Some of the locals even showed signs of being capable of using Intent. Merlin and Woodsy had come back from the Gates of Power and Knowledge with quite a surprising skill in Intent. They had taught Letty and the locals much about it. But there was little time for the others to learn anything applicable in battle. Letty, Duke and Alice could however utilize Intent a bit under Soul Chain Share due to its false harmonisation state.
Woodsy was especially a godsend. Her ability to teach was simple and straightforward. Even before coming to King Yama's Gate, she was famous for her wood elements mastery and superb control over Life Force. Her ability to stimulate the talents of others also greatly benefitted the group as well. Woodsy's Class, Treant Warrior, was the class of Eridium's strongest warrior. Thus of all of Earth's high level combatants, it was Woodsy who's potential Letty understood the most.
The Gate of Knowledge had opened up a whole new world for Woodsy, allowing her to not only gain more knowledge on skills and abilities, but she also gained wisdom on how to apply her own skills and impart those skills to others through her classes' unique traits.
Thanks to Woodsy's guidance and their combination of skills, within the span of a week, Letty and co went from being ignorant users on a Lower World to being local tyrants about to reach level 90 in a Branded Dungeon. Tsimikas was now already a large Village with a handful of subsidiary Villages beneath it with a powerful army of elite warriors and mages skilled in various attributes.
Duke had focused on hunting higher level mage type ogres that had weak defence. His ability to track and hunt monsters had greatly helped the group at the beginning when Letty was still getting ready for Soul regalia. While Duke had indeed slaughtered many ogres, the damage he caused paled in comparison to the damage dealt by the SS+ skill welding Letty.
Once she had reached the minimum level needed for her to apply the skill Soul Explosion, the weaker mobs became the perfect prey for Necromancers like her. This gave rise to the fame of her title, Queen Abyss.
Duke had suggested a simple strategy. First they would hunt multiple ogres and gain their attention, then they would lead them to a pit with traps that immobilized them. Merlin would then harvest the lives of the stronger Ogres while Duke harvested the lives of the weaker ones. Woodsy's duty was to create a large-scale skill to shield the area's Life Force fluctuations. Thanks to Woody's, they could slaughter hundreds upon hundreds of enemies without anyone noticing the stench of death permeating the air.
Once Letty reached level 70 and had gained a little insight into tapping into death type energy, a new window opened up for her.
[First Chapter- Soul Explosion
An ability that allows a user to use the soul from a demonic beast as an explosive to deal damage, damage done is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Second Chapter- Soul Implosion
An ability that allows a user to use the soul from a demonic beast as an explosive to deal damage internally, damage done is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.]
Using these two spells, she reaped the lives of the ogres like a farmer reaping wheat. Eventually, these were the only skills she used in public, because they could be mistaken for two the famous Necromancer spell Corpse Explosion and Corpse Implosion. The quality of Soul Regalia made her attacks much stronger. Thus the observers would observe her unusually high damage output and credit her talent instead of the skill. A trait the crew took advantage of.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Under Duke's advice, the group decided to take advantage of Letty's unique talents and had her fight a few times in public. With time, Duke fought less and less in front of other's while Letty fought more and more. Gaining more fame. To users that can recover energy from killing enemies, there was no such thing as fatigue. While they did have to rest from time to time, they did not stop hunting.
The spell Woodsy had shared with the group, Soul Chain Share, allowed them to connect and strengthened them further. When the trio were not battling or managing Tsimikas, they were improving Soul Chain Share.
Thanks to Soul Chain Share and Soul regalia, the group became incredibly efficient. Alice shifted from reconnaissance to administration of the Village with ease while Letty and Duke went on slaughtering sprees. Duke hunted while hidden while Letty reaped lives in the hundreds every time she fought. Steadily, the originally small and unknown Tsimikas became a force that everyone in the region of Ta Dasi had to be aware of. But eventually, Duke realized an issue. Ta Dasi was too small! Thus, events had snowballed into this massive campaign against the ogres of the neighbouring region, Kolladas Tis Moira!
The Dragonheart Supreme Candidates, Woodsy and Merlin were stunned after observing the growth of the trio. They had expected them to adapt, but not to this extent. Letty was after all, the princess of a Middle World, but no one there knew this. Alice had been given the Yuanying Purity Dan by Will. A dan that purified all three of one's vessels of filth, pulling out one's potential. Her vessels had become large containers capable of incredible growth. Thus her growth and talents were far above the average person. Duke, despite not having received any reward, was the greatest surprise of all. Not only was he a talented archer, but he had a keen mind for observing opponents and targeting their weaknesses. Mentally and physically.
Duke had given countless suggestions that a born leader like Letty could not help but appreciate. To everyone's shock, not single person could beat Duke at chess. He looked stupid, but he had a keen mind for the art behind conflict. Alice was the best at showing trends in information, but Duke was the best at exploiting that information. This coupled with the Dragonheart ladies' criminal power gave rise to an explosive growth. Merlin slaughtered the weak ogres like she was fighting for fun while Woodsy's support and guidance levelled up the entire squad.
It was the presence of the Dragonheart ladies that allowed Alice, Merlin and Duke to have peace of mind. But their presence there also hinged on Will returning, after all, they were only there to support Will due to his potential. The duo had already made mental notes to switch allegiance to Will due to his generous gift of the Gates of Power and Knowledge, which widened the duos horizons greatly. Suffice to say, they now had the confidence to challenge for the positions of a Supreme if they so wished.
They had actually limited their killing to make sure that people's attention remained on Letty. Alexa, their Ghost from the empire, was watching from the sidelines. They did not need their allegiances questioned before they could solidify their positions. Their rapid growth in strength and knowledge of the basics of Intent gained from the Gates of Knowledge and Power had already placed them in a precarious position. They were still trying to figure out what excuses to give for their leap in power.
Alice and Duke the others had no idea how strong they were exactly so did not notice much. But Letty had been a well-informed top tier guide, so she noticed the unexplainable growth Merlin and Woodsy had experienced.
As their conversation continued, Letty and Alice shared stories of their journeys, their different upbringings colouring their perspectives. Letty's logical approach had been shaped by a heritage steeped in tradition and royal expectations, while Alice's warmth and optimism had blossomed amidst the camaraderie of her family. From time to time, the girls had chats like this, trying as much as they could to keep hold of their identities and getting to know each other. This was one of the requirements for Soul Chain Share, a strong bond of trust born from consistent communication and trust.
In the midst of their exchange, a rustling in the foliage caught their attention. Merlin and Woodsy emerged from the shadows, their expressions serious. They had returned from their reconnaissance mission, bringing crucial information about the enemy's movements.
Alice's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Merlin, Woodsy. Glad to see you guys. What have you discovered?"