40 Castle Hormiir

Gerard skinned the second rabbit of two that Sprite caught in the dense foliage by the northern roads. After preparing a fire and skewering the prepared meat, they looked through their rucksacks to find a sack of dried fruit and meat and some cheese and bread. At the bottom of Gerard's pack was a length of rope, and Sprite's had a container of oil and flint, and steel.

"I'd like to get us some kitchenware so we can cook on the road."

"Aren't we about to cook now?"

"Instead of roasting these by the fire without flavouring, we could have had rabbit stew."

"Stew? Is it delicious?"

"It can be. We'll only eat the dried fruits and meat if we fail to catch anything." Gerard struck the flint and steel until the campfire burst to life.

"You sure know a lot." Sprite watched as the meat of the rabbits slowly seared.

"When in war, you find yourself in many survival situations where it's either adapt or die."

"I see. Well, you adapted well."

"Sometimes not well enough. My best friend taught me a lot about survival."

"Wait, shut up."

"Hey, I was opening up to-"

Sprite covered his mouth.

*I think the scent of our food brought some unwanted attention.*

*Oh?*

A large creature with the head of an owl and the body of a bear shuffled out of the forest onto the road.

*So that's an owlbear. A pretty direct naming sense, I think.*

Gerard looked at the skinning knife he used on the rabbits and banished the thought of suffering from Divine Retribution for using it as a weapon.

Without warning, the owlbear leapt forward and slashed at Sprite with its bird-like talons. Gerard raced toward it and struck its leg with a punch. He felt his knuckles crack and threaten to break.

"My fist will just break if I hit this thing!" Gerard jumped back to avoid being ripped apart by its beak.

"Get back, then! I'll cut it down." Sprite unsheathed her sword and took a stance.

Gerard immediately noticed the stance she took. He watched as a flurry of slashes landed on the owlbear. Jerrick's swordsmanship was a thing of beauty, and Sprite mimicked it perfectly.

Captivated by the skills Sprite was displaying, Gerard was too late to notice the owlbear turn its attention to him and attack. The bone in his right arm snapped in two as his body spun on the spot, and he hit the ground face-first. Gerard screamed in agony and rolled over in time to see Sprite yell, step beside Gerard and the beast, and increase the frequency of her attacks until the owlbear fell to the ground.

She turned to Gerard with tears streaming down her face.

"What's happening? I-I didn't want you to die, and my body got hot, and I moved before I knew it, and now my eyes are all wet, and I feel really happy."

"Oh, Sprite..." Gerard smiled and hugged her with his undamaged arm.

"Wait, Gerard, quickly, deliver the final blow. It's not dead."

Gerard looked back to the beast that almost claimed his life, and sure enough, it breathed raggedly while its blood pooled on the ground. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out the length of rope. He instructed Sprite on how to tie a noose and fastened it around the owlbear's neck before walking behind it. With all of his strength, he pulled on the rope with one hand and felt the owlbear's neck snap under the sudden tension.

[You have gained 2,750 experience. The value is split between your human race and your classes. You have reached Villager Level 3. 1,500 experience until your Villager class reaches level 4.]

"I'm guessing that your extra experience skill helped with that."

"Probably."

"Oh." Gerard's light expression suddenly grew darker.

"What?"

"Our rabbits are burned." Gerard looked at the charcoal by the fire.

"I'll go and get more!"

"No, help me make a splint for my arm. It will be a month or two before I can use it again."

"Are we going to be okay?"

"Judging by the map, it will take around that same amount of time to get to our destination."

"We could go back to Solares and have Camilla heal you?"

"No, any time wasted is a chance at losing my freedom. I have to learn from this to ensure I don't make the same mistake again."

Gerard ceased the conversation there, and instructed Sprite on how to make a splint with sturdy sticks and durable foliage.

"Now, we just have to reset the bone before we apply the splint." Gerard gritted his teeth.

Sprite, understanding, grabbed his arm and snapped it back into place. Gerard cried out and swayed uneasily.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, please hurry and attach the splint."

Sprite nodded and tightly fastened it to his arm. Gerard breathed quickly and slowly bent his arm.

"Well done, Sprite. I wonder how owlbear tastes."

"I wonder what level that owlbear was."

Sprite frowned.

"Level seven?"

"Come on; you're just messing with me. How would you know that?"

"No, really! The information popped into my head as soon as I questioned it!"

"What were your skills again?"

"Arcane Repository, Mind's Eye, Mentoring, Instructor Experience, and Lesser Analyse."

"It must be your analyse skill. Try questioning something else."

*What is this sword?*

[Iron short sword.]

"I heard that!"

"I'm relaying the information to you, now. If you want, when you have questions, I can use the analyse skill for you."

"I want the skill for myself! But that will be good enough for now, Sprite. You're amazing. Let's prepare this for dinner now."

The horrific sight of Sprite humming happily while they skinned and prepared the owlbear for eating made Gerard regret the innocent-looking body he provided for her. After preparing, cooking, and eating the owlbear, they moved from the road and lay beneath a large tree in the forest.

"I'm really enjoying my life as a human." Sprite looked up at the stars and moons and smiled.

The way the moonlight reflected off her skin forced Gerard to stare in awe.

"I'm glad, but the forest floor is pretty rough. Let's bring bedrolls on our next adventure."

---

In the distance, a thick fog covered the plains around them and prevented them from seeing more than the length of their arms in front of them. Gerard walked while viewing the map, watching the glow from his map move towards their destination. Sprite tugged on his coat. He looked up from the map to see a sizeable ornate metal fence a couple of steps away. They followed the fence until they came upon a large gate.

"Looks like this is the entrance to the castle's grounds." Gerard rolled the map up, stuffed it into his rucksack, and sat the pack on the ground.

Sprite did the same with her rucksack and Gerard grasped the cold steel bars of the gate.

"Are you ready?" Sprite looked at his arm, still splinted.

"I should be." Gerard removed the splint, as he did once a day, and stretched his arm.

He pushed the gate open, creaking loudly, letting anyone inside know they had visitors. Sprite followed closely behind while Gerard moved along the unkempt dirt path covered in weeds.

Sprite suddenly shrieked, and Gerard spun around to see a long red vine attached to her arm. Instinctively, he tore it apart, and it squirmed on the ground before turning to ash. He stretched out his arm and clenched his teeth.

*The bone hasn't completely healed yet.*

"What was that?" Gerard scanned the grounds.

"Whatever it was, it was taking my blood!" Sprite held her arm above a circular row of teeth marks.

The fog cleared up a little but still made it difficult to make out their surroundings. A red flash passed by Gerard and was then lifted off the ground by countless vines.

Before him, a red creature covered in mist propelled him into the air with red tentacles. He hung helplessly in the air as the monster drank his blood from his arms, legs, back, and chest.

[Crimson Mist - A creature born from the death or near death of a vampire.]

"Well, that's-" Gerard fell to the ground and close to a dozen vines squirmed on the ground before him.

Sprite held her bloodied sword before swinging into the mist, and an ear-piercing scream sounded out before fading away.

"I think it's dead."

"Thank you." Gerard hopped up to his feet.

No blood leaked from the wounds given by the crimson mist.

"This is most likely a function of their tentacles to keep their prey alive."

"Still hurts like hell, though." Gerard gently touched the wounds before wincing.

Another crimson mist flew by, but not before Gerard grabbed a tentacle and swung it into the ground. While it lay motionless, he seized several tentacles, swung the monster around, and sent it crashing into the ground. Another shriek, briefer than the last, echoed into the fog.

[You have gained 1,100 experience. The value is split between your human race and your classes. 950 experience until your Villager class reaches level 4.]

"Not as much as an owlbear, but easier to handle now that we know what we're looking for."

One after another, the crimson mists appeared. Gerard and Sprite took turns taking care of the enemy whenever the other was grabbed.

[You have gained 6,600 experience. The value is split between your human race and your classes. You have reached Villager Level 4. 3,150 experience until your Villager class reaches level 5.]

"Nice!"

Sprite yelled just after Gerard smashed another crimson mist into the ground. Suspended in the air completely, a more significant crimson mist with dozens of tentacles wrapped themselves around her body while draining her blood.

[Ancient Crimson Mist - An evolved form of the Crimson Mist]

*Ancient?*

Gerard threw a punch into the mist and connected with the half-solid creature in the middle, forcing it to loosen its grip on Sprite. With another strike, the crimson mist withdrew its tentacles from Sprite and sought out Gerard. Tangling around his body, it restricted him, and after coiling around his neck, Gerard gasped for air.

He tore one tentacle apart after the other, trying to find the one strangling him. Just as his vision blurred, he tore another apart, and his airway opened up. The creature moved backward, but Gerard jumped into the mist and clawed at the mushy body of the crimson mist.

Covered in wounds, Gerard stood triumphantly while the enemy turned to dust.

[You have gained 12,550 experience. The value is split between your human race and your classes. You have reached Villager Level 5. 16,725 experience until your Villager class reaches level 6. You may now choose a second class.]

"Sprite!" Gerard staggered over to his companion.

He held her in his arms. Gerard felt her shallow breathing and shook her lightly.

"Don't worry. I'm okay. Let's finish this." Sprite pushed him away and got to her feet.

Both covered in wounds and moving much slower than before, they approached the castle.

[I repeat; you may now choose a second class.]

"Sprite, which class would allow me to use spells right now?"

"None."

"What about any that let me use my skills?"

"There are several."

[Physician - Provides knowledge on plants, remedies, and potions to aid with the healing of diseases, illnesses, and injuries.]

[Gravekeeper - Distills the knowledge of burial rites and embalming. Can use shovels as weapons, and when a Gravekeeper buries a body, it permanently removes the chance of that body becoming an undead unless the Gravekeeper digs the body up.]

[Merchant - Calculations and-]

"I choose the Gravekeeper class."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

[You are now a Gravekeeper.]

[You have gained the skill: Eternal Rest.]

[You may now use a shovel as a weapon.]

"Status Screen!"

[Gerard Blythe - Level 31 Human - Level 5 Villager - Level 1 Gravekeeper]

[HP: 43/100]

[MP: 0/1,375]

[Strength: 46]

[Dexterity: 42]

[Defence: 112]

[Resistance: 16]

[Mana Conductivity: 1,000]

[Skills: System Access, Class Evolution, World's Eye, Limiter Release, Acquisition, Shadow Step, Total Recall, Eternal Rest]

[Spells: Bind, Divine Ray, Fires of Hell, Water Shot, Tornado Strike, Stone Spike, Fireball, Link, Transference, Cleanse, Fire Lance, Greater Strength, Greater Defence, Greater Speed, Lightning's Embrace, Field, Turn Undead, Greater Flash]

[Resistances: Poison, Disease, Fear, Paralysis, Decay, Confusion, Blindness, Compulsion]

[Weaknesses: None]

[Immunities: Instant Death.]

"It's a shame I can't use spells yet." Gerard looked into the fog. He could make out the castle in the distance, thanks to World's Eye.

"You'll get there."

"I need to find a shovel."

Gerard and Sprite held each other up as they crept across the castle grounds until they reached a small cemetery. Inside a small shack, several shovels poked out of a barrel in the corner, and Gerard chose the sturdiest-looking one of the bunch.

[Ironwood Steel Shovel]

"Hey, that's pretty good, right? Your last body was made out of ironwood, and it didn't even take damage from lightning-infused arrows." Gerard exited the shack and swung the shovel in a large arc.

"Remember, I don't remember anything after you used transference."

"Right. Should we move on?"

"Yes." Sprite pouted.

They walked towards the castle until coming to a large set of wooden doors, big enough to fit a troll through them.

Gerard gulped as he pressed his hands against the door and pushed them open.