Chapter 26: Chapter 25

Ok, maybe dumping a whole barrel of cool water over her in the already chilly underground wasn’t a great idea. Leaving the slime pit with Traukon, she’d start jumping up and down, rubbing her hands together and generally trying to get warm again.

 

Traukon, more intelligent than Estaria, flicked his screen to her, showing her the screen he was looking at. There was two options listed here, and the names “Traukon” and “Estaria” above them, the names yet assigned.
 

Double Experience

 

Orange Equipment

 

Clearly, the guaranteed drop of the Field Boss wasn’t one for each of them, and the other had to take the double exp. While she liked Traukon, she wasn’t just going to give up an Orange-rank equipment for him, and so pulled out a silver piece and tossed it to him.

 

“Flip it. If the Emperor shows his face, I’ll get the Orange” She told him. Traukon didn’t have much of an objection as he flipped the coin, and then caught it in his hand when it finally came down to land. Estaria peered in, and saw that the city of Altdorf - where it had been minted - was shown. Having lost, Estaria blew out a breath and tapped the Double Experience, confirming it on the box and giving whatever Orange this beast would yield, to Traukon.

 

“Cloak Of The Underway. Ooh, as if this Dawi needs any more resilience. Like Gromril itself” Traukon’s commentary as he looked up the stats of his new item gave Estaria an idea of what it did, and she was glad for it. Having her friend die on his expeditions through the Underway was not going to help their budding friendship.

 

“T’as been a solid outting, Es!” Traukon’s booming voice made it clear he enjoyed the ultimate outcome. And Estaria couldn’t complain either, as she got some very welcome boxes.

 

 

You have leveled up

You have leveled up

You have leveled up

 

Experience limit reached. Please choose a Job to continue gaining experience

Secondary job - at level 30, you can earn your secondary Job, giving you access to more traits and skills.

You have earned a Red Job - Red Jobs are jobs that require certain standing in society. Unlike Orange jobs, they are not objectively superior to normal jobs, but can open doors to new places and equipment that is otherwise difficult to possess.
 

Gods, this system loved spamming her with boxes. Still, she got a good feeling of how Traukon was level 30 long before she was, this Underway was an absolute frigging goldmine of experience. The Dawi would be level 100 by the end of the year if he kept this up. Probably. Probably not, in fact, exp did dwindle as the level went further. So opening the list of jobs, the Red Job was at the top.

Greatswordsman

 

Why? She hadn’t done anything to earn that title. It was something reserved for those of the highest bravery. She felt bad even thinking about taking it, but take it she did, and added it to the list. Her job changed from Captain to “Empire Hero” which was too much flattery for her, so she just blushed and opened her traits. A lot of offensive traits, some defensive traits, and “To Me, My Brothers” trait, which summoned 4 Greatswordsmen to her. That was the one that she picked, 4 of the most valorous foot-soldiers in the Empire, armed with their Zweihander and armoured with Dwarf-forged Full Plate, they were a force to be reckoned with. And even 4 of them would be a grand boon to her. Dungeoneering with those would be made almost simple, doubly so because of her buff.

 

Second Job Unlocked: Greatswordsman. Traits reduced to one every four levels.

 

Ascension of Duty - Report to Altdorf

 

New quest, which had no time limit on it, so she decided to just brush it to one side. Most probably due to her new Job, which she still found hard to believe she had. She was just a Handgunner….she wasn’t designed for all of this. So instead, she just bought herself a minor potion of Experience, and pushed the bar over the edge, to level 31. With that done, she leaned back and stared into space. Greatswordsman, chosen bodyguards of the Elector Count, most valued none-Noble soldiers in the Empire. From there, it was a half-step to a Knighthood, were one to carry on such valorous action...That would be something she couldn’t handle. Being Sir Zashira….If she could pull that off Elaine would no longer need to serve, but rich enough she could have her own maid. Probably would prefer Estaria doing that though…

50 Stamina: Furious Zeal - Giving up is not in your nature, nor will it ever be. Stats are reduced by 65% at 100% fatigue rather than immediate unconsciousness.

The level up put her at 50 stamina, which was great. No longer passing out was a good thing. Though 65% was a rough hit…

The whole Greatsword thing was to be left for later, when she got to Altdorf. For now, she'd look to Traukon “I Shall hope to never repeat killing a being in such a grotesque fashion, but yes-” Estaria flicked over to her traits and looked through them, before her eyes grew with intense glee. “-most solid…” the trait that she saw was immediately picked, and she couldn’t wait to call upon them and see what kind of glorious carnage could be wrecked by these.
 

You are reading story Re-Re:Hammer at novel35.com

“I got a new summon trait, so I am going to go find a small nest of buggers to try them on, then make my way topside. Are you heading anywhere in particular?” she asked, stepping out of the gunk and getting up the slope to solid land.

 

“Ahh, got my daily route through the Underway to do, then to the feast hall. I shall meet you there, if you do not try to wear your skin away with the flow of water” he gave a final laugh, and then headed off ahead of Estaria to his training. Getting under the controlled waterfall until her skin slogged off was an appearing idea, but she sort of needed that skin to survive, so decided against it and just followed the minimap to where a group of Skaven were huddled, gnawing on….Skaven bones. These creatures were so depraved to be cannibalistic.

 

Estaria snapped her finger, and they appeared, four men in glistening Full Plate, swords twice the length and half again the girth of her own, and sturn grizzled expressions as they faced down the rats. She gave the order, and the blades butchered the rats, a single swing sufficient to cleave them in half, and the twisted weapons that the Skaven called swords would glance and reflect off the Plate that the Greatswords wore. Quickly it became apparent that the Skaven were facing what amounted to indestructible Gods, and so they scurried away, few managing to escape beyond the reach of the blades, and none beyond the reach of Estaria’s guns. These beautiful men would be such a boon when it came to Dungeon farming. And maybe even boss battles.

 

A second snap of her finger dismissed them, and she got a pop-up telling her that dismissal reduced the cooldown to bring them again. That was nice to know, but there were few situations she could think of where she wouldn’t need their full help. Maybe when she was bored or testing, like now? With the one last thing to do, done, Estaria left the Underway, and found all the amenities she needed to get rid of the horrible thing she had just come across.

 

****

 

Sat back on the wagon heading towards the Gromril mine-fort, Estaria nibbled on the rations she had packed for the journey, and listened to Elaine read the letter. Estaria was learning how to read now she was a Captain, but it was slow going and Elaine was more scholarly than she was. The letter was nothing much, just telling her to report to the Commander's office at her earliest convenience. Though that was enough for Elaine to give a coy grin and straddle Estaria.

 

“Not content with letting the whole Karak know what we were doing, huh?” Es asked, her cheeks a little red but she was driven to a bratty persona.

“Not at all. I will have the whole world know that you are mine” Elaine commented, kissing Estaria’s neck and nibbling there for a bit before leaning back and brandishing the letter. “But for now, time to study some writing”

 

Estaria groaned, but with her love on top of her like this, how could she refuse? After all, she had quite the spectacular week so far. Not only did she get to see what few humans had seen, she had even made friends among the Dwarves and spent a week off just relaxing for the most part. So she did as she was told and studied the letter, learning to recognize the strange glyphs as words.

 

Eventually they got back to the mine-fort, and she helped the driverunload his materials. The Dwarves really had managed to turn this reinforced redoubt into a Shanty-Fort. Barracks, Cook-houses, makeshift Inns and Blacksmiths, and a host of residences. Everything a soldier needed. And the walls, heavy wooden walls, with watch-towers, reinforced with ditches and spikes. While it wouldn’t keep out an army, any incursion less than that would find themselves hard-pressed to make headway.

 

It was lovely to see progress, as well as human mingling with City-Dwarf and Karak-Dwarf, a melding pot of culture and culinary taste. Several mercenary divisions had left, and several more had arrived. She did not see the great form of Borrago, so he must have left to return to Altdorf. Which was what she was doing as soon as she found someone to go with. Superhuman maybe, but being in a group meant she didn’t have to fight off every monster, man or beast, that decided a pair of women was an easy target. Voicing her plans to Elaine, the bellowing of a Dwarf attracted her to the master of this fort, the man who Estaria had given the Gromril to when she completed the Defense quest.

 

“Hey! Nice place you got. Really good work ethic” Estaria complimented. The dwarf ceased bellowing for a moment and preened with pride.

 

“Gold and Grog keep the Umgi active, and Duty propels the Dawi. It’s a recipe for success here, though we need one for the Tunnels. Damned Rats are growing more numerous every day. Driven out the Greenskin tribes and are just festering. Warrens cropping up every day” obviously, he devolved to grumbling, but that grumble did give her a mind to return later if she could…

 

“Anyone heading to Altdorf?” she asked, and was directed to a party of Dwarves, who were planning to return to the city, gather supplies, more Dwarves from the slums, and secure some trade routes that would ease the strain of the Karaks. So she hung around till everyone had gathered their gear and spent her time buying some rations at the direction of Elaine from the shop to add to the group’s supply - always have more food than needed, because chance was always good you’d need it - and then they set out. It was good luck to allow them to pass through to the lowlands of the Empire without incident beyond a few Goblins dissuaded by bullet and bolt. And once in the lowlands, the South had yet to fall under the hold of the Horde, and so it was mostly safe. Very few bandits in this time of activity, for jobs were aplenty. Fortune and Glory to be had. The second part, Glory, was what caused Estaria’s step to jitter with nervous energy as they arrived at Altdorf, dropped Elaine off at her home with promises of celebration later if it was warranted and then arrived at the Commander's office.

 

He looked up, nodded wordlessly, and finished the line he was writing on some parchment before getting up and gesturing to Estaria to follow him. She was then led into a far grander and more prestigious hall, and placed before none other than Kurt Helborg, The Reikmarshal himself.

 

“Ahh, Captain Zashira. I have heard your report, and the reports of others. Including the work in the mountains with our Dwarven allies during your leave, you have been a valorous and commendable asset to the Empire in this dark time” he paused for a second, and Estaria was a bit too starstruck to speak, so he carried on. “These deeds have not gone unseen, nor will they be unacknowledged. By the discussion of council and the review of you superiors, you are hereby transferred into the Altdorf Greatswords, and granted the rank of Major, under Commander Tal. Your new equipment, shall be brought to the barracks that Commander Tal shall guide you to”
 

The voice was stern, to the point, and official. He delivered his speech, and then got back to the discussion he was having with other generals about the Chaos Horde. Estaria, did not linger and instead followed Commander Tal to the Greatswords barracks, still stunned all this was happening. She made sure to focus on the commander’s words, and his guide through the barracks and training grounds. The last bit was interesting, a spar with Greatswords themselves would be beyond anything she had done before. Of course, she’d beat them because Greatswordsmen were still only human after all, but it would be fun to see how well she did against them.

 

While disciplined on the field and on parade, when she got to the barracks, there was a great cheer at their new number, and much jostling and manly camaraderie was executed. One wanted to go invade the local pub to break in the new girl, but Estaria told them she had to get back to her partner and tell her about all this, though raiding the pub would be a great plan tomorrow. Could even warn the Innkeeper so he had time to prepare.

 

Of course, announcing you’ve a lover to a room full of soldiers who have all slaughtered their way up the hierarchy to stand as the Bodyguard of the Elector Count was never a great plan, and she was inundated with jokes and ribbing about her until a huge woman stepped in and extracted Estaria from the ‘terrible’ situation, chasing off the other Greatswordsmen. While she got along with her men, there was never that feeling of being one of them - mostly because she wasn’t - but here she felt part of them immediately. Despite the darkened days ahead, she felt good.

You can find story with these keywords: Re-Re:Hammer, Read Re-Re:Hammer, Re-Re:Hammer novel, Re-Re:Hammer book, Re-Re:Hammer story, Re-Re:Hammer full, Re-Re:Hammer Latest Chapter