RhaegarRRL
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Chapter 506 Intervention
🕑 Added 2020-06-25 13:07:33 +0000 UTCAuthor's note: Hey all :). New chapter up and more hopefully on Saturday.
Small update: I changed a part of the chapter with Ilea agreeing to go loot first. It's out of character for her to ignore the ongoing battle with potential losses on the empire's side without even having a look.
There's a new part at the bottom.
PDF/EPUB: https://www.patreon.com/posts/32241245
Chapter Index: https://www.patreon.com/posts/37813894
Chapter 506 Intervention
She found him waiting a few hundred meters outside the city, happy he hadnt actually left her behind.
I should maybe join Baralia, just so these fuckwits know who the fuck theyre talking to, he said, not looking at her. Nobles every little piece of shit gets to call themselves that these days!
That got really close to you, huh, Ilea commented.
He laughed. We should have at least beaten them up a little. For good measure, he said. Youre way too kind. That idiot wouldnt last a single day on my ship. Nor will she manage to survive in this war.
Good thing that shes not part of your crew then, Ilea said. Maybe this experience will teach her not to be an absolute twat when she meets someone she cant place. Where to now?
Youre overestimating the human ability to learn from mistakes. Odiah is probably mostly clear by now. It was the first city where a ritual took place. To our knowledge at least. Velamyr himself was there and I doubt he left anything undone before leaving, he said.
You have quite a bit of faith in a man you dislike, Ilea said.
He thinks too much of himself and takes everything too seriously. He is however a powerful mage and capable strategist. None of these creatures would have stood in his way, Im sure of it, he said.
Says the guy who would kill a noble for a minor insult. Talk about taking shit too seriously, Ilea said and snickered.
Never said Im not a hypocrite. Its not exactly what I meant either. Hes just not a lot of fun to be around, always concerned with politics, war, and business. I definitely like you more, he said.
Even though Im fucking annoying? Ilea asked.
That just adds to your character, he said. I take it back by the way. The hypocrite bit. I dont think you should take the mysterious disappearance of a minor noble so seriously. Nobody would have cared.
Except for their families, friends, acquaintances, maybe employees, and lovers, she said.
Just a few more added to the pile of this war, Hector said with a shrug.
Just because youve seen a lot of death doesnt mean you should think so little of life, Ilea said.
He just waved her off. Come on, were going towards Seyna. Im sure some imperial troops have reached it but maybe theres some treasure left.
Ilea extended an ashen limb and charged her wings. She had her stance on things but wouldnt try to change this ancient mans views. According to his word, he had done terrible things. Her efforts at this point would bear little fruit.
A part of her even agreed with his attitude. Ilea made sure to be aware of those thoughts and feelings, to make sure that she wouldnt end up like him or so many others in this world of ancient beings, death, and magic.
The flight would be longer than the last one but she was happy with their progress so far, as well as her own.
ding You have defeated [Cursed Baker lvl 42]
ding You have defeated [Rock Beetle lvl 538]
ding You have defeated [Cursed Mage lvl 82]
ding The Azarinth Sentinel reaches lvl 363 Five stat points awarded
ding The Azarinth Sentinel reaches lvl 364 Five stat points awarded
ding Kin of Ash reaches lvl 363 Five stat points awarded
ding Kin of Ash reaches lvl 364 Five stat points awarded
ding The Faen Valkyrie reaches lvl 134 One stat point awarded
ding The Faen Valkyrie reaches lvl 135 One stat point awarded
ding The Faen Valkyrie reaches lvl 136 One stat point awarded
ding The Faen Valkyrie reaches lvl 155 One stat point awarded
ding The Faen Valkyrie reaches lvl 156 One stat point awarded
ding Azarinth Reversal reaches 3rd lvl 21
ding Heart of Cinder reaches 3rd lvl 27
ding Storm of Cinders reaches 3rd lvl 23
ding Force reaches 2nd lvl 13
...
ding Force reaches 2nd lvl 16
ding Flare of Creation reaches 2nd lvl 14
...
ding Flare of Creation reaches 2nd lvl 17
ding Displacement reaches 2nd lvl 15
...
ding Displacement reaches 2nd lvl 17
ding Space Shift reaches 2nd lvl 6
...
ding Space Shift reaches 2nd lvl 8
ding Body of the Valkyrie reaches 2nd lvl 3
ding Monster Hunter reaches 3rd lvl 4
ding You have cleared a major human settlement of a city wide infestation One Core skill point awarded
Getting those core skill points, she thought with a grin. Her active space magic skills were coming along nicely, her passive ones however, not so much.
Again, she had rushed past a threshold with level one fifty but she trusted Hectors words by now. Her Class was unique, why the fuck would it get an evolution at level one fifty?
They reached the hills overlooking the outskirts of Seyna around half an hour later, Ileas speed a tiny bit slower thanks to the burden she was carrying. He had a third tier wind resistance too at least which made it less annoying.
A Trakorov Rider Class youre an absolute lunatic for not taking that one! he exclaimed as they slowed down.
Ilea summoned a meal and started eating, sitting down on the grass as she watched the distant flares of fire and explosion magic.
Seyna wasnt untouched but it looked like the magical efforts were taking place in the eastern part of the city.
The town itself was considerably smaller than Nara and compared to the fortress like design, Seyna looked like a sprawling settlement that couldnt be contained, much like she imagined some of the large cities in the States came to be. The obvious main set of walls wasnt even protecting half of the visible buildings. More walls had been set up farther out but the effort and investment was obviously not the same anymore.
She assumed the sheer number of people that once lived here coupled with the noises and light prevented many monsters from ever even approaching.
Ilea spotted five large Colosseum like structures in various designs. Each of them looked rather impressive, obviously trying to do different things from their counterparts.
There were some other notable buildings but nothing out of the ordinary.
The description was super unclear and I liked the idea of space magic more, she said, answering to his comment.
He shook his head in disbelief. I thought we had a connection there guess I was wrong.
You didnt have a Sharkrider option? Ilea asked as he sat down next to her, summoning himself a plate of seafood.
Thats just for show? she asked, nodding to the plate.
Hey, I own many fishing businesses. This stuff is free for me, of course Ill take advantage. Fresh too thanks to the rings, he said and stuffed his mouth. He somehow still managed to retain some decency, maybe because it fit so well with his whole demeanor and looks.
There was a similar option but Im not a huge fan of sharks. Theyre kind of weak and awkward. I thought with the monster tamer Class, Id be able to choose whatever I want. And it adds the challenge of first subduing them. I was right of course, he said between bites and swallows. Looks like were too late.
Theyre just attacking the east, she said.
The brave and the opportunists wont be staying behind. But youre right, maybe there are some scraps left. Lets focus on the treasure first this time, they seem to have the rest covered, he said and got up. Follow me.
Ill go help first, we can loot afterwards, she said. Not like wed lose a lot of time.
Come on! Hector said.
Theyre just a bunch of soldiers. Its not like the loot is running away, she said.
Fucking shit okay, lets make it quick though! he said and rushed towards the battle.
Ilea just followed the loudest noises, her wings carrying her through the streets before she came out in one of the larger arenas.
Imperial troops had used earth and ice magic to create trenches, traps, and a secured bunker in the middle, two flying people bringing in reinforcements.
The Wildflower Ants crawling through the arenas stands shot their acid down towards the bunker, mostly just hitting the Cursed that continued to run into the burning traps.
The imperials must have put up anti teleportation enchantments around the bunker, the Pink Mantis Sires appearing close by but never within their twenty square meter structure.
The creatures were instantly distracted by the traps and Cursed around them, fighting them before a plethora of spells rained in form the slightly elevated central position.
Ilea didnt wait longer to assess the situation, quickly wading through the beasts, occasionally displacing a few projectiles or pushing monsters into the Cursed masses.
Hector basically pressure washed the whole arena, cleaning out the filled trenches and traps with waves of water to make them usable again. He didnt bother to conceal his identity with a helmet or hood.
Ilea just had her ashen armor active.
Reinforcements, she said and nodded up to the two flying imperials carrying two more people.
Needles, Hector said and shot up.
Ilea followed, blinking towards the two people, using her sphere to pull the wooden projectiles her way.
Three Needle Flies were following the soldiers, shooting their wood magic. It was fortunate that the flies were incredibly defensive, instantly fleeing when something opposed them too much and always staying at a safe distance.
Ilea displaced their projectiles and extended ashen limbs towards the soldiers. They had no time to react to her quick movements.
Only one of them was injured. Let me heal him, she said, grabbing the man from the dumbfounded soldier before she rushed back towards the bunker.
Hector took out the Needle Flies in the meantime, his precision and speed of attack overwhelming their unnaturally quick reactions.
Lilith, someone whispered when she appeared within the bunker, using Displacement on herself and the man she carried to counter the enchantment.
The injured soldier wasnt in critical condition and quickly recovered as she silently checked the bunker occupants.
A few cuts, a broken arm, this one wasnt lucky, she thought, seeing the headless corpse in her sphere. He had been covered by a thin sheet of cloth.
We didnt expect you, a woman said, her armor a little more decorated than that of the others.
Hector flowed in through one of the windows and reformed.
Quite impressive, this position, he said, looking around. Youre countering the enemy monsters and account for the massive numbers. Well done.
Ilea quirked up an eyebrow.
Since when are you a military commander? she asked, more so because of his tone and less about what he said.
Its just the lesser form of commandeering a ship, the pirate said, dismissing her with an exaggerated wave.
Youre dripping, she said.
I always am, he countered.
There are more positions like this within the city. Were trying to keep the Cursed inside the walls, the officer said.
Any luck finding the ritual site? Ilea asked.
Not yet, maam. A few specialized teams are looking for it, she said.
Ilea nodded. Do you have a map with the other positions, we can clear them out before looking for the site ourselves.
The woman immediately nodded and went to a pack. She got out a folded map and quickly showed it to Ilea.
Perfect, Ilea said, taking the map before she vanished.
_______________________
Captain Reagan steeled herself and took a deep breath as she once more pulled on the stone and earth below. The defenses had to hold, otherwise their whole team would be wiped out.
A retreat was bound to be messy with the high level creatures teleporting through the large plaza they had been assigned to.
The Cursed had been taken out silently and with precise spells and attacks, allowing them around twenty minutes to dig themselves in and create traps and trenches.
It was a well known approach against waves of monsters, especially undead. With the recent demonic scourge, most imperials were somewhat well versed in these tactics. Especially the Scouts.
She was glad that no high level nobles were assigned to her group, allowing them to work in peace and with the efficiency that was needed.
A glorious battle wasnt needed, they just needed to be safe and secure, taking out the enemy without pause until none were left standing.
Her main goal was to prevent casualties, something that looked more and more impossible to accomplish.
She formed another layer over their defenses, making it as dense as possible. The walls of ice, water, and wind helped mitigate a lot of the enemy damage.
The reports had been extensive but only experience had prepared them for the monsters themselves.
Even as an adventurer, she had rarely seen creatures of such a high level, let alone face them. The plan was to focus many of them into clustered spaces, having them fight the Cursed that would be attracted by the noise.
It had sounded possible to take down the monsters themselves but their spells were dodged or brushed off, only a few of them dying after countless attacks had hit them. Early reports had suggested a level range of two to three hundred but it turned out much higher than that.
She knew each member of her team well, glad to be able to trust them now even though the enemy was vastly more powerful than expected. They had few high ranking officers that could face these monsters but right now she wasnt sure if any would come in time.
The only solace were the thousands of Cursed humans pushing both against their position but also fighting the monsters. Sadly, they were even less efficient at that task, sacrificing hundreds to even injure one of the insect creatures.
Hold your ground. We will outlast them! she shouted and summoned a wall to intercept an acid projectile flying straight at them.
Reagan turned her head, curious at the sudden sounds. Almost like waves?
Did I die and memories of the ocean are somehow coming back to me?
A loud whistle resounded before a message appeared in her mind.
ding You have heard the call of Lilith You are paralyzed for two seconds
Ive gone mad, she thought, preparing for whatever was to come.
Reagans eyes opened wide when a blinding flash of light and fire enveloped half of the square, Cursed and high level monsters alike flaring up before they turned to ash.
She could move again and got closer to one of the slits on the walls, trying to figure out what was happening.
Lilith, the one from the songs whats she doing here? one of the others said with an excited voice.
She came to save us!
Shut your mouths and focus. Dont assume, watch and think, Reagan hissed, stopping the hysterics before they could take root. Keep your attacks up and add to the defenses while the enemy is distracted.
Is it really her? The one from the songs? Its said she was a Shadow and protected Riverwatch against Baralia slavers. Why would she be here? And why would she come to help us?
She decided to follow her own advice, adding more defensive structures as she tried to clean out the nearby trenches.
The sound of waves had never left and now she saw them too. Water, as if a river had been released onto their position. It flowed silently, sweeping away every last monster in the square. Reagan thought she saw some of them implode into a gory mess but it was difficult to say for sure.
A black shadow appeared out of nowhere, thin near black protrusions whipping through the mass of creatures before it vanished again.
Dozens of Cursed fell, their bodies cut through or their heads missing. She took a step back when she realized the monsters shared the same fate, their bodies falling apart like weak creatures fighting a wind mage of the Scouts.
She felt something brush against her back and turned, her spells ready to strike when her eyes fell onto a female form covered entirely in hardened ash. Black wisps moved in a mesmerizing pattern as her blue eyes pierced her very soul.
Reagan couldnt breathe nor talk. She could see the thin ash protrusions touching everyone in her team and knew that their lives where at the mercy of this being.
[Battle Healer lvl ??]
No injuries. Good, the being said, her ash retreating back.
Reagan got over the oppressive feeling and chastised herself for letting her guard down like that.
Youre Lilith, she said.
A spark seemed to go through the womans eyes. Did you get that from the whistle?
Wha yes. Yes it said that I heard the call of Lilith, Reagan said. She hadnt expected such a casual tone from a being that screamed death.
Yess! It worked, Lilith rejoiced and twirled once in a playful manner, the large wings apparently not an inconvenience in the tight space.
Water flowed in from one of the slits before a full fledged person formed from it.
Squares clear. This is the last position, the man said and looked around. Shitting their pants again. And you call yourselves Scouts!?
Reagan looked at him but didnt make a move. She had learned long ago not to engage with nobles and the like when they played their little games. This man oozed power and he had just helped clear out the monsters their whole team had difficulties even holding back.
Comments
Frederic Vincent
The new changes you've made flow a lot better than the original.
BeatleNerd
The amount of times I've seen the word "from" misspelled as "form" in this story is disconcerting.
The name drop time freeze at the end was a cool addition. I like how you're building the suspense to the 3rd class evolution. Waiting for it and also more evolution of skills, she's using the same skills for a few chapters now, hoping to see some (at least one) new skills or evolution bringing in a bit more fun every two or so chapters, hope you consider the suggestion.Keep writing and stay peaceful the pandemic is driving people nuts, understandably, we are social beings, so if you need to slow down please do so, don't let Patreon or your fans nudge you towards overworking.
just_a_potato
I get the feeling it has to do with the "Communicating her intent" part of Monster Hunter. If her intent is to be seen as Lilith then maybe that would do it. 2nd stage: You become better at communicating your intent. Infuse your voice with up to 100 mana to increase its range and effect on those that hear it. Fully infused, you may lure even powerful creatures towards your location, depending on your intent. 3rd stage: You may communicate even more intricate messages to monsters of all kinds. Infusing your voice allows you to imitate the calls of generally lower leveled monsters you have previously heard. Edit: Third tier Mental Resistance also gives her ways to communicate, we've seen Veteran react to Mental Attacks I think. Maybe that was also in there to help it show up as Lilith (still as a result of Monster Hunter though).
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Nate
I hope you explain how she got her whistle to display her name - was it as simple as just desiring it? More importantly though, what a sad world where the best response to nobles being weird is "ignore them and maybe they won't murder us"... ):
Nate
So sad. ):
Connor Bruha
Thanks for the chapter!
Connor Bruha
That does sound fun, much better than the Great Salt where the only living things are demons.
Chopper
The story is great. Keep doing what your doing G and don't let anybody change you!
MrrC
....also isn't this her second time clearing a city of an infestation? Shouldn't she have received a notification of the other major city they cleared?
MrrC
Love the updates. It does however seem as if this tangent will take us into another "Great Salt" like arc. Everything from her staying to level her space sense to the fact that she can now see other worlds ....plus she needs a large number of high ranked opponents means that this story arc will have her somehow get into the insect universe and increase her levels through hard grinding against an entire world of highly ranked opponents. Would be awesome for her to do this and then pop out as level 400+ or even 500 after grinding in insect world for some time
Jemini
Better and far more simple fix. “Hold your ground. We will outlast them!” she shouted and summoned a wall to intercept an acid projectile flying straight at them. Reagan turned her head, curious at a strange new sound she was hearing. Almost like… waves?
"“Yess! It worked,” Lilith rejoiced and twirled once in a playful manner" Made the chapter for me, seeing Ilea's playful, childish manner after everything is fun and really lightens the mood
PatronTurtle
[Battle Healer] is because of [Identify] tier 2
Itsurmom
spells rained in form (from)
Venalitor
Wouldn't that be 8 core points? 50 per? Kind of poor return compared to a third tier skill and possibly the unknown uses too.
Venalitor
The system can now identifie her as 'Lilith' when she uses Monster Hunter? How. . . edgy. Her interactions with human strangers are just becoming more and more cringy.
"Battle Healer" is for people with Identify in tier 2. Tier 1 will still see her as "Healer".
The section with the Trakorov Rider class is a little disjointed, since the conversation is mixed in with a lot of unrelated exposition. Given how many core points Illea is getting, it might be worth dumping some into stat points. 16 core points = 400 stats, which doesn't seem like a lot... but that's a bit over 10% of her current stats. And she doesn't have to distribute them evently. 200 Vit/100 Int/100 Wis would be a massive boost to her damage, healing, and sustain, and she'd still have plenty of core points left over for 3rd tier Valk skills. And she'll get plenty more as she levels up toward 400-500.
Rip Woodham
I really enjoyed the part with the Imperials. Nice to see how they tackle the same thing, how they view Ilea, for her to make an impression etc.
foldedcorners
I assume the tag changed to "Battle Healer" after she got her 3rd class. I don't remember if that was mentioned previously. I'm curious what ilea's perspective is for when she used monster hunter to proc "call of lilith".
Rip Woodham
Story has felt like a side quest for a while now and that feeling has just been getting stronger. With the Sentinels, coming off the Descent it was fine and it was still challenging to create what she did. Ever since getting the 3rd class however, story has felt frankly lackadaisical. Which is quite odd coming off the long anticipated 3rd class. And now there's been this city clearing with Pirate. We were even told this was a side quest, and we've been getting the other perspective. That wasn't necessary.... even if what's in these cities isn't a threat to her, it still could have felt great. I haven't been feeling the atmosphere of these cities at all, or feeling what it would be like to face waves of monstrous insects and cursed humans. It was presented as a side quest and it's definitely felt like one, and that's a shame. By extension her 3rd class has started to feel like a side story or just a new toy. I know it's not. I know how powerful it is. But writing sets a tone.....
Ivactheseeker
“Hold your ground. We will outlast them!” she shouted and summoned a wall to intercept an acid projectile flying straight at them. Reagan turned her head, curious at the sudden sounds. Almost like… waves? Which sounds? This feels like a line is missing. She's reacting(curious) to something it was not mentioned. maybe something like: “Hold your ground. We will outlast them!” Reagan shouted and summoned a wall to intercept an acid projectile flying straight at them. Among the confusion, she heard a whooshing sound coming from the left. Almost like… waves?
Chad Hagner
Thank you for the chapter!
Michael C
Love her customizing her powers
Seb
I don't think so, but for the sake of argument, my guess is he's lvl 371. Since he's a higher lvl, he'll level slower
BeepBoop
Considering that one of her resistance text called her a slut, I think they are way past first name basis
BeepBoop
Rhaegar
Sebastian Prue
I agree with the changes immensely, it reads much smoother and get just going off to do whatever was very odd
Andrew
Thank you!
Chase Clawson
Another good chapter! I do have some constructive criticism (I think at least, just ignore if you don't want it, mostly just vocalizing my thoughts here in case they can help!) TLDR:This arc feels weird because Ilea is getting her usual power spike in a very non-ilea way (imo) During this arc, I've noticed that the enemies themselves have been a lot less memorable to me than in the past. Now, this may be because I only recently caught up after binging the whole thing (and thus this is my first time being within a monster grind arc as it came out) but I think it's because we didn't really get much time with Ilea fighting the creatures themselves. The massive level difference and the nature of these fights (easy city clearing, as opposed to a skill/level grind like before) has made the fights in this chapter much less interesting, and thus I may not be retaining as much about the enemies. To be fair though, it seems the focus has been less on the grind itself this time, and more on the Destroyer, and that may be the main reason. It's probably why the levels feel so much different too. Ya, she's probably getting a lot more exp than usual cuz she's finally killing things with high levels in large numbers, but that's VERY different from her usual style of moving on to more challenging fights. She's always been taking the hard road with the levelling, and it feels kinda off for her to be cool with just doing a boring easy "clear 10000000 of this super easy mob until you level" rather than "continue to hone your skills against this far more powerful mob until you beat it, then go until you can beat it with ease". While it might make more logical sense, it doesn't really feel as Ilea to me. Anyone else's thoughts? I know I have a small essay here, but would love to hear how other people feel about this stuff :) and I am still loving the chapters!
Corwin Amber
Enjoyable addition at the end :)
I like this theory could be correct one even.
Michael scott
I think Ilea was a little jealous when the system called Hector "The great destroyer ". She intentionally made her monster Hunter skill identify her as Lillith.
sharkattack
Order of Truth seems to be wood magic healers, their patron entity an extraplanar wood and/or space creature. I guess they're aiming for terraforming their territory and summoning it?
Valter Anunciação
Much better ending to the chapter
Ivactheseeker
Around 373 would be my guess. They're gaining experience roughly equally. Is it THAT important to know the exact number?
L Pedersen
I had the same thought.
just_a_potato
Nope, from Chapter 475: The Ashen Sentinel is both protector and destroyer. Wielding powerful ash magic, they are unpredictable and prepared for everything. Unwavering and ready to meet death with weapons drawn, they instill fear in their enemies and confidence in their allies. With minor healing spells and high regeneration, these warriors are difficult to take down. Ambition and drive may lead you to reach the same heights Lilith herself has reached.
Reagan - self inserted much? Lol Thx for the chapter
L Pedersen
Ilea has now reached the same level as Hector had when they first met. I'd love to know how much he has gained from this, if he's gained as much as she then maybe he'll hit 400 before her. This leveling still feels fast to me, I still remember when she spent months and months in tremor grinding mobs every day. I know this is different and she's much stronger and able to kill more mobs now, it still feels "rushed"
Ghornet
She's a bona-fide legend now. In the system til the end of time probably.
Corwin Amber
'let alone face them' face -> faced
Corwin Amber
'rained in form' form -> from
Albedo's Ahoge
RIP cursed Baker.
Mislandor
Those last few lines, from that last point of view - perfect! I love how it has changed from "call of a powerful healer" to "Call of Lilith", thank you! Great start to my day.
MrrC
Hmm - I think some of those monster bodies would be great gifts for the Vultures.....undead rock beetles etc would be fairly awesome defenses
Tommy Littlefield
It’s cool that she’s been system recognized now
Thransk
Is the first time we have seen the system acknowledge Ilea outside of her own personal interactions that wasn't entirely intentional? I know she helped with the classes, but that was her goal. This seems like she has so much power that the system is being warped by her personality.
MrrC
Thanks for a great chapter.
Looks like Ilea is getting famous enough that the system is on a first name basis with her most well known name now.
Oxylus
The Call of Lilith. Love the change and how the system recognizes how wide spread and powerful that persona is. Annnnd now we know she did it herself. Annnnnnd... [Battle Healer] is another nice change. Maybe people will think twice when they consider mouthing off.
Tony Gilbert King
No I'm definitely first
MrrC
first
