Chapter 34: Captive (11) (Patreon)

World: MSS - Loading...

I left the bird-cage of stone full of monsters, heading towards where I last saw the slaves. On my back, I had my sword and shield, strapped in place by a strip of leather. Of course I had learned from my past mistake: the shield was strapped in a way that I could easily arm myself if needed. I would have preferred to hold them in my hand but they were occupied at the moment.

I was holding a single incubator, containing the beige colored Core of the Inmyun Ho (人面鴞).

A Grade-5 Core.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched. It was like watching around the streets of New York with a glass briefcase, with stacks of dollar bills on display.

In the endIe had ended up killing about half the grade-9 and grade-8 monsters before feeling the room in my soul expand, indicating thatIe was ready for another Core. I debated killing off the rest of the grade-8 monsters for the boost but some of them had begun screaming. I was afraid that Yulrien or Skurl would be notified or worse, their noise would wake the Shadow Mimic Wolf.

“Maybe I should have risked it.. It’ll only get harder to farm from now.”

The leveling system in MSS was set up so that higher-leveled characters couldn’t level up farming at low-leveled monster zones. For example, once a character hit level 10, they wouldn’t be able to gain experience from hunting grade-10 monsters. My level of 20 meant that grade-10 monsters as well as grade-9 monsters were useless to me, except for the materials they might drop. On one hand, I wanted to celebrate this new milestone. On the other, I dreaded what this meant for the future.

I would have to start hunting bosses.

The return on experience for hunting common monsters became less and less as the game progressed, obeying the law of diminishing returns. The only reliable way to level up was to start hunting bosses, namely running boss raids. For that, I needed a full party. Tank, DPS, Support, Healer and a Mage. Thankfully I already had people in mind for two of these positions.

If I could get my friends out of this situation first.

Damn. Friends. Since when did I get so comfortable referring to them as such?

I ran past the stalagmites and felt my pupils contract, seeing fire in the distance. Torches. But these weren’t the stationary torches that the orcs had placed in the clearing while herding the slaves before. These were being held by orcs, transporting slaves. I hid behind a rock and observed them.

They moved in silence, except the occasional grunt. They were escorting a single slave and I recognized the man: Skaris. A seven-foot tall, red-scaled humanoid beastman was hard to miss and harder to forget. He left quite an impression.

Skaris was moving with a slight limp and the orc behind him pushed the lizard beastman, causing him to fall.

“Stop pretending.” He growled.

The beastman didn’t respond but I saw that his scarlet eyes were alight with anger.

He still had some fight left in him. He hadn’t given up just yet.

I quietly set the Incubator down, leaning it against the rock and making sure it wouldn’t fall.

Then I began to approach them.

I made sure to circle around them so that I’d be coming from behind the orcs. My footsteps were quieter than before and more surer, if Yulrien couldn’t detect me I was sure that these orcs had no chance. I took the risk to pick up my pace, running towards them. To my ears the soft pat pat pat of my footsteps were loud enough to give me away from more than a hundred paces away, but the orcs didn’t turn.

Ten paces away, I saw Skaris’ eyes widen. He was facing the orcs and must have had some kind of night vision, he had definitely seen me. But atleast he hadn’t heard me.

Five paces away, the orcs finally turned around but it was too late.

｢Lock Slaveborn casts [Coin Toss] ｣

…

｢[Arcane Masochism] raises [Attack]｣

…

｢[Arcane Masochism] raises [Attack]｣

Shiing

I felt the blood in my veins speed up, and the sensation of my heart pumping blood more than doubled. My new Core had activated another instance of [Arcane Masochism]. I had just received two stacks of the attack stat buffs.

The sound of metal grating against each other rang in my ears as I drew the sword and shield, decapitating the foremost orc with my first strike. Then before the other Orc could even react, I stabbed him in the heart, ripping the blade out the side of his chest right after. I followed it up by stabbing him through the mouth and the back of his throat. He had been about to yell for help or scream in anger.

It didn’t matter; I didn’t give him the chance.

I felt my newly absorbed Core activate automatically, but there was no need: the short battle was over. I had a feeling these orcs were the weakest of their warriors though, same as the ones I had encountered during their patrol. The strongest ones would be above in the auction, protecting Damur, Skarl and the really important merchandise.

The two orcs fell with a thud and I winced. Next time, I’d make sure that any battle I was in where sound could be an issue, there was a need to pay attention to the aftercare of falling corpses. Just like how I had changed the way I carried my shield on my back, I was learning.

I was growing stronger at an unbelievable pace.

I could see it in Skaris’ eyes, his eyes held both fear and awe in equal amounts. I saw the man lick his lips but I beat him to it.

“You remember me?” I smiled at him.

Skaris nodded. “Lock Ssslaveborn.”

Yes, this was the Skaris I remembered. He had a tendency to drag out any consonant with that hissing accent of his. It only reinforced his image of a half-lizard, half-snake man in my mind. If I looked at the most human part of him, his face.

“Skaris.” I greeted, acknowledging that I remembered him too.

I bent down and touched his chains. The manacles around his neck was connected by chains to the manacles on his wrist and tail. No wonder he was limping. I remembered reading lore about beastman from the lizard tribe. They used their tails for balance.

“Stand back.” I muttered and stood back up, holding my sword.

Skaris licked his lips and held out his arms, trying to stretch his tail out as much as possible as well.

This was the first time outside of battle that I was using Cut. The orcs I had just faced had been wearing armor and I had pierced it with a single strike; testament to my offensive capabilities even without [Arcane Masochism] raising my attack stat. But now I was trying to cut chains. Somehow that made me nervous. What if I failed?

It was like now that I was trying to do something on purpose, outside of the heat of battle, I had lost all my confidence.

“It’s all the same…” I took a deep breath and conjured my mind’s blade, aligning it with the shortsword in my hand. It happened much easier than before.

But Skaris must have taken my breath for one of nervousness. “Sssslaveborn. Perhapssss we sssshould-”

｢Lock Slaveborn used [Cut]｣

Clang

The chains were cut.

Skaris stretched to his full height, towering over me. The past me would have been wary and intimidated. As it was I just gripped the sword tighter, readying my shield. Was he really about to-

Skaris bent to his knees.

“I owe you my life.” He whispered. “Sssslaveborn. Name your pricssse.”

“Just like that?” I raised an eyebrow, sheathing my weapons. “No questions?”

“I wassss being dragged to my deatttthhhss. Yet you have ssssaaved me. I am curioussss about what has happened to you but honor dictatesss that I pay my lifepricssse firsssst.”

I debated my options.

I could demand that the price for saving his life was his aid in rescuing Clover and L’teya from the auction going on upstairs. He was a formidable warrior and he would no doubt be of great help. This had been a calculated gamble after all. When I spoke to Skaris previously, he gave me the sense that he had been trained in warrior ways much like L’teya had.

My knowledge of this world extended past just raiding dungeons and hunting monsters; one of the best parts of MSS was the party recruitment factor. I had studied the different races, reading about their cultures and their cities as well. Warriors like Skaris tended to uphold a certain code of honor and they took things like this very seriously. I was hoping to get him to owe me a debt.

“I owe you a life debt, Sssslaveborn.” He said once more. “Let me pay it.”

I opened my mouth to demand my price then stopped.

That was the old me.

I didn’t need people who I had manipulated into helping me.

I wanted comrades, people I could trust. If I forced Skaris to help me, I could never trust him.

“My price is that you listen to my story first.” I swallowed, finding the words hard to speak. “Then you are free to go on your way… or help me. Your choice.”

Then before he could say anything, I started telling him my tale.

I felt my stomach knot into butterflies like I was giving a presentation, I really wanted to sell my story well.

But what came out was not a story laden with emotion, but terse and clear facts. I started by telling him about L’teya and how she was dragged away and then me. Then about how I had received Arrosh and Scarlet’s help to escape, glossing over Arrosh and my relationship altogether. Finally I told him about finding myself down here and overhearing Yulrien and Skurls plans.

Mostly I told him about why I was doing this, that these people had risked their lives for me. That I owed it to them to try and get them out alive.

“I think most of the people in this city will die. I intend to be one of the few who can get out of this place alive.”

“...And the resssst of the sssslavessss?”

“Not just them, but any innocent that I could help.” I shrugged at his quizzical look. “Only if I can though. I won’t be risking my life for it.”

I meant it too.

If there was enough time and I had the opportunity to save more of these innocent bystanders from getting caught up in these plans, I would do so. Something in me told me that this was the right step to take. Even my conscience, despite years of solitude and distrust, was pointing that this was the right way. That meant something, that this really was the right thing to do.

If not me then who else could do it?

As I thought about it more and more, I realized that I truly wanted to help them. Just like how L’teya and Arrosh helped me, a complete stranger. A part of me wanted to do the same for others.

But only if I could protect the people important to me first.

Skaris studied me, tilting his head this way and that like an iguana. It was as if someone took all the habits of an iguana, implanted it into a human soul and placed them in a hybrid body. Slowly, he nodded like he was just starting to understand what was happening and why I was here. He had sat cross legged as I told my story and now got back up to his imposing height.

“I will help you Lock Ssslaveborn.” He held out a hand. “Not jusssst to pay my life debt, but to help you achieve your goalsss. It would be an honor to die by your sssside, fighting for freedom hasss alwaysss been my peoplesss life calling.”

“I ssswear it on the name of my clan, Deepeater, to aid you wherever your journey leadsss you.”

He was referring to the history of the beastman race, who had been slaves to the Turina empire in the past. Something that Clover had clued me in on. I wasn’t a stranger to it, the beastman had been a race of slave-warriors when I had played the game. I took his hand, and we exchanged grips. After letting go of his forearm I got to business.

“I need to know what you can do… and if they graded you, what grade you received.”

“Grade-9.” He answered easily. “I have ssssuccessssssfully hunted a monster which dropped a Core… my sssspear ssshall leave fire in its wake.”

He wasn’t telling me the name of his Core, it was understandable. I also didn’t need him to spell it out for me either, I knew which Core he had absorbed: [Bool Dokkaebi], grade 8. It was impressive that he’d managed to fell a grade-8 without holding any core of his own. Then again, he had had his followers back then.

“...I’m sorry for asking so late but what happened to your… friends?”

He shrugged, the scales on his shoulder rubbing against those on his neck. “Dead. They died to the Dokkaebi.”

L’teya, Clover and I had been extremely lucky. Even Skaris with all his prowess suffered casualties.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” I was awkward but I wasn’t heartless. I knew grief when I saw it.

“They died fighting to better their sstation in life.” He was talking about us all being slaves. “I ssshall carry their will on their behalf.”

Skaris hadn’t been talking literally about his Core ability. But he could only be talking about one ability: [Playing with Fire]. Striking enemies would cause the spot to be set aflame, slowly burning skin and sinew. I considered his battle power. As a Grade-9, he wasn’t of much help to me even if he was skilled.

“..Skaris. Do you have room in your soul for another Core?”

“Yesss.” He answered immediately. “But I fail to ssseee why that mattress. Even if there were monsssterss around there isss no time to-”

“Follow me.” I cut him off preemptively, showing him would be quicker than me explaining things all over again.

I delicately stepped over the orc corpses, leading the way. It didn’t take long to find the Incubator, still intact. I pointed it out to Skaris.

“That’s yours.”

“Sslaveborn… I… what isss… you are giving me a Core?” His reptilian eyes blinked once, slowly; then again.

It was obvious that Skaris was failing to follow along. The story earlier had been easy enough but I hadn’t gone into detail about the Cores for sale, only telling him how this whole thing was a trap. He was out of his depth like an iguana in water, drowning in the untold information.

Wondering if iguanas could indeed swim, I picked up the Incubator and passed it to Skaris. “I’m not saying this to hurt your pride. I know your skill with the spear better than anyone. But… right now, we’re going to fight people who have been planning this for months. You need this.”

Skaris shook his head. “I cannot take thisss. I have promisssed to lend you my ssspear. You do not need to bribe me with ssssuch thingsss. I will keep my promisssee. You sssshould take thissss for yoursssself.”

“I already took one.” I told the truth. “And I don’t have room for another core.”

His eyes snapped to mine. “How many Ssssslaveborn.”

“...Three.”

“Exsssstraordinary.” He measured me with his eyes, complimenting L’teya. “Truly. The barbarian choose well.”

He was referring to how L’teya had been the one to ‘recruit’ me into her faction of three. His mention of her reminded me that we had no time to waste.

Also it could’ve been because I didn’t really know how to react to praise very well.

Small steps.

“Quickly. We have no time to waste.” I glossed over his compliments.

Opening the incubator, Skaris absorbed the Core. Then he sat down crosslegged with his eyes closed, he was examining his body and exploring the new Core abilities. If I had to give him a rough grading by my own estimation, maybe grade-8? Possibly higher than me with grade-7.

Oh but I was probably a legitimate bona-fide grade-7 now. Maybe a 6. Or if I was being really technical, I’d put myself somewhere between grade 6.4~6.7.

I briefed Skaris on our next steps before escaping this cavern: finding the waypoint and destroying it.

“From what I heard from Yulrien and Skurl, transporting the monsters and cores to the floor above is the first step of their plan. I want to stop that or delay that from happening.”

Skaris stripped the orcs of their armor, fitting easily into their armor. He was just as tall as them, though not as wide. Choosing scaled armor, he checked the straps.

“I know this waypoint you ssspeak of.” Skaris’ eyes gleamed. “The ssspoke of it many timessss.”

I clenched a fist, pumping it without meaning to. “Finally it feels like we’re getting somewhere.”

“Lead the way, Skaris.” Then I added. “I’m watching your back.”

I wasn’t sure if those last words were needed or not, but said it nonetheless. The reptilian beastman gave me a smirk and then started running in a straight line. I had expected Skaris to run like those monitor lizards I used to see on the documentary channels. But he ran in long loping strides and I found it hard to keep up.

With Skaris’ speed, it didn’t take long for us to find the soft illumination of torchlights ahead of us. The beastman hid himself behind a stalagmite. A man of his size had no business being this fast and stealthy at the same time. Casting my grumbling aside, I positioned myself next to him.

The waypoint was in the shape of a large circle, more than big enough to contain multiple of those cages containing the monsters I had seen. More so, it glowed a faint purple and had runic lettering inscribed around and within it. Carefully, I used my rudimentary Mana Sense to try to see if I could pick up anything on it. The energy I sensed was so faint but I received an impression of something unstable and volatile, like it could break if used the wrong way.

“Lotss of them.” Skaris commented, brandishing two javelins that he’d taken off of the orc corpses.

I had to agree. There were three orc guards, each clad in metallic armor and another green-skinned figure hidden under robes; a shaman or witch doctor. We’d have no way of knowing until we engaged them in combat and baited out a skill or two. Plus, the guards looked different than the ones from before.

The warpaint seen on their skin glowed with eerie light and shifted in place, changing places.

“Lower-ranking berserkers.” I murmured.

Skaris looked at me. “Are you ssssure.”

“Yes.”

This was an issue. Whereas humans had knights, orcs had berserkers. Just like humans, orcs had a racial trait that was unique to them: Totemic Possession. While humans honed Aura, orcs honed their totems by getting warpaints in the image of their totems. Depending on the totem that they got ‘possessed’ with, they’d exhibit different types of abilities and stat bonuses. Unlike Aura though, the orc's Totemic Possession was a passive trait.

The good news: none of the orcs in front of us had the wolf totem. They’d have found us immediately. The bad news? They had the tiger totem.

“Well, shit.” I ground my teeth in frustration.

The most well balanced of all the Totemic Possessions available to their race, it would boost their speed and strength immensely. Lucky for us though, I could tell that these guys were early on in their paths as berserkers. You could tell by the color and pattern. The more experienced berserkers continued getting tattooed, upgrading their totems.

If Skaris and I went against three bersekers, I’d put our chances of victory around 30%.

“No. Less. 20% even. I’m not skilled enough to fight against fully-trained warriors.” The orcs I’d faced so far had been grunts.

If they had gone so far as to receive Totemic Possession, they were likely trained to a much higher level.

I hadn’t even begun accounting for the Witch Doctor yet.

“What do you wisssh to do, Sssslaveborn?”

We had to destroy the waypoint. My gut told me that it was a crucial step in freeing L’teya and Clover, then getting out of this city safely. If those monsters were set loose in the city, the following chaos would just result in a massacre. Monster Outbreaks in MSS never ended well.

I bit my lip, wondering if Skaris and I should just risk it.

“Excuse me.”

I whirled around and saw a mage.

"I want to help you... please."