I pick perks for Soul Perception next. I have already picked all learn type perks, so this time I choose perks that will directly give me something. Soul Spotting I, Remaining Time, Minor Identify.
For Vitality Mana Control, I pick my old perk of Vitality Flow I and then change to Vitality Flow II. Increasing starts by 1000 per perk is tempting, but I think that will be a mistake. What's the point of high Will or Affinity, if I have nothing to do with it? Figuring my magic more is more important.
Next is Transplant Soul. Both first threshold perks are about increasing success rate. My control of vitality is enough that I don’t need them. I already have a 100% success rate, even without those perks. I suppose I should pick stats. Hm. I probably should have picked stats for Rune Basics as well, though it’s not a big deal. Rune Basics is an uncommon skill, meaning 5 stats per perk. Transplant Soul, being an epic skill, gives 100 stat points per perk. I check the perks. Only soul stats are available. Which one should I choose?
Intelligence is good, but won’t change much for me. Practicing will be marginally more efficient, but I don’t think that justifies it. Thinking faster will help in a battle and is useful if I plan to rely more on runes. I could use more Affinity, but I’m leaning to Will. Does the stat only strengthen my pull on mana, or does it also help me wield it, acting as a mix of magical strength and dexterity?
I pick Will I and check. The effect is very noticeable. I can do so much more right now. The magical dexterity, on the other hand, is the same. I can still control mana better just by virtue of the greater pull. While it was hard to do some things before, I can do that right now. Still, the fine control is either about my skill or maybe other stats help.
Another interesting fact is that only the stamina pool increased from that. That’s rather unexpected, though it’s possible something unlisted, like mana regeneration, increased as well.
For the second perk, I pick my old Store Soul. It allows me to store souls for a long time. It’s not like I need it most of the time, but there may be a situation in the future when I won’t be able to reincarnate Axi right away.
That’s it for picking old perks. All remaining options are new. I start with the new Soul Enthrallment.
Punish
Send pain to your thralls
Find Thrall
Sense the location of your thralls
Easier Subduing
Your victims will be mentally incapacitated after you manage to surround their soul with your mana. Effect depending on difference of wills.
That’s not what I planned to do with this skill. Should I pick stats? The only usable option for me is Find Thrall. On the other hand, the heroic skill will give me 300 stat points. It’s one thing to give up stats on very useful perks that enhance my main magic. Find Thrall is useful, but not that useful. I pick the bonus of 300 Affinity.
The rush of mana is incredible. My mana pool more than triples, not to mention my regeneration of mana, which I can feel very clearly. If an increase in Will increased regeneration, it wasn’t substantial. My Health has also increased from 224 to 299. It seems that Affinity has an influence on it. I probably should have picked those perks earlier. Maybe even I should have picked those for Vitality Mana Control. I’m not sure that Vitality Flow perk would give me a better boost to controlling vitality than 1000 more Will. No! I stop myself from thinking that way. The plan is to figure out my magic with high level perks from Virality Mana Control skill.
I take a look at the remaining perks, and they are either for crafting or fighting. Not as exciting, but I can always use more stats. Actually, my mental stats are probably ranked second in the tribe right now, just after Axi. I think nobody besides me, Axi, and Asaru have a skill rarer than very rare in the tribe. Asaru has heroic skill for controlling fake mana, but that’s probably it. My vitality derived skills are either epic or very rare. I and Axi have the greatest potential for getting more stat points from skills. Unfortunately, all of our high rarity skills are magical in nature. If Axi could get a few hundred physical stats from perks… I sigh. No need to compare myself to her! We are on the same side.
I look at the first perk selection, given for reaching level 30 in Spear Fighting. All previous perks allowed me to learn some fighting styles.
Mid Range
Learn how to keep your enemy at range.
Reinforced Spear
Learn how to gather mana in the spear to make it more durable.
Hi’or Style
Learn Hi’or style.
I stopped using the spear in favor of the sword. The problem is that I’m not good enough to keep enemies at a distance. It’s simpler for me to just pick the sword and fight in close range if I have to. Should I pick Mid Range?
I grumble. I already have enough to learn. I have been mostly working on the shell the last three months. It was way harder than I thought it would be. The most grueling part was the creation of an ideal sphere mirroring my soul. I had to make it all at once, plus use compound magic on it at the same time. But, even with this done, I still have a lot of work. I need to train my control over vitality and perfect my flesh golems. I’m researching alchemy. I’m trying to figure out traits. I still need to train my level up cap on most of my skills. I pick Strength III.
Graceful Feet II
While Sneaking, move your legs with 30% more Dexterity.
Distractions
Learn how to use distractions to remain unnoticed.
Equipment Picking
Learn how to pick better equipment for sneaking.
Should I pick a perk to learn something, or just go for stats? I probably should learn something. While it may seem hypocritical due to me picking stat perk just a while ago, I don’t have much use for fighting skills. Maybe it’s better to say that my stats are too poor to use them. On the other hand, hiding is great to escape with my live against vastly superior enemy. Given that, I pick Distractions.
Stillness II
When trying to stay still, do so with 30% more Dexterity.
Patience I
When trying to stay still, do so with 30% more Endurance.
Blending
Learn how to blend within surroundings.
For Hiding, I pick Blending for the same reason. It's not magical in nature, just knowledge how to hide better.
Defending Strategies
Learn rare strategies for defending
Siege Strategies
Learn rare strategies for besieging.
Command Range II
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Increase the range of your Lieutenants perk’s function even more.
Banner of General
Make all subordinates and allies know your current position on the battlefield.
The Banner skill is interesting, but I’m afraid of spies. The skill is only useful when regrouping, and that gives perfect chances for assassins. Should I pick knowledge? I’m doing fine on my own. I pick Command Range II. The ability to communicate at a distance is very useful. Hopefully I will get an option to upgrade its functionality in the future.
Next are crafting skills.
Mana Bone Reinforcement I
When carving, learn to permanently infuse mana into the bone to make it even stronger.
Rune Carving I
When carving runes on bone, make so with 30$ more Dexterity.
Tool Selection
Learn which tools are best used for desired effects.
Should I pick Mana Bone Reinforcement? I remember I once picked the same perk for the wood. It gives tips on reinforcing the material with mana, though given the structure is just made from ambient mana, it won’t survive a magical attack. The permanently in the description means only to the next magical attack. It’s not bad for attacking non-mages, though, but useless to me. I bet some goblins also unlocked this perk; after all, this is only the level 20 threshold for a common skill. I just pick Dexterity II.
Wood Selection
Learn more about types of wood.
Wood Structure
Learn more about the wood structure to become better at working it.
Tool Reinforcement
Learn to reinforce your tools with mana.
Again, I’m not a crafter. I just picked those skills very early and haven’t ditched them because I don’t have anything better. Strength I.
I leave my home and find a small army of goblins outside. There’s a reason I decided to pick my perks now. An air mana treasure has appeared near our border with kobolts. In truth, the treasure is more to the west, on the hunting grounds of 3rd tier bear. We should be strong enough to kill the bear and then defeat kobolts in a battle. Most of the tribe is now at the peak of the 2nd tier, and if not for me preventing some goblins from getting too much EXP, we would have at least several orcs.
I look at Axi in the distance. She managed to create the shell around her soul as well. While I managed to surpass her with mental stats, her own stats are still suitable for a powerful 3rd tier mage, or 4th tier warrior. It’s not that strange she managed to create the shell, especially since she keeps training her magic skills recently to consolidate them.
I look at my shell and find the symbol we agreed upon occupying one of my six slots.
I told Asaru to create the shell as well, but she is yet to do it. It’s too hard for her, though I think she is close. I gave the third slot to Anastasia. She is a precious female goblin now, plus she is rather loyal and dependable. Those three were easy. As for the remaining three slots, I’m not sure.
I have already eliminated Prisham as an option. Foary is a possibility, but I don’t want him to be too strong. I’m leaning toward letting Greenek occupy one of the slots, but he isn’t good enough to form the shell. I would have to create it for him. It’s not impossible, since I don’t modify the soul or anything related to the soul. I also have runes for joint casting for ambient mana, so resistance from the soul is not a problem.
The point is that I’m not good enough to create the shell on demand. My success is a bit of a fluke after months of training. Creating a shell for someone else is going to be harder, given a bit greater distance and more interference from the recipient and their soul. Even if I’m to make him the shell, it will probably only happen months in the future.
I also thought about giving slots to Samantha and Nancy, but decided against it. I can’t reincarnate them in a goblin body. I would have to find a human woman pregnant with a human child. Even then, I would have to wait months for them to be born, and then years so they could grow up. A goblin tribe is not a place for human children, even if they are mentally adults. In practice, I can at best offer them slots as insurance and then leave them to their new lives.
I still decided against it. Slots are precious, and I don’t really own them anything. If they die, then they die. I can always find more women. It may be cruel, but that’s the reality.
I will probably give the remaining slots to Gon and Gen. They are both warriors, so even multiple reincarnations won’t make them very strong, especially if I keep getting them the same mana core. They are also loyal, and me keeping them alive should make that loyalty even stronger.
“Everyone!” Greenek shouts from a pedestal. “Follow me! I will lead you to victory against kobolts!”
Most koblots shout; some wish kobolts death. Morale seems high. Axi come to my side.
“Prepared?”
“Yep. How about you?” I ask her in turn and then check her armor.
She smirks and then shows off by rotating on the stop. “What do you think?”
Her torso is protected by plate armor with intersecting bone rings on the surface. I guess they are replaceable, given the strongest bones we have are from 3rd tier monsters. Her arms and legs are also protected by steel plates, though there are no joints, making the armor look incomplete.
“What about your armpits and knees?”
“I can protect them with my magic. I find it easier than making complicated mechanisms for the armor.”
“If you say so. When will you make something like that for me?”
Axi chuckles. “Good armor requires good payment. How about we stay two days in our room after the battle?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not sure I can keep that long even with vitality magic.” I then lean over and whisper to her ear, “You will need to bar the door from Asaru, though.”
“What? Can’t you take care of us both?”
I roll my eyes. “It’s your reward, not hers. Anyway, I was hoping to spend some time alone with you.”
We have to stop our flirting as Anastasia joins our group. I’m not surprised. She doesn’t have any friends besides Axi and maybe me. While the tribe now treats her the same as any other goblin, she is still mentally human. It’s not like I have friends among goblins. Most of them are either ambitious and greedy or not very smart.
Anyway, I try to ignore how she somehow unwillingly ogles Axi and Asaru. She then forces herself to look at me and then ogles me for a moment, until she catches herself doing that and greets us. “Hi.”
Axi smiled, pretending to be oblivious as well. “With you as our archer and tracker, we will get that core for sure. Just like the old good times.”
What good times? They were neither good nor that long ago. “Let’s go closer to the front of the column. We need to support our chieftain.”
Greenek is leading, with Gon and Gen walking close to him. That makes me worry a bit that they will plot together against me, but Eonat walking just a few steps behind them is a bit reassuring. Eonat is still the leader of the strongest faction excluding my own, and he will likely try to become chieftain, given a chance. Good thing this shit is behind me!
Even if Eonat were to succeed, he will still have to bow to my authority. My position within the tribe is simply supreme. I will then support Greenek or someone else, forcing Eonat to deal with them.
Two hours pass, before we close to the place where treasure appeared. Given we didn’t get information immediately and then time passed on organizing our fighters, it makes me think that the ownership of the treasure is already decided. That’s not the case. I feel air mana radiating from the distance.
“I can feel it.” Axi confirms it as well. Asaru nods in confirmation, while Anastasia concentrates instead. Actually, I think my Mana Sense is significantly sharper. Is it amplified by my Will or Affinity? High Affinity seems like a more likely reason.
“Let’s get it!” Gen shouts. He doesn’t have a core, while Gon and Greenek have one. I observe Eonat, who also seems restless. While he has a core, he may want to get one to one of his minions. He probably hopes that his subordinate will be able to eat it in a fight. His faction is a part of the tribe, and it’s not like they are traitorous. Greenek and I would have to accept the result, which wouldn’t be bad, anyway. Regardless of who gets the core, as long as it’s a goblin, it’s a success.
“Shaman Smag, should we move?”
“No. Send two scouts to check on treasure and the rest of them to check on kobolts.”
While Asaru can take such a role, as a tribe, we have dedicated scouts. There are powerful 3rd tier monsters deeper in the zone, and maybe even 4th tier ones. Most hunting groups want to have at least one scout.
Some hobs grumble about my decision, but I’m not going to jump into the action to die. The snake I fought as a goblin didn’t have a core, which means it was probably weak. Very weak, at least compared to monsters here. Maybe he wasn’t good against swarms of kobolts; I don’t know. Regardless, while most 4th and stronger 3rd tier monsters should all have cores, I don’t want surprises. Besides, I’m not sure going after the treasure is the smartest here.
Twenty minutes later, two scouts come back and tell us about the situation with the core. There are numerous corpses of various monsters there, and the core is currently in the possession of a 3rd-tier bear. He can’t merge with it because there’s a bird circling above him and sending wind slashes at it. Two scouts can’t tell the bird's tier, but it must have at least similar power to the bear. Merging with the core takes around a minute and makes you nearly defenseless during the process. It seems like it’s a deadlock.
I still wait for the rest of the scouts. The bird having already air magic may seem strange, but it’s possible it has a family or offspring. Actually, maybe the bear also has a core, but its magic is unsuitable for long distance fighting.
Ten minutes later, the rest of the scouts return, informing us where kobolts are.
“How many of them came here?”
“Many!”
“More that we have here?”
“No." Because this hob is newly evolved, he is unable to form proper sentences. I ask others, and they confirm it and the fact that the kobolt chieftain is with the group. Kobolts noticed one of them but didn’t chase them. They just threw some spells.
“We are going to attack the kobolts,” I declare.
“What about the treasure?” Greenek asks. I notice the rest of them are disappointed as well.
I scoff. “Are you stupid? The chieftain of kobolts is an earth mage. That’s an earth core. There are elites with him, so we may even get more than one.” We will also weaken out primary rivals. I don’t really want to destroy their tribe; just weaken them. I’m not planning to split the tribe, so I have no desire for their land. I also prefer a familiar enemy to something that may settle there afterwards.
“Why powerful 3rd tier monster won’t attack them, then?” Asaru asks me. "They could get the cores as well."
“First, they can’t be sure there are even mages among them. Second, remember that 3rd or even 4th tier monsters aren’t invincible in this region. Against a united tribe, it’s nearly a suicide for a 3rd-tier monster to attack. It’s easier to fight for a treasure, since there's enough chaos, and it’s harder for groups to concentrate on one enemy. Besides, higher tiers are usually significantly faster. They can just grab the treasure and escape, which is easier than attacking even a semi-competent force.”
“So, 2nd tier tribes are actually the strongest here. Why is the bear living in an area with more concentrated mana, then?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure, but I have a few theories. We don’t need more mana, while the 3rd tiers maybe hope to decrease defects in their children due to more mana. Attacking a powerful 3rd tier can instead invite kobolts to attack our village, since most of our strongest warriors are elsewhere. Lone monsters don’t have such a weakness.”
Chieftain of kobolts probably have common, or maybe uncommon evolution at best. He likely evolved due to his achievement of becoming the leader of their tribe. Monsters like the bear or the bird likely used rarer options. Unless their tribe is very organized, it makes sense that they don’t want to attack 3rd tiers. Such monsters can kill some of them and then escape with some wounds. Especially on their own territory.
My musings are interrupted by something flying above us. I look up, and for a moment, the bird is within my soul perception range. The bird is a 4th-tier monster. I quickly use Minor Identify perk, finding the monster don't have a name. It's race is Wind Dancing Hawk. The bird soon disappears from my field of vision. The monster had a ridiculous wing span. I wouldn't be surprised if it was over 100 meters. Other than that, it probably can fight one on one with a 3rd-tier bear on the ground, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the bear were to win. The hawk probably has hollow bones and other bird characteristics, making it a good flier but a poor shock fighter.
While our tribe may be able to kill them, there’s no big reason to go for it. As long as those monsters fight each other, I’m content to kill kobolts and leave. Now, how to best deal with our scaly neighbors?