a healer?”
“Like a combat healer? They are mythical…” The gnome said with a soft laughter and then regained his composure seeing that my question was real. “They have to damage the creature a little or they get nothing. Hence why they are rare. Everyone wants to be saved and no one cares if the healer gets in because... wait for it. The killing blow gets a bonus reward. So if you are a party of five trying to kill a werewolf the last thing you want to do is wait for your healer to cast a shocking spell or throw a rock. You want to live and kill your foe. There are some workarounds. Casting an area spell like a flash of light or better yet a laughing gas. Damage can be negated but the attempt registers the healer for getting experience.”
I scratched my growing scruff that was transitioning into another beard while I contemplated this. A long loud yawn escaped my lips and I transition into a long stretch.
“Drovka said you got in late. Take a nap. I know this road better than, well, anyone. These are quality horses, they will get us to the split in about four hours. I expect a six-day journey. Seven if we farm hard. Always was too lazy to hit level ten. Trading gave me too comfy of a life.”
I started to tune him out as the rolling cart rumbled me into a lulling sleep.
CHAPTER 4
The ride north was gentle and slow. We stopped at the turn for the shortcut as night descended. Barq showed us why we did not buy a tent. He spawned a cabin; a tiny two-bedroom cozy cabin. There was even a fireplace and sure enough, the gnome spawned a fire inside it. The night went by fast in comfort and I woke every few hours to encourage Nicole.
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