B2 Chapter 199: Second Mission, Pt 2

Pausing as he met the guildmasters’ eyes, Kaius considered the responsibility that had been offered. Taking out a boggart swarm of once in a century’s strength? That was vital, and the fact that they had been offered the task showed a level of trust he didn’t expect to receive so early.

“Given the risks, and the importance of this task, we won’t force you to take it on.” Ro said, drawing Kaius’s attention away from Rieker. “Take a few minutes to think it through—we have backups, but this is a genuine opportunity if you can seize it. Similarly, if you do decide to accept, you should prepare thoroughly—it’s a little more complex than what you did with the spider.”

Kaius looked to his team, searching their faces for any indication of their preferences.

Porkchop, as always, looked thrilled at the idea of any form of challenge—so he was a shoe in. Ianmus however, looked concerned, with a slight frown marring his angular features.

He caught the man’s eye. “What do you think?”

Ianmus paused, contemplative for a few moments, before he shrugged. “It’s up to you, I trust your judgement. A swarm of that size is dangerous, but I am less concerned for our safety—the two of you can handle it. I do have one question though.”

“How are we allowed to do this? This can’t be a Bronze rated task.” Ianmus asked, his attention turning to the two guild administrators on the opposite side of the table.

One of Ro’s eyes scrunched as she grimaced—her awareness of the non-standard nature of their mission obvious. Rieker only grinned.

“Technically, since the scout only saw enemies under level seventy—and he only saw a few dozen at any one given time—it’s within the bounds of what a Bronze can handle.” Rieker said, his voice carrying through the room. “Though I will admit that it is stretching the definition just a little. Traditionally anything that can potentially escalate to disastrous levels is given priority to delvers who have a certainty of success—though I have plenty of leeway in how that applies.”

Ianmus mulled the words over, before he turned back to Kaius. “I’m satisfied—it’s up to you.”

Nodding to his teammate, Kaius leaned over to look closer at the map that Ro had placed on the table—considering the boggart swarm that they were tasked with culling.

The group itself should be easy to navigate to. Deep in the dense and rocky hills that lay east and south of Deadacre—about two weeks walk if he was reading the map right. It would likely be a relatively easy journey. Flat land, with few stopping points other than a few smaller villages that they could stop by for supplies.

If they were still inhabited, that is. Kaius frowned—the fact that the scout had moved past them, going straight to Deadacre, was telling. Though, it was possible they just simply didn’t have the infrastructure or supplies to handle the influx of hopefuls.

No doubt the boggarts were holed up in some cave, as their kind was wont to do. While he knew relatively little of that region, he had heard that there were some pretty extensive systems that networked the hills and bedrock beneath.

He didn’t deny it was an exhilarating opportunity, but it had its risks.

Boggarts of the level that they had described were rare, and were usually the result of some small tribe of the buggers being left undiscovered in a particularly dangerous region. However, swarms were slightly more common.

As one of the lower races, boggarts formed complex communities that could grow and scale. Unfortunately, like all others of their cursed nature, they seemed to be inherently destructive and parasitic.

They festered, eating regions barren until they either starved themselves out or formed conquesting warbands, descending on surrounding territories to pillage and eat and slave.

Normally, it was a rare issue—lacking the faculties of the higher races and greater beasts, they had little of either’s raw power and ingenuity. Hells, they couldn’t even speak Common, which Kaius assumed meant that they had some lower form of the system like beasts.

Even when they did form hosts, most of the time their environment couldn’t support large numbers, and they stabilised in small tribal groups—vicious and bloodthirsty, but low level and weak. It was only when a rare shaman or warchief appeared—pulling various tribes under their banner—that they would form a host and raid in search of the resources they needed to grow their numbers, increasing in levels all the while.

Kaius sincerely hoped that this tribe, numbering in the hundreds, was some result of the increased number of beasts allowing them to grow fat and numerous, and not the result of one of their number becoming a chieftain.

Warchiefs, and the various other types of boggarts that rode at the head of swarms, were universally powerful. A cut above their more common brethren, both in stature and the might of their system-granted abilities, from what he had heard. If even the common rabble beat him in level…one of them would be potent indeed.

On the other hand, Kaius could see Rieker’s wisdom in them taking this mission on.

First, the guildmaster was correct in that it would be a fantastic whetstone to hone the edge of their skills against. More than that though, it would give them valuable practice against thinking enemies.

Boggarts might have a base and simple intelligence, but they were conniving and cunning. Learning how to manage opposing tactics, ambushes, and the like, now instead of against a superior force of men could save their life. Plus, ever since gaining his Veteran’s Edge, he had taken a new shine to the breadth of value that varied experience held.

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In his spars against Porkchop and Rieker he had realised that his knowledge of war was fragmented and relatively untested. No matter how much his mind pulled on his past experiences to seek a path to victory, it mattered little when almost all of them were against rabid depths-born and simple beasts.

Plus, he didn’t need an Aspect to know that they had yet to adapt their team tactics against large volumes of enemies. Learning to manoeuvre and dismantle a numerically superior force would be vital before they returned to the depths—especially considering Ianmus’s relative vulnerability to being caught out alone.

All in all, he thought it would be worth it.

Besides, surely a mission of this import would have a commensurate reward?

“What’s the pay?” he asked.