Tyrants of Earth - The Legend of Artigan-Chapter 36 - Consolidation and the Leafstalkers

Tyrants of Earth - The Legend of Artigan-Chapter 36 - Consolidation and the Leafstalkers

- Our ancestors used to live in the forests, free with nature, living a simple and honest life. All this modern Earth culture is messed up. We've just been swallowed, taken away by the intermingling of peoples. These other races don’t even live half of our ages. @Leaflegend48 (Realmer)
↪Then drop your phone and go live in the wilds brat. There’s plenty of elven communes in the Sector Two forests. Me? I’m going to enjoy public plumbing and a manager’s damned amperdon steak. @M'erra (Realmer)
*Leaflegend48 lasted exactly three days and six hours without access to realmnet.
“This is humiliating, stop it! Can’t you throw baseballs or something?”
Ryan was in a harness, suspended in the air. The enormous warehouse had an open plan for the area above the first floor. He had been attached to what was effectively a short bungee cord. It was connected to hydraulic rails that had pushed him into the middle of the warehouse.
“Stop complaining!” Seffara boomed, “Where would an adventurer find baseballs in the Realm?”
She casually threw a rock at his face.
Ryan ducked, the cord bouncing up and down, not letting him gain too much maneuverability.
Milock and Clara started shooting. The airsoft rounds didn’t hurt, it was just humiliating. Milo was having too much fun.
“Say hello to my little-”
Ryan started cutting the rounds in midair with his soulsword. He blocked one with the flat of his blade then picked it up in midair and threw it back at Milock’s stupid face.
The round was too light, it didn’t travel anywhere near close enough to hit his friend. Milock laughed.
“You look like you’re in one of those things babies use to walk!”
“Damnit Milo!”
“The harness looks like a diaper too!”
Ryan started grabbing at the bungee cord for more control. A rock flew into his hand, knocking it back. It was too quick to dodge as it shattered over his knuckles, numbing it. Seffara shouted again.
“Focus, you idiots!”
Despite how humiliating this was, it was still training. Stuff like this was something all adventurers had to do. Although, he was pretty sure these harnesses that were colored in baby blue were specifically picked out for him.
The goal was to activate a skill without the help of the Trial System. So far, every time Ryan had used a skill it was like a mental trigger, a thoughtless action that the System would then interpret and activate for him. It was intuitive, simple to use but most importantly, not
his
skill. They were all ‘Trial’ skills, so to speak.
Only available to be used in The Realm and the Trials. Not unless he’d learned to activate it on his own.
There were also only four Trial skill slots available, and he’d already filled them all up, [Double Stab], [Instant Dodge], [Dangersense] and [Unrelenting Aura of Intimidation]. If he completed the next Trial without at least learning to activate a skill on his own, then he wouldn’t be able to pick another skill, and that was way too important to pass up on.
The point of this particular exercise was to see if he could activate [Instant Dodge] or [Dangersense] on his own.
So here he was at realm two trying to do a task that most realm three adventurers had to pause to work on.
Ryan dodged a rock coming at him at a hundred miles an hour. He ducked out of the way.
“Stop! This isn’t working, just give me a second!”
To his surprise everyone actually listened. He took a breath, then closed his eyes.
Ryan tried to recapture the feeling of activating a skill in The Realm. The activation was automatic but the feeling in his body wasn’t. Each [Instant Dodge] activation wasn’t actually the same, sometimes it felt like he was being pulled in one direction. Other times it felt like he was being pushed.
It depended on the situation and the Trial System would automatically do it for him… now he needed to make it his own.
Focus…
Fundamentally all skills from the humblest of Commons to the most powerful of Epics defy reality itself. Make mockery of basic logic, and, I believe, it was always available to us. Even to regular humans. I wish to forge a new skill with my own will, while being just an ordinary human. I believe there is something there worth searching for.
Zahiru, the Settler Swordfront, after he lost his safety life to the Skillful Tyrant.
Ryan felt a prickle in his neck. He opened his eyes and caught a rock coming at him from the side.
“Well I’ll be damned.” Barry said.
“Throw another!” Ryan yelled out, he had to get it dialed in… it was like waking up from a dream people could lose the activation -
A rock smashed into his chest–too fast. Ryan in his harness diapers looked up and glared at Seffara.
She at least looked a little apologetic.
“Oops.”
–
They took a break to have some food. Seffara had been surprisingly embarrassed that she had ruined a moment for Ryan to have activated a skill on his own. She came into the dining room with cooked food, burgers… the most delicious smelling burgers he’d ever smelled before.
Seffara was wearing an apron, it just didn’t look right considering she was wearing it over her armor. Barry was just staring at the burgers in bewilderment.
Ryan dove in.
“Bit of an apology.” Seffara said.
She also started taking out a tray of some oddly sparkly lemonade. Ryan’s eyes dialed in on the lemonade then at the mince of the patty.
He stopped shoveling the food and started savoring every bite. He knew what this was, it had to be food from The Realm.
“Oh my god these burgers are amazing.” Milock exclaimed.
“Yup grown straight from the farm! Freshly butchered!”
Ryan looked at the burger in front of him, so did Milo. Both of them made a face but continued to eat. Now he wasn’t so confident that the patty was from The Realm. Maybe Seffara was just good at grilling.
Clara, who looked like she could have gone without the info, pushed her plate away.
“Could I get something that’s not so heavy? Sorry we all just work at a Manaburger and I’m kind of sick of burgers.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Seffara beamed down at the girl.
“Did you just compare my burgers to a mass produced fast food chain?”
The heroine’s tone was quiet. Ryan felt the hairs on his neck rise.
Clara shook her head vehemently then took the largest most exaggerated bite she could, then she opened her eyes and started chewing.
“Oh my gosh, these are the best burgers I’ve ever had.”
Seffara smiled at the girl.
“That’s better!”
She patted Clara on the shoulder. The poor girl’s eyes were completely wide open as she let out a sigh in relief.
That relief lasted until Seffara opened her mouth.
“Pretty girls like you need to eat more and get more muscle. I’ll help train you up so you can defend yourself.”
Clara had a distinct, ‘
I have to get out of here right now’
look on her face.
The burgers kept coming, they piled high and all three of the men had as much as they could. Seffara seemed to enjoy watching them devour her cooking whole. Barry looked up at her, still looking kind of shocked.
“I can't believe you got into cooking.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Seffara said, putting her hands on her hips, “of course I know how to cook, I am the leading figure in feminism.”
The [Knight] said, apron over her armor. In a real sense she really was, on the other hand… They all laughed, earning a glare from the heroine.
“Man, these lemonades really are crazy good, Seff.”
Clara said, taking a huge gulp. She wasn’t digging into as much of the burgers as everyone else was. Just taking performative bites whenever the heroine so much as glanced at her.
Seffara leaned in conspiratorially.
“Want to know the secret?”
Clara hesitated. That was a lot more self preservation instinct than Ryan had given her credit for.
“Hell yeah we do!” Milock shouted.
–
“Isn’t this illegal?” Clara asked, concerned.
Seffara had taken them all to a shed–more like a small warehouse, around the manor. Behind the heavy doors were boxes stacked on top of each other. Each with fruit that were clearly nothing like anything from Earth. There were also more Earthly fruits and vegetables on the side, only, they had weird coloration and sparkled in the light,
Mana
. Clara sucked in a breath knowing how illegal this was.
Seffara put her gauntleted arm around Clara’s shoulder, smiling down at the girl with heroic grace.
“We’re all partners in crime now aren’t we? Besides, doesn’t a big old heroine like me get some exceptions?”
Ryan couldn’t help himself.
“I think I heard something like that in a superhero movie once,” he muttered, “something about great responsibility coming with great exceptions.”
Clara’s eyes went wide as she turned to Ryan. Seffara gave him a bright smile.
“Aw, little rookie blacklister wants to talk about morals with me?”
Before Clara could blink, Seffara had Ryan in a headlock. The heroine pressed the [Rogue] into her chest, maybe Ryan would have enjoyed that… if Seffara didn’t always wear her very tough and very pointy armor.
“Ow, ow, ow. I’m sorry–hey wait this actually really hurts.”
“You gonna rat me out?
Artigan
?”
Ryan gave up trying to get out of the headlock, then he smiled. His teeth bared.
Oh no
Clara thought.
“I am Ryan Robinson, the rookie blacklister. When I see a line being crossed I will stay silent.”
Milock’s jaw dropped and Seffara’s eye twitched.
Ryan really did have a reckless streak.
“You little shit.”
And that was how Ryan Robinson, rookie blacklister, went flying into the sky. Seffara cracked her knuckles then went after the falling body.
Milock ran to go watch.
Barry shook his head at the byplay and walked into the shed, he picked up a weirdly shaped spotty green fruit and took a bite out of it. If Clara had seen it on the ground she would have said it was poisonous.
“Been awhile since I had these.”
Clara put her hands on her hips, she’d actually been waiting to get time alone with the orc for awhile.
“I think I know why you wanted me and Milo here.”
Barry shrugged and took another bite out of the poisonous looking fruit.
“Wasn’t ever supposed to be a secret,” he put the rest of the sickly green fruit in his mouth and swallowed, “but what do you think you’ve figured out?”
“You want us here to, uhm,” Clara paused to think of a suitable word, “anchor Ryan. Keep him from running into The Realm and never coming back. Make sure that he remembers he has friends so he keeps coming back here and training with you guys and doesn’t do something stupid to lose his safety. You’re a really tricky orc you know, that’s–”
Barry put his hand up, trying to stop the barrage of words.
“Close enough,” Barry admitted. “Though I’m not afraid of him disappearing into The Realm, that might be more of your concern.”
“Wha- no I don’t -”
She went defensive at the implication.
Barry continued before she could deny anything.
“Ryan acts differently with you two around, he lets his guard down and unwinds,” Barry paused to think, “anchor is a good word, but it’s more like letting loose. If it was just me and Seff he wouldn’t be saying stuff like he did just now. Do you get it?”
Clara nodded, “I think so. Like how veterans come back from war and never quite fit back, right?”
“Something like that.”
Clara bit her lip and looked away. She had promised to stay for this weekend but now it was starting to look like a full time thing. This was important, probably the most important thing she’d ever been a part of but…
“You don’t want to stick around.”
Damn, the orc was good.
“Is it that obvious? This is just a lot for me, I was just getting my life in order and I thought that was hard enough. This is just a completely different world, I don’t… I’m being selfish aren’t I?”
Barry walked up to her, kneeling so he was at eye level. There was no judgment in his eyes, just understanding.
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t expecting you to drop your life to be here. I’m just asking you to be here once in a while. Once a month maybe. Just check up on him and be a friend.”
“Aw Barry,” Clara gave the big orc a hug, finding out that orcs made great hugging targets, “now I get why Seff called you Bearry.”
“Goddamnit.”
—
The Realm - Leafstalkers forest.
“As expected, the
Trialists
are not willing to take care of their own. Especially when there is danger. Cowards that only push when they have an advantage, that’s what Earthers are.”
“Calm yourself,
initiate
. Our forests have always been our responsibility to tend. We must not forget that.”
The congregation of Leafstalkers gathered in the forests outside of Ulverra. The moonlight reflected on hundreds of bodies.
Far, far too young
. Only a handful were over a century of age.
What was the most unthinkable was that a good quarter of them weren’t even elves.
Every race could be found here. Humans, orcs, even dwarves and drakes.
Their ancestors would disown the entire legion… were they still alive.
So much less, and yet so much more.
The light reflected off of night vision helmets, enchanted silent chainmail over kevlar. The oldest of them still used bows and arrows. The others? They had enchanted rifles and automatics.
Tradition stripped away for practicality.
Trialist slayers.
Squads of ten could kill any adventuring team under the fourth realm.
They had never forgotten. Elves and dwarves had long memories. They beheld the wanted poster of Artigan. A projector played out the scenes of combat in the second Trial. They saw a grinning face treating The Realm like it was a game for them to win. To conquer.
Never again.
-In a cottage in Sector 10.
“Yeesh, Ryan isn’t surviving that.”
The Witch Tyrant listened to her daughter’s comment. She hadn’t been dedicating a personal thread to listening to the Leafstalkers, that had almost been a terrible mistake. The Witch clicked her tongue.
“No, he will not.”
That was the problem with keeping The Realm ready for a true invasion. The Realmers were ready to hammer any nail to keep it in line. It often choked the opportunity of Trialists to become something else. Unfortunate, but it did instill an orderly culture amongst the Trialists.
Gamielle nudged her mother trying to get a reaction.
“You told him so much, wouldn’t it be a waste if he just died like that? I don’t think he was lying about having one life left.”
The Witch Tyrant simply raised an eyebrow at her wayward Legend. Scenarios and possibilities flashed by her mind. Simply intervening ran the risk of damaging Ryan’s progress. It was also possible that the Manager expected Ryan to survive the encounter with the Leafstalkers. Decisions and indecisions. That was always the problem with dealing with the Manager’s unwitting envoys.
“Oh come on!” Gamielle shouted at her mother, “you’re not going to do this again, remember Perdu? Bardiche? Welle? Ozye-”
She raised a finger and made her daughter shut up.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed what you’ve been doing, daughter. Giving him
hints
, giving him warnings by disappearing. Do you two really think you’re hiding it from me? You lowering his achievements is risking
everything
.”
“No, what I see is a pattern mother, a pattern of risking too much and losing it all.”
The Witch Tyrant stared at the ground, blankly.
The Manager had never sent someone with the words ‘final piece’ before. But the Manager was good at that, sending in messages that always seemed more important than the last.
No, it was time to move.
“A chance, that is what we will give. We’ll move up the schedule and give him the opening he needs. One chance, that is what we’ll give.”
“Move up the schedule? Are you crazy? What are you going to tell the others?”
“I will never hesitate again, daughter. I
will
do what is necessary.”
She bore down into her daughter’s eyes. This time it was Gamielle’s turn to look away.
The Witch Tyrant had painted a picture about the end of both worlds, about how it would all end when the Trial System disappeared. The [Rogue] watched her pretty lightshow and had gotten too engrossed in her tale. Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information she had thrown at him.
It wasn’t a lie, not truly. That had been the truth all the Tyrants had faced when they’d first completed the Tenth Trial.
It was a truth, not
the
truth.
Her predictions about Earth would only happen if things had remained the same.
And that assumed she wouldn’t do anything.
One more gift, from her to Earth.
May they choke on it.

.
!
Chapter 36 - Consolidation and the Leafstalkers