Chapter 540: Puzzling (1/2)
“They still didn’t break through?” Meadow asked.
“No, no they haven’t. I have no clue what they’re doing. Felicia said they were arguing about siege engines and risk assessments,” Ilea said.
She tried to pet the wolf again, her arm freezing fully before it broke off.
“Come on,” she said, squinting her eyes at the Elemental.
Meadow had enlarged its hall to accommodate the large creature, its space magic chasing off the many spirits that had followed the Elemental to the city. Not that many had survived for longer than a few seconds in the Elemental’s presence.
Ilea was really annoyed that she had missed its arrival, instead having had tea with Felicia. Which admittedly wasn’t bad either but the former would have still won out.
Her arm reformed as she pouted, trying to solve the current puzzle.
A large chunk of ice nearly slammed into her face, manifesting so quickly she had barely even noticed it.
“Zaiked would have killed every last one of those Generals before storming the city herself,” Meadow said.
“Don’t act like either of you understand military tactics used in Elos. Think of it as if Zaiked had to storm your very chamber,” Ilea said.
“She tried. And failed,” Meadow said.
“See, that’s why it’s taking so long. Not that I really care. The longer it takes, the longer we have here without too much attention,” she said.
“Sixteen more days Ilea, and not a minute longer,” Meadow said.
Her time in Erendar was coming to an end but it hadn’t been spent idly.
‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Spirit of Death – lvl 328]
…
‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Spirit of Death – lvl 572]
‘ding’ ‘The Azarinth Sentinel has reached lvl 394 – Five stat points awarded’
…
‘ding’ ‘The Azarinth Sentinel has reached lvl 396 – Five stat points awarded’
‘ding’ ‘Kin of Ash has reached lvl 393 – Five stat points awarded’
…
‘ding’ ‘Kin of Ash has reached lvl 395 – Five stat points awarded’
‘ding’ ‘The Faen Valkyrie has reached lvl 239 – One stat point awarded’
…
...
Ilea assumed the experience she was getting from the Death Spirits was only due to the higher level at this point. Only the Astral spirits remained dangerous to an extent.
‘ding’ ‘Sentinel Huntress reaches 3rd lvl 13’
‘ding’ ‘Sentinel Huntress reaches 3rd lvl 14’
‘ding’ ‘Sentinel Huntress reaches 3rd lvl 15’
Meadow’s training worked wonders but the lack of danger made it just a little more efficient than using it during her battles. A little annoying when one considered the little use the skill had during actual fights.
‘ding’ ‘Azarinth Reversal reaches 3rd lvl 27’
‘ding’ ‘Storm of Cinders reaches 3rd lvl 27’
‘ding’ ‘Eyes of Ash reaches 3rd lvl 27’
‘ding’ ‘Phaseshift reaches 2nd lvl 18’
‘ding’ ‘Phaseshift reaches 2nd lvl 19’
‘ding’ ‘Phaseshift reaches 2nd lvl 20’
‘ding’ ‘Flare of Creation reaches 3rd lvl 6’
‘ding’ ‘Displacement reaches 3rd lvl 8’
‘ding’ ‘Space Shift reaches 3rd lvl 3’
‘ding’ ‘Body of the Valkyrie reaches 3rd lvl 4’
Ilea refrained from getting Phaseshift to the third tier. It was an option but she just wasn’t sure. Rushing it wouldn’t help either with Space Awareness still in the second tier. She mostly just ignored it for now, focusing on whatever else she could work on.
‘ding’ ‘Deviant of Humanity reaches 2nd lvl 3’
‘ding’ ‘Gourmet reaches lvl 5’
‘ding’ ‘Monster Hunter reaches 3rd lvl 7’
‘ding’ ‘Oxygen Repository reaches lvl 19’
‘ding’ ‘Oxygen Repository reaches lvl 20’
So close… just a little more choking, she thought as she scrolled through.
It had become clear that she would have to advance either her Astral Magic Resistance or her Mana Drain Resistance. Ilea had two points available and one had to remain for emergencies. She agonized over which one to choose for quite some time, obviously wasting training time with all the damage she took anyway.
Ilea initially wanted to wait until she actually faced the Daughters to see which damage type proved more dangerous. Now that her goal of hunting Astral Spirits proved harder and harder to achieve, she had to make a decision. In the end it was Mana Drain Resistance, because while both their Astral and drain attacks were potent, only the latter also healed the creatures.
‘ding’ ‘Mana Drain Resistance reaches 3rd lvl 1’
Mana Drain Resistance – 3rd lvl 1
Rare foes will have the ability to drain your mana. Either for their own use or simply to weaken you. Having encountered one such being, you have learned of its destructive effect. This skill will help you reduce the effect any mana draining abilities will have on you.
2nd stage: Your mana is bound to you, making it harder for anybody to drain it from you. In addition the mana removed from you damages the enemy, should they desire to use it for themselves. The damaging effect increases with every point of mana lost.
3rd stage: Mana formed within you is intrinsic to your very essence. Any being that dares to steal what does not belong to them shall find themselves poisoned by your arcane power. Enemies take damage over time for each point of your mana in their pool.
The effects sadly weren’t enough to overwhelm the creatures but they at least pushed her in the right direction.
‘ding’ ‘Mana Drain Resistance reaches 3rd lvl 2’
‘ding’ ‘Space Magic Resistance reaches 3rd lvl 5’
‘ding’ ‘Wood Magic Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 15’
...
‘ding’ ‘Wood Magic Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 20’
The stat points she had gradually invested into Vitality, Endurance, and Dexterity, in the end spending ten points to enhance each stat.
“I’m surprised the General hasn’t asked me for help, in exchange for something,” Meadow said.
Ilea looked away from her status. “Too proud. And he hates all you represent.”
“And that is?” it asked.
“Proof that humanity is fucking weak,” she said. “I just want to pet her, can you ask her again?”
“She says you are free to try,” Meadow said.
The wolf looked her way, resting on her icy paws.
Ilea grabbed her removed frozen arm and shook it towards the creature. “Just wait until I have a third tier resistance!”
“I doubt it would make a major difference,” Meadow said.
Ilea didn’t listen, displacing various floating objects and projectiles as she silently flew through the hall filled with magic.
She felt dozens of pulses, the wisps here moving as if separated from the normal fabric of space. A lot was going on. The Elemental’s arrival hadn’t helped much with that.
Michael’s brain had nearly exploded when Meadow informed him of the creature’s coming. He pushed for an extension but finally agreed to keep the date the same when he realized the Elemental couldn’t nor wouldn’t talk to him.
It had started interacting with Ilea once it realized her body was damn near indestructible, mostly freezing her or sending projectiles to either be malicious or help in her training. Ilea wasn’t quite sure yet which.
She displaced herself again and stopped moving. Something peculiar stood out to her amidst the hundreds of floating pieces.
What?
Ilea moved her hand towards the floating stone.
She stopped in the last moment, right before touching it.
Phaseshift activated as she focused on the weird phenomenon. She extended her hand and grabbed not the stone but what lay beyond.
Despite the active spell, she found her hand coming back with an object grasped between her fingers. It was a piece of ice that she could neither feel, smell, nor see. Not with her eyes at least. But she knew it was there.
Phaseshift deactivated, her body manifesting and with it the piece of ice she had known to be there.
It instantly exploded and froze half her body.
The Elemental twitched its ears slightly, its tail moving over the black grass.
Asshole, she thought with a smile, the heat within her quickly taking care of the ice as the damaged section healed.
“What was that?” she asked.