Jaygak stared at her bde, which had glowed shtly during their fight. They had only mao defeat the creature so easily thanks to Adam’s ridiculous abilities, but her bde had also cut through it, the light banishing the darkness. ‘Is this what Adam feels like normally?’

  Jaygak was certain that she had dealt enough damage to the being that she could have dropped a Master, and even a Grandmaster would have been staggered by her viciousness. Still, a sirand of doubt floated through her mind. ‘It was only because of Great Moon.’

  Great Moon, the Greater Enhanced bde, made and gifted by a particur Half Elf. The Half Elf was still involved with in her successes. She sighed.

  As the days passed, they tio trek through the forest, entering all manner of beasts. They were not quite as spectacur as the mandogs, or the great darkness which threateo kill them, but Adam took them all seriously.

  ‘Why the hell did I get all cocky when the Iyr told me it was dangerous?’ Adam thought. ‘I almost got everyone killed!’ Adam gnced aside to Jurot, the young Iyrman butchering the beasts they had sin. ‘No, I suppose he wants that, but I still don’t want to die yet! My kids are waiting for me!’

  Adam tio patrol the area. ‘I shouldn’t die. If yoing to kill me, at least let me feel the warm embrace of a woman, damn it!’ His eyes fell across the sky, before he let out a low sigh.

  The group tio force their way deeper into the forest, the group still cutting their way through any foe which dared to step towards them. Adam’s group formed the vanguard, and would mar ahead, clearing the path for the rest of the army.

  “Careful, Barry,” Adam called, assisting the older man with the crate. “’t be hurting your back this young.”

  The old man’s lips formed a small smirk, his thick beard rustling slightly as he did. “I’m too old t’care about tha’ sorta thing.” He stood up straighter, the thin, short man reag around to his baassage it, his bones crag slightly. “Gun me some pik. Make sure you getta eatin’ too.”

  “Will do, Barry,” Adam said, waving the older man away as he shuffled the crate further to the side, up against the rest. He wiped his brow, before walking around the camp, nodding his head and waving towards all the other bourers. He checked the casks of water to make sure they were at least half full as he made his rounds, before he made his way towards the tre of the camp, where the cooks were hard at work, baking bread and roasti.

  “Ten gold a day,” Adam said, dropping beside his panions. “After the, you know what, I ten gold a day doesn’t seem like much, but si’s been calm, I feel like I’ll grow old and fat.”

  “Are y to call more disasters upon us?” Jaygak asked, narrowing her eyes towards the Half Elf, her lips f a pout.

  “I’m just saying, I’m liking how much money we’re earning,” Adam said. ‘We’ll have what, three hundred each at the end of the month.’ “Pay day ’t e soon enough.”

  Jaygak raised her brow, w why Adam was excited by some gold s. No doubt it was for something stupid, and upon seeing him making that face, she decided to ignore him.

  As the days tio pass, and Adam’s pockets grew heavy with , Adam wondered when they would be dohey had chosen to work for a little while longer for the baron, who seemed to be making his way through the nd with some fervour.

  “We will tio clear the forest around, I fear there may be something else we have missed,” Baron Rockcastle said to the nearby knights, slowly tilting his head.

  “Of course, my lord,” came the response from the knights, who were preparing for that for the m.

  Omen: 13, 19

  Adam sipped the soup, tasting something a little saltier than he expected. ‘A new kind of spice?’

  stitution SaveD20 + 6 = 15Success!

  Health: 78 -> 74

  Adam’s stomach tightened and he winced, his entire body fshing red hot for a moment. Adam’s ears twitched, hearing the symphony of bdes leaving their sheaths. He reached towards his side, pulling up his axe, and his eyes darted around to find where the foe roag from, he found Jurot, Jaygak, and Kitool leaping up into a around him.

  ‘What the hell?’

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 4 (3)

  Jaygak’s bde cshed with her foe, one of the baron’s knights, though she stumbled backwards, spitting up bess. She tried t her bde up, but fourength had been sapped away.

  Jurot cshed with a pair of meraries, his axe swinging wildly, his iron skin causing several blows to bounce off. Kitool’s staff spun wildly, fending off another pair of meraries.

  Adam’s eyes caught the baron’s, who was fnked by a knight, however, he was then distracted by the several guards and meraries charging towards him.

  Adam’s lips twitched slightly, feeling his body begin to cool down. He brought up his arm ahead of him, blog a blow meant for his head, and Wraith cshed against another bde aiming for his neck. He stumbled backwards from the heft of the blows as a guard grabbed at his waist, and aried to grab at his arm, though Adam managed shifted to the side so the guard was in the way between them.

  Health: 74 -> 58

  “Damn it!” Jaygak growled, feeling the poison work its way through her. The entire area fshed red hot for a moment as she held out a hand, the fmes engulfing the meraries ahead of her. The young Iyrman still coughed, feeling the poisoer deep into her.

  Adam’s entire body grew hot, and he ched Wraith tighter in hand. He was still, causing even his oppos to freeze. He gnced between them all, his eyes then falling to find the baron’s once more.

  “Are you done?” Adam asked, before pointing his axe towards the baron. The baron opened his mouth, but Adam cared little for his answer.

  Mana: 21 -> 18Spell: Fireball8D6 = 36 (1, 3, 3, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6)36 damage!

  A tiny bead of red shot out from Wraith, shooting past the guards and meraries, before it struck the baron’s armour.

  “This-,” the baron began, before fire exploded outwards, engulfing him, his knight, the meraries and guards all around him, as well as the crates, the tents, and the nearby oners. The fmes reached out towards Adam, and though it engulfed the meraries who charged him, it only tickled the area in front of the Half Elf.

  Screaming filled the air as the fmes roared, before they disappeared, leaving only burnt bodies, and a pair who remaiwitg, the knight and the merary captain. They panted, breathing i air, which caused their lungs to burn.

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2Health: 58 -> 63

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack - WraithD20 + 10 = 20 (10)D20 + 10 = 23 (13)Hit!Wraith: 3 -> 2Mana: 18 -> 15Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 27 (2, 3)(4, 6)(1, 2)27 damage!

  Mana: 15 -> 14Spell: Thunderous Smite

  Attack - WraithD20 + 10 = 15 (5)D20 + 10 = 30 (20)Critical Hit!Wraith: 2 -> 1Mana: 17 -> 16Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 4D6 + 4D6 + 4D6 + 9 = 77 (1, 4, 6, 6)(3, 5, 5, 6)(3, 4, 5, 5)(1, 2, 6, 6)77 damage!

  Adam forced his body to a, smashing Wraith against the guard who had grappled him, instantly dropping the warrior. He gred at the warriors ahead of him, who stared at him in shock, before he turned, stepping beside Jaygak, who cshed with a merary.

  “You stupid, fug,” Adam began, before he swung his bde towards the merary who had kicked Jaygak away to meet Adam in bat. As the merary swung towards Adam, the Half Elf ted the words to his magid he hacked into the merary’s head, smming through the visor of the pte, cutting deep into the man’s face. Adam forced his axe into the man’s head, and before he could even scream, Wraith squelched deep, before the warrior’s lifeless body dropped.

  Another merary dropped dead, as Phantom pulled out from the side of his neck, and Jurot turo faother. Kitool broke the knee of one of her foes, before smmiaff against the back of the head of one of the meraries fag Jaygak, causing him to drop.

  Adam could hear Jurot still fighting behind him, but other than his brother’s senseless victims, no other moved. The fmes from the Fireball crackled lightly, barely alight oent.

  “Jaygak,” Adam said, holding out a hand towards her, though still staring at their foes. Though he had taken out at least a dozen by himself, there were still many guards all around them, though many with legs which shook beh them.

  Jaygak stumbled beside Adam, Great Moon in hand. She felt Adam’s hand against the back of her head, a gentle warmth filling her from head to toe, before she shuddered, shrugging off the chill of poison which had taken her.

  Lay On Hands: 30 -> 25

  Adam’s amulet glowed faintly, causing the others to take a step back, their eyes fshing with fear. “Jurot,” Adam called. “You should kill the knight.”

  Jurot, who had almost struuard dead, paused. He turned, allowing the guard to strike at his back, though this guard decided against giving the Iyrman a reason to swing that mighty axe towards him, and fled. Jurot marched up to the knight, who swung his bde wildly towards the Iyrman, and though his bde cut against Jurot’s side, he barely cut even a nail’s width, before his head rolled on the floor.

  Jurot stared down at the baron, and he raised his axe.

  “No,” Adam said, stellping away from Jaygak and towards the baron, causing the warriors around to step away from his approag form. Adam stared down at the baron, who had nded against his side. He was charred, but Adam could see the way the noble’s chest shifted with each breath. His eyes go the side, where he saw the charred remains of the others he had killed alongside the baron.

  Adam raised his axe.

  Victory!XP Gained: +1000XP: 15 000 -> 16 000

  Quest plete: The Baron’s BetrayalXP Gained: +100XP: 16 000 -> 16 100

  The four rode away silently on horses, leaving behind them a fiery mess. Jurot held the reins tightly in hand, staring out ahead of him, towards his brother. Kitool and Jaygak rode together, trailing a short ways behind the pair.

  “La,” Adam said, riding up ahead. “That was the niame Barry used for his granddaughter.”

  “…” Jurot remained silent.

  “The cook, the oh the ginger hair, she was caught i,” Adam said. “So was her nephew.”

  “I am sorry, Adam.”

  “That bastard baron should have been my first.” A silent tear slipped down Adam’s cheek.

  Damn.