Chapter 395: Solitary Gains (1/2)
‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Cliff Wyvern – lvl 582] – For defeating an enemy two hundred and sixty or more levels above your own, bonus experience is granted’
‘ding’ ‘The Azarinth Sentinel has reached lvl 320 – Five stat points awarded. One third tier skill point awarded’
‘ding’ ‘Kin of Ash has reached lvl 319 – Five stat points awarded’
‘ding’ ‘Azarinth Awakening reaches 3rd lvl 17’
‘ding’ ‘Sentinel Core reaches 3rd lvl 10’
‘ding’ ‘Azarinth Reversal reaches 3rd lvl 9’
‘ding’ ‘Heart of Cinder reaches 3rd lvl 9’
‘ding’ ‘Storm of Cinders reaches 3rd lvl 8’
‘ding’ ‘Heat Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 20’
‘ding’ ‘You have learned the General Skill: Monster Hunter – lvl 1’
Monster Hunter – lvl 1
Many times have you faced creatures well beyond your level. You revel in it, seek them out and you prevail. Your presence demands respect. Imbue you voice to show your intent. Effects vary depending on your disposition as well as those affected and their levels in relation to yours.
“Oh man,” Ilea murmured. She walked over and stored the dead creature, spreading her wings and quickly ascending.
She didn’t want to be stuck somewhere in the mists, looking through messages and skills.
It didn’t take her long to reach the same island the group had initially explored. She blinked into the cavern where Maro had gotten his undead Wyvern.
Level twenty in the second tier and that thing still burnt through my armor and skin that easily. It upset her a little. As if all those defenses were merely a requirement to face more powerful monsters.
“Well, maybe they are…,” she murmured to herself. Catelyn was at level three twenty nine now, Maro at three fifteen. Both were pretty old and had fought their share of battles, had done their share of adventures. More than Ilea would likely manage in the next decade.
And still, she was already higher than the necromancer, was close to reaching Catelyn level even.
Healing and mana intrusion continues to be a ridiculous boon. We will have to get something similar for the Sentinels.
Ilea checked her surroundings before sitting down on a nearby boulder, her bone armor appearing on her to regenerate. It had given her a split second more against the first hit. If only it could regenerate as fast as my ash armor does.
‘3rd tier skill points available [The Azarinth Sentinel]: 1’
‘Skills available for third tier advancement in [The Azarinth Sentinel]:’
- Sentinel Sphere
- Sentinel Huntress
- Azarinth Perception
Ilea mulled it over but only for a moment. Her sphere was the reasonable choice, considering its usefulness.
‘ding’ ‘Sentinel Sphere reaches 3rd lvl 1’
Active: Sentinel Sphere – 3rd lvl 1
Perceive everything in a sphere around you while this skill is activated. The higher the level the further the sphere reaches.
2nd stage: The Sentinel Sphere opens your senses to the arcane. A paramount skill both on and off the battlefield.
3rd stage: Redirect damage dealt by magic or the elements within the sphere towards yourself. Efficiency and control are influenced by related skills and your respective resistances.
Category: Aura – Perception Aura
She read through the new addition and frowned. “Well. That would have been helpful with the others.”
“Or I would have just died even more quickly,” she added in a murmur.
It’ll certainly be nice to have. Also for resistance training with groups.
She didn’t get a defensive or damage buff through the new skill which would have probably made more of a direct difference.
Being able to protect others will certainly come in handy, either way.
Ilea tried to use the new monster hunter skill, thinking on it for a moment before she settled on a low growl. Not quite as ridiculous as a roar but she wanted to see what it did to her voice.
The sound that came out however made her jump back. “Holy shit!”
It sounded deep, threatening. As if a dangerous creature was hiding in her mouth. Nothing like a human. And still, somehow it was clear the sound had come from her.
Fucking weird.
Is it like… a paralyzing skill for people far below my level? She wondered. That could help with annoying shitheads underestimating her because of the healer tag. Normally a boon but sometimes also the bane of her existence.
She tried using the skill again immediately but knew instinctively that it wasn’t possible yet. A cooldown of sorts?
Well, I suppose I can growl now. Ilea thought and stood up. The ten points she put into Intelligence, to get just a little more damage. Equal to what? Over a hundred normal Intelligence points?
The slower and more dangerous leveling would become rather inefficient but on the other hand, one level had a significantly more vast impact. The same was true with a third tier point every ten levels instead of only every twenty.
Ilea wondered what happened once she reached level three fifty.
“I’ll worry about it when I get there,” she said and blinked up again. “So, where’s my next target?”
Ilea felt the heat wash over her, using the opportunity to test her newfound third tier sphere.
As if she was a fire mage, Ilea forced her will upon the flames.
They swirled, those already past turned and instead slammed into her back. The cone like attack turned into a focused maelstrom as soon as it entered her sphere.
She was melting from all sides now, a grin on her unrecognizable face.
Nice.
Ilea regenerated her body and smiled. Heat res at second twenty. Plus, I’m getting more mana out of it this way.
The Wyvern roared.
Ilea crouched and imbued her voice. “Fuck your roar,” the challenge came out laced with magic, the air vibrating.
Ashen limbs spread behind her as the creature seemed to enrage. It charged her and teleported.
She remained standing, once more ramming her fist down the Wyvern’s throat.
“What should I say? It works,” she murmured to herself and released the fire attack. This time she added ash to the mix, pushing as much as she could down the creature’s throat.
Her fist smashed against its hard skull, dealing little damage other than the mana intrusion.
The Wyvern veered back, actually letting go of her arm, the wounds healing quickly.
Ilea blinked behind its head but found only thin air.
Claws dug into her back once more but this time, she landed on her feet, pushing back as the creature stabilized itself with its wings.
Her reversed healing continued to push into the enemy, its claws digging deeper into her back.
And then it flew off, lifting Ilea.
A short round trip through the air later, she was thrown into a stone wall, air and blood slamming out of her throat and into the ash protecting her head.
With all her second tier resistances, the blow wasn’t very effective.
She ripped herself out of the rock, taking chunks with her that fell down into the mists before she dodged to the side.
The Wyvern seemed to have learned that its fire breath did nothing much to her, instead focusing on its massive talons.
It teleported three times in a row to finally sink its claws into her, this time her stomach. The second set of claws wrapped around her head and started pressing down.
Ilea released her Heart of Cinder with little impact, her mana still flowing into the injured creature as her ashen limbs tried to cut through the leg close to her head.
She used the shredder trick once more, focused on the leg this time.
The Wyvern had a hard time against her skull, her healing constantly pushing against any damage.
Her stomach area was being gouged out with each strike, the ash not reforming quickly enough to prevent major damage. Organs reformed and were ripped out again.
Ilea thought of that one Greek story but could not remember the name of it. Perhaps because she had claws around her head, one of her eyes crushed and useless.
Despite the fatal injuries, the actual health damage wasn’t as scary. Her healing of course the main reason for this but she suspected her changed body was a major part as well.
Organs just didn’t have the same meaning to her, with her level of regeneration. Even if it did get her head, it would simply be another chunk of health and mana lost. Lost my head before the change. She noted, a little distracted. Back then however, the health damage was rather significant, likely helped already by her enhancement skills.
Half a minute or more passed, the creature’s hold growing weaker as it was pumped full with mana.
Ilea smirked when she felt her ash find purchase, ripping through the Wyvern’s leg.