NOVEL NEXT Chapter 186: Threat
The air warped as a haymaker from a fist the size of Leif’s torso ripped over his head. The giant, rust-red furred ape screeched as it followed up with its other fist, only for the blow to be deflected as Leif raised two golden forearms to guide the strike aside. The ape, expecting to have connected with the second blow, stumbled forward, off balance for just a moment. In the opening granted by its mistake, an ivory palm drove into the side of its head, blasting the shed-sized beast through a nearby tree.
The ape roared as it threw itself upright, its muzzle pulled back to expose dagger-like canines and bloody gums. A mantle of white fur ringed the creature's neck and shoulders, puffing out to make its already intimidating frame seem even larger. Maddened eyes gleaming with red, the effects of an enrage skill, bore into Leif as if the ape was trying to kill him with its glare alone. There was a minor fear effect, but it was weak enough to ignore, and Leif had enough control over his mentality that even if it wasn’t, he likely wouldn’t have had any trouble.
The battle between person sized tree and tree sized monkey had raged for over ten minutes, and the largely one sided beatdown had destroyed well over a hundred metres of dense forest. The scion folded his real arms behind his back, and gestured with a limb of gold. The beast roared and charged forward, powerful loping bounds tearing up already loose dirt as it rampaged towards him.
Something small darted out from behind a fallen log, and the ape stumbled mid charge, a small cut having opened up on its lower shin. It howled and glanced around looking for whatever had struck it, but the taunting effect of [Fists of Awe] forcibly redirected its attention back onto Leif.
At first he hadn’t wanted Lucia to involve herself at all. The thrice evolved beast was by no means an opponent the girl had any hope of facing in a fair fight. Even a glancing blow would have reduced her into a fine red mist, and the shockwaves from the ape’s mighty blows would have been more than enough to send her flying. All of this was true, but Leif’s core skill could grant over fifty points to any attribute, and more if his [Charisma] was increased, which it currently was. With that boost going into her [Alacrity] Lucia could move very, very quickly. Far faster than anyone her level should be able to.
Even then, Leif had made her practise for over an hour before they had gone anywhere near the beast. At first she had barely been able to take a step without falling over, the increased balance and motor control from the enhanced attribute hadn’t offset the boost to speed and reactivity. But having tripped over her own feet two dozen times in only a handful of minutes, the low levelled [Rogue] quickly got the hang of things. Having her own skill that helped with balance sped up the learning process, but Lucia’s own stubborn determination was likely a greater contributing factor to her rapid improvement than anything else.
Unlike when he was enhancing his own attributes, Leif couldn’t maintain the increased stats active for more than a few minutes at a time. On top of that, it took a fraction of his concentration to maintain the skill. Finally giving [Benevolent Actions] a real workout was nice however, and he could already feel the skill improving as he flickered it on and off to allow Lucia to dart in, strike, then escape before getting clobbered.
The ape threw itself at him again, and they clashed in a blur of fists that rocked the forest. The beast was strong, likely more physically powerful than Leif was, even with all his synergising buffs and enhancements. Leif had drained enough vitality from the nearby vegetation prior to engaging with the creature to gain the sixty percent increase to all his attributes from [Consuming Aeons], but even with the buff he still didn’t quite match it for raw strength.
But a dozen arms was better than two, and having several skills all working to empower his unarmed combat abilities let him pull ahead. He was simply the better fighter, though that wasn’t exactly surprising. Leif had been training almost nonstop for the past few months, his nights, when they weren’t interrupted by Lucia’s own practise, had been spent grinding at everything from his footwork, posture and stances to the best ways to transfer force into each punch. Even with his advantages, Leif still took hits. But while his own strikes dealt devastating blows to his opponent, the enraged ape could barely knock him back a handful of steps.
Despite his absurd durability, the scion took damage. But [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess] only grew stronger the more injured he was, and that was the skill he was trying to = push over the final hill in order to get an upgrade. Leif pitied the beast, but the giant ape was hardly intelligent, it had all but thrown itself at Lucia and him the second it had spotted them. If it had possessed even the hint of intellect he may have just left it alone, but it was excessively violent to the point of being crazed, and while that may have largely been the fault of its skills, it made the decision to use it as a training aid easy.
With every minute that passed, the ape slowed, its breathing growing ragged as every punch, block and grapple Leif landed syphoned away slivers of its monstrous vitality. Even on its last legs, the beast never ceased its attempts to rip Leif apart. He drove an amber fist into its chin, then blurred behind it in a streak of golden light to deliver a follow up to its lower spine. He kept its massive form airborne for several seconds, blasting waves of force into its spinning body with [Fist Projection], only for it to finally crash lifelessly to the ground, the impact shaking the nearby trees.
Golden vitality boiled within Leif, and his exhale of breath hissed like heated steam. He fed the excess energy into the undergrowth at his feet, and the grass and moss began to grow at a visible rate.
Congratulations! Your [Inspiring Brawler] skill [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess] has met an upgrade threshold!
Would you like to upgrade [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess] from rank III to rank IV? Y/N
Lucia jumped down from her most recent hiding place, landing with a flip. “Is it dead? I didn’t get anyth-”
Leif accepted his own prompt and glanced at her. The girl’s eyes had gone unfocused, and she was staring slack jawed at her own system message. “Did you level up?” He asked, dropping [Benevolent Actions] from her now that the fight was over. Lucia stumbled in place, looking up with wide eyes after regaining her balance.
“I didn’t. But I did earn a display of excellence for helping fight something over thirty levels higher than myself! I got two points in [Alacrity] and [Might]!” She explained, beaming happily.
“Congratulations.” He said. “Now, should we keep heading east?”
“Can we find something else to fight? Please? I’m sure there are more strong beasts and monsters in this forest we could track down?”
“I want to be out of the province before Turbulence hits. And if we want to do that, we need to keep moving instead of sticking around here.”
“Aww.” She said, then caught herself. “I guess we do need to head north. Maybe we can hunt some more things on the way?”
“Glad to see your priorities are in order.” Leif laughed, plucking the newly manifested Mana shard up off the ground from where it had fallen, already heading back through the forest towards the fort.
“I didn’t forget!” Lucia called after him. “I just got distracted!”
===
The underground shelter on the outer reaches of Luriem bustled with activity as supplies were packaged and stored within. Farmland, lush and filled with crops only days prior had been quickly harvested now that the weather was growing unpredictable. So far inland news of the war was sparse, but its impact was undeniable. Over half the goods that would ordinarily be stored for the upcoming three months of turbulence were being commandeered by a encampment of imperial soldiers, massive wagons built to survive even the most extreme magical phenomena were lined up along the road leading into the distant city, with stern looking guards standing by incase any locals took issue with just how much was being taken.
Leif and Lucia didn’t linger as they passed by, instead joining a gradually moving line of those looking to enter the city. Many were refugees similar to those they had encountered previously, those fleeing from the violence in the west, but most were locals, farmers, traders, adventurers and the like wanting to spend the upcoming months in the safety of the city. Leif stood patiently in line, but Lucia kept glancing around nervously, her head on a constant swivel.
“We let them get over a day ahead of us.” Leif reminded her. “They’re almost certainly in the city already.”
“Mhmm. I know.” She said, shuffling in place.
Leif mentally smiled as he walked forward, the line moving along. He checked off a list of supplies in his head as they drew closer to the city gates. Luriem’s outer walls flowed along with the elevation of the land, dark grey stone was built at a slight slant that tapered off into a vertical incline around three metres up. Larger towers made of the same stone were equidistant along the contours of the battlements, and aquamarine tiled roofs poked out from behind the defences.
A pair of city guards lazily strolled along the line of humanity awaiting entry, spears resting on their shoulders, occasionally checking the contents of wagons and crates. Leif asked them for directions, and after a brief glance between each other, the guards explained how to get to the mercantile district from the gate. They stood up straighter and asked if he needed anything else, which Leif found odd. He didn’t understand their change in attitude until one of them called him sir.
Ah, they recognised an aspect of my aura. He realised. I’m not exactly projecting it, so they must at least be passingly familiar with someone else with the [Noble] class.
Ten minutes later they were within the city’s walls, and after a brief stop at a roadside stall selling meat and vegetable skewers completely smothered in a sweet smelling glaze for Lucia, they headed directly for the mercantile district.
“Alright.” Leif said as they walked down a side street flanked by terraced apartments. “Do you remember what you need to get?”
“Yup.” She nodded. “Two waterproof packs, blankets, spare clothes, a cloak that fits me, and buy rations with whatever money I have left over.”
“Good. Here, take this. It should be enough for what you need.” Leif said, handing her a small pouch of money. Lucia jingled the pouch experimentally, then tied it to her belt with a grin. “Try to be back here within three hours. We’ll try to leave before evening, but there’s always a chance we’ll need to stay overnight.” He continued.
“I’ll be quick.” Lucia said. “I want to be out of here as soon as possible.”
“I’d rather you were thorough and safe. Stay out of trouble.”
“You’re more likely to get into trouble than I am. I can handle myself.”
Leif inclined his head. He didn’t necessarily agree with her, but arguing wouldn’t get them anywhere. “Fine. I guess I’ll wish you luck then.”
===
The elderly tailor smiled as Lucia reached over the counter, placing a handful of coins into the woman’s open palm. A moment later a neatly folded stack of plain but practical clothes was handed to Lucia in turn, the girl taking them eagerly and turning to place them in the less full of the two waterproof packs she had already bought.
“Thanks.” She said, smiling somewhat awkwardly up at the tailor.
“You’re most welcome. The offer to mend what you’re currently wearing still stands, deary. I can patch up both the shirt and pants by tomorrow morning.”
“Uh, I’ll be fine. It’s not that bad.”
“No, I’ve certainly seen worse.” The tailor chuckled. “You should have seen my sons when they were your age. But wear can build quicker than you might think. What’s a small hole or tear can suddenly unravel, and the worse the damage the harder to repair it becomes. You can use the back room to get changed if you want.”
Lucia shook her head. “I don’t have time. I appreciate the offer though. Wait, do you have thread and a needle I can buy?”
The woman squinted down and Lucia’s hands, her brow knit in thought. “I suppose you look dexterous enough. Do you have any experience with stitching?”
“A bit.”
“It’s a skill everyone should learn.” The tailor grumbled. “But if they did, then I’d be partially out of business. Come round behind the counter, girl, I’ll teach you the basics. If you’re a quick learner, you can have the needle and thread for free.”
===
“Sorry kid, the army bought all our non-perishables yesterday.” The burly man said, the downturn of his lips making the scar on his left cheek more prominent. “They went around demanding everything we had. I think they hit every shop in the district, so you’re out of luck I’m afraid.”
Lucia fought down her disappointment as she left the shop. It would have been nice to go back to Leif with her having accomplished every task, but in her experience, things were rarely as easy as she hoped. Shifting the packs slung over her shoulder, she opened the door to the butchers shop, stopping the door from closing on her with a foot as she slunk out. Taking the small flight of stone steps leading up to the building in a single hop, she made her way down the street. It was late in the afternoon, but she still had around thirty minutes to get to the meetup point.
The stalls lining the sides of the road were packing up, their business done for the day, and she weaved between stall owners and late shoppers as she went. The burden Lucia was carrying would have troubled her less than two months ago, but with her class and the handful of levels she had gained since obtaining it, the weight barely hindered her progress at all.
Having a class felt like it had opened doors she had hardly hoped to imagine, and Lucia could freely admit to herself that she was perhaps a little overeager to progress further. It was frustrating then, that she was struggling to gain levels. Everyone knew that the first levels one earned in their initial class came quickly and easily, with advancement growing more and more difficult the higher in level you became.
But she had what felt like the opposite problem. Because she had earned her [Rogue] class at such a young age, she was being hindered by the system. Or maybe her own soul. The reasons and technical mechanics didn’t really matter to her, only the fact that she couldn’t progress as quickly as she would have liked. It was irritating to have power and control at her fingertips, only for it to be dangled out of her reach when she tried to grasp it.
Level five is good. She reminded herself as she sidestepped two men carrying a crate of what looked like dyes between them. I just need more time. When we travel north during turbulence, I’ll have more than enough opportunities to gain experience.
She rounded a corner, only to need to quickly back up to let a cart pulled by a horse lumber by. Lucia waited for it to pass, tapping her foot impatiently. She took a breath to calm herself. She wasn’t in a rush, not right now, there was no reason to be so agitated. Maybe it was being back inside a city that had her on edge, well, more on edge than she usually was. She made to cross the street when she felt the back of her neck prickle.
Lucia knew better from her time living on the streets of Kartinth to ignore that sensation. She doubled her pace, sprinting across the road, then spinning, looking around for any sign of danger. A younger man with an unkempt appearance was staring at her from behind a stack of wooden boxes. Their eyes met, then he vanished, ducking out of sight.
Her heart hammered as she stared at the spot he had been watching her from. There were a hundred reasons why being tailed was dangerous, and she had outrun more than a few pursuers in her time as a streetrat. But there was something worse than being followed. And that was being recognised. Because she had known who the man was, and he had certainly known who she was.
The sell-sword with the missing teeth and overly patched clothes. Lucia didn’t remember his name, though she thought it started with an s. But his name hardly mattered. Lucia felt the same feeling of imminent danger drag its fingernails against the chalkboard that was her mind. The same sensation she had felt when she first interacted with the mercenary’s back at the abandoned fort. And the same sensation that had saved her life a dozen times.
She didn’t have time to consider what was going on. Instead, she turned and sprinted in the other direction.