A necessary check up
Waking up after an uneventful night, Jay and Kathariel met in the big room of the tent.
They had woken up nearly at the same time and took a small breakfast Jay had prepared.
Last night they only had a small dinner after Kathariel had told him of her past. Afterwards he offered her one of the small separations with an equally soft bed as his own.
Somehow she seemed glad but at the same time a little bit disappointed that they slept separated, at least Jay thought she looked that way.
As he had laid down on his comfy bed he had finally the time to check his gains from the battle with the bandit raid.
The only thing he knew beforehand was the level up he had seen in his log.
Status
__________
Jay Yanoz, János, J. [LvL 17 (7.280/76.400)]
Job: Sorcerer LVL 13
Job 2: Magic Swordsman LVL 12
Job 3: Philanderer LVL 8
4052/4052 HP 2715/2715 MP
***
Status:
VIT 131+
AGI 124+
STR 109+
INT 112+
WIL 96+
DEX 118+
CHA 102+
LUK 37+
Statuspoints left: 23
***
*Skills (shown)*:
[Mana Control LVL 5]
-manage the mana output of spells, allowing to charge then up
[Spell Weaving LVL1]
reshape spells spending additional mana
(Spell Fusion LVL 1)
combine up to 2 Spells
[Fire magic LVL 4]
-fire spells cost 25% less mana
(Fireball LVL 4)
-cast a Fireball dealing high damage
has a chance to inflame the target
(Firewall LVL 2)
-cast a Wall of Fire burning what ever touches it
(to be set...)
[Arcane Magic LVL 4]
-arcane spells deal 25% more damage
(Arcane Missiles LVL 2)
homing projectile of pure magic energy
(Mana Shield LVL 2)
-accelerates the distribution and acquisition of Mana
(to be set...)
Skills (Hidden):
Basic:
(Common)
-enables to talk, read and write Common
(Thalassian)
-enables to talk, read and write high Elvish
(Gnomish)
-enables to talk, read and write Gnomen dialect
[Night vision]
-enables colorless vision in total darkness
[Camping LVL 1]
-Rest outside well
[Hunting LVL 2]
-enhances damage against animals by 40%
(Tracking LVL2)
-allows to easily track targets lower than your Level
[Lumbering LVL 2]
-proficiency with Axes risen: Damage +20%
[Cooking LVL 4]
cooking speed and taste +20% for learned recipes +40%
[Service LVL 3]
enables and lightens the burden of service related work
[Trickery LVL 4]
notice and figure out trickery up to your skill level +1
(Pickpocket LVL 1)
pickpocket targets up to your base level
(Lock-picking LVL 3)
open locks up to good grade
[Night skills LVL6]
-enhances pleasure given by 90%
(All night long LVL3)
-you can go on 3 Times without pause after 1st Climax
(Sexual Stamina LVL3)
-enhances the sexual stamina by 100%
(Lubed)
(to be set...)
(Contraception)
-reduced fertility – ON
(forced erection)
[Haggling LVL3]
(Overcharge LVL2)
(Discount LVL1)
-get a discount of 5% on each purchase
[Persuasion LVL 2]
[Alcohol tolerance LVL2]
[Cultivation]
-gain EXP by intercourse
[Hide LVL1]
[Poison LVL 2]
Physical:
[Pain tolerance LVL3]
[Martial Arts LVL 4]
[Staves LVL 3]
[Sword LVL 2]
(Slash LVL 2)
[Two-handed Axe LvL 2]
(Cleave LVL1)
[Dagger LvL 4]
(Stab LVL 3)
(Piercing LVL2)
[Hidden Weapons LVL 3]
[Bow LVL 2]
-enhances the damage done with bows by 40%
(Aimed Shot LVL 2)
(Double-strafe LVL1)
[Shooting LVL 2]
[Thrown LVL 2]
(Throwing LVL3)
[One-handed Mace LVL 2]
(Crushing Blow LVL1)
[Shield LVL 1]
(Shield Bash LVL 1)
[Wand LVL 5]
[Parcours LVL 1]
-enables to cross obstacles more efficiently
Magic:
[Reflect Magic]
-reflects all magic at the cost of 10% of that magic
[Chant shortening LVL 6]
-shortens a chant by 60%
[Silent cast lvl.3]
[Mana Manipulation LVL 2]
[Wield Magic LVL 3]
[Air magic LVL 2]
-air spells get cast 18% faster
(Lightning Strike LVL 1)
-charge lightning on a target dealing consecutive damage
has a chance to electrocute the target
(Chain Lightning LVL 2)
-cast lightning on a target and jump on dealing lessening damage
has a chance to electrocute the targets
[Earth magic LVL 3]
(Stone Shards LVL 3)
-hurl stone pebbles towards a target with high speed
the number and size changes with control over this earth magic
(Earth Wall LVL 1)
[Light Magic LVL 6]
-Healing spells enhanced by 40%
(Heal LVL2)
-accelerates the healing of a target by 200%
(Instant Heal LVL1)
-heal a target visibly for high Mana consumption
(Barrier LVL1)
(Great Heal LVL 1)
[Summoning Magic LvL3]
[Conjuration lvl.2]
(Summon Imp)
(Summon Void)
[Shadow magic LVL 4]
(Shadow Bolt LVL 3)
-hurl a shadowbolt towards a target devouring energy
[Space Magic LVL 1]
(Portal: Gold Creek)
[Barrier Magic LVL 3]
Special:
[Battle Intuition]
-chance to land a critical hit +20%
[Battle hardened]
-additional ([Base LvL]*100) HP
[Analyze LVL 2]
-The number of information shown depends on the skills level
[Multijob LVL 2]
-set two second jobs
[Hero]
-Experience gained doubled (incl. Party members)
All Stats +10%
[?ia???las Blessing]
-rep?a??d ?kin??i? may ?a?? ??? co??any ??ore y?u
[Champion]
-Experience necessary halved for the Champion.
All Stats +20%
[Enhanced Magic Resistance]
[Hide Abilities]
____________
With the biggest changes being his level and a few boosted skills like aimed shot or wield magic, Jay welcomed his growing stats.
He only managed to look into the skills up to lock picking from the trickery skill when sleepiness claimed his mind and he decided to go on the next day.
With three new abilities to choose, he didn't want to make a bad decision because he had been tired.
So leaving the tent and storing it back in his inventory, Jay got a inquisitive look from Kathariel again. He still owed her an explanation or two...
Saddling her horse and summoning Jay's, they rode along the road towards the farm in the north. On their way Jay explained to her how he got his special items.
At least partially he told her the truth.
He stated he had
Accepting his story though she noticed a few discrepancies, Kathariel thanked him for telling her.
Only minutes later they arrived at what was left of the farm. This one was not burned down but looked like some kind of wrecking ball had kissed it a few times.
Not even the outer walls were intact and the stones were sewn all over the ground. The interior as well as possible inhabitants were gone and the neighboring buildings were in a similar state.
After looking around for a few minutes they found old paw prints.
It had been the Gnolls.
Following their track on foot, it took them close to an hour to encounter the first patrol of those monsters.
They looked pretty wild and more feral than the ones they saw in Eldrin. Their levels though, were slightly higher, the highest they encountered nearly equaling Jay.
But they still posed no threat for the two of them and got defeated with ease.
Some encounters later, the frequency having risen drastically, Jay and Kathariel saw the encampment for the first time as they crossed a hill and the cliff came into view.
Right on top of the cliff, in what looked like the ruins of another big farm or mansion, dozens of tents could be seen. That camp was at least ten times the one in Eldrin.
Cracking his neck, Jay told Kathariel to stay back and use her bow, while he would take up the vanguard role and use magic to decimate them.
It was time for him to focus on leveling the sorcerer job and he wanted to test out his spell fusion as well. It had still to make an appearance in his routine and this situation seemed like the perfect opportunity to test is out.
The moment they got close enough, Jay casted a charged fireball and a huge stone shard. As he combined the two spell to one, he saw a notification in his log he had been hoping for. In his log was written
Next he directed the massive, burning stone so it landed in the middle of the camp. The explosions upon hitting his targets, followed by beastly screams and whimpers only were music to his ears.
Glancing at his log he saw kill notifications light up one after another.
Then he repeated it.
Another notification mixed within and stated (Meteor) spell learned. Quickly assigning it to a quick-slot, he repeated the spell and alternated with the ready cast button. With his already big and still growing mana pool, he had no problem shooting six of those spells in fast succession as he watched the scene unfold.
Kathariel was a little overwhelmed as well, but the only thing she muttered as she got closed to him was a "So fire magic as well, huh?".
But Jay had no time to even answer her.
A massive group of Gnolls came rushing towards them. Some of the monsters were even set aflame, a boon from the Fire Magic. But Jay had already prepared for that and as their opponents got into reach, he shot up the prepared firewalls.
The single monsters that broke through either died by the flames or an arrow to their heads.
Jay was glad the Gnolls had set up their camp in those grassy plains near the coast.
This way he could finally use the magic school best suited for mass destruction again. Fire Magic was his best option when it came to multiple enemies ,as lightning was versatile and even multi target able, but did way too less damage.
Arcane was good with the homing missiles, but took too much time as it was single target only.
At least up to this point.
With shadow- and earth-magic not even in the count, Fire was the way to go in terms of damage.
But it only worked well in the open and even though the magic flames were special, spreading fire from inflamed opponents was still a threat.
Stepping over the charred corpses of Gnolls, Jay and Kathariel closed in on the camp. Taking out his Wingblade and charging it up with fire, a spell at the ready in his left hand and Kathariel covering him with her bow, the two killed their way to the center.
Though they had not too many problems killing their way in, it still took them some time. Flashy actions were a no go as they neither knew the strength of the leader, nor the size of this tribe.
It was in the dead center of the encampment where they found the reason for the wrecked buildings.
A truly giant Gnoll stood there, holding a similarly big warhammer and commanding four bigger than average Gnolls to attack with their maces. While the other monsters were called Gnoll berserker and up to level 18, it was the one leading them that caught Jay's eyes.
__________
Spothide [lvl. 19 (Named)]
(Gnoll)
HP 1030/1030 Mana 0/0
[Berserker Rage]
__________
Even after Jay leveled up during the bandits raid, the Gnoll was still a whole two levels higher.
As it spotted the intruders it charged at them without second thought. Jumping high up in the air, it brought down the hammer with a force that surprised even Jay. He and Kathariel had no problem dodging the blow, but got grazed by the debris it caused.
Pulling the hammer out of the ground, Spothide searched for the intruders. The moment it saw Jay unscathed closing in, the Gnoll looked like it grew even a size more, getting a red hue under its fur.
Jay guessed it to be the skill it had and readied for impact as it charged towards him.
At the same time, the other Gnoll berserkers went for Kathariel. Not leaving her to fight alone, Jay rushed towards the nearest opponent.
But the moment he got within reach, his intuition told him to duck down.
...Fast.
Feeling a heavy gust passing over his head, the berserker he was going for had vanished as Jay looked up. Without time to find out what exactly happened, Jay rolled forward as a heavy object impacted the spot he knelt on a second prior.
Spothide was trashing around with its hammer.
While Kathariel was dodging a berserkers attack, she shot a arrow right on Spothides neck, but the Gnoll didn't even flinch. Casting a fast firebolt towards it wielded the same result.
Though its health bar dropped significantly, it didn't react one bit, seemingly not feeling any pain.
The next idea proved useless as well, when Jay used lightning and checked if he could stun the monster.
Because of that he rushed towards the closest berserker and beheaded it with his fire magic boosted Wingblade. Kathariel had taken care of the other two in the meantime, so they took care of the normal Gnolls that had come rushing in, while whittling down Spothide.
Though her arrows didn't do much on the raging monster, Jay's flames hade quite the effect and after two more square hits, their biggest problem was gone.
Unfortunately it was gone completely, burned down to ashes when they finally freed the world of the whole tribe.
On their search for survivors, the two had found multiple other monsters, mostly Murlocs that seemed to have been the main food source for the Gnolls.
Other than that they only found some stolen harvest and the remains of three human workers, possibly those who got captured.
The totem they again suspected was heavily damaged. It had gotten the brunt of a fireball or Meteor the way it seemed. Jay's first attack had been directed to the biggest tent and the location where they found said totem, so it was no wonder.
Storing it away, they left the area as the flames of the burning tents still kept spreading.
Back on the hill they frist saw the encampment from, Jay and Kathariel sat down and watched it burn.
The fight had been long and while Jay had only spent most of his mana, the Lieutenant was really exhausted.
While they sat there in silence, Jay took out some food from his inventory and the had a leisure snack while watching the fire unfold.
After a short while they decided to travel back to the farm where Kathariel had left her horse. Summoning his horse, they rode back together.
Glad her horse was still there and unharmed, Jay gave her the last two totems they found, wrapped in a blanked and ready for transport. After helping her fix them to the saddle, the two of them rode back towards the main road.
Arriving at the crossroad to the Molgen's farm, they had to say their goodbyes.
Jay would travel on and help in Westfield while Kathariel would report to Haggard and deliver the totems.
"Have a save trip back. And give my best regards to Haggard, he has the best replacement for Tharynn he could wish for." J.
"Thanks. Stay save as well. I hope we meet again soon and.... my friends call me Kat..." K
With this she turned her horse and galloped away, leaving Jay in a slight cloud of dust. As it settled down he received a notification.
Kat had disbanded the party even before she was out of sight.
Sighing to himself, Jay had his horse trot towards the farm where he would report their success with the Gnolls. He also planned to ask about the farmers that had lived on the farm they had checked in the north from them.
But as he passed the first workers some distance in the field, something seemed off to him.
Like it had happened back then with Mia in her Inn and recently in Arathor, Jay had the feeling he was being watched the moment he got into the proximity of Molgen's farm.