blacksmithoftheapocalypse
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1276. It gets better
🕑 Added 2025-03-03 17:47:43 +0000 UTC“That's one ugly motherfucker...” Seth mumbled when they saw the status screen of the first white, pineapple-sized egg.
<Subterranean Terrorbird. lv.148 System Level: ~68
Epic Knight, medium-grade
Durability: 225000
Mana: 500
Strength:300
Dexterity:50
Agility: 50
Intelligence:20
Willpower:100
Endurance:300
Luck:20
Phys. Defense: 6000
Mag. Defense: 2500
Abilities: Terrakinesis
Skills: Charge, Body Slam, Slash, Bite, Beak Attack, Guard, Resist All, Earth Spike, Tunneler
Description: Subterranean Terrorbirds, the danger from below. These giant, armored parrots hunt from the darkness of their burrows, pulling unsuspecting victims into the damp darkness of their caves. Terrorbirds are tenacious warriors with a high defense and attack, but a low speed. Recommendation: Flight unless victory is guaranteed.>
On display was what could be best described as a flightless, fat, roughly human-sized parrot, but it was not nearly as cute as it sounded. The blacksmith remembered some RPGs he used to play, where you could have big, fluffy birds similar to ostriches, but cute, as mounts. This was anything but fluffy or cute
The Terrorbird had a face not even a mother could love, with a massive serrated beak that was a multi-tool for amputating limbs, crushing skulls, and generally disturbing anyone who saw it. Its eyes were big, black and oozed malice with what could only be called a crazy stare.
Seth had once heard that feathers developed from scales, but these birds either never got there or their feathers had devolved again. The fat bird was covered in a plumage of keratin plates, similar to an armadillo. There was also three residual claws at the joint of the wing, that made it look even more prehistoric.
But maybe the most formidable parts of the creature were the strong legs and huge claws that lugged around the creature and slightly hit in the extensive plumage. It had sharp nails as long as a dagger, making it easy to imagine the beast cutting opponents into ribbons with them.
Nobody said anything for a while. Nobody could argue with Seth's comment, as the creature really didn't excel in style or beauty. Yet, it was a great first pull for Mina. Although it was one level below the next grade, it was at the top of medium-grade with epic multipliers.
“C-Congratulation,” Edgar finally said after a moment of hesitation. “Shall we look at the next?”
Wordlessly, he put a splinter of Magic Crystal in the groove, took the next almost identical egg and placed it on the plate.
<Subterranean Terrorbird. lv.148>
Fin and Seth stared at the display in surprise, especially Edgar looked at it in shock. The screen refreshed but the content had not changed. The only one watching with a slight smile was Mina. To think she managed to pull the same beast twice...
<Subterranean Terrorbird. lv.148> Thrice. <Subterranean Terrorbird. lv.148> four- <Subterranean Terrorbird. lv.148> FIVE TIMES!
Edgar, Fin, and Seth looked at the cat girl in shock, while the person in question did not stop chuckling ever since the third identification. She had actually chosen the SAME beast five times. How high were the odds for that?!
“Look at your faces. I knew I couldn't compete with your two in the luck department, so I tried to do something practical and get a few of the same beast. This way Evan will be able to breed them,” Mina said proudly, although her face was a little strained.
The group looked at the picture of the terrorbird. Breed? That? Maybe this was a rare occasion where they had to ask not whether they could, but whether they should go through with that. However, Seth would leave THAT decision to Evan.
“G-Good thinking. Well done, Mina. I should have thought of that,” he supported his fiancée. Although he wished she had chosen a different beast five times, he couldn't deny that these... evil chickens seemed overpowered. As the saying goes, stats over looks.
Lastly, it was Seth's turn. The first one he chose was a black one with a shiny shell, this turned out to be a <Bladeling. lv.141>. The creature shown was a kind of humanoid insect, covered in a black keratin exoskeleton and mantis sickles. Fitting to its arms, it had multipliers resembling a rare swordsman class.
The light green one with a gradient to white was a <Soilspawn. lv.107>. Although the picture shown by the display was that of a jumping mouse, the description described it as a shapeshifter made of earth. Despite it barely counting as a medium-grade beast, it had the multipliers of an epic-tier mage class.
In the midnight blue one with red specks was a <Freightcat. lv.143>, maybe the most surprising creature today, despite only having uncommon tank multipliers. The freightcat was not a huge predator one would expect when hearing cat.
The freightcat was a feline the size of a bull and shaped like a cupboard. According to Edgar, the name came from its use as a pack animal to carry loads on its surprising flat and square back.
Number 4, the icy blue one, held a <Noxious Shrieker. lv.124>, some kind of bat with multipliers compared to a rare assassin. Although he had been kind of confident in his luck, so far it was about the same as Fin's, maybe slightly worse unless the last egg really eggcelled.
There was only one left, the one that looked like an ordinary chicken egg. Fortunately, it was much smaller than the eggs Mina chose, so the chance it was another Terrorbird was minimal. Edgar placed the small egg on the device. His eyes widened the moment the picture appeared.
<Giant Poison Heron lv.180
System Level: ~85
Epic Wizard, high-grade
Durability: 500000
Mana: 10000
Strength:25
Dexterity:25
Agility: 150
Intelligence:400
Willpower:200
Endurance:150
Luck:20
Phys. Defense: 1500
Mag. Defense: 6000
Trait: Carcass Devourer
Abilities: Levitation
Skills: Poison Breath, Black Magic, Aura of Death, Toxic Dive, Self-Putrification, Corpse Gas Explosion, Detoxification, Poison Feathers
Description: The Giant Poison Heron is a natural disaster. While they spend most of their lives in death-like hibernation, whenever they wake up to hunt for sustenance they create stretches of dead, infertile land in their wake. Suggestion: Evade at all cost.>
All four stared at the massive, heron with iridescent violet plumage. It was fascinating and dangerous at the same time. Despite its beauty, it definitely had the aura of a bad omen and so far the highest base level of the monsters they pulled.
“Congratulations, another jackpot!” Edgar congratulated him genuinely, while Seth still had a hard time believing the tiny chicken egg was inhabiting a giant harbinger of death.
The Poison Heron was a powerful beast in its own right, but with the support of the system as a pet or mount, or as a tamed companion, it would become a creature that might even accompany people on the path to legends.
“Maybe Evee would be interested in this one. What do you think?” Seth asked the other two. Although the rot hawk was not of the highest-grade, it had potential. Especially with the trait of Corpse Devourer.
Corpse Devourer: Feeding on corpses allows the Poison Heron to strengthen its corpse poison. Has a low chance to absorb some of the stats of the corpse.
“Maybe Evee would be interested in this one. What do you think?” Seth asked the other two. Evee, as a powerful necromancer might have been the best choice, as she would always have the raw materials to nurture the bird.
Although the trait didn’t seem to have as high a potential in the wild as the description led one to believe(otherwise the Poison Heron would have been in a higher grade), maybe things were different as a pet under the system with someone like a powerful necromancer to raise it?
“I think she would, it is kind of pretty, if you ignore how terrifying its skills are,” Mina agreed, giving the picture of the giant heron another look.
“I think it totally fits her style,” Fin agreed. prompting Seth to image the necromancer in her death-set, standing on the back of the giant heron, wielding the power of Persephone. It was a surreal thought, but he thought that it would look pretty cool.
Seth had to admit that he was actually quite happy with the outcome of their little gamble. Smiling, he held his hand over the counter and let a rain of gold coins pour on the hard wood counter top. For a short while the shop was filled with the bell-like sound of gold singing.
Edgar stared in shock, as 53 gold coins piled up in front of him. This was the first time he saw so much money in cash in front of him. Even if there was a bigger purchase once in a while, they used the system bank to pay. Nobody just piled gold on the counter.
“Well, that it for the lucky draw. You can keep the rest. Since we paid, can you show us your highest-grade eggs now?” the bard asked with a cheeky smile. He didn't just do it to flex, but to assure Edgar that they had the needed ... change to buy their best product.
The clerk swallowed hard. he had been caught off guard , but he understood the assignment.
“Of course, just a moment.”
