World Gauntlet I wanted money for Power. Now, I got [Power]

Now, they had to go out, Perseus, Kirey, Fiora, Gabriel, Agon and Ilyne. It wasn going to be easy but they had been saddled with the job. They watched their steps up the slimy stairs, wet with blood as they weaved through the corpses in clumps and in puddles. All sorts of human and Gurgling flesh parts. It was dirty, and absolutely dangerous. Agon and Ilyne were on high alerts, Gabriel diffused the Glow of his Sodality along those two, along with Perseus and Fiora who stood in a large square with Kirey and him in the center, the light just enough for the two humans in the vanguard to see just what they were about to step on and nothing more.

From the Shadows a Gurgling shot forth, it was slices in half, another dropped down. Kirey screamed as its claws bit into her shoulders and from her palms a ball of blue fire crackled and shot into its gaping maw. It exploded in fine ashy powder. A third came later, from below a dead one of its kind. Its legs tried to encase Perseus but he spun, sword held out, and cut through them without any resistance, he didn even bother swinging downwards after and simply infused his next stomp with [Power] and absolutely pulverized the awful creature.

”Okay… Not doing that again. ” He said in disgust as the sheer amount of blood, purple, blue, and red, that shot out of it like an over-sized mosquito doused him from head to toe and demanded he get new clothes and throw his shirt away. It was good then that Omonoia was place of thrift shops and half shops and clothing stores and all types of other shops that could be named but just didn have to. They exited the station and dropped to a more lose formation, Sodality falling and letting Gabriel regain some of his Mana and Stamina.

The sky was clear, the sun was still high, the day had not ended. ”Is this day ever gonna end? ” Moaned Kirey, shock and horror in her voice.

”I sure hope it takes its time. I have a feeling it won be long that all we face is mindless fleshy oversized spiders. ” Perseus spoke and looked at the twins. They should know what they will face. No point in asking until they come upon it though, there is probably too much to speak of in one trip. ”Everyone, I say we can relax a bit. ” Perseus said as he cut apart another screaming Gurgling. ”They have thinned out and moved away, as long as we are quiet everything will be fine. We ought to do our mission and get back. Change our clothes and stuff ourselves with perishables while we
e at it, maybe get Fiora and Gabriel and actual weapon. And possibly get a few answer from our friends here. ” He turned to the Bunny people in question. ”Sorry and thank you for this. Not only are you putting yourselves in danger, you also are probably not getting much from it. Maybe a Source or two at best by the end of today. ”

”Do not worry Perseus. Ilyne would have stuck around even if we didn get the orders from our People. We are enjoying your company, and we want, and have, to learn more about you. Also, while one or two Source doesn do as any good, I doubt 20 or 30 would either. We are, a very special case amongst our people, if you have noticed from our appearances. ”

”I just thought it was as thing that happened amongst the Bu-Rabbit Yaoguai. ” Perseus caught himself right before disaster. ”

”Its not. We
e Half Elves as well. ”

”GET IN! ” Gabriel pumped his fist.

”Elves!? Oh the glory! ” Fiora hollered, attracting some 30 Gurglings to come charging their way. Suddenly like lightning Ilyne was gone, the wind caved on itself and the asphalt cracked as she tore through the Gurglings before they could even scream their horrible call.

She returned, some words whispered out of her mouth, her hair settled back down and her claws turned from large black and shiny to their usual light gray polish. She sent a half exasperated look to the young receptionist. ”Won happen again, Mistress! I mean, Godess! I mean, Spank me!… Won happen again! ” Fiora fluttered her eyelids, shock still, even her perfectly combed hair frazzled by her outburst.

”Was that a Skill? ” Gabriel asked, hopefully pushing past that, debacle.

”It was. Skills are… Complicated. And our relationship with them is difficult. Just like with our Clan. To get back on subject. The Rabbit Yaoguai, as well as many other Yaoguai do not have, the greatest relationship with the Elves. Their Empires, did not treat us well when we entered the Gauntlet. I do not know how or what you know of them, but they do not look kind upon. Lesser forms, or at least, their aristocracy did. ”

”But they lost right? For you to participate and for the Garous to be our enemy in the Gauntlet, they must have. How did they have empires? Why were they still alive? As a matter of fact. Why are your people still alive? Didn you loose? ” Perseus was indeed curious. He asked and took a turn, cutting a few Gurglings apart before entering a clothing store to his left. He took off his pants and shirt once inside, not even caring for decency, and scouted out the wares. ”Im listening. ” He added, pink t-shirt on hand, peeking over a rack of clothes.

”We don know exactly how many gauntlets have been had. But we do know that we
e the one before you, we know you
e the last, and we know that the elves came right before the Yaoguai into the ever growing Garin. They were strong. The story goes… In 10 days they had mastered [True Sight], in a hundred the Sorcerer Way, in a thousand they had conquered half the planet. And in a thousand and one, their kings perished, their nobles eaten, their children ravaged and their cities trampled. That is the first and last time in the Yaoguai record that the Royal Garous had moved. Its a sad tale, really. It was soon after the Elves became the rulers of Magic that the New Gauntlet started, and we came to this horrid place. We were enslaved for nine hundred days by the losers of their war. They just did not know it yet. ”

”Thats very interesting. Meaning that what the Gods above consider a victory in the World Gauntlet is not clear cut at all. ” Perseus said. It was Kirey that spoke this time. ”Or maybe it is, and we just don see it. Just like the elves hadn . Maybe… they lost, because that was all they would amount to. ”

Perseus shuddered a bit. Some anger entered his system and he threw away the pants he was about to wear, no more feeling them. ”That, is very smart, and possibly very true… Finally, something nice. ” Happy to be rid of that stuffy suit and tie, Perseus got to wear something more his style. He had to say, it was pretty cool.

Muscle tight black T, with no sleeves, under a white jacket that was for now tied around his waste, it was too hot to wear. A dark red head scarf keeping his wild curls in check, almost, purposeful leaving gaps. Beige Green Tech Cargo pants, with two little slits cut at their bottom for his ankles to breathe and a pair of black boots that reached just above his ankles to tie it all in. Crystal Pink sword on his shoulder, and newfound muscles rippling under his much decreased fat, all effects brought on by the change in his Attributes, and he looked dashing, he had to admit.

”Now, I finally feel like I can fight you know. ” He turned to his party. And to Gabriel in particular that rolled his eyes as he took in the look. ”What Gabri? Too much for you? With your white T and Navy blue jeans? ”

”Dude, Persi. The jacket. Its 40 degrees outside! ” Incredulous Gabriel responded.

”Firstly. Its a fashion statement. Secondly, we are in Athens no longer. The weather is sure to change, big time. Better be prepared. ” Gabriel couldn retort. It was true. They hadn felt it before, as their own temperatures had risen because of the constant movement and fighting, the station was still steamy hot, especially without any air conditioning power on, and the concrete and asphalt held onto heat very well, the sun was beating down, and the furnace that was the modern city scape they were so familiar with had not changed in temperature much. But what about during the night? Yeah. They were looking at this wrong.

The group quickly changed in a much more somber mood. They then rushed around, cutting all Gurglings apart, turning corners and looting stores, they even pocketed money, not knowing if they could ever be useful or not, they filled bags and bags of stuff. They drank down sodas, and ate a bunch of chocolate and protein bars, and they entered more local shops that sold honey and nuts and other such earthly commodities and cleaned it up. As if waiting to go into hibernation. They grabbed food and meat and pots and pans, and water, so much water. They took a car that still had its keys on and drove around, completely unhinged, of course, doing as many supply runs as possible with the time they had left.

They never dared to go far from the station of course and thus the in a few hours this part of the center of Athens had been picked clean, the Gurglings had either run away or died, and their job had been completed. In that time they had all gained at least one more source.

Well. That is how they liked to say it had ended. But it was in their last trip, it was way past noon, the clocks they had stolen, decked out in gold and diamonds and in all kinds of expensive designs from a boutique, made sure they knew, as they couldn keep staring at them. The group decided to sit down and cook up some lunch. A feast, with all the meat they decided they couldn bring back and thus would not have the chance to eat after it rotted in the heat of the coming days without proper storing, curing, or refrigeration.

As they cooked and talked topics flew about. Perseus got back to some questions he had, after along day of prioritizing lore and survival. ”Cores and Achievements. What are they? how do they appear? How do I get them? Why are they important? Lets talk about them. ”

”Achievements? Why do you want to know about-? Did you get one? You got one! Thats great! ” Ilyne started off confused and ended up dropping her things and lunging at Perseus in a hug that was too steamy to be called cute. She kissed him in the mouth in excitement before hopping away. Not in shame, but in victory.

”Ilyne! ” Agon cried, taking on her share of embarrassment as well as his own.

All Perseus could think of for a moment were the soft, supple, mounds and rear. Her cherry sweet lips. He shook it off and focused back on serious business. Though he was starting to see where this, and he, was going and did not mind one bit. He welcomed it even, sending over a wink.

”Don worry. I won file an assault case to the police. They would only congratulate me and give me a pat on the back anyway. ” He added to reassure Agon, of course.

”I wouldn trust that. All Ilyne would need to do was go all puppy eyes at Diora and she wound hound you dead. ” Gabriel nodded to himself. Imagining Diora barking after Perseus, frothing at the mouth.

”Now that we got on the topic of, this being a new world, for the shake of staying on topic. We should really find a [Shopkeep] before we go in for the night. In these early days the value you can get out of them is exponential. ” Agon added. Catching the everyones attentions. They quickly shoveled down their food and took off.