Getting back into their formation, party quickly continued moving in their usual rhythm. All of them, except Lucas. He already startled a few birds with the thumps of his boots, not bothering to hide his excitement. Every once in a while he would make whistling sounds, thinking about the battle ahead. He wondered what manner of creatures awaited them. With a quick thought he summoned his status and then went to the Quests submenu:

Quests

Help the Camp Hearth

Many strange monsters started prowling in the forests surrounding this historical Human settlement. Town administration quickly reacted and issued a contract to all able bodied and willing adventurers to investigate reason for this new threat and to shut it down.

Rewards:

15000 EXP

3000 Credits

2 piece of gear made by a town crafter of your choice

20% discount on all products made from materials found by resolving this Quest

1 Level Up

Skill

Title

“Scout’s find: As you near the dungeon that plague Camp Hearth, you start to see telltale sign of something brewing in the forest. Found what that something is or maybe it will find you.

Rewards:

3000 EXP

600 Credits

1 piece of random gear

Potential hidden awards

Name of the new Quest had Lucas a little perplexed. “Quest naming, and by extension Quests, were sort into two categories: Issued and Dynamic”, Lucas continued his line of thinking.

“Issued quests, like their current job were named by the one who issued them. Rewards of those quests were static, letting the Quest issuers to set rewards they want to give, occasionally mixing to up the rewards”, as Lucas guessed happened to this particular Quest. How’s and why’s of this particular occurrence where unknown to even most scholarly types of this post – System Earth, and frankly, Lucas didn’t even care why it happened. To his mind that just meant more loot, and more loot is always hoot.

“On the other hand, dynamic quests were set up by the System depending on the location, context, emotional states and a whole bunch of variables that made modern day mathematics look like a kindergarten project. Rewards it offered where also dynamic, meaning that the system generated them, and it wasn’t unheard of to have them morph and upgrade depending on how the quest plays out”. But for all his recounting of what he knew of Quests, he couldn’t explain why the System named it like that. He internally shrugged and set it aside, seeing how it doesn’t matter anyways. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t change his mind. Glancing back, he saw faint signs of excitement on his friend face. That was the second thing he hoped that thing will accomplish, serving as reminder to Michael just how fun all this is and hopefully getting him his companion back for some more fun romps and inn crawling. Just as he started to fantasize about details of their future endeavors, a sharp sound he recognized as John signal to stop moving snapped him from his thoughts. Sure enough, few second latter John arrived with and started to share his findings

“We got a camp 100 meters from us, in the small basin. Purpose is unknown, but if i have to hazard a guess, I would say it’s a military camp.” he spoke. “Perimeter is guarded by what looks like saber tooth snow tigers, but my skill identifies them as “Sentinel’s feline mounts”” he continued his narration “What I find interesting is that there is only two tents, but two, in lack of better word, animal pens” he finished.

“How do you think we should proceed?” Michael asked, his demeanor oozing nothing but professionalism.

“I would like to know level ranges” Maraya spoke. Lucas couldn’t help but to agree with the black woman

“Not how my skill works” John said, which surprised Lucas. His “Eye for details” showed him name of his foes, class and level. He knew there were skills with lower rarity that showed more, but to find skill that worked in different way wasn’t something he ever expected. “It just says they are a worthy quarry” John finished his explanation.

“Okay, we just walk into camp then” Lucas stated. Seeing incredulous looks on his party members, he raised his hand defensively “No, look. They are just mounts. They will have limited scope of answers for us, and, if I understood John correctly, they aren’t too big of a Level” He shot a questing glance at John.

“Aye, youngling is right. When there is too much difference in Level, skill says it’s not worthy to hunt” John confirmed Lucas’s theory.

With a smug smile on his face, Lucas continued with his plan.

In essence, it was a very simple one. John would take high position, while the rest of the party would walk down to campand rouse the tigers. As they were mounts, they had System enforced soul link with their riders, which they will probably use to wake them, allowing John to snipe them as soon as they get out of the tent. John happily accepted the task, and was basically on board with the plan. Other three party members looked each other for about a minute before Hannah spoke: “Oh shit. I cannot believe this. D’umbartagnan here actually has a solid plan” she said with a big smile. Maraya started snorting at the light – hearted tease, but Lucas quickly focused on Michael. He was hopeful that this plan, that was so far out of the new playbook of his friend, would make him remember his old one and in doing so reverting him to his pre-mercenary self.

“Alright, it’s a plan” Michael simply said.

Next five minutes were spent in quiet slope down the cliff and towards the camp, and soon enough they were on the same level with it. Lucas activated his “Duelist Grace” and “Eye for details” with a quick murmur.

“Ice tiger, Sentinel’s feline mount level 17”

“Ice tiger, Sentinel’s feline mount level 20”

Others also murmured their buffs and that cacophony of murmurs was enough to rouse the tigers. They turned their heads towards us and started warily watching in our direction. I took that as my sign and activated “Lunge”. In a second I was a meter away from the creature and with a “Pierce” my sword soared towards his eyes. Big feline reacted quickly, jumping backwards to avoid fatal damage, but still taking a sword through the ear. Unfortunately, that allowed it to attack back, swiping a massive claw with sharp and curved talons towards Lucas. “Dodge” he cried out, and while he was able to avoid worst of it, tiger’s claw still managed to rip his hip.

“You received 103 points of damage”

Activating his “Dodge” once again for good measure, he somersaulted backwards, landing with grace in the direction of the two tigers, his hip wound bleeding. They eyed him for few moments before pouncing on him, sensing they have the upper hand. But before they got to him, a large tactical riot shield appeared before him, soaking the blows that were meant for him. Turning around, he saw Maraya, donned in her weird mix of plate armor and modern tactical vest and armed with oversized cudgel running towards him. “Cordon Line”, he shouted and her shield multiplied five times, creating a transparent spectral barrier in front of the tigers. At the same time, Hannah was already casting something and he felt his wound closing.“You are healed for 100 points”

Now fully refreshed, Lucas turned once again towards felines. But before he could even spring into action, the weaker tiger, sensing that the tide of the battle shifted, let a blood – chilling roar.

“You are stunned for 5 seconds”

Lucas couldn’t move, and by the look of things, neither could his party. Worse, the roar was sure to wake the rest of the camp. Just as he finished his thought, four figures emerged in darkness, three from the tents, and one from the animal pen on the far side of the camp. They took a second to orient themselves, and then they noticed Lucas and his party and started moving towards them.

Feeling his stun expiring, Lucas steadied himself, and just as soon as it expired, he sprang into action. He used “Lunge” to quickly move towards the stronger tiger, activating his “Battle Dance” on the move. Stopping just short of his target, he thrust his rapier through the tiger side. His sword pierced through the flank of the creature, slithering its way between two ribs. Without the aid of his skills, the sword stopped well short of reaching any vital organs, but that wasn’t the point. Pulling his sword back, he used “Dodge” to leap over the Maraya’s shields and in blind rage from the pain, tiger instantly followed. As soon as the animal landed, big woman reacted and smacked it in the head with her cudgel, stunning the doomed creature. Michael opened fire on it with his Kalashnikov, peppering it with bullet while Lucas casually strolled to it and with a single “Pierce” hit it in the chest and through the heart, killing it instantly.

“Your party slain Ice tiger, Sentinel’s feline mount level 20”

“Congratulations! You are now Duelist level 24”

“There is one prompt I would never grow tired of seeing” Lucas thought to himself, smile creeping into him. But, he quickly focused on the rest of the battle. The tiger that was left on the other side of the barrier quickly jumped over it with menacing snarl. But, in the distance a wailing cry could be heard, followed by a streak of blue light that hit barriers hard. In the first moments after the hit, Lucas thought that the barrier would hold. But his hopes were shattered in when it imploded, feedback from shattering dropping Maraya on her knees. Tiger instantly pounced on her, biting her in the shoulder and pulling her up just to chain it with the swipe which hit her in stomach and sent her flying.

“Hannah, go heal her” Michael instantly shouted. “Suppressing fire” he yelled as he aimed his rifle at the tiger. Lucas saw the tiger scrambling, but there was significantly less speed to the usually agile creature. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, he activated his skill and lunged towards the suppressed tiger. Once again the animal sensed him and prepared to avoid his attack.

“I will not be fooled twice” he thought as he activated “Death of the thousand cuts”. Utterly unprepared for the speed of his attack, tiger received 50 deep cuts all over his head before he managed to dodge backwards, abandoning any idea of the counter attack. But, his speed still reduced by Michael’s skill he didn’t manage to get to far away, and with another “Lunge”, Lucas was once again upon it, this time activating “Stinging cut” and slashing the creature across the eye. Blinded and in heap of pain, creature collapsed and Michael ended its suffering with a well-aimed burst. Another wailing cry came from the figures around in the camp and he saw a shadow making upward motion. Acting on instinct, he activated “Dodge” and rolled away just in the nick of time. He heard a loud crunch and, on the place where he stood just moment ago, a large crater was made.

“Why are they standing there and not attacking?” Michael asked, worry plastered on his whole face. “Lucas, be ready to retreat, this can get real ugly real fast” he added turning toward Lucas

“Sure, big bossman, but I say we go and finish this fight” Lucas added with a grin. His adrenaline was pumping him up and he didn’t want this wonderful feeling of euphoria stop.

“Lucas, don’t be an idiot” Michael told him and then sound behind him made him startle “Oh, Maraya. Are you okay?”

“Yea, but it will be sore in the morning” black woman said, still weathering from massive damage she took. “Now that the plan from our resident village idiot lies in shambles, what are we planning?” she said while shooting Lucas a glance of pure dislike and annoyance. Lucas made eye contact with her, his eyes radiating the same dislike she showed him.

“What is John doing” Lucas asked “He isn’t fulfilling his part of the plan. We could use some covering fire”

Before anybody could answer him, a huge boulder went through the air. Maraya quickly acted and rose her shield in the direction of the attack, while Lucas tackled the other two party members to the ground. The boulder clanked with the shield and sent the big woman backwards a good 5 meters Looking up, Lucas saw the figures moving again, reason for their waiting suddenly apparent. A giant gorilla stepped out of the shadows, puffing his chest. On the monster neck was a collar and the chain tethered it to the slim green humanoid, wearing wooden armor and sporting a thorny whip in his other hand. His short red hair looked full of random of flowers and other herbs, while something akin to lianas was going through the length of what exposed skin he had. On the other side of the camp, other three figures stepped in the light, a male and female who looked similar to the humanoid managing the gorilla. Third figure, on the other hand, was a giant three. It’s branches twisted and turned above the creatures head, or what Lucas assumed was the head based on the small slits where eyes would be in the otherwise monolith bark. As the creature move, the earth dent, unable to carry the massive weight of its trunk.

Lucas prepared himself for the fight, helping Michael and Hannah get up and looking for Maraya, relaxing when he saw she was unharmed from the attack. As he turn the three and humanoids standing next to him, he noted tears running from their violet eyes. “Guess those were the riders” Lucas darkly thought to himself.

The titan that was the last member of enemies little group put let out a loud snort, yanking his chains, adrenaline rush overtaking its already small impulse control. His handler swung his whip once, then the second time, further agitating the creature. Before the third strike could land, a loud bang echoed across the basin. Moment later, head of the beast master popped like a watermelon, blowing away chunks of flesh and brain matter everywhere.

“Finally” was the last thought Lucas had before all hell broke loose.