18 "can we talk about the political and geographical standing of this world" (chapter 18)

"Interesting," Ted remarked as he observed another member of the Vox Machine, a female elf with pointy ears and fiery red hair. Wearing a wooden crown and clutching a staff, she deftly avoided the attack of the humanoid guard dog. A comical scene unfolded as the dog roared in her face, prompting her to cover her bulging mouth. Unable to hold back, she let go of her hand as she vomited, landing the contents in the dog's mouth, whom immediately closed his mouth, causing Ted to nearly gag.

Lifting her hand, the red-haired elf summoned vines through the window, sending the dog flying. "Why does this happen every time we go drinking?" she questioned. Ted pondered the limitations of his rune arsenal, realizing the absence of runes for elements like plants, water, earth, and lightning. "Maybe I should focus on those more," he mused to himself. An arrow whizzed by, narrowly missing Ted, who remained unfazed as his ward rune didn't activate.

"Sorry," apologized a brown-haired elf woman in a blue dress, whistling while fighting alongside a similarly brown-haired male elf. Suddenly, an armored bear barged into the tavern, before mauling the opponents of vox machina, "Good boy, Trinket, " Ted found the name amusing and remembered the egg he left incubating. "I am probably going to name it Chick if it hatches," he thought, smiling.

The chaos was shattered by the sound of bones cracking and a yell of "STOP." Ted turned toward the source, discovering a pink-haired minotaur as the tavern's owner, who wanted to scold the trouble makers on for him the giggling of his own daughter in her room while a small tan skinned creature could be seen, in bed, with his daughter as he yelled, "and WHAT THE HELL IS THAT GNOME, DOING TO MY DUAGHTER?"

-scene change-

The following morning, Ted strolled through the streets, exploring different shops. "The currency for this kingdom, or other kingdoms, is divided into copper, silver, and gold," he noted, recalling the money he obtained from the individuals beaten by Vox Machina. "And I was right, you can earn money from selling monster parts. There are also different monsters like goblins and other fantasy beasts," he reflected on the information he had gathered.

His attention was suddenly captivated by a large whooshing sound and the creaks of something heavy in motion. Looking up, he marveled at a flying ship, a true marvel of steampunk design. "This is what I was aiming for, a mix of technique and magic," he thought, feeling some of his worries dissipate. However, it also raised numerous questions about their technological advancements, political and geographical standing, potential conflicts with other kingdoms, and the diversity of monsters. "So many unanswered questions," he sighed to himself.

[ some unknown time later ]

Inside the dense forest, a figure emerged, towering at 6 feet 3, adorned with long, untamed orange hair. Clad in nothing but blue jeans, the man's muscular physique was evident, and leather pouches adorned each side of his waist. He navigated the tree-lined terrain, pausing momentarily. His keen senses detected a presence, and he swiftly retrieved a knife from one of his pouches, slashing through the air.

A resounding thud echoed as the man inspected the ground, revealing a wooden tentacle. An audible groan escaped him, "Not these guys again." As if materializing between the trees, a massive creature composed entirely of wooden tentacles materialized, emitting a deafening roar. The creature launched two tentacles toward the man.

With a swift step to the side, the man elegantly evaded the incoming attack, his body instinctively leaning away. He countered by slashing down the tentacles with a knife bearing a peculiar rune on the blade. Its exceptional sharpness effortlessly severed the tentacle in half.

The creature wailed in agony, responding with a barrage of tentacles. The man dropped low, bending at the knees and waist, smoothly rolling to the side to avoid the onslaught. Extending his hand, he revealed several rings adorned with cryptic characters. A silver ring with a small red gem glowed, and with a gesture, it unleashed a fireball that exploded on impact, inflicting area damage.

The monster, vulnerable to the fiery assault due to its wooden composition, endured a continuous barrage of fire. Observing the lifeless creature, Ted inspected his ring with a sigh.

[ Name: Pyro-Blast (lowest) ]

[ Type: Enchantment ]

[ Rune-Slots: 1/2 ]

[ Description: A regular old silver ring made extraordinary by a rune carver. Etched into it is a rune that unleashes a massive fireball on impact, causing area damage. The user is not immune to the fire. ]

[ Durability: 27/100 ]

"Well, this sucks, and I still haven't repaired my sea of consciousness," Ted lamented, approaching the defeated monster. Gathering branches, he remarked, "At least I am compiling a lot of materials that can be made into great weapons," storing them in his pouch. Suddenly, the sound of breaking branches reached his ears. Turning around, Ted faced a large creature resembling a stag, adorned with multiple antlers running down its neck and a feathered tail sweeping close to its face.

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 A/N the world is dnd, specially the tv series of the legendary vox machina, season 1, and yes, he will return for season 2. about the "Nerf" of ted, i think that its necessary, not just to create a change in scenery and atmosphere for the novel, but for me to focus on teds other aspect, and train him in different weapon, since he will be using every weapon there on the planet, which is my i am planning on making an overpowered version of every weapon, like an overpowered sword, and overpowered sabre, spear, shield, helmet, chest plate, you get the idea, his main would be a spear, but he will use every weapon.