Chapter 95
Call of the Pack
You have gained 1 durability.
Current durability: 63
The system update flashed across my vision as I snapped back to reality. It couldn't have come at a better time. The extra point of durability didn't stop the pain altogether or make Hrundar's punches harmless, but it still made a noticeable difference.
I smiled.
Hrundar faltered, pausing with his fist drawn back. The red in his eyes was beginning to fade – the crack-like herb apparently wearing off – and I supposed that having a guy you'd just pummelled into oblivion smile at you would be pretty unnerving.
I turned my attention inwards, to the deep well of power that was my Aura. It might've just been my imagination, but I got the sense that it was more than a little frustrated, almost as if it were pounding against the door, waiting to be let out.
I granted it its wish.
Much of my Aura training had revolved around developing control – learning to wield it like a blade rather than a sledgehammer. It was possible to be subtle, to exert just the right amount of power to distract, disorientate, or disable an opponent.
This time though? Fuck subtlety.
Sensei had told me not to hold back, so hold back I would not.
I didn't open the door a crack. I flung that bitch wide open, and my Aura rolled over Hrundar and the Aurak like a goddamn monster truck.
The magic holding the black mist together and allowing the Aurak to maintain its humanoid form shattered. The spirit let out an unnatural shriek as its body unravelled. For a few moments, the black mist spread outwards like a dark cloud. Then the portal flashed, and the mist raced back towards it as though caught in a powerful wind.
Hrundar fared little better. He stumbled away, clawing at his face as blood streamed from his ears, eyes, and nose.
I rose to my feet, my pain temporarily forgotten. A quick glance told me Rel had things well in hand. Helgana lay face down, unmoving. Her body was such a charred, smoking mess that she was barely recognisable, and Rel’s attention was now fixed firmly on the Aurak.
The creature was not having a good time.
Okay, that was an understatement of epic proportions. Rel was shitting all over it... figuratively, of course. He was far too sophisticated to resort to weaponising poop.
I had no idea whether the Aurak were immune to physical attacks, what with them being made of mist, but it immediately became clear that they possessed no such immunity to magic. Each bolt of lightning opened gaping wounds in the creature's body, black mist pouring from them before being dragged back towards the portal.
As Rel busied himself deconstructing the evil spirit, I withdrew a healing potion from my inventory. Hrundar was on the ground now, rocking back and forth and whimpering like a kicked puppy. If I didn't know the guy, I might've even felt a little sorry for him.
I pulled the stopper free and tipped back the potion, letting out a relieved sigh as the liquid slid down my throat and healing energy washed through my body.
The Major healing potion was potent as fuck, and the self-repair function on my peasant garb had been working its little socks off the whole time, wiping away the blood and gore. Within ten seconds, anybody looking at me would've had no idea I'd just been beaten half to death.
Damn, magic was awesome.
I put my Aura back in its box, then studied Hrundar for a few moments. He let out a few shuddering breaths as the pressure faded, but he remained curled up on the ground.
You have progressed to Rank 3
Aura Manipulation
Journeyman
You have gained 1 intelligence.
Current intelligence: 38
I was happy about reaching Rank 3, but honestly, I was even happier about the point in intelligence. The fight with the Aurak had been another brutal reminder that my mental defences were painfully pathetic compared to my physical ones. It was something that I needed to deal with sooner rather than later.
I approached Hrundar cautiously and nudged him with my foot. He didn't react. He was back to whimpering now, quieter this time, the sounds punctuated by the occasional sharp gasp.
Yeah, the guy wasn't getting up again anytime soon – if ever. It reminded me of when I'd first unleashed my Aura against Evalria. There'd been absolutely no sense of control, and it'd killed her almost immediately, her mind collapsing beneath the weight of it. The only reason Hrundar wasn't dead was that he was a hell of a lot tougher than Evalria had been.
Still, the results were incredible… and more than a little bit disturbing.
I watched him for a few more moments, then decided it was time to put him out of his misery. The guy was a colossal asshole, but I still felt a little bad about leaving him to suffer like this. Besides… the quest wouldn’t be classed as complete while he was still alive.
I very briefly considered coming up with some fucked-up, convoluted way of killing him in an attempt to gain another point in strength, but I pushed the thought aside.
It really wouldn't have helped with the whole 'Have I become some sort of psychopath?' debate.
I withdrew The Pitchfork of Lurus from my inventory and put him out of his misery with an enthusiastic poke to the chest.
Quest Complete: The Yeti King
Tier: Five
Rating: ★★
Recommended Group Size: 5-8
You have slain Hrundar the Heartless and prevented a large-scale Aurak incursion into this world. Had they established a foothold, they would have posed a far greater threat than the yetis themselves.
Rewards:
195,000 gold
Cast Spell: Blizzard
390 Expedition Centre Points
Bonus Reward:
Murder Moss x3
Murder Moss?
I immediately opened my inventory and inspected the item.
Murder Moss
A favourite of the yeti berserkers, this herb dulls pain, fuels aggression and pushes the body beyond its natural limits.
Upon consumption, gain the following effects for two minutes:
+ 10 strength
+ 10 durability
+ 10 agility
+ greatly reduced awareness of pain
Warning: Exercise caution when using this item in the presence of allies. Side effects include questionable judgement, absurd aggression, and accidentally murdering your friends.
I withdrew a 'dose' from my inventory and was not at all surprised to see that it was the same red herb Hrundar had pulled from his pouch and gobbled down before going completely berserk.
I read the description once more, paying particular attention to the warning… accidentally murdering your friends.
Tempting.
“Excellent…” said Rel.
He had the distant expression of someone interacting with the system, and given the other reward we'd received, I was fairly certain he wasn't talking about the Murder Moss.
Cast Spell: Blizzard
Summons a raging blizzard centred on a target location.
The blizzard deals continuous cold damage to all enemies within its area of effect and significantly reduces their movement speed.
Area of effect, damage and slowing effects scale with the caster's intelligence.
It was pretty excellent, to be fair.
*
As we soared over the great frost plains, heading back in the direction of Stonehaven, I reflected on the fight against Hrundar. The yeti himself had not been an issue. I think it’s fair to say that when it came to the physical side of things, I was a bit of a monster. Even with the Murder Moss, he hadn't really been a match for me. If I hadn't held back for training purposes, I could've taken him apart in moments.
No, the Aurak had been the real problem. Its stupid strength-sapping magic hadn't disabled me entirely, but it had weakened me enough that Hrundar could go to town, and there hadn't been much I could do about it.
Well... apart from using my Aura to obliterate them.
That might not always be an option though. What if I came up against an enemy with magic that addled my brain or put me to sleep instead?
I needed to raise my intelligence. There was no way Rel would've been affected by the Aurak to the same extent I had. In fact, if it'd tried it on him, he'd have probably just picked the magic apart, figured out how it worked, then returned the favour tenfold.
Fortunately, training my Aura seemed to be the best and most reliable way to increase my intelligence, so I could kill two birds with one stone. Sure, I could try to learn magic, but I really didn't like the thought of that. I wasn't a particularly patient man, and patience seemed to be a pretty essential requirement for spellcasting – unless, of course, you happened to be some sort of squirrel prodigy like Rel.
He'd been teaching Allaria ever since we'd left Oakreach, squeezing several lessons a week into our busy questing schedule, and she'd only very recently managed to cast a thoroughly underwhelming version of Rejuvenating Touch.
My thoughts were interrupted by a very loud and very familiar howl. My face split into a broad smile as I glanced down and spotted the distant form of a wolf tearing across the ice, tracking the path of our flight.
“What does that oversized, furry cretin want?” asked Rel. While his choice of words might have suggested he despised Winterclaw, I didn't believe it for a second. There was a distinctly unconvincing scowl plastered across his face and, when I said nothing, he let out a long-suffering sigh. “I suppose we had better investigate... just in case the Dark One has returned.”
When we landed, Winterclaw bounded towards us excitedly, his enormous tongue flapping from side to side. Rel immediately positioned himself behind me, muttering darkly under his breath about what he'd do if the wolf tried to lick him again.
Winterclaw crashed into me, and I stumbled back a step. He might not have been possessed by the Dark One anymore, but he was still an absolute beast. What followed was a barrage of enthusiastic head nudges and ear scratches.
Once he was done greeting me, Winterclaw stepped around me and padded towards Rel. Rel hovered a few metres in the air, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. “If you try to lick me again and coat my fur in saliva, I'll burn your tongue off,” he said, a fireball igniting at the tip of his tail to emphasise his point. He paused for a moment. “However… you may approach – very slowly – and I shall pat you on the head.”
Winterclaw tilted his head slightly, as though considering Rel's words. There was an intelligence in those dark eyes that made me think he understood every word. With a big doggy grin, he approached – very slowly – and lowered his enormous head. Rel reached out cautiously and patted the wolf a few times.
“Hmm,” he said. “Perhaps you are not an entirely irredeemable brute after all.”
Winterclaw threw back his head and let out a powerful howl. Despite the fact it was loud enough to carry for miles, the sound was not deafening. In fact, there was something almost uplifting about it. There was a certain strength and majesty to it that seemed to resonate with Cave Man Pete.
Buff Received: Call of the Pack
The great wolf Winterclaw has accepted you as a member of his pack.
Effects:
+3 strength
+3 durability
+3 agility
+3 intelligence
+ Enhanced senses
+ Minor increase to health regeneration
Duration: 30 minutes
“You consider us members of your pack?” asked Rel. “Let's get one thing straight. If there's going to be any joining of packs, you'll be the one joining mine.”
Would you like to adopt Winterclaw as an animal companion?
Animal companions fight alongside their masters and may provide unique passive or activated abilities.
Winterclaw
Species: Wolf
Evolution: Frost
Rank: 4
Experience: 384/500
Abilities:
Call of the Pack
Frozen Fang
Frozen Fang
Activating the ability causes Winterclaw's next bite to inflict Frostbite, reducing the target's movement speed and attack speed for 30 seconds.
Cooldown: 1 hour
What the fuck? We could have a pet wolf?
I stared at Winterclaw for a few moments, and he returned my gaze with those intelligent black eyes. He was enormous, easily seven feet tall even on all fours. His fur, which had been much darker during his possession by the Dark One, was now a pale grey with icy blue strands running through it.
Hell, yeah. It seemed like a complete no-brainer to me. All I had to do was convince Rel...
“Hey, buddy,” I said. “I don’t know about you, but I–”
Squire Rel has accepted Winterclaw as an animal companion on behalf of your party.