Chapter 333: The Way Back (1/2)

When she returned to the surface, Ilea found Maro near the Penumra dungeon entrance. His hand outstretched and shield gleaming in the sunlight, beams of purple energy fired into the dungeon time and time again. “Enjoying yourself?” She asked, walking up to him.

His gaze was focused on something down in the dungeon, another beam forming. “Very elusive creatures.” He surmised, a smirk on his face when he put away his helmet. “You’re done? Town still standing?”

“It is.” Ilea replied, her armor covering her face again before her wings spread, “I wanted to at least try and see.” She said and jumped down. When she reached a root around thirty meters into the dungeon, she started heating up her Heart of Cinder. The first Drop Saurians were already moving up the walls and nearby roots. The ranged monsters sent their thorns her way but this time they couldn’t even penetrate through her ashen armor.

When the first monster reached her, sixteen sharp ashen limbs greeted it, cutting deep into its flesh. Blood started leaking as it screeched at her, more of the beasts coming. Her limbs moved around her, cutting into the monsters. Their defenses were enough to at least prevent her from outright killing them with single blows but the wounds were severe. Many of them moved back again after their initial approach, Ilea’s Heart of Cinder flaring out as a group of seven were engulfed, their wounds coupled with the fire and heat too much to survive.

‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Drop Saurian – lvl 362] – For defeating an enemy fifty or more levels above your own, bonus experience is granted.

…

‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Drop Saurian – lvl 391] – For defeating an enemy eighty or more levels above your own, bonus experience is granted.

Not quite as useful to hunt these than the Miststalkers. She noted, a little disappointed at their lack of resistance. When the blast had subsided, the nearby Drop Saurians seemed to avoid her even, some just staring at her from a distance while some injured ones outright fled. The ranged variants continued their fruitless assault, either lacking the sight or understanding of what had just happened. They just attack blindly. She caught one of the thorns and looked it over, her wings spreading again before she flew up, the nearby Saurians who hadn’t yet been injured were clawing at the air where she had just stood.

Maro looked at her after she appeared next to him, “What’s their level?” He asked.

“High three hundreds. Lower than the Miststalkers.” She replied. “Want to try leveling with them?”

He considered, “Maybe at another point in time. Do you plan to come back north again soon? I think I’d have you protect me before I go in there alone.”

“Catelyn and Elana talked about the Descent, something’s changing in the dungeon and the expedition that left before we got you out is missing, all contact lost. I’m open to check it out so yea, I think I’ll be back north again somewhat soon.” Ilea said.

“Bummer. Well at least these seem more manageable to me than those Miststalkers.” He said, “If I can fight them alone, I’m sure to gain more levels somewhat quickly.” He sounded a little unsure about it.

“I’ll be up here to heal you. There are miststalkers around here too so don’t worry. The Saurians have strong poison too by the way, just thought I’d mention it. They just can’t pierce my ashen armor.” She added.

“Great news.” Maro said, defeated. “Worth a try at least. So, southwards?”

Ilea nodded. “Seems like it.” Shegrinned, her helmet coming back on as well as the ashen armor on her head reforming, previously kept free to allow for proper communication. “Now, where’s south exactly?”

Maro looked at her for a whole three seconds before laughed, his helmet coming on too as he started to float, “You surprise me again, Ilea. Going to the frontier without even knowing about the suns and stars.”

She rolled her eyes, “Well, if it weren’t for you, I could just teleport back.”

“Third tier long range?” He asked, “Damn, maybe I should go for that too next time. Oh and apologies for the delay then, I’ll make sure to teach you about the stars at least! Just in case you need to know where you are at some point.” Maro seemed suddenly energized, the prospect of getting out of the desolate north to see the busy cities humans had built in his absence had quite the opposite effect on him than it had on Ilea.

She was happy to see her friends again and restock on food but in the end, she generally preferred the wild and undiscovered lands Elos had to offer. With Maro, Terok and the elves around, there had been no chance of her getting lonely either, the opposite really. At least the last week had been incredibly relaxing to her and she already looked forward to hunting more Miststalkers.

“Should we wait for nightfall?” Maro asked, looking at the storms.

“It’s quite a long journey, even with our speed.” She would have to slow down for him but didn’t mind much. “We can move along the crevices for now. It’s going to be a couple days.” She didn’t know how fast he was exactly but thought it was similar to her pre evolution flying, at least in long and straight lines. Somehow she was more agile than him in the air despite his lack of wings.

“Would you find back alone?” Maro asked, “To Hallowfort I mean.”

Ilea shrugged, “Eventually, yea. The landscape is pretty distinct, especially the area around the Taleen dungeon. Worst case, I go from there. Why do you ask? Planning to ditch me?” She tried to sound hurt.

He laughed, “You wish. I was just wondering, stars could help there too but you’ll figure it out once I’ve taught you.”

“It’s been on my list for a while.” She said.

“Not very complicated. There are only a couple important stars and alignments you’ll have to remember. With your stats in Intelligence, I think it will be a quick thing.”

“If only your charisma wasn’t so distracting.” She replied, the man smirking her way as they passed through open land before entering another crevice. “Intelligence helps me remember things?”

“Hard to say.” Maro replied, the two teleporting past a massive snake hissing their way. “Have you felt no change yourself?”

“Not particularly.” She replied. Then again she hadn’t exactly studied anything during her constant leveling.

The two flew through the day and then through the night. Maro explained the positions of the suns to her and what it meant, where they rose and set. At night he started with the stars, the sword and wheel as well as the light of the east, a star that was easily distinguishable. Ilea could already somewhat see where they were and the more constellations he pointed out, the more exact her estimations became. At least in her head. So far there was no reference point, neither in the south or north but as soon as she was somewhere she had been before, it would become clear.

All of it was written down into her notebook and when the suns rose again, she determined both started in the east and set in the west, just like it had been back on Earth. When second night of travel came to an end, the two could already see the distant Naraza mountain chain, rising higher than the nearby lands but Ilea was pretty sure they didn’t come close to even the altitudes of Hallowfort or Tremor. “Like a wall.” Maro said to her side, the two speeding towards the snowy mountains.

Looking back, Ilea found her assumption true, the mountainous territory growing higher and higher the way they had come from. Towards the south it sloped downward slightly before once again rising high with the Naraza chain. It took them another two hours of flight to reach the chain, the two landing at the very top as the suns started to rise. Behind them the mists started evaporating over the lands, the arcane storms of the north starting to form, the distant sound of cracking lightning faintly audible.

To the south, the Navali forest stretched as far as her eyes could see, to the west and south. The clear weather allowed her to even see the massive body of water she assumed to be the lake or ocean bordering on Karth. It had been visible from Dawntree but she didn’t inform herself on its nature. It was possible nobody really knew, considering the elven territory as well as big bodies of water and the monsters lurking below.