The Crypt Lord's Conquest: An Epic LitRPG Adventure (Godguild Book 2), page 45
New Mob!
You’ve encountered an [Automaton: Nemean Lion]. Look for a tiny prick on the lion’s front paw If you can save it from some pain, maybe it will be your friend and you won’t die a painful death. Then again, you are the tiny prick here. So…
Stats
Level 10
Health: 580
Attack: 125
Defence: 1,550 [Magic Resistance: 50]
Speed: 40 [Sprint: 75]
New Mob!
You’ve encountered an [Automaton: Cyclops]. If you manage to name yourself Nobody before you die, you’ll have done what the heroes of old did too. Achievement unlock: Die like the worthless nobody that you are.
Stats
Level 10
Health: 700
Attack: 120
Defence: 2,520 [Magic Resistance: 50]
Speed: 20 [Sprint: 40]
The Lion leaped at me. I rolled forward and got up, swinging my new spear around fast but not too much so. Or so I thought. It still sheared through the Nemean Lion’s hindquarters like the metal was no better than straws to the spear. What in the ever-living fuck? It was crazy to have that kind of power.
I had no time to think about it, or even see what became of the Lion after I destroyed one half of it. The Cyclops had reached me.
It swung its club down on my head. Damn that thing was fast, swinging so fast that I instinctively raised my spear. Apparently, I did it too hard. It shattered through the metal club and the front half of the Cyclops’s arms too. I swung past it, sheltering my head from the barrage of metal raining down on my head. It didn’t stop the big metal monster. The Cyclops swung around and rushed me. I waited for it. Careful. Had to be careful. Just as it reached me, I served to one side and tapped it on the legs lightly with my spear.
Nothing happened. Okay, there was such a thing as not using any force. That’s what I’d done, sadly. Even the Cyclops had frozen, going still as though confused why it wasn’t missing a leg and toppling over.
Then it swing its handless arms at me and charged. No, it dived at me. My eyes widened as I saw it leap right off the ground like the Lion and come at me like a quarterback reaching for the goal. I swung my spear to bat it away. All I ended up doing was shattering right through the top half of the Cyclops’s body, ending it permanently. Damn it, I’d failed again.
You’ve gained 1,120 Experience!
[Automaton: Nemean Lion]: +570 XP [x1]
[Automaton: Cyclops]: +550 XP [x1]
More monsters came. With my Armour on, I was sweating now and so was my brain. When I fought, I ended up brutally destroying the monsters. I needed more control. Slowly, slowly, I was getting better at it, at both giving myself the space and time I needed to exert the right measure of control over the force I applied, and also not reacting to sudden shifts in the battle with more power than necessary. It was always easier to dodge and then hit back with care rather than react by striking back as my instinct would have me do.
But the monsters kept breaking apart like houses of cards.
At some point, a Satyr approached me with a long staff in hand, a Centaur behind it fingering the string of its bow. Were these as weak as the ones I’d faced so far?
New Mob!
You’ve encountered an [Automaton: Satyr]. We’re missing a flute here. Please donate one if you’ve got any spares.
Stats
Level 10
Health: 550
Attack: 120
Defence: 1,250 [Magic Resistance: 40]
Speed: 25 [Sprint: 40]
New Mob!
You’ve encountered an [Automaton: Centaur]. Gaze in wonder upon the most glorious of creations. Combining the advanced brains of humans with the power of a horse, especially its forbidden fruits, we have achieved the pinnacle of creation.
Stats
Level 10
Health: 650
Attack: 140
Defence: 1,600 [Magic Resistance: 50]
Speed: 60 [Sprint: 90]
No, no. This was on me. I’d gotten better over the course of all my fights, and now I had to prove it against these two. I had just enough [Stamina] to see myself through to the end of this bout.
The two Automaton charged. They were fast but still slow enough for me to dodge the Satyr’s staff swing without trouble, though the Centaur’s arrow didn’t miss. It pierced my [Crypt Lord’s Cloak], but my breastplate repelled it with ease. Excellent. I was no insured against Laurie’s projectiles.
As the Satyr passed me again, I held my spear low. It tripped on the metal haft and crashed face-first onto the ground, loud clanks within its body confirming that its internal mechanisms were taking a beating. But it didn’t break apart the way the Minotaur and the other monsters had done. Which confirmed that yes, my spear had been what had caused my opponents to shatter like that.
An arrow shot into my arm and I howled, jumping back and raising my spear high. Damn it. That Centaur had shot me while I’d been distracted by the Satyr. I pulled the arrowhead out and threw it away, wincing at the pain. Blood flowed freely, but soon as I’d ingested a [Life Salve], the wound closed up and my [Health] returned to normal.
The Centaur galloped towards me and knocked another arrow into its bow, and I shot forward. It fired the arrow just as I started running, so it flew over me harmlessly. I angled my new spear at its legs. Careful. I had to be careful not to destroy it the way I had done the rest so far. I didn’t lance into it when I reached it. It was too difficult to trust my own power just yet. So instead, I raced past the Centaur and dragged the tip of the spearhead across its side. Metal shrieked on metal, fiery sparks spraying in my wake.
When I turned around, I caught sight of the large gash I’d left on the Centaur’s flank. Better. The mechanisms within it were still whirring and clicking in their precise order, just more exposed than before. I was getting better at the control.
Though the Centaur had trouble checking its charge and turning around, I couldn’t take advantage of it. The Satyr was already upon me, swinging its metal staff like a lamppost. I ducked under the blow and was about to tap it with my spear, but then I jumped back. A second thought had popped in my head. If I was going to gain control of how much strength I used, I needed to match the blows of the Satyr without destroying its weapon.
So that’s what I did. When it swung at me again, I blocked with my new spear. Again and again it struck me, and I parried away every blow. None of them jarred me like other blows I’d suffered in the past. I couldn’t feel the hits at all. It was as if the spear was absorbing all the impact, leaving nothing to reach my arms or shoulders. It helped me get a feeling for just how strong the [Automaton: Satyr] was.
On the next blow, I didn’t wait for the strike to land on me. This time, I swung back. The lamppost bent at my strike. Shit. Still too strong. But at least I hadn’t broken through it entirely.
The Satyr didn’t mind that it now held a giant boomerang instead of a lamppost. It swung at me again, and I staved off the blow again. One the next one, the Satyr angled his bent-out-of-shape weapon so that my spear blocked half of it, but the bent half still nearly struck me in the shoulder. I managed to jump back at the last second. Damn, that was close.
An arrow came at me again but my Armour protected me. I jumped back before the Satyr could take advantage of the distraction. This bout was taking way too long. No. Deep breaths. I had to focus. The art of finesse was all about control, and the last thing I wanted to do was get frustrated and lash out with no abandon.
When the Satyr came at me again, I charged too. I shot past its attempt to hit me—enough of the blocking dance—and aimed a blow straight for the Satyr’s neck. There was an almighty screech of metal against metal and I stared back at the Satyr after I was past.
It fell to the ground, but without any noticeable sign of damage.
I stared at for a good long while. But then I whirled as heavy hoofbeats grew louder from where I stood. Damn, there was still the Centaur to deal with.
Another arrow came shooting at me, and I barely raised the spear in time, its tassels flying. The impact still made me jerk, each of my hands twisting the spear on opposite directions. There was a loud click and suddenly, I had two spears in my grasp, one in each hand.
I stared at them. What the hell?
The Centaurs’ approach stole away my attention. I dived to one side as it thundered through where I’d been standing just seconds ago. Rolling to an upright position as fast as I could, I charged after the Centaur before it could shut off its momentum. Two spears. Both looking almost exactly like the [Spear of Sorrowful Fortune], except much shorter. As if my new spear had been cut in two and—holy shit. I grinned. My new spear could transform into two separate spears somehow.
I rushed at my target. The Centaur made a valiant effort to turn and attack me, but I knew what I had to do now. I was getting the hang of it. Even as it checked its charge and turned towards me I dived feet first through the wide space between its front and hind legs, swinging my new spears at either set of legs. I rolled and got up, only to see the Centaur collapse in a heap onto the ground.
You’ve gained 3,650 Experience!
[Automaton: Satyr]: +280 XP [x1]
[Automaton: Centaur]: +310 XP [x1]
[Automaton: Minotaur]: +480 XP [x3]
[Automaton: Cyclops]: +550 XP [x2]
[Automaton: Manticore]: +520 XP [x1]
Quest Completed!
You’ve survived training. Big whoop. I don’t see the bamboo anywhere, so I’m jut going to pretend it’s hidden in ate the whole thing.
Objectives
Defeat the Automatons without destroying them
- Defeat the Minotaur
- Defeat the Nemean Lion
- Defeat the Cyclopes
- Defeat the Satyr
- Defeat the Centaur
Rewards
+4,300 Experience [XP] [1,500 Quest Completion + 2,800 Crafting]
Reputation: [+25 Dependability]
Reputation: [+90 Mercy]
“Is that it?” I asked a mostly empty yard. Piles of broken and torn metal were strewn everywhere, some brown as bronze, others silvery steel, and more I didn’t recognize. A few were still in recognizable shapes. But most of the creatures I’d faced were hunks of metal. Nothing more.
Silence answered me. I waited for some more statues to come off their plinths but none obliged. Then I got a New Talent notification. I couldn’t see it though. When I tried to inspect it, I got a warning instead.
[You can only have 5 Talents per Class. Greedy mofo.]
Huh. Well, all right then. Looked like I couldn’t have more than 5 [General] Talents. Did that mean I could only have 5 [Lancer] Talents too? I wondered if I could have 5 Talents in each of the [Mage] Tertiary Classes thanks to my [Monk] Class, like 5 [Cleric] Talents, 5 [Necromancer] Talents, and so on. That seemed like a lot.
For now, I decided to get rid of [Early Finisher]. No, it wasn’t just because of the name. I didn’t want to keep a Talent that glorified the indiscriminate killing of more Mobs.
New Talent!
You’ve learned the [General] Talent: [Finesse]. Efficiency is the name of the game. You can now emulate the sommeliers who swipe away tablecloths without spilling the wine, the samurais who slice people in half seemingly without even removing their swords from their scabbards, and master chefs who slice fish into a hundred pieces in a minute.
Stats
25% Bonus to Critical
25% less Stamina use with Active Talents
25% Bonus to Evasion
Bonus to Incapacitation
Bonus to Disarming
Oh, interesting. I wondered if this new Talent would help me keep the force of my new spear in check. No destroying everything willy-nilly, hopefully. After waiting for a few more minutes, I was about to make my way towards the Toolmaker’s house when the door opened.
Well, speak of the devil.
“You have succeeded,” he said.
I grinned. “Of course, I did. Did you doubt me?”
“I imagined it would take longer, but it seems I was mistaken. You have done tremendously well in a short time.”
My grin gave way to a frown. “Hold on. You sound like this wasn’t enough.”
“Yes, it wasn’t. One day’s practice will never grant you the skill you truly need. With more practice, you will find greater strength, the kind you never thought you would possess. You will need to learn to work even better with your Weapon and your Armour.”
I sighed. The Rent was climbing high and I was feeling tired. I needed to plan, to get a move on, to resume my journey. Not spend my time trying to hone my how carefully I fought, though the new Talent was certainly a nice perk of it.
“I’ll get to it,” I said. “But I need some rest and food first. And then I need to plan what exactly I’m going to do next. Have you been able to decipher the Delvers’ texts?”
“I have. Come.”
The Toolmaker went back inside and I was about to follow when shouts erupted from the far side of the yard. I didn’t wait to hear the clanks within the house. By the time the Toolmaker had come out through his front door, I was already running through his yard to the front. I jerked to a halt when I saw what the commotion was about.
Laurie had found us.
She stood within the eaves of the forest, an ice-tipped arrow pointed at us and an easy grin on her face.
Before I could open my loud mouth, the Toolmaker strode past me and the Orcs just ahead and stopped at the gate of his yard. “Who are you Afterlifer? What do you seek?”
Laurie’s eyes danced from the Toolmaker to me, then back again. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve heard of me, Toolmaker. You were given a warning recently from the Jotun. I’m here to reiterate that. Stay away from it all, and you shall be left in peace. In fact, if you kick that Afterlifer and his… subordinates out of your place, then I will help you.”
“Help me? With what?”
“With your situation, of course.” She lowered her bow and arrows to stare at the Toolmaker like she couldn’t believe she was having to explain herself. “Surely someone with so much talent and skill like yourself has to be tired of the mediocre position you’re in. But fear not. When everything is under my control, I’ll have need of your services. You’ll be the one leading the charge into the future where matters of technology are concerned. You will help me herald in a new era for this backwater sector. Wouldn’t you like that?”
I was going to tell Laurie to sod off, but her words made me pause and think. What was the Toolmaker’s ultimate wish? Because she was right. If I was in the Toolmaker’s position, I’d be frustrated at being stuck doing the same things over again, at not having the kind of recognition that my skill, talent, and hard work deserved.
“Leave,” the Toolmaker said. “You think of me as though I am a mortal such as you, bound by the idea of limited time, by the ambition to do all I can with what I have.” He shook his head. “That is foolish, and naïve. I will be part of no war.”
“Then why do you harbour a warrior?”
“I harbour one who came to me in aid. I have given him food and shelter and everything he has attained has been paid for. If you wish to carry out such transactions yourself, you are welcome to bargain so long as you have no intention of causing harm. If not, leave Afterlifer.”
Laurie glared at us all. She had lowered bow and arrow so I thought it was done. I hoped she’d leave me alone and go do whatever the hell she normally did when not obsessed about killing me but then she shot her ice-tipped arrow far into the sky. It glowed bright like a comet. Then it exploded.
Hail rained down with the force of bullets. The Orcs and I dived for cover behind the status in the courtyard. It wasn’t enough. The hail surrounded everything and got everywhere, hammering on our limbs as we tried to cover our vulnerable bits. Loud clinks rattled through the area as the Toolmaker and his creations were struck. Farther off, I was sure I heard the Wargs baying in pain but what the hell was I supposed to do? Forget helping others, I could barely keep the hail from breaking apart my skull.
It stopped soon enough. Pain shot around my waist where the hail had struck ferociously, but it was worst at my legs and my arms. I was having difficulty moving. When I gingerly looked, I found that the hail had left enormous bruises all over my limbs, even drawing blood at certain areas. My [Health] had fallen nearly to a half.
“That’s your last warning, Toolmaker,” Laurie said. “I will come in a day, and if I find you harbouring my enemy, I will eradicate this place off the face of the sector. And you. Theo, was it?” My heart squeezed tight when my name came up. “Since you’ve made it clear that you don’t want any part of being on my team, we’re officially enemies now. You got that? I’m sparing you now out of respect for the Toolmaker. But once you’re out of here, you’re dead. Farewell.”
I slumped back on the ground, trying not to wince at the new burst of pain from my arms and legs.
My visit with the Toolmaker had just come to a violent end.
Chapter 32
Doorstep of Trouble
It took a while for us to fix up after Laurie’s attack. The Orcs and I were badly wounded, and so were the Wargs. We had to use up most of our healing supplies. Thankfully, the Toolmaker was able to get us some more Resources with which I could Concoct some extra Potions.
I didn’t mind the work. Healing was good. But the fact that I was constantly needing intensive healing was getting to me a little. Hadn’t I been hurt this bad the last time I’d faced off against Laurie? Well, no, it had been worse then. But still. I really needed to stop being defeated by Laurie every time we fought.
