Trillia sniffled a little as Gobbinz gave her a goodbye hug. They sat in the healing hall as the other goblins congratulated her on a job well done.
Trillia rubbed her eyes as she took a deep breath. "It's not goodbye forever. I'll be back before you know it. I expect you all to be a lot stronger so that you can still challenge me when I return."
Stibs chuckled and nodded to her. Gobbinz patted her shoulder. "I don't know how much more we can improve. Father says dungeon has rules. But next floor will be more difficult. Maybe when you return, Father has many floors to challenge."
Trillia looked at him with a little grin. "I can't wait to see the rest of the floors. I still want to see the core one day, to meet your Father in person. I also wanted to thank all of you for agreeing to help the scout camp if it gets overrun."
Stibs made a motion to Paws before speaking. "You save Father, we save tribe. Fair trade. Paws has gift. It was the item you get for beating us. Little brothers grabbed it. When they bring you to healing hall."
Trillia couldn't hide her excitement. Her first real boss drop, one that she had earned all on her own. Some of the other scouts had already beaten Stibs and Paws. They claimed they only got a silver trinket and high-grade wolf pelts as their reward. That'd be enough for Trillia, though. After all, for her, it was about her growth.
Paws nuzzled Stibs, who dug around in a pouch and pulled a very familiar-looking whistle out. Walking over and placing it in her hands. Trillia gave it an odd look.
It looked almost identical to the whistle Ba'Shoon had initially given them as a tribute to the dungeon. It was a small silver cylinder, the mouthpiece was orange crystal, and that same orange crystal seemed to coat the inside of the cylinder. When she lifted it to inspect it, a notification popped up.
Would you like to bind this artifact to you?
Artifact Details:
Red River Resonance
This artifact binds a monster of the Canine classification that is also under the effects of a Monster Tamer's Pact.
The Pact affects this artifact as well as the monster.
Blowing this whistle will summon the monster to the user's side regardless of distance or dimension.
If the monster bound to this artifact would be killed. It is instead trapped inside this artifact. It can be called again after 24 hours. Or for an expenditure of mana equal to 100 multiplied by the level of the monster.
This artifact cannot be lost or stolen from the creature it has been bound to. Regardless of distance or dimension, the creature this artifact is bound to can always summon it to their side with an hour of preparation and a single point of mana.
This artifact is indestructible.
Trillia blinked, looking at the whistle. Looking back up to Stibs and Paws.
"This is amazing. This is really what dropped for me? It seems..."
Stibs grinned a little. "Father, give drop a little nudge. Make sure it good item. Says some rules can bend a little for the right person."
Trillia smiled at that. Accepting the bind.
You've bound the artifact [Red River Resonance] to you.
Trillia gave Stibs another hug before she walked over and gave Paws an even bigger hug. Holding the hug for a while as she whispered. "Thank you for teaching me. I won't disappoint you or your Father. I promise to one day return and show you how far I've come."
Paws gave her face a lick and wagged his tail in response. Ralrouk cleared his throat.
Trillia sighed softly and nodded. Part of her wanted to just stay here, near the dungeon. She liked the goblins. Over the past two months or so, they had been good friends to her and Amelia, and both of the girls had learned so much about fighting and tactics from them. They had even begun to teach the girls how to speak in the Goblin language. Though, neither was particularly good at it yet.
Amelia was hugging one of the smaller raiding goblins that was in tears. It had been the goblin she was using another [Mentor] slot on. The little goblin had already mastered [Minstrel] once and was going through the class a second time to evolve it.
The girls both stood and moved away from the goblins. Most of them had tears in their eyes. Ralrouk placed a hand on Trillia and Amelia's shoulders.
"Sorry; that we have to leave. Once things are stable, I'll guide you back here if either of you want to come for a visit. But your parents need to know you're ok as future leaders."
Trillia shook her head a little, rubbing her eyes again. "It's ok. I understand why we have to go. Besides! Like I said, we'll see you all again soon. Keep practicing and getting stronger. I will do the same! When I come back, I'll have to introduce you to the wolf I tame. Maybe Paws can have another friend. Teach my wolf how to be a proper mount."
Trillia forced a smile as she bowed, and they all turned to leave. Once they were outside of the dungeon, Ralrouk placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok to be sad that you are leaving friends behind. Most of them respawn if they are hurt. So focus on keeping yourself alive and improving so that you can visit them again."
Trillia nodded.
The next hour or so was hectic as they packed more things. Trillia so dearly wanted to stay here under the open sky instead of going back to the towering walls of the city again. Although, she did miss her parents.
This time on the way back, quite a few of the scouts were returning as well. They were bringing a Lovax hooked up to a rudimentary wagon with them.
Trillia was happy to ride on the Lovax's back. After asking the lovax if that was ok first, of course. Ralrouk walked up next to Trillia and Amelia. "I believe it's time for me to retrieve that bag of holding I loaned you for the dungeon delve."
Amelia looked over at him and offered a nod. The girls had already emptied the thing of its loot before packing to leave. They both knew it was coming. "We will have to get ourselves something like it. It helps a lot with carrying loot and monster parts." Ralrouk offered a knowing grin and nodded before retrieving his storage item. Trillia smiled and leaned forward, ready for the trip home.
With that, she began to dig through the notifications. Especially the ones after the boss fight.
You've defeated [Dungeon Goblin]!
You've defeated [Dungeon Goblin]!
...
You've defeated [Sir Stibs]!
You've defeated [Paws]!
Experienced increased for defeating an enemy at least 10 levels above you!
Experienced increased for defeating a Dungeon's Floor Boss!
Congratulations! You've successfully cleared the 1st floor of the Red River Dungeon alone!
Trait Awarded for running the same dungeon over 30 times in less than 30 days!
Dungeon Addict:
You may have a problem. You threw yourself at the same dungeon repeatedly. If the dungeon you found hadn't been a kind soul, the system estimates you would have died at least 60 times. You even befriended the same monsters you were cutting down. Whenever you are in a dungeon, you will gain bonus experience from now on. In addition, intelligent dungeon creatures will regard you more favorably.
Trillia frowned at that. Whispering softly to herself. "That's not the whole story, Dawn. You're being very rude."
You have bound yourself to more than 1 artifact! New Class unlocked.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Trillia followed the notification through to see what the class was.
Seeker
Duration: Extendable
Requirements:
Must be bound to more than a single artifact.
Seekers seek. This class offers no benefits on its own. Instead, it bolsters any artifact bound to the Seeker. Every artifact bound to you also gives you a 1% increase in all stats.
Further bonuses hidden until the class has reached its maximum level.
Seeker offers no skills of any kind.
Seekers do not provide any stats at level up.
Trillia snorted at that. Another class that might be extremely useful much, much later in her adventuring career. But for now it could be shuffled off to the side like so many other classes were.
Class: [Fencer] Level 0 -> Level 24 (Max)
Class Skill: [Weapon's Path] has been added as a Mastery Skill under [Fencer Level 24 MAX].
Carrying over existing experience and level.
Class Skill: [Weapon's Path] Level 0 -> Level 15 (MAX)
Class: [Swashbuckler] Level 9 -> Level 43 (MAX)
Class Skill: [Swashbuckling] cannot be added as a Mastery Skill. It is a category. Please choose an active skill from that category. Or a passive skill.
Trillia frowned once more. She thought that might happen. She looked into the passives once more.
Active Skills:
Swashbuckling
Daring Lunge
Kip-Up
Opportune Parry
Harried Riposte
Passive Skills:
Bravado (In Use)
Dazzling Defense (In Use)
Swagger
Disarming Charisma (In Use)
Effortless Feint
Sure-Of-Foot
She didn't care for [Swagger]. The skill just gave her bonuses if she came across as some arrogant fool. At least, that's how she viewed the skill and its description. She didn't feint enough to make use of [Effortless Feint], which refunded some stamina any time a feint was successful.
[Sure-Of-Foot] was self-explanatory, but [Fleet Foot] - especially at its max level of twenty - did that and more.
Disarming Charisma:
This skill is based entirely on intent. Creatures you see as enemies will underestimate you. Creatures you see as allies will hold a higher opinion of you. Anytime you engage with a creature in conversation for more than 30 minutes, their opinion of you will rise if your Charisma is higher than their Wisdom or Intuition (Whichever is higher). This skill has a max level of 1. It also starts at that level.
Trillia felt as though this skill would serve her best going forward. Especially if she did start venturing alone. Thinking it over more. She finally nodded and confirmed her thoughts.
Class Skill: [Disarming Charisma] has been added as a Mastery Skill under [Swashbuckler Level 43 MAX].
Carrying over existing experience and level.
Class Skill: [Disarming Charisma] Level 1 (MAX)
Racial Skill: [Orc Tenacity] Level 2 -> Level 4
General Skill: [Mana Obfuscastion] Level 6 -> Level 7
General Skill: [Rapier Mastery] Level 8 -> Level 12
General Skill: [Mana Sight] Level 4 -> Level 6
General Skill: [Universe Mana Manipulation] Level 0 -> Level 5
General Skill: [Basic Alchemy] Level 3 -> Level 8
General Skill: [Basic Cooking] Level 4 -> Level 6
General Skill: [Basic Herbalism] Level 7 -> Level 10 (MAX)
Two evolutions available. Please choose an evolution.
Herbalism:
Your skill at identifying ingredients for alchemy increases. In addition, you are more capable of mixing herbs and ingredients efficiently. This skill synergizes well with Alchemy. Your ability to extract more use out of every plant increases with the level of this skill.
Herbal Healing:
You forego any knowledge of herblore that does not include healing or restorative herbs. This greatly increases your ability to extract useful materials from such plants. But it almost ensures failure at extracting alchemical ingredients if are you using Herbal Healing as the basis of that extraction.
Trillia thought about that for a moment. She wasn't really using any of her general skills to their full extent. The past weeks had been almost entirely dedicated to combat. Most of these levels came in her downtime as she helped heal the scouts and learned from them. Refusing to use [Restorative Chant] any time she could so that she could gain more experience.
Looking over as she lay on the back of the Lovax towards Ralrouk, who was walking next to the beast. She explained the options. Ralrouk offered a little shrug and motioned to Ba'Shoon.
"That one knows more about healing and plants than I could ever hope to know. You should ask her instead."
Trillia nodded, carefully walking down the Lovax's back. She jumped from its back to the wagon, where Ba'Shoon was steering the creature and wagon combo. Once more, she explained her choices.
"Alchemical Blood might alleviate some of the downsides of the healing path. Though to be honest, I think you should take the standard [Herbalism] instead. It will be more valuable to a tribe to have a general knowledge of such skills. If you venture alone, being able to sell your services as an [Herbalist] will also be easier than a non-casting healer."
Trillia sat next to her, contemplating the choices. It made sense; what Ba'Shoon was saying. She went with normal [Herbalism].
General Skill- [Basic Herbalism] - Level 10 becomes [Herbalism] - Level 0
General Skill: [Minor Telepathy] Level -> Level 4
Species: [Mortal]; [Orc] Level 38 -> Level 51
Subspecies: [Mana-Infused Orc-Adolescent:Runt] Level 31 -> Level 45
Now, the question was what classes to take. In combat, she found that she was relying more on the crossbow than on her rapier. She had been unable to replicate carving the runes on an enemy like she had the day she unlocked tenacity. Presumably, because the Rune Fencer class was there and available to her.
[Fleet Foot], [Weapon's Path], and [Disarming Charisma] were not weapon-specific skills either. Since nothing else important was happening or being discussed. Trillia turned her head back to Ba'Shoon to ask for advice.
"I don't use the rapier as often anymore. Shattered Bolt is just immensely more powerful and doesn't require me to get in close. My agility is high, and [Fleet Foot] helps with that a lot. But I still lack the health more orcs do. I think I'd be better suited to avoid melee combat until I am stronger and have better weapons. What do you think?"
Ba'Shoon lazily held the reins as she pondered the question. Leaning back and yawning heavily, she shook her head to wake herself up a bit.
"Well. Given your mana pool and the fact that your Subspecies is giving you an extremely large amount of Wisdom every level. I think you should at least take [Mage] as a very short. You're still early enough in levels to max it out in a few months time. Assuming you aren't pushing yourself in a dungeon again. That will also let you see if you like being a backline combatant and fighting with magic."
Ba'Shoon tilted her head slightly. "The problem, I guess. Is that you can't wield your rapier. Normally you can fight with one hand and cast with the other as a young mage. At least until you can just verbalize all of your skills. In your case, you'd need to keep your right hand free at the start of the class. So that you can use the somatic components of the beginner spells."
Trillia nodded and sunk back into her own mind. Looking over her options. She was very tempted to try [Blood Alchemist] or [Mana Sage], but both of them were long at a minimum. She remembered the wasted time of her scholar class before shaking her head. Both would also benefit from taking the [Alchemist] class and [Mage] class first, respectively.
Taking a deep breath, she threw caution to the wind. She took [Monster Slayer] at medium and took [Mage] at very short. With the notifications done and out of her mind finally. She took one last look at her status before she let herself drift off to sleep while they traveled back to the city.
Name: {Trillia Demonsbane}
[Status: Alive; Scorned Divinity] [Buffs: Well Fed]
Species: [Mortal]; [Orc] Level: 51
Available Stat Points: 0
Subspecies: [Mana-Infused Orc-Adolescent;Runt] Level: 45
+5 Wisdom Per Level
Class: [Monster Slayer] Level 0
Class: [Mage] Level: 0
Stats:
[Brawn: 173]
\Strength: 50 + Vitality: 123/
[Dexterity: 361]
\Agility: 94 + Wisdom: 267/
[Charisma: 121]
\Intuition: 50 Presence: 71/
Traits:
Runt
Limitless Mana
Thirst For Knowledge
Divine: Unwavering Determination
Alchemical Blood
Spawn Seeker
Dungeon Addict
Racial Skills:
[Orc Savagery - Passive]: - Level
[Orc Constitution - Passive]: - Level 0
[Orc Tenacity - Passive]: - Level 4
General Skills:
[Stalwart Mana- Reactive]: Level 1
[Mana Obfuscastion - Hybrid]: Level 7
[Rapier Mastery - Passive]: Level 12
[Mana Sight- Passive]: Level 6 [Currently: Off]
[Runic Scripture - Hybrid] Level 3
[Universal Mana Manipulation - Hybrid] Level 5
[Basic Alchemy - Hybrid]: Level 8
[Basic Cooking - Hybrid]: Level 6
[Herbalism - Passive]: Level 0
[Lesser Mind Magic Resistance - Passive]: Level 1
[Lesser Fire Magic Resistance - Passive]: Level 4
[Minor Telepathy - Hybrid]: Level 4
[Monster Taming - Active]: Level 0
Class Skills:
[Monster Slayer]
[Mage]
Mastery:
Minstrel- Restorative Chant - MAX
Fencer- Fleet Foot - MAX
Fencer - Weapon's Path - MAX
Swashbuckler - Disarming Charisma - MAX
Bound Artifacts: 2
[The Shattered Bolt]
[Red River Resonance]
Health: 1730
Stamina: 1230
Mana: 631,007/-