— RUMBLE! —
”What the hell is that, Master?!” Derek cried out.
”What is it, you ask? Death! Freaking Death! Either we find a cave, or we’re utterly screwed, so keep running!”
It had all started when Derek had touched a strange orange rock on a strange altar in a boring tunnel. There had been a statue of a man with 12 arms, each equipped with a pickaxe.
[Great Job! Found an Altar!]
[Bringer of Chaos Activating!]
[The Altar of DYG is revitalized by the mana!]
[DYG, the mining deity, has blessed you!]
[Increase in mining speed +100%]
[Damage versus Rock-Type +100%]
This part had been the honeymoon period. Derek had even swung his pick excitedly, noticing a small increase in his performance. But, then trouble had come crashing!
[EVENT: The Blessing Attracted Nearby Monsters!]
[Prepare your armies: it’s time to fight!]
[Congratulations, you fucked up!]
Armies?! Fucked up?! That’s when things had turned to Hell, and now they could only run.
The creatures on their heels created a rock dust cloud as they chased after them. What were they even doing here?!
Jack quickly realized that at this rate, they would get eaten. It wasn’t too big a deal for him, but it sure was for the NPC! “Go on ahead. I’ll catch up!” He ordered.
”No way! This student will never abandon you no matter what!” The youngster heroically thundered. There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his voice, did the kid care that much about him?!
”Now’s not the time for filial piety! Just save yourself!” Jack shouted back, touched.
He expected Derek to bite his lips and begrudgingly obey in a scene worthy of a classical tragedy….nope. While they were running, he scratched his head awkwardly.
”I would, but I don’t know the way to the surface!” Derek cried out.
”…..”
Emotional scene? Nope.
Staying out of duty? No way!
Derek knew that he would die in a matter of minutes without a guide. He would much rather be torn to pieces fighting here than to perish in a maze of underground tunnels.
But suddenly, his eyes lit up.
”Master, look ahead! There’s an opening!” Without waiting, he grabbed Jack by the collar, dragging him along. After all, his stats were higher!
If they could hold out for a bit longer, they would be saved!
Jack felt himself seemingly float as he was carried as a potato sack. This gave him a first-row view of the creatures going after them.
Long teeth, sharp claws that could slice through rock as if butter, and large beady eyes filled with red.
”Eat this!” Jack angrily threw treasures their way: Meat, pumpkins, and even some lovely home-cooked meals from Pumpkin Girl!
Yet the barbaric creatures didn’t care as it all smashed on them. Their fur was full of food, rock fragments, various metals, and plenty of bones— soon it would be their bones…
”Faster!!” Jack bellowed.
”That’s as fast as a swordsman gets.” The youngster suddenly regretted never focusing on his movement techniques! Still, he kept pushing his body to its very limits.
Sadly it wasn’t enough. The approaching swarm of creatures got closer and closer….until the cloud dust swallowed the two.
As death hovered over them, they made eye contact.
”I’ll throw you forward. Get ready.” Jack ordered. He may not have been fast, but he was strong. It would be easy for him! He’d sacrifice a bit of XP and loot to save his follower.
”?!?”
”You need to reach the high ground to survive. Don’t move too much, and I’ll come and get you ASAP! Do you understand?” Jack explained.
Derek felt this plan would work, but there was an issue. Jack may be an immortal Brave, but the consequences would still be dire if he perished: the mission would fail!
After lots of pestering, his Master had finally told him about the Lich hunt. This evil threatened not only Sprigfield but the whole Empire!
Derek made his choice:
”Take care of yourself, Master….and live well.” His smile was ever so peaceful.
”Y-you?! What are you doing?!” Jack uttered.
”If you gain a medal of honor for the Lich subjugation, please mention me as a great stable boy!” Derek chuckled.
That’s when he threw Jack forward with all his strength.
Motherfucker! Why the freaking suicide all of a sudden?! He had grinded affinity with this NPC! As if he’d let him die under his watch!
Derek suddenly felt that something was odd. He had already made the motion to throw Jack, yet the man was still holding on to him?
That’s when it happened.
Jack let out the most sonorous fart of all time!— Or that’s what it sounded like! Wind magic suddenly blasted from him, pushing them both toward safety.
Wind Affinity + Mana + Madman = THIS!
— Jack used a chaotic wind blast! —
It was super effective!— Mostly against himself. They were pushed alright, but at what cost? A high one!
His body broke down, and so did his ability to use mana. What he had done was akin to mixing mentos and cola inside his own belly and using the power to run away!
His skin was bleeding, seemingly cracked from the burst of energy, and he had trouble holding onto his consciousness.
[?!?]
[Analyzing!]
[Created New Skill: Self-Destruct!]
[Afflicted by Mana Explosion Burn!]
”MASTER?!!” Derek held the limp body of his Master, completely shocked. Jack couldn’t even muster the strength to talk. His fate would rest in his apprentice’s hands.
Luckily Derek quickly regained his senses. “High ground, high ground!” He mumbled as he observed their new surroundings. That’s when Jack succumbed to the darkness…
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
As Jack’s eyes fluttered open, he was instantly assaulted by an eager shout.
”Master, you’re alive! I thought I’d lost you!” Derek happily chippered. “While you were out—”
The scene spoke for itself: they were in a cave, with their temporary dwelling in the air and hugging a stalactite. On the ground lay countless corpses.
There were tons of their earlier opponents: the Rock-Cleaving Moles, plenty of Iron-Devouring Snakes, and a few Giant Bats. Derek sure had fought hard for their survival!
Still, the very presence of the Rock-Cleaving moles was concerning. They usually lived in Deep Rock Canyon. Was the blessing enough to draw them in? Not from so far away!
This meant that something big had happened at the Canyon, most probably a special Field Boss appearing, or perhaps some event with one of the races there? He’d have to check…
”How long was I out?” Jack murmured.
”Long enough to scare me!” He exclaimed before turning serious. “Master, I think something is wrong with this whole place. It’s been quaking ever—”
— SHAKE! —
As if on cue, the entire cave shook, causing rocks to fall off the ceiling. A few almost landed on their heads, but Derek parried them all….with his pickaxe?! Seeing the wear on the thing, he had used it a LOT!
Did this mean an Event was happening here too? He still remembered his “Bringer of Chaos” title activating back at the altar.
Right now, he felt like a blind man trying to cross the street. He had no freaking clue what was happening! It didn’t follow the script, and this was so goddamn exhilarating!
”Do you know what the tremors mean, disciple?” Jack asked with a grin.
”We’re getting closer to the Lich, right?”
”It means Chaos!” Jack thundered. “As for whether a Lich causes it or not, we’ll have to investigate.” He explained, deep in thoughts.
The place was now crawling with monsters, and they had most likely missed the deadline for then meeting with MTG. They were on their own…
”Master, should we retreat and get reinforcements?”
”Eh, it’s one thing to cry wolf, but we don’t even know what we’re truly facing….” Jack sighed. Sadly he didn’t have the power to mobilize an army with his gut feeling.
The two carefully resumed their exploration.
They resolved to use their current cave as a temporary base. It seemed Derek had grown wiser while he was out, if not stronger. He now knew to drive species against one another to kill them.
He would cut the bats’ wings, baiting the Rock-Cleaving Moles into trying this new delicacy. It was a new culinary experience for the moles as they somehow hated heights.
Then the moles would draw the Iron-Devouring Snakes who tried to eat the ore stuck in the creatures’ fur. This, in turn, enraged all of them.
Bats Vs. Moles Vs. Snakes
The fights were messy but would serve their purpose: to weaken them all. Then the humans would swagger in and finish them all. KS FTW! The XP was nerfed, but whatever…
Good thing that he had grown because Jack was currently unable to use his magic. Every time he circulated his mana, he’d break into a cold sweat and swallow a cry of pain.
If there was one good thing about the situation, it had to be the barbecue! They didn’t dare to light a fire long lest the air ran out and a monster army came, but still.
”Bats are pretty good, aren’t they? No wonder the moles are trying so hard to eat them!”
Thus they established a routine of exploring, killing, and eating. There was a crazy surreal feeling to the whole thing, especially with the darkness surrounding them.
During such a meal, Jack sighed as he finally concluded.
”There’s nothing out of the ordinary here except that one DYG statue, and even that is a dead end. I’ll have to leave the Iron area and head to the Crystal one.”
”WHAT?! Have you gone insane, Master?!”
”Perhaps….” Jack replied, smiling.