Chapter 312. Return to Corbach
The party went to activate the Waypoint and quickly left the settlement before any of them did something foolish.
Yes, it was easy to kill the chieftain, but that wouldn't help Corbach. On the contrary, it would make its inhabitants uneasy about their future and scared about their safety.
While it's easy to say the word 'anarchy,' dealing with its aftermath is no simple matter.
For now, they could only go about their business and prepare another batch of provisions to be given to the villagers. If the chieftain has anything to complain about that, then beating the living shit out of him wouldn't pose a problem anymore.
Wanting to help the local economy—or whatever was left of it—the group sold all their Rare items to the local item shop without much concern for the low prices they offered.
With almost three-quarters of his inventory filled and all of them items of high level, Michael gained only 143,404 gold coins, while the girls got similarly bad offers.
Still, whatever small business they did here might help prolong the existence of this shop and attract other Wanderers in the near future.
If that happened, dealing with the goatmen infesting the area around Corbach would be much easier.
Taking this chance as they traveled the Torvstrath area, he curiously checked the stats of his Legendary wand.
[ Blood Seeker's Serpentine Wand
Legendary Wand
600 Item Power
-----------------
523 Damage per Second (+23 compared to the currently equipped item)
* [349 - 523] Damage per Hit
* 1.20 Attacks per Second
* +6.0% Lucky Hit Chance
------------------
* +14% Damage
* +50 Intelligence
* +75 Maximum Life
Legendary Aspect: Blood Lance deals 16% increased damage to its primary target per lanced enemy (Necromancer Only).
Empty Socket ]
Not bad, but not particularly good either, especially when compared to his current sickle.
What he needed next was to change his helm, pants, gloves, and, if even remotely possible, his amulet.
The 'drive' to the 17th Altar of Lilith took less than ten minutes from Corbach, and they found it after clearing some goatmen into one of the abandoned houses.
What made him sigh was the previously covered by fog area, which now revealed itself and a Quest to the party.
[ Side Quest: The Seer (Level 55+)
Description: Help a Seer trying to divine the source of the famine in Corbach. ]
It was the description that sealed the deal, as everyone agreed unanimously to go check it out.
Even Michael was intrigued, as the reason for the famine was the lack of farmland.
The lack of farmland was also attributed to the large goatmen infestation, which prevented agriculture and trading with other settlements from becoming sustainable industries.
Six or seven kilometers south, they found the Quest-giver kneeling before a dead goatman.
She gutted the wretch and was pulling his entrails one by one.
[Hmm? Wanderers? I see... The Sanctuary sent you my way, from the looks of it. My name is Baewyn.](Baewyn)
"Hello. I am Michael, and these three are Neyrelle, Tia, and Evelyn. Judging from your attire, you should be a Druid, right?"
[Correct. Just like the little one over there.](Baewyn)
Evelyn smiled widely and quickly approached the lady covered in blood and guts as if the disgusting mess didn't exist in her eyes.
Curiously, she bent over to examine the creature's opened stomach but couldn't figure anything out.
So she decided to ask instead.
[What are you doing?](Evelyn)
'...holy shit! That's straight to the point... this clutz!'
[Hm? This? Just reading this fellow's entrails.](Baewyn)
'She answered!? Fuck! Is Evelyn's Charisma maxed!?'
Since the system prompted them that Baewyn was a Seer, there was no need to doubt her profession.
"Why the entrails of goatmen?"
[*Sigh* They are encroaching ever more on our lands. I'm trying to determine why and how. With a bit of skill, you can learn a lot from someone's innards. Not many remember or practice the old ways, but you split the gut and read the mess that pours out...](Baewyn)
"I see..."
[Help me open the gut further, will you? I'm not getting a good reading, and my hands aren't as steady as they used to be.](Baewyn)
Michael was still a bit wary of this strange woman even if she was 'dolled' in druidic equipment.
After all, just hours ago, they killed a Mad Druid. What's another to add to the plate?
[ Side Quest issued - The Seer
Objective: Split the gut further to reveal the entrails
Description: A Seer seeking insights into the source of the famine in nearby Corbach has asked you to help open the gut of a goatman so she can do a reading. ]
Before Michael could say or do anything, Tia stepped forward and used her daggers to split the beast from its stomach to the upper chest.
Speechless, he dropped the idea of lambasting the petite Assasin, as he would just waste saliva.
[Good! Let's see... *Sigh* Full of parasites. There's not much left to read now.](Baewyn)
Only now did the Necromancer realize that this wasn't a fresh kill, but rather, a goatman that died of... natural causes?
As odd as it seemed, there were no slashing or puncturing marks - except the ones Tia and the Seer inflicted - on the dead monster.
[I had a hard time getting hold of this one. Would you kindly round up a few more for me?](Baewyn)
[ Side Quest update - The Seer
Objective: Collect goatmen entrails (0/5)
Description: You met a Seer named Baewyn outside Corbach, attempting to divine the source of the town's famine by reading the entrails of a goatman. Having discovered they were unreadable, she has asked you to gather some more. ]
"We'll gladly do so."
[Thank you! Meet me back in Corbach when you've finished, and we'll see what we can learn.](Baewyn)
Watching the woman teleport away, Michael wondered if 'NPCs' had access to unlimited daily uses of the portal function.
'Or maybe it's a Level thing. Needs further investigation.'
As he was still wondering about it, the girls massacred more than seventy goatmen until five Quest Items dropped.
[ Goatmen Entrails (5)
Quest item: The Seer
--------------
Plump, stinking goatmen innards. What might the old Seer divine from these? ]
[ Side Quest update - The Seer
Objective: Speak with Baewyn in Corbach
Description: You've collected the Goatmen Entrails the Seer requested for her reading. She mentioned you should bring them to her in Corbach in the hopes they might shed light on the source of the town's famine. ]
With the decision made for them, the party returned to the settlement, prompting a sigh to escape Michael's lips.
It was already past 5 p.m., and judging from how things were going, this was most likely a chain Quest.
Nevertheless, if they accepted it, they should see it through to the end.
They found the old woman near the 'plaza' and handed over the five bags.
"We've gathered the entrails you wanted."
[Splendid! My visions have been clouded lately... weakened. Hopefully, these entrails will tell us more.](Baewyn)
Michael was initially worried she might spill the content in the middle of the plaza, but she was a bit more attentive than he thought.
Instead of overturning the pouches, she only opened them and took quick glances at each one.
[Let's see here... just a moment.](Baewyn)
[ Side Quest complete - The Seer
Reward 1: 17,640 experience points
Reward 2: 2,240 gold coins
Reward 3: Elixir Cache. ]
The trio immediately opened their Caches, and after realizing the old woman was still busy reading, Michael did the same, earning a Rare pair of trousers and an Elixir of Advantage.
[ Elixir of Advantage
--------------------
For the next 30 minutes:
* Increases Attack Speed by 7% and Lucky hit by 7%
*Experience gained is increased by 5%. ]
Shrugging, he threw the bottle into his inventory and turned to Baewyn, whose facial expression was distorted quite a bit.
"Did you learn anything from the entrails?"
[Yes. Our people are starving, going hungry while the goatmen overrun our farms. These lands used to be protected, but... well, we've no time now for this chatter.](Baewyn)
'Oh, wow! Cliffhangers! Really?'
[From my readings, I was able to see their attack on Kealer farm, nearby. I sensed a survivor. Hurry! Find them, please! Learn what you can, then return to me. I hope it's not too late...](Baewyn)
Realizing the urgency of the situation, the group re-summoned their mounts and prepared to leave before the system even had a chance to give out the Quest.
[ Side Quest issued - Smoke Signals
Objective: Investigate Kealer's Farm
Description: A Seer in Corbach believes there is a survivor at the goatmen raid on Kealer Farm who might know something worthwhile regarding the source of the local famine. You should go there and learn what you can. ]
Grimacing at the Quest's title and remembering the crappy experience he had with a similar mission at the Goose Inn, Michael hurried the party as they made their way to the location marked on the MAP.
It took them less than ten minutes to get there, but judging by the sounds, they didn't make it in time.
[Someone, please! Help!](?)
Hearing the words, against his better judgment, he looked at Tia, who had already jumped off her horse and nodded.
The girl immediately used Flicker and teleported behind one of the goatmen attacking the farmer, finishing it off with Backstab.
According to the girl, these two skills worked particularly well, and due to their synergy, the damage dealt was sufficient to deal even with Elites in one shot.
The rest of the party also arrived by the time the goatmen realized what was happening, and a brawl started.
Unfortunately for the creatures that outnumbered the Wanderers 10 to 1, Michael was at the frontline. And if there was one thing Necromancers weren't afraid of, it was crowds of weaklings.
The shitty part was that by the point where they were done, the trio returned to Tia and the wounded farmer, only to see her holding an empty Healing Potion while the injured man was still bleeding heavily.
Sighing, he pretended not to notice the fatal wounds and approached the man.
"We're here to help. Can you stand?"
[No... *Grunt* the goatmen... we couldn't hold them off. The others were taken... *Cough* to the tunnels... This... land was once safe, but now... *exhale* We told him, warned him... not to destroy the wardstones. The chieftain. Eiruig. He --](Kealar Farmer)
With a final gasp, the man died.
The Necromancer closed his eyes after reading indignation and sorrow in them.
[ Side Quest update - Smoke Signals
Objective: Speak with Baewyn in Corbach
Description: With his dying breath, Farmer Kealar mentioned the 'tunnels' and something about chieftain Eiruig destroying wardstones. You should return to the Seer in Corbach and share what you've learned. ]
Probably sensing Michael's killing intent intensifying after reading the description, the girls looked at each other but didn't say anything.
They rushed back to Corbach after confirming there were no more survivors, gathering the corpses of over fifteen people in their inventory.
When they returned to the plaza, the Necromancer directly approached Baewyn.
"The farmer said the goatmen took people to the tunnels, and the chieftain destroyed some wardstones."
[This... Damned fool! The tunnels the farmer mentioned must be the Domhainne Tunnels. If the goatmen are taking prisoners there, that's likely where they're coming from. Maybe the Dungeon overflowed... As for the chieftain - that ignorant boor - well, there's no reasoning with him. See for yourselves, if you'd like. Ancestors know, I've tried.](Baewyn)
"I was planning to do so."
[Hurry. Once you've finished, meet me at the tunnels. Reinforcements or not, it's time we take back our lands.](Baewyn)
Watching the woman teleport again, this time probably to a Dungeon, Michael was slightly distracted, wondering when he'd get to do the same.
[ Side Quest complete - Smoke Signals
Reward 1: 17,600 experience points
Reward 2: 2,240 gold coins
Reward 3: Leather Cache. ]
[ Side Quest issued - Reclamation
Objective: Speak with chieftain Eiriug
Description: Your investigation with Baewyn the Seer has led you to discover Corbach's famine may have something to do with the town's Chieftain, Eiriug, and his disregard for the land's protective wardstones. ]
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he opened the Leather Cache and gained another Rare item and 22 Rawhides.
Then, with hurried steps, the party made their way to the chieftain's place.
It didn't help anyone's anger subside that the previous feast the chieftain was having now turned into a small party, with villagers watching from afar how the man and his 'guests' ate.
Barging in and kicking the door open, Michael moved before the man and questioned him.
"Your people are starving, and you're holding a party? Not only that, but people are literally dying, and it appears to be your fault."
[What? No. I only want what's best for my people. But some of them are stuck in the old ways and can't see the way forward. The Cathedral of Light is our future.](Eiruig)
Realizing that some of the people eating with the man were monks, a vein almost popped on the Necromancer's right temple.
[The famine may have been sent to test us, but we will persevere. I will be strong for everyone. Faith and prayer will lead us out of the darkne...](Eiruig)
With a crunching sound of bones shattering and teeth breaking, the chieftain was sent flying by Michael's fist.