Chapter 224: The Daily Grind (1/2)
Ilea started her daily resistance training class in the arena a couple hours earlier that day. William taught her what was necessary to survive underwater meaning she had around half a day to herself now. She would still occasionally test possible new members but those were few and far in between. Only four had joined the Hand after she had tested Gan and Bataar. Wonder if they are dead already.
The arena was closed off, the clerk sleeping on his desk when she arrived. She quickly checked the wooden table and the boxes below, finding the key inside one of them. The lock on the chain clicked and was removed, opening the double door to the underground arena she had rented for the third consecutive week.
Maybe I’ll get stuck here and become a training instructor. She mused, not hating the idea as much as she would’ve thought. New people seeking adventure would come in and from time to time they might return, showing off their new gear or skills to the instructor that initially believed in them. Dale is more shocked whenever he sees me. Ilea snorted, summoning the battered metal bucked from her necklace.
She had earned around 1830 silver coins in the past weeks, 18 gold and 30 silvers. Exchanging them in the adventurer guild had cost three silvers which brought her new total to 50 gold, 71 silver and 62 copper coins. And half the bloody city if I know Claire at all.
“How the fuck can’t shadows pay off their debt of a hundred gold in a couple months?” She asked herself and shook her head. The empty bucket fell onto the sandy ground next to her. She had informed the guild to change the time on her notice. Seeing how popular the job was, they offered to keep it on the notice board for free.
The first people started coming already and it was barely one in the afternoon. She had decided to sleep a couple hours longer in the morning, enjoying her bed at home. Might want to bring that one. She thought as she waved to the group of adventurers. A new team formed in Ravenhall, levels around a hundred but they wanted to work on their skills and teamwork before going out.
“Welcome back. Did you decide on a name yet?” Ilea asked and walked away from the bucket. Sadly it didn’t have a recovery skill like herself.
“Not yet. Is that really necessary Shadow?” One of them asked.
“No idea. I think when you’re out there you’ll have more pressing matters than your group’s name.” She replied with a smile.
“Miss Ilea. We erm… we thought as long as it’s just us, maybe we could do a real bout against you. We’d be willing to pay more of course.” The apparent leader of the team asked. Their group had come nearly every day in the past week, paying huge amounts of silver just to train with her. Their gear was already good and their knowledge and experience even better.
“Sure, but only for a short while. I’m here to train resistances and if you can’t hit me it kind of defeats the purpose.” Ilea said as ash started forming around her. “You don’t have to pay more either.”
“Move out!” The warrior said and Ilea smiled as his team immediately moved into a crude formation, mages in the back, healer in the middle and the warriors up front, standing in a way that allowed the mages to send their projectiles her way.
“Good formation.” Ilea said and blinked to the healer, grabbing the woman by the neck and lifting her up. “If you move I’ll kill her.”
The team froze up and spun around to face her, unsure how to proceed. The mages had their spells at the ready but hadn’t fired them immediately. “Too bad. She’s already dead.” Ilea said, letting go of the woman who started coughing immediately. Blinking to one of the mages, she kicked at their leg, dodging the fire that she blasted towards her face.
The bone cracked and pierced the mage’s skin, the woman screaming before she fell down. “Aim at the center of mass, it’s your best bet to deal some damage at least.” Ilea said and rushed at the other mage, dashing left and right to avoid the lightning bolts rushing past her before a warrior intercepted her, his offhand shield smashing into her.
“Good job.” She said, holding onto the shield while they skidded to a halt. Turning the shield, she twisted until he was on the ground. Putting a foot behind his back, she was about to break the arm when a lightning bolt made her dodge again. “You should be able to let go of your weapons should the need arise. Find a good balance, you don’t want to lose them without good reason.”
Rushing at the mage again, she found he had relocated and stood near the remaining warrior now, the two protecting the healer who was taking care of the crying and injured mage. Ilea nodded at that and stopped. “What went wrong?”
She didn’t intervene in the healing, instead letting them do their own thing. “We didn’t immediately flee.” The warrior behind her said, his arm injured by her twist as he unslung his shield, the heavy iron piece falling to the ground with a clatter.
“Perhaps. You’ve seen how quick I am, that I can teleport around. I would’ve picked you off one by one.” Ilea said. “Grouping up again might be the best option, like you did in the end. The formation was good against anybody with less mobility and I assume you’ll be fighting monsters?” The warrior before her nodded, his sword still held high with the one good arm.
“They’re easier predictable but not always. Inform yourself well as soon as you’ve made contact with whatever beast occupies the dungeon or land you work in. If it’s an unknown, learn as you go.” Ilea explained, the mage’s bone cracking back into place as she winced. “Use whatever time the enemy gives you to the fullest… but you’re already doing that.” The warrior had circled her to join the group while the lightning mage was preparing a more complicated spell she had seen him use in their training before.
“Props to the healer for not panicking. You’ve all at least seen some action.” Ilea said. “Would you like me to continue?”
Viper and Philipp later showed up as promised, clad in their usual black gear but wearing packs on their backs additionally. “No storage rings for you?” Ilea joked, spells raining down on her as she gestured the mage group to stop.
“Perhaps we’ll find some on the journey.” Philipp replied and hugged her.
“Where to?” She hugged the man back.
“West. The destroyed independent cities have become breeding grounds for beasts, cull the herd a little and investigate.” Viper supplied.
“And loot whatever isn’t looted yet?” Ilea asked, the man snorting at that.
“It’s no man’s land now.” He simply stated.
“Well then I wish you good fortune. Hopefully no elves.”
“I hope for the opposite.” Viper said and grinned.
“You’re still bound to go north?” Philipp asked as he let go of her, a nod his reply. “Well then it’s not us who need the wishes.” He smiled. “Let’s meet up again here and have dinner, all of us.”
Ilea was surprised no dragon suddenly razed the city to the ground at that statement. “Don’t deathflag me Philipp, it’s not a nice thing to do.”
“What does deathflaggin mean?” The man asked to which Ilea quickly explained.
“Ah, I understand. Then let’s not meet up. I hope we both die.” He said, smiling.
You don’t understand Philipp. Ilea thought and shook her head laughing.
“Seriously though, good luck.” The man said and punched her chest.
“Good luck Ilea. Let us know if you need support at some point.” Viper added.
“To you as well.” She said, thinking about the lack of any cool one liners related to the Shadow’s Hand. Maybe we don’t need that.
She watched them leave with a smile before turning to her trainees again and gestured for them to continue.
“Philly, come quickly.” Ilea said after the training ended, her two trainees waiting a little to the side.
“You two can continue your training together, I’ll be right there.” Ilea said when the ice mage came up to her.
“What can I do for you Shadow?” Philly asked.
[Mage – lvl 140]
“I might be able to get you an ice mage instructor of the hand. Interested?” Ilea asked, watching her face light up at the question.
“Definitely, what would I have to do for that? My goal is to eventually join the Hand anyway.” She replied immediately.
“I haven’t asked the guy yet but I feel like he likes torturing an apprentice. It’s gonna fuck you up but he’s good.” Ilea said, the smile on Philly leaving slowly.
“I’d still do it.” She said, determined.
“Good, I’ll ask him then. Maybe those two will join as well. The old fucker might not accept his luck at first.” Ilea said more to herself as she waved the others over. “I’ll talk to you again tomorrow if you’re here.”
“Of course lady Shadow.” She said and bowed.
“Ilea is fine you know. Come on, ready to get thrown around again?” She asked the two, Cornelius snorting and Raphia giggling nervously.
“And why did you want me to watch you train those two?” William asked, standing next to her while they watched Raphia and Cornelius meditate, creating as much of their element as possible.
“To get to know them. Both creators and as you can see with rare classes. I want them to be nurtured and I wanted you to be their trainer.” Ilea explained, the man frowning next to her.
“Did the drowning get to your mind?”
“No. But I’ve seen how much you enjoyed it. You’re aware I can see with my sphere. I traced your movements and know you wrote down the times I could stay underwater. Your statistics were a little extensive I think. I don’t think your other work suffered much. Ever considered becoming a team manager?” Ilea asked, thinking back on Joseph who had been theirs for a little while. She wondered if he had survived. Not enough to actually check with Claire.
“That’s just for full members.” William said.
“Eh, one of the elders is a traitor, one is dead and the others are fuck know’s where. The Shadowguard is a thing now and you evaluate some of them as well don’t you? Why not train them too, in addition to some young and talented fighters like these?”
The man was quiet for a while. “Why?”