This is the second time in a week I have passed out and I got to say I really had it. Like last time I woke up in the cave but unlike before I could hear chatter and not the unhappy kind. I could also smell the cooking of venison and that got me up quicker than anything else. As I looked around I could see the groups chatting and eating happily with small fires roaring gently. I also saw a handful of people next to me rapt in bandages. The worst off was Freya but on one seemed ready to die yet.
"Good, you're awake." As I saw Serrier walking to me with a walker skin in hand.
"Yes, why is everyone so cheerful?" I asked well, taking a sip from the water skin and almost spit it right back out. 'was that wine?'
"I guess you didn't read the notification." As he looked at me drink from the wine skin he started laughing. "And yes that's wine, one of the people was rewarded with a bottle of limitless wine." He slimed at me.
Secret Quest (Competed) - Kill Old Snow
Kill the Old Snow as he wishes to die in a battle.
Reward: 500 XP, Perk Elemental Shroud (Pick)
Old Snow, thank you.
As I look at it I was shocked that I got a perk! Perks are some of the rarest things people could get. Unlike skill's, spells and some ability's didn't cost any resources to use. Also it didn't use a class skill slot and they are always useful at the time. 'I could pick the element?'
Elemental Shroud - elements
Earth Shroud
Water Shroud
Fire Shroud
Wind Shroud
Blizzard Shroud
Sorrow Shroud
'That was interesting. I understood where the first fire might have come from but why sorrow?' I will pick it later as I had a more pressing question for Serrier.
"Serrier, did everyone get a perk?" If that was the case that would be a great increase in power and also that would be an absurdly generous reward from a quest.
"Sadly, no it seemed that only your group that fought Snow Hunter the rest of us had items upgraded in quality or got a new item like the wine bottle." Seemingly gesturing to one of the groups drinking. "So far only Alex and Joy are the only ones to say they got a perk and now you I guess."
"Well that's still good, do you know what they got?" As I said that a frown did appear.
"Yea Joy was so excited she couldn't stop talking about it. It was something about increasing all her ice-based skills." And his face still had that unhappy look on it. "Alex didn't say I know it's his right not to share anything about their classes and such but he is hiding."
"I also get that feeling but at the moment he's been helping us so for now I would push."
"Still don't wait too long, I get a bad feeling about him." And with that he walked off to one of the groups who were telling jokes.
I look at the groups again taking a another sip from the wine skin. I turned to the entrants of are makeshift home and at some point someone covered most of it in compact snow. With a makeshift plank of wood for a door. Getting a feeling I made my way to the door and quickly slipping out. It was twilight with a gentle flowing of snow over the forest valley and out there standing in the ankle deep snow was Alex.
"Why are you out here?" As I walked up to him.
"Hmmm oh yea..." He slowly turned his head to me. "Just thinking about old things."
"Old people think hu you can't be that old." I said as a joke.
"Maybe but it still feels so long ago." As he turns back to the forest.
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I look at the forest as well. 'He's not wrong, it doesn't feel like it has been a long time since coming in here.' But I will get my revenge against in my old village.
"Adalric if you had the chance for a second chance at life would you waste it?"
"This came out no were?" I slimed.
"Well, would you waste it?"
This time I gave it more thought then I said. "I would like you to say I wouldn't waste it. Let go of the past and move on but that would just be me lying as even now the only true thing divining is getting revenge on the people who put me here." I look over at Alex. "And you?"
We stood there for some time. It could have been a minute or longer before saying. "Like you I am the same but I don't know that I will like it's end."
And before anything else could be said the night's quiet was broken by the plank of wood being kicked off its hold and Freya shouting.
"YOU FAKCERS GET IN HERA AND PERTY!" She shouted half drunkenly at us or at least in our direction.
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As the night went on people got steadily more drunk and I did drink some we did need some people to keep watch. But with great joy when the sun started to rise I started to wake them up.
After a lot of shouting, death threats and my laughter everyone who needed to be up was. Even if most of them wanted to stay a sleep with their hangover.
”So you bastard, why in the abyssal ass did you have to wake us up?” Freya half demanded and half groaned at me.
”Don’t forget we are on a time limit and we need to get everyone at least level 10 in their combat classes before we attack the fort.”
”Easy, we just need to kill a handful more of the fog thumbers.” I looked over at Freya but I couldn’t tell if she meant to say that or if the alcohol was talking.
“True enough we also need to know what items people were rewarded with.” That got some strange looks from the groups listening in.
”Well everyone except three people got their cloaks a minor quality upgrade in essence it was an increase in cold resistance and an increase in sneaking in snowy areas.” Serrier supplied.
”And the other three?” I ask.
”Yes well you have seen the first or it’s effects and that was the bottle of endless wine where it can produce so much wine a week so Al told me.” A few people cheered at that. “The next was Jayden who got a battle staff of slowing and every time the staff hits a target it will slow down. I have been told it has an upper limit. The last one was my bow where it got an elemental upgrade bow the arrow I shoot do cold damage.”
“That isn’t too bad. For the people who got these items you are allowed to keep them but Al you will have to limit the amount of wine you give out we can’t have all you drunk each night.” I got a half hearted boo from that but no real complaints.
“Don’t worry too much boss, the thing is out until the end of the week.” Who I guess was Al shouting out.
”Now I don’t want to do this but Alex I need to now how you are healing us.” As I turn to the only one with no hangover.
He looked around be sighing. “Find my father had a strange class that he taught me and one of the skills allows me to somewhat patch up wounds but it’s not that effective and costs a lot more mana. So no, I'm note a healer and we have just been lucky that no one has gotten hurt to the point that my skill won't work.”
"Fair enough." I said looking over the groups. "I give us ten days to get to level 10 and when that time is up we will start making our way to the castle and complete this damn quest."
As they slimed and started moving into their groups, I had the time to give a proper look at the potions for my elemental shroud. The problem is do I pick something that will help me now or will help in the long run. I looked over my options more carefully, I first removed the water shroud as I couldn't help me now and it might be an active hindrance in a place like this. Next to go was the wind shroud as I didn't think it would be too helpful ever, but it would probably be better than the water shroud.
'I do wish it gave me more information but as the system does.' As I remove the earth shroud, I do have a love for the earth as I was a farmer but I couldn't think how it would work. Next was the blizzard shroud because well I'm in a snowy environment and it might be good anywhere else but here it would probably do little or nothing.
So that left fire and sorrow shrouds both of which could be useful as I saw it the fire shroud could do damage and as everything seems to use ice or cold base effects. Well, the sorrow shroud could do any number of things, but it could be as useful as the fire or as useless as the water shroud. It was sort of a gamble in picking it over the fire shroud. Even though it was a gamble I still picked the shroud of sorrow as I didn't think my plans for the future should be in a blazing flame of glory but instead the dark clock of sorrow and misery.
Elemental Shroud - Sorrow
The shroud of sorrow grants the wielder an aura with the more suffering around you the stronger the effects of the shroud.
Effect 1 - Your attacks cause a necrotic flame to appear on any hit you make. The effect increases with more suffering.
Effect 2 - You again a passive heal. Increases the effect the more sorrow that is around.
Effect 3 - Any attack that hits you will cause retaliative damage. The more pain around will increase the damage.
I didn't know what to think about this. It seemed great but the way it gets strong it was... Unpleasant but I will be going to the front lines. I'm sure it will get plenty of use. But I doubt that the system is telling me everything as all things like that have something. 'But I picked it now and I will live with it.' But at the moment I didn't feel the effect of the shroud. I mean I could but it was so weak I didn't know if that was a good thing or bad.
But with my group being the only one left in the cave I stood up and started moving to the exit with my other four members of my small group.
"Let's move and get some levels." I said over my shoulder. With a few cheers we started the hunt and I wondered if we would walk out of the dungeon in full Frost Thumper clothing. With a light step I started to move.