Chapter 13 - The Beast Totem (Part 2)

"Ok.. This is dumb.. I'm dumb.. You can't play chemist with a tool set made by the Flintstones.." exclaimed a stressed out Berto as he gingerly added a caustic liquid into a coconut filled to the brim with blue powder. 

Mariah: *PING* Congratulations User Berto! 

"SHHHHHHHH!! Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack!!??" whispered the agitated young man as if he were shouting and steadied his hands once more. He was mixing Mana crystals, taken from a nearby abandoned mineshaft, now grounded into fine dust and the acidic stomach fluids of a large arachnid creature he was forced to slay in order to escape said mineshaft! A gamble at finding a safe spot for camping had led to a horrifying adventure through the dark mine but now he was finally safe. 

Chemistry wasn't exactly Alberto's forte but he thought he could create some kind of magic tear gas. Fooling around with the ingredients for some time had given him some insight and ideas for how to achieve this. Surely this was also his genius level intelligence coming into play! Now that the stat had reached 20, Berto's mind was swirling with ideas, all information was processed quicker and everything seemed clearer. As if the best way forward was somehow always highlighted for him!

After a couple of hours and a few volatile reactions later, Berto fitted the cork on the last of three successfully created bombs. They were not what he set out to make but in his current predicament that might have been for the best. Instead of a "tear gas", the engineer ended up with something much more lethal! He put the contraptions aside and on some gathered leaves and twigs, to act as cushions for the volatile things. The youth realised that another day had gone by entirely and frowned at the idea of having to explain everything once he returned. He had promised himself that if he survived the first Rift he would dedicate himself more to family and friends. And yet.. here he was, like some adrenaline junkie, slaying monsters and risking his life on every turn of they way. And for what? Personal growth? Money? Or just to feel in control?

Mariah: As we were stating previously.. Congratulations, Skill obtained! Alchemy (A) Lv.1, 200xp awarded. 1465/2300xp to level 9.

Alchemy (A) Lv.1: You have a heightened understanding of how chemicals and other materials react with magical catalysts to produce transmutive effects.  

And you already upgraded this Skill to Level 2, during your experiments. You can now produce minor elixirs, poisons and lesser transmutation agents with a 75% success rate. For creating your first Alchemical formula you have satisfied the required parameters for Feat of the Day. 2 Free Attribute Points awarded!

"Huh.. No wonder everything seemed to just click in place after a while!" Berto said with a hint of excitement and pride. It was frustrating for him, not being able to advance quickly as a fighter, so witnessing first hand his talent in creating made him feel better. He arranged his traps and trinkets and stowed away the arachnid's Monster Heart in his backpack made out of the boarhide he worked on the previous day before sleeping. Tonight would be his third night in this Rift. The young man balled up in a rickity tent of sorts, made of branches and leaves. He used boar fur as a blanket and covered himself completely. His extremities were cold despite the hot and damp climate. He popped open the system's Status Screen and invested his free points.

* User : Alberto Ferantelli - Level: 8 *

Available Attribute Points: 0

Available Mutation Points: 0

Health: 46/53

Mana: 8/10

Brawn: 18 (+1)

Agility: 17 (+1)

Vitality: 16

Intellect: 20 

Charisma: 14

Spirit: 15 

* Status update complete *

Mariah: You can satisfy the quest by simply surviving the duration of the Rift's life. There is no need for you to take on this challenge User Berto..

"I know.. it's just.. I have this feeling that I have to.. does that make ANY sense? Like.. If I can't do this, then I won't be able to face greater challenges ahead. Ever since the aquatic railway Rift I just can't see the world the same way. And.. if I'm being honest, it's the curiosity! How strong can I get? What more can I do?!"

Mariah: We understand better than most could..

• • • 

A lone Guana Hunter patrolled the inside of the great blood spattered barrier, pacing methodically up and down, its snout sniffing the air for the blood of intruders. A rattle within a bush, besides the wall, caught its attention. Maybe there hid a juicy rabbit it could chew apart. The tasty morsel would surely make this intolerable watch pass by more painlessly! It stalked its potential prey with zeal, spear at the ready. Peaking through the thickly grown shrub, the Lizardman could not smell the blood of any mammal. It did spot something more interesting however! A small carved out part of the wall! Someone had apparently taken the time to slowly carve a small, 15cm radius hole in the wooden barrier! As the hunter inspected the intrusion more closely, a flash of steel was the last thing it ever detected as a steel blade passed through the opening, piercing its skull cleanly. A pinkish, armored hand passed through and dragged the dead patrolman into the bush, hiding the body from plain sight.

Mariah: Critical Hit! Sneak Lv.2 10% damage added. 34 damage dealt! Guana Hunter Lv.5 defeated. 140xp awarded. 10/30 Green Scale Clan slayed.

The Temple Guards were on high alert and had their assigned hunters sweeping the temple grounds for intruders. The previous day something had slain two of its kin and a hunting party. No mere jungle beast could pull off a feat like that. They feared now that their prized heavenly beast could be in danger so they put their charge in lock down. 

Berto jumped over the wall and landed as far from the sandpit as he possibly could, so the sound of his landing wouldn't attract the guards. He approached the bush, containing his fallen enemy and the three bombs he passed through the opening. He couldn't have risked having them on him when he made the climb or jump as they were highly unstable. His plan was to make use of them before he actually fought anything. The only question was, how does someone get a lot of guards in the same place to "blow them up" as he put it in his mind.

The Mariner sneaked along the wall, pausing or laying low anytime a Lizardman would gaze in his direction. The sweat gathered on the edge of his brow and the helmet on his head begged to be removed. His palms were drenched and his grip on, the now chipped blade, wavered whenever his heart raced. Despite everything, Berto managed to approach the side of the temple hide behind a Totem pole without being seen. He had spotted two Temple Guardians and and at least four Hunter Guana. He surveyed the temple entrance and the agitated guards when a plan started piecing itself together in his mind. 

The Temple Guardian in charge stepped into the sandpit and scanned the area for threats, failing to spot any. His brother Guardian soon arrived as well giving a negative nod with its snout. The Hunters were coming to report as well, approaching their larger kin with weariness and respect. From the corner of their eye, one of the Temple Guardians noticed an irregular movement, a skirmish and sudden stop, followed by the distinct humming of agitated metal! It turned around to see a human man, defiantly kicking his fellow Guana off his red covered sword and into the pit. The mammal had stabbed his hunter in the back and now had turn to run into their temple! "How could the creature have passed unnoticed till now!?" the Guardian thought as he hissed in anger, calling his brothers to arms!

Two Guardians and thee Hunters chased the survivalist into the temple. Berto ran full speed ahead ignoring the lack of light thanks to his mutation. Torches lit the hallways of the temple as they mazed deeper and deeper towards the center of the structure. The torches themselves were quite peculiar as they didn't seem to burn on the flammable tar, commonly found in this forest. They were instead coated with a glowing, golden jelly-like substance. Berto suddenly noticed, as he was running, that a lot of the temple's etching, carvings and totems were lined with this substance giving them a majestic golden glow, contrasting its eldritch and bloody atmosphere. At a distant glance the young man thought it was gold, similar to what someone would expect from an Aztec themed civilization but no, and the further in he ran, the more prominent the existence of this golden light. 

After a tight corner Berto decided it was time. With a leap and kick off the wall, Berto sliced the closest torch in two, snuffing out its golden flame. The reptilian monstrosities turned to find only darkness. The survivalist had noticed while hunting these beasts that, in contrast to their predatory tendencies, they lacked the ability to see in the dark! The first Temple Guardian looked ahead but could see nothing, until a hard spherical object hit it in the snout, exploding on impact! The explosion released a blue acidic mist that liquified anything it came in contact with! The Lizardman flailed and gagged as they also inadvertently breathed in the acidic fume! Berto slid on the floor and, after passing behind them, sliced at the next closest torch and then the one after that!

*BAAAMF* came the second Acid Mist Grenade! Berto unleashed his monstrous creation upon the stumbling monsters as they were all still in close proximity with each other. The reptilian primitives were now blindly running, hissing and cursing in their abyssal tongue! Their scales turned to jelly and their leathery hides ran like water, exposing muscle, bone and organ! Berto waited, counting down internally. The clouds of mist dissipated a bit after a few seconds and dove through his pursuing enemies and ran past them. A Temple Guardian took a blind swipe at the noise of his footsteps but hit nothing but air. Berto could attack the weakened monsters now but he knew better than that. There were too many still and among them, two hulking Guardians. If he made one mistake and got grabbed, they could rip him apart like all those beasts the Guana had strung up on display!

Mariah: Guana Hunter Lv.7 defeated! 195xp awarded. 12/30 Green Scale Clan slayed!

Guana Hunter Lv.7 defeated! 195xp awarded. 13/30 Green Scale Clan slayed!

Guana Hunter Lv.8 defeated! 230xp awarded. 14/30 Green Scale Clan slayed!

*PING* Level Up! You have reached Level 9! 3 Attribute Points awarded. 1 Mutation Point gained. 95/2750xp to level 10.

Berto was dumbfounded! "What the hell did I create?! It must have liquified those scaly bastards!" exclaimed the engineer, not even he believing the potency of his alchemical abomination! "It's a good thing I kept one! Although the Guardians are still alive they must be in rough shape if they stopped following me. Mariah, should I go back and deal with th.." was all he managed to say when he passed through an open gateway and into a room of pure gold! The walls, the carvings, the pillars and statues all covered in either real gold or the strange glowing liquid, almost blinding Berto with their radiance!

The room resembled a simple square in shape and was lined with golden artifacts and treasures. Berto was gutted he couldn't summon a sub-dimensional pocket like the more powerful Champions could. He would have left this place rich beyond what he ever dared to expect of himself. And then he froze! He simply froze in place. He did not breathe, move nor twitch a muscle, as prey often did when spotting a predator! 

In the center of the room, constrained by four steel chains, painted over gold, was creature of terrifying magnificence. A large, muscular leopard, with wings of crimson, blue and green, similar to that of a macaw. Its feathers gleamed under the golden light betraying there true nature. They were sharp as a dagger and seemed to have a texture similar to glass! The leopard also sported crimson scales on its cheeks, these continued to the back of its head and all the way down its spine, forming narrow, spiked plates of draconic armor. The plates finally extended as to its tail, forming a more reptilian or dragon like appendage. The monstrous beast appeared wounded however, and from those very wounds dripped amongst the blood, a golden substance as well!

Mariah: Toko Nhori - The Sun Hunter Lv.10 [Juvenile Quetzalcoatl]

Sacred beast of Bonus Mission Located!