~Content Warning: Violence to Humanoids.~
I wake early the next morning. I went to bed early, so I'm all rested up. I stretch and yawn, getting ready to head outside. I decide to keep my true form, just in case they want to do measurements or whatever before we head out to look for the Nokk and Gasts.
The sixth hilly was completed yesterday, so the Huldr slept in it instead of with me in the cave. I don't mind though, less chance of me accidentally crushing her when I sleep. I look over to the tents that the researchers have set up. Seems none of them have woken up yet. Oh well, I'll probably manage to go to the river for a morning drink before they're up.
As I meander through the forest, I take note of the distinct silence. The nocturnal monsters have just gone to bed, and the diurnal ones haven't woken up yet. It's very peaceful. In the dull gloom of the barely risen sun I make out the silhouette of a Troll, just having entered their Stone Forme.
I decide, why not, let's inspect them.
Unnamed
Species: Northern Troll (Goblinoid)(Rare)
Gender: Male
Status: Stone Forme (Normal)
HP: 7000/8000 (4000)
MP: 50/50
SP: 7500/8000 (4000)
Attack: 300
Armor: 420 (-100 Vs Light)
M.Attack: 50
M.Armor: 320 (-100 Vs Light)
Speed: 180
STR: 250
CON: 400
INT: 50
WIL: 300
DEX: 150
Skills:
Language Comprehension: Goblin (Normal) - Stone Forme (Normal - Unique(Northern Troll))
Damage Resistance: Physical (Normal) - Damage Resistance: Earth (Normal)
Condition Resistance: Paralysis (Lesser) - Condition Resistance: Poison (Normal)
Iron Gut (Lesser) - Mighty Punch (Lesser)
Heavyweight (Lesser) - Regeneration: HP (Great)
Teamwork (Lesser - Servant's Bond)
Social Titles:
Om-Nom-ivore - New Life
Monarchs' Servant - Final Form
He's got some interesting Skills. I can tell that Iron Gut is an upgraded version of Hardy Digestion. Mighty Punch probably increases damage done with punches, similar to how Strong Legs do with kicks. Though I'm unsure of what Heavyweight does. Also, his HP and SP seem elevated?
*Heavyweight - Increases the attack of full body blows by 10% before Atc. Vs Arm. calculation.*
*Stone Forme - Activates automatically at dawn. Hardens the users skin into an immovable, stone-like material. Also doubles the users HP and SP for the duration. Deactivates when the sun sets.*
Oh, it's for body-slams? Or wrestling moves?? Does the Troll wrestle its opponents??? I guess the extra HP and SP is to prevent anything from killing them whilst they're defenseless...
Also, the Title, Om-Nom-ivore?
*Om-Nom-ivore - You try to eat most things you encounter, just in case it's edible. Makes others prone to insist that they, in fact, are not edible.*
... Well, I mean.
"Fuckin' amazing. Knew it was something like that."
Shush, you.
And the Troll is probably like the Hudlr, the bare minimum needed. I can just imagine a "natural grown" Northern Troll. Jeez. I shake my head and continue towards the river.
Once I return to the grove, most of the others are up and about. Many of the researchers stiffen up when they spot me. I decide to ignore them. "Ah, Millibelle, I'd hoped to take some measurements and get a general appearance description down." Mina comes over to me, carrying a measuring tape and her notebook.
"Sure, I don't mind." I reply. Mina looks confused for a moment, before realizing. "Ah, Telepathy! I've never experienced it before, it's a bit jarring." She tells me as I lay down, letting her go about measuring me. "Careful with my scales, they're sharp." I warn her as she tries to lean on my scaly side.
"Ah, right." Mina mutters as she switches sides, greatly reducing the risk of her gutting herself on my body. "So, I thought we'd check out the pond first, once I'm done with this." She says, gesturing for me to fold out a wing for her to inspect. "Sounds good. One of the Northern Trolls are in that direction as well." I inform her.
"Excellent. Let's see, pawed wings, counting... nine phalanges." She's talking to herself as she takes notes about my anatomy. I look over to what the other researchers are doing, and they've managed to convince a Jotun and a Gyger to be measured, bribed handily with dried meat.
Looking at them, full commando, reminds me. I completely forgot to give them the Octopus Cloth I made for them!
Once Mina finishes measuring and taking notes, I gather the Jotun and Gyger. I hand out a piece of Octopus Cloth to each. Instructing them on its use, they transform the cloth into basic clothing.
The Jotun seem to prefer bare-chested, only making a pair of shorts to cover up their shame. The Gyger however, made full body clothes, not unlike the Huldrs, but out of a lighter cloth. "Ah, Millibelle, if I may ask, why did you give them-?" One researcher asks, eyeing the Servants with greed in his eyes.
"Simple, I can make the Cloth easily, and I much prefer them being clothed." I stare him down. "Ah- of course- you're their Master after all." He stammers, his cheeks flushing red. He suddenly gets very busy preparing for the trip to the pond.
"Besides, summer's not going to last forever. I'd not want you going cold." I tell my Servants. They nod, chattering among themselves in Goblin about how to prepare. I turn towards Mina, who is scribbling something in her notebook. "I'm ready to go whenever you are." I inform her.
"Oh yes, just give us a moment." She finishes scribbling before heading over to the tents. From the sound of it, she's giving tasks to the researchers that will be staying behind in the grove. "Master, will you go alone with them?" Huldr asks. "I don't see why not. It's not like they pose any danger to me, besides, most of the monsters in this forest are under my control." I assure her.
I say most, because there might be monsters too strong for my Minion Status that I haven't made my Servants yet roaming the Lair. It's such a large area, the chances of no strong monsters is near zero. After all, who was the apex predator here before I arrived?
*A general analysis of the locale reveals the following possibilities: 50% Bristle Wolf Alpha, 25% Basilisk Cockerel, 10% Onyx Ironwing, 10% Jade Steelwing, 5% Other*
Oh man, I've only encountered one of those. Also the five percent chance for "Other" makes me think dragon or something. That would be interesting... Though I highly doubt a dragon would willingly become my Servant.
I'm snapped out of my musings as Mina returns with three other researchers, two female humans and a male Pyrean. I switch to my human form and guide the researchers through the forest towards the forest pond I spotted yesterday.
On the way, we stop by the petrified Northern Troll. Everyone oohs and awes at the size of it. "They enter this stone-like state when the sun rises. Once it sets, they return to normal and go about finding food." I explain. "There should be another one, a female, somewhere around here..." I add, sensing about for her.
I get a return somewhere further south. I guess they're so big, they can't really hunt together. Once the researchers finish measuring and such, we continue.
Walking on foot whilst keeping pace with someone slower than you sure makes travelling take longer. It's afternoon by the time we reach the pond. We were of course slowed down even more as whenever we encountered a bush or a plant the Pyrean man would stop and start taking notes, exclaiming things such as "It's identical to a such and such, but completely different colors!"
I guess increasing the ambient magic makes the plantlife behave oddly. As we approach the shore of the pond, I sense three Servants within the water. A mix of curiosity and... bloodlust emanates from them. "Be careful, they might try to drag you underwater." I warn.
"Servants! Your Master requests your presence!" I call out to them. One by one, human-like faces peer above the waters surface, making nary a ripple as they emerge. Intensely yellow, lidless eyes observe me, before studying the humanoids.
"Humans... and the fire-haired ones... food? Or playthings?" One of them inquires, slowly creeping closer to shore. I get in front of the researchers. "Neither, they are friends, here to learn about you. I'll be very cross with you, should you harm or attempt to harm them." The one approaching halts.
"No fun... Master is very strict." The smallest one pouts. I guess not being allowed to do as they please with humanoids go against their instincts. The Nokk of folklore would play the fiddle, luring travelers to their watery homes. Once sighted, they'd use their looks to lure the victim into the water, where the Nokk would drag them under and drown them.
All three of them get onto the shore. Their legs seem unable to carry their weight on land, so they sit on some rocks instead. Slimy green skin turns dry and into a healthy rosy color, kelp-like hair dries, turning hairlike, a deep green, almost black. At a distance, they almost look human.
What betrays their appearance though, is their eyes and tail. The tail is oddly shaped, the tip of it seems hollow, and strips of hair go across a hole. It's almost like some sort of biological musical instrument. I decide to inspect one of them.
Unnamed
Species: Nokk (Goblinoid)(Uncommon)
Gender: Male
HP: 150/150
MP: 200/200
SP: 100/100
Attack: 50
Armor: 60 (-10 Vs Fire)
M.Attack: 60
M.Armor: 70 (-20 Vs Fire)
Speed: 75
STR: 50
CON: 40
INT: 60
WIL: 50
DEX: 65
Skills:
Language Comprehension: Goblin (Great) - Teamwork (Lesser - Servants' Bond)
Permeable Skin (Normal) - Water-Breathing (Great)
Aquatic Adaptation (Great) - Elemental Affinity: Water (Normal)
Tail Action (Normal) - Sound Mimic: Fiddle (Great - Unique(Nokk))
Damage Resistance: Water (Normal) - Soothing Presence (Normal)
Condition Resistance: Poison (Lesser) - Condition Resistance: Disease (Lesser)
Hardy Digestion (Normal) - Sticky Grip (Normal)
Spells:
Create: Water (Lesser) - Control: Water (Lesser)
Water Beam (Normal) - Riptide (Normal)
Social Titles:
New Life - Monarchs' Servant
Cruel - Final Form
Ah, Sound Mimic: Fiddle, that's what their odd tails are for.
"Tell me, are there fish in this lake?" Shadow asks the Nokk as they somewhat reluctantly let the researchers measure them. I sense unease and slight confusion from them, clearly because of how distinct Shadow sounds from me.
"Some, but they are small and hard to catch. Much easier to lure things to the shore and drag it under." The biggest male responds. Shadow sighs in disappointment before retreating into my mind once again. Mind telling me what that was about?
"Simple, really. Strategically, having aquatic Skills would be highly advantageous to Us."
I guess... Maybe I should look around for aquatic monsters once we go to the marshy bit of the Lair?
I wait around as the researchers study the Nokk. There's three of them, two male and a female. One of the males are distinctly smaller than the other one, and has much more childlike features. I guess it's a different strategy? Pretending to be a drowning child?
"Or... Y' know... For those that wouldn't be lured into the water by a nude and attractive adult of either gender..."
...
I'll choose to ignore that theory.
As I try to put the thought out of my head, I get several notifications in a row.
*Status Updated: Marked for Death (True)*
*Five Unknown Humanoids Spotted by Lizardman Lancer!*
*Humanoids are Attacking your Minions!*
W-what's going on???
I had set the notifications to only alert to unknown humanoids, to prevent spam from the village. But this Status... Is it the Dagger of Aurellium, coming to exact their revenge against me?
"Hurry! Let's hurry!"
No, first we need to get the researchers back to the grove, I don't trust them to stay safe with the Nokk... I turn to Mina, who seems to have noticed my distress. "Something's come up, I need to tend to it immediately." I tell her before changing into my true form. "Tell the others to get on, I'll take you to the grove." I get down onto my stomach to let them get on more easily.
"Mind telling us what's going on?" Mina asks as the three others gather their things and get aboard. "Last week or so, I dealt with an Aurellium logging operation in my Lair. My Servants killed some of the Glove members there, and we took the others captive." I get up as the last person is seated on my back.
"Well, then I can guess who's come by for a visit..." Mina says as I lift off. "Indeed, doesn't help their mood that as I escorted the captives to the capital, I ended up capturing an Index Admin along with their entourage when they tried to spring the captives." Mina gives a low whistle.
I go as fast as I dare with my passengers. In a bit, we touch down in the grove. I let the researchers get off, they all look a bit motion sick. I quickly inform Huldr of the situation before I kick off again, towards where the notifications originated from.
Letting them come to me could have been an option if it hadn't put the researchers in danger. Of course, I'd be hesitant to do so anyway, considering I'm unaware of the damage potential of the Dagger. I'd not want to risk the lives of my Servants because of an error of judgement on my part.
The forest thins out as I approach the marsh. I can sense magic spells going off in the distance, so I make hurry towards that.
Five humanoids are surrounded by several tall, bipedal lizards. Seems the lizards are losing though. A couple are already dead, their blood staining the muddy water a dark brownish red. I announce my presence with a roar of challenge.
"O-oh fuck! What's that?!" One of them points to me. "It's the Monarch?!" Another one responds with equal parts confusion and fear. Really, your superiors neglected to tell you that you'd be going into my Lair? Isn't its location common knowledge by now?
I'm still hovering in the air with the help of Draconic Flight. The lizard monsters disengage and get behind me, clearly expecting me to handle this on my own. "It's marked for death though! Are you shitting me, the forest witch was the Monarch?!" A third one calls out after looking at me through a monocular.
Hm? I thought... Didn't I reveal myself in front of some one the ones wearing those enchanted helmets back then?
...
I'm not sure if I've got the full picture, but I'm not about to let any Aurellium member near my Lair!
A sudden surge of air slams into me. If I hadn't been using Draconic Flight, it would have struck me to the ground.
*Spell learned: Microburst (Lesser) - Creates a powerful downdraft, able to slam most flying entities to the ground. Synergizes with Pyrocumulus and Tornado. Higher tiers increase the radius and strength of the downdraft.*
"I-It tanked the hit!" One of them cries out, an Ayvin man, clutching his staff tightly. "Again! Hit it again whilst it's still dazed!" An Accan woman calls out. She's training a heavy crossbow at me. Another surge hits me, taking out a decent chunk of my MP along with it.
I set down onto the ground, let's not waste too much MP.
"Seems they're about equivalent to a group of good geared B-Rankers. For reference, the spies you trounced were around C-Rank."
Oh boy, I guess the Aurellium doesn't fuck around, huh. A bolt ricochets off of my scales. Seems her aim was off? I also notice another issue. I'm too heavy! I try to move towards the Daggers, but I just end up sinking further into the mire.
"Now! It's stuck in the mud!" A Photian man calls out. He seems to be the leader; his armor certainly gives off that vibe. "Protect Me!" Shadow orders the lizards. The four lizards leap in front of me, each taking a hit of either magic or a crossbow bolt. Only one is left standing, heavily wounded.
A split second decision is made. The lizards move quickly and effortlessly across the marshy terrain. They're sure to have a Skill that lets them do that!
I quickly bite down on the dying lizard, killing it instantly. By now I'm up to my stomach in mud. The familiar warmth of Power Osmosis, and a sudden ease of movement tells me I was right.
"H-holy Mother, it- it just killed one of its own Minions?" A Minars woman wielding a mace and shield reels from the realization. They all take an involuntary step back as I spit out the upper half of the lizard and get up, effortlessly walking on top of the mud.
"It truly is the Monarch! HQ! We-" *Skreeeeeee* The final member of the troupe, a Pyrean man flinches as a loud squeal issues from a crystal on his wrist. Some sort of communication device? I'll have to look into that. Once I loot it off your corpse!
"Oh fuck, oh shit, the magic here, it's messing with the comms!" The Pyrean cries to the others; he's clearly lost any amount of cool he once might have had. "Don't just stand there! Fight! It's us or it!" The Photian rallies the others, who assume combat stances.
Shadow, keep an eye on their Status for me. Stop me if any of them gets the Memento Mori Status.
"Affirmative, none of them have it currently, but both the Photian and Pyrean know the Spell."
I hate to admit it, but having Shadow around is starting to get convenient.
I activate Frigid Presence. The marsh around me creaks and groans as it shifts from being frozen suddenly. This should help whittle them down. "S-so the rumors were true, it really did take out that Morke..." The Accan woman shudders from the sudden cold.
"Keep your distance! Get too close and you'll freeze!" The Photian man orders as he tries his best to back up. Seems his armor slows him down? It's quite bulky, more so than even Germunds' heavy armor. Well, he's currently the slowest of the group, so I'll take him out first.
I bound towards him, intending to knock him off balance. He seems unperturbed by my approach, something's off! Just before I'm about to collide with him, I instead leap over him. I flinch, as a searing pain burns through one of my tails. I turn to the Photian, his hands are now covered in massive claws.
Or well, they're more like claw shaped gloves. They're stained with blood. I block a bolt from the Accan woman, before I quickly inspect my hurt tail. It's raw and bloody, with two big gashes near the end of it. They're already starting to close up though, so unless I get careless-
Shadow takes control, roaring in rage. I'm thrust to the back of my own head, merely observing as she gets to work.
She casts Dark Bead, targeting the Accan, the Pyrean and the Photian. Each of them try to dodge, but only the Accan and Pyrean manage to leap out of the way of the speeding bullets. The Photian tried, but is struck in his left shoulder, causing the armor around it to buckle inwards.
"A-ah, I- I can't move my arm!" The Photian tries, but his armor prevents him from moving his arm more than a few degrees either way before the warped plating impacts on itself. Shadow then casts Water Beam. Sweeping it between the Photian and his closest companion, the Minars woman, she prevents anyone from helping him.
Another bolt from the Accan, and a Wind Blade from the Ayvin, distracts her momentarily.
"You know what, let's make it a bit more even. Ready?"
Wait, for what?!
Before I can react, I'm in control again. Well, I'm in control of my half of the Body Doubles.
I shake my head slightly, to regain some composure from that. I'm honestly a little dizzy from it. "You take the Ayvin and Accan!" Shadow instructs. Fine then, bossy-pants. I hop to the side, dodging another volley of bolts and arrows. I continue to sidestep projectiles as I ready my offense.
Warping my human form to suit my needs, I turn my fingers into long, prehensile claws. A tail with a stinger, don't forget the Lustrous Fur and Jagged Scales... I glance over to Shadow, she's put her own spin on a battle-body.
Combining wings with claws, her forearms are bat-like, but covered in the sharp scales of Our true form, they also sport some quite impressive claws on them. Her feet have morphed into digitigrade, and a thick tail studded with spikes on the end of it provides counter-balance.
"W-what's going on!? What's this?!" The Pyrean seems to have lost the plot, merely cowering on the sidelines as Shadow and I engage the four others. My body is finished, and I get right up in the Accans' face. She can only try to stumble backwards. I sweep at her legs, knocking her down onto the now quite hard marsh, as both Shadow and I are still using Frigid Presence.
Her movements falter as she gasps for air, the fall having knocked it out of her. Just as I'm about to pierce her torso with my claws, I'm tackled by the Ayvin, sending us both sprawling. "Are you sure that was a smart move?" I ask him, as his breath turns shaky from the cold. He's on top of me, a dagger in his hand.
"I-" He begins, but his response is cut off quite abruptly as his head leaves his shoulders, sent skywards by a precisely aimed Wind Blade, an arc of crimson trailing its path. I feel the warmth of Power Osmosis, so I guess that answers the question: Does it count for both of us if one Body Double gets a kill.
I shove the headless, and quite bloody, corpse off of me. I glance over to Shadow, who is engaged in a pushing match with the Minars woman, her hands bleeding severely from Shadows claws pressing through her armor. A glance from Shadow confirms that, indeed, she's playing around.
It's no true test of strength, she's just modulating the power she puts into it, keeping it just barely above what the Minars can manage. I'm struck with something, a sense of... familiarity? The kind of playing around you do when you are over-geared or over-leveled for something in a video-game, and you mess around to make it last just a bit longer?
I get up. Seems the Accan woman is barely breathing, her Hypothermia having sapped away all her strength. I kneel down beside her, and gently sever her head from her body. I could have just left her, but that seems needlessly cruel. I gather up the bodies of the Accan and Ayvin. Two more surges of warmth tells me Shadow finished the two others.
A last surge of warmth, and the Pyrean is dead. He'd passed out, either from fear of from the cold. Shadow and I become one again. The memories of her fight become my own, leaving the whole ordeal a muddled mishmash of view-angles and emotions.
"Ough, that was fun, but I think I'll rest for a bit..."
Shadow withdraws to the back of my head, becoming more or less a lingering feeling of not being alone. I quietly ponder my feelings about the fight. I could have been much more effective, couldn't I. I guess I'm more alike Shadow than I'd like to admit. Or maybe instead of letting it drag on for no reason, I'm too cautious?
I gather up the rest of the bodies, lizards included. When I get to the Pyrean, I carefully remove the armband he was speaking into and inspect it. A leather strap holds a small, smooth and round gem-like rock in place. I focus, and I sense magic within it, but also trailing out from it, meandering off to somewhere.
Let's see... Seems the magic of the rock is disturbed by the ambient magic, so if I...
I manage to somehow isolate the rocks' magic by weaving a small shield out of non-elemental magic around it. A voice sputters to life, issuing from the rock. "Daggers, come in! What's your status?!"
"The Daggers are dead." I tell the voice. as I start moving towards the grove. Let's see if I can get some info out of them. "... Who is this?" The voice asks. "The forest witch."
It goes quiet. Then, hesitantly; "Did you kill them?" I almost laugh, such a banal question. "My Master killed them." I lie. Another pause. I try to sense where the magic emanating from the crystal goes. If I can locate this HQ, then maybe I could lessen the threat the Dagger poses. "Who is your Master?"
I hesitate. They should be aware that this Lair belongs to me, so lying here won't do much good in the long run. "The Monarch, ruler of monsters." I state. Just a bit longer, it's taxing, but I can almost get a sense of where this HQ is. A muffled murmur comes through the rock, as if the voice is talking with someone else.
A different voice comes through. "Tell your Master that we will leave you alone, provided that you do not meddle in our affairs." I think it's a little late for that. I manage to triangulate where the magic ends up. I almost stumble and fall, my mind going blank for a moment. Seems this isn't exactly intended use for my abilities.
"I will tell them, but I cannot promise that they will keep their end of the bargain. My Master is quite angry with you." I tell them, before tightening my grip on the rock. A crack, a fissure, and finally a loud pop of magic being released as the crystal crumbles in my hand. I shake off the crumbs and shards, before returning to my true form and flying back to the grove.
Seems they still believe the "forest witch" and the Monarch are separate entities. Let's keep it that way for a bit longer. On the way, I decide to look over what I gained from that fight.
*Displaying Power Osmosis Results:*
*+365(75+61+56+53+63+57)Â STR, +348(60+53+70+45+56+64)Â CON, +315(20+61+45+54+70+65)Â INT, +324(40+65+44+58+56+61)Â WIL, +338(80+52+50+44+65+47)Â DEX*
*Skills Obtained:
- Terrain Affinity: Marsh (Normal) - User can move relatively unhindered by the muck and mire of the Worlds marshes and bogs.
- Condition Resistance: Suffocation (Normal) replaces C.R: Suffocation (Lesser), replaced Skill is converted into Skill Expertise.
- Sharp Claws (Normal) is converted into Skill Expertise.
- Regeneration: HP (Lesser) is converted into Skill Expertise.
- Damage Resistance: Earth (Lesser) - Reduces damage from Earth elemental attacks by 12.5% after Atc. Vs Arm/M.Atc. Vs M.Arm calculation.
- Airs' Blessing (Normal - Unique(Ayvin)) - Increases the efficacy of Air elemental Skills and Spells, also increases Speed.
- Waters' Blessing (Normal - Unique(Accan)) - Increases the efficacy of Water elemental Skills and Spells, also increases Magic Armor.
- Lights' Blessing (Great - Unique(Photian)) - Increases the efficacy of Light elemental Skills and Spells, also increases MP.
- Darks' Blessing (Normal - Unique(Minars)) - Increases the efficacy of Dark elemental Skills and Spells, also increases Armor.
- Fires' Blessing (Normal - Unique(Pyrean)) - Increases the efficacy of Fire elemental Skills and Spells, also increases Magical Attack.
- Elemental Blessing Skills convert into Divines' Favored (Grand - Unique).
- Divines' Favored (Grand - Unique) - Blessed by all Divine, greatly increases efficacy with all elemental Skills and Spells. In addition, confers a 50% increase to all Active Statistics. (~Active Stats are HP, SP, MP, Attack, etc. Core Stats are Strength, Constitution, etc.~)
- Elemental Affinities converted into Skill Expertise, Elemental Affinity: All (Great) becomes Elemental Expertise: All (Lesser)
- Elemental Expertise: All (Lesser) - Lets the user learn and cast any Spell (some Spells require a corresponding Spellcasting Affinity), also reduces cast-times, removes the need for a chant, and reduces Magic Point cost.
- To prevent Skill Expertise overflow, the Skill Expertise gained from the 5 Language Comprehension: Common Skills were converted to Tier Tokens.
- Current Tier Tokens: 5
- Echolocation (Great) - Enables the user to view the world around them via sound. Doesn't work under the status Deafened.
- True Nightvision (Great) - User can see clearly, but not in color, even if the light levels are less than 2%.
- Sense Aircurrents (Great) - User is able to discern the speed, direction of travel and composition air currents.
- Temperature Shift (Normal - Unique(Pyrean)) - Converts excess body heat into MP. Can also convert MP into body heat, at an cost to SP.
- Shed Magic (Normal - Unique(Pyrean)) - Emits MP as non-elemental magic energy, slightly increasing the ambient magic levels around the user. Elevated magic levels can cause abnormal responses in the environment, so care should be taken in using this Skill.
- Language Comprehension: Ayvin (Great) - Lets the user read and speak the language of the Ayvin.
- Language Comprehension: Accan (Great) - Lets the user read and speak the language of the Accan.
- Language Comprehension: Photian (Great) - Lets the user read and speak the language of the Photian.
- Language Comprehension: Minars (Great) - Lets the user read and speak the language of the Minars.
- Language Comprehension: Pyrean (Great) - Lets the user read and speak the language of the Pyrean.
- Weapon Affinity: Shield (Normal) converted to Skill Expertise, Weapon Affinity: Shield (Normal) becomes W.A: Shield (Great)
- W. A: Hammer (Normal) - Increases the Atc. and M.Atc. bonus of Hammer type weapons by 25%.
- W. A: Hand to Hand (Normal) - Increases the Atc and M.Atc bonus of Fist type weapons (Claws, knuckle-dusters, gauntlets etc) by 25%.
- W. A: Staff (Normal) - Increases the Atc and M.Atc bonus of Staff type weapons by 25%.
Spells Obtained:
- Microburst (Normal) replaces Microburst (Lesser), replaced Spell converted into Expertise.
- Wind Blade (Normal) converted into Spell Expertise, Wind Blade (Normal) becomes Wind Blade (Great).
- Create: Water (Lesser) converted into Spell Expertise.
- Light (Lesser) converted into Spell Expertise.
- Blind (Lesser) converted into Spell Expertise.
- Fireball (Normal) converted into Spell Expertise, Fireball (Normal) becomes Fireball (Great).
- Heal (Normal) converted into Spell Expertise.
- Cure (Lesser) converted into Spell Expertise.
- Memento Mori (Lesser)x2 converted into Spell Expertise, Memento Mori (Lesser) becomes Memento Mori (Normal).
Titles Obtained:
- Dagger Breaker - Fight the assassins of the Aurellium and win. They're still wanting you dead, they're just a bit more hesitant to actually go through with it now. You make any Aurellium member nervous.
- Gatherer of Blessings - Somehow obtain all seven Divine Blessings. You are no longer affected by the Blessing of Truth that surrounds all Temples of the Divine. This title affects future Evolution Options.
- Man Hunter - You've killed at least five humanoids. Is this the beginning of something worse, or were those all cases of self defense? Others are less likely to want to be alone with you.*
*Conditions for Evolution Met. Please find a secure location before beginning the process.*
Reading that last line. I almost crash, I'm so surprised! Seems I can still Evolve! I mean, I never got the Final Form title, so I guess that gave it away... But... I'm quite conflicted about actually Evolving... I've gathered so many negative things... What if I dislike all the options?
Also, these Tier Tokens? What? Overflow? Like in a low bit game?
*Partly correct. Most of the Worlds System is fool-proofed, so it isn't an issue. Once a Monster reaches the maximum Skill or Spell Expertise value, it simply stops gaining Expertise in that particular Skill or Spell. Humanoids do not usually live long enough to do this, so it's even less of an issue for them.*
*For you, however, an outlier, able to amass an absurd amount of Skills and Spells, and more importantly, easily able to bypass this maximum Expertise Value. Just like in your old Worlds games, if it goes higher than the System can keep track of, it wraps around, becoming an absurdly low negative number, effectively rendering the Skill or Spell unusable as you, at least in the eyes of the World, don't have enough Expertise Points to use the Skill or Spell.*
*So, in order to prevent this, the Tier Tokens are used. They can be used to raise the tier of a Skill or Spell by one, provided it is not already maxed out, or it requires that another Skill or Spell reach a similar tier before it can be upgraded. As an example, using the 5 tokens you currently have, you'd be able to raise both Great Heal and Recover to Great tier, then using the last token, turning both Spells into the Miracure (Lesser) Spell.*
*Tier Tokens accumulate from excess Skill or Spell Expertise, and one token is worth roughly the amount of Expertise needed to take a Skill or Spell from Normal to Great Tier.*
I see... I'll have to think hard about what I want to use these tokens on, then.
I touch down in the grove, and both the Huldr and Mina run over to me.
The Huldr looks me all over, making sure I'm not hurt. "Everything all right here?" I ask them. "Everything's fine here. What of the Dagger?" Mina responds, a worried look on her face. "Dead. I killed them all. Seems they'll be waiting with sending more until I make myself a nuisance again." I tell her as I switch back into human form.
Or well, my battle-body, more like. I look myself over, seems that once We fused, both our changes stayed on the new one. I was so preoccupied that I simply didn't notice it before now. I quickly revert the changes.
Mina is showing an interesting mix of fascination and... fear? Disgust? Something like that. "I'm tired, I'll be in my cave if anyone needs me." I tell them and walk into the cave. Hey, Shadow, how's our status looking?
"Seems we're stable. Not enough Degradation to bother about. I'll keep you posted on that as it progresses. Even with your emotions split between us, they're still strong enough to cause issues. It's why I wanted to find a Divine Spring. Maybe we could make our own? Then we'd not need to go across the border every time we need to get rid of our Malice Cores."
Smart... I settle down to nap.