blueteamnovel WM [44] You Have A Deal
WM [44] You Have A Deal
WM [44] You Have A Deal
Bjorn saw Tanisha eat part of the monarch after it died. There was no adverse reaction to it but he did taste a change in her magic ever so briefly. Once she was done they all ran alongside the escaping party of monster hunters. After the death of the monarch the monster horde lost interest in cohesion and began attacking anything with magic including other monsters. Most monsters were solitary or would attack anything that wasn’t its own species. Since the monarch was dead, monsters that were herded together were now ripping at each other with savage furocity.
Their group wasn’t spared the unbridled savagery of any monster that was unfortunate enough to attempt. The team was riding high on having killed the monarch and without any serious injury. They didn’t run into anything the seasoned hunters couldn’t kill before he, Adelheid or Tanisha could respond. The cohesion between the Jackrabbit elites was incredible now that he and Tanisha got to see them fighting together against weaker opponents.
Alfred was the tactical head of the group; his abilities with the iron net allowed him to attack monsters with devastating efficacy or defend party members with a well timed assist. Despite the fact that he hadn’t been hunting with them for a while, Alfred had seamlessly slipped back into his role as the group’s leader. The team trusted his judgment implicitly, following his commands without question.
“How are you holding up?” Tanisha asked, glancing over at Adelheid.
Adelheid hesitated for a moment. “G-good? I am already healed.”
“Oh, you have a healing factor?” Tanisha responded, her tone lighter than it had been before. “Good, good.”
Bjorn observed the exchange, Tanisha’s tone wasn’t exactly warm, but it was a marked improvement. He was struggling to read Tanisha’s emotions. Up until the fight, she had been dismissive, even bordering on outright hostile toward Adelheid. He could sense the deep-seated hatred she harbored, almost certain that Tanisha was plotting some form of retribution against her. While he believed the old Tanisha wouldn’t have acted on such dark impulses, he wasn’t so sure anymore. Perhaps she was beginning to accept Adelheid, even if only slightly.
“Most werewolves have some type of advanced healing.” Henry said with a swing of his battle axe splitting a spider-like monster in half without slowing his pace. “It’s like the wendigo and that body strengthening magic thing they got.”
“Yeah, so there is nothing to worry about,” Adelheid responded. “Thank you for your concern, though.”
With the mention of the healing factor Bjorn slowed his jog just enough that his tail could tap Adelheid’s leg briefly. He then pulled up his Identify.
Identify
Name: Adelheid Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: 70 + 1 = 71
Vocation: Beastborn Berserker
Highest Stat: Health Regeneration: 272 + 2 = 274
Bjorn nearly tripped over a root but caught himself before nearly anyone saw. Tanisha’s brief, amused smirk told him she’d seen his stumble, and through their bond, he could feel her quiet amusement at his expense. He refocused part of his attention to watch where he was going then looked over the Identify information.
“Her Health Regeneration is higher than mine.” Bjorn thought.
“Yeah, but she doesn’t have the same type of regeneration as you.” Failsafe said. “Out of the two of you, yours is better but slower.”
“How can you tell?” Bjorn asked
Henry spoke up. “Let’s make sure Joha gets the spoils of the monsters he killed. He kept everyone safe.”
“We’ll make sure of it, after we are secure again we’ll start harvesting his share too,” the bowman agreed, clapping Alfred on the shoulder. “Glad to have you back, Alfred, don’t know where the Jackrabbits would be without ‘cha. We’ll finish mopping up here. The camp’s secure.”
***
As they approached the camp walls, Bjorn noticed Joha standing on the battlements, surrounded by a group of monster hunters. They were peppering him with questions, their admiration clear as they marveled at his speed and fighting style. Despite the attention, Joha seemed slightly out of his element, offering modest responses. He wasn’t one to boast, especially when the topic turned to prana, which as an arcanist himself, was something he admitted knowing little about.
Tanisha pushed through the crowd with a determined stride. She undid the latches that held the two halves of her helmet together and they disappeared into her inventory. Bjorn watched as she reached Joha, surprising him with a sudden, tight hug. Joha’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly returned the embrace, huffing slightly from the unexpected show of affection.
“Tanisha?” Joha said, his voice tinged with surprise. “You’re back already?”
Tanisha pulled back, her expression softening as she looked him over. “I’m glad you’re safe,” she said quietly. “I know that nothing here would have been able to stop you, but... I thought the same about Bjorn too.”
Joha’s smile was warm, his usual stoicism melting away. “I’m not going anywhere, apprentice,” he assured her as he patted her head. “I guess it’s time we pack up if things are all done here.”
Before Tanisha could respond, Alfred stepped forward, the crowd parting for him as he approached.
“Joha, we still need to calculate how much we owe you two,” Alfred said, his tone both businesslike and respectful. He gestured toward the open field beyond the walls, where monster corpses were strewn across the ground. “How many of those monsters are yours?”
“Damn near half,” one of the hunters interjected before Joha could answer. “And not just those—he defended the entire perimeter around the camp.”
Alfred nodded, clearly impressed. “It’s a damn shame you two are leaving. We could use more hunters like you.”
“How long will it take to settle up?” Joha asked.
“Something like this would usually take a while to process,” Alfred admitted. “However, I can expedite it for you if you don’t want materials and prefer coin instead. It won’t be as accurate—just an estimate—but I could have you two paid by this time tomorrow.”
Joha considered it for a moment before nodding. “Coin will be fine.”
Alfred smiled. “Good. Then tonight, we celebrate. The bar, drinks, and a proper send-off. How does that sound?”
Joha nodded his head. “I knew I liked something about you, Alfred. You have a deal.”