Freydis of the Deep was mighty, to be sure.
But she wasn’t especially bright.
Redmane didn’t know how long this creature had lived, or what had drawn it up to the village of Kenvik from the depths. The Blight, more likely than not. But it had just made the final mistake of its life.
Walls of flesh pulsed and contracted around Redmane, coated with a slick, viscous slime that clung to his skin. The air filled with the stench of decomposing flesh and the sharp tang of gastric acids. Sounds were muffled, the only noises the constant, rhythmic churning and gurgling of digestive processes around him. Whatever was beneath his feet was uneven, soft tissues giving way occasionally to harder, undigested remnants of the monster's previous meals.
The smells alone would enough to make this unpleasant. Fortunately it was dark, so he didn’t have to see what he was touching.
But rather than focus on those things he could not change, he placed his mind firmly on changing himself. Physically.
There was something in the new rank of Carnivorous Metamorph he wanted to double check…
—
Carnivorous Metamorph
Bloodline Skill Monstrous (Gruu)
Rank 2 - Evolution Possible
Active - 10 Gnosis per adaptation
(Rank 1) The Monster is capable of changing form to mimic the natural qualities of any creatures it has previously eaten, to include attacks, defenses, environmental adaptations, and modes of stealth, perception and movement.
It can grow such things as scales, tails, insulating fur, forms of natural camouflage, venom sacs, fangs, quills and specialized organs such as gills or wings.
The Monster also acquires an instinctual understanding of how such adaptations are utilized by their own kind, conferring a level of aptitude equal to that of a young adult specimen of said species.
Upon learning this Skill, the Monster will possess an inner ‘library’ of adaptations that will grow as it consumes the flesh of eaten creatures.
Adaptations are permanent, unless dismissed by the Monster.
(Rank 2) The Monster gains greater flexibility with their library of adaptations.
It may combine the functions of different adaptations together, to create unique organs, tissues, or natural weapons. The Monster could combine a wolf’s winter coat with a porcupine’s quills, for example, creating a coat which provides both defense and protection against cold weather.
The Monster may also manifest organs and appendages anywhere on its body, such as an eyeball on the palm of its hand or a mass of horns on its shoulder.
Furthermore, the Monster may also increase or decrease its physical size, to an extent determined by its present Corpus.
—
Redmane re-read the part about combining different adaptations together. It seemed to say what he thought it said.
He closed his eyes, and focused on his claws.
Carnivorous Metamorph
Gnosis: 746
The Manticore delivered venom through the stinger on its tail. Redmane could focus on the image of it, see it in cross-section. The organ included a bulbous venom gland adjacent to the stinger, giving it its distinctive shape.
He created the same sort of venom glands, but he tucked them in between the ring of carpal bones within his wrists. Then he stretched the stinger out, branched it into five, threaded the five branches through the insides of his fingers and brought the ends of the venom ducts into the tips of all five claws.
Redmane gritted his teeth. Cracked his neck. He’d have liked to take a deep breath in, but he chose not to on account of the stench.
Instead, he started slashing.
Bleeding (4)
Venom (5)
Bleeding (8)
Venom (10)
Bleeding (12)
Venom (15)
Freydis’s stomach was a ruin in instants. He could tell its walls were trying to expel him, instinctively contracting as if to vomit him out, but they were already dissolute, shredded like tissue. The gurgling and churning sounded frantic now, spastic, because even as he ripped into the sea monster’s guts — faster and faster thanks to Bloodthirst — he was also delivering copious quantities of the Manticore’s venom into its system.
Freydis was large. Large enough, perhaps, to soak a bit of venom by virtue of her sheer mass. But not large enough to compensate for how many doses she was getting in rapid succession.
There was only a brief period of thrashing and flailing, before she began to sink like a boulder.
Redmane hacked his way to freedom, finally ripping free of the great beast’s body to find himself in deep, dark water. Even as massive as she was, he could only barely see the outline of Freydis’s paralyzed, bleeding body descending into the depths.
Freydis of the Deep Slain
Tasks Completed: 1/3
Level Up
Level 91 —> 92
Level 92 —> 93
Level 93 —> 94
Level 94 —> 95
Quality Points awaiting allocation: 4
Speed was on his mind, so he fed the points to Grace.
Grace 55 —> 59
Redmane looked up, and to his dismay he couldn’t see the surface. She must have begun sinking well before he’d clawed his way out. He swam upward as fast as he could, remembering with a pang of panic that gills were not yet in his Carnivorous Metamorph library.
On his way up he felt pains all over his body. Pressure injuries. In his joints, his muscles, even on his skin. It became harder to hold his breath, even as the shimmer of the surface came into view.
Corpus: 2019
It would be a grim irony if he’d slain a titanic beast with such ease, only to be done in by the waters themselves.
Corpus: 1832
Closing toward the surface didn’t seem to help. In fact new pains burst into being all over his body.
Corpus: 1554
He choked. Flailed. Struggling to see straight. The silvery shine of the surface so close, promising safety, release…
Corpus: 1140
His vision blurred to the point of blindness.
He released his last breath in a cloud of bubbles.
And then his head broke the surface of the water.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Redmane's lungs filled with air in a violent, desperate gasp. Water splashed around him as he coughed, expelled the remnants of seawater from his throat, and sucked in another deep breath. The cold air stung his lungs, made him gasp again, chest heaving with the effort of each sharp inhalation.
Harpoons began to strike the surface of the water around him.
He wheeled around to see a pack of Gill-Men standing on the rocky shore, above the ruins of the wharf, taking harpoons from a stack piled next to them and hurling them through the air with alarming force and accuracy. And they had a leader with them, a Gill-Man somewhat taller and brawnier than the rest, wearing the remnants of a long jacket and trousers.
The Longshoreman
Monster Type: Mongrel
Level 112
Not the welcome he was hoping for.
Harpoons sliced through the air, pelting the water all around him. The sound of wood clacking against rock echoed as the Gill-Men grabbed more and more harpoons from the pile, a non stop barrage of them throwing in turns.
There was nothing else to do but plunge back beneath the surface.
Cold water enveloped him. Below, the world was a blur of dark shapes and the muffled sounds of harpoons piercing the water above. There was no trace of Freydis anymore, save for chunks of severed tentacles and debris from the wrecked docks and fishing boats.
The surface churned as more harpoons rained down, creating a deadly barrier between him and the air above. One of them nearly pierced his side, but impact with the water arrested enough of its momentum to do little more than scratch the skin.
Redmane swam straight for the shore, uncertain of what he’d do when he got there. But certain that If he remained where he was, he’d be skewered in short order.
Stalk
Gnosis: 736
Stealth would help him here.
Quietly, he swam up close to the shore and poked his head above the surface. The Gill-Men had run closer to the water, were staring intently down into it, making croaking and gurgling sounds at each other. Redmane couldn’t tell if they were actually communicating or just trying to. The Longshoreman stood behind them, a harpoon in hand. He too appeared susceptible to the Skill.
Which was good, because another visitor approached them.
Old Gredder
Monster Type: Mongrel
Level 115
A look at Old Gredder made him understand why the Gill-Men were classified as Mongrels.
He had crab claw for one arm, and a mass of tentacles for the other.
Old Gredder was taller than The Longshoreman, with a slender torso and spindly legs. He sported the same sort of fin as the others, starting on his brow and running down the center of his back. His beard could have been real hair or some kind of sea creature attached to his face, Redmane couldn’t tell.
What he could tell was that he was outnumbered and ominously low on Corpus.
Could use some extra hands at the docks, he told Vang and the others.
He could feel their surprise. Evidently he forgot to tell them they could communicate mind to mind.
Vang recovered first. On the way Chief!
The Gill-Men leapt into the water and began swimming around. Redmane took it as his cue to quietly crawl up onto the shore, climbing up the rocks to work his way around behind The Longshoreman and Old Gredder. With the minions swimming about in the cove, it would be a good time to lay an ambush for the masters.
It would be better still when backup arrived.
And it did. The Longshoreman, Old Gredder and the remaining Gill-Men all looked up at the sound of barking battle cries, to see a pack of four red skinned demi-humans charging their way. Vang in the lead, grinning his crooked grin, his war club held tightly against him, braced for a charging swing.
Redmane took note of who Vang was aiming for. The Longshoreman. He crept closer to him from the other side, his Skill keeping him shrouded from view. He also noted that Old Gredder stood at The Longshoreman’s flank, a bit behind him and to the right.
So he prepared a countermeasure.
Flicker
Gnosis: 686
The howls of the demi-humans grew near. Vang loudest of all. With a cry he leapt up into the air to bring the head of his club down on The Longshoreman’s scaly head with blinding speed.
Redmane watched. Waited.
When the blow was about to land, he struck as well.
Lion’s Lunge
Gnosis: 671
Vertebrae shattered under the force of his claw. He heard a wet crack at the same time. A skull fracture, he imagined.
Old Gredder croaked in surprise, lashed out at Redmane from behind with a swipe of his tentacle arm.
Flicker
Redmane snapped out of space, appeared behind the other Mongrel.
Lion’s Lunge
Gnosis: 656
He struck the Mongrel squarely on the back of the head, spraying blood across the rocks and sending him staggering forward. Not defeated, but solidly dazed.
Vang and the demi-humans encircled The Longshoreman, keeping him well occupied. Zorn, Nuk and Throk were no slouches, especially not with the bodies they had been granted. Their crude clubs and axes swarmed over the Mongrel’s defenses, always striking him somewhere he wasn’t protecting.
But Vang’s club was the executioner of the lot. The others landed solid blows, but when Vang's club found its mark, bones snapped, blood flew and The Longshoreman went staggering.
They had him. All Redmane had to do was keep Old Gredder occupied.
And with precious little Corpus, there was about one way to do so without being vanquished in a single strike.
Flicker
Gnosis: 606
Flicker
Gnosis: 556
Flicker
Gnosis: 506
The Mongrel struck out with its claw and lashing tentacles, with impressive speed and command of space. Under different circumstances it would be hard to close the distance. But Redmane flicked out of reality every time Old Gredder's blows would have landed, and he struck from the rear or the flank in answer. If the creature had more of his wits about him he may have gotten wise to the technique. But it appeared that degradation from Beastman to Mongrel further degenerated the thinking mind.
Vang slammed The Longshoreman’s head all the way around with a blow from his club, while his comrades chopped at his right leg like a tree, felling him. The quartet was on his prone corpse in an instant, clubbing and chopping away.
Meanwhile, Redmane had to hold the Beast Within at bay. More and more stacks of Bleeding and Venom fed its growing exultation, while Old Gredder lost both vigor and speed with every touch of Redmane’s claws.
All told, it was the fastest he had yet brought down a Zone.
The Longshoreman Slain
Old Gredder Slain
Tasks Completed: 3/3
Level Up
Level 95 —> 96
Level 96 —> 97
Level 97 —> 98
Level 98 —> 99
Zone Tasks Completed
Cleared Zone: Kenvik Fishing Village
Level Up
Level 99 —> Level 100
Level 100 —> Level 101
Quality Points awaiting allocation: 6
Kenvick Fishing Village will be assimilated into the domain of House Redmane
Four levels for two foes.
But they’d been weak. Redmane supposed it made sense.
He spent a point on Grace and the rest went into Fortitude, in the continuing spirit of balance.
Grace 59 —> 60
Fortitude 50 —> 55
—
At Level 100, Common Class Imbued may select a third Class Archetype or an Archetype Evolution.
Available Archetypes:
Marksman
The Marksman specializes in stealth and archery. Combining a keen eye and steady hand with his ability to mark Prey, his Skills focus on killing shots from astonishing distances.
Trapper
The Trapper, the most patient of Hunters, is a master of preparation. His Skills allow him to construct traps potent enough to capture or slay even the most powerful Monsters.
Beastmaster
The Beastmaster prefers to hunt with an animal companion, and as his Level grows, so too does the power and intelligence of his bonded beast.
Available Archetype Evolutions (Beast Disciple Archetype):
Unchained Beast
The Unchained Beast learns to literally un-shackle the Beast Within, and becomes capable of projecting its powers into the bodies of bonded beasts, minions, or even into foes, where it inflicts grievous damage from the inside out.
Enlightened Beast
The Enlightened Beast has mastered the Beast Within to such an extent that he can quell the savage natures of beasts and Monsters around him, and can even induce calm in the hearts of humans and Imbued.
Disciplined Beast
The Disciplined Beast has trained his Beast Within to the point of total obedience. It lends him its vitality, power and prowess at all times, without preconditions, no longer reliant on the scent of blood or the flare of pain.
—
The System presented interesting choices.
Redmane sat and read over them, pondered his decision for a while.
Calming emotions didn’t appeal to him much.
A consistent gain in strength would be a sensible choice, but there was something about the Disciplined Beast archetype that didn’t sit right with him.
Unchained Beast, on the other hand, spoke to his very soul.
He made his selection.
—
Archetype Evolved
Beast Disciple —> Unchained Beast
Skill Granted:
The Beast Liberated
Uncommon Class Skill (Hunter)
Rank 1 - Evolution Possible
Active - 50 Gnosis
With a glance, the Imbued may project the Beast Within into the body of another creature.
If the targeted creature is an ally, bonded beast or minion, it gains the Imbued’s Qualities, Armor and Evasion, as well as access to the Imbued’s Beast Disciple Skills. If the target creature has a Quality higher than that of the Imbued, it receives a +10 to that Quality instead.
If the targeted creature is an enemy, the Beast Within tears its body apart from the inside. The targeted creature erupts into a fountain of blood and gore as claw and bite wounds from an invisible source spontaneously tear its flesh asunder. The Beast Within attacks with the Imbued’s Qualities and strongest natural weapon, as if the Imbued himself were attacking the creature.
The Imbued may still use his own Beast Disciple Skills while his Beast Within is outside his body, but does so at twice the normal Gnosis cost.
—
Vang and his pack dealt with the remaining Gill-Men when they surfaced to find their leaders executed.
Redmane, meanwhile, read the description of his new Skill several times over.
Each time, his heartbeat picked up a little.
He sat on a rock and stared out over the debris-strewn waters of the cove, watching the waves crash against the shore. Thinking about creative ways to use it. And also he considered the next steps of the journey.
Out there to the north lay the island lair of the Sphinx.
But somewhere nearby, his enemies conspired to claim a weapon capable of doing him real harm.
The God Breaker.
Even with Pietr watching them and reporting back, there would be a delay before they could act. By the time he could muster his people and set them in motion, Aerin Morholt’s party would already be underway.
It would be good if he could discover the location of the weapon before they did. Perhaps they already knew where it was, and would soon set out to claim it. He would have to know where to go. But how to find out.
As he thought about it, his gaze followed the tide as it subtly rose.
The tide…
His eyes suddenly widened.
He could find out.
He could find out today.
The first order of business would be a meal of cold fish, to replenish what Corpus he could.
And then he had business with the Envoy of the Abyss.
PATREON
