Dragons, Decay, and Too Many Legs Chapter 2 (Patreon)

I gotta say: Yao Ming didn't skimp as far as housing went. He apparently owned half a dozen different apartment buildings in the area and he just gave one of the apartments to me. I'll say this for the guy: he certainly knows how to incentivize working for him.

The apartment was… spartan. There was a stove, fridge/freezer combo, and a queen sized bed (no sheets). That was all the furnishings it came with. I was more than okay with that. My first place was maybe a third the size and I had to pay nearly a thousand dollars a month in rent. This place? It was a job benefit.

To top it off, Yao Ming gave me a thousand dollar advance so I could get the essentials. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d be doing for him yet, I assumed it would involve copious amounts of directed violence, but already I was more than happy with the job I’d agreed to. It was late, so I didn’t head out then, instead collapsing on the bed.

I slept like the dead, appropriately enough, and when I woke up the following morning, I felt… different. I wasn’t quite sure how to explain it. Either way, I needed to get something to eat and get started on furnishing and stocking my new apartment. A coffee shop at the corner provided the former and directions for how I could get started on the latter.

Being politically incorrect, and inaccurate, I was in this reeking city’s Chinatown. Only there were a lot more Japanese people here than Chinese. I didn’t get the details as to why but it wasn’t important. Instead I ate my breakfast and made my way to a furniture consignment store. A couch, table, some chairs, that was really all I needed from here. They even offered to have it delivered free of charge! If I didn’t know better I’d think I was the King’s favorite nephew or something.

My next stop wasn’t to a convenience or grocery store. While I’d need to do so, there was something else I needed to do. I was in the body of a druid, but not the stereotypical tree-humping, deer-fucking pussies. I built Ophioc to be a Circle of Spores druid, his (now my) power dealt with the cycle of renewal, of death and decay. I had a hunch that I’d need a mushroom garden, and I could easily convert a closet into said garden.

So I swung by a gardening store and got everything I’d need to start up said garden. Some dirt, some boxes, a watering can, you know, the essentials. By this point I had almost everything I needed for the apartment, and I still had over six hundred dollars left. It was for the best, I didn’t know when I’d get called for my first job (though I figured it’d be soon), so I wanted to make sure I had a bunch leftover.

That took up the rest of my day, putting the furniture where I wanted it, getting my garden started, then getting the sheets for the bed which I’d forgotten. I went back to Wok and Roll for dinner, trying out some oyakodon, or whatever the chicken and egg soup was called. Didn’t see Yao Ming, but to be fair I didn’t expect to. He was obviously important here, so it was likely I caught him on his day off.

The soup was good, even if Barkeep’s thick scottish accent still threw me off. I even partook in a little karaoke. I think the crowd appreciated my efforts, or they were drunk enough that my mangling of Thriller was more amusing than painful. For sure my mimicking Jackson’s dance was hilarious enough that even Barkeep could barely keep standing.

The next morning, I figured out what I had felt different about the day before. It was the spores. Ophioc, the real Ophioc, was a fungal mass. One that would secrete spores through its host’s skin that it could channel magic through to achieve certain effects. Or at least, that was the in world explanation for the Circle of Spores game mechanics. When I woke up in that dumpster, there weren’t any spores being secreted. Now there were.

Was killing three druggies really worth a level up? I wasn’t going to complain, but it seemed a bit like a DM that wanted to get level one out of the way. Although… six goblins soloed would be enough XP to go from level one to level two, so three druggies with guns wasn’t that out of the question.

In any case, day two was spent finishing getting my new den set up. It was still fairly spartan, but something about that seemed… appropriate. None of the three sets of memories in my head were prone to opulent displays, so it’s not like I was going to blow the grand on big paintings, posters, or elaborate video game systems. Besides, tabletop games were more my thing than pixelated, overpriced, money siphons made by companies that thought good story was an afterthought to the microtransaction system. To be fair, in the early years there were some damn good video games and the rare gem in modern games, but by and large the golden age of video games was dead.

I was putting the last of my groceries into the fridge (I have no idea what I was going to use octopus in, but it certainly would be interesting one way or the other) when there was a knock on the door. A glance through the peephole showed me it was Yao Ming, so I opened the door and waved him in.

“I see you haven’t wasted time,” he noted as I shut the door, looking around the apartment.

“Even if I were the type, I didn’t really have anything to waste time with,” I pointed out. “Something to drink? I’ve got water and coke, the soda.”

“Just water.”

Pouring him a glass, I got myself a can of soda and asked, “Would I be correct in assuming that you’re here to get me working?”

“You are. A rival organization has placed a hidden weapon depot within my domain. From what I have learned, they intend to keep the weapons there until the buyer comes in two days. As such, you will be part of a raid to remove those who think themselves my rivals and secure the weapons. I suspect that there will be at least one who might pose a significant threat to you. Do not underestimate them.”

Oh there was no worry on that front, I’m still a low level weakling, “Understood. What time and where do you want me?”

The when was in six hours, and I’d be picked up in front of the apartment building. That gave me plenty of time to meditate and prepare my druid spells. Druids weren’t built for high damage at low levels, while I could turn into a bear or an elephant now that I had wild shape, that was such a limited way of using it. The first level spell list had several that were suitable for crowd control, depending on what the depot’s surroundings were like.

Still, I was happy with my final prepared list of spells. Even if I’d have preferred to have access to several of the higher level ones. Soon as I get access to third level spells, I am keeping Call Lightning prepared 24/7.

[hr][/hr]

“So you’re the freak I’m here to drive?”

My first thought on the guy driving me to the depot? He’s an ass. Then again, I’m hardly one to talk. So I put up with it, and listened in the passenger seat as he gave a rundown of what he and the other guys we’d be attacking with knew. The depot was a closed down gardening store that hadn’t been in business for some fifteen, twenty years, and he figured there’d be about twenty five gangbangers with one or two “freaks” like me. Did I mention the guy’s an ass?

Not counting the two of us, there’d be nine other guys. So eleven guys against almost thirty. Why did I get the feeling this was a test? Still, if the thugs were anything like the druggies it shouldn’t be too difficult so long as I went smart. Thus, the control spells.

We were the last ones to the meeting place, and it was readily apparent that not one of the ten guys were happy I was there. I don’t speak any asian language, but I had a hunch that they were calling me some kind of racial slur. Regardless, they were either more terrified or had more loyalty to Yao Ming than they disliked me, so outside of muttered words I understood jack shit of, they didn’t raise a fuss. The depot was then a ten minute walk, and Ass was the apparent leader because when he told the rest of the goon squad to wait while he looked around the corner of a building.

“Shit,” he swore after looking through a pair of binoculars. Turning back to look at the rest of us, he explained, “Two cowls, no way they’d leave them guarding the depot without one of their own freaks to keep an eye on ‘em.”

“Cowls?” I asked.

“Freaks for hire, they outnumber pretty much every other faction in the city combined by over three to one. If you can avoid it, try not to kill the wolf in a suit or the woman in a swimsuit. But that means there’s at least three of you freaks, not the expected one or two.”

“I can get a closer look,” I said, a plan forming, “Be−rindan un−l¯æd catt.”

It was the first time I’d used wild shape, and given the incantation I was… concerned it would be as painful as it looked in werewolf movies. Fortunately for me, while from the expressions of the goon squad it looked like that, for me it was like changing clothes. In the span of a few seconds, I went from a five foot six shifter to a tabby cat.

“Well… I suppose that’s not the most worthless power in the city,” Ass said as I stalked towards the depot. Just for that, I was going to have a little petty revenge. I’m a nascent demigod, and you are now my launch platform!

Climbing up Ass’s back, I leapt off his shoulders to the roof, the rest of the crew smothering laughter at his expense. I stopped paying attention as I ran to the edge facing the depot, taking in the arrayed mooks and “cowls.” Seriously, what a stupid name, almost as bad as everyone calling folks with powers “capes” in Worm.

Anyway, there looked to be twenty-ish white guys with rifles mulling about, while a werewolf looking guy in a fancy, victorian suit and a top hat stood lookout and a… lady more white than Kratos and covered with spurs and spikes all over the place walked out of the depot. I was too far to hear any of them speak, but I was a cat right now, plus Torrent (now me) was damn good at hiding.

Fortunately, the depot was next to the building I was on, so it was an easy (for me) jump across. Three mooks were on the roof, not one of which had noticed me. Time to see how much blended between forms.

[center]<<Toriko Yamada>>[/center]

Toriko was willing to admit he underestimated the freak. When he first heard about him, he’d assumed that actually looking like a freak and maybe some enhanced strength was all he had going for him. Turning into an animal? That had potential. Even if he looked like he belonged with the crackheads, he’d listen to The Dragon.

The Freak had been gone for maybe two minutes when the screaming started. The guards on the roof were shooting wildly, before one fell three stories, his head splitting open on the pavement, the skin of his neck black and withered. The outside guards and cowls ran inside, as the sound of two guns firing turned to one.

“… so, remember last night when you were questioning bringing this guy on?” Ren asked behind Toriko.

“Shut up.”

[center]<<Ophioc>>[/center]

Yao Ming looked surprised as Ass gave his report. I, meanwhile, was eagerly awaiting for my spells to recharge so I could pop a Cure Wounds. I’d used all three of my spells until I get a good long sleep during the fight. Entangle kept me from being overwhelmed with mooks, and the fucker with a swastika on his jacket was good enough in martial arts that I blew two spells trying to deal with him. I almost wish I used Pathfinder or 3.5, then I’d have had the opportunity to grab Silent Spell, because needing to say the verbal components gave that nazi-fuck time to start moving.

“Ophioc,” Yao Ming said in a big voice, the kind you’d expect to hear when royalty make decrees. “You have exceeded my expectations, praise I do not give out lightly. I had another watching, prepared to intervene when your group was inevitably overrun. Instead, you almost single handedly seized the entire depot on your own. You have shown courage, cunning, and a versatile array of power. I formally welcome you, Ophioc, to my forces.”

I bowed, but remained silent. This was a much more formal deal than I was used to. Hell I’ve never even owned a suit in any of my lives. So I just went with the flow.

“Eat, drink, partake in celebration. There will be a fitting reward awaiting you upon your return to your rooms,” Yao Ming declared.

So I had to mingle, oh goodie. If I was any good at gatherings larger than six people I wouldn’t be a D&D nerd. Still, there was some good food even if I couldn’t pronounce nine out of ten of the names and a few cups of booze went down well. Still, after half an hour of dealing with people I was exhausted and wanted to go. But people kept barging up to me and asking questions.

It was always the same questions, with the only variance being the thickness of their accents. After an hour of dealing with this shit, I finally let my mean face out and they finally got the message. I didn’t want to deal with people so I didn’t bother finding Ass for a ride back to the apartment complex. Instead I walked. Twenty minutes later, I reached the floor my apartment was on to see Yao Ming outside the door.

“Ophioc,” he greeted, handing me a smartphone.

“Hey boss,” I replied, slipping it into my pocket, and hoping that this wasn’t going to take long.

“I said there would be a fitting reward in your rooms. Do what you will with them.”

With that, he left, my confused gaze following him to the elevator. Eh, I was too tired to deal with this now. My bed awaited. Opening the front door, I froze. Kneeling in the middle of the floor was a girl. A stacked girl. Silky black hair down to her waist. Wearing a red yakuta… yukata? Those japanese fancy robe-dress things. Whatever they were called, she was gorgeous, and I was about to find out if taking Ophioc’s place gave my boner an upgrade.

“Wha…” was my eloquent demand for an explanation.

“I am Kaede. My father failed where you succeeded, as such… I am yours to…” she swallowed nervously before continuing, “do with as you please. By order of Lung.”

…

LUNG?! Sonnuvabitch…