Chapter 396: Math Resistance (2/2)

Her armor moved back to just under her neck as she yawned.

Lucas had lit his pipe in the meantime, taking a puff as he watched her.

“You still liked fighting back then? When you faced the Wyverns?” she asked a moment later, summoning herself some food.

Lucas looked at the dish with his puppy eyes, not replying until her received one too.

“I… I did,” he said, taking a bite and closing his eyes, savoring the taste.

“Ravenhall you said. I should visit to eat this food,” he murmured to himself. “It was maybe ninety years ago. We did not enjoy it… at least I didn’t. I had my reasons and to attain power, it is a necessary evil.” he explained.

“And yet you chose a peaceful life now. Even though you agree that without fighting, killing. There is no way to attain power?” Ilea asked.

“Power is not necessary for a fulfilled life. A meaningful life,” the man said as he leaned on his table.

“I suppose it isn’t,” Ilea said, continuing to eat.

The elder seemed surprised at her response, one of his eyebrows quirking up slightly. “You really like the challenge, don’t you? Facing the most powerful monsters of nature. The blood and pain.”

“You don’t have to point out that I’m nuts,” Ilea said.

“You are not crazy. Your motivations merely differ from most. Perhaps it is for the best, that someone such as yourself should find their way to power... mhm,” Lucas said.

“I’ll use it in the way I see fit,” Ilea commented. “More practical… I got a skill that allows me to nullify my resistances. Wanted to test some stuff with you, if you’re up for it.”

“Oh? Now that… would come it spectacularly for someone like yourself! Hah,” he exclaimed with a smile.

“Exactly. Just hit me with a very weak spell. Light or wood magic, doesn’t matter. I need both,” Ilea said and switched out her shirt for her ashen bra.

Lucas lifted his hand, a beam of light burning into Ilea’s skin an instant later.

“Hmm… it does seem to work. This shouldn’t hurt you much at all,” the man said.

“Well, it isn’t. Crank it up a little. I’ll let you know when it reaches significant damage,” Ilea said. She still had all her other defenses and bonuses after all. Simply removing her resistance to an element simply meant the same potential damage as physical attacks.

“I was wondering… how resistances work exactly. My testing was confusing,” she said after a while, the beam getting stronger with every passing second.

“Hmm… well for one, their level determines a reduction in damage. A percentage. This can vary greatly however, depending on what level the enemy skill used possesses. So, even if you have a high level light magic resistance, my spell being in the third tier will still do significant damage,” the elder explained.

“The bonuses, I believe it was around forty percent at level twenty and I think eighty at the end of the second tier. I personally don’t have a resistance at that level but I’ve tested plenty. If the progression continues to be linear, it will be eighty percent,” he said.

“So if I have a level twenty resistance and you hit me with a third tier spell, it’s not going to count for shit?” Ilea asked.

“That would be… a difference of twenty or more levels. I believe the skill levels add or retract one percent respectively, depending if your resistance is higher or lower than the skill attacking you,” the elder said.

“One percent per level? So say my light resistance is level twenty, meaning a forty percent reduction. And your spell is in the third tier, at level one. That means my reduction is reduced by twenty percent? Leaving me with a twenty percent reduction?” she surmised.

“Twenty one. Because I have one level in the third tier. But yes, that is ultimately how it should work. It is difficult to test because there are so many factors playing into how health damage is calculated. Skills, armor, species as well as offensive properties of the attacker. Some might have an armor piercing bonus from a skill or deal more damage to especially flammable parts of your body… like hair for example,” Lucas explained.

Ilea noted the gist of it down.

Resistance level 20 = 40% reduction

Resistance 2nd level 20 = 80% reduction

1% up or down per skill level difference between attacker and defender

“What about level one of a resistance? It should give only two percent if it’s linear, shouldn’t it?” Ilea asked.

“I believe it is five actually. After level four, the progression is two percent per level,” Lucas supplied.

“And third tier skills? If it’s eighty percent already at the end of the second tier, could I reach complete immunity against an element?” Ilea said.

Lucas chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t know. You are already in a place few people have reached. With level alone that is, mhm. Your resistances… are a completely different beast. Perhaps you will be the first I know, to gain a third tier resistance. You tell me, after you manage that.”

Ilea sighed. “Well, for now I’ll just get as many up to the end of the second tier. You can push more with your spell by the way.”

“That is as powerful as I can keep it, to not deplete my mana in a quick manner, mhm,” the man said. “Even without a resistance, it seems you can withstand my light magic.”

“The resistance is only at level nineteen, no worries,” Ilea tried to reassure him. It did burn into her stomach much more quickly than before, about thirty eight percent more quickly.

So that’s the base for resistance skills. How my Armor of Ash comes into play is still a mystery. It has a one thousand percent increase to resilience but I wouldn’t be taking any damage if I had a four hundred percent resistance to light magic.

‘ding’ ‘Light Magic Resistance reaches lvl 20’

“Ah, there we go. Level twenty,” Ilea said with a smile.

“The reduced resistance will allow you to train much faster,” Lucas said. “It appears you have gained another powerful boon to help you.”

“It did… you know a great deal about combat skills for a pacifist,” Ilea said, smirking at the old man.

He didn’t reply.

“You can add wood magic to the mix, if you would be so kind,” she said a couple seconds later.

The man nodded, roots and wooden projectiles slamming into her mere moments later.

This time, the difference wasn’t as noticeable, her wood magic resistance only being at level twelve. Still, the projectiles dug deeper into her skin than the last time they had done this.

“Do you know anything about… this?” Ilea asked, the last word enhanced by her monster hunter skill.

Lucas blinked before he smiled. “Took you long enough. Which one is it?”

“Which one? There’s more than one?” she asked.

“A general skill then… that’s rare. Well, I suppose everything is possible. A reward then, for fighting a Wyvern while alone?” he said.

“For fighting many beasts alone, much higher leveled ones too. It’s called monster hunter,” Ilea informed him.

“Never heard of that one… might be Verena has the same one. She likes to face challenges alone as well,” he mused, taking his pipe from the table. His magic was still slashing into the healer’s stomach.

“The elder. Yea, she seemed keen on fighting that colossal demon alone,” Ilea said. “She is alive, I heard.”

“Good to hear,” Lucas said.

They trained in silence for a while, before Ilea glanced at his plants.

“Found anything interesting?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes and no. Most of it is… rather mundane. At the same time it is extraordinary.”

“How so?” Ilea said.

“Because… every single plant here. I have not seen any of them in my entire life,” Lucas said. “Not here in the north, not in the south, not in the Navali forest nor near the Isanna desert.”

“Could have developed in this dungeon, born of magic?” Ilea suggested with a shrug.

“Potentially. Even within dungeons however, there are similarities. Not here,” he said.

“Well, the Descent does seem to be quite special,” Ilea said. Do I ever find dungeons that are not special. Even the Calys mine had a group of hidden necromancers inside.

“It does. Which is why I will likely stay here. For a time at least,” Lucas said.

“What about your forest in Lisburg?” Ilea said, cocking her head to the side.

He frowned at the mention. “It has been difficult… since that bloody Protector sent his lackeys. The Feynor won I suppose. They lost that battle but the city was lost nonetheless,” he sighed.

“Politics,” Ilea said, giving him an empathetic smile.

The elder just nodded. “I will return once they have dealt with that. Or as soon as Lisburg loses its value.”

“Could just stay here, maybe work for Hallowfort? You want to restore the north somewhat, don’t you? I doubt it matters much where you start,” Ilea said.

“Years of work are just sitting in Lisburg. Mhm… I will see what I find here, in this peculiar ruin,” Lucas said.

Ilea tapped her cheek and smiled. “You could work for me. I’ll provide food and rare plants I find,” she suggested.