Battle Admin System 2

2 - The Biggest Adventurer

Years ago, a young and small Lillea dozed off during her language and culture lessons. It was cozy in the tent, and her mother’s voice was soothing. Until she shouted into Lillea’s ear and nearly scared the girl into the early embrace of Moonwatcher.

Her mother laughed while Lillea panicked. It was a valuable lesson for the young Lillea. She should keep about her wits and stay focused. It didn’t matter if the lessons to read, write, and understand other races were boring compared to combat, hunting, and exploration.

A Moonstrider existed to battle at all fronts. Having the intellect was just as important as having the physicality.

But for reasons Lillea kept mostly to herself years later, she liked to wow others with her physicality more than her intellect. Especially when showing off her new weapons. Or her new arm, for example.

The second largest square in Cold Tooth was the perfect location for a show. It was the paved grounds overseen by the Adventurer Guild, a stone building reaching up to her waist.

Alchemists, smiths, enchanters, and other specialized vendors sold their wares and services around the square. Their main clientele were eager adventurers looking to make a name for themselves, so the prices were higher here than elsewhere.

The area also had a concentration of training yards. Three to be exact. And it was within viewing distance of the coliseum for those of smaller heights.

There was plenty of space for Lillea to lower down and train. The seniors of Cold Tooth were accustomed to her antics. Newer adventurers were easily startled. Some threatened to attack the giant until the vendors themselves talked them out of it.

Only the adventurers who had associated well with Lillea moved within easy grabbing distance. They milled around her left side as Lillea did push ups.

She doted on them with a smile, eating up the attention even though she should be focused on her training. As of now, a good number of adventurers could overcome her left arm. She lacked the skill to pair it effectively with her body and other skills.

She only soaked in the attention since she’d been in the wilderness for a while, and she would soon go out again. At least exercising with an audience fulfilled her enjoyment of civilization while she prepared for the wilds.

Half a dozen goblins appeared on Lillea’s back. Some adventurers shouted in alarm and raised their weapons and magic. They were new adventurers, so Lillea didn’t fault them. She was thankful for the older adventurers who stepped in and calmed their excitable juniors.

Some goblins laughed and pointed. Others hopped around Lillea’s back as she exercised. One goblin knelt subserviently on her metal shoulder and felt over the shell.

“Hey ho, Pruz, do you like my new arm?” Lillea asked in the goblin language. The junior adventurers gawked as if she’d become a giant goblin herself.

“Very nice arm, Lady Moonstrider. Fitting. It will punch the brains out. As long as it’s not mine.” Pruz complimented, rubbing his hands nervously.

He obviously had more to say. It was no bother to wait as Lillea shifted to one arm push-ups with the metal one. She felt discomfort from her flesh. Her left side struggled. She pushed herself anyway, dipping down slowly and rising at the same tempo.

“We lost the shadowy one. Moved fast. Could be an elf. Drow? We don’t know. We failed the lady.” She could hear the goblin shaking and breathing nervously by her ear.

“You did fail me,” she grunted on a painful rise.

“Apologies, lady. Apologies. The shadowy one moved so fast. Higher level, yes?”

“Then what does that mean, Pruz?”

Lillea let him fidget as she dipped down for another rep. She heard a ding in the back of her mind and summoned the system runes.

You’ve gained a new skill in your pool: Prosthetic Adjustment (Level 1)!

Happy, Lillea rested on her belly. The goblins hopped down and knelt in front of her face. While it was peculiar for goblins to show such deference in the open, this also garnered goblins some measure of protection.

A majority of the Cold Tooth goblins were aligned with her. To mess with them was to mess with Lillea Moonstrider.

“More training is needed. More hunts. I’ll hold council and tell others. Goblins need higher skills to serve Lady Moonstrider.” Pruz looked up with hopeful dark eyes.

Lillea relented a little. I want to be tough on them to push their growth, but they are doing their best. And they had a healthy dosage of fear compared to the last goblin who held Pruz’s position.

“More hunts. More levels. And keep eyes wide. Ears to the wall. You’ll update me about events later. Thank you for your time, my friends.”

The goblins bowed gratefully before slinking away as quickly as they appeared. Some adventurers watched them harshly. One woman aimed her bow at a fleeing goblin, arrow drawn, although halfheartedly. The gesture was intended to be a joke among her friends.

Lillea’s fleshy fist crashed down in front of the bow woman. The snow parted in a big whoosh. The pavement cratered with a rumbling crunch.

Junior adventurers fell over from the near brush of death when a giant woman moved faster than anticipated. They crawled out from under her shadow or gawked while she loomed from a crouched position. The senior adventurers shook their heads or started laughing.

The bow woman turned the snow yellow under her.

“Apologies,” Lillea said, switching to the common language. “You’ve mistakenly aimed a dangerous projectile at my dear friends. If you weren’t careful, you could’ve shot them in the back. And hurt one of my dear, dear friends. It’s a good thing I was here to correct your mistake, yes?”

The bow woman moved her head rapidly. It was hard to tell if she was nodding. Her body was shaking a lot.

I think I’ve got my point across. For now.

Lillea shifted back with the grace of a panther. She ignored the annoyed or amused looks from the older adventurers. They were going to drink and tell tall tales at Grimmer’s Throne about this. The event would spread for both good and bad.

Please, don’t stretch the truth too far with the guard captain.

Lillea sat, legs crossed. She made it obvious she was looking at her system runes by staring up in the air.

Adventurers proved their mettle and shook off the scare. They turned to their business. Some stayed in her vicinity, too enraptured to do anything but stare. Lillea had long grown accustomed to stares and focused on herself.

Profile: Lillea Moonstrider

Race: Moon Giant

Rank: Legendary

Role: Battler

Experience: Level 251

System Points: 1

Skills: Moonstrider Learning V (Level 241), Moonstrider Athleticism V (Level 251), Expert Hunter’s Perception III (Level 239), Ravenous Survival (Level 178), Force Manipulation III (Level 230), Rock Spire  (Level 211), Whirling Tundra (Level 189), Adept Club Fighting (Level 154), Skill Slot (Open).

Upon reaching Level 251 with Moonstrider Athleticism, her experience went up the same. Experience levels always matched the highest skill. The experience would retain its level even if the highest skill was dumped, too.

Level 250 experience awarded her 2 system points to upgrade her skills or to purchase an open skill slot. In her excitement, she’d already spent a system point for a slot on her way back to Cold Tooth. The battle against the Man-Eating Boar had been long but worthwhile for her.

She finally regained her left arm, regardless of it being metal. She could dismiss one of her older skills, too.

Adept Club Fighting did well against most problems. But Lillea had no love for it. It was a simple solution for the one-armed Lillea of the past.

The skill pool was a different runic menu filled with potential skills for her to acquire. Most skills were freely available as long as she had an open slot and met some requirements. Some skills required another system point or two. Others required special traits or achievements.

Her Moonstrider skills were strictly special to her, and they happened to exist without her spending points for slots. Those were the only skills she gained directly, passed down from her parents. She hadn’t come across such good fortune again.

I could go for the Pugilist skill, but do I want to spend time raising up another basic skill I could do normally?

She also had a special commission with the best dwarven smiths in Cold Tooth. A project they’d started months ago for her. Patience would serve her well.

Lillea sighed. Keep the club skill for now. Replace it when the dwarves finish the commission.

Lillea found Prosthetic Adjustment in the skill pool. No extra requirements, thankfully.

Prosthetic Adjustment (Level 1): So you lost an arm, maybe a leg. Is that supposed to stop you? Your innate magic and physical qualities can be shared through your prosthetic.

Simple description. Lillea paid attention to what it wasn’t saying. The sharing of magic and physical qualities wasn’t one-to-one or to the prosthetic’s benefit. Not right away. The new skill was starting at Level 1. It would need training.

If I get the pugilist skill, I can probably level the prosthetic faster. But she was just as likely to damage her new arm punching something she shouldn’t. I will reward myself with something nice sooner or later. Stick to the club, Lillea.

Clubs were simple to make. So no matter how many she broke, she would not be without a weapon for long. Lillea focused on the Prosthetic Adjustment skill and demanded it to fill the open skill slot.

You’ve filled an open skill slot with Prosthetic Adjustment (Level 1)!

Lillea rolled her metal shoulder around. It felt a touch livelier.

Prosthetic Adjustment leveled up from 1 to 2!

Lillea chuckled. The early levels for new skills came fast because of her experience level. She could do more pushups and get the prosthetic skill to the 20s before leaving the square.

The higher the levels, the stronger the metal arm. The stronger the metal arm, the less likely she’d ruin Ogun and Olomere’s work. She wouldn’t want to disappoint them, especially Ogun. He was passionate about his work.

Dismissing the system runes, Lillea planned to do more pushups. Her last system point would serve better at Level 275, which felt closer than ever before. Her adventures would go more smoothly henceforth. The levels would happen faster compared to her ponderous speed of yesteryear.

Knowing this sent her heart thundering. Her usual friendly smile faltered. A more savage and ravenous smile broke through.

Fiona trembled with wide eyes in front of Lillea’s face, looking directly at the giant’s savage grin. The receptionist’s pale skin paled further like being caught in front of a predator.

It couldn’t be helped.

Lillea was in the mood for blood splatters and skull bashing and the ripping of spines. It was a struggle to wrestle with her bloodlust and dim her smile. The poor receptionist remained afraid while still exuding the air of a professional.

Nothing about Fiona stood out much compared to most pale humans. Brown hair. Slight body. Round spectacles. She was easy to dismiss, and most adventurer’s would do just that.

But Lillea noticed the human on her first day working at Cold Tooth half a year ago. Just like always, Fiona held a stack of commission papers she’d scanned and piled appropriately for the giant. Something she did for Lillea and nobody else.

“Hey ho, Fiona. It pleases me to see you.” Lileah pushed up and sat on her heels, posing slightly. The look on her face was expectant of a response.

Fiona focused on the arm. Her fear melted away. “Your arm is amazing. And functional. Ogun’s work? Of course. He and his father are advanced artificers. Despite their levels.” Fiona readjusted her glasses and zipped in closer to examine the new arm. “I’m so glad for you, Lilleah. Truly am. No doubt, you’ll want to go adventuring.”

“Please. I can’t wait. I’m in need.” Lilleah purred. Her stomach rumbled, pinching with hunger. She needed to get her food at Grimmer’s.

Fiona seemed to remember she was very close to a monstrous humanoid. She backed up a few paces and stiffened her posture and attitude. Her fear creeped out of her body, easy to sniff out.

“I have some commissions that should be to your liking, Lady Moonstrider,” Fiona said in between stutters. “I’ll happily go over them with you. But before I do, I’ve come to learn the pavement has been damaged. By accident, of course. Since it falls under the adventurers to maintain this square, I’ll have to investigate to understand who’s at fault and ask for the appropriate reparations.”

Lillea hunkered down and drew in a long draft through her nostrils, tugging at Fiona’s wooly dress. Lillea caught the scent of the bow woman and spotted her at one of the exits, an attempt to run away.

“Stay.” Lillea’s voice boomed deeply, traveling wide. Mostly everyone froze, especially the bow woman. Lillea gestured with a metal finger for the bow woman to come. “Here.”

It was easy for everyone to see the bow woman’s mental calculations.

Was she better off running? What would happen if she ran and Lillea caught her? She might as well write out her thoughts on her forehead.

One glance at Lillea’s predatory smile, daring her to run, corrected the bow woman’s mental math. She came over as ordered. Good human.

They addressed the issue with the pavement and the need for reparations. In the end, Lillea conceded she was at fault and would pay.

The giant pulled out a heavy pouch filled with coins, ingots, and ores for Fiona to pick through. The bow woman gulped like a fish out of water, eyes bulging. The pouch on her hip seemed to wither at the sight of Lillea’s fortune.

Lillea knew she had to pay the moment she punched the pavement. One could ask why she’d pulled the bow woman into the situation over reparations if there would be no shifting of blame. A lesson is like a nail. It might take more than a couple taps.

“My hard earned coins.” Lillea shook her head with a frown. “If I’m going to pay reparations, I should make it more worthwhile.” She cast a dark look upon the bow woman. “Next time, I’ll leave a lasting impression nobody would forget. For the rest of their short lives.”

The bow woman colored the snow yellow again. She scurried away. Lillea gathered a small pile of clean snow and buried the mess.

Lillea shook her head. “That was her second time.”

“Angering you?” Fiona hid the coins behind her back, shocked.

“No. Her second time yellowing the snow. She should really do something about that. Makes her too easy to track and trap, like a leisurely hunt for a predictable rabbit.”

Fiona performed the gasping fish expression like the bow woman. Of course, the receptionist did not yellow the snow. She was more practiced at managing a constant state of fear as a low 100s commoner.

“So, about these commissions. I’m going to shuffle the southern escorts to the back. Would you like marauding bandits to the east? Or the biggest monsters north? Or huge packs of smaller monsters to the west? Whatever you wish to have on our board, it will be yours, Lady Moonstrider!”

Fiona smiled like a woman trying to be pleasant in the face of death. For months they’d known each other. For months, Lillea fought herself to not laugh or sweep the little creature into a hug.

Fiona was the giant’s favorite common human. She had no idea she held this honor. She will get the hint sooner or later.