Victory!DuabearsXP Gained: 750XP: 12 350 -> 13 100

  The sed wave of duabears had been much easier to deal with than the first, partly due to the fact it was almost half the size of the first wave.

  Adam stared at the walls of the fort, which had protected them from two outbreaks. So far, they had mao deal with hundreds of creatures from the prote of these wooden ahly walls.

  Adam rubbed his hand along the wood and the earth. ‘You know what? You ain’t so bad.’

  “Adam?” Jurot called.

  “Yes?”

  Jurot gnced between Adam and the wall. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” Adam blinked in response. “Just, you know, thinking about how…”

  Jurot waited.

  “Nothing,” Adam whispered. ‘I ’t raise death fgs after poking fun at Jaygak.’ “The fort’s walls are amazing.”

  “Yes,” Jurot said. The walls had been built over days, and though most of it had been pleted within the first two days, they had slowly added a little to the fort, refining it as time passed. They had reshaped parts of the fort in order to create more space for the giant elks in the er.

  Sir Vonda and Dunes returned from the other outpost, having spent some time tending to their wounds.

  “How was it?” Adam asked.

  “Terrible,” Vonda replied. “If it wasn’t for Jurot, Kitool, and Lucy, some of them would have died.”

  “Whies?” Adam asked, far too eagerly.

  “Adam.” Vonda raised her brows at him.

  Adam cleared his throat. “Just asking.”

  Vonda sighed. “Adam.”

  “Sorry.” Adam smiled. “I’m gd no one’s dead.”

  “You know a lot of magic,” Twobones said to Adam during dinner.

  “Yeah,” Adam replied. He noted how Twobones and Ironbde had been almost entirely unharmed during the fight. “A det amount.”

  “How strong are you?” Twobones asked.

  Adam looked around. “I’d say I’m iop two if you sider every single person within about a thousand steps.”

  “Top two?”

  “I’m being nice.” Adam smiled. “That’s with my magid magical on.” Adam brushed his finger over his ring.

  “Think you beat me?”

  “Jurot, what say you?” Adam asked.

  “Yes,” Jurot replied, almost instantly.

  Twoboared at Jurot for a moment, the pair sharing a knowing look. “If the Iyrman says so, then it must be true.”

  “You take the word of the Iyrmen seriously?” Adam asked.

  Twobones smiled. “Only fools don’t.”

  “You know what, Twobones? You’re one of the smartest people I’ve met.”

  “That so?”

  “Wise might be more appropriate.”

  Twobones chuckled. “After all this, when you head back to Red Oak, how about we fight?”

  “No thanks,” Adam said. “I’m all tired on fighting.”

  “Iyrman, isn’t he your brother?”

  “He is.”

  “Your brets tired of fighting?”

  “No,” Jurot said. “He gets tired of winning.”

  Adam coughed into his arm, winking at Jurot. Jurot replied with a nod. ‘That’s my brother,’ Adam thought.

  Twobones smiled, going back to his meal. Without Adam’s magical on, he was fairly certain he’d be able to beat the Half Elf. Though, he supposed Jurot had taken that into sideration. He shared a look with Ironbde, who shook his head.

  They probably shouldn’t start a fight when they were surrounded by three Iyrmen.

  The group spent the few days butchering the duabears, dealing with the rest of the remains by burying them nearby when it felt safe.

  Creatures appeared more frequently over the few days, though they appeared in smaller numbers. A handful of wolves, bears, boars, and even snakes, had e to bother them, though they had bee with by the bloodthirsty few.

  “I just realised,” Adam said, looking to Rick. “We should have sent you and your party to the roup when Lady Shamia appeared.”

  Rick stared at Adam, before nodding his head. “That would have bee.”

  “I love your pany and all, but I think that would have bee. They would have dealt with the Outbreak much better with you nearby.”

  Rick stared at the other outpost, before looking back to the tower. “Would have missed the daily baths.”

  Adam smiled. “You’re a man after my ow, Rick.”

  Rick had started off quite apprehensive of the Half Elf, but after spending the st few weeks with him, he uood that Adam wasn’t so bad after all.

  The baths were a plus.

  Omen: 4, 11

  A whistle shrieked.

  “What the hell is that?” Adam asked, squinting his eyes.

  “It is exactly what it looks like,” Jurot said.

  It was a giant snake, Adam gathered, however, it was also furry.

  “It is a giant wolf snake,” Jurot said.

  “Oh,” Adam said, nodding his head. “Yeah, I see that.”

  He could not see that.

  “Just the one?” Adam asked.

  “It seems the Outbreak is over.”

  Adam frowhough he was gd, and quite relieved, he had expected the creatures to be more… fantastical. ‘This world really o be more inal. I mean, e on, you send wolves at me three times?’

  “Adam?” Jurot called.

  “Yeah?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m just annoyed,” Adam said, staring at the giant wolf snake, which slithered towards them. “I guess I’ll have to just take it out on that thing. How hard is it to beat?”

  “For us? It is no issue. It’s bite is terrible.”

  Adam nodded. “Then I guess let’s kill it.”

  “Adam!” Lucy shouted. “You ’t attack it!”

  “Why not?”

  “If you attack it, the fight will be to. We already out.”

  “We shouldn’t uimate it.”

  “You just want to steal all my fun.”

  Adam closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine, but I want to cim its fangs for myself.”

  “You won’t attack it?”

  “I get the fangs, you get the fun.”

  Lucy thought deeply about the matter, all the while it tio slither towards them. ‘If I give the fangs to Lanarot, wouldn’t he be mad?’ Lucy thought between fighting a good fight and annoying Adam.

  Jaygak could sehe thoughts from the Demon, and she nodded.

  However, Lucy was far more bloodthirsty than she was mischievous.

  “Deal.”

  “Ah, but let me Hex it at least.”

  Luarrowed her eyes at Adam.

  “Please.”

  “Fine…”

  Adam watched as the group gathered together. The Iyrmen, Lucy, Jonn, Duwobones, and Ironbde made up the group which was going to leave the outpost to fight it on even ground. The others remained behind, readying their ranged ons, just in case.

  The fight began when Jaygak darted forward, wanting to take first blood. She struck across the side of the giant wolf snake, before Lud Jurot both pounced on the creature. Their ons struck the creature’s scales, pierg quite deep into it, spilling blood across the nd.

  It shrieked, g its mighty jaws around Lucy, causio shudder in pain as its fangs tore through her side. Lucy had realised that it was far more powerful than even she had assumed. She tried to fend off the poison, but her side turned purple.

  Mana: 18 -> 17Spell: Hex

  Kitool struck the creature deep with her Seekerstaff, trying to paralyse it, but it was too tough. Her fist and knee bounced off its tough scales, but as she kept it busy, Duore through its side with Dunes’ Sword.

  It shrieked louder as they tio batter it, and though it smmed against Lucy again, it turo try and flee from the heavy blows. However, the Iyrmen were resolute in hunting it, and they desded upon it like vultures to the dead, hag and sshing it to bits.

  ‘Damn. Fighting with so many against a single creature is a little cheesy…’

  Victiant Wolf SnakeXP Gained: +100XP: 13 200 -> 13 300

  Adam sighed. ‘It wasn’t even a good fight.’

  Lucy colpsed on the ground, f the poison out using sheer will, before she dressed her wound.

  “Did you have fun?” Adam asked.

  “Yes,” she replied, sighing with a smile. “Finally a fight that I could really feel it.”

  “It?”

  “The ce of dying.”

  “You want that?”

  “I want to feel it, but I don’t want to actually die,” Lucy remarked.

  “Why?”

  Lucy smiled, but it was a sad smile. “Just so I feel, Adam.”

  Adam squi her. “Are you okay?”

  Luodded her head slowly, before closing her eyes to sleep.

  Jurot butchered the creature with Kitool’s help. They began to roast the snake meat and cook it withiew.

  Adam stayed near Lucy, keeping an eye on her just in case the poison did something to her. He sighed. ‘We’ll get stronger soon, Lucy. Then we go sy a Dragon and save Mara.’

  Sir Vonda returned, having offered some of the meat of the giant wolf so the roup.

  “How are they?” Adam asked.

  “They are well.”

  “Cool, cool.”

  The snake meat leasahat evening. The meat was chewy, and thanks to Shamia’s spices, delicious.

  They spent the evening pag all the various hides, taking whatever was most valuable. They had far too much loot to pack up, though thanks to the sed giant elk, they could take much more.

  “I ’t wait to return back to the Iyr,” Adam said, stretg. “It’s getting way too hot to be out in the middle of nowhere.”

  This had bee day they spent in the fort. Tomorrow they’d be able to make their way back to Red Oak, which was only a few days away from home.

  Rick y in his tent, staring up at the ceiling. He remained awake due to his thoughts. He was certain that this request would have been ridiculously difficult due to its danger. Yet, he had only been wounded once, on the way to the eventual outpost.

  I month he had seen some seriously awe inspiring things. From the rage of the Iyrmen, to the r fmes of the Half Elf’s spells.

  ‘Were they really outnumbered four to one?’

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