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[Skill-Eater] Chapter 154: Quest
🕑 Added 2024-11-26 18:00:09 +0000 UTCEdge’s jaw dropped when he read the reward that was being offered. Putting aside the fact that the System was growing increasingly erratic over time, starting with the descriptions of his traits and now with this quest, this really was an incredible opportunity.
Skill merger tokens were a rare and precious resource. Each token would let Edge combine two skills of his choice, potentially creating something that was greater than the sum of its parts while freeing up a skill slot in the process. After stealing regulate temperature, all 11 of his slots were full, and he wasn’t close to reaching the next stage. This reward would let him acquire two more skills, while making four of the ones that he already had even better.
The auxiliary slot was a valuable implant that he had no other way of obtaining at present. It would let Edge add random powers to his skillset, without having to worry about the opportunity cost or long-term consequences of his decision.
While he wouldn’t be able to rank them up, he could swap various powers in and out as needed, based on the dynamics of his current situation. If he needed to scale a mountain, he could steal a climbing skill. If he wanted to explore the bottom of a lake, he could slot water breathing. The possibilities were endless, and he wouldn’t have to give up any of his existing powers to take advantage of them.
What do you think, big guy? Edge asked Skill-Eater. Should we go for it? He hadn’t expected the entity slumbering inside him to answer. Apparently, it was able to understand what was happening better than he’d thought.
He felt an overwhelming surge of gluttony in reply—making him drool before he closed his mouth and swallowed. The rush of greed was accompanied by a message, more of a desire than a thought. Skill-Eater wanted to kill the garax, claim the reward, and steal intimidating roar before the beast died.
If the ancient being he was bound to thought they had a chance, then he was willing to trust it’s judgment. In that moment, Edge made his decision. He was going to take on the behemoth predator, no matter what the rest of the crew chose. Alright, partner. He put his hand over his heart. Let’s do this.
“Um.” Violet’s voice was soft with surprise. “Did you guys get that quest? I just got offered an insane reward for killing the garax—a basic core of my own and a fantastic skill.”
“Same here,” Riller said. When the rest of the crew chimed in, Edge learned that they had each been offered a prize that was tailored to their specific needs. Invaluable rewards ranging from specialty cores to rare skills.
Quests from the System came few and far between, and they were always worth completing. That being said, this one was highly unusual. Both the risk and reward involved were greater than anything he’d ever heard it. This was a chance for the crew to grow stronger far faster than any of them had dreamed… if they were willing to risk it all by pitting their lives against the behemoth—a beast even more dangerous than the one they’d come to kill.
Trapper’s next words mirrored Edge’s train of thought. “This is a tough decision. Outside of the tutorial, quests from the System are incredibly rare. These rewards are some of the best that I’ve ever heard of. If we win, we will dramatically increase our immediate power and our long-term potential.
“But what it’s asking might not be possible, even if we put on the best performance of our lives. And we only have an hour to pull it off. There’s no time to prepare the field. To set more traps or create a perfect moment. All we can do is return to the farm and hope that the garax is busy eating the padamas. Best-case scenario is that we get to make the first move and some of my traps are still active.”
She turned to face the team. “If we do this, there’s a fair chance that not all of us are going home, assuming that any of us live through the hour. If anyone wants to head back, they should take Blue and go—now, and with my blessing. As for me, I’m going all in. This skill is something that I’ve wanted ever since waking up on Ord, and it might be the only chance I ever get to claim it.”
“I’m staying too,” Riller said. “If I want to contribute to the team as an equal and survive whatever is coming in the weeks ahead, I can’t afford to remain uncored any longer.”
“I feel the same way,” Violet added.
“Besides.” Jumo broke into a broad grin. “This a fantastic chance to make a fat pile of Credits and rack up some serious cycles, on top of what Edge scored with that insane, wonderous, kill-steal.”
“What the hell.” Sasha let out a long sigh. “I’m in too. This will either be the chance that we’ve been waiting for, or the mistake that seals our fate. This offer is simply too good to pass up. That being said, how in the hell are we going to kill it?”
“Taking out a beast of that size and stage is a difficult task with the resources we have available,” Trapper replied. “But it isn’t impossible. Here’s what I had in mind.”
Since there wasn’t any time to waste, the crew began walking as they talked, heading back toward the farmstead where the garax was waiting. They started discussing their options—hammering out the best plan possible, given the limited time and equipment at their disposal.
It turned out that Trapper still had a portion of a mana-seed left, so the crew’s cored members split it. It wasn’t enough to top off their reservoirs, but it was far better than starting the battle with their tanks nearly empty.
Along the way, the hunters tried to talk Blue into waiting for them to come back. Since she wasn’t eligible to receive the quest, there wasn’t any reason for her to risk her life. The azure dino didn’t understand the full dynamics of the situation. But she knew that the crew was heading into danger, and she refused to let them face it alone.
“Ok, girl.” Trapper scratched Blue behind her horns. “I hear you. You’re one of us, and we’ll all live or die together. Now, let’s go show that hulking brute just what our crew is made of.”
While they readied themselves for the most dangerous fight of their lives, everyone spent the free points they’d gained for killing the padamas. Considering what was about to go down, Edge put them into Speed. His other physical stats wouldn’t help him, and a single hit from this opponent would be strong enough to kill him. He also needed to get in close and land his skills while [Overdrive] was active, so Speed was the clear choice.
He sent his intentions into the System, and the potentia went racing out of his core. The crackling energy permeated his flesh to enhance his fast twitch muscle fibers, leaving him quicker than ever before.
With the clock ticking, they couldn’t afford to ponder the matter at length, especially since the garax might move out of the area once it finished its meal. As the hunters crept their way back to the farmstead, they went over their plan one final time. The heart of the matter was simple—take out one of the beast’s feet. Then, when it fell to the ground, attack its throat with everything that they had.
It was the only way to hit a vital area with the limited mana at their disposal. Fortunately, the garax was low too, thanks to roaring so many times while trying to stop Edge. Given the concentration of magicytes in the region, the early stage-three beast would only be able to use its skills a limited number of times.
On a less promising note, it had more than enough raw Power to take the crew down without them, and enough Durability to shrug off all but their best attacks. It wasn’t the fastest beast out there, or the smartest, but it was still the mightiest creature that any of them had ever faced.
Riller had volunteered for the most dangerous job. He would serve as the decoy—at least for the opening of the battle. He didn’t have any skills that could penetrate the creature’s hide, and his poison wouldn’t work against an opponent that size, but he was determined to risk his life alongside the others. What he did have was amazing Reflexes and a deep understanding of the predators’ mindset, which he hoped would let him evade the garax while hunters took out its foot.
Violet had more firebombs waiting in the wagon. She intended to provide support—distracting the beast by hurling the consumables that they hadn’t used on the padamas. She would also cast enhance beast to let Blue dish out more damage.
Until its throat was exposed, Sasha was on recue duty. After her initial attack, she would fall back—ready to carry people to safety if they went down, or step in to distract the beast when Violet ran out of items to throw.
That left Edge, Trapper, Jumo, and Blue to injure the garax’s feet enough that it took a bad fall. Everyone would come together to finish the job once the beast’s head hit the ground. Edge was prepared to use [Overdrive] at any time during the fight, then tailor his explanation based on how much he gave away. By this point, he trusted the crew enough to share more of the truth, but he wasn’t ready to tell them everything.
No matter what went down, he firmly intended to complete the quest, protect his friends, and steal the skill had his core vibrating with gluttony ever since he had decided to fight.
While they walked, the hunters reviewed the tools at their disposal. Both on their persons, and back at the farmstead. Only one of Trapper’s pits had been activated so far. Another had been covered by the wreckage of the silo, leaving two spike-lined trenches remaining. The crystal spines couldn’t seriously injure the garax, but they would aggravate the damage to its feet and make it easier to knock it down.
Most of the bolt throwers had already been triggered. They weren’t powerful enough to pierce the beast’s skin, so Trapper would deactivate the rest. There was still a fair amount of slippery oil scattered across the middle of the farmstead. If they could get the behemoth to run through it, they should be able to reduce its traction.
On the consumable side of the equation, the hunters still had most of their own personal kits, including a fair number of smoke bombs, stink bombs, flashbangs, and flares. None of it could hurt the garax, but they might provide a distraction at a critical moment.
Edge turned to look at his team, staring each of them in the eyes in turn. He saw fear and bravery clear on their faces. Hope, and a desperate need to grow stronger. He realized in that moment that he was proud to call these people his friends. Proud of the person he had become since waking up on this world.
The crew knew that their odds were poor, and they might be marching to their deaths. But they believed in themselves and believed in each other, and they were willing to risk it all on the strength of that conviction.
Don’t worry guys. Edge cracked his neck and popped his knuckles. I’ve got this. I have two aces tucked up my sleeves and I’m ready to go all in.
