Wrath Farmer

[Arimai]

Letting the farmer take the reins of his dear Bright Unicorn Fonz was an honor not many were granted. It was a gift far beyond the station of a mere farmer and the prerogative of the tamer to give.

Click to shrink...

Asshole detected

where forest laid before untouched and left to rot in the land like old shrapnel.

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Where forest once stood, left to rot

What was the man going to do, smack Tony with a hoe?

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Arrogant

Smash that gate down," Tony ordered.

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He needs to be knocked down a few pegs. Needless escalation and conflict

was ripping the band-aid.

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Bandaid off.

A few broken bones would make the message very transparent. Either way, it was for the farmer's own good.

Click to shrink...

He stared at the white fawn and let his Heart Capture and Monster Tamer skills do their jo

Click to shrink...

Now he needs to die. I hope the MC kills him. This society needs to die

 

[TricMagic]

Ruin a man's gate, meaning a high chance monsters come in to eat him. Get challenged, ruin a man's hands, so he won't be able to work. Have the audacity to fight back, leave him for dead, ignoring what you came here to do in the first place cause you don't have the authority. *Please murder the mind controler.*

Monsters being unable to coexist with non-tamers is clearly bull given his childhood friend has to be controlled to be mind-whammed to fight.

 

[Arimai]

Ruin a man's gate, meaning a high chance monsters come in to eat him. Get challenged, ruin a man's hands, so he won't be able to work. Have the audacity to fight back, leave him for dead, ignoring what you came here to do in the first place cause you don't have the authority. *Please murder the mind controler.*

Monsters being unable to coexist with non-tamers is clearly bull given his childhood friend has to be controlled to be mind-whammed to fight.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. If this is the type of shit their caste system encourages, even if it's unsanctioned; then everything needs to go. Their society is rotten to the core. A full on French Revolution and Reign of Terror is needed.

 

[pingas plight]

Chainsaw time...

Click to shrink...

No, brother.

Prepare the chainsword-flammenwerfer hybrid.

 

[Aureus]

I just remembered he can regenerate. Shouldn't have just left him there.

 

[TricMagic]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a prophecy that one born from a long line of Tamers would one day free all monsters and destroy the world. So pass something that forces tamers to become farmers and lower classes and prevent the prophecy from coming to pass. Only to cause it to happen anyway. Because that is what happens with prophecies.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 16

Through dried blood, sweat, and mud, my eyes cracked open. Wind howled, blowing dirt in my eyes as howls echoed over the wind. My mouth felt dry, and my throat cracked, and bloody every beat of my heart reminded me I was alive and alone. The gate to the inside of my home was cracked in places, bent to scrape the ground after repeated slams had broken the henges. I gripped the railing and pulled myself up with my good arm as the gate hinges protested.

I managed to pull my sword free and walked through my Gemini Waltz steps on my way through the gate. My every step was a rendition of that dance to drill the only weapon I had into my soul. That tamer unleashed a rank 2 monster on me. If I could prove it, that would be his license in a fair world.

My movements repeated themselves down the road to my tent. The few chickens in their coop freaked out as the wind blew. I had a clear shot to kill that bastard's monster, but I forgot that Ogre hearts are a little more to the left. My mistake had cost me that little bit of revenge.

Cracking sounds filled the air as my Regeneration skill went to work on my broken hand and face. Bones healed slowly and popped back where they belonged. I made my way back to my tent and turned to Gwen's nest she made on my bedroll.

When I found my chair, I collapsed in it and stared at my reflection in my mirror. My nose was crooked. Slowly I raised my hand and gripped my nose and felt something break as I snapped it back into place. It was time to check my gains. What did resisting that monster give me?

Ping!
Gemini Waltz lvl9
Training lvl23
Regeneration lvl25
Berserk lvl27
Adapt lvl24
Lingering Will lvl25
+1 Constitution
Constitution 10
+2 Dexterity
Dexterity 5
Skill Points: 28

Skill Trees:
Embers of Fallen Heroes I 38/250
Black Rage II 0/100
Way of the Homestead 0/50
Alter of Change 0/50
Resistance is Elemental 0/50
Beginner Adventuring 0/25

Adding the points to Beginner Adventuring might help with a dungeon, but I didn't want to use my skill points yet. I had a skill I gained not long ago. Silver Strings was a good way to make lots of cordage if I had the mana for it.

Getting mana wasn't like it was in games. Having certain attributes didn't automatically give me a pool to draw from. I needed to create a spiritual avatar to hold my mana. Once I got the avatar right my system should populate numbers based on how much mana my creation can store. The problem was images were based on mental attributes.

If I didn't create an avatar to store my mana, then I would be completely reliant on ambient mana for my skills. There wasn't enough of that to go around.

Gwen wasn't here to talk to me about my problems, her dreams, or about what she wanted to eat. It was lonely without her. I sat in my chair and let my mind explore images that could be used for my avatar.

…

Day 16

I left my tent under the cover of night when the sounds of strange animals grew louder. My gate swung open, shown under the full moon above. A large black wolf starved until the skin hung on its bones approached me. Its eyes glowed red under the moonlight, and despite its appearance, there was a strength to it that couldn't be denied.

My sword found its way into my hand, and I fell into the steps. I started practicing wherever I went. The steps repeated until my every step was the Gemini Waltz. Lingering, Will felt cool in my bones as the monster seemed the crush in on itself before launching at me like a spring.

I moved, and the wolf bit at something that wasn't there. The waltz had grown stronger after my brief fight with Loki. It seemed stronger enemies forced skills to level faster. I stabbed with my sword and felt it skid off of the wolf's hide. My body spun when the wolf struck back, biting and slashing with its every breath. I struck, searching for an avenue of attack; each strike was nearly a death blow; its hide wasn't so tough.

Steel flashed under the moonlight as I fought in a deadly dance with a predator-starved but still incredibly strong. More howls fell in with the raging wind as I started feeling desperate. The wolf hadn't slowed down since our fight started, and I had to find a weak point.

It lashed out with its mouth agape, and I chose that moment to hit a soft target. My blade pierced the hard palate of the wolf's mouth.

This time, blood seeped down my rapier as I stabbed forward. I felt the monster scramble to get off my weapon as blood continued flowing as I picked the beat off the ground. It was so much lighter than I imagined.

I yelled when one of the wolves took a bite out of my calf. I raged and punched out at a similarly retched beast that had its jaws on me.

My blade withdrew, and I slashed with precision, slicing through the joints in the wolf's mouth. Six more wolves circled around me as I tossed the second wolf off my blade. Blood flowed from my leg, stopped too slowly by Regeneration. I needed other skills to help out and to adapt to have something to work with.

"Why is it always wolves?" I asked the heavens. Clouds moved in, nearly blocking out the moon and leaving me in darkness. One wolf lunged for my throat while the other hit my flank. I stabbed out for the opened jaws, and when my blade stabbed into flesh, I turned and punched with all my might. The wolf bit a chunk out of my hand while I spun to face the other wolves. I held my arm up to guard my throat with my left hand and gave death with my right. Gemini Waltz made the wolves hesitate in the moments I needed them the most, allowing me to kill.

Like the wolves themselves, I stalked and hunted, killing with the bite of my blade until all I was left with were corpses. Covered in blood, I buried the bodies in my field before returning to my tent. My every step was the Gemini Walz as I continued to struggle and gain one more skill level.

As I was, there was no way to get Gwen back. I needed whole blocks of skills to even think of chasing that tamer. Getting myself killed wouldn't do me any good.

My rage was all I could feel, but I couldn't let it take me because then that bastard would win. I doubt he expected me to recover. There are good odds he'll be back, and I needed to be strong enough to take on the man's entire team. Because after I killed him I planned to take his tamer card and use it to start selling monsters.

It wouldn't be weird if an obviously failed tamer started living on a farm to make some extra money. Tamers on a farm could make quite a lot of money.

Research contracts weren't easy to get out of, and it might only be a week or two before the tamer was forced to return. Until then, I needed to take care of my weapon and make sure my sword was nice and oiled. I made sure to take the time to wipe the blood off and oil it before returning the weapon to its sheath.

…

Day 17

The dungeon had gone through some changes since last I entered it. I could have a sword. I heard breathing inside the tunnel to the first floor when I entered it. The ground was warm, met, and covered in wrinkles, while the air itself was humid. Pools of strange liquids dotted the sides of the tunnel, and the air flowed in and out of the cave in slow, almost breaths. Small spiders crawled along the walls, always watching with beady black eyes. The furry orange monsters looked wet like the rest of the cave.

Further in, I stopped at the door closed tight like a sphincter; strange wet flesh covered the passage, only to open when I approached it. It opened slowly, almost yawning until I walked through then it closed slowly behind me. The first floor was an unsteady, muscular place that completely changed from my first experience. I turned my attention to a tall, furless monster with rabbit ears and long-taloned tipped fingers. It's overdeveloped legs gave it a steady stance as it withdrew a sword unlike anything I've seen before.

Scraps of armor covered its body as it watched with black eyes, alien and unfeeling. I turned to see a mass of bones shaped like a centipede covered in spider silk move in the distance. The rabbit jumped, cutting through the distance as its weapon buzzed to life. It was a chainsword, and I was unprepared to fight it.

My first clash started with our blades locked, and I could feel my blade prepare to give up the ghost. A kick from the rabbit knocked me back, and it scored first blood. A line raked over my chest down to the bone. I moved in, forcing the rabbit to hesitate, and stabbed it in the leg.

Our fight continued with us trading injuries, but I was on the losing side. More injuries piled up while I searched for the one slash that would turn it all around.

We continued fighting until our weapons were locked. This time, I was ready, and despite the sparks flying from our weapons, I turned the clash into a battle of strength. I overpowered the rabbit soldier and slashed its throat. My weapon cracked down the middle as the rabbit died, and I took its chainsword.

I went on a rampage, unleashing my anger and slaughtering monsters. When I found a second chainsword, I really began killing. From my hall, I found health potions instead of skill shards and crossed into a new part of the dungeon. By the deaths of many, I believe I had found the boss room. Wounds covered my body, slowly healing, but I managed to get through the difference in attributes.

 

[Jupiteresse]

The heavy atmosphere makes it a little bit hard to read for me, but i suppose that's to be expected since he's feeling like shit after losing gwen. Thanks for the chapter, mr author!

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

She was lost inside her head, fighting through a twisted maze of warped memories and struggling against a force that felt inevitable. The white fawn had spent a short, sweet time with a human that didn't match the one in her visions. A disconnect existed between the human that was her partner and the human she was with. Memories claimed they were the same person, but Tony had other monsters in his party, and her memories of before were of a lonely human struggling against his fate. The labyrinth twisted, warping her memories in a slow exchange of images imperfectly in the view of a human.

As a member of the deer species, her senses were vastly different. Tony's smell of tobacco didn't match the smell of corn, blood, and rage. The rage and willpower radiated off the human that was changed in her memories like a bonfire. It was The only thing the labyrinth couldn't change scent was something humans and their skills had little experience with.

The howl of wolves filled her ears, and she shivered in the tent that smelled like him. In her memory, with a shovel, Tony fought off the wolves under the force of the psychic winds from Mt. Red. The smoking tamer didn't stand tall like she remembered and, despite his powerful will, didn't have the rage that the image shifted, and she didn't know where the line was any longer. Every time she found the line that separated the before from the present, it shifted, and memories were infected. All her resistance did was cause the labyrinth to shift and alter her memories. That couldn't stand, but she didn't know where to begin to set things right.

In her memories she remembered her friend wanted a chainsword and had fed a dungeon chainsaws and longswords as an experiment. He leveled up in a dungeon to try and warp his class into something that farmed dungeons.

"Wake up," Tony said.

She opened her eyes to see the tamer smoking. He sucked the stick to the filter and exhaled a fog bank of smoke in her face. A small barrier of psychic energy kept her air clean.

"You are a treasure. I was lucky my skills were high enough to turn you."

She turned her head to the side; what was that supposed to mean. Gwen refused to speak despite knowing this was her friend Tony. Something was wrong with him; some things didn't make sense, so she kept her voice silent unless he asked.

"I think I'm going to call you Sandy because your coat reminds me of white sand from Mist Harbor," Tony said.

Hadn't they been over this? Why did he need to change her name? Gwen was at least accurate, and she referred to herself as Gwen for long enough for it to stick. Tony only confused her more the longer he opened his mouth. Some discrepancies mounted more the longer they interacted.

She remembered attacking a human that had hurt a member of her herd. Was Loki doing well? Gwen wanted to ask, but she refused to speak until he addressed her like a friend or asked her why she wasn't speaking. Tony didn't seem to care to ask or address her.

"Alright Sandy will be how you're registered. I'm going to give you a skill shard called double kick. You're going to practice it until you run out of stamina so I can get some SP to fill out your paths. Deer are great kickers, and I doubt you're any different. We're going to put everything into trees for your telekinesis skill. Does that sound good to you, Sandy?" Tony asked.

She nodded, and the filter in his mouth fell out.

"Did you understand me, or was that just my skill making you nod?" Tony asked himself.

Then he shook his head.

"What am I thinking? Rank 1 deer aren't intelligent. I could hunt and eat one right in front of her, and she wouldn't care." Tony said.

Gwen froze until Tony pressed a skill shard against her head, and she felt it integrate. It felt like a waste to add something plain like a double kick to her repertoire when she had Blitz Kick and Fell Wind. But she was his monster and she would obey because that's what she did for her friend.

…

Day 17
The boss of the first floor clung to the ceiling with long barbed spider legs attached to a torso of black feathers and long segmented arms. A single chainsword was sheathed at its side close enough to be drawn at a moment's notice. The gristly teeth of the weapon were covered in tiny images of agony lining the length of the chain. Its head was cone-shaped with multiple sets of eyes. On its back was a set of tentacles ending in drills. Rippling muscle moved the boss monster as it searched for its first opponent.

At least the dungeon followed some rules. While I wasn't in the boss's room, it seemed I had a chance to leave and come back. I tried to leave the entrance and circled back, only for a crow monster similar to the birds I had fought before.

I couldn't let it call the boss monsters. The monster dodged my first slash as my chainsword buzzed to life.

It shot after me at incredible speeds but telegraphed a kick to my neck. My chainsword met it before my second weapon countered. The crow monster's leg came free, splattering blood on the ground. The crow monster cawed for hold as my blade took its head.

My breath had gotten heavy from the fast fight, or maybe it was from the boss monster's presence.

I found a skill shard from the monster's dissolving corpse.

Skill Shard
Final Blow
Description: The last strike in a battle and the deciding factor. Higher levels increase the amount of damage able to be used in a final attack.

It was common, but if my first Blow was the last, then wouldn't that increase my damage even more, especially if I expected it to be a killing blow. The logic was sound in my state of loneliness, betrayal, and all-consuming rage.

New Skill
Final Blow lvl1

I left to get a few more kills in; more monsters needed to be put down before I even thought of fighting the boss. Who knows, if I left the dungeon might change and lose the chainsword theme it had going on before I claimed every skill I could with it.

My path changed when I found a sphincter door I missed before. It opened to reveal a lake of blood and massive mosquitos and spider chimeras running on the lake's water. I picked up a rock and threw it at one to get its attention, and four broke off after me.

I revved my chainswords and went to work. All four leaped at me at once, and I moved between them, slashing to take limbs off in the early stage of the fight. My fear of monsters had been slowly eradicated from my fight against the wolves, and most monsters didn't expect me to charge into them. It often threw them off.

Joints were my favorite avenues of attack, and the monsters I attacked lost balance and fell on the shores, leading deeper into the blood lake. Wings flapped too fast to see as one rose up to flee. I measured the distance and threw my sword. The blade spun in the air and cut through the chimera's midsection. It fell in multiple pieces as I slashed and took the head of another bug. The two remaining lunged, and I blocked, feeling the weight of two massive bugs struggle against lingering will.

All the while, my chainsword did its work, sawing through their bodies until something gave. Final Blow activated, and I swung, cutting through both of their bodies. Blood and guts flowed out the end of my chiansword, joining the blood in the lake.

I sucked in a breath before letting it out. Being down a weapon wasn't good. Somewhere in the lake my chainsword lay on the bottom with the corpse it took out.

From the dissolving bodies, I found two more skill shards.

Skill Shard
Gemini Blitz
Description: Wielding the constellation of the Gemeni, this skill allows the user to dash forward and leave after images that attract the attacks of enemies. The higher the level of the skill, the more images are produced.
Skill Shard
Blitz Kick
Description: Kick at lightning speeds, dealing incredible amounts of damage based on strength and willpower. Higher levels of this skill can allow multiple blows to land and even incorporate elements into the skill. When combined with skills containing similar elements in the name, skills will synergize and deal more damage.

New Skills
Gemeni Blitz lvl1
Blitz Kick lvl1

From what I recall, most dungeon floors had around 20 common skills and 6 uncommon ones that could only drop from mini-bosses. Rare skill shards only dropped for bosses, and they were difficult to farm. Most drops competed with equipment and money drops.

Psychic was a rare skill shard that would only drop for a boss. I would need to battle the boss monster of the first floor several times to even have a chance at it. To get stronger, the smartest thing for me to do is to collect every skill imaginable no matter if it's useful to me in the present or not. More skills equal more skill points that will turn into attributes and more skills.

There were rumors about rare machines in dungeons that could fuse skills together into skill sets, but that was far away. I needed the attributes and skills to defeat a rank 2 monster. Tony Graves would be back, and I would be ready.

I knew the common excuses for why this wasn't normally practiced. Skill shards could be sold for quite a bit of money, and monsters were specialized for roles in a team. Few wanted to turn their monsters into jacks of all trades, masters of none, or worse, masters of all. There were regulations to keep that from happening. Monsters that reached that point were practically unstoppable and couldn't be controlled by their tamers.

A chimera buzzed my way, and I combined skills and kicked it in the chest. The chimera insect barely reacted as I kicked it again before taking its head with my chainsword. All of this was a work in progress. I continued searching for skill shards to cover my weaknesses. I needed to collect more skills if I was going to have a shot. I followed the banks of the river to where I was sure my first mid-boss made its home.

Corpses of birds dried out and desiccated filled the blood lake as I made my way to a towering nest floating atop the shore of the lake. I was itching for a fight, and it looked like I would have one. All to get into shape to get Gwen back.

 

[Dr Cupcake]

thanks for chappy.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 17

My foot impacted a chimera mix of insect and bird, crushing its gizzard and shattering its ribs. Attacks flew through images as my chainsword came through, with Gemini Waltz cutting through enemies as I traveled in a straight line toward the mid-boss. Body parts covered my path, floating in the blood lake while the walls of the dungeon quivered like a living organ. Gas from dissolving corpses filled the air as I plucked the skill shards I found until I was once again alone.

I clicked a button on my sword, turning off the saw before sheathing the weapon on my side. Through the dissolving bodies I found a new pair of pants and looked down to see my own was cut to ribbons. Replacing my clothes would at least help keep me sane. Letting myself degrade until I was nothing but a bum covered in the remains of my clothes might be my final death. At that point, what would be left of me but a shell absent of civility and self-respect.

The tearing of what remained of my pants filled the silence as I strained my ears to listen for the next attack. I took off my half-torn leather boots and quickly put on my new pants, nearly catching myself in the zipper as I struggled to get the change over with. My foot struck out, pulverizing a flying chimera as my skill once again leveled.

I resisted the urge to take a look; I wanted to see a big hall of skill points. Using them as I received them wasn't going to work for me. I might be tempted to use them for the big prize instead of what I needed. Lots of completed skill trees were better than one big one for me. I needed the extra skills they might bring.

After defeating many enemies, I found 4 skill shards.

Skill Shards
Crow Step
Description: Move as if black feathered wings will whisk you away at any movement. Sounds from your movements are quieter, and you move faster with every level.
Psy Bolt
Description: Produce of bolt of psychic power and fire it at enemies in the form of a projectile. Based on willpower and stamina, this is an active skill.
Fell Wind
Description: Produce a gust of wind containing psychic power around the user to damage groups of enemies. This attack will strike both friend and foe. While difficult to control at low levels, higher levels will increase damage and control over this skill. Based on willpower and stamina, this is an active skill.
Drill Spear Mastery
Description: A passive skill to help improve combat tactics with the drill spear. Higher levels will decrease flaws and allow the easier use of the drill spear.

It didn't matter what skills I found; I needed them, so I would take them. Adding a spear to my weapon set wasn't too big of a change. It sounded like a quick and easy form of skill points. A weapon with a longer reach and piercing power sounded like a great thing to add. Too bad I had no idea where I could find a drill spear.

New Skills
Crow Step lvl1
Psy Bolt lvl1
Fell Wind lvl1
Drill Spear Mastery lvl1

Images filled my mind of various monsters using psy bolts, calling down psychic winds and moving like a ghost to slay enemies without a sound.

I sucked in a breath and let it out. Being alone here in the dungeon sucked, but at least it felt like I was making progress. My skills were becoming more numerous, and were focused more on combat than ever. I wasn't a tamer, but at least I wasn't weak.

With my enemies mostly dead, I moved almost silently with steps that were far less heavy. There was a breeze that I could feel starting in my bones with Lingering Will that wanted to rage like a storm. For the first time since entering the dungeon, I was a lot less normal than before. I had legitimate psychic power to throw around and enough willpower to make me dangerous.

The spider nest in the distance gained detail as I approached, changing from a white blob to a silver castle made of silk. It was the same cordage as Silver Strings, the skill I had but couldn't use.

My hand went for my weapon, and I moved carefully, paying attention to the lines of strings. As I moved, certain strings spasmed, and I knew stealth wasn't really an option. The wind started blowing as I moved in the blood lake rippled like a gathering storm had passed onto it.

Chimeras fell off their webs, and I slashed them with my blade as I approached the castle. All I could think about was how much I needed this to work. More wind blew around me as I started to feel something behind my right eye. The strain was there, but I had to keep moving forward.

More skill shards dropped from the monsters I cut down, and I stored them in a bag I brought with me. I crossed into the building, where a strange monster confronted me. It was more rabbit than anything else but was tall and stood upright. The chimeras head was on the larger side and I felt a weight from it that wasn't natural.

"You are the invader." It said.

That hit home: this place was the home of these creatures and an ecosystem that I wasn't a part of. At the same time, the dungeon dropped rewards, so if it didn't want me here, it wouldn't reward me for it.

"Regardless, we will do battle. Your stolen power won't defeat me." The creature said.

I crossed the room as bolts fo psychic energy lashed out firign dozens a second. There was no way I could meet the attack, so I didn't. Attacks struck afterimages as I used my footwork to overcome the projectiles and close the distance.

The ground shuttered before lifting upward as the mid-boss hovered in the air, and the ground opened beneath me. I turned off my blade and stabbed it into the floor before yanking myself upward. My muscles felt like they had exploded from the move as I launched upward with my sword raised. I slashed, taking one of the monster's ears as it waved its hand, yanking pieces of the wall off of the structure and flinging them at me.

I dashed from side to side as the building warped, and my Fell Wind continued to buffer the clearly mage-type monster. Flying insect chimera dive-bombed me as I ran on the top of the folded floor. My blade cut through their chitinous bodies, spraying the silver thread walls with monster guts. A table from an upper floor, along with its silverware, came down aimed at me.
My blade flashed as I dodged and slashed as my opponent held its ear stump and flew higher. I jumped, feeling my boots make an indention in the wall before running. With speed alone, I ran up the wall using Crow Step to lighten my body enough to defy gravity. So many chains I never knew bound me felt like they were breaking free. I jumped, flinging my body faster and harder than ever, and slashed with my blade. One of my opponent's legs fell from below the knee, and blood spurted from the wound.

I contacted the wall with both feet and rushed forward as the wall I stood on exploded outward. A jump from the wall took me to the upper floor, where the telekinesis was already warping the floor to yank it free. Knives and forks shot out of drawers aimed at my head, only to be parried. I jumped on the nearest wall and leaped through a hole in the ceiling to the top of the castle.

On the roof I waited as the rabbit floated up from the one of the holes it made in the wall. It raised its paw, and the building began twisting as I ran across it. The roof of the dungeon appeared close enough to touch, and the two of us must have been specks to the massive thing on my land.

I kept quiet as my wounds healed, and I caught my breath. The fast movements hadn't done me any favors. My leg had been twisted, and some of my toes were dislocated from my stunts. The bottom of one of my boots had come off, leaving me slowed by broken equipment.

Waiting was a mistake.

A rumble shook the castle as the chimera mid-boss began her final gambit. She had lost too much blood to hold back, and it showed.

Parts of the castle started to move, crushing supports throughout the castle and even killing monsters on the spot.

All the while, I struggled to catch my breath and get some of my stamina back. My heart felt like it was going to explode in my chest no matter how good my regeneration was.

Purple light consumed parts of the castle as the rabbit chimera's final act actualized.

The castle twisted like an empty soda can as I leaped to action and charged before the force twisting it could crush me, too. My Fell Wind blew, acting as a bubble protecting me from the monster's psychic grip. I slashed when I jumped, and the monster's head detached from its body. I fell into the blood lake with a splash.

Within those twisted waters creatures that thrived in the environment encircled me as I slashed and cut while Fell Winds flowed even in the blood. Creatures bit at my sides, chest, and legs as I struggled to kill them while Fell Winds did the rest. I struggled and killed as I swam to the surface and took a deep, relieving breath.

My eyes narrowed into slits as I swung my blade and churned the creatures within the lake into chum. I ached from every part of my body, but I hadn't let go of the skill shard and swam slowly to shore. Then I heard a splash when the falling castle slammed into the lake bed. A 100ft blood wave raced across the lake, sweeping away monsters as it flowed away from the impact.

I turned and ran faster than I ever had before as my breath came out in short huffs, and all I could rely on was my regeneration to see me through my ordeal.

My feet pounded through my boots as I ran until no more waves were crashing behind me. When I finally stopped running, I stood at the entrance and knew I couldn't take another minute in the dungeon. There was still so much I needed from the dungeon, but I couldn't remain. I would be back stronger, and that was a promise. Before I left, I held up the skill shard I gained from the mid-boss.

Skill Shard
Fell Whirlwind
Rank: Uncommon
Description: Unleash a whirlwind of psychic energy to blow away enemies at low levels. High levels of this skill can summon psychic tornadoes, hurricanes, or wind tunnels. Multiple Fell-based skills will empower each skill. Based on willpower and stamina.

New Skill
Fell Whirlwind (UC) lvl1

 

[Dr Cupcake]

Thanks for chappy. Too excited to read more, that i googled wrath farmer and found its 6 chapters ahead on scribblehub. woooo.

 

[XZR-2]

Cool

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 19
Gwen watched her human look through possible rank-up options for her, always stopping at a hideous shape. A sage deer would be preferable to the rain deer Tony continues to stop on. Rain that can heal wounds and grow crops would stick her in a support role far from her favored skills. Lunar variants were what she was after; anything with moon or chaos in its name was bound to help her move forward, but Tony didn't seem to get that. He was only interested in what would bring him profit because June the lizard was his long-range combatant.

It wasn't fair, and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She refused to speak up until he recognized her in conversation.

Tony hadn't even consulted her when he invited a mercenary party to inspect the dungeon on that human's farm. She knew something would go wrong involving other tamers, but she refused to say a word.

Her ears perked up when she heard the woosh of a bird type. A firebird with thick legs and massive wings landed on a hill three days' travel from the farm. Tony didn't couldn't handle the winds from Mt. Red unlike what he was clearly able to handle before.

"Sandy, pay attention. I'm going to show you how a real tamer does business." Tony said.

Gwen rolled her eyes at the name but watched closely as Tony walked up to the team of three tamers disembarking their firebird.

"My name is Tony Graves nice to meet you all. Before we get started I thought we would have a battle to help introduce each other's monsters. How does one on one sound?" Tony said.

A tall man dressed in a flowing feathered robe wearing a bird mask glanced at his companions. He looked to who she thought was the leader, a massive dark-skinned man with a bow on his back, two quivers tied to his belt, and a long, hooked nose. The party had a mage who busied himself staring at a tablet and hadn't looked up.

"I don't waste my time training monsters when there are dungeons to explore. Unless you want me to burn your monsters to a crisp, I won't participate." The mage said.

She thought about reading his mind for more information but thought better of it. The big man shrugged his shoulders and tapped his summon bank. A monster appeared with a deer skull for a head, massive antlers, and glowing red eyes on the body of a frost-bitten corpse. The summer heat retreated in favor of winter's chill.

"The name's Scout Hunt and I'm the pathfinder of the party," Scout said.

She wanted no part in fighting the creature the human summoned. There were rumors of undead that had requirements for ranking up. One was replacing their head with that of another monster. The monster in question was called Wendigo.

"You'll regret using something so scrawny against my Loki." The ugly but strong ogre appeared, flashing his green skin and wielding a club. The Wendigo drew a battle ax. "Begin, bash it, Loki," Tony called.

Loki moved at astonishing speed for a monster of his size and weight. The moment his club was raised, Scout gave his order.

"Feast," Scout ordered.

The monster roared and seemed to vanish. One moment, Loki was swinging his club; the next, a massive chunk of the ogre's bicep was gone. The Wendigo held the hunk of meat in his free hand and consumed it.

"That isn't allowed in a monster battle," Tony said.

"You wanted to establish yourself in the pecking order, didn't you. Well, now you know. I'm the weakest in our party, which means you're on the bottom."

"Stop the nonsense. Tony is our client we don't want another bad review. I thought we agreed to let this one win." The bird masked man said.

"My fault, boss. I thought showing how strong we are would put him at ease. After all, we were paid to keep him alive in the dungeon. Since his strongest monster is down, he will need us even more." Scout said.

Tony sprayed a healing potion on Loki's bicep, and the flesh bubbled while Loki tried to keep his eyes on the monster still eating a piece of him. Blood dripped from the monster's mouth and hand. Its eyes shifted from Loki, and a shiver went down her spine.

"I'm very glad I am getting my money's worth. The farmer who owns the land is rather stubborn, but shouldn't be an issue for any of you to deal with." Tony said.

Gwen felt frightened more than before but didn't know why.

…

Day 17

I washed the blood off and tried to sleep. A cold wind blew around my tent, and it wasn't the monster on Mt. Red. Once I started controlling Fell Wind, it was hard to stop, and soon, I would have the stamina to toss around Fell Whirlwinds. That was the real prize.

Struggling to my feet, I pushed off the blanket and saw it was well into the night. A few brave crickets were chirping at a distance, but no biting insects dared get close. Fell Wind had multiple uses, one of which was a bug repellent. I could almost feel where my skill touched, like another sense, until I felt pressure above my right eye. Then, all I felt was a throbbing headache.

The time had come. I needed to take stock of my gains from the dungeon to see if it was worth risking my life.

Ping!
Berserk lvl28, Regeneration lvl27, Adapt lvl25, Training lvl25, Lingering Will lvl29, Gemini Waltz lvl21, Final Blow lvl13, Gemini Blitz lvl9, Blitz Kick lvl5, Crow Step lvl10, Fell Wind lvl11
Skill Points: 93
+2 Strength
+1 Focus
+3 Dexterity
+2 Agility
+1 Perception
+1 Willpower
New Skill Tree: Dancing With Stars 0/50

I stared in awe at my gains and thanked my lucky stars. I made the purchases when I did. They might not seem like much, but the solid attribute gains would matter in the long run. Not to mention, the higher I leveled Adapt and Training, the more skill levels and attribute points I would gain. Fighting at my limit carried exponential benefits.

The dungeon was clearly the best choice to go to for gains until I could afford proper gym equipment or other training equipment. With my gains, it was time to finish off a skill tree and hopefully gain another skill or lots of attributes.

Of the skill trees I had, I thought Dancing With Stars was the most likely to drop a skill.

Ping!
Skill Tree Completed: Dancing With Stars 50/50
+2 Willpower
+3 Agility
New Skill: Cosmic Tempo lvl1

Description: Move in time with the song only you can hear while carrying the momentum in battle. Automatically move into skills and attacks that will benefit your goals while in control of a fight. Gain a greater lead with higher levels in this skill.

My body felt like my nerves were spasming as my agility increased, and my head throbbed more with the Willpower growth. Cosmic Tempo might not sound like a great skill, but I had a feeling it would be up there with Final Blow. Skills that helped me keep my lead and finish fights were great in my book.
I still wasn't done with my skill trees. I had enough points left to finish the Beginner Adventurer skill tree. There would be points left over for Embers of Fallen Heroes as well.

The 25 points went in, with the rest falling into Embers of Fallen Heroes, and I waited.

Ping!
+3 Perception
+4 Willpower
New Skill: Mapping lvl1
Description: Create a map of dungeons to allow the user to find areas more easily and notice changes in the environment. At higher levels, the map becomes more detailed, showing monster encounter percentages.

That would actually be useful. I gripped my face as my eyes burned, and my latrine was suddenly too close to my tent. For an hour, I waited, almost crippled by the sudden increase in perception. Even my hard, leathery skin felt much more sensitive like the lightest touch would feel like a heavy blow. I waited for the sensations to pass before slowly getting out of bed.

My changes were happening more often. That was both good and bad. It was good that it would be harder to kill me but bad because I would start feeling less human. People weren't meant to have all their attributes above a certain threshold.

Soon enough, I would be strong enough to rip someone apart if I'm not careful; that would also bar me from having sex with most of the human population. Eventually, if I stayed on this path, I could only be with monsters with high attributes of their own, meaning my children would likely be monsters.

That wasn't what I wanted, but it wasn't like it would matter for some time. I wasn't exactly spoiled for women of any species offering themselves to me.

I got out of bed in the middle of the night and found the stars were more than enough to see by. Under the new moon, I picked corn and the peppers growing and soon sold 10,000W worth of both. My body wasn't exhausted like I expected after harvesting dozens of acres. Attributes were the real game changers they made me stronger and more successful and separated me from normal people.

Tamers could focus on Willpower and Perception for most of their lives and still be able to date normal humans. I was different already, and I barely increased my attributes. There was no reason to wear gloves when weeding when my skin was tougher than the cheap pairs I could afford.

I sucked in a breath and let it out. My taste had improved to the point I could taste the peppers in my hand without putting them in my mouth. I could smell the markings of animals slightly when I concentrated.

How much more would I change in a month or a year? Vitality increased lifespan; if I got enough, I could live for multiple centuries. Some skills could also increase the efficiency of attributes. My life could extend further, and if I kept gaining attributes in Vitality, I could live forever. That was a terrifying thought because who wanted to live alone forever?

I missed Gwen, I missed my family, and I missed Mai. I cut off communication with them, and it might not be too late. They couldn't help me, but maybe someone would listen and have an idea of what I was going through.

My hand shook as I stared at my satellite phone. Their numbers were in it; all I had to do was apologize and accept that what they did was necessary. Winds whirled around me, charged with psychic energy.

"Betrayal can't be forgiven," I said.

The phone fell out of my hand. I would not be the first to break. They could have called at any time and checked on me, but I had no missed calls.



Patreon

 

[Consumer]

Man I can't wait to see tiny get ripped apart.

 

[Visual Pun]

With dual chainswords wielded Florentine style, no less.

 

[SummoningConfig]

I hope he gets some sort of anti tamer ability, just so he can say GG to those who just brainwash their monsters. Just imagine the look on those smug pricks faces when their so called "best class" becomes worthless as the beings they enslaved and likely treated as things as opposed to partners, are suddenly ripping their throat out. Also the fun of society acting against him as his abilities might be construed as a threat to the current social order, especially coming from a serf like him.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 18

Wind blew rustling tall corn stalks until their heavy ears threatened to fall to the ground. A carpet of insects crawled away from the field in uncountable numbers; many died and the survivors crawled over their brethren. As the wind picked up, even the chickens in the field couldn't take it anymore and fled, crowing the whole time. The wind continued to blow until the weeds poking up among the corn stalks began wilting, even as some of the stalks yellowed as winds blew between rows, searching for any vermin left within the field.

Fresh blood streamed down my nose as I began to get a handle on my skill. After killing my own crops, I found it was easier to use a lighter touch and slowly ramp it up until it became unbearable. Unfortunately, the longer I held the skill, the more consequences I felt. I hadn't abandoned my other skills but Fell Wind showed so much promise I had to practice it more.

Controlling the wind was hard but rewarding. I saved on pesticides by using them on the bugs that preyed on my crops. Stretching the wind thin only caused it to blow uselessly. When I directed it in streams down the rows in its passing, most things were influenced. That's what I liked about the skill. It had so much impact on even the smallest living things.

There was a sense of things that my wind blew past that gave me an awareness of things I would have normally missed. I tapped my head.

Of the things I missed, Gwen's connection to my mind was one of them. I was tempted to leave it and hoped she would remember me the next time I saw her. Looking into monsters and how tamer skills affected them disabused me of that. In all likelihood, even if I managed to kill Tony and free her, she wouldn't thank me, and we couldn't go back to normal.

Gwen had become hers, according to the articles, the moment his tamer skill took hold. It wasn't just brainwashing. When tamer skills reached higher levels they rewrote memories slowly until the tamer replaced people in the monster's life.

I stood up from my chair as the wind gathered around me. Clouds of topsoil pushed out into the distance from my exercise. My skill dried out and ruined the soil when it passed. That was another part of my skill I needed to practice and get a better understanding of.

The further I stood away from the field and the less I saw what I was doing, the more experience Fell Wind gained. There were ways to power-level skills even if my nose bled something awful. If not for Regeneration, abusing my skill would be impossible the way I'm doing it. Normally, expensive potions brewed by an alchemist were needed to get anywhere.

Gwen had joked that she thought I was a Willpower type, but maybe that's what I was turning into.

The dungeon had what I needed to move forward and make my build a reality. Beyond the first floor, there were more skills on the second and third floors that could empower me further.

I had a new skill tree that looked interesting, even if it came from my farming class after Harvest reached level 20.

Skill Tree: Blue Moon 0/100

Blue, anything had something to do with monsters. Half of a tamer's skill trees had the word blue or monster in them, or they would have a terrible career as a tamer. I might have gotten mine from my high willpower, tipping the odds in my favor. A high attribute created a demand for skill trees and skills to make use of the attribute. But I couldn't for the life of me guess what Blue Moon would give me. Odds were good; it wouldn't have the attributes I wanted, or it might not have a tamer-related skill at all. Blue could be referring to blue mages who could learn skills directly from monsters. A skill related to Blue Magic would be incredible. If I had something like that, then there was a good chance I could throw away my hoe and never pick it up.

Such a skill would qualify me to join the military, and no one could say a thing about it after that from the civilian side.

I stared at the dissipating clouds and rolled my eyes. What was the likelihood of that happening, probably the same as a sexy girl my age falling from the sky? I looked up hopeful, but the sky was clear without a cloud. Great for my crops bad for a lonely guy living in a tent half stained with blood.

The time had come to go back to the dungeon. I had enough experience to level up to ten in the dungeon. Once that happened, I would get a skill from my class, and it would hopefully have something to do with dungeons. If I could alter how a dungeon adapts to items and monsters introduced, that could help me grow much stronger.

I felt stuck, and I needed to fight. Fighting was the one thing I could control.

The dungeon had changed a little since my last outing. Instead of a cave mouth with a few monster bones at the entrance, leather skin had grown over the rocks, and black veiny vines were spewing out blood around the surface. A hyena-type monster was lapping at the blood when I arrived on the scene. For some reason, the monster hadn't sensed me, and I had no reason to kill it. The spotted menace stared at me, muzzle completely drenched in blood and head cocked to the side.

Fell Wind flowed around me, spiraling slowly as I waited for it to attack.

Spotted Hyena lvl12
Psionic Dungeon Unnamed: Recommended lvl19

I blinked as the monster's name appeared on my map, along with the dungeon's lack of name and recommended level. That was new and helpful. Knowing the level of monsters would help me determine a monster's threat level. Training made my level into something unreliable. Not that monsters didn't have skill trees to grow in unusual ways they didn't really focus on skills until they were much smarter. Rank 2 or 3 monsters were far more dangerous for that reason.

15 agility didn't sound like much, but it was over 7 times greater than I had days ago. When my skills were including giving me lighter steps, I was rather quick. The Spotted Hyena jumped backward when I arrived in front of it. The monster cackled before running while turning its head to keep an eye on me as it fled. The monster pissed on the ground, and I knew there would be more of its kind here soon enough. Hyenas rarely traveled outside of packs; there might be rank 2 variants, such as Gnolls, among their number.

There were teeth in the cave entrance that weren't there before. I took a step forward and ran down into the dungeon at a breakneck speed and revved up my chainsword. I needed skill shards and a safe place to level up. The mid-boss I fought before would be great practice.

I didn't stop running as I tore through monsters, only stopping to collect skill shards that were different from what I'd seen before. As I arrived at the castle made of silver string overlooking the blood lake, I saw the rabbit mid-boss hovering atop the castle. The grip on my weapon tightened as I shot forward, slashing monsters to pieces as they attacked afterimages and misdirection. Some hesitated as if confused about where to strike, and I slaughtered them for it. Blood and gore blasted out of the curved hand guard of my chainsword away from me. In front of the gates was a blast from the past. Large crow-like birds watched me with cruel black eyes and wings like chainsaws. Feathers sharp and ridged like saw blades vibrated at incredible speeds as my wind fell upon them. They squawked in pain, and that was all the excuse I needed to cut their heads off.

I kicked the doors open to see numerous rabbit soldiers feasting before a dining hall. Some seemed to be telling stories of battle, while others made more rabbits on the table graphically. With my arrival, the wind carried pained screams as it swept through the revelers. I picked up a black chainsword from one of the downed crows.

Oblivion Alpha lvl15
Description: A dungeon-made experimental chainsword designed to kill with incredible efficiency. Monster parts were made in the creation of this weapon, giving it the power to level up to a cap of 20.
Crow Father I: Enemies Slain creates shadow black birds to fight for the weapon's wielder 2 levels lower than the slain creature. Cap = 1 x weapon lvl.

The blade was balanced well, especially for a chainsword, and I liked the way its teeth looked like feathers instead of tiny blades. When I waved it, little motes of shadow appeared before dissipating.

My first attacker recovered quickly and charged me, waving a war hammer. Even in heavy steel plates, the rabbit spider chimera moved fast and gracefully. I upped the pressure from my wind, and it stumbled, giving me the opportunity to slash my new blade into the armpit where the armor was lightest. The stab gave me a brief glance at the monster's throat, and I stabbed with Oblivion. Blood, muscle, and trachea blasted out of my weapon's exhaust port. The monster fell, and from his shadow, a small, inky black bird appeared before flying up to my shoulder.

Blackbird lvl12
+2 strength

I blinked and looked at the bird. They gave me attribute boosts. A dark aura had appeared around me, feeding my body energy. This was so much better than I thought; free attributes would help me get so much more done. I looked at the still screaming formerly reveling monsters as nothing more than free attributes.

My chain swords revved as I charged into them, slicing and killing with Oblivion. If I could find a completed version of the chain sword, then I would have it made. Before, I thought no equipment would really matter compared to skills, but maybe I was wrong. What I needed was the right equipment.

 

[Consumer]

I'm really wondering what other kind of drops there are since this dungeon can drop chainswords.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 18

I tapped a fiddle with my foot under the torchlight of the banquet hall. Kegs of clotted blood lined the long tables beside the dissolving bodies of servants and guests alike. Roasted meat was piled high on the table covered in blood like it was a sauce. Expensive silverware with rabbit skulls lining the handles with fur-like etchings in the metal sat in a pile as I debated whether to loot them or not. Their table, a long granite monstrosity, was polished to perfection and begging for me to steal. After a moment of looking around, the fiddle at my feet was too much of a distraction.

The instrument was light in my hands. I had some lessons, but they never kept my interest. Cherry red wood shining under torchlight made me want to change that, if only for something to do that wasn't training and killing. I made a show of inspecting the fiddle and kept my eyes glued firmly on the instrument's reflective surface.

Appearing to let my guard down would surely draw out the enemies I know are waiting to try and ambush me.

Perhaps what I needed was a little less lightning. I raised my hand and pushed forward with my open palm. Wind rushed from my action, blowing out candles, blasting away tablecloths, and extinguishing torches. Blackness filled my vision as the wind continued to rush around me.

I touched the bow to the fiddle and tried to play, only to release a horrible screeching sound. A string popped, cutting my face and splashing blood on the beautiful instrument.

My hand raised, and the wind stilled in the room. Gestures helped control my skill far more than I thought possible. I hadn't tried words yet to go along with them, but for anything complicated, they were the way to go. Hand signs might be something to look into at a later date. Communication with my skills helped them unleash their full potential.

Through the calm of my wind, I could feel a gathering of chimera with bows on the balcony above the banquet hall. I dropped the broken fiddle and pulled free my new chainsword. Oblivion Alpha was one incredible weapon.

I powered on the moment I drew it, and its motor was nearly silent. Arrows flew as I dove under the balcony. I felt the impact after I made my way out of the line of fire. In the kitchen, I ripped the arrows out while I heard the monsters above me.

Wings beat against the ground as they communicated while I pulled the arrows free. Armor would have been a good idea. Before, I thought it would weigh me down and make me slower. When I yanked a barbed arrow out of my behind with a chunk of flesh attached, I changed my mind. Blood flowed profusely down my leg, making my pants stick to me.

Regeneration was doing its job, but I would need to eat soon. Lost flesh had to come from somewhere.

A monster dropped on the floor, and I stepped forward, gathering wind in a windup before thrusting my palm out. Gale force winds rushed forward, and the chimera gripped its head as the wind ripped it off its many feet. The fancy silverware I had coveted before followed the monster and tore into it. At the same time, the beast slammed into the silver wire wall.

The wind was getting easier to control, and I wasn't losing as much stamina from it any longer. While the first monster bled out, the others dove after it and began ripping it apart. I felt them in the dark rip and tare until the fallen chimera was no more.

With the arrows that restricted my movement gone, there was no reason to hold back. I stepped out into the darkness with the chimera duel-wielding chainswords. My first blow took a chimera at the join where its bow was held. A massive, multi-jointed limb fell before my next strike took the monster's head.

My feet barely touched the ground as powerful gusts leaped from my every move while Crow Step kept me light. I stabbed another chimera through the chest and let its blood and entrails blast out away from my body. At the same time, my other chainsword cleaved halfway through a monster's neck, leaving it to choke on its own blood as my chainswords continued to devastate the monster.

When they too were no more I relit one of the torches with a lighter from my bag. The room lit up, revealing dissolving bodies that looked more like mosquitoes than rabbits. I had a good haul so far. 5 skill shards, and it was time to level up my class.

I used my experience points gained from selling crops and leveled up to 10.

Exhaustion became a fleeting concept as my endurance increased to 34, and my body felt better than ever. Some of the scars on my arm from a wolf bite vanished, and my skin felt a little tighter and smoother. 10 points in Vitality really was impressive. I didn't know how many more years I might live, but it was quite a few.

Ping!
New Skill
Dungeon Management lvl1
Description: Any dungeon found on the user's land is subject to the user's adjustment and alteration either in or outside the dungeon. While at first the user can only alter a dungeon slightly by adding new items. As the manager, the user's desires play a role in the dungeon's evolution. At higher levels, the dungeon will pay rent in drops or, in some cases, credit to the user.

Recalculating: The user has greatly altered this dungeon's evolution path and succeeded in adjusting the dungeon without a skill. Skill Experience has been awarded.

Dungeon Management lvl18
Description: Dungeons on the user's property can be claimed by touching the dungeon core and managed directly at skill level 50.

That skill was everything I hoped for and more. With it, my path forward was assured. All I had to do was get to 32 more levels in Dungeon Management, and I could add a corn drop by the bushel if I wanted to. That way, I could get rid of my fields and build more defenses to protect my gold mine.

I had to kill Tony Graves not only to get Gwen back but to protect my investment. That was madness, and I cackled at the thought until my voice echoed off the walls above the rustle of wind.

My every step was a light breeze, almost imperceptible, with only two Fell Wind-based skills. Using those skills constantly with synergy they had worked well for me. I could see them reaching the high 60s in a year or sooner if I learned more about the skills. Anticipating that would surely keep me from going insane.

What could I do to the dungeon to alter its evolution in a meaningful way? Big plays seemed to level my Dungeon Management skill the best. Adding two different types of weapons and a few new monsters changed dungeon drops, added chimera monsters, and altered the dungeon's appearance. That was a big play, no matter how I looked at it. So, what could I do to change the dungeon more?

I climbed the dungeon to the next level and slaughtered everything in my path. Bloody viscera covered the silver thread walls as I passed by enemies as silent as a ghost. 17 crows had boosted my attributes to the extreme thanks to Crow Father I, but the buffs faded after 10 minutes, forcing me to make more kills to refresh them. Different monsters gave different attributes; a few of the minstrels I killed actually gave charisma instead of something useful.

What use did I have for charisma with no one to talk to? If I didn't have a dungeon to fight through, I would have purchased an AI friend to help keep me sane. I was half tempted to open a conversation with the rabbit chimera mid-boss.

I was literally farming her for another uncommon skill shard. Still, I was certain she had some memory of our last battle. That was probably why the castle wasn't being crushed with telekinesis.

My mind fell back on what I could do to alter the dungeon in a meaningful way. Perhaps what the dungeon needed to bring it to the next level was a theme to tie everything together. After a theme, perhaps a story like a mad doctor trying to find the secrets of immortality, cultists trying to bring a powerful demon-type monster into the world, or maybe a legend about a weapon that's a sword and a chainsaw.

How would I go about causing the last one? It felt so abstract, and it was hard to gauge a dungeon's intelligence and focus. As they grow larger, it's more difficult for them to pay attention to little details, which was why themes and storylines were so important. More importantly, if I have an impact on them, my skill will level.

My appearance on the roof caused the rabbit chimera floating above the castle to sigh. Her brown, furred, almost human face twitched when she saw me.

"It feels like we've battled once before in another life. Who are you, stranger, and why have you slaughtered my subjects?" The rabbit chimera asked.

I held up Oblivion Alpha. "I am no one, just a wielder of an incredible weapon." The curved teeth of my chainsword spun until they became an almost invisible edge. My blade dug into the roof, setting off sparks when it met the silver string that made up the roof. I felt the comforting hum from the chainsword's handle and pulled my other blade free.

The rabbit looked surprised when I tossed it to her. "Defend yourself and avenge your subjects. I don't understand how you can stand fighting unarmed when such amazing weapons are around." I said.

She held the chainsword I killed her with before with sad eyes before activating the weapon.

"Why would you give your opponent a weapon I don't understand?"

"How else can we dance without the hum of chainswords and the whistle of the wind. Fighting in silence is boring." I said.

What in the 6 kaiju was I doing? I didn't have a plan; this was all improvisation. I developed a sort of goal based on what I wanted this dungeon to turn into based on what I saw from the castle. Subconsciously I must have thought about how it was best to gain the dungeon's attention. If I were a dungeon without an extreme obsession with micromanagement, I would be bored once things started running smoothly. Any change from the norm would get my attention. A conversation between a mid-boss and an adventurer would get some interest. An adventurer arming one of my monsters with a drop from my own dungeon would be a red flag. My talk about dance, the hum of chainswords, and the whistle of the wind was to narrow down to what got me in the dungeon or at least point the dungeon in that direction.

I wanted a completed Oblivion and maybe more chainswords with fancy names and designs. A theme around chainsword combat and Fell Wind would benefit my build the most. The dungeon was on my land, so I was going to farm exactly what I wanted from it.

My goal from this point forward was to give the dungeon a show and express to it exactly how much I love using chainswords and wielding Fell Wind. Those weren't a theme, not really, but they would narrow things down and make it easier for a theme to develop. Musical and theatrical battles weren't really themes either; they were more special effects. Perhaps the theme could be taking two old tools and breathing new life by combining them into something new. That would be incredible a dungeon with a theme of crafting new things by taking traits from two things. I could imagine the theme being reproduction or inheritance. Maybe adding innovation without restraint leads to disaster. Like, have this be a simple medieval floor, and the further floors become more advanced before eventually falling into a rotten world stuck on making ever greater chainswords but never growing in any other perceivable ways. Like when society is stuck sometimes it needs to be burned down so something new can grow.

I blocked a swing from the rabbit chimera backed by telekinesis and tons of speed. The teeth of our weapons ground against each other, spitting out sparks, and she was so much better when fighting with a weapon. Her large, fluffy rabbit feet moved, and her telekinesis took her away as she spun as we fought, revealing a little puffy cotton tail. I stopped her blade from cutting my head off at the last moment and kicked her to the edge of the roof.

My body twisted in the Gemini Waltz, waving through the air.

Her body was frail, but backed by telekinesis, she might as well have weighed as much as an elephant-type monster. My ankle and thigh throbbed from the blow, and my cheeks ached from smiling so much.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Would you leave this place with me and be my companion?" I asked.

Her head cocked to the side as my chainsword passed by her head.

"What?" The wind picked up around the castle from out dance.

 

[Jupiteresse]

I loved this chapter, it was a bit longer than the others which is super nice, thank you mr author!, also bunny queen probably geto???

 

[XZR-2]

poor dude is going cuckoo was loneliness

 

[khatun]

I feel like he's going to end up like a dark lord dungeon keeper and becoming a scourge upon all the overworld and I'm all for it.

After all if his only meaningful companions are monsters and he has issues with tamers, especially after what's going to be a fight between several of them to get Gwen back, well.

Become Sauron to save your waifus do it.

 

[Consumer]

It's time to burn it all down and become the overlord.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 18

Sparks flashed between each blow as my skills were tested to their breaking point. The castle wobbled as supports bent to their breaking point before collapsing as the wind and telekinesis passively battled it out. Blood spouts appeared over the lake between clashes, edging close to the castle before collapsing into raining blood. Pieces of the castle fell away as floors caved in and the roof collapsed in places. Under the red haze of the ceiling above, our blows sparked in the darkness as we used our limited space to maneuver around each other, searching for a chance to take the upper hand.

Openings appeared only to turn into traps under the chimera rabbit's incredible speed. My arms ached as the battle extended beyond a few minutes, and I strained to keep up. Telekinetic blows bashed against my Fell Wind as blood poured over us, covering the ground between wrist-jarring blows. I had to adjust several times to keep in the fight. Giving her a weapon had been a bad idea.

"What did you mean by go with you?" She asked.

I sucked in a breath and tried to appear like the fight hadn't bothered me.

"I meant what I said; let's leave this dungeon together. You will become my companion." I said.

"You are a hideous abomination and an intruder. The last time we met, you cut me apart with the very blade you handed me. Give me a reason not to do the same." The rabbit chimera asked.

"I can grow carrots," I said.

"You are going to regret giving me this weapon."

It seemed charisma was a more valuable attribute than I thought. Then again, farmers and rabbits were natural enemies.

"Perhaps the next time we meet, you will have a different opinion."

"Not going to happen."

The wind picked up, and the chimera's eyes widened. She attacked, and I defended, taking her blows until I moved, and she slashed through an afterimage. A slash from me took her arm, and I caught her wrist before she could finish her counter-swing.

"You were hiding your skills this entire fight."

My blade pierced her chest, and I brutally ripped it free before taking her head for a second time. Deception was the only reason I won. Giving her what she wanted, a direct and predictable confrontation made her not only complacent but confident in her eventual victory. She used her skills more intelligently this time around and had a weapon to direct her telekinetic skill through. The might to rip apart a castle had been turned into speed and strength. Given more time and a chainsword skill, she might have beaten me. Next time she would be ready for my afterimages and Gemini Waltz. I sheathed both weapons and lifted the uncommon skill shard drop.

It was time to see to my loot.

Common Skill Shards
First Strike
Gemini Waltz
Final Blow
Fell Wind
Bond

Uncommon Skill Shard
Fell Whirlwind

Most of what I found were skills that had dropped before. Only First Strike and Bond were new, so I immediately used those skill shards.

First Strike showed me images of monsters slaying powerful enemies in fast single strikes before their enemies were ever aware. Bond was different; it showed a slow-building relationship built on trust between any number of monsters. Bond wasn't a taming skill; it was something far more natural.

First Strike lvl1
Bond lvl1

I left the castle and returned to the path to the boss and took another detour. Down the winding tunnel small gravestones covered the path leading to a small hill with a house sitting atop it. All along the hill, more gravestones covered the ground with only a small path clear. I walked the spooky path past the very blank gravestones to the cabin. Peaking in through a window, I saw the strangest thing imaginable.

Chicken monsters are ranked to appear almost human.

My map updated.

Ping!
Special Event: Slasher Movie
Rewards: Uncommon Skill Shard Drops Unique to this area.

So, I went from a medieval castle to becoming a movie villain. I took a good look at the teenage chickens inside the cabin. They looked almost human except for feathers instead of hair, beady black eyes, and a beak instead of lips and a nose. They were all wearing clothes, and the roosters were large red and black feathered monsters that easily stood seven feet tall. The metal talons on their legs looked like serious business. There was also a crow in the group acting like the life of the party.

"Can you believe Courtney and Roger are fertilizing eggs upstairs? What a slut?"

"You're just jealous; no one wants to fertilize your eggs, Veronica, you Virgin." The other hens clucked as they ridiculed Veronica.

"Hey, watch what you say. Veronica is my kind of gal. I'm willing to wait for the right hen."

"By the Colonel, can you be more of a simp Roger." The larger rooster said.

The two birdmen turned on each other, flaring their feathers, seemingly ready to fight.

"Stop it; we're here to have a good time and read from this book," Veronica said.

She held up a recipe book that contained numerous ways to fry, bake, and roast chicken. My stomach growled at some of the pictures.

"Don't they say if you read from it, something bad will happen?" Another hen said.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine; nothing ever happens to the crow."

The hens started clucking. I was more than willing to kill them all by that point.

The secret to the colonel's famous fried chicken is." I stared up at the room above and knew they would probably be the easiest to get rid of. "Garlic," I jumped, grabbed the lip of the windowsill, and pulled myself up.

Through the window, I saw things I could never unsee between two giant chickens.

It wasn't that I was having second thoughts that forced my decision to climb down from the second floor. Dungeon diving as a whole, especially when alone, was a balance of risk and reward. How much I was risking for what reward was important. Enemy levels weren't immediately apparent. I didn't know how strong these chickens were, but I did know the event wanted me to take them on one by one, like in a slasher movie. That meant that they were probably at a high enough level to prove dangerous.

Going by the genre, the virgin hen was probably a mid-boss like the rabbit chimera. With that in mind, I dropped to the floor and started backing away from the house.

I was reminded of trying to kill wolves with my shovel instead of a real weapon. The process was messy, liable to damage the tool, and the end result took far more effort.

Tombstones lined the hill leading to a cabin that had electricity in the dungeon and a false night sky. There was even a moon overhead and, from the look of it, a lake in the distance. I even saw a dock and a little wooden boat. So, the dungeon had one medieval genre and a slasher movie scene in the same dungeon. I half expected ghouls to pop up out of the ground and start dancing like in the movie Return of the Living Zeds.

I saw that movie with the brain-hungry undead monsters around the same time I saw another movie about a powerful emerald wizard and a house that flew from a twister. By the foundation and basement, keeping the cabin on the hill and lifting it with the wind wasn't an option at my level with Fell Wind and Fell Whirlwind.

Whirlwinds were deadly, and they loved to lift objects before flinging them at incredible speeds. My hands reached out, and I felt the Fell Wind that gathered around me start to spiral. Only when I concentrated on the uncommon skill Fell Whirlwind did I realize I hadn't really used it? All the levels I gained since entering the dungeon were from learning more about the skill. Gestures were important, especially when I wanted to do something big.

Gemini Waltz added a new flavor to my gestures; thought it was a sword style, the footsteps transferred over into something synergizing. Under the pale moonlight, I felt Cosmic Tempo begin its rhythm along with First Strike and Final Blow. Strangely, I felt Bond's hand as well as my skills flowed together, creating an after image with Gemini Blitz as I picked up speed. My skills wanted to work with me as invisible currents of air gathered in the form of my dance partner.

The shutters on the cabin windows flew off their hinges as the winds picked up. All around me, the grass around the gravestones bent away from my dance to a Cosmic Tempo. In my arms, a pillar of black wind roared the heavens, spiraling around me, keeping pace with my steps but never quite taking me off my feet. The winds were mine at that moment before I released them to find a new partner.

Tombstones lifted from the ground as the whirlwind crept up the hill. Slasher movies were never what terrified me. I didn't pray to the Sovereign Omega after watching a movie like my sister Sasha. No, I knelt on my hands and knees when natural disasters came too close to our home and ripped a neighbor's house from the foundation when a tier 7 threw a tantrum.

A tombstone blasted through the side of the building, and from my system, the dungeon acknowledged a kill. First Strike was still active, along with Final Blow. I could feel the whirlwind I danced with as it traveled up the hill, ripping metal railing out of stone, rolling it into a ball, and shooting it through the second floor. Perhaps it was my Bond with the storm that made it act strangely. No tombstones launched in my direction. The crow jumped out of the window only for a tombstone to fly out of nowhere and crush its chest. Yet still, this wasn't considered the first Strike or last blow because the blow was still traveling. All that had happened, according to my skills, was the blow was on its way. Enemies dying from the debris was a happy accident.

Dirt ripped away from the hill exposing the basement. From the bottom of the hill, through the window, I saw only Veronica manage to descend while the rest were stunned by the effects of Fell Wind. After using the skill for so long, I forgot it wasn't an elemental skill at all but a psychic attack. When the two roosters broke into a cock fight, I understood the meaning of Fell Whirlwind.

It wasn't simply an elemental attack; it was a whirlwind of negative emotions like jealousy and rivalry.

Blood flew, staining the white feathers of the hens right before the floor above them collapsed. More tombstones smashed into the basement wall but they did no meaningful damage.

After I understood that more tombstones ripped into the whirlwind, but no more flew out of its funnel. Bond, the completely ambiguous skill, once more showed its power. A bulwark of cycling stone, psychic power, and wind smashed into the basement. As the whirlwind lost its strength, I felt something like worry, but that was ridiculous.

I must have been in the dungeon too long.

I followed the path of destruction up the hill and waited beside the hole leading into the cabin. The moment Veronica's head peaked out of the basement when she was sure the storm had passed, I reached out, snapped her neck, and let go.

She tumbled out of the basement and down the hill, hitting every tombstone. I noticed a book she dropped and picked up the colonel's guide to frying chicken. Then I gave the massive chicken a look over. She seemed a little livelier than a monster with a broken neck should have. I checked the monster's pulse and found it was still alive. Neck breaking wasn't a skill of mine, and I didn't have much practice with it growing up.

From what I could tell, she had been so surprised by my attack that she flew out of the basement and knocked herself out on one of the remaining tombstones.

With the ultimate guide to cooking chicken in my hand and a massive bird, I decided I was done for the day and used some rope from my bag to tie the monster up. With a little effort, I found two of the birds dead from blunt force but intact enough for a meal. There was only one problem: where was I going to find an oven big enough for them. The living hen could be used to farm chicken monsters and sell their massive eggs. After I left, I was certain the dungeon would spawn more birds. I could come back and farm the survivors until I had plenty.

From what I could tell, mid-bosses were all ranked 2 monsters on the low end. The boss was a rank 2 somewhere in the middle, stronger than that ogre of Tony's. Like if I wanted to rank Gwen up to a low rank 2 I would choose a Rain Deer. Attributes before ranking up were important in determining what a monster could become.

Rank 2 chicken eggs were more valuable than normal chicken eggs. Depending on the chicken's diet, the eggs could be used by high-level chefs and were something farmers could sell. Veronica was a worthy addition to my farm, and I could already feel something developing between us. Bond was a strange skill; even when it was from defeating an opponent or causing a natural disaster, it had some effect.

Ping!
I froze at the sound. My system would normally only chime after I left a dungeon to show me notifications. If it was happening in the dungeon, then it had to have something to do with the event.

Event Complete.
All Survivors were slashed, and Virgin Final Girl was captured.
Calculating…
Scenario Completion Time: 5 minutes 36 seconds
Virgin Final Girl was captured before her virginity was lost
Unique Actions Taken
Book of Colonel's Fried Chicken: acquired.
Reward
Rare Skill Shard Drop From Floor 3
Skill Shard: Fell Mastery (R)
Fell Mastery (R) lvl1

I let the memories from the skill shard flow through me. Only this time, it was different. Instead of images from monsters showing me how the skill could be used, I learned about the skill itself.

Fell was the reaction of psychic power impacting the world. It was an effect and, in my case, something I was manipulating without understanding until I gained the skill. Understanding what the pushing and pulling reaction was didn't change the fact I wasn't psychic, not even telepathic. Without the driving force behind my skill, I would always be weaker. My high Willpower could create small psychic waves thanks to my skill, but without the primary skills needed to power Fell Wind, I would never have reached my full potential.

I knew psychic was a rare skill, and only bosses and apparently events dropped them. As I headed for the exit I thought about turning back to try the boss to see what it would drop but held back.

Tomorrow was another day. I looked down at the dead chickens I had dragged with me. Once I de-feathered them, removed their guts, and cooked them over an open fire, I would have real meat for the first time in forever. The excitement was overwhelming.

Once I fed and grew stronger with skills and skill trees, I would wait for Tony to come back and break him into bits before giving him to the corn.

 

[ch405f0ll0w3r]

The threadmark says Chapter 19. Is there a chapter missing, or is it just a typo?

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

The threadmark says Chapter 19. Is there a chapter missing, or is it just a typo?

Click to shrink...

Thank you sorry I posted ch19 by mistake

 

[XZR-2]

Chicken monsters are ranked to appear almost human.

Click to shrink...

what does this mean?

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

what does this mean?

Click to shrink...

I worded that badly. Chicken monsters have more options for human like forms as they rank up.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 18
The sun had crested behind the tree line when I stepped out of the dungeon. Notifications and adjustments hit me one after the other with constant chimes. Once they finished several notifications merged into a single document informing me of the gains I obtained within the dungeon. I felt it then as the power restraining all gains outside of levels no longer restricted me. A whirlwind of conflicting feelings, odd sensations, and pulsing muscles stole my breath.

While gains could be made within dungeons, their effects didn't truly activate until an adventurer left. Not all dungeons were so restrictive, but those were the general rules expected in dungeons.

My lungs felt like they were burning as I struggled to get enough air in them to keep standing through the changes. I felt so different. As my muscles bulged and my vision changed, a grin appeared on my face. This wasn't just a small jump; I could feel a major change happening, like I crossed a milestone. The only comparison I could think of would be ranking up for monsters. Mia once described what her pseudo rank up from 0 to 1 and what I felt from my attribute gains through Training was similar.

Slowly, breathing became easier as my body adjusted to the new normal, and all the skills I gained folded their knowledge into me. There was so much I had gotten wrong about attributes that I hadn't thought to ask. From this latest dungeon drive, my intelligence increased, and I realized it affected my ability to process skill information. My Wisdom was so low, along with my charisma. While I wanted a willpower build, neglecting every attribute would be a mistake.

"If being a normal human was impossible, then I would be a superhuman," I said.

Humans who gained too many attributes that made them a danger to the public were known in polite society as superhumans. In reality, they were treated as human monsters, beings too much for the weak, extremely specialized populace. Most of the time, they were mages or those with special battle classes. They had an easier time finding permanent items to increase their attributes in dungeons and used them to equalize them.

Using Training to equalize attributes was unheard of. It was a skill with slow returns and was hard on the body. Without Regeneration, it would have destroyed me; without Adapt, it would have hardly leveled, and without Berserk, I couldn't have forced myself to empower it. This wasn't an unknown or special combination, but humans don't use it. No one wants to accidentally mow down a crowd while playing Monster on the go on their phone.

Someone with 25 attributes across the board would barely feel human. 50, and everyone around someone like that would feel like balloons full of blood, ready to burst at the slightest touch.

That's why what I'm doing would be foolish if I had any hope of returning to polite society.

Ping!
+2 Constitution, +3 Strength, +2 Dexterity,
+1 Agility, +3 Perception, +1 Willpower,
+2 Focus, +1 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.
Dungeon Manager lvl20, Berserk lvl31, Training lvl35,
Regeneration lvl30, Adapt lvl35, Lingering Will lvl30,
Gemini Waltz lvl25, Gemini Blitz lvl15, Blitz Kick lvl11,
Crow Step lvl25, Final Blow lvl22, Fell Wind lvl35,
Cosmic Tempo lvl18, First Strike lvl16, Bond lvl11,
Fell Whirlwind lvl20, Mapping lvl11.
Skill Points: 165

Skill Trees
Monster Management 0/500
Baron of Cyclones 0/300
Embers of Fallen Heroes I 56/250
Lord of Squalls 0/200
Black Rage II 0/100
Blue Moon 0/100
Black Wings 0/75
Final Impact 0/50
Way of the Homestead 0/50
Alter of Change 0/50
Resistance is Elemental 0/50

The key to moving forward seemed to be gaining more skills. If Blue Moon was what I thought it was, then it was exactly what I needed. Alter of Change came from Training and would definitely help me gain attributes faster.

For normal monsters and people with classes, skill trees were hard to finish out, and few people completed even 10 in their lifetimes. Most people specialize to avoid becoming completely inhuman. I was special.

To my shame and utter joy, I was on the right track finally to break free.

Blue Moon 100/100
+6 Willpower
+9 Wisdom
New Skill Tree
Blue Moon II 0/150

Words tumbled out of my mouth before I could control them. "Wyrm anal ulcers, Oni blue thumb, and bleeding vampire tumors. Blue Moon wasn't a series, cheater." Wind blasted dirt up all around me as I struggled to contain myself.

I glared at the slow, darkening blue sky. The system we all used was run by the grand champion, but even he had limits. He couldn't alter an already generated skill tree. I should have gotten a skill.

My kick sent a rock hurtling until it embedded itself into a tree.

15 attributes were a good haul, and I couldn't expect a blue magic skill from only 100 skill points. I knew that fundamentally, but I wanted it so bad. If I had known I wouldn't get a skill, I would have finished off Embers of Fallen Heroes.

50 points went into my next skill tree.

Alter of Change 50/50
New Skill
Skill Fusion lvl1
Description: Skills can be combined to form new skills with varying results depending on the synergy between skills. Skills fused can grow in rarity, growing in power. Higher levels will more easily fuse skills with less synergy increase rarity, and power of the new skill.

That wasn't bad. I could live with that.

"Now, what am I going to do with you."

Veronica, the chicken monster opened her eyes then and glared at me. There wasn't much more she could do bound up like she was. I could feel a bond between us but little else.

+1 Willpower

"If you don't want to speak, then you don't have to. We're almost home." It felt good to have a conversation partner again.

"What are you going to do to me?" Veronica asked.

"I'm going to feed you a steady diet perfect for producing eggs. Then, I'm going to sell them to cooks and bakers around the world. In exchange, you get to live with me, eat my food, and not get cooked in my oven. Does that sound like a good deal to you?" I felt like I trying more in this conversation than I had in a long time.

The chicken monster shivered. She was definitely stronger than me, but when our eyes met, she shivered like a leaf. I could tell from her physical attributes she should be able to wipe the floor with me. Lingering Will could only do so much.

"I will be good. What about my friends?" Veronica asked.

"There were no other survivors. But don't worry, the dungeon I found you in will surely restart the scenario when I enter next. I'll be sure to get a copy of either yourself or maybe some of your friends."

"I don't understand what that means, sir," Veronica said.

I nodded that made sense. I didn't really explain much to her, and I probably sounded like an insane person. How could I explain to someone their entire history was a fabrication by a reality-shifting hunk of quartz?

"Imagine you are a story written by a person that only exists on paper. Then, some all-powerful being decided that they wanted to act out their favorite scenes from that story. So they make you with all your memories intact and put you in a location surrounded by friends from your story. None of your life has been truly experienced; all your memories are artificial." I paused at that and looked up dungeon monster notes, only to be banned from the site without the proper privilege of certain classes. "From this point forward, everything is very real, I assure you," I said.

She continued to look at me like I had two heads.

Talking was exhausting, and being polite was even worse. I rubbed my head. No, I hadn't been polite because I messed up the most important part.

"My name is Atom Walker, and I know you are Veronica. Let's be friends. I don't have many of those."

"Apparently, neither do I."

"So another Veronica will appear with all my memories. Were there others, or am I the first?" Veronica asked.

She was adapting quickly to her new life. I hoped that was a good sign.

"Yes, as far as I know. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll have an entire legion of you soon. Dungeons normally reset after 12 hours. So I'll go in and find some friends for you tomorrow. Until then, I'm sure you will enjoy all the corn you can eat."

"I don't like corn."

I blinked, and suddenly, all my plans were ruined. What was I going to feed her if not corn?"

"You're human, right? Well, don't make that face. Not all corn is the same; maybe I'll like yours." I nodded slowly.

"What do you prefer to eat?"

"Bug monsters, I like the juicy worms the most. Do you have any of those?" I glanced around at the trees and spotted a rotten log in the distance. The wind blowing gently around me found a 6ft worm larger than my torso inside.

I opened the log with my chiansword and pulled the massive soft worm free.

A new screen appeared in my vision when I gave the massive green caterpillar to Veronica.

Bond Screen
Battle Chicken
Veronica Reputation 0/100 Neutral +20
Veronica Reputation 20/100 Acquaintance

I quickly checked for Gwen and surprisingly found her.

White Fawn
Sandy Reputation -40/100 Despised

My fists tightened, and the wind picked up. Once my debt was paid, there would be a reckoning between that tamer and me.