26 Respect

Sometimes, when you pass a bottleneck, you gain a new form of magic based on your actions. At other times, like when I learned to use Yin Lighting of Mercy, the Connection gives you something completely random.

Most bottlenecks, however, are just duds. You reach a new number, hope for a better use of of your power, but in the end, you get shit.

Maybe not complete shit, you end up wasting less mana and hit harder when you use your affinities at higher levels, but that part is pretty instinctual that only the most obsessed perfectionists count their mana usage with every skill up and during battle to do their best.

Those types usually don't make it far, they overthink fights and die when they should have reacted.

-a mother educating her child as he falls asleep, Melisandra Meirvere, Dark Lady of The Myriad Storms, 2109 FE

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The other two Hobgoblins finally thought about the idea that Odd existed again and his magic cloak was now useless, not that he needed it anymore.

As the three Hobgoblins were standing up from their cross legged sitting positions, Odd ran up the back of the falling body of Eye Patch, jumped into the air, and landed on the female Hobgoblin.

Of course, while he was in the air, his yin lightning, coated daggers made holes in the torsos of the annoying and cloaked Hobgoblins.

Tossing the daggers in the air, however, left his arms behind his body and he took the full brunt of the female Hobgoblin's attack.

Sure, he performed reconnaissance and inspected the Hobgoblins before he made his move.

Sure, he expected the woman to use her [Acid Affinity] that was rated at mid T2.

He did not expect, however, for her to throw up acid all over his face. As Odd reinforced his arms with his [Speed Affinity], planning to thrust his arms into her body, he fought against the pain as the acid made the skin of his face bubble in pain.

Some got in his throat, melting his insides. Some splashed into his eyes before he could shut them in time, melting his cornea.

[Soul] rose from 3.0 to 3.1

Odd was so pissed off that instead of plunging his limbs into the woman as he planned, he shifted his jaw wide open, his teeth grew sharper, and he bit her face off. The feeling of her flesh going down his burnt gullet was hard to ignore. It was a slight consolation, at least, that the experience wasn't as painful as blowing his foot off with yin lighting.

He was sure his magic was legitimately evil.

The Living Ghoul felt pain in his side, so he ripped an arm off his latest meal, and jumped directly up into the trees.

Thankfully, the annoying one died from his thrown dagger, so Odd presumed that his presence wasn't known to others. Instead, he looked down at the prey that was left and smiled as he ate the food required to recover fully from his injuries.

[Eyes of Providence] activated

Name: Percy

Race: Green Hobgoblin, T3

[Stats]

Body: 3.9

Mind: 8.1

Soul: 2.2

Strength Affinity: Mid T2

[Special Conditions]

Crippled (Mute): Serious burns have disfigured the front of his body.

His stats were average for a Hobgoblin that waited for the first year to evolve naturally, but he wasn't able to sound the alarm. Odd wanted his cloak as undamaged as possible though, so he dropped down on his shoulders and slammed him in the head as hard as he could with a speed reinforced thrust.

[Body] rose from 2.0 to 2.1

Odd was thrown off and slammed into a tree before he could get enough hits in to finish it. Maybe he should have dropped and tried to strangle him instead of just punched him?

[Mind] rose from 2.5 to 2.6

'Since when does it work like that?' Odd yelled in his head.

The cloaked Hobgoblin was slightly hunched over and wheezing loudly. The burns must have crippled him more than just rendering him mute.

"Look, we can settle this peacefully, right? I never wanted this, you never wanted this... I think at least. So can you just give me your mask and cloak so I can use it as a disguise and we can part ways?"

The Hobgoblin collected his breath. His wheezing lessened, but didn't completely stop. Percy shook his head from side to side, clearly saying no.

"No? But why, please?" Odd begged.

The disfigured Hobgoblin pointed towards the even more disfigured body of the female Hobgoblin.

"What?" Odd asked. "For revenge? That group didn't seem like they cared about their comrades though!"

Blood dripped from the cloaked Hobgoblin's fists as he clenched his fists. Odd could hear his teeth grit behind the dark bandanna.

"But you did and not for the comrades, but the woman? The woman that was getting wet at the thought of being gang banged by your friends? I'm sure you could find someone better than that whore out in the world, I believe in you, Percy!"

Odd heard a pained growl and felt the physical manifestation of killing intent that he had forgotten was possible since he was forced to fight the Dracogoblin with the Hob, Roark, and the Ghoul, Glette.

This killing intent, however, was of despair. It was not the killing intent of a superior towards a bug, but justified anger against an equal.

Equals? Odd was clearly way stronger, but the Hobgoblin didn't know that.

Fists went back and forth and Odd slightly felt like he owed his foe for killing his beloved, so he didn't use his yin lighting to end it quickly. It was a brawl of quick thrusts with his speed affinity against the thunderous thuds of the Hobgoblin's strength empowered strikes.

Odd spit out a tooth and punched Percy in the gut again. Sure, the woman was a dirty whore, but other people weren't usually as possessive as the Living Ghoul. Its why it was practically impossible to find virgins with Gob genes. They're programmed to reproduce quickly, often, and make strong heirs. So, Odd told himself he shouldn't look down on Percy's feelings towards the acid spitting Hobgoblin he ate to death for a simple reason like promiscuity.

The young Gob landed another good strike on the Hobgoblin, forcing him to stumble back. Odd continued pressing his advantage, as he rained several damaging blows in quick succession.

[Speed Affinity] minor bottleneck passed. Rose from 1.9 to 2.0

Odd was beginning to think the racial programming thing was a less of a factor than people thought. Gobs just had really, really high libido as well as loose morals. Its only common sense that the combination would lead to world-wide, amorous lifestyles.

What was more surprising was that a Hobgoblin showed such a strong desire for revenge and maybe... even loved that slutty, ugly, Red Hobgoblin woman?

Odd landed another punch, this time, his foe dropped to the ground. The Living Ghoul instinctively activated his yin lightning around his hand to finish the job.

A quiet sigh echoed through the air as the crackling of the torturous energy receded without killing his foe on the ground. He didn't deserve to be tortured to death.

[Mind] rose from 2.5 to 2.6

[Soul] rose from 3.1 to 3.2

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Odd stood at the entrance to Cripclaw Keep, garbed in a long cloak that had a hole in the back near the chest. A bandanna protected his face. It was dripping wet after a good scrubbing with the liberal usage of water affinity. He even got a skill up from it!

He made his way towards his goal with quiet, sure footed steps.

Behind Odd, was an empty clearing that only had a stump with cards on it. The Power Stones were taken, the bloodstains were washed away by water magic, and all four corpses were gone.

What was left of them were residing in the stomach of a Living Ghoul. After all, they were the best medicine for his battle wounds.