Chapter 687: Ingenuity (1/2)

Chapter 687 Ingenuity

Ilea took a sip of her ale and smiled.

Verena gently touched her shoulder before she teleported behind the bar. She grabbed a whiskey bottle and appeared next to Ilea, pouring herself a glass. “Well done.”

“Thanks. I think they could’ve managed on their own anyway,” she mused. Ilea had done a quick check on the injured during her attempts to get all the Soul Wardens back under the impressive barrier the town had set up. It turned out that war machines were unsurprisingly quite durable. While she did believe the city would’ve had a good chance of dealing with the problem themselves, the losses would’ve been a little different. She had seen three healers among the hundreds of warriors, engineers, and mages. At least her dominion allowed her to check up on a lot of people with little issue. Just again shows how important the Sentinels or really any high level healers are. Even without me here, a few Sentinels could’ve made a massive difference.

And those cannons. Oh… the cannons, she thought, a warm smile on her face as she remembered the heavy impact that managed to cave in her chest despite her layered mantle. It was no wonder they could fight back against even emerging four marks.

“Hundreds would’ve died, if not most everyone,” Bralin said. “You’re the hero of the Pit, unsung as of yet.”

“And so it will remain, for a while,” Ilea said. “Enough people saw me that rumors will likely spread. But let it take a few days, weeks, or even months. Actually, it might be good if the name Lilith starts spreading at some point. Maybe you can help with that.”

“After your performance today, I’ll do anything to get into your good graces, oh goddess Lilith of ash and flame,” he said and raised his tankard.

“None of that god talk,” Ilea said.

“Oh?” Pierce mused, mixing herself a drink with fruits and a bunch of alcohol she got from somewhere. “The goddess does not like her devout followers?”

Ilea gave her a look and smiled. Don’t show your weakness.

Pierce stared back but returned her attention to her drink a few seconds later.

“I assume the Dome fight is off then?” Ilea said.

“Why? The attack was a little different than what we usually get, sure. And the unknown… as of yet, help, we received was strange, but if anything it will make the fights even more sought after. You’ll do just fine. If you’re still interested of course. People will know who you are once you show your powers,” Bralin said.

“I’ll keep it to my armor and maybe a few tricks,” Ilea said and summoned the massive sword she had taken from the first Soul Warden she had destroyed. The thing appeared in her hand before she laid it down on the bar. “It does look a little ridiculous without my armor on.”

[Blade of the Warden – Ancient Quality] – [Allows for magical infusions] - Enchantments [Mana Flow 3 / Sharpness 4 / Self Repair 2]

Bralin chuckled. “Yeah, plenty will be hunting for these now.”

Ilea glanced at him and smiled. “Hmm, if only someone had collected about sixty of them.”

“We’ll buy them, if you want to make a deal. First I want to buy one for myself. Will get you an idea as well for the price to go for,” Bralin said.

“I want one too,” Pierce said.

Ilea gestured for him to take the blade on the counter. “It’s yours. Pierce, you pay me. What do you think I can get for one, Bralin?”

“He gets one for free?!” Pierce exclaimed, spreading her arms as she nearly spilled a bit of her drink.

Ilea looked at her with a confused expression. “Of course, it’s Bralin after all. Long term not fucking annoying person in my life. And I didn’t see you anywhere near the pit, so you likely went looting. Did you get the key at least?”

Pierce scratched her head. “You know, I tried. I did. But your mention of the location was vague and the area was incredibly well enchanted.”

“So that’s why you’re here,” Bralin said with a smile. “I thought as much.”

“What do you mean?” Ilea asked.

“Someone as powerful as you doesn’t usually show up somewhere without reason. Not without having ties to a place. There are quite a few powerful and ancient artifacts here, both that and knowledge guarded for millennia,” he said. “I’m not sure what key you mean, but yes… stealing might be your only option. That or…,” he said and smiled before he burst out laughing.

Ilea gave him a look.

He calmed down after a few seconds, drinking from his tankard before he talked. “Stealing or well… beating the Champion of the Forged Dome. Which hasn’t happened in… seven years now? Something like that.”

“Coincidentally, I’m signed up for my first fight already,” Ilea said with a smile.

“Weird right?” the dwarf said. “Ah I’m having such a great time. The last months were getting a little boring.”

“She does that to people,” Pierce said. “It mostly has to do with the insane risks she takes and luck to somehow get out of it all alive.”

“It’s called being a healer,” Ilea said and raised her mug. “People coming by the way.”

“Being a healer doesn’t even come close to what you can do, oh almighty Lilith,” the Dragonkiller said.

She didn’t miss it. Oh well, as long as I don’t get forcibly added to some kind of annoying pantheon with politics and responsibilities.I can still choose my own evolutions, and so far there always was a distinctly non monster or deity like option.

A group of dwarves and Dark Ones entered the bar, led by Grahn. They talked loudly, already boasting about their exploits in the short lived battle against the ancient menace of the Soul Wardens.

The dwarf went behind the bar and gave Bralin a meaningful look. He started filling tankards, handing them out to the dust covered and bloodied warriors, receiving cheers in return. The barkeep whispered something that most people would’ve missed. “Thank ye.”

Ilea smiled and raised her mug, cheering with everyone else who had participated in the battle. Glad I could clean up so efficiently.

“The Shining Caves are cleared but I kind of doubt that was the last you’ll see of the Soul Wardens,” she said to Bralin and the Elders.

“This telepathy thing is really useful,” the dwarf said.

“It is. I’ll still need a replacement for the voice module by the way,” Ilea informed him. “And we have another two days until the first arena fight. I’ll go down there again to finish off whatever is in that Soul Forge,” she added.

“The Soul Forge?” Bralin asked as he raised an eyebrow. He tried to look casual but the impact was obvious.

“I want my war machine first. Otherwise I can’t train,” Pierce informed.

“You got one too? Congratulations,” Ilea sent in a dry tone.

“If you wouldn’t mind someone else to join you, I’d love to accompany you three to the Soul Forge. There’s bound to be interesting treasure. And knowledge, that may or may not be best left undiscovered,” the dwarf added, just a hint of concern in his voice.

“I doubt it’ll blow our minds,” Ilea answered. “But sure, you’re probably tougher than the Shades and they said they knew the way.”

He seemed thoughtful after that and finished his tankard with a light smile on his face, the attention of the group returning to the celebrations and their drinks.

An hour later they retired down into the workshop, Pierce eager to get her stolen goods prepared for battle. Ilea didn’t exactly dislike the idea of not being the worst war machine pilot in the vicinity anymore.

“I’ll go look for the Shades,” Verena said and vanished.

“Thanks,” Ilea said to her appearing form within her dominion. She summoned her armaments and healed the remaining damage she had left untouched back down within the pit.

Bralin brought another voice module and went to install it.

“Not quite as large as mine,” Ilea said, looking at the war machine in front of her.

Pierce leaned against it with a casual look on her face, swirling the drink in her hand as she smiled. “Oh you know. The best pilots are the ones with the older models. You wouldn’t understand.”

“That is a high end machine. What Lilith has is simply beyond the normal standards,” Bralin supplied. He knew full well that she was joking.

“Taking the side of the goddess, well what else could be expected from an opportunistic dwarven noble hiding amongst the common plebs,” the Dragonkiller said before she sipped from her drink.

“On point observation,” he said. Bralin tapped the voice module and pushed it a little further into the side of Ilea’s armor. “Check if it works,” he added, handing her the sender.

“Best war machine around,” she said with the now familiar deep and booming voice.

“Probably,” the dwarf said and turned to the other machine.

Pierces, acquisition, was propped up by several steel beams, arms lifted to allow for better access. No other mechanics were inside the back hall, a few half finished machines standing nearby. Bright white magical lights with a hint of blue lined the high ceiling. Bralin walked around it, occasionally giving the machine a tap. “Been a while since this one got a proper maintenance.” He closed his visor and got out a few tools. “You ladies mind if I play some music?”

“Music? As in, recorded?” Ilea asked.