‘Finally level 10 that didn’t take too long, only five days.’ But each fight was a painful affair. At least my new shroud was somewhat helpful but fighting monsters wasn’t that effective due to its requirements on how it grows stronger.
Looking at the slain Frost Thumper at my feet I pulled up my level 10 skill choices.
Power Strike (Skill) - You can empower an attack to do more damage to a target. The damage increased with a high strength stat.
Pain Resistance (Ability) - Well in a battle you will feel 10% less pain.
Second Wind (Skill) - You can regain half of your stamina but after using it you will feel twice as exhausted.
Ice Strike (Skill) - You imbue your strikes with the element of ice.
Warrior Penance (Skill) - For a moment you may shunt your pain onto a target.
Winter Warrior (Ability) - Well in a snowy environment you will be 10% harder to see and all your stats will have a 10% increase.
I looked at the new skills. I didn't expect two many new ones but only 3 new skills and lost one of them but it wasn't that good of a skill to begin with. 'Now what to pick.' I wouldn’t pick Winter Warrior as I don’t know how often I would be in such an environment so that was off the list. I also got rid of Pain Resistance and Power Strike for the same reasons as last time. That left me with Warrior Penance, Ice Strike and Second Wind which all sounded useful. The Warrior Penance skill would work quite well with my Shroud of Sorrow but I did know how long it would last and I needed to be in pain to use it so it was a bit of a let down.
Ice Strike could be useful but like any ice base skill it would have little effect well in this place. Then there was Second Wind which could keep me in a fight longer but it probably would make me pass out more which isn't something I wanted to do.
'So what to pick?' Giving a good look at the skills one more time and I picked.
Name: Adalric Fallnight
Stats: Strength 18, Endurance 17, Agility 14, Coordination 15, Magic Power 10, Magic Regeneration 10
Class: Farmer (Basic)
Level: 15
Skills:
Mass Till Earth (Spell): This spell tills a 10ft-by-10ft squire that can be increased by the Magic Power attribute.
Healthier Crops (Ability): Any crop you are looking after will grow bigger and healthier as well as being more resistant to diseases.
Class: Warrior (Basic)
Level: 10
Dash (Skill) - You move fast in a straight line. The maximum distance is governed by the endurance stat.
Ice Strike (Skill) - You imbue your strikes with the element of ice.
Perks:
Elemental Shroud: Sorrow
Diven Boon / Boon: N/A
Curses / Ailments: N/A
I knew that the other skill could be more useful now but being able to imbue my attacks with an element is incredibly useful even if it has limits here.
As that was finished I told my group to head back to camp. As we started making our way back to your camp I could hear my people talking excitedly about the levels they had gotten and able to finally be fully equipped with Frost Thumper fur clothing and armour. 'It is quite nice fur, it almost had enough for almost dying.'
As we got to the cave that felt like home to me. I saw other team leaders all but Freya as she normally was the last to come back from hunting. It did make her team the highest level but they were always the most injured and Alex really didn't like them for it.
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"Once Freya shows up they will have an hour of rest and we start making our way to the castle and leaving the dungeon." I said to the leader after entering the cave.
"So what is the plan for the castle?" Serrier asks to move to one of the make-shift stools.
"We will need to scoot first so we will send out a group of rogues that pick stealth skills." As I looked at the leaders. "As that is being done we will work on making a new camp then gone on from there."
"That is a bit basic of a plan isn't it." One of the other team leaders said. Cinder was a human that had black hair and a good tan that had faded and did well in the winter environment as well as brown eyes also had the rogue class if I remember right.
"It might be but we don't have the information about the place so to plan anything more will be a waste of time." I said to her,
"Still we should have a better plan than to go over and see what's up?" As I was about to respond I heard the familial sounds of Freya.
"What does it matter so far the dungeon hasn't been that dangerous?" As Freya takes a seat.
"The dungeon is dangerous and you have nearly died multiple times and it's only luck that has kept you alive, Freya." Alex said a bit hotly to her. "And Cinder has a point. We need a better plan that lets us look and see." turned to me.
I look at the group and I do agree with them but I can't think of a better plan other than look and see. "I understand that it isn't a great plan but we are on a timer and we are still all low levelled and we still need someone to scout so every way Cinder you and the other stealth people will need to go first."
"I know, I know it's just not a great plan at least let my group have a day ahead and we will meet back up to give you the lay of the land." As she looked around the group no one seemed to disagree so she got up and started rounding up her people she would need for this mission.
"Well she's getting ready to leave. What do we do about the other part of the quest? Do we kill the other group?" Serrier asked to take a drink from his wine skin which I was certain had wine in it.
"Well for starters try not to get drunk at the meeting, Serrier." He looks at the drink sights and then puts it down. "I don't wish to kill them if it's not absolutely necessary."
"No, we should kill them if you don't want a knife in are backs." Freya said with a shrug, taking a drink of water and putting her feet onto Cinders chair.
How much I dislike agreeing with Freya, she's right, if they want to leave they will try and stop us at any cost probably." Alex also joined in agreeing with Freya.
"I'm with them as well. If we see them then kill them but there is no need to hunt them down." Serrier chip in.
'Was I against killing the other group?"
"I will have to agree with Adalric. I would rather not kill the other if at all possible." Cinder said, kicking Freya's legs off her chair.
“Alright if they do anything that might be considered a threat attack them.” I sighed as I might not like it but it is us against them.
After that we started planning to move south towards the frozen fort. As time went on we slowly sorted out most of the details and when I mean most we still needed to know what Freya’s group would do back when she fell asleep and trying to wake her was like waking a titan. But Cinder was able to awaken her after she found some moist meat which I wasn’t certain where she found it.
After Freya tried to chase Cinder down, I was certain she would have killed the other woman. We were able to get the last bits of planning down.
We gave the rest of the group an hours more rest before we started out Cinder and Alex both move head with the other people who had stealth skill or some normal training in sneaking.
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Cinder
'I didn't like what the rest of the leader decided to do with the other group. I'm certain that we could make them switch sides but that damn meat head Freya wouldn't listen to any of it and I'm certain that she would have fought me if the others weren't there.'
As I looked at the scout group I was with they were Jack, Alin and Alex's. The first two I was fine with as they worked under me before but Alex was the one that I haven't worked with before and he also didn't follow my idea for the other group so I didn't even know how he would react. He was leading the group with a type of skill that didn't he didn't explain at all and that was the biggest problem!
'How can Adalric trust him? I can't figure out what level he is because we should be the weakest group shouldn't we so why does he seem to have so many skills?' But as we moved towards the fort we started to spot fresh tracks and not animal tracks but humanoid tracks. We stayed clear of the tracks as we are trying to find a new local to hind and start the next phase of the plan even if the plan isn't that well thought out.
As we moved onwards and after about an hour more searching we were able to find a new place. It wasn't like the cave but more of a overhang what it was the best place we could find that the patrols didn't come to close but this close enough well at least for me Alex's seem to want to be further away from the fort but he didn't want to explain anymore other than wanting to be further away but that wasn't good enough. So after some back and forth we headed back to the group to start leading the rest here.
After some time travelling back to the rest Alex stopped all of a sudden.
"What is it?" I said as I moved up to Alex.
Alex didn't say anything for a moment, seeming to be listening to something. "The rest of the group is fighting."
"What!" I hissed at him.
"I don't know how many but they are fighting people or something will melt." He said as he started moving again.
"And how do you know this?"
"A skill."
"What skill?
"A skill. This is not the time for this Cinder." Alex said in a clipped voice.
I look at him, he's right but I know when someone is trying to avoid questioning. But as we ran in the direction Alex was leading us I could start hearing the fighting and when we blasted past the last trees I could see the injured laying on the groups and people fighting all over but the most eye-catching thing. It was Adalric covered in purple flames fighting three people at once but as I saw him get hit by a sword cutting into his side.
"That's enough watching." As I pulled back my bow and joined the battle.