They all end up lying on the bed together. Helo is in the center and on either side the girls are staring up into the ceiling. It has been a long few days and everyone is tired. But Helo wants to learn some more about cultivation. This was his second message about it, and he still has no idea what it really is. Before he asks, he checks his new status.
Level: 40
Stats: 492
- Str: 28 (+5%)
- Agl: 82 (+15%)
- Dex:53 (+15%)
- Per: 60 (+30%)
- Vit: 104 (+50%)
- End: 31 (+15%)
- Int: 30 (+5%)
- Will: 104 (+50%)
Looking it over he realizes just how much he needs to increase his endurance, strength and intelligence. They truly are lagging. Especially his strength and endurance. He is a physical fighter and needs more strength.
Deciding to add his free point to strength for a few levels Helo quietly asks more about cultivation. It is Hinata that reply’s first.
“Well, for many they start with building what they call a foundation. They use pure energy and strengthen their body. Eventually they start drawing in energy from the element they have the highest attunement with. So, when you get notifications about cultivation it means you’re pushing your body to its limit. It also might mean that you’re forcefully attuning your body to an element.” As she says this, she leans her head on Helo’s shoulder.
He has nothing against her doing so, and in truth he finds it relaxing. “The issue is that you’re using a different element for your body and spirit. It is possible, but it takes research and certain methods to balance two different elements in a single being.” Alli looks over at Helo and on his other side she sees Hinata leaning on him. Giving her a glare she does as well.
That makes a lot of sense and clears up some of the questions he had. What he hears next surprises him. “But cultivation is a part of the system also. For some tier upgrades you have to reach a certain level of cultivation.” Hinata looks away in thought. “I’m not sure which tier’s it is though.”
Alli adds her piece from the other side of Helo. “One has to do with completely attuning your body to an affinity. The other has to do with forming a core. Another has to do with strengthening your spirit.” Both Helo and Hinata look at Alli in surprise. She is smart, but she generally isn’t the person to know random facts. “What?” She says with an indignant tone. “I read… Sometimes.”
“A core?” Helo asks, he is surprised by that. He has been calling the metaphysical space near his diaphragm his core.
“Yeah.” She points to her diaphragm. “You have to condense your energy and create the necessary pathways for energy to gather and flow.”
Huh. With my title and energy levels, maybe I should try. Helo thinks this but he realizes that he still has to figure out what is going on with his merging affinities.
As Helo is lost in thought, Hinata is enjoying the moment to relax. But Alli sits up with a jolt. “You hit level 40!”
Hinata’s eyes go wide. “Oh, a new skill.” She says and Helo realizes that he never actually saw all his notifications. He stopped while they were talking about cultivation. Nodding his head he pulls open his system notifications.
You have reached level 40, and another skill selection.
Choose a single skill.
- Negative Weakening (Uncommon)
- Sure Throw (Common)
- Tracker Mark (Common)
- Umbrakinesis (Rare)
- Shadow Sneak (Common)
Looking at all his new skills Helo is a little unimpressed. A few of the skills are repeated from his level 30 skill choice. Some are new, but one of them appears to be an upgrade of his own skills. Umbrakinesis feels like a branch off of his own ‘Dark Hand’ skill. He wants to turn the skill into a more broad-spectrum telekinesis skill. This feels like it focuses much more on the dark aspect of ‘Dark Hand’.
Stealth skills would be a big help. He is great at hiding, but he still can’t block people from seeing him. Having a mark to track people would be useful as well. But the skill he keeps going back to is ‘Negative Weakening’. He already has a debuffing skill ‘Defiled Wound’. But its range is touch and it is single target. This new skill feels like a wide range skill.
If he had the skill while he was fighting through the rift, he would have had a much easier time. Helo knows that he is strong, but fighting enemies with a higher level is still tough. They have more skills, tougher bodies and a lot of them have been fighting for much longer than he has. The only other type of skill that he would choose before this one is another movement skill. But a skill that can weaken someone would be really helpful. Not needing to convince himself further, Helo accepts the skill.
You have gained the skill ‘Negative Weakening’.
Negative Weakening (Uncommon): Send out a wave of negative energy that weakens enemies. This causes physical weakness and mental weakness to anyone who contacts the wave. Can be channeled using physical and mental energy. Whatever energy is channeled into skill will cause a proportional decrease in stats related to that energy. Only one energy can be channeled at a time and there is a thirty-minute cool down.
Reading the skill Helo and the two girls are pretty shocked. Channeled skills are powerful and Helo’s energy reserves are potent and extremely large for his level. This skill is great for him, and he believes he will be able to use it to great effect. He wants to try out the skill, but even the thought of using it makes his full body ache.
Not having any more notifications, Helo leans back into the bed and closes his eyes.
Hours later Helo wakes up and reaches over his head to do his normal stretch. It is too late by the time he realizes his entire body is still in pain. Thankfully pain can’t shoot up his shoulders and through his body, his hands are not even moving. Looking down to his left and right, he now realizes why his arms are stuck.
Both Alli and Hinata are sleeping on his shoulders. Feeling his eyes closing again, the last thing Helo thinks is, why did I even wake up.
“Knock, Knock, Knock.” “Ah. That is what woke me.” Helo says in a normal voice. He suprsies himself with the fact that he finally can speak normally. Getting a feeling for his body he is surprised that he is feeling much better, not great, but better. Which truthfully, isn’t saying much. Going from agonizing pain with every move to agonizingly sore with every move, Helo does feel better though.
“Mhmm. Ahhhhh, I’m so comfy.” Alli says as she wakes up from the knocking. Sitting up she rubs her eyes and looks down at Helo. “Good morning.” She says sleepily. “AHHH! What are you doing in my bed!”
Looking around she realizes that she isn’t in her bed. She is in his bed. Blushing she jumps up, ignoring what just happened she opens the door. “Hello.” She says with fake happiness and a blush to the young man that was sent to talk to Helo.
“Ah… Miss BrightMoon. What are you…” Stuttering and confused the man looks further into the room. Seeing Hinata cuddled up with Helo in bed the man just freezes. “Ah…”
Putting her hands on her hips she looks at him. “Well?”
“Oh. Ah. We are planning to leave soon. I was sent to wake Helo.” The man gives his message and Alli expects him to leave.
He is just standing in the doorway in shock. Looking back, Alli can see Hinata is awake and stretching with zero concern for the fact that her clothing has shifted in her sleep. Snapping her fingers at the man, he quickly looks back at Alli. “Ahem! Nope. Eyes here man.”
The man isn’t sure about what to say or what is happening. Alli just waves her hand at the man, and he spins and starts to stiffly walk away. “MHPF.” She snorts and turns, closing the door she looks at her friends. “Time to go.”
It doesn’t take the group long to get ready. Hinata and Alli just needed to put on their gear over the clothes they slept in. Helo is ready as well. He isn’t sure who washed him, and he has no desire to ask around and find out. He is a little scared of the answer as he looks at Hinata and Alli out of the corner of his eye. They are helping one another tighten their gear. Both girls had nice sets of leather and cloth armor. But over the day of fighting, their nice sets were destroyed. There is only so much repair enchantments can do.
Sitting up is easier than before and grabbing the edge of the bed Helo gets ready to push himself to his feet. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he tenses his muscles. Only for hands to stop him from moving. Looking up, Alli has a hand on his right and Hinata on his left. “Wait. We have something for you.” Alli says.
Hinata reaches behind her and pulls a cane out of the storge bag that is sitting on the small of her back. “It was Alli’s idea. But I had it commissioned.” She speaks with a straight face, but both Helo and Alli know her well enough, she feels extremely smug, but she is trying to hid it.
Looking at the cane Helo can see why. Chuckling and then holding his chest as pain radiates outward, he can see Alli glaring at Hinata. Who is looking back with a face that is far too innocent to be real. ‘Appraisal’. Using the skill out of reflex a lightning bolt of pain shoots from his diaphragm and through his body.
Cane of Vulpine Assistance. (Common)
A cane made from a freely given branch of a dryad’s tree. Shaped by a wood smith and filled with the intention of easing movement.
Helo isn’t sure what he expected but this is not it. The cane is enchanted in a way that Helo has yet to use. No runes of any kind are carved into the surface. Instead, the material and crafters intentions aligned, then through the crafting process it was given power through intention.
This is something that takes a lot of skill, money and time. You need the skill to focus on your intention while non-stop crafting. You need the money to find materials that align with your own intentions. Otherwise, you are just fighting against the material itself. Then it takes a lot of time to create a work of art like this. Plus, it is much harder to create powerful enchantments like this.
The only reason Hinata was able to get this item done before Helo awoke is because of two words ‘freely given’. It makes it considerably easier when you can communicate with a tree and ask it to help you with your resources.
Not only is the crafting process impressive, but the cane is a work of art. It is made from what appears to be three branches that are woven together. They rise up and the handle was carved into the image of a kitsune. The fox has its nose up in the air, making the front of the cane. The hand hold is along the fox’s back and the multiple tails of the fox rise up and form a circle. This makes up a hand guard that you slide your hand into.
Grabbing the cane Helo looks between the girls. “Thank you. This is beautiful.” As soon as he slips his hand though the fox’s tail and grabs the back, he can feel a soothing wave of energy flow through his body. It isn’t healing or anything like that. It’s more like taking an aspirin.
Putting his weight on the cane, the girls grab Helo under his arms, and he rises up. Standing on his feet for the first time in a few days Helo stumbles a bit. But in the end, he is able to walk by himself. If only for a little bit. The first thing he does is look out the window. It seems like his assumption was correct. He is in the mayor’s house; he is on the second floor in a room that faces the central tree.
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Exiting the room he slowly works his way downstairs. The girls are walking with him, but they are letting him move himself. Going down the stairs is a tricky experience. You would think that with Helo’s powerful stats he can manage easily. But in this instance, all those stats are working against him, his body wants to do so much, and barely being able to do anything is making it hard to move at such a slow and cautious pace.
At the bottom of the stairs, they find a group of people who are having some kind of meeting. The mayor is there with the one remaining tier 2 guard. Rain, Emi and Drahnel are also sitting on the other side from the mayor. Sitting or standing on another one of the sides there are a group of officials and people from more prominent families. One side of the table is left open. Well not completely, the Heiresses party is standing behind three chairs.
To everyone’s surprise the two heiresses lead Helo to the central chair and sit on either side of him. It isn’t correct etiquette for a mere guard to be sitting in a central location. But the officials are the only people that seem to care and one glare from Hinata makes them all keep their mouths shut.
“So, where are we on preparing for the evacuation?” Hinata asks as everyone gets settled. Helo just lets them all talk around him; he is focused on the food in the middle of the table. Reaching out with a slow and slightly shaky hand he almost reaches the pastry. Before he can get his hand around it another hand snakes out to his left. Looking over Hinata is smiling sweetly at him. He gives her a glare as she takes a bite. Then to everyone’s surprise, after the bite she sets the pastry on Helo’s plate.
Helo doesn’t care; he is HUNGRY. Shrugging he grabs the food and digs in. The conversation around them stops as everyone watches Helo and Hinata share food. Again, that isn’t something that should be done. But again, Hinata glares at the officials and nobody says anything. Everyone else at the table acts like nothing is happening, well everyone but Emi. She is smiling at the two of them with an excited expression. She looks like she wants to ask when the wedding is.
Helo doesn’t even notice her. The conversation continues and they learn that they have about two more hours before they are ready to go. More monsters are congregating around the area, but it is far less than before. The town is north of the mouth of the volcano, and the entrance to the underground city is on the western side. Helo cleared away the rifts between them and the city. But there are still more rifts out there. Ones that were too far for Helo to get to them in a reasonable time. Or some that they don’t even know about.
“So, we will be leaving in two hours, and I am going to stay back to modify the barrier.” The mayor says to the people.
They all look at her. It sounds like she is going to sacrifice herself. “What do you mean Mayor Eliana?” Alli asks.
She looks at Alli with a face of sadness and resolve. “I can’t let them hurt my tree. I was there as she grew from a seed. I have seen and helped her grow for over a hundred years.” Hinata can’t grasp the full meaning of the mayor’s words, but her own dryad instincts have her nodding her head in understanding.
“What about the heart seed?” Drahnel asks. He is the strongest dryad in the room. The heart seed is essentially the core of the tree. It contains much of the tree’s memories and is a way for a tree to replant itself. It is also a great cultivation resource that can be regrown with a lot of time and effort.
She just shakes her head. They know what that means, it was used for some reason. She doesn’t specify what it was used for, but it can be used to create powerful progeny or even be a way for a tree to sacrifice its truck and leaves. This is what Drahnel was asking about. The tree could funnel all its energy into the seed and quickly regrow. But another way for the seed to be used is for a dryad or some kind of similar species to use it in a bonding ritual.
If she bonded the tree, then they can understand why she is willing to sacrifice herself to keep the tree safe. They all try to talk her out of it, but she is adamant. In the end it is her life, if she wants to stay back to retract the barrier then she can.
“I’ll do it.” Helo says. While reaching for another pastry.
Everyone looks at him in shock. Nobody says anything as Helo’s shaky hand slowly reaches out and grabs the food. Then he slowly brings it back to himself.
Rain starts to laugh and some of the officials laugh along with him. Opening his eyes to see only a few people laughing he looks at Helo. “Oh… your serious.”
Nodding his head, Helo is cut off by Hinata. “Nope.” That’s all she says but to her, it is enough.
“Yeah, sorry Helo, but were not letting you do that.” Alli adds in.
Some of the officials want to argue. If the kid wants to sacrifice himself, then let him. He is a nuisance to many of them. Everyone can tell that both girls are into him. Even if they are all too young and immature to truly work things out. They all know that when they are older it will most likely be inevitable. So, if the kid wants to kill himself. Let him!
He looks between Alli and Hinata. “I have ways to boost myself. If I only, do it for a minute, my increased endurance will counteract the damage.”
“And if it takes you longer than a minute to get back?” Hinata says to him.
“It won’t. Even injured I am much faster than you all, and you will be moving with a few hundred people. By the time I am done, you will only have just crossed the tree line.” Helo looks at them. Slowly he can see as they both start to waver.
In the end, the meeting ends with everyone having a rough idea about the plan. Based on reports they are getting on their tablets; things should last another five days. Then within five days the BrightMoon family should be able to come assist and they should have the tier 3 rifts cleared. Unfortunately for them they only have enough mana stored to last another two days. Even with Akira stopping by to give them extra. So, like most of the settlements, they are being evacuated to the underground city.
Two hours later everyone is gathered at the place they previously called the kill box. The mayor used her own skills to clear away the wall that she created. She is standing on a small platform looking over the small clearing in between the town and the gate. Infront of her are some of the strongest fighters. The weaker fighters are on the sides to fight back any monsters, and some of the middle ground fighters are at the back.
Her people are crowded in front of her and there are enough that they are actually lining up down the main road toward the tree. “We have about a four-mile hike. This is through terrain we all know well. But it will potentially be filled with monsters.” A murmur can be heard going up through the crowd.
One person shouts out. “Why haven’t they gotten rid of the monsters yet. They let this happen!” At the persons yell, other people start calling out as well.
The man isn’t right, but he also isn’t wrong. Akira and Yuki let over half the rifts remain, all so that they could use them to train Hinata. It left an opening in their defenses.
Holding her hand up she waits for the crowd to quiet down. “You’re not wrong. This was a failure of the clan leader.” Hinata looks at her with a hint of betrayal, but the mayor continues. “But more than that. This was an attack on not just the Kashiwagi main family. But the entire Kashiwagi territory by another family!”
At that news many of the people are shocked. The public only knows that there are traitors. They don’t know about the vampire’s part in the plan. “But we survived! Right now, the clan leaders are fighting back the invasion on our shores! They are pushing back those that wanted to come here and take what is yours.”
A cheer goes up and the mayor points to Hinata. “You can see the main family hasn’t been sitting around doing nothing.” Everyone turns to look at her. All but one man, the man who went to Helo’s room. That man is thinking. Well, it looked like she might have been sitting around for a while to me.
“The young heiress has been with us the whole time, she spent almost as much time holding the line as the tier 2 fighters did.” The crowd cheers again. She lets them have their moment before getting to the important parts.
“I need everyone to be ready. This first push will be the worst.” Pointing over her shoulder everyone can hear the sounds of the monsters fighting to get into the barrier. “Our strongest fighters are up front. Once they push through the fighters will be surrounding the civilians. But this won’t just be a stroll in the woods. It will be fraught with danger. Everyone needs to keep an eye out. From the old timer that cleans our streets.” She points to an old breaded man. “The baker who gets up before us all.” She points to another man who is carrying a rolling pin. “To the fighter before me.” Sweeping her arms out she gestures to the group of warriors.
As everyone calms down, she finally starts to step down. “We are leaving in ten minutes.”
Down on the ground Alli and Hinata are at the front of the group. Their party is surrounding them and to either side the tier 2 fighters are preparing to breech through the gate. Alli looks toward her friends and pulls out her casting staff. Using the staff in a way that it was never meant to be used, she conjures a construct hammer on the end.
Smiling at her party she gives them a thumbs up. “Let’s all try to enjoy ourselves. Maybe gain another level. We won’t have many opportunities after today.” Stepping off to the side both Hinata and Alli go up to Helo.
“Are you sure you can use your bloodline long enough to sneak back.” Hinata says. She is really worried. Even now Helo is having trouble staying awake. She can see it in his face. Every time he moves he is in pain.
Looking her in the eyes he says. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” She gives him a look that says ‘don’t lie to me’. Holding up his hands with a wince he says, “Promise.”
With only a few minutes left to go Alli and Hinata head to a side street with Helo. Both girls pull out vials filled with red liquid. Alli is the first to speak. “Just make sure to drink mine first. Hinata already did questionable things.”
This causes Helo to chuckle as he grabs the vials. Both of them are alchemy vials and have some kinds of runes in them. “They are made from a special energy resistant material. Some concoctions are incredibly inefficient or can be unstable if they change too much.”
Using his ‘Life Sight’ with a small wince Helo can see what she is talking about. The vial is filled with vitality. But normally blood loses excess vitality really quickly. It seeps into the ground and air. But the vial seems to be containing it. Helo doesn’t even think he has to drink the liquid. Just breath in the vitality that will come wafting out of the vial. It gives Helo some ideas about how to have ready to go vitality.
Thanking the girls Helo starts to limp his way back through the small town. He has to get to the tree before everyone leaves the gates.
“How do we know he will be okay?” Alli asks Hinata.
“We don’t… But I trust him to at least survive. If he is forced to do another month of two of bed rest. That I don’t know.” She says back. Turning back to the group she goes to her spot in the center of the formation.
The mayor is starting to climb up the pedestal again. “Everyone, we are going to be leaving in a minute. Remember what I said. Stay together and stay safe.” As she says that she jumps down and pulls out an ornate styled ring. Putting it on her hand she holds it up to the gate.
Speaking only to the fighters in the front she says. “I’m connected. This ring can control the city’s defenses to a certain degree. I can open the gate and the barrier directly outside it.” She looks at Hinata. There are higher level fighters, but as command structures go. Hinata has the lead. Nodding at the mayor, she closes her eyes to focus.
Stepping right up to the gate Hinata is flanked by Rurgrim and Carl. As the gate swings open, the barrier also opens up. All at once the monsters launch themselves forward. But the fighters are ready. The front line is made up of people with some kind of shielding skill. Behind them, mages and archers are launching a volley at the wall of monsters.
As the monsters collapse through the gate like water breaking down a dam, the first volley hits them. It doesn’t end at one attack. Now attack after attack is launched and shot toward the monsters.
Bracing her feet Hinata uses ‘Illusion’s of Reality’ to enhance her already conjured ‘Illusional Parry’ skill. Now much stronger the sword illusion is strong enough to halt the beetle that ran into it. Pushing forward everyone in the shield line uses their skills to keep each other safe and push through.
From behind them the mages are bombarding the monsters and using the safety of the shield wall to hurt or kill as many as they can. Alli is smiling as she using her newfound control over her conjured constructs to create what she called her ‘Wheel of Random Death’. From the peak of the construct as it spins in the air what appears to be a random barrage of attacks rain down upon the monsters.
They are slowly moving directly under the gate. As they get there, they set their stances and start the harvest. Dancing around her own magical defenses Hinata’s sward strikes out with a blue flame flickering behind it. She isn’t nearly as skilled as Rocco in Foxfire. But she has been training and now she has enough skill to reliably use it.
As the mages get down to half their mana they call out. A series of shouts sound out and the constant bombardment turns into a steady attack. Now they are attacking targets of opportunity. Only striking when it is a clear hit, or to save a life. They went from carpet bombing the monster back line, to supporting the front line with cover fire.
This is where Alli and Hinata shine. Both girls are like sisters. They grew up together and have been training together for all their lives. They don’t know why but from what they know about fifteen years ago both their parents suddenly went from having a basic alliance, to being the closest of friends.
Whatever their reason for doing so was, they don’t care. They are just happy that they got to grow up together. Having a peer versus turning out like Dorimer or Alli’s brother. Those two are surrounding by sycophants all day.
Slightly staggered Alli is covering Hinata’s none-dominate side. Hinata can use a katana with both hands, but she is right-handed naturally. This is how they trained. Striking out with a stab, Hinata strikes through a goblin and the dead monster slides from her blade. She can see the badger leaping toward her hip, but she doesn’t even react. Before it can strike her, she can feel heat start to form behind her. A moment later a lance of fire strikes the badger and blasts it back into the horde.
Like this the two girls work together. Alli is having a great time. She loves working with Hinata, almost as much as she loves her BFF. But she can feel it in her veins. The fight is starting to call to her in a more… physical way.
Doing something that is so smooth even an untrained pacifist could tell it is practiced to perfection. Alli’s lets out a yell and jumps. She did at a perfect moment that the monster Hinata just wounded is ready for a good hard hit. At the same time Hinata hears the yell and instantly rolls backward.
Above her Alli has already conjured her hammer. This time she created an array on the hammer construct that freezes whatever it touches. Slamming her hammer down on the head of the wounded monster, Alli has a moment to think. What is this thing.
This is a move that Hinata and Alli’s teachers have tried their best to stop them from using. They would always complain in such annoying ways to their parents. “A mage should never jump to the front line. It isn’t proper.”
To which their parents would reply with some kind of non-committal agreement. Then in private their parents would laugh about it. But they would never tell off the tutors, or their daughters. They just enjoyed how either group annoyed the other.
Slamming the hammer down on the head of the monster, Alli lets out a vicious grin. The monster then hits the ground. Its hurt front leg isn’t enough to keep it up and the ground beneath it is cracked.
Ducking under some kind of tentacle she yells. “Ewwwe! What is this?” She flinches as some kind of wet slippery substance hits her face.
“I don’t know!” Hinata yells. “But it definitely needs to die!”
Alli refuses to open her mouth as that thing’s movements spray around an unknown substance. But jumping another tentacle swipe she strikes at the tentacle’s base with her hammer. It quickly freezes over and the tentacle slows down.
From her left a sword is thrown and stabs directly into the tentacle base. It quickly shows itself to be an illusion, but the damage is done. With the sound of squelching flesh and shattering ice the tentacle tears itself off as the monster tries to attack again.