50. Griffin Nest (1)
Avalon. A major faction in the Esperro game world. They were a group passed down from ancient times. Their primary role was controlling ability users. In the initial Esperro setting, there weren't many ability users. But as time passed, their numbers grew exponentially, and some began using their immense power recklessly. To counter that, they created a means to control ability users. That became the Avalon of today.
Ability users could only earn compensation for their labor through requests. They were semi-forced to maintain their livelihoods by fulfilling requests, and they received no pay for any other use of their powers. If someone pretended to be crazy and used their strength indiscriminately, the guards would deal with them. Those who evaded the guards were handled under Avalon's judgment. The same went for requests. If they took on a request through unofficial channels...
'They'd immediately dispatch an executioner to take care of it.'
That's what I was aiming for to make contact with Avalon. Entering Avalon honestly would take months. I didn't have that kind of time.
"Griffin. It went that way. We have to hurry."
Anyway. We were currently moving under Teison's guidance. A class that used rune characters. I wondered why it was appearing so early.
'The black orcs too...'
The black orcs from the first expansion pack. And the 'Rune' system from the third expansion pack. This should definitely still be the original version. Yet elements from the expansion packs were showing up here.
'Because it became reality, the distinction between original and expansions has vanished?'
Based on what I'd experienced so far, that wouldn't be strange even if it were true. There had been changes to the story too. I should check Teison out.
"Whoa, that guy's ridiculously fast. Does he have some power related to movement speed? He's just walking, but he's already that far ahead!"
"...I agree. Even I'm struggling to keep up."
Teison moved at an incredibly swift pace. It looked like Rune of Speed...
"...By the way, isn't that a rune?"
"You think so too?"
"...Yeah, it seems like it. But didn't you say this is still the original version?"
Kethar had sensed something suspicious too.
"If it's really runes, then the Engraving system might exist too."
"...Engraving, huh. If it does, we have to use it no matter what. Our levels would skyrocket."
The Engraving system added with the rune system in the expansion packs. It amplified the power of each class. Rune masters could engrave that power.
'For now, focus on dealing with the griffin.'
Anyway. The griffin was carrying food back to its nest right now. The problem was that it had multiple nests. It built them all over the vast forest. That's where it raised its young, and I was using Teison's Rune of Far Sight to find the nest the griffin was heading to.
"...Looks like it's settled in the eastern nest."
Kethar was grasping the situation too. So he knew what we had to do next.
"Now that we've confirmed the nest's location, let's start the real hunt."
This was the griffin forest. It looked like any ordinary forest on the surface, but it was practically a hatchery where griffins raised their chicks.
"...Here they come. The bastards."
Chicks spotted
Teison pointed ahead and spoke. As expected, they appeared right away. Not long after entering the forest, a griffin chick showed up. Even as a chick, it was the size of a bull. That was the size of a freshly hatched griffin. Smaller than the mother, but not one to take lightly. Its teeth could slice through steel.
'Level 25.'
Kethar and April were lower level than it, but they could handle the hunt without issue.
"Um... Oppa? Should I attack?"
"Just plant the embers for now."
"Got it!"
April gestured toward it. The chick pecked at its own chest with its beak. It must have felt the heat. We could ignite it now, but we had to hold off.
Injection Explosion (Ember Plant)
-Kreek, kriirik?
It looked up at the sky and let out a screech. The cry echoed through the entire forest, and soon similar sounds came from all around.
Thud. Thud.
Footsteps followed soon after. From the front, both sides, and even behind. Even from atop the trees.
"...They're gathering."
The chick had called more griffin chicks. I'd anticipated it, so I waited a moment.
-Kriiririk!
Whoosh!
The one on the tree opened its beak and dove. I tried to summon a weapon to counter, but Teison reacted first.
"Teison's got it! Ri ma seri no!"
Rune of Ignition
Bang!
Whoosh!
-Kieeeek!
The bullet hit, and flames erupted immediately. Igniting on hit—must be Rune of Ignition. Definitely a skill used by rune master classes.
-Kii, kiiik...
The diving chick plummeted as a roast, collapsing to the ground. It was still twitching its legs, so not quite dead.
Whoosh! Slash!
I summoned a two-handed sword and severed its neck in one stroke.
Acquired 550 EXP.
"Oh, whoa... No, they're charging! They're coming at us!"
"...I'll handle this side."
Crunch!
Kethar stepped up too. His body bulked up, sharp claws extended, and black fur sprouted all over.
"M-monster? A-are you a monster?"
Whoosh!
Teison, seeing Kethar suddenly turn into a werewolf, aimed his gun. Definitely from the rune tribe. He really knew nothing...
"I'll explain later, so lower the gun. We're on the same side. For now, take out the ones ahead just like that."
"A-are you sure? There's a w-wolf right in front of you..."
-It's fine.
"O-okay!"
Hearing Kethar's voice, he decided to trust it and fired bullets engraved with Rune of Ignition nonstop. One shot, one kill. The chicks aggroed on Kethar burst into flames and rolled on the ground.
-Kraaak!
Those weakened griffin chicks were finished off by Kethar's bites. Kethar had accidentally pulled aggro. With the level difference, the EXP would be substantial.
'Anyway...'
I had to deal with the ones coming at me too. First things first.
Shhk.
I summoned Piercing Heavy Bowgun beside me and unleashed a barrage of Explosive Arrows.
Thung! Boom!
-Kieeeek!
Their bodies ignited. Fire was best against birds, after all. The smell of roast filled the air from all directions. I handled the distant ones with Explosive Arrows. For the close ones...
Vroooom!
I manifested Brilliance Blade and swung rapidly.
Slash! Slash!
One strike bisected them. Sharp indeed. But there was a problem. They were piling up around me.
'Time to try this.'
I activated Continuous Strike right away.
Continuous Strike
Whish whish whack!
In an instant, my body whipped around at the clustered griffin chicks. How many hits was that? Four or five in a blink, all in one motion.
'So that's the skill.'
I got how to use it. It should work on airborne weapons too. Anyway...
'I've gathered them somehow, but they're trying to scatter.'
To maximize April's power, we needed to clump the monsters. Normally, that was a tank's Taunt skill, but we didn't have one. This underscored the need to hurry.
"April, prepare Transfer. Kethar, clump them as much as possible."
-Got it!
We needed a way to hold them. Not a tank skill, but...
Thud! Thud thud thud!
I immediately erected Sword Wall around them.
Sword Wall
The trapped chicks panicked, and April chanted her spell.
"Got it! Here goes—Sharrararar!!! "
Fwoosh!
April, who had planted embers everywhere, made the area blaze bright. With a gesture, flames erupted all around, and the chicks thrashed in agony. Luckily, her embers were well-placed, mimicking a taunt without the skill.
-Grrr!
Crunch! Crunch!
"Oh, whoa..."
The fire-weakened ones were finished by Kethar. I joined in to snag some EXP. Just like that, we took down over thirty.
-Grrrrr!
At that moment, a roar echoed through the entire forest. The griffin was reacting.
* * *
In the game, the griffin forest was a quest area. Most quests involved hunting a few chicks, and once a certain number accumulated, the griffin would intervene. We kept killing chicks without rest. Kethar even leveled up twice.
How many had we killed? A bit over sixty, I think.
-...Exactly 64.
"You were counting all that?"
-...Kind of happened.
Huh. Surprisingly sharp eyes. Anyway, the griffin spawns at exactly 100. So we still had leeway.
"Keep hunting."
Since entering, chicks had charged relentlessly. The battles were grueling. Everyone showed signs of fatigue. Our teamwork was syncing up, but synergy was lacking. Still, no time to stop. We needed 100 to summon the griffin.
Me and Kethar counted as we killed.
"...Done!"
The 99th. Kethar slew the last one and backed off from the group.
'Now, time to find the tunnels too.'
Our goal was the staff that would upgrade April's Transfer skill. We could get it from the griffin, but at our levels, we couldn't take it down. It was a large monster at level 50, recognized as a field boss. Meaning its power far exceeded a mere 50.
But it wasn't impossible. Considering this was reality, maybe.
'Use the under worms.'
Under worms. Massive earthworms that churned through tunnels. Plus, griffins and under worms were natural enemies. If the surface was griffin nests, the underground was under worm dens. I planned to pit them against each other.
'The issue is getting to the under worm leader.'
But night had already fallen. Under worms didn't move at night. To find their location, we needed active ones to reveal connected paths. Meaning we had to wait till dawn. Holding off endless chicks was impossible.
"Kethar, lure one without killing it."
-...One?
"Yeah. Lure it so they follow."
-Got it.
We quickly found a tunnel. Not hard—griffin forest tunnels connected everywhere with entrances scattered.
"Found it!"
About 5 meters high? Like a modern tunnel.
Shhk. Shhk.
Escape route secured. Now, capture one alive. I summoned a two-handed sword behind the nearest chick.
Vrooom!
The massive swing made them flinch, but one charged fearlessly.
"Everyone, tear its legs and wings."
April burned the wings. Teison focused shots on its legs. Kethar lured it to chase him.
-Kirruk!
Thud.
Wingless and legless, it tumbled. We dragged it into the under worm tunnel.
-Kirrr!
-Ki, kieek!
Once inside, the pursuers hesitated. They knew what lurked within.
We entered the tunnel amid their cries.
Squelch.
"Ugh..."
The floor was covered in sticky slime. The stench was foul... But better than being hounded outside.
"There's another hole over there. We have to go!"
Teison found another tunnel in the wall. Probably made by baby under worms. Perfect size for us. That's our spot for the night.
* * *
-Kriiririk!
The captured griffin kept screeching. Kethar crushed its beak, and it quieted, exhausted.
"Try this. It's good."
Teison pulled food from his bag. Not filling—chocolate.
"Teison, this made me cry. Too sweet."
Crunch! He grinned while biting.
His actions screamed rune tribe... How did he even get out?
"Teison, are you from the rune tribe?"
"Hm? You know the rune tribe? How? No one does. Not about our tribe."
"I know a bit from here and there. So you are."
"Yes. I am from the rune tribe."
"...Then why the outfit? Rune tribe usually doesn't dress like that."
Teison gave an awkward smile at my question.
"Hehe. Teison longed for the city. The elders flipped out. Said we can't do that. But I... imagined it. What if I lived in the city?"
So he left because he hated tribal life...
"Talked about it forever. They finally let me. Said learn a lot. So I started with clothes. Because..."
He probably struggled even getting requests. I changed my look before the request office too.
"Change clothes to get requests. Barely got one. But no one teamed up. Teison happy with you all. This city life?"
Speech didn't match his look... If rune tribe, maybe engraving?
"Can you do engraving? Or at least engrave gear?"
"Hm. Sorry. Teison can't... Only elders can."
"...I see."
Hm. Met a rune master class, but no real gain.
"But! Teison knows! Engravers in the city!"
"Engravers in the city?"
"Yes! People who left for city exist. One of them."
"Where is this person?"
"Elder said... In Helkrim. Engraver super strong. Huge build. That's why to Helkrim."
Helkrim. The barbarian city in the east. Went there to grow strong? New info anyway. Engraver in Helkrim—from the third expansion.
'Engraving gear with runes could grant new powers.'
Class engraving too, and gear engraving possible. New options from it. Should plan a Helkrim visit.
"Rest for now."
"Yes. Everyone rest. I'll engrave rune."
Teison started writing at the tunnel entrance. Unreadable language—runes.
"Bel lu si rok."
Rune of Protection
Chanting made the letters glow white, forming a transparent barrier. Rune of Protection. It'd shield us till the runes faded. We could sleep without watch.
* * *
Rumble rumble.
Next day, we woke to vibrations. Under worms starting activity, probably.
-...Smells. It's coming.
Werewolf Kethar sniffed it. Close by, then.
Rumble. Boom! Boom!
Sure enough. They burst from tunnel walls. Anaconda-sized, with sharp teeth in round mouths. One bite would take an arm.
Whoosh! Pshhh!
-Grak!
I sliced their heads with two-handed sword. Black blood spurted from writhing bodies, more emerging from walls.
"Don't stick to the walls!"
Easy to handle. They were wall-bound, so distance kept them at bay. We dispatched them our ways, earning hefty EXP.
Acquired 580 EXP.
Acquired 580 EXP.
Acquired Class Characteristic Point.
And with the level up, I gained a characteristic point. Now it was time to decide the Weapon Summoner's path.