Chapter 83 - The Hag And The Hog
Elliot stared at the notification. He gained skills that mentioned his current class, even a Heart, and now a one of a kind equipment.
To say that he's not excited was an understatement. He was thrilled to open his Console to check the Manual.
<< The Creator's Armour Set >>
[ << The Creator's Valiance >>
<< The Creator's Carnage >>
<< The Creator's Haste >>
<< The Creator's Truth >> ]
At first glance, the item names were intimidating. When the words "top", "trousers", "boots", etc. were removed from an equipment's name, it is bound to be powerful. It was like the accepted rule for the Adventurers.
The stats of the equipment were also not to be reckoned with. It was still in Legendary tire but it could be comparable to some Godly items.
The Manual is not playing games anymore.
Elliot had realized that the extra Inventory slots he recently got was not in the usual spot among others. They were in the Item tab of the Console, meaning only specified items could be put inside.
Seeing this, Elliot excused himself and went back to his dorm room. He even told Lance that he was busy even when the latter was inviting him to stroll around the city.
He got to his desk and opened his Manual, checking the Metellium item. This arm sleeve would cover Ed's insecurity and would stop the curse of the Eternal Chaos Sword from taking over his body. And not forget the sweet reward it would give Elliot.
'Level requirement do not meet.'
'You must have Forge Level 4 to forge the item.'
'You are Forge Level 3.'
'Number of forges before level up: 6.'
The smile on Elliot's face instantly vanished after reading the message. He expected that things would go smoothly but he seemed to be wrong.
Although it was understandable that his Forge Level is low. He rarely use it, unlike Brewing or Crafting that he uses most of the time. This would mean that his level was too low.
But the promising thing was that the item needed a high-level Creator to be made, meaning it also has a high quality. After all, it was a general knowledge that the higher the requirements, the higher the reward.
Elliot flopped down the hardwood floors of his room and sighed. "So, what to do?"
'Sudden quest [ The Hag and the Hog ] available.'
[ The Hag and the Hog
Reward: Forgotten Metal
// An evil witch had raised an army of demonic swines just outside the South Gate. Defeat the hag. ]
Elliot did not waste any time and ran outside.
"I thought you said you were b–"
"I'll be, back," Elliot cut Lance off and hurried to the South Gate.
When he got there, he was mildly disappointed after not seeing an army of pigs with horns. The thought of this quest being one of those who needed to make him wait before you could actually participate in fightiny entered his mind.
"Why was I even excited?" Elliot sighed and lookeda at the sun who was high in air. "Hi Sun! I hope you're having a wonderful day up there. You're so hot, sun."
A muffled oink made Elliot snap his head to the direction of a bush. He narrowed his eyes and saw a person there, looking at him intently.
"What are doin there?" Elliot brandished his sword and slowly walked over. "Come out or I will forcefully make you come out."
The figure shook its head, leaving Elliot no other choice but to dash towards it. When he was about to reach the figure, a large boar came out of the bush and fired a dark purple beam at him.
He slashed his sword to slice the beam in half, stepping away when two more hogs came out.
"Oh, so you're the hag," Elliot smirked. "You just made my job easier."
"Lotus Blast!"
He attacked on of the hogs first, slashing each petal directly into the beast and leaping above it, shooting the rotating flower under him and into the hog. It mewled in pain, feeling the burn of the rotating flower attack above it.
"That was quick," Elliot chuckled. He slashed his sword more and defeated the boars with ease. The beasts were too low-leveled that he had no problem dealing with three of them at once.
If this battle was between him and a dragon, that would be hard. But since it were just boars, this shouldn't become a problem for him. He thought.
He had the upper hand against the three beasts in front of him. He didn't feel like it was going to be a problem fighting this hag.
That was until the person casted their spell and fired to the boars. The beasts flinched for a couple of seconds before it exploded with dark purple aura covered its body fully. They increased in size and level rapidly. It suddenly leveled up a couple of times.
"Arrigo."
Elliot jumped after hearing Lance's voice beside him. "You need to stop lurking on me like that."
Lance grinned and shrugged, "I don't know, man. I just like lurking on people. But that thing, I don't like that."
"Why?"
"Arrigo is a form of Forbidden Magic that forcefully raised one's level without the use of XP," Lance said. "Instead, if feeds on darkness to increase the level and this is a force against nature. The ones who use magic is a criminal."
Lance branished his swords and sighed, "Find the caster. I'll deal with these beasts."
Elliot nodded and proceeded to the forest where the shadowy figure ran. When he reached a clearing, a shot of a shadow magic attacked him. It was the shape of a human's hand and arm with long sharp claws.
He flicked his sword and slashed the shot in half. The hand split up and attacked him again.
"What?" Elliot gasped and sliced the two arm-like attacks again. Once more, it split and attacked him, making Elliot use Lotus Blast to counter it. The lotus petals shot through the shots, making them vanish into thin air. "So, it's a Phantom skill."
"I'm surprised you know that much," a female voice croaked a few meters away from him.
Elliot looked up and saw the shadowy figure stood in front of him. The shadow that covered its entire body slowly vanished until the person showed herself.
"Your friend knows a lot more too," she said. "Adventurers these days are quite knowledgeable."
"Who are you?" Elliot asked.
"You have a range around you," she said and took three steps forward.
'Non-human detected.'
<< Pearl >>
Race: Demon
"Your reaction says that I'm right," Pearl said. "But whatever your range effects are, I don't think it's hostile."
"It's not, but you are. Who are you and what are you doing here?" Elliot confronted.
"The Queen gave me orders," Pearl said. "Go here and summon three boars. And wait."
"Wait?" Elliot lowered his sword, eyebrows meeting as he figured out what the woman was saying.
"You're knowledgeable," Pearl nodded. "But also gullible."
She raised her hand in front of her and a large hand-like shadow surrounded Elliot. He was stepping on the palm as the fingers were towering over him.
"What in the–"
The hand did not let Elliot finish his sentence and formed a fist around him. Pearl nodded in satisfaction and walked back to where Lance was.
"Wait for the boy who held light and darkness in his hands," she whispered. "He will become this world's cause of destruction or will save it from it. The path he chose will show–"
"Why do you villains talk too much?"
Pearl's eyes widened after hearing Elliot behind her. He thrusted his knee on her back, blowing her a few meters away. While she was being blown away, Elliot dashed towards her and slammed the hilt of his sword against her body, making her slam against the ground with a painful crash.
"Y-You… how did you–"
"You're weak as hell," Elliot snickered. "If this is the demon realm's strength, I don't think we need to worry if you guys attack, eh?"
Pearl's face changed from shocked to stoic in an instant. "But you should worry."
"What are you in your realm? A general? An elite officer–"
"A slave," Pearl cut Elliot off.
"Oh," Elliot breathed out. "A-Are slaves strong in the Demon Realm?"
"We're treated below than Volcanic Dogs, if you need a reference," Pearl said. "My job is not to attack."
"Then what is your job?" Lance walked over, returning his swords inside their respective scabbard.
"Goodbye." A hand the same size as the one who held Elliot before appeared below the laying Pearl. It clenched on itself and was pulled down the ground, pulling the woman down with it.
'Quest [ The Hag and the Hog ] completed.'
"What in the hell was that about?" Lance scrunched his face. "So weird."
Elliot looked at Lance and remembered what Pearl just said.
"Wait for the boy who held light and darkness in his hands. He will become this world's cause of destruction or will save it from it."
The Demon Queen is looking for Lance. Elliot clenched his sword, but slowly released it and sighed.
"Lance, I'm sorry for asking this so suddenly but…" Elliot trailed off and gulped.
"Do you know your mother?"