Chapter 280. Ancient's Lament
Returning to the city, Michael sighed when he saw it was already 3:30 p.m., but he didn't regret helping Ealda and the Crane Tribe.
After all, being part of such a large-scale battle wasn't very common, even in the Sanctuary.
Standing before Kratia, the Necromancer paid 20,000 gold coins and 200 Amethyst Fragments, after which he handed over his scythe and shield to have the new jewels socketed.
[ Amethyst
Gem
-----------
*Weapon: +8% Damage Over Time
*Armor: +35 Strength
*Jewelry: +21% Shadow Resistance
Can be inserted into equipment with sockets (Restricted to Level 40 for use). ]
Grinning at the increased 16% Damage Over Time he just gained on top of the overall +15% Damage, Michael was looking forward to trying it out on a new Dungeon.
Returning to the Bloodsoaked Crag through the portal, the Necromancer quickly ran back to the entrance and, once outside, opened the MAP to recheck if he had indeed cleared all Dungeons in the area.
"Fortunately, it looks like I did. *Sigh* It seems I was right, and the Questline isn't done yet."
In the Hutmoot, another blue exclamation mark stood out, almost as if asking the Wanderer to come and pick it up.
[ Side Quest: Worthy of Arreat (Level 50+)
Description: Help Ealda of the Crane Tribe mend their relationship with the Oxen Tribe. ]
Since the Quest was nowhere near what he expected, he immediately resummoned his mount and headed to the Crane Tribe.
'Is it even possible to mend their relationship? To begin with, the Crane Tribe is in dire straits, even if they successfully won a big fight against the cannibals. Barbarians are proud, so I can't see Ealda lowering her head and asking them for help, either. Simply put, the Sanctuary is asking me to mediate this process, huh? Let's see why.'
The atmosphere was much better once he returned to the Hutmoot—even the warriors who suffered from horrible wounds and lost limbs or senses as a result were celebrating.
There were also the 'reinforcements' who became awkward upon seeing Michael return. After all, instead of defending the outpost, they were 'defending' the Barbarians from the ale barrels by taking the fight in their stead.
Waving them to show that he didn't care, nor would he tattle to Beatrice about it, he moved past the festivities and found Ealda sitting on the ground further away from the noisy crowd, looking over her people.
She didn't look that happy anymore but rather concerned.
"Are the cannibals still a problem?"
[Oh, you're back. *Sigh* They remain persistent but will grow to fear our banners after today's fight. One day, we will clear them from our lands.](Ealda)
"I do not doubt your words. On the contrary, I look forward to it as much as the Crane Tribe does."
[When the day comes, you must join us for celebration. Our spears remember your blood as any kin.](Ealda)
Flattered, Michael took out a bottle of 'scotch' recently brewed by Milo and two cups.
Curious about the ale, the Chieftain downed the cup and showed an immediate reaction.
She seemed to like it quite a bit, prompting the Necromancer to leave the bottle in her 'care.'
"You seemed to be lost in thought when I arrived. Are you all right?"
[Last night, my ancestors spoke to me. If the Cranes fought well, they said, our time will come at last to rejoin the tribes. But I am still worried. I will not meet the Oxen Tribe on my knees... proper tribute must be made. Arreat steel from the mountain that fell.](Ealda)
"..."
[My ancestors say they lie with such steel deep in their tomb to the east. If you would recover it, please deliver it to the Oxen forgemaster. Tell her it is time we met.](Ealda)
Now, Michael understood why he was chosen as the mediator. It wasn't only because he had fought alongside them so far but also because of his connection with Forgemaster Gerti.
He was currently in the process of helping her repair the Great Axe of their ancestor, so if he would complete that Quest first, it would make the request to meet and mend their relationship much smoother.
[ Side Quest issued - Worthy of Arreat
Objective: Recover an Ancient Crane Sword
Description: To help the Crane Tribe survive, Ealda needs to mend their relationship with the other Barbarian Tribes, starting with Oxen. She wants you to recover an Arreat steel weapon from Ancient's Lament and gift it to Gerti. ]
Accepting the request even if the Quest was already showing in his interface, Michael stood up and prepared to leave.
He noticed that a small portion of the MAP, previously covered by fog, had been revealed, and the final Dungeon of this area was hidden there.
[ Dungeon: Ancient's Lament
Description: A tomb and prison for the anguished souls trapped within. ]
Moving through the feeding grounds of the cannibals, who had been thoroughly stomped on these past couple of days, Michael finally reached a place called Blistered Barrens.
The terrain was odd, with white, marble-like earth beneath his mount's hooves and patches that appeared to have been painted red by spilled blood.
There was no vegetation to be found, yet the terrain wasn't a desert, further perplexing the Necromancer.
'I should ask Hoduin about this place. If plants do not grow here, a Druid should know why. It looks like I'm here.'
Dismounting, he looked around and saw the ruins of what had probably been a large structure in the past. A glowing door covered by a thin film acted as the entrance to the Dungeon.
Everything from the inscriptions on the walls to the statues was destroyed—not eroded by time and weather, but intentionally destroyed.
Realizing that he wouldn't get any further information from his surroundings, he used an Elixir of Poison Resistance II and another of Antivenin, boosting his capability to take on 'poisonous' enemies to an all-time high.
[ Dungeon Quest issued - Ancient's Lament
Objective: Return the Ancients' Statue to the Pedestal (0/2). ]
The number of undead and demons he encountered here was incredibly high, even taking into consideration recent changes.
Blaming it on the fact that he had a Quest related to this Dungeon, the Necromancer continued killing left and right, to the point where he found his inventory full again.
Since he was in a rush last time, he didn't stop by Orzen or Zivek, so the items weren't sold.
Now, he had to use the quick travel for the third time today.
One thing he found out, much to his surprise, was that Zivek could no longer extract materials from the Legacy items, meaning that he could only sell them to Orzen instead.
That way, his Flammard of Reincarnation joined the other Rare items, bringing him a net profit of 280,834 gold coins.
He only kept one Legendary item for salvaging due to its Aspect, as well as the fact that it wasn't as good as his current weapon.
[ Sacrificial Sickle of Grasping Veins
Legendary Scythe
589 Item Power
-----------------
509 Damage per Second (+9 compared to the currently equipped item)
* [370 - 556] Damage per Hit
* 1.10 Attacks per Second
* +24 Life on Kill
------------------
* +10% Damage
* +43 Intelligence
* +72 Maximum Life
Legendary Aspect: Gain a 15% increased Critical Strike Chance for 6 seconds when you cast Corpse Tendrils. You deal 30% bonus Critical Strike Damage to enemies damaged by Corpse Tendrils. (Necromancer Only). ]
Adding 1 Baelful Fragment and 1 Abstruse Sigil to his collection of rare materials, Michael returned with an empty backpack into the Dungeon and restarted his massacre.
He was lucky to get another Resplendent Chest after clearing a Cursed Chest Event, which netted him another two Rare item boxes, one Legendary focus item, 5 Angelbreaths, 18 Murmuring Obols, 7 Rawhides, 7 Iron Chunks, 7 Bundled Herbs, and 30 Gem Fragments each.
[ Jade Relic of Hungry Blood
Legendary Focus
590 Item Power
-----------------
510 Damage per Second (+510 compared to the currently equipped item)
* [340 - 516] Damage per Hit
* 1.20 Attacks per Second
* +4.5% Cooldown Reduction
------------------
* +77 Maximum Life
* +49 Intelligence
* +6 Maximum Resource
Legendary Aspect: Each cast of Blood Lance will launch an additional Blood Lance at a nearby enemy when it first hits an already-lanced enemy, dealing 33% of normal damage. (Necromancer Only).
+8% Damage Over Time (Amethyst Slotted) ]
While the item was average at best, it helped Michael remember that he was currently using a shield, reducing his overall damage significantly.
"However, I can't swap to a Focus item until I get a decent one. *Sigh* I can use two swords or scythes, no problem, but the Sanctuary doesn't stack their stats and only considers the one I have equipped in my right hand as the actual weapon. In this case, I should consider scavenging for a decent Focus and prepare for a reskill."
Watching an Elite take damage up to 3.800+ per each tick of miasma, the Necromancer was satisfied with his upgrade so far.
He also found three different Tempering Manuals, but all were of Magic grade. So that they don't waste space in his inventory, he chose to use them, having the Sanctuary register the recipes on his behalf.
Through the ear-grating screeches of the exploding Lunatics charging at him from all directions, he could finally see his Quest objective. It was the item that would allow the Crane Tribe to resurrect.
The skeleton of a Barbarian was holding a longsword tightly with his bony fingers, not abandoning his weapon even in death.
Respectfully approaching the slain ancestor of the Cranes, he bowed and recovered the sword.
[ Ancient Crane Sword (Level 68+)
Quest item
----------
A well-made weapon fit for a warrior. Despite its age, the weapon is sharp and free of rust. ]
Raising an eyebrow at the level restriction, Michael realized that this weapon must've dulled through the ages since most item levels end with a 0 or a 5.
'Nevertheless, an ancient weapon belonging to a warrior of Arreat. With such a great gift, even if I somehow botch things when 'negotiating,' Gerti would still have to consider the goodwill the Crane Tribe showed.'
[ Side Quest update - Worthy of Arreat
Objective: Bring the ancient weapon to Gerti
Description: You have recovered an ancient Barbarian sword made of Arreat steel. You should take it to Gerti in Ked Bardu. ]
Seeing the Sanctuary agree with him for once, he passed through the Sorrow's Gate, looking for the Boss Room.
Unfortunately, what waited for him in the Wailling Depths he had reached wasn't a Boss, but the all-too-familiar Demonic Corruptions.
[ Dungeon Quest update - Ancient's Lament
Objective: Destroy the Demonic Corruption (0/3). ]
Following the familiar pattern, he wrecked the structures, and a demon popped up.
It was like the game of 'Whack-a-mole' but with an increased difficulty.
When the third and final Demonic Corruption fell, and its summoned 'avenger' died, Michael was rewarded with a successful clear and another Legendary weapon.
[ Spinal Wand of Inner Calm
Legendary Wand
587 Item Power
-----------------
516 Damage per Second (+6 compared to the currently equipped item)
* [338 - 506] Damage per Hit
* 1.20 Attacks per Second
* +6.0% Lucky Hit Chance
------------------
* +14% Damage
* +49 Intelligence
* +16.0% Vulnerable Damage
Legendary Aspect: Deal 8% increased damage. Triple this bonus after standing still for 3 seconds. (Necromancer Only). ]
In terms of Affixes, it was his, just like his new scythe, but slightly worse. As for the Legendary Aspect, it was interesting but probably not very useful most of the time.
"Unless you are fighting to defend a position and you are not alone, it's not a very good Aspect. Yes, a 24% increase in total damage sounds amazing, but would you obediently stay in one spot while faced with a monstrous Boss slashing down with his equally gigantic axe at you?"
Decisively adding a 'no' in his head while picturing the frightful scene, Michael left the Dungeon.
Once outside, he saw his experience bar had reached 25% of his current level, showing a 488,070/1,863,000.
Opening his MAP, he checked his current location and his next target.
"From the looks of it, the Infected Delve where I'm supposed to mine for my Quest is a Temporary Dungeon. Let's see... It's northeast of Ked Bardu, huh? It looks like I should teleport closer to it, though. Farobru... was I there ever before?"
Setting a tracker on the map for the Hidden Overlook since he needed to use the Waypoint, Michael wondered when he had visited Farobru and remembered that it was during his first visit to Ked Bardu.
It wasn't that long ago, but it certainly felt that way.
[ Side Quest update - Crucible of Worth
Objective: Gather Silver Quartz from the Infected Delve (0/3). ]
Planning a quick in and out since it was a Temporary Dungeon, Michael entered the Hidden Overlook cave and saw about twenty or so people taking refuge in it.
Judging from their weapons, they didn't appear to be your regular folk, but they shouldn't be bandits either since the Sanctuary didn't mark them as enemies.
Walking among them for a few minutes and realizing nobody wanted to start trouble with him, he took the Waypoint and teleported to Farobru.
Once arrived, he reopened the MAP and saw a big blue exclamation mark, less than fifty meters away from his position.