Chapter 73: A Grim Sword to Live By (2/2)
The monster was tough, but with Jason’s afflictions in place, its death was inevitable. He led it up the tunnel, the creature bellowing its rage at Jason as it sluggishly, hopelessly pursued. It struggled along as its blood poured from the stump of its tail and its flesh blackened with necrosis. It toughed it out surprisingly well until it crossed paths with the leeches that had finally caught up to Jason. Misery and pain finally overwhelmed its rage as it met a terrible, pitiful end, screams of pain and helplessness marking its passage into death.
Quest: [Contract: Rat Infestation]
Hidden objective complete: Eliminate the [Rat Gorger] 1/1.[Rat Essence] has been added to your inventory.Objective complete: Clear out rat nests 6/6.Quest complete.100 [Iron Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.
“Hey, an essence. Rat essence? Appropriate, but not what I would have picked.”
Animal type essences were common, as much as any essences were common. Some, like bear, wolf and snake were quite prized, while others, less so. He didn’t hold high hopes for the rat essence, but he should be able to trade it for several of the more common awakening stones.
Jason walked over to the dead monster.
“Why couldn’t it have been the might essence?” Jason asked it. Some essences were common as animal essences, yet were more valuable due to their desirability. The might essence, the shield essence or the magic essence could all have been traded for some quality awakening stones.
“As your life was mine to reap, your death is mine to harvest.”
The red glow of the monster’s remnant life force emerged from its body, streaming up into Jason’s outstretched hand. The monster’s body withered to a dried-out husk. It looked a lot like the ratling the monster itself had drained.
“Live by the sword, die by the sword, isn’t it mate. Actually, I hope not. I live by a pretty grim sword.”
He lightly touched the corpse, then backed away before it dissolved into smoke.
10 [Iron Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.[Awakening Stone of Wrath] has been added to your inventory.
Jason took in a sharp breath.
“Boss drops. Now we’re talking.”
He pulled out the awakening stone immediately. It was the same round, palm-sized crystal as other awakening stones. Inside was a burning, shifting red, wreathed in white-gold light.
Item: [Awakening Stone of Wrath] (unranked, uncommon)
An awakening stone that unlocks the power of wrath (consumable, awakening stone).
Requirements: Unawakened essence ability.Effect: Awakens an essence ability.You have 8 unawakened essence abilities.You are able to absorb [Awakening Stone of Wrath]. Absorb Y/N?
As much as he wanted to use it, he put the stone away for the moment. After reabsorbing Colin, he was about to leave when he heard an echoing voice.
“Hello?” it called out. “Anyone down there?”
“Frank?” Jason called back.
”Oh, Mr Asarno,” Frank's voice came down from somewhere above. It sounded like he was talking through a pipe or very narrow tunnel.
“Where are you?” Jason called out.
”Up on the street,” Frank called down. ”There were some pretty loud monster noises coming up through the drains, and the folk up here were getting a bit worried. After it went quiet, I thought I may as well see if anyone was alive down there.”
“It was just a rat,” Jason called up. “It’s dead now.”
“That didn’t sound like any rat I’ve seen,” Frank said.
“It was a big rat.”
“I thought you might not have made it,” Frank said. “There were some pretty awful sounds of misery and dying at the end there. Thought that might have been you.”
“It kind of was, Frank,” Jason said. “That’s the sound things make when I happen to them. Can you find me the closest way back up to the street?”
”Uh, yes sir, Mr Asano, sir. I’ll have you out in no time.”