Chapter 135 - Willow in the Western Wind III

Claire spent a full minute standing in front of the goblin’s corpse, log entries firing through her head all the while. She didn’t spin around and step into the invisible bubble behind her until the goddess’ words finally started to slow. The sudden influx of power still had her in its grip; her head was pulsing and her veins were lit aflame. An excessive torrent of magic was flooding her circuits, paralyzing her mind and body alike.

Log Entry 5080

Achievement Unlocked - Systematic Defiance II

You have slain an entity of an ascension level significantly greater than your own. This feat will be taken into consideration when it comes time for ascension.

It continued to affect her even as she was taken back above the battlefield. Her thoughts remained incoherent until Flux narrated the log’s final entry. And only then did she finally process all the information gleaned. Frederick had been level 712. His ability scores and classes were both inferior, but as far as levels went, he was on par with Cadria’s royal guard, the best soldiers her father had ever trained.

The kill wasn’t truly hers. She had only struck him once. But the sheer difference in levels had filled her with strength. Her racial class had shot all the way up to level 176, and her two others followed suit, with both reaching their caps of 150.

A series of potential evolutions popped into her mind, but she was unable to sort through them immediately. She was too uncomfortable to read through them all in detail. The backlash that came with using her divinity left her nauseous enough to vomit, but she held it in and settled for heaving a series of deep, ragged breaths. It couldn’t have been helped. On its own, her blade was too dull and brittle to pierce a goblin king’s skin. She had needed something that wouldn’t crumble, something that could cut through a hide tougher than a plate of steel, and true ice was the only thing that came to mind. She had no choice but to empty her resources. All five points had been committed to running her weapon through his flesh and stopping his heart.

“Are you okay, Claire? You look a little queasy,” said a voice from on top of her head.

“I’m fine.” She reached up to the four-legged hat and gave one of its ears a scratch.

Sylvia had been present throughout the encounter, standing by in case the plan went south. The lyrkress hadn’t wanted to rely on her, or anyone for that matter, but facing a sentient monster with three ascensions by herself was a gamble she was unwilling to take.

“Are you sure that was okay?” Claire flicked the blood off her frozen dagger as the ice slowly retreated back to her core.

“Uhmmm… I think so,” replied the fox. “If Dad isn’t working with them anymore, then I’m not gonna either. The plan’s already totally falling apart anyway.” The four-legged creature shrank down to a tenth her usual size and curled into a ball atop Claire’s hair, only to suddenly raise her head. “Wait a second! What the heck! You can’t just ask me that after you finish stabbing him! He’s already dead!”

The lyrkress shrugged. “You would’ve stopped me earlier, if you wanted to.”

“Well… maybe.” Sylvia propped up her chin with her front paws. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Evolve.”

Claire leaned back against the bubble’s wall as she pulled up her options. Bloodthief could become either Llystletein essencethief, Llystletein spellthief, or blueblood hemomancer, whereas vector mage had its choices laid out as Llystletein vector Mage II, cloudburst sorceress, Llystletein gravity mage, Llystletein stormbreaker and Llystletein spirit commander.

With a stretch of the shoulders and a breath to clear her still-hazy thoughts, she moved to check each in turn, but a shout stopped her short.

“Get down!” warned Sylvia.

She ducked as soon as she heard the command and narrowly avoided an incoming bolt. It pierced straight through the bubble, leaving a perfectly round hole both where it entered and exited. A worried frown on her face, the fox on her head pressed a paw to her chest and sang a mellow tune. Her magic filled the barrier, repairing the holes and reinforcing with a thick outer layer.

“Whew.” Sylvia breathed a sigh. “I didn’t think we were gonna get attacked, so I didn’t actually make this one all that durable, but it looks like we’re gonna have to be a little more careful.”

Silently, Claire turned her eyes towards the horizon and gazed upon the distant assailant.

It was Archibald.

The dog-faced artificer was standing in the midst of a group of golems with his crossbow pointed not at the lyrkress or the fox, but the elf standing between them. The stray arrow that had nearly ended her was one of the many hundreds meant for Zelos; she had only happened to be in its range.

The huskar wasn’t the only one engaging the tiny elf in combat. Beckard had also hopped into the fray. He served as the mechromancer’s vanguard and kept his body between the spellsword and the ranger. Every step the elf took was matched; he was never allowed to close in on the vulnerable target that lay to the cat’s rear. Both the citadel’s fighters shouted as they engaged. They tried to speak, to reason with their long-time companion, but he remained deathly silent.

The huskar cursed and screamed at the top of his lungs as he condemned Alfred’s mind-altering abilities, an accusation that Claire met with a scoff. She had seen his eyes. And they were clear as day.

She couldn’t help but laugh derisively at their pitiful attempts to break the nonexistent spell, at the fact that they were still naive enough to believe that they would never be betrayed by one of their own.

“Sylvia.”

“Mhm?”

“Can you sneak us behind them?” asked the lyrkress.

“Sure thing!” chirped the vixen. “Are you gonna help Dad?”

Claire nodded.

“Okay good! Let’s go kick their butts!”

The invisible bubble began flying over the battlefield as Claire returned to contemplating her options. There were almost too many to sort through. Just seeing them made her want to shelve the whole ordeal and put it off until there was nothing else for her to do. But she knew she couldn’t. There were only a few scant minutes before she had to jump back into the fray, so she started at the top of the list and quickly skimmed over each choice in turn.

Llystletein spellthief and blueblood hemomancer were both immediately disqualified. She didn’t see a point in using her enemies’ spells. Her foes were sure to be well versed in the various quirks and nuances that came with their abilities, whereas she would be left haphazardly wielding powers she knew very little about. It seemed fun, but impractical, just like wild magic.

The hemomancer class was appealing, given its focus on brute force, but she felt that taking it would be far too big of a risk. Wielding the same powers as her father was a surefire way to grab his attention. He was sure to send people after her as soon as he caught wind of her continued existence, and she didn’t want to have to hold back in battle to better keep him in the dark. She would have been at a loss, had the final option not left her with a fairly positive impression.

Llystletein Essencethief

Stealing is an act that most consider morally irreprehensible. You, however, are a kleptomaniac. You take from others not out of necessity, but because the option is available. You have stolen possessions, magic, blood, and even lives, it is only a matter of time before you steal the very fabric from which an individual is woven. It is precisely this unsavoury deed that Llystletein Essencethief enables. The class is one that appeals to those with little to no concern for the lives and emotions of others, a class that launches attacks against the very core of one’s being, with no regard for the rules typically imposed thereon.

Becoming a Llystletein Essencethief provides an immediate bonus to agility and dexterity. Additional bonuses will be gained on the 450th and 750th levels.

Possible class upgrades are to be determined.

This class was unlocked by fulfilling the following requirements:

- Slay at least one hundred monsters ranked unique or higher.

- Raise the bloodthief and manathief skills to level 25 or higher.

Seeing nothing to lose and no better alternatives, she selected the class and allowed its power to wash over her.

Log Entry 5081

You have become a Llystletein Essencethief.

Your agility and dexterity have increased by 250.

The Bloodthief and Manathief skills have merged and evolved into Essencethief. As the net skill experience exceeds the minimum threshold, some proficiency has been retained.

The Dancing skill has been reclassified as a Llystletein Essencethief skill. This reclassification has earned you a proficiency bonus.

Assassinate, Cloak and Dagger, Dancing, and Severantus’ Call have merged and evolved into Death’s Dance. As the net skill experience far exceeds the minimum threshold, a significant amount of proficiency has been retained.

The Cooking skill has been reclassified as a Llystletein Essencethief skill and assimilated into Envenom, but no additional proficiency has been earned.

No summaries?

Frowning, Claire opened up her new skills and quickly skimmed their descriptions.

Essencethief - Level 9

To rob one of their essence is to steal not only the energy that comprises their being, but also the core from where it stems. Your essence, for example, would be one of a mentally unstable teenager with a distinct lack of intelligence. Any individual that happens to acquire and bask in your essence is likely to find themselves addicted to the scent of glue.

Effects

- Using this skill may occasionally result in the theft of the target’s essence.

- You may absorb 3.8% (2% + 0.2% per level) of damage inflicted as health and 7.6% (4% + 0.4% per level) of damage inflicted as mana.

- Remaining in direct physical contact with an entity for at least 2 seconds enables you to drain up to 14.5% (10% + 0.5% per level) of your maximum health and mana from the target each second thereafter.

Its nonsensical first effect aside, essencethief was effectively the sum of its parts. The numbers had increased, but that was it. She was disappointed, but the dismay was quick to fade. Her second new skill had brought far more change to the table.

Death’s Dance - Level 18

Some are capable of dancing with such elegance and grace that they may hold even an audience of gods as their captives. Others tend to misunderstand the meaning of a performance and find their partners damaged or deceased soon after. Perhaps it is time to hang up your dress, before you are incarcerated for “involuntary” manslaughter.

Effects

- Your form is lithe and you are quick on your feet. Agility is amplified by 20%. This bonus is increased by an additional 38% (20% + 1% per level) when you are wearing nothing but socks.

- Evading, parrying, or countering an attack provides a stack of death’s dance, up to 100. Each stack increases the amount of damage you deal by 2.9% (2% + 0.05% per level), increased to 5.8% (4% + 0.1% per level) against targets with less than 20% of their HP remaining. Stacks are lost upon exiting combat.

- Death’s dance’s fully stacked damage bonus is always applied to your first strike against each target.

Assassinate had transformed into an almost completely different skill. It was far more consistent, but no longer provided as large of an upfront bonus—a tradeoff the halfbreed was willing to accept. Sneaking up on things had never exactly been her forte to begin with.

With a satisfied nod, she turned her eyes to her other class and sorted through its evolutions. Again, she dismissed almost the entire group right off the bat. Spirit commander suffered from the same demerits as the spirit sorcerer class she had previously rejected, and Llystletein gravity mage appeared more like a downgrade than an improvement. Its abilities were focused on the manipulation of a single force, and she strongly preferred the freedom that came with her current skillset. Llystletein stormbreaker was simply boring. If its description was to be believed, it was primarily defensive, with a focus on the ability to repel any force-based attacks. That left Llystletein vector mage II and cloudburst sorceress as the only two to catch her eye.

Llystletein Vector Mage II

Vector Mage II. Still a noun. A magician or otherwise learned individual that continues to lack a prefrontal cortex. Many consider vector mages to be mad scientists, immoral lunatics willing to stoop to no ends to perform their experiments and achieve their goals. Their utter insanity comes hand in hand with an impressive mastery over forces and the methods by which they can be applied. The Llystletein variant specialises in raw power and freedom of control. This comes at the cost of automation; Llystletein Vector Mage IIs learn fewer spells than their standard counterparts. You are likely to find this class compatible if you find yourself too proficient at “thinking outside of the box.”

Becoming a Llystletein Vector Mage II provides an immediate bonus to all ability scores. Additional bonuses will be provided on the 450th and 750th levels.

Possible class upgrades are currently unknown.

This class was unlocked by fulfilling the following requirements:

- Reach level 150 as a Llystletein vector mage.

Why does this description seem so familiar? Dismissing the sudden case of déjà vu, Claire shook her head and looked over the other option.

Cloudburst Sorceress

Cloudburst sorceresses are haughty, moody, and dismissed by most other magical scholars. Unable to understand any social cues, they continue to press the concept that storms are made of vectors and not winds, but their papers are ignored, composted, and burned. This class fits well with individuals that enjoy being made the subject of others’ derision.

Becoming a cloudburst sorceress provides an immediate bonus to dexterity, strength, and wisdom. Additional bonuses will be gained on the 250th, 500th, 750th, and 1000th levels.

Possible class upgrades are to be determined.

Requirements

- Reach level 150 as a Llystletein vector mage

- Be familiar with storms and the extreme conditions therein

- Be struck by at least seven distinct bolts of non-magical lightning

- Raise Llysltetein vector mage skills to a cumulative level of 125 or higher

- Possess no classes that provide control over wind or any other related schools of magic

- Wear a witch hat for at least 8 consecutive hours, knowing that it is damaged and unpresentable

She was tempted to dismiss it. Despite having learned too much about its progenitor’s obtuse personality, Claire recognized Llystletein as a brand worth noting. She was much more confident in the classes that carried its name; the lack of its mention made the option seem less powerful, but most of the other hints appeared to point to the exact opposite conclusion. Its level cap was higher, and its requirements were more stringent. She had only managed to sneak past the cumulative skill level requirement by killing Frederick.

“Sylvia.”

“Mhm?”

“Have you ever heard of a cloudburst sorceress?”

“Uhmmm… Don’t think so? Why?”

Log Entry 5082

You have become a Cloudburst Sorceress.

Your dexterity and wisdom have increased by 250, and your strength has increased by 500.

Catgirl Detector V. 0.47 has been reclassified as a Llystletein Essencethief skill.

Vector Manipulation has evolved into Vector Manipulation II. As the net skill experience exceeds the minimum threshold, some proficiency has been retained. Several details pertaining to the skill’s use have changed, including its range, spell list, and viable target set.

“Wait a second, you did it again, didn’t you!?” squeaked the vixen, indignantly.

“I don‘t know what you’re talking about.”

Vector Manipulation II - Level 4

To truly understand force magic is to be one with the world’s underlying chaotic nature. You must surrender yourself to the flow and discard all notions of your nonexistent value to truly grasp the scope of the universe. With your thought processes as they stand, this task remains impossible. Perhaps it is time to address your vanity, or better yet, realise that you are an insignificant ant in the grand scheme that is the universe.

Effects

- You are capable of applying your force magic to any object you are capable of perceiving.

- The maximum output of your force magic is increased by 240% (200% + 10% per level) of the sum of all of your ability scores, expressed as a percentage.

Spells

- Apply Force IV

- Concentrate Force I

- Transfer Momentum I

- Vector Storm I

Claire assumed that apply force’s fourth variant would be no different from its predecessor, but a quick check confirmed that it possessed a non-insignificant amount of additional functionality.

Apply Force IV

Spend up to 1000MP to apply either a linear or rotational force to a target of your choosing. You may select and manipulate targets even if they are otherwise immaterial.

There were a number of changes worth noting, but she spent only a few seconds thinking through them before turning her attention to her other new acquisition.

Vector Storm I

Spend up to 50% of your maximum MP to create a storm of vectors. The maximum number of targets is equal to Vector Manipulation II’s level. The maximum number of vectors is equal to the maximum number of targets squared.

It was Alfred’s spell, the one that he had used to keep her suppressed. Its potential was ridiculous, and she was confident that she could draw it out if she was given the opportunity to practice.

“So what is a cloudburst sorceress anyway?” asked Sylvia.

“Someone good at force magic,” said Claire.

“Huh? Force magic?” The fox blinked. “I thought it’d be for wind magic or something.”

The totally unreasonable assertion was dismissed with a shake of the head.

“That’s weird…” said Sylvia. “Maybe it’s just ‘cause Al’s bad at naming things.”

“Maybe.” Claire shrugged as she tried grabbing the air in front of her and shifting it around. It was almost akin to a breeze; it would blow through her hair every time she instructed it to move past her, calmly and gently. Sylvia didn’t seem to dislike it either. She even raised her neck so she could experience more of the artificial breeze.

“Woah… that’s neat,” said Sylvia.

Nodding, Claire lowered her hand, took a deep breath, and drew her daggers as they closed in on her prey. All three of the relic hunters’ remaining members were constantly on the move. Zelos and Beckard were engaged in a melee, whilst Archibald was hopping from vantage point to vantage point, rapidly firing his bolts whenever he was given a chance.

Murdering her target would be difficult, but Claire had a plan. All she needed to do was close the distance to zero.