A Lesser Reaper (OmegaExplicit)

He saw... nothing. Maybe there was a slight disturbance in the air, but that was probably just his imagination. Honestly, he wasn’t sure why he bothered to look in the first place, as if an incorporeal being would have a reflection.

If memory served, which wasn’t as much of a given as it reasonably should be, he was a “Lesser Reaper.” A somewhat grandiose title for an invisible, practically useless specter and/or spectator. The “Lesser” part was spot on though. Oh well, no point in ruminating, might as well check the character sheet to see if that last promotion request went through.

Level 1 Lesser Reaper
Monster, Shadow, Explicit
Experience to level up - 100
Attributes:
Strength 5
Dexterity 10
Stamina 5
Charisma 15
Intelligence 15
Wisdom 10
Skills:
Feats:
Incorporeal - Immune to all damage types and physical effects. Cannot physically affect the world or other characters. Can be temporarily suspended.
Possession (character) - Can possess a character and either take control of the character’s body or remain a passenger. Possession success chance based on possessor’s and target’s mental stats and levels. Possession as a passenger is much easier than taking control.
Grim Visage - Can take on the appearance of a true grim reaper. Cosmetic only.
Spells:
Grant Release - Severe the bond between a soul and its dying body, allowing the soul to pass on or respawn. Deals killing damage to a near- or dying character. MP required increases with target health.

Apparently the promotion had been denied. Although the lesser reaper hadn’t really expected much, considering his method of sending the request, which he strangely couldn’t remember. At least he still had Possesion, which meant he could still feel the wind on someone else’s skin on occasion. Also, unlike most other monsters, wasn’t really a concern for him. Sure his hosts could die, but as long as he didn’t deliberately drop Incorporeal he was technically safe. He didn’t even need to eat, so there was very little urgency in his life.

...

Draw an imaginary picture in the air...

Maybe add some boobs to it...

Hmmm...

...

Then he was bored again. Curse that high intelligence. Why couldn’t he be dumb enough to just be happy waiting for something to happen? Then it’s time to explore the woods and check for update changes. Who knows, maybe some random slime will have gained sapience and be looking for someone to conquer the world with.

The reaper laughed a bit at that as he floated outside the mouth of the cave. It was just after sunrise if he read the blinding light right. Even though he was a shadow, that didn’t make him averse to light, he just found the sun to be a bit obnoxious in just how bright it was. With that thought, he mimed jumping of the cliff and began to float down to the forest below. If he invoked grim visage then it would look like a grim reaper was falling down the cliff in broad daylight... in slow motion. That would probably give the players something to talk about, if there were any here.

The forest looked about as empty as usual, with the occasional rabbit or deer. A definite benefit of being incorporeal was how nothing could detect or intentionally avoid him. On a whim he decided to try Grant Release on one of the rabbits. There was a brief chill in the air, and the rabbit raised its head, glanced around, then went right back to munching on whatever it was level 0 rabbits ate. Well that was disappointing, if not unexpected. Grant Release still didn’t work on creatures with full health, even if they could die to a single arrow.

He had another use for a rabbit though, although it was substantially less dignified than experience farming. With a thought and a ghostly tap to its fur, he was inside of the rabbits body and, with its abysmal mental stats, its mind. He stopped eating whatever that green stuff was, looked around to get his bearings, and began to charge off into the forest.

Mad rabbit speed was much faster than ghostly floating speed, and a few spooked animals later he found what he was looking for. A good ole goblin camp, home to the short lived, raucous, fierce, green skinned little cousins of the orcs. They were also one of the more entertaining groups in the forest, considering their tendency toward mischief and not thinking things through.

Speaking of not thinking things through, the poor reaper possessed rabbit was now being tackled by a goblin with a knife. The reaper immediately ejected himself from the unfortunate critter, but there went his ride, dead in the pleased looking grip of a level 2 goblin. It had served its purpose though. Rest in peace unlucky rabbit, may you feed some hungry goblins.

Looking around the camp he noticed something odd, the usual stout watchtowers were missing. Instead it seemed a few goblins were on watch in the trees on the edge of the clearing, the rabbit catcher previously being one of them. In the clearing itself, almost all of the other goblins were gathered around a pile of resources and what must be the leaders of the tribe.

One of them was huge compared to the others, at least four feet tall compared to the average of three to three and a half feet. He looked more like a miniature orc than a big goblin. The other was average height but definitely above average looks, those tits for one. They weren’t that big compared to the average adventurer’s, but on a goblin they were wonderfully obscene and only barely “contained” by a strip of cloth wrapped around her chest a couple times. She probably also had nice hair and a pretty face, but that wasn’t really what he was focused on. Those tits...

Looking back up a minute later, the big one was using a crude hammer to methodically hit the pile, and a building progress bar was steadily filling up above it. The busty one was leading some sort of off-time chant to the big one’s hammering. The chanting got more energetic as the bar filled up, then they got quiet on the last couple hits, seemingly holding their collective breath.

“Deeeooo!” The bar flashed red and was replaced by a message.

You have not claimed this land, you cannot build here. To claim land, use a Claimant Crystal.

The goblins released their collective breath, some shouting, some stamping their feet. The busty one even tried to toss a stone at the message, but it just sailed through, landing on the other side of the pile harmlessly. You appreciated her effort though. It made those breasts sway gloriously.

“No work?” The big one finally said in a puzzled tone, staring at the message uncomprehendingly.

This went on for a little while longer before the reaper noticed that none of these goblins could read. Usually that wasn’t an issue for them, but now they were helpless because of it. Maybe he could have some fun with them.

Backing up into the air behind the crowd, he used Grim Visage and spoke in his most commanding voice. “You seem to have a problem.”

All eyes turned towards him and the crowd fell silent, a few with mouths slightly open, but most with tightened grips on their weapons.

“What you know about this?” The busty one asked cautiously.

“You need a Claimant Crystal to build that.” He responded, while floating lower towards her. It might have looked menacing, but he honestly just wanted to be closer to her and not have to project his voice so much. The loud voice was tiring with only 5 stamina.

“What is Claimant Crystal? Where get one?” She continued with a hopeful look, obviously not very afraid of his black, shadow filled robes.

“Adventurers will have Claimant Crystals. We must defeat them and take the crystals for ourselves.” He wasn’t entirely sure that it would work, but it would be fun to watch them fight, and he might get one of these Claimant Crystals for himself. Having another idea, he added as smoothly has he could, “You must also try to keep them alive as payment to me for my aid.”

She was quiet for a few seconds as she thought over his last statements. Maybe he had asked too much, or maybe she was just unused to such long sentences. The other goblins all seemed less verbose than her, so that might be the case.

“Okay. You fight adventurers?”

“Maybe, but you find them.” He replied, trying to project an unyielding image while staring straight at her chest. He was glad that Grim Visage had no visible eyes.

“Fine.” She stated, concluding the deal. Looking around at the rest of the crowd, she continued. “We go. We capture adventurers. We build home!”

Well that was a bit of an oversimplification, but close enough. And the others seemed happy about it as they rushed about getting ready to hunt adventurers.

“I will be with you.” The reaper announced as he dispelled Grim Visage and went in to possess the big one, who he had just heard was called Block. A good name for the large, barely verbal goblin.

Block was no talker, but he was easy to manipulate with possession. And he barely seemed to notice the regular glances towards Charms, the busty one, that were not all of his own volition.

(A/N: I hope to continue this branch/story with approximately 1 chapter per week, unlike my slime branch which is likely on hold forever. This pace will, of course, be dependent on me having the time to write. I write... slowly.)