29. That’s What Adventurers Do

As scattered shabs approach, Jason sends his Sanguine Horror to engage. The leech swarm blankets the first shab, stacking Bleeding, Leech Toxin, and Necrotoxin, quickly crippling it. Jason feels overshadowed by the familiar’s effectiveness but advances to meet the next threat.

Facing the second shab in open ground, Jason struggles with its lateral movement and his slowing potion. He sacrifices his left arm to a pincer to anchor the limb, then stabs pincer joints with Night Fang, inflicting Umbral Snake Venom, Punish (Sin), and Leech Bite (Bleeding). Badly hurt, he kites the shab and casts Feast of Blood, siphoning life to partially heal while his inexorable afflictions accumulate until the shab dies.

Meanwhile, the leech swarm empties the first shab, and an awkward chase with the third forces Jason to wait until he corrals it into the leeches, which finish it. Across the channel, Hiram defeats his own shab. The Protect the Village quest completes, awarding Jason an Oasis Bracelet and iron spirit coins. Jason blood-harvests the fallen to fully heal and attempts to loot Hiram’s kill, succeeding with permission.

Jason obtains an iron monster core and a rare water essence. He immediately gifts the essence to Hiram, arguing Hiram stood between the monsters and the village. Hiram resolves to save it for his granddaughter, explaining essence use requires physical readiness, usually around sixteen to seventeen. Jason pockets the iron core for later consultation and offers ritual help.

Resting after the battle, they acknowledge the potential consequences if the shabs had reached the village. Jason notes his adventurer friends would have intervened, and Hiram agrees: that’s what adventurers do.