We Hunt Monsters 14, page 5
Merry was also brutally honest, and as far as Keith could tell, had no filter whatsoever. Whatever popped into her mind would immediately come out of her mouth.
Selena blinked, completely taken off guard by Merry’s response to her outburst.
“Yes, I made another one,” Keith said, jumping in to fill the silence. “And I’ll make as many more as I want, so long as it helps me to achieve my goals. Now, you were allowed down here. Is there a reason you came to bother me on my day off?”
“I, uh, just wanted to let you know the items were ready,” Selena said, looking nervously in Merry’s direction.
Merry, for her part, was still standing exactly where she had been, at the edge of the pool and waving cheerily.
“Freaky,” she muttered under her breath.
“Great,” Keith said. “We can go over all the details tomorrow morning. Did you finish everyone else’s?”
“Not yet,” Selena replied. “I made yours first and figured I’d work on the rest after.”
“Get back to work then,” Keith said. “I’d also appreciate it if I wasn’t bothered until morning.”
“Um… Yeah, sure,” Selena said, heading away from the pool area and throwing looks back over her shoulder as Merry continued waving.
“That’s enough,” Keith said.
“Yes, Keith,” Merry said, dropping her hands to her sides.
Keith inhaled deeply, looking out at the setting sun – well, the artificial one anyway. He really had wasted most of the day away, which was a shame, though he didn’t regret it.
“I think I’m just about ready for dinner and a bath,” he said, stretching as he stood. “Merry, go with Arya to the training room. I want to see if she can help bring your skills up to snuff. I expect you to work on them until tomorrow morning. Also, no killing. This is to make you stronger.”
“Yes, Keith,” Merry said. “I promise I won’t rip Arya to pieces even if I want to. Which I don’t. Arya is nice. She makes you happy, so she makes me happy.”
“That is gratifying to hear,” said the Arya waiting in the pool area, bowing at the waist. “If you will follow me, Merry, I will show you to the training room.”
“Good night, Keith,” Merry said, waving cheerily as she followed the other automaton back into the house.
“You really did well on the naming front,” Bob said, scratching at his belly. “I’ve never seen someone so cheery all the time.”
“Cheeriness has its place,” Keith sighed as he headed inside, finding Arya waiting there with a robe for him.
Wordlessly, he allowed her to slide it onto his arms and secure it around his waist before heading to the table to wait for dinner. Keith could already smell it cooking on his way in, and seeing as he’d been careful to limit his snack intake, he was feeling quite hungry. To distract himself while he waited, he pulled up his status, running through the numbers and having Bob add the boosts from his armor and items, despite him not wearing them, so he had an accurate gauge of where his strength lay.
Status
Name: Keith the Unconquerable Hunter
Race: Avatar Primordial Hunter
Class: Primordial Soul Hunter
Level: 90
XP: 8,647,900/9,900,000 (Reduced from 11,000,000)
HP: 1,007,430/1,007,430
STA: 246,990/246,990
Strength - 23,835 (Base 5,460)
Vitality - 107,430 (Boosted 3,675 + (Base 34,585 X3))
Endurance - 24,699 (Base 11,534)
Agility - 14,151 (Base 4,476)
Wisdom - 5,140 (Base 1,465)
Luck - 7,982 (Base 2,357)
Skills
Passive
Sage of War: Sage – Peak
Probability: Sage – Peak
Hunter of Myth: Sage – Peak
Peak Health: Sage – IX
Discerning Eye: Sage – IX
Quick Learner: Sage – VIII
Punisher: Sage – VII
Judgment: Sage – VI
Prodigy: Sage – IV
Back Against the Wall: Sage – III
All-Terrain Psycho: Sage – I
Spirit Crafting: Grandmaster – X
Spiritual Resistance: Master – III
Intimidation: Master – X
Monster-Soul Scourge: Grandmaster – VIII
Stacked Odds: Master – I
Extender: Master – VII
Unconquerable Aura: Master – VI
Peak: Intermediate – X
Wood Carving: Intermediate – I
Item Jubilee: Master – III
Emperor of Dominance: Master – I
Primordial Soul Hunter: Master – I
Active
Ancient’s Fury: Sage - VII
Skyform: Sage - III
Armageddon Spear: Sage - VI
Heatstance: Sage - IV
Hammerrang: Sage - III
Speed Demon: Grandmaster - IX
Stone Chucker: Master - X
Magician: Grandmaster - II
Chronosphere: Master - VII
Shattering Snowflare: Grandmaster - III
Combustive Body: Master - X
Shard Sponge: Grandmaster - III
Lightswap: Master - X
Equipped Items
Armor
Draconic Helm
Doomfire Breastplate
Dragon King’s Pauldrons
Sartori’s Bracers
World Titan’s Greaves
Denkai’s Belt
Dragon Scale Pants
Earthshaker Boots
Sartori’s Ore Cloak
Carnage Shell
Electrus’s Plasma Gauntlet (M-Tagged)
Total Armor Rating: 101,400 (33,800 + 200%)
Weapons
Field Leveler
Other
Orion’s Broken Star
Ripper Progenitor’s Icebound Soul
Vanity Avatar’s Mirror
Regal Avatar’s Aura
Brutality Avatar’s Gauntlet
Avatar Token
Dragon’s Heart Clip
Dragon Core Ring
Sartori’s Ring of Annihilation
Orc Emperor’s Crown
The Heart Between Worlds
Traits: Immunity from all debuffs cast by Grandmaster skills and below, Immune to all weather effects. Darkvision, Stark Vision, Spectral Vision, Monster Scent, Hunter’s Endurance, Hunter’s Speed, Hunter’s Plague.
Aside from the fact that he was nearing Level 91, some of his skills were getting close to Peak Sage, while several more were on the cusp of moving up to the next tier. Another battle or two should see the boost he was looking for, though getting to Peak Sage in any skill was going to be a bit of an uphill battle. Still, he had advantages, and Sage-level skills grew at a faster pace now, so perhaps he was off in his calculations.
Looking away from his status, he still couldn’t see Arya coming, though one of her bodies was setting up plates and cutlery for him, a crystal goblet clinking lightly as she set it down and filled it with sparkling cider. Keith took a sip of the cold, bubbly drink, the concoction almost reminding him of the taste of soda from back on Earth.
Thinking of his former home from what seemed like lifetimes ago – because it quite literally was – he tried to recall what life had been like. The faces of his family, his mother, father and brother, were still burned into his mind, as were the feelings he had around them. But scenes of Earth itself were starting to fade and become sparse as time went on. Steering his mind away from any dark thoughts, he dove into his active quests, the top one on the list being the one handed to him by the Trickster himself, which was supposedly his key home.
A World to Conquer
Being a conqueror isn’t easy, and you’ve found that out the hard way. Orne Skull-Stomper, Markorviel the Whisperer, Solana of the Dark, and Sartori the Ore-Guzzler have all died, but there is still the final boss to contend with, and if you thought your previous opponents were scary, wait until you meet this guy. Good luck out there, and try not to die.
Difficulty: World
Final Objective: Defeat Daimon the Overbeast, Berserk-Titan of Monstros
Final Reward: 10,000,000 XP, 1 World item, 250 Legendary monster pieces, 100 Legendary+ monster pieces, 12 Mythical monster pieces, 1 Ancient Monster piece, 750 large gold bricks, a Promise Kept
Progress: 4/5 Defeated
He’d been in this position before, where he was nearly done with the Trickster’s requirements, only to fail at the last possible moment. Keith wasn’t going to allow that to happen this time, which was why he was being so careful in building up his resources, despite wanting nothing more than to rush ahead to finish this final World Monster. He knew that to win, he would need all the power he could muster and all the allies he could gather. That meant doing things the right way, which was why he was looking to establish a proper colony on the final continent. If people could live here, they could fight – would fight, especially if it meant losing all they’d built here.
He went through the remaining quests he had active, reading through one by one.
The Gluttonous Sage
Holy ca-friggin-noli! You’ve finally gotten a hit on our elusive walrus, and from a completely unexpected source! It looks like old Guzzy’s been slumming it up in Monstros. He’s after some important research papers and will apparently stop at nothing to get them – even come after a poor woman after she’s managed to escape his grubby grasp. You have people looking out for him, but let’s be real – The Glutton’s one tough cookie, and for such a big guy, he sure can get around quietly.
Oh, there’s also the bit about his power you still need to figure out. He’s potentially dipping into a power source beyond that of the Spirits. I think you dealt with something similar quite recently. Better hope it isn’t something quite so horrifying, or you’re in for one hell of a fight!
Difficulty: Quad-S
Current Tasks: Discover the source of Guzzlarian’s power, keep Melkin alive
Main Objective: Kill Guzzlarian The Glutton
Current Rewards: 750,000 XP, 20 large gold bricks, 12 Legendary+ potions, 8 Legendary+ spell scrolls, 1 Mythical Gauntlet Blueprint, ???, ???
In the Shadows
After successfully murdering your first Spirit – great job, by the way – you were given the task to find the other conspirators working with Tenor. You’ve just confirmed the second Spirit in league with the Spirit of War as Neander, the Spirit of Bitter Cold. The problem is that you still have no idea what they want or what their end goal is.
Additionally, there’s still the third Spirit to consider. Maybe discovering their identity will help…
Difficulty: World
Current Objective: Discover the identity of the other two Spirits involved (1/2)
Current Rewards: 250,000 XP, Special skill, Next quest in the chain
Failure: Be discovered as the culprit who killed a Spirit
Penalties: Everyone in the world will try to kill you on sight
Collecting the Set
So, you murdered a Spirit and stole his stuff. Good for you! Unfortunately, some Spiritual items are just completely useless without the other requisite parts. In the case of the Spirit of War’s Helm, you found this out the hard way. It turns out that the Spirit of War is a bit of a sore loser and didn’t want you to have the ultimate prize. So, you’ve gotta hunt down the remaining pieces! Here’s a hint to get you started. He probably sent them to his bestest buddies. You know, the ones he was in league with to do something mysterious and probably nefarious.
Difficulty: World
Objectives: Hunt down the remaining armor pieces (1/5)
Rewards: The freaking armor pieces. Duh!
Conspiracy to Commit Murder
The Orc Emperor ambushed you, but in a most unexpected manner. Meaning that he somehow attacked you on the continent of Monstros when he and his buddies should be in the Sunlit Isles. Who could have done this? Well, that’s a question you’re going to have to answer, isn’t it?
Difficulty: Quad-S
Current Objective: Discover who sent the Orc Emperor to Monstros
Current Rewards: 200,000 XP, Variable, Next Quest in the Chain
The Guzzlarian quest was still troublesome, especially because the man was clearly planning something. He was one of the prime suspects in the Conspiracy to Commit Murder quest. Then there were the quests involving the Spirits. In the Shadows and Collecting the Set had to do with discovering who the remaining Spirits were that had allied with Tenor, the former Spirit of War, and regaining the Spirit’s armor that he was supposed to get after Tenor was dead.
Keith had already found one of them, the Spirit of Bitter Cold, but the final one remained a mystery, though something told him it wouldn’t remain that way for long.
He was snapped from his musings by Arya, who strode into the dining room rolling a cart laden with trays of food still steaming from the oven. It was full of fresh bread, meat, roasted vegetables and more. He might have wanted something sweet and carb-loaded, but tomorrow was likely to be a very active day, and eating well was an easy way to make it a better one. Besides, Arya had yet to disappoint him with her cooking, and judging by the smell alone, he was going to very much enjoy this one.
6
Keith arose early the next morning, taking the time to stretch, warm up, and take a quick shower before heading out to the living room to eat a quick breakfast. Arya was already there, waiting with a plate of eggs, bread, and jam, while Bob tried to sneak a cookie off the plate she’d set down while she served him.
“Ow!” he complained as a second Arya strode into the room and swatted his paw away, neatly taking up the plate and walking away with it.
“That’s what you get for trying to cheat,” Keith said as he bit into a slice of toasted bread, scrolling through notifications while ignoring the mess the crumbs were making.
It was one of the many perks of having an automaton like Arya to do all the tedious work for him.
“Would you like a cookie, master?” Arya asked, presenting the plate to him as he polished off the toast.
Keith looked over at the plate, the smell of the fresh-baked cookies wafting into his nose. As previously discovered, the world of Raiah had no chocolate, so he’d found a way to improvise the flavor when he’d been experimenting at the beginning of his ice cream empire. His discovery so far brought back many memories from his time on Earth, and the smell of the cookies did that and then some.
What he got now was less a memory and more of an impression of warmth, sunlight, the smell of fresh-cut grass, and wooden planks beneath him. He felt he’d been happy, feeling warm and safe. Keith took one of the cookies, setting it in an unoccupied section of his plate until he finished eating. He was about to go back to his notifications when he paused.
“You know what? You can leave the plate.”
“Yes, master,” Arya said, lowering the plate onto the small table sitting before the couch. “Would you like me to make you another batch? I can have one ready in the next half hour.”
To Keith, it was a bit shocking that Arya would make such an offer, as it was based on the assumption that he was going to clean the entire plate, and she wouldn’t have offered it if she believed it would negatively impact his health. In other words, eating two entire batches of cookies would do nothing to him. Looking down at himself and how his body had changed to the point where he was no longer human, Keith wondered how he was going to be able to adapt to normal life with his parents once this was all over.
He’d never really given that much thought before, seeing as he’d always been so focused on his goal. Now that he was closer than ever to completing it, thoughts of what might happen after began cropping up.
“I’ll be bringing these up to the meeting,” Keith said. “No need to bake another batch.”
“Of course, master,” Arya said with another bow.
“Oh, so everyone else gets to have cookies but me,” Bob grumbled. “All I get is some green stuff and a piece of fruit if I’m lucky.”
“You’re fat, Bob. There’s no way around it other than to eat well and exercise,” Keith said, not feeling a shred of sympathy for Bob’s plight.
The monkey had done well on his last diet and even maintained it for a bit, up until the point where he stopped. Then he gained it all back with more on top of it. Bob was about to retort when the door to the living room opened, and Merry bounced in, pigtails dancing around her and a wide smile plastered across her face.
“Glad to see she’s a morning person,” Tac said. “She’s gonna make everyone else so mad!”
“I trained all night like you told me to, Keith,” Merry said, stopping before him, her hands behind her back and swaying a bit on her heels.
“Any improvement?”
“Uh-huh,” she said, still smiling. “I gained a whole bunch of skill levels fighting the half-alive automaton. It was fun.”
The body of Arya she’d been fighting walked in, and Keith hid a wince. Her clothes were shredded, her hair was a mess, and blackened patches covered her skin. Merry, by contrast, just looked messy.
“Not to worry, master. All I need is a quick cleaning cycle and a recharge, then I’ll be back to full functionality,” Arya said as the other body disappeared through the bunker door to wherever she went to recharge.
“Speaking of cleaning, Merry, you need to wash up. You’re a mess.”
Merry looked down at herself. She wasn’t wearing clothes, like all the other automatons he had, but she was covered in sand, dirt, and small marks of her own. Her hair wasn’t as neat as it could be, and her health and mana needed to be topped up. Honestly, that should have been the first thing he did when she walked in.
“Oh, that feels nice,” Merry said as he placed a hand on her stomach and pumped the needed health, stamina, and mana into her.
Seeing as he didn’t have any mana, the cost was split between HP and stamina instead. It was far less pleasant on his part, but as the bumps and bruises smoothed themselves and Merry relaxed, he realized that she’d been in a fair amount of pain, even if she hadn’t been showing it.
“Thanks, Keith!” she said once he removed his hand. “I feel like I could murder another pack of monsters without any problem.”
“Go clean up,” Keith sighed, going back to his breakfast.
