Clarissa looked back at Lucy and nodded.
“Why me? I’m the healer!” she stated plainly.
Lucy just smiled. “Sam is off doing who knows what. Dan is not a leader type and I would rather have a lobotomy with a rusty spoon than placing Katie or Isabella when they are together in charge of anything.”
Clarissa opened her mouth, then closed it. She couldn’t really argue against that.
“What about Tim or Adam?” she said desperately. She really wanted nothing to do with making sure that the herd of hell cats Sam called a team would do its job. Conveniently forgetting that she was also part of that team.
“Tim is making sure that Ironwood stays in our hands. Adam has his hands full running the guild. Plus, he has too many eyes on him. If he were to join you guys, half the player base in the Emerald Kingdom would be there to snipe you guys.”
She could only grumble about it.
Lucy, seeing this, reached out and patted her on the shoulder. “Relax, you’ll do fine! Sam is about to do something massively stupid, so most eyes are going to be on him!”
“He is always doing something massively stupid,” she pointed out.
“That’s true, but this one is especially big and stupid,” replied Lucy cheerfully. In Clarissa’s opinion, the other woman was long ago broken by the sheer bullshit Sam produced by his very existence, and now she had no other option but to act cheerfully or face the cold reality. Or maybe Clarissa was a little salty that Sam managed to infest her little sister with his brand of chaos and she had to listen to her talking about all sorts of weird things.
Eventually, she just let out a sigh and nodded reluctantly. “Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Great! Do you need a recap about the objectives?” Lucy asked while grinning at her.
“No, I remember them. However, what if we find something out of the ordinary? Call Sam?” At this point, she resigned herself to the fact that in nine cases out of ten, it was much more useful to call or send a text to Sam. The man probably knew more about the game than anybody else.
It was an inside joke between her and the rest of the core team that both the company and guild saved tons of money because, while other groups had to have teams of researchers on their payrolls; they had Sam.
To her dismay, Lucy shook her head. “He is in an event space…”
“Damn! So, we are on our own?”
Lucy just chuckled. “Don’t be so dour, Clarissa. If anything stands in your way, you can just send Katie to deal with it…” Lucy replied. “Or that thing that she calls a cat…”
Now that was an idea…
Clarissa really wanted to see what would happen if somebody decided to take a shot at that thing masquerading (badly) as a cat.
Then she instantly sobered up when she realized what she agreed to.
Dan watched as the rest of the team prepared to head out.
Honestly, it was pretty weird to go on an adventure together without Sam’s eccentric leadership. It was really nice to know that no matter what happened, the man had all the answers. And if not, he had enough power in his back pocket to make the problem go away.
Sometimes, Dan felt that he was playing the game in easy mode.
“So, we are looking for some blood maniac priests and have to convince them to go against the other bloody maniacs rampaging down south?” Katie asked as she petted Puffball in her lap. Isabella was leaning against the wall next to her friend, arms crossed and frowning. Clarissa was at the table putting away potions and other supplies for the quest.
Clarissa didn’t even look up from her task as she answered. “Not really. According to our information, they’re pacifists focused on healing and other similar pursuits. We’re not going there to get them to fight with us.”
“Is that information called Sam?” Isabella asked with a smile as her own pet, shaped like some kind of wooden fox, wound through her legs.
“What do you think?” came the sarcastic reply.
Dan nodded, expecting it. However, as he looked around, he realized something.
“Hey guys, shouldn’t we get a tank for the team? Without Sam I don’t think we can work around big groups…” he said.
While Sam wasn’t a tank, he was still great at controlling the battlefield, allowing them to focus on doing damage, healing, or casting spells without worrying about getting a face full of fists, claws, or other body parts. Not to mention liquids.
“Eh,” Katie shrugged. “We can take them!” she declared loudly.
That’s what Dan was afraid of. He liked Katie, really he did, but relying on her during a battle without Sam’s seemingly almost omniscient awareness of the battlefield was a suicide.
Clarissa froze hearing that then she looked up from her packing and eyed Dan. “You might be right.” She placed a finger on her lips and thought for a while before visibly having an idea. She quickly turned toward Katie. “What about your brother? He is some kind of knight, right?”
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Katie grinned but surprisingly shook her head. “Nah, he has been talking with a cute healer and has been in a party with her and her friends. Don’t want to take him away from that…”
“Damn, there goes my idea,” Clarissa clicked her tongue in disappointment. “Then we need to do it on our own.”
“I’m sure that with our power and info given by Sam, it’s going to be a cakewalk!” Isabella declared cheerfully.
To Dan’s relief, nobody said the cursed words. He was even afraid to think of them…
They left the city behind, using rented horses to head for Brightgarden to drop off a package for Lucy at one of the guilds their politically talented co-leader was talking with. After that, they stabled the hired horses and switched to a quartet of deer of all things.
They were given the animals at the back of one property owned by the Fauna Ark guild, letting them secretly leave through the ranch they owned and hopefully losing a bunch of watchers and followers.
However, the deers still confused him even though they were surprisingly talented steeds.
“Auch!” Isabella cried out as the deer bit her fingers.
And very ornery…
They arrived at their first objective in an hour, where they hopped off the deer and let them go with a quickly shouted order. The deer spent a few minutes grazing the grass and taking a drink from a small spring flowing nearby, then they ran off into the distance.
Dan hoped they were going back to Brightgarden and not anywhere else. He knew how much training those mounts cost. He didn’t want to pay for their replacement.
He watched as Clarissa stood in the middle of the meadow with closed eyes, using her Mana Sense. After all, other than Sam, who was a rule unto himself, she had the best mana sense in the group. The area he could sense was much smaller than the others, but his were more focused on sensing what the enemy was doing.
Dan even hoped to develop some kind of predictive or precognitive skill that would allow him to foresee what kind of magic his enemy would cast. Lara and he spent a lot of time theory-crafting when not in the game. Sometimes it was interrupted by other actions, but eventually, they always ended back on the topic. To Lara, it was just fascinating and a way to prove her intellectual superiority. But to Dan, it was a way to prove he could succeed without Sam’s help, as even their fearless leader admitted that he had no idea how to create a precognitive skill like that.
Some parts of him hoped he could show up Sam for once…
Clarissa opened her eyes and let out a relieved sigh.
“Can’t sense anybody. So, we are either alone or they’re much stronger than me…” she declared and the rest of the team also let out their own sigh.
“What’s next?” Isabella asked. “You were pretty quiet on what we had to do…”
Clarissa nodded then brought up her system screen and after a few seconds the rest of the team received a notification. As they read over it, she also took the time to wonder at it. She didn’t think it was possible…
‘But I suppose with this game, there are no limits…’
[Nun of your business!]
[You and your team have been given a quest to find the Church of the First Drop and gain their support in the ongoing conflict.]
[Time Limit: None]
[Penalty: Lucy will be very disappointed]
[Reward: Lucy will be very proud of you]
She didn’t know how Lucy did it but she ended up giving Clarissa a quest that she was now sharing with the others. She didn’t know why it was important as they weren’t getting any reward from it aside from their usual salary and bonuses due based on their contract, but apparently, some skill of her boss made this possible.
“Wow! Lucy is awesome!” Katie exclaimed as she finished reading.
Dan also nodded, looking impressed. “This is great and all, but still doesn’t tell us what we have to do…”
Clarissa couldn’t really argue with that. “Indeed. Our first task is to find a small-ish valley with a stone formation. There we have to do some kind of blood sacrifice and then follow the signs.”
“That’s not really much to go on…” he said in response.
She took out a hand-drawn map and showed it to them. “I have been given this…”
They all gathered around her and took a look at it.
Finally, after a minute of staring, it was Isabella who spoke up. “Well, at least we know what he is not good at…”
“Hold it! Hold it!” she yelled in panic as she tried to keep up with the frenzied claws of a four-legged and four-armed bear monster as it and Katie tried to out murderblender each other. Isabella was sitting on the ground, exhausted and out of mana, while Dan was keeping back a bunch of mad squirrels with a firewall and pinpoint precise strikes both from him and Hawky.
She was simultaneously healing both of them while keeping up the buffs and topping up their mana.
“I’m trying!” yelled back Katie as she rolled away, avoiding an overhead hammer strike from the angry bear. “Maybe try helping!?”
“I’m already doing that!” she yelled back in frustration as she watched the berserker’s health dip down again.
“Run!” she yelled as they were running from a rampaging horde of tigers coming at them.
“We’re already running!” Isabella yelled back while running next to Dan and trying to hum a few bars to keep up the speed buff that was allowing them to keep ahead of the horde.
“Where the fuck is that goblin?” she yelled back angrily between two harsh breaths trying to keep her lungs (and intestines) inside.
Then she heard it.
“GIGA DEEP IMPACT!”
A guttural roar followed by maniacal laughter caused them to stumble to a stop, Isabella dropping to her knees and Dan resting with his hands on his legs, breathing heavily. Clarissa had enough energy remaining to turn around to witness Katie (jumping from somewhere in a flat forest environment with sparse trees) impacting the approaching horde like a demented meteor. She was wreathed in eldritch flames that were so black that Clarissa could have sworn she saw galaxies being born and burn inside them.
Then those flames touched the monsters and with a great whoosh, flames obscured Clarissa’s sight. Thankfully, the roar of those somewhat masked the pained screams…
Clarissa huffed as she stared at the unapologetic face of Katie as she kneeled before them, Dan and Isabella also standing there looking rather ruffled and singed at the edges.
“I said I was sorry!” she whined. Like a whiner.
“Your spell destroyed all the loot!” she declared for the second time.
“But it saved us and gave us extra experience! I didn’t see you doing anything but running!” she shot back with a glare.
“It was a tactical retreat to regroup and figure out a way to defeat the enemy,” she stated imperiously while avoiding eye contact.
‘I knew this was a bad idea…’
“Is this it?” Dan asked tiredly, as they saw a small circular area surrounded by rocks falling from the mountains with a broken stone flooring in the middle. Clarissa shuffled forward exhaustedly and looked for a symbol that she was shown. The symbol, half a stylized heart with three drops of blood falling from it, was on one of the rocks around the edge of the area that she just realized was actually a natural formation of rocks with broken pillars and other architectural elements.
“Yes…” she declared almost in a whisper.
Isabella simply fell to the ground and let out a choked sob. “I can’t believe we made it…”
Katie, armor shredded beyond recognition – not that it stopped her from flinging herself in the middle of monster groups – happily took a seat next to her friend. “I still think we could have made friends with those bees.”
Owed bonus chapters: Three (3)
Titles:
[Apprentice: You are an apprentice learning under a master. Increased experience point gain in the key skill of the apprenticeship.]
Magical Items:
[Ring of Minor Health Regeneration: A small ring, made from subpar materials, with a low-quality magical gem. As long as the gem holds mana, it aids with health regeneration. Can hold 100 Mana Points, and regenerates 10 Health Points for every point of mana consumed. Current Mana: 100/100.]
[High-quality Troll Leather Armor: Created by a journeyman crafter employed by your own company. They worked extra hard to make sure to return your goodwill. Excellent quality, given the materials and the crafter. Enchanted to decrease the sound it makes during movement, as well as has increased durability. Thanks to the substance it was impregnated with the troll leather it lacks its customary weakness to fire.]
*Not actually bottomless.]
[Ring of the Shadow Fang: Made from shadow metal and accented with white moon-silver, this ring allows the wearer to summon a dagger made from shadow. The strength of the dagger depends on the wearer’s shadow mana control. The distance the dagger can move from the wearer depends on the mana control of the individual.]
Quests:
Active quests:
[Just walk in there!]
[Prove yourself!]
[Peaceful land, peaceful mind]
[Deli-Very!]
[Friendlessly into the depths!]
Finished quests:
[Monster Parade!]
[Topping the tree!]
[Reap what you sow!]
[Seaside opportunity]
[Another seaside opportunity]
[The booty of mystery!]
[Demonic demonstration!]
[The Test of the Survivor!]
[To the city you go!]
[Eternal Vigilance!]
[Returning Champion]
[Volatile Valley]
[Ride forward to be not killed in nasty ways!]
[Location, location, location!]
[Call to action!]
Skills:
Mana Skills:
[Mana Body: Level 7/100 (21%) (Passive) Your mana permeates your body, enhancing and improving it. The better your control of your mana is, and the more mana you have, the bigger the effect is. For every 100 Mana Points, it grants you 1 Base Health gain. For every skill level, it increases the Health Regeneration by 0,1.]
[Mana Shield: Level 99 (99%) Using mana, you can form a simple shell around yourself, which decreases the damage you take. Damage decrease depends on the amount of mana invested. For every unit of Mana invested in the spell, the shield will protect you from 9,9 (physical) damage.]
[A/N: Currently: WIS: 55 / MAG: 50 = 1,1 --> +2,1 Mana Regeneration per skill level]
[Mana Flux: Level 10/10 (MAX%) (Passive) The resonance between your skills is enough that if you cast more than one spell or use more than one skill at the same time, then they may induce each other. This induction allows your mana to gain a unique property. This property allows your spells to slip through magical shielding. Effectiveness depends on the strength differences between you and the target. Your spells gain 1% True Damage per skill level.
[A/N: Currently: WIS: 55 / MAG: 50 = 1,1 --> +3,1 Mana Regeneration per skill level]
Neutral Mage skills:
[Mana Unraveling: Level 14/25 (19%) (Active) You can spot even the smallest imperfection in the weave of the mana. If your control is better than the one who wove the spell, then you can attack those imperfections and unravel the spell or magic in front of you.]
[Spell Matrix: Level 40/100 (4%) (Passive) You mastered layering spells as very few have before. You can layer ( or connect any other way) together as many spells as you can. The cost of this action is increased by 5% (cumulative) for every two layers or spells.]
[Solid Spell Foundation: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Your foundation is solid and unshakeable. The stability of layered spells is increased.]
[Mana Construct: Level 84/100 (22%) (Active/Passive) You can create mana constructs over your weapons. These constructs cannot be separated from your weapon. You have total control over their shape and size. For every level in the skill, the mana cost is decreased by 1% and the damage inflicted by the skill is increased by 1%]
[Simplicity: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) The simpler your creations, the less mana it costs.]
[Infusion: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Infusing different mana types into your mana constructs becomes easier.]
[Complexity: Level 1/5 (11%) (Passive) The complexity of your creations doesn’t detract from it. Usually, mana cost would rise when the complexity of your creation increases. For every level of this skill this increase in mana cost becomes less and less.]
Elemental Mage Skills:
Wind Mage skills:
[Wind Blade III: Level 9/10 (99%) (Active) A spell that allows you to launch a blade of wind. The cutting power and speed of the blade are increased. You have greater control over its movement after creation. Allows you to slightly control its path after launching the wind blade.]
[Wind Blade Storm: Level 6/10 (7%) (Active) A spell that unleashes a storm of wind blades around you. The damage of the released Wind Blades depends on the Wind Blade spell and your mastery over it.]
[Wind Bullet III: Level 9/10 (99%) A spell that allows you to launch a bullet made of concentrated wind. You have excellent control over the projectile’s speed, size, and path.]
[Wind Explosion: Level 3/10 (21%) A spell that allows you to create a singular bullet of wind mana, and then fire it, which will, upon impact, detonate. The strength of the detonation depends on the amount of wind mana channeled into the bullet and your mastery over the Wind Bullet spell!]
[Wind Movement: 39/100 (19%) (Active) You can use your mastery over wind to move in any direction you wish. Your movement speed is increased significantly. This speed boost is increased by 1% for each skill level.]
[Wind Edge III: Level 9/10 (99%) (Passive) A spell that allows you to enhance the edge of any bladed weapon you wield with the wind. Thanks to the spell, the speed of your strikes will greatly increase. The power and reach of the blade will be greatly increased further.]
[Wind Affinity: Level 61/100 (17%) (Passive) You have a good affinity for the wind. Beings born of the wind will be more favorable to you. The cost of the Wind-type spells and skills is reduced and their power is increased by 0,5% for each skill level.]
- Wind Flurry
- Wind Bullet Barrage
- Healing Wind
- Wind Jump
- Wind Drill
- Wind Blade I-III
- Wind Blade Storm
- Wind Bullet I-III
- Wind Explosion
- Wind Movement
- Wind Edge I-III!
Utility skills:
Companion skills:
Shadow skills:
(Shadow Cloak triggers this benefit.)]
[Shadow Affinity: Level 30/100 (14%) (Passive) You have a good affinity with the shadows. Beings born of the shadows will be more favorable to you. The cost of the Shadow-type spells and skills is reduced and their power is increased by 0,5% for each skill level.]
Physical skills:
[Basic Armor Mastery: Level 91/100 (6%) (Passive) You learned the basics of wearing armor. Decreases the Stamina consumption slightly while wearing any kind of armor.]
[Clean Armor: Level MAX (MAX%) (Passive) Your mana got used to a certain spell, so the waste mana radiating from you will, over time, permeate and clean your armor.]
[Resistant Armor: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Thanks to your practice, you can fully utilize everything that your armor provides, granting you increased resistance against the environment. Grants 2% increased environmental resistance per skill level. Environmental resistance protects against environmental effects only.]
[Durable Armor: Level 0/5 (0%) (Passive) You learned how to roll with the punches. This includes knowing when your armor can take a hit and when it can’t. Increased durability for any armor you wear from incoming damage from non-environmental sources.]
[Epic Breathing Technique: Level 9/10 (99%) (Passive) You breathe, and the world breathes with you. You move along your own rhythm. Decreases stamina consumption even more during any activity and further increases stamina regeneration when not in a fight. Gain +2 Stamina Regeneration for every skill level.]
[Tranquil Heart: Level 11/100 (54%) (Passive) Your heart beats to the same rhythm as your body. It’s efficient and harmonious. You have an even easier time resisting mind-altering effects and a portion of of those effects are reflected back to the source. The portion is 1% per skill level. You also radiate an aura of tranquility that confers the resistance portion of the skill to your allies near you.]
[Flow: Level 77/100 (9%) (Passive) Thanks to being a natural sensor, you can read the flow of the mana. Increases your stability and the bonuses any movement or martial art skill provides by 1% per level in the skill.]
[Focused Flow: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) When focusing on any enemy beyond what is normal, your ability to read their flow becomes clearer and more precise.]
[Controlled Flow: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Your read of the flow is more controlled, allowing you to see the flow much better. Increases the flow visibility by 20% for every skill level.]
[Immersed Flow: Level 0/5 (0%) (Passive) When you start reading the flow a counter starts. After every ten seconds, the effect of the Flow skill increases by 1% for each skill level. Maximum 600 seconds.]
Parry: Level 24/100 (13%) (Passive) Decreases the stamina consumption of defensive weapon movements. It allows you to more efficiently and accurately parry incoming attacks. Decreases the damage of the blocked attack by 0,5% for each skill level at the moment of blocking.]
[Cleansed Body: Level MAX (MAX%) (Passive) Your body has been cleansed of impurities, giving you a more charming aura. NPCs and players will treat you slightly differently depending on their tastes. Gives a flat increase of +3 to STR, AGI, END. You can upgrade this skill by further cleansing your body.]
Resistance skills:
General skills:
[Dwarven Language: Level 5/10 (1%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Dwarven language.]
[Elven Language: Level 7/10 (8%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Elven language.]
[Dark Elven Language: Level 5/10 (1%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Dark Elven language.]
[Sarkan Language: Level 3/10 (42%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Sarkan language.]
Crafting skills:
Pet skills:
[Strong Jaw: Level Max (Passive) The jaw of the wolf is strengthened.]
[Lucky Aura: Level Max (Passive) Those who are in the same party as the wolf receive a buff to their luck. It depends on their luck how big the increase is.]
[Animalistic Mana Control: Level Max (Passive) The wolf controls the mana inside him based on animalistic instinct.]
[Animalistic Shadow Control: Level Max (Passive) The wolf controls the shadows around him just as easily as it breathes.]
[Shadow Spirit Body: Level Max (Passive) The body of the wolf is part shadows and part spirit, which makes it much more malleable.]
[Shadow Strike: Level Max (Active/Passive) All attacks started from the shadows receive bonus damage, and the wolf can clad itself in shadows, making its entire body into a weapon, while striking at an enemy increasing its range of attack.]
[Shadow Jump: Level 20/20 (MAX%) (Active) The wolf gains the capability to dive into your shadow and emerge from a different shadow. Range: 200 meters. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
[Shadow Dash: Level 20/20 (MAX%) (Active/Passive) Wherever the wolf steps, he can leave small pools of shadows that the wolf can use to jump into. When diving into the shadows, the wolf can travel at an even greater distance with his speed increased by 2% for each skill level.]
[Shadow Claws: Level 20/20 (MAX%) (Active/Passive) Your companion’s claws are infused with the shadows. There is a low chance to leave behind shadow mana with each attack of their claws. Alternatively, they can actively increase this infusion of shadow mana and strike at their enemies with giant shadow claws.]
[Shadow Bite: Level 20/20 (MAX%) (Active) Your companion enhances their bite with shadow mana, increasing the area and strength of the bite.]
[Shadow Steed: Level 21/50 (3%) (Passive) Your companion has learned how to run while being ridden. Stamina consumption is decreased when being ridden and can carry bigger loads.]
[Shadow Bleed: Level 41/50 (8%) (Passive) Your companion’s claw has been enhanced by a chaotic shadow field which rends the area where the claws strike, causing extra bleeding.]
[Weakening Strike: Level 15/50 (21%) (Passive) Every strike of your companion's claw weakens the enemy's armor. The maximum stack of the effects is 3+1 per 5 skill level.]
[Shadow Heal: Level 21/50 (37%) (Active) Your companion can absorb the shadows hiding them to heal itself.]
[Runic Weapon: Level Max (Passive) The wolf’s claws and teeth are clad in runes that grant him a certain amount of ability to pierce through the impenetrable. Grants a 13% chance to do True Damage with the claws and teeth.]
[Runic Strike: Level 20/20 (Active) Lucky gains the ability to channel mana into the runes of his claws and teeth to enhance the damage theydo. The damage type depends on the type of mana he channels into it. Current natures are available to use: no attribute, shadow, or spirit.]