Lorelei had experienced more joyfyl reunions.
Sure, Chrissy and Pete were pleased to see she was still alive, and Kris even gave her a cheeky wink—which did something particularly interesting to her insides—but the rest of them? Well, if they were not outwardly hostile, they were certainly a little cool.
"Why the fuck has she shot up more levels than we did?" Okay, so Hild was maybe a touch openly hostile.
***Advice Message***
You know, I think I've gone right off this bitch. I thought giving her the Hold a Grudge Title would be funny, but the constant carping is just a buzzkill, isn't it? Tell you what, you should kill her. I'll hold your hair.
Lorelei ignored the Guide's words and did her best to keep her voice polite when answering the Valkyrie. "I think because I soloed a spider away from the rest of you, I ended up gaining all the XP from the kill."
***Poking the Bear Message***
You should let her know that because you were present in the group for just enough of the damage being dealt to the other Shadowweavers, you got a share of all that XP, too. That'll really piss her off.
"Well, that's bullshit! You didn't kill it yourself, did you? That fucking petrol tanker blew up and wiped it out! We had to kill three of those fucking things face-to-face. Shit!" Hild shook her head at the unfairness of it all. "Life's just so fucking easy for you, isn't it? I guess it's something that at least you didn't nick any of our XP gains from those kills."
***Tell her. Tell her. Tell her. ***
Lorelei had a vague memory of a sense of loss when her Guide had been temporarily switched off: she was now regarding this as a Golden Age.
"Actually, if you run the numbers on the XP share, we have all received . . . " Steffan began.
But Lorelei could see where that was going and dived straight back in. "Anyway, it's not like I'm that far ahead of you, is it? You're all Level 6 now, and one level probably doesn't make that much difference in the grand scheme of things, does it?"
Lorelei didn't need to be the avatar of the Goddess of Luck to realise that the moment she said these words, the Guide's ticker tape would snap into life.
***Incoming Infodump!***
That is not entirely true, luscious lips. You see, due to the speed in which the most powerful beings in most realms of reality can level - I mean, not on this fucking dump of a planet, but go with me on this - it was felt that it would be sensible to use an early level - Level 6 in this case - as a plateau stage to help sort out the larva from the pupa. That means anyone reaching Level 7 moves out of the 'stabilisers' stage of things and can roam free. So, Level 7 isn’t just another notch on your experience belt; it’s practically a metamorphosis. Think of it as the difference between being a virgin on prom night and a MILF on cougar patrol.
Is there any way we can dial down the sexuality of the metaphors? Lorelei thought silently. You seem to have come back from interrogation a touch . . . repressed.
***'Fair point, well made' Message***
Okay. Reading that last one back, I might be trying a bit hard. Sorry about that. How about the difference between being a Percy Jackson Fan and reading The Odyssey in the original Greek?
Sure. Whatever. Lorelei was doing her best to read the scrolling message and to try to keep up with the discussion over the next steps for the group. It appeared they were moving out soon. But no one seemed to be able to agree on the direction.
***All Eyes on Me, Message!***
First off, you’ve crossed what is known as the Arcane Threshold. At Level 6, you were barely scratching the surface of magical prowess. Your fireballs - should have had any of your own and not just the ones you stole from the fat mage - were more like candle flames, and your healing spells were the equivalent of a mom’s kiss on a scraped knee. But now? Now, you will start to be able to conjure infernos that make dragons jealous and heal wounds with a mere lick of your lips. Welcome to the big leagues, toots.
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Well, that didn't seem so bad, Lorelei thought. And it did make sense of the slaughter she had witnessed at the Botanical Gardens. If Level 7 was where the scaling of strength slipped up a notch, it explained how just a couple of higher-level party crashers had been able to wreak such destruction.
***Moving right along Message***
Did I mention the gear upgrades? Trust me, this is where shit gets real. At Level 6, your armour was basically tinfoil, and your weapons were about as effective as a limp dick at a . . . as a wooden spoon in a fire-eating competition. But hitting Level 7 opens up the glorious Gear Upgrade Extravaganza. Suddenly, you’re eligible for items previously locked behind mysterious vendor dialogues and cryptic quest rewards. That Double-Headed Coin of Fate? Say hello to “Stormbringer, Coin of the Eternal Tempest.” Your tragic robe armour? Now it’ll be all “Dragonhide Vestments of Impenetrable Might.” Prepare to look, if not precisely feel, like the hero you’re supposed to be.
As she read those words, Lorelei became aware of a series of purple dots showing up on her Map. She could now see Vendors, apparently. Lorelei chose not to share that information with the rest of the group. Hild was already staring daggers at her and Michelle . . . well, the Veiled Stalker had actual daggers . . .
Lorelei scrolled onwards.
***And now for the good shit Message***
But let’s cut to the chase and talk Skills. At Level 6, your skills were, let’s be honest, mediocre at best. You're still alive, so kudos for that, but at Level 7, we start talking Skill Evolution. Your once humble “Quick Strike” transforms into “Blinding Speed Assault,” a flurry of attacks so fast your enemies won’t know what hit them. “Minor Healing Touch” becomes “Divine Restoration,” capable of bringing allies back from the brink of death. Those who get past Level 6 will realise that they're not just levelling up but evolving into something far superior.
Lorelei nodded at that.
***The Great Stat Leap***
Finally, let’s discuss stats. Level 6 to Level 7 isn’t just a minor bump; it’s a quantum leap. Your Strength, Agility, Intellect—all those lovely numbers you are getting intimately familiar with—get a substantial conceptual boost. You’ll feel it in every throw of your coin, every spell cast, and every dodge roll. It's the difference between getting by and dominating the battlefield. And by 'dominate', I obviously mean 'run away and barely survive', but some of this info is copied and pasted from info for remotely competent players, and I can't be arsed to parse it out.
"So, what do you reckon, Lorelei?"
Lorelei grimaced as she realised she hadn't been listening to what Zorrobar had been saying. All the eyes in the group were locked on her, some expectant, some resigned.
"Sorry, just run it by me again."
Pete was shaking his head. "Hild thinks we should cut wor losses, gan back te the toon centre and try a different route te the cathedral. Michelle's in agreeance, an' Michael's backin' her up coz he's a reet knacka. Steffan's not sure either way, but the rest of us think that's pure shite. We've come this far, an' want te follow the motorway till the next junction. So, me, Kris, and Zorrobar are Team Press-on. Hild, Michael, an' Michelle are Team Track-Back. Steffan's Team Indecisive. We need ye te be the decider."
Lorelei moved her lips as she made sense of what the Tank had said. "What about Chrissy?" She turned to the Chameleon Courtesan, who was still wearing her Robin Hood costume. "You didn't vote?"
The young woman shrugged. "I don't think it matters. We have a quest to reach Lichfield Cathedral. No matter which way we go, the System is going to do its best to make that journey a nightmare. There's no 'good choice here'. Whichever one we pick will be tough, so I don't see the point in arguing."
"Can I just point out that was what I was saying!" Steffan whined. I wasn't just being 'indecisive'!"
"Whatever, go play with your spider." Michael's voice was dripping with condescension. And poison. Most definitely poison.
"But none of that matters until we hear what our glorious Level 7 thinks, does it?" Hild added. "What words of wisdom will we receive from Fortuna's Herald?"
***Help Message***
Trust me, we can make it look like an accident . . .
Lorelei dismissed the message and looked both ways down the motorway. On the one hand, she could understand the impetus to retreat and seek an alternative route to the cathedral. Where there were three hidden foes, there were more than likely going to be others. In fact, hadn't Fortuna said there were a couple of Level 10s lying in wait just up ahead? That would get gnarly. But on the other hand, was there something self-defeating about getting this far and then turning around and retracing steps?
She couldn't help but think that Chrissy (and Steffan) were right that whichever way they chose to approach the cathedral was likely to be a challenge. To think that there was an 'easy' mode they could turn on was simply for the birds.
"Look," she said, "turning to face the small group, "I agree with all sides here. Ideally, it would be great to retrace our steps and try a different approach. But what Chrissy says makes a lot of sense. This quest is supposed to be hard - I don't think we'll find a road to the cathedral with no bad guys on it. We've just managed to take out four Level 10 monsters - "
"Some of us worked harder for that than others," muttered Hild.
"- and we've come out the other side stronger than we were before. I think we just keep going the way we are, take all the precautions we can and see the journey as the System's way of helping us level up. What do you think?"
There wasn't much more to be said after that.
Hild grumbled a little but was happy enough to take the lead when they began trudging their way back through the upturned cars and burned-out vans. Whatever enmity she felt towards Lorelei didn't appear to get in the way of playing her role for the team. As long as that continued, Lorelei thought she could put up with moaning.
So, they walked on, seeking to put as much distance between themselves and the remnants of that battle as possible. Hild and Pete took the lead, with Steffan's spider coming up the rear.
Just as the sun began dipping down, casting long shadows around the walkers, Lorelei thought she could just make out a willowy Lady in Red, giving her the thumbs up.