NOVEL NEXT Chapter 80: Scavengers
Leif stared down at the campfire, if he had a face capable of emoting it would possess a look of contemplation, perhaps consternation. This hadn’t been here during the battle, for one it was in the middle of what had once been a commonly walked path. For another, the area surrounding it had been cleared of the recent plant growth.
The spriggan began to explore the bluff, his surroundings illuminated by starlight. Back when this place had been an imperial outpost the secondary, smaller bluff he now found himself on had been used to house the crafters and non combatants.
He saw workshops, abandoned and missing tools and goods. The remains of tattered tents, weather worn fabric fluttering in the wind. He passed the large, almost four metre tall obelisk that stood within a clearing, its hulking dark structure streaked with faint snaking lines of purple energy.
That had once been an anchor that allowed for sky skimmers to navigate the skies. Though now it seemed mostly lacking in power, the months of no maintenance having taken their toll. The lack of any signs of human activity in what had once been a bustling, if under siege outpost was distinctly eerie.
Long grooves, the width of Leif’s forearm crisscrossed the ground and buildings seemingly at random. Leif knew the cause of these scars, they had been caused by the awakened formian that had bombarded Far-reach from above. The monster had been cut off from the battle by a vast sphere of shadow, but her attacks of dark blue light had still sliced through the domain and claimed the lives of the humans fighting below.
Leif reached the skimmer docks, and down in the darkness he thought he could make out the outline of the two skimmers that had been split in half, their desperate crew and evacuating soldiers having been killed. At the far end of the bluff Leif’s domain was barely present, the vitality that suffused the ground was dim and barely noticeable.
His aura hadn’t been able to cover the distance from the domain tree to where he was standing back during the battle. He concluded it was likely the large increase to [Charisma] he had received due to what the system had called ‘a display of excellence.’
As he looked around he couldn’t help but notice that once again no one was here. Actually, now that he thought about it, there weren’t any corpses either, not on the entire bluff. That was a good sign, it meant those he had fought to save had been evacuated. That cheered him greatly, it would have been more than a little embarrassing if his reckless last stand hadn’t even worked.
It took almost an hour for Leif to explore the entire bluff, though he had been taking the ponderous, scenic route. Most of the valuables, weapons and armour had been taken. Some tools and supplies remained, though the food had rotted or otherwise spoiled. Leif, not overly pleased at having regained his ability to smell, picked up the crates that had contained those leftovers and tossed them off the nearest cliff. Not on my bluff, no thank you.
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As Leif had explored, he had held the strange glowing gemstone in his hand. Its warmth had soaked into his fist. He thought he knew what it was. Some of the students in the expedition had used similar stones to cause sparks when trying to start fires during morning and evening meal times.
They were valuable, but not overly so. But the stone Leif held seemed… more than those he had seen the students utilise. The remnant of the campfire had been cold, the ashes hadn’t smouldered when he had stirred them. And what was more, Leif hadn’t perceived anyone nearby when he had awakened.
This led to him concluding that the individual, or maybe group, had left some time before he had woken from his slumber. They had left behind a minor magical item that was capable of starting fires, but hadn’t left any other items or signs that there had been a camp.
Now that Leif looked closely, he could make out what he thought were scuff marks in the thin layer of dirt, though it was difficult to make out. It looked like only one person had been here, and perhaps spent a night or two not ten metres away from where he had been sleeping in tree form.
Was it an adventurer? A soldier? A scavenger looking for loot in the ruins of Far-reach? Someone I know? Leif didn’t know, and whoever they were hadn’t left any major clues as to their identity. The picture Leif was drawing was of an individual who had used his domain as protection against the roaming undead, they either didn't know what he was, or maybe they had but didn’t have any reason to do anything to him. Then they had packed up and left.
But the gemstone was strange. Either they didn’t care about something most would consider valuable… Or maybe they’re planning on returning. Leif thought. He squatted down and returned the gemstone to where it had been buried in ash. There was a good chance it was a stranger, potentially an enemy, it wouldn’t do to let them know he had been poking around.
Whatever the case, they weren’t here now, and he had work to do.
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Leif looked over the edge of the bluff, at his current position the drop to the ground below was roughly thirty metres or so down. This was compared to the far greater drop on the side of the bluff where the docks were located.
Below were piles of corpses and the stone that had fallen to crush them. Leif conjured a sharp stake of amber light in each hand using [Gold Iron Physique], reduced his weight using a different part of the same skill, then dropped over the edge.
He let himself fall for a moment, before stabbing out against the cliff-side with his twin stakes, they ground against the hard stone, sending sparks and golden essence flying up as he descended. They caught, and Leif came to a sudden stop halfway down the cliff. It was to the credit of his attribute enhanced body that weakened as he was, he barely felt any strain.
Leif let himself drop the rest of the way, landing in a heavy crouch in the base of the valley below. As he had fallen the effects of his domain had gradually lessened, now that he was no longer atop the bluff Leif suspected the domain's effects were reduced by around twenty, maybe thirty percent.
Even down at ground level vegetation flourished, the air possessing a crisp freshness that Leif associated with untamed wilderness. He began to work his way through the twisted, picked clean bodies that littered the ravine. Leif had somewhat hoped there would be mana shards to scavenge, but the small shards of energy that grew within monsters over level twenty five were absent.
The undead had in general been quite weak, though more than a few had manifested shards upon being felled in battle. But there was nothing remaining. Leif sighed as he worked his way to the largest corpse. The building-sized, carapaced body of the formian queen lay slumped where it had fallen.
Bits and pieces lay scattered all around the ravine due to the violent dismemberment Leif had inflicted upon it during his final moments of consciousness. He could remember the moment clearly, and it was quite satisfying. But the corpse before him now had been picked clean, large chunks of its exoskeleton had been removed and most of its innards looked to have been scooped out.
There was also no mana shard. Leif gazed around the ravine distinctly disappointed. He had wanted to use the mana shards he had hoped to loot to speed up the process of skill fusion. Leif turned and took in the sight one last time, even if this had been a let down he still had several things to do before returning to the bluff.
Something gleamed under the starlight where it was partially buried under rubble. Not a mana shard, a small metallic badge. Leif brushed off the dust and detritus, revealing the detailed carving of a serpentine dragon eating its own tail. The Academy token he had been given by Darius and Hera, and an item he had promised to return.
Finally he left the ravine, using the starlight above to guide his steps. The world was silent and cool, it felt in that moment like he was the only being alive to witness its wonder and majesty. But it was a fleeting, foolish observation. Leif shook himself from his brief moment of reverie and stretched, his wooden limbs popping as he loosened up. Time to get to work.