Now with my Class skill chosen, it's loot time, Deacon smiled to himself as he moved a bit closer to the campfire and reached into his Spatial Sling Bag and took out the corpses of the warrior and mage duo that tried to kill him.
Grimacing a bit as the scent of horribly charred human flesh reached his nose and filtered itself towards the jerky he was eating, Deacon awkwardly put back the remaining jerky into his Spatial Sling Bag, mentally praying that when he eats jerky again, the smell won't come back to haunt him.
Focusing back on the two corpses in front of him, Deacon began with the mage's satchel and the warrior's pouches that went along his belt.
Looking through them, the only items within them of value were:
Item Name: Health Potion
Type: Consumable
Effect: Fully restores 500 Health.
Cooldown: 1 Hour
Rarity: Common
Description: A potion created by an early Tier 1 Alchemist that, when drunk, fully restores a total of 500 Health. Repeated use within the cooldown period may cause internal strain or nausea.
Item Name: Health Crystal
Type: Consumable
Effect: Restores 250 Health over a short duration.
Cooldown: 30 Minutes
Rarity: Poor
Description: A dull red crystal of condensed vital essence and various other herbs created by an early Tier 1 Alchemist that, when crushed, restores a total of 250 Health over a short period of time. Adverse effects will occur if one crushes another Health Crystal before the cooldown expires.
Item Name: Mana Crystal
Type: Consumable
Effect: Restores 350 Mana over a short duration.
Cooldown: 30 Minutes
Rarity: Poor
Description: A dull blue crystal of condensed unattuned mana and various other herbs created by an early Tier 1 Alchemist that, when crushed, restores a total of 350 Mana over a short period of time. Adverse effects will occur if one crushes another Mana Crystal before the cooldown expires.
Item Name: Lesser Revitalization Pill
Type: Consumable
Effect: Grants a temporary boost to physical attributes: +5 Vitality, +3 Strength, +2 Endurance.
Duration: 10 minutes
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: A bitter-tasting black pill pressed from herbal stimulants and minor alchemical agents. Designed by an early Tier 1 Alchemist to enhance short-term physical performance in the field. Effects taper off gradually; minor muscle soreness may follow.
There were in total four Health Potions and three Health and Mana Crystals, and a singular Lesser Revitalization Pill that was unharmed after their fight. It was unfortunate that the rest of the items within their pouches and satchels were ruined and made useless from the battle they had.
As he was placing them away into his Spatial Sling Bag, the flickering firelight was casting twisted shadows across the blackened earth and shattered armor. The scent of scorched flesh was thicker here, more pungent – like fatty meat cooked too long over an open flame. He gritted his teeth and exhaled sharply through his nose, forcing himself to ignore the instinct to gag.
"Right," he muttered, reaching for what remained of Darian's chestplate. "Let's see what you two brought to the table besides brute strength and a talent for dying ugly."
Darian's armor had fused in places with charred flesh, but the portions that hadn't been slagged were salvageable. He pried away a mostly intact chestpiece and turned it over in his hand.
Item Name: Chestpiece of the Barbarian
Type: Chestpiece – Medium Armor
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: A simple chestpiece made from thick leather from a particularly rowdy bull, reinforced with an extra layering and metal rivets around the ribs, shoulders, and elbows by a talented leathersmith. It offers reliable defense for early-tier combatants without hindering mobility. This item is one of four of the Barbarian set, when combined with others of its set, bonuses will be applied.
Effects: Self-Repair
Provides: +15 Vig & +15 End
Requirements: Humanoid, Lv 10+.
"I mean it's better than the no-stat leather chestpiece I'm wearing right now," Deacon remarked as he double-checked the Self-Repair enchantment inside it and was pleasantly surprised at the intact and maintained Self-Repair enchantment. Shoving it back into his Spatial Sling Bag for later, as due to the requirement of his race needing to be level 10, he would need to wait until then in order to receive its benefits and properly receive the protections it promised.
"I guess it'll have to stay in my Spatial Sling Bag until I reach Level 10 and be able to repair it, clean it, and equip it," Deacon sighed as he moved onto the next salvageable item on Darian's corpse, his belt. I don't know if finding the rest of the set would be worth spending money trying to get it if it's just providing these stat points.
Item Name: Belt of the Barbarian
Type: Accessory – Belt
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: A leather belt that was crafted from a particularly rowdy bull by a talented leathersmith. As a result, the belt bolsters the wearer's Strength and Endurance. This item is one of four of the Barbarian set, when combined with others of its set, bonuses will be applied.
Effects: Self-Repair
Provides: +10 Str & +10 End
Requirements: Humanoid, Lv 10+
Oh, I guess now I just have to find the pants and boots, Deacon mused as he slipped the belt into his Spatial Sling Bag, before activating Identify on Darian's boots and pants.
His eager grin turned into a frown as his Identify informed him that they were just normal leather leggings and boots that provided no bonuses.
Clicking his tongue, Deacon looked at the double-handed axe Darian used.
Item Name: Steel Greataxe
Type: Weapon
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: A heavy two-handed steel Greataxe forged by a blacksmith. The blade of the Greataxe is very durable and sharp as a result of its previous wielder diligently taking care of its maintenance. It is a great weapon to use if one favors strength in order to kill their foes and fell trees.
Requirements: Humanoid
I do have some practice in using a double-headed battleaxe, Deacon mused to himself. While obviously, they aren't the same, considering that with a battleaxe you can swap between using it with one hand and two hands, it would be nice to try to learn how to use a two-handed weapon and get its skill.
Putting away the greataxe into his Spatial Sling Bag, Deacon moved to the charred form of Jasper.
Jasper's body was a mess. The robes he wore had gone up just as well as anyone would think what would happen to a cloth in an explosion, and what was left behind melted itself to his skin. Deacon crouched beside the remains and prodded gently at what had once been a sleeve, now just carbon-thread ash that smeared black across his glove.
"Great," he muttered, already regretting touching it. "Guess this is gonna be grosser than I thought it would have been, with him still being warm and shit."
The outer layer of the mage's robe was a total loss—just scraps of burned fabric and flaking enchantment threads that sparked faintly before winking out. But near what used to be Jasper's left shoulder, a warped metal pin caught his eye. Brushing the ash aside, Deacon pried it loose.
A faint hum ran up his fingers.
Item Name: Mantle of Minor Warding
Type: Armor – Cloak
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: A shoulder-wrap imbued with a basic protective enchantment. Common among minor nobles who've attended the Academy of Beginnings with desires to become mages. Grants minor resistance to magic damage, at the cost of lowered physical protection.
Effects: Self-Repair, +5% Magical Resistance & -5% Physical Resistance
Requirements: Humanoid, Lv 10+
"Not bad," Deacon muttered, shoving it into his Spatial Sling Bag. While he wasn't sure if Esmerelda or Sam would be thrilled about wearing anything that still smelled like roasted wizard, bleach would probably solve that problem.
Digging a little further, behind the scorched cloth of his inner robe, Deacon's fingers brushed against something hard and smooth near Jasper's waist. He pulled free a belt-fastened scroll case, the silver latch warped but still holding.
Item Name: Enchanted Spell Scroll – Earthen Grasp
Type: Tool – Spell Scroll
Rarity: Uncommon
Description:
A tightly rolled scroll inscribed with various magical circles and calculations needed to cast the spell Earthen Grasp (Uncommon). When the spell scroll is ripped and with a nearby target in mind, a pair of rocky hands rise from the ground and immobilizes said target. The range of the spell within the enchanted spell scroll is heavily dependent on the mana capacity and power of the one who rips the spell scroll.
Contained Spell:
▸ Earthen Grasp (Tier 1): Restrains one enemy from below with stone hands.
Effects: Single-use spell scroll that activates an Uncommon tier Earthen Grasp spell.
Requirements: 50+ Int & Lv 15+
Item Name: Enchanted Spell Scroll – Windstep
Type: Tool – Spell Scroll
Rarity: Uncommon
Description:
A tightly rolled scroll inscribed with various magical circles and calculations needed to cast the spell Windstep (Uncommon). When the scroll is ripped and with a location goal in mind, a controlled burst of wind envelops the caster and propels them in said direction. The distance traveled is dependent on the user's mana capacity and the power of the one who rips the spell scroll.
Contained Spell:
▸ Windstep (Tier 1): Instantly dashes the caster a short distance in their facing direction.
Effects: Single-use spell scroll that activates an Uncommon tier Windstep spell.
Requirements: 70+ Int & Lv 15+
"Thank the System, Jasper wasn't able to use any of these spells," Deacon muttered to himself. Uncommon spells are no joke, and the bare minimum Int stat required to even cast them is absurd. The highest stat I have is Vitality, and I'm getting two stat points in it every time I get a level in my Class and another two from my Race for every level.
Both would be useful for Sam and Esmerelda, so these will go to them, he said aloud to himself as he tucked them into his Spatial Sling Bag.
Getting up from the ground, Deacon grabbed ahold of two legs, the right of the warrior's and the left of the mage's, and dragged them atop the campfire. From there, Deacon took out another bottle of The Handmaiden, uncorked it, and tipped it over ever so slightly to enrage the flames and cause them to rise to the cave ceiling.
Taking a couple of steps back as he immediately pulled the bottle away from the flames, Deacon quickly corked it and tucked it back into his Spatial Sling Bag.
Gotta get rid of any evidence that traces them back to me, he shrugged to himself before he resumed his sprint towards Meadow's Reach. Couldn't do anything about that other guy, but this'll have to do.
***
"Everything good on your side?" Jass called out again, not bothering to look up as she brought the axe down with a solid thunk against the half-cut plank.
No answer.
Did she go out past the temporary boundary field we set up? She asked herself as she dug the axe's blade into the log and taking a moment to wipe the sweat off her forehead with the back of her wrist. "Esmerelda?" she called again, raising her voice even louder.
Still no answer.
"She should have heard me," Jass muttered to herself as she gripped the axe's handle tighter, her eyes narrowing. The clearing they were in was about a good thirty-minute walk from the treehouse, tucked away deeper in the forest to avoid drawing attention with the sound of chopping and getting the attention of others toward their treehouse base.
Esmerelda had gone to scout the surroundings for any Loot Boxes or ruins, but that had been fifteen minutes ago.
"Esme, it was funny the first five times, but I swear to the gods, if you're pranking me again for the twe–!"
A soft, high-pitched hum could be heard from her right, in the direction of the sea of bamboo.
Jass froze, turning toward the noise just as a section of bamboo exploded, sending hundreds of small green pieces of grass shrapnel flying as Esmerelda burst out of the sea of bamboo in front of her. She landed cleanly on both feet, her back facing Jass, her robes fluttering lightly behind her, covered in tears.
"We got company," Esmerelda said, as she let go of her left bicep and pulled out a roll of medicinal wraps to wrap it.
Jass didn't even get a chance to ask before the air shifted above them. A shadow dropped fast from the top of the bamboo, wearing nothing but fur armor on his legs and boots and twin axes in hand.
Jass whipped the mana-infused axe in her hand with a twist of her wrist in the direction of the man, and before he could even let out a gurgle, his head flew clean off his body
"We got more incoming," Esmerelda said, tightening the wraps around her left bicep.
Two glowing circles began spinning into existence above her hands, lines of glyphs forming and locking into place, pulsing with bright white mana.
Jass exhaled, reaching to her back for her glaive. "Of course we do."