Seed Master 2: A Spicy LitRPG Adventure, page 7
“No, you do it to conquer the world.”
“Conquer?” he laughed and gave up on the seed so he could glare at her. “When have we tried to conquer anyone other than ourselves?”
“Anyone can overlook a farm here, a mining expedition there, but there’s no end to it when it comes to your kind,” she hissed and leaned close enough that he could smell the blood she failed to wipe off. “Your populations grow and grow, forcing you to claim more land for farms, ruin more forests for your towns and your cities. When is it ever enough? Sooner or later, you will run out of room. As much as it pains me to say it, maybe the warlocks were right to thin your herds.”
Julian ran hot under the collar as a child, but his journey to adulthood saw him with his temper under complete control until the words slipped from her mouth. Slowly he rose to his feet until he stood over her, fighting not to use his spells on his own companion.
“You may be taller than me, chloromancer, but you are not stronger.”
“Maybe not,” he replied in a flat tone as his gaze shifted from one orange eye to the other, “but my heart and compassion are stronger than you could possibly imagine. I had every reason to kill you when we first met in that hut. I could have seen the tusks and ears of my enemy, the people who slaughtered nearly everyone I knew. I looked past that though. I felt sorry for you, just like I felt sorry for your brother when I saw him in that pit. Your death haunted me when I returned to the Undervale. If the roles were reversed, could you have said the same?”
He didn’t wait for a response. The last seed was stuffed in his pocket, the satchel was shouldered, and he stormed down the path. It didn’t bother him one bit that he didn’t hear footsteps racing to catch up to him. He would finish the obritrix alone if he had to, then he would return to the Undervale and demand that Mekiko find a way to put Vilicri back where she belonged.
I can’t believe I actually felt sorry for her people, he scolded himself as he followed the bend in the path, knowing that it would eventually lead him to the stone structure they saw when they first arrived.
He paused for a bit when he reached the end of the curve, and not just because he could see the entrance to the stone structure in the distance. It was a profound thought that froze his feet to the dirt. The days and months that followed Beachlight’s downfall saw him cursing and swearing to grow up and murder every orc to cross his path. He still hated them, but the roaring fire that sought to consume him had died down. Ten years were required to reach that point. To Vilicri, the slaughter of her people just happened. Her anger was justified. Sure, his people weren’t the ones to cause the onslaught, but he could see that she needed more time to come to terms with her losses.
I’ll give her a chance to apologize when we get back. If she doesn’t, then I’ll go to Mekiko.
It was the best decision his anger would allow, so he drew in a long breath and started toward the stone structure. He didn’t go straight to it though, and not because Vilicri ran to him with an apology. Just like before, he could hear the commotion of battle, so he used the tree line for cover and hurried closer.
The scene was similar, just with a different background. Woodland elves and high elves fought one another, requiring a moment of staring to make sure that he wasn’t seeing the exact same battle. The numbers were similar, and the fight played out the same, but there were a few bodies on the ground already. Not only that, but the woodland elves held the number advantage, leaving him to believe that the structure belonged to them.
Or it was recently obtained.
There was one staggering difference this time around though. He didn’t have anyone with him to worry about. The chances for growth were diminishing with every second of inaction, but he refrained from attacking until he deemed the timing was right.
The moment came when three high elves worked together to finish off a duo of their woodland cousins. One held back, so he applied vile spores to them, noting that their red bar was already halved. The opposite happened to his right. Three woodland elves defeated two high elf swordsman, so he cast a spell on the one who withdrew to deal with their injury.
That’s enough, he growled in his head when he felt an urge to attack another. His eyes darted about the battle, seeking signs that someone noticed the green glow flashing on the two combatants. No one did though, not even when they collapsed on the ground with the last sliver of their life force bars diminishing.
Okay, pick…
He was about to cast another spell when the brush all around him rustled. His first thought was that Vilicri caught up to him, but the noise came from every direction. A large bush of sorts was behind him, so he slowly crept into it, hoping to mask his presence until the newcomers passed him by.
It was a good thing he hid. A high elf sped through the woods twenty paces to his left, followed shortly by two from the right. The trio tightened the distance between them and charged into the entrance, throwing the balance out of whack. He thought about attacking them, but the rustle of limbs and leaves was endless. One by one, more high elves emerged from the woods. Some were so close that he could hear the breaths they expelled, but he remained perfectly still throughout.
Twenty high elves joined the mix. To their credit, the woodland elves didn’t retreat. If he was in their shoes, he certainly would have backed off to regroup, or to find a bottleneck somewhere to fight from. They didn’t. The woodland elves held their ground, even when it meant their death.
“Fools,” he muttered and rose from the bush, just as the swish of leaves started behind him once again. His entire torso was exposed, forcing him to assume that he was seen. Julian whipped around with a spell ready, but the newcomer only dressed like a high elf. “How did you manage to get here without them seeing you?”
“I could say the same about you,” Vilicri huffed and nodded toward the battle. “How bad is it?”
“I don’t know what forces they’re hiding in there, but it doesn’t look good for the woodland elves. I would suggest we wait it out so the high elves can be thinned, but I fear it won’t make much of a difference.”
“Then we should stop standing around and get to it.”
A small voice demanded that she apologize before he would take another step, but it was getting hard to ignore the experience slipping away from him within the structure. With a reluctant nod, the pair headed in.
The inner courtyard was as bad as he imagined. A dozen bodies were scattered with the woodland elves making up the vast majority. Those he cast spells on left seeds behind, but finding them among the other bodies proved difficult. He swore there was one more, but the sound of battle deeper within the structure urged him to leave it and move on.
The inner walls turned to the left up ahead, but what he saw above them sparked an idea he couldn’t ignore. A walkway lined the top of the wall. The stone pillars supporting it protruded high enough that they would be able to hide behind them and look down. It was a perfect place to attack without being seen, so he tapped Vilicri’s arm and pointed toward the steps.
“I know you won’t be able to attack from up there, but…”
“Let’s go,” she interrupted and took off running before he could figure out what just happened. He shook it off and hurried to catch up, as did his mind when they reached the bottom step. It was either her way of apologizing or her best effort to ensure that he didn’t find a way to stuff her back into her plant when they returned to the Undervale. Either way, she was cooperating, so he kept his questions to himself.
The elevated view told the story without words. Woodland elves were everywhere, with only one high elf in the mix. The battle was as one-sided as he’d feared. The high elves were on the verge of victory, a fact that didn’t sit well with his stomach. The woodland people could have been the villains for all he knew, but he couldn’t help but root for the little guy.
The road turned toward the center again, but the archway dividing the sections held another walkway for them to traverse. They had to walk under an overhang that obstructed their view, but the other side showed that their destination was reached.
It was worse than he imagined. He didn’t know where they all came from, but there were at least fifteen, perhaps twenty high elves remaining, and only a few woodland elves. The latter made a stand before a stone door with tree roots growing over it. Julian felt they should have gone into the door and used the frame as a bottleneck, but it wasn’t like he was going to shout out the suggestion.
“Any suggestions?”
“I would wait,” she huffed and dropped down behind one of the pillars. “We’re heavily outnumbered. I would suggest using your magic on the remaining woodland elves, but everyone will see the glow your spells create.”
It matched what he would have done anyway, so he slid down to hide as well. He didn’t need her advice, he just wanted to make it look like he valued her opinion. He was also curious as to what she would suggest, but he never would have thought that she would pick the path of wisdom.
It wasn’t long until the last woodland elf fell, leaving the high elves victorious. Julian looked around, fully expecting the obritrix to kick them out since they’d failed. Nothing happened though, at least not to the pair hiding on the upper walkway.
“Julian, look.”
His head was turned the wrong way when she said it, but his eyes widened when he looked back. The heavy stone doors were opening, and he swore it was the tree roots that moved them. The high elves were on high alert. Arrows were nocked, swords were readied, and those in the front held up shields to create a barrier.
“This must be why they invaded,” she whispered as they waited for someone to emerge from the other side. “They want whatever is on the other side of those doors.”
Julian began to nod, but a small noise drew his attention away. Fluttering wings, which wasn’t uncommon near the woods, but the sheer volume pulled his attention from the scene below. He tried to shake it off so he would see what came out of the door, but the view surrounding them grew too odd to ignore. A hawk landed on the wall, followed shortly by a few owls, then several ravens.
“Why are you more interested in the birds than what’s behind that door?”
“Because owls and ravens are natural enemies,” he replied, noting that the two species he mentioned had filled up the entire wall above the door. “Something isn’t right here.”
The shuffling of boots drew his eyes away from the birds. Every high elf was getting ready, and the scene from the door explained why. A figure was emerging from the darkness, one that appeared too tall to be a woodland elf.
“What is that thing?”
The question came the second the figure stepped into the light. They were easily as tall as a high elf, but that’s where the similarities stopped. Wood encased their entire body as though a monster had formed within a tree’s trunk and fought their way out.
He didn’t know what to look at first. The legs looked like small tree trunks with segments at the joints, complete with roots for toes that shot out in every direction. The waist was narrow, with sections of bark that made it look like tight muscles lining the stomach. The chest was made from two logs, and each arm looked like they were fashioned from two different types of trees.
The top stole the show. The being wore a mask made out of wood, one with no mouth or nose. Two narrow yellow eyes seemed to glow, even in the sunlight, and he swore they blinked. Branches twisted above the helmet as though wood grew around a pair of antlers, but the pattern was too erratic to match the thought.
“You are trespassing on sacred ground,” the figure spoke in a soft voice that rumbled the stone they leaned against. “Leave the realm of Lady Evelena or become one with the soil that feeds her glorious power.”
“Laying it on a bit think, isn’t he?”
“What makes you think it’s a man beneath that wooden monster?” Vilicri countered with a challenging brow.
“Because…,” he started before looking down to seek out some details to support his belief. “…uhm…”
“Lady Evelena serves the high elves, champion,” one of the invaders called back. He must have been a leader since he stood well behind the archers, and the shield bearer next to him likely served as his personal protector. He looked taller than the rest, with a crown of sorts instead of a helmet, and the confidence in his voice certainly spoke to leadership. “It is you who should leave this place. Denounce your position, leave your gifts behind, and allow us to reclaim what is rightfully ours.”
The champion said nothing, but the events that transpired around them did the talking. Information appeared over every head. The high elf who spoke had a name that Julian had to squint to read, but it was the two life force bars that drew his attention, along with the number seven. The champion offered information as well, but the name was blank for some reason, and he was too far away for Julian to make out the level.
The information appearing wasn’t the only action that took place. The ravens cawed, the hawks screeched, and every bird slammed its wings against its body, just before they swooped into the courtyard.
8
The fight had begun, but there was too much happening for Julian to fixate on anything in particular. His ears were filled with the beating of wings, screeches, caws, and shouts of pain from the high elves down below.
“Julian now’s your chance.”
“Right.”
The battle was pure chaos, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone noticing the glow of his spells. He didn’t use vile spores though. He opted for poison thorns instead so he could inflict damage on as many targets as possible. Some of his thorns struck the birds in the process, but the weapons of the high elves cut through so quickly that he doubted it would have mattered.
The woodland champion didn’t stand idle. They charged toward the row of shield wielders with one of their arms drawn back. As they ran, the hand shifted into a thick club that they swung to break the line with one blow. The first elf to be struck was slammed into the next, creating a chain of carnage that scattered them across the floor. Swordsman raced in to attack, but the champion’s armor overcame their weapons.
It looked like the champion would make short work of the high elves, but the tide soon shifted. When the last bird was dealt with, every archer turned their attention to the same target to release several arrows that punctured the champion’s armor. The being staggered back with the ends of every arrow sticking out his chest, giving the injured shield bearers time to recover.
Julian had to pick, so he chose the side of the guard and rapidly spread his poison thorns across the line in front of the champion, hoping to create an opening for them. It wasn’t enough though. Each still held half of their life force, and the impact of the arrows kept the champion from advancing.
“I need to do more,” he growled, focused on one of the archers, and applied vile spores. Her back was turned, so he took the opportunity to replenish his mana with life steal, praying that no one would notice the stream of green light.
Julian learned a valuable lesson just then. With each passing second he channeled life steal increased his intellect. The growth in spell power made his dots glow brighter, even the dim glow of the poison sting spell. The named high elf leader took notice, and he turned to follow the stream back to its owner.
“Archers, the battlement!”
“Julian!”
Vilicri slid over from her hiding place to provide cover with her shield, just before an arrow slammed into the metal. She gritted her teeth and pressed her other hand against the back to keep it straight, her stance leaving just enough space for him to continue channeling life steal. Several more arrows followed, each creating a small dent in the metal from the force of the impact.
Julian couldn’t see much, but he felt the archer die. It was dangerous, but he ducked his head into the narrow space to locate another target. He found two more archers, so he applied vile spores to both, followed by accelerate and life steal. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw the champion finish off the last of the shield bearers, forcing the high elf leader to make a decision.
“Attack the champion!” he snapped and drew a long sword that appeared too heavy for a man so slim. “I will deal with the pests above us.”
They no longer had to deal with the arrows slamming into the shield, but Vilicri held her position anyway. Julian continued his assault on the two archers while his eyes tried to locate the nearest set of stairs. Something slammed below them to send a wave of sickness through his body. The leader had located a set of stairs beneath them, and he could hear the elf’s boots stomping on the steps.
“Julian, there is a hatch directly below you.”
“Damn,” he growled, canceled life steal, and hurried past her. He found another pillar to hide behind, but he turned so he could keep an eye on the hatch she mentioned. Vilicri stood on it to keep it shut, freeing him to continue his assault on the high elves below. He spread poison thorns again, just as the hatch door lifted an inch, drawing a growl from his companion.
“This body is too light to hold the door,” she grumbled as the hatch rose again. “Too bad the bar for the lock is missing.”
Julian paused his attack long enough to see what she meant. Two metal loops were fastened into the corner, with no sign of the peg that was made to keep them together. The arrow lying between them offered a solution though, so he picked it up and tried to break off the tip so it would fit through.
“Slide it to me.”
He felt useless when he saw how quickly Vilicri dealt with the problem. She didn’t pick up the arrow. Instead, she slammed the bottom of the shield down on it to break off the tip, then shoved it through the loops. The hatch didn’t budge after that, despite the loud slams coming from the room below them.
“You should go back to attacking now.”
“Right, sorry…” he chuckled and turned his head back to the courtyard. “…it was just impressive to watch you.”
He swore he felt her smile, but he was too busy seeking a target to confirm. Several arrows were added to the champion’s armor, and squinting showed that the red bar was dangerously small. The club arm dealt with the swordsmen just fine, but it was what the champion did next that left him in awe. The other hand grew into a wooden shield that they used to block the arrows from one side. It did nothing for those coming from the other side though, so Julian focused on the archers on that side and went to work.
