A flash of golden light shimmered around another sick human in Oudsted. Ethan had spent another full day healing the sick, gaining only experience for his efforts. He’d finally cast the damned [Cure Disease] spell enough to both hit level 10, and learn a near-endless list of things he never wanted to catch. Targe was bored out of his mind following the Caller around and celebrated with a shout when they’d finished.
The poor folks in the slums scattered at the sound.
Targe snatched Ethan by the arm and dragged him away. “Finally. I’m done with the slums. I’ve smelled enough rot for one lifetime, thank you.”
“But, my skill pick!”
“Pick while I drag you. We’re upgrading your subcore then heading out.”
Ethan grumbled, shrugging off the indignity of being dragged through the town’s streets. New skills were unlocked now that he was level 10. [Healer’s Subversion], which halved both mana and cast time, was still a tempting option. But there was one option that caught his eye. Something his mind twisted around, trying to fit it into his current kit.
“What do you think about this?” Ethan asked, reading the text of the potential pick.
[Hardening Heals]
Healer Passive Ability
Description:
Your healing spells leave behind a [Stoneskin] effect, absorbing 10% of the damage healed. This effect applies even if the healing effect is an overheal.
Effect:
10% [Stoneskin] left behind on target after using a healing ability.
“So, it’s free. Right?” Targe asked. “How much can your current heal do? 50 health? So I’d get a 5 health [Stoneskin] effect.”
“When you put it like that,” Ethan said, suddenly downtrodden. Then he spotted someone. “Look. It’s that Radiant guy. The Healer.”
“Hey! Radiant!” Targe shouted.
The man in the white head swiveled his head, spotting the Fighter dragging the Caller. He waved, then trotted over. Targe released Ethan to stand on his own.
“Quick question,” Ethan said. “Doing a pretty sweet [Mana Regen] build and I need a pick for my Rank 0 level 10 skill.”
“Oh! I can answer that,” Radiant said. “Well… not the [Mana Regen] part. But, if you perform your Rank 1 upgrade ritual, you have access to the base-level Rank 1 skills. So, save your skill pick and get [Deep Healing]. It’ll save you a spell slot, since you only have a subcore.”
“What’s that one do?”
Radiant explained the [Deep Healing] skill.
[Deep Healing]
Healer Ability
Cooldown:
5 Minutes
Description:
Your next healing spell will remove 1 status effect.
Effect:
Casting any healing spell will remove a single status effect. Removal of the effect depends on your level versus the caster. Does not apply to all effect, such as paralysis, petrify, etc.
“When you’re broke like me, you look for every chance to save money,” Radiant said. “You won’t need to buy five different removal spells. Then you can just buy [Cure Wounds].”
“Alright. I really appreciate the advice,” Ethan said. “I’ll get another spell slot at Rank 1, right? What spell would you recommend?”
“Slot [Cure Minor Wounds], and [Cure Wounds]. Cast them based on how low your target’s health is.” Radiant bowed his head. “The advice is no problem. Anyway, we’re heading out. See ya.”
Radiant departed without saying another word, joining with Pit. Ethan hoped they found the scouting mission they wanted. But they could always take the orc-slaying contract the duke had posted. That had been the talk of the adventuring community.
“Can you walk on your own? Or should I drag you?”
“I’m good.” Ethan walked quickly, outpacing Targe toward the inner section of the city. “But I don’t intend to keep a [Healer’s Subcore] forever. I’m praying for a healing ability for Luca next level.”
Luca had been slowly leveling. The more Ethan kept him out, doing whatever, the stronger their bond grew. He’d been doing the same thing with Tel, but that progress was slow. Both summons were at level 4, although Lucantele was Rank 1 while Telbarantis was 0. Progress was good, though.
The pair arrived at the ritual shop, depositing their [Monster Cores] and cash to get the subcore upgraded. It was very cheap to upgrade a subcore compared to a main core, leaving them with plenty of cash to buy [Cure Wounds]. The spellbook shop had several of the tomes in stock, each selling for 10 silver. Targe was hesitant to buy it, since Ethan said he wanted to ditch the core completely.
“Can’t worry about what subcore I find in a month. We need the heals now,” Ethan said.
“True,” Targe said, handing over the silver.
Ethan tucked the book under his arm and marched back to the Golden Ox Inn. While Twist roamed the streets, doing whatever it was a Rogue with a [Blood Mage’s Subcore] did, the Caller intended to learn a new spell. He let the knowledge wash over him before passing out, intended to sleep completely through the night.
Waking the next morning, Ethan found both Targe and Twist discussing something. When they saw him stirring, they stopped.
“Breakfast,” Ethan croaked.
Twist sat down with Ethan for breakfast while Targe procured their supplies. There was something hanging in the air when they dug into piles of eggs and bacon. A miasma that the Caller hated more than anything.
“Alright. Spill the beans,” Ethan said. “What’s the problem?”
“No problem.”
“Your scowl says otherwise.”
“You cannot see my face.”
“I can feel the scowling from here, dude.”
“Are we abandoning Void?”
Ethan stopped shoving eggs into his mouth. He paused for a long moment. They’d already discussed this. The Caller had no way to find Parabaxis. Telbarantis didn’t know where the Lesser Spirit was, and none of the scholars in town knew either. The only other person he could think of to ask was Lucantele.
“This is our best bet to finding Parabaxis. And if we do some scouting? What’s the issue?”
“True.”
“Another spirit’s favor wouldn’t be bad. Would it?”
Twist seemed uninterested in his eggs. At least he nibbled on a length of bacon, pushing it under his mask. “Perhaps.”
The journey back from Lucantele’s temple had taken two days. Ethan wondered if they could make the trip quicker this time, now that he wasn’t a liability. There was also the problem of getting both Twist and Targe up to Rank 2, once they hit level 10 in their main cores. The recipe for that was like the Rank 1 ritual, which required a [Rank Seal], a [Boss Core], and 5 [Monster Cores]. And the fee of the ritualist.
“What are the other ways you can get a [Rank Seal]?” Ethan asked.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“We could combine a rank-appropriate [Boss Core] with any rank-appropriate prime essence.”
“So, clear a dungeon and… where do we get essences?”
“Some boss monsters roam the wilds. They’ll drop one.”
That was good to know. Ethan wasn’t sure about doing a Rank 1 dungeon solo. Although, the more he thought about it the more his heart rose to the challenge. If he got his hands on a decent subcore, leveled it to Rank 1, he was confident he could solo another dungeon. That might save him the effort of finding three boss monsters in the wild. His mind swirled with the possibilities, but an anchoring thought brought him back.
These were all long-term goals. They would not accomplish these things in the next few weeks. Right now, Void was the only thing he could worry about. Finding Parabaxis and restoring Lucantele’s temple. Ranking up would come after that. Or during. But not right now.
“So, what was your home like?” Ethan asked.
Twist leveled a single eye on the Caller. “Dark. Brutal. Merciless.”
“Sounds crappy,” Ethan said, finishing off his eggs.
“It is.”
When the pair were done eating, Twist leaving most of his food behind, they picked up a few supplies before they left. The dark elf relied on the people of Oudsted’s goodwill toward the Caller to get a few more provisions. But their hospitality toward them was wearing thin. With the festival over, citizens were more reluctant to hand out free food. Ethan had expected them to stop doing so long enough, but he intended to milk it for as long as possible. He cast [Summon Telbarantis] to get a few more packages of tea than normal.
So long as they were willing to give things up, he’d take them.
Twist and Ethan proceeded to the Guild to check for related contracts. As expected, the orc-slaying contracts were up. Several copper per head, but it claimed there were tens of thousands of the creatures in the mountains. There was a special contract for dungeon cores from the [Orc Dungeons].
“There’s a detail there,” Twist said, pressing his finger into the hanging poster. “They haven’t scouted the mountains yet. A provision for scouting information. Dangerous.”
Ethan read through the contract again, nodding. He proceeded to the front desk, offering his new medallion up when requested. “Targe’s Party would like to take the orc contract.”
“You and everyone else in town,” the attendant said, stamping Ethan’s medallion with a flat-bottomed stamp.
A notification popped into Ethan’s vision.
[Slay the Orcs]
Guild Contract
Description:
An orcish threat festers in the Fangstone mountains. Exterminate the orcs, scout their camps, and annihilate their dungeons. Any dungeons delved within the Fangstone Mountains should have their cores destroyed.
Objectives:
Slay Fangstone Orcs.
Destroy dungeon cores within the Fangstone Mountains.
Provide Oudsted’s Adventurer’s Guild with information about the Fangstone mountains.
Reward:
2 copper per orc killed.
1 gold per Dungeon Core destroyed.
Price varies for provided intelligence.
“Sweet,” Ethan said. “Thanks.”
Twist and Ethan left the guild. The quest-like guild contract had popped up for the dark elf, too. Which meant that Targe had gotten it. Wherever the man was. The pair departed, heading directly for the stables. That’s where he was, according to the Rogue. Preparing their rented donkey for the journey ahead.
When Ethan spotted Targe at the stables, he stopped in his tracks. The Fighter wasn’t working on saddling up a donkey. He was strapping their things to the top of a massive beetle. Twice the height of a horse and twice as long, the creature was enormous. It had a mottled pattern of black and brown with a horn protruding from the front of its face.
“We rented a beetle?” Ethan asked.
“We bought a beetle,” Twist corrected.
A war broke out in Ethan’s mind. He really didn’t like the look of the creature. There was no quality of a giant beetle that stood out as cute. Donkeys were, in their own way, adorable. But the beetle was all spiky parts and chittering mandible. What did it even eat? Would it eat them? It didn’t matter, though. They approached Targe, who had a constant smile on his face.
“Well?” Targe asked.
“That’s a big bug,” Ethan said.
“You’re going to hurt her feelings.”
“Her?”
“Yeah, Tulip.”
Ethan took a deep breath. He stared at the giant beetle for some time. He couldn’t even locate her eyes, let alone figure out why she’d been named Tulip. Of all things she could have been named. The Caller would have named her “Mud Bug”, or “Giant Horrible Beetle Girl”. But Tulip?
“She can carry a lot of things, right?” Ethan asked after his long pause.
“Five times as much as the best horse they sell here.”
“Fine. Then I love her,” Ethan said, patting the creature on the side. Tulip chittered with excitement. The Caller shivered. “I’ll learn to love her.”
Ethan didn’t have to wait long to develop some affection for the creature. Tulip’s two forelegs were larger and more powerful than the four in the rear. She pulled herself across the open ground with ease, gliding over the terrain as though it was nothing. Compared to the donkey, the beetled handled errant logs, depressions over the open fields, and other obstacles with ease. Even before they reached the river crossing to the south, the Caller decided that he did absolutely love her.
The sacred lake in Oudsted fed into an adjoining river. Ethan had heard it joined somewhere to the south, a town named Daub resting at the fork. A road led from the southern gate of the town to a crossing, cutting west into the less-supervised hills of Duke Leonard’s territory. The people here tied themselves to the land more than the flow of commerce. They’d established smaller settlements, too few in population to be called proper towns. The Caller wouldn’t have set himself up here.
After crossing the river, Tulip having no problem with the fording, Ethan saw the gentle rise of the land. From the flat lands they’d walked for part of the day, to the sudden shift of rising hills. The sight led to the sprawl of mountains further east, and the Fangstone stretch southeast. Plunging into the familiar forest, the Caller felt some of Lucantele’s will enter his mind. Crowded diamond-patterned oaks sprawled before them, the crowd of the underbrush, and the sounds of many calling birds.
“We’ll make it faster this time,” Targe said, leading Tulip through the tangle of trees.
Ethan could see a problem there. They’d have to remove some trees, unless they picked a winding path through the forest. Spending the first night under the canopy of trees, sharing stories of how they met, the group felt content. Only when they came across the jagged rise of earth, where Twist first met Ethan, did any sense of tension flow through them. The Caller felt more emotional than he’d expected, asking his companions to stop for a break. Lucantele’s temple was near, and he wasn’t sure he was ready.
“Saved your ass here,” Twist said, pointing at the hill.
“Yes, you did.” Ethan summoned Luca. For comfort and the idle experience the spirit gained.
Twist put a kettle on the magic fire, preparing some of their new tea for the break. Targe busied himself with Tulip, producing a hard-bristled brush to scrub down her carapace. Neither man would tell Ethan how much they’d paid for the creature. He stopped asking after the first day of empty responses.
A system message popped up as Ethan was playing with Luca.
[Lucantele] gained 0.5% bond experience.
Ding!
[Lucantele] has reached level 5.
Now came the job of sifting through Luca’s upgrade abilities. Just like Radiant said, there were new options hidden behind the Rank 1 requirement. They were more powerful versions of the existing abilities. For now, Ethan wanted to avoid taking [Mist of Hope], the ability that removed status effects from party members. [Light of Hope] was a healing ability that scaled with the summon’s rank. But something new caught his eye.
[Persistent Light of Hope]
Summon Ability
Mana Cost
Low
Description:
A persistent light of hope surrounds your target. Targeted friendly will heal damage over time based on the rank of this ability.
Effect:
Apply a scaling heal-over-time effect to the target.
Ethan had yet to find a heal-over-time ability. He really wanted to take [Light of Hope], but couldn’t justify it. For the foreseeable future, he’d be using a [Healer’s Subcore]. His [Evoker’s Subcore] was interesting with its [Echo] effect, but it wasn’t strong enough for him to justify the lack of heals. [Persistent Light of Hope] bridged a gap. It still built his [Summon Lucantele] ability as a support summon, but gave him some room to wiggle before he got a new subcore.
He selected [Persistent Light of Hope].
The Symbol of Lucantele stared up at him after he selected the ability. Ethan commanded him to use it, watching as streams of silver light surrounded himself. The healing power of the spell flowed through him, although he had no health to heal.
“New ability?” Targe asked.
Ethan dismissed Luca and summoned Tel. The blue lizard burst from his magic circle and stomped around the area. “Yeah. Got myself a heal-over-time ability.”
Targe knelt, patting the Symbol on its little lizard head.
Ethan fell into a cycle of summoning Tel until his mana ran out, recharging, then doing it again. As the group packed up from their break, another notification popped up.
[Telbarantis] gained 1% bond experience.
Ding!
[Telbarantis] has reached level 5.
“Whoops,” Ethan said. “I’ll follow you guys while I look at these options.”
Twist and Targe pushed ahead with Tulip while Ethan consulted his upgrades. Keeping in mind that he wanted Tel to be a tank, he dismissed the abilities that were more about damage. But the Great Spirit’s Symbol seemed to want to be a tank. There were great picks in the list to support his [Bulwark] ability. But when the Caller spotted a familiar ability, he knew he needed to take it.
If Ethan couldn’t keep Tel out for long, the creature was useless for his strategies. The idea of a [Mana Regen] build was to restore as much mana as possible. That meant taking the [Pact Upgrade 1] ability, even if there were tempting choices in the list. Telbarantis cost 15 mana every 5 seconds to maintain. In combat, the Caller only restored 7.25 mana every 5 seconds. [Pact Upgrade 1] reduced the perpetuation cost to 11 mana. He decided that every summon he got needed that upgrade. 4 mana every 5 seconds made a big difference.
Then it was time to do a little math.
Ethan spotted the slow rise that led to Lucantele’s temple, but crunched the numbers in his mind. One point in [Mind] gave him 0.5 [Mana Regen]. It also added raw mana, but that wasn’t his concern. With 19 [Mind] and 14.5 [Mana Regen], he’d need to put 15 more points into [Mind] to make Telbarantis free of perpetuation costs. Luca wasn’t much better. He’d still need 11 points to make him free.
As the group caught sight of the temple in the distance, Ethan realized it didn’t matter. He already had a lot of [Mana Regen], didn’t he? Only when he spotted the glowing silver squirrel between ruined sections of the temple did he realize why he no longer cared. Hope burned through his chest, searing away any doubt.
“Hey, Luca!” Ethan shouted, breaking into a sprint.