We were making good time,
The wraths seemed to attack in packs, appearing out of alcoves in the corridors.
Gottfried was now level 35.
I was level 8.
After a few close encounters i made the executive dicision to retreat back to the safe zone.
It was easy to back track, sneaking past the same creatures i left behind raised my sneak to level twelve, i might have had more gains if using sneak with out cloak which maxed out at level 1. i might also make a fatal mistake, no telling how aware these things really were.
Awareness was basically perception, the more aware one is the more able one is to perceive all events and even essense.
Wanna see a insect crawling on a tree from ten feet away?
Tired of being sneaked up on and ganked for every posession?
Wanna know when your being watched?
Wanna know when people may in fact mean you harm? (Extreme awareness)
You need high awareness.
The best combination to beat high awareness, was obfuscate+sneak. obfuscate was a spell from the dark magic skill tree, basically creating shadows for the user to hide in.
Being bonded with gothfried was starting to have benefits. I was granted a sword skill when he reached level 25.
Phantom strike. It was actually a poweful attack.
A second sword, a ghostly blade would follow right after my sword. Basically striking twice. The ghost blade ignored defence, it couldnt be parried or blocked. Resulting in intention based damage.
It cost 37 essence.
At level 35 he granted me Afterimage.
It was a maneuvering skill.
Creating after images when i dodged.
Sitting in front of the bonefire staring deeply into the inorganic flames lost in thought. I was trying my own hand behind by not spending ability points.
I've been saving them since childhood. I hope my dream of spending them on a real class didnt kill me
My thoughts center on that dreadful fire. Calling on that was a last resort. Just thinking about it too hard made me anxious. My monster abilities had command over fire. I figured if i could stop that beast.
A lesser flame should be easier to tame.
Reaching out my hand i beseched the flames.
I willed them to come forth.
I called them my bitch.
I sat my had in the flames and i wasnt burned...nor could i make them dance topless for me either.
So i tried something different. I never had much essence, different from lifeforce, essence was a byproduct of life. Those who knew how could grasp it to do magnificent, dare i say terrifying things. I wasnt one of them.
I tried to figure where it stemed from.
Figuring it had to come from me. I looked within.
Trying to see inside my own body was difficult. Sitting in a meditative pose breathing slowly, lost in the slow steady thumping of my heart beat. I ignored susceptiblethe part of my mind screaming i was a fool. I knew this had to work somehow.
I scan through my body head to foot searching for anything that felt out of the ordinary
it took a while before i felt it, rearing throughout whole body a crisp energy flooded me, i felt topped off.
I unsheathed my sword and executed phantom strike!
I was shocked to find the essence flowed from my gut and not the stream whiched i had tapped into.
Instead of focusing on where i found essense origined. I tried to trace the stream.
I followed it to my chest. Opposed in direction to my heart a second energetic one seemed to regulate that energy. Stabilizing the flow.
Acting on instinct i dragged a line of that energy pushing it through my shoulder and down my left arm into my open fist.
A yellow orb floated above my palm.
I channeled the flame to me.
This time there was a reaction. A piece of the fire tore off from the bonfire. Gravitating towards my hand. It circled as if unsure.
It rotated a few times before sinking into the orb of energy seamlessly. The reaction was instant.
The orb turned cherry red before bursting into a small deluge of
Ignus. I only felt a nice sense of warmth.
Instead of letting it rage until it burnt out. I crushed it in my fist. What remained was a fistful of red energy i sucked back through my arm and into my bio-capacitor. At first i felt bloated. Like i would puke the energy up, forcible ejecting it somehow.
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The capacitor stutter a little-then seemed to work fine with the added difference of the energy flowing outward now took on a red hue.
I had success, which was hard to believe. Now i just had to figure out what i was doing.
Grand Fire mastery unlocked!
Apparently i was on the right track. breathe coming deep, mind clear of obstructions or bullshit.
I felt for that hot spark circulating through me
I willed it in my hands, asking for intensity, strength, I needa fire deadly enough to ensure i would live.
I need a fire that will eat away at any deterrent, that would shatter anything foolish enough to nay say me!
I unleased what i had gathered,
A beam of scorching heat flew from betwixt my fingers.
NEW SPELL CREATED!
Heatray! Lvl.1
I was juiced. My first spell.
I had all this essense for what!? With basically no outlet.
Instead of struggling i would win on my terms.
I was eager to test out my new stregth, Gottfried gathered fruit for me. So i wouldn't have to climb no trees. I drunk my fill of the delicious lake water. It taste like necture, capable of restoring a little essence.
I curled up next to the bonfire and closed my eyes. Although i swore i wasnt tired, it took me fast.
+++++++++++++++
The corridors of shadows was living up to its name. Alcoves lined the walls.
Sometimes nothing more than empty depression in the wall, other times containing monsters or treasures, mostly loose coin, i also found a dagger. I was waiting on a big find.
Every so often we passed doors , doors i was to afraid to open half the time. Gottfried begged me often to just stick his head in a few. But i refused, paranoid beyond belief. It was my ass on the line not his.
In the back of my mind riches beyond belief goaded me into action. I ignore the impetuous.
I chose our path at random often times figuring one direction was as good as another. The corridors intersected with one another. Ive taken to burning large patches of the glowing green shit to mark my way so i wouldnt get lost.
The wraths must have infared vision. They were impossible for "me" to sneak up on. Gottfried had no problem.
A large group of them hissed and screeched rushing me with wild abandon.
I cupped my hand as if in supplication.
Taking a deep breath. I focused. It wasnt as difficult to center myself. Essence lined with a thin sheet of crimson Bio-energy swirled into my hand as fast as thought. A beam of heat was formed. It shot forth bursting into the chest of one. It didnt die outright but it wad knocked down, unmoving.
I formed and shot another paying close attention to the fuel of my flames, this one i tried to aim better. it was almost ineffective, eating through the peripheral of the shadowy skull and some of its eye. I was more mostly sure that was a kill. I didnt have enough time to summon another Heatray.
They were on me, luckily Gottfried gained a few new skills of his own.
A short range teleport skill, shield bash,
He used those skills to our advantage.
Appearing in the midst of the shadow people right as they were to collide with me. Instantly using shield bash to bowl two over, he cruelly triggered Phantasmal strike making one head roll, before he turned and curved stumped the other. Shadowy substances plat the ground.
I threaded through his carnage.
I swept my sword forward in an over head cut as soon as the shadow set up to disembowel me. I adjusted my grip stepped forward, turning the slight of blade into a thrust. Simultaneously activating
I felt both strikes pierce cleanly through.
Trying to be cool, i dramatically ran at the last shadowman.
Contorting at the last second to add some torque before i pounced blade first, like spinning like a corkscrew
Toward its unprepared kneck, culminating in me taking its head. But falling flat afterward, to the unconcealed laughter of Gottfried. I looked to towards the source of the heckles.
Only to see him poking the skulls of my spell recipients.
Green streams of light flowed into me and Gottfried. It felt tingly.
Once i asked my ghost what he thought this was. He told me outright monsters didnt level through experience. They level through killing of other monsters claiming dominance, eating adventurers (bleh) and age. The bodies disappeared as they gave all they had to offer. Leaving behind the loot.
I panted on the ground for a second.
Id come along way in a short time.
I know alot of it was thanks to the empowered states i was constantly experiencing.
I was about even footing with shadowpeople now. Raid dungeons were dangerous because a monsters level was deceptive here. They were basically twice as powerful.
A regular level 10 bunny was a meal.
A level ten bunny in a raid dungeon was something a level 15 Adventurer might need a partner for. The stats were uneven. great actual skill, not what was on the status screen was needed to preserve your life in battle.
I practiced swordplay on first breath.
I was well beyond what my skill on paper would suggest. I stared into the crystalized dark blade lost in thought.
Highten state triggered: Greater sword awareness granted!
Still lost in thought i became entranced instantly
My sword became center focus my body felt like its extension. In great slowness i delivered a strike. I tried three maybe four times. Making small adjustments to my stance and the way i held my blade.
On the final attempt one slash turn into two lead into three and completed onto the fourth strike.
Highten state ceased: lesser sword awareness retained. Skill sword onslought Developed!
That was incrediple. I jumped for joy and almost flopped like a fish out of water on the ground. Mouth open and all.
Every muscle in my body ached like molten lava. I screamed. It felt like hours of practice squeezed into maybe ten minutes. I need a break.
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