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Chapter 521 Warriors
🕑 Added 2020-07-16 11:21:27 +0000 UTCAuthor's note: Hey all :). New chapter up and more hopefully on Saturday.
Quick info for August - If things with fuck-19 work out, I might go on vacation for two weeks starting August 14th. I'm not sure yet how work will go during that time and how the internet connection looks like. For now I'll just say that there won't be any chapters during those two weeks (I'll probably drop a few anyway but definitely reduced).
PDF/EPUB: https://www.patreon.com/posts/32241245
Chapter Index: https://www.patreon.com/posts/37813894
Bunch of fixes:
504? Lvl10 identify should be enough for Felicia to identify gold mage. - fixed
508 Ilea comment on why Elisora didnt help Maria (Prison) line added Ah, so thats it. I do wonder why she never helped her.
I think the easiest way to fix this is to change chapter 464 so Ilea gets two levels in Lightning Resistance: 3rd lvl 3 and 3rd lvl 4, and then update chapter 477 so it says lightning resistance reaches 3rd lvl 5 (instead of 3rd lvl 4). Then all the numbers should be consistent. - done
Chapter 490 - Staff can be displaced its not touching anybody line removed (she doesnt use Displacement anymore at all)
483 and 489 Ball of ash training - Displacement cant move magical constructs at T1 replaced ash with pebble / changed a line. 489 changed line regarding ball of ash.
516 children/teenagers didnt make sense to be among the survivors changed line All of them were adults, men and women alike. Sources of life that meant nothing to those who used them.
Chapter 521 Warriors
How very military of you, Ilea thought. Let me talk to them first at least.
If they attack, its over, the General said.
I hope they do, Hector said as he joined them.
How stable is this exactly? Felicia asked.
We cannot collapse it. Its simply impossible. With the knowledge and power at my disposal, Michael said.
Felicia glanced at the group before she gulped and joined them.
I wont stay back, she whispered.
I agree with Lilith. A diplomatic approach will lead to more gain, Michael said.
For you and your research. Theyre not human. Treat them like you would treat Elves, Velamyr said.
As I intend to do, Ilea thought with a smile behind her ashen armor.
She wondered why the creatures before had already been frenzied as soon as they arrived. A question she would ask Michael if the opportunity presented itself.
The three we were hunting arent here, Velamyr said.
Probably went through already, Michael suggested.
Ilea walked close to the gate and stretched out her hand. Then lets see whats waiting for us in the realm of life.
When her hand touched the fissure, it created ripples on the surface but she didnt feel anything. It felt no different than the very air currently around her. Her hand pushed further and she noticed something peculiar.
Ilea pulled out her arm and pushed it in again.
What is it? Michael asked.
Yeah, get on with it, Hector said and jumped through without waiting for any feedback.
Ilea didnt let it disturb her.
My hand was gone, she said.
Michael touched his chin. Its possible. Your arm really was in a different place entirely.
She smiled.
Freaky.
And stepped through.
Ilea was hit by freezing air. Air at least and not a vacuum or a different substance entirely.
Like water, she thought, reminded of the great salt.
She felt the mana around her to be substantially more dense than back in Elos. It compared to some of the deeper dungeons she had visited but didnt come close to her experience at the bottom of the Descent.
It was dark, leaving the impression that she was underground but Ilea quickly realized that wasnt the case.
Ice crystals formed on top of her armor but quickly dissolved again, unable to push against her resistance. Her breath formed a mist in front of her armor.
Hector stood close by, his face scrunched into a displeased grimace.
Alright there, waterboy? she asked.
He looked at her, the ice forming on his body crunching with the movement. Fuck this place.
She couldnt help but laugh.
They were situated in a spacious courtyard, the pyramid like temple before them extending upward. Around them were rudimentary stone structures, pillars, and walls. All of it was covered in a layer of snow and ice.
She looked up and saw the obvious culprit for both the cold and the dim light. A solar eclipse was currently in progress.
There were various beings present, hiding behind nearby pillars or in the doorways leading into the halls beyond. They were of the same species as the monsters they had fought back in Nara but their levels were significantly lower. All were still above two hundred.
Their behavior however was very different, their many eyes focused on the newcomers and the fissure behind, intelligence shining in them compared to the mindless creatures they had faced before.
Ilea felt distress from some of them with her Sentinel Huntress skill.
Peace? She sent to the nearest creatures, trying to establish contact with her third tier Mental Resistance.
A few of them reeled back, others outright ran away.
She got no answer.
What did you do? Hector asked.
Just tried to talk, she said, spreading her arms wide.
Do you speak our language? she asked when Michael came out of the gate.
All five of his self were there, suggesting that he had a way to return to Elos or he really believed the gate to be stable. He used a few spells on himself to ward off the cold and the arcane power as he looked around.
Ilea could see the freezing air around him warm up through her sphere.
Velamyr and Felicia followed.
The latter immediately buckled.
Ilea was by her side an instant later and pushed healing mana into her.
What is this? Felicia asked, an armor of wind flowing around her.
Youll be fine. Its pretty dense mana. And just freezing air, Ilea said to her, keeping up her healing. Do you want to go back?
Felicia lifted her head and stared at Ilea, the look in her eyes changing suddenly. She shook her head slowly.
Ilea felt her body heat up slightly, the damage done to her by the cold now healing, even without her interference.
Berserker stuff.
Theyre not hostile, she said.
Velamyr looked around, lightning flowing on his armor, his movements not visibly slowed by the surrounding energy.
Ilea could tell that the mana was bothering him, if only a little.
Only Hector and herself seemed to be entirely unaffected. His water of course proved problematic but other than a comedic frozen look, it didnt seem to inhibit him.
Same conclusion on the gate, Michael? Velamyr asked.
The gold mage only nodded, staring at the manifestation behind him.
Do they speak a language? the General asked.
Michael loudly said a few words, supposedly different languages. He tried to form something with his gold and finally used blood magic to directly connect to some of the creatures.
All it did was make more of the beings run off.
Theyre scared.
None of them are three marks, Velamyr said.
If their mana gets out of control, their minds will be destroyed and their power will be pushed to the highest possible ability, Michael said.
Dude seems to know everything, Ilea thought. She knew the Knights of Rhyvor had been taken by the dungeon somehow. Maybe this was similar.
Would this have happened to Elfie had he succumbed to the mana?
A lack of mana does the same as too much of it? she asked.
Likely, the gold mage said and gave her a long look.
So they cant go to our realm without turning into monsters. Lets see what we can loot then, Hector said.
Leave one of your own here to protect the fissure. We dont want any of them to get through, Velamyr said. If we can find any answers or beings that can communicate with us, then in there.
He pointed to the temple in front of them and the two large stone gates standing wide open, a stairwell leading up right behind.
Ilea used Heart of Cinder to keep the freezing air from even touching her armor.
Lets go, she said and walked towards the temple entrance, trying to seem as non threatening as possible.
Hector did the opposite, clapping his hands towards one of the ants hiding behind a nearby pillar. The thing rushed away as he cackled.
The rest followed too, all of them with magic flowing around them.
Ilea immediately felt the cold subside when she stepped past the threshold.
Something else however took its place.
A presence, something that pushed against her mind with a curious interest.
To anybody else it might have seemed like a mental attack but to her it was obviously just someone making contact.
She could tell that the being was located deep within the temple, its mind magic capabilities rudimentary at best. Enough to make conversation perhaps but nothing compared to even Weavy.
Ilea smirked at the thought of considering Weavy a low point in mental powers.
Nobody else had reacted in any way as they ascended the broad and high stairs.
She sent something back to the being.
Hello.
Coupled with a mental wave of her hand and peaceful thoughts. She wasnt exactly far beyond the powers of this thing when it came to mind magic.
Clicking noises could be heard from the top of the stairwell by now, a bunch of mantis creatures looking their way before they ran off.
Ilea heard a moan that sounded decidedly human, picking up her pace as they rushed up.
They reached a large open space, dozens of beings present. A central mantis creature glared at them and punched the blade of a spear through an armored mans head.
Not a single drop of blood or brain matter splattered out before the spear was ripped out again, leaving a hollow wound both to Ileas eyes and sphere.
The mantis creature looked similar to those she had faced before. A pale pinkish color and two large bulges holding two small beady eyes. The being was naturally armored, covered from head to its thin legs in a pink carapace. Flowers of various colors and sizes decorated the beings armor and head, fastened to it with simple frayed string. It looked a little smaller than the many other mantises in the room, almost delicate.
The spotless spear of bone and steel coupled with the savage execution suggested otherwise. It held the weapon with the natural grace of an experienced hunter, moving it into a defensive position as it watched the newcomers.
The murdered man had been clad in white plate armor, several uneven cuts, dents, and blood suggested a recent fight. Two more human corpses lay by his side, and a few other corpses from the various present species.
[Warrior lvl ??]
Her Veteran skill informed her that the creature wasnt far beyond her identify range but probably still beyond four hundred.
Many of the creatures moved through the hall at the clicking of the central one, likely their leader.
She noted how some of them were in distress, while others didnt seem to mind the tension. Six Mantises specifically, standing close to the spear wielder. Two of them had weapons too, one wielding what looked like a massive tooth and the other holding a rope made of a black material that constantly flowed around it as if it was alive itself.
Those are the people we fought before, all three of them, Felicia supplied.
We come in peace, Ilea said.
The being simply continued its clicks, all of the present creatures fanning out into what looked like a defensive formation.
I dont think theyre peaceful, Hector said with a grin, his sphere of water forming around him.
They all prepared to fight, Michael saying a few words in various languages.
Ilea tried to make a connection with the beings here, specifically the spear wielder. All her tricks did was make the creature focus on her.
The highest level mantises were all between two ninety and three fifty, warriors without exception.
As soon as Michael formed a shape with his gold, all hell broke loose.
A dozen creatures sent their spells at the group of humans, many who didnt attack still stuck in indecision it seemed.
The seven main Mantis creatures didnt hesitate, rushing at them with claws and weapons. A few vanished instantly.
Ilea used monster hunter, whistling, before she saw a spear coming at her. No teleport, she realized, dodging the quick attack thanks to her precognition. She felt the attack shift to where she went, grazing her ashen armor and ripping a chunk of it out.
What?
She vanished, focusing entirely on the battle as she sacrificed five hundred points of health to activate her third tier aura. Displacement moved a dozen projectiles back at the creatures, her wings carrying her above most of them as spears of ash formed.
Ilea used force to try and trip up the warriors assaulting her group.
Shields made of blood appeared around them, flashes of lightning crashing into the creatures as a storm of air exploded through the hall.
The fifth Michael left behind joined the battle near the stairs.
She saw Hector on top of a wave somewhere to her left, water flowing into the paralyzed beings as if a dam had broken.
Ilea displaced some of the creatures into the coming flood, subjecting them to the heavy pressure and near guaranteed instant death Hectors magic would provide.
The spear wielder watched Ilea for a second before moving, its thin legs running against the air as if it was the most solid of grounds.
Fuck that things-
Another stab nearly got to her but Ilea blinked away, deflecting a claw attack from one of the high leveled mantis warriors before her limbs slashed into it, ashen spears rushing out to the various creatures close by.
Her punch landed on the creature before her, slightly chipping its carapace before lightning cracked, a bright and condensed beam slamming into its right eye, leaving only scorched flesh.
Ilea broke away before she joined Felicia and two Michaels, his shields and armor deflecting projectiles and claws. Blades of wind and small spikes of gold flew around them, trying to injure the creatures.
The warriors dodged with their teleportation and resumed their assault, clashing with Ilea and her ash.
One of them managed to dig its sharp claws into her shoulder, using a combination of auras, and some kind of condensed energy around its natural weapons.
Ilea had seen the damage and chose to trade its blow with a chance to pin it down. Force barely slowed the higher leveled creatures but when their bodies were connected, it hardly mattered.
She deflected its other hand with hers, reverse healing coupled with Flare of Creation, Storm of Cinders, and Destruction crashing into the thing as she tried to cover it fully in white flames.
Ashen limbs smashed into its open maw that tried to bite into her head, Ilea holding its left arm tight and within her shoulder to keep the beast close.
It didnt weaken in the few seconds of their engagement, its attacks still coordinated and focused.
She had it pinned down however.
Ilea only let go when the rope wielder tried to trap her. She ripped the arm out of her shoulder and moved her ash, blinking away as to not get trapped by the unknown weapon.
She caught a glimpse of Hector, engaged with the tooth wielder who teleported around, slamming its heavy weapon into his water sphere with surprising efficiency. The beams of condensed water were simply deflected by the carapace covering its arms.
Ilea had to blink again, avoiding the spear aimed at her heart. Her precognition had told her where to dodge but the mantis had adjusted yet again.
It has something similar, she noted.
The being didnt stop this time, hunting her with a teleport of its own.
She deflected the next blow, knowing the spear would cut into her arm.
Ilea ignored the damage. She felt both blood magic and arcane power from the attack. There was even a health drain but instant, compared to the more channeled versions she had previously encountered.
Her ash moved out in response, her fists stopped with quick movements of the spear.
The mantis slashed in a wide arc above, cutting through most of her limbs as if they were made of flesh and bone.
Ilea released Heart of Cinder, her sphere of fire and energy exploding into the close wall and the simple stone throne below.
Her enemy had vanished but now appeared again, Ileas fists already rushing at the creature that had hardly finished materializing.
They were entangled for a moment, a few of her hits connecting, both her ash and fists but the same was true for the enemy spear.
It ripped out chunks of ash and cleaved through her skin, leaving behind a spell that ate into her flesh much like acid.
Ilea flew out through the broken wall, feeling the passing of a barrier that kept out the cold air.
The mantis followed, its unwavering assault cutting into Ileas defenses as it tried to keep the ash at bay, mostly successfully. With every stab of its bladed weapon, the being winced back in a barely noticeable fashion.
Ilea only noticed thanks to her sphere. At least her third tier blood magic resistance was working, not that this being cared much.
The mantis stopped for a second, standing in the air with its spear aimed towards her.
Its mandibles clicked, its weapon moved in a way that suggested a challenge.
Ilea breathed out, the air once again a mist in the freezing temperatures. Her wings moved unimpeded.
Outside the temple, she could see a sprawling city of stone, frozen rivers breaking through the mostly pyramid shaped buildings.
A natural defense of rocky terrain protected this place, beyond she saw an endless waste of snow, ice, and mountains. The air was still, near frozen as the two warriors stared at each other.
Ilea activated her third tier Awakening when an explosion of power rushed out from the mantis.
Its spear glowed with a deep red, as did its body, its eyes focused on her with a promise of death.
Ileas precognition recognized the attack as she flew backwards, Force and ash forming a defense in front of her.
The mantis turned left instead, past her defenses, its spear slashing into her side.
Her armor partially deflected it, the blade leaving a nasty gash that quickly reformed, no blood drawn but its spell still affecting her.
Ilea felt the same mix of blood and arcane wash over her entire body, more intensely where the blade had recently struck. Her healing nullified the impact, her form resisting the oppressive spell slowly eating her alive.
Next to the mantis blade itself, the spell now extended in an aura around the warrior.
The creature didnt stop either, its speed multiplied as it rushed her. It dodged a dozen ashen limbs, moving through the air ignoring gravity itself. Its spear rushed out, extending its already high range to slightly below Ileas limbs.
Both ash and armor were cut as Ilea was pushed to the defensive. Force slightly helped with deflecting the blows but most of the work was done by her fighting skills and her armor.
A few consecutive strikes opened her up and she was forced to blink, the mantis appearing at the same time and continuing its attacks. Three strikes cut away her ash before a fourth stabbed through her arm, sliding against the bone as the magic spread through her.
Ilea just healed the damage and continued the fight, blinking down and through the stone houses as she tried to catch a breath.
Heart of Cinder activated again but too little time had passed to make it powerful enough. The mantis simply stayed, its carapace slightly blackened as it used the moment to cut through Ileas left leg.
The wound was already healing when another strike separated muscle, even biting into the bone below.
Ilea deflected dozens of blows, now using her ash purely defensively as she spread more through the small frozen home they had entered.
She had no time to think, acting purely on instinct and based on her skills when the mantis suddenly slowed considerably. Back to a manageable pace, one where she could see the blows as they happened and didnt have to rely solely on her precognition to even see the attacks.
The enemy possessed a similar ability, adjusting in tune with Ilea.
Comments
Tetsuki
My Interpretation is another. Actually ilea wasn't in much danger during this fight. From my point of view she is just stupidly following the opponents pace. She relies to much on her precognition... With her built in this kind of fight she should rely more on her healing. She should just exchange highest damage output. She would outlast the enemy. If we take a look at her opponent for my part I see 3 classes. One Berserker Typ, one bloodmagic and the last one arcane. It could also actually be that her opponent is already nearly dead... Since it seems that he has a skill that lets him only take damage overall and not directly on impact. That way he can fight optimal till death. Would also explain his speed +strength boost in the later part, which should be a Berserker skill. And I do not think he has 4th tier skills... I even doubt they are accessible at lvl 400. Otherwise his blood magic would have had a much higher impact.
Daniel D.
Add Velamyr and four Michael clones. And Felicia was scary a long time ago; if Ilea makes her look harmless now, that's because Ilea's development was partly shaped by her, by hanging out with someone that might reflexively behead you with an invisible wind blade if you startled her. But she should still be scary to non-immortals.
Arcanes
I hoped for peaceful negotiations, but like what another commenter had said, pitting aggressive individuals against each other is a sure way to have a fight. Interesting developments for sure though.
Todd Kloos
Although Ilea is struggling to keep up with the Spear Mantis' speed, it doesn't look like it can do enough damage to quickly kill her. This has become a battle of attrition, and Ilea should win because she is good at battles of attrition. What is more worrisome is that while Ilea is fighting Spear Mantis and Hector is struggling to defeat Tooth Mantis, Felicia and Michael are fighting a bunch of opponents including Rope Mantis and Tanky Claw Mantis. Even if Spear Mantis is the strongest and Tooth Mantis is 2nd, the remaining weaker mantises should still be very dangerous opponents for people below level 300.
Jonathan
She doesn't always check her messages right away.
tibbish
She has fought sentient beings plenty of times in story. Not as much as monsters but not nearly enough to make noobish mistakes either. The whole "sentient opponents are too different for her to fight effectively due to a lack of experience" angle doesn't really pan out IMO
Zir
my theory is that mana amplifies everything, this realm has way higher mana so the lack of sun light turned a fairly scorching world into a freezing one in a pretty short amount of time. but i also really like your sun stealing idea since it links a ton of things together.
Connor Bruha
Thanks for the chapter!
ClapTrapCL4TP
There was a web novel i read where the mc was summoned to another world and whenever the people of the world fought the system would play music that the person wining a fight thought best fit the situation. Basically the hero would have music from earth playing for his fight's cant help but want the same to happen to Ilea. Also Lilith needs a last name like Lilith Nightingale.
Matthew D
A lot of people seem to have issues with the way Ilea handled the fight. Ilea is more accustomed to fighting monsters rather than sentient beings. While I do admit she seemed underpowered her in some aspects in this fight, she is still fighting a sentient creature 40- 70 lvls higher with potentially 3 classes. The mantis seems dexterity based with DoT based abilities and precognition. I think i was reading it right but the mantis seems to use an ability to empower itself temporarily increasing its speed even more making it too much for Ilea to handle. While Ilea has a strong class the mantis could be hundreds of years old with experience in fighting sentients. Or Ilea could be trying to gauge its abilities but becomes overwhelmed and is afraid to commit to the all in. Who knows...
Torbjørn Nilsen
Greenland :)
Nate
What does that last sentence mean? "The enemy possessed a similar ability, adjusting in tune with Ilea." It had just slowed down, wouldn't *she* be adjusting to *it*?
Julien Fellegara
The pirate begin to piss me off. Plus why do they invade the temple? Their is better way to show peace.
Tim Deral
Nice !
sharkattack
Now this is more like it! Finally some action. I'm getting a child emperor vibe from that mysterious mind in the palace and a royal bodyguard vibe from the mantis Ilea is fighting. Probably same type of military dude as Velamyr, assume the worst case scenario, kill the intruders first, sort it out later attitude. It saw a healer and went straight for the kill. It's got 40+ levels on her and probably a third class to boot. Seems Ilea's offense isn't up to snuff with her defensive build and she'll have to fight a battle of attrition. Also interesting how Dark Ones revert back to their higher levelled monster selves when ambient mana levels fall/rise too high. It explains the levels of the Hollowfort citizens (and the Saurians in the Taleen dungeon).
Niko
shouldn't ilea get a core point once she stepped through the gate? it is a new realm right, doesn't each new realm give 1 core point?
Azareck
The frost was caused by the eclipse, so it might have been more like spring/summer before.
Acquiles Vitorino de Melo Graça
Is it just me or is the 'realm of life' quite dead? The mana shouldn't be a problem to those born there, but the frost is clearly not something too good for insectoids, yet those are clearly intelligent beings, maybe civilians.
Dominic French
Well if it comes to a slugging match she probably could fight forever if it doesn't have enough damage capacity to constantly make her use instant regeneration she should be Good.
Seb
I think that she's testing them more than anything. Not really going all out, but she wants to see what this species is capable of
Luciaron
She seems to be having trouble keeping up with it in combat due to its speed and she's still experimenting with force. If she just grappled it and traded dmg like she does with monsters often it probably wouldn't seem that tough.
Andrew
Thank you!
Rip Woodham
These foes seem quite fearsome. Ilea seems skittish compared to normal though.
Dax
This fight feels weird. It's written like she's hard pressed, but the damage she's taking is weak in comparison to monsters she's fought before and had an easier time. She hasn't even had to use her 3rd tier heal, so I find it hard to believe she's having a hard time against this enemy, as we are being told.
Keifru
I wonder if it will turn out the Mantis is a battle-lover and that mental pressure (Mantid Queen?) makes itself known telling the Mantis peeps to stand down. Hmm Hmm...quite interesting
I feel like Ilea's fighting here really wasn't up to her usual standard.
Chase Clawson
Woo, new dimensions! Sad she didn't make new friends, but hey, at least she will get some xp
MountainFox
I find it ironic that the fabled realm of life is a frozen wasteland. It's like there's so much arcane energy that the world froze over.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
SoggyBiscuit
Huh, so this fight is something like a warmup for when she seriously tries to kill sentient beings in the 300-400s (*cough* Lily members *cough*). The mantis has incredibly strong attacks and good technique, as well as a defensive carapace, so I can't wait to see if it's an outlier of its species' warriors, or if his level of power is more common in their realm. I'm leaning towards the latter, seeing as this world's mana density is like in a deep dungeon, so I'm very excited to see if Ilea will stay a bit to level up and grind skill levels. Love it when characters go to new dimensions. P.s. it'd also be really nice if she got her Ice Resistance achievement in here
Michael scott
Thanks for the chapter. It seemed to me that Ilea didn't start the fight all out. Hopefully she will ramp it up.
CryoHydra357
Thanks for the chapter!
Erdos
Спасибо
E.W.
First, and thanks for the chapter!
