"Man fuck this!" I yell, dodging another beetle.

"You did say I could choose what we do next human!"

"One, I told you it's Nolan damn it! Two, this isn't what I have in mind when it comes to hunting!"

We were dealing with at least six of the Shearjaw beetles. One male, five females, if size differences are anything to go by. And unfortunately, the females are larger. Another one of the beetles makes a swipe at me, but I make a dodge and slash, eliciting a screech as it falls out of the air with a damaged elytra. I take care to punt the fucker, sending it flying and hopefully killing it. Todone, meanwhile, was holding his own against three of- no wait, a new one came out of the tree line, four of the beetles, now marking seven in total.

"What is the matter human, scared of a few grubs?" The boy said with a laugh, leaping up just as one flew at him, thrusting his carved wooden spear down and skewering it, killing the beetle. As he lands he swings his spear to the side, both dislodging the beetle and smacking another one. Honestly, he makes this shit look easy.

"I wouldn't be too concerned if you didn't pick a fight with one calling for mates you jackass!" I shouted back, before casting a decent sized cube of {Create Water} over my other beetles to knock them out of the air, thankfully worked.

I needed to be more careful with the size of that though. As an aside, I've noticed that I have a.. Let's call it a 'reservoir' of mana. I seem to have an innate store of it, and it slowly trickles in like a stream. The more effort and size I put into my casts, the more mana it seems to pull. I hadn't given it much thought until I also considered that I'd feel a little more winded than usual after casting sometimes. Of course, controlling anything other than {Create or Destroy Water} is easier said than done.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the beetles focused on Todone form a united front on him. Todone, in all his youthful glory, laughs again. For a flipperfooted fuck, the kid can dash like a madman. He swings his spear like a baton, batting away the beetles like they were balls of paper. I didn't get to see him continue however, as I had to focus on the other two beetles facing me. They were charging me on the ground, still intent on at least biting my ankles. I attempted to use a small scale {Ensnare}, though it still ended up being larger than I imagined. Still, it did the job. Their bodies were restricted and I moved in to make two clean hacks at them. With two squeaks and with that out of the way, now I could probably either help or watch Todone with his-

I ducked in the nick of time, already having heard the telltale buzzing that I'd been growing to hate more and more by the minute. The part I hated about his the most was the fact that they really weren't letting up. I couldn't help but voice my concerns to Todone.

"So out of curiosity, when do these guys stop coming?!"

"Usually when the male stops screaming or we run out of beetles in the area!"

"Well I just- shit- punted the male, so I think this party outta end soon then, yeah?!" I yelled back, dodging another beetle mid sentence, putting us at nine beetles since this show started.

Todone, meanwhile, scoffed. "Where is your sense of thrill, human?!"

"Left on the coat rack when we were getting swarmed!"

Frustrated I couldn't get a proper hit on these new beetles, I cast {Frostbite} to drop at least one of them, giving me time to focus on the other. It charged at me again, but I made another swipe like I was starting to build a rhythm for. Sure as can be, though the beetle attempted a course change I was a bit too fast for it. The bug could only manage that same brief squeak as I chopped it down, certain it was dead.

I turned to Todone, and… yeah he was faring pretty well actually. Despite having a sharp stick he was swinging and stabbing pretty well, better than I ever could at least. I opted to keep an eye out for any additional beetles, on the off chance I had to get up and fight some more. Kid was handling himself pretty well, I know I'd just mess up his groove if I stepped in. Honestly, if I was just a couple levels higher, I'd probably not be as worried, but as it stands these things

"Hiiyah!" The toad boy gave with one final thrust, piercing what I'd hoped to be our last one for some time. Todone, for his credit, only seemed to be a bit winded by his dancing. I truly call it that, cause honestly the kid knows how to waltz with a spear. Even more so, considering his 'Malnourished' status.

"Well, human, I believe that should be the last of them. Is your whelpish nature satisfied?"

I sigh, letting the brush hook in my hand slack. "First of all, it's Nolan. I don't go around calling you toad boy, so I'd kindly appreciate it. Secondly, I'm just not a fan of being tossed into something without at least a general gameplan of how we're gonna handle things. I'd like to know just how much shit I'll have to march through if I can help it. Thirdly… hell are we gonna do with the bodies?"

Todone looked down at the bug carcasses in the area, as well as the body of what looked like a deer the male was going to use for his, eh, progeny. He seemed to only take a moment before shrugging.

"Eat them. What else can we do with Shearjaws?"

I sigh, lamenting the kid's lack of creativity.

"Well…" I began, leaning down over one of the more intact beetles. "Most insects have an organ spread evenly among their digestive tract and reproductive organs that more or less acts as a fat store, and on critters of this size we can use that for cooking. Alternatively, depending on how we treat and use the chitin I think I could make some sort of armor out of it, but I'll admit I'm gonna be out of my element working with bug parts on top of needing to gather tannin. We could just eat it too, like you said, but I think we should smoke some as well, and develop a food supply should we need it. The guts could be used for fishing and trap bait, the jaws are sharp and pointed enough that we could probably make spearheads or knives…"

I looked up, and noticed he seemed to get lost in amazement as he stared at me. I cleared my throat, standing back up.

"Not my first time eating bugs or making stuff out of animal parts, I wanna make sure we don't let things go to waste if we can't help it after going through a mess like this. If we're gonna keep the guts for fishing or the fat for cooking though, I'd suggest we bake some pottery I can stuff in my coyote pack for storage"

"... You are a strange one. You act like a young tad, you speak with strange words, and you help demihumans. You surprise me… Nolan"

I couldn't help but snort. "You're saying I act like a young tad? I don't know much about toadmen, but I know enough to say you're a kid yourself".

Todone sputtered indignantly, puffing himself up to stare me down. "W-what nonsense is that, I'm old enough!"

I raised a brow. "How many summers old?"

"Fifteen! I'll be sixteen in two full moons!"

I couldn't help but sputter myself, both in surprise and humor. "Jesus, I woulda pegged you as nearing eighteen or something! What the hell do they feed you in your tribe?"

The boy glistened proudly at my personal age guess. "Plenty of Mawfish and Spearwings!"

"I'll just presume those are good eatin's, 'cause God damn".

I reach down and start grabbing corpses, tossing them onto my spare blanket that definitely isn't going to be good for sleeping in anymore until I can wash it with something like soapwort. I don't bother plucking through which one's look like their meat's spoiled and which ones have, as I want them all for their chitin and fat, and can just sort that out at camp. Plopping a third one, I notice Todone is still lollygagging about with a stupid wide grin.

"... You gonna help me grab all these or what?"

"Ah, sorry!" He almost stuttered out, starting to grab bugs with me. Honestly, as dickish as he comes off sometimes, he also makes me think of a younger version of… Clay, actually. Huh. No wonder I've been calling him kid. Definitely has a bit more maturity he didn't have at this age though, I'll give the toad that.

As we toss the the last bug in the blanket and tie it up with a plant cord I'd strung together earlier, he asks me a question as we head out.

"So, how old are you… Nolan?" He asks, still seemingly unused to my name.

I shrug as we walk, figuring the question was fair.

"Twenty-five," I said simply. He stopped at that, and I had to slow down to look back at him. "Something wrong?"

Without skipping a beat, he responds. "Do all human adults moan as much as you about fighting beetles?"

I scoff, but that was soon followed up by a chuckle. "Nah, I just vent my frustration a little more openly is all, means I'll live a longer stress free life".

The toad cocked his head confusedly, and honestly it made me exhale humorously.

I chewed on a string of grass merely for the fixation while I stared at the charcoal diagram I drew on the sheet of bark in the campfire light. It wasn't much, but… it was a design. Committing it to the system was simple enough, and as it turns out even writing out and planning diagrams is enough to earn me at least a few brownie points with the system. I was just doing this for the sake of planning out a style for the armor, but I'll take it.

While I was making the 'schematic' as I've taken to calling it, I couldn't help but ask a few questions about the strange I've been fighting alongside.

"So, Todone…" I began to ask him. "How far exactly do you think we are from the rest of your tribe?"

The toadman was slow to answer, looking up into the sky away from the campfire of smoking bug flesh. Though the sun itself was down, some of it's light still prevailed over the horizon, still giving me a decent view of his face as I glanced from the charcoal design.

"We're definitely south of my village, much farther than I have any right to be, I can say that with certainty," He began. "And I can at least say we're definitely in the lower wetlands on the edge of the forest, but past that… I'm uncertain. At the very least it's going to take a few days with you following me".

"And how much without me?" I asked curiously.

"... Maybe faster by a day or so, but it wouldn't matter once we reached the main lakeside itself".

"...How come?" I asked, getting the feeling I wasn't going to like this answer.

The toadman sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them to stare into mine. "There are powerful beasts in and around the waters. Usually, my tribesmen would bring our own beasts or travel in large groups when moving through and around the Lake for hunts. I am not so blind as to see that I would be capable of reaching the village myself, let alone alongside a human. Staying in the area for more than a few moments would be foolish".

"Fuck," I couldn't help but curse. "So unless we happen to bump into one of these traveling groups we're dead in the water on getting to your village".

"Correct. Until winter time, when the lake freezes over, we will have no choice but to rough it out in the swamplands. And unfortunately, summer has just begun".

I sigh, shaking my head. "Well shit, if we're gonna be out here for a few months we might as well get ready for the long haul… though I do have another question if you don't mind?"

"As long as I get to answer a couple of questions myself," Todone replied.

I nodded, putting my designs to the side for now. "Fair enough. You go first".

"Where are you from, human?"

I cringe inwardly. I can't exactly tell the truth, but I suck at lying as well. I might as well be as honest as I can.

"I'm from a land called 'The United States of America', from a state known as 'Ohio' to be precise," I answered honestly.

"Hmmm… can't say I have heard of such a land. What is it like?"

"Well…" I began slowly, racking my brain for the right words. "It's not the best of places, but I can think of plenty of worse choices as well. We have certain inalienable rights and laws offered to all on a federal level, but on a state level each region functions semi-autonomously with its own means of general governance provided it falls within the laws and rules of the primary…"

I could see the glazed over look in his eye. Right. Tribal. New plan.

"Err… think of each state as a 'tribe'," I tried again. "Each 'tribe' has its own rough set of rules and beliefs each one follows, but ultimately they are ruled under by selected leaders and decision makers elected from every single tribe for the sake of all peoples under one group".

"Oh! Like our war chiefs!" Todone said, recognition glistening. "They unite our peoples in times of common threats!"

I snap my fingers and point a finger gun at him. "Kinda like that, yeah. Except we're united for more than just war, we're also united to share and produce goods for one another as well as offer free migration amongst ourselves if individuals from one area don't feel quite satisfied with the conditions of another".

"I see now. It's truly interesting, I wonder how my kin would feel at the sound of such an idea".

"Alright," I said, leaning in. "My turn. What is it that led you into your current situation? As in, why are you separated from the rest of your people?"

The toadman seemed shameful at this point. "Ah, there's a… reason for that… you see I.. fl… I… di… rif… ff"

I squinted, leaning forward. "Ah, sorry, I don't mean this in any rude manner, but I didn't catch what you said".

Todone kicked at the grass beneath him, flustered. "I was out in the water a couple of weeks ago, floating late at night to relax. I got distracted in my thoughts and fell asleep… and drifted off. The fact that I wasn't snagged by a night-time beast is a blessing from my ancestors".

"Oof…" I muttered. "Yeah, shit happens. But why did I find you keeling over then?"

The toadman was looking down now, as though the dirt was the most interesting discovery in the world. "I… ate some bad bugs by mistake".

I grimaced at that one.

"Ooooooooooh…" I groaned out, keeling over behind some bushes.

My old man was laughing his ass off, slapping his knee. "I told you those kindsa grasshoppers ain't safe kid, charred or not! You're lucky you've just got a stomach ache!"

I felt my mouth swell up with vomit, and I emptied more of the contents of my lunch out. I coughed a couple of times at the burning sensation at the back of my throat. I spit out one final glob and plop myself back down into the dirt by our campfire.

"Now, what'd I tell you to always consider with bugs?"

"'If it's bright, don't bite" I moaned, taking a swig from my canteen to get the taste out of my mouth.

"Good. Not always the rule so ya still need to be careful 'bout whatcha pluck up, but the real colorful ones are always a no-no. Just be glad all ya got's is a stomach ache".

Somehow I wasn't feeling too glad right now.

"I know how that goes actually, so you have my sympathy," I sympathetically said, rubbing my stomach in memory. "I ate some back grasshoppers once when I was a teenager despite my dad's warnings, thinking I was being a smartass. Of course, he knew I wouldn't suffer too much if I ate them so he let me be. Was puking my guts out for a whole day, and had diarrhea for two.

Todone laughed at that, slapping his knee. "Hahahahaha, that's great!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah yeah, yuk it up"

Despite that, I started laughing as well. If there's one thing to be said, I sure learned some humility around that time.

"So human, my next question is… how did you get lost?"

Oof, yeah, not an easy question. "Really wish I could say, but I don't know what brought me here. One minute I was… defusing a situation, next thing I know I'm in the forest".

Technically not a lie, as I literally cannot fully process and comprehend what the hell my 'patron' even is. Todone meanwhile doesn't seem to have bought it, as he squints his eyes at me. However, he doesn't seem willing to push it either. I can't help but sigh at this however.

"Look, even I can't fully believe the shit I went through so I understand your apprehensiveness, but I'll still try and be as honest as I can about it".

This seems to mollify the toadman at least, nodding in acceptance. "Okay hu-... Nolan… it is your turn to ask a question".

I twist the bit of grass in my mouth, thinking of which question I should ask next. Though it takes some thinking, I suddenly have an idea as I think of my little 'bug armor' project. I pick up the bark and charcoal drawing and I get up, moving to sit next to him. I angle the drawing so he can get a clear view of the picture.

"So, I've been drawing up some ideas pertaining to what we can do with the Shearjaw Chitin and I'd like some input. Though I hate to swallow my pride here, you're the better warrior between the two of us despite your age. I want to ask you which areas I should focus on and how I should make it for you".

Todone blinked. "I'm sorry… did you say you're making the armor for me?"

"Yup. Like I said, you're a better fighter. I can hold my own and I'll do what I can, but if there's anything the fight with the Shearjaws made me think, it's that I'd probably be better off holding it from the back with my magic to provide support while you draw aggro. And with that, you'd certainly need some better armor than your own skin".

The toad boy looked at me as if I'd grown a second head, then looked down at my charcoal drawing, blinking rapidly, then sighing with an odd look. He then points at spots on the sheet, and begins to speak.

"I'll need flexibility for my legs when I jump, so something that doesn't restrict that? I will need room around my throat as well for making calls and signals in the event of a coordinated hunt. And the skin around most toadman stomachs is… somewhat soft. If you could protect that area heavily in particular, I would be grateful".

I scribble arrows pointing to the points on a stick figure, with simple one word notes for each. "Flexible… space… padded… alright, that's all?"

The toadman nodded. "Yes, those are the major necessities for the armor. Are you sure you can actually make this?"

I stretched as I get back up to sit across from him at the fire, letting out a soft groan as I felt my shoulder pop. "Yeah, we're gonna need to go gathering further south in the forests for some materials, but that's the gist of it. You want a helmet while I'm at it?"

Todone shook his head. "I do not believe we have enough chitin for that, but thank you anyways".

I raised my eyebrow at that. "These things are the size of small dogs, and since we killed more than a few of them I feel like we got plenty".

He waved me off at that. "If you feel confident, then make something for yourself with what's left, but I'm certain I'll be fine".

I shrugged at that. I could certainly do with something to guard my neck at least, I sure as shit don't wanna make like the horseman of Sleepy Hollow and lose my head. I sat back down, and we both continued to take turns. We talked about simple things after that, most trading the occasional story about our lives here and there. Eventually, we both decided to turn in, with me taking the first watch so the kid could get some well deserved rest. Admittedly, part of the reason I couldn't sleep was because I was kind of excited. Tomorrow was going to bring a brighter day, this time with the both of us gearing up to kick some ass.

Nolan Potts, Human (Karma: 40 [Neutral]) [13/15 Spell slots used]

Classes: Brawler (4), Ranger (3), Druid (2), Clothier (2). Total Level (11).

Spells (Druid): Frostbite, Entangle, Create or Destroy Water, Guidance, Jump, Cure Wounds, Dust Devil, Protect from Poison, Hold Person, Spike Growth

Spells (Ranger): Animal Friendship, Speak to Animals, Ensnaring Strike

Gear: Canvas Clothes (Sturdy, Weathered), Oak-Handled Brush-hook, Canvas Coyote Pack of Holding, Bundles of Herbs (Medicinal),

Items of Note: {Humble Beginnings}.

Party Members

Member One: Todone, Son of Kodrotti, Toadman (Karma: -30 [Neutral]

Classes: Toadman Warrior (8), Spearman (7), Total Level (15).

AN: Yet another chapter, yet another day. Not much I can think of to say really other than reply to another review.

Fleece Johnson: I figured it'd be nice dropping Nolan in with the Toadmen for reasons yet to be revealed, but it also feels right considering there's more than a few races and items of interest I'd like to explore. To answer your question, the series takes place about ten years before the arrival of Ainz and Co., giving Nolan plenty of prep time to grow strong and gather connections so that he'll at least be able to hold his own with some of Bone Daddy's goons. Not an easy feat considering the average strength level of New Worlders, but I do have something planned to counter that. Also, I'll try and tweak with the synopsis, thanks for mentioning that.