1.11 Getting Orky

Chapter 11

[Ability Activated: Soul Usher (F)

Harvesting Soul Essence…]

The undulating mass of silver energy still floated above the bear as I caught my breath. Peering around, I came to find that the others couldn’t see it. Or, at the very least, they pretended not to notice the large obvious-as-fuck piece of—what could be nothing other than the bear’s spirit or soul—appearing above the corpse.

They went about their tasks, Norton healing Francis, Huwett moved towards us from where she had been firing from the treeline. Vasquez moved towards us as well, already looking as though he was wanting another fight already.

Barry was still recovering his breath and his attention was on Norton’s attempts at healing Francis. Yet, his gaze should have easily included the glowing spirit.

What the fuck?

I focused my attention on the soul and it suddenly shot toward me at a speed that I couldn’t have dodged even with my massively heightened dexterity. The ball of light slapped me in the face with its speed, blinding me entirely.

When it receded I was blinded once again by a notification. What I read in it, I knew, would be the key to me becoming the most powerful Rift Hunter on Earth.

[Soul Usher (F)

Soul Essence absorbed: 5

Essence to next Ability Rank: 5/1000

Options Available;

• Consume Stats (Available)

• Consume Experience (Unavailable)

• Assimilate Skill (Unavailable)

• Assimilate Ability (Unavailable)

• Dominate Essence (Unavailable)

• ??? (Unavailable)]

There was only one option that I was allowed to choose, but seeing the other options listed, the possibilities that would some day be tapped into. It would mean an amazing amount of power, it almost felt like I was cheating.

Stealing stats, experience, and more… something began to build in me as I thought about what I could do with this ability. I suddenly wished to be back in the Tutorial with the goblins at the end of my sword.

How many points would they give? Is it based on level? Do beasts give less than sentient races? How much would killing another person get me?

I found myself looking to Francis and Norton not far from the bear, even looking at Barry and Huwett. How much would they get me? How much would they all get me?

“Adam?”

My eyes flickered back to Barry as he said my name.

“You okay?” he said.

My attention went inward, looking directly for what I needed.

I knew what was happening, my switch had been on all day, longer even. I couldn’t remember the last time I had turned it off. After some time it had side effects, problems that affected my thinking, and my decisions.

I turned it off and the world came rushing back into my senses.

Normally, it felt like things were simple. But, it muted the color of the world, and now the full spectrum came back into reality. I could feel once more, and all of the emotions pushed aside came crashing back.

The fear of standing before Death, the anger at Barry for shoving me aside, the confusion and disappointment with myself as I realized he had a larger plan that I didn’t see. The shock of it all.

I shuddered, keeping my eyes closed as I breathed in deeply. My heartbeat had climbed sky high and I had to focus to bring it back down. I could feel my hands trembling slightly, my legs twitched in rhythm to them.

“Adam—”

“I’m okay,” I said, opening my eyes once more and giving Barry a smile. “I just… that was close, thank you Barry, I think you saved my life.”

“You might have had it, actually. Sorry about that.”

“No, no, you did the right thing. I over-extended, underestimated it.” I said.

“You’ll be okay there friend, easy,” Norton’s deep tone boomed over the clearing as he pulled Francis back to his feet. The large warrior still wore a grin on his face, a shit eating smile of someone that seemed to enjoy getting his ass kicked by the large ursine hand of god.

“Those cast times are pain, really wish I hadn’t missed that first shot,” Vasquez grumbled.

“All good man, we are all learning how to use our new abilities here,” Barry waved a hand and flashed a reassuring grin.

Abilities… my attention drifted back to the notification. I still had a choice to make, well, there was only one available option. I mentally made the choice and the System responded.

[Soul Usher (F),

Consuming Stats: Essence Cost 5.

Beast Spirit (Forest Bear) consumed, allocating gain based on beast’s highest stat.

+1 Strength gained

Soul Essence absorbed: 0

Essence to next ability rank: 5/1000]

There was a lot of information baked into that one notification screen. The first being, using the ability costed soul essence. So I had to think of it like a resource and use it accordingly.

The second thing was that the ability would seemingly differentiate a beast’s soul from other souls. Did sentient souls work differently? Were there beings without souls that my ability wouldn’t work on? I’d have to find that out.

Also, it appeared that I gained stats based on the creature whose spirit I was consuming. For the bear, it meant I got strength. I’d have to keep that in mind when deciding my options regarding spending my accumulated Soul Essence.

Lastly, it looked as though I could rank up my ability. Killing more, absorbing more souls, would potentially make my ability grow stronger, maybe accessing the rest of the options that had shown as unavailable earlier.

It was a lot. But it was all potential power that was at my fingertips.

[Loot, Forest Bear: shares allocated: +5 Copper credits]

I looked up to find that Barry was crouched over the bear and looting it. That was good, I had nearly forgotten about looting the kill given everything else happening.

“Alright, Angela, Adam, let’s keep hunting. Looks like we got a couple hours until nightfall in here. I don’t think we want to be wandering around in the dark.” Barry said.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Huwett gave me a nod and gestured toward the far treeline. “Adam, do you want to take lead? I think the System will let you learn my—”

She was cut off as a loud guttural roar pierced the clearing where we were standing. It sure as hell wasn’t another bear, and that assumption was confirmed as four figures came rushing at us from the trees.

I thought they might be another party sent into the rift at first, as they were all humanoid. But that thought was dashed just as quickly as I saw the green tinged skin and pointed ears of the four running over the grass.

“What the fuck!?” Vasquez yelled, bringing his wand up and beginning gestures that looked like the start of a spell.

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“Francis on me! Norton get back!” Barry began shouting orders, as it looked like he came to the same understanding that I had.

It was fucking orks!

The four figures were tall and heavily muscled, each one of them. None of them were shorter than Norton who stood a good ways above six foot, and all were jacked like body builders, covered in rippling muscles in places that shouldn’t even have muscles. Their biceps had biceps.

Two held large axes that rivaled Francis’ weapon of choice, while the other two held large swords that they grasped in both hands. I had the strong suspicion that I would meet with my sponsor again rather soon if I were to be hit by any of the hulking freaks.

Huwett’s bowstring twanged beside me and an arrow streaked across the clearing into one of the charging ork’s thighs. It stumbled and fell into the dirt, but wasn’t at all close to death.

“I need ten seconds!” Vasquez shouted.

Norton was already moving back behind me, Francis and Barry running headlong to meet our sudden attackers as if they were excited to try becoming human tartar.

“Fuck,” I tightened the grip on my sword and ran in after them, knowing I couldn’t just let them get killed. I needed Huwett to help track the dungeon boss, and I doubted she would be willing to help me if I just let all our allies die.

Another arrow sailed over my shoulder as I ran, the point of the projectile slamming into the leather-armored shoulder of the lead ork right as Francis reached melee range.

The distraction was enough for Francis to bring his axe down into its midsection, cutting through its armor and leaving a line of blood. But the ork merely bellowed a roar and swung his own axe, forcing the warrior back in a desperate dodge.

Barry had shoulder charged the second ork, and I was surprised to see that he managed to send it sprawling given the Paladin was smaller than even me. I assumed his strength stat was a bit higher than I gave him credit for.

The third ork, carrying one of the fuck-off sized swords, tried swinging at Barry while he was regaining his balance, and I saw him glow a faint yellow for a second before a bubble of energy sprung up around him two feet in all directions.

The sword clanked off the bubble harmlessly, leaving the ork confused, its brutish face scrunched up in what I guessed was a mixture of surprise and anger.