Otherworld Volunteer - Chapter 104 (Patreon)

Noah was aware he was running against time. Soon, the Hub’s walls would vanish, and the survivors would be beset by monsters. Without the strongest to fight for them, Noah could only imagine what would happen.

However, he couldn’t let the opportunity go to explore more of the dungeon. There was a whole underground layer that was out of the way, and after saying goodbye to Declan and the rest of them, Noah was currently descending the steps.

“I’m surprised there is more to this place,” Thraz said, then his reptilian eyes looked at him. “Hey, did you fall down here when Victor pushed you down the hole?”

“I did,” Noah said. “Thanks for the reminder.”

“Wow, what was that like?” Thraz asked. “Falling must have been fun.”

“I thought I was going to die, Thraz.”

“Yes but it was fun, wasn't it?”

Noah thought for a moment, and nope, it wasn’t fun.

He really thought he was going to die, and not having Krall with him was a boring experience. But now Krall was skipping down the stairs, while Gluttony made the ride comfortable. Unlike Krall, the bat-wolf hybrid was far more graceful. Each step was like walking on clouds.

“I can’t say falling to my death was fun,” Noah repeated.

“That sucks,” Thraz continued. “My brother used to tell me stories of how our great ancestors leapt from mountains to awaken their wings. The fall would unlock something within our blood, allowing us to spring forth to our true form. So me and my brother climbed a tall mountain at the back of our great marshland where the story began.”

“That sounds amazing,” Noah replied, turning to Thraz with curiosity. “What happened next?”

“Well, he prayed to the god of dragons, Bor, for seven days, and seven nights.”

Noah listened patiently. He was half interested in Thraz’s family, but mostly he was fascinated about how the dragonborns awakened their wings. Maybe he could pry something out of the story to help his tamed companions.

Krall with wings? Hell yeah.

“And what happened then?” Noah added.

“I’m getting there Noah, this is my story to tell!” Thraz snarled.

“Alright, don’t get your loincloth in a twist.”

“Hm,” Thraz continued. “After my brother prayed to Bor, he walked up to the edge of the mountain. At first I was concerned that it wouldn’t work, but after witnessing the devout prayers of my brother, I was on his side.”

Noah was about to interrupt again, but he stopped himself just in time. So he grew his wings then? Maybe I need to throw Krall off a mountain as well?!

Krall glanced over his shoulder, tilting his head at his master’s fantasies. His tongue left his draconic mouth, panting. As happy as a kobold-mole could be as he anticipated his next battle.

“As the wind blowed its gentle breeze, and the scent of–”

Noah sighed, trailing his finger against the wall. “Can you just get to the good part?”

“My brother stepped off the mountain, fell as fast as a weighted bull,” Thraz said.

“And he awakened his wings?” Noah asked in anticipation.

“No, he splattered to his death.” Thraz shook his head. “It was really messy. I’ve never seen anything like it, just guts, and blood everywhere. My father had to scrape his flesh off a rock.”

“What the hell.” Noah grimaced. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Thraz said with a smile. “He died a glorious death. My brother may not have awakened his wings, but his spirit lives on. Now that is passed on to me, I will one day accomplish what he could not.”

“I don’t think you should do that?”

“No, I will!” Thraz shouted. “I will gain my wings and ascend to dragonhood.”

Noah attempted to steer Thraz’s thinking somewhere else. He didn’t want his companion to become a meat paste on a rock. Noah placed his hand on Thraz’s shoulder. “Thraz, how many of the strongest dragonborns have wings?”

“All of them?” Thraz asked, scratching his head. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Well,” Noah continued, “how cool would it be when you become stronger than all of them, and you didn’t even need wings?”

Thraz’s eyes widened, a booming laughter followed. He slapped Noah’s back, but the human no longer was affected by the dragonborns strength.

“That is true!” Thraz said. “You are right Noah. What would Bor think if I beat all his descendants with a crutch? You really are smart.”

Noah sighed in relief. “I know I am.” Noah stopped. They were reaching the bottom of the stairs, and they had long passed where the path from the cave was.

He peered into the room. It was pitch black, but thankfully for all of them, they could all see in the dark. Thraz was from the marshes, and there, it was always dark.

The room was massive, and if he guessed correctly, it was at least a mile long, and a mile wide. Far larger than a football pitch. But why would they need so much room?

At first Noah surmised that it was used for storage, but there were no bags of grain, or whatever a mediaeval castle stored their perishables within. A box? Noah shook his head and walked further in. Whatever was here, would come out when he made himself into a nice juicy snack.

And he was right.

From the centre of the room, a ghoul around twenty feet tall wearing a bone crown blasted out of the ground.

Was this the second lord?

Level ?? - Grave Keeper.

With that idea shot in the foot, boils appeared on the monster's flesh, and when it roared, the boils burst, firing out live zombies straight for them.

Noah resisted the urge to vomit at the sight, and especially the smell, as they began their assault. Thraz and Krall from the front. Noah and Gluttony from within the shadows.

Firing out projectile spears, and Gluttony’s spectral blades made from Expansion the grave keepers back was soon slashed into a gorey mess.

The grave keeper swung its humongous shovel, smashing into Krall, sending him hurtling backward. But with Trollsblood activating, Krall stubbornly rushed forward to meet its attacks once more. The wounds he suffered were healed quickly.

With another powerful spear disappearing into the ghouls deep, fatty flesh, it spun around.

But Thraz was still there, he split the tide of ghouls that surrounded him. Turning his attention to the huge ghoul, his enormous sword glowed an earthen hue, and cleaved into the monster's leg, severing it in two.

Falling, Noah was ready for his attack. He used all his offensive techniques, powered by Gluttony’s [Charge], Noah pierced the monster's skull with a projectile spear.

You defeated a - Level 63 Grave keeper

You have Levelled up!
| Noah ( Phantom Lancer ) level 55 -> Noah ( Phantom Lancer ) level 57

Krall, the Scourge of the Jungle has levelled up.
| Krall level 55 -> Krall level 57

Gluttony has Levelled up.
| Gluttony level 38 -> Gluttony level 42

You are being watched

…

All conditions met for unlocking your bloodline.
| Upgrade your Taming Room to Level 2 - Complete

| Tame a monster with a rare bloodline - Complete.
| Defeat a Level 50 - Complete
| Tier 4 Taming Mission - Complete
| Defeat a dungeon ‘Lord’ - Complete

| Completely clear a ‘Lord’ Dungeon - Complete

Oh nice! Noah gawked at the sudden messages. He wasn’t expecting it since he couldn’t see what the hell the conditions were, but it seemed they were quite difficult.

Noah took a moment to reflect. If he hadn’t moved as fast as he did when he entered this new world. If he hadn’t taken as many risks as he did, perhaps he would already be dead? By Victor's hands, or some random monster.

If he was weak, Noah doubted he would even dare face this dungeon. It was a reminder that he couldn’t slow down. Not yet. Not with everyone becoming ‘Lord’s of their own territory.

Maybe if he killed them all, he could obtain a semblance of peace. But he knew himself, he was no murder. Even Maera who had betrayed him, could he really kill her? Noah nodded, he absolutely could. But not unless she openly displayed her fangs against him.

Until then, she was safe.

Bloodline unlocked - [ Unique ] Father of Monsters: There is something within you that monsters fear and respect. Unique to the user: Noah. Improves the connection you have with your tamed monsters, and the damage they do by 10%. Increases your ability to tame. Anything that is deemed monstrous, you can detect around you.

| Increases Will by 5%

Noah felt something within him change. It was difficult to describe, and he couldn’t really put his finger on it. He just felt different. Stronger? No, that wasn’t accurate. Maybe it was an ego? He felt more arrogant?

Shaking his head, he looked at Krall, and Gluttony, only for them to fall on their knees in submission. They bowed their heads, as if they were gazing at a ruler of the animal kingdom, and not a street urchin named Noah.

“Am I different?” Noah asked Krall, but he only nodded.

“Nope, you still stink like a rotten human,” Thraz sniffed the air. “Maybe mixed with blood and piss.”

“I don’t smell that bad,” Noah said in refusal, until he sniffed his own arm, and recoiled back with a retch.

Okay, I’m in dire need of a shower. “I blame Krall and Gluttony.” Noah pointed at his companions as they looked at each-other.

“You named your pet Gluttony?” Thraz asked. “You have poor naming abilities.”

“Oh sure, what would you have named him then?”

“It’s black and purple with wings, a dog nose, and awesome looking blades on its legs.” Thraz crossed his arms, as if he thought of a cool name. “I would call it: Blurple hounded blade fang.”

“What are you? Twelve?” Noah wryly smiled as he split open the ghouls skull to reveal a blackened pearl. He plucked it up and threw it to Thraz.

“I’m Sixteen actually,” Thraz corrected him while catching the pearl. He gazed at it, bit it, then looked at Noah, confused. “What use do I have for this?”

“You use it to replenish your Expansion.”

“My what?”

Noah thought for a second, but in the end he just took it back. How the hell would he explain Expansion to him? It was like telling a child why they had to do homework… Alright, Noah was one of those children, but still.

“Let’s just get out of here,” Noah continued. “But first let me look at my System for a moment.”

After all that fighting, it was time to see where his stats lay.