NOVEL NEXT 23: New information
Fortunately for Liz the pipe she had made her way down had an exit, unfortunately, this exit was on the other side of the city and she was now completely filthy. It took her a moment wondering how she would clean this up when she simply tried putting her equipment back on; and for the game, this was enough.
Thank god... Liz thought, she really had been covered in what she dearly hoped was mud.
[Smokey: im out]
[Smokey: sending location]
[Nina: got it]
[Smokey: cya]
And so Liz sat down on a crate and began looking over what she had acquired from defeating Rigo and destroying the Grimian Gang's base.
The most direct benefit was that both she and Gloria had increased in level. Liz had gone from level 52 to level 63; even though she felt the increase was quite low considering how much Rigo out-levelled her, Liz didn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
On the other hand Gloria had gone from 24 to 39. A significantly better increase, but still lower than Liz had expected; Liz saw why it was lower in a system message:
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[Party Member: <Gloria> has died during combat] [Experience gain from battle will be reduced upon victory] |
(A/N: If it wasn't clear, all soul-bound are considered party members. Also NPCs can join player parties)
I suppose that's fair. Liz thought, looking over what the 2 had gained.
Even if the level increases were lower than Liz had expected, they had still gained enough to both acquire another skill. Liz's skill progression seemed to follow a pattern, as like every second skill she had gained up until now, she got a summoning skill. One she found quite valuable.
[Summon - Skeleton Archers (1) (E): Expend mana to summon a skeleton archer to fight for you (0/15)]
(A/N: Changing summoning types from [Summon: unit] to [Summon - unit], simply because it looks more succinct when showing the full description compared to using ' : ' twice)
Liz did not even consider summoning one in the city, after her raid they were on high alert and likely searching for any abnormal activity; especially Archduke Kilgard. Liz would not take that risk.
Still there was a weird sensation, the higher her level became, the more 'intuned' with the system. This was just how she felt, but it had only been positive for her so far. Take this for example, she could not summon the new unit directly but she was still able to grasp some of its important features.
It was physically weak, but fast and dexterous; being most suited to the bow it spawned with. Liz was also pleased as she understood there would be no need to procure arrows as, unlike any summon before this - besides Gloria - the archers came with an in-built skill: [Bone Ammunition]
Not to be confused with a bone-type attack spell. This attack was purely physical, it created an item that could be fired from the archer's weapons. However, Liz did take notice of the strangely vague wording of the skill, keeping it in mind for future evolution options.
(A/N: This is a general rule of magic btw - though it may differ at times. It goes [<Element> <Attack name>], and I know 'bone' isn't a conventional element)
I'll need to get an archery passive now. Liz knew best how to optimise her skills, and was even considering looking for a strategy based passive for herself; taking her rash actions against Rigo as a sign she was ill-prepared to command an army of undead.
It did cause Liz's mind to momentarily wander. How was it that this game's skills affected her mind? [Multitask] certainly improved her abilities to multitask, but Liz didn't understand why. But no answer presented itself and so Liz decided to put the question on hold for the time being and look at Gloria's new skill.
[Killing Instinct (0%) (D-): Improves ability when fighting to the death in any capacity. Allows user to better understand how to kill, using any method]
"... Wow." Liz couldn't help but mutter as she read over this skill.
She didn't understand how this was only a D-rank skill; sure it was passive and would grow slowly, but it was an all-round combat bonus. Literally, even Gloria's [Demise Blade] skill only helped her when she was using a weapon.
While Liz could see that it would only help her in death-matches, even then it would make Gloria even more powerful as she believed the pair would find themselves in many death-matches going forward. She was beginning to wonder just how highly ranked her class was; unfortunately, she did not have the skills to see further details, unlike with her own class.
Liz finished looking over the immediate benefits of level gains, and since Nina had not yet arrived with the information she had managed to steal, Liz looked into what else she had acquired.
The most important was the system message she acquired:
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[Congratulations, the skill: <Mana Bolt> has reached its maximum level] [<Mana Bolt> Is now eligible for (Evolution ↓)] |
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[Greater Mana Bolt (F+): Launch a single bolt of pure mana. Spell slightly tracks 1 target. Damage scales with level and INT] [Conditions: <Mana Bolt (10/10)>] [Dark Bolt (E+): Launch a single bolt of dark mana. Damage scales with level and INT] [Conditions: <Mana Bolt (10/10)>, <Dark-Aligned class (1/1)>] [Leach Bolt (D-): Launch a single bolt of Lesser-Vampiric mana. Heals user by 5% of the damage dealt. Damage scales with level and INT] [Conditions: <Mana Bolt: (10/10)>, <Dark-Aligned Class (1/1)>, <Subordinate-type Class (1/1)>] |
It was clear which skill Liz chose to go with. The same instincts that told her about [Summon - Skeleton Archers] also told her that while [Greater Mana Bolt] and [Dark Bolt] would certainly deal more damage, [Leach Bolt]'s life-steal ability would be invaluable. Furthermore, the words it used in the description: 'Vampiric', implied that the skill could evolve into something greater.
I get the feeling vampires are quite strong. Liz thought before looking at the rest of her improvements.
[Multitask] had risen to 48%; a very good increase in her opinion - likely from directly commanding the positioning and timing of her puppet hand's attacks. Many of the other skills improved also, the sword and shield passives increased to 12 and 11% respectively; all the dark attacks had risen in level slash and claw were both level 4 while fist was only level 2, still great improvements in her book.
In regards to her class skills: [Undead Enhance], [Greater Bone Spear] and [Raise Horde] had all increased by 1 level each. [Undead Enhance] simply made the enhancement longer and better, [Greater Bone Spear] was stronger. [Raise Horde] was what had really improved; sure the quality of the undead didn't increase, but she could now have 200 of them active.
Will it be a 100 increase per level? Liz wondered, surely that would make the skill unbelievably powerful.
The last upgrade she saw was, surprisingly, [Traveller]. It had risen to 19%. Liz wondered for a moment what had caused it, but couldn't quite figure it out until a wave of realisation hit her: The pipe.
"Shitty game..." Liz grumbled feeling a little annoyed for some reason. The worst part came next though, as it seemed someone 'upstairs' noticed her displeasure and wanted to mock her further.
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[Congratulations you have met the requirements to acquire the title: <Sewer Dweller>] [Requirements: <Become intimately familiar with the sewers>] [Sewer Dweller: <+Minor Odour Resistance>] |
"Shut up!" Liz called out, blushing through her plush face, despite lacking blood to do so; it seemed someone had made an exception for her.
Liz was going to place the 33 free stat points she had available but it was then that Nina finally arrived.
"Why couldn't we have met up halfway." Nina asked.
"I wanted to look at the skills I had gained from my fight." Liz responded to her question, but there was a more important matter at hand, "Anyway, what about the information you found."
"Oh yeah. I found a safe full of documents, I didn't really have the time to look for what I needed so I just grabbed everything."
Nina handed all of the documents over to Liz for her to look at. For the most part they were useless, stuff like bills for the building or information Liz didn't care about, though there was one that held the information to a large bank account that Liz would soon be emptying for herself.
It was soon that she found something that appeared to be what she was looking for.
Although it held no names, the seal was evidence that the letter in Liz's hands was from a noble: The Archduke.
Darius -
Information has arrived pertaining to your situation.
Though I am a great man who understands your crimes are conventionally unforgivable, I am also one who can see the bigger picture.
My plans require services that you are able to offer. In return I will grant you power and wealth beyond your knowledge.
From what my informants had told me, you are currently attempting to corner the capital's underground market of the substance 'Blizz'.
I require large amounts of the drug, all of which you will supply. In return I will ensure your complete dominance over the undercity, and when my goals are met, a suitable reward.
I hope for a favourable response.
- K.D.Grail
"An anagram..." Liz muttered as she finished the letter, while it was certainly not the best manipulation she had seen, it could certainly fool some random Gang leader.
But even that could be part of the manipulation? Liz began to try and think deeper. It was quite likely that the Grimian Gang was a tiny group before the Archduke's assistance kicked in, making them that much easier to manipulate, and considering the amount of Blizz they had stored up, this arrangement had been going on for quite a while.
There were many letters sent between the 2 parties, at a certain point it became clear that both Kilgard and Darius had met up in person.
The most recent of the letters was the only one that offered any more information than she already had.
Darius -
My plans have progressed at an increased pace.
Other parties have managed to gather the forces I require.
All that is needed now is for those worthless scum to gain some value to me.
Ensure the product is secured and supplied soon.
- K.D.Grail
I suppose this is to keep the quest in relevance, it was nice to gain some more knowledge of Kilgard's pace though; it seemed the system also agreed:
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[«WARNING» KINGDOM Quest: <Archduke's Plot (I)> has updated] [Plot: Archduke Kilgard's plans are soon to begin, you know very little besides some of its primary components. He requires the dangerous drug 'Blizz' and has amassed a large force for his plan. Nothing else is known] [Updated Goal: <Gather information of the Archduke's Plot (3/???)>] |
"Good progression." Nina smiled as she likely also received the notification, "I had expected the quest to be harder."
"This was the easiest location to infiltrate, the other two will be far more difficult than that was." Liz reminded her, storing those 2 important letters she would show the Marquess later; she got rid of the unimportant ones, but this left her with 2 more pieces of paper.
What the hell... Liz looked over what was written and a subtle wave of understanding washed over her and with it [Apothecary] rose at a rapid pace, reaching 48%.
"Oh my god!" Liz called out, shocking Nina out of her concentration, the blade she was balancing on her finger falling to ground and cutting her.
"What?!" Nina called out, sucking the blood from her finger.
"These two pieces of paper will make things much easier. Or well... One of them will." Liz responded, a large grin behind her mask. She quickly explained what they had just gotten their hands on:
The first was rather... Underwhelming. It was a recipe for Blizz, not something that Liz would have much use for, nor something she could make at her level.
[Blizz Recipe (A): Recipe for the highly addictive drug 'Blizz'. 500% increase to all stats for 10 minutes as well as feelings of bliss and euphoria. After 10 minutes user will undergo a 24 period of weakness (-50% all stats) and permanently lose 5% of all stats]
Same as the bag I found in the warehouse. Liz thought, she doubted this would come into use and put it into her inventory; it was the second paper which caused Liz's excitement.
It contained a recipe that would allow Liz to draw attention away from Nina as she stole what they needed.
[Eruption Gel Recipe (D+): Recipe for a highly volatile and flammable gel; ignite the substance to create a large and lasting explosion]
Not only were these recipes something that would be highly useful very soon, they were also something she could feasibly create.
The paper came with a detailed description of how to make it that allowed her to increase [Apothecary] so Liz was certain that between that, and the increased level of her skill, the production would be a simple matter.
More than that the paper explained how best to use the new 'potion'.
"New information has changed our plans Nina." Liz smiled, her grin becoming even wider again as plan after plan formulated in her mind.
"I apologise my lord!" A large fat man, Darius, prostrated himself before a rather imposing figure, "I did not expect such a direct approach! They used unconventional means and struck right at our heart. We could not have seen it coming at all."
It was silent in the room. The imposing man stared out of a large window in his office, looking out over the capital city below; his face was strangely conflicted, an obvious disdain for the ants wandering around below him, but also a desire to rule over them.
Darius trembled on the floor as the man did not even bother to look at him.
The man had black, slicked back hair and a clean shaven face. His eyes were green, his body was lean and fit, but not obscenely muscular; the fine suit he wore clearly indicated he stood at a very high societal position. But that was it, he did not look menacing, nor did he show any sign that he was villainous - and yet he caused a fully grown man, a hardened gang leader, to tremble in fear at his feet.
"It is of no matter." The man said, allowing Darius to let out a breath of relief, "You were replaceable anyway."
Darius felt himself stop.
He was replaceable? How?
"Did you truly believe you were something special." The man turned to look at Darius for the first time, a chilling feeling washed over Darius as he saw the mans eyes. They were void of any emotion, like he was looking at an insect. And it was terrifying.
"You were just a pawn." The man spoke, crouching down to Darius's level, "A pawn that is now a loose end."
Then a trickle of blood ran down Darius' face, starting at his nose. But this was only the start.
A horrible pain erupted within his head, like a white-hot branding iron was being wrapped around his brain. He choked and sputtered desperately clawing at his throat as the pain began to spread, his entire body became enveloped in agonising pain.
He pulled himself back, crashing around the fancy office as the man rose to his feet; watching the affair as though it was nothing.
All of Darius' senses blinked in and out of functionality, until he fell to the floor right at the man's feet, clawing desperately for mercy.
Blood dripped from his eyes as they burst into puddles, his stomach and lungs met a similar fate as they were expelled through her mouth. Her ears and nose soon began leaking, not just blood, but his very brain as well began to liquify within his body.
And before this hellish suffering came to an end Darius was privy to one final sentence from the man.
"It is a shame you were so disappointing." He spoke coldly, "Though I can't say I expected much more."
And Darius fell. His own organs turning to liquid and leaking out from his body on the floor of the office. The man stared at the body for a moment before silently moving back to sit at his desk and pulling out a book and quill.
"A mask though... It surely had quite a troubling effect." He muttered to himself as he continued his work, "But no matter. Everything is still within expectations."
