Ray Moss woke to the hum of his depot's core generator, the faint glow of his HUD flickering in the dim light of his bedroom cot. His body ached less than yesterday, the Anansi fight's bruises faded (HP: 170/170, Mana: 170/170). He grinned, the thrill of his Level 12 status (410/2000 EXP) fueling his drive. William Hatcher's gone. I'm Ray Moss, Zyra's mercenary, carving my name one mission at a time. His HUD flared, masking the alien magic coursing through him—Shadow Cloak, Muscle Boost, Bone Proficiency. This edge won't stay buried forever, he thought, unease cutting through his confidence. Exposure could cost me with the guild—or worse.
[Level: 12. EXP: 410/2000]
[Stats: Strength 14/100 (Enhanced by Orc Mutagen), Endurance 14/100 (Enhanced by Lizardman Mutagen), Speed 12/100, Agility 14/100 (Enhanced by Dark Elf Mutagen), HP 170/170, Mana 170/170.]
[Magic (Level 12): Fire (Flames: 10 mana, Fireball: 20 mana), Water (Drip: 10 mana, Torrent: 20 mana), Lightning (Spark: 10 mana, Bolt: 20 mana), Ice (Frost Touch: 10 mana, Frost Nova: 20 mana), Earth (Pebble Toss: 10 mana, Quake: 20 mana), Wind (Gust: 10 mana, Tempest: 20 mana), Universal Healing (Minor Mend: 10 mana, Major Mend: 20 mana), Universal Spatial (Short Blink: 10 mana, Long Blink: 20 mana, high spatial users detect), Shadow (Dark Elf Mutagen: Shadow Cloak, 10 mana; Shadow Veil, 20 mana), Enhancement (Orc Mutagen: Muscle Boost, 10 mana; Power Surge, 20 mana), Bone (Lizardman Mutagen: Bone Spike, 10 mana; Bone Spear, 20 mana).]
[Skills: Hacking (Level 2, 1/4 uses toward Level 3), Engineering (Level 2, 1/3 uses), Swordplay (Level 5, 1/6 uses toward Level 6), Markmanship (Level 5, 0/6 uses toward Level 6), Forging (Level 1, 0/3 uses), Stealth (Level 4, 3/5 uses toward Level 5), Alchemy (Level 3, 2/4 uses toward Level 4).]
[Inventory (Dimension Pocket): Rat pelts (x830), rat blood (x830), rat claws (x170), boar hide, impundulu core, sonic essence, portable alchemy set, empty canisters (x5), meshes (x4), shuriken, bow, crossbow, crossbow bolts (x42), core-forged short sword (goblin core, 0.05 attack boost), truck keys, silver dust, sea salt, currencies (815 daalers, lumen 200, durin 300), metal ingots, copper wiring, rubber grips, silicone components, bio-energy scraps, bone fragments, basic alloys, steel tips, troll core, low-tier goblin cores, Anansi silk (x50), trickster venom (x49), lesser Anansi cores (x4), alpha Anansi core (x1).]
Ray rolled out of bed, his mind on the gremmeling mission he'd accepted via wrist watch alongside the mutated rats and Anansi jobs. 150-daaler share, tier 3–5 monsters, 120 km out. No alpha—just a chaotic swarm. I can handle that. He showered in one of the depot's three bathrooms, the core-powered hot water soothing his muscles. The Anansi cores—especially that alpha—sat heavy in his Dimension Pocket, tempting him to craft something big. Focus, Ray. Gremmelings first. Can't let my edge slip out here. He dressed, checked his crossbow (42 bolts), and hopped into his core-powered truck, its engine humming for the long haul to the mining site.
[Yomi Protocol: Up and at 'em, kid? HP and Mana maxed at 170, 815 daalers in the bank, and that alpha Anansi core's begging for a project. Gremmeling bounty's next—tricky monsters, but you picked it for a reason. That alien edge is humming, but secrets leak in Zyra. Don't let their tinkering catch you napping.]
Ray drove 120 km from Zyra to the mining company's prospecting site, a rugged outpost in a Mana-rich canyon littered with core-powered drills and generators. His wrist watch pinged with the mission details: Mining Site, 120 km from Zyra. Gremmeling Infestation. Tier 3–5, ~26 Lesser. Sabotaging Core Equipment. Posted by Mining Company. Guild Pays 150-Daaler Share. The air buzzed with faint Mana interference, a gremmeling telltale. Core-wrecking monsters, illusions, maybe venom. Prep like Anansi, but this swarm's all chaos.
[Yomi Protocol: Gremmelings, huh? Tier 3–5 monsters, no alpha, just pure chaos. Watch for illusions, core disruptions, and swarm tricks—your truck's core is prime bait. That edge is sharp, but it'll draw eyes if you're not careful. Got that Anansi antidote vibe going? Prep smart, or you'll be hiking back.]
At the site, Ray prepared for the fight. Suspecting venom from tier 5 gremmelings, he used his portable alchemy set to craft an antidote, mixing rat blood and trickster venom for a quick-use vial (Alchemy: 3/4 uses toward Level 4). With no explosive gas canisters left from the Anansi job, he crafted two fire bombs using his alchemy set, combining Mana-disruptive residue, bio-energy scraps, and two empty canisters (Alchemy: 4/4 uses, Level 4 achieved; empty canisters x3 remain). He imbued the bombs with Fire Runes (10 Mana each, Mana: 150/170) for explosive blasts. No canisters, but these'll do. He considered a silver dust bomb to jam illusions but skipped it, wary of disrupting his spells—especially with his alien magic under wraps. Using his Engineering skill (Level 2, 2/3 uses toward Level 3), he rigged two meshes into electrified traps with copper wiring, bio-energy scraps, and sonic essence for vibration bursts. Trap the swarm, shake 'em up.
Using Stealth (Stealth: 4/5 uses toward Level 5), Ray scouted the site. Inspection revealed: Gremmeling Nest, ~26 Monsters, Tier 3–5 (26 Lesser at 30 EXP each), Rat-Sized, Minor Illusions, Core Disruption, Stealth, Agility, Chaotic Swarm Tactics. The gremmelings—wiry, grey-green imps with glowing yellow eyes—skittered in drill housings, claws sparking in a core sabotage ambush. Illusory sparks and decoy swarms flickered, masking their tampering. No alpha, just a mess of monsters rigging everything to blow. Gotta act fast.
[Yomi Protocol: Gremmelings in the gears, kid? 26 lesser at 30 EXP—780 EXP if you bag 'em. Core traps, illusions, and chaotic swarms—your truck's core is prime bait. Traps set? Hit 'em hard, or they'll overwhelm you.]
Ray set his electrified traps near the main generator, baited with a low-tier goblin core. Using Inspection, he pierced the illusory sparks and decoy swarms, spotting gremmelings rigging conduits. He cast Short Blink (10 Mana, Mana: 140/170) to teleport one fire bomb into the nest—a tangle of wires and scraps—then another near a drill (Mana: 130/170). The swarm's chitter rose, launching a swarm overwhelm from three angles. Ray triggered the bombs, fiery blasts torching the nest and drill area. Illusions burned, and ~20 gremmelings perished (30 EXP each, 600 EXP). Auto-loot collected gremmeling scraps, Mana-disruptive residue, and 5 lesser cores—most destroyed but some intact.
[Yomi Protocol: Boom! You fried their hideout, kid. 600 EXP from 20 gremmelings—nice start. Got cores and scraps, but the rest are still buzzing. Watch those core overload traps—your traps better hold.]
The surviving ~6 gremmelings launched hit-and-run skirmishes, two groups nicking Ray's gear in chaotic waves (HP: 160/170), while a third rigged a drill for a core overload trap. Mana jamming flickered his HUD, skewing aim. Inspection cut through the decoy swarms, revealing the real threats. The traps zapped three gremmelings lunging for the bait core (EXP: 90), yielding 1 lesser core. Ray fired his crossbow, downing one despite illusions (Markmanship: 1/6 uses toward Level 6; EXP: 30). A venomous bite grazed him, clouding focus (HP: 150/170, -2 Agility). Ray applied his antidote, restoring Agility. He cast Quake (20 Mana, Mana: 110/170), collapsing machinery and pinning one gremmeling (EXP: 30). The last two darted toward the generator, setting a core trap. Inspection spotted them amidst flickering illusions. Ray cast Torrent (20 Mana, Mana: 90/170), flooding their hiding spot and slowing them. He fired his crossbow, downing both (Markmanship: 2/6 uses; EXP: 60). Auto-loot stored more scraps, residue, and 6 lesser cores, totaling 26 gremmelings killed (780 EXP). His HUD flashed: EXP: 1190/2000.
[Level: 12. EXP: 1190/2000]
[Stats: Strength 14/100 (Enhanced by Orc Mutagen), Endurance 14/100 (Enhanced by Lizardman Mutagen), Speed 12/100, Agility 14/100 (Enhanced by Dark Elf Mutagen), HP 150/170, Mana 90/170.]
[Magic (Level 12): Fire (Flames: 10 mana, Fireball: 20 mana), Water (Drip: 10 mana, Torrent: 20 mana), Lightning (Spark: 10 mana, Bolt: 20 mana), Ice (Frost Touch: 10 mana, Frost Nova: 20 mana), Earth (Pebble Toss: 10 mana, Quake: 20 mana), Wind (Gust: 10 mana, Tempest: 20 mana), Universal Healing (Minor Mend: 10 mana, Major Mend: 20 mana), Universal Spatial (Short Blink: 10 mana, Long Blink: 20 mana, high spatial users detect), Shadow (Dark Elf Mutagen: Shadow Cloak, 10 mana; Shadow Veil, 20 mana), Enhancement (Orc Mutagen: Muscle Boost, 10 mana; Power Surge, 20 mana), Bone (Lizardman Mutagen: Bone Spike, 10 mana; Bone Spear, 20 mana).]
[Skills: Hacking (Level 2, 1/4 uses toward Level 3), Engineering (Level 2, 2/3 uses toward Level 3), Swordplay (Level 5, 1/6 uses toward Level 6), Markmanship (Level 5, 2/6 uses toward Level 6), Forging (Level 1, 0/3 uses), Stealth (Level 4, 4/5 uses toward Level 5), Alchemy (Level 4, 0/5 uses toward Level 5).]
[Inventory (Dimension Pocket): Rat pelts (x830), rat blood (x828), rat claws (x170), boar hide, impundulu core, sonic essence, portable alchemy set, empty canisters (x3), meshes (x2), shuriken, bow, crossbow, crossbow bolts (x40), core-forged short sword (goblin core, 0.05 attack boost), truck keys, silver dust, sea salt, currencies (815 daalers, lumen 200, durin 300), metal ingots, copper wiring, rubber grips, silicone components, bio-energy scraps (x2 used), bone fragments, basic alloys, steel tips, troll core, low-tier goblin cores (x1 used), Anansi silk (x50), trickster venom (x49), lesser Anansi cores (x4), alpha Anansi core (x1), lesser gremmeling cores (x6), gremmeling scraps (x20), Mana-disruptive residue (x18).]
Ray caught his breath, the mining site's generators stabilizing as the gremmeling threat ended. No collateral damage—White Claw's code upheld. He drove the 120 km back to Zyra, the truck's core humming despite minor disruptions. At the guildhall, Varg checked his wrist watch data, his eyes narrowing slightly as Ray reported in. "Gremmelings cleared? Mining company paid the guild; your share's 150 daalers, Moss." Varg eyed the cores. "Six lesser cores? Decent for a swarm—good for mid-tier gear." The guild transferred Ray's 150-daaler share, boosting his funds to 965 daalers. Solid payday, he thought, the cores and scraps fueling crafting plans. Varg's glance lingered, as if sensing something off. My alien magic's holding, but it's only a matter of time. The portal scar remnants—cave and depot—nagged at him. 500 daalers each, but Varg's warning wasn't light. Need a squad for that. For now, he was spent.
[Yomi Protocol: Gremmeling slayer, kid! 780 EXP, 1190/2000—closing in on Level 13. That 150-daaler share and cores? Solid haul. Fire bombs and Quake were slick, and the antidote saved your hide. Mining site's safe, but those scar remnants are trouble—and that alien edge? Zyra's got eyes everywhere. Get some rest; you're not invincible.]
Ray drove back to the depot, the day's victory sharpening his focus. The gremmeling cores and scraps joined his Anansi loot, ideas for a core-forged upgrade swirling—something to bolster his edge before it's exposed. He showered in one of the depot's three bathrooms, the hot water easing his aches, and collapsed onto his cot, the depot's hum—powered by a core—lulling him to sleep, dreams of portal scars and bigger bounties flickering in his mind.
[Yomi Protocol: Shower number three, kid? You're shinier than your wallet. 965 daalers, 1190/2000 EXP, quota's shrinking. Rest up—those portal scars won't hunt themselves, and your alien edge'll draw heat soon enough. Sleep tight, or a gremmeling might nick your truck's core.]