Chapter 13 - The Beast Totem (Part 1)

In a small canyon, full of protruding roots and vines, bodies of beasts and primates were strung up on wooden stakes in a horrible display of gore and ceremony. Certainly a warning to outsiders and a homage to what lay beyond its bloody path. Whatever the memo was, Berto was completely ignoring it when he flung a hive of mana-mutated hornets at the feet of two Lizardmen. With a burst of and a flapping of insectoid wings, the two Lizardmen were quickly caught in a tornado of buzzing rage! The Guana in question were a stronger breed of warrior, larger and tougher than hunters, impossible for a normal human like Berto, to take down in a straight fight. 

Mariah: Guana Temple Guardian Lv.6 harassed by Killer Wasps, Poisoned condition afflicted! 5 points of damage inflicted! Guana Temple Guardian Lv.8 harassed by Killer Wasps, Poisoned condition afflicted! 2 points of damage inflicted!

Without losing a beat, the young man threw 3 coconuts at the creatures, in quick succession. They shattered on impact with their skin and the ground at their feet, releasing a sticky, tar-like substance. The creatures struggled to spot their attacker through the cloud of stings and pain. The Mariner loaded a small flaming pellet in a crude slingshot, of his making, and shot the projectile in the flammable liquid at their feet. *FWOOOSH* The flames exploded into existence as the tar burned and the Guardians were quickly engulfed in flames!

Mariah: Guana Temple Guardian Lv.6, Burning and Poisoned condition afflicted! 14 points of damage inflicted, 6 points of damage inflicted for every second these afflictions persist! Guana Temple Guardian Lv.8, Burning and Poisoned condition afflicted! 10 points of damage inflicted, 4 points of damage inflicted for every second these afflictions persist!

The Guardians flailed and hissed frantically trying to fight off the flames in a blinded rage. After about 20 seconds the first Guardian collapsed. "So Mariah.. Mandragore isn't a god? But you said he was!?".

Mariah: Guana Temple Guardian Lv.6 defeated! 350xp awarded. 8/30 Green Scale Clan slayed. We acknowledge what we said and apologize for the confusion. God, as recognised by human does not describe an Evergreen Deity accurately. NOW FOCUS!!

Berto's eyes widened in terror, as the larger of the two Guardians came barreling at him while covered in flames! The Mariner bobbed and weaved out of the way of incoming attacks, trying desperately to avoid parrying any of its ferocious, greataxe strikes, as they could easily break his shield or even his arm if he were careless! A successful Shield Bash to the knee slowed the hulking brute, giving the young man enough time to step behind it and hack at its exposed back.  

The Mariner was now strong enough to actually inflict some damage to the large monster but.. it wasn't enough. A lightning fast backhand struck Berto with a echoing metallic *KLAAAANG*!! The young man barely had enough time to raise his shield and bounce in the opposite direction of the blow, softening the hit even by a small margin. 

Mariah: User Hit! 21 points of damage received! Damage points deducted due to Thick Skin, Steel Buckler and armor. 12 damage points received! 

Berto hit the ground, rolled and only came to a stop after crashing into a tree, receiving more wounds in the process. After he blinked himself into consciousness, Berto found that his shield arm didn't respond to his will.  Amongst the pain, numbness and sense of impending doom, the young man couldn't help but feel a little proud as well. That hit he just took was enough to kill a normal human two times over and yet here he was, still kicking. He had grown resilient if nothing else. He picked himself up, using his long blade as a crutch, as the still flaming brute prepared for another charge. 

The Guardian came at him once more with the ferocity of a injured bull, blinded by its pain. The poison coursing through its veins made it slower and the constant burning dulled its senses. Berto dove and rolled out of its way as it crashed in the rocky cliff, rocks and mud falling on it. After slashing at the creature's thigh Berto, having learned from his mistake, jumped back, avoiding a heavy tail slam. He dove back in, left arm flailing uselessly, sword hand trembling and thrust forward! His strike missed the target as the Lizardman bent over unnatural and fell to the ground dead, its flesh seared and its lungs paralyzed from the wasp poison. The Mariner was almost caught under the brute but luckily managed to avoid that fate by falling to his side. 

Laying on the ground panting, covered in mud, bruises and blood, Berto looked at the darkening sky and prayed that his target was not to far still. 

Mariah: Guana Temple Guardian Lv.8 defeated! 410xp awarded. 9/30 Green Scale Clan slayed. *PING* Level up! Level 8 reached, 3 Attribute Points awarded. 1 Mutation Point gained. Rapid regeneration initiated. Estimated time until full recovery, 40 minutes due to heavy trauma, exhaustion and broken limb! 565/2300xp required to reach Level 9.

Berto let out a sign of relief as his broken arm numbed completely before painlessly popping into place with a blood chilling *CLUNK*. "Well.. this is getting utterly insane isn't it? I mean.. crabs and bugs is one thing but primitive Lizardpeople with super strength? How I am supposed to cope?". 

Mariah: The Evergreen is the answer.. You need to keep evolving and growing. Mandragore and all Evergreen deities were mortal just like you. Mandragore became an immortal hermit, a guardian of the wilds. He was a ranger and druid. When he reached the peak of his potential he became one with the Evergreen force, as is the fate of all its Conduits. However the most powerful of them, like Mandragore, have power over it once they join the collective. Power to issue Commandments to new Conduits directly and grant Boons as well. Therefore they are granted the title Deity, reigning supreme over a belief or aspect that better expresses their own journey in life. 

"So I you're saying I could become like him? A god inside the system?"

Mariah: Not likely.. Your potential is much lower than his..

"Thanks for the confidence boost. Even when connected to the cosmic force of growth and evolution I'm just Alberto the nerd.. And.. wait.. You, I mean Mariah.. You have some of those traits as well! Are you a deity of the Evergreen?"

Mariah: That is correct. Mariah is the Goddess of the Seas. 

"WHAT!? Then why didn't you help me when I was trapped IN the sea!?"

Mariah: It was an unfortunate coincidence. The best suited Administrator for User Berto also happened to reign supreme over the element that plagued him in his first hardship. Administrators are not allowed to directly grant Boons and Commandments to their charge, only what is agreed upon by the Collective. It is part of the journey of being a Conduit..

"That is fuckin bullsh... Ugh.. I.. What I meant to say is that, it's unfair.. and not your fault."

Mariah: Your frustration is understood and noted. Shall we proceed with your Level Up? You're are resting in enemy territory!

"Yeah.. yeah let's do this.." said Berto and willed his status screen into existence. He had decided the previous day to investigate the matter of the Green Scale Clan's revered Divine Beast. It would give him the necessary experience and tools he desperately needed to complete this trial but the road to the Beast's sacred ground was a perilous one that had drained him physically and mentally. Only by his wits, preparation and traps had he managed to get this far. And he hadn't even faced the dreaded Divine Beast in question yet. He only had one attack Skill and one defence oriented mutation. Without the ability to obtain more he decided to invest in his existing strengths and dumped his remaining points into his Thick Skin mutation.

Thick Skin (D) Lv.MAX

At 5th level, Thick Skin (D) gives the User tougher skin that grants minor protection bonuses. You have 25% resistance to all physical damage and 15% resistance to all elemental damage. These resistance bonuses are doubled against non-magical damage. 

Berto was a little disappointed that the mutation had already reached its peak but the side bonus was potent and the sensation of his toughened skin gave him small boost in confidence. Next came the attributes. This was a difficult choice, he needed the strength to compete with the stronger Guana but it was his intellect that had kept him alive so far. He decided to take the risk and focus on his Intelligence for this level and allocated one point into Brawn as well.

* User : Alberto Ferantelli - Level: 8 *

Available Attribute Points: 0

Available Mutation Points: 0

Health: 27/53

Mana: 6/10

Brawn: 17 (+1)

Agility: 16

Vitality: 16

Intellect: 20 (+2)

Charisma: 14

Spirit: 15 

Skills: 

1) Engineering (B) Lv.6

2) Bypass (C) Lv.1 

3) Pain Mitigation (B) Lv.3

4) Insight (A) Lv.1

5) Craft (D) Lv.7

6) Tame (C) Lv.8

7) Harvest (C) Lv.6

8) Shield Bash (C) Lv.3

9) Sneak (D) Lv.2

Mutations:

1) Mariner (B) Lv.2

2) Thick Skin (D) Lv.MAX

* Status update complete *

Shield Bash had also just been upgraded. The young man supposed he missed the notification amongst the chaos and running for his life. 

Shield Bash (C) Lv.3

This Active Skill consumes 1 Mana upon use and requires a shield or shield-like weapon equiped. The User bashes an adjacent opponent with an additional 21% force. This strike has a 15% chance to stun or knock an opponent, of similar size as you, off balance.

"Nice.." exclaimed the Mariner with a crooked smile of pain, before picking himself up. His body would heal in matter of minutes because of his Level Up but he was behind enemy lines. Berto took out his coral dagger and harvested the Temple Guardians' crystallized Hearts. He already collected 6 more and was impatient to find out what bounty they would bring him. The Mariner was disappointed when he, once again, didn't find any special items or Mutation cores in the powerful creatures. It would seem that only beasts designated by the Rift could carry these rare boons for Awakened or someone like himself. Additionally the armor and weapons carried by the creature were massive so he could not use them.

The journey for the temple appeared to be at an end. The Guardians were keeping watch in front of a great wooden gate, decorated with bone spikes and painted with blood. "I thought Iguanas were herbivores.." said Berto with a tone of disgust. Using his newly acquired sneaking abilities he scurried up to the side of the barrier and climbed up. Sneak, as Mariah had explained, was an inferior version of Stealth. It helped the young man move more silently and hide when the conditions were favourable. The Skill's level only went up to 5 and could then be upgraded to its superior version. 

Berto, reaching the barrier's top, peeked behind and saw a great sandpit in front of a pyramid-like temple. There was a great open gateway at the base, the interior of it was pitch black. There were at least two Temple Guardians and a few Hunters in the premises. The Mariner let himself fall to ground below with a muted *THUD* and let out a defeated sigh. There was absolutely no way he could take them out AND challenge whatever monster lay in there.

It was time to make camp and lick wounds. Without preparing some sort of ambush or weapon to use against his superior foes, he would surely die fighting them. But he had time.. they didn't have infinite numbers and they surely didn't have the Evergreen.. This was a game of attrition and he was playing with a fixed deck!