The Mechanics of Getting Stronger

We're a short ways into a cave in level two when Wyll asks, "By the way, how are we even going to find a lycan matron? Are they just hanging around here somewhere?"

"I doubt it," I say. There were a lot of monsters in Rising Hero so I don't remember every single one very well, but I think I remember a lycan matron being a mid-boss early on.

Again, that's just a vague memory I have, so I very well could be wrong. However, if I'm right, then both our objectives of defeating a lycan matron and reaching level three will coincide. I hope that's the case.

Wyll and I advance down the cave, fighting our way through the occasional lycans and flame monkeys. Sometimes some of the level one monsters, like the giant rat or bat show up too. Although, no slimes. Perhaps this environment doesn't suit them.

The stone walls slowly widen into a forest-like interior with foliage, dirt, and even trees, and it isn't long before the countless crystals that grow everywhere suddenly all light up red. I hear the heavy thuds of beastly footfalls from somewhere up ahead, and I declare, "Abyssflame!"

Subtle black flames begin emanating from my body, and I glance at Wyll to say, "Remember the plan."

Wyll nods, a nervous expression on his face, and readies himself. A flame gorilla emerges from a copse of trees, and I wait with my blade held in front of me. The flame gorilla roars when it sees us, and as soon it begins its charge, I yell, "Now!"

"Waterlog!"

Wyll's spell envelopes the flame gorilla, and its movements slow to a crawl. Wasting no time, I swing my blade and shout, "Abyssflame Slash!"

The wave of black flames flies through the air from my sword and strikes true. The flame gorilla is engulfed by my far stronger flames, and it screeches madly, clawing at itself before it is ultimately reduced to nothing.

-

50 EXP

-

I turn off the Abyssflame skill, letting the exhaustion hit me all at once as the lights on all the crystals go back to their colourless state.

I go to pick up the flame gorilla's gem, and as I do I wonder, how come these gems aren't affected by my flames? Even solid objects like the cave wall on level one were affected by them.

We take some time to rest, mainly to let me recover from all the energy my skills took from me, but also to let Wyll recover. His Waterlog skill may require far less energy to use than mine, but he's been using it the whole time on the way to the flame gorilla. We don't want to risk depleting him either.

As we rest, Wyll says, "You know, I think I feel a little stronger now! It's working!"

Has he levelled up, I wonder? I look at him and think with intent, Analyse!

The blue window pops into existence.

-

Wyll Cryasius (Warrior)

LVL 9

Con – 8

Str – 7

Dex – 6

Sta – 8

Mag – 11

Fai – 9

Skills:

?

-

Huh, even though he's lower level than me, I can't see his skills. My Analyse skill must not be strong enough yet. I see that Wyll's magic stat is his highest stat, it even matches my base magic stat. Being a warrior is wasted on him in that case, isn't it?

Anyway, nothing I see on here tells me whether he just levelled up or not, but if he says he feels stronger, he probably has.

That was how the game explained it in the lore: there are two ways to improve one's abilities. The first is to train the old-fashioned way—train your techniques, train your body. The second is to defeat powerful monsters. The game said that once a person defeats a monster, they absorb a portion of that monster's essence. Absorb enough of those essences, and you become stronger.

That is levelling up. Stats for everyone are allocated based on how they've been fighting when they level up, but apparently Rex was special, which was why he could pick and choose which stats to level up. I suppose Thomas is too then, and I suspect it's because of the Abyssflame and the Brightflame.

The stats screen and experience points are all just representations of these mechanics, according to the game.

Sure, that generally makes sense, but I have some thoughts about it. They're nothing I can investigate right now though, so I cast them aside.

Anyway, the people in this world have already arrived at the most efficient way to get stronger. Train your techniques, like swordplay, because monster essence doesn't help with that. And then improve your raw stats by defeating monsters, because that's far faster than just training.

Or, at the very least, that is what the lore book in the game said.

"Shall we get going?" Wyll asks, "I'm not looking forward to seeing another of that creature."

"Let's," I say. We stand and walk on.

Very quickly, we find ourselves wondering which way to go. It's not that we're lost, we know which way we came from, and as long as we don't go back that way, we'll be advancing. That's how the Great Dungeon works.

However, we don't want to just advance, we want to find the lycan matron. If it is a mid-boss, I don't want to miss it and encounter another mid-boss instead.

"Let's find lycans," I decide.

"We'll need to turn around for that," Wyll says, "There were plenty of lycans at the beginning of this level."

"No, here," I say, "Let's find lycans here. A lycan matron is the mother of lycans, so fighting through them should bring us to her." This is all just a guess. I barely remember doing any bounties in the game. But an educated guess like this is better than just wandering around without a plan.

Wyll nods, "Okay, makes sense."

And with that, we set off in search of our prey.