A Smelly Prize #30

Taking a deep breath, Adrian centered his focus, drawing upon the reservoir of energy within him as he waited for the skeletons to come closer and surround him.

With a sudden burst of strength, Adrian stomped his foot upon the unstable ground, sending shockwaves that reverberated through the cemetery. The skeletons, caught off balance by the sudden tremor, faltered in their advance. Their skeletal frames crumbled under the force, their bones scattering across the swampy terrain.

Seizing the opportunity, Adrian wasted no time. He swiftly chugged down the contents of his one and only Cerulean Tear flask, feeling its revitalizing energy course through his veins. It was a gamble he had to take to regain his strength in the face of this relentless foe.

As the effects of the magical elixir surged through him, Adrian turned his attention back to the mariner. He knew that time was of the essence, for the skeletons would soon regain their composure and renew their assault.

With renewed vigor, Adrian swung his greatsword in a relentless flurry of strikes, each unleashing a Sacred Blade slash. Recognizing the imminent danger, the mariner evaded each attack with calculated precision, its ghostly boat twisting and maneuvering in the air to escape Adrian's wrath.

Yet, in the midst of the mariner's evasive dance, Adrian saw an opening. He observed the mariner's momentary lapse in focus, a slight hesitation that betrayed its growing weariness.

Adrian's muscles coiled like a spring, seizing the opportunity. He propelled himself off an elevated tombstone, his body soaring through the air with grace and determination. With impeccable timing, he landed within the mariner's ghostly boat, his greatsword poised to strike.

Letting out a primal shriek, the mariner lunged at Adrian, swinging its horn with desperate fury. But Adrian was prepared. With lightning-fast reflexes, he intercepted the mariner's bony wrist with his free hand, applying intense pressure that snapped the fragile bones instantly. The mariner cried in agony, its haunting wail echoing through the desolate cemetery.

Seizing the opportunity, Adrian followed up with a swift and powerful kick to the mariner's chest, sending the skeletal figure hurtling through the air. The mariner crashed into the ground with a resounding thud.

With the mariner's connection to its boat severed, the ghostly vessel that had carried it through the swamp began to fade from existence. Adrian, his instincts sharp and honed, leaped off the disappearing boat just in time, his body twisting and turning mid-air.

Adrian's eyes blazed with killing intent in that fleeting moment of weightlessness. Gripping his greatsword with both hands, he pointed its gleaming tip directly at the mariner's chest as he descended upon his fallen foe.

Channeling his energy into the weapon, Adrian unleashed a surge of power that engulfed the greatsword, causing it to radiate an intense golden light. The sacred blade hummed with divine energy, its very essence resonating with Adrian's energy.

With a ferocious battle cry, Adrian brought the full force of his descending strike down upon the mariner. The greatsword pierced through the skeletal figure's chest, penetrating its ethereal form with a thunderous impact. The mariner's final cry of anguish reverberated through the air, a haunting echo that filled the silent cemetery.

The mariner's body shuddered and convulsed as Adrian's strike extinguished its last vestiges of unlife. Its skeletal frame grew still, forever frozen in its moment of defeat. The once formidable adversary had been vanquished.

Adrian stood over the defeated mariner, his chest heaving with exhaustion and triumph. The weight of his victory settled upon him, mingling with the damp, stagnant air of the cemetery as he watched the skeletons who had only just recovered fall again, their bones scattering in the murk water.

As the dust settled and the silence of the swamp enveloped the scene, Adrian took a moment to catch his breath. His eyes surveyed the battlefield, the remnants of the fallen undead, and the fading presence of the mariner.

With a sense of relief and satisfaction, Adrian carefully rummaged through the remnants of the mariner's ethereal attire. His gloved hands sifted through the ghostly purple fabric, searching for his prize.

His search proved fruitful as his fingers closed around a small, rotten black fruit. The fruit seemed to be disintegrating, its surface covered in black particles radiating an eerie energy. The deathly stench emanating from it made Adrian scrunch his nose in disgust.

Recognizing it as the Deathroot, the very item he had ventured through this battle to obtain, Adrian wasted no time, stowing it away in his inventory.

Adrian's keen eyes spotted a black gem nestled within a hidden pocket of the mariner's robe as he continued his investigation. The gem bore intricate depictions of two spectral skeletons, their forms frozen in a perpetual battle stance, wielding spears with ethereal grace. Adrian recognized it as the Skeletal Militia Ashes, a rare gem that, in tandem with the Spirit Calling bell as a conduit, possessed the power to summon spectral skeletons to aid the wielder in combat.

A smile tugged at the corners of Adrian's lips as he retrieved the gem from its resting place. Holding it up to the pale light, he marveled at its intricate craftsmanship. It was a treasure worth acquiring, a symbol of the mariner's defeat and Adrian's triumph.

With purposeful intent, Adrian retrieved the Spirit Calling Bell from his inventory. The bell possessed mystical properties that allowed it to channel and harness the energies of various ashes.

The bill already had the Lone Wolf ashes when Renna bestowed it upon Adrian, and he already slotted the Jellyfish Ashes he received from Roderika into the artifact shortly after departing the Curch of Ellah.

Adrian carefully inserted the Skeletal Militia Ashes into one of the remaining slots in the bell. As the gem found its place alongside the others, a faint hum resonated through the air, a testament to the convergence of powerful forces within the ancient artifact.

Securing the Spirit Calling Bell back in his possession, Adrian glanced at the defeated mariner, a sense of closure washing over him. The battle had been hard-fought, but the spoils of victory were his to claim.

"Try and outnumber me, will you?" Adrian muttered with a chuckle as he gave the creature's remains a swift kick in his pettiness. "Now I just need to talk to D so I can get rid of the Death Root... that thing is probably stinking up my inventory..."

...

Adrian approached the opened area where he had first encountered D, a mixture of relief and anticipation coursing through his veins.

As he drew nearer, D's sharp gaze locked onto Adrian, the curiosity in his eyes mingling with a touch of wariness. The wind rustled through the tall grass, adding a soothing rhythm to the impending exchange.

"I see that you're coming from the direction of the village..." D blankly remarked as he looked at Adrian's mud-covered attire. "I take you didn't take my advice to heart...?"

"Good to see too, D," Adrian said, a weary smile tugging on his lips as he rolled his eyes at the armored man. "And no, I forgot your advice minutes after walking away..."

"Tough it all worked out nicely since your much-dreader mariner, and got this shitty thing for my effort..." Adrian concluded as he reached into his inventory and retrieved the Deathroot, presenting it to D.

D took the Deathroot from Adrian's hand and studied it intently. "Well, well... Another fool who won't listen to reason, eh?" He said, returning his gaze to Adrian's form. "But with a prowess for weeding Deathroot..." He added, pausing as he seemed to contemplate something.

"Yup, that's me, Adrian, the tarnished, foolish, and full of surprises," Adrian replied with a scoff, snapping D out of his daze and drawing a weary chuckle from the armored man.

"Don't take offense, friend... I did say *another* fool..." D said calmly, a hint of humor in his tone. "There are only the two of us here..." he added, causing Adrian to chuckle.

"Say... How would you like to earn the strength of beasts?" D asked as he extended the death root to Adrian, who took it without hesitation and gave D a quizzical look. "If you're inclined to hunt more of Those Who Live in Death and weed their Deathroot..." He continued without waiting for Adrian to ask for clarification.

"Then I'll introduce you to Gurranq, the beast clergyman..." D concluded as he watched Adrian stow away the Deathroot.

Adrian's curiosity piqued, and he turned his gaze to D, his brow furrowed inquisitively. "And who is this... Gurang, the beast clergyman, fellow, exactly...?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine interest.

D's expression grew thoughtful, his gaze distant as he sought to convey what little he knew about Gurang. "Garang is a beastman of unknown origin," D explained, his words measured. "He possesses a unique affinity for Deathroot, consuming its essence to satiate his endless hunger. Beyond that, I know little about him..."

"I have a matter of my own to attend to," he continued, his tone filled with purpose. "And the beast himself wishes for someone to take my place..." he added.

"Should you choose to walk this path, the beastman will naturally reward your efforts."