Kindle simply recieves stares from the fellows in front of them, who certainly don't look friendly in the least. The campfire the nine of them surround flicks as they all jump up and draw weapons. "Ay, who the hell are you?"
Kindle's lack of expressions due to the crude bone mask covering their face doesn't help ease the men, not like they would they be eased by someone spotting their camp. When Kindle's smooth and deep voice responds, it's too firm to be any comfort either. "I was just heading back to Farentz and got lost. Apologies for interrupting your dinner."
Kindle doesn't move despite this, knowing that turning their back while also carrying a membrane sack of a hundred Ooze cores isn't the best move. ///World Eye/// tells Kindle that these men are on average LV. 10, which makes them all at least as strong as the Skull Hound Kindle faced. The major differences being that there's nine of these men, they're far more equipped, and they are properly intelligent.
They don't seem much more keen on talking, and when Kindle drops their hold on the membrane sack, two of them rush at the cloaked figure. They don't get far, the leather armor they bear slashed open and splayed with their own blood with a mana-infused slash from Kindle's sword. The three arrows that launch at them are blocked by a "Gust" spell, and the one archer bandit blinded by the wind opens their eyes to a Fire Bolt hitting their face, the impact killing them near-instantly and leaving their blown-up skull to burn in the grass.
Kindle is expending a lot more MP than usual on these attacks, ensuring they will be lethal and limiting the length of the fight as to not risk anything. Their resident mage casts a "Mana Bolt" spell, but it's met with a stronger Mana Bolt from Kindle that blocks the shot while they slice down the next swordsman. One of the archers and another swordsman don't hesitate to book it, yelling at the others to do the same but not staying behind to ensure they do.
The mage attempts to follow suit as the remaining archer tries to fire an arrow again, only to be blocked and split horizontially from the ribs up. Before the mage can get far, their back suddenly tenses and forces them to fall back, Ice Bolts having shred into them from behind, going so far in as to pierce organs.
They lay bleeding out as they're forced to watch the last swordsman's own weapon breaks against Kindle's sword, not strong enough to shield against a weapon with that much mana sharpening it, and left unable to block the blow going straight for their neck.
When the fall over dead, Kindle approaches the dying mage, and aims their sword downwards. They don't speak, and the mage is unable to even beg, choking on their own blood. When the point of Kindle's sword slams into their skull, slicing through the skull and into their head with ease, the mage only twitches violently for a moment before fully going limp.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
[NOTICE: HUMAN (7) SLAIN]
[+70 XP; 605/2100 XP]
Kindle doesn't feel guilt, per se, they killed what they needed to kill, but they don't feel unnaffected by the act either. They understand death enough to know it isn't something simple, but they also know they deem their survival and needs more important.
Instead of dwelling on it for too long, they begin to search the bodies and camp, collecting one of their coin pouches and putting their collective 18 CIL inside of it. Kindle isn't sure how much that is, but they hope it's a decent amount, and begin washing their cloak of blood before it stains.
After collecting their weapons too, and putting them in one if their travel packs, Kindle grabs the membrane sack and begins dragging it away again.
[NOTICE: DIRE WOLF (3) SLAIN]
[+35 XP; 640/2100 XP]
With only a few Dire Wolf encounters, getting lost a bit, and not much else, Kindle takes nearly two days just to get out of the woods and find a dirt path back to Farentz, and another day to reach the town. The looks they earn from the membrane sack full of Ooze cores is quite numerous, and when they approach a Dungeon Diver with a question on where the local apothecary is, the directions they get are given along with a chuckle and raised eyebrow. It's not that the act of collecting that many that's the point of interest, plenty of groups bring large quantities of monster parts for jobs all the time. The odd part is the method of dragging around an Ooze's membrane like they're dragging a large body.
After getting lost on the way despite being given clear directions, Kindle does finally reach the apothecary, and knocks on the door. When a young lady's voice heard on other side saying "the door is unlocked, you can just come in," Kindle responds. "I'm afraid the delivery I bring is too big for the door, ma'am."
A bit of shuffling later, and the door opens to a small lady with her auburn hair tied back, who looks Kindle up and down before looking to the membrane sack, then back to the bone mask completely concealing their face. "You dragged them from the Farentz Woods like that, sir?"
Kindle nods, raising the sack a bit, the clunk of the solid cores sounds nice, like big marbles being shook. "I did." The apothecary looks them over again, at the way their lanky body beneath the leather armor and cloth seems to have so easily carried such weight around. Then she sighs, opening the door fully and placing a stop at the door to hold it. "Alright, bring 'em in a few at a time."
Once all of the Ooze cores have been counted and stored in barrels, the apothecary hands over the 10 CIL. "Thank you for your service, sir. Might I interest you in some Recovery Potions on your way out?"
Kindle, being an undead and incapable of using natural healing methods, inclines their head and begins to turn. "No, but thank you for the offer." The apothecary doesn't slump or display dissapointment, but their eyes squint a fraction. "Very well. Have a good one, sir."
After getting directions to a shop that buys and sells Dungeon Diving gear, getting lost on the way a bit, and finally reaching it to sell the gear of the bandits they killed, they walk out with another 24 CIL, a total of 52 CIL.
Not sure what to buy with it, Kindle begins wandering the town looking for something that peaks their interest.
NAME: KINDLE
SPECIES: LESSER SKELETON SPELLSWORD
SEX: N/A
XP: 640/2100
AP: 0
HP: 280/280
MP: 280/280
SP: 280/280
CON: 14
AGI: 14
DEX: 14
PER: 14
INT: 14
SIMPLE ARCANIST (F)
SIMPLE SWORDSMAN (F)
SIMPLE SPELLSWORD (F)
///BIOLOGICAL IMMORTALITY///
///WORLD EYE///
///UNIFIED FORM (F)///
///HEROIC POTENTIAL (F)///
///UNDEAD DOMINANCE (F)///
///INSTINCTIVE CHANNELING (F)///
///NATURAL ARCANIST (F)///
///NATURAL SWORDMAN (F)///
