Noah led the pack of battle-hungry orcs alongside his most trusted companions in the new world. With Recter at his left and Ta’Ku at his right, he felt like their enemy’s defeat was already set in stone. He chuckled to himself, knowing the power of friendship only worked in fairy tales. However misplaced his faith was, he did feel a sense of confidence as he ran. As per usual there was something about marathon runs that elicited a certain amount of self-reflection and pondering. In this instance, his mind turned toward his soul and the ramifications of the System messages he had received. Somehow one could upgrade or enhance their soul, though there was no indicator of this on his status. This inconsistency was the source of his current wandering thoughts, as he considered the various hidden stats and traits that may yet be discovered. Perhaps I could have a bonded animal? Or a spiritual sword? Perhaps an inner world that other people can travel within? Or perhaps there is a hidden multiplier to constitution! Shaking his head he refocused on the landscape around him. He had to remember that they weren't on the mountain anymore, but in an incredibly hostile and dangerous territory with poisonous rabbits and killer deer.
He decided to use his time to share his findings and invited the members of group one to move closer. He explained his discoveries regarding domain and the next Gate, the potential boon of soul upgrades, and the ability to expand your awareness by focusing your attention on specific objects. He also shared what he had learned of the quest, and the inevitable bottleneck that was Copper. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t see how his tribe could all advance to Bronze. Unless there was a way to pyramid scheme the System, it wouldn’t be possible. This provided yet another reason to avoid judging strength by Caste, someone could potentially reach the furthest Gate and Grade and never reach Bronze. Next, he shared the project he was currently working on, connecting with his hammer in the same way he connected to the room at the castle. He felt that this process would provide a relatively quick method to gain combat prowess and serve as a training tool for his tribe. If they could begin to grasp how to control their domain, it would significantly impact their outcomes in the coming battle.
Noah occasionally spotted beasts as they ran, but they were often isolated and smart enough to avoid contact. There was one wolflike creature that lacked that wisdom however, and they made quick work of it. Even though they couldn’t hold a candle to the deer’s pace, Noah was impressed with their speed. The fields of tall grass passed by, transiting to low rolling hills and birch forests. At some point Noah realized that he had yet to distribute his XP from the last fight and quickly leveled, bringing his total to 179. For some reason he found his level increasingly insignificant, feeling that it was inferior in importance to either Grade or Gate. The stats were noticeable, affecting his every action and serving as his foundational source of power in every battle, and yet they seemed to lack a certain quality the other pieces held. It felt inevitable that he would level, as opposed to the significant work and consideration that went into Gate. He supposed Grade was also a matter of numbers, but it still felt more earned than level. Perhaps it's because of the path I chose. The thought interrupted his musings and he frowned. He had chosen the path of the Knight, ultimately the path of a close-range fighter. As far as XP went, this had served his purposes well. He hadn’t noticed any dips in his XP rewards since the choice. However, there was something empty about it. He didn’t want to be the world’s highest-level fighter. He wanted to be something more than bloodshed and his ability to cull threats. He chuckled at the direction of his thoughts. I want to be a hero.
It was true regardless of how naive it sounded. He wanted what every child of earth dreamed of, to be the hero that everyone spoke of, the one that saved the princess and defeated the bad guy. He grinned as he ran, looking every part the fool. Who knows, perhaps there is a hero path. They ran day and night, only resting after the third continuous day. After a week had passed they noticed the first signs of the coming war. Far in the distance, they saw a diverse group of beasts running in the opposite direction as them. Noah had immediately dropped to the ground, signaling the rest to follow suit. They either hadn’t been spotted or were disregarded because the group never changed course. They began to move more carefully after that, he appointed several warriors to range ahead and spot advance parties, and they all kept a hand on their weapons.
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Another week went by and the frequency of sightings had skyrocketed. The bands of beasts and two-legged warriors came from every direction as if pouring in from across the kingdom. They varied in size, some having no more than ten warriors, and others upwards of a hundred. He knew it was only a matter of time before they were forced to fight and with every passing day his nerves grew. Two and half weeks into their journey a party of 20 or so beasts spotted them and immediately moved to intercept them. The tribe tensed, and weapons slid from scabbards and sheaths. Noah raised a hand, signaling for them to stop. The other party slowed their approach, and a single figure strode forward a two-legged beast with the head of an elephant and the body of a bull.
“Warrior’s from the lower reaches! How novel! Have you come to join our kingdom?” The beast shouted in a gravelly baritone. Noah paused, not having expected a conversation.
“I’m afraid I was unaware of any kingdom. We have only just discovered this new plane.” Noah responded. The beast-man trumpeted loudly, in something akin to a laugh.
“How very rare indeed! It has been some time since I ascended the mountain and triumphed over the beast swarms!” He reminisced before clearing his throat. “I am afraid you will find this land harsher than the one you left behind. This plane as you called it is filled with the wars of kingdoms and those set on Bronze. Even now we are on our way to crush a neighboring land. All most swear an oath of loyalty or be cut off, that is the will of our sovereign. I will give you a moment to decide.” He said politely. Noah feigned surprise and turned to the rest of his tribe.
“You heard him everyone, we have a choice to make!” He said, while simultaneously gesturing for them to ready their weapons. After stalling for a minute he turned back to the beast.
“How do these oaths work?” He asked, moving closer. The beast’s trunk swayed side to side as a smile appeared on his face.
“Oh good, I will be getting my bonus! As for the oaths, you must pledge your lives to the sovereign by the System. Once you have done so, you will receive the boon of loyalty.” He explained. Noah frowned, not having heard of the last bit. He stepped forward and dropped to one knee, lifting his hands toward the hilt of his hammer in a gesture of supplication.
“I swear…” He started dramatically as he slowly grabbed ahold of the weapon. “To displace this sovereign and claim his throne!” He yelled as he launched forward, his hammer already swinging, stake first. Before the beast had a chance to react its heart was pierced through and it managed only a gurgle before slumping over with a low thud. The orcs roared a battle cry and sprung forward, catching a few of the others off guard before they caught on to the attack. With brutal efficiency, Noah ended the lives of the enemy beasts, not sparing a moment toward sympathy or concern. Those weren't the worries of warriors on the front lines. To give the beasts due credit, they managed to put up a fight even being outnumbered and taken by surprise as they were. None were as powerful as those he had faced in the arena, though they were each more than a match for his tribesman. Noah finished the last of them with a blow to the temple before wiping the blood from his hammer. His connection with the weapon had grown through the battle, and he relished in its growing familiarity. That and the influx of levels that they had gained so easily. He turned to the others, with his hammer lifted high.
“To our first victory of many!”
