Chapter 0031

Altreyes found a corner to hide in, then immediate change into Rayael to correct her oversight.

For Rayael points were put into:

Intense Aggravation: forces the target to focus on the caster for 3 seconds

Range: 20 meters

Cost: 10 mana

Physical Counter: reflects 5% of the physical damage per point added

Range: 1 meter

Cost: 10 mana

Magical Counter: reflects 5% of the magical damage per point added

Range: 20 meters

Cost: 10 mana

Aggrieved Strike: Deal 200% damage.

Range: 1 meter

Cost: 5 mana

Protective Shield: Absorb 50 hp

Cost: 50 mana

Duration: 5 minutes

Hardy Constitution: Increase constitution by 0.5% per point added.

Rayael stats went into constitution. With the five talent points into hardy constitution, Rayael got one extra constitutional point, combined with the characters racial bonus, 10% to constitution, an additional 5 constitution points was gained. 1 constitution points equals 10 hp. The racial bonus and the talent bonus is additive and not multiplicative. It doesn’t seem much right now, but at higher levels the extra percentage helps a lot.

Rayael did not want to admit it but the system was right. Guardian can hide behind their shield and still tank. Most of their attacks are proc or passive base. Hurray for the lazy tank!

Rayael went back to the profession trainer to pick up everything that she could. She chose Sewing, Leatherworking, Arcane, Range Maker, Enchanter, Rune Worker, and Jewelry Crafter.

The short Perrian Let didn’t picked up any of the gathering skills such as Herbalism, Mining, Logger or the other miscellaneous profession such as Trapper, Engineer, Alchemy or Architect. In Dark Drake Kingdom, Rayael picked every gathering profession there was to earn money. Somehow she got used as a farming bot, a program controlling the characters to gather materials without the need for human interaction. Rayael wanted to earn gold as fast as she could in Arashia but she didn’t want to walk in her old footsteps. Maybe later she will come back to pick up the gathering professions.

Erica, not surprisingly, went for Engineer, Architect and Golem Making. Rayael asked her if she was going for mining since all three profession require a massive amount of ores. She should have known better. Her answer, “Sylphie picked up mining already. No need to get my hands dirty.” Rayael knew she meant it literally too. She did not want to get dirty. Prissy relatives!

Sylphie went for the gathering profession, Herbalism, Mining, Logging and Alchemy. Yay a pot maker. Sylphie glared at Rayael warningly and with a, “It’s potion maker,” lead the way out of town.

Foot, insert in mouth. The Guardian knew Jessica has issues with drugs. In her case it was prescription painkillers. After her accident, Jessica was in so much pain she could barely function without an IV drip stocked full of pain med. When they weaned her off of IV medication but gave her prescription pain medication, she became an addict without realizing it.

She did have a justifiable reason for using the drugs, however painkillers are called gateway drugs for a reason; they open the way for more dangerous drugs. Laurie thought Jessica was getting better with the aid of pain medications supervised by a doctor, but the longer Jessica was on the pain medications, the effects lessen. She tried marijuana. It gave her some relief, but all too soon, she had to take more and more for the same effect. John caught her, what she said, was the first time she tried heroin. Jessica was sent her to rehab. She was on twenty four hour watch with the Calbots siblings taking eight hours shift to monitoring her or a relapse or suicidal tendencies.

The withdrawal process nearly killed all of them.

Jessica was a straightforward person. She was laidback and easygoing.

She became a manipulative lying bitch when she was on the drugs. She lied, cheat and steal to buy drugs. She would put brother against brother or brother against sister. It nearly tore their family apart, her deceitfulness. They were able to pick her lies apart and stage an intervention, but Laurie didn’t believe for one moment it worked.

Laurie didn’t know what the turning point was it for Jessica. One day, Laurie came to her shift, Jessica was sitting in the dark staring at something only she could see. Jessica turned towards Laurie and apologize sincerely. She changed. Some of the old Syphie was back. Maturity chased away her childishness, truth and sincerity replace lies and deceitfulness.

Frankly, Laurie like the new Sylphie. She began to interact with the family again and worked to better herself. It was during this time, she was introduce to the wonderful world of online gaming by Matthew and Laurie was suckered in by keeping her company.

Those bastard took advantage of her completely. Slave driver all of them. Laurie included Sylphie in the group too. Look Laurie, I need Crypt Notes to increase my reputation to Hulian, since you’re farming in the area, could you get me some? And Laurie, the soft hearted, nice cousin that she is, farmed it for her. Evil wench.

On the good side, six endurance points for tolerating Erica whining through their profession expedition. Stats points are the only thing keeping Rayael from knocking Erica out. The short Perrian Let was beginning to debate the pro and cons of the endurance stat points. Stat points, mental torture, stat points, mental torture…

If only.

If only she didn’t figure out how Asalia was able to stay with her after she change from Altreyes to either Leviene or Rayael. Altreyes had 19 endurance points then. Asalia stayed for 19 seconds. Diminish returns came in and cut it down to a third, then another third. Altreyes couldn't manifest Asalia a fourth time after the character change. Altreyes have to wait 20 minutes before she could restart the process.

Altreyes want the endurance points. Enough to put up with Erica. The fight Asalia had with Erica showed Altreyes what an excellent companion Asalia was. Asalia knew her, knew what she was in the morning, knew her quirk and oddities and love her despite of it. She challenged Erica for a piece of bacon!

Altreyes love her for it. After the fight, the assassin knew all the ghost would not only protect her, but take care of her as well. They have her best interest at heart, something Altreyes can’t even say her mother does. Altreyes was tempted to change her main from a Priest to an Assassin, but the ghost themselves refused. They knew how much the experienced player wanted to heal, whether in game or in real life. Asalia pointed out Laurie didn’t spent 3 years in college trying to become a nurse, a healer, only to become a hardened killer in game.

Even though it is a game, killing people for no reason changes a person. Altreyes never did like a bully, and they pointed out, being an Assassin could erode her moral grounds, creating a monster where there was once an honourable person. Altreyes acquiesce to their gentle persuasion.