Chapter 279: Survivor? (1/2)
“Blood manipulation? Something the city made?” Ilea asked but he shook his head immediately.
“No. Something unique to the Descent, just as unique as the dungeon itself. I have my theories but nothing founded. Not until I get my hands on one of those machines.”
Ilea chuckled, “I know where one is. Also have the so called pure blood… or at least whatever liquid they used in their experiments.”
The king groaned for ten seconds straight, “Why… Ilea please. Don’t tell me things like that while I’m stuck in here… next thing you tell me you know a living demon…,”
It was hard for her to keep a straight face but she apparently managed, either her acting having improved or the fact too hard for him to believe. “So the monsters increased in level the deeper you went?”
Maro nodded, “It would be reasonable for you to explore and train in it further. Though after level two hundred monsters grow increasingly unpredictable. Perhaps destroying the knights here first would be a better option.”
“You’d hope for that. If I kill off all the normal knights, do you think you’ll get some control back to help me with the kingsguard? They’re still technically connected to you and your magic.”
Maro didn’t seem convinced, “I don’t know honestly. This machine is something I cooked up in the last months of the war, in cooperation with some of my most trusted mages. Normally I’d say yes but with how they actually took over, how they’re ignoring my control completely. I don’t know. Only way to find out is to try. Take your time. As said, better freed in a couple decades than never at all.”
Ilea scoffed, “Decades? You don’t think I can manage it earlier?”
“Maybe. I don’t doubt you’ll reach level three hundred in a reasonable time but it’s questionable if the boost is enough to take out triple mark monsters. Especially ones as dangerous as the knights. They retain some of their knowledge you know? Some of their magic too if they were proficient enough. The ones chosen by me were the best warriors my kingdom had to offer. I bought or seized the corpse of every one of them, just in case they were needed.”
Ilea raised an eyebrow, “Seized corpses? What the hell did I get myself into.” She sighed as the king laughed.
“How did someone at your power retain such a moral code. Religious perhaps? Or does it have something to do with where your from? Scipio would have been ecstatic to meet you.” He smiled.
“I know I know. Know anything about the Azarinth order? Healer warriors from long ago, your wife mentioned she remembered the name.” Ilea changed the subject.
Maro squinted his eyes at her, “Yea. Yea I think I fought and killed one of them. Decided to side with the enemy I believe. First Hunter or something was the class name.”
She tried not to reveal anything, “You killed them?”
“Him. And no, a good friend of mine did. I just kept him trapped while they battled, aiding occasionally with a magic blast or two. Took us nearly two days to bring him down.”
Ilea nodded, “Self healing and quick teleportation. Hard to deal with.”
Maro smiled, “So, first huntress… would you like to learn from his mistake?”
“Gladly.” She said with a grin, clapping her hands together.
“He was a blood enhancer in his second class, magic my necromantic spells could easily counter, some of his body enhancements subdued. The effects it would’ve had on my friend I could reduce to nearly nothing. A good thing too that the friend was a pure warrior, his armor and enchantments tremendous against the mana intrusion both of the assassin’s classes favored. How close was my guess with your class?” He asked finally.
Ilea considered, asking a question instead, “He’s one of the kingsguard isn’t he? The friend who protected you.”
“Yes. Man died after taking out a damn near floor of soldiers storming a nearby city. Getting his body out of there was one of the stupider excursions I took part in.” Maro said and laughed.
“Why didn’t you tell her about the assassin?” Or did she withhold information from me?
Maro sighed, “Elana had enough on her table, all the assassins, secret missions and hunts. We kind of had a silent agreement you know… I do my things and she does hers. Sometimes information about traitors or dangerous beasts in our territories would magically make it into one of my friends’ hands. I always knew it was her. That’s just how we did things… back then.” He added. “Though I couldn’t tell you more about the man. He didn’t seem to have a motive other than killing the king of Rhyvor and upon contacting the order they assured me he was working independently, only carrying their name through training early in his life.”
She nodded, “Found one of their temples and got the class. Now I’m a First Hunter too. Guess this is it, king of Rhyvor.” Ilea said and spread her ash, activating her buffs and staring at him as coldly as she could.
“Go for it. Best chance you’ll ever have. Though if you free me first, I promise to make it a good fight.” He said with a smile but Ilea knew he wasn’t quite as sure as he pretended. A good actor but Hunter’s Sight wasn’t as easily fooled.
Deactivating her skills again, she smiled at the mist slowly rolling into the hallway behind her. Do I really come off as unstable as that? Maybe I should find this world’s equivalent of a psychiatrist. “I found a map too. Figures standing in what seemed like random alignments. Maybe you know some of them.”
Summoning one, she held it out to the man. He looked at it for a second and spoke, “That’s the banner of the Azarinth order. At least according to the letter I got a couple years ago, as a response to my inquiry.”
“To the near assassination?”
“No, to find out if we’re at war.” He replied. “Only reason I didn’t go and slaughter them all myself was an abundance of enemies close by already.”
Ilea wasn’t sure how much of that was bravado only. It didn’t sound like the first hunter had been taken down easily, even together with a warrior countering most of the hunter’s offensive capabilities. Putting it away, she summoned another one and held it out. He shook his head, “Never seen it. The style points towards a human group, at least that’s my uneducated guess.”
King of a country… uneducated. Taking out a third figure, he nodded.
“Taleen dwarves. Can’t forget the symbol of their brutality.” He said.
Ilea nodded and put it away, “You knew them? Guess they’ve beenaround for a while then. The actual dwarves or just their machines?”
He nodded, “So their creations outlived them… or am I misinterpreting the question?”
Ilea shrugged, “Likely. Whatever is left of them are dungeons now, feared to be some of the most dangerous. If you ask me, the north is worse. Of the dwarves themselves, little is left. Terok might have more to say. Any idea how they stand to elves?”
“Don’t you have an elven historian up there?” Maro asked, chuckling at the look she gave him, “Well I do have to congratulate you on actually talking to an elf. Most of them just attack humans. I learned they just want a good fight. The problem is they always fight to the death. Wasteful creatures them. You mean Taleen and elves? There were wars I’m sure but I know little about the intricacies. Most of the long ears stayed south of the dwarven mountains too, few traveling these lands but then again the same was true for all other races.”
Ilea smiled, “The frontier then? Rhyvor was founded around a bunch of dungeons found here wasn’t it? Was it simply undiscovered land?” Ilea wondered when the last bits of land on Earth had been discovered.
“There are frontiers everywhere. I’d wager we still have them today. The mountains were treacherous and we had to fight off as well as integrate several local tribes of lizardmen and Feynor. I do not assume city walls have lost their value?”
Ilea shook her head, “City walls as well as guards and enchantments where possible. If you’re asking if humans stood up and rose to the heights of the food chain then the answer is no. On this world at least.”
He looked almost disappointed, “It would have been foolish to assume anything else. It has been the same for millennia and it will stay the same for another. The few outliers like us won’t be able to change that.”