Chapter 16
Alric thought as he chewed the disgusting Goblin meat. He had more time while he waited for the Dwarves to regroup. Apparently, Bilbo had wandered off as well. They weren't too worried, but the hobbit could still be found by stray goblins. As such, the dwarves had gone out looking. Alric had a nagging feeling that something was up but pushed aside. He had been thinking about his System. Things weren't adding up. Why did he get stat boosts from kills…his cheat was a devouring type wasn't it. He certainly gained essence from eating his slain foes so far. Did he have two cheats? That didn't seem right either.
What exactly had the message said my ability did? I was so excited I didn't pay enough attention. Let me think…It had something to do with Tithe.
After a few minutes of contemplation, he had pieced together the message he had been shown: "Learn from the life consumed. Each time the Devourer eats a piece of The Great Harmony they extract their due. To the victor the spoils, and to the devourer his tenth."
So if his experience so far has told him anything the first line didn't mean what he thought. He had assumed that meant his power only worked on what he kills and eats. But maybe it was more literal. It mentions the Harmony, that was basically the fabric of reality here. So maybe killing things literal lets my cheat tithe the existence of their…Soul? Or maybe their magic…existence? No the tithes were always specific to the highest attributes of the creature. Whatever the cheat was consuming and learning from must allow it to take some of whatever powers such things and improve my characteristics without affecting my body.
That brings him to the other use of his power, If killing allowed tithing the life of the enemy consuming the corpse gave essence that he could direct to change and improve his form.
Is that why the farther removed from the base creature he made the changes the less efficient it was? He was using bits of realty to improve and learn…His cheat learned how to make spider fangs…the farther away from that he had made his weapons the less the lessons learned by devouring that bit of reality helped guide him.
Alric was pretty sure he had puzzled out the answer. That left him with more questions though. Did he need living things? All existence was part of the harmony. A random rock might not have the same levels of energy as even the most simplistic life, but it was still technically harmony. Alric felt ridiculous as he stared at the small grey stone in his hand. He was tired of trying to play riddle the power…It worked or it didn't.
Crunch…grind, chew.
Alric could feel the rock vanish as he swallowed. It ever reached his stomach just like any other time he had used his ability.
Wait…so does that mean I could have finished eating the Trolls? Damn it! I didn't even try. I stopped trying to use my cheat on it as soon as they turned to stone because I thought I couldn't!
This opened a whole new world of possibilities to Alric. Stone would doubtless provide nearly nothing to Alric. The path to becoming OP wouldn't be that simple. There had to be some form of equivalent exchange. Even with that, Middle-Earth was full of items and materials of incredible power…Alric went perfectly still.
Objects of power…objects like the Arkenstone…objects like the One Ring! The super dangerous item that basically defined the whole Series! The Ring Bilbo is probably playing riddles for right now! I knew I forgot something.
Could he do it? If he ate Sauron's ring what would happen. His cheat had never failed to consume something before…could it be a higher level of existence than whatever magic preserved the OG horcrux? Was it worth the risk? Absolutely. Not to mention the insane reward he would doubtless get if he could destroy the ring early it would be way safer.
Alric set off into the tunnels suddenly, very interested in finding the wayward Baggins. If he failed to destroy the Ring it was best to let the original plot unfold. He would give it back to Bilbo and let it play out.
Alric wasn't sure if he was lucky or following his nose to the general area he knew Bilbo was gave him the edge, but he found the hobbit.
"Alric! Oh, am I glad to see you."
"There you are Bilbo. Wandered off did we?"
"Sorry. I missed what turn and got turned around a little."
Alric made a show of giving him a sniff.
"Alric? What are you doing…I know I smell! You don't exactly smell like roses yourself pal."
Alric paused his plan momentarily halting as he remembered one bodily edit he had forgotten. Troll stench.
"Ahem. No not that I smell a strange thing on you…magic?"
Bilbo looked confused for only a second. Then a strange reluctance seemed to overcome him.
Alric decided he needed to push further. The ring could sense others and even influence the holder to hide itself. Becoming reluctant to share it's existence. Luckily Bilbo was highly resistant and only recently obtained the Ring. Before Alric could press further.
"Oh…You must mean this ring I just got. It's probably worthless. Barely magical at all really just some slight…stealth enchantment."
"Can I see that for a second."
Alric didn't give Bilbo the chance to refuse before reaching down and pinching the simple looking gold band.
"Alric!"
Bilbo began to complain when before he could further protest Alric tossed the ring in his mouth and swallowed.
Bilbo stared at Alric.
"…"
"…"
Alric stared back. A strange rage seemed to push at Bilbo's mind but he remained too stunned to react.
Alric began to grin; his cheat had vanished the ring. The most powerful and dangerous ring of power and he ate it! But then Alric felt it, It was like a nausea of the soul. His very being seemed to ripple, freeze, and twist all at once. Then with a soft gagging noise Alric threw up.
The one ring flew through the air and clinked at Bilbo's feet. Alric stared at the unmarred…wait something was different. The small ring he had eaten was now wildly fluctuating in size. One moment big enough for even Alric the next the size of a penny. Alric was stunned. He knew it could adjust shape but this didn't seem right it almost seemed glitchy.
"Alric! What did you do! Why would you try to eat it! Look it's all weird now."
Even as Bilbo spoke the fluctuations slowed and came to a stop at it's normal size.
"Sorry bout that Bilbo…But look it's fine. I was just…Ah, testing something."
Bilbo held the now normal ring close to his chest as if Alric might snatch it away any moment.
"Let's go back."
Alric moved them along quickly to brush past his strange behavior.
So, it didn't work in the end. That reaction though…like it was damaged. Did I maybe do something after all?
Alric didn't feel any lingering effects on him. He would have to wait till he checked his avatar space.
For now, they had another ambush to walk into. While Gandalf and Thorin were only guessing Alric knew what was coming. Azog and his matching albino hell chihuahua. Alric was looking forward to eating more Wargs. They unlike the goblins were tasty and gave the very useful speed stat and bone density trait.
As they returned the dwarves and wizard were relieved to see Bilbo safe and sound. Alric was eager to move on. He was rested and hungry for the next fight.
As he waited for the Dwarves to prepare to move out he snagged a random rock to eat.
I have no idea what they are doing…Scavenging supplies or something? Honestly they take longer to get ready than my first girlfriend…
Alric's thoughts trailed off as he saw Bilbo and a few others staring at Alric as he ate the small boulder in his hand like a crumbly pastry.
"What? I got to get my vitamins."
Bombur seemed to give Alric a sympathetic smile of shared suffering.
Alric was now the one slightly confused. Did they think he was so hungry he was now eating anything? Alric spotted Bilbo holding his pocket protectively as he side-eyed him. They had seen him eat far more than should fit inside even his monstrous size.
He must seem like some gluttonous all devouring phenomena. They didn't know that very little of what he eaten had gone to his stomach rather than his cheat.
Whatever they seem ready. Lets go find the Pale Pork Az'Hog.
Alric playing tank for the party took up the lead as they moved through the caves to the exit.
As such the whole party had to stop and watch when he got stuck. He was wedged between the two rock walls as they flowed closer together. Alric struggled a bit but felt himself get even more firmly stuck. His dense muscles ground against the stone like a boulder smashed into place. He was at an awkward angle as he tried to contort past. He couldn't get any leverage.
Soft chuckles drifted from behind him. Alric now blushing slightly gave another shove with his arms and managed to crumble some of the side of the wall. Before Alric could capitalize his hard fought few inches of territory he felt many hands begin pushing him rom behind. Unprepared and of-balance the combined effort let the dwarves tip him forward as he pitched face first into the dirt. His hips remained firmly stuck above and behind him even as he pivoted.
"Wait." He called out behind him.
Man, this is so embarrassing. All my cool points are gone. Why am I so big! It's great most of the time but…
As he was lamenting, he felt a strange tugging sensation from all over his body. A pulling starting from his core pulled at him. He felt the walls loosen as he was compressed. He quickly righted himself and looked behind to find the group no longer good naturedly laughing but staring at him.
Alric looked down, He was small! Well relatively small. He was still probably seven feet tall and four wide. He had more than halved his true size. He could still feel the strange sensation of being pulled inward. He knew he could release it if he wished. He tried to pull in more but found this seemed to be his new abilities limit.
"You shrank!"
"How in the world"
"How long…"
Everyone burst into questions. Alric remembered the strange reaction of the one ring when he tried to eat it. Apparently, the way it's auto sizing was malfunctioning was because it just had a piece of it ripped off.
Alric didn't feel like answering the flabbergasted party so he decided to be an adult about it. He turned around and kept walking completely ignoring the situation until they stopped asking.
"Now he changes size…strange"
Nope…no. If I don't acknowledge the 15 curious stares on my back, they don't exist. I learned from the magnificent master ostrich! None will break my deliberate obliviousness.
Alric made short work of the passage out in his new size. Once he exited he immediately let himself expand back to full size.
After returning to a full 16 feet of muscles sculpted from dark green stone. Alric tried to push farther. If he could shrink, could he also grow larger? He tried to push the feeling in his core to push on his body instead of pulling. Nothing happened. It felt like the force were taught strings…perfectly capable of pulling himself in but they bent and flexed instead of pushing outward.
The Dwarves continued to follow behind him as they headed into a wooded area.
Looks like I will have to stick to the normal method to grow bigger…well as natural as devouring strange substances to magically increase my bulk can be.
"Now where were my next steroids at. I ordered delivery…"
Almost in answer to Alric's muttered words, a familiar howl echoed out from behind them.
The Dwarves resumed their defensive formation behind Alric. Thorin and Dwalin the best fighters followed by Kili and Fili and the rest. Bilbo looked far more sure of himself. After hours of fighting from safety in the caves the hobbit -prepared himself to thrust past the dwarf in front of him. He may be in the middle but an extra set of eyes and a good thrust out could always be helpful. Gandalf for his part brought out his sword but stayed in the rear his casting staff raised in his other hand.
Alric wasn't sure if Gandalf would be flinging any fireballs…The level of offensive magic he could release was heavily restricted. Still any magical support was welcome.
"Alric…the Troll who consorts with filth. And a band of…"
Alric's gaze snapped forward. There sitting atop a massive pale Warg was Azog the Defiler. Alric cut him off.
"Ahh…you've heard of me! Excellent! Glad we don't need to waste time Az'dog the Deficient"
A snarl of rage twisted on Azogs' face as his name and title were butchered.
"I must say I didn't understand the name before…but now I get it you really are just a mutt aren't you. And as for "deficient"…well I can only assume you are just as lacking in the sheets as you are in the looks department!"
Azog didn't attempt further banter! His gaze which had shifted to his nemesis Thorin briefly had snapped back to Alric his muscles and his mount tensing in utter fury.
Azog charged. He was not alone riders and Wargs from the surrounding woods charged at the group in step with Azog. Alric didn't worry about the others. They wouldn't go down to a bunch of randoms. The large white duo in front of Alric leapt forward pouncing at him with speed much greater than the mobs around them. Alric swung a forearm up into the snapping jaws of the large beast. The slavering jaws snapped down. The front paws scrambled at the limb as it stood on it's hind limbs. There was a faint crack as the beast bit the unyielding flesh. The canine whimpered slightly but did not pause gnawing and gnashing on Alric.
For the Troll's part he was as surprised as his attackers while the damage was small this elite Warg was managing to hurt him. The maw that could shred armor and snap bone was leaving small grooves and indents in his arm. The pain and damage was equivalent to cat scratches. This was more damage than all the goblins combined had managed.
Truly an elite mini boss!
Alric met the two chips of rage filled ice glaring at him over the shoulder of the determined canine. Deciding the oversized puppy had been using him as a chew toy long enough Alric tugged his arm down. At the same time, he used his other arm to deliver an uppercut past his arm into its lower jaw.
This unfortunately brought the rather angry Azog rather close to Alric's face as he leaned down. Azog wasted no time as he swung his spiked iron replacement arm at his face. Alric flinched back. The swing left a small wound as it ground past his right temple. Before Azog could land a second attempt this time at Alric's eye, his mount swayed and slumped under him. Azog jumped off as his beast died rolling upright as he bailed.
His confused and accusing glare back at the faithful beast was far to late as it was already long dead. Alric saw it in his eyes as Azog put the pieces together the growing pool of dark blood beneath his dead Warg's jaws and the only hit Alric had landed. His cold blue eyes snapped to Alric's hands.
His eyes widened as he saw the two massive spikes of sharpened bone slick with blood. Alric hadn't just punched his mount. He had stabbed through the back of its lower jaw and up into the back of its head.
Now fully baring both sets of claws Alric charged the Pale Orc. He swung in swift brutal arcs and jabs. Azog was no newcomer to battle and evaded every attack. Alric may be much faster than his size would suggest but he was inexperienced and large. Azog utilized every bit of skill he could weaving between the strikes. The air whipped and whooshed past with each movement of the massive green fists. Azog knew he couldn't survive such a massive force. He drew a blade in his right hand. Stabbing into Alric's arms and legs even as he evaded. The wounds weren't deep. They barely passed the skin. But they were annoying and growing in number fast.
Azog began to smile, he could beat this monster…but then, Azog missed a dodge. His slowly growing confidence shattered alongside at least half his ribs. The blow left a jagged chasm from shoulder to hip. The wound gushed blood, but even that was nothing compared to the impact of the blow. Alric, frustrated, had put all his might in the hit. The left side of the Orcs chest was visibly crushed. Azog didn't even feel the ground as he landed on his back. His chest didn't rise and fall in breath, his internals far too close to a smoothy to operate. Yet despite this Azog wasn't dead. He gazed up into a firelit night sky rage and reluctance left him uncomprehending of his situation.
Then a face, Alric looked down on him from high…high above. Azog tried to snarl, or rage, or…move, but nothing happened. Then he saw a massive green foot rise above him. The heel came down. Azog knew no more. His disbelief and cold eyes erased into a mangled pulp by a powerful stomp.