As the day soon turned to dusk he went back to the Takanka bathhouse and had all of his worn gear washed again before taking a bath and going inside of the Inn. As soon as he stepped inside the entire atmosphere changed as people began to whisper to each other in hushed tones. He paid his 5 silvers for his own table as he sat down and began to order his own food like yesterday before a mixed group of men and women walked over to his table. They were he appeared to be mainly tusked humans with a few rough looking elflike humans and a couple of humans that looked like there were from Eastern Europe. They seemed to be lead by a large green man with two large blades on his back as he spoke.
“Hail traveler. We heard you were some kind of great warrior. We are looking to take on a C Ranked mission and we could use another person of your caliber.” Marcus shook his head before speaking.
“I will have to decline, sorry.” Marcus turned back towards his drink before another this time a female member of the group spoke up.
“What are we not good enough for you? You don’t even have loot armor. I am not sure about the rumors but he can’t be THAT strong if he doesn’t even have loot armor. Most people make that their first pick up.” This woman this time a green skinned woman with a set of what he imagined was leather loot armor and a large wooden staff on her back spoke up.
“I am strong enough is all. I have declined and I would like to be left alone. Thank you.” As he looked the leader in the eyes. The leader moved into Marcus’s bubble as Marcus stood up and looked him in the eyes and just chuckled before breaking out in a sick laugh as he looked at all of them but mainly the woman and said with his eyes dancing with madness just simmering beneath the surface.
He could feel this body twitch slightly as he gripped the edge of the table so hard that it began to splinter.
Are they challenging me? Are all of these people mocking me? I could crush them all, so weak like like ants beneath a boot. I-
As he was getting ready to fight he felt Guin’s presence increase against his body as she wrapped around him and whispered in his ear.
“They only asked you to join them, you are losing your grip on your emotions again. Be careful.” Marcus nodded and took a step back as he held his hand to his skull.
“I suggest you let me finish my meal. I am having a headache and I don’t have much patience left.” The others looked at each other and slowly backed off as he sat back down as he continued to chuckle to himself softly as the waiter brought out his food.
The Inn was a so quiet a pin could drop as Khaliun and Jason looked at each other and then we back to work as the music began to play again. With that no one else interrupted him for the rest of the night as he brought another night and passed out again. As he woke up he put back on his now plate armor and left the city to head west towards Northwood.
With his enhanced strength he could easily get there within a day but he wanted to get half way and rest so he could get there the remaining way mid morning tomorrow. The first leg of the journey went by fine as he went to camp for the night. As he passed out in a tree. As he woke up in the morning he opened a food box and had some bacon, eggs and toast as he continued forward down the road before he got to the hot spot of activity.
As he advanced, he noticed a group of lizard-like bipedal creatures emerging from the shadows. They came in a variety of vibrant colors, each more striking than the last. Their rough, weathered leather armor glinted dully in the dim light, giving them a rugged appearance. Armed with an array of menacing weapons—axes with jagged edges, heavy clubs, and gleaming blades—they charged toward him with an intimidating ferocity.
He yanked out his spear and shield, letting his bags fall heavily to the ground as he charged forward with ferocious speed. With a powerful kick, he slammed into the creature's center mass, obliterating its rib cage and spine in a single, brutal motion. The force of the impact sent the beast hurtling backward, crashing into a tree with such violence that a thunderous crack split through the air as the trunk splintered under the collision.
+2 kills
He surged ahead, hurling his spear into the air with a practiced flick as adrenaline coursed through his veins. In a heartbeat, he snatched his boomerang, eyes locking onto a lizardkin poised to shoot an arrow his way as he combat rolled away from the large arrow.
With deadly precision, he unleashed the boomerang toward another enemy. The creature attempted to raise its shield in defense, but the boomerang sliced through its guard like a scorching blade through butter, leaving the lizardkin to crumble lifelessly to the ground.
As he caught the falling spear he turned and looked at the rest of the lizards. As he turned to look at saw two lizardkin charge at him that had to be the size of Olympic power lifters. As they charged him, he saw them run at him at speeds that had to be comparable to some of the fastest land animals back home.
As he rushed him he blocked both strikes with his shield as he sidestepped and stabbed one of the monster's feet with his spear before another powerful strike shattered his shield completely. As his shield shattered one of the other non brutes decided to go ranged and continue to pelt Marcus with all manner of arrows and large rocks.
Health: Light Green
As he continued to sidestep or nimbly block open claw strikes he began to get a feeling for these monsters. He was still stronger than them. They were just bigger than him. He decided to go on the offensive and focus on the heavy hitters. The ones in the back were nothing more than a distraction. He waited until both of the brutes attempted a downward strike against him before he leaped 20 feet in the air and threw his spear. As he threw the spear both of the lizards looked up but it was too late. The spear went straight down the one of the open maw of the monsters as it came out the other end of the lizard pinning it to the ground.
+10 Kills
As the other lizard turned to look at his friend Marcus came crashing down like a mountain with a double hammer fist strike on the head on the remaining brute. As he dazed it he went for a kick to one of its knees caving it in as it collapsed on the ground screaming loudly. He went to a full mount, pinning its arms against the ground as he continued to be pelted by arrows and large rocks.
Health: Yellow
“Shhhh, it will be over soon. I just need to let out some steam.” He cupped the screaming face of the giant lizard and began to slowly spread open its mouth as it tried to shake its head viciously; he saw the fear in its eyes as he continued to spread open its mouth until its skull separated from its spine.
+10 Kills
As he got up from his full mount he looked around he saw a dozen of lizardkin and smiled. He moved like a phantom in the night as he came face to face with an axe wielding lizardkin as it swung he caught the arm mid swing and ripped the arm off the lizardkin and grabbed the axe before cutting its head off. As stood with an axe in his hand and a lizardkin arm in another as he stood a few dozen feet before more than a dozen lizards.
“It’s time to finish this.” The lizards were about as comparable to a stronger ghoul overall but it still with her current stats it was clockwork and he grabbed a few levels.
At least he thought. He was hit square in the chest with a bolt of lightning as he was pushed back as his health dropped to yellow to orange before he looked over at the lizard and saw another large one with a staff in its hand smoking this time with a weird feather like crown.
“Damn, caught flat footed. Let's dance!”
He smiled as he slung the axe from the one he killed over his shoulder as he began to laugh. He rushed again towards another one and that was bundled in a pack of four other lizardkin as they all took a second to adjust to him close to him.
To slow
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One of the lizardkin swung its weapon with deadly intent, forcing Marcus to react swiftly. He ducked low, shattering the beast's legs with a powerful blow before severing its head with his axe in a brutal arc. As he turned, he caught sight of a javelin hurtling towards him. In a flash, he used the fallen lizardkin as a shield, deflecting the deadly spear. Without missing a beat, he hurled his axe low at another lizardkin, then agilely leapt back to avoid being encircled. As he spun around, he summoned his boomerang, launching it with precision at yet another lizard, slicing through its foot and sending it crashing to the ground, screaming in agony. The lizardkin's formation crumbled, and they fled in abject terror. Marcus's laughter rang out, maniacal and unrestrained, as he relentlessly pursued and eliminated six more of the panicked creatures in a savage frenzy.
Level UP!
Level 10
55 more kills till level 11
STR:20
DEX:11
CON:22
INT:10
WIS:7
STA:15
Attunement: 120/145
With one left he slowly walked towards it as if he was a slasher villain. It was the larger staffed lizardkin. As he always appeared in the middle of a group of lizardkin it could not accurately aim its lightning attack and had engage in melee to try and be effective. As it fled he slowly walked towards it as he continued to run away for well over an hour as he ran to another raider group of lizardkin. It was over 20 of them.
At least my health has properly healed. I feel almost as good as new.
This time they seemed much more powerful and several of them had staffs. Before he could even reaction he was hit by two bolts of lightning as his health dropped from green to Light orange.
He coughed up blood as he called his boomerang in his hand and rushed towards the lizardkin with staffs in their hand as they began to try and fire again he threw his boomerang cutting the hand of one of the three staff lizardkin while being blasted with a powerful bolt of lightning hit him again dropping his health from Light Orange to Light red immediately. He called his boomerang again and threw it cutting the head off the second staff user as more lizardkin came.
+10 Kills
+10 Kills
These lizardkin appeared far hardier than any others he had encountered in battle. While the previous lizardkin he faced weighed around 150-200 pounds, these formidable creatures seemed to carry every bit of 300-400 pounds of pure muscle. Their sheer bulk made them appear as living fortresses, and although they matched the others in strength, their increased mass rendered them much slower. With his spear in hand, he skillfully maneuvered around their slashing claws, delivering deep, precise cuts with each encounter against these colossal beasts. Even when faced with only a few of them, their strength was astonishingly formidable. He found himself deflecting their powerful blows and strategically poking at them until they were finally overcome.
Relying on his exceptional speed, he avoided being cornered and utilized his heightened mental acuity to dodge the javelins being hurled at him. In response, he launched his boomerang, which sliced into the creatures before swiftly returning to his hand. As he evaded their attacks, he applied a healing salve, spreading it over his neck and allowing it to trickle down to his torso.
You have reached Skill Mastery 1 in Dance of the Ethereal Hawk. Your base efficiency with that weapon increases from 12% to 24%. You gain a new ability.
Standard Boomerang of Returning[Poorly Made]
Base Efficiency Bonus: 24%
Skill Tree: Dance of the Ethereal Hawk
Base Ability: Recall
Trigger: Mentally Activating the weapon
Energy Drain: Negligible
Description: Allows the user to say the mentally activate the boomerang and immediately teleport the boomerang from within a distance based on Mastery level of the item and the user’s Wisdom. Base Level is 120 feet.
Mastery 1 Ability: Phantom Hunting Grounds
Trigger: Mental Activation
Energy Drain: Medium
Description: Allows the user as they hold the Boomerang to mentally activate the skill as the area within 60 feet of the user to become a field of Ethereal Energy. While inside of the field the boomerang can be thrown from any angle inside of the field and from any direction.
Attunement Slots: 40
He smiled a shit eating grin.
“Well let’s try this out then!”
As he smiled, the landscape around him transformed into a sprawling, vibrant field, the tall grasses swaying gently in the breeze. His boomerang began to emit a soft, ethereal glow, imbuing him with a sense of power and possibility. It felt as though, with just a mere thought, he could launch the boomerang from any point within this expansive field. Despite this newfound confidence, a lizardkin creature entered the scene, its scales glinting under the sun. With a swift motion, he hurled the boomerang from behind the lizardkin, watching as it sliced through the air with precision. The weapon embedded itself deeply into the creature's shoulder, causing it to stagger forward. With a simple gesture, he summoned the boomerang back to his hand, its return as smooth and assured as its flight.
“Oh this is gonna be FUN!” He continued to dance around the lizard creatures while leaping and dodging them as the salve he applied earlier began to slowly cause his health to tick up from light red to yellow. They had no answer for it. If any lizardkin came into melee range he either got stabbed in the foot or eye or threw his boomerang at the backs of their necks snapping them as they collapsed paralyzed on the ground.
After 7 more of them fell the rest began to flee from the glowing energy circle but it did not matter to him that just made it easier. He could throw his boomerang from the edge of Phantom Hunting Grounds and with his extended Recall range he could throw it and have it immediately return to his hand and do it all over again. It made the creatures unsure as to what they wanted to attack but his weapon seems to just appear out of thin air and inflict deep gashes in their flesh.
It didn’t matter to him, he just continued to throw and throw and throw. It did matter if they blocked or dodged. This was his wrath, these creatures attacked him first. He intended to rend them limb from limb until nothing stood in his way. It wasn’t surgical or even tactical, it was overwhelming speed and force. He would bend this world to his will or he would die trying.
With each of these large lizardkin he leveled to 12 increasing stats considerably.
Level 12
63 more kills till level 13
STR:20
DEX:12
CON:22
INT:15
WIS:12
STA:15
Attunement: 120/155
With this he began to cut the frill off of the large lizardkins before returning back to the other lizardkins and cutting their frills as well. So far he had well over 40 frills and even with his increased strength this was a lot of weight. He decided to call it for tonight and quickly return back to his base camp in the tree not too far from here and continued to run full speed until he was within a mile of one of the villages of town as he climbed a tall tree and passed out.
