Mom gets one more phone call to let her know how much I love her and that I'll be back in a week to call her. She responds by pointing to the TV and telling me that she would be keeping on eye on me now and to take care of the blonde girl since she seems to like me so much. The muscles in my neck tighten, making it hard to swallow and I almost choke. She didn't notice since she was still looking towards the TV.
Back in game, no gods or goddesses are there with a welcoming party. Not even Azrael and his billowing robe is floating around the darkness, waiting for company and conversation. It's just me, the abyssal landscape, and a horde of notifications.
[Congratulations! Due to the Tier of the Boss (Four and above), all fighting members will receive rewards according to the degree of their participation. Factors including but not limited to: damage dealt, damage recieved, HP healed, and time spent in combat affect your XP gain and material rewards.]
[Due to the amount of war parties taking part in the Tier Four Boss Raid, the highest tier of War Party Leader shall be used to determine bonus.]
[Quest Complete: Welcome to the Neighborhood!
[2200XP + War Party Leader IV bonus
[You received: 3080XP, 1*.5Carat Princess Diamond, Wraith Slayer Feat
[For clearing the Quest with +90% territories under your group's control, you receive a bonus!
[Bonus: 7000XP]
[7500XP + War Party Leader Bonus IV bonus!
[You received 10,500XP, 5*100Unit Infernal Canvas Card, 1*Dream Eater Weapon Charm]
[Boss Slayer! As the last to attack the boss when it died you received a bonus!]
[You received 7000XP, Dread Influence, 1*Knight Chest]
[Level up! Level up! Level up! You have reached Level 27!
[You have 21 Stat Points and 3 levels to allocate!]
[-300 Reputation with members of the Order of War.]
[Your starting Reputation will be set to Hated.]
I saw the Reputation thing happening a mile away and I don't honestly care. Any group that prioritizes killing others for the sake of conflict can be my enemy any day. And as long as it's within my power to do so, I will make sure that they regret involving themselves with Linqs.
Aside from that, part of me wonders if I would've gotten another level had we been allowed to gain XP during the event. Another part is simply screaming, "Holy shit, three friggin levels off of one boss and a single event! Sign me up for another!"
However, pangs of guilt arise once I remember everyone we lost during the single event. Two of the soldiers-- No… Two of our friends didn't make it to the final fight. Elijah. Taymin. I was closer to Taymin, I think everyone was. He was originally a counselor in the Kes Rentas army, and he applied his knowledge and experience well within Linqs. I think about our walk and talk in Kes Solomas and shake my head. I would've talked more if I knew what the future held.
And then there's Victoria. I'm too scared to leave this dream space to find out her fate. I want her to be alive, of course, but if that means people will find out about her heritage I'm not sure if that would be a better position to be in.
The levels go to Blue Mage, bringing it up to 18. I drop points into Dexterity and Arcane, bringing them up to 90 and 92 respectively. This gives me a VigeStat Skill AND a Spell point to play with. And, although I'm not able to play with my new toys in this space, I take the time to read the new items' and Abilities' descriptions further delaying my return.
[Body of Smoke (40MP) self/ The caster's body becomes a cloud of smoke.
While in this form, normal, physical attacks deal no damage to the caster. However, the caster cannot attack, use Skills, or cast Spells. Duration is 10minutes/dismissed/HP drops to 0.]
[Air Cutter (25SP) 5feet/ Requirement: Slashing weapon. Create a thin, crecent wave of energy that slices through the air until it reaches the maximum range. Damage and damage type are the same as the weapon used for this Skill.]
[Wraith Slayer: Ignore resistances when dealing damage to a Wraith type monster.]
[Dream Eater. Journeyman Weapon Charm
[As long as the target has the Sleep Debuff, attacks with the charmed weapon heals the wielder by 60% of damage dealt.]
[Dread Influence. Advanced Legendary. Shoulder
[Durability: 275/275
[Armor: 0
[Reduce all damage by 90%. Wearer cannot be healed and turns off HP Regen. Deals damage to wearer equal to wearer's HP Regen every 4seconds.]
After the battle in Denagrin, I was wracking my brain on a solution for the dilemma of helping people that are out of my reach. Even with the range of Blink Step, all that would do is put me in the middle of the situation. Even if I were to Assassinate one target, if there were multiple hostiles then I might just be delaying the inevitable.
That’s how I came to Body of Smoke. As a self targeting Spell with a casting cost under 50MP, I could use Spell Division to share this new Spell with four other people, possibly for them to use as an emergency escape Ability. It reminds me of a phrase, "fighting the last war."
Often times, generals in armies train and prepare for battles and situations faced previously. The same could be said about getting Wraith Slayer, which we would have loved to have from the beginning. Although, I'm sure most of us won't be looking forward to fighting another wraith.
The last time I had to choose a Vige Skill, I think my top five from the extensive list involved a bunch of Rending Abilities. This time, I wanted something versatile, ranged, and inexpensive SP wise. I spend a little time with it and learn a few things. It works with the claws and arcane weapons at any angle, but I still don't know if the attacks also have the Magical attribute. I activate Reach, but to my dismay they don't work together. Adding range on range would’ve been pretty cheap.
Both of the new items look interesting and useful. I think about attaching the weapon charm to my Battle Wand, but I kind of want to see what it looks like first. Dread Influence looks pretty brutal with the inability to heal and the HP drain over time. But, the 90% resistance to damage makes me think that the best place for it might be in a fast duel.
I sigh into the emptiness. With nothing else to do besides practice my new Abilities, I decide on the inevitable.
"Guess I'll rejoin the others…"
The world materializes into view and a gentle breeze combs through my hair, or is it flames now that I'm back in Arc? All I see is grassland for long expanses and a grey sky. A clap of thunder in the distance triggers my instinct to activate all of my enhanced senses. When I find no sign of trouble I take a walk around.
"I'm back on top of the mesa," I tell myself as I gaze down the north facing edge. I walk back towards the center of the mesa and find several stone markers, two of which belong to Elijah and Taymin. I become concious about where I'm standing and search around my feet to make sure I'm not stepping on any mounds. Satisfied that I'm not oblivious enough to step on someone's grave, I find a small patch of land and prepare another hole.
When we got back to the vardo after exploring the library dungeon, Dawn gave me General Cassius to place in my own inventory so that I could still finish my Quest in case I got separated for some reason. I bury the general with his little idol and offer a short prayer to Pravdera who Vic had told me was the little, black and white figurine.
[Quest Complete! Bury Me With My Name!]
[You have found the body of General Morga Cassius, figured out the goddess he prayed to, and avenged his death… in a way. 1/1]
[You received 1000XP, 1*Released Eldritch Soldier's Tunic Blueprint, 1*Token of the Marduks.]
>Scan<[Token of the Marduks. Wonderous Object. Trinket
[When flipped into the air, this item summons a Marduk for 30minutes. Marduks cannot participate in combat.]
The blueprint is interesting, giving a list of materials and the designs needed to create a Released ES Tunic. From what I understand, this means that even though the tunic is part of a set, the other two items aren't necessary to unlock the set bonus. That means +2Arcane, +3Willpower, and the White Flame reaction. Honestly, I would have preferred the ES Bracers or even the Pants for their set bonuses, but it's still a great reward that I'm sure will be great addition to our forces. I don't know what I would do with a Marduk for thirty minutes, especially if they can't fight, so the coin unceramoniously gets dropped into storage while I take out the weapon charm and my Battle Wand.
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Dream Eater is a set of fanged teeth set into a small, deep purple, oval gem. The way they're spaced apart makes them look like they're smiling right as they're about to chomp down. I get the prompt making sure I know that adding it to my weapon is permanent and I choose Yes. Its official title becomes Advanced Battle Wand of the Regulator of the Phantasm. The charm dangles weightlessly and silently from the bottom and somehow doesn't interfere with my hand or wrist as I swing my weapon around. I did like the other charms, but having another healing option is always good. Plus, I already have a Sleep Spell so I don't have to waste a point trying to get one.
Dawn appears from no where, then Richter, and finally Rachel. They inspect their surroundings like I did upon arrival and I explain what I found to them as well as the completion of my Minor Quest. We talk a little bit about our gains and how it took everyone a while to handle several level ups all at once. Apparently, we all got the same .5Carat Princess Daimonds and weapon charm, but some of us got Infernal Canvas and others got Wraithsteel Ingots. We wonder aloud if everyone else got these same rewards and it gets me thinking about Victoria. I give Rachel the jist of Vic's situation and a tight, uneasy smile is her only reply.
"Well," Dawn says looking at Taymin and Elijah's headstones, "I think if she died they would have buried her here, right?" I almost face palm myself with my claws for not thinking about that in the first place. The burden of her death leaps off my shoulders, only to be replaced by the other worry of her race being found out. I'm about to say something, but Dawn gets us all to follow her towards the trail we used to get everyone up and down the mesa.
"Say, Ardy. Can you use your nose to find the vardo? Great. Now, the Quest somehow recognized me as the main leader of the raid, so I got a few extra bonuses. One of them is a full one Carat Princess Diamond and also a Queen Chest."
"Like, any idea how much the diamonds are worth?" Rachel asks as she inspects her half carat. None of us can confirm a solid answer so we let Dawn continue on as I lead the way. The trail looks like it's leading to Denagrin, but it's too early to tell yet.
"I also got this old key," she says as she holds up a six inch, black, metallic key of complex design. It has a narrow shaft and jagged bits sticking out all over and every which way. How this thing is supposed to go in a keyhole is anyone's guess. The top part, or bow Richter the thief explains, is in the shape of the top half of a skull.
"It's called a Key of Secrets and the description says it once belonged to a Lich, probably the one who summoned Kilmosoth in the first place." Dawn stows it in her bracelet and looks around at us.
I snort a short laugh to myself, "If that unlocks his porn stash, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Yeah, I bet they're filled with lots of sexy bone-ing," Richter adds. Everyone's laughter turns to groans of suffering, but we're all smiling.
Dawn asks if I learned any Monster Abilities or tried to capture the wraith and I drop to my knees in anguish, "Oh my gods… Why didn't I think of that?" I bash my forehead against the dirt.
[The ground deals 21 bludgeoning damage!]
The others allow me a moment to compose myself before I once again lead the way, dusting myself off. "I can't friggin believe I didn't try… And no, I didn't learn anything from Mister Spooky." Instead, I summon my Stalker and pat her on the leg as we walk, "It's alright. Cuz I've got Blue here." She chitters in a way that reminds me of Coaster with his clicking gears and it feels like she's pleased to hear my words.
We actually run into a few monsters on our way to the city. With the high presence of mana in the area, the fauna that have been spawning or wandering here have been greatly affected by it. Dire versions of some of the typical creatures like wolves, boars, and the lupalions are beginning to flourish with nothing else to hunt them or undead versions to kill them. Unless we pull aggro, we leave the creatures be to run around and repopulate.
The encounters did give me a chance to test out the Body of Smoke/Spell Division combo and it was an instant success. On the five of us, including Blue, we were able to sneak up on four grazing Dire Boars, slithering up next to them like misty snakes through the long grass. After the last of us got into position nearest our respective targets and a steady three count, we dismissed our smokey forms and lay into the creatures. Startled and confused, the Dire Boars didn't have time to react to our sudden pummeling and died without returning a single point of damage. We also got to see something we hadn't seen for a little over a week in game. Loot sacks, the opiate of the player masses. Afterwards, ideas for the combo's uses flew around us like flies.
Air Cutter worked so well, I wondered why I didn't get it in the first place, but then I remembered that I picked up Cerulean Touch and I don't feel as bad. In the abyss where I practiced the Skill first, the crescent of energy took an odd, measure of timing to appear, like there was a half second lag. In combat, that kind of strange timing could mean the difference between victory and defeat, life and death. But, when I used it on the Dire Boar it made much more sense.
After I use Critical Stab and Echo Strike, I slash at the monster's flank with a glowing yellow claw. The attack deals damage like it normally would, but just as I'm about to follow up with another attack, the crescent of energy slices through the big piggie. It squeels in pain and recoils away from me. This allows me to follow it up with another Air Cutter attack and a Trinity Stream finisher. The pause works like a second, perfectly timed attack, allowing the combo to continue while I choose and line up another strike or Ability. Or, if I'm fast enough, link several of them together in a high speed, combination attack.
The sight of Denagrin growing on the horizon is welcoming and thrilling, to say the least. The dark grey and white remains of buildings lay about, like sleeping titans in the vast, deserted plains. Without the shadowy distraction of eminent doom, we all notice how surprisingly well maintained the buildings are, even from a distance. Looters, if any even dared to try during the wraith event, would've run into the Porcelegion soldiers thus lowering the chances of anyone ransacking the empty city of building materials, like we're probably going to end up doing.
As we close in on the city's limits, we discuss the possibility of claiming Denagrin and turning it into New Linqs. Both Dawn and Richter said that the city was built for a population of hundreds of thousands in mind and that would be way more territory than we could possibly defend from a much larger and more ambitious force.
"Instead, if we salvage most of the materials from the city, kind of like a huge building material farm… add it to our own stockpile, use the knowledge and experiences we've gathered along the way… We can create a stronger settlement more in line with our own goals and ideals." Dawn throws her hands up into the shape of a Y and does a twirl in the middle of the gates leading into the city.
Her hands hold up small, imaginary boxes as she portions out the words she speaks, "We'll take a little bit from each place we've been, creating a place for people to learn and perfect any school of crafting they desire. Decent housing for everyone. A state of the art armory and barracks to create an unbeatable military force. Farm to table restaurants. Schools, hospitals, markets…"
"Alright, slow down, Marx," I tease. Her hands and shoulders drop as she scowls at me, "Sounds very utopian and all, but is it doable, even with magic on our side?
My question actually brightens her face into a wide and dreamy smile, "Actually, what I want is more of a protopian society." She clasps her hands and stares off dreamily into the distance.
I turn my gaze away from one of the massive archways to look at her, "What the hell is a protopian society?"
"Like, it's a societal archetype that isn't scrounging for survival, like a dystopia, and at the same time rebukes the idea of perfection thereby never achieving the state of a utopia. The idea that things can always be better is meant to be a positive challenge of betterment to each individual." The only thing surprising about Rachel's answer is it's not at all surprising. She has been a font of trivial knowledge, but we still turn to her in awe.
"A better way of life, doesn't necessarily means it's a perfect way of life because everyone's definition of perfect is totally different. So, while things can always be better, they'll never be perfect." She looks at us after her explanation and blushes, "I… I wanted to write a book once and I came across the term when I had a sort of dystopian, romance story in mind."
I lead everyone through the streets, following the scent trail of the vardo. The first to find and greet us are Sonny and Conner on Meteora, who were patrolling the area. Upon laying eyes on Conner, however, I think of Elijah and how it easily could've been this Scout laying in the grave and how devistating it would've been to our little Machina daughter. Sonny communicates something into a Whisper Ear Cuff and Kona and Serenity soon come swooping in for hugs. Shortly after, they return to the skies. Sonny does the same, but Conner leads us to where they set up camp.
"We would've gone ahead to the area Sonny marked for our new town, but the others said there is a huge snag in our plan," he says as he stores his bow.
"Speaking of which," Dawn interjects, "How many of the survivors decided to stay with us?"
"Just the kobolds, ma'am. Everyone else was so thrilled at the opportunity to finally head home and no one wanted to chance anything happening to make them stay longer. Oh, and the Heaven's Eyes explorer team-- you know, the avian Faunus group, will be in the area for another week, searching for the lost airship since the energy from Kilmosoth's storm hasn't dissapated yet.
"They told Lieutenant Victoria that they're willing to split what they find seventy, thirty as thanks for the rescue. Of course, we managed to mark it up to sixty, forty since none of them died during the raid."
If I was drinking something, I would've sprayed the back of Richter's head. Did he just say what I think he said?
"Vic's okay?" I ask, looking over at Dawn who is doing the same thing to me.
"Why wouldn't I be?" The familiar, sultry voice is hers, but I don't see where it's coming from.
We stop in front of a gathering of people who part at those words, revealing Victoria scrolling through a few blueprint screens. She's dressed in her grey and turquoise civvies, except for the dull gray halo she keeps hovering above her short, strawberry blonde hair that I not so long ago brushed dirt and grass out of. Her grin, though mischievous and sexy, also silently asks if I had missed her.
A warm embrace and tender kiss are my reply. Her face nuzzles into my neck and I can feel her breath when she sighs, "Please... Please don't say anything about what happened."
"We can talk about it later," I whisper back. After disengaging ourselves, we return to her screens floating in the air, "So, what did we miss?" Elsbeth, Kona, and Serenity arrive in time to stand next to her as I ask the question.
Victoria shakes her head and motions to a map where they were supposed to survey, "Just a very naughty kitty."
All eyes fall on Kona. Her eyebrows scrunch and eyes narrow before she sticks a defiant tongue out at us.
"No no, not her," Victoria says, "Before they left, the Dwarven miners told us about a creature called a Sphinx, guarding the dungeon in that area. Only reason we didn't try to take it on earlier is because it's a Tier Three, level thirty two Boss and we're not quite ready to get into another boss fight just yet."