Homestead Survival

<11 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[The Herald of the Unwanted God]
Theo looked up at the eyes of the Herald. "So, how am I doing so far?"

The Herald had no answer other than to let out another screech, causing the Corrupted under his control to launch themselves at this man. For a third time, the Herald watched as this supposedly new to the System Human protected his head, taking hit after hit as calmly as if he were taking a walk, and then he unleashed a strike that would devastate one or two of the Heralds minions.

The Herald was growing frantic. "What do I do! I was told he would capitulate! I was told they were weak. And he has destroyed three of my minions already!"

The Herald watched as Theo slammed his fist once more into a minion. And suddenly, there were only two left. Theo grabbed one of the Herald's Minions, and as the Herald watched, Theo used the Minion as a bludgeon to kill the last Minion.

The Herald was already panicking; he had been brought here at great speed by these minions granted to him by the Lord. They had carried him through a portal in his world, and he had been tossed into a forsaken wilderness in a newly inducted world. The Lord had instructed him to found a Family and to slay these two humans and take their land to do it.

The fear the Herald felt when Theo locked eyes with him and then snapped the neck of the final Minion was something he had not felt in a long time. He thought back to his time as a child, his father telling him to avoid the priests of the Unwanted God. He thought of the myriad of choices that had led to his being right where he was now, and he felt regret.

Suddenly, the man rose and was walking towards the Herald. All the Herald could do was quiver in fear and pray. "My lord, assist this one, please!"

[Theo and Julia]
Theo stepped up until he was looking down his nose at the Herald. "So. How did I do?"

The fear in the Herald's eyes told Theo all he needed to know. Theo smiled, turning away, "I think I did just fine. You run along now; I'm sure that you have things to do."

That snapped the Herald out of his stupor. "You would turn your back on a representative of a god. Of MY God!"

The Herald lashed out and caught a Retaliate in the process. He didn't notice, though, as the speed at which Theo turned around and grabbed the Herald by his throat shocked him. "You are not a combatant. That is why you still live. I would imagine that that Pacifism skill of yours is one of a bunch of support skills. You should have helped those damn berserkers. But now you want to strike out at me on land that I own."

The Herald raised his hands to the sky. "My Lord! My God! The Unwanted One! Hear me! Strike down this one who would oppose you so! Lay him to rest with the sinners and unforgivable ones! Let his sacrifice mark your coming to this world!"

Theo counted to ten, then smiled, "Guess you are the Unwanted one now."

Then Theo wrapped his hands around the neck of the Herald and squeezed. When the Herald Died. Theo and Julia both began panting, and they were greeted with several messages. The first three of which almost sent them both into a furious rage.

>Local Message: Skill effect of 'Pacifism' terminated
>Local Message: Skill effect of 'Manipulate' terminated
>Local Message: Skill effect of 'Emotional Coercion' terminated
>Local Message: Passive effect of 'Mark of Harbinger' remains
>Local Message: Combat System Disabled
>Local Message: Battle Delay of Notifications disabled

Ignoring the other notifications that followed, Theo processed those messages. Then he looked down at the Herald. "You parasitic, skeevy little shit! I hate that you made me do that, but you deserved it!"

Theo went to kick the body of the Herald and stopped because Julia grabbed his arm. "It's okay."

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"It's not!" Theo said angrily, "He fucked with our minds!"

"I know," Julia said, somewhat shakily. "But he is already dead. And did you notice..."

"That fucking mark has a passive effect," Theo said, anger still simmering under his calming exterior. "What do you want to bet that it has to do with that Corrupted status."

Julia nodded; Theo was about to start talking when Julia spoke up. "You know I am sorry?"

"For what?" Theo asked, the comment completely throwing him off.

"For using Bond on you when I did." Julia shrugged, crossing her arms under her chest. "I thought about it after, and I didn't exactly get permission."

Theo laughed, loud and hearty. "That is not the same thing, Julia."

"How is it not!" She cried out, "How do you know what the Bond did? How do you know it doesn't force you to protect me? How do you know..."

Theo interrupted her by pulling her close and kissing her. It was not the chaste kisses from earlier. There was too much adrenaline in Theo for him to hold back. It was a hungry, ravenous kiss that promised more if she wanted it. He pulled back after a minute.

Julia was panting a little bit, her eyes alight with various emotions. "I... Wow... That... Hey! No fair! You don't get to distract me like that!"

Theo chuckled again, "Julia, what does the bond skill say?"

Julia's brows furrowed, and she closed her eyes, searching for that instinctive sense of what one of her skills did. She found Bond and did the mental twist required for it to tell her what Theo was asking.

"Allows the user to bond to another user. This does not bind them in death. This does provide many unique abilities and perks. Can not be reused until the target of Bond dies. Used on Theo. Due to the nature of Bond, Skill will level up with the use of enhanced Skills and Bond effects instead of repeated use." Julia said.

"Okay, so in there, where does it say, 'allows you to demand infinite cuddles!'"

Julia chortled, "It doesn't, but..."

"And where does it say, 'makes the subject of the bond subservient to the User?'" Theo demanded.

"It doesn't," Julia said.

"Do you know what I hear when you tell me what that skill says?" Theo asked, and Julia shook her head. "Okay, tell me what it says again, one line at a time, and I will tell you how I interpret it. okay?"

Julia nodded and started with the first line. "Allows the user to bond to another user."

"You chose me. Yes, it may have been in a bit of a panic state and with limited options, but you chose me." Theo said.

"This does not bind them in death."

"One of us can die, and the other will continue to live."

"This does provide many unique abilities and perks." Julia continued

"By working together, we can do more cool stuff."

"Can not be reused until the target of Bond dies."

"Can't have more than one absolute bestest buddy" Theo said this in a goofy tone that Julia chuckled at.

"Used on Theo."

"Hello, I'm Theo!" He smiled.

"Due to the nature of Bond, Skill will level up with the use of enhanced Skills and Bond effects instead of repeated use."

"By working together, we get better at working together," Theo said, looking at Julia. "You know what else this sounds like?"

"What?"

"A marriage vow," Theo said, and Julia looked up at him sharply, turning bright red as she did so. Theo smiled and continued, "You know, 'In sickness and in health, for better or worse, yadda yadda.'"

Julia nodded. And Theo hugged her. "I understand where the thought came from. And I appreciate that you would be upset about it. But it is not something I am even worried about. So don't worry about it. Besides, we have been talking about starting a family in a literal sense and a system sense. So it only makes sense to treat it like a marriage vow."

Julia nodded and leaned into him. Her face was buried in his chest. "Thank you."

Theo held her for a moment until she pulled back, looking up at him with that loot-goblin glimmer in her eyes, "Alright, now what?"

They turned their attention back to their notifications, the first of which now asserted itself.

[Theo]
"Congratulations, Theo, you have leveled up to Level 6! As a reward for leveling up, you will be allowed to pick one skill to upgrade. Congratulations once again."

>Private Message: Please select one skill to upgrade.

Theo thought for a moment and then shrugged, "I guess it really is just a tossup between Penitent Strike and Defender at this point."

Theo selected Penitent Strike.

>Private Message: Skill 'Penitent Strike' Has been upgraded to Rank A from Rank A-. Base Damage modifier increased to 2. Increased duration of channeled effect from 10 to 15 seconds.

>Private Message: Racial Reward - Title 'Just the Beginning'
>Private Message: Level Up process complete.

[Julia]
"Congratulations, Julia, you have leveled up to Level 6! As a reward for leveling up, you will be allowed to pick one skill to upgrade. Congratulations once again."

>Private Message: Please select one skill to upgrade.

Julia thought about her skills. "It's going to be between Warmth of the Hearth and Retaliate."

After several moments of internal debate, Julia selected, Retaliate.

>Private Message: Skill 'Retaliate' Has been upgraded to Rank S- from Rank A+. Damage increased.
>Private Message: You have received a Title 'Skilled Up'
>Private Message: Racial Reward - Title 'Just the Beginning'
>Private Message: Level Up process complete.