A great host had been assembled to head into the Bloodsnow wastes, dozens of mercenary bands, even if most were little more than gutter trash made of orcs and goblins, assembled under the keen eye of their elven overseers. All lead by the Darkmoon Sisterhood, who specialized in taking their prey alive. Because of course Lord Wigglebloom wanted the target captured alive, even as he stressed that such an undertaking would be difficult. To be sure, Slyvania Darkmoon scoffed at the thought of a human that required countermeasures more suited for an elder troll, but given how much Lord Wigglebloom was willing to pay them for catching his runaway experiment?
They would humor him. To be sure, they would have liked the notes on just what the hell he did to make their target given the fact that all the chaff? He only needed to pay the remaining half for the orcs and goblins if they succeeded and lived. The entire force was light on anyone that he would have to pay compensation for and that?
That was always a major red flag in the business. So like any halfway sane leader, she did a little digging. And what she found? Well, that explained a few things.
For one, Urzial Wigglebloom had not made this thing, but stumbled across it and it sent him running. Which actually was not that concerning. Wiggleblooms had a reputation for cowardice that was well earned and entrenched. What was concerning was that it had been around since the portals opened up and turned this place from a magical dead zone and into a place that support an actual civilization. So, it was likely a mana infused native, a human. Which while odd, it was not exactly like humans were anything special in the grand scheme of things, so any empowerment would have been minimal.
The first attempt had gone... well, poorly. Then again, sending in a dozen orcs with clubs to beat a human half to death? They would need to be quick in healing the human to get the bonus the live capture would give them, but it was routine and down to an art form. Of course, between the geysers of boiling blood, the ice shards that formed flay wind tornados and the handful of maimed, mostly dead minor demons should likely have have clued them into the fact that this would be more difficult than assumed.
In truth, as the sisters watched from a considerable distance, it was not really expected to work. Would it have been nice? Yes, same time it was getting cold enough to hurt just breathing in and their target was only wearing a pair of shorts and sandals, to go with the chains attached to the axes around its arms. Frankly, they did not think humans came like that, did not grow to be nearly nine feet tall and seemingly of a skin of marble over a mountain range's worth of muscles.
His hair was long, and black of night, streaked through with gore of many hues. To be sure, there was a wild beard that struck from his general attractiveness, as did the other body hair, but still? More than one dark elf looked at the figure and licked their lips, before the orcs reached him. And then, the mass of muscles, which should have been slow, moved almost faster then they, proper and full blooded elven huntresses, could see.
The humans hand went right through the leading orcs head, a yank as the monster moved tearing the minions spine (with attached skull) from its body and used as a flail to behead two of the others in a single movement before the first could even start to fall and collapse. The humans wrist snapped and the spine came apart. A moment later, fingers crushed the skull to powder as the dozen orcs collapsed, holes were the remaining nine's heads and hearts used to be.
Licking her lips as she fought down the blush on her cheeks (she was fairly sure the human had been looking right into her eyes as he crushed that skull), Slyvania Darkmoon looked to her sisters, all with interested looks on their faces. "Well then, lets break out the special toys. And sisters?" Her tone was kind and sweet, as they all flinched. "I get him first, before we hand him over, is that clear?" They groaned, but seniority had its perks.
Well, that and they needed to contact their resurrection providers before they progressed any further, She was sure she and her sisters were paid up, but best to treat this like a Elder Troll or Dragon Hunt. Which is what Wigglebloom actually warned them about. And he actually survived a brush with the human? Her opinion of the lord went up a notch.
Several attempts later, she was ready to inform Lord Urzial Wigglebloom that they were calling off the contract. "Lord Wigglebloom. We are not able to complete the contract, not with the target dead or alive." There was no shame in her bearing or posture, even as she made a signal for one of her sisters to be ready with the projector. Because he was going to try and shame them and ruin their reputations, but?
"And before you ask?" The images projected, showing the warrior rushing into the traps. "Attempt number three. A combination of bone breaker and muscle shredders. Since there was no noticeable change in how fast it was able to slaughter the fodder, we also added in some artillery bombardment along with a vitality tracker." She paused, as the world around the human became explosions and fire. "According to the tracker, while most of its internal organs were reduced to pulp?"
She shrugged, as not much changed. "It did not stop. There was some indication that it may be capable of using telekinesis to effectively puppet its own body. So, we deployed an magic suppression array that caught it." Again, there was no change, as the berserk human started to literally dismember and butcher an ogre. "Attempt number six, we also did something that would cause it lose consciousness."
There was now snoring from the figure as it hunted down and rampaged through the small army. "Apparently, it can fight just was well when unconscious. Number eight, we learned that total sensory deprivation, when added to everything else? It was still able to dodge, parry and counter attack. After we compiled some data, we have reached the following conclusion about this human."
Her tone was polite, professional even, as eyes were on the human currently engaging a greater frost demon of some unknown kind in melee combat. "The human is entirely capable of ignoring minor inconveniences, up to and including being dead, until its healing ability allows it to recover."
There is a pause, as the image of the human kills and eats the demon. "You said it died. And then it ignored its own death?" Oh, there was disbelief there, even as she nodded.
"Yes." Because what else could she say?
"And it... what, is capable of self-resurrection?" Ah, there was the disbelief, and the misconception.
"No, it healed, all while ignoring it was dead. Reality seemed to not want to press the issue, as it is absurd existence." On the one hand, if they could properly channel that sort of stamina and focus into the bedroom, the children would be legendary! On the other hand, he was busy and reacted to everything with murder. "As it is, it seemed to consider being dead no more than a mere... annoyance."
She paused and then nodded. "As such, we are quitting the contract and paying the penalty clauses. Now, I need to get drunk." With that, she and her sisters, departed the public court, chaos being sown in their wake, even as she planned for somewhere warm, sunny and with fruity drinks and men in speedos, to relax and destress from all of this.