Chapter 19 - The Night's Knell IV

Claire groaned as she forced herself to take another painful step. Her body had grown heavier and less responsive as the night dragged on, and she had even developed a headache, no doubt in part because her internal clock refused to stop screaming at her for staying up so late. The rogue didn’t know exactly what time it was, but at the very least, she was aware that it was long past midnight.

A familiar, yet foreign sensation.

She had never pulled any all-nighters herself, but that wasn’t to say that she knew nothing of them. A number of vicarious experiences had armed her with all the knowledge that she needed to remain conscious. The most notable short term solution derived from her secondhand enlightenment was to inhale while she fired a stream of water at her face. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, but she couldn’t deny that it was effective.

Emulating the sensation of being drowned was, of course, not the only thing Claire did to keep herself from passing out. She kept her mind occupied with various thoughts of all different sorts while also occasionally directing her focus towards the husky-faced man that was her positional reference. A sudden notification popped into her mind as she used the skill that enabled her to locate him, prompting her to recall that she had many log entries left unread. She quickly began filtering through them, ignoring the kill feed in favour of the messages that signified milestones in her growth.

Log Entry 597

You have leveled up. Your health and mana have been restored and all harmful status effects have been cleansed.

Your primary class, Llystletein Rogue, has reached level 20.

Your agility and dexterity have been increased by 10.

You have gained 2 ability points.

Log Entry 598

Sword Mastery has reached level 4.

It’s a shame they both broke. I’ll have to find some more frogs in the morning.

Adding an entry to her mental to-do list, Claire checked the dogman’s location and adjusted her trajectory accordingly.

Log Entry 605

Unarmed Combat Mastery has reached level 2.

Log Entry 612

Unarmed Combat Mastery has reached level 3.

As much as it annoyed her, Claire had to admit that the skill had proven itself useful beyond her expectations. Though its offensive capabilities were lacking, it had somehow bolstered her defenses to the point where it had become impossible for the altered ravens to get at her. It almost seemed as good as a shield, not that she knew what it was like to use a shield, but that was besides the point.

Log Entry 613

Dagger Mastery has reached level 4.

Log Entry 619

You have leveled up. Your health and mana have been restored and all harmful status effects have been cleansed.

Your Racial Class, Halfbreed, has reached level 16.

Your primary class, Llystletein Rogue, has reached level 21.

You have gained 8 ability points.

The halfbreed levels are really starting to slow down.

She knew that her classes could gain experience and levels independently of each other. One of her more obnoxious tutors, a basic witch that disliked wearing tall pointed hats for fear of being stereotyped, had spent many long hours drilling that exact point into her mind. To that end, Claire was well aware that performing an action associated with a particular class was all that was required to progress it. Under normal circumstances, understanding that would have provided the solution, but in the halfbreed’s case, it was precisely the problem. Nobody seemed to know enough about her particular racial combination to correctly deduce the actions that would advance it, and she couldn’t quite blame them. Her parents had been dubbed reproductively incompatible. Mammals and reptiles weren’t supposed to be able to interbreed.

The only thing that worked consistently was combat, but evidently, even that was subpar. Her inability to understand her own blood traits or leverage her inborn abilities, made it so her racial class grew at a much slower rate than her primary one.

It wasn’t the first time Claire had run into that exact problem. Ritual Mage had also leveled much more quickly than Halfbreed, which, given the circumstances, was not at all unexpected. Most of her caster levels had come from studying. Skimming over ancient texts and performing the rituals detailed therein had quickly provided her with enough experience to bring the class to level 47. But as the tasks she completed were as targeted and specific as possible, Halfbreed had nearly failed to benefit. The only racial level she had gained from any related activity stemmed from the sacrifice of an unwilling goblin; plunging a ceremonial dagger into its chest fell under the umbrella of combat.

Thinking back, Claire recalled that, sacrifices aside, none of her racial class’ gains had stemmed from actions that were strictly identifiable. The earliest level she remembered earning was her sixth, which she had gotten from falling down a flight of stairs. Her seventh was the result of the aforementioned ritual, while the eighth had come while she was in the middle of a game of cards. The final level that she had gained before magically teleporting away from home had been granted to her as she crawled into bed. The only level up that seemed even the slightest bit explicable was the one that involved the goblin. The others could only be described as random. Not even Cadria’s best scholars were able to make any sense of them, and if there was one thing she was sure about, it was that her half-conscious mind was unlikely to do any better.

From an objective standpoint, the two days that Claire spent away from home had served to provide an explosive growth spurt. Her racial level had nearly doubled. But even so, the halfbreed remained dissatisfied. She felt that the few levels she had gained weren’t worth nearly as much as the effort put in. There was no way she wasn’t doing something wrong, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. And unless she did, it was going to take her a long, long time to surpass the limits imposed by her race.

“I want a tail…”

She checked her position and made another more major readjustment to her forward vector as she once again gave her evolutions some thought. Ideally, she wanted a form with more scales. Natural plated defenses could prove themselves a bit of a pain at times, but if her experiences were to be believed, they were far more beneficial than they were detrimental. The halfbreed also wished for a change in colour. She was, admittedly, rather fond of the celeste shade with which her scales shone, but she wanted something darker and more regal. She wasn’t young enough for her colouring to be as light as it was anymore. More importantly, she didn’t want to be recognized upon her eventual return to civilization. Her identity as the daughter of a high commander, as well as the only halfbreed amongst the upper ranks of the Cadrian nobility, made it so she was easily recognized by those familiar with her country’s politics.

Frankly, Claire had no idea why her father was ranked as highly as he was. His title seemed completely and utterly undeserved. He was a terrible strategist and many of his men were far better fighters, courtesy of his oversized belly. The only thing that he had on them was experience, which to her, seemed like more of a hindrance than it did an edge, given how cautious and cowardly it made him.

Log Entry 628

Digging has reached level 2.

Log Entry 629

Digging has reached level 3.

Log Entry 630

Digging has reached level 4.

Log Entry 631

Sneaking has reached level 6.

Log Entry 632

Tracking has reached level 4.

That’s all of them.

Claire closed her log as she tracked the huskar and made yet another adjustment or two to the direction she was headed in. Tracking was one of the skills she was happiest to have. The mental compass was not only convenient, but also the only thing stopping her from getting lost, given that she was unable to leave the underbrush if she wanted to keep out of sight.

Thinking about Tracking and its benefits led Claire to recall that she had a number of new skills to examine in detail. The box’s comments on her conduct were sure to aid her in staying awake. As much as she hated to admit it, its less than savoury opinions had kept her up at night on more than one occasion already. And seeing how her eyelids were already drooping, anything that kept them from closing all the way was more than welcome.

Digging - Level 4

There is truth to the saying that it is sometimes necessary to get your hands dirty. That, however, does not mean that you should take the statement literally. Please note that while this skill will improve the speed and efficacy with which you dig, it will do nothing for your inability to take note of useful details in your surroundings.

Effects

- Increases digging speed

- Tunnels you dig are less likely to collapse

- Lessens the effect of poor terrain on your ability to dig through it

I’m not really sure what you’re talking about, box. I’m great at paying attention to details.

Envenom - Level 1

First of all, you are not good at paying attention to details. Secondly, it is important to note that ingesting a liquid you knew little about was a wise choice. Please repeat this mistake. I would also like to advise against leveling up afterwards such that you may better accustom yourself to the permanent blindness, perpetual pain, and liver failure that the rocket fuel is sure to induce in the hours following its consumption.

Uhhhmmm… Wow. I’m really glad the crows were nearby when I tried it.

Effects

- Consume mana to coat a weapon with a poison you are familiar with. The more potent the poison, the higher the cost.

- Any remaining poison degrades rapidly out of combat. This effect can be negated either temporarily or permanently through the provision of additional mana.

Throwing - Level 1

Congratulations, you have finally learned that projectiles exist. All you need to learn now is that it is necessary to retrieve them after use.

Huh?

The message prompted Claire to check all her weapon holsters. She knew that her antler blades were gone, but a second inspection led her to realize that they weren’t all she had lost.

Wait! Where’s my spear!? Nooooooo, my speaaaaar!

Effects

- Improves your aim when throwing projectiles.

- Increases the distance over which you are capable of throwing objects. 1 meter of distance is granted for every 10 points of strength, regardless of the projectile’s weight.

I want my spear back.

Claire groaned. She knew that there was no use in trying to look for it. She had no recollection of the burrow’s precise location nor any idea as to where the weapon had flown after it was loosed. Not that either bit of knowledge would have helped—the halfbreed was all but certain that the ravens had either displaced or destroyed it.

Thinking of the birds, Claire glanced over her shoulder. She didn’t think they were aware of her escape just yet. It had only been an hour since her departure, and she could easily hold her breath for two if she stayed still. But even with that said, she still felt the need to stay out of sight. There was no doubt that they would find her if she remained in the open. And if they did, they would likely pin her down again soon after. One daring escape had been enough for the day. She had no intention of going through a second while on the verge of collapse.

Rest wasn’t the only biological need on Claire’s mind. She realized, as she transitioned from one brush to the next, that she also needed to use the restroom. It was the perfect excuse to make use of her authority’s skill’s newest function, but she stopped herself short of activating it. She had no idea how much magical energy the action would expel, nor whether it would end up having any harmful side effects, so she postponed the experiment for another day.

Crawling into an uncontaminated brush, and using her ears to confirm that there weren’t any birds nearby, she stuck her head out from the undergrowth and examined her surroundings. The rogue felt like she was supposed to be nearing the exit. The amount of distance she had covered following her escape from the dog man’s house felt roughly the same as the amount of distance she had covered in pursuit of the first raven she slew. And yet, the massive stone wall that served as the exit somehow remained nowhere in sight. Double checking her tracking skill, she confirmed that everything seemed right. She had headed in the right direction and the huskar was roughly thirty minutes away from her by sprint.

Continuing to focus on him, however, led her to realize that there was a different issue to be described. Because he vanished from her perception and reappeared elsewhere a minute or so after she began keeping a constant eye on his location. He had, in an instant, gone from behind her to in front of her. And then another few minutes later, he warped again, this time appearing on her right. With a gulp, the halfbreed scanned her surroundings and confirmed that they were unfamiliar.

She was lost. And the only anchor she had, the compass that she had used as her guiding star, was effectively shifting around the forest at random. The halfbreed cursed her own carelessness. She knew she would have been able to realize that he hadn’t remained in one spot had she not opted to immerse herself in her own thoughts.

At first, she tried to think of a solution to the predicament, but that idea was dismissed as quickly as it was conjured. She was far too drained to put her head to use. One exhausted sigh later, the halfbreed decided that it was time to seek shelter.

She located a nearby tree with a wide base, dug herself a hole, and crawled inside. After covering the entrance with a nearby bush, which she had impatiently ripped out of the ground, Claire curled herself up, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

Claire

Health: 172/172

Mana: 464/607

Health Regen: 24/hour

Mana Regen: 322/hour

Ability Scores - 0 Points Available

- Agility: 62

- Dexterity: 82

- Spirit: 57

- Strength: 95

- Vitality: 24

- Wisdom: 161

Racial Class: Halfbreed - Level 16.10

- Quadrupedal Bloodrush - Level 1.00

- Lashing Tailstrike - Level 1.00

Primary Class: Llystletein Rogue - Level 21.28

- Assassinate - Level 2.17

- Cloak and Dagger - Level 4.11

- Double Stab - Level 6.02

- Envenom - Level 1.00

- Manathief - Level 1.00

Unclassed Skills

- Club Mastery - Level 5.73

- Dagger Mastery - Level 4.51

- Dancing - Level 5.24

- Detect Force Magic - Level 1.00

- Digging - Level 4.85

- English - Level 25

- Llystletein Authority - Level 3.78

- Makeshift Weapon Mastery - Level 6.13

- Marish - Level 18.98

- Sneaking - Level 6.29

- Spear Mastery - Level 3.82

- Sword Mastery - Level 4.67

- Throwing - Level 1.00

- Tracking - Level 4.01

- Unarmed Combat Mastery - Level 3.36