Delving into the store, Lanek had a few ideas that would come in handy. He could definitely use a skill that would help him stay safe if he needed to sleep out in the wild and couldn’t find shelter. Lanek also figured that it would be a good idea to get some kind of ranged capabilities. However, before he started the search, he made sure to upgrade his sword proficiency at the cost of 10 reward stones, leaving him 120 to work with. He couldn’t purchase the spear upgrade as he hadn’t maxed it out at the current tier yet.
He scrolled through the available skills for a few minutes before narrowing down the search to just those skills available to the Druid class. While there were utility and outdoor skills available to the Ranger and Survivalist classes that would help him make sturdy shelters, he could make those on his own already. Besides, he wanted something magic-related seeing as his mana wasn’t really being used for anything ever since he lost his salvo ability.
Lanek realized that he had greatly underestimated the number of skills available to a given class when he had been scrolling through the Druid section for a good 10 minutes. There were a lot of interesting skills available to him, but his focus was drawn to one particular ability.
Bramble Barricade [Uncommon]*
Creates a barricade made from thorny brambles. In order to create the barricade, the caster must disperse the bramble seeds across the area where they wish to grow the barricade. The shape and size of the barricade can be manipulated by the caster. The larger the barricade, the more mana will be needed. Due to its nature, the barricade will be susceptible to fire and can be cut through fairly easily.
Hmm, it would be good for a quick shelter. Not much good for anything else, but what is with that asterisk?
That means that there are upgraded versions available once the ability has been attained. Considering what you are looking for in a spell, it would definitely be of use.
Not doubting his patron in the slightest, Lanek went ahead and spent the 20 reward stones necessary to learn the spell. Once it was added to his repertoire, it was replaced on the list by an upgraded variant.
Greater Bramble Barricade [Rare]*
Greatly increased the durability and strength of the barricade by rapidly accelerating the growth of the bramble’s roots. The roots will descend deep into the earth and connect with the roots of other brambles, creating an interconnected root network that is equivalent in size to the above ground portion of the barricade. This vast root network will allow for much larger barricades to be constructed.
Seeing that the greater version was not any more expensive and wanting to empower Eldros as much as he could, Lanek went ahead and purchased the upgrade. Now down to 80 stones, he resolved not to upgrade the skill again unless it provided dramatically better upgrades. After all, at its current level, he would be able to use it to put up a wall around the monastery in no time at all. However, the final upgrade of the skill proved way too tempting, even at the price of 40 stones.
Nature’s Rampart [Epic]
The caster can erect a wall from a variety of plant life, including trees, bushes, and brambles if the appropriate seeds are provided. The roots of this wall will extend down and anchor themselves into the bedrock. Additionally, the wall itself will regenerate itself over time, making it virtually impossible to cut through. However, the wall remains weak to fire and will not be able to regenerate until the fire is extinguished. Finally, the creation of the wall is much more flexible, allowing the caster to join it to other fortifications, such as stone walls. MP cost varies with the size of the fortification.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Now, I wonder if Nerek could create some totems to add some fire resistance to the wall. That would make for a fantastic defense for our territory. Let’s see what options I have for ranged stuff. Maybe check out what opened up when Wurgoth added his support?
Lanek scrolled through the new classes and their skills, finding several good options, but ultimately deciding on a skill from the Witch Doctor class. He wasn’t entirely sure where the Witch Doctor class came into play as he hadn’t seen any among Wurgoth’s followers so far, but maybe it was a lost class or from a distant clan or tribe.
Splintering Dart [Rare]
This skill allows the caster to turn slivers of material into homing darts. Each sliver will break into five smaller projectiles as they are fired that can each be directed at a different target. Different materials will provide different effects that can include explosions, elemental damage, and numerous status ailments. Cost = 5 MP per dart.
Damn, that’s versatile as hell. I’m sure I can get Ivan and his artificers to make me small darts out of all kinds of materials to experiment with. Taking it is going to wipe out my funds, but it is definitely worth it.
Satisfied with his selections and having recovered from his ordeal, Lanek began to make his way back to the monastery. I really hope that Wurgoth has managed to get through to Nerek and the others.
----------------------------------------
The leaders of the Talon were all gathered in the meeting hall on the top floor, waiting for Nerek. Liv, Ograch, Shel, and Khurzag were all especially anxious to hear the verdict about Lanek’s identity. Shel, in particular, was worried that her eagerness to imprison him would not be looked on kindly by either the Hordefather or Lanek himself if it turned out to really be him. For his part, Khurzag tried to calm her by saying that the Lanek they had known would not be likely to hold a grudge as any sane person would consider their caution to be wholly justified.
Liv and Ograch were not so much concerned about any repercussions as they were about how they might have treated one of their friends. Liv seemed particularly torn up at the thought, especially after Talwarg had relayed Lanek’s apology. Meanwhile, all four of those that had threatened or fought the potential impostor had learned to avoid Lira as the powerful spirit had been livid when the group returned and she found out how Shel had acted. Even now, they could feel her glare from across the room, despite not being able to make out her eyes.
Talwarg suspected that Lira would have abandoned the monastery and followed Lanek if she had been able to move freely. He prayed to the Hordefather that Nerek returned with good news as he didn’t want this job anymore and wasn’t sure how long he could hold it together. The hobgoblin chieftain turned at the sound of the door opening, watching as Nerek entered and took his seat. He doubted that the others would be able to discern much from Nerek’s demeanor, but Talwarg had known him for years and knew what he was going to say before the shaman opened his mouth.
“I have heard from the Hordefather. It is Lanek. Not only did the Hordefather speak with Lanek, but he also conferred with the Primordial of the Wild. There can be no doubt.” Nerek said, breaking the silence.
“So, is he on his way here?” Talwarg asked, observing the reactions around the room. Ograch, Liv, and Ivan were all smiles, although Liv’s was still tinged with guilt. Lira seemed to glow with a triumphant aura while Khurzag sighed heavily, clearly planning to apologize once Lanek arrived. Shel remained stoic, although she seemed to shrink in on herself a bit.
“Yes. There is more that you all need to be aware of, mostly about why the Hordefather warned us to be cautious. Lanek is indeed much more than he was, the System has named him one of the Chosen, specifically for the domain of Nature.”
None of those present needed an explanation. While no Chosen had been around in their lifetimes, not even Lira’s, the legends and stories were still shared in all of their different societies. They knew how powerful the Chosen could become, although they did not know any specifics. Even worse, they also knew that a Chosen would not be named unless something bad was about to happen. For one to show up after centuries of gaunt incursions and the collapse of civilization with no trace of a Chosen meant that whatever was coming was far worse than what they had already lived through.
The room became even more somber as Nerek relayed what Lanek had shared with the greater powers about the interrogation of the gaunt. Ivan’s eyes widened at the revelation that countless worlds were under siege by the gaunts and their masters. All the lothenae could think about was whether his world was being invaded as they spoke or if it had already fallen. The lothenae and the other races on their world weren’t weak, but they weren’t exactly warriors as Ivan’s homeworld was relatively peaceful compared to this one.
“We’re going to have to pick up the pace, aren’t we?” Talwarg asked, a hint of despair leaking into his voice.
“Sounds like it.” Khurzag agreed. “But at least we have a Chosen to lead us.”
“Gods, I really hope he wants the job back!” Talwarg said, eliciting sparse laughter from the room even as a howl echoed in the distance.