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An Otherworldly Scholar - 167
🕑 Added 2024-10-13 03:14:48 +0000 UTCThe sound of the horn came down from the citadel. All movement on the camp stopped. Everyone held their breath. The horn blew for the second time and the tension broke. Some orcs of the Teal Moon tribe rushed to the entrance of the underground refuge while those who were fitted to combat escorted them. No undead came down from the sky, however, I felt an eerie sensation coming from the forest.
I left Dassyra’s tent and walked in the opposite direction of the orc crowd. I was ready to push my way with my mana shield, however the orcs moved in an orderly fashion despite the pressing sound of the horn. When I reached the wall, I used my Wind-Shot boots to jump to the top. The environmental mana quivered, and a thick mist emerged from the forest and poured into the plains—an area spell. I knew that feeling, but it was too early for the Lich to return.
The gates of Umolo opened, and several orc war parties formed a defensive perimeter around the camp outside walls. Dassyra and her warriors tailed the group. They were wearing my enchanted armor.
Why didn’t the orcs from the outer camp enter the city? There was plenty of space inside Umolo. Fighting in the open plains was a tactical mistake but I had no time to ponder the orc’s tactics. I ran along the wall until I was above the gates, in the point closest to the forest. Greyfang archers prepared bows and arrows. Their bows were taller than them, and I didn’t need [Foresight] to know their enormous draw weights.
“Why don’t they enter the city?” I asked, pointing at the orcs camping outside.
“Only the tribes of the pact can enter the Cradle City,” an orc archer replied, scouting the forest line about half a kilometer away. The mist obscured the view.
“Can’t you make an exception?”
“They can join a tribe of the pact if they please.”
Shadowy figures moved inside the mist to the south. I sighed in relief. The monsters seemed to come from the side opposite the outside camp. They would need to go through several war parties to reach the non-combatants.
“Draw!” The orc captain shouted, aiming his arm to the mist.
The orc archers turned to the south. They took a deep breath and nocked their arrows. The bows creaked. I looked down to the plains. The monsters hidden among the mist were still four or five hundred meters away. There was no way the arrows could reach them.
“Shoot!” The Greyfang captain shouted, and the archers released their arrows.
The snapping of bowstrings almost deafened me. Heavy arrows crossed the sky and penetrated the mist. The distant screech of the undead filled the valley. When my ears stopped buzzing, I noticed the fog continued creeping closer and closer to the walls. I used my mana sense but the fog wasn’t natural, and blocked my attempts to look through it. I squinted my eyes. Something big was moving behind the white wall, but it was impossible to distinguish what it was. The archers shot a second volley.
Firana suddenly landed by my side, startling me.
“What’s happening?” She asked.
There was no sign of the other kids.
“What are you doing here?” I replied.
“Ilya sent me to see what was going on,” Firana said, puffing her chest with pride. “Pyrrah didn’t want us to go outside but I snuck through the skylight.”
Before I could answer, the gate opened, and a squadron of fifty Greyfangs clad in iron exited Umolo. The Greyfang captain, an orc with a gray wolf pelt on his shoulders and bone ornaments hanging from his belt, raised his hand, and the warriors spread in a checkered pattern. They roared defiantly, like inviting the monsters to attack.
“Should we help?” Firana said.
“Steal the glory of a Greyfang, and you’ll be hanging from the wall in no time,” the orc archer I had struck conversation before said.
The mist covered the Greyfangs up to the knee. As the shadowy figures approached, they prepared their heavy cleavers. Firana grabbed my shirt as we peeked over the parapet. From the mist appeared a man dressed in battered plate armor wielding a pike. Undead. On his chest was the crest of the impaled wolf in red and black.
“A guardsman!” Firana said.
Mana surged through the undead guardsman’s body.
“Watch out!” I yelled.
The undead guardsman used [Quickstep]. The Greyfangs didn’t react fast enough. The shining pike pierced through the Greyfang armor, buried deep into his neck. [Puncture]. The two nearest orcs attacked the guardsman, smashing through the armor like paper, and the formation closed around their wounded companion, but it was too late. More and more figures emerged from the mist.
Undead System-users.
The Greyfang leader roared. Mana surged from his body, and a wind blow cleared the mist. A disorganized army of undead human soldiers stood before Umolo. I recognized their emblems. The impaled wolf of Farcrest, the red eagle of Jorn, the lush tree of Vedras, the blue olive branches of Gairon, and many more crests of minor nobles. They were all members of the royal army.
“Was that [Aerokinesis]?” Firana asked.
The fog closed again, but the Greyfang leader pushed the wind with a hand movement.
“That is [Aerokinesis]!”
“But orcs don’t use the System,” I muttered.
The battle raged. Greyfangs pressed the attack, shooting magic icicles and stone spikes. However, System-users weren’t pushovers, and the undead countered the attack with their own tricks. Blades and shields shone as the undead army fortified their weapons and bodies, but the orc cleavers were strong, and human armor wasn’t enough to block their brutal swings. The battle surged.
Orcs had a hard time countering movement skills. Luckily for the Greyfangs, the undead were only low-level combatants, so the orc’s elemental spells gave them the upper hand. I couldn’t help but think there was something wrong. That was clearly System magic. The magic of the elves was different. Their mana was pure Fountain magic, unlike my [Mana Mastery], which used mana processed by the System. The difference was subtle, but my mana sense was keen.
“Orcs aren’t supposed to use the System,” I said.
“The tribes of the pact don’t deal with Corruption,” the orc archer replied.
My eyes didn’t lie. They were using skills. Did they discover an alternative way of harnessing Fountain mana without the System? I glanced at the battlefield. No. That was System magic. I had no doubt. The fog pushed against the walls, and more shadowy figures slithered under the misty veil. The Greyfangs were getting surrounded by the undead when two orc squads abandoned the northern side of the wall and moved into the gate to help them. The Crimson Sun and the Teal Moon.
“Let’s go. We have to protect Dassyra’s warriors,” I said.
“Me?” Firana asked.
“Yes, we will need your [Aerokinesis],” I said, standing on the parapet. The fall was long, and I wasn’t sure the Wind-Shot Boots were enough to cushion the landing. “I might need help with the landing.”
The girl nodded and found a place under my arm. There was no time to find a ladder. I clenched my jaw, and we dropped from the top of the wall. My stomach churned, but after the initial acceleration, Firana’s [Feather Fall] slowed our speed. We reached the bottom unscathed. I let out a sigh of relief.
“That was funny,” Firana said, drawing her sword.
“No, it wasn’t,” I replied, trying to ease my heart rate.
Giving magic powers to a risk-prone fifteen-year-old wasn’t the most brilliant move on the System’s part.
Firana cut the fog wall in half, and we ran towards the Teal Moon warriors. They had reinforced the Greyfang’s flank and fought against Farcrest’s undead guardsmen. To my relief, the enchanted armor was relatively effective against piercing spells. Seeing us approach, Dassyra’s warriors opened their formation to let us through.
“Do you understand now why using the System is a bad idea!” Dassyra yelled as she blocked a guardsman's pike and cut them in half with her war cleaver.
“I was dragged into this!” I replied, pushing mana into my sword. “Can you get this fog away from us, Firana?”
The girl nodded.
I expected a violent wind gust. Instead, she slowly moved her hands, creating a gentle breeze. At first, nothing happened, but after a moment, the fog started circulating towards the forest line, out of the plains, like a receding tide. Was Firana getting more subtle? Maybe the System wasn’t all that wrong, and wind magic was the best element for her. The mist retreated, revealing more enemies.
“Archer!” I yelled, pushing through the orc line and raising a mana shield as broad as [Mana Mastery] allowed me.
A burning arrow hit the barrier right, and the explosion of sparks blurred my vision. An arrow volley flew over our heads and hit the faraway targets the mist had been hiding. I looked over my shoulder. Firana remained in the center of the orc formation, pushing the fog away. I signaled her to stay put, and she nodded back.
It was time to farm some levels.
“Handy Assistant, what are you doing?!” Little One yelled.
I chased the undead archer but a guardsman blocked my way.
Undead Soldier Lv.14 (Corrupted). [Identify] The reanimated body of a Soldier Class human. The Undead Soldier lacks free will and follows the simple commands of a powerful wizard. Death had dulled their senses, but the lack of fear and pain make the Undead Soldier an unrelenting opponent. Weakness: Fire, Mana Drain, Shotgun.
The Undead Soldier used [Quickstep] and aimed his spear at my heart. [Foresight] anticipated the movement. Time seemed to slow around me, and I saw the shortest path for the kill. [Swordsmanship] overcharged my muscles. With a swift sidestep, I cut the spear shaft before it could reach me. Then, following the momentum, I decapitated the monster with a clean swing of my sword. The exchange lasted only a second, but my eyes were already scouting the battlefield for my next opponent.
Undead Warrior Lv.20.
The Vedras’ crest shone on the warrior’s battered breastplate. The monster hoisted a rusted, chipped maul. Mana pulsated around the weapon, sending silvery sparks to the ground. Again, [Foresight] showed me the shortest path for the kill. The undead creature swung the maul, but I was already past its defenses. The undead channeled its mana and cast [Iron Skin]. Its body gleamed with a protective aura, but my mana blade cut through it like a hot knife against butter.
I raised my shield to block the Undead Archer’s [Fire Arrow]. I dashed across the battlefield, but the monster showed no sign of fear. Instead, it stood its ground and loosed a rapid burst of arrows. [Quickshot]. The arrows, however, bounced against my mana shield.
The archer’s leather armor was no match for my mana blade, and after a swift cut, the monster lay on the ground cut in half.
Before I could locate my next opponent, a screech came from the forest. A shadow dashed through the fog among the trees. My blood froze as [Foresight] pulled old memories. It sounded just like the Wendigo.
“Rob! Return to formation!” Dassyra shouted behind me.
I didn’t realize I had drifted so far from the orc line.
I had no time to fall back.
A quadruped, misshapen monster with a body covered in black, leathery skin jumped over the thicket. Its head was unnaturally huge, and its maw was as wide as a shark’s. Strands of fabric and flesh hanging from its serrated teeth. White protrusions of bone protected its face, giving it an eerily humanoid appearance.
“Ghouls!” Dassyra yelled.
The orcs closed ranks into a compact formation.
Ghoul Lv.42. Magical Abomination. Man Eater. Monster Eater. [Identify] Once a mighty warrior, high concentrations of magic corrupted its body and mind, turning it into a bloodthirsty monster that roams the Farlands with the sole purpose of consuming the flesh of its victims. Weakness: Shotgun.
No weakness other than ‘shotgun’ was a bad sign.
The Ghoul charged at me, its powerful front legs making the ground tremble. I sidestepped in the last moment and sliced the creature’s side. However, my sword barely left a scratch on the thick, leathery skin. I was thrown back to my fight against the Wendigo. The creature’s defenses were too high, even for my mana blade. More Ghouls appeared from the forest, and the Crimson Sun orcs retreated to the gates.
The war parties who were defending the outer camp also retreated and only Greyfangs and Dassyra’s Teal Moon tribe remained outside.
I cursed.
The Ghoul took a sharp turn and charged again. A magic arrow fell from the sky and stuck in its shoulder. It was a flesh wound but it was enough diversion for me to retreat into the orc formation. On top of the wall, Ilya waved her hand. [Foresight] calculated the distance. It had been a clean two-hundred-meter shot.
“We have to retreat!” Dassyra said.
“What about the orcs camping outside the walls?” I replied.
The Ghoul grabbed the Undead Warrior’s maul and charged against our formation. I cursed yet again as I didn’t expect the creatures to have thumbs. The orcs braced themselves, my enchanted armor enduring the creature’s assault. The defensive wall barely held, and their cleavers only scratched the Ghoul’s skin. Realizing their attacks were in vain, the orcs tried to subdue the Ghoul by grappling it, but the beast was stronger. A dozen orcs were the bare minimum to keep a single Ghoul at bay. Dassyra had sixty warriors, so our hypothetical limit was five Ghouls.
My thoughts might have called bad luck because more and more Ghouls emerged from the mist.
The Greyfangs weren’t much luckier than us, although their spells seemed more effective than regular weapons. They closed formation but didn’t retreat inside.
“I’m going to protect the outer camp,” I said, signaling Ilya to move through the wall to the north. The girl understood my message and disappeared behind the parapet.
I jogged along the wall with Firana in tow while the Ghouls crossed the plains, chasing down the retreating orcs. I counted at least twenty beasts. The Lich might be sending their best troops, but like Wendigos, Ghouls could be felled. We abandoned the epicenter of the fight. The way orcs fought—in clusters of warriors of the same tribe—seemed to catch the attention of most Ghouls.
An idea popped into my mind. The Ghouls were the perfect monster to test new strategies. They were sturdy enough for our old tactics to be useless, yet they weren’t strong enough for the kids to be in real danger with me nearby. I scanned the battlefield. Most of the Ghouls were focusing on the Greyfangs.
In the worst case scenario, I could slow down the monsters to give the kids a chance to flee.
I hadn't realized it earlier but the outer camp might be our ticket to survival.
“Firana, I need you to get the others,” I said.
“Are we fighting?” She asked.
“We are going to try something different,” I replied.
A moment later, Firana propelled herself to the top of Umolo’s wall.
The outer camp was in turmoil. Groups of poorly armed orc warriors tried to stop the undead soldiers and protect the non-combatants, but unlike the Teal Moon tribe, they weren’t a cohesive unit. The orcs of the outer camps weren’t a single tribe but dozens of small ones without clear leadership. I jumped in to help.
I reached the southern side of the camp, where a single Ghoul was going on a rampage. I channeled mana into my sword until it turned blinding white. The Ghoul sensed my magic and jumped away, leaving the orcs alone. The improvised weapons had barely dented the monster’s body, yet a dozen orcs lay dead around it.
The Ghoul glanced at my mana blade. Unlike the other undead, the creature was intelligent. Its eyes showed a glint of malice before it turned and rushed into the camp. I cursed as I followed the trail of destruction.
After a minute of chase, the Ghoul turned a corner and crashed against a makeshift barricade made of carts and pieces of wood. A few orcs had organized a defensive bottleneck, but their presence attracted the monsters. Without tribal warriors protecting the outskirts, low-level undead were seeping into the camp. The undead royal soldiers proved to be too much for the orcs. The System gave them a huge advantage, even with a few basic skills.
I threw a mana sword at the Ghoul, but the spell shattered against its skin.
The creature climbed the barricade, but Dassyra’s warriors appeared out of nowhere and knocked it down. The Ghoul clawed and thrashed around, but the dozen orcs grappled it down. The respite lasted a moment because the Ghoul managed to push them away. The orcs weren’t fighting but herding the monster away from the non-combatants.
[Foresight] showed me the kill and I ran through the orc formation.
“Rob, for the love of the ancestors, wait!” Dassyra shouted behind me.
The Ghoul turned and pounced, probably thinking I was the easiest target. Technically, I was. Time slowed down to a snail's pace. The monster moved a millimeter each second. [Foresight] showed me the monster’s trajectory. The window before the claws turned me into meat strips was only a few instants, but it was enough. Mana surged through my muscles. My sight blurred until only a tiny speck was clearly visible—my target. Every single trace of mental power went to a single movement.
Time returned to its normal pace. The Ghoul extended its claws. I sidestepped and buried my sword in the creature’s eye. The blade pierced through the skull into the brain. I let the sword go, and I was out, unharmed, like a matador.
Then, I remembered I was supposed to breathe.
Despite the damage, the Ghoul stumbled and clawed for a minute before falling dead. I expected some cheering, but the orcs around me were pale. Scared.
“That was… impressive,” Dassyra said as I retrieved my sword. Then, she snapped from her surprise. “Take the civilians and create a defensive perimeter around the wall.”
I grabbed a piece of tent and enchanting a Light Rune on it. “Use this as a beacon.”
The gates of Umolo opened, and more Greyfangs poured into the plains.
No other orc tribe decided to participate in the battle.
“Warchief Callaid is going to be so mad. The glory will be all for us,” Dassyra grinned, taking the shiny fabric from my hands and tucking it into a pole. Then, she turned to her warriors. “Gather the non combatants! Create a defensive perimeter against Umolo’s wall and kill the undead!”
The orc squad worked like a hivemind and they started gathering the civilians. On the flip side, there were only sixty of Dassyra’s warriors for the thousand orcs living in the outer camp. I hoped the beacon was enough to attract those away from earshot.
“You are a good man, Rob, you put the others first, just like Byrne Samuel,” Dassyra said.
“I’m protecting the outer camp to get their favor before we get kicked out from Umolo,” I shrugged off her compliment. “This is about survival.”
Dassyra raised an eyebrow.
“You speak like a true orc now.”
Ilya’s Spirit Animal—the little sparrow—landed on my head, and a moment later, the group of kids appeared through the tents. They were ready to fight, and Wolf even had the shotgun strapped to his chest. Before exchanging greetings, I lined them up and enchanted their clothes with the Reinforcement Rune. I wasn’t expecting them to engage the Ghouls directly, but it was better to be prepared if things didn’t go according to the plan.
“We will try a different way of fighting,” I said as the kids gathered around me. “I want you to avoid engaging with the enemy.”
“How am I supposed to stab them then?” Firana asked.
Zaon looked at me, curious. He had the same question. Sentinels and Fencers were frontline Classes, after all.
“You won’t stab them. I want you to attract the monster’s attention and give Ilya and Wolf a clear shot without engaging in close quarter combat.”
The kids exchanged a surprised glance.
“I know we talked about changing our fighting style but Firana is our strongest damage dealer. I don’t think she should act as our support,” Ilya pointed out.
“We will use this strategy only against monsters like the Elven Chrysalimorph and the Lich. Against the small fry, you can fight as you normally do,” I explained and the kids nodded. I expected a bit more resistance. “I’ll be in the center of the formation. If you ever feel you are in danger, use me as cover.”
Ghoul howling came from the north side of the camp.
“I’d like a few theory lessons first,” Zaon sighed.
“Don’t engage. Flee if you feel threatened. Use Mister Clarke as cover. That’s all the theory you need,” Ilya replied, grabbing her Cooldown Bow. “You are literally an elf. You can use your twinkle toes and the enchanted boots to flee. We are prepared for this.”
“I guess we are,” Zaon replied, drawing his sword and rolling his shoulders.
Something had changed in him since we entered the Farlands.
“Alright, team,” Ilya raised her voice. “Mister Clarke had always been there for us since he arrived at the orphanage. Now, he has the tall quest of fixing the System. Let’s show him he can count on us.”
The kids cheered and we followed the Ghoul’s howling.
Comments
ND_JackSparrow
Ghoul Lv.42. Magical Abomination. Man Eater. Monster Eater. [Identify] Once a mighty warrior, high concentrations of magic corrupted its body and mind, turning it into a bloodthirsty monster that roams the Farlands with the sole purpose of consuming the flesh of its victims. Weakness: Shotgun. Not too dissimilar from the Wendigo's description from chapter 6: Wendigo Lv.39. Magical Abomination. Man eater. Monster eater. [Identify] Wendigos live deep in the Farlands. Once a powerful shaman, high concentrations of magic corrupted its body and mind turning it into a monster. Weakness: Magic. Holy Magic. With the main difference being that one was a Shaman and the other a Warrior. Interesting. i suppose that means what Class you are will affect what type of monster you become when you get corrupted. I'm going to trust Rob's senses on the Greyfang issue. Quite the curious case. I have two prevailing theories: 1 - The Greyfangs found a way to hide their system use from the other orcs. This would explain why they are the "elite among the elite" as Little One said -- its because they have the advantage of using system skills. 2 - Drawing from this exchange of dialouge < “Orcs aren’t supposed to use the System,” I said. “The tribes of the pact don’t deal with Corruption,” the orc archer replied. > Maybe the Greyfangs found a way to use some part of the system while also guaranteeing their safety from corruption? Perhaps a weakened or limited version of it?
Ben Bass
TYFTC! So the Greyfang are using the system I guess. Would Wolf join them, or stick with the orphanage? I think he sticks with his family, at least for now. It is awesome watching Rob make use of Foresight and his swordmastery. I wonder if that will ever level as he is really making use of it since leaving the city. Let’s see what they can all do to help protect the civilians as well as start making better use of their ranged attacks and more advanced small unit tactics.
Calvin
Wolf the greyfang, I'm calling it.
bcd051
I'm really enjoying this, not just because fighting and numbers go up, but it has a genuine quest feel, and the "kids" are growing. I love how your characters have evolved and feel like 3 dimensional people.
