A few minutes before the death of Orthos.
Claire was running in the direction of the Orthos cave. She had quickly obeyed Priam, knowing she would be a dead weight. Besides, even if she was grateful to him, she had things to do, especially to save her family.
The Amazon on her left turned to her and quietly indicated they had arrived. They were in the heart of the Baron's territory, and there was little chance of other creatures lurking around, but it was best to remain cautious. The mist gradually gave way to a small mountain.
It took the two won several minutes to finally find the entrance to the cave. In the mist, it was not easy without help. Claire's new skills were mainly focused on the ntal part of her characteristics.
Physically, the young woman was doing better than average. She had practiced boxing since childhood which served her well during the Tutorial. Unfortunately, one physical skill was not enough to have impressive physical characteristics. She had always considered the sport a hobby and a way to unwind. Her level had not allowed her to beco a champion before the Apocalypse, and she certainly would not beco one after. Claire knew how to use her head, which would have to be enough.
In any case, Claire didn't have an incredible perception, and it was challenging to navigate through the fog. If she had been able to spot Priam during their journey, it was because of her racial trait. It allowed her to spot humans easily. Claire would have preferred to inherit [Humanity adapts], but circumstances had left her no choice.
Claire smiled as she thought back to the last few hours. Priam must have thought she had exceptional perception. Priam's gaze pierced the haze with his perception, and he must have concluded she did too. When observing a strange fact, it was easy to jump to the wrong conclusion. With his current strength, Priam had been like a beacon in the mist for Claire's talent.
But if all went according to plan, if she succeeded in her main quest, she would catch up. The advertised reward was incredible: 100 points of Potential and an improvent in her racial skill. Plus, a position that would make the rest of her journey easier. A reward appropriate to the difficulty of the quest. The System was always fair.
"Quite honestly, without Priam, the chances of us succeeding in this quest were still pretty low. The second Baron would have decimated all the survivors." the girl muttered.
She knew that Orthos was dead. The first part of her quest was to get into the do, and defeating the guardian was the most obvious solution. She had analyzed the monster and knew that no one but Priam had stood a chance against the Boss. Claire had even been partially rewarded for defeating the Baron, even though she had done nothing but escort the executioner. But a quest reward was always welco. She was relieved that Priam was able to kill the first Baron but worried about the second. Priam was a monster, but so was Nea. Claire knew a thing or two about monsters... I hope you make it through, Priam.
"Claire." The Amazon pulled her out of her thoughts, and the girl smiled. They had arrived. The cave was right there and the guard had been defeated by Priam. Right now, the second guard was occupied by Priam, and Claire had to believe in him. She had lied to him in a way, but if he managed to kill the two Barons, the System would amply reward him. Claire was happy for him. Now she also had to think about herself, about her family.
"Let's go," she replied to the Amazon, who was waiting respectfully. The Tutorial had given Claire a certain edge, a position of power she had earned. She had cultivated that edge in the Revenants' village and would continue it at this Reunion. If Orthos' lair and the Do were to enrich anyone, it would be her.
A few ters inside the cave, individuals were waiting. The Amazon ca closer.
"Anne! Albin! Sorry, I'm late. I stayed a while to watch the fight," Claire announced. The two Revenant sub-officers had been waiting for her. Claire knew they must not have appreciated her order. But like oil and water, they hated each other too much to get along and to ignore her directions. You don't choose your allies, the young woman mused.
Albin frowned. "So what? The white boy you ca in with is doing well?"
"From a distance, I saw that he was destroying Orthos. My talent tells that he has beco even more powerful than before. Since we received the System reward, I guess he won. If Nea hadn't interfered, I think he would be arguing with us now..."
Anne looked at Claire with concern. "Do you think he can defeat Nea and then co here?"
"No. The cat is not stupid and will understand not to get too close. Nea was slaughtering the survivors the last ti I saw him, and Priam will try to stop him. It's pretty sad, honestly. But if he does manage to kill him, I guess he'll co running in here and demand an explanation. I would like to have so explanations too, Anne. Why did you slaughter the fighters on your mound?"
"... When we wanted to leave, one of the n asked where we were going. They wouldn't let us escape the fight quietly. I had no choice," Anne replied, her jaw clenching.
"We still have a choice, Anne. We'll talk about it again, but I'd advise you to stick to the plan for the rest. I do not need unknown variables in my plans. Especially not when they co from an ally. If Priam manages to get here, you'll explain to him that you had no choice, right? I'm sure he'll understand the value of killing twenty fighters rather than knocking them out." The sarcasm in Claire's voice reassured Anne. If Claire had decided to eliminate her, she wouldn't have bothered to laugh at her.
Anne nodded slowly. She was not afraid of Priam despite his strength. He had a code of honor from what Claire had said. But Anne had seen Claire in action. The young woman looked cute, but in her opinion, the end justified the ans. Anne did not want to be sacrificed.
"I an, there's little chance," Claire resud. "Nea's skill is almost a cheat..."
One of the Amazons had been able to analyze the second Baron's skill. Nea thought it was a master of camouflage, but it could make mistakes. Identifying an animal's strengths by its excrent was one of the skills available to a hunter.
"You're right. We're safe for a while," said Albin, trying to break the icy atmosphere. If anything happened to Anne, he wouldn't last long, and he knew it. He hated his rival, but she had to survive until the end of the Reunion.
Claire clapped her hands to get public attention. "Okay, everyone. We're almost there, and we're several days ahead of schedule. Let's not just stand around. It's ti to proselytize!"
As her comrades walked back into the cave, Claire had one last thought for Priam. She blad herself a little for keeping things from him, especially after he had helped her so much. But Priam was too powerful. His disagreent could have had devastating consequences. Would he have understood? Banishing the doubt from her mind, she comforted herself. He'll be fine. We all have our commitnts, and I must take care of my family. I'm their only hope...
Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / N 10 / TA 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 78
Constitution 92
Agility 107
Vitality 126
Perception 91
NTAL:
Vivacity 92
Dexterity 77
mory 31
Willpower 48
Charisma 42
TA:
ta-affinity 41
ta-focus 44
Potential: 199
Tier 0
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