Chương 34: Hammah Time

I stand on top of the wooden wall and look down at the area beyond. Tragedy is the only way I can properly describe it. Tens of thousands of people are engaged with monsters, each one fighting a bloody battle to the death. Mages tend to stay safer behind the wall, but every now and then, a monster comes crashing through. No one is safe, for it has become clear that death is the only guarantee in this world. Riches, treasures, adventure, magic? Sure, those might exist.

But to acquire them, is to face death at every step.

"Is it too late to run away?" I ask no one in particular. Naturally, Dovey responds.

"I think we missed that opportunity a few kilometers back."

"Fuck." I sigh, "Oh well, off to my death I shall go then." I summon Luxmore into my hand and fumble around with it for a few seconds. Getting used to the weight, of course. Most certainly not stalling. Becoming comfortable with one's weapon is very important. Especially considering I have to channel stamina and stuff through it. Which, to my pleasure, seems far easier. It is like the hammer is an extension of my very body, beyond the normal way I was taught to wield it. This is more fundamental, deeper even.

I don't know if it is because I forged Luxmore myself, or merely its raw quality. But I am not going to complain about how awesome it feels to wield.

"Hey Luma." I say, turning to the fox resting on my other shoulder.

"Would you mind going into the phylactery? I don't think you will be able to find a safe area to hide as we move." Her nose scrunches up, but she dips her head in acceptance. I pull her inside, finding it a bit more difficult than with Dovey. A bit of perspiration forms on my brow. Yet, once she is inside, it feels far more natural than with Dovey. Well, aside from the extra spirit regeneration hitting me like a brick thrown from a catapult. Yip! Luma says mentally, testing out the telepathy thing.

Wait, is this even telepathy? She is like, inside my corestone, so thus inside my mind as well? So it's more like intrapathy, I think. Or maybe I have just gone fucking insane. Suddenly, a gust of wind hits my back. Tumbling forward, I barely have time to Plane Step to the ground safely.

"Whoops, sorry master." Dovey says from my shoulder.

"I was just testing out my powers, they are a bit different than before the bond." I am not given a chance to respond, as I feel killing intent focus on me. Since when have I been able to sense that? Who fucking knows. All I know is that I see a very large [Crystal Boar - Level 19] charging right for me. Its eyes are crystals that gleam with pure malice. Naturally, the rest of its body is also one giant crystal. A great target for testing out Luxmore. I focus, and feel all the fear leave my body.

A single enemy, this I can manage. Launching myself forward, I meet the boar's charge with a last moment sidestep. Stopping on a point, I use the momentum to swing my hammer right at its side. Thrack. Splinters of crystal fly towards me, grazing my arms and face. The boar quickly circles around, despite a chunk of its side being missing. Damnit, why can't clearly magical creatures have fleshy logic applied? It charges again, but a gust of wind from Dovey hits it. The monster stumbles off to the side, staggered.

Just long enough for me to power up a <Anvil Strike>.

'Ding' You have slain [Crystal Boar - Lvl 19]. I await the feeling of my experience ticking up. Only for it to never come. What the fuck? I didn't get any experience from killing it? Then it all makes sense. The boar was lower level than both my classes. Thus meaning I won't get any experience for the kill. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. It sucks, but it does make sense. One cannot get stronger by beating up those weaker than themself.

I don't worry about collecting the boar's loot, there simply isn't time. If we survive all this, then the loot can be dealt with–in a way that is one hundred percent not my responsibility to figure out. Nothing else has tried to kill me as I mull over my disappointment. Which means I must go find something else to kill. Surveying the area, I see a small boy fighting a giant snake that seems to be overpowering him. Plane Stepping next to the snake, my identify gets a hold of it.

[Green Snake - Lvl 28] Before I can ask whether I can handle a level twenty eight, it has already diverted attention towards me. By way of a barbed tail coming right for my throat. I drop down and slide under it. A gust of wind hits me, launching me upwards into the air. I flail around for a split second before getting a hold of myself. I raise Luxmore and bring it down on the snake's midsection with a mighty crack.

'Ding' You have slain [Green Snake - Lvl 28]. Earned experience split amongst contributors.

'Ding', Magic Smith has advanced to level 23. Stat points distributed.

'Ding', Spirit Mage has advanced to level 21. Stat points distributed.

"Thanks." The kid croaks out, before promptly collapsing. Just as I am about to help, someone that is clearly a healer rushes over. Seeing that the boy is tended to, I Plane Step towards the next monster. [Red Bear - Level 25] While being lower level than the snake, I can tell that this bear is far stronger. It is a bear after all. When I suddenly appear next to it, it instantly tries to swipe at me. Using my newfound agility, I jump to the side, rolling back onto my feet.

I swing at its overextended paw, scoring a nice blow that definitely hurt the damn thing. Pushing closer, I aim a strike right for its hind leg, and thanks to the thing's awful turning radius, manage to land a hit. Only to feel my back erupt in searing pain as fire rushes over me. My armor blocks the worst of it, but damn it hurts. Dodging away, I watch as my health drops to just about sixty percent. Meanwhile the bear charges at me as if it didn't just breathe fire. Sometimes one just hates magic.

Dovey dives in, having finally found an opportunity to do something. Hey, I have been helping! Who do you think is warning you of their killing intent? Sorry, the bird that has been a big help, dives in to help some more. He lands on the bear's back, causing confusion by ripping at its thick hide. His tiny dove beak can't do much, but a distraction is all I need as I lunge forward with an <Anvil Strike>.

'Ding', You have slain [Red Bear - Level 25]. I get almost no break before the next monster is upon me. With barely time to exhale, I launch into the battle. And then another. And another. And another. Vaguely, I am aware of time passing. There is no sunlight to tell what time of day it is though. That scary rift in the sky is putting off so much energy that everything seems to be turned permanently day. Which is good for fighting, not so much for my sanity. Still, such things are not a concern.

For I am not a person. No, I am merely a hammer. A target shall appear for me to smash, and I shall smash it. Sometimes the target attacks back, and sometimes I need to dodge away and down a health potion–of which I am growing scarily low on. Yet, ever so slowly, I make my way towards the city. First a kilometer passes, then two, three. After four grueling kilometers of monster infested territory, I reach the wall of the sixth district. On the top of one of the walls, I see the glint of a barrier.

Barriers mean safety, other people. Ones that probably won't try to kill me just for living. Just as I am preparing to Plane Step up to the top, a roar splits the air. My body locks up, unwilling to respond to even the simplest of commands. You have heard the roar of a grand foe. You are paralyzed for 10 seconds. In the corner of my vision, I see it waltz out from a ruined building. My identify still works while paralyzed, interestingly enough, and reads it as a [Lesser Minotaur - Level 29].

The disgusting monster stands nearly three meters tall. Two axes capable of cleaving me in half lie in its hands. Not to mention the horns just waiting to gore something fleshy on top of its head. Now, I think I can say with complete confidence that this is, in fact, a bad situation. Not that I will let that stop me. I have become somewhat knowledgeable in bad situations as of late, unfortunately.