"What do you want to ask?" Oswald asked.
The Lumbering Ent was defeated already. Jack's Therras and his few surviving wolves ca and guarded Oswald's back, in case the assassin tried to flee again. Jet also did the sa after receiving Jack's silent ssage.
Oswald looked around him. He failed to escape when Jack was alone. Now with so many surrounding him, the chance was even slimr.
"First question, how are you still alive when your HP is already zero?" Jack asked.
Peniel spoke before Oswald answered, "You are using the Fake Death skill, right?"
"Yes," Oswald answered.
Peniel then explained to Jack, "Fake Death is a non-standard assassin elite skill that masks one's HP to appear at zero while it is not truly so."
"Hm, it's a good thing Grace suspected sothing was wrong. I would have been fooled otherwise. You should have told there is such skill in existence."
"There are countless skills and spells in existence. Do you want to spell every single one out to you?" Peniel retorted with an irritated expression.
Jack decided not to argue with his fairy companion in front of everyone. He asked Oswald his next question, "What are you doing here?"
"Hiding."
"From what?"
"From a disgruntled custor, a faction who feel slighted by my action, and a forr employer who is offended by taking an unsanctioned job."
"I take it this has sothing to do with that assassination attempt you pulled inside Daminos Square Garden?"
"You are correct."
"Well, then here cos the main question," Jack said. "I assu that you are hired to kill our team's healer. Who ordered the hit and why?"
Oswald was silent for a while, pondering. He then said, "You will let go if I tell you?"
"I am for sure won't let you go if you don't," Jack answered without giving him a promise.
Oswald pondered again for a bit, this ti while looking around at those who surrounded him. "Ah, hell," Oswald said, lifting his hands with a show of a defeated gesture. "The people who asked for the hit are now hunting , so I don't see any need to protect them. If you want to know, it was one of the Lord Chiefs of the Verremor nation, Abdu Raretooth. You should have seen him. He was there in the tournant as well. He was the one that masked and slipped into Daminos Square Garden amongst his entourages."
"One of the orc's rulers?" Jack mumbled. He did notice this one nad Abdu Raretooth. This orc was always seen with Abasi Raretooth during the tournant. Jack had suspected this orc to be of a high station from the way Abasi deferred to him. Verremor was governed by the Council of Ten, comprised of the Lord Chiefs of the ten biggest tribes. This made Abdu one of the ten Verremor's rulers.
"Why do they want to target the human team's healer?" Jack asked.
"I'm not in the habit of asking my employer's motive," Oswald answered. "That is a recipe for not getting hired the next ti, you know?"
"Did they ask you to hit the Vampire team as well?" Jack gave his next question.
"No, only the human team," Oswald answered.
Jack gave the matter so thought.
"Can I leave now?" Oswald asked, trying his luck.
"Tell , why do you take the job?" Jack asked. "You said that job was unsanctioned, which cause you to get hunted by your own faction. Why takes such a risk. Are you so desperate for a job?"
Oswald chuckled. "I am never lacking for jobs, kid. Wella?|, the reason is that I owed this Abdu fellow in the past. He is cashing in this favor I owed him and I'm not one who ran from a debt. Plus, he offered sothing irresistible. Can I go now?"
"And this Abdu is also hunting you now?" Jack asked, ignoring Oswald's question.
"Along with the Council of Virtus and the Assassin's Guild. One job and my life is reduced to a never-ending solitary. Sigh, maybe death is a rcy to ."
"Sure, I will do you that favor," Jack said.
"Hey, hey! I'm just saying it in the hope that you will let go, considering that I already suffer due to living a fugitive life!" Oswald hurriedly said.?
"Man, you shouldn't joke about that kind of thing. I almost went ahead and kill you," Jack said.
"Does this an that you will let go?" Oswald asked with a hopeful feeling.
"Of course not," Jack answered flatly.
"You are really an, you know that?" Oswald said dejectedly.
"We can let you go, on one condition," Grace said.
"You will?" Oswald's face brightened again.
"We will?" Jack also asked, looking at her.
"As long as you agree to beco my companion," Grace said.
"Why would you want a weak companion like him?" Jack said. "He is just an elite grade."
"Hey!" Oswald uttered hearing the insult.
"Elite? My inspect tells he is Special Elite," Grace said.
"Oh?" Jack used his Inspect. When Oswald ca targeting him at the Busculla Plateau, he was an elite grade.
*
Oswald (Special Elite Human, Assassin), level 51
HP: 189,000
*
"You increase your grade?" Jack uttered after reading the assassin's description. He also noticed the native had increased by a level.
"Rember when I said Abdu offered sothing irresistible? It was a thing that upgraded my grade."
"Pill of Growth?" Peniel asked.
Oswald nodded.
"What's that?" Jack asked.
"It's a thing that is only useful for natives or pets. It can increase them by one grade," Peniel answered.
"Cool! We should search for that thing! I can increase Therras and Alucard's grades with that."
"Unfortunately, this pill's ability to increase a grade is only limited until Rare Elite. Once one reached that grade, the pill is useless. Both your pet and companion are already rare elites."
Jack slumped back after hearing that. Oswald turned to Therras, "that thing is a rare elite?" He asked. Therras replied by stomping its foot and huffed nacingly. Oswald backed off a step.
"Mine is also a rare elite," Jet said and pet his Crimson-mane Lion.
Hearing that, Oswald sighed and sat on the ground. He again gave a defeated gesture. "You outworlders are unbelievable. I bullied this kid around half a year ago, and here I am getting bullied instead. I give up. Do with as you please."
Jack turned to Grace and sent her a silent ssage, 'You sure you want him as a companion?'
Grace sent a reply. 'I saw the way he fight against you on my way here. Although he was clearly at a disadvantage, he was cunning enough to think of a way out. I think he can be of a great asset if developed properly.'
'But he is hunted by many sides. Are you not afraid you get dragged into trouble as well for siding with him?'
'He can just stay here until he is strong enough. There are plenty of monsters here for him to level up. I will only call him at certain tis when I need him.'
Jack nodded. He then said to Oswald, "What do you say? Are you willing to be this lady's companion? You will gain the ability to level up expressly like us, outworlders. You might beco strong enough to not worry about those who pursue you anymore. It's not a bad deal for you, isn't it?"
"But I will be soone's lapdog. Ready anyti at her beck and call," Oswald said, and then added, "Even if I'm willing, I don't have a binding stone."
When Jack showed a puzzled expression, Peniel explained to him, "A binding stone is what a native uses to bind their pledge. This stone will then beco a companion token."
"Don't worry about that, I have one," Grace said. She took out a tiny stone with the shape of a coin and threw it to Oswald who caught the stone. Oswald looked at it with a complicated expression.
"If you are not interested in being a lapdog, I can't always relieve you from your misery of living a fugitive life," Jack said.
"All right, all right! There is no need to push like that. It's not like I get a choice, to begin with," Oswald grumbled.
Oswald unsheathed his dagger. Jack was alard for a mont, but then he saw Oswald cut his own hand and put the stone coin on his cut hand. He then uttered so unknown incantation. Runic symbols appeared around him. These runes then beca smaller and swirled around the coin before subrging into them. The coin shone and changed shape. When the glow ended, what was now in Oswald's hand was a companion token.
Oswald flipped the companion token back to Grace, who also caught it deftly. The runic symbols appeared again when the token touched Grace's hand. She used her other hand to touch the center of the symbols' formation. The symbol appeared as if entering Grace's hand once she did.
"The contract is done, I'm your companion now," Oswald said and stood up.
Grace cast a healing spell on his new companion, bringing his critical HP up.
"You are free to do as you like, but I suggest you work hard to hunt monsters for leveling up. I will call you when needed," Grace said.
"Where are you all going?" Oswald asked.
"We are going to the Lost Forest," Grace answered.
"You people have a death wish or sothing?" Oswald asked. "In that case, I will tag along."
When Oswald saw their expressions, he said, "I just got the benefit of fast leveling. It will be a waste if I lost it so soon after. If you all are determined to enter that cursed forest, I might as well be there full ti to help."
"You are just bored of being alone all this ti, aren't you?" Jack asked.
"Wella?|, there is that as well," Oswald answered truthfully.
Reviews
All reviews (0)