Chapter 532: Activities (2/2)
Active – Shrouding Cloak - 2nd lvl 1
Ilea found herself still nowhere near as stealthy as someone like Eve, even when she reached the second tier. Shrouding Cloak took the longest of the bunch to reach the second tier, Ilea even finding it more efficient to train it while stalking the various adventuring teams that entered Erendar.
Many of them detected her which added to the skill levels as she displaced herself continuously with the skill active. Death and Astral spirits couldn’t be fooled for long by the maneuver, likely grasping either her life or mana without a focus on sight, smell, or hearing.
Active – Blazing Force Shield - 2nd lvl 1
The shield proved interesting. Had she not possessed Sentinel Core already, the skill would have likely taken a spot in her active abilities.
Compared to her azarinth ability it fell flat however. Most of the enemy spells still penetrated the shield, hitting her anyway. The mana she gained wasn’t influenced based on her resistances, making the gains marginal at best.
If the third tier somehow centered the ability around herself like a constant shield, the benefits could be meaningful but for now, she deemed Phaseshift the winner.
She continued her training with the skill equipped, its progress slowing down considerably once it hit the second tier again.
“Your interpretation is somewhat correct. The ability changes the space your body occupies but you are hardly removed,” Meadow said and shot a wooden projectile at her.
The thing passed through her ethereal form without issue.
It followed the attack up with a grasp spell.
“I can’t move anyway,” Ilea said and rolled her eyes.
“Do not resist but feel its impact. You’re better than this,” Meadow said.
She focused on the space around her. It was one thing analyzing someone’s teleportation ability or her own space magic. Here however, the situation was a little different. It felt like she was inside of a dubstep club a few hundred meters away from the ocean, trying to hear the waves.
Ilea did get better but her progress with Space Awareness was slow, even more contextualized by the ease with which she leveled all those active skills to the second tier.
It still hadn’t reached the end of the second tier. Not that she was convinced the third would even be available. At this point she mostly hoped the Meadow’s insane demonstrations would help her along.
Her study of the gate to Elos helped too, though she soon reached the conclusion that the design was rather simple. Simple as a concept but downright impossible in reality.
“Your talks with Michael haven’t lead to any breakthroughs yet, right?” she asked.
“He would be capable of conducting the same ritual previously used but the problems of its location and likely attraction of powerful spirits remain. I cannot move from this place. Not without leaving it unprotected,” the Meadow said.
“You didn’t mention that before. So you Can move?” Ilea asked.
“There is a way, yes. But I would have to take a risk. Both for myself and everyone here,” it said.
“How could you move exactly? Ten thousand tiny little legs?” she asked.
“I would have someone else move me,” Meadow said.
“But you’re massive,” Ilea said. “No offense meant.”
“Why would I be offended? Is it not preferable to be large?” it asked.
“Depends on who you ask,” she said.
“Hmm… true. There are benefits and disadvantages to balance. Though I gain more power if my form can expand to its full size. However I understand the logistics of such a task. Which is why I would reduce my form to the minimum. Perhaps the size of your head. However my power will be reduced too much to guarantee the protection of this place,” it explained.
“Could I move you through the gate? Or would you go mad immediately at the low amount of mana?” Ilea asked.
“Compared to your human body adapting to allow for strong mana exposure, I will have to resist the effects through healing and sheer resilience alone. It would not be possible to remain in a low mana area for longer than a few of your days at most, not without lasting damage,” it said.
“Really? But you’re sapient and super powerful? Can you not just get an Arcane Magic Resistance or something? Gradually get used to less mana until you survive?” Ilea suggested.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to try. It may be possible but you must understand that my body formed in this place. The base my Classes and skills are built on is not the same as yours. I came to existence with them present, already a part of me,” it explained.
I’m pretty sure it should be possible… staying in the human plains for longer might kill it but if it went the same route I did? A few levels of resistance here and there before finally being exposed to the mana at the bottom of the Descent. Just the other way around.
“Might open up some more possibilities,” she said with a smirk. “I have to inform a friend of the current situation. So I’ll be away for a day or so.”
It’s been over a month already, she thought.
Lys definitely took their time, according to Felicia there were only elite groups stationed close to the enemy capital as of yet. She did assume it was on purpose, to really bring home the overwhelming power at their disposal.
Ilea just hoped it wasn’t misplaced confidence. To her it seemed the nobles and Generals treated this whole affair more like a game than war.
If she were the Empress, a swift and decisive strike would sound much more convincing than giving the enemy so much time to prepare. But she wasn’t a ruler, nor did she know anything about war strategy or tactics in Elos.
No ritual had taken place and reports from the local Order members suggested that Elder Zion had acted on his own. Other Elders and high ranked members denied being involved, as did most of the nobles they managed to contact in Baralia.
Being connected to someone who had willingly sacrificed entire cities within their lands was at least not officially beneficial to their reputation.
As the information spread through the kingdom and beyond, the Order investigated their own ranks and temple sites. In other areas they were investigated by the local government or outright executed without mercy. According to Felicia, more leniency was shown than expected, likely because of the connections many of the members had and the simple fact of them being healers.
“Then I wish you farewell for the time being. Greet your friend,” Meadow said.
“Guess I will,” Ilea said. “There’s something I wanted to show you. I won’t be using the gate to return this time.”
“Oh? Truly?” Meadow asked. “A realm breaching teleportation ability?”
“I should be able to return to my realm with it, yes. Try to decipher as much of it as possible,” she said.
“I will do my best. Even I lack the ability to travel into another realm without cooperation,” Meadow said.
“Well I hope it works in your presence. Don’t interfere. It’ll take me a while to cast,” Ilea said and activated her third tier blink. By now space shift reduced the cooldown enough for her to be able to use it nearly once a day.
It took her six minutes to cast the spell, the wisps around her converging immediately as the spell started to form. They moved into more and more complex patterns before it all stabilized and brimmed with power.
Ilea appeared inside her home the next moment.
I should really use this more… even just for studying purposes. Now that I can see so much of it…,
She was interested in what the Meadow had seen. Could the creature prevent me from using it? Help me modify it somehow? I’ve relied on its functionality without really testing its limits before.
Ilea enjoyed her days in Erendar but she had a lot of work for Claire, information and gold that shouldn’t wait much longer.
She blinked up and out of her house, taking in the view of the ocean for a moment. A breeze flowed through her now uncovered hair, waves breaking against rock far below.
She was glad to be done with the war for now but there was still a lot to do, now in Erendar instead of Baralia.
Still didn’t meet with Elfie. Might just be a dusty skeleton once I get there, she thought with a smile and headed westwards.