Sam crouched low behind a jagged outcropping, eyes fixed on the griffon. The Consortium agents hadn't noticed her yet; they were focused entirely on restraining the Gold-tier mythical.
"Syn," Sam murmured, "you ready?"
The wolf's ears flicked, tail stiffening, her growl low and rumbling. Syn's green-flecked eyes scanned the terrain as roots quivered faintly beneath her paws.
Good, Sam breathed.
She glanced at the others. Tempy perched on a rocky ledge, sparks flickering across her fur. Iggy crouched at her hip, warmth radiating from her body. Nyx and Nox melted into the shadows, already invisible. Abe peeked out from behind cover, illusions at the ready. Even Jel had stuck everyone with a healing blob. She really needed to come up with a better name for that. His faint glow signaled readiness.
The humans had made one mistake. The griffon, massive as it was, couldn't escape quickly.
And Sam wasn't a normal hunter.
She signaled.
Syn burst forward first, launching Root Snare. Thick roots erupted from the rocky soil, tangling the nearest mercenary's legs. The sudden immobilization sent him stumbling, and Tempy zipped in with Thunder Fang, striking the already-entangled man. Lightning arced across his armor, leaving him convulsing as the shock rippled through him.
"Don't let it get free!" one agent shouted, fumbling with a chain.
Nyx and Nox materialized from the shadows, silent and deadly. The siblings flanked the second mercenary, Shadow Stalk allowing a perfect pounce into his back. The strike was devastating. The assassin hit the ground hard, a lingering Fear effect crushing his morale.
Iggy hissed, flames licking her paws as she launched Flare Pounce at the third agent. The impact startled him, igniting a small explosion that sent ash spiraling into the air.
Sam felt Verdant Howl pulse through the battlefield, minor healing trickling to her tames and invigorating them as they fought.
The griffon roared, wings flailing as it lunged at a mercenary who had just regained his footing. Golden talons scraped against armor, sparks flying. Sam's eyes locked on the massive wing hanging at an odd angle.
The beast was in pain, barely able to fly.
She exhaled slowly and stepped closer, her mind sharpening.
Time for precision.
The first human tried to raise his sword against her. With a flick of her hand, Sam activated Mana Hands, gripping the weapon midair. Runic enchantments pulsed in protest, but her Enchantment Removal cut the glow instantly, leaving the steel inert. She let it clatter to the ground. The mercenary's eyes widened in shock.
Another agent swung a mace.
Sam leapt forward, pressing her palm to the man's chest armor. A soft hum emanated from her Disassemble skill, and within seconds his breastplate unspooled like metal thread, falling into neat, harmless components at his feet. The man staggered backward, exposed and stunned, while Sam darted away before he could react.
Syn's Thornfang Pounce struck the agent at just the right moment, applying bleed and minor poison. Tempy zipped past with Chain Dash, bouncing between enemies and shocking them into brief paralysis. Iggy's flames harried anyone foolish enough to try regrouping.
Nyx and Nox moved like living shadows, disabling anyone attempting to flank Sam, while Abe and Jel provided strategic distractions and steady healing.
The final mercenary froze, watching the griffon falter under the strain of its chains as the remaining agents were knocked back by coordinated strikes.
Sam vaulted forward, sword drawn, and slashed through the bindings digging into the griffon's injured wing. Magic sparks flared. With one final surge from Syn's Overgrowth Surge, roots and vines constricted around the last mercenary, locking him helplessly in place.
The griffon roared, wings trembling, and regarded Sam with unmistakable intelligence. A voice, low and weak but clear, echoed in her mind. Telepathy, granted by its Gold-tier Core.
"Mercy… my chick… protect her…"
Sam's heart tightened. She knelt, allowing the griffon to nuzzle her hand.
"I promise," she whispered. "I won't let anything happen to her."
"Don't let them… take my body… kill me," the griffon pleaded.
Sam called for Jel. The little slime bounced over as fast as he could.
"No time… cracked core… find her…"
Images flooded Sam's mind. A nest. Memories. Aerial paths, mostly. The griffon rarely walked. Still, it was enough.
"I'll find her. I'll protect her. I swear."
Sam pulled her dagger from her inventory, uncertain how one even killed a creature like this. When she used Inspect, it returned nothing but question marks. The beast was far beyond her level.
"Here."
The griffon showed her the exact place to strike. A jagged wound across her chest, inflicted by the mercenaries.
Apologizing silently to the beautiful creature, Sam plunged the dagger into the spot she'd been shown.
The world seemed to pause.
No sound. No movement.
Then the notification chimed.
{Ding!
You've put a wounded Mythical Beast out of its misery.
Target: Lvl 174 — Windrider Sovereign Griffon
Tier: Mythical • Gold
You have killed a beast 153 levels above you (≈8.28× your level).
Extreme Level Discrepancy Bonus applied. +50% bonus for exceeding threshold.
Level Gap Multiplier (per 10-level interval): ×49,152
Base XP: 748
Double-XP Perk applied.
Total XP gained: 73,531,392 XP}
{Action logged as: Compassionate Euthanization.
Notice: This creature is protected under the Ancient Beast Accord.
You are required to file a statement with the A.H.A. when within jurisdiction.}
{Processing…
A.H.A. Compliance Protocol triggered.}
{Item Added: Official Witness Scroll — Ancient Beast Accord Case #F-11294
A bound, self-authenticating document generated by SISTEM, containing your statement, combat log, and official cause-of-death classification. Automatically notarized. Acceptable as formal testimony in all A.H.A. branches.}
"Uh… Jarvis," Sam said slowly, "did I just earn over seventy-three million XP for a mercy killing?"
{"The outcome for that griffon and its chick would have been horrific. Griffons do not fare well in captivity when taken against their will. Becoming a decoration for some lord was likely not the legacy this griffon desired."}
Sam opened her inventory and noticed a scroll. Unraveling it, she saw it was, in fact, a very official-looking document. Proof of witness, authenticated by the SISTEM itself, absolving her of punishment in the griffon's death.
Once she retrieved the chick and contacted the authorities, hopefully this would all be over.
And here she'd just wanted a quick trip to the mountains to clear her head from all this Solaris madness.
"Okay… let me think. All that XP will go to me, so… um, is it too late to upgrade my beast bank?"
{"Nothing occurs until notifications are acknowledged. You currently have ten SKP allocated for upgrading. This would raise your Beast Bank to Level 12 and increase its capacity to 204,800 XP. Shall we proceed? You will still retain over twelve million XP afterward."}
"Yeah, let's do that. I'll deal with the rest once we're safe. I've got a griffon chick to find."
She looked toward the mountain peak. The nest was clearly at the top. The mother griffon hadn't needed to worry about walking.
This was going to suck.
"Wait, no!"
Sam frantically searched her inventory. She'd crafted pendants for the Merchant's Guild, but they hadn't tested them yet. Thankfully, she still had them.
"Yes! No unnecessary mountain climbing. I'll replace this when I get home."
{"I am beginning to suspect you invent these items purely to avoid walking."}
"Work smarter, not harder, Jarvis!"
She looked at her tames. "Now… which one of you can scale a mountain in a reasonable amount of time?"
Syn could jump far, and her vines would help, but some rock faces were nearly sheer. Nyx and Nox had the shadows. That could work.
Just then, Jel bounced forward, extending a tentacle as if asking for something.
"You want to go?" Sam asked skeptically. "No offense, Jelly Boy, but this might be out of your depth."
Jel responded by bouncing higher and higher. Then he launched himself nearly twenty feet to a cliff edge, stretching his tentacle so far that only his core remained behind, wrapped in slime and his little eyeglass frames. His body snapped forward toward the anchored limb.
He even slowed his momentum enough to avoid smashing his core.
Sam exhaled in relief.
"Okay, okay. Point proven. Here."
She handed him the receiver and instructed him to press the button once he found a spot where she wouldn't immediately be seen by the chick.
Jel accepted the challenge and bounced away.
Shaking her head, Sam glanced back at the three mercenaries.
"Why they thought only three would succeed is beyond me. A Gold-tier Mythical Beast… and they thought these idiots were enough?"
{"Sam, I recommend using that high Perception and Intelligence of yours to look around."}
She did.
There was more blood than she expected. More weapons scattered farther from the fight. More footprints.
"Wait. If there were more people… where are their bodies? I doubt she had time for a snack."
{"Recall that your inventory does not accept anything alive or breathing,"} Jarvis said, pausing. {"And one of the remaining men is a necromancer."}
Sam stared at the unconscious, bleeding man.
"So he shoved a bunch of dead guys into his inventory?"
She shivered.
Opening the rarely used A.H.A. community forum, she flagged the incident for Frosthaven authorities. While waiting, she stripped the mercenaries of their gear and collected stray weapons and armor.
She pulled out rope and searched for the enchantment she needed.
{"The enchantment you seek is beyond your current level. However, allocating your newly gained stat and skill points should allow access to Mana-Lock."}
"All right. Let's deal with that."
She accepted the notifications.
Level after level rolled in. She'd rocketed to Level 33, with over twelve million XP remaining. The costs for further levels were absurd.
In total, she gained 212 stat points.
Forty went to Wisdom. Fifty to Intelligence. Twenty each to Vitality, Strength, Agility, and Perception. Forty-two remained.
None of it mattered if she didn't survive.
She dumped forty more into Vitality, saving the final two for later.
Her stats now read:
{Stats:
Strength (S): 50 (+15 Armor) = 65
Agility (A): 50 (+2 Ring, +10 Armor) = 62
Perception (P): 50 (+10% Pendant, +10 Armor) = 65
Vitality (V): 100 (+10 Armor) = 110
Intelligence (I): 100 (+12 Armor) = 112
Wisdom (W): 150 (+10 Armor) = 170
Charisma (C): 30 (+11 Armor) = 41
Luck (L): 11}
With her expanded mana pool, a new enchantment unlocked.
Mana-Null.
Applied to restraints, it blocked mana control entirely.
She enchanted the rope and bound the mercenaries. The enchantment scaled with mana investment. Expensive, but effective.
One hundred MP nullified mana control for one hour.
Sam pumped five hundred MP into the bindings.
Five hours.
Plenty.
Jel signaled success.
After recalling her tames, Sam messaged the Frosthaven A.H.A. outpost and teleported to Jel's location.
She arrived on a plateau beneath a rocky overhang. A massive nest lay tucked inside.
Moving slowly, she pulled food from her inventory. As she climbed, she heard the chirping growl unique to griffons. This one sounded wary, not hostile.
Inside was a juvenile griffon.
Lion cub body. Eagle head and wings.
Majestic. Adorable.
"Hello, Mercy," Sam said gently. "Your mother asked me to look after you."
She tossed chunks of meat forward, then placed the cracked beast core before the chick.
"I'm afraid your mother was hurt by very bad men."
Mercy sniffed the core, recognition lighting her eyes. She pulled it closer and began devouring it.
{Hidden Achievement Unlocked:
Guardian of the Fallen Sky
You honored a dying Gold, Mythical Beast's final wish and safeguarded their legacy. Your compassion echoes through the S.I.S.T.E.M.
Reward:
Tier Advancement Unlocked
You are rewarded with the ability to advance your Tier.At the tier level cap, you will advance to the next tier.
Stat Evolution Pathway Activated
Stats receive a flat rate of +10 on every level up. (Stat points are still awarded)Stat Points awarded from time of quest initiation: Agreement to honour last request.All stats also receive a permanent boost to base stats: Current Stat Boost: Purple: 50%Red: 70%White: 100%Gold: 150%
Experience Absorption Altered
At level 50, experience gain changes. Experience can only be gained through absorbing mana crystals. Crystals can be "recharged" with Cores.As a reward the required amount of Cores needed to fill a mana crystal is reduced by 50%.
Regeneration Efficiency Activated
+10% mana regen per Tier+5% stamina regen per Tier
Tier Traits Unlocked
Legacy Beast:Inherited Trait:
Skyheart Memory - Mercy recognizes Sam as her chosen guardian. Gains increased loyalty, faster progression, and unique evolution options.
XP gain: +5000xp}
Sam was stunned by her gains. Who knew being a good samaritan could have this kind of effect? She couldn't wait to look over her profile in peace and see everything she'd earned.
She watched as the chick finished devouring the core, occasionally offering it chunks of meat while using Animal Empathy Surge to keep it calm. When it was finished, Mercy was suddenly enveloped in a soft, glowing mist.
Through the haze, Sam could see the changes taking place. The first and most noticeable was Mercy's size. She had advanced to Stage Two of her species' evolution. Nowhere near a fully grown griffon, Mercy was still large enough to transport Sam, just not for very long or very high. That would come with age and levels. For now, she stood roughly the same height as Sunblaze, though she lacked the same bulk. There was a distinctly gangly, teenage awkwardness to her frame.
Sam placed her hand on the now more mature-looking griffon, gently stroking her neck. Her body was the tawny yellow-brown of a lion, while her head and wings were colored in a similar palette, streaked with veins of gold and copper. She gleamed in the sunlight.
It wasn't long before a notification pinged.
{A deep connection has been found between you and Mercy, a Windrider Griffon. Emotional connection 100%, Would you like to add her to your Tame List?}
{(Yes)/(No)}
She obviously hit yes. She then brought up Mercy's profile in her tame list.
{Name: Mercy
Age: Young Adult
Species: Windrider Griffon (Stage: Windclaw)
Level: 1
Rarity: Mythical
Tier: Gold
Experience: 0/100
Health: 100/100
Mana: 90/90
Mana Control: 10
Mana Regen: 9mp/sec.
Stats:
Vitality: 10
Strength: 9
Wisdom: 9
Instinct: 10
Skills:
Active skills:
Gust Hop: LVL 1
Creates a short wind burst to launch upward or forward in combat.
Mana Cost: 10MP | Duration: 2s | Cooldown: 1 s | Range: 2 metres
Razor Wingbeat: LVL 1
Slashes all nearby enemies with a gusting wing attack. Can also deflect incoming projectiles.
Mana Cost: 20MP | Duration: 5 seconds
Cooldown: 5 seconds | Range: 5 metres
Damage: Base +10 (Damage per Strike)
Passive Skill:
Featherlight Bones:
Reduces fall damage and increases jump height for the rider when mounted.
Airborne Agility:
Increased evasion and turn speed while flying. Harder to target by ranged attacks while midair.}
Decent skills for a level one. Sam thought
Nineteen damage off the bat is nice. She'll have to work in the usual enchantments into her saddle. Pressing the beast space pendant to the griffon, had her disappearing into her private space in wisps of go gold and copper.