Chapter 621 (2/2)
The next 10 minutes passed in tense silence. Randidly casually sipped a Mana Potion. Every 30 seconds or so, another group would rush upwards, but Randidly had 100 sharp roots waiting for them. He imagined it must look extremely fearsome from below, to see the boat drifting with those gnarled roots dragging through the water.
Randidly was no sailor, but he tried to coil the roots tightly when they weren’t needed so there wasn’t any unnecessary water drag. After a few wavers, Randidly got a pleasing notification.
Congratulations! You have reached Level 28! +5 Stats distributed between Vitality, Perception, Resist, Intelligence, and Control, +14 Free Stats! +1 Stat to a Mental Stat. +1 to a Physical Defense Stat. +1 to a Mental Support Stat. +2 Control. +20 Health, +24 Mana, +23 Stamina, +.5 to all Regenerations! +1 to Health and Stamina Regeneration! +20 Progenitor’s Influence.
Twenty-eight was starting to get to the point where Randidly felt slightly guilty for how high his Level was, but he put it out of his mind. After all…
He glanced sideways at the other people glaring down at the water. Everyone had their own secrets. Randidly didn't doubt that each had their own advantages they could use to defeat the frogpeople, despite the fact most of them were a much higher Level than they were supposed to be.
“...I don’t know how you did it, but you really sensed them coming, didn’t you? Will there be more?” Silo asked, his face serious. Inwardly, Randidly updated his rating of this guy. Sure, he was a spoiled dick from being raised in the Central Domain, but he at least had the decency to admit when he was wrong. And he was rather deft with his spear. He wasn’t as good as Helen would have been, but he could hold his own here.
“They are waiting,” Randidly said quietly.
Skarch nodded. “Mmmm, this is a good sign? Or a terrible one. If they wait… perhaps-”
“Something big will come, yes? Too bad these souls don’t count towards our Soulstones,” Azriel said with a sigh. Randidly agreed. If he could pad their stats here…
Well, he supposed the tournament itself didn’t matter. But there was something strange about this conflict with the Wights that Randidly couldn’t yet put his finger on. He hoped that by seeing the front lines, he could understand it.
Also… at the back of his mind a question was slowly growing: what role did Lucretia have amongst her people? Why was she-
Randidly twisted. Cursing, he uncorked two more Mana potions and downed them. He would need it. “Incoming. Something big enough to swallow us.”
Immediately, Randidly regretted saying it, because he fully intended to take care of the issue before they were devoured. But he needn’t have worried. Both Skarch and Azriel simply nodded placidly, and Silo continued to glare at the water as if intimidating the circling fish. Perhaps he wasn’t listening?
At this point, Randidly had almost 4000 Mana available to him. Below, a mother fucking Kraken was pushing itself up out of the dark waters to reach the boat from below. Riding on it were a variety of frogpeople that were a pale, sickly green like they lived far from any sunlight. Because Randidly couldn’t see them, he couldn't’ tell their Level, but his instincts warned him these were much more capable than their greener cousins.
Blowing through 2000 Mana in a split second, Randidly swelled the roots attached to the bottom of the boat. They twined and twisted until they became larger trunks of plant matter. These weaved together and stretched until a giant gnarled hand formed, growing out of the bottom of the boat.
Randidly’s eyes glowed emerald. The wind was beginning to rise as the storm came steadily closer. Underwater, the wooden hand clenched itself into a fist.