RhaegarRRL
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Chapter 444 Busy Schedule
🕑 Added 2020-02-27 12:42:08 +0000 UTCAuthor's note February 27th: Hello dear readers. New chapters are up and I hope you like them :). Thank you for all the nice feedback on the last chapters. I've had a couple rough weeks (nothing serious) and the comments really cheered me up.
Again, as a reminder (I'll make a post on Saturday about this as well), starting NEXT WEEK, I'll be working full time in civic service and won't be able to write six chapters per week anymore. How much I can get done next to work is yet to be seen.
I expect around 1-3 chapters per week (more likely 1-2).
Tiers will remain the same. Do cancel or reduce your subscription before the 1st of March (Sunday) if you wish to do so.
Saturday the 29th will (probably ;)) get 2 chapters as usual.
I'll inform you then and in a separate post about the posting schedule.
Until then, have a good week.
EPUB/PDF: https://www.patreon.com/posts/32241245
Chapter 444 Busy Schedule
Ilea said her goodbyes for now, no further requests coming from the group of teachers. She thought about visiting Iana but decided to wait another day with that.
There had been a lot of talking, a lot of new people. The way they looked at her freaked her out a little. Near reverence. Lilith had a name, apparently not just here in Ravenhall but farther out as well.
She tried to come off as casual as she could but the demonstrations were a little too effective. At least they all want to stay and most might actually continue with the resistance training.
Back in some casual clothes and leather armor, Ilea went back into the city. She was looking forward to the wilderness but a couple short stops were still necessary.
People dont know my face, she thought, walking towards the second circle. Ravenhall had the benefit of the Shadows Hand, making high level adventurers something most people barely looked at twice.
The Shadowguards assumed it was her, black hair and a high level healer tag probably rare enough in these parts. That however was a good thing too, meaning the controls were quick and simple. She just hoped the guards were as respectful to everyone else as well. So far there was no reason to believe otherwise.
No beggars in the streets, she noted. Neither in the first ring nor the others.
She quickly made her way to Claires office, blinking into the building after signaling to the guard.
Come in, the woman said. She was sitting on her desk, as she generally did. Working on the unending administrative workload from the city and the Hand.
Do you ever tire? Ilea asked as she stepped into the room.
Cless wasnt there today but her little art station remained, taking over a third of the room.
I doubt you sleep much either, with your progress, Claire said and summoned a piece of paper. Here is the list of general skills you could learn. I added small notes with my opinions.
Ilea nodded. Thanks Claire. I appreciate the work.
Of course you do. Heres a map with known dungeons in the surrounding regions. Many are controlled by governments, the regional adventurer guild or other groups. Our info there isnt up to date but Im sure youll figure something out once youre there. Be it sneaking past or paying a small tribute, she explained and summoned another sheet onto the table.
A hand drawn map with various marked locations.
That will be useful, Ilea said. I dont think going back into the Descent already would be the best idea.
I agree. Hence the map. Im sure even you will find something suitable to train against. The ones marked with a skull, artists choice, are the ones generally avoided even by higher level teams, Claire said.
Ilea nodded and looked through the list of general skills.
Alchemy (If you are interested. Mostly expensive to learn)
Astronomy (Requires quite extensive knowledge)
Baking (Id go for it)
Brewing (If youre interested)
Calligraphy (Should be possible to pick up fairly quickly with your Dexterity)
Carpentry (Might be good)
Cartography (There are shops owned by you that could offer training in this might take a month)
Cooking (ask Keyla good idea, might take a week or two to learn)
Dancing (I could teach you)
Enchanting (Iana is busy and its not your forte. Id leave this one)
Engineering (Complex topics, if youre interested)
Farming (Not so much, would take months to learn)
Fishing (If you enjoy it others probably more efficient)
Herbalism (Extensive knowledge necessary dont if you have any related skills in your Class)
Instruments (Take long to learn)
Jewelry Making (Has potential)
Languages (Too much effort)
Leatherworking/Tailoring (Plenty of shops. Youre probably too strong, not recommended)
Mining (Definitely, should be simple enough for you. Grab a pickaxe and go to town)
Painting (Cless would surely offer might take longer)
Pottery (An option but difficult)
Resistances (Explore the dungeons, some new things might pop up I will keep looking)
Singing (Not sure)
Smithing (Good idea, would take a while but you might be able to do small repairs)
Survival (Probably impossible for you with your regeneration, Id let it be)
Tracking (With your perception, might be worth the trouble. Not if you have a skill like that already)
Trapping (Would need to travel with someone)
Weapon skills (You learned about archery. Keep on that. Anything else you need, let me know)
Thats a lot of stuff, she said.
I just listed some common ones. You can get a general skill for many things if you just dedicate enough time and effort towards learning it. Some on the list should be rather easy for you to get, others only make sense if youre interested, Claire said.
Id like to learn how to use a war hammer. If you could find me a teacher. During my mornings sometime in between or just in the arena as well. Ill take you up on the dancing offer. Any of the dungeons on the map a former mine? Ilea said.
Mines often turn into dungeons. Im sure youll find some of them on there, Claire replied.
Thats good to know. The main thing I get from this skill list is that most everything can be a skill, Ilea said.
That was part of the intention. Also to give some helpful starters. Any random skills you would have picked up by fighting monsters, you would have already picked up by now, Claire said.
Weird that I dont have Cartography. I did map out some dungeons, she said.
Takes more than some. Especially as a general skill. If you have it as a class, it would be easier to level, Claire explained. Same reason why you shouldnt try to get anything you have already covered by any of your class skills. Any experience will just flow into them instead.
Class skills are the priority. Anything else I can pick up or level is just the cherry on top, Ilea said. So, when are we having those dancing lessons? she asked with a smile, pocketing the two pieces of paper.
I have plenty left to do. Maybe tomorrow? Claire suggested.
Sure. Ill visit after Im done with the Sentinels, she said.
How did it go, by the way? Claire asked.
Ilea talked about the experience but kept it short, both of them eager to get on with their tasks.
Task of getting the hell out of this city, she thought and made her way over to the Golden Drake. At the very least saying hello after arriving back in Ravenhall was mandatory. And checking in on her supplier. To make sure that she was safe.
Ilea left the city half an hour later, checking her map as she exited through the northern gate.
Maam, are you sure you want to leave alone at night? a guard asked, clutching his spear tightly.
[Warrior lvl 84]
Ilea smiled. I think Ill be fine.
There were a couple dungeons nearby but Claire had scratched them through. Either because the magic types used by the creatures within were common amongst humans or because the level was too low to even consider.
The latter wasnt necessarily a valid concern with Avatar of Ash. Ilea still decided to go a little farther north, spreading her wings before she ascended.
One of the dungeons close to the imperial plains was specifically marked. It also had the little skull indicating that there were unknowns present or the nearby population and adventurers actively avoided the place.
Ilea charged her wings and sped up and over the mountains, realizing quickly that the landscape here wasnt as vast and expansive as that in the north. She slowed down again and descended, already past the mountain chain within which Ravenhall and Morhill lay.
The sky was rather clear, only a few clouds visible. Ilea took a deep breath as she looked at the mountains. The terrain changed rather quickly, from the plains showing low hills to the steep mountainous incline that soon reached dangerous heights and cliffs.
She took a moment to appreciate her wings once more. Even with her running speed, the geography itself would get in the way, not that she came close to her charged wings.
I should probably get the third tier, might bring an increase to my wings as well, she thought. There were a couple options remaining and now that she hadnt gotten much more suitable skill options from Claire, she played with the idea of advancing a bunch of resistances that would have otherwise been a secondary concern.
Definitely want Monster Hunter and Veteran, doubt I could get any of the others to the end of the second tier in a feasible amount of time. Void and Blood is a must too, leaving me with currently just one third tier skill point.
She checked her map and started flying in the direction she thought the dungeon was located at.
Half a minute later, she looked through her third tier options in her general skills. It would likely take a while for her to find the place in the darkness.
General skills available for third tier advancement:
- Blood Manipulation Resistance
You have faced both the carefully crafted Corruption of the Descent as well as the might of a Starved Vampire. Neither has fazed you, proving that your body is ready to advance Blood Manipulation Resistance to the third tier.
- Corrosion Resistance
You have literally bathed in acid, have chosen to slather yourself in corrosive substances instead of trying to avoid them. It is quite frankly, concerning. Your body has melted and regenerated so many times it might even be second nature by now. Should you wish to advance your Corrosion Resistance to the third tier, you may do so.
- Lava Magic Resistance
You trained with a Trakorov. Why?
- Light Magic Resistance
Not many have witnessed the combined effort of Elder Sun Sprites and even fewer have lived to tell the tale. It is beyond anything the second tier would provide protection against, making you ready for the third tier.
- Sand Magic Resistance
Its been like a week. Please slow down with these. A Lightning Elemental and a Sand Elemental. I think it is time to accept that you will not learn. Sand Magic Resistance can be increased to the third tier, should you wish to do so. Perhaps this skill will help steer you towards a different fate than a certain Chosen One.
- Wind Resistance
The Storm Griffin is an ancient and proud creature. Your survival is a grave insult and proof enough that you deserve to reach the next tier of Wind Resistance.
Might have been a little spendy with all those points, she thought. Corrosion and Wind sounded like good options as well. Perhaps better than Lightning. The Elemental swayed me, she smiled.
Well, theres plenty of levels and thus third tier points to gain in the coming weeks and months, starting here.
Ilea had spotted a distant light source thanks to her enhanced eyes and the aerial view. A combination that really started to shine now that she was back outside and not within a dungeon anymore.
Perfect that Im looking to go into a dungeon once again, she thought and sped up, air rushing by as she lowered her altitude, landing entirely about a hundred meters away from what she could now identify as a building.
It stood three stories high, half carved into the stone adjacent. There were a few other buildings, some similarly placed into the rocky hillside.
A village? Ilea asked herself, unsure if this really qualified. She walked up to the mansion, feeling arcane power emanate from the ground around her.
Runes? She checked through her sphere and quickly found the runed stones lazily strewn in the general vicinity.
Ilea couldnt discern what they did and decided to move on, rather sure the amount of magic she felt from the stones coupled with the simple design even coming close to Claires power. Let alone anything that could trap her.
Shouldnt underestimate people, she reminded herself, stepping to the dirt road that led past the building. None of the runes changed their behavior. To her perception at least.
She could already hear some people talking, the faint sounds of a piano, likely off key and the clinking of glasses.
Her entrance was met with little reaction, Ilea still dressed in her casual clothes, her ash armor hidden near her neck but under her shirt and leather armor.
Greetings traveler, the barkeep said as he approached her from behind the counter.
Evening. An ale if you would, she said.
Coming right up. What brings a healer to Karheim? Here on Orders business? the man asked.
[Mage lvl 138]
Pretty high level for a barkeeper. Maybe hes like Walter, just trying to find a quiet place somewhere.
Im looking for a dangerous dungeon nearby. Am I in the right place? she asked. The map had mentioned Karheim, making this very much the right place. It would be interesting to see if the man withheld information.
Sure is. Plenty of adventurers and miners come by to find their luck in the depths. With your level you should probably be fine if you take a team with you, just dont go into the cursed hall, he said and placed a mug down near her.
Ilea grabbed it and drank. Cursed hall? Sounds interesting.
Its a powerful spell kept in place by the Golems that occupy the dungeon. It isnt worth it. Many have tried. Im sure youll find a group willing to take in a healer. In case that is what you are looking for? he said.
She could tell that more than a few people were listening in on their conversation. Many trained warriors and mages, some of them able to make out the words despite the talks and music in the dimly lit room.
He was right, two groups were already discussing about hiring her.
Not exactly. I just follow the road I presume? she asked.
Yes. Do you need a room for the night? the man said.
That wont be necessary. Ill take the mug though, she said and summoned a piece of silver, placing it down on the counter as she walked out.
Ah, maam! We th- one of the mages was standing up, calling out to her.
Ilea appeared outside with her mug in hand and blinked again. I love that the ale is still here, she thought, looking at the swirling liquid in her wooden mug. And he continues the tradition of good fucking beverages in fuck off no mans land.
Two blinks later, she had crossed the distance to the dungeon entrance. It was closed off by what she assumed to be stone or earth magic. A steel gate was placed in the middle.
There was a small stone structure to the side of the entrance with a window and a door. Someone was sleeping inside. And he has the keys. Probably the usual way to enter the dungeon. And they request a fee as well? she thought, looking through the small dome like structure with her sphere.
She ignored the snoring man and blinked through the entrance, no enchantments placed to prevent the easy entry. Ill pay some other time, when hes awake.
ding You have entered the Karheim dungeon
Ilea assumed the dungeon would be more busy during the day. At this time most of the adventurers had gone to the inn, celebrating whatever victory or find they had achieved during their delves.
Most of the patrons had been between level fifty and one hundred. No wonder they were looking for a healer.
Pretty fucked up to leave the gate closed what if someone is injured and tries to escape? She assumed there was a fee to exit as well.
Ilea decided not to inquire about the dungeon residents. If it was anything that a level fifty adventurer could face, it wasnt a concern to her. Not underestimating her adversaries was important but there were limits. She had after all killed level two hundred humans with single attacks and that was back before the Descent.
Let alone the level four and five hundred monsters I fought constantly. Theyd have to surprised me with some pretty novel stuff to pin me down.
Her ash armor spread and covered her as she walked deeper into the cave system.
The first monsters she encountered seemed more surprised than she was.
[Vicious Bat lvl 25]
Magic? She asked with her mind magic.
The creatures didnt react to the thought, some rushing at her while others tried to get away as quickly as possible.
Ilea let them approach to see if they could perhaps provide a resistance.
The bats landed on her and started to nibble on her armor, thoroughly unsuccessful. She didnt feel any magic coming from them either.
Just bats. Makes me feel kind of bad to just slaughter them. There is no point at all. I would even take away the dangerous adversaries of the other adventurers.
She chuckled at the notion, enhancing the sound with mana.
The bats dropped to the ground, motionless.
Ilea spread her wings and flew past, making sure not to step on any of them. So Monster Hunter works the same on creatures. Good to know.
She found the bats didnt pursue her anymore after that, showing some sort of primitive instinct. To think they even attacked me in the first place is ludicrous. Thatd be like me fighting an Elemental.
Ilea wondered if there was a transported bat from Earth just decimating the local wildlife, becoming the first sentient bat. Manbat.
The way the Fae had explained it, the possibility of other species being transported was pretty likely.
Does a tiger get a tiger class once it comes here? Or can it gain a random class associated with its actions? she thought while walking deeper on her search for magical creatures and perhaps even a dangerous foe, holding her staff of light.
Comments
fbt
idk, but in her shoes I'd try very hard to find more melee and unarmed (or adjacent) skills. Wrestling, for example; maybe not overly useful but it reinforces to the system her unarmed melee focus. Or what if she really focused on simple dodging via agility for a month 24x7? would she get a dodge skill? etc there are lots of options. Sneaking and hiding skills would be my move, but prolly not hers. She could use Monster Hunter to taunt things hoping to get a taunt skill; that'd be super useful for her. Use it every time it comes off cd, evade, rinse repeat. And, ofc, she appreciates a good beer, brewing/cooking although I think they muddy the build intent rather badly (remember the gourmand path she was offered). She's close to unlocking some dimensional stuff I suspect...might be useful to study w/ christopher (she had options before realmtraveler); might open up options. Lots of stuff.
zoli bassoff
might be able to get some basic ranks just by mining with a basic pick axe. melting metal would be smelting
Han Pol
On the mining skill, i mean real mining doesn't quite work like that, but with her wave of amber producing heat, she can also melt metal, that should make mining really effective. if the second tier of mining shows something like ores her ash should be super effective in digging metal up.
Songy
I fully expect a "I give up" text at some point down the line
tibbish
Well going by in story what the SupaFae said most of the advantages with 3rd Tier resistances is they let you level them more and increase your resistance totals. Additional major advantages like happened with Meditate T3 won't happen typically. Even the rarer and weirder resistances like Space Magic Res. only seemed to give the opportunity to lvl the resistance more. More resistance is of course a pretty big deal. And given that the T3 of her ash class increases her durability for every levelled resistance she gets by a fair amount for T3 there are some nice bonuses that can still make raising it (pretty much all of the eventually) to T3 worthwhile it seems she should definitely prioritize other ones first. If anything I'd expect something like Soul Magic Res. to really grant something interesting in T3 rather than Lava Magic Res.
I would plan to advance Corrosion Resistance and Lava Magic Resistance since both had a valuable body enhancement in the second stage, and consequently might have something particularly good in the third stage. Probably advance Corrosion Resistance now, but hold off on Lava until she is back north and can get the Trakorov to help her get to 3T30. I think Wind Resistance should also be advanced to 3rd stage, but again, probably wait until she is close to someone who can help her cap it at 3T30, like the Griffin or the Healer ??? Elf. Also advance Blood Magic and Void Magic Resistances as soon as they become available. All of that comes to 5, which exhausts her current points, but by capping out those skills and leveling other general skills, she should soon get two more points for Veteran and Monster Hunter. After all of those, I would plan for Earth Magic and Blast Resistances to the 3rd tier.
Albedo's Ahoge
Thank you for the chapter and best wishes with your new job.
Roethan
She'll use her ash tendrils as mining picks and drills. She's done it before just now she'll do it with the intent of getting neat metals instead of breaking and entering a new dungeon room.
Joshua Little
Good luck with the job. Thanks for the chapter.
Kris
Awww nooo.. why does real life have to be annoying. Well im not going anywhere and will say it over and over again... money well spent.
Dodok Sabrefrenzies
She could finally try and get that Cave In Resistance she was wondering about ;D
By the way, for anyone who is considering dropping from the $5 tier to the $2 tier and has not done the math yet, you should note that at 2 chapters per week it will take the entire month of March and 4 days into April until the $2 tier is caught up to the last chapter of February $5 tier. So that is why I am dropping the story for March and probably paying for it again in April, at the $2 tier.
Chad Hagner
Man I look forward to these chapters each week I'm really sorry to see them be reduced but I'll be keeping my subscription. Hopefully you'll be able to pick back up at a later time.
Alsia
I personally will be keeping my subscription. You write a fantastic story, and even though you'll slow down for a few months, it's only for a few months. I'd much rather support you during this time so that you keep providing me with one of my favourite stories.
Arkeus
most of the ones she got unlocked for third tier she fought people at level 1000 or ancient beings for.
"I should probably get the third tier, might bring an increase to my wings as well, she thought." That sentence needs to specify WHICH resistance she is talking about. I'm guessing she meant wind resistance, but I had to read the passage three times to be able to guess that.
I wonder why Curse Resistance and Time Magic Resistance are not on the 3rd tier availability list. She has fought Praetorians and Zanedin Hunters with curse magic, and Kingsguard and Zanedin Hunters with time magic. The Zanedin Hunters also increased her Blast Resistance, so Blast Resistance seems like another one that should be available. For reference, here are the resistances at 2T20 that are NOT listed as available for 3rd tier advancement this chapter: Blast Resistance, Curse Resistance, Gravity Magic Resistance, Health Drain Resistance, Ice Resistance, Mana Drain Resistance, Stamina Drain Resistance, Time Magic Resistance EDIT: By the way, does anyone know what chapter Ilea's Curse Resistance advanced to the 2nd tier? I cannot find the description of the 2nd stage.
Atlas Dwarf
Man those adventurers are sure going to be confused when they see a Healer mining in a dungeon with her fists. Could also try and get a singing General Skill with all this laid back exploring and training. As for Survival considering Ilea didn't get it back when she was at the Azarinth Temple probably means it would be extremely difficult to get now. Definitely doesn't help her Class already covers reduced intake.
G. Harthane
March until end of May.
Eofad
I appreciate the warning but I’m still spending less a month on you than I pay for a single movie ticket, and even if you dropped to 1 chapter a week I’d still be getting more entertainment out of you than I do from most movies I watch.
Your story is one of the few i wanted to pay for, and I will not change a thing because you deserve it for the work you do !
The mining skill could be seriously cool. Elos is quite an amazing place with all the magic warping the environment. I expect that there would be underground caverns full of mana and other interesting finds. I reckon this is what attracted the dwarves and Taleen; aside from cliche. Furthermore with her stats she could go ham, digging fast without a worry for getting trapped or hurt. On a side note, one of my favourite games has winged characters flying about with pickaxes and beating the crap out of monsters.
Seb
Your story has kept me entertained for so long that you absolutely still deserve $5 a month while you're busy dealing with real stuff!
Thanks for the chapter.
Only 1 to 2 chapters per week for $5 per month is not going to work for me, so I'll take your advice and drop the story for March. I'll probably pay again in April, but only at the $2 level since the chapter release rate will be so low.
Toknightly
How long do you expect the reduced chapter rate to last?
snarleyow
This series has provided me many hours of entertainment and I think at this point I've read it through completely 3 times. You absolutely have earned $5 a month while you deal with RL stuff.
Lomie0
You've undermined my intent to make the 1st mining pun DX
Azareck
The 3rd tier Lava Magic Resistance had me laughing.
Story Seeker
I’m really having trouble deciding if they title of the chapter was coincidental or on purpose, but I am leaning toward the latter.
Taxel
She sort of is already to Ilea what Elana was to Maro.
Osprey36
I was going through a really hard time when I first found your series, and it kept me busy with my mind on your world of Elos rather than other things. I'm even trying to write something of my own, granted I don't even have a full chapter yet but still. I think I'll keep my subscription where it is
MountainFox
The reduced chappies and mining skill would probably be a minor issue. I'll see myself out.
Acquiles Vitorino de Melo Graça
Wait, I've been asking myself this for some time, but is Claire actually dropping hints she would be interested in Illea? She just doesn't seem like someone that would teach others to dance.
Jacob
Azerinth Tiger lol
Sekander
I will keep my subscription where it is. You have earned it.
Emma Carlin
I hope some random adventurers walk in on her doing something absolutely ridiculous. I can't remember the last time she was in a normal/populated dungeon.
