34 We Leave NOW!
A few notifications appeared, prompting Rizz to hastily collect his much-wanted rewards.
{Primary Quests}
[Break the Curse of the Familiar: Unclaimed]
[Forcefully breached and fractured the curse of the familiar with sealing ink of a higher grade and from a countering element. Curse duration: 29 hours & 41 minutes. Reward: 250 skill points… Claim? Y / N?]
- - - - -
{Secondary Quests}
[Tame the Frostcat: Unclaimed]
[Forged a (Moment of Fate) companion seal with the lv. 39 Frostcat. Reward: 100 skill points… Claim? Y / N?]
- - - - -
[Break the Curse of the Familiar: Achieved]
[Tame the Frostcat: Achieved]
Rizz claimed his points with a smug frown. *Damn those shitty materials. I could've used a way better seal and earned more than twice that many points!*
As Rizz flipped to his status screen, a firm feminine voice played in his head.
'What am I to call you, creature?'
'The name's Rizzio McKlank Von Thong. Call me Rizz. And I'm goblin in case you couldn't tell.'
With a quizzical brow, the Frostcat squinted back at him. 'I am sorry. I've never encountered a goblin like you… I am Jaaga. Now, remove my restraints.'
Rizz nodded, licked his lips, and spat at one of the foreleg restraints. He shot the embedded mana crystals first. There were four crystals for each claw, which Rizz greedily dislodged and reached for.
Fzzz…
"Ahh…" Rizz groaned as he shook that dribble of acidic saliva from his fingertips.
While spitting more of his weak acid, Rizz speedily traversed his menu to spend 100 of his newly earned points.
[New Skill Branched]
[Acid Resistance - lv. 1, Rare]
[Basic resistance to acidic substances. Upgrade = 50 skill points, Branch = 100 skill points, Evolve = 150 skill points, Branch & Evolve = 200 skill points.]
The Frostcat watched in confusion as the irregular goblin grabbed one of the crystals, nearly melted his fingertips, and proceeded to grab the crystal yet again only seconds later.
'Why are you harming yourself?' the Frostcat asked with a wary tone.
Rizz had to keep himself from snickering while grabbing two more fallen mana crystals. 'Cause I don't want to waste such good materials. If they're gonna give 'em away, then I'll take them all!'
Once the fourth crystal fell out of place, Jaaga heaved a slow breath. There was a slight raking noise as her claws scratched the interior of the weakened restraint.
'Wait. I've almost got it all the way off,' Rizz telepathically mentioned. He watched his skill bar dwindling as a few more spitballs hit the restraint.
… c-crack. Crack! Rat-t-tle!
As soon as the tight locking mechanism had been eaten through, Jaaga crushed the restraint with a swing of her paw. It was pried open and tossed aside with its connected chain.
'Hop on. Now!'
That desperate roar echoed through Rizz's mind. He wanted to snatch up more mana crystals, but Rizz didn't complain. One look at his empty skill bar was enough to get Rizz moving.
Biting his tongue, Rizz held the four small crystals with vice-like fingers while grasping the fur around the Frostcat's neck. His feet swung over her back, digging his heels into her abdomen for extra security.
While Rizz clung to the Frostcat with all his might, Jaaga attacked the other foreleg restraint with ice coating her claws. She destroyed the mana crystals first and the lock was the next to go. Then, with two claws free, Jaaga tore apart her muzzle.
It clattered against the stone floor as the connected chains rolled around. And while growls, barks, and groans rang out from the other cells, her hindleg restraints were destroyed.
'We leave NOW!'
ROOOAR! C-CLANG!
Jaaga burst through the unlocked cell door, breaking it apart and leaping into the bars of Rizz's old cell. The next moment, she bounded straight down the dungeon corridor and up the spiral staircase.
An aura of frost began to radiate from the ferocious Frostcat, particularly from her claws and breath. Rizz could also feel a slight chill from her fur, despite it being so thick.
With another roar, Jaaga tore through the dungeon door. Her frosted claws ripped the heavy door apart as if it were made of thin ice.
"What–"
ROAR!
Jaaga sped down the hall in two leaps before charging through the first window in sight.
The guards beside the splintered door were left standing there, dumbstruck and utterly baffled. Neither managed to draw their swords before the beast could leap out the window.
"FROSTCAT!! ON THE RUN!!"
But while the guards inside the workshop were alerted by the cries, the guards outside were already scrambling to do something, anything!
'Just get out. Don't fight if you don't have to,' Rizz mentally exclaimed, clinging to her back as tightly as his lv. 1 strength would allow. He always made sure that his hand with the crystals was trapped between his belly and her back.
Jaaga panted while sprinting and leaping onto the estate walls. 'I know my limits, goblin!'
'It's Rizz!'
Roar!
A few spears flew toward the dashing Frostcat, but they only hit the stone wall. Jaaga landed on the compacted-dirt streets before any alarmed guards could keep up. Two guards opened the gate and attempted to follow on foot. However, their wild dreams of keeping up with the desperate beast were only that. Wild dreams concocted under the starry night sky.
While fleeing at top speed, both Jaaga and Rizz eyed the nightscape overhead.
"Oh, so that way is–"
'We go this way!' Jaaga telepathically bellowed, interrupting Rizz's eureka moment.
The Frostcat made a sharp turn down one street, scaring a horse-drawn carriage in the process. She spotted the city wall a few blocks away and never looked back.
The clopping of horseshoes against the hard ground began to appear from behind. Though, that was joined by mad neighs the instant Jaaga climbed up some homes as a makeshift ramp.
Jaaga leaped the gap between the rooftop and the stone wall, eyes frosted over with unbridled determination.
When her feet landed on the stone edifice, she jumped once more without a second thought. Her rarely-seen hide vanished behind the wall. And the only thing capable of following her was a slew of arrows chasing after the Frostcat and her rider.
