Arthur_Inverse
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Chapter 73: The First Day at Camp
🕑 Added 2023-02-04 19:32:12 +0000 UTCSilence.
A bead of cold sweat dripped from Drake’s cheek as he stood there, his hand in the air, as his shoulder healed slowly in silence.
Shouldn’t they be cheering or something… Drake thought awkwardly.
“Hahahaha!! They are all looking at you as if you are crazy! This is certainly a treat! Finally! Sane people that understand how cringe you are!” Natto screamed, practically fist pumping out of Drake’s skull.
Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be on my side!? This should be just as embarrassing for me as it is for you! Drake shouted internally as he slowly lowered his arm and turned away from the onlooking crowd.
“It would but they can not see me! So all the embarrassment is yours dolt!” she barked, laughing.
Fuck..
Drake’s ears turned a shade of red comparable to his mask, but he tried his best to recover.
“A-a-a..and With that said!” Drake shouted turning back around, “Any support class, or healer that wants to improve. See me tomorrow! For now, rest up, I will keep watch so you can rest easy for now.”
Looking into the sky it was beginning to paint a darker orange. The day had been long and difficult for many. But Drake would make sure they could rest for now.
He moved to the wall, and jumped onto the guard tower, looking out to the destruction his spell had caused.
The open plains that had once been dirt was now a wet pool of mud as the water still receded back into the forest bringing the bodies of the Goblins with them. But not all of them. Some of the Goblins had been slammed against the Outpost’s walls, others crushed into the mud unable to be freed by the waves of the receding waters.
“I’ll have to do some clean up tonight huh…” Drake mumbled.
—---------------------
“You believe anything that crazy dude said?” one of the men whispered to another, taking a spoonful of the food he had grabbed to his mouth, “Ahh this is good! What the fuck?!”
“I’m not so sure about killing all the Goblins. I mean you saw that quest right? But at least we’re safe here. That spell he just did was something else!” another chimed in next to him.
“Shhh! Don’t be so loud, what would you do if the guy heard us?!!”
“I don’t believe Mr. Shot is so petty to kill someone for having a differing opinion,” Harley said, handing another person a bowl of food, “He did save everyone after all, even with some being not so cooperative,” she added, sparing a glance to a gruff looking man on the edge of the group.
“Ha! Save everyone? What about the other people still in the camp?” someone said.
Harley pursed her lips, not sure how to respond to the question. But a familiar voice came to her rescue.
“And what exactly did you do to save those people? Easy to point a finger when you’re sitting cozy by a fire eating food when you didn’t lift one to do shite,” Jacqueline sneered.
The man who spoke scoffed and placed a spoon of food into his mouth grumbling something.
“Thank you..” Harley offered.
“Don’t sweat it. Tensions are high and all that, but we all have something to bear for not doing more,” Jacqueline replied.
Suddenly another horn sounded. And both women looked to the guard tower.
It had been a few hours since the last one sounded, and was not dark. The only thing they could see in the night was the shine of green before a flash of white formed the outline of a person on the tower.
Those with magic senses and identification skills looked up in more detail. Seeing the man on the tower. His black and gold outlined robe that was in tatters, white hair with red animal ears and tail. And the ferocious red, black and white mask covering the bottom half of his face.
[Shot Level 15]
A moment later, the sparks of green flicked in the night as arrows and spells seemed to cascade against a shield in front of the man.
But he stood unperturbed as a crimson red magic circle formed in his left hand, a tall throng of fire extending from it, lighting up the night like a beacon.
The fire bent and formed a longbow, another circle of red bursting to life in his other dark earthen hand. It forming a condensed arrow of fire.
Shot pulled back the bow, the string of fire flicked and sputtered in the air as he stretched the string. A breath later he let go the mountain of fiery mana with a shriek as it screamed through the air, a loud explosion sounding in the distance.
And then he formed and pulled another, then another, and another. Each one sounding fiercer than the last, a loud cascading boom following each screeching arrow that released.
“Could you do that?” Jacqueline asked hesitantly.
“N-no. I’m a level 15 Farsight Archer… The best I could do is maybe kill two Kobolds at a time. How many Goblins do you think he is killing with each arrow?” Harley asked just as pensively.
“Thine liege is killing around 30 Goblins per arrow,” Theodore said, shimmering into existence next to Harley with an expressionless face, “Ah. Another level. This party system is quite extraordinary. Should my liege decide to continue I feel I will be quite speedily set upon this one’s goal of getting stronger.”
Harley looked over at Theodore, her eyes gleaning green for a moment as she inspected him.
[Theodore Level 13]
Theodore was slowly closing in on Harley’s level and he had increased so quickly over the course of such a small period. Even Shot had also increased in level, and no one knew his class.
“Hey Theo,” Harley whispered.
“Yes my love?” he responded, dropping his ear to her.
“What class is Mr. Shot?” she asked.
Theodore looked troubled for a moment but then answered in a low tone, “Truly, this one does not know. My liege has not graced me with such information as of yet.”
“And you still follow him?” she asked again, her face painted in surprise.
Theodore curled his mustache with a slight grin as he stood straight and answered in an even tone looking up at the fireworks display Drake was putting on.
“Thine Liege has done much for me. Even going as far to kill perpetrators of torture as recompence for their actions. Sire is… Shot is… as he would put it, now family.”
Harley’s mouth parted slightly in astonishment, but regained her composure to look back up at the man still firing arrows into the distance. She wondered what exactly Shot had done for Theo and just what was he planning for the future?
—-------
Haha! I’m so fucking glad I have that show for reference for this! How cool is a full magic bow?!! Drake shouted internally, as he continued to fire off arrows, each one dropping his Mana slowly only to be filled back up from his massive pool and regeneration he now had.
“Brihd! Brihd!” he whispered with each arrow as they screeched through the air like a phoenix then plummeted into the ranks of the now scattering Goblins.
“You are such a child and a moron.. Why not just use a real bow?! You have plenty.” Natto complained, as she watched the display of magic with disinterest.
Obviously because this is cooler. AND do you really think that a regular bow can stand the fire spells I’m launching? Drake countered.
“Fair I suppose. But Drake. We really must discuss your personality changes. You have been showing more inclination towards fighting, and even gone berserk. I fear it might be a side effect of your growth or the Oppression skill stone,” she told him worriedly.
Drake grimaced. She was right, they needed to discuss it. And Drake had been intentionally dodging the discussion.
Can’t we wait just a b-
“No! I know you, and you will keep putting off something like this until it becomes a problem! Use more than two brain cells for once and get ahead of the problem!!” she yelled.
Ok. Ok. No need to shout…
“There is always a need to shout when it comes to you! Have you not been paying attention to the past 72 hours?!” she shrieked.
Drake pursed his lips, “Ok fair..” he replied, finally drawing and releasing his last arrow. The impact lighting up the plains in front of the Outpost enough to see that the Goblins had fallen back to retreat or regroup.
Looking back up at the night sky, Drake plopped back down on the top of the Guard Tower, then turned his gaze over his shoulder, where now 60 odd some people had found residence and ate.
Unfortunately because of the Goblins continuing to try to force their way into the Outpost. Which Drake assumed was because of him. No one was getting any sleep. At least that was what Drake was guessing as most of the people were now eating or up and about wandering the grounds.
There were a few that he had noticed watching him since his little ‘speech’.
[Amir Fadel Level 10]
[Claire Osberg Level 11]
[Harley Mongrass Level 15]
[Jacqueline Evans Level 15]
And the last one who was trying her best to not show she was studying him. But his Aura was able to feel her subtle head turns as she stood at the bottom of the Guard Tower.
[Chelsea Jackson Level 14]
They should really have made Aliases.. Having your real name on display seems kinda careless. Drake thought.
“Stop thinking about other people! Where did that selfish asshole a moment ago go?!” Natto chided.
I know I know… Look, let’s wait until morning when I have better visibility. My Magic Sight’s improved but I still can’t catch everything. It isn’t like it improved to see in the dark and I do need to stay alert for now. I haven’t noticed too many Red-Caps in the notifications but that doesn’t mean they aren't there outside my scope of sight. Drake explained.
“And I’ll have time to think later when we bury them…” Drake whispered under his breath.
—------
The next few hours went surprisingly fast for Drake. The Goblins had a pattern of attack that made it easier to know when they did.
They would sound a battle horn, then try to storm the front gate. Footmen and shamans would try to support the Lieutenants and other footmen as they marched forward.
Drake had yet to see another General as the night pressed on, and their ranks had become less diverse as well, which he was sure was for a reason, but he couldn’t think of one.
Were they trying to outlast him in a battle of attrition?
“Good luck… My mana pool is so large now I can sparsely know what to do with it against this level of monsters,” Drake grumbled as he paced back and forth on the new strip of Earth he had conjured behind the wall of the Outpost.
Drake had decided during the night to make a temporary wall along the Outpost so he could change his position. The decision had been made for him when the Goblins decided to focus fire on him, breaking both his defensive shields and taking a good chunk out of his shoulder before he teleported away to recover.
The spell that hammered the Goblins after was one for the ages, but had taught Drake another lesson.
Don’t stand in the same spot more than once.
“It looks like there's a small lull right now. Might be the best time to do it… “ Drake said, looking back at the camp, in the new morning daylight.
The campfires were sputtering out and people were exiting the tents very very slowly.
“Alfred!” Drake called, but no one answered.
Damn I was hoping that would work…
“You never cease to joke do you..” Natto sighed.
“What can I say it’s in my nature? Theo!” Drake tried again.
A moment later a shimmer in the air turned to Theodore, bowing slightly next to Drake.
“Yes, my liege?” Theodore asked.
“Here, before I forget,” Drake said, placing the Illusion Stones he had picked up on the way back in Theodore’s hands, “This finish up your slots?” he asked.
Theodore eyed the stones for a moment then gripped them in his hands. “I believe it will sire. This one is most gracious.”
Drake nodded and eye’d the breaking sun coming fully over the horizon.
“I have some stuff to finish up really quickly, I need you to watch the Goblins’ movements. If anything happens come get me,” Drake said, pointing to the corner of the Outpost where no one was camped, “I’ll be over there.”
Theodore bowed slightly again then chanted something under his breath, disappearing once again.
Drake hopped off the Earthen rampart he created and began walking to the area he had pointed to. Many of the early risers had given him glances but no one approached him as he walked on the outskirts of the newly formed camp inside the Outpost.
A few moments later he had reached the area and began the process of something he had been dreading since he found them inside the Jailer’s and General’s pouches.
Natto, you can ask away while I do this. I don’t have time to waste not doing both. Drake thought.
“Is it not disrespectful..?” she asked.
Drake placed his earthen hand over the ground, a small portion falling from it to the floor below. He put mana into the shard of earth that fell and it expanded into a 6 foot deep rectangular hole.
His mana took a dip, but it wasn’t something his recovery in his Water Endowment couldn’t compensate easily.
Opening his inventory, he began placing one slot of human remains into the hole. Then slowly covered it in earth, placing a gravestone at the foot of the grave.
I do not even know their names, or what they had gone through. The most I can do for them now is place them in a proper burial. Drake replied.
“And leave them with a promise,” he added, as he engraved something in the gavestone.
[Here lies a Victim of the tutorial. May they rest in peace, for I will find them justice.]
Drake turned around, looking the auburn twin ponytailed woman in the eyes.
“What do you need, I have work to do.”
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Authors Note: Might need some revision to the last scene. I don't feel it has enough impact...? Still working it out as it is split between two chapters sadly because of length restrictions.
Comments
Glad to hear it! I'm hoping to get one more chapter of the pokemon fic out soon, but I want to focus more on Dual Class and build up the backlog for everyone again. Goal is around 25+ chapters by the 15th or so hopefully. I'm more than happy to explain my thought processes I tend to try not to though unless someone asks as I think it's a little pretentious lol I know i'm an amature writer and have a long way to go to improve.
BobpleTheGreat
I see, thanks for answering (always intresting to hear an author thoughts on a chapter) Also those two stories are really fun, been enjoying them as well.
I actually really thought about the watching him dig a hole part while writing. It's hard to put it in though because at this point everyone is pretty wary of Drake. So outside of Theo Harley Jacqueline and Chelsea I dont think many would. But I guess watching from afar could work? But then again switching PoV so much might ruin immersion. It's tough but i do like the idea! And for length mostly chapters will range from 2k to 3k for the platform I normally post on RoyalRoad, and going too far beyond it wouldn't be good for a number of reasons. This is why I'm kind of enjoying the pokemon fanfic and the interactive story since I'm ignoring that since the release dates are much further and lax lol. I'll def consider it when I read it back and edit it. because i feel like there isnt enough build up to the burial and there are some parts im struggling with. So it may change we will have to see lol
BobpleTheGreat
Impact… hmm. Reading it, I feel like the impact is fine enough… Making the scene a lot longer I don’t think would improve it, maybe make Drake actions earlier have more visible disgust and anger at the goblins? Maybe a line the woman or others watching him dig the hole? That’s the best I can think (unsure of anything I suggested is good though). “split between two chapters sadly because of length restrictions.” out of curiosity why is there a length restriction?
