NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9.2: Spoils for the Victorious
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Congratulations! Various enemies were defeated! Total EXP Awarded: 8,379 Levels Gained: x4 in Race and Class; x1 in Profession New Level: Vampire Progenitor Level 15, Night Reaver Level 15, Lore Seeker Level 25 Skill Points Earned from level ups: 33 |
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Title Earned: Indomitable: Vampires have been proven to be hard to kill, but you have proven to be unconquerable for slaying multiple enemies both above your level and your Class Tier. Effect: Those that are stronger than you feel the effects of your indomitable spirit and are more wary of engaging in combat with you. |
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Lore Seeker Update: Anatomy Level 1: 5% exp gained for killing beasts, monsters, and humanoids(250 needed)(Granted) Level 2: 10% exp gained for killing beasts, monsters, and humanoids(394/500 needed) |
Facing the choice once again of either embrace his inherent Racial skills or his Class skills. He also knew full well, and realizing he more than likely would have to interact with people, he would need to see what Racial skills would help him in the endeavor of finding a cure. With that in mind, he perused his options.
Vampire Skill Tree:
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Thirst-Passive Ability Level 1: Vampires lust for blood, especially the newly turned vampires, as they are slaves to their thirst. (Granted) Level 2: As vampires transition from newborns to adolescent and mature vampires, their bloodlust lessens.(4 SP)(Prerequisite: Juvenile) Bite-Passive Ability(Damage grows with Strength and Willpower)(Strength + Willpower = Damage) Level 1: Returns 25% damage as health or mana(Granted) Level 2: Returns 50% damage as health or mana(4 sp) Claws-Passive Ability(Damage grows with strength and Dexterity)(Strength + Dexterity = Damage) Level 1: Your claws can now rend light armors such as those made from cloth and leather(Granted) Level 2: Your claws can now rend medium armors and below such as chainmail and hardened leather(4 sp) Charming Gaze(Success of the same Tier equates to Charisma + Willpower stat divided by 2) Level 1: Subtly influence sentients and creatures' minds with minor one commands(Granted) Level 2: Greatly influence sentients and creatures' minds that can understand instructions (4 sp) Undead Body-Improved by Willpower and Vitality(Willpower + Vitality adds to natural Defense Value) Level 1: Bodily functions are turned off, i.e. hunger, sleep, and the need to breathe no longer affect you(Granted). Level 2: Resistant to slashing, bludgeoning, and pierce from non magical weapons as your body continues to adapt to its change(Granted) Level 3: Your body is now resistant to magical weapons(6 SP) Regeneration-Passive only out of combat Level 1: A newborn vampire can healminor cuts and bruises since their body is still considered mostly mortal(Granted) Level 2: Small appendages now grow back as the vampire ages into adolescents(4 SP) Supernatural Reflexes(Increases with Dexterity divided by 2) Level 1: 2 second time freeze if you are about to be killed instantly(Granted) Level 2: 4 second time freeze(4 SP) Vampiric Awareness Level 1: Night vision is granted; hearing and smell are improved(Granted). Level 2: Able to feel minor shifts in the air 10 feet around you(Granted) Level 3: Blood vision is now granted, enabling you to see, hear, and smell prey you mark even if they are through walls and if you are tracking them(6 SP) Blood Curse Level 1: Create Zombie(2 SP)(10 Health, 10 Magic) Vampiric Agility Level 1: Ability to jump further than your pinnacle human(Granted) Level 2: You are now able to stick to any surface(4 SP) Master of the Night Level 1: Grants communication with creatures of the night(2 SP) |
Vampire Progenitor Skill Tree:
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Daywalker Level 1: skills and buffs return to you during the night, but you are still killed instantly during the day(Granted) Level 2: skills and buffs increased by 25% during the night however, sunlight harms your stats by 75% if you are active during the day(4 SP) Humanity Level 1: You have a reflection(4 SP) Trace Your Roots Level 1: Able to create specialized vampires(2 SP) Vampiric Ascension Level 1: The living instantly treat you like nobility(Higher Rank Required) |
He chose to rank up Thirst to level 2 as that was a no brainer, Charming Gaze to level 2 in case anyone got a little too close to comfort he was hoping the Skill could wipe memories of him, and Daywalker to level 2 if the Skill implied he could walk in the sun. With that bringing the remaining Skill Points from 33 down to 21, he maxed out the Humanity skill, leaving him with 3 remaining that went directly into Charisma, bringing it to 28.
With everything settled regarding himself, he felt a little more comfortable entering the city of Lor-Vold. Hopefully, no one would stare too long at him, and if push came to shove, he could at least ask Jared or Pierre to inquire about a cure. However, in the back of his mind lingered the fear of seeing his sister before he could acquire a cure. As devout as she was to the Order, he worried that if he ever came into contact with her, how he would explain things. The other side of that is if Adeline would straight up try to kill him, thinking he would be a Feral Vampire.
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System Alert: Alpha vs. Alpha: You have escaped to an acceptable distance; Saloth no longer sees you as a threat to his domain. |
Aldrin knocked on the slit to get the attention of the two in the driver's seat. Jared slid it open, peering in. "We are clear of Saloth; he won't be chasing us anymore," he told him.
Jared nodded before closing the slit. Soon after, the carriage eased into a comfortable ride, now that they were out of the danger zone Saloth presented. Without the threat of life or death hanging over him anymore, Aldrin closed his eyes for a bit to let the events so far wash over him, letting himself drift off to sleep with the way of the carriage helping him along.
In the deep recesses of his mind, Aldrin picked up more thunderous hooves further down the road, rumbling in their direction. Immediately bolting up, he was greeted with a System Alert.
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System Alert: Daywalker Active! All Stats reduced by 75% of their actual value! |
No time to figure out the limits of the Skill he urgently knocked on the slit again. Pierre was the one to answer this time, as they both had swapped seats. The little light that peered in along with Pierre touched Aldrin. Scrambling away quickly before realizing he wasn't burning, he slowly inched his way back to the little stream of sunlight. Choosing to sacrifice a finger if need be, he grazed along the sunlight, finding out that it stung like a bad sunburn instead of the instinctual threat of death looming over it. Relieved that the Skill works like he thought, he focused on the other important matter.
"Hey! We have horses coming towards us!" Aldrin shouted, retracting his hand back as he saw the way Pierre gaped at him.
Pierre didn't let the shock go from his face, and he nodded, then closed the slit, telling Jared of the incoming horses and the recent development with Aldrin. The carriage slowed down to draw less suspicion towards them all. It didn't take long for the riders of the horses to come upon them, either.
"Halt!" Aldrin heard a deep commanding voice order.
"What's the problem?" Pierre asked.
"We are from the Holy Order on an investigation. I am Commander Ingram. Is it ok if you answer some of our questions?" Ingram said, shifting his horse forward.
Inside, Aldrin felt his already cold undead body drop to an uncomfortable degree.
"Alright, sure," Pierre glanced at Jared.
Ingram narrowed his eyes. "Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?" He questioned.
"Yes, actually, we were running from a Wendigo when you came upon us," Pierre half lied, gesturing to his disheveled appearance.
Ingram nodded at one man, who then raced off back in the direction they came from. Then he signaled two more of his men to race down the road the carriage was coming from. Ingram shifted his eyes back to the duo on the carriage driver's seat.
"What is your business traveling down this road? Bandits often hound this road and the like?" Ingram asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Our Lord had family to visit, and we were already running late to get him back home to Lor-Vold, so we decided to take the shortcut through the forest here," Pierre half lied again.
"Is your Lord available for questions?"
"No, the recent encounter with the Wendigo has left him a bit. . . traumatized," Pierre grappled with the word.
Ingram noted it as shock from the event. "I understand. Nevertheless, an encounter with a Wendigo is terrifying enough, not to mention escaping it takes a toll on the less mentally fortified."
Subtly Inspecting them, "I'm also assuming that the rest of the guard wasn't so lucky to escape the Wendigo then?" Ingram inquired.
"No, we were tasked with getting our Lord to safety while the rest did their best to hold it back," Jared spoke up this time, feeling Ingram's gaze piercing every word for inconsistencies.
Ingram grunted in response to that. "My condolences for your losses."
"May we ask what the Order is doing out here? A usual cleanup of the Undead, I presume?" Pierre changed the subject.
"We are on a search and rescue mission, actually. However, there have been no Undead roaming around, which is peculiar. Do you two know anything about the missing party or the recent missing Undead in the area?"
"Sadly, we do not, but we may think the recent missing Undead may have something to do with the Wendigo loose?" Jared offered.
Grim faced. Ingram thought about it more. "Probably, but something here feels different, ancient even, like something has been awakened." Shifting his horse, Ingram looked down the road to where he sent the other two riders.
"My apologies for keeping you; may your journey be safe." Ingram bowed his head slightly.
Jared and Pierre returned the gesture before setting off again. Ingram stared at them for a while before turning to one of his men. "Follow them at a distance, just to make sure they get somewhere safe," he ordered, but in the back of his mind, something felt off about them.
Meanwhile, in the carriage, if Aldrin could sweat, he would be dripping rivulets of it. Pierre slid the opening again, letting him know that they were in the clear.
"Did you know him?" Pierre asked, looking at the pale-faced Aldrin.
"He is my sister's right-hand man," Aldrin whispered out.
"Do you think he or she would help you?" Pierre gently asked.
Aldrin slumped back into his seat. "I honestly don't know."
"I mean, it's your sister. I think she would, right?" Jared chimed in.
"Not until I at least have some evidence that there is a cure for me, otherwise who knows what she would do," Aldrin admitted.
Grunting in agreement, "Well, we arrive at Lor-Vold in about a week, give or take if nothing decides we are easy pickings," Pierre said.
"Then in the meantime I will see the loot I gathered and see if anything can be of use to you guys that I swiped," Aldrin said.
"We will do the same," Pierre agreed, moving to close the slit.
"And Pierre," Aldrin started.
"Hm?" Pierre stopped himself from closing the slit to look at Aldrin again.
"Thanks. . . for everything," Aldrin rubbed the back of his neck.
Pierre smiled and gave a slight nod before closing the slit. Pierre's System Alert chimed again, letting him know about the choice he still had to tell Aldrin but that could wait until they had a more concrete place to discuss things. For now, they were all on the road again, heading to something that may be real or fake. Regardless of it all, he was just happy to do something other than be aimless in this world.